No Shadows Fall (17 page)

“And what did God say?” Uriel growled out from between clenched teeth.

“God said that I could give Penemuel, Kokabiel, and Baraqiel protection and that they’d be forgiven their sins if they helped us. Something for something. So, I put this to Penemuel and said I wanted intel about Semjaza. He almost passed out in panic, but in the end, he agreed. He got a damn good deal, and he knew it.”

Uriel’s expression was one of undisguised rage. “I see.” His voice was curt, clipped. “Is there anything else?”

“Only what they told me about Semjaza,” Raziel said. He looked at Uriel with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Uri.”

Uriel shook his head in disgust.

Gabriel was frowning. “How did they manage to hide from us?”

“Magic.” Raziel drew the word out to emphasize it. “All the Grigori are good at it, not just Semjaza, remember. They haven’t done anything since getting out of Hell. They’ve just lived. Penemuel works at the British Library. Kokabiel and Baraqiel work together as astronomers. They keep their heads down and don’t use their powers. It’s not hard to miss them with those conditions. There are loads of immortals around the world, what’s three more? If they used their powers on major events or groups of humans or monsters, then we’d have known. But as they didn’t, well, here we are. Also, Kokabiel and Baraqiel are romantically involved. Penemuel loves only his books and his gin. Semjaza doesn’t have any hold on those three at all.”

“How can you be certain?” Michael asked.

“Kokabiel was sporting some rather nasty injuries,” Raziel said. “It appears that he said something Semjaza did not like and was paid for his words with violence. He was bandaged up like an Egyptian mummy. The Grigori also told me that there are a dozen Nephilim still alive. They do not know whose children they are, but it certainly adds weight to mine and Sophiel’s belief that Ahijah is protecting them.”

“I see.” Michael sighed. “Very well. What is Semjaza planning?”

“Oh, nothing that we didn’t already know.” Raziel rolled his eyes in disgust. “He’s got Azazel fawning over him, I was told. That isn’t really a surprise, either. Azazel was always Semjaza’s favorite. He’s got a place in Paris, and he’s hiding Semjaza there. I don’t think they’ll be there now, though. I think they moved as soon as Penemuel, Kokabiel, and Baraqiel left the meeting.

“Semjaza wants revenge,” Raziel went on. “He’s got quite a list. In no particular order, he wants revenge on Gabriel for locking him up in Aquila, on Michael for throwing the rest of the Grigori into Hell, on Uri for Noah’s Flood, on Gabriel again for killing most of the Nephilim, on me for keeping him out of Eden and setting nice little traps that let me know when he tries to get in, and last of all, but certainly not least, on Remiel for loving and being with Ishtahar.”

Uriel leapt to his feet. “That fucker is not getting his hands on you, Raziel.”

“I hadn’t planned to let him,” Raziel said calmly.

“Yeah, well, you’re not leaving Iona,” Uriel sputtered. “I won’t have it!”

“I’m not going to argue with you over this right now,” Raziel said, and his voice was cool. “But you and I will be discussing this later, in private, at some length. I feel that it is only fair to tell you that you will lose the impending fight, Uriel, because you know I am right and you know I am able to take care of myself. But I also know that you will be unable to accept that, and so when we fight, keep that firmly in mind.”

Uriel gaped at Raziel in astonishment, then glared at him. “This isn’t over, Raziel.”

“I never thought that it would be.” Raziel turned back to the rest of the Brotherhood and the other four angels. “I believe that covers everything.”

“What do the Grigori out of Hell look like now?” Metatron suddenly asked.

“What? Oh yes, right.” Raziel tapped on the keys of his laptop and a photograph appeared on the screen behind him. “Penemuel,” he identified the balding, portly man wearing a tweed jacket and dark gray slacks. “Kokabiel and Baraqiel.” The two Grigori were seated side by side: Kokabiel without a shirt but with his chest wrapped in bandages, his dark hair mussed, and his cheeks flushed pink; Baraqiel looking very worried, in a simple blue suit.

“Huh.” Remiel peered at the images. “They look completely unremarkable.”

“I believe that was the point.” Raziel shrugged. “In any event, they will continue to tell us what Semjaza is up to and where he is, and we can plan accordingly.”

“Is that all?” Michael asked. He sounded weary and Gabriel laid a hand on his back.

“For now, yes.” Raziel sat back. “What are we going to do?”

“I think we should start acting instead of reacting,” Raphael said suddenly. He leaned forward, his dark hands resting on the table. “As Israfel reminded me before going to help the monks with their broken church organ, if we do nothing but react to things, we are not doing much to keep humanity safe.”

“So what do you suggest we do?” Uriel demanded.

Raphael hummed. “I think we need to start making some noise. We need to get Semjaza out in the open somewhere so we can catch him and put him back into Aquila.”

Michael frowned. “He wants revenge and he wants Eden. What do you propose we do, journey to Eden and lounge upon the walls as if we had not a care in the world?”

“Well, no.” Raphael laughed. “I don’t think you’d know how to lounge like that anyway, Michael.”

Gabriel was shaking his head. “I’ve got a better idea. Semjaza wants me and Remi probably the most out of all of us, yeah?”

“Yes,” agreed Raziel.

“Then Remi and me should go out and be seen somewhere, alone, without an army or backup. Semjaza’ll think he can take us, and then we’ll turn the tables on him.”

Michael frowned. “I do not like this.”

“Better than wafting the Nephilim under his nose like a carrot to a donkey,” Gabriel said. “I’d rather play bait—I can defend myself, for one thing.”

There was a growl of disgust from Uriel at that.

“Look,” Gabriel began, glaring around the table, “if anyone’s going to know what killing Nephilim is like, it’s going to be me. I murdered them all—on orders, aye—but I still did it. Men, women, children, infants. Every single damn one of ’em ended up killed by me. Ahijah and Hiwa escaped my sword ’cause of two things—one, Ishtahar begged me not to kill them, and two, God told me not to. The rest? Their blood is on my hands.

“And you know, I’m pretty okay about that. I don’t have lingering guilt. Orders are orders, and sure, that’s something that’s said to excuse bad behavior by soldiers since time began. But these few, these dozen? If we ain’t known about ’em until now, what harm are they causing? What laws are they breaking? Let ’em be.”

Silence met Gabriel’s words, and he stood up. “I’m going for a walk,” he said. “You can all debate the life or death of these Nephilim if you want, but I ain’t going to be the one to draw a blade against them unless they break laws or draw a blade against me and mine.”

Michael stood. “I will come with you, if I may.” He looked around the assembled. “Let us adjourn for a time and meet later to discuss this again.”

“Aye, you may.” Gabriel flashed Michael a small smile. Together, they left the room.

O
UTSIDE
THE
pub, Gabriel let out an explosive breath and ran both his hands through his hair. It was cold and night was descending fast, but Gabriel didn’t want to go indoors just yet.

“
Da bao
?” Michael’s voice was a timid interruption to Gabriel’s thoughts.

Gabriel turned and faced his lover, smiling. He held out a hand to Michael. “Come on, let’s go for a walk on the beach.”

Michael took Gabriel’s hand, twining their fingers, and smiled shyly. “I would enjoy that.”

“Awesome.” Gabriel started down the path toward the seashore. “So, that was a lot of interesting intel, yeah?”

“As you say.” Michael shook his head as Gabriel watched him out of the corner of his eye. “In truth, I was astonished to hear of the Grigori free from Hell. I cannot fault their reason for leaving, however. Hell is not a pleasant place.”

Gabriel laughed. “Understatement, baby. And as Raz said, if they’d been interfering in things, using their power, we’d know about it, and they wouldn’t still be out. The fact they’ve been lying low tells me they really do intend to do the right thing—have been doing the right thing—and are just watching humanity and living and not harming anyone. As they were supposed to do back in Eden.”

“Eden,” Michael sighed. “It always comes back to that city. In truth, some days I wish it never existed.”

“If it wasn’t Eden, it’d be Ephesus. Or Pergamon. Or any city of antiquity.” Gabriel tugged Michael closer, let go of his hand, and slid his arm around Michael’s shoulders. “The location ain’t really the issue. What happened there is.”

“As you say.” Michael leaned into Gabriel as they walked down to the sand. The sound of the surf crashing against the beach was loud and calming, and Gabriel breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of it.

“It is a lovely evening, is it not?” Michael said.

“Aye.” Gabriel smiled. “I’m not in a hurry to go inside, though.”

“Nor am I.” Michael stopped walking.

“
Solnyshko
?” Gabriel stopped as well, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

“This.” Michael stepped close and leaned in. Then he kissed Gabriel, reaching up to cup his cheek with one hand.

Gabriel slid his arms around Michael’s waist, pulling him closer as he deepened the kiss. The wind tugged playfully at his hair and ruffled his wings, and Gabriel made a low noise of contentment into Michael’s mouth.

Michael melted into the kiss, and Gabriel felt his heart give a familiar lurch, the little flip-flop of love and devotion he had for Michael.

“I love you, Mishka, my Mishka.”

“I love you as well, Gabriel.”

“Then I’m the luckiest being alive, me.”

“No. I am.”

Gabriel ended the kiss and rested his forehead against Michael’s, reaching up with one hand to stroke Michael’s hair. Michael smiled at him and Gabriel smiled back.

“I think what Raphael said is right,” Gabriel said.

“About acting instead of reacting?”

“Aye.”

“Wisdom comes from the strangest of places,” Michael mused. “I would not have thought that Israfel would have thought of such a thing.”

“I think we sometimes forget that he saw most of what went down back then. They did have music in Eden, after all.” Gabriel’s smile grew.

“You are right.” Michael gave Gabriel a brief, soft kiss. “So what do you think we should do?”

“I think we should find out where Semjaza is, first off. Then pick a good, defensible spot, and I’ll go and pretend to be all alone.” Gabriel chuckled. “Alone with Remi, but without the rest of our Brotherhood and without Shateiel or my Seraphim.”

Michael nodded. “And we will conceal ourselves so he is unaware that we are close by.”

“Aye.” Gabriel considered his options for a moment. “Maybe we should have Ish and the boys with us too.”

Michael raised an eyebrow in eloquent query.

“Well, he wants ’em back, yeah? So it’d be a perfect opportunity for him. Take care of Remi, take care of me, and get his wife and kids. He’d see it as a prime chance.”

Michael frowned as he turned that over in his head. Gabriel could almost see the cogs and gears turning.

“As you say.” Michael sounded resigned. “At the conclusion of this, however, you and I are taking a month to be alone on our island.”

“That’s a bloody good idea.” Gabriel kissed Michael’s forehead. “We ain’t really had the chance to properly explore our bond, yet.”

“I had thought the same thing. I confess that I am irked at the timing of all this.” Michael nuzzled Gabriel’s cheek. “We are so newly bonded, I wished to spend more time alone with you celebrating it. Not chasing after Semjaza and his ego.”

Gabriel laughed loudly at that. “Aye, and his ego’s bigger than all of Europe.”

“Yes.” Michael pulled back and smiled at Gabriel. “What shall we do first?”

“Get Raziel to find Semjaza?”

“All right.” Michael nodded.

“And then we finish this.” Gabriel nodded in emphasis.

“It will be nice to have it over with,” Michael mused. “Long have the Grigori and their leader been on the edges of our minds.”

“Aye.” Gabriel ran his hands down Michael’s back.

“Mm, Gabriel, what are you doing?”

“I am touching you, Mishka,” Gabriel said, laughter in his voice.

“I see.”

“That okay?”

“Yes, you may continue.”

“Thanks, you’re ever so kind.” Gabriel chuckled as he leaned in and kissed Michael again, soft and slow.

Michael pressed close to him once more, and the kiss deepened as they stood together on the shore, the moon and stars shining their dim light down on them. In the distance, there was a rumble of thunder, and the wind coming off the sea picked up, growing stronger and colder.

“Maybe we should go indoors,” Gabriel murmured between kisses. “I don’t want you to get a cold or anything.”

“I was about to say the same of you.”

“I don’t get sick, though,” Gabriel protested. “You do. You use so much of your power with the Venatores, protecting their locations, their safe houses, your power’s spread a little more thin than mine. So you’re more likely to get sick because you don’t use enough of your Grace to make sure you never get sick or tired or anything like that.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Michael asked, looking confused.

“I asked Raph, and he asked God. Also, I used my giant Archangel brain.” Gabriel grinned broadly.

“I fear your giant Archangel brain is wrong this time, however.” A smile tugged at the corner of Michael’s lips as he spoke.

Gabriel feigned an expression of shock. “Nonsense!”

“I fear that you are, on occasion, wrong.” Michael grinned. “Very rare occasions.”

“Well, so long as they’re rare.” Gabriel hugged Michael close against him.

After several minutes, Michael pulled out of the hug and took Gabriel’s hand in his. “Let us go back to the cottage,” he suggested.