Page 7 of Commanding Flame and Shield
They smell like the Braid.
She pushed her energy all around where the men stood, but there was no other trace of him. The faint hint of his scent on their clothes suggested they’d been with him not long before. I shoved off the wall I’d been leaning on, gloving my exposed hand in the same motion, Aren mimicking the movement in unison a block away. We had been partnered for so long, there was not much we didn’t do as one being, and this was no different. Aren’s hulking form stepped from an alley, the crowd of people on the sidewalk parting like the great sea to make room for him as he turned towards Lana’s pulse. They kept a distant berth from our kind, unsure of why the hair on the back of their necks prickled, or their hearts raced seeing us. Shaking confusion from their minds as it became hard to recall the strange face they’d seen only moments ago. A million myths crossing their collective consciousness. Unperturbed by their eyes on him, Aren’s energy was steady, heartbeat matching the confidence in his bright aura as he waded through the crowd of humans.
The conviction in him calmed my racing heart, and I forced myself to inhale through my nose. My hand absently rose to rub the throbbing amulet on my chest, the pink calcite serving as the best guard between me, and the countless minds around me. Calming my abilities enough for me to stay single minded, even among the tumult. Today required focus, and some semblance of peace, which was always impossible for me to achieve enveloped in the city as we were.
I saw the girls right as they saw the men we were seeking. Fae and Lana moved in beautiful synchronicity—their connection easily renewed after their ascensions. Their souls had danced through many lives, always together, always sisters, or mother and daughter. The men they had eyes on were handsome too, just like August. Dapper in their luxurious business attire, they reeked of wealth and ambition. There was no malice in either heart. Fae inhaled deeply, and the rest of us soaked in their smell. Both faintly connected to him. But one. One of them smelledlikehim, looked so similar it was glaringly obvious they were family.
The younger of the two donned dark brunette curls, one straggler laying loose across his forehead. His dark blue suit was pinstriped and fitted closely to his lean form. Armani, if my eyes served me well. Dark, thick brows lined his serious, expectant eyes. For a moment I debated pulling the amulet from my neck to get a read on their minds, but a quick, nearly imperceptible shake of Aren’s head kept me focused. He was standing in line at a food truck smelling thickly of spices and simmering sauce, but I knew the motion was for me and not for the vendor.
Stay focused Ally. Stay focused.Aren’s pet name for me brought a smile to my face despite myself, and I nodded.
As I watched the younger man’s motions, I grew certain this was a relative of August. The hold of his broad shoulders, the triangular shape of his torso, and strong stance hinting at powerful legs for a mortal. He was fully immersed in their conversation, gesticulating passionately to his friend as they dressed their tacos with a heavy squeeze of lime juice and a generous amount of hot sauce. A laugh broke free, and the furrow finally left his forehead.Brother, I decided.
Fae, her shiny, straight platinum hair swaying at the edge of her belt, danced forward, eyes glittering. She gave me a sideways grin, and applied a soft pink gloss to her perfect, full lips. She was the smallest of us—still five ten—and the most human in stature, somehow possessing feminine curves most of us were lacking. Her head came up just below the younger man’s eyes.
No ring.Her singsong voice rang out to us.My turn!
She didn’t bother to conceal the smile on her face as she gracefully made her way towards them. Aphaea was the oldest of us. Not in this life, but in all of them. And she remembered most of her cycles with intense clarity. Practiced. While I might be the most overwhelmingly adept reader, Aphaea was the tracker. She could trace sound, smell, and aura better than any of our kind I’d met in this life. Her long, toned hourglass form, combined with an unearthly grace made her even more mesmerizing to the human males.
She literally cracked her knuckles, and popped her neck, before running her hands through that flawless hair. I chuckled and rolled my eyes, unable to block out the others’ amusement any more than my own. Alec’s snigger was prominent above the crowd, always there, egging her on.
Without hesitation, she strode up to the two gentlemen. While I could easily focus and hear the conversation, I allowed my attention to wander.
Aphaea needed no babysitters.
I gave them one last glance, as heat rushed to the young one’s cheeks, and his friend chuckled. No. She certainly did not need a chaperone.
I inhaled deeply, aware of all the scents overwhelming us here. Aren was guiltlessly indulging in a gyro—his favorite city food. And I couldn’t begrudge him such a simple pleasure. Despite the grim circumstance we had intervened in last night, we had never been closer since the braid had been assigned. And the resounding confidence in the group, all so sanguine on this smoky afternoon, brought a lightness to my chest. Voluntarily feeding on their optimism. We would do this. We would free him. August would ascend, and we could begin his training. He would ascend, and my heart could stop racing for the first time since I was called to him.
Fae was running her finger down the arm of the man’s suit now, and with a toss of her hair, the heat returned to his cheeks.
Ridiculous. Lana snickered. And for the briefest flash of a second, Fae threw a glare her direction, husky blue eyes flashing a warning, before returning a gooney smile to the men in front of her. Harlequin romance novel flirtations.
Despite their constant chorus of movements, mirroring petite stature and platinum blonde locks, Lana and her “sister” couldn’t have been more different. Pragmatic, strategic and oftentimes ruthless, Lana was the hunter. The final outcome, allowing for Fae's skills to reap their reward.
Ansel rose from the bench he patiently sat on and strode towards her with the prowess of a predator. Just as lethal as Lana when he chose to be, but not as callous as his mate. Ansel liked to follow our lead, loyal to Aren’s command, more than the whim of his emotions.
He wrapped an arm around the small of Lana’s back, pulling her to him, and slowly pressed his lips to hers. His free hand tangled in a strand of her silvery hair.
“Patience, my love,” he breathed. She resisted his hold for a moment, before leaning into the kiss and relaxing her tight fists against his chest.
Where Lana was all fury and passion, impulsive action and vigor, always the sword and dagger...Ansel was calculated and subtle. He and the sisters came together in each life, without fail. Sometimes they ascended together. They spent other lives searching for each other, only to be devastated by head stones. Reckless and broken until they were granted death. But upon successful ascension, they were always inseparable. Alec had joined them two ascensions ago. A hidden soul, and so intensely powerful. I never ceased to be amazed as I watched the dynamic between the group.
I’m walking James back to work.Fae's voice was innately feminine, even as she announced her swift victory.
Good work, Fae.Aren and I thought in unison. Alec’s pride was inescapable, without needing to see him, concealed in the crowd.
* * *
Fae leanedagainst a skyscraper made of steel and glass, a smug smile still radiant on her delicate features. Her frilly blush dress and strappy sandals stood in ridiculous contrast to the uniform most of us wore—long denim jeans, simple t-shirts, and combat boot adorned feet. But she knew her role, and wore it well, unashamed to be the irresistible lure at the end of our line.
“Are you ready to perform a summoning?” She took two graceful strides forward and tossed her hair over a shoulder.
“Hell yes.” I smiled back. We took our time finding our places around the building. Aren, Fae, and I took the front, under the overhang, shielded from the sun. That was where we assumed he was most likely to appear. He was palpable here, and while the others still could not find his mind either, his scent was everywhere—on the food cart pedaling hot dogs, all over the front step of the building, the metal door handle, even the column nearest the entrance. As though he lingered there often. I could have taken a moment to read the spaces, but there was no time. And no point, as the evidence was plenty sufficient for full understanding.
Once our sentries surrounded the building, I smiled, reaching for Aren’s mind. We connected. And then we linked to the rest—our usual partners, and the rest of the hierarchy. The energy was electric, immensely powerful, my stomach flipping as though I’d missed a step coming downstairs. Months.Monthsof searching was culminating in this moment.
Mind sharp, heart steady, muscles wound tight, I inhaled as deeply as I could. Alec cast his protective circle. No one would notice us here, lingering at all exit points of the building. With a breath, he expanded it, and I inhaled too. I reached up and freed the amulet from my neck, dropping it to my feet, and breathing into the rush of power that wound in my chest, grateful Alec held the continued reprieve of voices. His shield like a powerful spiritual Novocain, blocking the strain and ache that usually accompanied a place like this, my focus grew intensely acute.
