Page 63 of Commanding Flame and Shield
“You haven’t read him. You don’t know what he’s capable of. He might be The Healer, in your heart. But I believe the vision is true. He is The Great Commander. Legions of souls, far beyond the hierarchy will bow to him, if we are right. Light…and dark. We need him for the war to come. If he loves you, like I think he does, or will, he could be your undoing, Ally. All your walls, all your rules, all your discipline. It doesn’t stand a chance. He will give his all for you. And you will do the same. He has sacrificed entire armies to protect those he loves. Don’t think he wouldn’t do it in this life too. Just…be careful with his heart. Be careful with yours.”
I stared back at him, awestruck. Alec wasn’t one for drama or prophecy. But his intuition was spot on. As I stared into his amber eyes, I could see the memories surface there. The man he’d known, and the men he’d seen when he and August had dug through his subconscious, were men of immense power. The passion in that soul could lead him to greatness, or to a broken fall that rivaled the mortals.
“Ally,” Alec’s tone was warning. “I didn’t see a single life where he…survived for long...Every journey I saw in his soul was short. It’s clear to everyone that the two of you fit together like…” he searched for his example. “Jigsaw pieces. But maybe, prepare yourself for the worst case. You’ve been through enough.”
An icy chill ran down my spine. I cast my mind forward for what felt like the thousandth time, but August’s threads were still too many to count. Too many undecided things hung in the future for me to know where his path lead, or which threads to pull on. Nausea rose in my chest, and I swallowed it back.
“That being said, his love—the way he loves—and the way he looks at you. Respects you. I want that for you, Al. I really do.”
My voice was quiet when it finally rose in my throat. “Thanks for having my six. It could be different…this time. I’ve never survived to see my hundredth birthday before this cycle. And look at me, nearly four times that.”
A gentle smile played on his eyes, and he turned to Fae, pressing his lips into her platinum hair.I wantthatfor you too.
* * *
Layla’s apartmentwas silent when we arrived, the energy serene and warm. Her mind was quiet with sleep, and I found my heart settled in my chest, knowing she was okay. August’s scent and energetic signature were still dully detectable in the building, and hallway leading to their door. The low vibration of crawlers still lingered in the shadows, but it didn’t seem they had been back since we’d taken him away. Perhaps I could get a message to Layla through a dream, although human minds were harder to reach than ours.
The three of us raised our hands in unison, spoke St. Michael’s prayer for protection, and cast an energetic circle around the unit. Another to guard the building, as August was everywhere there. It would have to do for now.
As we left the front lobby, a sense of unease contradicted my previous sense of surety and I paused for a moment.
Alec turned, cocking his head to the side.You feel something?
I closed my eyes, breathing in the energy around us.I thought so, for a moment.
We’ve placed the best protections. Do you need to read her?
Slowly, I shook my head. It felt too much of an intrusion to pry into Layla when August had worked so hard to protect her all these long months. It would be disrespectful to his direct wishes.
I think we’re okay. I just. I can’t shake the feeling I’m missing something.
Anything more we can do, outside of posting guards?
I shook my head. No. Grayshell wouldn’t be able to spare guards with Samhain right around the corner. Her threads were still too many to sort, just like August. Until decisions were made, Layla would be bathing in a pool of uncertainty.
We continued down the sidewalk, Alec and Fae wrapping their arms around each other. The first inkling of the crisp onset of fall was in the air, and I breathed in its familiar scent. No matter how many rotations I’d done, the crisp leaves, warmth of squash, and spice of autumn were always a welcome change.
We were passing a bar that smelled mostly of beer, and the people inside were singing an Irish shanty that caught my attention. There was a radiant energy reverberating off the building, calling me in. We slowed to listen, to feel their excitement as a woman dressed as a slutty bunny, and a man dressed as Cesar began a surprisingly accurate Irish dance, to the immense satisfaction of the onlookers. The others in the bar began to clap to the beat, fueling the energy of the dancers. The bar was dark, the walls nearly black, with bronze and hardwood accents. Well-worn wood floors the color of warm amber poured down the center below the quick feet of the dancing duo. The crowd around them began to dance and grind, entirely out of beat with the rapid rhythm, but their intoxicated minds didn’t care.
My heart quickened, and a warmth spread in my chest, sensing his presence before I could see him. He must have sensed me too, as I lingered just outside the busy entrance. Or at the very least, he saw me first. Because August was walking towards us, weaving between the grating bodies, and laughing patrons at tables. His eyes, nearly unblinking, were locked on me. Sam and James followed in his wake, Sam beaming a child-like smile, and James looking a bit uneasy. They suddenly looked so young, like teenagers compared to the ascended August in their center, and I grinned at the way he held his broad shoulders with so much confidence. My feet had moved me into the bar without my acknowledgement, and I returned his enthusiastic grin.
August flowed around me with the grace of still water around a bend and came to rest his hand on the small of my back. He leaned forward to close the gap between us and his guests, so his raised voice could be heard over the singing.
“You must have felt us talking about you! Alvara, this is my best friend Sam, and my little brother, James!”
Sam’s cheeky grin broadened, and he offered his hand, but James eyed me like he was surveying a rattlesnake.
How much do they know?
Everything.
I raised my eyebrows in question, and August shrugged.
I’ve never been a great liar, and I didn’t want anything more between us.
They know about my powers?
Was that supposed to be a secret?
