Unchained (Nephilim Rising 1)

Once in the elevator, her nerves made her fidget. She pressed the button for level five, exhaling loudly. Nathaniel wasn’t going to be happy with her disappearing all day, especially since she kind of dumped Michael on Luke. Trying to forget about that, she wondered how his first day at the Sanctuary had been. Hopefully, he believed them now.

If not, she was going to drop-kick him in the face.

The elevator came to a stop, and the heavy doors slid open to reveal Luke. Lily gave a little yelp of surprise and stepped back. “Jeez, Luke.”

“Where have you been all day?” he demanded.

“Aw, did you miss me?”

He snickered. “Nathaniel isn’t too pleased with you.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Like that’s anything new.”

He made a face as he stepped into the small elevator with her. “You’re coming with me.”

She crossed her arms. “Where am I going?”

He pushed the button for the bottom level that led to the subway systems, studying her closely. “We’re going to Michael’s to retrieve some of his personal crap. Micah will be meeting us there.” He stopped, squinting. “You look different. Did you do something with your hair?”

Eyes wide, she self-consciously ran a hand over the loose hair. “No.”

He shrugged. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

She bit back a sigh of relief, happy with the change of subject. “What?”

Luke placed a finger to his lips. She rolled her eyes but remained silent as the elevator doors opened once more. They quickly made their way down the corridor where two guards waited. The door was unlocked, and they stepped into the dimly lit tunnel.

“So what have you been doing that was so important you weren’t here to help us with your cop?”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “First off, he’s not my cop. I just punched him. That’s all I lay claim to. Secondly, it’s really not any of your freaking business.”

Luke stopped, turning so suddenly that Lily crashed into him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and dipped his head, peering down at her. “I just don’t want to see you do anything stupid.”

She opened her mouth to bite off a scathing remark but stopped. What she had done was stupid, and she had a sinking suspicion Luke somehow knew she didn’t go home and rest all day in bed. Feeling exposed and a little bit like a liar, a burn crawled up her chest as her temper flared. “Luke.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She let out an exasperated sound. “Everyone keeps saying that, like I’m two. Damn it! I’m stronger than half of the Nephilim here, and I can take care of myself. I’m not that little girl, anymore. You and Nathaniel both need to remember that.”

“We worry about you! You run off half-cocked. Do you remember what happened the last time you disappeared all day?”

She flinched at the reminder of her first run-in with Baal. “Luke, don’t go there. I went back to my place. I needed some time alone.”

“You needed some time to yourself? Did you think about anyone else? Do you want to know what I thought today?” He didn’t give her a chance to respond. “That day eight years ago when the son of a bitch Julian brought you back to us. I kept seeing you lying there, lifeless. And every other night you run off, telling no one where you’re going? I fear I’m going to see you like that again. Half-cocked, Lily. It’s what you are.” He broke off, taking an unsteady breath. “I can’t lose you, too.”

Her shoulders slumped as her anger evaporated, and her heart ached. No. She hadn’t thought of any of that this morning. It didn’t once cross her mind as she lay in Julian’s arms. Guilt gnawed at her stomach. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “You won’t lose me. I’m not her, Luke.”

“Say you won’t do anything stupid, Lily.” His eyes closed briefly, hands dropping to his sides. “I want you to promise me that.”

She heard the strife in his tone, the discord evident all over his handsome face. Knowing she was lying—because she couldn’t take back what she’d done—Lily promised him. Then she stood on the tips of her toes, wrapping her arms around him. Inhaling his familiar scent, she rested her head against his chest. “What would I do without you?” she murmured into the cotton shirt he wore.

He relaxed, holding her close. “I don’t know. Either you’d be running amok through the streets of DC or you’d have Nathaniel eating out of your little hand.”

She pulled back, smiling. “I don’t see anything wrong with either of those.”

“Yeah, you already have Nathaniel eating out of your hand. The damn man is getting too old to fall for your games.” He lightly cuffed her chin. “You trust me, right?”

That was an odd and incredibly stupid question. “With my life,” she affirmed fiercely. “What’s that about?”

He walked to the exit that led to the subway. She stared at his back for a moment, puzzled. Why would he ask that? Glancing around, she hurried after him. “Luke?”

“I know Nathaniel has shared his fear with you,” he said quietly.

She cringed. “Did he tell you?”

He nodded, looking up the empty tunnel that could only be accessed by the Sanctuary. “That’s why I didn’t want to talk about this in the Sanctuary. If Nathaniel is correct, it could be anyone.”

Lily wrapped her arms against the sudden chill of the dark, damp tunnel, wishing she had worn something more than a pair of 5.11 Tactical pants and a thin shirt. “Do you have any idea who it could be?” She followed him down another tunnel. She hated using the tunnel systems. Sure, they were useful and connected to just about every subway platform in the city, but they reminded her of one long cell. Never one to like closed and confined places, she found it difficult to get enough air in her lungs.

“No,” he said. “Who knows if we ever will?” Luke stopped, entering in a pass code on the thick, round door. “Micah has discovered something potentially big.” The door swung open smoothly, and he peered through to make sure the platform was empty. “He spotted a major player with a senator’s aide a few days ago—a Senator Sharpe.”

She followed him through and shut the door behind her. Once in the open area of the subway, she breathed a little better. “Who did he see?”

“Asmodeus,” he answered quietly.

Lily nearly tripped over her feet. “What?” Baal was back and now this? Christ.

Luke surveyed the empty platform. “The aide is now recently deceased due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

“Of course,” she muttered. “Do you think whoever is sending the Fallen names is actually working with Asmodeus?” When he nodded, she cursed again. “Oh God, that is not good.” She wanted nothing more than to beat the living crap out of whoever that was. “Why would someone do this? Everyone is like family here.”

He stared down the tracks, a far-off look in his pale eyes. “Someone who hates the Sanctuary,” he said quietly. “Maybe someone who hates Nate.”

“Hates Nate?” she questioned.

Luke shrugged. “He’s the boss. Could be a vendetta against him, someone who wants to cause as much destruction as possible.”

None of those were a good enough reason for her. The Nephilim were already sorely outnumbered by the Fallen and minions. To lose any more to the Fallen would hurt them severely. “We need to find out who this person is, because God only knows what Asmodeus is doing with those young Nephilim…or if it has anything to do with the senator.”

Her gaze followed Luke’s, and the bright lights of the approaching train cast them both in an eerie yellowish glow. As the train slowed, she felt a sudden flicker of unease. She stepped closer, wrapping her arm around Luke. “I don’t want to believe that one of us would shack up with Asmodeus.”

He glanced down at her. “Me, neither, but we need to make it a priority—you and I.”

The train came to a stop in front of her. As the door creaked open, she wrinkled her nose against the smell of body odor and disinfectant. She looked up at Luke, half of his face shadowed. The unease grew. “Like old times?” she whispered.

“Like old times.”

It didn’t take them long to make it to Michael’s apartment. Lily balked at the door to the stairwell. The idea of getting cornered in there again twisted her stomach. With a disgruntled glance at her bandaged arm, she pushed Luke toward the elevator.

“What? You have post-traumatic stress now?” he joked.

Like old times apparently meant making fun of her.

Luke relented when she threatened to push him down the elevator shaft and took a hefty swing at his head.

He fished out a key from his pocket.

Lily raised her brows. “Does Michael know you have that?”

He shrugged, slipping inside. “No.”

She rolled her eyes, following him and then closing the door behind her. They stood in the dark, empty apartment. Having been too pissed off the last time she’d been in here, she really hadn’t looked at anything. Now she roamed over to his coffee table and picked up a small picture frame. “I have no idea what he would want. Do you?”

Luke headed straight to the small kitchen, throwing open cabinets until he found a box of garbage bags. “Just grab clothes and anything you think is personal.” He handed her several bags, shuffling past to a tiny matchbox-sized bathroom.

How would she know? She flipped over the picture, staring down at it. A pretty young blonde smiled at the camera, her arms wrapped around a small boy who grinned impishly up at her. The little thing was Michael, but that wasn’t what caught her eye. It was the woman she assumed was his mother. The photo had captured the woman’s happiness in a way that struck her. She couldn’t help but compare her few memories of her own mother to this picture. Her mom had never been happy. A depressed, bitter, angry shell of a woman was who her mother had been.

Lifting the picture, she noticed a small crucifix around both Michael’s neck and the woman’s. “I feel wrong going through his stuff,” she called to Luke as she slid the frame into one of the larger pockets of her pants.

He snorted from the bathroom. “Really, I would’ve never thought that would bother you.” He was quiet for a moment. “Did you know Michael’s name never came up in the Book of Names?”

Shocked, she paused halfway between Michael’s bedroom and the living room. “What?”

“Yeah.” He came out of the bathroom. “Wonder what that means?”

She gaped at him. “Did Nathaniel tell you this?”

He nodded. “He didn’t want anyone to know. I guess he’s worried about how the other Nephilim would take that little piece of knowledge. So don’t go running back to Nathaniel demanding answers.”

Stung, she did want to run back to Nathaniel and demand why he hadn’t told her.

Obviously he didn’t trust her with the information, and she wanted to know why. Did he think she was the rat? He wouldn’t. He knows me.