An Immortal Valentine's Day (5 page)

Quintilius shuddered and said, “And to think I personally hired Beltrami because of his experience with abused kids. It was one of the worst moments of my life when I found out what was going on at RYS.” He combed his hand through his leonine mane. “I personally dealt with that animal, but by the time one of the other abused kids came forward, it was already too late. The damage was done. Raphael never trusted another adult after that. He escaped, and Peter brought him back to the center a few years later.” Quintilius looked at Peter.

Peter remembered the day he caught up with Raphael as if it were yesterday. “He escaped through my fingers several times, but I finally tracked him down two years ago. Raphael was with a girl, and I’m pretty sure the only reason I could catch him at all was because he wanted that girl out of my reach. After running away from me for years, he practically stepped into my open arms. Anyway, I got him, then Quintilius decided to help the kid—”

Quintilius nodded. “When I was informed by the new staff that one of the boys mistreated by Beltrami had come back, I went to the center to meet with him personally. I felt guilty for not having seen what an evil, perverted bastard Beltrami really was.” He sighed, his voice cracking and breaking up with every word. “I put Raphael under my wing and offered him boarding and a job at one of my offices. Clerical stuff, nothing too heavy, but he would skip work and go to the beach during the summer or sleep the day away at the desk. I cut him a lot of slack, but that was a mistake. One day he didn’t come to the office, and I never saw him again.”

“He probably left you when he joined the Reds.” Samuel shifted his weight by rocking back and forth on his feet.

“After all he went through, I can understand why he did. Gang mentality gives rejected kids a sense of belonging, something a renegade like him craves more than anything else,” Marcus said. “And he’s going to be prosecuted as an adult, right?”

Samuel turned toward his friend. “Yes, and if the girl is a minor, he’ll also be accused of kidnapping her.”

“How old is Luisa?” Ophelia released her hold on Laura.

“She turns eighteen tomorrow, on Valentine’s Day.” Laura hugged herself and Luka promptly moved close to her.

Samuel shook his head. “He will still be prosecuted for her kidnapping since technically it had happened before she became an adult.”

“Where could they go? Do you know?” Peter asked Laura.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry. She didn’t want me in her life anymore and—” Laura’s lower lip quivered.

“It’s okay. You helped us and Luisa a great deal.” Ophelia took her in her arms again and kissed the top of her head.

Peter turned toward Quintilius and Samuel, who were talking in hushed tones. “I think I know where they might be.” He thanked Laura, promised her he would call as soon as he had news about Luisa, then took Ophelia’s gloved hand in his and walked out of the greenhouse, followed by the four men. Outside, he addressed Samuel, “Are you familiar with the side of the Promenade that borders both the catacombs and magik territory?”

Samuel seemed to think about it for a moment. “Yes, I think so. What’s there?”

“The Den of Rejects, an underground community made up of renegade kids. I followed a few down that rabbit hole, but since they had just turned eighteen, I didn’t have jurisdiction over them and had to let them go. Luisa and Raphael might have gone there.” Peter hoped they were there.

The place was run by the oldest members, but everyone had a right to vote when it came to the community’s welfare. Although Peter had little doubt that kids as young as twelve lived in the Den, he had never brought that detail up to the Renegade Control Office. In truth, he had never written a report about the Den. After what happened to Raphael at RYS, Peter had sworn to himself to never remove a kid from a situation where he was safe, even if that situation didn’t adhere to the Immortal Council’s parameters. As far as he was concerned, the underground community worked better than RYS itself. “They must be there.”

Alexander, who had passed them on his way to the car, nodded. “Okay. That’s a start.” His cell phone rang. He looked down and grimaced. “It’s Ravenna.” He stepped away and took the call.

Peter turned to Ophelia. “Let’s get moving.” He was worried she would ask Quintilius to ride with them, but she shook her head while giving him a knowing smile and he released a long breath of relief.

She laughed, then got as close as she could without touching him. “Demon mine, what should I do with you?”

“I’ll tell you as soon as you enter the Jeep.” He had lowered his voice to the faintest of whispers but knew at least a few in the group had very good ears.

In fact, several meters away from them, Samuel chuckled.

Meanwhile, Alexander had finished his call and hurried back to them. “Ophelia—” He looked at her with big pleading eyes and brought both hands united to his chest. “Please, would you go to my house and help Ravenna with the party’s organization?”

Ophelia let out a chuckle. “Is she going crazy already?”

“You know Ravenna. She’s a perfectionist and wants the flowers delivered now, but—”

She raised one hand. “No need to say more. I’ll go. I’ve been dying to see her anyway.” Ophelia pivoted on her heels and extended a hand to Peter, her chin slightly tilted, exposing a bit of throat for him, her eyes sparkling with that light he loved. “Keys, please.”

His turn to shake his head and smile, Peter reached into his pocket and found the Jeep’s keys which he promptly held out to her only to withdraw his hand as she reached for it. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you did it on purpose to make me ride with Quintilius,” he whispered to her.

“It just worked out great. Don’t you think? Spending time alone without me, it’ll do both of you good.”

He thought their definition of good was worlds-apart different. Then he realized that since leaving for their honeymoon they hadn’t been separated in months, and he wished they were alone again. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you more.”

****

Marcus helped move the flowers and plants from Samuel’s SUV to Peter’s Jeep. The day had taken an unexpected turn and brought back memories from a past Marcus didn’t want to relive. During the whole conversation with Laura, he had kept his distance. He would have skipped the visit to the Renegade Youth Shelter altogether. To him, that place, although built with the best intentions in mind, was the proof the paranormal world was rotten.

Quintilius was a good man, but he was one in a society of many who didn’t give a rat’s ass about renegades. Despite that Marcus had somehow lost his unwanted status by marrying Diana, and thanks to Alexander’s endorsement they had been able to adopt Daniel, he still was a renegade. In his heart, he disagreed with the Immortal Council’s policies and the Peace Pact Alliance’s laws.

A society that didn’t care for its fringe citizens was a society he didn’t want to be a part of. Only his centurion skills and resilience had saved Marcus when living all over the world without the safety net of his
people
. For two millennia, Marcus had not belonged anywhere. Neither mortal nor paranormal, he had felt alone and full of rage.

But he had a family now, and Diana had healed most of the wounds festering for so long inside him. Yet, a day like the present came, and the stirring of a familiar emotion, all simmering and dark overtook Marcus.

“Are you okay?” Alexander moved around the vases to secure the orchid plants on the floor of the Jeep.

“Just peachy.” Marcus arranged the barrels closer to each other.

Alexander shrugged. “All right.”

“We need something to tie the barrels together.” One look over his shoulder and Marcus saw Peter was busy saying his goodbyes to Ophelia. Without bothering them, he rummaged through the vehicle and found a piece of rope, which he then wrapped around the barrels. With a grunt, he secured both ends to two hooks by the side of the Jeep’s walls. “That boy shouldn’t have been by himself all that time. Abuse after abuse. The isolation. No wonder he ended up dealing drugs. And now, he’ll be prosecuted as an adult for something you and I would’ve done in our youth without thinking twice.”

Alexander softly swore as he tinkered with the vases. “I know. And I was looking at that renegade girl and her boyfriend, and by the gods, they look so young and defenseless. I mean I know they must be tougher than they look because they lived on the streets and everything. But when Quintilius told us Laura’s story, how she ran away from her human foster family and lived all by herself for four years, I couldn’t help but think about my kids. If anything happened to Ravenna and me, what would become of them?” He paused, his eyes on a faraway point beyond Marcus. “We’re rich and can count on a support system, but there’re so many children and teenagers out there who are alone and left to fend for themselves.”

“And Laura lost both her parents. Like my Daniel—” Marcus’s heart lurched as he mentally concluded the sentence. His sweet son, who had called Diana mommy when he was ten months old, whose face lit in recognition when he saw Marcus entering a room and agitated his little hands to be grabbed, growing up in foster homes. He might have never found a loving family and could have ended on the streets like Raphael. Shaking, he occupied his own hands by tying knots so intricate only a sharp blade would free the barrels. “Wait until we reach our destination, then you’ll finally understand my beef with paranormal authority.”

Alexander focused back on Marcus. “I personally don’t care if Raphael belongs to the Reds. We must find these two kids before the enforcers are called.”

“And we better hurry, because at the twenty-fourth hour of Luisa’s disappearing, Wolf’s Haven staff will have to call the authorities. Raphael will be sent to Regina Coeli.” At the thought of the young renegade ending up in the adult correctional center, Marcus slammed his hand against the side of the Jeep, calling the rest of the group’s attention back there. He raised one hand in apology. Nobody asked for an explanation.

Ophelia stepped closer to him, gave him a hug, and then entered the Jeep. They all waited for Peter to send her on her way with lots of whisperings and a kiss that had everyone turning around. The only one standing his ground and growling was Quintilius, but neither Peter nor Ophelia seemed to care.

“Man, next time, keep the show PG if you don’t mind.” Marcus punched Peter’s arm as he finally stepped away from the Jeep and gave Ophelia space to maneuver the car out of the parking lot. “Also, remember what I told you not so long ago. That’s our sister you’re pawing.”

Peter shook his head and laughed, but didn’t give him the satisfaction of an answer. For which, Marcus inwardly admired the demon. All Ophelia’s friends, and, judging by Quintilius’s strong reaction, also her family, had given Peter a hard time. In Marcus’s case, it was only banter. He had immediately seen that Peter adored Ophelia, but he liked to play the role of big brother.

“Okay, let’s go.” Samuel tapped the side of his SUV. “It’s almost lunch time and we have lots of ground to cover.”

Quintilius sat on the front passenger seat while Alexander, Marcus, and Peter shuffled in the back. The vehicle lowered under their combined weight.

“You go in the middle, scrawny.” Marcus bumped Alexander with his hip and sent him halfway out of the seat.

“Really?” Alexander raised his eyebrows but complied with Marcus’s request. “And let it be noted, I could have easily insulted his ancestry for his lack of decorum, but I didn’t.”

Chuckles came from the front seat while Peter looked at them with an amused expression on his face, and his eyes warmed up changing color from dark brown to a tinge of honey. Marcus recognized in the demon a lonely soul.

“Greeks. They like using fancy words because they rarely know what they’re saying.” Marcus had stopped Alexander’s elbow before it hit his side. “They are also slow.”

Among serious and less serious chatter, Marcus watched with increasing discomfort as Samuel drove them back into the chaotic traffic of Rome. As soon as they entered the Raccordo Anulare, the big ring around the city proper that connected the suburban neighborhoods to its center, he headed toward one of the many entrances to the Promenade. From there, the angel took the underground road toward the location Peter had mentioned.

Marcus shuddered when he saw in the distance the marble arch delimiting the entry to the catacombs. Regarding the Roman cemetery, he had unhappy memories from his mortal days. Not because of the place itself and its quiet inhabitants, but because after his first wife had died he spent an unhealthy amount of time down there. Lost to the world, he only found solace in the presence of the dead. Even after turning immortal, he still had visited from time to time, until he left Rome altogether.

Samuel’s voice brought Marcus back to the present. “Peter, can you call Caelum for a detour inside Magik Nation? Otherwise, we’ll never reach the renegade caves.” He brought the car to a stop at the park and ride, adjacent to the Styx river trail. A brick wall encircled the right side of the parking lot closing the space from floor to ceiling of the cavernous chamber.

“Sure.” Peter reached for his cell, causing Alexander to shift his weight toward Marcus.

“How many times must I tell you I’m already taken?” Marcus pushed him sideways.

Samuel gave them a look from the rearview mirror.

“Kids, behave.” Peter pointed his cell phone toward them to show he had already initiated the call. “Caelum? Hi, this is Peter—” He listened for a moment. “We’re both fine, thanks for asking. I need to ask you for a safe conduct through Magik Nation.” He waited for his interlocutor’s answer, then looked outside, squinted, and finally said, “We are near Villa Ada’s entrance, by the catacombs.” He spoke a few more words, then thanked his friend, hung up, and addressed the rest of the car, “Caelum will be here in a few minutes.”

True to Peter’s words, not long after, his blond warlock friend exited from a door on the brick wall. Marcus could have sworn there had been no opening in that wall a moment earlier.

After a round of greetings, Caelum asked, “Where do you need to exit?”