Angelic Sight (7 page)

Axis reached for the lube and slicked his fingers. Without asking permission or giving warning, he walked behind Keer and spread his cheeks. He traced the shell of Keer’s ear with his tongue as he pushed one finger into his still-clenching hole. “Your turn, Keer.”

The Elite groaned.

Axis chuckled and added another finger. “I’m going to fuck you until you’re hard enough to fill our Levi up again. I don’t want him to doubt for a second that we can be everything he desires.”

Levi gasped softly as Keer shuddered. “Yes, please!” the nephilim begged. Axis slicked his prick again and pressed it inside Keer. The  Elite pushed back, welcoming the invasion. He slammed forward and growled his possession to the heavens. These men were his.

Chapter Four

Friday dawned with all the enthusiasm of a hangover. The clouds had rolled in at some point during the night and chilled the air to a nearly frigid thirty-five degrees. It was supposed to be uncharacteristically warm this weekend, but if today was any indication, the weathermen were going to be wrong.

Marius hung the last plastic ghost from the porch as Jade applied the bat decals to the upper windows where Axis had already put in spooky orange, red, and lime-green lights on the sills and around the porch. He had to admit, the house looked fantastically festive, and it looked just like one of the houses Levi had sighed over when they were still living out of suitcases in hotel rooms.

Since Levi had claimed the Halloween decorations, Erik had

demanded input on the Christmas ones. He didn’t care what everyone  put inside, but the outside décor was going to be his brainchild. It was  a bit early considering Halloween hadn’t even passed yet, but  whatever made Erik happy. The Elites had shrugged and agreed, not  understanding why decorating was really a necessary thing for the  two other nephilim. For all their experience as guardians and whatnot,  they seemed oblivious to the significance of
 
home
. Then again, most  angels were until they came and lived on Earth. Marius hadn’t  understood in the beginning, either.

“He seems better today,” Keer commented as he joined Marius on  the porch, looking out toward the street.

“He does,” Marius agreed. Thanks in large part to Keer’s  management. After Levi had returned from his downstairs tryst with  their other lovers, he had returned calmer. Marius had made love to

him until morning broke, until sheer exhaustion forced them all into

slumber.

He glanced over at Keer. “Has Scepta called?”

Keer shook his head. “Not yet. Axis expects he’ll call after he finishes work tonight. He was supposed to call after he consulted his fathers last night, but it may be more complicated than he had planned. The commander feels like we should give them time to figure it out.”

“If that is what the commander feels is best,” Marius said. It was

only a few short months ago that he would’ve pitched a fit over  Axis’s decree to leave the leaders of Urun alone when it came to the

potential answers concerning his nephilim. Now he trusted Axis  implicitly. If he wanted to wait, he would have damn good reason to  do so.

“Aren’t Madigan’s friends getting into town tonight?” Keer asked.

Marius nodded. “I think so. Levi mentioned something about it  when he was talking to Madigan the other night. That reminds me, it  was their first day of business at their new bakery. It might be a good  idea to show our support. I could go for some of Madigan’s baking.  You should taste his stuff. It’s heaven in a sweet treat.”

“I think everyone will like getting out of the house for a bit. We’ll  be tied down from Monday on, and Levi will probably be happiest if  we keep his mind off what is going on with him until we know  something definitive. Ask Jade if we have the budget left for some  cakes or something, and I’ll try to round up the rest of the gents,”  Keer said. He turned around and headed back toward the door.

Marius stepped off the porch, heading to the front of the drive so that he could look up at the second floor where Jade was clinging to the roof. “How much money do we have to play with?”

Jade raised his staple gun and put the last giant plastic spider on the windowsill and slicked another bat decal to the window. The

spiders were a new touch. Marius hadn’t known they were doing that.

Brax was handing them out an open window next to him.

“Depends,” Jade said, not looking up. “Big purchase or small one?  I used a lot of our play money on decorations.”

Marius watched in fascination as Jade used his yellow-and-orange  wings to balance on the edge of the roof. “I figured we could get the  nephilim some cookies or something. Madigan and his lovers just  opened a bakery in town. Keer and I thought it would be good to get  everyone out of the house for a bit.”

“Yep. We’ve got the capital for that. A dozen cookies shouldn’t  run more than ten bucks, right?” Jade used one wing to push off the  roof and swing onto the other side of the sill. He muttered something  uncomplimentary under his breath about cheaply made spiders and  was forced to restaple one.

“Should be. Finish up and get your shoes on. How long do you  need?” Marius asked.

Jade shrugged. “I don’t know. Five minutes maybe.”

Marius nodded and went back up the porch and into the house.  Axis met him in the foyer. He met the green eyes of his commander and felt nothing but happiness. How had he ever looked on Axis in resentment? He gave him redemption, love, a second chance at a life he’d lost.

Axis smiled at him like he was reading Marius’s mind. “I hear we’re going to get snacks.” He pointed to the grandfather clock in the entryway. It was three in the afternoon, and they had only been up three hours at most. “I think it’s a great idea. I would also like to stop by the facility and teach you to shift. It’s well past time, and I want you completely ready for the opening on Monday.”

A sudden nervousness filled Marius along with that strange feeling like he wasn’t alone in his own head anymore. That feeling grew as a separate consciousness joined his own. It felt noble, ancient, far older than Marius was, at any rate.
 
It’s time
. Marius jumped as the thought echoed through his mind. It wasn’t words exactly, more of an impression of a desire, a knowing that their time for true unity was at hand.

Marius nodded, swallowing hard. “You think it’s time?”

Axis winked. “I know it is. Your animal calls to mine. We’re part of the same group, the same family. He wants to run with us. Trust me. It’s nerve wracking now, but soon you’ll resent keeping your human form. We might want to look into some farmland in the future.”

“We just moved here,” Marius said. “I don’t want to move the  nephilim so soon.”

Axis turned to the entryway closet, opened the door, and started  rooting inside. “The facility will be more than adequate right now, but  I’m saying that in a few years it might appeal.” He remerged a second  later with a spare pair of Nikes. He tossed them to Marius. “You need  to put proper shoes on. Sandals in thirty-degree weather is  ridiculous.”

Marius’s eyes went down to his toes. With jeans on, the only thing visible was his bare toes. The sandals were fine. He’d been wearing the same pair for months. He reconsidered. No, not months. Almost a year now. They were comfortable. He never wore his tennis shoes if he could help it. They confined his feet and made him sweat.

“I like my sandals.” He eyed the shoes Axis extended to him.  Yeah. Those so weren’t happening.

Axis looked at him strangely. “You’re rebellious about the oddest things. You yield on some tasks I give you and I think that you’re tamed, but then something will spark, set you off, and then I see the fallen angel you were before. It’s a sexy and exasperating mix.” He waved his hand in dismissal. “Fine. Wear your sandals and get frostbite.”

Marius couldn’t suppress his grin. “Don’t mind if I do, Axis. Are the rest of boys getting ready, then?”

“We’re ready!” Levi called from the top of the staircase. He beamed down at them in a black jacket, his name emblazoned on the breast in orange lettering with an orange undershirt with a black cat

sitting on a pumpkin. He was certainly in a festive mood. Even his  black Converses were laced with orange shoelaces.

“Anyone tell you that Halloween isn’t ’til next Friday?” Marius  teased, winking at his nephilim lover.

Levi shrugged. “I’m celebrating all week.”

Marius really loved when Levi was carefree like this. When he  was relaxed and cheerful, his eyes sparkled like twin emeralds and his  easy grin was full of mirth and mischief. Marius imagined that the  look was a leftover from more innocent days. He sometimes forgot  how young Levi was. Most nephilim hit maturity at twenty-eight and  their human maturity was past the youthful indiscretions stage. Levi  had been tortured into awakening at eighteen, had been dealing with  his angelic powers for five years now. He was the youngest nephilim  Marius had ever encountered. He was most likely the youngest  nephilim in existence.

“I look forward to your display, angel,” Marius said. Keer and  Brax crowded in behind the nephilim and peered down at him. Erik  came running down the hall behind them and nearly rolled them all  down the stairs. Marius’s heart tripped over itself as the cluster  righted itself and they all started laughing hysterically.
 
Yes, it is  hilarious to nearly give me a heart attack
. Marius glared.

Axis clapped him on the shoulder with one hand. “Easy, Marius.  They’re in a playful mood. Don’t ruin what we’ve started.” He looked  up at the others and smiled. “Load up the cars, boys.”

Marius imagined Erik was grumbling about not flying into town  yet again. He’d been trying to get them to carry him there for a few  days now. His overeagerness to stretch his powers was making him  restless and reckless. It was a dangerous combination given what he  was. Marius sighed and decided not to think about it. Soon Erik  would be learning everything the Elites had to teach him and coming  fully into his powers. Until then, he would do as he’d always done,  watch, wait, and protect.

* * * *

“Beautiful boy,” Jade murmured, wrapping his arms around  Levi’s shoulders. Levi leaned back into the embrace as they waited in  the line that snaked all the way outside Madigan’s shop. It seemed  every local in the vicinity had turned out to buy something from  Madigan’s shop. Levi wondered if it had been like this all day. His  breath clouded around him in a steamy expression of life and he  huddled further into Jade’s embrace. Keer stood in front of them,

hands shoved in the black pockets of his slacks. He looked as  handsome as always, almost statuesque. Like a beautiful, ethereal  painting, Keer was desirable and untouchable to everyone. Well, Levi  amended, everyone but them.
 
I have the most gorgeous men in all of  Urun
. Each one of them was like a unique and precious jewel.

He lifted his face for a kiss, and Jade gave him the touch he  sought. A snort sounded from in front of them, and he looked up to  see a tall, broad, light-haired angel standing there with a scowl on his  face. Anger was written into the frown lines in his countenance. What  was he mad about? Levi looked at his aura and saw the black mark of

rage as he stared daggers in Levi’s direction.

He automatically shrank back. Was this a hunter or a  sympathizer? Sweat started to form on his skin. Were they in danger?  Jade’s arms tightened around him as if he sensed his discomfort.

The angel that was glaring at him spat on the ground. “Would you  two faggots knock off the PDA? There are children around.”

Levi blinked, and he nearly sagged in relief.
 
Oh good. It’s just a  run-of-the-mill homophobe, not a nephilim-hating hunter
. It was sad  that the distinction gave him a measure of comfort.

Keer moved before Levi could laugh in the guy’s face. He held  the angel up effortlessly, his hands curled in the man’s jacket as he  pulled him the extra nine inches off the ground to make him eye level  with Keer. “You best turn around and look elsewhere,
 
friend
.

Children shouldn’t hear your vile hatemongering.”

Axis’s voice cut in before the man could respond. “Keer, put the asshole down. He’s no threat to any of us.”

“But, Commander—”

“No ‘buts,’ Keer,” Axis interrupted. “You’re not going to brawl at  the workplace of a family friend, and you’re certainly not going to get  your clothes mussed on account of a no-name bigot.”

Keer nodded as if the words made perfectly logical sense. “So  noted, Commander. Mind your manners, asshole.” He dropped the  guy, who turned resolutely forward and didn’t turn around again. Levi  felt the last of the tension drain from his shoulders. Sometimes it was