Archangel's Resurrection (Guild Hunter #15)(48)

In the end, however, it was Callie’s upstart pup who discovered Osiris’s location.





24


Raphael gave Alexander the location of Osiris’s new residence, but refused to reveal the source of his knowledge. That would’ve irritated Alexander had this not been a matter of urgency. Because the rumors picked up by Raphael’s people said that Osiris was experimenting not on animals, but on mortal children.

“No.” Alexander sliced out a hand, haunted by the memory of that pile of monkey bones. “He wouldn’t. My brother isn’t evil. He wouldn’t harm a child.” Not the man who’d been so warm and generous and kind to his much younger sibling.

To his surprise, Raphael nodded. “I can’t believe it either.” The pup’s eyes were as searingly blue as his mother’s, the color of a high mountain sky at noon.

A wave of longing swept over Alexander at the sight. Oh what he’d do for Caliane’s calm advice right now. But Callie had gone quite mad, and now Slept in a place unknown to everyone, even her son.

A son whose body she’d shattered to pieces when he’d tried to confront her. That same woman had once almost cried because her “baby boy” had a skinned knee. People changed in dark and terrible ways.

The knowledge was a leaden weight on Alexander’s wings.

“No matter our belief in him, we must investigate these rumors,” Raphael added. “Something has so badly scared mortals in a region adjacent to his residence that they’ve abandoned long-settled villages. Those who can be coaxed to speak whisper of a monster that comes in the night and steals their children. It may be that Osiris has inadvertently loosed a weapon on the populace.”

Alexander almost shuddered in relief. An out-of-control weapon was still a better outcome than his brother murdering children. And though he didn’t want anyone in his family business, he gave a curt nod. He couldn’t cut Raphael out of this when he had done the honorable thing and come to him rather than flying straight to Osiris. “You’re sure all trails lead back to the land of snow and ice?”

“Yes. The affected villages are on the tip of the continent closest to it. A long journey by ship, but not for an angel on the wing.”

What Raphael didn’t say but Alexander heard loud and clear was that it wouldn’t be a difficult flight for an angel of Osiris’s age and strength even if that angel were carrying a mortal child.

“We go right now.” Alexander couldn’t stand to be in limbo, not with an accusation so horrific hovering above their heads. “I need no preparation. You may follow if you need more time.”

“No. Even if the lost children have nothing to do with Osiris, we must uncover what’s happening. Though should we need to fly to the villages, we’ll have to gain agreement from Elijah. It’s his territory, and the only reason he doesn’t already know about the losses is because the area is so isolated.”

“Why do you know?” Alexander snapped.

“I have a friend who likes to walk trails hard and isolated—he sees and hears much,” was the cool response, one that told Alexander absolutely nothing. Raphael’s informant could’ve been anyone, vampire, angel, or mortal.

Not that it mattered. What mattered was finding Osiris.



* * *



*

So it was that Alexander flew out, not quite side by side with Caliane’s son.

He’d left his own son in charge of his territory. While Rohan was officially his weapons-master, in actuality he’d become Alexander’s temporary second over the past decade. It wasn’t a case of nepotism—Alexander didn’t believe in raising blood over those with more ability. Rohan had earned every one of his positions and promotions.

Alexander’s son was very, very good at what he did.

So good that other members of the Cadre had tried to poach him as their weapons-master, and four centuries earlier, Rohan had taken one of those offers. Because he was Alexander’s son, full of warrior pride, and he wouldn’t have it said that his title was nothing but a father’s gift.

When he’d returned to Alexander’s court at last, angelkind knew him not as Rohan, son of Alexander, but as Rohan, weapons-master to an archangel. Alexander’s pride in his son was immeasurable. The boy was all he could’ve ever wanted him to be, the best surprise of Alexander’s life.

He hadn’t loved Rohan’s mother, wasn’t sure he even had the capacity for such love anymore, and their union had been brief. When she’d come to him with news of a child, it had been the shock of a lifetime.

A beautiful shock.

“I wish to come with you, Father,” Rohan had said when Alexander gave him a short debrief prior to leaving with Raphael. “You need people you can trust around you.”

“This is no ambush, son. Raphael isn’t built that way.” Callie’s boy reminded Alexander of himself—perhaps the very reason why he was so irritated by the pup. “And I need you here. I have no idea what I’ll find at my brother’s new home, or how long I’ll be absent. We can’t both be away from the court.”

Rohan, his skin a burnished light brown, the same shade as his mother’s, and his eyes darkest ebony, his wings pale silver that merged into charcoal gray, had acquiesced at last. “I hope the rumors prove to be greatly exaggerated. Scary stories told by frightened mortals. Does the area not have wild cats of various kinds? Perhaps it is those cats that are hunting their children. The creatures have been known to become daring against mortals.”