Page 22 of Fallen

Alex’s heart lurched. The guild had split the city up into a grid of different sectors and sent patrols out based on that. The thirteenth sector was temptingly close to In Extremis. It was almost the same damn neighborhood. There was no way he’d be able to slip away early and actuallygo there, but knowing he was so close and yet still so far away was maddening.

William and Aidan took the backseat, so he was forced into the front with Nathan again, who glanced speculatively at him as he guided the car down HQ’s long drive.

“You okay? You look a little off.”

Alex gulped. “I’m fine. Just hope we find something tonight.”

Nathan didn’t look appeased. “How are you doing? You’ve been especially quiet since…”

“Since we found a family who was butchered exactly like mine was?” he asked coldly. “Yeah, it was a bummer.”

“Alex,” Nathan chided.

He couldn’t bring himself to apologize, and heavy silence descended in the car. Even William and Aidan didn’t dare to break it. As far as he knew, Michael’s squad hadn’t found any leads. The demon that killed his family was still out there, and he still wasn’t allowed todoanything about it. Not officially, at least.

“I’m doing my best, Nate,” he finally said. “I can accept the orders, but I’ll never…” His throat tightened, eyes burning.

Nathan sighed. “I really hope that when this is all over and the demon is gone for good, you can finally put your anger to rest. I’m afraid it’ll get you killed one day.”

Alex let his head fall to the window. There was nothing more to say. He wouldn’t rest until he killed that demon, but he couldn’t tell Nathan that. It would just get him suspended. The most he could do was let them see him following orders. They wouldn’t expect him to be happy about it, but as long as he complied, they wouldn’t look too closely at what he did in his free time.

Half an hour later, the pair of black SUVs parked side by side in a mostly empty parking lot beside a metal-working factory.

“We’ll split up into pairs and patrol the area,” Nathan said as they all strapped their weapons to their person. “Radio if you have any trouble. Keep the channels clear unless it’s an emergency.”

They branched off. They’d patrolled this sector before, so they already knew which teams would go where. Alex fell into step with Nathan, praying the patrol would pass quickly.

The distant sounds of the city kept the darkness from feeling oppressive. The hum of cars on a distant highway, the whisper of the breeze. The partial moon was mostly hidden behind clouds and light pollution, and the street lights created intermittent pockets of yellow. Billboards up above provided a watery white glow. They took an alley between two factories, away from the lights of the road and into uncharted darkness.

Flickering light up ahead caught his eye, and Alex nudged Nathan, who nodded. They eased closer. It was a fire in a metal barrel, the scent of burning cardboard and plastic pungent here where the breeze couldn’t reach. A lone figure in a long coat stood beside the fire, with scraggly hair and fingerless gloves. A homeless man, most likely, and it was doubtful he would care about their presence as long as they left him alone.

Alex wondered if Talon was already at In Extremis. The club was only a couple of blocks away. He was closer now than he’d been all week. Was he waiting for Alex? Did he feel the same eager anticipation Alex did? It was doubtful. Alex had been waiting for a lead all his life, it seemed like, and Talon couldn’t possibly know about the strange dreams he’d been having.

He’d responded so readily to all of Alex’s texts, and the realization bloomed like sunlight in his chest, bright and warm. Just like the Talon from his dreams, he’d bathed Alex in attention and asked him to come to the club. Because he wanted to see Alex, too?

“Alex, watch out!”

He whirled. The thing they’d thought was a homeless man was right on top of them now. Long, painfully strong fingers wrapped around his throat before he could lunge away. Sharp claws cut into his neck as he raised both arms to fend it off. Milky white eyes and jagged, blackened teeth grinned wickedly at him, opening wide as though to swallow him whole.

Nathan swung, cutting open the demon’s back. It arched, and Alex twisted away, raising a hand to his throat. His fingers met hot, sticky blood as Nathan lunged, piercing the demon’s back. The tip of his sword came out of the demon’s chest, and it spasmed.

“God, are you okay?” Nathan asked, pulling his sword free and stepping over the quickly disintegrating body. Dead demons decomposed quickly.

“Yeah. I think so.” He tilted his head back to let Nathan inspect the wound.

Strong hands grabbed his head, angling him toward the fire behind them. A moment later, Nathan slumped with relief, nodding. “Yeah, these are shallow. You’re okay.” He clapped Alex on the shoulder, and they shared a breathless laugh. “Are you okay to keep going, or should we double back for the first-aid kit?”

Alex pulled his collar up to press to the wound and absorb the meager blood. “No, I’m good. We can keep going.”

Luckily,the rest of the patrol was routine. Another team found a demon near a waterway, and by the time they met back at the cars, Alex had forgotten all about his brush with the white-eyed monster.

It was almost time.

He was lost in thought for the ride back to HQ. At just after three AM, he signed his name under Nathan’s and turned to go.

“Hey, Alex,” Nathan called.

Alex turned, resisting the urge to growl in frustration. He just wanted togo.

---