Page 66 of Concluded
Achilles had mixed feelings about this.On the one hand, well, he wanted tobeDee’s master.Wanted it a lot.But he absolutely didn’t want to force anything.He shifted uncomfortably on the couch.
“For what it’s worth,” said Charles, “I see nothing wrong with this.”As if for emphasis, he tugged one of Tenrael’s feathers, which made Tenrael smile.“It took me a while to realize this.But me being Ten’s master doesn’t make him weak.You’ve seen him and know he’s not.If anything, willingly giving yourself over to someone takes a lot of strength.It makes me stronger too, though, because I have added responsibilities.So together, Ten and I are much more than we are apart.”
Tenrael reached behind himself, plucked a feather, and handed it to Charles, who smiled and tucked it into his shirt pocket.
“I offered myself to Charles,” Tenrael said.“I told him that he would be my heart and soul, and I would be his wings.And for nearly a century—a long time by human standards—it has been so.I would eagerly trade all the previous years of my existence for a single day with my master.”
Achilles was not accustomed to discussing feelings, and this was beginning to seem more like group therapy than a strategy meeting, so he attempted a redirection.“Did she find out anything else useful?”When Dee elbowed him, Achilles elbowed him back.
Charles hesitated slightly before speaking.“She may have found some information about your mother, Dee.”
Dee went very still.“Yes?”His voice sounded choked.
“A woman matching her description was selling charms in New Orleans four years ago.I’m sorry, but that’s all we know.New Orleans is in the East Coast’s jurisdiction, and we’re not currently in communication with them.”
“Oh.”
Well, shit.Achilles took Dee’s hand.“I can wish that you find her.”
Dee opened his mouth, closed it again, and shook his head.“Not now.Things are already pretty complicated.”He turned to Charles.“Anything else?”
“Not about djinn, no.I’m sorry.But there have been… other developments.I believe I mentioned earlier that I’ve lost touch with several agents.Well, we’ve found some of them.”
An icy chill ran down Achilles’ spine.“And?”
Charles’s expression, usually stony, turned almost terrifying with anger, and he spat out his reply like poison.“Deported.Arrested by the feds, who claimed they’re illegal aliens and sent them to a prison camp in Central America.”
Achilles, who should have become accustomed to atrocities, found himself speechless.
After a heavy silence, Dee spoke.“But they are—or were—federal agents themselves.I don’t understand.”
“It’s a pretext,” snarled Charles.“Many of those who worked for the Bureau were, in fact, born outside of the United States.Others were born here but their paperwork is problematic.”
Achilles did a quick mental tally.Henry, a house spirit, didn’t have a birth certificate.Neither did Edge, a dog shifter.The coyote shifters probably didn’t either.Ralph Crespo had been hatched somewhere in Europe.The aliens were literally aliens.Achilles didn’t know when or where Tenrael came from, but it certainly wasn’t the US.Charles and Abewereborn here and might have had birth certificates, but both of them were well over a hundred years old and looked much younger, which would be an issue.
“In the past, I have seen governments behave in such a way,” said Marek gravely.“It does not bode well.”
Charles nodded.“I don’t think any of us are safe right now, but you need to take special care.They may know you’ve been associated with us.I’m doing what I can, but I don’t have much influence outside the US.Dammit, if Townsend hadn’t gotten himself killed….”
“Master.He believed that the best course of action was for you to become chief.You should not assume things would be better under his command.”
“I don’t see how they could be much worse.At any rate, we already knew that Dee and Achilles were actively targeted.Now it appears that any of us might be seized at any time.”
“I’d like to see them try,” Clay growled, showing a mouthful of fangs.He’d been a fairly scary human, but as a vampire… well, Achilles was very glad they were on the same side.
Things got a little chaotic at this point.Charles tried to remind Clay that none of them were invulnerable, Marek was talking about despots from three hundred years ago, Tenrael continued to try giving Charles moral support, and Dee was still expressing bewilderment that the feds could be this downright nasty.
“Hey!”Achilles shouted, leaping to his feet.“This is getting us nowhere.We need a plan of action.”
That shut everyone up, which was gratifying, and then Dee stood too.“We can start with wishes.”
Achilles gave him a quick kiss, because why the hell not.
Grinning, Dee turned Marek.“I promised one to you guys.If you want, you can wish for safety from the feds.”
“No,” Marek said slowly.“That would feel inequitable.But perhaps….”He glanced at Clay, who gave a firm nod.“The sun.Clay has not walked in the sun for a decade, and for me it has been… considerably longer.If we could have one day?—”
“I can make it permanent,” Dee said.“If you want.”
