Page 7 of Castor
“You wanted to see me?”
“Yes.” He turned from the fireplace and sat in his favorite plushy armchair. I dropped down in the one beside him. A side table separated us, holding a small lamp and a cup of steaming tea, which he grabbed and sipped from. “I told all of you to lay low for a while. We haven’t heard any news of Asa or Belphegor, but I know they’re holing up somewhere until Asa is strong enough to make a move.”
Asa was the son of Lucifer. He had risen two months ago after the ring that had stored his power for centuries was released from its box prison. Not at his full strength yet, he and his general, Belphegor, along with a meddlesome and snarky asshole demon named Phoenix, had gone into hiding.
“Iamlaying low,” I said.
“By drag racing?” Alastair glowered at me. “Gambling several nights a week and not coming home until the wee hours of the morning? Don’t forget you were captured in that nightclub. Are you so eager to repeat that incident?”
“Actually, I was abducted from a dude’s apartment. I just happened tomeetsaid dude in the club.”
“Regardless, you should be more cautious.” Alastair dug his fingertips into the arm of his chair. “We nearly lost you that night, Castor.”
The thing about Alastair? He could be a controlling hard-ass who bossed us around and got pissed when things didn’t go his way, but he cared about us. No matter what his mouth said, the true depth of his affection was felt in the bonds we all shared.
“When do you plan to start patrols again?” I asked.
He seemed relieved by the shift in topic. He wasn’t one to get too emotional. He did his best to close himself off from it. “I’ve kept tabs on the situation. There have been no signs of shades since we returned from the underworld.”
Shades were grotesque little fuckers. They were low-level demons with grossly ashen faces, gaping mouths with rows of razor-sharp teeth, and empty pits for eyes. Although they looked to be made of swirling black smoke, they actually had a very thin layer of charred skin beneath the smoke that constantly burned, emitting a nauseating stench of rot and burnt flesh.
“Daman went out for a quick patrol tonight,” Alastair continued. “He’s been restless lately, so I let him go.”
“Has he reported anything?”
“No. He’s on his way home now.”
“What about Lazarus?” I asked. “Any news?”
“Only that demon attacks have stopped all over the world. A calm before the storm, I’m sure.”
For so many years, I had hated the angel. A small part of me still did. Even saying his name left a bitter taste on my tongue. Lazarus had torn me from my mother’s arms and stolen my childhood. He had poisoned me against my father.
He had killed him.
“I feel your anger,” Alastair said.
Damn our connection. It was impossible to hide shit from any of my brothers. We could read each other’s thoughts and feel strong emotions, like sorrow, rage, and pain.
“I dreamed of my family last night,” I whispered. “Of my mother. Of our home in Athens. Lazarus ripped me away from that life. Sometimes, I wonder what I would’ve become had he never come for me.”
“It doesn’t do well to dwell on such things.” He frowned. “The past is painful for all of us. Best to put it out of your mind.”
Pondering his words, I slowly twisted Sterling’s insignia ring on my finger. My prize for kicking his ass. Was it an unfair race? Most definitely. Only seven Lykan Hypersports were ever made, so of course I’d had to buy one. I was a sucker for rare items. The rarer they were, the more they were worth, and I thrived off having a priceless collection. The design of the car, along with all the functions, was top-notch in both luxury and speed.
The werewolf never stood a chance.
“Is that what you won from your race?” Alastair nodded to the ring.
NowIwas grateful for the topic change. “Yep. The look on his face was the best part though. He was so pissed.”
Though brief, Alastair smiled. Just like all the things I collected, the sight was rare. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer.”
Taking that as a dismissal, I stood from the chair. Before I left the study, I glanced back at Alastair. His gaze was fixated on the fire, the cup of tea forgotten in his hand.
I had never seen anyone look so lonely.
Chapter Two
