Santiago. “But it’s time, Henri,” he added with a pained expression. “He hasn’t been the same since you left. He’s been moody and depressed, lashing out, angry. Just like…” Xavier paused, seemed to have second thoughts, then gathered his courage and barreled on. “His behavior reminds me of when you abandoned Orlando.”
Abandoned.
“Does Vincent feel this way?”
Xavier gave me an impatient look.
“I was on a job. It’s only been…” I trailed off. It had been almost nine months… certainly longer than I’d anticipated. I’d delayed because I was afraid to return and face your questions. Lie or tell the truth? There was no good solution.
“You need to take him, Henri. Full-time,” Xavier said. I glanced up to find the two of them holding hands, a united front. This was something they’d agreed upon already. I didn’t feel ready for this kind of responsibility, but at the very least, I needed to teach you how to live as a god among mortals. And if it became necessary, how to disappear.
“What about his schooling?” I asked.
“He can’t go back to school,” Santiago said. “He can’t be trusted among humans.”
“Until he can control his thirst,” Xavier added, giving Santiago a look of reproach. “I’m sure he could get the equivalent of a diploma. He’s very bright.”
“In any case, we promised Carter’s parents he wouldn’t be returning to school or their place of work. It was one of their conditions,” Santiago added.
It seemed unfair to rob you of your life because of one slip, but there was no sense in arguing with them. We were lucky it hadn’t been worse.
“You’re right. Both of you. You’ve done a marvelous job raising him, but he needs a fellow bloodborn to show him the way.”
“You’re taking him tonight,” Santiago said. His upper lip curled in disgust. With the way he was acting, I didn’t want to leave you in his charge anyway.
“Let me talk to him,” I said. I didn’t want Santiago to present it as though you were being thrown out of your own home, and I assumed Xavier didn’t either.
With that settled, as well as some other details, I found you in the yard to tell you the news that you’d be coming to stay with me.
“Dad’s kicking me out,” you said, slicing through my pretense.
“Not exactly.”
“It’s okay, Henri. I get it.” You sighed and glanced down to where your cats were circling your ankles like sharks. “What about my cats?”
Something I hadn’t considered. “My condo doesn’t allow pets.”
Your face crumpled. “Even Spooky?”
I shook my head while you attempted to bite back your disappointment. You followed me inside and we packed up some of your things. Xavier promised to care for your pets in your absence. As a final blow, we made you leave behind your cell phone. We couldn’t risk word getting out about what happened.
“I’ll get you a new phone,” I promised. “After a while.”
You clenched your jaw and nodded, trying to be brave. You were leaving behind your family, your friends, and the only life you’d ever known. Your future was uncertain. Rules be damned, I could offer you this one comfort at least.
Which was how I ended up in your backyard with a flashlight, in the rain, on my hands and knees, trying to find that damned cat named Spooky. My beam alighted on two cabbage yellow eyes. The beast hissed at me when I grabbed it by its pelt and drug it from its hiding place under a bush. The animal then proceeded to scratch the hell out of my arm all the way to the car where I deposited the hostile feline onto your lap.
“Spooky,” you cheered, rubbing its wet fur against your cheek. The cat’s personality did a complete reversal, and it became positively tame and affectionate in your embrace. “Thank you, Henri. I’ll make sure she behaves. You won’t even know she’s around.”
I doubted it very much, but your temperamental cat was the least of my concerns. Instead, I allowed myself the small relief in knowing that at least for the time being, you were safe.
14
Henri
It was a conversation I dreaded, but I couldn’t put it off any longer. There was no real consequence for your behavior according to angelic law, but I didn’t wish to give Azrael any more reason to interfere in your life.
After relaying your mishap to Azrael, he agreed the safest place for you was in my care. I suspected he and Santiago had discussed it already—a Malakhim’s compulsion was to confess every trespass,