lose consciousness. And when next he was fully aware again, he saw with clarity the lineup of males that had gathered around the altar, proud warriors, all with the same mark on their pec as he had.
Wrath picked up the skull and held the ancient relic high. “This is the first of us. Hail to him, the warrior who birthed the Brotherhood.”
A roar of triumph and respect echoed around the candlelit cave, and then the King turned to John and was brought over by Tohr.
“Drink and join us,” Wrath said.
John released the pegs and went for it, taking the skull and putting the silver rim of the reservoir to his mouth. Opening his throat, he drank it all down, the blood blazing a trail to his gut, scorching him.
The King took the skull back, and said softly, “Better hold on to those grips, son—”
The firebrand of power that came unto him was like nothing John had ever experienced before. It was a rush of incalculable dimension, sure to blow him apart—and yet in the midst of it, he recognized each of the Brothers within it, their individual characteristics entering him, nourishing him … strengthening him.
Teeth chattering, muscles jerking, heart pounding, he hung on … until he could no longer. Falling … he was … falling …
… John opened his eyes and blinked … blinked again …
He was on the marble floor, facing the wall of names, his body spent as if it had been used to run a hundred marathons. His head was like a balloon, his spinal cord the string that tethered it to his torso, his legs useless—
Abruptly, everything became focused.
Below the inscription of his best friend Qhuinn’s name … was his own. John Matthew. In the symbols of the Old Language.
Pushing up against the marble floor, he started to smile as he reached out and traced the deep carving.
Clapping brought his head around.
The Brotherhood was standing behind him, re-robed, their hoods down. All of the fierce males were smiling as they cheered for him.
Tohr extended his dagger hand. “Let me help you up, my brother.”
John looked into the male’s face and was reminded of the first time he’d seen the one he would call “father.” As tears threatened, Tohr’s eyes became misty, too.
John stood up on his own, and the two embraced, holding each other tightly.
It had been a long road from that bus station where he’d been born and left for dead, so much of it full of terrible losses. But there had been amazing surprises, too, and blessings that had been both prayed for and unexpected. There had been laughs and sobs, illness and health, confusion and clarity.
Throughout all of it, John had questioned his path so many times. Had felt for sure he would never recover from countless problems. Had worried he would be alone for his days and nights.
But that was not how things had ended up, had they.
If he’d only known to put a little more faith in Fate.
Just before he broke away from the only father he had ever known, he caught Lassiter’s strange silver gaze. The fallen angel smiled at him.
And then pulled a Taylor Swift move, making a heart of his forefingers and thumbs over his pec.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, did anyone bring a tissue?” someone muttered.
As multiple brothers started to sniffle, somebody else said, “Use your robe. I did.”
“Goddamn it, I hate crying.”
“So why do you watch Grey’s Anatomy?”
“It’s the angel’s fault. Fucker is a glutton for punishment …”
As the Brotherhood talked and laughed, John and Tohr separated and then he was hugging Qhuinn. Murhder. Everyone.
John could not stop smiling. He was one of them for reals.
And wasn’t that awesome?
Sarah got out of the Mercedes slowly, rising from the warm interior without noticing the cold. At all.
The structure before her was more castle than house, a monolithic stone construction with gargoyles on its roofline, a thousand diamond-pane windows, and multi-story’d wings that went on forever. The magnificent expanse was anchored by a courtyard with a fountain that was shut down for winter, and there was also a carriage house off to one side and a lineup of very different cars and trucks across the way.
“So this is where we live.”
Sarah jumped as Xhex came around from the driver’s side. “You know … this is the kind of place I assumed the King of all vampires would live in.”
“Wait’ll you see the inside,” the female murmured. “You ready?”
Sarah nodded, but didn’t walk forward. She couldn’t seem to move.