as he considered the energy signature surrounding her. It was one he understood far too well. But he had no idea how to sever it. If he had, he would have used that knowledge long ago to destroy every single one of his father’s mental mindfucks.
“Compelling her isn’t going to work,” he said slowly. “It’ll only worsen her state.” Sethios had tried it once at Ezekiel’s request. “Osiris built in safeguards long ago to prevent me from tampering with the compulsion. I imagine they’re still in place.”
“That would explain why her mind reacted so brutally to Astasiya’s attempts,” Issac replied. “It seemed to be a defense mechanism.”
Sethios dipped his chin, recalling a similar reaction from decades ago. “We’re going to need to—”
He cut off on a curse, a mental spike ramming through his mind as Caro’s voice roared to life inside his head. Where are you?! she shrieked at him. Find me! Find me now! No! Don’t! It’s not—
The words cut off abruptly, his breath leaving him on a gasp as an array of images assaulted his mind.
“It’s okay,” he heard Issac saying from somewhere within the room.
“Shh,” Sethios hushed him, focusing on the message his angel appeared to be trying to send him.
A street.
A building.
What is that? he thought at her, trying to decipher the darkened blur phasing in and out of her visual. Feathers? Wings?
A sign obliterated the previous vision. Not a theoretical sign, but a physical one. With a street name. English. Green. American, from the looks of it. But where?
Another visual slammed into his mind, this one of a shoreline and a windmill spinning wildly in a storm.
Slow down, he told her, that sable swirl consuming the visual. I can’t see, angel.
Letters scrawled across a building, some old manufacturing plant with brick siding. Then the shore and windmill again. Followed by the street sign. All of it whirled through his mind like a tornado, her scream echoing in his ears until all of a sudden everything went silent.
He blinked, finding himself on his knees, his head in his hands.
“Show me,” a deep voice demanded. Not Issac, but Gabriel.
Several others had joined them, including Ezekiel in a towel, a pair of guns in his hands. Issac’s progeny—the Irish one—stood beside him. A Hydraian with dark skin behind them.
Names escaped Sethios, his ears ringing from the assault.
Skye remained blissfully unaware, still fast asleep beneath Issac’s spell.
It all happened so quickly, or it felt that way to him. He’d been in the middle of trying to help her. Then Caro’s screech had brought everything to a halt. She’d sounded frantic, her visuals scattered in a chaotic manner that made no sense to him.
“Slow it down,” Gabriel said.
“Slow what down?” Sethios asked, his palm against his forehead. Fuck! It felt like he’d been assaulted by a damn freight train.
“Issac’s showing us the scenes Mom shared with you,” Astasiya explained. “It reminds me of the East Coast.”
“We need to search that name, including the plant. I think she’s trying to show us her memories from when Osiris had her drowned.” Gabriel’s emotionless voice made Sethios frown.
“What was the blur?”
“Perhaps Osiris in ethereal form,” Gabriel suggested.
Sethios shook his head. “It felt… intrusive.” Like Caro had been trying to tell him something while sharing the visuals. He couldn’t say why or how he sensed that. His instincts just insisted there was something more to that scene. Something she’d been attempting to convey behind a mask of urgency.
What are you trying to tell me, angel? he asked.
But, of course, he received no response. Perhaps she’d drowned again and would reach out when she surfaced.
However, five minutes later, she still remained mute and Gabriel had already pulled up a location on his phone. Sethios recalled a time when mobiles weren’t powerful enough to hold such vast information.
“We need to scout,” Gabriel said, his light green eyes landing on Sethios. “You and me.”
“What?” While Sethios agreed that he should be the one to accompany the red-feathered Seraphim, he really wanted his head to stop spinning first.
“You need to confirm it’s the right location. You’re also bonded to her. If we get close enough, you might be able to sense her.” He looked at Astasiya. “You need to stay here.”
“Excuse me?” Her tone indicated just how she felt about that edict.
“This property needs a Seraphim on it on the off chance the council sends an emissary. Until Leela or Vera returns, you’re the only one who can speak on behalf of the island.”