Redeemed In Shadows (31 page)

Draven kissed the top of her head throwing her back into the conversation taking place in front of her.

“I feel like we’re missing something,” Royce complained. They were definitely missing something. Their team had been dismantled. Dravaggio feeling remorse over Xee’s death left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. His only promise to the team was that he’d return once he’d atoned. Dietrich was back to being a dick, only slight more so. He’d shut down completely, even with Faith. Now he only showed for these meetings.

“We are. We’re missing the other fucking half of the message.”

The Sahidic’s ancient text had been broken into pieces and scattered. They’d only got a piece of it and Albanus and the Red Hand Organization received another peace. According to the ASE as she was now referred to, balance had to be maintained when searching for the ancient text. So, if they received one piece, their counterparts would receive the other side of the coin as well. Total bullshit if you wanted her opinion on the subject matter.

“Let’s wait until the interpreter gets here to tell us what the damn piece means. Hopefully we’ll finally get somewhere.”

They’d gotten an interpreter thanks to Isaiah. He and his brothers had closely monitored their situation helping when they were able. The intercom on the table went off and the annoying voice of Ellie crackled through.

“Draven the interpreter is here.”

“Show the interpreter the way to the War Room.”

Everyone at the table quieted as they waited for the person who would help them move forward in their blind search to stop a war her five year old had envisioned. The door opened to and in walked the interpreter. Dietrich was the first to notice her and both Jes and Belinda gasped at the woman who walked through the door. There was so much likeness they could have been twins. This woman looked exactly like Xee, minus the pink hair, tattoos, and hardware. Same sun-kissed complexion, same eyes, same body type, the only difference is, it was her but it wasn’t her. This girl didn’t have demons hiding behind her eyes. This girl was free and clear of the darkness that Xee held inside. Behind her stood Michael, Gabriel’s brother.

“Is this some sort of fucked joke,” Dietrich rumbled.

Xee’s doppelganger looked down at the floor and then up at him.

“No D, it’s me. I’ve been given the chance to come back as the team’s interpreter and logistics expert. That is if you all will have me.”

Dietrich moved quickly pulling her in his arms and swinging her around until Xee begged to be put down.

“Bitch, don’t fucking die on me again.” He said seriously and then hugged her again before setting her down.

“Roger that, no dying next time.” She smirked at him and then looked to Jes and Belinda. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell him just yet that I’m fully human and eventually I’ll die.” She whispered in a sarcastic tone.

“It’s not funny.” Dietrich said and stepped out of the way to allow Belinda and Jes a turn.

Jes approached her, squeezing her around the waist. She pulled back so she could look at the other woman from head to toe.

“Don’t get any ideas about dying again you hear me,” Jes pulled her back into another hug before Belinda took over and hugged her tightly as well.

Draven stepped forward and squeezed her on the shoulder.

“Glad to have you back, Xee.”

Xee blushed and smiled.

“I don’t go by Xee anymore, its Hale, or Kapua. Take your pick.”

“Damn good to have you back, and glad that pink shit is out of your hair,” Royce laughed pulling her into a one-arm hug.

The woman that stood before them was happy and vibrant. It almost made things complete. She was dressed in jeans and a band t-shirt. Her hair a silky brown with blonde highlights made her hazel eyes stand out. It was long and almost to her waist, the sides no longer shaved. A pair of dark shades was atop her head holding her hair back from her face.

“Yeah, well the hair is temporary. As soon as I can, I’m going back to pink.”

She looked back at Michael and smiled. He nodded and quickly disappeared.

“So our interpreter huh?”

“Yeah, I’ve got tons of knowledge to share.” Her smile faded, but quickly returned. She covered it with a cough.

“I want to apologize for my part in the fuckup.”

Dietrich silenced her with a shake of his head.

“Wasn’t your fault baby girl. Relax, we all know what happened. Rest easy.”

Kapua nodded and clapped her hands.

“Alright, let’s look at this piece of the puzzle.”

They walked over to the table where Adam, Hawke, Sam, and Ronin all greeted her with head nods. She grabbed the piece of vellum and read aloud.

“Retrieve the Cup of Life and fill it with the blood of The Source.”

Again, it made no sense to anyone. What cup and who was the source.

“This is referring to the Cup of Life, and I don’t know what blood. Therein lies the catch.” She said rubbing her forehead.

“Ain’t that some shit! We get you back only so you can tell us about a cup and some blood.” Royce tapped his head in a joking gesture. “You’re smart girl. Please tell us you’re manning the computers too.”

She nodded and there was an audible sigh from all. Faith chose that moment to come strolling in and headed straight for Kapua, wrapping her arms around her legs. Their recently returned to life friend, knelt so she was eye level with her.

“Hey there beautiful princess.”

“Caleb said you’d be back.”

“Caleb?” Kapua asked. Jes took that moment to fill her in on Faith’s imaginary friend. Because of this imaginary friend, her daughter would act out as only a baby would. Constantly crying over any and every little thing. Wanting to be held all the time and only by Jes and Draven. The other woman only nodded and winked at Faith.

“Well gorgeous you tell Caleb, he’s one smart cookie.”

Nodding Faith smiled and bounded through the door out into the hall.

“You’re probably tired, why don’t I show you to your room. We can all talk later, and you can tell us everything.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Chapter 27

Time passed differently in the Black Veil. How much time Gabe could not say. What he did know that with each passing moment he only missed her more. Ached to hold and smell her. Tropical blossoms fragrant with coconuts and warm sun. He pulled in a deep breath and was rewarded with her scent. A figment of his mind surely, until he felt the presence of his brother. He spun around only to find her not there, but her scent lingered where his brother now stood.

“You were with her.”

It wasn’t a question but a statement, and Michael didn’t deny it. It told him she was in one the three realms, all of them good. He didn’t want to know which realm, because then he would be tempted to go.

“Just tell me she’s happy.”

Michael stepped forward and took a knee.

“It pains me to see you in such a state brother.”

Highly unlikely. None of his brothers stopped by to see him. Not that he expected them to, and if he ever saw the youngest of his siblings, he was going to kill him. Repeatedly. It seemed that Michael only stopped by to gloat, at least that’s what it felt like. Why else would he be here? But the scent of
her
did more than tempt him. It tortured him.

“I asked if she was alright.”

Michael looked up at him with sad eyes.

“She is well and adjusting. I’ve come to offer you a deal.”

A deal?

“What kind of deal? It didn’t matter, any deal he was offered would never be good enough.

“I want no part of any deal. I want to be left alone to collect and escort the dead. It’s what I do.”

His brother stood gripping Gabe’s arm tightly.

“I offer you a chance to be with her again. To hold her again. Make her yours forever.”

His heart skipped a beat before it beat wildly in his chest. There was no way that was possible.

“Fall.”

“Fall! So I can be hunted down like a demon and sentenced to a true death.” He laughed.

“No, I’ve looked into this, it is possible. I’ve talked to the Warriors, there are stipulations. There are conditions.”

Gabe grabbed his oldest brother by the throat, hell bent on choking the life out of him for trying to offer him a taste of freedom. It was impossible. Impossible! He knew it, his brother knew it and still he came to his place of rest to tell him lies.

“It’s possible. And it’s been sanctioned.”

“How?”

Slowly he released his brother. If he didn’t like what Michael had to say he was going to beat him into the next century.

“You will be on a sort of probation. Your powers will be stripped down to what they were before. You will no longer be an Angel of Death, but one of the Fallen though without their limitations. You won’t have any of their weakness as long as you don’t take another’s life, and you check in with Grey once a month so that he can see for himself that you’ve not soiled your hands.”

“That’s it? What about Xee?”

“She goes by Kapua now, and as long as you are alive, and she agrees to tie herself to you, your lifeline will be hers. You die and so does she. You kill, and she will be hunted just like you until you both meet your deaths.”

“And all I have to do is fall?”

“Fall.”



Six Months later.

Kapua wiped her eyes for the hundredth time. She was tired of looking at the computer screen. The words were starting to run together. They’d been searching endlessly for the Cup of Life, and there were hundreds of references to where it may or may not be hiding.

“Dinner is going to be served on the fourth floor.”

The cafeteria was still open but the team had taken to eating on the family floor now that Bells was in the last stages of her pregnancy with the twins. Everyone so lovingly refer to them as Thing 1 and Thing 2. The fathers were forever doting on their woman and giving her anything she wanted.

“You coming or what?” Jes asked. It was hard for the other woman seeing her best friend growing with children. You could see it in her eyes.

“Yes beautiful, I’m coming.’

Jes smiled blushing at her words. Funny thing about not having Micah, she found women beautiful, alluring even, but since Gabe she couldn’t entertain the idea of being with another woman or man for that matter. A large part of her suspected Micah was the reason she was with women, and an even larger part thought that even if Micah hadn’t persuaded her she still would have gone that route. But now she entertained neither. She worked long hours and exhausted herself so that when sleep finally claimed her she blacked out.

The computers all had to be moved upstairs to the first floor, because she could no longer enter the H.I.V.E. She was human now and the gate wouldn’t allow entrance to a human unless they were dead. So now, she had her own office next to her sleeping quarters, which were also on the first floor. Some of the Lycans and other immortals that were housed at the Unit’s headquarters weren’t comfortable with her being around, and she was okay with that. Dietrich told her they’d warm up to her soon, just as they had with Ann. But most of them saw her as a traitor. She thought maybe if she’d dyed her hair back, they’d accept her, but she knew that wasn’t it. She hadn’t colored her hair, and didn’t think she would. She had pierced her nose and ears again. She’d left the lip ring out but had gone back to getting her tats. Not as many as she had before, but if she kept going out with Ann to her artist, she may have even more than she did before.

“See you up there, don’t work too late. Shut it down in five.” Jes scolded.

“Yes ma’am.” Kapua saluted.

Ten minutes later, she was on the fourth floor where the others were all sitting at the table and passing plates of food around. Adam and Hawke were laughing at something Sam said. Reese and Faith were playing paper-rock-scissors, and the twins both had a hand resting on Bells swollen belly. Draven had Jes in his lap nibbling on the side her neck and Dietrich was shoveling mashed potatoes on his plate while Ann asked Adam to pass the salt. This was her family. The only people missing at their dinner table were Gabriel and Dravaggio. She sat next to Faith and her friend. She and Jes’ little girl had been spending a lot time together over the past six months. Caleb was wily and headstrong and Faith didn’t know how to control him, so Kapua set about teaching the little girl how to handle her brother. Grey had even stopped by a few times to help with Caleb, but he was so stubborn, just like his mother and father.

Her heart heavy now that she was thinking about Gabriel, she ate in silence. Only responding when someone asked her a question. After dinner, she helped Jes and Belinda with dinner and made her way into the gym for her nightly swim.

The water was warm as she swam. Lap after lap pushing her body until she was exhausted.

One more lap and then you can fall asleep.
Over the last six month, she found on the nights she worked herself into exhaustion she slept peacefully. On the nights she didn’t, she relived horrible and beautiful moments from her past and every one of them gutted her to the core. She’d opened herself only to be taken from him. But it wasn’t anyone’s fault. During her time in the Hall of Records with Michael, he’d explain the fates, and the threads and how everyone mortal and immortal had a purpose in life. Her purpose was to endure all that she had so that she could be the person she was meant to be in the now. Some days to her, it seemed she was a glorified tech head slash librarian. But when she looked closely, she was helping to save the world. Really, it was an honor to be a part of something more, but a smaller part of her wished she could have had a normal life. Normal without knowing about immortals, normal in the sense that she found love and received love in return. Because at the end of the day that was all anyone wanted. Acceptance. Comfort. Understanding. Security. She would have had those things if Gabe had stayed.

Gabe couldn’t stay, and she wasn’t able to go with him. The Fates were such bitches!

Falling into her bed after a hot shower, her bones were liquid, her body relaxed. Kapua grabbed the nearest pillow and closed her eyes.