Secrets upon secrets. He hadn’t been the only one with something to hide. Or someone, in Danielle’s case.
Malcolm still resented Nathan, the greedy child who’d stolen his wife’s interest. The blade fed his bile, and he allowed it. The emotion saturated him, filling all the empty parts of a man once whole. And then he knew.
Nathan wasn’t just his past. Nathan was his future. The possibility of continuation, forever, teased with potential. What if the boy had grown into a man Malcolm could use? From the material he’d gathered in the past few days, Malcolm knew Nathan had inherited his share of talent. The ability to touch an object and know its truth was a power unto itself. Like Malcolm’s ability to touch a weapon and absorb the knowledge of how to best use it, and how others had used it. What if Malcolm could absorb Nathan’s essence the way Sangre did—through death?
Excitement flared at the thought of battling Nathan face-to-face. Where so many other foes fell too easily, the boy wouldn’t fade, not as fast. He’d been the only person ever to get too close to killing him. At the time, Malcolm had considered the incident a freak coincidence, sheer luck. Now he knew better. The boy had power, and he’d tapped into it.
What would it be like to fight someone of that skill? To know that he’d found a worthy opponent, finally? Blood of his blood, a tie connecting father to son?
He grinned and slashed at the air once more, sure Danielle would roll over in her grave if she knew what thoughts filled his thriving mind.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Avery shrugged. “What’s the problem? We’re not learning anything from the neighbors. The library has jack shit on the guy, and Ian’s only managed to tell us to hurry up and wait while he ferrets more crap on Dixon.”
“So your answer is to put out an ad in the local paper?” Had Avery slipped in the shower and hit his head? “Genius, we don’t want Malcolm to know we’re here. We want to surprise him, remember? That way, when he’s standing over me with a bloody sword, I’m ready to take him out. Not become his next victim. Shit.”
“Easy there, Nancy.”
Nathan hated Avery’s condescension, even as he thrived on their arguments. He was such an idiot, helpless to stop himself from craving the attention.
“What we need to do is take control of the situation,” Avery continued. “I know Malcolm will be here. I know he’ll be carrying Sangre covered in blood, and I see you in the vision. You’re whole, not a scratch on ya, so take it easy.”
“Stop being an ass. This isn’t about me being afraid.” It’s about me worrying about you. I can’t protect you from the monster if I’m dead. “I know what he’s capable of; you don’t. You might think you’re hot shit on the mats, but Malcolm is lethal with a weapon. And with Sangre, he’s more than capable of killing…and killing…and killing…”
“I get that.” Avery regarded him with a narrowed gaze. “You haven’t opened up in here, have you?” Psychically.
Nathan shook his head. “It’s a lot to absorb. Especially since everything in this house has been handled not only by my aunt, uncle, and myself, but by all the other people who’ve traipsed through in the years since. My aunt let a friend of hers run the place as an inn for a while. That’s part of where the place got the reputation for being haunted. The guests claimed they heard strange noises at night.”
Avery remained silent a moment, his blue eyes impossibly deep. “What if they did hear noises? What if your uncle used to come back here after you and your aunt left?”
“Creepy, but it could have happened.” Nathan repressed a shiver. As much as he needed to kill the old man, he didn’t want to face him again. He’d tried to put that part of his life behind him.
“I want you to feel out the house. I’ll be with you. And while you do, I’ll open myself as well, try and catch any floating energy, maybe jump-start my senses to see the future more clearly.” At Nathan’s look, he shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”
“I don’t know. We’ve never worked that way together before.” But the notion intrigued him. Having Avery nearby while he opened his psychic senses would ease his worry about safety. While he tapped into his abilities, Nathan lost his awareness of reality. Just as Avery did. “Look, if we do this, you have to stay awake and aware until I pull out. I don’t want us both fuzzy in case Malcolm’s here somewhere, watching.
“Makes sense. So where should we start?”
Nathan sighed. “Might as well start in here.”
They spent the next two hours moving slowly through the house. Nathan ran his senses over everything, his fingers gliding past utensils, pots, pans, dishes, cabinets. Anything and everything not nailed to the floor became his to peruse.
He had no luck until they entered a rarely used room at the corner of the house on the second floor.
“What was in here?” Avery asked. He’d been silent for the better part of their time, his attention focused on Nathan.
Nathan had found his partner’s presence disconcerting at first, until he’d recognized the warm feeling of protection he’d been missing since his missions with the PWP. Though he’d worked on a few cases since their team had left DC, this was the first he worked as lead—with Avery.
“I don’t remember this room.” Nathan turned slowly, seeing the battered dresser and dusty ottoman. The only two pieces of furniture in the room didn’t make the space any more lived-in. Nathan moved to the closet. The minute he put his hand on the knob, he felt a resonance of energy. “Something’s here.”
“Go on. I’ve got your back.” Avery seemed somehow larger behind Nathan, as if his declaration of intent enhanced his power.
Nathan let go of his consciousness and embraced the vision that smothered him…
“I can’t wait to fill this with babies.” Danielle twirled on her feet and smiled at her husband.
Malcolm grinned back, so lighthearted and carefree. He looked young, his face unlined by time, his green eyes bright. “Yours and mine, sweetheart. We’ll love her and keep her safe from the monsters in the world.”
Danielle’s face fell. “I wish you’d quit, Mal. I miss you when you’re gone.”
“I know, honey.” He moved forward and hugged her. “I worry about you. But this work is too important. I’m helping keep the nation safe. And all the money I earn is going toward our future.” He rubbed the small of her back. “A college fund for our baby, savings for our retirement. All that stuff.”
“But that energy you absorb. It isn’t good for you.”
“It’s not good for anyone. But I’m making the world a better place for us. Think of it like that.”
She ran her hands through his hair. “Who knew you were so responsible?” She kissed him, a mating of mouths and hearts clearly shining in the embrace they shared. “Now how about we start on making our baby? Although I’m not sure about a little girl. How about a boy with your eyes and your abilities? Our little magic man.”
Malcolm chuckled. “Long as he has your temperament, I’m game. Lord knows I’m no joy to be around without you.”
The vision faded.
“You okay?” Avery’s gruff voice preceded his image slowly coming back into focus.
“Yeah, I think.” He relayed the vision to Avery in its entirety. “I can’t believe it. He really loved her. At least in the beginning.”
“Wonder what changed.”
“Everything, I’d say.” How the hell did you kill someone you loved that much? His uncle had more than a screw loose. Nathan staggered as exhaustion overcame him.
“Whoa.” Avery caught him by the arm and dragged him out the door.
“What the hell?”