27. Scotty ‘Custos Albus’ Locke
I quietly strolled down the hallway of the residence hotel room where Keir and Dash were living after the funeral home had burned. Lenny was asleep on the couch in the front room and Lucy was dozing in the rocking chair in Grace’s bedroom.
Jophiel was on watch, not taking their eyes from the baby’s small bassinet. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Jophiel turned to me and smiled. “Yes, she is, and I can’t think of anyone better to raise her than Keir and Dash. Where’s the prince?” They scanned the hallway, turning back to watch Grace sleep.
“Went to see Lucifer about our next assignment. How much will Dash remember when he wakes up?”
We stepped into the elevator and when the door opened again, we were on the fourth floor of the hospital where the ICU was located. Nyx had crushed the vertebrae in Dash’s neck before Keir banished her to hell. Because Dash was mostly human, his injuries were serious.
Jo and I had brought him and Keir to the hospital immediately after the battle so Dash could receive care. We weren’t allowed to heal him, though I was sure Jophiel had fought against the Council’s ruling, reminding them that Keir and Dash were working on our behalf and had stopped a disaster in the making.
“All of his memories of interacting with angels, demons, and the dead, along with the memories of the battle have been erased. He will have unfortunate holes in his memories, but Keir will fill in with appropriate alternate memories.”
I laughed. “Is this like a set of alternate facts? Didn’t a United States presidential candidate try that?”
“That’s Lucifer’s doing. Anyway, there is a caveat—if one of his erased memories returns, they all return.”
“Will one return?” Usually, the Council’s word was its bond.
Jophiel turned to me and smirked. “I can promise you they will. With time, he’ll remember all that he and Keir survived. It will make them stronger as soulmates. And more thankful for the life they now have. I think that will be a just reward for their sacrifices.”
I laughed as we entered Dash’s curtained area in the Intensive Care Unit. His vitals were strong, and as I took in the sight of Keir sleeping in a hospital chair, his hand on Dash’s, I knew Jo was right. They deserved the very best that human life had to offer them.
“Why don’t you and the prince take some time off? You’ve both been loyal to the Council’s and Lucifer’s demands. There will be another fight, though we don’t know when. The Gatekeeper won’t be born until there’s an inkling of an uprising, and I’ll want you in on it again, Scotty. You were instrumental in supporting Keir when he found out his purpose. The next Gatekeeper will need the same.”
I nodded. “It won’t be soon, right?”
“You’ll know when I know. Go enjoy your existence. I’ve been given permission to watch over the Dearly family. David Senior will probably choose to go to judgment now that he knows Keir survived the battle, which will simply be a formality for the books. He’ll be leaving the Angel of Death Collective very soon.”
Jophiel smiled, but I had another question. “What about Grace and the little boy to come? What’s the future got in store for them?”
Mine and Jay’s next assignment could take us away from the Human Realm for an extended time, and we might miss them growing up. Dash and Keir’s children would remain very special to me, and I wanted them to have a great life as well.
Jophiel reached into a hidden pocket, producing a small telescope from centuries ago. It was one used by mariners in their tall ships of centuries past. “Take a look.”
I put my eye to the lens and watched as the little boy was born and each child grew, succeeded, and found love. I stopped before I reached the end of their lives, unable to watch it. I knew it was inevitable—humans lived and died—but in my heart, they’d remain for eternity.
I left the hospital and met Jay at home. I wondered if he’d been given an assignment that didn’t include me. I hoped not.
“What were you told?” I asked as soon as Jay came out of the kitchen with a plate of sandwiches.
“To enjoy the down time. How about you?” He offered me a sandwich, but I had a better idea.
“Same. You know, when I was in France the first time, I didn’t get to enjoy it with the war and dying. This time, we were hardly there for an instant. How about a delicious bottle of champagne and a lunch fit for a king...or a prince?”
“ C’est une bonne affaire! That means it’s a deal.”
I laughed. “I’ve been told it’s not wise to make a deal with a demon.”
“For you only, I’ll always keep my word.”