Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
RAUM
His head was splitting, his eyes were blurry, and he felt sick to his stomach, but Raum refused to leave with the ambulance, despite mounting pressure from the EMTs and Major Grendel.
Ezra was still inside the hangar. Raum’s abilities told him there were two exceptionally powerful beings in the hangar with Ezra, and he had no idea what was going on.
One was Morana, and the other was someone Raum had never encountered before, but their aura was near to blinding, even at a distance and through the walls of the hangar.
Up until a few moments ago, the sky had been roiling with storm clouds, the wind had been fierce and freezing cold, and snow had been falling from the pitch-black sky.
And just as fast, it had all stopped. The snow turned to rain, the sky cleared, and the sun was evaporating the moisture off the ground, a haze of humidity that made his clothes stick to him in uncomfortable ways.
“I’m not going to the hospital,” Raum declared, and he hopped down from the rear of the ambulance and dodged the too-helpful hands of the EMTs when he wavered a bit on his feet.
Whatever that supernatural being—goddess—devil—did to his head made him feel utterly wretched, but he was not dying and it was nothing a few painkillers and a nap couldn’t fix.
He needed to get back to Ezra.
Saemund appeared at his side, grabbing his elbow and shooing away the EMTs that hovered behind Raum. “I have him. He’ll sign your papers refusing care, no need to fret.”
Saemund was concerned about him, but not enough to force him into the ambulance. Saemund was doing better than Raum, his senses telling him that Saemund was a bit uncomfortable, but was recovering quickly.
“Thanks, Grandpa,” Raum said under his breath, thankful for the assist and the hand under his elbow. Standing was a bit of a challenge at the moment, but he was feeling better the more time passed. He was certain he would be fine soon.
“Always, dear boy.”
He signed a paper on a clipboard held by a disgruntled EMT whose nametag read Silas; they left him alone afterwards, returning to their vehicle.
“I need to find Ezra,” Raum told Saemund, who nodded grimly. Saemund also looked better than Raum felt—even though Saemund got the brunt of the magical attack from Morana.
The hangar was surrounded by MERS vehicles and MERS personnel, though they were a lot calmer now that the sky was clear and blue skies had returned, and Raum counted at least a dozen people just standing around armed to the teeth and looking aimless, confused as to their purpose.
Realizing he was sensing emotions from everyone around him, Raum slammed shut his empathy and aura reading, and the impressions from the surrounding people dulled to next to nothing.
Raum opened his senses a little at a time, and he took a look at the hangar and squinted, making out the now-familiar glow of Ezra’s aura and the two intense beacons of whoever else was in there with him.
Making mental contact with a dying goddess had been unpleasant, especially since she sussed out what they wanted the second Saemund and Raum managed to wake her soul from her slumber.
She read their intent and reacted badly.
Not that Raum could blame her—fading was a deeply personal choice for any person to make, and Morana was understandably upset at the situation.
They probably should have thought about her reactions to everything a bit more before they made contact and woke her. Not that Raum could see things going well regardless.
Saemund and Raum headed for the door of the hangar, and no one stopped them at first, but then Major Grendel caught sight of them and firmly planted herself in their path.
“Not until Redmayne gives us a clue as to what’s happening,” Grendel said firmly. Harlan and Chase followed on her heels, though both sergeants looked worried and wore identical expressions of concern.
“Whatever happened in there is over,” Saemund said. “He might need help.”
There was a sudden shift of energies in the ambient magical fields, and Raum looked at the hangar in time to see the energy signature he’d assigned to Morana disappear from the hangar.
That left Ezra and the mysterious stranger.
Saemund’s only reaction was a slight twitch but he made no comment about what they both had sensed, so Raum said nothing either.
“Is Redmayne alive in there? Can you sense him?” Grendel asked.
“Yes, he’s alive,” Raum said. “He doesn’t appear to be in distress.” That last part came out begrudgingly.
“Then we wait for Redmayne,” Grendel stated, resolute in her decision.
From where they stood Raum had a partial view into the hangar, though he couldn’t see Ezra at his current angle, not with his eyes. Even with his abilities locked down, Ezra still glowed to Raum’s senses, as did the strange being in there with Ezra.
Then as he watched, the other being disappeared, this time without bothering the ambient magical fields. There one moment, gone the next.
Raum was about to speak when he finally saw Ezra coming toward the door, Lilith prancing ahead of him, both of them looking a bit bedraggled but otherwise fine.
“Ezra!” Raum shouted.
Ezra
The shout knocked him out of his shock. Lilith merped loudly and jogged out of the hangar. Ezra carefully followed, squinting against the bright summer sun.
Raum saw him and lurched away from Saemund, stumbling a bit, and Ezra bolted across the pavement and into Raum’s open arms.
He hugged Raum to him, the bigger man holding him just as tightly. Raum smelled like cedar and wildflowers, and Ezra breathed in deeply, loving how safe the now-familiar scents made him feel. “Are you okay?”
Hecate said they were fine but Ezra had to ask.
“A bit tired and my head hurts, but I’m feeling better by the minute,” Raum assured him. “Are you alright? What happened?”
“Yes, tell me what happened,” Grendel said, coming to stand beside them, brows furrowed. “What’s the status of the relic?”
Ezra pulled back just enough to see Grendel, Saemund, and the sergeants, while staying in Raum’s arms. He took a split second to think about what he wanted to share, and decided that a government agency didn’t need to know anything about what transpired between him and Hecate. Morana was fair game.
“I healed the mortal wound on the skull, and then the goddess Morana healed herself, restoring her body. She is gone now, returned to her territory and people, I presume.”
“She’s gone?” Grendel asked, brows raised to her hairline. “That relic really was a goddess, then?”
“Yes,” Ezra said. “And I think that needs to be shared widely to anyone curious about the skull. It’s no longer an object to be used—she’s now restored, a divine being with powers and free will of her own.
” He was being a smidge presumptive there, but he needed the human authorities to realize that going after the Slavic winter goddess of death and rebirth to use her as a weapon was a very bad idea.
“Brown, Owens, take a team and search the hangar; make sure it’s empty,” Grendel ordered, the sergeants peeling off from the group and rounding up MERS personnel. “I need to call off the evacuation order and get the base back to rights. Well done, Redmayne.”
“Thanks, I guess,” he said, even though she was already walking away and pulling out her phone, shouting orders to the people around her.
Ezra looked down to where Lilith sat by their feet, ears up, watching the activity around them with intense regard.
Ezra sighed, a weird mix of tired and exhilarated.
He was doing a lot better than he had the first time he wrangled the storm skull.
At least he didn’t need to worry about it falling into the wrong hands anymore.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Raum asked quietly, breath tickling Ezra’s ear.
“Not here. Later.” Ezra did not want MERS to know anything but what he told them already. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Come back to my place,” Raum said. “I’ll feed you, and we can talk.”
“I’ll meet you boys there,” Saemund said, coming closer so as not to be heard by the MERS people running around. “I’d like to hear what happened as well.”
“Alright,” Ezra agreed, too done with the day to argue. He wanted out of the sun, someplace quiet, and to sit down and take off his gear.
Ezra
Getting away from the MERS base took some time, and he regretted not asking Saemund to just teleport the three of them to Raum’s apartment. By the time they got to Raum’s place, it was a couple of hours later and Ezra was done, just done, with the entire day.
Saemund met them there, already in Raum’s kitchen, making sandwiches and plating up chips and snacks to go with them.
Saemund must have found the meatball bag Ezra lost—he plated up the meatballs and placed them on the floor for Lilith, who devoured them hungrily, growling softly as she ate.
Ezra too fell on the food like a ravenous beast, only just keeping himself from licking his fingers and the plate. Saemund made great sandwiches.
Saemund took the dishes and rinsed them before putting them in the dishwasher, moving about like he spent plenty of time in his grandson’s apartment.
Raum sat beside Ezra at the kitchen island, both of them leaning into the other, and Ezra figured Raum was just as exhausted as he was.
Saemund looked far better than Ezra felt, appearing no worse for wear after being temporarily possessed by a death goddess.
Lilith had left after eating her meatballs, likely exploring the apartment.
“How are you doing?” Ezra asked Saemund.
“I am fine,” Saemund gave him a tiny smile and a shrug of one shoulder. “A new experience for me is rare, and while I appreciate the novelty, I don’t want a repeat of this afternoon’s events.”
“I don’t either,” Ezra agreed.
“Can you tell us what happened?” Raum asked.