Chapter 11 Zeke #2
“Zeke? What’s wrong?” His face mirrored the concern lacing his words.
It shouldn’t have surprised me Dad thought I was troubled. He’d flown to Minnesota four days ago to check on me and probably assumed it was more of the same.
“It’s not Orion, I mean it is, but not like that.” I stopped and took a deep breath. “Orion and I are working fine together. It’s Lael.”
“He told you about Lael,” Dad said, looking almost pleased.
I was doing a terrible job of explaining. “Yes, but that’s not what I meant. We found the location of the surges. Lael’s the one orchestrating everything.”
Dad frowned and I remembered how he didn’t like Lael from the start. I wondered if that had been a revisionist narrative once the two broke up.
“Tell me what you found.”
Skipping how we found the place, I showed him images of what I’d seen. The machines, the setup, and the angels involved.
“Why didn’t you or anyone else tell me Lael and I look so similar? That wasn’t a coincidence.”
Dad’s expression remained impassive, but a muscle ticked in his jaw as he considered how to respond.
“I can’t say I know Michael’s thinking, but I’m sure part of him hoped your resemblance to Lael might shock Orion out of his self-induced exile. But it wouldn’t have been the main reason he picked you. As I said before, you were the most qualified angel for this investigation.”
A strange mix of relief and embarrassment washed over me. Michael wouldn’t play matchmaker, that would be ludicrously beneath him. Except he had. It wasn’t his primary motivation, but why focus on just one thing when you could address multiple issues at one time?
“Did he know Lael was behind this before he sent us here?”
Dad’s gaze softened, equal parts sympathy and paternal concern reflected in his eyes. “I only know what he tells me, but nothing he does is without purpose and strategy. Even if his methods can seem . . . obtuse at times.”
I snorted derisively at the understatement but stayed silent, allowing Dad the space to continue uninterrupted.
“If I were a betting angel, I’d say he knew or at least had strong suspicions. It’s too big a coincidence Lael and Orion are here at the same time.”
Getting confirmation didn’t make me happy. “I figured.”
“Are things okay between you and Orion?”
The gentle question, unwittingly loaded with implications, hung between us.
Three hours ago, I’d have told Dad everything.
Finding out Lael was here complicated everything.
Did it even matter how I felt? Orion had mourned his loss for seventy years and now, just as we meet, Lael reappears.
And not just shows up, Lael is behind some shady stuff that’s happening.
But Dad’s expression was open and understanding—a silent assurance that no matter what I told him, he would accept it wholeheartedly. Pulling up my big boy pants, I met his gaze directly.
“If something romantic happened between us, would you be angry?”
To his credit, Dad didn’t so much as blink at the admission. He simply inclined his head thoughtfully. “Is there?”
Before I could answer, he waved his hand and shook his head.
“That was wrong. You asked if I’d be angry.
Not even a little. I’d be happy that my son and someone I love like a son found happiness.
It wouldn’t matter that you found it in each other.
I want you both to find the joy and love you deserve. Nothing less.”
I’d be lying if I said I expected the answer.
If I had, it wouldn’t have stressed me out so much.
Hearing it was a relief. “I care for him, Dad. More than I should, if I’m being honest with myself.
I’ve tried shutting those feelings down for the sake of the mission, but it’s been nearly impossible. ”
A lump formed in my throat as I tried to get out the rest. I didn’t want to say the words out loud, but honesty required I be true to myself first.
“I’m not sure it matters anymore. Now that Lael’s back . . . It’s hard to compete with five hundred years of history.”
Dad watched me and I could hear his age-old gripe; halo conversations couldn’t compare to being in person. I used to roll my eyes when he said it, but at that moment, as weak as it made me feel, I wanted him to hug me.
He heaved out a sigh. “Sit down, Ezekiel.”
I blinked at the command but did as he said.
“Orion and Lael were together a long time, but they weren’t as good together as Orion remembers.
They stopped being partners long before things got bleak.
For the first hundred years or so they were good, but then Lael started to treat Orion as a possession, not as a lover.
Outwardly they were happy, but beneath the surface there were major fault lines buckling under the stress.
“Lael’s a good fighter, but Orion is one of the very best. Despite that, Orion always shared credit for everything they achieved. Being with Orion fed Lael’s vanity and enhanced his stature. Yet in the quiet places of his heart, Lael knew it was a lie, and it fueled his jealousy.
“It wasn’t just his skill as a warrior. Orion has a kind heart.
I like to think he got that from your mother.
People loved him for his compassion and humility as much as his skill as a fighter.
Lael is the son of Lucien. I’ve never hidden my feelings for Lucien.
He’s a petty, vindictive, self-centered angel.
I’m not alone. Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael do not like him, either.
I can’t speak for Michael, but from their lack of interaction, I’d say he shares his brothers’ feelings.
“Unfortunately, Lael inherited a lot of his father. When he was happy, it was dormant, but as his relationship grew and he saw more clearly who was the more loved, those negative traits emerged and slowly poisoned their relationship.
“Your mother and I saw this, but we couldn’t tell Orion. Not unless he asked, and he didn’t. Your brothers tried, but Orion didn’t listen.” He spread his hands and let them slap against his thighs.
“As much as it pained us, we couldn’t do anything. When Lael was injured, the power dynamic changed. Lael couldn’t hide behind Orion’s well-intended lies about them being equals. Jealousy ate up the last bit of restraint he had on his true nature, and he lashed out in terrible ways.”
The conversation we’d had in the car took on new meaning. “Orion said it felt like Lael was disgusted by how Orion loved him.”
“That’s a good description and I’m surprised to hear Orion saw it so clearly. Maybe he’s ready to move on.”
Judging by his reaction to hearing Lael was in the barn, I didn’t share his belief. “Thanks, Dad. I appreciate you being so upfront with me.”
“Zeke, I told you this, so you knew what you were dealing with. I’m wise enough to know I can’t tell my children what to do, only give them full information.
And to be there if they ever need me. You’re my son, and there are no limits to my love for you.
I also care deeply for Orion. If I could have chosen someone for him, it would be you.
You’re strong, compassionate, self-confident, and secure in your self-worth.
“Orion is a good man, but I don’t know if you can reach him. If you can, hold onto him because I’m certain he’d make you happy.”
Typical Dad speech. He gave me the good and the bad. I exhaled loudly. “That’s a lot to chew on.”
“I know, but I’m here if you need to talk more.”
I let out a rueful laugh. “I’m not sure I can take more brutal honesty.”
“You can, Zeke. You are your mother’s son. There’s strength inside you that you haven’t begun to tap into.”
I wanted to hug him in the worst way. “I love you, Dad. I’m beyond lucky to be your son.”
“Not half as lucky as I am to have you.”
Iemerged from my room emotionally drained yet strangely invigorated. One way or another, I needed to broach things with Orion. If not to pursue a romance, then at least to clear the air and reaffirm the steadiness of our partnership. We still had a mission to complete.
To my surprise, he was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a contemplative air. He glanced up as I entered, dark eyes unreadable.
“I made coffee,” he said, gesturing to the steaming pot. “Figured you might need it after everything today.”
Despite the turmoil still gnawing at me, I managed a smile at the considerate gesture. “You know me so well already.”
Silence fell as I poured myself a mug, the familiar aroma calming me even before I took a sip. Orion watched me over the rim of his own cup, seeming to debate something internally.
Finally, he cleared his throat. “Listen, Zeke. We should talk about what we saw at the farmhouse.”
It was an unexpected opening, but he seemed so reluctant. Had he been waiting for me this whole time?
“You don’t need to explain anything that makes you uncomfortable. I would like to talk about it, but that’s up to you.”
For a suspended moment, Orion simply studied me, thoughts and emotions flickering across his handsome features too quickly for me to decipher. At last, he straightened and set his empty mug in the sink.
“Thank you, Zeke,” he said, refusing to meet my gaze. “I think I’ll go for a run to clear my head a bit. We can talk when I get back if that’s okay?”
I tried not to let my disappointment show as those words seared into my heart. “Sure. I should file my report to Michael as soon as possible.”
He stopped in the doorway. “I’m sorry about all this, Zeke. More than you know.”
Through a heroic effort, I kept in the sharp stab of pain from his words. I didn’t need to talk to know he’d made up his mind about whatever might potentially have been brewing between us. And that decision didn’t involve any romantic entanglement, no matter what encouragement Dad had offered.
Swallowing hard, I set my half-finished coffee aside and pulled up the holo-display. I’d been sent here to do a job, not fall in love. Dictating my report in clinical detail, I glossed over the unexpected personal revelations, focusing solely on the concrete data.
As I summarized the situation, I allowed the full weight of the mission to settle back onto my shoulders.
Work mode was always a go-to whenever I was embroiled in an emotionally messy case.
This time the emotions were more personal and the stakes higher, but the comfort of routine still helped me detach from everything but the facts.
At least for a while.