Chapter Six #2
Tanner blinked several times. “Hold up. Did you say lair?” He snorted. “Like an evil villain?”
Ronen gasped so loud it made Tanner jump.
“No! We are not the evil ones! We work with the angels and the Most High to protect humanity from the dark forces.” Ronen pounded his fist into his open palm. “As a gargoyle, it’s my sworn duty to protect humanity, to banish evil.”
Tanner’s shoulders slumped. Damn. Why does it always have to be the hot guys who are psycho?
Although his cock didn’t seem to be bothered by this breaking news.
The fact that Ronen was as cracked like a walnut beneath a steamroller hadn’t diminished his woody in the slightest. His hard-on was actually becoming quite uncomfortable.
Not only that, but why weren’t there at least fifty cheeseburgers in front of him right now?
“Okay, sure. Cool.”
Tanner cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.
He wasn’t sure what his next move should be.
All he had on was a short gown, like those worn in hospitals.
However, he’d never seen ones made of silk before.
He didn’t know where he was, had no transportation, and no idea where his phone and wallet were.
Playing along until he’d gathered more intel seemed like the best move for now.
Ronen scrubbed his face with both hands, his features pinched. “Oh, man. Cass and everyone are going to kill me.”
Tanner tensed. That didn’t sound good. “W-why would they kill you? Are they connected to my job?”
Ronen shook his head as if he were the one in pain now. “No, no. Not at all. I’m just so terrible at this, I’ve barely had any interactions with humans. I shouldn’t have blurted everything out like that.” He heaved a sigh. “Ezekiel warned me to break it to you gradually.”
Tanner’s stomach churned, and he was going to be pissed if he got nauseous again. With great effort, he kept his tone even. “Break what to me, exactly? And who’s Ezekiel and what did he warn you about?”
Ronen winced. “I apologize, Tanner. While I waited for you to recover, I rehearsed over and over what I would say. Ezekiel is the healer who saved you. He said the shock of discovering the truth would be too much for you all at once.” Ronen sighed again. “Clearly, I fucked up.”
A twinge of sadness struck him. Ronen seemed so disappointed in himself.
Beyond that, Tanner had an intense urge to comfort him.
His mind drifted to being with Ronen at the restaurant, how safe he felt confiding in him.
And hadn’t Ronen risked his life saving him when he was shoved in front of the bus?
He should take a breath and let the guy explain before he jumped to conclusions.
“Hey.” Tanner gave Ronen the best smile he could manage. “I’m listening, okay? Just…go slow. One thing at a time.”
“Sure.” Ronen smiled back but still carried a glimmer of sorrow in his eyes. “Okay, here goes.” He coughed into his fist. “I’d planned to start by pointing out everything you’ve been going through physically and the strange things you’ve noticed at work.”
Tanner nodded. “Yeah. I will say that the fact I’m not suffering right now is huge. That awful place is where it all began. And now with you, I’m better.”
A measure of shame coursed through him. It wasn’t fair to doubt someone who'd risked everything to help him, especially when his body felt better than it had for weeks.
“You have no idea how happy that makes me, Tanner. All I want is for you to be healthy and safe.”
“I believe you.” Something in Ronen’s voice spoke to Tanner’s heart, told him that Ronen would never harm him, or allow anyone else to hurt him, either. “Tell me everything, I want… I need to know.” He winced. “No matter what it is.”
Ronen folded his hands, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. “The place you work for is a front for demonic activity,” he said, maintaining eye contact. “The people there—at least, the ones in charge—aren’t human. They’re rogue demons who’ve broken away from Lucifer’s control.”
Tanner arched his eyebrows but didn't interrupt. He nodded for Ronen to continue.
“The headaches, the nausea—that was your body’s natural reaction to being near such concentrated evil. You see, you’re not entirely human, Tanner.”
Oh boy. “Say that last part again?” He’d asked to hear it all, so he needed to behave himself and let Ronen finish.
“You’re not fully human,” Ronen said softly.
“You’re Nephilim. Half human, half angel.
That’s why you’ve been getting sick at work.
Your angelic blood was reacting to their presence.
The longer you worked there, the sicker you became.
It was like you were swallowing poison every time you set foot in that building. ”
Tanner ran his palm across the top of his head. In a weird way, it made sense. If he were doing the storyline for a demon gargoyle video game, he’d totally make that a thing.
“Okay, so let’s say I believe you. Wouldn’t they know I was Neph… Nephy…”
“Nephilim.”
Tanner pointed at Ronen. “Right. That. Wouldn’t demons realize it and want to keep my cringy angelic goodness out of their den of evil?
” Tanner straightened. “Ooh. Maybe they figured it out, and that’s why they tried to kill me.
” He shrugged. “Otherwise, that would mean they brought me there on purpose. After all, I didn’t go there and apply.
I was approached by one of their top guys who knew my rep as a hacker.
He said they were doing a deep state operation and needed my expertise. ”
“They came to you?” Ronen’s expression radiated concern.
“Yeah…” Tanner’s stomach dropped. Man. Those dollar signs and flattery had really done a number on him. “Now that I’m looking at the situation through clearer eyes, boy do I ever feel stupid. I should’ve known there was an ulterior motive.”
“You’re not stupid.” Ronen frowned. “Even if all they wanted was to lure you to their side, they wouldn’t have put you in such an important position. You were genuinely working for them, right? Writing code, hacking, all of that?”
Tanner hugged himself. “I was.” A sickening thought hit him.
“Do you…Do you think the stuff I did hurt anyone?” His lower lip trembled.
“I honestly thought I was doing the right thing, I swear. They said my help was needed to keep evil enemies from destroying our country, and I took their word at face value.” He hung his head.
“I believed them, never bothered to research that information myself before just blindly following along.”
Ronen covered Tanner’s hand with his own, the touch warm and reassuring. “I know you have a good heart. You were tricked. Not only that, but you were completely unaware that such a thing as demons walking the earth was real, that they were working to destroy all of humanity.”
Tanner gave a small chuckle. “Or that I’m part angel.” He shook his head. “Still not so sure about all that.”
“Do you feel well enough to meet everyone? Or would you rather have something to eat first?”
Ronen squeezed his hand, and Tanner returned the gesture. He wasn’t ready to go anywhere yet, especially since he had no idea where he was.
Tanner took in his surroundings again. “Actually, what is this place? Do you guys work out of a mansion or something?”
“No, we’re under the Gesu Catholic Church. Our lairs are always located within sacred ground.”
Tanner didn’t dare laugh at a man who was regarding him with such seriousness. Or was he a man at all? Yet, Ronen looked nothing like a stone creature. Tanner didn’t know what to think or what to believe.
“A lair under a church.” Tanner worked to keep his tone free of doubt. “Like, underground?”
Ronen nodded. “That’s correct.”
Tanner rubbed his chin as he drew his eyebrows together. “So, you're really a gargoyle? Like, those stone things on churches?” He shook his head. “But you look completely human.”
“We can shift between forms,” Ronen explained. “Our gargoyle form is our natural state, but we’ve adapted over the centuries to blend in with humans when needed.”
Tanner realized he had to pick a side. He could reject everything Ronen was saying and plan his escape. Or he could accept that the supernatural, secret world in which Ronen existed was the reality, and become one with the concept. He couldn’t have it both ways.
“Okay then. I need a visual aid.”
Ronen’s eyebrows shot up. “A what?”
Tanner shrugged. “I’m a visual learner. I do better by seeing rather than by reading or listening to lectures. I’m hands-on.”
Ronen’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Oh, I see.” He glanced around. “Let me move into the middle of the room where there’s more space.”
As Ronen got up from the bed, Tanner was struck by a moment of panic. A big part of him had assumed Ronen would make an excuse as to why shifting into a gargoyle was impossible right now. In a few minutes, if what Ronen said was true, nothing would ever be the same.
Ronen paused halfway between the end of the bed and a large armoire that took up most of the wall on the other side of the room. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
Tanner swallowed hard. “After everything I’ve been through, I need to know what’s real and what’s fake. I’m sure.”