Page 72 of Witch's Promise

Alex's laugh was unexpected, a rich, warm sound that seemed to fill the room. "I retired from that particular duty a long time ago," he said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "These days, I prefer to focus on more earthly matters. Like keeping the supernatural world from imploding and taking the rest of reality with it."

Sean shook his head, still trying to wrap his mind around it all. "And the Shadowguards? That's what, your divine task force or something?"

"Something like that," Alex agreed. "Though most of the team is mortal, with a few notable exceptions." His gaze flickered to Marcus, who grinned and gave a little wave.

Sean's eyes widened as he turned to Marcus. "Wait, are you-"

"Hermes' kid," Marcus confirmed, his smile growing wider.

The casual mention of another god – and the implication that there were more out there – made Sean's head spin. He sank onto the nearest chair, suddenly feeling very small and very, very mortal.

"This is... a lot," he said weakly. "I mean, I knew Gabe was involved in some heavy supernatural shit, but this? This is way beyond anything I ever imagined."

Gabe knelt beside him, his expression a mixture of concern and understanding. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," he said softly. "It's not exactly the kind of thing you can just drop intocasual conversation, you know? 'Hey, by the way, my boss is the Greek god of death. Pass the salt?'"

Despite himself, Sean felt a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I guess that would have been a bit much for a first date conversation."

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of everything that had been revealed settling over them. Sean could feel the others watching him, waiting to see how he'd react.

Sean's mind reeled, struggling to process the reality of his situation. Here he was, standing in the same room as an actual fucking god. The air seemed to crackle with an otherworldly energy, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Every instinct honed by years of survival screamed at him to run, to get as far away from this being of immense power as possible.

But Sean stood his ground, forcing himself to meet Alex's piercing gaze. The god's smirk was knowing, almost predatory, as if he could sense Sean's internal turmoil.

"I know you have a lot of questions," Alex said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to reverberate through Sean's bones. "But those can wait. We have more pressing matters to attend to." He turned to Gabe, all business now. "Is there a place where we can talk privately? Catch up on recent developments?"

Before Gabe could answer, he stepped closer to Sean, concern etched into his features. "Hey," he said softly, his hand coming to rest on Sean's arm. "You okay? I know this is a lot to take in."

Sean nodded, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I'm... I'll be fine. Just a lot to process, you know? Not every day you find out your boyfriend's boss is the literal god of death."

The word 'boyfriend' slipped out before Sean could stop it, and he felt his face heat. Were they boyfriends again? Theyhadn't exactly had time to define whatever this thing between them was.

If Gabe noticed the slip, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he gave Sean's arm a reassuring squeeze before turning back to Alex. "We can use the meeting room in the basement. It's secure and equipped for this kind of briefing."

Sean followed as Gabe led them down a narrow staircase, trying to ignore the way the walls seemed to close in around him. He'd never been a fan of enclosed spaces, a holdover from his days in his father's "training" facilities. The memory sent a shiver down his spine, and Sean forced it away. Now wasn't the time for old traumas to resurface.

At the bottom of the stairs, Gabe approached a nondescript door. He placed his palm against its surface, and Sean watched in fascination as lines of golden light spread out from the point of contact. Runes flickered to life, dancing across the door's surface before fading away.

"Lucas helped me set this up," Gabe explained as the door swung open silently. "It's where the coven holds its most sensitive meetings. Completely secure and off the grid."

Sean's eyes widened as he stepped into the room. It was like something out of a sci-fi movie, all sleek surfaces and high-tech displays. Holograms flickered to life around them, projecting maps and data streams that Sean couldn't begin to decipher. But interwoven with the technology were unmistakable signs of magic – glowing runes etched into the walls, crystals pulsing with otherworldly energy.

Sean breathed, unable to keep the awe from his voice. "This is intense."

Alex chuckled, the sound surprisingly warm. "Impressive, isn't it? Your boy here has quite the knack for blending the magical and mundane worlds."

They settled around a large table dominated by a massive screen. Sean couldn't help but feel out of place among all this advanced tech and ancient magic. He was just a washed-up ex-assassin with some parlor tricks. What the hell was he doing here?

"Alright, Gabe," Alex said, his tone all business now. "Bring me up to speed. What's the situation here?"

Sean watched as Gabe launched into a detailed report, outlining everything that had happened since the attack on his family. His voice was steady, confident in a way that made Sean's chest tighten with a mixture of pride and something dangerously close to longing.

This was Gabe in his element, Sean realized. A leader, a protector, someone who could go toe-to-toe with literal gods and hold his own. It was awe-inspiring and terrifying in equal measure.

As Gabe spoke, laying out plans and strategies with the ease of a seasoned commander, Sean felt a familiar weight settle in his gut. The realization hit him like a sucker punch to the solar plexus – Gabe would be going back to Manhattan soon. Back to his life as a Shadowguard, to his team and his mission to protect the world from supernatural threats.

And where did that leave Sean?

The thought of losing Gabe again, of watching him walk away for a second time, was almost too much to bear. Sean's hands clenched into fists beneath the table, his nails digging crescents into his palms as he fought to keep his expression neutral.

---