Page 57 of Galen
When I walked inside, Alastair was standing in front of his vanity wearing a silky purple robe. Glass made up two of the four walls, and the bed was fit for a king. Which was exactly how he saw himself.
“I take it all went well today?” Alastair asked, running his fingers through his hair as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. “No signs of Phoenix?”
“None.”
“Good.”
I stood in the middle of his bedroom as he stepped away from his vanity and slid off his robe, exposing his porcelain skin and toned physique. He was unashamed of his nakedness as he walked across the room to his closet. I moved my gaze to the window where the last light of day was fading.
“Were you really going to erase his memory?” I found myself asking. It had been on my mind since that morning. He was the only one of us who had the power to erase someone’s memory, probably because his father had been so powerful.
“Yes,” Alastair answered from inside the walk-in closet. “You know how Belphegor is with his mind tricks. How he tortures you to see inside your head, to find your secrets. With his memory gone, Simon would have no secrets to tell.”
I clenched my fists. “You could’ve spoken to me first.”
“Why? It would’ve served no purpose. You would’ve become angry, and my mind wouldn’t have changed.” The rustle of clothes reached my ears. “There’s no sense in speaking of it now. A third option presented itself. Your human keeps his memories, and you get to keep him. For now.”
Even though anger trickled through me, I couldn’t fight him on the matter. Because he was right. I was given the chance to hold on to Simon, if only for a little longer.
“Are you going to visit Joseph tonight?”
Alastair exited the closet wearing skintight black pants and a shirt that fell open in the front. His brow furrowed as he returned to the mirror and buttoned the shirt, his thin fingers precise in their movements. “There’s no time for a visit. Not while shades are plaguing the city.” His hands dropped back to his sides. “The nurse said he has a month at most.”
“I’m sorry, brother.”
When he looked at me, his guard was up. He tended to lock away his pain. To hide it. He and I were alike in that way.
“No need to be sorry,” he said before studying his reflection again. “I knew this day would come eventually. Human lives are fleeting. Temporary.” He could hide behind a mask of stoicism, yet he couldn’t hide the slight shake in his hand as he swept it through his pale hair. “It’s a thing you must remember if you plan to go down this same path with Simon. His day will come too.”
I gritted my teeth as an ache pierced the center of my chest. “I enjoy Simon’s company, but it’s nothing more than sex.”
Alastair sighed. “Of course it isn’t. Who could ever touch your heart? Sometimes I think it’s even colder than mine.” He turned from the mirror and faced me. “Are you good to patrol tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Then, let’s go.”
***
The King Opera house stood in the center of downtown, the building towering over all others. People exited through the front entrance, their voices mingling together as they discussed the performance they’d just seen.
I landed on the rooftop and tucked my wings back, closing my eyes. Searching. Darkness shrouded me from the humans below, yet the shadows also hid the ravenous shades.
I sensed nothing.
Opening my eyes, I studied the street below. People got into their cars and pulled away from the curb. Others walked down the sidewalk, intending to pop into one of the restaurants for a late dinner.
Alastair stepped up beside me. “This is strange. The beasts are normally skulking through alleyways by now.”
“Castor,”I said, mind linking with him.“Are you sensing any shades near your location?”
“No,”he responded.“I’m heading closer to the harbor to see if I can pick up anything there.”
“If you’re waiting for my pets, you won’t find them tonight.”
I flipped around to see Phoenix. He wore faded jeans and a slim-fitted tee, looking more like a college fuck boy than a lieutenant of the underworld. I grabbed my dagger and charged at him.
Phoenix faded from sight and reappeared several feet away. “Still all brawn and no brains, I see.” He stuck a hand in his pocket, casual in his stance. “Alastair? Control your beast. We wouldn’t want him losing control. Again, anyway. I heard you had to lock him in a cage like some out-of-control animal once before. Fitting for him, I suppose.”
