I swallowed back a laugh as Jeb sniffed at the insults. There was going to be a lot of sniffing around this group. “I’m a warlock, if you must know,” Jeb answered even though the questions hadn’t been directed at him. “Now that we have all gathered, I will re-ward the area, to make sure”—he swallowed as Rourke pinned his gaze on him—“we stay safe.”
Absentmindedly, I ran a hand through Rourke’s fur, grabbing on and luxuriating in the feel of him. His body was warm next to mine and I knew he wasn’t going to change back just yet. Jeb’s signature was too strong. In order to fight a powerful old supe like that, Rourke would be better off in his beast form. I inclined my head toward Jeb. “This is Jebediah Amel,” I said as a way of introduction. “He’s the High Ambassador to the Coalition and kidnapped me so he could tell me my life was in danger.”
“If that was all it was, you could’ve just told us,” Ray said, irritation at the forefront. “Why send us on a big cloak-and-dagger goose chase in the middle of the woods? What a waste of time.”
Jeb cleared his throat. “My allegiance is to Jessica, and Jessica alone. Anything I discuss with her is private. The Coalition has never shared its business with any outsiders in over a thousand years. This is”—he cleared his throat again—“a first. Not completely unwelcome, mind you.” He waved his hand out in front of him, his eyebrows bunching again. “But highly unusual. It will take some getting used to.”
“We don’t care if you ever get used to it,” Tyler commented as he zipped up his pants. “We’re here to protect my sister at all costs. We’ve pledged our lives to her. If you’re on our side and have an allegiance to Jessica, then there should be no issues.”
“I can see that more clearly now,” Jeb said. “In fact, you all… smell like her.” He made a show of sniffing the air in front of him. “As if you have all taken a piece of her inside you somehow. It’s most particular.” He continued to scent the air. I was going to have to nickname him Sniffy. “This indicates that you have all shared blood bonds with her.” His voice held some surprise, but also irritation.
I nodded. “That’s true. I’ve shared blood or power with most of them.” I glanced around the group. I’d given Marcy my essence to heal her when the Prince of Hell had blasted her. I felt our connection, though it was faint. Tyler, Ray, Naomi, and Danny had all taken in my blood. My gaze landed on Nick and he grinned. I arched an eye at him.
“Don’t you remember? You shared your blood with me,” Nick said. “But it was back when we were both kids. You hadn’t shifted for the first time yet. We were in the woods behind the lodge and we swore an oath to each other and cut open our palms, reciting some nonsensical thing. But I swore to protect you that day, and nothing has changed. Once you shifted for the first time, I felt our bond grow, but I didn’t understand why. Now it makes more sense.”
My face brightened at the memory. I hadn’t thought about it in years. We’d been no more than ten years old at the most. We’d both pledged our loyalty to each other. My wound had taken weeks to heal. “I remember.” I grinned. “You were my knight in shining armor in those days. One of my only allies.” I was stunned that my blood, given that long ago, could still bind us together. I didn’t feel the same connection to him as those who had taken my blood recently, but there was a tingling there when I brushed my power over him.
“When you decided to leave the Compound for good,” Nick said, “I went with you willingly, but I also had a burning urge to stay close and keep protecting you.”
“Little did we know that when we exchanged that blood and a nonsensical childhood oath, all these years later we’d find that you actually became my real, bonded brother that day.”
“It was the best-case scenario. And, as your father indicated to me when I saw him last, I will freely give you my troth as soon as you have time to take it.” His chest expanded. “And this time it will be formal, not as two kids in the woods.”
“That would make me happy,” I said to him as Jeb cleared his throat. This time with more oomph.
“We must get down to the business at hand,” the warlock said. “You are running out of time.” Jeb appeared a little flustered as he continued. “I’m happy this homecoming has been so beneficial to you, but having those kinds of bonds to others is highly unusual. Only the Five share their essences with each other, and by doing so it makes them very strong. You have”—he coughed into his fist—“shared the wealth, so to speak. I’m not sure what to make of it, but I’m certain I will have information forthcoming, as it pertains to your future.”
“Do you think that might be my ‘special gift’? My ability to bond by blood with other supes?”
“I can’t answer that,” Jeb said. “It is not written anywhere yet, but if you want my best educated guess, I would say you’ve developed a much-needed coping strategy.” His head shook with his intensity as he spoke, but his spikes stayed still.