Murmuring something in her sleep, she rolled onto her other side.
Aidan drew the covers up to her chin, then dressed at preternatural speed. Tossing their dirty clothing in the bathroom, he headed for the door.
Light bathed him as he opened it, only partially blocked by the figures in the hallway.
Seth stared down at him, Ami at his side.
Aidan eyed them both, dread and frustration filling him because he could guess why Ami was there. “You didn’t catch Gershom.”
“No,” Seth confirmed, then nodded to Ami. “I thought you might be more at ease if Ami confirmed that I’m me.”
Ami offered Aidan a smile. “He’s Seth.”
“Thank you,” Aidan said, failing to muster up a smile in return. That bastard Gershom was still on the loose, which meant this wasn’t over. Dana was still in danger. They were all still in danger.
Seth’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as Ami touched his arm, then left them.
Aidan stepped back, opening the door wider in silent invitation. “I don’t want to leave Dana alone.”
Nodding, Seth entered.
Aidan closed the door and faced his leader. His friend.
“You thought he was me,” Seth said.
“I did.”
“You thought I wanted to kill you.”
“I did.” And Aidan’s stomach knotted up when he thought about it.
Seth offered his hand. When Aidan clasped it, Seth pulled him into a rough hug. “I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t you.” But damned if it didn’t make him feel better to have Seth reinforce that fact. He had known Seth longer than he had known anyone else still living. They had been through a hell of a lot together. The knowledge that Gershom had nearly fucked all that up…
Releasing him, Seth stepped back. “Tell me what happened.”
Aidan nodded. Picking up the large storage ottoman at the foot of the bed, he placed it against the wall and sat down.
Seth sank down beside him.
“He got into my head, Seth.”
Seth shot him a sharp glance. “Literally or figuratively?”
“Both,” Aidan confessed with a touch of despair. “He knew just what to say to make me think he was you. Knew what to do, how to behave, what I would expect. He even mimicked your temper perfectly. When I said he was very convincing earlier, I meant he was terrifyingly convincing.”
Seth’s eyes began to glow with renewed anger. “Tell me everything.”
Aidan shook his head. “I want you to see it for yourself. I’m afraid I’ll leave something out if I do the telling.” And he wanted Seth to have every tiny shred of information in his arsenal. So Aidan tapped his temple. “Go ahead and have a look.”
Seth shifted his gaze to Aidan’s forehead.
Quiet engulfed them, broken only by the faint sounds of Dana’s breathing that Aidan’s preternatural hearing caught as she slumbered on, oblivious to their presence. This bedroom, like many others here at David’s place, was soundproofed. David had enlisted the network’s aid in accomplishing such when immortals began to marry, wishing to afford the couples more privacy so they could spend the night whenever they wanted to without worrying about the other immortals hearing them make love.
Seth’s eyes grew brighter as he reviewed the confrontation with Gershom, the gold light a sharp contrast to the darkness of the bedroom.
The floor beneath Aidan’s feet began to vibrate ever so slightly as Seth’s fury rose in response to the memories he scoured.
If Aidan were to open the door of the soundproof bedroom, he likely would hear thunder rumbling outside as rain beat the grass and trees.
The rumbling vibrations increased.
Dana shifted beneath the covers, the quaking luring her toward consciousness.
Aidan touched a hand to Seth’s arm and tried to infuse him with calm. Seth blinked, and the ground stopped shaking.
Dana stilled, sighing in her sleep.
But the bright golden light in Seth’s eyes was slow to fade as they met Aidan’s.
“What did you see?” Aidan asked.
“Everything that transpired in your backyard.”
“Just that? Nothing else?”
“Yes.” Rising, Seth paced away, his movements the same as those Gershom had demonstrated earlier.
It was eerie how identical the two appeared.
“The bastard made you doubt yourself,” Seth growled in fury.
Aidan tried to shrug it off but couldn’t. “I’m still doubting myself,” he admitted softly.
Seth ceased his restless movements. “He was lying, Aidan.”
“You don’t know that. Not for sure. You only read my memories of the confrontation.”
“As strong as your mental barriers are, I’m convinced he could not possibly topple them without your knowing.”
“I’ve known you for three thousand years, Seth. Until yesterday, I was convinced no one could possibly trick me into believing he was you. And yet Gershom succeeded.”
Silence.
“I need you to be sure,” Aidan continued. “I need to be sure that Gershom isn’t mind-controlling me.”
“Aidan—”
“I know you don’t want to. I know that, contrary to popular opinion, you don’t like sneaking into people’s minds and nosing about in their private business. But I need you to do it. I need you to comb every nook and cranny of my mind and tell me with absolute certainty that Gershom hasn’t planted any commands up there.”
Seth hesitated.
“Please,” Aidan added as he glanced at the bed. “I need to know I’m not a danger to Dana and the others. That I’m not a danger to you,” he said, meeting his friend’s gaze. “I need to know that Gershom is full of shite.”
A long sigh escaped Seth.
Aidan smiled. “Thank you.”
Seth reclaimed his seat beside Aidan. “You’ve lowered the rest of your barriers?”
“Yes.”
“As you will.” Seth closed his eyes.
Aidan sat quietly, watching Dana slumber.
Minutes passed.
Many long minutes. The brain’s capacity for storing information seemed limitless. And a brain could accrue a hell of a lot of information over the course of three thousand years. Since the virus that infected immortals protected their minds from the degeneration often caused by aging, Aidan had retained much of what he had experienced over time.
Not as much as Ethan, of course. Ethan’s memory was phenomenal.
But there was enough crammed up inside Aidan’s brain that it took Seth a good long while to sort through it all.
When Seth opened his eyes, the golden glow had left them, returning them to a brown so dark it was almost black.
“Well?” Aidan asked, almost afraid of the answer Seth would give.
“You’re good,” Seth said. “Gershom was bullshitting you.”
Aidan let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear it.”
Seth offered him a wry smile. “Yes, I do.”
Aidan laughed.
Seth glanced at the bed. “I can’t believe Dana was more worried that you might think she was too young for you than she was about you being too old for her.”
“I know.” Aidan smiled. “It’s kind of nice that people can still surprise us after all this time.”
Seth rose. “I only wish Gershom weren’t one of those people.”