Charisemnon squared his shoulders, locked gazes with the Ancient. “Careful who you mock, old man.”

Alexander laughed, his amusement appearing genuine. “Ah, the arrogance of youth.” He shook his head, a handsome man with golden hair and wings of silver who would not appear in any way old for countless millennia, if ever.

In truth, Raphael had never seen any adult angel who showed signs of visible age once they’d reached their prime in terms of physical appearance. It was theorized that they did, in fact, age after a certain point, but at so very slow a rate that it was all but invisible. The other theory was that they reached their prime and stayed in that state. Raphael tended to believe more in the former than the latter—because he’d seen changes in himself. Nothing anyone else would notice . . . except an eagle-eyed consort.

Elena was dead certain he hadn’t yet hit his prime. “Alexander calls you a pup and I think he’s right, at least in terms of your immortality. You’re still maturing and becoming impossibly more beautiful with every day that passes.”

Holding back a smile at the memory of her glare as she’d said that, Raphael glanced at Titus, who’d been unusually quiet. The warrior archangel’s forehead held two deep vertical grooves, his attention on the far horizon where the squadron had vanished. But then he gave a nod as if he’d come to a decision and said, “Enough of the debating. We could be here all year.” His voice boomed. “There is only one way to decide this and that is to go to China.”

Several heads nodded, but it was Elijah who spoke. “If Lijuan is still awake and in control, she’ll be furious at our intrusion and will rise to confront us.”

“Then we can all go home.” Michaela’s curt words bristled with impatience, her wings held a little too tight to her body and her arms folded as aggressively as Charisemnon’s.

She’d been pushing for an end to this meeting from the start. Nothing unusual in that except the other archangel usually enjoyed politics and could be counted on to draw things out for her own amusement. Yet now, she wanted to get back to her territory as fast as possible.

To a child?

Or was there something more dangerous going on?

Because it was equally possible that the toxic contamination she’d suffered at Uram’s hands had gone active. Perhaps she knew she’d betray her unstable state if she stayed too close to the rest of the Cadre.

“We need to come to a unanimous decision,” Charisemnon insisted, a hard light to his eyes. “That is the law.”

“There is no written law,” Neha countered. “It is simply that we usually decide by consensus. In this case, however, with bloodlust threatening to consume China, we must act and act fast, even if that means a majority vote.”

“I’m not certain we have that right,” Astaad began.

“I have no quarrel with you, Astaad,” Neha said, “but your lands are an ocean away, while mine border Lijuan’s. I cannot and will not wait for the rest of you when my territory is at risk of a spillover of bloodlust.” Her tone was of the Queen she was, one who had held power for a millennium. “It is a question of protecting my territory.”

“Neha is right.” Alexander’s tone said he’d made up his mind and that was it. “The Cadre has no right to stay her hand. And as the outcome of any investigation will affect all of us, we must take her lead.”

“So you would leave me in my territory, close to my armies?” Charisemnon’s smile was sly. “I think not.”

“If you stay,” Titus said with a grim smile of his own, “I stay. That, I believe will even things out and allow the rest of the Cadre to head to China.”

His smile wiped out, Charisemnon looked at Titus with unhidden ill will. The two had been at odds for a long time, their morals and ethics sharply opposed. Raphael had always been on Titus’s side, seeing in him what an immortal should be, while in Charisemnon, he saw what an immortal could become if he gave in to the worst excesses of their kind.

“A vote.” Neha’s sari rustled in a rasp of silk as she spoke, the Archangel of India skilled at flying in the garment and landing as elegant as when she’d taken off. “Who does not wish to travel to China to confirm whether or not Lijuan is present in her territory?”

Everyone stared at Charisemnon.

Face going a hot red and fists bunching at his sides, he said nothing.

“So,” Neha said after a full minute, “we are decided. We will head to China.”

28

“We go on the wing,” Alexander stated. “Only the Cadre, no one else.”

Raphael frowned inwardly. Surely you cannot expect Elijah and I to leave our consorts, he said mind to mind with Alexander. I know you do not want to leave Xander.

As others began to speak around them, Alexander replied on the mental level. It has been pointed out to me—a quick glance at Caliane—that I may be doing my grandson a disservice by having him always at my side. Eyes of undiluted silver looking into Raphael’s own. I did not become a warrior that way. Rohan did not. You did not.

It was an inarguable point. Yet so was Raphael’s. There are those who would hurt the pieces of our heart to get to us.

If we bring them with us, this will take much longer. They cannot match our speed and endurance.

Having kept an ear on the audible discussion, Raphael spoke to back up Elijah. “The Luminata may have a reputation as being worthy of trust,” he said, “but they are not my people, and now that I have walked the hallways of Lumia, I’m not so certain of the clarity of their quest. To ask me to leave my consort here is an exercise in futility.”