“You don’t have to worry about that, you know.”

Justin was getting really sick of these immortals creeping up on him. It was an unfair advantage and every time they did it he nearly jumped out of his skin. The way they skulked around the place like animals was stalker-like and disconcerting; he never knew if he was truly alone. He didn’t like the telepathy either; it was rude talking about him when he couldn’t hear to defend himself. Almost like that time he’d been in a business meeting for one of his European deals and two people more than capable of speaking English instead spoke Portuguese to each other - they just hadn’t wanted him to understand them, and these freaks were the same. Always looking at each other and making it obvious they were communicating but never cluing him in.

He also found the way they were so over familiar with each other very creepy. That was what he had been staring at, through the one way glass of Lucas’s gym. Charmian was simultaneously critiquing Zac’s knife throwing technique and tending to whatever wounds Lucas had picked up on his travels the night before. She was pressed up against him and running her hands over him in ways that from anyone else he would have assumed meant ‘couple.’ Yet for how tactile they were there was zero sexual chemistry there and both seemed entirely nonchalant about the whole thing. There was no intimacy. He couldn’t work it out; one more thing to add to the list of things he couldn’t work out.

“Why would I worry?”

“I don’t have to be immortal to know jealousy when I see it.”

“What’s to be jealous of?” Justin asked. He had meant that as a denial that he cared, but Carmel knew a little better.

“Nothing, but then I know you humans overanalyse things even when your brain knows better,” she replied shrewdly. “You have to understand Justin that we’ve known each other for longer than you can comprehend. We’ve seen everything together, know everything about each other… which means a lot of the boundaries you mortals have up between each other are pretty redundant to us. Zac’s even had his hands inside me.”

Justin’s face screwed up in distaste. “I do not need to hear about your sexcapades.”

Carmel threw back her head and laughed. “Dirty boy. I meant literally – a cheap blade broke off in my stomach and I healed back over before I could take it out. He had to cut me open and rummage around for it.”

He had to fight back a small amount of vomit. “I’m not sure if that’s more or less disgusting a mental image.”

“Well since I view Zac like my baby brother, I’d go for less. Anyway, that’s not the point. Point is… don’t read into it. Charmian and Lucas are a hell of a team and real loyal to each other, but that’s it. You can feel free to crush on her.”

“I’m not crushing on her.”

“And maybe somebody who hadn’t been alive as long as I have would believe you.”

“How long have you been alive?”

Once again she laughed at him. “Longer than I think you could deal with. Suffice to say, it’s been a while. I was twenty two when I was raised.”

“Yeah, I don’t get that whole thing. You guys have a lot of weird shit going on.”

“I’m taking that as a hint to explain.” She rolled her eyes. “Instead of all this complaining and fishing for answers you could just ask us, you know.”

When Justin couldn’t come up with a retort, she continued on.

“We don’t know why exactly we got chosen; only that it was for some specific personality traits that they thought would equip us to our callings. They took us from our families and gave us the choice – live as mortal or be called to a higher purpose. Not everybody agrees but most do and obviously we did, so we were changed.”

Justin frowned. “Like, they snatch you from your families? That sucks.”

“Oh it’s all very consensual. And to be honest once the change has happened and we become immortal we think differently – like, I can remember being human and having my kids, but as an immortal the emotion’s different.”

“Wait, wait… you had kids?” he asked in disbelief. “I thought you meant you were taken from your parents.” The idea that these people had just happily abandoned their kids somehow seemed worse to him than if it was their parents.

“Back in those days people had much shorter life spans and much younger families.” She shrugged. “It was considered normal to marry young, have kids young and even to die young. Zac and I were both parents, Lucas was married, only Charmian was still single and back then she’d have been considered weird for it.”

“But…”

“But nothing. I know it’s hard to understand when it’s so outside your experience, but we save humanity on a regular basis. It’s a worthy sacrifice.”

“And keeping me locked up is for the good of humanity?”

“Actually yes.” She glared at him, starting to get annoyed by his petulance and tetchy tone. No matter what conversation she started with him, he always managed to bring it back round to that as if they hadn’t told him a dozen or more time that it was for his protection. She understood that it was difficult to process but when it came to his attitude she was really over it. “When demons get what they want things tend to go badly for mortals and right now, they want you. Believe me, I would love for you to be able to get out and about if only for you to stop whining, but there’s no point in getting you hurt, captured or worse.”

“But…”

“Shh,” she interrupted him again, clearly listening to something in her head. Then wordlessly she pushed open the door to the gym and beckoned him in.

Justin was rather shocked. Obviously they’d both been summoned, but it was the first time Charmian had voluntarily been in a room with him since the whole sorry incident where he’d been subjected to a demon attack and then kidnapped. She looked surprisingly and annoyingly unaffected by that. He felt a little affronted; after all this drama you’d think she’d show at least some reaction. She was the one who’d been crying and throwing fits of wrathful vengeance against Lucas’s belongings because he’d found out what she was.

Nervously he glanced around the place; he really could have used a workout to let some of his frustration out but the room intimidated him too much. It looked like something from some sci-fi show; as well as the usual gym equipment there were racks of swords, knives, and bows and arrows. Various shields were mounted along the walls and disconcertingly, there was even a mace.

“So we have a game plan for tonight,” Charmian addressed Carmel.

“All ears boss.”

“Whatever they’ve used on Lucas, it’s nasty stuff.” Charmian pushed lightly against Lucas’s shoulder to make him twist around and display the final remaining cut. For somebody who’d been sliced open by a sword just the previous night it looked remarkably healed to Justin, scabbed over and just a little pink around the edges, but apparently by their standards it was a catastrophe.

“Do we know what it is?”

“No,” Lucas replied. “All I can tell you is it smelled like almonds and stung like a mother.”

“Whatever it is, it can hurt us and I don’t like it.” Charmian practically growled. “I’m guessing this must have been the original cut where the poison was used, since it’s the only one left. But until it’s healed Lucas is out of the fight…”

“Hey,” he protested,” I’m not an invalid.”

“You’ll heal quicker if you rest and for all we know exertion might aggravate it.” Her tone was firm and clearly brooked no dissension. Justin marvelled again at how blindly they all took her orders. “You stay here, Car and Zac you’re on patrol tonight but make sure you stick together. I don’t know how many others are going to be using this stuff so be careful – that goes double if you smell almonds. If you take anybody down, see if you can get the blades to bring home; they might not even be using it but if they are it’d be helpful to get something for Nate to look at.”

“Got it,” Zac nodded. “Will you be with Nate if we need you?”

“No, Justin and I are going out. I’ve got Micah and Katherine on call to watch him in case you need me though.”

Justin wasn’t sure who was most surprised – him, Lucas or Carmel. Zac looked unmoved by the unexpected piece of information.

“Really?” Carmel didn’t like excluding Justin from the conversation but didn’t want to let him in on anything Charmian didn’t want him knowing. As much as she’d pushed for this, the turn around was a little sudden. “You sure?”

“He needs to make a public appearance and I probably should talk to him at some point. I’m the only one who hasn’t had to deal with all his questions yet, my turn’s long overdue.”

“That’s all, you’re dismissed.”

The other three quickly disappeared in that irritating fashion Justin disliked so much. What was wrong with walking? Whatever else, it meant that he was without warning alone with the woman, and that made his palms itchy in a very sweaty and annoying way.

“So.” Charmian finally said. “Walk and dinner?”