“Ezekiel,” Sethios returned. “This is an unpleasant surprise. To what do we owe the visit?”

A hint of pain flashed in his oldest friend’s features, but he reined it in just as quickly. “Osiris would like to speak with you and the Seraphim.”

“I bet.” Sethios grinned. “You can tell him I refuse.”

“It wasn’t a request.”

No, it wouldn’t be one. “You had to have known we wouldn’t just agree, so what do you have planned?” Sethios already knew, as did Ezekiel, but neither party could admit that without ruining the charade.

“Hmm, it’s not a matter of planning, really,” Ezekiel mused. “More the element of surprise.”

The pistol appeared in his hand as if by magic and fired directly into Sethios’s chest before he could utter a word—just the way Gabriel said it would happen. What he failed to mention was the burning sensation.

“Fu—” He couldn’t finish the word as he fell to his knees, the pain excruciating. Caro screamed beside him and cut off in a gurgle as another bullet presumably hit her before she could mist.

Flames erupted from Sethios’s skin, but he couldn’t feel them beneath the pressure flooding his veins.

The fuck is in that gun?

“Incendiary bullets,” Ezekiel explained casually. “Jonathan’s researchers developed them for the Sentinels at the CRF. I don’t think the science is quite right, though, because it’s not meant to be obvious. And, well, this is pretty damn obvious.”

Asshole, Sethios thought at him as his body convulsed. He could feel his skin melting and mending at remarkable speeds. Being of Seraphim blood, he couldn’t die. And his body worked damn hard to keep him breathing, despite whatever technology Ezekiel had shot into his system.

His blood was on fire. Literally. And if the agony traveling through the line from Caro was anything to go by, hers was too.

Shit.

That was not part of the plan. Neither was Ezekiel’s maniacal laugh or the spike of shock traveling through the bond from Astasiya.

Through the flames engulfing him, he met a pair of terrified eyes peering at him in the distance. Fuck. She was not meant to see this. She was supposed to be hiding. No matter what was their promise. She’d broken it. Because of the pain echoing through the bond.

They’d failed her. Or would, anyway, if Osiris appeared now.

Run! he commanded with the remains of his energy. Hide!

Her expression contorted in agony as he forced her little legs to move, and then Gabriel appeared right behind her in his ethereal form. His gaze met Sethios’s for a split second—just long enough to convey a reassuring nod—and the pair of them were gone.

Sethios relaxed despite his current predicament, content that his child was safe. Gabriel would guard her.

“Well,” a chilling voice said above the chaos riddling Sethios’s form. “I see you’ve finally come through, Ezekiel.”

“Yes, Sire,” Ezekiel replied, sounding quite pleased with himself. “I followed up on a lead that proved fortuitous.”