Paycen sighed happily as he sank into the warm sand. He wiggled his fingers and toes, watching as the granules fell to the ground. This was his first break in a very long time. Austin was doing well. His son was a year old and growing like a weed. Bryony was expecting their second child in July. It gave him a couple of months before there was another screaming infant in the compound.
The Silver Court was doing even better than ever. Their businesses had been boosted. Aiden had made a decree that only certain people could deal with the public. Grant and Cole were working one on one with the government. Their laws were strictly enforced even more so due to be scrutinized by the government and the public.
Luckily Paycen wasn't an ambassador. He was the guardian for Emery. He had been surprised when Aiden told him he was to accompany the Water Bearer. He wasn't the one anyone asked to go on trips. He had a temper he could barely control and he couldn't fight without going overboard. He just wasn't suited as an emissary of ambassador.
Aiden had insisted that he go. He hadn't understood why. He could remember the way she had looked at him. It was as if she could see directly through him. She knew he was going to go, especially when he found out they were going to California. Paycen hadn't traveled past the Mississippi River. It sounded back considering he could Shadow-Walk anywhere. He had just never had an interest in going west.
In the end he really hadn't had a choice. Aiden had commanded it and Austin had backed her up. Paycen couldn't argue. Well, he could but it wouldn't have done anything but piss Austin off. That was never a good thing.
So he was sitting on the beach in San Diego waiting for Emery to get up. They had a house on the beach away from everyone else. It was private enough for them to walk around naked if they wished.
Paycen sighed and leaned back on his elbows. He felt exposed and was unsure why. The beach was a private section so no one could come on without Emery's or his permission. He liked it that way but sometimes it was a little lonely. He wasn't going to say he was jealous of his superiors; he really wasn't. He loved them more than he loved his job. He just wanted the relationships they had.
There was a sigh and the sand moved. Paycen looked over at one of his best friends. Emery and he had grown up together in Cleveland and moved to New York when they got into college. Their senior year had been a pain in the ass when they had been abducted for their powers. If it hadn't been for Austin, they would have been turned into killers or killed. Austin had gotten them back into school so they could graduate and ever since then they had been close with him.
Emery bumped his shoulder then smiled goofily. Paycen shook his head and smiled.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"What made Aiden send me with you?" he asked his friend in return.
"Why wouldn't you want to come with me?"
"Why are you answering a question with a question?"
Emery laughed and fell backwards into the sand. "What's bothering you? You're never this quiet."
"I'm just thinking about what we've been through in the last three months."
The Water Bearer let the memory take over. They had been comparing Marks while they had been in New Orleans. Austin's son had been running rampant around their feet, jabbering while he played keep-away with his toy. Dylan had been having so much fun that he had tripped and fallen face first into a potted plant. He had cut his face but he hadn't cried. No, on the contrary he laughed about the blood steadily streaming down his nose.
All of the children living at the palace were growing strong quickly. They were definitely stronger than when their parents were their age. Colt, who was Andy's son and the oldest boy of the second generation, was showing signs of being the next Future Watcher. He was already seeing signs of the future to come. It was easy to tell because when he saw the future, his face went slack and he seemed to be staring off into space. His eyes were beginning to glow silver when this happened. Andy had taken him to the older Future Watcher to be trained.
They were happy the next generation was evolving so quickly but it also meant there was something that was going to astound the whole community. It was bound to happen. Life was funny like that. When one thing happened that was planned, they tended to look back on things that happened that weren't. Both courts knew something was going to happen that would shake their world, but they didn't know when nor how it was going to come.
Paycen stared out at the water. His life had been turned upside down. A man who never wanted to do anything other than be himself, he had actually been going to medical school. His ability to heal had been what got him into the school. He had a pre-med bachelor's degree from NYU. Austin had always told him he should go to medical school. With everything that had happened in the last three years, he wasn't sure he should go. He had too much going on to deal with school again.
As luck would have it, Austin had signed him up for medical school. They had argued and fought each other three weeks before classes started and right up until the day of classes. Austin had simply shoved him out the door and made Emery drive him to the campus. He had been mad but had gone anyway. At the end of the day he had enjoyed it. So he went back.
He had graduated a year early. It was nearly unheard of but he had done it. He had doubled his course load and had done his residency at the same time. The professors thought he was out of his mind but he had worked hard. When things went berserk with his main job, Austin made due with a younger Healer so he could study. Even the Queen was happy he was doing something for himself. He had been doing something for his people for so long he had forgotten to take care of himself.
Emery nudged him once again. "Earth to Paycen. Come in, Paycen."
He shook his head. "Sorry. I was just thinking."
His friend laughed. "I know. I've known you long enough to know when you're zoning out on me."
Emery and Paycen had known each other since they were kids in Cleveland. They had grown up in the same neighborhood and had gone to the same high school. Paycen's mother Abigail had been and was still a five star chef at one of the most prestigious restaurants in the city. They had been able to sink in the back door and play in the kitchen.
When they hit puberty, they found out what they were. Abigail and Emery's mother Emma had explained everything to them. They had explained what they were and what it meant to be a Supranatural. After that, high school had been hard. Paycen's temper far outweighed his ability to heal. Emery's cool power over water helped the man.
Then they had gone to college together. After nearly being killed, they were saved by Austin. He offered them a job as long as they promised never to hurt anyone. They would have never guessed that they would be working closely with the Queen, but they were and it was the best time of their lives.
The silence was killed by Emery's phone ringing. He answered it, speaking quietly even though his best friend could hear him clearly. When he hung up, he looked over.
"We have to go. Something's come up," he said.
Paycen frowned. "What is it?"
"It seems one of our own has been shot. The police want to see us."
"Shouldn't Keldin be the one looking in to this?"
"He is but his Healer needs our help." He stood and brushed off the sand from his shorts. "Come on. Let's get back into the city."
His friend stood and dusted his clothes. They searched the beach even though it was their private residence for the time being. They walked to the side of the house and just disappeared, reappearing in the city. They walked the two blocks to the hospital and went in. There were police officers all over the place. One spotted them then came over.
"Hi. You must be Emery and Paycen. I'm Detective Anna Martin. I'll be handling the case from now on," she said.
Emery had to nudge Paycen as he stared. He looked over at his friend when he didn't say anything. He kept a tight lip as he saw the silvery hue to Paycen's skin. He licked his lips as he realized this was going to be an interesting case to solve, even more interesting than Austin's.
They followed Anna upstairs to the recovery room. Keldin was already there with Deuce, his primary Healer. Deuce was like Paycen in the fact that he doubled as the team's sergeant at arms. He was lethal with a weapon but he also a very good Healer. Abby was there as well and she looked mad.
"What's going on?" Emery asked.
"We've been having a string of attempted murders in the last month," Anna said. "Your friend here knows what to do so we have asked for his help."
"Keldin?"
"This is Sergeant Arin Jones. He was working his shift when a group of men surrounded his car. He stopped so he didn't hit them. They dragged him from his car, beat him, and shot him when he stood to call for help. They knew he was one of us," Keldin said. "This is the third one in a week. I'm getting tired of all of this."
"What do you need us to do?" Paycen asked.
Emery snorted. "Finally out of your revelry?"
"Shut up. Keldin?"
"Paycen, I need you to work with Deuce for now. He's been working for three days straight and he's weak," the Sector leader replied. Paycen nodded and moved into the room. "Emery, talk with the Sheriff and find out all she knows. We'll be working with the police on this one."
"What are you going to do?" Emery asked.
"I'm going to make a full report. I want to see if this has been happening all over the country. If it has, we need to make amends so we can defend ourselves."
"If we try to defend ourselves, it may end up in more bloodshed."
"I know. I'll figure something out. Thanks for the help."
"It's not an issue. Just make sure your brother knows what's going on."
"I will." Keldin turned his attention the uniforms in the room. "Give them whatever they need. We will reconvene whenever we can talk to Arin."