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but I need to be anywhere else.
Bale told me that you call your son Nix. He s healthy? All went well with his
delivery?
Duse s mouth fell open as if he couldn t believe that Jax had the balls to address
him directly, let alone ask him about his son. Perhaps Jax hadn t meant to directly put
Skylar in danger while she was pregnant with Pheynix, but he d inadvertently done
exactly that when he plotted with Asmoday. Che thought Duse was considering
violence for a few seconds. Then he caught a glimpse of Bale and he seemed to switch
direction midstream.
Nix is very healthy, Duse muttered darkly. His inner struggle showed clearly on
his face. And so is Skylar. Duse s eyes flashed furiously at Bale, although Che was
sure that no message had passed between them. But just as it had with Che last evening,
the poignant expression of sadness in Bale s eyes communicated volumes. Che knew
that was what had instigated Duse assuring Jax of Skylar s well-being. Che wasn t so
sure if he could have been half so generous in a parallel situation.
What had become of the Watchers? And how was it possible that such a fracture
could have wedged its way between the Ammadons? He knew that his own sense of
betrayal was enormous, but what must it be for Duse? Che considered that as Duse
faded and Jax lowered himself into the deck chair opposite him.
100
Subtle Touch
I ll leave you two to it, then, Bale said quietly. Che remained silent with his eyes
steady on Jax s face, but he sensed Bale s nonverbal warning for cooperation. After Bale
left, Jax was the first to speak.
So. Bale is forcing you to work with me on this and you re royally pissed off about
it?
Nah. I leave all the royal acting out to you, Jax, Che muttered darkly. What do
you want to know?
Jax leaned back in his chair. In the dim light, his cerulean eyes seemed to glow with
banked power in his dark face. Bale told me that you ran into Asmoday on the Astral
Plane. Why don t you start from there? It would help if I could have your memories
firsthand.
Che stiffened in automatic resistance at that. Could he allow himself to host Jax?
That would mean opening himself up to Jax s spirit so that his cousin could experience
his memories just as Che had. He d done it innumerable times for Jax in their past, but
now? It would be a risk, but there was also the chance&
Agreed. I m ready whenever you are. He struggled not to tense when he felt Jax s
presence in his consciousness. They sat in silence as Jax sifted through the memories to
which Che gave him access.
Why do you think your wound festered when you first encountered Asmoday?
Jax asked abruptly, even while they were both still immersed in the memory.
Che felt his irritation rise. He didn t like to be reminded of the foul taunts, in regard
to First Change women that Asmoday had leveled at him. I have no idea. You re
supposed to be the great detective, cousin.
Has the wound bothered you at any other time?
It s bothered me plenty, but not for months now. I guess you haven t heard from
Bale but Duse had a hard time healing it. He s not familiar with the energies of First
Changers.
Duse was the foremost expert among them in matters of the biochemistry of subtle
and physical matter. But Asmoday had been the first ever to break the Watcher taboo
against seducing women who had never reached their Second Change. He d done it out
of desperation. The Grigori Council had placed him in an energy prison, allotting him
only a weak form of artificial sustenance, making it impossible for him to gain more
energy by seducing human women. But the spell hadn t prevented him from doing
what had previously been an act never considered by the Watchers evoking a sexual
response from women before they ever reached Watcher sexual maturity. It had been
this coarse, unrefined, dangerous sex energy that Asmoday had used as a weapon
against Che when the Ammadons confronted him about his crimes against Skylar
Ammadon.
Day didn t summon you to the Astral Plane, Jax said abruptly. His eyes were
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