Tied With a Bow

extermination.”
    “That was you?” Pinter asked.
    She nodded.
    “I saw those photographs. You were as close to them as I am to you.” He clucked his tongue. “You could’ve been killed.”
    “No guts, no glory,” she said.
    “Spoken like a champion of the gods. Next up, recovering the Golden Fleece,” Grant joked, giving her shoulder squeeze.
    “There’s one God,” Nathaniel said, putting a hand on Kate’s arm and drawing her away from Grant. “And when waging war for him, the weapon carried is not a camera.”
    “Muses are real. The gods of Olympus may have been real as well,” Grant countered.
    “Many groups of superhuman creatures have resided on the earth or presided over it, but they were all created by a single source. And if they exploit their powers and toy with men for sport, their existence is reduced to myth.”
    They all stared at Nathaniel.
    How could he know that unless he’s—? No, Kate thought. I saw his back. No wings. No scars. He can’t be an angel. But what about his back pain? And the red marks?
    “No one knows for sure what happened to the Olympians, but that’s an interesting theory. Where did you hear it?” Grant asked.
    Nathaniel shrugged. “It’s an echo through my soul.”
    Grant raised his brows. “That’s an interesting way of evading the question.”
    Nathaniel walked to the jeep. “Come, Kate.”
    “No,” Grant said. “Kate’s an aspirant, which means she’s under our protection. She’s not going anywhere with you until we’ve established who and what you are.”
    Nathaniel tried the door, but it had locked automatically.
    Grant rounded the jeep. “Come this way.”
    “I decline your invitation,” Nathaniel said.
    “Why? What are you hiding?” Grant demanded.
    “Hold on,” Kate said, horrified by the rising confrontation.
    Pinter drew his gun.
    Nathaniel stiffened. “No!” Nathaniel said, stretching a hand toward Pinter. “You must not attack me with intent. I am bound to defend myself by a higher law than my own will. And if we fight, you will not survive.”
    “What?” Grant said. “What are you claiming?”
    “Rest easy, boy,” Nathaniel said as Pinter’s hand trembled.
    “Pinter, do not lower that weapon.”
    Nathaniel looked at Grant then, the gold flecks in his eyes blazing. “Do not push him to make a mistake.”
    Grant grabbed Nathaniel’s arm. “That’s—”
    Nathaniel’s palm slammed into Grant’s chest, and Grant flew backward, landing hard on the ground. Nathaniel said, “Free will comes with consequences.”
    “Nathaniel, don’t!” she said.
    “You would take sides against me?” he demanded.
    “I’m not taking sides.”
    Grant regained his feet with effort and held out a hand to Pinter, who had his weapon trained on Nathaniel.
    “Demons sometimes disguise themselves as men and other creatures,” Grant said. “They spout prophecies and try to trick us with claims that they’re God’s messengers or soldiers, so we don’t kill them. You’ll come with us, so we can discover your true nature.”
    “Killing demons is not the responsibility of men. Resisting temptation is work enough for mankind.”
    “And we should let the demons kill us whenever they want?”
    “Kate,” Nathaniel said, resting his hand on the roof. “I don’t belong here. Open the door.”
    “Kate, you should stay with us,” Grant said. “I’ll take you into the Etherlin where you’ll be safe.”
    She felt like a wishbone about to be broken between them. The Etherlin represented all the world’s promise for her dazzling future, but Nathaniel might become the love of her life. She wanted both. She couldn’t allow them to be at odds with each other. She had to smooth things over.
    She glanced at the gates and then walked around the car to Nathaniel. “You remember what you are?” she whispered.
    “I have an idea, yes.”
    “So you don’t need my help anymore?” she murmured.
    “I never needed your help.”
    She flinched.
    “Let’s go, Kate.”
    He still wanted her to go with him. That was something. “Hold on. This isn’t just about you,” she whispered fiercely. “I have a relationship with this community. This amazing community. You can’t ask me to jeopardize that. I need for you to come inside and to submit to a few tests so that they’ll be satisfied that you’re not dangerous.”
    “I am dangerous, and I won’t submit to anything.” His tone was so hard and even. So final. As if what she needed