The Syphon King (Bayou Bishops #16)

Chapter EIGHTEEN

“YOU OKAY?”

Seer glanced at Bishop stepping up on his right, his emotions still too volatile to speak.

“You did the right thing, Mon Frere,” he said, his strong hand squeezing down on Seer’s shoulder.

“I fucking panicked,” he said, the words barely squeezing past his tight chest and throat as he stared at Zodak, asleep on the bed in the center of the medical room. “I didn’t want it to take him again.”

“And it didn’t,” Bishop whispered. “You heard him. You stopped it just in time.”

“He was confused,” Seer forced out, the memory cutting him all over again. “I saw it in his eyes, wondering why I...cut off his hand.”

“He’ll be grateful when he realizes,” Bishop said, positive.

Seer believed that and still he shook from the ordeal even as the soft beep of machines reported Zodak’s strong, stable heartbeat.

The door opened to the large room and Nidev announced, “Your soldiers are here. I’ve sent escorts for them.”

“Thank you, Nidev,” Quantum said as he worked on finalizing the containment of Zodak’s severed hand.

“So much for the demonstration,” Harlow sighed.

“Not necessarily.” Quantum’s tone got Seer’s attention.

“What you have in mind?” Harlow pried quietly as Seer listened. “You don’t want to make a spectacle of this kind of thing, that’s...”

“Inhumane etiquette, I’m aware. Trust me.”

The rest of their brothers and the Creole Kings who weren’t assisting filled the corridor outside the lab room. “Must be them now,” Bishop said when everybody moved to create room for whatever was coming. Seer and Bishop watched the glass window, the looks on his brother’s faces jacking up his pulse.

The second they came into view, he realized there was no form of preparation for them. The giant men were lithe in build and reminded him of triplets that varied their appearances for the sake of distinguishing themselves from their siblings.

“Mah de Dieu,” Bishop marveled quietly as they entered the room with their wives all tucked into the protection of an arm.

Seeming to place their spouses in a corner, the three beings simultaneously bowed and kissed the women, none too chastely, before hurrying to Quantum.

Their women required none of his seeing gifts. Their matching white nun habits complete with head coverings and countenances to match, said plenty.

He turned his attention to the three men before Quantum, hearing them exchanging ideas about Zodak.

Seer moved closer with Bishop to the conversation, wanting to be informed on every aspect of his recovery as well as what would happen with Zen. He’d determined to be his mouth piece while he was defenseless, ensuring everything that mattered to his brother would be tended to.

Seer moved to the right side of Zodak’s bed. “I would like to be informed of everything you’re discussing,” he kindly interrupted.

Quantum’s golden eyes snapped to his. “Forgive me, Seer. I was discussing the best course of action to take.” He looked around the room. “Excuse me a moment,” he said, hurrying off, leaving Seer and Bishop alone with the three beings, their brilliant blue eyes locked on him.

“You saved his life,” the middle one said. “I am Fathom.”

“I am Fetch,” the one on his left said.

The man on his right said, “And I am Fin.”

“You are a different kind of human,” the Fathom one said.

Interesting. “How do you know that?” Seer asked.

“We can perceive unseen things in humans.” The Fetch one spoke that time.

“You refer to it as spiritual,” Fin said now.

“We are mentally symbiotic,” Fathom informed.

“Three minds,” Fetch said.

“And yet one,” Fin added.

“Like the trinity,” they all three said in unison as if demonstrating.

“Mon Dieu,” Bishop breathed.

“You have great powers,” Fathom observed, digging into Seer.

“But they are not yours,” Fetch said, his head tilting a little.

“And yet they are,” Fin added with a quiet passion.

All their gazes lowered to Zodak now. “What sort of being is this?” Fetch wondered.

“He is human,” Fathom answered.

“With peculiar gifts,” Fin analyzed.

Seer realized they were having a conversation with themselves. “I know he’ll be okay but...do you see how that will happen?” It wasn’t the question he wanted to ask but needed to know.

Fetch said, “He is a reliquary.”

The announcement shocked Seer. “Zen is too.”

“Indeed,” Fathom agreed with a hungry lust that coated the word and air.

“Zodak is a different kind,” Fin said. “Though he neutralizes the dark energy, its blueprint remains within him.”

“Creating a vault of great power,” Fetch said.

“A portal,” Fathom hurried.

“Waiting to be unlocked,” Fin, finished.

“I saw this,” Seer whispered in quiet awe. “I saw she would unlock things in him.”

“And did you see that your power would be its portal?”

Fathom’s question stole Seer’s breath.

“He did not,” Fetch marveled.

“You are attached to Zodak much like we are,” Fathom realized.

“His protector,” Fin grasped.

“How could you be attached to him?” Seer asked, confused.

All three eyed him then all three spoke in unison. “We are Fetch, Fathom and Fin. I fetch darkness,” Fetch said. “And I fathom it,” Fathom said. “And I finish it,” Fin said. The what, the why, the when,” they all three informed in a melodic chime.

Quantum suddenly came up. “Think of them as universal crime stoppers,” he explained. “They find crime, they figure out how to transmute it, and then do exactly that.”

“The greater the darkness, the better we work.”

Holy shit. “Are you...angels?”

The sight of all three men smiling at the exact same time set off an eerie chill.

“That is one term for us.”

Seer looked at Quantum.

“They lived in my brother Kult’s mind. I extracted them and gave them bodies. Science refers to them as multiple personality disorders or fractures of the mind. Both are correct.”

“And incomplete,” Fathom added.

“I have discussed with Nidev the operation we wish to perform, and he’s agreed to allow it.” Quantum said this to Seer. “Allow me to explain our intention with Zodak.” He suddenly paused, his brows narrowing. He regarded Fetch next to him who still held his blue gaze on Seer.

“I see,” Quantum said. “I’m neuro-linked with my soldiers and he’s informed me of the nature of your connection with Zodak.”

“I just need to protect him.”

“As they have informed. And they also need to protect you.”

Him? “I don’t need protection,” Seer said.

“They are aware, but it’s hardwired into their existence. I can only give directives they have to obey. The term need to is subject to my command.”

“Basically, he has the power to be a dick about it if he wants to,” Harlow said, arriving next to Quantum before putting a hand over his own chest. “Thankfully, he takes after me and has a kind soul.”

“What do you want to do to him?” Seer just needed to know.

“I want to bring him back to Quantum King Castle where I have everything to give him the ability to convert the dark energy he extracts and convert it to usable power for good.”

“Suppose he doesn’t want to be good?” Bishop asked next to Seer.

“That’s the catch, I suppose,” Quantum said. “I would program it so he didn’t have a choice.”

Seer’s gut loosened. “That’s a good catch.”

“Agreed,” Bishop said. “Assuming it can’t fail.”

“It won’t.”

The assurance came from the mouths of the triplets, all at once.

“What about Zen?”

“She must be with him,” Fetch said.

“Always,” Fathom added.

“And forever.”

The final passionate declaration was given by Fin and Seer realized it was because of his role in their symbiotic nature that had him finishing their sentences. His name dawned on him. Fin. Had to be short for finish.

“You will accompany him,” Fetch said, answering the next thing in his head.

“As will five of the Creole Kings,” Quantum added. “Those who have been overseeing his conditions. We will want all their input.”

“We should hurry, Creator,” Fetch said to Quantum now.

“What’s wrong?”

“We Fathom that Handy has fiddled with the module settings.”

Harlow yanked his phone from his pocket and showed Quantum. “Kult’s calling now.”

“To inform you,” Fin said.

Quantum yanked the phone from him and turned with it. “What’s happened?”

All eyes were on Quantum except for the six blue ones still fixed on Seer. “Oh Handy,” the trio whispered with a rapturous lust.

“Keep him contained!” Quantum ordered. “We’ll be there within the hour.”