“In the beginning, we inspire.”
Sean raised his hand to his head to rub his temples. “You did join a cult.”
Luther shook his head. “No. Dumbass. Listen. In the beginning, we inspire.”
“Who? Inspire what?” Sean glanced at the door that led outside. “Can we just go? We could be far away by the time they realize there’s an outside door up here.”
Luther ignored him. “Us. We inspire people who come near us to be better people.”
Sean leaned against the old western-style bar and resigned himself to listen. “Fine. We inspire people? You and me?” He thought about what he and Luther had in common and found the connection. “You mean time travelers like us?”
“Yes. And once we’ve proven this is the job meant for us, we get kicked up the line should a spot open up.”
“And become jelly.”
“Angeli.”
“Right.” Sean said Angeli again under his breath, trying to get the pronunciation right. As he pictured the possible spellings, he realized the word reminded him of another. “Do you mean angels? Are you saying we become angels?”
“I guess. Maybe.” Luther ran his hand across his balding head as if thinking on the topic roiled his brain so much he had to soothe it. “I don’t really understand it all yet. He told me about it but he was in a hurry.”
“Who?”
“One of the Angeli. That’s why I was gonna be late to dinner.”
“Because you were talking to an angel.”
Luther nodded. “The Angeli make good happen, whereas we can only hope to inspire it.”
“Right. In the beginning we inspire. Got it. And I’m here to take your place after you move up?”
“Yes.”
“As what?”
“Senior Kairos.”
Sean shook his head. “You lost me again.”
Luther smiled. “All will become clear.”
“If you say so, Yoda. I think you must have hit your head.” Sean fell quiet a moment and then looked up at Luther. “Why me?”
“Because you’ve been doing this longer than almost anyone.”
Sean snorted a laugh. “As far as I know I haven’t been doing anything at all.”
“That’s a lie. You know you jumped through time. You know you have to help people. Have to. Not want to.”
Sean rolled his eyes. “Maybe. But it hasn’t been that long—”
“It’s been longer than you think. Every time you jump, you lose some of your memories. Some of your past lives. You have to, or the horrors of all the evil you’ve tried to stop, the memories of all the loves and children you’ve lost, would eat you from the inside.”
Sean felt his jaw fall slack. He could feel Luther was telling the truth and it terrified him. “You’re saying I’ve been alive doing—whatever I do—for longer than I know? That I’ve had past families I don’t even remember?”
“Yes. Me too. Though, mostly I remember now.” He smiled. “The memories are good. Even the bad ones are good now.”
“What about Catriona and Broch? Will I forget them?”
“Maybe not. They’re like you.”
“So they’ll lose family and the memories of those families?” Sean felt himself become agitated. What curse have I left for Broch? Have I even passed it to Catriona somehow?
Luther sighed. “Want to know a secret?”
“There’s more?” Sean heard his pitch rise and covered his mouth with his hand.
Luther leaned toward him and almost whispered the words. “Catriona and Broch are older than you are.”
“What?”
“She’s special. She’s a lodestone.”
Sean felt like his brain was spinning in his skull. “Luther, I swear—”
“Listen to me. Catriona’s a great source of good. Her presence can inspire amazing things. She’s going to be very important in the war ahead.”
“War?” Sean struggled to find the words. “Does she know this?”
Luther shook his head. “She did. But Rune cut her down too soon in her last life. Before her memories returned to her.”
Sean raised his hand to his head, covering his eyes, hoping the darkness would help him make sense of everything. “When is all this happening?”
“Soon. The Angeli have suffered losses. The same disease infecting Rune took them down, too. That’s why I’m moving up.”
Feeling weak in the knees, Sean squat, his arms between his legs, eyes locked on the ground. Luther smiled down on him and Sean marveled at his friend’s peaceful, amused expression. Every word tumbling from Luther’s lips made him want to run screaming from the building.
How can he be so calm?
Luther moved to the door to listen again. “Broch exists to love and protect Catriona.”
Sean chuckled. “Even I could figure that out.”
“It’s more than that.”
“You said she’s special...”
“Yes.”
“And he keeps her safe so she can—”
“Protect us all.” Luther’s lips pressed into a hard line. “I haven’t even told Michael all this.”
“Michael?”
“He’s that angel. Big shot. I shoulda told him. But it all just sorta came to me. All this knowledge…” Luther rapped his skull with his knuckle.
Sean looked away, his mind drifting to his children. “Seems kind of lopsided.”
“Huh?”
“That Broch lives to protect Cat. I mean, does she love him back?”
Luther nodded. “She does. Always. Sometimes it just takes longer than other times.”
“How long have they been doing this dance?”
“Long time.”
“When you say a long time, I imagine that means a long time.”
“Oh yes, brother. They’re like the original Romeo and Juliet.”
Sean bit at his lower lip, asking himself how he felt about all this new information.
Is that why I found Catriona? Was everything planned before I even knew—
“They’re coming.”
Luther’s words didn’t register at first. Then there were steps on the stairs outside the door that led to the first floor and Luther was running toward him. Sean stood and they both
