"As you've all heard by now," René said, "there is a personal matter that requires our immediate attention."

Jaime looked at the faces of all of his friends. "Okay, I really thought y'all were kidding about this."

The five men were seated around René's spacious living room. Other than them and a few security guards lining the outside perimeter, the mansion was deserted. One seat remained unoccupied, as usual, in case the sixth of their number deigned to appear. That night, he did not.

"Jaime, we're concerned," René said gently. "From what Blair tells us, you're experiencing a manifestation of massive proportions."

"Beyond anything we expected or prepared for," Reynardo added.

"No kidding," Jaime shot back. "But don't play at this 'concerned' bit. You've all suspected what I am for years. You aren't surprised."

"We are," Blair said. "Of course we've suspected. But we also believe that we're dealing with something more significant than we guessed. More significant, in fact, than you think you know."

Jaime threw up his hands. "What's more significant than being a Naphil?"

"Who your father is," Blair replied.

Jaime scoffed. "A deadbeat?"

Christian sat in an armchair opposite Jaime, tapping at his cell phone.

"Yes," Blair said. "But more than that, we have to know whether he fell after your birth."

Jaime frowned. "Isn't falling kind of the point?"

"Yes," Reynardo replied. "But every now and then, you come across an angel who didn't fall for his or her infidelities."

"Which means?"

"For one, that the angel found a way to subvert the rules," Reynardo explained. "Also, because he wasn't cast out from Heaven, both he and you can still access his divine attributes."

Jaime squinted. Then he thought about it some more. "Oh...."

"The empathic attack," Blair confirmed. "It's far more powerful than any Naphil should have."

"And it narrows down who your father could be," René added.

Jaime grimaced. "This isn't gonna turn into a Maury-type thing, is it? I really don't care who that jackass is."

"You don't have to meet him," René pointed out. "But it will help you to know who he is and what he's capable of."

"True," Jaime said. "What are y'all thinking?"

"An upper-tier angel," Blair said. "An archangel, or one of their middle managers. Fortunately, and before you ask, we can immediately disqualify Raphael and Gabriel. Raphael is connected to me via Faerie, so if you were accessing his power, I would know it. And Gabriel is a virgin. He doesn't have any offspring."

Reynardo arched an eyebrow. "Gabriel is a virgin?"

"Surprising, but yes," Blair replied. "In fact, it's why Gabriel is always tasked with clearing out rebellious Nephilim. He's the only one who would not possibly be casting stones in a glass house."

"What about Michael?" René asked.

"I think we can dispense with him as well," Blair said. "His demiurgic powers would be far more noticeable. But now that you bring it up, if you give me a moment, I can also disqualify the Lucifer."

Jaime tilted his head. "Aren't you the Lucifer?"

"Only since 2014," Blair answered. "So no, Jaime Francisco Rennick, I am not your father. But I can rule out whoever bore the Lucifer mantle at the time of your birth, if anyone did."

Blair reached out his hand, stopping just short of Jaime's shoulder. For a moment, his hand pulsed with light. "The energy doesn't match," he declared, retracting his hand. "So, not the Lucifer."

"That leaves Uriel," René said.

"And a few others," Reynardo added. "The other Sphere leaders."

"What about angels who are specifically tied to emotions?" Jaime asked. "Are there any of those?"

"Hmm," Blair said. "I'm certain there are, but I can't think of them off the top of my head."

"Camael and Hanael," Christian said without looking up from his phone.

"Oh," René said. "Both of those are powerful empaths, if I recall my teachings correctly."

"Yes, with the one being anger and wrath and the other representing joy," Reynardo said. "And neither have ever fallen."

"We're off to a strong start," Blair said. "But my other worry is that Jaime will be sorted as an enemy of Heaven due to his lineage once angels start taking notice of him."

"Blair, I'm friends with you," Jaime pointed out. "I must have been sorted like that ages ago."

"True," Blair said. "But that was earned. This, not so much. And rather than making the archangels wary of you, they will actively hunt you."

"Let's avoid that," Jaime said.

"Yes. I'll reach out to Gabriel," Blair said. "If we cozy you up to him off the bat, then perhaps we can avoid any undue trouble."

"Already did it," Christian said.

Everyone looked at him. "Did what?" René asked.

"Set up a meeting with Gabriel."

Blair blinked. "Already? How?"

Christian waved his phone.

"I didn't know angels kept phones on them," Jaime said.

"Gabriel probably doesn't," Christian replied. "He doesn't need one. He's the fucking Messenger. And anyway, he gave me a way to contact him back when he showed up for the lockdowns last year. I just asked him to meet us at the Regency Two tomorrow."

Blair raised an eyebrow. "Well done."

Christian shrugged it off. "It made sense. Gabriel's been there already and passed security. He's still cleared to teleport in."

"By the way," Blair said. "Where are we with that?"

"With HRL?" Christian replied. "They've been quiet."

"That sounds suspicious."

"Yeah, of course. But I've been able to convince Samuel Athos to be a little more lenient with his surveillance of us and the Regency Two. Meanwhile, the HellKat is still in DC. She'll let us know what she hears."

"Then do you think they'll let the transition happen without trouble?"

Christian shrugged. "They didn't mess with the election, which would have been a much better time for them to interfere. But also, we're still nonhumans, and they still hate nonhumans. I doubt they're finished with us."

"They never are," Blair said. "Whatever this break in activity is, we can use it to get ahead of them. René, find out what you can, please. Jaime, try not to be too nonhuman for now. Reynardo, are you going hunting tonight?"

"Not tonight," Reynardo answered. "Tomorrow."

"Great. Take Adrien with you, and do what we talked about."

Reynardo rolled his eyes. "Must I really, Blair?"

"We've been waiting for a chance to get more intel on them," Blair said. "This is the perfect time."

"Fine," Reynardo said. "But not with Adrijan. He doesn't need to be exposed."

"Well, take someone with you. Someone who could give a rougarou a sound drubbing."

Jaime gave a lazy salute.

"Not you," Blair said. "You're laying low. All right, then, everyone. Report back in two days. Ask for help if you need it."

"This will be thrilling," Jaime drawled.

"It's always thrilling with HRL," Reynardo said. "In one way or another."

---

They pored over the notes like a coven over a cauldron, each picking at what she or he thought was the most important.

"This all sounds right to me," Lith declared. "The sharper senses, the jumpiness, the increased strength and durability. That's a Naphil being born."

"I'm more concerned about the empathy," Cali said. "That's unusual. We aren't usually empaths."

"It's probably a hallmark of whoever his angel parent was," Kwanten said.

"Which is a very wide group, depending on just how strong and broad his empathic abilities are." Derek settled back in his chair. They were not at the plantation house, but at a castle in New England, courtesy of Lith, who liked the fresh mountain air.

"Yes. But this is a start for sure," Lith said. "How did the humans even get this information?"

"I have no idea. But this is what they do, apparently," Izzy said. "And have been doing for centuries."

"Testing people," Edgar wondered aloud. "Needling them, looking for hints of abilities. Or witchcraft."

"Precisely," Izzy said, snapping her fingers. "Besides, this information helps us more than it helps them. Now all we have to do is keep up our end of the bargain and give them what they need."

"Not an easy task," Kwanten said warily.

"Why not? We have a group of the perfect candidates at our fingertips," Lith said. "In fact, it's arranged almost a little too carefully for my liking. It makes me a bit suspicious."

"Something about not looking a gift horse in the mouth," Edgar said. "So, we grab our Naphil, make the switch, and then get started on part two."

"Almost," Derek said. "We aren't ready to 'grab the Naphil.' We should ensure that all of the necessary distractions are set up, and that we have agents everywhere that we need them."

"Speaking of which," Lith said. "Have we heard back from Evans?"

"Yes. She's ready. But her first rite will have to wait a couple of months," Kwanten said. "She's a Healer type."

Cali shrugged. "Could be worse. Could be a Warden type."

"It's fine. We have time, and we'd be smart to use it," Izzy said. "Now. Let's talk about reciprocation."