Black

by Angelina J. Steffort

“The only way you could wake up after having died is if there was a hidden part of you that hadn’t been awakened yet. And the demon part was hidden—until it was triggered by the demons when they killed your angel-human part.”

  Adam processed for a moment, deep in thoughts he didn’t share, before he looked back at Liz with sad eyes. “So what’s the theory?”

  “Maybe the demons knew about your heritage—at least the demon part—and sent Maureen to get to trigger it.”

  Now I was gaping at her presentation. “How could they know?”

  “Maybe they keep better track of their offspring than our side does—” her voice faded at the indirect accusation towards the celestial species she was serving. Her eyes snapped up at Jaden. “I am sorry.”

  He dismissed the apology immediately. “You have a point. We’ve lost track of where angelic blood runs in whose veins on this planet. It’s an uncomfortable truth.”

  Liz smiled at Jaden’s honesty.

  “Continue the theory,” Ben requested from his position behind the sofa. He had been quiet, but the new development seemed to intrigue him as well.

  “His angel-side was catalyzed before Maureen got to finish her assignment. Volpert was unhappy that he lost a potential addition to his clan to our side,” Liz finished her thought.

  “And that’s why he wants to take revenge,” Ben concluded.

  It sounded logical. But what did I know.

  “Almost,” Adam intercepted. “I agree with the plausibility of the first part. And the way Maureen hates Claire there must be more of a grudge than just that I left her before I had even met Claire. There is more to her dedication to getting rid of Claire than that.

  “The second part—Volpert’s revenge—is something a little different,” he freed his hand to graze my cheek. Heat rushed through my skin where he touched me. I wanted to reach up to hold his hand in place there on my cheek, but I was too aware of five pairs of eyes which where watching us intently. “Volpert wants revenge on the family that killed his father. He thinks Claire is the last descendant of James Albert Thompson.”

  I was the only one to look at him with a question mark in my eyes. Everyone else was fashioning an expression of horror, I didn’t quite understand.

  “That’s impossible,” Jaden objected. “Absolutely impossible.”

  His icy tone scared me.

  “Are you sure?” Jenna questioned one of the two statements. I wasn’t exactly sure which one.

  “Claire, what do you know about your ancestors?” Jaden asked.

  I swallowed. “I don’t own a family tree, if that’s what you mean—” I explained before I went into detail. “—my parents died so early, I never got much information about my family. My mother’s side came from somewhere north-west. Seattle area. I never met her parents before they died.

  “My father’s side is from here. At least my grandmother—but you already knew that.”

  “Agnes Hall,” Jenna remembered.

  “And my grandfather I never met. He was a foreigner who left her before my dad was born.”

  I glanced at Jaden, well-aware that the others didn’t know about his affections for my grandmother. He flinched a little at the thought of Agnes being left. It was obvious nobody would be good enough in his eyes—even if my grandmother had loved my grandfather and had never fallen in love again after him. Jaden seemed to be blind when it came to her. Too much pain had written their story—at least his part of their story.

  “He’s right,” Jenna confirmed what Adam had presented. “Agnes’ grandmother was Constance Thompson.”

  I still didn’t understand why this was so important.

  “So he is right,” Adam murmured.

  “No!” Jaden was furious. His golden eyes were narrowed and his golden-blonde hair was dancing angrily as he jumped to his feet. He almost broke the chair behind him with the force of his motion.

  Chris watched him with concern, as did Ben. All of them.

  I sat in silence for a while, waiting for the mystery to unravel itself, but nobody spoke.

  “Would someone please explain to me what’s going on?” I lost my patience.

  Four angels and one demon looked at me with wide, concerned eyes, their thoughts cloaked in silence.

  It was Liz who followed my request.

  “Do you remember your conversations with Lucas?” she asked with an expression as if my life depended on remembering.

  I didn’t have her perfect recall, but I did remember everything Lucas had told me.

  “The unofficial history of Aurora,” I answered blankly.

  “What did he tell you?” she wanted to know.

  The others were watching us in shock, as I was uncovering the truth myself.

  “The demons were haunting Aurora and killing innocent people,” I put it together in a short version. “An angel was accused and hunted down before the bookkeeper was warned by his guardian angel that he was going to be next and that they had to kill the real demon.”

  “Yes,” Liz encouraged. “What happened next?”

  “One demon was killed, the other got away. The one with the ponytail—Volpert.” I froze.

  “What did that second one promise?” Liz pushed.

  “He wouldn’t rest until all of the bookkeeper’s family was eradicated.”

  It hit me—like walking off a cliff.

  Liz mirrored my horrified expression when I spoke the words aloud.

  “The bookkeeper was James Albert Thompson.”

  Jaden pulled me to the side and threw his arms around me protectively, like he was shielding me from physical danger. But there was no danger in this room. The danger was out there, they were coming for me. Not because of Adam or because I had gotten away before—they were coming for me because of my bloodline. Even if Adam had never existed, they would still be coming for me.

  Jaden looked at me, his eyes fearful as he watched me process.

  I fought his arms half-heartedly and without much success when another thought hit me.

  “Lucas knew. That’s why he died.” He had shared the story with me shortly before he was killed. “He died because of me.”

  Jaden nodded and Liz reached out her hands like she wanted to comfort me.

  “He wanted to warn you. One of the last things he told me was to remind you of the importance of that myth.” Her eyes were sympathetic. “I am so sorry, Claire.”

  On a list of the top five worst moments of my life, this was very high up the list. Not because I was in danger—I was used to that. It was because what we had just talked about was only part of the truth. There was something much worse connected to this new development.

  I took a deep breath and stopped fighting Jaden. If this was all true, I would need him more than ever.

  “—Sophie—”

  The room froze when I spoke her name. I wasn’t the only last descendant, and they all knew it. Sophie was my sister. The same blood was running in her veins. She was as much in danger as I was—the only difference was, she was oblivious to the menace that would be coming for her.

  “I am so sorry, Claire,” Adam demanded my attention. “If it wasn’t for me, Volpert wouldn’t even know—I put you on their radar.”

  I couldn’t think straight. Did it really matter what happened to me if I couldn’t protect my family?

  “We need to make sure Sophie is safe,” I asked Jaden.

  Jaden’s arms were still restricting my movements subconsciously.

  “We will,” he reassured me.

  “Who is we?” I demanded. Sophie was all the family I had left. I needed details. “You all can’t risk your lives for us. There must be another way.” The Gallagers were as much of a family as I would ever again have. I couldn’t be responsible for endangering them. It was different when they were protecting me because we all thought I was in danger because of Adam. But this was different. Now there was a way to keep them safe by leaving them out of everything. For the first time, I understood why Adam had
felt it was best if he left to protect me.

  “Does she have a guardian angel like me? Can they be trusted? Are they experienced enough?” I asked, desperate for options that would keep Jenna, Chris, Ben, and Adam safe.

  Adam—I had just gotten him back. I couldn’t risk losing him again. Not even if that meant I had to stay away from him.

  Jaden eyed me as I went from panic to anguish and then to vigilance. He seemed disturbed by the fact that I was worried about everyone else so much more than myself. His goals were diverging from mine to a degree that must make his head ache. After all, his mind was set on making sure I stayed alive.

  My mind however was searching ways to keep Sophie safe. Before any of them could answer my question, I had found a path that might lead to my sister’s safety.

  Thinking in that direction made me grateful she was out of town. It made me glad we hadn’t been in touch much lately. It would make it easier for her when I would be gone.

  “There is a way,” I informed the others. Everyone looked at me. Four of them alarmed—they were feeling my determination. Two curious.

  “If I give myself up willingly they might spare Sophie.”

  “No!” This time it wasn’t just Jaden who reacted strongly. It was everyone in the room—besides Adam. He was eying me with a thoughtful expression.

  “It might work,” he said.

  “Absolutely not,” Ben and Jaden hissed in unison.

  “We haven’t spent months protecting you just so you can walk right into their arms,” Ben scolded me.

  Jaden nodded heavily. I tore out of his grasp.

  This wasn’t about any of them anymore. It was about my sister. I had to do something.

  “You think they would make a deal?” I asked Adam. He eyed me for a moment before he spoke.

  “They might make a deal with you,” Adam voiced his thoughts.

  “She will not give herself up!” Ben insisted.

  “Wait a second,” Adam stopped Ben. “We could use this to take them down. Set a trap—”

  “They don’t know that you can remember who you are,” I realized, “we could deceive them.”

  “I have been gone for half a day, that’s not longer than an average hunting trip. If I return by myself, nobody will ever know.

  “Claire can simply show up and declare her offer. I’ll help persuade Volpert to take it. And then the rest of you step in and finish him.”

  “This sounds too easy,” Jaden questioned Adam’s plan. “How do we know we can trust you?”

  Adam gave a dark laugh. “You can’t. Unless you trust that I would have eradicated all of you by now if I’d wanted.”

  I shrank away from him instinctively. He was still a demon. Memory or not. We didn’t know what was really going on inside his head.

  “I haven’t and I won’t,” Adam solemnly said. “I just got all of you back. I won’t risk this by betraying you.”

  Jaden was listening, his face like stone. After a long pause, he sat down and spoke.

  “This could be our only chance to get rid of Volpert forever.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. Was he actually supporting Adam’s plan? This was a surprise.

  “He has been causing this region too much pain. And now that he is after someone important to me—and someone who is important to this someone...,” he smiled at me. “We need to make the plan one-hundred percent safe, though. Otherwise Claire is not going anywhere near that devil. Am I clear?”

  “We’ll find a way,” I jumped in. “If I get to keep Sophie safe without having to die in the process, that makes it all the better of a plan.”

  Ben flinched at my dark humor.

  “We’ll find a way,” Adam agreed.

  “One-hundred percent safe,” Jaden reminded.

  “First I need to find a way to make my wings disappear without bleeding out,” Adam said and shifted slightly.

  The scarlet lines were fading slowly, but they were still visible around the roots of his wings. The injuries did look better, though.

  “Are you still in pain?” Chris asked with probing eyes.

  Adam moved his head and then he propped his chest up on his arms. He held it up for a second before he slammed back on the couch, biting back a gasp of pain.

  “Still does,” he confirmed. “Not as bad as an hour ago, though.”

  Jenna laid her hand on his arm, comforting her stepson. “Maybe in a couple of hours it will be gone completely—”

  “Jaden,” Liz addressed him with a sudden wave of spirit. “You tried healing the wounds with your powers and it worked to a limited degree, right?”

  “Correct,” Jaden answered, surprised.

  “What if you all combine your powers? Maybe together you can overcome that limit.”

  Liz was right. She had a way of seeing ways where there seemed to be none.

  “Why hadn’t I thought of this?” Jaden shook his head at himself.

  “It’s worth a try,” Jenna agreed. “Ben, Chris, shall we?”

  Chris had his hands on Adam before she could finish her sentence. Ben was a little more reluctant.

  “Is it safe?” he asked Liz.

  She smiled at him. “There is no reason why it wouldn’t be.”

  At her words, Ben and Jaden added their hands to Adam’s back.

  “Step back, Claire, Liz,” Jaden instructed. “Adam, are you ready?”

  Adam nodded.

  “On three. One—two—three—”

  A blinding light erupted when all of them directed their healing powers at Adam. Liz shielded her eyes, but I couldn’t look away. I needed to see what was going on.

  The eruption lasted for a moment. Then the room lay in half-light like before.

  Adam was standing in front of the couch. I could see his outline after my eyes had adjusted to the darker lighting. His head was bent forward, but his back was upright, the silhouette of two black wings folded against his spine.

  Four angels were standing around the winged demon, all expectant for his verdict.

  “Adam?” I couldn’t wait. “Are you okay?”

  He rolled his head in my direction and two pale-green orbs were glowing at me from his dazzling face.

  “I am.” He flapped his wings gently and flexed his arms, rolled his shoulders. “No pain.”

  My heart missed a beat. It had worked.

  Within a fraction of a second he was next to me, his arms wrapped around me. I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes. It felt like coming home. It was the safest place for me to be—his arms. Only that it wasn’t. Adam was a demon. He would be hungry for souls at some point—for life-energy at least. We couldn’t rely on him to be the object of a prophecy we didn’t even know was real. There was no way we could tell if he could be trusted or if all this was just a clever mirage to get me to give myself up to Volpert.

  I took a deep breath and shoved all thoughts aside. Adam was here and I was in his embrace. It was all that mattered—for now.

  A rustling sound tore me from my moment.

  Jaden and Ben were at our side, both scowling at us, when I reopened my eyes. They were both uncomfortable with the way Adam was monopolizing me—for different reasons.

  There was distrust in Jaden’s face that echoed my own doubts about trusting Adam. Ben, on the other hand, was jealous. It was plain on his face.

  “Adam,” Jaden controlled his agitation. “Please let Claire go.”

  Adam looked at me with questioning eyes. I didn’t want him to let go. Playing safe seemed to be the right way to go, considering tonight’s previous events. We wouldn’t want to push our luck.

  “It’s ok,” I reassured him. “For now it’s probably safer for all of us if we don’t experiment.”

  My heart protested when Adam reluctantly let go of me and stepped back.

  “When all this is over, I’ll never let you go,” he whispered a promise before his hands slid off my arms, leaving a tingly trail where he had touched me.

&n
bsp; Jaden relaxed instantly when Adam moved away. Ben however held the disapproving look on his face.

  I ignored him for the time being and focused on what lay ahead. Make sure Sophie is safe. That was the task I had.

  “So, what’s the plan? How do we get rid of Volpert?” I tried to get the tension out of the air with a nonchalant tone—and failed.

  “Adam?” Jaden looked at the statue-like creature in front of him with a mixture of fascination and concern.

  Adam flapped his wings and with a soft rustle they disappeared.

  “That was easy,” he commented, satisfied with what he had just done. “Volpert—we need to make him believe that Claire figured it out by herself. He can never know I have my memory back. If he finds out I betrayed him, we’ll all be dead.”

  “Well, that’s something to cheer us up,” Ben murmured, his face cold.

  “Ben, be nice,” Jenna hissed. “We are family, we support each other.”

  Ben sat down on the couch where Adam had laid before and pursed his lips.

  “How do we make him believe I figured it out on my own?” I asked, ignoring Ben’s dark looks.

  “Lucas Baker.” Adam’s answer brought back the feeling of guilt. Lucas was dead because of me.

  “The demons don’t know how much he shared with you before they got him—just that he knew and that he shared something with you,” he continued.

  If I pretended he’d told me everything, then Lucas’ death wouldn’t be in vain.

  “Okay,” I nodded. “How can I contact Volpert? I assume not through you, or he’ll suspect something fishy...”

  “The phone—” Jaden remembered. “Maureen contacted you from a cell. You could text that number.”

  Adam gave an approving smile while the others were watching us plan.

  “You’ll suggest for him to meet you in the graveyard. That’s a place he’s familiar with. He’ll feel safe there.”

  “Okay,” I had my phone out of my pocket within seconds, checking if the number was still there—it was.

  “I’ll make sure Volpert comes alone to meet you. Of course I’ll be there. He still has this obsession with me being the one to kill you.”

  I shuddered. Adam had had the chance numerous times, but his curiosity had kept him from taking action.