“But… there’s nothing else out there. At least, not that I can tell. You wouldn’t send me out there on my own, would you?” the incubus says, his eyes wide.
“Yes. I would. You’re the last person I want to be around right now.”
The incubus takes a step forward, scoffing. “What did I do? I tried to help.”
“No, you just made everything worse,” I say.
“Ouch,” he says, groping at his heart. “Last time I try to help you, you ungrateful ass.”
“Give me a break,” I say. “I’m not in the mood. Just… go.” I raise the stick, pointing out into the trees.
“Or what?” he says, cocking an eyebrow. “I have just as much right to be here as you do.”
“Maybe, but between the two of us, I’m the one who still knows how to kick ass—not kiss it,” I say, narrowing my eyes and clenching my teeth. “So leave.”
“God, fine. Whatever,” he says, raising his hands. “You need to have someone remove that stick from your butt—or get laid. Maybe that’ll loosen you up.”
“Go!” I say, chasing after him.
The incubus doesn’t waste time when I come at him. He hops into the tree line, practically tripping over his own two feet.
“Good riddance,” I say in a huff, nodding my head his direction.
“Who are you?” a voice says from behind me. “You better not be pilfering—”
As I spin around, my mouth pops open, and I drop my stick. It tumbles to the dirt with a soft thump.
Discerning hazel eyes meet mine, and my heart leaps into my throat.
“Liam?” I say, my fingertips flying to my lips.
Liam’s nostrils flare slightly, and he takes a step back.
“Do I—?” he asks, his question lingering half-finished as he narrows his eyes.
“I…” I sputter, blinking rapidly as I try to process. I raise my right hand to my heart and take a deep breath. “It’s me—Eva.”
This can’t be real… can it?
This has to be a trick of Purgatory. A mirage meant to torture me?
The apprehension clouding Liam’s features dissolves and his eyes brighten.
“Eva? Evangeline?” he says, repeating my full name. His lips part and his chin drops.
I nod, trying to hold back the tears welling in my eyes.
Please, please let this be real…
With three huge strides Liam closes the gap between us and wraps his arms around me. Warmth radiates off his body, and unable to help myself, I melt into him. For the first time, his body is real and corporeal to me. I can even feel his heartbeat thrumming against my palms as I place them on his back. Resting my cheek against his chest, his earthy scent permeates my senses, and immediately my fears and apprehension are a puddle at his feet.
“But... how? I mean—” he shakes his head. “How is this possible? I thought I could only hear you… What’s going on here?”
“I don’t know…” I whisper, not wanting to let go. I don’t want this moment to end, just in case it’s all a dream.
“I can’t believe this is happening. I’ve been so confused—I thought I was lost. But I couldn’t remember how I got here. Where are we? What is this place?” he asks, placing his chin on the top of my head.
“Liam, you shouldn’t be here. This place is meant for banished angels and demons. Not humans. Well, not humans who are in the natural order of things, anyway,” I say, my eyebrows tugging in. As much as I want this to be real, my instincts are screaming to still protect him.
“Banished angels? I don’t understand.”
“You should be in heaven, Liam—not here,” I whisper, holding him tighter.
My mind flashes to those last few moments of his mortal life. His agony and labored breathing. The way his body was slumped back in the seat… The way I never had the chance to cross him over.
“Heaven?” he says, pulling me from him and staring hard into my eyes. “I’m—dead?”
My tongue skates across my lower lip and slowly, I nod. “I’m so sorry, Liam. I should have been there. I should have protected you. I don’t know what I was thinking,” I say, the words all tumbling out. “This whole thing should have been avoidable. You should still be—”
He snickers softly, shaking his head. “Eva, whatever happened, it wasn’t your fault. Besides, if you were there to protect me, would that have been for the best? It’s not like my life was going in a stellar direction anyway. I’m actually thankful we’re together,” he says, his dark eyebrows tugging in. “There’s so much I want to know. So much I want to learn about you… about existence.”
“But you shouldn’t be here,” I whisper again, a single tear sliding down my cheek. “Purgatory isn’t for humans. This is a mistake.”
“Then it’s a mistake I’m happy about,” he says, his piercing gaze scorching right through me.
Swallowing hard, I say, “I am, too, but this was all before your time. You had so much you should have accomplished before…”
“Before I kicked the bucket?” he chuckles.
“I’m glad you are finding this funny,” I say, shooting him a look of consternation.
He shrugs. “Could definitely be worse.”
“You have no idea how bad it is,” I say, sighing. “Anyway, I thought—I thought I’d be alone. Or I’d be in constant danger. And maybe we are—”
“You said this a place for banished angels. Why are you here? Was it because of… me?” he asks, his strong hands wrapping around my upper arms.
“Yes. Remember what I told you before? My Guild—they found me guilty of breaking the Creed of Separation. I was sent here until a more suitable punishment could be arranged,” I say, lowering my gaze to our feet.
The space between us is nothing more than a couple of inches but feels like it’s growing into a chasm.
“What is that?” he asks, his hazel eyes narrowing into slits. “The Creed of whatever.”
I exhale slowly, “It means they knew I had feelings you.”
“Oh,” he says, his eyebrows knitting together.
“I went against one of our highest laws, Liam,” I say, biting my lower lip. “It never should have happened… I realize that, but I just—”
“Well, it’s a stupid law. I mean, we can’t choose who we love. If we could I’d—” he locks eyes with me and takes a deep breath.
“It is what it is,” I say, shrugging. “I knew what I was doing. I just didn’t think it would mean this.”
“Well, I’m glad it did,” he says, a smile slowly gracing his lips. He reaches up, wiping at the space just under my right eye with his thumb. “Now I have a face to put to the beautiful voice that’s been guiding me all these years. And, hey—now I know I wasn’t completely crazy. So, bonus.” He chuckles softly, dropping his hand to the side of my cheek.
My lips curve upward, and I lean into his touch.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to know what your touch felt like,” I say, sighing.
“There’s nothing against this—us—now, is there? I mean, no law keeping us apart in this place?” he asks, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
“I don’t know… But this is all wrong. I should be helping you find a way out. I couldn’t keep you here knowing you should be—”
Liam moves his thumb from my cheek to my lips as he clamps them shut.
“Eva, I don’t know about you, but where I come from, we don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. We have an opportunity here, and I intend on not wasting it. Is that okay with you?” he says, releasing my lips from his touch.
“But—”
“Woman, if you say, ‘but’ one more time…” he laughs.
I bite down on my lip and look up at him from under my eyebrows.
His dark hair is tousled in its usual way and I reach up, running my right hand through it. Closing his eyes, he sighs contently and my insides flutter. Dropping my hand, I take a step back from him in the hopes it will clear my head.
&nb
sp; “Liam, your entire existence, I have been here to guide and protect you. It’s been my sacred duty and purpose. It’s hard to let that go,” I say, releasing the tension from my shoulders.
“And while I appreciate that, I am here to tell you—this is a second chance. Don’t you think it’s odd? Both of us being sent here. I mean, if this isn’t a new beginning for us, I don’t know what is. Do you… are you not happy about this?” he says, pulling his eyebrows in. The corners of his lips tug downward and even without being able to hear his thoughts, I know his old programming is still at play.
Taking a step back toward him, I slide my hands into his and pull them toward me.
“I am extremely happy about you—you have no idea. I couldn’t have dreamed up a more wonderful outcome. I’m just dubious about what it means for you. I accepted my fate. I don’t want yours to be in jeopardy simply because of me.”
“I don’t know what any of this means for my future, but I’m willing to see where it leads. And hey, on the upside, if I’m already dead, I should have plenty of time to let things unfold. Plus, I don’t need a Guardian anymore,” he says.
“Maybe that’s true. But I’m not sure. Are you?” I say, smiling half-heartedly.
“Come on, sit. Let’s just get acquainted. You know, properly. Is that okay?” he asks, sweeping his hand out toward the campfire.
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I nod. “Okay, I’d like that.”
“Excellent,” he says, beaming.
Walking over to the campfire, he clears a spot on the ground beside it and sits down. Looking up at me, he pats the space beside him. “Your seat awaits, milady.”
Chuckling softly, I close my eyes and tip my head. A strange tingling in the pit of my stomach doesn’t want to go away.
Can this be real?
My lips curve upward and I take his offering, crossing my legs as I sit down beside him.
“I like your dress,” Liam says. “It suits you.”
I glance down at the soft, flowing fabric. It’s not at all something I would ordinarily wear—and a far divergence from my Guardian-gifted leather armor. If I were to pick an outfit, it’s definitely not something I would have chosen for myself.
“You pictured me?” I say, surprise blossoming in my tone as I glance back up.
“Well, I mean… yeah, of course,” he says. “Especially after everything back at the house…”
I was so focused on his protection, and then tracking down the incubus, I hadn’t picked up on his imaginings. I should have been thinking about his bigger picture—the things he was meant to accomplish in this lifetime.
“Really?”
“Yeah, but I guess I pictured you in jeans with a nice v-neck top,” he laughs.
“For your Guardian Angel? Seems a bit impractical when fighting the forces of darkness,” I say, smirking. “Where would I put my knives or sword? Then again, I don’t even know how I was put in this. I can’t ever remember a time when a dress would have been useful in a fight.”
“It’s not what you’d normally wear?” Liam asks.
“Not even close. But my Guardian attire was stripped from me and I arrived here in this,” I say, pressing my lips together in a thin line.
“Well, I like it,” he says.
I smile softly. “Is this another type of outfit you could have imagined on me?”
“In all honesty, clothes are not really my area of expertise. I guess, I was just so focused on your voice it never really occurred to me what you’d wear. But I have to say, you’re more beautiful than my imagination could ever have conjured up. It’s how I know I’m not dreaming.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks, and I lift my hand to cover one side.
“And she blushes,” he grins triumphantly.
My lips slide into a slight smirk as I eye him closely.
He watches my every movement and after a moment says, “How did you find me? Did you hear my thoughts, or…?”
I shake my head. “Now that we’re in Purgatory, I can’t hear you at all. I think all of my angelic power has been stripped from me, too.”
His eyebrows tug in. “Then how?”
I point at the fire pit. “I followed the smoke.”
His eyes sparkle with recognition and he nods. “Yeah, everything has been bizarre since I got here. I guess my Boy Scout days kicked in, because at least I knew how I should set up camp. Smarter move than originally anticipated.” His cheeks turn into golf-ball-size lumps as he smiles at me.
I’ve seen this smile only once in a while over the years, but it’s his genuine, totally happy one. I grin back, casting my gaze from him, back out to the smoldering ash. I shift my legs forward and bite my lip.
“Have you—what have you come across in terms of things to be aware of? Have you seen any demons?” I ask, trying to keep centered.
Instead, my traitorous heart continues to thrum loudly in my ears. He’s so close… If I wanted to, I could lean forward and kiss those beautiful lips of his.
Gods, do I want to kiss him.
As if noticing my derailment of thoughts, Liam quirks an eyebrow.
“What?” I ask defensively.
“You’re the type of person who changes the subject when you’re uncomfortable, aren’t you?”
“I’m not a person,” I say, raising my eyebrows knowingly.
He snickers. “Ha! Okay, fair point. Okay, well, look. I need to tell you something.”
“Uh oh,” I say, narrowing my gaze as I return it to him.
He scratches the end of his nose and shifts a bit closer.
“It’s nothing bad, promise. It’s just—” he begins, sighing softly. “Eva, I remember what you said to me before I… well, before I died. Your confession about how you feel about me—it’s got me thinking.”
“Okay?” I say, eyeing him nervously.
“Eva, I don’t want to waste time. I don’t want to fill the void and play coy here. Your words, the way you made me feel when you were only a voice in my head—it touched me in a way no-one else ever has. I’ve wanted that for a long, long time and well, I…” He bends forward, his eyes tipping down and focusing on my lips.
As if pulled together by magnetic compulsion, I match his movement, closing the space between us. My breath hitches in my throat and I close my eyes, waiting.
Suddenly, a voice over my right shoulder calls out, “Ah, lover boy’s here, too. Got anything more to eat around here?”
Chapter 10
When Daydreams Become Reality
Letting out a squeal, my eyes pop open and I twist around. Liam pushes back as well, the alarm on his face matching my own. Right behind us sits the incubus.
“What are you doing here?” I sputter, shifting to my knees and pushing up to a stand. “I told you to get lost.” My fingers grip tightly, balling into fists at my side.
Liam’s gaze flits from me to the incubus and back again. “You know this guy?” he finally says.
“This is no guy. This is the incubus who tried to attack you when you were vulnerable,” I say, glaring at him. “He’s the one who made a mess of everything.”
The incubus’ eyes widen, and he pushes himself up to a stand. “Geez, is that any way to treat the guy who tried to save this bag of flesh for you?” He jabs his index finger in Liam’s direction.
“What’s he talking about?” Liam says, returning his gaze to me.
The incubus thrusts his hand out in offering to Liam. “Forget what little miss goodie says. I’m not so bad, truly. Glad to see some version of you made it through that gory mess back on Earth. Name’s Jake, by the way.”
Liam stares down at the incubus’ hand and back to me with a quizzical expression.
I shake my head. “Don’t touch him. I don’t know if—”
Jake rolls his eyes. “I’m pretty magically dysfunctional these days. I suspect you are, too.”
Liam’s nostrils flare and he puts his hands beside his head. “What is going on here? I’m so confuse
d.”
“He used to be an incubus—that’s a certain kind of demon,” I explain, raising a hand to the sky. “Touching him would have some pretty serious consequences in the real world.”
“Okay? And what about what he said? About trying to save me?” he asks, his lips pressing into a thin line.
“I—when you were dying, I asked him to help me save you,” I say, chewing on the side of my lip. “I didn’t know what else to do. It didn’t work, though.”
“How would he be able to save me if you couldn’t?” Liam asks, refusing to look back at the incubus.
“I’m right here, you know?” Jake says, snorting a burst of air out his nose.
“Okay, you explain, then,” Liam agrees, turning to face him.
“When I was on Earth, I had the power to return life force. Sometimes bring people back from the dead, but you were already claimed by something higher up the food chain than I am. Obviously,” the incubus says, adjusting the collar on his button-down and straightening its seams.
“I’m really confused. I thought angels and demons hated each other. You—didn’t you fight him off?” Liam asks, jabbing a thumb in the demon’s direction.
“Yes,” I say, nodding. “But I didn’t have a choice. Do you remember me asking you to call him back? You were dying, Liam. I was out of options. I’d do it all over again.”
Liam’s eyes narrow, but he nods. “Yeah, I think maybe I do…”
“And lookie where that phenomenal decision landed us. I was pulled from a perfectly good orgy to be banished here,” Jake says indignantly. “Depending on your point of view, it may or may not be lucky for you the powers that be thought to grab me some clothes before they shipped me off. Now we’re all screwed. And not the good kind.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, ignoring the first half of his tirade.
“Well, I don’t know if you’ve looked around lately, what with all the sucking face you were about to do—but we’re in Purgatory here, friends. We’re powerless and deserted in the middle of nowhere,” he says, splaying his hands out wide and dancing his fingers. He takes a step forward, wrapping his arms around both of our necks as he pulls us in closer. “But it’s okay. At least we have each other.”
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