***
In the training room, the guys are wearing black cargos, black boots, and t-shirts. The girls are in black leggings, knee high leather boots, and black tank tops. The protector’s dragon tattoos are prominently on display under their fighting garb. Leather wristlets and beaded bracelets are the only other items on their bodies.
Leo walks in last wearing jeans, boots, and a grey Henley. “You know it’s snowing, right? You’re all going to freeze,” he says.
“We don’t feel the cold like other supernatural beings or humans,” Keegan states.
“Werewolves are warm blooded and run higher internal temperatures and it’s still goddamn cold,” Leo quips.
Callan and Tadhg laugh as we begin to prepare the weapons.
Keegan looks to Abby. “Did you remove the enchantment so Deacon and his clan can access the property?”
She nods her head. “Yep, all removed. So be prepared, every demon within a hundred miles of Eve will be heading our way soon.”
Aria walks in. “Are you sure there is nothing I can do?” she whines. “I feel useless just sitting here while you guys get to have all the fun and fight to save the world.”
I smirk at her dramatics.
Leo walks over to her and kisses her on the forehead. “You need to stay here until this is done. It’s safer for you,” he explains tenderly.
“Fine, but I expect each and every one of you to protect Eve. Bring her back in one piece or I will kill you myself. Understood?” She glances at everyone, eyes narrowed, hands on hips. She means business.
They all smile and agree.
“By the way, you all do look like very badass gargoyles.” Aria smirks and turns to me.
I return the words she said to me this morning. “It’s all going to go down the way it’s meant to go down.”
She nods her head, lifts her chin, and hugs me. “I love you, girl.” Aria pulls away and looks me in the eyes. “I believe in you,” she says while moving my ponytail off my shoulder.
“I’ll see you on the other side of this,” I reply with confidence.
“Yes, you will, my friend.” Her hand smacks my ass and she goes back to Leo’s side, whispering in his ear.
Asher comes over to me as I secure my daggers in their sheath. He watches me in quiet contemplation.
“What?” I ask, raising my gaze to meet his.
“You ready?” he asks with a pensive voice.
I stand straight, cross my arms, lift my chin and nod.
“I’m ready.”
Asher grabs me in a strong embrace, his arms holding me tight in a protective and possessive hold. “I will protect you. Always.”
“EVE COLLINS! Come out, come out, little girl,” Deacon shouts from outside.
With a kiss to my forehead, Asher releases me.
Everyone stills and quiets, lost in their own thoughts before Keegan nods once to the group.
“Let’s roll,” Callan says and we walk out to meet fate.
The snow has fallen, leaving a pristine white blanket on the ground. The trees are bare and the sky is grey as the heavy clouds encompass us like a shield. Large, wet snowflakes float from the sky in a poignant way.
We walk outside and the snow crunches under the weight of our boots. Deacon is standing with Gage, Jade and Kaiden.
Asher is to my right and Keegan to my left. Both have a grip on me, pretending to force me to Deacon as I fight their pull. The rest of the clan has scattered out of sight in the woods that surround the grounds.
“Eve. Asher. Keegan,” Deacon says, sounding bored with a cigar hanging out of his mouth.
“Deacon. I would say nice to see you again, but honestly, it’s not.” Though I’m quivering inside, my voice is strong and tough.
“Shut up, little girl,” he spits. “Hand her over, dark prince, and let’s be done.” Deacon focuses on Asher.
I look to Asher, and he looks to me before I reface Deacon, pretending to fight Keegan’s hold.
“Let’s make this simple without dramatic play or bitterness, shall we?” Deacon holds out his hand for me to take.
Asher flinches. “Wait,” he demands in a firm tone. “We need to be assured before we just hand her over to you, Deacon. This may be the council’s decision but we are still protecting her.” The lie rolls off his tongue without hesitation.
Deacon’s angry eyes flash to Asher as his hand drops. Gage crosses his arms as his eyes narrow.
“Assured how, Asher?” Gage asks, annoyed.
“Eve’s human. She isn’t to be harmed at the hand of a gargoyle. If she is, you will be breaking The Royal Gargoyle Council of Protector oath, which even you must obey.” Asher’s voice is threatening.
“You have our word that no gargoyle will harm her,” Gage assures with sincerity.
I shift my gaze to Asher. He’s silent, his expression not betraying him. I pick up on the tick in his jaw though. He hates this plan, but it needs to be seen to fruition.
Keegan thrusts me out of Asher’s grip toward Deacon.
Deacon releases a wicked laugh. “Such a brave little girl.” He motions to Kaiden with his head to move forward and retrieve me.
Kaiden stalks to me, smirking cruelly. I try to remain calm, keeping my eyes on his at all times. Keegan pushes me forward into Kaiden’s waiting embrace.
My heart is beating so fast it might just fly out of my chest. Inhaling deeply, I push the nerves down and remind myself what Callan taught me.
The minion takes my arm with little effort. Leaning down, Kaiden puts his nose to my neck, sniffing me. He closes his eyes in pleasure as a chill runs down my spine.
“Mm, so sweet. I look forward to having a little fun with you before we turn you over,” he whispers into my ear like a creepy stalker.
In my peripheral vision, I see Asher’s cheek tick pick up its pace. If I don’t stop this, he’ll advance on Kaiden without doubt.
“She is not to be harmed in any manner or this is over,” Asher says menacingly.
“She won’t be,” Gage assures him. “You have my word, Asher,” he promises. Odd.
Kaiden guides me over to Deacon, positioning me so I’m standing in front of him. Deacon blows cigar smoke into my face. I hold my stance, careful not to flinch. “It’s nice having you so close, little girl.”
The half-demon picks up a finger and runs it over my cheek, down my neck, and to the top of my cleavage line while my skin crawls at his touch.
“She isn’t a new play toy.” Jade seethes besides him.
“Hush. She’s whatever I want her to be until I hand her over,” he answers with disinterest in Jade and keeps his eyes on me.
I stay silent, not showing any fear.
“Such a brave little girl, but we’ll break that before long.” He sneers as his promise sends a sudden fear right through me. Maybe this was a bad strategy.
“That’s enough, Deacon. You’re not to harm her,” Gage says. “We got what we came for. Let’s go.”
Deacon drops the cigar and crushes it with his foot.
“Yes, we have what we want.” Again, he motions for Kaiden.
Kaiden takes my upper arm, and the rest of the Declan clan prepares to vanish with me.
Keegan’s head makes a slight motion. The signal. I take a deep breath and do exactly what Callan taught me.
Pulling my arm in, I bend at the waist and flip Kaiden onto his back. Surprised by the attack, he quickly recovers and jumps back in my face and I front kick him in the groin, causing him to drop to the ground again.
Briefly, I look around. Asher and Gage have their swords drawn and are circling one another. Kenna is sourcing Jade’s abilities. Callan and Keegan are closing in on Deacon. Before I can see where Leo, Tadhg and Abby are, Kaiden starts to get up again.
As he stands to lunge for me, I round on him and place him in a defensive rear choke. Kaiden pulls a small knife from his sheath and slices it across my arm. The pain forces me to release the chokehold.
I hear Asher shout my name and I turn as Gage grabs him from behind, throwing his sword across Asher’s neck. Panicked, I move to help him but Kaiden suddenly grabs me from behind in the same chokehold I used on him. Terrified, I realize I need to get myself out of this and fast.
Asher locks eyes in a warning before I brush him off and reach down to pull my daggers from their secured holders then I stab Kaiden in each leg as he screams in pain and releases me. Without thought, I turn on him and something in me snaps.
It’s like I’m having an out of body experience. From the training, my muscles and body instinctively know what to do. I lift and point both daggers at the gargoyle. In one fast move, I connect with his chest, piercing his heart. The thrust is so quick neither of us realizes what I’ve done.
Kadien’s eyes widen in surprise. In slow motion, he begins to turn into stone, starting at his feet. Frozen, I stand there and watch in disbelief as he becomes encased in stone within a matter of seconds.
My hands tremble around my daggers. All I can hear is my echoed breathing. As if in a tunnel, nothing else is registering. Suddenly, Kaiden’s stone body is crumbling.
The dust blows away the crushed stone particles with the wind, the only proof he existed at all is gone. I swallow the bile that has risen from my stomach and stare at the empty spot he once stood.
“Holy shit.” I breathe out. I just killed Kaiden.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, little girl,” Deacon scolds with condescension dripping from his snarled mouth. “You, my dear, just killed one of my family members,” he says as if I broke a vase in his house. “I do believe the punishment for that is death.”
Keegan steps forward. “She’s not a gargoyle. Our laws don’t apply to her,” he warns.
Deacon closes the space between us and grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I. DO NOT. CARE,” he shouts, causing me to flinch.
All of a sudden, Deacon flies back with a strong gust of wind, away from me. I close my eyes and thank Abby for manipulating the air.
I look to Asher. He’s no longer pinned by Gage’s sword. His eyes are filled with fear but his expression is impassive, not giving anything away. I turn my focus back to a very pissed off Deacon, getting up off the ground.
Deacon turns to me, his face laced with malice. His nostrils are flaring and his jaw is tight. “Your life is over, Eve Collins,” he threatens so calmly that it has the same effect as if he screamed it.
He lifts his sword and points it at me.
My eyes shift again to Asher. I know he can’t get to me in time. Even with his fast speed, Deacon is too close to me. This will be my sacrifice and mine alone.
Asher’s eyes plead with me, begging me not to do this. He knows I’m no match for Deacon.
I swallow and face Deacon. “No, it’s just beginning,” I say as I raise the daggers still dripping with Kaiden’s blood.
I lift my foot to charge at Deacon just as a flash of pink whizzes by me, straight at him. Before I can even process what’s happening, I hear Aria cry.
My eyes lock on Deacon’s sword, which has run through Aria’s stomach, and is sticking out of her back, covered in blood. I register hysterical screaming and realize it’s coming from me. I run to her with Leo by my side.
Deacon yanks his sword out in a cruel manner, his eyes full of hatred as Aria’s body floats awkwardly to the snow covered ground. Blood is pooling beneath her. Her pink clothes, combat boots, and the pure snow are now stained crimson.
“An eye for an eye, little girl. We may be even, but make no mistake, this is not over. I will hand you over to Lucifer with not even a trace of remorse,” Deacon spits and then he and Jade vanish in thin air.
A lone tear rolls down Aria’s cheek as she gasps for air. I pull her limp body into my lap, cradling her, rocking her, willing life to return to her as blood trickles from her mouth.
Asher prowls to my side, kneeling down next to me. Leo cradles Aria’s head. Gage walks up slowly to me. His face pale and his expression disheartened.
“You’ve made a terrible strategic mistake, love,” he says with a solemn tone. Asher stands, his grip tightening on his sword, ready to engage but Gage fades out.
Keegan, Callan, Abby, Tadhg and McKenna all come over and circle us. Leo presses his forehead to Aria’s with his eyes wet from unshed tears. I rock her and my tears flow freely, dropping onto her peaceful face.
Aria swallows struggling to speak. I lean down to hear her before the life leaves her body. Her chocolate eyes shift to Asher then me, the light draining out of them.
She barely whispers, “He’s your savior and you’re ours.”
COMING SOON
Restraint
The Revelation Series
Keep reading for a sneak peek at the first chapter of Restraint, book two of The Revelation Series.
If you’d like to read a bonus chapter from Asher’s point of view, please visit: randicooleywilson.com
Excerpt from Restraint
The biting, frigid wind whips around me in an angry whistle. A heartbreaking reminder that even in the tranquility of this moment, death is inevitable. The skies are painted gray, a depressing cue that darkness is on the horizon. My hazel eyes scan the cemetery draped in pure white snow like a lover’s embrace. Lifeless trees provide no shelter from the grief this resting place emits. A single tear falls from my eyes in silence, inching down my frozen, crimson cheek. The little bead of water nearly freezes before I wipe it away with my glove-swathed hand.
“I’m so sorry, Aria,” I whisper, swallowing the painful lump present in the back of my throat. I just stare with an empty focus at the white marble marker before placing one perfect pink rose on top of the stone. It lays there, motionless. The delicate and flawless petals are unaffected by the melancholy cold breeze whipping through the peaceful memorial park.
I pull off my glove. The coldness hits my already frozen hand, which trembles as I lift it to caress the stone engraving.
Arianna “Aria” Donovan
Beloved Daughter, Sister, and Friend
July 20, 1996 – December 29, 2014
“I miss you,” I barely choke out. “I can’t believe you’re gone. How could you have run at Deacon like that?” My voice is lined with sorrow, resentment, and admiration as I whisper to her grave. I close my eyes, reliving those last moments.
Aria’s pink pixie hair whooshes by in a rush of air so swift she’s a blur. Deacon’s sword enters her stomach then exits out her back. The scarlet liquid drips from her almost lifeless corpse, staining the untainted snow. Her eyes are wide and her pink glossed mouth frozen open, soundlessly.
She shifts her peaceful chocolate eyes to Asher then me as her light drains out of them. With difficulty, she swallows as I lean down, pressing my ear to her lips before life leaves her body.
Aria speaks softly, “He’s your savior,” she forces out, “and you’re ours.”
Shit. I close my eyes, shaking myself out of the mental picture then open them and focus on the rose I brought. My final gift to her. It’s so vivid and elegant.
“How am I supposed to continue on this crazy ass journey without you?” A strangled laugh comes out, as do the tears. I turn away from the grave. I can’t look at it, at what I’ve done to her.
“She would have loved that the rose is pink.” Abby steps next to me before she clasps her hand in mine, clutching it in a form of reassurance. A tiny poignant smile crosses her lips as her eyes slide from me to the stone. “By the grace, that girl loved pink. Everything in our college dorm room was a shade of the damn color.”
“She’s the only person I know who could pull off pink hair and black combat boots with a frilly sundress and still look like a beautiful doll,” I add, my tone solemn.
Abby caresses Aria’s name on the grave. “Well, we did always say her real parents were Marilyn Manson and Barbie,” she recalls in a thoughtful way.
I inhale a sharp breath and lock my eyes to the motionless forest behind the
cemetery, attempting to keep the tears from falling again, just barely able to hold the heartache at bay.
“How on earth did she get to Deacon so fast?” I ask the stationary trees before turning to Abby. “Her speed was exceptional. What the hell was she thinking?”
Abby faces me, squeezing my hand. “Eve, she loved you. She loved all of us. That girl was the only one I know who unconditionally accepted who and what we are. She knew what our paths were supposed to be. Aria sacrificed her life, so you can complete your ascension and fulfill your destiny. I can’t answer the how and why of her actions, but I can promise you her death will not be in vain.” Her reply was more of a vow than a response to my question.
I acquiesce and forgive that she disregarded my inquiry of speed. Abby tugs on my hand, guiding me toward a black Escalade. “Come on. Michael wants us to get you to England before nightfall.”
I numbly follow, allowing her to steer me through the serene park. Her hand in mine as we walk toward a patiently waiting Callan, who’s dressed only in his navy blue pea coat, frayed jeans and a pair of boots. He must be freezing. Then I remember the coldness doesn’t affect them the way it does me.
As we approach, Callan pulls me into his signature bear hug. “It’s going to be all right, Eves. I promise,” he speaks in my ear with a quiet tone before opening the door and coaxing me in. “In you go, cutie,” he orders, assisting me into the middle bench seat and then Abby into the back.
As I climb in, I look up and lock eyes with a pair of beautiful indigo ones, marred with sorrow for both Aria and me. Asher sits in his black leather jacket without a sound, waiting for me. He opens his strong arms as I fall into them, placing my head on his solid chest. Allowing the scent of smoky wood and leather to assault my nose, a calming fragrance that’s all Asher St. Michael soothes me. The dark stubble on his jawline and chin tangles in my hair, comforting me as the protector bond warms me from the inside.
Asher’s deep, soothing voice is gentle. “Keegan, we’re ready to go.” At his command, I lift my long lashes and notice McKenna’s platinum blonde hair in the front seat next to her mate. A tiny smile brushes over my lips. I’m safe with the London clan of gargoyles, my protectors.
I curl into the shelter of Asher’s secure arms, and for a brief moment, shut my eyes, internally saying my final goodbyes to my roommate and friend while Asher holds me possessively.
As my eyes reopen, they focus on pink rose petals floating in the icy wind. Thinking it’s a sign from Aria, I glance one last time toward her marble stone marker while Keegan begins to drive at a slow pace out of the cemetery. My eyes widen when I notice both the headstone and flower have vanished.
In their place, Deacon stands among the destroyed white marble, his hand open as the crushed pink petals drift in the wind, toward me. I sit up and press my forehead and hand to the glass, fixated on him while my heart rate increases, reaching an abnormal pace.
Deacon bestows a sinister smile. As we drive away, he mouths, “It’s just beginning.”
Glossary
Batya – Daughter of God
Barghest – A monstrous black dog with huge teeth and claws
Belker – An evil spirit whose body is composed of smoke
Banshee – A female spirit messenger from the underworld
Feeks – Gaelic for gorgeous girls
Gurgulio – Latin for Gargoyle
Dialect Translations
CHAPTER 1
Dimittet eam, Nero: Let her go, Nero. (Latin)
Subdit est filia Dei: Daughter of God, your protector is here. (Latin)
Dixit mittam tibi pergat ad profundum inferni, sive: I said let her go or I’ll send you back to the depths of Hell. (Latin)
Et subdit quod me putes: And you think you can send me back protector? (Latin)
Et veniunt ad me ut gurgulio: Then come get me gargoyle. (Latin)
Delectabiliter: With pleasure. (Latin)
CHAPTER 2
Cartref merch Croeso duw: Welcome home daughter of God. (Welsh)
Revelation Page 12