“Raphael is working so hard to bring you back to me.”
The ephemeral visage nodded, smiled, and faded into nothingness.
“No!” he roared, and shot up into the sky, breaking all kinds of speed records to make it back to her place. He refused to believe she’d gone for good.
***
“I’ve got a pulse! It’s slow and steady.” Raphael lifted his fingers from Ariana’s neck and turned to Serena to kiss her soundly. “Wife of mine, I love you with every fiber of my being, but tonight, I adore you as a servant cherishes his goddess. Thank you.”
“Aren’t you the sweetest?” She gave him a peck. “I couldn’t very well lose my best friend. That would be absolutely unacceptable. She deserves far better than the messed-up life she’s been dealt and to leave it in such a horrifying way. She’s acted selflessly for the Brethren and, in my opinion, belongs with us. If E.L. has words about it, let him take it up with me.”
“Add that to the list of why I love you. You’ve grown a huge pair!” They laughed together.
Nathanael watched from the corner, silently brooding. His thoughts, consumed by Ariana’s probable demise, deafened him from hearing the couple’s exchange until their laughter shook him free. He stormed straight over to Ariana, who still lay unconscious. “How can you laugh at such a time as this? She’s…she’s….”
“Alive! She’s going to be fine.” Raphael placed a comforting hand on his arm to calm him, and continued in a hushed voice. “I had to call Serena in. Brother, she died. Before you and I even arrived. Thank goodness for Serena and her gift of regeneration.”
“Serena, how can I ever repay you for bringing her back?” Tears stung, and she knelt down to give him a squeeze.
“No thanks necessary. She belongs with us. You know it and I know it. I’m sure if E.L. hadn’t wanted this to happen, he would have done something about it already.”
“I’ll never forgive him for what he’s done to us.” Nathanael bristled as he stroked his woman’s hair and looked longingly at her still form.
“Now I can understand this is not the way you wanted things to go, but look what you’ve both gained. She’s immortal now! You can spend the rest of eternity being angry, or understand E.L. takes some pretty strange paths to an end that has been more than acceptable to all of us.”
“He could have given her immortality before, without all the drama. How she must have suffered simply to end up at the same eventuality. It’s ridiculous.”
“But he saved the honor of granting her immortality for me. I am truly grateful to have been the one to bestow it upon her. She’s my best friend, my sister. And now we get to spend eternity together. What a perfect ending. At least I think so. Hopefully, she’ll believe the same when she wakes up.”
They all stared at Ariana’s face, waiting for her to stir. “When do you think she will? Wake up, I mean?”
“She should be rousing anytime now.” Raphael checked her vitals again. “Good and strong. Her heart beat slow, perfect.”
“Will she remember me, Raph?”
“I honestly don’t know. Hey, she’s coming around.”
“Mmm…mmm. Oh, geez. What am I doing on the floor? Raphael, what are you doing here? Serena?” She shot up to a sitting position. “Holy crap, what’s this all over my shirt? Blood? Okay, somebody talk to me!”
“Calm down, sweetie. Everything is fine now.” Serena put a soothing hand on her head.
“Fine now? What about before now?” She closed her lids, trying to remember what had happened to her. Bits and pieces floated in and out. She heard gunshots in her mind and looked at Raphael. “I was shot. Okay, that explains the blood. But by whom?” She scrunched her eyes shut again and Dennis’s face burst through the haze and she grabbed Raphael’s hand. “That son of a bitch. Dennis forced my hand so I would shoot myself. Where is he? Has he run off? Do the police know? And why do I feel perfectly fine now?” She lifted her shirt with trembling hands and saw no sign of any wounds. Rather than putting the bloody mess back on, she opted to remove the whole shirt. Bra, bikini top, same thing, relatively, she thought. But what the hell is going on around here?
Her best friend had a strange look on her face. So did Raphael. And the other guy, she thought his name was Nathan, or something like that, looked like he’d lost his favorite puppy dog. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.
“You have exactly five seconds to tell me everything. Five, four….”
“Okay. Dennis has been dealt with. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. When Raphael got here, you were, well, dead. He called me immediately, I rushed over, and we brought you back.”
“Whoa. You…you brought me back? With a defibrillator thing like we have at the store? Boy, I literally owe you my life. The two of you. Thank you so much. But the wounds—” She kept touching her stomach and chest trying to find any signs of bullet holes.
“There’s more, sweetie.”
“There’s always more, isn’t there?” She shook her head and sighed.
“The way I brought you back is, well, unusual. Nathanael, Raphael, and I are immortal and I have special abilities that enabled me to bring you back from the dead. And now, you’re immortal, too.”
Ariana stared at her best friend and blinked a few times. Then she laughed hysterically. “Oh, you’re good! That’s your best joke yet. I’m being punked, aren’t I? And your name is Nathanael? Right? I knew it was something with a Nathan in it. You’re in on this, too? Oh, you folks slay me. You really do. Okay, time to spill it. How could I have been shot dead without so much as a scratch on me now?”
Serena opened her mouth to say something, but Nathanael cut in. “I found this on the steps. I believe it belongs to you.” Her charm necklace dangled from his hand.
“Oh, thank you! I don’t know what I would have done if it’d been lost. It’s very special to me.” She moved to grab it from him, but he held on to it. She frowned. “It helps if you let it go.”
He gathered both her hand and necklace in his own hands and wouldn’t let go. “Do you remember me, Ariana? Do you remember us?”
“Wha—oh.” The room spun and colors swirled like paint in a mixing jar. Had she not been held up by him, she would have toppled over.
Memories of all kinds crashed down upon her like a tidal wave. But the ones that stuck, the ones that refused to float off again, were the memories of how connected she had been to Nathanael, and of being in love with this man, this…angel…before her. The funhouse ride slowed to a stop and all she could see was the one she’d longed for the past few weeks.
“Oh, my God, Nathanael.” Tears trailed down her cheeks, but she refused to wipe them away. “I remember everything now. Everything! It’s been you I’ve missed so much, but I…I didn’t know you.” She beat her chest with her fist. “My heart, it ached, and I couldn’t figure out why.” She shook her head in disbelief, and touched his cheek with trembling fingers.
“Thank God, I’ve finally got you back, Red,” he said gruffly. Releasing his wings, he pulled her onto his lap and enclosed them both inside. She didn’t know who initiated the kiss first, but all coherent thought left her, and the only thing that remained was a primal need to possess and consume this creature she’d fallen deeply in love with.
“We’ll leave you two to get reacquainted, right Raphael?”
“Yeah, we have some business to take care of. We’ll catch up with you both later.”
Ariana waved them off and heard bits of a debate over what they should do about the busted door. They decided it could still close, sort of, and would do for now.
“So you’re in the big leagues now. Gone immortal on me.” He looked down upon her with those stunning, blinking emeralds in utter adoration.
“Yup, I guess I can nag you for the rest of eternity, like any good wife.”
“Oh, is that so?” He raised an eyebrow and tickled her in the ribs.
“Yes, sir. I’ll be able to harp on you endlessly about ho
w you have too many clothes on in the house. Sort of like you do right now. Could you do something about that, sweetheart?” She batted her lashes and bit the tip of her index finger.
“Why, Red, I do believe I like your kind of nagging.” He stood her up and quickly stripped his pants off. “And now, how about a little game of Bounty Hunter? I’m the hunter and you’re my bounty. Better run.” He wiggled his eyebrows. She squealed and dashed up the stairs, throwing her bra in the air. When she reached the landing, she took off the rest of her clothes and ran into her master bathroom straight to the shower.
“Ha ha! I know where you are, little Red. I got your brain my hand and can sense where you’re hiding.”
“Hey! No fair!” She quickly covered her mouth. “Aw, shit. That didn’t help any either, now did it?” Her breath quickened with each moment that went by, and she giggled with anticipation.
“Come out, little Red. I’ve got a treat for you.”
His message caressed her ear, and she thought his low-timbred voice damned sexy. Heat spread throughout her body and a light buzz made her feel as though she’d drunk the perfect margarita. She stepped out from the shower curtain and found him in the doorway, arms raised to the top of the door frame, like Atlas holding the world on his shoulders, and looking very much like the Greek god himself. His beauty stole her breath away. She took a step toward him, a moth to a flame.
“You’re more than treat enough. In fact, I’m gonna keep you closer to me than my chocolate from here on out.”
He lowered his arms to his sides. His gaze spoke of raw need and she could see him tremble with sexual restraint. “Come to me. I’m feeling kinda strange. Out of sorts.”
She closed the distance between them, and slithered up his body, kissing and licking until she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him full on the mouth.
He slid his hands around her waist and drew her even closer to him. “That’s a whole lot better. I must’ve been in need of my Elixxir.”
She smiled and pushed him backward down the hall to her bedroom and onto her bed. Falling on top of him, she righted herself and pushed up on his chest so her hair curtained their faces. “Looks like the hunter’s become my bounty, angel boy. Gonna have to lock you up and throw away the key.”
“Promise?” He ran his fingers lightly in circles on her back.
“Uh huh.”
“I got a promise for you.”
“Oh yeah?” She kissed him lightly on the corners of his mouth. “What’s that?”
“I promise that from now on the only addiction I will ever fall prey to is you.”
“You’re in luck.” She smiled. “We’ve the rest of eternity for you to fulfill that promise.”
~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
It was the mystique of Arizona’s history and landscape that called to Deena and catapulted her career as an author. When she’s not writing novels and poetry in the wee, small hours of the morning or in the deep, dark of night, Deena teaches language arts to middle school students. She currently lives in Gilbert with her husband and two children, but New Jersey will always tug at the heartstrings.
Visit Deena at:
www.deenaremiel.com
Trinity
Book One of the Brethren Series
One way or another, terror will reign tonight.
School teacher and single mom, Emma Livingston, has been through hell—and back so she thinks. While dealing with the night terrors and active imagination of her five-year old daughter, Hannah, she attempts to lead a normal life. That is, until the demon from those nightmares pays her a visit, too, and threatens both of their lives. Desperate, she reaches out for help—and finds Michael waiting.
Michael D’Angelo is known to everyone in Prophet’s Point, Arizona, as their loving elementary school principal. But to The Brethren, he is the most powerful Protector. Immortal and angelic does not mean he’s without doubts or fears, as protecting Emma and Hannah from Evil tests his ability to fight his tortured past.
As the Trinity is formed, ancient secrets are revealed and faith is tested. When a prophecy is exposed, Hannah becomes the main target and Emma wonders if a normal life will ever be possible again. Hope is like an anchor, but can a mother, her daughter, and an angel overcome the evil determined to annihilate the world?
Relic
Book Two of the Brethren Series
Raphael, a Brethren Savior, an angel with a forgotten past, has lost his power to heal and is on a self-imposed guilt trip to get it back. If he can’t, his tour of eternal duty as Brethren Savior will be revoked. On his journey, he winds up enmeshed in a web of attempted murder and resurrection, all thanks to a woman he’s only seen in a photograph and by chance on an Arizona desert hiking trail.
Serena Sikes is a wanted woman. Desired by “undesirables” for a gift her brother gave her—a stolen relic with suspected healing powers. Hunted down in the Arizona desert and left for dead, she is found by none other than the angel who cannot heal.
Raphael and Serena are inexorably bound together, for locked deep within the relic’s heart had lived the soul of his long lost wife. Now, it resides inside Serena. Evil lurks around every corner as Raphael tries to keep both Serena and his dead wife’s soul alive and lustful temptation at bay.
Three souls bound together by an ancient relic, bound by a timeless gift, and bound by a love that is eternal.
Ghost of a Chance
A 1Night Stand Story
Susannah’s married to her career. And she’s about ready for a divorce. Drowning in grief over the loss of her husband years ago, she initially immersed herself in a high-powered position at her marketing firm. But recently, she’s lost that loving feeling. Is she finally able to accept that her need for a man, for love in her life is stronger than her desire to bury it?
Remy, once a high-profile building magnate, is a ghost of a man, literally. Cursed by a vengeful ex-wife he neglected, he’s relegated to shadows of his former world. She meant for him to spend the rest of his life without the chance of normalcy ever again, and he believed she succeeded. But could there be a way out?
Susannah and Remy, two people ghosting through life, until they are brought together by a fateful One Night Stand. Both are seeking re-entry to the land of the living and loving. Can they fulfill each other’s deepest desires and learn what it means to live again?
Contents
Title page
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
Elixxir (The Brethren Series) Page 19