Baited (The Chronicles of the Hunter Book 2)

by Jackie Ivie

  “Purgatory is simply a place for existing. It’s dull. Drab. Moderate. Never-changing. Emotionless.”

  “Well. That sure wasn’t true earlier.”

  Jezzie blushed again. It got hot suddenly. Everywhere. He continued speaking as if he’d said nothing of importance.

  “But...you know...um. Cold doesn’t do a whole lot for a man’s masculinity, love. It has a tendency to shrink, uh...certain parts.”

  Love.

  The man’s use of the endearment was close to devastating. She wondered if he knew. Her voice reflected it as she stuttered.

  “H-h-how can you be cold?”

  “You know what? I don’t need a blanket. Honest. But you’re going to have to snuggle really close.”

  “You can’t stay here.”

  “Oh. Crud. And crap. And a few more non-curse words. It’s too soon, isn’t it? Dang it, Adam. You just had to go and open your big mouth, didn’t you?”

  “I...don’t know what to say,” Jezzie answered.

  “That sounds like a no.”

  “We can’t. We mustn’t.”

  “Is that a potential maybe?” he asked.

  “It’s not possible.”

  “Anything is possible. I mean...look at me. I’m in purgatory. With a dark angel. On the surface, that’s completely impossible. Now that I think on it, even when viewed on the inside, it’s completely impossible.”

  “You can’t stay here.”

  “Why not?”

  “I told you. It’s a purgatory.”

  He sighed heavily. That lifted his torso, putting all kinds of muscle on display.

  “You are like listening to a broken record sometimes. You know that? Maybe I want to stay here.”

  “Nobody wants to stay in purgatory.”

  “Why not?”

  Her heart kicked up a notch. Her voice rose. “I told you already! It’s dull! Drab. Moderate. Never-changing. Emotionless. The only reason dark angels come here is because we are dull. Drab. Emotionless. And this is the only place we have! Don’t you understand?”

  “You’re sounding pretty...emotional, hon.”

  He trembled. The padding shook beneath them.

  “You don’t understand, Adam.”

  “Oh, what the heck. I already sound like a player. Might as well finish it. I want to be with you, Jez. I do. Already. And I don’t care where we are.”

  Everything halted. Jezzie’s mouth fell open first. Then her heart restarted, but it gave a painful pulse with it. It was far shy of his reaction. He was shuddering in place. And then she knew why. Her eyes went wide. A wash of ice invaded her veins. The fear stained her words.

  “Oh, no! No! Adam! You have to leave. Right now.”

  “Was it...something I said?”

  The words trembled through lips that looked blue-tinted. How could she have been so blind? So incredibly self-focused?

  “You don’t understand! You can’t stay here! You’ll die!”

  “Will I become...a dark angel, too?”

  “No. Here!”

  Jezzie grabbed his black under-drawers and denims from the floor. Snagged his t-shirt. Found the leather jacket. She made a ball with the garments and flung them at him. Adam caught it, but she’d used such a powerful toss, he fell off the back of the platform.

  Oh dear God. No. No!

  Please?

  Jezzie hadn’t beseeched heaven in centuries. She’d forgotten how. But it was instinctive. Raw. Hot tears scalded the back of her throat. She ignored them. A flash of time later and she’d redressed. Adam was just rising. He had the clothing held at his lower belly. It looked like a defensive move. One jacket sleeve trailed down between his legs.

  “Get dressed!” Jezzie commanded.

  “How do you move...so fast?” The words were halted. Weak-sounding.

  “Oh, my love! Please? We don’t have much time. I’m a dark angel! You are not. You don’t understand!”

  His mouth dropped open. The bundle of clothing fell.

  “What is it now?” Jezzie nearly shouted.

  “You just called me...your love.”

  “Oh. Adam. Adam. Forgive me.”

  She snatched him to her and launched into flight. Tears obliterated her vision. They sent her in the wrong direction more than once. But she finally had him in a boxcar from whatever train was atop the tracks. The place where he would have slammed into a rail car, launched over it, and perhaps survived.

  If she hadn’t interfered.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Adam! Oh, Adam! Are you all right? Say something!”

  It took a second to comprehend he was standing. Another to assimilate that he was in a dimly lit, small, enclosed space. Jez had her arms wrapped about his waist holding him above the floor. The next realization was that he wasn’t wearing anything. That was disconcerting. His voice reflected it.

  “Uh, Jez?”

  “Oh, thank goodness! Here! Put something on.”

  Darn.

  She released him and stepped back. Adam dropped inelegantly, barely catching further stumble. She held his bundle of clothes out toward him. He wasn’t normally clumsy, but he was still feeling the sensual afterglow of their union. It was difficult to get his mind and limbs to function properly. One thing was certain. He’d much rather be in contact with her. Undressed. And not standing alone, unclothed, and on an unknown surface beneath his bare feet.

  Adam bent and placed the bundle between his knees. He fished out the t-shirt first, stood as he shook it out, shoved his arms through the sleeves, and yanked the neck opening over his head. He had the garment pulled down to his waist before he answered.

  “Jez? Sweet. We need to talk.”

  “Get warm first!”

  “Come on, babe. Give me a little credit for some stamina. I wasn’t that cold. And it’s been what? A few seconds?”

  “No. More. Much more.”

  “Really? Is that something to do with how quickly you move? And you’ll explain it? Because I’m all ears.”

  “You humans. You are so…unaware.”

  “Unaware? Wow. Interesting wording. We should put it on an agenda for discussion. Okay?”

  Fumbling with the bundle between his knees, he dressed mostly by feel. The briefs went on easily, followed by his pants. He didn’t don the jacket. Whatever surface they stood atop was scratchy. Slightly chill. He squinted down but couldn’t quite make it out with what light was available. He dropped his leather bomber jacket and stepped atop it. And then he looked at her where she stood. Shadowed. Indistinct. Separate.

  “All right, love. I’m ready. Trying to be aware. Tell me about the time thing.”

  “I cannot. It is forbidden.”

  Surely that was inconsequential, since they’d already violated at least one of her rules. He still reeled euphorically from their stupendous lovemaking session. Adam almost replied in that vein, except he didn’t want anything to hasten what felt like a retreat. He stopped mid-breath. Held his tongue. It didn’t matter, though. Her next words were a confirmation.

  “I must go now.”

  “Oh, no! No! Please. I mean...not yet? Please? We need...to talk.”

  “Talk?”

  He cleared his throat. Tried to sound light-hearted. It didn’t help. This was way too soon and what he was experiencing went way too deep. “Something, um...happened to me last night. I mean, this morning. Something...really big. Like massively huge.”

  “Forgive me, Adam. I cannot stay. The sun will be up soon.”

  Adam’s voice cracked, despite how he worked to control it. “The sun? Angels have a problem with sunlight? Isn’t that a vampire thing?”

  “Not…the normal ones.”

  “Normal what? Vampires? Or angels? Look. I’m not up on angelic mythos, but I’m up on vampire lore. Death by sunlight is a vampire thing. Yes? And I can’t believe I just asked that.”

  “I didn’t say anything about death.”

  She sounded so serious! It felt like a reproof. His
heart missed a beat. Adam dropped every pretense at levity. “You’re right. You didn’t say anything about death. But I’m at sea here. What’s the trouble with sunlight?”

  She hovered before him, her head bent slightly. “I am a dark angel, Adam.”

  “I know. You keep telling me. It’s on the list of things we need to talk about. High on the list.”

  “Talk will not alter anything.”

  “Please?”

  He held his breath as he waited. She finally sighed. Relief was a cooling sensation and he hadn’t even realized how warm he’d gotten.

  “I am light sensitive.”

  That explanation was random. Completely unexpected. Adam blinked a few times. Regarded her shadowed form. “I don’t get it. You rescued me in the daylight. Twice. Your skin didn’t receive one blister. Not even a slight tan. I mean…the lighting may have been complete crap at the Hotel Pit, but I would have noticed any kind of tan line on you...like, anywhere.”

  She may have blushed. He couldn’t tell visually, but her voice sure sounded it. “It’s not…that kind of sensitivity.”

  “What is it, then?”

  She took a deep breath, as if he asked something dastardly. He took a glance about. His eyes were becoming accustomed to the place. He could make out shapes. Large squares. Rectangles. They could be in a storage room. Or a trailer, like the one his team used. It was large enough for four bikes, ATVs, or jet-skis, and any resultant gear.

  “I have trouble seeing in bright light.”

  “Oh. That explains a lot, actually. And I’ve heard of night blindness. You mean to tell me there’s a day one?”

  “Haven’t you noted my eyes?”

  “Well. Yeah. They’re impossible to miss. You’re babe gorgeous, Jez. Your eyes are just icing on the cake.” Something rustled near her, as if she’d already started to leave. Adam spoke faster, spouting words like a fool. “They’re pretty incredible, actually. Almond-shaped. Surrounded by thick eye lashes. And really dark. Like...black. But I may need to gaze into them again. You know. Just to be sure.”

  That was dumb.

  She lowered to the floor and moved back a fraction, as if avoiding his flirtation, his attempt at humor, or him. He wasn’t sure which one and he didn’t want to be. Adam hadn’t known he’d tensed until she spoke.

  “My eyes were actually green.”

  Muscles loosened. His breath was a whoosh of air. His words almost chuckled.

  “Oh. No way, hon. I mean, I’m besotted, and...they say that makes a person blind and all that, but I’d have noticed green.”

  Oh. Crap.

  Adam’s heart kicked into overdrive. He almost smacked a fist to his chest. He hadn’t meant to admit it, but it was true. He was besotted. Worse. This could be the dreaded emotion called love. Which was off-the-chart unbelievable. They’d barely met. And he was Adam Ballantine. Internet bad-boy. The man with so many women following him, his team called him a universal ‘chick-magnet’. But he’d never felt like he did with Jez. Ever. Confessing those emotions right now was beyond scary.

  And she completely missed it.

  “The green color is gone, Adam. It’s been...replaced.”

  She paused before the last word as if it contained special meaning. Adam waited a few moments. Forced his mind to cease attempting to finds words to explain what he felt so he could follow what she was telling him. It was a lot harder than he anticipated, too.

  “Forgive me, but I’m not tracking. The color was replaced? With what? Really large pupils? Oh. Wait a sec. Is that it? Your pupils work like a cat’s do?”

  “Except they don’t retract,” she replied.

  “Whoa. You must have spectacular night vision.”

  “It is a mark, Adam. We are cursed. All dark angels have it.”

  “You all have black eyes? That’s pretty cool. I’m guessing that’s why you wear sunglasses all the time. Am I right?”

  She took another deep breath. “You are not listening.”

  “Oh, honey. I am. Honest. I’m just trying to understand when everything is so unbelievable. But I have to tell you, if you’re trying to scare me off, it’s not working. And, I just thought of something. If I haven’t broken the lenses by standing on them, I think I have a pair of goggles in a pocket of this jacket.”

  “Goggles?”

  “Big glasses. With the fancy lenses. The ones that darken around sunlight. Can I hope this might mean you won’t leave me? Not yet? And that we can talk?”

  She didn’t move, but it felt like she separated from him even farther somehow.

  “It won’t help, Adam.”

  “Please?”

  “They say the eyes are windows.”

  That was another bit of randomness. Her tone had an exasperated sound to it, too, but he was guessing. He swallowed. Considered her words before he answered.

  “Okay. I’ve heard that. Windows to the soul. I hope you’re not saying you’re soulless.”

  “No. I mean, I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know if you’re soulless?”

  “No.”

  “You gotta be kidding me. I thought we’d have all the answers when we died.”

  “Perhaps...except I didn’t finish dying.”

  “So, now you’re saying you’re undead?”

  “No. Not dead. Not alive. It’s more like we just exist. On the fringe. At least...that’s what it has been. For almost eight hundred years now.”

  Her voice hoarsened slightly, as if she held back emotion. She didn’t sound the slightest bit like she was just existing. Adam took a step toward her. Felt the slightest pulling sensation as he did so.

  “Jez?”

  She turned her face away, denying him any chance of reading her. “I truly...must go.”

  The words were accompanied by what sounded like a withheld sob. Adam reached out as if to embrace her, but a flash of time later she was out of range. He stared at the spot she’d vacated. Blinked a couple of times.

  “Wait, honey! Please! Tell me first! How do I become a dark angel?” The words were so rapidly spoken, they slurred.

  There was a moment of silence. “I do not know.”

  “Come on. You have to know. I’m begging here.”

  “I do not know how the others became such. I only know how I did it.”

  “Okay. I’m listening. How did you do it?”

  “Why?”

  “So I can be with you! I’m failing at explaining, but I’m feeling so desperate! And I think I—!”

  “Please don’t do this.”

  She interrupted him. He regarded her for the barest moment before replying.

  “Tell me, or I’ll try it myself. I’m not afraid of death. In fact, somebody is trying to kill me now. Why don’t we just let that happen?”

  “Dying will not make you a dark angel, Adam.”

  “Then what will?”

  She shook her head.

  “Please, Jez?”

  “Good-bye.”

  “Wait! Please tell me how to do it! Don’t leave me like this. Please? I’m a failure at online research. I’d be worse if I have to look through books. I don’t even have a library card!”

  “You will not be allowed to become one of us, Adam.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because...”

  Her voice went to a whisper. He guessed what that meant, and his heart twinged painfully. His next words reflected every bit of that.

  “It’s because you care for me...and purgatory is not a place of pleasure. I’m right, aren’t I?”

  He could see much better. There were lines of light behind her, as if wherever they stood was poorly constructed and sunlight was making an appearance in the world outside. She had her head bowed. Adam blinked in wonder at the outline of the shadow behind her. Then his mouth dropped open. She definitely had wings. They were at least eight feet in height, and spreading outward to twice that size.

  Massive. Dark. Indistinct. But they were there. He couldn’t ignore
them.

  Wings.

  The woman really had wings. He watched as the wings started folding inward, as if encasing her. Shielding. Protecting.

  Holy shit.

  “I do not care for you.”

  It was mumbled but she said it. Her shoulders shook. She sounded like she fought tears.

  “Bullshit,” he answered.

  She straightened, whether at his answer or his profanity. He didn’t know or care.

  “You are just...a man, Adam. A human being. Nothing more.”

  “I love you,” he replied.

  The wings stopped enclosing her. There was a strange light emanating from within them. It reflected the trail of tears running down her cheeks.

  “You were...my assignment. Nothing more.”

  “Wow. You said dark angels could tell lies. You didn’t say a word about how poorly they did it.”

  He shouldn’t have said it. She was gone before he’d finished. She probably didn’t see his lunge for her, either. He landed on the floor, stretched out. It was wooden. Unclean. The sound echoed as if it was hollow beneath. And then everything went silent.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Jezebel had known heartache.

  While a girl, she’d lost her parents and only sister to the Black Death. Plague. A wave of sickness had ravished the countryside, sparing so few. They were called the lucky ones. That really meant they were untouchable. Nobody came near. She’d been forced to leave her only home, walk for days, begging a bite of food from anyone she chanced upon. She’d been scrawny. Dirty. Barely able to walk. And yet somehow, she found sanctuary. It was in another village, very like her own. A miller and his wife had also survived this surge of plague. Their family hadn’t. They needed help. She needed a roof over her head and sustenance in her belly.

  They hadn’t asked her name. They’d just called her Jezebel.

  And she hadn’t cared.

  It was a thankless loveless existence. Years of it. She’d grown to womanhood. Her body had filled out. Her hair grew lustrous and long. And Caleb had arrived.

  Oh my!