Lunangelique (The Lunangelique Series)

by Campbell, Kristin R

  I break out of my thoughts to catch Ollie saying, “It’s not something they usually do. We knew they were looking for something or waiting for something. We thought it might be an army so we kept tabs on them and moved in closer when they finally settled.”

  He moves closer to me and squats down so he can look up to me. He places his hand on my knee. “I was your friend. I knew there was something special about you the first minute I saw you at the mall. I had no idea that Astaroth had just placed himself in your life.” Technically he hadn’t yet. “I was only there to blend in with the crowd, to fit in while I watched Astaroth. Then, I saw you… you were so sweet, so honest and when I saw your temper flame up in your beautiful eyes at the movies…” He laughs at the memory. “I was won over.” All of a sudden, his eyes go dark. “Until you chose another, on the wrong side, to friend.

  “Why are you with them, Lexi? Knowing the absurdities they believe in? Do you realize we have to tear your wings from you now because you’re a disgrace? Where are your wings anyways?” He’s looking behind me like they should be there.

  “Where are yours?” I counter.

  He looks at me confusedly. “What? You can’t see them?” He reaches up like he’s stroking something.

  I shake my head. “Should I?”

  “What the hell are you, Alexis?” He asks me in shock.

  “I don’t know,” I lie. “What absurdities do my friends believe in?” He starts shaking his head at me, trying to wrap his mind around what I could be. His hair has grown longer over the past few months I’ve known him. They come into his eyes, making him look younger.

  We stare at each other for a few minutes before his eyes soften and he finally speaks up. “You shouldn’t have rejected me, Lexi,” he says fervently. He walks around to the back of my chair and whispers seductively into my ear, “I would have been able to protect you. You’re on the wrong side.” He runs a finger down my neck, causing me to shiver.

  I cringe away from him. “How am I on the wrong side?”

  He moves back in front of me and turns the chair around that Cerviel had placed in front of me earlier, straddling the chair so he can be closer to me. He runs his fingers up and down my arm. “They are fallen angels. Do you know what that means?” I shake my head ‘no.’ “It means that they defied God. They chose not to obey their Father. They are the damned.”

  “But why?”

  He shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know why. They just refuse to believe in him. They prefer to believe that other gods, before him, built the world, the stars, and the sun. It’s all nonsense. If it were true then where are these gods?” He can’t really believe that.

  “How old are you Ollie?”

  He glances up at the ceiling to think while his fingers don’t break their routine of tracing my arm. “About fifteen hundred years.” I act surprised to hear that. I knew he would be younger. How could he not know about the gods, though? Is he in denial or are the others keeping it from him?

  “Where are the others? The ones you were with when you kidnapped me?”

  “Looking for your brother. Cerviel thought that if you weren’t going to give us any answers then your brother will.” He watches my face for signs of distress but I don’t show him anything. If Alex has fair warning he could literally disappear with Kaitlyn and Cole. “What are you thinking about? You’ve been so hard to read lately.”

  “Have you ever considered that the fallen are right? Maybe it’s you who are playing for the wrong team. Has Cerviel or Malachi, your brother, ever told you about Selene?” I lean as close as I can to him and whisper, “I think they’re keeping something from you. You should ask them about it.” Ollie’s eyes smolder from our close proximity. He grabs the back of my head and pulls me in to kiss me. I don’t respond to him as his lips, teeth, and tongue play with my mouth.

  I use the opportunity to kick off my shoes and Houdini my feet out of its shackles. I bring my feet in and kick his chair back as hard as I can. Ollie flies backwards and catches himself in midair before zooming back at me.

  “You really do have wings, don’t you?”

  “Don’t try to escape Lexi. You’ll force me to stab you in the heart again and I really don’t want to do that to you. It seems wrong,” he admits.

  “Why keep me? You can’t torture me. I don’t have to feel pain.”

  “So you can feel pain?” he guesses.

  “Not if I don’t want to,” I admit. I doubt he understands anything about what I am capable of. “Just let me go, Ollie. Tell the others I got away. They won’t know the truth.”

  He watches me slip one hand out of a cuff, looking at me with wonder in his eyes again. “What are you? Just tell me,” he pleads. I keep eye contact with him as he lets me slip the other hand out of the cuff and I stand up, rubbing the impressions left behind by the cuffs.

  I walk over to him and brush his hair out of his eyes with my fingers. “You’re a better angel, Ollie. You deserve the truth.” I lean in to whisper in his ear and feel him shiver when my arm rubs against his. “I can’t tell you what I am because Cerviel will put me in a very dark place. Just ask about Selene. If he tells you, then you will know. If he doesn’t, then you know he’s lying. Trust me,” I say, kissing him on the cheek.

  I turn around to grab a blanket from off a chair and Cole’s wings from the place that Cerviel had thrown them down earlier and I walk to the door. I open it slowly and look up and down the hall to make sure no angel is coming. I don’t look back to see if Ollie will stop me.

  The apartment is in a similar building as Coles. It could well be the same. I wrap the blanket over my shoulders so no one will see the blood soaked shirt I’m wearing. I run to the door for the stairs, too afraid to wait for an elevator just for it to open to a flock of angels. I see that I am on the twenty-third floor. Great.

  Running down the stairs at top speed I make it to the bottom floor and use the back exit instead of the lobby’s. I look around but I have no idea where I am. I run down to the nearest subway and study its maps. I’m afraid to go back to Cole’s. Afraid Cerviel will be waiting for me, so I look for the route to Edmund’s and jump on the train when it arrives. It takes forty minutes for me to get to his neighborhood after jumping trains and changing stations.

  When I’m on the last train to Edmund’s, but only a few blocks from Cole’s, I start to feel panicky. What if Cerviel, Malachi or the other angels I wasn’t introduced to see me? I try to hide my face into a wall and pull the blanket up closer to my face.

  “Your disguise isn’t very convincing,” a voice warns me from behind.

  I turn around and instantly find relief at the voice that spoke to me. “Patryck! What are you doing here?” Like it’s not obvious he’s riding a train but it is a coincidence to run into him in a city so big. I turn into him and give him a hug. Thankful that I have someone to support me right now. I feel like I’m falling apart after having time to think of everything that was done to me.

  “I was going to your father’s to tell him you were missing,” he replies. He moves his eyes from my face to the dirty shirt under the blanket. “You’re covered in blood, Lexi!” His face has shock and outrage written all over it. His hands come around my back and he pulls me to him to better hide the blood from view. He rubs my back reassuringly.

  “How did you know I was missing?” I ask ignoring his blood comment that drove a few people to look at me questioningly. Last thing I want or need right now is attention. I hope no one runs to the police to report me at the next stop.

  “Cole, Alex and Kaitlyn went to the museum to escape from those who supposedly took you. They thought if you had run from them that you would have gone there. Cerviel, Malachi and Rogziel showed up at Cole’s door. They barely escaped. Your brother’s lucky to have such a gift. I just wish he could have protected you too,” he voice is full of regret.

  “Do you have a phone? We need to call them. We have to leave the city. Oh, my God. I don’t know what to do.” I start
crying on Patryck’s shoulder.

  “It’s okay, Lexi. You don’t have to do anything right now. I got you. I’ll take care of you.” He croons the words to me like he’s talking to a child but it doesn’t make me feel like an incompetent child. I feel cherished.

  The train pulls into the station. “Come on.” Patryck puts his arm around me and I hug him around his side to hide most of my body as we shuffle out of the station. When we get back onto street level we run the rest of the block to Edmunds. Patryck doesn’t even knock on the door. He runs in and locks the door behind him.

  “Alexis!” Edmund cries out when he sees me. “What happened to you?” He runs over and hugs me to him as I start to cry again.

  “Cerviel got to her,” Patryck explains.

  “Where’s Alexander? Cole?” Edmund asks.

  “They are safe. They’re at the museum. I don’t think Cerviel will look for them there. I’m going to call Cole right now.” He walks away and puts his phone to his ear.

  I hear him tell Cole that he found me and where we are as my father leads me into his living room. He helps me onto the couch and I automatically lie down, so tired all of a sudden as the adrenaline wears off.

  “I’ll be right back, Alexis. Are you okay, right here?”

  I nod and he leaves the room. Patryck comes into the room and sits beside me. “They’re on their way. You guys need to leave but I don’t think home is safe for you anymore.”

  “No.” Edmund says from the doorway that, I think, leads into a kitchen as he is bringing me a cup of tea. He hands it to me and I sit up to sip it as he sits in the chair he had occupied last night. At least, I hope that was last night.

  “They’re going back home. If they don’t, the humans will involve the police and more people will be looking for them. They cannot hide for long. I’m going to call for reinforcements. I don’t want either one of them to be alone.”

  “What if they come for my parents?” I ask him in alarm, sitting up taller on the couch.

  “Lexi, you need to lie down,” Patryck pushes me to lie back on the couch. “Don’t worry, they can’t touch humans. It’s against our laws. Forbidden. More than forbidden. It’s not possible, physically.” I give a confused look. “It’s not important to explain right now. Just relax. You don’t have to worry about them.”

  I take a gulp of the warm tea and feel myself relax. I sigh into the couch and close my eyes. Edmund must have put something in my tea because I quickly fall asleep while they talk about their reinforcements.

  Chapter 22

  I wake up feeling really comfortable, too comfortable for a couch, definitely more comfortable than the chair I was handcuffed to. I reach up to stretch my limbs and realize I am not wearing anything but a sheet that is barely covering me. My eyes shoot open to see Cole staring at me with a dark look in his eyes. He’s angry.

  “Hi,” I say timidly. It feels wrong to smile when he looks so mad. I look around the room and see that it’s not familiar. “Where are we?”

  “Edmunds. Lexi,” he breathes out my name and then comes across the bed, taking me into his arms. “You are never going to leave my sight again. I was so worried about you. I had no idea what happened to you. I should have been more vigilant. I had no idea they would take you.”

  I breathe in his scent. So happy in this moment to be back in his arms. I tilt my head up and try to kiss away all of his worries. “You have no idea how much I love you,” he whispers into my neck as he kisses every inch that he can reach as we hold each other. I pull him down into the bed with me and hold onto him as hard as I can.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell him between kisses.

  “It’s not your fault, Lexi,” he whispers against my lips.

  “I know, but I’m sorry for what you had to go through. I missed you so much. I was so scared,” I confess as hot tears roll down my temples.

  He kisses both of my eyes and puts his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry they hurt you. I can’t believe they went so far.” His hands ball into fists on each side of my head.

  “I don’t want to talk about it right now.” I pull him back to me and kiss him with the urgency of one in need.

  *

  “He stabbed you in the chest and you lived?” Alex drops his jaw in amazement. Cole’s knuckles are turning white as his hands are clenched into fists on top of the table. “We shouldn’t talk about this anymore. I told you guys everything. I don’t want to get into the details.” I take a sip of the coffee in front of me.

  Apparently we had crashed at Edmund’s house last night. Patryck and an angel he contacted, Mihr, went to scope out Cole’s apartment and get our stuff for us.

  Mihr is a very serious angel, who I haven’t seen look any other way but bored. I’m still grateful that he’s here; the bigger the numbers, the safer we should be.

  Kaitlyn’s calm personality has really benefitted her on this trip. She’s handling everything very bravely for just learning about us only two days ago. She’s even suggested a few ideas for the security detail when we get back home. I’m really glad Alex has someone like her who is brave, strong and understanding. I think if he was with anyone else, they would have been back in Virginia by now, running.

  “We should leave soon,” Patryck says coming into the kitchen where most of us are gathered. I nod my head to acknowledge him.

  We decided the safest way to get home would be to teleport with Edmund. He will take us, two at a time, to his house in Virginia and then we’ll hang out until we’re due back home. I don’t want my parents to suspect anything is wrong if we get home early from our ‘epic’ New York birthday weekend. Some birthday.

  Cole and Mihr appear in the kitchen a few minutes later. “Everything is good at that end. No angels in sight,” Mihr reports like a military official.

  “Alright, I’ll take Patryck and Alexis first...” Edmund starts.

  “No,” I interrupt him. “I’m staying with Cole.”

  “Fine, Alexis and Cole, followed by Patryck and Kaitlyn and then Alexander and Mihr. Agreed?” He raises his eyebrow at Alex waiting for him to dissent. Alex nods his head. He knows Kaitlyn will be safer with two angels, instead of one.

  “Alright, Alexis? Cole?” He summons us over and we take his hand to immediately reappear in a new house.

  “That was amazing,” I smile at Edmund. He winks and disappears, reappearing less than thirty seconds later with Patryck and Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn is smiling in amazement just like I was. Edmund disappears one more time to reappear with Alex and Mihr.

  Alex seems unfazed by Edmund’s talent. He immediately reaches inside his pocket and pulls out his phone. “I’m going to call mom and dad real quick and let them know we are on our way back from New York,” he says to me. I nod my head at him and he walks out of the room with his phone to his ear.

  “Edmund? Can I talk to you, alone, for a minute?” I turn from watching Alex leave to Edmund.

  “Sure, come this way.” He puts his arm behind my back and leads me into an office. The room is small and you can tell he just moved into the place because it’s pretty bare. There are a few books on the shelves lining one wall and the desk only holds a laptop. There isn’t anything else in the room except a few chairs.

  He closes the door and I sit in one of the chairs placed in front of the desk. He comes over and sits in the chair next to me and not in the one across from the desk. “What is it you want to talk about?” he asks.

  I don’t hesitate from asking, “Why are you so disagreeable to Cole? You trusted him with the mission to be acquainted with us, but now it’s like you’re trying to throw Patryck at me. I don’t get it.” I stare him down while I wait for his reply.

  He looks humbled when he admits, “I don’t think Cole can keep you safe or give you the dignity you deserve.”

  “Dignity?”

  “He’s a disgraced angel, his wings have been removed. No self-respecting angel will respect you as long as you’re with him. Patryck has not been disgraced. He is we
ll-respected among the angels. He is a more suitable match and you guys have common interests.” He talks about all this like it’s the obvious, logical choice. When has love ever been logical?

  I reach into my pocket and stroke Cole’s wings. I still need to find a new necklace for it. “You’ve been disgraced. Do you plan on my mother to take you back when she is free? Wouldn’t that be stooping low?”

  “Your mother and I have had thousands of years to build our love. She will not care about such matters. If your argument is based off of that then you are just an ignorant child,” he growls at me.

  “I don’t care if I am ignorant.” I stand up as my blood starts to rise to my face. “I am not going to tolerate you interfering with my love life. I choose Cole. I don’t care what he is or what has been done to him. He is the one I love and I want you to accept that.”

  Edmund shakes his head and mutters something about me being an insolent child. “You’re young still,” he starts telling me in a soothing voice. “If you break away from Cole now, it will still hurt but you will heal from it fast. Don’t start your life on the wrong path…”

  “I’m not going to stop loving Cole because you want me to. I came in here to tell you that you need to accept and get onboard with it…”

  “You will not tell me what I have to do! I am your father, Alexis. I’ve tolerated you speaking to me with disobedience in the past but I will not stand for it much longer,” he yells at me. He’s now standing up and getting in my face.

  I am so mad that tears are swelling in my eyes as my balled up hands shake at my side. “You’ve never been my father,” I say through clenched teeth.

  I watch with defiant eyes as his hand jerks as if he means to slap me. He stops himself and his whole body relaxes as if he’s been defeated. “Alexis,” he sighs as his hand comes up to stroke the cheek that he was about to strike. “You are as strong and brave as your mother. You have her temper which is much fiercer than my own.” He pulls me to him in an embrace and crushes me to his chest while smoothing my hair down. I keep my arms to my side, not used to him treating me in this way.