Dothan! The final thought I’d had before slipping into unconsciousness resurfaced. My captor was too strong to have subdued me with such ease. Sure, he was a large man and I was a teenage girl, but still…his incredible strength reminded me of an amplified version of Dothan’s. Unreal. Superhuman.
I glared at him. “You’re Fallen.” I took in his appearance as I waited for his response: straight black hair, on the longer side, but not all one length like Dothan’s; sharp, angular features; a circular, indented scar near his dark eyebrow; two small moles high on his right cheekbone.
His thin lips stretched into a smile. “You’re more informed than I thought.” He shot me an appraising look, his gray-blue eyes flashing.
That wasn’t a denial. A fresh round of icy chills scurried up my spine, mimicking the unpleasant after-effects of the drug. I pressed my arms closer to my body as I fought down the panic. Maybe I shouldn’t have revealed my knowledge. “What do you want from me?”
He cocked his head to the side, tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel. “Well, since you already seem to be in the know…I want the book. And the dagger, and anything else needed to kill an angel. I heard Dothan was searching for the ancient weapons, so I’ve been following him. He seemed to have tracked them to Nathaniel. I’ve been waiting for Dothan to steal them, so I can steal them from him, but I’m starting to think he’s never going to make a move. Apparently I have to move to plan B.”
I shuddered as my mind flashed to all those nights I’d felt someone watching me from the shadowy edges of our yard. “Why didn’t you just try and steal the stuff yourself?”
“I’m not that stupid. Nathaniel’s a powerful archangel, in case you didn’t know. I’m pretty powerful myself—we’d be almost evenly matched in that regard. But as you pointed out, we’re on different sides, and I don’t want to attract the attention of his side. It would have been simple to overpower Dothan and take the weapons from him. No one cares what happens to him.”
My chest tightened. “That’s not true,” I bit out indignantly.
He laughed. “Sorry. You obviously do, and it’s starting to look like the attraction goes both ways. Apparently he’d rather roll around with you than steal the most powerful weapons in the world.”
“He’s not after the qeres anymore. He gave up trying to kill my grandfather.” I twisted my hands beneath the saddle pad, frantically picking at my nails with my limited range of motion.
“Ah, you even know the name. That pretty much confirms all my suspicions. I guess I’m not surprised your boyfriend gave up—he wouldn’t be able to use it anyway. I’d say he was completely useless, but he did at least lead me to Nathaniel. Now it’s just a matter of a simple trade, assuming your grandfather truly cares about you.”
“But he doesn’t have everything!” I clamped my lips together, but the words were out. I wanted to keep him talking—hell, I needed to talk to keep myself from spiraling into a state of complete hysteria—but I didn’t need to point out potential holes in his plan.
His shoulder lifted dismissively. “He’ll find a way to get it. Or Dothan will. He may be weak, but he was clever enough to use you to get to Nathaniel.”
Anger bubbled up, churning in my belly. I forced my drug-addled mind to think. Maybe I could scare him into letting me go. “Nathaniel has friends.”
“If he brings his legions into this, you’re dead. He won’t take that chance. Now, that’s enough chit chat. I’ll tape your mouth closed if you can’t shut up.”
Crap. I’d known he’d shut me down eventually. I stared out the window, trying to pinpoint our location as I processed our conversation.
Judging from the current time, I had to assume this was Catoctin Mountain. The singular term “mountain” made it seem like a small area, but the name was only a product of the fact that this 50-mile-long ridge had no one prominent peak. The area set aside as a national park alone was almost 6,000 acres—I’d ridden Beau along the winding trails many times. Camp David, the Presidential Retreat, was up here, within the park. And then there were all the state, local, and private lands. No one was going to find me here by accident.
So unless I could manage to escape on my own, this man was going to hold me up here until Nathaniel came to my rescue. And Nathaniel was going to have to hand over powerful ancient weapons to a Fallen angel in order to get me back. Hardly seemed like a fair trade.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek as my stomach twisted with guilt. My ransom wouldn’t just cause more trouble for my grandfather—it could potentially alter the balance of power between good and evil. I’d been warned not to get involved with divine matters. And sure, I hadn’t asked to be kidnapped…but did my daily routine have to be so very predictable?
Shivering miserably, I fought back the tears. By now, Dothan would either be concerned for my safety or convinced I’d given up on our challenging relationship. My cell phone had been sitting in the cup holder; it was nowhere to be seen now. Would Dothan eventually try to contact Nathaniel if he suspected something was wrong?
My car bumped along the dirt road, and the man slowed as we climbed further up the mountain. At a barely noticeable break in the woods, he turned left onto an even rougher road. The trees loomed over us, crowding out the sunlight. Dead leaves and underbrush crackled under the tires like old bones.
Sweat gathered along my hairline, trickling down my neck in icy rivulets. I had to believe Nathaniel would rescue me, despite the price. Despite our fight. He’d come.
But until he arrived, I’d be held hostage by a Fallen angel in the middle of nowhere. I hugged myself tighter as a lonely cabin emerged from the shadows. My captor pulled up to the rickety porch, cut the engine, and gave me a wolfish grin.
“We’re here.”
Chapter 32
I twisted my body, trying to find the least painful position on the rough wooden floor. Both sides of my head throbbed—the right side from a forceful punch, and the left side from the impact of the car window. Even though the chain was long enough to allow me to lie down, there was no point. The pressure was too much on my aching wounds.
He’d had everything ready. When he’d led me in, my eyes had immediately flown to the back wall of the small fishing cabin. Exposed pipes ran from what appeared to be a tiny bathroom to meet up with an industrial-looking sink. From there, they went through the floor to a well somewhere. But looped around the pipe was a thick chain, its wide links glittering in the shadows like horrible bracelets.
My own bracelets, the gift from Dothan, pressed into my skin as the man pulled me forward by my bound arms. He switched on a battery-powered lantern sitting on the table in the middle of the room. Aside from the table and its pair of mismatched chairs, the only other pieces of furniture were a cot and a shelving unit by the fireplace.
I cast about wildly for some way to delay being restrained. Physically, I was no match for him, even if my hands had been free. Keep him talking, my inner voice whispered.
“Do you live here?”
He gave a cruel laugh. “In this pit? I prefer electricity. Although this place has a generator for running water, so as far as isolated fishing shacks go, we’ll be living in luxury. But I don’t plan on staying here long, so let’s hope Nathaniel moves quickly.”
Someone owned this place, then. My mind whirled, grasping at hope, but the unlikely scenarios tore apart like cobwebs. No one was coming to their fishing shack on a Tuesday night in October, especially after a holiday weekend. And even if there were other cabins nearby, no one was likely to be there, either. We were utterly alone.
Dragging me forward, the man pushed me down onto my knees in front of the pipes. “Hold out your arms,” he demanded. The chain clanked against the floor as he threaded it between my forearms and snapped a silver padlock through the ends. He jerked at the bindings with a satisfied grunt. “It’s difficult to judge the strength of a human, but I’m pretty sure this will hold you. While I’m out, though…” he trailed off, striding into the bathroom.
<
br /> The moment he was out of sight, I grabbed the chain with my bound hands and pulled against the pipe. My restraints held tight. Was he going to leave me here? My heart slammed against my ribcage as he emerged, carrying another syringe. “No,” I moaned. “Please.”
“I’m not trying to kill you,” he said, pulling the orange cap off with his teeth. The needle glinted in the lantern light. “I need you alive. But I also need you to be here when I get back, and right now I have to go down the mountain so I can make a few calls.”
No cell reception, then. It didn’t really matter—my phone was probably still in my car, headed down the mountain with this man.
“I’m going to assume I’ll find the numbers of all the men who care about you in your contacts. Don’t bother lying; it will just prolong the inevitable. I doubt you want to be here any longer than necessary.”
“They’re in there,” I replied grudgingly.
“Pass code?”
I shook my head. I’d had no secrets until recently.
“Roll over.”
Huh? Panic sliced through me. I could feel my pulse beating behind my eyes as I stared at him.
He gestured with the syringe. “Onto your stomach, with your hands underneath. I’m not going to let you kick me. And if you try, I’ll break your legs.”
I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat. Chained to a pipe, I was at his mercy already—but turning my back to him would put me in an even more vulnerable position.
He took a menacing step forward, planting his tan boot heavily beside my own dusty boots. “Now.”
Scooting away from the pipe, I leaned onto my linked hands and rolled awkwardly to a prone position. My fists dug into my chest as I struggled to control my frantic breaths. Please, I prayed.
His knee pressed across the backs of my thighs, pinning me to the floor. His fingers hooked into the waistband of my leggings, and my stomach rolled at the obscene intimacy of his touch. With a quick tug, he exposed more of my flesh to the cool air. The needle bit into my skin, and I clenched my jaw to keep from screaming. It wouldn’t help.
Seconds ticked by in silence as the drug flowed through my system. My tensed muscles began to relax, and he finally removed the weight of his knee. I fought to stay conscious, but the darkness was closing in. My eyelids grew heavy, and I succumbed to the inevitable oblivion.
When I woke, the man was building a fire. He glanced over at me in the dim light as I squirmed, trying to find a comfortable position. Two more lanterns lent their glow to the one on the center table, but shadows still clung to the corners of the small room. The fire would help with that. But more importantly, maybe it would warm the room up. As the drugs wore off, the deep chills set in, turning the marrow of my bones to ice. I knew it was partly a side effect, but the temperature of the cabin wasn’t helping either. The sun had set, taking the last of the autumn warmth with it. The two windows flanking the front door resembled cold, black eyes.
I shuddered violently as I pulled my knees into my chest. The chains clanked, and the man cut his gaze back over to me. He frowned, grabbing an iron poker beside the fire place.
My heart skidded to a stop. But he just prodded at the flames, pushing more dry logs into the growing blaze. Orange light flickered across his face. Satisfied, he replaced the poker and strode across the room to the cot.
He pulled a dark blue sleeping bag from the bed and dragged it across the floor. Was he going to smother me? I cringed, curling myself into a tighter ball.
With a sigh, he dropped it over my shivering form. “There. I’m not a complete monster.”
I latched on to the nylon material with my numb fingers. “No, you just want to kill angels.” Jamie! my inner voice hissed. A simple “thank you” would have been a more appropriate response, considering the situation here. But I hated this Fallen angel, and I wasn’t going to let myself bond with my captor.
Now he’s going to take the blanket away, I decided mournfully. My tied hands gripped the sleeping bag like a life raft. A gust of wind whistled through the thin walls as I waited.
He stared at me incredulously, then broke into a deep laugh. There was no mirth in the sound, though, and his eyes flashed dangerously in the firelight. “It’s not about killing them,” he said in a low voice. “Although I’ll have no problem with that, when the need arises. It’s about the ability to kill them. The ability to kill any angel, no matter who they’re aligned with. That’s power. And power is what matters most—in all the worlds.”
Turning on his heel, he strode back to the fire, leaving me with both his terrifying words and the sleeping bag. I shrugged the slippery nylon over my body, considering his argument. Unfortunately, it rang true. I didn’t always pay as much attention in class as I should, but I did know history was filled with men who’d committed unconscionable acts in the name of power. Maybe he wouldn’t try to kill Nathaniel, though. Maybe he really only wanted the weapons, and we could all walk out of here alive.
Until the final battle, my inner voice pointed out. I’d read Revelation in the Bible after Dothan mentioned it. And now, with my ransom, I’d be handing a definitive advantage over to the bad guys. Maybe it would be best if Nathaniel just left me here to meet my fate. No, not maybe. Most definitely.
And what would happen then? Surely this man would kill me. Another icy tremor ran through me. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he would never just let me go. Men who took risks like this did not just accept defeat and walk away. Clearly he’d told Nathaniel to come here with the items if he wanted to ever see me alive again. If Nathaniel didn’t show, the Fallen would make good on his threat, if only to spare his pride.
I flinched as logs in the fireplace shifted with a loud crack. Whether or not it was the best course of action, Nathaniel would exchange the weapons for my life. Hopefully, he’d be able to obtain everything he needed—or at least enough to trick this evil angel. Most likely, there were other copies of those ancient books in existence. And multiple daggers. It was entirely possible that both sides had access to these weapons, and this man was just hungry for power in his own right. It would make sense, in terms of a potential battle, for there to be more than one set of deadly weapons. Huddling under the blanket, I allowed this thought to gain strength. At the very least, it helped ease the guilt pounding along with the ache in my head.
Time passed. At one point, he took me to the bathroom. He left my wrists bound, and I struggled with my leggings, humiliated as he watched my every move. After I was chained again, he handed me a granola bar and a plastic bottle of water from the shelf. I desperately wanted to throw the food across the room in a silent protest, but my stomach rumbled at the sight of it. Besides, starving myself wouldn’t help anyone, I decided as I wolfed it down.
Most of the time, the man sat in a chair and watched the fire, and I sat on the floor and watched him. Despite my fear, my eyes began to droop as the hours wore on. And then the sound of a car engine shot a fresh bolt of adrenaline into my veins. Headlights blazed through the windows, illuminating the cabin. The driver cut the engine, along with the lights, and the room returned to its shadowy gloom.
Chapter 33
The man rose from his chair and was by the shelf in one fluid motion. He moved a box aside, revealing the dull gleam of a gun. Curling his fingers around the grip, he positioned himself behind the table to face the door.
My mouth turned to dust as I stared at the gun resting beside my captor’s leg. Of course he’d arm himself with something other than a syringe and his incredible strength, I reminded myself. But seeing the gun, glinting in the firelight, sent panic racing through every nerve in my body. One simple pull of the trigger would be enough to end my life. I hugged my arms to my chest, listening to the creak of footsteps across the rickety porch.
“I’m here, Thomas,” my grandfather’s solemn voice announced through the wooden door.
A shuddering breath escaped my lungs at the familiar sound of his voice. My stomach churned with a strange m
ixture of relief and dread. I wanted to scream at Nathaniel to leave before this man—Thomas—could put him in danger, too; but I desperately wanted him to save me from this nightmare even more. I was a weak, selfish human.
The gun in Thomas’s hand twitched. “Open the door,” he commanded. “But don’t enter the room, or she dies.”
The door swung inward with a rush of cool night air. Nathaniel’s form, solid and formidable, filled the doorway. Two books rested against his left hip; his right hand gripped the handle of the ancient dagger. “I brought everything you asked for.”
“And I have her, as you can see,” Thomas said, flicking the gun toward me. “Safe and sound. But you’re blocking me, which tells me you’re hiding something.”
Nathaniel shrugged. “You’re blocking me, as well. Must be nice to possess that kind of ability without going through the proper channels to earn it.”
Thomas exhaled dismissively. “I’m not interested in your moral proclamations. You’ll have to let me see into your mind, or we’ll stand here all night. I hold all the cards.”
“I don’t know about all the cards. I have the elements here to create the most powerful weapon in the world. That’s something. If you unblock, I will too.”
“That’s not how it’s going to work. I can simply kill her and shoot you. The wound would slow you down enough for me to take what I want…and then you lose everything.”
Nathaniel extended the dagger, pointing the blade straight at Thomas. “You don’t want to come at me while I’m holding this. This dagger has been used since ancient times; the blade is coated with centuries of qeres residue. It might not be enough to kill you. But then again, it might.”
My heart lurched at the proximity of the deadly poison to my grandfather’s skin. I had to remind myself he’d used the weapon before. Possibly even on Dothan’s father. I winced at the unwanted thought. He’d done what he needed to do; just like he was doing now.
“Why should I trust anything you say?” Thomas asked suspiciously. “Unblock your mind.”
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