by Hope, Anne
Adrian wished he could do the same. His lungs began to ache, as did every joint in his body. The pain was excruciating, confirming a well-known fact: His kind wasn’t meant to swim. If he hadn’t been convinced before, he was now.
A mirthless chuckle shook his chest. His name meant “man of the seacoast”, which was pretty damn ironic since water was designed to kill him. He’d have to thank his mother someday for her twisted sense of humor, assuming he came out of this alive.
Blackness fringed the edges of his vision, struggled to close in on him, but Adrian pushed it back. He couldn’t succumb to it, couldn’t let the river take him just yet. Not before he found Angie. She could be hurt or knocked out cold. Once he located her and ensured she was safe, he’d surrender to the water, let it wash away his sins and cleanse him of the darkness that owned him.
But for now, he had to keep fighting.
The current was more powerful than he’d expected. It was swift, determined to pull him out to sea. Adrian beat his arms and legs harder, the way he’d seen the driver do. He was stronger than the average human, and the action had the desired effect. He began to sluice through the water.
The longer he stayed down here, the more his eyes adjusted to the blackness. Several feet below, he caught sight of the fence. Angie was trapped beneath it. She wrestled against it but couldn’t get free.
Adrian’s heart kicked his ribs. Ignoring the pain in his limbs, fighting wave after wave of weakness, he swam toward her, hooked his fingers in the metal mesh and yanked the heavy structure off her.
Angie gratefully sprang free from the metal trap, her hair undulating around her pale face, her eyes deep and troubled as she gazed toward the distant surface.
A gasp trickled from her lips, and air bubbled around her. She’d never make it out. She was too far down. Considering how long she’d been underwater, whatever oxygen she’d stored inside her was probably depleted.
But Adrian wasn’t human, and that gave him an advantage. He needed only a fraction of the oxygen she did and could hold his breath much longer. Bracketing her face, he covered her mouth with his and expelled his last puff of air into her lungs.
Angie’s eyes rounded in surprise as Adrian released her. The current greedily swept in and yanked him back. He no longer had the strength to fight it. Darkness rolled over him, sucked him into its familiar depths. Holding on to the image of Angie’s face, hoping to take it with him to the grave, he surrendered himself to the irresistible call of the river.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kyros waited upon the ruined pedestrian walkway for Angelica Paxton’s soul to rise from the dark bowels of the East River, his gut clenched with anticipation. His nephew’s life-force had already escaped him once. There was no way he’d allow it to escape him again. This time, he would obliterate it.
Too bad Adrian wouldn’t be around to witness the act. Kyros would’ve liked nothing better than to see the devastation on his nephew’s face, but the fool boy had gone and thrown himself into the river. He shook his head in bafflement. A Hybrid’s ability to form bonds so powerful as to willingly bring forth one’s own destruction never failed to mystify him.
He thanked the fates he was soulless. Only cold, rational intellect ruled him. Never would he sacrifice his existence for the sake of another. That wasn’t how he was made.
What was taking so long? The woman should be dead by now. The steel fence should’ve pinned her to the ground at the bottom of the river. Not only that, but these currents were wild, impossible to navigate. Or so he’d heard. A thread of concern unwound within him. Adrian couldn’t have saved her. The water would’ve incapacitated him upon impact. Frigid paralysis should’ve set in and drowned him.
Why then was the girl’s soul not rising from the river?
Familiar energy closed in around him, and Kyros’s back stiffened in response. Someone was coming. A Watcher. He’d tussled with Cal’s dogs often enough to recognize the subtle shift in the atmosphere when one of them approached.
Kyros spat out a string of foul oaths. What business did a Watcher have here? Cal couldn’t have heard of the accident on the bridge already. News traveled fast in this city, but not that fast.
One thing was certain—he couldn’t stick around and wait to be discovered. Not with one of his enemies so near, armed with lethal angel’s blood and driven by the desire to kill. He had to get out of here. Fast.
Gazing longingly at the raging waters below, he accepted the miserable truth that—despite his best efforts—his nephew’s soul had slipped from his grasp a second time.
Epilogue
The townhouse in Spokane, Washington, was nothing like her penthouse in New York, but Angie had never felt more at home. Sheer curtains covered the wide expanse of windows, a large fireplace with a limestone mantelpiece graced the sparsely furnished living room, and warm, honey-colored hardwood floors stretched beneath her bare feet.
She gazed out the window at the vastness that surrounded her. Besides the few even rows of identical townhouses that made up the development, there wasn’t another home for miles. What a change from the busy streets of Manhattan, where a person could barely turn without bumping into someone.
The rest of the townhouses were vacant, and as far as she could tell Adrian intended to keep them that way. She’d never met anyone who valued his privacy more. For that reason, he’d purchased the entire development by selling all the priceless antiques he’d collected over the years.
Powerful arms unexpectedly slipped around her middle, and she smiled. “I thought you were out taking a walk.” He loved to explore the wild, wooded area that hemmed them in, to absorb the tranquility the forest offered. For the first time since she’d known him, Adrian was at peace.
“You know I can’t stay away from you for long.”
Pivoting on her heels, she turned into his embrace. She touched his rough cheek, gazed into eyes as deep blue as the ocean at midnight. Three months had passed since their dip in the East River, and she still couldn’t forget how close she’d come to losing him.
He’d sacrificed everything to save her, including his last breath of air. Angie had taken his final gift and used it to pull them both to the surface. Every day since, she thanked her parents for all the swimming lessons they’d forced on her. The East River could be wild, the current swift enough to pull an inexperienced swimmer out to sea in no time flat. A handful of people drowned in those waters every year.
She wasn’t sure what had helped her propel them both up—adrenaline, fear or some higher power—but whatever it was, she was grateful for it. When she’d broken through the river’s glassy surface, she’d quickly realized there weren’t all that many places in the channel where one could climb out, and there was only so far she could swim with her arm hooked around an unconscious Adrian. Then there was the risk of hypothermia. Winter frost had given way to spring, the waters warming some in anticipation of summer, but that hadn’t changed the fact that the river had been ice cold.
When she’d seen a man standing on the bridge, she’d frantically waved to him, trying to signal him from below. At the time, she’d had no idea that the man in question was Adrian’s father, Marcus. She’d known only that he wasn’t Kyros.
Marcus had called the Coast Guard, who’d come within minutes and fished her, Adrian and the pickup-truck driver from the river. The Watcher had then erased both the Coast Guard’s and the motorist’s memory with nothing more than a concentrated thought, determined to ensure that the incident be kept secret. Kyros could never learn they’d survived. As far as the world was concerned, Angie and Adrian had died that night.
Only Marcus, the Watcher’s leader, Cal, and Angie’s mother knew the truth. It hadn’t been easy to convince Tina to let her daughter move clear across the continent, but ultimately she’d come around. She’d had no choice.
“My mother called,” Angie told Adrian. “Both she and the baby are doing fine.”
He cupped her head, buried his finge
rs in her hair and lifted it so he could plant a kiss on the side of her neck. His lips felt smooth and warm and so familiar her heart squeezed. “That’s great news,” he whispered. “In a few months, the wait will finally be over.”
The amnio had confirmed that the baby was indeed a match, which meant the infant’s stem cells had the potential to cure Angie. Her mother had been right all along, her blind hope justified. Now all Angie had to do was stay healthy until her sister came into the world.
She inched closer to Adrian, resting her cheek against his wide chest. His hands glided down her back to settle at her waist. When she angled her face up to look at him, he swooped down and captured her lips in a blazing-hot kiss. She tasted the pine-scented air on his tongue, an enticing blend of nature and man. His skin smelled of the earth and carried a hint of wildness. She filled her lungs with the soothing scent of him as she drank deeply from his mouth. When he kissed her this way, it made her believe anything was possible, that this moment could go on forever.
It took the unexpected chime of the doorbell to snap her out of her trance. Adrian jerked back, and she intuitively knew he was tunneling his vision to see who stood on the other side of the door. It still amazed her how he could do that.
“I don’t believe it.” His brows furrowed in either surprise or confusion. “How did he find us?”
Angie stiffened at his words. “Who is it?”
“Eddie.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Eddie?” She hadn’t seen the youth in months, since he’d gotten shot and killed at the halfway house. Angie had been heartbroken when Adrian had told her the news, until he’d explained to her that Eddie was a Hybrid. Like Adrian’s, the boy’s death had only been a rebirth.
Adrian shot a concerned look at the door. “It might be best if you go upstairs.”
“Why?”
“He’s not human anymore. If Marcus failed to recruit him, then that means the kid went rogue.” His chiseled features sharpened. “Rogues crave souls, and last time I checked, yours was pretty damn compelling.”
“Eddie wouldn’t hurt me.”
“We can’t be sure of that. Chances are he doesn’t remember either one of us. When a Hybrid turns, his past life is wiped clean. He’s not the Eddie you knew.” The doorbell rang a second time.
Angie met his determined gaze with one of her own. “I’m staying.” Back when she’d volunteered at Reach, she’d taken a similar risk each and every day. She hadn’t been afraid then, and she had no intention of living in fear now.
With an exasperated sigh, Adrian headed to the door. The second he opened it, Eddie came barreling in, a tortured look on his face. “Are you Adrian?”
Even though Adrian had warned her about Eddie’s amnesia, it still came as a shock.
“Yes,” Adrian replied, strategically positioning himself between her and the newly turned Hybrid.
“Marcus told me where to find you. Said to come to you if I ever needed any help.”
Angie couldn’t believe how much Eddie had changed. His frame was wider, his features rougher, his jaw more pronounced. He looked like he’d aged three years in three months.
“Can’t imagine why he’d do that,” Adrian countered. “Knowing Marcus, he would’ve done everything in his power to recruit you.”
“He did, but I don’t want to join the Watchers. I’m not a soldier. I don’t want to fight any goddamn war. I just want to be left alone. Can’t you understand that?”
Adrian’s features softened. “Yeah, I can.”
A wild look came into Eddie’s eyes. “But I don’t want to be a monster, either. I don’t want to kill.” His voice rang with desperation and a hint of hysteria.
Adrian’s broad back hardened to steel. “You’ve recently fed.” It wasn’t a question. It was an accusation.
Eddie averted his eyes in shame. “Yes, and I hate it. Hate what I’ve become. That’s why I tracked you down. Marcus said you can teach me how to control it. Control the darkness. He said if I don’t join the Watchers, you’re my only hope.”
Angie slid from behind Adrian, revealing her presence to Eddie. With lightning-quick reflexes, Adrian extended his arm and pushed her back.
Eddie watched in shock as Adrian fought to safeguard her from him. “I’m not going to hurt her,” he said, horrified. “I only take souls that are corrupt or diseased.”
Like Adrian used to. Maybe his teachings were still in there somewhere, guiding Eddie, even if he didn’t remember them.
“But I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep it up,” Eddie tagged on after a short pause. “You have to help me.”
Angie slid her arm around Adrian’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze. His biceps flexed beneath her palm as tension snaked through him. “Not sure that’s such a great idea.”
A broken expression claimed Eddie’s ragged face. “I have nowhere else to go.”
Angie’s throat tightened at the anguish she caught in his voice. “You can stay here at the development,” she offered, ignoring the scalding stare Adrian directed her way. “All the other townhouses are vacant. I’m sure we can accommodate you in one of them.”
Eddie’s features brightened. “Thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Adrian stood statue-still, refusing to speak. Angie gave him an encouraging nudge. The storm brewing in his eyes told her she’d only be digging herself in deeper if she said or did anything else, but she didn’t care. Releasing Adrian’s arm, she headed to the console in the living room, where Adrian had stashed all the keys. She selected a set randomly and tossed it to Eddie.
“You’ll need to furnish the place,” she told him. “But once you do, it’ll feel like home. It’s quiet out here, safe and remote.”
Tears glistened in Eddie’s eyes. It was strange to see such a big man cry, disconcerting and humbling. “Thank you.” He choked on the words. “I’ll make you both proud.”
Gripping the keys like a lifeline, he turned and walked out the door, leaving Angie alone with a fuming Adrian.
“What the hell were you thinking?” He stalked toward her, his lips set in a flat, disapproving line. “Eddie can’t stay here.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s a Rogue.” Panic laced his tone. “Just being around him puts you in danger.”
“He promised not to hurt me.” She wouldn’t turn her back on someone in need. She couldn’t.
“He won’t be able to control himself. And even if by some miracle he does, the dark energy he emits could damage you, damage your soul.”
“I’m around you every day, and I’m fine,” she argued.
“That’s different. Your soul once belonged to me, which provides you with some kind of immunity. But you weren’t immune to Kyros, and chances are you won’t be immune to Eddie either.”
“We don’t know that.” She exhaled in frustration. “And even if you’re right, we can’t just turn our backs on him. He needs our help.”
Defeat crawled over his face. “I know.” He walked up to her and tenderly cupped her cheek. “But my first priority is to keep you safe.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Angie fused her body to his. “You worry too much.” She sprinkled tender kisses along his throat. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Adrian groaned, and not with pleasure. “Don’t talk to me about bridges. If I never cross another bridge again, it’ll be too soon.”
A mirthful laugh echoed from her chest, and she planted a heartfelt kiss on his mouth. “You were born for a purpose, Adrian,” she reminded him. “And that purpose extends far beyond me. You’re meant to help people. People like Eddie. He needs your guidance, and I’m sure he’s not the only one. Think of what you could accomplish if you set your mind to it. Think of all the lives you could change.”
Resistance crept into his bones, and his body grew rigid against hers. “I don’t want to change anyone’s life. All I want is to be with you.”
Angie barely heard him as an
idea took shape in her mind. “We could start an outreach program right here in Spokane, recruit others like Eddie.” She extricated herself from his arms and began pacing back and forth in the foyer, her bare feet gliding across the shimmering hardwood floor. “We can house everyone here, in the development, offer counseling sessions.”
Adrian gripped her by the arm and pulled her to him, trapping her against his body again. “You’re nuts, you know that?”
She gave him her most radiant smile. “That’s what you love about me. Admit it.”
“Nope.” He held her so tight she labored to draw breath. Her lungs felt crushed beneath the weight of his hard chest. “I love a lot of things about you, but that’s definitely not one of them.” His mouth claimed hers once more, and her next protest died on her lips.
She melted against him, letting him sweep her off her feet and into his powerful arms, his mouth doing things to hers that threatened to blast every last thought from her head. Before she succumbed to the power of his molten kisses, she made one final promise to herself. She would win him over to her way of thinking. Adrian had a destiny, and she would make sure he fulfilled it, no matter what it took.
He carried her to the couch, where he spread her out beneath him. Gazing down at her with the oddest look on his face, he touched his finger to the pendant she always wore around her neck. The one that had led him to her that fateful evening on the bridge.
“I still can’t believe I didn’t lose this in the East River.” He spoke about the pendant, but Angie suspected he was secretly referring to her. They’d come so close to losing each other that night, and that sad truth only made them cherish the time they had together all the more.
“I guess my mother was right,” she said with a note of wonder. “The wings really did save me. They brought me you.” Smiling up at him with all the love in her heart, she pulled his face to hers and whispered sweetly against his mouth, “My very own dark angel.”