by J. E. Taylor
“I wasn’t planning on leaving them unprotected,” he said and stared me down.
It took a few seconds for his meaning to sink in. He had the capability to transfer power. He had done it multiple times before.
“Levi stays.” I folded my arms, adopting my most intimidating stance because we both knew one protector wasn’t enough.
“Don’t I get a say in this?” Levi said from his station on the floor.
“No,” both CJ and I said in unison.
“I have my orders,” Levi growled.
I spun on him and pointed. “I am changing them. You are to stay here and make sure everyone in this house remains safe along with whoever CJ deems suitable to have this kind of crazy power.” I was certain I looked like a deranged teacher wagging my finger at a problem student.
Valerie stepped into the house and Michael followed. Kylee had stayed outside on the swing rocking her baby while the three girls continued to kick a soccer ball around the backyard. The sun dipped below the horizon and daylight was fading fast.
“What the hell are you thinking?” Valerie said to CJ, ignoring me as she crossed to stand close enough to encroach on his space.
“I’m thinking someone has to stop that madman, and she isn’t strong enough to go it alone,” CJ replied.
Valerie’s hands clenched as she closed her eyes. “It is still our son in there.”
CJ put his hands on her shoulders and sighed. “It’s been almost six months.”
“He’s still in there!” She broke away from CJ and ran into the bedroom, then slammed the door.
CJ glanced at me and then at Michael. “I’ve got a favor to ask you.”
“I’m going with you,” Michael said.
“No, you aren’t.” He pointed out the window. “I need you to stay and protect them. All of them. Kylee and Alexa included.”
The glare Michael sent was deadly, and his jaw tightened. “We are vulnerable here alone, and you know that better than anyone.”
“Levi will be staying to make sure nothing happens. And if you need to go to the store, you bring everyone. Including the dog. Understand?”
Michael crossed his arms. He looked more like Superman taking a pose against a threat than just a guy hellbent on running to his death.
“You can’t go with us. You’re the last one left,” I said, and his piercing gaze swung in my direction. I swallowed hard at the fury in his gaze.
“My sister is still alive.” His teeth clenched. “As much as she has betrayed all we have stood for, she is still my sister.”
“And she will not lift a finger when he punches a hole in your chest and rips your heart out,” April said as she walked into the room.
We all turned to her. She had that glossy zombie-eyed quality that reminded me of when she’d had the vision at Tom and Bridget’s house. She had passed out then, and when she swayed on her feet now, I moved. But Michael was faster. He caught April as she fainted.
Her words snuck under my skin and I rubbed my arms against the goosebumps. CJ took the opportunity to slip into the bedroom and confront Valerie while Michael laid April on the couch.
Michael turned to me, and his face was less bright, less stubborn than it had been before. “I just...”
“I know. I want him gone as much as you do, but if I can save Alex at the same time, I’m going to try. You would take the shot without giving Alex a chance. That’s if you got close enough.”
“And Grace?” His lips pressed together.
That wasn’t as clear-cut as Alex. I studied my hands for a moment. “If she doesn’t get in our way...” I sucked my lower lip between my teeth and nodded. “I’ll bring her back.” I stopped short at saying alive, because that wasn’t a promise I could make. “But if she attacks us...” I met his gaze.
He slowly nodded. “I get it,” he said, and he seemed resigned to being the last Andreas standing.
Light flared under the bedroom door. I traded a glance with Michael before I bolted to the master bedroom. I swung the door open as the last of the light inside faded and Valerie took a large inhale of air.
“Why?” she asked CJ. Her voice shook and her wide-eyed gaze was glued on him.
“Because having angel grace is dangerous where we’re going,” CJ said. “And I know you’ll give it back when I return.” He leaned in and gently kissed her cheek. “It’s safer with you.”
“You gave her your power?” I asked as I looked between the two of them.
“I gave her enough to keep the family safe, but more importantly, I gave her the archangel grace for safekeeping.” He glanced at me. “You should do the same.”
My mouth popped open and my face heated. I knew I wouldn’t have an issue with Raphael’s grace, but I was certain that Lucifer’s had bonded with me at a cellular level.
“I don't know if I can.” My gaze bounced between the two of them as the rest of my skin heated. I clenched my fists to keep my fingers from sparking as nerves bit relentlessly.
CJ cocked his head, studying me. “You didn't have an issue pulling out Raphael's grace before.”
“I'm not worried about his grace. It's Lucifer's that I don't think I can extract. I think I have the same problem that Tom did.”
The lines in CJ’s face softened. “I know you have the same issue Tom did. I was talking about transferring Raphael's grace,” he said, his voice quiet and calm. “I'm tempted to have you transfer Tom's gifts as well, just in case the worst happens, but my gut is telling me you will need everything you have, especially if we are going to attempt to save my son.”
I crossed close to Valerie. “I agree. And if something does happen, I think you’re right. I shouldn’t walk into battle with more than just Lucifer’s grace.”
I put my hand over my chest and concentrated, remembering CJ’s original instructions about imagining the grace as a power mass in the center of my being. I concentrated on sweeping the pieces into one large and separate power source in my chest, and then I imagined my hand was a magnet pulling the grace out of my body. When I opened my eyes, angel grace shined in my hand. Instead of putting it back inside me, I pushed it towards Valerie’s chest. Her back arched, and her sharp inhale filled the room as did the light dancing over her skin.
The absence of Raphael’s grace left me shaking, and I took an unsteady step backwards. CJ grabbed my upper arm to steady me. I hadn’t realized just how much Raphael’s grace had balanced the darkness of Lucifer’s. Without it, I struggled to push away the raw evil trying to take over every cell.
“Faith?”
CJ’s voice seemed far away, and I shook the fog out of my head. “I’m okay,” I said, but even my voice sounded strained.
How could angel grace be so tainted, so vile-tasting in my mouth?
I shivered and rubbed my arms. I wanted to ask for Raphael’s grace back, because I wasn’t sure if I could handle it. I did not want to end up as warped as my father.
The awe I had for Tom increased tenfold. He had carried around this malevolence for over ten years. I had no idea how the man didn’t go dark. I now understood his insistence that I never give into it because it was as overwhelming as drinking poison.
“Maybe we should...”
I glared at CJ, and he stopped talking and just put his hands up, stepping away.
“You’re the one with the doubts,” he said.
I hated that he could read me so easily.
“If Tom could do it...” I inhaled. “I can do it.” I brushed away my worries and focused on building a wall between my soul and the darkness assaulting it.
Chapter 4
At first light, CJ knocked on my door. “Time to go.”
I rolled away from the door and stared at the wall. Today would either end up in triumph, disappointment, or death. All things considered, I’d rather stay in bed, thank you very much.
CJ banged his palm against the wood. “Up. Now!”
“Fine. I’m moving.” I rolled off the bed, obeying his sharp orde
r.
By the time I finished getting dressed and throwing a few things in an overnight suitcase for our unwanted adventure, I stepped into the living room. Michael came out of his room and crossed to the kitchen. He poured a coffee and sat down on the couch without even a nod of acknowledgement to either me or CJ.
I guess he wasn’t a morning person.
“Are you good?” CJ asked from the kitchen. He glanced over his shoulder at me.
I bit my lower lip and nodded. “We need to have some sort of plan for Valerie to know if things go sideways.”
“We talked about that last night. I promised to call or text her every hour.” He turned to Michael. “If Val doesn’t hear from me for more than three hours, something is wrong, and I need you to assume the worst. If that happens, you need to take them to Kylee’s. Understand?”
Michael crossed his arms. “I’ll send them all to Kylee’s, but then I’m going after Lucifer myself.”
CJ looked at the floor and nodded. “That’s your funeral, but I need you to assure me that you will make sure Val and the kids are safe before you barrel off to your death.”
Michael’s jaw tightened.
“I will make sure they are safe,” Levi said from behind Michael, his deep baritone voice nearly shaking the walls in the cottage.
“Thank you,” CJ said to Leviathan and then nodded for me to follow him outside.
“Maybe they should go west anyway,” I said before he unlocked the garage and lifted the door.
CJ neglected to answer, but the dusty little BMW roadster took my focus away from what I had been saying anyway.
“Are we taking that?” I pointed at the sporty little car, and a thrill of excitement raced over my skin.
The way he grinned reminded me of Alex, and my heart stalled in my chest for a blink before it resumed beating. His smile faded just as quickly. Sadness flared in his eyes, and he looked away, busying himself with toweling off the dust.
“This was Steve’s car,” he said, referring to the man who had adopted him and Tom. “When he died, we brought it here.”
I stared as each swipe cleared off a crystal blue patch. When he finished with the outside, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, then held them out to me.
“Can you move our van out of the way?” He pointed at the van blocking the garage.
“Sure.” I took the keys and moved the van to the other side of the driveway behind Michael’s car. When I stepped back into the garage, I asked, “Is this the only set of keys you have?”
He looked out from the passenger seat. “Hmm?”
“For the van. Does Val have keys, too?”
“Yes. We each have a set.” He climbed out of the car and took the keys from me. “I need to charge the battery.”
He dropped the dust-ridden rag on the workbench in the back of the garage and took a seat on the driver’s side of the car. He moved the manual gear to the center before he made sure the emergency brake was tight.
He got out and held the door for me. “When I tell you to turn the car on, press the brake and turn the key.” He pointed at the manual shift. “Don’t touch the gears.”
“Yes, sir,” I said and saluted at the bark in his command.
“Don’t be a wise ass.” He closed the door on me and walked to the front, then popped the hood.
The air tingled around me, and I realized CJ was using his energy to charge the battery and not jumper cables. My mouth dropped open.
“Turn the car over,” he said.
I turned the key, and the engine whined before puttering out.
“Turn it off again,” CJ called from the front.
I could see a little of the engine under the hood opening. CJ’s hands came into view a few times, and then that familiar twang of energy filled the air. I felt it hum through the car frame itself.
“Again,” he called.
I turned the key, and this time the engine roared to life. The entire car rumbled with it and I smiled. CJ slammed the hood shut and came around to the driver’s door.
“Let it run while I go pack a few things.” He peeked at the gas gauge and then turned, leaving me to rev the engine like a race car driver at the starting line.
I studied the interior of the car. CJ hadn’t done a very good job cleaning, so I reached over and opened the glove box, hoping to find a stash of napkins. What sat in the dark space made me sit up fast. A nine-millimeter gleamed in the small space. Underneath it sat a stack of white fast-food restaurant napkins, and I gingerly pulled out a couple.
I polished the dashboard and the inside of the windshield, wiping away the rest of the dust that CJ had missed and then sat back, studying my more diligent work. My gaze dropped to the stick shift. I studied the gears tattooed on the shift head, memorizing where reverse was in relation to the rest.
Tom’s truck had been an automatic, and so had my mother’s car. I’d never driven a manual shift, and the thought filled me with both apprehension and exhilaration.
I closed my eyes and rifled through the cabinet of Tom’s memories. Steve had taught both Tom and CJ how to drive a standard transmission when they were fifteen.
By the time CJ came out to the car with his bag and a few other items, I felt like I could implement the instructions I’d seen in Tom’s memories. I guess CJ knew I had been looking at my stash again, because instead of taking over the driver’s seat after he closed the trunk, he went directly to the passenger seat and belted himself in. He handed me a cell phone.
“Since yours is shot. I figured Alex won’t mind.” He nodded towards the phone. “The passcode is six-seven-one.”
I stared at the phone, and my throat tightened. I slid it in my pocket while he programmed his with the first address we were heading to. When he finished, he lifted an eyebrow and waved towards the gear shift as if to say be my guest.
“Oh.” I didn’t expect him to really let me drive this car. “Really?” I asked after a tense second.
“Yes. Most kids these days don’t have a clue how to drive a standard. It’s a good thing to know, especially if something happens to me. You won’t be stranded. So, go ahead. Drive.”
I blinked, unsure of where to start. His approach to teaching me to drive was very different than Tom’s. Tom had walked through every little thing. CJ just waved me ahead like anything he would say would fall on deaf ears.
He crossed his arms. “You were pretty confident you could do this. Besides, me repeating Steve’s instructions would just irritate you.” He taunted me with pursed lips as if challenging me to say otherwise.
Unnerved by his honesty, I adjusted the seat and mirrors and took a deep breath. I pushed down on the clutch and brake, released the emergency brake, and pressed down on the gear shift, moving it down and to the right, mimicking the sign for reverse on the shift. The leather grips on the steering wheel felt foreign as did pressing something with my left foot. I released the brake and put my right foot on the gas. The engine revved, and I released the clutch.
The car lurched backwards, and once I was clear of the cars, I turned the wheel and pressed the clutch back in. I found first gear at the farthest left forward gear and did the same with the gas and clutch. Except this time, the car jerked and sputtered. The engine stalled.
Dimples appeared in CJ’s cheek, and he looked away. “It’s not as easy as it seemed, is it?”
“No,” I said and wiped my face.
“There’s a cadence between the clutch and the gas. As you are releasing the clutch, you press on the gas at the same velocity. Sometimes fast shifts like you just tried to do will stall the engine, especially between backing up and going forward again or vice versa.”
His cocky tone made me want to wipe that amused smile off his face. Mensa or not, he could be annoying.
“Clutch in and turn on the car again.” He waved to the keys.
This time when I released the clutch, I did it slower and pushed the gas at the same pace. The rolling start was smooth. Shifting t
o second was easy, too. I didn’t stall out once on our way to the highway.
“Are we meeting Josh?” I asked.
“No, we’re driving. I need the time to get my head around this.” He glanced out the window, much more relaxed than Tom had ever been when I was in the driver’s seat. He smiled at me. “In case you hadn’t noticed, Tom and I have very different personalities.”
“Yeah. You’re cocky confident, and he was always second-guessing himself.”
The mood in the little car sobered, and he nodded. “Tom was always more wild and daring than I ever was, though.”
“And yet you went after Lucifer by yourself,” I reminded him.
“Yep. I was young and stupid, thinking because I had all this power inside me, that I could win against a graceless Lucifer. I never bet on him having an army of demons at his disposal.”
“Do you think if it was just the two of you, you would have won?”
He stared out the windshield with his brow scrunched. He rubbed his right arm, shivering at his own memories. “I don’t know.” He glanced at me. “There are too many ifs there. If there weren’t demons. If I had been able to use my power on his turf. If I had known I had angel fire in me. Way too many ifs to be able to give you any sort of intelligent answer beyond the fact that if Damian hadn’t shown up when he did, I would have died.”
My heart plummeted. If he didn’t believe he could have won back then...
“Stop that.” His glare shut down my thoughts more than his admonishment. His jaw tightened. “You need to learn to shut off access to your thoughts.”
I concentrated on driving. “Why?”
“Because if you don’t, Lucifer will know you are around. Some of his demons will, too. I know Valerie explained static to you. But I don’t think she told you how to block someone from your thoughts.”
“We were kind of more focused on getting the memories in my head sorted.”
He let out a small laugh. “I guess that was a little more pressing,” he conceded under his breath. “Well, think of this as another lesson in self-preservation.” He rubbed his hands together.