Jake tried to swing at her, but it lacked conviction. It was all he could do to avoid her surprisingly powerful blows. Shelly jumped in the air again and landed behind his back. She grabbed a hold of his wings and yanked them in and up.
Pain exploded behind Jake’s back. It started where the wings were attached and spread throughout his body. He couldn’t move. Hell, he couldn’t think, it hurt so bad. “Defend yourself!” she growled at him. Jake commanded his body to move, but it just wasn’t in the mood to listen to him. She yanked harder on his wings and Jake felt something in himself snap. His vision took on a red hue and something gave him the strength to reach over his own head and behind him.
He knew when he felt the silk of Shelly’s hair in his hand and pushed his arm further until he had the back of her neck in his hand. He closed his fingers around her slender neck and pulled her over his head. Shelly didn’t weigh much to begin with, and combined with his body’s need to be pain free, it was like lifting a feather through the air. She sailed over his head and landed with a thud on the floor. Jake growled as he shifted his shoulders, allowing his wings to settle back in their appropriate place.
Shelly brushed her hair out of her face with one hand and smiled. “Now that’s more like it,” she cheered as she got to her feet. The horde of demons cheered louder. “Again.” And she came at him again. His eyes were glowing red and his face had taken on a serious look that made her insides simmer. If she had thought he was nice to look at before, he was breathtaking now. He radiated with power that he didn’t realize he had.
Jake couldn’t shake the red tint from everything he saw. He saw Shelly coming for him and he was ready. She faked a punch to his face but dropped at the last second, kicking her leg out and swiping it around. She connected with his shins, but he didn’t budge. It was as if he turned the pain receptors in his body off.
He pushed at her, causing her to stumble backward, but she came again. She flashed herself from one point to another, never staying where Jake could get his hands on her. Then, she appeared behind him. She reached up and fisted his hair in her hand, yanking his head back. She had a dagger in her hand and pressed it to his throat. “If you were human, you would dead now,” she growled at him.
“I am human,” Jake replied as Shelly released him.
“Is that what you think?” she asked, coming around his body to face him. His eyes had returned to their normal color and his features were relaxed. “You think you’re human?”
Jake nodded.
“Ugh,” Shelly groaned, throwing her hand in the air. “Ash,” she called out, “fix him.”
Ash stepped forward. “You are not human anymore,” he told Jake. “You are an angel. An Elite Warrior.” He hefted an enormous sword into the air and threw it at Jake. “Now fight like one.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jake caught the sword as it sailed to him. It was heavy, yes, but he found that he could handle it. The handle was made of ivory and fit his hand as if it had been made for him. He looked down the perfectly weighted blade and saw that it was honed to a razor sharp edge. It was deadly.
“Antonio!” Ash commanded, and Antonio stepped into the ring. The gathered demons fell into a hush as Antonio pulled a similar sword from his hip.
“My turn,” the angel said to Jake. The warrior’s hair had been tied back behind his neck and the light glinted off his chain mail covered chest. His dark eyes had gone from laughing and playful to serious and lethal. Jake had no doubt that playtime was over. They had let the women spar with him only to get him riled up. This was where his real training would begin. “I won’t take it easy on you,” Antonio said with a feral grin that showed his sharp fangs. This man was not just an angel. He had been a predator in life as well.
Jake’s stomach turned to lead as dread filled his veins. He was going to die. Again. He knew it. His pity party was cut short though, because Antonio made his move. He lunged for Jake with the tip of his sword. Jake didn’t have time to move. The blade sliced easily into his torso like a hot knife through butter.
Pain burned him from the inside out. Antonio pulled his blade back and Jake looked down at himself. He expected to see his blood rushing from his body, but there was none. He did have a cut where the blade had connected, but it was closing fast. He looked up at Antonio and then to Ash. Both men were smiling.
“How? What? This is…” Jake stammered.
“I told you,” Ash said, “you’re an angel. Now learn to fight!”
Jake grinned and Antonio moved to strike him again. This time, Jake was prepared and lifted his sword to block him. The sound of metal against metal clashed and echoed in the caverns. The crowd of spectators went wild with cheers.
Jake saw Antonio swing sideways and he spun around to meet the blow. Their swords hit so hard that it vibrated all the way up Jake’s arm and rattled his teeth, but he didn’t dare lose concentration. He now knew that it would take a lot to kill him, but he was sure it was still possible. Over and over again, Antonio came at him, and Jake blocked it each time. The sounds of their sparring session rang throughout the caverns. Jake felt like a knight from the medieval ages. He felt like King Arthur. He felt invincible.
He blocked another blow with his blade but Antonio had other plans. His fist connected with Jake’s face with a force that knocked him back. He stumbled over his own feet and damn near fell. The demons cheered and Jake felt his ears burning with embarrassment. He felt his embarrassment turn to anger. He was going to kill that angel.
Jake leapt forward and tried to cut Antonio off at the knees, but the angel jumped out of the way. He took flight and forced Jake to follow suit. He leapt into the air and spread his wings. Around and around Antonio flew with Jake hot on his heels. “Land damn it,” Jake shouted at him.
The only response he got was laughter, which pissed him off more. That red hue was back again. Jake could feel his emotions boiling under the surface of his skin. He was getting more and more frustrated the longer he couldn’t catch that damn angel.
Maybe the fucker would fly too close to that wall of fire and catch fire himself, Jake thought. That would be fun. And that was when Jake saw it. Fire was licking up the sides of the cavern, moving across the ceiling.
Antonio landed and looked around. “Whoa,” he said.
“Bout time,” Jake muttered and swooped down for the kill.
“Wait!” Antonio shouted.
Jake stopped and hovered above him.
“Did you do this?” he asked, pointing at the fire that was quickly spreading.
Jake looked around, mesmerized by the flames. Orange and yellow flames, beautiful and graceful, were moving like a caress against the stone walls. Jake thought for them to move over the ceiling and they did. He thought for them to move back and they obeyed. He was controlling the fire!
“Holy shit,” Jake said in awe.
“Could you put it out?” Antonio asked, wiping his brow. “It’s kind of hot.”
Jake smiled and in his mind, commanded the fire out. It shrank until it was nothing but a low burn and then winked out completely. “Guess we know what you can do,” Antonio grinned. “Freaking fire bug.”
Jake grinned down at Antonio. Wait. Down? That was when he realized that he had been flying. Flying! It was also when he remembered that he didn’t know how to fly and his wings immediately stopped working.
Jake fell to the ground in an ungraceful heap. “Ow.”
Laughter erupted from all around him, but Jake couldn’t get upset. Hell, he would have laughed his ass off too.
“That was fun,” Ash said, and the caverns went quiet again. They knew better than to speak while their leader was speaking. “But now it's my turn.” He pulled his own sword and lowered his head. That was all the warning Jake got before Ash was on top of him.
Jake desperately fended of one blow after another. Ash wasn’t messing around. Jake knew that if he gave his new boss an opening, his head would be disconnected from his body. Jake’s arm’s burn
ed from the weight of his blade, but he didn’t dare cry uncle. He had never lost a fight in his life and he wasn’t about to start now.
Ash finally dropped his blade and it clattered to the floor. Jake breathed in a sigh of relief, thinking it was over. He was wrong. Ash had been toying with him. Now it was serious. Jake knew it because his leader had begun to growl, low in his throat. Then his eyes turned red. As if that weren't enough, Ash’s skin broke out in black flames. They danced over his skin on a low simmer.
Jake took a step back.
“Now we shall see what you are really made of,” Ash growled in a voice that wasn’t his own. It almost sounded like two different people talking at the same time. With only a thought, Ash tossed Jake’s body across the caverns. He slammed into the wall and dropped to the ground. Ash flicked his finger and Jake was on his feet again.
Ash stalked toward him. Jake had no idea what to do! The man was a walking, talking nightmare! The man’s eyes were glowing like hot coals and his wings were spread out behind him like a black curtain of doom. And those flames! They looked like evil incarnate. He had thought that Ash was good, but now he was having some serious doubts. As the alleged angel stalked toward him, Jake found himself wishing that those black flames would go out. Maybe then he would look less like death itself.
Ash’s skin returned to skin and the flames did go out. Jake breathed a sigh of relief until his saw Ash’s face. It was confused. Ash had not put them out, which meant…
The caverns dropped into complete silence. No one dared to breathe as Ash looked from himself to Jake and back again. His confusion was replaced by rage. His eyes glowed brighter and he continued his forward movement, this time hell bent on revenge.
“Oh, shit,” Antonio called out from somewhere Jake didn’t see. He didn’t dare look away from Ash. “All hell’s gonna break loose now. You better run, dude!”
Jake didn’t have time to run before Ash was all over him. Jake found himself pinned to the wall by the power of Ash’s mind. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think.
“Don’t you ever,” Ash growled, “ever put my fire out again.” The black flames returned with a fury. They licked over Ash’s skin like a lover’s caress. Jake could feel the heat off them and knew he was in some deep shit. The devil himself was pissed off and Jake had done it. Or, the new devil. Whatever, it didn’t matter because Jake’s afterlife and this whole new angel thing was about to be cut very short.
“Nod if you understand me,” Ash growled in his face. “Never.”
Jake couldn’t move, much less nod. He willed the muscles in his neck to move, but all he got was a twitch.
“I will squeeze the life right out of you with only a thought,” Ash continued. “Now fucking nod!”
“Honey,” Elizabeth said quietly, “you have to let him move or he can’t nod.” She had snuck up on them with silent feet and approached in the midst of Ash’s fury. She was not afraid though, and Jake saw why. As soon as she spoke, Ash’s eyes lost some of their fury and he backed away from Jake. Thank God for that woman, because he was pretty sure she just saved his ass. Jake took the opportunity to nod his head like a fucking bobble head doll. He did a quick, silent check of his body to make sure nothing was broken or missing. Or that he hadn’t done something unforgivable like pissed his pants. Lord knew his body had been thinking about it.
“Good,” Ash said, turning away from Jake and allowing him his free will again. “Now, go see Mali about your assignment.”
CHAPTER NINE
Jake was never going to get used to traveling at the speed of thought. It was disorienting at best. It made him nauseous and dizzy. He shook his head and focused his eyes, willing his stomach into submission. Jake took in his surroundings and realized that he was indeed, back on Earth. He was standing in front of a house. It was a small one-story home nestled in the heart of a neighborhood that could have been anywhere in middle class USA. The shrubs around the front of the house were neatly trimmed and the walkway was lined with small flowers.
He had landed himself in suburbia.
“Quaint, isn’t it?” Antonio asked from right behind Jake. He jumped and spun around.
“Give a guy a heart attack next time,” Jake muttered.
“Sorry. I was just making sure you found the place all right.” Antonio moved to stand beside him. “No worries, no one can see you standing here like a stalker.”
“Good to know,” Jake said under his breath. Because stalking was definitely something he wanted to add to his work experience. “Why am I stalking her?”
“Because the boss man told you to,” Antonio answered.
“Am I supposed to keep her safe? Is someone after her? I don’t get it.”
“Your assignment is to watch her,” Antonio reminded him. “And report back to Ash. He can’t keep his eyes open on everything all the time.”
“I get that but...” Jake started, but a noise from inside the house gave him pause. “What the hell was that?” he asked.
Antonio shrugged. “Let’s go find out,” he said and flashed himself into the house. Jake followed.
He was surprised at how easily he was catching on. He was getting used to traveling, even if it did make him sick, and he was getting used to the wings on his back. It was as if they had always been there. He didn’t dwell for too long on that though, because once he was inside the home, he could plainly see what was going on and that made him sick in a whole different way.
***
“You are useless!” the man snarled. The woman, Lucy, Jake presumed, was sitting on her haunches in the corner of the room, hiding her face behind her hands. “All I asked for was some dinner!” the man continued shouting. “Something edible! And then you try to feed me this shit?” he slammed a pan full of fried chicken onto the floor. Hot grease went everywhere. “You trying to poison me?” he snapped.
“No,” she cried out. “I just thought...”
“No,” he interrupted her. “You don’t think. You just do what I say. I can’t believe that after I have it in me to marry your sorry ass that you couldn’t show a little more appreciation. What does it take to get a steak around here?”
“We couldn’t afford it,” she whispered.
“We might have been able to if you hadn’t wasted my hard earned money on that damned habit of yours!” he snarled at her. He stomped over to where she was cowering and yanked her up by the collar of her shirt. “I told you not spend my damned money!”
“I didn’t,” she begged him. “I swear! It was a gift!”
“From who?” he demanded. “Are you cheating on me? Who are you fucking enough that they want to buy you gifts?” he pulled his fist back preparing to strike.
“My mother!” she shouted at him.
“Your mother was a whore who had you when she was a child herself. She doesn’t love you and never will. Lie to me again,” he dared her.
She shook her head. “I’m not lying.”
“Never talk to me that way again!” he shouted and struck her hard in the face.
Jake couldn’t watch it anymore. He took two steps to show that son of a bitch what was what when Antonio stopped him with a hand around his bicep. “Let me go,” Jake hissed.
“You can’t interfere, man,” Antonio said.
“What? Am I supposed to sit here and watch her get beaten to death? This woman is supposed to be a guard?” he shook his head. Jake was glad they couldn’t see or hear him. “She can’t even defend herself! This is why having a woman warrior is insane!”
“Do not be so quick to judge,” Antonio reminded him. “The heart of the human is stronger than you think and usually forged in courage. Courage comes from trial. This is her trial.”
“I can’t sit by and watch this,” Jake growled. “I’ll kill the bastard.” And then he went outside, spread his wings, and took to the sky. He muttered something about tiny penises and sick fucks as he shot out of sight.
Antonio knew that Lucy was going t
hrough hell, but he also understood that her soul called to Ash for a reason. Jake was right. Her soul wasn’t ready to be a warrior. Yet. But one day, it would be. Antonio had watched the scene unfold, just as Jake had. But he had seen something Jake had not. He saw the fire in this little woman’s eyes. He could easily see that her soul was broken, her spirit trampled down under the weight of this pitiful excuse of a man, but that would change one day.
Too many people were abused by the hands of those who pledged to love them. It was an unfortunate fact of life. There would always be predators and there would always be victims. The soul’s fate, however, was in their own hands. Some would break and die from the abuse. Others would grow into an abuser themselves, but a select few would rise above their situation and become fighters. They would fight for their freedom and they would continue to fight to keep it. Those were the ones that made a difference in the lives of the people around them. Those were the ones who stood up and said, “No more.” And not just no more for themselves, but no more for others as well.
Lucy was one of those.
Antonio completely felt Jake’s frustration. He wanted to clock the bastard too, but he knew he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He would allow Lucy to become the warrior she was destined to be. He let out his breath on a heavy sigh and stretched his wings to follow Jake before he got himself into trouble. And Lord knew that Jake was no stranger to trouble.
It didn’t take Antonio long to find him. All he had to do was consider what he would do himself. It seemed too long ago, when Antonio had realized he was dead and was forced to deal with life. After his initial freak out session, Antonio had headed to the nearest bar. It took a huge amount of alcohol to affect a vampire, and the fact that when his family found him, Antonio was three sheets to the wind, was a testament to how much he drank.
So it was no surprise to find Jake pacing back and forth in front of the nearest bar, cursing under his breath. “Hey,” Antonio said softly.
Redemption (The Keepers of Hell Book 3) Page 4