I exhale the word, “Okay.”
Reed’s hand on my waist falls away as I move toward the counter where I had put the eggs. Heat is rushing to my cheeks as I set the bowl on the counter. I pick up an egg and crack it against the counter before pouring it in the bowl. Several more eggs go in after it before I look at Reed’s face to see him leaning against the counter with his eyes training on me.
Finding a whisk in a drawer, I put it in the bowl before handing the bowl to Reed. “Stir this, please,” I order, before hunting for a frying pan. Putting the pan on the stove, I turn on the burner, melting the butter in the pan. Looking at Reed, he hasn’t moved, but continues to watch me. I raise my eyebrow and nod toward the bowl. He looks down at it for a second before he seems to realize that he’s not doing what I asked. Setting the bowl down on the counter, he begins to stir it like a five-year-old would: in circles.
Smiling, I walk over and place my hand on his, showing him how to fold the eggs with the whisk. “Ah, there is a technique,” he says, grinning at me and causing my heart to speed up.
“Don’t tell me that I finally found something that I know more about than you do,” I say. Picking up the bowl, I bring it to the stove and pour the contents in the pan, hearing the eggs sizzle. Using a spatula, I stir the eggs, adding some cheese.
“You’ve just introduced a whole new world to me, Evie. We should always do this. It’s very…intimate,” he says, watching my reaction to his words.
“This is just eggs, Reed. You should see lasagna,” I tease.
“I don’t know if I can handle lasagna…what will you be wearing when you make it?” he asks, putting his arms around my waist and hugging me from behind.
“Plates, please,” I order, pulling the pan off the heat and turning off the stove. Reed reluctantly lets me go to get the plates. I serve the eggs, placing the plates on the island in front of the barstools. As we sit next to each other, eating our eggs, a kinetic energy seems to pass between us. Picking up my empty plate, Reed takes it to the sink and begins rinsing it off for me while I clean up our mess.
As he wipes his hands on a towel, he moves to me where I’m leaning against the counter watching him. Picking me up in his arms, he seats me on the countertop, kissing me with the pent-up heat that has been building between us throughout the entire meal.
A consuming passion overwhelms me, but it’s cut short by confusion as Reed ends our kiss abruptly. The world whirls around me as I’m moved through the air in a fraction of a second to a position behind his back. His wings are already arching out, shielding me from whatever it is that’s making Reed adopt a defensive posture in front of me. Instinctually, my wings shoot out of my back as I try to see around Reed.
Reed growls and a few seconds later, Zephyr and Russell appear in the doorway to the kitchen. They halt just inside it, staring at the open glass doors that lead to the patio. Stepping to Reed’s side, I still, seeing Hati, the head chef and her staff, standing outside. They all look pale and zombie-like with blood trailing from puncture wounds in various areas of their flesh.
Hati stumbles into the kitchen, looking only at me as she comes closer. Her face is old and weathered, not at all the normal prey of the Gancanagh, but one chosen because she is familiar to me. The bite wounds on her neck look particularly deep, continuing to ooze blood ceaselessly.
Hati’s eyes dart around as she shifts from foot to foot like a junkie in need of a fix. “My master commands me to give you a message,” Hati hisses with her thick, South Pacific accent. Seeing her like this is making my skin crawl because I know she is under the thrall of the Gancanagh and unable to resist their will. “Brennus says he will hold you in his arms while you beg for the death of your heart and you will know that this is all of your own making. He will kill your lover—your angel, and his death will be on you…all on you. He draws closer—closer now. Can you feel him? He is coming and with him the pain he will bring will have no end,” she breathes, while she produces a knife from her pocket.
“No! Please,” I whisper, feeling the blood draining from my face. I watch as she plunges her knife into her own chest, twisting it with a satisfied smile before she falls limply to the kitchen floor. Looking outside, the rest of Zephyr’s staff has followed suit, stabbing themselves to death in front of us.
My mind wants to pretend that this is all make-believe, but I know that I’m just waking up. Everything I thought was Brennus was make-believe and this is reality. Tears of regret fill my eyes because he has opened them and I want to go back into the dark. He knows what terrifies me; he has been privy to my deepest fears. When I had asked him before about what would destroy me, he had said, “Tristitiae,” meaning, “sorrow.” Losing Reed would be the death of my heart, more so than if Brennus stopped my own from beating and he knows that, too.
“Evie…love,” Reed says gently, holding my chin and trying to get me to look at him instead of Hati’s inert body. “It’s psychological warfare…he will try to erode your defenses by causing fear.”
“Spider…” I say numbly.
“What, love?” he asks, searching my face.
“He’s a spider…he enjoys it when I struggle in his web. It makes him want me more,” I reply, feeling cold in the heat.
“Your heart is too pure for him to hold onto,” Reed says. “It has broken free of his web and he cries for the death of his own heart. It’s here; in the rage he’s showing us. We will end him soon and this will all be over.”
“He’s so depraved, Reed,” I say, feeling tears falling from my eyes. “I didn’t know—I couldn’t see, I…” Reed pulls me against his chest.
“Souls,” Buns says, entering the kitchen. Zephyr holds her back near the door as she and Brownie try to go to the bodies sprawled in front of us.
“Stay,” Zephyr warns Buns, creeping forward stealthily and investigating the patio. Taking flight outside, he sweeps the immediate area. Russell follows close behind him, scanning for Gancanagh.
Buns and Brownie both kneel by Hati. “What happened?” Brownie asks Reed.
“They were all under the thrall of the Gancanagh,” Reed answers.
“You need to get Evie and Russell out of here. Hide them until we can negotiate for the souls,” Brownie says in a commanding tone, rising from Hati’s side.
“You have to do that now?” Reed asks, while stroking my hair.
“Of course,” Brownie says.
“It’s our job, sweetie,” Buns replies. “We’re Reapers.”
Reed frowns. “Yes, but this is a volatile situation. We didn’t intend to complicate our position with the presence of the Fallen. Is it possible to just…claim them for Paradise without summoning a fallen Reaper?” Reed asks, looking concerned.
“Ah, no,” Brownie says swiftly, not even considering going that route. “We enjoy breathing.”
“What’s the worst that can happen if you just gave the humans a bye?” Russell asks curiously, entering with Zephyr from outside.
“The best thing that can happen is they just shred us,” Brownie replies. “And that’s the Thrones or the Cherubim in Paradise. We don’t even want to think about what Sheol would do to us.”
“We can’t wait much longer—we have to release them from their bodies. They will find a way to escape them on their own, if we do not. Once that happens, the Fallen will come,” Buns says in agitation.
“It’s chill. The half-breeds will find a place to hide out until this is over,” Russell says, holding out his hand to me. “C’mon, Red, let’s go before the fallen freaks come and find out we’re here.”
Reed’s arms tighten around me protectively. “I’ll stay with you both. Zephyr, you watch the Reapers,” he says over the top of my head. To Brownie and Buns, Reed says, “Take nothing for granted. This is a calculated move by Brennus. We don’t know if the Fallen are in league with the Gancanagh, now that we have Evie back. If the fallen Reaper does anything untoward, do not hesitate to end him, Zee.”
“You can’t do th
at, Zee,” Buns says with growing panic. “Even if it’s sabotage, you run the risk of throwing things off balance.”
“Things are already off balance, Buns,” Zephyr replies, spreading his hands wide at the carnage on the ground.
“Just let Brownie and me handle this. We’re professionals,” Buns says, sounding like she’s trying to reason with a child. “You go with the others. The humans were under a thrall. They may not remember what just happened and therefore they won’t be able to speak of why they came here and did the things that they did. It will look suspicious if we have a Power hanging around with us.”
“That is unfortunate, but it cannot be helped,” Zephyr responds, crossing his arms in complete disregard of what she just said. “I prefer that to the alternative.”
“We’ll be fine, sweetie,” Buns assures him, smiling a little at Zephyr’s stern face.
“You will be because I am not leaving,” Zephyr replies. Looking over Buns’s head at Reed, he adds, “Take them. I will remain.”
“Zee—” Buns begins.
Zephyr takes Buns in his arms and kisses her. He breaks off the kiss only after Reed clears his throat. “Staying,” Zephyr murmurs. Not looking away from Buns, Zephyr says to Reed, “The weapons room is a decent position.”
“Agreed,” Reed says, guiding me to the kitchen door. With his eyes on Russell, Reed nods in the direction of the door, indicating he should come with us.
“How do y’all say, ‘hoorah’ in Angel?” Russell asks Zephyr.
Grinning, Zephyr says a word in Angel that sounds like “rude car.”
“Well…‘rude car,’ Zee,” Russell replies, putting up his knuckles.
Knocking them back, Zephyr advises, “Keep your eyes open.”
“Knowin’ those stinky devils, it’s not my eyes that’ll smell them comin’,” Russell counters.
Reed says something to Zephyr, Buns, and Brownie in Angel. They all nod as Brownie and Buns touch their portal necklaces nervously.
“What did you say?” I ask, letting Reed lead me from the room and making sure that Russell is following close behind us.
“Roughly, I wished them the absence of fear and Godspeed on their mission,” Reed replies. Walking with me down the hall, we just make it to the gallery when the first tripwire on the island activates, causing all hell to break loose.
CHAPTER 5
Elevation
“Here we go,” Reed says in a quiet tone beside me, squeezing my hand as it begins to tremble in his. “Russell, stay close. That sounded like the incendiary in our bungalow. If they were following Evie’s scent, then they would’ve been drawn there first.”
“I hate this,” I whisper, following Reed down the hall that leads to the library on one side and the weapons room on the other.
“Why?” Reed asks, a sexy smile on his face. He looks absolutely relaxed.
“Because they’re coming,” I answer, feeling my heartbeat drumming hard against the walls of my chest.
“Yes,” he says, “they’re coming and I can kill them without any repercussions—no worry for the consequences of what could happen to you if I do.” The look of pure satisfaction crosses his face, making me lose some of the fear I’m feeling for a moment.
Turning into the weapons room, Reed goes straight to the vault. Opening secret panels in the wall, he unlocks an array of badness that I can’t even begin to describe. “What looks good?” Reed asks, glancing at Russell.
“Machine gun—broad sword—throwin’ stars—percussion grenades,” Russell barks out, strapping weapons to his body as fast as Reed is handing them to him. “You feel that, Red?” Russell asks, looking over as electricity begins to build around me, prickling my skin.
“Yeah, someone’s divining for us…that’s annoying,” I reply, wrinkling my nose as my hair stands on end. “Let’s see if they like being shocked,” I mutter, closing my eyes and pulling energy to me, I feel it dancing over my skin. Expelling it from me in a pulse, it shatters the windows as it exits the house.
“That was a bit more than a shock,” Reed grins, seeing the shower of shattered glass lying on the floor.
“Oops,” I shrug sarcastically, causing the smile to go all the way to his eyes. “I’ll take the daggers and a battle-axe.” Leaning over, I strap the daggers on my thighs, looking up to see both Reed and Russell checking out my butt. Straightening, I clear my throat, narrowing my eyes at them. Reed is trying really hard not to smile. “Shouldn’t you be concentrating,” I scold them both.
“Just gettin’ the proper motivation for a fight. It’s more fun when you know what you’re protectin’,” Russell says, grinning.
“Just make sure you protect your own butt, Russell. I’ll worry about mine,” I reply, reaching for the axe and testing its weight and balance. Reed puts on his protective gear to cover his skin. It will help shield him from the touch of the Gancanagh, should he need it. He doesn’t draw the hood up over his head, leaving his face exposed.
“Get ready to test that theory, Red,” Russell says, all signs of humor are gone as he stares over my head towards the outer wall with the shattered windows. Dark, ominous storm clouds are billowing up outside, carrying on the frigid wind a sweet, sticky scent.
Smelling the scent of the Gancanagh is having a debilitating affect on me. It’s almost like a learned helplessness reaction—like struggling is a futile effort. Reed wraps his arms around me and holds me to him. “You need not stay for this, love,” he says softly in my ear. “You’ve already done your part. They’re here. Leave now and I’ll join you when it’s done.”
My fear increases instead of lessening at his suggestion. “No! I’m staying—we go together…or not at all.”
“Love, they won’t touch me,” he says with a radiating confidence. “Use your portal and I’ll follow you after—”
“I’m staying. I’ll have your back,” I reply, feeling a creeping chill blowing in the windows. “Can you feel that?” I ask Reed, a shiver passing through me as icy currents begin collecting around us.
“Feel what?” Reed counters, looking at me with concern.
“BRRR,” Russell says next to us. “The temperature just dropped 20 degrees.”
“I can’t feel it,” Reed says, watching the goose bumps rising on my arms. “Their magic doesn’t affect me.”
“Well, I’m feelin’ pretty damn affected,” Russell mutters, showing us the hair on his arms standing straight up.
“Push back,” Reed says, frowning. “Don’t let them take control of your environment. You own it, Russell, you keep it—defend it.”
“Right, Red, help me,” Russell says. Pulling me out of Reed’s arms and into his own he sweeps my hair back from my forehead, gazing into my eyes. “Start pulling energy—let’s heat it up.”
“What do you have in mind?” I ask, pulling energy to me.
“How about we roll out the carpet for them,” Russell replies, concentrating.
Reaching out to Reed next to me, I pull him into our circle, saying, “We’re kinda loose cannons at this point, Reed. It’s best to stay close when we go off.”
“Noted,” Reed says, resting his hand on my hip.
Feeling energy burning me, I say, “Okay Russell, say the words.”
Russell mumbles something under his breath. When he squeezes my arm, I turn the energy outward. It releases from us in a mass of billowing heat. Fire erupts in the room while a river of flames snakes and weaves away from us, blowing a gaping hole in the side of the house and continuing on toward the beach.
“Russell,” I murmur, staring out of the gaping hole in the wall in disbelief. Gancanagh that I’ve never seen before are walking through the burning river of fire from the beach, like we extended a red carpet for them.
Russell scowls, “Not quite the effect I was goin’ for.” He lets go of me and pulls the machine gun up from its place on his back.
“Finally,” Reed breathes, pulling me back behind him, he moves forward, his sword grasped casually
in his fist.
Panic begins to choke me as my wings move in agitation. Taking flight, I hover in mid-air in the middle of the room. Gancanagh soldiers branch out, moving in groups of twos and threes. Whispering words to myself, I pull energy to me, feeling cold fellas fighting me for control of it. Releasing energy, I form a shield over the flaming opening in the wall, forcing them to enter through the broken windows.
As the first wave of Gancanagh enter the house, they spider over the walls with the supernatural speed of the undead. Reed doesn’t hesitate, moving to them with a dizzying speed, hacking their limbs from them with the brutal force of an avenging angel.
“Where is your king?” Reed grits out, not letting the soldier answer him before slicing through cartilage and sinew, causing blood to seep in coagulating dollops from his severed head.
Rapid gunfire punctures the air from Russell’s gun as 40 caliber rounds burst forth, riddling the chest of several Gancanagh who keep moving toward him, smiling the eerie smiles of the blissfully dead.
But, Russell doesn’t get a chance to use his sword on them before Reed falls upon them, cutting them down before they can exhale. Reed manages to kill every one of them in the space of a few seconds.
“Hey, those were mine,” Russell accuses.
“Sorry,” Reed says, shrugging. “There will be more.”
Zephyr bursts through the door of the room, carrying Buns under one arm and Brownie under the other. Setting them on their feet, he asks, “What did I miss?”
“Just the warm-up,” Reed replies with a grin.
“Ugh, you guys are completely insane,” Buns says, straightening her top.
“How’d the negotiations go?” Russell asks, not looking at Buns or Brownie, but scanning the exterior of the house, waiting for more undead to drop in.
“I’ll tell you how they went, Russell. They went bad. Very, very, bad,” Brownie replies with her brows drawn together, while moving to the vault and plucking a crossbow off the rack on the wall. Loading it and strapping a quiver of steel-tipped arrows to her she continues. “We sorta ran into an impasse when Zee here hacked the fallen Reaper’s head off!” She extends her hand to Zephyr who grins broadly.
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