It wasn’t even the massive orange energy field.
Planted with his arms spread wide and head flung back, Af was surrounded by an energy field that writhed with celestial power. Orange and yellow in the darkness, it reminded Dec of a quasar he’d seen in a book once. Flickering with lightning and eerie incandescent flares, it pulsed and flowed with the screams of a million battles. The sound sent chills down his neck and he rubbed at it impatiently. This was beyond creepy. Every few seconds, Af compressed that energy into a black orb and took out more trees. His arms never moved. His body didn’t move either.
The crazy energy field was pretty bizarre and definitely worth the anxious attention they were giving it. Even so, that wasn’t the worst part of this little party.
Above the clearing, despite the choking dust that was hanging over them, the New York sky was getting brighter—and not because dawn was coming. About the size of a football field, an ominous mass of destructive energy was expanding and contracting as he drew it to him. The brilliant blue light had been steadily intensifying in the few minutes they’d been there. A thick band of clouds was beginning to spin around the black center as the charged particles disrupted the atmosphere. Vivid tracers escaped to fly in every direction. The ozone smell was nearly overwhelming. Dec squinted at Af and nearly fell over as he finally connected the dots. Oh, my God! He’s creating a singularity!
“Has he lost his friggin’ mind? If that turns into a black hole, it’ll suck in the whole damn sun!” He had to shout above the noise.
“And probably the planet. Plus side? I don’t think he’s doing that on purpose. I got here first and tried to reason with him. He’s so far in the zone he’s beyond hearing. Totally ignored Raphael and Uriel both. They had to dive out of the way when they tried to take him by sword.” With eyes shining with respect, Killian enthused, “Do you see what he’s doing? I am so fucking impressed I can’t stand it. He’s pulling vacuum energy from all around us—from the atmosphere! He’s controlling that energy, using it for target practice, and he hasn’t missed yet. He’s not even looking at the targets. He’s aiming with his mind. If he lives through this, I’m going to ask him to show me how to do that!”
“Did you not notice the swirling portal of doom your hero’s opening above our heads?” Dec thought he should point that out in case Killian somehow missed it. He was entirely too mesmerized by Af’s energy manipulation. Though, to be fair, he probably could relate, given his thing for lightning. “Going out on a limb here, but probably that’s a bad thing.”
Ducking as a chunk of tree went flying over their heads, Sean scrunched up his face and sneezed twice before rubbing dust out of his eye. “Oh, sure, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Seriously, what are we doing here? We can’t stop this.”
“No shit, genius.” Killian dragged his eyes away from Af and addressed their group as a whole. “We’re here for cleanup when they get him contained. We’ll do a search for bodies or witnesses and work with the angels to spread misinformation or just memory-wipe the locals. I have no idea how we’re supposed to convince the entire world’s scientific community though. Friggin’ internet’s going to make it impossible to control this story.”
As soon as the words left Killian’s mouth, the ground shifted as another tree took the brunt of the angel’s anger. The sonic boom sent Dec stumbling into Rivin who’d just ambled over with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“What in the bloody hell is up his arse? I was in the middle of a pint when I got the Code Red.”
“Still got your priorities straight, I see.” Killian’s cold tone wiped the smile from Rivin’s mouth.
Stepping up on Killian, Rivin snapped, “Still a dick, I see.”
Coughing on the dust, Alex finally cleared his throat, and gasped, “It’s a good question, though.” He swung his arms around the scene with awe written all over his face. “Does anyone know what set him off? Why is he even on this plane? Isn’t he banned unless he’s on a mission? I’m sure blowing up the Catskills isn’t on his to-do list.”
“That’s the question of the century, isn’t it?” Dec stated the obvious because he didn’t have an actual answer.
None of them had the answer. Who knew what went on inside that crazy-ass angel’s head? Conversation stalled as they all swiveled around to gaze in horrified fascination as Af’s power continued to feed him; the orange mass writhing like a living thing. Dec’s skin itched and the hair on the back of his arms stood on end as crackling lightning began to travel from Af to the sky. In the ten minutes they’d been there, he’d already flattened more trees, and the area of destruction was easily a mile in circumference now. Holy shit! There was no way this wasn’t going to attract global attention. Nat Geo will probably make a documentary on the mysterious destruction. Would they blame it on aliens? Dec burst out laughing and shrugged at Killian’s stunned glare. It was either laugh or cry. This was so very bad.
“He’s slowing down.”
Killian was right. Though the monstrous cloud of energy swirling around Af was as impressive as before, there was a wee bit more time between blasts. The dust had some time to settle in between explosions. Just as the latest sonic boom trailed off, the cavalry arrived.
Michael.
The chief Archangel swooped in with his legendary battle sword gripped in his fist, muscular wings raised proudly behind him, and face nearly purple with anger. He wasted no time marching over to Af.
Here we go. Dec held his breath.
Standing just outside of that freaky energy, Michael shouted, “Af! Cease this behavior now!”
Af blew up another tree.
Easily deflecting a stray bolt of lightning with his sword, Michael shouted, “I said STOP!”
Af blew up another tree.
Michael hefted his sword with both hands and took a step closer. “I’m warning you, Af. Don’t make me stop you.”
Af hesitated. Lightning crackled between his outstretched arms, crawling over his back and down to the ground. Everyone held their breath.
Dec muttered to Sean, “Michael wouldn’t kill him, would he?”
Rigid with tension, Sean swept his eyes from the pulsing lights surrounding Af to the ginormous cloud above them. Blue tracers snaked across the center of that cloud. “God, I hope not. I don’t think the continent would survive the explosion.”
Af blew up another tree.
Michael shouted, “You stubborn idiot!” and whacked Af on the back of the head with the flat side of that legendary sword.
The instant the sword made contact, the energy field collapsed in on itself, disappearing into Af’s body and creating a sudden vacuum that sucked everyone into his reach. As he tumbled helplessly forward, Dec’s eardrums burst from the pressure. As abruptly as it began, the pull from the vacuum stopped, and Dec fell to the ground along with everyone else. Just as he landed on his hands and knees, the energy exploded outward in every direction with a sonic boom that was probably heard in Heaven. The force sent the entire crowd flying backwards into the forest as more trees toppled to the ground. Above them, the singularity swirled with renewed power that Dec could only blink at as he pushed himself upright to look for Af.
Still in the center of the massive clearing, Af crumpled to his knees before falling to his stomach where he lay motionless. Michael and the other Archangels vaulted over to check on him. Even with the hum of electricity still threading through the air, it was impossible to miss Michael’s shocked words.
“Oh, Father, what have you done?”
Af’s ebony wings lay limp across his ruined back. Matted with chunks of skin and soaked with blood, the twisted feathers curled around his shoulders and torso, draping him in their strength. Ragged strips of his shirt were stuck to the space along his spine.
While they watched in amazement, those precious wings slowly lifted him upright to hover aloft next to Michael. Dripping with sweat, Af’s head lolled to his chest, his hair hiding his face. As his wings beat the air
, blood ran steadily down his side to puddle beneath his boots.
Michael’s face had gone bone white, but he recovered quickly and took control with his usual voice of command. “Uriel, you and I will deal with this. Help me get him to my chambers. Raphael, see to the rest.”
With that order, he and Uriel wedged a shoulder under each of Af’s arms before rocketing straight into the night sky.
The stunned silence lingered as the enormity of what they’d just seen tried to sink in. This was one of those moments no one would ever forget. Dec knew it would haunt his dreams for years to come. The beauty, the power, the precious life in those God-given feathers . . . It was a miracle. A painful, bloody miracle.
Swallowing the saliva pooling in his mouth, Dec jammed a hand across his lips. Don’t puke. Don’t puke.
Out of nowhere, Sean and Killian snatched him by the arms and flashed them away from the hundreds of witnesses. When they rematerialized, Killian slapped him on the back and said, “Go ahead, little brother. We’ll be back at the scene.”
After puking up whatever was in his stomach, he wiped his mouth and stared down at the massive circle of destruction. Why here? There had to be a reason. He’d bet his ass it had something to do with the demon who’d tortured Af. He’d want payback. That had to be the only thing driving the angel. Why else would he escape from the protection of the penthouse, leave a path of chaos that killed dozens of humans, and make his way to this place in the middle of nowhere?
Flipping to his night vision, he scanned the debris for any living bodies. Scanning again, he came up with zilch. No living humans within the blast zone. Any demons would be long gone by now. Judging by the amount of pure fury that Af had unleashed on this poor forest, he hadn’t found his demon.
That didn’t bode well for anyone.
Off in the distance, several headlights crested a hill. The locals were coming. He was surprised it had taken this long to respond. Guess this area was really isolated. The headlights were joined by the whirling blades of a chopper. Probably cops. Showtime.
The wedding was going to have to wait.
Chapter 22: Waiting Games
DAWN ARRIVED AS A SHADOW of its usual self. The only sign that night had given way to day was the slight lightening in the east that became more blue than gold as the sun made its appearance. To the north of Manhattan, the sky was filled with wavering blue, green, and purple lights. As the sun did its best to rise, the aurora lingered for the east coast to marvel over.
“It’s a bad omen. I know it.” Rori poured another mimosa and gulped it down just like she had the two previous drinks. Standing near the garden wall, she gazed at the spectacular light show before frowning into her glass. Where was the champagne? Sniffing the juice, she realized the champagne was in there; she just couldn’t taste it anymore.
Beside her, Aisling idly ruffled Sean Michael’s spiky hair, smiling automatically as the little boy reached up to hold her hand. “Don’t do this, Rori. Don’t make this into something it’s not.”
All around them, the city had settled into nervous anticipation as everyone waited for more tremors. The streets were mostly empty in Gramercy Park. A few car alarms interrupted the breathless silence, but most people had shut off their alarms hours ago. Staring sightlessly at the tree-lined sidewalks, Rori tried to shrug off the feeling of foreboding, but it clung like mist.
“I know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong.” Aisling took her hand and tugged her towards the furniture. “Come sit down. You’ve been standing here for three hours. You’re exhausted. You’re worried, but you need to get some rest so we can be ready when the guys get back. They’re going to be beat too.”
Hating the threat of tears tightening her throat, she forced a strangled laugh instead, saying, “You’re right. I’m being stupid.”
Turning away from the wall, she moved to the couch, curling her bare feet beneath her and setting the mimosa on the table. Rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes, she gathered her scattered thoughts and tried to find a brighter mood. They hadn’t heard from any of the guys in more than four hours. Dec and Sean had been out of touch since they left. Once the shaking had stopped for good, she’d tried to call Dec, but the cell signal was gone. Aisling had finally reached Sean using telepathy, but he only said they were fine and didn’t know when they’d be back. Dec sent his love.
With her eyes lingering on Sean Michael’s sturdy back, Aisling settled onto the other end of the couch. Erect and alert, hands clasped behind his back, the boy stood a few feet from the wall, peering intently at the sky as the indigo light undulated against the towering cumulous clouds in the distance. Jagged bolts of lightning dissected those clouds as they roiled with energy. Rori knew they were safe now, but the otherworldly light show was ominous.
“What is he doing, Ais? He almost looks like he’s—”
“—standing guard?” Aisling’s pale face lit with amused mommy pride. “He’s keeping us safe. It’s in his DNA, don’t you know?” The deep love in her voice brought fresh prickles of tears to Rori’s eyes. Aisling smiled softly and said, “You’ll have children one day too. I know it in my heart. When I see you and Dec together, I sense the connection; I feel the way you love each other; hear it in your voices.” Her eyes were bright with emotion as she met Rori’s. “You two are so beautiful together. I know you’ll have beautiful babies. One day. Not soon. But one day, you’ll have your own family.” Her smile faded and she slid her eyes back to her son. “Everything will be okay. This week has been a cluster-you-know-what, but it’s only a speedbump in your lives.”
“I know, but, damn, it’s hard to stay positive when the world’s trying to come apart.” Rori wiped at the tears that flowed from too little sleep and too much stress and entirely too much champagne early in the morning. “It just seems like the whole universe is dead set against us getting married.” She tried to joke but burst into sobs instead.
“Come on now, it’s not personal, you know. Sometimes the universe just acts like an ass.” Being the good friend that she was, Aisling hugged her and rubbed her back.
Once the river had slowed to a trickle, she drew away and dried her eyes with an apologetic smile. She felt like an idiot for crying, but it had been a long, long, shitty week. She was due for a little meltdown and no one would blame her for it. Between Af and April, she was feeling dragged through an emotional wringer. To make things worse, if that was actually possible, she had this niggling fear clawing along her neck. Nameless and faceless, the sense of darkness hovered on the fringes of her perception. She knew something was funky, but not exactly what. What she knew for certain was the darkness was a part of her. Dec wanted to marry her for all of eternity, but what if she wasn’t what he thought she was?
After pouring a mimosa, Aisling sipped and exhaled an exaggerated sigh. “Spill it, sister. What don’t you want to say out loud? Your lips are moving but nothing’s coming out. Muttering under your breath isn’t going to help whatever’s bothering you. You might as well start talking; we’re not going anyplace, and who knows when they’ll be back? We’ve probably got hours to kill so let’s finish this pitcher, whip up some breakfast for that adorable man-child over there, and have some girl time.”
How did anyone resist a proposition like that? Aisling arched her brows and waggled the glass in encouragement.
She caved and started out slowly, framing her fears into halting words. “You say I’m perfect for Dec and I thought I was. No, wait, I do think I am. But then . . . but then I realized I . . . I’m not . . . I’m not . . . completely clean. There’s a shadow . . . a lingering feeling of unease, a crawling feeling in the back of my mind sometimes. Af said I—”
Aisling cut her off with an angry sound and a wave of her hand. “Af is a harbinger of doom! It’s what he does! Do not let him ruin what you have here. Damn it! You’ve worked your ass off to get to where you are today. Look at everything you’ve accomplished. You managed to keep Azrael’s hands off of your soul and learned to
use your gifts to help people. These are no small things, Rori. You’re a strong person. There’s nothing tainted in you. That’s crap from an angry, bitter jerk. Don’t let him get into your head. He’s toxic.”
“Too late for that.” The angry, bitter jerk had seen into her mind; had violated her with his eyes in the most horrifying way she could imagine, and then he touched her while she slept.
Dirty soul.
You’re a dirty little soul, aren’t you? Contaminated. Dirty. Broken.
Af’s taunting insult was hard to ignore; even harder to get out of her mind since he’d purposely imbedded the thought with his will. Raphael had told them that even Af’s words could be destructive if he chose to aim them at a target. That seemed to be true. His gravelly voice still haunted her when she felt insecure or anxious. His cold eyes flashed in her mind when she was tired and her guard was down. A harbinger of doom? Perhaps that was true, but it wasn’t her doom he was heralding. Damn him. She wasn’t going to let him win. He wanted to hurt her? Well, too damn bad!
Puffing up with indignation, she said, “Screw you, Af! I’m officially disremembering you—”
What about that shadow? That wasn’t him. Her helpful subconscious thought now was a good time to bring this up. And the indignation whooshed out like air. Slumping down on the couch, she squeezed her eyes shut as a familiar feeling of helplessness washed over her. No, that shadow wasn’t Af. It was someone she thought she’d never see again. She was sure of it even if she hadn’t seen his face. A sudden shiver of fear brought goose bumps across her arms. Rubbing them harder than necessary, she peered up into the air above the garden, shaking her head in denial.
It wasn’t possible. Nope. Not possible.
She wasn’t going to let all this weird business freak her out. Her imagination didn’t need any help creating monsters.
Saol Mates (Primani Book Six) Page 24