Angels of the Knights

by Valerie Zambito

  Despite Marc Ellis’ constant looks, Fallon enjoyed Kade’s family. They were witty and smart and the conversation jumped from topic to topic.

  After the dessert of apple pie, Marc Ellis scraped his chair back and declared to his family that it was time to leave.

  With thoughts of the missing children still on her mind, Fallon did the same. She was not going to wait for Anthony to get her an address. She was going to get it herself.

  “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Royce. It was a lovely dinner, but I must be going, too.”

  “Good night, Fallon. We hope you’ll come back to visit again soon.”

  “I will.”

  Kade frowned. “Are you sure? I was hoping we could hang out for a little while yet.”

  She shook her head. “No, I really have to go. See you tomorrow at school, okay?”

  He frowned at her. “Wait. I’ll drive you home.”

  “No, you said you were going to spend the night here. I’ll be fine, really. See you tomorrow.” She left him to say goodbye to his relatives and slipped out of the door.

  Kade entered his bedroom with a frustrated growl. Why did Fallon leave so abruptly? As far as he could tell, she liked him as much as he did her, but something was holding her back. Was she having second thoughts because of his stint in jail? He never did explain to her that it was a set up. Would she believe him? Whatever it was that was bothering her, he was determined to find out. He wanted to know everything about her.

  He thrust his fingers through his hair and sat on the bed, his thoughts drifting to Ethan. Selfishly, he wished his best friend was still here to talk to. Granted, Ethan did undergo a major personality change in the last few days of his life, but it was possible he had something going on in his life that Kade knew nothing about. He regretted now that he did not make more of an effort to find out what was going on with his friend. Even behind bars, he could have been there as a sounding board.

  Downstairs, the front door slammed shut, and Kade stood from the bed and went to the window. His uncle, aunt and cousins were piling into their black Escalade.

  Maybe he should go to Fallon. He really wanted to see her again. He was not lying when he said he felt an powerful connection to her. Even now, he was aching to be near her. Everything seemed drab and gray in comparison to the light of her presence.

  As soon as the black SUV started down the street, he started to turn from the window, but a movement caught his eye. He peered back down onto the street. It was Fallon! And, she was running down the street after his relatives’ vehicle. What is going on?

  He ran for the door and then down the steps. “Mom! Dad! Be right back!”

  Flying through the front door, he raced down the street. Neither Fallon nor the Escalade was in sight. Was Fallon really following his uncle and aunt? Maybe it just looked that way. The Ellis’ moved into a new cul de sac a month ago about six blocks from his house. He decided to head there to find out.

  Pumping his arms and legs for three blocks, he finally caught sight of Fallon and the brake lights of the SUV. She kept to the shadows of the sidewalk and slowed every time the Escalade came to a stop sign.

  There was no question now. She was following them.

  But, why?

  Another vehicle approached. It was a green truck and it pulled up next to Fallon. A young man stuck his head out of the window of the driver’s side. “Hey, beautiful. We’re headed for a party. Why don’t you come with us?”

  “No, thanks,” he heard Fallon mumble distractedly.

  The car pulled to the curb. “Wait up!”

  The man threw the truck in park and opened the door. From the way he stumbled over to Fallon, it was obvious that he had been drinking.

  Fallon started to jog away from him, but he ran after her and launched himself at her, taking her to the ground.

  Kade cursed under his breath, but before he could act, the drunk went flying through the air and landed on his back in the street.

  The passenger side of the truck opened and another guy got out and ran to his friend. “What did you just do to him?” he asked Fallon as she stood back up.

  “Just leave,” she told him.

  “Not until you tell me what you did to him,” he spit out.

  “Nothing. Now go. Just get your friend out of here and nobody will get hurt.”

  Kade could tell that the man was getting angry now.

  “What did you use on him? Some kind of taser?” Fallon turned to leave and the guy jumped over his friend to push her. With lightning speed, she sidestepped out of the way and he stumbled by her. With a growl, he turned back and swung his arm at her face to backhand her, but she caught him by the wrist and twisted, pinning his arm behind his back. He screamed in pain.

  “Didn’t you ever learn that no means no?” she asked the guy with his arm still clutched firmly in one hand. With the other, she reached around to her back pocket and pulled out what looked like a knife.

  Kade tensed, unable to believe what he was seeing. Is she going to stab the guy?

  Fallon pushed her attacker away and slammed the hilt of the knife to the bracelet she wore on her bicep, and a glowing sword lit up the night. Before the man could recover, she waved the weapon before his face, and his eyes glazed over.

  Fallon hit the hilt of the sword of light to her bracelet once again, and the sword disappeared.

  Kade was too dazed to do or say anything and could only watch in stunned silence as she turned and ran.

  The young man stood immobile for a moment, but then shook his head in confusion. He glanced down at his friend lying on the ground as if trying to piece together what had happened.

  Kade was trying to do the same thing.

  Finally, the man reached down, helped his friend to his feet, and put him into the truck. With one last wary glance around, he jumped into the driver’s side and sped down the street.

  Kade turned and walked back toward his house. He wanted to tell his parents that he would not be staying the night after all.

  He was going back to Oak Street and the yellow Victorian next door.

  He was going back for answers.

  CHAPTER 9

  The Truth

  If Fallon cursed, she would have done so then. She lost Marc Ellis’ Cadillac and had no way of knowing where he went. She walked the streets for blocks but did not find it. And, all because of a drunk. It was risky to erase the man’s friend’s memory with her Aventi out on a public street, but he left her with no other choice when he witnessed her unnatural power. It always bothered her when she had to resort to memory erasure, preferring instead to avoid trouble. She could only assume how unnerving it must be for a person to have a fragment of time missing from their life.

  Fallon started back toward Oak Street. Fortunately, all was not lost. She still had two other ways to get the Kjin’s address. Either Father Tomas’ altar boy would obtain it or, now that she knew about the Kjin’s connection with Kade, she could get it from him. Surely, she could find a way to get the information without arousing too much suspicion. Either way, it would have to wait until tomorrow.

  With a long walk ahead of her, she thought back to her visit to Kade’s house and especially the few stolen moments in his bedroom. No one had ever looked at her the way he did and the feelings he stimulated in her were both thrilling and terrifying.

  She had known love before. Her parents and brother. Friends. The all-encompassing love of the Creator and the angels in Emperica. But, this was different. It was an emotion so strong that it felt like a natural part of her. Even now, she wanted nothing more than to run to him and back into his arms. She had this sudden desire to make sure that he was safe and happy.

  Feeling anxious now, she picked up her speed, grateful for the darkness that would help conceal her swift movement. She had to slow several times because of people on the streets, but soon her yellow Victorian came into view.

  She stopped. Someone was sitting on the front step of her house.

  Caut
iously, she approached and her heart fluttered in her chest when she recognized Kade. He came home! Grinning, she ran to him in excitement but pulled up short when he did not return the smile.

  “What is it?” she asked, wondering if something had happened to one of his family members. “Is everything okay?” It was hard for her to read the odd expression on his face. “Kade, what’s going on?”

  He snorted. “You tell me.”

  “Tell you what?” Suddenly, a sinking feeling developed in the pit of her stomach.

  “You can start by answering question number one, Fallon. Why were you following my relatives?”

  She just stared at him. She refused to lie to him, but could not tell him the truth either.

  Or could she?

  “Well?” He stood up to face her. “Are they in some kind of trouble with the law?”

  She turned from him.

  “Are you some kind of agent or something? I saw you following them. I also saw you use some kind of weapon that completely messed up the guy that attacked you. I don’t like secrets, Fallon, and I don’t like to be lied to. Obviously, you are something other than what you have told me.”

  This was why she never sought out entanglements with humans. She had always feared that if she let people to get close to her, they would find out things they should not know. Her fears had been justified.

  He put his hands on her shoulders. “Tell me. What are you?”

  “I…I can’t.”

  “Tell me!”

  “You wouldn’t believe me.”

  “Fallon! Whatever it is, I can deal with it. I can deal with anything rather than lose you. Tell me!”

  In that moment, she decided she would tell him. She needed to tell him. Three years was too long to go without companionship. Too long not to laugh or to exchange ideas or to feel the touch of another human being.

  She choked back a sob. Yes, she would tell him.

  And, after you tell him everything about your life? What then, Fallon?

  She would have to erase his memory, so he would never have any recollection of ever meeting her. The lump that formed in her throat made it hard to swallow. He did not understand what he was asking. He did not realize that if she told him the truth, it would cost them their relationship.

  “Well, Fallon?” he interrupted. “What are you?”

  Slowly, she turned to face him. “I’m an angel.”

  Inside the foyer to Fallon’s house, Kade took her into his arms and held her close. With a deep breath, he inhaled the lavender fragrance of her hair. “Go upstairs,” he told her, pulling away to hold her at arm’s length. “I’ll grab us some sodas.”

  She nodded woodenly and walked up the stairs.

  Kade hurried into the kitchen and the refrigerator. He did not want to leave her alone for long. It was obvious that she had some kind of breakdown, but he was not sure what caused it.

  She called herself an angel. Did this word have another secret meaning or did she really think she was an angel angel. The kind with wings? He shrugged. Somehow, he had to get the truth out of her as gently as possible. Grabbing the sodas, he hurried up the stairs and found her bedroom. She was sitting on the wide bench seat at the window and looking down onto the street. At that moment, bathed in moonlight with her long, blonde hair flowing down her back, she did look like an angel.

  “Fallon? Are you okay?”

  She nodded with a small smile, and he handed her the soda.

  “You’re scaring me,” he admitted to her.

  “I don’t mean to.”

  “I know. As long as you’re feeling okay, that’s all that matters.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Do you want to talk?”

  “I don’t think we have any other choice now.”

  He sat beside her and pulled his feet up to lean back against the wall. “About this angel thing…”

  “I was telling you the truth. I am an angel.”

  “That’s funny. I thought angels had halos and wings,” he said with a soft laugh, trying to bring levity to the situation.

  “My wings were clipped.” She stood and turned her back to him. Crossing her hands in front of her, she grabbed the sides of her shirt and pulled it over her head.

  He gasped, but was not sure if it was from the two long, angry scars just beneath her shoulder blades or for the fact that he was staring at her naked back. He felt both empathy and desire course through his body at the same time. “What happened?”

  She swallowed. “I told you. My wings were clipped.” She reached down and put the tee shirt back on and sat down again, drawing her knees up and facing him as she leaned against the opposite wall.

  “So, you’re really going with this angel thing?”

  She smiled tiredly. “It’s all I have.”

  Kade realized in that instance that she really believed it.

  “You don’t believe me. I can see it all over your face.”

  Was he that obvious? What did he think about this? He believed in heaven, certainly, and even angels. But they existed in another dimension, not here on earth.

  “I wouldn’t say that. I’m just trying to figure out why you think the way you do.”

  “Because it’s the truth.”

  “So, how did you get here on earth then?”

  Slowly, Fallon told him an unbelievable story. How she and her family died thirty-four years earlier at the hands of two robbers. She talked about her journey to heaven, which she called Emperica, and training with the Knights. Julian, the boy she brought to his party, was also a Knight. She described the different castes within Emperica and why she chose the path she did. She told him about the evil Kjin that walked the earth in the form of humans and her mission to eradicate them from the world. Lastly, she discussed her return three years ago and all of her progress in fulfilling that obligation.

  An hour later, Kade leaned his head back against the wall with a thud. The story was implausible. He knew that no sane person could hear the story Fallon just related and not think she was crazy.

  He also knew something else.

  He believed her.

  “So, that sword thing that you use. What does it do?”

  “It’s called an Aventi and it erases all memory of my existence. Want me to show you, Mr. Royce?”

  He held his hands up. “No! I would like to keep my memories of you if that’s all right.”

  A strange look passed over her face, but he was not sure why. Reaching his hand out, he touched the gold bracelet around her arm. “And, this?”

  “It’s an activator. It’s called a Kur and brings the Aventi to life.”

  He stood up and speared a hand through his hair. “So, you basically run around and kill bad guys. All by yourself?”

  “I’m hardly defenseless, Kade. I am strong. Much stronger than you.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Hmm…I will have to test that out some time.”

  “Don’t. I wouldn’t want to hurt your male ego. I heard they were pretty fragile.” Finally, a genuine smile from her.

  “Mine more than most,” he confessed. “How many others Knights are there?”

  “On earth? A few hundred, but we hardly ever work together.” She hesitated. “You actually knew one of the Knights.”

  “Who?”

  “Gabe Mackey.”

  Kade reeled at the news, but immediately sorted back through his memories with Gabe and some things that seemed odd at the time started to make more sense. “Have you ever told anyone else about this?”

  She snorted. “I don’t think I have said more than ten words to another person in the last three years, let alone disclose this. I hope I don’t have to tell you how important it is that you do not discuss with anyone else. Ever.”

  “Of course not. I would never betray you, Fallon, I promise you that.”

  She nodded.

  “Who are you tracking now? Who is this Kjin person?”

  She turned to the window. “I would rather not
talk about that now. I’m really tired and I just want to lie down.”

  He went to her side and lifted her into his arms from the bench seat. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he carried her to the bed and set her down gently.

  For a long moment, he stared down at her and for the first time, she looked fragile to him. Not in a physical sense, but emotionally.

  “Turn over.”

  He heard her soft intake of breath, but after a short hesitation, she rolled onto her stomach.

  He sat beside her on the edge of the bed, lifted her shirt, and tenderly fingered the scars on her back. She flinched at the contact. “Don’t.” Her voice was tortured and husky.

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m embarrassed.”

  “Of what?”

  “No one has ever seen my scars before.”

  “Did it hurt? When they clipped them?”

  “Unbelievably so.”

  “I think they are incredibly beautiful.”

  “How could scars be beautiful?”

  “Because they tell me what kind of woman you are. One who would endure such pain just to help others is very rare. You are really quite special.”

  “I thought you were the special one? At least, that’s what you told me the day we met.” He heard the smile in her words.

  “And, it’s all true.” He leaned down and tenderly kissed the back of her neck. When she turned to face him, he brushed his lips against hers, feather light. When a low whimper escaped her throat, the room seemed to spin with his heightened awareness of their bodies pressed so close together. An inferno raged inside him and his muscles tightened with need.

  “Kade, I can’t.”

  He sat up and let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

  “You should know that I’m a virgin, Kade, and plan to remain that way.”

  “A virgin? Even before, you never…?”

  “Never.”

  “And, you plan to remain a virgin until you’re married?” he asked incredulously.

  “Married?” she scoffed loudly. “I don’t think marriage is in the cards for me, Kade.”

  He did not laugh and his eyes narrowed in seriousness. “Marry me.”