“The time is almost here,” I called.
He nodded, his grin widening. We had included Udric in our plan to makes things even easier, but I had known him long enough to know that he wasn’t to be trusted. When the time was right, he would attempt to double-cross us.
Without warning, Udric surged forward. I stayed behind to keep the line. The clearing would be approaching soon and I hoped that he wouldn’t go and get himself killed before he was of some use to us.
“HALT!” Udric’s voice sounded like a cannon shot and all of us came to an immediate stop. Warlocks covered half the field, stretching even into the surrounding forest. We were still behind the cover of the trees, so though Udric’s voice may have been heard, we hadn’ t yet been seen.
I walked out to meet Udric near the edge of the wood. I couldn’t believe Ana had produced an army like this.
The formation of vampires began to split down the middle as Daemon made his way to the front. Once his red cloak emerged from the sea of black, Udric made a move to step between us. Ultimately, he didn’t trust me any more than I trusted him.
Daemon’s eyes widened at the sight of so many witchfolk.
“Perhaps you were right, Tristan. Allowing them to maintain a seat of power has consolidated their capabilities.” He pulled Udric in close to him. “I thought you sent an advance force to weaken them?”
I was completely unaware of that. It must have been decided on one of the trips through the city that I wasn’t invited to.
“It was reported that they had been successful. They said nothing of numbers such as these.”
“We would like cowards to turn back now,” I said. “Besides, we couldn’t have come all this way to retreat.”
Anger lined the face of Daemon. “Aiden should be here right now. He knew how to oversee a battle.”
Now it was Udric’s turn to bait him into ordering into a hopeless battle. But he didn’t. “I volunteer Tristan to lead them out. After all, the tales of his battles are legend, are they not?” Just that fast we’d been double-crossed. With me leading the vampires out, there was nothing to stop him and a few vampires from taking Daemon captive. Then he could stage his coup.
Daemon lifted his chin. “I agree.”
I had no way out. I could only hope to get some distance between me and the vampires I was leading so that I could turn around and attack them. I could only hope that Leia and her fallen angels would be here by then. I would need allies when I made my true intentions known.
I lifted my hand and a led the first wave into the field. We moved like lightning toward the wall of witchfolk, yet not one of them made a move to defend themselves.
My time away had dulled my sense for war, by the time I thought “trap” it was too late.
After the first fireball shot up out of the ground, my hearing cut out. More explosions followed; rocking me this way, and then blowing me back in the other direction. Finally, the ground I knelt on went up and I felt myself lift high up off the ground and then land hard on my right side.
I just laid there as my battered body burned with pain. The blackness on the edge of my vision threatened my consciousness.
As I felt my life slipping away, I saw wings of fire descend upon me. Deep grey eyes stared worriedly into mine. I felt thin arms wrap around my raw back and legs, and then those eyes turned upward.
In an instant we flying. As I fought to remain alive, I could see the burning fires in the clearing. As we moved over trees I could see waves of black moving toward the Daemon and the others.
More vampires were coming… by the hundreds.
**********
Before I could see anything, I heard her voice. She was singing to me, the notes gracefully rising and falling in soothing patterns. I had never heard her sing before —not as Ana— and it helped to orient me in the dark.
It helped me to find the light…
A bright orange glow shimmered in front of my eyes as they opened. It took a moment for that glow to fade and then sharpen into wings surrounding a face.
Ana’s face.
She bent over and kissed me gently on my forehead. “How are you feeling? Better?”
I tried to nod but my head felt like it weighed a ton. “Yes… You healed… You saved me?”
She nodded. “I had to. I couldn’t just let you die, Tristan.”
More memories from before came streaming back into my head. I thought of all the witchfolk Ana had managed to bring together. They outnumbered the vampires two to one… No. Wait. There were more vampires… Yes, more were coming through the trees. The witches would be outmanned. “I’m so sorry, Ana. They tricked me.”
“Shh,” Ana said. “Don’t you worry about that. Just rest, okay?”
“What? But… all those people?”
“Shh,” she repeated. “I told you, don’t worry about that.” She grinned again.
It was then that I understood. I wasn’t talking to Ana.
“Leia? You knew what Daemon was planning?”
“Of course I did, silly. I’m the one who told them about your plan.”
“But… why?”
Her face straightened. “Because I saw the way you looked at her the other night. As long as she’s alive, then you’ll never truly want me, no matter how much I look and act like her. That’s why she has to die, Tristan. That’s why they all do.”
With all my strength, I attempted to stand, but I couldn’t. It was like invisible weights had been placed on my forehead, my chest, and both my arms and legs. I couldn’t move anything.
“Heavy, huh? That’s about a thousand pounds of air pressing into your body.” She stroked the top of my head. “Let me do this for us, Tristan. You’re still blinded by emotion as far as Ana’s concerned. She can never give you her full heart, but I can. It’s already yours. We both felt something in that truck. I’m doing this to protect it.”
Leia stood up.
“No,” I shouted. “Please… Don’t hurt her. I’ll never forgive you.”
She smiled again. “We’ll just see about that.” And she took off into the night.
Chapter Twenty Five
Plan-B
*Ana*
I had no idea what was happening. Duncan had insisted that Darren and I stand in the direct center of the circle and the men here were so much taller than I was. I had protested this kind of protection when in the meeting but somehow when it was time for us step into a formation, everyone knew to form it around me. It was typical Duncan, I supposed. He hadn’t argued with me, he had just made sure it happened.
I was tempted to slip into someone’s mind, but the memory of being in Darren’s mind when he fighting for his life was too jarring. Those emotions were strong ones. I would never attempt that again.
Darren kept me updated on what was going on for a time, but he’d gone frustratingly silent in the last ten minutes or so. I wanted so badly to take flight, to know for sure if we were winning or losing, but I needed my wings for that and we were packed too tightly for me to use them without burning everyone around me.
Over and over the sky filled with fire, and slowly that fire became less intense. My heart told me that we were losing. Darren’s taking my hand confirmed it. Had I brought these men out here to die?
In one instant, it seemed, all hell had broken loose. The men were leaving the formation.
“We’re almost surrounded!” someone called out.
I finally had room enough to fly, but now the warlocks were grabbing hold of me—Darren too. What was happening?
“Duncan’s gone down!” called one of the men. “Make the call Dent! It’s now or never!”
And then I heard the word that made me go numb inside. “Retreat!”
It wasn’t until then that I understood why the men were all holding onto me. The vampires were giving chase and they were acting as human shields. Tears started down my face I watched men get dragged away. We were running into the woods, but for what? There was no way we’d make it bac
k to Brighton before we’d all be dead.
A black SUV was waiting for us, just beyond the trees. About a dozen guardians stood watch and their faces dropped all at once when they saw us approach. Two jumped in the front seats and two more hopped into cargo area. Darren and I were shoved into the rear passenger seats.
As the truck sped off down a newly made trail, we watched the other eight join up with the men who had been our shield. A few of them didn’t even try to fight. They waved us goodbye.
“What’s happening?” I shouted at the guardians in the truck. I must have been shouting a lot because my voice had gone hoarse.
“We’re being saved,” Darren said calmly. His face was pale and he took my hand again. “The five of us were given special orders to make sure that you got out alive, Ana. As long as you’re alive then haven can’t ever truly die. It can start again, wherever you end up.”
That was not what I wanted to hear. I wasn’t worth all of their lives. “We have to go back! We have to do something!”
“There’s nothing left to save, Ana. This wasn’t just our Plan-B, it was our last resort.”
I sat in my seat, devastated. I had led them to this. I had told them to come here. Daemon had won.
No. I couldn’t accept that. A desperate plan came to mind. It was all or nothing, but I had to act.
I sat for a moment, concentrating all of my fears and all the rage I felt for what had happened tonight. I unlocked my door and jumped out of the truck.
I hit the ground hard, knocking all of the air out of my chest. I laid there for moment unable to breathe, and unable to move. The truck stopped on the path and the guardians all jumped out to retrieve me.
I couldn’t let them. I forced myself onto my feet, and then leapt into flight before any of them could reach me.
I soared through the trees concentrating on what Leia had said to me. Fear and anger drive the magic of fallen angels. I had both of those in spades right now.
The moment of truth was coming. I could see nothing but black up ahead. They covered the ground, and stood up in the trees. There had to be thousands of vampires in these woods.
I flew over and past them all without incident.
The enormous fallen angel hovered in my path next, but I didn’t slow. He too let me pass.
And then I saw him. He was cloaked in bright red, jumping up and down in excitement as the vampires tore through what was left of the warlocks. Three rows of vampires surrounded him, leaving just enough room for me to land.
These vampires also did nothing.
Daemon took my hand, howling into the night of his success.
I smiled so as not to alarm him, and calmly whispered the words “Kora Mortae.”
He froze, turning to me in shock. In his eyes I could see what he saw, what they had all seen. Leia. She was right about me, I was an archangel. I could do anything that she could do and more. I just needed enough fear and enough anger.
Daemon was dead when he hit the ground. They all were. I could see the other fallen angels fly over the woods a couple times then take off.
I had done it. And yet, I could feel nothing but crushing sadness. Thousands lay dead around me. Those vampires, they were people once. All of these deaths, all of them were my fault.
Somewhere, Tristan lay dead too.
“Ana!” Darren’s voice called. I turned to find him running in my direction. I stood up and started for him, eager to be in his arms.
“Watch out!” he called next.
I stopped in my tracks, and then turned around just in time to the glint of the knife in the moonlight before it struck my abdomen. I folded over and Leia supported my weight, driving the knife into me again and again.
Finally, she released me and I fell into the grass.
“I loved him,” she said. “And you took him away from me.”
Her face vanished and Darren’s appeared. His mouth was wide open and he took up my hand.
I didn’t feel any pain, though I wasn’t sure why that was. Instead, it felt like a giant wave of sleepiness had come over me. It reminded of those rare times when I was little and I got to stay up late for some special occasion, only to feel myself drifting off as soon as my bedtime came. I wanted so badly to stay awake now, but my body had other ideas.
Darren took my hand. “I love you, Ana.
I wanted so desperately to say the words back, but as I formed my lips, sleep pulled me under.
Chapter Twenty Six
Forever
*Ana*
I woke to the sun on my face. A wide beach stretched endlessly in both directions and the ocean ran up to tickle my toes before retreating back across the sand.
“Hello there,” someone called. The voice twinkled in my ears like music. I recognized it immediately.
When I turned my head, there was a kind faced old man wobbling his round body toward me. Two beach chairs were tucked under one of his arms and an umbrella was tucked under the other.
I stood up, my heart pounding. The long white dress I was wearing flowed in the wind, just as my hair did. I caught a strand of it and held it out in front of me. It was blonde, the color of angels. I was in heaven.
The old man dropped his things in the sand, and then came over and put his arms around me. The instant he touched me, I felt his love, his joy, erupting in my bones. It was overwhelming, and yet just right.
He released me, and then offered a kind smile. He took the time to set out the beach chairs, spending much more time ensuring that mine was perfect than he did on his own. When he was finished he asked me to sit down.
“I didn’t think you would want to see me,” I said meekly.
He reached over and touched my hand and my anxiety faded. He gave it a gentle pat and then continued to stare out at the ocean.
We sat there for a time, he and I, just staring at the ocean. The sun began to slip down into the horizon and the winds began to pick up a bit.
I decided to try again. “I know that I’ve made terrible mess of things…”
Again, he patted my hand and my worries faded.
Finally night had settled in, and the air became bitterly cold. He reached under his chair and came back with a blanket. He stood up, shivering in the winds and wrapped it around me. He was looked to be freezing and yet he took special care to tuck it under me, until a cocoon of warmth surrounded me.
When he was finished, he offered me that same smile.
It was then that I looked him in the eye and said simply, “I’m sorry.”
He leaned down and kissed me on my forehead. “Dearest one, that is all that I ask.”
The world around me faded and when it returned, I found myself sitting on a bed with little boy all wrapped up in blankets. His skin was cold and his little body was still. My heart ached with the sorrow of a mother having lost her child. It was the scene of my greatest mistake, when I had allowed my grief to control me.
But I remembered everything. And so when the midwives came to take him away, I let them. If I had learned anything from those lifetimes, it was how to say goodbye.
God had loved me enough to let me correct my greatest mistake, and for fulfilling my purpose I had earned back my wings, but still, he had to be just. The world wouldn’t have to suffer for my mistakes now, but it didn’t change the fact that I had still made them. My punishment remained, I could never go back to heaven.
Another angel came to take my place, and she became the one to gift the world with magic. I watched history take different paths to the same destinations and I spent those early years drifting from place to place, searching for a purpose with which to spend my endless years.
I went to live in England around the time that Tristan should have been alive. Unfortunately, he was an orphan and had never been able to say for sure when he was born. I ran into a fifty year old Aiden out with his grandchildren eventually, and he told me that he had a friend in his youth that was named Tristan, but that he died of the flu at seventeen.
&nbs
p; I had missed him.
I decided, after that, to dedicate myself to fighting sickness. That would be my purpose for existing and also my tribute to Tristan. For centuries I visited children, and cured them in the night. It gave me a place in the world, but still I was so very lonely.
In 1994, I took a break from my self-appointed purpose. It was the year that Darren was born. I knew that the other angels had put him in my path to help me carry out my purpose, that he was never meant for me, so I resigned myself to only watch over him. I just needed him to have a good life.
I still had the ability to change my appearance and it only seemed right that I be Ana while he was alive. Like Tristan and his cabin, my appearance became my private monument to what we once had.
I watched him grow into the handsome teenager I remembered, and caught a glimpse of his wilder days when he noticed me on a bus and asked if I wanted to ride his “Love Train.” I politely refused.
It would be a shy farm girl from Texas that would be the one to tame his heart. He and Taylor sat next to one another in an art class and got to talking about football. In the following weeks they became inseparable. I shed a tear when he presented her with his mother’s ring, rubbing the spot where it used to encircle my own finger.
The two of them fell madly in love and it gave me joy to see my two best friends so happy. I stayed nearby, always out of frame, watching over them both until they were both old and grey.
But not everyone gets to live forever. Taylor would be the first to depart, passing in her sleep at the age of sixty seven. This broke Darren’s heart and he began to neglect himself terribly. In a desperate move, I had to break my own rule. I made contact with him.
I told him that I was poor and needed a place to stay. I told him that I could help with the rent. He accepted.
I cooked and cleaned, and made sure the bills were paid on time. I sat up with him when he would start to miss Taylor and break out in tears. We would play cards late into the night and he would tease me about not having a boyfriend. I stayed with him through his last night.
He was lying in his hospital bed, and I was tending to his sheets, when he finally let the cat out of the bag.
Forever Trilogy 3: Angel Eyes Page 12