‘Where is she?’ He turned his clear blue eyes on Aalia once again, ‘where is Scarlett?’
Aalia’s eyes widened and her stomach jolted. She had not expected his first thought to be of the woman, but she was forbidden from speaking of it. If she gave him any information and they found out, she would be punished most severely.
‘Please.’
She couldn’t tear her gaze away from those piercing blue eyes and she found herself opening her mouth before she could contemplate the consequences further.
‘Your father has her,’ she whispered, ‘none of us can get close enough to see her. They’re keeping her under tight guard. Few even know she is in their custody and those of us who do know have been sworn to secrecy.’
Sam’s jaw hardened and his eyes flashed dangerously.
‘Where is she being held?’
‘I can’t,’ she shook her head, her eyes widening fearfully. ‘If they find out I’ve said anything to you…’
‘Aalia,’ Sam reached out with a shaky hand, ‘you can trust me. I will protect you, but I can’t if I don’t know what’s going on.’
There was something in his eyes, in his expression, something so foreign to the others. He cared, she realized. Her brow folded into a confused frown.
The door behind them suddenly opened and Aalia’s stomach tangled in knots and a feeling of nervous dread spread through her chest.
Tyrel stalked wordlessly into the room, his eyes hard and his expression stoic. His gaze fell on Sam, who watched him silently.
Seeing that Sam was awake Tyrel closed the door behind him with a firm click, turning the lock. His gaze swept the room before landing on an old tapestry hanging from one of the walls. Crossing the room in several strides he lifted the tapestry to reveal the wood paneling beneath. Pulling a small knife from where it was concealed at his ankle beneath his uniform, he scratched out a large, strange looking symbol into the layers of wood.
Aalia turned to Sam in confusion, she opened her mouth to speak but Sam laid his hand on her wrist and shook his head. She turned back to watch as Tyrel completed the symbol and let the tapestry fall back into place, effectively concealing its presence.
When Tyrel finally turned back to face them, he looked like a completely different person. His face had lost the hardened cast and his eyes had softened as he crossed the room to Sam’s cot.
‘Brother,’ Tyrel smiled in relief, ‘it’s good to see you awake.’
He leaned down, grasping Sam’s hand with one hand and throwing his other arm around him in a hug.
Even from his awkward position on the bed, Sam smiled in return, tapping his shoulder as he pulled back.
‘You stink,’ Tyrel told him bluntly.
‘Tyrel,’ Sam’s smiled turned serious, ‘what’s going on?’
Tyrel turned to Aalia studying her quietly.
‘She’s a part of this now,’ Sam told him. ‘It can’t be helped, but she can be trusted.’
‘How do you know?’ Aalia blurted out suddenly. ‘Whatever this is, how do you know I can be trusted?’
‘Because I know what you want Aalia,’ Sam replied. ‘I may have been absent from Heaven but don’t think for one second I didn’t know exactly what was going on within its borders.’
She blinked, staring at him in confusion.
‘Aalia,’ Sam continued, ‘this is going to be a bit strange for you. Everything you know is about to change, that can’t be helped now. I am going to need your help and in return I’ll give you the one thing you want more than anything.’
‘Forgive me for speaking out of turn,’ she replied quietly, ‘but what would you know about what I want?’
‘Because I know about you and Issac,’ he answered.
‘Issac?’ Her eyes widened, ‘do you know where he is? Is he alright? Is he alive?’
‘He’s alive,’ Tyrel interrupted. ‘I saw him with Julien in New Orleans right before Scarlett took you into the church and brought you back here.’
‘It’s all a little hazy,’ Sam shook his head, ‘you’re going to have to fill me in but first,’ he turned his attention back to Aalia. ‘If you help us, you have our word, we’ll get you out of here and take you to Issac.’
‘Where is he?’ she frowned.
‘Earth.’
‘Earth?’ she repeated slowly, ‘what’s he doing there?’
‘Thomas banished him,’ Tyrel replied.
Aalia swallowed hard, trying to make sense of everything. She hadn’t known what had happened to Issac. All she knew was he’d disappeared and with no one to turn to, she’d had no idea what had happened to him.
Aalia turned her appraising gaze on Sam, who was still lying in bed, shaky and pale, propped up on one elbow watching her intently. She turned her attention to Tyrel. He’d always terrified her; he had a fearsome reputation amongst his kind. A cold hard killer whose only allegiance was to Thomas and Marcus but standing in front of her now she could not detect a trace of that man in his expression. His face was relaxed and open, giving him an almost boyish appearance.
What the hell was going on? What was she about to get caught up in? Whatever it was she was certain it would come with a death sentence attached to it if she were caught… but the chance to be with Issac again. She knew there was no choice, no matter how afraid she was, she’d give it all up for him.
‘Very well,’ Aalia nodded, ‘you have my word.’
Tyrel nodded in approval.
‘What was that symbol you scratched into the wall?’ she asked boldly.
‘It’s a sigil,’ he replied. ‘It means they can’t hear anything that is said in this room. Make no mistake Aalia if you are going to be a part of this, you have to be very careful.’
‘I don’t even know what this is,’ she replied.
‘Aalia,’ Sam interrupted, ‘it’s far too big and too complex to explain it all, you will have to trust us. Trust that we will tell you what you need to know and that we will protect you as much as we can, but you must understand that this path is not without risks. You will be putting yourself at very great risk.’
Aalia stared at him as she absorbed his words.
‘You promise you will take me to Issac?’
‘I promise,’ Sam nodded.
‘Then there is nothing more to discuss,’ she straightened her spine and pushed her shoulders back with a confidence she didn’t quite feel. ‘I will do what I can; you tell me what you need.’
‘First I need to know everything that’s happened.’ Sam turned to Tyrel, ‘my brain’s still a bit scrambled.’
‘Do you have all your memories back?’ Tyrel asked worriedly.
‘Yes,’ he nodded.
‘Thank God,’ Tyrel released the breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding. ‘That will make this much easier.’
‘The last thing I remember is Las Vegas. Ash stabbed Scarlett,’ Sam swallowed hard against the painful memory of her laying lifeless in his arms. ‘I took her to New Orleans to the Bone man, after that things get a little confusing.’
‘I’m not surprised,’ Aalia interrupted, ‘you were suffering from a severe case of blood poisoning from Oubli and blue fire. Translocating in that condition,’ she shook her head incredulously, ‘it should have killed you immediately.’
‘Lucky for me it didn’t,’ Sam frowned.
‘If it was luck,’ Aalia murmured.
‘What?’ Sam asked.
‘Nothing,’ she shook her head.
‘I tracked you to Las Vegas,’ Tyrel added, ‘but I lost you when the top floor of the casino exploded. It took me a while to pick up your trail. By the time I got to New Orleans you were practically unconscious, and Scarlett was dragging you into the church. I’m sorry Sam, at that point my hands were tied. I was being watched; I couldn’t give Marcus any reason to suspect my allegiance. I couldn’t allow him to return to Thomas and question my loyalty, not after everything we’ve worked toward.’
‘It’s okay Tyrel,’ Sam held up his ha
nd weakly, ‘just tell me what happened.’
‘Julien arrived, I’m guessing to try and stop Scarlett from entering the church. He had Issac with him so he was obviously planning to try and have Issac heal you, not that he would have been a lot of help in his current state.’
‘What do you mean?’ Aalia’s eyes narrowed, ‘what’s wrong with Issac?’
‘Nothing,’ Tyrel stared at Aalia, deciding this was probably not a good time to tell her about Issac’s mutilated hands. ‘Anyway, I didn’t have time to explain to him what was going on.’ Tyrel sighed. ‘I still think we should have told Julien the whole truth about me.’
‘No,’ Sam shook his head with a frown. ‘His only job was to watch over Scarlett and protect her, no matter what.’
‘Well, he was trying to do that,’ Tyrel admitted. ‘He knew the second she stepped foot in that church, and they found her, that it would be a death sentence.’
‘She knew?’ Aalia whispered, ‘but she gave herself up anyway? She did it to save you?’
‘Yeah,’ Sam swallowed painfully, the depth of her love for him only re-enforcing his resolve for what he knew he had to do next. He turned back to Tyrel and nodded, ‘continue.’
‘I had a split second to make a decision,’ Tyrel told him, ‘it was a calculated risk. One look at you and I knew, just as Scarlett did, that your only hope was to return home. Aalia is the only other healer strong enough to help you. I gambled that I could get Scarlett back out, that I could help her escape. I hadn’t counted on them…’
‘On them what?’ Sam’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
‘Sam,’ Tyrel let out a slow remorseful breath, ‘they’re holding her deep in the catacombs, in the prison of the Morning Star.’
‘The Morning Star?’ Sam’s eyes widened. ‘They’re holding her in Lucifer’s cell?’
Tyrel nodded slowly.
‘I’m guessing that after we broke her out last time and you hid her on earth, they want to avoid her slipping through their fingers again. They aren’t taking any chances. She’s under heavy guard and surrounded by ancient and powerful wards and sigils. Nothing short of a full-frontal assault is going to get her out of that cell.’
Sam wasn’t listening, he was already tugging the damp soiled sheets from his legs and trying to stand.
Aalia and Tyrel both reached out to grab him as his legs folded weakly beneath him.
‘Sam,’ Tyrel told him firmly as he pressed him back into the bed, ‘you are in no state to help her right now.’
‘I can’t leave her there,’ Sam breathed heavily. The bone deep exhaustion of just trying to stand washed over him, threatening to push him back into unconsciousness.
‘And we won’t,’ Tyrel told him quietly. ‘All these centuries you have put your trust in me, and I am asking you to trust me once more my friend. I’m working on a plan to get her out. Right now, you need to stay here and let Aalia heal you. You’re no good to us dead.’
Sam nodded, his guts a mass of writhing snakes at the thought of what they were doing to Scarlett in that hellhole.
‘I have to go,’ Tyrel turned back to look at the door nervously, ‘in case I’m missed. I will let you know as soon as everything is in place.’
‘Thank you,’ Sam nodded as Tyrel gripped his forearm firmly.
Tyrel nodded, his eyes flickered to Aalia briefly before he turned and unlocked the door, heading out as the door clicked quietly closed behind him.
Aalia leaned forward and tucked Sam’s legs more comfortably back onto the cot and pulled the covers over him.
‘You should sleep for a while,’ she told him. ‘I’ll send for clean sheets and a tub for you to bathe in. You’ll feel better once you’re clean and you’ve some food in you.’
‘Aalia,’ Sam reached out and took her hand.
Aalia blinked as she looked down at her hand, unused to displays of kindness from any of the males of her race. Other than Issac, she’d only ever been tolerated because of her gift; the other women of her race had it much worse.
‘Aalia,’ Sam spoke again, ‘thank you, for healing me.’
She blinked again; she couldn’t recall anyone ever having said thank you to her before.
‘You’re welcome,’ she finally replied quietly. She hesitated for a moment, ‘Samuel…’
‘Sam,’ he corrected, ‘my friends call me Sam.’
‘Am I?’
‘Are you what?’ he asked.
‘A friend,’ she frowned in confusion.
‘I’d like you to be,’ Sam smiled softly, the dimples in his cheeks faintly appearing. ‘I know how you’ve been raised, how all the women of our race have been treated and it’s deplorable, but we stand on a precipice, you and I.’ He stared at her once again with those deep piercing blue eyes she was unable to turn away from. ‘Things are going to be very different Aalia, you’ll see.’
Something in her stomach slowly unfurled and relaxed. It was strange that she felt so at ease in his presence and not for the first time she found herself wishing Sam had been in charge, instead of his father. Emboldened by the sudden kinship she felt for him she cleared her throat.
‘Sam,’ she began hesitantly, ‘may I ask you something?’
‘Sure.’
‘Its personal,’ she replied.
He nodded.
‘The woman, Scarlett….’ she hesitated again.
‘What about her?’
‘She loves you.’
‘Is that your question?’ he prompted gently.
‘Um…’
‘You want to know if I love her?’ Seeing her wide eyes, he realized he’d guessed correctly, and he sighed. He’d spent so long hiding his feelings for the only woman he’d ever loved to keep them both safe, but he hadn’t been lying when he told the sweet young healer that everything was about to change, and it had to start with him. They couldn’t even begin to heal the divide between his people and Scarlett’s if they couldn’t be honest.
‘Do you?’ Aalia asked in a small timid voice.
‘I do,’ he let out a frustrated breath. ‘I’ve loved her for thousands of years and I’ll continue to love her until time itself no longer exists.’
‘Thousands of years?’ Aalia frowned, ‘but how is that possible? Neither of you are that old.’
‘You’d be surprised how old we are,’ he chuckled, knowing it probably wasn’t the time to explain to her that he could move backward and forward through time as he wished. It meant that despite the linear amount of years it had been since his birth, he’d actually racked up a lot more mileage than that, as had Scarlett.
‘I don’t understand,’ she tilted her head in confusion.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Sam shook his head. ‘I do love her, and I’d do anything to keep her safe.’
‘But she’s an angel.’
‘Does that matter? Are we so very different from them?’ Sam asked her gently. ‘We are both Heaven born, we are both children of God, we both laugh and love, we feel pain. You have grown up much the same way I did, trapped in this ridiculous blood feud between angels and Sentinels. All in an attempt to prove once and for all who was God’s favorite, who should be in charge, but God’s not here anymore, is he?’
She shook her head silently as she listened.
‘It has to stop,’ Sam told her softly. ‘We shouldn’t be plotting against each other and spilling each other’s blood. I mean, look where we are, we’re in Paradise and yet it is filled with hate and prejudice. There has to be a peace between our people. Although he is not here, I cannot believe that is what God wanted. It’s time to take a stand for what is right.’
‘You almost make me believe it’s possible,’ she gave a small sad smile.
‘It is possible,’ he replied. ‘It will be hard, and painful, and it will take a very long time, but it has to start somewhere. Don’t you want freedom? For you and all the other women of our race?’
‘I do,’ she whispered, her eyes wide with tentative hope.
‘Keeping our women locked away for the sake of purity, not allowing them any education or a voice with which to speak, using them for breeding, its barbaric.’
‘You are very strange,’ Aalia spoke without thinking. ‘I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but I’ve never heard anyone of our race speak like this, so openly.’
‘There are more who think like me than you realize, they’re just too afraid to speak up’
‘But you’re not?’
Sam’s mouth curved.
‘When you’ve spent as long as I have with the humans, their bluntness tends to rub off on you.’
‘What are they like?’ she leaned forward, her eyes glittering with interest.
‘The humans?’ Sam chuckled quietly, ‘they are stubborn, over-opinionated, often selfish, but they have such a great capacity for love and forgiveness. They are incredibly complex creatures, but they have so much inside them that we should aspire to. They are creative and funny, and loyal. I think you’ll like them.’
Sam’s eyes closed for a moment before he blinked them open again.
‘Sam,’ Aalia spoke gently, ‘you need to rest. You are still not fully healed.’
He laid his head back more fully against his pillow and let out a frustrated sigh.
‘I never wanted to take the damn Oubli in the first place,’ he muttered.
‘Then why did you?’ she asked.
‘Sabine and Saffire were getting too close. I couldn’t risk them finding out what I knew.’
‘Who?’ Aalia frowned.
‘Demons,’ he muttered as his eyes drifted closed.
‘Demons?’ she gasped in horror.
‘It’s not as bad as it sounds,’ Sam opened his eyes once again.
‘Sam,’ Aalia frowned, ‘there’s something else I need to ask you before you sleep.’
‘Shoot,’ he mumbled.
‘Shoot what?’ she frowned, causing him to chuckle loudly.
‘It’s a human term, I mean go ahead and ask.’
‘While I was healing you, I managed to burn the Oubli and the blue fire out of your system but there is still something there, a trace of something I can’t identify.’
‘Oh,’ he murmured, his eyes fluttering shut again. ‘I was infected with Demon fire some time ago, that might be it. I also spent some time in the Underworld with Hades.’
The Veritas Page 6