I could sense his hesitation still. I reached for his hand, taking it in mine. His large, callused palm felt warm in my cold grip. I turned it over, examining the rough and semi-darkened ridges of skin—a testimony of his strength. I glanced at Darius, his eyes wide as he watched my unexpected familiarity.
“You can come back to get me on the quad if you feel it necessary, although I am perfectly capable of walking the two miles.”
A wave of self-consciousness crashed over me and I released his hand, but he immediately reclaimed it, seizing it in his grip. I could feel a blush creep into my cheeks and burst into ugly splotches on my face. I stammered through the rest of my planned speech. “Just—just give me time to process things. Please.”
“Fine,” he growled. He lowered his face so close to mine that I had to squash the instinct to draw back, “but I’ll be back very soon.”
I nodded my understanding. I wouldn’t need that much time anyway. He squeezed my hand, finally releasing it. My palm tingled as I watched him stomp after the others. Relieved, I sat on the ground, waiting until I heard the engine of the trucks and the gravel beneath their tires before resuming my plan.
My heart flipped over, and squeezed in anticipation as I stood and stepped through the barrier. Its protective powers peeled away, and I quickly turned to ensure the sanctuary’s gate—the light portal back into its haven—hadn’t forever closed to my lying self. But it was still there, shining like a beacon to those lucky enough to enter. I clasped my mother’s pendant for strength and retrieved both knives.
But I hadn’t lied. Not really. I would not follow the Annihilator, but I never said I wouldn’t get her attention. Standing ready, I filled my lungs with air.
“Ann—”
Something hit me hard from the side. My breath knocked from me as strong arms enclosed and tackled me into the dirt. My knives flew from my grasp when my head hit the ground, but the impact was softened by a large hand that cushioned the blow and burned at my face.
Anger coursed, and I unleashed it, sending power away from me. My attacker was blasted back. I rolled to the side watching as the demon flipped in the air, landing in a low crouch. Jonathan’s hard gaze met mine. “That’s new. Been practicing?”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I bounded from the ground, brushing the dirt from my throbbing side.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, still crouched for an attack.
“What do you think I’m doing?” I pointed to the orchard where the Annihilator had disappeared with her entourage. “She needs to die.” I snatched my blades from the ground.
“And I agree, darling.” He straightened, monitoring my movements. “But not today. You are not ready.”
“Why does everyone keep telling me that?” My hand tingled with the desire to hit something.
“Because it’s the truth, Ava. She knows it, and that’s why she baited you tonight.”
“You were watching?”
“Of course. I learned much from the evening’s activities. I hope you gathered the information you needed.”
“More than I imagined. She is out there waiting, Jonathan. You saw her.”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course she is. That’s not what you were supposed to find out. We need to know how someone got in.”
“Well, that we didn’t find out,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.
He tsked his disappointment. “You’re in over your head. Go home. Rest. Train. And get better.”
“No, I have the chance to finish off my mother’s murderer, Jonathan. Back down, or the next time you try and stop me, I won’t hesitate to finish you.”
“Oh,” he jeered. “Is that so? Well, you had better get on with it, my Ava.”
He pulled a dagger from his boot. The sleek steel blade shone with the light from the moon. The leather-wrapped grip was elegant. A fitting knife for my demon. It would be a nice addition to my collection.
As I prepared to fight, Jonathan tossed his weapon to the ground.
Confusion pulled at my brows.
“What are you waiting for, love?” He lifted his arms in welcome, calling my bluff. “Finish me.”
I glowered at him. No, I would not kill him. Not yet. But I would endeavor to knock that cocky smile off his face.
I ran at him, lunging with my dagger. Like lightning, he deflected the blow with a downward block so hard that it hit the blade from my hand. Using my momentum, he grabbed my wrist, pulling me into him. His other hand gently gripped my neck.
“Never rush your opponent. Wait for them to come to you.”
“I’m running out of time,” I said.
Snaking one hand up between my neck and his arm, I broke his hold and slammed my other fist downward. A satisfying groan indicated that I had hit my mark. Trying to greaten the distance, I kicked back into his solar plexus, but he caught my foot in both hands and twisted, spiraling me sideways and to the ground. I landed on my stomach, my face in the dirt.
With a growl, I flipped to my back and sprang to my feet, barely in time to block a punch to the face. Pulling my anger, I unleashed my power, endeavoring to push him even farther away… but Jonathan opened his arms. He engulfed my energy, sending it out toward me, catapulting me backward. The evening stars soared above me as I flew through the sky. I landed on my back, the impact collapsing the air from my lungs for the second time that night.
I fought to find breath. Jonathan’s voice came to me before my eyes adjusted to his presence. He squatted next to me. He tilted his head to the side. “You use anger to fuel your power. Anger is a feeling I master, bend to my will. And I can take your anger and use it against you if you’re not strong enough.”
I inhaled a painful breath; dust-saturated air clogged my lungs. “Shut up,” I croaked, struggling to gather as much hatred, as I could.
I crawled to my feet, but before I could even think to release my power, the energy was sucked from my body. Jonathan absorbed it all. My head spun with exhaustion. As he stalked toward me, I staggered backward, trying to distance myself from his attack, but I thumped into something hard. The rough bark of a tree pricked my hand and halted my retreat.
Defeated, I grasped at Jonathan’s hand as he wrapped it around my neck.
“Have I proven my point yet, my Ava?” He stepped in closer, relaxing his grip enough for me to scream my frustration.
He smirked. “Your pitiful wrath is not a skill that will help you, darling.”
Breathing heavily, he stepped in, bringing his mouth only inches from my own. I could feel his hot breath against my skin as he whispered my name. He sighed, pressing his nose against my cheek.
I remembered the intense pain that I felt from his skin the first time he touched me, but now it was only a mild burning, lessened by continued contact and… by something else.
“It would be so easy to kill you right now. The only thing that stopped me from doing it before was the ban the Destroyer had on you. Now that it has been lifted, I can do with you as I please.”
I gritted my teeth. “Then do it, if you think you can.”
Jonathan released me. I grasped the tree for support.
“I still need you,” he said, his voice gruff. His gaze roamed the contours of my body. “This lesson was a gift to you.”
Retrieving his knife, he wiped the blade clean of dirt and replaced it in his boot.
“Some gift.” I took a deep breath to control my heartrate. “I guess it’s better than your last one,” I grumbled, pushing off the tree.
He froze, his back to me. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about—or did you not leave something for me just outside the veil of the sanctuary?”
“Tell me what it was,” he commanded, still not meeting my gaze.
My brows contracted. “My mother’s demon, dead. A note with it said, A gift for Ava. Are you telling me that wasn’t you?”
He slowly turned, regarding me with
a curious expression. “My love, if I were to give you a gift, it would be far more valuable than the cold shell of a disposed mortal. But I can understand why you would think that. If I ever did come across the two demons that entered my Ava’s bedroom without my permission, I would not hesitate to kill them.”
“Then who wrote the note? Who killed her?”
One corner of his mouth twisted into a crooked smile. “Who says she’s dead? Were there any wounds upon the body?”
“No.”
“We don’t generally choose to die. We know what is waiting for us if we don’t win this war. I assume Violet is off to find another human, if she hasn’t already. She had a sick sense of humor, if I remember correctly. I’m sure leaving the body as a gift to you is a warning.”
“How did you know her name?” I asked. The image of my mother’s painted flower bloomed in my mind.
“Only the most powerful of demons are able to claim any connection to The Three.”
“That sounds a little conceited, Jonathan.”
He bowed a fraction, accepting my comment as a compliment. “Violet was a very formidable, very twisted demon. She became obsessed with your mother and completely disappeared after her death. She no longer answers my master’s call.”
“Does that mean she answers to the Annihilator’s?” I asked, clenching my fist. If that were the case, I could have kicked myself for not killing her when I had the chance.
“I don’t know. Very few Fallen have chosen her side…” His voice trailed off, a thoughtful expression upon his face.
Seconds later, the sound of an ATV engine grew louder upon the night air. I cursed beneath my breath. “Someone’s coming.”
“Good.” He strode away. “Go home. Go to bed,” he called over his shoulder.
“But Jon—”
“Oh, don’t worry, my love. I’ll come see you tonight.” He took off into the orchards.
“That’s—” But he had already disappeared, leaving me alone, confused, and thoroughly beaten. “That’s not what I was going to say,” I groused. The roar of the quad came closer.
I skimmed the trees, knowing it was too late for my plans. I couldn’t call to the Annihilator now. Jonathan had seen to that. My shoulders slumped. This had not gone at all as I had hoped. Grumbling, I picked up my knife, placed it back into my boot, and trudged to the veil. I crossed over just in time to see Darius drive beneath the archaic archway.
He grabbed me by the wrist when I neared. Holding my arm out, he exposed the dirt that covered my clothes. I tugged free.
Warily he glanced over my appearance. His other arm wrapped around my waist as he maneuvered me to look at my back side. I closed my eyes to the sudden desire to melt into his embrace. He brushed at the dust covering my shoulders. My skin zinged, but I feigned indifference to his touch.
“What were you doing?” he asked.
I climbed behind him and slipped my arms around his waist. I could have sworn I felt him shiver. “Practicing,” I answered.
“In the dirt?”
“Is that so hard to believe?” But he didn’t answer or argue.
The quad jumped into gear, and I held even tighter to Darius as he sped back home. I closed my eyes; exhaustion pulled at my mind. Taking liberties, I rested my cheek on his broad back. He slowed to a less violent speed in response.
When we arrived at the compound, Laith was waiting for us out front of the circular drive. A curious resident retrieved the ATV from Darius, watching me with large eyes.
Laith ran a hand through his black tousled mane. Before I could open my mouth, he answered the question weighing on my mind.
“Hector is fine. He’s resting. Charlotte was ordered to bed, but she refuses. She wants to stay with Hector, so we set up a cot in his room. Noah and Roman have taken up the watch for the remainder of the night. The others, along with Ray, are in the library for the debriefing. Darius, we’d like you to attend as well.”
Darius nodded. I moved ahead without waiting, lumbering into the main entrance of the building. As I progressed through the dimmed hallways of the compound, my muscles fatigued. My boots felt like lead and my skull throbbed from the fight with Jonathan—if you could even call it a fight. I was barely aware that Darius and Laith followed. Only one thing was on my mind: sleep—and the conversation with my demon that would ensue.
Cedric, Fiona, and Elisa sat on the couches of the library. Ray was preparing his notes at the desk. All of them poised and calm as if this evening was no different from any other. As if we hadn’t just had a private interlude with my mother’s killer.
And that only made me angrier.
Darius waited for me to take a seat, but I didn’t want to sit. I moved to the other side of the room and stared out from the grand library window into the darkened farmlands. He shadowed me, relaxing nearby in a lone lounge chair.
“So.” Laith cleared his throat. He leaned on the back of the couch, and lowered his head. “What did we learn tonight?”
“The demon that attacked Ava is not the same one that Charlotte fought,” Fiona said.
“What did Charlotte say her demon looked like? Was it the shape-shifter?” Elisa asked.
“I would presume so.” Cedric crossed his ankle over his knee. “The shape-shifter’s talons would have created the severe lacerations on her skin.”
“But the demon, Grayson…”
Laith shook his head. “I’m not one hundred percent sure he is a demon, Elisa. Did you consider his size?”
Fiona leaned forward on the couch, peering at him. “Are you suggesting we are dealing with a giant? But there hasn’t been a giant born in centuries.”
“That we know of,” Ray said. “I will do some additional searching outside of our files.”
“A shape-shifter and a giant. Does that mean that we have two traitors at the compound?” Elisa asked, her voice sad and incredulous.
“I don’t understand.” Fiona shook her head. “As I ponder over every name, every living soul that resides within this sanctuary and with us, I cannot think upon a single person who I believe would want to betray us like that. That would want to harm us, their protectors.”
“But we are not talking about us, are we, Fiona?” I asked—barely a whisper, but still they heard me. I turned from the window and leaned back against the sill. “Not us, Fiona. Not someone wanting to betray their Healers or their Heralds. We’re talking about someone wanting to betray their new Defender. A Defender that they barely know and that they might not want here.”
Laith pushed off from the couch. “We’ve been over this. Everyone agreed—”
“What, Laith? They agreed what? To raise their hands in support of my calling and thereby unanimously affirm that they’ve all accepted me? And that is supposed to give you the warm fuzzies? You think that they all truly want me here? I’m sorry, but that is fairly naïve.”
“Ava.” He shook his head, but I was far from done.
“I know you all think that my dad went off the deep-end, and maybe he did, but he also witnessed the betrayal and murder of his wife, and I’m sorry but—”
“She’s right,” Cedric interrupted, drawing all attention. I snapped my mouth closed, shocked by his acquiescence. “We could have never suspected that anyone would have betrayed our Rachel, but look what happened. She was murdered. Right along the borders of our compound. Isn’t it interesting that after all these years, we finally get our Defender back, in a sense, and the moment we do, someone is ready and willing to betray her again?”
“Again?” Fiona straightened. “Are you suggesting the same person that killed Rachel is now attacking her daughter? Because if that’s the case, there were only a few individuals around for both of those times frames. That includes us, and Benito.”
My mind shifted to Dr. Maynes and my mood darkened even more.
“I’m not suggesting our grandson.” Cedric placed a hand on her arm, but Fiona bristled beneath his touch.
“No one is suggesting suc
h a thing, Fiona,” Laith said. “I’m not sure I believe there is a traitor. If there was, would the Annihilator and her followers tell us? Or is that a way to throw us off the real trail? What if there was another way in? A way we don’t know about?”
Cedric groaned. “Laith, your ability to see the good in everyone is admirable, but we cannot afford to be blind—to the past or in this present time.”
“But we already looked into it, Cedric.” Fiona shot her husband a wary glance. “We cannot assume—”
“The house of angels is tainted,” I said through clenched teeth. My cheeks burned with anger. My chest tightened. “That’s what the Annihilator said, and still you second-guess what is right in front of you. Did anyone else see what I saw tonight?”
Suddenly Darius was at my side. Large and warm, his hand enveloped mine in a strong grasp, shooting a strange sensation up my arm and over my heart. “Yes, we saw, Ava.”
I stared into his honey-colored eyes. “My mother’s murderer was out there, Darius! She was right there in front of us and we did nothing!”
“Control yourself, Ava,” Laith warned from the opposite side of the room. “You do not understand.”
“What?” I yanked my hand hard from Darius’s grip—my heart ached from the spurn he didn’t deserve. I shook my head to clear away the guilt. “That I’m too weak to fight her? Believe me, I’ve been told—many times, thank you. I get it, alright?”
Laith pulled his fingers through his hair. “No, Ava.”
“Then what?” I yelled.
Elisa shot to her feet, her fists clenched at her side. “That we’re all too weak to fight her.” Her voice rang out, loud and furious. I sucked in a breath, halting my assault on her mate. “We all would have died, Ava. Is that what you wanted?”
My mouth opened to answer, but nothing managed to come out. My shoulders dropped in defeat and shame. I had taken this too far and I mentally shrunk, like the coward I was, as she walked the distance of the room.
Darius took a strengthening position behind me, sensing my anxiety, and instinctively I reclaimed his hand.
Personal Guardians: Book 2 in the Personal Demons Series Page 16