“I could have been a mother!” she screamed as she pummeled Ash’s face. “I could’ve had a life! I could have done so much, but you wouldn’t let me! I killed you, but you took my life!”
Lacy felt strong arms come around her waist and she was hoisted off Ash’s chest. She continued to kick and scream, but she couldn’t gain any purchase against whoever was holding her.
“Calm down there, little sprite,” Antonio’s voice said softly. “It’s over now. It’s ok.” He held her to his chest and Lacy finally ran out of steam. She visibly deflated in Antonio’s arms and he set her on her feet. She turned to him and buried her face in his chest so that no one would see the hot tears that streamed down her face. She was aware that his arms had come around her and was gently comforting her. He was holding her head to him as if he were willing the tears away.
“I’m so sorry,” she said when she could finally take a breath. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do,” Ash told her. Lacy turned away from the safety of Antonio to look at her leader. “I pushed the right button.” Shame filled her as she took in the condition of her leader’s face. He was no longer covered in the black flames and his eyes had returned to their normal color. He had a black eye and a swollen lip, but she could see that he was already healing.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” she said softly, wiping the tears from her face and sniffing.
“I told you to fight,” Ash reminded her. “And you did. I also know what your special gift is.”
Lacy’s head picked up and she was all ears. “What special gift?”
“Just like Jake can control fire,” Ash told her. “It seems that you can control what we feel. You made Antonio fear you and just now,” he looked back at the spot she had held him to on the floor, “you made me feel all sorts of things. Anger, fear, grief; it was so many I didn’t know how to process it. I had no idea what to do with the things I was feeling. How else do you think you got the drop on me? By the time I realized what was going on, instead of fighting back, I just let you get it out.”
“He took so much from me,” Lacy admitted. “Things I can never get back.”
Antonio squeezed her shoulder. “I am so sorry,” he told her.
“I killed him,” Lacy said.
“I know,” Ash told her.
“Does that make me evil? Do I deserve to be here?” she asked.
Ash looked her right in the eyes. “You do deserve to be here,” he told her. “Not as a soul condemned to Hell, but as an Elite Guard, Warrior Angel. God has given you wings and given you a purpose here with us. We need you. The trials of your life have prepared you for your eternity here. With us. Where you belong.”
Lacy nodded. Somehow, being told by Ash that she belonged in Hell with him and Jake didn’t make her feel damned, but instead, she felt loved. Loved like she had a family. Love and belonging that she never had in life. She didn’t have to hide here. She didn’t have to be afraid and she didn’t have to be ashamed of the things she had done. Ash was right. She belonged here and she was going to do her best to prove that he made a good choice in her.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“I can’t describe it,” Ash said to Antonio. “I got this feeling of urgency. I know of at least two guards right now that I need to keep an eye on. I can’t be everywhere all the time.”
“Put Lacy on one of them,” Antonio suggested. “We’ll take the other. She needs something easy to do right now, but she needs a purpose. All she’s got right now is a big old plate of holy cow things are gonna get crazy but nothing to do in order to help it. I say you put her on the one who isn’t ready to die just yet. You can have Jake help her.”
Ash shook his head. “No. I want Jake on Shelly’s ass every second of the day,” he said. “I don’t like it one bit that her blood is out there. I don’t know what their plan is or why, but she needs constant protection.”
“I get that,” Antonio said. “What about the other guard?”
Ash looked at his friend with apprehension. “I’m not sure. I know she is in danger.”
“Another chick?” Antonio smiled. “What is it with you and the females?”
“Stuff it,” Ash grumbled. “Come on, let's go see to her.”
Ash concentrated on the soul that was calling to him. He didn’t understand exactly how it worked; only that it did. He just knew what souls were destined to become guards. He thought of her and then flashed himself and Antonio to where they would find her.
They didn’t expect to find themselves on a plane in flight, but that was exactly where they were. “Well this is different,” Antonio said under his breath.
Ash checked his surroundings. He let his eyes travel over the passengers who were oblivious to the two angels in their presence. This flight was full of people. Some of them alone, but most were families. Ash’s attention was drawn to one family in particular. The man was sitting on the aisle next to his young daughter. Ash immediately knew that the little one had asked to sit next to the window, and by the way the man looked at his daughter, Ash knew he would give her anything just to see her smile.
It wasn’t much different than his own father had been to him when he was young. Before Shax took his family away. Before everything Ash ever knew had been proven wrong and he was shown that monsters were real and he became one of them.
Yes, there was something about the father that called to Ash. He wasn’t the guard, but he was important. “I want him,” Ash told Antonio.
“I thought you said the guard was a chick?” Antonio asked.
“She is,” Ash told him. “I want this man to run Murder. It’s been suspended for too long.”
Antonio nodded. “Not to doubt you in any way, but are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” he told him. “Shit’s about to get real in here. Keep the woman safe.”
Antonio looked to the woman and child with the man in question. “What about the girl?” he asked.
Ash shook his head. “There is nothing we can do for her,” he said. “She has an eternity of happiness waiting for her. Whatever happens, I know the woman has to live now. She isn’t ready to die. This needs to happen.”
Antonio still didn’t know how Ash knew the things he knew, but one thing was for sure; he had learned to trust Ash. The man was loosening up every day, and every day he got stronger. Just like he was supposed to. “I thought you said no interfering,” Antonio said with a wicked grin.
“Fuck it,” Ash announced. “Make sure she lives.” He pointed at the woman in question.
Antonio didn’t have time to say anything else. That was exactly the time when the plane passed into a dangerous thunderstorm. Lightning flashed outside the windows and the plane dropped several hundred feet due to a loss of air pressure.
“Fuck!” Ash shouted, grabbing on to the back of one of the seats to keep his balance.
The plane shook wildly and began to spiral in the sky. Passengers were screaming and holding on to their loved ones. The flight attendant was desperately trying to get a message across to them over the PA, but no one could hear her over the noise. The plane took an immediate nose-dive toward the ground and Ash and Antonio had to lean in order to stay upright.
“This is it!” Ash shouted over the cacophony. “Remember, she lives!”
Antonio nodded and wrapped his arms around the woman Ash had assigned to him. He wanted to hold the daughter too, but he knew Ash was right. He saw Ash lay his hand on the man’s shoulder just before the plane crashed into the ground, breaking into hundreds of pieces. The souls of the one hundred and twenty people on board were sent to their eternal destinations, except the one Antonio held in the protective circle of his arms.
***
Lucas wiped the sweat from his brow. This godforsaken jungle was so freaking hot during the day. At night it was freezing. It was a miracle that he hadn’t gotten sick yet from the bipolar weather alone. Not to mention any number of diseases that, if he were human, he wouldn’t be immune to. B
ut he wasn’t human was he. Lucas was one of the many weres in the military. His wolf gave him all kinds of special abilities that regular humans didn’t have. Like keen eyesight and sensitive hearing.
Satisfied that everything was safe, he allowed himself to relax. His relief was climbing the stand and he was going to be off duty for a solid twelve hours. He wanted to go ahead and pack up his rifle, but he couldn’t. Not until the next man was set up and on watch.
“Ready to get some shut eye?” his relief, Tex, asked him. “Those baby blues are red.”
“Yeah,” Lucas answered. He disassembled his gun and packed it neatly away in its case before descending to the rest of his platoon where he could get some rest.
“Hey, Baby Blues!” Carl called to him. Lucas hated his nickname, but what was he to do? His tribe had named him for the color of his eyes and it stuck. It wasn’t like they were anything special. All werewolves had icy blue eyes.
“Morning, guys,” Lucas waved to them.
“Hey, we’re gonna get us a drink this morning,” Carl yelled to him. “Why don’t you join us?”
Lucas shrugged. Why not? He was off duty. “Sure,” he said, and followed the five men that had become his brothers into a tent. They called it the Club, a place where there was music and alcohol. Both were necessities to get through each and every day.
After several drinks, the men stumbled out of the tent, laughing and singing. This was the only redeeming thing about this whole war, Lucas thought. The relationship he had with his brothers in arms. They were close, and they would all lay down their lives for the others.
They were approaching their sleeping quarters when Lucas felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His eyes immediately searched out the stand where Tex was keeping guard. He couldn’t see the soldier, but something told Lucas there was something about to go down. He raised his hand slightly, only as high as his chest, and signaled to the stand, hoping Tex would see it.
“Hey, Baby Blues,” one of the men slurred, “what’s got your panties in a bunch?”
“Shh,” Lucas commanded. Immediately the men sobered and began searching their surroundings with their eyes. “Could be nothing,” Lucas admitted quietly.
“Or,” Carl whispered, “it’s your spidey sense telling you something.”
Lucas nodded and gave the signal for them to keep moving. And then, it happened. Lucas heard a thunk near his feet. He looked down to see a live grenade, pin removed, only three feet from him and his men.
“Run!” Carl shouted.
Lucas knew they would never make it far enough away in time. A grenade allowed for thirty seconds at best and time was wasting. He watched as his brothers scattered and knew they wouldn’t make it. He made the decision that would forever change his life. If anyone had a chance here, it was him. He turned toward the grenade and threw his body on top of it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ash entered his office with a tall man on his heels. “This is my office,” Ash told the man. Then he turned his attention to his guard. “Guys, this is Jensen.”
“New Guard?” Antonio asked with a knowing smile.
Ash shook his head. “No, Jensen is going to run Murder for me.”
The man gave a slight wave of his hand. “Nice to meet you all,” he said with an unsure smile. He had thick, short brown hair and pale green eyes. He was tall enough to be a guard, but they all knew he had been chosen to run Murder for other reasons.
“In life, Jensen had been black ops,” Ash told them. “He was in a plane crash a few hours ago.”
Everyone introduced themselves to Jensen and Ash got him into the computer system. “I just have a few things to take care of and then we can get you over to your realm,” Ash told Jensen.
“But first, I have a job for you,” Ash told Lacy.
“Oh yay, my first assignment!” she cheered. The words were said in a playful manner, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she really was looking forward to doing something useful.
“I got a wolf that I have been waiting for,” Ash told her.
“A wolf?” she asked.
Ash nodded. “A were. I have been waiting patiently for his human life to expire, but given the dire circumstances that we find ourselves in, I cannot afford to wait for him.”
“I’m not killing him,” Lacy warned Ash. She didn’t care if he was the big kahuna; she wasn’t taking a life.
“He’s nearly dead already,” Ash told her. “I don’t want you to kill him, only convince his family that they need to let him go.”
Lacy watched with heavy skepticism as Ash paced the room. “Sounds like killing him to me.”
“I think you should go and see him,” Ash told her. “He was in a horrible attack in the dessert and is barely clinging to life right now. If you meet with him and his family and you still don’t think letting him die is the best way to go, I won’t make you do this. But I believe you will understand after you meet him.”
Lacy nodded. She could go see him. “Do you want me to take anyone with me?” she asked.
“Who would you like?” Ash asked her.
Lacy chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before answering. “Liam.”
Ash raised a brow at her. “Why?”
Lacy sighed. “Because he would make a good addition to your team,” she said. “Because he respects you and because he has learned his lesson. I think he deserves another chance. I think you should give him the opportunity to prove his worth to you.”
Ash wasn’t really certain this would be a good idea, on any level.
“He can be my responsibility,” Lacy told him. Ash saw the pleading in her eyes and it reminded him of his little sister. He never could resist that look from her either.
“Fine,” Ash said, “but you keep an eye on him at all times. Never leave him alone and bring him back with you.”
Lacy smiled. “Will do, Captain,” she said, mock saluting him with her right hand to her brow.
Then Ash turned to Liam. “You better not disappoint me,” he warned. “If you do and even one hair on her head is harmed, I will introduce you to Hell in ways you can’t even imagine.” He allowed his eyes to grow red and growled the words at Liam. He was satisfied to see the man’s eyes widen before he got himself under control and nodded.
“I won’t let you down, Sir,” Liam promised.
“Good. Don’t make me regret this.”
Ash flicked his wrist at the cage and the door opened. Liam stepped out and stretched his muscles. Lacy had been right. The man was huge. Standing at full height, he was at least six feet five, about the same height as Ash. His shoulders were broad and his body was trim. Lacy forced herself to ignore the urge to climb up that body and do unspeakable things to him. What was she thinking? “Where do I find this wolf?” Lacy asked Ash.
“Come on,” he told her, leading her and Liam into a room off his office. Inside the room, there was a sofa in the corner that had a few throw pillows on it. “I come in here sometimes to think when I need to be alone,” Ash explained. He walked right up to a huge mirror. “This is the Mirror of the Soul. I can see anyone I wish in it.” He touched the mirror and the glass swirled to life. At first, it was just a mixing of colors and mist, and then the image took shape.
Lacy moved closer. She saw someone in a hospital bed. The man, or wolf, was covered in bandages that blood was seeping through. There was an older woman sitting next to him, reading from a book. As Lacy watched, she noticed that the man in the bed was missing something. A lot of somethings. He had no arms and no legs. His eyes were covered in a thick bandage and a machine was breathing for him.
“Can’t a wolf heal by changing?” she asked without looking away from the mirror.
“He can’t,” Ash told her. “If he changes, he will die. Not bad for us, but his family wants him to live. They are holding on to the theory, that if he can survive long enough and heal enough, that the change will bring back his arms and legs. Maybe even his sight. But they’re
wrong.” Ash shook his head. “That poor man is in pain and his body dies a little more every minute. It isn’t peaceful and it is very painful for him. The man was a marine. He will never be happy living like this.”
Lacy hated to admit that he was right. The kindest thing this man’s family could do for him was to let him go. That, of course, would help the Guards out as well. They needed all the manpower they could get and according to Ash, this man was one of them.
“Ok,” she sighed. “How do I get to him?”
Ash took his hand off the mirror and it returned to its normal state. It looked like any other mirror without the magic from Ash’s touch. “You concentrate on him and then flash there. You will have to hide your wings and make yourself visible to deal with his family.”
“I just think it and poof?” she asked skeptically.
“Yep,” Ash told her. “I have faith in you. You can do this. Take Liam’s hand and go. Don’t forget to bring him back.” Then Ash turned to Liam. “I am gonna be pissed if I have to go looking for you.”
Liam nodded and took Lacy’s small hand in his much larger one. He forcibly ignored the flash of heat that ran up his arm at the contact. He was going to prove that he was worthy of this job, no matter what.
Lacy closed her eyes and thought of the poor wolf shifter who needed her more than he knew. She squeezed Liam’s hand tight and felt the world slip out and away from her.
***
“I hate coming down here,” Shelly admitted to Jake. “I don’t see why someone else can’t do it.”
Jake took her hand and held it firmly in his own. “Because when Ash says go check on Dad, you go and check on your dad.”
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