Protect Her: Part 2

by Ivy Sinclair

  Benjamin drew himself straighter. He was tall but still not as tall as Riley. “I would think that the answer was obvious, Paige.” He spoke directly to me, not even looking in Riley’s direction. “The reason that I’m involved is because I am in love with you.”

  Just like that, one more ugly truth was out in the open.

  CHAPTER FIVE- RILEY

  Benjamin's words hung in the air between the three of us. My immediate reaction was to hurl across the short distance and throw the other man to the ground. But he wasn't a man at all, and it had been a long time since I'd gotten into a squabble with an angel, and that one had been a low-ranking one at that. Besides, it wasn't my place. The words he’d spoken weren't meant for me, but for Paige.

  Keeping my feet rooted to the ground, I swung my eyes to her face. Her mouth opened and closed several times without any words escaping her lips. Her normally pale face seemed even paler than usual. She told me that she was aware that her roommate had feelings for her that leaned in the romantic direction, but so far they had gone unrequited. I wasn't sure if knowing what she knew now would change that perception or not. It would have to be quite heady for a woman to know that she caught the attention of an archangel. That didn't happen every day.

  As we waited for Paige to process Benjamin's revelation, I forced my mind to other matters, namely what I knew about the archangel. If Paige decided that she still wanted to leave with me, there was a good chance that I was going to need to recall every piece of information I could remember, and it had been a long time since my mentor last lectured me on Heaven's politics. I mainly worked in demons. The job that led me to Paige was a rare exception. If there was one thing I knew for sure about angels, it was that they didn't like getting their hands dirty in demon business.

  There were five archangels present on Earth at any given time. A sixth kept an eye on things in Heaven, and there was some unknown rotation that occurred every so often, but that meant that an archangel could be present in the human realm for hundreds of years before setting foot in Heaven again. To them though, it was little more than a blink of an eye. Angels were immortal and extremely difficult to kill. That's why there were considerably fewer of them about than demons.

  Still, for all the hoopla in the Bible about angels being the good guys, my experience so far had proved that to be less than so. Angels were territorial, possessive, and rarely saw the grey in any situation. They tended to keep to themselves and only interfered in human problems when there was no other way around it. Any angels serving time on earth, aside from the archangels themselves, were there because of something they'd done that pissed off the powers that be. Each one of them reported to an archangel, and it was the responsibility of the five earthbound archangels to ensure that the human realm didn't literally go to Hell.

  Of the five archangels, Benjamin was the most elusive and supposedly the most dangerous. He had been on earth the longest, and I suspected that he was due back in Heaven soon enough. He had a reputation for being short-tempered and violent, but those that served him said that he was fair, which seemed a contradiction in terms. It made sense to me though. It was far easier to command loyalty through just and reasonable treatment than through fear. What it ultimately meant was that Benjamin's followers bordered on bat-shit crazy when it came to following through with his orders.

  About a hundred years ago, Benjamin settled on the Northwest coast and claimed Calamata Island as his own. The island had its own mysterious, dark, history and there was quite an uproar in the demon community about it. The demons long believed that there was a secret portal to Hell accessible through the island, but had never been able to discover it. I figured that if such a portal did exist, Benjamin had taken steps long ago to make sure that the demons never found it. The idea that demons could come and go at will from Hell was enough to give anyone nightmares.

  I would never have guessed based on what I knew about Benjamin that the archangel had a soft spot that would allow for an emotion like love. Then again, after a day in Paige's company, I was beginning to see why an exception had probably been made. I'd never met anyone like her.

  It surprised me to see the obvious anxiousness that crossed Benjamin's face as he stood there waiting for Paige to speak. I wasn't going to rush her, but at the same time I knew that the longer we stood there, the more likely it was that danger was going to find us. The demons had proved themselves resourceful and tenacious. That didn't bode well for Paige.

  "Say something." Benjamin's low voice sounded strained. He was an archangel. He wasn't used to being kept waiting.

  "I'm not sure what you are expecting," Paige's response was equally strained. "You've kept secrets from me. You've lied to me the entire time I've known you. I have no idea who you are."

  Benjamin took a step closer to her. I moved to block him, but Paige's hand on my arm stopped me. She was telling me to back off, which I didn't like at all. I felt Benjamin's scorching glare in my direction before he returned his attention to Paige.

  "You might not have known my true name, but I never hid myself from you. I'm the same person. Everything I told you about my past and what I want from my future has been true. The timeline might be different than your perspective, but I haven't lied to you, Paige. And I was planning to tell you everything once I uncovered who you are. I didn't think it was wise to tell you anything until I could tell you everything. It wasn't safe for you to know, and you're seeing why now. I'm sorry that I kept it from you, but hopefully one day you'll understand and can find a way to forgive me."

  I forced myself to focus on the one thing that Benjamin said that surprised me. He didn't know who Paige was either. "Are you telling me that after three years, an archangel wasn't able to ferret out her true identity?" The words came out with a slightly mocking tone, and I didn't care.

  "Riley..." Paige started.

  Benjamin whipped his head and glared at me once again. "You dare address me so informally? Remember your place, Necromancer."

  It was wise advice, but I wasn't known for listening to that. Anyone who asked my mentor about me would hear the same thing. In the world that co-existed with the human world, it was necessary to remember one simple truth. If you allowed yourself to be intimidated by every creature that came along, you might as well not even get out of bed in the morning because it became the equivalent of getting beaten up for your lunch money every day. Once the creatures knew you'd bow down to them, they'd take you for everything you had and then some.

  I took a step forward. "I think it's time to stop with the bullshit and tell her the truth about what you know. If you truly do care about her, then you owe her that much."

  "Neither Paige nor anyone else on this island, require your services any longer, Mr. Stone. It would be best for you to leave while your body is still in one piece." Benjamin flashed a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

  "I'll let Paige be the judge of that."

  "Enough!" Paige stepped in between us and put her hand on my chest. "I can't be the only one who feels like the world is about to fall down around my ears. You two can have your pissing match later. Right now, I just want to get the hell out of here."

  Benjamin held out his hand. "Of course. Let me take you away from here."

  "I'm not going anywhere without Riley," Paige said. I might not have known her long, but I could tell by the set of her jaw that she wasn't going to budge on her demand. But I wasn't about to be spirited away to who knows where by an archangel, especially one who was looking at me now as if he would murder me the first chance he got. I was about to say as much when Paige's hand thumped me on the chest, and I saw the slightest shake of her head. It appeared that I wasn't the only one to have started learning the other's mannerisms.

  "Mr. Stone can find his way back to the mainland on his own accord," Benjamin said smoothly. "I can protect you from the demons. He cannot."

  "So far Riley has been the only one to protect me," Paige said. The words caused Benjamin to blanch, and I felt
a momentary flare of pleasure, not only from the meaning of her words but the fact that they made the other man so uncomfortable. "I'm not going anywhere with you, Benjamin. At least, not until you tell me what you know."

  "Paige, please," Benjamin said softly. "You don't know what you are doing. You don't understand what you're asking."

  "She said she thinks you're a lying bastard," I replied for her. "Seems pretty cut and dry to me."

  "She thinks she's so safe with you. Does she know about what happened to your mother and sister? Surely you've told her that tale since the two of you are so close."

  It was as if I had been socked in the gut. The sharp exhale was the only indication that I was willing to give away though. I could see that Benjamin's eyes glittered in anticipation and delight of my reaction.

  "No? Pleading the fifth? Perhaps I should tell her then."

  "Riley?" Paige looked up at me with concern on her face. "What's he talking about?"

  "This isn't the time or place for that story," I said through clenched teeth. "We need to get you out of here."

  "By all means," Benjamin said. "But I think fair's fair, don't you, Mr. Stone? Paige believes that you can keep her safer than I can, but she isn't making that decision with all the facts. She also believes that being with you makes her safer than being alone, but we both know that's not true at all either, is it? When someone deals with demons, they are never safe."

  Paige's eyes searched my face looking for answers, but I didn't have any to give her. Although it had been five years, the pain of what happened to my family was still too fresh, and the guilt rode right beneath the surface of my conscience. All the confidence I felt that I could keep this woman safe was being called into question, and at that moment, I couldn't say that Benjamin wasn't right to do it. I had failed my family. It was very possible that no matter what I did, I'd fail Paige too.

  As if she sensed the changing of the tide, Paige took a step back from me.

  "Besides," Benjamin continued. "Paige belongs with me." He moved so fast that I barely saw the blur before he curled his arm around her shoulder. She cried out when he yanked the corner of her blouse down to expose her left collarbone. My eyes widened when I saw the symbol there glowing in her skin. I might be a low man on the totem pole in the Underworld, but even I knew what the symbol meant.

  It was a single red rose that shimmered in a gold circle. One single petal was white. It was Benjamin's symbol, and its prominence on her skin meant only one thing. It was a magical brand, and it appeared only when there was a question of possession. It was a crude, but effective necessity for humans who walked among the creatures because it showed other creatures which Master the human belonged to. That was often enough security to keep harm away all on its own.

  But the placement of the symbol, right above Paige's heart, signified something much deeper than an ordinary brand. It meant that Paige was Benjamin's intended, whether she liked it or not.

  She struggled out of his grasp and looked at the two of us with a wild expression on her face. I knew the look well. She was about to run.

  "I don't know what the hell is wrong with either of you. I'm done," she said as her feet started to move backwards.

  Then I heard a loud crack through the trees, as if tons of springs suddenly clicked a huge set of metal jaws shut. The accompanying hum almost knocked me off my feet. I glanced at Benjamin and saw that he had felt it too.

  "I'd say that the time for running is done," the archangel said grimly.

  "Then I hope you have a better plan than that," I replied as I pulled the shotgun up to my shoulder.

  CHAPTER SIX - PAIGE

  I was going insane. I was sure of it. The burning sensation on my collarbone finally abated, but I knew that something was terribly wrong when Riley saw the symbol there. I had never seen it before, but there was some memory tugging at my subconscious that told me that I had, but I couldn’t remember where or when.

  All of that was forgotten though when suddenly Riley and Benjamin moved as if they were one, placing themselves between the tree line and me.

  "What's going on?"

  "It's safe to say that the big bad has arrived," Riley said without looking at me. "You got any sense of how many there are?" The question wasn't for me, but for Benjamin.

  "More than a few," Benjamin said, his face scrunched up in concentration. "And at least one that is significantly more powerful than the rest. That's the one in charge."

  I couldn't believe that two minutes ago the two men had been at each other's throats, and now they acted as if they were comrades in arms.

  "A demon official." Riley's words weren't a question this time, and there was a note of awe.

  "It would appear so," Benjamin said. "A disruption like that is going to be noticed elsewhere by my brethren. Reinforcements will be here soon."

  "Not soon enough to get her away from here if an official is coming," Riley hissed. "You know that as well as I do."

  "What are you proposing?"

  "Hey, don't I get any say in this?" I said, trying to butt into the conversation.

  "No," was the immediate reply from both men.

  I crossed my arms in frustration.

  "With our back against this lake, it won't take long before they overpower us," Riley said. "You know as well as I do that most demons aren't fond of water. If you can hold them off long enough for me to get Paige in a canoe, I'll get her across to the other side. You can meet us on the other side."

  "And I should let you try this why?"

  "We both know that my abilities aren't going to do much in this situation," Riley said. "I realize now why I felt like this place was so isolated. There hasn't been any death on this land. There’s no dead here for me to call on."

  "It's a sacred place," Benjamin murmured. I remember his earlier anger that I had allowed Riley to desecrate the cabin. It was yet another mystery to add to the list. Suddenly he hissed and recoiled. "The irony."

  "What?" I asked, startled to see the man I knew transforming into someone far different than I ever expected.

  "I recognize the signature of the official who comes," Benjamin said. His words sounded far away.

  "And that is ironic because?" I was scared out of my mind. It was the middle of the night, and I was in the middle of nowhere with a necromancer and an archangel ready to do battle to protect me. I felt utterly worthless. I was unable to protect myself, and there was something extremely humbling about that fact because it felt so strange. All in all, I was frustrated and more than done with the half-truths and vague answers that so far were par for the course with the two men.

  "It's Bruno Proctor," Benjamin said as if the name should mean anything to me. But it was Riley's sharp intake of breath that made me realize that the name hadn't been said out loud for my benefit, but for his.

  "You need to create a distraction and give us time to get out of here," Riley said, his words rushed. "You know what he'll do to her if he gets his hands on her."

  "You would know better than most, wouldn't you?"

  I didn't know what happened to Riley's mother or sister, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that whoever this Bruno Proctor was, he had a hand in it. I saw the look on Riley's face when Benjamin accused him of not being able to protect me or anyone else. All the blood drained from his face, and he was a lost little boy. Whatever had happened to him and his family before had been horrible, of that I was certain.

  "Are you going to do it or not?" Riley didn't take the verbal bait this time, and I was glad.

  "Yes," Benjamin said.

  Riley took my arm and started to pull me away. Benjamin watched us, but didn't try to stop us. He looked almost serene as opposed to a man who was about to go into battle.

  "Just remember, Mr. Stone, that I will find her. No matter where you take her."

  Riley didn't stop to acknowledge his words. A few steps further and we were around the bend that hid Benjamin from sight. Then I saw a light flickering coming fr
om that direction before an unholy blend of inhuman voices filled the air.

  "Is he going to be all right?" I was horrified by the position that we left him in.

  "He'll be fine," Riley said, still not slowing down even as I stumbled over a few stray rocks on the beach. "Angels are extremely difficult to kill. Much more so than you or me."

  I considered his words, but they didn't make me feel any better. I was still trying to process the fact that Benjamin had openly declared his feelings for me. There was something about the way he had done it that clearly rocked Riley back on his heels, and I didn't understand why.

  After living and working with the man I had known as Christopher, I definitely cared for him. The world can be a cruel and dark place without solid anchors like home, family, and friends. Over time, Christopher came to represent all of those things for me. It should have been easy to translate those feelings into something more romantic. For a brief period shortly after I moved to the island, I even tried, but those deeper emotions never materialized. I'd grown content with my quiet, unassuming life and enjoyed Christopher's attentiveness. He never tried to cross that invisible line with me, but now I had to wonder if it was because he had simply been biding his time.

  I wasn't sure how to translate all of that into the knowledge that he was a supernatural creature of legend who literally came from Heaven. Even in our tension-filled encounter on the beach, I saw vestiges of my best friend. The thought of losing him felt similar to what I thought it must feel like to lose a limb. There was too much of me wrapped up in him to let him go that easily. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with him.

  "We're almost there," Riley said. He reached back and took my hand. That simple gesture grounded me back in reality.

  I followed him without a sound, and then bumped into his back when he abruptly stopped. I could still hear the screams and see the flicker of lights behind us, but they were further away now.