A glass of water in one hand, a bag of snack-sized potato chips in the other. The boy’s footed pajamas made a soft whoosh as he skidded to a halt. Adult humans couldn’t see her. Their minds were closed to the possibility of angels in their midst. Children, with their unlimited imagination, their minds accepted the improbable, embraced the impossible, and could see angels and Darklings.
Eyes wide and face pinched with fear, his mouth opened on a long inhale, preparing for a scream. Cloaked and shrouded in the dark of the room, Dina shook off her hood, allowing the child to see her hair and the inner glow of her grace permeating her skin.
“I’m here to protect you,” Dina said and watched his mouth slowly close. “I need you to return to your room and—”
“Close the door. I know. The other angel said the same thing, but I was hungry.” The child dashed to the stairs.
Other angel? Dina waited until she heard his door clink closed. Then she placed a protective shield around the bedrooms so none inside would hear anything transpiring below.
Next, she moved to the half-open door below the stairs. If Gemma disobeyed her orders and followed, Dina would demote her back to a Comfort. She’d listen to humans whine every day for the next century as punishment.
But it couldn’t be Gemma. Right now, Gemma should be engaged in battle, not in this house, ordering a child to their room. That meant one thing; the child or a parent had invited a demon into his home. They let the dark into what should have been their safe haven. Stupid. Irresponsible. Human. When would they learn? Apparently, never.
Dina pulled the hood over her head and cloaked herself with a minimal amount of power, so not to alert the intruder. She faded through the wooden door and staircase. On the other side, she sank to her haunches and raised her sword.
An iridescent light bled from a corner of the basement along the back wall. The portal was here and not waning. Over the millennia, she had been in this same position a handful of times, only to have the tether keeping the Cruor in this realm disintegrate the moment she approached. Today, this wasn’t the case. The portal covered the entire back wall, its connection to this realm was strong.
Energy leached from the doorway. Its sweet scent beguiled the senses, a lure promising things only those weak in spirit could smell–desire. It led to damnation and delivered eternal doom.
She should’ve brought the entire company and…done what? Though several methods had been attempted, there still was not a definitive way to close the portal, only anchor it.
Once that had been achieved, and for a century the flow of Darklings had ended. Man flourished. Heaven rejoiced. That time would come again. She’d see to it.
A quick glance around the room confirmed the basement was empty. She straightened but didn’t move from her spot. Something bothered her. This portal had to be here for a reason, as was the Darklings amassing in Flint. The Darklings could be a diversion for something greater. Something deadlier than them.
Was the family resting upstairs involved? Either way, they were certainly at risk. Protecting them and slaying any Darklings daring to enter this world became her priority. The mission took on greater urgency.
Now wasn’t the time to be foolhardy. This task was too much for her alone. She needed backup.
Dina opened a link to Gemma.
A figure separated from a shadowed space near a utility rack. Male, wide and muscular by the cut of the coat draping his tall frame. He moved directly in front of the portal, which throbbed in response. The light from inside expanded while the shadows curled and reached with whipped like tentacles to pull him back into the darkness.
The way the Cruor responded, the male had to be a Demoni Lord. None other could cause such an effect.
One had finally crossed over. No matter the cost, he had to be slain. Silently, she eased from her position.
He spun, braced for battle.
She couldn’t see his features, not with the portal as a backlight. He seemed to grow and strain against the confines of the room.
An optical illusion to create doubt and despair. A common tactic, her mentor had tried that trick a few times in training. She almost laughed.
Filled with items, she couldn’t fly in the tight space of the basement. Her wings would be a hindrance, so she retracted them and charged. This battle would be deadly and she had no surety of victory. Nevertheless, either her life would end, or this Lord’s, nothing less would suffice.
He darted to the nearest shadowed area and vanished. She couldn’t chase him, not into the Shadows where no light—spiritual or natural—existed. An arm banded around her neck, the pressure enough to lift her off her feet. In the struggle, her hood slipped off her head. A fist slammed into her wrist, but she wouldn’t release her sword. Two elbows to his ribs produced grunts, yet no release of the pressure on her throat. For a second, she was surprised he hadn’t used his strength and leverage to snap her neck. The move wouldn’t kill her, but would immobilize her long enough for him to steal her weapon and slay her, if he was strong enough to withstand the burn the Empyreal steel inflicted on demon skin.
His lack of skill would mean his downfall, not hers. A twist of her wrist shortened the length of the sword to a dagger. She thrust the point back into her attacker. He released her, spun her around and slammed her into the wall inches away from the portal. His forearm pressed across her throat. His hand ground her knuckles together, stopping her from twisting the handle again and skewering him.
None of that was what halted her struggles to free herself and kill the male. What ended her struggle was the male himself.
Light spilled over his face. The broad forehead with lowered brows, strong jaw and chin was familiar. His hair, once shoulder length, now the coppery strands were cropped close to his skull. His skin was devoid of the natural golden tan she remembered. Yet the eyes…the cerulean eyes she’d never forgotten were now pierce
It couldn’t be him, except why else had her body come alive in ways it hadn’t since he fell? She had to say the name she’d only whispered once on the day he fell. Logic threatened to overrule her base instinct. She forced it away and said,
“Gideon?”
Want more? Click to discover the world of the UnHallowed!
Only The Fallen
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A heartfelt thank you to the ladies of Ancient City Romance Authors. Your friendship and support always brighten my day.
Thank you to my band of merry critique partners, Kathy Bain, Karen Herbelin, Cynthia Veldman, and Nancy Corrigan. Your sharp eye for plotting and attention to details has saved my ass many times.
To my best friends, Michelle De Leon and Diane Rora, thank you for your support in my darkest hours.
To my drinking buddy, beta reader, and bestie, Charitee Gerow, what would I do without you? Don't answer that question!
I couldn’t do what I do without all of you! Writing is a solitary endeavor, but it’s not a journey any author takes alone.
Special thank you to all the ladies in my writing group and the fans who keep me writing and focused.
A second special thank you to my friends on the day job.
Links
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Books
Descendants of Ra series
Entrapped Prequel (comin
g soon)
Eternity Book 1
Everlasting Book 2
Evermore Book 3
Encore Book 4
Forever Novella Book 4.5
Entwined Book 5 (coming late 2018)
The UnHallowed Series.
Only The Fallen
Only One I Want
Only You
Only One I’ll Have
Biography
Tmonique Stephens wrote her first novel about a reporter and a hockey player after the U.S. hockey team won gold in the 1980 Olympics. She loves writing flawed characters who reflect the emotional baggage we all carry. She writes complicated stories for complicated people. Paranormal romances and fantasy novels are her favorite genre.
Check out her Descendants of Ra series. Eternity, Everlasting, Evermore, Encore, and Forever, are the first five novels available now. Entwined, the sixth novel in the series will be available in fall 2017. Only the Fallen is the first novel in her UnHallowed series and is available as a Ebook in the Love Potion #9 anthology. Currently, she is working on Only One I Want, the next novel in the UnHallowed series.
She’ll read anything about fairies, demons, or angels. She also enjoys Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Preston and Child.
Born in St. Thomas USVI, Tmonique Stephens grew up in The Bronx, New York one mile from Yankee Stadium. She loves SyFy, the History channels, and also Asian cuisine. But her heart and stomach longs for anything from the Caribbean.
At any given time, you can find her on Facebook and live tweeting her favorite shows, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.
Forever (Descendants of Ra: Book 4.5) Page 13