Redeeming Angel

by JL Weil

  As my mind revolved, circling back to the dream, I tripped over my feet and fell, banging my knees into the cool, hard ground. The air, which had been slightly warm earlier, was now chilled, and the scent of smoke clung to my nose, mixing with wildflowers and grass.

  What if I accidently hurt him? What if I had attacked him instead of Emma? Why had I attacked at all?

  If I hurt my friends… If I hurt Chase…

  It would break me, shatter my heart into a thousand little pieces. As much as Chase might get under my skin, I would never put him in harm’s way. If I had known…

  The nightmare.

  It came back to me in an arctic gust. Chase splattered in his own blood. The odd angle of his colorless and lifeless body. I closed my eyes, willing the images to stop, fingers digging into the dirt.

  As easily as my body had been dragged backward, it now whisked forward. Darkness and body collided together.

  I peeled my eyes open. A spooky cluster of clouds moved overhead, creating shadows over the forest floor. I was still sprawled on the ground, pine needles and gravel embedded on my palms.

  A pair of really stellar red wedges came into focus. I craned my neck, glancing upward. Lexi anchored her hands on her hips, hovering over me. “What are you doing on the ground?”

  I thought I was going to cry. “I screwed up on a global scale.”

  “Not from where I stand. You didn’t kill anyone.”

  “But I could have,” I said, pushing to my feet. I winced as the scrape on my knee stung from the stretching movement.

  “I got the cliff notes of what happened. We all have a choice, to be good or to let the darkness rule. Human or not, the choice is still there.”

  I only wish it were that easy. “I’ve done enough damage, but what I’m most concerned about is how much more I will cause.”

  “Did you really throw a ball of fire at Emma?” There was a hint of hilarity on Lexi’s pixie face.

  I pushed to my feet, brushing my hands on my pants, and shrugged, but before I could confirm or deny, Lexi gasped.

  “Oh God.” She paled.

  And all I could think was now what did I do?

  “Do you know what caused those tracks?” she asked.

  I rooted my feet in the ground, afraid I knew exactly what had made those marks in the dirt. “Hell’s timing really sucks,” I muttered.

  A howl raptured the night, stealing my breath. Not a wolf’s howl, but that of a hellhound— many of them from the numerous howls that followed.

  “Do you smell that? The scent of rot is in the air.” Lexi’s eyes morphed into slices of amber.

  I inhaled deeply, but I only smelled pine from the trees. And…Chase? I smelled Chase, and it was better than the earthy forest. It was delicious. Mouthwatering. Made me wish we hadn’t been interrupted before. I could still taste him.

  “You able to fight?” she asked.

  I wasn’t sure, but there was only one way to find out. “Don’t have much of a choice.”

  A hound stepped out from under a bush, dirty and dark hair matted. Three others moseyed out from different corners of the woods, eyes glowing like rubies in the shade.

  “Whatever you do, don’t die. Chase will never forgive me.” She took a step back so her body was shielding me. “And this might be a really great time to practice your new pyro skills.”

  If it were only that simple. I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to do it again, and I didn’t have the foggiest idea how I’d managed to produce the little spits of fire. I was out of time.

  A twig snapped.

  My head whizzed to the left, and I saw beady, red eyes peeking through the wall of green foliage.

  The hellhounds weren’t just nearby; they were here.

  At my side, a snarl punctured the air, stretching out. I bent, reaching for the blade tucked into my sock. On instinct, I turned, realizing two of the hounds had launched a sneak attack. I stood and swiped out my blade, the tip slashing the creature’s neck, but it was only a nick. I was so not ready for this, and my faith in my skills was lacking.

  I palmed my blade.

  Scrambling over weeds and twigs, I latched onto the handle, waiting. Instantly the air became hotter, filling with the putrid pants of mutt. What I assumed was the leader of this gruesome pack gave a short growl. Then they attacked.

  I arched left and stepped right, narrowly avoiding pointed nails and razor teeth. My blade blindly swung in the air, and a few times I got lucky, slicing through decaying flesh. Black goo dripped down the end of my blade, touching my skin. I wanted to shiver, to squeal, and run around in circles with my arms flailing.

  The hound jumped, pushing me to the ground. I landed with a hard thud, my side throbbing. A second later, I was pinned and teeth snapping in vicious chomps went for my neck. I wiggled and only ended up gnawing my back on the brittle floor.

  As the hound hunched over me, I jerked my knee up, barreling into its gut. The beast was so much stronger than I anticipated and barely budged. Jaws nipping, saliva dribbled from his muzzle, leaking onto my hair and the side of my face.

  Disgusting. Fowl.

  This is it. They’re going to munch my face off.

  I tried to summon my fire the same way I had not long ago, believing I could gain the upper hand, but I was so new to this and didn’t know what I was actually supposed to do. As expected, I couldn’t generate even a spark. So much for my flaming fingers.

  As I was about to close my eyes and say a prayer, Lexi appeared behind the hound, golden eyes glowing. Her hands moved in a blur on either side of the creature’s large head, and then she gave one quick twist, snapping its neck.

  I wasted no time getting back on my feet. They were everywhere. Hellhounds. Hellhounds. Hellhounds. They swarmed around us like flies, growling instead of buzzing. I trembled, the blade seeming to gain ten pounds in my grasp. I’d been without real physical activity for too long, and after the beating I put my body through today training with Chase, this was too much, too soon. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep up and still remain on my feet.

  Another hound sprang at me, black-stained teeth bared. I spun back and kicked my heel out, slamming into its muzzle. The mutt whimpered as he rolled away. There was no time to breathe a sigh of relief as yet another hellhound lunged for me.

  I reacted with the first thing that came to mind. I popped it in the snout. The hound went to the ground but quickly twisted and nipped at my ankles.

  I don’t think so.

  Hopping up, I stomped down on the hound’s head, and with a twirl of my dagger, I punched the blade into the creature’s belly and took a step back.

  “Nicely done,” Lexi said from behind me, panting with exertion.

  I bent down and grabbed my knife, wiping the dust against the material of my thigh. Tingles radiated in my stomach as something solid pressed against my back. Fear and adrenaline drove my actions as I threw my elbow behind me and raised my blade.

  Chase ducked just as I sliced downward in an arc. If I had been faster or he had been slower…

  “Idiot!” I screamed. “I almost stabbed you.” He knew better than to creep up on me when I was armed. Or at least you would think he would.

  Ruthlessness radiated in his eyes. “I guess those lessons paid off.”

  Chase! He was here.

  Yes, my body sighed in relief.

  He reached the creatures, using two of them as punching bags. So much rage. It was a viable force, surrounding him inside and out. Eyes blazing amber, he gave a wide slash with my dagger, clipping the hound’s spine and nearly removing its head.

  The woods went eerily quiet, and I knew Chase and Lexi had finished off the pack. I shook my head to clear the surge of dizziness.

  Chase’s gentle hands framed either side of my face, steadying my rapid breathing and heartbeat. His eyes morphed into a soft heather gray. “You okay?” he asked, his gaze running over every cell of my body.

  I drank in the horror scene around me, the mossy
ground scattered with the putrid ash of Hell. Nothing about my life or me was okay. “Define okay?”

  Chapter 19

  {Angel}

  I’d spent the first seventeen years of my life sheltered and protected by a woman who only wanted me to be happy. She moved us to the quiet, small town of Spring Valley and into a house she made a home in the hope of a better life—a fresh start.

  Now, I knew more about the concealed world around me, more than I ever wanted to know. I’d experienced firsthand the inner workings of Hell. I knew demons inhabited human bodies, drawn to the thirst for souls. It gave them power and life, allowing them to survive longer on Earth.

  Fear added spice to the delectable soul.

  As miserable as my life had been when my parents were together, nothing compared to the misery I’d felt locked inside the underground bunker. It wasn’t even that I’d been held against my will that tormented me. It had been and always would be the losing myself to the demon Angel.

  Remembering caused pain to scrape across my heart, over and over again, leaving me raw and vulnerable. I hurt.

  Tiny flickers of red burned in my eyes, and black smudges of mascara ran down the corners. Through the reflection I watched as demon Angel smiled and waved mockingly at me.

  Power.

  Kill.

  Thirst.

  Hot.

  The words played through my mind like a terrible song. I wanted to shatter the mirror, to run away, but my vision was going dark.

  My brows furrowed as I tried to stay focused on my image. The encounter with the hellhounds combined with the unleashing of power I didn’t know I possessed must have provoked the darkness to rise. The worst was happening.

  “No!” I commanded my reflection. “I’m not letting you in.”

  I blinked.

  And then…

  Nothing. I must have blacked out or something. Those blank spots in my memory were piling up, but for now I was just glad it was over.

  The red flecks in my eyes were gone.

  I quickly tossed my hair into a messy bun and slapped ice-cold water on my face. It came down to a battle of wills and war of power. The past ceased to matter.

  Temples throbbing, I stalked out of my room and hunted for Chase, although it wasn’t much of a hunt. He was easy to find thanks to my built-in GPS. I needed a distraction.

  What better way than a little physical one-on-one combat? Chase’s favorite.

  My evenings were all about training.

  And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Social life? I wasn’t good company nowadays. Education? There would be time for that later. After the hellhound attack, Chase—to my surprise—was more determined about the idea of me learning to defend myself.

  Halle-freaking-lujah.

  Mom was at work, so she was none the wiser.

  Throwing open the front door, I smacked into a wall, or what felt like a wall. My nose pressed to Chase’s chest. He was so much taller than me, dwarfing me in every way possible.

  “Did you see that?” he asked, angling his head toward the sign stuck in the middle of my yard.

  My eyes shifted around him. “Looks like we’re going to be one big happy Brady Bunch.” A realtor had come out the day before and put up the for sale sign.

  “If someone buys it,” he added.

  “They would be out of their mind if they did. Maybe I should talk to my mom about having a disclosure added to the listing. Neighbors are part demon. Often have unexpected hostile visitors.”

  He snickered.

  I rested my head on his shoulder, taking a moment to just enjoy his presence. Our lives had been so turbulent lately and he was still tiptoeing around me, not that I could blame him, we hadn’t taken more than five minutes for us time.

  A date?

  Sadly, I couldn’t remember our last date. It wasn’t fair to either of us. Chase, even with all his flaws, was an outstanding guy. He was my rock. There was no way I would have been able to get through the last months without him. He inspired me to want to overcome the trials of being scarred by the Underworld.

  “I know those cute little wrinkle lines on your forehead. What are you thinking about?”

  “Just how lucky I am to have you,” I replied.

  He wrapped his arms around me, tugging me into his embrace. I looped my hands at his neck and buried my face in him. The dark scent that was uniquely Chase caused a string of fireflies to flutter through my belly. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” he said, his cheek brushing against mine.

  He hadn’t shaved and the little stumble grated on my skin, but not in a painful way. It was quite a tickle. Regardless, I found it comforting. “I know, but it is something I need to do.”

  He nodded, understanding pooling in his silver eyes. “Okay then.”

  “Can you hold me for a few more minutes first?”

  “We can always go upstairs—”

  I elbowed him in the side. “After we finish this…and you’ve showered…if you’re lucky.”

  A few minutes later, Lexi bounced outside. Her long caramel locks were swept up into a high ponytail, swishing from side to side with the sway of her hips. Skin naturally sun-kissed, excitement and anticipation were brimming in her almond-shaped eyes. “What did I miss?”

  “Nothing,” I answered, a smile still pulling at my lips.

  “Goodie. Chase promised I could help. I really need the diversion.”

  Chase and I shared a look. We had briefly discussed Lexi and Colin’s breakup. Of course, I had to talk Chase out of ripping Colin limb for limb, his jerk reaction to anyone who hurt the people he cared about. I’d been genuinely close to compelling him to chill out.

  “Let’s see if we can get you to light up today,” she said with far more glee and confidence than I was feeling.

  I nodded, flexing my fingers. “I hope you know what you’re getting into,” I mumbled.

  Fifteen minutes into it and already my patience was in tatters. No matter how hard I tried, I hadn’t been able to summon fire again. I was starting to think the whole thing had been a figment of my imagination, a one-time deal, which might not be a bad thing.

  I wasn’t any closer to producing a spark than I was at finishing my freshman year of college. Zilch. And my frustration was through the roof. Mastering this ability felt important. I could finally do something other than be bait. That was if I figured out how my trigger finger worked.

  “You’re overthinking it, and it’s making you tense,” Chase said.

  “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” My shoe scuffed the ground. “I need coffee.” Fuel. Something to help me focus.

  “More energy is the last thing you need. I can feel the power vibrating off you, and it’s making my demon itchy.”

  We started bantering back and forth like usual, neither of us noticing that Lexi’s attention was focused on something behind us. Not until she said, “Guys…guys…guys!”

  On the third time, Chase whipped his head toward Lexi and yelled, “What now?”

  Her aqua eyes were pinned over my shoulder, touched with a fraction of gold. “I think we have trouble.”

  Chase’s hair was disheveled from the cool winds, and as he turned, his features closed off. My marks were tingling at my hip in overdrive, and I knew the moment I turned around, I would be face-to-face with a demon. I didn’t move with haste. Actually, I would have liked to close my eyes and walk away. But, it was too late for that.

  Up close, Kira was more beautiful. The kind of beautiful that made me want to hit the gym and watch a gazillion makeup tutorials on YouTube. If I knew nothing of demons, I would have thought of Kira as a modern day goddess. She had a quality about her.

  I didn’t need Chase to tell me who she was. I knew the second I laid eyes on her, and I didn’t understand how Lexi didn’t immediately recognize her own mother. It wasn’t that she looked like Lexi, but it more her mannerisms. A lump gathered in my esophagus as uncertainty clouded the air. No one knew what to do next. There were
a few prolonged moments of awkward silence before Lexi could no longer stand it.

  “Who the hell are you?” she snapped.

  “I’m a personal friend of Chase’s,” Kira said in a way that implied they were close. I wanted to rip the honey-blonde locks from her head.

  Lexi took it in a different direction, her eyes leaping between Chase and Kira. The spark of demon in her eyes spread. “If you’re cheating on my best friend...” she growled.

  His face puckered. “Ew. Gross, Lex!” he cut in before she could defame his character.

  I loved my best friend for caring enough about me to call out her own family, even though it couldn’t be farther from the truth. In another situation, I might have found it funny, but the tension that settled between us made my blood fizzle with energy.

  “You wouldn’t be the first to be seduced by a demon,” Lexi justified.

  Dark fire snapped in his eyes.

  Oh boy.

  {Chase}

  Ragged breaths scraped through my nose and lungs, and I felt my inner demon working. Seeing Kira at the house I grew up in, feet away from Lexi, magnified my rage. I wanted to cut her in half and send her into a confetti of ash.

  But Kira had proven she wasn’t like the demons I was accustomed to. The same rules didn’t apply, and I didn’t think she abided by their rules either. In a way, it kind of made sense we were related. Rules weren’t our thing.

  “Chase?” Angel lowered her voice, wordlessly asking what was going on.

  I ignored her, refusing to let Kira out of my sight. “What do you think you’re doing here?” I hissed, my body instantly stepping out in front of the girls. Kira had nerve, I’d give her that, but that was all she would get. After everything she’d done, I wanted to rip out her sticky bits.

  “So you do know her?” Lexi demanded. Her foot stomped the ground, causing a tremble under my feet.

  At this point, her feelings were the least of my concern. If I had to be a jackass to keep her safe, so be it. “It’s not your concern, Lex. Go inside. I’ll take care of this,” I replied flatly, teeth gritted. I expected the next revolution to erupt, but before Lexi could utter a protest, Kira overstepped her boundaries.