Long enough for a very tardy demon to get his ass up here and help us out.
Through my watering eyes, I caught a glimpse of Kraven moving toward us, his gaze registering shock at the sight before him.
“Need some help?” he asked.
“Yes!” I yelled at him. “Help us!”
“What’s the magic word?”
“Now!”
“Close enough.” He edged toward me, eyeing the swirling blackness wrapped around my ankles with uneasiness.
“Don’t get close to it!” Bishop hissed. “You’ll get sucked in, too.”
Kraven swore as he assessed the situation. “Then just hold on to your girlfriend, little brother.”
I was only a few feet away from the dark vortex and I fought against the intense suction with every ounce of strength I had left. True to his word, Bishop didn’t let go of me, but our grip wouldn’t last much longer.
Kraven moved behind Bishop and grabbed the angel’s ankles. With effort, he pulled. It felt like a tight rope, with Bishop and Kraven on one end and the Hollow on the other. I was in the middle, about to be torn in half.
Bishop kept his hold on me and Kraven kept pulling on his legs until slowly, slowly, I found that we were moving away from the vortex. Once Kraven got some traction, we moved faster until the black tendrils that had wrapped around my ankles receded into the darkness. I looked over my shoulder, and I swear the Hollow was staring at me with malevolence.
I shuddered.
But then, a moment later, the dark swirling hole closed up and disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. I stared at the spot where it had been, a hungry mouth with an insatiable appetite. It had swallowed Natalie and Carly right before my eyes. It had very nearly taken me, too.
I’d escaped from it, but my best friend hadn’t. I’d lost her right when I’d learned there was a possibility of bringing her back completely, restoring her soul…
She’d saved me, but I couldn’t do the same in return.
The painful realization was like a blow, stealing my breath and shattering my heart into a million pieces.
“Carly…I’m so sorry,” I whispered as tears streaked down my cheeks. I began to sob and Bishop pulled me against his chest. I clung tightly to him. I let myself sob against Bishop’s shoulder—I didn’t even know how long. I already thought I’d lost her, but it hadn’t been like this.
But a small glimmer of hope remained. I was a realist, yeah, but I’d already seen my share of miracles this week. She hadn’t been killed, just taken. Natalie had found a way out. If that was possible, then maybe Carly could do the same.
Finally, I looked up at Bishop through damp eyes.
He held my face between his hands and looked at me with concern. “I’m sorry, Samantha.”
I clutched the front of his bloodstained T-shirt. His knife wounds were still deep, still bleeding. “Will these heal?”
He grimaced. “I’ll need Zach’s help.”
I glanced around the lounge, surprised to find that there were only three of us up here now. “Where’s Stephen?”
He was the one who knew where my soul was. Where Carly’s was, too.
“Gone. Must have taken off after Natalie was stabbed. The others are gone, too.” He stroked my hair back from my face. “He can’t leave the city, so all he can do now is hide. We’re getting very good at finding grays in this city. We’ll find him, too.”
I nodded and drew in a ragged breath. “So I guess you believe in miracles.”
He gave me a smile that warmed me inside. “It kind of comes with the job.”
I chewed my bottom lip, again looking back where the vortex had been. I swallowed past the lump in my throat, feeling ready to curl up in a ball somewhere and keep crying. Instead I ran my hand under my nose and decided to be as strong as I could for as long as I could. “So now what? Natalie’s gone. What happens now?”
“Heaven and Hell sensed her presence nearly two weeks ago. They will sense that she’s gone. But they won’t remove the barrier yet. Every gray is still a threat—but they’re not nearly as strong as Natalie was.”
I stared up at him. “So when you said you thought you’d be all finished in a week…?”
“Wishful thinking.” He grimaced. “I was originally told I’d be extracted after the Source was gone so I could be healed if there were any side effects of breaking through the barrier. That’s when I planned to find a way to help you—while the others were still here on patrol. But that’s not going to happen now. I’m not going anywhere. I’m officially fallen.”
“And officially crazy, depending on the day.” Kraven appeared to my left. “By the way, you’re welcome for saving both your butts. Now, can we go? I’m not in the mood for dancing with teenagers tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”
Natalie was gone, but there were still grays in Trinity. And something else was bothering me, something that Seth had said just as we’d parted ways earlier tonight.
“I told you about the homeless guy, the other fallen angel,” I said to both of them. “He sees things, visions, sort of like I do. He said to me that the dark mouth is already open. Just a crack, but it leaks its poison. Is he talking about the Hollow?”
They exchanged a glance.
“Sounds like it,” Bishop said with a nod. “Natalie made it clear that it’s changed. It’s not a place of nothingness. It’s a place. And if it’s leaking, then that’s all the more reason for the barrier to remain right where it is.”
“But that puts Trinity even more at risk, right?” I asked as a shiver went down my spine.
“Good job we’re here,” Kraven said with a smirk. “More potential things to kill. Fun, fun, fun.”
If the Hollow had sprung a leak, and that was how Natalie had originally escaped, that meant other things could, too. Which was a very scary thought. However, it gave me more hope that Carly could return. In the meantime, anything supernatural was stuck inside the city until future notice.
The demon snatched the gold dagger off the ground then swept his gaze over Bishop. “You don’t look so good, brother.”
“I’m fine.”
Bishop had been so strong when he’d tried to hang on to me so I wouldn’t slip into the Hollow, but I knew he must be hurting after being brutally stabbed twice.
I stared at the dagger in Kraven’s grip. Seeing Carly thrust it through Natalie’s chest—she’d killed her to save me.
I’d known Carly since kindergarten. Spoken to her every day. Shared everything with her, good times and bad. Secrets I wouldn’t tell anyone else, tears, heartbreak, hopes, dreams, wishes. Now she was gone and I had no guarantees I’d be able to find her again.
Bishop went down the stairs first. I followed slowly, passing Kraven as I went.
He watched me warily. “You knocked me out, gray girl.”
I let out a shuddery breath. “I had no choice. For what it’s worth, I regretted it after I got here. We could have used the help.”
“Obviously. But I’ll have to watch you carefully. I can block your mojo if I concentrate.”
“I know.” I swallowed hard. “Listen, I know we’ve had our problems, but thank you for saving me and Bishop.”
I turned and started down the stairs, but Kraven caught my arm, making me look back at him.
His expression was tense as his eyes met mine. “Who says I was trying to save him?”
He let me go and I continued down the stairs, unsure of what he meant. He hadn’t wanted to specifically save Bishop, his brother with whom he shared some unpleasant history. History that neither one wanted to talk about. But he’d come here after I’d knocked him out. He’d come here not to help push us both into the Hollow, but to save us.
To save me.
Whatever his motivation, I was grateful to him. I wouldn’t forget that. But I didn’t think I’d ever trust him completely.
After what just happened on the second floor, I was surprised that everything looked like just another Friday
night on the main level. The cloaking on the lounge had worked perfectly, since nobody down here had any idea what had happened. The music hadn’t let up for a moment and multicolored lights flashed across the kids on the dance floor.
That was me a week ago. It felt more like a lifetime.
Stephen was nowhere to be seen. I wanted to believe that what they’d said about my soul wasn’t a lie, but I’d been lied to so much this week that I didn’t know what to believe anymore. Just what my gut told me, I guess. And my gut told me he’d been speaking the truth. My soul still existed—somewhere.
And if it did, then one day very soon I was going to find it again.
* * *
I would never give up on the possibility of rescuing Carly from the Hollow, but her absence had to be dealt with. And, again, the truth wasn’t going to be much help to anyone right now.
First, we met up with the others.
After Zach tended to Bishop’s wounds, healing them with a touch, Zach went with me to Carly’s house. I tried to hold it together, to be strong, but I felt weak and tired and sick with grief as Zach gently explained to Mrs. Kessler that Carly had run away from home with a boy she’d met at Crave.
A runaway teen. Not exactly a new story. With a bit of angelic influence from Zach, Carly’s mother believed what he told her one hundred percent.
She gave me a big hug, knowing that I would miss Carly every bit as much as she would while she was off on her rebellious romantic adventures.
“I’m sorry,” I choked out as she clung tightly to me. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, honey.” She let go of me and wiped tears from her eyes. “She’ll come back. I know she will.”
I hoped she was right about that.
When we finally left Carly’s house, I went with Zach to join the others at the north edge of the city so I could see it for myself. I was told the barrier stretched around Trinity’s circumference like a silver dome on a room service dinner. Most of it was invisible, even to me, but in certain places, like here, patches of it could be seen—a shimmering transparent wall reaching up into the darkness.
“Don’t get too close to it,” Kraven warned. “It gives a hell of a zap. Reminds me of what you can do.”
“You tried it?”
“I like to test my limits whenever possible.”
Bishop came to my side and reached down to take my hand in his. A spark slid up my arm at his touch. It kept him sane and me warm, and I wasn’t in any hurry to let go of him. He felt good, he smelled good. Too good. The heat of his skin sank into me. I avoided looking at his mouth. Way too tempting, even now.
He squeezed my hand. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m still here.” I braved a shaky smile. “That’s a start. How about you?”
“Better. My wounds are gone, but my head—it’s still not as clear as it was before I arrived. I guess I should get used to it.” He said it calmly, but I could see the pain in his eyes.
I wished I could take his pain away. All of it.
“So things still suck here,” Kraven drawled. “And we’re all still stuck working together. But we got the Source and we know there’s something wonky happening with the Hollow. And none of us are wandering the city, Dumpster-diving. It could have gone a hell of a lot worse.”
“Such an optimist.” Bishop shot him a look. “Color me surprised.”
“Bite me, little brother.”
“I’m still not understanding how you two are brothers,” Connor said. “I mean, even apart from the angel/demon thing, you don’t look much alike.”
“Same mother,” Kraven said. “Different fathers. Very different fathers. But enough about that.” He shifted his gaze to me. “Looks like you saved your boyfriend’s ass tonight, sweetness. Maybe you should give him a big, juicy victory kiss to celebrate.”
I shot him a look that I hoped would wipe the grin off his face. It didn’t work.
Nice of him to rub it in.
Unless I wanted to risk destroying Bishop completely and sending him to the Hollow, I couldn’t take the risk of kissing him again. Not until I got my soul back.
“So now what?” Roth said as he glared at the barrier. “We’re stuck here forever? I think I’ll go crazy, too.”
“Come on, it’s not so bad.” Connor slapped the demon on his back and Roth flinched at the friendly contact. “It’s a big city. And we’re here to protect everyone and keep them safe and sound at night while they’re asleep in their warm beds. Sounds pretty damn noble to me, even if it might be forever. And I’m sure it won’t be.”
“I didn’t sign up to be noble,” Roth growled. “And what about her? She’s still a gray. Shouldn’t we kill her? One less gray and we’re closer to getting out of here.”
“If you come anywhere near Samantha,” Bishop said, “I’ll be happy to reduce this team back to four members.”
Roth rolled his eyes. “Whatever. She’s your problem, not mine. I’m out of here.”
He turned and started walking away.
Connor shrugged. “I should probably keep an eye on him. Demons, you know.”
He took off, too.
“I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone in case you want to start making out. Come on, Zach.” Kraven started off in another direction, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans, without another glance in my direction.
“Keep an eye on him,” Bishop said to Zach.
“You got it.” Zach grinned at me. “Glad you’re part of the team, Samantha.”
“I am?” I asked with surprise.
“Sure, you’re our honorary sixth member with mysterious abilities and visions of the future. The Snow White to our motley group of dwarfs. Plus, you’re way better looking than the rest of these guys.”
If I could have summoned the ability to laugh at the moment, I would have. “Thanks, I think.”
“See you!” He ran off after Kraven.
The walk home with Bishop was a silent one, both of us lost in our thoughts. What happened haunted me. It would be a long time before I could make sense of any of it. When we finally arrived at my house I turned to look at Bishop. He searched my face before he spoke.
“You changed it,” he said.
“Changed what?”
“The future. You got me to keep holding on to you. You told me that in your original vision, I let go of you.”
“That’s right.” He looked pained, but not from madness at the moment. His mind was currently clear. I squeezed his hands in mine. “I meant it, you know. Everything I said. I believe in you.”
“I was set up to fail by that gatekeeper. I knew that how I felt was more than what I should have expected. I expected pain and disorientation from breaking through the barrier, but nothing like this. This is how a fallen angel feels because it’s a punishment. I understand that now.”
“It shouldn’t have happened to you, but you’re still here and so am I. That means that things can still change for the better for both of us. It’s been one hell of a week, Bishop, but I’m so glad I met you.”
He raised his gaze from the ground and our eyes locked. “You are?”
My breath caught. “I’ll admit things are a bit complicated between us now.”
“That’s an understatement.” He frowned. “How did you find me tonight? How did you know what I planned to do?”
I hesitated, trying to figure out how to tell him. “I seem to have developed a new ability. I can see through your eyes sometimes, like I’m in your head.”
His dark brows drew tighter together. “In my head?”
“I can’t seem to control it, and it happens only with you. It was enough to show me where you went tonight—but I don’t know why I can do it.”
“I do,” he said. “You touched my soul when we kissed. It connected us.”
My heart swelled. It made sense, I had to admit. “So we’re soul mates now?” After I said it, heat crawled onto my cheeks. “I mean, you know. You’re an angel an
d I’m, uh, I’m—”
“Special.” A small smile played at his lips. “Very special.”
As we stared at each other, that connection grew even stronger than before. “You should probably go now.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
I nodded, my gaze moving to his lips. “I’m getting really hungry again.”
“That sounds dangerous.” He didn’t budge, nor did he ask me to clarify if I meant for food.
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