“‘Nephilim’ doesn’t mean you’re tall, Gwen—it’s what you are, it’s why you’re extraordinary. You ARE a Nephilim.”
“Huh,” as inelegant as it is, rolls off my tongue. It’s all I can manage.
“You have angel blood, Gwen. You’re descended from Angels and humans, a sort of cross-breed if you will.” Kade pauses.
I filter a truly unbecoming retort and let what he’s saying sink in for a moment. The whole thing is highly illogical and improbable, but since I’ve already persuaded myself Kade and his friends aren’t human, this new tidbit is a lot easier to swallow. By his reckoning, I’m at least half-human. Or at most half-human?
“Okay,” I say, relaxing back against the couch once more. Kade looks at Z, obviously shocked. He’s probably stunned I’m not going to fight him on the issue of my parentage.
“Okay,” he continues. “So I’ll go back to our travel arrangements in a second, but let’s move on to this.” He picks up the sphere. “This looks like a run of the mill mineral sphere, but it’s not.”
Pausing he takes a long drink off his beer bottle then rubs at a spot on his left shoulder. I can tell whatever he has to say next is big, and from his body language he’s already expecting I won’t believe him.
“This sphere is a prison of sorts, and trapped inside is a Sylph.” He looks up when I continue sitting silently.
I shake my head and laugh. “Really, I don’t know what half the terms you just used even mean. How do you expect me to argue?” Glancing over at Zafir, I ask him, “I’m not that bad, am I?” He lets the rhetorical question hang in the air between us. “Fine,” I force out, motioning for Kade to keep going.
“A Sylph is, uh ...” He trails off, thinking hard. “In ancient human folklore, they’re referred to as jinn, or in Hollywood’s more modern terminology, genies.”
My jaw hits the floor. As a lover of fantasy science fiction, I’ve always clung to the very small possibility something supernatural could be out there, but genies? Really? How lame is that. I was willing to get on board with the whole angels thing, maybe even a vampire or end-of-the-world scenario, but genies? Flashbacks of Robin Williams singing “You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like Me” in the movie Aladdin parade around my head, and I start to laugh out loud.
Hysterical fit after hysterical fit hit me in waves and I just keep laughing, eyes watering in the process. Just when I think it’s almost over I hear Robin Williams yell, “Poof! What do you need?” in my head and everything starts back up again. Kade and Zafir share a look over my head and I’m sure they think I’ve cracked, but presently I could care less.
“Are you alright?” Kade asks finally, handing me a box of tissues. Dabbing the tears off my damp cheeks, I point at the sphere on the coffee table.
“So you’re telling me this orb is a magic lamp and there’s a genie inside.”
“A Sylph, yes.” When I start to chuckle again, Zafir becomes unglued, his posture taking on a confrontational pose as he steps away from the wall.
“This isn’t joke,” he forces out, teeth clenched.
“No, I know, it’s just when it comes to the supernatural I got totally ripped off.”
Both men stare at me, speechless. A minute later, when neither man shows any sign of life, I feel obligated to fill the awkward silence.
“Look, of all the possible supernatural creatures that could be out there, genies aren’t exactly exciting ... they’re kinda lame.” Looking from man to man I throw my hands up in exasperation. Instead of quitting while I’m ahead I keep talking, wedging my foot further down my throat. “Come on. You rub the bottle, you get a wish. Woo hoo.”
“Are you fucking kidding me!” Zafir screams suddenly, glaring at Kade.
Booming laughter erupts from the kitchen and I turn quickly, just in time to see that Basal has chosen this moment to reappear.
“Perhaps a history lesson is in order,” he announces. Calmly sitting down next to me on the couch he begins. “Tonight you saw a Sylph firsthand, Gwen.”
“No, I didn’t,” I answer, wrinkling my brow in confusion.
“You did. The creature Kade fought with that turned into purple smoke when you got close, that was a Sylph.”
Eyes wide with shock, I sit back and listen while Basal explains to me the history of the Sylph, which happen to be a lot more badass than I had ever imagined. When Basal finishes, I look up at Zafir who’s been pacing in front of the bay windows.
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” I tell him.
“Understandable,” he grumbles taking up his post against the wall again.
Looking to Kade and Basal I ask, “So you were all Sylph.” This is a half-question/half-statement of fact.
“That’s right,” Basal responds patiently.
“But now you’re the Sylph’s guardians?”
“Basically. The Wanderers were charged with protecting humans from the Sylph and maintaining the sealing of the spheres so they can’t escape.”
“Okay, that much I get, but what I still don’t understand is what I have to do with any of this, and why I have to go with you to Dubai?”
“I’ll take it from here,” Kade jumps in.
“Okay, but make it fast—we all need to get some rest before we leave,” Basal tells him.
“Agreed,” Kade replies. Zafir and Basal make their way down the hallway toward the guestrooms, leaving Kade and I alone in the living room. He continues the explanation.
“The spell cast by the angels imprisoning the Sylph has to be reinforced every five hundred years. If it isn’t, the Sylph will eventually be able to escape.”
“Eventually?” I ask needing clarification.
“The spell doesn’t just stop working at the five hundred year mark. It degrades slowly. When it degrades enough the Sylph is able to overcome it and break free. It’s different for every Sylph,” he explains. “Just like people, no two Sylph are exactly the same. Some are stronger than others, and the stronger ones obviously break free sooner than their weaker brethren.”
“Okay.”
“The resealing of the spheres requires an angel or someone with angel blood. That’s why we need you.”
“Wouldn’t an actual angel be better?” I ask him. “They’re bound to be stronger than me.”
“Yes, they would be the ideal candidate, but they returned to the heavenly realms centuries ago. No one has seen an angel since.”
“Oh!” I exclaim, surprised, speechless.
“That’s why I need you to come with us, for the resealing.”
“Kade, I can’t just leave, even under the guise of going to a conference. Who just decides to go to a convention halfway around the world, like, two days before it starts? No one will believe it, and I have responsibilities here.”
Responsibilities. Is that what I’m calling Ben these days? Why can I never manage to verbalize our relationship in front of Kade? Hell, I don’t even use Ben’s name around Kade, always referring to him as a pronoun.
Kade shakes his head and gently takes both of my hands in his. “It has to be you. What you did tonight with the Sylph at the lab…no one’s come across a Nephilim powerful enough to do that in over a hundred years.” Rubbing the back of my hands gently with his thumbs, he repeats in a hushed whisper, “It has to be you.”
Caught in the glowing embers of his amber eyes a searing pain spreads through my chest, reminding me to breathe. Sucking in a shallow breath I commit to his request.
“I’ll go with you.”
Chapter 28
Perspective is such a funny thing. If I had woken up in Kade’s bed a week ago, I would have had the shit shocked out of me. Lying in his bed on this morning, in the aftermath of the last twenty-four hours, with the familiar smell of Kade lingering around the room, I find it’s comforting.
A soft knocking brings me out of my temporary shelter and into the insanity of another day. Dragging my eyes from the ceiling I watch as Kade traipses across the carpet, a coffee mug in each h
and. Resting on the foot of the bed he holds a cup out to me while taking a slow sip of his own. The aroma of fresh coffee greets me and I sit up to enjoy the caffeine.
“How was the couch?” I ask him, hiding the annoyance I feel from my voice. I’m still more than a little upset at his refusal to let me crash there last night.
“Just fine.”
I wrap my hands tightly around the mug, allowing the heat to seep into my fingers. Taking a tentative sip of the hot beverage I begin to feel awkward under the weight of Kade’s watchful stare.
“Just tell me!” I blurt out, not one for beating around the bush.
“We’re leaving today, and, now that you’re going with us, there’re a few things that need to be done before we depart.”
“Okay, shoot,” I sigh.
“I’ll take you home so you can pack the essentials, but right now why don’t you enjoy a hot shower and let Melanie and Ben know where you are going.”
Reality slaps me in the face. All of a sudden I sit up straighter. Half an evening in this new world, ready to fly halfway around the world, and I’ve already totally forgotten about my family.
“What do I say to them?” The stupid question slips from my lips before I can stop it.
Kade smiles at me and rises from the bed. “Tell them we’re going to a conference together. Something we do frequently, I might add.”
I glare at his back as he slips out of the room. He’s right. I have an airtight alibi. In fact, deciding to go spur of the moment is totally my style, and with Ben working no one will think twice about it.
I climb out of bed, groaning and complaining, and turn on the shower in Kade’s fantastic bathroom. The water will be warm long before I’m off the phone; turning it on this early is a waste of water, but honestly I don’t want the guys listening in on my call. For all I know, Wanderers have super hearing. Leaning back against the bathroom counter I call Ben first, not at all surprised when he answers a bit groggily.
“Are you okay?!” he asks quickly.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine, everything is fine.” I listen through the phone as he lies back down.
“You know its 8a.m., right?” He’s surprised at my phone call.
“Yes, I know, and I’m sorry to wake you, but I’m going to a conference in Dubai. I’ll be gone for a week.”
“Huh, kind of last minute, girl.”
“I know, but Kade’s partner got sick and the company is paying for it so they asked me to go instead.”
“You sound real broken up about it, too,” he teases. “Hey, Gwen ... don’t be mad.”
Uh oh, my mind races, scared of the direction this conversation is suddenly taking.
“I and most of the guys have volunteered to help out on the Cleveland fire.” He says it quickly.
“Cleveland fire?” I ask, pulling a big blank.
“Big forest fire. Come on, don’t you watch the news, Gwen?”
And then I remember. I had seen something about the fire on the news just the other day. Alone in the bathroom, leaning up against the vanity, I listen as Ben rambles on about doing his part, helping out because it’s the right thing to do, promising nothing is going to happen to him, that he’ll be safe, and I can’t say a damn thing. In his own way he’s saving the world he knows from death and destruction, which is what I’m about to do too, but my world, well it just got a whole lot bigger.
While choking on the irony of it all I tell him to be safe and he tells me he loves me before I hang up. I numbly remove my clothing and step into the shower. I rest my head against the glass wall and linger in the hot spray, letting the scalding temperature burn away my pain.
After letting my emotions get the better of me in the shower, I’m annoyed. In fact, I pause with my hand on the knob of the bedroom door, and allow myself a minute to pull it all together. I close my eyes and organize a smooth mask of indifference over my face before exiting Kade’s room. It’s time to ascertain what today holds in store for me.
The guys are in full preparation mode when I emerge from the hallway. Black duffle bags, passports, laptops, and a few other odds and ends litter the counter of Kade’s small kitchen.
“Did you contact Ben and Melanie?” Kade asks, looking up from the refrigerator.
“Crap, I totally forgot to call Melanie. I’ll send her a text,” I answer as I reach for my phone. By the time I’ve finished typing the few lines of my message, the mess in the kitchen is completely gone. The guys are moving at above average speeds again, their brilliant auras hurting my eyes.
“Damn, I will never get used to that,” I mutter as Z jets by, chased by a trail of red and gold sparkles.
“Change of plans,” Kade says as he comes up behind me. “We are going to stop by your place on the way to the airport.”
“Okay.” I acknowledge his comment by shrugging my shoulders.
Moments later I’m whisked away, back into the same Yukon we rode to Kade’s in the night before. Just as I’m buckling my seatbelt I sense the familiar vibration of my cell phone. Pulling it out of my pants pocket I check the text message: Lucky bitch, don’t have any fun without me!!!!! Smiling at Melanie’s reply I clutch the phone in both hands as though it’s a lifeline, and stare out the window as we exit the parking garage.
As we pull to a stop outside my home, I slide out of the SUV, letting the guys know I'll just be a few minutes.
"Oh, and Kade, Melanie completely forbids us from having any fun without her." I turn away from the vehicle with a sudden spring in my step. The warm rumble of throaty laughter follows me to the porch. As I open the front door, I refuse to look at anything too closely, not wanting to get choked up again. Instead I focus on my mission, repeating the list of items I’ll need aloud to help stay completely focused.
I raid the closet first, rummaging around for anything that can be termed “practical wear for the desert.” Rolling my eyes at my choices I settle for jeans and t-shirts, with a random pair of shorts making it into the mix as well. Next I tackle the bathroom, focusing on grabbing just the essentials. Holding my blow dryer in one hand and my flatiron in the other I pause, realizing I've no idea what our accommodations will be like. Shrugging my shoulders I throw both into my carry-on bag. They’re small, I reason.
I zip my bag closed and grab a pair of sneakers on my way out the bedroom door. Dumping my haul onto the porch I turn to lock up. Zafir's gravely voice cuts through the bushes.
"Don't forget to pack something nice for the after party."
After party? You've got to be kidding me! Whatever. I jet back into the house for the suggested items. Finally out the front door again and halfway to the car, Kade intercepts me, takes my bags, and stows them quickly in the back to the Yukon.
"All set!" I announce as I climb into the backseat by Zafir. "How are we getting there?"
“By plane, of course," Zafir explains arrogantly.
"Watch your tone around the lady," Basal chastises from the front passenger seat. I don’t appreciate the byplay— I’m not made of glass.
"Okay, what's your deal?" I ask Basal flippantly. "First you can't stand the sight of me at the lab, and now you’re disgustingly respectful."
Taken aback by my straightforward question, Basal's eyes bug out, while Z bursts into laughter next to me.
"I like her, Kade," Z says before addressing Basal. "Yeah, Bass, what's your deal?"
Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Basal turns meeting my gaze. "As a powerful child of the Nephilim, you deserve my respect, but it's true I haven't always believed in you." Dropping his gaze he tacks on, "My humblest apologies, Gwen."
The gut-wrenching apology catches me off guard. I'd wanted to clear the air between us but through some good-natured razing. Involuntarily I reach for his arm and his eyes flick up to mine, surprised by my gesture.
"It's fine, really."
Nodding he leans forward once more, effectively breaking our connection.
"We're here," Kade announces, bringing us all back to the
present.
"Preston-Ward?" I exclaim totally confused. "I thought you said we weren't ever coming back here!"
"No, I said you were never coming back here again. Now stay in the car," Kade commands. Laying down the law and forbidding me from doing something never works. It just makes me want to do the thing that much more. But something in Kade's tone makes me think better of it. Not ten minutes later the guys return.
"What was that all about?" I ask, wrapping myself so far around the driver’s seat I'm practically in Kade's lap.
"Clearing up some last minute details," Z responds, winking at me.
"Huh," I say crawling back into my seat.
"Everyone at work already knows I'm going to this conference; it’s something that’s been in the works for months," Kade says as he buckles his seatbelt. "Now we need everyone to think you're at the conference too."
"So we made them believe it," Z interjects proudly.
"Huh," slips out again as my head swivels between the two of them.
"Gwen, we implanted the idea you're going to the conference with me into everyone’s heads," Kade finishes.
"What! You can make people believe whatever you want?"
"No, not whatever we want, but a simple idea like they knew or heard you we're going to be out of town this week, yes, that we can do."
"Oh," I blubber, forcing myself to remain calmly in my seat, all the while trying to figure out just who the hell I'd gotten in the car with.
Chapter 29
As I stand in line at the airport metal detectors, I feel absolutely giddy. The number of people in front of us feels never ending. Clutching my plane ticket I bounce back and forth from one foot to the other impatiently. Waiting is not my style, especially when I'm bursting with questions. It's not that I think Kade has done a poor job of explaining things to me; there's just been limited time in which to do it and I haven't asked the right questions.
Holding my newly constructed list of things I want answered in the front of my mind, I will the line in front of us to move faster, praying no one is harassed by security. I drop my shoes and carry-on bag onto the conveyer belt when it’s my turn and quickly step through the closest open metal detector. After collecting my scanned items a minute later, I glance around for the guys as I put on my shoes. To the man, each is being wanded by a different member of TSA. I stand equal parts appalled at what is obviously racial profiling and anxious because I know these guys are packing.
Out of Reach Page 15