The Protect Her Box Set: Parts 7-9

by Ivy Sinclair

  The angel who stood in front of the others I had interacted with before. “I think you’ve gone a bit far afield of Calamata Island,” I said. “Samuel. I don’t think I’ve formally met your other brothers.”

  “They are Josiah and Tobias,” Samuel said nodding to each archangel beside him in turn. “I wish this was a more casual visit. We need you to come with us. Now.”

  “I just got here,” I said sarcastically. “I’ll have my assistant give you a call to setup an appointment on the fifth day of never and go fuck yourself.”

  The strangled sigh behind me told Alice didn’t approve of my reply. I couldn’t care less.

  Samuel’s mouth set in a frown. “There is much for us to discuss, and we can’t do that here. You are in danger.”

  “How would you know that? How did you even know I was here?” I pushed around Paige and stalked to the gate. “What danger?”

  Samuel shook his head. “Those are too many questions to address now, especially when the answers are complicated. We have to go before the truce is finalized.”

  “What truce?”

  “Between the angels and demons to bring back your head on a spike,” one of the other archangels said. I kept look furtively around us. He didn’t look happy to be there at all.

  “Surely all of you have more important things to do than that, but I have to say it just warms my heart to see the way you are all getting along,” I said. “I don’t need any help. If somebody comes at me, I can take ‘em. I could before, and I will again.”

  “You are nothing more than a newborn,” Samuel scoffed. “You don’t have any idea of what you are capable of. You could hurt people and not even mean to. That is why you need to come with us.”

  “He’s telling the truth,” Alice said. My attention had been wholly focused on the archangels. I hadn’t noticed that she came to my side. “You should go with them. You need to learn, and you need to be protected.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with these losers,” I said. I felt the anger building in my chest again. “Forget it.”

  “All the archangels and all the demon officials, and even Lucifer himself will be looking for you,” Alice said. “You represent something that they never thought would be seen again.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A perfect hybrid between dark and light. A being that marries both halves to make it whole once again. That being would have the potential to become one who ruled them all,” Alice said quietly. “Which means that Lucifer himself would be more than willing to step into the fray to try to protect what is his. He would believe that you would come after it.”

  I wasn’t sure that I processed her words at all. “What?”

  “Those in charge will do everything they can to keep things as they are. They will stop at nothing to make sure that nothing changes. They fear you both. The Goddess has a foothold in the world, and she might be brought forward by a being that hasn’t been created in this form in thousands of years. Something is happening here and on the other side of the veil. Something that could mean the end to everything or the beginning of something else altogether. You and Paige are at the epicenter of it all.”

  Samuel’s expression was calm, but I could feel the energy radiating from him in waves. It was as if I were standing in direct sunlight, and my skin seemed to ripple in its presence.

  “There are many who are eager for a change. We are tired of the old ways. We want to start anew. Now, we finally see our opportunity to put things right again. To emerge from our own darkness and be free.” Samuel put his hand through the slats of the gate. “Brother, please accept my help.”

  Brother. The word cut at me in a way I never expected. I was part of something far larger now, and I knew it. But even then, there was one thing that I wouldn’t lose sight of.

  I looked at the woman next to me. Paige’s eyes found mine. I saw something there that could have been anxiousness or excitement. Or both, I couldn’t be sure. I reached out my hand to her, and she took it without hesitation. She and I still weren’t finished when it came to her new pact with Proctor, but it would have to wait. Then I took Samuel’s hand.

  The world went light, and I felt the energy rip through me.

  If this was what it felt like to be invincible, I wanted to know where to sign on the dotted line.

  To be continued…

  (Return to Table of Contents)

  Protect Her: Part Nine

  By Ivy Sinclair

  Copyright 2015 Smith Sinclair Books

  ebook Edition

  Cover Design by Mihaela Voicu

  ebook Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the online retailer of your choice and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  CHAPTER ONE – RILEY

  I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when the halo of light finally evaporated, and my eyes had the chance to refocus on my surroundings. It sure as shit wasn’t the sticky, peanut shell covered floor that I immediately recognized. I had spent more than my fair share of time staring at that floor, and watching the bar staff clean up blood off of it numerous times. It was something akin to affectionate chagrin when I looked up and saw that I was indeed standing inside the dilapidated shell of Slinky Pete’s.

  “Really?” I looked at the angel standing next to me. “What are we doing here?”

  “Where exactly is here?” Paige’s nose wrinkled. I had to admit that I felt a small measure of relief that she was indeed with me even though I had held her hand tight throughout the magical shift to our current location. Slinky Pete’s smelled like stale beer and sweaty armpits on the best of days. It smelled like death warmed over and week old fish on the worst. It was a stench that you just grew accustomed to over time.

  “I thought that Riley would be comfortable here.” Samuel seemed to think that this was a logical explanation that would satisfy both of our questions. It didn’t.

  “Why?” I had an inkling that I might know why, but I wanted him to say it out loud for confirmation.

  “Our sources tell us that you spend a fair amount of time here when you are not in the field working on cases,” Samuel said. I saw that he was trying to keep his expression even, but he was clearly as uncomfortable in the place as most civilians who dared to wander through the door. The smart ones wandered right back out again in short order.

  “Well, all the details are right, except for a few major exceptions,” I said. I pointed at the bar stool at the far end of the bar. “Billy the Baller never leaves that spot. Seriously. I’ve been coming to Slinky Pete’s for years, that’s true, and Billy is a fixture. Literally.”

  “This is Slinky Pete’s, no doubt about it. Such an interesting name,” Samuel said with a look of thoughtfulness. Then he cleared his throat. “We’re just on the other side of the veil in space. This Billy you mention doesn’t exist on this side. Not yet, anyway.”

  “You said we were in danger, and that you’d take us somewhere safe,” Paige said. “Why on earth would you bring us to a dive bar on the other side of the veil? Wouldn’t somewhere in Heaven be a better alternative?”

  “We’ve got safeguards in place,” Samuel said defensively. “Consider this a comfortable place to relax while we gather the rest of our group. Believe me when I say that Heaven is as dangerous as Hell for both of you. Our options are severely limited at this point in time.”

  “The rest of the group?” I questioned. That didn’t sound good. I was rankled enough by having to depend on the archangels for answers the way it was. I didn’t give a rip about whatever protection they thought they were offering to me. I’d been living on the edge of life and death for the last ten years, a
nd I was far more confident in my own abilities to protect myself and Paige.

  “I have to tell you that if you say you’re inviting Benjamin here for some kind of peace chat and kumbaya speeches, I’ll pass. I’ll take my chances with the demon officials and Lucifer before I give that asshole the time of day. He tried to kill Paige. His handy knife work did a number on me. He’s officially on my shit list, and I’ll happily call payback on that now that I’ve got a set of wings of my own. He’s going to be very sorry for the game that he decided to play with her.”

  Samuel’s frown deepened. “Benjamin would not listen even if we tried to reach out to him. He has lost his way. That has been apparent for a long time, but no one knew what to do about it. This most recent situation has put us at odds with him, but we won’t harm him. He is our brother. It is up to us to help him find his way back to his true calling.”

  “I’m not helping him find his way back to a goddamn thing,” I said. I saw the other two archangels off to the side scowled at my words. If I remembered correctly, Samuel had introduced them as Josiah and Tobias. I glared at the lot of them. It was kind of nice to know that we were on somewhat equal footing at this point. They couldn’t just dismiss me the way that they might have a few days ago. “Let’s get one thing straight. The only reason I am here is because I want answers, and it better be the goddamn truth for once. Then I’m done with whatever it is you are planning to do to bring your beloved brother back. I also have no interest in hearing any speeches about taking the Lord’s name in vain either. He hasn’t done anything for me lately, so he pretty much deserves it.”

  Then the archangels turned away and were whispering together in a tight knit circle while throwing dark looks over their shoulder at me. I couldn’t hear a word even though they were standing no more than three feet away from me. I was definitely going to need to find out how to do that trick.

  “You certainly do have a way with people,” Paige said with a low chuckle. “I don’t think that’s how you go about winning friends and influencing people, Riley.”

  “I just want answers,” I said, glaring again at the trio. “They have them, and I want them. They will tell me.” I wasn’t exactly sure how I’d fulfill that threat, but planning wasn’t always my strong suit anyway. I was much better in action and with spur of the moment ideas. I was starting to feel more like myself with each passing moment, and there was a sense of profound relief in that. Whatever had happened to me, whatever transformation I had gone through, I was still me.

  Samuel paused in what he was saying long enough to give me a pained expression. I could tell that he was trying to keep everyone together and on the same page, and I wasn’t helping his case with my comments. It almost made me want to cut the guy a break. Almost.

  The trio broke apart, and Samuel stepped forward again. It was funny. I wouldn’t have pegged him as being a natural born leader, but the others seemed to be taking their marching orders from him. He was the only tolerable archangel I had met so far in my travels. I decided to take Paige’s advice and back off a bit. I didn’t have to go out guns, or wings, blazing. Not yet.

  “You will get answers, Riley. I promise you. But first, we need reinforcements. The three of us are strong together, but if a horde of demon officials show up with our brothers, we’ll be outnumbered and easily overwhelmed. I think if you listen to what I have to say, you will find we are all on the same side. Right now, it’s too dangerous for you to be on the other side where you are more easily locatable. Here, for the moment, you are safe. I need to ask you to be patient with us just a little bit longer.”

  He wasn’t going to tell me a thing yet. That seemed to be the archangel way. One step forward for every two steps backward. Doling out information only when it served their purposes, which ensured that they always had the upper hand. Was this what I would become?

  I shook that thought from my mind.

  “We can wait a little longer,” Paige said, answering for me. She put her hand on my arm. “We’ve been through a lot the last several days. I, for one, am tired of running. I want answers as badly as Riley does, but I want to be safe. If that means we have to take a break in the meantime, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I could use a break from all the excitement and drama.”

  I looked down at her, and for the first time saw the creases of the shadowed bags underneath her eyes. Her skin was pale, and I wondered when she last ate. I couldn’t remember even feeling hungry in ages, and I wondered if angels ate or drank anything at all. I had so many questions, but as I put my arm around her and drew her closer to me, I realized that she was right. The answers could wait. We needed to recharge. And I needed to start paying attention to what she needed as much as what I did. This whole situation wasn’t just about me anymore.

  “All right,” I said. I felt Paige’s body relax against mine. She thought that I was going to protest further, and that made me feel bad. I knew that sometimes I came across like a bull in a china shop when I made up my mind about something. “Who are these reinforcements, and when are they going to be here? If it’s not going to be in the next ten minutes or so, then I think I’m ready for a drink.”

  CHAPTER TWO – PAIGE

  I hoped that someday my world would stop changing long enough for me to catch up with it. I sat on a barstool and watched Riley move confidently behind the bar as he found what appeared to be a semi-clean glass and a bottle of what he said was Slinky Pete’s best whiskey.

  “I don’t drink whiskey,” I said as I put my hand over the top of the glass. “I’m really not much of a drinker at all.”

  Riley took my hand, the one that didn’t have the wound from the blood pact with Proctor, and brought it up to his mouth. He gently kissed each one of my fingers, and for a moment I forgot everything as I lost myself in the intensity of his jade green eyes. As he let my hand go, I felt it drift back down to the bar. He had completely distracted me, as per usual. Damn the man.

  “We’re both going to try new things,” he said with a twisted grin. He poured a long pour of the amber colored liquor into the glass. “Maybe we’ve been looking at all of this the wrong way, Paige.” He poured his drink, and then picked up the glass in front of me and handed it to me. Then he raised his glass into the air, and I followed suit. I was curious about what he had to say.

  “We both have checkered pasts. It’s probably safe to say they are more pockmarked than checkered.” He raised an eyebrow at me as if daring me to contradict him. I shrugged. He was right. The things I had done and seen in the years that I had been on the run before I lost my memory would turn a person’s hair white. Once he sensed that I wasn’t disagreeing, he continued. “In a way, we’re both being given a second chance to make something different from our lives. I didn’t chose to be a necromancer. You didn’t chose to be the vessel of a goddess who has been dead for a thousand years.”

  Hearing the pronouncement of my fate spoken out loud never failed to send shivers down my spine. But I liked where he was going, and I wondered if it was perhaps true that Riley was turning over a new leaf. “This sounds very optimistic of you, Riley,” I said, giving him a small smile.

  He still held his glass in the air, but he leaned his elbows onto the bar so that he was closer to me. I felt drunk by the intensity of his stare, and I hadn’t had a drop of liquor pass my lips yet. I saw his eyes travel over my face and eventually settle on my lips. “I finally have something in my life worth being optimistic about.”

  I leaned toward him, and he met my lips halfway across the bar. His kiss was gentle and asked for nothing in return. It was simply a gesture that the intimacy between us grew by the day; a further affirmation of what we were to each other. I had declared myself as his, and I had the mark on my collarbone to prove it. This added a whole new dynamic to our relationship, and despite the speed at which it had developed, I wasn’t shying away from it anymore. I wanted to immerse myself in these feelings and find out how truly deep they went.

  He pulled away a
nd brushed his lips across my forehead before clinking my glass. “Bottoms up, babe.”

  Babe was a nickname that I remembered hating when men called me it before, but it sent a shot of warmth through my core hearing Riley use it. His voice carried the slightly possessive tone that made my body vibrate in response. I was completely okay being this man’s woman. The feeling was entirely mutual. I felt that I wanted to somehow mark him as mine as well. That was something that I was going to have to think about.

  As I watched Riley down the liquid in his glass, I found that I was opening to the idea of being someone different than before. I was being given license to recreate myself yet again. A week ago, I would have railed against that idea, but now, with my old memories intact and Riley in my life, it seemed necessary. I wasn’t the teenage girl who watched her parents dragged off by demons and who then went on the run. That girl grew into a manipulative, callous bitch who used men as a means to an end as she searched for an escape from her destiny. The Paige that emerged after the accident that stole my memories was timid and shy. She hid on Calamata Island in a perfectly scripted life that was written and controlled by Benjamin. She had pretended to be content with that life, even though there were parts of it that chafed at her. But she was given the opportunity to have a home and rediscover warmth, friendship, and compassion. She had a home, tenuous as it was, without having to know her past.

  Today, I was someone else yet again. Others might say the fact that I was supposed to be Eva’s vessel defined me, but it didn’t. I was coming into my own despite having that hanging over my head. I was stronger than I ever had been, and that strength wasn’t coming from a place of fear or desperation. Those feelings still existed inside of me, but it was because of the man who stood across from me that I held a certainty that I could survive without becoming a person that I couldn’t live with. I had found my power, and I would use it to protect those that were important to me. I didn’t have to be weak or afraid anymore.