by Peach, Hanna
“You don’t know, do you?” Balthazar said, a look of realization coming over his face.
“Know what?”
“Oh, Alyx. Israel isn’t a father to the keye. He is a keye.”
“What?”
“I confirmed it using his blood. Israel has mortal, demon and Seraphim blood.”
Alyx’s head spun. Israel is a keye. Israel has demon, mortal and Seraphim blood. But how? She remembered what Israel had told her about his parents. He never knew his father. So his father was… a Seraphim? A demon-Seraphim? But who?
Then Alyx remembered something that Mayrekk had said to her about the prophecy. “The prophecies talk about a Seraphim and a demon-mortal that fall in love.”
Mayrekk had assumed this part of the prophecy was about Alyx and Israel. He had been mistaken. It wasn’t about her and Israel, it was about Israel’s parents. A Seraphim and a demon-mortal that fall in love.
She was Guardian to a keye.
This was why their cure didn’t work on Israel. They needed the extra ingredient for his Seraphim blood. Seraphim blood that they didn’t realize he had.
Balthazar spoke, pulling Alyx out of her swirling thoughts. “You understand now why it is so important that we keep him out of Samyara’s hands. Is it your decision how we do that. Let him die, or let us bring him to Hell.”
Alyx squeezed her eyes shut. How could Balthazar ask her to make this decision? How could she make this choice?
“Alyx, I am sorry that this decision is yours.” Balthazar’s voice was softer now. She could almost believe he felt some remorse. “I can see it causes you great pain. You love the boy, don’t you?”
“What the hell do any of you know about love?”
Balthazar smiled gently, despite her outburst. “We love. We can love greatly. Why else would there be half-breeds?”
“How will you even be able to take him to Hell?” she asked weakly. “Aren’t there rules for Purgatory?”
“Let us worry about that. You are running out of time. From the condition of his blood, I estimate he barely has until midday left. Do we have a deal or not?”
Only until midday – a few short hours away. Assuming Balthazar was telling the truth there was no way that she could get another cure together, given her new information about his blood.
Alyx eyed the parchment. She couldn’t hand Israel over to Lucifer. She couldn’t. But she couldn’t let him die either.
“I’m Israel’s Guardian, I can take care of him. I was destined to guard him. Give me time to get rid of Samyara’s threat. If I fail… then you can take Israel.”
Balthazar pursed his lips, considering this. “This may work. We have not been able to find out where Samyara’s demon body has been hidden in Hell while he possesses a host on Earth. But there is a way to kill the demon, Samyara, from Earth.”
“How?”
“Israel’s blood is a keye between our worlds. Pierce Samyara through the heart on Earth with a blade dipped in Israel’s blood and your blade shall also pierce his demon heart in Hell.”
“So do we have a deal?”
Balthazar nodded. “You have seven days.”
Chapter 41
Alyx slipped into Israel’s compartment. His cheeks were shrunken and he was barely breathing. His veins flashed purple weakly as his heart rate slowed.
She was just in time to save him. And curse him, too. She shook off this thought. Seven days. She had seven days to get rid of Samyara.
With shaking hands she undid the lid of the vial and poured the antidote carefully into Israel’s mouth. She brushed the damp hair from his forehead. A single drop moistened his bottom lip. She leaned forward and kissed him. As she did, her heart broke for Jordan. She tasted the antidote, sweet yet bitter. Like this kiss. Like all their kisses would be from now on.
Her lips were trembling when she pulled them off his. She prayed she was in time. Her hands clasped around one of Israel’s hands, holding the vial between them like an offering to the gods. She didn’t know how long she remained at his side.
She was jolted from sleep when the door opened.
“Alyx.”
She flinched. It was Jordan’s voice.
She refused to turn around to him, even though the part that loved him and his arms and his strength and the way he shielded her and the way he saw through her wanted to fling herself into his embrace and cry and confess. She wanted him to take some of this weight from her shoulders. She knew if she asked, he would. “You don’t have to do everything alone.”
No. She had to be alone. She couldn’t do what she needed to if she allowed herself to be tossed about between Jordan and Israel like a buoy. She had to stay strong.
She heard Jordan enter the compartment. Alyx stood, slipping her hands from Israel’s. She didn’t want Jordan to see that she had been touching him. She curled her fingers around the vial to hide it.
Already Israel’s skin was beginning to look less pale and the bruise-like veins had faded from sight. His breathing sounded less tortured. She knew in her heart that he was saved.
She didn’t look up as Jordan came to stand beside her. But she could feel him, his strong presence, his warmth. She let herself bask in it for one moment.
“He looks better… You gave him something. What did you give him?”
Alyx slipped the empty vial into her pocket and turned to walk out of the compartment. She couldn’t be here with both Jordan and Israel at the same time. It was too much.
“Jesus, Alyx.” Jordan grabbed her roughly by the shoulder. “Please, talk to me.”
“I did what I had to.” Her voice sounded hollow. She pulled her arm out of Jordan’s grasp and left the compartment.
She wasn’t ready to explain what she had done to keep Israel alive.
Buying time, that’s all you did. You bought him seven days.
At least he was alive. And she would do everything she could to keep him that way.
Angelblood (Dark Angel #4)
By Hanna Peach
Seven days…
Israel’s life has been saved, but Alyx had to make a deal with the Devil to do so. She has to hand Israel over to Lucifer unless she finds a way to defeat Samyara. But first she has to find him. And the only way she can is by delving deep into the mind of Adere, Israel’s ex-girlfriend and an ex-Darkened. To do this Alyx will need Israel and Jordan, the two men fighting for her heart, to work together. But can they put aside their differences long enough?
Seven days until Israel is sentenced to Hell. Seven days to find Samyara. Seven days to raise an army.
This will be Alyx’s greatest battle yet.
Due out early 2014
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Want more now?
Go to www.hannapeach.com and select the “Secrets” tab to find “Father and Son”, a deleted scene just for you. Pssst! The password is: beginning
Follow my blog for more secret scenes and upcoming book release dates. I love hearing from readers! Contact me through my website or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AngelfireBooks). Much love and many thanks, Hanna.
Books by Hanna Peach
Urban Fantasy
Angelfire (Dark Angel #1)
Angelstone (Dark Angel #2)
Angelsong (Dark Angel #3)
Angelblood (Dark Angel #4) due out early 2014
Romantic Suspense
Bound by Lies (Bound #1) due out Dec/Jan
Bound by Lies (Bound #1)
By Hanna Peach
Our love is on his terms. He contacts me only through notes − unpredictable and untraceable. When we meet, he can touch me, but I’m not allowed
to touch him. When we make love, it’s only after I have been bound and blindfolded. It’s the only time I truly feel alive. Which is why I play along with it. For now.
Caden Thaine is the most sinfully beautiful man I have ever seen. But more than that, his touch sets me on fire. And dear God, do I ache for him. I don’t know where he lives or even what he does. But this doesn’t scare me. My only fear is that one day his messages will stop.
I know he’s hiding something. But that’s okay. I am hiding things too. Like my real name and... who I really am. But what we have is enough. Sort of. And everything works.
Until one day, I follow him.
Now, our dark pasts will collide and I will discover just how much we are both bound by lies.
Adult romantic suspense. +18 years.
Out Dec/Jan 2014
Don’t forget to add this book to your Goodreads shelf!
To Dani – this one is most definitely for you.
You know why.
Acknowledgements
To the Sunflowers (especially Fiona): thank you for letting me share my writing crisis with you. Thank you for not judging me and for your support, love and advice, which helped me pull myself out of that angst-pit and to finish this book seven days later. You guys rock.
To Jeff Khan, you made my new covers magical. I can’t believe I found someone more of a perfectionist than me. So much love.
Also thanks to Dani, Sophie and Matt for your input and advice on the covers. I’m sure you got sick of the 50-billion proofs that were sent your way, but thank you for pretending that you didn’t.
To everyone who puts up with me when I disappear into my writing cave. I love you. Thank you for understanding when I take ages to return phone calls, texts and messages and when I say no to every invitation. Thank you especially to those who battled their way into my cave and dragged me outside for an hour or two so I could see the sun like a normal person, haha.
To my beta readers, Dani, Michael and Jacqui for your brilliant and honest feedback. I hope I appreciate you enough.
To my bro, Ben, who I know is the biggest raving supporter of me and peddles my books like a pimp. Big love from the other side of the world. Miss you.
To the amazing bloggers and readers out there who have been following this series from the start. Thank you for your support.
And to anyone who has ever reviewed or recommended any of my books, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Angelsong (Dark Angel #3): a novel / by Hanna Peach. – 1st Ed.
First Digital Edition: October 2013
Published by Gypsy Publishing
Copyright 2013 Hanna Peach
Cover art copyright 2013 Gypsy Publishing/Jeff Madriagal. All Rights Reserved Hanna Peach. Stock images: shutterstock
Editing services by Proof Positive (http://proofpositivepro.com)
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
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