by G. K. DeRosa
I knelt down next to him, my heart racing. His eyes were closed and his wings had disappeared. I lowered my head to his bloodied chest, holding my breath. A faint thumping reverberated in my ear. I exhaled slowly, my shoulders relaxing.
He was still alive.
Could angels even die?
Blood trickled from the bite mark on his shoulder. I yanked my sweatshirt off and pressed it against the wound. Duke trotted over and licked his pale face, letting out a whimper.
“Declan, can you hear me? I need you to wake up.” I hovered over him, willing him to be okay.
With everything that had happened, I hadn’t had a second to process.
Declan was an angel.
I’d spent the last few days with one of them. None of it made sense. Why was he helping me?
Declan’s breaths were slow but steady, his chest rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern. I lifted the wadded up sweatshirt from his shoulder, and my breath hitched. A golden glow emitted from the area around the wound. I pulled his shirt up to examine the bite more closely. The skin was healing right before my eyes. New cells replaced the old damaged ones, the flesh knitting together. Dried blood coated his skin, but the bite mark was barely visible anymore.
Unbelievable.
My fingers traced the area, his flesh warm under my fingertips. I let my gaze travel down his torso. His chest was well defined, his abs a perfect six pack. Besides the blood spatter, his skin was flawless. My cheeks flushed, and I pulled his shirt back down. I forced my gaze up, and his face seemed to have regained some of its color.
The adrenaline that throbbed through my veins just a few minutes ago faded, and each limb suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. I lay down next to Declan, propping my head on my hand, my eyes intent on his chest. Please, don’t die.
A part of me felt like a traitor to human kind. I should’ve let the immortals kill themselves off and been happy. I shouldn’t feel this way about the enemy. Guilt stabbed away at my chest as I watched Declan’s sluggish breathing.
My lids grew heavy and no matter how hard I tried to keep them open, exhaustion finally won the battle.
Chapter 17
Light filtered in through the barn’s skylight, and my eyes popped open. My arm was cold, the warm body lying next to it missing. I whipped my head from side to side, but Declan was gone.
“Duke?”
The barn door was ajar. I ran my hand over my face, pushing my messy hair back and plucking out a few strands of hay. I scrambled to my feet.
I peered through the open door, scanning the yellow fields. Duke galloped around the corner and barked, nearly scaring me to death.
“Geez, buddy. You almost gave me a heart attack.” Obviously last night’s assault hadn’t had quite the same effect on him as it had on me. I patted him on the head, and he scampered off toward the main house.
The screams from the night before echoed in my eardrums. The old man. In all the commotion, I’d completely forgotten about him. I followed Duke toward the red house, which looked even more run down in the dim light of day. I stepped onto the porch, and the front door swung open.
Declan appeared, a rolled up carpet flung over his shoulder. My eyes widened as I scanned the lumpy bundle. He didn’t say a word to me, just walked right by. Did he really think he could get away without talking to me about this? My eyes followed him as he trudged along leaving a trail of brown splotches on the dirt road.
I jogged up behind him, fully intending to give him a piece of my mind for lying to me all this time. As I neared, my stomach twisted, halting all the nasty words in my throat. Blood dripped down the edge of the carpet, splattering down his back and onto the ground. I gasped and froze on the spot.
Declan continued walking a few yards then dropped the heavy bundle on the ground behind the barn. He disappeared inside for a moment then reappeared carrying a long shovel. He plunged it into the dirt and began digging.
That poor man. I shook my head, chasing away the horrifying images racing through my mind. He wasn’t the nicest person I’d ever met, but he certainly didn’t deserve a death at the hands of those monsters.
Ice skittered through my veins. If Declan hadn’t saved us again, that would’ve been me. I clenched my fists at my side as the fear melted, giving way to anger once again. Declan had lied to me this whole time. He couldn’t just ignore me now.
I stomped over to the hole and glared at him, slapping my hands on my hips. “How could you not tell me you were an angel?”
He grunted and thrust the shovel back into the hard packed dirt.
“Declan!”
He glanced up, his teeth clenched. “I’m not,” he hissed.
“What are you talking about? I saw your wings last night.”
“I’m nephilim. I’m not a pure blooded angel.” He lowered his gaze and continued digging.
“Same damn thing.” I moved closer to him, my blood boiling. “You lied to me for days.”
“Don’t take it personally. I lie to everyone about it. It’s not really something I’m proud of.” A flash of regret crossed his dark irises.
“I don’t understand. If you’re nephilim, what are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be like manning their army or whatever?”
“I told you, I’m not one of them. Not in my mind anyway.” He hopped into the hole, disappearing underground.
What the hell did that mean?
He leapt up over the edge a few seconds later, landing in a catlike crouch. My mouth gaped.
“So all this time you’ve been hiding your powers?” My mind flashed back to him carrying Duke out of the ravine. If he could jump out of this hole so easily, he could’ve done it back then too. Hell, he could have flown us to D.C.!
“I don’t use them unless I absolutely have to.” He dragged the body into the hole and began covering it in dirt.
My mind raced. Nephilim were half-angel and half-human which meant one of his parents was a pure angel and possibly responsible for the hell humanity has been through. But Declan had saved my life—a few times. Warring emotions swirled in my chest as I watched him bent over the grave.
“Why are you helping me? I thought angels and nephilim hated humans.”
He looked up at me, dark curls hanging over his forehead. “They don’t. Or at least they didn’t used to.” He swept his hair to the side and tucked it behind his ear, his forehead glistening. “And I helped you because those stryx were going to kill you. Both of our races have done enough damage.”
“So you didn’t take part in the war?”
He clenched his jaw and stopped. “Not after I realized how much damage we were causing.”
I huffed.
He patted the mound of dirt with the shovel and tossed it to the ground. “The vampires are animals. I don’t know how the angels could’ve reached a truce with them. It goes against everything I was raised to believe.” He wiped his hands off on his jeans and leaned back against the old barn, staring up into the clouded sky. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
“So can’t you do something to stop them? You’re one of them after all.”
He slowly shook his head. “It’s not that easy.”
I crossed my arms against my chest. “You could at least try.”
“I have.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Leaving was my only option.”
I suddenly remembered our earlier conversation. “That’s why you’re going to find your mom?”
He nodded. “My dad’s an angel; he raised me. He told me she died when I was little. I discovered the truth during the war. He’d kept her hidden when the humans started dying.” He shrugged. “I guess he still cared for her, somehow.”
“What are you going to do when you find her?”
“I don’t know. Just make sure she’s okay I guess. I haven’t seen her in ten years.” He looked down, picking at some dirt in his nails.
“And your dad?”
“We’re not speaking at the moment.” The
pinched expression on his face made it clear that was the end of that topic.
If his mom was human and his angel dad still had feelings for her, maybe she could convince him to stop all this destruction. It was a long shot, but at least there was hope.
“She won’t be able to help you,” he muttered and slid down to the ground.
I spun on him. “Can you read my mind or something?”
He smirked. “No, but after spending a few days with you, I’ve figured out how your mind works. Never play poker, you’d be awful.”
“Thanks a lot.” I kicked at the ground, sending up a cloud of dirt.
“It’s not a bad thing to wear your emotions on your sleeve. It’s better than not having any at all.” His lips turned down, and his eyes dulled.
“What’s wrong with the angels? Why aren’t they protecting the humans?”
He shook his head, a dark look in his eye. “I don’t know exactly. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the vampires. Angels have always been stronger than those demons, but the ones that are here on earth are getting weaker. The vamps on the other hand seem to get stronger by the day. It’s a very uneasy truce at the moment.”
That didn’t sound good. The last thing we needed was more fighting.
Now what? I still needed Declan’s help to get to D.C. Without him, I was as good as dead. I couldn’t trust him—not really. He was the enemy, but he was my only option at this point.
Duke trotted over, his big tongue hanging out of his mouth and he nuzzled into my leg. Then he walked over to Declan and lay down beside him, rolling onto his back for a belly rub.
A small smile pulled at Declan’s lips. He ran his hand across his furry stomach, and Duke whined happily.
Duke always had an impeccable sense for reading people, and I trusted my dog with all my heart.
I walked over to Declan and slid down the barn wall to sit next to him.
He brushed his thigh against mine and turned to me, his maroon eyes like matching onyx pools. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”
I nodded, a myriad of conflicting emotions swirling in my chest. “I guess you can make it up to me by getting us to D.C. safely.”
“You still want to go there?”
“I have to.”
He slowly inhaled, the early morning light catching his irises and setting them ablaze. “Okay. It’s a deal.”
Chapter 18
A neon green highway sign hung off the overpass holding on by a thin metal rod. Silver Spring, Maryland. Declan slowed and pulled the bike over onto the off ramp’s shoulder. The border sign for Washington, D.C. loomed ahead in the distance.
He cut the engine and swiveled his head to face me. “This is as far as I go.”
I knew it was coming. He’d warned me from the beginning he wouldn’t go into the city, but still the surge of emotion was unexpected. My throat tightened, and I swallowed down a big gulp so I could speak. “Okay.” That was the most I could muster.
I hopped off the big Harley and took off my helmet as unease filled my chest. “Come on, Duke, this is our stop.”
My dog cocked his head at me and whined. I removed his goggles and strapped the leash on, pulling him out of the sidecar.
Declan pointed down the highway, refusing to meet my gaze. “Just stay along here, and you’ll be there in a few miles.”
“Right.” I wrapped Duke’s leash around my hand and clenched my fist. I could do this. This was the plan all along. I was going to Arx to find Asher and set him free. Alone.
“Keep an eye on the sky. The closer you get to the center, the more angels and nephilim you’ll run into. Make sure you stay away from downtown. You don’t want to be anywhere near the angel tower.”
I weaved the leash in between my fingers, my gaze now refusing to meet his. If he only knew that was exactly where I was headed.
“Liv?”
“Hmm?” I glanced up, focusing on his black helmet instead of his questioning eyes.
“You’re not going downtown, are you?”
I chewed on my lower lip. Damn, he was right; I did have a terrible poker face.
“Liv, you cannot under any circumstances go down there.” He grabbed my arm and squeezed. “One of the nephilim guards will scoop you up in minutes.”
“So? What does it matter to you anyway?” I wiggled out of his grasp, ignoring the tingles where our skin touched.
He grunted. “I didn’t risk my butt saving your life multiple times just to let you do something stupid.”
“It’s not stupid. I have to save my friend.” Hot tears stung my eyes, and my throat began to close. I willed the tears away, but my emotions got the best of me.
His eyes widened. Fire blazed in his irises, but his voice softened. “Save your friend from where?”
“The angel tower.”
A string of curses flew out of his mouth. I didn’t even think angels were allowed to use profanity. Then again, they probably weren’t supposed to destroy the earth either.
“Are you out of your mind?” He threw his hands in the air. “No one gets out of that tower.”
I ground my teeth together. “I have to at least try. Asher’s the only person I have left in this world.”
He shook his head, his dark brows creasing. “That’s not true.” His words were so quiet, I wasn’t even sure I heard him right. “You’ll never get in. It’s absolutely impenetrable.”
I paused, debating whether to tell him about Parker and his friends. He was nephilim, technically one of them. I couldn’t just tell him about the human resistance, even if he was half-human and claimed to be different.
“I can find a way.” I pulled the blueprint of the tower from my backpack and unrolled it on the ground.
His eyes widened into maroon pits of darkness, and he jumped off the Harley. “Where did you get that?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I glanced up at him. “Have you ever been inside?”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Yeah.”
“Is it accurate?”
He examined the sketch more closely then let out a long breath. “Yes.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and squeezed. “It’s a suicide mission, Liv. You’ll never make it out alive. What good will that do your friend?”
I squirmed out of his grasp, anger bubbling up in my chest. “Then help me!” I narrowed my eyes, shooting daggers. “You’ve been in there before. I might actually be able to get him out with your help.”
I could almost see the gears grinding in his head as he struggled with the decision. A hint of hope flared inside me.
He gritted his teeth and hissed, “I can’t go back there. I told you.”
“Then leave me alone.” I spun away from him and grabbed the diagram off the floor, shoving it into my backpack.
I didn’t need him. I’d find Parker’s friend, Linc, and we’d find a way to get Asher out. I marched back onto the highway, yanking Duke along with me.
“Wait,” Declan growled and raced up behind me.
I didn’t stop.
He yanked my arm and spun me around. I threw my hands up to push him away, and it was like hitting a brick wall. His heated gaze captured mine and held me prisoner. For a moment, they were all I could see. He trapped my hands against his chest and warm lips smothered any lingering objection. My arms fell limp at my side as his tongue found its way into my mouth. Heat surged in my belly, rushing up my chest and racing to my extremities. A warm foggy haze settled over my brain as his hands roamed my body.
He suddenly pulled away, and my mind cleared. I sucked in a breath and pushed him back. “What the hell was that?”
He shrugged. “I was trying to distract you.” He shot me a smirk. “I’d say it worked.”
I rolled my eyes, running my hand through my disheveled hair and took quick breaths to mask the panting. My traitorous body didn’t understand he was the enemy.
Declan’s gaze locked on mine, his irises a smoldering maroon. “I’m coming with you—on one c
ondition.”
“What’s that?” I arched a brow.
“We do this my way.”
The motorcycle rumbled to a stop in front of an old row house. The D.C. skyline rose up behind it, Arx towering over all the other monuments. The cold white structure was like a warning beacon in the darkening night.
I focused back in on the quaint home standing before us. Or at least it had been at one time. The windows were cracked, some boarded up and others left with sharp glass protruding. The colorful powder blue paint was peeling and covered in grime, dark red bricks crumbling off the façade.
“This is it.” Declan pulled his helmet off and jumped off the bike, then helped me.
Duke leapt out of the sidecar to find the nearest patch of grass.
I stared up at the three-story home as Declan rolled the bike inside the formerly white picket fence. “Who lives here?”
“No one. Anymore.” He jerked the kickstand up and scanned one of the gauges on his motorcycle. He turned to me, his expression odd. “Don’t freak out, but I have to power up my bike.”
“How? I thought you said it was solar-powered?”
“It is. Kind of.” He raised his hands and white light shot out from his palms. My jaw dropped to the floor. The brilliant light streamed out until the dial on the gauge moved all the way to the green side.
“What was that?” I breathed out once he lowered his hands.
“Angel light. You’ve never seen it before?”
I shook my head. I’d never seen an angel or nephilim close up. I’d seen bursts of light in the sky while the fighting was going on, but I had no idea where it had come from.
I finally understood how Declan was one of the only people I’d seen with a functioning vehicle.
He climbed up the front steps and got to his tiptoes. Reaching up to the ornate ledge over the door, he produced a key. He stuck it into the lock and twisted, and the door swung open.