by G. K. DeRosa
Damn it. I knew I should’ve taken my dad’s gun out of my backpack before coming in. Now it was out of reach hanging off my shoulder.
I raised my hands and tried to look as unintimidating as possible as I checked out my surroundings. Steel walls enclosed the claustrophobically small space. A narrow table and two chairs lined one wall and beyond it stretched a dark tunnel.
The guy with the green eyes spoke first. “How do we know you didn’t just steal that stuff from Parker?”
“I didn’t.” I pulled out the hand-written note. A twinge of sadness unfurled in my chest as I read over his words before handing it over to green eyes. “He gave this to me and told me to come find Linc.” I shrugged. “I can’t really prove it other than to say he was the nicest guy I’d met in a really long time. He found me at a bad time and gave me food and shelter.”
“That sure sounds like Donovan,” said the blue-eyed guy.
An older man stepped forward and grabbed the note. He had a white goatee and wasn’t as beefy as the rest of them. Scanning the writing, a half-smile crossed his lips. He held his hand out to me. “I’m Lincoln Donovan.” He drew out the first part of his last name with a long southern drawl.
My eyes widened as I scrutinized his face. His smoky blue eyes did look familiar. They were kind just like Parker’s. “Are you his brother?”
He gave me a smile. “Half-brother. And who are you?”
I finally clasped his outstretched hand and gave it a firm shake. “I’m Liv Graciene.”
“My brother must have thought a lot of ya to give ya my name. My operation relies solely on our anonymity.”
Operation? I didn’t want to give my ignorance away so I kept quiet. “Like I said, he helped me out through a hard time.”
“Linc, we gotta give her the test before you go any further,” said blue eyes.
He sighed. “Very well. Jayse, you do it.”
Green eyes pulled a pocketknife out of his jeans and approached me.
“Whoa there, buddy. What are you doing?” I took a step back, but the circle of men closed in around me.
“Relax,” said Linc. “We have to make sure you’re not one of them.”
“It’ll just sting for a second.” Jayse’s meaty fingers clasped around my forearm.
“What are you doing? Let me go!” I squirmed, but his hold was like a steal clamp around my arm. He pried my fisted hand loose and ran the blade over the tip of my index finger. Ow!
A tiny sliver of blood appeared, and I winced. Dang that burned. He held onto my finger for a few more minutes then released me.
“She’s human,” he declared.
I stuck my finger in my mouth and scowled.
“Sorry, darlin’ but we can’t have no vamps or angels in here,” said Linc. “They’ve got that superhuman skin; cuts heal up in seconds.”
I nodded, remembering Declan’s miraculous healing after the vampires attacked. I glanced at my watch. Only twenty more minutes. If Declan showed up, we were both screwed.
It was time to get this show on the road. “So can you help me or not?”
“You’re serious about going into Arx?” Green eyes asked.
“Please excuse Jayse’s lack of manners. We don’t often spend time with a lady. Introduce yourselves, boys.” He motioned to blue eyes then green eyes. “This is my son, Jaxon and that there’s Jayse.”
The two burly men held out their hands and I shook each one, suppressing a yelp as their thick fingers squeezed. Obviously they hadn’t shaken a lady’s hand in awhile either.
“And I’m Britton,” said the last one, who hadn’t opened his mouth since I arrived. He’d been lurking near the entrance to the tunnel.
“Britt was in the Army with my boys. He doesn’t talk much so don’t take it personal.”
I shot him a half-smile and glanced back at Linc. “So yes, I am serious about getting into Arx. My friend was taken by a nephilim a little over a week ago, and I’m pretty sure that’s where he’s being held.”
“Pretty sure?” The lines around Linc’s smoky blue eyes crinkled.
“He’s young and strong and Parker said they capture humans to serve them as soldiers.”
“Umhmm.” He stroked his white goatee. “That is true.”
“You know it’s never been done before, right?” Jaxon stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. “No one has made it out of there alive.”
“But Parker said you had spies inside. Couldn’t they help?”
Linc’s gaze bounced to each of his sons then back at me. “My brother did go flapping his mouth to ya about a lot of top secret info, now didn’t he?”
“He trusted me.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “He knew I’d try with or without his help, and he wanted me to survive.”
Linc exhaled slowly, his brows furrowed. “I can’t put my men in danger. What you’re talking about is a suicide mission. And I won’t risk my guys inside being exposed.”
“I’ll help her.” The quiet one, Britton, stepped forward. He looked a few years younger than the other two, maybe in his mid-twenties.
“Are you sure, Britt?” asked Jayse.
He nodded and turned to me. “I can get you in. I can’t promise much more than that.”
“Thank you.” I swallowed down the lump in my throat. The suspicious part of me wanted to ask why he wanted to help, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. And if Parker trusted these guys then so would I.
The line between Linc’s white brows deepened as he stroked his goatee. He let out a huff and faced Britton. “If you tell me the day you’re going in, I’ll alert my guys inside. They’ll do what they can to help without compromising their identities.”
“Thanks, boss.” Britt gave the old man a tight smile.
I checked my watch: seven minutes. I gasped. “I gotta run. My friend’s waiting for me, and he’s going to worry if I’m not back.”
“Your friend?” Linc’s eyes narrowed.
I hoped to God Britton wouldn’t want to test Declan when he met him.
“Yeah, he’ll be joining us on the mission. He’s got some insider information too.”
Linc revealed a walkie-talkie from his back pocket and handed it to me. “We’re on channel five. This way you’ll be able to communicate with Britt when everything’s set up.”
I took it and stuck it into my backpack. “How long do you think that’ll take?”
“Give me twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and we’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you so much.” I couldn’t help myself, I wrapped my arms around the older man and his big body stiffened. I suddenly felt awkward and backed away slowly. “I really appreciate this.”
I shook Britton’s hand, looking into his big gray eyes. Sadness and loss tinged his smoky irises. I knew the expression well; I saw it in the mirror every day. “Thank you.”
He nodded and squeezed my hand.
“Good luck, darlin’,” said Linc as I climbed up the ladder.
I threw back the hatch and burst through the doors of the toolshed. Five minutes to twelve. If I knew Declan, he’d come racing around the corner any minute now, angel sword ablaze. I dashed down the block, trying to get as far away from the little old church as possible.
Linc and his sons might be a little weird, but they were attempting to defeat the angels, and I couldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.
I sprinted around the corner, pumping my arms as fast as I could as my sneakers slapped against the cement. I didn’t even bother to check the sky as I sped toward the highway.
I reached the woods flanking the interstate and could just make out Declan pacing in front of his motorcycle. I waved my arms in the air back and forth. “I’m back! I’m here!” I shouted.
“Stop yelling,” he hissed as I neared. “Are you trying to lure all the angels right to us?”
I hunched over, bracing my hands on my knees and panted. That sprint had sucked all the air out of me. “Sorry,” I rasped out. “I wanted to make sure you
didn’t come after me.”
He kicked at the ground, and a cloud of dirt swirled in the air. A well-worn path circled the motorcycle.
“You didn’t look at the address, did you?”
He ground his teeth together. “I said I wouldn’t, right?” He checked his watch. “You had exactly thirty seconds before I did.” He stuck out his lower lip and leaned up against the bike. “So how did it go?”
“Good. I got a big Army guy to come with us, and we may even have help on the inside.”
He arched a dark brow. “On the inside, really? Who are these guys anyway?”
“I don’t know,” I answered, chewing on my lower lip, hoping I hadn’t said too much. “Declan, I’m trusting you big time with this. These guys would go ballistic if they knew what you were.” I squared off in front of him, fixing him with my steeliest glare. “You gotta swear that you’re on our side.”
“I already told you I was. I don’t know how many more ways I can say it.”
“Swear on your mother.”
His brows drew together, his expression darkening. “I swear on my mother’s life that I’m on your side, Liv. I’ll do whatever I can to get your friend out of there.”
Chapter 21
Twenty-four hours and still no word from Linc. I twisted the knob on the walkie-talkie, flicking through a few stations. Static filled the dead air.
I paced back and forth, peering through the window that faced onto the street. The enormous tower loomed over the deserted city, an ominous symbol of the angels’ infinite power over us.
I was sick of being cooped up in this house. We were so close to Asher, and I couldn’t do anything but sit here and wait. It wasn’t fair. Who knew what they were doing to him right now?
My fingers curled into tight fists. “Ugh!”
“What’s the matter, the mailman forgot your gossip magazine?” Declan clomped down the stairs and shot me a grin.
“I wish.” I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a mailman or a new gossip magazine. I stared out the window, my sights fixed on the white tower.
He came up behind me, his shoulder brushing my back and every nerve in my body perked up at his proximity. He pushed aside the worn curtain and followed my gaze. “Don’t worry, we’ll get there soon enough.”
“What if we’re too late?” Invisible fingers wrapped around my heart, clenching until its beats slowed to almost nothing.
“We won’t be.” He moved beside me and gave my hand a squeeze. “If your friend is strong and smart, they’d surely keep him. From what you’ve told me about him, he sounds like soldier material.” He went to pull away, but I held on, threading his fingers between mine. Warmth seeped from his palm all the way up my arm, unfurling in my chest. The constant ache abated.
My entire body relaxed, the tension in my shoulders dissipating. The anxiety bubbling in my gut fizzled away. I hadn’t felt so at peace since before all of this started.
I turned to face him. “Did you—?” A white glow emanating from our clasped hands caught my eye, cutting me off.
I jerked my hand out of his, and the light dimmed. A chill swept over me, leaving me cold and empty once again. “How did you do that?”
He shrugged. “All part of being nephilim.”
“What did you do exactly? It felt incredible.”
“Just a little angel healing power.”
I wanted more of it. I wanted him to take away all my pain—to make it all stop. But how could I? I couldn’t take advantage of his powers and still hate him for being an angel.
Maybe hate wasn’t the right word. If I was being honest, there wasn’t a single fiber in my being that hated Declan. It would be easier if I did.
The crackle of the radio yanked me from my inner ramblings. Declan and I both stared at the walkie-talkie as Linc’s southern drawl came through in intermittent spurts.
“Ya there, Liv?”
I pressed the talk button, my heartbeats accelerating. “Yes. I’m here.”
“We’re good to go at twenty-three hundred hours. Britt will meet ya at the corner of Independence Ave. SW and 7th St. SW. You’ll go over the plan then. If you got any other questions, ask them now. I’m disabling this channel as soon as we’re done.”
My eyes widened and met Declan’s. He shrugged.
“Nope, we’re good,” I finally answered. “We’ll see him there. And Linc, thanks again.”
“Good luck, darlin’. Over and out.”
I dropped the walkie and wrung my hands together. This was it. We were going in there tonight.
“I hope these guys know what they’re doing,” huffed Declan as he walked away from the window and slumped down on the couch.
I followed, sitting beside him. “Me too.” I clasped my hands together to keep them from shaking. My whole body felt like a blender, the insides churning like mad.
Declan reached over and covered my hands in his big one. “You gotta trust me in there, okay? No matter what.”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “Okay.”
“If anything goes wrong, I’ll get you out of there.” He squeezed my hands and warmth flooded my veins. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The roughness of his voice was doing things to my insides. An ethereal glow encompassed our hands and within seconds, my entire body felt lighter. I inhaled slowly and let the calm settle over me. He released my hand and leaned back against the leather cushions.
“Not that I don’t appreciate it, but you can’t be doing any of your angel tricks in front of Britt.”
“I won’t. Believe me, I’ve gotten pretty good at hiding what I am.” He stretched and tilted his head back so he was staring at the ceiling. “I’ve been doing it since my powers emerged when I turned thirteen. It wasn’t until all of this started that I was actually encouraged to use them. But after I saw the damage that we—that I could do, I stopped.” He closed his eyes.
Not for the first time I wondered what he’d actually seen and done. How bad could it have been to make him abandon his father and his people? I squirmed on the couch, tucking my legs underneath me. When did everything get so complicated?
He turned toward me, his pupils dilated and the maroon blazing so bright it was more like a deep crimson. “I won’t hesitate to use my powers and out myself if it means protecting you.” His voice was thick with emotion, not its usual joking tone.
I nodded, the words stuck at the back of my throat.
“Rest up, Liv. It’s going to be a long night.”
Light snoring roused me from one of the best naps I’d had in ages. I blinked and lifted my head from the puddle of drool I’d been resting in. On Declan’s shirt. Oops.
We were still on the sofa. Declan’s head leaned on the wall behind the couch, one arm draped over my shoulder. Somehow I’d ended up nuzzled in his chest. My heart stopped as I peered out the window into total darkness.
Son of a vampire! What time was it?
I shot straight up and stared at my watch. Just a little past ten o’clock. I let out a huge sigh of relief. Thank God we hadn’t missed the meet up time.
Declan stirred beside me. “What time is it?”
“Time to get going.”
“Ugh. Why is my shirt wet?” He tugged on the front of his blue shirt, which now had a large navy spot right above his right pec.
I pinched my lips together suppressing a laugh. “No idea.”
He got up and stretched. “I’m going to give the Harley a little light boost.” He held his hands palm up, and a pale yellow glow swirled around them.
Duke cocked his head as he watched the brilliant glimmer. It really was beautiful. I patted my pup on the head and went to the kitchen to set out a big bowl of food and water for him.
I couldn’t bear the thought of what would happen if we didn’t make it back. I found another two bowls in the cabinet and filled those too. “Just in case.” I scratched behind his ears, and he let out a contented whine.
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Declan appeared in the doorway, the moonlight outlining his broad silhouette. His dark hair tumbled over his forehead, drawing attention to his gleaming maroon eyes. He set his jaw, and a golden hilt appeared in his hand. Blue flames danced across the sword’s glowing blade, beautiful and terrifying all at once. Every inch of him oozed strength and power, like an avenging angel sent down from heaven to save the world.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“You ready to do this?”
Adrenaline spiked through my veins and cleared the hot-angel haze. “Hells, yeah.”
Chapter 22
My jaw hung open as I stared up at the white behemoth stretching impossibly high into the sky and far beyond the clouds. No wonder people said it climbed all the way to heaven.
Declan put his finger under my jaw and snapped it shut. “You’re going to let the flies in.”
Yeah right. Like there were any bugs around. Even the insects had fled when the angels arrived.
The angel tower dwarfed all the surrounding memorials. Even the towering Washington Monument looked tiny in comparison to the ivory monolith. To the left of the colossal structure were dozens of gray Army-style barracks. A ten-foot barbed-wire fence surrounded the entire campus.
“Where is this guy?” asked Declan, his eyes taking turns scanning the sky and the dark streets around us.
I checked my watch. “He still has five minutes.”
Declan had driven like a bat out of hell, getting us to the designated meet-up spot in minutes. Now the two of us stood on the corner of Independence Avenue, pacing the quiet angle. He’d hidden his angel sword at my request, and he seemed tense without it. I was fairly certain Britt would run away screaming if he saw Declan wield it. And we needed his inside guys.
I stared up at the opaque black sky for any trace of glowing wings. “How come there aren’t any soldiers up there?”
“Angels are arrogant, Liv. They believe they’ve won and would never think some lowly humans would challenge their supremacy. Especially not in the sky.”