by G. K. DeRosa
“Where’s your friend?” Linc’s smoky blue eyes narrowed.
I crossed my hands over my chest, pulling my arms in to keep myself from falling apart. “We decided to go our separate ways.” I paused, waiting for my voice to stop trembling. “He’s looking for someone too.”
Linc nodded. “I’m sorry you didn’t find your friend, but if you’re here for a second attempt, I can’t help ya.”
I shook my head and hardened my expression, then met Linc’s inquisitive gaze head on. “I want to help with the mission. I’ll do whatever it takes to take the angels down.”
Linc’s eyes bounced from Jaxon’s to Jayse’s and then back to me. “That’s quite a big statement from a young girl.”
Jayse cleared his throat and regarded his father. “Pa, she did make it in and out of Arx. That’s no small feat.”
“That is true.” Linc scratched at his goatee, his eyes trained on me. “What can you bring to the team? We have limited resources and can’t take just anyone. Most of our men are seasoned soldiers.”
A trickle of sweat ran down my spine, my palms moist. I clenched my jaw, my decision made. “I can bring you a nephilim. He’s the son of an angel stationed in Arx.”
Chapter 26
Acid churned in my stomach, and I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. I hadn’t intended on blurting that out, but anger took control of my tongue and I couldn’t stop it. Could I really sell Declan out?
Linc’s silver eyebrows arched in surprise, his sons wearing matching shocked expressions. “You’re kiddin’ me.”
I shook my head. “He trusts me. I can get him here if you guys can handle the rest.”
Guilt burned through my chest as if someone had seared the word traitor across it. A small voice in the back of my head reminded me Declan had saved my life not once but three times. I ignored the annoying voice and shoved it down to the far recesses of my mind.
Asher was dead because of Declan, and that was all that mattered now.
Linc turned to his sons, a wry smile appearing on his face. “If we get a couple guys from the crew in on it and bring the nephilim to the warehouse, we might be strong enough to get some answers out of him.”
Jaxon shook his head. “I don’t know, Pa. We haven’t tested out the vamp venom on many nephilim, what if it doesn’t slow him down?”
My mind flashed back to the old silo and the vampire attack. Declan had passed out shortly after being bitten by that vampire. At the time, I thought it was from the blood loss.
“You guys have vampire venom?”
Jayse held his finger up to his lips. “It’s our little secret. We discovered it was the only thing strong enough to do any damage to the angels.”
“It’s not reliable though,” added Jaxon. “It has little effect on full-blooded angels and on the nephilim, it depends.”
It probably depended on how much angel blood ran through their veins.
“It’ll work on him,” I muttered.
Duke barked, his big brown eyes judging me. It was like he knew I was selling out his friend.
“Okay then let’s do this.” Linc clapped me on the back and rubbed his hands together. “Give us a day to get the guys together. You can bring him to us tomorrow.” He motioned to the ladder back up to ground level.
“Can I stay here till then?” I could only imagine what sort of underground system lay beyond this small room.
Linc grimaced, and his sons averted their eyes. “Sorry darlin’, but rules are rules. I can’t let you in until you’re officially one of us.” He put his hand on my shoulder and steered me toward the exit shaft. “Come back tomorrow at seven sharp, and we’ll be ready for ya and the fiend.”
Linc gave Duke a boost up and I followed behind, the weight in my chest back again.
“See you tomorrow,” Linc’s voice carried up from the tunnel as I emerged into the dim light of the toolshed.
Great. Now what?
A part of me wanted to stay in this shack for the rest of the day. Would they even notice if I did? I grunted and pushed the door open, not even bothering to refasten the padlock.
Jerks. At least they could’ve let me spend a few hours with them.
The murky daylight oozed all around me as Duke and I walked across the vacant parking lot. I had to get out of the street; I was too exposed.
“Come on, Duke. Let’s go find a nice shady spot to hide out in.”
He barked and licked my hand, and I headed toward the highway. The woods bordering it were the only ones I was familiar with.
Once we reached the cover of the towering oaks, my heartbeats returned to a more normal rate. I’d forgotten how unsettling the desolate streets and unending silence was when you were alone.
Don’t think of Declan.
I couldn’t help it though. As much as the cocky bastard irritated me at first, he’d gotten under my skin. Even after I’d discovered what he really was.
And now you’re bartering with his life.
There it was—that annoying voice in my head. I felt like one of those cartoon characters with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. Only in this messed up version, I wasn’t sure who was worse: the angel or the devil.
Once the canopy of trees thickened, I slowed my pace. After a few minutes, I found a narrow rivulet and knelt down beside it to splash some water on my face. The crisp liquid awakened my dulled senses. It was easier not to think or feel when all there was left was pain. I pried my sneakers off and dipped my toes in the cool spring and groaned in pleasure.
I shrugged off my backpack and leaned up against a pine. “You hungry, boy?”
Duke sat beside me and lifted his paw, giving me five. “I’ll take that as a yes.” I rifled through the contents of my pack and pulled out a bottle of water and two cans of beans. “Sorry buddy, we’re out of dog food.”
He whined as I popped the tops off both cans and handed him one. I choked down the beans hoping they’d quell the uneasy sensation in my gut. After a few bites, I gave up.
The sudden flap of wings overhead sent ice through my veins. I pressed my back against the rough bark and quickly laced on my sneakers. Glancing up through the dark green canopy, luminous white wings circled just above the treetops. Radiant golden armor glinted in the sky, awakening a trail of goose bumps over my skin. Nephilim.
What were they doing out?
Declan had said there weren’t any humans left to be hunted.
The flapping of wings grew stronger as the angel soldiers drew closer. Crap! I pulled Duke into my lap, praying he wouldn’t bark. My heart pounded against my ribs as blood roared through my eardrums. I whipped my head back and forth, looking for somewhere to hide. Nothing but tall, unclimbable trees stretched in every direction.
Two nephilim soldiers alighted a few yards away, the snapping of fallen branches giving them away. I tucked my knees into my chest, trying to make myself invisible.
Duke’s anxious eyes peered in the direction of the crackling foliage. I clasped my hand over his snout to keep him from barking and held my breath. The crunch of leaves grew closer, and a trickle of sweat ran down my back. The only thing between the nephilim and me was the thick tree trunk. I was as good as dead.
A whoosh of wind sailed over my head, and a third angel landed just to my right. I clapped my hand over my mouth as I recognized the dark unruly head of hair and piercing maroon eyes.
What was Declan doing here?
Without a glance in my direction, he addressed the pair of nephilim. “Nathanael wants you back at the tower immediately.”
The tall blonde one with flowing locks like spun gold arched a brow. “We were sent out by General Cassiel. There have been reports of humans in the area.”
“They were wrong.”
The other angel took a step closer. “I don’t think so. I saw something moving down here a few moments ago.”
Declan glanced over at me and eyed Duke. “It must have been an animal.” He ticked his head ever so slightl
y, his eyes boring into mine.
I shook my head. I knew what he was trying to tell me, but if I let Duke go there was no telling where he’d end up.
“Step out of the way, please,” the dark haired nephilim got up into Declan’s face. “Once we’ve searched the area, we’ll return to headquarters.”
Declan’s hand shot out, shoving the guy squarely in the chest. “I’ve already told you it’s not necessary.”
“Aren’t you Nathanael’s son?” The blonde one stepped closer, cocking his head.
“No,” he hissed.
Something tickled my arm. I looked down to find a spider crawling up my shoulder. I bit my tongue to keep the scream from exploding out of my mouth and flicked the hairy insect away. A twig snapped under my butt, and I froze.
Son of a v!
“There!” shouted the dark haired guy.
He pushed past Declan, and I leapt to my feet and ran. Duke took off beside me as I darted in between the trees, pumping my arms like mad. At any moment I expected strong arms to wrap around me and haul me into the air. But it never happened.
I slowed down to hazard a glance back. The murky forest was aglow with brilliant white and blue lights. Declan’s sword danced between those of the nephilim, the clash of blades resounding through the stillness.
I couldn’t see much at this distance, but from the looks of it, Declan was mopping up the floor with them.
I should’ve kept running. I knew that. The smart thing was to get the heck away from Declan and all the angels, but my feet were planted to the ground. He had saved me again.
The annoying voice in my head was back. And you were going to betray him?
“I’m still going to,” I muttered aloud. Duke looked up at me and whined. “Don’t look at me like that, boy. He killed Ash.” My throat tightened, tiny invisible fingers wrapping around my neck.
The logical part of me knew Declan didn’t mean to kill Ash, but my heart hurt too much to listen.
A high-pitched scream made my head spin back toward the fight. One of the angels was stretched out on the ground. Two luminous swords flashed through the trees as Declan, and the remaining nephilim went head to head. The guy was fast, but Declan was faster.
They moved behind a thick copse of trees, blocking my view. I hesitated for a moment before slowly walking back. I hated not being able to see what was going on.
I crept along the path, staying within the shadows, Duke at my heels. The clang of metal against metal reverberated in my skull, an occasional grunt breaking in between the clatter.
I neared the fallen angel and slowed. The magnificent creature was splayed out in the dirt, his long blonde locks muddied. Was he really dead? My eyes focused on the dark gaping hole on the left side of his chest. I cringed.
I moved closer, an odd fascination guiding my feet. There was no blood. Not a single drop anywhere around him.
Declan burst through the thicket, and my heart nearly burst out of my chest.
“Geez, Declan, you scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.”
I regarded him more closely. Bloody gashes covered his arms and a rather deep wound oozed dark red from his chest. “Are you okay?” I took a step toward him, then held back.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He spat, and a stream of blood dripped down his chin.
“Is he dead?” I pointed at the angel.
“Yes.” He frowned and crossed his arms against his chest.
Declan killed one of his own for me?
“How about the other guy?”
“You don’t need to worry about him either.”
Two of his own kind.
I wanted to ask him about the lack of blood, but the hollow look in Declan’s eyes stopped me. It must have been an angel thing. “I guess I owe you another thank you.”
“There’s nothing to thank. Nothing good came out of this.” His lips twisted into a scowl. He looked like he was going to be sick.
My hands longed to reach out to him and provide some sort of comfort, but I squeezed them at my sides. The mishmash of emotions swirling through my body was too much to get a handle on right now.
He killed Asher, but he’d saved my life countless times now. How could I reconcile those two actions?
I couldn’t. Not yet anyway. “How did you find me?”
He shrugged and leaned up against a tree. “Not too many humans around so when I caught sight of those two, I figured it had something to do with you.”
“Even after what I said to you? You were protecting me?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the ground. “You’re a big enough problem as an ordinary human, you do not need to be augmented.” A slight smirk pulled at his lips highlighting that damned irresistible dimple. “And besides, no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
A whole slew of butterflies battered my insides. What could I say to that? I swallowed down the traitorous flapping and refocused on what he’d said first. “Why didn’t you tell me about the humans being augmented?”
He pushed out a slow breath. “I didn’t want to disappoint you. I was hoping it hadn’t happened to your friend.”
“What was wrong with Asher? Why did he go after you like that?” I ignored the tremble in my voice as I spoke.
“I don’t know.”
Something dark flashed through his irises. I wasn’t the only one with a bad poker face. There was still something he wasn’t telling me. Why couldn’t he be honest with me?
“I’m so sorry about Asher, Liv.” He took a step closer and his hand reached up as if to touch me, but then he dropped it and tucked it into his pocket instead. “If there was anything I could do to take it back, I would. I never wanted to hurt you.”
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I blinked them back. I couldn’t cry again or I might never stop. “I know,” I muttered. “I don’t want to talk about him right now.”
He nodded.
Could I forgive Declan for killing Asher? The sadness in his eyes made me want to, and yet a part of me felt that forgiving Declan would be betraying Asher. My heart was being torn in two.
After a few beats of silence, he caught my gaze. “So how’d it go with Linc?”
I narrowed my eyes. “How did you know that’s where I went?”
“He’s the only person you know in the area. Where else would you have gone?”
Somehow I had a feeling that wasn’t how he’d figured it out. I think I had an angel stalker. “It went fine.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and stared at the dirt. “I’m not sure that I want to stay with them.” Or sell you out to get in.
“So what are you going to do?”
That was a good question. The only way Linc and his men would allow me in would be if I gave them Declan. I peered up at the half-angel, a sadness emanating from those intense dark eyes. I couldn’t do it. Even if he was an angel, and he had killed Asher, he didn’t deserve to die.
I knew it was an accident, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. But if I was being honest, losing Declan too would be more than I could handle. I had to forgive him… eventually.
“I don’t know.” The only thing holding me together had been my mission to find Asher, and now he was gone. I bit back the sob building in my throat.
“You could come with me to find my mom.” His voice was so vulnerable, so unDeclan-like.
Before I could stop myself, the words popped out of my mouth. “Okay, sure.”
Chapter 27
Clutching onto Declan’s waist, my raven hair blowing in the wind, I seriously questioned my sanity. What was I doing? Going in search of Declan’s missing mom?
I was following him around like some lost puppy dog was what I was doing. But what else was there? I didn’t have anyone left. Nowhere else to go.
My arms tightened around Declan’s waist without my consent.
Yup, I was definitely losing my mind.
The hour drive out of the city went by quickly with all
the thoughts churning in my mind. I’d left D.C. without a word to Linc and his gang. A pang of guilt jabbed me in the gut. He’d been good to me, and I’d bailed on them. I never even found out if Britt made it out of Arx alive.
The rumble of the Harley slowed, pulling me from my inner musings. We veered off the highway onto a quiet street. A small green sign welcomed us to Elkins, West Virginia. He pulled the bike over to the shoulder and cut the engine. There wasn’t another vehicle in sight; he could’ve just as easily stopped in the middle of the road.
“So now what?” I asked as Declan jumped off.
“I have to go check something out alone.” He ticked his head toward the abandoned gas station. “You and Duke can wait here.”
“What? No way.” I slapped my hands on my hips. He wasn’t just abandoning me in the middle of nowhere.
He placed his hands on my shoulders and pinned me with his hypnotic eyes. “I need to make sure it’s safe. I don’t want a repeat of what happened in the woods.”
I huffed. Of course he had to bring that up. “Fine,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “Come on, Duke.”
Declan escorted us to the boarded-up gas station, yanking the plywood off the door. He went in first, the bells over the door jingling behind him as he scoped it out before allowing me to enter.
“It’s clear. And it looks like there are snacks.” For a second, the old Declan was back. I wasn’t sure I liked this new broody one—even though I had a feeling his appearance was partially my fault.
I flicked my flashlight on and shone the light on the shelves of chips, pretzels, and other tasty treats. At least I’d have something to do while he was gone. “So where are you going exactly?”
“I have an address for my mom. I’m going to check it out before bringing you.”
I nodded. “Okay.” I wanted to believe him, but he’d lied to me so many times before I couldn’t completely.
He regarded me, his expression hard. “I’m glad you came with me.”
“Uh huh.” It was all I could manage.
He headed toward the door then glanced back over his shoulder. “Don’t go anywhere and be careful.” Then he turned to Duke. “You, dog, watch her.”