by G. K. DeRosa
“Flood!” Declan shouted as he dragged me to a sprint.
Stretched before us was a never-ending grassy plain. Not a single spot of land on high ground, not even a freakin’ ant mound. We raced across the flat terrain, the pounding waves battering the earth not far behind.
My leg muscles burned. Daggers jabbed at my calves with each footfall. I tightened my grip around Declan’s hand as sweat slickened my palm. He was falling behind. His face was pinched into a tight grimace. My faux angel healing hadn’t worked as well as I’d hoped.
“Are you okay?” I panted.
“Fine. Just keep going.”
I hazarded a quick glance over my shoulder and immediately regretted it. The thrashing waves were closing in on us. In another hundred yards we’d be sucked into the whirling vortex.
A single tree abruptly shot out of the flat plain. I rubbed my eyes, certain it hadn’t been there a second ago. It was a massive banyan with powerful limbs and bright green foliage that extended at least fifty feet up.
“Declan, do you see that?”
He did a double take too, squeezing his eyes shut before refocusing. “Where’d that tree come from?”
“I don’t know, but if we can make it there we might survive this tsunami.”
He clenched his jaw, and we quickened our pace. My muscles screamed in protest, hot pokers stabbing my lungs but I ignored them.
Declan’s step faltered, and his hand slid out from mine as he skidded to the ground. His shredded shirt revealed patches of bloody skin. Some of the wounds had reopened with the mad dash.
“You’re hurt.”
“It doesn’t matter. Keep going. I’ll catch up.”
I hooked my arm under his shoulder and hoisted him up. “Not a chance. Come on, we’re almost there.”
The whoosh of churning water hissed closer. An occasional spritz sprayed my back and if it weren’t for the deadly circumstances it would’ve been pleasant. Water nipped at our heels as we raced the final few yards toward the tree.
As we approached, my frantic heartbeats slowed. The deep roots of the old banyan looked like they would hold against the onslaught of water. The huge tree even had low-lying branches to make the climb easier.
I reached the colossal trunk first with Declan a few strides behind me. The tidal wave loomed ever closer, salty droplets spurting down on us. “Come on!” I reached my hand out and Declan stretched to grab it. Under the great shadow of the tree, I leapt up to reach the lowest branch, but it was just beyond my fingertips.
“Get on my back,” Declan shouted as the roaring water drowned out his voice.
“No way. You’re still hurt.”
“Liv, don’t argue with me; we don’t have time.” He glanced over his shoulder and fear tinged his deep brown irises.
A small wave rolled in, crashing over my waist and lifting me off the ground. The powerful current churned under my feet and swirled around my legs. I stretched up, kicking my feet, and grabbed the limb before the water receded.
“Good girl, now climb!”
I wrapped my arm around the thick bark and hoisted myself up. By the time I looked down, Declan was neck deep in water. My heart leapt to my throat. “Hold on!” I splayed myself across the branch and reached down with both arms. “Grab my hands.”
Declan jumped up and caught one hand, but the other slipped out of his wet grasp. The branch creaked ominously at the additional weight.
Son of a v!
We had to move fast. Declan leapt up again and this time both hands connected. The joints in my shoulders burned as I hauled him up, his feet unable to get purchase against the slippery trunk.
He threw his leg up over the branch and a sharp crack rang out, not even the pounding surf could drown out the menacing sound. Faster than a mortal should’ve been able to move, Declan hauled me into his side and jumped up. Miraculously, he caught hold of the bigger branch overhead just as the other one snapped beneath our feet.
Declan’s arm tightened around my waist as we dangled over the rushing water. My arm snaked around his neck, terrified to worsen the pain from his reopened wounds across his bloodied back. Choppy waves surged below us, ripping a few lower branches from the tree and sucking them into the roaring rapids.
Declan grunted and his grip around my waist slipped. I gasped as I slid down the length of his body. I struggled for purchase, grasping at his pant legs as panic stole the air from my lungs. His hand shot out and caught my wrist at the last second. I clasped my fingers around his, and pain tore through my shoulder.
My fingers were slick with sweat, and the tense set of Declan’s jaw told me he couldn’t hold on much longer. Our eyes locked, and an avalanche of emotions thundered through them.
In that moment, the decision came to me easily. I wouldn’t let us both die.
“Liv, don’t you dare.” Terror laced Declan’s voice.
He knew me too well.
“I love you, Dec, and I always will.” I released his fingers and plunged into the icy water as an agonizing scream echoed in the distance.
Chapter 31
Icy numbness coated my skin, rippling through my veins as I floated in darkness. My mind swam as a series of unrelated images flashed across my subconscious. A single thought wiggled its way out of the haze. There was something important I was supposed to do.
You’re not finished, Liv. Get up. The annoying voice was back.
A heavy weight held me down, stealing my desire to move. I was tired. I didn’t want to fight anymore.
“Liv!” Another voice. “Liv, don’t leave me.” The familiar deep timbre jump-started my heart. The frantic staccato vibrated my entire body, jolting me out of the dark stupor. I sucked in a breath, but it was like breathing in a tub of jello. My lungs constricted. A swell of panic washed over me, and adrenaline spiked in my veins.
I tried to open my eyes, but it was like a mouse trying to move an elephant. Why can’t I wake up? Thick black consumed me, enveloped me in its cold embrace.
No.
“Liv!”
That rich, smooth voice called for me again, plucking at my heartstrings. I had to go back to him.
A brilliant light shattered the inky darkness, shooting fire through my arteries. Warm heat seeped through every inch of me. It ignited my senses and awoke my soul.
My eyes snapped open. I gasped as sunlight streamed down, blurring my vision after so much darkness. I drew in a breath, then another, and another. My lungs were starving for it.
“Liv, thank God you’re okay.” The fog lifted, and my eyes focused on the anxious face hovering over me. The voice that brought me back.
“Declan,” I croaked.
He helped me up and cradled me in his arms. I swallowed hard. Salty seawater scratched my throat. I nuzzled into his chest, and the scent of saltwater swirled around me. His shirt was as soaked as mine.
“What happened?” I glanced up and met dark profound eyes.
“You did something brave and stupid to save me so I had to do something equally brave and stupid to get you back.”
“You jumped in after me?”
He nodded, emotion burning in his irises.
I surveyed my surroundings for the first time. The water had vanished—not a single drop remained. The lush green plain stretched before us, a perfect blue sky overhead.
“How are we alive?”
“No idea.” He pressed me tighter into his chest. “I’m fairly certain we shouldn’t be. I dove in after you and somehow I managed to reach you, but the current was too strong. I had you in one arm, and I fought to get to the surface, but I couldn’t.” His wide shoulders slumped forward. “When I woke up, we were here.”
“Right where we started.”
“Yup.” He kissed the top of my head and exhaled.
“Now what?”
“I’m not sure.” He helped me up, and we scanned the horizon.
The air a few yards away shimmered, blurring the grassy plain. “Do you see that?”
My eyes bugged out as I stood petrified while the beast stalked toward us, his glorious mane shining in the sunlight.
“Declan, do you see a lion?”
“Yes.” He yanked me behind his back as the animal sauntered closer.
“Should we run?” I screeched. A trickle of sweat snaked down my damp shirt.
“No. He’s too close. We’d never make it.” Declan flicked his hand out and stared at his palm, then cursed. No angel sword. We were screwed.
The lion stopped a few yards away from us and sat on his impressive hindquarters. His darting eyes followed our every twitch. He let out a big yawn and ran his tongue over sharp fangs.
I gripped Declan’s t-shirt, his tense muscles rippling under the thin, wet material. How was this happening? We’d survived fire raining down from the sky, and a freak flood, only to be mauled by a lion?
The animal’s lip twitched, curling upward. It looked like he was smiling. “Relax, human. You are not on the menu for dinner.”
My mouth dropped. It felt like I needed someone to scrape my jaw off the ground.
“Did he just…?”
“Talk,” Declan muttered, his expression mirroring mine.
An old wooden chest materialized in front of the lion. Lazily, he ran his massive paw over the chipped mahogany. A latch clicked, and the lid popped open. The animal turned his gaze toward us. “This is for you.”
Was I supposed to answer him?
“Come forward. Do not be afraid.”
Declan angled his head back so our eyes met. “I think it’s okay.”
Was he nuts?
He took my hand, and we slowly crept toward the strange creature.
“You have done well, Liv Graciene and you, Declan McGrath, children of heaven.”
As we got closer, I realized the lion’s lips didn’t move as he spoke. Were we reading his thoughts? My head ached from all this craziness.
Declan stopped a few feet away from the chest and drew in a sharp breath. I peered over his shoulder and gasped.
A gleaming golden shield filled the mahogany interior with radiant light. I lifted my arm to block its intensity. It was like staring directly at the sun.
I clapped my hand over my mouth. After all this time, had we really found the shield of light?
“We passed the final test?” asked Declan.
I still couldn’t find my voice. It was lost somewhere in the back of my throat.
The lion nodded. “Each of you were willing to give their life for the other. You trusted each other and allowed your faith to guide you thus far. You’ve proven true to your twin souls and worthy of the great power bestowed upon you.”
I stared at the gilded shield, its luminescence breathtaking. It was alive with energy—power pulsated from the mythical weapon like a live wire. I took a step forward, its essence calling to me.
“Liv Graciene, I call upon you to wield the shield of light. It is your responsibility to rid the earth of the immortal plague. United as one, the twin souls will triumph.” He bowed his noble head. “My will has been fulfilled.”
Declan gave me a little push, and I bent over to pick up the shield. My fingers grazed the gilded weapon, and a surge of electricity rushed over my skin. My chest filled, and a strange hum buzzed over every inch of me.
I held it up, and the smooth metal glistened in the sunlight, tiny specks of light sparking across the shield. I glanced at the lion. “How does it work?”
He licked his lips and yawned once again. “When the time is right, you will know.”
I suppressed an eye roll. I didn’t want to insult the mystical lion, but why did everything have to be so cryptic?
The majestic beast stood and turned, flicking his tail. His tremendous paws crunched through the grass as he approached the crack in the atmosphere that he’d appeared from. He stopped before taking the last step and swung his massive head over his shoulder. “Beware of the shield’s power. It does not discriminate in the destruction of immortal creatures.” His bright yellow eyes focused on Declan for a moment before the animal vanished into the temporal crack.
My hand unclenched, and the shield thudded to the ground. All the air in my lungs was siphoned out as my heart plummeted. I glanced up at Declan, fear wracking my soul.
A pair of intense eyes locked onto mine. The storm of emotions brewing inside his dark irises pierced my heart, shattering it into a million pieces.
“You knew the shield would destroy you?” I choked out.
He shook his head, his eyes cast down. “I didn’t know anything for sure, but...”
He’d figured it out long before I had. How could I have been so stupid? To miss something so obvious?
The shield of light killed angels and vampires. I knew that. And yet, I hadn’t once considered my half-angel-vampire protector. My twin soul.
Or Asher.
I stared at the glimmering shield on the ground. A second ago it seemed like a miracle, and now the sight of it made me ill. Unleashing its power meant saving humankind, but killing my love. How could I possibly make that choice?
Chapter 32
The serene, sunlit plain blurred and then distorted. Like hundreds of tiny fragments of glass, the picture fractured until nothing of the idyllic scene remained. The verdant grass below my feet transformed into dark gray cement, the sky above ominous clouds. The rooftop of St. Patrick’s Cathedral sprawled out before us, ruined buildings all around.
The gilded shield lay at my feet, its luster not quite as breathtaking without the sun’s rays dancing across it. Or maybe it was just me now that I understood what had to be done.
I could feel Declan behind me. His warmth radiated across my shoulders, and yet he didn’t approach me. I whirled around and leapt into his arms. Tears streamed down my cheeks as sobs shuddered my chest.
Declan’s arms wrapped around my body, cocooning me in his warmth, his scent. It only made me cry more.
“Hey, hey. Everything’s going to be okay,” he whispered in my ear.
A clap of thunder boomed in the distance, and a flash of lightning tore across the darkening sky a second later. Cold rain pelted my skin. Nothing would ever be okay again.
“I won’t do it, Dec.” I shook my head, burying it in his chest. “I can’t lose you.”
He lifted my chin and forced my gaze to his. “You will do it, Liv, because that’s what you were born to do. It’s time to end this.” His lips brushed over my tears, kissing each eyelid before moving to my mouth.
His lips swallowed up a few more sobs before he released me. Glancing up at the sky, he squeezed my hand. “It’s not safe here. We need to move.”
In my grief-leaden stupor I hadn’t even heard the ominous hum of wings overhead.
Declan bent down and picked up the shield. He flipped it over, scanning the intricate markings before holding it out to me.
I don’t want it anymore.
It’s not up to you, replied that irritating voice in my head.
Reluctantly, I gripped the handle and tucked the weapon at my side. Declan pulled me toward the roof door as a troupe of angels whooshed by with blazing swords in hand. The rain fell harder. It was as if the heavens were crying with me.
We raced down the spiral staircase. By the time we reached the atrium, my head spun from all the circles. I gripped the bannister to wait for my world to right itself. I didn’t think it ever would.
Outside, a battle raged on. The clash of swords reverberated through the thick stone walls of the cathedral. Even I could hear it with my inferior human senses.
I stared up at the altar and the wooden cross. My feet moved toward it of their own accord. A few candles lit up the sacred space, flickering across the stained-glass windows. I glanced up at the figure on the cross and my heart ripped in two. How could I make such a
sacrifice? I wasn’t strong enough.
“Liv, what are you doing?” Declan’s voice echoed across the cavernous chamber.
I ran to him, and he caught me midair. “I love you, Declan,” I whispered against his lips.
He squeezed me against his warm body and exhaled. “I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you, Liv.” He kissed me hard, and his love coursed through me.
When he released me, I glanced up at the altar. The symbolism of us standing in a church kissing didn’t go unnoticed by either of us. Declan’s lips curled up as his eyes bounced from the altar and back to me. “Maybe one day—in another lifetime.” He winked.
I blinked back tears as a feeble smile split my lips.
“Come on. It’s time.” Declan led me to the bronze double doors and signaled for me to wait. He heaved one open and peered through the crack. A sharp hiss escaped his clenched teeth.
“What?” I mouthed.
“They’re surrounding the place—vampires and angels,” he whispered.
“Because of this?” I held up the shield as a sudden burst of protectiveness came over me.
“I don’t think so.” He scanned the streets again before gently closing the door. “It’s my dad’s generals: Cassiel and Raziel. It must be retaliation for the attack on the tower. I doubt Nathanael is far.”
I nodded as my heart sputtered an erratic pattern. Two generals and the Archangel all in the immediate vicinity. That had to mean Zekiel wasn’t far either. I clutched the shield to my chest. I had no idea what the kill radius on this thing was but when would I have another opportunity like this?
Declan glanced down at me, forcing a smile on his face. “This is it, Liv.”
No. No. No.
He clasped my shoulders and seared me with those smoldering eyes, which were maroon once again.
“Don’t.” I raised my finger to his lips. “It’s too soon. We haven’t had enough time.” Hot tears stung my eyes. “I’m not ready.”