Dark Angel (An Angel Novel Book 2)

by Jane West

  “Dawn! Oh dear god, Dawn!” I sobbed. With my trembling hands, I began tugging at the restraints, trying to rip them apart. Once she was free, I gathered her into my arms, rocking her back and forth, singing the song she and I sang before her last breath. Her body still felt warm as if she was merely sleeping. I glanced up and I saw Aidan standing behind me, silently watching.

  I heard Val shout to his soldiers in his Zop tongue, giving orders. I was thankful for him taking charge. Val instructed one of his men to gather everyone up and prepare to leave. “We are getting the hell out of this fucking dungeon,” he announced to his soldiers. Then he whispered in my ear. “Honey, we have to get to safety. Let me help you.” He nodded over at one of his Zop soldiers, standing beside him. “Allow one of my men to take Dawn’s body.” Val gently placed his hand on my shoulder. The Zop stepped forward, yet I didn’t yield. “I can’t trust your men!” My voice was laden with blatant mistrust.

  “Yes, miss, you can.” The Zop spoke in a gentle voice. “I’ll take care of your loved one. I promise.”

  “No! Get away from me!” I screeched like a mad woman. “Can’t I have a moment with my daughter?” I drew Dawn closer to my chest. “Aidan,” I called out. “You can heal her! You have to heal her!”

  Aidan’s mouth popped open and shut. His tongue appeared stuck.

  Through the haze of my frenzy, I heard Val’s voice of reason, “Sweetie, no one can bring her back. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not letting her go! Leave me be!” I demanded, choking over tears.

  Val squatted down next to me, his hand tenderly brushed my back. “We have to leave. Let me help you.”

  I didn’t move. All I wanted to do was hold my daughter, but logic told me that I had lost my mind, and if I stayed in this dungeon, I’d lose myself completely. So I yielded, “Okay.” Reluctantly, I gave Dawn’s body to the soldier.

  As I rose to my feet, I caught a glimpse of Aidan. He stood motionless, aloof as the Zop carried our child away. Suddenly I felt a sting of confusion and something else—envy. How blessed Aidan had been to have spent time with our child. At least one of us had been there for her.

  Disrupted from my thoughts, Val nudged my arm, bringing me back to our impending situation. “We need to go!” He urged tenderly.

  “Where are we?” I knew we were in the dungeon of Aidan’s castle. The disappearing act, I figured it out. The castle possessed magick within its walls.

  “We are in limbus,” Val said.

  “Limbus?”

  Then Aidan interjected. “It’s the fifth dimension, parallel to earth. There are twelve dimensions in the galaxy. This place is off limits to humans. Only magickal creatures are permitted to enter this realm.”

  I nodded as a reply. Conversation with Aidan right now would be like sandpaper skirting across raw blisters. It baffled me how cold and unattached he’d become after the death of our daughter, Dawn. There was no display of any emotion from him. For that reason, I’d prefer to keep my distance.

  I turned to Val. “How do we leave this place?”

  “Have you ever watched Oz?” Val smiled.

  “Are we going up in an air balloon?” I didn’t care if we were going on a magic carpet ride as long as we were getting the hell out of this dungeon.

  Val gathered me into his arms. “Something like that.” He flashed a reassuring grin.

  “Wait!” I bellowed. “Where’s Sally!” I scanned over the limp bodies spread about, blood veiling the cobbled-stone floor. When my eyes fell upon my cousin, I saw the fright in her face. I fretted that Sally might’ve been in shock. She stood half-hidden behind one of the stone pillars. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as her body heaved. I pushed off Val and made my way to her side, stepping over a sea of blood-stained bodies.

  When I reached her side, I grasped my arms around her neck, drawing her into my arms, soothing her. Through all the stabbing pain of loss, I hoped she and I could become friends. I broke our embrace and looked into her tear-filled eyes. “We have to go! Come on.” I reached for her hand, but her feet stayed planted. I turned, facing her.

  “You’re taking me with you?” She sounded surprised.

  “Yeah! I’m not leaving you here.”

  “But I don’t deserve your mercy. This is all my fault. Your child ” She struggled with the words. I understood her pain far too well. I staggered over the fact that I was still standing erect. Reckoned, I’d have my melt down when I was alone.

  “Sally, we all have contributed to this. It’s not just your fault. I played a part in this as well. I don’t blame you no more than I blame myself. You’re a victim of this family as I am.” I paused. “Now come on.” I grabbed her hand, and this time she followed.

  When we returned to Val and the others, I climbed into Val’s arms once again and nodded for us to go. Immediately, I sought out the Zop carrying Dawn, but he was absent. “Wait!” I cried. “Where is Dawn?” I panicked.

  Val’s eyes softened, brushing a strand of hair from my face, “the Zop carrying her went ahead. I promise he will take good care of her.”

  I nodded. My throat was so tight with pain, I couldn’t speak.

  Val took the wheel, giving directions. Aidan, due to his injuries couldn’t orb on his own. Val gave orders for him to ride on the back of one of the soldiers, and another Zop had gathered Sally in his grasp.

  Val had taken me into his arms. I locked my hands around his neck, and as I held tightly, I buried my face into his shoulder, bursting into tears. No one could hear me other than Val. And all awhile I was sobbing, he gently held me close, whispering consoling words and kissing me.

  Regret Me Not

  Lightning flashed across the bruised sky, and thunder grumbled, announcing its presence. Rain felled. I stared numbly out the window in the kitchen, sipping coffee. It was early morning, the day of the funeral. The house was quiet. Since I had trouble sleeping, I decided to go ahead and get dressed for the day.

  Thankfully, Jeffery and Dom took care of all the arrangements. Jeffery insisted on a jazz funeral. Aidan seemed aloof as usual, not taking an interest in our daughter. The liquor cabinet seemed to be his main concern these days. My mind was in no shape to make the simplest decision as tying a shoelace. I left the decision in the hands of my trusted friends.

  The ceremony left me speechless. Folks showed up in their best Sunday duds, ready for high-stepping to the jaunty tunes. The brass band took the lead, playing the typical jazz that New Orleans was renowned for, a tradition that went way back.

  Much like Ms. Noel’s funeral, leading the procession was the black buggy, trimmed in gold, pulled by two white stallions. The driver sat tall in his seat on top of the buggy, dressed in a tailored suit, wearing a top hat and white gloves.

  Despite the constant downpour, our family followed behind the musicians, and the second line of folks soon collected, bringing up the rear from St. Charles Avenue, Canal, and even the backstreets, all marching to the lively tunes, craving a path to the grave site. It seemed the whole city had joined us on this dreary day and time of mourning.

  ***

  We stood under an umbrella, trying to shield ourselves from the storm. Against the pounding downpour, the preacher spoke loudly, giving his sermon as Dawn’s small coffin lowered into the ground—a pink coffin—in her favorite color that Sally had shared with me.

  My mind was riddled with shame. I didn’t have a right to call myself a mother. What kind of mother didn’t know her own daughter’s favorite color? Me! I hated myself. Dawn’s death was my fault. My stomach knotted.

  At the site, Aidan stood at my left and Jeffery on my right. Dom was on Jeff’s right. With me in the middle, we all huddled as we wept over our loss. A child’s death was something a parent should never have to endure—ever!

  I spotted Val hanging back at the cemetery’s entrance with several of his men. Sally didn’t feel comfortable standing with us, so she stayed behind with Val.

  I had recognized several members of
Jeffery’s family from Ms. Noel’s funeral. The rest of the folks attending, their faces were unknown to me. I did take note neighbors from the Garden District that I had never had the pleasure of meeting had come, bearing flowers. It was nice seeing so many attending the services. I appreciated everyone’s support.

  This week had been one of the worst times of my life. In fact, it’d been nothing but downhill from that point on. When we first returned home from the castle, it was a bittersweet homecoming. Jeffery and Dom both couldn’t tear themselves apart from Aidan. Tears were shared between the three.

  Then with the announcement of Dawn’s death, more tears came. I stood back and let the guys have their reuniting and time of mourning. A special bond had formed between those three, long before I came into the picture. Jeffery and Dom had been Aidan’s family for many years. They needed their moment alone.

  As reasonable and understanding I could be with the guys, I had never felt more alone. I was grieving over Dawn too. I yearned for comfort, someone to talk to, someone to hold me and tell me everything was going to be all right, even though I knew it wasn’t.

  It wasn’t like I was shut-out or ignored by the guys, rather the opposite. Dom and Jeffery had been very accommodating, but it wasn’t what I needed. My mind kept drifting to Val. I craved for his touch, his love. I was sure that my feelings for Aidan had changed. The intense connection we once shared was gone. It was Val that filled my heart, and the guilt burned like frostbite.

  Since we’d been back, Val has been keeping his distance. I guess with Aidan alive and living with us, only temporarily, Val probably thought Aidan and I were rekindling our love. If the truth be told, it was the furthest thing from the truth. Nothing was the same.

  As I stood there half listening to the preacher, I felt like I was a ticking time bomb ready to implode at any minute. Regardless of my much needed meltdown, somehow, I managed to remain silent.

  Aidan squeezed my hand, the first act of kindness I’d received from him since our return. Startled, I lifted my head and glanced into his face. He responded with a thin-lined smile. His eyes were dull and bloodshot, not the vibrate blues that I remembered. Aidan had been hitting the bottle pretty hard. I reckoned he had his own way of grieving, so for now, I’d let him.

  The unspoken words between Aidan and I had put both of us on edge. When we first returned, come nighttime, he’d insisted that I stay with him. I declined his offer on several occasions, and I was sure my rejection onset his cold-shoulder toward me. I just couldn’t make myself, and my excuses were running thin. Sooner or later, I was going to have to tell him.

  Something had changed between us. Aidan seemed different—the way he moved—even his speech pattern seemed off. Then again, the death of a child could change anyone. Even though we both were suffering, I couldn’t be there for him in the way he expected, especially when my heart was somewhere else. I desired Val. Yet Val wasn’t here beside me, and by the distance he was keeping, I assumed he wanted it that way.

  It was just as well. Right now I had unfinished business with Aidan. I had questions about his involvement with my incarceration. I especially wanted to know how he stole Dawn from the Family and managed to hide her during the period of her short life. But for now, I’d wait. I thought he needed time to heal, as I did. When we’re passed our grief, Aidan and I would face these issues then. As for Val, I’d have to put him on the backburner until I had resolved my untied issues. I had to find Mustafa and end his life. Val could come with me or he could remain behind. Either way, Mustafa must die.

  Jarred from my thoughts, the preacher had asked everyone to bow their heads for the last prayer. I chose not to partake. At this point, if God could forsake my child and allow such cruelty to exist in this world, I figured what I had to say wouldn’t be suitable at a funeral and among good Christian folks.

  ***

  In the final good-byes, each person threw a white rose on the pink coffin. I found myself unable to move. The line moved forward, exiting the grave site, but I stayed still. Rain poured down in sheets, saturating me as I stood without the umbrella’s protection. At this point, I didn’t care. Frozen, I watched the yard keepers shovel the first dirt onto my child’s tiny coffin. Soon she’d be totally entombed, and only the gravestone would be all that was left, marking her once existence.

  Aidan nudged my arm, and I pulled away. “You’re going to drown standing out here.” He barked over the roaring rain. I didn’t reply. I just looked at him blankly, then back at the increasing dirt that toppled the tiny coffin. Aidan attempted once more. “Sweetheart, come on!”

  My head snapped back up at him as my eyes narrowed. I spoke as a person on the brink of insanity. “Don’t call me that!”

  Aidan’s eyes looked confused as he asked, “What do you mean? I call you that all the time.” His hand extended to me. I didn’t move.

  “No! Actually you haven’t ever called me sweetheart.” I shook my head. It didn’t matter right now anyhow. “Please,” I went back, watching the keepers.

  “Please what?” His dark brows knitted.

  I turned my eyes back to him. “Please let me have this moment alone.” I dismissed Aidan and focused my gaze on the shoveling. Without looking up I said, “Let me have this time alone with our daughter? I’ve never had my time with her. I’ve never had the opportunity to sing to her or do one damn thing with her. So...do you mind leaving?” It was my last chance. “Can you give me that much?” as a tear escaped, anger tore through my spirit. It wasn’t fair. Aidan had the opportunity to be with our daughter. I had only seconds, and not very pleasant ones. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her tormented face as she lay helplessly.

  I saw the confusion in Aidan’s eyes. Thankfully, he backed off, appeasing my wishes. “Sure, whatever you need.” He stepped away, his jaw twitched. Then I heard Jeffery say, “Sugar, do you want me to stay behind with you? I can go find a spot to sit and give you whatever time you need.” His voice was soft and kind.

  “No. I’m okay. Go with Aidan. He needs you...but thanks,” I said as my voice sounded flat and dull to my ears. It reflected how I felt—empty inside.

  My eye caught a glimpse of Val talking to Dom and Jeffery. Whatever they were discussing, it didn’t last long. Val turned from them and went in another direction.

  I turned my attention back to the dirt and the coffin. A rush of panic flooded my mind. I needed to be closer to Dawn. I had to see her just one last time. At this point, I’d lost my mind. I stepped up to the edge of the grave and crumbled to my knees. One of the keepers called out to me in a flash of fear. Everything after that seemed tunneled.

  Water had started to collect, and I watched in horror. I screamed at the keepers, “take her out! It’s filling up with water.” My face twisted with sheer fright. I couldn’t abandon her again. I had to save Dawn! My flail mind reasoned. This time no one was going to permit me from saving her. As my legs went over the dugout, tears and rain blinded me. I was aware my behavior was insane, but I had snapped.

  Drenched to the bone, shivering, I slipped down into the ditch. The water was freezing, but my only thoughts were, getting Dawn out of that trap. Just when my hands clasped the small coffin, I felt warm arms encircling me, lifting me out of the mud and icy water. When I looked up, it was Val bringing me back to sanity.

  When our eyes locked, I touched his worried face. Right then I had no doubt of his love for me. He leaned in and kissed me softly as he held me tight in his arms. I surrendered, collapsing, nestling my rain-beaten face into the niche of his warm embrace and sobbed. I trusted him with my life. I felt—what was that strange word—safe.

  ***

  When I’d awaken, I sucked in a sharp breath. As the day began to seep back into my mind, I recognized the familiar scents and soft bed. Val had taken me to his pad. A relief washed over me. Going back to my house gave me a dreadful sense that I wasn’t ready to face. Sooner or later I had to go back, for now, I only wanted to be with Val, just for a little while
. I heard light footsteps and glanced up. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Hello, sleeping beauty!” Val grinned as he came into the dim room and sat on the edge of the bed next to me. “I thought you might like some soup or something to eat.” His soft eyes glanced over me. I noticed he had put one of his T-shirts on me and rid the drenched black dress I’d worn earlier. The T-shirt felt soft against my skin, and it smelled of Val.

  For a minute, we shared a glance. As if the world stood still, frozen in time, just the two of us only existed. Then Val made a move. As he rushed to my side, gently placing his weight on top of me, shifting on his elbows. I had knocked the blanket off, leaving only the thin material of his T-shirt covering me. I wanted him, and by the sensual look in his eyes, he wanted me too. Gently he kissed me, and I hungrily kissed him back. His smooth hands moved under my shirt to my bare skin. I shivered from his touch, and I began tugging at his shirt. In one sweep, he had his off, and mine followed in a puddle on the floor next to his. His pants came next, and we both relished in each other’s bareness. The only frail piece of clothing left were a lacy pair of panties and his boxers.

  His hands moved over my skin, and I raked his back as I pressed against him greedily. Soon we were totally immersed in each other. His hands began to explore places I had no idea existed. My mind went wild under his singeing caresses. I opened myself to this man—my desire, my heart, and, yes, my love. I should’ve known. It was always Val who possessed my heart.

  Just when we were about to take our affections to the next level, a profound knock resonated at the door, first calm taps, but as a few moments passed, the knocking began to pound angrily. Val cursed under his breath as he started to rise from the bed. I tugged his arm, pulling him back to me. “No! They’ll go away. Don’t answer the door!” I practically pleaded, panting slightly.