Lucas looked at Gabrielle and spoke thoughtfully. “I guess I’ll just have to let out little bits of information at a time, then. Maybe that’ll keep you around longer.” He smiled, but she saw the sadness behind it. “I can always play hard to get.”
They both laughed at the suggestion.
“What? Little late?” he asked playfully, raising one brow as if the thought surprised him.
“Yeah.” She chuckled. “I’d say so.”
The next three months would pass far too quickly. She wished she could slow time, make it last longer. But that was beyond even her power.
Chapter Forty-four
Gabrielle ~ Children Are the Best
The serious, and not so serious, conversations helped make their layover pass quickly. The questioning had ended without either one deciding it was time to move on, but Gabrielle knew he would need more answers later.
When they boarded the plane, Gabrielle took the window seat again. She was going to have to work and didn’t want any more disturbance of her human body than necessary when she began her communication with Sheridan.
As everyone settled in for the long flight, she explained to Lucas that outwardly she would look as if she was sleeping. And if he needed her, all he had to do was shake her, stressing not to do it unless he had to. Again, she was surprised how easily he accepted the information.
Gabrielle closed her eyes and called to Sheridan, and the two got to work. Sheridan had nothing new to report concerning the Book and reassured Gabrielle she would alert her when there was. When Gabrielle came back to Lucas, there was a little more than half an hour before their descent. He was sleeping, apparently well judging by his open mouth and slight snore. She couldn’t help but laugh.
Her amusement caught the attention of a little girl sitting in front of her who stood up in her seat and turned around to look at Gabrielle. Her blue eyes sparkled with the wonder only a child can possess. She was about five years old with hair the color of white sand and perfectly smooth skin. She moved the fingers on her right hand to say hello, and when Gabrielle waved back and smiled, she stood up further in her seat, revealing her wide smile with one missing front tooth.
Children are the best.
She rarely had to give out bad karma to them unless they were particularly cruel. She did reward the good things they did when Yahuwah felt it was needed to give them positive reinforcement. Other than that, He allowed them to learn through the results of their choices until they were older. She caught herself wondering what it would be like to have children of her own—not that it was possible.
Lucas woke to see Gabrielle playing peek-a-boo with the girl and just watched her—seeming to enjoy their interaction. When the girl noticed Lucas was awake, she immediately ducked behind the seat. Gabrielle and Lucas laughed as the girl slowly peeked over the top of the seat. Once she decided she wanted to flirt with Lucas, she turned on her little-kid charm and entertained them until the captain announced they were beginning their descent to London. The girl turned around and gave verbal protest to her mom. She wasn’t ready to abandon her fun with the strangers behind her.
Lucas took Gabrielle’s hand and squeezed. She returned the gesture and laid her head on his shoulder, leaving it there until it was time to stand and leave the plane. As they approached the baggage claim, Lucas told her to wait while he grabbed their things.
Gabrielle decided to do some of her own people watching while she waited. She wondered where everyone was coming from—where they were going. She was caught up in thought about the people moving around her when the little girl from the plane moved into her line of vision. Gabrielle focused on her, ready to say bye to their new friend. When her eyes settled on the child, Gabrielle’s shock sent her stumbling back a couple of steps, struggling to catch the breath she felt had been knocked out of her.
The little girl with sparkling blue eyes and big, friendly grin had stopped. The sea of people that had been flowing around her were no longer there—only the little girl and Gabrielle remained. She was turned slightly to face Gabrielle—glaring.
Her once blue eyes were solid black and so shiny that the bright lights of the terminal glinted off them. Her smile was the furthest from friendly as it could be; it was a sneer and abnormally wide for her, or anyone else’s, face—showing brown, gnarly teeth. She flicked a long red serpents tongue at Gabrielle, and she could swear she heard the little girl hiss.
As soon as Gabrielle felt the shock subsiding, the little girl’s face and eyes returned to normal, and she turned to continue walking as her mom and the tide of people returned.
Gabrielle watched her. Did that really just happen? Is my human mind’s imagination getting the best of me?
As if the girl heard her, she turned again and shot Gabrielle a wicked smile, releasing an unnerving, evil giggle as she did—a giggle Gabrielle was sure only she could hear. Then she turned around again and vanished in the crowded airport.
A wave of nausea overtook Gabrielle, and she felt light-headed. The walls around her began to sway, and the ground beneath her joined their dance. She felt her body go limp. Blackness closed in from all directions. Just before she lost consciousness, she felt two arms wrap around her and heard Lucas’s voice in her ear saying her name—desperation edging into his normally melodic tone.
Another voice overpowered Lucas’s, making his seem distant.
‘You may be powerful, Gabrielle, but Yahuwah created me even more powerful long before you existed. I am the power of His power, mind of His mind—the first angel He showed true favor toward, and the one who still haunts every moment of His existence. He knows what I will do.’ There was another laugh, but this one was not a little girl’s. It was sinister. ‘I know His secrets, Gabrielle, so you’ll never be a match for me … and one day soon, you’ll find out exactly what I mean … the hard, painful way.’
As she drifted further away from the conscious world, she heard the caw of a crow. Then everything was quiet.
Gabrielle opened her eyes to see a crowd of unfamiliar faces staring down at her, an even split of curiosity and concern in their expressions. Her mind was foggy from what had just happened with the little girl—the demon—but she began to sit up slowly.
“Easy, love.”
She turned in the direction of Lucas’s voice but did so a little too fast, sending her mind spinning. Thankfully, she was still on the ground, or she would have ended up there again—bringing even more unwanted attention to her than she already had.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’m fine, just a little embarrassed,” she whispered so only he could hear. “I’ll have to tell you what happened when we have less of an audience.”
Lucas helped her to her feet and politely told everyone she was all right so they’d continue on their way. It took a little more convincing for the airport security, and after several tries to set their minds at ease, Lucas finally told them that she was pregnant. Gabrielle looked at him with wide eyes—wishing he was a full-blood so she could say several very choice words to him telepathically. When the security officers were appeased and carried on with their duties, Lucas looked at her with a hint of playfulness in his eyes.
“Well … what did you want me to do?” he asked through a little laugh. “They weren’t letting it be. I had to get rid of them somehow!”
She quickly let her irritation go because of what she saw replace the playful expression he had shown a moment before. Lucas looked at her expectantly, concern now dominating his expression. Gabrielle knew what he wanted, but she didn’t want to tell him until she was sure they had privacy. She also needed time to gather her thoughts.
“Let’s get our car first, Lucas. When we start driving, we’ll talk.”
After getting the keys to their rental, which required a little more of her angelic charm since they wer
e too young to rent a car, they made their way to the lot and found their vehicle. It was simple and small, but it didn’t matter as long as it got them where they needed to go.
“You want me to drive so you can concentrate on telling me what happened?” Lucas asked.
“I’ll be fine driving. It’s probably better if I’m behind the wheel. We can get to where we need to go easier that way.”
“Whatever you say.”
“I hate to push it,” Lucas said once they settled in the rental and were on their way to the hotel, “but are you going to tell me what happened back there? I’m a little concerned over here, you know.”
Gabrielle was expecting Lucas’s question, but it sent her back into her deepest thoughts about the encounter with the little girl and the affect it had on her. It was not an average, every day, demon in the child—it was incredibly powerful, and she was sure who it was. She had never been so affected when encountering one of the Fallen, and the overwhelming sensation was alarming. She was pensive, already planning how to handle the next time they crossed paths—and there would be a next time.
“Love …”
“I’m sorry, Lucas. Of course.”
She told him everything she’d seen and felt and saw it visibly shook him, as well.
“Why do you think it affected you so strongly?”
“It was an exceptionally powerful demon, more powerful than any I’ve ever encountered. I’ll talk to Amaziah about it when I speak with him again.”
“How often do you talk to him?”
“Normally, frequently, but there’s a lot going on right now. I don’t know when the next time will be. I can contact him if it’s necessary, but I’m not going to distract him from his duties for this. He’s looking for something that’s important.”
“I’d say what just happened is pretty important, Gabby. You may be in danger. You said another with Divine blood could kill you. Unless I misunderstood what you told me, that includes demons.” There was urgency in his voice again. “It sounds like it was trying to let you know it’s watching you.”
“Yes, it includes demons, and I’m glad it showed itself to me because now I do know. Lucas, my job leaves me open to revenge seekers. It’s in their nature to go after me if given the opportunity. I’ve had to deal with demons in the past, and I’ll have to in the future. It goes with the territory, you know.” She reached for his hand to reassure him. “I can’t call to Amaziah every time I bump into one of the Fallen. I can handle myself just fine. But I love how concerned you are for me.” She raised his hand to her lips and kissed it.
He clearly wasn’t at ease. His body was rigid, his expression still agitated.
“I guess I can’t do anything to change your mind. Just know I’m not happy about it. I don’t care if you are an angel. Demons scare the crap out of me, and I would die if anything happened to you.”
The thought of him dying brought the images in the grim dreams back. “I told you I don’t want to hear you talk about dying.”
Lucas studied her, contemplating his response. His expression was stoic. “You’ll have to be unhappy with me mentioning dying, just as I’m unhappy with you for not taking the danger you could be in seriously.”
She studied his face and realized they were at an impasse. She felt a smile curve the corners of her mouth. “Touché.”
Chapter Forty-five
Lucas ~ Infuriating
It wasn’t long before Lucas realized having a small car was good in London. The roads were thick with cars and buses. The way people drove made him nervous, and he was glad Gabrielle was behind the wheel. He glanced over at her, still concerned about how she was after the incident at the airport, but all he noticed was how completely at ease she was with the chaos around them.
The streets of London, with its amazing old buildings and sidewalks that were as full of people as the streets were of cars, were even more lively and interesting than he’d imagined. He was amazed by the variety of nationalities represented in the faces he saw and wondered if London deserved the title of the Melting Pot of the world more than New York City. The people and architecture intrigued him, and he rolled down his window to smell the scents and hear the noises of the city. The scents he smelled—mixtures of the river’s inhabitants, food, horses, and car exhaust—took turns dancing with the wind. Sometimes, the smell of the river would dominate; other times, it was the aroma of something enticing cooking in one of the many restaurants they passed. A thick ceiling of grey clouds hung over the city, releasing a constant drizzle. The damp, cold weather that London was famous for chilled him. He pulled his jacket around him a little tighter and rolled up his window.
“You drive like you’ve lived here all your life,” he said.
“Don’t be too impressed. I get quite a bit of help.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve got skills. Angel skills,” she said, attempting a James Bond imitation, then smiled. “I have …” She paused. “I guess the best way to describe it is that I have an internal GPS. All I have to do is think of where I want to go, and I’m led there.”
“Cooler and cooler.” He shook his head in disbelief.
Lucas opened the door to their hotel room and they stepped in. Both took a moment to take in their surroundings. It was simple, which was a polite way to describe the sparsely decorated room. The colors were neutral. Two chairs and a small table were in one corner, and a small chest with an old television sitting on top was against the wall across from the bed. And then, there was the bed—a double.
Tonight’s going to be interesting.
Lucas glanced at Gabby and watched her eyes pause when they reached the bed, her eyebrows slightly raised, and she quickly cast her eyes at him.
They burst into laughter.
“We’ll figure it out later,” she said.
Lucas moved his mouth into his crooked grin. “You’re not afraid of me are you?” he asked sarcastically.
“Only if you try to molest me.”
“I promise to be on my best behavior,” he said, holding up the scout’s honor sign.
“You will if you know what’s good for you.” She gave him a peck on the cheek as she passed him. “Me first!” She shouted.
He realized where she was headed and tried to get to the bathroom before her. She bounded into the small closet-like room and shut the door behind her. He laughed into the door that separated them. “Girls take so long in the bathroom!” He heard her giggle and wished they were there for a different reason. He closed his eyes and hoped they’d have the opportunity another time. “Don’t forget there’s someone else out here who would like a turn at some point in the near future!”
“I could never forget about you!”
Lucas smiled as he lay down on the bed, tucking both hands behind his head. He stared at the ceiling that had several brown stains from old water leaks.
Or stains from vampires spilling their very Bloody Marys before they go out on the town for some fresh food. Lucas chuckled humorlessly, knowing the thought was silly, but it led to a more serious one.
“Gabby,” Lucas began, loud enough for her to hear through the closed door. “What do I need to know about the Elders? What should, or shouldn’t, I do to avoid getting sucked dry or turned into a vamp myself?”
He heard the knob turn and looked to see Gabby standing in the doorway. She leaned against the frame, her arms crossed loosely in front of her, her expression borderline morose. After standing silently for a moment, she spoke to him in a voice so faint it was barely a whisper.
“Please … just wait on me here. You don’t have to be a hero. You don’t have to put yourself in more danger.” Her eyes pleaded with him.
He didn’t want to upset or worry her. Even though he knew what he was doing was dangerous, he felt he had to go. Ma
ybe it was morbid fascination drawing him here—maybe it was something else. He had a strong sense from the moment he met Gabrielle that destiny was at work with them. It could be this was all part of it. He walked to her and kissed her forehead, then bent down to level their eyes, placing his hands on her cheeks. He spoke as softly as she had.
“Love … I promise this isn’t some lame attempt at playing the hero. It’s just something I have to do. I know you’re worried, but I’m going.” Now, his eyes pleaded with her to understand.
She gave him a forced smile and nodded her head so slightly he may not have even known she’d moved it at all if he hadn’t had his hands on her face.
They were back in the car and pulling away from the hotel before much more was said, and Lucas was becoming more anxious now that the time he had to prepare himself for the meeting with the Elders was running out.
“So, do the Elders even know we’re coming?”
Gabrielle smiled at his question. “Of course.”
“How? I’ve been with you from the time you told me about the vision ‘til now, and I haven’t seen you call them. Do you call them on the phone, or what? I don’t know what the appropriate, The Angel of Karma wants to speak with The Elder Qalals, protocol is.”
Gabrielle stifled her laughter and pressed her lips together to try to keep from smiling.
“Well, I did notify them, but I didn’t do it personally. I had my second in command tell them. They’re expecting us. Both of us.” She glanced at Lucas. “If I was communicating telepathically, Lucas, you wouldn’t know. I could be speaking to you audibly and sending thoughts to one of my brethren at the same time.” She chuckled. “I’m pretty good at multitasking.”
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