by Susan Reid
I peered out of the narrow crack a tiny bit first before slowly opening the door wider and bracing myself for any possible swift attack to come.
I was surprised to find the hallway both quiet and empty…except for the small, gold foil wrapped gift with a pretty, metallic red bow. That definitely hadn’t been there before.
Instant suspicion roused my instincts about its origins and purpose. I leaned out slowly, glancing down each end of the wide hallway while keeping one arm hidden from view inside of the apartment…a single blade was fully extended in my grip.
The door to the stairwell opened at the end of the hallway where I had come up earlier, and out stepped a really tall police officer…I tensed but quickly sighed in relief once I realized who it was.
Cam! Damn, why didn’t he just tell me he was coming or better yet why didn’t he just materialize or ghost into the apartment?
“I should have known it was you.” I shook my head.
He was smiling as he approached me. I reached down to pick up the gift.
The tag simply said: ‘To Starling’
“This is early. I haven’t gotten you anything yet.” I said gesturing with the small present and meeting him halfway for a hug and kiss.
He looked breathtakingly hot in the black police uniform. I was about to ask why he was wearing it at all but I remembered seeing him in it in one of my random memory flashes. It was a disguise obviously, and a damned sexy one at that.
“Merry Christmas.” He said, lifting me up and into his arms and hugging me firmly. He kissed my neck and a rush of instant arousal began to tingle in my groin.
“You smell good. Is she back yet?” He whispered into my hair.
“Not yet but soon I imagine.”
He kissed me hard—and he was definitely happy to see me.
Though I was touched, I found it odd that he seemed so frisky in spite of everything currently happening.
I was breathless when we broke from the kiss and he was already backing us up into the apartment, closing the door behind him, with me still in his arms.
“Wait, so…did you find Lira or Spencer?”
“Not yet.”
I felt guilty for making love just knowing that they were both still missing and possibly in trouble.
I was about to say something else but he kissed me again with extreme passion and hunger.
There was something different about his kiss. All of the romance, love, and tenderness —was gone.
I pulled back and jerked away from him just as he backed me up to my bed where he let me down and began to undo his weapons belt.
Cam would never take me like this, not that I didn’t find it appealing but…something wasn’t right.
Come to think of it…he smelled a little off too, not like the fresh spring rain and earthy cinnamon that he normally emanated.
“Not here. She’ll be here at any moment now.” I told him.
“I doubt it. When you want something done, you have to do it yourself. Know what I mean?”
What? No, I had no idea what he meant. What the hell was he talking about?
All of my senses were suddenly on high alert.
“Cam, what’s wrong with you? What are you talking about?”
I called out to him first.
There was no telepathic response from him at all.
“Cam?”
This was all wrong. Something was wrong with him.
And then it hit me. This was definitely not Cam.
If it wasn’t Cam, then who was this? Why didn’t Cam answer me at all?
I eyed the open door of my bedroom out of my periphery.
Reacting with resistance, and violently at that, was going to cause an instant…really bad and really violent reaction in return.
I needed a split second distraction. Running down an open field was one thing, but running through an apartment complex and stairwells might be a bit of a challenge although not impossible.
If I ignited my fire, it could get messy and loud and I’d end up breaking whatever universal law that stated we had to be sitting ducks and wimps in the face of danger.
I had to play dumb, as if I wasn’t even aware of the revelation.
“Wait.” I said scooting backwards on the bed and standing as I began to pull my shirt up.
He watched me with a lustful grin, his eyes beginning to glow…but not like Cam’s. His were a greenish tint and that was all the confirmation I needed.
In a flash, I swiftly wielded my blade and whipped it downward in a slashing motion.
To my shock, I was grabbed by an unseen force and flung across the room, slamming hard into the wall with a loud, vibrating thud that shook the entire length of the wall and door.
I slammed onto the floor hard, surprising myself that although it had been shocking, it didn’t really hurt or disorient me as it probably would have if I weren’t superhuman. I swiftly rolled onto my back and crab-walked backwards, taking advantage of the gap between us by turning to kip up onto my feet and make a break for the door.
When I opened it, I froze. I was faced with a solid brick wall. I pressed my hands flat against it and pushed, trying to see if it were real or just an illusion. It was definitely real.
“I don’t plan on hurting you, so stop all the damned fancy escape attempts and moves. You’re only going to piss me off even more.” I heard behind me.
I whirled around, pressing myself flat against the wall for protection and to allow time to calculate my next move.
I had no choice but to either fight him with weapons or simply use my fire.
“I guess I underestimated that you’d be easily fooled…but I almost had you going.” He pointed at me and flashed a dazzling smile.
It blew my mind because it was Cam’s face and body, and nearly identical at that, but it was no longer his voice.
“Damn, you certainly know your man. I’m envious.” He added.
The energy that began to fill the room was incredibly strong and powerful. It was beginning to make me feel dizzy.
“Do you think I’d really risk the chance of losing the child that Cam`ael promised me?
What?!
With both blades out now, I was ready to strike.
Right before my eyes, he began to morph. His body changing slightly though he was still tall and very muscular.
His hair lengthened, now hanging past his shoulders in light waves and light brown in color. He had the prettiest, crystalline, aqua blue eyes that I’d ever seen. They sparkled like pure gemstones under sunlight but they were tainted by his eerie, catlike pupils.
He was wearing a dark blue, expensive three piece business suit, and he was incredibly beautiful…almost mesmerizingly so, but the dark energy vibrating and emanating from him was very strong and sickening to me.
I should be terrified, and I was to an extent but not because I couldn’t fight him if I had to, I just wasn’t fully prepared…at least not on my own. I had to turn away so that my eyes wouldn’t be influenced over who this was…Morning Star.
“Don’t look so surprised, sweetheart,” he laughed. “I mean really? Do I really offend? I don’t think I’m all that bad looking. Now come on, put those things away before I have to hurt or knock you out. I promise that you won’t be able to hurt or defeat me no matter what you do but I’ll certainly let you try. I’ll even allow you to think that you’re winning for a while, too.” He smiled casually as he sat down comfortably in the armchair, swiveling it around so that he was facing me.
He knew he had me and he seemed very lax about anything that I might do.
“Let me let you in on a little something before I claim what’s mine, Starling—love the name by the way,” he winked as he shifted in the chair and crossed a leg over the other, ankle resting over his opposite knee.
His tone was scathing. “You see, your boyfriend Cam`ael, promised me something a little while back, sort of a deal if you will.” He steepled his index fingers together and then pointed to my abdomen
with them.
“Both you and that child… are mine.” He then said with a serious and sinister glimmer that flashed in both of his eyes.
Almost instantly, an extremely powerful force pinned me firmly against the random brick wall behind me, and then closed in like secure vices around my shoulders, each wrist, my ankles, and my waist.
My legs nearly gave out. Not necessarily from fear but from what he was telling me. He didn’t know that we were having twins, which definitely proves that he was lying. If Cam had done this, which I did not believe, then he would have told him that we were having twins.
“Bullshit. You can’t claim anything from a dead body and I’ll die before letting you touch me or my child!” I spat out angrily. Even though I couldn’t move my hands or arms, my flames began to lick down each blade, burning brightly—ready to be thrown.
He beamed, entranced. “Hallowed fire. Very nice and very fitting for you. I love my women both beautiful and deadly that way. Be careful what you wish for though…and before you even consider using your fire…” He snapped his fingers with a sarcastic smirk plastered to his gorgeous face. A body instantly fell through a portal that had opened and expanded right above him.
I flinched and gasped when it landed on the ground with a heavy thud in a crumpled heap.
It wasn’t hard for me to figure out who it was from the long, sleek black hair and the firm, amazon-like, slender body.
Edanai!
But was it really her? What was wrong with her? Was she…dead?
“Don’t worry, she wouldn’t be of much value to me dead.” He said as if he’d read my mind.
Her body began to slowly rise, being levitated by magic until she hovered limply just slightly above his lap, and then her body came to rest gently in it as if she were an invalid that he was lovingly rocking to sleep.
He began to stroke her hair, gently brushing it from her pretty face, which remained still in a peaceful repose.
Launching a ball of fire at him it would burn her too and he knew that. Damn him!
“You see, you humans place way too much value, attachment, and feelings on things, other people, and beings. For the side of light, that is and will be your biggest downfall. It certainly will be for Cam`ael. Now I don’t doubt that Cam`ael would ever leave you alone for this long, especially when he has no idea that I have Edanai too—yet…so, we’ll just wait a little longer. He’s probably occupied with something else right now anyway. He can’t resist beautiful women and virgins, you know. It’s probably one of the reasons why he wanted you so badly, and you gave yourself to him foolishly.” He tormented, using his words to stab doubt and hurt into my heart about Cam. Shut up! My mind screamed. I can’t allow myself to listen to his false words. He knew exactly what he was doing, awaiting my reaction or reply with a confident half smile.
He shrugged nonchalantly, stroking Edanai’s hair as if she were a pet in his lap, “Don’t look so surprised or hurt. He’s a fallen, it’s what we do best. You should never trust one, dear. We’re all of the same mindset. We’re all liars no matter what you were told or what you want to believe, and that will never change…not even with love. In the meantime, let’s get a little more acquainted, seeing as you’re not going to doing anything stupid that involves using fire, and we’re all going to be one big happy family very soon.” He smiled satisfactorily.
I felt like throwing up. Though I know he was full of shit, a tiny part of me…began to believe it. How had he known that I was a virgin? I hated that part and I wished he would just stop talking! I couldn’t let him see that his words were affecting me at all. I quickly sucked up the tears that almost fell and tried to focus on something else.
This was a set up. He was setting Cam up for something and both Edanai and I were bait—bait that he was certainly going to keep.
“Just take me. Leave her here and leave everyone else alone. I’ll go with you willingly.” I pleaded.
He raised a brow as if considering my offer. “You’re willingly giving yourself to me?” He asked carefully.
“I said I’d go with you willingly, not that I was giving myself to you willingly.” I clarified through clenched teeth.
“Oh. Well that’s too bad. Say, isn’t your friend…what’s her name, China? Isn’t she on her way to see you right now? Snow can sometimes prove treacherous to maneuver a vehicle in safely. Did you know that most accidents happen within three to five miles of the home?” he pointed at me as if he were actually asking me the question, and about to embark on some sort of speech about public safety.
I paled and felt myself grow cold and numb inside, only because he had the power to do something easily at any given moment. He was merciless and cruel.
“Please, this has nothing to do with her! Leave her alone! She has a family and a future!” I was both scared and angry at the same time.
He laughed softly at my desperation and useless pleading.
“That all depends on you. How much do both of their lives mean to you? You know, accidents happen all of the time and I promise you that I have nothing to do with any of them…well, most of them at least.”
He smiled dangerously.
“What do you want me to do?” I said helplessly. I had no options at this point. He could easily kill China in a split second and I’d never see or talk to her again.
“I want you to willingly give yourself to me. Your soul and physical vessel.”
I pressed my lips together as tears began to well into my eyes again. My heart was breaking slowly with despair, defiance, anger, and absolute torture all chipping away at it. I couldn’t allow him to see me hurting and weak. He was evidently enjoying this, sucking it all up. He wanted to torture me emotionally and it was working, only because I knew he’d follow through and make good on his threats.
If this was what I had to do to save China and Edanai— then I’d do it. It may be easier to kill him when he least expects it, and to do that, I’d have to be close to him when he’s the most vulnerable.
He awaited my answer, apparently already knowing that I wasn’t going to agree and say yes that easily or readily if at all.
He huffed with a diabolical grin, “Doesn’t matter anyway, I’ll have all three of you soon. She’s more of a consolation prize in the mix.” He shook his head and nodded at Edanai. He then began to slowly trace a line across Edanai’s cheek that began to ooze dark blood. She didn’t move or react but it looked painful. I jerked in automatic reflex, pinned like a butterfly to a board while in attack mode and left to stare in horror, helpless.
“Stop that!” I screamed at him uselessly.
My God, how much more lame could I be? I was actually sitting here telling Satan to stop being cruel and evil? I tried to force my weight and strength against the invisible restraints against my wrists, ankles, and waist once again but I still couldn’t move. The pressure was way too strong and unyielding.
He laughed, low and taunting at my pointless efforts.
Cam wouldn’t know or think to come unless Ry or Rahab showed up at any moment now and summoned him. I couldn’t call out to him. I wasn’t going to lure him to this trap. For some reason, Morning Star wanted him to come, but why? Cam would go ballistic and destroy him on sight, especially seeing that he had Edanai too.
Was that what he wanted him to do?
—Wait...the fallen could communicate telepathically among one another. Did one of those fallen include Morning Star?
“Cam, whatever you do…don’t listen to Morning Star. It’s a trap!” I attempted to relay to Cam, just in case.
Morning Star suddenly pierced me with a confident glint in his eyes, and a grin that made him look both deadly and gorgeous at the same time.
A burst of strange light broke through from somewhere, and then a large, dark blur forcefully rushed out of thin air right above my head. I didn’t even see what it was until the explosion of glass, wood, and steel burst outward, and the apartment fell away like jagged shards of glass from a window pane. T
he armchair that Morning Star had been sitting in, had been totally obliterated.
The magical restraints holding me in place were suddenly released, and I was propelled forward inside the wake that created a suction of powerful wind from whatever it was that darted out and attacked Morning Star. I was pulled into the tunnel of wind, through the destroyed wall that was part of my apartment, into the spirit realm plane, and then deposited on a long, stone bridge. I dove and rolled agilely, coming to a low crouch with one knee up and the other down, as if I were about to spring forward.
I frantically searched for both Edanai and whatever it was that shot out like a raging bullet from the portal that had been above me, which was now closed. Edanai’s body lie on the stony ground several feet behind me now, instead of on my living room floor.
Morning Star, and whoever it was that had attacked him faster than the speed of light itself, were nowhere to be seen. My jaw dropped when I looked at the spirit realm landscape that replaced my apartment.
It was bleak and lightning flashed treacherously across a red and purple painted sky. We were both on a strip of dark stone, a bridge with a long drop on each side. Down below were two huge, deep, cavernous pits in the ground that resembled giant maws. Hundreds of sharp rocks jutted inward from the sides, which formed what looked like sharp pointed teeth, and there were literally hundreds of thousands of human skeletons and skulls lying at the very bottom.
I ran over to Edanai, placing a hand on her chest to see if she was breathing. She was and then she suddenly began to rouse. I supposed that when Morning Star was attacked, whatever magic or spell he had over her was instantly released too, but she was still groggy and out of it.
“Edanai, you have to get out of here. Now!” I shook her.
Her eyes snapped up to mine, trying to focus on my face as she rubbed the top of her head. Then she shook her head no and tried to stand, only to falter and sit back down.
What was wrong with her?
“I’m not going anywhere. Do you see all of this?” She pointed. Her eyes were round with uncertainty.
“Yeah and they’re all after me, so get out of here! You’re hurt and I can’t protect you without possibly or accidentally killing you!” I pleaded with her, tears welling up in my eyes.