“Arrgghh…” Lailah wanted the world to open and up swallow her. Her world was falling apart. No—her world HAD fallen apart, she was branded by a crazy power faction she had never heard of. And they apparently wanted to use her power for evil. Or just straight up kill her.
Then there was Uriel, who only had horrible things to tell her.
Guilt swamped her, she was giving Uriel a bad time when the Angel was only telling her the truth. Maybe people had coddled her too much in her life, and now she couldn’t handle the truth? She needed to be nicer to the Angel, after all, she was going to be one. Lailah closed her eyes and willed herself to take several calming breaths, and even her breathing out. She could handle this, hadn’t she gone through more than a dozen foster homes as a kid before aging out of the system. This was going to be a piece of cake.
Curled into a ball she talked herself down and into a calm and eventually to sleep.
* * *
The burning in her hand woke her up. Surprised she had fallen asleep with so much on her mind Lailah sat up and pushed the blanket off. Then looked around in utter and horrible shock. From the frying pan and into the fire was all she could think of.
“Lailah, so nice of you to join me,” Banner said from across and through the bars of the cell she was sitting it.
Chapter 5
“Holy shit!” Lailah jumped out of the bunk she was in and looked around. “What the hell?” Seriously could her day get any worse?
“It’s the brand,” Banner told her matter of fact. “It has this wonderful little transmitter embedded in it, I can take you from anywhere you are. Makes for questioning you so much easier. Especially since you have taken up with such unsavory company. Keeps you here on the mortal plane and within reach.” He gave her a toothy grin making Lailah break out in goose bumps, and not in a good way.
“You’re not going to get away with this.” Lailah sounded breathless and looked around. She had absolutely no idea where she was, for the love of god she could be on the moon for all she knew.
“Looks like I already have,” Banner said with that sickly sweet smile.
“Now let’s hope you have the information I asked you to get me. Or this will be rather uncomfortable for you,” Banner said leaning against the cell, he checked his nails like he had all the time in the world.
Lailah just stared at him for a moment in shock, “This is still all about Jimmy?” After everything Lailah had been told this morning she was shocked Banner was still so fixated on Jimmy. Maybe she wasn’t as important as Uriel, and Hunter thought.
“Oh, this is about the both of you. But we need Jimmy, and you are the key to getting him back. So you will tell me where he is, or you will suffer in his place.” Lailah glared at Banner, did he really think he would get Jimmy back? Did he actually believe Lailah could bring Jimmy to him?
“He’s gone, Banner. You are never going to see Jimmy again,” Lailah said and sat back down on the bunk with a gusty sigh. Lailah had begged Hunter to bring Jimmy back and Hunter had flat out said no. Jimmy wasn’t coming back ever. She didn’t know Hunter well, after all she had only really known the Reaper for twenty-four hours but she knew the look he had given her this morning. And that look said no, a big fat no. Hunter wasn’t bringing Jimmy back not for Lailah and definitely not for Banner. As much as that hurt Lailah to admit she understood.
Lincoln leaned into the cell, “See I knew you knew where he was.” Pulling a key from his pocket, Banner opened the cell and came in. “Here is something I really want to know Lailah. I know Jimmy was your Guardian, but what I don’t know is why. So what happens when a Guarded mortal losses her Guardian? How much pain and torture can you withstand without you Guardian?”
Lailah forced herself to shrug, “Guess we’re about to find out.” But inside she was shaking in her boots. She could tell him, Hunter, had taken Jimmy to Treachery but what would be the point. It’s not like it would change anything. Hunter had told her, he wouldn’t pull Jimmy back. So Lailah wasn’t going to tell Banner anything.
When Banner just stood there staring at her she honestly thought he was going to just leave her alone instead he moved with the same ungodly speed he had at the bookstore. One second he was standing across the cell from her and in the blink of an eye Banner had her by the back of the head. One hand wound into her hair jerking her head back painfully. His other hand grabbed her by the chin.
“Your flippant attitude is grating on my nerves.” Banners voice never changed from light and breezy, he could have been talking about the weather. But his grip was punishing.
Lailah eyes filled with tears and she had to blink past them as she spoke, “Your flippant tone, is getting on my nerves.” Lailah said back. Forcing herself to use the same tone. It took everything she had.
Banner tossed her away, and Lailah rolled free. Nearly toppling off the bunk and onto the floor. She looked up at him as he strolled from the cell and locked her back in.
“Was that all you had?” Lailah asked laughing. “I thought you were going for maim and torture? Didn’t you want to see how much pain I could withstand and all?” Now she wanted to kick her own ass. What the hell was she asking for?
Lailah saw a vein throb in Banners jaw, and knew she had hit a nerve. “If I touch you now I’ll kill you and I need you so I’ll be sending you back now. Good luck trying to figure out a way to stop me from grabbing you again. I look forward to our next encounter. It won’t be so pleasant.”
“Yeah because this one was a walk in the park, Banner,” Lailah told him.
He turned from her to a table Lailah hadn’t noticed and within a few minutes, she was waking up back in her own bed.
Lailah looked around her room her palm burning and she swore violently. Pounding her fists into her bed. She just wanted to have a normal life like anyone else. Why couldn’t she just have a normal life? Lailah looked around her room nothing had changed, everything looked exactly the same. She sat up and thought she had better say something to Uriel and Hunter they would want to figure out something. But she was sure they wouldn’t be able to stop this from happening again. Just like they couldn’t stop her from transitioning into an Angel. Or like they couldn’t stop Jimmy from doing all those horrible things he had done to her.
Lailah rolled over in her bed and glared at the clock on her bed side table, it had only been an hour. Lailah felt like screaming, her life had gone to shit. Lailah picked up a tiny figurine of cat playing with a ball of yarn she had bought at a flea market a couple of weeks ago thinking it was so cute. It was pink and blue. Lailah had bought it and put it on her bedside table to remind her to not turn into a crazy isolated cat lady.
“Well that’s never going to happy is it?” Lailah told the tiny figurine. Putting it back down on the bedside table she got out of bed and went in search of Uriel and Hunter.
Leaving her room, she was surprised to find only Uriel in her living room.
“Where is Hunter?” she asked.
“He left after you guys spoke. Said he didn’t think you would want him here anymore,” Uriel said with more satisfaction then he should have.
Lailah thought about it and asked herself that question. No, she wanted him there. He had done exactly what he should have done. But it didn’t change how she felt about Jimmy. She would never stop wanting to rescue Jimmy from the Infernos but that didn’t change the fact that she wanted Hunter here and in her life. Lailah wondered what that made of her. Had she lost her mind or her soul?
She went to the window and threw it open, “Hunter will you please come inside.” Lailah knew she didn’t need to scream it, wherever Hunter was he would hear her. He immediately Flashed into her living room.
“What’s going on?” Hunter asked.
“I forgive you for what you did with Jimmy. I understand. But I still don’t think he deserves to be there,” Lailah told him and she believed everything she said. “And when this is all over we will discuss it.”
Hunter opened his mouth to s
ay more but Lailah held up her hand, “That is a discussion for another time. I have something more important to discuss right now. And I need you both to stay calm as I tell you what happened.”
Hunter gave her a hard look his eyes narrowing. Lailah could tell by the look he gave her he wasn’t going to stay calm.
“I won’t continue until you both promise not to lose your shit,” She continued.
“If I recall it is you who losses your shit, not Hunter or myself,” Uriel offered.
Lailah laughed, “Did you just make a joke, U?” she asked the Angel. Uriel just shrugged. “Still waiting for the two of you to promise me.”
“I can’t make such a promise because I don’t know the situation,” Hunter said crossing his arms over his chest. Oh, Lailah wanted to throw her arms around his neck. That was why she was beginning to care for him, he was just oh so wonderful and she was maybe starting to understand him just a little.
Uriel took the same stance, “Unfortunately I take the same stance as the Reaper,” Uriel said with distaste.
“Argh,” Lailah threw her hands in the air she hadn’t expected Uriel to take the same position as Hunter. “You two are being impossible, you know that?” They both gave her identical looks of irritation. “Banner just stole me out of my bedroom. I woke up in a cell, and he informed me he could take me anytime and anywhere he wanted because of the brand it has some kind of transmitee thingy in it. Now are you happy?” she gave them a sarcastic smile.
Lailah held up her hand to show them her brand like they hadn’t seen it before, “Then Banner sent me back to let you know, so you could try and figure out a way to keep him from stealing me away. Which he also said was totally worthless.”
“Shit,” Hunter swore. “Marcus,” he called out. And then glared at Uriel, “You were supposed to have been watching her.”
“She was just in her bedroom room,” Uriel said. “Am I supposed to stand over her while she sleeps?”
“Apparently yes, because she wasn’t just in her bedroom. Why when I leave her in you or your Fallen’s care does she always get taken?” Hunter thundered. Another man was climbing in through the window. “We have a problem.” Hunter growled at him.
“Don’t we always?” Marcus asked.
Lailah jumped forward trying to get out of the fight starting between Uriel and Hunter, “hello,” she said to the newcomer. “We haven’t met. This is my apartment. You are?”
“Marcus.” He held out his hand.
“Lailah. And what are you?” Lailah asked taking his hand and pumping it wildly.
“Dark Angel.”
Lailah froze, “Excuse me?”
Marcus gave her a large smile, “Dark Angel, the only one in existence actually. Would you like to see my wings?”
“Hell yes.” Lailah blurted out before she thought better of it.
Marcus rolled his shoulder and before she knew it the most beautiful black wings sprouted out from behind him. They looked like silk, and they weren’t expanded to their full-length because her living room was too small. But she could see at the ends of each wing was a black talon.
“Oh. My. God. That is so cool. Can I touch them?” Lailah blurted out.
“No,” A woman said ducking under Marcus’s wings she plucked a feather and handed it to Lailah. “I am Celeste, Marcus bonded mate. It’s a personal thing to touch his wings, I’m the only one who gets to touch them, but here.” She handed Lailah the feather.
Lailah held the feather, it was soft as silk. She couldn’t imagine anything feeling so soft.
When she looked up again Marcus had put his wings away. “Where do they go?”
“They become a back plate and lay just below the skin of my back.” He looked at Celeste who nodded. Marcus turned around and Celeste showed Lailah how his shirt was specially tailored to lay flat but allowed for a slit to open up to let his wings out, and how his back was flat and muscular. Marcus rolled his back to show Lailah how his wings looked just prior to coming out. She wondered if it would look similar for her. She had to admit it was cool.
“Thank you so much for showing me,” Lailah said.
Marcus nodded, “When your wings come in I can put you in contact with the woman who makes my shirts,” he told her.
Lailah was so thankful for the information. She wanted to throw herself into his arms. But the small woman standing next to him looked like she would break Lailah in half if she so much as stepped in Marcus’s direction.
“Let’s concentrate on the issue at hand,” Hunter said getting everyone’s attention.
He explained the situation. Marcus shook his head, “Looks like we will need the Druids. Wouldn’t hurt to have a Tracker here either to find Banner.”
Hunter growled, “The Trackers just make things messy.”
“It will expedite the situation. I’ll try to get Kyra and Ryder, kill two birds with one stone.” He looked at Celeste and then they both disappeared.
“What are Trackers? I think I might know what Druids are, but Trackers? That sounds dangerous,” Lailah asked.
“Druids are exactly what you think,” Uriel said. Then he turned to Hunter, “I will let you explain the Trackers because frankly I don’t know how to explain them.”
Lailah turned to Hunter, who sighed. “The Trackers are brothers that think a great deal of themselves. Nearly immortal, they have a heightened sense of taste, touch and smell making it almost impossible to hide from them.”
“Sounds like good guys to have on your side,” Lailah said.
“Did I mention they are cocky, egocentric bastards?” Hunter said.
“Oh,” Lailah sighed. “So not so good to have on our side?”
“Let’s just hope we get Kyra and Ryder,” Hunter said. “Kyra can usually reign Ryder in. That will be the best option.”
Lailah would defer to Hunter on this one.
* * *
“Angels, I love me some Angels.”
“Shit,” Hunter swore. “What happened to Ryder?”
“He and Kyra are on a mission,” Marcus said eyeing Skylar who had thrown himself onto the couch. Eric was sitting next to him.
“Gotta love the smell of angles.” Sky was saying to Eric.
Eric was rolling his eyes. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“How the hell is he still alive?” Hunter asked the room in general.
“You know I get asked that all the time,” Skylar said. Eric burst out laughing.
“And I thought you swore to never work with the Reapers again,” Hunter said to the Druid.
Eric gave him a shrug, “Marcus said it was for the Angels and I can’t say no to the light. We are still trying to get on the light side.” They had lost the Element of Light centuries ago. “So what is the situation?”
“Lailah?” Hunter called. He really didn’t like the idea of introducing her to Skylar or Eric for that matter but he didn’t look like he had much of a choice. She came out of her room, she looked tired and he wanted nothing more than to take her to bed and wrap her up. But Hunter couldn’t until she was safe. But he didn’t know if she would ever be safe. And that fact made his skin itch.
When Eric saw her he jumped to his feet, and Hunter rolled his eyes. Skylar did the same thing. But Hunter didn’t have a problem pushing the Tracker back down onto the couch, “Heel Tracker.” Skylar gave him a lopsided grin.
“Beautiful Angel,” Skylar said wagging his eyebrows.
“Skylar, Eric, this is Lailah,” Hunter introduced them.
Eric held out his hand, “I am Eric, Elemental Enforcer,” Eric said flipping his blond curls out of his eyes. Hunter was going to punch Eric in his perfect face.
Skylar stuck his hand out from the position he was at on the couch, “Skylar no fancy title, just Skylar.”
“Thank you for coming,” Lailah said to them giving them both one of her beautiful smiles.
“Lailah can you please show them the brand?” Hunter asked.
Lailah held out her left
hand palm up. Eric took her hand and brought it up to his face, examining it closely. His thumb running over the lines, “Very interesting.” After several minutes, he passed her off to Skylar.
Skylar stood and examined her just as closely, at one point he brought her palm to his nose and sniffed her palm. After several long minutes and turned to Hunter and then back to Lailah, “The big guy isn’t going to like this but do you mind if I lick your palm?”
“No,” Hunter snapped.
“Is it going to help?” Lailah asked.
“Yes,” Skylar said seriously.
“Um okay,” Lailah agreed.
Hunter swore if Skylar enjoyed it Hunter was kicking Skylar's ass right here, right now. But Skylar was very clinical about it. One quick swipe of his tongue was all he needed. Then he sniffed again, and he was back to looking.
Then Skylar gave Lailah back her palm and flopped back onto the couch his usual devil may care attitude back in place.
“Well?” Hunter asked.
“It’s actually a simple spell. Worked into the brand, a calling.” Eric explained. “I could try to ward the apartment, but short of cutting off her hand, I doubt I could stop whoever is calling her from stopping it from pulling her when it is activated.”
Hunter swore again, “So, not good news.”
Eric shook his head, “Sorry, that is the simplicity behind it. When it is attached to the host it can’t be changed and it can’t be removed.”
Hunter looked at Skylar, “And what do you have to add?”
Skylar smiled at Hunter, “Oh me?” Skylar turned to Lailah and winked. “You are very lucky whoever branded you had to add a little of himself to the brand in order for it to work. I can track him now, because of it. Isn’t that good news, Reaper?” Skylar never stopped looking at Lailah as he spoke.
It was good news so why did he want to kick Skylar’s ass?
Reaper Dreaming: A Reaper Novel Page 13