“But, the human body is only meant to support one life. One soul. Some go insane. Others die.” she turned and tossed away her coffee cup. “Few manage to survive a separation.”
Fear surged to life as Caly met the concerned gazes of her friends. “This is beyond our normal battles. The temple depicted the destruction of a whole civilization to find this special person. Something we did resurrected the forgotten angels. Now that they are awake, they won’t stop.”
“Then I’ll go with you.” Kelly smiled, but her narrowed gaze was focused on the way David eyed the donut bag. When he reached for a second helping, Kelly slapped his hand. “Hey.”
Caly smiled a little at their antics, part of her relieved they didn’t dig any further.
“I need you and David to find if there are other groups out there like us. Oscar kept us isolated. Any information he had died with him. They need to be warned.” The demon statue was correct in one thing: they were human, too fragile to risk.
“If they’re online, I’ll find them.” David forgot about the donut bag, his ears all but perking up at the name of his second love. Technology.
“I doubt you’ll find anything advertised.”
Excitement lightened David’s eyes. He rose and distractedly swiped at the crumbs as they fell from his pants, patting his pockets for a pen. “If they have a computer hooked up to the internet, I can use that to get in.”
“Won’t that take too long?” Kelly sounded skeptical. She picked up the donut bag and frowned when she found it empty. With a sigh, she handed David a pen.
“If there are others out there, they must monitor the news and websites like we do. I can write code to track them.” David answered with only half his attention as he hurriedly scribbled his notes on the donut bag he snagged from Kelly’s hands.
When no one agreed, he lifted his head and spread his arms. “I am open to other suggestions if you have anything better.”
Caly looked to Kelly and Jarred. Kelly only shrugged.
“Works for me.” Jarred closed his notebook and straightened from his slouched position in front of the cupboard. “I need to pick up supplies.”
Kelly’s triumphant smile almost sent Caly back a step. “This will be home base. We can get everything set up by nightfall.”
“I’m not sure that’s wise.” Memories of her late night visitor came to mind — again drat his demon hide. She wasn’t sure what worried her more. That her friends would learn about him, or that he wouldn’t return if they stayed. “If I run into trouble, this is the first place they’ll hit.”
“And we’ll be ready.” Kelly’s unrepentant, persistent attitude scared the bejesus out of her.
“Four against an army?”
Kelly shook her head so emphatically, her short hair whipped out and looked like it stood on end. “Donald, the weapons specialist at the warehouse, mentioned leaving the group. It seems he can’t stand Henry either. When we said we were heading over here, he and a few of his buddies asked to tag along. We estimated there are around fourteen with all of us.” Kelly sobered some. “Not an army, but we’re the best of the best. If trouble comes, we can stand strong.”
Both Jarred and David nodded. Caly did the only thing she could. She conceded defeat, for now, and went to her room to prepare. She couldn’t breathe as her lies coated the air, their trust resting heavily against her. She wasn’t sure when the situation had gotten so out of hand or how she’d ended up with an elite group of fighters under her control.
She tried to remember that it was what Oscar wanted, but it wasn’t anything she ever dreamed for herself. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to survive the knowledge that one bad decision could cost the lives of her friends.
Maybe that was why Oscar remained so gruff and detached from everyone. That and the guy was one tough bastard to get along with anyway. She didn’t think she could be like him. She didn’t want to live his sterile life. Not anymore. She wouldn’t survive. As it was, she was hanging on by a string. She needed that cure.
Weapons lined the bed, ready to be tucked away on her body for easy access. She had to be careful. Too many weapons might set off alarm bells for the demons. She could hide a few, but not as many as she’d like and a lot less than what was comfortable.
The last thing she needed was to be caught. She doubted her djinn would turn her away, but she had no way of knowing. It had been years since she last saw her double. They hadn’t exactly parted on the friendliest of terms.
She rubbed the scars on her wrist where Oscar had bound them, still able feel the heavy metal bracelets he’d welded to her arms like a shackles.
Despite the obstacles, they’d escaped the torture. The separation left her feeling a shell of her former self. She hoped the djinn felt the same way and was willing to help.
The plan to leave the house without a tail was tenuous at best. Her ability to blend into the background would allow her an advantage. She just had to wait for nightfall and avoid Kelly at all cost.
By dusk, her house was overrun with people. The old farmhouse was built for a large family but twenty people pushed the walls to their limits and more showed up by the hour. Kelly had underestimated the numbers. Not only did current members appeared but old ones who’d left when Oscar had passed.
It was both gratifying and terrifying. If there was ever a time she needed the old man’s advice, it was now. With a passing nod to a few people, Caly slipped into the library and blessed silence. She circled the desk and dropped into the chair, mentally exhausted. The smell of black licorice surrounded her. Annoyed at the scent, she snatched up the half-filled bag of candy and shoved it into the bottom drawer.
It didn’t get rid of the scent at all.
“Why do you do it?”
The question jerked her head up. She sprang to her feet, drawing her knives.
Her so-called mystery guardian had returned.
Excitement revved through her, skimming along her body. And that pissed her off more.
“I thought we had an understanding. You leave and I would let you live.” She all but snarled the words, ignoring the thrill of pleasure that woke her body at his appearance. And the pathetic relief that he’d returned for her.
“I left.” Unaffected by her threat, he turned and studied the bookcases lining the wall. “Nothing was said about me staying away from you.” With a finger, he traced one of the spines, his eyes locked on hers over his shoulder. Goosebumps trailed down her back as if his touch trailed over her instead.
“You suffer. You struggle with each decision you make for these people. Why?” Those dark, unfathomable eyes sent a shiver of awareness through her, and she was helpless to resist being lured further. “Why do you fight a battle you cannot win?”
“What business is it of yours?” She was mindful to keep the desk between them. Any closer and she’d lose focus, forget he was the enemy. She rested on the balls of her feet, every nerve taut and ready for an attack.
He turned, crossed his arms and leaned back against the bookcase nearest the door, not a care in the world…if not for the way the corners of his eyes tightened when he looked at her.
Blast him. This meant something to him. That meant it would be all the harder to get rid of him.
“You’re my salvation. I’ve been cursed into a guardian statue for too many centuries to count. No more. To save you is to save me. I have survived,” he flinched slightly, “too many years on earth to lose my chance at redemption because of your stubbornness. You’re so willing to throw your life away, my job will be all the easier.
“I don’t care if you trust me. I don’t care if you hate me. I am here to finish what you started at the temple. You awakened me, and you’ll now give me the courtesy you give those people out there.” He waved a hand toward the door and the sound of human voices. Lines bracketed his mouth, but it was the way he looked at her, with wariness, hope and that damned sexiness that twisted everything up inside her. It made it so much harder for her
to tell him to get lost.
“You expect me to believe you’re not a demon? Don’t make me laugh.” An urge rose in her to give him what he asked, but she ruthlessly squashed it. There was a big difference between her crew and him.
With a completely straight face, he spoke, “I’m an angel, and you’re going to help me get my wings back.”
Caly snorted, but trembled a little at the complete certainty on his face. He truly believed he was an angel and that she would save him. What nearly had her convinced was the longing in his voice when he mentioned his wings. But his high-handedness annoyed the piss out of her, and her stubbornness dug in its talons. “And if I don’t? Are you going to kill me yourself?”
“You wouldn’t be the first charge I’ve killed.” He spoke so seriously it squelched her annoyance. Wariness kicked in and her hands tightened reflexively on her blades.
“But no, I won’t let you get away so easily, human.” It was hard to miss the slur he placed on the word. He gave her a dark look that meant retribution if she even dared to think of disobeying him. Instead of fear, her idiotic body heated at the prospect of going hand to hand with him again. “I’ll haunt you day in and day out. Not a night will go by without me at your side and in your life, never further than a step away from you. How will your friends feel, knowing you cohabitate with a demon?”
“They’ll kill you.” Caly said truthfully, more of a warning than the threat she meant it to be.
“You sound like you care.” The taunt went unanswered, and he shrugged. “I’ll come back, I always do. I can only leave when I’ve completed my mission or you die. I think we can both agree helping me would be the better option.”
“And your mission is saving my life?” The notion was no longer amusing. A demon determined to save her life. What next?
As if he sensed her defeat, he grimly nodded. “Now you’re starting to understand.”
“Fuck.” She wouldn’t be going anywhere tonight unless she could slip his watch. She eyed him narrowly, trying to bury the spark of interest in her gut and concentrate on finding a way to hide him from her friends.
A dangerous smile lit his face, putting her on edge and shooting her hormones into overdrive.
“My thoughts exactly. So,” he stalked across the room, closing the distance between them, “just what are you going to do with me now that you have my undivided attention?”
Chapter Eleven
You’d think history would’ve taught him to keep his mouth shut. Though he knew she’d bite back, there was something about her he couldn’t resist tweaking. He was an angel, albeit a slightly tarnished angel, and she assigned him the menial task of mucking out stalls.
When he tried to use his aversion to metal as an excuse to avoid this task, she smirked and handed over a fork with a plastic handle. Something about her smug, laughing eyes had him accepting the blasted pitchfork thrust at him, his tongue too tied to form a protest. By the time he had his wits together, she was gone.
He’d contemplated the wisdom of refusing, but decided it wasn’t worth the constant battle. This way, he would earn her goodwill and stay in close proximity to her.
But proximity was the problem.
Muscles burning, he put his back into the project, his mind trying to work out the situation. Away from her, his senses balanced out. He regained his normal, distant outlook that allowed him to form clear judgment calls.
Yet, the instant he stepped within thirty feet of her, any sign of intelligence vanished like a brightly burning phoenix. His body became overly sensitized, his mind unable to focus on anything but her. He felt things, tasted things, and wanted things.
Like a human.
Emotions unsettled him, made him unable to function at full capacity. Hell, he could barely muddle through a conversation with her without tripping over himself.
It was disgusting. How humans could function with all these volatile emotions constantly battling them amazed him. Even now, with her in the house, he could sense her, imagine her watching him. Though he knew it was all fantasy, the thought set his body afire. With more vigor than finesse, he attacked the pile in front of him. Straw plumed in the air, covering him, invading every opening in his clothes.
The shit itched.
Every crevice and hollow on his body was raw from the blasted straw particles. He shouldn’t have been able to feel annoyance, but damned if he didn’t.
All thanks to her.
He slammed the pitchfork into the hardened mixture of manure and straw. The impact reverberated up his arm, right to the bones. For his trouble, he managed to chisel off only a small chunk.
The barn didn’t stink as bad as he feared, mostly a musty smell from a decade of disuse. Dust choked the air, drying out his skin and sucking the moisture from his mouth.
He rolled the muscles of his neck, still able to feel where the lasso had burned his throat. Though the scorched skin had healed, tenderness remained.
Ruman set the pitchfork against the nearest rail and with a glare at the house, hauled the last wheelbarrow of compost to the back of the barn. After three hours of labor, his muscles were tight, but his mind was more relaxed than it had been in ages.
But no matter how he tried, he couldn’t figure out the riddle that was Caly.
He was a good judge of character, able to glean a lot of what went on in a person’s mind by reading their intentions through their actions. Not with Caly. Like a blind man shooting darts, it was hit or miss. She was too unpredictable.
And his recon revealed less than nothing beyond her adolescence. Oscar took her in after her parents were killed in a car accident Caly herself had barely survived. The rest of the time he spent observing Juliet led to little information and nothing at all to do with Caly. Listening to the twit prattle on about herself had bored him insane. There was a special place in Hell for people like her.
He grabbed the back of his shirt, tugged it off and shook his head to rid it of straw. The garden hose rested against the barn and he turned it on full force, relieved to wash. As the frigid water cascaded over him, a shiver worked its way up his back and down his arms. His fleshed pebbled but he welcomed the coolness on his tender muscles.
With a groan, he tipped back his head and closed his eyes, enjoying the novelty of contentment for the first time in as long as he could remember.
* * *
Early autumn had always been Caly’s favorite time of the year. From the window over the kitchen sink, she watched the breeze stir the trees, heard the branches clacking against one another as the outside world came alive one last time before winter’s slumber turned everything lifeless and cold.
Leaves crackled, sailing to the ground and eddying about before disappearing in the darkness. She needed to contact her djinn, but every time she attempted to leave, she found herself trailed by one determined demon.
The ticking of the clock was like an itch along her spine. Time was growing short. If she didn’t move soon, it would be too late. Tipping her head, she searched for the demon. If she could get to the bike before he caught…
Her gaze latched onto the guardian as he stripped off his shirt and all thoughts of demon evaporated as lust exploded through her. Under the harsh exterior lights, every detail of his body lay exposed. Like viewing an accident, she couldn’t force herself to turn away.
Water sprayed over him, cascading down his back, the fall of drops hypnotizing. Muscles rippled and flexed as he ran his hand down his stomach to wipe away the dirt. Her fingers twitched, eager to follow the same path.
The image grew hazy. A whimper escaped the back of her throat to see him disappear from view. The sound of such need snapped her back to the present with a nasty thump. She pulled away, surprised to find her face nearly smashed against the glass, her breath fogging the window. Embarrassment burned her ears. The only thing that saved her tattered composure was that no one had caught her lapse.
Caly stepped away from the window, further away from temptation. It was harde
r than it should’ve been. She couldn’t be attracted to him. Not only was he a demon, she didn’t even know his name.
One problem was easily solved, but she hesitated in the doorway. Maybe it’d be better to keep that distance between them, prevent her from doing something stupid.
Like ogling his half-naked form.
Like permitting him to stay in such close proximity to her friends.
It was a risk. Then again, she’d rather have him out in the open than skulking in the shadows again. Too many things waited for her in the shadows already.
Determination forced her shoulders square. She needed to lay down some ground rules. The sooner he learned them, the better off the others would be. As for herself, she feared it was much too late.
Convinced her logic was sound, Caly hesitated then yanked a towel off the cupboard. No sense in being rude. Maybe if she could gain his trust, she’d be able to sneak away without him on her ass.
Pulse pounding like a teenager with a crush, she went outside to confront him. Long strides ate the distance between them all too quickly. She opened her mouth to call out.
Only to have her breath stall in her chest. Up close, he was even more impressive than she’d imagined.
A light mist of water sprayed her, but she hardly noticed the coolness on her overheated skin.
Gooseflesh covered his exposed torso. Frozen like the statue he used to be, Caly couldn’t seem to force herself to move. He stopped stock-still like he sensed her watching. He bent forward and switched off the hose, giving her a perfect view of his behind that made her mouth water.
Then he turned, catching her in the act.
They both held motionless.
She licked her lips, her eyes following a rivulet of water as it trailed into the waistband of his pants. Muscles flexed under her gaze, calling out for her touch. Strength lay in his body. Strength she’d experienced firsthand and still felt in her dreams.
An angel? Caly thought not. Not with a body like his just ripe for sinning.
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