Nate hugged her tightly. “Shh…” he whispered, reaching up to stroke the back of her hair. “I’m going to be fine,” he consoled her.
“I was so scared when I heard.” Her voice was muffled as she spoke into his shoulder. She lifted her head and noticed his gown was soaked from her tears. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you—especially after how we left things between us.”
“It’s okay, Ashley. I’m not angry with you. I understand if you want to be with Balen.”
A pang of sadness pierced her heart at the mention of Balen’s name. She shook her head. “I’m not with him,” she whispered, hoping he wouldn’t ask her for details. She just wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. “What I need is simple and uncomplicated. I think what I need…is you.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The western sky was filled with brilliant colors of orange and violet. Olivia sat in Liam’s arms overlooking the bluffs. Her back leaned against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder, as they stared into the setting sun’s breathtaking tapestry. “What’s it like…in Heaven?”
“Its beauty is beyond words,” he said softly, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “Imagine being surrounded by absolute perfection. His presence is…There are no words in your language to describe it.”
“Then, tell me in yours,” she said, wanting to hear the beautiful language one last time.
Liam pulled her more tightly into his embrace and began telling her about all the amazing wonders of his world. She couldn’t understand a word he said, but the cadence of his soft rich voice left her enthralled as she imagined what he might be saying.
The sun had fallen behind the hills, and the sky faded to black by the time he finished speaking. Stars decorated the midnight sky, and the soft chirp of crickets serenaded them. He whispered something into her ear. It sounded so beautiful.
“What did you say to me?” she asked, smiling as she turned in his arms to look up at him.
“I said I love you.” His eyes roved over her face as if he were trying to memorize every last detail.
“I love you too,” she whispered. “I wish tonight would never end. I’m not ready to say good-bye.”
“It’s only for a little while,” he whispered, bending down to kiss her softly. He lifted his face and gently kissed the bruised tender spot on her cheek.
She felt that warm liquid heat spread across her cheek and the pain quickly disappeared. “I want to remove every trace of him,” Liam whispered against her lips.
As he kissed her, that delicious warmth filled her mouth. It was different than the kisses they’d shared before. This time, his touch was cleansing—healing—renewing. Liam’s fingertips brush down the side of her neck, bathing her skin in a glow that felt as glorious as the sun. It was amazing how he seemed to know everywhere Max had touched her.
Once finished, he slowly lifted his head to carefully inspect his handiwork. “Perfect,” he whispered. “As if it never happened.”
Amazing—every ache and pain in her body from the last two days was gone. She felt strong, refreshed, alive…
“It’s time to go,” he whispered, bending down to kiss her lips one last time. “I love you, Olivia.”
***
Olivia opened her eyes as the gentle breeze blew against her bare legs. She squinted against the sun that shone in through her open bedroom window and groaned. Grabbing the covers, she pulled them over her head in a futile attempt to hide from the day. The familiar rumble of an engine stopped in front of her house and she heard a car door slam. A few seconds later, the patter of feet running up the stairs preceded a vigorous knock.
“Please, just go away,” she called from under the covers.
“Can’t,” Ashley said, poking her head inside her room. “Promised Liam I wouldn’t. Now get up,” she said, pulling Olivia’s blankets off her in one big dramatic sweep. “It’s Sunday, and church starts in an hour,” Ashley said, digging through her closet.
She watched her friend from her bed, and wondered what happened to the real Ashley.
“Church, huh? I’ve been trying to get you to come to church with me for years—what gives?”
“Yeah, well, that was then, this is now,” she said, tossing clothes onto her bed. “Things are different. Get in the shower. I don’t want to be late. Plus, Nate’s getting released today, and I told him we’d pick him up afterwards.”
Olivia huffed and climbed out of bed, dragging ass into the bathroom. She had to admit, she did feel somewhat better after a hot shower. She stood in front of the mirror before getting dressed and looked closely in the mirror. Her skin looked flawless and radiant. She smiled sadly and sighed, pulling her clothes on, and wrapped her damp hair up into a twist.
“Done?” Ashley asked, putting down a magazine and smiling a little too cheerfully as she walked into her room.
“The new you is going to take some getting used to,” she said sourly.
“That’s all right. Liam warned me you’d be like this. You’re my best friend, Liv, and I love you, even when you are bitchy,” Ashley said, teasing her.
Olivia couldn’t help but return her friend’s smile. “Come on,” she said, grabbing her friend’s hand. “I don’t want to make you late for church.”
Ashley smiled and held her hand up, letting a set of car keys dangle from her finger. “I’ll drive.”
She stopped when they stepped out of the house. Balen’s yellow Mustang was parked in front of her house.
“He gave it to me,” she said, smiling sadly. She could tell Ashley missed him, but Balen had opened her eyes to the truth, and although he was gone, that loss couldn’t overshadow the joy of knowing there was an eternity waiting for her that she’d never believed existed before.
“What’s this?” Olivia asked, looking over at the black Camaro sitting in her driveway.
“Liam left it for you. Said he didn’t need it anymore and preferred it if you had something a little more reliable to get around in.”
“How do you know all this? Why didn’t he just tell me this stuff himself?” she asked, as tears began to well in her eyes.
“Because it was too hard for him to say good-bye. You fell asleep in his arms last night, and he said it was easier this way.”
She reached up to wipe away the tears running down her face. “Well, he’s wrong. There’s nothing easy about this.”
Ashley wrapped her arms around her. “I know. I’m sorry, Liv.”
Olivia walked over to the Camaro, climbed inside, and shut the door. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, drawing in a slow deep breath. Liam’s spicy scent still hung in the air, and she imagined him sitting right here beside her. Maybe it was denial, but something told her he’d be back.
In the meantime, she’d try to take comfort in the knowledge that just because she couldn’t see him it didn’t mean he wasn’t here. He’d always been here, but his absence now left her with an intense ache in her chest, one that she could only hope would lessen with time. Her best friend and the love of her life was gone…
Epilogue
Three months later…
“Happy Birthday to you…” Olivia’s parents sang, busting into her room with a song and a tray full of French toast, bacon, orange juice, and coffee. A confetti-sprinkled cupcake adorned with a burning candle sat in the center of the tray.
She smiled, sitting up in bed as she looked over at her alarm clock. She knew what it would say—6:45 a.m., the exact time of her birth. Every year her parents would come in with a tray full of breakfast and sing to her.
“Thanks, Mom, Dad,” she said when they finished singing, taking the tray from them. A single rose sat in a tall slender vase next to her plate. “You guys are the best.”
“Happy Birthday, honey. We’ll see you down stairs.”
Olivia picked at her breakfast, which tasted great, but she didn’t have much of an appetite these last few months. She got up to carry her tray over to
her desk, when her eyes fell on a small red box sitting next to her computer. An iridescent pearl white ribbon was wrapped perfectly around the package. Underneath it was an envelope; her name was written across the front. Olivia’s heart began to pound as she slid the envelope out from under the box. Her hands shook as she tore open the seal and unfolded the heavy piece of parchment paper. She looked down at the ancient script that appeared to be penned by ink and quill.
My Dearest Olivia,
Happy nineteenth birthday! Today, I celebrate nineteen of the most fabulous years of my existence because they have been with you. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t give thanks for you. You are eternally in my heart, and I wait for the day when I can hold you in my arms once again. I hope you understand why I left the way I did. I just couldn’t bear to make things harder on you. As I held you, sleeping in my arms, I had hoped to leave you with a glimpse of your forever. Until then, live your life fully and know that you are loved, cherished and protected.
All my love,
Liam
Tears filled her eyes as she folded the letter up and slid it back into the envelope. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and picked up the small red box. She gently lifted the corners of the paper, not wanting to tear the beautiful wrapping, and slid a small box out of the paper shell. She opened the lid and gasped. Inside the box lay a heart-shaped stone attached to a necklace. She lifted the delicate chain and held it up to the light, looking more closely at the most beautiful stone she’d ever seen. It reminded her of a black opal, but stones like that didn’t exist. A rainbow of color reflected in the sunlight. The heart-shape cut was exquisite—hundreds of angles contoured the stone.
Olivia unfastened the clasp and placed the necklace around her neck. She looked back down at the small box and noticed a folded slip of paper inside. She opened it and read.
A little piece of Heaven.
Shades of Darkness
Redemption series Book Two
Melynda Price
Psalms 34:7
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him,
and he delivers them...
Prologue
Three Years Later
“So, is it true?” Haden demanded, grabbing a hold of Jace’s arm and pulling him into the supply room tucked in the back of the bar. He kicked the door closed with the heel of his boot and leaned against the frame to prevent any interruptions. Too long he’d been waiting for this moment, too long he’d been searching for the “sighted” one. “Did you see her? Does she have it?”
Jace looked over his shoulder as if to make sure they were truly alone before answering. Turning back, he nodded. “Yeah, it’s true.”
“You saw it, then? You saw the stone?” Could it possibly be true? Was Immanuel’s Stone actually here, on Earth?
“I saw the stone,” Jace repeated.
“That’s fantastic! Have you told anyone else about it?” Haden stepped closer to his friend, casually sliding his arm around the demon’s heavily tattooed neck.
“No, only you, just like you said. Her warrior nearly killed me, though. I could hardly get close enough to see it. You know, for a minute there, I thought you’d sent me on a suicide mission.”
“I did,” quipped his icy reply. With preternatural speed and strength, Haden grabbed his wrist, trapping the demon’s neck in a vice-grip hold, and jerked up. The crunch echoed throughout the small room. Haden released his old friend, watching his lifeless body sag to the floor. Shadows poured out beneath the demon, enveloping him in a thick black mist.
“Sorry about that,” Haden said, stepping over the crumpled heap, taking care not to let the shadows of Sheol touch him. “But to rise to the top, soldiers must fall.”
Genesis
(The Great Flood)
Two by two, the last of the animals stepped onto the great ark as the heavy door slammed closed with a resolute bang echoing all the way up to the heavens.
Angels watched in amazement as the first drops of rain began to fall upon the earth. Before this moment, the world had received all of its life-giving water from underground springs. Rumors of an impending flood had been passing throughout Heaven and Earth for months, but until this very moment, no one had ever witnessed this phenomenon called rain.
“It has begun,” Tate said, his voice rich with vindication. “God’s wrath will finally rid the world of its evil abomination. Soon the daughters of Cain will wail in despair, for the Great Flood is upon them.”
“It’s unfortunate the fallen have forced the Father’s hand in this matter. They must realize a lineage of half-breeds would never be allowed to exist.” Unlike his brethren, Liam took no pleasure in knowing what terrible destruction would soon befall the earth.
“Undisciplined and evil…” Tate grunted as the giant raindrops quickly gathered in strength.
***
Mahala stepped from the entrance of his home as a shadow swept across the land, chasing away the last glimpse of the sun. The woman he’d taken for his wife, Anisa, lay resting in the back room with their newborn son nestled snugly in her arms. Looking into the dark, ominous sky, a profound sense of impending doom washed over him as the first few drops of rain splattered lightly against his face. The crisp floral scent of Heaven touched his nostrils, stirring a deep ache of regret in his chest. As the falling moisture gathered in strength, the low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance—a warning of the wrath to come.
His mind raced, rage and betrayal boiling up inside him. “How could He do this to us?” Mahala snarled, spinning around and storming back into his dwelling. As he entered their bedroom, his exhausted wife woke with a start.
“What are you doing?” Anisa asked, her voice groggy.
He charged forward, and her vibrant green eyes suddenly grew wide with fear. It killed him to do this to her, to their son, but there was no other way. “The boy,” Mahala demanded abruptly, steeling his heart against the grief that threatened to consume him. “Give me the boy!”
“What’s wrong?” Panic filled her voice as Mahala pulled the newborn infant from her arms.
The look of confusion and, God help him, betrayal that flooded his wife’s fear-filled eyes tore his heart out. Each rapid beat crashed against his chest, a stabbing pain that took his breath away. “The end is near,” he managed to rasp past the lump in his throat. Turning away from his beloved and all he held dear in this world, he took their infant and ran into the cold, drenching downpour.
“Mahala…!” Anisa screamed, her terror cutting through him like a knife. “Mahala! Come back!” her broken sobs resonated through the low, growling thunder. It was in that moment Mahala truly died—his flesh would soon follow.
***
Mahala looked down at the small bundle in his arms one last time before walking through the chamber doors of the Dark Court. Stiffening his resolve, he placed one determined foot in front of the other until he stood before the three lords of the underworld. My God, how things have changed… Once powerful, noble warriors he would have proudly fought beside and died for, any one of these three.
Now, seated before him in a throne room stinking of sulfur and rotting flesh, he barely recognized his long-ago comrades, fallen and exiled for crimes of treason against their creator.
“Mahala,” Lorca greeted, his scratchy voice no doubt burned raw from the sulfurous gas hissing through the cracked rocks jutting up behind them. “It’s been a long time.”
In a moment of weakness, he nearly changed his mind. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to turn back and flee this hell. Surely the floods would be preferable to this. But Mahala was not ignorant to prophecy, and to return his son to Earth would be to condemn the infant to certain death.
“Come…tell us, what brings you before the Dark Court, and not empty-handed, I see.”
“The Great Flood is upon us.” He looked from Lorca, who was seated on the left, to Gahn, who sat on the right, and tried to avoid the piercing gaze of
the disfigured abomination positioned in between them. The one whose beauty had once been beyond compare—the one responsible for orchestrating this clusterfuck that ultimately led to one-third of the angels falling from grace.
“And what do you think we can possibly do about this?” Gahn asked.
“Nothing…nothing can be done! His will is in motion, and we are all helpless to stop it!” he said, desperation edging into his voice.
“So why are you here?” Lorca snapped.
“It’s my son.” Mahala held the small delicate bundle up before the court. “I seek asylum for my son. The Nephilim race will be wiped from existence unless you save him.”
“And we should care why?” Gahn asked.
“Because the Nephilim are gifted. If given the chance, I am confident my son will serve the Dark Court well. Please, take the boy. If I return to Earth with him, he will surely die.”
The three sat there motionless, contemplating his request. The seconds dragged by until finally, Gahn stood and stepped down from the throne. “Leave the boy,” he commanded with a dismissive wave of his hand. “The Nephilim shall be granted asylum as you request.”
Mahala’s relief was short-lived. Dread quickly engulfed him as the ramifications of his actions slammed into him with wrecking force. He’d just made a deal with the devil in exchange for his son’s life—a life he’d just indentured to the lords of the underworld. Yet, unable to bear the thought of watching his flesh and blood die, he placed a kiss on the newborn’s forehead and laid the blanketed bundle on the floor before forcing himself to step away.
A shrill infant’s cry filled the chamber, and Mahala froze. Every instinct inside him raged in protest to the injustice being wrought upon his innocent son. He looked back to see Gahn standing over the child and thought, if for only a moment, he might have seen a softening in the demon’s coal black eyes as the infant’s pale green gaze stared up at him.
The Redemption Series Page 32