Personal Warriors

by Rachel A. Collett

  “To prove that I didn’t need to.”

  He lifted a brow but didn’t press the issue. “I told the others how you killed the giant through energy transferal. It was quite impressive. Only my Fiona has ever been able to do that, and you were severely damaged. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I might have doubted.”

  I pressed my fingers to my temples and groaned.

  Cedric tipped my chin back, forcing my gaze. “What hurts?”

  I shook my head. “That’s not—the mortals. What happened to the mortals and why were they even there? Why did they attack?”

  “You know why.” He left the room through the door that connected Darius’s suite to mine, returning seconds later with a wet washcloth. “The residents would be distraught seeing your face covered in blood.” He handed it to me. “We were tracked by the Annihilator and her warped new mate. We could only assume they thought you were with us. We thought we lost them, but they had reinforcements waiting near the entrance of our private beach.”

  Guilt ripped through me. “Cedric, I’m so sorry. They must have seen me outside. I just… I couldn’t stay here. I felt trapped and—”

  “Don’t blame yourself. Mortals are drawn to us. While they cannot see our haven, they can sense us if they know what they’re looking for. This isn’t the first time, nor the last, that mortals will be used against us—and whatever the reason, Ava, we do not kill them. It’s against our very creation.”

  A deep voice interjected. “I’m sure it didn’t even cross her mind.”

  My heart stopped then picked up speed. I sat up in a flash, nearly upending my Healer. I heard him chuckle but paid no attention. Darius leaned against the frame of the entryway, his hands folded over the large expanse of his chest. Every muscle was tense, his eyes penetrating as he baldly assessed me.

  I loved him.

  I squelched the suddenly self-conscious desire to check my appearance.

  The heat from within grew to an uncomfortable level. The only thing keeping me from tackling him on the spot was the Healer in the room.

  “How is—” I cleared my throat, suddenly cinched and dry. “Your mother? I can’t believe—”

  Raised voices sounded through the walls, coming from my room, but despite my confusion, I couldn’t tear my gaze from my Guardian.

  Darius sighed. “It is definitely my mother. She was alive this whole time. She’s resting now and will be for a while.”

  “We’ll need to move the veil as soon as we can. It’s been stationary for far too long.” Cedric stood from the bed. “I think Ava is fit enough. I’ll check on the demon while we wait for the others.”

  “The others are already there. There’s been a… situation,” Darius said.

  They exchanged a glance. Cedric’s brows rose, concern on his face. “Oh?”

  “You’ll see.”

  16

  Demons of a Stubborn Nature

  Cedric crossed to the connected door that led to my room.

  Darius pushed from the frame to follow but paused at my bedside—at his bedside. His tall form loomed. He met my stare, holding my wide-eyed gaze, then reached out to me. I hesitated before taking his proffered hand. A familiar warmth transferred through my arm at his touch. I tucked away the sensation.

  We trailed Cedric. As we passed through to my room we found several additional bodies waiting. Heat exploded upon my face when they all in turn registered our arrival. The Healers, the Heralds, Ray, Hector, Gayle, Bailey, Jonathan, and Violet.

  Jonathan lounged topless, comfortably propped up against my pillows. My blanket rested across his lap. “I’m not sure I’m decent to be seen this way,” he said with a smirk, but he stretched his arms high, folding his hands behind his head to expose his chiseled muscles.

  I, on the other hand, knew I wasn’t decent. I released Darius’s hand and gave in to an agitated check of my clothes and hair. Blood—I assumed to be my own—splattered my tank top, but it was nothing compared to other times. My hair, halfway out of its ponytail, hung at an odd angle to the side. I growled, pulling it loose from the band, and fixed it while all eyes shifted to me.

  I couldn’t hide the irritation that fell thick upon my words. “Well, doesn’t this look like a party. Would anyone care to explain why we’re holding council in my bedroom? Could we have at least waited until I showered?”

  Bailey glared, her indignant eyes shifting from Jonathan to the shower, then to Darius’s room. I almost laughed at her obvious train of thought, but I wasn’t in the mood to get into yet another argument with the witch.

  An unusual silence followed my question. Everyone appeared troubled, but Violet was the most agitated—incensed, even. She cast down her hands and took two steps, but Hector caught her by the wrist.

  Laith cleared his throat. “Violet was found out of her—”

  “You didn’t come. Again,” Violet said. She heaved a deep breath, pulling against Hector’s grip, but not hard enough to break his hold. “Instead the witch brought me my food. I was worried. And then I find out you were attacked. Again.”

  “I—” I turned a pointed glare to Gayle.

  She swallowed, lacing her fingers. “There was no reason to withhold that information. She would’ve found out soon enough, probably from you. I had no idea she would just—storm out of her cell.”

  Crap. I clamped my mouth shut. I had forgotten to tell The Three of the other times she had done just that.

  Forgotten or intentionally withheld?

  Darius reclaimed my hand. “Violet, we—”

  “No.” She pointed an accusing finger at him, her voice rising with every word. “I refuse to wait on the sidelines, pretending incarceration for your benefit and comfort while my Ava is under attack. How could you allow this to happen?”

  “How did you get out of your cell?” Laith asked, but Violet ignored the question. Instead she turned the heat on him.

  “Why did you not have a guard with her? Why do you let her roam unprotected as you do?”

  “She has free-will, Violet,” Elisa answered. “We’re not her prison guards.”

  “No, you’re my prison guards, but you are her friends. Does that not have any meaning to you? Her Guardian was gone, and you left her to fend for herself?” Elisa’s mouth clamped closed. “How different is this from Rachel all those years ago?”

  Cedric took a step forward. “Now wait a minute. That was—”

  “She’s right,” Darius said. A shocked silence followed. “Ava should’ve been protected while I was gone.”

  I yanked my hand from his. “I’m not a child.”

  Jonathan coughed from my bed, a grin growing larger by the second. No doubt he viewed the whole event like a play on the stage. “You’re both a child and the focus of a military campaign,” he said. “Annie’s the worst type of predator. She has no fear when it comes to attacking the front lines, but she also knows the benefit of picking off the weaker among the group. That’s why the Annihilator chooses you among this group to target. Don’t forget that.”

  “Are you calling me weak, Jonathan?” I asked, spearing him with a threatening glare.

  “Yes. Compared to the other Three, you have not the experience nor the skills that can be taught by thousands of years.”

  Before I could argue, Violet reclaimed the conversation. “And that is why it’s necessary for these games to stop. I’m done pretending. Ava is my immortal, and I will help train and protect her.”

  “That is something you cannot do,” Laith said.

  Incensed, she raised her voice. “Why? What rule is there that a defector from the enemy lines cannot help to guide others? From a military standpoint, wouldn’t that be a great gain?”

  “You don’t belong here,” Bailey said. “But we could offer you sanctuary within our coven.”

  “We?” Gayle rounded on her protégée. “My coven is not for you to offer up to anyone.”

  Bailey stamped her foot, her face reddening. “Why isn’t anyone else se
eing the benefit of what lies right in front of us? Why aren’t we doing more to nurture this relationship?”

  My gaze narrowed at the witch. She was self-serving and egotistical, but despite the tantrum she threw, I agreed with her. And I hated it.

  Laith stepped to the window and drew back the curtains. The last rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, fighting the coming night. “Violet, I must know. This is our sanctuary. How did you get inside without help?”

  “I don’t understand the big deal,” Hector said. I jerked my attention to him, shocked by his blasé way of overlooking her escape. “She’s been in here multiple times.”

  “She was within someone that was possessed. Charlotte had an invitation to be here. Violet does not. This is a protection God put in place for all His children. Demonic entities cannot enter a dwelling where they aren’t invited. This complex, this home, is a sanctuary within a sanctuary—another layer of protection.”

  I glanced at Fiona. She watched me with curious eyes. “I remember you telling me something like that, but what about Grayson? Why didn’t this protection extend to my demon assassin?”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but it was Laith that answered.

  “Grayson was granted access.” He allowed the curtain to fall, covering our view to the outside. “He switched places and temporarily took upon him the blessings, or keys, of the individual who traded with him.”

  “That would’ve been Charlotte.” Jonathan yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

  Laith ignored my demon. “Do you remember that the entire time you lived with Cheryl? All that time you were hunted by a demon?”

  “That would’ve been me,” Jonathan interjected again.

  “He wasn’t able to attack where you were the most vulnerable. Your home. Unless he was invited in, Jonathan was limited.”

  “And my dreams?” I asked.

  “Dreams are another way to gain admittance,” Jonathan said. “Or rather, it’s a back door, if you will, for me to enter and to gain your trust. But it’s another realm. Unfortunately, no access to your physical body for me to… possess.”

  Darius arched a brow but surprisingly did not rebuke the obvious innuendo.

  Laith crossed his arms. “Precisely. So, Violet, please tell me, who let you in?”

  Defiance flashed in her eyes. “No one let me in.”

  He turned away, tracing the path of a painted vine with his finger. “Then Charlotte lives in you still.”

  “Excuse me?” I asked, my voice incensed. “Are you saying I lied?”

  Laith held up a hand. “I’m not saying that.”

  “I don’t sense her aura,” Gayle said. “There’s no way she could hide from me. You know that, Laith.”

  Pain struck my heart, still raw from the terrible event. “Charlotte is gone,” I said through clenched teeth. “Believe me. I felt her leave.”

  “What?” Darius’s voice was void of emotion but rough at the edges.

  I released a heavy sigh as fatigue drained my energy. I searched his anxious eyes. “I’m sorry. A lot has happened.” And I wasn’t sure I had it in me to go over the details just yet.

  As if sensing my pain, he caressed the side of my face, his fingers soft against my sensitive skin. Jonathan growled a low warning, but Darius ignored him. “Is that why you were so bruised?”

  Gently, I pulled his hand away. “I can tell you about it later.”

  Laith ignored our conversation. “If Charlotte is truly gone, then how did Violet enter?”

  “There’s a loophole,” Jonathan said.

  Laith swirled on the spot. “There is no loophole!”

  I flinched, shocked at the unusual response from my friend and Herald. He flashed Jonathan a warning glare. His face seethed anger, resentment even, his chest rising and falling with an accelerated breath. Elisa’s eyes shot to the other occupants of the room before she placed a soothing hand on her mate’s shoulder. Something flashed unguarded from Laith’s soul before he reclaimed it and tucked it away. His gaze shifted to mine, so quickly that no one else saw the spark of uncertainty in his eyes. No one except for me.

  And it was then that I understood.

  Laith had accepted his calling long before he was sent to earth to protect the mortals. He knew what his job entailed and loved it with a passion none of the others shared. Everything was black and white. Good or evil. It was simple and yet complicated all at once. The only problems came in the form of his other counterparts, and for the most part he dealt with their inner demons when they surfaced. But this was different.

  My heart broke at his silent judgement but I couldn’t blame him. Laith was strong, unburdened of fear, marital problems, struggles for power, or inner demons—except for one. It was unusual for me to see him at such odds with everyone and the world he had accepted.

  The others in the group transferred their attention to me, each unsure of what to say next. “What’s this loophole?” I asked Jonathan.

  He grunted. “As you are well aware, my darling, the loophole is whether or not there is mal-intent. If Violet does not wish to harm you or anyone within the home, she can enter as she pleases.”

  Silence hung heavy in an already crowded room. I began to sweat beneath the pressure. However, I knew better than to divulge the extent of my knowledge on this subject. I was already in trouble as it was by omitting Violet’s recurring visits.

  There was a small squeak of the door. It cracked an inch, and then more. Ray opened it completely to find Cheryl standing outside.

  His expression was concerned. “Is everything okay?”

  “I don’t get it,” she said, addressing the room. “Is this a sanctuary or not?”

  “It is. What’re you—?”

  “I was listening in. I came to see Ava but heard voices. Your walls are not as thick as you think.” She looked around the packed space, her gaze lingering on the demon recovering in my bed a second longer than the rest. Her face turned a shade of pink. “Ava’s like a daughter to me. I have every right to weigh in on this conversation. Is your sanctuary a sanctuary or not?”

  “Of course,” Fiona said, moving to intercept Cheryl. She pulled her into the room, closing the door behind.

  “Then what’s the problem? I see two individuals seeking refuge from the devil. Ray, is it in the rulebook that every entity within this shelter be human?”

  Ray shook his head, confused. “No, but—but isn’t it implied?” He looked to his Herald, but it was Fiona who responded.

  “No. God doesn’t work that way. Rules are not unspoken. He tells his children through means of prophecy, scripture, or visions what exactly He wants from them. Our sanctuary is for all those seeking refuge from that Destroyer that hunts them.”

  Cheryl nodded, lacing her fingers together as if the matter was now resolved.

  “What would happen if there was mal-intent and Violet didn’t have permission to enter?” Hector asked.

  Jonathan shuddered. “It’s a lot like electrocution. It doesn’t kill us, but the pain is unimaginable. I’d assume that most will only try to enter if we know with certainty that we can.”

  “That’s correct,” Laith said, drawing everyone’s attention. He had schooled his emotions and seemed almost back to his usual calm demeanor. Almost. “If what you’re saying is true, I want you to prove it to me.” He turned on his heel and strode away without another word.

  Shocked, the rest of the group looked to one another, but no one spoke. Jonathan locked eyes with me and I nodded my response to his silent question. He slid from the bed and padded barefoot across the room, his only clothes a pair of borrowed sweatpants. He gestured to Violet, bowing slightly at the waist. “After you.”

  The others followed in single file. Darius seized my fingers, forcing me to hang back. I glanced self-consciously to him, but he remained focused on the retreating members. Nervously, I wondered what painful questions he might ask that I didn’t want to explain. Not right now. When the room emptied, I br
aced myself for the onslaught of queries. Instead he gathered me into a fierce embrace. My breath caught in my throat when his lips crushed against mine in an almost painful manner.

  But I responded in kind.

  My hands couldn’t get enough of his skin; my mouth wanted more than what was given. Space was nonexistent between our bodies, and yet it wasn’t good enough. Breathing became a bother, almost unnecessary. And then suddenly, he pulled away.

  He gathered my face in his hands, scanning my reddened appearance. “So you have missed me almost as much as I’ve missed you.”

  I scoffed, but he stopped any argument by forcing my head to his chest. I inhaled his familiar scent and caved to his caress. I would’ve rather been kissing him, but if this is what I could get, I would take it. My arms snaked below his shirt and up his back. Hardened muscles rippled beneath my fevered touch. He laughed and removed my roaming hands.

  “Come on,” he said, tugging me toward the door. “We need to go before someone comes back for us.”

  I groaned, but complied.

  The others grouped just inside the complex double doors. Jonathan and Violet stood together outside along with Laith, who walked the grounds muttering something I couldn’t hear. I stopped alongside Cedric.

  He leaned over, whispering low. “Laith is reciting the original blessing upon the home, making sure it’s still in place. Don’t be distressed, Ava. Our friend is suffering a lack of faith. It happens less often for him, but he’ll pull through like the rest of us.”

  “He judges me for my personal demons,” I said, unable to believe my own words to have them spoken out loud.

  Cedric tsked. “We can forgive him this one fault, can’t we? Laith is like the brother in the family that never does anything wrong. He’s steadfast and immovable in most things. Valiant and loyal. The rest of us are all flawed like the rest of humanity, especially me. I haven’t made things easy for him.”