Light in Darkness

by Brandy L Rivers

  “You’re the one who couldn’t resist tearing all those assholes apart.”

  She shrugged. “We needed the energy. The closer we get to the school, the worse the feeling gets.”

  “Should we turn around?”

  “No. They would find us.”

  Fear shot along his soul, threatening to pull him under. “We could always go elsewhere. Wait until they think it’s safe.”

  She shook her head. “No, tonight we end that bitch.”

  “I won’t lose you.”

  “You won’t,” she answered, but her voice was hollow, her expression empty. Then she turned to stare out the passenger window.

  Well, wasn’t that a mood sucker of a conversation.

  * * * *

  Deep in the woods south of Edenton, they were outside a town that had been empty for years.

  Lincoln stood beside Victoria. She was dressed like a cat-burglar in formfitting black. Slater and the five enforcers were all in half-beast form. Robert still looked like he stepped from some menswear ad, while Preston, Hayden, and Lincoln were in track pants and t-shirts. Despite wearing appropriate attire, Lincoln felt out of place. He was in a group of warriors, but couldn’t claim that title.

  Even the two angels, who weren’t in sight, were prepared to battle for justice. Lincoln wanted to prove himself, but worried how useful he would actually be. Didn’t mean he wanted to back out. In fact, it made him want to prove himself that much more.

  Headlights flashed through the trees and Lincoln went on high alert. The doubts slid away, replaced with determination. Victoria would be safe, his friends, Edenton, and all Others would be better off without a two-faced group trying to bring chaos. Instilling fear of Others into humans, all the while breeding monsters of their own corrupted variety.

  Slater caught Lincoln’s arm and gave him a slight nod. “Wait for my signal.”

  He nodded, unsure what to say.

  Victoria’s voice filled his head. We’ll make it out together. Nothing will happen to you.

  Nor you, he replied, glancing over to find a fierce expression on her face.

  Car doors opened and Lincoln’s attention snapped back to the vehicle. They were upwind and hidden in thick cover. Mena and Jones never paused on their way into the building.

  Lincoln drew in a deep breath, trying and failing to calm his pounding heart, waiting for the signal.

  Slater made the motion, and he followed everyone silently. More silent than he would have expected. He looked over at Preston to see him mouthing words he didn’t recognize.

  Refocusing, he went to his designated window with Victoria. Slater made another gesture, and he punched through the window but heard no sound. Impressed, Lincoln hopped over the sill. Victoria was beside him the next instant.

  They stood in a school library. Chairs neatly stacked upside down on tables, but ceiling debris littered the floor and the books were covered in black mildew. With the inrush of air through the broken window, a musty scent of decay assaulted his nose.

  Jones’ voice carried, muffled but still discernable. “We’re taking the bus, and one car. We will take anyone we have a chance at controlling, kill the rest. There will be prisoners or corpses, nothing else. Don’t dally, and don’t waste time on drawing out the death. We need to be in and out as fast as we can. They won’t let their people go without a fight, so we kill all enforcers and mages.”

  Lincoln strode forward, toward Jones’ voice, Victoria beside him. Then everyone charged through the doors separating the room they were in and the entrance hall.

  Lincoln quickly scanned the room and counted twenty people surrounding Jones. That was a lot more than they expected.

  Preston muttered, “Shit, this just got more interesting.”

  The woman beside Jones set her eyes on Victoria, and charged. Lincoln stepped forward, blocking the woman. An image of Victoria with her side charred, and blood soaking her clothes, flashed through his mind. This woman had hurt Victoria and a protective rage blotted out all thought.

  He threw his arm out, slamming his fist into Mena’s face. She stumbled and spit blood before swinging back. He dodged to the side, caught her arm, and whirled her around before pinning her to the floor with his knee in the middle of her back.

  “Ain’t that sweet,” Mena spat. “Lovesick fool wants to protect vamp-bitch.” She tried to rise up, then jerk to the side, but he pushed his knee harder and she didn’t move at all.

  “Not a fucking chance,” Jones yelled, charging for him. A swirl of shadow blew past Lincoln, going after Jones.

  Lincoln looked down in time to see fur flowing along Mena’s body as she shifted. Surprise caused him to release some of the pressure, and she flipped over underneath him, swiping her claws out.

  Once again, he caught her hand, remembering what Jophiel said about poisoned claws, and smashed her wrist into the ground.

  She rolled and he flipped her right back before springing away.

  Mena came at him again with a broad leer. “Oh, I’ll make sure to destroy your pretty face.”

  “That’s all you got?” he taunted as she moved forward in a blur.

  Lincoln spun out of the way as his wings flared out. He crouched down and shot forward, his wing and momentum knocking her face first into the peeling floor tiles.

  Every sparring match with Clint came back, the tips Fallon gave him, and everything his father and Hadraniel showed him that afternoon converged perfectly. He was ready.

  * * * *

  Victoria almost stopped Lincoln from charging Mena, but wanted to prove she had faith in his abilities. Changing directions, she slipped into shadows and rushed Jones, spinning around before solidifying before him.

  She drew a blade and slashed out. He leaned back, and the blade caught his chest instead of his throat. Tempting as dragging out his death was, she needed to end his life, and fast. She wasn’t willing to chance the bastard getting his hands on Lincoln.

  Jones laughed coldly. “Afraid of my favorite cat?”

  Victoria groaned as she shot forward, ramming her knee into the family jewels so hard he’d be hacking them up for weeks. Bastard didn’t double over.

  Victoria smirked as she danced back. “Mena already cut your balls off?”

  “Not afraid this time?” he whispered as his skin took on a crimson color, horns sprouting from his head.

  “You may be a demon, but you got nothing on my maker.”

  “Wouldn’t be too sure about that. I know all about Moncleve. He took a few lessons from Mena on proper punishment for naughty slaves.”

  Nope, don’t you dare think about it! He’s dead and gone, she reminded herself. “Funny, did you know I’m the one who took his life?”

  “You sure he’s dead?” Jones hissed.

  “Scattered his ashes myself. There was nothing left.”

  Anger flashed through Jones’ onyx eyes as a roar escaped. He flew at her with a snarl. Victoria faded into shadows and reformed, grabbing his horn in one hand as she slashed his throat deep with her blade.

  A quick glance told her Lincoln held his own against Mena, looking no worse for the wear. Mena, on the other hand, was bleeding from the face and slowing down.

  When she turned, she found Slater engaged in battle with a werebear and—a weresomething, maybe a fox? The problem was the human-sized bat-like creature who decided to join the fight. Three on one wasn’t fair, after all.

  Victoria caught the creature’s foot and whipped it around, throwing it to the ground.

  It shifted back to human, an ugly, hairy man who came up to her chest. He hissed before springing at her. Fast, but not as fast as her. She wasted no time reaching for his throat.

  * * * *

  Four fugly-assed creatures charged toward Brody and Clint. Brody grabbed Clint’s forearms, and he grabbed back. Brody spun, sending Clint flying in an arc that knocked the creatures back like poorly-balanced bowling pins.

  As soon as his feet hit the ground, they charged the
beasts. Clint didn’t bother to check what the other enforcers were doing as he went after the reptilian thing. Baby-shit brown and puke green scales covered the monstrosity.

  It hissed, a forked-tongue striking out.

  “What the fuck are you? An iguana shifter?” Clint spat.

  “Komodo dragon, bitch.” The voice sounded feminine and he blinked as it struck out, its limbs longer than Clint expected, moving faster than he could imagine.

  Clint barely managed to dance out of the way, spinning low to kick her in the stomach.

  She came down on him, biting into his arm, snapping bone. He felt the burn enter his blood stream and raked his claws down one of her femoral arteries.

  She collapsed on him as his strength started to fade.

  The weight was thrown from him, and he saw Brody looking down with a grimace. “Your arm’s not doing so hot.”

  Clint managed to look at the bloody mess but couldn’t see much through the fur.

  “I’ll cover you,” Brody said, about a second before the lights went out.

  * * * *

  Vampires, Robert’s least favorite thing to fight, and that’s what he was facing. Worst part, it was half Sasquatch. Seven feet tall, enough body hair he was pretty sure it qualified as fur. Four inch fangs hung out of his gaping mouth.

  Another swing from the behemoth, and all Robert could see was the gory vision from Byron’s memory. Sasquatch-vamp moved too fast to dodge, so he blinked out and came up beside him with a fireball in hand. He slammed it right at the beast’s crotch that was strangely covered by a pair of nylon gym shorts. Maybe the thing had insecurities?

  The stench of burning hair filled the air as the beast roared in pain. Robert slammed his palm into a flat nose, then wiped his hand down the creature’s hairy chest with a lick of flame, before spinning a roundhouse kick to the beast’s head.

  One massive hand wrapped around his ribs but Robert blinked out, showing up on his opponent’s other side, grabbing his arm and spinning him around.

  Smoldering shorts went up in flames, singeing most of the fur on Sasquatch’s stomach and legs. He went wild, rushing at Robert, tackling him to the ground.

  Momentarily trapped, Robert threw up his shields. The fire spreading on the beast’s fur hit the magic barrier and flared, engulfing the beast in flames.

  Robert translocated back to his feet as Preston moved forward, swinging his mana-blade through the creature’s neck, severing the head in one blow.

  “I was all over him,” Robert grumbled.

  “My ears were one bellow away from bleeding.”

  A werebeast lunged at Preston’s back. Robert popped out, and back in, grabbing the woman by the wrist and relocated her into the cement column across the room.

  Blood dribbled out of her mouth. Robert saluted Preston. “Two can play that game.”

  * * * *

  Jophiel beheaded one of the hybrid shifter-fae and spun. A vampire who still haunted his memories charged with his mouth wide.

  This time there were no chains holding him down, and his wings were fully intact. Jophiel did what the vampire never would have done, and gave him a clean death, slashing his sword out. Another head rolled.

  Lincoln was still engaged with Mena. As much as he wanted to help, and end it, he knew his son needed to finish this. One problem, the boy had no weapon.

  Lincoln spun and landed a back kick that sent Mena to the ground. His wings whipped out as he drove his fist into her face, then spun her head so hard her neck broke.

  Victoria rushed forward, but Slater caught her around the waist, telling her, “Lincoln needs to do this.”

  Jophiel stepped forward. “Son, take my blade. Make it clean.”

  Lincoln looked up with a grave expression but didn’t hesitate in taking the blade. He sliced through Mena’s throat, severing her head completely. The body went up in golden flames.

  He turned back in time to see Jones disappear into a black vortex stinking of sulfur, then burst into motion as smoke filled the air before Victoria.

  * * * *

  Before Lincoln could hand the sword back, Jophiel rushed forward, blocking Victoria from sight.

  Jones stepped from a ring of smoke and slashed an axe down on Jophiel’s shoulder, splitting his chest in half.

  Lincoln launched forward, driving the blazing sword through Jones’ heart, throwing him to the floor.

  “Dad, no!” Lincoln choked out as he caught his father and sank to the floor. “No, don’t leave.” It was too late.

  Weightless, his father burst into silver dust that swirled before disappearing in a shimmer of white light.

  Victoria sat beside him, pulling him into her arms. “I’m sorry, oh Lincoln, I wish—”

  “No. Don’t you dare say it! He saved you for me.” Tears fell down his face and he swallowed. “This way I have you, and he gets Mom.” He stared into her gorgeous dark eyes. “I can’t lose you, and I wouldn’t trade you for him.” The truth of his words eased the pain in his heart.

  “It still hurts. I feel your pain,” she whispered.

  “Would hurt more to lose you. You’ll help me through. I love you.”

  A tear slid down her face. “Love you too.”

  Hadraniel offered each of them a hand. Lincoln looked to the sword with a frown. “What about this?”

  Hadraniel’s brow arched. “Looks like it’s yours now. I’ve never seen an angelfire sword stay in this plane without its owner. The way the flames burn brighter when it’s in your hand is a sign it’s chosen you.”

  Lincoln swallowed hard. “I don’t have the first clue what to do with it.”

  “Well, I can help with that. Pretty sure you have some friends who can train you also. For now, we should get this mess sorted. I have to leave for a bit, but I will come back soon.”

  “You want to go home? I can take you both,” Robert offered.

  Lincoln shook his head. “I’m a part of this. I want to help.”

  Slater clapped a hand on his back. “Going home won’t diminish my view of you.”

  He shook his head. “I started this, I want to see it through.”

  Chapter 29

  “My love,” Ethyl whispered. He felt her hand on his face, her tears splattering his cheeks. “I’ve missed you so much for so very long.”

  Jophiel woke, his eyes opening to find the love of his life. Her body radiated a light she never had before. A million questions raced through his head.

  Tears filled his eyes as he touched where the axe had cleaved through him. No sign of the scar, or any of the others from his captivity.

  His death came back to him. Yes, his physical form died, but his spirit returned to heaven. He would have to wait until the Divine told him his next mission to learn whether or not he was still an angel.

  Ethyl whispered, “Say something, anything, please.”

  He sat up and pulled Ethyl into his arms. “I love you. I’ve missed you every second of every day since I left.”

  “To save my brother,” she finished. “You have always been my angel, but now I’m yours as well.”

  “That remains to be seen, my love. My sword is in our son’s hands. That usually means I’m no longer an angel.”

  “Perhaps, but I think it means our son will have use for it in the coming years.” A tear escaped down her face.

  “And if I’ve lost my wings?”

  “Then I would come for you as you have for me on every incarnation.”

  Jophiel dried her face and kissed her softly. “That reminds me. Victoria is worthy of Lincoln. You had reservations, but I’ve seen them together.”

  She nodded. “I misjudged. Watching these last few days has opened my eyes. I was granted access to Victoria’s history. I wish I had some inkling of what she’d been through. Then I would have understood why she held everyone away. Our son showed her the truth hidden in her heart.”

  “One day, you’ll have to tell him that yourself.”

  “I will, and Victoria a
s well. Though someone would like to speak to you. About our assignment.”

  “Our?” His face lit up. “You really think I haven’t been retired.”

  “I promise you haven’t. Though we won’t be able to go back for some time. I need training.” She looked away, a frown tugging on her lips. “I miss Lincoln, but he’ll be fine.”

  “He will be.”

  She smiled. “You’re to train me before taking me on my first mission.”

  “Finally, some time without having to worry about the next major catastrophe tearing us apart.” He kissed her hard, needing her taste, her heat, her love. First he needed to hear her answer. “Do you forgive me?”

  “Of course. I know what happened now. As much as I hate what you endured, you tried to give me back my brother.”

  “It was worth the risk.”

  She winced. “I can’t honestly agree. Not fully. Still, you tried, and I love you all the more for it. I’m sorry you missed so much. I should have looked for you. I should have—”

  He kissed her, stopping the stream of speculation. When he leaned back, he smiled. “We have forever. I believe we had to travel this path to finally be together for the rest of eternity.”

  * * * *

  Robert wanted to take Lincoln home after watching his father die. Kid had guts though, and no problem pushing through to take care of the people still locked in cells. There were three humans who were used for blood, and several hybrids they were testing on because they were uncooperative, according to their memories.

  Lincoln had a natural gift at calming them, and taking their pain. He was a gifted healer, and now had proved he could hold his own in a fight.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Preston said. “I don’t believe the Silver Council is ready for a Nephilim. Though, Hayden wants to convince him to join the Edenton police.”