ANGEL'S KISS (A Dark Angel's Novel)

by Lynne Stevie

  “I’m here for you, to protect you.” One hand tentatively reached and caressed my face.

  “I don’t understand.” I closed my eyes and leaned into her hand. I took a deep breath and filled myself with her presence. “If you loved me, why didn’t you take me with you?” Just forming the question was difficult.

  “Oh, baby, I wish I could have, but it wasn’t possible.” Her thumb gently wiped a tear from my cheek. “In this world I must always keep our heritage a secret. If any of the ancient immortals knew about our family, they would kill us all. I had to leave to protect you and Dennis.”

  She tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Only a few Dark Angels survived the original war. Saraiah was very efficient and killed any immortals that found out about us. But when he passed, Beatrix didn’t fully understand the danger. Aleksandr found her, and I believe he would have killed her if he hadn’t been so drawn to her. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to continue his lineage.”

  She chuckled and stood. “How ironic, don’t you think? Only a human woman with some Dark Angel blood can bear a child fathered by an immortal. The need to procreate is rooted deep in men.” Her smile returned as if she were telling a secret. “They are such easily mastered beasts.”

  She grabbed my hand and squeezed the small cut made by the dagger.

  “Ow!” I yelped and tried to pull away from her grasp, but she was deceptively strong.

  “I just want to see how far he’s gotten. Hold still!”

  “What are you—” But she’d already licked my finger, released me, and jumped across the room. Her eyes glowed, her nostrils flared, and her breathing came in bursts. I remembered William’s warning and stood up, backing myself toward the far wall closest to the door.

  Zeke’s howl broke the silence and seemed to help Angelina get control of herself. I could see her eyes lose some of the lust and her breathing slowed.

  “Come, it’s not too late. He has not contaminated you too much. We can still reverse it.” She was on me, grabbing my arm and tugging me toward the long hallway, before I knew what was happening.

  “Wait!” I scrambled to make her let go, finally grabbing the doorway with my free hand. I had just enough strength to slow her down. “What do you mean, contaminated?”

  She turned with venom in her eyes. “Don’t be difficult, Alexandria. I must get you out of here now! Beatrix’s people are on the way! And I’m sure your friend whom I can taste—” she raised my punctured finger, “is keeping a watch on you, too. I’ll explain everything later. Now we have to go.” She tried to pull me along.

  I yanked my hand away from her.

  “No, wait!” My head itched and the dagger burned so deeply into my back I was surprised she didn’t see the glow. “I was supposed to meet Ottie and Maloran here. Where are they?”

  “Alexandria, we do not have time for this right now.” She tried to pull me again, but I held on.

  “Where are they?”

  “Dear, they were becoming a problem. Very stubborn, those two. They resisted every attempt I made to clean their minds.” She put her hands on her hips in a defiant stance. “I needed the extra strength tonight plus, I needed to clean up the last two witnesses, so this accomplished both tasks. Not to worry, I know how to clean up after myself; no one will ever link this to you. Now, we have to leave.”

  “No, I need to see Ottie. He’s my friend.” Fear took hold. This. What does that mean. It can’t be too late, I prayed. There’s got to be something I can do. I could save them if I knew where they were.

  She contemplated for a moment and then gave in. “Okay, but just for a moment. We really need to leave, baby.”

  She took my arm and pulled again, but this time I let her lead me down the hall. “All the witnesses who knew of the Janeck murders had to be silenced, or someone else would come after you. I know now from the taste of your blood that I was right. You’re not safe here anymore. Too many immortals know of your presence.”

  She pulled me through the door and the gold room sparkled. I was momentarily blinded by the glow and the memory of the couple’s murder.

  “I thought it only fitting they should be in this room. Since this is where it all started, it should end here too.”

  Her voice sliced through the golden glow. I leaned against the door for support. Ottie and Maloran were each lying in a pool of blood, still gripping their guns.

  “I thought a murder suicide would explain their deaths, neatly.” She sounded as if she were just explaining the plot in a novel.

  “Why did you have to kill them? Everyone else just forgot the murders. Why didn’t you just make them forget?”

  Ottie’s eyes cracked open and a shallow cough escaped his mouth; blood gurgled out. He was still alive! But I was too slow. In the moment that I told my legs to move, she saw my reaction and stopped me.

  “You’ll mess up the scene, and he’s gone anyway,” she yelled in my face. “There’s nothing you can do, Alexandria! I had to kill them! Don’t you see there couldn’t be any witnesses?”

  Her hold on me tightened. “The Janecks got what they deserved. Probably their hired help turned on them. Then you took care of him. Everything was wrapped up except for these two.” She let go of my arms, but kept her position, blocking my way.

  “These two.” She dismissed them with a wave of her hand, but I could hear the scorn in her voice. “Who would have thought that two such ordinary men could resist me? Dear, I really did attempt to help them forget,” she said as if that made everything okay. She shook her head; she really was confused.

  I rocked a little on my feet, hoping to find a way to get to Ottie. But even though Angelina seemed lost in her explanation, she was quicker than I, stopping me again. My heart broke as Ottie’s body shuddered with another slight cough.

  “I have to give your father credit.” She held her dress up daintily while she used her beautiful Victorian ankle boot to kick Ottie’s thigh. “He picked wisely with this one. What a tough bastard. I think he knew that I could enter his dreams. He fought me. He would not let me help him forget.” She turned back to me and brushed her dress back down.

  “Normally, men are very happy to see me in their dreams. They think they’re having the best dream of their lives.” She smiled, reminding me of the Cheshire cat. “Even when I wrap their energy around my little finger, they beg me to stay.”

  I stood frozen with fear. I can’t lose Ottie. When dad died, Ottie was there to fill that void. He’s my family. I had to do something for him.

  A howl filled the silent night, reminding me of Zeke and why we were here.

  “We really must go now, Alexandria.” I couldn’t take my eyes off Ottie and refused to be turned away. She grabbed my arm and spun me to face her.

  “Now. Before your friends come in after you and Beatrix arrives.” She put her hand at the small of my back to move me toward the door.

  I had only a moment to worry that she might find my dagger before she screamed and yanked her arm away.

  “What have you done, Alexandria?” She held her arm out for me to see. Her dress was singed and her skin was blistered. I could just make out the shape of the circular part of the handle on the dagger before she pulled her arm back. Angelina grabbed me and shook me. “What have you done?”

  The dagger throbbed and pulsed against my back. I reached behind me and pulled out the dagger. I held it close to my chest and watched as her eyes widened. Then she flew back, slamming into the wall. She closed her eyes and put up her arms as if the beautiful glow from the dagger was hurting her.

  “What is that thing?” She put her hand down and felt along the wall. “Get rid of it!” She struggled to feel her way to the door.

  I started to put the dagger down. As my hand lowered I realized what I was doing and I stopped. Not just because I liked the jewels or the glow, but because it was a part of me; part of my hand, my arm. The thought of letting it go felt like someone had just asked me to cut off my arm. I could not b
e separated from it.

  “I…I can’t.” I stammered still trying to understand the irrational pain I felt at the thought of being separated from the long blade.

  “What do you mean you can’t.” Put that down now and come to me!” I realized that distance seemed to affect the dagger—the further away Angelina was from me, the more diminished its brilliance. When she took a step toward me, the dagger burned brighter.

  “Arggg!” The door frame cracked and splintered apart where she’d gripped it. Her anger and frustration were ruling her now.

  “Alexandria, I love you, you’re my child. Everything I’ve done has been for us.” She moved to stand outside the doorway, the distance obviously helped her. “This immortal has marked you; your blood stinks of him.” She spat.

  I wasn’t surprised; I knew somehow that she spoke the truth about my blood. I remembered those dreams of lazy afternoons, and my mouth watered at the thought of drinking lemonade from the metallic-tasting cups.

  “You didn’t know, did you?” She sounded confident now.

  “No.” I felt like I was in a long tunnel. I could see the light at the end, but I couldn’t run fast enough to get out.

  “Baby, you won’t be able to resist him without my help. Put down that knife, we must leave.”

  A small part of me realized I needed to make a choice. No one could save me or decide for me. I looked at my mother; the longing in my heart was almost unbearable. Almost.

  “Alexandria.” Her expression softened. She held out her arms and welcomed me.

  I looked at the dagger burning in my hand. Its glow brightened, I heard Ottie cough, and I felt my father’s love surround me. In my ear he whispered, “Family and your own reflection in the mirror. Nothing else matters, baby.” That was his answer to every question I’d ever asked him. It used to infuriate me.

  I felt sure that had my mother been there when I was young, she would have given me much better advice, not philosophical bullshit. But now I understood what Dad was telling me. I’d made my choice; I didn’t feel any conflict. Tomorrow, I’d mourn the loss of my mother again.

  “No. I won’t come with you.” I knelt beside Ottie. “If you love me, tell me how to save him.” I touched his face to see if he was still conscious.

  “Ottie, can you hear me?” I laid the dagger in my lap and felt for a pulse. The light from the dagger faded.

  “I’ve risked everything to help you into this life, and you will obey me!” Angelina pulled me away from Ottie, and the dagger fell out of my lap. I tried to scramble back or reach it with my foot, but she was too strong.

  “NO! I won’t go with you! I’m staying!” I kicked and fought, but I couldn’t stand up, and she dragged me like a sack. I couldn’t get ahold of anything and the floor was too slippery to get any leverage.

  “I have to help them!” I screamed. We were at the doorway now, and I used all my strength to hold onto the door frame and keep Angelina from dragging me out of the room.

  “Alexandria, stop fighting me!” She stopped pulling and instead hefted me up so I stood face to face with her. She slapped me. Stars sprang into my vision and my brain rattled in my head. I would have fallen, but she held me up.

  “Trust me, darling, you will get over this irrational attachment to these mortals. Now, stop fighting and—”

  Angelina was thrown down the hall and my body slammed into the door frame, knocking the breath out of me. I was stunned for a moment, but Zeke’s growl and Angelina’s hiss brought me out of my haze. She and Zeke were halfway down the hall lunging at each other. I couldn’t see them clearly in the dark, but the screams and the growls were deafening.

  “Alex, are you injured?” Ben’s strong hands turned me like a rag doll, checking for any signs of injury.

  “Stop it!” I pushed his hands away. “I’m fine. We have to help Zeke and Ottie.”

  “Zeke can handle himself; we need to get you out of here.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the window. When my foot touched the dagger, its light flickered in the dark room.

  “The dagger!” I picked it up.

  “Alex!”

  The handle felt hot in my hand. An electric current started at my Angel’s Kiss and ran through me, shaking my entire body, and ended with the dagger bursting to life.

  Ben had stopped trying to pull me out of the house. He was on his knees staring at the dagger.

  “Ben!” I yelled to get his attention. “Help Ottie!”

  As I turned toward the hall, I heard a strangled protest of pain. I wasn’t sure if it was animal or human. I ran toward it, letting all my doubts fall away.

  Chapter 22

  Tethered For Life

  I ran through the door without looking and right into the fight. Tangled together, Zeke, Angelina, and I hit the wall with such force that the plaster cracked, leaving an odd indent that looked like an octopus. Plaster? Who uses plaster anymore? How old is this weird house?

  We all staggered and broke free of each other. Zeke and Angelina picked opposite ends of the hall and paced like boxers waiting for the bell to ring. I stood in the middle and surveyed the damage. The hallway was so spattered and dripping in blood that it reminded me of a Jackson Pollack painting. Angelina’s arm hung at an odd angle and Zeke had a slight limp, but neither showed any sign of giving up.

  “Alexandria! Darling, call off that beast and drop that…thing.” She shielded her eyes from the glow of my dagger with her good arm.

  Zeke’s bark said bring it on as he paced behind me.

  The dagger was becoming such a part of me that I’d forgotten I was holding it. But it hadn’t forgotten what we came out here to do. The dagger’s golden glow had taken on a powerful red tint and pulsed in time with my own heartbeat. I crouched in front of Zeke, ready to defend my “family.”

  “What are you doing?” She stepped forward and, for the first time, sounded unsure of her hold on me. “Alexandria, I am your mother.”

  Zeke growled, his voice vibrating through the dagger’s golden-reddish glow like a ripple on a lake.

  I stood between the two and kept my eyes on Angelina. “Enough! I don’t belong to you.” Anger flared in me, and mahogany streaks ran through the glow of the dagger. The fury had always been there waiting for someone to drill deep enough and let it out. Now that Angelina had hit the reserve, like an oil well, I exploded with it.

  “How dare you come into my life after all these years, telling me that you love me? RAAAA,” I screamed. My anger was almost blinding.

  “First you tell me that you love me, and then you say that you’ll be more powerful with me at your side. Which is it, mother? Do you love me, or do you just want me to be your battery?”

  “How dare you talk to me this way?” She stood her ground, indignant, even though the dagger’s glow was obviously hurting her eyes. “Everything I have done, I have done for you. I love you.”

  “You’re no different than Ellasar or the shithead that Zeke and I killed. Sorry to mess up your plans! I’m not a pawn you can move around the board.”

  “Ellasar?” Her whole body tensed and she staggered back. She was afraid.

  “Don’t be a fool, Alexandria, he’ll use you up and then—” She turned toward the living room.

  “And then what, Angelina?” Why did she react to his name? Did she know him?

  “Don’t do this, darling. Please, I’m begging you.” She held out her arms to me—I noticed that her arm had healed while we were talking—yet her body backed down the hall.

  “Don’t do what?” Curiosity had replaced my anger. Angelina was immortal. Why would she be afraid of Ellasar? Better yet, maybe she knew how I could get rid of him!

  “Alex!” Ben yelled from the bedroom.

  “What?” I asked, turning toward the room. “At least Ellasar hasn’t tried to kill—” When I turned back, she was gone.

  Zeke walked around me, sniffing the air. Then he snorted and shook his head, cleaning his nose, I guess. As he trotted through the bedr
oom door, I realized he no longer had a limp. Man, they can heal fast.

  The thought of healing brought my mind back to Ottie.

  “Ottie!” I was thankful to see that the dagger had dimmed now, because in this shiny gold room, the glare was blinding even to me.

  “He’s been asking for you.” Ben’s voice was clinical and cold. “He’s not going to make it.” Ben joined Zeke in the doorway, but they both looked relaxed. The danger must be gone.

  “Ben, have you called for help?”

  “William will be here soon.” Ben moved toward the window and looked outside.

  “No! Call an ambulance…something!” I was frantic to get help for Ottie. No way would I let him die. I gently touched his cheek. I wanted to pick up his head and put it in my lap, but I was afraid to move him, even a little.

  “Alex, we can’t call in the police. William will be here in a few minutes and he’ll know what to do.” I followed Ben’s eyes. Officer Maloran’s body was slumped in a pool of blood along the far wall. No movement at all from his body.

  I reached for my cell phone as Ottie spoke.

  “Lexie.” His voice sounded breathless, hollow. Maybe he had a punctured lung? I’d never thought of Ottie as fragile. To me, he’d always been invincible. I started to cry as I looked down at his battered face and tentatively touched his cheek.

  “I’m here, Ottie; you’re going to be fine. Help is on the way.”

  “Don’t—” he winced, and a little blood leaked out of his mouth. “—Shit me. I know the score.” He waited, swallowing the pain. “I’m sorry about your mom…being a psycho bitch, I mean.”

  I chuckled around the lump in my throat.

  And then he closed his eyes.

  “Ottie, don’t you dare say something shitty like that and then die on me. Ottie!”

  I held his face and willed him to open his eyes. The blood flow from his wounds seemed to be slowing down. His heart was slowing down.

  “No!” I sobbed. “Oh God, please, no, I can’t lose you, too!” I squished my hand into the worst wound on Ottie’s chest, trying to keep as much blood inside him as possible. But as I pushed on one side of his chest, the hole on the other side leaked more.