by KC Bellinger
“He told me to say sorry to you,” I said, placing a hand on her arm. “This morning, before he left.” I swallowed down the question I didn’t want to ask, but I did anyway: “Did you love him?”
“What?” she asked. “Oh, no. He’s not my type. Never was. It was all a facade for the community. It strengthened us if we ‘appeared’ to be together.”
“Did you ... you know?” I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
She arched her eyebrows and grimaced. “Shit, girl. I have high expectations, angels don’t even appeal to me. They stink.”
I let out a large breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“What about Jaiten?” I needed to stop talking.
“Well,” she said sheepishly, “you were caught up with the angels and all. I didn’t think you’d care.”
“I don’t,” I lied.
“We can discuss all this touchy-feely shit later. Right now, we need the bear. There’s no telling when Rhys will return, and we need to make sure all the relics are safe. I’m assuming you have the bowl?”
I nodded. It was still tied around my neck.
“Good. Where’s the rope they used on you?”
“One of them is in the hole with Jaiten. Rhys cut the other from my wrist. I used it on Camille, but I must have made it too loose because she got out of it. There are other pieces of it missing. I don’t think we’ll ever retrieve the whole thing.”
“We’ll worry about that later,” she said, exasperated. “Did Rhys give you the ring or did he take it with him?”
“He still has it.” I remember because I studied every inch of him before he left. “The spear split into two.” I patted the jacket’s inside pocket. “I have the larger piece but the smaller one fell into the ocean.”
“So, we are missing the stone, the cuff has been destroyed, although there’s no proof, only hearsay. Any ideas where the stone might be?” Arwyn pursed her lips. “Did Loverboy tell you where you can find them?”
“Why are you sticking around, Arwyn?” She seemed as over it as I was. “I can find them on my own.”
“Sure you can.” She snorted. “I made a promise to Rhys long ago. I protect what’s his, and he protects what’s mine. Since you no longer have a demon”—she took a step toward me—“or an angel.” Another step. Then she lunged at me, pushing me off the cliff. “I’m your new fucking bodyguard.”
Chapter 29
I was going to die. I was going to hit the jagged rocks and die—I was okay with that. Or was I?
“Call the elements.” I heard someone scream at me. I wasn’t sure if it was Arwyn from the top or if it was me calling from inside my head.
I felt the wind from my accelerating body and grabbed at it, but it slipped through my fingers. I didn’t know how to do it. I was going to die after all. I closed my eyes awaiting the impalement, and then I could reunite with my angels.
Images of my family flashed through my mind. Camille had my little sister, May, by the hand and they were laughing. That can’t be right. My mind is screwing with me. Camille is dead. Isn’t she? I mean, Neetah had her in a death grip as they fell into the ocean. She drowned or suffocated, right? Fear stirred in my gut and I started to panic because I hadn’t actually seen her dead body.
I opened my eyes to see when I was going to hit the shoreline stones. I was a foot above a sharp boulder but I wasn’t moving. Hovering was not a trait I thought I had. The sea spray soaked my face and hair as I thought of what to do next.
I willed my hand to touch my face, but it didn’t move. Okay, think, how did I get like this? It must have been when my emotions changed. Breathe. The tension in my body relaxed and I fell again. I landed with a thud on the boulder. The landing wasn’t graceful, but I was alive.
“Neetah,” I called into the ocean. Nothing. It was worth a shot. Now what? Jump into the freezing water? I sat on the rock that was supposed to destroy me and brought my knees to my chest. The tide was coming in and I didn’t have long to decide what to do. I could climb along the rock and reach the beach or go for a swim. Maybe she’d washed ashore?
“What are you waiting for?”
I almost slipped off the rock.
Arwyn stood with her arms crossed on the rock next to me. She was dressed in lemon-colored high heel boots and a matching raincoat. “Well, go get her!”
“I don’t know how to, Arwyn!” I screamed at her. “I can’t do it!” I scooted off the rock and gingerly made my way to the beach. By the time I reached the sand, the water was slapping my knees and the rock I landed on was underwater.
“I guess I should apologize, but I don’t, so I won’t,” Arwyn snarked.
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me.”
“It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever said.” She looked at the ocean in disgust and groaned. “I’ll find someone else to get the cloak.”
“Give me a chance. I’ll see what I can do when the tide goes out and I calm down,” I promised. “I need some time to think.”
“Sure, go get some rest. We’ll meet up at sunset.”
I nodded, and we started the trek back up the cliff.
“Do you have anything under that slicker?”
“Nope. If I had to pull your sorry-ass out of the ocean, I wasn’t about to ruin an outfit.”
Remnants of the Stone’s house were bobbing in the water and a large piece still dangled from the cliff. There was a dirt path that led up to the top. When the tide pulled away and rolled far out to sea, a cave came into view. Something large and dark moved deeper into the earth.
“Arwyn, I think I know where Neetah is and I don’t have to get wet to get her.”
Arwyn’s gaze followed mine. “Shit. We are going to need backup.”
“What?”
“She is a cloak, Whitney,” she said each word slowly like I was an idiot. “She cannot move on her own.”
“Camille?”
“Camille,” she confirmed.
I ran toward the cave, but Arwyn pulled hard on my arm.
“Slow down. We can’t stop her in this condition.” Arwyn glanced at her clothes. “Regardless of what you are, you are still human, which requires nutrition and rest. If we have any chance to get her, we need to form a plan and get back up.”
Chapter 30
I collapsed onto the bed, and my head began to swim. So much had happened in the past few days, I wasn’t even sure what day it was. Still wrapped in Rhys’s jacket, I pretended they were his arms and willed myself to sleep. I’m not sure how much time had passed when I was awoken by a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called.
“I come bearing food.” Justin placed a picnic basket on the table. The scent of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and rolls tortured my empty stomach. “Are you hungry?”
“Famished.” I groaned, rolling out of bed.
“I see you traded your cloak for a duster jacket.” Justin frowned. “Julia filled me in on what happened at the church, but some things are fuzzy. Do you mind filling in the holes?”
“Of course, but not today. Okay?”
“What about the angels? Are you leaving with them?”
“They’re gone.”
“Oh.” He reached over, took my hand, and squeezed it. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Shut up and eat lunch with me,” I joked.
He flipped his hair out of his eyes. Normal eyes. No magic. No angels or demons. We ate in compatible silence.
“This is nice.”
“It’s just lunch,” Justin remarked between mouthfuls.
“Yup, just a normal lunch.” I ached for my angels, I did, but I hadn’t felt human since pulling into Timber Grove. The anxiety of what I needed to do tonight escaped me for a bit. I wished Rhys would have gotten the cloak before he left, but that would have limited our time even more. No, I can take care of Camille, and then, a bit of normal.
There was a scratching at the door.
Being a gentleman, Justin got up and opened t
he door. A small black cat sauntered into the cabin. She hissed half-heartedly at Justin then jumped up on my bed. From a distance, we could see Julia running toward the cabin.
“I didn’t know you had a cat,” Julia said, panting.
“Neither did I.” I glared at the feline.
The cat yawned, stretched, and winked at me before falling asleep.
“What’s up, sis?”
“I had a vision … I think.” She looked around the room frantically. “Where’s that weird cloak you were wearing earlier?”
The cat’s ears perked up.
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“I saw that little creepy girl with it on. The girl from the church.”
“And …” I said, nodding.
“And she was holding the hand of a little girl who looks a lot like Dustyn.” Julia took a deep breath. “Is that even possible?”
“May.” I sighed. “She’s going after my sister. I had the same vision.”
“You have visions, too?”
“It’s my first, and hopefully my last.” I felt annoyed at my new little ‘gift.’
Dustyn had told me if I defeated demons my magic and abilities would enhance. I had captured and destroyed more demons in the past few days than I ever dreamed I would. I searched for a mirror in the small dresser, and sure enough, my bright blue eyes had faded to a pale gray. Damn. I loved my sapphire eyes.
“I’m guessing things aren’t back to normal yet.” Justin sat down next to the cat and scratched behind her ears.
She got up and rubbed herself on him. I knew where this was going.
“With me, nothing is ever normal.” I handed him the basket. “Thanks for lunch.”
“Are you kicking me out already?”
The cat flipped onto her back exposing her belly.
“Yes, I need to talk with the cat.”
Justin closed the door behind him, chuckling to himself. “Yeah, right.”
***
“Arwyn, why are you a cat?”
“Because I like heavy petting by humans—male humans.” She wiggled her whiskers.
“Can you ever answer a question with an acceptable answer? We have too much going on to be screwing around,” I scolded.
“I’m not the one screwing around,” she hissed. “Shit. Rhys last night, and now that boy?”
“He brought me food.”
“He wanted to give you more than food.”
“Enough, all ready!” I pleaded. “This is my sister, we need to help.”
“Calm down. What kind of magical objects do you have around here?” she said, finally changing the subject.
I listed everything I had available in my mind.“We have the bowl.”
“Which doesn’t do us any good.”
“I have a piece of the spear.” I patted the chest pocket of Rhys’s jacket.
“That may come in handy. What else do you have?”
“All I have left are my books.” I tugged out my books to see if there was any mention about stopping an Hour. I sat on the floor and flipped through the larger book of spells. It was too overwhelming; I’d never find anything in there without studying it for a few days. I opened the picture book and looked for the figure wearing Rhys’s ring. I traced it over and over again, remembering what it was like to have his fingers trail along my skin.
“We are wasting time, Whitney. Did you find anything?”
I shook my head.
Arwyn hopped off the bed, sniffed, then headed for the door. “Let’s go. Our backup is waiting for us.”
Chapter 31
As soon as we left the church grounds and reached my parked car, Arwyn turned back into her normal human-ish form. This time, she looked dressed for the occasion with combat boots and a camo jumpsuit. Of course, it was all neon purple (hair and lips too), so she wouldn’t be hiding from anyone.
“What?” she said, tucking her pants into the boots. “I blend in with the night.”
Uh-huh.
Leaning against the wall, a tall, lanky man watched us. He greeted us as we rounded the parking lot.
“Whitney, this is Killian.”
Killian looked familiar. His teased blond hair and lined eyes brought me back to the first time I’d seen Rhys.
“Told you we’d meet again.” Casually he slung an arm around my shoulder.
“Back off, Killian,” Arwyn ordered.
“Why?” he said, hypnotizing me with his devilish smile. “You said her demon is out of the picture, and since you don’t swing that way, Arwyn, what’s wrong with a little flirting?”
“Smell her.”
He leaned uncomfortably close to my ear and inhaled deeply. Killian jumped back as far as he could then apologized immediately.
“Yup, she belongs to him. So, no touching, tasting, or flirting with Whitney. Think of her like a rock. Make that a diamond. And if you lose, damage, or put her where she doesn’t belong, then back to Hell you go. Got that, loverboy?”
“I was just trying to have fun, Arwyn.”
“That’s why you keep ending up as a doorman instead of the bassist of the band you so desperately desire,” Arwyn reminded him. “Don’t screw this up, or you’ll be babysitting the door till The Protector returns from his business trip.”
Business trip? I glanced at Arwyn.
She shrugged.
“Arwyn, can I have a word, please?”
“We don’t have time. Get in the car!” she ordered.
“I’m going too!” someone called, running up to meet us.
“What’s this all about, Whitney?” Arwyn demanded.
It was my turn to shrug.
Justin was panting when he reached us.
“No! Nope. Nuh-uh.”
“Come on, Whit, do you even know these people? It’s late at night, and you haven’t slept in your cabin a full night since you’ve been here,” Justin pleaded.
“Look, I have a lot going on. Believe me, I’d love it if my only worry was school starting Monday.”
“Yes, Monday is in two days. Are you going to throw away your future to hang out with them?”
“I’m not hanging out with them. I am trying to save my sister, probably my whole family.”
“Sorry.” Justin’s shoulders sagged. “I just assumed you were having a good time.”
“Get in the car, both of you!” Arwyn ordered from the driver’s side window.
Kilian grabbed Justin and shoved him in the back.
“I’m driving!” I was the only one left not in the car.
“The Hell you are! Get in!”
Damn her!
***
Arwyn pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the old compound and the ocean.
“Why are we wasting our time? We should be heading out of town.”
“This is what Camille knows. It won’t hurt to take a quick check to see if you can feel her in the area.”
I got out and walked around while the others stayed in the car. I played with the air around me. I could still smell the scents of the angels, the Strongs and their demons. It was an odd mixture but I pulled them apart, one by one. I immersed myself in the sweet scent of Penn until Rhys tickled my nose. I closed my eyes and pretended he was still there. The memory of last night, lathered in the moonlight and nothing else, filled my mind. I reached out trying to touch him. Of course, he wasn’t there.
“Can you feel her or not?” Arwyn called from the car.
I didn’t want to leave, but I didn’t have a choice. “No.”
“Then get your ass back in the car!” Arwyn shouted.
***
We drove around with the windows down as soon as we left town.
“I assume, if she is heading to Aster, she’d follow close to the highway. How far is Aster from here?” Arwyn asked.
“It took me a little over two hours to get to Timber Grove.”
“Are we really driving that far?” Justin piped up. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
&
nbsp; “It was your choice to come, man,” Killian said, sprawled out in the back seat.
“I’m not turning the car around to drop your sorry-ass off back in town,” Arwyn growled.
“Justin, we don’t have a choice,” I said, feeling defeated.
“So, let me get this straight, we are tracking down a girl who is wearing the cloak you were addicted to.”
“Camille,” Arwyn corrected. “The girl’s name is Camille.”
“Fine. You and Julia had a vision of Camille making friends with your sister. She sounds very dangerous. If your vision is real, will there be anyone to back you up?”
“You are looking at the backup,” Killian declared, sounding cocky.
“Guys, I need to concentrate.” I took a deep breath. The air turned from salty to evergreen. I stirred the air, causing a light wind. There were scents of deer; flowers, dirt, and even a few bears, but not Neetah. I was beginning to think she wasn’t headed for Aster, or maybe I hadn’t seen her in the cave. It had been well over an hour without any scent.
I was just about to tell Arwyn to go back home when I caught Neetah’s smell. It was faint, probably a few hours old. “Speed up!” I said excitedly. “She’s far ahead of us.”
Arwyn gunned it down the highway.
“What’s the plan when we catch up with her?” Killian asked.
“Get the cloak. I’ll take care of the rest” I said confidently. I didn’t have any idea what I was going to do, but tearing her head from her body sounded good.
***
We pulled up to the White’s sprawling estate. It was late, but candles still burned in the library window. Somebody was still awake. With no hint in the air of Camille, I relaxed a bit.
“All clear, guys. I need to let them know we’re here so the staff doesn’t come after us with guns.”
Everyone chuckled.
“It sounds funny, but they shoot first, no one asks questions.”
I signaled for everyone to follow me through the gate. Arwyn stepped one foot into the yard and was tossed three feet from the gate. Killian burst out laughing.