He lifted his head, looking toward where he believed Elvis was singing. He forced his eyes to focus and the King came into view, frozen, not moving at all, and yet he could still hear him singing. Then he realized there was a very good reason why Elvis’ hips remained in one position. He was a life-size statue perched on the balcony of the building across the street. Elvis. Statue. Music. Confusion receded replaced by awareness. Chaz tossed him in the parking lot around the corner from Doug’s Downtown Grill on the main drag of the Historic Street of Garden Grove.
Ryden O’Sullivan worked as a waitress at the family owned restaurant. This was where he had first met her. He sighed in remembrance. He’d been drawn to the restaurant by the aroma that surrounded the place—herbs and smoked meat, and something else, a spice like cinnamon but more intense. He stepped through the door and was met by a long-limbed woman with dark hair and eyes the color of brown sugar. His gaze landed on the nametag pinned to her white blouse. “Ryden,” he murmured the name under his breath. The heated cinnamon scent was hers and the aroma wrapped around him and drew him in, making him want to grab her and claim her as his. The odd response floored him, nearly sent him to his knees as he tried to rein in his desire to snatch her up and run from the building, fighting anyone who tried to stop him. He believed she must be a preternatural being of some sort, maybe one of the Sidhe, the fairy people who possessed the glamour as he did.
Eli made it his duty to find out more about her and was surprised to learn she was only human. He had hoped to make sense of his reaction to her and squelch the intense attraction, but the more time he spent in her presence the more convinced he was that they were meant to be together. Chaz accused him of using his glamour to manipulate Ryden’s feelings for him, but it was he who was under Ryden’s spell from the start.
The thought of her being in the near vicinity, made him feel better already.
He wondered what day it was. Was it the first day he met her? What would he say to her? What had he said to her? How would he make her fall in love with him all over again? His head pounded, his temple keeping time with his heartbeat. First things first, he needed a cup of coffee to jumpstart his system.
His back felt like it had been burned with hot oil. The elder had bound his wings to his back, searing them into his flesh. To a human, it would appear as if he had two intricate wings tattooed on his back, starting from his shoulder blades to his hips. His glamour was also bound, leaving him with all the aches and pains a human experienced. He was still a half-angel, but unable to unleash his magic to heal himself quickly. “However do the humans manage to leave their beds in the morning,” he mumbled under his breath. He crawled from the parking space to the edge of the building, leaning against the structure and using it to come to his feet. The world swayed on its axis for a moment but then everything focused. He glanced down at his attire—jeans, T-shirt and boots. He was grateful he hadn’t been left bare.
He looked toward the street. He had to go around the corner, passing a few businesses before reaching the restaurant. He could do this. Walk, that is. He managed to put one foot in front of the other. As he stretched his limbs, the simple function came back to him.
The elders gave him until the end of Ol’ Hallow’s Eve to make Ryden fall in love with him again. After a cup of rich caffeine, he needed to find out what day it was. He looked up, shielding his eyes. The sun sat high in the sky and the historic district was only now coming alive with storeowners opening for business. It had to be about eleven or so.
A coffee and gelato shop was on the corner of the parking lot and Doug’s Downtown Grill sat between it and the barbershop. Across the street there was a stamp store and clothing boutique, along with the Mexican restaurant with the Elvis statue perched on the balcony. A little further down the street there was an old time theater that still featured plays. It was all very quaint.
Reaching the restaurant, his fingers curled around the handle of the door, pulling it open. He stepped inside as the bell chimed, announcing his arrival.
Seating area for the bar was to the right of him, furnished with round tables and chairs. The wood bar took up the length of the dividing wall that separated the dining room from the bar. A mirror hung behind the bar on the wall, giving the room the illusion of being larger.
His gaze landed on Doug, the owner and fabulous cook who prepared the food on the menu. He was a forty-something human with light brown hair. He stood behind the bar talking with one of the regulars. Noticing his arrival, he lifted his hand in greeting. “Someone will be right with you,” he told him as he handed a glass of beer to the man seated at the bar.
Eli slipped his hands into his pockets. God, he hoped Ryden would be the one to seat him. Her scent hit him the moment he entered the restaurant. He didn’t know if he would sense her with his glamour bound and was pleased to know he still could.
He looked toward the back section where the booths and tables were set for patrons interested in a full meal. The tan colored walls were decorated with photos from Garden Grove’s past, giving the patrons a chance to reminisce of the years gone by.
From around the corner, Ryden came into view and for a moment he forgot to breathe. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a white button-down shirt and black slacks, the uniform for the grill. Her face lit up when she saw him and her lips slid into a warm smile of welcome. Those eyes, the color of brown sugar recognized him. Thank God, she knew him. His heart slammed into his ribcage. This would be easier than he thought.
“You’re early today, Mr. Grigori.”
In the human world, the brethren had to choose last names since that was their tradition. He used the Watchers’ formal name. Grigori was easy to remember and he’d be more apt to answer to the name if someone chose to call him by it.
Ryden knew who he was, but they weren’t on a first name basis, yet. Maybe it wouldn’t be so easy after all. “Why don’t you call me Eli?”
Her face flushed a healthy pink and her smile widened. “Eli then. Do you want your usual booth?”
Had he always been so predictable? “Sure.” He followed her and she seated him at the booth near the back. He liked this spot. It gave him the view of the whole room, the comings and goings of the patrons, old habits to keep him safe from an enemy. He slid into the booth and tried not to grimace when his back made contact with the backrest.
“What would you like to drink, Mr… Uhm… Eli?”
“Coffee.”
“Just made a fresh brew. I’ll be right back and I’ll take your order.” She turned to go, but he called her back.
“How long have we known each other?” He wanted to know the year, so it would give him an idea how much Ryden knew about him.
“Well, let’s see. I started working here in November of last year and Halloween is tomorrow. So almost a year. Why?”
“Just curious.” He smiled. This was before they dated, before she knew what he was, before she said she loved him. And he had a day to make her fall in love with him all over again.
Chapter Four
When Ryden caught sight of Eli Grigori standing there at the door with the sun’s rays bathing him in light, a thrill swept through her, making her heart skip a beat. Her day could only get better with her favorite customer showing up.
Her fiasco at the cleaners was but a distant memory now. Well, sort of. They ruined her Halloween costume, frying it when they tried to press it. It was bad enough she would have to show up with no date to her cousin’s Halloween Bash, but now she didn’t have a costume either.
Funny how one incident could ruin your mood or how one person could brighten up your whole day. Eli was one of those people, always charming and a good tipper, too. It didn’t hurt that he was GQ good-looking, even in casual wear.
He wore his black hair trimmed just above his ears, thick and wavy. He had high cheekbones chiseled out of a face of beauty and his eyes were to die for—the color of whiskey, shimmering with gold depths and framed by dark,
thick lashes. The way his gaze would sweep over her made her feel like she was the prettiest woman he ever saw. He always smelled good, too. All masculine dashed with a bit of danger. She inhaled deeply. “Pure heaven.” She took a cup and saucer from the shelf and poured the coffee. He had a body as impressive as his face. The man was tall, maybe six-foot-six or more, since he towered over her five-foot-ten-and-a-half-inch height. It was nice to have to look up for a change.
She wondered what Eli was doing for Halloween. For a second, she fantasized about asking him if he’d want to go with her to the party. Wouldn’t her cousin just flip if she walked in with the guy she’d been talking about for the last year? Unfortunately, fantasies weren’t reality and Eli probably wouldn’t be interested. He came to the restaurant for a good meal and peace and quiet. He was a writer and would sit for long hours, pecking away at his computer or jotting things down in a notebook. She would warm up his coffee and occasionally he’d spark a conversation with her, but she wasn’t foolish enough to believe it meant anymore than casual friendship on his part. If a guy were interested in a woman, he would ask her out. Eli Grigori never did.
She picked up the coffee cup and brought it out to him. “Here you go, nice and hot and black as sin.”
His lips twitched and his gaze locked onto hers. “Just the way I like it.” His hand gripped the handle and he took a long, generous sip.
The cup looked like a dainty teacup in his large hand. She stared as his lips closed over the rim and she imagined how they’d feel on her. Oh, yes. All smooth and deliciously warm as they caressed her mouth. She tore her gaze away and shifted her weight to one foot. Breathe, Ryden. It wouldn’t do if you fainted and fell into the guy’s lap. “Do you know what you want to order?”
“Mmm…hmm,” he said into his cup before he put it down. “I’ll take the Tri-tip sandwich and the sweet potato fries.”
“Coming right up.”
He moved in his seat as if uncomfortable and she caught the way he grimaced.
“Are you okay?”
He gave her a half smile. “My back…is sore.”
“Do want me to rub it?” Oh good Lord, she didn’t just say that. “I mean… I’m good at getting the kinks out. And that didn’t sound right either.” She cringed with embarrassment.
His lips curved. “I know what you meant, but a good back rub wouldn’t help right now. I…had a tattoo done.”
“Really?” She wondered what it could be. She’d like to see it, but asking him to lift his shirt would be a little too forward. “Is it your girlfriend’s name?” It seemed her mouth didn’t care she was making a fool of herself. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “That’s really none of my business. I’ll go put your order in now.” She pointed toward the kitchen. She turned to go, but his voice stopped her.
“It’s angel wings.”
Her brows furrowed. Of all the things she could think of him tattooing on his broad back, angel wings were so not it. Of course, a cutesy cherub popped into her head. If he had wings done, they had to be masculine in some way, wouldn’t they? Though, for the life of her, she couldn’t imagine how. “I’ll be back with your order.” She turned away and cringed. That wasn’t a smooth move. No comment of how cool that sounded. No, she pretended she never heard what he said. Dumb, dumb. You won’t make points if you insult the guy’s tat. Cherub-faced angel or not.
Chapter Five
Great, he sounded like a pansy. Angel wings. It wasn’t like he could show her his back and prove his tat wasn’t for sissies. He should have said he had a skull and cross bones done. Humans never thought of angels, or in his case half-angels, as masculine. Flying, prancing, baby-faced angels seemed to be what they thought of first. They forgot that there was a liege of angels who were warriors. He was a warrior. He fought in countless wars through the ages. With a snort, he straightened his back and cringed again. His skin pulled, sending the sensation of hot needles being stabbed into him.
The bell to the front door chimed. It wasn’t the sound that drew his attention. A strong scent of what could only be associated with the Talacis hit his nostrils like a good whiff of sniffing salts hit an unconscious person. His keen sense of awareness made him edgy and he took notice of who had walked in. If he had hair on his arms, they would be standing on end.
Ryden headed up front to seat the new arrivals. Two men followed her and she seated them in a booth near the restrooms. Only they weren’t men at all. As he expected, they were Talaci demons. What are they doing here?
To the human eye, the demons looked like men in business suits. To the preternatural beings, they could sense the true self. Talacis sported split tongues and their large ears were separated from their skull at the earlobes. According to their ranking order they either wore a gold hoop earring, a gold stud, or for the highest rank they sported a diamond. These two wore gold studs. Their eyes glowed red, but they masked it with contacts.
He took a deep breath to calm his raw nerves. He was on edge because he was pressed for time and so far he made a muck of things. You’re supposed to be impressing Ryden, not making her think you’re a pansy man.
His gaze remained on the demons as if he could will them into revealing why they were here. He was being ridiculous. Demons had the right to eat wherever they wanted only it usually wasn’t coffee and a sandwich. He shouldn’t stare and he almost looked away, but the blond demon facing him, turned his gaze on him. His lips slid into a smile that had creep factor written all over it. What in the world? His first instincts were right. They didn’t belong here. They were up to no good, but what?
He sighed in relief when they finished their order and Ryden moved away. Then it occurred to him, he didn’t have his glamour for back-up if trouble hit the fan. What could he do if Ryden were in danger? Not one blessed thing, he told himself. His powers were bound good and tight and weren’t going to be worth a lick of help in a fight.
A few moments later, Ryden returned from the back with his lunch. She placed the dish in front of him, seeming distracted, but she still asked him if he wanted a warm up on his coffee. When he didn’t answer, she looked at him.
He didn’t want her to go. Especially if it meant she had to serve the demons. Think, man. Keep her here. Make conversation. “What do you have planned for Halloween? I mean do you do anything special?”
She looked surprised that he asked. “My cousin, Lana, throws a Halloween Bash every year at her place. Costumes mandatory. Her apartment complex has a clubhouse and she rents it out for the evening.”
“Sounds like fun. What’s your costume?”
She grimaced.
“That bad, huh?”
Her soft chuckle was music to his ears. “I was going as a gypsy, but I had the bright idea of having it dry cleaned. The skirt has a nice burn mark in the center of it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. You would have made a beautiful gypsy.” Yeah, he could imagine her in the long, flowing skirt and the sheer, black blouse to finish off the outfit. He’d seen the ruined costume in the back of her closet—or actually he would see it.
His compliment seemed to win him points. Her lips curved into a full smile. “Thanks, but with the costume ruined, I’ll have to think of something else to wear. With Halloween only a day away, all the good costumes will be picked over.” She eyed him for a moment then cleared her throat. “Do you have any plans?”
Yep, I need to seduce you and make you fall in love with me before midnight on Ol’ Hallow’s Eve. “No. Not that I wouldn’t like to go to a party. I wasn’t invited to any.”
She took the bait and it looked like she wasn’t too put out in doing so. “How about going with me? It wouldn’t have to be a date or anything,” she hurried to clarify. “It’s not like we can’t go stag. It would be fun. We could go costume shopping after my shift tonight. What do you say?”
“Sure, but on one condition.”
“Name it.”
“I’d loved to be your date at the Halloween Bash.”
It was nice to know that the attraction was still there even without his glamour. The light brown of her eyes turned a shade darker when she spoke to him. His gaze studied her lips as she talked, her mouth forming the words like a siren’s call. He fantasized about crushing his mouth to hers, but managed to behave and let her go back to work.
Eli grabbed his sandwich and took a bite. Like always, it was delicious and he polished it off in no time. Taking another sip of his coffee, he gazed at the demons over the rim of the cup. Still no sign of a threat, but he knew the blond one followed Ryden’s every more. The dark haired demon had yet to turn around, but he had no doubt the blond informed him of his presence.
Another waitress arrived to help out and the restaurant filled for lunch. Two forty-something women with dark hair sat at a booth, sharing a dessert. He’d seen them many times before. Long-time friends he would guess by the way they conversed, chuckling every so often. He thought perhaps Doug knew them personally somehow. He’d make time to chat with them whenever they came in. An older couple sat near the front, another regular. A family of four took the table near the back door that led to the patio. All the patrons were human, except for him and the two demons that ate quietly at their table. There was no need to panic, but he couldn’t shake the feeling a battle was about to go down between them. He should leave to prevent it.
He polished off his coffee and took out his wallet to pay. He left Ryden a generous tip. He always did. He knew she could use the extra money to pay off school loans. She wanted to be a nurse. In another year, she would be.
Eli- Warriors for the Light Page 3