Primani
Author: Laurie Olerich
Date: 2013-08-30 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Paranormal; Paranormal Romance; Urban Fantasy; Romance; Fantasy; Fiction
Description: Alternate Cover Edition. Original ISBN 1492124842

About the Books

The Lost Soul Trilogy is a sexy roller coaster urban fantasy romance that follows a budding psychic and the tight group of powerful warriors charged with her journey to immortality. Dark, funny, full of twists, and steamy passion, The Lost Soul Trilogy proves no one is truly lost.

A Look at Primani

Budding psychic Mica is a walking miracle. After surviving a brutal attack, she vows to live each day to the fullest. Little does she know her life is no longer hers to control. When Tall, Dark, and Annoying shows up to shadow her, she’s intrigued…

Powerful and ruthless, Sean’s assigned to guard more than Mica’s body. Her future is at stake, and it’s his job to keep her on the right path. There are plans for her. Plans that’ll change everything she believes if she lives long enough to learn the truth. Guarding one human shouldn’t be this complicated, but Mica makes it anything but easy.

As the clock ticks, Sean pulls Mica deeper into the Primani world until there’s no way out, and she doesn’t want to leave.

A Look at Call the Lightning

The sizzle continues… After a year of heartache, Mica finally has everything she wants. Her soul mate Sean's back from the dead. She’s finally getting a grip on her unwanted powers. Life is good until Killian shows up naked in her visions. Is she seeing the past or the future? As she struggles to find the truth, a new threat looms. Something watches in the dark. It plots. It lusts. It hungers for more than her blood. It wants everything.

Killian has secrets--a lot of them. When he vows to protect Mica, he’s all in. His intention takes a dangerous turn when she becomes a pawn in the game. Desperate to keep her alive, he drags her into his shadowy world of ancient power and bloody altars with devastating consequences.

Bound by blood, there’s no turning back.

A Look at Stone Angels

Mica’s got no options. Sean’s lost his mind. Violent and unstable, he’s teetering on the edge. Desperate to save him from falling, she risks everything she has, including Killian. How far will she go to pull him back? Every step moves her farther away from Killian’s plan. As they work together to save Sean and the rest of the world, she’s haunted by a sense of deja vu that leaves her feeling trapped between two worlds. Which future is the right one?

3,000 years ago, Killian made a promise. Since then, he’s waited for fate to right the wrong that stole his life. The time has come for him to be free, but it’s never that easy. Knowing that Mica’s love is the only weapon against Sean’s demons, he sends her to rescue him. He trusts her completely, but can he trust Sean?

His heart, her soul... Will the promises of angels heal them both?

The Lost Soul Trilogy

Copyright 2013 by Laurie Olerich

Copyright 2014 by Laurie Olerich

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

These books are works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Primani Beginning

Primani Middle

Call the Lightning Beginning

Call the Lightning Middle

Stone Angels Beginning

Stone Angels Middle

A Note from Laurie

Books from Laurie

Bonus Material

Primani

By Laurie Olerich

The forest was lush and heavy with the soft summer rain. I was alone, wandering aimlessly. There was a soft light ahead in the trees. I could barely make it out against the grey film of rain. It called to me, softly, relentlessly, purposefully. I stumbled forward, pushing my hair out of my eyes. Suddenly there were branches in my way, stones in my path. I fell to my knees as the rain poured down. Frantic, I searched for the light... there! Just ahead through the endless sea of trees. I ran blindly until my path was blocked by a huge beast, and I froze, heart caught in my throat. I woke to the sound of my own screams.

Prologue:

ANCIENT OAK TREES LOOMED like sentinels standing watch above the rolling hills. In summer, they would be majestic and beautiful. In March, they were skeletal against the dark clouds and dead grass. It was cold and gloomy. A good day for a funeral, I guess. If you’re into dark and creepy, this was perfect.

Marc was waiting for me. He’d shown up in black pants and a jacket he must’ve borrowed from his father. Like a little kid playing dress up, he seemed awkward and uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. At least he was here. We hadn’t seen each other since The Day my world ended. He’d been the one to drag me away from my mother’s body and held me together while we waited for the police.

As the service got started, I stood between Marc and my long-distance father, surveying the crowd and doing my best to stay calm. A lot of people lined up around the casket in support of our family and in remembrance of the woman who’d so briefly touched their lives. My mother’s best friend Billie was quietly crying into a tissue. Her boyfriend held her upright by the elbows. Her eyes were shattered. Did I look like that? Is that how everyone sees me right now? I carefully pulled my face into a blank mask. Better.

The service dragged on forever. Reverend Vaselli droned. I’m sure he talked about what a great life Mom had and how many people would miss her. I’m sure he talked about Heaven and angels and God’s mercy. I’m sure he talked about these things because that’s what ministers do, right? The truth is I stopped listening the second he started talking. Frozen as a statue, I stood ramrod straight, thinking of anything else to block out the words. If I listened, if I heard, if I looked, I would implode. I would lose control. I would cry like a baby in front of all these people. No. That was not something I wanted to do. My grief should be private. I wanted to be dignified, strong. I was screaming inside, but my face was blank, so painfully blank. My teeth ached from clenching, my jaw throbbed with tension, my eyes blazed with unshed tears. Would he not hurry up? How much did he really need to say?

I stared off into the trees, watching their bony arms claw at the gray sky. My mind wandered to the highway barely visible over a ridge. The faint sounds of cars driving by drifted on the breeze. Where were those people going? Were they on their way to work now? Were they going to the store? Running errands? Normal things... What was my normal now? And still, the reverend talked.

After an eternity, I heard him say, “… dust to dust. Amen.”

Everyone echoed the words. Amen. Amen, indeed. I placed a single yellow rose on the casket. It was her favorite. My hand shook so hard I curled my fingers into a fist, nails gouging crescents. Damn. Oh, Mom. Why? Why you? The screaming in my head beat against my throat demanding release, demanding a voice. A tear rolled down my frozen cheek, a trigger to open the dam. I leaned against the casket, willing the tears to stop, letting my hair veil my face, silently saying goodbye to the most important person in my life.

Chapter 1: Life and Death

IF THIS WAS HEAVEN, it was a major disappointment. Where was everybody? Hello? Anybody? I’m freezing my butt off over here… anyone?

Silence.

Wrapping my arms around my chest, I rubbed them for warmth. Wasn’t being dead supposed to be, uh, more comfortable? I mean, really, dying was bad enough, wasn’t it? The afterlife was supposed to be rainbows and sunshine… and warmth, glorious warmth. Looking around again, I sighed long and hard.

Well, this place sucked. There wasn’t anything here besides me standing in an empty white space. Could it be any worse? In response, the Keepers of Paradise tossed a handful of heavy snow down on my head. Really? I tucked my chin and huddled in the blizzard. After a minute or so, I saw a faint glow, barely a break in the never-ending white. The glow became a solid ray of gold that speared the fog, cut through the film of snow to illuminate a path.

It was so pretty… so pure.

Stupid bitch! You ruined everything.

Oh, my God! Where was he? Where was Scott?

My eyelids burned. The sensation pulled me from the medicated sleep I was swimming in. Like the sun popping out from a cloud bank, the sudden brilliant light heated my skin. By the time I blinked the room into focus, it was gone. I peered between my bandages, but there was no other light. The hospital room was dark with the exception of the dim radiance of the machines sitting near my bed. Huh. I thought I saw a light...

A nurse bustled into the room when she noticed my eyes were open.

“All right Miss Mica, what are you doing up? You were sleeping a minute ago.” Her name tag read ‘Lillian.’ She was an older woman with a healthy rack and several braids pulled back in a ponytail. She had a motherly way about her that made me feel better.

I cleared my throat and reassured her, “I’m okay; I woke up hungry.” I gestured at the IV bag, and added, “This isn’t doing it for me.”

She smiled, and muttered, “Mm hmm” as she read my chart and checked my vitals. She asked me about my pain and other official nurse questions.

Yes, I was feeling better. Well, I didn’t feel dead now, so I guess that was better. Yes, I’m still feeling some pain. Was she kidding me? I was one big bandage! Everything hurt if I moved. I couldn’t take a normal breath without pain. Did I want more pain meds? Well, of course I did! This woman was hilarious. I snorted out a small chuckle which hurt my nose. I ended up laughing and gasping in pain at the same time. Bless Lillian, she stuck a needle in my IV, and the pain went away in a warm feeling of bliss. She was awesome. I told her I loved her before the room went black.

The next morning I had a visit from Dr. Strakowski. His bedside manner was nonexistent. I couldn’t get a question out of my mouth. He was rushing through a list of doctor questions like he had a hot date waiting somewhere. When he finally asked how I was feeling, the answer was ‘peevish.’

“Let’s see. My entire body hurts. No one has told me what part of me is not broken; and I have no idea how long I’ve been a guest here at this Holiday Inn.” I was sulking. As an afterthought, I added, “And I have no idea what happened to the psychopath who tried to kill me. Other than that, I guess things are just peachy.”

Mouth open in surprise, he raised an eyebrow and peered over the top of his glasses as if Nurse Lillian could shed some light on my snarky attitude.

With one hand on her ample hip, she enlightened him in a tone that sent a flush over his cheeks. “No one was supposed to upset her until she was stabilized--your orders from the ER. She’s been here for two days now, and today is her first day of real interaction. She’s been sedated most of the time. I’d say she’s been remarkably patient, considering.”

After scrutinizing my chart again, Dr. Strakowski sat down next to the bed and settled in. “Okay, you’re right. You do need some answers. The nutshell is you were dropped off outside of the ER two nights ago. You were unresponsive. In addition to numerous cuts and a broken ankle, you had a lacerated spleen, a punctured lung, and a major concussion. We rushed you into surgery to repair the spleen. You’ve got a long recovery ahead of you. But you will recover. You’re very lucky.”

A few minutes later, he made some notes, gave Nurse Lillian new orders for meds, and then left to finish his rounds. Five minutes later, a detective took his vacant chair. She was a brunette with wide brown eyes and a kind face. She must have been around 30 or so.

“Mica, I’m Officer Halliwell with Plattsburgh P.D. I’ve been assigned to your case. Do you feel strong enough to give your statement today?”

For the next hour, I recited everything I could remember about Scott Flynn before he lost his friggin’ mind and tried to kill me two days ago.

I was out cruising around with my best friend Ricki. I was focused on switching lanes when a distraction popped up. Braking with a jolt, I pointed to a hot guy idling at the curb who was staring in our direction.

“Hey, isn’t that Scott Flynn over there?”

“Yeah, that looks like him. Who cares?”

“He’s waving at us. Let’s see what he wants.”

She shot him a glance and frowned in disapproval. “I don’t know, dude. He’s kind of a jerk.”

“True. But he’s a cute jerk.”

Ignoring her warning, I studied him through my Oakleys as he sauntered over. It was hard to make out his expression in the shadows. There was something about him that attracted and repelled me at the same time. It might have been the motorcycle that tipped the odds in his favor. In my mind, that made him 100 percent more attractive. I was dying to go for a ride, but he hadn’t offered. I’d been flirting with Scott all summer. It was now officially fall. At this point he was on my last nerve. He was hot and cold. He was annoying. He was hot. We usually ran into each other someplace. Half the time he ignored me. Half the time he tried to get me alone for a hook-up. I’d say no thanks. He’d laugh and leave with someone else. The whole situation was getting old.

He leaned into the window like he owned the car. My toes curled as I breathed him in. It wasn’t fair that he should be so gorgeous and smell amazing too.

He nodded at Ricki, dismissing her completely. “So, Mica, you got time for a ride?”

This was unexpected. I studied his face for clues. Well, he didn’t look like he was up to anything… Why not? “Okay, I guess that would be cool. Who all’s going?”

He flashed a devastating grin. “It’s just you and me, babe. Scared?”

“You wish.”

It was a perfect day for a ride. Once we were on Route 9, I settled my cheek against his back and held on tight. The orange and yellow trees were a blur as we raced through the countryside. The colors were incredible. Mother Nature had outdone herself.

The bike roared like a living animal. Part of me was terrified that we’d go sliding off the road and die; the other part of me was… not. What a rush! The wind in my hair, the vibrations from the engine, the awesome thrill of speed--So cool! I was a little disappointed when we reached The Rocks. The wooden boards creaked as we rolled slowly across the decrepit covered bridge to get to a parking area. The Rocks were really just a place in the river where people hung out. The river was usually low so there were huge slabs of granite lying all over the place. They were flat enough that you could sit chairs on them if you wanted. We grabbed a blanket and claimed our space. We were completely alone in the middle of the river.

I leaned back on my elbows, eyes closed against the sunlight, taking it in with all of my senses. The gurgle of the water, the warmth of the sun, the earthy scent of dying leaves… everything was perfect, peaceful.

“Comfortable?” Scott drawled from behind dark sunglasses. He sat cross-legged on the opposite side of the blanket.

“Pretty much.” I smiled up at him from behind my own lenses.

He was so gorgeous sitting there, dark bangs brushing his forehead, sexy mouth set in a half-smile, eyes impossible to read. I still couldn’t believe he had invited me today. It was kind of strange. I didn’t completely trust him, but I didn’t think I had anything to worry about. What was the worst thing that could happen? He’d try to kiss me? I could deal with that.

Unable to resist the urge to commune with nature, I hopped to my feet. “God, it’s too beautiful to sit still!” I jumped from our rock to the next one over and then to the one next to that one.

He jumped up to chase me and the race was on. I was laughing too hard to watch my steps and ended up in the river. It was only ankle deep, but it was ridiculously cold. Still playing, I kept splashing through it to the next rock when suddenly Scott grabbed my arm, and I lost my balance. I fell back against his chest, laughing and flailing my arms. He was laughing too as we stood catching our breath. And then he stopped. Our faces were inches apart, and I suddenly realized how close he was holding me. I was molded against him so tightly I could feel the snap on his jeans. Something creepy flashed in his eyes. Flushing, I tried to step back. Rubbing his thigh against mine, he tightened his grip on my shoulders. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. The creepy expression was back.

“Scared yet?” he murmured.

I stuttered an uncomfortable laugh as I tried to put some space between us. “There are people walking up. Let me go. This is embarrassing.”

He didn’t relax his hold, but he looked towards the people who had just pulled up. There was a group of about six men and women. Two of the bigger men were eyeballing us with interest. Surely they would step in if things got out of hand? Scott released an insincere chuckle as if he was just playing around.

“Come on. Let’s go.” All sense of play evaporated as he snatched up the blanket.

Heavy grey clouds buried the sun, the temperature plummeted, and I shivered with more than cold. Scott was pretending to look at me, but I could see him still watching the two big guys. His stance was not protective, but more territorial. I didn’t like it. It didn’t feel right. Scott’s face seemed different to me. His hooded eyes didn’t seem deep or sexy now; they seemed cold and calculating. His hard mouth didn’t seem mysterious; it just seemed cruel. I was definitely afraid now.

I tried to keep my voice casual as I said, “I think maybe we should leave. I’m soaked and freezing my butt off. Let’s head back.”

Expression stony, he shrugged. “Sure, babe. I don’t like the looks of those guys anyway.”

As I settled on the motorcycle, I realized I had a big problem. I really didn’t want to touch him now. The earlier feeling of adventure was gone. I just wanted to get home--preferably in one piece. Scott took the curves at a ridiculous speed. The sky was dark with a building storm. It was getting more and more ominous. We were going so fast my lips were numb. I was pretty sure he was going to kill us. I yelled for him to slow down, but he just laughed and pushed the bike harder. At this point, prayer seemed like a good idea. Oh, please God! If you get me out of this, I would be so grateful. I swear I won’t go near this guy again. He’s crazy! Please get me home alive!

The bike slowed enough for us to turn onto a gravel road that I didn’t recognize. I didn’t know what to think until I saw an old house looming up in front of us.

“What are you doing?” I yelled over the roar of the engine.

He ignored me.

Where were we? What was he doing? All my instincts were screaming that this was BAD. Running through escape options, my brain went into overdrive. There weren’t many. Could I jump off and run? No, we were still going too fast. I didn’t see any other signs of people. No place to run to. Shit. This was not good.

Fat drops of rain pelted us as we rolled up to the wraparound porch. On cue, Mother Nature unleashed her fury. Screaming winds drove the rain against the house like a hurricane. Before I could object, he yanked me through the door. Thunder boomed so close I jumped out of my skin. Lightning lit up the windows, turning Scott’s face into something sinister, demonic. Visions of horror movies raced through my head. This was so bad…

“Looks like we made it just in time. Lucky for you I knew about this place.” He smiled, teeth gleaming whitely in the darkness. Another flash of lightning turned them into fangs.

“Get away from me.” I was trying to sound fierce, but my shaking voice probably wasn’t convincing.

He chuckled before wagging his head slowly as though I were a disobedient child. “Mica, Mica, Mica. You’ve been hot for me for months. Don’t try to deny it. Now’s your chance to see what you’ve been missing. We have privacy here.”

I had been hot for him, sort of; that’s true. But that was a different Scott. This guy was creeping me out. Between his mood swings, the violent storm, and my overactive imagination, I was almost convinced he was Satan himself. Storm or no storm, it was way past time to get the hell out of here.

“I didn’t know you then. I didn’t want to hook up with you. I just thought you were cute. There’s a difference!” I snapped, backing away, edging towards the door.

“Oh, really? All those looks you gave me? The flirting? I know what you were doing. You were doing what all girls do. You were reeling me in. And now, you’ve got me.” He’d been slowly stalking me while giving that little speech.

I lunged for the door, but he blocked it with his body. Cursing, I yanked at his arm. It was like trying to move a tree. He crossed his arms and laughed at me.

Between my teeth, I ground out, “Let me out.”

He shook his head, amused. “No.”

Crossing my own arms, I glued my eyes to his. “Get out of my way, you dick.”

“Sticks and stones.”

Before I could move, he fisted my hair, dragging me across the room. Struggling to break loose, I screamed bloody murder. He dropped me so hard my head bounced. I was still seeing stars when I felt him doing something with my wrist. Was he tying me up? Oh, hell no! I went insane, twisting my body, kicking, slapping, biting--anything to make him stop. He hesitated long enough for me to kick him in the face. His nose broke with a crunch. I staggered away, lunging for the door. Something hard hit me in the middle of my back, and I fell forward against the corner of a table. The pain was shocking. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. My vision dimmed to black. When I came to, I was tied to a table leg by one arm, every breath a knife in my side.

“Okay, you stupid bitch. I know you’re awake. Stop playing around. We have things to do.” Leaning down, he glared into my eyes, nose dripping blood onto my face. “You’re going to pay for breaking my nose.”

“Get off me, you pig!”

In answer, his mouth crushed mine. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t draw a breath. I tried to struggle, but every movement shot pain through my body until I just collapsed. He ripped his mouth away to bite my neck, breath harsh in my ear, body tense with fury and just plain insanity. With a satisfied grunt, he pinned me to the floor, groping at me in the dark.

“That feels good, doesn’t it, slut? You girls are all the same. Oh, yeah, this is what you wanted from me, isn’t it? Well, we’ve got all night.” He bit me until I cried out.

Running on an adrenaline boost, I swung a fist at his temple. The connection vibrated all the way down my arm. It was a weak effort, but I wasn’t just going to lay here and let him rape me. That was clearly what he was working up to. I had to do something to stop him.

He didn’t appreciate my efforts and lost it completely. Screaming obscenities, he punched me in the face again.

Burning pain shocked me into consciousness. My head swam in circles as I tried to make sense of things. Where was I? What happened? I shifted position and pain knifed into my ribs. Sucking in a gasp of air, I tried to blink to clear my head. There was nothing but blackness in front of me. No, no, no! I tried again but still nothing. Scott! Did he take my eyes? Oh, my God, no! Vicious fingers gripped my chin. The pain made my eyes water.

“Oh, good, you’re alive. I was hoping you weren’t dead. I’ve had some time to think about this while you were sleeping. Don’t worry. It’ll be fun for you too.” The caressing tone sent my heart into spasms.

Now what?

The tears loosened the dried blood that had sealed my eyes shut. I wasn’t blind after all. His face shimmered like a mirage, and all four of his mouths grinned evilly down at me. My ears rang like church bells; my head throbbed viciously. His face swam in front of me again. I couldn’t focus. My thoughts were scattered. FOCUS! I have to stay awake to get out of here.

“I found a few things in the basement.”

There was a screwdriver, a flashlight, a piece of wire, some duct tape, and a hunting knife gleaming in the faint light. He was lovingly stroking the knife with glazed eyes. I have got to get out of here. I tried to get up, but my body didn’t want to cooperate. Gasping at the shooting pain, I stomped down the urge to cry. Escape was impossible. I couldn’t get up, let alone walk away. There was no hope. No one would save me. I would die here after he was done with me. He certainly couldn’t leave me alive.

Totally into his new role as psycho, he was playfully rubbing the heavy flashlight over my legs. Up and down he rubbed, humming thoughtfully as he moved. Without warning, he smashed the end of the flashlight into my ankle. Shrieking with agony, it was all I could do to hold back the bile that rose in my throat. I didn’t want to give him any more satisfaction than he was going to get.

When I finally looked at him again, he was considering the knife with unconcealed anticipation. Shit. Here it comes. I couldn’t look away. Like a mouse watching a snake, I watched my own personal nightmare plan my murder. Turning the blade one direction then another, he was feeding my terror, enjoying it.

He was unsnapping my jeans when an idea hit me. I could stop this! Clenching my teeth against the agony, I thrashed my legs to the side, trying to push him off, but I couldn’t move him. Instead, he ground his crotch against me so I knew exactly what he was planning. Getting off on my pain, he toyed with me, making my stomach heave in protest. The bile was still trying to find its way out. I swallowed hard. It wasn’t time yet.

More horrifying than any nightmare, Scott loomed over me, blood running from his nose spattering onto my chest. The smell churned my stomach even faster. My ribs screamed as he jammed his hand over the break, the blast of pain sending waves of nausea swamping me. His eyes gleamed with an unholy joy as lightning flashed outside. Gasping for air, I inhaled a mouthful of his blood. The sharp metallic taste was the last straw.

There was no way I could miss. He was too close to escape. By the time my stomach was empty, his face, chest, and most of my body were covered in vomit.

Absolutely crazed, he started kicking me while screaming, “You disgusting fucking bitch! You ruined it!”

The last thing I heard was, “Stupid bitch! You ruined everything.”

“And that’s what happened,” I added to fill the heavy silence.

Officer Halliwell pressed the off button on the tape recorder and sat back.

By the time I finished recounting my story, I was thoroughly pissed. I had been in too much pain the last few days to be mad. I felt a little better now. My head was clearing. Now there was room for anger. Hell yes, I wanted to press charges. Yes, I would be glad to testify. Yes, I would identify the items they had found at the abandoned house. I would do whatever they needed to get that psycho off the streets. He was a lunatic. I wanted some payback.

I had a few questions for the detective before she left. “How did you know about the house? Did I talk to you before today?”

“No, you didn’t. We got an anonymous tip. Someone called the station right after you were brought to the ER.”

Really? An anonymous tip? Was there a witness? If there was, why didn’t they help me? The pain meds made me a little groggy. I shook my head to clear it. “A lot of things are fuzzy right now. How did I get to the ER?”

Her pale nose wrinkled in thought, she said, “You know, that’s a funny thing. Someone brought you here. We know that for sure; you didn’t call 911, and you sure didn’t walk here by yourself. The hospital keeps a record of everyone who comes in. We’ve talked to them, but they don’t have a name for us. Apparently someone carried you in, yelled for a doctor, and then left before anyone could get his name. And now, no one can agree on what this person looked like. It’s like he doesn’t exist. Weird, right?”

I was stunned. This went way beyond weird. “Did you show them a picture of Scott Flynn? Was it him?”

“No, it wasn’t him. We showed his picture and no one thought it was him. He’s in the wind right now. We’ve got an APB out on him. Don’t worry, we’ll pick him up. He’s a kid. He won’t get too far.” She seemed so confident about that, but she hadn’t looked into those unholy eyes.

I shuddered at the thought of him out there… waiting. He wouldn’t be done with me yet. He’d want to finish what he started, wouldn’t he? “He’s a freakin’ lunatic! Probably he’ll be back to break the rest of me! Oh, my God! You have to find him!” It was too much to deal with, and I started to cry.

Nurse Stephanie came in and suggested I’d had enough for the day. I was thankful for the break and blew my nose, very carefully; it was broken too. At least it was only a small crack and wasn’t stuffed with padding.

When I woke up again, I was in a new room. The doctors were happy with my progress and felt I didn’t need to be in ICU. My face was bandage free and freaktacular. I was a beautiful collage of black, blue, green, yellow, and red. My eyes were less puffy, but I was still squinting out of the left one. My face was mostly heart-shaped, but it would be a while before my nose would be pert again, or my cheekbones would be defined. People used to say I was pretty; now, I was just pretty hideous… My friends Ricki and Dani were perched on the end of my bed oohing and ahhing over my face. I’d just finished giving them the short version of my close encounter with Satan.

“You look like hell, girlfriend.” Ricki was ever so tactful. That’s what made her so awesome. She also had no filter so interesting observations popped out of her mouth from time to time. She was trying to keep my spirits up, but she was worried. She’d peeled the red polish off of her thumbs again. The thumbs were the first to get whacked when she was stressed. Every few seconds, she smoothed the curly red strands that made up her hair color this month. No one knew what her real color was… I’d assumed brunette like mine, but this dark red was pretty good on her. She was making bad jokes and telling me all about her sexcapades with a hot stud she met on vacation.

It wasn’t totally distracting and in spite of her antics, I was more depressed as the numbing haze of pain meds wore off. I was physically healing well, but emotionally and mentally, I was still teetering. I was trying to hold onto the anger to keep from falling into despair. It was a battle that I was losing inside, but I put on a strong face for my visitors.

They were my buds. They didn’t need to know about the handprints bruised into my arms or the perfect teeth marks left on my neck. They would be horrified, make that more horrified, and I didn’t want that much sympathy. Those marks seemed so much more… personal, somehow. Like a brand of sorts. I didn’t want anyone else to know.

That evening I had a new visitor. I was finishing up the dinner that Nurse Stephanie had brought in. Tonight I was having red Jell-O and a chocolate protein shake. Whoohoo! Thanks to that freak, I would be on baby food for another month. Stabbing the Jell-O with a fork, I yearned for a cheeseburger. I was simmering in my own anger when the chaplain came in. He introduced himself as Father Murphy before asking if I’d like to talk.

“Not really.” I sat the fork down with a clink. I was done murdering the Jell-O for now.

He made small talk for a few minutes, and then said, “I can’t begin to know what you are feeling right now, Mica. But I always feel better when I pray. Would you like me to pray with you?”

Definitely not. I had no interest in praying to a God who had let my life go to hell. I had tried prayer when I needed His help the most. I thought of my dead mother and Scott Flynn. Yeah, so where was God then? As far as I was concerned, it was useless to pray. No one was listening.

“No thank you, Father. Your God has forsaken me. I’m on my own.”

That night I dreamed again. I was replaying the night with Scott in my sleep. But my mind was ad-libbing here and there, and the dream wasn’t exactly the same as my memories. Now I was running through endless hallways, doors on both sides, some open, some locked. A storm raged outside, and I ran for my life while blue flashes of lightning cast terrifying shadows and wind howled through the eaves. Behind me, Scott was a dark shape, more beast than human, relentlessly pursuing me through hallway after hallway. I ran panting, starved for oxygen, but never slowing, never stopping. He would butcher me if I did. I ran until I finally stumbled and fell. Scott was on me before I hit the floor. I was screaming as he pulled the hunting knife out and gutted me with it... so much blood, so much pain.

“Payback, bitch!” Scott’s eyes captured mine just before he vanished into smoke.

I should have been dead, but the dream didn’t let me die. Instead, I laid there bleeding and screaming in terror. I begged God to help me… sobbing and praying. Oh, God, please! I’m begging you. Please let me die! But He didn’t answer me. I didn’t die, and the horror didn’t stop. I could feel my blood flowing out; my life slipping away until only drops remained. My breathing gradually grew shallow before slowing to nothing more than a wish. I gave in to despair and willed my soul to let go, my body to die. And then, in the strange way of dreams, I rose above my body, watching as the last drop of blood joined the puddle below. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar golden light. I lifted my head to see it moving closer to me. Too weak to do more than widen my eyes, my plea was more thought than sound.

“Please…”

The light dimmed. A golden hand reached out and touched my face. The dream went black.

Chapter 2: Recovery

DAD AND JANET LIVE on a small side street not too far from the center of the town of Plattsburgh, New York. The house was old but still looked nice. It was a white two-story house with dormers over the upstairs windows. The trim was forest green. There was a small covered porch across the front of the house. There was a separate garage that sat off to the side and behind the house. A little covered pathway led from the house to my apartment in the garage. There was a huge old maple tree in the front yard and someone had planted pink roses all around the house. It was pretty in a 1950s New England cottage kind of way.

The small house was stuffed full with too many people and not enough bathrooms so I had a little apartment in the garage. Before she married my dad two years ago, Janet had three kids of her own. The youngest, Trevor, was a carrot-top with sweet tan freckles splashed across his nose. He was nine and an Xbox junkie. He acknowledged his addiction to video games, but absolutely refused to cop to the raw sugar monkey on his back. He’d been known to lose his mind over cupcakes, but he was a sweet boy 99 percent of the time. When he was banished from the Xbox, he’d gotten in the habit of banging on my door for sympathy.

Then there were the twins, Abby and Monica. They were 12 years old and weren’t identical. They were the same height but had different faces. Abby had blond hair and green eyes. She wore her hair in a short pixie cut. She was a cute little jockette who’d rather play basketball than shop. Monica had long straight blond hair and startling eyes; one was brown and one was leaf green. She was the polar opposite of Abby. This little girl was already planning her career in modeling.

This morning there was a layer of frost on everything. Red maple leaves lay scattered and sparkling in the bright morning sun. I was sitting on the front porch in my fluffy purple robe sipping hot chocolate with Abby. Her sleepy green eyes were innocent as she sat beside me on the bench. I couldn’t resist tousling her pixie hair a bit. She was a cute little kid. Well, I guess 12 years old isn’t really little. But to me, she was just a kid.

I’ve been out of the hospital for a couple of weeks and was looking nearly normal on the outside. Except for the cast on my foot, I was not obviously hurt. I wasn’t sleeping well though. The nightmares were still haunting me. My eyes had massive dark circles under them. I looked like an irritated raccoon. I stayed up late, journaling and listening to music. I was getting good at throwing myself out of the bad dreams when they got too intense. Once awake, I refused to go back to sleep. Today wasn’t any different. I was up at 6:00. Abby--the sweet girl--heard me making cocoa and came downstairs to keep me company. My little garage apartment was great, but it lacked a kitchen so I had to come to the main house for hot things. One day I would buy a microwave.

She thoughtfully nibbled on her fingernail before eyeing me with a frown. “Mica, do you still feel scared?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you were really hurt and scared when you came home from the hospital. I think you look less scared now. But…”

“But what?”

“I’m really scared you’ll leave now. I don’t want you to go back to Ohio! I’d miss you so much!”

I gave her a one-armed hug. “Oh, I’m still scared, Abby. I’m scared a lot, but I can’t let that creep ruin my life. I like being here. I finally have friends, and I love having a family. I’m not planning to go anywhere.” Not that I could go back to Ohio… There wasn’t anyone there to live with.

She hugged me back, and we finished our drinks in silence. I wasn’t planning to go anywhere. I wasn’t going to let Scott Flynn scare me away. He could kiss my ass! Jerk! I was glad he was in jail. He’d been arrested a few days ago while trying to hide out at his friend J.J.’s house. J.J.’s parents weren’t too big on watching the news, but eventually his mom caught a bit on the radio. Not being totally stupid, she put two and two together and came up with Scott. The police were very appreciative. It was a small reprieve for me even though I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with him and the police, but I would do whatever they asked me. I just wanted him away from me.

I was ready to start moving again. I was tired of being in pain and tired of sitting around. I was ready to get started on Plan B. Plan B involved me tearing up the mountains on my new snowboard and raising some serious hell with Ricki on her dad’s snowmobiles. I was itching to get moving and start living. I felt like I had been mostly dead for a month now. It was time to feel the wind on my face, blood running through my veins. Poor Dani would probably kill me. She was such a good friend, but I didn’t think she would like what I had in mind for winter sports. Dani was more of a hot cocoa and roaring fire kind of girl. Ricki and Tyler… on the other hand… They would understand. I sent a fervent request to Mother Nature--make it snow!

Later that week, we had a visit from Officer Halliwell. She and my dad showed up at the door to my apartment.

“Hi, Mica, Officer Halliwell has some good news for us. Do you mind if we come in?” Dad asked with unusual sensitivity.

I waved them inside. Good news would be nice for a change. I was tired.

“The good news is the lab in Albany finally gave us the results of all the samples we sent for DNA testing last month. The other tests came back too. We’ve got a 99 percent match that the hair, skin, blood, and saliva belong to Scott Flynn. The fingerprints and cloth fibers came back to him too. The DA brought him and his lawyer in this morning. His lawyer wisely advised him to plead guilty to a lesser sentence: aggravated assault vs. attempted murder. I liked him for attempted murder, but I know you didn’t want to drag this through a trial. He’s going to do some time and will be off the streets for now.”

Dad came over and sat on the foot of the bed, his mouth turned up in a rare smile. I was just relieved to have any news at all. It wasn’t the best news though. That would be something more like, “So sorry to have to tell you that Scott Flynn was mauled by a bear and lost both balls and most of his…” That would’ve been news worth hearing!

“Is there something wrong, Mica?” Officer Halliwell asked.

Shrugging with uncertainty, I said, “I’m glad he’s going to jail, but I… I still don’t understand how… I mean, why would he attack me?” I bit my lip and added, “He said it was my fault.”

She objected strongly, saying, “Absolutely not! You didn’t do anything wrong. You had no idea how unstable he is.” She dropped her gaze to her lap for a few seconds. Finally, she shared, “Look, I’m not supposed to tell you this… but I think you have a right to know. You can’t share this with anybody else. Will you give me your word?”

My dad and I both agreed to keep whatever she said a secret. She nodded once before beginning her story. “You probably don’t know this, but he’s only lived here for two years. Before that, he lived in Rochester. Anyhow, during our investigation we discovered quite a long juvie record. He’s got a history of violence that goes back to age 10. Starting with assaulting a kid on the playground, he added two more assault charges that year before graduating to assault with a deadly weapon, a bat, at age 12. He claimed self-defense, but there were witnesses who disagreed. He was placed in counseling and settled down for a few months. But then his mother was found dead of a heroin overdose, and he spiraled out of control.” She paused to check her watch.

“What about his father?” I was horrified for the little kid he once was.

She snorted with derision. “Well, according to the state’s records, mostly his father got drunk and beat him. After his mother’s death, Scott was arrested for harassing a neighbor girl who he later beat up and nearly killed. The girl was blinded in one eye. Her family was so afraid of him they moved to another state. He served six months in juvie. There weren’t any more incidents after that. That is, until his father mysteriously died when their house burned down. Coincidentally, Scott wasn’t home when the trailer burned, and his father’s body was burned to ash. Cause of death was never determined.”

She finished up with, “As his only living relative, his grandfather agreed to take him here. I know this is a lot to take in. I just wanted you to know that he has been violent and unstable for years. This isn’t your fault. Apparently he’s a pretty good actor since no one suspected anything.”

I asked, “So what happens now?”

“Well, I’ll keep you posted. I don’t know how long he’ll be locked up yet. You’re going to be okay though. I’ve talked your dad into putting an alarm on this little apartment of yours. It’ll give you some warning if anyone tries to get in. Also, I’d put up some motion lights outside so the yard is lit up at night.”

Dad added, “I think a couple of cameras might be good too. We’ll put one by the doors. We’ll know if someone tries to get inside.”

A few weeks later, it was snowing! Really snowing! Ricki and I were killing time while we waited for Dani to get off of work. Overflowing with excited energy, I pirouetted like a ballerina on the sidewalk in front of Zen. If you needed New Age crystals, incense, or interesting herbs, Zen was the only place in town. The tiny shop was stuffed inside an old ‘50s storefront that Dani’s mom had painted white and gold. This was Dani’s home away from home and current place of employment.

“Hello, my lovelies!” a friendly voice greeted us from right behind me. I jumped with a squeak, hand pressing my heart to keep it from leaping out of my chest.

“Geez, you scared the crap out of me!” I breathed unnecessarily to the tiny woman who appeared out of nowhere. She had the kind of face that wouldn’t age; pretty, elf-like, ivory skinned, with huge grey eyes. She had pale blond hair with skinny braids randomly plaited over her head. She was wearing a flowing kind of top with a long skirt and moccasins. She was a picture perfect hippy chick from 1972. She was Dani’s mother. Dani could be her clone, minus the moccasins.

As usual, she glowed like a candle. The woman practically oozed peace and tranquility. It was frightening. “Dani’ll be done in a minute. Come in and get warm.”

Seeing no point in arguing, we shuffled in to wait. Still hyped up on the novelty of snow, I grabbed Ricki’s arm entirely too hard. “Ricki! I’ve got an idea!”

“Uh-oh, I know that look. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I swear I don’t want to take off my clothes and swim out to the island again! It’s way, way too cold. Don’t even think about it.”

“Oh, come on, not that again? You need to let it go. You survived, didn’t you? Look how much you learned. You had no idea you could swim that far, did you? And you have to admit it was awesome!” I was still enthusiastic. I thought it would be fun to swim naked to a little island in the lake back in September. It seemed like a good idea at the time… okay, so maybe not the best plan ever… we almost drowned.

“I was thinking more along the line of getting some guys with trucks to take us up the mountain tonight. We could build a bonfire in the snow. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

With perfect timing, Dani popped up beside us. “What are we doing?” Her eyes swiveled from me to Ricki, searching for clues.

Ricki sighed all the way up from her toes. “Oh, all right. What the hell? Let’s call Tyler and Aric.”

Dani perked up at Aric’s name. They were going out, and she would be up for anything as long as he was there. Her grey eyes nearly misted over just thinking about him now… It was nauseating… love? Meh.

Hours later, we were gathered around a huge roaring bonfire in a small clearing way up on the side of the mountain. It was still snowing, but the flakes turned into rain over the flames. They popped and sputtered as they hit the fire. Other than that, the woods were completely silent from the blanket of snow. As far as good times went, this wasn’t half bad in spite of the freezing temperatures. My plan was a good one for a change. Everyone was content. Dani and Aric were snuggled together sharing a beer while Dani pulled ghost stories out of her head. She had millions of them. On the other side of the fire, Ricki was laughing and playing around with Tyler’s friend Kevin. Kevin was trying to flirt by shoving snow in her sweater. I shook my head. Guys are so bizarre. What makes them think freezing snow between a girl’s boobs is a turn on?

“Mica, catch!” Tyler warned just before lobbing a snowball at my face.

Startled into sliding off of my log, I landed butt first in the snow. Laughing too hard to help me up, he collapsed beside me before shoving a fistful of snow into my face.

Giggling and slipping back down again, I clutched his sleeve to pull him over into the snow and sat on him. With many threats and curses, he tried to get up; I tried to hold him down… It was an epic battle that he was winning when I heard it.

“Shh! What was that?” I hissed. Everyone gaped at me, beers half lifted, mouths frozen in mid-word.

Branches snapped behind us. Crack, crack, snap. Silence. As one, we all stood up and turned towards the forest. It was pitch black. I couldn’t see a thing. I squinted so hard my eye went into spasms.

Crack, snap, snap.

Where was it coming from? The snow distorted the sounds. Tyler reached over to shush me with his hand just as I opened my mouth to speak. That’s when I heard the grunting and snuffling sounds... Crack, snap… A dark shape appeared in the trees, more a shadow really, but a huge one that moved towards us.

I lost it right then. “Bear! Bear! Run!” I dove head first into the truck before Tyler could move. “Let’s go!”

It was chaos after that. Tyler jumped into the driver’s seat as Ricki dove in behind me. Everyone else was doing the same thing with a lot of screaming and yelling. No way was I getting eaten by a bear in my first snow in New York! Oh, hell, no. I was so out of here!

As we fishtailed down the logging road, I imagined a very surprised bear staring at our taillights disappearing in the snowy tunnel of trees.

Was my nose crooked? I peered closer at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Mm, maybe it was okay. It had been a couple of months since I got out of the hospital. The heart shape of my face was back, and my lips were full from good genes instead of blood clots. I studied my eyes for changes. Wide and tilted up at the outside, they shone dark blue, but they were different since Scott. They had a shuttered look to them, a wariness that I couldn’t mask without real effort. I wasn’t quite healed. I forced a happy smile that would reach my eyes. Ugh! That’s worse. I look like a crazy person. Better to keep the smile small. I would just hope no one paid much attention to my eyes.

I was reaching for lip gloss when a movement caught my eye in the mirror. I spun around, but the room was empty. Snatching up a can of hairspray, I crept around the corner. If someone was in here, they would get a rude surprise. I was armed this time! With heart pounding in my chest, I swept my eyes around the rest of the empty apartment. I must have imagined the dark-haired man in the hall. At least my ghost didn’t look like Scott Flynn. Maybe I needed a dog.

The house party was rocking by the time I got there with Dani and Ricki. We were fashionably late, as usual, but Dani’s cousin Angela wouldn’t mind. Probably she was too busy playing hostess to notice. It had been a long time since I’d gone to a party. I was ready to have some fun tonight. I kept trying to push that man from my hallway out of my head, but he kept intruding anyway. I was meandering from the pool house back inside when I saw him again.

I stopped in my tracks and stared. Whoa!

Who are these guys?

There were two ridiculously gorgeous guys standing in the shadows near a covered walkway. They were talking intently, scanning the crowd for someone. There’s no way they were partying. No possible way--they were too intense, scarily so. They reminded me of Secret Service agents, but without the suits. Alarm bells clanged in my head. Instinctively, I crouched behind a snow-covered shrub to watch them. The taller one seemed to be chewing out the shorter one. The shorter one was listening, nodding his head unhappily. I couldn’t stop staring. It was him!

His hair was military short; his face hard and lean. I could see his cheekbones from my hiding place. I couldn’t make out his eyes though. He looked as if he was about to kick someone’s ass or take over a small country. He stood tensely, listening to the other one. His shoulders were squared back and tugged against his t-shirt. Taking advantage of my invisibility, I let my eyes wander over the rest of his body. Glancing down at his arms, I did a little swoon and kept going. Sadly, his good parts were hidden in the shadows. Oh, yum! He was hot. My stomach did a slow roll as I watched his lips move. Nice lips… beautiful mouth. Dangerous stranger. I gave myself a mental slap. Dangerous men were bad. I licked my lips in anticipation even though I had no intention of kissing this guy. Was he really in my house earlier? That’s impossible.

“Find her!” The wind shifted and the harsh words drifted clearly. The taller one gestured towards the house. This one practically screamed “Navy SEAL” by his massive size and bearing. Compared to the first guy, he was more bulky in the shoulders, but had a lean torso and a nice butt. I imagined he had amazing abs. Yes, he was gorgeous but looked mean. There was something about the set of his jaw that said he’d take no crap from anyone. What were they doing here?

“Mica! There you are! We’ve been looking for you. Come back inside. Someone found a karaoke machine.” Tyler interrupted my spying when he popped up next to me. Intending to drag me inside, he reached out to grab my arm, and I flinched.

The strangers zeroed in on me like I was standing in a spotlight. Both sets of eyes pinned me to the ground, and I froze like a baby deer. While Tyler babbled about karaoke, I watched them watch me. Both stared so intently that I was afraid I would burst into flames. They seemed to know me. How was that possible? Who were these guys? The big one said something to the shorter one, and they started moving in my direction. The big one moved like he was stalking prey. I yelped and bolted back to the safety of the house. I was striving for a dignified retreat but knocking people out of the way kind of ruined it.

“What’s with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Tyler skidded to a halt beside me.

I laughed shakily, glancing behind me, sure we’d been followed. “Did you see those guys?”

“What guys?”

“The two guys who were standing across from us outside! You didn’t see them? They were coming over to us.”

Tyler looked down his long nose, and said, “Dude, I didn’t see anyone but you standing behind a bush. I think you need another beer.” He put a new beer in my hand and clinked his bottle against mine in a toast.

I stayed inside the rest of the night. I kept a lookout for the ‘secret agents’ as I nicknamed them. I didn’t see them again. Maybe I had imagined the whole thing? It seemed so real though. It was really late when it was time to go home. Ricki was pretty wasted so I was driving. I wasn’t exactly sober, but hey, I had a new philosophy: I would die when it was my turn. In the meantime, I would live life as close to the edge as I wanted, and we’d just see how things turned out. Aric and Dani walked us to the car to help Ricki into the backseat. Aric made sure she had a seatbelt on and asked how I was doing.

“Oh, I’m fine. I don’t feel buzzed at all. Don’t worry about us.”

He looked dubious and told me to drive slowly because the roads were slippery. I only had to drive about 30 miles to get us home. It would be fine. Ricki fell asleep before we turned onto the main highway. I turned on the stereo and sung disjointedly to a Lady GaGa song that I barely knew. Tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, I yawned. And yawned again. The miles mocked me as we crept along in the snow. I wasn’t even sure we were really moving… My feet were freezing so I turned the heater on. Before long, the car was toasty warm and so were my eyes. Blinking to stay awake, I leaned on the steering wheel to focus better on the road. Not one of my better ideas. The woods were dark around us, and the falling snow obscured everything. It was like driving in a black and white tunnel. My eyes closed, and I blinked hard again. The snow was so pretty bouncing off my window. It was mesmerizing… I was drifting off to sleep when the car started to slide and abruptly stopped. The bump jolted me awake. I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t even driving. I was in the passenger seat.

“What the hell? How did you get here?”

The Secret Agent Man from the party pierced me with snapping eyes. “Are you crazy? You almost died back there! Do you know how close you came to wrapping this car around a tree?” His hands flew as he yelled, and I leaned away from him automatically. Taking a deep breath, he held up his hands in a gesture of peace. “Calm down; I’m not going to hurt you,” he hissed and wrapped his big hand around mine before I could protest.

I came awake slowly. Moaning happily, I stretched under the covers. So comfortable… My sheets were soft, and I was toasty warm. I felt so good. I could stay in bed all day. I cracked my eyes to look at the clock. It was 11:00. Reality brought me completely upright. It was 11:00? I hadn’t slept this long since before my mother died. And no nightmares either. My body felt rested, energized. My head was clear and awake. Suddenly I wanted to go for a run. I should be doing something!

After a short three block run, I flung myself back inside. What was I thinking? It was freezing out here! I noticed the camera above the door and paused. Something nagged at the back of my mind. I should remember something… something to do with the camera. I thought for a second, and it was gone. Poof! I shook my head--no idea. Ricki popped over later that day. We were sitting on the floor polishing our toenails and listening to new music. She looked a bit rough after last night.

“Oh, hey, thanks for driving last night. I’m so glad you got us home. My dad said there were a bunch of wrecks from the snow. Were you freaking out?”

I didn’t answer. I was thinking hard. That nagging was still there. It had something to do with the drive home. I was puzzling it out. I drove home, right? I remembered getting into the car. I don’t remember getting out of the car. I know I wasn’t drinking enough to black out. I’d only had two beers the whole night. A sudden flash popped into my mind. Those guys!

“Ricki! Did you see those two super-hot guys last night? They looked like secret service or something; I’ve never seen them before. Did you see them?”

“What guys? I didn’t see anyone new. But I was pretty trashed, so I wasn’t looking. What about them?”

Video tapes! I jumped up, racing to my dad’s office. I pulled up the camera feeds. I wasn’t sure what time I got home so I watched from midnight. Come on, come on. Nothing. No movement outside my door. I fast-forwarded a bit until I saw something interesting. At 1:15 a large shadow appeared in the lens’ field. I practically pressed my eyeballs to the monitor. Huh. The image showed me unlocking the door and going inside. I was alone. How was that possible? I should be able to remember that. Why didn’t I? Something wasn’t right. The tape was still running forward while I was puzzling it out. Wait! I stopped the tape. At 4:12 there was something odd. I backed it up to 1:15 to be sure. There it was again. After the door closed behind me, I saw a faint flash of yellow light in my window. It was subtle, but it was definitely not my lamp. It was fleeting, not constant like the lamp. What was that? I fast-forwarded to 4:12. There were no other flashes until that time. It was definitely something. But what? I had no clue. I took the tape and put a new one in the camera. I was pretty sure Dad wouldn’t notice.

I was trudging back through the snow when it hit me. I stopped and studied the driveway. The snow was undisturbed except for footprints. Ah ha…

Chapter 3: Winter X Games

CHRISTMAS VACATION WAS OVER. It was a new semester, and I couldn’t wait to get out of English class to find Ricki. She and I were plotting our winter plans and most of them involved snow and speed. The faster I moved the more alive I felt. I’d been chasing speed for weeks. Dani groaned every time I mentioned plans for the weekend. Poor girl! She wanted to be out with us too. She just didn’t like risking her life every time we left the house! Feeling a little guilty and waxing sentimental, I dragged up the memory of how we met last summer. We still laughed about it. She’d busted me scoping out guys from the window at Zen.

“Yummy, aren’t they?” The question and giggle came out of nowhere. Startled, I swung around, knocking over a stack of books. With my hand on my heart and my face turning red, I glared at the girl next to me. She came out of nowhere like a ghost. It was creepy. She seemed friendly enough though.

I laughed at her question and added my own opinion. “Oh yeah--they’re hot. Do you know them?”

The three guys in question were looking directly at us now. The dark-haired one was checking me out with a smirky grin. I was so busted! Oh God, just kill me now! I was mortified and hid my face behind my hand. The other girl just laughed. She thought I was funny? Well, that was different.

“My name’s Dani, by the way. My mom owns this store. Cool, they’re coming over. Ok, the really tall one with brown hair is Aric Talbot, and I’ve been in love with him forever. So paws off! The shorter one with red hair and dreamy green eyes is Tyler Williams, and the super-hot obnoxious one with dark hair is Scott Flynn. They hang out at the pizza place all the time.”

The bell rang, and I dragged myself out of my musings to head to art class. I had been a terrible friend lately. Dani didn’t like all the extreme sports, and I’d left her to fend for herself a lot. She didn’t understand that I needed the adrenaline to feel strong, to feel in control again. Well, I would have to spend more time with her this month. We could get our nails done or grab a movie… girly things that she’d like better than skiing. Dodging a couple making out by their lockers, I rushed around a corner when he stepped out in front of me. Unable to stop, I crashed headlong into him. The impact knocked me on my butt, books flying everywhere.

He sneered down at me, “Well, look who it is? How’s it going, bitch?” He nudged me with his boot.

People stopped all around us. The Neanderthal I ran into was Scott’s friend, J.J. With heavy bones, thick rubbery lips, and coarse brown hair, he resembled a cave man on his best day. Today he was a cave man with a bad attitude. I was about to go off on him when the atmosphere changed. Suddenly J.J.’s rapt attention was on something above me. Still sprawled on the floor, I tried to twist around to see when someone pulled me up by an arm and slid between me and J.J.

“Walk away now.”

It was him!

“I don’t think so,” J.J. said, smirking since he was used to getting his way.

Before anyone could react, J.J. swung a fist at the guy’s face. Lightning fast, he caught the fist in his hand then forced J.J.’s arm back to his side. He was perfectly calm as he held J.J. still with one hand. J.J. strained against his grip for a second before suddenly relaxing. In fact, he looked a little sheepish. What the heck?

“We’re done here. Don’t bother Mica again. I’d hate to hear that you did.” The sexy lilt gave me goose bumps. British? Irish?

J.J. seemed mesmerized and stared without another word. I wished I could see my rescuer’s face, but he was still standing in front of me. The view I had was pretty good though.

J.J. nodded and rubbed his hand. He had an odd look on his face as he walked away, as if he just woken up and wasn’t sure how he’d gotten there. Slightly disappointed in the non-fight, the crowd started drifting away. My hero towed me off to the side. I started to thank him, but the words disappeared when he turned his eyes in my direction. Wow. They were electric blue. Beautiful. Stunning, really. Mesmerizing, sexy, brilliant, spellbinding… I ran out of adjectives and stared like an idiot. He snapped his fingers to get my attention.

After flushing a becoming shade of magenta, I reeled in my hormones, and managed to stammer out, “Thank you… for what you did for me.”

Instead of asking me out, or asking for my phone number, he studied my flaming cheeks with an amused curl to his lips. Not quite a smile, but close.

“You’re welcome. I’m Sean.”

Later that night, Dani was bouncing off the walls of Zen. We were waiting for her mom to close the shop so we could leave. I promised to tell her all the juicy details as soon as we had some privacy. Her mother must have super powers. She always knew what we were talking about and where we were hanging out. It was uncanny. I think she has one of us bugged.

“Okay, Mica, please tell me about this gorgeous new guy! He shows up and rescues you from J.J.? That’s amazing.”

She really didn’t like J.J. He’d cornered her at the beach and tried to kiss her when she was 14. He’d been unhappy with her attitude and tried to push the issue. She managed to get away from him by raking her nails down his arm. He dropped her, and she took off running for a lifeguard. He didn’t bother her again, but he made her nervous whenever he showed up. I didn’t like him because he was Scott’s friend. Guess those types ran in a pack?

Grinning like an idiot, I said, “His name is Sean.” I didn’t know how to explain him so I stuck to the facts. I stopped as I remembered the tingling heat that had branded me where he touched my arm. I could almost feel it now, and my entire body responded with enthusiasm. Whew! Probably I shouldn’t think too much about that part!

That night I sat on the bed thinking things over. I hadn’t had a nightmare since the party. I was sleeping like a baby. What had changed? Maybe I was getting over things? I still missed Mom like crazy, but the pain in my heart was less stabbing. I didn’t really miss Marc anymore. Too many things had happened to dwell on him. He seemed like a saint next to Scott; after all, he’d only dumped me. Dad was trying to be better, more patient. He’d stopped nagging at me about college and planning my life. For months he’d been freaking out about my attitude. I wasn’t ready to think about college yet. It was still six months away. He thought I was unmotivated… It wasn’t that. I was dying to get out of this apartment to be on my own. I wanted that, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was waiting for something to happen. I had no idea what, but it felt like my life was paused. Before I could move on, I had one big issue to deal with: Scott and the destruction he left inside my head. I was working on that too.

Since my ankle healed, I was running and taking a self-defense class. I was still learning but was getting some good training. I was going to up the ante once I was a little stronger. I would never be a helpless victim again. If I was going down, I would go down kicking some ass. I was going to get a stun gun as soon as I could. Pepper spray has too many limitations. I would be strong and self-sufficient and in control of my destiny. That was the plan.

The snow was deep around the sides of the trails. It was so pretty out here. The forest was covered in snow; the pine trees were dark against the brilliant white. Grinning like an idiot, I adjusted slightly to stay centered. The big snowmobile responded like it was connected to me. The engine roared; the vibrations made my teeth tingle. It was amazing! The stretches of meadow were like big soft comforters. Once in a while I could see a deer bounding off to one side or another. It was the best way to see the backcountry. We were headed to a place where people were doing stunts on their snowmobiles. I trailed Ricki to a parking area and pulled off my helmet.

“Hey, Ricki! Over here!” It was Kevin. He was in line at one of the ramps. He was giving Ricki the thumbs up. She waved back.

“I don’t know what to do about him,” she confessed. “He’s really sweet, but he’s so shy. How do I get him out of his shell?” She cracked herself up and snorted.

The more she snorted, the harder I laughed. It worked for us.

Suddenly serious, she breathed, “There he goes!” Kevin was next.

We held our breath as he gunned the engine on the straightaway. Gaining full speed, he flew over the ramp into space. Once airborne, he steered the big sled into a complete flip. He pulled it around just in time and landed perfectly in the snow. Awesome! I wanted to do that! I was already heading back to my sled when a familiar voice stopped me cold.

“Yo, Dec! Wait up!”

“Omigod! He’s here! That’s him. Look, look!” I don’t know what came over me. I lost my mind in a total fan girl move, clutching Ricki’s sleeve, towing her around to see Sean. Where did my dignity go?

Fully dressed in winter clothes, he was still ridiculously sexy. I could see his dark head from here. His hair was so black it had blue highlights in the sun. Those amazing blue eyes suddenly found mine and held them. It was like looking into the ocean. I wanted to dive in. My mouth opened in an ‘O’ as we stared at each other. Eventually I realized his expression was amused again. I flipped a casual wave and whipped around to Ricki, completely mortified.

“What kind of friend are you?” I hissed before sinking into a crouch behind the sled. “Why didn’t you stop me? I’m an idiot!”

She was openly appraising Sean and his friend. “Who’s his surfer friend?” she asked with a whistle.

Before I could answer, a pair of boots appeared in front of me. I groaned. It’s got to be him. I peeked over the seat, and yep, it was Sean. He held out a hand. I gritted my teeth and pasted a smile on my face as he pulled me up. He immediately took a step back. What did he want? I wasn’t in any trouble right now. There’s no reason to rescue me again. He noticed my wariness and narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t worry. You won’t need to rescue me again. I’m not in any trouble today. No one’s here to bother me.”

Sean locked eyes with the guy he called Dec and nodded. “Sweetheart, other people aren’t your problem.”

“Oh, ha ha. That’s hilarious. I’m pretty sure I can manage to take care of myself. I’ve been on my own for a long time, you know.”

He cocked his head, and said softly, “Really? Are you sure you’re on your own?” His accent was captivating.

I’d taken a step closer before I noticed and planted my traitorous feet. “Pretty much, yes. But I’ll take help now and then. Thanks again. Okay, gotta go!” I grabbed my helmet. “Ricki, I’m up!”

Sean laid his hand on the grip, and growled, “What do you mean 'you’re up?'”

“I’m learning to jump! It’s going to be great. I’ve been waiting for months, so let go.”

“Are you nuts?” He glanced in appeal at Ricki who shrugged and laughed at him.

“I am not nuts. Now move or I’ll run over you.” I gunned the engine in warning. He moved in a huff.

It was amazing flying through the air. I landed with a pretty good wobble, but I didn’t lose control, and nobody got hurt. I was thrilled and sped back to do it again--and again--and one more time that day. I looked around for Sean and Dec and didn’t see them again after my last landing. They were gone.

A few nights later, Dani was sleeping over, and we were relaxing on my new pillows talking about spirituality. Dani believed in a lot of things that I didn’t. I respected her beliefs though and didn’t mind learning about them. Tonight we were talking about Heaven and Hell.

She was saying, “You have to believe in both if you believe in one. They either both exist or neither does.”

“I’m not arguing that point. I just don’t know if I still believe in either of them. I hope there is a Heaven because I want to think my mom is someplace like that… and not just rotting in the ground. And I’d like to think there’s a Hell too, for other people. I’m just not sure about God’s role in all this. I’m not sure He’s exactly like the preachers say. He doesn’t seem to be very kind to me.”

Dani opened her mouth, closed it, and swept narrowed eyes around the room. “Did you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“I felt a presence just now. Didn’t you feel it too? It was like a warm breath of air moved by us.”

She was definitely creeping me out. “I didn’t notice anything. It must be the heater coming on.”

She didn’t look convinced. She stared intently at the hallway for a full minute before shrugging and getting back to her story. The hair on my neck stood up, and I shivered. I didn’t need any help being edgy at night. Let’s not talk about any unexplained 'presence' in my room. I’d start having nightmares again.

Global warming was a myth. The temperature had been well below zero for days. I dragged my purple fleece hat over my ears and tied it under my chin. Not a glamorous look, true, but at least my ears would stay attached. Tugging on my mittens, I trotted over to the railing and looked down.

I’d never heard of a frozen waterfall before. The small chasm was filled with snow; the river and falls frozen like ice sculptures. The water had roared over the rocks until it gradually froze in layers of rolling ice. Stray beams of sunlight glistened like tiny diamonds sprinkled by some capricious snow fairy. Usually thunderous, the falls were eerily muffled. Leaning over the railing, I gloried in the wonderland that Mother Nature created. The mountains called to something primal inside of me, calming my fears, strengthening my spirit. I drove here today to clear my head. I was thinking about Sean. Again. I hadn’t really seen him in the past month. Sometimes I caught a glimpse of him at school, but he didn’t talk to me. At first I thought he hadn’t seen me, but once in a while I caught him watching me. I waved or smiled, but he just turned away. That stung. What was his problem anyway? We weren’t exactly friends, but he acted like he was too good for me. I puzzled over it for weeks before finally deciding it was his problem, not mine. Life was too short to waste any more brain cells on Sean O’Cahan.

Turning my back on the chasm, I mused at the death of my innocence. Once upon a time, I believed in love and happily ever after. I believed in God. Now? Not so much. I was alone in my world; there were no such things as destiny and divine intervention. I would make my own way. My life would have meaning because of what I did not because of what others did for me. Other people weren’t dependable and simply believing didn’t make dreams come true. No, I would make my own way… I didn’t think I could live without people though. I was too sociable to be a loner. One thing was sure, as much as I liked to hang out with my friends, I was alone inside my head. No one really knew me. Right now, I was okay with that.

That night I dreamed I was on fire. My body was in flames, and I was rolling around on the ground trying to put myself out. I rolled so hard I fell right off the bed. I lay on the floor for a minute trying to wake up. I regretted it when I did. I felt like crap. My head was pounding, my whole body hurt, and I was still on fire. This was not going to be a good day.

“Well, at least you aren’t throwing up. You’d feel worse if you were puking on top of everything else.” Janet always found the silver lining. Her honey-colored eyes were kind as she examined me. She’d pulled her thick blond hair into a twist for work. Although she wore little make up to work, she was still pretty for a mom. Her skin glowed without any artificial colors or flavors. I was bummed I didn’t share her genes.

Wanly, I said, “Yeah, that would suck. Thanks. I’ll try to live.”

She patted my hand and straightened to go. “No problem, hon. I’ll be at the hospital so call my cell if you get worse.” She handed me the TV remote on the way out.

Dad and Janet had given me a small TV for my birthday last month. I hardly ever watched it, but I would use it today. It would have to be later though. I painfully swallowed some water and closed my aching eyes. The flu sucked.

The fever kept me from sleeping soundly, and I slipped in and out of vivid dreams. One moment Sean was at the wheel of a strange car in a place that seemed vaguely familiar. Before I could ask him about it, the scene shifted to a forest covered in snow. I staggered in the drifting snow, lost and alone. I fell to my knees as the scene shifted to a rundown warehouse in a dark city. I stood shivering in icy rain outside a faded red door, waiting for someone… Suddenly there was a bright flash and flames erupted from the building beside me. My clothes caught, and I burned in the rain, calling for help. Explosions shook the ground. Sirens screamed in the distance. They got closer and louder. My head was about to explode…

Cool fingers massaged my temples, and the sirens faded away. I sighed contentedly and cracked open my eyes. He dropped his hand and sat back. I must be dreaming.

“Hi,” I whispered. He was beautiful in the dim light; so solid and warm that I wanted to snuggle up and sleep forever. I was so weak that my hand sort of dropped onto his knee. He twitched at the impact.

He shifted his body so we weren’t touching anymore. I felt a pang at the loss of warmth.

“Sean? Don’t… go,” I croaked out the last part. “God, my throat’s killing me. I think I’m dying.”

With half a smile, he helped me sit up against my pillow. “I’m pretty sure you’ll live.” He read over the note that Janet left me and briskly set about saving my life. He stuck a thermometer in my mouth and measured out some pills. After pouring me a glass of water, he squatted next to me, motioning for the thermometer.

“Damn!” he swore before holding the thermometer out for me to see. “You really are sick.”

I blinked to clear my vision. Did it really say 105? The numbers were blurry. He held the glass to my mouth so I could take the pills. I moaned as they scraped down my throat. It hurt and I felt like death. The flu sucked, but he had such pretty eyes… Delirious, I drifted off.

Sometime later, the sound of two men talking dragged me out of deep sleep. Their words made no sense. Was that English? I couldn’t understand them, but I was floating and dizzy with fever, so I might have imagined the whole thing. I cracked an eyelid. A strange face wavered in and out of focus. He was peering at my face. After a moment, he reached out and wrapped his hand around my throat.

Chapter 4: Peace Offering

“HEY, MICA! Welcome back, girl. I missed you in Chem. I was hoping you’d be my partner on the project. Do you have one yet?” Tyler ambushed me outside of class and was walking me to my locker on my first day back. I had only missed two days of school. I was a walking miracle.

“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you be my partner if you do your half of the work. I’m not doing it all--I don’t have time.” I gave him a stern look. We’d had this conversation last semester, and it hadn’t worked that time either.

He hung his head in mock shame. “Yeah, sure, I’ll do half. I promise. Let’s hang out after school, and we can work it out.”

I was about to reply when I saw someone else I wanted to talk to. Well, look who it is. Oh, you can run, but you can’t hide. I must have growled out loud because Tyler stopped talking and followed my gaze.

He rolled his eyes, and said, “Oh great. See you later.”

I was already marching towards him when he saw me coming. His face went from surprise to wariness in a heartbeat. I walked right up to him, ready to do battle.

“Mica,” he said evenly, his expression neutral.

“We need to talk,” I said between my teeth.

He casually glanced around at the crowd of people and raised one eyebrow. “Do you think this is the place for that conversation?”

That brought me up short. He wasn’t denying it? Huh. I didn’t know what to say to that. I expected him to tell me I was imagining things, but the video camera doesn’t lie. Something was going on. I rolled my eyes, “Fine. Will you meet me at the park after school?”

He agreed and left me standing there until I was late for class. I couldn’t sit still for the next two periods. I had questions, and he was going to give me some answers. I wasn’t going to settle for anything else. Time dragged like my grandmother’s breasts.

Not really dressed for winter because I didn’t like bulky clothes, I parked in a sunny spot to avoid freezing to death. Feeling like an ant under a magnifying glass, I sat on my fingers to warm them up. It was still cold, but the snow was starting to melt away and patches of dead grass poked up here and there. People were saying spring was coming. I wasn’t in a hurry for spring though. There was an anniversary I wasn’t ready to face. I pushed that out of my mind for now and looked around for Sean. It was a little park without too many places to stash a person. A stone fountain surrounded by a handful of stone picnic tables and a bench was the focal point of the park. In the summer there were wild roses growing along the wrought iron fence, but today, they were just clusters of stalks sticking up from the snow-covered beds. A couple of purple and grey pigeons sat fluffed into their feathers on the roof of a tiny gazebo. One of the birds nudged the other rudely in the side until it flew off in a huff. Okay, so a couple of bickering pigeons but no gorgeous mystery man just yet.

Settling in to wait, I turned up my radio. I was singing along with Audioslave when someone tapped on the window. My heart was in my throat as I nearly jumped through the roof. Damn it! What was wrong with him? Was he trying to give me a heart attack? But he had no way of knowing how jumpy I was, did he? I glared out the window anyway. Sean’s lips twitched, but he didn’t laugh. Smart man.

Despite the cold, he led the way to the closest picnic table. I wasn’t sure what to say, and the silence got to be awkward. Sean watched me calmly. He wasn’t in a hurry and just waited for me to say something. I still couldn’t believe he was a student. What would it take to make him lose his composure? What could I do to break through his control? Make him smile? Make him laugh? Make him moan? Shit. What was I thinking? I wanted answers, but now I couldn’t think of the questions.

After endless seconds crawled by, I finally blurted, “Did you know I was sick?”

“I heard that, yes.”

“It was the most amazing thing. I was really, really sick but somehow made an amazing recovery.”

“Really?” He arched one eyebrow. The expression was so damn cute I almost lost my train of thought.

He was making this difficult. “Okay, I’ll get to the point. Were you in my apartment or not?” Feeling stupid always made me bitchy.

Sean muttered under his breath and abruptly stood up to pace for a minute while I watched in fascination. Apparently coming to a decision, he stalked around the table and sat down beside me. He ran his hand over his jaw several times before speaking.

“Okay, I can’t hide this from you now. You have a right to know. Hear me out though.”

My surprise must’ve been obvious because he hesitated a beat before continuing.

“Yes, I was in your apartment. I didn’t know you were sick, but I was driving by and I recognized your car. I… decided to stop and say hi. You didn’t answer the door, and I was leaving when I heard you cry out. You must’ve been dreaming.” His eyes roamed over my face, warming to an impossibly brilliant blue when they lingered on my mouth.

I was hypnotized. “Go on.”

“Well, I heard you, and I thought you were in trouble. I sort of pushed my way inside expecting to see you with someone. But you were all alone and clearly out of it.” He paused for a heartbeat. “Anyway, I could tell you were really sick, and I tried to wake you up. You were practically delirious. I was afraid to leave you alone, so I helped you take some Tylenol and drink some water. I sat with you for a while until your fever went down. Once your fever went down, you seemed to be okay again. I didn’t want to freak you out so I left. That’s it.”

I believed him. He seemed sincere. “It was just you? No one was with you?” I had to ask.

“Yes, it was just me--really. Who else would be there?”

We sat there in silence for a while. My brain was going in a thousand directions between his story and the urge to throw him down and kiss his fascinating mouth until he smiled at me. Eventually his body heat actually pulled me from my fantasy. Wow. He was burning up. I could feel the warmth of his leg even though we weren’t touching. A gust of cold wind blew inside my collar, sending chills racing down my back. Shivering, I automatically moved closer to him. He stood up and said he had to go.

“Yeah, sure. Why don’t you just go then? Sorry to bother you.” I stomped back to the car and left. Geez, I wasn’t contagious. He liked me, didn’t he? Why would he bail? I finally called Ricki for support. She was less than helpful.

“Maybe he’s a vampire, and he’s trying not to eat you. Did you see him in the sunlight?”

“Yeah, that’s it. I thought of that too. He acts like he’s afraid of me. Maybe he thinks I’m dangerous?” That was funny considering the year I’d had.

“Hey, girl, someone’s at the door. I’ll catch up with you later.”

I used the peephole and nearly had a stroke. I yelled, “Just a minute!” and threw on some lip gloss and fluffed out my hair. I ran back to the door before casually opening it.

He held up one hand in a gesture of peace. “Before you say anything…”

There was no chance of that! I couldn’t believe my eyes. He was standing on my porch looking delicious in faded jeans and a black sweater. He practically dripped sexiness. I would have forgiven him absolutely anything right then. But he cheated. He brought a guarantee. His eyes were guarded as he stood there waiting for me to say something. I bent down on one knee and held out my hand instead.

“Oh, look at you, pretty girl. What’s your name?”

I was enchanted. The little Dalmatian had a delicate, feminine face. She was wearing a red leather collar with a little medallion on it. I turned it over in my hand to read it. It was a St. Christopher’s medal… said to protect children. How odd. Waiting with her head erect, ears cocked, she seemed to expect praise at her beauty. Warm chocolate brown eyes assessed me with more intelligence than my little brother. She had more black spots than I’d ever seen before. Her face was really freckled. On another dog, it might have been ugly, but this dog thought she was a princess.

“A peace offering, Mica. Will you accept it?” Sean’s hand drifted to the dog’s head, fingers unconsciously ruffling her fur. She looked back and forth between us as if to say I haven’t got all day. It’s cold out here.

Two pairs of incredibly beautiful eyes pled into mine; one blue and one brown. It took me less than a second to decide to keep her. She was beautiful and perfect. I was thrilled. I impulsively grabbed Sean’s hand to thank him. A violent shock raced up my arm, heating my skin, vibrating through my chest in an instant. I flung his hand away like it was on fire.

“What the heck was that?” I rubbed the lingering tingles.

“Static electricity?” With a wince of his own, he stepped back an entire foot, and asked, “Do you think we could come inside for a minute? Angel’s freezing out here.”

“Sure, come on in.” I waved them both inside and plopped down on the floor so I could pet Angel. Her fur was silky and smooth, and I rubbed her ear between my fingers. We sat nose to nose getting to know each other. She was perfect. My jewelry box was just behind me.

Bemused at this unexpected gift, I murmured, “How did you know?”

Sean glanced at the box, expression softening. “I saw her tied up in front of the pound. The place was closed, and she was pathetic in the cold.” He ruffled her fur gently, and she licked his hand. “I remembered your jewelry box, and well, I thought you might be good for each other.” He ran his hand over her delicate muzzle, fingering the St. Christopher’s medallion. “I hope you don’t mind.”

My mother gave me that jewelry box for Christmas the year she died. The porcelain Dalmatian was Perdita from Disney. It had been my favorite movie as a little kid. She’d smiled in her quiet way as I pulled it out of the box. Never one to get too excited, she broke into a rare laugh when I jumped up and hugged her. Hugging me back, she’d said, “I love you, sweetie.” The poignant memory brought her face to mind, and I wished for the thousandth time that I resembled her in some way. Wishing didn’t make it so. We looked nothing alike; she had wavy black hair and grey eyes. She was tall and thin with small breasts. I was much shorter and had brown hair and blue eyes. Our faces weren’t even similar. Hers was oval; mine was heart shaped. Somehow I’d gotten the small breasts gene though.

Tomorrow was the first anniversary of her death. I swallowed and cleared my throat trying to stop the tears that wanted to come.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you like her?”

I brushed a tear out of my eye but another took its place, and soon I was crying rivers. Without thinking, I turned against him and sobbed my heart out. He wrapped his arms around me and tentatively patted my back. After a few minutes, I stopped crying and realized something very warm was pressing up against my hip. I froze. What… Ohhhh. Should I move? Should I ignore it? I didn’t want to make a scene, but I wasn’t ready for that kind of comfort. I surreptitiously wiped my nose on his sweater.

A deep groan interrupted my thoughts. Angel shifted position to lie on her back with her legs in the air--against my hip. Her mouth hung open, teeth shining, tongue lolling to the side. If a dog could laugh… I rolled my eyes and mentally smacked my forehead. It was the dog! Sean casually moved to put Angel between us, his posture wary as usual. My face was flushed with more than tears now. He burst out laughing and promptly bit his lip to stop.

“Sean. This dog is no angel. Look at her--she’s laughing at me! I’m giving her a new name as soon as I figure one out. And what’s with the medallion? Who puts those things on a dog?”

Relaxing the stiffness in his shoulders, he leaned towards me with a frown. The shadow of a beard accented his jaw, the outline of his lips. He was delicious. He was too serious.

Ignoring my lustful gaze, he answered seriously, “Don’t you believe in signs? In fate? In destiny?”

“Um, no, not really.”

“Maybe the medallion isn’t for her; maybe it was meant for you.”

I scoffed loftily, “That’s crazy talk. I don’t believe that. I don’t need protection. I’m doing a good job of protecting myself. It’s been months since I was attacked by any psycho people.”

He bent his face towards mine. I held my breath, parted my lips. A strange peacefulness settled over me. I leaned closer… any second now…

With his mouth hovering only inches away, he growled, “We are not in control of our destiny. Take all the help you can get.”

And then he left.

As I watched the door close behind him, I was marveling about three things. One, I somehow became a dog owner; two, my skin was still tingling where Sean had touched me; and three, twice today, he passed up a chance to kiss me. Not that I wanted him too, but still.

Journal Entry: 3 April

I’m sad tonight. Not depressed sad; just ordinary sad. Mom’s been gone a year now. God, it seems like yesterday. I don’t know where the time has gone. I miss her still. My heart aches. No one understands. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to remember her without this heaviness. Oh, Mom! I wish you were here now. I wish you could see me. I’m stronger than ever. I was so broken, but now I’m strong. I was fragile last year but now I’m taking charge of my own life. I’m not going to be a victim again!! No one will put me in that position. I will fight if I have to, and this time, I will win. I wish I was a better daughter to you. I know I was a pain in the ass. I was a brat. I made life harder for you. I’m sorry about that every day.

“Come on, your majesty! Some of us have things to do today.” I was holding the door open for her highness, Princess Domino. It was pouring down rain. I was very glad I could pee inside. She walked suspiciously to the door and peeked out. Are you kidding me? I’ll wait.

I booted her butt outside. “Sorry, dude, but I’m going out so you need to pee. It’s for your own good.” I waited for her to pee, and let her back inside.

She came straight to me and shook out her fur. After I was good and wet, she walked over to my bed, hopped up onto my favorite pillow, made a circle and collapsed as dogs do. Oh, so warm and snuggly. Thanks, Mica. You have a good time tonight. Buh-bye! I glared at her, and I swear she smiled at me. Her tail thumped twice before she closed her eyes. I was dismissed.

I was pretty sure I was just going to get wet again, but I had to change anyhow. It was a matter of principle. I slipped on my favorite skinny jeans and added a tight t-shirt and a hoodie. It was supposed to clear up today, but it didn’t look good right now. I was hoping though. A bunch of us were going to play pool at a little place in town. A horn honked out front. Ricki must be ready. I gave the princess an ear fondle and a kiss.

The place was warm and smoky inside. Ricki and I were pretty wet after the mad dash from the parking lot. Exhilarated from the soaking, we laughed all the way to the ladies’ room.

“Gross! My hair is totally flat! I hate it.” She was trying in vain to fluff it up.

It was a lost cause. I sympathized though. The flat look didn’t do her new platinum color justice. My own hair was looking just fine since I pulled my hood over it. I fussed over it anyway; I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Out in the main room, Tyler, Kevin, Dani, and Aric had shown up and commandeered a table for us. The ancient juke box blasted out “Sober” by Tool. I happily sang along with the depressing song. Tyler came over with a huge grin on his face.

“You suck!” He liked to think he could sing… He thought he was Axl Rose. He had the red hair, but that was where the similarities ended.

Singing louder, I tapped out the drums on the edge of the table. “Jealous? You wish you were amazing like me.” To emphasize my awesomeness, I smacked him in the arm.

He smacked me back a bit harder than I expected and off the stool I went. Someone caught me before I hit the floor though. That someone laughed into my ear as he easily pulled me to my feet.

“Whoa, you don’t have to throw yourself at me, darlin’. I like you just fine standin’ up!”

Dani elbowed me after he helped me to my feet. Tall and lean, he seemed familiar. He had wavy blond hair and laughing blue eyes that were creased into triangles at the moment. A crooked smile and dimples just added to his overall adorability. Now where did I know him from? I was getting ready to ask him who he was when he introduced himself.

“I’m Declan, Sean’s brother. Everybody just calls me Dec. I saw you at the ramps. Ring any bells now?” He had a lilt to his voice like Sean did. It was adorable.

His playful smile was contagious. I found myself grinning up into his eyes. “Oh yeah, and speak of the devil. There--” I got out before Dec whipped around.

“Where?” he asked seriously, head swiveling back and forth.

Sean strolled up with an easy grin. “I think she means me, Dec. It’s cool.”

Wow. He was hotter and hotter every time I saw him. He did things to jeans that should be illegal. Too bad I didn’t like him much. Nope, not much at all…

Swiping irritably at blond bangs hanging over his eye, Kevin positioned himself in front of me, interrupting my drooling. Trying for tough, he narrowed his blue eyes and set his jaw. “Friends of yours, Mica?” He appraised the two guys with suspicion and a little hostility.

Tyler and Aric were alert too. Tyler’s good-natured freckled face was creased with an uncharacteristic frown. Dani just grinned at me.

“Whoa! Yum!” Dani whispered loudly and fanned herself with a menu. She knew exactly who Sean was. She approved of him because she thought he had a positive aura. I challenged that idea but had to admit there was something different about him.

Even with that easy grin in place, Sean stood like a soldier, feet planted and shoulders back. He could break Tyler with his hands. He had a look about him that screamed “dangerous.” It made me sweat--in a good way. Dec, on the other hand, was a little shorter and a little thinner. The two were a contrast. Sean was dark while Dec was light. His hair was a streaky blond, but he had the same arresting blue eyes. His face was more boyish than Sean’s. Even so, the lines of his face were lean and could easily go from relaxed to hard in a minute. Dec stood more loosely than Sean did, but he still looked like a soldier. There was a readiness in them… Trying for subtlety, I glanced at my watch while scoping out their bodies.

Even wearing jeans and t-shirts, they were both ridiculously hot. Dani giggled and rolled her eyes towards Dec’s butt, just in case I hadn’t noticed its awesomeness. Their bodies were hard from work in the real world--they didn’t have the half-hearted workout bodies that most guys had. No, they lived life in ways these small town boys haven’t even dreamed of yet. My imagination went into hyper-drive. I could see both of them in a uniform holding an automatic weapon. They were definitely different. Our guys, as I thought of Kevin, Aric, and Tyler, were reacting to this new threat by posturing. Suddenly they were a little taller and tougher.

Ricki finally snorted with disgust, and said pointedly to Kevin, “Oh, chill out, already.”

I started to laugh, and soon Ricki and Dani were giggling too. It broke the tension, and the guys started to relax. Soon we were all playing pool, and everyone was getting along. It was hard not to like Dec; he was hilarious and sweet. He seemed to find everything funny. We must be kindred spirits, him and I. As the night wore on, I noticed his gaze lingered on Dani whenever he thought no one was looking. Hmmm, that might be an interesting match. They’d have pretty babies together.

At the end of the night, I went to the ladies’ room. Sean was waiting for me when I came out. I stopped and searched for help, but we were alone in the dim light. The juke box boomed through the walls; its bass rattling a picture frame near my head. No one would hear me. I swallowed and kept walking, hands suddenly cold. Not threatening, really, he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He’d watched me all night, but hadn’t said much to me. Not unusual since he barely talked to me anyway. Conversation wasn’t his strong suit. He’d commented on my pool skills once or twice and ignored me. But every now and then, my skin prickled, and I’d glanced up to find his eyes gleaming in my direction. The intensity made me nervous, and being alone in this dark hallway was freaking me out. I didn’t know him that well and anyone could be deadly. I was buzzing with adrenaline when he peeled away from the wall.

“I’m scaring you, aren’t I?” He studied my clenched hands.

“No, you don’t scare me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Look, I’m not trying to scare you. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m just…”

“What?”

He hesitated for a heartbeat. “I’m here to play pool. That’s all.”

That sounded like a lie and a weak one at that. I put my hand on my hip, drawing his attention lower. “Really? That’s it? You’re here to play pool?” Unafraid now, I moved a little closer.

“You didn’t come here to see me? Not at all?” I was crowding him, challenging those glowing eyes of his. Wait. That can’t be right. I blinked a couple of times, and the impression was gone. He stepped back, again. I wasn’t having it this time. I stepped forward. He stepped back, hands raised between us, irritation etched across his face.

“Knock it off. What do you think you’re playin’ at?” His accent was heavy with the harshness of his voice.

“I’m outta here.” I stalked away.

I was snuggled up with Domino listening to the rain come down. We were both glad to be inside and warm. I loved to watch her sleep. She seemed perfectly content here. My family loved her, and Seeker, the little black dog that Janet adopted, was glad to have a yard mate during the day. The kids were pretty good about taking care of her if I was stuck at work late. I took Domino with me wherever I could. She sprinted alongside of me when I ran every day. She went to the park with me and my friends and hung out at Dani’s store with us. Her mom fell in love with the dog and always had a treat for her--organic, of course. Domino preferred organic. We were planning to go hiking in a few weeks. Maybe she could scare away bears?

That night I dreamed about Sean. This dream was different from the others. I was running down the long hallway with doors again. But this time, there was an open door with a gold seal above it. I couldn’t read it, but I ran through the door anyway, only to fall screaming through cloud cover before landing on a foggy forest floor. A faint light shimmered in the distance, calling to me, drawing me forward. I was making progress at first but then stumbled over random rocks and clutching branches. I could see the light beckoning... just out of reach. Suddenly a large shape landed in front of me. With a surprised cry, I dodged to the side--right into Sean in an entirely new world.

Surrounded by mist and water; everything was green and lush. We were standing in a small pool edged with mossy rocks and purple orchids. The water was so clear I could see the sandy bottom. Sean was holding me against his bare chest. My head was flung back as he slowly dragged his mouth over my neck. My blood raced through my veins like a current, my entire body pulsing with heat. I was looking down at this sexy scene when his eyes snapped open and locked onto mine.

I was still gasping for air a few minutes later. What a dream! It was dark outside. I wasn’t sure I could go back to sleep after that dream though. Whew! That was wicked hot. I wanted to jump back into that pool and… Domino stretched restlessly against my side and cracked an eye. Do you mind? I was dozing off again when she stiffened. Growling low in her throat, she pulled herself to her feet, listening. I sat perfectly still with eyes on the alarm pad. It was armed. No one could sneak inside; although it would be pretty easy to kill me before the police showed up. It was a very small apartment with limited hiding places. I didn’t hear anything though. Domino growled louder, showing teeth this time. She was serious.

Hefting a baseball bat, I pressed my ear against the outside wall, careful to stay away from the window. Domino launched herself in front of the door with her hackles raised. I still didn’t hear anything, but I trusted her instincts. Something was up. The slam of a car door scared me even more. This was not good. Damn it. The sound of tires squealing sent both of us running to the window. What the hell?

Domino had stopped growling, but her lip was curled in a snarl. I peeked out of the blinds--nothing. I peeked out of the peephole--nothing.

“Well, what’s the matter, dog? You’re freaking me out.” She pointed her nose at the door and cocked one ear.

“Okay, fine, but if you get eaten by a zombie, don’t blame me!”

I let her out, and she ran to my car, barking madly. I didn’t want to do it, but I followed her with the bat. There wasn’t anyone else there. Domino was sniffing all around the car though, probably taking DNA samples. It was uncanny--she started at the front end, methodically working around the whole car. She stopped right next to the tire that had a screwdriver sticking in it.

“Are you frickin’ kidding me? Just great!” I searched the street, but whoever did it was long gone. Damn it.

The next morning, I was sitting at the kitchen table sulking into my cereal when my dad came down.

“Hey, kiddo. What’s the matter? You look bummed.”

That was an understatement. “Some freak flattened my tire this morning, Dad. It was about 4:30. Domino woke me up. What am I supposed to do with it?”

“Flattened your tire? Was that all? Damn it! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I had the alarm on and Domino’s there. Plus, your old bat.” I put on a brave face.

Dad ran through the video tape and called the cops. The cameras captured the shadowy shapes of two guys and their car. Unfortunately we couldn’t see the license plate. Even though I couldn’t see their faces, I knew one of the guys. He didn’t need a face for me to recognize him. His body was burned into my nightmares. It was Scott Flynn. I told the police what I could and took a shower. Dad would help me get my tire changed later. Right now, I needed some air. The walls were closing in. I threw my hair up in a ponytail and grabbed the leash.

I was starting to feel normal again after we’d finished our fifth mile. I found my 'happy place' somewhere around mile three. I ran for the joy of it. I was walking a cool down block when a car pulled alongside. I checked it out from the corner of my eye, finger on the pepper spray. Domino was tugging the leash with happiness--it was Sean. She was madly in love with him and wasn’t at all ashamed. She wagged her whole butt in joy. She had no dignity. He pulled into the park and got out.

Uh-oh. Now what? In soldier-mode today, he stood stiffly, scanning the park, lips pressed in a line. The dark scowl alone would send babies screaming for their mothers. It sent a warning trickling through my blood. What was he looking for? Russian agents? Leprechauns? Terrorists? Satisfied that we were alone, he stalked over and towed me to a bench. I bristled a bit at the manhandling. Who did he think he was?

I tried to pry my hand loose. “Excuse me? What is your problem?”

“My problem? Let’s talk about your problem. I just talked to your dad.”

“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. You don’t have to worry.”

“But I do worry. I worry a lot.” Something in his expression made me warm all over. His voice was curt, but his eyes were tight with real concern.

“You’re cutting off the circulation to my hand. Do you mind?”

Instead of letting go of my wrist, he loosened his hold and eased down on the bench. The muscles in his arms flexed with the motion, drawing my attention to his shoulders. Broad, hard, probably golden brown under the t-shirt he wore, they were made for snuggling against. My imagination was helpfully stripping off said shirt and filling in the details of his skin. My heart was doing little flip flops because I was actually happy to see him. Uh-oh, those were bad signs. I stood up to go. It was time to make a dignified exit--for once. I invited him to hike tomorrow and headed home. After a cold shower, I went to work. Suddenly bears didn’t seem all that scary. I was looking forward to the hiking trip more than before.

The drive to Giant Mountain was a pretty one. Ricki volunteered to drive, and I happily rode shotgun. Signs of spring were all around us. Trees were sprouting new green leaves. The rivers would be running high with snow melt. I was a little sorry we weren’t going to be on the water. I would settle for hiking the mountain though. The forest was home for me. I felt a sense of peacefulness that I didn’t feel anywhere else. I wanted to run through the woods and climb to the top of this mountain--I hoped the rest of my friends could keep up.

“Did you bring condoms?” Ricki chuckled with a snort at her cleverness.

Jumping at the sound of her voice, I snorted too. “Geez, woman! No, I did not!” Though the idea had some potential, the wearer wasn’t cooperating. “Besides, he’s not interested. You’ve seen him. He practically ignores me half the time.”

Grinning evilly, she said, “Yeah, but the other half of the time, he looks at you like you’re lunch! God, he’s hot. He’s got a fabulous ass. You’ve got to reel that one in!” Pausing to nibble her lip, she added thoughtfully, “Now, Killian… mmm. He’s more my type. Wicked hot and dangerous…”

“Yeah, he’s dangerous all right. Like a bomb! One wrong move and you’ll lose body parts! You can have that one. He’s too hot for me. I’ll just keep dibs on Sean.”

“You got it. Do you think Killian will be there?” Sucking her finger seductively, she shivered for dramatic effect. “I want to throw him into a cave and…” Winking at my open mouth, she popped her finger out like a cork.

Giggling in spite of my shock, I said, “You’re so nasty! Geez!”

A little later we pulled onto the side of the road by the trailhead. Aric, Dani, and Tyler pulled up behind us. There was only one other vehicle there. Dec waved enthusiastically. Unable to resist the magic of his dimples, I waved back. Tons more reserved, Sean raised a hand in a half wave. No Killian. Ricki sighed dramatically. She narrowed her eyes in speculation as she mentally appraised Dec.

I elbowed her. “Forget it! He’s too sweet for you. You’d give him a heart attack!”

Dani glided over to us, and we headed into the trees. Tyler and Aric forged ahead like they had a speed record to break and were soon out of view. Ricki and Dani dawdled along like they had all day. Impatient with their speed, I finally broke away, taking off up the trail by myself. Sean and Dec hung together behind me. Sean still hadn’t said anything to me, and I was content to ignore him. He was one small person in this huge wilderness. There’d be time to talk later. Right now, I had a mountain to conquer!

Barking randomly, Domino turned into a sheepdog, spending her time running back and forth between our little groups. She was crazy with joy as she loped beside us, occasionally grabbing at stalks of grass with her teeth. There was a long green stem hanging from her mouth when she raced past me again. I had to laugh at her because she acted like I felt inside. I would’ve wagged my tail if I had one. It was an amazing place. The trail cut through trees and over little streams. Huge granite boulders were randomly plopped here and there courtesy of the last ice age. Some giant had tossed them around for us to climb on and no two were alike. Some were bare and grey while others were covered with lichen or bright green moss. Occasionally water trickled down their sides and shimmered in stray beams of sunlight. It was a magical place. There should be wood nymphs and trolls.

I eventually caught up to Tyler and Aric. They couldn’t contain their inner-billy goat and climbed to the top of every big rock they found. When I paused to catch my breath, Dec slipped back to join Dani and Ricki. Echoes of his laughter floated on the wind that whistled through the trees. Every now and then I caught the tinkling of Dani’s giggles too. That was interesting…

I stopped at a cleft in a gigantic tumble of granite. It was almost big enough to walk through. No way was I venturing into the pitch blackness inside. As cold air drifted over my skin, I peered into the opening. What lived here? Bears? No, probably not. More likely foxes or something smallish… I felt him before he spoke.

“Too small for bears,” he said smugly.

“Oh, you think you’re so smart, don’t you?”

“You’re not that hard to read.” He wasn’t smiling, but he looked like he wanted to. I wished I could make him smile for me. What would it take?

For the rest of the day he played shadow with me, stopping when I did, pacing me as I explored. He didn’t say a lot, but I didn’t mind. There was something about him. I tried to ignore him, but I was completely aware of every move he made. He gave off such energy… A vitality that was hard to ignore. I could almost feel vibrations coming from him. My skin prickled when he passed near; my pulse picked up its pace. He drew me like a magnet that I was struggling to resist. I peered at him now. He looked so… powerful, bigger than life, a predator. He was sitting on a rock with his face turned into a dapple of sunlight. His eyes were half-closed, a jaguar sunning itself. He seemed like he was relaxing, but I sensed his watchfulness. He wasn’t dozing at all; he was scanning the woods around us. Was he guarding or hunting? He caught me staring and straightened with a frown. I blushed and glanced away.

Finally exhausted, Domino threw herself down in a thick patch of grass, panting happily while I soaked my feet in a deliciously cold bubbling stream. Taking a cue from Sean, I closed my eyes to worship the sun. A splash of icy water on my face startled me upright with a girly squeak and a mad search for bears.

No bears, just Dec. He was standing close enough to splash me with another handful of water. I jumped up to get out of the way when the next splash hit me in the chest. Oh, it’s on! I scooped up my own handful of water and threw it at Dec. He laughed when it missed him and caught Sean instead. The others found us and an epic water battle began.

I was still laughing on the way back down the mountain. We were a ragged-looking group. Everyone was wet and muddy. Dani was profoundly put out as she tried in vain to dry off without a single dry piece of fabric.

“I can’t believe you people,” she griped.

Aric put his arm around her, and soothed, “You’ll live, babe.”

Dec caught up to me and shook himself like a wet dog. I tried to jump away from him and stumbled over a root growing across the trail. Going down on one knee with a yelp, I flailed my arms to keep my balance. Instead of keeping my balance, I slid into a loose patch of leaves that gave way into the side of the embankment. With a muffled squeak of surprise, I went tumbling over the edge dragging Dec with me. We bounced and slid at least 50 feet before landing on firmer ground in a final messy skid. I ended up on my face in the wet leaves. Dec fell on top of me with a heavy grunt. Stars flew around my head as I blinked into the dirt.

“Get off!” I grunted, pushing at his shoulders. Shoving harder, I inhaled with relief when he pushed himself up to his elbows. Turning around so I could breathe, I ended up wedged between his surprisingly heavy body and the soft ground… most of which was in my mouth. Ewww… I spit a mouthful of dirt out.

With a huge grin, he said dryly, “Nice job, darlin’.”

Voices called down from above. Ricki yelled something I couldn’t understand, but Sean’s words were clear.

“Dec? Are you guys okay?”

Dec cocked his head to listen. After a second, he shouted, “We’re okay! We’ll be there in a minute.”

I measured the width of his shoulders with my dirty palms, commenting, “I had no idea you were so heavy. Are you going to get up or squish me to death?”

Leaning his weight to the side, he sprang to his feet like a cat before hauling me upright and slapping leaves off of me. I let him since I was busily spitting the dirt out of my mouth and digging it out of my ears and hair. God only knew what I looked like. He looked wretched, and I felt a small stab of guilt.

“Come over here, you. You’re a mess.” I plucked leaves and broken twigs out of his hair. He had broad smears of black dirt all over him, including his face. Looking around, I spotted my backpack. The water was nearly empty, but there was enough. After rinsing my mouth, I handed it to Dec.

“I’m sorry, Dec. It was an accident.”

“So what did you want to talk about?” he asked as he circled me, peering interestedly at my body.

“What do you mean? Nothing!” I felt naked and backed away from him. “What are you doing?”

Laughing at me again, he said, “Oh, relax. I’m just checking to see if you’re bleeding! You’re so suspicious! Do I look dangerous to you?”

“Well, no. But looks can be deceiving,” I muttered uncomfortably. “Come on. We’re going to have to walk around the base of the cliff before we can get back to the trail on top.”

Easily pacing me, he surprised me by reaching out and taking my hand. No one could see us from above, but he angled us to the back of a tree to be sure the view was blocked. Serious now, he smiled very gently, his eyes soft.

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. That was profoundly insensitive of me. I know what you’ve been through.”

He was so sincere I nearly cried.

“Forgive me?”

One dimple made an appearance, and I caved. “Of course I do. Who could say no to the dimples? So while I have your undivided attention…”

A knowing grin creased his face. “Here it comes. Go ahead. Ask me. I know you want to.”

Unable to help it, I started to laugh again. He really was incorrigible. “Fine! What’s the deal with Sean?”

We started to pick our way along, admittedly making our own trail, but down was down. We’d get there eventually.

“Sean likes you, but--”

“But what? Does he have a girlfriend someplace?” I knew it! No one that hot was single! It figured. It made perfect sense. Ugh.

“Don’t be stupid. Does he act like someone who has a girlfriend?” Pointing his chin towards the trail above us, he added, “It’s not that. It’s complicated. We’ve got… uh, family issues. We might have to leave to help our… family take care of some things. He just doesn’t want to get serious with anybody right now.” He locked eyes with me. “That’s probably a good idea.”

He was lying. But it was close to the truth. His story had the right nuances without any facts to make it completely believable. Hmm. Very interesting. Those huge blue eyes stayed locked with mine, and I wanted to believe him. The more I stared into his eyes, the more I wanted to believe him. Of course, he was telling the truth. Why would he lie?

Still moving along, he lifted me up and over a rock that blocked my way. He had an easy personality. Everything about Dec was warm and fun. He was like a puppy; you had to like him.

“So he likes me?” I asked out of the blue 20 minutes later.

Draping his arm around my shoulders, Dec kissed the side of my cheek just as we rounded a bend and popped out onto the main trail. We had an audience. Dec coughed with a strangled laugh as Sean’s eyes narrowed instantly.

With a great show of holding me up, he leaned into my ear. “Do me a favor, darlin’, and limp a bit for Sean’s temper.” Much louder, he said, “We’re almost there, and you can sit down.”

Catching the suspicious gleams in Sean’s and Ricki’s eyes, I stumbled heavily into Dec’s side. He shocked all of us when he scooped me up in his arms.

“Oh, yeah, this’ll make him soooo much happier!” I whispered in between giggles.

Hefting me easily, he replied, “That’s what he gets for being jealous!”

After eyeballing us closely, Ricki asked, “Are you okay? Did you hurt… anything?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she took in the tan skin visible through the huge tear in his t-shirt. Half of his stomach was showing, and he did have nice abs…

When we got to the cars, Ricki looked at Domino’s wet, muddy body and asked if anyone had a blanket to cover her seats. Oh, crap, I didn’t even think about that. Ricki’s car had cloth seats. In the end, the dog and I rode back with Sean and Dec. Domino curled up on the leather backseat with Dec, and they were both asleep in minutes. I was all out of witty conversation so I pretended to sleep most of the way back. I kept my face turned away from Sean since I kept breaking into a grin. Sean was jealous? Hmmm. Very, very interesting… Sean glanced at me every now and then, but didn’t break the silence.

Chapter 5: Seduction?

AND SO THE FRESHNESS of spring turned to the sweaty joys of summer, and my days took on a new pattern. I went to work and spent my off time in the mountains or on the lake. Gradually I grew to love my little group of friends. They accepted me here, and I felt wanted. I could count on them if I needed help. Ricki was especially protective, snapping at Sean a few times in my defense. He could be bossy sometimes. I still didn’t know what was going on between us. Sean, Dec, and their other friend Killian, showed up where I was more often than not. I wasn’t surprised anymore; in fact, I missed them if they didn’t come around. Correction: I missed Sean and Dec. Killian got on everyone’s nerves, and no one really liked him. He was too intense and far too dangerous for my comfort. His wicked blue eyes didn’t miss a thing. I swear he knew every thought in my head. He usually wore a mocking expression like he knew something we didn’t. His smugness was annoying. Ricki and Dani still thought he was hot though. I had to admit, he was hot, but not the sexy kind of hot. He was more the nuclear explosion kind of hot. I didn’t want my body anywhere near him. Now Sean, on the other hand…

I finally admitted to myself that I liked him. He was a mystery though. Who was he? What was he really doing here? My instincts screamed run away. He was more than I could handle. But my heart beat faster every time I saw him. There was something sad in those serious blue eyes that intrigued me, made me want to dig deeper. My body reacted every time he was near. I arced towards him like iron to a magnet. I couldn’t resist his pull. I didn’t want to. But what should I do about it? I sat in my lawn chair and gave Sean some thought until I had a plan. Let’s call it Plan C.

Lake Champlain is a very big lake. It stretches between New York and Vermont. There are little pine-covered islands dotted across the lake. I loved exploring these little bits of isolation. Today Sean and I were going off alone. It was the first time we would spend the day together without company. I begged him to take me out on his sailboat the minute I heard he had one. He’d made excuses for a month now, but I finally talked him into it. By the time I used all of my charm, he had no choice. Time to put Plan C into action!

The universe seemed to agree with my plan. His friends were out of town someplace and wouldn’t be around to chaperone. My friends didn’t dare ask to come with us. The weather was cooperating too. The sky was perfectly blue with a breeze. It was going to be hot today. I was counting on that.

The lake sparkled as we cut through the water. Domino was leaning into the breeze with her ears flapping gently. She was in Heaven. I scratched her between her shoulders, and she licked my face. Sean was focused on the water ahead of us. He seemed to be taking us into the open water. Oh, no, no, no. That would not work. We need to park.

He jumped when I came up behind him. “Sean, see that little cove? It’s so cute. Can we go check it out? Please,” I added for good measure.

“I thought we’d cruise a little further down the lake before we stopped anywhere.” His jaw seemed tight, tense.

I tried to pout. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure.” He was looking straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact and gripping the wheel with white knuckles.

Fine. He could be that way. I was expecting this. I would have to play dirty to break him down. So I gave his hand a little squeeze and smiled with full firepower.

“Okay, you win, for now.”

I went to the front of the boat. He couldn’t avoid seeing me if he wanted to keep steering it. When I started peeling off my t-shirt, the boat lurched a bit. Probably it took five full minutes to peel off the shirt and my shorts. I did a lot of stretching afterwards. My bikini could not have been smaller. It was a simple suit. It was a deep purple with tiny little straps and push up cups. My breasts were doing their best to escape right now. There was no way he could miss them. I stretched out on a blanket and put in my earphones. The sun would shimmer off of the coconut oil I was slowly rubbing over my arms. I was wearing very dark sunglasses so I could watch him. Oh, he was definitely trying not to look. It was funny to see him struggling with the urge. What I didn’t get was why he was holding back. I could tell he liked me. He did everything he could to avoid getting close though. I was breaking him down with relentless dedication. Today I was bringing out the big guns.

After a little while, I noticed the boat turn towards a secluded cove. I perked up. Was my plan working? I did my best to look sexy. I made sure he was looking before dragging my long hair across my shoulders. Our eyes met. His were bleak as he stared at me. I didn’t understand the expression, but smiled wickedly at the smell of victory.

After anchoring the boat, he hesitated for a minute, seemingly torn, and looked skyward. I held out my hands, and he took the first steps that would change my life forever.

Resigned, he reached out, and I tugged him to the deck. Oddly hesitant, he hovered above me while I leaned back on the blanket. His eyes searched mine. They were that wicked shade of ocean that I wanted to drown in. He was trying to tell me something, but all I could see was infinity in those eyes. I wanted to follow him anywhere. He held my gaze, challenging me to look away. I couldn’t drop my eyes. I was suddenly very aware of a power in him I only vaguely sensed before. A trickle of fear crawled between my shoulder blades. But it was far too late for second thoughts.

Sean was resting on his elbows above me. The hard muscle of his chest brushed against my breasts; his thighs pressed mine, until we were connected from head to toe. Every nerve in my body twitched, crying out for him. I wanted to run my hands over his bare shoulders, but I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed and hypnotized. The seconds dragged; the silence broken only by my heartbeat thudding in my ears. Still, he watched me, eyes on mine, as if he were trying to read my soul.

My thoughts exploded like fireworks. Every memory, every thought I’d had about him raced through my head until I made a startling discovery. Somewhere along the way, I’ve fallen in love with him.

He stroked my lower lip with the pad of his thumb, those beautiful lips of his curling into the barest hint of a smile. Leaning close, he dragged his mouth over the shape of my face once, twice, and again, before whispering against my lips, “If I look into your heart, Mica, what will I find?”

Mesmerized, lost, I answered, “You. Only you.”

His mouth came down on mine in a kiss that stopped my heart. A current passed through my lips to my toes. I vibrated with it, desperate to arch against him, needing to touch him, to sink into him, but I still couldn’t move. I lay in beautiful agony as his lips move over mine, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, tasting, stroking, demanding a response. Tiny lights sparkle behind my eyes as a tidal wave of need crashes through me. I want more than kisses, more than this. I want everything he can give me. With a groan, he wraps his arms around me, dragging me tightly against him, skin to skin, heart to heart. Every inch of me was pulsing with the need to move closer. My skin was too tight and too hot, raw and exposed. My heart was skipping beats, and I couldn’t quite catch my breath. The sensation turned to pain, and I moaned against his lips. He dragged his mouth away and laid his forehead against my shoulder, his breathing ragged, heart thumping. Raw power surged through him, and my instincts were screaming again. Run, run. I was getting in way over my head here. But I didn’t have the will to move, didn’t want to move. I was shaking inside. He lifted his head, looking down at me, his expression somber, eyes dark with intensity. I felt naked and vulnerable. I lowered mine.

He pressed a soft kiss on each of my eyelids, murmuring, “It’s too late for that now, Mica. We’ve already crossed the line. I’ve seen what’s in your heart. There’s no reason to hide.”

I opened my eyes. The sun bathed him in a beautiful golden glow. This time when I tried to arch against him, my body obeyed. His mouth moved over my neck, nibbling, tasting my skin before slanting over my lips once more. The strange current passed through me again, a hot rush of power that curled my toes. This time, I didn’t fear it. I relished it. It was intoxicating as it sang through my veins, making me light and weightless. I wanted more. I wanted to float away in it. My fingers were digging into his back when everything went black.

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

My eyes popped open at once. I blinked in the sunlight, disoriented. Domino was stretched out on the blanket with me, regally surveying the shore. Sean he hauled me upright. I expected him to immediately step back like he usually did, but this time he didn’t. Instead, he held me at arms’ length, strong fingers entwined with mine.

“Regrets, Mica?” His eyes were unreadable in the bright light.

“What did you do to me?”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

“So are you.”

Neither of us was willing to answer the question so we called a truce. The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. We went ashore on a quiet little island. I brought a picnic basket, and we sat and nibbled on the fruit and cheeses. There was a shy feeling between us now. I wanted to ask how he felt about the kiss on the boat, but I was afraid he might regret it. He asked if I had regrets. I did, but probably not the kind he was thinking about. I regretted… what exactly? That we didn’t go further? That I fell asleep somewhere along the way? That I didn’t tell him I loved him? That he didn’t tell me he loved me? If I was being honest, I would admit to all of the above. I should be freaked out, but I wasn’t. Deep down inside, I knew this was meant to be. No matter what happened now, I would not regret that strange intimacy I had with Sean.

The sun was getting lower across the water. We probably needed to head back, but I didn’t want this time to end. I must have looked disappointed because he came over to sit on the blanket. He pulled my back against his chest. Domino curled against his side. We sat there in silence, but it was a comfortable one. I was safe in his arms. He kissed the top of my head, and I felt hope for the first time in many months.

Journal Entry: 6 Jun

Wow, today was amazing. I’m in love with Sean!!! He’s so… unbelievable. He’s so much more than just another guy. There’s just something about him. I can feel some of the broken pieces coming together inside of me. I am not afraid when I’m with him. He’s scary and I’m sure, dangerous, but I feel safe with him. He treats me like I’m fragile. My heart doesn’t ache for my lost life, lost innocence. I feel peace. I feel chaos. I don’t know what to do about him!

Chapter 6: Disclosure

I TRIED TO KEEP it on the down low; really I did. What we had was so personal I didn’t want anyone to know. It was impossible to hide the change though. Our friends noticed something was going on as soon as they saw us together. I lit up like a candle when I saw his face, and he gave up trying to fight his attraction to me. He spent his time with me, and everyone knew we weren’t just friends. My friends approved because they knew what I had gone through, and Sean was gentle with me. He would protect me from Scott and his friends if they tried anything else. I glowed with happiness every time Sean was around. Plus, he was smokin’ hot! What friend wouldn’t approve of that?

On the other hand, Dec and Killian didn’t approve. Dec seemed amused by the whole thing and treated me like a favorite cousin. But he gave Sean a hard time when he thought I wasn’t listening. He didn’t approve, but he accepted us. Killian was angry with both of us. He spent his time glaring at me and bitching at Sean. I didn’t understand what his problem was. He acted like I wasn’t good enough for Sean, and that really hurt. Tonight we were playing pool downtown, and I was ready to murder Killian. He’d been scowling at me since he got here.

I finally snapped, “Killian, what is your problem?”

His eyebrows jumped up. “My problem? It’s not my problem you should be worried about. You have no idea what you’re messing with. You’re in way over your head.”

He stalked out before I could respond. Confused, I turned to Sean and Dec for answers. Cursing under his breath, Sean was clearly angry, and Dec was trying to smooth things over when the night took an even shittier turn. Scott and two of his friends sauntered into the room. Rolling my eyes back in my head, I thought, oh great! Perfect timing. I’d been dreading this moment for a week now. Officer Halliwell called us to let us know Scott was released early for good behavior. The state was too broke to hang on to such a model prisoner. I tried to steer Sean out of the room, but it was too late. He’d spotted Scott and crossed his arms with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. If Scott and his friends were street thugs, Sean and Dec were mercenaries. They stood, backs to the wall, sizing up the three thugs. My money was on them. They looked like they could rip the other guys into little pieces.

Scott spoke first. “So Mica, I see you’re still skanking around town. This your latest fuck-buddy?” He sized up Sean, and added snidely, “She’s good isn’t she, man? I wouldn’t mind taking another crack at that.”

One of Scott’s friends decided to chime in. “Man, I’m gonna take a piece of that after we kick the shit out of these two pussies here.”

Sean smiled, showing both canines, and suggested in a friendly tone, “Why don’t we go outside? I don’t want to get blood all over the bar.” He was already heading out the door before I could react.

My face went white. This was not good. Dani called for Aric and Kevin. Why couldn’t Scott just leave me alone? He was such a dick. I was tired of being afraid of him; at this point, I would help kick his ass.

Dani and I came running into the alley just in time to see Scott and Sean squaring off. Dec stood with arms crossed, daring the others to jump in. The cocky one made a kissing sound at me. Ricki let out a growl in her throat. I shushed her and patted my purse. I was carrying concealed now… My new stun gun would discourage Scott’s friends. I wasn’t going to be anyone’s victim--ever again.

Scott threw a punch at Sean’s face that caught him in the cheek. I winced at the sound. Sean didn’t even flinch. I couldn’t bear to watch, but I couldn’t look away either. From the beginning, Sean was in complete control. He moved with the precision and speed of a trained fighter. It was not a fair fight. Scott was strong but clumsy, throwing himself at Sean, hoping to take him down with sheer brutality. After the first blow, he didn’t land another shot. Sean worked him over with cold precision. The other thugs sized up him up and decided against getting involved. Dec’s expression turned mocking as he looked hopefully at the two guys. With wary expressions, they stood back and watched their buddy get the shit kicked out of him.

Scott was a mess. His face was bleeding from his nose, cuts above his eye, and one cheekbone. His gut had to be killing him. I was hoping for a few cracked ribs. He finally staggered to one side and collapsed to his knees. Sean raised his boot to kick him when Killian appeared out of nowhere.

“Sean! He’s down! You’ve made your point.” He glared around the alley, daring anyone to step in. No one said a word.

Ricki dug her nails into my arm with a sharp inhale. “Oh my freakin’ God!”

I couldn’t argue. He was fierce…

Grabbing Scott by the shirt and shoving him into his startled friend, Sean snarled, “Get this piece of shit out of my sight before I finish this permanently. And you, dirt bag, you might want to reconsider taking a piece of that if you want to keep your dick attached to your body.” The guy backed away, face white. Sean shot him a feral smile. “Just some friendly advice.”

The whole fight had taken less than three or four minutes, and the cops hadn’t made it there yet. Aric and Kevin regarded Killian and Sean with a cross between fear and respect. They backed out of the alley as the sound of sirens closing in broke the tension. We scattered and ran to the cars. In the confusion, Sean grabbed my hand and yanked me behind another store’s fence. He swung me around and kissed me hard. My head filled with little flashing lights as the current that was Sean coursed through my blood.

That was the first night I let him stay with me. I didn’t think it was a good idea, but he insisted. He must have been riding on some wave of testosterone because he was determined to stay.

“Mica, I don’t trust those guys. They’re not going to give up.” He was facing me in the front seat of his car, outlining all of the reasons I should let him spend the night.

I had no arguments that made sense. The truth was I was a wreck. My emotions were all over the place. I didn’t want to be alone in the dark. I didn’t want to face the nightmares that would surely come. They always did when I ran into him. I would get very little sleep once the dreams started. Sean could protect me, and I needed him tonight.

We lay on the bed, with Domino between us, talking until late in the night. We talked about everything and nothing at all. Eventually I dozed off, and the dream came back. I was running through the endless hallways again, but this time, I could clearly see Scott’s face behind me. He was carrying the hunting knife. I was screaming as usual. But this time I was screaming at him to come and get me. I stopped to face him with a gun in my hand. I was ready to fight back.

“Baby, wake up. You’re dreaming.” Sean shook me awake.

I snuggled against him, grateful to let the dream fade. “Can I ask you something?”

He rubbed his hand down my arm, and said, “You can ask me anything.”

“Okay, then. What are you doing here?”

“Lying in bed with a gorgeous creature… What kind of question is that?”

“No, not here, I mean here, in town. You and your friends… you aren’t like the other people around here. They’re all so country. That’s not who you are.”

He pulled away from me and sat up. “That must’ve been some dream. I’m not anything special, Mica. Don’t make too much out of me.”

“But what about the fight? You’ve had training, I can tell. And your accent? Come on, Killian is like this military commando guy. He probably kills people for fun. Say what you want to, but you aren’t from around here.” He didn’t respond. “Give me a break! I’m not an idiot.”

He was pacing by the window until the silence stretched. Finally he sat down beside me. He told me his story. It was true they weren’t from around here originally. Their parents came from the U.K. as political refugees after a terrorist attack nearly killed them. The U.S. government agreed to grant them asylum in exchange for the research information they would provide. Sean’s father, Killian’s mother, and Dec’s father were involved in biological research in Switzerland. He wasn’t allowed to give me any details on that though. I hung on his every word.

“So what are your parents doing here now? Are they still doing research?”

“Yes and no. I can’t talk about that. Let’s just say they are in and out of the country a lot so the three of us stick together. We’re all old enough to live alone so it’s okay for them to travel when they need to. We agreed to finish school here, and then we’ll be out on our own.”

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“Not biological ones, no. But I think of Dec as my little brother. We’ve hung out since we were pretty young, and I try to keep him on a short leash, but you know him. He’s always doing something.”

Dec was a clown, and I wished he was my brother.

“What about Killian?” I couldn’t imagine him as anyone’s brother. I wasn’t even sure he was human!

A shadow passed over his eyes. “Uh, Killian’s complicated. He’s important--just like you are.” He paused, looking oddly regretful.

I reached over to squeeze his fingers. I didn’t like to see anyone sad, but I was a definite sucker for puppies and black-haired blue-eyed Irishmen named Sean. We sat for a long time, each lost in our own thoughts. My head was swimming with this new Sean. Some truth at last! He explained the accent and the secrecy. But that didn’t really explain everything… I thought back to the video tapes from the night I got home so mysteriously. Then there was the strange energy that surrounded him. There was definitely something more to him than he’s telling me. But for now, I would pretend to believe it and see what happens. I would have to hope he didn’t read minds!

As if on cue, Domino thumped her tail against my leg. I glanced over at Sean to find his eyes closed. Was he sleeping? His normal fierceness was gone, and in its place was a gentleness that was surprising. A rush of emotion brought a lump to my throat. I stared at his hand in mine. It was heavy with sleep, fingers long and beautifully shaped; a sprinkling of fine, black hair was scattered at the wrist. Hesitant to wake him, I stroked it softly. He hadn’t moved so I traced the muscle in his forearm, marveling at the blood pulsing close to the surface. That was funny. I’d never noticed that before. I considered my own arm. Did my skin feel that way? I couldn’t check though since I was still holding his hand.

His fingers twitched against my palm. I held my breath. Oh, please don’t wake up! I’m not done exploring yet! He relaxed again. Unable to resist the urge, I got really bold and ran the back of my hand along his arm. The fine hairs were soft against my hand. Once again, I could almost feel his blood surging like a river beneath his skin. Suddenly my fingertips started tingling. I rubbed them together, enjoying the sensation. Oddly numb… Puzzled, I dropped my eyes to his arm for clues and nearly fell off the damn bed in shock. Sean’s entire body was surrounded by a soft golden haze. I blinked several times, but the faint light was still there--and it was getting brighter by the second. What the hell?

Sean’s eyes snapped open in a startling blaze of blue fire.

I yelped and launched myself off of the bed. His hand flew out and grabbed me before I fell. I didn’t see him move. He reeled me in until we were up close and personal.

Nose to nose, he growled, “Oh, no you don’t. You’ve been playing with fire.”

I tried to squirm away, but he held me too tightly. I wasn’t going anywhere. I tried to wrench my wrist away and just managed to hurt myself. He was still tense, but his face was under control again. He didn’t look capable of setting me on fire with his eyes anymore. Surely that was a good sign?

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you up or… whatever. You were so warm I couldn’t resist touching you. I’m sorry.” I really, really was. And scared out of my mind. Yep. That too.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed like a man praying for patience. After another second of staring into my eyes, he scrubbed his fingers through his hair, making it stand up in spikes like a porcupine. I stifled a smile. The worst must be over. He didn’t seem mad, and hey, he wasn’t glowing anymore. That was a relief.

His face went through a series of expressions so quickly that I almost burst out laughing in spite of the weirdness I just witnessed. Anger, frustration, guilt… then finally resignation and grudging amusement. When he spoke again, his harsh voice was smooth with the sexy Irish lilt again. “Mica, darlin’, I don’t know what to do with you. You’re making me crazy!”

I wriggled my hand, mumbling, “Yeah, well, if you’re not going to set me on fire, could I have my wrist back? I think I sprained it.”

The faraway growl of thunder woke me out of a heavy sleep. Groggy, I looked at the clock. It was 4:00 in the afternoon. I’d been sleeping for probably 12 hours. My stomach growled in protest. Yeah, yeah, you’re hungry; stop nagging. I got up to let Domino out, but she wasn’t there. Wandering to the bathroom, I called her. Nope, she’s not in here. Where was she? I threw on some shorts and started for the door when I saw a note from Sean. Aw, he was so sweet. He didn’t want Domino to wake me up today so he took her with him. He had to work but would bring her back tonight. Perfect! I wasn’t done grilling him just yet. I was in the opening stages of my interrogation when I fell asleep last night. I had more questions for my mystery man.

I was about to go to the house for some food when the rain started coming down in sheets. It sounded like a hurricane out there. Lightning flashed through the window, and the thunder was deafening. The light flickered but stayed on. I groaned out loud. I’m starving to death in here, and as I’m made of sugar, I can’t risk the rain. I settled for a granola bar and an apple. The mini-fridge was almost empty. I had some fruit and a couple of bottles of water left. My phone buzzed. It was Janet asking if I was okay over here. Yes, I said. I’m fine. I have enough food to last a little while. She laughed at me and told me to stay inside because it was going to be really bad tonight. She didn’t want me trying to drive in the storm. I promised her I’d stay in. Now I was worried about Domino. It was getting worse outside, and I was getting lonely. I sent a text to Sean and put on some Pink Floyd.

Journal Entry: 26 Jun

What to do about Sean? He’s amazing. He’s gentle and strong. He’s soft and hard. He’s protective, and he’s dangerous. He’s scaring me to death, but I can’t stay away. He brings light into my heart. My body’s on fire every time I’m near him. I can’t even imagine what being naked with him would be like. His body is ridiculous! I want to do things with him that I’m pretty sure aren’t even legal. I’m falling more in love with him and it should scare me… but it doesn’t.

A flash lit up the window outside just as someone pounded on the door. Expecting to see Sean, I yanked it open. My face fell like a rock. Oh, yay! What was he doing here? Without a word, Killian rudely pushed past me into the apartment. He carefully put Domino down. She shook herself off and pranced over to give me some love.

“Why are you here? Where’s Sean? Is he okay?”

He didn’t bother to answer my questions. Instead, he surveyed the room like he was planning to stay. He made a circuit from one end to the other, taking time to look at the pictures on the wall, the flowers in the little pottery cup, and the jewelry box my mother gave me. He actually smiled a little when he touched the tiny Dalmatian. Domino rubbed against him like a cat, and he gave her a strangely gentle pat on the head.

Before I could protest, he picked up my journal, glanced at the last page, and shook his head. “You have absolutely no sense of self-preservation. Your instincts are right, Mica! Why don’t you trust them? You should be scared. What you’re thinking is dangerous and to others besides you and Sean.”

I flew at him, trying to grab the journal. “Give me that, you animal! You have no right coming in here!”

Easily sidestepping me, he tossed the little book onto the bed with a cold laugh. “It won’t work, you know. You two will not be allowed to stay together.”

“What? Says who?”

“He has a job to do, and he will eventually have to leave here. We all will. You’re going to get hurt if you keep up these silly fantasies. There is no happily ever after.”

“I’m not going to argue with you. This is between Sean and me. If you don’t like it, stay away from us. Now get the fuck out!”

There was another flash of lightning and a crash of thunder rattled the windows. Domino started barking. I jumped out of my skin, and the lights went out. She was still barking when I finally turned on a flashlight and looked around for Killian. He was gone.

Chapter 7: Lost and Found

“SHOULD WE CALL NOAH?” I asked Dani.

“Seems like a good idea! Hey, I gotta get to work. Call me later?” She disconnected, and I frowned at the phone. I was bored. I really, really hated being bored.

The rain came down so hard and for so long that I considered building an ark. The stormy weather lasted for days, and I had had enough. The walls started closing in on me so I went for a drive with Domino riding shotgun. She hopped in and stuck her nose under the seatbelt. I strapped her in so she’d be safe. I turned the car towards Giant Mountain. The rain was still coming down but not too hard. I stopped at a convenience store for water and a bag of chips. Okay, so not too healthy, but I was depressed. Depression called for chips. And chocolate, but I didn’t have enough money for both. Domino eyed my purchases with approval. Good call on the chips.

I let my mind wander as I sang along to the music. It had been a long week. After Killian left, I tried to reach Sean, but he didn’t answer his phone. I left a message: just one. No way was I leaving a bunch of whiny messages. I had been hurt too much already, and I wasn’t going to let Sean hurt me too. Yes, I really liked him. And yes, I was pretty sure I was in love with him. But I wasn’t so far gone yet that I was going to curl up and cry over him. Besides, I was more confused than ever. Killian’s words echoed in my memory. He has a job to do, and he will eventually have to leave here. We all will. You’re going to get hurt if you keep up these silly fantasies.

What was he talking about? What ‘job?’ Did this have something to do with their parents’ work? I doubted Sean told Killian what he’d shared with me about that. Maybe Killian was making up the ‘job’ to cover up something else. That was a possibility. He wouldn’t tell me the truth, so maybe he just made up something. I didn’t know what to believe. One thing was true though: Killian didn’t like the idea of me and Sean as a couple. That didn’t make a lot of sense either. I tried to come up with reasons for that attitude. I came up empty. I had no idea. It was just weird.

I pictured Killian’s cold face one last time before shoving it to the back of my mind with extreme prejudice. I was sick of him. I pictured another face, not cold, but very warm. Sean. He showed up uninvited in my life, messed with my head, and left me without even saying good-bye. Jerk. I wasn’t even able to stay very mad at him. I was just… just through. I was so over him.

By the time we got close to the mountain, my mind was clear again. The mountains always put things back into perspective. After all, I was just one tiny being loose in this great wilderness. I wasn’t that important to the grand scheme of things. Nature would swallow me up if was careless or unlucky. She didn’t care about fate or destiny or happy endings.

The view was beautiful here. It was pretty even in the heavy mist. The mountain was across the road; the trailhead just visible through the trees. Did I want to hike? The weather wasn’t great. Maybe I could simply sit in the car and soak up the peace and quiet. Wait a minute. Is that a lake? It was hard to tell because there was a tree branch in the way. I rolled down the window and stuck my head out. I still couldn’t tell.

“Come on, Princess. Let’s go check it out.”

I threw on my waterproof jacket and grabbed the snacks. We picked our way down a little trail and stopped to admire the view. In front of us was a tiny blue lake. It had a small sandy beach on one end, a sheer granite wall on the side, and forest bordering the far end. The lake’s surface was roiling in the rain right now and didn’t look inviting. It looked really deep, and I conjured up Nessie in my head. The wind was blowing through the trees, the clouds heavy overhead. I could imagine all kinds of mystical creatures showing up. I tried to visualize how perfect it would appear on a clear day. The sun would sparkle off the water which would be a deep rich blue. That reminded me of Sean’s eyes. Sigh. I missed him. Where was he?

There was a trail leading from the beach to the forest closest to where I was parked. It was still early, and I was still bored so it seemed like a good idea to check out the trail. It was easy to get to and the ground was flat here. We should be safe enough. Domino was daintily picking her way over the puddles, sniffing everything in sight. When we got farther into the trees I stopped to get my bearings. Wow, it was pretty in here. The foliage was vividly green and shiny with rain. The smell of wet leaves was almost overpowering. I imagined elves living here and had a Tolkien moment before moving on. It was beautiful but kind of creepy. A flash of lightning threw shadows around us and a loud rumble of thunder broke the misty silence. Uh-oh, not good. Time to find the car.

I walked a good way when I realized I should’ve hit the sandy beach by now. The rocks and trees looked the same as the heavy rain distorted everything. I couldn’t find a single landmark that stuck out. I stood still for a minute and willed myself not to panic.

“How about you use your Superdog senses to find the car?” I asked the canine.

She shook some water out of her ears. What am I, a compass? She stiffened a little and sniffed at the air. She trotted over to a brushy area across from us. She came out again and woofed at me. It turned out to be a little sheltered space under a rocky overhang. The brush had hidden the front of it. It wasn’t a cave but at least it was protected from the weather and was actually still dry. We squeezed in and sat against a rock. I was exhausted and starting to get cold. I shared some water with Domino and gave her some chips too. I figured we wouldn’t be trapped here forever and we could find our way out when the storm moved on. What time was it anyway? I pulled out my cell phone and was crushed to see it was 5:30 and that I had no signal: two very bad things.

Domino shivered against my side. I draped my jacket over her and hugged her to me. My poor baby! It was getting darker out and the storm hadn’t let up yet. Thunder echoed in the valley and there were lightning strikes close by. The air smelled like ozone. I was starting to worry now. How on earth was I going to get out of here in the dark? I couldn’t believe I didn’t grab my backpack. I had a flashlight and some other things in it. It was in the trunk of the car. How stupid was I? Ugh. My survival gear consisted of the stuff that was in my jacket pockets: Chap Stick, dead phone, keys, tissues, and a lint-covered piece of gum. I was out of ideas. It was too dark to wander around the woods hoping to find the beach. I couldn’t call anyone. No one knew where we were either… Oh, Jesus, that was bad. We would have to spend the night here and try again in the morning. We’d better hope my sense of direction is better tomorrow. If not, we were so screwed.

I fell asleep from sheer boredom. I was sitting there thinking about my life and the crazy turns it’s taken over the past year. So much had happened and most of it was not good. Sean was the one bright spot I could see. I was daydreaming about him when I dozed off.

I wandered aimlessly through the forest. It was still raining, but I was warm in my dream. Muffling the sound of the rain, the gauzy mist filled the spaces between the trees. My bare feet were scratched and bleeding. I lurched and stumbled in exhaustion. My body was too heavy to move. I wanted to lie down and sleep, but I was afraid I would die if I did that. So I kept moving. I had to keep moving. I had to find what I was looking for.

A shadow moved. Something ran past. An unholy stench surrounded me like a rank fog. Instinct took over, and I ran. The shadow kept just out of sight, spurring me forward in my panic. I ran blindly at first, crashing through trees and scratching myself, but then I saw it--a faint glow in the mist. I knew that light! I’d seen it before--it meant safety. I ran towards it. Please don’t leave! I need you! The rank smell was suddenly closer, and I could hear ragged breathing behind me. I was frantic now and running for more than just my life. I ran for my sanity or maybe my soul…

The light slowed down. For once, it didn’t move away; it didn’t drift out of sight, or vanish from my eyes. It hovered some distance in front of me. The dark shadow grew distinct in the growing light, and I saw it was a huge dark beast. It was misshapen but powerfully built with long claws on its paws, eyes glittering brilliant red. It paced me as I ran. I sprinted toward the light and the glow expanded to fill the clearing. The light was so intense that it blinded me, but I kept running directly at it. I was too afraid of the beast to stop. Its claws raked my back as I threw myself forward into the light. It closed around me, and everything else disappeared.

I woke up on the beach with my faithful pooch whimpering and nudging at my arm. I lumbered to my feet and practically ran to the car. This forest wasn’t peaceful any longer. My spidey senses were tingling on overtime. It was time to run.

The sound of the deadbolt slamming home was the sweetest sound I’d heard all day. After a long, long shower, I crawled into bed. I expected to fall asleep immediately, but my brain wouldn’t quiet down. I snuggled with Domino and thought about all the things that had happened to us that day. I had started out angry and hurt because of Sean and Killian. I felt wonder and enchantment at the discovery of the beautiful lake and the misty forest. I’d felt fear at getting lost, and then terror during the nightmare. Yet somehow, I managed to find the way back to the beach… while apparently unconscious… That’s a bit of a stretch for me on my own. I gave that some thought.

When I was lost and scared today, I did not think to pray. It didn’t occur to me to ask God to help me. I hadn’t expected His help because I didn’t believe He was there for me anymore. I was left to fend for myself. This year taught me that I was alone in my world, and I had to take care of myself. But what happened today? What or who helped me find the way back to the beach? What was the light in my dreams? I opened my heart, and I knew the answer. It was right in front of me. I smiled at the face in my mind. And for the first time in nearly a year, I prayed to God and thanked Him for saving my life today.

Chapter 8: International Diplomacy

I DIDN'T HAVE TIME to dwell on my newfound sense of peace. Ricki was back from her family’s trip to Charleston, and she was ready to party. It was the fourth of July and we were invited to at least four cookouts. I would’ve been happy with one, but Ricki couldn’t say no.

“So will there be any cute guys at Aric’s house later?” It was a key consideration for wardrobe selection.

Ricki held up a tiny purple tank top and sighed. “God, I wish I could pull these off. You’re so lucky you’ve got little tits. My rack would break these straps.”

“At least I can still see my feet. Hurry up so we can get going. My dad’s going to bug me about staying here today. I do not want to get stuck on flag duty.”

My dad always bought a bunch of mini American flags and made someone pass them out to everyone who showed up at his cookout. He was very patriotic that way. The porch was covered in red, white, and blue ribbons and other things I couldn’t really identify. It was sort of sweet though.

Domino wanted to come with me. She was dancing around us with her leash in her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry, pup. You can’t come today. We have to go to a lot of places, and I don’t know if they’re dog-friendly. Dad says you can hang out with them at the cookout.”

She didn’t look impressed and stood stubbornly next to the door. I gave her a hug, told her to behave, and ran out without looking back. Angry barking followed us to the car. I hoped she wouldn’t pee on my pillow.

We left the second party at about 3:00 to head to the marina. I was doing a little happy dance on the dock when Dani showed up with a strange guy. I nudged Ricki in the side. “Who’s the new eye candy?”

She squinted towards the parking lot. “Oh, he’s an exchange student. He’s from… Oh, I forget. Some place. Anyhow, he’s here until January. Wow, he looks like Heath Ledger.” Then she laughed evilly, and added, “Dani said Aric is so pissed! He’s gone ape shit over this guy staying at her house. He even complained to her mom! It makes total sense now.” She was still laughing when they got to the boat.

I hugged Dani, whispering, “Oh, my God! Who’s this guy? And why didn’t you tell me you were getting a model? I am so jealous!”

Dani, being Dani, looked chagrined and apologized for not calling sooner. “Let me introduce you guys. Stefan?”

The blond-haired eye candy ambled over with an adorable crooked smile. I resisted the urge to stand taller and push out my boobs. All drooling aside, I wasn’t interested in males at the moment. It was all Sean’s fault too. Jerk. Even so… The yummy Stefan was stare worthy at the very least.

“These are my two best friends, Mica and Ricki. This is Stefan. He’s from Switzerland,” Dani explained.

Ricki was less than enthusiastic since Kevin and Aric had joined us. She was still hoping Kevin would ask her out, but he kept dragging his feet. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she should move on. There were just some bubbles I didn’t want to burst. I figured someone should have dreams! My days of dreaming were behind me. I was a live-in-the-moment kind of girl now. ‘Happily ever after’ could kiss my ass. Sean too.

After loading skis and snacks, we all squeezed onto the boat. Ricki maneuvered the shiny craft out of the marina. The perfectly calm air turned the lake into a giant blue mirror. Gorgeous! Once we got into the open water, Ricki pushed down the throttle until we flew. The jolt sent us all stumbling into each other. Dani fell against Aric, and he made a big deal out of catching her. Yes, Aric, you’re a stud. Good job, dude. Dani was dimpling up at him but turned around to wink at me. It was time to reel her man in. I almost felt sorry for him, poor dumb guy. She was enchanting when she wanted something. Once she made up her mind, no one said no to her. Her mother never could, I hadn’t done it yet, and Aric would give her whatever she was whispering about now. No doubt about it, the dimples were impressive.

It wasn’t long before we were out far enough to ski. Ricki slowed the boat to a stop, and I bounced into Stefan’s arm. He caught me against his bare, and very muscular, chest. I was laughing. He was laughing. Everyone else was gawking. I turned beet red all the way to my boobs.

Still chuckling, I put some space between us and turned magenta when Aric teased, “Holy shit, Kevin, look at Mica’s face! Could she get any redder?”

“By the way, Mica, where’s Sean?” Kevin asked with an evil smile.

Ricki, being the awesome best friend she is, hit the throttle a bit, and Kevin fell on his ass. I gave him the finger and grabbed the skis. I’d been waiting all week for this.

In minutes I was flying over the water, literally. My skis were barely skimming the surface, and I gave the thumbs up for more speed. I had five more minutes and was making the best of it. The boat went 60 miles an hour, and today I was maxing that out. The rush was incredible! I let myself fly. I was free!

Buuuut… not for long. Reality can be so rude. A sailboat was approaching from the starboard side. From the corner of my eye, I could make out a couple of people on the deck, but I wasn’t close enough to see faces. Aric kept the speed high, and I was showing off. I did a little hip wiggle as we passed the boat and nearly fell off my skis. I was so surprised that I stumbled and nearly lost it. Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall. Aric slowed down, and I sank in the lake. I floated with my back to the sailboat, cursing fluently in two languages: English and girlfriend.

When Aric stopped to pick me up, I waved happily in case anyone was watching. Stefan reached over the side to help me in. Gorgeous, but clueless Stefan… with his ripped chest and curling blond hair… Perfect! I wrapped my arms around his neck and let him pull me up. Take that, you jerk on the boat.

The never-ending holiday wasn’t over yet. We had one last party to get to thanks to Ricki’s overscheduling. Since my apartment was closer to the lake, we stopped there to change clothes. Dani took forever in the shower, but that was okay. I had more than enough distractions. Stefan was lounging across my bed, leafing through my photo album from Ohio. I was sitting on the floor narrating for him. He was gorgeous in a natural, open way. His skin was smooth; his eyes were light green with thick curling lashes. Beautiful. Eyes were the most important part of a person’s face. You could see everything you needed to know by looking into them. In this case, they were trusting and honest and more than a little sexy. I dragged my eyes to his mouth and swallowed. How embarrassing to drool. He was just so damn hot. It wasn’t fair; no healthy woman could look at him this closely and not feel attracted. And I was more than healthy.

“So are you planning to kiss me now or should I do it later?” Even his accent was sexy.

Face in flames, I shoved it against the quilt. Maybe I could disappear? With a sexy grin, he unfolded himself and moved over the edge of the bed, clearly intending to try for that kiss. I jumped up, stammering some excuse or another to cover my embarrassment. That’s how Dani found us when she finally showed up. She swung her gaze knowingly between us and shook her head. “Really? Already? Geez.”

“Well, you took too long. We got bored. Can we go now?” I snapped.

So now we were at the beach for that last party of the day. Stefan was occupied with someone other than me--many someones. Everyone wanted to meet the cool guy from Switzerland. Most of those people were girls, and they all wanted to screw him. Bitches. He had so many half-naked bodies sprawled against him that I’d need a bottle of bleach to clean him up again. I growled in my throat. Stupid cows. He met my annoyed glare with a lick of his lips. Whatever. I tossed my head away and took a swig of my drink. I was not jealous. Nope.

“I’m afraid to kiss you now. You look like you’ll bite me.” Stefan came up behind me and whispered against my hair. He was standing very close, and I tensed in surprise.

“If you startle me like that again, I might accidently kick your ass,” I said with a slow smile.

He laughed at that and came around to face me. He looked me up and down and sighed. I knew what he saw. I ran 50 miles a week. I followed an intense workout routine I bought from an infomercial on TV. My muscles were lean but strong. I did self-defense training twice a week too. Sure, I might look and behave like a typical girl, but I was training my body and mind to kick ass if anybody ever assaulted either of those again. I knew people talked about me sometimes. The whole thing with Scott was old news now, but people still whispered. I didn’t let it bother me, but I wanted them to know I would not go down so easy next time. And if my stronger body couldn’t save me, the stun gun I carried would help out. I was in charge now. That felt pretty good. But tonight I wanted romance not violence.

“Don’t worry. I won’t bite as long as you play nice.” I slipped my hand in his, smiling up into his eyes. They were clear and green. His hair was blowing away from his face, and the light from the fire flickered across his skin. I hoped I looked as good right now.

He ran his palm down my back, and murmured, “Let’s go for a walk. It’s crowded here.”

My heart did a little flip-flop as we left the group. We walked barefoot along the water’s edge, skipping out of range when the cold water splashed across our feet. Someone had left a lawn chair in the sand, and we wandered over to it. Stefan pulled me onto his lap and kissed me.

His lips were soft and felt nice against mine, but I didn’t see fireworks. I pulled back and peered into his eyes. They were still a beautiful green, and that was the problem. They weren’t filled with the blue fire that could ignite me with a glance. This wasn’t going to work. I sighed. Stefan misunderstood my sigh for interest and kissed me more passionately, his hands gripping my face, holding my mouth to his as he slipped his tongue inside. I tried, really, I did. I kissed him back with enthusiasm, but still no fireworks… No warmth in my belly; No tingling in my blood. Very quickly, his excitement became obvious; I should probably get up. Before I could though, the sound of voices interrupted us.

“Mica, is that you?” Dec was striding towards us with an angry scowl clouding his normally sunny face.

Now what?

In my struggle to get out of the wobbly chair, I nearly knocked us into the sand. Stefan helped me up, stiffened, eyes shooting warily beyond Dec. I groaned out loud. Of course he wasn’t alone. Killian was with him. I casually looked around for the one I wanted to see.

Killian said, “He’s not here. Don’t bother looking.”

His tone set my teeth on edge. “I can see that. What do you want?”

“Oh, now it’s attitude? Nice. We actually came to make sure you were okay.” He looked down his nose at Stefan, and added, “But I see you’re handling yourself just fine.”

Dec still looked angry, and said, “Can I talk to you alone for a minute?” He glanced at Stefan and added, “Sorry, dude.”

“Sure. I’ll be right back,” I told Stefan.

We moved a few feet away before Dec stopped me. He looked over his shoulder with another frown. Killian was speaking to Stefan. To the average person, it probably seemed like they were just hanging out. But Stefan’s face was tense, his eyes narrowed. He was pissed, but he’d be crazy to try anything with Killian.

“So what do you want, Dec?”

“I wanted to make sure you are really okay. Do you need anything? Have you had any more trouble with Flynn?”

Something in his voice made my skin prickle. He was warning me… and he was honestly worried… It was impossible to stay frosty with him, so I relaxed and responded with less sarcasm.

“Dec, you’re sweet. But I don’t need you to worry about me. I’m a big girl now, and I can take care of myself. I’m ready for him if he comes after me again.” I even flexed my biceps for him.

He didn’t look convinced. “I think you should know I’ve heard rumors… it sounds like he’s planning something, uh, nasty, for you. I’m sorry to have to tell you that, but I couldn’t leave it to chance.” He rolled his eyes at Killian.

“Oh, and let me guess. Killian wanted to leave it to chance? Is that why you were so mad when you got here? Were you arguing about telling me?”

He hesitated. “No, I was angry seeing you with that… that guy over there. How could you do that?”

“Do what? Move on now that Sean has blown me off? Find someone else to hang out with? Someone who wants to be with me? Oh, yeah, I guess I should just sit around and wait for him to come around. Sorry, Dec, I liked Sean, really. But he’s blown me off, remember? This isn’t what I wanted.” My voice caught at the end.

“You don’t understand what’s going on, and I can’t tell you anything else. Please, just know that Sean would be here if he could.”

Oh, yeah, right. Like today? It was too much. I snapped, “Really? Well, that’s news to me. Where is he?”

“I can’t say, and here comes Killian. He’s going to kill me if I say anything else.”

Killian came up, and announced, “Time to go, Dec. The others are waiting for us.” He looked over his shoulder at Stefan, and added, “Be careful. Everything has a point of no return, and you could get caught in something you can’t handle.”

Dec kissed my cheek, his lips brushing my ear. “Bye, Mica. We’ll be here if you need us. Just call my name.” He winked and left me standing there with an irritated Swiss hottie.

The mood was dead so we went back to the rest of the party. We sat together, but my mind was someplace else. My thoughts drifted back to the night I spent with Sean. He had opened up about a lot of things, but what did I really know about him? He was a mystery still. And Dec? Sweet boy… Another mystery was he. My fingers stroked my cheek where he had kissed me. The spot had been tingling since he left.

A few weeks later, I was playing pool at The Angry Lizard. Ricki and Kevin were there, but it was mostly empty. It was a funky place to hang out in. I liked the weird lizards on the logo, and the owner didn’t mind teenagers. He didn’t watch us like we were going to start breaking the place apart like some other restaurant owners did. He was ex-Air Force and had opened this place up when he lost his job at the Pentagon.

After a few hours, I needed some fresh air. I told Kevin I was going outside. The restaurant had a little enclosed patio on the side so I went out and plopped my butt in a chair. The streetlight didn’t quite reach the patio, and the outside lights hadn’t been turned on. Probably I should go back inside.

I started for the door just as he crossed the sidewalk. I reached for my purse, and the blood drained from my face. Shit! I left the stun gun inside with Ricki. Damn it! With my back pressed to the wall, I moved towards the door. I had my fingers on the handle when J.J. walked through and blocked it. I was trapped.

“Where’re going, baby? Aren’t you happy to see me?” Scott sneered with a smarmy tone that made my skin crawl.

“What do you want? You know you’re not allowed this close to me. What’s the matter? You ready to go back to jail? Missing your boyfriend?” Oh yeah, when in danger, be a smart ass. This is always a good plan!

J.J. snickered and reached out to grab me. Jerking my arm out of range, I swung around, kicking him squarely in the chest, sending him flying backwards through the open doorway. Scott charged me and snatched at my arm. I aimed a roundhouse kick at his crotch, but he turned at the last second so I caught him in the thigh instead. He grunted at the impact, but didn’t go down. He swung a fist into my cheek that sent me swaying and nearly falling to my knees. I planted my feet and shook my head to clear it. A voice inside my head was screaming at me to yell for help, but I couldn’t seem to get the words out.

Chuckling softly, Scott circled me with his eyes locked onto mine. The madness I saw made my stomach clench. Like watching a rabid dog, I kept my eyes glued to his every movement. I need help. I need help. The thought tumbled through my mind, but I was frozen in place until Dec’s face swam in my memory. He said to call his name. Would it work? It was worth a shot.

Feeling stupid, but desperate, I whispered, “Declan? Help!”

Scott made a sound, not quite a laugh, and moved in for the kill. J.J. was pissed and closing in on me too. A truck squealed to a stop in the side driveway. Someone opened its back door, shouting at Scott to hurry the fuck up. Oh, my God. No, no, no! This was very, very bad. It was crystal clear. Scott didn’t plan to attack me again and leave me here. He and his friends were going to take me someplace private. Someplace they could play with their new toy before they broke it and threw it in the landfill. Cold sweat poured down my back. If I got into that truck, I would never get away. I would be helpless, and no one would see me again. Well that wasn’t going to happen without mass casualties.

My adrenaline was running on high, and I was going on autopilot. I kept them at bay for about 30 seconds, but I was outnumbered, and they were both much stronger than me. They were slowly backing me into a corner when J.J. shoved me hard from the side, sending me flying against the wall. The pain took my breath away. Dazed, I lost focus for a second just as Scott’s fist connected with my temple. As my knees buckled, someone suddenly caught me under the arms. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Out of nowhere, Dec had showed.

Sean and Killian also appeared. They took about a second to size up the situation before attacking. Both of their eyes were burning like a hot blue flame. Scott and J.J. backed away. The truck roared off.

“What the hell? What’s wrong with you freaks?” Scott demanded.

Without a word, Sean and Killian attacked with a ferocity that sent warning bells clanging in my head again. Where did they learn to fight like that? It was freakin’ amazing. Terrifying, but amazing. Scott and J.J. tried to put up a fight at first, but were so outmatched it was almost sad. Sean and Killian swatted aside any punches they threw while pummeling them into bloody wrecks. Realizing they were about to die, they tried to run away. In a split second, Sean and Killian had both men pressed against the wall. Killian held J.J. off his feet by his neck. J.J.’s eyes bulged in terror. He made strangling noises while frantically kicking his legs.

Killian stared coldly, and said, “Give me one reason to let you live.”

J.J. started babbling, and Killian squeezed his throat harder. “Shut up.”

Sean had Scott pinned to the wall with his forearm against his throat. The lines of his face were rock hard, eyes still burning. He didn’t look completely human. Scott was panicking. His mouth was open in a scream, but no sound came out. He was looking around wildly for help, but there was no one to help him. He appealed to me. I gave him the finger.

Sean said, “I’m getting tired of kicking your ass. You just don’t learn.” Then he pressed down on Scott’s throat.

Sean’s words faded into silence. I was losing consciousness, struggling to stay awake. Dec cradled me in his arms, murmuring something in a language I didn’t understand. Face bright with rage, body shaking, he watched the fight with frightening intensity. He was so pissed his eyes were glowing. What the hell is that? I tried to wriggle away, but he squeezed me tighter. He looked dangerous, and I was more than a little freaked out.

“What’s the matter? I’ve got you. Those guys can’t hurt you now.”

I pointed at his face, and said, “It’s not them I’m worried about.”

He blinked, and his eyes were perfectly normal again. “Better?”

“Uh, yeah, what…”

“It’s no big deal, just the lights in the alley. Don’t worry about it.” He smoothed my hair away from my face and smiled crookedly at me.

The dimples must’ve distracted me because I forgot what we were talking about. As the adrenaline wore off, pain took its place. My ribs hurt. My shoulder hurt. My hand hurt. My face was numb though. I must be going into shock. Someone should warm me up. In response, Dec seemed to get warmer around me until I was cocooned in his body heat. He stroked my hair, murmuring in a strange language. I tried to ask what was going on, but he put his finger against my lips and shushed me.

I came to in my bed surrounded by several angry men. Sean was arguing with Killian. Killian was pointing at me, whispering furiously. Dec stood next to my head with his arms crossed, still as a statue. They were all talking with an older guy who I’d never seen before, but who seemed kind of familiar. Who was he? The others treated him with some deference. Maybe he was one of their dads? He graced me with a warm smile the second he noticed my eyes were open.

“Mica’s awake now. Very good. How are you feeling?” He came to the bed, squatting to study me with grave blue eyes.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Raphael. I’m here to help you. Do you mind if I take a look at your face? You have a good bruise coming up, and I want to see if you have any broken bones.” He seemed nice enough.

I appealed to Dec for reassurance. He squeezed my fingers, smiling faintly. “It’s okay, darlin’; he knows what he’s doing.”

Sean considered us from narrowed eyes. He still hadn’t said anything to me. I wanted to curl up against him and feel safe again. But now was not the time or place.

The man named Raphael sat down on the edge of the bed and took my face in one of his hands. His gentle fingers were very warm. Probably I looked horrible. It seemed like my face was always black and blue or yellow and green. Why did I always get hit in the face?

He chuckled, and said, “Hold still for a minute. This won’t hurt at all.” He closed his eyes. Running his fingers over my face, he traced the bones around my eyes and cheeks then stroked along my jawbone. My skin warmed and tingled at his touch, and I felt my face again. The numbness was gone. Gazing at him in awe and a little fear, I raised my hand to touch my cheek.

“Did you heal me? How is that possible?” I winced as my rib protested the movement.

“Here, let me see that.” He laid his hand across my rib cage, and I felt the same flow of warmth, and then the pain was gone. He definitely healed me.

“I’m afraid this will have to be our little secret, Mica. I’m not allowed to talk about this, and I’m asking you to keep this to yourself. Many people could get hurt if word got around. I’m going to leave now. You and I will meet again, but for now, I believe young Sean would like a word with you.”

Dec gave me a pat on the head like I gave the dog. He grinned crookedly, and said, “Try to stay out of trouble, and call me any time you need help. I’ll always be there. It’s what I do.” He waved Killian out of the door, and they were gone. The silence was preternaturally loud.

Sean stared out of the window with his back to me. He held himself rigid, and I ached to touch him to release the tension. What was eating at him? He’d looked miserable since he showed up tonight. I studied the lines of his body, the curve of his skull, and swallowed the lump in my throat. When I closed my eyes, the memory of his touch, his taste, flooded my senses, sending my heart into happy skitters. It was no use. I still loved him. Just seeing him made me want to throw my arms around him and beg him to stay. The silence grew uncomfortable until I finally wrapped my arms around his back. There was an instant shock at the contact, but I refused to let go.

“You can shut off your force field; I don’t bite.”

He jumped, and then started to laugh, the sound rich and welcome. He laughed until he had tears in his eyes. I hate being left out of a private joke. What was so funny? I must have looked irritated because he finally went from laughing to chuckling to a heartbreaking grin.

“All done? Do you want to tell me what the joke is?”

“No. I. Do. Not.” He said each word distinctly, grin gone in a flash. Serious Sean was back.

“Well, then…”

“Mica, you’re driving me crazy. Why can’t you stay out of trouble? You’re just one girl! This should be easy! But you have a constant stream of boys trying to seduce you, and a psychopath determined to rape you and cut you to pieces. You’re reckless with no regard for your own life! Do you think you can just run around taking risks without consequences?”

He gripped my shoulders, pulling me against his chest, tipping my chin back. He stopped shouting, but the quiet anger in his voice was worse. “I can’t keep up with you! I can’t keep you safe. I can’t stand to be around you. I can’t stand to be away from you. You’re a complication I don’t need and can’t afford.”

Stung, I cried, “What do you want from me?”

“I wish I knew.” He crushed his mouth over mine.

He kissed me in frustration and anger; his mouth hard and demanding, taking everything, giving nothing back. Moaning in protest, I tried to squirm away, but he refused to let me go. Bending me backwards, he gripped me so tightly his fingertips dug into my skin, but his mouth gentled. His tongue swept over my bruised lips, soothing the slight twinge of pain before slipping inside to mate with mine. The familiar current slammed through me, making me dizzy for him. Tiny lights danced behind my eyes; my knees went weak; my body sang for his. I was light and weightless and whole again. Our breaths mingled as we clung together; all thought vanished until there was nothing but raw instinct. I arched against him. He was more than ready too. But instead of stripping my clothes off, he dragged his mouth away and ran his fingers through his hair in obvious frustration. The loss of his touch was nearly painful; my brain swam with chemicals and confusion, my heart ached, my lungs desperately reached for air.

“I’m sorry, love.”

“What’s the matter, Sean? It’s okay.” I was on fire and didn’t want to wait any longer. I was in love with him, and there would never be anyone else for me. There was a click in my head when he kissed me. He was the one.

We were still standing by the window so I pulled down the shades. No sense in giving the neighbors a show. He eyeballed the door like he was about to run away, so I put my arms around him again and pressed my face against his chest. I stood there listening to his breathing. It was ragged like my own. My heart pounded in my chest. I drew a deep breath to slow it down. Surely he could hear it too. He hugged me closer and sighed. I tensed. I knew that sound. He was about to leave--again. Oh, no you don’t! I eased up on my tiptoes to press my lips against the side of his neck. I could feel the blood flowing through him, and I kissed him where the pulse throbbed.

“Stay?” I whispered.

In answer, he walked us over to the bed with a resigned expression. The light bulb went off in my head. Ah ha! Two could play this game. A hint of a sad smile crossed his mouth as he lowered his mouth to mine. I started to feel it--the strange drowsiness. Not today, Sean. I bit his lip and held it between my teeth. Surprised, he tried to jerk back but couldn’t move without losing flesh. I smiled in victory.

I put my hand over his mouth, and said, “Don’t you dare.”

He blinked at me.

“Oh, yeah, I know about that. I don’t know how you do it, but I know you’ve been making me fall asleep. Now that I think about it, you’ve done it a few times. It’s cheating, you know. And you should be ashamed of yourself.” I was feeling righteous.

His expression was a cross between shock, horror, and amusement. His sense of humor finally won out, and he burst into laughter for the second time tonight. I was speechless.

“You’re too smart for your own good!” His chuckles petered off into a weighty silence. He lifted my fingers and kissed them hard. “You’re right. I am ashamed. But not for the reasons you think. I’m not cheating; I’m trying to protect you. I can’t seduce you; it wouldn’t be right. I’m ashamed because I can’t keep my hands off of you. My control is slipping, and I’m putting other people in danger by allowing this to go on. I can’t stay here with you, and you deserve to have someone who can build a life with you. I’m not that person.” His eyes glittered like ice. He stood up to go.

We would see about that. I wasn’t buying it. He could fight all he wanted, but something told me it was just a matter of time. He would come around. He wouldn’t be able to stop this attraction between us. It felt destined.

“Wait. I don’t want you to leave. If you go, I’ll have nightmares. Stay here and talk to me. Your virtue is safe with me. Please.”

Scowling at the ceiling, he ground his teeth but stayed.

I got us some drinks and put on some music. It was soft and relaxing, and we were both comfortable just listening. I was looking out the window again when he asked me about my nightmare.

“What do you see? What triggers it?”

“Scott Flynn triggers it. I dream every time I see him.”

I described the dreams; I told him about the endless hallways and doors, the shining knife, and the beast. I had never shared them with anyone else, but he made me feel as though I could tell him anything. He wanted to know everything about them so I took a long time to get through them and was emotionally drained at the end of my story.

“So at the end, there is only fear. That’s it--just overwhelming fear.” I had my knees tucked up to my chin and hugged them.

He stroked the palm of my hand. Softly, he asked, “Is there nothing else there? No hope for you in your dream?” He sounded oddly wistful.

His eyes were a deep ocean blue with bright flecks of gold that caught the light around us. Another light bulb went off. “Hope? I suppose there is. Sometimes I see a golden light. It’s beautiful and pure, and I feel… protected...” My voice trailed off at his nod of encouragement.

“It’s you,” I whispered in awe.

He tried to shake his head, but he wasn’t fast enough. “Now, Mica--”

“Don’t deny it. It all fits together. The light in the hospital, in my dreams, around your body… It’s the same.” Holding my breath, I searched his face for answers.

He took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh. “Would you like me to lie to you? I can’t tell you the truth.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Can’t--I’m not allowed to tell you the truth. No one is supposed to know about us. A lot of people could get hurt if this got out.”

“Sean, I’m not going to say anything to anyone. I want to know what I’m involved with. Who are you?”

“Let’s just say we’re really well-trained operatives keeping an eye on things.”

Uh-huh. “Like spies?”

“Something like that.”

“Mm hmm. I’m not buying that.”

“Well, that’s what I’m selling you. Take it or leave it. I can’t say anything else; if I do, they’ll make me leave here and reassign me someplace else. You don’t want that, do you?”

No, but I did want a better explanation. “Okay, fine. That’ll work for now.”

Sean took me by my shoulders. “Will you keep our secret, Mica?”

He was back to scary soldier-mode again. This version of Sean was more like Killian. I could imagine his hard face scaring enemies across the planet. I swallowed and put on a brave face.

“Cross my heart. I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

He relaxed a little then, so I asked, “Does this mean you’ll stay, now that I know? There’s no reason to avoid me now. Is there?”

He pulled me into his arms and rested his chin on my head. “I’ll stay. God help me.”

Chapter 9: Pain and Suffering

FALL IN UPSTATE NEW YORK can be glorious. Some years the weather is crisp and dry, and the trees dazzle with their rich colors. The sky is vast and blue. The smell of dead leaves and fresh pine is invigorating. Other years, like this one, the weather is dreary, cold, and wet. The sky is leaden with clouds that churn overhead and drop heavy rains that ruin every single weekend. That is precisely the crappy weather pattern that was going on for the past month. I moped in the window at Zen. Stupid rain! Domino’s nose was leaving condensation against the glass. She didn’t like the rain either. We were both feeling cooped up and restless.

“Here sweetie, try this. It’ll make you feel better.” Dani’s mom handed me a cup of tea and flashed a dreamy smile at the rain.

“Thanks, Ms. Taylor.” I blew on the cup and glowered out the window again.

“You’re so impatient, Mica. The earth needs the kiss of the rain, just as a young woman needs the kiss of her man. Would you begrudge the Mother her romance?”

An image of my man kissing me popped into my head, and I blushed. Okay, so Mother Earth could have her way with the rain. She could wrap herself in a blanket of snow if she wanted to. I just wanted to get outside and do something! I was tired of being stuck inside. I hadn’t seen Sean at all this week. He was supposedly in Ireland at a funeral. He was going to miss a week of classes, but I guess that doesn’t matter if you’re a secret agent man. The whole school thing was probably just a cover. I wished I was with him this week. He described Ireland with such wistfulness in his voice that it was clear that he loved it there. I was a little jealous that it held so much of his love. I wanted a little of it too. I stood there gazing out the foggy glass until Dani finally showed.

As usual, she appeared without a sound. I jumped and laughed at myself. I couldn’t help looking down to make sure she had feet. Yep, shoes too. I had no idea how a person could be so quiet. It was a bit creepy really. I told her that, and she just laughed and bent down to hug Domino.

We ended up in my apartment after an afternoon at the mall. We were trying on clothes when Ricki knocked on the door. She was working a lot lately, and I hadn’t seen her in a few days.

“Come and see what we got today, Ricki!” Dani said.

“We got you a little surprise too.” I whipped out a little box. “Ta-da!”

“Oh, you guys are so sweet. I’ve wanted to try this.” She sniffed the perfume that we bought her and gave us both a hug.

“Well, you’ve been working so much, and I know you’ve been bummed about Kevin leaving for college. We wanted to cheer you up. Do you like it?”

“Yes, yes, and yes. I have good news though. He’s not going until summer semester now. The money didn’t come through, and he won’t be able to pay tuition until May. So it looks like I’ll have him around for the rest of this year, and I can go with him.”

It was hard to believe we were graduating this year. I was turning 19 in a few months. So much had happened over the past two years. The time flew by, and I was faced with change again. What would I do after high school? Would I go to college? What about Sean? Would he be here after this year? He was supposed to be a senior too. Dec was a year younger though. Killian didn’t go to school at all. He was away a lot doing God knows what. Sean had to keep reminding me that Killian was one of the good guys. He still scared the hell out of me, and he’d only gotten more intense since his out of town trips had begun. Dec and Sean traveled too, but they didn’t go as often since they had a cover to keep. I was more in love with Sean than ever, and I tried to crush the curiosity that I felt about them. I was very afraid that I would push them away if I got too nosy.

We settled into a routine during the rainy fall months. On the days we weren’t working, Sean came over to hang out. I was surprised to find out that he liked to run too. We started running even in the rain. Some days Sean came to the gym to watch me practice sparring. He got in the ring with me a few times. I was so proud of him. He was pretty amazing to watch. He moved with a fluid grace that I would never match. He was always about the business of fighting when we were in the ring. He put on his soldier face and usually kicked my butt. I always learned something new though.

Dani interrupted my daydreams by reminding me that we had school tomorrow, and she had to study. I shooed both girls out of the door and got down to my own studying. I curled up on the bed to read my English notes. Domino lay stretched out against my back snoring softly. Her furry body was like a furnace, and I promptly dozed off. A sharp tap on the window woke me up a little later. Was it Sean? I looked through the peephole and opened the door. Dec pushed his way inside.

“Are you here alone?” He stalked to the bathroom to check. When he was satisfied I was alone, he came back to the bedroom, eyes blazing, entire body coiled like a spring.

A trickle of fear crawled down my spine.

“What’s the matter, Dec? Did something happen? Where’s Sean?” I reached out to take his hand, and he jerked away from me.

“Don’t touch me! I’m not safe right now.” He was vibrating with anger and looked like the killer I sensed he was.

I put my hands out in a gesture of peace and tried again. “Dec, what’s going on? You’re here so you want to tell me something. Tell me what’s wrong. I only have so much patience. You know that.” I made a weak attempt to lighten the atmosphere. He glowered at me. I took a step back.

He paced back and forth, and hissed, “I’m not supposed to be here. Killian will destroy me when he finds out what we’re doing. But I promised Sean I’d bring you to him. You have to come with me now. He’s been… shot.”

“What? Shot? What the hell happened? Is he in the hospital? Where is he?” I had a million questions.

Dec held up his hand, and the sound of my voice stopped. My lips were still moving, but there was no sound coming out. I clamped my lips together and glared at him. He glared back. I took the hint and grabbed my backpack. We were in the driveway when I realized he didn’t have a car.

“We’re taking your car. I’ll drive,” he said.

“Fine.” I had audio again. “Oh, I can talk now? Would you mind telling me what you just did to me?”

With an expression of irritated amusement, he muttered, “Not on your life.”

He drove without speaking until we were out of town and on our way into the countryside. I knew the area but hadn’t been out this way in a long time. Was this where they lived? It was already dark, and the wind was gusting hard. Trees bent against it, casting ominous shadows in the sketchy moonlight. The sense of impending doom ratcheted my imagination into overdrive. I wrapped my arms around my chest to stop shivering. I tried to ask a few more questions, but he wasn’t in a chatty mood.

“Just chill. You’ll see when we get there.”

That was really not reassuring. In fact, it freaked me out. I imagined Sean bleeding out on a mattress in a basement, or lying on the kitchen table letting Killian stitch him up with kite string. Or worse, Sean dying just before I got to him. I imagined his scary eyes blazing into mine with a last declaration of love just before being extinguished like a match in the wind. I didn’t realize I was crying until Dec pressed a tissue into my hand. I wiped at my face and sniffed. God, please let him be okay.

“We’re here now. I’m going to warn you before we go inside. It looks bad. I don’t want to freak you out, but you have to be prepared. You won’t help him by throwing up or passing out. Can you handle this?”

“Dec, I just want to see him. Please, can we go inside?” I was forcing myself to stay calm. I could handle anything as long as I got to see Sean. The anticipation was killing me.

We were parked in front of a small farmhouse in a clearing surrounded by woods. The house looked fairly new and had a wraparound covered porch. He led me up the steps to the front door. I heard music playing in the back of the house and followed the sound. As I rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, Dec stepped out of a room and faced me. I ignored the obvious question and hurried inside. I don’t know what I expected to see, but it wasn’t what I saw then. I stopped dead in my tracks, and my mouth dropped open.

Sean was lying naked across the bed. Someone had draped a sheet over his waist, but the rest of his body was bare. There was a blackened patch of puckered skin across most of his stomach and chest. His skin was raw and bloody in places, and burned black in others. The wound looked like someone torched him with a flamethrower. It was a burn, not a gunshot wound. The room smelled like barbequed meat, and my stomach heaved in protest. Black spots danced behind my eyes. Willing myself to calm down, I sucked in a deep breath and forced my stomach to stay put. Dec was right. Puking wasn’t helpful. Neither was passing out at the foot of the bed. Sean was so still it broke my heart. What the hell happened to him?

Dec wrapped his arm around my waist, giving me a squeeze of reassurance. He bent to whisper in Sean’s ear, and said to me, “It’s okay. You can sit with him. He wants you here.”

“Can I touch him?”

“Go ahead. It might help. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

I knelt next to Sean, carefully putting my hand over his. I was a little wary of surprising him so I moved slowly. His fingers curled automatically over mine and squeezed gently. His eyes didn’t open.

Stroking his fingers, I murmured, “I’m here, Sean. I’m right here.”

I don’t know how much time passed while we sat there in the little bedroom. He looked so vulnerable lying there, fragile, broken. His eyes were closed in sleep, but his rest wasn’t peaceful. He seemed to be dreaming, eyes racing beneath their lids, fingers twitching. His jaw was clenched in pain. A soft groan rumbled in his chest.

“What beast chases you, Sean? Do you have no light to chase away the shadows?”

Trying to comfort him, I stroked his arm, murmuring softly, but he still writhed in agony. It hurt to see him suffering, and I blinked back tears of sympathy. I traced the curve of muscle over his shoulder. The skin was smooth and even, soft to the touch, kissable. I dropped a gentle kiss on a small freckle just below his collarbone. He was achingly beautiful, and someone had damaged him so viciously. Who could do such a thing? What kind of animal would burn someone? My stomach tightened in a burst of anger. I wanted to rip that animal’s head off. A low moan drew my attention back to his face. I decided to risk getting singed and kissed his lips. When nothing bad happened, I rested my lips against his and just breathed… in and out… in and out. I willed my strength to flow into him as if I could give my life to him.

As the night wore on, I sang to him to let him know I was still there. “Chasing Cars” was stuck in my head, and I sang it off key and under my breath, but I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

I cried until my eyes were dry. Finally exhausted, I laid my head against his good side and prayed for him. God, surely he can’t die? You’ve brought him to save me. He’s pulled me back from the brink of darkness and brought me into the light. He’s important. I feel it.

Aloud, I said, “I love him, God. Please don’t let him die.”

Chapter 10: Miraculous Recovery

THE SOUND OF RAISED VOICES woke me as the sun was coming up. It took a minute to remember where I was. I was lying on the floor where I had finally passed out the night before. Sean was still asleep. I watched his chest rise and fall and gave a silent thank you. Was it my imagination or did his skin look better? The wound was smaller now and less raw. How is that possible? I was about to reach out to touch him when a rude voice startled me.

“What do you think you’re doing? Don’t touch him. Are you crazy?” Killian was livid in the doorway. Dec was standing behind him, looking apologetic.

I jumped up and moved over to stand in front of him. “Shh, don’t come in here yelling at me! I’m not going to hurt him, you idiot!”

I shoved my palm against his chest and got shocked. It threw me off balance, but I didn’t fall. I shook my hand and glared at him. Him too? I needed to wear rubber shoes.

He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. “You still haven’t learned, have you? He doesn’t need you to nurse him back to health. He’ll be fine in a day or two.”

Was he crazy? “He’s hurt, Killian! Surely you can see that? He should be in a hospital, not in this house. My God, I think he’s in a coma. He hasn’t moved in 12 hours. He must be in awful pain.”

He actually barked a short laugh. “You don’t know anything about him, babe. He’s not dying. He’s just healing. It takes time to recover from a wound like that. He’s not moving because he’s conserving all of his energy to focus it on the place he’s injured.”

“He’s not dying?” I looked wildly at Dec. I promised Sean I’d find you and bring you to him. He’s been… shot. He never said he was dying. I jumped to that conclusion on my own. I also spent the night crying and begging God to save him. I felt stupid. I hate feeling stupid.

Killian stood with his arms folded looking so smug that I wanted to punch him in the face. Instead, I whirled around to confront Dec who promptly threw up his hands in surrender with a devastating flash of dimples. It was really hard to stay mad at him. I heaved a loud sigh and stalked to the window. Damn him for being so adorable. I wanted to be pissed at someone. Dec loped over and wrapped me in a full body hug. The familiar strange energy flowed into me, slowing my racing heart, scattering my angry thoughts.

I stomped on his foot. “Stop that!”

He dropped me like a hot potato. “Ouch! That’s just mean. I’m trying to help.”

“Really? News flash. Knocking me out isn’t helpful. You could help by explaining what happened to Sean, and what kind of bio-engineering miracles you guys are.”

Killian asked, “Bio-what? What are you talking about?” His brows were knit with genuine confusion.

“Your parents haven’t been messing with your DNA or teaching you to use previously-untapped portions of your brains? Maybe you’ve learned to use undiscovered psychic abilities, aura control, telekinesis, something like that? Come on, it makes sense.”

“Parents?” He pinned Dec with a hard stare. “Dec? What the hell is she yapping about?”

Flushing pink, Dec replied, “Yeah, it’s okay; she knows about our parents, and their work in Switzerland.”

“Oh? Which one of you told her? You know it was supposed to be a secret! Dad’s going to kill us.”

“It’s okay, Killian. I won’t tell anyone about your cover. Believe it or not, I don’t want to see any of you get hurt--not even you.”

He looked strangely amused by that. “Well, that’s a relief. Thanks.”

A movement caught his eye, and he glanced over at the bed. Dec and I whirled to look too. I’ve never been so glad to see something as I was to see Sean’s blue eyes open and shining. I ran over and gushed over him. He was alive and looked almost healthy. I was so relieved that I started crying again. It was just too much emotion and too little sleep. I lost it. I just sat there with my head lowered, tears running down my face like a river. Shushing me gently, Dec picked me up and laid me next to Sean. I curled up against Sean’s side and cried some more. Dec and Killian left us alone.

The touch of fingers stroking my face brought me out of the deep sleep I had fallen into. The fingers were light and warm against my flushed skin, and I tingled everywhere they traveled. The pain of my crying jag gradually vanished as if someone wiped it away. It felt so good that I didn’t want to open my eyes and ruin the moment, so I pretended to sleep some more. What would he do? In response to my unasked question, he traced the shape of my face, trailing his fingers down my neck to my exposed collarbone. The warmth spread everywhere he touched me, and my next thoughts were something like, I wonder what it would feel like if we got naked and…

Whew! I blushed hotly and opened my eyes to find his face only inches away, his eyes sparkling with suppressed laughter. I blushed even more, and he burst out laughing.

“Don’t laugh! You’ll hurt yourself!”

“I’m okay, darlin’. It’ll take more than that to take me out. I’m feeling a lot better now. Look.” He pointed at his stomach. The scorch marks were gone, and the area was just red. It looked a lot better. The skin around it was healthy looking with the beautiful golden tan he always had. Glancing further down, it seemed like his whole body was that color. But how did he heal so fast? Another minor miracle? What was up with these guys? If not bio-engineering, then where did they get these abilities?

He shifted his position, forcing my mind back to the bed. He was completely naked under that sheet. I had been draped over him during my embarrassing crying jag and didn’t even realize what I was doing. I snuck a peek at him now and was a little disappointed that he was covered up. My whole body blushed, and I was sure I would set us both on fire with it. Sean responded by pulling me next to him so he could curl up around my back with his arms wrapped around me.

“Mica, I’m so sorry you’ve had to see me like this. You’ve got a heart like a warrior, and I am so proud of you. You’ve dealt with so much pain of your own this year, and you’ve found your strength. But when I was… asleep, I sensed your fear for me. I don’t want to ever be the cause of your pain.” He ran his hand down my arm and entwined our fingers. “I know you have a million questions, but for now, I want to share something with you. Will you let me give you peace? It won’t hurt, I promise. Trust me?”

“With my life.”

I was admiring his hands when I noticed the tips of his fingers begin to glow very softly. I gasped, and he hushed me.

“Just be still. You’ll like this.”

As I gazed in amazement, the faint light spread from his fingers into mine. The glow radiated up his hand, enveloping mine. I was speechless as it traveled from his hands up and across every inch of our bodies until we were completely cocooned within the soft light and gentle heat. My body tingled as the radiance surrounded me. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all, but strangely relaxing. I surrendered to the pulsing energy, feeling my muscles relax and go liquid around my bones. My bones felt hollow and light as if I could float away. My skin was warm and tingling; my senses heightened until I felt my blood surging through my veins and arteries. A sense of power and strength infused me so I could fly or run for miles. It was intoxicating!

That’s it. Just relax, and let it take you. Sean’s voice seemed to purr inside my mind.

I’m floating away… I thought to myself.

Let yourself go. I’ve got you anchored. It’s okay.

I want to fly… No, not fly… I want to sink deeper into you… I want to be surrounded by you inside and out. I want to feel you inside of me.

Oh baby, you’re killing me...

And with that thought, Sean leaped off the bed to stand horrified in the middle of the room. The abruptness of our separation left me blinking like an owl in the sudden light.

“No! It’s not possible! No way!” He was pacing and running his fingers through his hair. “This is crazy.”

“What on earth is the matter with you?” My skin was tingling like when the blood runs back into your foot after it falls asleep. Ouch. I shook out my arms and legs while watching him out of one eye. Clearly there was something wrong. His horrified expression was almost funny.

As though he suddenly remembered I was there, he whipped around, asking, “Did you hear? Did you feel it? The connection? I didn’t know that could happen. This is not good!”

“All I felt was very turned on. I think we should do that again. Things were just getting interesting.” I gave my best sexy smile and patted the bed.

His expression went from concentration to horror again. “Absolutely not. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

I thrust my lip into a pout, trying to look seductive to distract him, and he fell for it. Sort of. He stopped frowning at me. Of course, that may also have been the moment he realized he wasn’t wearing the sheet…

Chapter 11: The Truth is Out There

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND?” Killian’s sharp question drew me up short just outside the kitchen. Uh-oh. He was totally pissed. I slid against the wall. What happened?

“Oh, back off! How was I supposed to know that would happen? It’s not like I’ve done it before!” Sean was edgy, and I heard him shove one of the wooden chairs back with a screech.

I hovered in the hallway for a few seconds struggling with the urge to turn around, and the urge to eat. My stomach growled loudly so I gave in to the primal urge for food. I peeked into the room. I spotted Killian first and nearly smiled. He sat with a glass of orange juice and alternated between glaring at it and shaking his head at Sean. Sean, on the other hand, was completely shut down. He didn’t touch his food and stared without seeing. I didn’t know what to make of either of them.

Dec, as usual, grinned crookedly when I finally bounced into the room. I felt better than I had in years. My blood was still singing from whatever we did, and I couldn’t help noticing how my skin glowed. I looked so damn healthy! My skin was clear and soft and hydrated. My hair was glossy and heavy. Even my nails were pretty. I looked like I spent the day at a spa and downed a bunch of vitamins. The oddest thing was the intense clarity inside my mind. Suddenly I could see everything more clearly. Fuzzy impressions were sharp. I could finally define my own feelings, and I had no doubts. I just knew… what I knew, exactly, wasn’t clear though. It was like knowing all the answers but not having the questions yet. I was buoyant, relishing this new feeling. Very cool… I bounced into a seat, practically vibrating with energy. Maybe I should go run 10 miles or so!

“So, uh, darlin’, how’re you feeling just now?” Dec’s accent was more pronounced than ever. He was watching me like I might explode.

I threw him a huge grin and drummed my fingers on the table. “I feel fabulous! I’ve never felt so alive.” I leaned halfway over the table to see him better. “Do you have any idea how gorgeous your eyes are?” Barely able to sit still, I swept my eyes across the three of them. “Wow… your eyes… so many colors!” I was suddenly at a loss for words. I’d never seen such beauty.

Killian swore viciously and stood up so fast his chair fell over. With two strides, he pulled me out of my seat. We were so close, I felt his heart beat against my chest and resisted the urge to step back. Instead of being angry, he seemed hesitant. He finally picked me up by the arms so we were eye to eye.

“Something has changed in you. I feel it.” We were nose to nose, and he looked deeply into my eyes as if he was trying to read my mind or maybe my soul. Finally satisfied, he said, “This is very important, Mica. You could be dangerous to all of us, so take this seriously. Tell me what you feel.” The order was soft, but his velvety voice sent a tingle of fear down my spine.

“I don’t know how to describe it, exactly. It’s like suddenly everything is clear to me. I know things, but I can’t define them yet. Like the questions are just out of reach. The answers are here.” I tapped my temple and met his eyes again. I wanted to say more, but his eyes pulled me under. I could see every tiny detail of the iris. Usually a person’s eyes just look blue, or green, or brown. His eyes were made up of every shade of blue imaginable, and I could clearly see each color now. Each color was distinctly shaped, like a piece of a puzzle. They were breathtaking.

“So beautiful…” I was speechless.

Killian grunted, and said, “Never mind that. Look into my eyes and tell me what you see.”

At first I only saw the beautiful colors, but the more I studied them, the more I realized I could understand him. The puzzle pieces parted to reveal more. Not his individual thoughts exactly, but the core of who he is. What was I seeing? Was this intuition, or was I actually seeing into his soul, the essential part of who Killian is?

He made an encouraging sound and ran his thumb along my bicep. “Open your mind.”

I was bombarded with impressions that made my head swim. Words and images flooded my mind. They whirled around like a pinwheel: fierce, righteous, strong, loyal, guardian, warrior. The images played like a movie set in fast forward: A faded red door opened, and he was beating the hell out of a big man with a gun. The man fell and stayed down. Next to him was a wounded man lying in the street. I knew this man was a good guy, a victim. Killian carefully lifted him, and the scene changed. Now I saw him as a strong and righteous protector, his face glowing with victory. My heart clenched as another image showed Sean hit with a ball of fire and falling backwards into nothingness. Killian’s face was frightening as he picked up Sean. I saw him bent over a small body in a rain-filled wood. The scene faded into a room full of men gathered around a table. It was obvious he led the others, and I saw respect in their eyes. He was the leader. It was clear that he had a mission, and it was more important than I knew before. The last image was more impression than scene; I saw him as he sees himself, his identity I suppose: Primani.

“Primani…” I murmured aloud.

As that final impression ricocheted around my head, several things happened at once. Killian wrenched his eyes away and set me back down. He was white as a sheet and staggered backward. I collapsed in a heap on the floor, my legs like jelly and my thoughts careening around my head like a pinball machine. I babbled incoherently, words refusing to form. Sean launched himself at me, dragging me hard against his chest. The kitchen swam sickeningly until it turned onto its side. I barely made it to the sink before I threw up. I stood there gripping the counter, trying to get my head and stomach back under control. My legs still didn’t want to hold me up, and I sank to my knees with a groan.

Dec placed his hands on either side of my head and rested his lips against my forehead. “Breathe now. In and out… in and out, carefully, sweetheart.” His voice was soothing and compelling. I took a careful breath and followed his voice like an angel.

“That’s it. In and out… in and out. Listen to me. Follow my voice.”

Gradually, the pinball feeling lessoned and went away entirely. My head felt normal again. I sagged weakly against him.

“It gets easier. You’ll see.” Dec was ever the optimist.

The room was completely silent for a few minutes. Having been lost in my own thoughts, I realized all three of them were staring at me.

“Stop staring at me! It’s creepy.”

Everyone laughed, and the tension was gone. I looked at Sean and raised an eyebrow. “Can you walk okay? I need some fresh air, and I think it’s time for some answers.”

I might have been up for answers, but I wasn’t really ready to walk. I staggered forward so Sean scooped me up and carried me. When I protested, he just laughed and said it was easier this way. Who was I to argue? We headed into the woods behind their house. The trees had turned in the miracle of fall; the red and yellows were impressive. It was quiet and peaceful as we wandered. The tinkling sound of water got louder as we rounded a stray boulder. Sean pointed to the little creek below us. He sat me down so we could pick our way down the little incline to the rocks of the streambed. There were several large flat boulders lying around so we hopped over to one and sat down. It was comfortable and private. I assumed Sean was gathering his thoughts as I was my own. This was his secret to tell, and I wasn’t going to rush him. My new sense of clarity made me realize I was a part of this too so I would get all the answers I needed, when I needed them. I’d like them all now, thank you very much.

Sean took my hand in his. ”Do you know this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done? I don’t know where to start. Why don’t you tell me what you’d like to know? Maybe that will be easier?”

“Okay, what’s the force field for?”

He grinned. “It’s not a force field; it’s just energy. We call it our saol. It means life. For us, it’s our life force. But in simple terms, it’s just energy. There is energy everywhere, right? We’ve learned how take the energy and focus it when we need to. We rely on it to re-charge when we’re exhausted or injured. It helps us to heal faster.”

“There’s more to it than that. I know it. It’s not just pulling energy to you; your bodies create it, or maybe, it’s already inside of you. If you’re going to tell me the truth, tell me the truth. If you can’t tell me something, don’t make up a story. That’s not cool. I can handle secrets because you have a right to those; I can’t handle lies.”

He ran his hand through his hair, groping for words. “Do you remember me telling you that we’re like operatives, and you asked if that meant “spies”?” I nodded. He continued, “Well, that’s more or less what we do. We don’t spy though; we watch. We have two jobs to do. We’re here to make sure certain things happen that have an impact on future events. We help people stay on their paths so they fulfill their destiny.”

“Like guardian angels?”

He smiled, and said, “Not exactly, no. It’s really complicated, and I can’t share a lot of it with you. But I can say that we don’t interfere unless it’s vitally important.”

“Stand up and turn around.”

He looked surprised but did as I asked. Before I lost my nerve, I yanked up his shirt. He sucked in his breath as the cold air struck him. I was afraid to look, but when I opened my eyes to look at him, all I saw was smooth skin that was the color of warm honey. I inhaled the warm scent and kissed him softly between his shoulder blades.

“Well, did I pass?” he asked with a playful grin.

“No wings?”

“No wings. Are you disappointed?”

“Not really, I think they would get in the way. Now, tell me about your second job?”

“That’s a good question, and I hope you’ll still be here after you hear the answer to it.” He paused to take a deep breath. “Mica, you need to understand we’re a lot less like angels and a lot more like soldiers. We don’t have wings and harps and other useless human inventions. We’re part of an elite force of highly trained, lethal soldiers. We’re assigned to a special operations division with a very unique mission. You’ve only met Killian and Dec. There are others who are a lot less, uh, friendly. We’re serious about what we do and secrecy is absolutely critical. We don’t have a lot of time for typical human activities. Our main job is to hunt down and destroy certain, uh, bad people…more killing, less fluff.”

I considered that, and asked hesitantly, “What do you call yourselves?”

He looked relieved by the simple question. “Primani, we’re called Primani--Soldiers of the First Legion.”

I considered his serious, beautiful face. He was a contradiction. When he was with me like this, he was sweet and gentle. When he was in soldier-mode, he was fierce and hard and deadly. I was more than a little afraid of the soldier in him and shivered.

“Don’t! Please don’t ever be afraid of me. I would never hurt you; you have to know that by now.” He reached out, cupping my face in his hands, eyes searching mine until he found the answer. The little golden light in his eyes flashed brilliantly as the truth hit him. He kissed me with yearning and tenderness. I clung to his shoulders to keep from falling. His hands were everywhere, and I felt a rush of heat as he cupped my breast against his palm. He dragged his mouth away and lowered it to my bare collarbone, spreading kisses along my goose pimpled skin. With the other hand, he pulled the zipper of my sweatshirt down. I was bare underneath it. He pulled his eyes back to mine. I searched his eyes, but his mind was closed to me.

“What are you thinking?” I whispered.

“You’re so beautiful it takes my breath away.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you,” he said wistfully. Then he zipped up my sweatshirt and pulled me to my feet.

Chapter 12: Mind Games

MY DAD WAS BLISSFULLY UNAWARE of my new found psychic abilities, and that was probably a good thing. He wasn’t happy with me since I disappeared for two days. I did send him a text at some point telling him I was at Dani’s. He didn’t appreciate getting the news after the fact. I totally understood that and vowed to keep him in the loop next time my probably-not-human boyfriend got shot by a flamethrower and needed my company.

I was on the way out the door with Domino when my phone rang. It was Ricki. She wanted to set up a road trip to Burlington for some shopping this weekend. It sounded like fun, but I wanted to see what Sean was doing. I told her I’d call her back and took off for a run. We had just finished our fourth mile when a car I didn’t recognize pulled up next to us. I immediately moved another ten feet away and wrapped my fingers around my stun gun, just in case. It turned out to be Dani and Stefan so I stopped to visit. Stefan was leaving in another month and wanted to invite me to a going away party. Wow, was it already November? I’ve totally lost track of time again. Probably I should buy a calendar.

Later that night, I sat in bed listening to some music and thinking. Some really strange things had happened, and I still didn’t have a lot of answers. Sure, the guys were something called Primani who fought for good and annihilated evil. Put that way, it sounded a little hokey and not too plausible. Did that mean they didn’t really have parents who worked in Switzerland? Were they really from Ireland? They could be sharing the same complicated fantasy and need medication to be normal. Maybe they were off their meds? I hated to think they were crazy because they seemed so interesting! There was no doubt in my mind about their abilities. I knew they could heal people and calm people. And I was pretty sure they could read minds and teleport. I hadn’t proven the teleport part, but it seemed like they could show up suddenly like the night Dec appeared out of nowhere to catch me when I was knocked out by Scott Flynn. How did he do that? I should ask Sean. Then there was the saol that surrounded them. They could control it and had to turn it off to touch people without shocking them. It seemed to be stronger when they were angry. The night that Sean was shot, Dec had been vibrating with anger and warned me not to touch him. He said it wasn’t safe for me. Did he have trouble controlling the power? Sean had learned to. He hadn’t shocked me in a long time. He’d warned me that I was playing with fire. I was pretty sure I still was, but it was too late for me to stop. If it involved Sean, I would play with fire until I got blown up.

A bright light flashed outside my window, and Domino perked up, but I reached for the stun gun. I was more than ready to use it if Scott showed up here. Before I could blink, Sean was suddenly standing in front of me. He grabbed my hand, twirled me around, and dipped me. He grinned wolfishly and kissed my nose before hauling me upright again.

“I knew it! You teleported, didn’t you?” I was torn between shock and awe.

“We don’t call it that. It’s a silly word.” He shrugged, and added, “It’s just a way to travel.” Yeah, sure, it’s no big deal. People do it all the time.

He was incorrigible. Domino was standing with her paws wrapped around his waist, rubbing her head against him. She was in love with him too. No doubt about that. I wanted to shove her out of the way and drape my own paws around him.

“So, are you ready for more answers?”

“Absolutely!” I patted the bed. “Come and sit with me, and we’ll play 20 questions.”

According to Sean, Killian was worried after the episode at their house. They had to figure out what happened to me that day in the kitchen. It was unexpected and therefore, important. Apparently, most people don’t suddenly develop the ability to read someone’s soul. Totally freaked out, they took a road trip to see someone about it. The conclusion was that I had connected to Sean when he wrapped me in his saol and picked up the ability from him. Probably the energy had unlocked some neurons in my brain that everyone has, but never use. Mine got turned on like a switch.

“You didn’t realize we heard each other’s thoughts, did you?” His expression was curious.

“No, I didn’t realize we weren’t speaking. I just assumed. Is that why you freaked out?”

He took my hand and kissed it. “Yes, that’s exactly why I freaked out! I was having a panic attack trying to control what I started and suddenly you’re inside my head answering my thoughts. Wouldn’t that freak you out?”

“Yeah, but wait… don’t you hear mine all the time? That’s not fair.” Not only not fair, but oh so very wrong on every possible level.

He chuckled, and said, “No, I can’t hear your thoughts all the time. God knows I’d never get out of bed if I could!” He deftly caught my hand in mid-swing.

“Oh, yeah, right. But really, can you read my thoughts?”

“I could if I really concentrated, but honestly, I don’t want to intrude like that. We don’t do that unless we absolutely need information. We can tell with a quick look inside whether a person has good or bad intentions, and that’s really what we pay attention to. It’s more like intuition than mind reading.”

We were both quiet for a little while as I absorbed what he shared with me. “What did I see when I looked into Killian’s eyes?”

“You saw what he let you see.”

“Were those memories?”

“More or less, I guess that’s as good a label as any.” He shrugged again.

“I saw him carry you away. It was so real.”

“That’s because it already happened and was clear in his mind. I have a theory that Killian let you see things that would help you to understand him and what we do. Believe it or not, he cares what you think of us. We decided that I’m going to have to stay close to you while we work this out. I’m afraid you might have picked up some other, uh, abilities from me. We should do some tests to make sure you’re okay. Killian is afraid you’re going to accidently do something dangerous.”

“He doesn’t trust me?”

“It’s not that, exactly. But you’re not used to these things. He’s right to be cautious. He’s been around awhile.”

We spent the next few hours talking over some of these 'abilities,' and I tried to do a few things. I was hugely disappointed that I couldn’t teleport or generate my own little energy field. Did that mean I didn’t have a saol? I couldn’t re-create the glow that Sean did so easily. My face was purple, and I panted with the effort until he finally burst out laughing and told me to forget it. He looked pointedly at the stun gun and suggested I keep carrying it if I wanted to shock someone.

Finally we sat facing each other, and he told me to look into his eyes. He wanted to see if I could read his thoughts. I looked into his eyes and felt like I was falling into the sea. His pupils were tiny inside the beautiful blues of the iris. His eyes were wide and turned up just a little on the edges. The lashes were thick and black like his hair. The little gold lights were more pronounced as he opened himself up to me. He gazed intently into my own eyes, and I felt the bond between us tighten. I clutched his leg as the visions took over.

Like before, I was overwhelmed with the sensation of spinning in my mind. Images and thoughts spun randomly, and I couldn’t see anything clearly.

“Focus, baby, just relax and slow down the spin. You can do this.”

Like struggling to stand up in violent surf, I steeled my mind to slow down the chaos. Gradually, the images became more coherent, flowing like an old movie. They were jerky at first, but at least I could see them clearly. I saw Sean as he fought fiercely in a snowy wood, striking someone and dodging the glimmer of a knife. His face was cold and completely focused as he took out his opponent without mercy. Next, he and Dec carried two small children from a burning building. Then I saw him fighting back to back with Killian. The ball of flame struck him in the stomach, and he collapsed. A wave of emotion hit me in the chest, and I sucked in air. I almost lost him! He could’ve died! Could’ve died… The images wavered, breaking apart.

“No emotions. Focus now. Don’t lose the grip. I’ve got you.” He squeezed my fingers, keeping eye contact.

With sheer force of will, I got my emotions back in control. The images were playing again. I saw myself running through endless woods crying for help. In this scene, I was very far away from Sean. He was watching me. Suddenly, the images ran together so fast I could only see blurry impressions--My body lying bloody on the floor in the abandoned house; then lying motionless in the hospital; then asleep in my bed. Next I saw my terrifying run through the forest to the beach. Then I was on the deck of a sailboat beckoning like a siren. Finally, I was lying naked under Sean joined as lovers, back arched, head flung back. As with Killian, I saw both images and words. This time, I was left with impressions of two words branded into my head, the essence of Sean: Protector and Primani.

Sean blinked, and the contact was broken. As before, I was sick. The room spun until I puked in the trash can beside the bed. I couldn’t stop the spinning, and I begged him to make it stop. The next thing I knew, Dec was there holding my head in his hands again.

He sounded amused as he said, “Just breathe, darlin’, in and out… in and out.”

He peered over his shoulder at Sean, and said, “You should probably learn how to do this yourself.”

Finally, the room was still, and my head felt normal again. I ran to the bathroom and washed up. When I got back, Dec was gone.

“How do you feel now?” Sean was frowning.

“I feel weirded out right now. Is this dizziness normal? I don’t like it.”

“Well, not for us. We had to learn to control the speed of the images, but we don’t have trouble with the dizziness. I think your brain is only partly wired to do this. Maybe practice would help you, if you want to do this again. You can’t just walk up to someone and read their minds. They have to participate and let you in. We don’t have that problem either. We can make eye contact with someone and see what we need to see pretty fast. But this is all new for you and us too. No one other than Primani have this ability.”

I nibbled on my lip, thinking. “Sean, how long have you been watching over me?”

He got up and went to the window. He stared into the darkness for a few minutes before turning to answer.

“I’ve been watching you since the night your mother died. Her death started a chain of events that had to play out for you. Most of those events were ordinary life things and not anything that would hurt you permanently. But then there was an unexpected event that got you off the path, and we had to help you.”

“Scott Flynn?” I felt a little pang at that.

His jaw tightened, and he explained, “His attack sent you into a spiral that would have destroyed you. Your recklessness was just beginning when we stepped in. Later, it would have been catastrophic. We had no choice but to interfere with your life. I hope you don’t hate us for that someday.”

“Why would I hate you?”

“You’ll see there are worse things than death.” He rolled his tense shoulders and stretched.

“You tried to stay away, didn’t you? You were so angry with me all the time.”

His mouth twisted sardonically. “Not angry with you; I was angry with myself. I wasn’t supposed to get to know you; it’s not how we usually work. But you kept getting into trouble. The three of us were sent here to keep an eye on you, but I couldn’t do it from a distance. Do you have any idea how much pain you put me through? I’ve never felt these kinds of emotions before. You make me crazy!”

I had to bite back a smile after that outburst. Instead, I nodded seriously and asked why he was still hanging around. He explained that I wasn’t the only reason they were here. He didn’t want to elaborate on that though.

Since I didn’t have school tomorrow, I tossed out an idea. I suggested we practice lying together within his saol. Maybe doing it again would unlock something else? Maybe we could see if we shared thoughts again? That was very cool. I wanted to try that again. In the end, I fell asleep with his arms wrapped around me. I’m pretty sure he made me fall asleep again but couldn’t protest fast enough to stop it.

Chapter 13: Curiosity and Cats

A WET NOSE IN MY ARMPIT brought me upright the next morning. Domino needed to go out so I climbed out of bed and padded to the door. Yawning, I let her out in the yard and stretched. Okay, so I’m off for the week for Thanksgiving. What to do? What to do? I had to work on some of these days, but not many. I had a lot of hours to fill. I took Domino for a run and detoured through my favorite park. It was cold today, and there was snow in the air. I was hoping to get home before it started snowing, but I ended up at the park. There was a pretty little fountain in the center, and I sat down to watch it flow.

As I sat there, my mind wandered and drifted. The sun was weak and pale, but I was comfortable enough. Domino sat like a guard dog on the bench beside me. The Princess didn’t sit on the ground. Something was nagging at me… there was something about what happened in Sean’s house that was bothering me. Something someone said… What really happened to Sean? How did he get burned? I didn’t know about any weapons that did that; but really, what did I know about weapons? I knew stun guns and pepper spray. I patted the pouch at my waist. I didn’t understand anything more lethal. Maybe there were guns that shot flames? Mentally, I shrugged. It was possible, I guess.

My thoughts turned to the strange intimacy I shared with Sean that morning. I had never felt so alive before. Even when Marc and I had messed around, I hadn’t felt that way. No, it wasn’t lust. It was different. It was a strange feeling of being relaxed and wound like a spring at the same time. I felt like I could jump up and run a marathon or fly through the air. It was amazing. But how was it possible? What was it? Was it just natural energy, but the Primani could draw it in and manipulate it? How? Why? It must have a more important purpose besides relaxing a stressed out girlfriend. Surely there was more to it than that. It was a key part of who they are--something important.

“What do you think, Domino?”

She pointed her nose up at the sky and thumped her tail. A huge sun beam streamed through a jumble of dark clouds off in the distance. It was one of those beautiful, unexpected sights. I stared in appreciation… then my mouth dropped open.

I banged on her door twice more before giving up in frustration. Damn it, Dani! Where are you? You’re the only one who won’t freak out. I paced outside the front door for another minute. No way! It couldn’t be what I thought it was. That is just not possible. I had to be so, so, so, wrong. I gave up and went home to pace someplace warmer.

Domino was lying prone on the bed watching me pace. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she was laughing at me. She seemed to be smiling and every now and then, she wagged her tail for no apparent reason. I stopped to examine her face. She had intelligent eyes. They were beautiful too. I rubbed her ears playfully. Did dogs have minds? If they did, then they would have thoughts, right? Dogs had memories. That was a no-brainer. I wonder… I was staring at her eyes, lost in thought for a minute. Finally, I cleared my daydreams to get down to business. I changed position so I could see directly into her eyes and tried to focus.

She got up and left the bed. Don’t even think about it.

Dani showed up about 10 minutes later. I was literally vibrating with excitement. I was going to tell her all about my weekend, and we’d figure out what was going on.

“Well, what are you so excited about? Did something happen with Sean? Oh, my God, did you guys do it?” Her grey eyes were wide with excitement.

What? “Geez, no; I would have texted you with something that important!”

Her dimples collapsed, “Oh, that’s too bad. So what’s the news then?”

I started to tell her but something made me hesitate. As excited as I was to share this secret, I couldn’t. Will you keep our secret, Mica? He trusted me to keep his secrets. I felt like a jerk. I didn’t have the right to share this with anyone not even Dani. I pictured Dec’s soft blue eyes and serious face looking at me while he held my head for me. He took care of me. He was gentle and kind to me when I needed him. He’d protected and defended me. Aw hell, they all had. Killian and Sean went out of their way to keep me safe. I felt like a traitor. I couldn’t betray their trust. I sighed. Damn it! I still wanted to tell somebody. But I wouldn’t be able to do that. So I settled on something else.

Lying through my teeth, I said, “I read an article about mind reading. I’ve always wanted to do that--don’t you think that would be cool?”

She nodded, confused at my change in attitude.

“I think we should try it out on each other! Wouldn’t it be so awesome if we could learn to read minds?” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Domino retreating to the doorway. Killjoy!

After a few minutes of talking about the mechanics of mind reading and other psychic abilities, we decided to give it a shot. Why not? I volunteered to try first. As I set us up across from each other, I felt a tiny little pang of guilt, but I was determined to practice. Other than me throwing up, what’s the worst that could happen? If Dec was right, I could learn to do this. That would be amazing!

Dani had pretty clear gray eyes with thick rings around the iris. How could I have missed this? They were so pretty, and I hadn’t noticed before. I took her hands in mine to stay balanced and got ready to focus.

“Okay, Dani, just sit still and look into my eyes.”

At first, nothing happened. I didn’t see anything beyond the eyes themselves. She shifted and blinked.

“Don’t blink! You have to stay really still. Just gaze ahead and relax.” I tried to keep my voice quiet.

“Well, hurry up then. My eyes are drying out.”

I tried again. I looked deeper into her eyes and opened my mind. This time everything clicked. I was in another world inside my head. Random images swirled around in chaos. I struggled to settle the images. After a second, I forced them into a slower moving flow of images, but they were blurry. There were snatches of vivid green trees blending into burning fires that morphed into grey stone caverns. Nothing looked to be from our world. These impressions were alien and strange as if they were completely imaginary. I saw no memories of people or landmarks I recognized. The impressions of words and memories made no sense at all. I lost control of the spinning impressions, and soon they bombarded me like bees. A sharp pain snapped behind my right eye. With a cry of pain, I tore myself away.

I dug my palms into my eyes, trying to crush the unbearable pain and crazy dizziness. I tried to stand up and fell right down. I curled into a ball as the disjointed images of Dani’s mixed with my own nightmares and thundered through my head. Scott Flynn’s evil face appeared stretched and disfigured. I couldn’t see my own thoughts anymore, just the nightmarish pictures. I tried to focus on Sean’s face, and I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t pull any of my memories into focus. My mind was out of my control. I couldn’t move and the pain in my eye was excruciating. Dec’s face flashed in my head long enough for me to realize I needed to call him. I wasn’t up to yelling so I whispered his name with my forehead anchored to the floor.

Warm breath tickled my face. Dec. He was using his thumbs to massage my temples and the delicate bones around my eyes. It felt heavenly.

I felt his chest tense with anger. “Good, you’re alive. What the hell were you thinking? Are you trying to kill me?” His thumbs were working magic even through his scolding.

I tried to turn my head, and he firmly pushed it back down again. I said, “I tried to practice… you know what.” I looked around. “Where’s Dani?”

“I sent her home. I told her you had a seizure, but she shouldn’t worry about you tonight.” He was gritting his teeth.

“And she bought that? She would never leave me if she thought I was sick.”

“I can be very persuasive. She didn’t have a choice. I’m not happy about that either. You put me in very bad position tonight. It’s not cool for me to adjust Dani’s memories. I hate doing that. I hope it was worth it.”

“Oh, Dec, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for anything bad to happen. I just--” I started to explain, but he cut me off.

“Never mind the apologies--Just tell me everything that happened. Don’t hold anything back,” he demanded.

I told him about the nightmare of uncontrolled chaos and how it escalated and got more violent inside my mind. I shuddered as I told him about the pain in my eyes, and the overwhelming sensation of spinning. By the time I was done, I was crying in his arms with his hand patting my back awkwardly. The sound of another voice stopped me cold.

“Dec! What the hell are you doing here?”

“Killian, it’s not what you think!” I tried to get up, but Dec pushed me back.

“Sit!” he ordered.

With one last pointed look, he pulled Killian into the other room to talk. Killian was livid and didn’t bother to hide it. I curled back into a fetal position and tried to lie still. My head felt odd, and my eye was twitching. Worst of all, I felt guilty and stupid. What was I thinking? I had no idea it was so dangerous. I was an idiot.

A bit later, Killian read me the riot act and raked me over the coals. He had no sympathy for a stupid girl who was determined to play with fire. How did it feel to get burned? Was it worth the pain, the danger? Did I want to destroy my mind? What about Dani? Didn’t I care about her? Wasn’t she supposed to be a friend? How could I put her in danger like this? What if I had passed out before calling for Dec? He went on and on with scolding and accusations. He didn’t even need to raise his voice.

I got the point. I had no argument, no defense. I was a terrible person. I sucked. Damn. I was trying to get angry, but he was right. I was wrong. I sat stone-faced while I got my butt chewed. Eventually he wound down and slowed his pacing.

I finally noticed he was wearing black camouflage pants and a black tee shirt with black boots. He looked like a commando. He was armed too. The bulge of a pistol tucked under his shirt was unmistakable. He hadn’t shaved, and his face was shadowed. If possible, he looked more lethal than before. I gulped. Who was this guy? If I didn’t know he was protecting me, I would be very afraid of him.

“You should always be afraid of me!” he snapped in my face.

I had nothing witty to say to that. Did he just read my mind? I was too freaked out to ask at the moment. He continued to lecture for another few minutes.

Dec eventually interrupted. “Uh, hey, I think she’s still in some pain. I should probably finish healing her before, uh, we leave.”

Killian just growled, “Whatever.”

He stood brooding while Dec came over to me. I lay down with my head on my pillow. He put his lips against my forehead and closed his eyes. His hands were on either side of my head pressing gently. I felt a warm pulsing under my skin where he touched me. My blood flowed smoothly and gently under the surface but with more urgency than usual. I recognized the saol immediately and surrendered to it. Through my eyelids, I saw a faint light that wasn’t there before. Dec moved his fingers across my eyes again and paused at the temple. I felt a warm pulsing behind my right eye. Then the pain was gone, and his hands were still. When I opened my eyes, he smiled down at me and winked. Killian snorted impatiently across the room.

He said, “We’re not done, Mica. We have to leave for now though. We have important work to do.” He stalked over and gripped my hands in his, forcing me up to meet his eyes.

“Don’t try anything like that again! You have no idea what could happen, and I don’t have time to explain now. We have something urgent to take care of, and I can’t send Dec back here again for a while. I want your word on this. Promise me.” It wasn’t a request.

I could hardly meet his eyes so he shook me. “Okay, Killian, I promise. I feel horrible and stupid. I won’t do it again! You have to believe I don’t want anything to happen to you guys. I know what you do matters.” Whatever it is…

He nodded and motioned for Dec to join him. He was wearing the same clothes as Killian from the tee shirt to the boots. Does he have a gun too? He raised his eyebrows when he caught me checking him out. He picked me up in a bear hug and pressed a kiss against my cheek. I felt the slight shock at the contact and looked at him with a question in my eyes.

“Everyone matters, Mica. You’re part of us now. I hope you’re ready.”

Chapter 14: Welcome to the Family

I SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER. But how was I to know my journal scribbling would be prophetic?

JOURNAL ENTRY: Thanksgiving Day

So much to write; but nothing I can say. I’m in love with Sean, and he says he loves me… in my heart, I know it won’t be easy. Killian says we can’t be together. Sean never talks about the future. I get the feeling we aren’t in control of what happens to us, but I’m still not sure what to think. Today, he’s busy in his world and I’m busy in mine. I’m strong enough to handle that. Tomorrow, we’ll see.

I hadn’t seen Sean in days. I accepted he was out working on whatever it was they worked on. I had no idea what they did, but apparently it involved lots of traveling and guns. Mental note: frisk Sean. I glanced sadly over at my little stun gun and wished for a real one. I’ve been hearing more nasty rumors about Scott and his plans. I guess he still hasn’t given up on screwing with me. I wasn’t going to make it easy for him. He’ll go down hard next time. You’d think he’d give up after the last time Sean nearly killed him. I was refining my skills in the ring and could knock out an opponent with a couple of well-placed shots. As long as I had a second’s notice, I would be all right. Assuming he didn’t bring too many friends or shoot me with any kind of gun.

Well okay, my plan wasn’t perfect, but at least I was ready. Today was the day of Stefan’s going away party. I wanted to bring Sean with me, but he wasn’t back yet. I’d just have to go solo. At the moment, though, I was facing down a crisis of epic proportions. My closet was a mess. How can something so full be so empty? I couldn’t decide what to wear. Jeans? Skirt? Cute little dress? The options were staggering. Nibbling on a nail, I stared at the mess. It was supposed to snow so jeans were a definite yes. I pulled out a hoodie and put it back. Not dressy enough. I grabbed a long-sleeved purple sweater. Hmm, maybe this would work. It was clingy and soft and made my boobs look bigger. I looked sideways in the mirror. I wasn’t Betty Boop, but I looked pretty good. I’d wear the sweater. Ricki would approve.

A little later, I popped in my new Linkin Park CD and cranked up the volume. It was fabulous! The thumping music pumped me up all the way to Dani’s aunt’s house. She had a big place outside of town and agreed to let us have the going-away party there. After all, Dani’s family hosted Stefan and wanted to send him off in style. Dani invited half the school to stop by. It was going to be a crazy night.

“Mica! Hurry up! We’re waiting for you!” Dani waved from the front porch. The sprawling house was lit warmly in welcome, and the front yard sparkled with Christmas lights. A fluffy layer of snow completed the Christmas card scene. I wished Sean was here to see it with me. Not that he’d probably be impressed; he was a guy, after all. Maybe he’d show up later. I hoped so because my heart was aching to see him.

Stefan appeared in the doorway behind Dani. He was smoking hot in a red sweater and jeans. His hair had grown out to curl up at the ends, the tips bleached by the summer sun. I would miss him but didn’t regret anything that didn’t happen between us. After the party on the fourth of July, he kept a respectful distance. I had demanded to know what Killian said to him, but he refused to explain. He just said he didn’t want any trouble so we should be friends without benefits. I didn’t mind that part of it, but the idea that Killian had butted in really pissed me off. Who did he think he was anyway?

Grinning hugely, I gave him a big hug that surprised him. He pulled back to lead me into the main room. There were already a lot of people here. I recognized Billy Powell and Don Thomas from English; and Amy Wan from the drama club. Two people I didn’t know were sitting apart from the others. One was a tall dark-haired guy with huge shoulders. He wore a leather jacket and oversized jeans. He looked wary and uncomfortable. The other guy was as tall but had a rangy build. He had dirty blond hair that needed combing. It was stringy and too long to be in style. I didn’t recognize either of them. I asked Stefan if he invited them. He thought they were friends of one of Dani’s cousins. That’s strange. Before I could figure it out, Ricki and Kevin showed up and cranked up the music.

The place was packed within an hour, and I was making my rounds. The living room was so full of people dancing that I had to turn sideways to weave my way through. The regular lights were replaced with club lights. The music was loud, and the lights were flickering to the beat. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. A couple gyrating on the dance floor caught my attention. The girl was wearing a really short skirt which was hiked up to her crotch, and the guy was taking full advantage of the easy access. Their faces were hidden by the curtain of her long blond hair. Wow, get a room people! They were practically doing it in the middle of the room. Who were they? I didn’t recognize either of them. It was hard not to watch though--my body responded with an ache that set my teeth on edge. I groaned to myself. Where was my boyfriend? This was torture. I started to turn away when a voice spoke into my ear.

“I have a message for you.”

I swung around in surprise and saw the guy in the leather jacket looming over me. I planted my feet, ready to swing at him or dodge the other way. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Instead of attacking me, he gripped my arm, pulling me towards the patio door. I tried to jerk my arm back, and he held it tighter. I reared back to clock him with my fist, but he froze me with the point of a knife against my side.

He put his mouth against my ear, and whispered harshly, “Oh, stop fighting me. I’m not interested in you. I need to give you a message for your friends. Trust me. You want to hear this… unless you don’t care about your friends? You do care about them, don’t you?”

Oh crap, now what? My instincts were screaming that going outside was a bad idea, but my curiosity was peaked. What kind of message? Was this a trick? Would I go outside to find Scott Flynn and his merry band of psychopaths? I didn’t have much time to think it through as he was towing me along, and we were soon outside in relative quiet. He let me go as soon as we got to the patio. I stood with my back to the door resisting the urge to rub my arm. I looked around warily, but we were alone.

“Okay, so what’s the big message?”

“Tell your friends to stop fucking with us or someone’s going to die.”

“What friends are you talking about?”

He barked a laugh. “Don’t play stupid with me. You know exactly who I’m talking about.” He leaned into my face like he was sharing a secret. “And here’s the thing, Mica Thomas. When I say someone I really mean you. So don’t fuck around with me. Just give them the message and pray to your God they listen.” With that, he turned around and vanished.

“Oh, yeah? Well get in line. Everyone wants to kill me!” I yelled into empty space.

I drooped against the wall and closed my eyes. I focused on breathing for a full minute. Breathe in, breathe out. I am not having a good year! Why does everyone want to kill me? It was starting to piss me off. Okay, there’s no reason to panic. So what if another creep wants to kill me? I rolled my eyes at the thought. It wouldn’t be the first time. This time, though, I didn’t know who the creep was. I had no idea what was going on other than I was being used as leverage. I didn’t know if my death would stop Sean’s mission. They had work to do, and I was an added complication. I didn’t want to cause them trouble, but I also didn’t want to die. What to do? What to do?

I yanked out my phone and sent Sean a text to call me NOW. I paced back and forth for a whole minute, but he didn’t call. I hit the send button again but still no response. What if he was out of range? Damn.

Feeling silly, I looked up at the sky, and said hesitantly, “Sean? If you can hear me, come quick. We’ve got a big problem.”

I could call for Dec, but Killian said he needed Dec someplace else. I was afraid to distract them. What if they were in the middle of a fight or something? I didn’t want them to get hurt. Visions of flamethrowers flashed in my mind. I could still see Killian carrying Sean away from the fight. It would break my heart to see any of them hurt like that again. Shivering in the cold, I sat on the patio trying to come up with some options. I totally lost track of time and nearly jumped out of my skin when I sensed I wasn’t alone. Out of the corner of my eye, a light, like a flashlight, winked and then vanished again. I know what that is! I jumped up to search the darkness.

Three dark shapes appeared in the shadows and gradually took form as they got closer to the house lights. They were still dressed in black and were spattered with something that looked like ash. All three sets of blue eyes blazed with that stunning electric blue color. It was unnerving to see the three of them together as if they just came from some kind of battle. Their bodies moved as one taut and lethal machine. Their faces were rigid as they scanned the property with those terrible eyes. I wanted to run to Sean, but I was rooted in place. I wasn’t sure if they knew I was there or not. They seemed to be focused on something I couldn’t see. They stopped in front of me and relaxed.

Before I could move, Sean pulled me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hung on for dear life. His heart was racing and his body was extremely hot. I pulled back and looked up at his face. His eyes weren’t as bright and his expression was less severe. He was calming down. It was almost a total transformation. Fascinating... Dec showed his dimples and pushed his hair off his forehead. My arm started to itch. What the hell? I had some of the ash on me. I brushed it off, and my fingers began to burn. Within seconds, it felt like my skin was on fire.

“What is this? It’s burning me!” I was frantically brushing at my clothes. “Get it off!”

Sean looked down at himself and started swearing before yanking my sweater over my head. Shocked and embarrassed, I was left in jeans and a very tiny bra in front of Dec and Killian. Dec politely turned his head. Killian came closer and muttered something I didn’t understand. He picked up my arm to study the skin. It was pretty dark so I don’t know what he saw. Then we heard voices coming, and I panicked. Killian shook his head with resignation and grabbed me with both hands.

It happened so fast. One minute I was standing on the patio, and the next I was in their house in the clearing. I didn’t have time to feel disoriented since I was dragged into a running shower as soon as my feet hit the floor.

Outside the shower curtain, Sean yelled, “Sorry, sweetheart! Just take off your clothes and wash everything with soap. It’ll be okay.”

Normally privacy is a good thing; however, my skinny jeans turned into plastic wrap as soon as they got wet. I pushed. I shoved. I yanked. They refused to budge. My skin burned like fire, the pain traveling wherever the water flowed. Once it reached my crotch, I lost it. Totally freaked out now, I threw the curtain back, and demanded, “Get these things off of me!”

Rolling his eyes to Heaven, he climbed in and squatted. Between my pushing and his pulling, my jeans finally slid free. We both fell backwards against the shower walls. I jumped up and frantically rubbed everything down with soap twice. When the soap was rinsed away, and I didn’t feel any new pain, I opened my eyes.

Sean was still with me. His eyes were closed as he let the hot water run down his clothes. The tee shirt was clean now and clung to every muscle in his chest and shoulders. His black hair was pressed against his skull. He had dark circles under his eyes and a long scratch up one side of his neck. He needed to shave. The dark shadow on his jaw made him look even more dangerous than usual. His hands were a mess. There were bruises across one set of knuckles and fingernail gouges on the wrist. One ring finger looked swollen and crooked as though it were broken. He was also asleep on his feet. How long had it been since he’d slept? Was he hurt anywhere else? I couldn’t tell with all the clothes he was wearing. He seemed oddly vulnerable standing there. My heart swelled with pride. This is my man! Mine.

I wrapped my arms around his waist. We stood there like that until the hot water ran cold.

Much later, the sun woke me when it snuck through the blinds. I stretched across the bed only to find Sean’s big, warm body lying in the way. Asleep on his side, he was facing away from me. His back was bare, but he was wearing shorts. I held the cotton material of his old tee shirt to my nose and breathed in. It smelled subtly of Sean. I stretched it over my butt, curled against him and went back to sleep.

A tickling along my cheek brought me out of a deep sleep. Snuggling closer, I wrapped my arms around Sean’s waist. He was so warm and smooth. I ran my hands over the ridges of his torso, and he sucked in his breath with a jerk.

“Mica…” he warned.

I slid my hands over his chest and back down to his stomach. He sucked in his breath and twitched. Was he ticklish? I allowed myself an evil smile before I tickled him on purpose, just to be sure. He laughed and struggled to keep my hands off of him, but I was relentless. We were both laughing and twisting around on the bed when he suddenly pinned me under him and held my hands over my head.

“Not so cocky now, are you darlin’?” He grinned down at me.

I was stuck but didn’t plan to give in gracefully. I tried to pull my hands free, but he leaned his weight against them. I tried to wriggle out from under him and he pressed his weight down. I was stuck. Stuck in the bed with Sean… hmm, suddenly this was not such a bad thing. I stopped moving. My heart began to thud, and his sped up to match the rhythm. I felt the beat against my chest and reveled in its strength. He dipped his head and kissed me. It was a long, slow, deliberate kiss that took my will away.

A loud knocking interrupted what could have been a major event in my life… However, it was impossible to ignore the noise. I am pretty sure I groaned in frustration, but Sean took it in stride.

He yelled, “Okay, okay, we’ll be out in a minute.” To me, he said, “Come on, beautiful, there’s work to do. Time to get up.”

The door cracked open, and Killian stuck his head inside. His expression was not friendly when he saw my flushed face and red lips. He didn’t say anything then, but I knew we’d hear about it soon enough. Geez, he was such a nanny!

It felt like déjà vu when we walked into the kitchen. Dec and Killian were already sitting at the table eating. They had a bowl of hard-boiled eggs between them, and a carton of orange juice on the table. One of them had set out plates for Sean and me. Probably it was Dec’s doing; he was the sweetest one of the bunch. I felt awkward when I walked in, but Dec waved me over to a chair.

“Come and sit down. We’ve got food.” He waved a hand over the table and added, “Do you want something else? We’ve got yogurt and cereal too. Help yourself. You’re going to need some energy.” He winked at the last part.

I opted for a fat-free yogurt. I was surprised to see the fridge was stocked with nothing but healthy things. There was fruit, yogurt, eggs, fat-free milk, and all kinds of fresh vegetables. No sign of lasagna or leftover takeout food. Who cooked around here?

I sat down and sucked on the end of my spoon for a minute before I asked, “So… I don’t want to be nosy, but whose house is this, and where are your parents?”

Three shocked faces stared back at me. No one said a word for a long time. Sean glanced pointedly at Killian, and Killian glared back at him. Dec burst out laughing.

He said, “Ha! I told you she would figure it out!” To me, he said, “I wondered how long it would take you to see through us. I knew you would, smart girl!” His face lit up with an ear to ear grin. He was pleased with himself.

Wait a minute… “You don’t really have parents, do you?”

Killian’s stern face turned from surprise to resignation. He ran a hand through his hair and stood up. His shoulders were tense as he went over to the window. Even agitated, his movements were graceful. They all had a way of moving that was graceful and purposeful at the same time. They reminded me of hunting jaguars… lean, muscular, graceful, patient… They were probably just as dangerous to their prey. I swallowed hard. I was pretty sure I was safe…

Killian whirled and pointed a finger at me. “I warned you not to play with fire, didn’t I? But you can’t leave anything alone, can you? I specifically asked you to trust your instincts. You ignored them. Think about it! What do they tell you? What do your instincts say about us?” His voice was soft, but laced with steel.

Sean and Dec flanked me, not touching me, but close enough to feel their warmth. Their expressions were neutral, giving nothing away. Killian was running the show and neither one looked at me with support. They were all waiting for me to speak. It seemed important to them. What did they want me to say?

I drew a deep breath, and said with absolute conviction, “I trust you. But I’m also wary of you. Sorry, Sean, but you too.” I started to reach out to him, and he tensed. I dropped my hand to my side again. “I am afraid of you, all of you, but only because I sense your power. I know how dangerous you are.”

No response from them. Killian raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. I ground my teeth together. This wasn’t going well. I tried again.

“Okay, my instincts tell me you’re dangerous and powerful. You have a code you live by though. There are rules to your lives. I don’t believe you would hurt innocent people, and you go out of your way to keep people from finding out about you.” I paused for a minute, and added, “I believe you’re here for something really important that I don’t understand. I’m really sorry to complicate things for you. I won’t share your secrets.” My hand was itching to reach for Sean as I badly needed reassurance. I raised my chin and waited on Killian’s judgment.

He stared intently during my little speech. I hadn’t noticed anything strange, but he seemed to be reading my mind. His eyes were fathomless when I looked into them now. His thoughts were hidden from me. He seemed to come to a decision then. He rolled his shoulders and did something completely unexpected.

He took my hands in his, and said simply, “Trust your instincts.” Then he squeezed my hands a little too hard and smiled tightly.

When he dropped my hands, I felt a relief so strong my knees buckled. I really needed a hug. Before I could move, Dec picked me up in a bear hug and swung me around in a circle.

“Welcome to the family, Mica me girl!” He sat me on my feet in front of Sean and kissed my cheek. “It looks like we get to keep you after all.”

“What am I? A stray puppy? Geez!”

Sean laughed, and quipped, “Oh, not a puppy, darlin’--just a stray human.”

Chapter 15: Angels and Demons

“HUMAN?”

They all laughed, but no one clarified the comment.

“Well?” I insisted.

Killian sighed. “I guess it’s time for an official family meeting. Mica, you might want to sit down. This might be a shock.”

Another shock? Really? What else? With this question in the back of my mind, I went to the couch and sat down. Sean sat next to me while Dec draped himself over a recliner. The furniture was comfortable but very simple. In fact, there were no decorations at all. No pictures or knickknacks sitting around and no fussy curtains or anything. It was obvious that three young men lived here. I wondered vaguely where they got the money to pay for all of this.

Killian dragged in a kitchen chair, and settled into storytelling mode. He began at the beginning I suppose. By the time we got to the middle of the story, where I came along, my head was ready to implode. I had to keep stopping him every few minutes to process what he was telling me.

“So let me get this straight. I understand you protect people. I get that. But who are you fighting all the time? What is the grey stuff from?”

“Demons,” Sean answered.

My mouth dropped open. “No way. They exist?”

Dec snorted. “Of course they do. Who do you think is behind all the evil things that happen around us? People sure, but they get motivation from demons.”

“You’ll need to run that by me again.”

“Haven’t you ever read the Bible? Surely you know about good and evil beings? People can be good or evil without any help, but sometimes demons get involved and encourage people into evil acts. They have agendas too. They want to cause as much chaos as they can by encouraging susceptible humans to do evil things. They love to plant the seeds and watch as people spiral out of control and kill each other. But even more importantly, the goal of all demons is to get mankind ready for the return of the antichrist. Our job is to discover where the demons are and destroy them. We try to limit the chaos to give humans a fighting chance.” I must’ve looked alarmed, because he added, “Hey, we don’t think the antichrist is coming soon--we haven’t seen enough signs to worry about that yet. We’re just taking care of ordinary demons for now.”

“Oh, that makes me feel tons better! Okay, I need a minute.” I closed my eyes and tried to absorb everything they’d told me so far. The words streamed through my head. Primani… protectors… demons… Primani… protectors… demons. They were warriors, weren’t they? That explained the soldier-like attitudes, the commando clothes, and the guns. If they had other abilities, why did they use the guns? I asked Sean that question.

“People use guns, Mica. Do I really need to go into what we do with our guns?”

“You shoot people, obviously! What do you do about the demons? How do you stop them?”

“We have other ways to destroy them. You haven’t seen that, and I hope you don’t have to.” He pushed my hair behind my ear and looked away. His eyes were troubled.

Dec began telling me more about their missions, but I wasn’t listening. Something else had my attention. We have other ways to destroy them. Demons came from Hell, right? What would their destruction be like? Did they bleed? I puzzled this concept through while Dec talked. I came to only one possible conclusion…

“Holy shit!” I squeaked before bolting to the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet in time.

Sean came up behind me. “You okay? What’s the matter?”

Okay? Definitely not! I was covered in cremated demon particles! That was so gross! I shot him the evil eye and threw up again, and one more time for good measure. I felt so unclean! Swaying a bit, I wiped my mouth, and glared daggers at Sean. Unusually concerned, Killian was lounging against the door frame, a half-formed smirk on his mouth.

I jabbed a finger into Sean’s chest, and accused, “You were blowing up demons last night, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, what about it?” He watched me like I might explode. His mouth twitched, but he bit down to keep from smiling.

“You hugged me! You covered me in demon guts! Oh, my God! That’s disgusting!” My voice climbed at least four octaves.

Killian burst out laughing. The sound was so strange it made me freeze. He was cracking up. Dec came running in and asked what was so funny.

“Demon guts!” Killian managed to say.

I glared at the three of them. Sean’s mouth started to twitch, and then Dec chuckled. It was too much to take.

“Get out! All of you get out now. I need a shower. And Sean, we’re not done with this conversation.” I slammed the door behind them and locked it. I scrubbed my body until my skin was bright red and hurting. I ran out of hot water and stood in the cold for five minutes longer. By the time I got out, I was squeaky clean and ready to find humor in it.

When I finally reappeared in the living room, the guys wore serious faces. Not one of them laughed. I caught the twinkle in their eyes though.

“You never asked me what I called you about, Sean. Probably I should tell you about the visit I had.”

I told them every detail I could remember about the big guy’s message at the party. Sean had me repeat it one more time. He swore when I passed on the part about me getting killed. He draped an arm around me protectively and mumbled something in that language I didn’t understand. Killian rolled his eyes, but Dec smiled in understanding.

“What did you say?”

He actually blushed but answered me. “I said I would protect you with my life.”

“Oh.” For once, I was speechless.

Killian wasn’t as speechless. He was muttering angrily and got up to pace by the window again.

“Mica, think hard about something for me. You said he grabbed your arm, right? Did you notice anything unusual about his touch? Did you sense anything odd?”

“Odd? I don’t know what you mean. Could you be more specific?”

“Seriously, this could be very important. Did you get anything from him at all?” He tapped his temple to make the point.

I racked my brain for any impressions but didn’t find anything.

“Sorry, but nothing stands out to me. He was a stranger; that much I noticed. He and his creepy friend weren’t from around here.”

“Okay. That’s good. I’m almost sure he was human then. Your intuition is pretty strong so I think you would have sensed a demon if one touched you.”

I hadn’t thought about that possibility. Ewww, gross! I rubbed my arms where the stranger held me. Maybe I should take another shower? I looked towards the hallway, but Dec interrupted me.

“No way! I need a shower. You’ve used up all the hot water twice already. You’re clean enough.” I narrowed my eyes so he added, “No, I’m not reading your mind. You’re just really obvious.”

“Oh, awesome! Guess I need to work on that then?”

Killian interrupted our bickering. “All right, let’s focus. We need to walk through this and get a plan together. Mica, you can stay if you want, at least for now.”

For the next hour or so, they talked about the message, the messenger, solutions, and protection details. They were really worried about me and my family. I must have been naïve because I just assumed they would fix everything and nothing bad could happen. I said as much and all three of them bombarded me with comments.

Sean said, “Nothing will happen to you or your family. We’ll protect you. This is what we do.”

Dec blew me a kiss. “Seriously? You think so much of us? I’m flattered. Thanks, darlin’.”

Killian was, as usual, brutally honest, and a big downer. “Well, you’re partially right. We’ll run this down and neutralize the threat; however, it might take a while and in the meantime, you’re not safe.”

“What does that mean?”

Sean reached over to squeeze my hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. We do have some advantages over the bad guys, you know.” Idly, he kissed my temple and got back into the general discussion.

I stayed awake for as long as I could, but fell asleep somewhere along the way. I woke up to the sound of music. I stretched and sat up. It looked like the meeting was over since I was alone in the living room. They’d left me on the couch but someone had covered me with a little blanket. The light was odd though. I looked around for a clock, but of course, there wasn’t a clock anywhere in sight. I fished out my cell phone and saw two missed calls from my dad. Oh crap! What time was it? Oh, this was not good. It was already 4:00, and they were probably wondering where the heck I was. I went to the party last night and didn’t come home. I called my dad to let him know I was okay. He wasn’t too happy though. I was ordered to get home this instant. I felt like reminding him I couldn’t teleport like some people I know. He wouldn’t get the reference though…

After sending Dec to pick up my car from the other house, Sean drove me home. My dad was waiting on the porch when we pulled up to the house. The furious look he gave Sean would’ve singed his wings off if he had any.

“Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick about you.” He swiveled towards Sean with steam coming out of his ears. “And you! What do you think you’re doing keeping my daughter out all night and all day? I oughta kick your ass for you right now!”

Sean looked contrite, and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Thomas. There was some trouble at the party so we went to my house. My parents were happy to let Mica stay in our spare room. We didn’t want to wake you up last night. We stayed up all night playing Monopoly and overslept today.”

Wow, he was smooth! I just nodded. Yep, that’s what happened. Yep. My dad still looked suspicious and grounded me for a week. No visitors allowed here and no going out except to school or work. Oh, awesome. Now I was a sitting duck for any vengeful demon that could sniff me out!

“Can I at least bring Sean inside? I have some homework to give him for school next week.”

Once inside the apartment, we went over their plan. Domino was thrilled to see us and sprawled out next to Sean. He rubbed her belly while we talked. Killian and Dec would report to their boss to get some new orders. Sean would stay here to watch over me. They’d be gone a day or two. When they got their new orders, they would have to go take care of the problem. That meant that I would be left alone to fend for myself. They were stronger when they were together. Depending on the plan, they would try to rotate protection if they could. In the meantime, they would teach me how to recognize and avoid demons.

“Okay, so what about ordinary evil humans? Maybe they’ll send a person to grab me. I don’t even have a real gun!”

He considered that, and said, “I can take care of that. Are you afraid of guns?”

“Are you kidding me? No way. I’m dying to take out some bad guys.” I pointed my finger like a gun and shot the wall.

He just looked at me. “Uh, okay, I’ll have to sneak you out of here then. We can practice out at our place. I’ll get you a gun, but you have to keep it hidden. You’re not old enough to have a gun, and I don’t want you going to jail!”

We talked for hours and gradually the subject turned to our relationship. It was awkward territory that we didn’t talk about much. I felt suddenly shy and lowered my lashes.

He brushed a fingertip across my mouth, tipped up my chin, and said, “Don’t look away. Your eyes are beautiful, and so are you.” He feathered kisses across my eyelids, the tip of my nose, then each corner of my mouth. I melted into a puddle… The anticipation was killing me. I parted my lips, breath coming quickly, but he barely brushed them with his tongue on his way to my ear.

After nuzzling my neck, he curled the tip of his clever tongue around the shell of my ear all the while he bared his heart. “I’m amazed by you. Love isn’t something we expect. We’re sworn to protect people, and love makes that hard. We stay above it. But you… you are something else entirely. You showed up and turned my world upside down. I don’t know what to do with you, but I know I can’t be away from you for long. I can’t breathe right when I’m away from you. The rhythm is off somehow. You’re a part of me now, and I don’t want to live without you. If I lost you, it would be like losing my heart. I wouldn’t survive it.”

I marveled at his words. My heart was skipping beats, and I couldn’t breathe. For the second time in 24 hours, I was speechless.

Chapter 16: A Merry Christmas

“WHAT DO YOU DO FOR CHRISTMAS?” I asked Killian.

We were waiting for Dec to show up with another box of shells. Killian was helping me learn to shoot my new gun. Killian and Sean had argued for hours over the right gun for me. Eventually Killian won the argument, and I got a bad ass new Sig Sauer P229. I hefted it in my hand and smiled like an idiot. I had a real gun! Unfortunately I couldn’t seem to hit anything with it. After two boxes of shells, I wasn’t qualified yet. Killian shook his head a lot but didn’t criticize. In my opinion, I was hitting things pretty well. Patiently, he kept pointing out that I was supposed to be hitting specific things, on purpose… not just anything that sat in the general direction I pointed the gun. Apparently those hits didn’t count. So Dec went to get another box of shells. I think he’s just trying to torture me. It’s freezing out here! I rubbed my hands together to keep my fingers from getting stiff. They didn’t seem to have that problem. Killian wore a sweatshirt but no gloves or hat. Whatever their biology, they didn’t seem to get cold… must be that extra energy they carried around. I rubbed my dripping nose on my coat sleeve and waited for an answer.

He wrinkled his nose, and said, “Christmas? Are we really going to have this conversation?” He shook his head at me again. I was a thorn in his side.

“What? You don’t celebrate? At all? Isn’t it like, your boss’ birthday?”

He tried not to laugh, and choked, “My boss? That’s funny. Is Jesus your boss? Is that why you celebrate Christmas?”

“Well, no. But… you guys… are… but, but, He’s Jesus!”

He did laugh then. “Mica, the celebration of Christmas is a religious tradition for people. It’s part of a lot of different religions. We respect that, totally. But we’re not like people. We don’t observe any religious traditions or even human social traditions unless we have to for cover.”

“So you don’t ever put up a tree or anything?”

“No. It’s just another day for us.”

I was about to say something else when Dec appeared in the clearing. He jogged over with the box of shells. Killian looked relieved. Casual conversation wasn’t his thing.

“All right, let’s try this again. Mica, use the sight to line up your target. I think you’re just pointing the gun but aren’t using the sight. Use it. That’s why it’s there.”

Okay, but what you don’t seem to understand is I AM using the sight… aloud, I simply said, “Yes, drill sergeant!”

An hour later, Killian and I were back in the farmhouse defrosting. Dec took off to get some food. I was a block of frozen girl parts. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to move my toes again… I took off my boots and socks and cringed as the heat from the fireplace hit my frozen toes. God, this hurts! I leaned back in my chair and grimaced while things defrosted.

“What’s the matter with you?” Killian asked gruffly.

I cracked an eye, and whined, “My toes are frozen. Unlike you, oh glorious leader, I don’t have a built in heat lamp. My parts freeze if left in the snow too long.” On cue, another toe-curling slash of pain rolled through my foot, and I groaned while trying to arch away from my foot.

Crouching, he examined my poor white toes. For such a big man, he was surprisingly gentle. When he was done, he rested his hand on my ankle while he favored me with a sheepish smile. Was he actually chagrined? Huh. This was new. Did he have some human qualities, after all? He mumbled something under his breath and wrapped his big hands around one of my feet. As usual, his hand was unnaturally warm.

I yanked my foot away with a cry. “Ouch! Too hot, too hot! You’re making it worse!” I cradled my foot while breathing hard over the throbbing pain.

He snapped, “Oh, fine. Just hold still and I’ll fix it.” He wrapped his hand around my foot again. His hands were cooler this time. It was a nice try but didn’t make much of a difference. I was still gritting my teeth as the blood defrosted and flowed again. It ached all the way up my leg.

“Still hurts?” he asked with a puzzled frown.

Stifling another whiny reply, I nodded miserably. His face lit with an idea. He dragged over a footstool and sat across from me with my feet in his lap so he could hold them both at the same time. He closed his eyes and concentrated. I was fascinated by the crease between his eyes. In spite of his generally prickly disposition, he really was a good-looking man. I guess his holier-than-thou attitude was partially earned… And he had beautiful strong hands too. After a few seconds, his fingertips lightened to a faint gold. The shimmering illumination flowed slowly from his fingers and over my toes and feet. The change was barely noticeable, but I recognized it. In a minute, both of my feet were surrounded. He was concentrating completely on what he was doing. A bead of sweat ran down one side of his face. This was a side of him I’d never seen before. I had no idea how much effort this took. I had a whole new appreciation for Sean now…

His plan was definitely working, and my feet were feeling almost normal again. I settled into the chair and closed my eyes while Killian held my feet in his lap.

A shocked voice interrupted us. “Killian! What is the meaning of this?”

Killian jumped like he’d been scalded. His face flushed red, and he rushed over to greet our visitor. He was very tall and powerfully built with blond hair that rested on his shoulders. He wasn’t handsome. He looked like he was carved from stone. He had arresting features: strong cheekbones, a long straight nose, and vivid blue eyes. He carried himself like a general or maybe a king… hard to tell, and I wasn’t going to ask. I automatically tried to stand to greet him too. My feet weren’t working quite right after being abruptly yanked away from Killian. I had pins and needles and wobbled unsteadily when I stood up. I grabbed the chair for balance just as Dec appeared in the doorway with three bags of food.

The stranger demanded, “Who is this girl?”

Killian flushed a darker shade of red but answered, “Sir, this is Mica Thomas. We’ve been helping her with some problems.”

“Who’s responsible for her? You, Killian? Or you, Declan?”

Dec straightened, and replied, “No sir, Mica is Sean’s charge. He’s away today so we were showing her some ways to protect herself.”

“Surely that’s not necessary? What kind of threat are you preparing for?”

The butt-chewing went on for hours. I was not invited to attend. Thank God! I don’t know who that guy is, but he’s someone important. Dec almost had a stroke when he saw him in the living room. I’m pretty sure he would have disappeared immediately except that the new guy spotted him. I didn’t want to miss the juicy details so I was hanging around in Sean’s room. But geez, they’d been at it for three hours already, and I was getting bored and hungry. The delicious food went with Dec into the meeting, and I’m pretty sure no one was eating it. What a waste. My stomach howled in frustrated demand. I was about to get up to leave when Dec slipped into the room like a ninja.

“Spill it, Dec! What’s going on?”

“Shh, not right now! Keep your voice down. Grab your things, and let’s get out of here! Hurry up!”

Now what? I started jamming on socks and boots. He was listening at the door while I grabbed my stuff. Are we running away? He grinned like a naughty little boy.

“Dec--” I started to complain. He hushed me again.

We were tiptoeing through the back door when disaster struck. My phone rang. And kept ringing because I couldn’t find it in my purse… Dec looked like he wanted to strangle me. Oh, please go to voicemail and shut up! I was digging for the phone while Dec towed me behind him. We rounded the porch to the driveway and stopped dead. Correction: he stopped dead; I ran into him and then stopped dead. The still-ringing phone landed in the snow.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Uh-oh. Killian did not look happy. Directly in front of me, so close his chest was touching mine, he was furious. I craned my neck to see his face, and yep, he was uber angry. His eyes were backlit with blue flame. If that wasn’t a big enough clue, the wave of heat coming off of him synched it for me. He was trying very hard not to kill me right then.

I took a step or three back and appealed to Dec. “I’m confused. What did I do?”

Killian stalked a step closer, and snarled, “You? You just about got me fired! Do you know who that was? Your weakness nearly got me shipped to the other side of the world!”

I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say to any of that. He still had plenty to say though. Before he could call me any seriously ugly names, Dec stepped between us. “Leave her alone, dude. This isn’t her fault.”

He put his hand on Killian to shove him away, and Killian threw him across the porch with one hand. My mouth fell open. Roaring in fury, Dec charged him from the side. They collided and flew off the steps to the yard. Killian landed in a pile of snow which promptly melted around him in a hiss of steam. Whoa! Dec jumped up to go at it again. Curses flew as fast as fists and feet. A spray of blood hit me in the face.

“Stop it! Both of you! What is the matter with you?”

They froze, hands raised in mid-punch. Dec had a cut under his eye that was bleeding all over his shirt, while Killian had a busted lip. They exchanged glances and growled more insults. Idiots!

“Killian, I am so sorry you got in trouble because of me! You know, you have to know, I wouldn’t want that. I’d never do anything to get you in trouble! You can’t blame me for this… bad timing today. I know you got chewed out, but you’re still the boss here, right? If not, I’d think you’d be gone already, right?” I walked up to him and stood on my tiptoes. “If it will make you feel better, I’ll leave and not come back. I’ll stay out of your way from now on. Is that what you need to hear?”

He stared at me for a minute without saying a word. Finally, he whirled around and kicked a pile of snow. It disintegrated in a puff. He growled, “I really need to kill something right now. Dec, let’s go demon hunting.”

Dec pulled his shirt over his head to mop at his face. Peering over the bloody material, he asked, “Can I eat first?”

It was finally Christmas Eve. Mother Nature was into the Christmas spirit and had dumped a foot of snow all over the area. The sky was clear now, and a bazillion stars were sparkling above us. I was standing in the driveway marveling at them and looking for one that was shooting around so I could wish on it. The snow came up to Domino’s belly. She was bounding through the yard like a deer. Now she was rolling around in it. She was one weird dog! Is she making snow angels? I shook my head. That dog has lost her mind--no dignity at all. She stopped rolling around and gave me a dirty look. Oh, lighten up! It’s Christmas!

The whole yard was a Christmas card. Dad and Janet decorated the house with lights and a tree. It was very festive and bright. Janet’s touch, I’m sure. Dad just did what he was told to do. It was very nice. I sighed a little wistfully though. My mom and I used to decorate our tree together every year. I missed that fat old plastic tree. I missed her too. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since she died. I still missed her a lot, but the pain was mostly gone now. I’ve learned to accept it and move on with my life. So many bizarre things have happened that I can’t remember having a typical life anymore. I don’t have the luxury of wallowing in the past or dreaming of the future. I have to focus on today. Finally! A star streamed overhead, and I quickly said my wish before it disappeared. I crossed my fingers for added support and went inside to eat Christmas Eve dinner.

Around 2 a.m., I woke abruptly from a dream. I sat up, blinking to clear my vision. The dream’s fuzzy edges were still teasing me. What was I dreaming about? I couldn’t remember anything but a blinding white light. Strange… usually I remember my dreams. I couldn’t get the images back this time. I rolled over and spooned with the dog, pondering. As I drifted back into oblivion, something teased at my mind. Something I needed to remember…

Christmas day dawned bright and blue-skied. It was also freezing cold and windy. The wind howled through the trees; my cue to snuggle deeper into my blanket. It was too early to get up anyway. The clock said it was only 7:00. I groaned. Why, exactly, am I awake at this ungodly hour? I started to roll over again when I saw him in the doorway.

“Sean!” I practically tackled him to the floor. “When did you get back?”

He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me against him to nuzzle my neck. “Just now, darlin’. Merry Christmas. I haven’t been to the farmhouse yet, so I can’t stay long. Killian is waiting for news.” He held me at arms’ length and broke into a huge grin. “Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes!”

“Hang on, I’ll be right back.” I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and cringed when I looked in the mirror. Oh my God! Who was this monster? My hair was doing its best to imitate a hedgehog while my mascara was smeared under my eyes like a raccoon. Shit. I looked like Marilyn Manson. I thumped myself in the forehead. Ugh! Why, why, why do these things happen to me?

I reappeared with a shiny pink face, and my hair in a ponytail. I curtseyed for effect. “Better?”

He flashed that sexy smile of his, and said, “You know I’ve seen you looking much, much worse. You’re fine. Now come here and talk to me.” He patted the bed. Domino jumped up to curl up against him. Wench. I’m pretty sure I was supposed to sit there.

Instead, I sat cross-legged across from him to drink him in. He needed a haircut. His black hair was starting to curl up on his neck and around his ears. It made him look younger and somehow innocent. The shadow on his jaw was a few days old, and his eyes looked tired. They were still that vivid ocean blue, but they looked more shuttered than before. He didn’t hold my gaze very long and looked away. As before, he had a long scratch down one side of his neck and a blue bruise on one cheekbone. He’s been fighting again. Who this time? He seemed happy enough so it must have gone well. He wasn’t covered in ash so it must’ve been humans. Well, that seemed safer than fighting demons. I’m not sure what’s more bizarre to me; the fact that my boyfriend kills demons, or the fact that I just accept it as part of his day.

“I don’t have much time, but I want to share my news with you. I went to visit my mentor to sort some of this out. I told him about you--”

I interrupted, “Me? Did you tell him about us?”

“Very little, only as much as I needed to. I’m pretty sure he already knows how I feel about you. There are very few secrets among us.” He grimaced at the idea of our business being on the street.

“Sorry, go on. I’ll be quiet.”

“He thinks you have a role to play in what we do, but you are not ready for what’s coming.” He held up a hand. “Yes, you’ve been doing some training, but you don’t know what you’re up against. Humans are one thing, demons are another. There’s a zero percent chance you could survive against a demon.” He smiled wickedly, and added, “And after hearing how bad your aim is, I don’t know if you’ll survive against a human!”

“Hey! That’s not fair! I hit targets! It was freezing, and my hands were numb! I know I’ll be better when it’s warmer!”

He yawned with a groan, and said, “Maybe so, but we can’t control the temperature so you have to be able to aim in the cold. This is New York, you know. It’s cold here a lot.”

We talked for another hour or so before he stood up and stretched. He looked pale and more tired. We decided I needed some more training with the gun and a few other things. He still didn’t give me any details about their mission, other than it involved demons, weapons, and possibly terrorists. Their mentors thought there were other players involved that were confusing the typical battle lines between Primani and demons. The Primani were still getting snatches of intel and didn’t have a clear picture yet. They were getting worried though and stepping up efforts to track down informants across the east coast. There were more Primani in the area than before, but Sean didn’t know where they were working. He was given orders to hang tight here, keep eyes open, and be ready to move out with no notice. Oh, and keep babysitting me since no one knew what I was capable of yet. He was going to have to help me develop my intuition. No wonder he was tired!

“Will you stay here and have Christmas morning with my family? I know it’s not your thing… but you just got back, and I’m not ready to let you go yet. Please stay.”

He started to shake his head and stopped. He yawned again, and said, “Okay, but I need a power nap first.”

An hour later, I struggled not to laugh as I watched his version of the “power nap.” He was lying on my bed looking like any normal person does when they sleep, with the small, but notable, exception that his body was outlined in his saol. He gave a whole new meaning to the power nap.

After Sean recharged his batteries, so to speak, we went to the main house for breakfast and presents. Dad was not especially happy to see us together so early in the morning.

Sean, as usual, had a great cover story. “My family’s from Ireland, and I was really interested in seeing how Americans celebrate Christmas. I hope you don’t mind, I sort of invited myself.” He finished with a totally disarming smile that had Janet flustered and running to the kitchen for fresh coffee for Sean.

Dad was less flustered but grunted his acceptance. We spent an hour passing out gifts, and oohing and ahhing over all the things we got. The kids were happily comparing loot and arguing over who got to use the new computer first. Trevor was bouncing up and down with his latest video game and wanted us to leave the living room so he could turn on the Xbox. He was being obnoxious and a little embarrassing. Janet and I were getting breakfast ready when I noticed my dad pull Sean to the side. Uh-oh, what’s this about? I tried to read my dad’s lips, but he was talking too fast. He looked serious, but not particularly angry. Still…

“Don’t worry, hon. Your dad’s not chasing him away. He only wants to be sure you’re safe. You know this was a hard year. He worries about you.” Janet shrugged. “Besides your boyfriend isn’t exactly helpless.”

“Should I rescue him?”

She gestured between the two men. “Sean or your father?”

I saw her point. Dad might be all fatherly and stern, but Sean still looked like a mercenary even when he tried to seem harmless. I tried to see him from a father’s perspective. Um, yeah. The way he carried himself, plus the hard body and watchful eyes, would raise alarm bells in most people. Not to mention he was bruised, unshaven, and towered over my dad’s modest height. No wonder my father was twitchy. Sean seemed to be tolerating my dad though. His expression was respectful, and he nodded occasionally. What are they talking about? I marched over and wrapped my hand around Sean’s.

“Okay, Dad, that’s enough of the third degree! Sean’s harmless!” I winked at my patient boyfriend.

Sean squeezed my fingers a little too hard. Maybe not so patient after all. He pulled my hand up and kissed it softly.

“Harmless, that’s right.” He smiled at my dad to reinforce the words.

Sean whispered in my ear, “I have to get back to the farmhouse. I can hear Killian yelling from here.” He tapped his ear for emphasis.

“I’m coming with you. Give me a minute.”

He waited impatiently by the door while I ran around giving everyone last minute Christmas hugs. My official story was I was spending the afternoon with his family. That was sort of true… The guys were family after all. We wouldn’t be celebrating Christmas though.

We were both quiet on the ride over to the farmhouse. I was thinking, and I don’t know what he was doing. He faced the road but seemed to be seeing much farther away. He was distracted by something. I didn’t want to add to it so I kept to my own thoughts. We pulled up to the house and parked. Someone had thoughtfully cleared snow off the sidewalk so I didn’t have to wade through it. The sidewalk was a weird color though… it was… blue. Huh? Without thinking, I stepped onto it, promptly falling hard on my butt, cracking my head, and then sliding several feet before stopping. I lay flat on my back staring up at the blue sky watching the pretty little sparkles float around my head. Why do these things always happen to me?

Sean hauled me to my feet. I swayed dizzily, but cried, “What did you do to that sidewalk? It’s solid ice!”

Killian appeared in the doorway, looking chagrined. “It’s my fault. I cleared the snow this morning.”

“Snow shovels don’t leave two inches of ice behind. What did you use, a flamethrower?” I joked.

He studied his feet and hesitated. “Something like that… I was in a hurry!”

Sean burst out laughing. “Dumb ass.”

Killian flushed red. “Shut it, little brother! You weren’t here. I had to improvise.”

Sean laughed a little harder. “Whatever. Come on, love.”

After towing me across the ice to the porch, he stopped by the front door and waited.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go in. It’s freezing out here!”

“Patience, sweetheart, Dec’s not ready for you yet.” He turned me around to face the yard and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned against him and warmed up. After a minute or two, the front door flew open, and Dec stood beaming at me. What were they up to?

He was vibrating with so much excitement that he was practically glowing. He nudged Sean aside and put his hands over my eyes. Carefully, he walked me into the front room and spun me around until I was dizzy and laughing.

He pulled his hands back with a flourish. “Ta da!”

I blinked. I blinked again and tears filled my eyes. Oh, wow!

Standing in front of me was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. A tree decorated with gossamer threads of gold, glittering with thousands of crystals, lit by pure saol. Waves of gentle heat floated from it, the very air hummed with energy. They made this with their own saols. For me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. In awe, I walked closer and was immediately surrounded with an overwhelming feeling of peace. I reached out to touch the crystals, but my hand was shaking so hard I was afraid I would knock the tree over. Sean guided my hand to the tree. I brushed one finger over the crystals which were brilliant but razor sharp. My fingertip started to seep blood but didn’t hurt.

“Sean? What is this?”

He caught my mouth in a long, lingering kiss, and said, “You’ll be okay, love. Go on now, find your present.” He nodded toward the tree again.

Nestled in between two branches was a small heart-shaped ornament. I started to reach for it, but Sean stopped me.

He picked up my bleeding hand, and said, “No, this one.”

I reached for the ornament, and it moved in my hand as I pulled it out of its hiding place. It wasn’t an ornament at all. It was a locket on a braided gold chain. I sucked in my breath. It was too beautiful to be for me. I blinked back tears again. When I looked up, Killian had joined us. The three of them surrounded me, their faces shining with hope. Then I understood. The heart wasn’t just moving; it was beating. I held it against my cheek to feel the rhythm of it.

Dec broke the spell. “Open it up. It won’t hurt you.”

It had two overlapping circles carved into each half of the locket. Three of the circles were filled with shiny gold drops. The fourth circle was empty. I gazed up at the faces I loved and everything was suddenly crystal clear. I touched the tip of my finger to the locket and watched in amazement as the tiny drop of blood filled the circle and turned to gold.

Chapter 17: Snowflakes and Bloodstains

“SEAN? EARTH TO SEAN?” I nudged my distracted boyfriend with my elbow. He blinked. “What’s up with you today?”

“I’m sorry, Mica. I’m beat.”

Hmm. He was tired today, but that didn’t explain his distraction yesterday or last week. He’s been distracted a lot lately. What’s going on with him? He’s always got a secret, but this seems different to me.

“Talk to me, please. I can tell something’s going on.” I was surprised to find his eyes unguarded. As before, I could see every strand of color in the iris and the gold flecks stood out in bold relief. He caught my intention and kissed my nose.

“That’s enough of that. I’m not in the mood to watch you puke.” He said as he drew me onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around me so I wouldn’t fall but then zoned out again.

Sighing heavily, I put my cheek against his shoulder and watched the snow fall. It was Sunday, and we were hanging out at his place. We were alone for now, and the house was completely quiet. The snow was coming down hard and the wind was whistling through the pine trees around the house. The roaring fire in the fireplace paled in comparison to my Christmas tree. The beautiful tree was still standing even though it had been three weeks since Christmas day. I couldn’t imagine taking it down and putting it into a box. Surely the box would catch on fire? How did you put a magical tree out? Why would you want to? I didn’t.

Sean was asleep. I snuggled against him and closed my eyes too. I was dozing off pretty well when Sean started to mumble. The words were indistinct, but the urgency wasn’t. Was he afraid? I strained to catch another word, but he was quiet again. I gently extricated myself and peered into his face. His eyes were moving under the lids, his breathing shallow. He twisted beneath me and flung an arm out to one side. He mumbled something that sounded like my name.

I started to shake him awake. “Sean, wake up. You’re dreaming.”

He mumbled, “Mica? Mica? Where are you?”

He wasn’t waking up. I tried to shake him by the shoulder again. One big hand caught mine in a death grip. He groaned like a wounded animal, and said clearly, “No! Mica!” and then he went limp. The dream was gone, but his tortured expression remained. Sleep was history for me now so I reached out and stroked his cheek. Come on, wake up.

“Did you finally kill him?”

I jumped and loudly shushed Killian who was lounging in the doorway. I didn’t hear him come in. Did he even use doors?

“How long have you been standing there? I didn’t hear you come in.”

“No, you didn’t. And you never will unless I want you to.” He gave me a smirk and peeled himself away from the doorframe. “To answer your question though: about 20 seconds.”

He asked, “Nightmare?”

“How did you know?”

“He’s been having them for a few weeks. I’ve heard him through the walls.” He gestured casually at the wall. At my alarmed look, he added, “No, he’s not that loud. We all have really good hearing. I can hear beads of sweat running down the back of someone I’m about to eliminate.” He smiled showing his canines.

Normally I would have laughed, but this wasn’t funny. I’m supposed to be the one with the crazy dreams. That’s my job! He’s the not-quite-human one of us so I assumed he didn’t dream. Huh. Guess I was wrong. The object of my distress suddenly sat up straight and blinked at me and Killian.

Killian said, “Good, you’re awake. You might as well tell us about the dreams now or Mica will nag you about it until you do. Easier to get it over with.” With this statement, he pulled up a chair and sat.

Sean scowled at both of us, and grumbled, “Dreams? What are you talking about?”

Was he serious? “You’ve been having bad dreams, haven’t you?”

“No, that’s your job. I don’t dream.”

Killian narrowed his eyes a bit and sat back, looking speculative. I prodded at Sean some more until he finally got snippy and stood up. No, he didn’t remember having any dreams, and he did not want to talk about it. Even when I told him what he’d mumbled, he denied it. I was more worried than before and unconsciously fondled my locket. This was not over.

The next day was clear and sunny so we decided to go to Vermont for snowboarding. Dec wanted to go, but Killian decided to send him off on a mission of some kind. So it was just me and Sean in the car. We took the ferry across the lake and ended up at Stowe. Mt. Mansfield is only 4,300 feet high but is rumored to have some nice trails. The mountain was totally blanketed in new snow with forests of bare grey trees reaching towards the sky. Here and there, an optimistic pine tree raised its face towards the sun. It was starkly gorgeous, and I couldn’t wait to jump on my board. I was in the mood for speed today… Sean better keep up! I was clipping my lift ticket to my jacket when Sean came up with our boards. He scanned the area while I checked my board straps.

“Are you worried about something? You’ve been on high alert since we crossed into Vermont. What’s up?”

He shook his head slightly, and said, “I’m sensing something… but I can’t place it. Just a feeling… I can’t explain it.” He shrugged. “Let’s go before we lose the daylight.”

Three hours later, I was catching my breath at the top of Bypass, one of the double diamond trails we were hitting today. The sun was getting low in the sky. This would be our last run of the day. Sean sat on the ground, adjusting his straps. I plopped down beside him. The view from up here was amazing. I could see for miles in every direction. There’s something about being out in the middle of the mountains… it’s humbling. This place could turn hostile in five minutes and eat us alive. We’re just little specks against the endless snow.

“You’re happy.” he observed with a cheeky grin. His black and silver Oakleys were propped on top of his head while he adjusted his straps one last time. Dressed in black board pants and an unzipped black and red fleece, he was ridiculously gorgeous sitting so comfortably in the snow. His flushed cheeks and glimmering sexy eyes only added to his hotness. A natural athlete, he moved with confidence that I envied.

A couple of snow bunnies slowed down to gawk at him. He politely inclined his head their direction, and they erupted into giggles and sped down the trail. I must’ve growled out loud because he chuckled at me. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

Breathing in the crisp air, I grinned back. “Well…”

With a short bark of laughter, he tossed a handful of powder at me. “Come over here, you crazy witch!”

I scooted my butt a little closer. Without seeming to move, he lunged, dragging me down on top of him. Kissing me dizzy in the snow, he finally rolled me to one side when someone whistled on their way down the mountain.

Pink with pleasure, I nibbled on his lower lip, and purred, “You’re crazy…”

Kissing me thoroughly one last time, he helped me to my feet. “Come on, darlin’. We’re going to do this in the dark if we don’t get moving.”

Well, damn. My legs were like jelly after all that kissing. Did he think I could just stand up? I wobbled for a second or two. After his comment about darkness, I studied the sky to gauge the sun. The purple-grey clouds rolling in from the north promised more snow. They also promised slow driving home. I pointed to the clouds. He glanced at them without concern and jumped in front of me on the trail. In a flash, he was gone over the drop.

The trees blurred as I flew down the steep trail. It took all of my concentration to stay upright. I didn’t dare get distracted or I’d end up over the edge of a very steep ravine. We were mostly alone up here so the race was on. I leaned to the right to pass him, and he blocked me. I swooped around his left side, and he blocked me again. He rode with amazing grace and skill. I was impressed. His body moved as one with his board, and he had wicked quick reflexes. It would have been entertaining to watch if he wasn’t beating me down the mountain! As it was, by the time we reached Lower Nosedive, the last trail leading into the lodge area, I was still behind him when he stopped smoothly in front of me. I stopped too, but not as gracefully. As my board dug to a stop, I promptly fell on my butt and lay breathless and laughing in the snow. He plopped down next to me and caught his breath. Smiling, I held my lips up for a cold kiss.

“You are amazing! I don’t even feel bad that you totally kicked my ass today. It’s actually sort of sexy.” I stole another kiss as I ran my fingers through the fine spikiness of his hair.

“You’re not so bad yourself. You need to work on sticking your landing though!” He patted my butt for emphasis.

Snow started falling as we were putting the boards in the trunk, and the sun was nearly gone here. I wasn’t worried about driving home in the dark, but wanted to get off the mountain roads before they got bad. Sean was frowning again and staring towards the west. The wind was picking up, swirling the snow around us. It was a little creepy.

“What’s out there?”

“I don’t know, and it’s bugging me. There’s something here…” His voice trailed off, eyes growing distant. After a minute, he snapped to attention. “Let’s go! I need to check something out.”

My knuckles were white on the arm rest as Sean slowly navigated the slippery mountain road. Conditions were shitty. Mother Nature had let loose with blinding snow and howling winds that shoved the car all over the lane. Snow was piling up, and the tires were slipping. Off to my right, the ravine was bottomless in the failing light. I gripped the arm rest harder and closed my eyes when the car suddenly slid sideways. Oh God, please get me off this mountain!

“Are you praying?”

“No…”

“Mica, do you really think I’m going to get us killed this way? In a car wreck? Come on, you should know better by now!” He was both amused and irritated.

The car slid across the road again, but he expertly brought it back to our lane. I sighed. Okay, so he was a good driver. Maybe I didn’t really need to pray, but I didn’t let go of the arm rest until we got to the main highway below the mountain. The weather was better here. It was still snowing, but the wind wasn’t blowing as hard. The roads weren’t covered in snow yet so I relaxed. We were probably safe enough. Sean seemed to be on autopilot now. He was completely focused on something I didn’t see. He drove perfectly well, but I wasn’t sure he was really seeing the road. His eyes were distant as we moved along. I asked him what he saw, and he shushed me. Intrigued, I sat back and shut up. We were on a small road out in the middle of nowhere. I was lost about 20 minutes ago. I had no idea where we were. The road cut through a valley that had a series of rolling hills on one side and a forest on the other. The hills were probably part of someone’s farm; barns dotted the landscape in the twilight. The forest was dark and creepy as only bare trees in winter can be. It conjured up thoughts of werewolves.

It was fully dark when Sean pulled the car to a stop. “Okay, you stay here, and I’ll go check this out.”

“What? I’m not staying here! Are you crazy?”

He looked me in the eye, and said firmly, “You’re not coming with me. I don’t know what’s over there, and you aren’t armed. Stay here and don’t make me chase you down when it’s time to go.”

I bristled at his bossy tone, but he was right. I wasn’t armed. “Fine, I’ll stay here.”

“Good girl. Turn the car around for me. I’ll be back as fast as I can.” He squeezed my knee, and added, “Don’t go anywhere!”

As he disappeared through the trees, I shivered uneasily. The woods seemed to close in. Malevolent eyes watched, and I whipped around to look behind me. A shadow moved in the tree line. My heart stopped in my chest, and I froze. I frantically searched the trees but didn’t see anything. The feeling of being watched was gone. I must’ve imagined it. It was really creepy out here alone, and I have an overactive imagination. I looked around again and got back in the car. After turning it around, per orders from Sean, I sat there trying to see into the darkness. Where was he? He’s been gone more than 15 minutes, and I was going out of my mind waiting. The snow was coming down so heavily that I couldn’t see out the window. Visions of being buried alive popped into my not-helpful imagination. I flipped on the defroster and fidgeted with the radio dials. Come on, come on. Where are you, Sean? In the movies, it’s always the girl who gets eaten first…

What was that? A flicker of light illuminated the trees. I strained to see, but the snow distorted everything. There it was again! This was a bigger flash, spread across a wider space. Slipping from the car, I peered into the woods, ears straining. Muffled popping noises accompanied more bursts of light. What the heck? The wind shifted and brought with it the staccato sound of automatic weapons. Shit, shit, shit! Where is Sean? The sound of weapons fire was getting closer now. I sprinted back to the car for cover. They were getting closer. The muzzle flashes were clearly visible. I counted six shooters. Six people were shooting at whom?

Shadows moved in the tree line. Sean and Killian appeared dragging someone between them. They hit the car doors at a full run just as three men came out of the trees behind them. Bullets tore through the side window, imploding glass hitting me in the face, the sound deafening. I threw myself across the seat and slammed my foot on the gas pedal. The tires slipped all over the place, but we managed to get out of range. After a mile or two, I slowed just enough to climb out of the driver’s seat and crawl into the back. Sean took the wheel and floored the gas. Killian climbed into the front seat and started barking orders.

That was close. Too close. Thanks to a sharp jolt of adrenaline, my heart was pounding a hundred miles an hour. I was struggling to take a deep breath, wheezing as I gasped for air. Bright spots of color danced in my eyes, my head bobbed forward. Biting my lip, I slammed my eyes closed and tried not to faint.

Killian grabbed my knee and squeezed it hard. “Get it together! Now! There’s no time for you to lose it. Are you hurt?”

The smell of iron was overpowering. Someone was bleeding. I couldn’t see anything in the dark but felt around for bullet holes. My jacket sleeve was sticky with blood. I couldn’t tell if it was mine or not because I was so full of adrenaline I couldn’t feel anything. Surprised at the blood, I held up my hand to Killian. He brought it to his nose.

“Not yours. It’s his. Finish checking yourself and hurry up. You could be bleeding to death right now.”

Yikes! Wouldn’t I know if I were bleeding to death? Maybe not... I did as I was told and took some of my layers off. Under the jacket and fleece, I found a neat little hole in my arm. It seemed to go right through my bicep. There was a hole on both sides. That was good. Probably I wouldn’t bleed to death right now. Even so, I was bleeding a lot. My shirt was soaked. My stomach churned, and my head started to swim again.

“Uh, guys, I have a problem back here…”

Cold hands on my face woke me up. I opened my eyes to Killian’s dark face pressing into mine. His scruffy cheek rasped against mine as he whispered urgently in my ear, “Mica! Don’t pass out on me! You can be sick later!”

He tied a ripped piece of his tee shirt around my arm before strapping the other guy into a seat belt and covering him with a blanket. Probably a smart move since Sean’s driving left a lot to be desired. The car slid wildly to one side throwing Killian against him hard enough to make him grunt in pain. The guy in the blanket didn’t make a sound. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Please tell me this guy isn’t dead. He’s not moving,” I said.

“Not yet,” Killian replied.

Sean’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “Don’t worry about him. Keep pressure on your arm and don’t pass out! You might have to run.”

Killian seconded that order and added that there might be more shooting… while I was running… Don’t pass out? It was easy for them to say… They weren’t bleeding all over the place with a possibly dead guy strapped into the seat with them.

We had to slow down once we got into Burlington. The streets were mostly empty due to the crappy weather, but we still had to be careful not to slide into anyone. Sean was swearing softly in another language and tapping the steering wheel impatiently as we idled at a red light. Killian systematically scanned the area. An ambulance with its lights flashing drove by to the right, and a police car sat in the opposite lane. The officer looked into the car with interest. I slunk lower into the seat and crossed my fingers. Sean and Killian looked like suspicious people on a good day. Right now they looked worse. They were splattered with blood. The side of the car was riddled with bullet holes, and one of the side windows was spider-webbed with broken glass. Sure. We were completely innocent. The light changed, and we pulled forward at the same time as the police car. The officer stared at Sean as he passed by. Sean stared intently back, murmuring under his breath. Amazingly, the police car kept going.

“What did you do?” I asked, fascinated. I swung around to look behind us, but the police car was gone.

“I just reminded him that he had something important to do back at the station.” He turned onto the interstate with a tight smile.

We had to go a few more miles to the ferry, and then we’d be back in Plattsburgh in about 15 minutes. This was too easy… I had a bad feeling about this… Time was running out. My chest was heavy with dread. Something bad was about to happen. Unable to resist the urge, I scanned the road behind us as if the boogey-man was going to jump out of the trees. A pair of headlights appeared, and they were moving really fast. Oh, crap!

“Sean! Go faster! We’ve got company!”

Killian swung around. “Sonofabitch!” He pulled out his Sig and checked the rounds. “Get to the ferry!”

The headlights were attached to a HUMVEE, and it was closing in fast. Sean punched the gas. The HUMVEE wasn’t as fast but stayed close. There was no way we’d be able to out run it forever. I saw the sign for the ferry station and turned to peek out the back window. It shattered directly above my head. I screamed and threw myself across blanket-guy as another bullet crashed into the window. Chunks of glass rained down as I frantically unbuckled the seatbelt and dragged him to the floorboards. I pressed myself on top of him and squeezed my eyes shut.

The tires left the ground as Sean whipped off the interstate to Hwy 2. The car landed hard but stayed on the road. Killian was calmly firing behind us, the sound deafening inside the car. I guess he hit someone because the bullets stopped hitting us. He reloaded as we raced down the bridge to the ferry platform. I peered up between the front seats and was relieved to see the ferry was mostly empty and just about to pull away from the dock. The car fishtailed down the lane and onto the dock with the HUMVEE close behind us. A ferry worker was about to hook the chain across the back of the boat when Sean punched the gas to launch us forward. The poor guy dove out of the way and rolled to the other side of the deck. We skidded to a stop without killing a single person. The ferry was already moving when the HUMVEE skittered onto the ramp. It was going too fast to stop and went off the edge into the lake with a splash.

The ferry crossing only takes 12 minutes. The police would probably be on the way to the Plattsburgh docks. We were trapped on this boat and no way to get off without being seen. I didn’t dare get out of the car because I was covered in blood. I had to pee but now wasn’t probably a good time to bring that up. I would have to wait.

“Killian, what are we going to do now?” I asked.

“Be quiet, I’m thinking.”

“Sean?” I asked.

“Be quiet. I’m thinking too!”

Geez. Fine, I’ll be quiet and think too. An idea popped into my head.

“What if you call Dec and he distracts the police? Could he do that?”

My idea was met with stony silence. Okay, so maybe that’s not a good idea…

Killian ruffled my hair, and announced, “That’s a brilliant idea. And it might even work too.” He closed his eyes and sent a message to Dec.

Sean turned around and tried to smile reassuringly at me but failed. He was wound like a spring and ready to fight. Instead of smiling, he said, “Good idea, babe. I hope it works. We’ve got to get out of here and get him some help.”

“Who is he? What happened to him?

“I don’t know his name, but he’s Primani like us. He’s been tortured, and I don’t know if he’ll live or not. We need to get him to a safe house.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to teleport him somewhere?”

He sighed long and hard. “Yes, it would. But I can’t leave you here alone; especially now that you’ve been seen by Dagin’s crew.”

“Dagin?”

“He’s a demon. We go way back. We have a few clashes with him every so many years, and then he disappears for a while. We haven’t been able to vanquish him because he runs every time we close in. He’ll use you to get to us if he can.”

Killian spoke up. “That’s why I will take him to the safe house, and you two will drive down with Dec and our supplies. We’ll probably be in the city for a while so we’ll need things. Mica, make an excuse to your parents so they don’t send out more police. We don’t need more complications; this is going to be hard enough.”

“Where are we going?”

“Manhattan.”

Chapter 18: Escape to New York

“MY DAD IS GOING TO BE PISSED!” I used my good hand to throw clothes on the bed while fretting over the fine points of our escape plan. Because I knew my dad would never let me leave for God knows how long, I wasn’t going to tell him in person… I was going to leave a note. Yep, the note would explain it all, and we would be long gone before he could kill me.

It was getting late already, and my place was the last stop. Dec was lounging on my bed rubbing Domino’s belly. He looked so young and sweet. His blond hair was darker in the winter sun and desperately needed cutting. It was curled up around his ears and fell across his forehead in messy bangs. He had a peaceful expression as he watched me run around the room. He was like a brother to me now, and I felt a wave of love for him. I bounced over and hugged him quickly. He looked surprised, but squeezed me back. I guess he could relax for now. He was already packed and had packed things for Sean and Killian before we got to their house earlier tonight. The car was already loaded with their bags and weapons. Everyone was waiting on me. I was moving as fast as I could. I scribbled out a note and gave it to Sean. He read it over, snorted at me, and left.

“What did you tell him?” Dec asked.

“I told him I had a science project on reindeer so we were going on a trip to the Great White North. I’m over 18 so technically he can’t forbid me to go. Hopefully he won’t be too pissed off.”

He peered down his nose at me. “Reindeer? That’s the best you can do? I don’t think they have reindeer in Canada--”

“Hey, it’s the best I can do right now! These pills of yours are messing with my head.” I was doing my best to stay awake after downing two pills that Dec brought from their place. He said they were just for pain, but they were making me sleepy too. That was good because I planned to sleep all the way to Manhattan so I wouldn’t have time to think about the hole in my arm.

After a last look around my homey little space, I slipped a very irate Domino into the main house and kissed her good-bye. Sorry baby girl, the big city’s no place for a princess.

And just like that, we were on I-87 heading south. I looked at my watch. It was 12:15. I curled up in the backseat and tried to sleep.

The dream caught me by surprise. I was dreaming something pleasant and soothing when the images changed to a familiar terror. I was back in the forest with a dark creature pacing my steps. Instead of running blindly this time, I walked with intention and tried to ignore the darkness that hovered on my left. My skin prickled though, and I was tense with dread. Any second now it would attack… but it didn’t. Instead, it paced my steps, shadowing me… waiting. In front of me was a clearing filled with light. Sean! I moved towards it with relief. There was no reason to be afraid now; the light promised safety. But as I approached, the light changed. It expanded and contracted oddly. It flickered like an old star. I started running. It expanded and contracted faster and faster. No! Wait! Don’t go! I dove towards the light as it imploded in a blinding flash. As I landed on the forest floor, the darkness closed in.

“Mica? Wake up, darlin’. You’re dreaming.” a faraway voice called my name.

The darkness pressed me down on the wet forest floor. I struggled to free myself, but the force was relentless. I was slowly sinking into the ground. Screaming for help, I twisted my face to the side to keep from choking. The ground continued to rise, covering me, cloaking me in the heavy black dirt, burying me. My mouth filled with it as I screamed for help. Then the world slammed to the right, and I was falling…

Someone hit me in the chest once, then twice. I couldn’t breathe and gasped for air. Oxygen. I need oxygen. I tried to sit up, but something heavy was holding me down. Panicked, I started thrashing at my unseen attacker. Someone grabbed both of my hands and held me still.

Urgent voices finally broke through the fog of the dream. Someone was pleading with me. Oh, thank God! I’m not dead after all!

“Damn it, woman! You come back to me right now or I’ll hunt you down wherever you go!” Sean resorted to threats since pleading wasn’t bringing me around. The desperation in his voice tugged at my heart.

I opened my eyes and coughed. Sean and Dec grabbed me at the same time. They hugged me so hard I broke into another painful coughing fit.

“Don’t ever do that again! You scared the hell out of us!” Sean was yelling at me and rocking me against his chest at the same time.

“Wow! That was some dream. Tell me, were you in a forest?” Dec’s voice sounded oddly pained.

“How could you know that?”

He rubbed his finger down my cheek and held it up. It was coated with spongy black dirt.

Ewww! I staggered over to a clean-looking snow pile on the side of the road. Yes, it was freezing cold and dark as hell out in the middle of nowhere. But I was absolutely not getting into the car covered with dirt that shouldn’t exist in the first place. I was totally freaked out and wanted answers. Sean and Dec were answerless at the moment and looked apprehensive as I stripped off my clothes and took a snow shower.

“Well?” I asked Sean.

He frowned, puzzled. “No dirt in the car. It’s bizarre.”

“We’re nearly to the city anyway. Don’t fall asleep again. We’ll get answers from someone at the safe house.” He held the door, and I gingerly climbed into the front seat. I didn’t trust the back seat anymore.

By the time we reached the Tappan Zee Bridge on the Hudson River, the sun was starting to rise, and I was bouncing on the edge of the seat with excitement. Near-death experience aside, I was ever the optimist. We were going to have fun in the city.

“This is so cool you guys! Look at that river!” My head was swiveling from right to left, trying to take in everything at once.

Large sheets of ice floated against the banks, the shimmering water visible underneath them. The snow from last night glowed ghostly white in random places. The dark water looked decidedly uninviting in the early morning light. The long roadway rose gradually as we approached the middle of the river and leveled off under the main bridge structure. I craned my neck to look into the cobweb of steel beams above us. Dec grinned at me. He was driving the last bit of the trip so Sean could focus on security. Sean was in the back with his eyes closed. He said he wasn’t sleeping; he said he was trying to pick up any traces of demons in the area. Hmm. For someone who was not sleeping, he was pretty relaxed…

“Believe it or not, this is my first time down here too. Can you feel the energy? It’s so alive!” Dec drove casually with one wrist balanced on top of the steering wheel, beaming as he navigated through morning commuters.

Traffic was building as we got closer to Manhattan. It was stop and go until we got onto East River Drive. Roosevelt Island loomed darkly on our left. Tall buildings crouched as far as I could see. Were those apartments? I gazed at them as we made our way up the side of the island. Lights twinkled in some windows, but most were still dark. Dec made a series of turns to bring us westward. The sun was fully up now, and the buildings cast shadows ahead of us as we made our way across the city. I had no idea where we were going and asked Dec.

A grumpy Sean answered, “Gramercy Park, and I can’t wait to get there. This place screams ‘demons’ every place we turn. It’s a disgusting city.”

“Well, look who woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” I observed.

He gave me a sour look and grunted something I didn’t quite hear. To Dec, he said, “Okay, you’re going to pull into that parking garage on the next block and park in a penthouse spot. They’re marked.”

In front of us was one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen. Old and quaint, it was made of red brick with some kind of curling trim around the top of the main floors. Was that a gargoyle? The unique building charmed me immediately.

In spite of the throbbing in my arm, I was still trying to see everything at once. After we parked, the guys grabbed our bags and quickly shuffled me into the building. I tried to protest that we were moving too fast, but Dec shushed me and gave me a nudge to keep walking. Geez! These guys were like hot and cold today! I barely had time to see the lobby. The walls were covered in stained glass artwork and blood-red velvet draperies. Elegant crystal chandeliers sparkled in the dim morning light. The floors were black and white marble and were covered with red carpets. Pretty little seating areas were scattered around with antique tables and chairs. I wanted to look around, but Dec firmly guided me to the nearest elevator. Sean was on my right side, scanning everything we passed. A smiling concierge approached to ask if we needed any help. Sean’s fierce expression relaxed into an easy smile. He casually explained we were meeting friends and were expected. He waved a hand over our general disreputable appearance, and commented that we’d had a car accident and really needed to freshen up. The nice man swallowed the story and wished us a good day.

Once in the elevator, I collapsed in laughter. “How do you do that?” I leaned up to kiss him.

Smiling a little smugly, he draped an arm around me. “Mind control. It’s no big thing.”

Dec rolled his eyes and cleared his throat. “Show off.”

The elevator crawled to the top floor and spit us out into an opulent foyer. The walls were rich blue and dotted with geometric paintings in bright colors. The black marble floors glistened in the dim lights. The penthouse door was made from a very dark wood and had an antique brass knocker in the center. A spunky golden cherub smiled up at us from an alcove beside the door. Everything was elegant… maybe too elegant.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

“This is the place.” He knocked on the door with enough force to make me jump.

A well-dressed older man pulled open the door and waved us inside.

“Good morning, young ones! I’m Jordan. I’m the house manager here. Everyone has been waiting anxiously for you to arrive. I’m very glad to see you made it safely. Follow me, please.” With that greeting, he swept regally into a dimly lit hallway.

He pulled open a set of polished French doors and led us into the living room where several men were talking. I recognized two of those men immediately. I breathed a sigh of relief at Killian’s tense face. Unconsciously, I squeezed my locket. Oh, thank God you’re okay!

His head snapped up, and his lips twitched with a suppressed smile. Aw, I didn’t know you cared!

Loudly, I said, “Of course I do, you idiot!”

Conversation crashed to a halt. Everyone looked at me. Oops. Did I say that out loud? I blushed beet red. Killian’s wicked eyes latched onto mine as he strode over to me. Dec looked confused as he glanced back and forth between me and Killian. I was definitely confused. What did I do now? The other three men came over to listen with curious expressions.

Killian was beaming with pride. “Do you know what just happened? Do you?” Vibrating with energy, he was searching my eyes again.

Irritated, I shut them.

“Knock it off! I don’t know what you’re talking about. You said, ‘Aw, I didn’t know you cared’ in your typical smartass tone, and I called you an idiot. What’s the big deal?”

Smiling like a cat that just ripped the canary to shreds and ate him with Sriracha sauce, he said patiently, “No, Mica. I didn’t say anything to you. You picked up my thoughts and answered me out loud.” I must’ve looked stumped because he added, “You still don’t get it? Your psychic ability is getting stronger. Good job, girl!”

He patted me on the head like a dog, completely ruining the praise. Typical.

Before I could kick him, Raphael interrupted us, “Sean, help your Mica over here so I can look at her arm. I can smell the blood from here.”

I’d almost forgotten about my arm, but now the throbbing came back in full force. It did seem to be bleeding again. My sleeve was sticking to my arm. Yuck. Raphael took one look at the mess and got down to business.

“Scissors, please.”

Jordan brought him a pair of scissors and a first aid kit. While he worked on cutting my sleeve away, the other two men introduced themselves. They were Zadkiel and Alex. Zadkiel was a trim older man with a mane of silver hair that framed a soft cherubic face. He had green eyes that sparkled when he shook my good hand. He explained that he was here to help the injured Primani and was very glad to meet me since he normally didn’t get out among humans. I was the topic of a lot of speculation right now. I glanced at Sean who simply shrugged. He had no comment.

Raphael interrupted Zadkiel. “Well, the bullet went straight through the muscle without tearing a lot of the fibers. That’s good because it’ll heal more cleanly. But I can help it along if you’d like.” He was leaving it up to me this time.

“We have a lot to do while we’re here, darlin’. If I were you, I’d take all the help I could get!” Dec winked at me.

“As usual, Dec is right. Do you want me to lay down first?”

“As you wish.” Raphael waved a hand toward the couch.

Sometime later, I rolled over and looked at my watch. Oh, surely not? It couldn’t be so late! The sun had already set, and the city was sparkling in its nighttime finery. Sliding open a glass door, I slipped out to the rooftop garden and leaned on the wrought iron railing that stood between me and certain death 18 stories below. Wow! So many lights everywhere! They were like stars! The view was breathtaking.

“Oh good, you’re up.” Sean came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Not so disgusting now, huh?” I snuggled against him, and he sighed against my hair.

“It’s not all bad, I know that. But there’re a lot of demons in this city. We have a lot of work to do.”

I inhaled his woodsy fragrance and purred with contentment. He was still damp from a shower. I rubbed my palms over his arms, enjoying the feel of his skin against mine. If I moved very slowly I could feel the blood moving under his skin. I was starting to get used to the slight pulsing that was a part of him. The saol was always there, just below the surface… just below his human façade. It was hard to remember that he, they, weren’t entirely human. I still wasn’t sure what that really meant, but I didn’t care anymore. They were better people than most real people, and I loved them completely. Right now, all I cared about was this moment with Sean. The feeling of dread was still lingering in the back of my mind. I didn’t know how much time we had left. I thought of the dream and the darkness and shuddered. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his waist. His heart beat reassuringly against my cheek, and I closed my eyes. We might not have forever, but we had today.

All too soon, my little slice of Heaven was gone. Alex called us back to the living room for a meeting. Killian was pacing in front of a wall-sized window while Dec draped himself across a chair. He was staring into space, toying absently with a guitar pick. He frowned at something I couldn’t see. My stomach clenched in response.

Raphael stood to greet me. “How are you feeling tonight?”

I forced a grin and did a bicep curl. “It’s much better now. Thank you again for healing me… again.” I grimaced, and added, “I hope we can meet sometime when I’m not deathly sick, beaten up, or shot.”

A shadow passed over his eyes, and he said, “I hope so too. But we don’t always get what we want, do we?”

Alex got the meeting started. Clearly he was important. An air of command entered the room ahead of him. No one would mess with this angel. He wasn’t physically impressive, like Sean or Killian, but his authority was practically stamped on his forehead. He stood about six feet tall with the solid build of a martial arts instructor. His close-cropped hair was more red than brown and glinted with gold in the light. His face was hard and lean and nowhere near pretty, yet it was strangely compelling. More than one woman probably tossed her morals to the side for a few minutes with him. There was something attractive yet scary about him.

As the Primani’s official mentor or boss, he called all the shots. He was in charge of the special operations on the east coast. After catching everyone up on recent events, he switched the discussion to the injured Primani. His name is James. He had been worked over meticulously by Dagin’s thugs and was still not completely conscious. For some reason, he hadn’t been able to heal himself and was slipping away. Zadkiel was a specialist in healing emotional or mental injuries, and he and Raphael were trying to help him.

“We need to talk to James. We’re still not sure why he was held or what Dagin’s doing out in the middle of Vermont. Unfortunately, our efforts to bring him around are not working, and I’m worried he might not survive at all. He’s just not healing. Mica, this’s where you come in.”

All eyes turned to me. “Me? What can I do?” Surprised, I automatically sought Sean, and he gave me an encouraging nod.

Alex replied, “By now, you may have realized you’re an anomaly. Your transformation has been incredible and not to be taken lightly.” He put his hands behind his back and paced as he continued, “Now, when I first heard about Sean’s indiscretion with you, I was furious. For him to take such a risk with your life, not to mention exposing us to a human, well, I was ready to recall him and assign Killian to watch over you. But…” He smiled slightly at Raphael. “calmer minds prevailed that day. And after Killian explained your new abilities, we came to believe your transformation was predestined. You should know that Killian was impressed with how you handled yourself and pled your case for you. You can thank him for your continued existence in this group.” He paused for effect.

Killian was mortified by this revelation and scowled at me behind Alex’s back. Dec broke into a violent coughing fit. Sean stiffened next to me. All I could think of was how different my life would be if I was Killian’s charge. That would totally suck! I thought of the day in the snow when he tried to teach me to shoot my new Sig. He was a hard man and pushed me without mercy. I almost lost some toes that day… but in the end, he showed surprising kindness. In fact, he’d shown me a lot of kindness this year. He might act like a jerk and boss everyone around, but in the end, he always took care of us, of me. I looked over at him with love shining in my eyes. You’re not such a tough guy after all, are you, big brother? I sent the thought to him with a watery smile.

To my intense surprise, he actually blushed. “I should’ve let your toes fall off!” he snapped.

Right. There’s the Killian I know and love. “Uh, so back to James… what do you want me to do, exactly?” I asked Alex to break the tension.

“I want you to talk to him. That’s all.”

“That’s it? I can do that, but I don’t know how that could possibly help him--”

“Just spend some time with him, and we’ll see what happens. It certainly can’t hurt him to hear the voice of a pretty girl, now can it?” He smiled a genuine smile then. Just for a moment, it transformed his face like a light switch. Suddenly he wasn’t ordinary at all. His face was fiercely beautiful like the statues of angels I’d seen in church a very long time ago. It was both proud and dangerous. I blinked, and his face was normal again. I edged a little closer to Sean.

So my job was to work a small, minor miracle with James while the guys went out into the city to look for someone. They planned their mission while I was asleep earlier so I had no idea what they were up to. Sean wasn’t talking about it and got a little snippy with me when I tried to pry it out of him. He was edgy and wound up again. He’d been tense since we got here, and it was making me nervous. They were in the foyer strapping on their guns while I nervously twisted my locket back and forth. Something just wasn’t right here. I didn’t know what it was, but I had a bad feeling about this mission of theirs. Seemingly oblivious to my thoughts, Sean tossed Dec a pair of black gloves. I didn’t want them to go.

“Guys, wait! Don’t go! I have a bad feeling about this.” I reached out to Sean, and he wrapped his arms around me and tilted my chin up for a kiss.

“We have to go, love. This is what we do, remember? We’ll be fine; so don’t worry tonight.” His words were supposed to reassure me, but he held me against him like this was goodbye. Then they were gone. I didn’t feel him leave my arms. He was just gone… like he never existed.

Raphael waited in the doorway when I turned around. His eyes were thoughtful as they took in my frown. “Real intuition is nearly always right; it’s the timing that you can’t predict. Come. They’ll be back tonight.”

James was lying on a bed in another of the bedrooms. Someone had washed him and dressed him in a soft blue robe that was loosely covering him. He could have been sleeping except for his eyes. My God. I stopped and stared. What did they do to him? His beautiful blue eyes were staring at horrors only he could see. The rest of his face was composed in sleep, but his eyes! Horrified, I turned my back and squeezed my own eyes together. I took a deep breath. Okay, get it together. It’s not like they’ve been cut out of his face after all… They’re just open and staring… and creepy. I can deal with creepy, can’t I? Everyone’s counting on me… Surely I can do something to comfort him. Maybe he needs a woman’s touch. Well, I’m the only woman around here so I’m going to have to give it a shot. I can’t make things worse for him.

First things first, I bandaged his eyes. There, that was much less drafty for him. Next, I took a quick inventory of his injuries. Dagin’s thugs had worked him over thoroughly enough. Bastards! Every finger on both hands was broken. He had bruises over every inch of his face which was swollen twice its normal size. He had a long gash along his forehead that needed stitches. It still seeped blood that snaked in a little stream down his neck. I peeled back his robe and froze. He had a long ragged burn across his chest. The flesh was blackened and raw. The wound was still seeping blood and an odd-looking golden fluid. It had to be excruciatingly painful. It was a miracle he’d survived this at all. Oh, you poor, poor creature… I didn’t intend to weep, but a few tears leaked out anyway. I sat at his bedside and prayed for him until my throat was hoarse. A feeling of déjà vu swept over me, giving me a small twinge of hope. Sean had survived, so maybe James would too. How had Sean done it?

Killian once told me they could heal themselves, but they had to remain completely focused. It took immense concentration to focus their saol on the wounds that needed healing. They were completely vulnerable while they healed. So James should be able to heal himself but obviously wasn’t. What’s the problem?

I paced across the room, muttering to myself. I stared unseeing out the window, wracking my brain. I was missing something. We all were. The feeling of impending disaster was back. The seconds were passing like the ticking of a bomb. Think! The answer has to be here! I pressed my fingers into my temples and rubbed.

I ranted to my invisible adversaries. “What did you do to him? Dagin, you disgusting demon! I swear I will hunt you down and kill you myself!”

Frustrated, I went back to the bed and stared at James while willing an answer to jump up and show itself. Something was slightly different about him now. I stared until my eyes cramped. Was his breathing different? That was it! I put my ear close to his chest and strained to hear. Hours ago, his breathing had been shallow, like a man in pain. He was breathing more deeply now. That seemed like a good sign. I inspected the cuts and burns. They were still seeping blood and fluid. No change there. Hmm, that wasn’t good. I squeezed my eyes against frustrated tears. Oh, come on, give me a break here! I blinked back the tears and started talking to James. Maybe he’d respond to my voice. I put on my best cheerful tone and settled down to tell him my life story. This would take a while, and I wouldn’t have to think too hard. It was 3:00 in the morning, and I was too exhausted to be creative.

I fell asleep somewhere around discovering my love for Sean only to wake abruptly when I fell out of my chair. I jerked awake when I was halfway to the floor. I stumbled over to check on my patient. The bandage had slipped below one of his eyes. The creepy thing was still staring into space. Too groggy to be repulsed, I peered into his eye and saw what James was staring at with such horror.

“Alex! Raphael! Get up. Get up!” I ran through the hallway banging on all the bedroom doors like a crazy person. “Get up! I’ve got it!”

Twenty minutes later, Sean and Dec were both shaking their heads. “No way, it’s too dangerous.”

“But it’s the only way! I’ve got to try!” I begged Sean to give in.

Killian, bless him, actually supported me. After hearing me out, he gave me a long appraising look, and said firmly, “I agree with Mica. It makes sense. If anyone can do this, it’s going to be her.” Sean began to sputter, but he held up a hand. “Sean, I know you don’t want to hear this, but the truth is her inner mind is connected with mine. I know how strong she is now. I know it up here.” He tapped his temple. “I can help her with this.”

Sean grabbed Killian, and snarled, “You’d let her destroy her mind?” He flung him away in disgust. “Of course you would. Anything for the greater good, right?” He stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I made a move to follow him, but Raphael put his hand out to stop me. “We’re running out of time. If we’re going to try this, we need to do it now. Sean will be okay, Mica. He’s angry because he’s worried about you. He’ll be all right once he walks it off.”

A few minutes later, we were ready to try my plan. Raphael propped James into a sitting position. Killian and I were sitting on either side of James. Dec, still protesting bitterly, refused to leave my side. He was the only one who could help me afterwards. I was nauseous remembering the last time I’d tried this and nearly lost my mind and one of my eyes. Dec absolutely refused to release my hand. I didn’t have the heart to point out that he was hurting me. Killian was casually holding my other hand in one of his big paws. He said it might strengthen our mental connection, but maybe he’s scared. I was terrified.

He actually smiled a little at that. Do you ever shut up?

I dug a nail into his hand, smirking when he grimaced. I took a deep breath and got to work. James’ irises were separated into a hundred different shades of blue and green that fit together like an intricate puzzle. Behind those beautiful colors was a wall of flames. The flames were raging out of control so I couldn’t see behind them. I focused harder on the flames and tried to move them out of the way, like pulling up a piece of a puzzle. They wobbled a bit, but didn’t move for me. I gritted my teeth and focused harder. A bead of sweat ran down my face with the effort.

Killian sent his thoughts to me. Let me in. I can help you move it.

I relaxed a little and sensed, rather than felt, Killian’s will join with mine. I pictured the puzzle piece again and started to peel it up. This time it moved a bit. Yes!

Calmly, he cautioned.

Moving very precisely, we peeled the puzzle piece back and laid it facedown. A wave of images struck me like a tsunami. This was no kaleidoscope of random impressions or memories. This was a full-blown attack against my invasion. The images bombarded me from all directions and threatened to overwhelm me. They screamed defiantly as they flew at me. I saw James tied to a chair in dark room… the roof of a farmhouse with soldiers standing on it… tracers from a machine gun… James slumped over on the floor with blood running down his face… an odd-looking gun on a table… then an evil face laughing up at me… instead of flickering away like the other images, it pressed closer, becoming more clear. I tried to flinch, but I couldn’t look away, couldn’t break the contact.

Out of nowhere, words struck like stray bullets: Guardian! Protector! Primani! As abruptly as they came, the words stopped flying, and the images flowed in slow motion like an old broken movie. The evil face sneered with recognition. Demon!

He taunted, “I see you, Mica! Want to come and play with me?”

Ice dribbled down my spine as his words echoed in my mind. The sudden feeling of dread was so powerful that I whimpered. Every one of my instincts screamed at me. Run! But my brain wasn’t sending signals to my feet. Frozen in place, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from James. I couldn’t pull my mind away.

“Come on, Mica, come play with me… Look! Your mother’s here!” he said in a sing-song voice, dripping with malice.

Images of my mother burning in the flames bombarded me. She was screaming for me to save her. As I watched helplessly, she turned to ash and blew away into a firestorm. No! No! Come back! I started to chase her into the flames…

Mica! Don’t! Stand still! Killian’s voice cracked like a whip.

I froze. He’s got my mother!

No, he doesn’t. It’s a trick to distract you. Don’t follow the demon!

He yanked me back to safety. Digging in my heels, I narrowed my eyes. So the ugly demon wants to play, does he?

Bring it, filthy soul sucker!

Showing rows of nasty fangs, the demon smiled at my challenge. He stepped up his efforts and flung hundreds of horrifying images at me, but I tossed them aside like garbage. I was getting tired and had to save James before my own brain simply shut down from exhaustion. We needed to end this.

Okay, big brother, keep up!

As quickly as the demon’s images were flung at me, I grabbed them and forced them into a box. Killian took over for me while I relentlessly stalked the demon. The demon lost confidence when he realized he was outnumbered and one of us was Primani. He backed away. I ignored the grotesque pictures of my mother he threw at me. They weren’t real. I wasn’t paying attention now. I wanted him--in this box I made. He had to go. He was killing James. We were going to end this now. I backed him into a corner of sorts, and he froze for a last stand. He raised his arm and fire appeared from his claws.

Really? Is that all you’ve got? It was my turn to taunt him.

He unleashed an arc of flame just as Killian dropped a gold chain around him and tossed him into the box.

My awareness came back slowly. I steadied myself for the usual spinning sensation, but it didn’t come. Instead, Dec clutched me in his arms, sobbing against my hair. He chanted, “Please come back, please come back.”

Killian lay sprawled like a broken doll next to me. His eyes were completely open but unfocused, and he wasn’t moving. His hand held mine in a death grip. Our knuckles were white. Were my eyes open too? That would explain Dec’s hysterics. It was unnerving. I tried to say something but nothing came out. I tried again; still no sound. Frantic now, I tried to speak again but still nothing. This was bad…

Mica? Are you here? He sounded strained even inside my head.

Oh, thank God! Killian, what’s going on? Why can’t I talk?

I think we have a problem, babe.

Chapter 19: Back from the Edge

“DAMN IT, SEAN, JUST CALM DOWN for a minute! It’s not as bad as you think.” Alex was forcibly keeping Sean from ripping me out of Dec’s arms. Actually it was Alex, Raphael, and Zadkiel trying to hold him, yet Sean was still dragging them over to where I was lying. Dec tightened his grip and continued pleading in my ear. He’d given up crying and resorted to pleading quietly. He thought he could reach me wherever I had gone off to. I heard his words but couldn’t answer him. His anguish was breaking my heart into tiny little pieces.

“This is his fault!” Sean lunged for Killian’s inert body. Alex threw himself against Sean’s legs, sending them both crashing to the floor. Temporarily insane, Sean struggled to get up, swearing in a language that might have been Latin. Alex finally punched him in the jaw to stop him.

“Stop it! Right now! Don’t you see they’re still joined? If you rip them apart one of them could be lost: maybe Killian, maybe Mica. Who are you willing to lose?” Alex yelled.

Breathing hard, Sean lowered his head for a minute before getting up to pace. I guess he wasn’t one to get hysterical for long. He pointed to the demon in the chair.

“What’s with the prisoner?”

“Oh, him? He’s a gift from those two over there,” Alex answered with a hint of sarcasm.

“Come again?” Sean peered more closely into the demon’s face. His mouth was smooshed flat with duct tape. He mostly made grunting noises and wriggled his weird eyebrows a lot. Sean dismissed him.

“Mica’s plan worked, you see. Except that, apparently, there was a demon actually possessing James. She and Killian managed to corral the scum and evict him. Just before they collapsed on the floor, the demon flew out of James and landed at my feet.” Alex shook his head ruefully. “It was the strangest thing. He was wrapped in the chain from Mica’s locket and couldn’t get loose.”

He pierced Sean with a steady look. “You gave her that locket. What’s the chain made of?”

Sean turned positively green, swallowing obviously. “The three of us made it to link her to us to keep her safe.”

“Yes, but what’s it made of?”

Sean refused to meet his eyes.

Alex blanched. “You didn’t? Tell me you didn’t!”

“She has our blood too, Alex! It was necessary!”

Okay, this was getting ridiculous. Everyone was losing their minds, and I was lying here staring at them with wide open eyes. This had to stop. There had to be a solution… With that in mind, I called Killian. No response. I called him again.

Killian! Get back here!!

You don’t have to scream; I can hear you just fine. What?

What do you mean ‘what?’ We have to get back. Look at them! They’re having kittens, and my eyes are drying out!

If a disembodied voice could shrug, his just did. Shut up and let me think.

“Mica? Can you hear me? Blink or something if you can hear me!” Sean was searching my eyes for some kind of recognition. He threatened in a low voice, “If you don’t come out of there right now, I’m going in after you! James won’t mind another hitchhiker!”

Killian exclaimed, That’s it! James! Whatever happens, don’t let go of me!

Dec jumped out of his skin and nearly dropped me on the floor. “Did you see that? Their hands twitched!” He crushed me against his chest lest I physically disappear.

Sean said urgently, “That’s my girl! Come on, baby, you got this!”

Raphael spoke up. “Alex, James seems to be waking up. His lips are moving, but I can’t understand what he’s saying.”

Alex put his ear to James’ lips and listened. He said, “James, this is Alex. You’re safe now. If you can hear me, please do as I say immediately.”

I strained to hear the rest of it, but Alex turned away, and I couldn’t hear him. A few minutes went by, and an odd pressure pushed against me. What the hell was that? It was gentle at first like someone pushing me on a swing… back and forth. It knocked me off balance, and I wobbled. Killian’s presence was next to me, his strong hand holding me steady. I squeezed until my knuckles were white. The pressure began to build and soon was a strong wind pushing me relentlessly forward. I struggled to stay on my feet.

What’s happening?

James is awake. Stop anchoring to him and relax. Just don’t let go of me!

It was like standing in a hurricane holding onto a palm tree... I knew I needed to let go and let the wind take me… but my cowardly survival instincts screamed to hang on. I tried to let go, but my hands were too stiff to bend. The winds howled, plucking at my hands until I was slipping off of my anchor. To my horror, my hand was slipping out of Killian’s. I tightened my grip as a final jarring shove pushed me off my anchor, whipping me away into nothingness.

I sat up abruptly with a loud gasp. The room spun and I blinked rapidly to clear my eyes. I was back! My head was fuzzy, and my stomach rolled uncomfortably, but I was clearly among the living and the sane again.

Sean cried, “Oh, thank God!” and steadied me with both hands.

Searching for awareness, he scrutinized every inch of my face. Was I still locked inside James or was I really back? He stared into my eyes, and I smiled back at him this time. Apparently satisfied that I was conscious for real, he breathed a sigh of relief and bent down to kiss me. He kissed me lightly at first and then crushed me against him. My eyes flew open in surprise, but I quickly got over it and kissed him back with much enthusiasm. He was kissing me like I just returned from the dead and would disappear again. He shoved Dec rudely away and dragged me against him like a drowning man clings to a life preserver. My own emotions were out of control as I realized how close I came to disappearing. What was I thinking? How would I ever survive in this new world of ours?

Next to us, Killian blinked groggily. His skin was so chalky that his dark blue eyes stood out like fresh bruises. His pupils were still fully dilated. He reminded me of a strange night creature. After a moment of deep breathing, his face regained some color. He frowned at Sean with disapproval. Sean glared at him and forcibly pried our hands apart.

A dry, scratchy voice interrupted us. “Can someone please do something with this demon? He smells bad.”

Chapter 20: The Seedy Underbelly

AS IT TURNED OUT, the demon was full of information. According to Alex, all evidence suggested there was something unusual going on in Vermont. While I hung out with James, Alex, Killian, and Sean took turns interrogating the demon whose name was Dai Li.

These interrogation sessions were off-limits to me. I was absolutely not allowed in the room with the demon for any reason. I didn’t really want to spend time with him anyway, but it chafed to be forbidden. Geez, they treated me like a child. I had to admit Dai Li freaked me out a little. Okay, a lot! His cold sing-song voice echoed in my head if I let my guard down.

I see you, Mica! Want to come and play with me?

The last time I saw him, Killian and Dec were pulling him out of James’ room the day of the exorcism. I stood out of the way with Sean, but Dai Li’s red eyes held me paralyzed. The duct tape covering his mouth didn’t disguise his thoughts. He wasn’t done with me yet.

With a stony-pissed-off-boyfriend expression, Sean calmly extended his hand towards Dai Li’s eye. The effect on Dai Li was electric. He squinted and flinched away in terror. As Sean’s hand got closer to his face, the demon trembled and pled behind the tape. The hair on my arms stood up as the mewling whine got louder. I tried to step around Sean to see what he was doing, but he blocked me with his other arm. Dec frowned and shook his head at me. He mouthed ‘go’ at me. I backed away. Dai Li made a high-pitched keening sound just before the odor of sulfur tickled the back of my throat.

I hadn’t seen Dai Li since. I asked Sean what was going on, but he refused to answer me. I’d hardly seen him the past few days. He got up early, got back late, took a shower, and crashed. His eyes were hooded whenever he looked at me now. My gut told me he was keeping secrets. I knew it but couldn’t bring myself to confront him. The feeling of dread still haunted me and was getting more and more pronounced as the days turned to weeks. My stomach ached with it, but I had no answers. To make things worse, my playmate was out of reach. Dec was gone for days at a time, and I missed him painfully. Alex had them searching the city for another demon named Xarchi. Dai Li had fingered him as a mid-level demon running operations across Manhattan. Alex felt he would know about other operations in the northeast region. All of them were gone, and I was stuck here with James. Gazing wistfully out the window, I sighed into my tea cup.

“That’s the third cup of tea you’ve let grow cold. Am I such poor company then?” James asked with a sardonic smile.

Chagrined, I said, “I’m sorry, James. It’s not you. It’s me. I’m the one who’s poor company.” I saluted him with the cup.

We were in a breakfast nook that was bigger than my entire apartment. After helping himself to coffee and a bagel, he settled into a chair and considered me over the rim of the cup.

“Maybe it’s time for us to have a talk,” he began.

Uh-oh, this always means bad news. I groaned dramatically, and he grinned at me. He looked much better now that he was healed. His face was strong and lean but kind underneath the hardness. The bruises were gone, and his olive complexion was clear and vibrant again. The only detraction from his otherwise handsome face was the odd caterpillar eyebrows that perched uneasily above his heavily lashed eyes. Those pale blue eyes were sparkling at me now so maybe it wasn’t such bad news after all.

He cleared his throat, and said, “We’re living in very strange times, Mica. There are events taking place that we’ve never expected, and we’ve got to get answers. We can’t afford to be surprised by the other side. Our powers are too evenly matched. Any surprises can tip the balance in their favor.”

“Evenly matched? I thought you, I mean we, are the good guys. Doesn’t that mean we win? I mean, I assumed we were stronger.”

Well, there went one of the ‘truths’ that kept me positive all this time.

He barked a laugh that sent one of those eyebrows jumping toward his forehead. “That would be nice if it were true, but it’s not. There’s just as much evil as good in the world. We stay ahead of some of the most heinous events by using informants and neutralizing the demons, or humans, before they carry out their plans. It doesn’t always work that way, of course. We win some and lose some.”

“Win some, lose some?” I repeated, surprised at his nonchalant attitude.

“Hey! Are you okay?”

The room went black as a vision came out of nowhere. Like a conscious dream, I saw a flash of a faded red door in an old rundown warehouse. Fire shot out from the roof as an explosion blew me off my feet. Before I could recover from that, a shocking image of Trevor burning to ash hit me between the eyes.

“No!”

I blinked furiously as the images faded into smoke. My head was killing me, and I pressed my fingers into my forehead against the pain. What the hell just happened here? Oh my God! Was that a premonition? I’ve never had premonitions before. Was this another new ability? Maybe it was just some random flash from my ever-evolving brain neurons?

I ran this theory past James. I told him the whole story from sharing Sean’s saol to my new ability to see into people’s minds. And I ended with the journey into his mind to remove the wall of flames that kept him from healing. This flash of insight or premonition was another new ability and not one that I wanted. How was this helpful? Was I supposed to use it to help the Primani? I wanted answers.

James was quiet for so long it seemed like he’d slipped into another coma. I was about to call for help when he turned to me. He was different. His irises were backlit with a faint light that captivated me.

He whispered in an odd gravelly voice, “You are not ready.”

I strained to hear him. “James? What do you mean? I don’t understand you.”

He stared at nothing, his eyes focused inward. This was clearly not James. My breath caught in my throat.

He leaned across the table, and said in the same broken voice, “Your destiny is still evolving… you must be ready!”

Unable to pull my eyes away, I stared into the pure white light. He kept whispering to me, and I found myself answering him.

I replied over and over again, “I’ll be ready.”

Later that afternoon, my boys came back to the penthouse half frozen in spite of their natural biology. Snow crusted their hair and boots, and they stomped off little piles of it in the foyer. Apparently New York City was in the middle of a historic cold snap. I wouldn’t know since I wasn’t allowed to leave the penthouse. Amused, I watched as Killian stripped off his boots and rubbed his toes. He saw my glance and cracked a smile but caught himself.

Don’t worry. Your face won’t break.

He burst out laughing, drawing questioning glances from Sean and Dec.

Sean snapped, “Do you two mind?”

“I’m sorry. It happens automatically now… I’m not doing it on purpose.”

“Oh, that’s fucking awesome!” He shook his head like a dog, pelting me with melted snow. “I’m too damn tired to argue about this. Just stop it.”

Before I could retort, Alex started the daily meeting. “Children! It’s time to get to work. Save it for later.”

Sean tracked down several leads that brought him to the conclusion the demons were working on something unusual. He was frustrated because he needed more information but kept missing the supposed informant. He spent the past two days trolling through dirty alleys near Chinatown. So far, he wasn’t having much success.

Dec was working the area near Central Park and was having more success. He talked to a store owner who saw a demon in a pawnshop off of 74th Street. The man didn’t realize the person he saw was really a demon, of course, but Dec picked up traces of him when he investigated the alley behind the shop. He’d gotten really lucky because he came across a chemical that wouldn’t normally be found in an alley. Like a CSI, he took a sample and gave it someone to verify.

“You guys have lab people?” I interrupted.

He winked with his usual good humor, and said, “Of course we do, darlin’. How do you think we get anything done?” He broadened his Irish accent, and added, “We’re not magic, you know!”

That night I got my wish and was allowed to go out. Several days of inactivity made my muscles stiff, and I was getting stir crazy. Regardless of the freezing temperatures, I had to get some air and exercise. I pled my case that afternoon, and Alex relented as long as I was with one of the guys. That suited me just fine as I didn’t exactly want to roam Manhattan by myself anyway. I flexed a bicep and was reassured I could still handle myself but didn’t want to go looking for trouble. All the fight training in the world was no match against a gun. I felt a little vulnerable so packed my Sig in my purse. I tucked in an extra magazine to even the odds. There, I liked my chances a little better.

The freezing wind caught us by surprise when we rounded a corner onto Broadway. I burrowed my face against Sean’s shoulder. Practically dancing, I tugged his arm and dragged him down the street. The sidewalks were still busy even at this time of night. People eddied and flowed around us as the current swept us along. Everyone seemed to be going someplace and stared straight ahead as they made their way along. No one stopped to look at anything along the way. Only tourists gawked at the glass storefronts. Real New Yorkers knew where they were going and forged ahead with that goal in mind. They didn’t have time for silly little side trips into liquor stores or pizza joints. Real New Yorkers also did not stop in the middle of the sidewalk to crane their heads at the ridiculously tall buildings that loomed above all real estate in central Manhattan. I learned this last rule the hard way. I was rear-ended by a man in a black leather jacket when I got distracted by the shining blue lights that capped the Empire State Building. We were walking along when the building suddenly came into view. I stopped to stare, and the man slammed into me from behind. He knocked me heavily into Sean who grabbed me to keep me from falling. I started to protest, but the man was gone.

“Freakin’ tourist!” The man mumbled as he disappeared into the sea of people.

It was Sean’s turn to tow me along. He guided me to the awning of a little grocery store and stopped. He leaned his back against the glass window and pulled me against his chest. For all the world could see, we’re just a couple of young lovers out enjoying the night. I tilted my face for a lingering kiss totally forgetting that I was supposed to be pretending. He kissed me back convincingly, but his eyes scanned the street across from us. A couple of bulky guys wearing black skull caps and heavy jackets whistled their approval. Sean gave them a head nod that meant something only guys understand. The two men laughed and kept walking. I flushed scarlet and buried my face in his jacket. He chuckled and patted my butt familiarly.

“Anything?” I asked. The rich smell of marinara sauce was drifting into my sinuses, and I realized we hadn’t eaten since lunch. My stomach growled with an alarming demand for pizza.

Sean remained still and continued scanning. He stood loosely with an arm draped casually around me while his eyes searched for our prey. I huddled against him for warmth and tried to mimic his casualness. In contrast to my beloved Secret Agent Man, I was coiled like a spring. I was unused to hunting, and my neck ached from the tension. He scowled slightly and massaged my shoulders. Even through the layers of my clothes, I felt the heat pulse from his hand and gradually the tension eased from my shoulders to a much lower spot.

“Is that better, love?” Warm blue eyes crinkled down at me as he kissed the tip of my red nose with cold lips.

Yep, I was warm pudding now. Let’s go to bed. I teased his bottom lip until he gave up and let me kiss him breathless. “I love you. You know that?”

“I do know. You’re a lucky woman.” He ducked my right hook, but grunted when my knee whispered passed the family jewels.

Twenty minutes later, I was drooling over the smell of freshly baked pizza and nibbling from the ceramic bowl of olives on our table. The little table was covered with an ancient red and white checkered plastic cover, the condiment jars were sticky, and the menus were wrinkled. The neon sign was only halfway lit up. Red letters proclaimed ‘Pizz,’ and a neon pizza slice was only half filled in. It looked like someone had already eaten part of it. It was awesome! This was a real New York pizza joint!

The guy behind the counter called our number. I snapped a picture of him with my phone. I hadn’t been able to tear my eyes away from him since we got here. He wore his head shaved and had piercings in both eyebrows and his lip. I tried not to stare, but the eyebrows were fascinating me. He had a hook in each brow and a small chain connecting them across the bridge of his nose. Hanging from the chain was a tiny green lizard. The lizard danced back and forth every time he moved. He caught me staring and smiled good-naturedly at me. He was sporting three gold teeth.

The wind had died down by the time we left Pizz. I was warm and drowsy from too much chewy crust and bubbly mozzarella. Pizza this good should be illegal. I bumped contentedly against Sean as we made our way down the other side of the street. We were heading back toward the penthouse for the night. Manhattan at night was amazing! Neon lights competed with every kind of LED display I could imagine. Buildings were covered with banners and signs. The skyscrapers loomed above as we made our way. The sidewalks were less crowded now, and there were fewer cars on the streets. Small groups of younger men stood together outside of the liquor stores. It was getting late. Uneasy, I walked a little faster until Sean suddenly stopped to zero in on something just ahead. What was he looking at? At first I didn’t see anything, but then a shadow detached itself from the side of a building. It slipped around the corner and disappeared.

Determined to follow, Sean broke into a jog. We cleared the corner and kept straight. I scanned the area for… whatever we were following. I didn’t see anything, but Sean must have. We nearly knocked a homeless man down a flight of stairs when he staggered in front of us. After several blocks of twists and turns, I still didn’t see any sign of a person or anything else that casts a shadow. Sean must have been stumped too because he moved more cautiously along the dark, narrow street. Dead end. We were far away from the sounds of the city. The silence was eerie as we considered our options. A cat screamed from a dumpster, and I jumped. Marinara sauce sloshed unpleasantly in my stomach. Friggin’ wildlife! Snow piles against the back entrances of the dark brick buildings glowed in the pale moonlight. As I caught my breath, faint sounds of music came from someplace ahead of us.

The thumping of drums was muffled but distinct as we came to the end of the alley. A steep set of concrete steps led down into a set of dark metal storm doors. One of the doors had a tiny window cut into it. The other was chained shut at the top. The metal railing was hanging loose halfway down the steps and didn’t look safe. Several sets of shoes had packed the snow into unfriendly ice. One word was spray painted across the brick lintel. In neon green letters, someone had defined this space as Dump. It seemed to fit.

“I don’t know, Sean. This looks sketchy to me…” I didn’t feel good about this place. It seemed… well, seedy. Yes, seedy was the right word. Probably, I was overdressed.

Sean, being Sean, just smiled reassuringly and told me to relax. He didn’t sense any demons, and he could always handle any human problems that came up. I was still dragging my feet when I heard her. The woman sang with a raw intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. The words were muffled, but the powerful voice wasn’t diminished by brick and concrete.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” I slid most of the way to the bottom of the steps and dusted my butt off while Sean pulled the door open.

Dump was a dark little place that had probably never seen better days. Most of the fluorescent lights were burned out. A tiny strobe light flickered sadly in one corner. It smelled like stale beer and mildew. The music stopped abruptly when we walked in. My ears rang as one last discordant chord fell away. Everyone stared at us, including the band. The band, and it was an actual band, was set up in a little space off to the right. There wasn’t room for a proper stage, but someone shoved a handful of rickety tables to the side, and the musicians squeezed into the space. The five musicians gave us the hairy eyeball or balls since there were five of them. Well, mostly they glared at Sean who unconsciously projected violence as he assessed the room. The female singer gave him a long appraising look that made me grind my teeth. Really, wench? I sighed and pulled my purse closer to my hand in case I needed my Sig. She’d have a hard time pulling off those high notes with a bullet through her chest. Yeah. That would fix the problem. I smiled the feral smile I’d seen on Killian’s face so many times. The woman suddenly found something else to do.

A peeling, paneled bar with three ancient wooden stools was the centerpiece of the room. The neon beer signs were mostly dead with random letters still glowing like fireflies on the wall. The bartender was a huge hairy man that reminded me of an old biker. He wore a faded blue bandana over his head and had bushy black hair and a long greying beard. Someone had put some small braids in his beard. He had tiny little eyes that were swallowed up in the fatty creases of his face. These piggy eyes watched us now. He didn’t look friendly to me, but Sean didn’t seem alarmed. He simply returned the appraisal and waited. Easy for him, he’s got superpowers… I stood closer to him and tried to look cynical.

The bartender hollered over to us, “Hey! Don’t stand there with the door open. It’s cold enough in here.”

That was about as much of an invitation as we would probably get. We both relaxed and made our way to a small table that looked sturdy enough to hold a beer. Nervous, I fiddled with my purse strap. There were other people sitting around, and they were looking us over with varying degrees of interest. Sean bent over and kissed me hard on the mouth. Grinning, he turned around and went to the bar. I caught one of the musician’s eyes and flushed. He gave me a knowing look and downed a shot of something. He licked his lips and saluted me with the glass. Fuming, I waited for my hero to return. Marking his territory! Why doesn’t he just pee on my leg? Ugh. Men!

The band picked up their instruments to play again, and I’m sure the 15 people listening appreciated it as much as I did. Wow! I was completely blown away. The singers put their hearts into every song, and the drummer and guitar players were every bit as talented as any professional group I’d heard. Occasionally they’d pause and work on some dance move or re-do a piece of a song that wasn’t exactly right. They had too much heart for this dive, but I guess everyone starts somewhere. One of the singers, the guy who gave me the look earlier, directed everything. I wondered how much Red Bull he slammed before the show. Taking his job as front man very seriously, he introduced the band as if they were performing in a packed arena.

Standing on a chair with a mic, he boomed, “How’s everyone doing tonight?” This was met with silence. I felt bad for him.

Undaunted, he continued, “We appreciate your hanging out with us! We are RockHard! and we’re going to party with you tonight. My name is Aiden, and this is the beautiful and talented Missy Devoux. Come on, people! Let’s do a shot!” People clapped and whooped weakly.

Each member of the band bowed and played up their introductions. I was impressed. They had spirit, for sure. Aiden was interesting to watch. He didn’t just sing the lyrics; he performed them. What was he doing here? He should be on Broadway.

Missy was covering Lady GaGa’s song “Bad Romance.” The power in her throaty voice was stunning. How did she get stuck in this Dump? I looked over at Sean, and said, “Wow!”

Since he was watching the door the whole time, he missed the visuals, but he couldn’t miss the sound. He smiled at my enthusiasm and agreed with me. I was totally into a guitar solo when Sean tensed at the table, and whispered into my ear, “Don’t look. We’ve got company.”

“Where?” I swiveled in my chair to see what he was talking about.

Sean spun me back around, hissing, “Are you deaf? Go to the bathroom and wait for me. Try not to shoot anyone unless you’re really in trouble.” I bristled at his bossy tone but did as he ordered. We’d talk about this later.

The smell of urine slapped me in the face as soon as I opened the door. Gagging, I sucked in my breath. There’s no way I could stay in here for more than 20 seconds. That’s approximately how long I could hold my breath. Apparently functional plumbing wasn’t in the budget and neither was Lysol. This place was disgusting. A minute later, the woman from the band joined me.

As way of greeting, she said simply, “This place is a hole.”

Wow, she was tiny. I was at least six inches taller than her, and I’m not very tall. Despite the freezing weather, she wore a long black skirt with ripped fishnet tights. The skirt was shredded and floated away from her whenever she moved. I was totally checking it out when she was performing. Underneath, she wore a pair of black cowboy boots. The heels on those boots gave her some illusion of height. At the moment, she was finger combing her hair in the mirror while checking me out from the corner of her eye. Seeming to make up her mind about something, she asked casually, “So, is that your man out there?”

Well, yes and no. Oh, he was mine all right. But he wasn’t technically a man. I didn’t think she’d understand so I just said yes and casually patted my purse. The shape of the gun was barely visible.

Unconcerned, she shrugged a shoulder, and said, “As soon as you came in here, some blond bitch pulled him outside. I thought you might want to know.”

Feigning a coolness I didn’t feel, I said, “Really? Thanks. By the way, your band is fabulous. What’s the name again?”

Her pretty face brightened at the compliment, and she gushed, “RockHard! Our name is RockHard!”

Chapter 21: Fear of Change

“YOU COULD'VE AT LEAST WARNED ME! How could you do that to me? That’s our contact?” I wasn’t even trying to keep my voice down. A light came on in a second floor window next door.

Sean hushed me for the third time and dragged me behind a parked car. “We can talk about this back at the penthouse. Hold onto me.” He wrapped both arms around me, and I elbowed him in the gut. I was in no mood for cuddling.

“Let go! I’m done talking to you.” I started off down the alley in a huff.

At the same time, a window screeched open above us, and a man stuck his head out, yelling, “Hey! What are you doing with my car?” Accompanying the yelling was the unmistakable sound of someone ratcheting a shot gun.

Things happened quickly then. The sound of the shotgun blast echoed in my ears as Sean grabbed me with both hands and threw me to the ground behind the car. I sucked in my breath as we vanished into thin air. We landed hard on the marble foyer in the penthouse. Sean broke our fall so I landed sprawled on top of him. He grunted with the impact and clapped a hand hard over my mouth to stop my screaming. I looked wildly around and then calmed down when I saw where we were. He didn’t remove his hand though. Clearly, he was unhappy with me. Well, that was too bad. I wasn’t happy with him either. With absolutely no regret whatsoever, I bit his hand until he started swearing and let go. I was in the middle of scrambling off of him when boots came running into the room. I looked up into several pairs of amused male eyes. I looked down and to see I was straddling Sean’s waist with both knees and one hand was pressed against his groin.

“It’s not what it looks like!” I blushed to the roots of my hair.

Killian swept his eyes from the top of our heads to the tips of our toes and settled on my hand on Sean’s crotch, and asked, “What do you think we think it looks like, exactly?”

I jerked my hand away like it was on fire.

Dec gave Sean a thumbs up. Sean’s response was a smirk--the jerk! Jordan and Alex observed from the back of the room and wisely said nothing. Sometimes age is a good thing. Dec came over and offered me a hand. After he pulled me up, Sean got stiffly to his feet. Killian whistled with alarm.

To say I was uncomfortable would be an understatement of gigantic proportions. I was lying on my stomach letting my angry boyfriend pick shotgun pellets out of my butt. He wasn’t being very gentle about it either. To make things worse, we had an audience because Alex thought that would be more proper. When forced to choose between Killian and Dec as a chaperone, I picked Dec because I thought he would be more sympathetic. The problem was the only one who had any surgical skills at all was Killian. He had some real experience with patching up people on the battlefield. He offered to take out the pellets, but Sean flatly refused. He would do it, and Killian could supervise. So that was the compromise. As a result, my butt cheek was on display, and I was wishing for death. Ouch!

“Dec, she’s doing it again,” Sean observed without sympathy.

Dec was trying hard not to look at me and sidled up to me now with averted eyes. He picked up my hand and rubbed it in between his own. I knew the drill by now. I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax. Drowsy and warm, I dozed off to the sound of his tuneless humming of an Irish folk song.

The next morning I couldn’t get up. I opened my eyes to find Jordan sitting in an armchair beside the bed.

“Good morning, young lady! How’re you feeling this morning?”

“Not horrible but I could use a hand getting up if you don’t mind.”

“Of course! Take my arm.” He offered his arm and pulled me to my feet.

“Where’s Sean? Is he all right?” Why wasn’t he sitting with me?

“Not to worry, he’s in his room recuperating from his own, uh, procedure.”

Oh, Sean! Poor thing. It was my fault he was hurt. We could’ve been killed. As it was, my butt would hurt for a while since Raphael was not here to heal me. Sean could heal himself but still had to go through the pain of having pellets dug out of his back. Killian did the honors, and I’m sure he didn’t sleep through it. He would consider that the easy way out. Probably, he took it in stride… just another day. I remembered the blonde. Growling at the image of her pulling Sean outside, I limped to the bathroom. I hoped he was suffering! Jerk.

A few days later, I was up and around but moving stiffly. Luckily, my body was busily healing itself at a pretty fast rate. We were going back out to Dump tonight. To my chagrin, we were stuck with the blonde. She was an informant who worked with the Primani in the city. She’d been sent to track Sean down because she had information on Dagin. She was supposed to meet us at Dump and give us an update.

The taxi dropped us off a few blocks away. Sean fell into soldier-mode and moved with caution. He seemed to be listening for something as he walked. A wave of dread assaulted me as we turned the corner. I held my breath to listen. It was quiet here… too quiet… unnaturally quiet. I strained to see into the shadows but saw nothing out of the ordinary. My intuition was growing. Maybe I could use it to sense the bad guys. I scrunched my eyes and tried to sense them. A muffled snort from Sean interrupted my concentration.

“Seriously?” He was biting his lip trying not to laugh.

“What?” I looked down my nose at him and scowled.

He shook his head at me and kept moving.

Muffled music greeted us when we reached the stairway to Dump. A small cloud of cigarette smoke wafted out the door as we walked inside. It was crowded tonight. Every table was full, and there were people standing beside the battered wooden bar. I looked around but didn’t see any blond bitches so I guess our informant wasn’t there yet. RockHard! was in the middle of a song. Tonight the bass player was strutting around in a kilt. Huh. That was different. I nibbled on a fingernail while I pondered the mysteries of the Scottish kilt. Several women were watching with hypnotized eyes as the kilt swung back and forth to the rhythm of the song. I grinned around my hand as I remembered the age old question.

Sean casually leaned against the wall near a subwoofer. I casually leaned against him. This spot gave us the best vantage point for watching the door. He pretended to enjoy the band and occasionally nuzzled me or did something else obviously affectionate in case anyone was looking. As far as anyone knew, we were just two young people out for a good time. Why we chose Dump for it is a mystery someone should have questioned. I envied Sean’s ability to multi-task. He was completely focused on the door while idly running one hand up and down my thigh. He was taut and hot against me. He practically vibrated with suppressed energy. I had asked him about these physical changes at the penthouse today. He shrugged and said it was part of their bodies’ preparation for combat. The flight or fight response was stronger in the Primani body so every physical change was magnified.

“Flight response?” I prodded.

He scoffed, “Yeah, but we don’t use that one. Primani never run from a fight.”

After an hour or so, the door opened and in walked the blonde. She was a tall woman with hair that fell in a straight line to her shoulders. Based on the shadowy roots, I assumed the color wasn’t hers. She was wearing tight black jeans with vinyl boots and a fitted black vinyl coat that came to her knees. She looked like a licorice stick.

Sean ran his lips across my ear. Little jolts of electricity trickled from my neck to my toes. I involuntarily arched against him like a cat, my fingers curling into the hair at the nape of his neck. Still nibbling on me, he purred, “Focus, darlin’! It’s just for show.” He raised a lazy hand, and the blonde moved our direction. It was time to get to work.

Much, much later that night, I stood on the balcony, mesmerized. The lights of the city sparkled and winked for as far as my eyes could see. It was the witching hour, and I was in a mystical mood. Determined to get a leash on my new psychic abilities, I was secretly experimenting whenever I was alone. Right now, I was attempting to see into the building across from ours. It would be useful if I could sense people or demons this way. I had a theory but needed to gather more data. Pushing away all thoughts, I inhaled slowly, deeply. I visualized my mind as a large airy room that was empty of everything but delicate cream walls. It was my blank canvas. My mind was drifting towards the closest window when warm arms wrapped around me. Images of him filled my entire mental room. With a small sense of satisfaction, I realized I had felt him coming. Not just a person coming, but I knew without doubt, that it was Sean.

“Come here, beautiful.” Standing behind me, he fitted me against his erection and lifted my hair to expose my neck. As his tongue stroked the tender skin, I arched against him, wanting only to be closer, to be naked beside him.

His skin was so hot that I peeled off the blanket I was wrapped in. Underneath I wore only a pair of black yoga pants and a pale silk tank. He swept his tongue along my collarbone and up my throat, and I began to burn… literally. Suddenly feverish, my skin prickled with sweat. My head swam oddly. It wasn’t just the effect of his kisses. This feeling was new. I turned into his arms. Gripping my face in one hand, he kissed me with an urgency that startled me. My heart was skipping beats. I couldn’t seem to breathe right. Lights danced behind my eyes. I tried to pull back, but an odd sense of connection made me stop. I pressed my forehead against his. My heart was still pounding erratically. Without a word, Sean held up our linked hands.

“You’re burning up!” He smiled crookedly as he wiped a bead of sweat off the side of my face.

“Something’s changed. I feel different.” I pulled his hand over and kissed a palm. I rested my chin on our hands and caught my breath.

“You’re changing. It’s you that’s different. It’s been happening for a while. You haven’t noticed until now?”

“I don’t understand.”

“That makes two of us!” He pulled me down to sit beside him. “I wish I knew, but I don’t. I tried to ask Alex, but he didn’t know either. You, love, are uncharted territory for us.”

I pondered this for a minute, and asked, “So what now?”

“Well, we watch and see. There’s no doubt you’re a part of us, Mica. Somehow, you’ve become connected to us, and I think your destiny is woven into ours… and mine, I hope. We don’t have all the answers. But I think you’re changing physically because of the changes in your brain. You’re tapping into new areas… it seems reasonable to me.”

That sort of made sense… I’m using different parts of my brain to use these new abilities, so maybe that’s triggered other changes. Hmmm. That doesn’t really explain the physical connection I felt to Sean just now…

“Do you think I have a halo now?” I perked up at the thought and waited for him to laugh at me.

To my surprise, he didn’t laugh at all. Instead, he looked thoughtful. “I don’t think so. Angels have halos, love. I think you’re something else entirely. I’m stumped.”

“Sean…” I groped for the right words while idly twisting my locket.

I cleared my throat and tried again. “Sean, are you okay? I mean, you’ve been stressed, and sometimes I see you staring into space. You seem worried… and sad. Can’t I help?”

He was silent for so long I didn’t think he was going to answer me. Then he walked over to the edge of the balcony. His back was rigid as he stared into the darkness. The breeze ruffled his hair; the vulnerable skin at the nape of his neck gleamed faintly in the moonlight. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and soothe him, but he wouldn’t want it. Instead, I waited with my blanket wrapped around me. Eventually, he let out a breath and started to talk.

“I’m afraid. For the first time in my life, I’m afraid. I don’t know how to stop feeling this way, and it’s making me crazy.” He turned with pain clouding his eyes.

“Fear is a healthy reaction to near-death experiences,” I observed carefully.

“Not for us! Primani fear nothing! Look at who we are! Why would I be afraid?” He rolled his shoulders and pushed away from the wall.

“What’s changed then?”

“You! You’re the change… we are the change. You and I are… something I can’t even explain to myself. I feel such a connection with you, to you, that I know in my heart is right.” Instantly, he was in front of me with my hands in his. He held up our joined hands again. “Do you not see it? We are more than just chemistry or even love. We are something extraordinary.”

Like a mirage, my fingers shimmered and melted into his as if we were one person. He wiggled our hands. The strange image was gone, and we were just two people holding hands again.

“I’ve been seeing that more and more here in the city. When we touch… sometimes I see it.” He scratched absently at the dark stubble on his jaw. “Things are speeding up… our connection is growing, your intuition is getting stronger, your body’s changing… I don’t question these things. I believe in predestination. These changes have a purpose, and you and I are meant to be together. I have no doubts about that. But I worry. I’m afraid for you… for us.”

I listened to his heart beating. “It’s the dream, isn’t it?”

He pulled away and frowned. “I told you I don’t dream.”

“You did. But that doesn’t mean it’s true.”

The dawn came too early the next morning. I didn’t want to get out of bed, but the insistent pounding on my door kept me from going back to sleep. What was wrong now? All right, all right already! I yanked on a robe and yanked open the door.

“You look like hell. And since I’ve actually been there, I can say that with conviction.”

“And I was just starting to like you too.”

Killian bowed at the waist, and said, “If it pleases the princess, we’re about to have a meeting with Alex. If you can fit it into your schedule, your presence was requested.” The familiar scowl was present, but there was a little gleam in his eye. Was he getting a sense of humor? No one would believe it.

Straightening, he added, “Dani might.” He turned and sauntered off.

Chapter 22: Demons and Drummers

“HOLY SHIT, it’s freezing out here!” I bounced on my toes trying to keep the blood from icing up in them. My earlier excitement about going out was history as I pressed myself against the brick wall of a flower shop. It was closed and the security lights were on. I looked at Mickey and rubbed my hands together. It was almost time to get moving. Damn, it’s cold! Still bouncing, I studied the opposite corner and tried to spot our targets. I was looking for someone who looked like a dangerous criminal. Alex said they would look suspicious, and I would recognize them. Well, that wasn’t too helpful. Based on the general appearance of almost every man in my line of sight, I was surrounded by them. I peered more closely at two standing closest to us.

“It’s in the eyes. Look at their eyes,” Dec advised quietly. He was supposed to be my protection, and I was glad he was here. I stepped closer to him until I could feel his body heat. At least I wouldn’t freeze to death, though I could lose several important digits.

He was dressed in faded jeans and a heavy jacket, but I knew he didn’t really need it. He was trying to blend in. With his California blond hair and perpetual tan, he looked more like a tourist than I did. He was all business tonight though. He was in pure soldier-mode and wasn’t joking around at all. I missed his sunny smile. I sighed and checked my watch again.

“It’s time,” I said. He nodded and took my hand.

We were meeting the others at Dump but had detoured to check out a lead. As far as I could tell, the lead was a dead end. I didn’t see anyone suspicious here. Dec’s eyes were constantly moving as he led us down one street and then another. As we rounded the last corner, I pinched his arm and nudged him to the left. A man stood in the shadow of a dumpster. He stepped back out of the dim glow of the streetlight. He made no move to bother us though. We kept walking like we knew where we were going. Just two people hitting the bar on the way home from work…

There were three more men standing in the shadows ahead of us. All of them were positioned so they could see a clear view of the alley and the bar. Sentries? That seemed likely. I forced my face to stay blank. I was starting to get a bad feeling about this. As we walked directly in front of one man, he followed us with dark eyes. I had a sudden urge to run into the bar, slamming the door behind me. The sharp pang of adrenaline made me clench my jaw.

Dec whispered, “Easy, darlin’. We’re okay.” He helped me down the icy steps into the stuffy warmth of Dump.

Sean and Killian were nowhere to be seen. It was pretty crowded though so I did a second walk around to be sure. RockHard! was playing again, and Missy waved at me with a smile. The crowd was helping them with the chorus of an old Billy Idol song. Singing along too, I made my way to the wall opposite the door and found a clean-ish place to wait. Dec took his time wandering around the room as if he was looking for someone. Eventually he made it to my spot and pretended to watch the band.

“Was it this crowded in here last week? Do you recognize anyone?”

I considered the little groups of customers and answered, “Yeah, I recognize a lot of them. But the two young guys by the door and the skinhead by the bathroom are new.”

The door flew open, and two more men strode inside. Alarm bells clanged in my head. These two were definitely dangerous. They studied the crowd with the intensity of a couple of predators. The taller of the two had a big crooked nose and deep set eyes that radiated impatience as he looked around. His thick black hair was slicked back. He reminded me of a mob enforcer from the movies. The shorter one had greasy red hair that he desperately combed across his head. He had mean little eyes and coldly assessed the room. Both looked like killers to me. But the redhead looked like a nutcase too.

The steady beat of drums brought me back to reality, and I smiled up at Dec as Missy spoke for women everywhere with her cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” Under her spell, I sang along under my breath. I squawked in alarm a few minutes later when a familiar voice hissed in my ear.

“I could have killed you just now.” Something hard pressed against my kidney, and I froze. He spun me around, dragging me closer so he could yell at me without everyone hearing. I was off balance and struggled to get my feet back on the floor. He held me still with one arm, and I went rigid. Whispering furiously, he read me the riot act. Didn’t we just talk about danger? What was I thinking? I needed to focus on why we’re here. I needed to be aware of my front and my back, especially my back.

“I came right up to you and you didn’t even sense me. Any of these guys could slide a blade in you without anyone seeing a thing. You’d be dead in seconds. You’re not here to enjoy the band tonight, sweetheart!” He pressed his nose against mine during this last comment.

Furious, I aimed a knee at his crotch just as Dec intervened. He stopped my leg in mid-swing and plastered a smile on his face.

Between his teeth he said, “Do you two idiots want to attract any more attention?” He playfully shoved our heads together and ordered, “Kiss and make up. And you better make it convincing or we’re going to have more company than we can handle. Do it!”

To the general audience he shrugged, and said loudly, “My brother’s a little jealous sometimes.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the skinhead watching us with a gleam in his eye. He nodded and started to get up. Self-preservation overrode my anger, and I threw my arms around Sean’s neck and pasted my mouth against his. Startled, he nearly dropped me so I wrapped my legs around his waist. I kissed him with such passion that he finally dragged his mouth away to breathe.

“Good God, woman! Are you trying to kill me?” The pain on his face was funny.

I forced a sappy smile and pressed my cheek against his pounding heart. It was satisfying to feel the effects of my efforts. I hoped he was suffering.

“I hope you enjoyed that. It might be the last one you get for a while.” I unwrapped myself and made a show of sliding down his body as I put my feet on the floor.

Killian chose that exact moment to spot us. Even from across the room, I could see the tightening of his mouth and the angry crease between his eyes. Maybe someone could just shoot me now?

“Is it not what I think this time?” he ground out as he glared at the two of us. To my surprise, Sean turned pink. Dec chuckled and reminded us that we had work to do.

I looked at my Mickey Mouse watch again. It was 10:00. Surely things should be happening by now? We’d been here for two hours and nothing interesting has happened. I was so tense my neck hurt again. The skinhead kept looking our direction, and it was making me nervous. Worse, he kept looking at Sean. Something was wrong. I strained to hear the voices around us. I thought I’d heard something… There was something… strange. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was different. I leaned up to tell Sean, and he stood listening to something I couldn’t hear. Finally he swore softly and uncoiled himself from his chair. After telling me to stay put, he went to find the others. I was left alone again. That strange feeling wouldn’t go away, and I wasn’t able to make sense of it. Instead, I got more tense and twitchy with nerves. I fondled my locket and chewed on my lip. Thankful for the gun hidden inside, I played with my purse strap.

What if this was all wrong? What if we didn’t have the right information? We could be sitting in a trap. We could all get killed. Why can’t I see anything? What good were psychic abilities if I couldn’t help anyone with them? I wish I knew more. As if on cue, the band started to play my absolutely least favorite song in the entire universe: “Don’t Stop Believin’ .” I hated this song. Could things get any worse? As Missy belted out the first lines, I rolled my eyes at the ceiling. Really?

Just then a commotion by the bar drew my attention. Several men were arguing with Mob Guy and Red Hair. There were three against two. The music was too loud to hear what was said, but the Mob Guy’s expression clearly said, “Bring it!”

Skinhead was halfway out of his seat as the two young guys I’d seen earlier hustled over to join Mob Guy. Sean and Killian were on the opposite side watching the fight start. Like most men there, they kept out of it. Where’s Dec? I searched for him but didn’t see him. No one else seemed too interested in the fight, and the band kept playing. But the atmosphere changed when another man came through the door. He projected an air of evil that stopped everyone’s conversations. He was flanked by several others who had that same air of evil around them. That earlier feeling of dread smashed into me again. I hadn’t seen him come over, but Dec was now standing in front of me. Like Sean and Killian, he’d switched into full combat mode. Waves of heat flowed from him. I was afraid to look at his eyes. I started to take a step forward.

Stay back! It’s Xarchi. Killian’s warning came to me.

What about these people?

Stay out of it. His eyes slammed mine from across the room, and I backed up again.

The brawl started in earnest then. I tried to stay out of the way and watched from my wall. I wanted to see everything at once, but it was impossible. Mob Guy was punching some little black-haired thug in the face while Red Hair was thrown over the flimsy bar. The impact shattered the top of the bar, and he fell to the floor in a crash of plywood. People scrambled to get out of the way and several people pushed out the doors. Beer bottles were flying everywhere. One woman ran screaming into the bathroom. The sentries came running in as soon as the screaming people made it outside. There was even more confusion now. One of the thugs pulled out a knife and was stalking Mob Guy. Another guy was getting his butt kicked by the bartender who hit him across the back with a glass beer pitcher and slammed his face into a table. Blood spurted out his nose. Gross.

As several more men, and a few women, joined in on both sides, the violence got worse. More knives glinted in the dim light as the bloodlust escalated. Blood splatters made the floor slippery, and a woman fell hard as she tried to run out the door. One of the demons grabbed her and tore off her arm. He grinned evilly at Sean as he tossed her arm aside like trash.

Sean flashed his own feral smile and palmed a silver blade in his right hand. With his left, he gestured for the demon to come closer. The demon’s grin widened, and he lunged into Sean. With lightning fast reflexes, Sean sidestepped the lunge and whipped around with the knife extended. With a triumphant snarl, he buried the blade in the demon’s back. The high-pitched scream raised every hair on my body. With a final vicious shove, Sean jammed the blade up to its hilt. As the demon arced backwards, he pressed his boot against its back and shoved it off of the blade. The demon twitched for a second before turning to ash.

The band finally stopped playing and the grunts of pain and crash of chairs breaking echoed loudly in the silence. The fighting was spreading across the entire room now, and I had to duck a chair that someone threw. The chair landed in the middle of the drum set with a huge crash. Cymbals went flying. Barely missing Missy’s head, another chair tore a hole through one of the big speakers. Missy jumped up and ran over to me. She carried a small knife and palmed it. I loaded the Sig, and we waited. Two big bodies tumbled across a table and knocked Aiden and Jimmy, the bass player, onto the ground. That was the last straw.

Aiden swore, “Fuck it, I’m in!” The rest of the guys dove in too.

It was pure chaos. The humans were joyfully trying to kill each other with anything they could get their hands on. The demons were another story altogether. They knew exactly who the Primani were. They weren’t afraid but they warily approached Killian and Sean. Judging by their expressions, they knew what they were up against. Xarchi must be the meanest looking demon. His human facade was crumbling with his rage and his real features were showing through. The human skin seemed to melt away. He was covered with bloody red scales and had yellow reptilian eyes. He grinned at the screaming people and several sets of filthy fangs were clearly visible. My knees buckled. Holy shit!

He was the biggest and strongest so Killian and Sean were both trying to stop him. They stood side by side with silver blades lifted. Dec was facing one of the lesser demons. The demon was trying to hit Dec with an arc of flames, but he kept missing. He didn’t realize Dec kept teleporting out of the way. Roaring with frustration, he began shooting fireballs everywhere. As a result, several people were burned, and the carpet was smoldering in one corner. Acrid white smoke started to fill the room.

I looked up to see one of the losers threatening me with a wicked-looking switchblade. I dodged behind a table and shoved it at his stomach. He feinted around to the other side and grabbed my arm. Reaching for anything, I broke a guitar over his face. Letting go of my arm, he fell back. Missy shouted a warning, and I looked up just in time to see him coming at me again. His face was dripping blood from several cuts and probably a broken nose. His eyes were murderous as he stalked me with the knife. I was backed into the corner. I wasn’t sure I could kick the knife out of his hands. I looked around wildly for a different weapon, but there was nothing. Resigned, I pointed the Sig and pulled the trigger. Several people stopped to look. Most didn’t. My attacker fell to his knees with an expression of surprise on his face. A bloody hand reached down and plucked a guitar pick out of his cheek.

“I can still use that,” Jimmy grunted. He jammed it into his pocket and went to help Aiden.

I gasped for some oxygen and looked for Sean. He was still battling Xarchi with Killian. I grimaced as I saw the burns. Both had been hit but were ignoring the pain. They were concentrating fiercely on their prey. They had him backed into a corner. What were they doing though? Xarchi was missing an arm and dripping black fluid all over the floor. He bellowed with rage and threw another fireball. Killian dove to the side and rolled to his feet. His back was to me so I couldn’t see what he did next, but he lifted his hand and a blinding light hit Xarchi in the chest. He doubled over with a roar. I strained to get a better view when a body sent me flying into a speaker. That hurt, a lot. I groaned and carefully pulled myself up. The speaker was history. The body that hit me belonged to the bass player. He sat up and shook his head. He was bleeding from a deep gash above one eye, but the rest of his face was okay. He grinned at me, showing a missing front tooth. Oops, okay, not completely okay.

A lot of the action was dying down now. Most of the human thugs had either killed each other or knocked each other senseless. There were bodies sprawled all over the place. A few people were still fighting though. I took a quick inventory. Dec had evidently destroyed his demon because it was gone and Dec was covered in ash. How did I miss that? He stood ready to jump in if Killian or Sean needed him.

Bleeding heavily from his nose, one of the guitarists swung the last usable pool stick across Skinhead’s head with a crack. The stick broke off into two directions, and Skinhead fell over like a tree. Aiden staggered over to the wall and collapsed against it. He’d just ended his fight by slamming the guy’s head into the nearest wall. He was breathing hard but still amped up on adrenaline. He gave me an unfocused sort of happy nod. Geez, men were stupid! He sagged to his knees. That’s when I saw the blood. His black t-shirt was soaked, and it was dripping down his leg.

“I’m fine,” he protested.

“Oh, right.” I peeled up the sticky shirt to find a nice big gash in his side. It must’ve been some knife. He hadn’t even felt it. I hoped the other guy looked worse. I dragged my sweater over my head and used my tee shirt as a bandage. It was clean at least.

“Jimmy? Help me!” Maybe he could keep pressure on this for Aiden.

“Mica! Look out!” Dec yelled at me.

Startled, I looked up just in time to see the third demon getting ready to throw a fireball at me. I threw myself to the side just as it landed. The reek of sulfur hit me, but I wasn’t on fire. I took a look at my patient. He wasn’t on fire either. Good for him. He had enough problems.

The demon wasn’t doing too well though. While focused on me, he didn’t notice the drummer and Missy sneaking up on him. When he released the fireball, the drummer jammed a drumstick into his eye. Enraged, the demon bellowed, the sound echoing above the chaos. His nasty eye was dripping yellow fluid all down his face. Two things happened at once. He spotted Missy just as she jumped up and kicked him in the back with a pretty impressive move. Both feet hit him, and he toppled onto his face. The drumstick went through the back of his head with a crunch. At the same time Missy kicked him, Dec jumped in and hit him with a fine blue light between the eyes. A split second after hitting the floor, the demon exploded in a cloud of ash.

Stunned, no one moved for a minute. Dec took over and got us moving. We had to get out of there before the cops showed up.

“Dec, what about the band? Everything they own is trashed!” I felt really bad about the guitar I smashed.

“Don’t worry about that now. They’ll be okay. I’m going to see if there are any survivors. We need intel.”

I’d almost forgotten our original mission. We still needed to know what was going on with the demons, and who was working with them. I hurried over to talk to what was left of RockHard!

They looked like combat survivors but were happy enough. Nothing like a good brawl to get the blood flowing… Aiden was awake but finally lying down. Jimmy was keeping pressure on the bandage. He probably had a broken nose, but the rest of him looked untouched. The drummer had a split lip and both hands were bloodied. I think one of his pinky fingers was broken. It stuck out at a right angle. Missy, like me, didn’t get hit in the face tonight. This was a new experience for me since I always get hit in the face! She was limping and had a couple of huge bruises on her arms though. She was also liberally dusted with demon ash and it was already starting to burn. She was scratching at it. Finally, I looked around for the Scottish dude. What happened to him? I didn’t see him and started to worry.

“Where’s kilt guy?” I asked Missy.

With a sigh, she gestured to the right. What on earth?

“Dude, what are you wearing?” He seemed to be wearing a… napkin? No, tablecloth.

Moving stiffly, he joined the rest of us. I stifled a laugh. Missy snorted. I bit my lip. He was wrapped in a tablecloth and cradled something dark in his hand.

“What’s that?” I asked.

Instead of answering, he sadly held up the remains of his kilt. There weren’t a lot of remains. It was a very small kilt with lots of burned edges.

Chapter 23: An Assortment of Vows

“ARE YOU SURE this is a good idea? What if they need your help?” I asked for the third time. I was jogging to keep up with Dec.

He didn’t slow down. Exasperated, he said, “Sean and Killian have destroyed more demons than I have. They don’t need my help with that. Stop worrying. You’re messing up my concentration.”

The man we were tailing was moving surprisingly fast for someone who recently left a bar brawl. I guess he was knocked out early on and slept through it. He tried to slip out the door during the confusion, but Dec had spotted him just as we were about to leave. I wanted to help Sean, but Dec dragged me with him. So now we were tailing one of the thugs from a block behind. The man hadn’t seen us so he must be an amateur. We weren’t that good at hiding.

After several zigzags, I lost track of our direction. We hugged the shadows and followed the man to a bridge. He stopped at the base of the bridge to catch his breath. His back was to me, but I could clearly see him in the streetlight. He was wearing a Devil’s hockey jersey and a red skull cap.

As I caught my breath too, I pointed a thumb at the guy. “He has no taste in hockey teams.”

Dec gave me a confused look and hushed me. Apparently he had no taste in hockey teams either.

The area around the bridge was industrial and rundown. In the harsh winter light, it looked bare and abandoned. There were metal buildings surrounded by chain link fences clustered here and there. Parking lots were empty and rutted with packed snow. There were no trees or anything remotely vegetable in nature. Probably it was really ugly in the daylight. We hung back because there was little cover. Our luck held though. Our man was more worried about getting into a dilapidated warehouse than making sure he wasn’t followed. As he slipped through a gate, Dec tugged me behind the cab of an 18-wheeler parked in the lot. The warehouse was fabricated metal and the color was washed out in the poor light. It had an abandoned feel to it except for the security lights discreetly mounted on the corners. Ah. Someone didn’t want to be surprised. Where there are lights, there might be cameras. I made myself smaller behind the truck. We crouched and watched, and watched, and watched some more. Nothing moved.

“I hate to say this, but I have to pee. How much longer?”

After looking at his watch, he said, “We should get back anyway. We’re not going in by ourselves, and the others are wondering what’s going on.” He laughed softly at my surprised expression as he scooped me into his arms.

Our re-entry was much smoother than the last time I’d traveled. Instead of tumbling to the floor in a pile of body parts, we arrived in the living room exactly as we left the warehouse. As before, I didn’t notice the movement and was still protesting when I realized we had an audience. I stopped in mid-sentence as Dec set me back on my feet.

Alex dismissed me immediately and sent me to bed. Guess I wasn’t in the inner circle just yet. I should’ve been unconscious as soon as I hit the pillow. But I tossed and turned instead. Where were the others? Were they okay? What happened to the demons? Where was Sean? When I did finally fall asleep, I dreamed vividly and came awake with adrenaline surging through me. I lay shaking with the last fuzzy images from the dream fading into the dark. I was left only with a crushing feeling of loss. I tried to hold onto the dream, but it was gone. There was nothing for me to see. It was 5:00 and still very dark outside. Frustrated with the dream, I jumped into a hot shower and got dressed. It was going to be a long day.

I was surprised to find Raphael in the kitchen. He poured me a cup of coffee and sat down. We chatted about the brawl at Dump and the warehouse. He was interested in what I sensed there. Sensed? Hmm. “I didn’t sense anything. It was dark, cold… I didn’t sense anything weird.”

“You must have. You may not have mastered your abilities, but they won’t go away. They’ll get stronger as you mature. Even now your senses will pick up impressions and send them to your brain. It’s up to you to weed out the important information from the endless flow of mundane items. We’ve got nothing special to do right now. Why don’t we work on that?”

For the next hour, he patiently grilled me on every minute of last night. I was surprised by how much I absorbed unconsciously. By emptying my mind of the mundane images, things like weather, food smells, car horns, and people’s conversations, I was able to retrieve memories relating to what he wanted to know about. I described the faces of the sentries in minute detail. I was able to recall that the thugs in the bar spoke with a strange accent. I don’t remember noticing that while we were at Dump. After more thought, I recalled the looks of recognition between the Mob Guy and Skinhead. They ignored each outwardly, but they knew each other. Were they working together? Whose interests did they represent? What did they want from the demons?

Satisfied with my progress, Raphael gave me a fatherly smile and told me to go wake up the others. We had a lot to do today, and it was already 7:00. Feeling lighter somehow, I hopped up and set off to wake up the guys. They were sharing a suite that was beautifully decorated with black and white paintings and deep blue walls. Whoever decorated this place had a thing for blue, but the effect was lovely. I hovered in the doorway, marveling at the three bodies sleeping in front of me. I hated to wake them. Sean grimaced and flung out an arm. He’s dreaming again. I wish I knew what he dreamed about. He was making me crazy with his secrets. He mumbled something I couldn’t understand and inhaled sharply. Okay, that’s enough. It was time to wake them up. I cleared my throat. Killian sat up instantly, his eyes zeroed in on my face, hand wrapped around the haft of a knife. The sheet fell to his waist. My eyes followed the movement and got stuck. Whoa! Yum! He was all carved muscles and tan skin. He was perfect. With his face and this body… No woman would stand a chance if he actually cared enough to be charming.

Dragging my eyes away, I licked my bottom lip, and announced, “Uh, it’s time to get up. Raphael wants you in the kitchen.”

For once, he didn’t comment on my thoughts. Instead, he gave me a sardonic smile and swung his legs off the bed. Flustered, I scuttled over to Sean. He was awake and frowning at me. In fairness, he also looked perfect. He had a beautiful body too, but I was used to it. A naked Killian was a mind-blowing shock.

The morning meeting took a few hours, but everyone thought we were ready by the time we were done. The plan was simple. Later tonight, we would go to the warehouse and three Primani would slip inside to investigate. Killian was leading the operation and went over the plan again and again until we knew it by heart. I would play lookout on one end of the parking lot. James would play lookout on the other end of the access road. I was taking my Sig in case I was attacked. Sean and I were going over minor details now. I sat very still as Sean fitted me with a tiny earpiece.

“This will help us keep in touch with you. We’ll be silent most of the time, but if something happens we’ll let you know. Same goes for you. Don’t use the mic unless you have an emergency. We don’t want to be distracted once we’re inside. Got it?” He stepped back to look at his work.

My hair covered the tiny mic. Sean insisted I put on body armor for tonight. It was very lightweight, but I felt ridiculous wearing it. He adjusted it once more and declared me ready. We had a few hours to kill before it was time to go. I needed some quiet time. In my room, I stripped off my clothes and sat cross-legged on the floor to meditate. I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing. I cleared my mind and thought of my happy place. The tiny clear pool was surrounded with purple orchids and tendrils of mist. Dripping tropical plants hid the pool from prying eyes. I pictured myself standing in the pool with the small waterfall sluicing over my bare shoulders. Relaxing my shoulders, I took another deep breath. The waterfall was warm, and the air was sweet. I was very relaxed now and let my head droop.

A wisp of cool air washed over my wet shoulders. I whipped my head around to see someone else. His look of shock must have mirrored my own. Our eyes met. I couldn’t move if I’d wanted to. He approached me slowly as if I would bolt and run away. I trembled but didn’t move.

“You’re so beautiful. I didn’t see it before.”

And then he kissed me for the first time.

“Babe? Are you decent?” Sean’s voice brought me back to the physical world. He closed the door with a click.

Oh, thank God, that was just a dream! I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him like I would never see him again. I needed to kiss him, needed to feel him. I pressed myself against him, desperate to wipe that vision out of my memory. The image taunted me… floated inside my mind like a dream, a premonition. Squeezing my eyes shut, I clung to Sean, spreading kisses down his neck. What could I have been thinking? Sean was the only one I wanted, and I wanted him right now. Completely confused by my actions, Sean tried to pull back to say something, but I held his mouth to mine until he gave up with a groan. I forgot I was completely naked until his hands smoothed over my bare hips to curl around my butt. As his calloused fingertips stroked my skin, my heart pounded, my breath stopped, my muscles turned to mush. It was time. I wanted more than kisses, more than his hand on me. I wanted all of him. Everywhere. I rubbed against him like a cat. He yanked me against him, his erection hard against my belly. A hundred thousand years of instinct overruled any restraint I might have had.

Drawing back to look into my eyes, he whispered, “Are you sure? I don’t think I can stop…”

Arching up to kiss him again, I breathed, “It has to be now…” We might not get another chance.

Murmuring words I didn’t understand, he peeled off his clothes and lowered me to the floor. When I was completely breathless, he raised our hands above us. Although nearly blinded by the force of the current flowing through me, I could clearly see what he showed me. Our two hands were gone; there was only one, and the mirage flowed over our arms and chests to cover every part of us that touched. Blue eyes bored into mine as he pushed himself inside of me, and the two of us disappeared completely.

“I want to say I love you, but that seems like such an understatement now.” Sean smiled into my dazed eyes. “Are you still conscious?”

“I think so. I’m not sure this isn’t a dream. Did that really just happen?” I was still glowing… literally and figuratively. My body was gently pulsing with light, and the golden locket was shining against my skin. The lines of Sean’s body were indistinct… as if we were still one person. I blinked my eyes to clear the fuzziness. When I opened my eyes, the solid muscles were clearly defined. Something had definitely happened. I felt the click of connection and knew we’d both been changed.

“I’m surprised no one has knocked on the door yet. It’s getting late, isn’t it?”

Sean nuzzled my neck and informed me that they knew perfectly well where we were and were giving us some privacy. What did that mean? I tried to sit up, but he wouldn’t get out of the way.

“Are you telling me everyone knows what we just did?” I blushed to my toes.

“Not exactly. They aren’t in here with us, now are they? They can’t see through walls, right? But your thoughts aren’t exactly your own these days…”

Oh, God! “Killian knows? He read my thoughts? That’s sick!” I would have to kill him. That’s the only solution. And after that dream… Uh-oh! Did he see the dream too?

Sean was scandalized by this idea. “What? No, he wasn’t trying to read your thoughts. But your, ah, emotional state was pretty intense, and he would pick up on that even from the other room. I’m sure, well, mostly sure, he wouldn’t want to read your mind while we were…”

I covered my face and groaned. We’d be needed very soon, and I didn’t want to leave this bed. I pressed him against me and closed my eyes. I would remember this moment forever. No matter what happened tonight or tomorrow. Time was running out. I shoved the niggling feeling of foreboding into the back of my mind.

“Regrets, Mica?” He pried my hands away from my face. “I didn’t disappoint you, did I?”

“What? No, never! I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t understand my destiny, and I don’t understand ours. All I know is that I need you like I need air.”

“And I need you. Now, come on, love. We’re about to be interrupted.”

Awkward doesn’t begin to describe the atmosphere in the foyer. We’d gotten dressed for the mission and were in the foyer getting ready to leave. Sean was adjusting my body armor for the second time when Dec came in. Regardless of what he did or didn’t know, I turned purple with embarrassment. Dec didn’t say anything, but I saw the questions in his eyes. He looked from me to Sean and back again. He knew something was different but didn’t ask. His eyes settled on my mouth. My lips were puffy and slightly red from Sean’s kisses. He knew! I stared at the floor, hoping to become invisible. Sean ignored him while he adjusted my mic with a professional attitude. When he accidently grazed my neck with his knuckles, I felt the effect down to my toes. Dec snorted with amusement.

“What?” I whispered to Sean.

He shook his head with some humor. Dec snorted again just as Killian walked into the room. His expression was colder than I had seen it in years. His disapproval cut like a knife.

His gaze swiveled from me to Sean. “Why is she glowing? What did you do to her?”

I nearly burst into flames right then and there. Mortified, I turned my back, burying my face in my hands. This time, I intentionally sent a plea to him. Please, Killian, don’t be disappointed in us. There’s no more time! Please… don’t cut me out! My emotions were already on edge, and I stifled a sob.

And this is what you want from Sean?

No, I want everything from him. But this is a start.

Still playing with fire, little girl? His tone was softer now.

Sean put an arm around me and turned me around again. He whispered, “It’ll be okay. Trust me.”

He faced the others and made an unequivocal statement.

“I have no secrets from you. We all know there is something between Mica and I that we can’t explain. I’ve tried to deny it; I’ve tried to fight it. I’m not fighting it anymore.” He linked our hands and raised them up for the others to see. As before, the lines between us blurred, shimmered, and disappeared. We were connected again.

Killian and Dec both stared. Sean continued, “What does this mean? I don’t know yet! But she’s changing. Her blood… her body temperature… her intuition… She’s becoming more like us every day. Why? There must be a reason for it. There must be a reason for us!”

He cupped my face, kissed me once, before stating boldly, “I love her. She belongs to me, and I belong to her. I will stand by her no matter what happens. I will teach her everything I know to make her strong. And I will destroy anyone who tries to hurt her. So now I ask you, my brothers, what will you do?”

The silence was deafening. We were all in shock. He was completely serious. Alex and Raphael stood in the back of the room frozen in surprise.

Finally, I said softly, “I am yours, and you are mine.” I searched his eyes and sealed my vow with a light kiss on his mouth.

Dec came over to us, and vowed formally, “Mica, you’re my sister now, and I will always have your back.” He kissed my cheek and rested his hand on my head before turning to Sean. ”Sean, I swear to you that I will be here for her when you can’t be. I’ll protect her with my life.”

We all looked at Killian. I was holding my breath. He considered Sean’s words and the ramifications of our relationship carefully. He seemed to be communicating with Sean, but neither said a word. His blue eyes softened when he glanced at me. He answered Sean’s formal challenge with a serious expression.

“I’ve stood by you against demons and humans. There is no one else I want fighting beside me. You’re right. Mica’s transformation has purpose that we are only beginning to understand. We must be patient. If this is your choice, I swear to you I will stand by you both. And yes, I will protect her with my life should something happen to you.” He bowed slightly.

With a lighter tone, he said, “Oh, and happy birthday, princess!”

Chapter 24: A Birthday to Remember

IT WAS SNOWING. Of course, it was snowing! I crouched behind the cab of the abandoned 18-wheeler and pulled my collar flat against my neck. The snow was melting in cold little rivers down my back. I would have worn a scarf, but I didn’t want to make it too easy for someone to kill me. They’d need to bring their own weapons for that. I wasn’t going to make it easy on anyone tonight. I had a new reason to stick around a few more years. My face got all warm and happy just thinking about Sean. He’d made a commitment to me in front of everyone. I couldn’t be any happier right now.

“I’ll strangle you myself if you don’t stop daydreaming!”

I would’ve screamed if a big hand wasn’t clamped over my mouth. I relaxed when I saw it was Killian. He was scowling at me as usual. It doesn’t even faze me anymore.

“Will you please stop sneaking up on me and reading my mind? One of these days, you’re going to hear more than you want and you’ll regret it!”

“Doubtful.” He smiled wolfishly.

He was dressed in all black like the rest of us, but he looked more supernatural than the others. He was a predator, pure and simple. Maybe hunter was really a better word. His face was covered in dark paint, and his eyes burned intensely blue. Yes, predator was definitely the right word. He’d come over to warn me there were trucks coming so I should change my position.

He faded into the dark. I heard the low rumble of a diesel engine and turned my attention to my job as lookout. I whispered into the mic and told them there were three big pickups and a panel truck. The pickups had men in the back. Probably this wasn’t good.

I reported, “We have company. There are 13 men riding in the back of the trucks, plus 4 drivers.”

Sean responded, “Weapons?”

I peeked around my hiding place. “Looks like automatic weapons… maybe AKs? And… Wait a minute.” I did a double take. “I don’t know what that is, but it looks wicked.”

“Calmly describe it for us. Take your time but hurry up.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, it’s really long like a rocket launcher. It’s got a smaller barrel and some kind of weird sight on it. It’s shiny looking… some kind of metal. Weird. Some of the men are guarding it, and the others are heading into the door. Oh, and there are some barrels in the back of one of the trucks. They’re unloading them.”

“Good. Stay out of sight and stay alert.”

I looked at my watch. According to the plan, Killian and Sean would go into the warehouse from the east side. Dec would go inside from the north. They had already disabled the security lights and cameras. They were going to sneak inside to see what was going on. If they could capture a hostage, they’d do that and teleport out with him.

A quiet voice came through my earpiece. “I’m in.” I sucked in my breath. Dec was inside. Sean called in a minute later.

I scanned the area around my end of the property. Everything was quiet. No headlights on the road, no strange sounds. Nothing moved in the shadows. The wind shifted suddenly. Ewww! A strong smell hit me in the face. It was horrible. I gagged and tried to hold my breath.

“James?” I whispered.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Do you smell that weird smell? The wind’s blowing it towards me now.”

He paused, and said, “Yeah, some kind of chemical. Don’t inhale.”

Was he serious? The wind shifted again, and I started to cough, my eyes burning and watering.

“You okay?” James coughed in my ear.

Definitely not okay. My eyes and nose were running like a hose, and I was struggling to breathe. I didn’t want to distract the guys inside though so I turned off my mic. A few minutes later, James made his way over to check on me. He was struggling not to cough as he pulled me down in the snow behind the trailer.

“Listen to me. It’s some kind of chemical.” He stopped to hack up a lung before continuing. “Close your eyes and slow down your breathing. Take shallow slow breaths.”

He dug up a handful of clean snow from deep under the pile and scrubbed my face with it. He let it melt into my eyes and flushed them until they stopped burning. Then he did his own. By this time, we were still coughing but not as hard. I had a feeling this was going to hurt later. The sound of gunshots surprised us a few minutes later. James shoved me onto my face and crouched with his gun ready to fire. The sounds came from inside the warehouse. Oh crap! Shooting wasn’t in the plan for tonight! Pulling out my Sig, I scooted around to see the door. There were more gunshots, and then a lot of yelling.

“James! Watch the door and grab anyone who runs out. Dec, get out of there!” Killian was barking orders into my earpiece. Where was Sean?

More yelling and gunshots. Finally, I heard Sean say, “What the hell is that?”

Killian yelled, “Out now!”

A loud roar came from the far end of the warehouse, and men began running out of the front door. James vanished and reappeared next to the door. He snatched the next two men who ran out and vanished with them. I blinked. Wow, so that’s what it looks like. Before I could get up and move, a small flash of movement near the building caught my eye. What was that? I pressed myself into the shadows and used my night sight to scan the area. Oh yeah. We have company. As men came running out of the burning warehouse, another observer hid in the shadows and watched the chaos. Who was this guy? Cop? The fire got louder and small explosions were going off inside the building. The acrid smoke from burning chemicals was drifting across the parking lot. I put my sleeve against my nose and tried not to breathe. Frantic now, I chewed on my lip. Where were they? Come on, come on! I switched on my mic and shouted for Sean, Killian, and Dec. None of them answered me. Shit. James was gone too. Double shit. Then I saw a dark figure on the roof and almost cried with relief. He was crouched over to jump off the roof when the entire roof exploded in an immense fireball. Whoosh! The night sky lit up like a nuclear explosion. The force of the blast slammed me backwards into the dumpster. The last thing I saw was the tractor trailer flying towards me before I crumbled into darkness.

Loud yelling jarred me awake. “Raphael? Raphael? Hurry!” Sean. Thank God, he was safe.

I opened my eyes a tiny slit and breathed with relief. We were in the penthouse again. I closed my eyes against the harsh lights. Sean was racing to strip off my boots and jacket.

While he worked, he said, “You’re gonna be okay. It’s all right. You just rest. Raphael will be here, and he’ll make you feel better.”

My chest was burning. My side hurt when I took a breath. Probably I broke another rib. Crap. I hadn’t heard other voices… Where was Dec and Killian? Sean looked horrible. He was covered in soot, and his skin was lobster red. His eyebrows were singed. Even the whites of his eyes were red. He had a gash on the side of his head that was bleeding steadily down his cheek. Then I remembered the explosion…

“I’m fine. It’s just a broken rib… Go take a shower. You’re a mess,” I ordered with a weak smile.

“Are you kidding? I’m not leaving you.” He bent down and kissed my forehead. The smell of the fire was overwhelming. I wrinkled my nose which started a new coughing fit. Sean was alarmed when I coughed up red mucus. His eyes were scared as he looked at me. I guess I looked worse than he did.

Alex and Jordan finally came home and were appalled by our appearance. Jordan took charge and efficiently helped Sean undress me and sit me in the shower. It was like having two nurses: one clean and one filthy. After I was chemical-free and covered by a blanket, Alex insisted that Sean take a shower to wash off any chemicals. Sean sprinted to the shower and was back in two minutes flat. He was squeaky clean except for the fresh blood that was running down his face again. Jordan sighed and handed Sean a towel.

Where was Dec? Where was Killian? Something was wrong. Tonight went horribly wrong. Where were they? Maybe they were blown up? Were they dead inside the warehouse?

“Don’t cry, baby.” He dabbed at my eyes with a tissue. “I hate not being able to help you!”

I was coughing again but managed to croak, “Dec? Killian?”

He wouldn’t answer me.

A few minutes later, Raphael finally showed. He came with Killian. There was no sign of Dec. Killian was still hyper-alert, and the waves of heat coming off of his body were noticeable from across the room. He was coiled tightly as he reported in to Alex. Alex calmly listened to the details, and then gave out some new orders. He sent Killian after James. He needed help interrogating the two men he snatched. Depending on their origin, Killian was to use his judgment to dispose of them. Yikes! What did that mean, exactly? His eyes gleamed with eagerness.

“Killian, wait!” I said as he was getting ready to leave again.

Surprisingly, he actually came over and sat down on the side of the bed. His eyes softened as he took my hand in his. I tried to smile but broke into another fit of coughing that left me wheezing. He squeezed my hand and hollered for Raphael.

“Where’s Dec? Tell me.”

He looked angry again, but he kept his voice soft when he answered me. “I don’t know. He’s gone.”

Shocked, I said, “What do you mean ‘gone?’ How does a Primani disappear? Can’t you sense him or something?”

He shook his head. “I can’t sense him. I saw him in the warehouse right before the whole place went up, but I haven’t seen him since.”

My face crumpled, and he searched around for help. This was way out of his comfort zone; Killian wasn’t a sensitive guy on the best of days. He killed things; he didn’t give comfort. That wasn’t in his job description. Sean displaced him from my side. He was much better at comfort. I guess he’s had more practice.

It was lunchtime when I woke up the next time. I was lying on my bed with Sean. He was asleep and looked healthy again. I was so out of it last night that I didn’t remember Raphael healing me or going to bed. I took an experimental breath and didn’t cough. My eyes weren’t burning anymore either. I’ll have to learn to heal myself if I’m going to keep hanging around these guys. What will happen to me if Raphael isn’t around?

Sean rolled over and scooped me against him. He sighed sleepily and kissed my shoulder. I leaned against him and relaxed into sleep again. A light tap on the door gradually woke me. I started to move, but Sean shushed me and tightened his arms around me.

“Shh, just wait. Look,” he whispered.

I looked down at our entwined bodies and was amazed to see the pale glow surrounding us. “Did you do that?” I asked.

He smiled against my back. “Not on purpose. I woke up, and it was there. I guess you get your halo after all.” He inhaled deeply, and the pale light faded and then disappeared altogether.

The aroma of freshly-baked croissants teased my nose as we entered the kitchen. Jordan looked immensely pleased with himself as he ushered me to the table. He’d put out a big spread today. There were several baskets of bagels and muffins scattered on the table. There were bowls of scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit too. Pretty glass pitchers sparkled with juice and a bottle of champagne was chilling in a silver bucket. The table was set with sparkling crystal glasses and polished silverware. There was even a beautiful vase overflowing with cream and purple tulips. They were beautiful, and I immediately buried my nose in them. When I turned around, I had an audience. Alex, Jordan, and Sean stood near the bar with identical satisfied grins on their faces.

“What’s going on?” I smiled back automatically.

“It’s not every day a girl turns 19, now is it, darlin’?” Sean played up his brogue.

“This is for me? It’s all so beautiful! Thank you, Jordan. I know you went to a lot of trouble for me. But I can’t celebrate without Dec.” My voice cracked when I said his name.

Sean’s smile got even wider, and he held the door open. A definitely unharmed Dec stepped into the room. With a happy girly cry, I flew into his arms. He swung me around until I was too dizzy to cry. Setting me down, he hugged me until the spinning stopped. With a cheeky grin, he presented me with a small box. It was my birthday present.

Laughing, I opened the box to find an exquisite porcelain replica of Domino. She was beautiful. It was the perfect gift. I drank in the faces surrounding me and smiled like a big dope. No, they were the perfect gifts.

Chapter 25: You Can’t Go Home Again

THE ADIRONDACKS WERE BLANKETED in fresh snow as we drove north. I gazed out the window as the scenery flew past us. Purplish clouds roiled above us, and a brisk wind buffeted the car. Involuntarily, I squeezed the arm rest, drawing an amused eye roll from Sean. I shrugged and let go. After everything we’d been through, I knew we weren’t going to die in a car wreck today. We would be back in Plattsburgh soon. I was getting more and more tense the closer we got. My dad was going to kill me. I was pretty sure of that. There was only one solution.

“I have to move out.”

Sean said, “Okay. I’ll bite. Why do you have to move out?”

“He’s going to kill me; and probably, you too. Or maybe he’ll just kill you and leave me alive to suffer.”

He snorted and disagreed, “He’s not going to kill either of us. We’ll just have a talk with him, and he’ll understand everything. It’ll be fine, babe. Don’t worry about it.” He squeezed my leg and let his palm rest there.

My leg tingled and heat spread up my thigh. Then my face got warmer. Whew, was it getting hot in here? I fanned myself and unbuttoned my sweater. Suddenly I was way too hot. It was like a furnace in here! When I peeled off my sweater, Sean nearly drove the car off the road.

Dec peered into the front seat, and said, “Dude, what are you doing up here?” Bursting into laughter, he wheezed, “No way!”

What was the matter with him? Nonplussed, I turned towards Sean and his mouth dropped open. He whipped the car onto the shoulder and threw it into park.

“Out,” he ordered.

“What? What’s the matter with you two? I’m not getting out!”

Gritting his teeth, he pulled the vanity mirror down and pointed at it. Geez, now what? I looked into the mirror and flinched. Oh crap. I was glowing again. Resigned, I got out and sat in the snow until my body temperature went down. Sean and Dec alternated between pacing and laughing. Well, mostly Sean paced and Dec laughed. I couldn’t decide if this was funny or not. I was going to have to get this under control though. I was pretty sure I couldn’t explain this to my father.

As we pulled up to my parents’ house, we had our story straight. I’d hoped to slink off to my apartment without notice, but my dad opened the front door as soon as we parked the car. He did not look happy to see me. Janet was just as unhappy. I sighed and crossed my fingers. I hoped this plan worked. I gave a jaunty little wave and pretended to get something out of the trunk. Dec and Sean approached my parents with their most innocent expressions. Obviously furious, Dad started to say something, but Dec took his hand. After several minutes of conversation with Dec, it was done. Janet and Dad were smiling and waving me inside. They wanted to hear all about our field trip. I shook my head in amazement. It’s a good thing he uses his powers for good…

Later that night, I lay on my bed with my stereo playing softly next to me. Domino was still mad at me and wouldn’t tolerate my attempts to snuggle. She was curled at the foot of the bed with her back to me. Sean said she’d come around. I guess he’d know. Right now, I doubted it, the ungrateful mutt. I decided to ignore her to stare across the room some more. I sent Sean away so I could think. I had to get some of my jangled thoughts into order. A lot had happened, and we still had a lot to do. I had more questions than answers, and knew, without a doubt, there would be more tragedy and pain. I felt it. I couldn’t see it yet, but it was coming. Before we left the safe house this morning, Raphael pulled me aside.

With serious eyes he’d said, “I’m afraid your destiny isn’t written in stone, little one. It’s still evolving, as are you. You continue to surprise us with new abilities, and these will continue to shape your destiny.”

“What are you saying, Raphael? I’m not going to stay with them? With Sean?” I wouldn’t accept that. I wasn’t leaving him. Ever.

He shook his head. “No, child. That’s not what I’m saying at all. Your true destiny is forged by your abilities and how you choose to use them. It comes down to choices. I’m saying you must harness these abilities now. Work to understand and sharpen them. Use your strengths to become stronger. Use your wisdom to become wiser. Use your sight to see farther.”

He smiled sadly at me. “You will be challenged, and you will be hurt. There is great pain on your path, Mica.”

Somehow that didn’t surprise me. “Will I ever learn to heal myself?” I was getting tired of being broken by men, and now I had to worry about demons.

He considered my question for a moment before placing his palm against my cheek. There was no familiar tingling or supernatural warmth. Instead, I felt only the rough texture of his palm. His eyes were slightly unfocused as he gazed into mine.

“Relax. I’m going to give you a special gift.” With eyes closed, he spoke firmly in a language I didn’t understand. When he finished, he kissed my forehead and sat back.

“Go with God, child.” And then he was gone.

So now I sat and puzzled over his words. More pain in my future didn’t sound good, but I wasn’t surprised. My transformation had to be related to the Primani and they hunted demons. It made sense I would be involved with demons too, and they would be dangerous. I pictured Dai Li’s gleaming red eyes and swallowed uneasily. A sudden gust of wind pushed a tree branch against the roof, and I jumped. With a nervous snicker, I started toward the refrigerator. A loud clap of thunder shook the house, and the lights flickered. Domino jumped up and barked furiously. A flash of light blinded me through the blinds and thunder shook the house so hard I lost my balance and fell hard against the desk. The lights went out, and Domino went crazy. She planted herself in front of me, barking viciously at an invisible threat. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I wasn’t alone.

The stench of rotten eggs filled the room. Watching me with something like curiosity on his face, he waited near the door. He kept his human mask in place for now, but the gleaming yellow eyes gave him away. The demon seemed surprised to see me though and hesitated. That was interesting.

“What do you want?”

“Are you the one the Primani protect?” he asked tentatively. His eyes darted all over the room. He curled his lip at Domino who was still snarling like a mad dog. Oddly, he didn’t try to go around her.

“Who’s asking? Dec?” I challenged loudly.

He didn’t expect that. His yellow eyes narrowed. “Dec? Stupid human bitch! Just shut up and listen to me. I’m here to deliver a message for the Primani.” He twitched a finger, and Domino lunged. He actually backed up a step.

“Tell them Dagin says the truce is over.”

“What truce is he talking about?” I spit out random questions to stall him. I was hoping my protectors would miraculously show up before I got barbequed. It was working too; until the door suddenly opened, and Trevor barged into the room. Surprised, the demon whirled around and threw a fireball at this new threat.

Two things happened then. Domino launched herself between the fireball and Trevor and they vanished. The demon exploded into a cloud of smoke. Trevor! I ran outside screaming for Trevor. Another flash lit up the sky. Blinded by the light, I ran headlong into Dec and Sean who appeared out of nowhere. Both grabbed me to keep me from falling, and I slapped at their hands.

“Let go of me! I have to find them! They’re gone!” Frantically, I called Trevor’s name.

“What happened?” Sean grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to calm down. They arrived expecting a fight, and Dec’s eyes were intense as he scanned the yard.

“There they are!” Dec yelled. He sprinted towards a huge snowdrift near the back of the property.

Oh no! I was completely undone. There, lying in a large puddle of melted snow, were my little brother and my dog. Both were still smoking. Sean and Dec skidded to a stop and swore. How did they get out here? I stared for a minute and then I knew what to do. I knew exactly what to do!

“Mica! We need to call an ambulance!” Sean stopped me.

“No, we don’t! I know what to do. Let go of me!”

He hesitated, and I said, “Raphael gave me a gift.” I let the words sink in and headed to Trevor’s side.

He wasn’t burned to ash like my vision had shown, but he was burned pretty badly. I forced back nausea and bit my lip. The poor kid looked terrible. Most of his bright red hair was singed to the scalp, and his freckled face was seared like a steak. Thank God he was unconscious. Okay, I can do this. Raphael, if you’re listening, make sure I do it right! I put my hands on Trevor’s face and closed my eyes. Carefully, I repeated Raphael’s strange words. Nothing happened so I tried it again. This time I added something else. I called to the energy inside of me. Gradually, the current of energy converged, slowly flowing through my fingers into Trevor’s body. My hands vibrated with the force of it, but I held them still until Trevor began to heal. Beginning with his face, the burns vanished, and his skin returned to normal. I pulled my hands back and shook them at my sides. Trevor blinked sleepily at me and asked what happened. I hugged him quickly and turned to Dec who was squatting next to me.

“Can you fix his memory?” I asked.

He nodded, and said, “I’m all over it. Nice work.”

A few feet away, Sean sat with Domino cradled in his arms. His eyes were bleak when he looked at me over her head. When I sat down with them, she wagged her tail and tried to raise her head.

“Be still, baby girl. You’re going to be okay.” I hummed a lullaby while I peered into her sad chocolate eyes.

She laid her chin on Sean’s arm and sighed. This better work on dogs… I took her scorched little face in my hands and began again. I took a deep breath, gathered my energy and let it flow from my fingertips. My hands vibrated and tingled with the force of the current, but Domino didn’t respond. Digging deeper within myself, I pushed more healing energy into her. My hands started to burn, and still she didn’t respond. She cried out and licked at my hands. Come on, come on! It wasn’t working! What else could I do? Sean put his hand over mine and squeezed.

“Let me help.”

He joined his much stronger saol with mine and repeated the words. The glow from our joined hands illuminated his face as he concentrated. A tear shimmered as it slowly rolled down his cheek. Again and again, we repeated the words until Domino began to heal. The poor baby had taken the brunt of the fireball and had more injuries than Trevor. After a few minutes, she was healed. Shaking her head, she struggled to her feet and wagged her tail. I threw my arms around her and cried. My baby was back!

Sean found me a bit later and approached with caution. I was standing with my back against the wall staring at the place where Trevor and Domino had landed. I had so many questions, but I just wanted to sleep. I was afraid to sleep because I would dream. So I stood there instead. Feeling my tension, he kneaded my shoulders until I relaxed against him. We stood silently for a very long time.

As the sun started to rise, I turned to him, and said, “I’m moving into the farmhouse--today.”

“I’ll help you pack.”

My dad was profoundly unhappy with my decision to move in with Sean. As far as he was concerned, Sean was just a high school kid. I embellished the circumstances, telling him we were in love and getting married. I was an adult and could do what I wanted, but I asked for his understanding. He didn’t understand. I hoped someday he would. I was throwing my things into garbage bags when Sean pulled up with his car. We were loading my stuff when Ricki walked over.

“So you’re leaving again?” she observed without a smile.

Unsure of her mood, I said, “I’m moving in with Sean.”

Her eyebrows went up. “No shit?”

I couldn’t help it; I cracked a smile at that. She smiled too. Then we were hugging each other and laughing. She was still mad about my disappearing without a word. I tried the field trip excuse, and she told me to cut the bullshit. She didn’t buy that story. I threw a glance at Sean. He gave me a slight shake of the head. Okay, so she wasn’t allowed to know the truth. When I faced Ricki again, she was glaring at Sean. He met her eyes and held them. He offered me his hand, and I started to lean into him, and then froze awkwardly in mid-lean. What if I started glowing again? I couldn’t explain that to her so I stepped back from his hand.

Sean said, “Come on, Mica, we better get moving. It’s going to snow again.”

He was right. The sky was threatening to drop huge amounts of snow. I told Ricki I’d talk to her soon. She wasn’t happy about that but went back to her house without another comment. Everything was loaded including Domino who rode shotgun with Sean. As we drove away, I couldn’t help feeling it was not a moment too soon.

Chapter 26: All Kinds of Teachers

OUR ARRIVAL AT THE FARMHOUSE was anticlimactic. I expected Killian to be upset about my decision, but he wasn’t. Instead, he helped us carry my bags into the bedroom. As I hung up my clothes, he lounged in a chair, talking with Sean. He ignored me completely as they talked over upcoming missions. I’d never seen him actually relax before. He looked different. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. This was a side of him that I didn’t believe existed. If he wasn’t careful, he might smile a real smile and give me a heart attack…

He tilted his face towards me and smiled a real smile. It transformed his face completely. He was breathtaking. Wow! My mouth dropped open. He burst into genuine laughter. I put my hand over my heart and pretended to die. He laughed even harder and Sean joined in. I fell over on the bed and laughed too. It felt so amazing to laugh again. I guess all of us needed the release because we lay there still chuckling minutes later when Dec popped in.

As the winter wound down, things got harder. Alex insisted we keep things normal to avoid questions so we still had to go to school. It wasn’t a big deal for Sean and Dec since they didn’t really care about homework or grades. This was just a cover for them. They’d leave school with me whether they graduated or not. This was really hard for me though. I had nebulous plans for college so I actually wanted to keep my grades up. I was trying to juggle homework, a part-time job, and oh, learning to tap into my suddenly-burgeoning-psychic-abilities.

Alex and Raphael had a talk with the guys before we left Manhattan. Apparently they foresaw my move into the farmhouse and gave strict instructions on my education. Alex insisted they help me develop my abilities and uncover any new ones that were hiding. They explained to me that all Primani have some common abilities, like teleporting and self-healing. But each also has a unique ability that gives him an individual strength. When they work together, they complement each other and form a stronger team. Because of this, they were dividing up my training. Dec would help me learn to manipulate my energy for healing, and Killian would help me hone my intuition and mind-reading. Since he and I were psychically connected anyway, this seemed like a no-brainer to me. I wasn’t sure I wanted him inside my head though.

For some reason known only to him, Alex insisted Sean teach me to fight. Last fall we sparred together at the gym. Sean was all business as he patiently taught me to defend myself. This was totally different. This went way beyond self-defense, and he drilled me obsessively. He spent hours teaching me hand-to-hand combat intended only to kill. I’d already mastered taking a gun from an attacker. I still had a lot to learn as every new bruise showed me. Because our training was so physical, we couldn’t train in the public gym so we used a converted room in the basement. The snow had finally melted away and today was the first warmish day of spring. Sweat was running into my eyes. I found a dry piece of shirt to wipe the sweat out of my eyes.

“You don’t have time for that! Do you think the bad guy’s going to let you wipe your eyes? NO!” Sean’s voice was harsh.

“Fine!”

I got back up and staggered over for another round. We were drilling on how to avoid a knife. I didn’t have time to react when he lunged and pinned me to the ground. The plastic knife slit my throat before I even put up my hands.

He straddled me and threw the knife down. “You’re dead!”

He hauled me up, and said, “Again. This time, you need to react; at least do something!”

I ground my teeth together. Oh, so he wanted a reaction? He came at me with the knife lowered, and I dodged to the side just as the blade would have stabbed me. He swung again, and I pushed his arm to one side and kneed him in the balls as hard as I could. He dropped like a rock. Bull’s eye!

I kicked the knife away and pressed my heel into his wrist for good measure. Just enough pressure to know I was there… I stood there happily gloating for a minute until I realized he wasn’t making any noise at all.

“Sean?”

“Come on, stop milking it! You’re not that hurt!”

Silence. I couldn’t see his face because it was turned away from me. Was he breathing? Uncertain, I knelt down to check on him. As soon as I bent over, he grabbed me by both arms and flung me over his body and then rolled on top of me pinning me to the ground. He shoved another plastic knife against my throat. His cheek pressed against mine as he pressed the knife. Sweat dripped into my eyes and burned like fire. His breathing was harsh while mine was non-existent. He’d knocked the wind out of me. My mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water.

“What the hell, dude? Get off her, you tool. Are you trying to really kill her?” Dec interrupted my death scene.

Swearing softly, Sean rolled off in one fluid motion. My rescuer offered to give me mouth-to-mouth if it would help. Then he made kissing noises in my ear. I inhaled sharply as I tried to laugh at him. Wheezing, I sat up and glared twin holes into Sean’s back. So he wants to play rough, does he? I growled and launched myself against his legs. He toppled like a tree, and I was on him like a vine. Before he could throw me off, I skewered him like a shish kebab. Oh, he was so dead. Oh, yeah. To add insult to injury, I stood back and aimed a fake kick at his head. Then I danced my way back to Dec who gave me a high five and a down low.

“I heard you took down your trainer today, princess,” Killian commented over dinner that night.

“He had it coming.”

“No doubt.”

“She was a rock star!” Dec added loyally.

Sean grumbled and took his plate into the kitchen. He was in a crappy mood. He was still dreaming, and the dreams were getting more intense. Strangely, he still wouldn’t admit he was dreaming. Lack of sleep was taking a toll on him though. His eyes were ringed with purple shadows. He was exhausted by the end of the day but still pushed himself to teach me. Frowning, I followed him to the kitchen. He was sitting on the counter with his eyes closed and head back in a stretch.

“Come to bed with me?” I tugged at his hand, and he followed.

I curled against his side and lay my head on his chest. He hadn’t said a word to me tonight. What was going on here? Was he really mad at me? It wasn’t like him to be this quiet. I scooted up so I was level with his ear and whispered, “Forgive me?”

He wrapped his arms around me and absently rubbed his thumb down my neck. “Forgive you? Why? You did exactly what you should do. I think the real question is do you forgive me. I got carried away. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“There’s nothing to forgive. You’re just trying to make me stronger. I get it. You worry about me, but you shouldn’t, you know. I’ll be okay. Let’s just forget about it. I have other things on my mind right now.”

“You’re insatiable. I think I’ve created a monster.” His lips followed the same trail as his thumb. A few minutes later, he rested his chin on my thigh, and asked, “Are you purring?”

The dream was gone, but I held fragments of it behind my closed eyes. Like a kaleidoscope, the green and black shifted and changed in tiny cells. They formed a beautiful black and green symmetrical pattern that was only ruined by a singular discordant flash of blinding white. I hovered in that magical state between sleep and wakefulness and forced my sight to reach beyond the tiny cells. What if I could pull away the borders to open the image up as it was meant to be seen outside of a dream? Breathing carefully, I dismantled the edges piece by piece. As each cell was released, the nonsensical colors took shape as a green forest in the dark of night. The sky sparkled with millions of stars. I marveled at the brilliance of the tiny balls of gas when a flash nearer to me caught my attention. Just outside my vision, a vivid white light expanded and contracted with greater intensity. The light exploded, and my vision went dark.

“Slowly now, come back to me. Open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes, exhaling slowly. My hand was shaking, and Killian steadied it.

“Good girl. Now breathe slowly until you feel balanced again.”

“Well?” I asked.

He peered into my face, studying my eyes for damages, and sat back on his heels. “It’s much better this time. You still have color, and you controlled your breathing. Both good signs, I think. Your eyes look freaked out though. Maybe you could blink now; you’re scaring the wildlife.” He gestured toward a squirrel that was peeking nervously from behind a branch above us.

In the back of the property, I’d found a little space surrounded by maple trees with a wide patch of fresh grass in the center. Too small to be a real meadow, it was perfect for my lessons. Every other day, I came here and worked on refining my intuition. Some days I came alone and meditated. During meditation, I opened my mind to any premonitions or dreams that would come. No premonitions had shown up so far. Dreams came often and sometimes nothing came at all. The cream-colored room in my mind sat empty and calm. Killian came with me every few days. In his way, he was a natural teacher. He was extremely patient and relaxed while we worked through the exercises he designed.

“What do you remember about the dream?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Green forest, starry sky, explosion.”

He was thoughtful for a moment, and admitted, “I caught the explosion in your eyes. Did you see what it was?”

“You did what? How did you see that?”

It was his turn to shrug. “I always watch your eyes when you slip away like that. If your eyes are partially open, I can see your visions too. I only saw a bright flash.”

“That is so cool.”

Intrigued with this new information, we lost track of time, brainstorming possible causes and reasons for this connection between us. It was fascinating how I was connected to each of them. Dec could hear my voice, Killian could hear my thoughts and see my visions, and I was becoming more convinced that Sean was connected to the core of who I am… He shared my soul. What did it all mean?

Later that night, we made plans to go into town for pizza and some socializing. I missed my friends and wanted to be a normal person for a few hours. Ricki and Dani were meeting us at The Angry Lizard. I hoped they’d bring Kevin and Aric. I missed them too. I twirled in front of the mirror to check the effect of the skirt I was wearing. It was very short and airy with layers of white cotton. It floated around me when I twirled. It was hot tonight so I wore a fitted purple tank top and sandals. The only jewelry I wore was my locket. I never took it off.

I curtseyed in front of Sean. “Well?”

His eyes gleamed with pride as he took in my flushed face and bare legs. “Beautiful! Too beautiful to go out! Let’s stay here…” He pulled me up for a long lingering kiss that made me dizzy and overheated.

Sean was still looking smug as we drove into town. Killian had taken one look at me and pressed his lips together. With a shake of his head, he got into the driver’s seat. It was odd riding in a car with all three of them. We’d never gone out together before. Killian rarely showed up, and if he did, he stayed a few minutes and then left. Socializing wasn’t really his thing. For the past year, Killian was usually away on a mission and hadn’t been out with us at all.

As Killian parked the car, a small group of boys watched us with interest. Didn’t they realize they would never win a fight with their pants around their knees and their shoes untied? When Dec and Sean stepped out of the car, their cocky expressions went blank. When Killian stepped out, they suddenly found something else to gawk at.

Dani was the first to spot us. She was glowing in a normal healthy way tonight. She had a pretty yellow flower tucked behind her ear and wore a sheer peasant top with cut-off jeans. She was adorable. I spotted Aric lounging against her table and understood the glow. I headed over to see them with a smile of my own. Sean and Dec moved with more purpose and took a good look around the restaurant before coming over to us. I noticed that Dec angled himself so he could see the back door. They were never off-duty when we left the farmhouse. With Dagin’s truce dissolved, it was open warfare. We never knew when we’d run into one of Dagin’s crew. They liked to surprise us. Killian reappeared from checking the bathroom and straddled a stool. I bit my cheek as it registered that he was going to hang out with us. Aric stiffened with tension and Dani’s eyes widened with surprise. Before I could say anything, Ricki, Kevin, and Tyler strolled in. They took one look at us and froze. Geez, what is everyone’s problem tonight?

Sean whispered, “Pool?”

“Good idea. Hey, Killian, come play a game with me?” I headed towards the far pool table. Nonplussed, he played along.

“Is this necessary?” He smiled in his best harmless way as he racked up the balls.

“You look like the big bad wolf when you smile like that!” I broke into giggles at my own joke.

He smiled a real smile then and actually looked human. Maybe I was crazy, but I loved this complicated creature that scared the hell out of mere mortals. I understood their fear, but he was on their side. He risked his life constantly for them. They just didn’t know it. It wasn’t fair.

Dangerous thoughts, princess. Moving lazily, he chalked the tip of the stick and waved me to go first.

“Mica, are you going to tell me what’s going on or what?” Ricki wasn’t one to sugarcoat anything.

I lined up my shot and scratched. Damn it. I sucked at pool. “What are you asking about, Ricki?”

Killian took his shot, and of course, the ball went into the pocket. He was killing me. The night wasn’t a total loss. I did manage to get him to laugh and smile and look human so my friends felt safe staying in the same building with him. Ricki was too intent on grilling me to let him intimidate her right now. Besides she once threatened to screw him in a cave… She frowned at Sean and rephrased her concerns.

“Are you happy with him?” She glanced at Sean under her lashes.

Shocked, I said, “What kind of a question is that? I’m deliriously happy with him! Why would you ask that?” My voice rose, and Sean and Dec both glanced over.

Not done yet, she continued, “You flinch every time he tries to touch you, and you have bruises on both of your arms…” she trailed off and faced me. “He’s… they… they’re all so…”

Straightening stiffly, I filled in the blanks. “Protective? How about strong or kind? Maybe those are the words you’re looking for!”

Killian’s lips twitched as he lined up another shot. I started to say something more when Sean came up behind me. He draped an arm around my shoulder, and I sank against him gratefully. With a puzzled half-smile, he kissed me and asked what was going on. Ricki turned red, and Killian twitched again. What was wrong with him? Then I heard him chuckling inside my head. He was trying to send his thoughts but couldn’t stop laughing to focus them. Was he counting? Smiling as naturally as I could at Sean, I was trying to tell Killian to shut up when I realized what he was laughing about. My shoulders were tingling and the feeling was spreading down my back. Ugh! Not now! Shit. Killian finally burst into laughter, causing everyone to stare at him long enough for me to run to the bathroom.

When I reappeared, Dec grinned at me, and whispered, “Girl, you’ve got to get a grip on that! You can’t bust out in light every time he touches you. It’s not natural!”

I guess the ice was broken because Tyler was playing pool with Aric, Sean and Dani. Killian leaned against the bar nursing a beer. Kevin and Ricki were at the table. She was crying. Kevin glared at me and Dec as we came over. I inhaled and hesitated. Dec gave me a gentle nudge and reminded me that Ricki loved me. Okay, good point. I can do this. I’ll just have to be creative.

“I have bruises because I’m learning Krav Maga. I can’t learn without a partner and bruises happen. Sean isn’t abusing or controlling me in any way. I flinched when he reached for me that day because I was mugged in Quebec and am still a little jumpy.” I took another deep breath and plunged ahead. “If he’s protective, it’s because he’s seen me bleed. You don’t know this, but he… they… all three of them, have pulled me out of Scott’s hands more than once.”

She was dumbfounded and shook her head in denial. ”When? I didn’t know.”

“No, you didn’t know. I didn’t tell you, and they respect me too much to talk about it. All you need to know is they all care about me and would never hurt me. Look at them! Do they seem dangerous to you?”

Sean was laughing at Dani’s bad shot. Dec threw out his best dimply smile at her. No, they didn’t look dangerous just then. I hugged Ricki and grimaced as she accidently squeezed one of my many bruises. I have got to learn how to heal myself…

Days later I got my chance. Sean and I just finished another brutal session, and I was sweating like a pig and sucking in oxygen. The air in the basement was stuffy, and I gulped at it like it was water. Unfazed by the workout, he tapped his fingers on his thigh and reviewed my progress. I’d learned to disarm a gunman, dodge a knife attack and break someone’s neck so I expected some praise.

“You have to do more, babe. You’re not giving me everything you’ve got. In real life, you’d be dead ten times over.”

My face fell. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Frustrated, I threw a right hook at the punching bag. “Do you think I’m not taking this seriously? I’m working as hard as I can!” I punched the bag again. “I’m not you!”

In two strides he crossed over to me and blocked my next swing. Holding my fist inside of his, he said, “No, you’re not me! That’s the problem--you’re still too vulnerable. Do you have any idea how easy it is to kill a fragile human?” His voice was low and silky.

Still holding my fist, he lightly touched my bare stomach with his other hand. “One small blade right here would do it. Or here, or here.” He trailed his fingers over my kidneys, my heart. My heart pounded through his palm as he ran through the many ways a human can die. I was hypnotized when he finally wrapped his fingers around my neck and looked into my eyes. “Give me more!”

We were back on the mats again, and I had a new plan. Raphael’s words echoed in my head: Use your strengths to become stronger. Instead of lunging at him, I stood very still and reached out to his mind. Eyes slightly closed, I waited for his attack. It came almost immediately. He feigned a lunge to my right side, but then dove into my legs. I jumped to the right, and he hit the floor and rolled. Back in a crouch, he aimed a rib-cracking kick at my side. At the last second, I twisted so his foot barely grazed me. I flipped backwards and then tried to sweep his legs, but he blocked me and I fell hard to the mat. He used this to his advantage by yanking my legs out from under me and flinging me several feet to one side. I threw my hands out to stop my fall and landed hard on my elbow. The crack was excruciating. I collapsed on my face with a cry.

“I heard that. You okay?” he asked.

I think not. I moaned and rolled onto my back. I gave him a weak smile. “I think I broke my elbow… Ow.”

Being the excellent boyfriend that he is, he carried me upstairs to the living room. After getting some ice, he left me to find Dec. My favorite healer took one look at the black and blue swollen mess and declared it was time for me to heal myself. Grinning at my dismay, he logically argued that I couldn’t practice healing myself unless I was really hurt. This was a perfect opportunity. He was right. It hurt--a lot! I didn’t share his enthusiasm. I wanted him to fix it and fix it now. I didn’t get my way. Instead, I found myself lying on the floor with my poor elbow resting on a bag of ice because the pain kept me from focusing.

“This is really very easy. Close your eyes and imagine your energy inside of you. Picture the flow like a current that passes through your blood… your muscles. Do you see it?”

I murmured that I did. He continued softly, “Good. Now picture it surrounding your whole body… arms, legs, head, everything. Okay?”

I nodded. My body was tingling and warm all over. I cracked open my eyes. The faint glow of energy enveloped me like a cocoon.

Dec made a small sound of approval, and said, “You’re doing excellent. I can see what you’re doing. You’re controlling it, aren’t you? Now guide that energy to your elbow. Focus it on the break.”

I tried to picture the energy pouring into my arm and then surrounding my elbow. It wasn’t that easy though. The image wavered, and the energy flowed back around the outline of my body instead of into my elbow. It was like pouring water on top of oil… It kept trying to separate.

Dec encouraged, “Focus, Mica. You have the power. You have the will. Concentrate.”

Inhaling deeply, I re-attacked. This time, the energy wrapped around my elbow and stayed put. Okay, so now what?

“Okay, now imagine the break is knitting back together. Picture the healing in your mind as you keep the energy focused. You’ll see when you’re healed.”

I did as he said and gradually the bones straightened and knit back together. The process was intense though. My brain was exhausted with the effort, and I finally gave up and fell asleep.

The clanking of dishes woke me up. I wandered into the kitchen to see what was being destroyed. Lounging against the doorway, I smiled to myself. Dec and Sean were cooking dinner, and it actually smelled good. Sean spotted me and waved me over.

“Hey, come and try this.” He held up a fork of grilled chicken.

“Wow, that’s good. I had no idea you could cook.”

Lifting an eyebrow, he winked at me. “I have many secrets!”

After dinner, Killian announced he had news for us. The delicious food formed a lump in my gut that threatened to come back up. They had new orders from Alex. The Manhattan team finally had some detailed intel on Dagin’s operations. Sean and Killian had managed to immobilize Xarchi at Dump and taken him to an interrogation chamber. While flatly refusing to give me any gory details, Killian explained that Xarchi had been particularly helpful before he was sent back to hell in a cloud of ash. It seemed Dagin was dabbling in the arms trade. His engineers were producing a new weapon that he was getting ready to put on the black market. No one had any doubt the new weapon would be catastrophic and create mass chaos. There was simply no other reason for demons to get involved with humans. The problem was we still didn’t exactly know what we were dealing with. The techies were still reverse-engineering one of the weapons that Dec hijacked from the red warehouse.

I swiveled towards Dec. “You took one of the weapons? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I snatched it from the warehouse and brought it to our lab.”

Killian added without a smile, “You didn’t have a need to know, Mica. Sorry. Our final orders are to blow up that lab and destroy any chemicals or equipment we find. That’s the plan. We’ll head out later.”

I frowned and started to argue, but he raised a hand to cut me off. “I hope you’ve learned what you need to. It’s time to get serious. Playtime is over.”

Chapter 27: Playtime is Over

“PLAYTIME IS OVER. Playtime is over.” I stomped to my room muttering the entire way down the hall. Did he really, really, think this was fun for me? I snorted through my nose. Yeah, sure I loved getting thrown around the basement. And turning my brain inside out was just hilarious! Ugh! He was an idiot. I should’ve kicked him in the head. I slammed the door and felt better.

A soft knock interrupted my sulking. I didn’t want to talk to any of them right now so I ignored it. The door cracked open and Sean poked his head inside.

“I know you’re not asleep. Can I come in?”

Ungraciously, I grunted at him and turned my back. He took that as permission and came inside. Instead of coming over to the bed, he walked to the window and stared out at the fading light. He was absorbed in his own thoughts as the sun set for the night. I had alternated between staring at the ceiling and staring at his back for the last 30 minutes. By the time it was fully dark, I was over my bad mood and wanted to talk. The silence stretched uncomfortably, and I didn’t know how to break it. Just as I was about to go to him, he flopped down on the bed.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I wish I knew.”

“Cryptic.”

“It’s the best I’ve got.” He ran a hand through his hair until it stood up in spikes. I smiled at the sight. He didn’t smile back.

The pattering of rain on the roof filled the silence. A soft rumble of thunder echoed in the trees, and a faint flash of lightning lit up his face. I shivered in the cool air. A storm was coming, but when? Sean reached for me, and I slid into the circle of his arms. His mood was grim, and my imagination took great liberties as it tried to figure out the cause. He was still keeping secrets. What did he know that he wasn’t telling me? What did Alex tell him? What was going on? I hated being left out.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He took my hand and kissed it. Peering into my eyes, he traced my jaw with a fingertip, and whispered, “I can’t find the words.” He yawned hugely, and added in a more matter of fact tone, “Maybe I just need some sleep.”

I didn’t really believe that; he was just changing the subject. I let it go for now though and curled up with him. Even as his breathing slowed, and he relaxed in sleep, I stared at the ceiling. Something was very wrong. I felt it in my bones. I trusted the feeling, and it scared me to death.

The coming of the new day brought with it only watery sunlight that washed out the hard lines of the room. The effect was a sense of being underwater as the rain poured down the windows. A loud crack of thunder brought Sean upright suddenly. Instantly alert, he scanned the room for intruders, hand halfway to his gun, before reluctantly relaxing again. His eyes were deep blue, but the shadows under them were purple in the grey light. His face was white with fatigue and the tiny crease between his eyes was more pronounced this morning.

He gave me a crooked smile, and said, “You look tired, babe. Didn’t you sleep at all?”

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing… I kissed the tiny crease and smoothed my fingers over his face until he sighed.

“We’re a mess, aren’t we?” I asked.

He stopped my hands and kissed them one at a time before tucking them behind my head. As I gazed into his unguarded eyes, the truth of his thoughts came crashing into me. He was barely hanging on. Closing my eyes in denial, I pulled him against me. We clung to each other as the full force of the storm broke over the house. The incessant scream of the wind urged us on. Hurry, hurry… Time is running out. Rain slammed against the glass, drowning out all other sounds. When the last rumble of thunder was very far away, we fell into a dreamless sleep.

They were grouped around the big dining room table looking at sketches when I finally made an appearance that afternoon.

“I want to talk to you.”

“Can it wait?” Killian asked.

“You’re going over the plans for tonight, right?”

He nodded.

“Then no, it can’t wait.” I pulled up a chair and straddled it.

“Fine. What’s on your mind, Mica?”

“I’m going inside with you tonight. I can help.”

Sean protested, “No, you’re not. You’ll stay outside and be our eyes.”

“You need me to balance the team. I can fight as well as you, and I can shoot a gun now. I’m just as trained as you guys are.”

Killian’s eyebrows went straight up. “You think you’re as trained as we are? Really?”

I backpedalled. “Okay, maybe not, but I have skills you can use. Let me help!”

I appealed to Dec for support, but he bolted to the kitchen to feed Domino. Coward! Sean set his lips together and glowered at Killian in silent conversation.

After an eternity, Killian picked up his wicked boot knife and pointed to a position on the sketch. “You’ll be here. I need you to be eyes and ears outside. Bring the NVGs and check your earpiece and mic. You got that?”

I gritted my teeth and must’ve looked mutinous because he added, “Or you can stay here. It’s your choice, princess.”

I glared between them and threw up my hands. “Fine! I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. But I don’t like it! What if something happens to one of you inside? I could help. I--”

Sean stood up so abruptly his chair fell over. Angry now, he shouted, “Stop it! What if something happens to one of us? What would you do then? If Dec is killed, how will you help him? If I’m killed, how will you help? If Killian is killed, then what? What! Mica, you’re not thinking! You can’t help. We’ll be dead, and so will you. That’s what will happen if this mission goes south tonight.”

Now it was nearly time to head out, and I was nervous. I checked and double-checked my body armor, cleaned my Sig, loaded it, stuffed extra magazines into my pockets, and strapped on my new Bowie knife. I checked myself in the mirror and flexed my biceps. I looked bad-ass! I had on black camouflage pants and a thin long-sleeved black shirt. I had black boots on my feet and body armor covering my chest. My gun was tucked into its holster, my knife strapped to my thigh. I was a mercenary. Geez, my dad would kill me if he knew what I was up to… One more reason to come out of this raid alive and in one piece. I looked out the window and groaned. The rain had come back with a vengeance. Our fearless leader checked the radar and announced we’d have rain all night. The storm was moving to Vermont so we’d have to deal with it for the next six hours. Well, at least we’d have cover…

Two hours later, Domino huddled under a bush and shook water out of her ears. My hat kept the water from running into my ears, but it still ran down my back. I was already soaked through to my underwear so it was pointless to look for shelter. When he dropped me off, Killian reminded me that I wouldn’t melt. Guess he had a point. As long as I could hear and see, I would be able to do my job tonight.

Sean studied the clearing and reminded me, for the 20th time, to watch the driveway and the back of the property for latecomers. He had about five more minutes before he had to move into his position. Killian wanted it to be fully dark, and it was nearly there. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the wind picked up again. It made me uneasy, and I shivered. Sean peered through the binoculars at the roofline and mumbled to himself some more. He had gone over the plan twice since we got here. All business now, he didn’t waste any time worrying about me. It was go-time. He was a professional. He’d do what he’d have to do tonight. I understood that, and I--

Cutting off my thoughts, he pinned me against the tree. My head was spinning by the time he released my mouth, and I dragged in a ragged breath of air. The relentless rain sluiced between us like a waterfall. The dense woods surrounded us like a jungle in the pouring rain. Lost in the moment, there was only him, only now. He dragged his mouth across my throat, kissing me with an unexpected tenderness.

“God, Mica! You’re ripping my heart out!” Before I could respond, he crushed me against him, ravaging my mouth with a hunger that set me on fire. His hands dug into my shoulders, bruising, clutching me to his hard body. My skin burned as the current ripped through my blood, and I shook with too much energy, too much power to contain. Arching with the pain, I moaned against his mouth until he released me to search my eyes in the darkness. A pale flicker of lightning cast an odd shadow over Sean, and for a moment, just for a moment, I thought I saw a different face. Then the illusion was gone, and I saw only the flickering gold lights in his eyes.

With one last hard kiss, he pulled away, hissing fiercely, “Stay alert!”

And he was gone.

I let the cool rain soak my overheated body, my thoughts ricocheting like a pinball machine, my mouth tingling and tasting of Sean. Everything would be okay, right? Sure. This was a routine mission. Nothing too hairy, right? Everything would be okay. I repeated this positive thought until I was almost convinced.

I used my night vision goggles to scan the perimeter. The farmhouse compound was surrounded by an electrified fence with concertino wire running along its top. There was one gate that was monitored with a camera and an electronic keypad. Killian’s intel source said it was the only gate onto the property. I hoped he was right about that. I couldn’t see much on the other side of the building from my position. That made me a little nervous. What if reinforcements could come in from that direction? We’d be screwed. Moving my eyes slowly along the fence line, I was relieved to see it was clear. I focused on the house next. There were sentries posted on each end of the second story porch. As I watched, one of them tossed a cigarette over the side where it fell like a tiny shooting star. A moment later, he slumped over in a quiet pile as Dec took him out. He slid the body out of sight and picked up the man’s rifle. He faced my direction and whispered into his mic, “I’m in.”

I breathed out. One down, two to go. Sean should be next. Endless seconds later, Sean called in too. Just one more. Killian was on the other side of the compound and was supposed to slip into the basement to set the charges. They would set the timers, and then get out of there. Killian should’ve been there by now. Where was he? I peered at the house with the NVGs again. Everything looked quiet. Wait a minute! What’s that?

“Company! Three men… no, not men. Make that three demons. Shit. They just appeared on the driveway.”

Domino growled under her breath. Not tearing my eyes away from the scene in front of me, I reached down and lay a hand on her head.

Sean’s voice came through the earpiece. “Where now?”

“Heading into the house. Uh-oh, they’re looking up at the second floor. Dec, they see you! Move!”

My vision was blinded as the demon threw a fireball at Dec. I couldn’t see where he was now. Did he vanish? The demon was still there…

“Sean! Dec’s gone.”

Domino snarled and backed into my calf.

“Chill, Cujo, before I shoot you.”

I whipped around with my gun in my hand. He aimed his at my head at the same time I leveled mine at his chest. He stood about six feet away. I liked my odds.

The man drawled, “Well, hell, you’re just a chick. Why don’t you put that gun down so we can get to know each other before I bring you to the barn?” He cocked the gun with a click.

Domino bared her teeth. The wind was picking up again and gusts were blowing branches around the two of us. I waited, searching his eyes. They flickered the moment he made his decision. In a split second, I lunged for his gun hand and shoved it to the side, snapping his finger in the trigger. I jammed my other hand into his nose. As he lost his balance, I threw myself backwards and came up with the gun pointing at his chest again. Nose dripping, he lunged at me. I pulled the trigger, and he dropped to his knees with a hole in his chest, a look of surprise on his face. I shot him again. Killian told me to always double-tap. The man listed to the right and slid over in slow motion. The driving rain filled his open brown eyes, and I bent over and threw up.

The rain and wind muffled everything so I prayed no one heard the gun shots. Still shaking with adrenaline, I crept back into my position. I didn’t see any new movement on the ground. The demons were gone! No! Where did they go? Frantic, I scanned every inch of the property and came up empty. No demons and no sign of Dec either. Sean and Killian were still out of sight and off the radio. I chewed on my lip. Come on, guys… Where are you?

I tried the radio, but no one answered me. Domino nudged me and whined. I stiffened and strained to hear. It was no use. The rain was too loud. I couldn’t hear anything at all. Should I go down there? Hesitantly, I took a couple of steps and stopped. Sean’s words echoed in my memory and I was torn. Go or stay?

After yelling at me in the dining room, he finally threw up his hands, and shouted, “My God, Mica, is it so wrong for me to want to keep you alive? I’m supposed to protect you! I love you! No matter what happens tonight, promise me you’ll stay out of that farmhouse. If it goes well, we’ll all come out. If it doesn’t, well, you can’t help us in there.”

Against my better judgment, I promised him. It was a promise I regretted now as I stood in the pouring rain with a dead guy and a wet dog. I anxiously twisted my locket as if that would make them magically appear. The locket was my connection to them all. I clutched it like a talisman and prayed they were okay. As the seconds ticked into minutes, I paced, thinking furiously. Finally, an idea started to take shape. Killian expected me to use my abilities or he wouldn’t have agreed to bring me tonight. Maybe I didn’t need to go into the house because I should be able to see into it from here…

Creeped out by the dead guy, I picked my way to another good hiding place. I settled into the spongy wet ground and slowed my breathing. It took a few minutes of concentration, but eventually I could see inside the walls. Well, now, this is cool… I can see through the walls. Wow. Methodically, I scanned the second floor. Three dead humans. No Primani and no demons either. The balcony was empty too. Hmm, that was not a good sign. Sean should’ve been up there. I continued my tour down to the first floor. There were five men standing in what probably used to be a living room but now looked like an office. Three of them carried guns, but the other two didn’t. They had a geeky air about them. Hmm, maybe doctors or scientists; I’ll mention them to Killian later. Two demons were leaning against the desk, talking to the men. From the expressions on their faces, they were getting their butts chewed. No one looked happy, but maybe that’s just the normal effect demons have on people. I didn’t see any dead bodies or Sean or Killian.

Okay, now for the basement. I paused for a split second to relax my eyes. This viewing was harder than I thought it would be. My head was aching with the effort and sweat ran in rivers down my back. Rolling my shoulders to loosen them, I closed my eyes and opened them again. After taking a deep breath, I focused on the basement. It was pitch black down there. I strained to see into the darkness. A movement caught my eye. There it was again--a flash of skin. Who was that? The vision wavered and I caught my breath. Focus… Focus. Okay, that’s better. Killian and Sean were on opposite sides of the room setting the charges. Moving like wraiths, they attached the timers to each set of explosives and moved on. Dec played lookout by the stairs.

Something startled me, and the vision vanished like smoke. Moving only my eyes, I studied the woods and strained my ears. There it was again! A stealthy shadow moved outside the corner of my eye. The next flash of lightning illuminated them.

I pressed myself deeper into the mud. Domino scooted backwards under the brush and pressed herself into the mud too. I was trapped here while they moved toward the house. I had to warn the guys.

Killian! This place is surrounded! Don’t come out here! No response from him. I tried again and again.

Finally, I heard his voice faintly say, Two minutes. Close your eyes!

Barely breathing, I waited. Two minutes crawled by, but the explosion didn’t come. Another minute went by and still no explosion. Meanwhile, these other men were creeping closer to the house with their weapons raised. Come on, come on, what’s taking so long? My heart was about to jump out of my chest. I closed my eyes and peered into the basement again. My heart nearly stopped. The basement wasn’t dark now. Two demons were lighting it up with fireballs. Dec and Sean stood back to back to block the demons trying to get to Killian. He was setting the final timer. A fireball flew towards his head, but he just ducked and kept working.

With a muffled pop, the first of the explosions went off. I flinched as the light flared behind my eyes. Dec was thrown off balance and fell into a pallet stacked with guns. One of the demons jumped at him and disappeared in the black smoke. One by one, the timers went off, and the explosions rocked the foundation. Oh, my God! Get out of there! What are you waiting for? Sean turned back to reach for Dec who was struggling to push the demon off of him. Separated by flames, Killian yelled at them to go. As they fought for their lives, I held my breath. Horrified, I couldn’t look away. After shoving the burning pallet to the side, Sean grabbed at Dec’s arm just as the big demon aimed one of the strange weapons at Sean’s back. He fired just as the barrels of chemicals exploded in a blinding burst of white light.

I screamed, “Sean!”

With a deafening roar, the house blew apart. The blast was so intense it seared my eyes. Stunned beyond thought, I staggered upright as half of my soul was ripped away. Sean! Oh, my God! No! Still screaming his name, I was barely aware of Dec’s arms around me or our flight away from the men with guns.

Back at the house, I stumbled blindly to our room calling for Sean until Dec finally pulled me into his arms.

“He’s not here, Mica.” The anguish in his eyes confirmed what my heart told me was true.

My eyes streaming bloody tears, I sobbed in his arms until he put me to sleep.

I slept for five days. During which I dreamed continuous nightmares of the last five minutes of Sean. I replayed everything that happened in that basement. Every second played out in slow motion. My brain wouldn’t let it go, and I cried for hours until Raphael came and put me into a deeper sleep. I heard them whispering but refused to wake up.

They were terrified for me because my heart didn’t beat like it should, and my eyes still bled. My skin was bluish and cool. I was too distraught to heal myself and the strange energy that I once shared with Sean was of little use now. I was curled around an icy core of pain and withdrew from the warming energy. I could barely breathe without him.

On day six, Killian returned. The desperation in his voice finally woke me when he insisted on seeing me. Raphael tried to keep him out, but he wasn’t in the mood to listen. He pushed my door open and froze. His expression hardened when he saw the blood in my eyes. He’d been to Hell and back. Covered with soot and blood, he still wore the clothes from the raid. He hadn’t shaved, and his beard was growing in. The worst part was the haunted expression in his eyes. He blamed himself, and it was eating him alive. Exhausted, he fell to his knees next to me.

Brokenly, he said, “I tried, Mica, I tried. I can’t… find him.” He bowed his head against the bed. “Forgive me.”

“It’s not your fault,” I whispered.

He wrapped his arms around me, rocking me as I wept against his shoulder. After a while, his tears slid down my face, and I started to breathe again.

Epilogue:

THE SAD MELODY of the mourning dove seemed appropriate somehow. The delicate bird sang like its heart was broken on the wrought-iron fence behind me. Only half listening to it, I gazed into the fountain as memories drifted through my mind. Wicked blue eyes haunted me today as they had every day since he disappeared. The memories were so real I woke up some nights with his hands on my body only to curl up in loneliness. I could still feel his lips on mine as the rain poured over us in the horrid forest. I shook my head to clear the senseless dreaming. He was gone, and he was never coming back. Knowing it and believing it were two different things. I’ve had a year to come to terms with it, but it still felt wrong. I still didn’t accept the obvious. He just can’t be gone…

In the days following that disastrous raid, I was shattered into a million pieces. If it weren’t for Dec, I would have curled up and slept forever. As it was, his gentle ways gradually brought me out of my stupor and back into the world. Dec had scolded and encouraged me to start living again. Taking me by the hand, he dragged me into the woods to hike and recharge my dead batteries. Even though he hated it, he ran with me until we both dripped with sweat, but I got stronger.

Though no one blamed him, Killian took full responsibility and all of the guilt for Sean’s disappearance. Not eating, not sleeping, he searched endlessly for any signs of Sean. The guilt nearly ate him alive until Zadkiel came to stay with us. He was a godsend, literally. Patiently, he taught us to grieve and to let go of the anger and bitterness. He promised us that things happened for a reason, and we would someday understand. He said letting Sean go would bring me peace again. He said a lot of things that were all probably true. God knows I tried to let Sean go, but my body and soul wouldn’t cooperate. A piece of me had been ripped away, and I still felt un-whole.

The mission in Vermont had destroyed Dagin’s operations and set the chemical weapons development back at least a couple of years. The powers above Alex were thankful for our efforts that day, and we’d been moved to other duties since then. Sure, the mission was a success but at an unthinkable cost. I couldn’t imagine going through that again and refused to use my sight since that day. It was too painful to consider.

Pushing down the pain, I stood to go. Killian was waiting. He watched me with hooded eyes as he leaned against a stone picnic table. I smiled despite the lingering sadness.

“You okay, Princess?” he called. “You look tired.”

“I didn’t sleep much last night,” I explained when I reached him. He lifted my sunglasses and peered into the blue of my eyes.

“Let me help,” he offered for the hundredth time.

“You already have,” I responded with a small smile.

As I turned away from the fountain, I paused. A faint swirl of sparkling gold caught the corner of my eye, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

“Sean?”

###

Call the Lightning

By Laurie Olerich

Prologue:

THERE WASN'T MUCH LEFT. Piles of blackened stone dotted the lot like burial cairns now. The entire house was gone. A small rusted shed leaned sadly to one side. Green vines had begun to swallow it whole. But now on the verge of winter, the vines had shriveled and hardened to brown. They might’ve been the only things holding the shed together.  The garage still stood. Part of it had burned but it wasn’t completely destroyed. The yellow police tape had come loose and waved cheerily from the locked gate at the driveway. Shivering in the cold, I stood with my back to the tree line above the compound and scanned the property for others. Out of habit, really; or maybe my training was paying off and it was an instinct to look for the enemy. Either way, I looked. It was lonely here, in the middle of the mountains, and right on the verge of a winter storm. It would snow soon if I was reading the clouds right. Swollen and grey, they lumbered overhead as the cold wind howled down from Canada.

Even as the first fat snowflakes began to fall, my mind was very far away…remembering, remembering, always remembering. Behind closed eyes, every detail was seared into my memory. The fire had branded the vision into my mind. I couldn’t forget that day even if I wanted to. And I didn’t want to. I had to keep it alive. There was meaning to it…something I was supposed to see. But I hadn’t been able to move beyond the horror and pain that hit me as soon as the vision came.  I had to try though, it felt important…So I braced myself again and let the vision come. I flinched as the brilliant light of the first explosions flared behind my eyes. Again the scene played out in slow motion.

I watched as Dec landed against a pallet of guns and one of the demons lunged at him, tumbling them both into the darkness. One by one, the timers went off and the explosions rocked the foundation. The house rumbled ominously as it shifted off of its moorings. Plaster fell from the ceiling in chunks as smoke blackened the basement. They should have left by now but they were still in there. What were they waiting for? I held my breath as Sean turned to help Dec. Separated by flames, Killian yelled at them to go. He could leave but he wouldn’t as long as they were still inside. Horrified and helpless, I couldn’t look away. After shoving the burning pallet to the side, Sean grabbed Dec’s arm as the big demon aimed his weapon at Sean’s back. He fired just as the barrels of chemicals exploded in a blinding burst of white fire.

“Sean!”

With a deafening roar, the house erupted, the blast so intense it seared my eyes.  Stunned and blinded, I staggered upright as half of my soul was ripped away. Sean! Oh, my God! No! Still screaming his name, I was barely aware of Dec’s arms around me or our flight away from the men with guns.

That was a year ago.

Here in the present, I hugged myself as tears washed away the vision. My eyes had healed but my heart was still broken somewhere under the crumbled foundation of this house. My skin prickled and I knew I was no longer alone with my memories.

“Why do you come here?” he asked with a sad smile.

Wiping away the icy tears. I straightened my shoulders. “I could ask you the same question.”

“I come for you.” He reached for my hand.

Chapter 1: Stakeout

MY STOMACH GROWLED in bossy demand for food. The aroma of baking bread drifted into the window and my mouth watered in response. Across the street, the night shift was busy running the ovens in the bread factory. My butt was asleep and I had to pee. Stakeouts were overrated.

“God, I’m starving!” I whispered. I dug my hand into my stomach in hopes it would stop growling. It just made me have to pee more.

My partner, Dec, slid a piece of gum across the seat. Oh yeah, that would do it. I stuffed it in my mouth anyway and counted the minutes until we could leave.

He said, “Okay, they should be here any minute if our intel is right. Keep watching the side door and I’ve got the front.”

A shadow moved just outside my line of sight and I shifted my night vision binoculars to the right. There they were. Two men were coming up the cluttered alley and headed into the metal door on the side of the old brick shop. This wasn’t the nicest of neighborhoods and most people would avoid it after dark. We, however, weren’t most people. In fact, I was the only people here. My partner wasn’t, strictly speaking, human at all. But he passed himself off as human and his supernatural powers came in handy during fights with thugs. At the moment, we were slouched inside an old crappy pickup truck staking out the brick shop.

I snapped a couple of pictures and said, “Two men headed inside.”

Dec whispered, “Uh-oh, what do we have here? Delivery truck pulling up to the front.”

We watched as four men unloaded several white barrels and some crates from the back of the panel delivery truck. Carefully, I snapped pictures and hoped I was getting their faces in focus.

“Human?” I asked.

“You tell me.”

“Nice try.” I could see into buildings if I tried. The CIA called it remote viewing; I called it a curse. I refused to try since Sean’s disappearance a year ago. Some might think having psychic abilities was a gift. I would disagree. It was a curse and I didn’t want any more visions branded into my memory.

He closed his eyes for a moment and muttered, “Humans. I don’t sense anything else.”

We waited until the driver came back to the truck and pulled away and then we followed him. Dec was driving and kept a good distance behind the truck. I knew my job and used the binoculars to keep track of the truck. It was very late now and the streets were empty. We had to stay pretty far behind so the driver wouldn’t notice us. Eventually he pulled up to a grey brick warehouse and parked the truck outside. After finishing his cigarette, he went inside.

“Watch the door. I’ll be right back.” Dec disappeared and reappeared next to the truck.

I stared at the door as he crawled under the truck and attached the tracking device. I held my breath and worried. In a second, he was back in the driver’s seat and we headed back to the farmhouse. Mission accomplished. We were done for the night. It was 2 a.m. by the time we got home. Killian, as usual, was waiting up for us.

“These barrels look familiar. Did you smell anything?” he asked and flipped over the picture he was scrutinizing.

“Yeah, bread,” I answered without thinking.

He didn’t crack a smile. “Bread? Good job, Princess.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes. I wasn’t stupid. Really, I wasn’t. Somehow I always seemed to stick my foot in my mouth when Killian was around. He made me twitchy and kept me off balance. He was the undisputed leader of our group; and yep, he was the boss of me. We were monitoring demon operations in the area and I was trying to help out. It was a combination of police and super-secret agent work. I wasn’t a cop or a secret agent, but I was trained to kill bad guys and had excellent instincts. My intuition was nearly always right and that made me useful. Killian decided whether or not I went on missions or stayed home. So far, I only went on missions he considered safe. Tonight was one of those. Stakeouts were both safe and boring.

Tonight’s stakeout was related to an investigation we started more than a year ago in Manhattan. A pain-in-the-ass demon named Dagin was using his job as an arms dealer to spread chaos and destruction around the planet. According to Killian, that’s what demons did. To further that goal, his evil engineers had developed a weapon that was selling like crazy on the black market and terrorists were putting in orders from all over the world. We had slowed down progress by blowing up a large stockpile of weapons and the research lab in a farmhouse in Vermont earlier this year. That was the first time I used my new powers and worked with Declan, Killian, and Sean.

They call themselves Primani. They’re the good guys: they protect humans and hunt demons. They’re an elite group of warriors with amazing abilities and somehow I’d joined them. In the beginning, I was simply another of Sean’s charges. He was assigned to keep me safe and to correct my destiny. When my mother died, my destiny took a swing off track and he started watching out for me from a distance. That would’ve been enough if it hadn’t been for Scott Flynn. Scott had beaten me half to death. His attack sent my attitude, faith, and destiny into a downward spiral that was apparently unacceptable to the powers that be. Sean had to take a more active role in keeping me safe. It was a simple mission that didn’t stay that way. We fell in love and nothing was the same after that.  My destiny was wrapped up in his and we were connected in ways we were still trying to understand.

Drooping with exhaustion, Dec filled Killian in on the stakeout and we went over the rest of the pictures I took.

“Good shots, Mica. You’re getting good with the camera. We’ll need to follow up with the owner of that truck and keep watching the shop. I don’t like the looks of those barrels.”

Dec offered, “I’ll send the pics to Alex. Maybe he can ID the men we saw tonight. It would help to know who we’re dealing with.”

Alex was Killian’s boss. He ran the entire east coast special operations division. Killian ran our little cell but Alex supervised a dozen of them up and the down the eastern seaboard. He had all of the resources and technology available to investigate people and solve crimes. Probably we had better technology than the CIA. It helped to be supernatural too. Mind reading and teleporting, or traveling as they called it, were very useful when fighting criminals. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the power to teleport so I had to hitch a ride or take a real car.

I yawned hugely. “So can I go to bed now? I’m beat.”

Killian barely glanced up from the stack of pictures but waved me out of the room. Domino trotted after me. The room I shared with Sean was big and airy in the sunniness of the day. At night, however, it was shadowy and empty. I hated being alone in the dark. I kept a small nightlight burning near the closet to keep the shadows at bay. Once upon a time, I had been afraid of the demons in my closet; now I’ve learned there are far scarier demons roaming the streets among us. My closet had little appeal to the demons I’d met so far. Domino, my little Dalmatian, protected me from all things creepy. As we entered the room, she walked a circuit around and paused at the windows and the closet door. Satisfied there were no human or demonic intruders, she hopped up on the bed and curled up on her pillow. With a last brown-eyed glance at me, she yawned hugely and went to sleep with her head between her paws.

I stroked her velvet ears and stared at the ceiling. Her little furry body kept me warm in the big empty bed and I was grateful for her. She was a peace offering from Sean and I smiled at the memory. It was the day he’d finally given up trying to fight his attraction to me. He had remained elusive and secretive still, but he had unbent enough to let me in. From that day forward, Sean was mine and I was his. Domino still wore the St. Christopher medallion around her neck even though it was meant for me. It was his way of saying I needed protecting and I didn’t have the heart to take it off of her collar. It was part of who she was.

The dream came nearly every night now. It was always the same. I walked down an endless hallway filled with many doors. The doors were locked and unmarked. It was quiet and dark. I didn’t feel afraid here. Mostly I felt numb as I drifted through the dream. There was nothing around me and I wondered what the point was. Eventually I heard someone calling my name. At first it was barely a whisper, but it grew louder as I wandered further into the darkness. The voice gained strength until I recognized it. I pressed my ear against the nearest door and listened. The voice came from behind the door. I pulled on the handle but the door wouldn’t open. Louder and louder the voice called me. It was scared and the sound twisted my guts. I pulled on the door until I was exhausted and sagged against it.

There had to be a way inside…

Chapter 2: Spring Awakening

A STORM WAS COMING. Angry thunder rumbled in the distance and cold gusts of wind bent the branches of the maple trees around me. Unconcerned with Mother Nature’s snippiness, I focused on my breathing and relaxed my body. The smell of green things filled my head as I opened my mind to what would come. When I meditated, I tuned out the world and found peace. The tiny room I visualized in my mind was empty and calm at the moment. I wanted it to stay that way and made no effort to reach out for a premonition.

Today I sought only peace.

A gust of wind blew my hair into my eyes and scattered my thoughts like leaves. I shoved my hair back and tried to regain my earlier sense of peace. A drop of chilly rain splashed off of my outstretched palm and yet I continued to breathe slowly and deeply. Gradually I drifted into my happy place and tuned out the storm completely. I floated among the trees with feet that didn’t touch the mossy earth. Warm air caressed my skin as I made my way into the forest. Fine tendrils of mist swirled at my feet as I wandered. No light guided me, no darkness stalked me. Today I merely wandered free and alone. I’d found the peace I longed for, but something was missing.

Someone was missing.

Rain sluiced down my back as a bolt of lightning struck a tree nearby. The loud crack barely penetrated my consciousness. Another sound held my full attention now. Beginning softly and growing louder, I heard someone calling my name. The next flash of lightning lingered brilliant cobalt long after the sound of thunder faded.

“Mica!” Killian’s sharp voice against my ear brought me out of my dream world and back to reality.

I blinked rain out of my eyes and accepted his hand. As he pulled me up, I shook my head to clear it. His familiar touch steadied me as I came back to the moment. The heavy rain softened the lines of his face and made him look more human than usual. His thick black lashes were clumped together around those brilliant blue eyes that still startled me with their intensity. Today they were fathomless midnight; other days, the wild color of the ocean. I sighed wistfully. He was gorgeous and I’d be blind if I didn’t see that.

“What did you see this time?” He searched my eyes.

Indifferent, I said, “Nothing new. No light, no dark. Just me and the trees.”

“And that troubles you?” He took my hand and tugged me towards the house.

“Yes. I guess it does. It’s peaceful, but I wanted…” I slowed down and sighed. There wasn’t any point in talking about this again.

His hand tightened around mine and he said, “I know, babe. I want the same thing, but--”

“Just stop! I won’t give up on him. I can’t!”

He stopped abruptly and I ran into him. He squeezed my shoulders and said, “I’m not asking you to give up on him, Mica! We all want him back. It’s just been so long now. I don’t know what to think anymore. No one has any answers.” He cupped my face in one of his big paws and added more softly, “I wish I could take away your pain.”

I rubbed my cheek against his hand and leaned into his chest. How had I ever thought he was cold? After a moment of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me and we stood in the stormy woods lost in our own memories.

Sean’s beautiful face teased me. It was mostly lean lines and sharp cheekbones. His eyes were his most striking feature. Large and slightly turned up at the edges, they were a moody blue with heavy black lashes and feathery eyebrows. His mouth could go from a grim line to a soft sweet smile that melted my heart. He was serious and intense but his eyes knew my heart and his smile was only for me. A powerful and lethal soldier, a Primani, he had softened only for me. I was his balance. I missed him with an ache that stopped my breath sometimes. He was my other half; my soul mate. It was his power that had awakened my own powers. I was trying to help when I used my vision that day in Vermont. After Sean disappeared, I spent months cursing my vision and refused to use it. Even after all these months, I had nightmares about it. I could still see Sean’s face contorted with agony as the explosions ripped him away from me. We never found his body. None of us could sense him anymore.

He was just…gone.

“We’ll find him. Don’t give up.” Killian whispered against my ear and tucked my dripping hair behind one ear. His calloused fingertips left a trail of heat across my jaw and down my neck.

I forced a watery smile for him. Tenderness was totally out of character for this one. Out of the three, Killian was the oldest, the most experienced, and the deadliest. He was my protector in Sean’s absence. Before he disappeared, Sean made him promise to take care of me. Like everything else he did, he did it with complete commitment. He had a lot of very good qualities, but he was bossy and impatient with humans. He was also intense, gorgeous, and scared the hell out of every human he came into contact with. Despite, or perhaps because of all of this, I was irrevocably tied to him in ways I no longer questioned and I loved him completely.

Later, I was cleaning up the kitchen when a familiar sunny face popped around the corner.

“Hey, darlin’!” Dec was back.

With a very girly screech of joy, I flew to him and he swung me around in a bear hug. Domino jumped up and wrapped her legs around him too. There wasn’t a Primani alive who she wasn’t crazy about. Laughing at her antics, Dec scooped her into his arms and gave her some love. With her brilliant black freckles and petite little face, she was pretty irresistible and she knew it.

“Oh my God! It’s been months! I’ve missed you!” I held him out at arm’s length and drank in the sight of him. “You need a haircut!”

His blond hair was curling around his ears and was streaked white by the sun. Like Sean and Killian, he was beautifully made with a lean face, golden skin, and hypnotic eyes. His eyes were the same brilliant shade of blue they all had, but he had a ready smile with adorable dimples. The dimples hadn’t made many appearances since Sean disappeared. None of us smiled very much anymore.

“Are you back for a while, Dec? It’s been hard without you.” I smiled and gazed into his face. It was so good to see him.

His eyes were shadowed and he needed to shave. He rubbed a hand over his scraggly beard. “I don’t know. I hope so. I’ve missed you too, darlin’.” His Irish accent slipped out every now and then. He winked at me.

“Tell me what’s been happening here.” He dragged a chair around and straddled his lean body around it.

“I’m working at the mall again. I don’t seem to have an allowance from Alex like you guys do. I have to earn my money. Plus I can’t stay cooped up here all day. Killian and I need a break from each other.”

He chuckled darkly at that. “I bet. Are you still training?” His eyes traveled over my body taking in the muscles that I’d worked hard to maintain.

Sean had drilled me relentlessly on hand-to-hand combat and Krav Maga last year.  He was adamant that I be able to protect myself from whatever might happen. I also had a gun and a knife that I carried on missions.  I insisted Killian keep up my training to keep from getting out of shape. He didn’t like it.

“Oh yeah, he hates it though. He says I’m obsessed and it’s not healthy. That--coming from Killian. I think it’s funny.”

Killian walked in just then. “You are and it’s not. Don’t act like you’re innocent here.” He nodded at Dec and added, “She nearly ripped my throat out yesterday. She forgets she’s supposed to be practicing.” He rubbed his neck idly.

I flushed. “Well, it’s a good thing you’ve got superpowers then! I’m not letting up. I will be ready.”

Killian rolled his eyes at Dec. They were doing it again--communicating silently and leaving me out. I couldn’t read their minds and they knew it. I tapped my foot on the tile.

Dec peered closely at my face. “You’re not sleeping again?”

I started to deny it, but there’s no point. He knows me better than I know myself. “No, not really…the nightmares are back. And lately, I’ve been…hearing him.”

His eyes widened. “Hearing him? How?”

I straddled one of the kitchen chairs. They weren’t going to like this. I should’ve told them as soon as it started. ”I have these dreams…Dec, he’s calling to me. I hear his voice. It was faint at first…barely a whisper. Now though…it’s clearer and more…insistent…he’s scared.” I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself.

Dec gripped my hand and said roughly, “Does he say anything else?”

“No, he’s just…calling to me.”

“And you think it’s Sean?” Killian’s expression was guardedly hopeful.

I met his eyes and nodded. “It’s his voice, Killian. I know his voice.”

“And when you meditate? Do you hear him then?”

I hesitated. “Yes, today I did. This is the first time though. It’s only been happening for the past few days.”

For the first time in a long time, there was a light in Killian’s eyes. Like me, he’d been on autopilot for these months and the spark was gone. He stared out of the window for a few minutes and seemed to make a decision.

“Okay, we’re going to try something. But I need some time to think it over first. You need to go to bed and take a nap. I need you to be rested for what I’m thinking. No dreaming! Just sleep. Let it restore your balance. Have you learned to recharge your energy yet?”

Excited now, I jumped up from my chair and asked a million questions. What was he thinking? What plan? Why wait? Recharge? Let’s just do it! He finally held up a hand and I lost audio to my voice. My lips moved but no sound came out. I glared at him. I hated when they did that! He shrugged and gestured to Dec. Time to work his magic.

Grinning with full dimples, Dec said, “Come on, sweetheart, let’s take a nap.”

He draped an arm around me and I felt the warmth of his body seep into mine and let the drowsiness take over until my knees gave way. A delicate woodsy smell drifted through my mind and I closed my eyes. He scooped me up like a child and carried me to my bed. With a kiss on my forehead, he told me to embrace the oblivion. I slipped into a deep dreamless sleep for the first time in nearly a year.

Twenty-four hours later, I woke up a new person. I bounced into the kitchen in search of my menfolk and food. Both were conveniently located within arm’s reach. They made me lunch: tuna salad on toast and a bowl of cut up cantaloupe. I gave them both a grateful glance and devoured my food. After gulping down a glass of milk, I sat back and asked about the plan.

Dec, the best healer of our group, picked up my hand and closed his eyes. After a minute, he declared I was healthy again. Apparently my saol, or energy force, was back in balance.  I still felt like half a person without Sean, but I didn’t want to spoil the moment by sharing that little piece of information. I actually did feel better than I had yesterday, at least physically.

Killian’s plan was a complicated one. I was a little leery of it after last year’s exorcism in Manhattan. That plan was simple and we both nearly disappeared. It was almost a disaster…

“Are you crazy? What makes you think this will work?”

He actually grinned at me like a normal person. “Possibly, yes. It’s been a rough year, babe. But I think this’ll work. We’re just going to explore and see if my hunch is right. If I’m right, we’ll figure out how to bring him back.”

Dec squeezed my hand and said seriously, “I’ll be right here to pull you back. Don’t worry at all about that. My whole focus will be keeping you safe. I know I can do that. I might lose Killian, but I won’t lose you.” He’d nearly lost us both last year and had been inconsolable over it. I knew he’d leave Killian hanging in purgatory if he had to make a choice this time.

I blanched and cried, “What? No, you can’t lose him either!” I swung around to Killian who just lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. He seemed to agree with Dec on this point.

“Kidding, kidding! Let’s do this before we talk ourselves out of it.”

The three of us formed a circle on the living room floor with our hands joined and resting on our knees. The afternoon sun was fading and the light was dim. I wore the gold locket they’d made me for Christmas last year. I quickly said a prayer over it and kissed it for good luck. I’d grown a little superstitious about it…It contained a golden drop of blood from the four of us and I hoped it would help draw Sean back to us. The circle wasn’t complete without our fourth person. Killian looked over at me and I nodded. I was as ready as I would ever be.

I closed my eyes and visualized the small open room I used for meditation. Dec’s energy flowed in a steady stream from his hand into mine and the gentle current traveled through my bloodstream. His was pure supernatural energy and contained power that far outshone my own hybrid human-Primani energy force. The burst of energy sent my blood singing and pulsing in time to the rhythm of his heart. My muscles strummed and vibrated and I tingled all over. If left unfocused, I would probably float away. I was feeling lighter already.

I murmured, “Not so fast…slowly.”

Deliberately, I drew that energy to my brain and used it to amp up my psychic powers. We hoped the Primani saol would give me the extra strength to do what we needed today. At the same time, I felt Killian’s mind prodding mine.

Are you ready for me now? he asked silently.

Yes, slowly though.

I relaxed and mentally allowed him into the room. For the first time, I could see myself and another person standing within the imaginary room inside my head. He turned to me and smiled tightly. I gave him my hand and the two of us walked towards the small door that I opened in the back of the room. Breathing deeply, I focused on keeping the image steady. It was easier now than it was a year ago. I was stronger, much stronger. I opened the door to the misty forest and together we stepped into the unknown.

Now what? I asked Killian.

Call him. He squeezed my hand.

Reaching out with my mind, I called Sean.

Silence.

A few minutes went by and I called him again. Three times I called him; three times he didn’t answer. It wasn’t working. Damn it! Why isn’t it working? A sudden spike of Dec’s saol hit me like adrenaline. My arm went rigid with the force of it and I tensed against the pain.

He whispered, “Focus, darlin’. Keep going.”

The saol spike came again.

I steadied my breathing and reached out to Sean again. I called him louder as if he was lost in a vast wilderness and could not hear me. Over and over I called him to me while sending out emotional memories of us. I visualized his face when he gave me the locket. His eyes glowed with pride as he watched my blood join theirs and turn to molten gold. I saw his body hovering above mine on the sailboat the first time he kissed me and my heart nearly stopped. Unleashed for the first time, his raw power flowed around us like a cocoon. I lay frozen while his eyes read my heart and knew I loved him.

And still I called him.

Sean, I need you. I love you. Come back to me.

I waited.

Killian’s strong fingers linked through my own as we wandered through the forest. He called to Sean too. They were like brothers and their bond was strong. He joined his psychic energy with mine and amplified the power of my voice and my projections. We hoped this would help Sean hear me and find his way back to me. This also meant Killian had to see everything I projected and I’m sure he didn’t enjoy it. But he loved Sean too and would do anything to bring him back. I stopped calling his name and waited again. Killian grimaced when I pushed out my memory of the night we became lovers. More than our bodies were joined that night. Our energy, our essence, our souls were joined. There could be no separating us after that. And yet, the explosion had ripped him away and I was still stinging with the loss. I called him to me and waited.

If he’s out there, he’ll come. Killian’s eyes were distant as he tried to reassure me.

After an eternity the faint sound of my name drifted on the breeze and disappeared. It was barely audible but we both heard it. Killian froze, listening. My heart pounded so loudly it drowned out the sound.

“Mica! Stop. Breathe.” Dec jolted me again and pressed my fingers to stop me from shaking.

Careful to not break the spell, Killian wrapped his hand over mine and gripped the locket between us. He smiled into my eyes and told me to call Sean again.

Now he channeled all three of our energies through the locket and out to wherever Sean was waiting. Golden rays of light streamed from the locket and disappeared into the mist. I stared into Killian’s eyes and saw universes yawning in front of me. Sean was out there, somewhere, in those universes. This time when I called Sean it echoed through the forest like lightning striking.

Again!

Sean!

Louder! Killian’s eyes glowed cobalt now and he stared past me into the forest. He sensed Sean; felt him out there.

Sean! Come back!

As the last echoes of my voice faded into memory, a movement caught my eye. My eyes followed the motion. There, in the mist, a swirl of golden light motes danced between two trees. Sean! Killian murmured words over the locket in the strange language of theirs. The locket glowed in our hands but I didn’t take my eyes off of the light in the trees. Killian’s voice grew stronger and his words were clearer. As he spoke, the swirl of light gradually formed a solid core of saol that hovered in the air. He commanded, compelled, insisted…the words were nonsense to me, but the power of his voice sent chills down my back. The more Killian spoke the hotter the locket got until it burned my skin. I tried to let go but Killian instantly squeezed my hand against it.

No!

I gritted my teeth against the pain and kept my focus on the vision.

Come on, baby! I turned my eyes to where his face should be and waited. After another moment, the core of saol shimmered and settled into the shape and features of a man. As I held my breath, Killian’s words rang through the trees and the locket burned into my hand. I blinked and when I opened my eyes a pair of cobalt eyes bored desperately into mine from across the clearing. I started to move but Killian froze me in place.

Don’t move! Go slowly. We need to back out of this and bring him with us. Focus, don’t lose him!

Holding hands in a death grip, Killian and I slowly backed up until we leaned against the door to my room. All the while, I kept my eyes glued to Sean’s and pulled him with us. He followed like a man in a trance, but at least he came. One step at a time, he followed us. Once we got back to the little room, I stopped and reeled Sean in. He came forward slowly until he stood in front of us. Afraid to startle him, Killian and I slowly released the locket and each took one of his hands. Killian withdrew from my mind at the same time I mentally left the room.

When I opened my eyes, I sat with Dec and Killian in our little circle. I blinked in a daze and sagged against Dec. His face was red and he was sweating from the effort to keep us grounded. His body was pale gold and the glow was just fading as he retracted his saol. Killian’s eyes were black against the chalkiness of his skin. Mine must’ve been pale too because he looked alarmed when his eyes cleared enough to see again.

“Are you okay?” His voice was shaky and his eyes still unfocused. He opened and closed them trying to reset his vision.

It took me a second to find my voice. I wasn’t sure if I was okay or not. What just happened here? My brain felt like tissue paper and my hand burned like fire. I opened my hand and held it up. Killian held his up too. In the center of both of our palms was a perfect imprint of the heart-shaped locket. It was branded into our skin.

Where was Sean?

“We were so close! I saw him. I felt his hand. What happened?” I was thrashed. This sucked.

Killian slowly shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know. It should’ve worked.”

“Damn it! This sucks!” I stalked to the window and bounced my forehead against the glass. Oh God, what happened to him? Where was he? We were so close. I swiped at the tears that threatened to fall and sighed. I wanted to get angry, but there was no point in railing against fate now. It didn’t change things. We were close so we would try again. I would never give up on him. He was my other half. I wouldn’t be whole again without him. The click of the door closing told me I was alone with my thoughts and I sagged against the window.

Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed and a blue charge of electricity zigzagged along the outline of the window frame in front of me.

A sheer reflection took shape.

I whipped around to see him hovering unsteadily in the doorway. He wasn’t quite standing on the ground but he was solid. His eyes blazed with familiar blue fire but they were unfocused. He was holding out one hand trying to balance. Shrieking his name, I threw myself into his arms and knocked him into the wall. Completely unchecked, the current inside of him careened through me nearly stopping my heart. I gasped at the pain in my chest but kissed every inch of his beautiful face.

“Oh God, it’s really you!” I repeated over and over again.

The more I kissed him the more he seemed to steady himself. He wobbled a bit as his body became more solid, more real. The fire in his eyes dimmed to the normal midnight blue and his skin to a healthy golden tan. Still wobbly, he shook his head from side to side and sucked in a deep breath. With his saol under control and his feet on the ground, he finally smiled his heartbreaking smile at me and I dissolved in happy tears.

“Killian! Dec! Come quick!”

They ran into the room and skidded to a stumbling halt. Breaking into huge grins, they swept us both into a group hug. Poor Sean was so overwhelmed with sudden life he couldn’t control his saol. He flickered on and off like a lightning bug.

“Oh, man, it’s a miracle! I am so glad to see you!” Dec vibrated with happiness and hugged Sean so hard he lifted him off of his feet.

Killian pulled me aside. “Put him to bed before he falls down. He’s going to need some time to recover.”

I grinned like an idiot and he broke into a rare smile. I swear he winked at me but I’ll never be sure. It happened too fast.

“Good job, babe. I knew you could do it,” he added with look of respect.

Sean took my hand and I led him back to the room we’d shared last year. He was really quiet. In fact, he hadn’t said a word yet…I shut the door behind us and drank in the sight of him. It was a miracle.

“Come on, let’s lay down. You’re exhausted.” I gently pushed him to the bed. His movements were stiff and awkward as if he wasn’t familiar with his body.

I curled against his side and ran my hands over him. I couldn’t stop touching him. He was real! I’d imagined him and remembered him a million times this year, but my imagination wasn’t up to the real thing. He was muscular and strong and even totally exhausted, he was incredibly beautiful and sexy. I couldn’t stop touching him just to be sure he was really here.  Up on my elbows, I smiled into his eyes. I was ridiculously happy. Grabbing him by both cheeks, I kissed his whole face again.

Stiffly, he pulled my lips to his and kissed me softly. “Mica?” he whispered before falling into a deep sleep.

Two days later, he was still asleep and I was back in bed with him. It was nearing midnight and I couldn’t fall asleep. I was too happy. Instead, I sat on the bed and stared at Sean. Pale moonlight drifted across his face and highlighted the strong cheekbones and heavy lashes. His face was softer in sleep and his body was relaxed. I lightly traced the shape of his face with my finger and held my breath as the faint glow followed my touch. Years ago I’d discovered the quirky little reaction. When his guard was down, as in sleep, the energy flowed close to the surface. He controlled it when wearing his human façade but the golden light was always just below his skin.  Inspired, I trailed my finger around the hard muscle of his bare shoulder and across his chest. I kissed the tiny freckle under his collarbone and smiled. He was perfect and he was here. I would never want anything else. I meant to kiss him and go to sleep but when I touched my lips to his, his mouth held mine and deepened the kiss. Little lights flashed behind my eyes as my head swam and I melted against him.

Sometime later, he held our joined hands behind my head and smiled down at me. The amazing connection was still there. Our individual bodies were gone and there was only one.

There was no Mica and no Sean.

There was only us.

“You’re so beautiful. I must be dreaming,” he murmured sleepily. Tightening his arm around me, he kissed me one last time and fell asleep.

The sounds of birds singing woke me the next morning. Sunlight streamed into the room and a soft breeze trickled in through the screens. I stretched lazily across the bed and reached for a sheet. Mm, I was so comfortable and closed my eyes for more sleep. Then I remembered today was a new day. I sprang out of bed so fast I stumbled into the dresser and ricocheted off of the door jam.

Running to the kitchen, I called his name. Did I imagine the whole thing? It wouldn’t be the first time that I’d dreamed about him…I skidded around the corner and stopped dead at the sight in front of me. Dec and Sean sat with their heads together at the kitchen table. From their expressions, they were talking seriously about something and I hesitated to interrupt. Instead, I hovered just outside the doorway and chewed my lip. Should I go in or not?

“Spying, Mica?” Killian observed behind me.

I jumped with a squeak and Sean glanced over at me. I elbowed Killian in the ribs and bounced into the room. Sean stood and met my eyes. Smiling, I went to him and kissed him good morning.

“Are you all right, Sean?”

“Considering where I’ve been, I’d say I’m much better!” He laughed but there was an edge to it. He was still freaked out.

“Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you for a year,” I said.

He frowned and looked sharply at Killian. “A year? What do you mean?”

It was my turn to frown. “You’ve been gone for almost a year. We’ve been crazy without you.”

Shaking his head in denial, Sean sat down. “That’s impossible! What day is it?”

Concerned, Killian answered him with narrowed eyes, “She’s right, Sean. It’s been nearly a year. Where have you been?”

“I don’t know…everywhere? Maybe nowhere?” His mouth was set and his eyes reflected his pain. He looked out the window and reined in his emotions.

My heart squeezed in sympathy. “What happened to you?”

He hesitated. “I don’t really know. One minute I was in the basement of the farmhouse and the next I was…scattered.”

Dec blanched. “Scattered?” He shuddered and shut his eyes in sympathetic pain.

Killian inhaled sharply and said, “No!”

I looked uncertainly from one to the other, but none of them would meet my eyes. They were all in their own private hell as they absorbed Sean’s words.

“I don’t understand. Someone tell me what you’re talking about.” My voice trembled as I tried to resist the strong emotions swirling around me.

Sean shrugged off the shock and started his story. “Being scattered is bad, Mica. We can only die if our saol core is vaporized. We call it being ‘scattered’ because all of the particles are scattered into the winds. A lucky demon can kill us this way…and apparently other things can cause it too.”

I interrupted him, “You can’t heal yourself?”

“No, we don’t survive it because we can’t usually find all of the scattered particles. Our core is unique to each of us, Mica…like your DNA is. Without all of it, we’re missing essential parts. It would be like you losing a chunk of your brain or an organ. You’d have a hole there. You might be able to function like that. But what if you lost vital strands of DNA suddenly? You would have serious problems. It’s the same thing with us. As far as healing ourselves goes, well, when the saol is gone, we have no way…no energy source…to heal ourselves. It’s just too overwhelming for us to do.”

I paled and swung around to Killian for confirmation. He grunted his agreement. “Oh my God! It’s a miracle we got you back then,” I said through fresh tears. It was a miracle.

Dec got up and hugged Sean hard and sniffed back tears. Hesitantly, he asked, “What was it like?”

“At first there was nothing and I just floated. I didn’t even know what had happened. My thoughts were scattered too and I couldn’t remember anything. There was nothing…just mist. But then after a while, I felt Mica out there, somewhere. I didn’t realize it was her though. I just felt a connection…an anchor…to a place.” He paused, thinking of something more. “Did you cry for me?” He cupped my face in his hands searching for the answer.

I was crying now. “Yes! I cried and I prayed and I pleaded and I begged for you to come back to me…It was a…dark time.”

“I felt you…your sadness.”

Killian scowled at the memory and got up to pace. “It was…difficult…especially for Mica. She saw everything that happened inside the house that night. She watched you explode and disappear. She relived the nightmare every night.”

And he had been beside me for most of this, but he didn’t need to mention that now.

“And we couldn’t find you. We searched for you everywhere, but no one knew what happened or where you went,” Dec added. “Killian and I took turns looking but you were gone.” His voice broke and he coughed to cover it.

They had been gaunt with fatigue and lack of food. They hadn’t slept or eaten for days at a time while traveling all over the world trying to sense Sean. I finally convinced them to slow down and eat; to take care of themselves too. When Dec collapsed one night, I put my foot down and demanded they eat. After that, they still went out looking but they ate and slept in between trips. Traveling, as they call teleporting, takes a huge toll on their energy stores and it was only a matter of time before one of them burned out.

Sean turned to Killian and said in a voice swelling with emotion, “I felt her, Killian. Like a chain holding me to this plane, I felt Mica’s hold on me even when I floated. I wanted to let go and drift away but Mica, I heard you. I felt your pain. I don’t know how, but it’s true. Your voice anchored me and I couldn’t let go. Then I heard you call my name and it was irresistible. Every part of me was drawn to you--I guess you really are my other half.”

I fingered my locket and considered Killian’s plan, his magic. He was a genius; there was no other explanation for him. He always knew what to do and how to use our powers. We would be lost without him here. To his intense surprise, I grabbed Killian and kissed him on the mouth before he could say a word of protest.

“I love you! You’re amazing!”

Dec explained to Sean, “It was his plan that brought you back to us. We’re all grateful that it worked.” He grinned at Killian’s scowl.

Killian just grunted and said, “It wasn’t just me. It took all of us to bring you back. I’ll fill you in later. For now, why don’t you two go do something outside of the bedroom? I don’t need any more of Mica’s porno memories in my head!”

“Killian!”

He laughed at my outrage and pointed to the back door.

An hour later, we left the house and wandered off into the woods. There was a pretty creek nearby and we used to hike to it all the time. We headed towards it now. Shyly, I peered up at him from under my lashes. It was no use. I was going to cry again. Damn it! I was really trying to get a grip on my emotions, but they were all over the place since he came home.

Sean gently tugged me to him and wrapped his arms around me. I sank against him and took a deep breath. He rubbed my back and rested his chin on my head.

“You’re scared of me,” he observed quietly.

“No, I…” I started to protest but stopped. He was right. I was afraid. I didn’t know how to act after all of the pain I’d been through this year. I didn’t really believe he was actually here. Surely this was another dream.

“Why don’t we just take things slowly? We can get to know each other again.”

“Slow is good.” I pulled back and gazed into his eyes. I could feel the imprint of his hands against my back. He was definitely real and he was here. “Kiss me?”

He hesitated for a split second and lowered his mouth to mine. I wrapped my hands around his neck and kissed him back until I ran out of oxygen and had to gasp for air. I pressed against him like a cat and he groaned against my neck. Every thought in my head disappeared until there was only him.

Later, I commented, “I’m so glad we’re getting to know each other again. I feel better already.”

A cross between a laugh and a groan greeted me. Sean stretched and said, “You’re going to need to work on your shyness, Mica.”

I laughed and flopped down across his stomach just to hear the air whooshing out. He rolled me over and pinned me on my back with his nose pressed to mine. “I love you.” He kissed me with a smile. “Near or far.”

“Don’t leave me again. I couldn’t breathe without you. My heart was broken.”

“At least it wasn’t every molecule in your body.”

Chapter 3: Reunion

DINNER WITH FRIENDS should be fun. Unless your boyfriend was a supernatural being who had been in limbo for a year. My friends weren’t too happy with him at the moment. After the, uh, accident, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them he had died. For one thing, I didn’t know that for sure; and for another, I didn’t want to jinx him. So I had to say he left me. If I had been cheerful about it, there might not have been a problem. As it was, the past year sucked; and I was by turns, depressed, militant, and secretive. Once in a very great while, Dec or Killian made me socialize in public. Dec nagged at me and bribed me with pizza. Hanging out with Killian was fine for me, but he tended to clear entire rooms with just a glance. Besides, he didn’t really like people. He thought humans were annoying. We didn’t go out too often.

Our little group of friends had shrunk to a couple. Ricki and Kevin were in college in Ohio as was Tyler. Dani and Aric still lived in town and went to the Plattsburgh campus of New York State University. Dani helped out in her mom’s little shop Zen. Aric worked on his dad’s farm and at Peabody’s as a bartender. Everyone was very busy these days. Dani was still mostly my best friend but I didn’t see her too often. What with my new career as super-secret special agent for the Forces of Good…I was a little busy training to kill bad guys and learning to use really cool gadgets like night vision binoculars or NVBs. These were not activities I could share with Dani.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked for the third time. We were sitting in the car waiting for the others to show.

Sean chuckled at me and said, “Sweetheart, you love Dani and want to see her. I’m back for good now. You’ll need to tell her eventually. Don’t you think?”

“Yes, but let’s put it off--”

“Chicken!” He pulled me up for a kiss and I gladly joined in.

He set me away from him and scanned my face with curious eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re not glowing anymore. Remember when you used to glow every time I touched you?”

“Oh, yeah, that was awesome. So glad that’s stopped. Don’t worry, I still feel like I’m on fire!” I smiled seductively and fanned my cleavage.

Killian joined us in the car. “She’s really mastered her powers this year. You’ll be amazed when you see what she can do now.”

I blushed at the compliment. “Wow, that’s so sweet. Thanks, Killian. I didn’t think you’d noticed.”

Dec snorted from the back seat. “You’ll never get another compliment, darlin’. Are you recording this?”

Killian added, “Well, she’s worked hard and she doesn’t complain. I’d say this compliment is earned.”

We pulled into the parking lot and I immediately spotted Aric’s car. Damn, they were here. I was hoping they’d forget. I fidgeted with my locket chain until Sean’s fingers closed over my hand.

“She loves you, remember? She’s not going to be upset with you about this.”

“No, she’ll be upset with you!”

“I’ve been through a lot this year. I think I can handle one pissed off female. Give me some credit, okay?”

“Okay, okay. Let’s get this over with.”

As usual, Killian went in first and Sean and I went in next. Dec brought up the rear. Old habits die hard and none of us went anywhere without practicing security measures. Scanning the room for bad guys and exits was second nature to me now. Correction: usually I did it too. Tonight I only had eyes for Dani. I sought her out from across the room and held my breath as she discovered Sean. Dani’s face went through a series of expressions when she spotted me and then saw Sean with me. Her eyebrows went straight up and her clear grey eyes narrowed. Aric flinched as she dug her nails into his arm. Mouth set and eyes hard, Dani marched over to me and hauled me off to the patio for a little chat. I looked helplessly behind me at Sean who just shrugged and waved me out the door.

“What is he doing here?” she demanded as soon as we were alone.

I unhooked her fingers from my arm and answered, “Uh, he’s back.”

“Back?”

“For good.” I smiled really big to show this made me happy.

She scowled. “You didn’t tell me you were seeing him again. When did this happen?”

“Recently. Very recently…like a couple of days ago. It was a surprise for all of us.” I took her hands in mine and pleaded, “Dani, I love you. You’re my best friend…my sister. But you have to trust me on this. Sean and I are okay now.”

She started to respond but then paused and glanced down at my locket. “What on earth…?” Distracted, she reached out and picked up my locket. She dropped it like it burned her and shook her fingers.

“Ouch! What’s with the locket? It’s glowing.”

Her fingertips were red.

“Uh, magic?” I laughed it off with a joke and a shrug.

“Uh-huh.”

She narrowed her eyes doubtfully and added, “You know I’m not stupid. Don’t bullshit me.”

“It’s no big deal. It’s just a locket.”

“Yeah, sure it is. I don’t believe you, but go ahead and keep your secrets. One day you’ll regret it. Let’s go back to the others. I’m sure Aric is ready to be rescued,” Dani said.

“Oh, you bitches don’t need to leave so soon. We just got here.” A familiar cold voice froze me in my tracks and I rolled my eyes. Again?

I turned to see Scott Flynn and three others spread out across the back entrance to the patio. Scott’s eyes were hard as he pushed off from the wall and stalked towards us. His thick dark hair and deep-set brown eyes were still the same. The expression on his face was new though. Psychopath? Newborn vampire? Demon?

Pick one; they all fit.

I hadn’t seen him for a long time. He looked even more unstable than he did last year. I hadn’t been in town much and he’d been in and out of jail. Unfortunately he’d survived his latest stint in jail. Damn, his timing sucked. I swiveled to the other exit and it was blocked too. Not a surprise. We were trapped on the enclosed patio. Instead of screaming for help, I faced Scott as he made his way towards me. I planted my feet and got ready to hand his head to him. I was more than ready and it showed in my face. He took a good look at my expression and lost a little of his swagger. He slowed down and moved with more caution. I cracked my knuckles and stretched.

Purring obscenely, he said, “I’ve missed you. You and me have some catching up to do. You’re looking good.” His eyes raked my body and settled insolently on my crotch. He spread his hands in a gesture of goodwill and warned, “You might want to play nice.”

One of his thuggy friends barked a mean laugh at that. “Yeah or we all get a crack at you when he’s done!”

I looked at that one and said, “Shut the hell up, moron.” Dani gasped and dug her nails into my arm. Out of the side of my mouth, I said, “Let go of me and stay back. I’ve got this. Yell for Aric.”

Dani opened her mouth to scream, but one of them grabbed her around the waist and clapped a hand over her mouth. She struggled and kicked at him, but he pressed his arm against her throat and she froze. I watched out of the corner of my eye as he held her against him and groped her with his free hand. Her eyes were spitting fire but her face was turning red as she lost oxygen. I wanted to yell for Dec but didn’t want Dani to learn their secret so I sent an SOS to Killian instead. Oh, please be paying attention!

Killian! It’s Flynn. Hurry!

Scott took advantage of my hesitation and lunged at me. I stepped to the side and he lumbered forward missing me completely. I swung around to face him and kicked him squarely in the jaw. His head snapped back and he staggered. I sensed another guy coming from behind me and dove forward to take Scott’s legs out from under him. He landed hard on his back with a whoosh. Before he could react, I kicked him in the face, hopefully breaking his nose. Blood splattered everywhere. The sound of screaming broke through my adrenaline rush. Dani’s captor had pinned her against the ground and was trying to shove his hand down her shorts. She was screaming bloody murder so he punched her in the face.

In seconds, the patio was crowded. Sean, Killian, Dec, and Aric all burst through the doors at the same time. Aric took one look at Dani and went berserk. He threw himself into the guy and knocked him sideways onto the ground. Dec had to drag Aric off the guy to keep him from killing him. Once the guy was out cold, Dec and Aric led a sobbing Dani out to Aric’s car. Two of the smarter criminals melted into the darkness while I held Scott Flynn in place with a boot against his throat and Sean stood behind his head. Blood was pouring out of his nose and his eyes looked up at me furiously. He wasn’t afraid. He was waiting me out.

I put a little pressure on his throat and he grunted in pain. “Not so tough now?” I mimicked Killian’s feral smile and dug my heel in a little harder. His eyes showed fear then.

“That’s what I thought!” I smirked and put a smidgeon more weight on my heel.

“Mica! No killing!” Killian ordered, amused.

Sean squatted down and snarled, “Yeah, don’t kill him. I have a promise to keep.” He leaned into Scott’s face and said something too low for me to hear. Whatever it was, it had the desired effect; Scott frantically turned his face away.

I laughed out loud. Scott was getting a very close up view of the unusual eyes that announced, without a doubt, that Sean wasn’t wholly human. His eyes burned in their sockets when he was in killing-mode, or soldier-mode, as I called it. It was a Primani thing. It happened when they were fighting demons, teleporting, or just really mad. It was an involuntary reaction to the saol that they used. It still scared the hell out of me even though I was perfectly safe with them. Apparently Scott didn’t feel safe if the kitten sounds he was making were any indication. I laughed harder.

“Get the fuck up.” Sean hauled Scott to his feet with one hand. He shoved him into Killian who pulled both arms behind his back. Before I could say another word, Sean pulled me to him and kissed me with such intensity that my whole body glowed and threw off waves of searing heat. My eyes burned like fire and everything seemed oddly bright like I was wearing sunglasses. He’d turned me into a road flare…Scott’s eyes went huge and he started shaking violently. He tried to turn his head away but Killian forced him to look.

Understanding the game now, I leisurely turned to face Scott again. “Touch me again and I’ll light you on fire.”

He blanched and fell to his knees.

“Oh, you’ll burn.”

Killian laughed at Sean’s horrified expression. “Dude, you’ve got no idea!”

Chapter 4: Scented

SUNNY DANI WASN'T SMILING today. A shadow passed over her eyes as she stared out the window. She had no bruises on the outside, but I sensed her pain and my heart twisted in sympathy. She was the sweetest soul I knew in this crazy new world of mine. I wanted her to stay innocent. I hadn’t told her anything about the earlier run-ins with Scott to keep her from worrying. She’d had no idea that we had a history. She turned back to me and sighed.

“How are you feeling?” I whispered.

Her mom was listening outside her bedroom door. I didn’t want to say too much. Instead, I handed her some cookies I baked and tried a smile.

She frowned back at me.

“I know you’re worried about me. Don’t be. I’m not the first girl to be attacked by a stupid guy. I’m just glad Aric got there before he could…well, you know.” Her hand fluttered and dropped back to her lap. She tapped her fingers against the side of her leg and pressed her lips together.

Her sadness was breaking my heart.

“I’m so sorry! It happened so fast! I can’t believe they dragged you into this.”

Usually Scott and his merry band of psychopaths tried to drag me someplace private for their entertainment. His thug friend must be new in town.

Dani looked me in the eye and said, “This has happened before, hasn’t it? You and Scott seemed to have a rhythm going.” Her voice was soft but laced with underlying steel that sent an alarm bell off inside my head.

I squirmed in my chair next to her. “Uh, no, it’s not. He just won’t leave me alone. Sean and Killian have beaten the shit out of him a couple of times but he keeps coming back. The guys have been training me for the past few years. I was ready for him this time. I don’t need help any more. One of these days I’ll probably have to kill him.”

Dani’s eyes narrowed. “You say that so casually; like you’ve done it before.”

“I’m not trying to be casual. But I’m not going to let the psychopath kill me. That’s what he wants and I’m not going to let him do it.”

“Okay,” she paused and asked, “And what about Sean? And Dec? There’s something not right about them.”

Yeeeeah...so not going to go there with her.

Stiffening, I sat back and crossed my arms. I knew I looked defensive but I had to draw the line. This wasn’t something I could share, even with Dani.

“They are who they are. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Suddenly she leaned forward and grabbed my wrist. “You’re still lying to me! Do you really think I can’t tell? You’re my best friend; I know you better than you think I do. How can you keep secrets from me?”

Okay...not sadness after all.

As her nails dug into my palm, I realized I had let her down. I was wrong...I’d put her in danger and not even thought about it. I sucked. Damn.

“Okay! I’m a horrible person! I’m sorry for getting you hurt! I’m not trying to lie to you, but there are things I can’t tell you. They’re not my secrets to tell. Please try to understand that.”

Unpeeling her fingers, I got up and looked out the window. It was beginning to get dark outside. Dani’s mom was making dinner down in the kitchen and I should be getting home. This conversation couldn’t go much further anyway.

“Look, I hate this. I love you but I can’t say anything else. Is there anything I can do for you? Other than spill my guts?” I hugged her and she stiffened but then hugged me back.

“I love you too, but I’m still pissed at you. I don’t care about that idiot guy. I care that you’re involved in something that you won’t tell me about. That hurts and I don’t like it. I’ll let it go for now, but you’re gonna have to tell me sooner or later.”

I looked into her pretty grey eyes and sensed she was more disappointed than angry now. That was better, but not much. I still felt like a bitch.

“We’ll see. Let Aric spoil you for a while. That’s what he thinks he needs to do. If you don’t let him help you, he’ll be crushed.” With that last piece of advice, I headed back to the farmhouse.

As I pulled up to the driveway, I noticed all the lights were off. Hmm, that’s strange. Where was everyone? I parked the car and shut the door quietly. Before heading inside, I looked around the outside. No sign of an attack--no shattered windows, nothing blown up, nothing unusual at all. Huh. Reassured, I went in through the kitchen door. Domino greeted me and trotted along beside me, her tail low to the floor. The house was quiet. The kitchen was spotless. No one had cooked in it today. That was odd. The guys ate a lot. It wasn’t like them to clean up the kitchen so well.  Uneasy now, I crept through the living room back to the bedrooms. I listened for voices or music but the house was deathly silent. I was getting more nervous the further into the house I walked. I peeked into the bedrooms as I passed by. Dec’s was empty of life but a disaster as usual. He never worried about putting clothes away or making his bed. Life was too short.

I hesitated at Killian’s door with my hand on the knob. I hadn’t been inside this room in a very long time and the last time had been disturbing. I opened the door and peered into the darkness. His scent stopped me in the doorway. Woodsy and musky, it was unique to him and conjured up a vivid image of the last time I was here. I groaned and closed my eyes to stop the memories. They came anyway.

That night, I had been dreaming about walking down the endless hallway again. In my dream, I tried to open the doors and they were locked. They were locked until I came to this door. The door had swung open and I had walked blindly into the room. In front of me was a soft glowing light and I reached out and touched it with my hand.

Minutes later, I woke up flat on my back with stars in my eyes. My brain struggled to adjust to being smacked against the wood floor.  On top of that, my skin tingled unpleasantly all over and I was drooling. Killian, with a sheet draped loosely around his hips, crouched beside me looking worried. He was shaking me by the shoulder.

“What happened?” It felt like I was hit with a stun gun.

“You were sleepwalking. You, uh, startled me. I’m so sorry, babe.”

He pulled me up and I flopped over. My legs didn’t seem to work just yet. The natural response to falling is to grab onto something, right? Is it my fault I missed Killian altogether but did manage to snag a fistful of the sheet on my way to the floor?

My face flamed again just thinking about it. Good Lord, was there no escaping the memory? It took months to get the image of Killian’s amused face out of my mind. Then there’s the rest of him…Focus. Focus. I took a deep breath. Where is he now? Not in the room; that’s for sure. I backed out of the room and went to my own. It was empty too.  I switched on the lamp and saw a note on the nightstand. It was from Sean. I read it once quickly and then again more slowly. It was signed, ‘Always, Sean.’

Well, hmm. What to do now? They would be gone for a while and I was to stay put and not get into trouble. Huh. Why do they always assume I’m going to get into trouble? It’s not like I go looking for it! Domino had been lying on the bed watching me with interest. Now she straightened her ears and focused her attention on the note.

Well, now what?

“You want to know what the note says?”

She wagged her tail.

Tapping the folded paper against my leg, I explained, “Mission. Alex says they’ve got a lead on Dagin’s new lab and they need to go check it out. They’ll be out for a week or more. It’s status quo for me and you, Princess. Looks like we get to hold down the fort again. Are you up for it?”

She yawned and daintily stepped down from the bed. She stopped under the alarm pad and looked up. I can’t do it alone.

Breathe in, breathe out…I sucked in hot thick air and grimaced. Mile three was going to kill me today. I was struggling to keep my pace and finish. Sweat ran into my eyes and burned like acid. Damn, it was freaky hot today! Domino loped easily beside me as we passed the mile marker. She wasn’t even panting hard; that’s all the proof I need. She’s not a real dog. A real dog would be hot too.

“You know you’re not a real dog. Admit it!”

She rolled her eyes at me and kept trotting along. Amateur!

Laughing and sucking at more air, I slowed to a walk and slugged some water. I poured her a bit in my palm and squatted so she could drink. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a man watching me. He was standing next to a dark blue car in the parking lot. Nonchalantly, I turned so I could see him better while I poured some more water out.

“Keep drinking,” I ordered the dog.

She licked at my palm and lifted an ear.

“The guy in the khaki shorts and red polo is watching us.”

I poured more water and glanced up under my lashes. Yep, he was still there and still looking our direction. His mouth was moving just a little bit. Ah, he was using a mic. Okay, either he was a cop, a terrorist, or someone on Dagin’s payroll. None of those options were great. He was dressed in pleated khakis and a polo shirt. He didn’t fit my image of a terrorist, so that left cop or demon. Would a demon bother with designer labels? I wasn’t sure. Either way, not good. Would he follow me openly or try to hide it? Let’s see.

I led Domino back to my car and took my time getting situated. I glanced around to see if he was still paying attention but he was gone. I swiveled around in all directions but he wasn’t there. Did I imagine that whole thing? No, surely not. I pointed the car towards the house wishing the guys were home. They hadn’t come back yet, and I wasn’t expecting them for a few more days. I drove the long way home and kept an eye out for a tail. If someone was following me, they were very good. I didn’t see anyone. Finally I headed home and parked inside the garage for once. Slipping inside, I set the house alarm and called Sean. He answered on the third ring.

“What’s up?” He sounded distracted.

“I love you too! And oh, by the way, I think someone was watching me today.”

“Don’t be a smart ass. What happened?”

I explained about the polo shirt guy in the park. After listening to my story, Sean was quiet for a minute. “Well, what do you think?” I asked.

“It’s possible that you’re under surveillance. But the question is by whom. Dagin? Maybe…but that would be unusual for him. The truce is over so he’d probably just kill you if he saw you by yourself. His business partners shouldn’t know about you. Um, my guess would be feds.”

Yikes!

“Feds? What would they want with me?” I checked the mirror for a sniper beam in the middle of my forehead and stepped away from the window.

“You told me about the men who were at the house in Vermont. They wore uniforms and had NVGs and night scopes on their rifles. They were planning to raid the compound while we were inside. Bad guys wouldn’t do that. They would’ve just stormed it and shot the place up. So those guys you saw were most likely legitimate law enforcement. Local cops wouldn’t have jurisdiction over arms dealing ops. Could be FBI or even Homeland Security…hmm…”

The silence stretched.

“Sean?”

No response.

The line went dead. No signal. Crap. I needed more than ‘hmm’ from him! I hit the redial button and got voice mail. I left him a message and got to work. If someone was watching me, I needed to be ready to dash in a hurry. I pulled out a backpack and filled it with things I’d need if I have to bug out: a couple of changes of clothes, toothbrush, extra ammo, cell phone charger, extra cell phone, and some other important things. I packed a real suitcase with stuff for a longer stay and put that in the trunk along with Domino’s food and extra bowls. I added some blankets and first aid stuff and some big bottles of water. Lastly, I rummaged through our stash of protein bars. There. I could leave in a hurry by car or by foot. I loaded my Sig Sauer P229 and put it in the holster on the small of my back. There. Now I was armed. I felt loads better already.

I had the whole afternoon to kill and was too edgy to do anything productive. Instead, I practiced the Krav Maga techniques that Sean and Killian taught me over and over again. I could disarm an attacker who had a gun or a knife. I could kill an attacker if necessary. I really hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. I had to shoot two men last year and I still felt guilty about it. Oh, they deserved it--they were trying to kill me at the time. It was self-defense, but that didn’t make me feel good about it. I would do it again if I had to though.

It was 2:00 a.m. and I was restless. Domino rolled over and grumbled at me for waking her up. She was relaxed so I should be too. After all, she’s the canine with super hearing. I finally gave up pacing and checking the windows and went to sleep.

My alarm went off at 8:00 and I fell out of bed in a panic. I had my gun out and pointed at the closed bedroom door before I realized it was the alarm clock, and I had to go to work. Smacking myself in the forehead, I put the gun down and took a shower. The day was uneventful. I watched for a tail everywhere I went. I didn’t see anyone suspicious. By the end of the day, I had a splitting headache from the tension and actually hoped someone would knock me out.

“Okay, Princess, it’s your turn to play lookout. I need to get rid of this headache.” I rubbed my face against Domino’s soft fur and gave her a pat.

I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes. Dec had taught me to heal myself, and I needed to practice. This headache was killing me so I was going to give it a shot. With careful deliberation, I visualized the warm saol inside of me as it flowed gently through my veins into my muscles and organs. I saw it flow under the fragile skin that covered me. It was pale gold as it moved along. Slowing my breathing as much as possible, I gently urged it towards the back of my head where the pain was the worst. A faint light glowed behind my eyelids as I did this. My body was relaxed and yet taut with the current. The feeling was both soothing and invigorating. I felt like I could float away or run forever. It was powerful. I was powerful. The pain gradually receded and then disappeared completely.

Domino growled a warning deep in her throat and I slowly opened my eyes. She stared at the door to the kitchen with ears cocked and tail wagging slowly. I sat up and moved to pick up my gun from the table.

“What?”

In response, she jumped forward and ran towards the doorway. At the same moment, the air was sucked out of the room. Killian and Sean appeared and Domino skidded to a stop in front of them. Laughing with real pleasure, Killian reached down and rubbed her ears. Sean’s eyes found mine instantly and widened in surprise. He stiffened and Killian looked up.

“Well, damn,” Killian said in wonder.

“What’s wrong with you two? Did I grow another head?”

Sean cautiously moved towards me and turned my arm so I could see into the mirror. What now?

“Look,” he ordered softly.

The eyes that stared back at me weren’t mine. They were backlit with a soft white light. It wasn’t the vivid blue fire that defined the Primani. No, the light was barely there, but faintly shining just behind the midnight blue of my iris.  What did this mean? Even as I watched, the light dimmed and faded away again.

“Cool.” No witty comments popped into my head just then.

Sean shook his head and silently communed with Killian. Both looked over at me and smiled.

“You’re becoming high maintenance, Princess,” Killian commented and then laughed. “I don’t know what to do with you anymore.”

Sean asked, “What were you doing? I could feel your heat before we traveled. We knew you home.”

“That’s cool! You felt me?”

Killian snorted with impatience.

“Sorry! It’s interesting! Okay, I had a bad headache and decided to practice healing myself. It worked. I felt like I could fly away and run for miles. It was amazing!”

“Hmm. It sounds like you healed yourself and recharged yourself at the same time. That’s different.”

“Really? It doesn’t feel that way to you?”

“Not quite, darlin’. I think we might feel it differently because it’s always been a part of us though. I always feel like I can fly,” Sean explained with a cocky grin.

“Of course, you can fly so you’d know! Why can’t I travel too?”

Killian came back into the room and paused by the hallway.

You’ve been in my room? He sent his thoughts to me.

I jumped guiltily and flushed. How did he know?

Your scent lingers.

I flushed a deeper red as the memories from that embarrassing night flashed into my head. There was no escaping it. He was never going to let me live it down.

I pouted and shot back, It was an accident! A real friend would let this go and stop embarrassing me!

Not a chance!

You’re such a jerk! Turning my back on him, I said aloud, “Come on. Let’s go up to the room.” I grabbed Sean’s arm and dragged him up the stairs. Domino took off with Killian.

When we got into the room, Sean said, “Do you want to tell me what’s going on with you two? Or do you want me to guess?” His shoulders were stiff and he leaned against the wall with his arms folded in front of him.

I sighed. I guess I could lie but that would surely backfire on me. So I stalled for a minute and tried to come up with the right words. Images of my falling to the floor dragging that damn sheet with me overwhelmed me again. Ugh! Killian had been surprised, and then amused when I rolled onto my stomach and covered my eyes with both hands. He simply laughed and walked away naked.

“I saw Killian naked!” I blurted out. “But I closed my eyes!”

Sean’s mouth dropped open and then snapped shut again. “What?”

My face flamed and I started babbling. “It was an accident! I didn’t mean to. I thought he was you…When I touched him; he shocked me and knocked me out. When I came to, he was really sorry! You have to believe me. It was an accident!”

His mouth twitched. He finally yelled, “Killian!”

A few minutes later, Killian lounged in the doorway. “What’s up?”

The smirk was adorable but completely uncalled for.

As if he didn’t know what was up…he could read my mind for crying out loud! He was probably listening to the whole embarrassing conversation. The rat!

“Do you want to tell me why you were naked with my girlfriend?” Sean’s lips were twitching as he held back a grin.

“It’s all her fault. She came into my room and assaulted me while I was asleep. You know what can happen when we’re startled? Well, she ended up on the floor, drooling. Completely her fault, but I did feel bad about it.”

Killian’s explanation left a lot to be desired.

“What? Are you kidding me?” My voice went up several octaves. “I was sleepwalking! I was having a nightmare! You practically electrocuted me! It’s no wonder I fell down.” I jabbed my finger into Killian’s chest and added, “And I didn’t drool. You’re mean.”

Intrigued, Sean said, “So when were you naked, exactly?”

“Oh, after she yanked the sheet off of me,” he said with a perfectly straight face.

“Out! Get out!” I snapped and pointed to the door.

Laughing, Killian sauntered out the door and I slammed it behind him. I jumped up and kicked it for good measure. “Jerk!” I yelled at the door.

Sean’s laughter finally penetrated the haze of fury surrounding me, and I stopped muttering under my breath and looked at him. He cocked his head and said, “Temper, temper.”

With a gleam in my eye, I advanced on him. He backed up still laughing. I advanced. He backed into the wall and held up his hands.

“Now, come on, sweetheart! You don’t want to hurt me! You love me, remember?”

“Not at the moment!” I gritted out between my teeth.

He grabbed my wrists in one hand and hauled me against him. It was hard to wiggle out of the way with my arms extended above my head and my breasts thrust forward against his chest. I stopped wiggling and he stopped laughing. Instead, he dipped his head and kissed me until I forgot why I was mad.

“So would you like to see me naked?” he whispered against my lips.

Chapter 5: Ancient History

“MMM, THAT FEELS AMAZING. I’ll die if you stop now.”

He stifled a laugh and kept rubbing my shoulder. His brisk movements stretched my tight muscles and relieved the pain that had been bothering me for days. I shifted my position slightly to give him better access to my arm. Lying face down on the living room floor, the only thing I could see was the dust bunnies nesting underneath the couch. Wow, guess one of us should drag out a vacuum and evict the little guys. Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember the last time anyone cleaned the house.

“Sean?”

“Yeah, babe?” He straightened my arm and firmly pulled his strong fingers down my forearm to my wrist. After pulling each of my fingers out straight, he was done. He sat back and stretched his own fingers.

Groaning with contentment, I sat up. “When will you take me to Ireland?”

He grinned at me. “Ireland? Where did that come from?”

“I don’t know. I just want to see where you grew up. Er, sort of grew up. I guess.”

I had to laugh at myself. I wasn’t even sure he was technically ‘born’…We hadn’t gotten around to talking about how one became a Primani. Were they born as people first? Or did they just adopt a hot human form and wing it? So far, every Primani I’d met had been pretty hot. Maybe it was a job requirement.

He didn’t answer me right away. Instead, he bent over and stretched.

Dec interrupted us. “Hey, what are you guys doing sitting around the house? It’s beautiful outside. We should go climbing.”

The clock said it was only 9:00 and it was beautiful outside. Even though it was summer, we were enjoying a cold snap. It was going to be in the 60s today. It was perfect for a trip to the mountains.

“I’ll call Dani! She’ll want to come too. She’s been bummed since Aric left.”

An hour later, the four of us were heading down the highway towards Keene. As we got further into the mountains, my spirits soared. I squeezed Sean’s hand over the console and leaned back in the seat.

“Wild thing.” He winked at me.

“Yep.” I winked back.

As soon as he steered the car onto the shoulder, Domino climbed over the seats and stood in my lap. I got a mouthful of tail before I could open the door and shove her out. Dani and Dec climbed out of the backseat and grabbed their backpacks. Dani had amused herself by braiding her pale blond hair into randomly spaced braids. She was very cute in a hippy girl kind of way. More importantly, she was actually smiling for the first time in a while. Aric had gone to visit his sister in Florida and was not coming back for another month. Poor thing drooped like a flower without him. I hoped today’s trip would cheer her up. If nothing else, close proximity to Dec all day would raise her spirits. He had that effect on humans.

The forest around us was lush and green. It smelled like heaven. I raised my arms above my head and inhaled deeply. Ah! I was home! Sean was right. I was a wild thing--a creature of the forests, of the mountains. I felt most at home here. Maybe I was a wood nymph in another life. I’d have to ask Dani about that…I danced a little happy dance and started up the trail. Sean kept pace with me, but Domino ran in front. She insisted on herding her humans lest any of the flock wander off. I turned to grab Sean’s hand and paused to stare at him. Damn. I was such a lucky girl! The sunlight peeked through the leaves and dappled his face with golden color. His hair was longer now and curled just over his ears. The military cut was long gone, but it was still black as night. With black hair, vivid blue eyes, golden skin, and an incredible body, he attracted me like iron to a magnet. Unwilling and unable to resist, I arced towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Geez, don’t you two ever take a break?” Dani busted us when she rounded the trail.

Dec felt compelled to add, “You should try living with them. It’s nauseating.”

“Oh, ha ha. Someone’s just jealous!” I responded and took off up the trail like a billy goat.

After happily tramping along for more than an hour, the sound of running water drew me towards a ravine off the main trail. Domino slowed her gallop to a more careful walk and we picked our way through some low sycamore branches to the source of the sound.

Pushing one last leafy branch aside, I stopped, mesmerized and delighted. “Ooh! Look!”

It was breathtaking! Sunlight streamed into the waterfall like a sign from God. It was one of those rare sights that make you believe in magic. Well, other kinds of magic…

To Sean’s amusement, I threw down my backpack and shrugged out of my hoodie and shoes.  Calling the dog, I hopped over the rocks until I found a good spot. Leaning in from the side, I stuck my head under the current. The water was shocking as it streamed over my head. I shook my head to clear the water out of my ears and leaned back into the water again. No way could I resist the call of the waterfall. Domino splashed into the stream and drank about a gallon of water. With tongue lolling, she bounded over to Sean and shook out her fur. Laughing, he jumped easily to a higher rock out of her range. Numb with cold, I dried myself off with my hoodie and wandered over to Sean’s rock.

Unconcerned with the time, Sean and I settled into a comfortable position and stared up at the clouds that just peeked through the leaves above us. I shivered with cold and curled up against his side. He was always hot. It was like having my own personal furnace. We shared the silence and peace with our hands clasped over his chest. His heartbeat was strong against my palm and I was thankful.

“This is Heaven.”

He sighed quietly and kissed my knuckles. “No. This is better than Heaven.”

Surprised, I peeked at him from under my lashes. His eyes were closed and his lips were curled up in a natural smile. I leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth just to see him open his eyes. Nose to nose, his eyes were soft as they met mine. Maybe he was right. This was better than Heaven.

“Tell me about Ireland.”

He sighed a bit wistfully. “It’s green and wild. It’s a magical place. You’d be at home there. Like a fairy, you are.”

I smiled at the image of me with fairy wings. “When did you live there?”

He was quiet for a few minutes. Finally, he said, “A very long time ago.”

I traced a heart shape over his heart and whispered, “Tell me.”

He pulled me closer against him. “I was born there. My father came from Germany, but my mother was Irish. Her family had been in Ireland for generations. I can still remember her smile…” His voice trailed off. His eyes were far away.

“She must have been beautiful.”

He smiled up at the clouds. “Yes, she was. She had a mane of wild black hair and wicked blue eyes. When I was older, my father told me she was the most beautiful woman in the land. She died when I was still a child. My father raised me alone until he died. I was 16 then.”

My heart skipped a beat and I asked, “What happened to her?”

He hesitated and finally warned, “It’s not a pretty story, Mica. She was killed by soldiers. They were my father’s men. You see, they were afraid of her…of what she could do…of what she might do. There were things happening in the village. The livestock were dying from no apparent reason. Crops failed because the rain refused to fall. People started to go hungry. Children got sick and died. My baby sister died. Things were very bad. Then one day, one of my father’s men came into my house and saw my mother performing a ritual.”

I stiffened in surprise and he hurriedly went on. “Not an evil ritual! She was simply praying for rain to heal the land. But the soldier misunderstood. His hysterical ranting sealed her fate among the ignorant and frightened.” He stood up and stretched, knuckles cracking with the effort.

“What happened then?  You can’t leave me hanging!”

“Okay, but then we have to head back. It’s getting late.” He took my hand and pulled me up to stand with him.

“My mother was killed by one of the soldiers. There was a struggle and she ended up dead. The man tried to say it was an accident, but his sword had gone straight through my mother’s body. It was no accident.” His eyes glittered with anger as the memories swamped him.

“I saw everything that day. My mother…knew things…she sent me to hide as soon as the soldiers came towards the house.  I climbed a tree and hid. My mother tried to lead them away from the tree, and he ran her through from behind. I hid in that tree and memorized the face of the man who killed my mother.” His voice was harsh and cold, remembering a child’s pain that still hurt the man he’d become.

Tears glittered in my eyes as I pictured the scared black-haired boy desperately clinging to a tree branch. I couldn’t even imagine his fear and rage. My own mother had died in her sleep three years ago and the loss still stung. Sean was lost in his memories now and didn’t see my tears.

“His name was Maedoc and he was the first man I killed. It was no accident when I ran him through. I felt…better…somehow after that.” His eyes cleared and he added in a matter-of-fact tone, “My father buried her near an old Druid site. After that, we moved to another town and we stayed there until…until…well, until I became a Primani.”

“What did your dad do when they came for her? Didn’t he try to protect her?” I was angry for him.

“Of course he did! But it’s complicated.” He tapped his fingers against his leg, searching for the right words. “My mother wasn’t praying to God. Christianity didn’t exist there. She was a Druid priestess. Her family grew up in Northern Ireland and embraced the old ways. My father and most of the soldiers came from Europe and didn’t believe in the same things. My mother and the others kept the practices of their religion hidden as much as possible to keep from losing it altogether.”

“How on earth did they get together in the first place?”

He laughed out loud at my question. “Destiny? He was a Celtic warrior and she a Druid priestess. He took one look at her and couldn’t walk away. Put them together and you get me. Raphael tells me I have a special purpose--up until now, I didn’t believe him. Since I’ve met you…I’m beginning to think he’s on to something!” He kissed me quickly and started to pull me towards the trail.

I dug in my feet and he stopped. “You left something out.”

He raised an eyebrow at me.

“What year were you born?”

“112 A.D. Give or take a year.”

Chapter 6: Unwanted House Guests

“OKAY, DANI, TAKE CARE! See you later!” I practically threw her out of the car when we pulled up to her house. She was speechless as we drove away.

Dec said, “What on earth is the matter with you? Are you crazy?”

I swung around to face him. “Not a chance! Spill it, you. When were you born?”

He jumped like I’d scalded him. “Sean? What’s she talking about?”

Sean rolled his eyes and turned down the music. “The day you were hatched! You might as well just tell her. She won’t let it go.”

“Did you, uh, tell her when you were born?”

“Yep. The whole story.”

“Really? You told her everything?” He seemed skeptical and looked at me with a frown.

“Come on, Dec. Just tell me! What will it hurt?”

Resigned, he said, “Okay, fine. I don’t know exactly, but sometime around 426. We didn’t keep good records back then so I’m not positive.”

For the second time today, my mouth dropped open and I was speechless.

“And Killian?”

They looked at each other, unsure. We were pulling up in front of the house and the car was silent as Sean shut off the engine.

“And Killian?” I repeated my question.

“920 B.C.,” Killian said from behind me.

Shocked, I repeated, “920 B.C.” and fainted.

Someone dragged a cold wet rag over my face and I sputtered indignantly and pushed myself up onto my elbows. My audience wore identical amused expressions. Killian looked vastly more entertained than the other two though. He just smirked, smiled, and shook his head.

“Okay, so I was surprised. Don’t laugh at me. I’m new to this magical lifestyle, you know.” I studied their faces and felt the bond we shared.

My locket twitched against my chest and I smiled. Yes, we were connected by something extraordinary.

Killian broke the extended family bonding with an announcement that we had a new problem.

“So what’s going on now?” I asked.

Instead of answering me, he turned on the television and switched the channel to local news. After a short piece on the rising price of gas, the anchorman cleared his throat and put on his serious news face. A woman’s body was found in a cemetery near the old Plattsburgh Air Force Base. The local police department had not released her name, but she was described as an athletically-built brunette between the ages of 17 and 25. She had been raped and beaten. The cause of death was strangulation.

“That poor woman! That’s awful. But what does she have to do with us? Was she one of your charges?” I asked.

Dec’s face was white as he absorbed the news. Killian waited for me to catch up. I glanced between them for a moment before slowly sitting back down.

“I should’ve killed him when I had the chance!” Sean said harshly.

Killian raised a hand to settle everyone down. “We don’t know for sure it was him; could’ve been anyone. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Sean looked incredulous. “Who’s jumping? I’d say it’s pretty obvious.”

Killian said, “Look, our instructions are to warn Mica and keep her safe. That’s it. We have other orders that have priority. We need to follow up on some intel about Dagin. Rumor says he’s acquired a new supply of chemicals and two new scientists to resume production. Alex has the whole east coast looking for the new lab.”

“And Flynn? What do we do about him?” Dec asked.

“Officially? We do nothing. Not our focus.” He held up a hand again when we all protested at once. “Unofficially, however, we take him out if an opportunity presents itself.”

Sean’s smile was feral. “I’m counting on it.”

“Well, I’m totally freaked out now. I’m going to bed.” I yawned hugely and stood to go.

“Good idea, Princess. We should all get some sleep. We’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. Everyone meet up at 8:00 and we’ll go over the plans.” Killian searched my face for…what? Stress? Fear? Something else?

Setting my jaw, I gave him a look that he understood. We’d shared this look a thousand times while Sean was gone.

It simply said, “I’ve got this. No worries.”

And I did.

I was humming “Chasing Cars” in the shower when the clear curtain slid back. Sean leaned against the sink letting his eyes drift lazily down my soapy body. He still wore jeans but the button was undone and they rode low on his hips. He’d already stripped off the t-shirt he wore today. I licked my lips and tried to say something sexy but nothing came out. My tongue got stuck in my mouth. Instead, I stepped back to make room. The jeans hit the floor in a blink of an eye and his hands were everywhere at once. With my back against the warm tile, I closed my eyes and let the sensations overwhelm me. He dragged his lips away from my mouth and smiled wickedly. Nonplussed, I started to ask what he was up to, but it came out as a yelp when he scooped me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. His arms cushioned me from the hard tile as he impaled me with one quick thrust.

“Oh. My. God.”

Moving against me now, he bit my earlobe and murmured, “Not quite.”

After using all of the hot water, we stumbled to the bedroom to work out the bed. Exhausted and limp, I trailed my finger through the fine black hair that formed his happy trail and said, “There is no way that you’ve never had sex before me. You’re like a porn star.”

“A porn star?” He propped himself up on his elbow and frowned at me.

He looked so disgruntled, I started to giggle. “Baby, wait. I meant that as a compliment! You’re just so amazing when we…uh, do it.” I blushed.

“You’re a mess. You know that? Of course it’s amazing! Hello? Supernatural beings here! Our souls are connected; we share the same saol. God Mica, when I see you my brain and my body go into hyper-drive with awareness. I’m aware of every breath you take, every heartbeat, every emotion. When I touch you, I feel your blood flowing under your skin. I feel it under my fingertips. I have the power to draw it to the surface anywhere I want. Do you know how hot that makes me? I want to lose myself in you.” He gently traced the pale blue vein on my chest with his thumb. It pulsed in response. “I can give you pleasure because I feel what you want when your breath catches just so.”

My breath caught as he nipped my collarbone with his teeth. I felt my bones turn liquid again and knew he was right. I felt the same things when I touched him. I was turned on just standing close to him. He hummed with energy that I felt on every inch of my skin. I assumed everyone in love felt this way, but maybe he was right. Our souls were entwined as much as our bodies. Maybe this was special.

He peered up from the vicinity of my naval and asked, “Besides, what made you think I was a virgin?”

Whoa! What did he just say? I started to sit up when a loud crack of thunder sounded close by, and I jumped out of my skin. The glass in the window rattled, and a bright flash of lightning lit up the room. Domino jumped up and barked madly at the window. In a flash, Sean was up and dragging on his shorts. He stood near the window and listened. Not tonight! I knew the drill. Freaking demons again…

I threw on shorts and a tank top and combat boots. I’d rather fight naked than barefoot. I hated fighting barefoot. I always ended up hurting my toes. I didn’t hear anything unusual but Domino continued barking madly. She was in anti-demon mode. Dec rematerialized next to me and tapped my arm to let me know he was there. Grateful for another body, I squeezed his arm in response.

“Where’s Killian?” Sean asked.

“Out. It’s just us. Who is it?”

“I’m still listening. I can’t pick up his thoughts in this rain.”

“Mica can. She does it all the time.”

He whistled softly. “That’s new. Give it a try, would you?” Sean nudged me.

I moved closer to the wall and closed my eyes. The rain and wind could be distracting, but I’d learned to tune them out. I did that now. I sent my mind out to probe for any other mind that might be loitering on the property. At first there was nothing. But as I focused on the back of the house, I sensed two others: one human, one demon. Hmm. That was interesting. Without breaking my connection, I held up two fingers--one on each hand. That was the code Dec and I came up with this year. Right hand for demons, left for humans.

“Back door,” I whispered and finished scanning. “Only the two.”

Sean said, “Let’s go then.”

He took the lead and we made our way through the house. All the while, I listened for more intruders. Finally, I stood still again and probed the human’s mind. It made me queasy.

This motherfucker better not stiff me my money. I don’t know why I had to bring him at all. I don’t need help to snuff a couple of losers.

“Jesus! He’s here to kill us.” I repeated the human’s thoughts.

Sean smiled whitely in the darkness. “He can try.”

Dec chuckled and tensed. I sensed rather than felt their bodies prepare for the fight. I called it going into soldier-mode. They called it “supernatural flight or fight response” minus the flight part--they never ran from a fight. They didn’t know how that would feel.  We were spread out a bit so we couldn’t all be shot at once. Sean was closest to me so I glanced at him and suppressed a shiver. His body was taught like a wire, and I could already feel the waves of heat coming off of him. Dec’s eyes were gleaming hotly when he turned to look at me. I knew they would be fully ready in another second or two. Suddenly my vision wavered oddly. The room brightened like I had on night vision goggles.  I wasn’t wearing them now, but I could see everything clearly, including the two bodies that were approaching the door on the porch. I could see straight through the walls. I bounced on the soles of my feet and glanced around. It was the oddest thing. I felt light as air…I wanted to fly.

Sean gave the signal and both of them disappeared and rematerialized behind the intruders. The human took one look at Sean and bolted for the road. Dec’s hand whipped up and he hit the demon right between the eyes. The demon screamed shrilly and disintegrated into ash. Okay, well now I had nothing to do. There was no one to fight. So I waited while the adrenaline, and whatever new fluids I had, flowed through my jerky muscles. I sat down heavily and focused on trying to breathe. Dec strode inside covered with ash and paused when he spotted me.

“Whoa, darlin’! You don’t look so good. What’s going on with you?” He came over and looked closely at me.

His eyes still blazed and they hurt mine when he looked into them. I winced and squeezed them closed.

“Sorry! Hang on a sec and I’ll help you.” Completely unselfconscious, he pulled the ash-covered t-shirt over his head and tossed it in the corner. He stuck his head under the kitchen faucet and rinsed off the ash. Demon ash burned the hell out of human skin. I learned that the hard way…

My muscles were settling down again, and I was only sporadically jerking now. My arms were twitching uncomfortably like I had been hit with a stun gun. I really, really needed a pair of rubber shoes. He came over dripping wet and knelt in front of me. His hair hung in wet clumps in his face.

“You…lllook lllike a drown…ed rrat,” I stammered out.

“Yeah, yeah. Hush. I’m working here.” He studied me and then ran his wet hand down my arm from shoulder to fingers. He repeated this with the other arm. His touch quieted the twitching. Then disaster happened. It always did. I’m not sure why I didn’t expect it. Just as he reached up to feel my forehead, my leg shot upward. His mouth made an “O”, and he rolled over into a fetal position.

“Oh, Dec! I’m so sorry!” Mortified, I kind of fell out of the chair and crouched next to him.

He wasn’t in the mood for help though. Through stiff lips he said, “Go away!”

I was still hovering when Sean walked in pushing the human in front of him. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I needed to talk to these guys about sending me telepathic warnings. Constant surprises couldn’t be good for my heart. Holding my pounding heart, I checked out our would-be killer. He didn’t look so hot. To start with, he was blindfolded and blood was running out of his nose onto his faded Metallica t-shirt. Unfortunate, that; I loved Metallica. His hands were tied behind him and he was limping badly. He was missing a shoe and his baggy jeans were ripped and bloody in several places. Domino peered around his legs and smiled an evil doggy grin. I told him not to run…

“He’s getting blood on my kitchen floor,” I commented to Sean.

He shrugged. “I’ll be in the basement.”

Dec moaned and tried to straighten up. “Wait for me, bro. I’m coming.”

Sean tilted his head curiously at me. “It was an accident!” I cried.

“It always is.”

Chapter 7: Vanishing Act

“OUCH! OKAY, THAT STILL HASN'T CHANGED. Well, that sucks.” I rubbed my burning hand and started for the sink to wash it.

Killian watched from the doorway. “What are you doing with that shirt?”

“Demon guts.”

He peeled away from the wall and crossed to me. “Demon? When? Are you okay?” He grabbed my shoulder and held me at arm’s length. Scowling, he looked for injuries. Finding nothing obvious, he relaxed his grip on me and asked again, “Want to explain about the demon?”

He seemed cool, but I sensed his tension. He was afraid for me. I patted one of his biceps and gave him a reassuring smile. I filled him in on the night while I scrubbed the ash off of my hand.

“So do you think my powers are evolving again? I was hoping to be immune to the ash, but that isn’t the case.”

He thought for a minute before answering me. “Well, it sounds like your optical vision is evolving to give you greater sight like your telepathic powers. That would make sense if your vision is your greatest power. We have the same ability to see things in the dark, and the fight response works to sharpen that. It makes us more powerful.” He tented his fingers and considered me with new intensity.

He stared at me for so long I squirmed uncomfortably. What was he doing? Was I giving off some kind of weird psychic vibes?

Finally he shook his head a little and said, “I’m just not sure about your description of feeling like you could fly. Have you felt like that before?” He paused and said urgently, “Tell me you haven’t actually tried to fly?”

“What? No, I’m not an idiot!”

He snorted like he could argue that point but didn’t. Smart man. We stood there for a minute just looking at each other until a muffled scream drifted up from the basement.

He smiled nastily and headed to the basement door. “I’m glad you’re okay. Do me a favor and stay that way.”

The lights were off in the basement, and I had to pick my way carefully down the stairs. No one had bothered to finish this side so the concrete walls and floor were bare and cold. The only things down here were the furnace and hot water heater. Even the washer and dryer were upstairs. There had been two tiny windows, but Killian covered them over to keep anyone from getting in. Sean turned to greet us when we rounded the corner.

“Good, you’re here. Meet our houseguest, Ramon. He’s been very cooperative so far.”

“Is he conscious?” I asked skeptically. He didn’t look conscious…his head was lolling against his chest.

Sean nudged the man with his boot and ordered, “Don’t play dead. Say hello to your target, asshole.”

Ramon immediately raised his head in our direction and woodenly said hello. Huh. He was being cooperative. That’s a surprise.  He also looked very, very stoned.

“Uh, hey killer, can I talk to you for a second…privately?” I asked Sean.

Patting Ramon on the top of the head, he said, “Don’t go away.”

I pulled Sean into the other side of the basement and hissed, “What are you doing to him? He’s like a zombie over there!”

Firmly dragging his hand out of mine, Sean crossed his arms. “Nothing painful, he’s just groggy. But I could torture him for information if you’d prefer that.”

“No! That’s sick. Don’t hurt him any more than necessary.”

“Make up your mind. Do you want me to torture him or not? We don’t have all night.”

I threw up my hands. “Oh, do whatever it takes. I just don’t want to hear the screaming!” I said the last part as loud as possible. Hopefully our houseguest had good hearing.

It was still dark in here, but my eyes had adjusted so I could see pretty well. Killian had spent the last few minutes stalking around our guest. The poor guy was shaking in the chair and moaning pitifully. I stomped down a wave of sympathy for him. After all, he was trying to kill us. Killian hadn’t touched him, but he didn’t need to. I felt the wave of heat from here and knew the man would feel it like an open furnace. His terrified eyes were blank and staring. His mouth opened and closed in silent screams. I shuddered and wrapped my arms around my chest.

Killian paused behind him. He put both hands on Ramon’s shoulders and Ramon twitched violently. The chair rocked from side to side. He groaned like a trapped animal making my skin crawl. Killian calmly closed his eyes and whispered in his ear. His words echoed inside my head.

Neaon dagon a stlaya, neaon dagon a stlaya

Fascinated, I couldn’t look away. Hypnotized, Ramon sat frozen while the whispering went on. The tone was at times cajoling and then harsh. Killian’s knuckles were white on Ramon’s shoulders and he bent closer to his ear. His lips barely moved as the whispering continued. It sent chills down my spine, but I still couldn’t look away.

Ghara a dagon stlaya ul cthuli? Neaon dagon a stlaya

Killian’s voice boomed inside my head and cold sweat trickled down my back. The ancient words made no sense to me, but the power behind them was unmistakable.

His power was unmistakable.

His voice, his words, his power…his insistence was impossible to resist. I was captivated and would have done anything he asked at that moment. My will was crumbling into tiny little pieces, and I wasn’t even his target. What was he saying to Ramon? His face was frozen in a mask of horror.

Ghara a dagon stlaya ul cthuli?

As the last of the words echoed inside of me, I started to back away. I didn’t want to see any more. I didn’t want to hear any more. I backed into Sean and turned to leave. But he stopped me and held me in place. I tried to struggle with him, but he was too strong and I couldn’t move away. Frustrated, I blinked back tears and bit my lip. Refusing to watch, I shut my eyes.

Taking my chin in his hand, Sean forced my head up and said, “Watch, Mica.” His voice was hushed with awe and his eyes glowed with reverence.

Killian stopped whispering and I heard him sigh in my mind. He stood perfectly still for a few seconds and then let go of Ramon’s shoulders. Nothing happened at first, but then Ramon’s face was transformed. The mask of horror melted away and an expression of profound peace took its place.  He nodded in my direction and slumped in the chair.

“It’s done,” Sean said against my hair.

Numb, I stared at Killian in horror. Oh, my God! What did you do? His head snapped up and he started towards me and I backed away. Shaking my head in denial, I wrenched away from Sean and stumbled back up the stairs. Dec caught up with me halfway down the driveway. Instead of stopping me, he matched his pace to mine. The moon was low and covered with stringy clouds that seemed sinister above the trees. The rain had stopped but lightning still streaked the sky. Thunder grumbled in the distance. I ran until I was out of breath and slowed to a stumble by the side of the road. Dec waited patiently while I bent over sucking in air. When I was breathing normally, he tentatively offered his hand. Automatically, I reached for it but then stopped. What did I really know about him? Any of them? What power was he hiding from me? Would he take away my will? My life? Was it that easy for them? Oh, God! I’m a part of this now. What does that make me? Would my powers evolve until I could kill with my mind? Jesus…it was unthinkable.

With haunted eyes, I bit my lip to stop its trembling.

Like approaching a dangerous animal, he circled me with hands out. His eyes were soft, but his mouth was set in a firm line. He was worried and it showed.

“Just leave me alone, Dec. I don’t want any of you near me.”

He flinched and dropped his hands to his sides. “Mica, please,” he pleaded.

Something in the tone of his voice made me look up at him. He was standing so close, but I felt a chasm yawning between us. His expression was pained as he watched me struggle. What was I doing to him? Dec was my friend, my healer. He’d been the one steady rock in my life for two years. I was hurting him now. Damn. My lip trembled and I bit it again. I needed to get a grip. He must have sensed the change in my mood because he took a tentative step in my direction and held out his hands again. Sniffing, I lifted one hand.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. “Let me help.”

I nodded against his chest and relaxed as his body grew warmer around me. My fears slowly disappeared and my heartbeat returned to normal. I sighed and pulled back. His beautiful blue eyes were grave as he gauged my mood.

“You’re afraid. Again.” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Damn it! What’s happened now? You’re not supposed to be afraid of us.  We’re here with you…because of who you are!”

He laughed bitterly and added softly, “Somehow, we keep failing you. I’m so sorry, darlin’.”

“No, Dec, stop it! You haven’t failed me. I’ve failed you.” I whirled around and faced the trees. I couldn’t look at him anymore. “Don’t you see? I’m the weakest link…I’m afraid of what I don’t understand because I feel vulnerable, weak. Killian’s power…” My breath caught in a sob and I bit my lip.

Turning me around, he said furiously, “You are not weak! You’re a human; and an amazingly strong one too. Over the past few years, you've evolved from a typical teenager into a scary bad ass member of our team. You’re a natural. You scare the hell out of me sometimes, especially when you’re pissed. You’re handling your new powers like a pro.” He stopped to suck in some air and said more patiently, “I know it’s hard for you. But damn it, Mica, you are strong and capable. You’re one of us.” He shook me by the shoulders to make his point.

“But I don’t want to be!”

He flinched as if I’d slapped him. “What makes you say that?

I hesitated and inhaled sharply. “What Killian did to that man…” His whispering voice still echoed in the back of my mind. “I don’t want to be like that. That’s not who I am.”

“That man is better off now.”

Shocked at his callousness, I backed away from him again. “I can’t believe you’d say that!”

His silence was deafening.

The sound of the wall going up between us was not.

I closed the door softly behind me and steeled myself for the argument to come. But the living room was empty when I walked in. Good. I just wanted to go to bed. My brain hurt from thinking so hard and my heart felt tender in my chest. Hugging Sean’s pillow to my chest, I lay there staring out the window. Sleep wouldn’t come. Instead, I relived the scene in the basement again. Sean’s face had been…admiring, even awestruck, when Killian finished with Ramon. He’d made me watch! What was the point of that? Was I supposed to swoon over Killian’s power? Did they want applause? Were they getting off on it? It made me sick.

Maybe they’re not as good as they say they are. A soft voice commented in the back of my mind.

Ignoring it, I turned my thoughts to Sean again.

I couldn’t understand his obvious admiration of Killian’s actions. I mean, Killian killed that guy, didn’t he? Was it the way he did it that was cool? Was twisting his mind until it imploded cooler than, say, slitting his throat? It was cleaner; maybe that’s the point. I wasn’t squeamish about killing in general; sometimes you had to do it or be killed yourself. I got that. I just didn’t get how he could so coldly kill that guy for really no reason. So he tried to kill us. Big deal! A lot of people have tried to kill me this year and no one killed them because of it. Scott Flynn’s heavy brow and deep-set eyes leered into view and I rolled over to avoid the picture. I loved Sean and Killian. I loved Dec, too. Maybe I was so used to seeing their caring or protective sides that I forgot they’re warriors first. Sean once told me that other Primani weren’t as friendly as these three. Maybe they’re just doing what they need to do, and I’m too much of a wuss to blow it off.

The dream was insidious. It crept up on me while I lay in that vulnerable window between consciousness and the early stages of sleep. My body was floating off into oblivion when the first images tickled my sight. Caught in the paralysis of sleep, I was helpless as the dream unfolded. I watched from above as Sean walked into my mind. He was bloodstained and weary as he crossed a clearing. Early morning mist softened the harshness of the bare trees. The silver light cast no shadows as he slowed to a stop. Stretching wearily, he sat down on a rock and dropped his head into his hands. He was heavily armed with an automatic rifle and extra ammunition looped over his right shoulder. His shoulders drooped and he rolled them tiredly. A shadow moved behind him, but he didn’t see it. My heart pounded in my chest as the darkness moved closer to him. Run, Sean! I tried to warn him, but my voice had no sound. Sean sat perfectly still, unaware. The shadow moved closer and a tingle of recognition crawled down my spine. Sean slid his hand to the sheath strapped to his calf and tensed as the shadow took human form. No! Wait! I screamed at him. But it was too late. He couldn’t hear me anyway. He’d whipped around and thrown the shining knife without hesitation. I gasped in shock and the dream world wavered out of focus.

With a cry of anguish, Sean dropped to his knees and pulled my body into his arms.

“Forgive me, Mica! I had no choice. I had no choice,” he cried as he rocked me against his chest. My eyes stared unseeing into the branches above us.

Two more shadows slid out of the trees. With identical expressions of pity, Killian and Dec joined him in the clearing. They were also heavily armed and dressed for combat.

Killian’s eyes blazed hotly as he said, “This was foretold by the angels. You shouldn’t have loved her.”

Dec added, “Her weakness was dangerous. You know that.” He touched my face with something like revulsion and wiped his hand against his pants. “Burn the body now. We have to go.”

No! My cry of protest broke the spell and I sat up in bed. The bed was empty next to me. Where was Sean? My heart was still galloping in my chest as I shoved the remnants of the dream out of my head. Where on earth did that come from? I must be going crazy. Sean wouldn’t kill me. He loved me more than anything else. Didn’t he? A small niggle of doubt argued the point.

Yes, he loves you, but you’ll always be second to the greater cause he serves. He’ll kill you if you get in the way.

No! That’s not true. He’s my soul mate!

But that doesn’t mean you get to live…your destiny is still evolving, remember?

Oh, shut up!

Dragging on a shirt, I stalked out of the bedroom calling for Sean. Domino padded silently behind me. Dawn was just bringing its pale yellow light when I stopped at Killian’s door. Knocking softly, I waited for him to answer. I knocked again and waited. If he was here, he would have answered the door. He sleeps so lightly it could barely be called sleep. I cracked open the door and looked inside. His scent was very faint this morning. I inhaled deeply and his face came immediately to my mind. I saw him as he looked at me so many times…mouth compressed in disapproval and eyes mocking. He was a hard man to please, but he loved me, didn’t he? I thought he did. Exhaling, I pushed his face away and continued my search. Dec’s room was empty too. They were all gone. They’d left without me. They’d left me here alone. Why? What did that say?

It says they don’t trust you.

Of course they trust me! I’m valuable to them. I’ve been on a lot of missions. I kick ass too.

Yes, but nothing important. Not since the farmhouse. Not since you failed them.

What? I didn’t fail them! It wasn’t my fault there were demons that day!

You didn’t fail them? Really? What happened to Sean? You know that was your fault. Deep inside, you know it. They know it, too.

No! It’s not true…I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, letting the truth wash over me like acid. This was crazy. I’m losing my mind here! I need to go. I need to get out of this house and get my head together. Rushing now, I showered and packed. I loaded my things into the car and waved Domino into the shotgun seat. I had no idea where we were going, but it didn’t really matter as long as it was away from here.

Three hours later, we sat at a picnic table in a rest stop near the interstate. Gazing into the distance, I idly petted Domino. She sat in guard dog position on the bench next to me. What was she protecting me from here? Remembering my training, I scanned the park around me for threats and allies. There were about a dozen cars parked in the lot, but nothing seemed threatening at the moment. A middle-aged blond woman with two little kids unwrapped sandwiches at the table next to me. They dug in and giggled as their puppy rolled around in the soft grass. They didn’t seem like much of a threat. I continued my scan. A grey-haired man slowly made his way out of the bathroom and headed towards his car. He was slightly misshapen and limped across the parking lot. One shoulder was higher than the other and his head was bent awkwardly. His shapeless overcoat seemed a little out of place here. It was warm and sunny at the moment. I peered under my lashes and watched him carefully. He paused next to his car and Domino growled softly. The man straightened and looked right at me. I tensed as his eyes turned yellow in their sockets.

Like a mad dog, Domino barked viciously and went airborne. With paws barely skimming the pavement, she threw herself in his direction. Screaming in panic, the little family next to us sprinted towards their car. The demon’s eyes brightened and he lightly bounced a fireball in his hand. He grinned evilly and aimed at the little girl.

“No!” I jumped up and yelled at him just as he released the fireball.

He exploded into a cloud and the fireball vanished before it struck the child. Time stopped. Stunned, I gaped at the spot where he’d disappeared a split second ago. What the heck happened? Where did he go? Expecting Primani, I whirled around. I saw no one. The parking lot was empty. Looking front again, I searched for the little family, but they were gone too.

Everyone was gone.

An icy gust of wind sent me running for the car. Domino continued to growl but had stopped barking. Shaking with adrenaline, I jumped into the car and slammed it into gear.

Driving much faster than the speed limit, I pulled onto the Tappan Zee bridge before rush hour. Traffic moved steadily along as my thoughts cleared. How did I get here? I asked myself for the hundredth time. I must’ve been on autopilot. Thankfully the hot Australian GPS voice guided me flawlessly to the parking garage and I parked in the penthouse slot. I slipped the leash on the killer dog and walked into the lobby like I belonged there. I smiled beguilingly at the concierge as the golden elevator doors swept closed. The foyer of the penthouse was painted a beautiful royal blue and had black marble floors. The bright geometric paintings still hung on the walls, but the tiny golden cherub was missing from its alcove near the door. The niche was empty now. That was odd. I knocked on the door and waited.

No one opened the door. It was the middle of the afternoon; maybe Jordan had gone out. Jordan was the very sweet angel who managed the house for Alex. He was unfailingly kind to me and I looked forward to seeing him again. I tried the knob and the door swung inward without a sound. Domino growled. Something was wrong. My spidey-senses were tingling…I might not have super powers, but the smell of fresh blood is always a big sign that something bad has happened. Wait…there was a heavy stench lingering behind the blood. My nose curled in on itself in protest. Vaguely familiar, I carefully inhaled and tried to process it.

It was the smell of hell.

Demons? Here?

Freezing outside the door, I listened hard. I heard soft footsteps inside. Closing my eyes, I looked into the penthouse and searched for the source of the sounds. There was a body on the tiled kitchen floor. Oh, please don’t be Jordan! I prayed silently.

The apartment was empty, but the French doors were open onto the rooftop garden. A figure stood in the garden looking down over the wall. Wishing I had my Sig handy, I slid inside the door. I glided through the kitchen and picked up a knife from the rack. It would have to do if things got physical. My breath caught as I looked down at Jordan’s unconscious form. He was bleeding heavily from a gash in his forehead but was still alive. Peeking up at the doors, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his head. His eyes fluttered at my touch.

“Shh. It’s me,” I whispered.

With surprising strength, he gripped my hand and said, “James! Where’s James?”

“I’ll find him. You rest now.” I gently removed his hand.

I slipped out to the garden and let out a sigh of relief. James.

“James? Thank God!”

He whirled around at the sound of my voice. Grief distorted his handsome features into something ugly. His eyes glowed angrily and his hands were clenched into fists. Upon seeing it was me, he relaxed slightly. “Mica? Why are you here? Did you see…Jordan? He’s…” A sob tore from his throat and he bowed his head.

“James, he’s not dead. We have to help him right now though. Come on.” I grabbed his hand ignoring the jolt of current that made my head spin.

Rushing back into the kitchen, I skidded to a stunned stop. “What’s going on here?” I asked James. The pool of blood was gone as was the towel. The kitchen was spotless.

He looked puzzled too. “I don’t know. I came in a few minutes ago and found Jordan on the floor. He wasn’t moving…there was so much blood…I thought he was dead. Then you showed up.”

“What did you do with Jordan?” He asked me with a strange gleam in his eye.

I didn’t like the tone he was using. “What did I do? I just got here. Maybe I should ask you that question.” I fingered the knife in my hand.

He smiled tightly and said, “Are you planning to use that on me?” He glided imperceptibly closer. There was something oily about his expression and I took a stronger grip on the haft.

Domino snarled and moved between us. He stopped and casually leaned against the island with hands raised.

“You want to call off Cujo there? She must be confused. I’m not the bad guy.” He paused and added, “I need to call Alex.”

Trusting the dog, I didn’t call her off. I let her growl. I told him to call Alex though. He pulled out a cell phone and placed a call to Alex. After explaining what happened to Jordan, he hung up.

“Well? Is he coming?” I asked.

“Yeah, he’s on his way. He’ll be here shortly. I have to go to another meeting though. I’ll be back a little later.” He gave me a little smile and vanished.

Domino barked once and rubbed her face against my leg. Well, that was creepy. Assuming Alex would be here in a few minutes, I stood in the kitchen.

“Hey Cujo, do me a favor and use your super-dog senses and sniff around. We’re looking for blood and the smell of a stranger. Someone who shouldn’t be here, maybe.”

Like a very hairy CSI, she went to the front door and started from there. Meanwhile, I searched the kitchen. No sign of blood. I stuck my nose down to the floor and peeked into the seams between the tiles. Nothing. I know I saw Jordan…Where did he go? What gives? This was really weird.

Alex was a no-show. It had been three hours since James called him and he hadn’t showed. I paced up and down the hallway and ground my teeth in frustration. Damn it. What was taking him so long? Surely this was important? Jordan had to be okay, didn’t he?

There’s nothing wrong with Jordan. You’ve made a mistake.

I know what I saw. Jordan was hurt.

The little voice continued. Are you sure that’s what you saw? You’re tired. Maybe you didn’t see anything.

I did see it! Jordan was bleeding…

Then where is he?

I whispered, “I don’t know.”

Chapter 8: A Momentary Lapse of Reason

THE WITCHING HOUR and I couldn’t sleep. Millions of city lights muted the stars as I stared out into the night. I leaned against the brick wall on the rooftop and tried to let my mind drift. It wasn’t working for me tonight. My thoughts rambled disjointedly. I couldn’t organize them into anything remotely coherent. Every time I tried to meditate, little voices of doubt intruded. Random images from my past flitted around like hyperactive butterflies. I must be really stressed; my concentration was shot and meditation was light years away. There was just too much going on right now. Cursing in frustration, I stomped back inside and locked the doors. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t call Alex myself because I didn’t have his number in my phone. No one had given it to me. Sean always had it though, but calling him wasn’t an option at the moment.

My heart caught painfully. I missed Sean. But this was necessary. Getting away from him for a little while was my only option if I wanted to sort out my thoughts…my memories. I needed to understand what happened that day in Vermont. Something nagged at me, there was some clue I was overlooking. It was important, but I couldn’t find it. My stupid brain wouldn’t cooperate. Curling up with Domino, I fell into a restless sleep full of dreams. I woke suddenly with no idea where I was. Blinking in the morning light, I looked around in confusion.

Oh. That’s right--the penthouse.

Yesterday’s events came rushing back and I sighed. I was alone. I sensed no one else in the apartment. After dressing and eating, I shouted for Alex. Well, he’s supernatural, right? Maybe he can hear me. I tried shouting for Raphael and Zadkiel too. No one magically appeared. I left a note on the table, just in case, and took Domino for a walk. We rounded the corner onto Broadway where swarms of people marched to their destinations. New Yorkers had that look of purpose about them. Everyone knows where they’re going and they don’t mess around. The energy of the city recharged me and I joyfully joined the swarm and let it sweep me along. I had no particular place to go.

After grabbing two hot dogs from a vendor of questionable cleanliness, the dog and I perched on the steps in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I slid Domino the rest of my bun and licked spicy brown mustard off one of my knuckles. Leaning back, I closed my eyes against the caressing breeze and breathed in the exhaust fumes.

“You must be my soul mate,” a deep voice said in front of me.

I scrambled to my feet blinking against the slant of sunlight. Oh! There in front of me was a beautiful male with sparkling blue eyes.  He was perfectly marked and regarded me regally. What muscular haunches he has! Oh, and the human attached to the leash was not so bad either. It was no surprise that Domino hadn’t warned me, she only had eyes for…

I asked, “What’s his name?”

“Domino. And yours?”

“Domino.”

“Wow, we really are soul mates!” The man held out his hand and said, “I’m Balin.”

He had warm golden brown eyes and thick brown hair that was just a little too long. Curling against his collar, it gave him the look of some kind of model. Italian maybe? His nose was crooked as if it had been broken, but it added character to an otherwise flawless face. His mouth looked soft, sensitive even…more of a poet than a fighter. But was he harmless? Looks didn’t always show the truth, did they? He could be a demon for all I knew, but it couldn’t hurt to be polite.

We chatted for a few minutes and he invited us to walk with them to Central Park. Seeing no real reason to say no, Domino and I joined them. The trees were thick and the path was shady and cool in the afternoon sun. It felt good to breathe in the semi-clean air of the woods. Joggers ran by with their iPods humming making me wish I’d brought my running shoes. Balin was a natural entertainer and told story after story until I found myself laughing in spite of the weight on my mind. But by the time the sun cast long shadows over the park, I was ready to get back to the penthouse. My stomach growled alarmingly and I blushed.

“Wow! It’s late! No wonder you’re starving. Listen,” he said, “do you want to grab dinner? I live pretty close. We can leave the dogs in the loft and go out.”

Alarm bells tinkled in the back of my mind. Something was a little off. Hoping to appear nonchalant, I looked indirectly into his eyes but nothing but steady brown irises met my own. There was no wall of fire, no blackness, and certainly no kaleidoscope of color showing his innermost thoughts.

Still not comfortable with going to his flat, I made excuses. “I’m sorry, Balin, but I need to get back. My uncle should be home by now and I need to see him. But thanks for the offer.”

His poet lips grazed my knuckles as he said, “Until we meet again then.” He winked broadly and turned away.

My skin tingled like a raw nerve when I pulled my hand back. I resisted the urge to wipe off his kiss and practically dragged the dog four blocks before I slowed down and stopped. Breathing like I’d run four miles, I rubbed the back of my hand viciously against my jeans. It was still there. My skin felt raw where his mouth had touched it…it burned like the skin had been scraped off the top. I held it up in the fading light, but the skin wasn’t broken. It was tan and taut like the rest of my body. Still, it stung like hell and I stuck it in my mouth automatically. Bitter acid curled my tongue back and I spit it out. Ugh. Gross!

Who is this guy?

Better question: What is this guy?

Alex was still absent when we got back. Disappointed, I poured a glass of water and scrounged for dinner. Apparently, Jordan hadn’t been shopping. The fridge was sadly empty. I managed to find some crackers and a tiny wedge of cheese though. There was a carton with three eggs in it and a box of cereal. I flipped a coin. I lost. Domino got the eggs for dinner. Tapping my fingers absently on the bar, I had a minor epiphany. I was bored. I marveled at the idea for a few minutes. I couldn’t remember the last time I was bored. There was no help for it though. I had to do something. I flipped on the television and caught the news. The news anchor was in the middle of a story about the body of a homeless man. A picture of a burned warehouse filled the screen. Intrigued, I turned up the volume.

“And the unidentified man was found outside of this abandoned warehouse near the East River. He was reported dead by an anonymous caller earlier today. Cause of death has not been determined.”

A close up of the warehouse flashed on the screen. The building itself was mostly destroyed but the front entrance was still intact. The pale red siding was streaked with grime. I know that place! I’ve been there before. Hmm. What would a dead homeless guy be doing there? Cause of death? Hmm, I would bet my right arm cause of death had something to do with chemical poisoning. Dagin? Again? Or maybe, still would be a better assumption. He was still operating in the area and I’d bet his men never cleaned up the crap in the old warehouse before moving on.

What would it take to get rid of this demon?

Ignoring Killian’s rule of never going off alone, I was making my way to the other side of the East River. I was pretty sure I could find the warehouse again. It felt good to do something useful.  I had memorized the street map and tucked it into my jacket pocket. I was wearing the darkest things I’d brought, but felt oddly unprepared for a fight. Killian had rules for our ops. Every time we had an op, we went over the plan and the weapons we’d need. Keeping to my training, I went over my own simple plan, but I felt naked now without NVGs or a headset. All I had was my Sig and a knife strapped to my calf. Sean had given me the silver-bladed Primani knife a few months ago. Unlike the heavy military-issue weapon we usually carried, this one was more a stiletto than combat knife. It was also simply engraved around the haft with two intertwined circles. A small cross bisected them through their center. The symbolism was clear: my blood, their blood, our blood together. Together, we were stronger. I fingered the blade and hoped I’d be strong enough going solo.

The sun was down completely and as usual, the streetlights were mostly broken. This area was a wasteland, and no one seemed to care about keeping the lights on. Pausing on the same bridge I’d crossed with Dec so long ago, I felt a crushing sense of déjà vu. I let the feeling wash over me and absorbed the images. I’d been here before and was here now. There was nothing weird about that. Shaking off the creepy feeling, I took a breath and kept moving forward hugging the tree line instead of walking down the rutted dirt road. The same broken-down 18 wheeler greeted me around the bend. Geez, didn’t anyone clean up? That thing had nearly crushed me flat the last time I was here. Probably I wouldn’t need to worry about any explosions tonight so it was safe to go hide behind it. The weeds climbing up its windows would provide excellent cover for a nosy secret agent like me.

Disappearing in the shadows, I looked for any other signs of life. Not sensing anyone, demonic or otherwise, I slipped over to the far side of the warehouse. The homeless guy was found near the water. It was super creepy here in the dark so I was going to move through this like lightning--get in, get out! A branch scraped against the side of the building and I jumped.  Suddenly this wasn’t the best plan ever…I was really alone here. Even the sounds of cars were very far away. No one would hear me scream…

Hello, what do we have here?

Using the toe of my boot, I rooted a piece of melted white plastic out of the dirt. I pulled out a plastic bag and carefully put the bit of plastic inside and sealed it. I shoved it into my backpack and kept looking. Tapping a toe, I racked my brain for ideas. During last year’s raid, the chemicals had sidelined me and James when they blew into us. I was coughing up blood for hours until Raphael healed me.  If the barrels leaked into the ground…and the homeless guy slept near the building out of the wind...What would Sara Sidle do? I scooped some dirt into the plastic bag and sealed that up. I searched around the rest of the building and didn’t see anything weird. I was just turning to leave when I thought I saw a movement in the brush.

Slowly pulling out my gun, I turned towards the brush and nearly dropped it in surprise. The biggest rat I’ve ever seen came out from under it and sauntered towards me like I was dinner. It was almost as big as Domino! With tiny rodent eyes gleaming hotly in the moonlight, it looked like a demon from Hell. It lifted its nose and sniffed the air catching my scent. Emboldened now, it picked up its pace and shuffled closer. Holy shit! I took off in a dead sprint back up the middle of the road. If I was attacked by another person, I would shoot him and let the rat eat him.

Thanks to all the running I’ve been doing, I survived long enough to find a corner grocery store. I was happily putting groceries away when my cell phone rang. Tossing Domino a cookie, I checked the caller ID. It was Sean. I guess he’s finally noticed I’m not there…my heart did a little flip-flop in my chest and I considered the phone. It kept ringing.

“Sean?”

Pregnant pause.

“Where are you?” he asked with a heavy sigh. “Mica? Do you have any idea how worried I am? Where are you?”

“I’m fine. I’m okay and I don’t need your help.”

Long silence. I could hear his teeth grinding together through the earpiece.

“Okay…would you at least explain this…note you left me? Was this supposed to explain things?” He sounded like a man trying very hard not to shout. I could picture him counting to ten before speaking.

Grimacing at his tone, I said, “I was mad.”

I had been really angry when I wrote it, but it seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. Probably I should tell him about Jordan and James…

“That’s it? You were mad? That’s your explanation for tearing out of here in the middle of the night without even talking to me? What the hell were you mad about?”

His frustration came through loud and clear. A little embarrassed now, I tried to remember what I wrote. I couldn’t quite remember…It seemed like so long ago, maybe I had overreacted. What was I angry about again? Something to do with Killian? No, that wasn’t right. Sean? No, never him. What was I upset about? I chewed my lip as I racked my brain for memories. A warm fog settled over my brain.

The quiet voice of memory whispered to me. They left you alone. Remember? They left you. They walked away and left you alone. They didn’t take you with them because they don’t trust you.

Realization dawned as bright as the sun through the fog. That’s right! They left me without a word and took off. My Primani left me alone. They didn’t trust me to go with them. Why couldn’t I go? I was a strong fighter now. I’ve proven myself. There’s no reason to make me stay home! What were they up to? More secrets? They were probably killing someone else who irritated them. Ramon’s terrified face slammed into view. His face twisted in pain as Killian stood behind him…whispering those evil words, killing without even touching. Talk about keeping his hands clean! Maybe I’d be next? I’m always irritating them. Even Dec gets tired of me sometimes.

No wait, that’s not right. I shook my head to clear it. I was confused. I hadn’t been that angry, had I? I came here to get my thoughts together. I left for some space…the fuzziness returned. Shaking, I lowered myself to a chair. My head spun in a slow spiral as I pictured Sean’s blue eyes snapping at me in anger. He was always angry! What was his problem? Couldn’t he just leave me alone for a change? He doesn’t own me. I have a right to my own life. That’s right, to my life. I’m not Primani! I don’t have to answer to them. Staring groggily at the kitchen counter, I saw red behind my eyelids and my blood steamed as it raced through my body. My skin burned and glowed like a lamp in the dark kitchen.

Knuckles white against the counter, I slurred, “Oh, go to hell!” just before sliding into darkness.

Domino’s cold nose nudged me awake sometime much later. My face hurt. As if moving through wet cement, I dragged my arm to my face and pulled my cell phone out of the crease in my cheek. I must’ve been lying on it for a while because there was a deep impression in my skin. What happened? Why am I on the floor? My mouth felt like cotton and my eyes burned. I shifted to sit up and my head exploded. With both hands gripping my skull, I stared up at the skylight. Any little movement brought excruciating pain. My eyes watered with it and I drew in a careful breath. Domino whined helpfully and I slowly cracked an eyelid. Her eyes looked into mine. Declan?

Of course! I lay very still and focused my healing energy on my splitting head. Breathing slowly, I guided the gentle current and felt its warmth surround my neck and flow into my aching face and around my skull. The pain subsided slowly and I felt refreshed again. I sat up gingerly and then stood up and stretched. I picked up my phone and groaned.

The screen was shattered.

Hundreds of itty bitty ant cars crawled along the city streets 18 stories below me. Leaning out a bit further, I could barely see the people walking by. I’d been staring blankly at the scene for a while and still no magical solution had presented itself.  I had to make a decision. I was alone in the penthouse and I was lonely. I had $5.82 and had to use my credit card for everything. I had no way to get more money. There was a dead guy at the warehouse where we accidently blew up a stockpile of toxic chemicals that were stored inside white plastic barrels. I now had samples of said plastic and contaminated dirt. My hand ached.

Problems were many; options were few. I could call Sean…that would solve the loneliness and money problems. He’d know how to send the samples to their lab too. Good idea except my phone was destroyed. I flexed my fingers and frowned. They seemed stiff to me…absently, I rubbed my hand and wondered if we had any drugs here. Maybe aspirin would help?

The wind nearly knocked me over as I turned the corner and hit an open space in the sidewalk. Clouds roiled high above the buildings as I rushed up the street. I zipped up my jacket and pulled up the collar. The air was wet with a threat of rain and it would be cold when it finally hit the sidewalk. I was rushing to get back before that happened. The bottle of Tylenol rattled in my pocket. Only two more blocks...My hair blew into my eyes again, and I shoved it back for the hundredth time. As I did, I caught a familiar reflection in the plate glass window next to me. My skin prickled at the exact moment I crossed the opening to the alley. I didn’t have time to scream when I was yanked off my feet and thrown into an open car door. Struggling madly, my boot connected with something soft, and a surprised grunt was the last sound I heard before a sharp pain burned into my neck.

Chapter 9: The Puppet Master

BURNING AIR SWIRLED around me as light as butterflies. Naked, I stood with my arms spread wide as the flames licked my skin as a lover might. First nipping sharply, playfully, but then warm and tender, the flames caressed me. I welcomed them with a soft smile. The flames brought pleasure…and power. My skin glowed like phosphorous as I rose above the firestorm. White hot incandescence, powerful…my saol blazed towards the heavens. The winds howled with the sons of Hell calling my name. They called to me in supplication, in worship. They stoked the fires that grew hotter around the pillar that was me. My eyes blazed with white fire as I turned them on my servants. Come to me, I called them. Come to me!

Rough hands yanked my arm and a searing pain raced up my shoulder to my chest. I cried out in protest and then sank into blackness.

And still the fires raged.

The fire changed me, ruined me, my skin melted and oozed away. My human body was gone. Cut open down the middle, there were no organs or bones…only a core of molten saol. It raced through my veins rushing to strengthen, to heal, to save my life. But the demons’ fires were melting me…they were too hot. I didn’t have time to heal. The gentle life force boiled under my skin…it was cooking me from the inside and I screamed as my skin melted off in sheets. Golden sheets, light as parchment, floated to the floor until nothing but the thick molten saol of my essence, my soul, remained. My human shell was destroyed. Slowly, my soul overflowed the table I lay on and dripped to the floor.

Suddenly a great cold wave washed over me and the searing pain stopped. Shaking with cold, I thrashed and moaned. Teeth chattering, I bit my lip and tasted blood. I was freezing now, no longer burning. Voices murmured from a great distance, but I heard them through the haze of unconsciousness.

“Bring the bitch around. Do it now!”

“I’m trying! I can’t just bring her out of it. Her brain will shut down.”

“No one gives a fuck about her brain. Wake her up!”

“Don’t you want her to answer questions? If you do, you need to give me some more time to bring her around. I’ve got to get these drugs out of her system or you’ll have nothing but a pretty little vegetable.”

I heard them clearly now but decided that discretion really was the better part of valor. Not sure if this was the bravest soldier move or not, I played dead. One of the men leaned into my face. I nearly gagged on his rancid breath. He reeked of old cigarettes, rotten teeth, and a lack of soap. Laughing meanly, he shoved a pillow over my face and raked his nails up my leg. My eyes watered instantly.

“I’ll be back later. Hurry up. The boss is waiting for her.”  Footsteps echoed and disappeared up what sounded like metal stairs. The clank of a gate banged above me.

“Asshole!” the other man said quietly. He moved the pillow and paused. I tried to look comatose. Sighing, he commented, “I don’t know what you know, little girl, but you’d be better off dead.”

After an eternity of rustling papers and clanking glass, the man finally left me alone in the dimly lit room. After the gate clanged shut, I waited for several minutes before cracking open an eye. I knew the room was empty but I didn’t want to sit up too quickly. What the hell was going on? Barely lifting my head sent daggers of pain down the back of my skull. Red light erupted behind my eyes like fire. Shit. Gasping, I lay back against the pillow and willed the fireworks to stop going off inside my eyes. I was going to puke. Taking slow deep breaths, I ignored the pain and looked around. I was in a small concrete room. There were circuit breakers on one wall and pipes crisscrossing the ceiling. It was damp and smelled like sewage. Where was I? Warehouse? Subway? I couldn’t tell. It was damp and smelly so my guess was underground. But where?

I counted down the seconds and no one came back. Leaving me alone was a dumb idea, an amateur move. Don’t they know who I am? I’m so outta here! Intending to slide off the table and make a sneaky exit, I swung my legs to the side and moved a whole half an inch. Alarmed, I looked down at my legs and saw harnesses holding me to the table. My arms were strapped as well.

Well, this was not good.

I closed my eyes and blinked back tears. Okay, I was still alive so there was time to find a way out of this. The gate opened and heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs followed by lighter ones.

“Well? How much more time?” Bad Breath Boy was impatient. He nudged my leg.

“Another hour? Two? That’s probably it. Check back then.”

“You better be right.” He stomped back up the stairs. In the silence that followed, the clock ticked loudly from the makeshift desk.

“I know you’re awake. You can open your eyes if you want.” His voice was soft, nasal. “I won’t hurt you.”

Startled, I flinched and he turned my wrist to take my pulse. “Your heart is racing and with good reason.” He leaned over me and added, “Come on, it’ll be easier if I don’t have to give you more drugs. You won’t like the side effects.”

My eyes snapped open to see a pair of clear green eyes looking down at me. Heavy lashes surrounded them but a large purple bruise kept them from being pretty. I blinked and the man stepped back. His nose had been recently broken and was swollen and slightly off center. He made a face that wasn’t quite a smile, and glanced up at the stairwell. Eyes warning me to be quiet, he spoke loudly to me as if I was still asleep.

“Okay, enough games. This oughta bring you around.” In a whisper, he added, “The door’s open.”

Frantic, I hissed, “Untie me!”

He shook his head, “Are you crazy? They’ll kill me!”

Furious, I growled at him. He backed away from me. “Coward!” I jerked on the restraints but they just cut into my skin. My toes were already numb and I didn’t want to lose them. I’d need them to escape. The doctor, if that’s what he was, came over and pulled the sheet back across my chest. Oh God! I was naked! Cringing at the idea that any of these…criminals…stripped me while I was unconscious, I snapped, “Pervert!”

With another nervous look at the stairway, he hissed in my ear, “There are worse things than being naked, believe me.”

A phone buzzed and he answered it. “Yes, she’s awake. I’ll have her ready. Yes, I do understand. Five minutes.”

My heart froze in my chest when he turned around, his face ghostly white. Twin spots of anger stood out on his cheeks. He stood clenching and unclenching his fists before turning to a small box. I blanched and tried to squirm away when he filled a small syringe.

“No! Please, don’t!” My eyes were pleading as I tried to scoot out of the restraints.

Without hesitation, he slid the needle into my arm. “This will help. Trust me.”

Heavy boots crashed down the stairs, and he tucked the syringe into his lab coat. Two big men came to escort me. Feeling oddly detached as the drugs kicked in, I waited as they stalked over to me. One of them threw a robe at me and told me to put it on. Doctor Green Eyes released the restraints and I sat up and rubbed feeling back into my ankles. My head felt light and I closed my eyes to stop the dizziness. An odd humming distracted me and I paused to listen. It was a pretty sound…like angels singing.

“Hurry up, bitch!” He backhanded me out of my daze.

“Piss off!” I spit blood on him and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

Grabbing me by the hair, he pulled my head back and pressed a razor against my throat. “I’m gonna skin you alive, you stupid bitch!”

His partner snickered at him and grabbed his arm. “Later! She’s got an appointment. Let’s go.”

Half dragging me between them, they pulled me up the stairs and into the hallway. My shins banged painfully on the top step, and I bit my lip to keep from yelping out loud. These guys were getting on my nerves. The hallway was only barely lit with dying emergency lighting that was twitching with its last life. Brick? Interesting, that. There weren’t too many underground places that had brick walls. Good clue. The trip down the hallway didn’t take long and I was shoved into a wooden chair in the middle of an empty room and left alone. Lone chair? Empty room? This was so clichéd I almost laughed. I started to until I saw the tiny red LED light near the ceiling.

Instead of laughing, I rubbed my hands together and tightened the belt on my robe. I felt naked sitting here. Keeping my face blank, my thoughts ricocheted around my brain. I was having a hard time forming complete thoughts. I tried to fight the haze of drugs but it was hard. What was I doing here? Who snatched me? What was that pretty music? Why were the walls moving? Minutes ticked by and my butt went numb. Cautiously, I stood and stretched. I studiously avoided looking directly at the camera but I felt the eyes on me. My head still felt strange and light. The humming continued on and off. My legs were heavy and I was having a hard time moving around without stumbling. No way was I going to make a run for it. Damn it. Why couldn’t I travel like the Primani?

The door burst open and bounced off the nearest wall. I froze and slowly turned around. My heart stopped for a minute as I looked into the face of nightmares. He looked like a human, but the skin wasn’t quite right. His face writhed slowly like it was alive under the thin brown skin. A webbing of white scars stood out in sharp relief across the right side of his face. His right eye drooped as the scar pulled it downward. His other eye gleamed brightly with anticipation as he stalked into the room. It was all I could do to stand still and not back away.

Sean’s words came back to me and echoed in my head.

Demons feed on fear, Mica.

He stopped so close that the material of his shirt brushed against my chest. The acrid stench of sulfur watered my eyes and sent me into a coughing fit. Satisfied, he nodded at the camera. The LED light blinked out and the door closed behind him. We were alone. He stepped closer and every instinct screamed at me to move away.

Demons feed on fear.

I could feel whatever was pulsing inside of him crawling against my arms as he leaned into me. It felt like hundreds of snakes struggling to break out of a sack. Sweat ran down my back, and I stared straight ahead. Inside my head, I was chanting I can’t see you, I can’t see you. Staring through him, I focused on breathing, in and out, in and out...

He smiled then, an ugly approximation of a human smile, and said silkily, “Nice try, pretty human.”

He lifted a hand, and I flew backwards into the wall and collapsed on my knees. Groaning, I pushed myself into a sitting position and glared up at him.

“Son of a--“

He flicked a finger and, like a puppet, my arms lifted above my head and I was pulled upright. Horrified, I tried to resist but I had no control. In the blink of an eye, he stood pressed against me again. My arms were stretched painfully above me forcing my back to arch and my breasts to thrust forward. The belt of my robe was gone and the material hung away from me leaving me naked to his eyes. He took one hand and raised it to my chin. Unable to refuse, I looked at him and saw Sean instead. It was Sean’s strong beautiful face that swam in front of me now. It was his hand that caressed my body and pulled me against him. Every voice in my head screamed in denial as he lowered his mouth and kissed me savagely. His hands groped me even as he forced my head back into the wall. Unable to push him away, I retreated into my head and closed my mind.

I can’t see you. I can’t hear you.

A brutal slap snapped my brain back to reality. The demon was back. Blood ran down my nose and I reached for it. Surprised I could move on my own, I flicked my eyes to the demon and pinched my nose to stop the bleeding. My chest was still bare and now covered with bright red blood. I dragged the robe around me and tied it tightly. Not that that would help…

“What do you want, demon?” I snarled at him, using the rest of my bravado. My brain was mush and I just wanted to sleep.

He didn’t bother to answer me. Instead, he smiled again and snapped his fingers. My robe was gone. Stunned, I gaped at him.

“You are in my world now.” He snapped his fingers again and my robe was wrapped around me. He glanced up at the camera and nodded. The LED light blinked to life.

“Sit down. We have much to discuss.” He waved a hand towards the chair and waited politely.

Stiffly, I staggered over and sat down. No sense in antagonizing him…

Demons feed on fear…

I was terrified.

Oh God, Sean! Where are you? Primly, I crossed my legs and tucked the robe around me and faced him with an expression of polite interest.

“So, what’s on your mind?

“Wake up! Come on!” a voice whispered harshly in my ear. “You can’t be dead!”

Hands shook me and the frantic whispering continued until I finally opened my eyes. Well, one eye. The other one was glued shut by caked blood. Waking up was a bad idea as the pain registered. Everything hurt. I moaned and even that hurt. I squinted and saw Doctor Green Eyes hovering above me looking worried.

“Who are you?” I croaked.

“Not now. You’re a mess and they’ll be back.” He paused. “I can’t believe you’re still alive.” Heavy footsteps sounded on the ceiling above us. Panicking, he injected me with something and a warm feeling of oblivion washed over me.

The dream swirled into the blackness of my mind, and I was blinded by its light. Squinting into the dream, I saw a white shape take form. Gradually it became clear. The farmhouse! Inside, Sean and Killian were arguing. I couldn’t hear the words, but they were nose to nose and pushing at each other. Faces white with anger, they shouted at each other. A pale light glowed briefly and Dec appeared to shove them apart. His face was thin and dark circles stood out in sharp contrast to his pale skin. His eyes were bleak as he pleaded with his brothers. Sean stalked back a step and pointed a finger at Killian.

“This is your fault!”

“My fault? Really? You’re the one sleeping with her,” he said between his teeth.

Sean exploded and threw Killian into the nearest wall. They moved so fast I couldn’t see everything clearly. It was a violent, ugly fight. They were trying to tear each other apart, and Dec was yelling at them both. The dream began to fade and I struggled to hold it.

“Sean! Sean! I’m here! Please…please…Killian! Wait!”

Staring up at the swaying camera, I trembled and bit my cheek to steady myself. I was back in the room again. I lost track of how many days I’d been here. Five? Ten? Between the doctor’s drug cocktails and the savage beatings that left me unconscious, I hadn’t been able to escape or call for help. During one fleeting moment of lucidity, I’d tried to yell for Dec but I had no audio…guess they figured that out and put me on mute.

My hair was hanging in front of my eyes and hurting my cheek. The gash was deep and puckered. Red and swollen too, it itched with infection. It was making me nuts, but I was too weak to move my hair and it hurt to shake my head. I could barely lift my hand, but I didn’t need to move. The demon moved me when he wanted me to do something. That was good, I supposed, since I wasn’t cooperating. I closed my eyes and tried to remember my middle name. Did I have a middle name? I’d lost huge chunks of my life…I was terrified I would slip into a coma and never wake up. Whenever I was even a little lucid, I’d been playing little games inside my head, forcing my brain to stay awake…trying to remember things about my life or lyrics to my favorite songs. Lately though, I’d been losing the memories and the will to keep playing the game. I prayed it was just the drugs.

Come on! Let’s just get it over with! Making me wait was part of their game. It increased fear, my fear. It was the same thing each time; the same questions. I had no answers and my resistance was crumbling. I resisted by blocking him out of my mind. I simply closed the doors to those memories. It worked to keep them from getting information about the Primani, but wasn’t healthy for me. Every time I retreated inside my head, the demon beat me…and worse.

Demons feed on fear…

Yes, Sean. They do.

But they enjoy pain more.

Broken, I let a tear run down my face. I was exhausted. I hadn’t eaten. They didn’t offer me food. I would starve to death soon.

“Shall we try again, human?” The silky voice was back.

Very deliberately, I raised my face and struggled for some emotion, any emotion at all, when I looked into the scarred face. The room wavered like it was underwater. His face swam in and out of focus. The grin stretched into a rictus. I flipped him off.

He just sighed and lifted his hand. Expecting to be thrown into the wall again, I stiffened. This time, though, was different. He pulled me upright like his own personal puppet.

Angry today, he circled me. “You don’t respond to me. How are you resisting me? What is your magic?” His eyes burned in his face and his skin crawled restlessly. He studied me with an expression of concentration. “Not Primani…I would know it. There is something…”

With a wave of his hand, the blood-stained robe was gone and I hung naked like a broken mannequin. My matted hair hid my face. It was a shield of sorts, and I tried to retreat behind it.  He was different today: more intense and angry.  He paced like a caged animal. Something was wrong and my stomach clenched in dread.

There were worse things than being naked.

Suddenly he yanked my head up and shoved a long thin dagger against my throat. My eyes dimmed as I retreated again.

“Oh, no you don’t! Not this time!” He grabbed a fistful of my hair and hacked it off. Working up to a hellish rage, he snapped his fingers and flung me to the floor. My knees were already raw and scabbed and pain shot through them when I landed.

Pulling me up, he switched faces. Oh, God, no. Not again. I couldn’t resist him when he changed into Sean. Frantic, I backed away on my hands.

“No, no!” I pleaded, vision dimming to a pinpoint.

Most of my broken bones were from retreating when he turned into Sean. He made me feel things I knew were wrong. He made me want him even though I knew it wasn’t Sean. The demon was convincing…and I was weakening.

It was only a matter of time.

“Take my hand, darlin’,” the demon demanded in Sean’s voice. The lilt was perfect.

“No, no, it’s not him. Not him…” I curled into a ball and cried.

He lifted me up and held me against his chest. My mind swirled with images of Sean...real memories. No!

It’s not him. It’s not him.

Even as I chanted my denial, his hands gently stroked my back. There was nothing sexual in his embrace; there was only comfort. This touch was familiar, soft. It could be him…My body was racked with pain but he soothed it with his touch. Gradually, the animal panic faded and some rational thought broke through. The demon wasn’t trying to have sex with me? What was he after? He had an angle…there was no way he wanted a hug. I realized he wasn’t controlling me now. He thought he had weakened me enough to get me to cooperate. Frantically, I struggled to think clearly. My brain was overwhelmed with drugs and pain. Desperately, I tried to clear my head. There had to be something I could do…Raphael’s face shimmered behind my eyes…he stood in the pale room I used for meditation. His lips didn’t move, but I heard him say “Remember…” before he vanished like mist. Then a memory came to me…so long ago…we sat in the kitchen and he talked to me about my future.

With serious eyes he’d said, “I’m afraid your destiny isn’t written in stone, little one. It’s still evolving, as are you. You continue to surprise us with new abilities and these will continue to shape your destiny.”

“What are you saying, Raphael? I’m not going to be with the Primani? With Sean?”

He shook his head. “No, child, that’s not what I’m saying at all. Your true destiny is forged by your abilities and how you choose to use them. It comes down to choices. I’m saying you must harness these abilities now. Work to understand and sharpen them. Use your strengths to become stronger. Use your wisdom to become wiser. Use your sight to see farther.”

He smiled gently at me then. “You will be challenged and you will be hurt. There is great pain on your path, Mica.”

The demon tensed and dragged me closer to him. Still masquerading as Sean, he whispered into my ear. “I need your help, Mica. Will you not help me?” He stroked my back. “It’s such a little thing.” His lips branded me just under my ear and my flesh crawled in revulsion. My brain started to freeze up in resistance, but Raphael’s words echoed.

Use your sight to see farther…

Stalling, I asked, “What can I do? I have no answers.” Forcing myself to act cowed, I dropped my head down.

The silky voice was back and strong hands held me up when my knees gave out. No force, just strength. He purred in my ear, “Where is Sgaine Dutre? Where is it?”

“I told you, Sean, I don’t know what that is.”

Waves of heat erupted from him as the human façade crumbled with his fresh anger. His clawed hands dug into my neck as he squeezed. Blood streamed from the jagged holes he made. The mask of Sean melted away and revealed his true face. Black scales replaced the soft human skin. I strained to move away from him, but his power was absolute. He hissed at me and produced a short black blade. He pressed the tip against my collarbone.

“Your convenient memory loss is getting tiresome. My patience is done.”

He pressed the athame into my skin and carved a symbol across my chest. It didn’t even hurt. I was surprised to see blood streaming down my stomach. Little red rivers…dazed, I tried to raise my head.

“At this rate, you’ll bleed out soon. I suggest you search your memory once more. Call me if you remember anything useful.” He snapped his fingers, and I was abruptly in my cell.

Collapsing to my knees, I struggled to keep my eyes open. This was really, really bad. There was no coming back from this. I was already losing too much blood from my throat, there was no way I could heal myself now. Sean would come. He had to. He had to…I just had to call him…The room grew dimmer and I struggled to stand up. I fell on my face instead.

“Oh, God! What did they do?” Doctor Green Eyes scooped me up and sat me on the bed.

With more strength than I thought possible, I grabbed his hand and gritted out, “Inject me, now.”

Confused, he hesitated. “Inject you?”

“Wake me up!” I ordered. “I can’t…pass…out. Please…” My voice trailed off as the room dimmed to a single stream of light.

Shaking off the confusion, he filled a syringe and pushed it into my arm. I leaned back on the bed and let it work. I closed my eyes and let the drug overrun the haziness in my mind. Like adrenaline, it pushed aside the fog of pain and starvation and shock and gave me clarity. I have to stay awake. I have to call him. Taking a deep breath, I called to Sean. If I could bring him back from other planes and universes, surely I could call him to me now. He was connected to me. He would hear me. He had to. There was no time to be careful as I’d been before. The consequences couldn’t be any worse. My mind was too fuzzy to form a precise image; instead, I projected out my own image…lying bloody and dying in this bare room.

Sean…Sean, please! Come now…hurry. I’m dying...dying…

I was vaguely aware of Dr. Green Eyes wrapping me in bandages and pressing on my wounds, but the wounds in my neck were deep. He couldn’t stop the bleeding and swore desperately at me. He was begging me to hold on, to not die, to let him help. With the rhythm of my heartbeat, the blood flowed steadily and soon my legs were cold, my fingers tingling. My heart began to slow.

Sean…I can’t hold on…can’t hold on…

The doctor opened my mouth and kissed me. “Come on, come on!” His voice was harsh but I barely heard him. He was very far away now.

My fingers were cold. I shivered violently. So cold…My heart fluttered like a trapped butterfly inside my chest.

The doctor kissed me again and my heart stuttered. It tripped and stuttered. I gasped for oxygen, my back arching off the bed.

I’m sorry, baby, I’m...My heart stuttered one more time and stopped. Done.

“No! No, you can’t die. Hang on!” He pressed his lips against mine and blew air into my lungs. Counting breaths, he pinched my nose and blew again.

Not kisses after all…

“Mica! No!”

I hesitated. I had been drifting, but the command stopped me. Sean?

Oh, Sean, it’s too late. I’m already dead.

“Oh, no you don’t! Get back in your body now. It’s not your time.” Sean’s angry demand gave me pause.

Confused, I looked around and realized I’d been hovering just above my body. I looked at him and he met my eyes. His beautiful eyes glittered with fury as they locked onto mine. Fury and something else. Fear? Pain? Desperation?

“You can see me?” I asked.

“Of course I can see you! Now get your ass back into your body before I strangle you.”

Dec added impatiently, “We can’t move you without your body and your soul. You’ll need them both. Hurry up!”

I must have hesitated because Sean growled and lunged at me.

Chapter 10: Grounded for Eternity

COLD…SO COLD…I shivered. My heart tripped and stuttered inside my chest. I wasn’t going to live. Even Sean couldn’t stop death. He might be an angel, but he wasn’t God. I sucked in a breath of air and Sean’s arms tightened around me. I would be okay with dying in his arms though.

“Dec, you’ve got to fix this.” His voice was shaking.

Gentle hands lowered me to the bed, and someone pulled the robe off of me. Twin gasps of shock. My heartbeat grew fainter again.

“Mica, baby, can you hear me?” Sean’s voice was gentle, pleading. “We’re here now. We’ve got to fix you up. Hang in there. No floating.” He squeezed my fingers so tightly my knuckles ground together audibly.

Dec said, “I’m going to heal you. Just keep breathing. Please…” Warm fingertips closed around my neck sinking into the ragged tears. I writhed beneath him as he reached into each tear and sealed the ripped arteries. It burned like fire, and I whimpered and tried to move away.

“Hush now, it’ll be okay. I have to do this to stop the bleeding.” Something warm and wet dripped onto my cheek. He sniffed and murmured, “Almost done…”

Sean wrapped me in a blanket and stroked my hair. “Dec? How’s it going?” He was barely controlling his panic; his hands were shaking while he held my hand.

Dec finished with my throat and though it still burned like fire, the bleeding stopped. My heart stopped twitching and turned over a more regular beat. He moved to my chest and covered the carving with one of his big warm hands. I looked into his face, just inches from my own, and saw the tears in his eyes as he focused inward. Such pretty eyes…blue and soft…gentle…I drifted off to sleep again.

“No sleeping!” Sean gripped my chin between two fingers and forced my eyes open. “Stay focused on me. Look at my face.”

I blinked and tried to focus on him. He was blurry and swam in and out of my sight. My eyes were very heavy, but he squeezed my chin. I blinked and his face was steadier.

Dec said, “I think the bleeding’s stopped. We need to clean her up though. There’s too much blood to tell…” His voice cracked. “I’ll get some water.”

After he left, Sean dropped to his knees and murmured in a low angry voice, “Saogin dea, saogin dea. Deone’ culpae satrinae.”

When Dec came back, they got to work cleaning me up. Using wash cloths, they carefully washed away the blood to see the destruction underneath.

Gasping, I tensed when someone lifted my right arm. “Ow, that hurts.”

There was a pause. “Well, it’s broken...” Dec said, “…in three places.”

“That hurts,” I said when someone rubbed the washcloth over my right thigh.

Another pause. “It’s broken too.”

When they lifted my left leg, I broke into a cold sweat. “This one too?” Sean asked softly.

Dec confirmed, “In two places.” His voice was terrible.

“I’m okay, I’ll be fine. I just need some sleep…”

Ignoring my protests, they finished with my front side, and carefully rolled me onto my stomach and froze. Not a sound from either of them. “What?” I managed to ask. What was wrong with my back? I lost track of everything the demon did…

It was Killian who growled in response, “There is no hole deep enough.”

Sean finally found his voice and choked, “My God.”

“What…is that?” Dec asked.

It was Dec who began washing away the blood and I sucked in my breath. “Ow.” He froze and his face crumpled into sobs. He dropped to his knees and buried his face against the bed and cried.

“Oh, Dec, no. Don’t cry for me. It’s nothing. I’ll be okay.” I tried to turn over and he gently pressed me back down.

“You shouldn’t move.” His voice hitched with a sob, but he cleared his throat.

Sean knelt down by my face. “His name. Did you get his name?”

He reached one hand out and very carefully slid my hair out of my eyes. He touched me as if I would shatter into crystals. The gentleness of his touch was so at odds with the promise of vengeance in his eyes.

“Sgaine Dutre?” I whispered.

His howl of rage sent shivers down my spine. He’d barely held onto his control and now it snapped. Jumping up, he put his fist through the mirror and yelled for Raphael.

I awoke disoriented and sat up in a panic. My sudden movement brought Sean’s head up and he quickly tried to smile. It was a good attempt, but the result was iffy.

“5.5,” I said.

“What?”

“That’s a half-ass attempt at a smile. Aren’t you glad to see me? And alive too?” I wiggled fully functional fingers at him in a jaunty little wave.

His mouth curved into a genuine, though fleeting, smile. “You’re grounded, young lady. You’re not allowed out of my sight for…I think…eternity is an appropriate amount of time.”

“How do you feel?” he asked seriously.

I carefully moved my arms and legs and touched my nose. The pain was gone, but my head swam alarmingly and I swayed with dizziness. They might have healed my broken bones, but they couldn’t heal weeks’ worth of starvation, no matter how powerful they were. He reached over and helped me lay back down. He stayed perched on the side of my bed and stared at his hands. Strong, beautiful hands…I reached out and traced the blue vein that pulsed on the top of his hand. In response to my touch, his saol flowed faster and rose to the surface. It left a reassuring trail of golden light under my finger. He covered my hand with his and brought it to his heart. The warmth and steady beat soothed my jangled nerves and I closed my eyes. I felt his heartbeat against my palm and it glowed behind my eyes and was echoed with my own. He was my heart, my soul. He was my ‘forever and always’.  He didn’t have to ground me. I wasn’t going anywhere.

“I am yours, you are mine. Do you remember that night?” I pulled his face to mine, and he kissed me gently, his lips barely grazing my own. Inhaling his scent, I felt warm again for the first time in a long time. “I love you.”

His arms shook from holding himself back. But he slid them around me and pulled me close. Kissing my hair, he murmured, “I love you more.”

We sat wrapped in each other’s arms until a tap at the door interrupted us. Raphael poked his head inside and his smile was radiant as he exclaimed, “Little Mica! How good it is to see you so pink again.” With the attitude of a professional healer, he felt my pulse and took my temperature. After listening to my heartbeat, now back to normal, he proclaimed I would live.

“You frightened us quite badly, you know. These young Primani saved your life. If they hadn’t found you when they did, you would have been far beyond our help. As it is, shoving your spirit back into your dead body was stretching the rules a tad.”

He smiled mischievously and added, “On the other hand, I don’t think we can force you to vacate your corpse until you’re ready--lack of heartbeat aside.”

“Raphael, thank you for saving my life again.” I squeezed his arm and looked down, embarrassed.

“I didn’t save your life this time; you were out of danger when I got here.”

“No, you did.” I cleared my throat and told him about the memory that came to me when the demon was torturing me. Sean was leaning against my side and I welcomed the solid feel of him. He whistled softly when I finished my story.

“Well, you’ve had more than your share of pain now. I hope destiny is satisfied.” Sean raised an eyebrow at Raphael. His look said ‘it better be.’

Raphael shrugged elegantly, “Who’s to know? I certainly do not.” Turning back to me, he added, “I do, however, know that you have a great future with us and we cannot lose you so soon.” He held out a hand and pulled me to my feet. “Alex is here and he’s called a family meeting since you’re up to it.”

“Mica! You look so much better!” Dec greeted me first. Bounding over to me, he scooped me up into an enthusiastic, but oh-so-gentle, bear hug. Kissing my cheek, he searched my eyes for signs of pain. “Are you strong enough to be up? Don’t lie. I know you.”

I pressed my cheek against his shoulder and hugged him to me. Tears sprang to my eyes and I sniffed. He held me away and wiped a tear from my chin. “What’s this? Why are you crying?”

So much for bravery…”I’m just a little…overwhelmed I guess.” My eyes overflowed and he pressed me into him again.

“It’s okay, darlin’. You’ve had a rough time. Give yourself a break. Not all of your wounds can be healed with my hands.” He rubbed my back and I felt calmer as his magic went to work.

“Oh, Dec! I thought I’d never see you again! I couldn’t stand that…knowing that I left like I did. I was so angry with you guys. I left and didn’t tell you I love you.”

He smiled down at me and a single tear slid over his perfect cheekbone. “You don’t have to say the words; I know your heart.” Playfully, he held out a familiar shiny chain.

“But how did you find that? They took it from me.”

“Your doctor friend had it in his pocket. He was more than eager to hand it over when I asked politely.” He slipped it around my neck and locked the clasp. The small gold heart settled over my own and glowed like a firefly for a moment.

“That’s much better. You’re lucky he carried it around with him. When Sean heard your call, we used the locket to zero in on you. It’s like a little GPS.”

“It’s all very touching, but can we get on with this meeting?”

I whirled around. “James? What are you doing here?”

Alex considered the two of us thoughtfully and cleared his throat. “Mica, come and join me on the couch.” He patted a soft cushion near him.

Sean took my hand and walked over with me. He draped himself over the arm of the couch closest to me. I guess he wasn’t letting me out of his sight any time this century.

James scowled as Sean rested his hand over my shoulder. Narrowing my eyes, I threw him a stare. What was his problem? I pasted a fake smile while I thought over our last meeting. I needed to talk to Sean about that. There was something wrong with this Primani…

Something you’d like to share, Princess? His tone was sarcastic, but the look he gave me was anything but.

Killian. Perfect and perfectly annoying, he stood casually with arms crossed in front of him looking down his nose at all of us. That was classic Killian. In spite of his bad attitude, it was good to see him. I drank him in. He looked tired and pale. His jaw was shadowed and eyes hollow in their sockets. Dec and Sean had the same air of exhaustion about them. What happened to them while I was gone? There must’ve been a mission, a big one, from the looks of them. They all looked like hell.

You’re an idiot. You know that, right? He was subtly shaking his head.

So we’re back to insults, are we? That didn’t take long. Glad I didn’t cry all over you.

He huffed and his silent laughter warmed my heart. Who was I kidding? I was exceptionally glad to see him any time I could.

But what about Ramon? Look what he's capable of. You can't trust him. The doubting voice whispered to me.

His laughter abruptly stopped, and I glanced up expecting to see him smirking at me. His eyes held mine in a look that spoke volumes. His eyes widened, letting me in, challenging me to look if I dared. Did I want to look inside and see the real Killian? Could I handle the truth? Not now…

I was so scared that night.

Of me. His tone was flat, almost angry. Oblivious to everyone else, his eyes bored into mine, an electric spark from across the room.

I couldn’t meet his eyes and lowered mine. Yes.

Damn it, look at me! Why didn’t you talk to me? After all we’ve been through? You know you can talk to me!

You killed that man…Ramon. For nothing! How could you?

He pushed away from the wall and stalked over to me, face white with fury. Startled, Sean leaped to his feet and Killian stopped. “Get up. It’s time for you and me to have a real conversation.”

“What do you think you’re doing? Let her be.” Sean and Dec both spoke up at once.

Killian shrugged off their objections and pointed at me. “We have unfinished business, her and I. Let’s go. Now!”

I wasn’t afraid of him, usually. But at the moment, I was weak and he was pissed at me and I was just a tiny bit afraid of his power. I stood up but didn’t move towards him.

Holding out his hand, he exhaled through his nose and said in a more reasonable tone, “I can’t make you. I’m asking you. Please.”

“I’ll be right back.” I kissed Sean on the lips and held out my hand to Killian.

He gripped my hand securely in his. I heard him say, “Don’t count on it!” as we vanished into the dark.

Chapter 11: Healing and Forgiveness

ONE SECOND WE WERE IN THE PENTHOUSE in Manhattan and the next we were...here. Curious, I looked around at the green hillside and was lost. There were no houses or buildings of any kind in any direction I turned. There was nothing but green hills to the east and flat rocky land to the west. Cold wind swept down on us blowing my hair in my eyes. As I automatically tried to put it in a ponytail, I remembered my hair was gone and lowered my hand slowly with a sigh. I was still holding Killian’s hand and let it go.

“Where are we?” I whispered. It felt like holy land.

He laughed loudly and threw his hands out. “You don’t have to whisper. Who’s going to hear us?”

He looked so happy I thought he might have come unhinged during our flight.

“Afraid not, babe. I’m just free here.”

“Okay, can you please stop reading my mind? Here, at least? I need to know my thoughts can be private. I might have secrets…from you.”

He considered that for a minute and said seriously, “I do have secrets from you. But maybe I can share a few of them while we’re here.” He stepped closer to me and lifted my chin so he could look into my face. “Can you keep another secret? Mine?”

I wasn’t sure of his mood just then. Was he serious? Was he joking? I said, “You’d ask me that after what that demon did to me? I died protecting your secrets.”

His eyes clouded and he let go of my chin. “That was thoughtless of me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”

Turning away, I said, “I know…I’m a little raw right now. Can we get out of this wind before I freeze to death?”

“I know just the place. Come on.” He grabbed my hand and led me down the hillside into a jumble of ancient rocks. The grey rocks were leaning on each other like the ruins of an old castle. As we approached the pile, a feeling of complete calm settled over me and I felt light and warm. It felt oddly holy here. The very air seemed to shimmer with life.

“Killian, what is this place?”

He turned and spread his arms. “Home sweet home.” Smiling hugely, he added, “Dip your hands in the water before you cross the threshold. It’s custom.”

He gestured to a shallow basin that formed the top of a stone near a crack in the rock. It was little more than an indention in the stone; it could’ve been carved out by dripping rainwater over centuries. But I had a feeling it was made by the hands of men. Looking closer, I could see the crack was wider than it looked. I looked sideways at him and he gestured with a sweep of his arm.

“Go ahead. Hell, I’m an angel. What kind of trouble do you think I’d get you into?”

He had a point. I carefully dipped my hands in the basin and sluiced water over my hands and wrists. I felt compelled to clean myself completely before entering this place. Killian noticed and nodded with approval. He did the same and ducked inside. A minute later, he pulled me in after him. It was dark as a cave. Afraid to move, I hovered just inside the entrance.

“Wait there.” I heard a scratching sound and a small light appeared. Killian held a shallow bowl that was full of light so I could see. It put off a surprising amount of light.

“What’s in the bowl?”

“Moonlight,” he said with a perfectly straight face.

“Uh-huh. Yeah, sure.” It was like a temple inside. There was a stone altar and carved pots sitting around it. Painted runes lined the altar and the walls. I had no idea what the red markings said, but I knew this place was very old.

“You might as well get comfortable. We’ll be here for a while.” With a gracefulness I’ve never possessed, he slid to a reclining position on the floor. He patted the dirt next to him.

“Let me get this straight. We’re alone, in the middle of nowhere, in God knows what time, and you didn’t pack blankets or food. And you accuse me of being flighty?”

“You’ll be warm and I can get food when we need it. We’ll be okay, I swear. Now sit.”

He was lying on his side propped up on his elbow. I lay opposite him so we could talk face to face. The moonlight did interesting things to the planes of his face though and I had trouble listening to his words.

After a few minutes he said, “Why are you staring at my face? You’re not hearing me, are you?”

I blushed to the roots of my pixie hair. “It’s the moonlight. I can’t concentrate.”

“Fine. Come over here and you can look the other way.”

I ended up lying on my side with my back against his chest. I could feel his breath tickling the back of my neck while he talked. Every time he breathed his chest expanded against my back and a tingle of electricity spiraled down my spine to my toes. I knew exactly how hard the muscles of his chest were and how far down the happy trail went…Oh, Jesus.

“I have to sit up.” I hopped up and sat cross-legged a safe distance away. I didn’t care if I froze to death or not. His nearness was killing me. He seemed completely unaffected by me. Was he so immune? Maybe he was. He was ancient, after all. Did they make Viagra for 3,000-year-old soldiers-of-Heaven?

He eyed me strangely but didn’t comment. Instead, he said, “Enough small talk. I brought you here because I care about you and I hate fighting with you.” He raised an eyebrow and added, “Yes, I said it. Tell anyone I did and I’ll just deny it. You’ll only look stupid and lovesick so you should probably keep your mouth shut.” The eyebrow came back down.

“You don’t understand everything you probably should about us. So let’s talk about some things. First of all, I didn’t kill Ramon.” He held up his hand and my audio cut out. My mouth moved in argument, but no sound came out.

Eyes throwing daggers at him, I clamped my lips together. There was no point in pushing it; I’d get audio back when he was ready to hear me.

“Ramon is perfectly happy living a new life. He’s working at a Best Buy selling cell phones in Houston. I swear!” He crossed his heart and waved his hand imperiously. “Go ahead, you have questions. Ask.”

“But you were hurting him. I saw you.”

“True statement. The process isn’t easy but it’s worth it. In simple terms, I reprogrammed his memory. I retrieved all of the memories of his criminal activities so we could figure out who hired him to attack us. I’ve been told that it is…unpleasant…to have your memories siphoned off. He didn’t seem to like it much so it’s probably painful.” He shrugged a shoulder. He didn’t really care if it hurt or not.

“After I retrieved the memories, I erased them from his mind. I erased each memory of every evil or even criminal act he’d done. In his case, there were a lot of memories. That’s what really hurts--the erasing part. Most people faint from the pain.”

My mouth hung open, and he reached over and closed it with a long, lean finger. “But--”

“He’s got his other memories, and he’ll move ahead in his life doing good things or at least, not doing bad things. He won’t recognize his old criminal friends and get into trouble. He’s in a new city with a fresh start. And, we’ve got a lot of helpful information. It was a win-win. Now, isn’t that better than killing him?”

He was so smug.

I wanted to smack him in the head.

He burst out laughing and said, “Come on, babe. You made a mistake. It’s all right. You’re only human, after all.”

“You are such a…such a…” I was at a loss. He was right. I’d made a mistake and what a colossal mistake it was. If I hadn’t jumped to conclusions, if I would’ve trusted Killian, I wouldn’t have been so freaked out. I wouldn’t have left them.

“All of this pain…it’s my fault. I should’ve asked what happened. I jumped to stupid conclusions. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” I walked over to one of the walls and stopped. I wanted to lean against it, but that seemed disrespectful, so I stood awkwardly and let my shoulders slump. “You guys could’ve died because of my stupidity, having to rescue me again! I’m an idiot.”

In the space of a heartbeat, he was standing behind me. He eased me back and rested his chin on my head. Rubbing little circles on my arm, he said, “This isn’t your fault.”

Turning me around, he asked, “Do you blame yourself for this demon snatching you off the streets?”

When I didn’t answer him, he shook me and said harshly, “Not your fault! This is what evil is, Mica! Demons prey on people. They use people for their own agendas. They tried to use you to get to us. My God, if it’s anybody’s fault, it’s ours. Primani and demons are ancient enemies. We’ve fought each other since Adam and Eve got thrown out of Eden. It’s the nature of things. Good and evil will always be enemies. But it’s our job to protect humans and it was our job, my job, to protect you.”

Oddly formal, he declared, “It is I who needs to beg for your forgiveness.” His eyes reflected the moonlight as he looked steadily into mine.

Searching his face, I saw the lines and the dark circles under his eyes and I knew them for what they were. They were scars from his self-inflicted wounds. He was in agony when I disappeared. He hadn’t slept, he probably hadn’t eaten. He worried and he accepted the blame like he did when we lost Sean. How many nights did we sit in silence touching our fingers together, just to share the guilt, the feeling of bone-deep grief? There had been no words of comfort. Just the barest touch of physical contact to remind us we still lived. How many days did we bury the grief and rage by throwing ourselves into training and hunting so we could be exhausted enough to sleep without nightmares?

And how often did that work?

I whispered, “You give too much; let me give something to you.”

I reached out and cupped his face in my hand. He sighed softly and closed his eyes as I traced the strong lines of his cheek and jaw. Light as a feather, I erased the circles under his eyes and soothed the sharp crease between his brows. My fingertips were warm and strong as I took away the tension that banded his forehead.

Then, very gently, I ran my thumbs over the silky skin of his eyelids. Soft and delicate, the skin protected his most dangerous weapon. He stiffened when I slid both palms down the tight muscles in his neck but then relaxed when I stopped. Breathing slowly and deeply, I released my energy into his shoulders. I let my mind wander as my saol flowed through him. I felt the rise and fall of his chest as his breathing slowed. His heart beat against my chest, its rhythm powerful and steady.

Looking down, I saw the faint glow had already encircled us both, and he was asleep on his feet. Satisfied by the very tiniest hint of softness in his expression, I lifted my hands and pulled my saol back to me. As the last of the glow faded to moonlight, I tugged his hand and pulled him down to the floor. He was so tired, he simply followed me. Curling up in front of him, I shivered with the sudden chill of the earth floor. Without a word, he draped an arm around me and pulled me back against him. Like all males, including supernatural ones, he burned with his own private furnace. His heat made me drowsy and I started to drift off. Maybe it should worry me that we fit together like a lock and key, but it didn’t. Completely sure of him, I closed my eyes and slept like the dead.

“Come on, there’s something I want you to see!” Killian paused at the top of a slope and waited for me to catch up. The noon sun glinted off of his black hair and caught the sparkle in his eyes. He was so happy here and his happiness was infectious. I grinned and picked up my pace.

“You’re getting slow!” he commented when I finally caught up to him.

“You’ve got supernatural powers. It’s an unfair advantage.”

The view from here was pretty incredible. The slope was covered in purple heather and ended at the sea. “Oh, it’s beautiful! Can we get closer? Please?”

Laughing at me, he said, “Sure, why not? It is beautiful, isn’t it?”

We picked our way to the rocky shore, and only one of us managed to stay dry.  I was wringing out my socks and vainly wondering if my butt looked fat in my wet yoga pants. They were cotton and clung like second skin. Since I didn’t know I was taking a Tolkien-like journey, I was wearing black yoga pants, a tank top and a hoodie. I had tennis shoes on my feet. These weren’t the best shoes for hiking the heather, but at least I wasn’t wearing flip-flops.

Back from rock hopping, Killian draped himself on top of a dry rock and leaned back into the sun. Waves crashed incessantly against the rocks as they tried to reclaim the land. I closed my eyes and gave my senses to the ocean. Salt tickled my tongue, waves crashed in my ears, fine cold spray dotted my face and the blue, oh, the blue of the water was heaven. It was the exact shade of Primani eyes. Was it only Irish-born Primani? Hmmm.

“Killian? Do you get your eyes from the ocean?” I asked sleepily.

He snorted and said, “Aye, lass, and my luxurious hair from a wee silkie.”

“Your eyes are the exact color of this water.”

He sat up and blinked at me. “Really? Funny, that. Yours are too.”

“No, they aren’t. Mine aren’t that…uh, blue.” I blushed and turned away.

“That’s not what you were going to say. I thought we had no secrets here?” His voice teased like a caress.

“I was going to say ‘beautiful,’ but I didn’t want to stroke your ego any more. God knows it’s big enough.” I stuck out my tongue for good measure.

He just laughed and said, “You used the words ‘stroke’ and ‘big’ in the same sentence. Did you have something on your mind?” He leaned back enticingly and patted his lap in invitation.

“Pig!” I couldn’t help laughing at the exaggerated leer on his face.

Slipping over to my rock, he made himself comfortable. “Something’s bothering me.” I nodded and he continued. “The demon had to know you were in the city. The usual trackers either physically follow you around or they use a tracer. Tracers can be physical or psychic.”

“How would someone put a psychic tracer on me? Wouldn’t I know?”

“No, you wouldn’t unless you know what to look for. Have you noticed any changes in your thoughts? Any ideas that might push you away from home, something that isn’t quite you? If they wanted to get you to the city, pushing you there would be the easiest way. You come on your own and you’re easier to get to. With us around, well, that’s a harder way to go.”

I thought back to the little voices I’d heard. I’d thought they were my own thoughts, insecurities…“Well, the night of the break in, I had a really, really bad dream where you guys made Sean kill me and burned my body. “I described what I remembered of the dream. “I felt betrayed when I woke up.”

His face blanched, “That’s some dream.” He thought for a minute and asked about voices in my head. “Not schizophrenic voices, but the little nagging doubts that aren’t really true to your nature. They’d hit you when your defenses are down.”

Slowly, I said, “Maybe. I regretted leaving as soon as I got to the penthouse. After the weird scene with James, I wanted to call Sean, but something kept telling me you guys didn’t care about me. I argued about that. I know you guys care about me. But the little voice was convincing enough that I decided not to call that night. Then I wanted to call later, and the voice hinted that you didn’t really want me on the team or trust me with anything important. After all, you’d all left me there alone and gone out on a mission without me. It hurt my feelings and I decided not to call.”

Amusement glittered in his eyes, but he smothered a smile with his hand. “So, let me get this straight. You had a mental argument with yourself and you lost?”

“All I can say to that is wow,” he added.

“Oh, funny. That’s not exactly how it went. The voice wasn’t so obvious. There were just little suggestions that played into my fears. I’m already insecure. It wasn’t hard to play on that.” I stretched and yawned. “Wow that really pisses me off when I think about it. Do you think it’s the same demon who tried to kill me?”

“Not sure yet. We’ll work it out though. We can’t let this go without a reaction. It would tip the scales in their favor. Not to mention, none of us will rest until we’ve blown that demon back to Hell.”

Totally changing the subject, he asked, “Are you getting hungry yet?”

“Yes! All this fresh air is wearing me out and making me hungry. What’s on the menu? Seal steaks or sushi? I think I see some fish out there…”

“Even better. Close your eyes and don’t move. I’ll be right back.” He vanished with a grin.

I sat up and looked around. “Killian?”

“Over here!” He’d reappeared behind me with a basket in his hands.

Curious, I grabbed my clothes and hopped over to him. “What’s that?”

Holding it above his head, he said, “Not yet. Let’s walk a bit and find some grass. You can call it a picnic.”

The sun was burning just over the horizon. Everything was red and gold as the sun set to the west. Even the water burned like the sun.  Killian came up behind me and asked if I was cold.

I rubbed my arms. “A little but it’s such a long journey for the sun, it’s almost rude to leave before it’s finished.”

“You have an odd way of looking at things. Are you sure you’re human?” He lifted an arm in invitation and I curled under it to lean into the furnace of his body. My goose bumps vanished immediately. We stood in companionable silence while the sun sank beyond our sight. Millions of pinpricks of lights replaced the sunset and I craned my neck to see the night sky.

“Can we lie down?” I asked.

“What did you have in mind?”

I smacked him in the stomach and he grunted. “You have a surprisingly dirty mind for an angel.”

“I asked an innocent question. I think you have the dirty mind, which makes more sense since you’re the human.”

He bent close to my ear and said, “Okay, what do you want to do?”

A little breathless, I said, “I want to look at the stars, on my back.”

“Ask and you shall receive. Come on.”

Five minutes later, I was still smiling. Shaking my head, but smiling. Ask and you shall receive, indeed. We were lying side by side on the grassy hill above the stone ruins. I was using his arm for a pillow and sucking up his excess body heat to stay warm. If anyone saw us, they’d think we were aliens, lying here in the dark, glowing with our own personal starlight. I giggled at the image and he grinned. The night sky was like black velvet, the stars brilliant against it. I felt like we were the only two people in the world.

That begged the question.

“Are we the only people in the world?” I whispered.

“If we were, why would you whisper?”

He had a point. “I don’t know. It’s rude to shout?”

“Well, are we?”

He turned to his side and pulled me closer. My body responded with a mind of its own and I arched against him. He cupped my head and lowered his mouth to mine. The kiss was so soft I might have imagined it. He lowered my head to my makeshift pillow and leaned back to look at the sky.

“Yes. Does that frighten you?”

Not really; at the moment it sounded like a good thing. There was no way to deny what my body wanted. At the first touch of his lips, my blood heated and my heart pounded in anticipation. I knew perfectly well he could feel my reaction to his kiss, but he was choosing to behave. I groaned and took a deep breath. I’m a terrible person. Geez, he could have me right now if he wanted to. All it would take was one more kiss, one more touch, one simple word from him.

No matter how many calming deep breaths I sucked in, I couldn’t deny the attraction I felt, and I wouldn’t lie to him, if he asked…probably, I shouldn’t volunteer this information. Sean’s face popped into my head. He seemed to scowl at me. Yes, it’s better if we don’t take this to another level. Unless of course we somehow get trapped in this dimension and have to repopulate the earth from scratch. Visually, that was an interesting thought. I could picture Killian lifting me up against a tree or in the pounding surf of the ocean intent on creating babies. Our bodies would move together, slamming with the rhythm of the tides. The hard muscle of his shoulders bunched as he held me in place, the ripple of movement across his abs...sea spray glistening over my breasts. My body warmed at the idea and I spent a minute playing that through inside my head. The surf could be very useful.

“You do know I can read your mind, right?” He leaned over me and looked into my eyes. His expression was a mix of amusement and pain.

Oh, shit. I was so busted. My face went up in flames.

“Still reading your mind,” he teased. “Would you like to finish your fantasy though? At this point, we’d both feel better.”

“You’re evil!” I snapped and stomped into the ruin.

Laughing incredulously, he said, “I’m the one with restraint here! Do you have any idea how much I want to throw you to the floor and yank those pants off of you?”

He was kidding, sort of, but a wave of dizziness washed over me at the word ‘yank.’ I stumbled and he steadied me. “I don’t need your help!” I said just as I tripped on another stone.

“Going to take care of yourself?” he whispered next to my ear.

“You have such a dirty mind! I knew it!”

He spun me around and said sternly, “And you, Princess, are having impure thoughts about your Primani. That is a punishable offense.” As he said the words, his hand traveled down my back to rest just inside my waistband. His fingers idly played with the fabric.

My heart thudded in my chest, and I clutched his shirt and pulled him closer. “What’s my punishment?”

He smiled wickedly and licked his lips. My mouth watered at the sight and I swallowed hard. Every nerve in my body tensed when he slowly dragged his fingers through my hair to expose my neck. Breathing unevenly, he rasped against my ear, “A spanking, of course.”

“You are such a jerk!” I glared at him from across the altar. “I can’t believe you did that!”

“Oh, come on, it didn’t hurt! It was just a tap.” He was grinning broadly at my outrage. He moved my direction.

Stepping to the other side, I said, “That’s not what I meant, and you know it!” I huffed and crossed my arms.

Brandishing an apple, he said, “I’ve got food. Come and sit down. You can’t sleep on the altar.” He actually shuddered at the thought.

“Oh, how appropriate, Satan, you brought an apple,” I said snidely.

He looked appalled. “Don’t speak that name in here! Are you crazy?” He knelt at the altar and murmured words and crossed himself.

He moved so fast I missed his intention. Before I could blink, he scooped me up and deposited us both on a heavy rug that must’ve come with the apple.

“Just sit, all right?” He held my hand and refused to release it even though I tugged on it. “No way. I’m keeping your hand for the moment.” I tugged harder and he smiled his feral grin.

“You keep pulling like that and it’ll come right off at the wrist.”

I gave in with bad grace. “Fine. What’s your point?”

“Babe, we’ve been through hell together. Haven’t we?” He squeezed my hand.

I nodded and relaxed my hand in his.

“We’ve known each other for four years now. In the beginning you were just another charge…and not even my charge. You were a pain in the ass, but you had such courage and strength. I didn’t want to like you, but I couldn’t help respecting you. You were a warrior in your own reckless, human way. Then you and Sean got together.” He paused and took a bite of the apple.

He absently stroked my fingers while he talked. His voice was compelling, and I leaned closer to him. “It wasn’t exactly forbidden, just very uncommon. We Primani don’t allow ourselves to feel anything other than responsibility towards our charges. But Sean…well, I don’t blame Sean. I never have.”  He smiled wolfishly and pointed at me with the apple. “I’ve always blamed you.”

I yanked my hand and nothing moved. “Me?”

“Yes, you! You’ve been different from the beginning. It took me a while to see it, but I’ve known for years now.” He paused and chewed another bite of apple.

“Aren’t you going to share that, Adam?” I joked with a real smile.

“Of course, here take a bite.” He held it to my mouth. I took a small bite and licked juice off my chin.

“So, you were saying how I’ve coerced Sean into falling in love with me? Do continue.”

He chuckled and continued, “No, babe, you haven’t done anything wrong. You never could. I’m trying to say you’re meant for Sean and he’s the key to you. We all know, and I mean all Primani, know there is the rare moment when a human becomes eternally entangled with an angel. This isn’t the first time, but it is really rare. You are really rare.” He sighed and paused to collect his thoughts.

He reached over and touched my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “You’ve shown me love, real love, and I will treasure your gift to me. Always.” His eyes grew distant and the silence stretched.

“I love you. That hasn’t changed.” I kissed his knuckles and smiled a wobbly smile.

“You just want my body.”

Chapter 12: A Serpent in the Garden

“WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE HERE SOON. The others will be angry with me as it is.” He offered me some water and stared over the waves. The gentle breeze ruffled his hair, and I thought he’d never been more relaxed.

I sighed wistfully. “Do we really have to go back? It’s so peaceful here. I feel better here.”

“It has a special magic of its own. You’re feeling better under its influence. It affects me too.”

“Really? How does it affect you? Do you feel happy here? You seem so relaxed.” That was a good thing.

“It’s a long story, but I’ll just say it recharges me in ways that my own saol could never do.” He reached over and drew me against him suddenly. I stumbled and fell into him. Standing this close, I was vividly aware of our feelings for each other and my arms curled around his neck.

Uncurling my fingers, he said wryly, “And that is another effect of the magic here.”

“You lost me.”

He grinned down at me and said, “Fuck it, one kiss won’t hurt.”

Before I could react, he kissed me with an intensity that made my head swim. His mouth claimed mine. There was no gentleness this time, no butterfly wings. He was a warrior and he took what he wanted. My body melted against him. I wanted him. I needed him. His power, his heat...There was only him. My mind whispered his name like a prayer. Killian, please…I tugged his shirt up and buried my hands underneath it. He was scalding hot but I was used to it. Whispering his name, I dragged his mouth back to mine. In one fluid movement, he set me down on the ground. Before I could blink, his body covered mine completely and I screamed in agony.

“Mica! Wake up! You’re dreaming!” Rough hands shook me awake. “Wake up!”

Shrieking, I thrashed away and stumbled to my feet. I had to get out of there. I bolted into the fading light.

The sky was dark when I finally stopped running. Huge sobs tore through my chest and I collapsed to my knees. Oh, my God. It’s not possible. It’s not possible. He’d never do that. Not Killian, not ever.

A hand touched my shoulder and I screamed and jumped up. It was Killian. Wasn’t it? His face swam in and out of focus. Of course, it was only him. We were alone here, weren’t we? Who else could it be? Shaking, I tried to breathe but I couldn’t get enough oxygen and my vision dimmed.

“Here, drink this.” He held a cup to my lips and poured a bitter liquid down my throat. It burned on the way down but I swallowed it.

What happened? Everything was a little fuzzy and I dug around my head for the memory of the last few hours. Vaguely, I recalled the demon and the dream. It seemed far away though and I had no fear of it. Bemused, I squinted into the room and noticed a fire near the altar. The bluish flames sent undulating shadows crawling over the crooked stone walls. They reminded me of ghosts drifting along a cemetery. It was beautiful and primal. Something about the fire called to me and I started to rise.

He laid a heavy hand on my bare shoulder and said, “Not yet.” His voice was strangely harsh. Familiar, yet strange, it had an underlying heaviness to it that I’d never heard before.

He moved purposefully to the altar where he had laid out things I’d never seen before. “What are you doing?”

My voice sounded strange too. It was like talking under water. I shook my head to clear my ears. My head felt heavy and I gave up trying to shake it. Instead, I gazed at Killian as he moved around.

He was focused entirely on what he was doing. Without looking at me, he said, “I’m preparing the altar. I have to hurry.”

With some ceremony, he carefully laid out two gleaming knives. There were identical in length and shape and had been carved with strange symbols. I thought they might be runes, but I couldn’t tell from where I sat. One had a round ruby in the haft while the other held a large blue stone.

Faintly, I said, “The color of your eyes…” I swayed on my feet but didn’t move. I seemed to be rooted in place.

He glanced up at me then and smiled tightly, “Exactly the color of my eyes.”

The room swam in and out of focus, but I wasn’t dizzy. My brain was working, but my senses were distorted. The walls wobbled and trembled. The blue flames slithered up the altar itself and I leaned towards the fire again.

What was in that cup?

It couldn’t be bad. This was Killian. He was my protector, my hero. I giggled at the thought of him being anybody’s hero. Okay, I was a little dizzy.

He loomed over me and announced, “It’s time.”

He lifted me up and carried me to altar. He laid me down with unusual gentleness. The stone was rough against my skin. I couldn’t remember taking off my clothes. The air vibrated and undulated with waves of energy. There was an odd humming sound coming from the ruby-handled knife. Killian stood over me, his expression impossible to read.

He looked into my eyes and stroked my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

His chest was bare except for a medallion around his neck. It was made from hammered gold and gleamed dully in the firelight. A single blue stone pulsed with light in the center. The fire bounced off of the gold and spread across the muscle of his chest. He was beautiful…

He chanted softly and picked up the blue-handled knife. Swiftly, he carved a rune onto his right hand. Blood welled from the cut and slowly leaked over his wrist. He picked up my left hand and quickly carved the same rune into it. I watched in fascination as the blood welled up. I hadn’t felt the blade.

“Sgaine Dutre dia en saled.”

He said the words while clasping his hand over mine. Our blood flowed together onto the altar. His voice rumbled with power as he spoke the ancient words. He held the knife in front of him as he commanded it to do his will. The blade reflected the firelight, but the blue stone pulsed to the rhythm of Killian’s heart, strong and powerful. I could hear the steady rhythm and feel its vibration against my chest. The weight of his heartbeat pressed against my skin even though we were inches apart. My own heart slowed to match his. His eyes were focused inward, not seeing me. Instead of blue fire, they were clear as the crystal blue of the stone. It was like looking into the ocean.

Leaning over me, he drew the knife across my forehead and down the center of my face in the shape of a cross. My face warmed at the touch. I felt my saol flow towards the cross. And still, the beating of Killian’s heart overwhelmed my senses. It was all I could hear and feel. My skin vibrated with it.

“Sgaine Dutre a dios.”

A sudden pain crushed my chest; my heart stuttered and skipped a beat. With delicate precision, Killian carved a small rune over my heart.

“Sgaine Dutre a dios.”

The stone blazed to life and lit his eyes. My heart stammered and stuttered. His heartbeat seemed very far away now. I couldn’t feel it in my chest. The wind screamed through the ruins like a living creature. My heart fluttered inside. With a quick movement, he turned me onto my stomach and gently smoothed my hair away from my eyes.

The tenor of his voice changed again. His authority was unmistakable. He picked up the ruby-handled knife and touched its tip to a place on my shoulder blade. It burned like a brand. Shocked back to awareness, I screamed and tried to jerk away, but I was completely frozen in place. His voice rose and fell with the words, but I was beyond understanding them now.

“Diame a satinae et diamae!”

“Satinae et dios a cthuli!”

He lowered the blade.

My back burst into flame.

The agony overwhelmed me and I curled within myself. I couldn’t escape the pain or the images. In my mind’s eye, I saw my back blazing with white fire. I smelled burning skin even as my mind tried to shut down. White flames licked my skin and smoke curled around us.

Killian’s voice echoed off of the stone walls, but I couldn’t hear the words over my own screams.

I was burning alive.

My pale golden saol was destroyed by the white-hot fire. It melted over the altar and the flames consumed me until I raised my hands to the sky and begged for death.

“Easy, baby,” a soft voice spoke in front of my face, “the pain will be gone in a minute.”

Blessedly cool water covered me. It lapped at me, tugging the pain away. Like a gentle waterfall, it washed over my body and then my hair and face. Warm fingers stroked my hair and dribbled sweet water over my cracked lips. I parted them and let the water flow through me. I don’t know how long I lay in the water, but I slowly became aware that I was alive.

“I’m not dead?” I asked the blackness around me.

An amused snort greeted me. “God, I hope not. I’m exhausted.”

I opened my eyes to see his clear blue ones staring into mine. It was then I realized he was cradling me in his arms, and we were standing in the ocean. That explains the waves and the water…

“Don’t tell me this is holy water?”

He shook with laughter. “Close enough.”

He shifted me in his arms and pressed me against him like he’d never done before. Saying nothing, he rubbed his hand down my wet spiky hair and rested his chin against the top of my head. There was a sense of desperation and relief in his gesture. Finally, he took a breath and asked, “Do you think you can move now?”

“I think so. Are you going to tell me what happened?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Cross my heart.”

I wanted to slip on my clothes, but they were still drying on a rock near the fire. After tonight, I had mixed feelings about lounging completely naked in front of Killian. But there weren’t many options. I had on wet panties to preserve some modesty but kept worrying about yeast infections. Noticing my frown, he finally took pity on me and loaned me his t-shirt. It came to the middle of my thighs so I took off the panties too.

“Come here to the light. I want to look at your back.” He pulled the shirt off of me and held the little bowl of light up. He was looking so closely I could feel his breath on my skin and the rough texture of his chin. I tried not to twitch. He was very quiet and then grunted with satisfaction.

“Well?”

“The demon’s marks are gone now.” He looked at me with sympathy. “He won’t be able to hurt you again.”

“What a toll I’m taking on your lifespan. You’ll have gray hair soon.” My hand shook as I reached for the shirt.

“You’ve no idea.” He took the shirt from me and slipped it over my head. When he was done, he pulled me down to sit on his lap.

“Would you like to hear a bedtime story, little girl? It’s about a princess and her knight.”

The demon had marked my back while I was unconscious in the underground room. The guys hadn’t seen all of the symbols because I had been whipped as well. The bloody crisscrossed scabs had hidden some of the marks. These symbols gave him access to my head. He could reach into my thoughts or to my dreams. With time, he could twist my thoughts or force me to jump off a cliff. Luckily, he hadn’t had time to play too much since Killian brought me here so abruptly. That explains why the guys were so horrified when they saw my bare back.

The beatings were bad enough, but to mark a human with these demonic symbols was the height of evil. To do this and be discovered meant death when the Primani caught up with you. It was an abomination against God himself. This was one of the reasons Killian brought me here. The magic was stronger than in our plane. Here, there was nothing but ancient magic and Killian. His magic was greater than other Primani because he had been a high priest in his own right well before he was chosen to become Primani. This had been his temple. It still served him well. No one could come here without him, and I was one of a very select few.

I studied him with clear eyes and knew I had to ask the question even though I knew the answer. “If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?”

“If I know the truth.”

I paused to find the right words. “Were you explaining the magic of this place to me by the ocean earlier today?”

He scratched his cheek and answered, “I started to but you fell asleep in the sun. We didn’t finish talking.”

Oh, thank God! It was just a dream after all. I knew it wasn’t him.

“No secrets, remember?”

I sucked in a deep breath and blurted out, “Did you say ‘Fuck it, one kiss won’t hurt’ and then throw me down on the ground and rape me with a grotesquely huge and freezing cold you-know-what until my insides fell out?”

His mouth dropped open and he stared at me. After endless seconds, he said, “That explains the screaming. It’s a good thing we don’t have neighbors here. Someone would’ve called the cops.” He tried to smile, but his face fell instead.

It was my turn to comfort him, I guess. He was torn between horror for me and mind-blowing fury at the demon. He alternately wanted to hold me like a kitten or dump me back in the penthouse and tear off on a demon-killing streak the world had never seen. While ranting some interesting curse words, he paced back and forth and occasionally blew up a piece of pottery with his hands.

“I didn’t realize you had the laser beam thing too. Thought it was just the others. Can I learn that? Guns are bulky.”

He laughed in spite of himself and said, “You’re crazy. How would I explain that to Sean? This is already going to piss him off. If I bring you back with killing powers, he’ll take my head off.”

“Oh, and speaking of Sean. We haven’t done anything wrong here. So don’t feel guilty about all those sexy thoughts you had about me and confess everything. Those feelings are beyond our control here. It’s the magic of this place.” He shrugged like it couldn’t be helped.

“I’m taking you back tonight though. It’s harder to resist the longer we’re here. If we stay much longer, I won’t be able to resist your pull, and we would spend day and night making love on every available surface.” He paused and smiled wickedly for a minute.

“Where was I? Oh, my point is I didn’t make love to you against a tree, in the ocean, by the ocean, on the floor, near the altar, on the altar or any other place the two us have fantasized about.”

“On the altar? Ewww!” I closed my eyes and pictured him standing naked and erect with the golden amulet hanging from his neck. My entire body clenched at the sight. I crossed my legs tightly.

“What? The altar’s too creepy for you?” He leaned forward and ran his fingers up the back of my neck until goose bumps broke out and chased after the shiver running down my spine.

Smiling as my eyes rolled back in my head, he lowered his voice to a velvety purr. ”You see? It’s part of the magic of this place. In the beginning, God created the Garden, but there were no humans to worship Him. So God created Adam and then Eve. Together, they created mankind…you know the story.” Completely serious, he added, “We’re on another plane here.”

“The Garden of Eden?” I giggled at such a crazy notion.

“Do you still want to repopulate the world from scratch?” He leaned in close and stroked my cheek with a fingertip.

I purred like a cat and rubbed my face against his hand.

“My point, exactly.”

Chapter 13: Facing the Music

“READY?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“It’s going to be okay. I promise.” He grinned down at me and actually winked. I was going to miss this relaxed version of Killian.

“Hold on,” he said and before I could blink twice, we were back at the penthouse.

He’d brought us to the rooftop garden instead of the foyer. Glancing around, I could tell it was very late. The sky was dark and most of the lights were off in the looming buildings. The streets below us were quiet. Thunder rumbled above me, and I caught a flash of lightning from the corner of my eye. The air smelled of rain and ozone. A storm was coming. Killian didn’t move towards the door as I expected he would. He was concentrating on something unseen. He frowned and stopped me from touching the door handle.

My hand froze just before I grabbed it and I realized something was wrong. I felt it too. My stomach tightened uneasily and I reached for my gun. No gun. Crap.

“What’s happened?” I whispered.

“Shh.” He pointed a finger at his temple.

What’s wrong?

There’s been a fight. I smell demon. Don’t touch the door. It’s been marked. Wait here for a minute.

He vanished into the night. Antsy, I paced around the garden. Something was wrong here. Large drops of rain plopped on my head and a gust of wind nearly knocked me over. I grabbed onto one of the chairs and swore under my breath. After what felt like eternity, Killian was back.

Take my hand.

As soon as I linked my fingers with his, we were in the kitchen. Whoa! The kitchen was a mess. Chairs were overturned and splintered. Some of the cabinets were hanging open with their doors blown off or hanging by a hinge. The marble top of the island was…melted? How’s that possible?

What the heck? I gestured to the marble. Can we talk now?

“Yeah, it’s okay. The house is empty.” He nodded towards the marble. “No idea, but it can’t be good.”

“Where is everybody? I don’t sense them at all. Was anybody hurt?”

He frowned and answered, “There’s blood in your bedroom. It’s one of ours, but I don’t know whose it is.”

He reached out and grabbed my wrist as I started for the hallway. “You don’t need to see that!” In a low voice, he added, “Don’t worry; it’s not enough to kill someone.”

“We need to find them.”

He leaned against the counter and said, “Let me think for a minute and we’ll go. It’s probably not safe to stay here since it’s been compromised.”

“Dec? Declan? Where are you, Dec? Can you hear me?” I looked at the ceiling as I called his name.

Killian snorted rudely. “You don’t have to look up for it to work. Why do humans always assume that helps?”

I scowled at him and said, “Oh, shut up!”

A new voice spoke from the hallway. “Well, well. Look who’s back.”

James.

Preternaturally alert, Killian peeled away from the counter. His shoulders swelled with barely leashed power. He would kill James at the first hint of violence. We’d had a long talk about James and Killian was itching to have a chat with him.

“Nice timing, James. I don’t suppose you can tell us what happened here?” His voice was dangerously even.

Sauntering into the room, James ignored me completely and shrugged. “I’ve got no idea. I just got here myself.” His expression was full of concern as he took in the destruction.

“Of course, if you would’ve been here, you would know what happened. How was your vacation?”

I didn’t see him move, but in the next instant, Killian had James up against the wall with one hand wrapped around his throat. James’ eyes bulged as he struggled to breathe while clawing at Killian’s hands. Killian held him in place effortlessly and I marveled at this. How powerful was he that he could subdue other Primani? I thought they were all equally strong. Well, I guess you learned something new every day.

James was turning an interesting shade of eggplant.

“Hey, you may want to let him breathe…unless you’re planning to kill him. That works for me, but you’ll have to explain it to Alex.” I shrugged and turned my back.

The sound of ragged breathing told me he let James go. Probably that was the best move for now. James was an asshole, but we didn’t have any proof he was dirty. Why would he be? After all, a Primani had the perfect life. It would be crazy to jeopardize that.

With a look of pure venom, James vanished.

Killian cracked his knuckles and commented lightly, “You’ve gotten so bloodthirsty, Princess. I’m proud of you!”

The whole incident with James had taken about a minute, and I barely had time to turn around when Dec appeared in the doorway. Sean was right beside him.

“Oh, thank God! You’re all right!” I started towards them and hesitated. They didn’t look especially happy to see me.

Dec’s face brightened but he said reproachfully, “Of course, we’re all right. No thanks to you.”

Ouch.

Sean’s eyes met mine and I stiffened. His eyes were hard as stone as they swept over me. His expression insolent as he raked his gaze over my body from head to toe.  His lips were pressed together in a hard line and anger radiated like the sun. The muscles in his arms corded with tension as he unclenched his fists. ‘Pissed’ was an understatement. He was furious and was about to explode. I wisely took a step back and he smiled. This was definitely not the smile I wanted to see. This was the feral smile they displayed just before they killed someone. It always reminded me of a predator with the canine teeth bared. Rarely did I see it on Sean, though Killian had perfected it.

Bravely, or maybe stupidly, I held up my hands and tried to talk to him. I started with, “Baby, I--” That’s all I said before he cut me off.

“Shut up, Mica.” There was no mercy in his voice.

I took an outraged step in his direction and he lifted his hand. I bounced off an invisible wall and fell onto my butt. No one moved. Dec was frozen with shock. It didn’t hurt anything but my pride and my own temper caught fire then. Who did he think he was? Since when did he get all physical with me? I stood up and snarled right back at him.

“You bully! I will not shut up. And don’t even think about cutting off my audio!” I advanced to the invisible shield and glared up at him from there.

“I’ve been through hell and back because of you and you will not be pissed off at me. Do you hear me?” I emphasized my words by jabbing my finger at his chest. He could throw me back to Plattsburgh if he wanted, but I wasn’t going to put up with this self-righteous attitude.

Suddenly, he snatched my hand and flipped it over. The scabbed outline of the rune stood out like a brand.

“No, it can’t be,” he whispered.

The raw fury in his eyes vanished and a look of wonder replaced it. Without a word, he closed his eyes and traced the rune over and over again. Each touch of his finger drew my blood like a magnet and the rune was soon outlined in pale gold. When he stopped, my hand tingled warmly. He lifted his eyes to Killian.

“Sgaine Dutre?” His voice was hushed with awe.

Killian met his gaze gravely but didn’t speak. He didn’t actually move, but it felt like he was suddenly closer to me. The air itself shifted faintly and I felt a breath of air slip over my chest. After a minute, he lowered his gaze to my heart and closed his eyes. Looking a little dazed, Sean reached for my shirt and carefully pulled the shoulder down. He stared at the rune and back at Killian. Then, to my surprise, he bowed his head respectfully and said softly, “Sgaine Dutre dio, my brother.”

I woke up to the sound of people talking, or yelling from the sound of it. Maybe they need a referee? I stretched and reached for my clothes. It felt good to be back in the farmhouse. We’d left Manhattan immediately after Sean and Dec got there. I slept most of the drive back and crawled into our bed as soon as we pulled into the driveway. Sean slept on the couch, I think.

Now I tried to do something with my hair, but it was impossible. It was so unevenly cut I couldn’t keep it pulled back. It lay in shiny brown chunky spikes all over the place. It accentuated my eyes though…Great, I looked like freakin’ Tinkerbell. There was no help for it, so I headed for the living room.

Sean and Killian were talking when I walked in. Both glanced in my direction but didn’t pause in their conversation. Dec waved at me from the table.

“So what’s all the yelling about?” I asked him.

“We got word from Alex that Jordan is still missing. It’s crazy. No one’s seen an angel just disappear like that. Nobody has seen him, and there’s not much we can do about it. No idea where to look.” He scooped up a bite of scrambled eggs and popped it into his mouth.

“There isn’t anything at all?”

He swallowed some milk and said, “Rumors here and there. Alexandyr and Dimitri swear they saw Jordan in LA a few weeks ago. They were down low in one of those swanky nightclubs stalking Sarin. They were ghost inside one of the private rooms when they saw a guy who looked like Jordan. He disappeared before they could question him.”

And who are these people? At my puzzled look, he elaborated with an irritated tone. “Sarin’s a pain in the ass. Part human, part demon. He’s been on our list for a hundred years. Sean’s probably pissed he wasn’t there. He’s got a personal issue with Sarin. Alex and Dimitri are Primani. You’ll meet them eventually, if you’re really lucky!”

“Ghost?” I prodded.

“Oh, sorry. Invisible, unnoticeable, blending in as an extreme sport…no one can see us. Etcetera, etcetera.”

Oh, that’s what they called it. Cool.

“So…the yelling?”

“Oh, that.” He waved a hand like it was no big deal. “Sean was thanking Killian for bringing you home…among other things.” He said the last part under his breath.

“Huh. I could swear I heard the f-bomb an awful lot. Funny that he’d add that to a simple ‘thank you.‘ But what do I know? Maybe that’s how you Primani talk.”

He blushed and stuffed more eggs into his mouth.

I helped myself to a bowl of cereal and munched a spoonful. Hmm. Jordan was still missing so that means I really did see him hurt on the kitchen floor. That means that wasn’t a dream or a trick of the demon. That’s bad since he was really hurt…I liked Jordan and I was really hoping he wasn’t dead.

“I still think James did it.”

Dec whipped around and said vehemently, “I wish we could prove that. He’s such an asshole! I would love to bring him down. But there’s no evidence at all and no motive.”

“Fingerprints? DNA? Did anyone check that stuff? It could’ve been humans for all we know. Maybe a robbery?”

He laughed, “Nah, not likely. They can’t get inside unless we let them in. The place was protected. Jordan wouldn’t let anyone in that he didn’t expect or know.”

“Protected? Cool. But how did I get in?”

“You’re one of us now. You have privileges. Though after last night’s attack…we’ll have to purge it of demonic tracers and add new protection to it. Good thing we’ve got this place.”

“All the more reason to wonder about James,” I said thoughtfully. Hmm. “Does James know about this place?” We had been attacked here once before.

“I don’t think he knows about it. He’s never been here. And Ramon was working for a run-of-the-mill human loser who was working for a lower-level demon. Ramon never heard the demon’s name, so we still don’t know who that was.” He finished a last bite of toast and swigged a glass of milk. I watched the strong muscles work in his neck as he chugged the milk. I had to smile at the sight. Dec was beautifully made. I was surrounded by eye-candy.

“Are you starving, Dec? You just killed about a dozen eggs and a half pound of bacon.” I started to laugh but then realized my mistake. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie. Killian told me you haven’t been eating. I feel like such a jerk.”

Unfazed, he patted my hand. “No worries, darlin’. You can’t help yourself. I get it.”

“Hey, I’m really sincere here! I didn’t realize how much you worried about me until the last few days. Killian helped me to see. I remember how it was when Sean…” I broke off my maudlin train of thought.

“Sooooo totally changing the subject since I’m not an emotional guy...where did you go when you guys left?”

Thankful for his understanding, I said, “Eden. How long were we gone?”

His eyebrows went straight up at that. “How long do you think you were gone? You don’t know?”

“I don’t know…maybe three days?” I really didn’t know. It was another plane for crying out loud. Who knew how time flowed there?

He burst out laughing and didn’t stop. Killian and Sean broke off their conversation and looked over with surprise. What’s so funny? Killian and Sean finally got up and wandered over to stare at us with concern. Maybe Dec had finally lost it?

Seeing Killian, Dec got himself under control and threw him a challenging look. “Uh, Killian, do you want to tell Mica how many days you two were gone?”

Killian glared at him for a minute and said grudgingly, “A month, give or take a day.”

“What? How is that possible? No, don’t!” I held up a hand. “I know, I know, different dimension…but a month? Wow…”

“And while you were gone, we were busy. Let’s go for walk and I’ll catch you up,” Sean suggested.

He seemed in a good mood, so maybe he’d forgiven me. I hoped so. I was getting tired of being in the doghouse!

Killian added, “We have to get some plans together so don’t take too long. Things are about to get ugly around here.”

I saluted him smartly and said, “Aye-aye, Captain!”

The leaves were changing already. I loved the smell of fall and took a deep breath as we entered the woods behind the farmhouse. It was crisp and sunny today and I wistfully thought of apples.  I wondered if there was time to find a farmer’s market before we headed out to kill demons. Sean led the way towards our favorite spot by the creek. I followed him on the narrow trail and enjoyed the sight of his muscles working under his clothes. He had a great butt…I was a lucky, lucky girl.

He took my hand and helped me over the rocks until we came to our favorite boulder in the middle of the creek.

Sean leaned back in the sun for a minute before saying, “I’m glad you missed the attack last night. It was brutal. It was touch and go for a little while.” He sat up and grinned mischievously. “Dec lost it. He was so pissed off.”

“What happened?”

“One of the loser demons actually slashed his arm--that’s the blood on your wall--with a razor. It was a small razor…it’s a little like amateur hour to be hurt that way.”

“Are you serious? What, it’s too mundane? What’s he want? A fireball in the gut?”

He just laughed and said, “That’s exactly it. He was insulted. Getting blown up is much better. We’re warriors for crying out loud. I think he was mostly mad at himself though. He got distracted for a split second and that’s when it happened. He’ll never do that again!”

“Poor Dec!” I would stroke his ego later. ”So what were they doing at the penthouse? That seems weird to me.” I stopped and sat up suddenly. “They weren’t looking for me, were they?”

He rubbed his eyes. “Maybe, but I think they were looking for something else.”

“Sgaine Dutre?” Ignoring his surprise, I was thinking out loud. ”That’s it, isn’t it? But I’m thinking it’s not here…” Something tickled my brain. Wait a minute…

“It’s in Eden!”

“Where? What are you talking about?”

I stood up so I could move more. Movement always helps me think…hard to pace on a boulder though. “Killian’s…place.”

He looked sideways at me and said sarcastically, “Eden. It has a name?”

Waving him off, I said, “I named it that. It fits. Anyway, Sgaine Dutre is the knife, isn’t it?” My eyes misted as I remembered the heat of the fire. But the fire healed me in the end…and the knife was the vessel…a very ancient and very powerful vessel. It had also carved these runes into my skin…what power did it leave behind? What did the demon want with it?

He was quietly studying me and I felt a small pang of guilt. Here I was going on and on about this thing and we haven’t even made up yet. Most boyfriends would be pretty upset if their girlfriend left for a month in the company of a wicked-hot powerful supernatural warrior slash magical high priest. Probably I should try to make up with him…I plopped myself down so I could sit between his knees and leaned back against his chest. He rested his arms around me and just sat there. I supposed he was getting his thoughts together like I was.

Finally, I said, “I understand if you want me to go. I disappeared not once, but twice, and scared you to death. I haven’t been the greatest girlfriend…I can’t leave now though; there’s too much to do and it wouldn’t be fair to Dec and Killian.” When he didn’t respond, my heart sank. This was the part where he's supposed to beg me to stay. “I’ll move into the other bedroom for now and start looking for my own place. Maybe Dani will get a place with me. I’ll have to get a real job--” I was babbling now.

“Mica. Stop. Please.” His voice sounded hoarse. “Turn around and look at me.”

Like facing a firing squad, I twisted around very slowly. He sounded mad and I didn’t want to see the anger in his eyes. Instead, I looked into the trees, and the sky, and any other place. Grumbling, he turned my face so we were nose to nose.

“You are killing me,” he enunciated each word distinctly. “Every day is a new crisis with you. I’m surprised I have any hair left.” He gave me a not quite gentle head butt.

“Ow!” I rubbed my forehead.

“That's what you get for being stupid. You’re not going anywhere.” He sounded stern but his eyes sparkled. “How many years have you known Killian?”

Nonplussed, I said, “About four or so, why?”

“I’ve known him for a few thousand. So I think I know him better than you do. Do you honestly think anything could stop him from doing what he wants to do?

“Well, no, I guess not.” I turned my face away as thoughts of Killian’s personal sense of morality intruded in the back of my mind. He lives by his own rules and no others.

He threw a rock at the creek saying with some irritation, “Do you think I liked having you disappear with him for a month? No, I didn’t. Was I jealous? Absolutely! I'll admit that. But, and this is important, I trust that he knows what he’s doing. I’ve followed him into more battles than I can count and he’s never let me down.”

“He’s very good at what he does, isn’t he?”

He laughed with real humor. “Sweetheart, you have no idea! I wouldn’t follow anyone else.” He paused and said a little shyly, “I don’t want to press you, but if you feel comfortable…I’d really like to hear about the ceremony. It’s very old and it’s been lost in time. Killian’s the only remaining descendent who can use the powers of Sgaine Dutre. It's been tied to his family forever. I wish I could’ve been there to see it.”

Yeah…somehow I didn’t think he would’ve been happy with the process. Too much skin, too much blood, too much screaming…

“Do we have time? It’s a long story.”

Tightening his arms around me, he told me we had all the time I needed. Letting the sun warm my face, I sighed and began my story with, “Once upon a time, there was a princess…”

An hour later, I dried my eyes and wiped my nose on his shirt. I wasn’t the only one who was affected by my story. Sean’s emotions went up and down like a roller coaster, but he did a good job of hiding it. He’d been respectfully quiet while I shared my experiences in Eden. He was astonished that I instinctively knew it was another plane, and I didn’t freak out over the isolation. He was angry when I described the demon’s attack in my dream and shared my pain and horror during the cleansing by fire and water. I don’t know how long we sat there, but the sun was getting low when he stood up.

“Are you going to give me a proper kiss hello or do I need to toss you into the creek?” He punctuated the question by hanging me over the boulder by my feet. Chilly water bubbled up and splashed on my face.

Squealing at the cold, I yelled, “Okay, okay, I’ll kiss you!” He dangled me a little lower.

“Are you sure?” He lifted me like a yo-yo.

“Yes! Pick me up, you jerk!”

Laughing, he pulled me onto my feet and said, “I’m waiting.” His face went blank and he dropped his hands, waiting for me to kiss him.

I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him and hesitated. I stopped a few inches from his face and he winked at me. He was so sure I would kiss him now, and why not? More fun to make him wait though. Instead of kissing his mouth, I started with his fingertips. After all ten fingers were kissed I pressed his palm against my mouth and let it rest with a small kiss. Like we were made for each other, the curve of my jaw fit precisely in the palm of his hand. Inhaling his scent, I nuzzled the soft skin on the inside of his wrist and was rewarded with the rush of heat that rose to the surface. Taking my time, I spread tiny butterfly kisses up the muscle of his arm and across his collarbone to the base of his neck.

Instead of kissing his neck, I buried my face against it and wrapped my arms around his waist. I was on my tiptoes again when I finally pulled his face down to me.

Pulling back with a sexy grin and drowsy eyes, he breathed, “Well, now, that was a proper kiss. Good girlfriend.” He patted my butt and ducked when I swung a right hook towards his nose.

Sniffing in mock indignation, I left him standing alone on the rock. Head held high, I strolled off like I owned the place only to break into a full sprint when he suddenly appeared beside me. I keep forgetting about the super powers…laughing and gasping for air, I claimed victory at the driveway.

“You’re getting slow in your old age!” I crowed in the middle of my happy dance.

Not even breathing hard, he announced. “I let you win.”

“Oh yeah? Let’s see how fast I can pack?” I started for the door handle when he stopped me with one word.

“James.” He didn’t sound pleased.

“O'Cahan. I see you’ve got your girlfriend back all in one piece.” His voice grated on my nerves. He added as an afterthought, “Nice to see you again, Mica.”

Sean’s expression was carefully neutral as he talked to James on the front porch. He was always good at masking his emotions and was doing it now. The only telltale sign that he wanted to punch James was the tiniest twitching in his little finger. The rest of his body was draped loosely over the railing as he considered James with guarded eyes.

It was odd. James had changed recently. He’d been a little condescending when we met last year, but he was nice to me. He’s been more and more obnoxious every time I see him now. He was weirding me out with his strange covert glances. He was doing it now; looking at me from the corner of his eye like I was something nasty stuck on his shoe. What was his problem with me? I saved his life last year for God’s sake.

“I’m going inside. I’ll let Killian know you’re out here,” I said in as bland a tone as I could muster. I started towards the door but then stopped. I couldn’t help myself. Maybe the devil made me do it, I don’t know…but I kissed Sean full on the lips, with tongue, and sauntered into the house.

And ran smack into Killian’s chest just as he was about to open the door. I hit him, ricocheted back into the door, and bounced back into his chest. He caught my elbow before I could bounce anywhere else. With Dec’s hoot of hilarity echoing through the house, Killian smirked down at me.

Still gripping my elbow, he said, “Your exits suck.”

I didn’t even blush this time. He was right. My dramatic exits always ended in disaster. I should stop trying. Instead of a snappy comeback, I simply said, “Kitchen, now.” I stalked off grabbing Dec on the way.

Once safely in the kitchen, I said, “What is he doing here? Now he knows how to find us? We can’t trust him and he’s creeping me out! He keeps looking at me!”

Killian said, “Orders from Alex. James is going to be working with us on the Dagin problem. Since Dagin was the demon who held him hostage last year, he might have some unique perspective to offer us.” He lowered his voice and added, “Plus, he wants us to keep an eye on him.” He gave Dec a stern look and ordered, “We are not to eliminate James--Alex’s orders. I mean it, Dec, no killing James!”

Dec looked positively angelic and said with a broad grin, “Oh, but I’d so like to strangle him on behalf of all Primani.”

Chapter 14: Death and Destruction

THE FRONT DOOR SLAMMED and Sean’s voice echoed as he hollered for us. Dec pushed open the kitchen door and waved them inside. James checked out the kitchen like he was memorizing the exits. Why was he so interested in this place?

He sensed my suspicion and returned a glance that said ‘prove it.’

Sean started to ask Killian about orders from Alex when the doorbell rang. Startled, we all looked at each other with a question in our eyes. Everyone shrugged. We weren’t expecting company. The doorbell rang again and Dani’s voice came faintly through the door. What was she doing here?

“She knows we’re here, so you might as well answer the door.” Sean was right. “Go see what she wants. I’ll fill you in later.”

She was hurrying back to her car when I ran onto the porch yelling for her to wait.

“Dani! What are you doing here?”

Her eyes filled with tears and her face crumpled. “Oh, Mica! I’m so glad you’re home!”

“What’s wrong? What happened?” I led her to the porch and sat down on the swing.

She didn’t look at me right away. Instead her gaze was somewhere high above the tree line and very far away. With a sob, she leaned into me and cried as if her heart was broken. I gathered her into my arms and held her while she cried. A slight tingle on the back of my neck alerted me that I wasn’t alone. I lifted my eyes to see Sean peering out of the doorway.

He lifted a hand in question and quietly mouthed, “What’s wrong?” at me. I shrugged helplessly as Dani continued to sob.

Rubbing her back, I waited for a lull and asked carefully, “Sweetie, what’s going on? Is it your mom?”

God, please let her mom be okay. She was all Dani had left.

Sniffing loudly, she struggled to stop crying and managed to catch her breath. “It’s Aric!” Her breath hitched again. “Oh, God, he’s dead! Mica, he’s dead!” With that, she broke down in sobs again.

Aric? No, it couldn’t be true! He wasn’t sick…there was nothing wrong with him…how could he be dead? I cried with her as I thought about the handsome boy who had been the love of Dani’s life. Aric was everything to her. He was perfect for her; they were so happy together. How could he be dead? I don’t know how long we sat on the swing wrapped in each other’s arms, holding each other up, struggling to deal with the overwhelming pain. Eventually, she leaned her head against the back of the swing exhausted from too many tears and too much raw emotion. Her haunted grey eyes were vacant as she stared out into space. She was completely shattered and I felt her agony tie me into knots. I held her hand and wished I could fix this.

Trying not to intrude, Sean slipped out and with a look of profound sadness, touched Dani’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head. She didn’t blink. My heart tightened and I squeezed her hand again.

After a few minutes, she seemed to come back to herself and shook her head to clear it. Smiling a weak watery smile, she blew her nose and said, “I’m so sorry I sprung this on you. I was going to call…but that seemed wrong.”

“Oh, Dani, don’t apologize to me! That’s what I’m here for, remember? Best friend?” I tried a smile, but it felt awkward on my face. Instead, I said, “Do you feel up to seeing the guys? Dec’s been staring out the window for an hour now, and I think he’s about to come through it.”

Sitting up stiffly, she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. “Let me wash up first. My face is numb.”

I watched as Dani closed the door to the powder room and then bolted to the living room where everyone else waited. Wanting only my family around me, I skidded to a stop when I saw James lounging on a chair.

“You shouldn’t be here right now. This is a family emergency.”

He looked apologetic. “Oh, I’m sorry, I had no idea. What’s happened? Can I help?” He sounded sincere, but I didn’t trust him.

“Can you raise the dead?” I asked bitterly. “That’s the only thing that would help right now.”

He blinked and paused before asking, “Who’s dead?”

Sean growled under his breath and towed James to the door as Dani came into the room. Soap and water had worked minor miracles on her tear-ravaged face. Her eyes were still red and swollen but the pink in her cheeks looked healthy and her naturally pouty lips were even prettier. Those haunted grey eyes only emphasized her pale skin making her look like a china doll. Hovering in the doorway, she sent Dec a trembling smile as he rose to greet her. He was on his way to her side when James stepped between them.

Taking her arm, he said, “Here, let me help you to the table.”

Dani gazed up at him with surprise and just a little gratitude. She allowed him to lead her to a chair. Like a gentleman, he pulled the chair out for her and smiled into her eyes.

Dec wanted to kill James on the spot.

Killian spoke up. “Well, James, thanks for stopping by today. I’ll call you when we need to talk again.” It wasn’t a subtle order and we all waited for him to leave.

Flushing angrily, James made a sulky exit. Sean followed him leaving Dec to glare holes into his back. Dani was oblivious to the tension in the room and stared vacantly at the window. The wind tugged the maple tree’s branches back and forth in front of the window. The leaves were splatters of blood against the stark grey branches. It seemed a bad omen and I shivered. Dani was mesmerized by the branch, and I left her alone with her thoughts.

“James is scum, Dec. But Dani really needs you right now. Go and sit with her; her mind is in a bad place.”

With considerable effort, he rearranged his face and tamped down his anger. Grinding his teeth as he stood, he said, “He really needs his ass kicked.”

I snorted lightly, “True, but not today. I promise I’ll hold him down and you can beat the shit out of him some other time.”

“Deal.” He turned his attention to Dani and I left the two of them alone and went to find Sean.

Killian followed me out and said, “You’re a good friend, Mica.” He touched me lightly on the arm. “I have something to tell you. Let’s find Sean first.”

Sean was waiting for us on the porch staring at the air where James had vanished. He took one look at my face and said, “Did you tell her already?”

“No, she’s already upset. I wanted to wait for you.”

“What’s going on? You might as well tell me; this day can’t get any worse.”

Sean grimaced and said, “Yeah, it can.”

Killian hesitated and that freaked me out. Whatever it was, it was really bad.

Sean suggested I sit down. “No, I’m not going to sit. There’s nothing you can tell me that is going to hurt more than Aric’s death.”

“Two more brunettes were found murdered. Both were in their early twenties and had athletic builds.”

My stomach cramped and I said very carefully, “That doesn’t mean--”

“The last girl’s hair was hacked off.”

Stiffly, I touched my hair. “But--”

“Just like yours.”

My mind just sort of stalled out. I was awake but I just stood there like a zombie. This was too horrible to think about. It could only be one person, but how would he know about my hair? I haven’t seen him. Was he spying on me? When would he have done that? I’ve been surrounded by Primani since they rescued me. That’s crazy. Why would he do that?

“It makes no sense…” I whispered to myself.

Sean’s voice snapped like a whip. “Where is your gun?”

The change in tone confused me. “My gun? What’s that have to do with anything?”

Holding my shoulders tightly, he ordered, “Get your gun and load it. Keep it on you at all times--I mean it. You don’t pee without it. Do you understand me?”

He was in soldier-mode.

His tactic worked.

The brusqueness snapped me out of the numbness of shock. He’s right! I’m not a sitting duck here. I’m a trained killer. Between my gun, my knife, and my lethal hands and feet, I could protect myself pretty well. I’ve fought demons! One stupid human wasn’t going to kill me. Angry now, I pushed away from the wall and stalked into the house.

I knew exactly where my gun was.

Behind me I heard Killian comment, “That went better than I thought.”

Dani stayed for dinner and we all listened as she told us what happened to Aric. His mother called her this morning to give her the bad news. He’d been in a car accident coming home from work. The police thought he might have fallen asleep because his car ended up wrapped around a telephone pole in the middle of a sharp curve. There weren’t any skid marks, so they thought he was most likely asleep. She told us the story with tears in her eyes, but the hysterical weeping was gone. Dec’s magic again. Dani would never realize how he calmed her down, but she would feel better because of it.

“Stay for the night. You’re too tired to drive and I need your company.” I pleaded my case. It was after 10:00 now and her eyes were bleary.

She started to protest, but Sean cut her off. “Come on, Dani. You’re exhausted.”

I stifled a grin as I caught him with his hand on the small of her back. Catching my eye, he winked. In the space of a heartbeat, Dani’s eyes fluttered and she sank into his arms.

I pulled the blanket over her and smoothed her hair back. Her lashes left little shadows on her cheekbones as she mumbled peacefully in her sleep. She looked so innocent. Thanks to Sean’s help, she would sleep dreamlessly for about 12 hours. He was a miracle worker when it came to overwrought females.  She’d wake up refreshed and strong. I kissed my finger and pressed it to her forehead.

“Sweet dreams, my sister.”

Sean whispered, “She’ll be all right now. Do you want to sleep here?”

I leaned into him and soaked in the steady warmth. “I need some peace too. Let’s go to bed.”

In our room, I slipped off my clothes and crawled into Sean’s open arms. I curled up and fell immediately to sleep.

“Mica!” A loud crash startled me awake but sleep tugged at me and I closed my eyes again. Sean shook me with one hand and grabbed his gun with the other. Domino growled softly near the door. Another crash and a shout brought me completely out of bed and into a crouch.

“Get your gun!” Sean hissed.

A high-pitched scream reverberated through the house and Domino went ballistic. Dani! I snatched up my Sig and bolted for the door. Sean was already gone. The hallway was in chaos.  White smoke filled the corridor and people were everywhere. I couldn’t tell who was who in the smoke but tried to dodge them so I could get to Dani. Her room was at the other end of the house.

A hard blow from the side threw me into the wall and I saw stars for a second. Not wanting to waste time struggling, I pointed the gun at the shadowy shape above me and pulled the trigger. My reward was the meaty splat of blood and body parts hitting the wall. Without a sound, the man fell against the wall.

“Domino, get to Dani!” I sent the dog ahead. She took off like a flash in the darkness.

My ears were ringing so loudly I didn’t hear the man come up behind me. He grabbed me around the neck and started to walk me towards the door.

“I don’t have time for you!” I gritted out.

He grunted in surprise when I jammed my blade into his thigh. Letting go of my neck, he grabbed at his leg. I yanked the dagger out and shoved it into his chest before he could react. I took off at a sprint.

The smoke had cleared a bit by the time I made it to the living room. I saw Dec kicking the crap out of someone over by the couch. Dani screamed again and his head lifted up automatically. Her screams were punctuated by vicious barking. I nearly tripped over two sprawled bodies when I rounded the corner. Stumbling forward, I lurched into Sean. One look at his expression and I knew we had to move fast. Dani’s room was right in front of us now and I threw myself into the door before he could stop me. Sean and Killian were right behind me. The scene that greeted me was worse than a horror movie. Domino had pinned a very ugly demon against the wall, but he wasn’t alone. There was a man straddling Dani’s legs in the middle of the bed. He held a gleaming blade above him and was about to bring it down into Dani’s chest.

“No!” I screamed and threw myself at him.

The man vanished and the demon exploded with a loud whoosh. Domino’s barking cut off with a startled yelp. Confused, I looked for my prey, but he was gone.

Dec vaulted over me to get to Dani. Her eyes were black as she shrieked in mindless terror. Without bothering to check for wounds, he drew his hand over her face and her screaming stopped. She lay as quiet as the dead with eyes staring at nothing. Gently, he closed her eyes.

“God, Dani! Is she okay? Is she hurt?” I ran over to help. She was bleeding from several cuts on her arms but none seemed very deep. Her clothes were bunched and twisted around from her struggles. My heart sank and a cold fury took hold of me.

“So help me God, if they…”

Dec caught my gaze and looked at her bare midriff. He lightly ran his hand over her and shook his head slowly. “They didn’t.” He tugged her t-shirt back down and exhaled loudly.

“Animals! Monsters!” My voice rose with each syllable. “What is wrong with these people?” I swung around fully intending to kill anyone who was still alive in this house.

“Mica, wait!” Sean looked like he wanted to stop me.

“Get out of my way!”

Stepping aside, he waved me forward, and I stalked out of the room. I was hunting now. Someone was going to pay. Flipping on the lights room by room, I was only vaguely aware of the destruction around me. Bodies were everywhere. I counted three before I got back to the living room. A soft groan caught my attention and I searched for the source. There, near the kitchen, was a familiar face. What the hell? He was on his feet, but hunched over a chair. He was having trouble standing.

“Balin?” I said. Surprise stopped me from shooting him in the head on sight.

He turned my direction and I gagged. His arm, shoulder, and half of his chest had been blown away and black fluid ran freely from the gaping wound. Before I could say anything, Sean stopped beside me. He took one look at Balin and raised the silver knife. What had once been Balin disappeared as the knife struck true. As the body vanished, the knife clattered on the tile.

“Nice throw,” I complimented.

There were two more dead guys near the front of the house, but the rest of the place was clear. That was unfortunate. I was still boiling mad and really wanted to blow up another demon or two. Practically howling with frustration, I caught my breath and rubbed my stinging eyes.

There was no one left to blow up. Damn it.

I settled for kicking a dead guy in the head before sprinting down the hallway to check on Dani. Dec glanced up when I walked in.

“She’ll be okay. I’ve healed the cuts and put her into a deep sleep.” He looked miserable. “I’m going to erase her memories.”

I looked down at her pretty face and the bloody sheets. “I think that’s best.”

Supernatural energy is useful not only for killing demons, but also for housework. I was on my hands and knees drowning blood splatters with a bottle of bleach. This house was one massive crime scene. Cleaning was going to take weeks. Maybe we should just burn it down and move? It was nearly dawn when the guys came looking for me. I had no idea what they were up to. I’d assumed they were getting rid of the bodies.

Something in the hesitation of their footsteps made me look up. Killian had a peculiar expression on his face. It was a cross between respect, confusion, and fear. A sense of dread tightened my stomach, and I steeled myself for more pain. What else could go wrong today?

“What is it?” I reached out to Sean, and he wrapped his arm over my shoulders. He touched me like I might explode. His face was white but he didn’t say anything.

Killian said, “Come outside. There’s something you need to see.” His mouth twitched in the tiniest imitation of a smile.

“Okaaaay…” My stomach clenched again and I swallowed the sudden rush of saliva that signaled imminent puking. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead and the light got very dim.

“Hey, hey!” Sean shook me gently. “No puking or passing out right now. This is important.” He lifted me up and carried me out to the yard.

Dec was already there. He was kneeling over something that held his undivided attention. He didn’t even turn when we approached. We stopped behind him and he jumped as if surprised to see us there. I got the feeling he was blocking my view of something. He stood directly in front of me with his arms spread out. The light behind him cast his face in shadows. I couldn’t read his mood.

“What’s going on? You guys are freaking me out.”

“You and me both,” Dec said as he stepped to the side.

I stared. I turned my head to the side to see it from a different angle. I stared some more. My brain couldn’t comprehend the message my eyes were sending it. I shut my eyes and opened them.

It was still there.

How was this possible?

Behind me, Sean’s chest vibrated with silent laughter. Unable to hold it in, he finally burst out laughing.

“Well, that’s one mystery solved,” he wheezed.

“What mystery?”

“Who vaporized me.”

I stared at the body in front of me. He was bent backwards and sprawled like a rag doll. He’d been thrown on top of the fountain he lay on. The whites of his eyes gleamed dully in the misty early light. Something glinted on the grass and I reached for it. It was his knife. I dropped it like it burned me.

How did he get out here? It made no sense to me…and yet...What about the time the demon tried to kill Trevor? He’d blown up and both Trevor and Domino ended up outside in the snow. That was just a weird fluke, wasn’t it? But there was also the demon in the rest stop…All the people in the rest stop! And most devastating of all…Sean exploding in the basement…I wanted to deny it, but the truth was right in front of me.

“No…I…” My stomach rebelled, and I ran to the bushes.

“Dec, get rid of him.” Killian’s voice barely penetrated the ringing in my ears.

I retched until my stomach was empty and still couldn’t hold down the waves of nausea. It was me? Oh, God. I vaporized my soul mate! Gagging, I retched again and still my stomach roiled. There wasn’t much left to puke but I thought I could do it again. Memories overwhelmed me and I curled into myself. All the hell we went through…all of us, but Sean most of all. We were so lost without him, but he was scattered.

I am the world’s worst girlfriend--ever!

“Mica? Let’s go. I’m not going to stand here and watch you torture yourself over this. It's not your fault.” Dragging me upright, he said, “Get dressed. We’re going for a run.”

“A what? Are you nuts?”

“You heard me. Get your running clothes on. We’re getting out of here.” He nudged me towards the house. To Killian he said, “I hope you don’t need us right now.”

The first mile was the hardest. My breath wouldn’t come through my clogged nose, and I was still struggling not to throw up. Ignoring my distress, he left me behind when I slowed down, so I had to sprint to catch up to him. He kept the same relentless pace we always had and took the familiar route through the trees and down the dirt road. I had to focus on the path to keep from twisting my ankle and soon I had no room for thinking at all. By the end of the third mile, I was breathing normally again and feeling the boost of endorphins kick in. Looking over his shoulder at me, he slowed down a little to let me run beside him on the road.

I tried to gauge his mood but his expression was neutral. If anything, he seemed pretty relaxed. At the end of the fourth mile, he slowed to a walk and stopped near a tree stump to stretch. This was part of our routine too. We always stopped here to stretch. Bending down, he tied my shoe for me and smiled at my surprise.

“You just don’t get it, do you?” he mocked me gently. “This isn’t your fault. You always want to blame yourself, but it’s not your fault.” He gave me a playful kiss on my open mouth and laughed at me.

“You keep forgetting your powers came from me in the first place, and let’s not discount your destiny…You always think you have control, but you don’t. The angels have been generous with your powers.  Whatever this is, it's a new power. You get new powers when you need them and not before. But you do have to learn to use them, and that’s where control comes in.” He stressed the last part with a hard look at me.

“But you could’ve died!”

“But I didn’t. Did I? No. Your powers sent me away and brought me back. You did that, Mica.” He was sitting on the ground stretching now. He looked up at me and asked, “You didn’t intend to kill me, did you?”

“No!”

“Okay then, the fact that you brought me back here tells me that we’re supposed to be together.” He rolled his shoulders. “Otherwise, why bother to give you the strength to bring me back?”

Pulling me to him, he kissed my forehead and said, “I forgive you, but you have to forgive yourself. Okay?”

Curling my fingers in the soft material of his shirt, I thought about that. He had a good point. Maybe my vaporizing him was a mistake and the Power that hands out powers decided to help me fix it.

Watching me carefully, he grinned at my conclusion and said, “That’s my girl. Now, we have to get back. God only knows what’s going on at the house.”

Dani was still sleeping and Dec was cleaning when we got back. All the windows were wide open and candles were burning all over the place. I sniffed and my nose curled in on itself. Yuck! It smelled like cinnamon and a slaughterhouse in here. It was so hard to get the smell of incinerated demons out of the furniture.

We really needed to figure some things out, but no one wanted to risk Dani overhearing anything. So Killian left to report the attack to Alex and the rest of us cleaned the house. It was good to be the boss.  Dani finally woke up and stumbled into the kitchen about 3:00 in the afternoon. Wrinkling her nose, she asked about the horrible smell.

Dec smiled guilelessly and said, “Mica’s cooking. We had to throw out the whole thing, pan and all. It’s amazing what she can do with perfectly good cow.”

Dani rubbed her eyes and asked, “Since when do you cook?”

“My point exactly!” Dec thought he was very clever.

“Oh, ha ha. Don’t you have something to do…someplace else?” I hinted.

“Not really--” he started to say but then the light bulb went off. “Oh, yeah, you’re right! I have to fix my door.” He leaned over and gave Dani a hug and told her to hang in there.

She seemed better today though. The haunted look in her eyes was gone and she had some color in her cheeks. I searched her face for any signs that she remembered the attack.

“How are you feeling?”

She sighed and said, “I keep forgetting that he’s gone. Is that horrible? It’s so crazy, Mica.” She wrung her hands and looked over at me for reassurance.

“It’s just happened and you haven’t had time to get used to it. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You’ll know he’s gone soon enough.”

Her face fell.

Geez, I’m so insensitive! Quickly, I added, “What I mean is, this is such a shock. You haven’t had time to get used to it. It’s going to suck for a while, but you’ll get through this. We’re here for you, whatever you need.”

She wiped her eyes and glanced at her phone. “I need to get home. My mom is freaking out. She’s called me four times. I’m glad you’re here. I feel better when I’m with you.”

She glanced down the hallway that Dec had disappeared into. “It’s funny, though…”

“What’s funny?”

She smiled crookedly and said, “Every time I’m around Dec, I seem to lose time. It’s odd. I just can’t remember things.” She looked over at me with a question in her eyes. “Have you ever noticed that?”

I nodded seriously. “I blame it on his sparkling personality. It’s easy to get swept away by him. He’s such a sweet guy.” I was sure he was listening. “And you can’t ignore the power of the dimples.”

Her own dimples made a reluctant appearance at that. “He does have amazing dimples, doesn’t he?”

I hoped the smell of fried chicken would replace the disgusting burnt demon smell that still lingered in the air. It was comforting to putter in the kitchen after the drama of last night. After Dec’s funny little comment about my cooking abilities, I felt challenged to prove I could cook something from scratch. Frozen lasagna didn’t count. In the interest of a well-rounded meal, we were having mashed potatoes and biscuits with the chicken. I was flipping chicken and poking at boiling potatoes while Sean and Dec stayed out of ear shot. Apparently there was some concern that they’d be asked to help...

“You okay?” Killian’s question broke through my thoughts.

He must’ve traveled in since I didn’t hear the door. He was dressed in jeans and a Candlelight Red t-shirt. I wondered if he appreciated the irony of their latest video called “Demons.” He took the tongs out of my hand and poked at the chicken. Well, this was new. Killian, cooking?

He looked up at me and winked. “What’s wrong with you? You look surprised. I’ve been alone for a long time, Princess.” He gestured at his well-maintained body. “Do I look like I’m starving? I can cook, you know.”

I had nothing to say to that, so I reassured him that I was mostly okay. “I’m not sure, really. I’m just trying to separate all of the crappy things that have happened in the last 24 hours. I don’t know what to deal with first.” I nibbled the crispy coating off a wing and thought about that.

Crossing his feet and leaning back, he considered my answer over his own wing. He blew on the meat before stripping off an entire side in one bite. Licking grease off his fingers, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Hmmm. Aric first, right? Dani’s your first priority.”

At my nod, he continued, “I liked Aric. He was a nice kid. It’s a shame he’s dead, but death happens. His family will have a funeral and Dani will grieve. You’ll help her grieve because that’s what you do. You help people.”

“After a few months, Dani will start to forget the pain of losing Aric and she’ll move on to someone else.” He shrugged at my snort of outrage. “You know she will. Come on, Mica, she’s a pretty girl. Do you think she’ll become a nun and hide from men for the rest of her life?”

Probably he was right. But did he have to be…so, so, right all the time?

“Yes. You should just accept that I am always right. You’ll feel better if you do.”

I had to laugh at that. “You kill me. You know that? I can’t understand how you fit through doors with that ego of yours!”

Stripping another wing, he smirked at me. “I’ve earned this ego.”

Sean and Dec walked in before I could answer. Dec said, “I thought I smelled chicken. Need help?”

Rolling my eyes at the suspicious timing, I said, “No, I don’t. I’m done. Just bring the bowls to the table and we’ll eat.” I dumped the steaming biscuits onto a platter and grabbed the butter.

Living with three large males had taught me that the quietest part of any day is the first five minutes of mealtimes. The only sound ever heard during this magical time is the clanking of silverware. No matter the stress in my life, I had to smile at the three of them wolfing down dinner.

“I hate to bring this up, but can we talk about my wonky vaporizing power? It’s bothering me.”

Sean grinned evilly at me and gestured with a drumstick. “Feeling guilty?”

“Dude, I used to be a little jealous that Mica liked you. But now? I am sooo glad she picked you!” Dec confessed to Sean in a loud whisper.

“She does have a wee bit of a temper these days.”

“Careful Sean, you might find yourself sleeping with Dec from now on,” I said in a syrupy sweet tone.

“Oh, come on, darlin’, we’ve already talked about this.” He grinned over the chicken.

“Questions of my guilt aside, I still don’t understand what I’m doing and I think that could be a problem.” I looked around the table at their blank faces. “Am I the only one who thinks that?”

Sean cleared his throat and said seriously, “No, you’re right. We’re just not panicking about it. Do you want to hear what I think?”

I nodded and he continued. “It’s translocation--pure and simple. In a split second of panic, you unconsciously moved the person out of danger.”

“But that doesn’t explain how I’ve been blowing up demons.” I told them the story about the demon with the fireball at the rest stop and reminded them about the one that attacked my brother. Both times, the demons had gone up in a cloud of smoke. Not the typical ash, just smoke.

“And it doesn’t explain how you vaporized Sean,” Dec added thoughtfully. He was listening to us, but his eyes were glazed as if he were seeing something else.

“Tell me something. Why didn’t you move Dani out of the way? You chose to move that human instead. Good choice considering how he ended up dead…but still, you didn’t intentionally throw him down on the fountain, did you?” Killian asked.

Startled, I said defensively, “No, I didn’t throw him on top of the fountain! Geez. It was an accident!” The image of his eyeballs glistening in the light made me shudder. So gross!

He raised an eyebrow at me and crossed his arms. “Don’t get touchy about it. Just answer my question. Did you consciously pick the guy over Dani? Think about it. This could be important.”

“I think so…this time. With Trevor and Domino I just wanted them away from the fireball. I totally panicked. This time, I wanted the guy with the knife away from Dani.”

The room got very quiet. No one said a word for a few minutes. All of us were lost in our separate thoughts as the sunlight began to fade. I hadn’t turned on the lights and the room suddenly seemed very dark.

“I’ve got it!” Dec announced. “You didn’t blow up those demons, Mica. You scattered them! You vaporized them! Don’t you see? They have a totally different molecular structure than humans do. When you tried to move them, the energy released must’ve overloaded their bodies and poof!” He made a gesture to mimic an explosion. “Up in smoke!”

Horrified, I said slowly, “That makes perfect sense, Dec.” I turned towards Sean and was assailed by the familiar wave of images that played like a movie in my mind. I knew every part by heart. After he’d disappeared, my brain had refused to rest and replayed these images for days.

For the thousandth time, I watched as Sean grabbed for Dec and turned at the exact moment the demon fired his weapon. The red flame of the weapon collided with the white blast of the chemicals as they ignited and exploded. Caught between them, the two blasts hit him at the same time I had screamed his name in sheer terror. Over and over the image of Sean’s body twisting and falling played inside my mind. Totally tranced out, I sat there and let the images come to me. There had to be something I wasn’t seeing.

Gentle fingers closed my eyelids and the images stopped. More thought than sound, he said, “I know what you see.” He kissed both of my eyelids and pulled me against him in a hard hug.

“You have to let this go. Listen, our molecular structure isn’t the same as humans, but it’s also not the same as demons. It’s possible you could move us without vaporizing us.” He rubbed his hand over his chin and looked into my eyes, his eyes clear. “I saw what you saw that night. You know that I was caught between two explosions at the exact second you tried to move me. You know that as fact, right?”

I agreed with him and he said shakily, “It was an incredible force. In that fraction of time before you moved me, I felt like I was going to implode from the pressure. It was crushing me. I would’ve probably died from the trauma if I’d been left inside that basement. For all we know, you saved my life. The point is we don’t know, and we won’t know. So we need to get past this. We’ve got more to do and we need you focused.” He messed up my hair and added, “Just don’t do it again!”

He looked at Dec and Killian and asked, “Anyone else have anything brilliant to add?”

“Can I have a new partner?” Dec asked Killian and then ducked when I threw a biscuit at him.

“Okay, I think we have other things to talk about tonight. Starting tomorrow, Sean, you and Mica run through some drills and get her in control of this new power. Practice on anything, but each other. We can’t afford to lose you again.” He gave us both a meaningful look. “Dec, you need to pair up with James from now on. I don’t trust him with Mica, and I’m not sending him with Sean.”

“Killian, I can handle James,” I offered. Dec wasn’t happy with this change at all.

He frowned and said, “Not a good idea. Something bothers me about the way he looks at you. Until I figure that out, you stay with Sean.”

“Sean, you need to know James has been acting strange. He’s been conveniently there each time someone was hurt at the penthouse, and he was here yesterday before all hell broke loose.” He stabbed a finger at the air for emphasis.

I hadn’t thought of that and gasped out loud. “No, he didn’t! You don’t think James had anything to do with that? It had to have been Balin.”

I filled them in on my time with Balin in the park and the burn of his kiss on my hand. It was embarrassing to have been fooled by his disguise. The stupid dog was a Trojan horse…

Sean slammed his hand down on the table. The glasses rattled and I jumped. “Damn it! Is she still marked?” He threw the question at Killian who shook his head.

“Absolutely not.” He lifted my hand for them to see. “This rune is mine--I put it there to protect her from psychic attacks. They can’t trace her anymore.” To emphasize the rune’s power, he traced the rune slowly. As before, my blood rose to meet his finger and the rune was outlined in pale golden light. The rune on his own hand responded and began to glow.

Sean snatched up Killian’s hand in disbelief. He flushed, struggling to control his temper. Between his teeth, he said, “What is this?”

To his credit, Killian didn’t punch him in the face. Instead, he looked him straight in the eye and said with great patience, “My blood to protect her blood. The runes are twins and have even greater protective power because of it.” He glanced at me then.

How much do you remember?

Every last second.

His lips curled in a sexy smile that I felt wash over my mind. I covered my rune with my hand.

In the reasonable tone of a history professor he said, “Calm down, Sean. Look, you know the magic is very old. Blood is always required.” He said this with a trace of pride. “After what happened with the demon, I had no other options. Keeping her alive and sane were my only priorities. You should understand that.”

Killian reiterated the dream I had when we were in Eden, leaving out the part about the demon masquerading as him, and the terrible voices they put inside my head leading up to that. Clearly the demon was planning to use me to get to Sgaine Dutre.

When Killian mentioned the blood, I noticed that Dec turned a bit green and I went over to him and whispered, “It was a really big knife too. Actually, there were two of them. Very sharp. In fact, they were so sharp that I didn’t feel it at all when Killian carved the runes into my hand or over my heart. I didn’t notice until the blood dripped onto the altar.” I cocked my head as if thinking of something else. “It sort of undulated down my stomach…very strange in the firelight.”

His face had turned the color of moldy cheese and his eyes were squeezed tightly closed. So I added one more little detail to push him over the edge. “You know, now that I think about it, it didn’t hurt at all until he set my back on fire. That sort of st…”

Dec bolted to the sink and lost his dinner. All conversation stopped as the three of us listened in shocked silence.  It sounded like someone was killing him in there; I almost felt sorry for him. Almost, but not quite. Smiling to myself, I thought, yep, payback is a bitch.

“How much of your blood did you share with her?” Sean sounded pained.

“A bit, why?”

“I don’t think we can stand two of you.”

The stars were out again, but I wasn’t in the mood to appreciate them. I was still thinking about Balin and how he’d tricked me into spending time with him. He didn’t look like a demon, and he’d brought bait--the dog. That was pure genius and I fell for it. He’d nearly tricked me into going to dinner and God only knew what would’ve happened. Probably he would have brought me to the underground room that night instead of the next. In hindsight, he’d probably followed me and bided his time to grab me.

I’d forgotten about the green-eyed doctor who’d helped save my life. Sean filled me in on him in our meeting. After bringing him back with me, they turned him over to Alex for more…thorough questioning. Apparently he was an undercover fed. He’d been working to get information on someone who was trying to create new biological and chemical weapons. Before I showed up, he’d worked with petri dishes and test tubes. He was supposed to be a scientist, not a medical doctor. He’d been horrified when they sent me back to him broken and bloody. He’d wanted to help but didn’t want to lose his cover. So he gave me injections to help me zone out during questioning and then pain injections when things got ugly. It turned out that he was one of the good guys. According to Killian, Alex had someone adjust his memory and they released him. I said a prayer for him as I supposed demons had long memories and would look for him. He’d be completely at their mercy.

We still didn’t know the name of the demon who’d tortured me; I assumed he was in charge though. He had too much arrogance to be a lower-level demon. Others deferred to him there, so he had to be the boss. He was still out there too.

Absently, I rubbed the rune against my cheek for reassurance. I trusted Killian’s magic. If he said I was protected, then I was going to believe that. My mind was safe for now, but what about my body? I wasn’t indestructible…The door opened and a sliver of light crossed over the rug.

“You’re still up?”

Turning away from the window, I pulled the curtains and curled up on the bed. “Couldn’t sleep. Are you coming to bed now?” I patted his pillow in invitation.

He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it carelessly on the floor. Completely unaware of how sexy he was, he stood there for a minute, apparently thinking. Not for the first time, I caught myself drooling a little and licked my lower lip. I could have a million problems, but they all vanished the minute he took his shirt off. The jeans came next and he crawled into the blankets with me. The sheets were cold and I burrowed against his side.

Pulling me close, he whispered against my ear, “How tired are you?”

Chapter 15: Killers, Serial and Otherwise

“NO WAY.”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I turned around to see my butt in the hallway mirror. “It’s the perfect stakeout look. Black, black, and more black.”

Dec chose that moment to stroll into the room and whistled in male appreciation.

Sean’s teeth clacked together, and he asked pointedly, “See?”

“Dec, what do you think?” I twirled around for him to see all sides.

I was wearing black stretchy jeans with steel-toed thigh-high leather boots with a black under-armor V-neck shirt tucked into the jeans. It was all topped off with a bad ass black military jacket. I thought it was very practical…lots of pockets to stash important things like extra magazines, pepper spray, rope, and essential beauty products like a nail file and lip gloss. My gun and its new partner were stashed happily on my black web belt. I thought I looked good.

Dec laughed uncertainly and swiveled back and forth between us. Backing away from Sean, he said, “I’m just gonna say you look hot in those boots!” Raising his hands peacefully, he added, “Not sure you should be hot on a stakeout though. Might be a wee bit distracting.”

Sean gave him a fist pump and smirked back at me, “Are you going for hot or practical? Seriously, babe, you look hot--too hot for a stakeout. Shit, you’re supposed to blend in wherever we are. In that?“ He waved his hands over the general direction of my cleavage. “No way. You have to change.”

He had a point.

But that was beside the point.

I worked really hard to put this together and wasn’t giving in that easily. “Come on, Sean!” I batted my eyelashes, but he still looked stubborn. “Fine. We’ll let Killian decide. He’s on his way. I can sense him.”

“Is that new?” Killian asked as he appeared out of thin air in front of me.

I posed like a super-secret agent and said, “Yes! And it’s awesome, isn’t it?”

He frowned in confusion at my comment and said, “I was talking about your ability to sense me before I got here.” He gestured in amusement at my clothes and added in an offhand way, “You’re not wearing that on a mission. You look ridiculous.”

Three hours later, Sean was still feeling victorious and was in a great mood while I sulked in the other seat. He was drumming his fingers on top of the steering wheel in time with his iPod. The new car had a fabulous sound system, and he completely tuned me out as soon as we were parked. Two cars mysteriously appeared overnight a few days ago. I couldn’t get a straight answer from anyone, so I still had no idea where they came from. We were sitting in the one Sean insisted on driving tonight. It’s a faded blue 1967 Camaro. The paint was so faded it was nearly white in patches. It probably had the original paint. Judging from their condition, the vinyl seats were the originals. The stupid car is older than I am so it’s a classic. Yay. I don’t know why the Car Fairy couldn’t have brought us a new Charger. I shifted my butt again and grouched to myself. My seat wasn’t keeping its springs to itself.

Turning the volume down, I complained, “I still don’t see what’s so great about this car. No power steering, no power brakes or windows! How am I even going to be able to drive it? It’s got a gear shift, for crying out loud. Why couldn’t we take the other car?”

He rubbed his hand lovingly along the top of the steering wheel and closed his eyes in apparent bliss. “You will never understand, love.” He stretched his legs and yawned while looking at his watch.

“Heads up. It’s time. Are you ready?” He’d turned the stereo off and put on his alert face once more.

“I’m ready.” I dragged my window closed so no one could see inside and slunk down in the seat.

After a few minutes, Sean said, “There he is now.” In a lower voice, “Damn, he’s got a girl with him.” As planned, he started the engine and we got ready to follow our target.

Scott Flynn drove a red pickup truck with raised wheels and a gun rack. The rack had multiple occupants. The bed was covered with a black tonneau cover so the contents were hidden. I wondered what he had under there. An axe? Garbage bags? Scissors? As we watched, he smiled charmingly at the brunette he was with. She had a pretty smile and used it often as he walked her to his truck. His dark hair was still long and floated away from his face with the breeze. The deep-set dark eyes were exactly the same as I’d seen them in my nightmares. He had a heavy brow bone that gave him a slightly uncivilized appearance. Heavy brows and cheekbones with a hard mouth and mysterious hooded eyes all worked together to create a face that was both handsome and frightening. Like the devil himself I’d thought on more than one occasion. In the right light, he was terrifying.

“What are we going to do with that girl?”

Sean shrugged and answered, “We’ll see what happens.” He slowed the car to fall back some and I felt the transmission shift with a rumble. The vibration surprised me.

Scott was driving straight through town, and we were three cars back. It was close to 11:00 now and he’d just left work. It was Friday night and he was taking some girl out for a good time. He pulled up to a convenience store and ran inside. Idling down the block, Sean was deep in thought. Fingers drumming, he said, “Can you get a read on him?”

“You want me to get inside his head? Eeeww!”  The man was a horrible excuse for a human. The inside of his head probably squirmed with worms. I'd have to bleach my eyeballs after going in.

He reached over and squeezed my leg gently. “You’re safe from him now. There is no way he will ever touch you again.” Squeezing once more, he added, “We have to know what he’s planning. It would cut out a lot of guesswork if you can read him. Try, babe.” His eyes met mine and he nodded in encouragement.

“Okay, I’ll try. But you’ll have to stay closer.”

Scott swaggered out of the store with a 12 pack of beer in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. He surveyed the street like he owned it before getting back into his truck. His hand hung partly out of the open window as he dangled the cigarette. He drove directly towards us, and I dove across Sean’s lap to hide. Sean turned the other way as Scott drove by. As I slid back into my seat, Sean peered at his lap with a sigh and started the engine.

Now that we were back on the road, I tried to reach out to Scott and his slimy mind. Ignoring the sounds of traffic and the motion of the car turning corners, I concentrated and…nothing. I took a deep breath and sent my mind out again. I couldn’t even sense him. There was nothing, just a void as if he wasn’t there. Maybe we were too far away from him? I was about to try again when I felt the car brake and stop.

The sounds of teenagers laughing and having a good time greeted me as I got my bearings. Ah, Peabody’s. A place I knew well. Scott parked down the street and walked over to the passenger side to help his girl out of the truck. He started to help her down and then stopped her partway down so she was pressed against him in the doorway. He had one arm wrapped around her holding her up and the other casually braced on the doorframe. His back filled the door so I couldn’t see what her face looked like. He was relaxed though and seemed to be kissing her.

Suddenly his head snapped back and he stiffened. But then just as quickly he stepped back and pulled her out of the door with a laugh. Even from here, I could tell that wasn’t a sincere laugh. The sound was off and his shoulders were stiff as he draped an arm around her.

“Let’s rock. We’re up.” Sean grabbed the keys and started to open the door when I reached over to stop him.

“Wait! How do you want me to act in there? I’m nervous now.”

He pulled me over and kissed me thoroughly. I was glowing slightly by the time he leaned away from me.

“There. Now you look like a girl out on a date.” Just as fast, the soldier was back, and he was all frowns again. “Act like we’re on a date and you’re gonna get laid tonight. You focus on me like I’m your whole world. If he's the one we're looking for, he'll react. He won’t be able to stand watching you with me. Just don’t go anywhere without me.” He kissed me again, sweetly this time, and said, “I’ll keep an eye on Flynn, and we’ll wing it from there.”

Peabody’s was packed with college kids, and we had to wend our way through the crowd. Sean took my hand and cleared a path leaving startled faces staring after us. I smiled to myself. He could put off whatever vibe he needed to get what he wanted. If it was cooperation he wanted, he either went with suppressed violence or affable party goer. Tonight, it looked like suppressed violence was taking the lead. I sighed to myself. There would be trouble later. No doubt. For now, I clung to his hand like he was my only thought in the world and pasted a vapid smile on my face.

I spotted Scott and his date before Sean did and tugged his wrist to the left. Without making eye contact with Scott, Sean sauntered across the room to a place opposite our quarry. So far, I didn’t think Scott had seen us. It was really crowded, and he had both eyes and his hands all over his date at the moment. He was showing her how to hold a pool cue.  Who knew it was a full contact sport? Sean pulled up a bar stool and hovered over me like a good boyfriend would. With one eye on Scott, he focused his hands and the rest of his body on me. Strong fingers linked in mine and pulled me closer still. I leaned back against him and nearly melted.

Fanning myself, I tilted my face towards his ear. “You are ridiculously hot,” I said under my breath.

He raised his eyebrows at that. “That a compliment or a complaint?”

I elbowed his ribs playfully and smiled up at him. “You’re burning up. Are you okay?”

He leaned into my ear and whispered, “I hate to tell you this, darlin’, but you’re the one who’s burning up.” He pulled back slightly, and his eyes went round. In a very low voice he hissed, “Your eyes are glowing! Stop that!”

To cover my surprise and well, my glowing eyes, I closed them and pressed my face against the muscles of his chest. Deep breaths, deep breaths, I chanted to myself. To anyone who was watching, I was just snuggling with my man. Nope, there was nothing weird to see here. Why were my eyes glowing?

After a minute or so, I cautiously peeked up at him, and he leaned in to kiss me. Taking his time, he kissed me in that special way that proclaims to the world that we’re having sex later. Just in case any foolish mortal guy thought to hit on me tonight. Claim staked. I laughed against his mouth and pulled back grinning.

“I thought we’re acting here. You’re excited.” I dipped my finger inside the top of his jeans. Rock hard stomach muscles contracted at my touch.

“Of course I am. You’re setting my blood on fire.” He leaned back nonchalantly on his elbows, and I quickly stood in front of him. The ladies didn’t need to have their questions answered. “Besides, who says we’re not having sex later? I think it’s a great idea.”

“Do you two want drinks or a room?” an amused voice interrupted my witty comeback. A waitress appeared next to us with a tray of empty glasses. She was a cute little redhead with green eyes and alabaster skin. Only about five feet tall, she had a good view of Sean’s assets and her smile widened wickedly.

“Back off, sister. He’s mine!” I joked with a real smile. “I’d kill for some water though.”

She laughed and said with an exaggerated shiver, “Mmm, I’m gonna let you keep this one. He’s a little scary.”

“You’ve no idea,” I told her in a stage whisper.

Sean winked at her and said, “I’ll take a Sam Adams.”

I thought it was safe to sit down again and looked around the bar. I recognized a couple of old friends from high school, but no one else looked familiar. I scanned the crowd while pretending to send text messages on my phone. Sean had his big body draped behind me as he pretended to read my texts. Every so often, he’d whisper something to make me laugh out loud. We’d been there a half hour, and Scott hadn’t taken the bait. I had to pee.

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Not alone, you’re not.”

“You can walk me there and wait, or you can stay here and watch Scott.”

We threaded our way to the hall where the bathrooms were and there was a long line of girls waiting. “I’ll be fine here. Why don’t you go back and wait? It’s packed with witnesses. What could happen?” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his worried frown.

The wait took about 20 minutes, and I was bouncing up and down by the time I got into the bathroom. Hurrying to an open stall, I closed the door in profound relief. As soon as I flushed and buttoned my jeans, the room was plunged into total darkness. All around me girls started screaming in the dark. Any second now, the lights should blink back on. Power surges were no big deal. I opened the stall and felt my way through the tiny room. Drunk and panicked, girls started shoving to get out of the room and the screaming got worse.

Not wanting to get trampled by idiots, I slipped back into a stall and waited for the herd to cull itself. I had my purse with me and dug out my cell phone. It had a flashlight app. I also had my gun. Not good to pull out a gun in a bar though. It’s not exactly legal here. Putting the gun back, I slid my knife into my front pocket. The screaming was down to a dull roar outside in the hallway, so I thought I could get out of here now. Sean had to be worrying out there. I was a little surprised he hadn’t already found me.

The scene that greeted me when I came out of the bathroom was so bizarre I couldn’t understand what I was seeing at first. The emergency lights were on and blinking red and white in the corners but white smoke filled the rooms. The smoke had a slight ammonia odor which seemed out of place here. Surely that’s not from a trash can fire?  Eerie shadows flickered here and there like some kind of demented ghosts. Groans and occasional shouts punctuated the muffled silence. Most of the people were gone, but there were bodies lying on the floor and sirens screaming outside. I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me, but I ran down the hallway, dodging bodies as I went. I had to find Sean and get out of here. There was something very wrong. I had a really bad feeling about this. As I came to the doorway to the main room, my brain screamed a warning, and I reacted automatically.

Knife in hand, I whipped around in a crouch to defend myself. I nearly dropped the knife in shock as he moved towards me with a greasy smile. Knowing I couldn’t outrun him, I planted my feet and yelled for Declan, Killian, and Sean as loudly as I could. Swallowing my terror, I stood my ground and waited.

“I was very disappointed to find you’d left me alive, Mica.” His reptilian eyes adjusted to the light with shrinking pupils. He seemed in no hurry as he stalked towards me. “How is your memory now?” He seemed to hiss the words so quiet was the sound.

He knows I know now? How is that possible? I held the knife higher and said, “This knife will protect me from you. It’s killed demons before!” Come on, come on, Dec, where are you? What if he can’t come? Killian! Help me!

He considered the carvings on the knife with narrowed eyes and paused. “So you think you can destroy me? Silly woman, you can’t hurt me. You’re powerless against me.” His voice rose as he got closer to me.

As he approached, he straightened each finger so that the three-inch claws popped out of the ends one at a time. The effect was paralyzing. I couldn’t take my eyes off the claws. I knew exactly how it would feel for them to dig into my skin.

“You are going to die now, and I will forget you as soon as you’re gone. You are nothing but a loose end to me. I have what I wanted.” His smile showed his two rows of fangs.

Stalling, I said, “Congratulations. What are you going to with it now? Should I be worried?”

His laughter pierced my eardrums like claws on a chalkboard. He was slowly shedding his human façade as he moved. The skin peeled away to show the black scales underneath. Like a snake shedding its skin, it flaked off and fell in long tendrils. One half of his face was already bare and gleamed in the dim light.

He bragged, “You’ll be dead. Your precious Primani can’t undo that. But I can. I will bring hell to earth for eternity.” He considered me with lust in his eyes. “Perhaps I will bring you back to entertain me.”

He was right in front of me now, and I turned to bolt just as he reached out to grab my throat. As soon as he touched me, my runes crackled like lightning and he flew backwards. By the time he landed on the floor, Killian and Sean were standing between us.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Killian snarled in his throat as he raised his glowing hand.

Sean shoved me down the hallway as Killian lunged.

“He did what?” I asked for the second time and tried to brace myself.

Sean was driving the car like the demons were chasing us. I flew sideways into the door and yelped when my elbow got smashed.

“He vanished. Instead of fighting, he vanished. It was crazy.” Slamming the car into a lower gear, he skidded to a stop in the driveway. He grabbed my hand and in a heartbeat we were in the living room. This was different from traveling. This was just moving really fast, and he’d never done it with me before. I didn’t like the feeling, my head was spinning and I sank to my knees.

“Sorry, babe. Put your head in your hands for a minute.” He was agitated, running a hand through his hair and looking at the clock. “Where is Dec? It’s been more than half an hour.”

The dizziness was gone and I worried with him. Dec was out with James tonight. They should’ve been back by now, and Dec should’ve been able to respond to my call, unless something had happened.

Killian stalked in from the kitchen just then. Eyes burning like lasers, he was practically glowing with fury. Out of all of them, he was usually the most controlled. He rarely showed any outward sign that he wasn’t just an ordinary young man. The only time I’d seen his eyes burn was when he traveled or in the middle of a serious fight with demons.

“Sean, Mica, what happened tonight?”

Sean briefed him on tailing Scott to the bar and watching him and the brunette. They’d both been at the same table when I went to the bathroom and Scott was there when Sean got back from the bathroom. I filled him in what the demon said. He watched my face intently while I spoke.

“And the last thing he said was, quote: You’ll be dead. Your precious Primani can’t undo that. But I can. I will bring hell to earth for eternity. Then he looked at me like he wanted to have sex with me and said this creepy line, Perhaps, I will bring you back to entertain me. What the hell does that mean?”

I was freaked out all over again and walked over to the window to release some tension. “Bring me back from where?”

Killian had stood very still while I repeated the demon’s boasts. When I said the last part he flinched back and his face went blank. The expression on his face turned my blood to ice crystals. He didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t breathe for what seemed like hours. The blood drained from his face and his lips turned bluish.

I clung to Sean’s side and said, “What’s he doing?”

Sean was as clueless as I was and just whispered, “Wait.”

Killian? What’s wrong?

Nothing. No answer. No comment. Silence inside my head.

Please let us help! Let me in, please.

Silence.

Suddenly he sank to his knees as if a great weight was dropped on him. He stared out at something we couldn't see, his lips moving in soundless incantation. His pain was breaking my heart. He was still a million miles away, so I reached out to him and squeezed his hand to show him we were still here for him. Maybe the physical contact will reach him and bring him out of this shock. But just as I held his hand in mine, he vanished into space.

The first thing I noticed was the roar of the ocean as it hurled itself against the rocks. The second thing I noticed was the pain in my hand as my knuckles were ground together. Attempting to yank my hand away only provoked an already angry man. Eyes burning like twin stars, he was definitely out of shock and fully pissed off now.

Before I could say a word, he yanked me to him and snarled down at me, “What the hell are you doing here?”

Wincing, I cried, “It was an accident! I didn’t mean to come!”

“You can’t be here now! Oh, fuck, Mica!” He shook me so hard my teeth rattled. “It’s not safe for you to be with me right now. This is very bad. I need to do some things, and I can’t do them with you here.”

“Look, I’m here and I’ll just sit by the rocks and let you do your thing. I might be able to help or I can just keep you company.” I hesitated but touched my rune to his. They glowed on contact. “See? I belong with you.”

Still very distracted, he gave me a weak smile at that and gave in. “Come on, we need to get to the ruins.” He took off ahead of me, and I jogged to keep up.

True to my word, I sat on the soft grass just outside the opening to the ruins. The sky was entertaining me. There wasn’t any breeze at the surface but humongous rolling clouds sped at super speeds in the sky. They flew along in great streams of white and occasionally grey. It was like Mother Nature hit the fast-forward button. Killian had gone inside a few minutes earlier and hadn’t come out yet. I was giving him the space I promised. I would wait right here.

An inhuman roar of fury reverberated through the stone, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. My very human instincts told me to run; run far, far away from this place. Even my fingertips filled with adrenaline, and I almost bolted.

But I knew better.

This was Killian.

I needn’t fear him.

Without warning, the world exploded into chaos. An immense wall of solid black clouds formed out of nowhere and rolled across the ocean towards us with supernatural speed as violent blue lightning speared the huge waves. Frigid wind howled around me and I clung to a rock to keep from falling down. Edging into a sheltered niche near the entrance, I huddled, waiting. Killian’s voice raged above the roar of the storm, shouting in his ancient language. The cadence of his words rose and fell with the wind and I shivered in the presence of something much more powerful than I’d ever seen.

A great bolt of lightning crashed to the ground a few feet away from me, and I felt the crawl of electricity go up my leg. My skin burned with the slight shock of it. Not wanting to be barbequed, I slipped into the ruins and tried to be invisible. His voice was more powerful inside the small room, and it reverberated through the stone. He stood over the altar with hands outstretched and head back calling to the powers he served. He was magnificent and a rush of heat spread across my chest as I stared in awe. The face I loved was transformed into something fierce and cold. He might have been carved from the same stone as the altar near which he stood. His body was lit from within as he called out in demand. Heat shimmered in waves around him.

Outside, the storm unleashed its full fury, and the stone trembled and screamed as it absorbed the energy itself. Killian raised his knife and slashed a long cut on the inside of his forearm. Holding it aloft in offering, his voice was compelling as he spoke the next words. Lightning struck the top of the ruins; blue electricity sparked in one corner and crisscrossed the entire roof like a spider web. As it traveled down each of the walls, more lightning struck and the pattern repeated over and over again. Each powerful bolt ended in the outstretched hand of Killian. He called the lightning and it answered him.

Mesmerized, I sank to the floor and held my knees to my chest. His mercurial blue eyes were closed as he abruptly stopped speaking and bowed his head. Leaning against the altar, he remained still and silent. His entire body pulsed with blue fire. His chest rose and fell, the golden amulet gleaming in the faint glow from the flames. His forearm dripped blood. Unable to take my eyes off of him, I watched the blood slowly trickle across the glowing rune on his hand. My own rune tingled oddly, and I glanced at it. It glowed softly against the brown of my skin. It took a minute for me to realize the ozone was overpowering my senses and my ears rang loudly. The hair on my arms was standing up as the lightning continued to flow through the rocks. Probably I wasn’t safe in here, but I couldn’t seem to get up.

Hot as a lightning bolt himself, Killian came over and wrapped his arms around me. Protecting me from the power that still arced across the stone all around us, he held me against him until my heart stopped racing. It didn’t matter that he was so hot I was getting burned. It didn’t matter that his blood was smeared all over my arm. No, none of that mattered. All that mattered was that he was in control again. I’d been terrified at the house; his shock and pain were more than I could stand. That’s not who he is. He’s never afraid; he’s never unsure or out of control.

This powerful and terrifying high priest commanding the elements is who he is. I had no idea what happened, but I knew he would fix it. He could fix anything and the rest of us would be here to help him. He might want to be alone, but he’d always have me, even if I had to come back from the dead to help. I leaned my face against his shoulder and breathed in his scent. Musky, woodsy…It sent my blood racing, but at least his heartbeat was steady again and everything was better.

He chuckled tiredly against my neck and said, “All hell is about to break loose. Everything is most definitely not better.”

Then he kissed me softly between my eyes and looked intently into them, calling to me, pleading with me. His own were crystal clear and blue as the midnight sky. At a loss for words, he hesitated. Intending to kiss me again, he stopped and pressed his lips against my skin and groaned softly. Automatically, his hand wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me closer so I was leaning against his chest.

“I’m sorry you were afraid. I…heard you, but I couldn’t answer you. I was trying to find Sgaine Dutre. I was looking for it, but couldn’t sense it…Then I felt it, but it was in someone else’s hands. I knew it was gone then. I had to come here to be sure.” His voice was soft and husky.

While he spoke, he lightly dragged his lips across the delicate skin along the side of my face and stopped just below my jawline. Still not kissing me, he didn’t break the contact, and my skin sizzled with the touch of his mouth. His eyes were closed now, and his hand rested lightly on the bare skin of my back. He wasn’t fooling me; every muscle in his body tensed in anticipation and my body responded to his call.

Afraid to move, afraid to breathe, tingling with the force of the raw sensations that were coursing through me, I froze. Just the feel of him so close to me made me want to throw myself against him and to hell with the consequences. My slightest movement brought my cheek against the roughness of his and I turned into him instinctively seeking more. With barely a sound, he whispered my name and slowly slid his mouth towards mine. He was giving me a chance to move, to change my mind. I lifted my face towards his and felt my world slide sideways when his mouth crashed down on mine.

“I’m not going to remember any of this, am I?”

“It probably wouldn’t be helpful if you did.” He caressed my face with his as if memorizing every curve. I felt his eyelashes flutter against my cheekbone and my breath caught with a rush of love for him.

“Killian, I--”

He smiled a bit sadly and pressed a finger to my lips. “Shh. Do you think you should? Say it out loud, I mean.”

Serious now, I pulled his face back down and kissed him as if I’d never see him again. If I wasn’t going to remember this night, I wanted to make sure that he did. Later, when we lay face to face and our hearts raced out of control, the tears that slid down my cheeks were tears of sadness for what would never be.

Kissing the tears off of my cheeks, he whispered, “Baby, don’t cry for me.” He kissed my bruised lips with some force then. He ran a fingertip over the rune on my chest. “You’re never far away from me.”

The altar was still smoking with the remains of the fire. While I watched, Killian opened a small brown satchel and placed several items from the tiny storage box under the altar. He was bringing out the instruments he used for the ancient ceremonies. This place didn’t feel secure anymore, and he didn’t want to risk anything else getting stolen. I recognized the ruby-handled knife, but he also added the bronze cup and a couple of other knives and a small leather-bound book. It had been hidden apart from the other items. With a last look around, he declared it was time to go. We stepped outside the ruin and he stopped me with a hand on my arm.

“One last thing before we go.” He started to say something else and I interrupted him.

“Killian, please, don’t do this! I want these memories. I feel like this will be all I have left someday. I need to remember you…here…when you’re gone.”

His expression was sympathetic, but he refused to listen to my argument. “It’s for the best. Trust me.”

“But it’s not fair! I don’t think it’s for the best. Best for who? Me? Or you?”

“Listen to me! Nothing can come from this night. You and I both know that. I warned you the magic is strong here--It’s my fault it happened and I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

He’s sorry? Did this mean nothing to him then? I loved him in ways I would never love Sean and that sucked. Sean deserved more from me. And I deserved more from Killian. With eyes shooting daggers at him, I told him to get on with the memory snatching.

“And be sure to get rid of any lingering feelings I have for you. We wouldn’t want them to get in the way.”

He actually flinched away from me as if I’d slapped him. “Mica, please. Don’t be this way. You have to understand,” he implored. I was done talking. Resigned, he placed his hands on either side of my face and proceeded to wipe out my memory.

“Why is she covered in blood?” Sean was not especially happy to see us when we appeared suddenly in the farmhouse. “Every time you leave with her, you bring her back bloody. I thought you liked her?”

Killian reddened slightly and said, “Sorry, I forgot about that. She’s not hurt. It’s mine.”

Sean’s eyes narrowed even more at that. “Okay, that begs the question of why she’s covered in your blood. Did you roll around on her or what?”

Good question. How did I get covered in his blood?

“There was a bad storm, and I grabbed ahold of her to keep her from falling. It’s nothing to worry about. It’ll wash off.”

That sounded right. I remembered a big storm and the wind blowing me around. I needed a shower. As much as I liked adventure, I didn’t appreciate wearing Killian’s blood. It was gross. I didn’t even like him that much. I headed off to the shower without another word. Sean was waiting for me when I came out of the bathroom. He eyed me with appreciation as I dug out clothes to put on. Since it was actually morning, I asked him what was on the agenda for today. We still needed to stop this serial killer.

“Get dressed and we’ll slip by his house.” He reached out and tugged my hand. I curled up against him and finished pulling on socks. He waited until I was done and turned into me for a kiss. “I have the sexiest partner ever. It’s a wonder I can focus at all.” He helped me up and laughed at my pout.

“Later! Let’s get out of here.”

“Do you think I can drive this thing?” I asked as he shifted gears and pulled out of the driveway.

Glancing over at me, he said, “Sure. It’s not hard. Do you want to practice now?”

He drove a few miles towards town and pulled over into the half-empty parking lot of the electric company. Shifting into first gear, he turned off the engine and handed me the keys. He unfolded himself from the driver’s seat and walked around to my door.

“Come on, you have to get out before you can drive it.” He held the door open and waved me out.

“Okay, if you say so. I’ll try it.” I slipped into the driver’s seat and wiggled around in the seat. I adjusted it so I could see over the dash but it still felt odd. I was too short for this car. The hood stretched out for a mile and messed with my depth perception. Totally not sure about this, I turned the key and started the motor.

Patiently, he said, “Take your foot off the clutch at the same time you push down on the gas. Do it smoothly so you don’t stall the car.”

I followed his directions and stalled out the car…several times. Every time it stalled, Sean’s lips clamped a little tighter until finally, after the fourth or fifth time, he snorted impatiently and gestured at me to get out.

“What?”

“Out! We don’t have all day.” Again with the hand gestures!

“Are you serious? I thought you were supposed to have unlimited patience!”

Rolling his eyes, he asked, “Seriously? How long have you known me? When have I ever been patient?”

“But you’re an angel! Isn’t infinite patience one of those holy traits you all have?

Now he snorted and rolled his eyes. “Where do you get these ideas? I thought we covered the wings and harp crap already?”

With very bad grace, I shoved it into first and stalled it on purpose. The engine died with a relieved groan. It was glad to see me go…

After 15 minutes of practice, I was back in the passenger seat. Sean apologized to the car as he started its engine again. Seeming to understand its master was back, it purred to life under his hand and roared through the winding turns on the way into town. In just a few minutes, we pulled up across the street from Scott’s apartment. He lived in one of the dumpy places near the lake. It wasn’t the best part of town; these roach motels were run-down but very cheap. It was rumored there were a lot of drugs to be had in a few of them. Was Scott on drugs? That could explain things. Though I secretly thought he was crazy enough without any pharmaceutical assistance.

He lived in a side apartment that we couldn’t see from the street. Since Sean was memorable no matter what he was wearing, I volunteered to walk around to see if he was home. I pulled my army green hood up and slipped on a pair of wire-framed glasses. With my hair covered and the glasses in place, I looked different enough that I thought Scott wouldn’t recognize me. I was wearing oversized grungy jeans with torn out pockets and scuffed combat boots. I was going for the broke-ass-crackhead look and thought I’d done a good job with my disguise.

Sean wasn’t thrilled with my plan, but the mission came first. “Okay, just go see if his truck is there and come back.”

I walked with my head bent against the wind coming off the lake. It was pretty cold today, so it was natural to slouch into my jacket and keep my head down. I turned the corner and left Sean behind. Looking for the truck, I walked through the parking lot as if I belonged here. No red pickup truck. I took shelter under an overhang and lit a cigarette. Trying not to inhale, I lounged dejectedly for a few minutes.  Scott lived in apartment 32A. It was two doors down from where I was loitering. Hmm.

Five minutes later, I knocked on the door and nobody was home. Probably he didn’t have an alarm system either. Carefully, I turned the door knob and the door opened. Huh. Unlocked? This didn’t seem too smart. Who leaves their doors unlocked around here? Someone with nothing to lose or in a hurry to leave. I pushed the door open and poked my head in. It seemed empty enough. I shut the door and pulled out my Sig. The apartment only had two rooms. It couldn’t hurt to look around. I didn’t see anything serial killer-ish in the living room. There was a couch and a beaten up wooden coffee table. That was it. The kitchen was mostly empty. There were a few bags of ramen noodles in a cabinet and a few bottles of beer in the fridge. The sink was filled with dirty dishes and a smelly orange dishcloth was thrown over the faucet. It stank like rotten trash in here.

I tried not to inhale…

Sean will kill me if I get caught in here. I need to move faster…With this in mind, I lifted the gun and pushed open the bedroom door. The bedroom had a single mattress on the floor and a couple of plastic laundry baskets. An upside-down box pretended to be a table by the bed. There was a clock and an ashtray sitting on it. I moved into the bathroom and nearly dropped my gun. The bathroom itself was a disgusting mess, but the thing that caught my attention was the curled picture of me stuck to the side of the bathroom mirror.

With scattering nerves, I looked closer at it. It had been taken at the beach a couple of summers ago. Whoever had taken the picture had been close enough to zoom in on my face. I was laughing up at someone above me, but that person’s face was cut out of the picture. Ragged edges suggested it was torn not cut. My bathing suit straps were just visible at the lowest edge of the image.  This was not good. Nervous now, I glanced around the rest of the room and saw some stains on the floor. Crouching to avoid touching the dirty tile, I peered closer at the rusty stains. Rust? Blood? Hard to say without my trusty CSI tool kit. Improvising, I crumpled a wodge of toilet paper, wet it, and rubbed at the spot on the tile. It was the best I could do at the moment. I shoved it into my jacket pocket and took a picture of the mirror and tile with my phone. I was about to leave when something told me to open the vanity doors so I hesitated.

The scratched wooden doors called to me.

For one second I seriously thought about ignoring the feeling. I was starting to hate that annoying prickling feeling…It usually meant something bad and I wasn’t sure if I could deal with more bad right now.

Sighing with resignation, I yanked open the door, and the rusty smell of old blood rushed out. Smashing a hand over my nose, I flinched back in surprise.

Oh now that’s just gross was my first thought.

My second was I had to get the hell out of there--now!

I yanked open the car door and threw myself inside. “Go, go, go!” Taking gulping breaths of fresh air, I tried to settle my adrenaline buzz.

Without asking questions, Sean drove smoothly, but quickly, away and after a block glanced sideways at me. “What did you do?”

“Oh my God, Sean! It’s him! He’s got a picture of me in his bathroom, and I think he cut Stefan out of it…shit! Does anyone know if Stefan is still alive? And there’s blood on the floor, and there’s a bloody hunting knife under his sink.” I blurted this out in a rush of exhaled air.

His eyebrows met his hairline. He started to say something but then stopped. Instead, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and slammed the Camaro into another gear. I could hear his teeth grinding together.

“You were supposed to be in the parking lot. How the hell did you get inside the apartment? Do you have a death wish?” The last question came out as a shout.

We were out of the city now, the last of the houses fading from view. He slammed the car into another gear and it shot forward like a rocket. My head bounced off the head rest, sending bright lights ricocheting behind my eyes.

“Killing me with whiplash isn’t going to help!” I said sourly.

Instead of answering, he glared at me and slammed the car into Park in the driveway. Throwing his door closed, he left me standing there and stalked inside. Well, hell. I guess he’s mad. Geez. It’s not like I want to die! These things just happen to me….He was still fuming when I walked in. I guess he’ll need more than 30 seconds to get over this. Sighing over his temper, I ignored him and went to the kitchen for a drink. Dec and Killian were both gone, so it was just the two of us. I chugged some water and steeled myself for the wrath of the boyfiend…er, uh, boyfriend. Deep inside, I knew he had a right to be mad, I was reckless. I couldn’t play the victim here. Gritting my own teeth together, I went to face the music.

He was sitting on the couch pushing buttons on the stereo remote. He set it down and the distinctive opening guitar of Soundgarten’s “Rusty Cage” blared out of the Bose speakers. I swallowed a smile because I knew that he picked his music based on his mood just like I did. It was one of the things we had in common, and it tied us together. Music was powerful in its own right, but when it reflected your mood and spoke to your heart, it could be therapeutic and downright empowering. I leaned against the doorway and listened to the music watching his face all the while. He tried to stay mad and stubbornly refused to look at me at first. But by the middle of the song, I noticed his lips twitching just a little. By the end of the song, he finally looked at me and patted the couch in invitation.

I raised my eyebrows in question and he smiled a real smile at me. “You may as well sit down. I can’t be mad all night. We have work to do.”

Sitting cross-legged across from him on the other end of the couch, I shared the details of my trip through Scott’s wonderland. He asked to look at my phone, and I showed him the pictures.

“It’s just creepy! What is he doing with that picture?”

“My first guess is he still has a thing for you. Really, who wouldn’t? And my second is he’s using it to fuel his anger before he kills.”

I hadn’t expected that answer, and my mouth dropped open in surprise. “What about the blood?” I pulled the wad of bloody toilet paper out of my pocket.

“There’s no help for it. We’re going to need to take that sample to our lab rats. We don’t know if it’s blood or if it’s his blood or someone else’s. For all we know, it could be his.” With this statement, he stood up and stretched. “Let’s eat and then we’ll go.”

“We’re going to The City? Now? We can’t leave Domino here alone.”

“We’ll travel in and out in an hour or so. I’m not leaving you here alone, and it’ll take too long to drive.” Frowning slightly, he rubbed Domino’s silky ears and she licked his hand. “I’m sorry, girl, we can’t take you this time.” She looked disappointed.

A bit later, we rematerialized in a side lobby of what smelled like an old hotel. My nose twitched in protest as soon as I took my first breath. It was musty and stale. The walls were covered with ugly beige wallpaper that was plastered all over old hotels. The floor was tattered and stained linoleum the color of split pea soup. This place was nasty. This was our lab? Yuck. You’d think we could do better than this.

Sean read the disgust on my face and gestured to an elevator further down. We got in and he pushed the fifth floor button. Ah, the penthouse suite. Curious, I looked around and waited quietly until the doors opened with a squeal. The hallway we landed on was also non-descript and worn. Sean led the way down the corridor. Stopping at an unmarked door, he placed his hand against a black glass pad and a buzzer sounded from inside. With a click, the door swung open.

Oh! Much better! The room was brightly lit and thoroughly modern with bright blue walls. The chairs and couches were white leather and the tiny tables were chrome and glass. The artwork in the waiting room was modern and vivid. The paintings captured the warrior angels in battles and tender moments alike. They were breathtaking. Now this was more like it! The small reception window was covered in smoke-colored glass. Sean waved me to one of the lush chairs scattered around and headed to the window. I didn’t want to miss a thing, so I ignored his gesture and followed him to the window. He announced us through a small opening and a woman asked us to please sit and wait for a lab technician.

I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer. “Wow! This place is so awesome! And there’s a woman here? I didn’t think Primani had women. That’s so cool.”

I was gushing. It didn’t take much to impress me.

Archly, he said, “Why wouldn’t we have women? There are a lot of female angels. They aren’t Primani though. Most female Primani were killed a long time ago. The receptionist isn't Primani; she's just a regular angel.”

“I just haven’t seen any women since we’ve been together.” That brought up an interesting thought. “Sean, have you had any, uh, more supernatural girlfriends before me? Did you ever date another angel?”

Nearly swallowing his tongue, he burst out laughing. “You want to talk about ex’s now? After all this time?” He was still laughing as he said that.

“You’re avoiding the question. So yes, I do want to talk about ex’s.” I was serious now. “So spill it, Secret Agent Man.”

Looking at his watch, he shook his head and laughed some more. Seeing my look of determination, he finally said, “Okay, but you’re not going to like it. Where do you want me to start?”

Totally intending to mean it when I said it, I promised, “I totally understand you had a life before me. I won’t get mad.” Warming to the subject, I foolishly suggested he start with his first girlfriend.

He began with 130 A.D. “Mata was my first. She was a serving girl in the Great Hall. Then there was another girl, well, two more, that I spent time with that summer. Let’s see, then I went on the road with…” Scratching his head, he paused to collect his thoughts. It was a lot to remember. Twenty minutes later, he had made it through 1000 A.D. when I finally threw up a hand and told him to stop.

Lost in his memories, he was confused by my interruption. “I thought you wanted a list? I wasn’t finished yet.”

Steaming at my own stupidity, I snapped at him instead. “You’re a slut! I can’t believe you!” I had to ask, didn’t I? Of course he had women! What was I thinking? I had no idea he was such a slut, pure and simple, or maybe, not-so-pure and simple. Why did I assume he was angelic just because he’s some kind of angel? Clearly, there are codes of conduct that don’t apply to Primani. I smacked myself in the forehead with my hand. Ugh. I was an idiot to ask. Simmering and refusing to speak to him, I tapped my fingers on my leg counting the minutes.

After about a decade, the receptionist announced in a low throaty voice, “Sean? You may go in now.” The inner door buzzed and swung inward.

He smiled cautiously at me like he expected me to bite him. “You coming?”

Still sulking, I debated whether or not to get up. With a shrug, he walked into the open doorway ahead of me. Mumbling to myself, I jumped up and slid through the door right before it swung shut. There was no way I was going to miss this. As I rounded the corner, I stopped in surprise. My teeth clamped together as I watched the receptionist greet Sean with a totally unprofessional lingering kiss on the lips.

Her perfectly manicured nails gleamed in the subdued light as she caressed his face and exclaimed, “Oh, Sean! I thought that was you! Still gorgeous, I see.” She punctuated this with a throaty, sexy laugh. Her nails traveled down the front of his chest to hover just above the top of his jeans.

Steam had to be coming out of the top of my head as I thought of various ways to kill her. That tramp! And what was he doing? Oh, nothing. Sean was grinning like a cat about to stick his tongue in the cream. His eyes were lazy as they roved over her tight sweater and silk skirt.  Looking down at my ripped jeans and hoodie, I felt like dirt next to this beautiful polished blond. Of course he slept with her. What guy wouldn’t? Too surprised to move, I stood there like an idiot gawking at them. The blond finally noticed me and glanced curiously in my direction. I’d hesitated too long to join them now, but I didn’t want to leave him alone with her either. Kicking myself for feeling self-conscious, I willed my face to stop blushing and ground my teeth together.

Sweeping past them both, I called over my shoulder to Sean, “I’ll just be in the lab, partner. Clock’s ticking so hurry up.” I kept walking until I was out of their line of sight. Pausing to get my bearings, I noticed I was in a small hall with two windows that opened into the labs. Equipment was set up on tables, and there were computer stations and oversized flat screens for viewing images. Distracted by this cool techie stuff, I forgot all about Sean and the blond for a few minutes.

“Can I help you, miss?” a friendly voice asked.

A young man in a Rangers hockey jersey and baggy jeans came up behind me. He had a mop of red hair haphazardly shoved into a ponytail. Wire-framed glasses gave his face a definite nerdy look. His badge identified him as Chris. He seemed friendly enough so I told him I needed to drop off a sample.

“A sample? Blood, hair, fiber? Whatcha got?” he asked pleasantly. His pale blue eyes twinkled in anticipation of a new mystery. This was a guy who loved his job.

Fishing out the toilet paper, I said, “Blood, we think. We need to ID it first and then see if we can find the donor in the DNA database. Am I in the right place? I’m new…” I smiled in genuine appreciation of his helpfulness and he grinned back at me revealing a missing front tooth. Maybe the jersey wasn’t all show.

“Undercover?” He eyed my ripped up jeans.

“Yes!” I breathed with relief. “Broke crackhead.” I offered my hand for him to shake. “Nice to meet you, Chris.”

I was leaning across the lab table with my nose buried inside a centrifuge when the atmosphere got a little chilly. The jolly bantering between Chris and the other lab tech, Ben, stopped abruptly. I sensed him before he invaded my personal space.

Sean.

“I see you found the lab. Have you got any results yet?” he asked me in an even tone.

Flexing my fingers to keep from smacking him, I kept my own voice light and said, “I see you’ve finished with your reunion. Plans for later then?”

He laid his hand flatly on top of mine. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous of Lara? I’ve known her forever. It’s nothing.” He spoke in a hushed voice to keep Chris and Ben from overhearing.

I’ll bet he’s known her forever! Tugging at my hand, I glared up at him and gritted out, “Chris and Ben are working on the sample now. Chris thinks they’ll be able to have some results in a few more minutes. It’ll be longer before we get a hit in the database though.” I smiled stiffly at the two lab techs, and they both nodded their agreement. They seemed uncomfortable with Sean for some reason.

Taking my elbow, he led me farther out of earshot and said, “Oh, it’s Ben and Chris now? Since when did you become a CSI?”

Smiling sweetly, I commented, “Well, partner, there are a lot of things you’d know about me if you’d ask. I’ve had a lot of experiences without you.”

“Don’t play games with me, Mica.”

“You hypocrite!” I hissed under my breath. I twitched away from him and stalked back to the lab table. Ben and Chris both turned very pale and backed away from me a little.

“What’s the matter with you two? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

Ben stuttered, “You…you dare talk to him that way?” He looked shocked.

Chris was watching Sean like he might explode any second and whispered to me, “Don’t you know who that is?”

“Of course I do! He’s my boyfriend, and he’s on my last nerve.” I looked between the two of them and asked, “What’s the problem?”

Ben’s voice was hushed with awe, “He’s a legend! He’s one of the greatest Primani of all time.” He shook his head at me and said, “There’s no way you’re his girlfriend. You’re human.”

With my very last scrap of patience, I said between my teeth, “And what is wrong with that?” My fingers were tingling, and I knew what that meant.

Uh-oh, too late!

With twin gasps of fear, both lab rats scuttled away from me. The glass screen magnified my reflection.

Guess I’m not so human now, now am I?

Back at the farmhouse, Sean was still chuckling at my anger, and I was about to knock him out. His condescending attitude was getting on my last nerve. As soon as my eyes had started to glow, Sean excused us, and we made a dignified exit. I was still huffing about it. Oh sure, it’s okay if your eyes glow blue fire, but not white fire. The fact that my eyes occasionally glowed with a white hot light didn’t bother Killian. He found it amusing in some probably demented kind of way. Then there was the blond…

“I have an idea,” I purred.

“I’m listening.”

“Let’s go spar. I feel like I need to work out.” I stretched nonchalantly and batted my eyelashes innocently.

He considered my idea with a huge amount of suspicion. He clearly wasn’t an idiot, but we had time to kill and nothing to do. “Uh-huh, sure you do. Do you want to go outside or to the basement?”

“Oh, definitely the basement.”

Five minutes later, I was sitting on the mats stretching out. Sean’s footsteps on the stairs alerted me and I shifted position enjoying the buzz of adrenaline singing through my veins. Sometimes when we sparred, we played music. It made it more intense. I had already loaded the music and pressed the play button. Godsmack blared out of the speakers. We’d also enjoy Disturbed, Sick Puppies, and Linkin Park before I was finished today. I had a lot of anger to work through…

He just raised an eyebrow and went to the punching bag. I watched him hit the bag and some of my anger disappeared. Just watching him move was a distraction. The loose t-shirt couldn’t hide the bunching of his muscles as he swung at the bag. The stupid blond was right; he was gorgeous. Irritated even more, I strapped on my gloves and waved him over. It was time for some sparring. We had a routine for this, and we worked through the first steps. After a few minutes of warming up, I started swinging as hard as I could. His supernatural powers made him faster than me and he always managed to block my punches with his gloves. It was pretty rare for me to land a shot on his body.

Throwing my weight into it, I pounded his gloves with a strength he’d never seen. He stood his ground and absorbed my strikes, but his eyes narrowed as he caught the new intensity. He didn’t block one of my swings and grunted with the impact on his ribs.  We switched to Krav Maga and as the lyric I will not be ignored screamed across the basement, I kicked him in the ribs and sent him flying across the mat. He rolled back onto his feet and looked at me warily. Reading his body language, I anticipated his move to sweep my legs. When he swung his leg towards me, I jumped up and brought the arch of my foot down on top of his knee. The resulting crack was louder than the music. He crumpled to the mat holding his knee, and I dropped to his side.

“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry!” I was trying to pry his hands away so I could see his leg. “Let me see if it’s broken.”

“It’s broken! I don’t need you to look at it.” Sucking air in between his teeth, he groaned and his face turned bone white. The last thing he said before he passed out was “women.”

“I can’t heal that,” Dec said flatly. “It’s splintered into pieces. He needs a real doctor, probably a surgeon.”

“Can he heal it himself? I healed my broken elbow, remember?”

Sean was still unconscious but not in a good way. We’d put a bag of ice on his knee, but it looked horrible. It was swollen like a gigantic eggplant. The pain had to be excruciating. I thought he was in shock.

He considered that for a second. “He’s probably able, but we don’t know how that’s working since he, uh, was vaporized. Oh, and that was you too,” he said with some asperity.  “Good God, woman, I thought you loved him!”

“That’s not fair! I didn't mean to break his leg! I had no idea I could do that! And you know I didn’t vaporize him on purpose! How can you even say that?” Sean groaned and I grabbed Dec's arm in panic.  “What about Raphael? Can’t he do it?”

“I’ll see if I can find him. It’ll take a little while. Keep him warm and keep ice on the leg. Give him one of these pills if he wakes up. It’ll knock out the pain.”

I nodded with each direction and glanced desperately back at my patient. He groaned and tried to sit up. Dec and I both ran to him.

“Don’t try to move! You’ll make it worse,” Dec ordered.

Glassy-eyed with pain, he was sweating and more than a little green. I handed him the pill and some water.

“Dec, please hurry!” I whispered as he turned to go.

I made Sean as comfortable as I could. I put a pillow under his head and replaced the ice. He was shivering, so I covered him with a blanket and wiped the sticky sweat off his face. His face lost some of its green tinge as the pain killer took effect. His eyes were still glazed though, and he was groggy. He slipped in and out of consciousness.  Domino curled up beside him and gently nudged his arm with her nose. He smiled faintly at her.

“I’m so sorry. Dec is right. I am the worst girlfriend ever.” I sat near him, but I really wanted to curl up to him. I was afraid he wouldn’t want that. So I hovered just to the side.

He whispered, his voice slurring the words, “Dec didn’t say that.” His hand fumbled for mine, and I squeezed it carefully. He squeezed back and smiled a little. “I’ll be okay. It’s just a broken bone. No one dies from that.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to disagree with you there,” a cold voice spoke from the staircase.

Chapter 16: Welcome Back…from the Dead

“BALIN?”

Where did he come from?

“Aren’t you dead?”

His golden eyes twinkled as he enjoyed my shock. Smoothly, he said, “Oh, I’m sure you have a lot of questions for me, but now’s not the time.” As he spoke, he came down the stairs never taking his eyes off of Sean.

Domino threw herself in front of Sean and snarled at our unwanted guest. He waved at her in dismissal. “You and your dog! You think she’s actually protecting you, don’t you? I could kill her if I wanted to.” He looked at her for a long moment and shrugged. “There’s no point, though. She can’t hurt me now.” He smiled and a cold chill crawled down my spine.

Sean was sitting up, but his color was green again and beads of sweat ran down the side of his face. “Didn’t I put a blade in you? Why aren’t you dead, demon?”

I sidled closer to him and helped him stand up and lean against the wall. I knew without any doubt that he wouldn’t want to die lying on the basement floor. There were two other things I was positive about. One, Balin would try to kill Sean before leaving our house and two, I would die protecting him. This night wasn’t going to end well for any of us. Where were Raphael and Dec? A little backup would be great right now.

Balin’s handsome face twisted with humor at Sean’s question. He purred in that creepy silky demon voice, “Oh, but I was dead. And don’t think I don’t owe you for that. That’s why I’m here. First, I’ll kill you, and then I’ll take her. My boss has a soft spot for her and wants her back.”

He was about 10 feet away from me now. Mentally, I groaned at my predicament. I had no gun, no knife; no weapons handy at all. Sean was struggling to rally his killing powers, but I could see he didn’t have the energy. His body had been drawing the saol to his broken leg, and there was precious little extra to rally into his hands. The bones in his face were white with the strain of keeping upright.

“You don’t look too bad for a dead demon, Balin. Why don’t you tell us how you got a new lease on life?” I was stalling and furiously thinking.

Could I vaporize him, on purpose? We hadn’t practiced that yet. I wasn’t sure I could do it without blind panic. Plus, he was too close to Sean…

What if I missed?

“Let’s just say I have your friend to thank for that. I’m sure he’ll be glad to know we’ve worked out a few kinks. Now, let’s go.” He reached for me intending to grab my arm and I let him.

As soon as he grabbed my arm, I flipped him onto his back and kicked him in the head. Jumping back out of his reach, I looked around for something to use as a weapon. There wasn’t anything sharp. I was on my own. He got up and in a heartbeat was standing next to Sean. He wrapped his hand around his throat and squeezed. Sean dug his fingers into Balin’s hands trying to pry them off, but Balin had the advantage. Sean’s face turned red and then purple as they struggled. My vision went completely white when Balin started laughing and let Sean drop to the ground. His laughter pushed me over the edge, and I sent all of my power towards him expecting to vaporize him in a cloud of smoke. Instead, a beam of white light shot out of my hand and cut him in half where it landed. The half that was cut away slid off to the side. The other half looked at me incredulously. His mouth was working to form words, but nothing came out. With one last burst of energy, I vaporized him into smoke.

Only half of him was gone though. The smaller half was still lying across Sean’s feet. He was sucking in oxygen and trying to slide away from the stinking remains, but his knee gave out and he sagged against the wall with a moan of pain.

“Wait! I’m coming.” I stumbled over to him and pulled him away from Balin and we collapsed in a pile together. My breath was coming in gasps, and my eyes burned like they were literally on fire. I squeezed them closed and lay my head on his shoulder. He was drenched in sweat, but I didn’t care. I was exhausted and fell asleep on him.

Someone shaking my shoulder woke me up a few minutes later. My eyes flew open, and I pushed myself up to stand in front of Sean again.

“Get away from him!” There was a crazy edge to my voice that caused him to take a step back. My eyes started to burn again, and this time I embraced the fire and let it grow. Glaring at him, I flexed my fingers in warning.

“Whoa! Relax! I was looking for Killian. Have you seen him?” James sounded less sure of himself than usual. But then he realized how hurt Sean was and a slow smile spread over his face.

“Looks like your boy took one for the team. He’s not dead, I hope.”

“Are you enjoying his pain?”

He rolled his shoulders and smirked, “It’s about time the big man feels some pain. He’s overdue.”

“Overdue?”

My blood actually started to boil like effervescent bubbles floating through my veins; my fingers pulsed with new life, with new power. I looked down at my hand and noticed without surprise that my hands were glowing and the light was spreading up my arms. I let it take over and relished the pleasure of the saol coursing through my blood, giving me strength and the will to use it. My vision turned white again, and I met James’ arrogant stare with one of my own.

The smirk vanished and he began backing towards the stairs.  Relentless, I stalked after him without breaking eye contact. Every detail of his face was clear. Every pore, every line was magnified, as were his thoughts which were running around in circles inside his head. He was panicking and trying to get out of here. He was afraid of me now; it was the eyes. The white light was freaking him out. He didn’t understand how it was possible. So he backed away…

“I don't like you, James. If you even think about coming near Sean I will blow you to pieces.” To emphasize my words, I raised my hand and blew a hole in the wall just off to his left. Concrete splinters flew like shrapnel sticking in the arm that he raised to protect his face. Confused and afraid, he stared at the blood running down his arm.

“That’s right, James. Be afraid. Be very afraid.” I didn’t recognize my own voice.

He left without another word.

A sound from the other side of the room surprised me, and I whirled around ready to do battle. It was Raphael and Dec. They’d finally showed up and were staring with open mouths and raised hands.

Raphael raised an eyebrow and frowned at Dec accusingly. “Did you know about this?”

Dec shoved his hair back and answered, “Uh, not this exactly. She’s been gaining power for a long time now. Just a little at a time though. Nothing like this!” He looked at me with appreciation and added, “Wow, you were amazing. Can you be my partner again?”

“Anything you want, Dec. Just make it stop! It hurts-a lot!” I was still glowing and it was getting really painful. My skin was too thin to hold it all inside, and I felt like I was about to burst at the seams.

“Go to her, Declan. I’ll see to Sean.” Raphael sighed and said, “It’s a good thing you found me when you did.”

“Dec, I'm melting!” I was getting frantic.

He scooped me up and dropped me into the shower. Stepping back out, he turned on the cold water, and I squealed with shock. “What are you doing? Drowning me won’t help!” I tried to climb out, and he blocked the exit.

Laughing hard, he wheezed, “It’ll bring your temperature down faster. Just stay there for five minutes, and we’ll do the rest out here.”

So I stood in the shower and watched in amazement as the white light faded and my skin returned to normal. My eyes felt better too. Without the supernatural fire heating me up, the water was too cold and I was shivering. Shutting off the faucet, I begged for a towel.

“All right, come here then.” He wrapped a blanket over my shoulders and led me to the living room. “Sit down and stay covered.”

“What possessed you to turn yourself into a road flare?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I was so furious…It just happened, kind of. I’ve been getting more powers and more strength. I don’t know why. I don’t know where it’s coming from either. It’s really freaking me out.”

“Okay, we’ll talk about it in a minute. But for now, breathe evenly and deeply. Tell your body to cool off, control your temperature--use your mind. If you allow your anger to rule you, darlin’, you’ll burn yourself up.”  He reached out and touched my cheek. I leaned my chin into his palm, and he rubbed it with a small grin.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” he asked with a worried look.

I fidgeted and said, “Yes, but some things are too stupid to talk about.”

“If they’re so stupid, why do you let them make you mad?” Chafing some color, human color, back into my hand, he said, “Tell me what’s got you so upset, Mica. Please.”

I stalled and stared at the lamp on the table. He’s right. I needed to talk to someone about this, and I couldn’t share any of my life with Dani or anyone else for that matter. How would I explain these things to them? They’d never understand. Dec would though.  I clung to his big warm hand and told him about everything that was bothering me. I was jealous over Sean’s girlfriends and the receptionist. He’d hurt my feelings when he let her touch him like he was available. I was confused and afraid of my new powers. Where were they coming from? What if I hurt someone innocent? I was getting more and more afraid of James and what he was doing. I was terrified that Scott Flynn and his bloody knife would kill some innocent girl just because she looked like me. I had so many things to worry about and no control over anything anymore.

He listened intently throughout my rambling and only asked a few questions to help me clarify my worries. He tried not to laugh when I ranted about the slutty receptionist.

“Oh, Lara? Everyone’s had sex with her. It’s like a rite of passage or something.” He tapped a finger on the side of his face, thinking. “Except for Killian, I think; no one ever knows who he sleeps with.” Seeing my narrowed eyes, he chided, “But Mica, Sean wouldn’t do that now. I can’t believe you’d let her make you jealous. You should know better.”

“Yeah, I’m so awesome. I just broke his leg in a temper tantrum, and then he was almost killed by a zombie demon that I let into our lives,” I snorted. “Yeah, I’m a prize worth keeping.”

He didn’t laugh; instead he pulled me down to the couch and said, “What’s really bothering you? All of these worries are valid, don’t get me wrong, but you’re dancing around something else. I can feel it.”

The problem was I didn’t know what was bothering me. I was just angry. In any event, I was saved from trying to explain that by Raphael.

“Declan, come and help me put our young Sean into his bed. The worst of it’s done now, but he’ll feel better in a bed and off the basement floor.” Turning back to me, he said, “Oh, and Mica?”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind fixing this old man a cup of tea? Earl Gray, if you have it.”

Earl Gray tea?  Raphael was a surprise every time we met. Always elegant and charming, he treated me with great respect.  His impeccable old-fashioned manners masked an old and tremendous power within him. I’d only seen him use this power for healing, but I suspected it hadn’t always been that way. He was still lean and tough as a warrior though not quite as muscular as Sean and Killian. He was older than them though. I thought he was in his late 40s. I was just guessing about that since I wasn’t sure how old he was. For all I knew, he was 5,000 years old…

“How is he?” I asked as I handed him the tea cup and saucer.

He spooned a bit of sugar into his cup and stirred before answering me. “He’ll certainly live; however, he was in considerable pain.” Setting down his spoon with a clink, he asked, “Might I ask why you felt he deserved to have his leg crushed?” His eyes were cool as he looked deeply into my own.

I resisted the urge to gulp; instead, I frowned into my own cup. “I didn’t mean to break his leg, I swear. I just wanted to…”

“Hurt him?” he finished for me.

“No! Yes…but not like that! I was so mad I just wanted to blow off steam and have a good sparring match. He’s always been stronger than me so I thought he could handle anything I threw at him.” I was miserable again.

He was quiet for a moment and then said, “Sean feels that you’re stronger than a human girl of your size should be. Do you think that’s true?”

I glanced at him in surprise. “I don’t really know. But lately, I feel as if I’m changing on the inside.” I smiled awkwardly and chewed on my lip.

“Did he tell you I’ve been able to translocate people? Usually when I try to do that to demons, they end up vaporized. Today though, I was afraid to blow up Sean by accident. So I tried to focus the saol towards the demon by channeling it through my hand, and a white light shot out of my hand and hit him. It cut him in half! It was like a laser! I was shocked. I have no idea how that happened.”

Raphael seemed shocked too. He looked steadily at me as if looking for holes in my story. Suddenly my rune began to tingle, and I idly rubbed it with my thumb.

“May I?” He indicated my hand. I nodded and he picked it up and examined the rune carefully. “Hmm.” He lifted a finger to touch it and I flinched.

“Don’t do that!” But I was too late. As he touched his fingertip to it, my blood rose to meet it in an outline of pure golden light. He nearly dropped my hand in surprise.

Closing his eyes, he traced the rune murmuring, “Fascinating.” Setting my hand back on the kitchen table, he asked levelly, “Who’s got the twin?”

“I do,” Killian answered from the doorway. “Am I interrupting?” He nodded respectfully to Raphael. “I can come back later.”

“May I?” Raphael gestured at his hand.

Shrugging, Killian offered it and watched quietly while Raphael examined the rune. Raphael seemed strangely interested in the connection between the two runes. Killian’s rune had been glowing when he walked into the kitchen. The sight of it unleashed butterflies in my stomach. Did I want to be connected to Killian in such a physical way? The twin runes felt too…intimate? Yes, intimate. An odd feeling of history snuck up on me, and I had the strangest feeling that I knew him in ways I couldn’t define.  Déjà vu?  I gave myself a mental shake.  I had no idea, but I had more important things to do than to wonder about Killian. I excused myself to go and check on Sean.

Killian asked, “Will you let him know I’m back, and I’ll check on him in a little while?” He idly toyed with the gold ring on his finger while meeting my eyes across the room. His were worried.

Politely, I said, “I’ll let him know. Just don’t come too late; we’re going to bed early. I’m really tired tonight.”

Sean was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling when I walked in. The curtains were closed, and the nightlight was off. It seemed unusually dark to me, and I resisted the urge to turn on the light. Instead, I washed up and changed into a clean t-shirt and perched on the edge of the bed. He smoothed my hair back with a half a smile.

“You’re beautiful when you’ve gone psychotic. You know that, right?”

“Nice. Thanks for reminding me.” I felt badly enough without reminders. “It wasn’t one of my shining moments. I’m so sorry about your leg.”

He gave me an amused look that promised payback but just leaned back. “I wasn’t talking about my leg, though you were a little crazy when you broke it,” he laughed softly. “I was talking about the way you handled Balin and James.” He looked impressed with me and turned on his elbow to watch me.

I smiled hesitantly and worried, “Did I do the right thing though? I don’t know the rules yet. I wanted to kill James on sight, just in case he deserved it, but then I thought that was probably bad form.” I looked hopefully at him.

There was always the next time.

That got a real laugh out of him. “Good thinking. You really shouldn’t go around killing angels…it can lead to some really atrocious karma problems later. Leave James to us.”

I sat up and hovered over him in agitation. “But Sean, you didn’t see the look on his face when he saw you laying there helpless. I swear he wanted to kick your leg or something. He was so…smug. He said you had it coming. I wanted to slap the crap out of him. What is wrong with him?”

He face hardened into an angry scowl. “It’s worse than I thought then. We’ll deal with him in any case.” Pulling me closer, he nuzzled my neck. “Now before we go to sleep, do you want to tell me why you wanted to beat the hell out of me today? Is this about my ex’s from 2,000 years ago?”

Well, when he put it like that, it did seem a little dumb. It’s not like he’s getting back together with them…

“Dec told me about Lara tonight. How many times did you sleep with her?”

Turning his head away in frustration, he pushed up to sit against the headboard. Running his hand over his jaw, he groaned and rolled his eyes. “Are you serious right now? I don’t know! Once, maybe? It’s been a really long time. I don’t even remember the year.”

“It’s not that so much as what happened today. How could you let her touch you like that? Right in front of me? That’s so disrespectful to me!” Huffing a bit, I made a point of tamping down my anger and said more evenly, “You deserved getting kicked in the ribs but not getting your leg broken. For that, I’m sorry. But I’m not sorry for being mad at you in the first place.”

Ignoring my apology, he touched the locket resting against my chest. At his touch, it picked up the rhythm of his heart and the tiny vibrations made my pulse quicken. His eyes softened and he slowly wrapped his fingers around the back of my neck and pulled me down for a kiss. He kissed me with a tenderness and softness that spoke of love and caring and amends. I let go of my anger and let it drift away into the night. There was nothing as important as the two of us together.

He cupped my chin and said, “I have no real excuse for today. I was trying to annoy you. I’m sorry though. I didn’t realize how much it would hurt you. I’m an idiot.” He stroked a trail around my jawline, following it with his mouth. “You are the most important person in my world, Mica. I need you to believe that.”

I shifted so I was curled on top of him with my head on his shoulder. He hugged me closer and asked, “Do you?” His voice was soft but demanding nonetheless. He wasn’t going to drop this until I answered him.

Leaning back on my elbow, I said seriously, “I do. My heart almost stopped today. I came so close to losing you again.” My emotions overwhelmed me, and I kissed him with all the pent up fear and frustration of the day. Rolling me onto my back, he was kissing me into oblivion when Killian’s voice penetrated the door.

He yelled, “Is this a bad time?”

I yelled “yes” just as Sean yelled “no.” Without waiting for an invitation, Killian walked in and flipped on the light. Shrinking against the brightness, I dragged the covers over my head and fumed underneath them. I caught the slightest hint of a knowing chuckle inside my mind.

Ooohh…he did that on purpose!

More chuckling.

Holding the sheet up to my nose, I peered out at him.  He was dressed in black commando gear and armed to the teeth. An automatic rifle hung ominously over one shoulder.  He looked unusually tense. The crease was sharp between his eyes while he and Sean had a hushed conversation.

Looking over at me when they were done, he asked, “Tell me again what Balin said about being dead.”

“Well, he said Domino couldn’t hurt him now and that we could thank our friend for the new life. Oh, and they’ve managed to work the kinks out of it, whatever that means.”

Accepting my words at face value and finding them problematic, he was grim and hostile. I scooted back a bit and leaned into Sean for protection from his sudden scowl.

Killian thought for a moment and finally said, “I’ve got to find Sgaine Dutre before they figure out how to control it. I’m going to be gone for a while. Sean, you’re in charge here. You know what to do. I’ll check in when I can.” He caught my eye and held my stare.

“Do me a huge favor and stay out of dark places!” He seemed to consider this an impossible task and frowned in advance of anything I might do.

“Killian, what did the demons do with the knife?”

He was making me very nervous.

He and Sean shared a look and he stood to go. “They raised the dead.”

Chapter 17: The Problem with Vengeance

“OH, NO! NOT AGAIN! Sean!”

The TV was on in the living room while I threw egg whites into a skillet and blended some smoothies. We were all on a health kick at the moment. My appetite just evaporated with the early morning news though. Damn it!

“What’s happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Dec had come running in at the sound of the blender.

Sean took one look at me and said, “It happened again, didn’t it?” I nodded, unable to trust my voice. “Was it the girl from the bar?”

“Raped, beaten, and throat cut this time. I didn’t recognize the picture they showed on the news.” I leaned against the couch and wrapped suddenly cold fingers around my coffee cup.

Her hair was hacked off again.

“Can’t you just call the lab and get the results? We could at least rule him out if there’s no match in the database.” I was mentally slapping myself for not stealing the knife from Scott’s apartment; but I guess he could’ve just bought another one, if he really wanted to use it.

“I’ll call in a few minutes, and we’ll see what they’ve got. It’s Friday. My guess is he’ll be out with his girl again since he didn’t kill her.” He smiled evilly and asked, “Who wants to go hunting tonight?”

My head was aching from the frustration that was gradually building in all of us. We hadn’t been able to do anything to stop the killing and were no closer to proving anything. It was making me crazy.

“Hey Dec? Will you work out with me?”

Lifting one blond eyebrow, he asked, “What’s wrong with Sean?”

“I don’t want to break him again.”

“But you don’t mind breaking me? Who’s going to heal me?” He was backing away with a desperate expression.

I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. “I promise I won’t hurt you, Dec. I just need to burn off some energy so I don’t accidently blow up something important later!”

To the compelling music of Staind, I kept my word. I didn’t go psychotic and break him. We worked out hard though and were both drenched in sweat by the time Sean called a time out. He’d been watching and coaching as we sparred. Sean was the most amazing fighter I had ever seen. When he joined us on the mats to demonstrate this move or that, I found myself mesmerized by the way he moved. I couldn’t copy his grace. I could do the same movements but never with the same fluid motion and controlled power. He always reminded me of a black panther hunting. Dec, with his beautiful golden coloring, was more of a leopard but just as graceful.

And just as lethal.

“What’s the matter? Why are you staring at me?” Sean asked when he realized I was gawking at him.

Blushing, I said, “Nothing…I was just…uh, admiring you two.”

Astonished, they both stared at me. Dec spoke first. “What are you admiring? We’re a sweaty mess over here. Dude, you ripped a hole in my shirt!” He held out the wet material to prove his point.

They really had no idea? Intrigued by their complete lack of awareness, I ventured, “You have no idea how you look when you fight, do you?” I bent over in a pseudo-yoga pose and tried to appear graceful and elegant.

Puzzled, they looked at each other. I got up and tried to mimic the way Sean moved when he stalked prey. When I finished and rolled up to my feet I said, “You don’t see it?”

Both shook their heads like they thought I was crazy. Laughing at them, I went to Sean and lovingly ran my hands down the hard muscles of his shoulders and said in my best Tarzan impression, “You Jaguar.”

Then I did the same to Dec and said, “You Leopard.”

“You’re comparing us to cats?”  Dec’s mouth twitched and one dimple popped up. Sean’s face was red with the effort not to laugh.

“Geez, you two can’t take a compliment. Never mind!”

Sean asked with less laughter, “That’s really how you see us?”

Seriously, I said, “Yes, always. You move with a grace and overwhelming power that takes my breath away. You don’t see it, but I always have and it’s a beautiful thing to see. I’m really so proud of you both…like beautiful predators when you hunt.” I smiled a little bigger at Sean then. “It’s one of the reasons I was so attracted to you when we first met. It’s how you move.”

Neither said a word and when I glanced over at them they were grinning hugely at me. They both draped their arms around me and we walked upstairs together, laughing as we bounced unsteadily up the steps. When we got to the top, Dec pulled me into a hug and squeezed me harder than usual. My diaphragm was about to scream in protest when he finally let me go.

With twinkling eyes, he said, “Do you remember all those years ago when we adopted you?“ Without waiting for an answer, he added, “I’m so glad we did, darlin’!”

It was nearly time to go into town and spy on Scott again. I was slipping on a top when Sean came out of the shower. He was sporting a towel slung carelessly around his hips and was brushing his teeth and petting Domino at the same time. Her nose was at towel level.

“Don’t even think about it!” I warned her.

Domino blinked and wagged her tail. A girl can look, right?

Who could blame her? He was still wet and spiky strands of black hair clung to his face. Drops of water sparkled on his chest as he shook out his hair. His eyes were very blue as he caught my eye. With his free hand, he pointed to the towel with a question in his eyes.

Tempted, I said, “No way. We haven’t got time for that. We have hunting to do.”

He rinsed his mouth and combed his hair before coming back to me with a sexy smile. “Are you sure? Fighting always gives me a terrible--“

Hands over my ears, I said, “La, la, la. Can’t hear you!”

I beat a hasty retreat and waited with Dec in the living room. He could never sit still and wasn’t now. His lean hands darted back and forth as he teased Domino with a stuffed dog toy. Reaching out, I pulled one of those hands to me.

“What are you doing, you crazy wench?” He tugged, but I held onto it. He grinned indulgently as I ran my fingernail over the back of his hand tracing the blue veins that kept him alive. He had perfectly shaped hands with long fingers with slightly squared tips.  The pads of his fingers were calloused from their love affair with his Gibson guitar. Amused, he graciously let me play with his hand while Sean took his time.

“Watch,” I ordered and then ran my finger across the top of his hand just to see the golden light rise to the surface and shimmer gently. The lightest sprinkling of fine blond hair reflected the light.

He peered closer and smiled wistfully at the sight. “You must be a magical wench. I haven’t seen that happen since...” He stopped and reddened. Refusing to say any more, he squeezed my fingers and reclaimed his hand.

Sean finally showed up and we opened the garage to leave. It was snowing hard. Big early winter snowflakes that stuck to everything.

“Oh, look! It’s like a Christmas card!” I twirled in the snow appreciating the way it sparkled in the dim light from the porch. A few inches covered the porch railing and the bushes. The pine trees at the edge of the property were fluffy white and glowing in the darkness. It was breathtaking.

“Yeah, yeah, great. It’s snowing,” Dec grouched on his way to the driveway. He was kicking at the snow with the toe of his combat boot. He was dressed in his typical jeans and button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. This one was white with dark purple stripes and was un-tucked. It fit him like a glove. The only nod to the cold temperature was the leather jacket slung across his arm.  It was his turn to drive the SUV and I rode in the back. Sean got to ride shotgun simply because he was faster than me. The streets in the center of town were busy even with the snowstorm. It took more than a little snow to keep college kids inside on a Friday night. The bars would be packed. Dec drove up and down the main drag until Sean spotted Scott’s truck at The Angry Lizard. Oh great, my favorite place! I hoped I didn’t blow it up later…

On our way to the door, I asked Sean, “Are we using the same plan as last time? I act like a horny girlfriend, and you pretend you’re getting laid later?”

Bursting out laughing, Dec said incredulously, “That is your usual plan? No wonder you can’t catch him. Who could concentrate?”

Sean gave him a superior look and said, “I have iron control. Watch and learn from the expert.”

As before, we spotted our prey first and sidled over to a good place for spying. Dec went to the bar, and Sean and I got situated at a table. Scott had the same brunette with him tonight, and they were sharing one of the tiny tables near a wall. The music was thumping and she danced with her back against him. Judging from his sloe-eyed expression, he was probably going to want to leave soon. We needed to work harder to get his attention tonight.

Inspired, I moved over to stand in front of Sean and wiggled to the music. I closed my eyes and let the rhythm take me. After a few minutes, Sean pulled me back between his legs and whispered at me to keep going. He bent down and kissed the back of my neck like it was foreplay. Even though I was supposed to be acting, I still went weak at the knees and saw little stars behind my eyes.

The stars evaporated when he nipped my earlobe between his teeth. “Pay attention, he’s finally noticed us. He's watching you. Show time.” Without warning, he turned me around and pressed my face against his neck. Taking this as a hint, I let my hair cover my face and pretended to kiss his neck while he ran his hands down my back. I assumed Dec was watching Scott.

“He’s looking.” Sean murmured with a devastating smile. I nearly melted onto the floor.

Dec interrupted drily, “Dude, you really do have iron control. You look bored. I’m impressed! Mica’s about to pass out though…”

“Shut up, Dec! I am not. It’s an act.”

That gave me an idea. Scott was used to seeing me with Sean…but what about another guy? How would that sit with him? Would he lose his mind? Leaning over to Dec, I draped my arms around him familiarly and gave him a big kiss on his very surprised mouth. Startled, he tried to push me back towards Sean, and I hissed at him to play along. He glanced helplessly at Sean who was watching Scott’s reaction. Nodding his approval, he turned so he could watch us and see Scott at the same time.

Out of the corner of his mouth, he observed with a lazy smile, “I think you’re pissing him off now. Kiss him again. Just don’t use your tongue; I have to kiss you later!”

Before Dec could react, I forced a loud laugh and wrapped my arms around him like we were old lovers from way back. I pouted and batted my eyelashes until he tipped his face down so I could reach him. Poor Dec was really not happy but went along with me. After a sharp nudge from Sean, Dec pulled me closer and kissed me like he was sampling the goods. His lips were lazy against mine and his eyes were closed like he was just toying with me. It wasn’t passionate but more teasing as if he wasn’t sure he liked me enough to really kiss me. I played along and made a big deal out of flirting with him and curling my fingers in his hair.

“Well?” Dec said under his breath. He’d stopped kissing me and was idly playing with a strand of my hair, pretending to flirt with me.

Sean’s voice was grim when he spoke again. “He just got up and went to the bathroom. He’s furious. His eyes were shooting daggers at you.” He glanced at Dec’s red face and said without mercy, “I think now’s a good time for you to take a leak, little brother.”

Dec bolted from the table like he was on fire. Bemused, I crawled back onto Sean’s lap. We had to keep up the appearance of…being really slutty, I guess. The irony was hilarious. Sean was the only guy I’d ever been with and would ever be with. But the entire population of this bar thinks I’m a slut. When I wanted to go undercover, this wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind. Smiling at the irony, I watched the abandoned brunette across the room. She was a pretty girl with a small heart-shaped face and wide blue eyes. Her lashes were long and swept across her cheeks as she sighed into her drink. She had a pouty mouth and the fuller bottom lip was in full pout position at being left at the table alone.

It was like looking in a mirror.

“Sean, do you think we should warn her?”

Before he answered, Dec came rushing back with a worried frown. “Flynn wasn’t in the bathroom. I didn’t see him anywhere.”

“Shit. Where did he go?” Sean stood taller and scanned the room.

“I think he’s out back. I can sense him. He’s still here.”

“Hm, he’s probably smoking. Okay, Dec, let’s go. We’ll walk that way and see what shakes out.”

He leaned into my ear and ordered, “No blowing anyone up! Do you hear me?”

“I won’t if you don’t. Let’s get this over with.”

Sean opened the patio door to the smoking area and looked around at the scattered groups of smokers. The snow was still falling so there were only a handful of people sitting there. The patio was open to the sidewalk without any kind of borders; easy in and easy out. That was perfect. Where was he? He was still here, but I sensed another familiar mind.

Gripping Sean’s sleeve, I pulled him back into the building. Dec had to back up quickly to keep us from running over him. “What the hell?”

“James is here,” I announced.

“Really?” Sean breathed with anticipation.

“Whoa! What happened to not blowing things up?” I laid a calming hand on both of them and suggested we try subtlety before a full frontal assault.

I was stretching to sense James and Scott again while the guys whispered about what we should do. Finally, I said, “I think they’re in the same place. It seems like it. Maybe they’re together.”

Coming to a decision, Sean ordered softly, “Mica and I will go in from the sidewalk side and distract them. Dec, you slide up from the other side in case they try to bolt.”

With a nod, Dec vanished like a ghost into the snowy night. Sean wrapped his arm around me and led me towards the other side of the patio. There wasn’t any cover so we had to walk boldly towards them. Scott was talking to a couple of his buddies and smoking a joint. Their voices were muffled by the falling snow. Like an animal scenting prey, Scott’s head snapped up as we approached. His eyes were murderous when he recognized me. He said something to his friends, and they all turned to stare at us. My knees were shaking, but Sean kept a hard grip on my arm and sent a spike of his own saol zinging through me. Like a shot of adrenaline, it made me preternaturally alert and ready to fight, or run away. Unlike Sean, I wasn’t immune to the flight response.

Scott stood and slowly approached us, one hand reaching into his jacket pocket. Sean crossed his arms and waited. My own hand had a death grip on the Sig in my purse.

“You left your date inside,” I said.

He sniggered rudely, “What’s it to you? Jealous?”

“I couldn’t help noticing she looks familiar to me. Do I know her?”

He squinted and took another hit off the joint in his fingers. Laughing unevenly, he said, “Man, Mica, you used to be a nice girl. What the hell happened to you?” He waved a hand in the general direction of Sean. “Now you’re nothing but a nasty slut bangin’ those freaks of yours. What are you, their pet? Are they sharing you now?”

I smiled seductively and fondled the muscles in Sean’s shoulder. “Freaks? I wouldn’t say that, exactly. They have some…unique talents that any girl would appreciate. What’s wrong with a little fun? It’s all legal. Besides, I was a nice girl until you came along. You sort of ruined that for me. Thanks though, I’m so much freer now that morality isn’t an issue.”

His friend thought that was hilarious and broke into loud laughter. Scott’s eyes widened a bit when Sean spoke, his voice dripping with innuendo.

“Mica’s a special kind of girl. She needs a little extra something to be content.” He ran a hand familiarly across my back and smiled in a way that said he was getting laid later and we might have company.

There's that lack of patience again. Sean was tired of playing games with Scott. Pushing him to the breaking point seemed like a good idea at the time…

I bit my tongue and Scott’s eyes went cold as a snake’s. Then I felt him on the other side of me.

Dec.

Cocky as always, he wrapped an arm around me and leaned down to kiss my temple.

“Hey, darlin’, are you ready for me?”

Like an enraged bull, Scott lunged at Dec, and they went tumbling onto the ground. Sean and I both jumped out of the way as they rolled around in the snow. Scott was unhinged and trying to kill Dec with his bare hands. Dec was struggling to get to his feet in the slippery snow. After cracking his head against the concrete, he was motivated to kick Scott’s ass. Scott landed a few really hard punches before Dec got a good grip on him and slammed his head into the concrete-just once. He was out cold and very still.

The silence was absolute.

With a grunt of annoyance, Dec wiped a hand under his nose to catch the blood that was dripping over his lip. He leaned over and caught his breath before pushing himself to stand up. Scott wasn’t moving.

“You better see if he’s dead!” I hissed to Sean.

Dec shook his head and put a hand to his skull. After a second, he nodded and got up again. Unfortunately, Scott wasn’t dead.

Dec glanced up at the other people hovering nearby and smiled what could have been a reassuring smile if it weren’t for the blood covering his pretty white teeth. He resembled a very pretty and well-fed vampire at the moment.

He said wryly, “He’ll live, people. Shit.”

Together he and Sean dragged Scott to a chair and plopped him next to his friend. Sean assured him that Scott wasn’t going to die and warned him about picking fights in bars. I suggested we go check on the girlfriend. Walking around to the front entrance, I was thinking of what I could possibly say to this girl to get her to leave without Scott.

“Damn it.” Sean’s voice was unhappy as he pulled me to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. He was staring at something farther down the block in front of us.

“Freakin’ James!” Dec growled next to me.

He was right. There was James…leading Scott’s girlfriend by the hand and looking chummy with her. They were too far ahead of us for me to yell at them, and I looked helplessly at Sean. His mouth was set in a grim line as he watched them get into a car and drive away.

“What’s he doing?” Dec asked somewhat rhetorically.

The ride home was quiet as we were all lost in our own thoughts. Once in the house, I plopped down on a kitchen stool with my head in my hands. What was going on with James? I was so confused. Obviously we were missing something, but what?

Completely absorbed with my own thoughts, I hadn’t noticed Dec come in and wash the blood off of his face in the kitchen sink. I glanced up at him now. His white shirt was probably ruined, a casualty of the night. I was sorry to see it go.  It was my favorite. It fit him really well and the color was great with his eyes. He was such a cutie. Every now and then, I nagged at him about finding a girlfriend, but he told me to save my energy. He’d do what he wanted, when he wanted. It was a shame though. He really was adorable, and I couldn’t help thinking about his kisses earlier. They were nice, but no fireworks for me. He had a beautiful expressive mouth though and someday some girl would appreciate it.

I was rudely dragged out of my reverie by a cold shower of water. “Are you nuts? What’s the matter with you?” I snapped slapping water off of my arms.

With an expression that was a cross between disgusted and amused, he gargled with mouthwash and with an arched eyebrow, pointedly spit it into the sink with a metallic splash.

“Like kissing my sister, that was.” He gargled again. “Don’t ever make me do that again.” Spitting out the last mouthful, he added, “Gross.”

“What’s gross?” Sean asked as he made his way to the fridge for a glass of water.

Amused, I answered, “Kissing me.” I puckered my lips towards Sean.

Kissing me thoroughly, he smacked his lips and said thoughtfully, “Nope, not gross.”

“You’re hilarious. I’m going to bed. I can’t think any more and my brain hurts.” I gave Dec a very sisterly hug though and a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Dec…just like a big brother.”

“Okay, babe, get some sleep. I’m going to stay up and talk to Dec. We’ll figure some things out and talk to you in the morning.”

By the next morning, the driveway was impassable. Mother Nature had been generous with her powder and we’d gotten at least 10 inches of snow. Judging by the heavy clouds skirting the treetops, she wasn’t through with us yet. Leaning against the porch railing with a steaming cup of coffee, I watched as Domino bounded through the deep snow. Apparently she woke up this morning and thought she was Bambi. Her spotted coat stood out in sharp contrast against the brilliance of the snow as she leapt up and over the bulk of it. With ears flying and tongue lolling, she had given in to her baser instincts and romped with complete abandon. Smiling at her antics, I thought about the freedom to romp.

I wanted to romp…When was the last time I romped?

Had I ever been that free? I couldn’t remember a time that I was. I wondered if I’d ever be that carefree again…

“No smile for the snow, Princess?” a soft voice interrupted my maudlin thoughts.

Turning, I smiled absently and gestured towards the winter wonderland. “I have to go to work. I don’t think I can get out of the driveway.”

He considered that for a moment and stepped closer to me. He paused several feet away, but I felt the heat from his body. Still dressed in commando gear, he loomed larger than life and I took a small step back. With a knowing frown, he turned away from me and whistled for Domino.

With head up, she came bounding over and rubbed all over him. He was clearly worthy of her attention as her big brown eyes sparkled up into his. He brushed the snow from her coat and pressed his forehead against hers affectionately. I was surprised by the depth of love it hinted at, and a small smile formed on my own lips. By now, my coffee cup was empty, and I was shivering in my blanket. The wind was picking up and fresh snow began to fall. A sudden gust found its way under my blanket, and I reluctantly went back inside.

Sean was still asleep. Not wanting to wake him yet, I held my breath and watched him sleep from the doorway. With one arm flung above him, he was sprawled on his stomach with most of his back bare. His face was turned towards me, and my heart swelled as my eyes soaked in the features I knew so well. The turn of his cheek, the feathering of his brows, the fullness of his mouth…I knew and loved every inch of him. Breathing in a steadying breath, I had to still my pounding heart. Telling myself that he was really here and I wasn’t dreaming again, I closed my eyes against the heat building behind them. So close…so close to losing him forever.  What would I have done if he’d never come back to me? Unable to stop the panic, I let the tears come…and turned towards the window to hide them from the one who should see them the most.

“Tears so early, baby?” He wrapped his arms around me and gently turned me against his chest. With a feeling of relief, I clung to him as an anchor in the storm.

“I wanted to watch you sleep…but…I wanted you to wake up and look at me. I wanted you to be real.” Leaning away, I said fiercely, “Don’t ever leave me again!”

Puzzled by my outburst, he nodded seriously and held me tightly against him. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re my world now.” He kissed me with exaggerated tenderness, and the panic in my heart quieted down again.

It was after noon and still snowing. The drifts were piling up against the house and the weather report called for another six inches today. My boss wasn't thrilled that I didn’t show up for work, but couldn’t really argue the fact that I couldn’t get out of my driveway. Still haunted by a disturbingly maudlin mood, I drifted around the house like a ghost. Everyone else settled in to wait out the snow. Dec built a huge fire in the living room and Domino curled up in front of it watching him play. He dragged out his guitar and plucked a wistful song that summoned visions of Irish maidens and dead highwaymen. Leaning against the cold window, I closed my eyes and listened to him play. As clear as a memory, I watched the handsome highwayman gunned down by the king's soldiers. The screams of the landlord’s daughter echoed through the night.  I had to shake my head to clear the images from an old story I’d heard somewhere along the way. Dec’s fingers tugged on my heartstrings as he plucked out the melody. I sighed and thought of Scott’s girlfriend. Every instinct told me he was a killer, but something in his eyes was different when he was with her. The cynicism was gone; they seemed warmer when he looked at her. Could we be wrong about him? I hoped we were. Sean watched me for a bit and finally handed me a cup of hot tea.

“Talk to me. I’ve never seen you like this,” he said with concern in his voice. Killian glanced up from his laptop.

Sighing heavily, I accepted the cup and touched his hand in thanks. “I’m not sure what’s wrong. I just feel…heavy, somehow. Maybe it’s just the weather, or maybe just my hormones.” I tried to lighten up a little.

Alarmed, he gripped my hand in his. “Explain that to me.”

“I don’t know, Sean. Maybe I’m pregnant?”

Dec missed a string. The discordant note hung in the air for endless seconds. All three males stared at me with undisguised horror. Sean actually sat down on the arm of the couch.

Taking pity on him, I clarified, “I’m not pregnant. I was trying to make a joke…” The severe expressions around me told me they didn’t find that even a little bit funny. “Sorry, guess that’s not funny right now.”

Cautiously, Sean said, “Is there a chance you could be pregnant?” His eyes were round with something like astonishment. Didn’t he realize that happens when you have sex? Geez.

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Well, you tell me. Can you get me pregnant? Do you, uh…have um, you know…sperm?”

No one said a word for so long that I got nervous. Sean finally shook his head and said, “I hadn’t thought of that…but I don’t think it’s possible…I don’t know. The condoms should work though.” He shrugged helplessly and glanced at Killian for help.

Killian scowled at the both of us and snorted with impatience. “There’s always a chance. I have hunting to do. I’ve been here too long.”

Without another word, he left.

Dec raised his eyebrows at that and picked up his guitar. Who knew what went on in Killian’s mind? He was an enigma on the best of days. We spent the rest of the afternoon in strained silence. Dec kept looking at my stomach until I snapped at him and threatened to break his nose if he didn’t stop.

“For the last time, I am not pregnant! I promise if I was, you two would be the first to know.” I stomped back to the bedroom after that little outburst.

A tap at the door woke me out of a fuzzy dream. I snuggled deeper into my blanket not willing to let go of the softness of the dream. In it, I stood on a heather-covered slope with my hair whipping behind me. The sun warmed my face as I breathed in the salty air. The ocean crashed against the rocks and I watched as…The tapping came again and this time Sean opened the door and came inside.

“Mica? I hate to wake you up, but we need you.” His voice sounded strained so I sat up and rubbed some life into my eyes as the dream drifted away.

His own eyes burned cobalt, and he was all but vibrating with the desire to fly out of here. It was a small miracle that he even knocked on the door.

“What’s going on?”

Taking my hand, he practically dragged me back to the living room where Dec was pacing in front of the windows. When he saw me, his mouth tightened into a line and he stopped pacing. I hesitated as a feeling of dread began to creep up on me. Judging by the looks on their faces, it was pretty bad. I glanced between them and then noticed the TV remote lying on the coffee table. A lump formed in my throat sending me into a coughing fit.

Tensing for the worst, I begged, “Please tell me you were watching the weather.”

Sean answered for both of them. “No. I’m afraid not.” His eyes were bleak, but he continued, “Her name was Lia.”

Shaken to the core, I whispered, “No, not her. Please tell me this isn’t Scott’s girl!” Neither would say that. Her little heart-shaped face swam before my eyes. She was just a baby…She was so pretty and so young…just waiting for Scott alone at the little table. She was just waiting for her man to come for her but he didn’t. He was unconscious on the patio when she left. My legs didn’t want to hold me up; I sat down heavily on the edge of the couch.

“Same as before?” I asked between my teeth, desperately clinging to logic when all I wanted to do was scream and break things.

Dec’s clenched fist crashed down on the table. “No! It was a hundred times worse. She was…” His voice broke and he sucked in a ragged breath. Squeezing his eyes shut against the images, he choked out, “She was…hacked to pieces.”

His shoulders shook with his efforts to hold it together. Shocked past words, I raised my hand to comfort him and he shrugged me off. “Don’t touch me right now,” he said between clenched teeth. He was the true avenging angel, both beautiful and frightening…deadly. I backed away.

Sean stood closer to me, but he was also tightly coiled and wanted to rip someone to shreds with his bare hands.

What happened last night?

I had no facts to back up my imagination, but I saw it clearly in my mind. Scott would’ve woken up humiliated and furious. But would he take it out on Lia? He’d been insane when he saw me with Dec on the patio. He tried to kill Dec in a murderous rage. Was he so unhinged he went after Lia and killed her in some kind of frenzy?

Oh, Jesus. This is our fault!

Our plan was to provoke him to act.

We provoked him to act all right, but this wasn’t supposed to happen! He was supposed to attack me!  That son of a bitch! He was going to pay for this. Rage bubbled up from inside and I let it take over. He’d have to answer for what he’s done.  That poor girl! As sorry as I felt for her, now wasn’t the time for crying; I’d cry later. Right now I need to stay in control and do what needs to be done.

And that means taking him out.

Now.

Heading to the door, I said, “Let’s go hunting.” I was out of the door and in the driver’s seat before the two of them could stop me. I gunned the engine as Sean jumped in the front seat. Dec climbed in the back.

The ride into town was tense. They were absorbed in their own thoughts again, and I was intensely focused on not killing us on the slippery roads. They were a mess, but the SUV had good tires so we only slid a little bit. Driving carefully, it took us 30 minutes to get to Scott’s apartment by the lake. The SUV slid the last 10 feet into the side of a dumpster. The shattering of the headlight echoed in the stillness. On autopilot now, I jumped out and strode across the parking lot towards the door. I slowed down long enough to pull my Sig from my holster and wait for them to catch up. We were only a few yards from the apartment when the muffled blast of a shotgun froze us in place. Sprinting the last few feet, Sean and Dec hit the door with their shoulders. The flimsy door splintered off its hinges. The acrid smell of gunpowder hit me as soon as I ran into the room. As bad as it was, it couldn’t mask the gagging reek of alcohol that hung over the room like a toxic fog. The floor was littered with empty tequila bottles.

Scott was lying slumped over on the mattress. A sawed off shotgun lay next to him on top of an empty bottle. His head lolled against his chest, and I was sure he was dead until he moaned. Looking more closely, I realized that his head was intact. Gently pushing his head back, I gasped. Oh, my God! Sean and Dec looked away, lips pressed tightly together.

The 12-gauge had blown apart the center of his abdomen, shredding his intestines and several major arteries. The overpowering smell of pumping blood made me light headed. Jamming my hand against my mouth to keep from vomiting, I pressed a pillow against the gaping hole to stop the bleeding.

It wouldn’t be an easy death.

“Hang in there. Help is coming.” Dec went outside to call 911.

Sean squatted by the side of the bed and said, “Man, what happened?”

Scott wheezed, “Missed…” He tried to joke, but his face twisted in pain. “Fuck, it hurts.” Eyes glazed with pain and tequila, his breathing was shallow. It wouldn’t be long now.

Blindly he groped for my hand with more strength than I thought possible. “Lia?” His eyes searched for her, but she was already gone…

“Lia?”

Sean’s expression was compassionate as he looked at the dying man. He nudged me and mouthed, “Be Lia” to me.

Squeezing his hands in my own, I said, “I'm here. We’re going to stop the bleeding. Hang in there. You’re going to be okay.” I was babbling now, but I didn’t know what else to say.

I had wanted him gone for so long, but now I was frantically trying to keep him alive. I’d wished him dead before, but now…

“No,” he rasped. “Don’t…save me. Need to…die.” A single tear ran down the side of his face.

The light in his eyes dimmed and I said, “No, no, you have to hold on!”

Sean reached over and laid his hand on mine. My hand shook as I crushed Scott’s, trying to force him to cling to life by not letting go of him.

Scott’s voice was barely a whisper, “So…sorry…Lia…my girl.” He drew in a ragged breath and the sound gurgled ominously. Bright red blood ran from the corner of his mouth, and I wiped it with my shirt.

Sean leaned over and asked urgently, “Why did you kill her, Scott?” His ear was close to Scott’s mouth trying to hear anything he said. The sirens screamed outside the apartment now. They drowned out the faint whispers making it nearly impossible to understand him when he answered Sean.

Suddenly agitated, he slurred and tried to lift himself up, “I killed…no…loved her…” His voice drifted off and he lay very still. After a second, he whispered, “Mica?” and relaxed in death.

His hooded eyes were bloodshot and shadowed but compelling even in death. Once upon a time my heart did backflips when those eyes looked into my own. Now my heart felt crushed in my chest and I struggled to breathe. He’d once been someone I cared about. He’d been worthy of my care then. He’d chosen the wrong direction for his life, but he hadn’t always been this way. Was this agonizing death justice for what he’s done?

Who’s to say what vengeance should be?

Heavy boots broke the silence as the paramedics burst into the room with a police officer right behind them. With tears streaming down my face and blood on my hands, I shook my head silently at their questioning looks. Unable to resist, I gently closed his eyelids and whispered, “Go in peace.”

Sean’s hand closed over my elbow, and I let him lead me away. The policeman had questions for us, and I stood numbly while Sean and Dec described how we’d found him. Shivering in the cold wind blowing off of the lake, I hugged myself and turned my face towards it. The icy air numbed my skin, but it would take more than that to numb my heart.

I wanted to feel nothing.

I wanted to drift off into the snow and lose myself in it. After all these years of wanting Scott gone from my life, I realized that I never wanted him dead. Death was permanent; it was unforgiving. What he’d done to me was terrible, yes; he’d scarred me for years. But it was his attack that changed my destiny and brought Sean into my life. Scott had changed my life in ways I wouldn’t ever trade.

I’d forgiven him.

I was having a hard time reconciling him to the brutal murders of my look-alikes. His dying was excruciating and watching him suffer reminded me that I am human, and therefore, fragile. Sitting beside him, I felt his suffering with every heartbeat that ended his life. When he spoke of Lia, I sensed his grief even cloaked as it was by tequila. He truly cared about her. He might have even loved her.

How could he murder her so brutally?

How could I have forgiven someone who was capable of that? That didn’t make sense in my heart. I felt no sense of victory, no sense of righteousness.

Scott Flynn was dead and I was hollow inside.

Chapter 18: Bah Humbug!

“YOU HAVE TO GO see your parents. They’ll be upset if you blow off Christmas.” Sean was subtly nagging at me again. It was nearly Christmas, and I still haven’t committed.

“They’ll survive.” My voice was curt. Side-stepping the issue, I pointed to the dishes and asked why I was stuck with them again.

He flushed, with anger or embarrassment, I couldn’t tell for sure. “I’ll do them. I was going to do them earlier, but I got sidetracked.” His patronizing tone was irritating me.

“Is it safe to come in?” Dec asked from around the corner.

Grinding my teeth, I snapped, “Are you afraid I’m going to blow you up, Dec?”

With a hurt expression, Dec slowly edged into the room. His eyes met Sean’s and they did their silent communication thing. Sean sighed and said, “You’re right.”

Sighing heavily, he said, “This has to stop, Mica. We’re walking around here on eggshells.” He took me by the hands. “Let’s sit down and talk. You haven’t said a word to either of us since Flynn died.”

Feeling cornered, I backed up. “I don’t want to talk about it. There’s nothing to say.”

“I think there’s plenty to say. We know you, remember? Shutting us out isn’t helpful. Don’t make me intrude on your thoughts. You know I can read them if I want to.” He added uncomfortably, “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I won’t do that if I have to.”

“You said you’d never do that!”

He corrected me, “No, I didn’t. I told you I didn’t want to do that and I haven’t so far. But damn it, Mica! We can’t afford to keep secrets in this family! You, of all people, understand what can happen inside your head.”

Dec added quietly, “You’re tearing my guts out walking around here like a zombie. It’s been two weeks. I can’t stand it. It’s like you’ve died too.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Guilt nudged at me though, and I looked at them, really looked at them, for the first time in a couple of weeks. Dec wasn’t exaggerating about his feelings. His puppy-dog eyes were pleading as they met mine. He was always more sensitive than the others and tended to feel extreme emotions as if they were his own. Sean would walk through fire for me if that’s what it took to snap me out of this mood. Worry was clearly etched on his face, but he wanted to give me room to work through my feelings. He did know me well; it would take time for me to sort things out. At the moment, I was still struggling with what my feelings were…I thought back to the funeral last week.

It had been freezing cold, the air heavy with the threat of another storm. The cemetery was on the outskirts of Hope Falls in the middle of the Adirondacks. Feeling disconnected and fragile, I wanted to go alone so I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone.  Sean and Dec had flatly refused to let me go alone. The drive had been endless as the grey and white scenery blurred past the windows. I struggled to wrap my mind around Lia’s senseless death. Her face intruded in my mind’s eye when my guard was down; big blue eyes staring sadly into her drink waiting for Scott.

Had she known what was going to happen?

Was she dead before he ripped her apart?

My imagination gladly filled in the details, and my dreams were plagued by her eyes bulging in terror as she died at the hands of the man who died in my own. In the worst of these dreams, my own face blended with hers until I wasn’t sure which of us was dying. I couldn’t seem to move on from this, and my mood had been bleak in the week leading up to the funeral.

Due to the terrible weather, the funeral service was held inside a tiny chapel instead of near the grave. Stained glass depictions of Jesus with his disciples lined one wall while an image of the angel Michael was centered on the other wall. The dim winter’s sunlight washed out the colors so they seemed lifeless and cold. Michael’s unforgiving eyes followed me, and I averted my gaze. A cold chill crawled down my neck and I pulled my coat more tightly around me. Not wanting to intrude on her family’s grief, we sat in the back pews. No one noticed us and no one spoke to us. Lia’s family was devastated and hollow-eyed in the front pews. She had two older brothers whose angry eyes promised vengeance as they held up their heartbroken mother. I looked away.

I couldn’t look them in the eyes knowing we could’ve saved her. There must have been a way we could’ve saved her…

Dec and Sean sat on either side of me trying to bolster me up. Dec leaned against me and tried to calm me with his saol. I put my hand on his knee and shook my head. I didn’t want anyone to mask my pain. I needed to feel it. Lia’s death had been vicious; the least I could do was feel miserable for a little while. Seeing my stubborn expression, Dec withdrew his energy and just loaned me his body heat.

Sean held my hand when the service began. The gray-haired minister spoke of Lia’s beautiful young spirit and of loss too soon. He spoke of God’s love and forgiveness for the one who’d taken her life.  Among the murmured protests, her mother’s keening wail of pain sent shivers down my neck, and I struggled for control of my own emotions. Abruptly barraged by waves of intense emotions swirling around the chapel, I dug my nails into the back of my hand trying to distract my mind. Rage and sadness bombarded me from all sides, and I tried desperately to block it out. But like the impending storm, the grief came relentlessly and threatened to swallow me whole.

As Lia’s family bowed their heads in grief, many praying on their knees, I wept into my own hands.  Sean pulled me against his shoulder and held me while I cried. I heard nothing of the rest of the service, closed inside my own mind as I was. Feeling like I would shatter into a million pieces, I closed my eyes and said my own prayer. Oddly, it was Michael’s face that came to me when my pleading became desperate.

Terrifying and beautiful, his eyes burned as his answer seared into my mind.

You pray for peace, little warrior? There will be no peace for you.

His cold words tore my heart out, and I raised my eyes to the stained glass image and whispered, “No!”

Falling to my knees, I prayed desperately, “Please, Michael, I don’t know what you want from me. Tell me what you want!” Tears ran down my face as my heart twisted with the pain of knowing he spoke the truth. But why was there no peace for me? What had I done to deserve this?

Was I damned?

“I need…peace…please!” My voice shook with the effort to hold back the grief of Lia’s family before it swamped the rest of my thoughts completely.

I pressed my hands over my ears to shut them out. His voice came to me again. This time, the fierceness was softened by the hope of his words.

Do not fear the suffering. It is the pain of others that will strengthen you for what you must do. You will do well.

Later, as the gleaming wooden casket was lowered into the ground, I stared straight ahead without seeing. With both Dec and Sean holding my elbows, I nodded my head and said the appropriate words at the graveside. Afterwards, they helped me to the car, and we headed for home. Like all of the mourners there that day, I was forever changed.

Sean’s soft prompting brought me out of my reverie. “Mica? Please…”

With a shuddering breath, I said, “Michael came to me.”

Sean said, “Michael? The Michael? What did he say to you? Do you remember?” His tone was even, but his little finger was tapping against his thigh.

Sitting on the counter, I finally explained what had happened at the chapel. When I’d finished with my story, they exchanged a knowing look.

Dec was the first to say something. “You do know what an honor that is, don’t you? Michael spoke to you…that’s amazing. He’s never even talked to me!” He dragged me into a hug and added with a crooked grin, “No worries, darlin’. This just means we have some work to do with you if we’re going to help you learn to control this.”

Sean agreed. “At least we know you’re not going to fail.” He winked and smiled easily. “He doesn’t lie.”

The mall was packed with last minute holiday shoppers. I couldn’t find a parking spot anywhere near the entrance and ended up walking blocks to get to work. I came in at 10:00 and had been standing behind the cash register ever since. I shifted my weight to the other foot and glanced longingly at the clock.

“Will these people go home already?” Gina grouched under her breath. She and I were the only ones on the registers and the line was out the door.

“I know, right? Why are they still shopping?” I agreed. “It’s two days before Christmas. They should be done by now.” I plastered a smile on my face and waved the next lady forward. She had a basket full of bottles and maroon hair. I did a mental eye roll and sighed. The line was still growing.

With my attention focused on ringing up endless bottles of body lotions, I nearly missed Dani’s tentative wave from the back of the store. Gina elbowed me and told me I had company.

“Dani! Come up here.” I waved and invited her to the register.

She stepped around the counter, gave me a quick hug and said, “Are we still on for tonight? I’m dying to talk to you!” The sparkle in her eyes hinted at something juicy.

Uh-oh, that usually meant a new man.  I gave the customer her change and waved the next one forward. I had only one more hour to go. I told Dani I’d meet her and she took off. As I handed my customer her bags, I noticed Dani talking to someone in the entrance of the store. His face was in profile, but I wouldn’t mistake him from any direction. Growling under my breath, I stared holes into his face until he turned around. With a look of innocence, he draped his arm around Dani and led her away into the sea of people.

An hour later, I was finally free. I wished Gina a Merry Christmas and stepped into the back room to call Sean. Sounding out of breath, he picked up on the fourth ring.

Smiling to myself, I teased, “Whoa! Don’t you need me for that?”

I felt him laughing through the phone as he replied, “Nope. I’ve gotten along without you for years! Jealous?”

Geez! Dork. “Not hardly. It’s just more fun for me when I get to help.”

Long pause.

“Is that so? When are you coming home tonight?” His voice was silky with a promise that curled my toes. Suddenly it was very hot in here…

“I’ll be home in 20 minutes if you’re promising something interesting.”

“No way, babe! You go finish shopping and hang with Dani. I have things to do with Dec.” He paused and lowered his voice to nearly a whisper, “Bring home something sexy for later!”

After making an absurd promise to go to the Victoria’s Secret store, which was jam packed with people, I finally took off to meet Dani. She saw me coming and got up to wave me over. Her face glowed with a look I knew was written on my own. Linking arms, we took off to dash in and out of some stores during the dinnertime lull. I hadn’t done much shopping, so I had to get a lot of presents. Luckily cash was an acceptable option for my siblings. We ran into Macy’s and I picked up some perfume for Janet and cologne for Dad. Dani’s gift was already wrapped. I’d gotten her a really cool black and white photograph of an underground tunnel with a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline at night. The shot was surreal and I knew she’d love it. For the guys…I made them each something special. I’d worked on their gifts off and on since the beginning of summer. I was bouncing up and down already thinking about their faces when they opened them.

“Okay, so now will you tell me what’s so exciting?” I asked after we’d finally stopped to eat. We were sitting in the food court surrounded by a tableful of toddlers who were too exhausted to do anything but scream. Rubbing my pinched toes, I thought I could relate.

Scanning the huge food court like she was expecting someone else, Dani’s attention had wandered. She craned her neck towards the front entrance. I snapped my fingers under her nose, and she jumped with a hand to her throat. Her tinkling laugh was contagious, and I found myself laughing with her.

“It’s a guy,” she announced.

No shit.

It always starts out with the same three words…it’s a guy. Mentally straightening my expression to look supportive, I asked, “What’s his name? Do I know him?”

Please don’t be James; please don’t be James!

Gushing with excitement, she said, “He’s so sweet! You wouldn’t believe how much he understands me. It’s like, he just gets me. You know? He knows what I’m feeling before I do. It’s like we’re…soul mates. I think I’m falling for him.”

Please don’t be James, please don’t be James…

Forcing my mouth to form a smile, I prodded, “Wow! He sounds awesome. Does this perfect man have a name?”

Shooting out of her chair, she squealed with delight, “James! Over here!” Her entire face lit up like a roman candle as she watched him come over.

Why am I not surprised?

My heart sank like the Titanic. With a loud mental groan, I watched as he made his way around the tables. With both eyes on Dani, he moved with a tension I recognized. He was hyper-alert, but kept his smile lazy. What was he up to? Why Dani? Since when did he date humans? I thought he was tied up with Alex’s missions these days. The whole special ops division was out looking for Dagin and Sgaine Dutre. Surely he didn’t have time for a girlfriend?

He ignored me completely as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her possessively. Her face was flushed by the time he set her away from him. He whispered something against her ear that brought a rosy blush across her chest and up her neck. She quickly glanced at me and replied under her breath. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the eye contact and body language was pretty obvious.

“What’s the matter, Mica? You look pissed,” James commented drily.

Dick.

“I just got a text from Killian,” I lied, holding up the phone. “Get home now!” I made a show of typing a text message and dropped the phone back into my purse.

“He’s such an asshole. Why do you let him boss you around?” Dani asked. She was speaking to me, but her attention was clearly on James. He had a hand around the back of her neck and was running his thumb up and down. Her eyes were about to roll back in her head. Oh, my God! Really people? In the food court?

James’ eyes met mine but he continued to stroke her. He asked, “Yeah, Mica. Why do you put up with Killian?”

Something in his insinuating tone sent a warning bell ringing in the back of my mind, and I absently rubbed my rune. He caught the movement and gave me a chilly smirk. Without taking his eyes off of mine, he leaned over and whispered in Dani’s ear. She blushed hotly and giggled. Unable to look away from the train wreck, I was horrified to see his hand graze the top of her breasts. Instead of slapping his hand or snapping at him, she gazed at him with love in her eyes. Ewww. I was going to puke.

Standing abruptly, I announced, “Hey, gotta go. Duty calls and I have to wrap. Dani, I’ll talk to you later. Be careful driving home.” I disengaged her from James and gave her a very sisterly hug. “Behave yourself!” I hissed with a fake smile.

The sound of raised voices greeted me when I walked through the door. Amused, I stood in the doorway listening as they argued over the best way to kill demons.

Dec’s accent grew stronger as he argued with Sean. I wasn’t even sure they were speaking English at all. He was saying, “…and blowing them up scatters them. You know they can’t bring themselves back together again!”

Sean stood with arms crossed and looked down his nose. “Oh? And if that’s such the best idea then why do we have the silver knives to begin with?”

“Think about it, aye! You can always blow them up if your hands are tied.” He snorted with derision at the thought of relying on a weapon.

Sean’s tone turned a bit surly. “Oh? And at what point would you have your hands tied? It would be the height of stupidity to get tied up.”

I interrupted, “I thought you needed your hands to blow up the demons. Don’t you have to focus the power through your hands?”

“No, sweetheart, you don’t,” Dec confirmed.

As soon as he heard my voice, Sean decided to light a fire in the fireplace. He kept his back turned as he arranged the logs and kindling. Carefully feeding the fire, he took his time as I got more and more suspicious.

“Why do you always look so suspicious?” Dec asked with a grin. “Come on, lass. I’ll help you put away your bags.” Without waiting for an answer, he walked me back out to the porch.

Snow was falling again. Tilting my face skyward, I let it melt on my skin. There was something about the dusty wintery smell of fresh snow settling on the pine trees that made me nostalgic. Christmas was two days away, and I was trying to get excited.

“Can I stand with you?” Dec asked companionably in my ear. At my nod, he wrapped his arms loosely around my waist and stood just behind me. Fingering my locket, I let my eyes glaze over and blur the snowy scene into something magical. The gold warmed my fingers, and I let the vision come to me as it would. I smiled at the sight of Sean laughing down at me from his snowboard. I was flat on my back with the wind knocked out of me. That had been a perfect day with him. Normally so serious, he was free as an eagle on the slopes. I’d wanted to drown in those eyes…as the snowy scene blurred into the farmhouse, Dec’s blond hair filled my vision as he knelt over me holding my head. With gentle fingers, he’d rubbed my temples and reminded me to breathe right after I’d thrown up in the sink. The musical lilt of his voice calmed the kaleidoscope spinning in my head that day and many after. His crooked grin and boyish dimples had stolen my heart from the first moment I’d seen him in the bar. He was a real angel, a miracle…I squeezed his arm and sighed as the vision shifted again.

Mist curled along the creek bank as I turned to watch the sun rise through the trees. The pale light shadowed his face and accentuated the sharp angles. Killian’s eyes lingered on my mouth as he pressed my cold fingers against his lips. A sudden gust of wind scattered the mist and snow replaced it in my mind.

“What’s wrong, darlin’? What did you see?”

Shaken and confused, I struggled to grab onto the vision, but it was gone. I blinked to clear the rest of the fuzziness and stared hard into the trees.

He was out there, somewhere.

Was he alone?

“Let’s go inside. I’m cold.”

The next morning, I had a text message from Dani telling me that she and James were going skiing at Gore Mountain. It wasn’t an invite, exactly, but I wanted it to be. My suggestion that we go boarding for the day was met with mixed reviews. Sean felt the need to point out that we were supposed to go to my parents’ house in the morning, and I was supposed to bring something for Christmas dinner. I hadn’t figured out what to cook and I hadn’t wrapped gifts yet. He was such a downer! I had a feeling Sean and Dec were up to something, but they kept their faces as innocent as two angelic super-secret agents could. Since he didn’t have to cook or wrap, Dec thought a day on the mountain was perfect. Sean was being more practical.

Leaning up on tiptoes, I nibbled on his neck to sway him my direction. “Oh, come on, I have a need for speed…”

A few hours later, we had lift passes and had jumped onto a chairlift. At the top of the trail, Dec stood against the sun and waited for us. He always wore charcoal gray board pants and a gray and white jacket. Like Sean, he kept gloves tucked into a pocket but never wore them. His Oakleys had vivid blue lenses that stood out against his skin. I’d never lose him in a crowd. As we approached the ramp, I was stunned to realize I could see his halo. Blinking against a trick of light, I looked again. There it was. The saol that flowed inside was subtly outlining his body. It was as clear to me as his sunglasses.

“Oh, wow! Sean! Do you see that?” I gripped the sleeve of his jacket and pointed to Dec.

Shaking his head, he said, “I don’t see anything. What’s up?”

My mouth fell open. “You don’t see the halo? It’s clear as day.”

With narrowed eyes, he looked again. “It’s always there. Don’t tell me this is the first time you’ve ever noticed?”

He was truly surprised and lifted his sunglasses to see me better. He had on the same blue Oakleys but wore a black jacket with black pants. The only color was a single red stripe along one arm.

“Do you have any idea how wicked hot you are? I’m such a lucky girl!”

After kissing me until my fingers glowed, he said, “Yep, you’re pretty lucky. I’m a catch in multiple dimensions.”

With that, he lifted the bar and got ready to drop off. At the end of the ride, we both smoothly slid down the ramp and off to the side to strap in. It was gorgeous up here. The sky was grey but no new snow was expected so we could relax and ride. I was waiting to hear back from Dani so we could meet her. In the meantime…Dec and Sean flew past me while I dawdled with my phone. With a loud whoop, Dec was airborne over the drop with Sean on his right.

Oh, no they didn’t!

Like a shot, I was right behind them. The Lies was a black diamond run and we liked to hit it first. The trees blurred greenly as I focused only on staying upright on the vertical trail. Falling at this speed would hurt…a lot. I leaned slightly to turn left onto the Mica trail, for obvious reasons, then another quick turn onto the Open Pit. The guys were slightly ahead of me and didn’t hear me when I screamed.

I tumbled end over end until my board flew off and took my boot with it. When I finally stopped bouncing, my Oakleys were gone, and I was barely conscious. Lying on my back, I opened my eyes to a green sky.

Why is the sky green?

When my brain caught up with things, I realized I was looking at a tree branch and that my leg was probably broken. A now too familiar pain was shooting through my tibia. Well, hell. That’s just great! I started to push myself upright when a voice shouted at me.

“Don’t move! You might have hurt your back or something!” A man leaned into my face and shouted at me. He was very young, probably only 19 or 20. His face was very serious as he scolded me.

“Okay, I’m not deaf. Stop yelling at me. What happened? Did you see what happened?”

Looking around us, he sounded confused too. “Yeah, I was right behind you…it was crazy, dude. Some guy just appeared in the middle of the trail in front of you. I don’t know where he came from. You swerved to go around him and wiped out. It was spectacular! Do you remember hitting that tree? You bounced off and kept going.” He grinned down at me, sharing in my pride. Snowboarders were proud of their wipe outs.

That sounded familiar. The man had been wearing white and yellow. That’s all that registered before I fell. “Where did he go? Did you see him leave?”

Shrugging, he said, “No, sorry. I was more worried about you. It took me a few seconds to stop so I wouldn’t hit you. By the time I looked up again, he was gone. I’m going to go flag down a ski patrol. You’re not walking down this mountain.”

My phone chose that moment to buzz in my pocket, but I couldn’t reach it. “Could you grab my phone for me? Right front pocket.”

“You get a signal up here? How’s that possible? My phone sucks. I never have a signal.” He dug around in my jacket and pulled out the little phone Killian had given me last year. It was a cell phone…and so much more.

Steeling myself against the pain that was rapidly making itself known, I tried to smile at him. “It’s a super-secret agent phone. Cross my heart. Just hand it to me, please. My boyfriend’s on the other end of it.”

He sat back on his heels and waited while I called Sean. We both flinched as Sean’s voice bellowed from the earpiece. I did a whole lot of nodding and said a lot of yesses before he hung up. Feeling evil for deceiving this nice guy, I groaned convincingly and sent him down the mountain in search of a ski patrol person. Thirty seconds after he cleared the trail, Dec and Sean appeared next to me in the trees. Glancing around for witnesses, they both raced over to me.

“What hurts? Tell me so we can get you out of here.”

“I think my leg’s broken again. I don’t know about anything else. I’m kind of numb. Apparently I wrapped myself around a tree or two, so I’m not sure about a concussion.” I stopped Sean’s hand when he was about to pick me up. “Sean, this wasn’t an accident. A guy in a white and yellow jacket appeared out of thin air and disappeared the same way. It had to be James. Get him away from Dani.”

Dec was fuming but busy skimming his hands over my body. Frowning, he said, “Her leg’s definitely broken and I think a rib or two. I’m going to take her to the house so I can check her out. You go find James and Dani and drive the car back.” He gave Sean a reassuring look and added, “Don’t worry, I’ll heal her and if I can’t, I’ll take her to the hospital and text you.”

Sean’s eyebrows went straight up. “You’ll text me? Jesus, Dec. Use your damn telepathy for God’s sake. You’re killing me here.”

Bending over me, he kissed me lightly and said, “I love you. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Hang in there.”

Dec knelt beside me and carefully scooped me into his arms and we vanished into thin air.

“What the hell happened to you?”

Killian’s worried question greeted us as soon as we landed on the living room rug. He sprung up and caught me before my shoulders hit the floor. Dec filled him in while they worked to slide my jacket and board pants off. I had thin under-armor leggings and a turtleneck on under my board clothes and shivered in the cool air.

Domino came in and sat back out of the way. Her eyes watched us as they hovered over me. Once I was situated they went to work on checking me out. All in all, it could’ve been worse. I had several bruises and a separated shoulder. My back, thank God, was unbroken. My ankle was badly twisted and my leg was broken. Fixing my leg hurt a lot. With teeth clenched, Killian held my leg still above the break while Dec pulled it to straighten the pieces of bone. I bit my lip to keep from screaming. As the two pieces of bone slid together, my vision shrank to a thin tunnel and I tasted blood in my mouth.

All business now, Killian used his own energy to boost Dec’s healing power. Feeling nauseous, I closed my eyes while they helped me heal. It didn’t take very long, but I had the strangest sense of déjà vu. We’d done this before…but with all déjà vu moments, I couldn’t decide if it was past or future.

Leave it alone.

The order came from inside my head, and I blinked up at Killian. His eyes were hard, his face carefully blank. I started to reach out to him and hesitated. His eyes softened and he wrapped his big hand around my cold one and rubbed feeling back into it. His hands were scratchy with callouses but hot as he worked on my wrist and arm.

“I think she’s in shock, Dec. Feel how cold she is? Why’s her body temp so low?” The crease between his eyes was back as he tried to warm me up.

“Hmm. That’s odd. She shouldn’t be.” He pressed his lips against my forehead like my mother did to check my temperature.

“I’m fine, mom, really. Stop worrying. I’m just cold. Someone get me a blanket or take me to bed.”

Was it my imagination or did both of them hesitate for a split second when I said that? Killian helped me up, and I swayed against him as a wave of dizziness washed over me. Scooping me up, he headed to my room. Stopping partway down the hall, he listed awkwardly into the wall. He squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in a breath of air. Without warning, the rune on his hand burst into life and mine followed. His face contorted with pain.

“What’s wrong? Put me down; you’re hurt!”

Instead of putting me down, he took a deep breath and staggered the rest of the way to my room. Sweat ran down the side of his face by the time he set me down on the bed. Afraid now, I reached out and tugged on his hand. “Killian! You have to sit down. You’re scaring me.”

“It’s nothing--” he started to say when he suddenly clutched his chest and sagged forward. His fingers grabbed at an invisible blade, fluttered, and then went still. The rune over my heart burned like a brand and I yelled for Dec.

He came running in to see Killian on his knees clutching his chest. “What is it? Demon? James?” His head swiveled as he looked for the enemy.

Killian’s eyes rolled up in his head, and he slid over to his side. Domino galloped into the room and froze in front of him. She pressed her nose against his chest and growled low in her throat. With raised hackles, she looked pointedly at me and then back to Killian.

Fix him.

Puzzled, I gawked at her for a minute until Dec touched my collar with a question in his eyes. I pulled the fabric over so he could see the rune. It was glowing hotly against my skin and stung like crazy.

Thinking hard, he proposed, “You have his blood…so you have his power. You’re an empath…hmm, you’re drawing his pain into that rune.” Running his fingers over my hand, he did the same with Killian’s hand. Both runes glowed…

“Mica, listen to me. This is demonic magic that’s hurting him. He can’t fight it alone. We have to find the demon and destroy his connection. In the meantime, you can help him.”

“Tell me what to do. I’ll do anything.”

Considering the two of us for several seconds, he finally said, “You have to harness his powers to push this demon’s magic away. Do you think you can separate Killian’s powers from yours and focus it back onto Killian?”

I thought about it and considered the words of Michael.

Do not fear the suffering. It is the pain of others that will strengthen you for what you must do.

I didn’t know if that applied here, but he was suffering and I would take his pain as my own if I could. Nodding at Dec once more, I said a short prayer to Raphael hoping he’d lend me a hand. Dec helped me lay Killian on his back and pulled off the t-shirt. There was an angry red mark over his heart. It was the size and shape of a knife wound. It wasn’t an open wound, but more like a scar.

“Hold our two hands together for me. I think it helps.” He did as I asked and waited.

Thinking about how to do this, I had Dec place our joined hands on top of Killian’s heart. Closing my eyes, I waited. Come on, Killian, where are you? There it was. Killian’s heartbeat flowed through our hands and I felt it pulsing over my own heart. My heartbeat slowed to match his strong and steady rhythm.

We were truly connected. Wow.

I smiled in amazement, and Dec looked at me quizzically. Closing my eyes again, I called his magic to me. It lived in my blood, but I didn’t recognize it yet. It wasn’t a part of me. I had to let it come to me on its own.

Come on, it’s okay…come and take over…

Gradually, it bubbled up inside, tentative at first, then building, growing, gaining strength.

That’s it, take over…

Once the floodgates were opened, his power thrummed through my veins, dominating me, enhancing me, making me stronger in every way. It didn’t hurt exactly, but felt like I was stretching out of my own skin. My arms and legs stretched to compensate, my toes curled with the pressure. There wasn’t enough of me to contain it all.

Ignoring the warning signs, I channeled that power through our hands and into Killian’s chest. Whatever lingering evil there paled in comparison to Killian’s ancient power and dissipated steadily.

Killian’s mind had been hidden behind a black wall of pain but as he regained consciousness, his memories surfaced again. Our connection was so tight that I was bombarded with his memories. Before I could pull my mind away, I was swept up in an image of him holding me against his chest as a summer storm raged around us. The crash of lightning echoed in my ears as my tears ran with the rain.

Yanking my mind away, I cracked my eyes to see him looking up at me. Did he see what I saw? Was it just a random memory I stumbled into, or did he want me to see it?

How was it a memory if I didn’t remember it?

Maybe it was just a dream.  Maybe I imagined it…my brain was fuzzy and the wild burst of energy was in free fall. I was about to crash. Exhausted, I glanced at Dec who was staring at me with a hundred questions in his eyes.

“Is he better now?” I asked in a shaky voice. I rubbed my chest and held up bloody fingers.

“Dec, I’ve got this. Leave us for a minute. Please.” Killian was sitting up again with clear eyes. Dec reluctantly left to give us a few minutes of privacy.

Resigned, Killian said, “Sit down, Princess. Let me look at you.”

With gentle hands, he pulled my sticky shirt away to look for the source of the blood. Completely ignoring my cleavage, he focused only on the rune over my heart. There was a ragged tear in the skin underneath it. It had ripped from the inside. He touched the tear with the pad of his finger and it tingled. After a minute, the tingling stopped and the cut was gone.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize this would happen to you,” he said regretfully.

“I’m confused. What’s happened?”

“I’m afraid you’re not strong enough to handle my power and it will hurt you. It could kill you.”

Kill me? Could this day get any worse?

Aloud, I said, “There is no way your powers would kill me. You love me. That love is part of your power over me. It’s our connection. You’d never let me die at your own hand.”

As soon as I said it, I realized that I shouldn’t know that. I broke off and stared at him with new eyes.

Stunned by my words, Killian was speechless. His sudden paleness was the only outward sign of his feelings.

Stuttering with embarrassment, I apologized. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from.”

With a frightening ferocity that I hadn’t seen in years, he yanked me closer and growled into my ear, “You need to forget that for your own good. Do you hear me?” Flinging my hand away from him, he stalked towards the door.

“But why? Why should I forget that?” Angry too, I grabbed his arm and pulled him back to face me. My voice rose until I was yelling again. “Isn’t it true? Am I wrong?”

“Just let it go! Why do you have to push?” With lips clamped shut, he pried my fingers away from his arm.

“Tell me I’m wrong!”

The split second’s hesitation gave him away. He couldn’t deny it but the knowledge didn’t give me any pleasure. Instead, I was more confused than before. How had I missed this? I had no memory of him loving me…

Snatching up my wrist, he pressed the rune against his heart and hissed, “This was a mistake!”

Before I could respond, he whipped out his silver blade and slashed the rune in half. Its twin burned hotly for a second and then faded into a pale white scar.

The connection was broken.

Breathing heavily, he wiped a hand over his eyes and refused to look at me as he wiped my blood from the blade and jammed it into its sheath with a metallic hiss.

“Which one of you plans to explain this to Sean?”

Neither of us heard him come into the room. Dec stood with arms crossed in the doorway. His expression said he’d heard most of the conversation, and judging by the resignation in his eyes, he wasn’t shocked. What did he know?

“Dec, you know this is for her own good. She can’t be tied to both of us. It would be a disaster.” His face softened only slightly and he said to me, “It had to be done. I won’t watch my power destroy you.”

Dec seemed much older as he watched my face while I cradled the rune to my chest. It was still bleeding but I didn’t care. I was in shock over what just happened.

Mute, I stared at Killian’s eyes and wondered what was behind them. What was he thinking? Didn’t I used to know?

Why couldn’t I see now?

I felt oddly adrift as if I’d been cut away from a dock and left without a rudder. I tried to clear my mind and look for him but he wasn’t there.

Where did you go?

Don’t look for me. I won’t let you in.

I don’t understand…what’s going on?

I don’t love you, Mica.

You’re lying.

After that silent exchange, I lifted my chin and said, “Don’t disappear like you always do. The least you can do is open your Christmas present.” I got up to get it and he started to protest.

Dec laid a hand on his arm and ordered in a deadly voice, “Stay here. It’s the least you can do for her.” Under his breath, I thought I heard him say, “I hate this.”

By the time I’d gotten back to the living room, I’d put a Band-Aid on my hand and washed my face. I looked perfectly happy as I made my entrance. With a forced show of Christmas spirit, I sat a tiny wrapped box in front of Killian. I had painted the wrapping paper myself earlier in the year. Each box was unique according my visions of them. Killian’s was covered with tiny white-capped waves cresting in a brilliant blue sea.

He frowned at it.

“You’ve known me for how long now? You should be used to me giving you a present for Christmas. Don’t look so angry about it.” I tried to keep a light tone, but it sounded flat even to me. Dec hissed with frustration and got up to pace.

Instead of opening the box, Killian balanced it on his palm and said quietly, “I don’t deserve this, Princess. Save your thoughtfulness for the others.”

That hurt. Suddenly I was furious at him and snapped, “Who do you think you are? Who are you to tell me who to care about? Am I too stupid to know who’s good and who’s bad now?”

I jabbed a finger towards him and glared at Dec. “You two idiots saved my life more times than I can count. And you want to tell me that you don’t deserve a stupid Christmas present?”

He flinched at the intensity in my voice and possibly the white light that caught fire behind my eyes.

Ever the peacemaker, Dec reached out a calming hand and said, “We don’t think you’re stupid. You’re family! I’d throw myself in front of a bus for you.  I think Killian’s just trying to take a step back and…I think he’s right.” They exchanged a look that spoke volumes. “You can’t be tied to him and Sean both. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

“What aren’t you guys telling me? Why do I feel like I’m missing something?” My voice climbed several decibels.

Killian frowned and said, “I’m really fucking this up.”

For the first time ever, he was at a loss for words and Dec took over. Dec said, “Look, I know what happened between you two was unexpected, and I don’t blame either of you for it, but once we got Sean back it had to end. We all know that.”

“I heard what you just said, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I was drawing a blank. “Are we still talking about the runes?”

Dec whipped around and glared at Killian for several minutes. Killian’s scowl grew deeper and he flushed with anger. Dec threw up his hands and said sarcastically, “Well, that explains a lot.”

To me, he said between clenched teeth, “Yeah, the rune had to go.” He looked like he wanted to shove Killian’s teeth down his throat.

“Uh, okay. You two are keeping secrets from me--again.  I'm too tired to argue about it right now. Will you please just open your present?”

Killian actually smiled a little when he lifted the pendant out of the box. It was a tiny teardrop-shaped glass pendant wrapped in beaten gold braiding. I thought it looked very pagan or at least rustic. The glass was as close as I could get to the color of his eyes. It hung on a thin braided chain of leather with one strand of gold running through it. There were three strands of leather and one strand of gold. I thought it was very symbolic. I had asked the angels to bless it and I hoped they did. Although no one had popped down to tell me they had.

“Do you like it? I made it myself.”

Gruffly, he answered, “It’s great. I don’t know what to say.”

Delighted, I said, “Don’t say anything. Just wear it. It’ll keep you safe.” I came around behind him and closed the clasp. My fingers grazed the fine hair at the nape of his neck, and I had a vivid image of kissing that spot. I froze just as my lips pressed against his skin and he jumped. I backed away from him and into Dec.

“Wow, I don’t know why I just did that. Um, Christmas kiss?”

Holy shit! What was I thinking?

Kissing Killian wasn’t right! But it didn’t feel exactly wrong either. I made a mad dash for the kitchen to cover my embarrassment. I took a few minutes to get us all something to drink and was on my way back into the room when I heard Dec’s voice. He was giving Killian a hard time. It’s wrong to eavesdrop, especially around supernatural beings, but I couldn’t help myself.

“This is going to get worse, you know! You underestimated the strength of her mind.” His warning had an ominous ring to it.

“Damn it! Don’t you think I know that now? I just wanted to shield her. With the added influence of the runes, it would tear her apart. There was too much connecting us, Dec. I had to cut her loose.”

“Yeah, good work! Better late than never, I guess. Do you know how angry she is right now? She doesn’t even understand why she’s angry, but that anger is influencing her powers and that’s scaring her to death. She has got to understand the source of her anger so she can get control of these powers. Do you know why she’s angry? It’s because of you.”

“What are you getting at?” Killian asked tiredly.

Before he could answer, the sound of the garage door announced that Sean was back. Thank God. My brain needed something uncomplicated to focus on.  I met him in the kitchen just as he came through the side door. His expression was unguarded as he entered the room. He looked tired but other than that, not especially upset. Good sign.

Wrapping my arms around him, I said with a smile, “Merry Christmas!”

“Isn’t it early for that still? It’s not that late, is it?” He sounded a little distracted but hugged me back. “Are you okay?” He glanced down at my leg.

“I’m fine now, just a little ache in my shin. I’m so glad to see you! Did you find James and Dani? Are you freezing?”

He raised an eyebrow at the question. Of course, he’s not freezing! Duh! “Uh, no, I’m fine. But I’ll grab a beer and fill you in. Is that Killian?” Voices were drifting into the room, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Sean would be able to though.

I yelled a warning. “Killian, Dec! Sean’s back.” Then I followed him into the living room.

“So, what happened?” I prodded.

His mouth twisted into a sardonic smile and he complained around the bottle top. “It was a wild goose chase. I never saw Dani and I followed James from one point to another but he never stayed long enough for me to grab him. It’s like a freakin’ game to him.” He drained the bottle and added, “I’m going to strangle him when I finally catch him.” He said it lightly, but there was an underlying resolve that raised goose bumps on my arms.

“I’m still worried about Dani. What does he want with her?”

It was Dec who answered me. “There’s only one way to find out.”

Rolling my eyes, I caved. “I’ll bite. How do we find out?”

Sean winked at me. “Ask him, of course.”

Ignoring their silliness, I sent Dani a text message and worried some more. I sat lost in thought until someone turned on the stereo and “Silent Night” broke the silent night. I hadn’t noticed but the sun had set and it was dark outside. Except for a bright glowing light…

With a whoop of complete abandon, I skidded through the hallway and out the front door to the winter wonderland that the window only hinted at. Turning around in a circle I was enthralled by the transformation. Some elves had hung white lights from the porch and the little pine trees around the house. There was a golden angel with a lighted halo on the front door. The plastic angel was so cheesy it brought tears to my eyes. It was such a sweet gesture though and my heart nearly burst with joy.

I loved my elves!

“You’ve a glory of a smile, love.” Sean’s smile was brighter than the lights when he crossed to my side. “Merry Christmas, Mica.” He kissed me and I thought I’d never be happier.

I looked for Dec and Killian, but they were standing on the porch giving us some space. Both laughed at me when I broke away from Sean and threw myself down to make a snow angel.

“Come on! You know you want to!” I challenged.

When they resisted, I threw snowballs at them. Eventually, they had to fight back and chased me around the yard. Dec finally tackled me and shoved a handful of snow down the back of my neck. Screaming with the cold, I broke into helpless giggles when he rubbed more snow in my face.  He stopped when Sean and Killian squatted on either side of me and began discussing the best way to turn him into a snow angel for torturing me.

Finding the idea of any of them turning into a snow angel hilarious, I broke into fresh giggles until I had to stop to breathe. Then I thought about the old saying about eating yellow snow and broke into giggles again.

Killian held out a hand and pulled me up. “You look happy, Princess.” He actually gave me a very chaste kiss on the cheek and added, “You deserve some fun. Merry Christmas.”

“Wait! Are you leaving?”

He stopped and turned back.

“Now?”

“I have things to do, babe.” He shrugged casually at that.

“But…” I glanced at Sean for help. “You can’t go now. It’s Christmas Eve. Tomorrow’s Christmas!”

He hesitated but his mind was made up. He shook his head and said, “This is your holiday, remember? It’s not mine. You have a full day tomorrow anyway. You won’t even be here.”

“Yeah, but…”

I had nothing to say that would convince him to stay. He was old enough to make up his mind and do whatever he wanted on Christmas. It wasn’t up to me to tell him what to do. I just didn’t want to think of Killian alone on Christmas. It made me sad to think of him alone.

“But you’ll be alone.”

He grinned wickedly and said, “Maybe I’ll have Lara keep me company.”

Chapter 19: Many Kinds of Gifts

I AWOKE SLOWLY out of a dream in the darkness right before dawn. With one arm under my cheek and the other tucked into his side, I was curled against a very warm Sean. Peering up at his face, I was surprised to find his eyes open and staring at the ceiling. Noticing the change in my breathing, he looked down at me and his mouth curled into a sleepy smile. Shifting positions, he tucked me back against him and sighed contentedly. Neither of us wanted to get up, and I dozed off again. The dream gradually took shape as my mind drifted into unconsciousness once more.

I was walking along a rocky coast with the sun rising behind me. My shadow was long and thin as it stretched out across the grass. The waves lapped gently against the shore below me and I breathed in the salty air. It was peaceful and lovely here. A person perched at the edge of the cliff in front of me. As the light grew brighter, I recognized the curve of a woman’s body. She turned around and proudly held up a small baby wrapped in a blanket. The baby’s blue eyes regarded me with curiosity and my heart contracted in recognition. The woman smiled serenely at me and told me I was very lucky because the baby was perfect.

The woman was me.

“Hey you, wake up. You’re dreaming.” Sean’s voice was warm and mellow in my ear. He hooked a finger into my bodice and peered interestedly into my nightgown. I felt him smile against my shoulder and smiled in response.

“It was a good dream. Do you want to hear it?” I asked softly enjoying the warmth of his skin sliding against mine.

He rubbed his scratchy chin against my shoulder as a ‘yes.’ I pulled his fingers into mine and kissed them. I murmured happily, “I had a baby and it was beautiful.”

“Did you happen to see the father?” His laughter abruptly turned into a whoosh of air when my elbow connected to his diaphragm. “I’m kidding! Really!” He was still laughing.

Leaning over him with a pillow, I threatened, “You might get smacked with this if you crack another joke like that!” I tried to keep a straight face, but couldn’t help laughing too.

“Okay, okay. You win. No more unwed-mother jokes.” He yanked the pillow away from me, pinned my hands to my side and said seriously, “You’ll be a great mother, love. You’re a natural.” With a sexy grin, he suggested, “Shall we practice the baby-making part? Maybe if I get this part right, you’ll let me be the father.”

As the sun rose on another Christmas, I sent a grateful prayer to God and his angels. If ever a life was perfect, mine was. With Sean’s fingers linked through mine, I closed my eyes and let his timeless magic sweep me away.

A knock at the door woke me up for the third time this morning.  I sat up and nudged Sean, who was sleeping like the dead. Instantly alert, he sat up and scanned the room for intruders. I smothered a grin at his fierce expression and he frowned at me. The knock came again and this time Dec yelled through the door.

“Hey! It’s late. Don’t we have to be there in, like, 10 minutes? It’s 9:15.”

We were so late! My dad was going to kill us. Bounding out of bed, I did a drive-by shower and yanked my hair into a clip. While slapping on some mascara so I wouldn’t scare any small children, I realized I’d need a turtleneck to cover the tiny bruises on my neck. I went weak in the knees when the vivid image of exactly how I got them flashed in my head. Mm, I so wanted to go back to bed…I think my eyes actually rolled back in my head.

“Can I come in or are you planning to daydream all morning?” Sean’s amused tone matched his grin as he watched my face in the mirror.

I made him laugh out loud when I pulled him against me and kissed him. By the time I let him up for air, I was visibly glowing around my fingertips.

“Sweetheart, if you do that again, we’re skipping Christmas!” Shoving me out of the bathroom, he said, “Finish getting ready so your parents don’t kill us.”

A few minutes later, we were in the car heading down the snowy road. Dec was still chuckling every few seconds and I turned around and gave him a dirty look.

“Do you mind?”

Throwing his hands up, he said, “Don’t yell at me! I’m not the one who’s glowing.” He playfully smacked me on the head and scolded me, “I thought you had that under control? Wait a minute. You did.” Peering intently into my eyes, he said, “You’re letting your control slip again. What’s in your head that caused you to let your guard down?”

I flushed scarlet and glanced guiltily at Sean. Sean, the jerk, just smirked and winked at Dec.

Deciding that honesty was the best policy, I said, “Sean is in my head, Dec. I woke up this morning and realized my life is perfect. Besides the fact that I love him, something crazy happens when he touches me.” Both of their mouths dropped open at that. Dec flushed and looked away from me with a sound of dismissal.

Enjoying embarrassing him, I continued in a seductive tone, “His mouth, his hands, his scent consume me until I can’t think of anything else.” I leaned over and kissed Sean on the cheek. “Do you want to pull over?”

Bursting into laughter, he nearly swerved off the road. I yelped and grabbed for the armrest. He was still grinning at me when we pulled into my parents’ driveway. Jumping out, I pulled Dec over and told him to stop scowling. He tried to resist but scowling was against his nature, and by the time we got to the door, he was smiling again. Domino ran ahead of us and barked for admission.

It was Trevor who met us at the door. His eyes were a little unfocused as the Christmas morning sugar rush had already kicked in. Chattering like a squirrel, he led us into the den. The whole family was sitting in there with the tree and a mountain of wrapped presents. Dad and Janet rose to greet us and fussed over our lateness. I smothered a snarky comment at my dad’s traditional Santa sweatshirt. This one showed Santa drinking a beer though, so it was a step closer to cool. As soon as he caught sight of the guys, he pulled the furry Santa hat off his head though. Guess he knew that was WAY not cool!

Dad raised a paternal eyebrow at Sean and Dec. “I see you’re still hanging around. Well, come on in and make yourselves comfortable. This usually takes a while.” He waved a nonchalant hand in the general direction of the mountain of presents.

Janet spoke up. “Honey, that’s no way to greet Sean. Where are your manners?” She gave both Sean and Dec a light hug and a kiss on the cheek as a greeting. “Why haven’t we met you before?” She addressed Dec with a warm smile and assessing eyes. Women just couldn’t resist him. He was yummy to women of every age. I resisted the urge to grin.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Janet, Dad, this is Sean’s brother, Declan. He shares the house with us.”

That was our cover for anyone who needed to meet them. Killian was also a brother, but I wasn’t sure my dad would let him in the house. Probably it was a good thing he wasn’t with us today. Everyone liked Dec though, angelic-mood-altering powers notwithstanding, he was just a nice guy.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas music played in the background as the time-honored tradition of passing out gifts began. Dad reigned as our Santa Claus and doled them out one at a time. Each person got a gift and we all watched as they were opened. The twins had taken one look at Dec and flanked him immediately. He treated them with a courtly deference and helped them with their wrapping paper. Completely unable to help themselves, they giggled at everything he said. I rolled my eyes at him when I noticed his Irish accent had mysteriously deepened as he told funny stories of Christmas in Ireland. I wondered how many were true…

Sean whispered behind his hand, “He was a bard in a former life.”

“Really?”

Huh, a bard? I considered Dec with thoughtful eyes. That would certainly explain a lot.

Digging into my bag, I drew out two tiny wrapped boxes. One box was decorated with tiny golden halos on blue paper and the other was covered with tiny sail boats. I commandeered Dec from my sisters and handed him one of the boxes. He whooped with exaggerated excitement that made the girls giggle.

Aside to them he said, “Your sister gives the best presents.” To me, he said, “Can I open it or do I have to wait for Sean.”

Sean was running a fingertip across the paper. “Tell me you didn’t paint this?” he asked with a little bit of awe in his voice.

I blushed and nodded. “Guilty. I also made what’s inside. Go on, open them. I can’t stand it.”

They opened the paper and pulled out the identical braided wristbands I’d made them. The single strand of gold wire gleamed between three strips of soft leather. In the center was a blue glass teardrop wrapped with strands of beaten gold. The three strands of gold curled under and around the glass to hold and protect it. The symbolism was obvious to them. Dec crossed over to me and knelt beside me.

“It’s perfect. I love it. Can you put it on me now?” He held out his wrist, and I slipped it over his tanned skin and slid the clasp to tighten it. The blue glass winked in the lights from the Christmas tree.

“Merry Christmas, partner.”  There was just the slightest little catch in my voice.

I think he forgot we had an audience then. With his usual sensitivity, he wrapped one of his big hands around the back of my head and kissed me on the forehead. “Merry Christmas, darlin’.”

His eyes held mine as he acknowledged our history that made up those bonds of leather and gold. A tear threatened to slip down my cheek and he wiped it with the pad of his thumb.

My dad cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. “I’m confused. Which one are you dating, Mica?” Pale blue eyes twinkled as he bit down on a grin.

“Geez, Dad. We’ve been through a lot together. Dec’s a little sentimental.” Dec displayed his best angelic smile, and my dad stopped grumbling about weirdness.

Sean held out his own wrist and said, “My turn.”

After slipping the clasp closed, I dawdled a bit with my fingers on the stone. I wanted to say something more, but we had an avid audience that wasn’t privy to our magical leanings. Instead, I winked at him.

“I think you’ve outdone yourself this year. It’s perfect.”

Happy with my success, I leaned back against his side and watched the kids open the rest of their gifts. As the gifts dwindled to the remaining few, Sean draped his arm around my waist, and I snuggled into his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head and Abby squealed with delight. Winking at her, Sean kissed me again and then held out his hand. Barely controlling waves of giggles, Abby ceremoniously presented a small golden box to Sean. Conversation faded out and everyone stared at us.

Turning to face me, Sean held out the box in one hand. With the other, he lifted my chin so I was looking into his eyes. He said formally, “Four years ago I looked into your eyes and found my heart. You’ve been wearing it around your neck for two years.” He stroked the locket and it picked up his heartbeat.

Dec sucked in his breath. I stopped breathing completely.

“Today, I offer you the rest of me.” Without breaking eye contact, he opened the tiny box to reveal a twisted gold band with a pair of glittering blue stones at the center. “Will you take me?”

I could barely see through the tears as I looked from the beautiful ring to the serious, beautiful face of the one who offered it to me. His eyes were grave as they searched mine. He wasn’t just offering marriage; he was offering his love, his life, and his soul.  With shaking fingers, I took the ring out of the box and held it to my lips as if I could feel the two tiny souls that I knew made up those stones.

Breathless, I whispered, “Yes, I will take all that you offer.”

With perfectly steady hands, he slid the ring onto my finger and pressed my hand against his lips. With closed eyes, he sighed with relief and then lifted my face for a kiss. It was a chaste kiss to seal our commitment.

“I love you,” he whispered against my ear, bringing a rush of color to my pale face.

“I love you, too,” I said with a sappy smile.

The silence was absolute for about a minute as the whole family sat spellbound. It was Dec who finally broke it. In a bit of a daze, he pulled me up into his arms and held me tightly against him. The gesture was oddly intense. In tune to him already, I recognized the energy thrumming through his muscles as his arms held me against him. He was shaking with the effort to control his power. I had the feeling he was clinging to me to keep from snapping. His face was deadly serious when he looked down into mine.

Alarmed, I whispered, “You’re crushing me! What’s wrong?”

He whispered harshly, “All hell is about to break loose. We have to go. Make excuses.” Then he smiled hugely for the benefit of my family, and added under his breath, “You have no idea what you two have just done. But I like it!”

I smiled at him and ordered between my teeth, “You’re vibrating. Take it down a notch.”

Sucking in a deep breath, he hugged me again and I felt him relax ever so slightly. At least his eyes weren’t glowing. By the time he turned away, he was visibly calmer and made an excuse to go to the kitchen for a minute.

Dad cleared his throat and reached out to shake Sean’s hand. He assessed Sean with a grudging new respect. “That was nicely done, Sean. I guess you can’t be that bad if you love my daughter that much. Welcome to the family.” He cleared his throat again and gave me a hug. “You’d better be good to her or I’ll hunt you down myself.”

Sean’s eyebrows went straight up at that, and he struggled to keep a straight face. With as much gravity as he could manage, he assured my dad I was in good hands. “I can promise you she will be safer with me than with anyone else. I’ll be good to her.”

Janet and the girls were wiping tears from their eyes and blowing their noses. Janet was awestruck by Sean’s proposal and kept saying it was the sweetest thing she’d ever heard. The girls clustered around Sean and Dec like little blond butterflies. Dec’s face was kind as he teased them, but he caught my eye and motioned to the door. Sean gave me that look and I knew we had to go for now. Something bad was definitely up.

“Janet, Dad, we’re going to run for a bit. We promised one of Sean’s cousins that we’d come for a visit this morning. We’ll see you later though.”

Although they protested us leaving early, they bought my excuse and sent us away with our gifts and congratulations.

As soon as we got into the car, the two guys immediately switched into soldier-mode. I was aware of the change, but didn’t want to leave my bubble of complete joy. The twin stones sparkled in the sunlight, and I tilted my hand this way and that to catch the light.

Sean’s tone was regretful when he interrupted me, “Babe? I hate to do this to you, but we’re going to need your help. Can we get you to focus for now?” He reached over and squeezed my hand.

With a huge overburdened sigh, I said, “I know, I know. I can’t marry you if I’m dead!”

Dec drove as fast as possible on the way to the farmhouse. The roads were cleared so he wasn’t worried about sliding into a ditch. Apparently Dagin was sending a team in retaliation for Dec and James taking out some of his crew a few days ago. Killian had picked up chatter during his search for Sgaine Dutre and sent a message to Dec and Sean. Since Sean’s mind had been completely focused on me, it evidently went straight to telepathic voice mail. Good thing Dec was paying attention…

Facing a team of thugs ought to be a piece of cake for the three of us, but Sean was worried about the numbers. If there were too many demons, we’d get overwhelmed. He didn’t like the odds. His face was grim as he walked me through our options. The more we planned, the more pissed it made me. It was freakin’ Christmas for God’s sake! I just got engaged! There had to be some kind of waiting period for demon attacks around major life events. I was going to bring this up the next time I saw Alex. Growling under my breath, I mentally catalogued my weapons.

“Sean, don’t worry about me. My runes will protect me from demons, remember? They can’t touch me.”

He frowned and pointed out that I was missing half the rune on my hand now. My heart sank. I had thought I’d be protected. Why would Killian strip my protection? Did he even realize what he’d done? Maybe the rune still worked to protect me, but didn’t connect me to Killian’s powers? I mentioned the theory and both guys considered it.

Dec said, “That might be true, but I don’t want to make that assumption. Stay away from them. Kill them before they can touch you and don’t underestimate them. Demons can come out of thin air and get you from behind. Keep Domino at your back. Don’t rely on walls either. They can come through them.”

Gee, that’s a cheery thought. I was getting less happy by the minute. By the time we pulled into the driveway, I was ready to blow up the first demon that showed its ugly face. Before going inside, I took a minute to see if I could sense anyone on the property. Nothing popped up on my psychic radar. It was clear for now. We had about 40 minutes to get ready. We knew the routine and split up as soon as we hit the front door. In our bedroom, Sean methodically changed into his commando gear and loaded his guns. Without a word, he added extra magazines to his pockets and slipped on his knives. He had the Primani blade sheathed on one side and a wicked-looking military blade on the other. He nodded with approval when I came out dressed like him. I had my mic attached too and slipped in the earpiece. Domino paced by the window with her nose in the air sniffing for anything odd. I bent down and hugged her against me.

“I love you, girl. Be careful, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Sean ruffled her fur and patted her rump affectionately. “Okay, Princess, you take good care of your momma. Mica is your only priority. Do you hear me?”

She pricked up her ears and rolled her eyes. Isn’t she always?

With that order, we met Dec in the living room. We split up to check the doors and windows. Yep, all unlocked; no sense in locking them. The humans would break them to get inside if we did. We wanted it to be easy for them today. Cell phones were turned to silent mode and we tested our headsets. Everything worked. We were as ready as we’d ever be. It was time to get into position. With one last glance at us, Dec vanished.

I knelt and scooped up Domino tensing as Sean wrapped his arms around us both. Instantly, the three of us were in the trees at the edge of the property. In anticipation of an attack like this, we’d built several natural-looking blinds, like hunters used, on the corners of the property.  This one looked like a brushy pile of overgrown blackberry canes; the second one looked like a pile of firewood, and the other like a tangle of grapevines choking a sycamore tree. I was pretty impressed with the job we’d done. You couldn’t see them in the summer or winter. Domino and I squeezed inside, and I adjusted the slits I used for my rifle. After checking that I had everything I’d need, Sean patted Domino one more time and pulled me against him for a hard kiss.

“Listen to me now. If you get any face time with these freaks, tell us on your mic. Do not, and I mean this, do not think you can handle these demons on your own. If they spot you, you’re a target they’ll take out.” He shook my shoulders gently. “Do you understand me? Don’t get cocky!”

“Don’t worry. I’m okay. You let me know what’s happening though. I freak out if it’s too quiet. I need to hear you. Promise me?”

“Promise. Okay, I have to go. Keep your gun down and don’t fire unless you’re sure you can hit them.” With that, he left.

I whispered for Dec and he hummed softly in my earpiece. Reassured, I hummed the next line. It was an old Irish folk song he’d taught me on one of our endless stakeouts. I closed my eyes and searched for incoming.  My main job was to search for targets and use remote viewing to see what they were doing inside the house. The guys would pick them off one at a time.

“Show time! I’m picking up four humans coming in from the east side.” That was Sean’s area.

“Two more pulling into the driveway. Wow, that’s bold.” That’s my area. I could see the driveway and the road in front of the house.

The sound of shattering glass startled me and I hissed into the mic, “Freakin’ demon just broke my mirror! It was an antique! Someone kill him before he breaks anything else.” Carefully watching the house, I said, “Three demons just popped into the second floor, going room to room. They’re dressed like people. The one in our room’s wearing a Devils jersey, the biggest one’s got a black leather jacket on, and the third idiot’s wearing a ski mask.”  I snorted and added, “Moron.”

Sean whispered, “I’ve got eyes on the four. They’re fanning out and going around to the back door. Probably split up and take the back porch and basement. I’m ready. Mica, where are they now?”

“Two at the back porch and one out of view now. He’s going to the basement. The third is hovering at the corner of the porch on my side.”

“I’m gone,” Sean said.

As I watched, he reappeared behind the two near the back door, and with two quick thrusts of his knives, they crumbled silently into the snow. Without blinking, he grabbed their collars and vanished. I wondered where he dumped their bodies. In another second, Sean was back and surprised the thug in the basement. He’d been foolish enough to consider the unlocked door an invitation rather than a trap. He was partway into the room when Sean rematerialized behind him. Without hesitation, he slid the blade into his kidney and vanished with him.

“Dec, you’ve got the other two. One’s in the kitchen tearing apart the pantry. Get him before he destroys everything.”

“Gone.”

He caught the guy by surprise too. Wrapping his hand over the guy’s face, he twisted his neck until it snapped. No blood, no mess. I liked the way he was thinking. After all, I usually ended up with the bleach.

“Watch out! Company in the hallway…uh, two demons.”

Dec whirled around just as they rounded the corner and came within eye shot. Using the element of surprise, Dec raised his hand and blew up the Devils fan. His partner had a split second to react and fired a shot at Dec. The fireball went wide and set the curtains on fire. Damn it!

“Sean! The house is on fire!”

“What? Where?”

“The kitchen’s on fire!” I looked down at the dog and growled in frustration. She growled back in sympathy. “Ski Mask is running to the kitchen.”

Dec and the demon in the leather jacket were close enough to smell each other now and Dec palmed his Primani blade. Crouched to spring, he passed the knife from hand to hand and taunted the demon.

Leather Jacket grinned confidently and pulled out his own blade. It was black and glittered dully in the firelight. Come and get me, he seemed to say.  Moving closer to him, Dec smiled wickedly and the demon backed away. The demon was still wearing his human façade, but it was crumbling with the stress of fighting. Part of his face had melted away to show the black scales underneath. His eyes were yellow and narrowed in concentration as he feinted to the left. With lethal precision, Dec lunged and buried the knife in his abdomen. Shoving it upwards, he snarled in the demon’s face and yanked the knife out. With a gasp of pain, the demon collapsed and dissolved into ash.

Sean rematerialized behind him and managed to rip the curtain down into the sink and turn on the water. Smoke filled the room reducing the images to shadows. This wasn’t good.

Where was that third demon?

Methodically, I searched every room but he wasn’t there. Domino growled softly in warning. I dragged my eyes back to the yard in front of me.

“We’ve got a runner! He’s going for the car. I’ve got him.” I slid the barrel of my rifle out of a slit and watched him through the sight. In a blind panic, he scrambled for the car, his shotgun bouncing against his back.

Sorry, dude. No witnesses allowed.

I rested my finger on the trigger and exhaled slowly.

You’ve got to go.

He fell over like he’d been hit by a baseball bat. Pulling the rifle back into its hiding place, I quickly looked around for company. No one popped up in the yard so I closed my eyes again and searched that way. We were still short one demon and one human. I’d counted them and two weren’t accounted for.

“Nice shot,” Sean said in my ear. He clapped his hand over my mouth to keep me from yelping.

“Jesus! You scared the hell out of me! I could’ve killed you!” I nudged his thigh with the tip of the knife I’d been holding.

Smirking, he said agreeably, “You could’ve tried. Where’s the other human?”

“I lost him. I can’t see him anymore.”

“I’ll go look around. Stay here for now and keep watching. There may be more on the way.” He stopped just long enough to kiss me again before vanishing.

“I thought he’d never leave,” a sarcastic voice said outside the blind. “You might as well come out, girl. We’ve got you covered and we could always just shoot you from here.”

Domino growled and alerted. Well, well, our missing trespassers. Obviously, they had no idea how much I wanted to kill a demon right now or they’d be bothering someone else. After making sure my mic was on, I palmed my knife in my left hand and gripped my Sig in my right.

“Oh, I’m so scared!” I muttered snidely into the mic. “Idiots.”

Brazenly throwing open the door, I leveled the Sig at the human and shot him in the chest before he could twitch. His gun fell out of his lifeless fingers and hit the ground. His body followed. The demon lunged for me at the same time Domino threw herself in front of me. She bit his leg and he howled in agony. Smoke curled from the bite marks and Domino spit demon skin into the snow.

“Do you have a name, demon? I’d like to know who I’m about to vaporize.”

Instead of answering me, he laughed softly. It was an evil sound that made my skin crawl. I looked closer at his face, watching in horror as it shifted and morphed into someone eerily familiar to me. It was the eyes…they weren’t reptilian or yellow.

They were ocean blue as they pinned me in place.

No, no, no. It could not be.

He smiled easily and I backed up a step. The smile was the same.

No. It wasn’t possible. Not here, not now.

Then he started to talk, his voice making my heart pound. It was his, but not his. “Oh, come on, darlin’, aren’t you glad to see me again?”

The silky tones froze me in place and I started to panic. I couldn’t fight him! I wasn’t strong enough before; I wasn’t any stronger now.

He said, “I’m happy to see you. I’ve missed our time together.”

Domino still growled and snarled but was confused by his appearance. He’d morphed completely into an exact copy of Sean. He smiled down at the dog and she hesitated. Lowering her tail, she glanced at me, unsure. He took advantage of her distraction and kicked her hard in the ribs. She cried out in pain and landed several feet away in the snow. With a whimper, she lay still.

He turned to me and I couldn’t move. I stood there holding the knife in my hand but was unwilling to use it. My brain screamed at me to run, to fight, to scream, to do something. Instead of moving, I was paralyzed by my fear as wave after wave of memories crashed over me. He laughed obscenely and plucked the knife out of my hand. Then he pulled my arm behind my back until it snapped. I tried to scream but my voice was gone. Instead, I could only stare at him as he smiled lovingly into my eyes and broke my finger.

“I’m going to kill you this time and there’s no one to save you. Your Primani are being occupied at the moment. Oh, they’ll come back here looking for you in a bit. Sadly, it’ll be too late. You’ll be dead and I’ll be gone.”

He kissed my neck and broke another finger. I bit my lip and tried to recoil from him…from Sean’s face. His voice went on and on, but I retreated into my head where he couldn’t touch me. I huddled inside my mental room and prayed for a miracle.

Michael, Raphael? Someone? Anyone? Help me! Killian? I can’t fix this. He’s too strong. I can’t move. He’s breaking me into pieces…

Enraged at my lack of response, he slapped my face and yelled at me. From a distance, I saw his eyes change to slits as his mask slipped. Sean’s eyes were gone…that was better. I started to black out when someone spoke sharply to me. It was Raphael.

Mica! Pay attention!

He is the target of your anger. You know this! Don't hide from him. You have Killian’s powers. You must use them now or you will never be free of this demon.

No, I can’t. I can’t even move, I thought, cringing further into the little room.

Yes, you can! Use Killian’s powers!

Rough fingers jerked my chin up and he slapped me again. “Wake up, bitch! I’m almost done. You don’t want to miss the finale.”

He was running out of patience with me. I was running out of fingers. I needed to make a decision. Could I use Killian’s powers? I pictured Killian’s face and knew he’d kill me himself if I didn’t at least try to defend myself. He’d know that I gave up and let this monster destroy me. Somehow, he’d know and he’d be furious. Did his anger matter to me? No, but his sacrifice mattered. He’d given me his blood to protect me. He’d given me his powers, too. But he’d taken them away…

Would it still work?

With great effort, I forced myself out of the little room that protected me and faced my demon head on. It helped that his eyes weren’t Sean’s anymore. The face was the same though and he smiled the same sexy smile that normally turned me into Jell-O. A rush of hatred curled up from my gut. I was just about sick of these games. I took inventory of my body. I thought my nose was broken and at least six of my fingers. My arm was broken again and my eye was swollen shut.

The bastard thought it was funny. He thought it was a game. Let’s see how long we can play with the stupid human before we kill her. Dressing up like Sean was just sick. That was seriously twisted and cruel. Raphael had to be right, didn’t he? If he was, I could stop this.

I was helpless once before, but things were different now.

I had a little help from Killian…

He ranted and raved while I stoked the white fire deep inside of me. I called to Killian's powers like I did before and felt them bubble through my blood.

Come to me.  Take over and make me stronger. Hurry!

The power had come slowly before, but this time it rushed to fill my veins. Surging into my muscles, it flowed like a tsunami into my heart.  My broken fingers vibrated even through the pain as the energy turned into raw power.  My vision went white and I saw clearly what was under the mask. He was hideous. Black scales covered sharp angular features.

He was nothing like my Sean.

Nothing like him!

His flimsy mask could never replace the real Sean. I embraced my rage and let it overwhelm me for once.

In a voice I didn’t recognize, I snarled, “You’re not him! You’ll never be him.”

Stunned, he stared stupidly at my mouth.

I felt his puppet-master control slipping and very deliberately raised my hand. He struggled to hold me in place, but I was stronger than him. With a slow smile, I raised one hand and then the other. He didn’t back away but he hesitated.

He should’ve run.

“I’ve had enough of you!” I blew off one of his arms. It landed without a sound in the snow. “You think you can tear me to pieces? You filthy piece of garbage!”

I blew off his hand.

His mind was racing as he tried to control me. He was still arrogant enough to think he would win this. After all, he could grow another body.

Advancing on him, I purred, “There won’t be enough of you left to squeeze into another body by the time I’m done with you.”

He took a step back and I raised my hand. He jerked to a stop like he’d backed into a wall. Terrified, he could only stare at me while his human mask crumbled away.

“Uh-oh! It looks like somebody can’t move.”

Thanks, Killian!

With laser precision, I sliced off one piece at a time while cataloguing all of the horrors he’d put me through. “…and this is for breaking my nose. And this is for marking me. And this is for breaking my leg.”

Off went his nose, his shoulder, his leg...Oh, yes! This felt great!

After working my way through all of the things he’d done to me, I was panting with the effort of controlling the power that was raging through me. I was burning hot and my eyes felt molten. I was dangerously hot and needed to wrap this up. What was left of the demon lay on the ground staring up at me with resignation in his eyes. I almost felt sorry for him, for just a second. Almost.

Until I remembered his worst offense.

“And this is for dressing up like Sean and trying to seduce me.” I sliced him in half where his penis would be, if he had one. “You sick bastard.”

I wiped my hands on my pants, and said cheerfully, “Well, now. I feel a lot better.”

And with one final burst of power, he disintegrated into smoke.

Okay, now I was really hot. I sat down in the snow and rubbed a handful over my face and eyes. Of course it melted promptly, but it did cool me down. I did what Dec told me and closed my eyes and forced my temperature down. Once I wasn’t the same temperature as a road flare, I took a deep breath and stood up. I had to find Domino. With this thought in mind, I turned around to look for her. There in the trees were Sean and Dec.

Dec raised his hand in greeting and said, “Uh, nice work, Carrie!” Sean elbowed him in warning and he said innocently, “What? Did you see what she just did?”

“Where’s Domino? Have you seen her?” I didn’t have time for Stephen King humor.

“She’s alive. We just checked on her.”

“My poor baby!” I crossed to her and kissed her little face. She whimpered and licked my hand. “She’s hurt though. Give her to me.”

I still had Killian’s power running unchecked through me, but more importantly, I had the gift that Raphael had given me. Cradling her against me, I gave my fierce little warrior the last of my saol.

Suddenly drained, I sat down heavily. My legs just wouldn’t hold me up. Sean scooped me up and brought me into the house. I was a bloody mess again, so he sat me on a blanket to keep the couch clean.

I started to tell them what was broken and Sean held up a hand. His eyes glittered as he said, “Baby, I heard you down there. I know what’s broken.” Shaking with the force of his own fury, he struggled for calm. “I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me what he did to you?”

Shrugging tiredly, I said, “It would’ve just hurt you and there’s nothing you could’ve done. He used you like a weapon to torture me. He tried to make me forget he wasn’t you and…he was very convincing…He seemed so real to me. He’d hurt me and then try to seduce me to make the pain stop.  It was cruel…but I had a plan of my own. I retreated inside my head to hide from his seduction.”

The demon’s face swam in front of me and I shied away from the reminder. Shoving the image out of my head, I said fiercely,” I wouldn’t let him use you that way! If I’d let him touch me like that…” I left the thought unfinished and glanced down at my engagement ring. A lump in my throat nearly strangled me. Needing to feel him, I curled against his chest.

“God, it would’ve destroyed me. I’d never be able to love you again. Every time I looked at you, I would see him. I knew that. He knew that, too. That’s what he wanted. It was a game to him…So whenever I retreated, he broke something.”

“He never…forced you?” he asked in a calmer tone. Calm was relative at this point. He wasn’t about to go nuclear now though. That was better.

Shuddering at how close it had been, I said, “No, he didn’t. Apparently he wanted me conscious.” I tried to laugh but it sounded off. “I was unconscious a lot. You saw how many broken bones I had?”

Dec said, “That’s not funny, Mica! Don’t ever joke about this.” He took my broken fingers in his and healed them with tears of his own running down his face.

I sniffed and smiled. “We’re a mess. Look at us.”

Both guys sniffed and grumbled. Sean said, “I’d say the one person we love more than anyone being sadistically tortured and then having to kill the monster is a pretty good reason to be emotional. Don’t worry, it won’t happen next until we get married and then when we have our first beautiful baby. I get to cry then, right?”

“Absolutely.” I smiled tiredly at them both. “Do I have time for a nap before we go to dinner?”

“You still want to go out? Are you sure?”

“Are you kidding? It’s Christmas!”

Chapter 20: And the Plot Thickens

“SO, YOUR DAD STILL doesn’t like me?” Sean scanned the price tag on the mirror and stuck it in the cart. He seemed irritated with this latest revelation about my family. Not that I could blame him, really. He’d been the perfect boyfriend and now fiancé. My dad just had no idea how many times he’d kept me alive…

I tried not to smile because I knew he was frustrated. To kill that urge, I pretended interest in the shelf of assorted nails and screws. Picking up a box that seemed to be the right size, I held it up for his inspection. I had no idea how nails worked…he took the box and tossed it into the cart.

“Well, it’s just that they don’t seem to remember how long we’ve known each other. It’s some kind of weird parental denial mechanism, I think. For some reason, they keep thinking we just met. It’s not that he doesn’t like you. He just thinks it’s too soon. And then there’s your brother, Dec.” I did crack a smile at the memory of my dad’s shocked face when Dec kissed me on Christmas morning. “I guess he’s a little too intense for Dad’s old-fashioned sensibilities.”

He snorted with half a laugh. “Yeah, sure. That’s totally it. Remind me to banish Dec when we get home.” He pointed the cart towards the checkout lines.

“Wait! We still need to get new kitchen curtains. Let’s see if they have any here.” I commandeered the cart and took off towards the other side of the Home Depot.

The house was a wreck and I had officially gotten tired of looking at it this morning and dragged Sean to the store.  The demons had attacked a week ago, leaving the house in ruins. I’d guilted my Primani into helping me clean up the next day, but the repairs had to wait until now. The three of us were busy with new assignments courtesy of our temporary leader, Sean. He and I had gone to The City to see Alex about the attack. After listening to Sean's report, Alex was angrier than I’d ever seen him before. He’d called Raphael in from wherever he exists.

When he saw me, he’d lit up with pleasure and taken my hands in his. He wasn’t really a hugger, but hand squeezing was an acceptable affectionate greeting. Hey, I took what I could get. I had the impression he was a high-level angel. I really should ask Sean about that one of these days. Seeing that Sean and Alex were deep in conversation, Raphael steered me into the beautiful kitchen for tea--Earl Gray to be exact. Out of deference to his considerable age, I fussed over him and made him the perfect cup of tea. I even scrounged up a box of cookies that smelled fresh.

“Did Alex get a new house manager?” I asked as I set out the tea things. “We’ve got new cookies.”

Spooning in a bit of sugar, he smiled fondly at me. “You, my dear, are very observant. You are quite right about both things. The new house manager’s name is Jonathan and he just went shopping today.” With impeccable manners, he served me the best cookies from the selection.

I’d wanted to see him badly since Christmas, and now that he was here I felt unsure. I knew what I wanted to say but the words didn’t seem quite right. So I blew on my tea and fiddled with my spoon until he gently pushed me to spit it out.

Blushing shyly, I said, “I have something for you. If you’ll accept it, that is.”

His dark eyebrows lifted in surprise but he nodded graciously. I went to my purse and pulled out a tiny wrapped gift. The paper was only a simple sky blue though. I hadn’t had time to decorate it for him. The gift, though, I made at the same time I’d made the others. Something had told me even then that I would continue to owe my survival to this kind being sipping tea with me. I sat it down on the table and put my hands in my lap so I could fidget privately.

“Raphael, I have no words to thank you properly. It seems I am to be forever seeking your help.” I smiled shyly and added, “I hope you like it. I made it for you.”

His face was carefully blank as he considered first my words and then the tiny box. Seeming to decide that gifts were acceptable, he un-wrapped the box. Inside was a tiny glass heart encircled by strands of beaten silver and gold. The result was a shimmering halo protecting the blood-red stone. The pendant was strung on a braided chain of silver and gold. The chain wasn’t heavy but I thought it was masculine enough. It had taken me three weeks to get the pendant right. The halo wasn’t perfectly shaped. It listed a little to the right…Maybe it’s not good enough for him. I should’ve started over again. He hadn’t said anything yet. He must hate it. I dug my nails into my hand waiting for him to say something. Instead, he closed his eyes and bowed his head.

Unable to stand the silence, I apologized awkwardly. “I’m being presumptuous, aren’t I? I’m so sorry if I’ve offended you.” I reached for the box intending to take it back. “I’ll just get it out of your way…”

He laid his hand on top of mine and said with feeling, “No! It’s quite beautiful.” He smiled wistfully. “Do you know that I’ve never had a Christmas present before?”

Completely surprised, I blurted, “How is that possible? You’re so amazing. That’s terrible!”

Chuckling, he squeezed my hand gently. “Mica, my dear, you are such a beautiful soul! I will wear your gift proudly if you’ll just show me how to put it on.”

Sean and Alex walked in just as I fastened the clasp for him. Alex and Raphael exchanged a look that caused him to peer closely at the pendant.

Alex joked, “Why Raphael, I do believe Mica’s given you her heart!” He nudged Sean and laughed, “Competition, son!”

I stood back and warily eyed the trunk of the Camaro. There was no way that mirror was going to fit. I’d mentioned that twice already, but the male circling the car had other ideas. I could imagine the wheels turning as he cocked his head and used his hands to measure out the size of the trunk. Refusing to admit defeat, he switched his focus to the back seat. I tapped my boot impatiently. There’s no way the mirror will fit in that back seat. Rolling my eyes, I shifted the bag to my other hand.

“I’ve got it. We’ll just take it out of the cardboard. It’ll fit then.” Energized by the brilliance of his plan, he quickly tore the protective cardboard away from the mirror and slid it into the trunk. It just fit although one edge was dangerously close the lid.

I had a bad feeling about this.

Cheerfully peeling out of the parking lot, Sean gave me a smug look of male righteousness and turned up the radio. The ride was uneventful until he pulled into the driveway. There had always been a slight dip from the road into the driveway and the heavy snow had made it worse because we now had ruts to deal with. As the car bounced over the ruts, a loud crash came from the vicinity of the trunk.

Groaning with irritation, I looked over at him and said, “Seven years.”

Puzzled, he asked, “Seven years, what?”

Pointing at the shattered mirror, I hung my head muttering, “Dude.”

I left him to deal with the mess and toted the plastic bags through the front door. The rich meaty smell of chili greeted me. Yay! Dec was back.

And cooking!

“Dec? That smells amazing!” I went straight to the kitchen to sample it.

The chef was loosely bouncing a hacky sack in one hand as I walked in the room. Ignoring me, he tossed the soft ball to Domino who leaped and neatly caught it with her front teeth. She pranced around in a victory dance before bringing it back to him. When he reached for it, she shook her head and backed just out of his grasp. He laughed and lunged for her. Anticipating this move, the dog launched herself over his back and bolted to my side. With mock fury, Dec circled the two of us and finally tackled Domino. After a mad wrestling match complete with un-angelic swearing and yelps of indignation, Dec emerged covered with scratches and not a few bite marks.

The dog kept possession of the hacky sack.

“All right, all right! I give up. You win.” He waggled a finger at her and said, “You cheated. I’ll get you next time.”

Domino dropped the slimy wet object at my feet and sashayed to her water bowl. Whatever…

“You might want to wash those scratches out. I hear dogs carry a lot of nasty diseases on their feet. They’re not too clean, you know.”

Domino turned to me with narrowed eyes. Excuse me?

I corrected diplomatically, “You don’t wear shoes, ergo, your feet are dirty.”  Turning back to Dec, “I’d wash them out if I were you.  Did you hear any news while we were out?”

Dec was supposed to try to contact Killian while we were shopping. He sucked air between his teeth as running water flowed over the scratches on his forearm. Focusing only vaguely on his arm, he filled me in on his morning. Unfortunately, Killian was off the grid, but he had heard something strange on the local morning news.

“Shae’s Funeral Home reported two corpses stolen this week,” he said.

“Shae’s? Is that local?”

He shook his head and elaborated for me. “It’s down near Albany. And that’s not the only thing. I remembered what Killian said about bringing back the dead and a light bulb went off. I called Jonathan and asked him to snoop through local police reports around The City and…” He paused to perform a drum roll on the marble island top.

Rolling my eyes, I tapped my fingers and stared at him. He gave in first and leaned across the island with barely suppressed excitement.

Oh, this was going to be good.

“This is really bizarre; you’ll like this. The police found a man roaming around a neighborhood in Queens. The neighbors thought he was drunk and called the cops. When they got there, the guy was staggering in someone’s yard. They tried to talk to him, but he was really out of it. They were about to tase him when he fell over.”

“What’s bizarre about that? Was he on experimental drugs or something?”

“Not even close. Here’s the good part. They called an ambulance because he was out cold. The paramedic nearly had a heart attack when they got him inside and got a good look at him.”

A tingle of premonition made me shiver. I know what he's going to say next. I wasn’t going to like this.  Sean walked in and started to say something. We both shushed him and he clamped his mouth shut with a frown. Waving a hand at Dec, I said, “Spit it out.”

“The guy was visibly dead. As in, like, rigor-mortis-and-gray-chalky-skin dead. No pulse and squishy, smelly tissue…clouded eyeballs, etc.”

Red lights and alarm bells clamored loudly inside my head and I could tell by their expressions that they came to the same conclusion I had…

Zombies.

Holy shit.

No one said a word until the timer on the stove went off with a loud beep. I nearly swallowed my tongue and dropped my glass. The shattering glass, on top of the abrasive beeping, finally broke through the collective shock in the kitchen. Everyone moved at once. Dec turned to the stove to check the chili while Sean and I bent to clean up the glass.

“Wow,” I said finally.

Sean’s expression was mocking as he half-heartedly swept up glass shards. “That’s not the word I’d use, but it’ll do.” He dumped the glass into the trash and looked at the two of us. “We’re going to have to call for reinforcements. This is much bigger than Dagin’s greed. He’s lost his mind. Humans aren’t ready for the zombie apocalypse.”

“Are we?” I had to ask.

Dec wielded the chef’s knife he used to cut up the vegetables for the chili and proclaimed, “I’m ready! Let’s go kick some undead ass!”

Unable to resist, I picked up a mallet. “Sure, why not? I’m in!” We both stared at Sean with identical expressions of blood lust until he finally rolled his eyes and shook his head at me.

“And you used to be so innocent.”

It was nearing 10:00 and I finally leaned back and stretched. We’d been talking over possibilities for hours and had drawn up plans and to-do lists. I’d somehow become the secretary and dutifully typed up our brainstorming notes. We’d come about as far as we could on our own and would have to talk to Killian and Alex to get help. After all, Manhattan wasn’t really our jurisdiction. There were other Primani who were supposed to be keeping it safe. But because of our past experience with Dagin’s operations and Killian’s Sgaine Dutre, we expected to play a big role in finding the source of the zombies and taking Dagin out once and for all. I took advantage of a lull in their conversation to point out that it’s New Year’s Eve and we, at least I, was young and should be out celebrating.

Always up for a night out around humans, Dec agreed with me. Sean didn’t really want to go out, but agreed we could check in on Dani on the way. Throwing him a kiss, I ran to the bedroom to throw something pretty on. Twenty minutes later I walked into the living room and both of them stopped talking to stare. Twirling for the full effect, I stopped and waited with dramatically downcast eyes. My dress settled at the top of my thighs and had no back at all. My front, er, assets, were completely covered by the high collar. I wore a black and red tribal cuff on one arm and my engagement ring on the opposite hand. The thigh-high leather boots provided assurance that I’d be steady on my feet if any demons attacked.  Peeking up at Sean, I winked and he broke into a huge grin.

Sighing dramatically, he said, “I’m going to have to kill somebody later, aren’t I?”

Dec laughed and agreed. “Dude, I can almost guarantee it.”

The bar was packed by the time we got there.  My two bodyguards looked like they wanted to drag me back to the car as soon as we walked in the door. Two of Scott Flynn’s friends were standing by the entrance and spotted me immediately. They sneered and made gross comments to each other until their drunken brains realized I had company. Sean draped his arm possessively around me and said, “Why couldn’t you be ugly?”

I burst into laughter and craned my neck to kiss him. “Don’t be cranky. This is supposed to be fun.”

Running his hand all the way down my back, he commented, “I’m liking this dress more and more.”

Feeling pretty safe from zombies in here, I made it my mission to lighten up and force these two to have a good time. It was New Year’s Eve, after all--the end of one fairly crappy year and the beginning of a new one full of possibilities. Sean didn’t love to dance, but I pulled him onto the crowded dance floor with a determined grip. The music was loud and the lights were low setting the right mood for a party. Hardly able to move without hitting someone, I let the bass soak into my blood and swayed against him.

With a sensuous smile, he crooked his finger at me saying, “Come closer,” and fitted me tightly against him so we moved together.

My ring sparkled in the strobe lights and I tilted my head to kiss him. With one hand pressing the small of my back and the other behind my head, he kissed me until I forgot where I was. My head spun with the music and the lights and the blood pumping through my body. His hips moved against mine with perfect rhythm, filling my mind with nothing but sensations. There were no angels, no demons, no zombies. We were alone in the crowd. With fingers clenched in his shirt, I fought an overwhelming urge to take him and fly away somewhere where no one could ever find us.

“Do we have to stay till midnight?”

“Fuck no!” With that, he took my hand and led me off the dance floor.

Laughing at his sudden urgency, I asked about Dec.

“He’ll be home later. He’s busy right now.”

Groups of partiers thronged the sidewalks in spite of the freezing cold. I didn’t need a coat thanks to Sean. I was plenty hot enough. He opened the car door for me and leaned in for a long kiss before slamming the door and vaulting into the driver’s seat. The drive home was endless but I kept myself amused by whispering in his ear and letting my hands roam. By the time we pulled into the garage, he was ready to toss me down on the concrete. Scoffing at this suggestion, I ran into the house making him chase me. He caught me at the top of the stairs and spun me around into his arms. My dress was too short to be any kind of obstruction and it wasn’t.

I was lying on my back floating someplace in another universe when he splayed his hand across my belly. Very gently, he traced his fingers across the muscles of my abdomen. Leaning down, he nuzzled my belly button and I twitched.

“What are you doing down there?”

He smiled into my eyes and said, “Just thinking about your dream. You’re so beautiful.” He kissed my belly. “You’re sexy and strong, but soft and delicate too.” He was running his hand over my skin and I was trembling with the urge to giggle.

“Let’s run away,” I suggested.

Bracing himself on his elbows, he looked into my eyes and smiled. “I wish we could. I want to take you someplace far away from demons and violence. I hate seeing you in pain. Someday, I will take you away from this and give you a normal life.”

I started to reply when I caught a glimpse of a face in the window. Choking on a scream, I could only point and scramble off the bed to lunge for my gun. Sean whipped around to confront our intruder but the face was gone. There was nothing there now. Buzzing with adrenaline, I threw up the window and looked outside.

Sean said, “There’s no one there. He’s gone.”

“Did you see that?”

He shook his head and said, “I only saw a reflection. It was gone before I could see what it was.”

Taking the gun from me, he tucked it into his waistband and strode out the door. Jumping up too, I threw on a robe and followed him. We went through all of the rooms and then walked around the outside of the house.

“Damn it!” The footprints led from the back porch to the middle of the yard and stopped.

Slowly looking up at our window, he gritted out, “Consider this your warning. If you come back, I will blow your ass to dust.”

“What are you looking at?” Dec rematerialized next to my elbow. “What’s going on? Why are you outside in your robe…and barefoot?”

“We’ve got a Peeping Tom. And he’s got powers,” I explained. I filled him in while Sean pondered the situation. His scowl was nearly as scary as Killian’s so I sidled a little closer to Dec.

Dec was just as mad as Sean. “I’m getting sick of this crap. I’m going hunting.” He disappeared leaving me envious.

Chapter 21: The Walls Have Eyes

“I’M SORRY, MICA, really I am. James already made plans for us this weekend.” Dani handed the manicurist her bottle of polish and turned back to me. “I can’t cancel on him.”

Studying my nails to keep from saying something rude about James, I swallowed my disappointment. “No, but you could bring him with you. It’s my 21st birthday party. It’s not like we haven’t been planning this since we met.”

She looked a little sheepish at that. “I know! But I totally forgot. James and I have been so busy these last few months. He’s crazy about doing things together. He’s like the Energizer bunny!” She smiled blissfully and I wanted to smack her. “Honestly, I’m exhausted! I haven’t had a night to myself in months.” She laughed and blew on her nails.

Ah, the opening I’d been hoping for…

”I’ve noticed you two have been together a lot. Are you getting, uh, serious about him?”

“Oh, my God, he’s…” She broke off and blushed furiously. The manicurist gave her a curious look and left us to dry.

Already knowing what she was going to say, I hesitated to ask. “He’s what?”

Giggling with her secret, Dani leaned over to me and whispered, “God, he’s amazing in bed. I can’t say no anymore!” Finally chortling out loud, she added, “Damn, I don’t want to either! He adores me, Mica. I feel amazing when he’s with me. I swear he’s the perfect man!”

Okay, count to ten first. I took a deep breath and asked, “Good in bed is good. Does he, uh, have any…unusual skills?”

It was my turn to blush, but I needed to know if James had shown her his powers. He could be good in bed without sharing his powers with her. After all, they all had the ability to read thoughts and were bound to use that for pleasure if they were inclined to.

She was re-braiding the tiny braid that hung by her cheek so didn’t answer for a minute. Finally, she secured the end and asked, “Special skills? Other than knowing my every thought? No.”

I knew she was telling the truth and breathed a sigh of relief. Sean would be glad to hear that. I hadn’t spent any time with Dani since before Christmas and it was February already. Every time I tried to do something with her, she had plans with James. I was beginning to worry about her, but couldn’t quite put a finger on the problem. Back in December, Dec and Sean had suggested we ask James about his relationship with Dani. At the time, I thought they were joking. But Dec’s plan had been sneakier than that and I was still thoroughly impressed with it. Thinking back to the last update I’d gotten from Dec, I was just slightly reassured.

It had been very late one night in early January. Dec came in covered with ash and assorted disgusting fluids. I’d taken one look at him and pointed to the bathroom.

“You smell like barbequed demon. Get that nasty crap off of you before the whole house reeks.”

Exhausted, he hesitated as if he was going to flop down on the couch. I glared at him and he reconsidered and shuffled off to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, he was clean and ready to fill us in.

“Where have you been? You look tan,” I asked.

Rolling his shoulders tiredly, he said, “Rome first, then Madrid. I swung by Los Angeles for a couple of days and took out a couple of old friends I ran into.” He took a long drink and continued, “Do you have any idea how many demons are in LA? It’s ridiculous! I was having such a good time I had to stay a few extra days.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Geez. I’m sorry I missed it. Next time you should bring me. I’ve never been to California.”

“Maybe someday, but I actually just stopped in to give you some info on Dani and James. The bug worked. He’s been staying with her a lot and they’re not very quiet.”

Yuck.

”Geez Dec, I don’t want to hear about their sex lives…”

Looking down his nose at me, he said, “You have a dirty mind. That’s not what I meant. James spends a lot of his time telling her how beautiful she is and how much he wants her for himself. He’s really laying it on thick.”

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “It’s odd though. He doesn’t sound that sincere to me. I would’ve thought she’d see through the bullshit. I think he’s using his powers to influence her, but I can’t tell without being closer.” Frowning, he added, “I don’t like it.”

He’d bugged Dani’s room with a device he could tune into remotely using an app on his cell phone. He’d been trying to catch James doing something wrong, but so far it seemed like he was only guilty of too much flattery and questionable motives.

I guess my worrying wasn’t productive, but I’d learned to trust my intuition and something about Dani and James was off. We were done with our manicures and I had to finish my other errands. Leaving her with a promise to do lunch, I left the shop. I was on the way to my car when a furtive movement caught my eye. I dropped my bag and bent down to pick it up. Out of the corner of one eye, I saw him. Tingles of recognition teased my memory. Hmmm. Dark pants with a leather jacket. It was too nice a jacket to be a student even though I was leaving the college bookstore. He turned away to talk on his phone but stayed exactly where he was. I started towards the parking lot and pulled out my own phone. Using the mirrored screen, I watched him nonchalantly enter the lot. Instead of getting into my car, I called Sean and put him on speaker. With the phone sitting on the roof, I turned around and crossed my arms.

My tail looked up to find me studying him and stopped. We weren’t exactly close, but I could see his face clearly. He was probably in his mid-thirties with close-cropped red hair and green eyes. His ruddy face was square and he had a scar running down his cheek from his eyebrow to his chin. It looked like a sword wound. Ouch. Even though he was clearly busted, he was a professional and tried to play it off.

“Hey there, I hate to bother you, but I’ve lost my directions. Can you tell me how to get to the old base from here?” He smiled easily as if he was just a new guy in town.

“Cut the bullshit. Why are you following me? Are you stalking me?”

He looked stunned at the accusation. “Stalking you? You’re crazy!”

I'd give him an A for effort if it weren't for my enhanced intuition. He was totally lying. Pulling away from the car door, I picked up my phone and took a picture of him before he could flinch. To Sean I said, “It’s on the way. What do you want me to do with him?”

The man hesitated while I listened to Sean and finally murmured a response. It was his turn to be angry now. He wasn’t faking it either. “You’re in a lot of trouble, Miss Thomas!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m perfectly fine.”

Warming to the subject, he pulled out his own phone and handed it to me. “Does this man look familiar to you?”

My brain nearly froze in surprise. It was a grainy picture taken in the pouring rain, in the dark of night, in the deep shadows of a wraparound veranda. The man’s face was pretty obscured but my heartbeat quickened at the sight of him.

I scoffed, “I can’t see a thing in that picture. It’s black.”

Unconcerned, he passed me another one. “How about now, Miss Thomas?”

Uh-oh.

This one wasn’t as blurry. Even with my hand shaking, it was impossible to miss the resemblance.

Instead of answering him, I posed a question of my own. “So what kind of trouble am I in?”

Smiling like he’d won, he purred, “Oh, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, arms smuggling, and murder are the top three. As you can see by these pictures, you and this man are clearly involved with known terrorists and arms dealers.”

Okay, this had gone on long enough. I needed to get out of here before anything bad happened. I nodded and closed my eyes for just a minute. When I opened them again, he was smiling at me like I was his new best friend. I shook his hand and smiled back.

“You should be good to go now. The base is just down the street. I’m late for an appointment! Bye, now.”

“Okay, thanks again!” He smiled and waved good-bye as I got into my car.

My face was about to explode and I broke out in hoots of laughter as soon as the car turned the corner. “Sean! You’re a freakin’ genius! It actually worked.” I did a little happy dance with my butt and headed towards the house.

Domino greeted me with a big doggy grin when I pulled up. It was a bit warmer today so Sean let her out to romp around the yard. He was lounging against the porch post throwing a ball to her. The snow was melting and the grass was starting to poke through. Spring was on its way.

Throwing my arms around him, I crowed, “You’re a genius! No, wait! I’m a genius!” I did a little dance around him just to prove my point.

Laughing, he asked, “What did you actually do?”

“I erased myself from his memory. All he knows is a pretty brunette gave him directions to the old base. Mica Thomas doesn’t exist--not face or name. We need to get those pictures though. You can see me with Dec in the trees and it’s a good shot.”

“I'll call Alex. He's got techies who can make them disappear.  Killian wasn’t exaggerating when he said your abilities had really evolved last year. You’re getting good at this.” He glowed with pride and my heart did a little dance too.

“Do you think so?”

“Absolutely! You’re impressive, love. There are many Primani who would give their right…uh, arm, to have this kind of psychic power.” His voice had dropped as he scanned the forest around us. “Domino! Come!”

Catching his unease, I asked, “Is something wrong?”

Calling over his shoulder, he said, “No, just an odd feeling, like we’re being watched. Let’s go inside and talk.”

“Is Dec going to be back this week? I was hoping he’d be at The Lizard on Saturday.” I made small talk while putting away the things from the store and grabbing drinks. I knew him well enough to know he was scanning the property and ready to cross over into soldier-mode at the barest hint of threat. We were all a little edgy these days.

With eyes still distant, he murmured, “I’m not sure. He hasn’t found him yet.” He suddenly stiffened and moved towards the front room. Domino paced him with her ears alert. Growling softly, she pressed her nose against the front door. I raised my eyebrows in question. He shrugged.

“I’m not sensing anyone…what do you hear?” I asked.

He shook his head sharply and put a finger to his lips. Okay, no talking. I strained my ears and still didn’t hear anything. Domino growled deeper in her throat and raised her hackles. He whispered something to her and she trotted over to me and sat. He vanished. Okay…

Ten minutes later, he reappeared, cursing. “I’m going to rip his head off when I catch him!”

“What happened to your eye?”

Instead of answering, he growled at me.

“Who was it? James? Dagin? I’m confused.”

Still swearing creatively in multiple languages, including several dead ones, Sean slammed his hand down on the island and irritably swiped at the blood that was running from a cut above his eye. It was a hard blow judging from the split in his skin and the amount of blood pouring out of it.

“Is he gone then?” I asked as I soaked a washcloth in cold water. “This’ll sting; hold still.”

Irritably, he jerked it out of my hand and smashed it against his eye. He seethed while I watched with a million questions. None of which were getting answered until his temper cooled down.

“Who’s bleeding? I can smell it from here.”

I snapped, “Don’t you knock?”

James shrugged and waved a negligent hand towards the door. “It wasn’t locked. You should be more careful about that.” He smiled coldly. “Haven’t you heard about the serial killer running around?”

Sean tensed but kept his voice even. He said, “Glad to see you finally made it in. Alex wants you back with Dec in Brooklyn.” He tossed the wet cloth into the sink. “Things are heating up down there and you have skills we need.”

James raised a bushy eyebrow at that. “How soon do I need to go? I have plans.”

“There are no higher priorities than our work, James. Cancel your plans. You need to be there ASAP.”

My surprise must’ve been obvious because James sneered at me on his way by. “This is your doing, isn’t it?”

“What? I’ve got nothing to do with this!” I was flabbergasted and stared at him like he’d lost his mind.

“Happy birthday, Mica,” he said as he stalked out of the room. He vanished before I could say another word.

“He just gets creepier and creepier…”

Saturday dawned clear and sunny and I thought this was a good omen. My birthday was today and I was officially old enough to drink. I hadn’t needed the calendar to change anything though. I’d been getting into bars for years. For some reason, no one ever asked for my ID…

“Stop sulking. He’ll be back if he can.” Sean leaned over and kissed my lower lip before heading down to the basement. I followed him but I wasn’t working out today. My shoulder was stiff and I was trying to let it heal on its own.

“It’s been too long.”  I frowned at the floor, “I’m worried about him.”

Slipping on his gloves, he answered me with a casual shrug. “Babe, he’s fine. This is what Killian does, remember? He’s been in touch. He’s just focused and not in the mood to slow down.” He patted me awkwardly with his gloved hand. “And he’s only been gone a few months. I’ve gone decades without the pleasure of his company and I’ve survived just fine. You will too!”

I sat and watched him for a little while, not really seeing him, but taking comfort from his presence. The steady thunk-thunk of his fists on the bag was reassuring in my crazy world. Dec wasn’t back yet either and I was trying to keep a brave face. I really, really wanted them to be with me tonight. I felt our bond more than they did and my mood was affected by how close or far they were from me. I got crankier if I went too long without seeing one of them. It wasn’t hard to explain this. It wasn’t magic. It was simple human emotion. They were my family and I missed them. Sean and I would celebrate my birthday with friends that didn’t include Dec, Killian, or Dani. Other than Sean, these were the three people I cared about most. It almost seemed pointless to try to celebrate anything without them there. With a heavy sigh, I got up to go for a walk.

Sean tracked us down a few hours later. Domino and I had just wandered out of the woods when he appeared on the path. With tongue lolling, Domino ditched me and threw her dignity out the window to chase a stick into the yard.

Shaking my head in wonder, I mused, “Do you think she was one of your ex-girlfriends in a past life?”

Laughing at me, he said, “Could be…Are you okay? You’ve been gone awhile.”

More seriously, I said, “I’ve changed my mind about tonight. I don’t want to go out.”

“You don’t? Why not?”

“I’ve been thinking and I realize my birthday just isn’t that important anymore. There are much bigger things to worry about and I just don’t care that much now. Can we go someplace, just the two of us? We could…travel someplace nice for a few hours.”

“I suppose we could do that. Do you want to pick the place or do you want me to surprise you?” He lifted an arm in invitation and I snuggled underneath it.

“Surprise me. Just make sure I’m dressed so I don’t freeze!”

Just as I was about to lay down for a nap, Sean asked if I was ready to go. He wore jeans and a heavy wool sweater with the black combat boots that went with everything he owned. The heavy sweater was a clue. I raised an eyebrow and he grinned.

“It is February. Dress warm and don’t wear girly shoes.”

Ten minutes later, I was ready to go. I’d thrown on my own jeans with a couple of shirts layered under one of his oversized wool sweaters. I loved the sloppy look and it was much warmer than any of my jackets. My Uggs completed the winter look. With a last kiss for Domino, he took my hand and brought me to paradise.

Icy wind nearly knocked me off my feet as we landed on a cliff overlooking a coast. The sleet hit me like machine gun fire and I instinctively hid my face against Sean’s shoulder.

“Sorry!”

The next time I opened my eyes, we were standing behind a house at the end of a short dark street. The houses were small and nestled together as if trying to keep warm in the frigid air. Curious now, I peeked around with interest. Behind us, a dog barked with authority and I jumped. Sean took my hand in his and led the way.

“You look happy.”

“I’m always happy here. This is home.” He waved a hand to include the little houses and smiled. “I miss it when I’m gone too long.”

“We’re in Ireland?” I nearly pulled him off of his feet with the force of my hug. “Oh, wow, Sean! This is so cool!”  I swung around and looked at everything at once. It did look like Ireland…

Pulling me into a dimly lit doorway, he leaned down to kiss me. “I hope you like it.”

The warm stuffiness of the pub surrounded us the moment we walked in. The rich tang of pipe tobacco floated on the air and the soft sounds of music added to the mellow atmosphere. The pub was clearly very old as the heavy wooden beams and chunky stone walls suggested. There was a large fireplace on one side and several old men sat around drinking beer and keeping warm.

A cheery baritone voice greeted us. “Sean O’Cahan! As I live and breathe, come in, come in!”

Sean’s entire face transformed at the sound of his name. He smiled broadly and clapped the burly bartender’s back with genuine affection. The older man smiled showing several gaps in his teeth, but he was sincere as he bustled around us. Feeling a little out of place, I hovered behind Sean as he chatted with the man. Remembering his manners though, he drew me forward to introduce me.

“John, I want you to meet my fiancé, Mica. Today’s her birthday.”

Sean draped his around me and said, “Darlin’, I want you to meet one of my oldest friends, John O’Hara. His family’s owned this pub for generations.”

John’s expression was curious as he shook my hand and looked me over. With a cheeky grin, he kissed me on both cheeks and welcomed me to the pub. Sweeping other people aside, he led us to a little table near the fire and left to draw a couple of pints.

After dragging another chair over to our table, John sat down and grilled Sean on how we met. “You’ve been away so long, son, we’ve just about written you off as dead. And now you show up with a pretty little American.” He nodded good-naturedly at me. “The young ladies will be devastated around here, lass.”

Smiling easily, Sean disagreed. “Don’t listen to this old man, love. I’ve never dated any of the girls here.” Lowering his voice, he added, “So keep your claws sheathed!”

He grunted as I stomped on his foot under the table.

Under my breath, I said, “Oh? Not in this century at least…”

“You’re not gonna let that go, are you?”

Smiling hugely, I said, “No, probably not.” My stomach chose to fill the silence with a loud demand for something besides beer. “Sorry. I’m a little hungry.”

John grinned around his glass as he drained most of it in one swallow. “I like to see lasses with an appetite, love. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got just the dinner for a proper birthday party.” Bowing slightly, he lumbered off towards the kitchen.

“He’s not going to bring me haggis, is he?” I asked tentatively.

Snorting a laugh, Sean looked down his nose at me. “That’s not Irish food. Haggis is Scottish. Either way, I’m pretty sure you’re not getting anything that comes from the organs of a farm animal.” He reached across the table and took my fingers in his.

“Happy birthday, Mica.” He kissed my fingertips lightly and I glowed with normal human happiness.

Leaning across the table, I kissed him and teased, “You called me your fiancé earlier. Tell me, Mr. O’Cahan, does it sound funny to you?”

“Not even a little bit. Although calling you Mrs. O’Cahan sounds a bit odd. I’ve never been married before.”

“Hmmm, Mica O’Cahan…it has a nice ring to it.” I tilted my ring finger to catch the glow of the lamp and smiled at the turn my life had taken.

“Nice rock, Princess.”

“Dude, the traffic was horrible. Sorry, we’re late!”

With a most unladylike whoop of joy, I swung around to find Killian and Dec standing just behind me. Dec raised a few eyebrows when he swung me around in a wide bear hug. John had to dodge my legs on his way to our table. With a noisy kiss, Dec passed me off to Killian who was a lot more dignified.

He held out his hand to me and I showed him my ring. Smiling stiffly, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed it with a slight bow. “I’m happy for you.”

“I’m so glad to see you guys! Now my day is perfect. Come on, sit down.”

The atmosphere inside the pub had cooled just a little when they settled in. The other people were glancing over at us like we were going to blow the place up. The two old men who’d been sitting next to us got up and moved to a booth on the other side of the room.

“You know how happy I am to see you both, right?” They nodded. I waved a hand over the general direction of their commando black. “You didn’t think to change first? I think you're scaring the locals.”

Sean stifled a grin and said, “It’s not the clothes, love.”

Nonplussed, I asked, “Then what’s the trouble?”

Killian said, “It’s possibly the smell of dead demon that’s bothering them.”

“What? They know?” I nearly shrieked and Sean clapped a hand over my mouth.

Chuckling near my ear, John leaned down to me and said, “This is the Old Country, love. There are no secrets here.” He sat down a plate full of fries and crunchy battered fish. My mouth watered immediately.

“Oh! It’s fabulous, John! Perfect!” Passing the plate, I shared my food with Dec. He was always hungry.

“Any news?” Sean asked quietly.

Killian said irritably, “Yeah, but not good news.” He leaned forward to keep his voice from projecting. “I feel it, but I can’t find it.” Absently, he rubbed his chest.

“Has it been hurting you?” I asked.

He shifted uncomfortably and said, “No. It’s fine.”

I leaned back and crossed my arms. “Really? That's strange because I’ve been getting these random pains just here.” I tapped a finger against my heart. “Do you want to answer that question again or should I just assume I’m under another kind of attack?”

He flushed and scowled at me. “You shouldn’t be feeling anything now. I took care of that with the rune.”

I placed my hand flat on the table and leaned towards him. The rune was still a pale scar. “Oh, yeah, I remember the plan was to break our connection so I wouldn’t be destroyed by your immense power.” I smirked at him and Sean squeezed my knee under the table.

“You have something to say?” Killian asked evenly. His eyes were intensely blue as he assessed mine across the table.

Bolstering my courage, I said, “It didn’t work. First of all, the rune didn’t repel the demon that attacked me on Christmas and second, I was able to channel your power to destroy him--with exact precision. So your plan didn’t work. You left me unprotected and still in possession of your power.”

“Oh, and the nice demon gave me six broken fingers for Christmas. I blame you for that.” I waggled my perfectly healed fingers at him to make my point.

Incredulous, he stared at Sean using that annoying telepathy. Finally, he looked back at me and his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry you were hurt. I don’t know how that could’ve happened. I miscalculated something. Sean says you were completely controlled though. Did you feel that way at the time?”

Dec snorted rudely. “Dude, she was like a real avenging angel! She scared the hell out of both of us. She sliced that demon into pieces with her mind.” He paused to give me a high five. “And she knew exactly how to bring her body back to normal by herself.”

“Is that true?” Killian asked Sean. He seemed torn between guilt and pride.

“Yes, it’s true. She really had it under control. I was proud of her.”

Not wanting to hurt his feelings, I reached across the table to soothe Killian’s clenched fist. “Hey, I’m not mad about it. I just thought you should know I still have your powers but not your protection. It feels a little unbalanced.”

Sighing with resignation, he agreed, “We’ll have to fix that at the house. I don’t want to leave you without protection.”

John approached but hung back respectfully. “Come over and join us, John. What’s new with your family?” Killian invited kindly.

The rest of the evening passed in comfortable warmth and camaraderie. The pub wasn’t busy so John sat with us and caught up with Killian and Sean. He was obviously used to their ways and wasn’t at all surprised when Dec pulled out his blade to clean it off. The midnight hour was upon us when Sean stood up and stretched. His eyes were heavy with fatigue and I knew he was ready to go. Domino was waiting for us at home and we needed to get back.

John gave me a warm hug and whispered, “You’re always welcome here, lass. Visit any time.”  He pressed a small doggy bag into my hands and kissed my cheek. Before I could thank him, Sean took my hand and we landed in our living room.

“Whoa! Is that okay? We just vanished in front of him!”

“He’s cool. His place is a sort of safe haven for us. You can always go there if you’re in trouble.”

“Nice. I have no idea where we were though and I have to take planes,” I pointed out with not a little sarcasm.

Killian agreed but added, “I have an idea. Mica, take my hand and project your image of the place into my mind. Let’s see if I can find it for you.”

“I can’t travel. This won’t work.” I looked dubiously at them. But Sean and Dec agreed it was worth a try, just to see how far my powers were progressing.

“Okay. Here goes.” I took Killian’s hand and waited for his mind to open to me. I was used to connecting to his mind so I let him slip in easily. I imagined the pub in as much detail as I could remember and let it fill my mind so he could see it too.

I sensed the change instantly. I opened my eyes and we were standing inside the darkened building. It was empty but still warm and inviting. Blinking in the darkness, I wandered around to be sure it was the same place.

Killian breathed, “Damn.”

“Wow! That’s so cool! Let’s try someplace else that you’ve never been to. Maybe you subconsciously brought us here and it wasn’t me at all,” I suggested. He told me to think of anyplace I wanted to go.

I held his hand and imagined the sandy beach of a deserted island in the South Pacific. I’d always wanted to see one of those…in a heartbeat I was caressed by the warm salty air of the ocean. Opening my eyes again, I was stunned by the beauty of the sandy cove around us. We stood on a tiny strip of black sand that butted against a tropical jungle. The beach ended in a jumble of rocks that jutted out from a hardened lava flow. Turquoise water gently lapped at the shore and a sea bird dipped its head into the water just off shore.

“Oh, my…” I breathed and looked up at him.

His hard face softened with the wonder of the place. All too quickly the practical being showed up to throw a wet blanket on the fun. “Mica, we can’t stay here. This isn’t stable. I don’t know if this is our plane. Come on, we need to get back.” His tone was stern but his mouth curved into a smile.

Turning away, I headed towards the rocks. “I’ll be right back. I just want to see what’s on the other side of these rocks!”

“Mica!” Killian shouted.

I looked back to see him stagger and sit down on the sand. He clutched at his chest as my own began to sting.

Dropping to my knees beside him, I demanded, “It’s happening again, isn’t it?”

His eyes were unfocused, the lids fluttering shut. The white color of his skin sent alarm bells clanging in my brain. Uh-oh, he can’t pass out!

An animal screamed in the trees and the sour taste of fear filled my mouth. Peering nervously at the trees, I worked hard to keep from panicking. The jungle loomed behind us, its tropical growth nearly pitch black with decay and death. No one knew where we were and we would be stuck here if Killian was unconscious.

Smacking him against one cheek, I yelled, “Don’t you pass out on me! Wake up!”

I started shaking him by the shoulders when he grabbed my wrist, grinding the tiny bones together. His eyes were black as the pain in my chest deepened. His must be killing him, but he struggled to stay awake.

“That’s better. Get us out of here,” I begged him. The animal screamed again, closer this time. “We can’t stay here, Killian. Please.”

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I shouted at him to take us home and then everything went black.

My world brightened gradually until I squinted against the fire’s glow. Fire? Where was I now? I scrambled upright kneeing Killian in the stomach as I did so. He was lying under me with both arms still banded around me. He wasn’t completely out though. His eyes were slanted just a bit and he was trying to blink. I peered around us and was surprised to see an altar with a brazier of hot coals. Ah, that explained the glow. It was stone and very old, much like Killian’s Eden, but in a different place. It was quiet as only uninhabited places can be. I strained my ears and heard only my ragged breathing. I reached out but sensed no humans. Something odd tickled at my awareness but I didn’t recognize it. Not Primani, not demon…something else?

Killian’s breathing quickened and I reached down to check his pulse. I wanted to get up but he held me in a death grip. Instinct told me I was running out of time. This place wasn’t safe and we were vulnerable.

“Killian? Wake up. We can fix this, but you have to wake up.” I patted his cheek but he only blinked at me.

“I’m awake,” he rasped. “Stop yabbering; I’m trying to listen!”

“Oh, nice.”

Leaving him to listen, I snooped around the cave. It wasn’t very large and the altar dominated the space. The glow from the coals cast reddish shadows that reflected some kind of sparkling minerals in the walls. It could be quartz or limestone, I wasn’t sure. The sweet smell of water tickled my nose and I swallowed painfully. My tongue wanted to stick to the roof of my mouth reminding me that I hadn’t had anything to drink for a while. Killian was still prone so I followed my nose. Near the back of the altar was a small depression, a tiny pool, of clear water. It smelled okay and I stuck my finger in it to taste it. It was slightly bitter but seemed okay. I filled a small metal cup and gulped it down. Filling the cup for him, I moved back to Killian and offered it to him.

“Is it Sgaine Dutre?”

Nodding and springing to his feet like a cat, he washed his face in the pool and paced. “Someone is wielding it…someone very powerful.” He crushed the cup and threw it into the coals. “But it’s fighting.”

“That has to be good, right?” Laying my hand on his shoulder, I asked, “Is it here?”

“No, it’s not here. We’re on another plane…like Eden. Eden’s been compromised, so I created a path to this place. It’s empty, too.”

“Are you sure it’s empty? I felt another presence when we got here. Not human, but not quite demon or Primani. Are there other beings that could be here?”

“That’s not possible! What did you sense?”

“Just a presence; like something hovering outside the cave. It seemed unfriendly.”

Clearly unhappy with this news, he ran his fingers over his jaw and glared at the walls. “Okay, let’s try this. See if you can sense it again. Can you do that?”

“I’ll try.”

I closed my eyes to concentrate on locating the strange presence and was hijacked by an unexpected image of Killian waking me up from the grip of a nightmare. He sat on the edge of my bed, smoothing my hair back from my face. As I struggled to wake up, he kissed my forehead with so much tenderness I nearly cried with the memory. Forcing my eyes open, I gaped at him.

“You…no, it can’t be.” I shook my head to clear the fog. But when I closed my eyes, the image reappeared. This time I’d woken up and he held me curled against him until I stopped shaking.

“What’s the matter? Can’t you sense it?” His impatience was obvious. He wanted to bolt.

“I can’t seem to focus.”

He studied my face before saying, “Never mind then; we’ll deal with that later. Come over here and let’s fix that rune.” A gust of wind whistled shrilly across the entrance and he paused to listen. Unperturbed, he waved me over again. “Let’s get this done so we can go. I don’t want to get stuck here.”

I sat and watched while he pulled off his shirt and replaced my tiny pendant with the large gold one he used for rituals. The dying embers cast a glow over his chest and the gold glimmered enticingly. Murmuring, he sprinkled a handful of dried herbs onto the coals. A sweet smell filled the cave and my head began to swim oddly. The walls undulated, shimmering faintly. Killian’s voice was reverent in prayer. He held the blue-handled blade aloft and called upon an ancient power to bless it.

“Come, Mica. It’s time,” he called from the altar.

He reached for my arm and I laid it across the altar stone with my palm down. Holding the knife out in front of him, he chanted firmly,

“A Dios entrante, Dutre gainhi.”

“A Dios entrante, Dutre gainhi.”

He recited the words and swiftly carved the rune into the top of my hand. Blood flowed freely but there was no pain. His own freshly-carved rune was still bleeding when he raised it to me. I pressed my hand into his and felt a small surge of power as his blood mixed with my own and flowed through my veins. His eyes shone with clear blue fire as the blood flowed and my own brightened in response.

As he spoke the words that would seal my fate, his heartbeat throbbed in my ears, calling me, compelling me, drawing me to him. As the ancient magic claimed me for its own, my heartbeat echoed his. Still standing with the altar between us, I closed my eyes and surrendered to the pull of the raw power. Instinctively, I grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards me. Instead of coming closer to me, he entwined his fingers with mine and held on as the magic took effect. We stood linked together with blood running between us and flames searing the walls around us. I locked my eyes to his and felt the tenuous bond crystalize into stone. Our connection was complete and we would not be easily separated now.

His raspy voice brought me back to the present. “I’m not sure that was a good idea,” he mused as he rinsed the blood off his hands. The tiny pool gleamed red in the fire’s glow.

I looked down and realized I had blood all over my hands. In a daze, I washed up and then studied him as he studied me. Minutes passed while the wind howled outside.

Pensive, he met my eyes and frowned. “I’m almost 100 percent sure that I just made you 100 percent more powerful. Sean is going to be pissed.”

“Why is it you absorb my blood and my power? No one else does.” He tossed another coal on the fire and continued his musing.  With a mocking laugh, he asked, “Do you know how many times I’ve bled on Sean?”

“That’s a little gross, really.”

Laughing shortly, he said, “In war, babe, bleeding happens.”

The hair on the back of my neck prickled in warning. “There’s something outside!”

Throwing me a knife, he ordered, “Stay put.”

Putting the altar between my fragile human body and the cave entrance, I palmed the silver blade and searched for the source of life I’d felt. It was still out there…a whisper of life…not a whole soul, but a shadow, no, a pale reflection of a soul hovered malignantly nearby. The power it projected was unlike any I had ever felt before. A trickle of sweat slid between my shoulder blades and my fingers tensed around the haft. A slight shift in the atmosphere alerted me and I froze with the blade ready. There, a few feet in front of me, was a shimmering, a disturbance, in the light of the cave. I blinked but it was still there, hovering just out of arm’s reach.

“What do you want?” I growled under my breath.

A faint echo of laughter answered me and the shimmering flattened out and disappeared altogether. Killian reappeared just as it vanished. Angrily, he swung around to confront this intruder but there was nothing for him to see.

“Fuck!” He slammed his fist into the cave wall and a small shower of rocks peppered the floor.

With furious movements, he gathered up the wicked blades and sheathed them. With three steps, he went to the altar and said several angry words over it. With one final burning glance at what only he could see, he cursed the unseen presence and banished it from this place. In response to his command, the cave walls sung with a low vibration that began at the altar and radiated outward until the entire cave trembled. A faint blue light crisscrossed the ceiling and the walls until the cave was completely covered in the protective web.

Slowly lowering his hands, he bowed his head and murmured a prayer. Satisfied, and a lot calmer now, he took my hand without a word.

“Well, at least you’re not covered in blood this time.” Sarcasm greeted me the second we rematerialized. He was leaning against the fireplace with crossed arms.

Dec was draped across the recliner, wagging his head in disapproval. His mouth curled up just a little on one side as he fought back a grin. Evidently they’d been waiting for some time and he’d been stuck with Sean’s complaints.

Flushing guiltily, I got defensive. “It wasn’t my fault! We got stranded on a deserted island.”

Sean sniffed with disbelief. “Why am I not surprised?”

Killian, who had been trying to keep a straight face, finally broke down and smiled. “Mica’s got exotic tastes; she wanted to see the South Pacific. We ended up at the cave though.” He went on to explain what happened and the silence was leaden when he mentioned the shimmering presence.

“That’s freaking creepy.” Dec’s brow furrowed as he sank deeper into thought.  He absently scooted over so Domino could curl up with him. She leaned against his side and rested her chin on his lap. It was past her bedtime.

Sean asked, “Did this feel the same as our invisible Peeping Tom? Maybe it’s the same guy.”

I thought about that for a few minutes. Was it the same, uh, entity? Not a person, surely. It hadn’t felt like an angel either. I didn’t sense an aura of goodness that usually surrounded Primani and the other angels I’d met.

“This presence seemed malignant; it gave me the chills and I wanted to run away.”

“I asked what it wanted and it laughed at me,” I added ruefully.

Dec unfolded himself and stretched. “I’m going to do some research on this. Something seems familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“I think we need protection over this house. It’s not secure anymore and we need to be able to talk,” Sean pointed out to Killian.

“And you should do that now…” I murmured while slowly jabbing my thumb towards the window without turning around. Three pairs of eyes followed the motion…and then vanished along with their host bodies.

Chapter 22: How Hard the Fall

“WHERE IS IT?” Killian’s voice was deadly quiet when he questioned the prisoner.

The prisoner squirmed in the chair and tried the bonds around his wrists. With profound dignity, he stared unblinking at the wall in front of him while Killian prowled the room. Sean observed with a blank expression that masked his thoughts. He was reserving comment for later.

Yanking the prisoner to his feet by his neck, Killian asked him again. Again, the answer was stony silence. Frustrated but hiding it with immense control, he dropped the bound demon to the floor. He grunted as his face hit the concrete. Killian’s boot pressed down on his back and shoved him harder into the floor.

“I asked you a question, demon, and I’m running out of patience.” He bent closer and dragged his favorite knife from its sheath.

The metallic hiss sounded loud to me but the demon stayed cool. He remained silent with his reptilian eyes tracking every move Killian made. The black pupils were unusually large in the yellow irises. The putrid yellow color was only visible as a ring around the huge pupils. Like most demons, he wore a human mask to cover the scaly skin that would give him away. This one had the dark skin and aquiline features of an Egyptian. His thick dark hair was cut close to his scalp and he had prominent cheekbones. Not a bad looking disguise overall.

With a twist of the wrist, Killian slid the blade against the demon’s cheek bringing a tendril of smoke curling from the wound. Sensing progress, he held the blade just above the skin on the other cheek and waited.

“Loyalty is an admirable quality. I’m surprised to see it in a demon.” The blade trailed down the cheek leaving a pale curl of smoke. This time the prisoner sucked in a breath but didn’t cry out. I was impressed with his stubbornness.

I tended to scream when someone cut me.

Killian wrenched him upright again and shoved him back into the chair. Switching tactics, he sat down across from him and steepled his fingers on the table. Apparently bored, the demon considered him without a sound. The clock ticked and the wind screamed outside, but the basement room was silent.

I glanced over at Sean and raised a shoulder in question. He moved over to the stairs and motioned me up them. Once we were out of the basement, he closed the door and stalked into the living room.

“How much longer is he going to go at this? This guy’s not talking.” I tried to keep the admiration out of my voice, but he noticed.

“Please tell me you’re not impressed?” He hissed, “It’s a frickin’ demon, Mica! They have no redeeming qualities, remember? It’s not loyalty that’s keeping his mouth shut. Don’t be impressed.”

Backpedalling, I denied it. “Of course, I’m not impressed. Well, not really. But he’s been at it for hours now and this demon is just stubborn.” I paused for the right words. “It’s like…his brain doesn’t realize that Killian’s about to kill him…”

Sean’s whole face lit up and he sprinted towards the basement calling, “You’re a genius!” on his way down the stairs.

What did I say? I caught up with him just in time to hear Killian rumble, “Zombie?”

Zombie?

Did I say that?

Well, that would explain things. Sure, I’ll take the credit for this. Why not? I perched on the steps and listened as they talked.

Killian moved around to the prisoner’s face and peered into the eyes with a new zeal. He was going to get to the bottom of this little mystery. After a moment, he gave Sean the thumbs up and motioned for me to join them.

“Mica, come over here and see if you can get inside his head,” he ordered. He was on the verge of a breakthrough and he was about as excited as Killian ever got.

“Ewww! Why?”

“I want to know if he’s got thoughts rolling around in there or if the brain is simply keeping his body alive.”

“Okaaaay…” I was not comfortable with this idea. Balin had kept his marbles, such as they were…and I didn’t feel like being possessed again. ”I don’t like this idea. Sean, anchor me?”

“I’ve got you. Just do a drive-by and come back.”

A drive-by was our slang for a quick look around and then out again, in other words, no in-depth snooping or parking.

The demon blinked his yellow eyes and stared straight ahead. I took a deep breath and looked deeply into his eyes. Unlike the multidimensional irises of the Primani, his yellow irises were a flat shade of pus yellow. I peered beyond them to gather some insight into his mind. After a few minutes, I pulled back and blinked to moisten my eyes.

“Well?”

I thought carefully before answering. Nibbling on my fingernail, I said, “Hmm. I’m a little puzzled. There’s not much there. Mostly his mind is blank, but I caught a few simple pieces of information. There’s nothing complicated, probably just what he needs to survive. I saw a place…maybe where he lives. I also saw the face of another demon and then I saw our house. That’s all I found. Everything else seems to be wiped clean.”

All three of us turned to consider our prisoner.

His eyes faced forward and he wiggled his hands in their bonds. I waved a hand in front of his eyes but he didn’t flinch.

Killian asked, “You didn’t see Sgaine Dutre?” Disappointment colored his tone. He had to be frustrated with the news but didn’t show it.

“No, sorry. But look, here’s a thought. If I was Dr. Frankenstein, I’d want to test out my zombies before I made too many of them. I think this one was programmed to come here as a test. You know, come here, check it out, and then return to his home.”

Sean finished my thought, “But he wasn’t sophisticated enough to escape capture.” He considered the prisoner again and asked Killian, “Do you think he’s got a tracer?”

“Good question. Let’s check.”

He and Sean focused their attention and used their own psychic powers to check him for physical or magical tracers. A tracer would allow his Dr. Frankenstein to follow him right to us.

After a minute or so, Killian dismissed him. “He’s clean.”

“So what do we do with him now? Do you think he can find his way back home? We could try to follow him or put our own tracer on him.”

Grinning broadly at me, Sean said, “That is an excellent idea, love.”

A few hours later, our demon zombie was tricked out with a tiny little tracer bug that Killian implanted in his back. With any luck, he would find his way home and we would track him down.

If we could get him to leave…

I stifled a laugh as the guys shoed him off the porch--again. They smiled reassuringly at him and firmly pointed him towards the yard. He was confused and stood on the steps looking back at the porch. He turned around and came back to the door again. This time, he just stood in front of it with a blank expression on his face.

Sighing heavily, Sean took him by the sleeve and led him back down the steps and stopped him in the middle of the driveway. He turned around and sprinted back to the porch. The zombie stood there for a minute and then turned his head towards the porch again. His face was puzzled this time. I had to go inside to keep from laughing out loud. Grumbling with annoyance, Killian put him in the car and drove him to the end of the dirt road.

It was like dumping a puppy.

The tiny bell above the door tinkled when I walked into Zen. Dani’s mother was hanging some crystal pendants on a cut tree branch for display. Turning to greet her customer, she smiled warmly when she saw it was me and hurried over to hug me.

“Mica! It’s been so long since you’ve come by. I thought you had moved on. It’s so nice to see you!”

She towed me to a cabinet so she could work while we talked. Her blond hair was done in little braids again and today she was draped in a heather purple shawl. Although she must be in her 40s, she never seemed to age and was still a pretty woman. She reminded me of an elf.

“I know I haven’t been by. I’ve been busy lately.”

“Lately?” she challenged with a knowing glance. “You are one mysterious young woman, my love.”

Squirming with guilt, I had to lie again. “Well, it’s not so mysterious to work and study. I’m taking an on-line class. Sean and I are--”

She cut me off with a wave of her hand. “Oh, please! Do you think I don’t know what you two are doing out there?” Her eyes were suddenly cold. “I’m not ignorant of the ways of the unseen.”

Unseen?

WTF?

“I’m not sure what you mean by that,” I delayed with more than a little steel in my voice. I didn’t like her tone.

She studied me for a heartbeat and turned away. I thought she’d dismissed me and was going to leave when she spoke again. “I’m sorry, sweetie. What you do is none of my business. I’m just worried about Dani and it’s making me snippy.” Her voice caught at the end.

“What’s wrong with Dani?”

Absently toying with a pale pink crystal, she said, “Do you know very much about this James person she’s seeing?”

“Some…not a lot. Is something wrong?”

She paused to collect her thoughts. “Dani isn’t…Dani when he’s around. She’s someone else who I don’t know and I don’t understand. He manipulates her into doing whatever he wants to do and she doesn’t see it. She smiles this weird empty smile and prattles on about love.” She crushed a bunch of dried flowers into powder and sighed as it drifted to the floor.

Not what I wanted to hear.

Carefully, I asked, “Do you ever hear him talking to her about anything unusual?”

She stilled and quickly glanced up at me. Her eyes were suspicious as they probed mine looking for deception. “What do you know of this?”  Her whole body tensed and she seemed poised to reach out and strike me.

Hands out in a gesture of calm, I tried again. “From your reaction, I guess I’ve hit a nerve. Do you want to tell me what you’ve heard?”

She eyed me with something like fear then. Backing away, she busied herself with gathering up empty boxes and running them to the back room. She knew something and she sensed it was important and probably knew it was supernatural. But why would she be afraid to tell me?

Was she afraid of me?

When she came back into the room, she was calmer but still very pale.

I went to her and gave her a hug to show I was harmless. “Please tell me what’s going on. I’m on Dani’s side no matter what. If I can help, you know I will.”

“Come and have tea with me and we’ll talk.”

After the tea was brewed, we sat on the bright floor cushions and she unloaded. According to her mother, Dani had been entertaining James in her room every night. I knew this already so nodded without comment. Her mother had gradually noticed that James seemed to show up late and leave before dawn as if embarrassed to be there. She was outraged that her daughter might be just a booty-call to this man who seemed strangely in control of her. Dani laughed off her mother’s concerns at first, which was true to her bubbly sweet personality. Lately though, Dani coldly refuted her mother’s concerns and told her to stay out of her business. Her tone and her demeanor were not her own. She’d never been rude to her mother and was now acting more than rudely. She was downright hostile. She was a stranger.

Even more disturbing, she’d overheard a strange conversation between James and Dani. She related it to me with tears in her eyes.

James’ soft voice was strangely compelling as he’d said, “Listen to me, Dani. You’re special. You don’t know it yet, but you will change the world.”

Dani had breathed in anticipation and asked, “What could I do to change the world?”

“You’ll see. You’ll see soon enough. Now lay back and be quiet. We have work to do.”

As she finished the story, she took a sip of her tea with a trembling hand. I reached out in sympathy and steadied her. She noticed immediately when my saol flowed into her body and her eyes went huge in their sockets. Sending orders to stay calm to her mind, I smiled reassuringly at her. She calmed down and stopped shaking.

“What did you do?” She was wary again as she rubbed at her hand.

“I’m just sending serenity vibes your way--nothing more than that.” I was getting better at lying to her. “Is there anything else about James?”

“He’s…I don’t know how to say this. He’s not…nice.”

“Nice?”

Growling in frustration, she stood up. “Oh, that sounds so stupid! Nice. That’s not what I want to say.” Looking at me carefully, she added, “Maybe you’ll understand more than I give you credit for.”

“Okaaaay…” What was she talking about? Maybe she’s lost her mind?

“I sense things, okay? There, now you know. I’m a little bit psychic.” She seemed embarrassed as if this was an unpleasant affliction like herpes.

“Go on. What are you sensing that’s got you so upset? Seriously, I’m not going to laugh at you. Trust me, I’ll understand.”

Finally deciding I was sincere, she said, “He’s his own twin.”

“Come again?”

“When I met him I knew he was divided or torn into two images of himself. I sensed good and…evil. Now…I only sense evil.” She shuddered delicately and pulled her shawl more tightly around her shoulders.

It was my turn to shiver. It was uncanny how much she knew without even knowing anything about him. My mind was running in circles. James was Primani. He’d been good when we met. Primani were warriors, yes. They could be arrogant, crude, and obnoxious.

But they were essentially good at their cores.

They were soldier angels and got their powers from God’s own archangels. Primani were ruthless demon killers, but they were spiritually good beings with human survival at the heart of their existence. James had been acting mysteriously for over a year and we’d been watching him. Even though he’d gradually hardened into something less righteous, less good, he hadn’t led us to anything concrete yet. We had nothing to charge him with. He’d been too clever. James was creepy, sneaky, and a complete dick, but was he evil? That seemed impossible.

How would that happen?

“Mica? Mica? What are you thinking?”

Shaking my head to clear it, I said, “I’m thinking about James. I’m not convinced he’s evil. It doesn’t make sense to me. Do you have any other ideas?”

She snapped as only a mother could. “Damn it! He’s touching my daughter with his filthy evil hands and whispering lies like the devil himself into her brainwashed little ears! He tells her she’s special. He loves her. He wants her. But where is he? He sneaks into the house in the middle of the night. He leaves before the sun comes up so no one sees him. What kind of love is that?” She threw herself to her feet and paced angrily.

“He’s using her. But for what, I don’t know. And every day, my baby grows cold and the light dims in her beautiful stormy eyes.” Exhausted by the force of her anger, she started to cry.

I wrapped an arm around her and tried to soothe her misery. Dani was clearly in trouble. I had a niggling suspicion that was freaking me out. I needed to get to Sean now. I couldn’t share my theory with Dani’s mom. It would destroy her.

If I was right, it was about to destroy Dani.

“I have to go. I need to see someone about this.” I held her away from me and gave her a little shake. When she looked up at me with tear-soaked eyes, my heart squeezed painfully. Her pain was palpable, and I felt it all the way to my toes.

“Promise me you won’t confront James? He’s dangerous and I think he’d hurt you. I’ll come back as soon as I can and tell you what we’ve found out.”

She nodded miserably and squeezed me hard enough to crack a rib. “I would tell you to be careful too, but I think you have all the protection you need.” Her fingers brushed the rune on my hand and she smiled wistfully.

I slammed the door in my rush to get inside the house. Domino broke into a fit of barking at the interruption and I heard boots crossing heavily across the wooden floor. Killian. Perfect. I needed to talk to all of them.

“Yes, I had to slam the door. Yes, I think I’m the only one who lives here. And yes, I’m gloating because I can totally read your mind.” I threw this at him on my way into the living room. After peeling off my gloves and tossing them onto the coffee table, I finally turned around to match his mocking smile.

“Touché.” He bowed elegantly to the floor.

“Where’s everyone?  I want to call a family meeting.”

He pressed his lips together and considered my request and my mood. He said, “You’re vibrating. I can feel you from here. What’s got your anger up?”

“Is there anything you don’t know about me?”

Smiling lazily, he said, “No, not really. Though there are times I tune you out just to keep my sanity. You’re a little intense.”

I was incredulous. “I’m intense? Look who’s talking! Geez.”

A shadow clouded his face and his smile faded. Turning towards a window, he said seriously, “Sean is snooping on the feds and Dec is snooping on Dani. Guess we’re all in the spook business now. The CIA’s got nothing on us.”

“And what about James? Any news on him? I have a theory you’re not going to like.”

“Shoot,” he ordered.

“Okay, I think he’s turned evil. I think he’s working with Dagin and working against us...like a double agent. And I think he’s trying to get Dani pregnant.” I blurted this out and left it in a pile at Killian’s booted feet.

There, the ball’s in his court.

I was hoping he’d laugh at me and tell me this wasn’t possible. I didn’t want this to be true. Time slowed to a crawl while he thought about my theory. I could hear the hands on the clock moving and my own heartbeat racing in my chest.  I knew better than to prod him. He was doing what he did best. I’d just have to be patient. My eyes rested on his tense shoulders, and I rolled my own to release the tension. After all these years, he hadn’t changed at all. He was still tall and bulky with muscle. If anything, he’d gotten leaner and harder. Even relaxed, every muscle was defined and beautiful. His hair was still military short. Unlike Sean and Dec, he never let it grow out to curl around his ears. The proud set of his head showed the confidence that comes from knowing your blood runs with a power so ancient that there are no others who share it. He had a right to that pride. Once he’d told me he’d earned his ego. I agreed; though I’d never admit that to him.

His head might explode.

With three strides, he was back at my side. I managed a squeak of protest before he dragged me over to the couch and sat me down. He pushed too hard and I bounced up again.

“Hey! Stop manhandling me! I have ears. Do you think you could learn to use your words?”

His mouth opened in surprise and he blinked a couple of times. Breaking into a rare smile, he apologized. “I didn’t realize it, but you’re right. I’m sorry, babe. I get wrapped up in my head and it’s just easier to move you myself…saves time.”

“Saves time? Wow, you’re a caveman! You just take what you want. I just love that about you.” I said the words flippantly, but they unlocked a poignant image that stunned us both.

Like a photograph inside my head, I saw him with an arm draped around me as we watched the tide come in on a rocky shore. My head rested against his shoulder. We were naked.

He sucked in his breath with a sharp hiss.

Just like that, the image was gone, almost as if it didn’t happen. The image was gone but the lingering feeling of loving him settled around me like a fine mist. I felt the weight of it against my skin and inside my heart. But my brain denied all such ideas. I searched for some memory that supported my feelings but nothing appeared. I remembered Killian helping me train, helping me grieve, and helping me heal. Nothing in his actions had been romantic. I had no memories of us as lovers…and yet…there was something between us that I couldn’t see now.

He cleared his throat and prompted, “James?” He stood just out of reach and eyed me like I was dangerous.

I was suddenly acutely aware of the heat and scent of him and stepped back even further. Flushing, I started to ask him about this feeling but stopped. He looked coolly at me now as if daring me to give voice to my thoughts. I could push the issue, but I wasn’t sure what I would get from it.

What did I want to get from it?

The rational part of my brain said I needed to know what was happening so I could deal with it and put it behind me. The irrational part of my brain, aka my heart, shied away because it knew there was only pain to be found. For once I was siding with my irrational nature--now wasn’t the time for this conversation. I was more concerned with Dani than my own screwed up memories.

With a businesslike attitude, I pushed these thoughts out of my head. I’d play along with Killian for now. I said, “James. Okay, tell me I’m wrong. Please.”

“I wish I could, but I’d be lying to you. It’s probably worse than you think too.” His expression was grave as he spoke. “We have a word for Primani who slip into darkness...who choose evil over good and who use their powers to do harm.”

“You’re freaking me out a little now. What happened to James?”

“He’s fallen.” Choking on the word, he cleared his throat.

Surprised by the word, I asked, “As in fallen angels?”

It seemed so….well, biblical.

I struggled to apply it to a situation happening in front of me.

Smiling grimly at my surprise, he nodded. “Yes, as in fallen angel. The term is appropriate; if James has turned to evil, he’ll be stripped of his powers and he’ll be barred from Heaven for eternity. He’ll be trapped on earth until his body gives out and then he’ll spend eternity with his new friends in Hell.” His eyes gleamed as his mouth spit out the words that seemed to burn his tongue. He was controlled as usual but his eyes gave away his fury and his pain.

“I feel sad for him. I should be mad, but I’m only feeling sorry for him. Is there any redemption for him at all? Can’t we do something for him before it’s too late?”

“Listen to me carefully, Mica. James is not a human who can simply be led down a path by a tricky demon. He’s Primani and used to be a damn talented one. Primani don’t get tricked or coerced into switching sides. When they go, they go with full knowledge of the choice they’re making.” He wrapped his long fingers around my arm and squeezed to get my full attention. “There is no turning back. There is no redemption. He’s damned and he will be destroyed by his choice.”

I covered his hand with mine and peered into his burning eyes. “And that troubles you? You’re not just angry; you’re sad for him, too. Aren’t you?”

Tilting his head to look down at me, he answered coolly, “You’re projecting again. The only thing I’m feeling is pissed off. I can’t stand traitors. I’m going to have to see Alex about this, and we’ll end up bringing him in for a talk. It’ll be ugly and I’m looking forward to it. As far as I’m concerned, James is dead already.”

I started to reply when I felt him coming. “Hold that thought. Here comes Sean. Right…over…there.” I pointed to the living room doorway just as Sean rematerialized.

Startled, Killian gaped at me. “You’re getting scary, you know that?”

“What’s up? You two look intense,” Sean asked as he crossed to me for a hello kiss.

I leaned into him and clung for a second longer than usual, reluctant to break the contact. I really needed to feel his arms around me, anchoring me to this crazy place.  “I’m so glad to see you. I’m totally freaked out.”

Placing a kiss on the top of my head, he glanced over at Killian’s hard expression. “It looks pretty important. Want to fill me in?”

Killian filled him in on what we’d already discussed and when he was finished, Sean was grim too. He was quiet for a few minutes soaking it in and finally looked at Killian and said, “When do we leave? I need to call Dec back for this. He’ll kill us if we leave him out.”

I asked, “What happens now?”

Sean answered, “Like Killian told you, we need to let Alex know and then go bring James in. He’ll have to report to Michael himself for sentencing. If Michael decrees it, James will be stripped of his Primani powers and banished from Heaven.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how any of this is going to solve our problem. He’ll still be alive, right? He can still see Dani and do whatever he’s trying to do now. He’ll still be able to work with Dagin and cause trouble for everyone.”

“But without his powers, he can’t travel, he can’t influence Dani’s mind, and he can’t spy on us. So some things will be better. Plus, he’ll be more vulnerable and could die an accidental human death.” He grinned wolfishly at the idea.

“But…what if he’s become demonic? Won’t he have demon powers? What if he fights us?”

It was Killian’s turn to bare his teeth. “Oh, I’m counting on that.”

Sean interjected, “Mica, you can’t go with us. The rules are strict on this. Only Primani can bring in The Fallen. You’ll have to sit this one out.”

Killian spent the next few hours planning the mission with Sean and I made dinner. It was nice to work in the kitchen for a change. I had my iPod hooked to the speakers and sung along with my Linkin Park play list. I made a Thai stir-fry with shrimp and rice. It was after 8:00 when were all finished eating. Sean was about to get up from the table when I spoke up.

“Hey, I need to talk to you about something. Can you make it to bed early?”

Killian shrugged and said, “We’re pretty much done, Sean. Why don’t you just go hang out? We can finish up in the morning.”

A few minutes later, Sean tapped on the door and let himself inside. His eyes darkened to midnight as I twirled in front of him. I was barely covered by an amethyst-colored satin negligee. Backless and strapless, the pushup bustier ended with a flounce of fabric that just covered my butt. I’d even invested in a pair of black thigh high stockings. Candlelight reflected off of the locket at my throat and the twin stones on my finger. I’d piled my waves of hair on top of my head and let just a few heavy tendrils curl around my face.

Never taking his eyes off of me, he moved instantly to my side and dragged me against him with one arm around my waist. I wrapped my hands around his face and guided his mouth to mine and kissed him until his breathing was ragged.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he groaned against my throat. I arched against him in invitation and he followed me to the bed. I posed across the sheets and watched with sleepy eyes as he pulled off his clothes and threw them in a pile. Standing in nothing but his glorious skin, he drank in the sight of me and I smiled at his reaction.

Patting the bed, I smiled seductively and slid my stockings together just to hear the gentle swoosh of the silk. “Do you remember the first time you kissed me?”

He was running his hand up my stocking and peering interestedly under my flounce. “Of course I remember it. You seduced me on my yacht.”

“It was a sailboat and you had no chance. I wanted you to kiss me and I wasn’t getting off the boat without one. And then you came to me and scared me half to death. I’d thought it was cute to toy with you. I had no idea about the power. When you touched me, it felt like I was going to burst into flames. I was terrified.” Lazily, I ran my hands down his shoulder and added, “But I couldn’t look away. I was lost in you.”

He raised his head and placed a playful kiss on my belly button. “You were scared of me. I saw it in your eyes. I smelled the fear. I was going to stop until the minute you realized that you were in love with me. That hit me like a cannon and I was stunned. That you loved me was a miracle. I couldn’t have stopped if I tried. I was drawn to you like a magnet.”

“And I still am.” He was level with my face again and tugged on my lower lip with his mouth. I smiled up into those beautiful eyes and realized he was hovering above me on his elbows. His body was just barely touching mine, the muscle of his chest and thighs brushing mine. I trembled with the need to touch him, to hold him inside of me, to feel that connection again.

“Look into my eyes. What do you see now?” I tilted his face until he peered directly into my eyes.

“I see the truth of things between us. I see your love for me and I see your need.” He dipped his head and kissed me, his tongue slipping against mine. My hips circled against him, pressing, inviting...He rubbed slowly across my thighs, taking his time, teasing us both. I felt the heat move up from his body to mine and marveled again at the soft golden light that wrapped around us and tied us together. Curious, I consciously pushed some of my own power outwards to see if I could add it to the saol that already flowed around us. The effect was immediate. The gentle heat was hotter now and more intensely concentrated.

“What did you just do?” He grinned down at me.

“Too much?”

“Did you want to melt?” He was laughing now.

“Okay, okay, I’ll turn it off.” I scaled it back and gradually the intense heat faded again.

“Now, where were we?” He grinned as he deftly unhooked the front of my bustier with one hand. The other was busy working magic elsewhere.

“Sean?”

“Yeah?”

“When do you think we should get married?”

Long pause.

“After we kill the zombies.”

The trees were skeletal as they clawed towards the heavy grey clouds. I hurried down the path with Domino trotting alongside of me. The wind pushed against my back as the storm barreled down from the west.  We were expecting a monster snowstorm and it would hit soon. I wanted, no, needed to meditate and felt drawn to my little clearing in the trees. Something was urging at me and I couldn't ignore it. Sean, Dec, and Killian had been gone for two days and I was alone. I’d started dreaming again last night. The dream had scared me and I’d woken with my heart racing and screams echoing in my mind.

In the dream, I was locked in a dark concrete cell with Dani. Dani was glowing with happiness and pregnancy. Her belly was grotesquely swollen but she didn’t notice. Her eyes were mad as she crooned to the unborn child in her womb. Her voice gave me chills as she chanted the strange words of a lullaby. Over and over she chanted the words as if in a trance.

This woman didn’t look like the Dani I knew. Her once beautiful eyes were jaundiced and ringed by heavy black eyeliner and her lips were painted a bloody red. Someone had changed her.

She stared at me with revulsion before snarling in a voice dripping with venom, “You’re jealous! You pathetic freak! You’ll never have babies like me!” Then she’d gone back to caressing her stomach and crooning the creepy lullaby.

I said, “No, Dani, I’m not jealous. I’m happy for you! Can’t I help you? We’ll get out of here and you and the baby will be safe again.”

Flinching away from me, she hissed, “Leave? This is our home. I’ll never leave here.”

Before I could argue with her, she gripped her belly and screamed an inhuman howl. I froze in horror as two sets of claws appeared out of her belly. Her screams reverberated off the walls as the thing inside her clawed its way out and devoured its mother.

The dream freaked me out more because I suspected it wasn’t a dream at all but a premonition. I didn’t have them often but when I did, they always came true. I needed to meditate and clear my head now so I could get my thoughts together before going to see Dani. I wasn’t waiting for the guys to come with me. I can handle talking to her without backup.

The trees in my clearing were bare too, but they were friendlier than the larger ones on the edges of the property. The small trees seemed to protect my clearing as they arched over it like a chapel roof. Reaching it now, I spread the blanket on the cold ground and sat down. Domino curled up by my side and set about the important business of guarding me while my mind was focused inward. I took one last glance around. The sky was roiling above me and a gust of wind whipped the blanket’s edges around us. The storm was nearly here.

I needed to hurry.

Closing my eyes, I pictured my tiny pool surrounded with purple orchids and lush leaves of green. The water was so clear I could count the pebbles beneath my feet. Warm floral air caressed my cheek with gentle fingers. I breathed slowly and deeply and filled my soul with calm. My mind cleared of all thoughts but those of sensing. For a moment the physical world drifted away and it was only me in my private world. But the calm was abruptly shattered when something hit me on the back of my head and I fell on my face.

Domino’s urgent barking gradually brought me around. I lay on the ground trying to make sense of what happened but my mind was blank. I tried to sit up but a burning pain stabbed into my skull when I moved. Carefully moving my arm, I felt the back of my head and winced when my fingers found a sticky spot. I wasn’t bleeding a lot and I could feel the cut was pretty small. The knot, on the other hand, was about the size of an egg. This was going to hurt.

What the hell hit me?

Squinting, I looked around without moving my head. It was like trying to look through a blanket. The snow was falling in huge clumps and the wind was blowing it into swirls even inside the trees. The storm had started. I felt Domino leaning next to me and gave her a weak smile. Okay, it was time to get out of here.

“Good girl. I’d hate to freeze to death out here.”

Despite the cocooning snow and howling wind, my psychic senses went ballistic. Suddenly I realized I wasn’t alone. Someone was out there, watching me.

Someone who wasn’t a friend.

“Domino, who’s here?”

She went to doggy soldier-mode and scanned the perimeter. After a few seconds, she growled low in her throat and pointed to the left.  I took a deep breath and shoved myself to my feet. The sudden movement left me nauseous and my vision dimmed to a tiny tunnel. I swayed and would’ve passed out again if Domino hadn’t been there. She barked madly and backed into my shins. With hackles raised, she pivoted and barked at something further to the left now. It was moving.

Or there was more than one.

He was on me before I could lift a finger to stop him. I was flat on my back in the gathering snow with his heavy body flattening me and his hand clamped over my opened mouth.

“Don’t even think about it. I’ve been trying to get you alone for too long to let you call for help,” James sneered into my stunned face. Something sharp nudged the skin where my jacket had ridden up.

With a smile that would have been sweet if he wasn’t evil, he lifted his hand away. When I tried to yell, I found that he’d cut off my audio. Damn it. Why does he still have his powers? He grinned down at me as if this was a flirty game between lovers. All fun and games…Without warning, he kissed my mouth in an oddly gentle kiss.

“Our first kiss. Do you remember your vision in The City? You were meditating and I watched you enter your little oasis. I came to you in your dream and showed you what it would be like. I wanted to pull you into my world and kiss you then, but you didn’t give me a chance. I'm patient though. You see, I knew even then that you would be mine. That kiss was destiny. And now, it’s happened.” His face was calm as he reflected on his brilliance even as the cold metal rested along my rapidly warming skin.

His mood shifted and he frowned, “You’ve wasted too much time. All because of Sean…your soul mate!” Disgusted, he spit into the snow. “You didn’t give me a chance, did you? That night…that night I showed you our first kiss…you gave yourself to that cretin. He took your body like he deserved it. The golden boy who gets everything he wants. I watched you spread your legs for him and I cried. Then I killed my first human.”

The knife point dug into my skin, and I forced myself not to struggle. “I should’ve been your first. You deserved me. Then.”

Killian! If you can hear me, I’ve got James for you! I don’t know how long I can keep him distracted though. Hurry!

With eyes turning a sickly shade of greenish yellow, James continued to talk. “I would’ve been good to you. I wouldn’t have bailed on you like he did. He said he was scattered. Ha!” He looked pityingly at me. “For a whole year? And you believed him. Why don’t you ask him where he really was all that time? Your golden boy lies just like everyone else.”

Killian’s sharp voice snapped inside my head. Are you in danger?

I considered the knife in my side and the half-crazed evil demon-thing working itself up to killing me.

Nah, piece of cake.

Nothing to fear here.

Oh, sure, take your time. I’m good. He’s spilling his guts though. Maybe you guys should listen to this instead of blazing in and vaporizing him?

James was lying of course. There’s no way Sean would’ve stayed away unless he couldn’t get back. I wasn’t even going to entertain that story in my head. So I tried for a calm expression of sympathy and grimaced gently. That was the best I could manage…he leaned over and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand.

He sighed dramatically. ”What am I going to do with you now? You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. Would you consider leaving Sean for me? I don’t want to kill you like the others.”

With a soundless cry of fury, I took a swing at his face and he ducked with a sharp laugh and shoved me back down.

He patted my cheek and boasted, “Yeah, that was me. Your old boyfriend was the perfect distraction. He did some side work for us that put him right in my path. He was already a friggin’ time bomb. It was too easy.”

He shifted his position so he was sitting on me, but the knife stayed pressed into my side close to my kidney. Furious, I choked on angry tears as I pictured Lia’s pretty face the night she walked away with James. She’d trusted his lies and she was dead. He’d butchered her…because of me.

Mica, we’re here watching. Keep him talking; we need to know what he’s done.

“Why would you kill all those people? I thought you were…nice last year.” I was trying to stall but really just wanted to rip his throat out. Killian better know what he’s doing.

“Those humans were just cheap imitations of you. You have to understand. I didn’t want to kill them, but I couldn’t kill you…It wasn’t your fault, after all. Your golden boy cheated. He took away your will so you’d stay with him. Oh, I thought I could get you out of my system with some substitutes; but no, that didn’t work for me.”

He glanced around us, waiting, and I tensed to launch myself up. He grinned and shifted the blade to just below the rune on my chest. I froze again gritting my teeth in frustration. Fine, James, just keep talking, you creep.

They say confession is good for the soul.

“And now, here we are. I can’t stand him having you while I settle for second best. He makes me sick. Everything about him makes me want to kill him. And the irony is you think he’s so pure, so honest. You only know what he wants you to know.”

At my mutinous glare, he sighed and pinched my cheek. “Still loyal, I see. Well, since you won’t come to me, I’m going to have to kill you. Sorry love, but that’s the only way. You see, I don’t like loose ends. Killing you is the best solution. Sean won’t have you and I’ll be able to move on with my Plan B.” He winked at me, his expression boyish. “You were Plan A. But you didn’t cooperate so I’m moving on; nothing personal.”

“Leave Dani alone!” I ground out from between my teeth. Oh, my audio was back on.

“Sorry, can’t do that. She’s my little brood mare. My family tree needs some new branches. I’m running short on descendants, and she’s pathetically eager to climb into bed with me. My blood is now half and half. Combining this with the human blood will give me a child with the best qualities of all three. He’ll be unstoppable.”

“Three? I don’t get it. You’re Primani. You should be happy with that.”

His arrogant expression sharpened. “Ah, yes. But you see, Primani have limited powers. Our friends from the underworld now, they have their own special abilities. For instance, did you know they can remain invisible and keep all of their physical capabilities?”

“Invisible? It was you, wasn’t it? You hit Sean, didn’t you?” I asked for Sean’s benefit.

“Oh, you should’ve seen the look on his face! Priceless! Invisibility is oh so helpful.” He looked around and shouted, “I know you’re there. You might as well show yourselves. You’re not going to attack me while I have a blade against her gut.”

Slowly, Sean rematerialized on our right. Killian and Dec appeared on the left. The three of them were in full soldier-mode. Sean would rip James in half and not think twice about it. It was reassuring. They fanned out to circle us but kept a distance when James drew blood and I winced.

Sean called to me, “Are you okay?”

“Oh, sure. I’ll heal. No worries,” I called back.

“Get the fuck off her, James! Your fight’s with me. Leave her alone!”

He made an angry move towards us and James thrust the blade against me causing me to jump in alarm. Sean hesitated and glanced meaningfully at Dec who nodded and palmed his own blade. Dec’s face was a thundercloud; his eyes drilled into mine pleading for permission to move in.

Confident in his own power, James ignored Dec and Sean. “Being invisible is great for people watching especially when they’re doing things they shouldn’t be.”  His voice lowered to a conspiring whisper and he glanced triumphantly at Killian.

My chest tightened into a knot and my heart began to pound.

I had a bad feeling about this…

He felt it and raised an eyebrow at me. “Sean, since I’m killing her anyway, I want you to know that it’s really your fault. If you’d have kept your hands off her, she wouldn’t be in this situation now. You didn’t even miss her while you were away, did you?” He stroked my cheek again and his voice took on a sing-song tone. “Though, to be honest, she didn’t miss you. She can’t seem to stay off her back with any of you three.”

Shocked, I lurched up to protest and the blade slid deep into my side. Clutching at the haft of the blade, I gasped, “What? I never slept with…them. Only Sean!” I held my breath as I pulled the knife out and the pain reached my brain.

Killian lunged at James and James whipped the blade to my throat and just the tiniest pressure sent fresh blood streaming down my neck. Killian froze and fumed, “Let her go! You have enough blood on your hands. As it is, Michael’s going to banish you. Don’t make us kill you.”

James chuckled and gloated, “I’m not worried about that. You won’t get your hands on me as much as you’re dying to.”

His eyes swiveled to Killian’s face and hardened to yellow glass. “Your control is impressive, but not limitless, eh? How long did it last once she was free? One month? Four? Six?  How long until you had her in your bed?”

“What? Shut up, James! You’re lying!” Looking wildly at Killian, I cried, “Shut him up!” I struggled to get up and James laughed at my attempts to throw him off.

Sean’s face drained to white with twin spots of angry red blazing from his cheekbones. He glared murderously at Killian and then me. Killian looked like he wanted to die, his face a mask of misery and anger. Dec bounced from side to side trying not to throw himself onto James and rip his head off.

“It’s not true! Sean, believe me, I didn’t sleep with Killian!” I had tears running down my face now. “He’s evil! Don’t listen to him!”

The betrayal on his face was breaking my heart into tiny little chips of ice.

Embracing his own form of twisted self-righteousness, James sneered, “No, you only slept when you were too exhausted to go another round. Your denials are so sincere; could it be you don’t remember?”

As if pondering a great mystery, he pretended to think deeply. “Now how is it you wouldn’t remember the tender loving of the most powerful warrior priest ever born? Surely you remember your screams as they echoed off the sides of mountains? I know I do--so delicious! I believe there was a tree once. Those memories helped me pass many lonely nights with great entertainment. Oh, and what about the time during the storm? Seems to me, you rather enjoyed the rush of the rain and the lightning crashing around you--”

“Shut up! That didn’t happen! Why are you lying?” I was screaming over him, but his voice was supernaturally loud and echoed around us.

Killian! Tell him it’s not true!

Silence.

Killian! Please!

I can’t.

My face blanched even more as understanding began to dawn. I closed my eyes against the wave of misery that washed over me. Oh, God. It was true?

How could this be true?

Sean would never forgive us.

Cruelly, James grilled me further. “It didn’t happen? Let’s ask loyal buddy Declan what he remembers. He lived with both of you. Dec, didn’t these two have something going on when Sean was out betraying Mica?”

Dec snapped indignantly, “Sean never betrayed Mica!”

“Ah, but did Mica betray Sean?” James purred.

Dec’s face crumbled when he met Sean’s furious glare. “Nobody betrayed you! We thought you were dead. They were both devastated and…it just happened. We never stopped looking for you though and we brought you back as soon as we found you. Then it was over.”

“Did you ever wonder why it took a year to find Sean? It was because he didn’t want to be found. Ask him sometime. It’s a great story.”

“I’m not stupid, James. I know Mica and Killian were close while I was gone. They don’t lie very well. But it’s over,” Sean ground out between his teeth.

His furious eyes bored into mine, and he passed the blade from one hand to the other. There was no forgiveness in his expression. My heart sank.

I tried to get up but James pushed me back down and snapped at me, “I’m not done! Are you in a hurry to be dead?”

Clearly enjoying ruining our lives, he shifted his focus back to Sean and kept taunting him. He was going to make the most out of his moment in the spotlight before he killed me and vanished. “So you think it’s over? An attraction that strong doesn’t go away overnight. Look at them now--they can’t stop looking at each other. In all fairness, Sean, he did try to be noble. Let’s ask Killian about Eden. I’m sure he remembers it all. Don’t you?” He shifted and adopted a sentimental tone.

”It’s really quite romantic, isn’t it? Didn’t she cry when you made love to her for the last time? You told her it had to be that way because you didn’t want to hurt Sean. You said her destiny was with Sean and not you. That was very noble of you. But how did she respond? She cried as if her heart was broken. And you kissed away her tears, didn’t you? So sweet, you must really love her to let her go. And when she told you she loved you, you did what?”

He spoke to Killian, but his eyes were glued to Sean’s face.

“No, no! It can’t be true! Killian, please! Tell him it’s not true!” I was crying hysterically now, unable to even form words through my sobs.

I had no memories…no memories of any of this.

Why would James keep lying?

Killian was frozen like a statue, his face a mask of guilty misery that matched Dec’s. Sean and I both stared at Killian.

Squaring his shoulders, he said bluntly, “I erased her memory.”

My heart stopped and I quit breathing. “You what?”

James shouted in victory, “Louder! Say it louder! We all need to hear how the love triangle ends.”

Like a man facing a firing squad, Killian sighed with resignation. “I erased her memory so she would never remember that she…cared for me that way. Her place is with Sean, not me. I did it to protect her, and I won’t apologize for it.” He turned to Sean and nearly pleaded. “I won’t lie to you. I took care of her while you were gone and somehow, I fell in love with her. But I never intended to replace you. Once you came back, it was over for both of us. It was always you she wanted, but she settled for me.”

Small black spots danced in front of my eyes and my head spun alarmingly. Probably I was bleeding a lot, but I didn’t care right then. I was too stunned to think about it, and if I died, it didn’t matter anyway. I didn’t remember anything that James said. No memories…nothing. A year of my life was gone…stolen.

What the hell was Killian thinking?

Who was he to decide to erase my memories? We could’ve just moved on and pretended it never happened. But now thanks to James’ little game, Sean will never forgive us and will probably leave me as soon as he can go. Killian and Dec will go too. They have work…purpose.

I’ll be alone to pick up the pieces that’ll never fit together again.

And Dani? Sweet, innocent Dani…his brood mare?

Evil, disgusting demon!

Why did I feel sorry for him? Killian was right; he was damned. There was no hole deep enough, no pit black enough for his rancid soul!

A phosphorus rage settled in my heart and I gathered the power quietly while he and Sean taunted each other. James continued to gloat over how Sean didn’t really have me either. He was replaced by Killian! Oh, how did that feel? He needled and Sean was about to explode. He paced like a panther waiting for an opening.

When Sean slipped around opposite us, I saw my chance. With one furious burst of power, I threw James straight towards Sean. Sean reacted with lightning speed and whipped up the shining silver blade. The blade slid cleanly between James’ bones and severed his spinal cord when he collided with Sean. He collapsed on top of Sean with an expression of surprise. Dumping him to the ground, Sean gutted him from pelvis to sternum.

James’ eyes went black and his body slowly started to smoke.

Chapter 23: Hoards of Demons Come A’ Calling

SNOW FELL ON MY CLOSED EYELIDS and slid in icy rivulets down my cheeks. I lay perfectly still and gathered my saol to the deep gash in my side. The tissue knit back together as I healed myself. The tiny cuts on my neck and chest could wait. Hell, they weren’t going to kill me, so they could just freaking bleed for all I cared. Once the bleeding stopped, I got to my knees and inhaled a steadying breath.

The wind still howled with the fury of the storm and snow flew like a hail. Trees bent against the gusts and I braced myself. Using one hand to shield my eyes, I rapidly searched for Domino, ignoring the stony glare from Sean. I carefully avoided looking for Killian. That wound wouldn’t heal any time soon. Searching with my mind instead of my eyes, I found Domino lying under a bush. She was conscious but didn’t want to get up. She shook her head and cried in pain. James must’ve kicked her. Yet another good reason for him to roast in Hell! I picked her up in my arms and stumbled back to the house.

Just once, I was making a dignified exit.

Back at the house, I healed her quickly and put her into my own car. I clamped off the screaming in my mind and the tears threatening to clog my throat.

Not now, not now.

There’s no time for losing it.

I drove as fast as I could through the blizzard. My tires slid all over the road, and I nearly ended up in the trees a few times. Luck was the only thing keeping me on the road. It was still early and Dani’s lights were on. It was hard to believe my entire life was just ruined in the course of about 15 minutes. Well, now Dani’s world was about to crumble, and I got to deliver the shitty news.

Dani’s mother opened the door at the sound of my pounding. Relief lit her face until she saw my bloody clothes.  “Oh, my God! Sweetie, you’re hurt! Come inside quickly!” She hustled me and Domino into the living room and closed the door with a determined slam of the deadbolt.

“What happened to you?” she demanded. ”Did you wreck your car?”

“I don’t have time to explain. Where’s Dani? I have to see her right now!”

Her face wilted. “She’s gone. I hoped she was with you…”

Oh, Jesus! My hands shook as I tried to stay calm. My blood heated and the room faded to white around the edges. Gripping her hands too tightly, I asked, “Is she pregnant?”

Tears slid out of the corners of her eyes and she sank heavily to the couch. “We argued…just today. She tried to keep it from me, but I heard her throwing up this morning. She’s…not herself.” Dragging me into her arms, she clung for dear life. “Mica, what’s happened to my baby?”

In no mood to protect any secrets, I told her the truth. “James is a demon, or was. He’s dead and back in Hell where his evil rotten pathetic excuse for a soul can burn for eternity.”

Stunned, she blinked at me and sat back. “He’s a demon? And Dani’s pregnant…” Her eyes rolled back in her head as she slipped into a faint.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for this,” I whispered to her and slipped out the door.

"Where is she?" I asked the dog riding shotgun. She shrugged and looked out the window. I slid the car into the 7-11 parking lot and dialed Dani’s cell phone. No answer. I left a message and hung up. Tapping my fingers anxiously on the wheel, I racked my brain for places she’d go. That she didn’t come to me for help screamed warnings inside my head. The old Dani wouldn’t have hesitated. This was James’ doing. Just for a second, I let the rage take over and surge through me like a flood. With eyes closed to hide the blazing light, I let myself wallow in the hatred I felt for James and smiled at the memory of his destruction…just for a moment.

Okay, enough of that. The clock is ticking. Shoving the anger into a box inside my head, I focused on finding Dani again. I thought she might be at James’ place, but I didn’t know where that was. Ugh. I was going to have to go back to the farmhouse and ask Dec. I so didn’t want to see any of them right now. But Dani’s life was more important than my pride. Gritting my teeth, I headed to the house.

The walk from the driveway to the front door usually takes about 20 seconds. Tonight it took me several minutes as I stopped and started a few times before I boldly opened the front door and let myself into the empty hallway. My neck ached with tension as I made my way through the house. As I drifted past the kitchen doorway, Dec called my name and I slowed. I wasn’t ready to see him yet.

He walked into the hall and faced me with a grim expression. I stared at him, silent.

I had nothing to say.

“Please don’t look at me that way! You’re breaking my heart.” His voice was anguished and he looked like he wanted to cry. “I’m so sorry!”

“You knew?” I accused with angry tears in my eyes. He flushed guiltily and lowered his eyes.

“How could you do that to me, Dec? I trusted you! More than anybody in my life, I trusted you!”

Grasping my arm, he pleaded with me, eyes huge in his face, “Please understand! I did it for you!”

The sound of my palm cracking against his cheek echoed throughout the silent house. White faced, I yelled, “I’m sick of hearing that lame-ass excuse! You did it for your brothers! You left me hanging out to dry. And after all we’ve been through, how could you?”

Stung, he tried one more time. “I deserved that. Let me explain--”

I held up my hand to stop him. “Are there any other dirty little skeletons in my closet?” I rounded on him again. “Did I sleep with you too?”

“What? No, I swear! It was never like that between us. You’re like a sister to me.” He stepped closer with his hand stretched out in a gesture of peace. “Don’t be like this.”

“If you touch me again, I’ll blow your hand off. Get away from me, Dec.” I turned and left him standing there.

Shaking with fury and disappointment, I headed straight to our bedroom. I knew he was there and I couldn’t put this off any longer. He deserved some kind of explanation…though I had no idea what I could say. Without any memory, I didn’t know what happened between Killian and me. Apparently a lot if James was telling the truth. Surely he was exaggerating. Why couldn’t I remember? Damn it. This sucks. Opening the door, I took a deep breath and slipped inside.

With his back to me, he dug up a handful of shirts and slammed them down on the edge of the bed. I could tell by the tense set of his shoulders that he knew I was there, but he ignored me and kept packing. My gut clenched and I gripped the door jam with my fingers.

How could he just leave?

He was just going to leave without even talking to me? Or yelling at me? Or anything? Disbelief held me motionless as I stared at him.  Domino sat by his backpack and whimpered. His movements were jerky as he shoved clothes into his duffle bag. The clock kept ticking and he ignored me. The silence was unbearable and I began to sweat as a shiver of fear crawled down my spine. The room dimmed as if the lights went out and then came back on again.

Suddenly I was too hot.

My emotions were taking over my powers and I was getting overwhelmed. I tried to calm down, but my blood was racing to the frantic beat of my heart. I was about to have a panic attack, and I didn’t know what my powers would do about that.  My fists were clenched at my sides and the telltale glimmer of light peeped from inside my palms. I was getting dangerously hot between my own raging emotions and absorbing the cold fury radiating from Sean.

“You’re just going to leave? Without a word?” I finally said in a voice too curt to be considered apologetic.

Not deigning to answer me, he grunted something manly and finished packing. Finally turning to face me he stopped and considered his words carefully.

“I loved you. I loved you and you betrayed me. There’s nothing to talk about. You blew it. It’s over.”

My eyes burned fiercely and I blinked to cool them. Struggling for control over the building energy, I snapped, “How can you just walk away? We’re not going to talk about this?”

His eyes were empty when he looked down at me then. There was nothing in them. No fury, no pain…nothing but an emptiness that broke my heart all over again. He didn’t care.

He was over me.

“Wow. I guess I didn’t mean that much to you after all.” I paused to think. “All that time I grieved for you…we all did. Where were you? Do you want to talk about that? Did you lie about that? Or is that okay since it’s you doing the lying? Is Dec in on that too?” My voice rose with each word until I was shouting at him.

“Mica! That’s not helping.” Killian stepped into the room and put his hands between us. “Sean, come on, man. Let’s get out of here. We can figure this out.”

Sean and I both snapped, “Fuck off!” and glared at him.

Exasperated and upset, he glanced back and forth at us and tried again. “There’s a lot more to this than James’ version. Don’t let him destroy everything!”

Sean stalked to the other side of the room and I turned my back on Killian to follow. He would just have to deal. I wasn’t in the mood for him.

With a growl, Killian dematerialized.

“Sean! Aren’t you going to answer me? Where were you?”

Narrowing his eyes at me, he growled, “Why don’t you just shut up? There’s nothing you can say to me that excuses what you did. You know, I could understand needing comfort, but you actually fell in love with him! How could you do that to me? I should’ve known better to get involved with a human. You’re weak and pathetic. Now get out of my way or I’ll move you.”

Planting my feet, I snarled right back, “Try it.” At this point, I was throwing off waves of heat that caused Domino to sniff the air.

With a cold glance, he took a step forward and I braced myself. He kept walking and I stood my ground. My eyes bored into his and I tried not to blow him up.  His eyes were ice cold as he looked through me and vanished into the night.

With no outlet for my frustrations, my eyes burned and I stood in the same spot panting with the overwhelming power surging through me. I had to get out of there. Without a backward glance, I flew down the front steps and took off in a sprint. It was snowing, it was dark, and it was dangerous for me to be alone in the woods. I welcomed the fool who attacked me tonight. I would rip them to shreds with my bare hands.

Where were the vampires and werewolves now?

I wouldn’t mind running into a few of them…I was furious and I was powerful. And, a little voice piped up in the back of my mind, heartbroken.

Don’t forget heartbroken…

By the time I cooled down to a human-ish temperature, I’d run for an hour and came back to the house dripping with sweat and melted snow. I wasn’t even breathing hard, but at least my temperature was normal again. Slamming the front door, I stalked through the rooms to see if Dec was still there. The house was empty. Not a sound. No one was here. Now what? Sagging against the doorframe, I fought back a lump in my throat. I couldn’t believe my life had just spiraled into the ground.

How had things come to this?

Raphael’s prophetic words haunted me as I stared at the stairs. You will be challenged and you will be hurt. There is great pain on your path, Mica.

Lucky me…

Wandering listlessly to the bedroom, I took a shower and put on a robe. On autopilot, I checked the doors and windows and set the alarm. Suddenly exhausted, I crawled into bed with Domino. Curling around her soft little back, I cried myself to sleep.

It was late in the afternoon the next day when Domino nudged me awake. Groggy, I peered at the clock.  For a minute, I forgot what happened yesterday. Then in a rush of painful memories, it all came flooding back.

Oh, Sean…his empty eyes broke my heart all over again.

I loved you. I loved you and you betrayed me. There’s nothing to talk about.

He’d said loved, as in past tense, so he no longer loved me. How was that possible? After all we’d been through…I’d never stop loving him no matter what he did. How he could just walk away from me. It was so unfair. I didn’t even remember what I did. And where was Killian right now? He couldn’t take the heat and ran off to do some big bad ancient warrior crap leaving me here to live with the mess. Shit. I was so through with Primani!

Great warriors? Screw that.

Arrogant bastards.

All of them.

I allowed myself one last good cry and then let anger take over. Anger felt better than self-pity. My head ached and my eyes burned. Rubbing them irritably, I sighed to myself. Okay, maybe too much anger wasn’t good either. I couldn’t live like this; I hated pain. I needed to get up and get my life back together. To hell with all of them! I didn’t need them for anything anyway. They needed me now that I had Killian’s powers. Feeling smug, I imagined the expressions on their faces when they realized the ramifications of leaving me alone…

Furious, resentful, and very, very strong.

They’d be back.

In the meantime, I had to keep busy so I wouldn’t accidently go off and kill somebody. First, I would find Dani. My broken heart would have to take a back seat until I figured out where she was and do something about the demon baby. I had no idea what I could do; maybe I could still talk to Raphael. He’d know.

“How do we find Raphael, Princess?” I asked the dog.

Call him? She wagged her tail helpfully.

Duh! “It’s worth a shot! Here goes…” I closed my eyes and called his name.

Silence.

Five minutes later, I announced, “Okay, that didn’t work out. Probably he’s super busy and can’t just pop in here. We’ll have to call the penthouse and talk to Alex.”

She yawned and rested her chin on her paws. I was boring her.

Someone finally picked up the phone after four rings. My brain froze at the sound of his voice. My tongue stuck in my throat and I couldn’t get a word to form.

“Mica? What do you want?” Sean snapped at me through the receiver. “I have nothing to say to you.”

That did it.

“I want to talk to Alex, if that’s okay with you, oh glorious one!”

“He’s not here. What do you want?”

“Nothing from you! I need to talk to Alex or Raphael.” I hung up the phone and fumed. He’s taking pissiness to a whole new level.

Stalking to the bedroom, I cleaned my guns and wiped down my knives…just in case. I had no help now…what on earth was I going to do if this place was attacked? I needed to get out of here and move on. The house was huge, too huge for me. I could go back to my parents’ house, but that didn’t seem like a good fit for my new life skills. No, Dad wouldn’t appreciate my demon hunting under his roof. I guess I could give up demon hunting and just work at the mall…that seemed like a waste of perfectly good ancient powers though.

Stay here or go home.

That was it. I had no other options. I had no savings. I had very little cash. My car was on E.

I had no place else to go. Crap. Tapping my fingers on the counter, I took a deep breath to slow down the panic. There was no reason to rush into a plan. I had time. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give Sean some time to cool off. He was mad, but maybe he’d come around. After all, we didn’t have a deadline. It wasn’t like I was pregnant or anything. With that thought, my stomach lurched uncomfortably and I broke into a cold sweat. Oh, no, no, no. I AM NOT PREGNANT. Not possible! I just made it to the toilet before I threw up my lunch. Glaring at my nicely-shaped abs, I chanted “I’m not pregnant” inside my head until I’d convinced myself it was true.

Days went by and turned into weeks. The snow was gone and spring was here. I was curled up in a blanket on the patio watching it slowly rain and turn the yard green again. Mother Nature making love to the earth again…I dialed the number, again. No answer, again. Listless, I called Dani’s mom. She picked up on the first ring. The hopefulness in her voice cut me to the quick.

“Have you found her?” she asked breathlessly.

“No, I’m sorry. I haven’t. I was hoping you had.” I’d been apologizing for weeks. What kind of a psychic was I? I couldn’t sense my best friend who was in big trouble. I had no idea where she was.

She let her breath out slowly. “It’s been a month, Mica. Where could she be?”

“The police have no leads?” She’d filed a missing persons report weeks ago, but Dani had disappeared without a trace.

My working theory was that James had stashed her at his place or with the demons somewhere to wait for the baby to be born. He hadn’t counted on dying before he could get back to her. For all I knew, she was already languishing in Dante’s second circle of Hell. If James was right, I’d end up there myself someday…lustful wanton that I apparently was.

My stomach gurgled unhappily and I held my breath. Counting down the seconds, it took just 15 of them before I hurled myself to the railing and threw up my dinner. Heaving again, I gagged and spit out what was left of the toast.

I’m not pregnant. I’m not pregnant.

Who was I kidding?

The signs were getting more ominous by the day. I was throwing up every day now and so tired I barely wanted to eat. I chalked both of these things up to stress and depression. If I was pregnant, I had to tell Sean and Sean hated me now. How would he feel about a baby? Would he even want it? Would he believe it was his? It was too much to think about, and I closed my eyes for a minute while I worked up the courage to call him.

“This sucks!” I complained to the universe in general. “How could this happen?” I asked rhetorically and shuffled into the house. Domino rolled her eyes at me and stuffed her nose between her paws.

I needed someone to help me and no one would answer the phone. I called the penthouse again. The phone rang and rang. This time no one answered. There was no answering machine and I slowly pressed the end call button. What was going on down there? I really, really needed help finding Dani and no one would answer the phone.

Didn’t anyone care about me up here?

And if I was pregnant, and I wasn’t admitting I was, well, that would be another complication. I needed to tell Sean. But none of them would answer the phone. I could be dead for all they knew! Well, let’s see them ignore me when I show up in Manhattan. With this thought in mind, I started to pack a suitcase when the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Something was here.

And it wasn’t human.

Frozen with dread, I listened. The sound that reached me turned my blood to ice. Scratching, like claws over stone, sent shivers down my spine like so many fingernails on a chalkboard. Domino went ballistic. The house creaked as the scratching grew louder. A shadow in the window caught the corner of my eye. I whipped around and stared into my nightmares. The demon's reptilian eyes were red with lust as he leered at me through the glass. He was joined by another.

Domino lunged and they clung to the frame and laughed. The sound reverberated inside my head. Stay calm, stay calm. The house was protected, right? No one could get inside and my body was protected by the runes.

Was my mind safe?

I could go crazy with terror alone here in this huge empty house. More and more demons landed on the roof. The scratching continued as they tried to peel the walls apart. My blood ran even colder. Snapping out of the paralyzing fear, I raced to the windows and yanked the curtains closed. Panting with exertion, I stood in the kitchen to catch my breath. Suddenly the glass shook and I screamed as a pair of fanged demons pressed themselves against the kitchen window. Not bothering with a human façade now, they appeared in their true forms. Black and scaly, their reptilian skin dripped black fluid and shimmered in the twilight.

Their singsong voices came through the glass.

“We’ve come for you!”

Evil emanated from the black-scaled creatures as they clung and shouted at me.

With hands over my ears, I ran out of the kitchen to the bedroom. I was trapped here if they got inside. There was no place left to go. I would have to fight them or jump out of the second story window. The screeching of claws grew louder and was joined by the howling of hundreds of demons.

The house was completely surrounded.

I was under siege.

God help me.

High-pitched wailing sent fear skittering over my skin and I broke out in goose bumps and a cold sweat. Even as my mind wanted to shut down, my instincts to fight took over despite the overwhelming odds. Adrenaline pumped through my muscles and my eyes burned. Even with Killian’s powers, there was no way I could fight off hundreds of demons.

I would die here and not without pain.

Abruptly the lights blinked off and on like strobe lights. Domino whined pitifully next to me and hid her face with her paws. Oh, you think that’s funny, do you? I said to the hoard in general. I can fix that! Tuning them out, I marched to the basement and flipped the breaker for the upstairs lights. Now it was dark but at least the lights weren’t blinking.

No sooner had I gotten back upstairs, the pounding started. A thousand fists beat the roof and walls of the house with a tremendous force. The walls vibrated and bits of plaster fell from the ceiling. The glass creaked and rattled within the wooden frames.

I was trapped and there was no way out.

It was only a matter of time.

I crept slowly from one door to the next and all exits were blocked. Every time I got close, the excited squealing on the other side sent shockwaves of adrenaline coursing through my body and I was in an agony of readiness. My eyes glowed with heat and my muscles ached with too much power and no outlet for it. My skin felt barbequed from the inside out. The screaming and clawing and pounding went on for hours. I lost track of time as I huddled in the powder room hoping I’d die quickly.

Maybe they'd be in such a frenzy they'd just rip me to pieces.

Numb with terror, I was only vaguely aware of an aching low in my belly. The aching grew stronger as the night wore on. At some time in the middle of the night, I clutched my silver Primani blade and watched as my power brought it to life. The silver blade glowed in my palm and lit the tiny bathroom with its eerie pale light. Fascinated, I gazed at it and prayed to Raphael for the courage to use it on myself.

“Raphael, I’m sorry, but I can’t let them take me again. I’ll die first,” I whispered with frozen lips to the one angel I thought might still care about me.

Though why he should, I did not know.

The sounds of cracking glass and splintering wood jolted me out of my prayers and I poised for a quick death. The demons went into a frenzy of howling as the glass windows finally weakened and shattered.

The protection was breached.

The shrieking grew louder and closer. The pounding of a thousand feet shook the floors.

They were coming for me.

They were all coming.

I clutched the knife to my heart and prayed for strength with my eyes squeezed shut.

It was time.

Suddenly, the tone of the howls changed.

The howls turned to yelps.

Then absolute silence.

He was there, prying the blade out of my clenched fingers, whispering to me.

Raphael.

He’d come. He’d come to help me after all.

I lifted stunned eyes to his blazing blue ones and fell apart with relief.

Gathering me into his strong arms, he carried me out of the tiny little room. “Come, child. This is no place for you.” Setting me down on the couch, he said, “You’re safe now. The demons are gone.”

“You came? You came…”

“Of course I did. I would never ignore your cries for help, little one.” He carefully pulled out the pendant and let it rest on top of his shirt. “After all, you left me in possession of your very fine heart. It wouldn’t do to let you die before your time.”

Forcing a watery smile, I sniffed and tried to get my breathing back to normal. A sharp pain crawled across my belly and I pressed a hand against it with a low groan.

His regal features were calm and, well, angelic, as he met my eyes with a reassuring smile. After a moment, he asked, “You’re not okay, are you?”

“I’m fine…no, I’m not fine. I can’t find Dani and she’s pregnant with a demon spawn. I dreamed that it killed her. I’m terrified for her and I can’t find her!”

Shaking his head sadly, he said, “We’ve looked for her for you. There is no sign of her anywhere. I’m afraid that’s not good news.”

My heart sank. “Is she dead?”

Nodding, he answered, “It’s likely; though the alternative isn’t much better. She could be dead or under the cloaking of a powerful demon. That doesn’t bode well for her now that her protector, James, is dead.”

I sighed miserably at the idea of Dani shivering alone and terrified in a cell someplace. The demons wouldn’t care about her at all. They’d keep her alive long enough for the thing to be born. They’d kill her if the birthing didn’t. I had to find her before it was too late. Raphael squeezed my hand gently and went to check the house for me. With a wave of his hand, the cracked glass quickly reformed and the doors were reinforced with heavy wood and locks. He murmured a protective prayer as he wandered from room to room and then went outside. He came inside and washed his hands in the kitchen.

I wanted to ask him about Sean and the others. He’d know what they were doing. I was dying to know how they were. I missed Sean and Dec. I missed Killian. They were my family. Sean was more. But I was afraid to ask about them. Afraid to hear that they moved on, that they didn’t care about me after all. Dec’s sunny smile flashed into my mind and I swallowed the lump in my throat. God, I missed him. But they’d made their choices, and they chose to leave me here unprotected.

“Raphael, I--”

With no little sympathy, he interrupted gently, “Your destiny is nearly fulfilled, Mica. There is more to do yet, but you are nearly at the end of your tribulations. There is more pain to come. Can you bear it? Can you bear it, child, for the rewards that will follow?” His gentle eyes probed mine as he asked if I could stand more pain.

I didn’t respond because another cramp, stronger than the earlier one, ripped through my belly and a rush of heat poured out of me. I limped to the powder room to find blood soaking my underwear. Stupidly, I stared at it without understanding. Then the cramps began in earnest and I doubled over against them.

After a few minutes, he tapped on the door. “Mica? What’s wrong, child? Are you hurt?”

Gritting my teeth against the cramps, I said bitterly, “Is this part of it, Raphael? Is this one of those tribulations?”

Silence.

The door lock flipped open and he peered inside at me. Taking in my ghostly pale face and the fetal position I was curled into, he raised an eyebrow in question. “What’s happening?”

Grimacing again, I spoke softly, “I think I’m losing my baby.” Another contraction tightened my uterus and I curled up around my stomach. “I don’t know what to do.”

There was a lot of blood but surely that’s normal? I had no idea…but I was getting worried now. What if I bled to death? That could happen.

Raphael’s blank stare suggested he was communicating with someone else. When his eyes cleared, he helped me up.

“Come with me. I can’t heal you unless the miscarriage is completed. Your body needs to rid itself of all the effects of the pregnancy or you could get a nasty infection and become sterile.”

“What are we doing then?” I asked as he led me to the garage.

“I’m taking you to the hospital. That is, if I can remember how to drive a car.”

I was numb. White curtains surrounded me like a cloth-covered prison cell and I was numb. After an excruciatingly long wait, I was showed to an exam room where the only thing separating me from the kid with a busted lip and a gangbanger with a superficial knife wound was a thin white curtain. The uninterested nurse helped me onto the gurney and yanked the curtains closed. I was still sitting here with cramps ripping through me and feeling the tiny life drain away.

So tiny…the little guy never had a chance.

Turning my face against the pillow, I cried for the baby who wouldn’t be born and the loss of my fragile connection to Sean. Bitter tears soaked the pillow as I curled around the pain. I would never have his baby now. That dream wouldn’t come true. He was gone and the baby was just a dream. There was nothing left of us.

“Hey, bitch. Why don’t you stop bawling over there? You’re giving me a fucking headache.” The gangbanger apparently had a death wish as he complained to me in my fragile state of mind.

Reaching deep inside, I drew on my powers and was about to take his head off when Raphael showed up and gently placed his hands over my own. Shaking his head at me, he said, “Oh, no you don’t. I’ll handle this.”

He pulled the curtain back and murmured something to the waste of oxygen next to me. Turning back to me, he said, “There, that ought to do it.”

The man started to cry and sobbed painfully for several minutes before quietly falling asleep where he twitched with nightmares.

Raphael’s expression was somber when he turned back to me. The crease between his eyes grew more pronounced as he frowned at me. Gathering my hand in his, he said, “I know you’re hurting. It will be over soon and you’ll be able to heal.”

The nurse chose that moment to pull back the curtain. “Sir, are you her father?”

Smoothly, he said, “No, I’m a good friend. What’s going on?”

“We’re going to take her to an exam room so the doctor can check her progress. You can wait for her here.”

Grimly, he nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be waiting.”

Raphael’s deep blue eyes followed me as they wheeled me away.

Suddenly panicking, I called out to him, “Raphael, don’t leave me!”

Trotting to catch up to the gurney, he stopped it with one hand. Completely ignoring the technicians who were tugging at the gurney, he leaned over me. “Listen to me, Mica! I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here when you come out. Now let the doctors help you.”

The exam was excruciating and I retreated deep inside my mind to hide from the pain and embarrassment. After an eternity, it was done and I could leave. I wasn’t so sure I could even walk though. Shell shocked and feeling raw and exposed, I let Raphael lead me limping to the car and take me home. Once in the house, he helped me to the bedroom and waited patiently outside the door while I took a bath and changed into clean clothes. My movements were slow and jerky and I fought back tears of grief and pain.

Inside my head, I still heard the screaming and clawing and cracking glass.

My hand rested on my tender belly and I cried some more. I was an emotional mess. The doctor said the pregnancy hormones were to blame and I’d be less emotional in a few days. Huh, what did he know? He didn’t know about the hoard of demons…I wasn’t likely to forget them any time soon. I tottered back to the bed and sat down gingerly. Raphael was patiently waiting and smiled encouragingly at me.

“I know I can’t heal your heart, little one. But let me at least heal your body so you can rest without pain.” He held my hand in his and firmly traced the shape of the rune. A feeling of calm settled over me.

“Thank you, Raphael. You’re so much more than I ever deserve. Will you keep this our secret?”

“If that is your wish, then of course I’ll keep your confidence. Will you tell him?”

“I…I don’t know yet. Maybe…what’s the point now?” I turned my face towards the window and stared out into the blackness that pressed in on me.

I couldn’t stay here, not now.

He kept his thoughts to himself and focused on healing me. With eyes closed in concentration, he rested his hands over my uterus. The warmth of his healing saol flowed like honey across my tender skin and into the deeper wounds and raw edges inside of me. As an added bonus, he brought his fingers to my eyes and stroked the aching muscles around them until my headache was gone.

With a ghost of a smile, he kissed my forehead and told me I would be okay. After he left, I sat on the bed with my head in my hands. I was a mess and wanted nothing more than to leave this house and run far, far away. But I was too afraid to go outside now. What if the demons were waiting outside the protective border?

I was terrified to go to sleep.

The nightmares would be worse than ever before. I was just as trapped now as I was when the demons attacked. Where was my family? I needed them and they were nowhere to be found. Sean apparently was never going to forgive me, so I didn’t expect him to show up. What would I say to him now? Hey, I know you hate me, but guess what? I was pregnant with your baby but a hoard of howling demons caused me to miscarry. Oh, and if you guys had been here, maybe they wouldn’t have attacked me.

Yeah, it’s kinda your fault.

To make things worse, Killian and Dec were MIA too. They all talked about family and protecting me…They sucked…I was so afraid and there was absolutely nobody I could talk to. It all seemed like too much to deal with. I just want out. I don’t owe anyone anything. Screw this mysterious destiny of mine. Who decided that anyway? I never wanted to be important. I just want a normal life.

Somehow in my wandering, I’d ended up in front of Killian’s room. Raphael was right. He couldn’t heal my heart. But there was another who could. Desperately trying to hold down the howl building in my chest, I opened the door and flinched as his scent hit me. Surrounded by his essence, I wanted to yell…I wanted to cry…but mostly, I wanted his steadiness to ground me again.

But he was nowhere to be found and I was floundering, lost.

He’d sworn to protect me, but that was so long ago and he’d failed.

With a howl of pain, I finally cried, “Killian! I need you.”

Leaning into the wall, I whispered, “How could you leave me unprotected? You promised.”

Suddenly the air pressure shifted and his arms were crushing me against him. “Don't cry, baby. I'm here; I've got you.”

“You can't fix this…you can’t.” Unconsciously, my hand rested over my belly and his eyes widened in growing understanding.

With surprising gentleness, he splayed his warm palm across my belly and peered into my eyes. His mouth twisted with sadness and he whispered, “Oh baby, I’m so sorry.” Pulling me onto his lap, he cradled me against him and rocked me to sleep.

Sometime later, I rubbed my eyes and pulled away from him. He came to me. When I needed him, when I called to him, he was there. He’d been there for me…before too. He’d been there too many times for me to count. But he wasn’t off the hook yet. Meeting his unfathomable eyes again, I accused, “How could you do it? How could you take my feelings away from me like that?”

“I wanted to protect you. Mica, please understand! You love Sean and he loves you. I don’t want to come between you two. It wouldn’t be right.”

“But that’s not the point! I loved you! I must have! I didn’t just decide to fall in love with you on a whim! You earned my love! You deserved it. It’s mine to give and mine to take away. You can’t just erase my memory and expect that to kill my feelings. Am I as shallow as that? Do you think so little of me?” My voice cracked as my anger dissolved into numbness.

Taking my hand in his, he lightly kissed the rune and it glowed in welcome. “I’ve never thought more of anyone in my life.” My hand tingled against his mouth. I licked my lips and he closed his eyes and sighed. “Do you want your memory back?”

My heart skipped a beat and I inhaled slowly. Did I want that? What would I do with those memories? Surely it would hurt more…but maybe I could put them into perspective if I knew what we’d been through. I looked into his clear blue eyes and remembered the color of the sea. He studied me through his heavy lashes and a part of me recognized the expression from another time. There was something between us and my not knowing didn’t change it.

“Yes, I think I do.”

“Are you sure? You might regret it and I don’t think I can tamper with your memory again. I’m going to need you to kill zombies with me.”

Incredulous, I said, “You want me to stay?”

Shocked at my question, he asked, “Why would you ask that? Do you think so little of me?” He reached out to touch my cheek but hesitated. “I’d never abandon you.”

With a mind of its own, my palm cupped his cheek and I warmed with pleasure at the contact. “Princess, this is dangerous…” he growled softly against my skin and I looked up.

Something primal in his eyes called to me and I was powerless to resist it. I tilted my face and he pulled me into a rough kiss that left me breathless and hungry. My hands wrapped around his neck and held his mouth against mine.

The world spun and swayed around me but I clung to him, his mouth plundering mine. My feet landed on cool wet grass. The sensation of spinning stopped when I opened my eyes to the wild Irish countryside. With gusts of wind tearing at my clothes, he laid me down on the soft summer grass and shielded me with his body.

Leaning on one elbow, he asked, “What will you do with your memories?”

Drowning in his eyes now, my heart already remembered everything it needed to know. What did I need the memories for? The truth was clear to me.

“You know I can’t hide anything from you, right?” He nodded. “Surely you must know how I feel about you? I don’t need the memories of things we did together. I love you without a history. I love you now.”

His breath hitched and he gazed at me for a whole minute before he said, “None of my magic works on you! You’re not supposed to remember! Why do I bother? Your mind’s got its own armor!”

Sitting up, he glanced around us in obvious frustration. Pulling me up to walk with him, he took off across the heather dragging me along behind him. The heather was purple here and waved prettily in the gusty wind. Judging from the clouds rolling in, we were about to get soaked.

Gasping for air, I huffed, “I know you loved me before. I’ve been inside your head, remember? You’ve never said it out loud though. Did you ever tell me you loved me?”

Without stopping or looking at me, he replied, “I told you I’d never lie to you and I would keep you safe. Do you remember that?”

“No. So how do I know you really made those promises? Not that it matters since you've kind of broken both of them anyway.”

“Funny!”  Stopping abruptly, he waved a hand at the rocks below us. “Watch your step.”

Black and glistening in the pale sunlight, they beckoned with the promise of certain death. As the waves crashed against them, the foam caught in the gusts of wind and sprayed us with fine droplets. I hadn’t noticed before, but the sky was darkening with night and the tide had come in with a vengeance. Fascinated by the force of the waves, I stood as close as I could to the edge. Leaning out, I shivered as the wind caught my hair and lifted it off of my bare neck. The movement was enough to shift my weight and I stumbled outward over the cliff.

“Mica!”

A scream died in my throat as I slammed abruptly into a wall of dirt. Stunned, I looked around to find I’d only fallen about 10 feet onto a small rocky ledge.

“Mica? Where are you?” Killian’s worried voice came down from above me.

“I’m okay! Just stuck on a ledge!” I called up to him. I didn’t think anything was broken. I moved my arms and legs experimentally and they worked. Several things were bruised though and I was going to be sore…

Killian appeared and squatted to scan my level of brokenness. Smiling a little, he said, “Well, this is a first for you. You didn’t hit your face on the way down!”

Blushing, I said, “Ha. Ha.”

He said quietly, “Your whole face lights up when you blush like that. It’s one of the things I love about you.” He shrugged in apology for his lapse into sentimentality.

“Tell me more,” I suggested hopefully.

“Greedy wench! I have a better idea.”

Without another word, he helped me to my feet and shifted us to the back of the ledge where the rocks concealed a small entrance. Intrigued, I held his hand and let him lead me into the crescent-shaped slice in the stone. It was pitch black inside. I waved a hand in front of me and couldn’t see it. Killian held up his hand and faint shimmer of light illuminated the walls.

Impressed, I said, “That’s a cool talent. Can I do that?”

He pressed his hand against mine and nodded as mine picked up the saol and began to glow. Together, we walked farther into the cave. The sounds of the sea grew indistinct once we moved away from the entrance. The only sounds were of dripping water and my own uneven breathing.

“Nervous, Princess?”

“Did I ever tell you I’m a little claustrophobic?”

“Really? I didn’t think you were afraid of anything.” He sounded sincere.

Snorting a laugh, I said, “Yeah, right! I’m terrified all the time. I’m just too cocky to back down.”

Reeling me in closer, his voice grew husky and he asked, “Are you still afraid of me?” He dragged his palm up the cool skin of my arm to my shoulder and curled it around the back of my neck.

I was acutely aware of every inch of him and my heart was galloping in my chest when another vivid memory crashed through the wall in my mind. He was laughing down at me as a wave pulled me out of his arms in the surf. I sputtered and spit sea water at him as another wave crashed over my head.

I could almost taste the salt.

“What did you see?” His eyes stared intently into my own as he whispered the question.

Wonderingly, I said, “You playing with me in the ocean. When…when was that?”

“It was about eight months after we lost Sean. You had a bad night…the nightmares were keeping you awake again. Dec was gone and you were crying in your sleep. I could hear you and it was tearing my guts out. Some nights, I just sat beside you while you slept. Other nights, I put my arms around you while you cried and you’d fall back asleep. That night was really bad. You were distraught and I was exhausted. I didn’t know how to make the dreams stop so I took you away…to Eden.”

I slipped my fingers into his hand and squeezed. “And then?”

“Well, you stopped crying almost immediately when your feet got wet!” he joked but then turned serious. “I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but I scooped you up and dropped you in the ocean. You were so shocked! And when the first wave crashed over you, you laughed with real joy. You laughed for the first time in ages. The smile on your face hid the sun that day and that’s when I knew it was over for me.”

“I reached down to help you up and you fell against me in the waves. They pushed you against me and I kissed you. That was our first kiss.” His voice had gone soft and sexy and brought goose bumps to my skin.

“I remember.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, his fascinating mouth molding to mine, our tongues dancing, probing. This time the memories all flooded back in a rush. My head swam and I burned for him. Dragging my mouth away, I was overwhelmed by the emotions I’d felt when I’d been with him before. We were intensely in tune with each other. He knew me and I knew him. There was a sense of history between us. Our minds were joined even more completely than our bodies had been.

My intuition was working overtime. I sensed the emotions racing through his brain now, in the present, and remembered them from the past. They hadn’t changed. The intensity was staggering and I was humbled by his willingness to sacrifice his happiness for mine. He would give me up to keep me safe. He would give me up to keep me happy. He would walk away if that’s what it took to give me peace. These things I knew without the memories to show me. I knew him, inside and out. I might not have the actual images in my head, but I knew what magic there was between us.

“I would die for you. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” he answered my unformed question. “Now do you see why I don’t tell you I love you? You already know.” Skimming his lips over my ear, he murmured, “Can you ever forgive me for taking your memories? I need your forgiveness.”

Nearly hypnotized by the sound of his voice, I put one palm flat against his chest and pushed him back. “You’re not off the hook yet! You left me alone to face Sean. You walked away and left me all this time. You swore you’d protect me but you left me alone. Those demons would’ve killed me. I lost the baby! If it weren’t for Raphael, I’d be ripped to shreds and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Frowning, he said, “What do you mean ‘alone?’ Where was Sean?”

Barking a laugh, I scoffed, “Gone! He bolted immediately. He doesn’t love me anymore and he’ll never speak to me again. It’s been over a month and not a word.” I added more softly, “His eyes were dead. He didn’t even look at me. He told me I’m weak and pathetic and he’s sorry he got involved with me. It’s over: For both of us.”

Growling low in his throat, he asked urgently, “And Dec? Where was he?”

My lip quivered at that. “He left with Sean. You all left me alone.” With a burst of fresh anger, I punched him in the arm. “You and Sean dragged me into this world of yours. I didn’t ask to have powers! And then you left me alone to fend for myself. No one even checked to see if I was alive. You’re lucky I didn’t blow up the Adirondacks!”

Rubbing his arm ruefully, he said, “You weren’t supposed to be alone. I…well hell, I assumed, that Sean would stay there. I left to give you time with him…so you could work things out. I thought I was doing the right thing. I’d never imagine him leaving you alone. I don’t know how he could do that.”

“Huh. Well, he wasn’t in a forgiving mood that night. He stuck around long enough to pack and then I was stuck holding off hoards of demons alone. You guys all suck. I should hate you.”

“But you don’t.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t suck.”

Holding back a grin, he ran his fingers delicately over my rune again, sighing with satisfaction when the twin runes glowed brightly in the dim light of the cave. “I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere. I’ll say you were right, just this once, and apologize for leaving you alone.” He smiled at my surprise. “Yeah, I said it. Don’t get used to it. Probably you’ll never be right again!”

Suddenly serious, he held my chin and kissed me gently, chastely. Leaning his forehead into mine, he said, “I’m really, really sorry for not being there to protect you. You should never have to face that kind of evil. I would give my right arm to turn back time and erase those memories. I will never let that happen again. As of now, we’re starting over.”

His words were so sincere; his emotions close to the surface. He felt my pain and he felt guilty over it. I knew his heart had been in the right place. He’d done what he thought was right. He’d been sure Sean would stay with me because that’s what he would have done if the roles were reversed. But he didn’t count on Sean’s pride, I guess. I would take his apology and his promises and believe them as much as I believed in him.

Leaning against him, I kissed him back. “It’s a deal. Fresh start.”

He held me close in relief and finally backed away from me. “Come on, something’s here that we need to find. We’ll have make-up sex later.” He tucked my pouting lip back into its natural position. With improvised flashlight, he dragged me further into the cave.

In a naturally widened room, the light bounced off of glittering walls. The tiny crystals sparkled softly against the faint light of Killian’s outstretched hand. With a small cry of pleasure, I looked around in amazement.

“Look!” His voice was suddenly loud with excitement. I jumped.

Dropping my hand, he strode over to what was unmistakably a small stone altar carved into a niche. A misshapen lump of rock sat in the middle of it. It looked like nothing to me but he got very excited. Reverently dropping to his knees, he bowed his head and murmured words of the priesthood. The unfamiliar language no longer surprised me. I didn’t know the words themselves, but I knew what he said. He’d asked permission to approach the altar and use whatever we found in this cave to fight the evil that walked on the earth.

Apparently permission was granted.

A loud creaking groan came from the niche and a small shower of rocks peppered the floor as a hidden room was revealed.

“Holy shit!” I exclaimed delicately.

“Really?” He frowned in disapproval at my choice of words. “This is a holy site.”

“Sorry…it slipped out.” I was chagrined. It was, after all, a very old site. I should know better. “Can I come too? Is it safe for me?”

He was already entering the room and grunted his approval. I rolled my eyes at his distraction. Like Indiana Jones, he was. I picked my way over the scrabble of rock and hovered in the doorway. I was afraid it would close behind us and entomb us inside. Shuddering at the thought, I stayed put. Wild horses couldn’t drag me into that room. The interior was smoother than the other parts of the cave. It seemed like something had melted the stone.

“What happened to the walls?”

“Fire. You see, it’s like glass. Like mica.”

“No, it’s not. Mica is layered and flexible. You’re mixing up your rocks.”

“Huh. When have you been flexible?” He mumbled absently as he poked through stone urns and a couple of crumbling containers. “Ah!”

Holding a small bound book close to his face, he peered at the writing and then tucked it into his pants. Okay…guess that’s a keeper. Next he moved on to another little section of shelves dug into the rock. It was hard to tell if they were natural or carved out by some prehistoric temple builder. I couldn’t tell from where I was standing. He was very thorough though and checked every inch of the room.

“I’m fascinated just watching you,” I observed with some amusement. “You’re like a detective.”

“Hush! I’m thinking.”

At last he found what he was looking for. It was another knife. But this one wasn’t silver. He held the faintly glowing blade in front of his chest and murmured a few words to claim it.

Sgaine a dia seanagh, a dia sgaine ten.

The blade sprang to life and glowed hotly in his fist like freshly-poured gold. Its light cast shadows over Killian’s face transforming him into something pagan and wild. The last shreds of civilization melted away and I saw him as he must’ve been thousands of years ago. His eyes were distant as he listened intently. I strained my ears and caught the faintest note. Like the last clear note of a ringing bell, the blade sang in response to Killian’s touch.

I understood how it felt.

With a tiny smile at me, he tucked the now cool blade into his belt and walked over to the doorway. “This’ll work. Let’s go.”

“What? Where are we going? We’re done already?”

Patiently, he pointed out that I was claustrophobic and this was a very small cave. “Where do you want to sleep? Do you want to go back to the house?”

“Do you think they’ll come back?”

His eyes clouded with regret. “No idea. But we have to live someplace. Domino needs a human and I can’t leave you there alone. Sean will have to deal with it.”

“So we’re going to be alone at the farmhouse?

“I’m not planning to move into your bedroom, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

“This is serious.”

“I’m being serious. You’re right about us getting you into this. If it wasn’t for us, you’d be getting ready to graduate college and start your life. You’d be marrying some dorky IT guy and popping out 2.5 kids. Good or bad, that’s not your life now, and I can’t leave you alone to deal with that. I won’t.”

His voice softened and he promised, “I won’t pressure you. We can stay strictly hands-off and focus on getting the zombies under wraps. I’ll be busy enough with that and finding Sgaine Dutre. I’ll need to be gone a lot but I’ll be back at night so you won’t be alone in the house. I’ll be there to chase away the nightmares, babe.”

That was a huge relief. They would be back with a vengeance unless I had some magical assistance.

“Don’t you think Sean’s going to assume we’re sleeping together? He’s just going to get madder.”

He crossed his arms in a typical Killian pose. “He can come back whenever he wants. It’s his choice, don’t you think? If he really loves you, he’ll swallow his pride, forgive you and come back. You’ll have a squeaky clean new conscience and you can live happily ever after with my blessings. I’m warning you though. If he doesn’t come back in a reasonable amount of time though, all bets are off.”

Chapter 24: Road Trippin’

THE LOGS CRACKLED and popped as the small fire consumed them. Holding my hands out, I rubbed them together and let the heat soak in. My fingers were cold and stiff in the chilly dawn air. I could warm them up the supernatural way, but I liked the way the fire smelled. The sun wouldn’t be up for a few more minutes and I breathed in the fresh air with a sigh of pleasure. There is something to be said for roughing it. The earthy smell of the woods and the chatter of early morning birds were magical. On the other hand, there was no bathroom…

“Why are you sitting on a mountain top?” a familiar voice interrupted my musings and startled me.

Standing slowly, I eyed him warily, not sure if I was glad to see him or not. It had been months without a word. “Dec. What are you doing here? Has someone died?” I asked evenly.

“Yeah, Sean, a little.” His voice sounded strained and I glanced at his eyes. “Not that he’d admit it.”

He stood just opposite me with a hesitant, lopsided half-smile that fell short of reaching his eyes. His hair was cut short and his cheekbones were very pronounced. He wasn’t eating. He didn’t look well. The beautiful blue eyes that captivated me were sunken and hollow with purple smudges emphasizing his pallor.

No, he didn’t look well at all.

Grinding my teeth to keep from throwing myself against him in a hug, I met his eyes and raised a shoulder in a shrug.

“He’s got a funny way of showing it, now doesn’t he? All this time, no word at all. He’s done, Dec.” I twisted away so he wouldn’t see the pain in my eyes. Sean wasn’t dying--he was moving on.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. “I’ve been worried about you.”

As silent as a panther, Killian slid out of the trees. “She’s fine, Dec. Safe and sound now.” His lips were tight as he considered Dec’s question.

Dec’s expression hardened and he stood a little taller. He’d aged since I’d seen him last. “Why are you here, really? Just to ask if I’m okay? That’s a little lame, considering you ignored my calls for help when I needed it.” Killian stood close to me in a show of support. Unconsciously, he laid his hand against the small of my back. I was grateful for the gesture.

“What are you talking about? You didn’t ask me for help.” He seemed confused about that.

Snorting a rude laugh, I said, “Oh, sure. I only called the penthouse a hundred times and none of you bothered to call me back or check on me.”

He started to respond and Killian held up a hand. “Has something else happened? Is it Sean?”

Dec flinched. “More bodies have gone missing from funeral homes around The City. Alex wanted to know if you’ve got any new ideas about the zombies.”

All business now, Killian responded, “How many bodies are we talking about?”

“Twenty or so. The police are freaked out and the news says there’s a satanic cult at work.”

Killian snorted with derision. “They’re partly right. I don’t have much news for Alex. We’re tracking the zombie we sent home but he’s still wandering around. That might be a dead end.” He paused and added, “Mica and I had some good luck and found Sgaine Dutre’s brother blade. It was a useful find. It’ll come in handy when we find the zombies.”

“What does that mean?” Dec asked.

Smoothly slipping the golden blade from its sheath, Killian palmed it and showed it to us. Its haft was unornamented except for an irregularly-shaped red stone set deeply into it. It had an oval shape, almost like an eye. I had the strangest feeling that it was watching me and stepped away from its view.

Noticing my movement, he nodded approvingly. “Yes, Mica, it sees you. That’s one of its powers. It acts as my eyes and will search for its brother blade even while I’m asleep.”

Intrigued, Dec peered more closely and forgot he was mad at Killian. Like a boy with a cool new toy, he grinned and asked, “Does it have a GPS for its brother too?”

Laughing in spite of the earlier tension, Killian said, “It’ll tell me where Sgaine Dutre is and lead us to it. It should be able to undo the magic that reanimated the zombies. I’m not 100 percent sure on that though. I’ve only got history to go on. I’ve never used the blade before.”

A chilly wind ruffled Dec’s hair and he gazed longingly towards me across the fire. His dimples were in hiding and my own smile refused to make an appearance. I had too many questions for him but there was no point in asking. I had no claim on Sean.

Killian touched my arm in question and nodded towards my backpack. Yes, it was time to get moving again. We had things to do. I dipped my head in answer and Dec caught our silent communication and frowned.

“Mica,” he began uncertainly. “Are you sure about this?” He rolled his eyes towards Killian.

“Dec, don’t. There’s nothing to say. What’s done is done. I’m only sticking around to find Dani. After I find her, no matter what happens, I’m leaving all of you. I can’t live like this.”

Stunned, he spun around to Killian. Killian just shrugged and Dec’s shoulders slumped with defeat. “I see. Okay, then.” After a few more words with Killian, he left the way he came.

“I’m surprised at you, Princess.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I paused in the middle of banking the small fire.

“Why won’t you forgive him? You love him.” His eyes swept over my face and rested on the stubborn tilt of my chin. “Will you punish him forever?”

Refusing to meet his eyes, I turned my back to him and ignored the question. Moving with lightning speed, he was in front of me. Gently, he pulled me upright and forced my chin up so I met his eyes. His steady gaze and disapproving frown worked havoc on my conscience.

He doesn’t deserve this. You know that.

I was being particularly hard on Dec. I knew that in my heart. I had forgiven Killian. I’d forgiven him out of necessity and out of desire. I needed him to find Dani. But more than that, I didn’t feel betrayed anymore. Yes, I’d been furious with him for erasing my memory. Sure, the plan completely backfired…but at least he meant well. Dec, on the other hand, kept secrets from me that left me looking stupid and dishonest as I protested James’ accusations. Sean must really think that I played him, and that’s what really hurt the most.

In hindsight, I was wrong to hide my relationship with Killian. We were so relieved to have Sean back that we never considered staying together. We just agreed to let things go. We should have told him but the time never seemed right and it didn’t seem important since it was over. If I had told him, he could’ve dealt with it in private which would’ve left him with his dignity. But I didn’t.

Bad decision.

After Killian erased the memories, I had no choice but to deny James’ accusations. I believed myself…That vehement denial left Sean feeling more betrayed…I wasn’t ready to forgive Dec yet. The wounds were still too raw. Dec was always my healer, but he’d caused some of those wounds and I couldn’t forgive him for hurting me. His deception turned my world upside down. Out of the three of them, Dec had always been the one I trusted the most. His boyish smile and warm eyes healed my spirit but I didn’t trust them now.

Are you going to answer me?

Irritably, I snapped, “It won’t be forever! I’ll die before then!” I slung my pack over my shoulder and headed down the trail. Domino trotted next to me and grinned back at my warrior shadow.

As I picked my way down the trail, I let my mind drift. It had been a month already since Killian and I went back to the farmhouse and he’d kept his word. He treated me with great care and respect and hadn’t tried to touch me or influence my feelings. He’d promised to give Sean time to come back to me and he’d done his best to leave me with a clean conscience. His eyes followed me though and I knew he wondered what I was thinking. Surprisingly, he didn’t pry.

We’d fallen into an easy routine. I went to work at the mall and he traveled on his Primani missions. Most evenings I was home alone and went to bed in the darkened house. I never heard him come in, but he was always there when I woke up in the morning. Since Raphael’s visit, the house had been demon-free and I was finally able to sleep through the night. Miraculously, the nightmares had stopped. I strongly suspected, but had no proof, that Killian was affecting them.

Yesterday, I was working out in the basement when I sensed someone rematerialize upstairs. Pausing in mid-kick, I realized it was Killian. He was home early. Heavy boots thunked on the steps and I finished my move and gracefully bent over in a stretch as he poked his head inside the room. He had a full view of my butt and I caught a frustrated groan inside my head. Peering up from between my legs, I enjoyed the rather nice view of his long hard body poised on the stairs.

Black pants, black t-shirt, hard muscle. Yum!

Straightening, I blushed slightly at the direction my thoughts had taken and he smiled knowingly. I blushed all the way to my toes and he laughed quietly. I was dripping sweat but goose bumps popped up all over me when I caught the smoldering desire in his unguarded eyes. My own ignited and my body followed.

Time’s up. All bets are off.

Like a bird in the cobra cage, I could only stare at him while my heart beat like a butterfly in my chest. He crossed to me in three strides. Not touching me, with palms just a hair’s breadth from my bare skin, he waited for me to stop him and the clock ticked loudly. Hypnotized, I took a single step towards him and he spanned my waist with his hands but still waited as his thumbs stroked my skin. Deep inside of me, something stronger than instinct ripped my control into pieces and the ice began to melt.

Voice shaking, he said, “Tell me to stop. If you don’t want this, tell me…” His hands shook as they ran down my back and gripped my hips. I was melting into the floor.

Finding my voice, I whispered, “Make me remember. I need to remember.” My heart pounded like a drum and my head filled with visions of flame and stone as he glued his mouth to mine.

“Killian…” I whispered to the forest, my heart thudding against my ribs as yesterday’s memories washed over me.

“Come, nymph, there’s something I want to show you,” he said against in my ear.

Taking my hand, he led me down a steep rocky crevice that led to a clear pool of spring water. Going back up for Domino, he rematerialized with her and sat her down carefully. The pool was lovely. Black and grey granite lined the pool and glittered in the early morning sun. Two tiny ferns perched precariously at the edge, their brilliant green an artistic splash against the grey.

“Oh! It’s perfect!”

“Perfect for what, witch?”

“For casting spells, of course!” I teased. While slipping a bit, I managed to lean forward and scoop a handful of water. It was sweet and tasted of the earth.

“Are you happy, Princess?”

Suddenly serious myself, I thought for a minute before I answered. Bringing his knuckles to my cold lips, I kissed them and released his hand. It slid to my chest and his fingers toyed with my locket. The locket responded happily with a faint glow and a deep hum. It knew him. I knew him.

Instead of answering the question, I said, “I remembered everything last night. After we made love, I couldn’t sleep.”

“I know,” he murmured.

“I lay there for hours…just remembering us…remembering you.”

Cautiously, he asked again, “Are you happy?”

“Yes.”

“So what you told Dec…You’re not planning to leave us?”

“Are you kidding me? After last night, you’ll be lucky if I let you go to the bathroom by yourself! You were amazing!” I joked and then blushed as my words sunk in and his mouth dropped open.

Grinning arrogantly, he boasted, “Oh, anytime, babe, anytime.”

As we climbed back down the mountain, I mused that there was so much more to this complicated creature than I would probably ever know, but I understood him more and more every day. We ended up on this mountain because I’d announced I needed some fresh air and he brought me here. When I asked why he chose this place, he shrugged and said he knew I was a creature of the forest. We’d climbed to the top, set up camp, and spent the night under the stars wrapped in each other’s arms. The night was heavenly. This morning, it was back to civilization but I felt strong and ready. Maybe I was a creature of the forest.

He drove the SUV and I relaxed against the seat absently watching the scenery zip by. At some point during the drama of our days, the seasons had changed and spring had finally come. The sky was a clear, bright blue today. Trees were dressed with shiny new leaves and the snowmelt filled the rocky crevasses and poured down the sides of cliffs. It was a wild land and I entertained myself by imagining I was really a wood nymph. Frolicking throughout the ferns and sycamore trees…wearing some strategically-placed flora…now all I needed was a satyr…I peeked under my lashes at Killian. He’d look delicious in a fig leaf…hmm. He clamped his lips together and firmly shook his head. Ok, then, no satyr…maybe Dionysus?

“He’s the god of wine, not of wood nymphs.”

I gave up my fantasy and enjoyed the silence and lingering scent of wood smoke.

After a little while, Killian reached over and took my hand. It was a comfortable gesture and my hand fit perfectly in the curve of his. He absently stroked my palm and my fingers curled in response.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Interest peaked, I nodded.

“Are you interested in going on a mission with me? I need to go away for a few days and I don’t want to leave you. I understand if you don’t want to go. It’ll be dangerous. There will be demons, and it might be too soon for you.” His eyes unconsciously dropped to my lap. He was still worried about the miscarriage.

“Do you think I’m strong enough to be your backup?”

“You’re tough, babe. I know I can count on you in a fight. That’s not the issue. I’m more worried about your emotional state and whether you’re ready to face demons again. Can you handle them?”

Sighing, I chose my words carefully. “I can’t undo what’s happened. The fact that Raphael saved my life and brought you back to me tells me that my work with you isn’t done. Like it or not, I’m still needed. I can’t walk away from that. I’ll kill as many as you want me to.”

“That’s my girl.”

“And Killian...”

“Yeah, babe?”

“Thanks. Thanks for being here…for giving me space. And…thank you for caring about the baby. It couldn’t be easy for you knowing it wasn’t yours.”

Without responding, he steered the truck over to the shoulder and put it into Park. Turning to me, he said mockingly, “Don’t put me up on too high a pedestal, Princess. I’m no saint. I want to strangle Sean for leaving you alone to deal with being pregnant and then losing the baby. That was his responsibility and he fucked it up.” He rolled his shoulders and continued gruffly, “All I did was come in after the fact and help you deal with the loss. I’m no hero.”

“But you--” I started to argue and he cut me off.

“But I grieved with you. Is that what you wanted to say?” Taking my face in his hands, he kissed me carefully. “Yes, I did. I still do. That tiny little baby was part of you and it’s gone. I would never take that lightly.”

“Detroit? Michigan? What on earth is in Detroit?” I exclaimed hours later.

“Dagin’s second lab. I’ve been all over New York and Vermont. There’s no sign of Sgaine Dutre. I talked to Alex this week and he told me there’s a rumor about a second lab. We should go check it out.”

“Whatever you say…” I was game for a road trip. A nice long car ride would be great. It would give us time to be together without interruptions.

Later that afternoon, we pulled into my parents’ driveway and parked. Domino was sulking and had her wet nose pressed firmly against the window with her butt in my face. She was not happy with me.

“Why don’t you wait here?” I suggested to Killian.

My plan was to run inside quickly and drop Domino off before my parents could ask any nosy or otherwise unanswerable questions. Like, where is Sean? Who is that scary-looking big guy driving that SUV? Where’d that SUV come from? Why are you going to Detroit? What happened to your engagement ring? And there were so many more possibilities…I had no answers to give them today. Oh, one, maybe. My engagement ring was sitting alone in the bottom of my jewelry box.

The rap of knuckles against the driver’s side window caused us both to jump and whirl around. Ugh. This was not good. My dad was peering interestedly into the truck. So much for running in and out without them seeing Killian…Mentally smacking myself on the forehead, I decided that offense was the best defense and boldly got out of the truck dragging Domino behind me.

“Hey Dad! You didn’t have to come outside!” I trotted over and gave him a nice daughterly hug while attempting to steer him away from the truck.

Digging in his heels, my father played along with my forced good humor. He took a second to adjust his sunglasses and said. “Oh, it’s okay, hon. I don’t mind coming out to meet you.” Peering over my shoulder, he stiffened and drew himself to his full height.

At 6 feet 3 inches and 220 pounds of solid muscle, Killian towered above my modestly proportioned father. At the moment, he stood loosely in a non-threatening way giving off his best 'I’m not dangerous' vibes and actually smiled pleasantly at my father. Cringing for the fallout, I introduced him.

“Dad, this is Killian. He’s a good friend of mine.” Killian’s fingers dug into my side just a wee bit and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

He offered his hand to my father who seemed confused about why his seemingly normal offspring kept showing up with mercenaries draped over her like accessories. To be fair, he’d just gotten used to Sean…and that took him four years. Killian was a bit more…well, everything; taller, harder, stronger, bigger, intimidating and intense.

At least he’d shaved…

Trust my father to make an awkward situation even worse. He shook Killian’s hand and asked pointedly, “So are you a friend of Sean’s too?”

“Dad!”

Feigning innocence, he asked, “What? I’m just trying to connect the dots here.”

Killian smiled easily and answered, “Yes sir, as a matter of fact, Sean and I have known each other for a long time. And now Mica works with us. She’s been a great help with some of our tougher projects so I’m taking her with me to meet some out of town clients. She’s really good at her work. I know you must be very proud of her.”

Having absolutely no idea what kind of work I did, my dad had no choice but to agree. “Oh, sure I am. She’s always been a hard worker.”

“Well, would you look at the time? We’re going to hit the traffic if we don’t get moving! Thanks again for keeping the pooch for a few days. I’ll call you!” With a last hurried kiss on the cheek, I left my dad standing in the driveway and practically sprinted to the truck.

Killian raised a hand in farewell and smoothly pulled the truck onto the road again. Shaking his head with amusement, he glanced over at me and said, “You are a witch. You know that? I can’t believe I just played nice with your father…I’m going soft.”

Hooting with mirth, I bounced across the console and kissed his cheek. “And I thank you very much for that! It didn’t kill you to be nice, did it?”

Scowling, he said, “No, but don’t get used to it. Humans are annoying. You’re the only human I plan to be nice to. And that, witch, could change if you get me killed in Detroit!”

We were taking the 401 through Ontario from New York to Detroit. The speed limit was higher and it was a straight shot. It would take about 10 hours to get there. During the drive, we finalized our plans for the op. I busied myself with getting the location coordinates together and plugging them into the GPS and my memory, in case the truck blew up or something. Our weapons were concealed under a customized floor panel to avoid any delays at the border. I had brought extra magazines, just in case.

I dozed off halfway across Canada and was dragged back to consciousness by the whispered argument going on beside me. Intrigued, I kept my eyes closed and listened shamelessly.

What was he doing here?

“I had no choice! She couldn’t handle the truth!” Sean’s cold tone set my teeth on edge.

“You don’t know her at all, do you? She’s stronger than that.” Killian defended me.

Sean snorted with derision, “Trust me, she wouldn’t understand this.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway. You blew it.”

“Oh, yeah? And are you taking my place again? How does it feel to be her second choice?”

Killian’s voice was relaxed as he said, “Careful, brother. I can still put you in the ground.”

“Whatever, man. I have to get back. I’ll see you in Detroit.”

Minutes passed. My eyes were closed but my mind raced with questions. What was he doing here? What was he talking about?

“You can pretend if it makes you feel better, but I know you heard us.” Killian's voice was kind and he glanced sideways at me.

“What did he want?” I asked.

“Alex sent him to meet us in Detroit.”

“Is that necessary? Do we need him? Three’s an odd number for the team. It’s unlucky.”

“Unlucky?”

“Yes, odd numbers are unlucky. New rule.”

“It’ll be fine.”

It was after dark when we pulled into a roadside motel off a highway near Detroit. Wow. This place was a dump. I questioned Killian’s sanity for even pulling into the parking lot. There were bars on the windows of the convenience store across from the motel and the streetlights were mostly broken. A couple of young men lounged on the sidewalk in front of a liquor store, their eyes following our every move. Next door, a skinny black girl in a ripped miniskirt and a sequined halter draped her bony body against the doorway of a check cashing storefront and boldly stared at Killian’s crotch.

Dream on, baby girl. It ain’t gonna happen.

Doing my best to blend, I acted like I lived there and shuffled to the motel lobby. My nose hairs curled in on themselves when Killian pushed the door open and waved me inside. The lobby walls were yellow with old cigarette smoke and the air smelled like unwashed dishes and mildew. Gagging a little, I backed up in full retreat from the stench and he steadied me with a hard grip on my elbow.

“What’s wrong?” He stiffened automatically and scanned the lobby for threats. Nonplussed by the lack of armed men or scaled demons, he asked again, “What’s wrong with you?”

Holding my nose, I mumbled, “It stinks in here. I think I’m going to puke.”

“You’re turning green around the edges. Is it that bad?” He inhaled deeply and coughed with revulsion. “Okay, it’s not great. Do you have another idea?”

Backing out into the relatively fresher air of the parking lot, I inhaled gratefully and suggested he look for something better. “I can drive if you’re tired. I don’t mind.”

“I’ve got it. Let’s go.” We headed back to the relative safety of the SUV only to find it under close scrutiny by three men wielding tire irons.

They straightened in challenge until they got a good look at Killian, then they got a little less cocky. I was always impressed by the transformation when he dumped his human façade. His size and merciless eyes left no doubt he would rip them to pieces. I swallowed a grin and unsnapped the holster for my Sig. I tensed and waited to see how this would play out.

Who would blink first?

One of the men, the largest of the three, stepped forward with a calculating gleam in his eye. He gripped a tire iron in one hand and tried to intimidate us by smacking it against his palm. I rolled my eyes. Amateur!  Killian cracked his knuckles. The other two fanned out forming a wedge that cut us off from the truck. I lifted the Sig and the man closest to me hesitated. He couldn’t have been much older than me. His face was young but he had the hard eyes of someone who’d lived a hundred years already. His dirty brown hair hung limply and his face was spotted with scabs. Desperate brown eyes fixed on my backpack.

What had brought him to this? Drugs? Hunger?

It was hard to say, but he was hungry now and judging by the intensity of his stare, he was willing to kill me to keep the truck. Well, today wasn’t going to be his day. I wasn’t dying so some punk junkie could take my wheels.

Killian’s voice came to me. Put your silencer on the Sig.

With a practiced motion, I withdrew the silencer from my cargo pocket and screwed it onto the Sig. The punk next to me sucked in a breath and took a step back. Killian pulled out his own silenced Sig and shoved the slide back with an ominous metallic click. The men froze and looked at their leader.

Killian said, “Walk away before bad things happen.” He leveled the gun squarely at the man’s chest. I did the same to the man on my right.

“Don’t even think about it,” I said to the third man. “I can hit you before you can reach me. I’m just that good.”

It didn’t take them very long to make a decision. The leader put out his hands in a gesture of surrender and backed away. “Hey man, take it easy! We didn’t mean no harm; we was just lookin’ at it.”

He backed away and his two buddies followed him. We turned in their direction with weapons raised until they were well away from the truck. Without taking my eyes off of them, I went to the truck and climbed inside. Killian planted his feet next to driver’s door and stood tensely until they were well across the street. Sliding into his seat, he sat the gun down on the console and started the engine.

“See? I told you humans are annoying,” he said with a very tiny grin.

“You’re horrible! Angels are supposed to like people.”

Shaking his head, he said seriously, “That’s not in my contract.”

Letting it go with a grin of my own, I checked for a tail as he drove down the road in search of more friendly parking lots.

“It’s clear,” I announced after a few miles. “Can we just stay at the Hampton Inn? I saw a sign for one and it’s coming up in a few more miles. They have free breakfast!”

We found it a few minutes later and checked into a third story room with a view of our truck. It was a nice room as far as hotel rooms went. Cream-colored walls and cherry furniture gave the room an upscale feel. There were two double beds and a flat screen TV. Groaning with pleasure, I stretched across one of the beds and flipped on the television. The local news was running and I nearly swallowed my tongue. No way! Killian scowled as the anchorman finished the story.

“Shit.”

“Yep.”

I patted the bed and he angrily dismissed the invite in favor of pacing and swearing in a variety of languages. I think I caught Latin and possibly Gaelic in the stream of words coming out of his mouth. Was that French? Finally, I gave up and burst out laughing. He paused in mid-pace and gawked at me like I’d lost my mind.

“What’s funny? I don’t see anything funny about the possibility of zombies in Detroit!”

That reminded of the movie “Shawn of the Dead” and I dissolved into fresh giggles. It was perfect! Sean would be here to fight zombies…his accent wasn’t quite British, but it was close…

“You’ve lost your mind, haven’t you?” Killian frowned over me like the warrior angel he was. The glower was wasted on me and I pulled him down to the bed and kissed him until he gave up scowling and his eyes burned with something other than fury.

“Now, isn’t that better?” I asked with my lips pressed against his throat. Nuzzling his neck, I moved to his ear and purred, “Don’t look now, but your blade is happy to see me.”

Startled, he stared at the subtly glowing golden blade. Turning away from me, he fingered the stone with eyes lowered in concentration. Fascinated, I watched as the tiny red stone burned hotly in the haft. His seductive mouth moved in silence as he murmured the words to see what the blade would show him. I couldn’t help myself; I wanted badly to kiss his full lower lip right where it curled naturally into a smile. Instead, I showed great restraint and contented myself with remembering how it felt against my own. Damn zombies were ruining my love life!

He hopped up with clear eyes and said, “Got it! Let’s go.”

“Wait! Where are we going?”

“Manhattan. Come on, get moving. If we leave now, we can be there in a day. Sean can check out the zombie rumors here. I’ve got a line on Sgaine Dutre. That’s more important.” He was pacing again with an eagerness that was just a little insulting.

Mentally, I was wiped. I was not in the mood to drive 15 hours to Manhattan tonight. Knowing he was reasonable, usually, I suggested, “You’re right, of course. But would it hurt for us to finish our job here first? At the very least, I need a night’s sleep. I’m not Primani…I need real sleep.” Shameless, I batted my eyes at him and yawned hugely.

Stopping only to roll his eyes at my theatrics, he reluctantly agreed, “You have a good point. You’re still human and need rest. I forget that sometimes.” He trailed a finger down my cheek leaving a trail of heat behind. I closed my eyes at the pleasure of it and he kissed me softly. “Maybe you should get some sleep?”

I wound my arms around him and teased, “I can’t sleep now. Look, my runes are glowing!”

“What am I going to do with you?”

“How about you make the rest of me glow and then let me kill a bunch of demons tomorrow? It’ll be the perfect vacation.”

The next morning, I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white towel and nearly dropped it in surprise. Flushing with embarrassment, I hissed, “What are you doing in here?” The towel felt entirely too small and I clutched it tighter.

Sean’s eyes traveled lazily over me and rested coldly on my flushed face. “Nice to see you, too.” He waved a hand over my practically-naked appearance. “Were you expecting someone else?”

Letting my annoyance show, I said shortly, “Killian left me alone so I could get dressed privately. Again, why are you here?” I tapped my foot.

He was standing between me and my clothes and he knew it. The self-satisfied smirk on his face made me want to punch him.

In one fluid motion, he was standing an inch away from me, so close his jeans brushed my bare thighs. Looking down into my face, he sneered at my surprise.

“What? No proper welcome?”

“Back off, Sean!”

He didn’t move but arrogantly looked into my eyes for answers. I threw up shutters and closed him out. He had no rights to my head anymore.

“Intimidation is beneath you. It’s sad that you’d stoop this low.”

Growling low in his throat, he spun away from me and put some space between us. “Get dressed so we can leave,” he ordered rudely. His eyes roved over the beds and noticed that only one bed had been slept in. He glared at me and added, “Already? You make me sick.”

“Get out of the way so I can get my clothes, you prick!” I was sick of him.

Grabbing me by the arm, he snarled, “You better watch your filthy mouth!”

Yanking my arm back, I hissed, “I’m not an angel! I’ll say what I want! Now get out!”

He stalked out of the room and slammed the door. Trembling with anger and something less tangible, I sat down and took several deep breaths. His anger was tearing me up inside. I got it. He was furious with me. It seemed a little long to hold a grudge though. We'd broken up months ago.

This was his choice, for crying out loud.

He left me!

What was he still mad at me about? I’m the one who should be furious. And the little voice in my head reminded me that deep down, I was still furious with him.

A few minutes later I was dressed and dreading spending any time with Sean. Where was Killian anyway? I stuffed my things into my backpack and a note fell off the table. It was from Killian.

Mica, I have to do some recon ahead of our surveillance. I’ll get in touch with you later. Sean will be there to go with you. I’m counting on you to stay focused. You can yell at me later! Careful and smart, got it?

K.

I held the note to my chest and breathed a little easier. He’d left a note. That was so much better than just leaving with no words at all. I wasn't afraid to admit I had serious abandonment issues at the moment.

“Are you ready to leave yet?” Sean’s sarcastic question came from the doorway. He’d let himself in, again.

“Let’s get something straight. You don’t have the right to just rematerialize wherever I’m at. You lost those privileges when you left me. Don’t do it again or I might not be so friendly.”

With that warning, I swept past him to the elevators. He kept up easily and scowled at me the entire way to the lobby. I forced myself to get the complimentary breakfast because I needed the fuel. My gut was squirming from the tension so I settled for toast and fruit. Sean sat next to me tapping impatiently on the table top. His eyes scanned the room and returned to glare at me while I sipped coffee.

Halfway through my toast, a woman dressed for business walked into the room. She was very pretty with her shining blond hair falling to the middle of her back. Dressed in a short black skirt and sky blue silk blouse, she was the poster child for sexy American businesswomen everywhere. Her almond-shaped brown eyes lingered on Sean as she passed our table. His eyes followed her with amused interest. She hesitated and smiled over her shoulder at him. He followed her into the serving area while I finished my breakfast. The low rumble of his laughter floated above the decorative half-wall.

What did I care?  I had Killian to curl up with. The image of that brought some healthy color to my cheeks and a sappy grin I had to smother. I glanced at my watch. It was time to go so I walked out. He could catch up. Once in the parking lot, I fished out the truck keys and Sean snatched them out of my hand and commandeered the driver’s seat. Fuming mutely, I climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door.

“Where to?” Sean demanded.

I gave him a dirty look and turned on the GPS. The nice British woman had all the directions he’d need. I wasn’t speaking to him any more than absolutely necessary. Folding my arms over my chest, I struggled to do several things at once. First, I had to get my emotions under control and hide my stress from him. He was stressing me out and my heart was pounding loudly in my chest. Probably he could hear it, if not actually feel the vibrations. He didn’t deserve the satisfaction of knowing he affected me. Second, I had to get focused on this op. My thoughts were scattered and I didn’t remember what I was supposed to be doing…Killian’s counting on me…focus, focus…

Taking slow, deep breaths, I reeled in my ricocheting thoughts. The mission was to stake out an office that was supposedly a front for Dagin’s operations. He supposedly experimented here and created some kind of zombie. Rumor had it the lab was still active. We needed to find proof of demon activity and kill off any zombies we might find. Killing demons was authorized too. Thank you, Alex!

The neighborhood we entered was run-down and scary. Most buildings didn’t have windows; they were smashed out. Any windows that were still intact were covered by bars. Nearly everything was spray painted with graffiti. Garbage littered the sidewalks and weeds overflowed in the tiny green spaces. Like sentries, men lounged against stoops and street signs. All eyes followed us as Sean navigated the streets. If I wasn’t armed to the teeth and accompanied by my very own Primani, I wouldn’t be caught dead in this place. Ignoring said Primani, I checked my weapons again. The silencer remained on the Sig and I tightened it. My backup was loaded and in its holster. Both of my knives were strapped on and the pepper spray hung from my belt. My boots were laced up tight and my hair was braided into a knot on the back of my head. I wore faded jeans and a band t-shirt that had ‘Encore!’ printed across my boobs. It was hot and sticky already and I fanned myself idly with the Cosmo I’d stuffed under the seat.

This day was going to suck.

Without even glancing at me, Sean grunted, “This it?”

He had slowed down near a three-story concrete and glass office building that had seen better days a century ago. Its concrete was chipping off in chunks and stained with rust and mold. The building lumbered above the row houses that drooped sadly against the asphalt streets. They were low squat buildings with covered front porches. Some were duplexes and some were still single-family homes. All had a decayed look about them that screamed for demolition. Two of the address numbers on the office building were broken off, but it seemed to be the right address. Driving past and then turning around, he parked along the street near a grey house whose covered porch was partially collapsed onto the tiny yard. The chain link fence tilted drunkenly along the front sidewalk. The summer rains had been plentiful and weeds grew two feet high. Yellow pollen floated in the stagnant humid air. Sean sneezed and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.

Settling in to wait, I got comfortable and peered interestedly at the building. An hour or so later, I spotted two men getting out of a car parked at the curb. Carefully pulling out my camera, I snapped the stills and waited. They were humans…short hair, glasses, satchels…scientists? Not sure, I made a note and took a small sip of water. If they were scientists, it reasoned that the lab was still active. I sent a text to Killian’s phone.

Sean watched my every move. “You’ve done this before?”

“Yep.”

Two more hours went by with no movement at all. Stakeouts suck. My butt ached and I shifted in the seat. I needed to pee but would never admit it. Instead, I sunk a bit lower and stretched as much as I could. My eye caught a hint of motion and I used my peripheral vision to watch a demon exit boldly from a Cadillac Escalade that pulled up across from us. He stared right at us and said something to his partner. Both took a step in our direction and Sean reacted automatically to protect our cover. Playing the obnoxious boyfriend, he yanked me across the console and kissed me hard enough to grind my teeth against my lips. I struggled to pull away but his hands were like steel bands and he laughed against my mouth.

He stopped laughing when I bit him.

“You bastard!” I hissed. My vision went white around the edges and he eyed me warily.

The demon studied us for another minute and took a step our direction. His hand disappeared inside his jacket. Uh-oh.

“Sorry…” I murmured to Sean right before I slapped him hard enough to rock his head back, screaming for our audience, “I hate you! Don’t touch me!”

The demon paused and elbowed his partner. They just loved pain and chaos…Sean wasn’t playing the game now and his eyes went flat. The white handprint filled in with brilliant red and shined like a beacon on his face.

Wrenching my wrist, he snarled loudly at me, “You ever do that again, I’ll break your fucking hand.”

I morphed into Ghetto Girl, screaming obscenities at him. Letting loose with some colorful descriptions of his manhood, I piled on the drama until our demon shrugged and turned away. After making sure he went inside, Sean jammed the truck into gear and squealed off down the street.

“You bitch! You fucking hit me!”

“Don’t call me a bitch! I was protecting our cover! And you split my lip.” I ran my tongue around the inside of my mouth and felt a bleeding cut on the inside of my upper lip. The taste of blood made me wrinkle my nose. “I’m bleeding! You’re such a dick!”

My phone buzzed. It was Killian. “Hey.”

“You sound like hell. Where are you?”

“We’re taking a break. Did you find what you needed?”

“Yes and no. Tell Sean to bring you back to the hotel.”

“Killian’s back. Take me to the hotel.”

“Oh, great.”

He parked and I left him standing with the truck and stalked angrily to our room. Killian looked up in surprise when I walked in. He took one look at my face and crossed over to me with hard eyes.

“What happened to your mouth? Did someone hit you?”

Sean walked in then. Killian stared at the red handprint on his face and before I could stop him, he grabbed Sean by the shirt, lifted him off his feet and flung him backwards against the door. The force was hard enough to crack the doorframe and I flinched as Sean’s head hit the wood and his eyes rolled back.

Crouching over him, Killian said from between clenched teeth, “Primani never hurt our charges! If you can’t control your anger, you’re off this team! Is that clear?”

Flushing crimson, Sean didn’t argue the point. Killian held out a hand to help him up and he brushed it off. “I’m taking a walk.”

“Good idea,” Killian agreed.

After the door slammed, Killian turned to me and said, “I’m sorry you had to see that, babe. But I had no choice. He’s too powerful to let his emotions rule his brain. He's got to get it together. Losing control isn’t an option for us.” He sat next to me and said, “Let me see your lip.”

He touched the pad of his fingertip to the cut. The tiny wound knit together in seconds. I ran my tongue behind my lip and the cut was gone. The metallic taste of blood lingered unpleasantly though.

“How do you stay so controlled? I mean, you were really mad at Sean. I could sense it. But you didn’t go crazy.”

With a mocking smile, he said, “Years of practice.”

Later that night, the three of us pulled up to a stop sign a few blocks from the office building. It was late but still not quiet. Police sirens wailed a few streets over and the red and blue lights bounced off the windows of the building beside us. The eerie light gave weird life to the trees growing next to the road. They seemed to twitch back and forth in the humid night air. Weird. The ride over was tense and silent except for Killian’s last minute instructions. Mostly it was me and Sean who were tense and silent; Killian was in his element directing super-secret paramilitary operations. The perfect leader, he completely ignored the waves of anger rolling off of Sean and the not-so-subtle flow of annoyance ebbing off of me. With his usual thoroughness, Killian ran us through our jobs and backup plans. Sean would help him with the explosives, but I was relegated to playing lookout again. Back in the hotel room, Killian had taken one look at the mutiny on my face and pulled me aside while Sean idly watched.

Killian had said, “What’s the problem?”

Stealing a sideways glance at Sean, I said quietly, “Why can’t I help you inside? Dec taught me how to set the timers.”

“Mica, we’ve been through this. You’re not ready yet.”

Sean wasn’t even bothering to hide his eavesdropping and raised an amused eyebrow at me. Pointedly turning my back to him, I tried another approach. “I don’t like this set up. What if you need more help?”

I bit my lip before I gave voice to what was really on my mind. I wasn’t going to say it out loud. I didn’t want to jinx us. But he knew exactly what I was afraid of.

Leaning a closer to my ear, he promised, “We’ll be okay in there. It’s not going to happen again. I won’t let it.”

Not trusting myself to say anything, I had nodded with my lips clamped together. Raphael’s warning of more tribulations and pain bounced around my head. Could this operation go south too?

Sean interrupted my worrying by tapping the brakes hard enough to lock up my seatbelt. His half-smothered grin mocked me in the rearview mirror. Refusing to rise to the bait, I adjusted my mic and did a final check on the radio.

Eyeing my preparations with approval, Killian said, “Stay in the truck and keep us straight, just like you usually do. You leave as soon as the building goes up. Don’t wait for us. We’ll meet you at the hotel.”

“And if something goes wrong?”

“What could possibly go wrong?” he asked with perfect confidence and slung a heavy canvas pack over his shoulder.

Sean was similarly outfitted and scowled impatiently. They took the easy route this time and simply vanished and rematerialized in the building’s cavernous basement.

“We’re in.” Killian’s hushed voice came clearly through my earpiece.

Okay, it was time to earn my keep. Searching the surrounding area should be easy, but I couldn’t see like I normally could. Everything was black. Scrunching my eyes and focusing inward, I tried again.

Come out; come out, wherever you are…

Crap, I still couldn’t see anything. I didn’t like being blind. Tapping my fingers together, I peered out the front window and then it hit me. There were too many obstacles in front of me. I would have to get closer.

Grabbing my Sig and a flashlight, I slipped out of the truck and hurried up the street. Across from the building, the block was open with little cover to get behind. But there was an old boarded up house sitting diagonally across from the building. The faded gray paint and black shingles screamed invisibility. The streetlight was out so the darkness was complete. It would be a good hiding spot. With one eye on Dagin’s front entrance, I sidled along the street hugging the shadows until I made it to the porch. Ducking behind the wooden half-wall, I waited for someone to sound an alarm but everything stayed silent.

So far, so good.

Closing my eyes, I searched for Sean and Killian. Oh, much better. They appeared in my mind’s eye like bodies in front of night vision goggles. Their heat signatures appeared as a faint halo around their bodies and I could clearly see their faces which were both blank with intense concentration. They worked in unison stringing up plastique and wiring the timers. As I watched, Killian reached out and took a bundle of explosives from Sean and taped it the wall. After he let it go, Sean pulled up his shirt to wipe the sweat off of his face baring most of his torso. A glint of metal winked at me. He was carrying two guns tonight, as was Killian. I smiled into the darkness as I remembered their earlier complaining about not being heavily armed for this. I privately thought they just liked the way they looked with automatic weapons slung across their shoulders…

Reining in that particular train of thought, I refocused on what they were supposed to be doing. There were several pillars in the center and those would be wired too. The explosion was supposed to take out the building without a large outward blast. I grimly pictured the sad little houses falling like so many dominos. Alex had specifically ordered Killian to limit the blast to reduce collateral damage. I wondered cynically if he had any idea what this crappy neighborhood looked like. A cat squalled shrilly and I jumped with a muffled scream. With heart racing, I peeked over the wall to see a fat tomcat chasing a female over the weed-filled yard.

Stupid cat sex!

Sean’s voice hissed in my earpiece, “You all right?”

“Fine. Sorry, false alarm.”

“Amateur.”

Asshole.

Settling in to wait, I watched as they moved across the basement. Other than the stupid cats, it was quiet. The police cars were long gone. Mosquitoes whined and a dog barked occasionally, but nothing else stirred. The muffled rumble of the first explosion brought me completely alert. Blinking sleepily, I looked around.

Damn it! I’d dozed off!

Where were they?

The ground under my feet vibrated from the basement explosions. Before I could move, the silence was broken by a loud blast and shattering glass from the first story. Frozen on the porch, I was hypnotized by the fire for just a few seconds but it was still too long. Flames lit up the street as more timers went off.

I was too close!

The blast wave from one of the explosions reached me and knocked me backwards into the side of the house. Struggling to keep my balance, I lurched off the steps and stumbled for the truck. By this time, the building was in full flames and I started sprinting down the sidewalk.

Police sirens echoed in the distance just as I threw myself into the driver’s seat so violently the keys went flying. Shit!

The sirens were getting closer; the lights flashed between the houses on the opposite block.

Where are those goddamn keys?

Wedged between the seats…Oh, thank God!

Slamming the truck into gear, I floored it and skidded around a corner just as the first cops pulled onto the street.

“What the hell are you doing?” Sean yelled in my ear from behind me.

“Jesus! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” My chest burned from the surge of adrenaline.

“What are you still doing here?” he demanded while climbing over the seats. “Are you stupid?”

Frantically looking in the rearview mirror, I snapped, “Oh, shut up and watch our back.”

I took the next corner on two wheels and he slid across the console into me. The wheel spun out of my hands and we drove up over a sidewalk and ran over a stop sign. The metallic crunch sounded supernaturally loud to me. He grabbed the wheel and yanked hard enough to put us back in the center of the deserted street.

“You suck at driving! Pull over!”

Spotting the freeway on-ramp, I headed towards it. “You can get out any time. I don’t need your help.”

Grimacing and finally sitting back in the passenger seat, he griped, “No, I can’t. Killian would kick me off the team if I left you here.”

“Is there a downside to that?”

“You’re the one who shouldn’t be out here. But Killian wouldn’t consider taking you off the team.”

“Well, you did tell him to take care of me while you were gone. Too bad you weren’t more specific,” I pointed out, swerving into the right lane.

“I should’ve never taken this assignment. You’re a pain in my ass.”

The hotel was on the next street so I ignored him and focused on driving and parking without hitting anything.

“Later,” I called as I sprinted towards the side entrance.

“Where do you think you’re going? I’ll walk you up to the room.” He caught up with me too easily.

I fished out the key as soon as we left the elevator intending to get into the room quickly and close the door in his face. But my hands were sticky with sweat and I fumbled with the plastic card and dropped it. I stooped to pick it up and when I straightened, Sean was standing behind me. In one smooth motion, he reached out and plucked the card from my fingers.

“Nervous?” he whispered against the back of my neck sending goose bumps racing over my skin.

“You wish!” I spun around to tell him to leave me alone but ended up too close.

The fine hair on his forearms tickled my shoulders as he framed me against the door. With both arms surrounding me like a cage, his lips turned up with a slow smile as the pounding of my heart grew louder.

“Ah…there it is.” With one finger, he deftly lifted the locket out of my shirt and held it against his palm.

It glowed happily.

Apparently it didn’t realize we’d broken up.

“Sean--” I started to warn him to let me go but the door to the room next to us flew open and a woman walked into the hall.

Busy on her cell phone, she ignored us and hustled past. Sean followed her with his eyes until she got into the elevator. I plucked the key out of his fingers and quickly slid it into the reader. Slamming the door in his face, I whirled around to find him standing right behind me, smirking.

“Really?” He shook his head like I was crazy.

“Okay, I’m safe now. Go away!”

I didn’t exactly feel safe…

Not with the way he was looking at me.

Hostility and something a little less ugly surrounded him like a halo. It was all I could do not to back away from him. He was enjoying making me squirm.

He stared at me; I stared at him.

He blinked first and shrugged.

Pulling off his sweaty shirt, he commandeered one of the beds and flipped on the television. I was speechless. “You’re staying?” I nearly screeched.

Not bothering to glance at me, he nodded smugly. “Killian ordered me not to leave you alone. And since he’s clearly not here…” He shrugged like he had no choice.

“He’ll be back soon. I don’t need a babysitter.” My tone sounded whiny and I clamped my mouth shut. I really wanted a shower and sleep.

“Don’t count on it. He went to The City to see Alex. He might not come back if he’s given new orders. We’ll leave in the morning though.” He stretched and grinned mockingly at me, “Just you and me…”

I stomped over to the bathroom and brushed my teeth until the enamel was thin and spit viciously in the sink. Damn him! I was hot and sticky and really wanted a shower. No way was I taking my clothes off with him in the room. Maybe I could put it off…I gave my armpit a tentative sniff and my nose objected. Okay, maybe not.

Stupid Detroit heat!

Not bothering to lock the door since he could pop into the shower if he wanted, I threw myself into the shower and broke speed records. I was in the middle of combing the tangles out of my hair when I realized my clothes were in the other room. Gritting my teeth, I bounced my forehead off of the door. Ugh!

“Could you bring me my backpack?” I called through a crack in the door.

“Sorry? What? I didn’t hear you say please.”

I hate him.

I should just walk out in a towel and grab my stuff. That would show him. Visions of him pulling the towel off of me stopped me.

“Please bring me my clothes.”

He tapped on the door. I opened it a hair and he held up a thong and said, “This is all I could find.”

Chapter 25: Forgiveness and Promises

IT WAS 3:00 THE NEXT AFTERNOON when Sean finally pulled the truck into a Tim Horton’s restaurant off the highway. We were in the middle of Ontario heading towards Plattsburgh. Our plan was to pack up some things and meet Killian in Manhattan. A strong feeling of foreboding had greeted me when I finally woke up from a restless sleep. Distracted and unwilling to rise to Sean’s barbs, I spent the trip staring out the window, much to his annoyance. After the thong incident, I shut him out and I had the feeling he didn’t like that.

Last night, I had snatched the thong from his hand and marched to my backpack in the towel after all. Fully disgusted with him, I turned my back and defiantly dropped the towel. With furious movements, I yanked on my clothes and then turned to him.

“I can’t believe I loved you. What’s happened to you?”

He started to reply and then stopped, deflated. Without another word, he shut off the light and took a shower. When he came out of the bathroom, he crawled under his sheets and turned his back to me. I lay on my own bed staring at his back for hours. Memories drifted through my mind…My lips remembered the smooth texture of his back the day he told me they were angels. That same day, he’d told me he loved me. The memory filled my head and I let it play out with tears in my eyes: How had things gone so wrong?

It had been a beautiful day and we’d walked to the creek near the farmhouse. Finally trusting me with their secret, he admitted they were angels, of a sort. Fascinated, I walked around to his back and lifted up his shirt. He sucked in his breath against the sudden cold. I was afraid to look, but when I opened my eyes to look at him, all I saw was smooth muscular skin the color of warm honey. I pressed my face against his skin and kissed him softly between his shoulders.

“Well, did I pass?” he’d asked with a grin.

“No wings?”

“No wings. Are you disappointed?”

“Not really, I think they would get in the way. What do you call yourselves?”

He’d looked relieved by the simple question. “Primani, we’re called Primani--Soldiers of the First Legion.”

I’d considered his serious, beautiful face. He was a contradiction. When he was with me like this, he was sweet and gentle. When he was in soldier-mode, he was ruthless and deadly. I was more than a little afraid of the soldier in him and shivered.

“Don’t! Please don’t ever be afraid of me. I would never hurt you; you have to know that.” He’d reached out and cupped my face in his hands. The little golden light in his eyes flashing brilliantly as the truth hit him. He’d kissed me with yearning and tenderness. I’d clung to his shoulders to keep from falling. He dragged his mouth away from mine and lowered it to my collarbone. With the other hand, he pulled the zipper of my sweatshirt down. I was bare underneath it. He pulled his eyes back to mine. I searched his eyes but his mind was closed to me.

“What are you thinking?” I whispered.

“You’re so beautiful it takes my breath away.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you,” he said wistfully.

What had happened to that love? Where did it go? I was floundering on unfamiliar ground now. He’d vowed he’d never hurt me…but he was, every second he was near me. I was afraid of him, of who he was becoming, of who he might become.

I thought I knew him, but I didn’t know this version of him.

I didn’t like this version of Sean.

He was cold and his words cut me to the quick. Maybe I deserved his anger, but I didn’t deserve this hostility. I thought of James and wondered if this was how he drifted into the darkness.

Did his love get twisted into hate?

How did he lose his soul?

That couldn’t happen to Sean. He was the greatest Primani ever…

As I picked at my salad, I wondered what he would have to say if he knew about the baby. I wanted to tell him but there hadn’t been a good time. And now…well, the silence had grown into a stone wall between us and I saw no way over it. My heart ached with the knowledge that he was so far out of reach when I needed him most.

I felt his eyes on me and looked up. His expression was carefully blank as he watched me from across the table. The restaurant was crowded and loud with the clanking of glass and silverware, but Sean overwhelmed my senses until there was no one but him in my world. The golden lights in his eyes were muted as if his saol was focused someplace else. The ocean-colored irises were opaque to me now. Unable to help myself, I peered into them and found no way inside his shuttered mind.

What secrets was he keeping?

He was closed to me and my throat tightened in response. Abruptly pushing away from the table, I rushed out of the restaurant and climbed into the relative privacy of the truck. Swiping angrily at tears, I swore in every language I knew. But still they came and I groaned in frustration at the human weakness. If only I could be hard and cold…like Sean.

Sean pulled open the door and climbed in. After a minute of awkward silence, he finally snorted impatiently, “Damn it, Mica, stop it.”

Turning to face him, I said, “You think it’s that easy? Maybe for you! You have no feelings. If you don’t want to see me cry, then stop hurting me!”

Incredulous, his eyebrows went straight to his hairline. “Me? What have I done? You’re the one giving me the silent treatment!”

I didn’t have a comeback for that. Defeated, I drooped. “Once upon a time, you promised there would be no lies between us. Do you remember that?”

His jaw tightened but he answered stiffly, “I remember that conversation.” He added bitterly, “But we also agreed there was room for secrets. And now, can you live with them?”

“Mine or yours?” I asked with intensity. My eyes were dry again and I searched his face for some kind of emotion. What was he hiding?

His mouth twisted into a grimace and he ripped his eyes away from my face. Retreating into his head, he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and looked away from me.

The silence dragged.

“Ah, I see how it is. You can have your secrets but I can’t have mine. Well, you know mine now…and you can’t forgive me. So I’m asking you. Where were you? And if I knew, would I be able to forgive you?”

He flushed hotly and shook his head in denial. “You don’t know what you’re talking about! I told you I was scattered.” But he didn’t meet my eyes.

“I heard you arguing with Killian. You think I’m too weak for the truth. I know you’re hiding something.”

He hesitated for a minute as if wondering what he could say. “You don’t know anything.”

Tiredly, I said, “Whatever.”

Sighing loudly, he started the truck and the road trip continued. The farmland blurred by as I tried to meditate. The sense of impending doom settled into my bones like a cancer.

Who would we lose this time?

We’d barely slept and already it was time to get back on the road. Morning was not my favorite time of the day and Sean’s attitude was a little less fun this early. I resisted the urge to snap his head off as he nagged at me.

“We need to go. Are you packed?” Sean asked.

The deliberate rudeness was gone but the holier-than-thou tone was nearly as bad. I shoved my hand into my pocket to stop it from slapping him again. Geez, he was overplaying the role of victim here.

Rolling my eyes, I lifted my bag and started towards the front door. “Yeah, let’s go. We need to get down there. Killian’s waiting for us to move on Dagin.”

He plucked my heavy bag off of my arm and snapped, “Yeah, let’s not keep Killian waiting!” and stalked into the early morning darkness.

Sean drove the Camaro like it was an extension of his body. The muscles in his arm flexed as he steered the powerful car. The car responded to his slightest movement and growled aggressively as we roared down the highway. I stole a peek at his face. His strong profile was set in stone as he lost himself in his own thoughts. The shadows hid his expression but I knew he was painfully unhappy. I’d known his every mood for years…once he would have talked to me, not now…his pride wouldn’t let him. I sighed to myself and wondered what he was thinking. His eyes were entirely focused on the road and he’d been silent since we pulled away from the house.

His moods were giving me a constant headache.  It was bad enough that I had to deal with my own pain. I was still having flashbacks of the demon attack and bouts of sadness from the miscarriage. I felt horrible about Sean’s pain. I missed Dec desperately. I was barely keeping myself together as it was. If it weren’t for Killian’s love and caring support, I’d be curled up in a bed refusing to leave the house. Absorbing Sean’s emotions was overwhelming me. Rubbing my temples, I pulled out my phone and started to send a text to Killian. I craved some kind of contact with someone who liked me…maybe…

Killian? Probably you can’t hear me…but I need you. I really need you. My head aches.  Needing its comfort, I stroked the outline of my rune and closed my eyes to shut out Sean’s emotions. Gradually, my hand began to tingle and I opened my eyes to see the golden outline shining gently in the washed out light of dawn.

I’m here, babe. Close your eyes.

I closed my eyes again and there he was, standing in the light airy room in my mind. He was grimy with sweat and dirt as if he’d been fighting in the woods someplace. His beard shadowed his jaw sending his sexiness skyrocketing off the charts. His teeth were very white when he greeted me with a slow sexy smile. He held his arms open to me and I threw myself against him. Catching me surely, he held me close until my heartbeat slowed and my headache drifted away. Smoothing my hair back and lifting my chin, he kissed me with a smile.

Better?

I could only smile and nod happily. The slight roughness of his calloused hands warmed my skin as he ran his hands up my arms to cup my face for one last kiss. I moaned happily against his demanding mouth when he deepened the kiss with his tongue. Tiny white lights sparkled behind my eyes and I forgot where I was. Dragging his mouth away, he said he had to go. With that, he vanished.

Sean’s dry voice brought me flying back to the physical world. “Do you need a towel?” He waved a hand in the general direction of my lap and peered suspiciously into the air, sniffing. “God, I hope you were dreaming?”

“Yes, a dream…” I murmured and licked my lips.

“I needed a hug,” I huffed defensively.

Barking a sarcastic laugh, Sean said, “You could’ve asked me! I’m a little closer.” Something struck him as funny and he burst into a real laugh that he smothered with a cough.

Laughing uneasily, I ran my tongue over my lips and thought I could just taste Killian. His scent lingered on my fingers. What an amazing thing…And my headache was gone, too. Assuming it was a dream, Sean was smiling again and his face transformed into the glorious, beautiful Primani he was. Wide blue eyes glittered against the golden color of his skin. Dark stubble shadowed his jaw giving him that just-rolled-out-of-bed look that usually melted women everywhere. This smile, this rare, rare, smile, lit up his face and softened the hardened warrior that he wore so easily. My heart lifted just a bit. Maybe the sad and angry Sean was gone? Automatically, I reached over and touched his hand. He looked surprised but didn’t move.

“Truce?”

Gritting his teeth, he shrugged my hand aside as if he couldn’t bear to touch me. Instead of commenting, he pressed the play button and Metallica’s “The Unforgiven” blasted out of the speakers.

The parking garage was nearly empty since most people were at work for the day. After easing the Camaro into the reserved slot, Sean lovingly rubbed the steering wheel before removing the keys. Shaking my head, I got out and grabbed my bag. A slight movement caught the corner of my eye and I paused to watch as a shadow slipped behind the wheel of a parked BMW on the other side of the garage. Pretending to dig in my purse for something, I watched suspiciously. The engine roared to life sending echoes throughout the space. Instantly alert, Sean shoved me into the wall as the driver careened towards us. Standing in the lane, he waited as the driver approached and held up his hand. Was he crazy? I yelled at him to move and he shook his head at me.

Unaccountably, the car slowed and drifted to a stop in front of him. The driver’s face was slack with sleep and he slowly slid down in the seat. What the heck? I was stunned and watched with my mouth hanging open as Sean calmly searched the car. He stuffed some baggies into his pocket and shoved a handgun into his backpack. He finished the search in about two minutes while I leaned against the wall and did nothing useful.  Finally, he tapped the hood with his knuckles and strode towards the elevator. To my continued astonishment, the driver woke up and shook his head in confusion.

Dragging me into the elevator behind him, Sean said, “It’s a useful talent.”

“Sooooo…?”

“Nothing to do with us; he’s just a regular idiot with an unlicensed gun and a bagful of Oxy. He’ll be pissed when he realizes his stash is gone.”

A familiar voice called out to me as we entered the lobby. “Miss Thomas! Welcome back!”

Jacob Martinelli was one of the concierge attendants. He was in his late twenties with liquid brown eyes and a shock of thick black hair that was tamed only with copious amounts of hair gel. He’d once confided that he wanted to shave it into a Mohawk but he’d lose this job. I’d laughed and complimented him on his good sense. With his usual friendliness, he started to move around the concierge counter but took a good look at Sean’s expression and stayed where he was.

Taking pity on him, I detoured to his desk and greeted him with a genuine smile. “I see you’ve still got your job, Jacob. It’s nice to see you again.” Leaning a little closer, I lowered my voice, “Anything unusual going on?” I winked broadly to emphasize my meaning.

Grinning conspiratorially, he nodded. “Funny you should ask! Rumor has it that a whole bunch of stiffs have been snatched off their slabs. Got the whole city on edge.”

“Huh? That’s crazy, isn’t it?” I flashed my dimples and squeezed his hand in thanks. “Will you let me know right away if you hear anything else?”

“Absolutely, Mica, I mean, Miss Thomas.” He checked that his boss hadn’t heard his breach of protocol and grinned back.

Sean’s finger jabbed the elevator button a little harder than necessary and I peered over at him. What was his problem now? Geez! The penthouse was on the 18th floor and the ride was eternal in the old elevator.

Tick tock, the silence stretched.

“A friend of yours?” he finally asked mildly. He sounded calmer but his fingers were tapping the side of his leg.

“Well, sort of. We got to know each the last time I was here, before I was kidnapped and killed. He’s got friends in some interesting places.”

He made a sarcastic sound and crossed his arms. Rolling my eyes at this weird show of jealousy, I followed him into the black and white marble foyer. The little niche by the door was still empty. Making a mental note to ask Alex about the golden cherub, I opened the door and strolled inside like I owned the place. Sean’s eyebrows went straight up at my new boldness but he didn’t comment. Giving the front rooms a sweeping glance, I was disappointed to find them empty. A note rested on the marble island in the kitchen. It was addressed to me. The elegant handwriting was a surprise and I traced my name with a fingernail before unfolding the heavy paper.

Your angry eyes destroy with their fire,

Will you carve me to pieces?

To lie scattered in the ashes of our friendship.

Am I always to remain,

Unforgiven?

Dec. It could only be him. What have I done? Carefully avoiding Sean’s curious gaze, I folded the letter and tucked it into my back pocket. Hurrying towards the rooftop garden, I threw open the French doors and leaned over the brick wall to look down at the city. Turning away from the noise below, I leaned against the wall and drew his handsome face into my mind.

Innocent blue eyes…deadly blue eyes…

He was my protector, my friend, my brother…

It was time to forgive him.

Throwing my arms up, I called, “Declan! Come back!” And I waited with arms open but eyes closed against disappointment.

The slightest shift in pressure and he was there, in my arms, hugging me like I would vanish if he let me go. I don’t know how long we stood clinging to each other in the hot summer sun. He was too thin, lanky, and I ran my hands down his lean back with tears glittering on my lashes. I sensed the pain he carried in his heart and the frustration that crippled him. He was frantic over Dani’s disappearance. He was devastated over my silence. He was torn between Sean and Killian. We were all tearing him to pieces and he’d never say a word. That wasn’t his way.

He would hold it inside until it ate him alive.

He was always the sunny one. He was the one bright spot that sparkled like a single star in the blackest nights. This sad and angry Dec was a stranger to me.

The sun had gone out like an eclipse.

I squeezed him harder like that would somehow make him feel better. I wanted to mother him. I wanted to heal him. I wanted him to be happy again.

He pulled back from me and knelt formally on one knee, with his head bowed in misery. “Will you let me burn?”

My throat tightened at the strain in his voice and I sat down abruptly and pulled him down with me.

“I’m sorry, Dec. I’m so sorry.”

Looking into his sad eyes, I threaded my fingers in his hair and smoothed it as his mother probably did 2,000 years ago. His eyes widened a bit when he felt the warmth of my saol flow from my fingertips. I shushed him and massaged the tight muscle at his temples and then worked my way down his jaw and around the tender skin of his eyes.

“Let me help you for a change. Close your eyes, baby, just let go,” I ordered softly as I leaned my forehead against his. ”Don’t be sad.”

Concentrating on easing his pain, I watched his startled blue eyes soften and shift to the stormy sea as he finally relaxed under my fingers. His careening emotions finally calmed and settled. His anger drifted away, replaced by his natural courage and resolve. He would find Dani and save her. He would tell Killian he was pissed about his sleeping with me. He was relieved to make peace with me.

He felt whole again.

I smiled as he surrendered next to me. His breathing slowed even more as I carefully pushed my power into him. My own breathing slowed and I relaxed for just a minute…

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!”

The sun was gone and it was very dark. Where did the time go?

Laughing for the first time in ages, Dec rolled to his feet and offered me a hand. Not letting me go, he tugged me with him to the wall that overlooked the city below. It was beautiful. The city lights sparkled like man-made stars. Here and there blue and red lights flashed as the police stayed on their toes. Sean had once said Manhattan was full of demons…a wicked city, a city of chaos. The screeching of a car alarm echoed in the night and below us a baby cried.

Wicked it may be, but I loved Manhattan!

“You’re so far away from me. Where do you go inside that pretty head of yours?” He asked as he leaned down to shield me from the wind. His lean body was warm and he smelled of the trees, green and fresh. I secretly believed Dec was a wood elf…too tall to be a nymph like me.

Snuggling against his side, I sighed contentedly. It was so good to have him back. “I have to say this out loud. I need to say it out loud, so don’t interrupt me and don’t cut me off.”

“You don’t have to say anything. You know that.”

“Still, I’m saying it.” I took a deep breath and continued, “You once made a vow to me. You said, “You are my sister now and I will always have your back.” Do you remember that?” Without waiting for him to respond, I asked, “Do you have my back? Are there more secrets, Dec? Do you know where Sean was all that time?

Grimacing uncomfortably, he inhaled through his teeth and looked down into my eyes. Trying to gauge my mood, he took his time before answering me. Finally, he said precisely, “He was lost, darlin’. I don’t know where, but I know he couldn’t get back. I don’t know anything else.” He pushed my hair out of my eyes and added thoughtfully, “It’s a mystery, isn’t it, though? Can I ask you a question now?”

“I suppose. Go ahead.”

“What’s going on with you and Killian? You’re different now. I can sense your powers are stronger, but you’re more fragile emotionally. Is it him? Is he hurting you?”

It was my turn to feel awkward and I blushed before answering honestly. “A lot happened when you and Sean were off decimating demons on the Eastern Seaboard. Let’s just say, I had my share of inner and outer demons to vanquish. They damaged me. Killian came to me when I needed him most and he’s…healed me.”

“You’re not telling me everything, are you?”

Smiling ruefully, I agreed. “Some things are too painful to talk about. But Dec, never worry about Killian hurting me. He grounds me; he takes away the chaos and that’s a good thing. Let’s just kiss and make up. I need to see Killian.” I leaned up and kissed his scratchy cheek and he kissed my nose.

Arm in arm, we went back inside to an empty house.

“Geez, doesn’t anyone stick around this place?” I grouched.

The clock said it was nearly midnight and the place was empty. Suddenly lonely for Killian, I made excuses and went to find my old room. After washing up but still hot, I crawled naked into the cool sheets. Staring at the shadows dancing across the ceiling, I said a prayer of thanks to God. He’d been good to me, all things considered. After all, I was surrounded by angels and fiercely loved by the most perfect being outside of Heaven.

Now, if we could just get rid of these pesky zombies…

A warm hand cupped my mouth sometime in the wee hours of the night. My eyes flew open to bump into the long lashes framing the brilliant blue eyes staring into mine from a nose length away. Without a word, the hand slipped into my hair and warm lips took its place. With eyes wide open, I inhaled his scent and deepened the kiss.

“I’ve missed you…” I murmured kissing the soft skin of his chest as he fitted me tightly against his side. Like a key into a lock…The palest glimmer of dawn lit the room as I drifted off to sleep.

The faint tolling of church bells gradually penetrated the heavy veil of sleep that wrapped itself so seductively around me. Unwilling to leave my dream, I buried my head under the sheet and drifted off again. In my dream, the church was a great cathedral with soaring arches that reached the heavens and enormous stained glass windows that bent the light into rainbows across my eyes. The tolling bells were melancholy in the misty light near the gardens. Wisteria grew lush and wild along the stone path. I wandered barefoot through the scattering mist, intent on nothing, expecting nothing more.

Pausing to bring the purple blooms to my nose, I inhaled the fragrance and closed my eyes.

The garden smelled of him.

Strangely comforted, I tucked the flower behind one ear and wandered into the tiny clearing where he stood waiting for me. The years had not been kind. The rain had pitted his face and it was pocked with bits of green moss. After all these years, he stood in the rain, waiting.

Waiting in his tomb…waiting to be freed.

One day…when he’d served his time. I paused beneath his feet and bowed my head in respect. Once a mighty warrior, he had slipped off his path. The tears surprised me and I reached up to wipe them from the roughness of his cheek.

Only his eyes followed me…only his eyes betrayed his sorrow…

And still he waited.

“You look like hell. Didn’t you sleep at all?”

“Not much, no.” I glanced automatically at Killian and blushed.

“Leave her be, Sean. She’s got enough to deal with. You’re not helping,” Killian said mildly with an undertone of steel.

“Whatever, man. Let’s get started. I’m ready to kill something.”

Rolling his eyes at Sean, Dec threw me an apple from his spot at the kitchen island. He managed to devour his in three neat bites. Wow. After demolishing the poor apple, he tucked into a plate of grilled chicken and vegetables. The garlicky smell assaulted my stomach which growled like an angry bear in response. Since the kitchen was clean, I’d guess room service. Forgetting Sean’s sniping, I made a beeline for the covered plates and found a grilled breast and a handful of zucchini and mushrooms.

“You left me the crappy veggies again. You know I hate zucchini. Thanks,” I grumped playfully at Dec.

“Don’t look at me! I just got up too.” He waved a chicken leg at the other two who shrugged unconcerned.

Glancing up at him, I was chagrined again by how thin he looked. His cheeks were too hollow as if he’d lost 20 pounds. I put my chicken on his plate, kissed the top of his head, and fetched him a huge glass of milk. He started to protest and I hushed him and gulped down my own milk. It wouldn’t kill me to miss a meal. It wasn’t like I needed the extra food anyway…not now…

“Are you all right?” Killian’s whisper startled me and I jumped more violently than necessary. Deftly catching my flying hand, he gently steadied me to the interested stares of both Sean and Dec. With his body shielding me, he placed a warm hand protectively over my belly and leaned closer to my ear. “Do you want me to take you away from here? Just say the word and we’ll bolt.”

Eyes suddenly misty, I coughed to cover the rush of emotion. Trying to stay casual in front of our audience, I looked up into his serious face and knew he meant it. We’d put the zombies on hold if that’s what I needed. He held my eyes and nodded. Instinctively craving connection to him, I linked my fingers in his as they lay across my stomach. It was a promise of sorts. It said someday, someday I would have that perfect little baby from my dream.

I will give you a child, Princess. I promise you that.

His eyes grew softer as he waited for me to understand. Finally, he gave my hand a squeeze letting his fingers linger on the rune until it glowed.

Chapter 26: Apocalypse Now

NIGHTFALL WAS NEARLY COMPLETE as we made our way down the busy city streets heading towards Lower Manhattan. People streamed by caught up in a current of humanity. Busy, busy people had places to go. They had lives to live and bills to pay. Did they have any idea of the horror that lurked just beneath the pavement? Did anyone know how close they were to death?

Couldn’t they sense it?

Pulling my leather jacket closer to my side, I tensed with anticipation and not a little fear. The wind was blowing in fits of anger as Mother Nature planned another stormy night. When we crossed the street at Broadway and 21st, the wind hit me hard enough to rock me into Killian’s side. Clearly unaffected by the wind himself, he used this as an excuse to wrap his arm around my waist and pull me close against his side. This public show of affection was unlike him and I peered up at him.

“How’s your intuition tonight, babe?” he asked tightly, eyes scanning the sidewalks for any hint of trouble.

I knew without looking that the ruby-handled knife burned against his calf. Totally synced with it, Killian followed it like a GPS in his head. We zigzagged from street to street as it located our prey. He was practically twitching with readiness, muscles tensed and ready to spring.

I said candidly, “I have a bad feeling about this. It’s never as easy as it should be, you know that. Raphael and Michael both warned me there would be more pain and suffering ahead. I don’t think they were talking about a miscarriage. Something tells me we’re not going to get off lightly tonight. Do you have anything you want to say to me before we get there?”

Barking a surprised laugh, he leaned down and said, “You win, Princess. I love you and I want you beside me. No matter what happens tonight, I’ll find you.”

Without missing a step, he pulled me around a corner and kissed me as if the world would end in flames right then. Ignited by his power, my blood raced through my veins so fast it thrummed like a plucked guitar string. I had to pull back before I spontaneously combusted.

With fingers digging into my shoulders, he captured my mouth again, growling low in his throat, “Don’t fight it; let it take you.”

The more he kissed me the faster my blood raced and my own power stirred in response. Feeling light and powerful, I clenched my fingers in his shirt to keep from floating away. And still the thrumming grew louder, the notes low and clear as a bell.

“Do you feel that? Your blood sings for me.” The planes of his face shifted in the shadows giving the illusion of another, someone ageless and more powerful. He lightly gripped my upper arms and said in that compelling tone, “When the time comes, you will answer my call.”

“Always,” I promised before standing on my tiptoes to kiss him one last time as Sean rounded the corner. He jerked like he’d been electrocuted and froze in disbelief.

Without a word, Killian released me and continued walking. I trotted to keep up with him while Sean stalked along on the other side of me. His face nearly purple, he huffed impatiently at every tiny delay. At one crosswalk, he demanded, “What did you do with your ring?”

“I pawned it,” I lied.

Killian said, “You two have to focus. This is major. We’ll talk about this later.”

Suddenly he stopped and listened. “Got it!”

He gestured at a rusted metal door crisscrossed with a chain and padlocked. The door was partially concealed by plywood sheets left over from a construction project. A helpful citizen had spray painted obscenities across it to add some local color to the rusty door. Nice work…Very fancy painting in pretty shades of purple and red.

Killian was a thousand miles away as we waited to go inside. He was communing with his seeing-eye knife and I left him to it. I did my best to sense the undead. At the moment, all I could sense were the waves of anger rolling off of Sean so I glared meaningfully at him and he flipped me off. Turning his back to me, he called Dec who rematerialized a minute later. We all waited in varying degrees of readiness while Killian listened with his ears and his mind. Looking around, I noticed we were on 8th Avenue. It was fully dark and the streets were nearly empty now. A skinny yellow dog dug at a McDonald’s bag lying in the street and I thought of Domino. I wished she was here with us. She’d have my back without nagging. I sent my dad a quick text telling him I loved him…just in case things went south.

Dec positioned himself in front of the door and the lock mysteriously fell free. The chains hit the concrete with a slithering thunk. Peering around for an audience and finding none, we slid into the darkened building one by one. With a forceful yank, Dec closed the door behind us and I had to remind myself that we could teleport out. It was a dark as a tomb, the air stagnant and warm. Using my tiny flashlight to conserve my personal energy reserves, I followed along between Killian and Dec. Sean brought up the rear in case there was trouble. His body vibrated with restrained power and his heartbeat reverberated in my head. He was close enough for me to feel the heat coming off of him and I moved a little guiltily towards Dec. It was strange to stand so close to Sean after so much distance between us.

The dim light revealed a dusty hallway that eventually stopped at another, much older, door. The red paint had long since disintegrated and rust had taken over. With quiet precision, Dec cracked its lock and manhandled the door open against the uneven concrete floor. The harsh grating seemed supernaturally loud in the silence of the room.

His teeth gleaming in the darkness, Dec whispered, “Still got that bad feeling, sweetheart?” He’d never been scared in his life and was ready to jump into this night with both feet. I wondered vaguely if he was a wee bit insane…

Killian stood with arms hung loosely by his sides listening to the echoes in his mind. Sgaine Dutre’s brother blade glowed triumphantly in his fist, the red eye burning like brimstone. The red light brought his cheekbones into sharp relief giving his face a hard, sinister look. Turned away from me, Sean watched the hallway with an eager ferocity that made me wonder if I’d ever really known him.

He was reputed to be one of the best Primani of all time…and he’d earned that reputation by sheer tactical skill and overwhelming brutality in a fight. It wasn’t in his nature to show mercy and he would annihilate the demons we found tonight. The set of his jaw and the rage in his eyes promised a vicious death for anyone on the wrong side of our mission.

Taking a minute to reach out with my mind, I raised a finger to tell Dec to wait a minute. It was creepy and dark, but there was no danger here. And yet, something tickled at the far edges of my intuition and I knew someone, or something, was waiting for us. The feeling of impending doom hung in the air like a noxious cloud of steam.

Fear curled in my belly like poison.

We were going to lose someone.

Nudging Dec’s arm to get his attention, I said simply, “This is going to be bad, Dec.” Impulsively, I hugged him and whispered fiercely, “I love you! Please be careful!”

Squeezing me hard enough to crack a rib, he whispered against my hair, “I will, sweetheart. We still have things to do, you and I.” Then he released me and straightened towards Killian who watched us with thinly-veiled patience.

“Let’s go. It’s this way.” We moved purposely into another hallway.

Killian slowed long enough to reach a hand back to me. I touched his wrist in answer. Yes, I’m here and I’ll be ready. His eyes caught mine in a glance, conveying the words he’d said to me on so many missions…careful and smart--his parting words for us every time we went out without him. My heart sped up as I digested the words and took notice of our surroundings. This hallway was lined with crumbling brick walls and my stomach churned. The walls gradually became tunnels broken up by occasional metal doors. I knew this place.

One of these doors was witness to my darkest nightmares.

Keep moving. Don’t dwell on this place It has no power over you, Killian’s voice whispered sharply.

Hundreds of scurrying feet sent shivers climbing up my neck and I choked on a scream when a heavy little body ran across my foot. I stopped abruptly and Sean ran into me with a grunt of surprise.

“Rats,” I offered under my breath and kept moving lest it come back to taste me.

We’d gone about a hundred yards farther when a wave of déjà vu washed over me. I froze next to a door. This door wasn’t padlocked and had been used recently. The dust was disturbed around the door handle and there were footprints jumbled around in front of it. Cold sweat crawled between my shoulders and I nearly bolted in a sprint, but Sean stopped right behind me and held onto my arm. This was the room. High-pitched shrieks echoed from inside and Killian swore softly in front of me.

The sound of booted feet on metal startled us into action. Killian took off in a sprint towards a tunnel to the right. We just cleared the corner when several men came out of the room into the tunnel where we’d just been standing. Their laughter echoed eerily as they stood outside the room smoking. From their tone, they were flunkies. One of them sounded vaguely familiar to me though. Another scream undulated shrilly from the open door and Dec dug his fingers into my arm.

“Not human; not our problem,” Killian’s harsh whisper broke through the horrific scenes running through my brain.

Not human…demon? Reanimated corpse?

The eye of the blade burned hotter the deeper we moved into the tunnels and Killian’s entire expression changed again. Gone was my lover, my friend, my Primani. The high priest was back and in complete control now. Moving with utter silence, he stalked his prey with single-minded purpose.

Sgaine Dutre must be close.

When we turned to the right, the tunnels abruptly forked into three directions. We stopped to see which way he wanted us to go. In that voice that brooked no argument, he told us to wait. He went to the left and vanished. Right after he left, Dec perked up, his face lit with excitement, eyes gleaming in his face.

“Can you hear that?”  He pointed at a pipe in the wall. The mortar was decayed and crumbling around it leaving a gap that seemed black as night to me.

Straining my ears but hearing nothing above the pounding of my heart and Sean’s breathing behind me, I shrugged negatively.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he promised, bolting down the other tunnel and vanishing around a bend in the dark.

The sense of foreboding grew stronger and I rubbed my arms to hold myself together. “I guess it’s just you and me…” I murmured to Sean who was listening to something I couldn’t hear.

The darkness was getting oppressive as if the entire city was about to cave in on me. I tried to ignore the small space, the heavy air, the solid darkness. It was a good thing I wasn’t alone. I’d really be freaking out.

“Stay here for a minute. I’ll be right back.” He vanished without letting me argue.

Stunned by this turn of events, I pressed back against the wall and cursed all three of them. What the hell were they doing? Just when I was nearly hyperventilating with anxiety, Sean reappeared from the tunnel darkness.

“Where did you go? Are you crazy?”

Shrugging arrogantly, he replied smoothly, “I had to check something. I was only away a few minutes. I thought you were a big girl now?” He eyed me with a challenge.

Gritting my teeth, I muttered, “Never mind.”

Walking back into the darkness, he called over his shoulder, “Come with me. We’re going to meet Killian.”

The silence was broken by dripping water that must be the East River. We were in an unfinished line of the subway that went from Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn. The river was on top of us right now…suddenly the rats didn’t seem so bad. About 50 yards into the tunnel, my flashlight went out. The darkness was absolute. Disoriented by the sudden loss of light, I bounced into the wall and scraped my elbow. Hissing with pain, I stopped and dabbed at the raw skin. Sean halted in front of me. I couldn’t see him but I sensed his presence. In half a heartbeat, he was standing very close to me with one hand possessively wrapped around my arm.

Invisible in the black void, he purred in my ear, “Are you afraid?”  Slowly, he rubbed his palm along my shivering skin leaving a trail of heat behind.

“What the hell are you doing?” I stepped back only to find the brick wall.

Before I could say anything else, his mouth was on mine in a demanding kiss that bruised my lips and ground my head against the brick. Pressing his body against me, he ran his hands under my shirt even as I struggled to push him away.  I bit down on his lip and twisted my head away to break the kiss. I was nearly free when a voice thundered in the tunnel behind us.

“Mica!” Sean shouted. “No!”

The Sean holding me in his arms chuckled and blinked. His eyes changed from brilliant blue to sickly yellow and he grinned at me showing his fangs.

“Surprise!”

No! It couldn’t be! Not again!

Screaming in horror, I struggled to push him away and he pressed me to the wall with his forearm and mocked me with his eyes.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he crooned in exactly the right voice and blinked his eyes to blue again before turning to greet Sean.

Sean was frozen with shock, eyes wide and unblinking. In his hand, the silver Primani blade gleamed dully reflecting the pale fire of his eyes and illuminating the space. He didn’t say a word and he didn’t move. He stared at us with a what-the-fuck expression. His mouth worked but nothing came out.

Frantically, I called to him, “Sean!”

Shrugging, the demon said, “Well, that’s a bit anticlimactic. I was hoping for more of a fight. What did you do to him?” He dismissed Sean completely and said, “Where were we?”

Reacting out of sheer revulsion now, I twisted and turned trying to throw him off but he was too strong and I couldn’t get out of his grasp without ripping my own arms off.

Laughing cruelly, he said, “You can’t fight me, human. You caught me off guard once before, but this time I’m ready for you. I didn’t get to be this old by being stupid.”

Stalling, I said, “I killed you! How are you alive? Who are you?”

Smiling coldly, he said, “In this plane, I’m known as Dagin. Surprised?”

“Dagin!”

I was most definitely surprised. The Primani had been looking for him for years. He was a royal pain in the ass on a good day.

At the sound of this name, Sean reacted like he’d been stung and roared back to life launching himself at Dagin. Dagin turned to meet his attack with his own battle cry. The force of Sean’s attack sent them both skidding down the corridor while I watched in stunned silence. I must be having a seizure…a nightmare…something.

How was this possible?

I killed Dagin, didn’t I?

I cut him to pieces and blew him into nothing but smoke…

The entire scene was so surreal I had to keep shaking my head to make sense of it. The dark tunnel was lit up by the burning heat radiating from Sean and Dagin’s eyes. In full soldier-mode, Sean’s eyes blazed and his body put off a subtle glow as the energy raced through him. The odd bluish light cast them in creepy nightmarish shadows. With jaws clenched in fury, their cheekbones stood out in sharp relief. Except for the eyes, it was impossible to tell them apart: they both looked like something out of the bottom rings of Hell. I shrank away from them and pasted myself against a wall. The two of them moved so fast I could barely follow the fight. They blurred from one position to the next trying to rip each other to pieces.

Across the tunnel, Dagin’s snake eyes gleamed vividly in the dim light. His expression was almost bored as he flexed his fingers. Laughing softly, he shot a fireball at Sean’s head that missed by inches. Sean jumped away from it easily and fired back with an energy blast. The blast hit Dagin in the chest and he staggered back but kept to his feet. The smell of sulfur drifted in the air. Hissing loudly, he dematerialized and popped up behind Sean. Sean was ready for the trick and jabbed him hard with the silver blade. Dagin only grunted and grabbed Sean’s knife hand.

While twisting his wrist sharply, he snarled into Sean’s face, “You little pussy! You’re pathetic.”

Sean growled, “Fuck you, demon!”

Sean’s face was beet red as he struggled, but he was able to break free by head butting Dagin and smashing his nose. Dagin swore viciously and dropped his grip. Before he could regroup, Sean whirled around and blasted him again. The energy beam missed as Dagin rolled and leapt back to his feet in a crouch.

I was so intent on the fight in front of me that I missed seeing Dec rematerialize with a struggling person in his arms. Cursing profusely, he finally dropped the person who landed with an indignant squeal of anger. Dani?

“Mica, help me with her!”

“Dani?” I yelped when I heard her voice. “Oh, my God! Dani, is that you? Dec, I can’t see her; can you fix the lights?”

With an irritated sound, he sent a bolt of power to a broken emergency light near the top of the tunnel. It burst into life with a buzz.

I stumbled over to them just in time to see her get awkwardly to her feet and rub at her butt. She was dressed in an oversized cotton nightgown made for an old lady. It was filthy with grime and torn down one side exposing her pale skin. Her feet were bare and also filthy. They had to be cold too…her hair was matted and greasy. She fluffed at it now with a haughty air and scowled at us.

This was bad.

Dec’s face glowed like a tiny sun in the tunnel illuminating everything nearby. He stood preternaturally still as his eyes met mine.

“What happened, Dec?”

Between his teeth, he ground out, “She was in a cell, Mica, a freakin’ cell! No food, no water, a rag…like an animal! Worse than an animal!” He lowered his voice but fury hardened every word until they came at me like machine gun fire.

“My God.”

“Not likely!”

“Didn’t she recognize you? What’s wrong with her?”

Laughing bitterly, he snapped, “Oh, she recognized me! Exactly as James programmed her to see me…as her enemy! She tried to rip my face off when I picked her up to carry her out of there.” He tilted his face my direction so I could see the bloody gouges across one cheek from eye to jaw. They seeped blood and he wiped angrily at them. “We’ve got to get her to Zadkiel. He can help her better than we can.”

I started to reach out a sympathetic hand and he jerked away. “Don’t touch me! I don’t want to calm down! I want to hunt these animals down and rip their guts out inch by inch.”

I was on board with that idea and it was all I could do to stay where I was. “We’ll get them. It’s going to have to wait a minute though.” I nodded towards Sean and Dec’s mouth dropped open.

Grabbing his blade, he jumped up and bolted forward.

Sean shouted, “No, Dec! This bastard’s mine!”

To punctuate his claim, he dematerialized and grabbed Dagin from behind. Dagin flipped him to the floor and threw himself on top of him, knife gleaming in the odd light.

“Shouldn’t you do something?” I demanded. This was taking too long. Sean had to be getting tired, didn’t he? Maybe they didn’t get tired?

Shaking his head firmly, he snapped, “Not yet. This is Sean’s kill. We need to see to Dani.”

Dani leaned against the wall looking defiant and angry. Approaching her cautiously, I said, “Dani, we’re going to get you out of here! Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” I reached out to hug her.

She spit on me.

Her mouth twisted in an ugly grimace. “I’m not going anywhere with you. This is my home now.” She rubbed a loving hand over the bulge under her dirty nightgown. “James will be back soon so you should leave. He doesn’t like you, Mica.” She looked down her nose at me. “He says you’re a slut and you’ve been screwing around on Sean. Does he know that?” She pointed a finger at Sean who was struggling to keep Dagin from getting the upper hand.

Gritting my teeth and feeling my temperature rise, I tried for calm. She was obviously brainwashed. This wasn’t my Dani. I tried again. “Dani, we need to get you out of here so the baby can see a doctor. You want the baby to be safe, right?”

Snickering behind her hand, she scoffed, “I have the best doctors here. They see to my every need. Look at me! I’m perfectly healthy and so is the baby.”

Dec groaned next to me and ground his teeth together loudly. Dragging me to the side, he snapped, “We have to get her out of here! I can’t stand seeing her like this!” His voice grew more intense until he finally punched the wall sending showers of mortar around us.

I was used to Sean and Killian morphing into their harder Primani selves, but Dec usually stayed relaxed in a fight. He’d even been known to grin cheekily while dispatching demons. This Dec, though, was unnerving me. He’d morphed completely into that supernatural warrior, looking more demon than angel in the dim light.

“Grab her!” he shouted as Dani tried to make a run for it.

It was too easy to stop her and my heart broke just a little at how weak she was. She slapped at my hands but I forced her to sit down. Dec knelt next to her and cupped her chin in his hand trying to calm her. Wanting only to help, he whispered to her in a compelling voice. She resisted and tried to knock his hand away. Determined, he gripped her chin hard and hissed at her to sit still.

Defiantly, she sneered, “You piece of shit! Get out of my face!”

She spit in his face.

Stone faced, he kept whispering to her, trying to reach into her mind, trying to find her beyond the demon’s control. How had this happened? We were all so normal not that long ago…My mind just couldn’t understand…Unable to watch any longer, I turned away and blinked back tears for Dani.

But the sense of unreality continued. Sean and Dagin were locked in a battle of strength and wills and Sean hadn’t destroyed him yet. It was bizarre how evenly matched they were; neither had gotten the upper hand. They looked identical now, and I couldn’t tell who was who. They wore the same face, but one was good, one was evil…

But was it really so black and white?

Remembering those kisses, I thought about how familiar they felt even though I knew it wasn’t Sean. Just for a second, it had felt like him…until he hurt me. Sean hadn’t ever been violent to me…until recently.

Detroit.

His anger pushed him into someone he wasn’t…someone he shouldn’t be.

Killian’s words came back to me.

He’s too powerful to let his emotions rule his brain.

His pride kept him from forgiving me. Now that anger and pride drove him to destroy Dagin.

Would he kill him for my sake or for his own?

Staring intently, I knew which one was the real Sean. He was the one with the underlying desperation in every move. No longer graceful and elegant, he threw himself at Dagin with brute force. He wasn’t just fighting one demon.

He fought the lure of darkness, the shadows creeping around him.

He fought his own darker side.

Why didn’t he just finish him? It was taking too long…he’d lost the Primani blade and couldn’t reach it; the powerful blade lay on the floor in a puddle of murky water.

He threw himself to the side as Dagin slung a fireball at his head. Rolling to his feet, he shot a bolt of energy that collapsed the ceiling near Dagin’s head. Back and forth they went; it was almost like they could predict the other’s moves. Neither scored a direct hit, both were nearing a tipping point.

A faint murmuring gradually penetrated my brain as I stood transfixed by the scene playing out. Straightening with sudden recognition, I tensed and looked for him. Killian.

His shout drew my eyes to the darkened tunnel as he rematerialized a few feet in front me. He had the golden blade raised over his head and stood defiantly waiting as the first of them shuffled forward like a nightmare in the darkness. The awkward shuffle was so theatrical that I smiled.

This was going to be too easy…

Killian’s voice whispered in my mind…persuading, calling…his magic as familiar to me as if it was my own…

Sgaine dios a liane, Sgaine dios a liane.

He called the lightning.

With each word, the tone of his call grew more demanding, more insistent. His voice compelled me, it was impossible to resist. I would be what he needed, do what he needed. I would answer his call. I was part of him…as connected to him as his own hand.

Our bond formed by blood and stone.

Stronger together than apart…we would win this.

It was destined. I saw this as clearly as I saw the faint blue shimmer.

The air crackled and the hair on my arms stood up while the powerful force surged like a current through my veins…readying me for what was to come. Waiting for his signal, I stood by his side. They came forward, one at a time at first. They were different from the reanimated demons; these had been people and death had changed their bodies.

The first zombie had been shot; the gaping hole in his chest ragged with decay. A woman shuffled behind the first one. She had been young; her blond hair still hung limply down her back as she shuffled mindlessly towards me. After a minute, there were six of them moving our direction. As they got closer, I got antsy.

Why wasn’t he doing something?

They were 50 yards away and more streamed in to fill the tunnel in front of us. Still he stood, facing them, blade glowing fiercely above his head. Inclining his head slightly, he spoke the simple words that would change the world.

“Sgaine dios a liane, Sgaine dios a liane.”

He called the lightning.

Now there were too many to count and they were crowding forward. An ominous murmur grew louder to my right and turning with dread, I found the other tunnel filling with more undead…Two of the three tunnels were blocked. Sean and Dagin were throwing each other against the wall behind me while Dec crouched over Dani’s still form.

We had only one way out.

At the moment, the others were too intent on their own battles to notice the beginnings of the zombie apocalypse bearing down on us. Tensing for the fight, my eyes burned and my fingers gripped my Primani blade hard enough to imprint the carvings into my palm. Balancing my weight on the balls of my feet, I felt a strange sense of calm. With my heightened vision, I saw the decomposing grey skin clearly as the first of them were nearly upon us.

Killian’s voice rang in a shout of triumph that I felt in my bones.

“Sgaine dios a liane! Sgaine dios a liane!”

He called the lightning and it came.

With immense control, he slowly released a blue ball of lightning from the palm of his outstretched hand, and like St. Elmo’s fire, it hovered in a sphere of light. Instinctively, I reached for it and linked my fingers through his. The twin runes exploded into light as the sphere raced into my body. The jolt of electricity sent my heart galloping in my chest and turned my vision white. Time stopped as I relished my sudden strength. I could move mountains…They were nearly on us and still we waited. Both tunnels were filled with hundreds of them. Raising my silver blade with his golden one, I took a deep breath.

“Now!” he shouted and crushed my hand in his.

Channeled through the metal blades, the lightning arced across the tunnel ceilings. Pulsing with heat, I stood perfectly still as it snaked down the walls around us casting everything in its eerie light. As in the cave, the current formed a web across the ceilings and the walls pulsed with the power. Killian’s blade burned like a star in his fist. His body burned with the power of the lightning.

Ready?

Nodding, I followed his lead. Together, we drew the web around the stunned zombies and tightened its hold. The lightning arced between us creating a storm of wind and heat that swirled violently around us.  Ready to end this, he released a surge of power into my hand that nearly knocked me over. Planting my feet, I took a deep breath and let the electricity pulse and build until it was so strong I could feel my skin splitting across my back. My body shook with the force and my eyes felt like they were melting in their sockets…finally, he nodded at me and we released the lightning with a loud crack.

For the barest of seconds, the blue fire raced up their bodies outlining them in the eerie light. They pulsed for a split second before exploding into the tempest. My hair whipped against my eyes as the winds howled around us. Killian met my eyes, his expression triumphant. Slowly lowering the pulsing blade, he scanned the two tunnels for survivors. They were empty of everything except bits of dust floating on the air. Bowing his head respectfully, he murmured a prayer to send the undead to their resting places.

He said something to me, but I couldn’t hear him. My ears hummed and I shook my head to clear them. He said it again and I just shook my head at him.

Don’t you hear that? I asked silently.

Shaking his head like he had water in his ears, he nodded seriously. It’s from the lightning. It’ll pass. Are you hurt?

I’m not sure. Am I bleeding?

Sheathing the knife, he ran his hands up my shirt to look at my back. His fingers stung as he traced an outline across my shoulder blade. When he was done, the burning was gone. Coming around to my front side, he pulled up the material and stopped in surprise. Wonderingly, he traced the undamaged rune over my heart and smiled faintly.

You did good, Princess.

Grinning at him now, I licked my finger and dabbed at a smear of grey ash on his cheek. “We kicked butt!”

“Bravo! Well done!” The sound of someone clapping echoed around us.

Killian pushed me behind him and hissed, “Jordan!”

All motion stopped.

Dec’s mouth dropped open and he pushed himself to his feet. Dagin froze and Sean took advantage of his distraction to snatch up his knife and plunge it into Dagin’s shoulder. But just as the knife should’ve sunk into his body, it clattered to the floor and Dagin flew to Jordan’s side. All eyes on him now, Jordan smiled ruefully and gestured in apology.

“I do apologize, my dear Sean. But I simply cannot allow you to destroy Dagin.” Inclining his head politely, he said, “I’ve certain…ah, business arrangements that require me to offer my protection. I’m sure you understand.”

Furious by the interference, but confused by his sudden appearance, Sean ventured in a formal tone, “I’m not sure I do understand. Would you care to elaborate?”

I twitched against Killian’s side drawing his attention. Unconsciously, he stepped slightly to the side so I could see around his back. Jordan’s eyes widened at the intimate gesture and he smiled at me. Once I’d thought Jordan to be a nice angel. He’d been gracious and efficient as the house manager in Manhattan. We’d had many comfortable talks in the kitchen. Now though? He made my skin crawl.

His eyes were too knowing, too cynical...creepy.

I edged close enough to Killian that my breasts brushed his back. The steady thumping of his heart calmed my sudden urge to panic, but this wasn’t going to end well. Adrenaline zinged around inside of me and I knew this was going to be bad…

“Ah, Mica, sweet girl! I’ve missed you! I must say you look remarkably well considering the tragic loss you’ve suffered. The resilience of youth, I suppose.” He bowed respectfully. “Please allow me to offer you and Sean my condolences on the loss of your son.”

Twin gasps of shock broke the silence.

Dec and Sean swung around towards me and Killian. Sean’s eyes snapped to my face and I looked at him helplessly. His eyes were desperate as he searched my face. Instead of answering him, I shook my head, unable to find the words. When he realized it was true, his eyes died like a match in the wind.

Defeated, his shoulders slumped.

Dec growled low in his throat. With clenched fists, he tensed to attack. Killian pulled me against his side and firmly restrained me from my darker instincts.

Watching our reactions carefully, Jordan continued in that same insincere tone. “I see you didn’t know. Oh, but I am so sorry to spring it on you like that. That was most discourteous of me. Of course, had you been where you were supposed to be, you would’ve been there the night I sent my new friends to your house. You and Mica would’ve been destroyed along with the baby you spawned on her. Fortunately, the baby didn’t survive; sadly, you both did.“

It was my turn to gasp. “It was you? You did that? Why?”

“I do regret having to disappoint you like this. But I have my own--” His voice abruptly stopped and his attention swiveled to Dec who had lunged at him.

With impossible strength, Jordan lifted Dec off his feet and broke his neck with a heartbreaking snap. Seeing nothing but white-hot fury, I threw myself at Jordan only to be snatched back by Killian’s hand. Pinning me to his chest, he wrapped his arm around me to keep me there. Out of control with grief, I struggled to get loose, even biting his arm, but he refused to let me go.

“Stop! You can’t help him!” he whispered harshly in my ear. With his other hand, he whipped out his knife but before he could hit Jordan, he let go of Dec.

Dec crumbled to the ground, his face ashen, eyes staring.

Oh, God, Dec!

I was crying and struggling to get away from Killian who could barely hold me with both hands. Dec was so still…

His beautiful, terrible eyes were dimming in front of us.

Sean was at his side frantically feeling for a pulse when Dani stumbled to her feet and raced to Jordan’s open arms.

“Sean? Sean? Is he alive?” I cried, desperately wanting it to be true.

With his head bowed over Dec’s chest, his shoulders shook and I knew it was too late.

He was gone.

My legs wouldn’t hold me and I crumbled over Killian’s arm.

Oh, God, no. Not Dec…Not Dec…Not Dec…

Shaking me gently, Killian sent his thoughts to me. Listen to me! Mica, listen!

I was beyond hearing him.

He dug his fingers into my arm and I gulped at a steadying breath.

Mica, please! I need you to be strong! I have to go after Jordan! I have to. Will you be strong for me?

Still crying, I nodded mutely. I’m going with you.

Killian glared into Jordan’s eyes and said in a voice so hushed it was less than a whisper, “Why? Why would you do that? What deal have you made with Satan?”

Satan? My ears perked up and my tears shut off like a faucet. The Satan?

Jordan stayed silent.

Sensing a soft spot, Killian goaded, “It has to be good. Money? Women? Power? Hmmm. What would a butler want?” He said the word butler as if it was a filthy word. The effect was electrifying.

Jordan’s voice shook the mortar from the bricks around us. His face caught fire with an unholy glow that made me cringe against Killian. “Butler? Butler? I was never a simple butler! My family comes from ancient magic; I’m more powerful than you idiots will ever be! I had to bide my time…waiting for you to make a mistake. And you didn’t. Not for almost 3,000 years. Not until you let your hormones overrule your Primani duty.”

“Yes, yes, we’re all very impressed with you, Jordan. I’m going to ask you just one more time. What deal did you make with Satan?” His soft tone brooked no argument.

Unimpressed, Jordan crowed, “I followed you to your altar. Once you left, I simply retrieved Sgaine Dutre and left the plane. You were so preoccupied with Mica that you didn’t sense my presence. It was disappointingly easy. Now Sgaine Dutre belongs to me. I will master it and use it to fulfill my destiny.”

“And what is that, exactly?” Killian said between his teeth.

“I’m going to replace God. He’s gotten too soft. Mankind needs more discipline.”

My mouth fell open and Killian inhaled sharply. Several things happened after that. Dec’s still form began to shimmer like a mirage. His beautiful soul swirled from his body like gold dust and disappeared into the air. We watched in horror as his body vanished, leaving nothing but his scent trickling through Sean’s desperate hands. Devastated, he collapsed against the wall with empty black eyes. Killian swore savagely and yanked me around to face him.

“Anchor him!”

With one hand he threw me into Sean’s arms just as Jordan began to shimmer.

Killian’s eyes held mine and then he was gone.

As the world spun out from under me, Killian’s last words rang in my ears.

Don’t let him fall!

####

Stone Angels

By Laurie Olerich

I close my eyes and he comes to me,

My heart breaks and he comes to me,

A child cries and he comes to me,

The world dies and he comes to me.

Chapter 1: Off the Deep End

TUMBLING THROUGH INKY DARKNESS, I landed face first in the freezing ocean, legs and arms sprawled, grasping for anything solid. My breath whooshed out and the black water crashed over me, driving me under again and again until I was completely disoriented. Panicking, I flailed helplessly against the vicious surf. My head bounced against a jagged rock, starbursts of light exploded behind my eyes.

Out of the darkness, Killian’s face swam in front of me like a mirage. The memory of his words echoed and disappeared like a dying breeze.

I will give you a child, Princess.

He’d smiled into my eyes and kissed me with promise.

Such beautiful promise.

Part of me wanted that…his child, our child…a tiny magical creature to carry on his name.

Part of me just wanted to practice.

But now, I felt nothing, sensed nothing. There was no wind, no ocean, nothing but darkness and absolute silence.

Was I in Hell?

Wasn’t there supposed to be fire? Brimstone?

I squinted into the void and saw nothing, not even my hand in front of my face. If this was Heaven, it was a huge disappointment. Spending eternity in a black cocoon wasn’t my idea of bliss. I was claustrophobic, didn’t anyone remember that? Hello? Anyone?

Killian? Where are you?

I sent my thoughts to him in the darkness. His face shimmered in my mind, his voice coming from far away.

What are you doing? Get back to Sean! He’s going to bolt!

Sean? He’s already gone.

A great weight landed on my back and someone pushed me into the wet sand until my spine nearly cracked. Over and over again, someone shoved me into the sand until I thought I’d drown in it.  My cozy world of darkness crumbled and both light and pain came pouring in even as the water poured out of my mouth.

“Good girl, do it again!”  Strong hands pushed against my back until I coughed up all of the water in my lungs.

Gasping and coughing, I lay on the sand trying to stop the stars that circled my head like a cartoon.

“Come on, keep coughing.” He turned me over to my side and hovered next to me while I coughed weakly.

Finally, I collapsed and closed my eyes trying to breathe normally. It hurt to inhale and I groaned and coughed some more. Being dead was far more comfortable…

Killian’s voice came to me again. That’s my girl! Anchor him. Don’t let him go!

I sensed, rather than physically felt, the man next to me begin to pull away. He tensed as if he was about to stand up and I realized it must be Sean.

Anchor him? How?

I was saved from spending too much time thinking about this because he abruptly stood and stepped away from me. Feeling his sudden tension, I knew he was about to bolt. Instinctively, I grabbed him around his ankle and dragged him down to the sand. Totally surprised, he fell on his butt with an indignant shout.

“What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!”

Sitting up without letting go, I choked out, “Where do you think you’re going? You can’t just leave me here in...” I looked around the gloomy sandy beach without a clue about where we were. “You can’t leave me here!”

He shoved furiously at my hand, but my grip was strong and I was a desperate woman. No way was I letting go. He raised a hand to me as if he’d use his powers to move me. He could probably throw me all the way back home if he wanted to. I lifted my own in challenge.

“You’d use your powers on me now? How low will you stoop?”

Lowering his hand, he flushed faintly. His voice held a sad note of desperation that tugged at my gut, just a little. “Damn it, Mica. What are you doing here?”

“Right now, I’m freezing to death. Can we please go somewhere with walls and a fire? You know where we are, right?”

Looking like he’d rather be spit-roasted in Hell than spend another minute with me, he agreed with bad grace. Gritting his teeth, he helped me up and watched detachedly as I wobbled on my feet. Making no move to steady me, he stood with arms crossed and glanced around the beach. Yeah, he totally didn’t want me here. Well, at least he didn’t let me die. That had to be a good sign…of course, he was my protector, my own personal Primani and they were supposed to be angels…of a sort.

A gust of wind roared in from the ocean nearly knocking me down again. Lunging forward, I shoved my hair out of my eyes and grabbed his hand. He shook me off but I linked my fingers in his and refused to let him go. Now that my brain was settling down from its near-death experience, I was able to put together coherent thoughts and wished I couldn’t. Like a bad dream, tonight’s events came drifting back to me.

We hadn’t ended up here on a whim. We were here for safe haven. Ireland was home.

Devastated by Dec’s death, Sean had teleported out of the underground tunnels in Brooklyn. Knowing Sean was close to collapsing, Killian had thrown me against him just before he vanished. He wanted me to anchor Sean, keep him from going, but it hadn’t worked out that way. Startled, Sean grabbed me out of reflex and we’d tumbled end over end through the void of time and space until my disastrous reentry in the Atlantic Ocean.

“Where are we going?” I swiveled around but didn’t see any lights from a town or even a tiny village anywhere.

The overcast light revealed an empty wild land covered with stubby grass and clumps of grey heather. The coast was dotted with craggy black rock with tiny patches of sand peeking through. Looking at the rocks with respect, I gingerly touched the lump on my temple. It had swollen to the size of an ostrich egg and was dripping blood down my neck.

“Sean, I’m dripping like a faucet here. Can we stop for a minute? I need to do something with this cut.” My free hand was slippery with fresh blood but wasn’t doing a good job of stopping the flow. I needed a bandage, or better yet, time to heal myself properly.

Seeming to notice me for the first time, he blinked at me in surprise. Surprise turned to annoyance and then irritation. There’s the Sean I know and love…He grunted something intelligible and lifted my hair. Wincing at his roughness, I set my jaw and let him poke and prod.

“We’re almost there,” he said, pulling off his own bloody t-shirt. After wadding it into a ball, he pushed it into my hands. “That’s my only shirt. I expect you to wash it and give it back if you don’t die.”

“Nice.” I shoved the balled up cotton against the cut and pressed. Oh, sure, I’d wash it…jerk.

His eyes swiveled sharply to mine and I caught my breath. Brilliantly blue and intense on a good day, they were nearly black and emotionless now. Flat and cold…and lost. The dim light cast eerie shadows across his cheekbones, making him somehow harder, more dangerous, feral.

“Don’t push me, Mica. You won’t like where it takes me.” His eyes traveled over my face and lingered on my mouth.

Nervously, I licked my lips and looked away. What was he thinking? Once upon a time, I knew. Now, his face was blank, giving nothing away.

After another mile or so of stumbling across the grass, we stopped near the base of a small hill. It was more of a rise in elevation than a real hill. Sean stared at the top of it searching for something. I scanned the hillside for warm bodies…animals, people, demons…

We trudged around the base until we came to a tiny indention in the grass that zigzagged up the side of the hill. Sean took off up the trail with me on his heels. Killian’s words still echoed in my head and I didn’t trust Sean not to leave me here and disappear without a trace. He’d been on edge before tonight--angry and frustrated with me and with himself. Killian was worried about him already, but then the fight in the tunnels...

Tonight had been a disaster.

It was all I could do to block the memories. I swallowed the lump in my throat and sniffed hard. There would be time to grieve later. Right now, I needed to keep Sean from losing himself completely. For once, I was protecting him. I guess it’s my turn. We reached the top and he mechanically took my hand and yanked me over a ragged lip of tumbled dirt. Not paying attention to his strength, he pulled so hard I practically flew over the other side. Landing on my knees, I glared at him, but his mind was a million miles away again and he’d acted automatically without seeing me.

“Oh! What is that?” I asked.

“Shelter. Come on. Let’s see if the roof is still there.”

The stone hut was more substantial than the collapsed rock walls of Killian’s temple on Eden, but it was probably as ancient. It had been dug into the hillside so had a natural roof of earth. It didn’t look too safe to me though…I hung back just outside and waved Sean ahead of me. It was like a passage tomb. Being buried alive was my deepest, darkest fear. I really, really didn’t want to go inside. He kept walking though. Sighing mentally, I focused my power to the palm of my hand until it lit up like a flashlight. Blinking spastically, it gave me a little comfort in the overwhelming blackness. Jumping at the sudden burst of light, Sean whirled and nearly blew me up.

“Whoa! It’s just me! Don’t shoot!” I wiggled my hand. “Look, it’s a new trick I learned from Killian.”

Frozen at the sound of my voice, a fine thread of energy hovered just on the edge of his fingertips. It collapsed onto itself into a tiny ball of light. His energy core, or saol, had its own intelligence and retreated from hurting me because it was intimately tied to my own; it wouldn’t hurt me. Not as long as he was Primani. A wink of blue caught my eye, but was soon hidden by the dark again.

Lowering his hand, he studied me for a minute and said, “Useful trick. Are you coming in or do you plan to stand there shaking like a chick? It’d be more helpful if I could see the back of the room.”

Against my better judgment, I left the dubious safety of the doorway and met him in the back of the room. Taking my hand, he raised it over my head to illuminate the ceiling. Mushrooms grew here and there giving it a weird warty appearance. Other than that, it seemed sturdy enough. It smelled damp and musty though and Sean sneezed. After the third sneeze, I stifled a small grin. Who knew Primani could have allergies? A small stone brazier sat in one corner with an ancient chunk of wood sitting in it. It looked petrified to me, but Sean didn’t notice. He moved the brazier away from the wall and used his hand to light the log. The log caught a spark and soon glowed with a cheery golden flame. The floor was dirt and there were no other supplies. Great. It was going to be a long, cold, dirty night.

I sat near the fire rubbing my hands. Soaking wet, I was shaking with cold and the cut on my head was aching. Now that we were sitting still, I noticed my fingers and toes were still numb and tingling. How long would that last? I had no idea. I wished Killian was here to ask; he’d know. I was pretty sure the tingling was left over from channeling lightning through my body when we fried the zombies. My hair smelled singed but it didn’t feel burnt so I thought it was probably fine. I peered over at Sean from under my lashes. He stood tensely, shoulders slumped, his eyes staring at nothing. Sensing my attention, he huffed under his breath and rolled his shoulders.

Coming over to me, he squatted and said flatly, “Do you have enough energy to heal yourself and keep warm?”

“I’m not sure. I’m feeling a little hollow. I might need some help. Can you…would you help me?” I hesitated to ask given the mercurial mood he was in.

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“Ouch.”

Impervious to the damp cold, he sat with his bare back against the wall and pointed to the dirt between his legs. I scooted over and leaned my back against his chest. The warmth was immediate and heavenly. With his arms wrapped carelessly around me, he shared his heat while staring off into space. Gradually my shivering stopped and I took a deep breath and relaxed against him completely. His heat swirled through my skin like sunlight and I closed my eyes in relief and focused on healing myself. As my saol flowed under my skin, I let myself drift, let it take over. It thrummed through my veins bringing strength and heat to every part of me. Drawing it to the gash on my head, I slowly surrounded the torn skin and bruised muscle and felt them knit back together. It flowed smoothly through me as it healed the tiny wounds, warming me from the inside out.

“You should take off your wet clothes,” he said in a practical tone.

“That’s so not going to happen.”

Uncaring, he shrugged, “It’s your life. Don’t blame me if you get pneumonia.” He pulled his arms away and crossed them against his chest. Closing his eyes, he added, “Don’t forget about my shirt.”

Emotionally and physically drained, I turned away from him and curled up in a ball in front of the weak fire. I was as close as possible without lying on top of it. I was still cold but there were worse things. I could be dead, for real this time. Like Dec…the memory of Dec’s pure golden soul swirling into the air struck me hard and my throat tightened so I could barely breathe.

Beautiful, sweet Declan…my healer, my brother, my friend.

How is he gone? How is that even possible? It was like waking up to find the sky suddenly green and the grass blue.

It seemed like a bad dream…

Crazy with rage, he’d launched himself at Jordan. And Jordan had killed him.

Abruptly. Effortlessly. Coldly.

When I closed my eyes, I could still hear the echoes of breaking bone. Jordan had stunned us with his smug little victory speech. No one had known how strong he was, how powerful. Although he wasn’t Primani, he had angelic powers. But no one knew he had familial powers. He’d kept his family’s magic a secret from everyone. Like Killian, his powers were his by birthright. He’d grown stronger with the help of Sgaine Dutre.

And then there was Satan.

Satan had granted him more power as part of a deal they made. Jordan had been an angel once. Now…he was fallen.

Fallen and taken my friend with him.

Damn you, Jordan! How could you kill him? How could you be so evil? Dec was just a baby!

The dam finally broke and I let myself feel the agony I’d been holding inside for hours. The pain was impossibly sharp as it carried me to a darker place. My fist shook with the urge to hit something. My blood raced through me as I lay there helpless to save Dec. The tears weren’t cleansing; they were fuel for the anger simmering below the surface. More than anything, I wanted to rip Jordan’s face off and bury him in the darkest pit in Hell. I wanted to hurt him like he hurt Dec. But even that wouldn’t bring Dec back. Nothing I could do would bring Dec back. Killing Jordan wasn’t the answer to my pain. What I needed was Dec. I needed to know he wasn’t really gone. I wanted to search for him, go to Heaven and reassure myself he was there. I needed to know he was okay, somewhere…Where did Primani go when they died? Did they go to Heaven? Lying stiff with cold, I thought about Dec and cried without a sound. My throat threatened to strangle me from the pain of holding back the keening wail that was trying to break out of me. I wanted to howl like a banshee, but I choked it back, shaking and trembling alone. I wanted comfort but there was none in this cave. Sean was a million miles from me, lost in his thoughts, his memories…unreachable.

Don’t go too far, my angel…

Shivering in the darkness, I tossed and turned, not sleeping. I was cold and uncomfortable and dirty. My stomach was in a knot and I wanted Killian’s strength to steady me. I wanted his arms around me so I could let my human weakness take over for just a minute. But he was too far away. He was chasing Jordan across some other dimension and he couldn’t stop for me now. He’d find him. And hopefully rip him to shreds with a fork. If anyone could find Jordan, it was Killian. If anyone could destroy Jordan, it was Killian. I wished I could be there to watch. Frustrated, I pushed myself up and stalked outside into the paleness of dawn.

“I’m taking you back to the farmhouse.” He’d slipped up behind me and stood just out of reach. His voice sounded strained as if he was holding himself together by sheer will. He was trying to be civilized, but he really just wanted me gone so he could be alone.

Turning, I said, “Killian wouldn’t like that. I have orders.”

“Like I care what Killian would like? He doesn’t control me. I don’t want you here,” he snarled at me with bared teeth.

So much for civilized. “Maybe not, but I’m staying until we figure things out.”

“No, you’re not.” He reached out to grab me and I blocked his hand and pivoted to one side.

I crouched and waited for his next move. Eyeing me carefully, he edged to my left and took a step forward. Anticipating his feint, I moved farther to the left and tripped him when he lunged to my right. He thought he was clever…Springing back to his feet, he glared at me beneath lowered lashes, his eyes just beginning to burn. Oh, so it’s like that, is it?

Going all supernatural on me?

My own anger caught and I felt the heat build inside of me. My vision went white when he tensed to travel, and I threw myself at his waist, pulling him back from his attempted flight. Crashing hard, we both lost our breath as we hit the ground. Grabbing me around the waist, he tried to throw me to one side but couldn’t budge me. Still trying to anchor him, I held him in a death grip until he growled at me.

“Jesus, you’re like a friggin’ leech!” He squirmed underneath me and sneered, “Are you going to get off me or should I reach for a condom?”

Surprised, I laughed, “Oh, very funny! I’m not getting off until you tell me what’s going on in your head. Like it or not, we’re stuck with each other for now.”

He hissed in frustration and looked around like a trapped animal. Just for a second, his eyes were unguarded, and I caught a glimpse of the pain and confusion that roiled inside of his head.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Period. So stop wasting your time.”

Leaning my forehead against his chest, I counted to ten before I responded. “Okay, fine. Can I talk then?”

Dumping me rudely onto the grass, he said, “No. I don’t want to hear you talk either.” Standing up, he looked out across the countryside and ignored me again.

He finally turned to me and said, “Listen, I’m not in a good position. I don’t want you with me, but Killian’s off the grid or I’d bring you to him. And Dec…God, Dec.” His voice caught and he clamped his lips together.

My own throat tightened in response to his pain. He was sending off waves of it right now and my enhanced empathy gladly gathered it all up and processed it for him. Between the two of us, my head was about to explode.

Laying my hand on his arm, I tried reasoning with him. “I’m not trying to be difficult. But you can’t leave me alone. I’ve got a target on my back, you know that.” I paused and added, “Unless that’s what you want?”

Sucking in his breath, he snapped, “Don’t be stupid! You know I don’t want you dead. That’s not even in my nature.” He glared pointedly at my hand and I moved it.

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t supposed to be in James’ or Jordan’s nature either. You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you?”

“Touché.” He touched his forehead lightly with two fingers. His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

The sun was fully up and glowing brightly against the eastern horizon. It should’ve stayed down though. Sean was still shirtless and his torso was liberally smeared with dirt from the hut. His pants were filthy from struggling with Dagin in the tunnels and sitting in wet dirt all night. He desperately needed to shave and his face, neck, and forearms were splattered with dried blood that hadn’t come off in the ocean. Apparently, I was the only one who landed in the water. His nose and left eye were swollen and he had a huge blue bruise from his temple to his chin on the left side of his face. Both hands were scabbed and there were long, jagged claw marks across his forearm.

“You don’t look much better, so stop staring at me,” he commented shortly. “You’re filthy and your hair’s a disaster.”

My stomach growled loudly, and I shoved my hand against it to quiet it down. Thinking back, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten anything. Two days ago? Did we eat before we went zombie hunting? My mind was blank on the subject. It had more important things to obsess over and I didn’t have much of an appetite anyway. Sean didn’t seem to be interested in food either and I didn’t want to disturb him. After snapping rudely at me earlier, he’d turned and left me standing alone. Dismissing me completely, he went back to the hut and retrieved his disgusting shirt and put it on. It was so stiff it actually crackled when he dragged it over his head. I watched him like a hawk as he peered around the tiny room. I still didn’t trust him but I thought he’d keep his word and not leave me stranded here. How many times had he sworn he’d never hurt me? He’d blown those promises to Hell and back, but I had to believe he still loved me someplace deep inside his soul. He might be slipping towards the dark, but he wasn’t there yet. I had a claim on him that he couldn’t ignore and I was going to exploit it if that’s what it took to keep Sean on the right path. I chewed my lip and wished for help. Killian would be able to reach him.

“Let’s go,” he barked abruptly to my right.

Startled out of my reverie, I jumped with my hand to my heart. “Where to?”

“Safe house.” Without waiting for my reply, he gripped both of my shoulders and the hut disappeared into oblivion.

The feeling of a pressure change was the only sensation I felt when we teleported. Normally controlled and natural, traveling this way was familiar for the Primani. They did it all the time, like it was part of their benefits package…perfect teeth dental, self-healing medical, unlimited 401k, free teleporting, ability to kill demons, etc., etc.  It wasn’t natural to me yet, but I’d done it enough now that I wasn’t surprised by it. Unless of course, we’re tumbling out of control and Sean throws me out in front of him like he did yesterday. That little experience was unusual and I didn’t like it. God only knew where I could end up next time.

My feet settled lightly on firm ground this time and Sean held me steady for an extra few seconds. His irises were glowing softly above the purple shadows under his eyes. His cheekbones were white with exhaustion and grief but he hid it well. The tension in his hands gave it away. His fingers were digging into my biceps hard enough to leave bruises, but I didn’t have the heart to point out that he was hurting me. I’d live. The waves of pain rolling off of him were making me queasy and I tried to send soothing vibes in his direction. Scowling deeply, he peered at something behind my back and clamped his teeth together in resignation.

“Come on, let’s get moving.” With that, he walked past me so quickly I had to sprint to catch up.

Apparently, our destination was an old stone farmhouse squatting in the middle of a grove of ancient trees. The huge trees surrounded the house and shielded it from prying eyes and poor weather. The two-story house was made from sun-bleached cut stone. It had a large overgrown garden in the front with a small covered porch standing guard. Climbing roses scaled one side of the house and wild flowers rioted across the sunny patches of the yard. The property was bordered by ancient black and grey stone fences that zigzagged drunkenly around the perimeter. It seemed to be several acres and was isolated on this sweeping plain. There wasn’t another building in sight. It was beautiful, but desperately lonely. Was the house abandoned? Who lived here? Sean? If so, in what century?

Was it my imagination or did the shuttered windows perk up at the sight of him? The closer we got, the brighter the house appeared; its vibes went from depressed to joyful. It seemed to welcome us. My imagination was in overdrive today. Are those bells ringing? No, wait, it’s not my imagination. I do hear bells ringing! Stopping in the middle of the overgrown stone walkway, I gazed around in amazement. The garden was overflowing with flowers, and butterflies flitted industriously from bloom to bloom. I buried my nose in a purple flower and smiled hesitantly at Sean. His face was a blank mask as he faced the front door like it was a firing squad.

Tucking the bloom behind my ear, I asked softly, “Is this place safe? It seems alive…”

Instead of answering me, he turned and lowered his face to mine. My pulse jumped automatically, but he didn’t kiss me. Instead, he inhaled the delicate fragrance of the flower and drew back with a wistful sigh.

“That was my mother’s favorite too. I guess you two have something in common.”

Unable to resist, I held his fingers against my cheek and said, “Besides loving you, Sean O’Cahan?”

His eyes brightened for just an instant and flattened out nearly as fast. Giving my hand a squeeze, he didn’t comment but headed for the door. It had a large deadbolt lock on it and a tiny red LED light glowed unobtrusively in the corner above the door. Hmm, it had modern security equipment. That’s interesting. Hopefully that meant the house had running water (correction; hot running water). At this point, my nose was trying to lean away from my body. Sea water, blood, mud, sand, sweat…I really needed a shower.

The inside of the house was a nice surprise. The floors were dark wood with thick wool carpets covering the main areas. The bottom floor had a living room with a flat screen TV and overstuffed leather couches. The small dining room contained a simple wooden table and six maroon leather chairs. A pewter chandelier hung over the table, but other than that the dining room was empty of any decorations. The walls were bare in all of the rooms except for a large wood-framed mirror in the entrance by the front door. Just like our farmhouse in New York, there were no curtains or useless knickknacks. It was simply furnished for function and not for style.

The tiny kitchen had been upgraded with a new refrigerator and stove, but nothing special had been done to the room. I couldn’t resist getting on my tiptoes to look through the window above the sink. It overlooked part of the rear garden and my mouth dropped open in surprise.

“The garden is beautiful back here. Can we go outside later?”

Blankly, he said, “You can go anywhere on the property. Just don’t wander off after dark.”

His expression told me he was thinking of something else again and I watched him for signs of departure. Was he going to bolt? He seemed stable enough…but starting to weaken. I studied him carefully as he stared out the window over my head. He was exhausted; he hadn’t eaten, he wasn’t sleeping, and he was forcing himself to be strong. I knew he was dying inside over Dec. He was his closest friend, his partner in crime. He considered him his little brother. They were soldiers together and had each other’s backs.

I felt the same crushing sense of loss, but he was holding it back and closing his armor against it. His physical body needed rest and food. His brain needed to shut down and process everything within the safety of sleep. I wasn’t sure how long he could use his Primani saol to fuel himself without food and rest. At some point, the effort would be too much and he’d probably collapse. If that happened, well, I don’t know how I would help him.

“Sean, I--”

“Mica, don’t,” his voice was strained and he rubbed his eyes, “just don’t.”

Taking his hand, with a sense of déjà vu, I asked him to show me the bedrooms and a shower. We headed up the short flight of stairs and he opened one of the four wooden doors for me. Inside was a girly bedroom with a queen-sized bed covered with a fluffy white comforter. The walls were painted lavender and one was papered with a mural of a lavender field. It was sweet. Two large windows and a tiny balcony opened up to a view of the flower-covered plain.

“Where’s your room?”

He pointed to the room farthest away from mine and I frowned. That’s not close enough. “Can’t you sleep in this one?” I pointed to the one next to mine. “I don’t want to be so alone. I have nightmares.”

His attention snapped back and he scrutinized me with suspicion. “Nightmares? What nightmares?”

Letting the silence stretch, I fiddled with my locket. Finally, I said, “How can you ask that? Didn’t you hear anything that Jordan said? I was trapped in that house for hours listening to a thousand demons screaming, trying to get inside. Pounding and scratching and screaming…” My voice drifted off and I shuddered at the memory. “When they finally broke the protection, they ripped the house into pieces trying to get to me. They tore the windows apart, the doors into splinters…I was about to shove your knife into my heart when Raphael chased them off. One more second and I would’ve been dead either way. And then the hospital…” I bit my lip as I remembered the demons and the loss that they caused. My heart still hadn’t moved on even if my brain was busy.

Frozen in place, he stared at me, eyes dark and emotionless. A tiny flame flickered in their depths. Finally, I turned and walked away.

“Sean! Wake up! You’re dreaming!” I reached out to shake him but hesitated.

What if he was too far gone to recognize me? He could hurt me without even knowing it happened. Instead, I let my hand linger just next to him and waited. Gentle heat radiated from his skin and I craved the comfort of it. It was late now and I’d been tossing and turning with bad dreams of my own. A sound had startled me awake a few minutes ago and I’d sat straight up in my bed, listening and alert. The sound came again and my heart contracted in sympathy. The cry of distress was barely audible but it was there. I’d sat and wondered what to do while he flailed in the grip of his nightmare. After endless minutes, I’d slipped into his room and tried to wake him.

The moonlight was weak and hardly penetrated the darkness. Sean lay sprawled on his stomach with one arm flung out in front of him. The sheet was wrapped around his waist in a tangle of white. I knew without looking that he was naked under it. The taut muscles of his back shimmered faintly against the shadows, and I wanted badly to reach out and touch him, to pull him out of the dream. He groaned and shifted his body, tensing for a fight. His fist clenched once, twice, and then opened into a claw that raked the bed as if desperate to hold on to something. Suddenly his eyes flew open and stared without seeing me. He gasped and said just one word. Then he abruptly moaned and flung out the clawed hand. It struck me on my leg and didn’t shock me, so I took that as an invitation and gingerly perched on the edge of the bed and laid my hand on his arm to wake him. Instead of waking up, he curled his fingers around mine and pulled me down to him. Completely asleep, he curled around my back and rested his face against my hair. His breathing softened and he found peace again.

I, on the other hand, was not at peace. It was the middle of the night and somehow I had ended up in bed with Sean…how on earth was I going to explain this in this morning? Lying stiff as a board, I agonized over getting up. I finally tried to slip away. He responded by pulling me closer and mumbling something against my hair. His arm was draped over my waist, his hand lying upturned in supplication in front of me. His beautiful fingers were curled into a claw again. I wrapped my hand around his and they relaxed into softness. Oh, Sean…what’s going to happen to you? Against my better judgment, I relaxed against him and tried not to picture the frown on Killian’s face. He would not like this…

“What the hell?” Sean’s startled exclamation woke me out of a fitful sleep as the sun slanted into the curtains.

I jumped up and looked around for intruders, my hand automatically reaching for a weapon. Finding neither, I stood blinking like an owl in my underwear.

“What are you doing in my bed?” we both demanded at the same time.

Narrowing his eyes at me, he peered underneath the sheet and eyeballed my half-naked body with confusion on his face. Uncomfortably aware of how much skin was showing, I yanked the abandoned quilt around me and stared back at him.

I swallowed and said lamely, “You had a bad dream. I, uh, wanted to help.”

He raised an eyebrow and his eyes turned that shade of midnight that told me exactly which head he was thinking with. The sheet twitched in invitation. “If you keep starin’ at me like that, darlin’, I’m going to pull you back under here and let you comfort me until noon.”

Yikes! Beating a hasty retreat, I practically sprinted to my own room and locked the door. Feeling like I just dodged a bullet, I closed my eyes with relief. Well, that could’ve been worse. I took a shower and tiptoed back to my room lest he catch me in my towel. Dashing into my room, I slammed the door shut behind me and leaned against it with my heart in my ears.

“Hiding, Princess?”

My eyes flew open. “Killian! Oh, my God, it’s you!” I threw myself against him and kissed him like he was water in a desert.

He held me close and smiled against my mouth. “Of course it’s me. I told you I’d find you. Are you okay?”

“Mostly…sort of…okay, not really. But I’m better now.”

Taking advantage of my lack of clothes, he tugged on the towel and let it settle around my feet. With supernatural thoroughness, he ran his hands over every inch of my skin, taking inventory of my bruises. His calloused fingers were magical even without his powers and I was sinking into oblivion when he stopped touching me and rested his fingers lightly against my arm. He asked, “Who did this?”

“Hmm?”

“Seriously, babe. Where did you get these bruises? They’re fingerprints.”

I blinked and sighed. So much for comforting me…

Chuckling in spite of his worry, he said, “Oh, don’t worry, there’s time for that.” His eyes returned to my arm and he added, “But, first things first.”

He was looking at my left arm. I said, “Those are from Sean, and the others are from you.” I had an angry-looking bruise on my right arm from where he’d grabbed me in panic just before he’d vanished from the tunnels.

He immediately looked contrite so I rushed to add, “It’s not your fault! It happened in the tunnels. It doesn’t hurt; it just looks ugly.”

I traced his jaw with my fingertip and nibbled on his frowning mouth until he cracked a tiny smile. I grinned in satisfaction as my finger left a tiny trail of light across his skin. Smiling into my eyes, he reached out and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. The rune brought a rush of heat to my skin, and my twin glowed cheerily at the contact. The twin runes connected us in ways that even Killian hadn’t expected. His blood flowed through my body like it did his own. The more I used my new powers, the more connected I felt to him. Being apart left me feeling antsy and incomplete. Standing at his side, touching him, swamped me with a strange sense of déjà vu, of fulfilled destiny, of ancient history.

“Come here, love. Let me take away your pain,” he ordered in that soft sexy voice of his.

Leaning his forehead against mine, he gathered me against him and held me in the silence of the morning. We stood together just breathing until the grief and pain drifted away. My heart was lighter and my mind clearer. He had that effect on me. One of my dubiously helpful powers was the ability to sense others’ emotions, and Killian’s mind was more open to me than most. My newly-cleared mind allowed me to focus on him. His emotions swirled around like a snowstorm. He was worried for the people he loved. I squeezed him harder against me and tried to absorb some of his strain. He had many faces…protector, lover, Primani. His unique powers made him too strong to really need love or comfort, but he was willing to accept it from me as a bonus in his lonely life. Until I came along, he’d existed quite nicely without affection or tenderness. His status as a 3,000-year old warrior-priest-angel allowed him to rise above silly little human notions like romantic love. Even knowing that, I was still compelled to take away his pain.

Scooping me into his arms, he wagged his head, “Do you ever stop thinking? You’re making me dizzy.”

Flushing, I said, “Sorry, I forget you can read my mind. It must be so boring for you.”

Plopping me on the mattress, he nibbled on my neck and mumbled, “Shh, I’m still comforting you.”

Following a clink of weapons, his clothes hit the floor and he sprawled out in all of his sexy, naked, glory. His big body reclined next to me and I shook my head in amazement. I slowly ran my hands over the hard ridges of his abs. The muscles quivered at my touch as I ran my fingertip around his belly button. It was a perfect innie with a tiny freckle centered underneath it. Intrigued, I pressed my nail into the freckle, just to watch it fade and reappear. He twitched and trapped my hand with one of his big paws. He was entirely too perfect; and he was all mine. Suddenly feeling greedy, I slid my hand lower and arched against him like a cat. His reaction was immediate. Afterwards, I was so comfortable I might’ve been dead.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” I stretched and tucked my chin into the crook of his arm.

Yawning, he said, “Yes, I have to go. I have a lead on Jordan and I need to be in Lucerne today. I needed to see you though. I wanted to be sure you were okay.”

Curling into his side, I nodded against his chest. “I think I am, but I feel weaker than I did before. It’s like I’m a little shaky inside and my skin feels…thin.”

Frowning slightly, he tucked me against him and thought for a minute. “Working with lightning is hard core. It’s tough to control and can really mess you up if you don’t do it right.” He smiled at me then, a cheeky, mischievous grin that transformed his entire face. “You were amazing, you know that, right? Other than me, there isn’t anyone else alive today who can control lightning. You’re bad ass, babe.”

Flabbergasted, I sat up, turning pink at the unexpected compliment. “Really? I had no idea. So it’s true then, we…” I didn’t need to finish my thought. He’d know what I meant.

“Yes, we really did control it. It took both of us to do it. I couldn’t have done it without you on that big a scale. Now you see why I needed to check on you? I wanted to be sure you weren’t lying in a puddle of drool with a brain like a zucchini.” He ran a slow hand over my hip and leaned down to kiss me again. His calloused palm drifted over my breast to rest on my heart. The tip of his tongue teased my mouth and he said, “I can feel your heart beating for me, slow and steady. Is that how you want me now?”

“Killian?”

“Hmm?” His breath came evenly across the top of my head as we lay sprawled on the bed.

“What’s happening with Sean? I’m not sure how to reach him. He won’t talk to me.”

Rolling smoothly to his feet, Killian slipped on his clothes and went to stand near the window. His scowl deepened the tiny creases between his eyes, making him seem older and tired. Without turning, he said regretfully, “He’s not going to talk to you. You know that. He’s too proud and it’s not his way. You’re going to have to be patient and look for an opening.”

“But what’s going on with him? I totally get that he’s trying to deal with what happened to Dec.” My voice hitched and I coughed to cover the rush of emotion. “But what are you so worried about?”

“Come here with me and I’ll tell you what I think. Maybe you’ll have another opinion. If you do, I’ll be glad to hear it. This is one time I wish I was wrong.” He patted the window seat and smiled sadly. I sat cross-legged in front of him and linked my fingers loosely in his.

His eyes clouded with memory while he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he said, “I think you already know how strongly connected our emotions are to our powers. You’ve seen that in your own powers. It’s rarely a problem for Primani though. We don’t normally feel extreme swings of negative emotions like rage, fear, or even sadness.” He shrugged and added, “It’s not that we can’t; we just don’t. It isn’t usually necessary. We don’t get emotionally involved with our charges and we rarely lose other Primani. James and Jordan are anomalies. Primani don’t fall but once in a thousand years.”

“So, if you don’t feel too much, you never have to feel the pain of someone’s death?”

“Exactly. Most of us haven’t lost someone we care about for thousands of years. You know we have feelings, but we’re warriors before anything else. If we have to choose between our mission and our personal feelings, we’ll choose the mission. It’s how we’re made.” He squeezed my fingers and I took the hint.

Nodding, I said, “And you think Sean’s letting his anger take control? Do you think he’ll be so pissed off that he’ll fall? I can’t believe that.”

“Not that simple, babe. He’s still Primani and he’ll never willingly give that up.” He tapped his temple. “But up here? He’s all screwed up right now. He was already struggling with things before what happened in the tunnels.”

“Dec?”

Sighing with uncharacteristic emotion, he lowered his voice. “Yeah, Dec. They were tight. Dec was his…our balance. He reminded us that we were really here to help humans, not just to slaughter demons. We tend to forget that sometimes. It’s easier to ignore the messiness of mankind than to deal with it. But Dec never let us forget that humans were our number one priority. I think he missed being human…Anyhow, Dec and Sean were like brothers. They’d already been through a lot together before we met you. When Dec died, the humanity in Sean went with him.”

“He’s in so much pain. I feel it…like a force that surrounds him. I feel it too and it’s breaking my heart.”

Killian’s eyes were troubled. The shifting blue irises seemed to separate into tiny layers of color as I watched. He blinked and said, “Sean’s keeping a secret and it’s eating him alive. That’s bad enough. Add James’ and Jordan’s betrayals to the mix, then top it off with Dec…Sean’s had a bad year.”

And then there’s us; I didn’t dare say the words out loud. It would be like an admission of guilt. So I said, “True. But Killian, I can’t believe he’d ever fall. He’s stronger than that!”

He shook his head at my innocence. “I know him better than you do. This has been building for decades. His feelings aren’t unique, you know. Primani live a long time and many go through a sort of identity crisis. We work it out though. The problem with Sean is he’s got enough power to take out half of Ireland by himself. He’s walking a tightrope and any little thing could tip the balance. Jordan is out there just waiting for the right moment. If Sean crosses the line, it’ll be over in the blink of an eye. We’ll lose him.”

Forever.

I thought that over and eventually said, “What do you want me to do?”

He pulled me closer and said, “Whatever it takes, babe; whatever it takes.”

Chapter 2: Circling the Drain

IT WAS LUNCHTIME when I finally made an official appearance downstairs. Killian had stayed a little while longer but had to get moving. He had an early meeting in Switzerland. Sigh. I wanted to see Switzerland too. Maybe someday…for now, I had orders to carry out. We’d spent some time talking over practical matters and I had a list. Killian didn’t want to leave me here, but had other responsibilities and someone had to give Sean something to focus on. My job was to somehow get inside his head and keep him from losing his mind. Remembering his smart ass attitude, I thought it was more likely to backfire on us both. The first thing on my agenda was finding him. Barefoot, I padded into the kitchen expecting to find him. It was empty. It was also spotless and there was no sign that he’d eaten anything today. Come to think of it, did we even have food?

I pulled open the empty fridge and my stomach growled in irritation. Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s empty. Deal with it. I rubbed it hard just to get the point across.

“Sean?” I called him and searched the tiny first floor. There was no sign of him anywhere. Did he take off? I will soooo kill him if he left me stranded here! Calling his name, I flew out the front door and bounced off the biggest man I’ve ever seen. I flew backwards through the screen door and into the foyer. Landing hard enough to slam my teeth together, I grunted and stared up into the face of Sasquatch.

“Oh, lass, I’m so sorry! Let me help you up!” A huge hairy paw reached down and latched onto my hand. Yanking me gently to my feet, my hero bowed at the waist and introduced himself.

“Beggin’ your pardon, I’m so sorry! My name is Joseph. Joseph O’Neill.”

Dusting off my butt with one hand, I offered the other. “I’m Mica. Are you here for Sean?” Nervously, I peered at his broad stomach wondering if maybe he ate Sean…on cue, he belched delicately and apologized again.

“I’m the caretaker for the house. I got a call from the security company. Said there was someone here. I figured I’d better come by and check it out.” He glanced around the living room with a professional eye. He didn’t miss a single detail.

Caretaker, my ass. This guy had ‘security’ written all over him.

“Oh, well everything’s fine. I’m here with Mr. O’Cahan.” Unless of course, he’d teleported out and left me here with Big Foot.

He looked suspicious now. I mentally smacked myself in the forehead. Geez! Do I look like a criminal? It was time to find Sean. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll go find Sean.”

I thought he might be out back so I walked around the garden path to the corner of the house. Pink rose bushes lined the side of the house making it smell like my mother’s bedroom. Sean’s black hair was a beacon among the pastel colors of the garden. I started to call his name but there was something in the way he stood that caused me to hesitate. He was staring off into space looking over the green horizon. Standing stiffly, his knuckles were white on the fence. Not wanting to startle him, I approached lightly. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear me at all. I stood at his side and followed his blank stare. There was nothing out there. It was just green rolling land punctuated here and there with a crooked stone wall. He was lost in his own head again. His lips moved as if he was going to say something and then pressed together in frustration. Abruptly, he ground his teeth together and jerked back from the fence nearly taking my head off in the process.

Jumping out of range, I waited for him to relax before saying anything. He beat me to it. He snapped, “What’s the matter?”

“You have company.”

Leaving me standing with the roses, he stalked off towards the house. I had to run to catch up with him. Opening the front door, he called out, “Joey? Is that you?”

Joey’s face lit up with a huge toothy grin that was just visible through the shrub of russet hair on his jaw. Gently shoving past me, he bellowed, “Sean! It’s good to see you, lad.”

Sean clapped him on the back in a man-hug and stepped back. His eyes were hooded, his expression tense. All business now, they stood together and talked about the general state of the house and the security cameras. Everything was working as it should and Sean was pleased.

After a few minutes, Sean asked, “Have you noticed any unusual activity in town in the last two days? Any strangers?”

Grunting with disgust, Joey answered, “Coupla strangers showed up last night and trashed the pub. Wouldn’t leave and got nasty when Jordy asked them politely to move on. The wee Duggan brothers jumped in to help and got a trip to the hospital for their troubles.”

Sean’s eyebrows lifted at that. “The Duggan brothers?” He rubbed at his scruffy jaw and thought for a minute. “Tell me more about these strangers.”

His tone had changed ever so slightly, and Joey must’ve sensed the dangerous tension that was beginning to ebb from Sean. He flicked a glance at me. His eyes seemed to ask if I should be here. I crossed my arms and met his suspicious eyes with my own. No way was I going anywhere.

Sean said, “She’s cleared. You can talk in front of her.” His lips twisted in annoyance and he added, “She’s got special access.”

Joey looked intensely surprised by that. He glanced back and forth between us before continuing, “Really?” He seemed fascinated by the idea.

Losing patience, I prodded, “So, Joey, the strangers…human or otherwise?”

His expression didn’t change but I sensed his surprise and immediate reassessment of me. He was trying to figure out who the hell I was and what I was doing here in the Primani safe house. It was obvious that I wasn’t Sean’s girlfriend. The hundred-foot wall between us was nearly visible. You’d have to be blind to miss it.

Deciding to ignore me, he turned towards Sean and finished his report. “Two big guys; and I mean really big. Bigger even than your brother.” His voice dropped. “Short hair, lots of tats. The one has a goat head on his arm. That one seemed to be calling the shots. You want to watch him. He’s carryin’. Got a knife strapped to his leg. Not afraid to use it either. He cut wee Mickey from shoulder to elbow and just laughed at him. Laid it open clear to the bone, he did.”

I’d been watching Sean’s face. He looked grim, but there was a light of excitement glimmering in his eyes.

“Friends of yours, Sean?”

Softly, he said, “Sarin. Half-human, half-demon. We go way back. It sounds like we might need to go into town and check this out. How does that sound to you, darlin’? Do you want to pick up our old cover?” His smile gave me chills.

I unfolded myself from the chair and said, “We need clothes and food first.”

The ride into town was a nightmare. Sean drove the Land Rover like it was a rental. Pushing it hard and ignoring its cries of protest, he bounced us over the rutted roads until my teeth hurt. One rut was so deep that my butt actually flew up in the air and I hit my head on the roof.

“Hey! Are you nuts? Slow down before you kill us.”

He kept driving like an idiot. “You’ll live.”

“Huh. Maybe I’ll live, but I want to keep my teeth.”

“Stop whining. You wanted to come.”

“You’re such a jerk.”

“Yeah, so you say. Funny, Lara doesn’t think so.”

Oh, no he didn’t! Dropping her name was dirty. Lara was the slutty receptionist at the crime lab in Manhattan. Beautiful and sexy, she makes me look like a nerdy 12 year old. According to Dec, everybody sleeps with her. I knew for a fact that Sean had--at least once. Immediately images of Lara’s blond hair falling like a curtain across Sean’s tanned skin popped into my mind. I could imagine those long red nails running down his back leaving tiny welts behind. Gritting my teeth at my helpful imagination, I forced myself to stare at the scenery and ignore him. The countryside was green with summer grasses and dotted with wildflowers. In the distance, rolling hills broke the horizon. The clouds were high today and the sky was a vivid blue. The sun lit everything in a soft light. It truly was a beautiful, wild place. I understood why Sean was drawn here. It was magical.

The town was bigger than I imagined. There were actually stores and a gas station. I spotted what looked like a grocery store. We needed clothes and food. My stomach growled loudly and my mouth watered.

“Let’s eat first and then shop. I’m starving,” I said and rubbed my temple. My head was beginning to throb like a cowbell.

Sean was focused on parking the truck in a small space but grunted in agreement. Two men stood outside of the pub and watched us with interest. Short, pale, and dumpy looking, they didn’t seem too dangerous. One smiled at the other and elbowed him in the ribs. The smile disappeared when Sean unfolded himself from the driver’s seat. That happened a lot. Even distracted as he was, Sean was imposing. At 6’1 and 200 pounds of heavy muscle, he was big. But more than that, he gave off waves of barely-controlled violence. More warrior than angel, he lacked all things angelic. No wings, no harps, no nice manners. Nope, he was a hardcore killing machine. Wired to destroy demons, all Primani were exceptionally good at killing. Sean was rumored to be one of the best. Of course, he was also supposed to protect his charges, and that included me. He wasn’t always very good at that, but in fairness, it was usually my fault.

As we approached the low stone entrance of the pub, one of the men made a comment to the other and gave us a long look. I couldn’t blame him, really. We had on the same clothes we wore to Manhattan three days ago. I had on black cargo pants with a long-sleeved black t-shirt and combat boots. My hair was braided and hung down to the center of my back. I had no make-up on since it all got washed off in the ocean. On top of that, I was shaky, angry, and starving. Scary was probably the most flattering description. Probably these guys didn’t see women like me every day. Sean was dressed nearly identical to me. The only difference was the bulge of his gun under the t-shirt. The shirt was taut over the muscles in his arms which bulged even when he relaxed. Add to that the fact that he hadn’t shaved in several days and the effect made him look a hundred times more dangerous. It was no wonder these two were staring at us.

The younger man made a move to block the doorway and I sighed. I wasn’t in the mood to argue. I was almost crazed with hunger. The greasy smell of fried sausage curled into my nose and made my head swim. The man said something to Sean, his voice coming from far away, and my eyes rolled back in my head.

Something soft tickled my face as the faint sound of voices woke me up. I blinked and opened my eyes to find Sean’s cobalt eyes peering into mine from an inch away. He was nose to nose with me, whispering urgently. When I cracked my eyes open, the world seemed oddly white…

He hissed, “Shut your eyes. You’re glowing!”

Crap! I took a steadying breath and drew in my saol so my eyes wouldn’t glow. What the heck happened?

“Is she awake?” a male voice rumbled above me. Strong fingers held my wrist, taking my pulse. The same hand lay across my forehead. “No fever, but her pulse is erratic and fast. “When did she eat last?”

Sean said, “I don’t know…shit. We haven’t eaten for…two, no, three days.”

Opening my eyes to the very interested crowd, I mumbled, “It’s been four days.”

Sean rubbed a hand over his jaw, his expression bitter again. “Damn it, Mica! Why didn’t you tell me you needed to eat? You’re probably dehydrated too.”

Through my teeth, I reminded him, “We’ve been a little busy. I’ll eat now.” I got up onto my elbows with every intention of standing up.

The rumbly voice belonged to a tiny gray-haired man with soft brown eyes. His face was pink with sunburn and creased like a Japanese fan. He squatted next to me and smiled gently. The fan unfolded…

“Well, hello there, lass. It’s a beautiful pair of blue eyes you have there. So nice to see them open.” He felt my pulse again and sat back on his heels with a groan. “Better. Your pulse is better. Can you sit up and have some water?”

“I’ll take care of her now,” Sean insisted and stooped to pick me up. “She’ll be fine.”

The older man laid a firm hand on his shoulder and said, “Boy, you’re going to let her be for a minute, and then we’re going to take her inside this pub and feed her some soup. The potato soup’s about the best you’ll find this side of Dublin. Judging from the black circles under your eyes, you need some food too.”

Sean started to protest but the man cut him off by holding out a hand to help me up. I accepted the help gratefully and stood. I must’ve swayed because a collective gasp went up and Sean quickly wrapped his arm around me. The lights blinked off and on and I slid down his side.

“Mica? Can you hear me? Come on, love, you have to wake up.” A cold trickle of water slid down my neck and I shivered. “Aren’t you hungry? If you don’t wake up, the doctor’s going to stick an IV in your arm. You hate needles, baby, come on…”

More cold water…and then a burst of putrid fumes that sent my nose into a violent sneezing fit. Sneezing and then coughing, I sat up abruptly, eyes streaming from the fumes.  Blinking through the tears, I looked around in a panic.

“God, that’s awful!” I managed to gasp out between coughs.

“Smelling salts work every time,” the doctor guffawed and clapped Sean on the back. “Now, let’s get her some water.”

We were sitting in a living room in someone’s house. Apparently Sean had carried me in and set me down on the tweed loveseat. My feet hung off the end but I didn’t mind. I was too dizzy to care about it. Sean handed me a glass of water and held it so I could sip it.

“I can do this. You don’t need to baby me.”

The corner of his mouth turned down. “I’m sure you can, but I’m not taking any more chances with you today. Everyone in town is wondering who the hell we are now. I was trying to keep a low profile but that’s blown. Let’s just get you better so we can get back to the house. I don’t want to have to carry you to the truck. It’ll attract more attention.”

“Your concern is touching. I’m so lucky to have you.” I snatched the glass and gulped down the water. Holding it out for a refill, I said, “Fill it up.”

Grinding his teeth at my tone, he refilled the glass and handed it to me. Half of it ended up on my chest making me jump at the cold. “Thanks!”

The doctor had been watching us with speculation. He said, “I’m Dr. Donnegan, Mica. I hope you don’t mind, we brought you to my house. I live near the pub. Do you feel well enough to answer some questions?”

Nodding above the glass, I tried to look like an ordinary person. No weird magical powers here, nope! Probably he’d not be so understanding if I told him about channeling lightning. It’s really no wonder I’m dehydrated…all that heat probably evaporated all of my fluids.

With a wary glance at Sean, he began, “It seems most likely that you’ve fainted because you’re dehydrated and hungry. But do you have any other medical condition I should know about? Are you diabetic? Are you taking any medications? Drugs? Are you pregnant?”

Uncomfortable with the question, I answered, “No, I’m not pregnant. I don’t have any other issues either. We’ve been traveling and I haven’t had time to eat. We came into town to buy food so I’ll be eating on a regular basis again. I promise.”

The doctor hesitated, looking unsatisfied with my answer. He clearly wasn’t stupid. We were dressed like commandos, Sean was armed and hostile, and the tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife. He knew we weren’t ordinary backpackers traipsing around the Irish countryside. The fact that we hadn’t eaten in four days was enough to raise anybody’s suspicions.

With a sound of disbelief he said, “Hmm. Well, I don’t know what you two are up to, but I’m not the police. I can’t hold you here against your will. I want you to promise me that you’ll get food and water as soon as you leave here. Get home, eat lightly, drink water, and go to bed. Lay off of the medicinal Guinness for a day or two.” He wagged a chubby finger at me and added, “Make no mistake, lass, you’re not well. This level of dehydration can be deadly. You need to get fluids in you…” His voice dropped off as he noticed my hand.

Reaching out impulsively, he touched the pale outline of the rune. The scars had faded to pearly white now and were only noticeable if the light hit it just right. I jerked back and tucked the hand out of sight.

His eyes lit up and he murmured, “Ah, quite a mystery you are.”

Sean had his back to us and stared out the window. He was a million miles away again. With a heavy heart, I finished the water and put down the glass with a clink. What was he thinking about? It was making me crazy. As if sensing my annoyance, he turned around and abruptly asked if I could walk yet.

“What’s the matter?” I asked as soon as I got a look at his face.

He did a good job of hiding it, but he was coiled like a wire and about to explode.  Something else was going on. He met my eyes calmly and I tried to gauge his mood. He gave me a smirk as if to say “nice try.”

“Nothing. We need to go. I got a text from my brother. He’s on the way.”

With that cryptic message, he hauled me to my feet and dragged me out of the doctor’s house. I stumbled after him nearly falling several times. He had me by the elbow and kept me upright till we got to the truck. As I buckled my seatbelt, he climbed in and started the engine.

“There’s no text, is there?”

“Not from my brother.”

I waved goodbye to the doctor, who looked uneasy as he waved back. The two pudgy troublemakers were still standing in front of the pub as we drove past. One raised his beer in salute and blew me a kiss. My stomach growled pathetically as if it had given up on ever having food again. The sound was so weak and dispirited that I smiled. I could drop dead before Sean fed me…and what about him? The idiot! He was running on fumes too.

“Sean! We have to get food. I don’t care if the entire demon army is on its way. I’m going to die if I don’t eat. And you, macho superhero dumbass, will be next. How long can you go without food? A week or two? You’ve got superfuel to back you up. I don’t. I have to eat. Now!”

With his mind on other things, he ignored me and kept driving. “Damn it, Sean.” I smacked his leg to get his attention. “I’m serious! Stop at the store. It’ll take 10 minutes to get some food and water.”

With a squeal of the tires, he whipped the Land Rover into a store off the main drag and parked it. After snapping at me to stay put, he bolted into the store. Ten minutes later, he barreled out with a handful of bags. Tossing me a box of soda crackers, he slammed the truck into gear and took off again.

“Eat that slowly and drink your water.”

I nibbled the corner of the cracker and carefully swallowed. My stomach made a harsh noise and immediately attacked the cracker like a school of piranha. Nausea joined the party and I closed my eyes and counted to ten. Suddenly the truck lurched violently and I bounced against the door. My stomach protested and heaved. Gagging, I stuck my head out the window and retched up the tiny little cracker and all of the water. Closing my eyes, I prayed for death…

“Hey, we’re here. Let’s go.” Sean’s voice jolted me awake again. Impossibly, I’d fallen asleep on the way back to the house. “You’re green. Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

“I am not pregnant! You suck at driving! Leave me alone. The world is spinning and I’m staying right here.”

“No, you’re not. It’s going to be dark soon and you don’t want to be out here in the dark alone.” With that remark, he picked me up and carried me into the house. Instead of putting me to bed, he plopped me on the couch.

“I have work to do and I want to keep an eye on you.”

A few minutes later, he brought me canned chicken soup and some more crackers. A bottle of something like Gatorade completed the tray. “Soup, cracker, drink. Repeat.”

With that, he pulled a laptop out of the closet and ignored me. I sipped, nibbled, and sipped for a few minutes and my stomach seemed to agree with the offerings. The room stopped spinning and my hands and feet stopped tingling. It’s amazing what a little hydration can do for you. I watched Sean and worried about him. He sat at the other end of the couch, tolerating my legs and feet pressing against his back. That was an improvement. At least he wasn’t flinching away from me anymore.

I leaned up and said, “Will you please make yourself something to eat?”

“I’m fine. You eat.”

“Sean, you know I care about you. I can’t stand to see you like this. If you won’t talk to me about it, at least eat something so I won’t worry about you dropping over dead just when you need to be fighting some Eurodemon.”

His lips quivered slightly and he looked at me from the corner of his eye. “Eurodemon? Is that like Eurotrash?” He twitched suddenly and pulled out his cell phone. After reading a text, he placed the phone in his pocket. “You worry too much. But I’ll eat something if it’ll shut you up.”

Then he did something unexpected.

He reached down and closed my eyelids.

Chapter 3: On the Road Again

Lucerne, Switzerland:

KILLIAN LEAHY STOOD BROODING on a small balcony overlooking the city. The sun had set for the day and the barest hint of stars brightened the sky. In his hands he held a thin gold blade. Its red stone glowed brilliantly against his hand outlining the strong bones of his fingers like an x-ray.

“Come on, come on. Where are you?” he murmured into the night. He watched the city street bustling ten stories below him and then tuned it out to look inward.

Sgaine Dutre was here. He felt it in his bones. Jordan was using it, wielding it like it was his. Every time he used it, the echoes of its power thrummed through Killian’s blood and pierced his heart. Warning him, calling him, searching for him…

Sgaine Dutre was his.

He was its master and it wanted him back.

The golden blade was its brother; they had been forged together, one silver, one gold; bonded by words and magic. But most importantly, they were bonded by blood.

Killian’s blood…and a lot of it.

It wouldn’t rest until it brought its brother back to its rightful place. Killian closed his eyes and searched with his mind. He scanned the city from right to left using a grid map in his head. It was here. He would find it. Searching…searching…

There!

A faint glimpse of blue fire licked at the edges of his sight. He tensed and got ready to move. It was moving away, it was nearly out of his range. Suddenly it was gone.

Poof.

Just like that.

“Motherfucker!” He gripped the blade tightly enough to draw blood. Into the night, he whispered, “Run, Jordan. Run away. I’ll find you. It’s only a matter of time.”

Sucking the blood off his palm, he took a deep breath and reeled in the sharp bite of anger and frustration. Giving it free reign was dangerous. Anger was a tricky emotion and not one that he entertained very often.

The angels let him keep his powers as long as he controlled them and didn’t put innocents at risk. He was unwilling to sacrifice any of his powers for the luxury of rage.

Jordan was toying with him. The sonofabitch had been toying with him for days…some men would be out of control with anger and frustration. That would make them reckless, and recklessness led to mistakes. Killian smiled grimly into the night. Jordan had miscalculated this time. Killian was never reckless. He had unlimited patience.

After all, he had everything to lose.

A loud knock interrupted his musing and he glanced at the clock on the bedside table. His stomach growled softly as the smell of grilled steak drifted under the door. It was room service with his dinner. Forcing himself to seem harmless, he pulled open the door. Gasping, the young delivery woman took a step back with her hand over her mouth.

Patiently, he said, “Come in. I don’t bite.” Waving her politely ahead of him, he stood near the door so she could pass by with plenty of space.

Petite, with a choppy blond haircut, she couldn’t have been any older than Mica. She flushed prettily and stammered at him while she wheeled in the cart with the food on it. She managed to get most of his beer into the glass but spilled some onto the table. He sighed inwardly at the wasted beer but kept a straight face. He didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was. Women always lost their minds around him and he’d never understand why. He wasn’t interested in hurting them. He was usually too busy to even think about them at all. With the exception of Mica, he thought human women were generally too delicate. If he had to deal with them at all, he’d rather protect them than hurt them. But Mica said he scared the hell out of everyone, especially women. She said humans sensed he wasn’t one of them, that he was a predator.

Smothering a grin at the thought of Mica ever being afraid of him now, he tipped the startled girl and shut the door in her face. The steak was overcooked and the beer was warm. He ate it anyway, and finished the beer on the balcony. It didn’t matter if it tasted good or not. Food was just fuel for his body. He’d need it if he was going to keep traveling around Europe. Teleporting took a lot of energy. Wearily, he closed his eyes and thought of Mica. Her heart-shaped face drifted across his eyes and made him smile. She was out there across the continent right now. What was she doing? What would she do? He frowned and traced the pearly scar on his hand. Could she handle Sean?

What would it take to keep him from falling?

Was she strong enough to hold him?

To survive him?

Looking out into the night, he worried about her. She was cocky enough to think she could handle Sean, but she’d never seen him unleash his full power. He’d always toned it down around her. They all had. They only let her see what couldn’t be helped and only the level needed to get the job done.  She’d been freaked out by just a little of what they could do. She’d be terrified if she knew everything they could do; especially him. That first morning when she looked into his eyes and read his soul was a tipping point--one of those moments in time that resets a person’s destiny. Her destiny shifted again that day.

He’d known immediately that she’d been changed by Sean. No typical human could do what she did. He knew then that her destiny had changed in ways she wouldn’t be strong enough to handle alone. He had told the others to treat her carefully after that. Her own powers were just emerging and they didn’t want to overwhelm her and lose her.

If she ran, they might not be able to control her.

She could be killed.

Even Declan had nodded soberly at that. She was important. Now he thought back to the power they shared and he knew her strength was just beginning to grow. She was as much a part of him as Sgaine Dutre, and more vulnerable.

Shaking off his maudlin thoughts, Killian glanced at the clock again. It was time. After locking the deadbolt, he mentally ran over the plan for tonight. He checked the magazine on his Sig and tucked a second one into a pocket. After adjusting the tension on the sheath, he palmed his Primani blade and vanished.

No one noticed when he rematerialized in the shadows of an industrial complex on the outskirts of Lucerne. The sign on the building identified it as the Première Institute headquarters. Most Swiss didn’t even know the complex existed, and if they noticed it, paid no attention to it. The building itself was large and rambled with five sprawling wings. Most of the complex was on one floor but the recent wing had been built with two stories. The beige paint was unobtrusive as was the subtle landscaping that surrounded the grounds. A tall security fence discreetly circled the entire complex. Concertino wire wound over the top. State-of-the-art security cameras and motion sensors kept track of all visitors.

Knowing he’d avoided the alarm, he pressed into the shadows and took a minute to get his bearings. He was standing at the north side of the complex. Mentally picturing his true destination, his eyes burned like a low gas flame and he vanished again. This time he reappeared inside the building. His destination was a small lab located in an underground chamber in the center of the third wing. Ducking behind a corner, he closed his eyes to picture the floor plan in his head. Like a map, the floor plan unfolded in perfect detail. Mica would say he had a photographic memory. He liked to think it was cooler than that. The hallway was narrow and lined with white cinder block walls. Dim track lighting ran along the low ceiling to help busy researchers find their way. Here and there the lights were burned out creating shadowy spaces perfect for hiding. Listening intently, he stayed pressed against the shadows. It was late and the floor seemed to be deserted. No one approached so he slipped into the light.

The straight hallway came to an intersection. A sign on the wall showed labs 4 to 22 were off to the right. Two male voices echoed in the dim light behind him. From the sounds of them, they were headed in his direction. Rolling his eyes, he sprinted soundlessly to the opposite end, checking doors along the way. He could not be seen down here. It would be hard to explain to certain people. A door opened just as the two men rounded the corner. Slipping inside, he carefully closed the door and locked it. It was completely dark inside the windowless office but he could see well enough. A desk and file cabinets made up the furniture, while a sleeping computer perched on the corner of the desk. Keeping an ear on the hallway, he methodically searched the desk. All of the drawers were empty and the top was cleaned off. The cabinets were empty too. That left the computer.

Powering it up, he slipped in a portable thumb drive. The computer was password protected. Really? Silly little humans. That shit won’t work on me. He held his palm over the keyboard and closed his eyes. The password characters filled in on the screen and the window opened. Okay, let’s see if the rumors are true…he quickly pulled up the files and started the download to the portable drive. While the computer ran through the files, he peered around the office. Finding nothing else to search, he scanned the names of files as they popped up. Now that’s interesting, he thought. A lot of the files were labeled in Russian. They were downloading much too slowly for his comfort. Getting antsy he tapped his fingers against his thigh. Come on, come on. I’ve got more to do tonight. You’d think these guys would have better computers…

After ten more minutes the download was done and he pocketed the thumb drive and put everything back. He was about to leave when a woman’s voice sounded just outside the door.

Her tone was worried as she said, “Dormund, I’m telling you something isn’t right with this batch. You have the same samples I do. It’s not acting like it’s supposed to. The multiplication rate is off the charts.”

Dormund replied, “Patrice, I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I examined the latest samples and mine have the usual signature. There’s nothing unusual. It’s just the usual Variola. I didn’t see anything odd.”

Variola? Now that is interesting! He waited with his hand on the door handle. A key turned in the lock and the knob turned but the door wouldn’t open. Scowling, Killian considered his options.

Patrice sounded frantic as she violently shook the door handle, her voice climbing with each shake. “What’s wrong with the damn door? Damn it! Can anything else go wrong today?”

With a nod of his head, Killian vanished and the door flew open. Both Patrice and Dormund lurched into the empty office and stared around in confusion.

Back inside his hotel room, Killian pulled out a sleek black laptop and plugged in the thumb drive. He chugged a bottle of Swiss spring water while the files loaded up. God, he was tired. Stretching his arms over his head until his bones creaked, he allowed himself this small pleasure and closed his eyes. He rolled his shoulders and stretched again. It had been a long night and he was beat. His stomach growled and he thought wistfully of the steak he had for dinner. How long ago was that? Six hours? Too long, he needed to eat. He’d been all over Switzerland tonight and was on E. He couldn’t afford to get complacent.

Mica would kill him if he got hurt. The woman was a horror when she was angry…he grinned at the memory of her blazing eyes and the way she scolded him. Her mouth intrigued him when it was sitting quietly on her face. But when she was pissed, her whole face lit up and that beautiful mouth moved in ways that made his gut tighten. He wanted to take that mouth and…yeah, she was so hot when she was mad…it was tempting to irritate her just to watch the show. Next time they were alone, he was going to try that. They’d never had make-up sex…With that thought entertaining him, he took a shower and ate a protein bar. Finally, the files were done and he got to work.

The sun was high in the sky when a slight sound woke him out of a deep sleep. Instantly alert, he reached for his phone.

“Yeah?”

Silence.

“What?”

A small squeak and then nervous throat clearing was the reply. Idiot. He ended the call and growled into the empty room. It was too early for this crap. A minute later, the phone chirped again.

“Talk,” he demanded. Stretching his back, he scowled into the receiver. This better be important.

“Killian? This is Alex. Why did you hang up on Marc?”

“I don’t talk to idiots.”

Alex tried not to laugh, but wasn’t completely successful. To cover it, he said sternly, “He was calling for me. He’s my assistant. I’m a little too busy to call you myself. You might try to remember that I’m your boss.”

Rolling out of the bed, Killian poured water and gulped it down while Alex lectured him on protocol and the seriousness of his mission. Finally, he cut off the endless stream of noise. “Alex, I get it. But you have to understand what I’m doing over here. Do you want me to come back to New York for Dagin or kick the shit out of Jordan? I could do both, I suppose, if I had my team. But as you know, my team is barely functional today.” His voice was low with resignation and regret.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I’m sending you some help.”

“Who?”

“Rivin.”

Killian froze. “That’s not going to happen.”

Alex snorted and said, “Already has. He’ll meet you in a few days. Play nice or I’ll send you to Siberia.” He hung up leaving Killian staring at the receiver.

“Shit!”

The air pressure shifted just slightly and he whipped out his Primani blade and spun to face his visitor.

Raphael inclined his head and observed, “Surely there’s no need to draw your weapon on me?”

Flushing, Killian hastily slid the blade into its sheath. Holding out his hand in apology, he said, “Forgive me, Raphael. I’m afraid I’ve been surrounded by less than desirable company lately.”

Raphael shook his hand and said, “So I’ve heard. Have you made any progress with Sgaine Dutre?”

“Not a lot. I can track Jordan but he’s been one step ahead of me. It’s a game to him.” He paused and drank the last swallow of his water. “But it’s not a game he can win. I promise you that.”

Raphael tensed and demanded, “The rumors are true then? He intends to challenge our God? Is he crazy?”

Snorting with disgust, Killian said, “Of course he’s crazy! But more than that…he’s made a deal...” He left the word hang in the silence that followed.

Raphael’s look of shock turned to anger and then dismay all in rapid succession. Slowly, he said, “Well, then. That’s it. Michael will be most disappointed.” He flexed his fingers and a tiny ball of light appeared in the middle of his palm. Rolling it about with the pad of his thumb, he sank into thought.

Well accustomed to Raphael’s powers, Killian waited respectfully. The tiny white light seemed familiar somehow.

“You’re going to have company on your journey very soon. I’m afraid our Mica will not be able to anchor Sean. Even now, he’s walking a very thin, very dangerous line. It will happen tonight. She will come to you in Paris. Let her make the journey on her own.”

Swearing in several languages, Killian gripped the balcony railing. “Damn it! Is there nothing I can do for him?”

“No! You cannot interfere! This is his destiny. We all come to a crossroads, Killian. Think back upon your own.” His tone brooked no argument and Killian ground his teeth together helplessly.

“I won’t interfere. I give you my word. But I have to know that Mica will be safe with him. Is he too far gone to stop himself from hurting her? He could tear her to pieces. I’ll be damned before I let him do that.”

Raphael studied the tiny light again and sighed. “I like to think I know Sean and he’s not the type to hurt an innocent.”

“But?”

Raphael looked uncomfortable now. “She’s a means to the end. He’s hunting an old enemy and he’s found him. He’ll use her to get what he wants. He’s already pushing the boundaries; anything more serious and he’s looking at a meeting with Michael.”

Killian was stunned. A meeting with Michael was a euphemism for standing trial in their world. Humans could elect a jury by their peers. Primani had one option: Michael. He ruled them without mercy. He didn’t see you unless you were guilty beyond any doubt, reasonable or otherwise. If Sean ended up in front of Michael, he was screwed.

“Well, fuck.”

“Yes, well, I’m inclined to agree with your sentiments, if not your colorful wording of them. Let us hope he’s not beyond redemption. Now, would you like some more news?”

“Probably not, but go ahead.”

Chuckling, Raphael said, “Mica is nearing the end of her tribulations. She is well on her way to fulfilling her destiny.” He paused to give it a minute to sink in. “And Killian, my friend, that destiny is intricately entwined with your own.” He smiled with genuine warmth then and clapped his hand on Killian’s shoulder.

It was over?

Killian was speechless for a minute. His heart thudded to a halt. It was too much to hope for; too good to be true. So much time had passed. Was it possible?

Holding his breath, he asked, “So she’ll live after all?”

“That remains to be seen.”

Chapter 4: Inner Demons

I WOKE TO THE SOUND of the shower running. I sat up and blinked in the darkness. What time was it? My head swam and I closed my eyes. I tried again. The walls stood still this time. I was about to get out of bed when my door swung open and bounced against the wall.

Sean said, “Good, you’re up. Get in the shower. You have about 15 minutes to make yourself look good.”

“Whoa, what?” I swung my feet off the bed, making my head swim oddly again. What was going on now?

He poked his head in and said, “You’re wasting time. At least brush your teeth.”

My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and I was swinging between confusion and anger. What the hell was he doing? Brush my teeth? I stumbled into the shower and sat on the floor with the hot water sluicing over me like a volcanic waterfall. My mind was blank. I couldn’t even remember what day it was. My hands shook when I tried to pick up the soap. That’s when I realized I was naked…

“What did you do to me?” I demanded as soon as I found him in the living room. I’d managed to wash up, brush my teeth, and put on a dress and sandals that had appeared on my dresser. I ran out of time so my hair was damp and hanging like a curtain down my back.

He looked me up and down and seemed satisfied. “Did you find your gun? I cleaned it for you and loaded it with fresh rounds. Your knives are cleaned too. You should take better care of your weapons; salt water will ruin them.”

With that, he headed for the door. I followed numbly. What on earth was he up to? He’d gone shopping? My new dress was nearly transparent white cotton and came to the middle of my thighs. The tiny straps meant I had to go braless since I didn’t have a strapless here. It was summery and sexier than I would’ve wanted. My locket hung between my breasts like a warm talisman. He’d gotten himself an ordinary pair of jeans and a new t-shirt. Combat boots completed his stylish look. I caught the glimpse of blue fire at his wrist and stumbled a bit. My wristband? He had put it back on. When? Why?

Reaching back, he snatched my hand and pulled me to the car so quickly my feet didn’t touch the ground. When we stopped, my insides lurched with a slosh. Ugh! I hated this feeling and he knew it. Glaring, I started to snap at him and lost my audio. His eyes were dark and stormy as he looked directly into mine. A ripple of fear crawled down my back.

His mouth curled into a slow, terrible smile and he said, “I want something from you.”

He reeled me closer. I tried to back away.

“No!” I mouthed shaking my head in denial.

His smile widened.

Panicking, I tried to run but he grabbed me and held me in front of him with one arm banded around my waist. His skin burned through the sheer material of my dress as he held me pressed against him. I struggled to shove him away but he only tightened his arm, bringing me closer to him. He gripped my chin between his fingers and refused to let me turn away.

“Stop fighting me. You can’t win.” His voice came deep and amused.

Time froze as he stared into my eyes, searching, searching, and I couldn’t do a thing to stop him. My brain was too fuzzy to think and I couldn’t keep him out. My defenses were shot and I stood helplessly while he plundered through my head.

My memories, my thoughts…

My emotions, my soul...

He took and he took.

Without conscience, he ripped out what he wanted to see, casting aside whatever he didn’t need.

By the time he was satisfied, tears slid down my cheeks and I bit my lip to keep from sobbing. How could he do this to me? He coldly violated the most secret, private part of me. I was beginning to see what Killian meant by losing his humanity.

Primani never violated an innocent person’s mind. It was one of the principles they lived by, part of their code. He’d taken my memories for no better reason than he wanted them. He wanted to see them. I hoped they ate him alive.

“You’re going to pay for that. I won’t forget it.”

Without a hint of emotion, he ignored me and started the truck.

“We’re going hunting. They’ll be at the pub. We need to find them and get rid of them tonight. We’ll use our typical cover. You remember it, right? I expect you to play your part. Act your little heart out. If they get suspicious they will bolt and I’ll be pissed. I’ve been waiting 20 years for this. Don’t ruin it for me!” He glanced over at me. “Can you handle this? You look sick.”

I wanted to kill him. Or run screaming away from him. He was losing his mind. That was the only explanation for all this. But running away wasn’t an option and neither was killing him. Who would keep him from falling if I ran away? No one. He’d be lost to us forever. He was scaring the hell out of me though and it was starting to piss me off in a distracted sort of way. My head was still fuzzy and I felt too weak to strangle him right now. So instead of killing him, I asked, “How many days was I asleep?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Three, I think.”

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I was rethinking killing him. He put me to sleep for three days? That means three more days without food and water. That’s a week without eating. The tiny bowl of soup was totally not enough fuel for my body…it was no wonder my head wasn’t working. I held out a hand and it trembled like palsy. I was so weak. I wasn’t in any shape to get into a fight, especially not with demons. I wasn’t sure I could call up any of my saol. I hadn’t eaten in so long I was probably surviving on it…

Oh, Sean, what have you done?

I started to braid my hair and he stopped me. “Leave it down. It hides your face better.”

Flushing at the innuendo, I felt my blood pressure spike like a blip on a radar screen. I clenched my fingers together and thought of places I could bite him.

After parking, he came around to open my door with a familiar sexy smile on his lips. Leaning down, he brushed his lips over my ear and breathed, “Show time, darlin’!”

The pub was noisy and warm. It would’ve been inviting except for the smell of sweaty bodies that assaulted me and turned my stomach. Gagging, I held my breath and frantically looked around for a bathroom.

Sean squeezed my arm and said, “Smile, baby. Everybody’s staring at you.”

Glancing up I saw he was right. Every person in the pub was looking at us. Sliding into his role as my lucky boyfriend, Sean wrapped a possessive arm around me with his fingers resting just under my breast. He leaned down and kissed the curve of my jaw. He had the nerve to run his fingers under the bottom of my breast until I jammed four fingernails into his back.

“Move it or lose a kidney,” I hissed through my fake smile.

Tensing, he lowered his roaming hand and led us to the bar.

The smell of fried food was almost as overpowering as the heat, and my head swam in a slow circle. Sean’s hand tightened around me and he pulled me against him. I leaned into him trying to look natural. Maybe I could steal his saol without him noticing. I could feel it running under the skin of his arm like a fine current of power. Maybe I could siphon it off, like gas…

“Here, drink this.” He sat a glass of water down in front of me and turned to look for our prey.

Biting my lower lip to keep from venting my frustration, I sipped the water and looked around for an escape route. Just then, the bartender strolled up to me and looked at me with concern. All four of his mouths were frowning…

“Hey now, you okay, sweetheart?”

Dizzy, I peered up at him and froze. He was a good looking blond-haired man. He seemed to be about 30 and looked kind of familiar to me. His wavy hair was curling over his collar and he had emerald green eyes. I stared, rapt.

With a quick look to make sure Sean wasn’t paying attention, he laid his hand over my wrist and pinned it gently in place on the bar. His hand was warm, large, and finely shaped. His skin was tanned and sprinkled with fine blond hairs. I stared at it as it swam in and out of focus. The delicate hairs caught the light and burned like tiny golden flames…His fingers moved rhythmically over my wrist spreading heat into my cold numb hand. The warmth drifted up my arm like a sunbeam.

“Dec?” I whispered and lifted my eyes to his face. I wanted it to be him so badly.

With a warning frown in Sean’s direction, he shook his head and kept rubbing my wrist. Slowly, the feeling of pins and needles disappeared and I felt my own saol flowing again. It was like a jump start for my batteries…Sean’s gaze sharpened and he tensed watchfully. Something had his undivided attention. The bartender looked into my eyes and winked solemnly. One dimple popped up and I opened my mouth but no words would come out. He reached over and popped a peanut into my mouth and pressed my chin up to close it.

“Nibble on these for a minute. I’ll go get you something proper to eat.”

I tentatively chewed the peanut and swallowed. Oh, please stay down, I prayed. I sipped some water and chewed another peanut. So far, so good. Sean turned his back to the door and playfully gathered me close. His broad back was to the crowd so I knew no one could see me now. Bending his head, he buried his face against my neck letting my hair drape over us.

He murmured, “They’re sitting in the booth in the right corner. The dark one.” His lips brushed my ear sending little sparks of electricity dancing through my veins. He felt me shiver and pulled my earlobe between his teeth. My leg twitched in response. He smiled against my neck and I wanted to smack him.

Instead, I dug a nail into the back of his hand and warned, “Don’t be a jerk,” in a voice more breathless than I intended. It was more prayer than threat.

I adjusted my angle so my hair fell across my back again. His curtain was gone. He still leaned against me too closely, one palm splayed along my waist, and my heart pounded uncertainly. What was he playing at? His eyes bored into mine in an epic staring contest. He was getting on my last nerve tonight. The loud clank of silverware hitting the bar broke us apart. Sean studied the bartender with unfriendly eyes.

Holding out a hand, he said, “I’m Michael. I’ve brought the lass a bit of a snack. I hope you don’t mind. She was looking a little peaked.” He winked at me and added, “Eat all of it, lass. It’ll give you strength you’ll need tonight.”

“Michael?” Sean and I both lifted our eyebrows at that. Suspicious now, I rubbed at my wrist thoughtfully. Sean shook his hand and thanked him for the food.

He’d brought me a small cup of clear broth, a slice of bread, a small piece of cheese and a perfect heart-shaped strawberry. It still had the leaves and a tiny green berry attached to its stem. The entire plate was perfect. How did he know? I buried my nose in the broth and inhaled. Mmm, chicken. I took a sip and swallowed. Ambrosia.

“Oh, Michael, this is lovely--” I broke off when I realized he was gone. I leaned up and looked everywhere. He was gone. Just like that. A small piece of paper was wedged under the plate.

Primani may not die, but there are fates worse than death.

What on earth? What did that mean? With every intention of searching for Michael, I pulled away from the bar and Sean stopped me with an arm around the waist. Smiling down at me, his eyes a soft ocean blue, he seemed like himself again. His mouth curled up at the edges and his posture was more relaxed. He ran his hand over my back like he’d done a million times before. Lulled by his sweet side, I relaxed and smiled up at him in relief. His moods were making me crazy. He bent and dropped a kiss on my mouth. I blinked and turned my head away. Grinning smugly, he pulled me against him and kissed me with more passion. When he slipped his tongue against mine, I froze and tried to push him back without causing a huge scene.

“Get the fuck off me!” I snapped while shoving at his chest. It was hard to bite his head off without blowing our cover, but I gave it a shot.

He had one hand wrapped in my hair holding me still. Against my neck, he said, “Get over your morals, sweetheart. You’ve got Sarin’s full attention now. He’ll come over here and snatch you away from me if you give him a reason.” He slid his lips over mine again and sneered, “If it helps, you can pretend I’m Killian.”

“You bastard!” I hissed under my breath. “I hate you!”

Mockingly, he said, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You’ll hate me more later. Just keep to your cover; we have work to do. Now eat so we can kill these guys.” With that, he slapped my butt and laughed.

I was literally trembling with fury. My pulse was off the charts and my eyes were burning in their sockets. It was all I could do to keep from blowing him up again. I’d have to thank Killian for that. He’d spent hours teaching me how to tone it down so no one would find out about my powers. They were so strongly tied to my emotions, especially anger, that I had to learn how to mask them quickly. It seemed like I spent the last year pissed off at something. It hadn’t been a good year until a few months ago, when Killian and I finally decided to leap into a real relationship. Even that cocoon of happiness was surrounded by fear, pain, and madness. Demons, zombies, and Jordan, oh my! Not to mention, my doomed pregnancy, Sean’s descent into…whatever this was, and Dec’s death. Damn. I needed a beer more than food.

Eat, Mica! Eat!

The voice startled me and I looked around expecting to see the bartender Michael again. But he wasn’t around. Sean was totally focused on the two guys in that corner booth. There wasn’t anybody else around.

You need to eat. What are you doing wasting time? Just eat it!

“Killian?” I whispered hopefully.

Not quite. The voice was amused now.

I was totally losing my mind.

“Did you just call Killian? What’s the matter? Isn’t this fun anymore? You used to love going undercover.” Sean’s expression was mocking and I really, really wanted to punch him.

“Oh, shut up and let me eat.” I turned to the bar and forced myself to eat everything on the platter. Saving the perfect berry for last, I traced the pretty shape and inhaled the fruity perfume before I took a tiny bite. Sweet and tangy juice burst over my tongue and I smiled in spite of the murderous thoughts racing through my head. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted. I must’ve moaned out loud because Sean raised an eyebrow and plucked the last of the berry from my fingers.

“Hey, that’s mine. Don’t eat that.” I reached for it and he raised it over his head daring me to lunge for it again. I made a halfhearted attempt but shrugged and gave in. He could have it. Maybe he’d get in a better mood.

Popping it into his mouth, he smacked his lips together and looked me over. “Are you feeling better yet?”

“Should I be?”

“I hope so for your sake. Shit is about to hit the fan. Just in case though…give me your hand.”

Without waiting, he took my hand and led me outside to a small storage shed behind the pub. Closing the door, he took my other hand so he was holding both of them. I dug in my heels. “Come over here, I’m not going to bite you. You need a boost.”

“Are you sure? I don’t trust you. You’re acting like a psycho. Maybe you’ll put me to sleep and leave me on a cliff somewhere to die.”

“Where do you get these ideas?”

Moving quickly, he pulled me against him and wrapped himself around me so we were connected from head to foot. Without a sound, he relaxed his body and I felt the familiar warmth surrounding me. This time though, instead of relaxing in the saol and taking comfort from it, I focused on drawing it inside of me.

“Don’t be greedy,” he murmured against the side of my head.

Suddenly I was tingling from head to toe with energy. My muscles vibrated with it and my brain felt like it was bouncing around inside my skull. I wanted to jump. I wanted to fly. I wanted to swim to Hawaii and go surfing.

“That’s enough! You’re good.” Sean carefully pulled his own saol back inside and shook his body out.

I inhaled and stretched, feeling the delicious power thrumming through my veins. Now this was better! Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I rolled my shoulders and flexed my fingers. Yep, everything seemed to work again. I was ready to kick some demon butt!

“Let’s get this over with. What’s the plan?

He studied me and seemed satisfied now. “Let’s get back to the truck. They’ll be waiting outside. I’m sure of it. I can handle Sarin. I need you to keep the other one out of it. Keep your gun on him and don’t be afraid to shoot him. Your silencer’s already on it.”

He was right, of course. As soon as we walked out of the shed, two shadows peeled away from the back of the pub. The night sky was overcast and the back of the building wasn’t lit. Inside, a rowdy band was playing to the drunken cheers of the happy customers. The sound was deafening, even out here. Privacy wasn’t a problem. Not sure what he was planning, I followed Sean’s lead but stayed by his side. My fingers curled around the grip of my Sig and I slipped it out of my purse.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the moment he slipped into soldier-mode. His eyes illuminated the night enough for me to see the brutal expression on his face. Stalking smoothly, his muscles bunched with anticipation and the air around us hummed. Waves of heat rolled off of him as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

Without warning, he launched himself directly at Sarin, hitting him in the gut before I saw him leave the ground. Moving with inhuman speed that I couldn’t track, he threw Sarin against the side of the building like a stuffed animal. Once, twice, three times he slammed him into the ground. Blood spattered the front of my dress like red mist. I was horrified and stood frozen in place until a bit of movement got my attention. Sarin’s burly partner froze in mid-stride when I turned my gun on him.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you. I have orders to shoot you,” I warned.

He was next to me so fast I only had time to squeeze the trigger. The soft pop of the silencer went unnoticed. He was a big man; not a demon, just a man. But he was well over six feet tall and strong. His face was hidden in the darkness but I caught the white gleam of his eyes just as he wrenched my arm behind my back. Crying out, I dropped the gun and stomped on my attacker’s instep and twisted away from him at the same time. My stomping didn’t hurt him, but surprised him enough for me to get free. Lunging towards me again, he wasn’t taking any chances. He had blood in his eye. With one eye on him I looked frantically for Sean and Sarin.

Sarin lay bloody and limp on the ground now but Sean picked him up and threw him again anyway. He was totally out of control. His face was a mask of rage and hate. His eyes glowed, dully highlighting the blood on his face.

“Sean! No! Stop!” I shouted while lunging for my dropped gun. My attacker threw himself on me and my head cracked against the hard pavement. Stars bounced around my vision while he stretched across me to grab the gun. I yelled, “Sean! Help me!”

Struggling to dislodge this mountain in jeans, I jammed my fingers into the junction between his neck and shoulder and pressed as hard as I could. He was running on adrenaline now and the pain wasn’t registering yet. He’d gotten the gun and had the muzzle pressed against my temple. I froze. He grinned. And then he flew backwards like he’d been hit by a missile.

I jumped up and grabbed my gun again. Where’d they go? I was shaking with my own chemical overload now and little spots danced in my vision. They were gone. Just like that. The band played on and shrill laughter trickled from the front of the building. But the only thing I heard clearly was the blood gushing through my veins. What just happened here? I made my way to Sarin and wished I hadn’t. He was a pile of mush on the pavement. As I stared, the red mush slowly turned black and drifted away. Sarin was no ordinary demon.

Jesus, Sean!

What the hell did you do?

My stomach clenched and I thought of his face…more demon than Primani. He was out of control.

The demon in question popped up next to me then. Grabbing my arm, he literally dragged me to the truck. “Head to the house. Go!”

“What did you do with that man?”

“You don’t need to know. Just get the fuck out of here! Now!”

Too panicked to argue, I drove. He vanished. Five minutes later, he reappeared in the truck. I was still trying not to hyperventilate, and the smell of blood wasn’t helping. I looked sideways at him. He was soaked in blood from head to toe. His eyes had stopped glowing…

Now they were black.

I bit my lip and focused on the road. Omigod! Omigod! My thoughts raced around like rats in a tunnel. What was I supposed to do now?

“What have you done?”

Sean sat with his head in his hands and said bleakly, “I’m damned. I have to disappear.”

In sheer panic, I yanked the wheel to the left and the wheels slipped on the rutted surface. The truck flipped and rolled twice before coming to rest on its roof. Glass covered everything and I tasted blood in my mouth. Sean was unconscious beside me. His head lolled to the side, blood pouring from a gash on his forehead. His nose was bleeding like a faucet. From the set of it, I’d guess it was broken, again. He wasn’t going to thank me for that.

I crawled out through the broken window only vaguely aware of pain in my ankle. To my amazement, the house was right in front of me. Thank God. Limping around to the passenger side, I crouched down to check on Sean. He was breathing but still out. With no other options, I pulled at his shoulders. He didn’t budge. I tried again. He still didn’t budge. I sank back on my heels in the dirt, my head between my knees.

Sean moaned and I held my breath again. He was still out…God only knew what other injuries he had. I sat and psyched myself up for heavy lifting. Reaching down, I got my arms under him and inched his heavy body out from the seat little by little. Panting, I sat with his head in my lap and caught my breath again. I had hoped for a burst of superwoman strength...Unwilling to give up, I managed to wrestle him out of the truck and caught him under the arms. Dragging him a few feet at a time, it took forever to get off the road and partway down the sidewalk. He finally grunted with pain and opened his eyes. His pupils were pinpoints in the blue.

“Oh, thank God! I’m so sorry! I tried to help, but you’re too heavy and I…” I babbled while he lurched to his feet. Supporting his weight, I helped him into the house where he collapsed on the couch. I collapsed next to him and panted for air.

“What happened?” he asked looking very confused. He pinched his nose to stop the blood. I grabbed a towel from the kitchen and handed it to him.

“We had an accident. The truck rolled. I’m so sorry!” I sat beside him and poked at the cut on his forehead. Maybe I could keep him distracted enough that he’d forget about leaving…and turning evil.

“You need stitches. Do you want me to stitch you up or do you want to do it yourself?” He blinked tiredly at me; his eyes were unfocused again.

“I’ll do it.” I folded the skin together and lay my hand over it. Eyes closed, concentrating completely, I worked to heal the ragged cut. I peeked to check my progress and gave him a kiss on the fresh pink skin. “There, it’s done.”

He grabbed my wrist and held me in place with a desperate strength. His eyes were wild and I cringed back. He was starting to shake and his face blanched. “Oh, God! No…tell me I didn’t…” He shook me as his memories came back and he started to panic.

Somehow I ended up straddling his lap so we were face to face, his hand wrapped around my wrist. My free hand was wrapped around his. I wasn’t taking any chances this time. He was too dangerous. I had to calm him down.

“Sean, listen to me. He was a bad guy, right? He was evil, right? You did your job, right?” The image of the blood splattering my dress made me swallow hard. The smell of it was heavy in the air around us.

Sarin’s blood, my blood, Sean’s blood.

“I went too far. I lost control. Look what I did! I can’t come back from this.” He tried to move but I pressed him down. He could’ve moved me, but he was still shaky from the accident. He was trying to get his strength back. “Michael will banish me.”

“Okay, so you overreacted. You aren’t a bad Primani. You’re the best there is! You’re legendary! It’ll be okay.”

Shaking his head, he said in a low pained groan, “No, you don’t get it. I have to go. I can’t stand this anymore.” His eyes darkened and I jerked his face to mine.

“You listen to me, Sean! I will not let you go! I don’t care what you did. I love you and I’m not letting you leave me!” With that, I kissed him, tasting blood and tears. Desperate to keep him from slipping, I held him against me and wrapped my arms around him, my fingers digging into his flesh. “You’re good, do you hear me? Good! You’re not like James! You just have to get your head together.” Crying now, I begged him, “Just talk to me, please!”

He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Having no other ideas, I clung to him and pleaded with him to stay. I tried logic. I tried tears. I even tried kissing him again. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t take me with him again and wouldn’t be able to get out of my arms without flinging me into a wall. I didn’t think he’d hurt me like that, but he was ready to bolt. Finally, he cleared his throat and blew my mind.

“I have failed as your protector. You were my only charge and I failed you. First I broke all the rules by falling in love with you. Then I broke rules that no one had even written yet and transferred my powers to you. I disappeared and left you vulnerable. Because of me, you’ve been in constant danger for four years; demons, serial killers, more demons, more serial killers, and now me. I’m the biggest threat to you now.”

Stunned, I said quietly, “No, Sean…you’d never hurt me.”

Our faces were inches apart and I could see the pain in his eyes. Not caring about the consequences, I caressed his face with my palm and kissed him. At first his mouth was gentle against mine, but then he groaned and deepened the kiss. With my hair wrapped in his fist, he pulled my head back and kissed me with all the pent up pain and anger inside of him. Lights danced in my eyes and my lips were numb when he yanked his mouth away, his breathing harsh.

Bitterly, he gazed at my hand and traced the rune with the pad of his thumb. It glowed brightly and went out. His eyes went flat. “You don’t know what I’m capable of. Did you see what I did to Sarin? Did you see what I’m capable of?”

He captured my mouth in a brutal kiss that sucked away my strength and left me dazed and hurting. With an inhuman growl, he said, “You can’t trust me right now. I’m so out of control. I’ll hurt you and I won’t care.”

“Let me help you, please. I can’t stand to see you like this.”

He scowled and tensed up. “Like what? Violent? Angry?”

“I was going to say terrified. What are you afraid of? I see it in your eyes. I can feel it in the air around you. You’ve been dreaming again. You’re distracted…haunted. What’s freaking you out?”

He glared into my face and started to yank his hand away but I resisted. Instead of arguing, I just looked into his eyes and offered my own to him. Come and look, I thought. You know what’s in there. I trust you.

His face was tortured as he whispered, “I can’t remember…there’s something I need to remember, but I can’t. It’s a shadow; a half-formed thought...It’s making me crazy.”

“A dream?”

“No, it was real. I feel it. I know it was real, but I can’t see it!” He jerked his hand away and rubbed at his face. His heart was racing so fast I could feel it against me.

“Maybe I can help. We can fix this. We’ve worked miracles before. I know we can figure this out.” He was tensing against me and I was getting desperate again. “Sean, stay.”

He pushed me back and staggered to his feet. He said, “I don’t understand you at all. Why do you want to help me? You don’t owe me anything.” He turned and said brokenly, choking on the bitter words, “Jesus, Mica, our baby is dead! Our son is dead. It’s my fault. I can’t make that right. I can’t…” He sucked in a ragged breath. “I can’t look into your eyes and know that you see the ugliness inside of me. I can’t hide from you. You see too much.”

Flinching at the rawness of his voice, I took his hand again. “I love you! I’ve always loved you! I would do anything for you. Damn it, Sean! It wasn’t your fault!” He pried my fingers off of his hand.

With surprising gentleness, he picked me up and carried me to my bed. I tried to struggle but a familiar paralysis seeped into my bones and I hung limply in his arms. He kissed me very carefully on the mouth and leaned his forehead against mine. The rhythm of his heart filled my head as he touched my face in silence.

His black eyes held my gaze, unfathomable in the darkness.

He was so far away from me.

My heart broke into a thousand pieces and I whispered, “No, Sean, please don’t.”

With a sigh, he said, “Don’t look for me. I don’t exist.”

Chapter 5: One Perfect Night

THE MELANCHOLY SOUND of church bells drifted through my head. They rang clearly in the misty gardens of my dreams. I tossed and turned trying to escape the fog. But it clung persistently…swirling around my ankles as I ran along the winding stone path. The dream refused to let me go. Running lightly, I shoved a branch out of my path and followed the sound until I saw it. There. That’s what I was looking for. Grey tendrils of ivy swallowed the side of the tiny stone church. It sat at the end of a narrow driveway now overgrown with summer grass. The mist swirled around the base of the church making it float above the earth. My ears rang with the calling of the bells…inside, outside, echoing and surrounding me.

They led me here.

They drove me here.

The bells called me to this place. Why? What was here for me?

The church was bare, dreary--A simple stone church. I hesitated on the front step, unsure if it was open.

“Don’t be afraid.”

A shiver crept over my skin. I knew that voice! I turned slowly, my smile only half formed; I was wary of being disappointed. So many times I looked for him…so many times he was gone. I turned with a tiny flame of hope burning in my chest. But the churchyard was empty. Disappointed, I spun around and looked everywhere.

I was alone.

“You’re never alone,” he said quietly, his voice rusty from disuse.

Whirling back around, I scanned the shadows. The mist spun and turned in the chilly morning air. The trees dripped with dew as the first pale rays of sunlight warmed the ether. The bells had stopped. I was where I was supposed to be.

“Will you stand there forever?”

“Where are you?” I called out. The brume was nearly gone now and the shadows were lightening. I peered under my hand but still didn’t see anyone.

“Just go inside.”

The voice came from the other side of a sprawling pink rose bush. Its tiny blooms climbed voraciously up the side of a leaning wrought iron fence. There he was! Why was he hiding from me? What stupid game was this? I marched around the bush ready to confront him. As I turned the corner, I stumbled to a stop against the base of a statue. Startled, I stepped back and looked up.

It was Sunday. I knew this because my cell phone said so. I paced the house ready to kill someone, anyone, but preferably someone named Sean. He was gone. Of course, he was gone!

I had been asleep for days again!

I tried to swear creatively in Latin but couldn’t remember the right words.

Semper Fi…that’s all I could think of, and that wasn’t a curse. I had to settle for English and called him every filthy name I could think of. My parents would be horrified.

He had vanished and who knew where he was now. He had a two-day head start. I had no way to follow him. But Killian could.

Killian? Will you please answer me? Don’t make me use technology!!

The low tone of his voice vibrated softly inside my mind when he answered my plea. He’s gone, isn’t he?

You know?

Yeah, I had a visitor. You okay?

Not really…

Did he hurt you?

It’s not that. I screwed up. I let him go. I couldn’t hold him!

If it’s possible for telepathy to have volume control, his voice went up to a shout. This is not your fault!

Can you come to me? I need a hug.

Silence.

Killian? Can you come to me?

Sorry, babe. I can’t right now. You have to meet me in Paris.

What? Who says? That’s not what I wanted to hear.

Raphael says.

Oh…crap. That changes everything. I can’t argue with him.

I still need a hug.

Pack up and get to Paris. I’ll hug you then.

After that promise, he was gone. I sighed and got to work. There wasn’t much to pack. I rummaged around and found a backpack in one of the closets. It was army green and black. One strap was torn and dangling. A rusty stain splotched across one side of it. Awesome. Who’s blood? Geez. I’m surrounded by blood these days.

Choosing to ignore the blood, I dug through the pockets and found a 6-inch utility knife and a small Leatherman. The rest of the pack was empty except for a worn out t-shirt balled up in the bottom. Curious, I unfolded it and caught my breath. It had once been red but was faded from sun and saltwater. The logo was still there: Rip Curl…My eyes watered and I held the shirt to my face and breathed to capture his scent again. The fishy tang of the sea filled my head…and a faint green scent that brought his face to life. Oh, Dec. Where are you? His lopsided grin filled my vision and I nearly reached out and touched him. Surely he couldn’t be dead? He had to be somewhere, right?

With a heavy heart, I shoved my clothes into the backpack. Sean hadn’t bought much on his little shopping trip. Other than that white dress, he’d picked me up a pair of jeans and a hoodie. I packed my commando clothes and donned the jeans and Dec’s t-shirt. I slung the hoodie around my waist. The combat boots weren’t negotiable. They had steel toes and I wasn’t going anywhere without them.

I was ready to go but not sure what to do. I stood in the living room thinking over my options. The laptop was gone. Sean had taken it with him. In its place was a brown envelope. I sifted through the contents with mixed emotions. He hadn’t left me stranded after all. He’d left me a passport and a plane ticket from Shannon to Paris. He’d left me a credit card and some Euros too. At the bottom of the envelope was a note. I scanned it. Not believing my eyes, I read it again. That’s it? That’s all it says? I’d hoped for an explanation, an excuse, an apology…something! But there was none of that. It just told me how to get to the airport.

One of these days, I was going to strangle him.

The landing at Charles DeGaulle airport in Paris was smooth enough. The wheels bounced twice and we rolled up to the gate. It was 1:00 in the afternoon and my stomach growled to remind me I hadn’t filled it since the apple I had for breakfast. I shuffled off the plane with the rest of the sheep and moved off to the side to get my bearings. The airport was packed with travelers who all must be late judging from their frantic pace. People flowed past me like a raging river…surging forward and bumping into anyone who moved too slowly. No one was happy to be here, I guess. No one smiled.

I was alone in the crowd. This wasn’t the first time.

I found a restroom and tried to do something with my face. The image in the mirror scared me and I shuddered at it. My face was thin and pale, cheekbones sharper than they should be. The purple smudges under my eyes only emphasized the exhaustion I felt inside. My blue eyes were unremarkable today. They just sat there waiting for another disappointment…

Okay, Mica, get it together! It was time for a pep talk, I thought sternly. I couldn’t stand to wallow. There were a lot of things I couldn’t do anything about. I had no control over pretty much anyone other than me. I took a good long look at my face and got to work.

I could do something about this.

I washed my face and added some makeup. I didn’t have much, but Sean had bought me some eyeliner and mascara for our little undercover charade. He never really liked eye shadow or foundation so he hadn’t bought either. I would’ve liked some shadow, but this would have to do. I took time to brush out my hair and stood looking at it from all angles. It was heavy and wavy down to the middle of my back. Maybe I needed to cut it again. Hmm. Musing, I lifted it into a ponytail.

The woman at the next sink tapped her manicured nails on the counter and said, “You have such sexy hair! Leave it down for your man so he can drag his fingers through it, eh?” Her accent was light. French? No, I didn’t think it was French. Italian?

She was tall and gorgeous and dressed like a supermodel. Glancing self-consciously at my jeans, I felt plain beside her. She smiled at me and pulled my hair through her hands, twisting it into different looks. Finally, she pulled out some pins from her purse.

Ten minutes later we both grinned into the mirror. She’d worked a minor miracle. Thanks to her help, my dark circles were hidden and my hair was artfully curled and pinned into a messy bedroom style that flowed down my back. With a sweep of delicate color over my pout, I was ready to rock a porn movie. Killian would have a stroke.

On impulse, I hugged her and said, “My boyfriend will die when he sees this! Thank you so much!”

Laughing gaily, she kissed me on both cheeks and said, “We ladies must stick together! Keeping our men is an ongoing battle, no?”

Killian’s smoldering eyes came to me and I had to grip the edge of the sink to keep from falling over. Fanning myself, I laughed with her. Keeping him wasn’t the problem; keeping up with him was!

After a minute I explained, “I’m supposed to meet him in Paris. But I don’t know where to go. Do you know a café that’s easy to get to? I can call him from there.”

Taking my arm in hers, she led us out of the ladies’ room. “Come with me. I have just the place. Let’s go.”

An hour later, I was perched on the edge of a white wrought iron chair outside of Clair de Lune. The adorable café sat on a busy side street in the middle of Paris. The air was heavy with the smell of rain and flowers. Exhausted, I inhaled the fragrance and sighed. Roses filled my senses and I fingered a petal on the pink bloom that stood alone in the miniature vase on the table. Entranced by its simple beauty, I held it against my nose…perfect. Sipping my mineral water, I gazed around me.

Paris! The most romantic city in the world!

Soon Killian would come and sweep me out of here and everything would be all right. I could see us walking through these streets, stopping to admire the pretty buildings and gardens. He would pull me into a handy alcove and kiss me until I was dizzy with wanting him…

“It is a tragedy to find such a beautiful woman sitting alone.” A flirty male voice interrupted my pornographic daydreams. Before I could protest, he pulled up the other chair and straddled it.

Startled, I stared while warning bells clanked through my head. Tall and broadly muscled, he overwhelmed the tiny chair. He was good-looking with an underlying ruthlessness that I had seen before. His features were heavy…more rugged than I was used to though. He had a heavy brow bone and deep-set eyes that reminded me uncomfortably of Scott Flynn. His wide mouth curled into a cocky grin that spoke louder than words. He was used to getting what he wanted. With a small knot in my stomach, I looked into his eyes. They were blue. Of course they were.

He had ‘Primani’ written all over him.

Even his shaved head and hoop earring couldn’t hide the supernatural current running through his blood. I felt the thrumming from across the table. Encouraged by my silence, he leaned closer to me.

“I won’t be alone for long.” I glanced around. No Killian in sight. “I’m meeting someone,” I said pointedly.

Smiling good-naturedly, he brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it with a flourish. His mouth lingered just a hair too long to be considered polite. “Allow me to keep you company until then. I’m Rivin.”

“Rivin?” Rivin sounded like a demon name to me. I rubbed my hand suspiciously, but it wasn’t burning or doing anything unusual. He looked mildly insulted when I dunked a napkin in my water and wiped it off. “Are you French?”

Rivin threw back his head and laughed. The people next to us turned to stare. A young waiter raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged. He shook his head and moved along.

Rivin said, “French? God, no! I hate the French; bloody sanctimonious bastards, all of them!” His voice carried and several people grumbled nearby.

Okaaaay. The accent was definitely British. Not French.

Waiving a huge hand at the waiter, he ordered a beer and offered me one. “Come on, cherie, have a drink with me. We’ll celebrate.”

His cajoling tone was charming and I found myself relaxing. “Okay, I’ll bite. What are we celebrating?”

His eyes lingered meaningfully on my lips and he murmured with a wolfish grin, “The best night of your life.”

“Not even close,” Killian said behind me. His tone was harsh, but the hand he rested on my shoulder was gentle. He squeezed it affectionately.

“Walk away, Leahy. This isn’t your business.” Rivin stood up, knocking his chair over.

“Wrong. Mica is all my business.”

All conversation stopped and people scattered like pigeons. Alarmed, I stood and wrapped my arms around Killian. Leaning up, I kissed his cheek and said, “You’re late, baby. I was getting worried.”

“It couldn’t be helped, Princess.”

Incredulous, Rivin looked back and forth between us and said, “No! Tell me this isn’t Mica.” He gestured at my porn star hair and general cuteness and complained, “This is your charge?”

With a wicked grin, Killian answered, “Oh, she’s much more than that.”

With that, he wrapped his arm around me and led me down the sidewalk. I glanced back to see Rivin watching us with an unreadable expression.

“I guess you know each other?” I ventured.

“He’s an asshole. You’ll hate him.”

“Yay! Another James?”

“Let’s just say Rivin does what he wants when he wants. He doesn’t like to conform and he’s not reliable.”

“He left you hanging?”

“Something like that.” He walked more slowly now, relaxing the farther away we got from Rivin. Pulling me over to a park bench, he tugged me down to his lap. “Come here, wench.”

Laughing, I let him pull me into a flirty kiss. His lips just grazed mine and I rested my head on his shoulder. We sat in comfortable silence and watched two little kids play in the water of a bronze fountain in the park in front of us. They laughed wholeheartedly as only toddlers do. The random squirts of cold water had them giggling and howling with laughter. Their nanny sat with a close eye on them. Every now and then one would run to her and shake water over her summery dress. She was young, with fresh pink cheeks and ivory skin. Her eyes sparkled with love as she chased them around with mock ferocity.

“Pretty little babies, don’t you think?” I asked.

“Ours will be prettier.”

I laughed and turned to see him better. He looked rested. His face had filled out again and he’d lost the dark shadows under his eyes. His natural color was back and he glowed with the healthy energy that sustained the Primani. His cheekbones were still visible, but not as sharply cut as they were when he wasn’t taking care of himself. Finally, his fascinating mouth tilted up into a smile. His eyes twinkled at me with humor for a change.

“Are you taking inventory? Am I missing anything important?” He looked down and hinted, “Maybe you should look lower?”

“You’re taking better care of yourself. I’m surprised.”

Resting his arm across my shoulders, he said, “Well, the last time I didn’t, you lost your mind. You’re scary when you’re mad. I don’t want to piss you off.”

A fat drop of rain plopped down on my nose and I started with a girly squeak. One at a time, huge drops started to fall around us. My hair! Frantically looking for shelter, I spotted a little archway in the stone wall that ran along the park. Running to it, I dragged him with me. A rumble of thunder echoed overhead and fleeting flashes of lightning sizzled in the air. All around us the rain poured like a curtain over our alcove. Laughing and wet, we huddled under the arch catching our breath. Water ran down his face and black hair lay in spiky clumps along his cheek. He looked innocent and young laughing down at me. A drop of rain ran between his eyes and I reached up to catch it with my finger. In a split second his eyes darkened. I took one look at the heat in those eyes and threw myself against him. Molding me against the stone, he kissed me until I couldn’t remember my name.

The rain had slowed to a gentle drizzle. Our hearts had slowed to normal. We stood leaning on each other under the tiny arch, content and warm. I felt safer than I had in a long time. This was perfect. He kissed the side of my temple and I sighed and burrowed closer into his shoulder.

“That was some friggin’ storm! I nearly missed you two. So what’s the plan?”

Killian snapped instantly alert, shoving me behind him and turning to face the intruder at the sound of his voice. Once he saw who it was, he said, “Rivin, get out of here.”

Rivin stood loosely outside of the archway. His leather jacket was barely wet so he hadn’t been running around in the rain. He’d probably stood in the flower shop across the street watching us. His eyes roamed knowingly over us and he smiled tightly. “Sorry, Leahy, I’ve got orders to help you since your team’s been compromised.” He choked over the word ‘help’ and spit on the ground. “So let’s get moving. I don’t have all fucking day.”

Killian’s eyes narrowed and he said, “Meet us at the hotel in two hours. We’re staying at The Five on rue Flatters.”

Rivin started to argue and Killian glared pointedly at him until he closed his mouth. “Did you have a question?” Killian’s tone was cold.

Turning on his heel, Rivin left without another word. Killian ran his hand over his wet hair making it stand up in spikes. I stifled a grin and smoothed it down for him. Poor baby was all discombobulated.

“What the hell is Alex thinking? This is a nightmare.”

I nodded in good girlfriend support and patted his arm. Yep, Rivin was going to be a problem.

Mother Nature had dialed back the rain and thrown out the sun again. The sudden blast of light bounced off of the water and blinded me as we turned a corner. Squinting into the sun, I wished for sunglasses as I bumped into the side of a wall. Halfway down a narrow cobblestone street, Killian stopped by a small green storefront. It was situated between a pretty little café and a shoe store. “Come on, babe. You need some things.”

By the time we’d finished, I had a much larger wardrobe. This one included a wispy piece of sapphire-colored fabric that could not possibly conceal anything. That was exactly the point, according to the extravagantly-dressed sales girl. She’d barely been able to tear her eyes off of Killian and insisted I buy lingerie.

She fluttered her delicate hands at his general largeness and amused blue eyes and giggled, “He is so delicious, cherie! You must dress for him! You will both thank me!”

As I adjusted my new sunglasses, I had to say, “I don’t care how much he begs, Rivin is not staying in our room. I want one night, just one night, with you, uninterrupted by demons or any other uninvited guests. I don’t want to sleep in a cave. I don’t want you to set me on fire. I don’t want to have any demonic nightmares. I don’t want you to leave me in the middle of the night. Just one time, I want to have a romantic night with you, in a bed. Is that going to be too much to ask?”

His eyebrows lifted and his lips twitched. “I’ll see what I can do.”

We took our time meandering through the city until we came to our hotel. The Five Hotel is a modern little hotel that sits inside one of the typical tall buildings that line the streets around here. I had to clamp my mouth shut to keep from gawking like a tourist as we walked through the brightly-colored lobby. Beautiful was too mild a word. It was a work of art! Killian slipped the key card into our door and held the door for me.

“Omigod! Is our bed floating?”

Our room was designed in an ethereal blue and white color palette. The blue ceiling glittered with tiny lights that looked like stars. The walls were blindingly white. The furniture was either glass or white leather. The sleek, silvery bed actually seemed to float off the floor. Cleverly hidden suspension wires created the illusion.  So cool. Awestruck, I ran my fingers over the glass desk.

“Do you like it?”

Grinning ear to ear, I said, “It’s amazing! How did you find this place?”

“Google.”

“I’ll never rag on the internet again. This is heavenly! Should I bother to unpack? How long will we be here?”

Not looking up from his laptop, he said, “Not long. We need to get moving again. We’ll divide and conquer when Rivin gets here.”

I figured as much, but still…I wished we could play tourists, just a little. Europe was so beautiful. I wanted to see it while we were here. Time always rushed with us. We never had time. I’ve been dragged all over the place hunting demons, but I haven’t seen anything. It was always so fleeting. Maybe that’s how it will always be. Bouncing from place to place, never experiencing it, and never really understanding the reason why.

The hourglass was turned over again.

I had a nagging feeling that my time was limited. It wouldn’t matter what I’d seen. I would be gone anyway. How long did I have? With that thought in mind, I turned away from him to hide my eyes.

The touch of his hand brought me out of my sad thoughts. Turning me into his arms, he kissed the top of my head. “Mica…” His voice was ragged with emotion and he hesitated before going on. “Stop looking. You see too much.”

Whispering, I said, “I don’t want to leave you.”

“It’s not written in stone. It doesn’t have to be that way!”

“But I feel it! My gut tells me I’m running out of time.”

Gripping my arms, he said, “You feel it because it’s a possibility, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. There are always forks in our roads. You have choices; you know that.”

“Don’t lie to me! Lying won’t protect me. I have to trust something. Do I trust my gut or you?”

He looked into my eyes and whispered, “You trust me. Always trust me.”

A loud knock broke the tension. Rivin was here. I slipped into the bathroom to wash up while Killian let him in.

Rivin whistled in appreciation. “Bloody hell! Look at that bed! Did you nail her in it yet?”

I heard Killian say, “Shut up, Rivin.”

When I came out of the bathroom, they were seated in the lavish red sitting area. The entire room was covered in blood red fabrics. The carpet, the walls, and the crushed velvet chairs were the same amazing red. The curved ceiling was gold. The tall, narrow window looked out over the river. The curtains were gossamer. This room was clearly designed for romance…it was no wonder Rivin and Killian looked uncomfortable sitting in the chairs. When I walked in, they both stood and moved to lean against the walls.

Rivin bowed gracefully at the waist. “Before we get started, I’d like to apologize for my behavior today. I had no idea who you were and I wouldn’t have been so forward if I’d known.” His words sounded sincere, but...

I walked over to him and stared into the shifting irises of his Primani eyes. His eyes widened and darted to Killian. Killian narrowed his eyes and nodded. Rivin was nervous but I sensed no evil in him. His eyes gave me a glimpse of his intentions. They seemed noble enough. I stopped at that. Even though I could delve more deeply, there was no need. Satisfied he wasn’t trying to derail our mission or kill me, I turned away and nodded to Killian.

Anything off?

Nope. He seems sincere.

To Rivin, I said graciously, “It’s cool, dude. It’s not the first time I’ve been hit on. You’re forgiven.” I offered him my hand with a twinkle in my eye.

Eyeing my hand like a grenade, he stepped back and said, “I’ve heard rumors about you. It’s true then? You can read minds?”

“She can do more than that. She can scatter you with her mind. You might want to remember that. Even the demons are afraid of her now.” Killian sounded so proud I had to laugh.

Rivin swallowed and eased away from me. Killian chuckled and got the meeting started.

“Rivin, I need you to dig up whatever you can find on the Première Institute in Lucerne. There are rumors they’re a front for the other side. Dagin’s probably not involved, since he’s East Coast, U.S., but someone else definitely is.” He handed Rivin a thumb drive. “Take this and see what you can decode. I took a quick look already; it’s not good. Lots of notes on Variola.”

Rivin whistled in surprise. “Bloody hell, that’s smallpox!”

“Very good. I see you paid attention in biology. Now you see the problem?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it. What else?”

“You can use Alex’s assistant, Marc, if you need admin help. The lab in Manhattan is on standby if you get your hands on samples.” He tossed him a cell phone. “This is fully loaded. Get familiar with the apps and use them. We have the same devices. You can reach either of us on them, no matter what plane we’re on. Oh, and you don’t need to charge it. It runs on your saol. So keep it close to your body and it’ll stay charged. Questions?”

With a sideways glance at me, he leaned towards Killian. “Is there any word on Declan?”

I flinched at the sound of his name. His face immediately came to mind and I bit my lip to keep from getting emotional again. Just hearing his name hurt.

Killian shook his head at Rivin. Quietly, he answered, “He’s gone.”

Rivin hung his head and scrubbed his hand over the stubble on top of his skull. The gesture was surprisingly human. He was silent for several seconds before he responded.

“That sucks. I liked him.” He paused and took a deep shuddering breath and sniffed hard. When he looked up again, his eyes gleamed softly. “What’s the word on Jordan?”

“Officially? You spot him, you call me. I’ll bring him to Michael.”

“And unofficially?”

Instead of answering, Killian grimly slid Sgaine Dutre’s brother blade out of its sheath. The golden blade hummed softly in his hand. Killian whispered to it and the red stone pulsed with fire and then glowed steadily. The red light reflected unnaturally in his eyes giving him a demonic air. He passed the blade from hand to hand watching it with a steady gaze. As if hypnotized, we all stared at the gleaming blade as it went back and forth.

Abruptly, he jammed it into the cushion of the chair.

The spell was broken.

Rivin smiled, canines gleaming like fangs…Killian smiled back. “I’m counting on his resistance.”

The room was silent after that.

“How did you know Dec?” I asked after a few minutes.

Rivin smiled sadly and said with forced cheerfulness, “Oh, everybody knew Declan. He was cool. We spent some time surfing off the coast of Australia a while back.” He rolled up his jeans to display a jagged scar on his calf. “Got this savin’ his ass off the Great Barrier Reef.” He grinned broadly and added, “The shark got the raw end of the deal though. I fed him to an orca.”

“Dec had a way with the waves, he did. He could drop in and ride anything. I’ve never seen anyone do it better. The lad was fearless! You should’ve seen him riding the orca!”

Killian snorted at the visual. Clearly he didn’t believe it. I was entranced though. This was a side of Dec I never knew. I wanted to hear more about him. Unconsciously, I rubbed the soft cotton of his forgotten t-shirt. If I closed my eyes I could see him on a surfboard laughing up at the huge waves. He wanted to play more than anyone I’d ever known.

Rivin reached across and touched his finger to the tiny logo on the shoulder of my t-shirt. “He loved that shirt. Wore it all the time. Said it was comfortable.” He shrugged as if he couldn’t understand anyone worrying about clothes. “Where’d you find it?”

“Ireland. I…found it in an old backpack. It sounds silly, but it felt like Dec. I couldn’t leave it behind. It would be like abandoning him…” I stared down at the hem and bit my lip again.

Killian announced, “We’re done, Rivin. I’ll be in touch.”

The door closed with a quiet hiss and we were alone.

“Why won’t you let yourself cry? You’re a knot inside; you’ve got to let it go. It’s okay to miss him.” He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. His own were dark with emotion. “I do too.”

I sniffed and tried to make a joke. “I feel like I’ve been crying for years.”

“It’s been a hard couple of years, Princess. You’re entitled to a few tears, don’t you think?”

“I guess so…but you guys don’t cry. I feel like a drama queen around you.”

He actually snorted a laugh and hugged me tightly. “Mica, listen to me. Your powers of empathy are important to who you are and what you’ll do with your life. If you couldn’t handle them, Michael wouldn’t have given them to you. You’re going to feel emotions more keenly than other people from now on. Your senses are enhanced, remember?”

I nodded. He made sense.

Patiently he continued, “On top of that, we’re talking about someone you love. I know your heart is broken and you’re afraid to start crying because you don’t want to believe he’s really not coming back. You’re afraid you won’t be able to stop.” He squeezed my leg and said, “Holding your grief inside won’t bring him back, baby. It can’t change the future.”

“But I don’t want him to be gone! Can’t we find him like we did Sean?”

“Not this time.” He rubbed my back and pressed my cheek against his shoulder. Gradually, I relaxed against him and he leaned back tucking me against his chest. “Talk to me. You’ll feel better.”

“What are we going to do? Everything’s falling apart. Sean’s gone…” I said with a heavy sigh. I curled my fingers in the soft material of his shirt and buried my face against him.

“Okay, babe. Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me what happened with Sean and we’ll go from there.”

I started from the time Killian had left me and recounted everything I could remember after that. Killian listened and only interrupted with an occasional question. He stayed relaxed against me until I got to the part about Sean using his powers to knock me out for days at a time.

He interrupted, “How many days were you out?”

“I’m still not sure. I think three or so the first time, then another two when he left. He was out gathering intel while I was asleep.”

“So you haven’t eaten for more than 10 days?” He drummed his fingers on top of his thigh. “What was he thinking? In your weakened state, you were completely vulnerable to attack. Even with your powers, you would’ve been easy prey for even a minor demon.”

Easy prey for Sean too. He’d used my weakness against me. “Yeah, tell me about it. It gets worse. When I woke up, he was so different. He was so…cold, Killian. He was edgy…mean. He was awful to me. I was so pissed at him, but I was afraid to leave him there. He was…It was…bad.” I shuddered at the memory of Sean’s mocking eyes as he ripped into my mind.

“Mica, wait.” His voice softened and he turned to look into my face. His expression was sympathetic as he gathered his thoughts. Finally he suggested quietly, “Let me in.”

Surprised by the suggestion, I hesitated, unsure. He was asking me to let him inside my memories; to give him access to my head. Would he be disappointed when he found what he was looking for? Would he regret it?

“You couldn’t disappoint me. I knew what I was doing when I sent you with Sean. Whatever you did, you did for him. I can’t ask for more than that.”

He raised his hand to my locket and watched it come to life against his fingers. The tiny heart pulsed to the rhythm of his heartbeat.  He kissed me lightly and said, “Your heart beats for me. I’m not worried about anyone taking you away.”

Goose bumps scrambled up and down my arms as he said the words. The sense of inevitability was strong again and I knew he was right. I belonged next to him. I had always been next to him. Leaning closer, I laid my palm against his heart just to feel its rhythm. The slow steady beat made me smile. The man was always right. It was unnerving.

Chuckling softly, he took my face between his hands and murmured, “Ready?”

The sky was purple with twilight when Killian pulled me to my feet and steadied me by the elbows. We’d been sitting for hours and my face hurt from crying. To get to the truth, he’d gently sifted through my memories like he was handling fragile scrolls. He slowly reviewed the scenes in my mind without judgment or comments. When he was done, he had simply kissed my eyelids closed and said, “You did what you thought was best. Don’t feel guilty.”

Even though my temples ached, I felt better now. He was right as usual; I needed to talk about things to find my perspective. I knew I had to let myself grieve over Dec and I had to stop blaming myself for what Sean was going through. I’d done my best but he was out of my control. More importantly, he wasn’t mine to control in the first place. We would try to find him but Killian’s main priority had to be finding Jordan and Sgaine Dutre. Sean would have to find his way alone. As much as it hurt to know I couldn’t help, I understood. It just sucked though.

Pulling back the sheer curtains, I gazed out at the city lights sparkling around us. The sun was nearly gone, leaving the sky shifting like the color of Primani eyes; beautiful but restless. A hint of music drifted on the air, calling me to come out to play. A tease of warm air fluttered the curtain in my hand. It was summer…and it was Paris, the most romantic city in the world.

“Maybe we should go out. We could get dinner and maybe listen to some music.”

He stood behind me, his solid warmth pressing against my back. With calloused fingers stroking my aching forehead, he smiled and shook his head above me. He purred against my ear, “Let’s stay in.”

He lifted the heavy weight of my hair and kissed the back of my neck, lips lingering, tongue drifting over the sensitive skin. All thoughts of leaving evaporated. I reached around and hooked my fingers in the top of his jeans, letting them dip playfully low. He ran his lips across my neck again and murmured, “Slow down…I have plans for you.”

My dirty mind immediately filled in all sorts of scenarios and all of them involved Killian naked on that floating bed. I swallowed and he laughed against the back of my hair.

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind, but if that’s how you want it…I was planning to feed you first.”

“I don’t need to eat right now; we could eat later--”

Stepping back, he said seriously, “Tempting, but not a chance. By my calculations, you’ve had an apple and some soup over the past 10 days.” He looked me over and added, “You’re beautiful, babe, but I’d rather keep you healthy than bedded. We’ll eat first and then…we’ll see how you feel then.”

He ordered dinner from the café down the block without asking what I wanted. When I started to protest, he shook his head and shooed me to the shower while he finished the call. It was supposed to be a surprise. The fact that he ordered in flawless French was enough of a surprise. The ultramodern bathroom was a work of art that I wanted to live in. The purple walls and sculpted sinks and mirrors were breathtaking. I turned on the shower and stood surrounded by more opulence than I’d ever imagined. Ten minutes later, Killian poked his head into the shower and interrupted me. Expecting him to join me, I stepped to the side and he shook his head.

“No way, wench. I know what’s on your mind. You’re eating first.” With that, he turned to leave.

“Killian!”

He laughed all the way out of the bathroom door.

“I bought you a present. Would you like to open me?” I posed provocatively in the doorway.

After my luxurious shower, I’d lathered up in body lotion and slipped on the sheer blue sex magnet. The sapphire fabric draped and clung to my breasts. Three wide ribbons of blue satin wound their way around my rib cage and tied in a little bow just above my pubic bone. The effect was my lean body wrapped up in blue ribbons…like a sexy present. The tiny satin thong didn’t cover much, but looked pretty…To add some modesty for dinner, I’d wrapped a silky blue sarong around my hips. A pair of inky blue stilettos finished off my look. I’d pinned my hair up into long, loose curls like Giselle had shown me.

Killian’s mouth fell open and he blinked at me. A rush of color flooded his face and his lips curled into a sexy smile. He licked his lips and actually growled low in his throat. My entire body jerked towards him, heat flooding me from head to toe. I clutched at the door frame and tried not to shake. He moved towards me, stalking like a jaguar, muscles rolling smoothly under his clothes. Sex dripped from every pore of his body and my knees went weak. My knuckles were white with strain and my heartbeat drowned out every other sound. His grin widened.

Taking his time, he stood just out of reach with one palm cupped in front of me. His eyes caressed every inch of me, lingering in all the important places. The weight of his stare was tangible as his hand drifted in front of my body, not touching, just hovering over my breasts, my ribs, down my belly, over the wisp of the sarong slung low over my hips. His voice purred inside my head as he described everything he wanted to do to me, with me, for me…He didn’t touch me with his hands, but by the time he was done looking, I was seduced. My heart was skipping beats and a bead of sweat ran down my back.

With his palms flat against the wall behind me, he pinned me between his arms and said, “Dinner’s ready.”

Turning his back on me, he walked over to the table and gestured expansively at the bounty. He had ordered roasted chicken with white wine pan sauce, tiny roasted potatoes with herbs, salads, a warm baguette, and a small bowl of fresh strawberries. A bottle of white wine sat sweating on the table beside a bottle of sparkling mineral water. The delicious aromas made me dizzy with hunger and I closed my eyes and breathed it in.

Food or sex? Food or sex? Food or…

Offering me his hand, he bowed and said, “Come, my queen, your feast awaits you.”

Food it is then. Grinning at the unexpected playfulness, I regally presented my hand and allowed him to lead me to my seat. He poured the wine and held up his glass.

“Slainte!”

I touched my glass against his and answered, “Slainte.”

“We have another day in Paris. What would you like to do with it?” he asked while filling my plate for me.

I watched with amusement as he cut up my chicken and tore off a chunk of the warm bread. Who are you and what have you done with Killian? He sat the plate in front of me and picked up a piece of the crispy meat with his fingers. Before I could answer his question, he held the morsel to my lips. I opened my mouth like a baby bird.

Sighing with pleasure, I said, “Mm, that’s so good.”

With a grin, he sliced a piece for himself while I chewed. He slipped another piece between my lips, allowing his fingers to linger longer than necessary. A tingle of electricity wove its way down my spine and I took a calming sip of wine.

What did I want to do with him in Paris, the most romantic city in the world? That had to be a trick question. I mean really. The only thought that came to mind was sex…Of course it was hard to think of anything else with his fingertips brushing my lips and his eyes undressing me. I tried to give him a seductive stare across the table and flinched away at the flash of raw desire in his eyes. He was taking his time right now but those eyes promised no such restraint later. I was having a really hard time eating when I only wanted to drag him to the bed.

“Eat, Princess. You have to get your strength back. Did you know that sex burns off a thousand calories? When you consider your high metabolism, you’ll probably burn triple that much by the end of the night. You’re too weak for that now. Probably we should wait another week or two; just to be safe.”

I stabbed another piece of chicken and made a big show of chewing it up. After swallowing, I said, “You’re not playing fair! I can only eat so much! My stomach’s shrunk.” I speared another bite of chicken and washed it down with mineral water.

He laid his hand over mine and said, “Take your time, baby. We’ve got all night.” He traced the rune on my hand and smiled slowly. “This night’s for you. I’m going to spoil you, so just relax and let me.”

I nibbled on the bread. “You’re a mystery.”

“Why’s that?”

I was idly tracing the strong bones of his hand and enjoying the feel of his blood flowing under the surface. “You’re so powerful, but you’re so gentle with me…I know your strength, but you treat me like I might break. Why are you so good to me? I’m not fragile.”

He shrugged and offered me a tiny, sweet berry. The fruit exploded in my mouth and I couldn’t resist kissing his fingers. These little berries were ridiculously good. About the size of a thumbnail, they burst into a sweet floral juice that was very different from the strawberries in America. I could move to France just for these berries.

“You don’t need to ask me that. You should know the answer. Think with your heart, not your head.”

He tugged me to my feet and wrapped an arm around my waist. Leaning me back over his arm, he nibbled the pulse at the base of my throat. His breath was hot against my skin. He smelled of strawberries and bread and the wild forest scent that surrounded him. My head swam happily and I closed my eyes. Before lifting me upright, his mouth trailed kisses from my throat to the tie of the sarong.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. “Your eyes are glazed.”

Groaning dramatically, I pressed against him and ran my hands underneath his shirt to feel the warm muscle there. “I’m not going to be responsible for my actions in another 30 seconds. You’re taking chances with my powers. Look! My fingers are glowing!” I wiggled the tips of my fingers. They were glowing whitely in the candlelight of the room. “I might accidently blow you up.”

With a smug glance, he said, “This is your fault. You wanted a full night with me. Are you telling me you can’t handle a full night with me?” He scratched his head in mock concern. “This could be a deal breaker for me. I was planning for us to spend eternity together. I’m going to want you--a lot. Am I going to have to sleep on the couch?”

My heart stopped with a loud clang in my chest. “Eternity? What are you saying?”

Without answering, he walked us into the starlit bedroom and lifted me to the bed. Climbing up with me, he leaned into my face and said very solemnly, “I can’t sleep on the couch. I have a bad back.”

The dream drifted into my subconscious as I lay on the cusp of sleep. I was limp as a ragdoll curled under Killian’s heavy arm. His heat lulled me into oblivion. As I sank deeper into sleep, someone called to me. My name drifted on the winds, leading me forward through the dawn light. As blind as a sleepwalker, I stumbled down a set of crumbling stone steps into an ancient place of magic. I sensed the magic, but the physical building in front of me was a modern church. It was old and decaying, but certainly not ancient. The land though, that was a different story. The land was very old. Under the church lay an altar and relics that would change the world.

“Mica!” The voice was louder here. A man called to me.

I looked around for the man. It sounded as if he were right next to me. There was no one. As I watched, the air shimmered and the ground shook under my feet. The sound of a million screams echoed in the silence of the mist. The shaking stopped and I stood transfixed with my heart in my throat. The ancient world lay superimposed over today’s relics. The two realities shimmered over each other until only the older one remained. I ducked my head and entered the dwelling.

The stone altar was new. The cut marks were still visible and the runes were sharp, not yet weathered by the years and elements. A small brazier glowed with peat, sending an earthy smell into the air. A man stood at the altar with his back to me. Wearing only a pair of loose-fitting brown pants, his back gleamed with sweat in the humid air. His long black hair was twisted into several loose braids to keep it out of his face. His brilliant blue eyes met mine as he turned to greet me.

“There you are. You’re late.”

“Killian?”

He took a step in my direction and the room began to undulate. He reached out a hand but the walls had already blurred into the other reality and his face faded.

His frantic voice rang through my mind as I drifted away from him. “Mica, no!”

I sat up blinking in the darkness. Killian stirred and mumbled, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…weird dream, that’s all.” I lay back down trying to make sense of the dream.

He shifted so I could scrunch back against him again but I sprawled face to face with him instead. I was exhausted, but I wanted to feel him close to me. After that dream, something had shifted inside of me. A click of understanding; a need to catch up…I couldn’t stop thinking about the dream. The image of a much different Killian filled my head. His body was thinner, his hair longer, but the face was the same. His expression had been warm, welcoming, when he’d turned to me. His eyes…Something told me to hurry, to hold him, to stop time from running out.

His breathing was deep and even with sleep when I ran my palm down his back and across his butt. God, he was so big; so strong, powerful. Mine. I wanted to drag him against me and bury my fingers into the hard muscle of his back but I kept my fingers light. My heart pounded as the images from the dream floated behind my eyes. Hurry, hurry, hurry…I didn’t notice the exact second his breathing changed, but he hissed low in his throat and caught my hand against his erection. He was smoldering hot and wide awake now.

Without a word, he caught my mouth with his and pulled my legs apart.

“Closer…I need to be closer to you…” I murmured nearly frantic with a lingering sense of sand slipping through the hourglass. “Don’t wait; you’ll be lost.”

Catching my urgency, he clutched me against him, pulling my ankles around his back. It didn’t seem close enough and I whispered desperately, “I want all of you…all before you’re gone again.”

Sometime later, the sun was peeping through the sheers and Killian got up quietly. I didn’t open my eyes but I was definitely awake. The night came flooding back to me and I turned purple with embarrassment. Good Lord, I’d attacked him. I wasn’t shy about sex. In general, it was a lovely thing and I liked it. With Killian, I more than liked it. But I usually just melted into a puddle and followed his lead. It worked for us. But last night…I’d acted like a…an animal. I closed my eyes as the images of our sexcapades flashed across my mind. Jesus, Mica! What were you thinking? I lost my mind! It was that dream! It made me crazy!

“Here, babe.” Killian was back and handed me a cup of coffee. He looked exhausted but alive. His face was paler than usual and he had dark circles under his eyes. He turned to pull the curtains and I gasped out loud.

He looked quizzically at me and turned to look in the mirror. He broke into a satisfied smirk. “All ten nails? They sting like hell. I hope they scar.”

“Just shoot me now!” I buried my head under the covers.

Tugging up the corner of the sheet, he leaned under and kissed me long and hard. My brain short-circuited after the first ten seconds; by the time he broke off the kiss, I wasn’t thinking at all.

Twenty minutes later, I stretched and moaned at the aches and pains. “Will it always be this way with us?”

“What way is that?” He kissed my shoulder and tucked my fingers inside his hand.

Would I crave him like water? Would I want him every second of every day? Would my heart always pound at the touch of his fingers? Would I love him this way forever? I blushed at my thoughts and he laughed at me.

“Baby, welcome to your destiny.”

Snorting at the smug tone of his voice, I said primly, “Somehow I don’t think this is what Raphael was thinking when he saved me.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised. Let’s get up though. We’re going to play tourist today. You deserve a vacation. Let’s go play with some humans.”

“Here, eat this.” Killian offered me a chunk of cheese. “It’s a picnic, remember?”

Obediently, I opened my mouth and let him feed me. The soft cheese was delicious and I savored the flavor before swallowing it. He’d been carefully feeding me since we got here. A girl could get used to this kind of pampering…We were lying in the grass in a sprawling green park near the Eiffel Tower. The tower loomed over us standing guard over Paris. Its intricate construction was surely a miracle of man. Crowds of tourists waited in line for the dubious thrill of climbing all the way to the top. I was perfectly content to lie with my head in Killian’s lap and watch everyone else work hard.

“Do you remember when it was built?” I asked.

“Oh, sure. It was a huge deal. The French were very proud.”

“You don’t sound too impressed.”

He shrugged and offered me some ham. “I had other things on my mind at the time. French architecture didn’t make my Top Ten List.”

The sun had set on a perfect day. We were about to go out and mingle among the beautiful and stylish people of the Paris night scene.

Killian’s eyes darkened when I twirled for him. “Wow!” He took my hand and turned me around for a longer look. “Remind me to buy you ridiculously expensive clothes from now on; they suit you.”

Blushing at his husky tone, I leaned way up and kissed him. “The clothes are beautiful, but you know you don’t have to do that. I’m not fussy.”

Running his hand over the silky material of the dress, he kissed my bare shoulder and said, “I am.”

With that, he waved me out of the door and wrapped his arm around me as we made our way outside. We were planning to walk around until we found an interesting bar or club to check out. Killian was more relaxed than I’d seen him outside of Eden. He seemed less Primani and more boyfriend than ever before.

“I’m always on duty.” He moved my hand to the hard outline of the knife under his shirt. “Demons don’t take a holiday. They’re here.”

Wandering here and there, we finally ended up on a small cobblestone street liberally dotted with cafes and bars. Music of all kinds competed for attention. Throngs of young people crowded the narrow street and the atmosphere was upbeat. The frantic bass thump of techno vibrated the sidewalk under my feet. A darkened stairway led to an underground club called Sortilege.

Killian translated, “Magic Spell. How appropriate.”

“Let’s go dance!”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t say no. Killian was most definitely not a dancer. Laughing up at him, I begged, “Please! Let’s just go inside. We can leave if you hate it!”

The door opened and a blast of bass hit us like a shockwave. My skin tingled with the pressure and I dragged Killian down the stairs. After slipping some money to the skinny guy inside the door, Killian let me lead him through the maze of bodies. The club was minimalist. Meaning it had no décor. The walls were painted black and white and the only decoration was the seizure-causing strobe lights bouncing hypnotically over everything. I let my eyes linger too long and nearly fell over. Killian caught my elbow and steered me towards an empty spot by the wall. Most of the people were too into the music to notice us, but the few that did hastily stepped to one side. I shrugged in apology when one guy backed up so fast his friend spilled his drink down his shirt.

He started to say something to Killian and I shook my head in warning. You really don’t want to go there, dude. He gave Killian a second look and opted to shove his friend into the wall instead. Now standing with a good view of the dance floor, I let the impossible beat seep into my pores like air. It was amazing! I turned to smile up at Killian and caught a group of women ogling him. There were three of them. All were dressed to kill and built like supermodels; which translated into undernourished and bony. They were giggling and elbowing each other, each trying to get up the nerve to do more than stare. I had to admit he was something special to see. In all the years I’d known him, I’d really only seen him dressed in three ways: commando black from head to toe; faded jeans and black concert t-shirts; or naked.

To be honest, ‘naked’ was my favorite outfit, but it was probably illegal here. To avoid spending time in a French jail or being assaulted by gangs of horny French women, he’d bought some clothes and cleaned up just fine. More than fine, he was smoking hot. Not interested in the skinny jean look, he rocked a pair of charcoal grey straight-legged jeans with a smoky-blue t-shirt. The shirt was expensive and the material draped over his muscles like second skin. It wasn’t clingy, but you could definitely make out the bulky muscles of his chest and shoulders. The color made his eyes even more impossibly blue.

“I might have to shoot one of those women,” I whispered in his ear.

Glancing sideways, he caught their eyes and gave them a broad wink and a sexy smile. They twittered like a flock of birds. He grinned down at me. “Oh, are they doing something wrong?”

“They’re drooling all over themselves. It’s disgusting.”

He pulled me up for a long slow kiss that left no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was taken. His eyes smoldered gently and he murmured, “Let’s get out of here.”

We were heading towards the exit when he suddenly stopped and tensed. Following his stare, I groaned inwardly. Of course…it was too much to ask to have a perfectly demon-free day. We were overdue.

Letting go of my hand to unsheathe his blade, he asked, “Are you ready for this?”

“Absolutely. It’s only one. Piece of cake, right?” I was unarmed and wearing stilettos and a mini-dress. Sure, I was ready.

What could possibly go wrong?

The demon was masquerading as a skinny red-haired man with a tattoo on his left arm. The dragon climbed up his arm from his fingers to the side of his jaw. He wore black skinny jeans and a tank top to show off his skinny collarbone and nice tat. He hadn’t spotted us but had turned around and left before we could push through the maze of twitching bodies.

Once we got outside, Killian strode around the corner with complete confidence. He knew exactly where the skinny demon had gone. On autopilot now, Killian tracked the demon with an inhuman focus. He stalked down the alley with a blade gripped in his hand. With eyes scanning 180 degrees, he moved like a ghost. I stayed on his other side and tried to avoid becoming a ghost myself. A tiny glimmer of light caught my eye and I paused.

“Up on the right. He’s leaving a doorway. How do you want to play this?”

He thought for a heartbeat. “Follow my lead.” With that he draped his arm around me and leaned drunkenly against me. I swayed and nearly fell over. “Come on, baby! Let me come in! I’m walking you home, it’s the least you can do.” He slurred the last few words.

Laughing loudly, I said, “You’re too drunk to be any use to me. Why should I bother?”

Swaying back and forth, we made our way the short distance to where the demon was hesitating in the shadows. Just as he made a move to step out to the road, Killian checked him two feet off the ground. With one violent motion, he jammed the Primani blade into his chest. Moving too fast to see, he was back at my side just as the demon’s body exploded into ash.

Wiping the blade against a small clump of weeds, he said, “Too easy.”

Chapter 6: Practice Makes Perfect

THAT ONE PERFECT NIGHT was a beautiful memory now. Two weeks ago, we’d slipped out of Paris in a silver and black McLaren. I was standing beside it admiring the sleek lines while Killian filled the gas tank. We’d been driving for hours and I needed to stretch. The morning air was chilly and I gathered my wrap around me. The cashmere wrap was deliciously soft and warm. Killian had surprised me with it last night in the tiny hotel room we’d rented in Gyor. The small city in Hungary had been a welcome surprise after driving in from Vienna yesterday. The car was extremely comfortable but my body was still stiff and unused to so much sitting. It was a relief to park and spend some time walking around the city. We’d gotten up in the darkness of early morning and had been driving ever since. I twisted to the right, feeling the muscles in my lower back tighten. Groaning with relief, I stretched to the left.

“Let’s go,” he called across the roof. He had unlimited energy and slid into the leather seat with an eagerness that was irritating.

The car purred and growled as it entered the freeway. Killian drove with one hand on the wheel and the other wrapped around mine. I leaned back and closed my eyes, listening to the music.

I was about half asleep when he said, “How do you feel about staying in Romania for a few days? I’m beginning to think these trips are one big distraction. Jordan’s playing us.”

I was beginning to think the same thing. In the past two weeks, we’d been all over Germany and Austria. Sgaine Dutre would pop up on the radar and then disappear as soon as we got close to it. We chose to drive to avoid draining Killian’s saol to nothing. He couldn’t take me with him and teleport everywhere. It was too draining and he’d have little strength left to confront Jordan. So we had tried this approach. As each place was a dead end so far, it seemed reasonable that Jordan wasn’t really there. Somehow he was moving the ancient blade around without using its powers. Killian hadn’t felt the crushing pain in his chest that had signaled the blade was being used.

I said, “You’re the boss. What do you want to do there?”

“We’ll do some training. I’m feeling soft; it’ll be good to workout. We have a place we can use. No neighbors.”

“Hmm, with thick walls and a comfy bed too?”

He squeezed my leg and let his hand linger. He shook with head with mock confusion. “You’re always hungry. I must be doing something wrong.”

Giggling, I said, “Oh, no, you’re doing something right!” I leaned over and nuzzled the warm skin of his neck. Inhaling him, I sighed in bliss. “Doesn’t this car go any faster?”

Hours later, he finally exited the M3 and veered towards the city of Miskolc, Romania. The country around us was thick with trees and rolling hills. We’d stayed on the main highway so we’d bypassed some towns. I’d hoped to get a good look at them but we didn’t get close enough. I looked at the GPS screen and shook my head again.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going? How come you don’t want to use the GPS?”

“The last time I trusted one of those things, I ended up in Miami.”

“Where were you going?”

“Boston.”

Fizzing with giggles, I gave up. He had the world atlas inside his head.

The road got bumpier after we left the two-lane highway. We made so many turns I was completely lost. After about 15 minutes, we pulled up in front of a small house hidden under a huge canopy of trees. The tiny house was whitewashed stone and had an adorable thatched roof. Some of the thatching dipped low above the front windows as if it needed a haircut.

“It’s awesome! Look how cute this place is!” Grabbing his arm, I pulled him up the stairs. “Come on, hurry! I want to see the inside!”

“Patience, Princess,” he smiled as he put his hand against a security pad. After a second, its tiny light turned green and the door opened with a click.

The inside was plain and simple, but no less adorable. Whitewashed walls and exposed ceiling timbers made a simple background for the flowered curtains and overstuffed couch. A small corner fireplace completed the living room. On the other side of the entrance was a small dining room with table and chairs. I could see into the kitchen from here. A curved wooden staircase led to the upstairs. Bounding up the stairs, I threw open the first door I came to and stopped short with a yelp.

“You!”

Rivin rubbed his eyes and sat up from his napping position on the bed. His faded jeans were unbuttoned and rode way too low on his hips and the rest of him was bare except for a gleaming silver cross that hung around his neck.

“Come on in, love. There’s plenty of me to go around.” His face fell comically when Killian showed up behind me. “Bloody hell, you’re here too?”

Not rising to the bait, Killian snapped, “What are you doing here?”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Rivin buttoned his jeans and said, “I needed a break. I always use this place…its creepiness suits me.”

“Creepy? It’s a cute house.”

Grinning hugely, Rivin said, “Oh, the house is bloody fine, lass. It’s what’s outside that amps up the creepiness. Just wait till after dark.”

Alarmed, I turned so abruptly I bounced my head off of Killian’s chin. His teeth came together with a clack. Rivin dissolved into barks of laughter and collapsed back onto the bed.

“Oh, geez! I’m so sorry!” I turned pink with embarrassment but Killian only rubbed his chin.

With an exasperated look at Rivin, he said, “Nice job!” To me, he said, “Come on, killer, let’s get our stuff inside. It gets dark early in these forests.”

“Rivin? Baby, I can’t find the towels!”

The woman was raven haired and built like a stripper--A really talented, really expensive stripper. She was tall with a tiny waist and breasts that Mother Nature could never provide. When she screeched to a halt, her, uh, nipple rings swung violently back and forth. With a squeak of surprise, she held one hand out in front of her Brazilian.

Moving at warp speed, Rivin hopped up and stood in front of her. She peered around his bare shoulder.

Killian simply raised an eyebrow at Rivin and closed my mouth with a finger.

Still grinning mischievously, Rivin adjusted his jeans. “Sorry, lass, but you’ll have to take a number.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “In your dreams.”

After unpacking our limited wardrobe, I was in the middle of a huge yawn when Killian wrapped his arms around me. Leaning tiredly against him, I didn’t protest when he suggested a nap. I was beat. “Are you coming?”

“Not this time. I need to talk to Rivin. You get some rest; you need it.” Before leaving the room, he checked the locks on the two windows, closed the outside shutters and then pulled the curtains closed.

The stripper was gone when I came downstairs a few hours later. Killian and Rivin sat at the dining room table studying a large map. Their voices were quiet as they talked and pointed to locations. I hung back so I wouldn’t interrupt them. They were completely focused on their plans. I decided to find the kitchen. They had to be hungry; maybe I could find some food for us. Killian glanced up at me the moment I crossed into the room. He gestured for me to join them.

Rivin acknowledged me with a slight incline of his head. He said to Killian, “Do you think the little woman can whip up something to eat? I’m near famished.”

“Little woman?” I repeated carefully.

Killian leaned out of the way and smothered a smile. “I don’t know, Rivin. Mica, are you feeling domestic just now?”

Rivin totally missed the warning. He leaned back in his chair and said, “Oh, don’t go to too much trouble, love. Any old thing’ll do. I worked up an appetite this afternoon.” He winked and added, “Gotta keep the juice flowin’, if you know what I mean!”

Smiling sweetly, I fluttered a hand to my heart and did my best Scarlett O’Hara impression, “Why Rivin, darlin’, you should’ve woken me up to fetch you some food! I had no idea you were too stupid to make a sandwich.”

I sashayed dramatically to the kitchen to the faint echoes of laughter inside my head.

Nice exit!

Rivin’s incredulous tone carried to the kitchen. “Did she just call me stupid?”

Little woman? Was he serious? Who says that? Moron! I scrounged around for five minutes and put together a tray. Killian was listening intently to Rivin’s report from Switzerland and I didn’t want to break their concentration. I sat the tray down and went back for drinks. I’d managed to find some kind of dark bread and lunchmeat…not anything I recognized exactly, but it smelled okay. I added some sliced apples and a handful of olives that were left in the refrigerator. Everything smelled okay; I just hoped they wouldn’t poison us. A couple of beers added some nutrition to the feast. We seriously had to go shopping…

I was about to slip out to the other room when Killian stopped me. “Mica, you have to eat too. You’re not interrupting. Come and sit down.”

Rivin eyed me with annoyance but nodded too. “Yeah, come and sit. I’ll be on me best behavior, I promise.”

Killian piled some mystery meat on top of a slab of bread and handed it to me while he continued talking to Rivin. Turning to me, he said, “This concerns you too.”

Rivin stood up and came up behind me. With an expression of doubt, he carefully looked me over. Like evaluating a horse, he ran his broad hands down my shoulders and arms, squeezing my muscles along the way.

Before I could protest, he shook his head. “I won’t do it. I’ll hurt her. You know I will. I only know one way to fight.” His eyes glittered and he added, “To the death.”

Choking on my bread, I sputtered, “What?”

Helpfully pounding me between the shoulder blades, Rivin answered, “I’m your new sparring partner, love.” He didn’t look too happy about it.

I whipped around to Killian for confirmation and he nodded. “Are you serious? I thought you were going to spar with me?”

“This is a better option for you. The change will help you. You’ve trained with me so often you can predict my moves and counter them.”

“That’s not true!” I denied too much.

He laughed and said, “Really? Are you sticking with that? We both know better.”

Rivin still looked doubtful. He warned, “Man, you don’t know what you’re asking me to do. I’m not good at playing nice.”

Now that I’d gotten over the surprise, I was a little insulted by this attitude. I wasn’t exactly a novice. Plus, I had powers that he didn’t know about. I buffed a fingernail and looked down my nose at him in a perfect imitation of Killian. “Rivin, how are your healing skills?”

Killian barked a laugh and warned, “Play nice, babe. We’re going to need Rivin’s help.”

The next afternoon was sunny and warm. I wiped a bead of sweat away from my eye and watched for the exact second of decision. Counting in my head, I waited. One, two, and…there it is! His lunge was nearly impossible to see but I anticipated it. Rolling to the left, I bounced back to the balls of my feet and threw a roundhouse kick to his ribs. Grunting at the impact, he grabbed for my leg but I pushed off to the other side. His hand caught nothing but air. Instead of attacking again, he paused to regroup. He was dripping with sweat now and not laughing at me anymore. An hour earlier, we started with a few simple warm ups. Rivin wasn’t exaggerating when he said he didn’t know how to play nice. He had no kind of restraint at all. My Primani always toned down their killing instincts when we practiced. Not so with Rivin. On our second match, he threw me into a tree. We had to take a break for me to heal a cracked rib. After that, I was pissed. He wasn’t too cocky after I landed a solid kick to his jaw. The blood from his cut mouth ruined his favorite t-shirt. That was about 30 minutes ago. Now we were both out to prove something.

Killian watched from the side. Yelling at me to push harder, he watched me fall; he watched me learn. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of silver. Before I could lift a hand to block him, Rivin tackled me from the side throwing me into the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me. Stars danced around my head as I lay gaping like a beached fish. He was crushing me with his shoulder in my diaphragm.

Expecting Killian to step in, I searched around for him. He stood next to us with arms crossed; his expression said “handle it.” Still not getting any fresh oxygen, I willed myself not to panic. I can do this. Rivin’s eyes were inches from mine and burning with the urge to finish the kill. His breathing was harsh and hot on my face. He curled his lip into a smirk and that did it. Gathering my strength, I head-butted him and threw him off of me with enough force that he landed on his back. Forcing myself to move before he could get up, I sucked in a lungful of air and kicked him in the ribs. The crack was gratifying.

His grunt of pain less so.

“Fuck!” He hissed in his breath as the pain registered. He glared up at me and heaved himself to his feet again. Breathing shallowly, he felt his side and grimaced.

Killian gave me a nudge towards the house. “That’s it Mica, you’re done for now. Go get cleaned up.”

Panting from the adrenaline rush, I shook my fingers to disperse some of the extra energy racing through me. It was getting stronger every time I switched into soldier-mode. I was getting physically stronger too. I felt a pang of guilt over breaking Rivin. Even though he’d thrown me into a tree…

“Wait! Rivin, are you okay?”

“He’s fine, babe.”

As I walked away, I heard Rivin complain, “She’s not normal!”

Killian’s laughter drifted on the breeze. “You haven’t seen the half of it. Don’t piss her off. You could lose an arm.”

Rivin was lounging across the couch flipping channels when I came downstairs. He studiously ignored me when I walked by. His shoulders were tense but he didn’t turn around. The air practically simmered around him. He was most unhappy with me…

“Hey, loser, what’s on?” I called over my shoulder on the way into the kitchen.

Without seeming to move, he appeared next to me and shoved me into the counter. His eyes were cold and flat when he sneered in my face, “Watch yourself, human! You’re not my charge. I might get careless with you.”

“You’re hurting my back.”

“So what?”

Reacting from pure instinct, I whipped out my Primani blade and slipped the tip into the open space above his jeans. His belly contracted like he’d been electrocuted. I nudged him a bit for good measure. His skin popped like a grape.

“Shit.”

“Now what?” I sneered into his face and he looked wildly behind him.

“Do you have a death wish?” Killian clapped his hand on Rivin’s shoulder and firmly pulled him away from me.

“Nice reflexes,” Rivin said grudgingly to me. He stepped back and rubbed at his belly.

“Oh, don’t whine. You’re not even bleeding--much.”

I sheathed the blade and gave Killian a long look. He gave me a wink and took my hand. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

The forest was dense behind the house, but a small trail wound like a serpent through the brush. It wasn’t wide enough for us to walk side by side, so Killian took point and I walked behind him. I didn’t mind; the view was spectacular…and the woods were nice, too. Now and then birds called to each other and I thought I heard the tapping of a woodpecker. The forest was alive around us; there was a sense of hushed waiting, a watchfulness that gave me the creeps. After a while we came to a small grassy clearing where someone had set up a fire ring and some logs. The stones that were used for the fire ring were weathered and smooth as if they’d been exposed for a long time. Bright green moss sprawled over some of the smaller stones. The fire had long since been put out; there was nothing left but greyish dirt. There were eight perfectly straight trees that formed a large circle around us. Each tree had a symbol carved into it. They looked like runes.

“How are you feeling?” Killian asked with serious eyes.

Surprised by the question, I hesitated. “Fine…I guess…Why?”

“I need you to do something for me. Can you look around us and see what you sense? It’s important.”

Slowly, I asked, “The trees? What is this place?”

He waved away my questions. “It’s a protective circle. We’re safe here. Just look around.”

Nervous now, I peered into the dense growth and felt a million evil eyes looking back at me. Chills went down my spine and I inched closer to Killian.

He put his arm around me and said, “It’s safe enough now. Stop scaring yourself.”

Not entirely reassured, I said, “Sit with me then and I’ll do it.”

He sat on one of the logs and patted the space between his legs. There wasn’t a lot of room, but I managed to perch my butt on the log and leaned against him. He pulled my braid from between us and draped it over my shoulder. “Ready?”

Closing my eyes, I inhaled slowly and cleared my mind. Letting conscious thoughts evaporate, I focused on sensations. The gentle breeze on my face, the scent of earth and fire, the steady beat of Killian’s heart against my shoulder…inhaling and slowing my heart, I settled my mind and got to work.

Reaching out, scanning, searching…the forest teemed with life. I sensed mice, moles, insects…tiny creatures living out their part of the plan; feverishly searching for food, watching for predators, just hoping to survive long enough to reproduce. Larger animals burrowed in for the day…foxes, badgers, skunks…curled up in dens with their noses tucked under their tails like dogs. One skunk seemed to sense my presence and blinked sleepily into my eyes. Smiling faintly, I left him to his dreams and went back to my searching.

A howl drifted through the trees…answered by another lonely howl. They were far away, the sound barely there, but it sent a shiver down my back.

Killian murmured, “Wolves. Keep searching, I’ll keep watch.”

Searching farther away, I caught something. The barest hint…the fleeting sensation of evil, but then it was gone. Zeroing in on the location, I narrowed my eyes and scanned again. There it was again! Like a wraith, it moved in front of my eyes…gossamer, sheer, not fully formed…come on, show yourself!

It stared directly at me.

With eyes and a shape now, it screamed, its black mouth an open void. I backed away, it surged forward lunging at me. Retreating at full speed, I pulled my eyes back to the clearing and jumped away from Killian.

“It’s coming!”

“What happened? What did you see?”

Turning slowly, I whispered, “It’s here.”

Killian turned to follow my gaze and said, “Holy God.”

Chapter 7: Penance

Los Angeles, California:

DESTINY GIROUX BLINKED in the streaming sunlight and cursed the bare window. She’d just moved into this dump and hadn’t found the money for curtains yet. Eating was a bigger priority, though she’d give up food for a week to block the sun right now. The early morning brightness nearly split her head open. Her head pounded with one too many tequila shots and her mouth felt like a cat had crawled inside and died. What had she been thinking? She would have to call in sick. No way did she want to work today. With a moan, she closed her eyes and turned her back on the sun. Her nose bumped into warm skin. Her eyes flew open.

Oh, yeah, that’s right. It was him; that hot guy. Even her pounding head couldn’t erase the memory of the early morning hours spent rolling around with him. She licked her lower lip, feeling the tiny scab where he’d split the skin with the force of his mouth. The bed had been worked over so well the sheets were hanging off the side. He’d turned her inside out until she’d finally screamed for mercy. Destiny vaguely remembered passing out while he was still primed to go. Had he stopped? She had no idea but the thought of that hard body working against hers sent a painful rush of heat racing between her legs. She sighed and devoured him through her fake lashes. Sprawled on his stomach with his face turned away from her prying eyes, he was dead to the world.

As bits and pieces of the night came back to her, she considered her schedule. She had nothing pressing; she’d call in sick after all. There would be plenty of time…It was morning after all, and men were always good to go in the morning. She wanted to keep him a little longer but her instincts whispered to her. She should let him go, he wasn’t safe…

Maybe she’d been lucky last night; he’d clearly wanted sex. How would he be in the daylight? He could be a serial killer. He might wake up and screw her one last time and then stab her in the chest. He sighed and mumbled something in his sleep and she relaxed. Surely he wasn’t a serial killer. They didn’t smell this good, did they? Trying not to wake him yet, she leaned closer and breathed in the scent of his skin…woodsy, clean.

Last night had been amazing, a fantasy come to life. This gorgeous, dangerous man stalked into her life, crooked his finger, and fucked her brains out. Even totally wasted, she took one look at him and knew there was something strange about this guy. He held himself taut, scanning the room from the bar. Both eyes were ringed with the yellow and green remnants of a hellacious black eye. The greenish bruising ran down one cheekbone and across the crooked bridge of his nose. He practically screamed ‘bad boy’ and the bruises couldn’t hide the gorgeous face underneath. Primed with liquid courage, she didn’t even hesitate when she saw him sitting alone at the end of the bar. He was a fantasy come true and she wanted a piece of that.

He didn’t say a word to her when she’d come on to him. He simply looked at her and she melted into a puddle of hormones. He’d smiled wickedly and headed for the door. She’d followed him and brought him here. She’d been all over him as soon as they made it inside her loft. It wasn’t every day that a smoking hot man agreed to go home with her. She’d thought he was hot last night, but that had been after a lot of tequila. Usually, the really hot guys turned out to be losers in the morning light. This one…what was his name? Shit, she didn’t remember. It didn’t matter anyhow; she didn’t care that much. She’d enjoy him a little longer and then kick him out. Arching against his side, she ran her hands over the flat muscles of his back.

“Wake up, baby. It’s morning. I have a surprise for you--”

Before she could blink, she was flat on her back with her hands pinned over her head. He glared into her face with eyes that burned like Hell itself.

Antarctica:

With snow whipping around him, Sean stood on the edge of the precipice leaning into the wind and willing it to take him away. Ice crystals stung his eyes but he didn’t care. He welcomed the pain, the cold. Maybe the snow would put out the fire. The raging storm mirrored his thoughts and he finally hung his head. What was he thinking? The girl’s terrified face haunted him; her blue eyes wide and flooded with tears; red hair curling across the pillow like so much spilled blood…

He’d been tied in knots when he ended up to Los Angeles last night. Since leaving Ireland, he didn’t care where he traveled; he just closed his eyes and went. He was wound so tightly he was about to snap. His body ached with tension and too much energy. It was something he couldn’t control. Rage stimulated their saols; his was in constant readiness for combat. Like an adrenaline rush, the power raced through him keeping him tense and edgy. Without a release, he was dangerously unstable. He knew it; had seen this happen to other Primani. It hadn’t ended well for them…he thought of the Stone Garden and shuddered.

Last night he’d been stretched to his breaking point, his body screaming for release. He only knew two ways to get it. Killing a fat juicy demon was one option. The other involved a willing female. Since the demons were all attending the Academy Awards, he’d zeroed in on the redhead. She was willing enough. Hell, she was all over him. She’d practically stripped him in the elevator. The second the doors hissed shut, she’d shoved his shirt up and ran her delicate hands all over him. He’d had to grab her hand when she’d gone for his zipper. Stupid slut. Didn’t she know she meant nothing to him? He’d only taken what he needed.

It had been her lucky night. As a Primani, his body could do things on its own whether he put the effort into it or not. The heat, the power…these things turned on the minute his body primed for sex. He was good at everything he did, and sex was on the top of his list. He’d given her a thrill that she’d never find again…and he got, well, nothing. His body was still on fire and his karma had taken a nosedive. He rubbed a hand over his face and ground his teeth together. It was risky to mingle with humans that way…he knew better.

What was he thinking?

He wasn’t thinking at all…he was just careening out of control.

Damn it! He needed Mica. Mica could help him if he called to her. She had the power in her strong, lethal hands. She settled him down with the touch of her fingers, but she wasn’t his to call anymore. He had no rights to her now. He’d pushed her into Killian’s arms; it was his fault she left him. She had given her innocent heart to him and he left her devastated and alone with Killian. He didn’t come back to her for a year.

She was right to move on.

He didn’t blame her for that. He wouldn’t want her to pine for him. The bitch of it was he couldn’t remember where he had been. His memory was disappearing every day. Something had kept him away, but what? He’d be damned if he could remember it now. Shit, he was damned anyway…he snorted a bitter laugh at the mess he’d made. So he’d disappeared for some reason, lost Mica forever, and ended up on this piece of shit ice cap.

Karma was a bitch.

Admitting it was his fault didn’t make it any easier to take. He missed Mica like air, like water. She was his other half, and tearing her away was like tearing off one of his arms. He’d been spinning around off balance for months.

Looking across the expanse of Antarctica, he mused, “I’m losing my friggin’ mind.”

Houston, Texas:

Like clockwork, the dream came again. It was the same as before; a maddening glimpse without answers. The mist covered her face. The woman stood just beyond his reach, just out of focus, her lithe body swaying against the gusting wind. The silk of her gown clung to every curve. The white silk hissed in the wind, the sound going straight to his gut. His hands remembered the feel of the slippery material, the softness of the gown, of her skin. His stomach clenched as he tried to see her more clearly. He knew that body…knew the curve of her hip.

“Come closer!” he called to her.

Shaking her head, she held out her hands to him. A ruby glinted on one finger, its fire the only color in the dream. He tried to go to her but his feet wouldn’t carry him. He struggled to break loose but he was stuck.  The mist grew heavier until she faded into the white background like a ghost into the fog.

“No! Wait!”

Shouting hoarsely, he sat up in bed dripping with sweat. Still caught in the dream, he looked blankly around the white room. The dream started to fade and he blinked at the unfamiliar hotel room walls. Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut to escape the dream, but the woman’s face hung in his mind. He knew her…even featureless, she looked into his soul.

“Who are you?” he whispered to the empty air. Shaking it off, he rolled over to look at the clock. It was 5:00. “Shit, it’s too early.”

After a 10-mile run, he took a shower and checked out. The bored desk clerk handed him a receipt and turned back to the morning news show. Sean scanned the empty lobby and stepped into the men’s room. No one would see him leave.

Plattsburgh, New York:

The farmhouse was empty. Invisible to the human eye, he stood just inside the tree line scanning the house and the woods around it. Satisfied it was safe, he crossed the backyard and slipped inside. He shut the door and locked it. Leaning against the wall, he grimaced as pain stabbed deep inside his skull. Squeezing his eyes closed, he pushed both hands against his temples trying to dull the pain. His left eye twitched and he rubbed at it absently. A sharp spasm of pain drove him to his knees and he bowed his head waiting for the pain to stop. It would, eventually, but until then he couldn’t see straight.

After a bit, he got to his feet and stumbled into the kitchen. Rummaging through the pantry, he dragged boxes of food out onto the counter. Damn it, there has to be something I can just eat! The headaches were relentless now. Traveling was making them worse. He’d been moving around for weeks dispatching demons in Chicago, Houston, Timbuktu, and God only knew where else. He’d hit each city like a lightning bolt; crashing brutally into the demons unlucky enough to come into his cross-hairs. Along the way, he’d settled a few scores and killed off some of Dec’s loose ends too. Dec wouldn’t be too happy with him at the moment. But then, Dec wasn’t here, was he? That was part of the problem. Forcing his brother’s disappointed face from his mind, he sagged and rubbed at his eyes.

He’d finally run out of energy.

Although, at this point, he didn’t need it anyhow; he was…ineffective.

Grimacing, he thought that was an understatement. He was a complete failure as a Primani. Oh, he was spectacular at killing demons, but that was only part of the job. He’d failed at the important parts. Yeah, he sucked at the human parts. He was just waiting for someone to call him on it. He’d be better off drifting into obscurity and letting nature take its course. Sooner or later, he’d slip up and get blown away. It was only a matter of time. His control was gone; he was reckless; he was careless. Sooner or later...sighing, he stared at the contents of the pantry. His stomach roiled in protest but a small part of him wanted to survive. He knew he had to eat something. But now he was blinded by the pain and the idea of cooking made him want to puke.

Sitting hunched over the counter, he mechanically ate half a box of stale crackers. Washing them down with tap water, he was relieved to realize the bitch of a headache was receding to a deep ache behind his left eye.

“Why don’t you heal yourself?”

Great. Just what he needed.

“You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that. What makes you think I won’t kill you?”

Jordan spread his hands and smiled. “You’re not strong enough,” though he eyed Sean warily and moved carefully into the kitchen doorway. “Besides, I have a proposition for you.”

Sean stiffened and glared at him. “There’s nothing you can offer me. You’re a traitor. Get the hell out!”

“Oh, I could make it worthwhile for you. I could use someone with your power on my side. Demons are…shall we say…volatile? They don’t work well with humans. I need you to lead my soldiers; they have a lot to learn about the human world.”

Jordan shimmered into two images and Sean blinked to clear his eyes. His eye twitched maddeningly and the kitchen shifted and swayed making him dizzy. Gripping his head, he squeezed his eyes shut again.

Jordan stood patiently watching, his expression speculative. Finally, he offered, “I could heal that for you. I have the power now.” He patted the side of his jacket.

Sucking in a deep breath, Sean said, “No! It’s nothing. I’ll take care of it later.” Wearily, he looked up at the multiple images of Jordan and added, “If you’re here to kill me, just do it. I don’t even mind. Otherwise, get out so I can puke without an audience.”

Chuckling with real affection, Jordan said, “I’ve always liked you, Sean. I’m afraid you’ll have to put yourself out of your own misery. I’m still counting on you to join me.”

He turned to leave and called over his shoulder, “You will, in time. Call me when you’re ready. I’ll send Dagin to fetch you.”

Sean threw his glass at the space where Jordan had stood and swayed against the kitchen table. His vision dimmed to black and he crashed to the floor.

Chapter 8: Something Wicked This Way Comes

“INCOMING!” Killian shouted as soon as our feet touched the living room floor.

Rivin materialized between us with eyes blazing, scanning for targets. Leaving me rooted to the floor, they raced to throw up protection.

But they were too late.

Rivin swore savagely and tumbled down the stairs with a demon riding on his chest. It buried its claws into his shoulder and rode him like a jockey. Two rows of fangs glittered in its mouth as it tried to rip Rivin’s head off. I screamed for Killian and dug for my blade. My hands were sweaty and I dropped the knife. Rivin was still swearing as he and the demon rolled across the floor, each struggling for a better grip. This demon hadn’t bothered with donning a human façade; he was small, wiry, and scaly. His triangular-shaped head reminded me of a praying mantis. He made a weird yipping sound as he snapped his jaws together. A loud grunt from Rivin snapped me into action. Diving forward, I grabbed the knife and threw it at the demon’s back. It bounced off and rolled to a stop at my feet.

Well, that’s not good!

Rivin yelled, “A little help here!” He had the demon shoved into the floor but its claws were buried too deep to dislodge it. He swung his head to the side as the demon snapped at his face.

Snatching up the knife again, I ran over and jammed it into the demon’s side. It screamed shrilly and turned to ash. My knife clattered to the floor. The sound of splintering wood reverberated through the house. Killian!

Rivin was spewing like a fountain and collapsed when he tried to push himself to his feet. Grabbing his hand, I yanked him upright. I raced up the stairs to find Killian outnumbered. Three demons had cornered him in the hall. Two were moving closer and the third was dripping black fluid all over the floor. It was missing an arm but kept coming. Killian raised his hand and blew up the wounded demon. The other two snapped their jaws together and split apart to attack from opposite sides. Without any conscious thought, I drew on my saol and released it from my fingertips. The white beam struck true just as Killian disintegrated his target. My target lay in two stinking halves for a few seconds before they dissolved into the air. Both demons were gone. The house was empty again.

“Holy hell! What the fuck was that?” Rivin gaped at me like I’d grown another head.

Still trembling with adrenaline, I closed my burning eyes. Killian ignored him and looked intently at me. “Are you hurt?” His voice was harsh with unspent power.

“I need to run. I’m about to explode,” I said. “I’m burning up!”

“It’s too dangerous for you to go outside right now.”

I held out my shaking hands and looked him in the eye with a grin. “Well, then. How do I burn off this energy?”

Without taking his eyes off of my face, he said, “Rivin, you might want to close your ears.”

The woods were dark now and eerily silent. I stood at the window, peering into the black and giving myself the creeps. A thousand gleaming eyeballs stared back at me and I whipped back around.

Rivin smirked and said, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a few Bolga demons? A big tough girl like yourself?”

“Bolga demons? Is that what they were? What was that big one?”

Shrugging, he kicked off his boots and flopped down on the couch. He was shirtless again and he’d changed into a pair of black basketball shorts. Spreading his arms across the back of the couch, he winked at me and flexed his pecs, “Go ahead, love, you can touch me. I’m real.”

“You’re a pig. You know that, right? Don’t you own more than one shirt?”

Barking a laugh, he said, “Ah ha! So you’ve been checking me out? I knew you wanted me.” Patting the couch, he added, “It’s laundry day. I’m traveling light…I’m not even wearing underwear; givin’ me boys some fresh air.” He gestured to the shorts with a comical leer.

I was going to have to Lysol the couch later. “That’s disgusting, geez.” But I bit my lip to keep from smiling; probably it was a bad idea to encourage him.

“Where’s the boss?” he asked.

“Meditating.”

“Oh yeah? Nothing ever changes with him, I guess.”

“What’s that mean? Is there something wrong with meditation?”

He considered a hangnail before answering. Nipping it between his teeth, he mumbled, “Not if you’re into that mind-fucking bullshit. Now me? I’d just as soon spend me days ripping apart the boogey man with me bare hands. I don’t have time for all that thinking.”

Did he really just say that? I couldn’t resist replying, “Oh, yeah, I’ve noticed that about you.” Skirting the coffee table, I headed upstairs to find Killian.

He sat cross-legged on the floor facing the window. I didn’t want to interrupt so I waited behind him. He’d know I was there and let me know when he was done. In the meantime, I admired his broad shoulders. Unlike the idiot downstairs, Killian never drew attention to himself. His body was there to support the work he did. Period. Dot. He kept it running in peak condition, not out of vanity, but out of necessity. I loved that about him. Once he’d told me he’d earned his ego; the more I knew him, the more I understood.

Without saying a word, he lifted a hand encouraging me to come in. I knelt beside him and took his hand in mine. As soon as I touched him, I was drawn into the world he created for meditation. While mine was a cozy warm tropical lagoon, his was a windswept sea coast. The craggy world was wild and open. It suited him. Today, the winds were calm and the sea gently lapped at the jumbled black rocks of the coast.

I adjusted my inner vision until I could see myself standing on the shore with Killian. “Walk with me?” he asked as he linked his fingers in mine.

We walked along the shore watching the waves and feeling the gentle sun on our skin.

After a few minutes, he said, “Sean’s drifting…He’s moving around a lot. I sense him out there but I can’t get a good read on him. I want to find him before anything happens.”

My stomach clenched. “Let’s go now! What are we waiting for?”

“We have other problems, babe.”

“What is more important than Sean?”

“How about the death of millions of innocent people? We can’t ignore the smallpox intel. If that strain gets weaponized, it’s going to be sold to the highest bidder. You can bet it won’t be your United States government. Whoever gets it will use it to destroy humanity.”

Millions of people. I thought about that for a minute. Was that so awful? I’d really rather have Sean back…I didn’t care so much about the humans.

“Mica, Sean is only one Primani. Our job is to protect humans. We can’t blow this off.”

“No, your job is to protect humans. I’m not Primani. I’m not bound by your codes.”

He pulled me around to face him and said reasonably, “No, you’re not Primani. But would you turn your back on the laws of the angels after all they’ve given you? Do you really think Raphael runs around making house calls for everyone? Did your conversation with Michael mean nothing to you after all?”

Swinging away, I cried, “Damn it, Killian! Stop being right! It’s not fair.”

I stomped off and looked stubbornly away from him. Damn him. He was right. He was also intelligent, patient, and wise. Leaving me alone for a minute, he gazed out at the open sea. I thought and thought but I had no argument that made sense. Why did I have to fall in love with a Primani who was 3,000 years old? God only knew he’d made good use of those years. He bloody well knew everything. It’s unnerving. Coming up beside him, I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my cheek against him.

“Okay, I’m listening. What can we do?”

Relieved to have my cooperation, he kissed the top of my head and said, “I have some ideas.”

“And what about Rivin?”

With a huge sigh, he muttered, “He’ll have to come with us.”

Rivin didn’t take the news well. “You want me to do what? This is bullshit! What do I care about O’Cahan? We all have our problems; he’ll deal.” He opened his mouth to complain some more but promptly snapped it shut when Killian cut him off with a single word.

“Selana.”

Cursing viciously, Rivin lunged into Killian and the two of them hit the wall hard enough to shake the windows. Rivin’s face was bright red as he did his best to strangle Killian. Killian neatly jammed an elbow into Rivin’s diaphragm and stepped back to watch Rivin’s face drain of color. Not completely satisfied, he lifted him up by the shirt and slammed him against the wall.

Growling deep in his throat, he said, “I see you remember her.” He reached out and plucked the tiny cross into the light. “This isn’t penance enough!” With that snarl, he flung Rivin to his knees and stepped back.

Rivin struggled for air and still hadn’t caught his breath. His white face turned red with the effort to breathe. Killian watched with arms folded as Rivin’s eyes rolled around in panic.

“Killian, please! We don’t need his help.” I tugged on his arm and he gave me an irritated glance.

Abruptly, he reached around and thumped Rivin hard on the back. Rivin sprawled on his face but sucked in a great lungful of air. The hoarse sound of his breathing filled the room while Killian looked on. When Rivin had finally settled down to the business of living, Killian finished their conversation.

“You’ll do what I ask, when I ask it. You’ll do it because you’re assigned to my team.” He squatted down to look Rivin in the eyes. “But most importantly, you’ll do it for Selana. Am I clear?”

Pushing himself into a more dignified sitting position, Rivin replied, “Crystal.”

“Good. We’re leaving in the morning. You can meet us in London in three days.”

“I’ll just go be domestic…” I sprinted out of the room.

The atmosphere was heavy with resentment and anger. Rivin was putting off waves of both and Killian was just simply annoyed. The two of them were bringing me down…I needed some testosterone-free time. I gathered up the small bundle of dirty clothes and started a wash. While that was working, I made a snack for all of us. We had food left in the fridge; might as well eat it. I tossed together a salad and threw in a bit of leftover steak, the last two boiled eggs, and the cheese. There were a handful of crackers left so I set them out too. It wasn’t a lot, but at least it was fresh.

Satisfied with the results, I called the guys to come down. Rivin slouched into the room looking grouchy but he brightened at the sight of food. I handed him a beer which he took with a small smile and no smartass comments for a change.

“I’m going to go pack. Would you clean up when you’re done?” I asked him.

“Sure, no problem and thanks for the food.”

I finished packing everything up and undressed for bed. Standing in the moonlight, I thought about the black thing in the forest and shivered with a sudden chill. It wasn’t like any demon I’d ever seen. It was still out there…someplace.

Was it watching me right now?

Killian came up behind me and locked the shutters with a loud clank. Touching my hand on his way by, he said, “Are you coming to bed? You’re freezing.”

Snuggled against my personal furnace, I rubbed my icy feet along his leg making him wince. After a lingering kiss, he curled his arm around me and relaxed.

“Killian?”

I love you too, Princess.

Smiling into the darkness, I kissed him again and settled against his side. The rise and fall of his chest slowed until it was nearly still. And yet I stared at the ceiling and listened to sounds I couldn’t identify. Odd noises filtered through the shutters…yips and howls…wolves. The cry of a night bird startled me. Was it an owl? Creaks and groans startled me out of my spiral into dreams. Every little noise brought me out of sleep and alert, listening. Eventually exhaustion took its toll and the last time I sank into sleep, I was out. The sudden pounding on the metal shutters catapulted me out of sleep with a full-blown scream. Leaping out of the bed, Killian shoved me behind him and yelled for Rivin.

The screech of tearing metal paralyzed me and I sat huddled on the bed. Pounding fists sounded against the downstairs windows and glass shattered. Killian threw my knife to me and palmed his own. The pounding and screeching grew louder, more frantic.

No, no…not again.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and stared with huge eyes.

Killian stood between me and the window. Rivin raced into the bedroom with his knife ready. He took one look at my bare skin and threw me his t-shirt.

“Move, Mica! Get up! They’re coming!”

Killian shouted, “Mica? Get up!”

Shaking my head, I clutched the blanket in front of me and squeezed my eyes shut.

No, no, no...

The breaking glass echoed through my head and I was back in the tiny powder room in the farmhouse, clutching Sean’s knife against my chest, praying for the strength to use it. They’d come from everywhere…they tore the house into pieces, screaming and yelling for me…hours and hours of siege…

Now they screamed again.

Inhuman, bloodthirsty, terrifying…

The tearing metal, the scraping of claws…

“Come on, babe, come back to me now. It’s okay. We’re safe.”

Killian.

Another male voice rumbled against my ear. “You know you’re naked, right?”

Blinking, I sputtered and tried to sit up. Slurring my words, I managed to say, “Naked?”

Killian reached out and steadied me. He gave Rivin a dirty look and snapped, “You have a big mouth, Rivin!” To me, he said calmly, “You’re covered up; he’s just messing with you.”

I was covered in a blanket. Clutching it against my chest, I asked, “What happened?”

“Vampires,” Rivin announced with disgust. He looked extremely put out by the whole thing. “Fucking unnatural, foul creatures.” He spit on the ground for emphasis.

“Vampires? Are you kidding me?”

“Maybe.”

Killian gave Rivin a censorious stare and reached for my hand. “I think you should give me that now.”

Following his glance, I was stunned.

I was still clenching the Primani blade under my heart, my knuckles were white and blood was seeping between my fingers. “What happened? I remember them coming…they were screaming…and…and…”

“It’s over now. Don’t cry, baby.” He pulled me against him and squeezed me. I was shaking so hard the blanket was twitching. “I’ve got you.”

“I’ll just…go…somewhere for a minute,” Rivin mumbled and turned his back.

Killian laid the palm of his hand against the rune on my chest and leaned his forehead against mine. Gently, the soft flow of his saol slid through my chest sending trickles of heat and lethargy through my body. My panicky mind settled as he whispered into my ear.

“Serenity, Mica; find your strength.”

The hypnotic sound of his voice and irresistible pulse of his power lulled my senses, calmed my racing heart. Brushing my tears away with the pad of his thumb, he pulled me against him and held me tightly.

“You’ll never have to use that knife! Do you hear me? I’ll protect you. Always.” He lifted my palm and healed the long gash.

“For eternity?”

He kissed my palm and muttered, “If I have anything to say about it.”

Rivin approached with averted eyes. He cleared his throat and said, “Hate to interrupt, but I think we should go back and get our stuff before we can’t get into the house. They’ll send more when the others report in.”

“How did we end up here?” I asked. Realizing I was holding a t-shirt too, I added, “Whose shirt is this?”

Rivin held out a hand and said, “It’s mine, lass. I was trying to help. You don’t need it now, so give it back. It’s a bit nippily out here.”

Killian threw the shirt in his face and waited while I secured the blanket like a toga. “When they attacked, you went catatonic and we couldn’t protect you and fight off the attack at the same time. There were too many to leave Rivin alone, so we grabbed you and left. It was close; too close. One of them was halfway inside the window just as we faded. You’re lucky you were holding that blanket or you would’ve been naked sitting here.”

He was trying for a light tone, but it still fell a little flat. He didn’t like any exits to be ‘close.’

Rivin’s teeth gleamed in the darkness. “You’ve got nice tits, by the way, love.”

Killian’s fist connected with his eye and he landed on his butt with a heavy grunt. Killian warned, “I’m going to kill you one of these days, and nobody will blame me.”

Rivin rubbed his face and said, “What did I say? It was a compliment! They’re lovely!”

Wanting to spare me the sight of the house, Rivin went back alone and put our things in the McLaren. He drove it a few miles to the main highway to meet us. Killian and I rematerialized just as he pulled up. Diving inside, I had just enough time to sit down before we were roaring down the road. Rivin teleported off with his backpack slung across his shoulder. Faint sounds of screaming drifted on the wind and Killian gunned the gas and shifted gears. The car took off like a rocket. Completely aware of the screaming that trailed along behind us, he drove single-mindedly while I got dressed. I caught a glimpse of his face as we roared by another car. He was deadly serious. His eyes watched for physical dangers; his mind scanned for incoming attacks.

Finally, I turned to him and said, “Vampires? Was he serious?”

His lips curled into a ghost of a smile and he said, “What? You believe in demons, but you don’t believe in vampires?”

“Not normally, no. It’s just too cliché.”

“You’re getting cynical, babe.” He relaxed and unclenched his knuckles. “I like it.”

Chapter 9: Kryptonite

Plattsburgh, New York:

IF THIS WAS HELL, why was he so cold? He’d always assumed it would be hotter than this. He was a little disappointed…and where were the demons who were supposed to torment him for eternity? Were they giving him time to settle in? That seemed unlikely…Looking around him, he saw nothing but an empty red space. There was nothing here but him. He turned to check behind him and flinched as blinding pain speared his brain. Squinting automatically, he realized his eyes were glued together with dried blood.

He wasn’t dead after all.

Now he was really disappointed…

“Fuck. Why am I not dead?”

“No idea, man. You look like you’ve been dead for days.”

Someone grabbed him under the arms and hauled him to his feet. Sean rubbed at his eyes and peeled them open. The kitchen whirled and spun and he clutched at the counter. His stomach heaved and he leaned over the sink retching up nothing but stomach lining.

“What happened to your head? You’ve been bleeding all over the place.”

Straightening with supreme effort, Sean squinted at the visitor. “Tyler? Where did you come from?”

Tyler frowned at Sean’s condition but said, “The back door was open…I’ve been trying to find Mica for weeks. Thought I’d try here again. Dani’s gone, Sean. Her mom’s totally lost it and the cops haven’t got a clue. I’m really worried about her. I was hoping maybe Mica knew something. You know, maybe Dani did one of those flaky running-off-to-a-commune things or something.”

Sean didn’t answer him.

Tyler studied his old friend. Sean was barely functioning. He leaned against the counter for support and couldn’t seem to focus his eyes. He blinked one eye and then the other. One pupil was a pinpoint and the other was dilated. Dried blood covered the side of his face; the kitchen was a disaster area. What was going on here?

“Dude, you should sit down before you fall down.” He pulled over one of the kitchen chairs and said, “Sit.”

Sean was confused. What was Tyler doing here? How did he find this place? Dani was the only human who’d been here, right? He thought that was true, but he wasn’t sure. Did they ever have company? Where was everyone? Where was Dec?

Oh, yeah, he was…somewhere else.

He didn’t know where.

He shook his head to clear his tumbling thoughts but that just sent pain blasting through him again. Groaning, he sat heavily, missing half of the chair. Tyler jumped up and shoved him back onto the seat.

“You don’t look too good. What happened?”

Blankly, Sean looked at Tyler. “My head’s fucking killing me, man. I can’t stand it.” He fumbled under his shirt and pulled out his Sig. Handing it to a stunned Tyler, he said, “See if it’s loaded, would you? I can’t take this anymore.”

Tyler took the gun like it was a grenade and gingerly set it out of reach. He looked more closely at Sean and then at the small pool of blood on the tile. He must’ve fallen and cracked his head. That would explain the symptoms. Confusion, headaches, vomiting, uneven pupils…He needed a hospital. Now.

“Hold on, man. I’m calling 911. You need a hospital.” He grabbed his cell phone and stepped out onto the back porch to get a better signal.

Five minutes later, he stepped back inside saying, “Hang on, the ambulance is on its way…Sean?”

Sean was gone.

He looked for the gun. It was gone too.

Manhattan, New York:

His reentry was less than smooth…he landed too hard and his foot and his tibia went in two different directions. Cursing in multiple languages, he sat on the marble tile in the penthouse foyer staring at the odd angle of his foot. His foot blurred into three images and he ground his teeth together in frustration. Damn it, stay still! He gave it an experimental turn and winced at the excruciating pain.

“Is there anything else that can go wrong?” He glared around him daring someone to answer. No one did. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even with his disconnected thoughts, he knew there was no help for it. He’d have to try to heal the ankle. He had work to do. The city was crawling with demons and he was going to get back to his job. He had screwed up in ways he’d never be able to fix. New York had plenty of demons that needed killing.

Maybe that would balance his karma?

Pointedly ignoring the pain in his head, he closed his eyes and drew his saol to the broken bone in his ankle. It was harder than usual because his body kept trying to pull the energy flow towards his head.

Oh, no you don’t. I’m not fixing that.

He vividly remembered the car accident and what happened to cause Mica to risk her life for him. It was a miracle she wasn’t killed in the rollover. He’d put her in that position because he’d lost control. He’d gone too far, slipping towards a darkness he’d fought against for thousands of years. No, he thought as his ankle mended, he deserved the pain. He’d let his emotions fuel his powers in the worst way possible. He’d lost control and hurt the one person he cared about. He’d suck it up and take the punishment.

If it killed him, well, maybe that was his destiny.

The fact was, he didn’t much care.

After a few minutes, his ankle was perfectly healed and he realized his head ached less fiercely. He opened his eyes and the room remained steady. He could think again…how did that happen?

Frowning at the golden glow barely outlining his fingertips, he growled, “Don’t even think about it.” The helpful light retreated instantly.

Feeling steadier on his feet, he took a shower and changed his bloody clothes. The safe house was theirs whenever they needed it so they’d gotten into the habit of leaving clothes behind. In their lives, they never knew when they’d be on the run or assigned a new mission without any notice. Sometimes there were other Primani here, today he was alone. He was fine with that. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone. There was nothing to say. He brushed his teeth and caught a gleam of metal on the corner of the vanity. It was Dec’s wristband. The bright gold thread winked up at him. Mica’s gift.

Beautiful Mica--she was just a human, but she possessed more magic than he did. She might not be Primani, but she was something special. Raphael had blessed her more than once. That was no small thing.

Did he give her the magic or was it all her own?

He didn’t know the answer to that, but he knew she made the wristbands with her own two hands and asked the angels to bless them. That made them special. She’d once laughed and said she had no idea if they’d been listening to her request. Sean had smiled inside and assured her they had. Of course they’d blessed them. Hell, there was no way they would refuse her anything. She’d asked nicely.

He fingered the worn leather of his own wristband. He kept his on all the time, like a lucky charm. He’d never admit it to Mica, but he was superstitious about wearing it.

Why had Dec taken his off?

Dec’s mischievous grin flashed in the mirror and Sean resisted the urge to look behind him. Stop friggin’ haunting me, Dec! Crushing the wristband in his fist, he shattered the mirror with a glance.

A cab driver leaned on the horn as Sean barged into the street in front of the car. With eyes trained on the human he was tracking, he ignored the irate cabbie. He’d get over it. His life sucked anyway. Why the hell would anyone want to drive a cab?

Sean’s prey was blissfully unaware of how short his life had just become. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time--It sucked to be him. Sean had been randomly hopping on and off the subways all day when he spotted the man. His name was Lyle Holliday. He was a middle-aged, balding, bland human that no one would ever suspect of his crimes. He was probably a cubicle mole in some basement maze here in Manhattan. Sean didn’t give a shit about where he worked. He could be the president and his fate would be the same.

He was on the list.

Five years ago, he’d raped and butchered a young boy, Luc Henricksson. He’d gotten away with it too. He probably didn’t even remember the boy’s name. But Sean did. He said a prayer for his soul on the anniversary of his death every year. He had a long memory when it came to dead women and children. Luc’s case had been particularly heartbreaking as he was his mother’s only child. She’d fallen apart, collapsing in on herself, after his death. Even with help from the angels, she never regained faith and committed suicide two years later. Sean had found her face down in a pool of bloody vomit, an empty bottle of pills beside her hand, a picture of Luc tucked against her chest.

Sean and Dec had done their best to find the boy’s killer but he’d vanished off the grid. After the woman died, they were reassigned and forced to move on. There were always humans to protect and endless demons to kill. He hadn’t been allowed to focus on this one man. That was five years ago. He’d been assigned to Mica right after that.

Things were different today. Now he had unlimited time. He allowed himself a feral grin and embraced the surge of power revving his blood.

Oh, yeah, things were different now.

He was off the grid.

Lyle weaved his way between throngs of people heading home for the evening. His beige jacket was a beacon heading up the sidewalks. Sean followed, but not too closely. No one paid any attention to him anyway; he’d gone ghost. He was essentially invisible as he smoothly moved around the wave of humanity. If the humans noticed him at all, it was as a warm brush of air against their skin. After three blocks, Lyle entered the subway and slid his pass through the sticky turnstile reader.

He was headed to Brooklyn. Perfect, Sean thought. I love Brooklyn. Maybe I’ll grab pizza at Gionta’s. Italian sausage and mushrooms sound good right about now. Sliding through the turnstile, he slipped into the crowded train car and rested his hand on one of the poles. A woman glanced up briefly at the disturbance in the air where he stood. Seeing nothing remarkable, she buried her nose in an e-book. Curious, Sean leaned closer to see what she was reading.

The Angel’s Burning Sword.

Shit, that sounded like herpes.

Rolling his eyes, he checked out her left hand and wondered what her husband thought of her sexy books. Did he even know about them? Was it her dirty little secret? Maybe she needed the fantasy? A little distraction to make her boring human existence worth living…Shrugging invisibly, he thought about women, females, in general. What male really understood the female brain? He huffed in silent laughter and shook his head. God knew he certainly didn’t…

Dismissing the woman, he leaned against the pole and closed his eyes. His head was aching but not as badly. He wondered idly if he’d accidently healed himself. That would be a first. Bored and restless, he stared down at the woman again. She was middle-aged and attractive in a soft, feminine way. She took care of herself and looked pretty perched on the edge of her seat. Her lips moved slightly while she read. She read something, stopped, and blushed. Guiltily, she peered around to see if anyone was watching her.

Intrigued, Sean slid into the empty seat beside her and read over her shoulder.

“Valor dragged his tongue over the delicate skin of Ambrosia’s neck. She trembled with desire, her hand on his impossibly big sword…”

Sword? Really?

Stifling a snort of derision, he carefully ran his fingers along the nape of her neck. She stiffened and flushed. Reaching back, she rubbed at her neck and bit her lower lip. Very carefully, he leaned close and blew a kiss against her ear. She jumped like she’d been slapped. Several passengers looked up startled. She turned hot pink and hid her face behind the book.

Grinning wickedly, her invisible teaser sat back in the seat and crossed his arms. It was too easy…With a grinding screech, the train slowed to a stop and the sheep trundled out. With eyes on his target again, Sean went ghost and followed him. After zigzagging down a couple of streets, the man stopped in front of a 1950’s-era duplex house. His half of the house was sided in faded yellow. The other wasn’t. The man went straight inside and flipped on the television.

Sean waited for him to get comfortable and tried the door knob. Locked. Stupid man, there’s no hiding from death. He held his hand to it and the door swung open with a slight creak. Lyle sat in a recliner with his back to Sean. Sean stood behind him and watched his target with grim satisfaction in his eyes. Finally, this piece of shit would get his reward.  Switching channels one after another, Lyle was too focused to notice the angel of death bearing down on him. By the time he felt the heat of Primani eyes on the back of his head, it was far too late.  One minute he was grunting over the mayor’s new gun control initiative, the next he was smoldering in Hell.

Kneeling on one knee, Sean bowed his head and said, “Go and find your mother, little man.”

No one answered him, but the feathery brush of tiny fingers lingered on his hand. Glancing up, he saw the palest hint of Luc standing before him. His unruly black hair hung low on his forehead as it had in life. Sean reached out and gently pushed the silky hair back letting his hand linger in comfort. The tiny boy met his eyes gravely and nodded once. Sean blinked and he was alone.

“Guinness?” Sean signaled the bartender and scanned the tiny bar for trouble. No demons. Good. He was thirsty and his eye was twitching again. It was making him nuts. He wanted a few minutes to regroup without having to blow anything up.

“Bud Light. Will that work?”

Indifferent, Sean shrugged, “Sure, why not?”

He took a seat at the farthest end of the bar away from a couple of obnoxious idiots who were yelling at the flat screen. The Yankees were losing. They weren’t taking it well.

The bartender wiped down the peeling vinyl countertop, eyeing the black-haired Irishman with suspicion. This one was trouble, he thought to himself. His eyes were creepy, watchful. He was edgy, tense, and spoiling for a fight. The bartender had seen men like this before…they had nothing to lose. After hanging up the towel, he took stock of who was in the bar tonight. He didn’t need any trouble here. He was still trying to recover from a storm that had closed him down for months. He couldn’t afford to close his doors for anything else. Letting out a small sigh of relief, he relaxed. The place was empty of the usual troublemakers.

He spoke too soon.

The Romano brothers, Mario and Joey, burst through the door, hollering for drinks. The boys were big, loud, and already drunk. The Irishman’s eyes narrowed with a gleam.

“If you’re here for trouble, take it outside,” the bartender warned.

Sean tipped back his beer and lifted an eyebrow. The bartender stiffened. Sean held up a hand and said, “I’m just here for a drink. No worries, man.”

Not completely convinced, the bartender left him alone and Sean drank his beer in peace. Lost in thought, he carefully peeled the labels from the beer bottle. He’d done a good thing today. He thought of Luc’s ice blue eyes and sighed. He was just a little boy. How could someone kill him? It boggled his mind, but mostly it pissed him off.

Humans liked to think they were civilized…some were…many, too many, were worse than animals. Animals killed for survival…they ate each other. Sometimes they killed the weak to preserve the pack. It was survival of the fittest to further their species. That was nature; he could understand that.

Humans didn’t need to kill. They just enjoyed the feeling.

What the fuck? Why was he running around protecting them? Sometimes he just didn’t get it. Maybe he should leave them to figure it out on their own. God only knew how long it would take for humans to be overrun by demons if the Primani walked away.

The more he thought about it, the more that sounded like a plan. Why the hell not?

The jukebox was playing in the background and Sean listened with half an ear. He’d been eyeing the two dark-haired men who’d come in earlier. There was something about them that bothered him. He nursed his beer and rubbed at his eye. The twitching was getting worse and a dull pain throbbed behind it. He didn’t have time for pain. He had things to do. “Kryptonite” was playing on the jukebox. How appropriate, he thought with a snort. The words could’ve come from his own head…Would she still love him if she saw him now: Drifting alone…hunting for trouble? He was careless with his life like it didn’t matter. To him, it really didn’t. But the woman would lose her mind if she saw him now. She’d be crazy with worry and pissed off as hell. Would he still be her hero? Who was he kidding? He wasn’t anybody’s hero. Wincing, he closed his eyes and counted to ten. A woman’s face hovered just behind his eyes…frowning, angry…vaguely familiar. Damn woman! Go away, witch! Irritated, he slammed the bottle down making the bartender jump.

“Hey, man, you’re not gonna puke, are you?”

Sean’s head snapped up at the interruption, his hand automatically going for his gun. When he saw it was just the bartender, he lowered his hand.

The bartender reconsidered him. There was something wrong with this guy. He’d been rubbing his temples and squinting for the past few minutes. His face was losing color and his eyes didn’t look quite right. He peered closer and realized one pupil was nearly gone.

Before Sean could answer, a woman leaned against the bar and ordered a drink. She had big green eyes that filled her delicate, elfin face. Waves of heavy black hair spilled down her back causing her head to tip back slightly. Shiny red lips curled into a sweet smile as she waited for her drink. Despite the pain in his head, Sean eyed her with interest. She was a pretty little thing.

“For fifty bucks, you can undress me with more than your eyes,” she said. Her long red nails rested lightly on the back of his hand. She sipped her drink and peered up at him from lowered lashes.

Sean’s eyes went flat but he smiled tightly and said, “Sorry, darlin’, I don’t pay for sex.”

Leaning closer, she trailed one finger down the front of his chest and rested it on the button of his jeans. Letting it linger, she said huskily, “I can take you places you’ve never been.”

“Like the free clinic?” He removed her hand and added, “You seem like a smart girl. Why don’t you get a real job? Maybe use your brain?”

“Fuck you, asshole!” She turned and sashayed to the other end of the bar.

Sean shook his head. Such a waste, he thought. Pretty girl, nice body, not too dumb…But she was perfectly content selling herself for cash. No self-respect…how did that happen? What pushed her down this path? He ordered one last beer and drank it while watching the hooker make her rounds at the tables. These men were rough, dirty, and crude. Yet she flirted with them like they were movie stars. Some men turned her down flatly, as he had. Others groped her a bit before turning her down. One man asked to see her breasts and laughed when she got mad. Another lifted her skirt up and shoved his hand between her legs. That’s it. I’m outta here, Sean thought. It made him sick to watch. These people were disgusting. He chugged the rest of his beer and stood to leave. The room tilted and he planted his feet to steady himself.

Before he could make it to the door, he spotted one of the loud drunks tugging the girl towards the back entrance. He gripped her by the elbow and propelled her along. Something in the way he controlled her sent a warning bell off in Sean’s head. His body language wasn’t right. He didn’t act like a man who was planning to get laid. As Sean followed them with his eyes, the brother joined them. He wrapped an arm around her and said something in her ear. She stiffened and dug in her heels. Laughing, the two easily pulled her along between them.

The bartender watched the scene play out. He knew the second the Irishman made up his mind. You poor bastard. Reaching below the bar, he loaded the shotgun and slugged a shot of bourbon. This night was about to get more interesting.

Sean left through the front door but circled around to the back. Moving like a shadow, scanning the darkness, he pointedly ignored the pounding in his head. He picked up the men’s voices as they bullied the woman.

“Oh, come on, Gina. We’re gonna pay you.”

“No! I don’t want to. Let me go!” she cried out as the sound of a slap echoed in the darkness. She fell to her knees with blood pouring from her nose. Joey, the taller brother, dragged her to her feet and tore her blouse down the middle.

“Now this is how I like my hookers…bloody and pathetic.”

Without warning, Sean tackled Joey from the side. Caught by surprise, he toppled like a tree. Sean punched him in the face once before the other one grabbed his arms from behind and dragged him backwards. Moving on autopilot, Sean twisted away and kicked Joey hard in the stomach. He doubled over, sucking air. Sean turned back to hit him again when his vision blurred and he lost his balance. Sensing weakness, Mario, the younger brother, grabbed him around the waist trying to hold him in place.

Even dizzy, Sean was much more powerful. He threw him off, sending him sprawling to the ground. Before he could move out of the way, Joey rushed him and punched him hard in the temple. His head exploded in pain and his vision went black. Staggering to the side, he blinked frantically but his eyes saw nothing.

“Hold him up, Mario. I’m just gettin’ started.”

Chapter 10: Intervention

Austrian Border:

THE SKY WAS BEGINNING TO LIGHTEN as he pulled the McLaren into a highway center just over the Austrian border. Killian parked his baby in an empty slot near the entrance to the building. It was deserted at this time of day, but he wanted to be able to see the car. It didn’t hurt to be careful. Stretching his arms out, he flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders. He was tired of sitting already, but the trip couldn’t be helped. They needed wheels and he wasn’t leaving the McLaren in Romania just to get to London faster. They had time to drive back; a day or two wouldn’t matter at this point. He turned to Mica and studied her. She lay sleeping in her seat. Poor girl was drained and he felt a pang of guilt.

Her head was turned towards him, her beautiful eyes moving restlessly under pale lids. Her mouth twitched at the corners and he smiled in spite of himself. She was breathtaking. He never got the chance to just look at her. She was always in motion…refusing to sit still long enough for him to look his fill. Now wasn’t really a good time either. He sighed and looked at the clock. There was still so much to do. She’d asked him to wake her for a bathroom break, but he couldn’t bear to do it.  He’d let her rest a few more minutes. He owed her that much.

When would it be over?

Raphael hinted it would be soon. But soon for the archangels was a relative word. It could be this week or a thousand years from now! Please, God, make it be soon! He closed his eyes and saw her as she looked so long ago. The shape of her face was a bit different perhaps, but those eyes were the same.

Her heart was the same.

And it still beat for his.

It was a miracle.

When he had realized who she was, he’d nearly lost his mind. He had held himself back to keep from scaring her off, but the truth was he’d wanted to throw her up in the air and shout with joy. He’d wanted to hold her against him and run away to a place without angels and demons. He’d wanted to wrap himself around her and protect her from the world. He’d wanted to beat the shit out of Sean and pretend she didn’t care about him.

He had wanted her to live…

“Sean!” In one quick motion, she jerked upright shrieking, “They’re killing him! Killing him!” Her pupils were black, her hands clawed at his arm.

“Where? Where is he?”

Hysterical now, she cried, “I can’t tell! I can’t tell! They’re killing him!”

Grabbing her hand, he slipped into her mind to share the vision. It played like a horror movie. The bloody scene could’ve been anywhere…where was he? Come on…show me something I can use…

There! That’s it!

Brooklyn, New York:

They rematerialized seconds later, with weapons drawn and eyes blazing. The smell of blood was overwhelming as soon as they landed. Mica inhaled sharply. Killian swung his eyes left then right and zeroed in on Sean. Two men had him spread out between them and were taking turns kicking him. Sean’s body jerked with the impact, but he was too far gone to move. Judging by the blood pool under his head, they’d been at it for a while. Were they too late?

A wave of fury swamped him so hard and so fast, he roared like a crazed demon. A bolt of lightning hit the building and sent chunks of brick flying like shrapnel. The alley was suddenly filled with a blinding white light; both humans froze and turned away from Sean. They took one look at what was waiting for them and started to back away.

Moving with inhuman speed, Killian snatched Joey by the shoulder and threw him into the wall. The wall cracked and collapsed from the force. Joey slid to the ground under a shower of bricks and mortar. He didn’t move. Killian pointed his Sig at the man and shot him between the eyes. Oh God, please make Sean be alive!

Sean’s pulse was there, but barely. He was bleeding too much. “Come on, brother. Hang in there, we’re gonna get you home.” He rubbed Sean’s cold hand in between his.

While Killian had been busy with Joey, he’d kept his awareness focused on Mica in case he needed to step in. He should’ve known better. She was just fine without him. Mica grabbed the other man and threw him over a garbage can into the ground. He’d gotten up smirking when he saw she was a woman.

Until she started to glow.

Mica’d gone road flare with rage. Her powers lit her up like a nuclear explosion.

The stupid human backed away with his hands spread out in a gesture of peace as if he could calm her! Killian ground his teeth with a fresh urge to kill.

The man’s hands were covered in blood.

Sean’s blood.

Mica went ballistic. She charged him with a howl that echoed in the alley. He tripped and fell on his ass. She tackled him and punched him in the face, smashing his nose. With eyes blazing like twin stars, she jammed the barrel of her gun into his mouth. He started to beg, mumbling and crying incoherently.

“You want mercy? Like you showed my friend here?”

To Killian, she asked, “Is he dead? Tell me he’s not dead!”

“Almost. Finish that garbage so we can get out of here.”

The scumbag grabbed her leg, pleading, “No, no, please don’t kill me! Don’t!”

“Death is a blessing.” She shot him between the eyes and stepped back to see a man’s horrified face peering through the crumbled bricks. Nodding at him, she re-holstered the Sig and let her eyes smolder.

The bartender slowly lowered his shotgun and crossed himself.

Seconds later, they had Sean in the penthouse. While Killian carried him to an empty bed, Mica shouted for Raphael.

“Raphael! It’s urgent! Please hurry!!”

Running back to Sean’s side, she leaned into his ear and said, “Sean? I know you can hear me. Hang on, baby! Please don’t go. We’re going to fix you.” Her words ended with a sob.

His eyes were swollen shut and he was too still. His chest barely rose with breath. She glared at the walls.

“Those bastards! We didn’t kill them right. It should’ve been slower!” Mica was pacing to release the extra power she carried. Her fingertips were still glowing and her heat was making Killian sweat.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was trying to keep it together. He had to give her props for that. Sean was a train wreck; it wasn’t easy for her to see. Although he’d seen worse over the centuries, this was ripping his guts out. This was Sean, his Primani brother. His life mattered more to him than all the others he’d patched up after battles. How the hell did a couple of humans get the jump on him? Sean was impossible to catch.

He ran his hands above Sean’s body trying to see where he was hurt. Hmm, a couple of broken ribs…internal bleeding? From what though? Spleen? Ripped aorta? He wasn’t a doctor; he wasn’t even a good healer. He had minor healing talent, but that was it. They needed Raphael for the serious damage.

A slight change in air pressure announced Raphael’s arrival. Thank God! With a curt nod of greeting, he nudged Killian out of the way and began working on Sean. He closed his eyes and sat silently for a moment. After peeling open each of Sean’s eyelids, he sat back and sunk into thought. Tapping his fingers against his leg, he held out his hand. A small black satchel appeared out of thin air. Mica jumped as it landed in his palm.

Killian frowned. Oh, damn, this isn’t good.

He pulled Mica towards the door saying, “You don’t need to see this.”

She dug in her heels at Sean’s side. “I won’t leave him, damn it! I promised him I’d be here. I promised!” She yanked her hand out of Killian’s and went back to the bedside. She latched onto his hand and rubbed it between her own.

“Sean, Raphael’s here. He’s going to help you. Hang on. No floating!”

Raphael held a small drill in his hand. The tiny bit gleamed in the bedroom light. “Mica, my child, you don’t want to see this.”

“I’ll stay out of the way. I just need to be here…for him. I promised.” Her voice cracked and tears streamed over her cheek.

Raphael considered her plea and nodded. “Sit over there, you can hold his hand. It might comfort him.”

Killian stood behind her and squeezed Sean’s shoulder as well. Come on, brother! You’ve got to hold on. We need you back. At the first high-pitched whine of the drill, blood spattered like red mist and Mica buried her face into his shoulder. Holding her against him, Killian prayed for Sean to pull through. They couldn’t lose him too.

Shaking her gently, Killian brought Mica back to the present, “Babe? Raphael’s done with the surgery. He’s going to finish healing him now.”

She kissed Raphael’s cheek and told him he was amazing. He smiled at her and said, “I’ve been known to pull off a miracle here and there. Would you be a good nurse and get some water and towels? We should clean him up while he’s still asleep.”

Sean’s clothes were covered in blood, his hair was matted with it, and his face and hands were splattered with it. He looked like he’d been spray painted.

Saluting smartly, she raced out of the room. Killian watched her go with darkened eyes. Raphael continued working on Sean but asked pointedly, “How is she?”

“Physically, she’s doing better. She’s finally regained all the weight she lost and her strength as well.” He lowered his voice. “You should’ve seen her tonight. She was perfect! She was furious but she stayed in control and didn’t give in to her urge to crush that maggot like a bug. She only punched him once and then executed him. It was a clean kill and not traceable back to our world. Her control is growing stronger every day.” And that was important if she was going to keep her powers. She couldn’t be allowed to keep them if she didn’t use them responsibly.

“And emotionally? How is she coping with all that’s happened?”

He turned to the window and ran a hand over his jaw. “She’s dealing with it, but you have to know that she’d be better if Dec was with us. I see her staring into space when she thinks I’m not looking. She’s missing him.” He frowned and added, “I’m worried about one thing though. I don’t know if she’ll ever recover from the hoard of demons that attacked her at the farmhouse. She froze up completely in Romania. We almost didn’t make it out of there. It was very close.”

“Well, that’s to be expected, my friend.” He glanced up from realigning one of Sean’s ribs and said, “I have complete faith in your ability to heal those particular wounds.”

Killian’s gut clenched at the unspoken promise in those words and he was grateful for the foreshadowing. He peered at Sean’s face and was relieved to see normal color appearing in his cheeks. The swelling was almost gone and the bruises were fading. He was going to make it. Automatically, he took Sean’s fingers in his hand and slowly boosted his saol with his own. It was second nature to him after all these years. There were a lot of close calls throughout the millennia. He’d lost track of how many times they’d saved each other’s lives.

“He looks almost human again!” Mica exclaimed from the doorway.

“He always looks almost human,” Killian said with a slight smile.

Raphael stood up and stretched elegantly. His kind eyes were lined and shadowed with fatigue. He’d had to pour his heart and soul, literally, into Sean to save him. He was exhausted and needed to find his bed.

“I’m not going to stay until he wakes up. But Killian, you must pass on a message for me. When he argues with you about what he should do, tell him that I said he must do as you say. He’ll hate that, but you’ll know what to do. I know you will guide him as I would.” He reached out and clasped Killian’s hand with a smile.

“Thank you again, Raphael,” Mica said. Standing up on her toes, she kissed his cheek and said, “I love you; get some rest!”

With a fond glance at Mica, he winked at Killian and vanished.

Killian kissed Mica’s pouting lips and slipped quietly from the sheets. She smiled in her sleep and mumbled his name. The sound of it started a small fire low in his gut and he marveled at the feeling. Looking down, he thought, again? He started to reach for her and stopped. His lust would have to wait. She needed to rest and he had other important things to do.

When he pushed open the door, he was surprised to find Sean sitting up in the bed. Sean had been staring off into space but blinked when Killian walked in. His eyes were clear and focused as he turned around.

Taking a second to clap him on the shoulder in brotherly affection, Killian asked, “Do you want company?”

“Not really. But you’re not really asking, are you?”

Killian pulled up a chair and sat. “Not really, no. Here’s the thing. Raphael told me you’ve been bleeding inside your thick skull for days. He mentioned an old injury. Now, Mica already told me about the rollover…so, my assumption is you got hurt in the wreck and decided to be a dumb ass and not heal yourself.”

Sean stiffened at the insult and looked away.

“How am I doing so far?” Killian’s angry tone left no room for argument.

“I don’t answer to you.”

Killian spun Sean around. Nose to nose, he snapped, “You answer to your family! Damn it! You owe us that much.” He backed off a little but continued, “Do you think you’re the only Primani who ever questioned things? Lost faith? Made mistakes?”

“Do you have any idea what you put Mica through? She nearly lost her mind worrying about you! You used her and you hurt her. You damn well better start explaining before I start re-breaking your face!”

Sean’s control broke and he jumped off the bed. He jammed a finger into Killian’s chest and shouted, “Go ahead! Do it! For God’s sake, it doesn’t matter anymore! Are you pissed off? Get in line!” He laughed bitterly and added, “Shit, I’ve hurt everyone around me! I’m a friggin’ disaster! You should’ve let me die!”

“What are you talking about? What else have you done?”

“I’ve screwed up so much I don’t even know where to start! Mica? My only job was keeping her alive, and instead I got pissed off and turned my back on her. I was ready to marry her and I walked away the second things got complicated. I should’ve been with her that night! I should’ve forgiven her. She lost our baby because I was sulking like some kind of prima donna! I heard you talking to Raphael. She still hasn’t recovered. It’s my fault. There’s nothing I can do to fix that.”

Lowering his voice, he said, “And Dec…He’s gone because I didn’t have his back. How many years did we fight beside each other? I should’ve known what he’d do…I should’ve stopped him. Now he’s gone.”

With that, he sat with his head in his hands, jaw clenched and eyes squeezed shut.

Killian searched for the right words. “There is nothing you could’ve done to save Dec, Sean. What happened to him was Jordan’s doing. You want to help Dec? Get your shit together so we can send Jordan to Hell where he belongs. In the meantime, have some faith. The angels know what they’re doing.”

Sean’s head snapped up. “Do they? Really? I don’t know if I believe that. What are we supposed to be doing out there? I don’t even know anymore! I thought I was doing the right thing…I destroyed more demons than I can count this month…all in the name of Good. I killed them to protect humans. But then I realized something. The humans were worse than the demons.” He shrugged and turned away. “So what’s the point?”

“That’s enough, Sean.”

Mica stood in the doorway with anger glittering in her eyes. Killian and Sean both backed away. She advanced on Sean until she had pressed him into the wall. Craning her neck to see him, she hissed in frustration and yanked him to her level.

“Consider this an intervention. Sit!”

He sat.

Killian leaned against the wall. Here it comes.

“First of all, you’re missing the bigger picture. Don’t be an idiot! Will you let James win? He hated you! He wanted to destroy you, and you’ve let him. He knew you better than you know yourself! He said those things to rip you to pieces.”

She threw her hands up in exasperation. “He counted on your stupid ego to destroy you. He knew you’d be furious and that your pride would keep you from forgiving me. He knew you’d let it eat you alive until you were so consumed with bitterness that you’d begin to question everything Primani. He knew you’d need to kill and destroy to quell the anger.” Her voice dropped to a stage whisper, “After all, it happened to him, didn’t it?”

Sean blanched and reached out to placate her. She smacked the top of his hand like an angry nun. Killian smothered a grin. That’s my girl!

“Try that again, and you’ll pull back a bloody stump! I’m not going to calm down.”

Killian watched her face as she read Sean the riot act. She glowed with anger, but more than that. Her eyes betrayed the desperation he sensed in her mood. She was positive she could save him, redeem him. She’d probably kill him herself if he didn’t immediately cooperate. Looking at the stubborn tilt to her chin as she yelled at Sean, he thought she just might be able to do it.

“Mica, please--” Sean tried to interrupt.

She raised a hand to silence him. “I’m not finished yelling at you. You can talk when I’m done.” Narrowing her eyes, she stuck her nose against his and said sweetly, “You will talk when I’m done. You’re gonna sing like a canary or I’ll have my boyfriend rip your head off. Got it?”

Killian couldn’t quite smother the grin and hastily turned away from Sean.

Sean elbowed him and muttered, “This is your fault, you know. She was nice when she was with me.”

Mica paused to collect her thoughts. She studied Sean’s expression and the emotions swirling around him.

Regrouping, she stepped back and considered him with gentle eyes, her expression loving. She knelt and took his hands in hers. Rubbing his fingers lightly, she said, “Sean, I don’t blame you for my miscarriage. It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. Sometimes they just happen. At first, I was depressed and mad, but I’ve worked through my feelings. I think you haven’t. You’ve been saving up this rage and it’s going to destroy you.” She pressed his fingers against her lips and kissed them. “I’m telling you to let it go. Let all of it go.” Her voice was low and smooth, hypnotic. He took a shuddering breath and looked up.

Sean’s eyes reflected the naked pain he clung to.

“Let it go.”

“Mica…I’m sorry. For everything,” he whispered with tears in his eyes as he let go of the guilt.

Brushing his cheek, she said, “I know you are. I’m so sorry I hurt you. I wish I could take back what I did, but I can’t. I hope you can forgive me. I forgave you a long time ago. Can you forgive yourself?” Her expression said he would if he knew what was good for him.

She nodded meaningfully at Killian who cracked his knuckles and glared at Sean.

Sean gave in. “You’re sure?” At her nod, he said, “I’ll work on it, love.”

Laughing with relief, Mica wrapped her arms around him. They clung to each other; Sean soaking up the gentle touch of forgiveness, and Mica the soft warmth of healing.

Watching the two of them together, Killian felt the universe settle back into its proper position. Sometimes the angels knew what they were doing.

Chapter 11: Behind the Glass

I DRAGGED MYSELF out of bed and stumbled into the shower before I realized where I was. The penthouse…last night’s rescue came flooding back to me and I broke speed records getting dressed. Throwing clothes out of the dresser, I couldn’t find any that looked good. Frowning at the sloppy fit, I settled for yoga pants and a tank top.

“You hate that, don’t you?” Killian observed from the kitchen island. He and Sean had eaten and were chilling out and catching up.

Stopping dead, I scowled at him and answered, “It’s just so, so…sloppy. How could you stand me in this stuff? It’s so college student.”

He rolled his eyes at Sean’s confused expression. “We went to Paris.”

“Hey! You took me shopping, remember? I seem to recall you liked everything just fine.”

His eyes warmed, and I turned pink remembering the sapphire blue lingerie. He let his eyes linger on mine and I heard him sigh inside my head. I glanced at Sean but he wasn’t paying attention to us. He’d turned to look out the French doors. I slipped behind Killian and leaned my cheek on his shoulder. As usual, he reached up and caught my hand in his.

How is he? I asked silently.

Better. We have work to do though.

Out loud, he said, “Hey Sean, when do you want us to resurrect your memories?”

“I’m not sure I want to. What if they’re fading because I’m not supposed to remember them?”

“That’s crap and you know it,” I said. “You know better than that. If you’re going crazy trying to remember, then you need to remember. Don’t be a wuss. We’ll figure it out and between the three of us, we’ll fix it. There’s no other option.”

Killian agreed, “I hate to admit it, but she’s right about this. Repressed memories are dangerous. You need to know what’s happening and deal with it.”

Sean turned and slowly sat at the island. After a few minutes of silence, he said, “Okay, let’s do it. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Well, we might as well get comfortable then,” I said on the way to the living room.

Once we’d sat down and gotten comfortable, I nibbled on my lip, considering our options. I thought I could enter his mind and pull up the distant memories like scattered postcards. In my imagination, they would be scattered around the peripheral edges of his larger memory. Between Killian and I, we ought to be able to bring them to the front so Sean could make sense of them. It didn’t seem to be too complicated and Killian agreed when I shared my plan.

He nodded and said, “I only have one major concern. Sean, you have to pay attention and help us. Don’t fight us or it might not work. Let the memories flow even if they suck. We’re all big people here; we’ll deal with whatever happened. Also, Dec isn’t here to anchor us. I don’t think I need to tell you how bad it would be for Mica to get trapped inside your head.”

We all laughed at the idea, but I cringed inside. Yeah, that would not be a good outcome.

Sean said, “How about if I try to anchor her? It might help.” He linked his fingers through mine.

Moving closer to me, Killian wrapped his hand around my free one. He plucked the locket from under my shirt so it lay gleaming in the morning light. Taking a deep breath, I settled my mind and looked into Sean’s face. Sean met my eyes and opened his mind to me. His irises were darker than usual but still formed of shades of blue and pieced together in layers of color. I ignored the puzzle pieces and went deeper into his head. Within seconds, I was totally absorbed in his memories.

At first the images slid past like a vacation slideshow--A reverse vacation slideshow. One right after the next, memories slid from one side to the other. I saw the images from today first. Then yesterday’s appalling bar fight; then the assassination of Lyle Holliday. Slowly I moved back in time, carefully sifting through his memories, unwilling to hurt him by rushing. I imagined this must feel odd to him, like having surgery with local anesthetic. You couldn’t feel the actual pain, but the pressure was there…unpleasant, but not unbearable.

Stoic as usual, Sean sat still and simply squeezed my hand harder whenever a particular bad memory drifted by. Suddenly I hit an invisible wall. There were images behind it, but I couldn’t see them. The clear wall reflected the pale light like a sheet of glass.

“Sean? Can you see this?” I murmured to him.

“It’s blurry to me. What is it?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to keep moving backwards.”

As I peered more closely, I realized the image was of him coming to me in the forest the day we called him home. It was a blur of green trees and fuzzy impressions. His brain hadn’t been fully functioning and couldn’t capture the images like it normally would have. I needed to go deeper to see the whole picture from the beginning. I moved further into the images and they got darker and less clear as I moved along. I didn’t bother to look at them until I reached a solid black wall.

This couldn’t be good.

Reaching around it, I saw Sean at the moment of the explosion in Vermont. His face contorted in agony as the two blasts pulled him into two directions. Sean’s fingers squeezed mine until my knuckles ground together and I winced.

Killian whispered, “Keep going. I’ve got Sean.” The pressure on my fingers eased and Sean released the breath he’d been holding.

Are you seeing this? I asked Killian.

Yes, I’m with you, but you don’t need my help this time. Use your powers to see behind the darkness.

The black wall had to go, so I directed some of my saol to my palm and lifted the soft light in front of me. The wall shimmered in the glow and disappeared. Sean’s breath hitched and his heart sped up. My own heart went off like a jackhammer and I clung to the terrifying vision exploding into chaos around me. In one agonizing heartbeat, Sean’s body exploded like a star into billions of particles of light that expanded in every direction. The screaming of a million souls echoed around us, soaking into my pores and turning my blood to ice.

What had once been Sean was now dust.

Oh, God! I did that to him! It was my fault!

Easy, Princess. It’s over, remember? Breathe and move forward.

Gulping a great lungful of air, I struggled to keep my heart from racing and losing the vision. Poor Sean! What he’d gone through was enough to destroy anyone. It was a miracle we ever got him back. I was still panting with emotion when Killian rubbed his fingers over my rune. An immediate sense of calm floated over me.

Focus, babe. Panic later. Sean’s struggling here.

I held my breath and moved to the next memory. Now they moved in forward motion…weird. What happened? The black wall must be a starting point of some kind. I shook my head mentally and shoved that aside. I didn’t care how the mind worked, as long as it did. The next memories were ethereal, light. The images were blurry and vague. It seemed as though he existed without form or conscious thought for a long time. It was him but there wasn’t any real memory to see. It was more like a set of impressions; colors and sensations, sounds. He floated in this limbo until gradually his mind began to wake up. Very slowly, he began to call to the pieces that floated and they came to him. The essential part of him refused to give up…refused to die.

His only focus was on surviving.

To that end, he pulled himself together until his core was recognizable. His mind was still shaky at this point and he had no previous memories.

Sean squeezed my hand and stopped me. He said, “Wait. I need a minute.” His whole body trembled beside me while I held the vision in my mind. After a minute, he told me to keep going.

I moved forward and came to another glass wall. The memory behind it was clear, but it was like looking through a window. Odd. This was how Sean would see these memories. Why did he separate himself from them? I started to move when I felt Sean’s consciousness interfere. He was taking control and I wasn’t able to stop him.

“I’ve got it. Let me do this,” he whispered next to me.

Instead of fighting with him, I slipped out of the way and let him unfold the reclusive images. Once I’d unlocked them, they came pouring back to him. As Killian and I watched, they played out like a movie in his mind.

Sean’s eyes opened to find a woman leaning over him. She was wrapped in a dark cloak with a hood covering most of her head. Her eyes were wary as she hesitated next to him. He blinked up at her and her face swirled in a lazy circle. Nausea churned in his stomach and he turned over and retched in the grass. When he leaned back again, she was still there.

“Where am I?”

Her blue eyes were huge as she stared at him. Without answering, she turned away.

“Wait!” he croaked.

She stopped and turned back around to study him with careful eyes. Her expression was hard to read. She didn’t say a word. She just stared at him as if he’d suddenly grown another head. He pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed at his eyes. He was sitting at the edge of a stream. The sunlight sparkled off of the gurgling water and tiny rainbows of color dotted the air above it. Pretty...Cognition was slowly creeping back. His brain tried to turn over and work, but it stuttered like a clogged carburetor. True, he wasn’t firing on all cylinders...

Realizing he was thirsty, he got to his feet and lurched and stumbled to the creek. Legs weren’t working all that well either.

After filling his stomach, he splashed his face and shaking hands then sat down before he fell down. His head felt oddly light and he was dizzy. The brilliant colors hurt his eyes and he had to squint to see. The land was green around him with the exception of the crystalline water. To his right, the land rolled gently towards a small hill. The grass was long and waved gently in the slight breeze. To his left, an overgrown forest loomed dark and foreboding in the fading light.

Where the hell was he?

Who the hell was he?

His mind was blank.

Seeming to come to a decision, the woman hovered beside him and said, “It’ll be dark soon. You should come with me.” Without waiting for him to agree, she walked away.

He stared after her, unable to fathom what she wanted him to do. He’d heard her words, but they didn’t make sense to him.

“What is the matter with you? Come with me or you’ll be stuck here all night!” She’d come back and grabbed his hand.

A few minutes later, they entered a small cabin. She pointed to a thick grass mat and told him he could sleep on it near the fire. She lifted a sturdy length of wood and said, “Try to touch me and I’ll take your head off. Do you understand?”

Sean blinked and sat down. He had no idea what she was talking about. Touch her? He was exhausted and his head ached. Instead of talking to her, he lay down on the mat and slept for several days. When he finally awoke his brain felt clearer. His headache was almost gone and he understood the woman when she spoke to him again.

She was in the middle of making some kind of food over the fire when she realized he was awake. Her back went ramrod straight even as she gauged his strength, his size.

She was afraid of him, he thought. Had he done something wrong? He wracked his memory for something but it was blank. He had nothing. She was watching his eyes with real fear and backed away from him.

Holding out his hands, he said calmly, voice husky from disuse, “I’m not going to hurt you. Don’t be afraid.” He tried to smile but it felt stiff, the muscles not quite moving as they should.

Instead, he growled, “What’s your name?” He cleared his throat again.

Still cautious, she said, “Aisling. Are you Primani?” Her eyes drifted to his, and she added, “Your eyes are blue.”

Sean said, “Are they? I don’t remember. What’s a primani?”

Aisling considered him with suspicion and asked, “What do you remember?”

“Nothing.”

“It’ll come back. What about your name?”

Sean tried to think but was overcome by an image of the chaos of being scattered. The ripping sound and screaming souls sent his stomach turning again. Shaking his head to clear the nightmare, he tried to remember his name. It just wasn’t there. His memory was full of fuzzy colors…Something more solid hung at the very edge of his memory but it was unclear.

“Nothing. Damn it!” He stood up and began to pace the space of the small room. Aisling backed away from him and put the rough-carved table between them. Her knuckles were white around the stick she gripped in front of her. Sean stopped and sighed in exasperation.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Why are you so afraid of me?”

Instead of answering him, she headed for the door and left it open behind her. Assuming she wanted him to follow, Sean hurried to catch up with her. She stopped in the middle of the meadow and spun in a circle with arms extended.

“Do you see this? All of this? There is nothing here. No one here. No one but me.” She lowered her arms and frowned at him, “And now you.”

The world swam and tilted as her words sank in. Sean held out an arm for balance and swallowed the bile rising in the back of his throat.

No, no, no!

How is this possible? How did he get here?

He looked down at his clothes and something tickled his memory. Camouflage pants, combat boots…He’d been...working? That seemed correct but he couldn’t take the memory further.

There was nothing else to see.

While he struggled, Aisling watched and came to a decision. Coming over to him, she said, “If you are Primani, you’re more or less immortal. You’ll be stuck here forever so you might as well get used to the idea. You can share my cabin for now as long as you don’t try anything. Once you’re stronger, you can do what you want. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

She had a small compound all to herself. She explained that she had built everything by herself and it had taken years to do it. The small cabin was accompanied by a storage shed, a chicken coop of sorts, and a crude spring house. The cabin was one big room with a sleeping area and a main living area. Everything was made from wood, stone or woven from grass.

“How did you manage to cut the wood?” Sean asked her.

She slipped and smiled before smothering it under a scowl. “I actually found some ancient tools in a cave. Nothing fancy, but there were some arrowheads and flint. I used the flint to cut the smaller branches. It took forever. But I had nothing else to do…”

“How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know exactly. But I think maybe 100 years. When your memory comes back, you can tell me what year it is.”

Stunned, he gaped at her. “You don’t look any older than 20. How is that possible?”

She laughed at him and narrowed her eyes. “You really don’t remember what you are, do you?”

“Why don’t you tell me?” His tone was light but there was an underlying edge of steel to it.

Aisling hesitated but plunged ahead. “Primani are warriors powered by the blood of angels. They don’t age. I saw you come here…in streams of light…like a backwards shooting star. It took weeks…You reformed yourself where I found you.”

“How do you know that?”

Shrugging, she said, “I’m Primani.”

After the first few days, Sean’s blurry memory gradually cleared and he remembered his name. They celebrated by sitting outside and watching the stars. The next day, he remembered he was Primani and realized he had no powers. He tried to teleport but couldn’t move an inch. One by one, he tested his powers and one by one, they failed him. That night they sat by the fire and Sean’s heart stopped as he watched Aisling braid her long brown hair. Her slender fingers winked in and out of the heavy curls as she deftly wound the pieces together. The movement was so familiar…she noticed the intensity of his stare and dropped her hand to her throat. The fire lit her skin, reflected in her blue eyes…

“Mica…” The word ripped through his mind like an avalanche, unleashing wave after wave of memories.

Mica! Oh, God, where was she?

He stared at Aisling like a wounded animal; trapped, cornered, panicked.

“Take it easy, Sean,” she whispered, backing up as his face twisted in grief and he flung himself out of the cabin.

He was gone for days that time. He wandered the land searching for a way out. He walked until his feet were torn and then he sat and brooded. When his feet healed, he got up and walked again. Making a series of radial trails, he covered every direction within a hundred miles of the cabin. Not once did he see another human. At night he slept on the ground and stared at the endless sky wondering what he’d done to deserve this purgatory.

Why had he been sent here? Why couldn’t he leave?

Was anyone looking for him? Where was Mica? Killian? Dec?

Desperate to be heard, he prayed on his knees until they were raw and bloody. And still no one answered him.

Where were the angels now?

He was forsaken.

Bowing his head one night, he thought of Mica and let the tears run down his face. There was no one to see him fall apart; no one to hear him howl with pain. He would never see her again and his heart broke into tiny pieces. He couldn’t bear to think of her alone and afraid for him. Grieving, crying, heart breaking each day he stayed away. She’d think he was dead. She’d be devastated. Was anyone helping her? Where was Killian now? He’d sworn to protect her, but did he survive the explosion or was he in limbo too?

Growing more despondent every day, he kept walking, kept praying, and kept Mica in his mind. It made him crazy to know he’d never see her again. Never hold her again or watch her smile in her sleep. How was that even possible? At first he couldn’t imagine it. But as the days blurred together and he lost track of time, he realized it was true.

He was never leaving this place.

That night, he threw himself off a cliff only to land in a pond. After dragging himself back to the bank, he hung his head and gave up. He sat on that bank for days until he finally decided to find Aisling again.

“You’re back,” she observed from the doorway. “You look like hell. Have you finally given up?”

Sean felt the thick hair on his jaw and sighed. He probably did look like hell. He looked into Aisling’s cool eyes and realized she was being kind enough letting him stay here. The least he could do was wash up and act civilized. Taking off for the creek, he stripped out of his clothes and washed them on a rock. Laying them in the sun, he sat naked in the water and let the current wash away the grime. Using the edge of his knife, he scraped the hair off his face. When he was done, he sprawled on his stomach across a boulder and let the sun dry his skin.

He closed his eyes and brought Mica’s beautiful face to his mind. He had a million favorite memories, but for this moment, he wanted, no needed, to remember her as she looked the last time he saw her. With her back pressed against the tree, she moved feverishly against him in the pouring rain. Desperate to touch her, he molded his body against her and plundered her mouth with his own, tasting her and the sweet rain running between them. Her skin nearly burned his hands as he held her face between his palms, kissing her hard enough to bruise her lips. With her eyes closed against the rush of water, she’d burned for him and he’d wanted to rip her clothes off and make love to her, claim her, one last time before leaving her forever.

He’d known he would die.

He’d known it for months before it happened.

He’d felt the time slipping through his hands like sand in an hourglass. He’d had dream after dream…And now he wished he’d made love to her one more time. His Mica…How would he live without her now? How could he? There was no way to live without her. Not really. He would survive, but not really live. How could he when she was his other half? He wasn’t whole without her. He was a shell.

Pulling her face to his mind again, he lovingly traced the lines of her jaw and kissed her goodbye one last time.

“I will always love you. Be well.” He hoped she’d somehow hear him.

He didn’t know how long he sat on that rock, but eventually he felt someone staring at him. Aisling stood on the shore with unreadable eyes. He stood and put his wet pants back on.

That night, he’d slept on the cabin floor. She didn’t invite him to her bed and he didn’t want to be there. More days passed and slowly they got to know each other. Aisling was reserved but kind. She knew about Mica. He told her his story just as she’d told him hers. Both had lost people they loved. Aisling tried to reassure him that after 20 years he would get over it. The words sunk like nails into his skin and he changed the subject. The only way he kept his sanity was by throwing himself into work. He hunted and fished. He made arrows and dug a well. He exercised and pushed his body to its limits. He worked each day until he was exhausted enough to sleep without nightmares.

During what seemed to be summer, the nightmares had gotten worse and he’d woken up yelling Mica’s name every night for a week. Aisling never commented but looked at him with sad eyes. Once, she knelt beside him and shook him awake, but he only moaned and turned his back on her.

It was dark when he came in from the forest. He’d gone to check their traps and brought back two rabbits. After washing up, he came through the door expecting Aisling to be cooking dinner. He stopped inside the doorway and dropped the dead rabbits in a pile. Moving slowly, awkwardly, she turned to him, a pretty blush spreading over her face. Normally she wore the ragged remains of an old red dress, but tonight she waited in a white silk slip that clung to her lithe body like skin. The fire cast its orange light across the shimmering fabric making it writhe with flame.

Swallowing hard, he stepped back and said, “What’s this?”

She smiled uncertainly at his tone. Nervously smoothing the silk, she said, “I had this on under my dress when I was scattered. It’s too delicate to wear all the time, but I thought it would be nice to put it on. It’s soft…” She looked away, blushing furiously now. Tears glittered in her eyes and she bit down on her lower lip.

Frozen in place, Sean counted to ten and tried to ignore the tightening in his gut. She looked away from him, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from her. The white silk clung to her delicate breasts dipping low to reveal the cleavage between them. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem drawing his attention to her thighs. His body reacted sharply and he tried to count to ten again.

He didn’t want this. Not from her. His mind screamed no, but his body hardened with need. He should leave. He should run but he stood frozen, staring…torn.

She turned her face towards his and tears ran down her cheek. The ice cracked. With two steps he was at her side, his hands tangled in her hair and mouth slanted over hers. With a small cry, she arched against him wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands fisted in the silk at her hips, and he slowly slid the fabric up to her waist. She was bare and taut under his hands. Aisling tugged him to the bed and smiled shyly up at him when he followed her to the mattress.

As the sky lightened to pearly pink, Sean lay on his back with Aisling curled at his side. She was sound asleep as he stared at the ceiling and asked Mica’s forgiveness.

“I’m sorry, love. I needed her. I guess we needed each other. I miss you,” he whispered into the dark.

Trembling with emotion, tears rolling down my face, I slowly pulled my mind away from Sean. We could stop now. We’d found the hidden memories. They ended with that day. We’d brought Sean back that same day. Aisling would’ve woken up alone; scared, confused, and alone.

My God, what have we done?

Sean’s face was white.

He scrubbed a hand over his eyes and said, “How could I have forgotten her? What kind of animal am I? She’s all alone there!” He started to jump up when Killian stopped him.

“We’ll find her. I promise.”

“I’m so sorry, Sean. I had no idea,” I said through fresh tears.

He pressed me against his chest and rubbed my back like he’d done a million times before. “Well, at least I can understand what happened between you two. I guess you felt the same way.”

Killian squeezed his shoulder and said, “I tried to tell you last year but you wouldn’t listen. Mica was a shadow…It was killing me to watch her shut down, close herself off, day after day. I just wanted her to smile again. I think you can understand that now.”

Giving me a final pat on the back, Sean set me away from him and stood up. “This blows. We’ve got to figure this out. I can’t live here knowing she’s stuck there for eternity. What can we do?”

The sun beat down on Central Park and I turned my face to enjoy its warmth. Fall was here with a vengeance today. Even though it was still early in September, a cold front swept down from Canada last night and it was chilly. After this morning’s intervention with Sean, we decided to regroup and make some plans. I should say, Killian decided to regroup and make some plans. I wasn’t privy to everything so I was currently sulking on a park bench with my iPod stuck in my ear. Killian grinned at me from the other end of the bench and smacked my leg for emphasis.

“You’re not listening to a word I’m saying, are you?”

Pointing to my headphones, I shook my head and ignored him. Before I could react, he leaned across me and pulled my ear bud out. I started to protest but he put his finger over my lips and frowned down at me.

“When do we have make up sex?”

“Never! We’re not having sex ever again.” I crossed my arms and scowled.

Instead of actually believing me, he leaned closer until his mouth brushed my ear. “Really? Never is a very long time.” His voice was husky and sexy and I forced myself not to smile. He added, “Why would you punish yourself like that?”

Melting into a puddle was out of the question. Instead, I purred, “Tell me your plans and we’ll make up right now.”

Stiffening slightly, he sat back and frowned again. “Babe, I’ve told you everything you need to know. You know how this works. Need to know? Remember?”

“Why don’t I have a need to know this time? What’s the big secret? Where is Sean?” Sean had taken off as soon as they’d finished making plans.

“Sean’s gone to tie up some loose ends before we start looking for Aisling. He’ll be back here in a few days. Then we’ll be able to get moving again.”

That was one of the reasons I was so bent out of shape. Since Killian was the only one of us who had the power to cross in and out of alternate planes on purpose, they were going to go after Aisling, but I had to stay behind with Rivin. While they searched for this alternate plane, Rivin and I were supposed to work on the leads from the lab in Switzerland. Rivin had been working on this while we were dealing with Sean and now he wanted help. Killian felt I could help him better than another Primani since I had suddenly become brilliant (not buying it!), but I didn’t want to stay with Rivin. Rivin was a jerk and I didn’t trust him. I wanted to be with Killian and Sean. But that wasn’t my assignment. Ugh! Sometimes Killian was a pain in the butt.

“Hey,” he interrupted my silent tantrum, “I want this to be finished as much as you do. I want to start a life with you; a stable life with you and me and a couple of pretty babies running around. We can’t do that until we get rid of Jordan and help Sean get settled.”

“Say that again.”

Instead of repeating himself, he placed his palm against my heart and kissed me long and deep under the trees. My heart thumped against his palm and he pulled back and met my gaze. “I want forever with you.”

“You’re going to make me cry,” I sniffed and wiped at the corner of my eye. “I love you so much.”

A man jogged by and whistled his appreciation and the spell was broken. Killian held out a hand to me and pulled me to my feet.

“Now can we have make up sex?”

Chapter 12: The Best Laid Plans…

“WELL? WHAT DID HE SAY?” I asked Killian.

“He’s got the car and will take it to the London safe house for me. It’ll be secure there.” He still didn’t look happy, but there wasn’t anything else he could do about it.

Killian was trying to tie up his own loose ends while Sean laced up his. He’d been trying to reach Rivin for two days and was nearly ready to strangle him when he’d finally called us. The McLaren was Killian’s baby and he was freaking out over leaving it alone in Austria. Rivin found it safe and sound in an impound lot. After paying the fine, he was on his way to London. The car would be fine. Our stuff was still in the trunk so I was relieved. I had plans for the rest of my new lingerie.

Killian was on the phone again. This time he was going over more plans with Alex. Sighing with boredom, I pulled out my own phone and stared at the dial pad. I should call my father. For one thing, they would be worried sick about me. I hadn’t talked to them in months. I’d meant to call…but something always came up and I got distracted. For another thing, I missed Domino and wanted to know she was okay. She was going to be unhappy with me; we needed to go and get her.

Killian hung up and said, “We’ve got Alex’s approval for our plans. Now we wait for Sean.” He studied my face and said, “How would you like to bring Domino to London with us?”

“Could we? Don’t we have to quarantine her?”

Shaking his head, he winked and said, “Not if she travels with me. I’ll take her to the safe house and then pick you up.”

“Would it be safe for her? I thought we were going to fly?”

He shrugged. “We can fly if you want to, but it’s a long flight and she’d have to stay in the cargo hold. It’s not great for dogs. Why don’t we just go and you can pick up some new clothes when you get settled. I don’t care either way.”

I curled up on the arm of the couch and dropped a quick kiss on his mouth just as he was about to say something else. He grinned at me and pulled me down to his lap for a longer kiss. The incessant buzzing of his cell phone separated us long enough for me to remember we were supposed to be going out for the night. He scowled as he read the text message but flashed me a quick smile before replying.

“So do you still want to go out tonight? This might be our last night alone for a while.” He was leaving it up to me.

The sun was nearly gone and the sky was purple in the twilight. Hundreds of lights winked on in the buildings around us. The brash sound of car horns drifted up from the street 18 stories below us. I was standing in the open French doors and enjoying the feel of the chilly air flowing over my bared arms. Killian came and stood with his arms around me. Our last night together…turning into his chest, I stood on my tiptoes and pulled his face down so I could see his eyes.

“I don’t want to share you with anyone tonight. Can we order dinner and stay in? It feels…important somehow.” I frowned over the last words.

Where did they come from? I hadn’t realized I was thinking that until the words came out.

He lifted an eyebrow and said, “We can do whatever you want, babe. I’m easy.”

An hour later, the doorbell sounded and Killian got up to answer the door. I followed him with my eyes. Killian had dressed in nice clothes again and I bit down a dopey grin while he watched the hotel worker lay out the food. Killian tipped the boy and shut the door. I broke into a huge smile when he caught me staring at his butt.

“Were you scoping me out just now?”

I tossed my hair and said, “Of course not. I’m used to you. You don’t impress me anymore.”

One second he was in the dining room and the next he’d scooped me into his arms and thrown me down on the bed. My head spun with the sudden movement and I broke into helpless giggles at his indignant expression.

He very seriously intoned, “Are you impressed now?”

Shaking my head and giggling, I said, “Not yet!”

“What? That didn’t impress you? You’re a hard wench to please.” He dipped his head to my neck and proceeded to leave a trail of heat down to my freshly-painted toes. By the time he started up the other side, I was beyond giggling and into begging. When I started praying, he broke down and laughed.

“Just don’t pray to Raphael. He likes you enough to show up in person.”

I pictured the shock on Raphael’s face if he saw us now…flushing bright red, I broke into giggles again. Killian leaned across me and caught my mouth with his and I stopped giggling immediately. I closed my eyes and gave up any conscious thought.

A sudden sensation of falling startled me and I opened my eyes to find a younger Killian leaning over me. His blue eyes blinked in surprise. He searched my face as if finding his prayers unexpectedly answered and lowered his mouth to kiss me again. It was him, but it wasn’t him. His mouth felt the same on mine, but tasted different. Bemused, I ran my fingers through his longer hair and felt its silkiness slide through my fingers. Running my hands over his bare shoulders, I realized he was leaner and he wasn’t wearing my pendant.

“Welcome home, Mica. I’ve missed you,” he murmured into my ear just before my vision went white and I closed my eyes against the brilliance.

When I opened my eyes again, Killian lifted his head from my shoulder and smiled wearily. “Are you impressed now?” Sweat ran down the side of his face, his heart pounded furiously against mine. The pendant lay pressed between us.

Scooting up, I put my hands on his face and turned him back and forth so I could see every detail. It was him; my Killian. Even as I had that thought, his features swam just slightly out of focus.

“Did you take me back in time?”

Confused, he leaned up on an elbow and said, “What? No. I don’t have the power to do that! You saw something. What did you see?”

“You…but not you. A younger you…”

“What was I doing?”

Unable to help myself, I laughed before I answered, “Making love to me.”

With that, he sat straight up and exclaimed, “Just now?”

“Yeah, or 3,000 years ago…I don’t know which. It’s like the dreams I’ve been having.”

“You’ve been dreaming about me?” He took my hand and said, “You should’ve told me, babe.”

“You’re scaring me now. Is this bad? What’s wrong?”

Unexpectedly, he laughed and said, “You know what? No, it’s not bad. I don’t know why I didn’t expect this to happen. Your sight is stronger than anyone I’ve ever known.” He broke into more laughter and I started to worry he’d come unhinged.

Still chuckling, he gave me a censorious look and said, “I’m not crazy. It’s funny. Don’t worry about it though. You’re probably just seeing me from the past because you’re so connected to me. Our minds are so closely linked now that it’s possible you’ve stumbled onto some old memories of mine. It seems logical that you’d have some access to the rest of me.”

“That’s just weird and not a little creepy. Come back here and distract me. The clock is ticking. Time is running out.”

He gave me an odd look but didn’t comment. Instead, he turned me onto my stomach and distracted me until I passed out.

Yawning hugely, I stuck my nose into my coffee and flipped on the morning news. Blah, blah, blah…only half-listening, I blew on the cup and managed a sip before the world came crashing down. Oh, no, no, no! Turning up the volume, I yelled for Killian and sank to the couch.

A grainy image of Sean took up the right half of the TV screen while a driver’s license photo of a blond woman named Christine Miller filled the left side. The newsman’s voice droned but I was too stunned to hear him. The ticker running along the bottom of the screen said the man was wanted in connection with the murder of Christine Miller.

Killian turned up the volume and the newsman’s voice bounced off the living room walls.

“Twenty-eight year old Christine Miller was found dead outside of her Brooklyn apartment building this morning. Her body was found inside a burned out Honda Accord registered to Ms. Miller. An official autopsy is scheduled. In the meantime, witnesses and traffic cameras place this unidentified male at the scene. Police are searching door to door. He is considered armed and dangerous.” He continued after that but Killian turned the volume off and stared at the screen in shock.

“No, this can’t be happening. Not now! Sean wouldn’t do that! There’s no way he’d just go out and kill some random woman.” My voice rose with every word until I was shouting.

“Christine Miller…Miller?” Killian stared and muttered to himself while I jumped up and ranted some more.

Finally he turned to me and said, “It wasn’t random. He was hunting her.”

“What!!??”

He rubbed his eyes and grimaced at me. “Christine Miller was on his list. Sean and Dec always kept a list. It had people on it that had gotten away with doing atrocious things, usually involving kids. Those two had a soft spot for little kids. When someone got away with killing a kid, they put the name on the list. When no one was paying attention, they’d track them down and eliminate them. They felt it kept their karma balanced.” He shrugged and said, “She was one of his loose ends.”

I sat and put my head in my hands to stop the spinning. A list? How did I not know about this? This was a huge secret to keep.

Killian said gruffly, “There’s a lot you still don’t know about all of us.” He added, “We’ve done mostly good, but we’re not perfect.”

“I can’t deal with this! What’s going to happen now?”

Killian was saved from answering by the sudden shift in air pressure that preceded a teleporting guest. Before I could blink, Raphael stood in the foyer with blazing, furious eyes.

“Killian! A word, please,” he ordered as he stalked to the dining room.

Killian turned to me and said, “Sorry, babe, you’re not invited. Would you wait for me in the bedroom to give him some privacy?”

Grinding my teeth in frustration, I headed for the bedroom. If I was invited, Raphael would’ve included me. It was Primani business and I wasn’t Primani. I didn’t like it, but I’d never seen his eyes like that. The hair was still standing up on my arms. I strained to hear but they kept their voices down. No shouting. Not a surprise.

Twenty minutes later, Killian tapped on the door and let himself inside. I was frozen at the window, staring out at the city skyline. I’d been wondering what we could do for Sean. Surely he could just teleport out of here. He wasn’t in jail. I didn’t know where he was, but he could disappear and never get caught. His cover was blown, but he could live anywhere. He could probably change his face if he wanted to. It didn’t seem like too big of a deal now that I was thinking about it. If the woman was a killer, she deserved to die, right?

He cleared his throat awkwardly and waited for me to turn around. His eyes were red from strain and I knew something was very wrong. He lifted a hand and let it drop back to his side. He cleared his throat again but couldn’t seem to get the words out. He looked away and blinked.

Pushing past him, I ran to the dining room calling to Raphael.

He froze when he heard my voice and slowly turned around. His eyes weren’t furious now; they were bleak and tired. He swallowed and seemed to steel himself for me. Killian came into the room and tried to take my arm. I jerked away from him and ran to Raphael.

“What’s happened? Where’s Sean?”

Raphael looked at Killian and then back at me.

Killian croaked, “Mica, sit down.”

“He’s dead, isn’t he? He was caught and punished!” Hysterical now, I clung to Raphael’s shirt and cried, “No, not now, he can’t be dead, not now. We just saved him!”

Raphael cupped my cheek and my hysteria gave way to a fuzzy sense of peace. Raphael picked me up himself and brought me to the couch. He sat down next to me and Killian sat on the other side.

Patiently, he held my hand and smoothed his fingers over the rune. It hummed oddly as he sent his saol into me. He said, “Don’t worry, child. I’m only easing your panic so you can listen to my words. I cannot stay long. There is much to do yet. Killian will stay with you so you won’t be here alone.”

When he judged me to be stable again, he wrapped his big hands around mine and faced me. “Sean isn’t dead, nor will he be killed. He has, however, already been judged by Michael, and will begin his punishment at midnight tonight.”

Swiveling towards Killian, I was shocked to see tears in his eyes. He was wretched, and that freaked me out more than anything else could have.

“What is the punishment?”

His voice was a whisper when he answered me. “The Stone Garden. One hundred years in the Stone Garden.”

Killian’s breath caught and he got up and left the room. Raphael stared at his hands and blinked.

“I don’t understand what that means. What does that mean?”

He looked into my eyes and said, “He will stand as stone for 100 years. He will use this time to reflect on his arrogance, his pride, and his crimes. When he has finished his sentence, he will be invited back to Heaven. It may sound harsh since you don’t know of our ways. But the sentence is more lenient than most. He is fortunate to not have been stripped of his Primani status and made fully human. If that were to happen, he would be arrested and spend the rest of his life in a human prison. Michael was…most displeased. Sean was one of his favorites.”

Stunned, I stared at the clock. It was already 11:30. “I want to see him. Take me to him, please!”

Killian nodded to Raphael. They had one of their telepathic conversations.

Raphael finally agreed, but warned, “Mica, I wish you wouldn’t insist on coming. It will only break your heart. The process is not easy to watch. I would shield you from that if you’d only let me.”

His eyes rested on my locket and he reached out and opened it. After considering it for a moment, he touched the tip of his finger to it and murmured a word so quickly I missed it. Snapping it closed, he kissed my forehead lightly and stepped back. Killian wrapped his arms around me and leaned his forehead against mine. As we held each other up, the room spun away and we rematerialized in a dark churchyard in the middle of cold drizzling rain.

Thunder rumbled as a storm moved closer. I knew this place…I’d been here before. Voices drifted on the wind and Killian immediately turned towards them. It was nearly midnight. We rushed around the church to find Sean standing on top of a stone pedestal. He was rigid with fear, his eyes huge in his white face.

Tearing away from Killian, I ran to him and threw myself between the witnesses that were crowded around the stone. “Wait! Sean!”

He stared down at me with horror in his eyes. Hands pulled at me trying to drag me away. I struggled and dug in my heels. Killian took my hand and gently moved me to the side. I craned my neck to see Sean but I couldn’t see him over the crowd that formed around us.

Tearing loose again, I screamed, “Michael! I want to see Michael!”

Complete silence.

Stunned silence.

The crowd backed away from me.

Sinking to my knees, I lowered my head and cried, “Michael! Please.”

I felt the change immediately. The air pressure shifted and I couldn’t draw a breath. Killian dropped to his knees. The light was blinding in the darkness of midnight.

A heavy hand lingered on my head, outlined in pure light. His power hit me like a lightning bolt. My back arched with the force. Still, I knelt and lowered my eyes before him.

“Please, Michael, I just want to say goodbye while he’s still Sean. I’ll be dead in 100 years. I’ll never see him again. Please! He’s had so little love. Can’t I comfort him for one moment?”

“Rise to your feet, little warrior.”

Killian’s hand squeezed mine refusing to release it. His fear was palpable and I stumbled as I stood. Michael’s face was beautiful and terrifying, like a living statue; hard as marble, beautiful as a painting. His was the face of justice; there was no mercy in his eyes. I understood Killian’s fear. I shook from head to toe but I stood there and hoped for mercy.

He lifted his hand and I rose to his height and levitated at his eye level. He held me in front of him and peered into my eyes.

He read my soul and set me down gently.

“You have five minutes.” He stepped away and vanished.

Killian nudged me. “Go now, hurry!”

I couldn’t seem to move so he grabbed my hand and dragged me to the stone pedestal where Sean knelt in prayer. I ran the last few steps and scrambled up to him, not caring who watched from below.

“Oh God, Sean! What have you done?” I clung to him and tried to still the raw panic racing through me. I wanted to grab him and run away.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he groaned, but his arms crushed me against him. He trembled with fear and I felt Raphael’s words come true. My heart froze in my chest as Sean’s strength dissolved into panic.

Killian wrapped his arm around us and said, “We have one minute.” He laid his hand on the back of Sean’s head and touched his forehead to his. “I swear I’ll find Aisling. Be strong, brother.”

Taking Sean’s face in my hands, I kissed him and said fiercely, “I love you! I will visit you every day. I won’t let you go through this alone.”

He grabbed me in one last hug and whispered, “I love you too. Now go, so I can do this with some dignity.”

Killian tugged at my hand. “Babe, we have to get down. It’s going to start. We can’t be here when it does.”

Sean’s voice cracked as he yelled, “Don’t let her watch!”

Killian dragged me down to the ground and pulled me away from the crowd. When I realized he was leading me away, I struggled to turn back around. He refused to go back. He refused to let me turn around. When I wouldn’t stop struggling, he threw me over his shoulder and took me to the safe house.

“Knock, knock! Anybody in here?” The door cracked open and Rivin stuck his head inside the bedroom. “Oh! Here you are, darlin’! Why didn’t you answer me knock?”

“Get the hell out,” I growled, and pulled the pillow over my head.

I was nearly asleep again when he said, “This is your fault, you know. You’re leaving me no choice, so don’t get your knickers in a twist about it.” With that, he yanked the covers off of me leaving me feeling like a worm whose rock got moved.

I managed to blow a hole in the wall and shatter the mirror before I hit him. He yelped and threw himself to the floor.

Killian chose that minute to reappear, and ducked as I aimed another shot at Rivin. Tackling me on the bed, he held my hands tightly in his.

“Rivin, wait for me downstairs,” he ordered quietly. The door closed with a click. He released the breath he was holding.

“Baby, you can’t blow him up. We need him.” He didn’t release my hands, but he shifted his weight so he wasn’t hurting me. He brushed his lips against my cheek and sighed when I turned my head away.

Patiently, he said, “You’re still angry?”

I stared at the ceiling. He stared at me.

“I thought we had an understanding, you and I. I thought we’d agreed to spend eternity together. I thought I’d already made it clear that I had a bad back and couldn’t sleep on the couch.”

“Also, I think it’s fair to add that I can’t go through eternity holding your hands above your head like this just to keep you from misusing your powers. It’s not very comfortable for me and I’m sure it’ll be hard for you to go to the bathroom.” He ended this observation with another kiss on my cheek.

I smiled just a tiny bit at that.

“Finally, I have to stress that if you keep misusing my powers, I’ll have to take them back. I’ll have to figure out how that’s done, but I’m sure it’ll involve the loss of your blood. Possibly cleansing with fire and water…”

I stared toward the ceiling so I could see his face above me. He was worried about me; that much was clear. His eyes were tired from too many sleepless nights. He was upset about Sean too. I was just adding to his stress. I was a crappy girlfriend.

“What’s today?” I asked quietly.

“It’s Saturday. It’s been three days and no, I haven’t slept at all.” His eyes were soft as they met mine. “And you’re not helping by refusing to talk to me. It’s not my fault.”

I tugged gently at my hands and he lifted an eyebrow. “You can let me go now.”

When he released my hands, I wound them around his back and he relaxed against me.

“Let me help you, love,” he murmured, and enveloped me inside his saol. It flowed gently around me, pulling the pain and sadness away. We lay tangled on the bed just breathing and finding the balance I so desperately needed. Eventually my nose realized he smelled of bread and my stomach growled like an angry mountain lion.

“Why don’t you take a shower and come downstairs? I went to the bakery. You have to eat and get back to the world. I have a surprise for you.”

Rivin yelled, “Incoming!” and ducked behind the couch when I came downstairs a little while later. He peered over the back of the couch as I walked past. Following me into the kitchen, he leaned against the counter and pointed to the bloody gash on his bare shoulder. Did the man not own a shirt?

“Oh, shut up. You’ll live,” I apologized and looked around for Killian.

“He’s out back waiting for you.”

Huh. Okay. As I entered the garden, a black and white streak of lightning flew into my arms. Stumbling off the path, I fell down with Domino on my chest. Laughing and crying, I hugged her to me and held her close. She put up with my soaking her fur for a few minutes and then scrambled to her feet again. Killian stood with the sun at his back, face in shadows. He crouched and wiped the tears off my cheeks with a sad smile.

“It’s good to see you smile, if just for a minute.” He looked away and said, “You’re the wettest woman I’ve ever known. Do you have a leak?”

Laughing softly, I pulled him back to me and kissed him thoroughly. “I’m sorry I’m so difficult. It’s just too much for me to take in. I’m feeling so...so disconnected. I need to find my balance again. I’m scared.”

Smoothing my hair back, he said, “Tell me.”

“What if we never find Aisling? Or Dani? No one’s found a trace of her either. How could she just vanish? I checked with the lab rats and they told me there’s been no sightings, no tips, no trace of her. The cops have zilch. We don’t even know where else to look. Then there’s Aisling. How will you find her? What are we supposed to do when we fail? Give up? It breaks my heart all over again.”

He took my chin and looked me in the eyes. “We will find Aisling because I told Sean I would. I’ll use whatever magic I need to. And I think we’ll find Dani when we find Jordan. My gut tells me she’s with him, wherever he’s at.” He traced the rune on my hand and said kindly, “I think you should brace yourself for the worst though. Dani’s not likely to survive the birth of that demon.”

“I know that. I’ve thought about her and James until my head’s turned inside out. I want to kill him all over again for what he’s done to her. I dreamed of her death. I’m praying that it was a warning and not a premonition. But I know what demons look like now. I don’t know how she would survive it. I just want to find her and…try to save her.”

“We’ll do everything we can, you know that. For now though, let’s eat. You’ll feel better. Then you and I are going for a walk.”

Domino pushed her way into the house and stared at Rivin with one ear cocked. He took one look at her and exclaimed, “Bloody fucking hell! A demon dog!”

She inclined her head and gave him a measured look. He squatted down and held out a hand for her to sniff. This was his lucky day. The princess deigned to greet him. He reached over to fondle her ears and she closed her eyes in doggy bliss. I shook my head. Rivin? She had no morals whatsoever.

As the sun set and Rivin went out to his favorite pub, Killian and I settled in for a night at home. The London safe house was in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. It definitely wasn’t within walking distance of the city center. Rivin had his own motorcycle which he used instead of one of our cars. The McLaren was parked in the garage and the little beater Fiat sat in the driveway. We kept the McLaren locked up so Killian wouldn’t have to go ape shit on some unlucky car thief. Tonight though, the cars were going to sit unused and get some rest. Domino was apparently exhausted from too much happiness and curled up on the soft cushion of one of the easy chairs. Closing her eyes, she dismissed us with a happy tail thump. All was right in her world.

“Well, I thought it was too early for bed, but Domino’s giving me an idea.”

He said, “It is. It’s only 7:00 and we just ate dinner.”

“So what’s your point?”

Flipping on the stereo, he kicked off his boots and sprawled across the couch. He looked up at me with a lazy smile that melted my heart. He was so gorgeous when he wanted to be. I curled up at the other end so our legs were draped together and I could look at his face.

“Do you remember the time you tried to defrost my feet and got busted?” I asked when he started to rub one of my feet.

Chuckling at the memory, he said, “Yeah. You know that was Alex’s boss? He was so shocked. He thought I was trying to seduce you. It took hours to get him to believe that it was actually Sean who was trying to seduce you.”

“What? You threw Sean under the bus? That’s just wrong!” I tried not to laugh, but the image of his face when that guy caught us in the living room was classic. Before that day, I’d never seen Killian caught off guard. He seemed a little more human.

“Killian, who is Raphael--really?”

Sobering, he gazed at me before answering carefully. “Raphael is an archangel. He’s very, very old. But I don’t think that’s what you’re asking, is it?”

“I know he’s a healer and I know he’s a seer. He’s more than that to you. And, I think, to me.”

He hesitated and said quietly, “You’re right; he’s more than that to me. Raphael is my maker. He made me Primani.”

Fascinated, I leaned forward. “How do you do that?”

“Primani usually start as human warriors. If the angels find you strong enough, they recruit you. If you agree, you have to be changed by an archangel’s blood. The change is what makes us technically angels even though we don’t have to die first. It gives us our Primani powers and allows us to function in our human form and never age. It’s Raphael’s blood that made me Primani.”

“And let me guess, Sean and Dec too?”

Smiling at my perception, he nodded. “One day he’ll wish he’d made you Primani. You are more intuitive than most and more powerful than many. You’ve already got more power than you should because of me. If Raphael turned you with his blood, you would be too strong. The other archangels wouldn’t allow that to happen. And I’m profoundly grateful for that. I don’t want to share you with the rest of Heaven.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t want to be Primani. I can’t see myself living that life for eternity. So what about Michael? Why is he so scary?”

Smiling grimly, he said, “Michael is the head of all the angels. He’s the closest to Heaven. His powers are absolute and he is feared by anyone with any brains. He can strike down an angel with a wave of his hand. He has a short temper, very little patience, and no sense of humor, in case you were wondering.”

“Why do they talk to me? I’m just a person. I’m not an angel. I sense there’s a reason for it but I don’t know. I’m not going to be sacrificed someday, am I?”

His eyes twinkled and he lifted his pendant for me to see. “You’ve had Raphael wrapped around your pretty little finger since the first night he put your face back together for you. Once you gave him your heart, he was yours.”

He tucked the pendant back inside his shirt and let his gaze travel over my face before adding, “You have that effect on all of us. It’s your honesty, your pure spirit. You’re the human we wish all humans were. Loyal, kind, affectionate, considerate…you care about people. You care about the world. You forgive and you love without reservation. That is why Raphael is attached to you. That is why Michael listens to your prayers and deigns to answer them. Your cries for help will not fall on deaf ears.”

“I’m speechless, I think. Wow. I had no idea you thought that way. You really think that way about me?”

He used my arms to drag me over and down on top of him. Patting my butt, he said, “And that was before you learned to control my powers.”

His eyes turned serious and he asked softly, “Still feeling disconnected?”

“Not as much. Touching you makes it better. When we’re separated for too long, I feel…adrift? Unsteady? Disconnected? Something like that. You steady me.”

His eyes glowed brilliantly for a second and he pulled me closer. He nuzzled my neck making me squirm against him. When he nipped my earlobe I yelped out loud. Laughing, he held me tight and brought us straight to our bed in the same position. Sometimes teleporting was definitely useful. The room was very dark and I couldn’t see a thing. The sensation of his naked body lying against me, touching me in the darkness, was like a dream. His hungry mouth at my neck kissing and nibbling on me sent the current racing under my skin. My skin glowed gently under his hands casting his face into shadows. As the warmth and light spread with his hands, I tugged him over to his back and faced him in the darkness.

“I have to leave in the morning. Will you be okay with Rivin?”

Turning into his side, I sighed, “I suppose. I wish I could go with you instead. Rivin makes me nervous.”

Killian’s fingers danced lazily over my heart making it flutter like a hummingbird. The feeling was like bubbles in my blood…I inhaled sharply as the bubbles burst, sending shockwaves racing through me in a tidal wave of heat that curled my toes and arched my back. Smiling at my gasp of pleasure, he replaced his fingers with his mouth and my heart beat steady and sure again.

“It never gets old, the way we are together. I could spend years figuring you out.” He kissed me again and said, “I don’t want to leave you but I need to find Aisling, and Jordan is still out there. It’s time to finish this. Rivin will protect you. He’s a jerk and he’s not always reliable so keep alert. Close your ears when he opens his mouth and you’ll like him better.”

“If you say so. I’ll try not to kill him while you’re gone. Can you hurry though? I’m not sure how long I can hold back...”

Waving a hand in front of my face, he whispered, “Where’d you go just now?”

Snapping back to the moment, I tried to smile and failed. “I’m sorry; I had a thought…a vision really. It was Dec…standing over me.”

Chapter 13: Sickness and Infection

Astral plane # 15:

KILLIAN STOOD OVER the burning corpse and slid the glowing blade into its sheath. The red stone winked once and went to sleep. Its job was done for now. It had brought him to this cliff and this dead body. What was the point though? Why here? He’d focused his path on Sgaine Dutre when he’d traveled here. Instead of finding it, he found this body. What was the body doing here in the middle of nowhere? Standing far upwind of the fire, Killian watched until the body was reduced to ash. The smell was sickeningly sweet and made him a little queasy. Never a squeamish kind of man, he was even less so as a Primani. But it was hard not to gag over burning human flesh. Especially flesh like this. You’d have to be dead to not be grossed out.

When it was done burning, he lowered his head and sent the spirit on its way.

“Go in peace.”

Random dead people were a problem.

This particular one nagged at him as he set up camp farther down the river bed in a sheltered tangle of low trees. Automatically, he scanned the area for threats before starting a fire. The image of Aisling staring up at the endless night sky tugged at his heart, and he scanned the plane for her as well. Damn it to hell. She wasn’t here. He was sure he’d sense another Primani alone on any plane he landed in. She’d be the only other life form with the same saol signature. If he managed to find her plane, he’d have no trouble finding her within it.

It was a very big ‘If’-- a nearly impossible ‘If’-- but he wouldn’t give up.

He’d find her eventually, even if it killed him.

The moon was huge, bleaching the ground and sky into one surreal dreamscape. The pale color seemed strange, somehow not quite right. Staring into the night, he frowned and turned his mind to the body again. The corpse had been lying in plain sight on the river bank when he’d arrived here an hour ago. The skin was sloughing off but still intact enough to see what had killed him.

Death hadn’t come easy.

Someone had left the body on the riverbank for him to find. Someone who knew he’d be here. That was interesting...but not a surprise. Jordan was probably tracking him. No, the fact that Jordan followed him wasn’t a surprise at all. He’d been watching for it.

The lab coat was a surprise.

Peering through the darkness, he was uneasy. The plane seemed to be deserted, except for the corpse, of course. But something felt odd to him.

Stretching and working at the kinks in his neck, he wished for a real bed. He was tired and would crash anywhere at this point. He needed to eat and squeeze in a few hours of sleep to recharge. Running on fumes was not an option anymore. Too many lives were at stake. Too much was riding on this mission. He had to be ready for anything. He built up the small fire and dragged out the blanket from his pack. He sat on the blanket and pulled out the blade again. The gold was mellow in the firelight. At his touch, the stone shimmered to life, recognizing him, saying hello. As he did nearly every night, he passed the blade from hand to hand watching its eye and letting it know him. It occurred to him that he hadn’t yet named it. The naming would strengthen their bond even more. Studying the blade, he searched his mind for the right words. Mica casually called it his seeing-eye knife. His mouth tilted up on one corner at the thought. Well, why not? That’s what it was. That’s what he’d call it.

Holding it over the fire, he murmured, “Sgaine Eiron.”

Then he dipped the blade through the flames and drew the razor sharp tip across the palm of his hand. His whole body hummed with the force of his power, muscles tightening, blood raging through his veins. The ancient magic made him stronger, more powerful than any Primani. It filled him with a strength and clarity that simple Primani powers couldn’t provide.

He loved this feeling; the sensations, the rush. His mind expanded to watch near and far while his hands performed the rituals he’d done a thousand times before. Letting the force build inside, he watched clinically as the blood welled up and spilled over onto the golden blade. When his blood dripped from the tip, he held it over the fire and listened to it hiss.

“Sgaine Eiron!” he shouted and lifted the blade to the sky. His gods would see it; they would bless it. They would bless his work as they had for millennia. The eye flashed brilliantly red and then blue and then red again. He waited for the rush to settle into his bones, his blood singing with the remnants of power.

That’s better. Now we’ll see how you do. The stone winked faintly and went dark. He washed the blood from his hands and cleaned the blade before sitting back down to think. The wind was picking up and a gust blew the fire towards him so suddenly he had to jump out of the way. Kicking the embers off of his boots, he hissed as one lighted against his hand. Ouch, shit!

A faint cry of something large and probably hairy and lethal echoed in the forest and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. I am not in the mood for anything that’s trying to kill me or eat me, he thought with an irritated sigh.

It came again, closer.

Something was out there; something hungry.

Drawing his blade, he swung around in a crouch and scanned the trees. Nothing.

Come on, come on…where are you?

Motionless, he scanned the area and saw nothing. Yet the screaming was coming closer. He felt the vibrations of footsteps. Still, he didn’t see anything through the darkness. Slipping his pack over his shoulder, he waited. His heart beat steadily and his mind was clear. He had no fear of an animal.

The attack came from the right. A massive shape leaped at his chest, shoving him to the ground. Ignoring the pain, Killian sprang to his feet and turned to meet the next attack. The creature was like a giant mountain lion. Almost. It was a shaped like a cat but its feet were wrong. The toes longer and clawed like a lizard. The reptilian eyes confirmed it.

Killian snarled and waved a hand at it, encouraging it to come closer. “Come on, come and get me!”

The starving demon roared at the challenge and scrambled to lunge again. Its clawed feet slung dirt and grass everywhere as it struggled for traction. Staring straight into the gleaming yellow eyes, Killian raised the blade and brought it down into the demon’s chest as it flew into him. The demon shrieked with pain and rolled off to the side. Its jaws snapped at the ground as it tried to get up again. Jumping out of the way, Killian waited for it to turn to ash and blow away. It didn’t. Instead it lay there whimpering pathetically.

“What the hell?”

Cautiously approaching from the side, he looked more closely. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he mused. “You’re only partly demon.” He paused and added, “But what’s the other part?”

The demon moaned and dug its claws into its chest trying to ease the agony of its wound. Instead of the usual black fluid, the beast bled red. Swearing softly, he circled it. This was not good.

Killian studied it for a minute and finally said, “Can you talk?”

It stopped whimpering and stared at him with intelligence in its eyes.

“Who turned you? Do you know? Was it another demon?”

It shook its head.

Killian pulled out Sgaine Eiron and it flinched and closed its eyes.

“Did you see one of these with a blue stone?”

It blinked.

Jordan? It had to be. But Sgaine Dutre doesn’t have the power to turn animals into demons…at least it didn’t used to. Could Jordan have changed it?

Impossible.

He shook his head, nonplussed. There’s no way that could happen. Sgaine Dutre was fighting Jordan every step of the way. It wouldn’t cooperate and suddenly perform new magic. The creature whimpered again and Killian sighed, feeling almost sorry for it. It hadn’t asked for this existence, after all. He turned back to it and pulled out Sgaine Eiron again and squatted. Holding the blade close to the demon so it would remember it if it got reanimated, he thought about how he could kill it mercifully.

“Death is a blessing,” he said as he lifted his palm and flash-fried the demon’s struggling body. The demon cried out once then disappeared into dust.

As he watched the dust vanish, the hair on the back of his neck stood up and he thought, I should’ve asked if it was alone here. The scream came right behind him just as his feet left the plane.

Eden:

Slamming hard into the ground and stumbling to his knees, he landed in front of his temple on Eden. Fuck! That was too close. His heart was racing this time. He reached back and felt the blood on his fingers.

His back was shredded.

There was no help for it. He’d have to stay here for the rest of the night. He needed to heal himself and recharge before he would be able to travel again. His weight pressed down on him and he knew he’d not be able to stay on his feet much longer. He dipped his hands piously in the pure water by the entrance and went inside. Immediately, the memories of his last visit swamped him, and he smiled grimly in the darkness as Mica’s face came to mind. The image was sexy and alluring but he could just as easily see her scowling at his injuries.

“Go away, Mica! I know I’m hurt. I’ll take care of this.”

He could see her eyes creased with worry as she fussed over him in the past. He’d never admit it, but he liked her fussing over him. It was a novelty in his self-imposed, lonely life.

Using his power to light a fire in the brazier, he stripped off the shirt and washed it out. Judging by the annoying stinging on his back, he had claw marks…again. Without a mirror, he could only guess how bad it was. He reached back to feel jagged edges of flesh hanging off in strips.

Nice. That’ll leave a mark.

The puncture wounds on his chest were deep and seeping steadily. Rinsing them with water left him gritting his teeth, but then he simply healed them with the rest of his energy. He ate a protein bar in three bites and crashed.

The next morning he ran 10 miles and ended his run at the coast. It’s good to be home, he thought. Standing high above the crashing waves, he inhaled the salty air and gazed out to the horizon. The sky was perfectly clear this morning. He stood on the shore and let the sound of the surf lull his senses until he could use his sight.

As the reality blurred into the background, he let the visions come as they would. He walked through the Valley of Death with Raphael at his side. The dead lined the road as they shuffled in search of their final destination. He recognized many faces as he walked with his friend. His mother, Maia; his father, Thorin; his first teacher, Abrol, the man whose temple he still used. Each person greeted him as he walked past them. He reached out to touch them but they had no substance. They never did. But still, he always tried. He’d lost them so long ago it no longer hurt to see them. But he would’ve liked the contact. When they got to the end of the road, Raphael turned him around just as a small, dark head moved past them in the crowd.

The sight hit him like a blow to the stomach and he groaned aloud.

No! Not again!

Not fucking again!

Violently shaking his head to clear the vision, he dropped to the grass and stared at his hands trying to make sense of it. The gold band glinted in the sunlight. Rubbing the inscription, he made a decision.

London, England:

Blood called to blood.

He could find her anywhere. They all could; after all, their blood filled the tiny gold heart. Blood called to blood, especially Primani blood. When he and his boys created the locket, it was so they could tie her to them; so they could keep her safe while she grew into her powers. Their angelic blood formed the chain and the locket, in addition to the drops inside it. She didn’t know all of that though, and no one would tell her. The less she knew the better. She was already overburdened with the demands they placed upon her. She was still human and fragile. He would explain it all one day when she was ready.

She also didn’t know that they could find each other by zeroing in on the blue glass in the wristbands and the pendant she’d made for them. She’d sincerely asked the angels to bless her gifts, and they had. They wouldn’t keep them safe, per se, but they’d let them find each other when there was no other way. He smiled grimly as he thought about that. The angels would answer your prayers, Mica, but you had to be careful about what you asked…sometimes they added their own twists. Normally they could use telepathy to find each other, unless they were unconscious or in another plane. That’s how he was able to find Sean. He’d been wearing the wristband and he spotted it in the vision that Mica had.

Now he was tracking Mica down. He needed to see her right now, right this second. His heart was slamming in his chest when he thought of the vision. She had to be alive! She had to be.

Wouldn’t he know if she was dead? Wouldn’t he feel it?

When he rematerialized, he was not surprised to find himself in the dreary churchyard of the Stone Garden. The rain was coming down in a heavy drizzle and it was cold enough he could see his breath. He knew where she’d be. Pushing aside a half-dead rose bush, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Sean.

The stone angel took his breath away. The statue wore the flowing robes and folded wings that humans expected to see. The angel’s expression was gentler and the hair much longer than any angels he knew. The face itself was effeminate, child-like, and not at all Sean’s. The stone was grey and pockmarked with bits of moss. It was designed to look as though it had been there for years. The stone façade was there for the humans who wandered through the Stone Garden. It gave them comfort and peace.

Angels had a different view.

The air was heavier around the statue, thick, flowing.

He waved a hand and said, “Un Visi.”

The air cleared to reveal Sean kneeling on the stone slab with rain pouring over him. His face was bleached white from the strain of holding himself upright and the pain of kneeling on stone. His cheekbones jutted out unnaturally and his fingertips were bloody from gripping the stone. He wasn’t made of stone, precisely. But he wasn’t able to change his position, couldn’t lift his head or move his hands. This was part of the punishment.

Reflection was done on the knees…

Fuck. This sucked. This was his brother, for God’s sake. His hands cramped with the urge to yank Sean up and defy Michael’s judgment. Jamming them into his pockets, he took a deep breath. Patience, he told himself. This isn’t over yet.

Sean’s eyes were cast to the side as he tried to look away from Mica. She sat curled like a cat at the statue’s feet with her arms around the hem of its robe. Her face pressed against the stone, eyes closed, sound asleep. In reality, she was draped over Sean with her head resting against his knees, adding weight to his burden. Oh Mica…what are you doing here? You’re going to be sick and Sean wouldn’t want that. He carefully walked into Sean’s line of sight. Sean’s eyes were devastated and he tried to gesture with them.

Unable to move anything else, Sean blinked furiously at Killian. Killian glanced at Mica and Sean blinked again.

Sean? Can you hear me?

Sean’s eyes lit up and he sent his thoughts racing into Killian’s mind.

Get her out of here! She’s making herself sick!

How are you holding up?

Bitter laugh…I’ve been better. Any luck yet?

Not yet, I’m still looking.

Someone cleared their throat and Killian turned to see Rivin lounging just inside the tiny chapel door. He lifted a hand in greeting. Killian acknowledged him and turned back to Sean with a heavy heart.

Hang in there, Sean.

He rested his hand on Sean’s shoulder for a minute and tried to send him what comfort he could. Sean blinked again and Killian scooped Mica into his arms.

Her eyes opened a slit and she let her head drop over the back of his arm. She was burning up. He rested his cheek on her forehead and frowned. Damn, she’s practically on fire. She inhaled and broke into a deep cough that rattled in her chest.

“Rivin! Let’s go!” he barked the words more harshly than he intended.

“Before you get pissed, let me explain. She’s a bloody stubborn woman. I swear I’ve done everything but tie her to the bed. She nearly ripped me head off when I tried to tie her to the bed. Called me a bloody pervert too. We’ve been fighting for days over this. She won’t listen to a word I say.”

“Shocker. Just drive us to the house. How long has she been sick?”

He thought for a second and said, “Not long. She’s been coughing for a few days but said it was just a cold. I think the fever’s new unless she’s been hiding it. I can’t get close enough to feel her forehead without losing a body part.”

She shivered in her seat and he pulled her closer to share his body heat. Her cheeks bloomed with an unhealthy red except for the white lines of fatigue around her eyes. Purple shadows added more color. He tucked her hair behind an ear and marveled that she could be so sick so fast. He’d only been gone a week. Damn, she was too fragile as a human. The vision from the Valley of Death floated into his mind and he squeezed her hand harder than he meant to. She frowned and opened her eyes. They were glazed with fever.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he carried her to the room and stripped off her wet clothes. She shivered and shook in the chilly air and he yelled for Rivin.

“Turn the friggin’ heat on in this place! It’s freezing in here!”

“Got it. What else can I do?”

Killian said, “Warm up the house, bring me a thermometer, water, something for the fever…we’ll start there.”

While Rivin gathered up the bring-down-the-fever things, he wrapped her in a warm robe and a thick blanket. Chafing her cold fingers between his hands, he watched and worried. Stubborn, loving, loyal…damn woman! He wanted to shout at her for risking her life, but he was so damn proud of her loyalty to Sean.

She was like a mother bear.

Protective, fierce…she’d be a hell of a mother one day.

“I leave you alone for a week and you try to kill yourself. What am I going to do with you, stubborn girl?” He said the words lightly, trying to soothe her. “You know you have to pull yourself together. Sean isn’t going anywhere. It sucks but we have others who are counting on us. We don’t have time to waste.”

She moaned in her sleep and fluttered her fingers weakly. She was biting her nails again. She did that when she worried. Lifting her fingers to his face, he kissed them lightly and waited for Rivin.

“This is all I could find.” Rivin hurried inside with his arms full of supplies.

Dumping them on the small dresser, he rummaged until he came up with the thermometer. He peered at it quizzically and shrugged.

“There were two kinds in the bathroom cabinet. No idea what’s what meself. Oral or rectal? What would the lady prefer?” Handing one to Killian, he said, “This is rounded on the end. Is it rectal or oral?”

With a half-snort of annoyance, and gratitude that the lady was out cold and missing this stupid conversation, Killian snatched it and said, “The round part’s for under your tongue, you moron.”

A sudden racking cough brought Mica out of sleep and gasping for air. He helped her sit up and waited for her to settle down again. She was so much more docile when she was sick, he thought with some humor. Hell, it was easy to take care of her when she was unconscious. She didn’t argue.

When had he become so interested in comforting women? This was a new role for him. If it were anyone else, he’d have assigned Rivin to manage it and left. But Mica? He would happily sit at her side and feed her with a spoon.

Whatever it took to keep her alive…he wasn’t going to screw this up.

When he checked on her the next time, she was blinking up at him from her bed. Her face was still pink but not the hellish red it was earlier. Her eyes were clear and she was drenched with sweat. The fever had broken. Hallelujah. Exhaling with relief, he sank down beside her and felt her forehead. Much better. Thank God.

“Where did you come from?” she asked with a wan smile.

“Someplace unpleasant. Are you feeling better?”

She cleared her throat experimentally and swallowed. “I think so. Did you heal me?” Her tone suggested there was no possible way he did that.

Ouch! He wasn’t the greatest healer, but damn. He’d healed her before. It wasn’t impossible.

“No, we pumped you full of drugs; massive doses of cold medicine. You’ve been out for 12 hours.”

Surprised by this, she actually smiled a little and said, “That seems a little ordinary, but I guess it worked. Why did you come back? I thought you’d be gone longer.”

How could he tell her about the vision? He didn’t understand it completely himself. He decided to play it off.

“I wanted to check in on you and Sean. When I found you at the chapel, you were passed out and burning with fever.” He stroked her hair and added firmly, “Babe, you can’t keep doing that. You can’t neglect yourself. I need you to be there for me too. You have to be stronger than your emotions. Remember?”

Her face fell, making him feel like a jerk.

“It’s so hard to walk away from him. I can’t do it. He’s there behind the stone…I can feel his agony, Killian. It’s an ache in my bones; it hurts so much. My knees ache, my back aches. His eyes watch me and they run with tears.” She sniffed, begging him to understand. “How can I leave him alone?”

Gathering her close, he rested his head on hers and closed his eyes. He had to leave again, but how could he leave her here? She’d go and sit with Sean every day, never realizing she was hurting him more than helping him. Sean’s pain was nearly more than he could bear and having her there was going to push him over the edge. Her empathy would tear them both to pieces. Michael had blessed her with this ability. He knew what he was doing, but that didn’t make it any easier for her to bear. She was too close to Sean; they were linked as tightly as she was to him. The connection was important, necessary even, but it made her too vulnerable. If he pulled her away from him, she’d freak out. There was no way to release Sean…so what options were there?

When her fingers curled against the back of his neck, he relaxed and let himself enjoy the gentleness of her touch. If he closed his eyes he could summon her to his mind. He pictured her mouth turned up in a lazy smile and leaned down to kiss her. Letting his mouth linger over her soft lips, he slid his fingers through the silky tangle of her hair.

“I’ll be back soon,” he whispered as she drifted off to sleep again.

Astral Plane #72:

“Son of a bitch!” he swore and jammed Sgaine Erion into its sheath. “Someone give me a break already!”

He looked upwards in exasperation and barked an irritated laugh at the gesture. Yeah, looking up always helps! Damn it. Where is she? He glanced around the landscape already knowing it was empty. The deserted wasteland was completely inhospitable.

Aisling wasn’t here.

She wasn’t in any of the 50 other planes he’d visited in the past two weeks. How many other planes are out there? He had no idea there were so many…He glanced down to see rubber oozing like hot tar from under his feet. The heat was blistering the soles of his boots. Okay, time to bolt. With one last look over the horizon, he pulled out Sgaine Erion and set the next path.

Rome, Italy:

The cathedral was as silent as a tomb at midnight. The doors were locked to keep out vandals and thieves, but he bypassed the locks and settled quietly in the vestry. His boots just touched the floor when he picked up the heartbeat of another presence nearby. He listened with both ears and mind.

Not human…definitely not angelic.

Grinning savagely in the darkness, he willed his heart to slow and be quiet. This was a time for subtlety.

A slight rustle of fabric drew his attention to the altar just outside of his concealment. The sound stopped. The heartbeat thudded quietly in the darkness and Killian recognized its owner. The stench of evil turned his stomach. It was dark and cloying, the smell of burning hair and flesh mixed with rock and earth. Gripping the blade in his fist, he stepped into the room.

“Finally! I was beginning to think you would hide in there all night.” He faced Killian with his hands in the pockets of a loose grey robe. The mocking smile was erudite as always and yet he threw off a distinctive evil vibe that sent Killian’s senses off the charts.

Killian met his eyes while mentally searching the pockets. They were empty, yet clearly Jordan wanted him to think they were hiding something. Inside the folds of material, his fingers clenched and unclenched as though they were grasping at something familiar. I’m not playing your little game, traitor. Toy with me all you want, I’m not biting. Instead of asking, he gave an I-could-care-less shrug and held the knife loosely in a ready position.

“That’s actually funny, Jordan. Why would I hide from the butler?” He studied his old friend with dispassionate eyes. Jordan wasn’t looking too good. His lean face was grey, his eyes sunken and bloodshot. The creases around his mouth and eyes were deeper than he remembered. He looked like shit. Well, when you make a deal with the devil…shit happens. And it was usually bad, as in terminal.

Jordan stiffened at the insult but tamped down his anger with obvious effort. He turned away and walked to the small font filled with holy water. After studying it for a minute, he held a hand over it and raised an eyebrow at Killian.

“Am I forbidden to partake?”

Leaning casually against a wall under a huge stained-glass masterpiece of Michael wielding an impressive burning sword, Killian said, “Take a drink and let’s see what happens.”

Jordan narrowed his eyes and fixed Killian with a hard stare. The evil eye? Seriously? Like that’s going to work on me, Killian thought. Puh-lease. He eyeballed Jordan thoughtfully while using the knife to clean his fingernails. Jesus, what a drama queen! Let’s just move on to trying to kill each other.

With a rebellious smirk at Michael, Jordan dipped his hand into the font of holy water and slated his thirst until the font was dry. Stepping back, he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and belched disrespectfully. Killian kept a straight face but inside he was stunned. What the hell was that? It couldn’t be good. Only the most powerful demons could touch holy water without getting burned. His fingers twitched on the blade itching to bury it in Jordan’s throat.

Smiling now, Jordan glided away from the empty font and idly flipped the pages of the open Bible lying on the altar. The pages began to blur as he moved them faster and faster until he finally slammed his fist down bringing them to a halt.

In the dead silence that followed, Jordan’s voice rang out.

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” Jordan’s eyes glowed red in the darkness, his voice guttural, harsh.

Killian tensed, listening.

Jordan continued in a hushed, silky voice that sent a chill down Killian’s back. “Are you familiar with the Seven Seals, Killian?”

“I am.”

Jordan stroked the pages lovingly and began to read. “And I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer.”

The first seal: Conquest

“And then went out another horse that was red; and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another.”

The second seal: War

“And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.”

The third seal: Famine

Killian gripped the haft to keep it from shaking as he spoke the words he knew so well. “And I looked, and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was Death and Hell followed him.”

The fourth seal: Pestilence and Death

“Bravo, you’ve read the scriptures. But then again, you’ve always been a good student. A good little angel…one of Raphael’s favorites. Shall I read the rest of the seals for you?”

“Smallpox, Jordan? That’s your plan?” He pushed away from the wall and slowly approached the altar. “I would’ve expected something more creative, dramatic, like mind control or targeted possession of a few world leaders, but mass execution? That seems extreme, even for you. I thought you wanted to rule? Will you kill off your subjects?”

“Humans are more susceptible when they’re terrified. The silly creatures will panic and immediately search for someone to blame, leading to war and all its lovely atrocities. After they get done butchering each other, they will wonder what happened to their God’s mercy. “Oh, how did this happen?” they’ll cry. It’s a simple matter of killing their faith in their ridiculous, complacent God.”

He paused and stared into Killian’s eyes. Measuring him...gauging his usefulness.

“It’s not too late for you to join me. Your power would be useful. I would make you a leader, not a servant as Michael has done.”

Refusing to take the bait, Killian appeared to study Michael’s image before responding. “I have all the power I need. I’m a simple man with simple needs.”

Jordan’s jaw tightened as he tried to reel in his irritation. Killian was supposed to fall in line and join him. All in due time, he thought. He’ll come around. He won’t have a choice.

He said simply, “We shall see.”

Dismissing the conversation as over, Jordan laid his hand on the pages of the Bible and the edges began to curl and smoke. Killian stared and stayed put. Jordan selected a page, tore it out and held it up as though considering its words. The page burst into flame and he smiled with satisfaction.

The stench of evil grew stronger as the pages burned.

Burning hair, burning flesh.

Overwhelming.

Killian’s senses went into hyper-drive leaving him taut and breathless.

Jordan’s face was a solid mask of evil, the devil incarnate. As Killian watched, the air around Jordan was disturbed by an odd shimmering. The smell grew stronger.

Things weren’t as they seemed.

His gut screamed a warning but it was too late now.

Clutching the altar, he felt the flame in his eyes. His face was hard and cold as the stained glass, his voice echoing in the rafters, “And there was a war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not.”

His eyes burned cobalt as he looked into the empty soul that once was Jordan. “You cannot win this fight. You will not win this fight. We know how the story ends.”

Jordan raised himself to his full height shouting in a voice that was not his own, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last!”

Shocked, Killian grabbed him by the front of his robes and roared, “You dare compare yourself to Christ?”

Jordan shimmered and the robes slipped through Killian’s fingers, sharp as knives, cutting and slicing his hands. His eyes turned black as he hissed, “Jordan is only a vessel.”

Chapter 14: Resurrection

“COME ON, LASS! You’re not even trying!” Rivin yelled at me. His freshly-shaved head glistened with sweat as he sucked in a breath and dropped into a crouch across from me.

“Whatever, man. I’m done.” I snatched up my towel and stalked towards the path that led back to the car.

I hate England. I hate the constant drizzle; I hate the constant cold; and I really, really hate the fact that Sean is a lawn ornament.

Rivin caught up with me and whipped me around to face him. His eyes glowed on low, his annoyance clearly etched into his face. “You know, when I met you I thought you’d be tougher than this. Declan used to talk about you like you were some kind of fucking Amazon.”

He dug his fingers into my arm and sneered, “But you’re just a whiny ass, weak little human. There’s nothing special about you. I don’t know what Dec was talking about.” He flung me away in disgust.

Catching my balance, I said, “Whatever. I could care less what you think. You don’t even make the Top 10 of people I give a shit about, so give it a rest.”

“Fuck you, bitch. You’re on my last nerve with this pathetic attitude. You want to help your precious Sean? Why don’t you try getting back in the game so we can kick some demon ass for him? Do you think Killian’s risking his life so you can sit around feeling sorry for yourself?”

A flash of familiar anger rushed through me and I snapped, “Killian does what he needs to. That has nothing to do with me. You don’t like babysitting me? Why don’t you get the fuck out and go play hero somewhere else? I don’t need you here!”

His face lit for just a second as he thought over the offer but then he scowled down at me and snapped, “Get in the car. You know I can’t leave your dumb ass here unprotected.”

Grinding my teeth together, I got in the car and slouched as far from him as I could manage. Glaring twin holes into the side of his ugly bald head, I thought of ways to kill him. Each way more painful than the last…God, would this nightmare never end? Why, why, why did I have to stay with Rivin? He was more than horrible. He was rude, arrogant, and uncouth. He was a pig. He lacked any angelic traits whatsoever. I don’t know how he managed to become Primani in the first place. Since Killian left, Rivin was constantly needling me, trying to get a rise out of me, trying to push me to anger. I’d been mostly numb at first, ignoring him while I worried about Sean, but today he’d struck a nerve.

Dragging Dec into this was sick and twisted. He was my raw spot…I missed him as much today as I did months ago when he died. Time was definitely not healing this particular wound. He was the shining light of optimism that I was struggling to find right now. Killian said he gave them balance against the violence that seethed just under their skin. I could see his point, though I wasn’t feeling particularly violent at the moment. Mostly I was tired…I glanced at Rivin’s blunt fingers resting on the gearshift and re-thought that sentiment. Probably I could drum up some violence where he was concerned.

The sound of gravel crunching jerked me out of my thoughts. What the heck? Why are we stopping? We were parked in another part of the park we’d been sparring in a few minutes ago. The parking space was mostly packed gravel and there was a broken trailhead sign leaning in front of the bumper. The sign said the trail was closed and suggested that trespassing was discouraged.

“What are we doing now?”

Without bothering to answer me, Rivin slammed the door and popped the trunk. He lifted out a small backpack and slung it over his shoulder and made like a deer down the trail. Rolling my eyes, I got up and followed him. After crashing through the dead brush for several minutes, we came to clearing. He stopped and pulled out two large knives.

“Catch!” He threw the smaller of the two at my head. He casually palmed the other one.

Ducking out of the way, I stared at him like he’d lost his mind. The knife landed without a sound in the wet leaves behind me.

“Pick up the knife and get over here. You’re going to learn something today if it kills you.”

I was going to argue, but the gleam in his eyes made my abs clench up. He wasn’t kidding. He rocked back on his heels and and I felt my blood chill.

“I said pick it up. Are you fucking deaf?”

I picked up the knife and approached him warily. The strong urge to smack him was overridden by common sense. Hitting him out of anger wasn’t a good idea. For one thing, he’d probably hit me back and that would hurt. For another, I was trying to keep my emotions from dictating my actions. Killian had warned me that I would have to learn this sooner rather than later. Playing nice with others was encouraged by the angels. So unless I wanted to scatter him, I’d need to keep a leash on my emotions. Blowing him up wasn’t really an option anyway; there would be hell to pay for killing a Primani…not to mention my karma would nosedive into a death spiral.

But still…he was such an asshole. Did he really need all of his body parts?

Big, looooong, mental sigh.

My senses were twitching back to life and I gauged his mood. Waves of annoyance and frustration drifted towards me, but no animosity. Not completely reassured that he wasn’t going to kill me, I hovered just out of arms’ reach.

He lifted one eyebrow and sneered, “Better. Now watch.”

He balanced the blade and threw it gracefully at a tree across from us. It flew straight as an arrow and landed with a meaty thunk in the side of the tree. The impact rang like a bell. He gestured with his hand and the blade flew back to him.

“Your turn,” he ordered.

Okaaay…whatever. I’ll play your silly little games. I stared at the tree and lobbed the knife at it. The knife tumbled end over end and bounced off the ground about ten feet from the tree. Cringing at the results, I went to pick up the knife and turned around to see Rivin shaking his head.

He pointed to a spot next to him and said, “You suck. Come here.”

Count to ten. Count to ten.

“If you don’t dial down your shitty attitude, I’m going to stab you with this thing. I get it; you’re irritated with me. Fine. You’ve got my attention.”

“I don’t think I do.” With that, he grabbed me around the chest with one arm and dragged my head back to expose my neck with the other. The cold bite of steel pressed against my bare throat and I completely froze.

Growling against my ear, he said tightly, “Unacceptable. You are now dead.” Tossing the knife to the grass, he squeezed me harder and said, “You better wake up, baby doll. Your life expectancy is getting shorter every day.”

I twisted around to get free but he only tightened his grip. His heart beat steadily under my shoulder and he was as immovable as stone and hot as a kiln. Even though my breath was still coming in puffs of white, I started to sweat through my t-shirt. Holding me easily, he waited for me to come to a decision.

“Rivin, let me go. I get it. You’re right. I’m not focused and I need to be.”

He didn’t let me go, but chuckled in a yeah-right kind of way and said, “Uh-huh. You’ve had a sudden change of heart? Sure, love. I’ll buy that. I’m going to let you go. But here’s the rules. From now on, you will focus on training like your life depends on it. You will practice everything that you’ve learned from Sean until you can kill in your sleep. And, you will damn well learn how to throw a bloody knife so you can save my ass the next time I’ve got a demon stuck on my chest like a bloody fucking hood ornament. Now, is that all clear to you?”

As I stood there thinking about his words, Mother Nature unleashed more cold rain. It poured down on us, sending wisps of steam off of his arms. My hair hung in my eyes and I blinked the freezing water away. I looked around at the dead foliage of late fall. How had I lost track of time so completely? Somehow time had marched on, even though I’d checked out. I’d spent so much time staring off into space and searching for answers that I’d missed an entire month. It was time to get my shit together and get back on track. We had things to do and I knew the clock was ticking.

There was only so much time in a day.

Eventually, well, you just ran out of time.

Later that night, Rivin interrupted my attempt to make a proper English steak and kidney (minus the kidney ‘cuz that’s just gross) pie. I was studying the recipe on the laptop and savoring a Guinness when he barged into the closet-sized kitchen. His massive shoulders touched the doorframe and he turned to come into the room.

“What are you doing to that poor hunk of cow?” He reached over and drained the rest of my Guinness.

“I’m trying to make dinner, but the cow’s defeating me. I’d rather just drink another Guinness and eat some popcorn. Sadly, we’re out of popcorn.”

“I’d rather just drink more Guinness if it’s all the same to you.” Grabbing my hand, he pulled me away from the counter and towed me towards the front door. “Let’s just go out. The bloody walls are closing in on me. I need a diversion.”

Aka ‘a woman.’  TMI. Really, really, TMI.

“Okay, can I put some shoes on first?” I took his hesitation for a yes and bolted upstairs to change into warmer clothes. Snow was falling over the city and shoes were called for.

He whistled at me when I ran back downstairs. Taking in the tight jeans and soft purple sweater, his eyes glowed with lust.

“Stop leering at me! I’m so not sleeping with you.” I pulled on boots and shrugged into my black leather trench coat.

Still leering, he followed me out with his hand on my lower back. Against my better judgment, we took the McLaren. Fresh snow and expensive sports cars don’t mix…Killian was not going to like it if his baby got hurt…

I would totally blame Rivin. Yep, all his fault.

The pub was packed with after-work twenty-something’s. No one paid any attention to me when I slipped inside. I felt a little invisible, but that was a good thing. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with drama. I just wanted a Guinness and warm air. Rivin, on the other hand, knew everyone within earshot and stopped to speak to a dozen people before we ended up at the bar. He was dressed in his usual not-so-baggy jeans and leather biker jacket. His earring was a cross tonight and I knew it matched the one he wore around his neck.

“Here you go, love.” He sat a foamy Guinness in front of me. “Mind if I make me rounds? I’ve got some old friends to see.” His voice was light but his eyes had a strange sadness to them.

Surprising us both, I reached out and laid my hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”

His eyes immediately changed from sad to lusty. With a forced leer, he laid his palm across my hand and rubbed it suggestively. “Nothing now, sweetheart. Shall we leave?”

I snatched my hand back and shook my head. Idiot. Pig. “Go play. I’m still not sleeping with you.” Geez.

When he left, I sipped the liquid joy in my glass and looked around the pub. Like any typical English pub, it was a homey place to hang out and we’d been coming in at least once a week. I recognized people here and there. One or two even waved at me. With a tight smile that didn’t invite company, I lifted a hand to be polite. After assuring myself that it was demon free, I turned my back on the pub and doodled on a napkin while I let my mind wander, as it always did these days, to Sean.

Yesterday had sucked.

Of course it was freakin’ raining when I woke up at the crack of dawn. Domino took one look at the pouring rain and sighed with her own doggy frustration.

Does it ever stop?

Feeling the same way, I stood in the doorway cursing the endless rain. Later in the morning, it slowed to a few scattered drops so I jumped in the beater and drove to the cemetery, er, Stone Garden. Despite our other mission taskings and daily training, I tried to keep my promise; I tried to come every day. Domino always wanted to go too, so the two of us showed up to keep him company.

The sense of unreality struck me between the eyes every time I came here. The churchyard was identical to the one I’d seen in my dreams. Wrought iron fences surrounded it, and the tiny stone church stirred with an ancient power, though it looked like no one had used it in two centuries. The rose bushes were browning in the chilliness of fall and the leaves had fallen from the huge trees. The lack of softening foliage made the stone angels stand in sharp relief. My heart ached every time I counted them.

Seventeen stone angels…once real angels, living, breathing, warm beings.

They had lived lives like Sean. Maybe they had mates and children some place. Had they ever known love? What were their crimes? What were their stories?

Each day I wandered through the garden, murmuring a prayer for their comfort. I touched the hem of the robes as I passed each one. I don’t know what compelled me to offer the words, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. I stared at their faces and searched their eyes for expression. None of them blinked at me.

They’d been here too long. Even their eyes were stone.

I stopped next to an angel whose plaque stated his name was Gabriel. Waves of sadness shimmered like oil on water. He was one of five who I could sense emotions from. The others were simply stone; their eyes no longer tracking or, thank God, crying.

“Hey Gabriel,” I murmured gazing up into his face. “That’s not your real name, is it? He turned you, didn’t he? Gabriel.”

I didn’t expect an answer, but the tears that ran from his eyes made me feel insignificant. He was too tall for me to reach but I patted the stone robes and said with tears in my own eyes, “I’m so sorry for you…I wish I could make it better.”

Turning away, I spotted Domino. Of course she’d found Sean and perched in front of him, guarding him, protecting him. Her back was ramrod straight, ears perked and alert. She thumped her tail when I approached them. I had to stand back in order to see into his eyes. Some days he looked at me. Some days he closed them as if asleep. Today, he looked at me and then closed his eyes. Biting my lip, I sat on the base of the statue and leaned against him. No tears today though. I was empty. Instead, I leaned against him and closed my eyes. Using my own powers to stay warm, I was cozy in the chilly air.

I brought his face to my mind and mentally traced it so I would never forget it. I pictured him a thousand different ways…but his expression just as he kissed me was the one that I stared at the most. His expression was always peaceful and warm when he kissed me…He was at his most human…and vulnerable. I didn’t want to kiss him again, but I really wanted to see his face looking that happy. It wiped out the many times I’d seen him furious or in agony, or desperately sad.

“Do you know Rivin? I want to kill him almost every day. He’s waiting for me now. He’s like a damn watchdog. Killian seems to think I need protecting. I don’t know why. I haven’t seen a demon since we got here. I friggin’ hate England.”

Silence.

“I’ll take that as a no. And I’ll add that you don’t think I need protecting. And you don’t think Rivin is a suitable bodyguard. I’ll pass that on to Killian the next time I see him. Whenever that might be. Jordan’s making him crazy.”

Something made me look up to see his eyes were open. They weren’t exactly happy, but they weren’t closed any longer.

“There you are--”

“Mica! It’s time to go,” Rivin’s loud voice boomed around me as he marched over and took Domino’s leash. He glanced at Sean and started to reach out to him. Hissing in frustration, he dropped his hand and steered me away.

“Hey! Stop manhandling me, you idiot! I’m not done yet!”

Without breaking his stride, he snapped, “Yes, you are. You’re making him mental. Give him some time for Christ’s sake.”

Digging in my heels, I said, “What are you talking about? How do you know? You can’t possibly know what he’s thinking!”

With a grim smile, he said, “Oh, yes I can. He’s thinking about how he wants to stop hurting you. He’s thinking about how much his fingers are bleeding. He’s thinking about how Aisling is lost while he’s trapped here. At no point is he thinking about how much he wants you to visit!”

Whipping around to break loose, I ran back to Sean. His eyes stayed closed. “Is it true? Sean, is it really true? I’m hurting you? You don’t want me to be here?”

Silence.

Of course there’d be no answer.

His eyes stayed closed; that was answer enough.

Straightening my shoulders, I said, “Fine. I guess Rivin’s right. I’ll leave you alone then. But Sean, this is your choice, not mine. I love you; I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tears ran from his eyes and he blinked at me. “Good-bye,” I whispered.

“Hey, darlin’, can I get you another Guinness?”

Startled from my memory, I dabbed at the tear hanging on my lashes. He cleared his throat and I blinked and looked up. Blond curls, blue eyes, dimpled cheeks…I blinked again and the dimples vanished. He was just another handsome face…nothing special.

“Sure. Bring me a Guinness and a shot of Jim Beam.”

He frowned slightly and said, “Are you sure about that, love? You don’t want to make yourself sick, now do you?”

“I’m not a child. Just bring me the drinks.” My mood was rapidly heading south.

“Are you gettin’ all soft for me, love? I’ll be ready to go when you are.” Rivin tapped his fingers on my wrist sending tiny sparks of electricity dancing through my arm.

Yanking my wrist back, I hissed, “Are you drunk? Stop touching me!”

The bartender chose that moment to set a stack of coasters in front of me. His eyes zeroed in on Rivin’s hand lying over my wrist. One blond eyebrow lifted in question.

I lowered my voice and warned Rivin, “If you want to keep your hand attached to your wrist, keep it off of me. Are we clear on that?”

His eyes blazed with anger and his mouth twisted into a mocking sneer. “I was just having a bit of a joke here. But don’t worry love, you’re the last bitch I’d put my hands on.” He raked me with his eyes, tossed me the keys and snapped, “I won’t be home tonight. Do try to stay alive.”

He sauntered off to a booth full of women who welcomed him with plenty of cleavage and laughter. As I stared with disapproval, he lifted a shot in a toast and swallowed it. The delicate cross glinted as he turned his face to the woman closest to him. He kissed her without any regard for the crowd. When she responded with interest, he clutched her head in his hands and leaned her over backwards in the booth.

“You’re better off without him, sweetheart.” The bartender was back.

I slammed my own shot and sipped the Guinness. I shuddered at the thought of Rivin’s tongue down my throat. Blah! Ewww! Gross!

I shuddered again, the booze sloshing in protest. “God, I’d never be with him. He’s…uncouth.”

“Uncouth? Well, okay, I guess that’s a good description. Do you want to talk about it?”

His eyes were green and warm as he sent out gentle vibes. His emotions were serene, calm. Automatically I glanced at his hands. His hands were beautifully shaped with elegant long fingers; a light sprinkling of fine golden hairs just noticeable at the wrist. A narrow tan line surrounded one wrist.

A tan line?

“I have to go.” I threw money on the bar and rushed outside.

I’m losing it. That is not Declan! Every blond bartender in the U.K. cannot be Declan. I don’t care how much his hands look the same. Millions of men have hands. It doesn’t mean anything. Dec is gone! Desperate to get home before I lost it in front of the pub, I dug through my purse for the car keys. When I looked up, I was confused. How did I get back here? It was very dark except for the light from the snow. Shit! I turned to backtrack and stopped dead. Two men stood in the entrance to the narrow service area. The smell of cigarette smoke drifted with the snow. One of them took a long drag and tossed the cigarette to the ground.

“Are you lost, sweetheart?” the taller of the two asked in a deceptively friendly tone. He moved forward all innocent like. As soon as he left the shadows, he pulled a green stocking cap over his face. His teeth reflected the dim light as he smirked at me.

“What’s in your bag, love? Hand it over and we’ll let you go.”

He wants to mug me? Seriously?

The other wore a red jacket and turned his back on me. He faced the entrance and lit up a cigarette.

Are you freakin’ kidding me? I am so not in the mood for this.

“You might want to get away from me. I’m not in a good mood right now,” I warned.

My heart sank a little when I realized I had no gun or knife on me. Rivin dragged me out so fast I forgot to grab a weapon. All I had were my hands.

And my powers.

He lunged so fast I just had time to throw up my hands to shove him backwards. I wasn’t quick enough though. His momentum sent me flying into the wall. The sound of my head smacking the brick rang like church bells in my ears. My attacker was breathing hard through his nose as he held me against the wall. I twisted my head and shoved my palm into his nose. The crunch was loud enough to make me smile but only for a split second.

Before I could move out of the way, he went berserk. Throwing me down like a rag doll, he picked me up and bounced me against the wall until my head was full of stars. My hands didn’t obey my brain. I kept trying to use my powers, but I couldn’t focus my thoughts inside my rattled head. A small part of my brain was screaming that this wasn’t a human. Couldn’t be a normal human; he was too strong, too overwhelming.

He left me sprawled on top of an electrical box as he pulled an athame out of his jacket. It gleamed like black glass.

Obsidian.

Oh, holy God!

He grinned through the hole in the mask, his teeth red with blood now. Fumbling with the buttons of my coat, he yanked the leather apart to get to my chest. The smell of burning earth surrounded me; blood dripped from the mask. As his horror-movie face swam in and out of focus, my muscles tensed to bolt even as dizziness tried to drag me under. Fleeing seemed smarter than fighting but I was having trouble moving. My heart was pounding a thousand beats a minute and my brain was short-circuited.

Breathing hard, he grabbed my kicking legs and growled, “Stop fighting me. I’ll be gentle.” He shoved my coat away and yanked up my sweater, laughing at his little joke.

The sound of his laughter sent me over the edge and I screamed for Dec in complete mindless panic. The sentry appeared out of the darkness and slapped his hand over my mouth. I bit it but he only hissed and pushed down harder. Ski Mask used the athame to cut my bra and shoved it away from my heart. The protective rune throbbed in warning as he raised the blade.

And then he flew through the air in a blaze of white light.

Blinking in the sudden brightness, I struggled to sit upright. What happened?

My heart lurched in my chest. The rune sizzled.

There was something there; a supernatural something. It moved too fast to see its features, but it wasn’t human; the brilliant glow could only mean Primani. But who? Rivin?

After throwing my attacker into the wall, it snapped his neck. The stink of rot hit me like smelling salts. The lookout tried to run, but he was grabbed and lifted by his throat clear off his feet. In a split second, his head lolled to the side, eyes staring at his butt. Black smoke curled from his eye sockets. Both bodies vanished.

In the blink of an eye, Dec lifted me into his arms and laid me in the seat of the McLaren.

I must’ve really, really, really hit my head back there.

I blinked in and out of awareness on the short ride to the house. Except for the massive headache and nausea, this was a lovely dream.

Dec was back. It was an answer to my prayers…

The feel of soft lips on my forehead made me smile. The lips followed the curve of my temple and down my jaw. Gentle fingers traced my face and the familiar heat of healing surrounded the back of my head. The dizziness and pain gradually faded, leaving me woozy and mellow. The lips were back, pressing against my temple with a sigh.

“Why are you always broken when I find you?”

“Dec?” I murmured half asleep. His hand stroked mine and I curled my fingers around his and sighed, “I’m broken without you…”

With a soft sound, he pulled me close and clung to me. “Oh, Mica, I love you, little sister.” His voice broke and my eyes flew open.

His face was pressed against my shoulder so the first thing I saw was the sun-kissed blond hair. His arms were real; they held me in an iron grip as if he could absorb me through his skin. He lifted his face and looked into mine. His eyes shone with love and tears as he smiled at me. His crooked, dimpled, heartbreaking smile was real. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d see it again.

“Oh, God, Dec! You’re real?” Clutching him to me, I burst into tears and laughter.

“Who the hell is this?” Rivin grouched from my bedroom doorway.

Before I could answer, Dec shot off the bed and threw Rivin down the stairs. The plaster took a beating as his head pinballed off the walls. Dec met him at the bottom of the stairs and lifted him up by his shirt. Too shocked at the sight of a living and breathing Dec, Rivin stood paralyzed with his mouth hanging open. Taking total advantage, Dec lunged at Rivin and pinned him to the floor. Domino and I stood at the top of the steps watching the action. Her tail wagged low to the floor as if she wasn’t sure what to think. Her liquid brown eyes met mine.

Does the Happy One have the small sack toy?

The happy one? It fit. Though, at the moment, ‘happy’ wasn’t even in the ballpark. Furious, berserk, nuts, lost-his-mind, vicious…those were MUCH more accurate as he beat the crap out of Rivin.

I patted her head. “I’m sure he’ll find you one, Princess.”

My mouth fell open as Dec punched him in the face three times before I got my wits about me enough to yell at them.

“Stop! That’s enough!”

Dec paused, fist raised and bloody, and snarled at Rivin, “You piece of shit! You were supposed to protect her!”

“I was protecting her!”

Dec punched him again. “Bullshit! She was almost skewered by a couple of Anza demons while you were shagging some slut in the parking lot!”

Rivin and I both said, “What!?”

Dec glanced over at me apologetically, “Sorry, love. I wanted you to sleep first. You were pretty hurt last night. Do you remember?”

The images from the alley trickled into my mind and I sagged against the wall. With one hand over my eyes, I groaned. Killian was going to lose his mind.

Rivin and I both said, “Killian’s gonna be pissed.”

I pointed my finger at Rivin and said, “At you!”

His face blanched even as blood ran from a cut under one eye. Dec was still sitting on his chest and staring clinically at the damage. He was considering whether he should hit him again or not. Shrugging, he got up and went to the kitchen to wash his hands. I followed in a daze.

Dec…back…for real.

It was a miracle.

A dream come true.

My heart did somersaults inside my chest, my eyes gleamed with absolute joy, my rune began to glow.

Uh-oh!

The air shifted and Killian’s large and angry body filled the kitchen. Without seeing anyone else, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me with a crazed desperation that surrounded him like cologne. His hands ran down my back and he fitted me tightly against him and deepened the kiss. Bent over backwards, with his tongue swirling against mine, my eyes rolled back in my head and my vision grew sparkly from the force of his power racing through me. His emotions hit me so hard, my hormones ignited like dynamite. In another second, I might combust.

“I thought you were dead! Thank the angels, you’re okay!” he groaned against my neck and kissed me again. Not that I minded, but I was confused and burning like a torch.

What freaked him out?

“I just got back into our plane and I felt the ghost echoes of your pain, your fear. It lingers, you know. I smelled your blood in the air. God, Mica, if anything happened to you now…”

Catching his hand in mine, I kissed his palm. “I’m okay. I’m better than okay.”

Pulling back, he studied my face from top to bottom and ran his fingers over the dried blood in my hair. His face went rock hard and his eyes went flat. Rivin and Dec had gone statue and stared with huge eyes from the dining room. Unable to look away, they watched as Killian’s eyes slid to Rivin and he connected the dots. Rivin took a step back and came up against the wall. Growling low in his throat, Killian stalked Rivin with fingers clenching at his side.

“You were supposed to protect her!”

Dec jumped in front of Rivin just as he threw a punch. He caught Dec right on the jaw, snapping his head back and into Rivin’s nose. The crunch was loud and everyone froze.

Killian gaped at Dec and dragged him into a bear hug. Clapping him on the back, he grinned from ear to ear.

“It’s really you? Welcome back, little brother!”

Dec’s smile was suspiciously wobbly, but his eyes were dry as he wrapped his arms around Killian. Turning to me, he opened his arms and I slid right in. I was in Heaven.

Feeling suddenly panicky, I grabbed Dec’s arm and asked, “Are you staying? You didn’t just come back to save my life and now you have to go again, right? Please say you’re staying!”

He reached out and smoothed my hair out of my eyes with a full, dimpled grin. “You’ve got me for as long as you want me. I’m officially back on the team.”

Killian asked, “Raphael did this?”

Dec glanced sideways at me and said reverently, “No, it was Michael. He sent me back; said I still have things to do. He healed me himself!”

He’d finally gotten to meet Michael.

The room was suddenly as quiet as a tomb. Rivin swore softly and looked at me, then down to his boots. “I’m sorry, Mica. I’m a piece of shit. I should’ve been there for you last night.”

Dec said, “Don’t feel too bad, mate. She had to call me eventually. It might as well be your fault.”

Rivin grunted and went to take a shower. Apparently, Dec had healed my head and put me into a deep sleep last night. Not willing to leave my side, he curled up next to me and slept until Rivin got home and lost his mind. Even now, he sat next to me with my hand in between both of his. He caught Killian’s eye and started to move back. Killian laid his hand on Dec’s and smiled with real affection.

“It’s fine, Dec. I’m not worried about it. Touch her, hug her, heal her; she’s been crazy with grief over you. She needs all of us. You know that. With you gone, and now Sean…well, she’s my only priority.” He ended this very sweet comment by kissing the top of my hand.

“Don’t do it! Ah Mica, come on, babe. You’re not supposed to cry now!”

“Well stop being so damn sweet! It’s not natural!” I said through a grin. Both of them laughed and all was right in the world.

We moved from the couch to the kitchen, Dec and I made lunch, and then we moved back to the living room. We had a lot to catch up on and no one wanted to separate. Rivin came down and ate with us, but left when Killian’s anger threatened to boil over and cause him to strangle Rivin. During the afternoon, I leaned my head on Killian’s shoulder and let the low rumble of male voices lull me to warm pudding. Dec had healed my head, but the rest of me was a mishmash of bruises that were neatly hidden by my clothes. A trip to the bathroom alerted me to fingerprints bruised into my thighs. I didn’t want Killian to see those. The demon hadn’t raped me, but it wouldn’t look that way to my warrior. His protectiveness setting was on high right now. These incidental bruises would just piss him off more, so I would have to fix them. By the time I got to my arms, Killian was suspicious.

Tapping me on the nose, he looked at me curiously. “Are you healing yourself?”

I glanced at Dec who raised a perfect blond brow. His expression strongly advised against lying. Killian stiffened and crossed his arms. Damn it. I can’t hide anything from him.

“No, you can’t. Dec, we’ll be out in a little bit. Take the third bedroom, dude. It’s nice. There’s a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom.”

He gently closed the door behind him and said, “Okay, spill it. What don’t you want me to know?” He moved over to the bed and unlaced his boots. Propping his back against a pile of pillows, he waited for me to answer.

“You fight dirty. How can you be so patient?”

He smiled at my irritation and patted the bed. “Babe, you and I go way back. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Why on earth wouldn’t I be patient with you? Would you rather I rant and rave and scream at you like some insecure, foolish human man?”

“Stop it, you’re melting my heart,” I teased as I curled up with him. He tugged the blanket over my legs and waited.

Better get this over with.

Sighing at the inevitable explosion, I started to take my shirt off. Pausing midway, I warned, “You’re not going to like this. All I can say is the two demons are dead; very, very dead. Dec practically ripped their heads off of their bodies.”

His breathing stopped and he sat preternaturally still. “Two demons?”

I pulled the shirt over my head and turned so he could see my upper body. His right eye twitched when he saw the bruises on my biceps where the guy grabbed me and slung me to the ground. His eyes traveled down my torso and back to my chest. Carefully, he peeled my bra strap over my shoulder and stared at the bruise on my collarbone, and the faint scab where the athame nicked me when my bra was sacrificed.

“Is there more?”

Fingers tapping. Eye twitching.

Unhappy warrior.

Nodding, I looked down and he hissed through his teeth. As I pulled down the yoga pants, he drummed his fingers against his thigh. He tried to keep a straight face, but I could practically hear the screaming thoughts inside his head. As usual, he was holding himself with rigid control. The only outward signs of his anger were his tapping fingers. Even the eye twitch was battened down.

I winced as I kicked off the pants and stood up so he could see the damage. The hand prints were practically branded into my thighs.

“Two demons?” His voice was just a whisper but his eyes went nuclear.

I started to tremble with delayed reaction as the scene slipped into my memory. The ski mask, the bloody teeth, the obsidian athame…then the stench of evil, the pain in my head; the images ran together like a disjointed movie trailer.

“They didn’t…didn’t…didn’t want to rape me.”

The eye twitch came back.

“What did they want?”

Gulping, I cleared my throat and said, “I think they wanted my heart.” His snarl made me add, “But Dec got there in time!” Thank God Dec was there.

Killian whispered, “No, thank Michael.”

He shook his head and growled, “Fucking animals!”

“Rivin!” He was worked up and ready to explode.

“Don’t kill him!”

Rivin rapped on the door. I could sense his breathing on the other side. He knew he was in trouble, but he’d never run away. That wasn’t the Primani way.

“I’ll be right back,” Killian said to me while yanking the door open.

His voice dropped but I could still hear him with my ear pressed against the door. He said, “I’m not going to kill you because Mica doesn’t want me to. You owe her, you sonofabitch! Understand this: if they had killed her, you would be dead right this second. There wouldn’t be enough of you left for your ancestors to burn.”

There was a loud crash and Rivin grunted in pain.

“You can’t seem to get your priorities straight, can you? You’d pick the fucking slut over the good woman every time. How many more women will die because you’re out whoring around?”

With that, he came back into the room and quietly closed the door behind him. Forcing a calmer expression, he searched my eyes for shadows. Reassured that I wasn’t damaged for life, he inhaled deeply and said, “Come here and let me be a good boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? Jesus, Killian, you’d never be so ordinary.”

With a snort of laughter, he scrubbed his fingers through his hair and said, “Well, I’m certainly not the son of God either.” A shadow crossed his face and he added, “Not by any stretch.”

His emotions were settling down from murderous rage to something more like fear and a need to heal his woman. His heart tugged at mine and I gave in and let him do what he needed. Those beautiful big hands were gentle as he laid me back on the bed and healed me in his own special way. Instead of using his fingertips as Dec would have, he used his mouth. Starting with my neck, he kissed every one of the bruises until they vanished. The tiny amount of healing energy came through his lips and tongue while they traced the marks. The further down he went, the less I felt the bruises. As the heat of his mouth warmed my skin, I began to purr. The combination of his wonderfully sexy mouth and the tingling heat did X-rated things to my blood. By the time he healed the last of my bruises I was delirious, with only one thought in my head.

The feel of Killian’s hand running down my leg brought me awake and I blinked into his ocean blue eyes. His nose hovered just above mine. When I opened my eyes he dipped his head to kiss me fully awake, his teeth nipping my lower lip. His hand stopped moving down my leg and lay gently on my belly. It was such a sweet gesture, and one I was getting used to. He’d been unusually careful with me the past few months; touching me gently, patiently letting me heal and grow. I was amazed every time I looked into his eyes and saw the depth of his love for me. When had this happened? It seemed like just yesterday when I saw him searching for me at that silly party in Plattsburgh. I’d been scared to death of him; everything about him screamed ‘dangerous.’ He was no less dangerous today, but of no threat to me. Somewhere over the years things had changed.

“I didn’t want to wake you, but dinner’s ready,” he said quietly.

Curling against him, I pouted and said, “I’m too comfortable to get up. Come here with me.” Reeling him in closer, I stretched against the hard muscles of his thighs and thought of better things to do than eating.

Nibbling my earlobe, he dragged his fingers over my butt and whispered, “Dec is waiting for us.”

That brought me completely upright and I nearly rolled him off the bed. Racing around the room, I threw on my clothes and splashed water on my face before taking the stairs two at a time.

“Dec! Where are you?” I practically yelled as I skidded into the dining room.

Grinning broadly, he turned from the counter and said, “I’m right here, darlin’. Don’t panic.”

I hugged him and laughed, “I’m all about panic these days! I’m afraid you’ll disappear again. You’ve got no idea what it’s been like!”

A shadow crossed over his face and he muttered, “Oh, I think I do.” In a more chipper tone, he said, “Help me with the food and we’ll catch up some more.”

Rivin was a no show for dinner. When I asked about him, Killian shrugged and said he’d gone out. His eyes were flinty when he answered me and I got the distinct impression he’d booted Rivin out for the night. It would totally not surprise me. It was going to take a little while for Killian to forgive Rivin for nearly getting me killed.

Dec did the silent communication bit with Killian before asking out loud, “Tell me what happened to Sean. I’ve heard rumors but I can’t believe they’re true. Did he really kill a human?”

Killian answered, “Not any human, Dec. It was Christine Miller.”

Dec eased his fork down and leaned back in his chair. His eyes glazed over as he considered Killian’s words. Finally, he said, “Is that so? How? Tell me how he did it.”

“According to the news, he shot her in the head and burned her body inside her car.”

Dec sat up straight, his eyes gleaming, “He shot her?”

“That’s what the news said. Why?”

Unable to contain his excitement, Dec pushed back from the table and got up to pace. “We had a plan for her. After what she did…we had a special end in mind for her. There’s no way he would’ve given her such a painless way out.” His voice dropped to a near whisper and he added, “No way he would’ve made it that easy for her.”

I asked, “So he didn’t kill her?”

Dec smiled somewhat evilly and shook his head. “My gut says he didn’t. I need to see him. Let’s go!”

The snow was still coming down when we pulled into the parking lot at the Stone Garden. It was fully dark already, but the snow gave off a pale light as we trudged through the thick coating on the paths.  Killian halted in front of the statue that was supposed to be Sean and Dec stopped beside him and bowed his head. Then he did something strange. He went to the base of the statue and wrapped his arms around the robe. He whispered something in their ancient language and waited. The stone wavered and shimmered and finally vanished to reveal Sean kneeling in prayer.

Dec cupped his brother warrior’s face between his hands and leaned his forehead against him. “What have you done, Sean?”

His eyes were closed, but they slowly cracked open and blinked. When he saw Dec, his eyes filled with tears. There was no expression on his face.

Oh, God, Sean! I stared in shocked horror as every detail came into sharp focus. His face was bleached white with pain and his eyes blood red in their sockets. The muscles in his arms and shoulders were hard with strain, the veins ropey and prominent. His fingernails were gone; the tips of his fingers shredded and bloody. I lurched towards him but Dec caught my waist and swung me back into Killian’s hands.

Turning my face away, he said flatly, “We’re going to fix this. You have to believe me. I need to talk to him now, and I need you to chill out and not interfere. Can you do that for me?”

Caught by surprise by this new authoritative tone, I could only nod and say, “Can you stop the pain? Please, Dec? Can’t you help him?”

He worried his lower lip and studied Sean’s condition. “Maybe. Let me think about it.”

Killian led me back to the shelter of the church. With his back against the door, he pulled me against his chest and turned on the heat.

“I’m sorry you had to see him like that. Are you okay?”

“Are you kidding? Of course I’m not. That’s torture! Are all the others in the same position? No wonder they cry. No wonder I feel waves of pain the minute I walk up to them. It’s barbaric!”

“It seems that way to you, but this is our way. Each angel clearly understands their duties and the consequences of straying. Sean knew it too.”

At my huff of disagreement, he said, “Angels aren’t people, babe. We’re held against much higher standards, and rightly so, don’t you think?”

Normally, I would’ve automatically agreed with that thinking, but this was different. Sean was my angel…he wasn’t just any old angel. He was special. His life had meaning--

“As do the lives of every angel. Do you see the flaw in your argument?”

Turning to face him, I muttered, “No. I still say Sean is special. He’s not like the others.”

Sighing deeply, he wisely kept his mouth shut until Dec sprinted over to us.

“We should go! We should go NOW!”

Alarmed, I looked for incoming and saw nothing but the snow falling in clumps. He grabbed my arm and teleported us to the car.

Once inside the safe house, Killian scowled at Dec. “What the hell did you do?”

Trying to look innocent but failing miserably, Dec peeked through the living room curtains and bit his lip. “I, uh...nothing. You shouldn’t know the details. I’d hate for you to end up in the same position.”

Killian took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I could feel the annoyance wafting around him like a cloud. Oh, Dec…what did you do? Dec fidgeted and stared out the window again.

“So what happened?” I finally asked to break the tension.

Dec flung himself into a chair and said, “Here’s the deal. He tried to be cagey about it, but I know he didn’t kill that woman. He’s hiding something and I think I know what he’s up to.” He turned to Killian and said, “We need to find that woman--she’s still alive. If we can find her, we can get him out of there.”

“Still alive? That’s nuts.”

He shrugged and grinned, “Nope, darlin’, not nuts. That’s Sean’s twisted little plan playing out. By the way, brother, how’s the search for Sgaine Dutre coming along?”

Killian started to answer and froze in mid-word. His eyes went speculative and then gleamed with satisfaction. I went a little weak in the knees when he turned those eyes on me. A slow grin spread from ear to ear and he practically purred, “It’s still MIA.”

Chapter 15: Truth and Consequences

CHRISTMAS WAS COMING soon. It was already December and we were settled in to stay here for the holidays. My parents weren’t happy about me missing Christmas with them, but hey, I wasn’t happy that Sean was missing parts of his fingers. They’d have to forgive me just this once. There was no way I was leaving England. I still hated England, but I wasn’t leaving. Dec’s plan had to work because spending the rest of my natural life living here sounded a lot like Hell. It was just too wet. And cold. And gray.

“If you don’t get a move on, the good stuff will be all gone,” Dec nudged me.

He was trying to get me to move faster but I was stuck in slo-mo this morning. My brain was still half asleep from the trip to New York.

Scowling up at him, I finished stuffing my foot inside my boot. “It’s not my fault I’ve got jet lag. All this traveling is messing with my nervous system. My fingers are tingling.”

We’d been back and forth to Manhattan three times in the past week following up on leads about Christine Miller. After going to see Sean, we were all filled with a fanatical sense of purpose. Finally we had something positive to cling to. If Dec’s gut was right, there was a way to get Sean out of this mess.

In the spirit of divide and conquer, we’d split up and gone our separate ways. Killian was out scanning the universe for Aisling. Rivin was holed up with our bio experts going over all things smallpox. Killian shared the details of his meeting with Jordan (nut job!) and Alex agreed that jump starting Armageddon was too big a threat for our small team to manage alone. So Killian had detailed Rivin to work with other Primani to figure out likely targets, methods of disbursal, and likely numbers of dead. Rivin had glowed with happiness when he got the assignment; weapons of mass destruction were apparently his sweet spot. Even though he clearly couldn’t stand Rivin personally, Killian was very sure he would be able to do this part. I had my own doubts about Rivin, but I believed in Killian’s leadership. If he felt it was safe, it probably was. So while they were off saving millions of people and one lonely Primani, Dec and I were trying to spring Sean from prison.

Today we were back in England supposedly taking a rest. Like all Primani, Dec had to conserve his power for fighting. Traveling with me took a huge toll on his energy resources. The trip back here had been a little scary. The normal blur of movement and shift of air pressure seemed to slow down, the time space undulated erratically and my body slipped away from his just as we rematerialized in the safe house. My fingers had been tingling ever since. I studied Dec’s face and noticed the strain around his eyes.

I reached up and smoothed the lines around his eyes. “Dec, you have to rest. You’re burning yourself out.”

Taking my fingers, he kissed them one at a time until the tingling faded. Grinning with both dimples, he quipped, “You’re wrong, darlin’. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been. You need a rest though. I’d hate to have to explain to Killian that I’ve scrambled your circuits!”

A bit later, he took my hand while we wandered through a Christmas fair in a smallish village outside of London. Local vendors had set up booths to sell handmade items for gifts or decorating. The smell of food drifted on the air and my stomach rumbled in question. It wasn’t positive I’d actually feed it…rubbing absently, I resisted the urge to comment. We’d eat something while we were out, but right now I was cold. I sipped a cup of hot tea and burned the crap out of my tongue.

“What do you think about this one?” Dec held up a black scarf with an electric blue zigzag across the side. Wrapping it around his neck, he turned around for me to see his gorgeousness 360.

The giggles of two pretty girls caught his attention and he glanced over at them. Both were bundled up against the cold but there was no mistaking their appeal, or the thoughts racing through their heads. He was hot and they knew it. He winked at them and turned back to me.

“For you? Oh, definitely. It’s got your name written all over it!”

He rubbed the soft material between his fingers and nodded. After paying the bored man running the booth, he slipped it around his neck.

The vendors were all freezing and most clutched a cup of something steaming in their hands. A few had little space heaters glowing gently but it was too cold for them to be much help. The grey sky promised more snow and a chilly wind kept blowing my hair into my eyes. I hadn’t braided it before we left and it was all over the place. Every few seconds I reached up and dragged it off of my face. Tired of me bumping into him, Dec finally bought me a soft purple hat and slid it over my head to tame my hair. Tucking my hair out of the way, he said, “That’s better. Come on, I want to walk.”

Hand in hand, we followed the sidewalk out of the village. The cobblestone walk wound like a snake through the outskirts and disappeared into a narrow lane. The lane meandered into dead fields and finally into a patch of forest.

“I’m so unbelievably glad you’re not dead.”

He swung me off my feet and laughed, “Back at you! Do you know how much I worried about you? You’re like a death magnet.”

“Yeeeahhh. It does seem to be a problem.”

I didn’t want to think about that. I had felt the same thing in the past couple of years. I was really tired of fighting for my life. It seemed like destiny wanted me to prove I had the right to live. If you asked me, that seemed a little harsh. I mean, really. I didn’t notice the other billions of humans fighting to survive demons and psychopaths. At some point, I hoped they’d all leave me be, or just kill me off already. The anticipation sucked.

We walked in comfortable silence into the woods, Dec’s supernatural warmth surrounding me as much as his arm. He held me tightly against his side as we wandered along. It was good to know he still needed me as much as I needed him. Since he’d been back, the weight of the world was easier to carry. I didn’t really appreciate how miserable I’d been until he came back and kicked misery to the curb.

Not so with Dec…Distracted, he gazed off into the trees without seeing them. His body hummed with the force of emotion raging inside his mind. Frustration and anger…regret. Sadness.

“Spill it, Dec. What’s going on in your head?”

With sober eyes, he turned to me and said, “I wanted to come back. You need to believe that.”

Nonplussed by this confession, I nodded. “I believe you.”

“I wanted to come back!” He was agitated now and dropped my hands. “I watched you and Sean fall apart, in the tunnels…and later…doing nothing to stop it. I watched him hurt you…over and over again. But I couldn’t come back.” He kicked at a log and it flew 20 feet and landed with a crash.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

His mouth twisted into a grimace and he said, “I wish I could. But no, it’s not allowed. I can only say I was healing. That day in the tunnels, after Jordan broke my neck, Raphael intervened. I should’ve been able to heal myself but Jordan’s magic blocked my saol…” his voice trailed off. After a pause, he shook himself out of the memory and said, “I felt myself fading…just fading into the shadows. I tried to call Killian but my voice was gone. So I lay there and…just watched…helpless. When my heart stopped beating, my soul drifted and that’s when Raphael snatched me to him.”

Raphael. Killian’s maker. Sean’s maker. Dec’s…

Raphael…he would protect his boys, wouldn’t he?

“Raphael saved you. Michael healed you.”

That wouldn’t happen without a price tag. The angels wouldn’t preserve his life just because it was his. His life had a higher purpose. I knew this as well as I knew my own name.

“Yes. And now it’s time for me to earn my keep. You and I have work to do. This is the most important mission you will ever have, Mica. Failure is not an option.”

A chill slid between my shoulders and I wrapped my arms more tightly around myself. Dec abruptly stiffened as he listened to a silent voice. Killian? Raphael? Who was he listening to? He snapped back into awareness and flashed a relieved grin at me.

“We’ve got the go ahead. Are you ready to work a few miracles, love? I hope you can handle it, cuz I’ve just been unleashed!”

Late that afternoon, the snow had stopped and the air was crisp and frigid. What was up with this weather? According to most people, England wasn’t supposed to be this cold. But we were being treated to a lovely cold spell. Yay, this was awesome. I shivered in my coat and pulled gloves over my fingers. Sure, I could take advantage of my supernatural energy, but figured it would be better to conserve power, so to speak. Go green and all that. Dec pulled the McLaren around to pick me up and I slid into the toasty warm interior.

“You look nice,” I observed.

He’d gotten a haircut and shaved off the blond scruff that was perching on his chin. Baby smooth skin looked better on him. His eyes were glowing softly in the dim light of the streetlights we passed.

“As do you, pretty girl. I’m going to have to kick some ass tonight, aren’t I?”

Shaking my head at his resigned tone, I said, “I doubt it. No one even looks at me. It’s like I’m invisible.”

Barking an amused laugh, he said, “Well damn. If I was Killian, I’d make damn sure you were invisible too. Smart man.”

“He would never do that to me! He trusts me. There’s no way he’d put some kind of glamour spell to hide me.”

He arched a brow and said, “Mm hmm.”

Killian wouldn’t put a spell over me. Would he? Surely not. No way. I’d never believe it.

I was still pondering this mystery when we parked at the pub and got out. Dec, sweet being that he is, came to my side and held my hand so I wouldn’t slip on the ice. Walking with a hand on my elbow, he towed me to the entrance while scanning for demons.

I entered the room first and no one looked up. Not a single person glanced in my direction. Huh. The smart ass inside of me took over and I waved my hand in front of the nearest man. He looked right over me to rest his eyes on Dec’s tall frame. Their eyes met for a split second and the man looked away.

Smiling a bit too smugly at me, he said, “See? You’re invisible. That’s great because I don’t have to tear my new shirt fighting some idiot over you; on the other hand, now it’ll look like I’m talking to myself all night. Chicks hate crazy men.”

“Not like you’re looking to get laid anyhow,” I muttered in a grouchy tone.

“Don’t presume to know about my sex life, darlin’. Just because I don’t shove it in your face doesn’t mean I don’t have one. I’m just a lot more discreet than, say, Rivin.”

Beautiful, innocent Dec had a sex life?

The world as I knew it will never be the same!

“Close your mouth. You look silly. I’m over 1,500 years old. Of course I have sex. I happen to like it just fine.”

Dec? I’ve never seen him even flirt with a girl. This was new information that I realized I didn’t actually want. Definitely TMI. My brain was busy trying to spit it out like spoiled sushi.

He gave me an amused nudge and I led the way to a booth with a good view of the door. After making sure I was situated, he got up to order us some drinks. I watched him as he stood casually against the bar chatting up the bartender. He’d filled out in the past months. His tall frame was much more heavily muscled. He was made more like Sean now. They could really be brothers. They had the same broad shoulders and narrow hips with washboard abs supporting it all. He wore his typical straight-legged jeans and a button down shirt with the sleeves shoved up. The muscles in his shoulders filled out the shirt more than they had before and I resisted the urge to look at his butt. No way. I am not going there. Dec was like my brother and that would be weird.

“Why are you thinking about Dec’s butt?” an amused voice growled softly in my ear.

Before I could answer, he slid smoothly into the bench beside me. Tugging my jaw to part my lips, he leaned in for a very long, very thorough, and very territorial kiss. By the time he let me up for oxygen, I was torn between amusement and frustration…the good kind.

Blinking into his wicked baby blues, I found myself more than frustrated. It suddenly seemed like an emergency.

It was absolutely life or death.

A vague impression of an hourglass flashed in my mind and I gripped the edge of the bench hard enough to break a nail. The wave of heat left me breathless. I wanted him now. The object of my attention lowered his eyes to my throat and leaned closer to whisper in my ear.

“You’re throwing off take-me-I’m-yours vibes like solar flares, babe. Did I come at a good time?”

He punctuated his question by running his hand under the back of my sweater and up to toy with my bra straps. The hazy hourglass solidified into a real vision and I gasped as I saw how little sand was left.

I couldn’t seem to help myself; there was someone else controlling me. I would swear to that later. But for now I didn’t care who was in charge or who might be watching us. I pulled his mouth back to mine and said sharply, “Car, now!”

Dec’s face went from ‘hey, great you’re here!’ to ‘what the hell?’ as we bolted out of the booth. Killian looked over his shoulder and shrugged. Dec tossed him the keys and sat down to wait.

As soon as he unlocked the door, I pushed him against the leather seat and hit the seat lever to recline. He leaned back with his arms behind his head and wore an ear to ear grin as I threw my jacket on the floor and crawled on top of his lap. Thank God I was wearing a skirt…By the time I flung it over my hips, he was ready for me. At first contact, my eyes rolled back in my head and I leaned forward to push him deeper inside me. He was perfectly happy to let me take charge for a change and I couldn’t begin to stop. With his hands holding my mouth tightly against his, I took and took and took from him.

But it wasn’t enough. Still the hourglass hovered in my mind, the sand slowly drifting through the tiny opening. I closed my eyes and moved against him seeing nothing here…nothing in this reality. I felt his hands on my skin and his mouth moving against mine, but the car was gone. England was gone. A shifting and then a wavering of the air around me…When I opened my eyes again, it was a new reality; the reality of my dreams.

Entwined in a tangle of limbs, we lay on a soft mat inside the temple--inside Killian’s first temple. With my fingers threaded in his hair, I caught my breath when he opened his eyes. Blue they were, but Primani they weren’t. They flashed with passion and love as he turned me to my knees and pulled my thighs apart. The beat of his heart called to mine making the rune glow vividly in the darkness. My head swam with the steady rhythm of our beating hearts, our bodies moving to it in perfect synergy. His hands held me close and I knew I’d been here before. I’d loved him here before. His woodsy scent filled my head and made me lightheaded with memory. This felt right. He felt right. I belonged here with him. I’d always belonged here.

Just as I cried out his name, he whispered against my ear, his voice desperate, “Stay with me!”

I grabbed his hand and clung to his fingers. Twin gold bands winked sadly in the firelight. As I watched, one of them wavered and vanished. My fingers began to fade as I cried out, “Don’t let go! Hold me!”

The sadness in his eyes was infinite as I drifted away from him.

“Mica! Come back to me!” he all but shouted in my ear. He gently smacked my cheek to wake me up. “You can’t stay there! You have to come back to me here.” He was starting to panic now. Shaking me gently, he called for Raphael.

I cracked open an eyelid when I felt the change in air pressure. Snapping it closed again, I lay limp as a rag doll across Killian’s body.

Raphael’s voice came dryly from the other seat, “Killian, my friend, please explain why I’m sitting here with you while you’re nearly naked--”

“It’s not like you haven’t seen one before. Shit. Don’t change the subject. It’s time, isn’t it? Please! I’m on my knees begging you. Please tell me it’s time.”

Silence.

Killian straightened my skirt and pressed me against him as if he’d shelter me from a storm. “How much longer must she drift? She’s proven her worth a thousand times already. Would the angels be so cruel?”

Silence.

“Raphael, I am flat out begging you now. Please tell me it’s time.” His voice cracked and I felt waves of desperate sadness spilling into the car around us.

Raphael cleared his throat and said, “I will see to it.”

It took a minute for Killian to find his voice, and when he did it was thick with emotion. He reached to Raphael and said simply, “Thank you, my friend.”

After Raphael vanished, Killian repositioned me more comfortably and kissed the top of my head. “I don’t want to do this to you, Princess. But you cannot know what’s to come if it’s to play out as it should. I am so sorry.”

The warmth from his fingers surrounded by brain and I slipped into a dreamless sleep.

I woke to the familiar walls of our bedroom in the safe house…two days later.

“He what?” I yelled at Dec. Poor guy was left behind to explain everything.

Backing up with palms out, he grinned at my annoyance. “Look, darlin’, he’s coming back. He had to go take care of some things and you were asleep. He didn’t want to wake you.” He broke into full laughter then. “It seems to me this is your fault; maybe you overdid it? You wore yourself out.”

“What?”

Instead of answering me, he gestured crudely to the general area of my lower body and grinned wickedly.

Oh. Yeah. The pub. Killian.

The car.

My face went up in flames. Holding himself up against the wall, he collapsed with laughter.

“Oh. My. God.”

“Uh, no, I think it was only Killian. Though I think I heard you calling for God.”

My face turned purple and I sank against the headboard. No wonder Killian left. He probably had to go heal himself!

Dec hauled me upright and looped an arm around my shoulder. Wrinkling his nose, he parked me in front of the bathroom door. “Go take a shower. Please. You smell like Killian. It’s weird for me.”

When I came out of the shower, Killian was back. He and Dec were sprawled over the couches talking. Killian looked relaxed for a change as his eyes caught mine. Pausing in mid-drink, he saluted me with the bottle and took a sip before rising to meet me by the stairs.

“I thought you were sleeping through Christmas. Are you feeling better?”

“Better?” I laughed, “Oh sure, I suppose I’m perfectly rested now.” I tapped my finger gently on his chest while adding in a dire tone, “You have some explaining to do though.”

And then I spotted the hickey on his throat. “Ugh! Why didn’t you do something with that?”

Ignoring Dec completely, he pulled me against the wall and squeezed me hard enough to crack a rib.

“That’s a mark of pride, love. Just like those scars on my back. I’m not about to heal them away.”

“Can you two stop with the cute stuff for a while? You’re making me sick,” Dec grumbled and flipped on the TV.

“Hey! You should be happy that I’m happy!” I joked.

He tossed some popcorn to Domino and they did a high five when she caught it neatly. He turned to us and grinned, “Okay, okay. I’m happy for you. But it’s almost Christmas again and I’d like to have the whole family back by then.”

Killian tossed me a beer and leaned against the bookcase. “You want to give me a report on what you’ve found so far?”

“I’ll do it. Dec, jump in if I leave anything out.”

“Monday, we went to the lab and spent an eternity looking through surveillance video from traffic cams and an ATM cam near the site where the car was found. It seemed like a bust, but then Dec spotted something.”

Dec picked up the story from there. “The cops wouldn’t see this, but I spotted it. Here, I downloaded it to the laptop to show you.”

It took a few minutes to bring up the file and then he turned the screen so Killian could see it. I leaned over his shoulder even though I knew what was there. The tape showed a hard-faced woman walking quickly to her car in the dark. After three glances over her shoulder, she threw herself into the driver’s seat and hit the lock button. The next frame showed a grainy image of someone leaning forward from the back seat. A flash of muzzle fire and then her head bounced against the steering wheel. The shooter was big, dark, and anonymous.

It could’ve been Sean.

It could’ve been anyone.

Killian rubbed at his jaw and squinted closer to the frozen image. He saw it too.

His scowl slowly changed to speculation and he leaned further in. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

There was just the tiniest delay between the time the woman sat down and the time her head hit the steering wheel. In that infinitesimal window of time, a nearly invisible flash of light illuminated the car. The police equipment would never be able to pick it up. It was impossible to see with the human eye. It was perfect in its simplicity.

“He switched the body.” Killian released the breath he’d been holding. His fingers drummed as he considered the ramifications.

Dec held back a grin and said, “Yes! You can see where she vanishes and reappears just before the head hits the steering wheel. You can also clearly see Sean in the next frame. Look.”

The next frame showed Sean exiting the car and looking straight into the traffic camera. He pulled a can of gasoline from the trunk and doused the inside of the car before tossing a match in the middle of the front seat. He stepped back and crossed his arms while the flames claimed the clothes and skin of the dead woman. We sat transfixed while the car burned and Sean watched with satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

He saluted the camera and walked into the dark without looking back.

Dec leaned in and pointed to the backpack in Sean’s hand. Something bulged against the side as he lifted it to his shoulder. I hadn’t noticed that before. Squinting, I tried to make out the image but it was too dark and the flames cast distracting shadows over the scene.

With deadly serious eyes glued to Killian’s, Dec said, “The body was burned beyond recognition. Fingerprints gone; nothing but ash left behind. Only one way to prove identity.”

“Dental records?” I mused.

Suddenly the backpack was creeping me out. He swung it casually, tauntingly, as he strolled from the crime scene. He wanted the cops to see him.

“Oh, shit! Is that what I think it is?” My voice went up three octaves and Killian winced.

Smiling grimly, he breathed the words, “Fucking Sean. You’re a twisted genius.”

“You think this is good? He cut off her head, didn’t he? Good Lord!”

Dec patted my arm and said, “Calm down, darlin’! The woman he shot walked away. The woman who’s barbequed was already dead. Probably she had her head removed someplace else. If you opened up that backpack, you’d find a honeydew melon and not a severed head.” He patted me again and added, “He wanted the cops to see that and connect him.”

What the hell was going on?

I was totally lost…

After an eternity of silence, Killian flipped through the footage two more times, making some grunting guy sounds as he considered the images. When he was finally satisfied, he flipped the screen down and stood up to stretch.

“Okay, break for five and then we’ll get back to it.”

I was still trying to wrap my brain around the whole head-in-the-bag revelation. That was just frickin’ gross. Not to mention creepy. The guys seemed to get it, but I was struggling to not flip out and take back every nice thing I’ve ever said about Sean.

What was he thinking?

Dec slipped up beside me and took the bottle I’d been holding for five minutes. After plucking it out of my hands, he replaced it with a cold bottle of water.

“Come on, sweetheart. No more beer for you. Hydrate up! I need you ready to travel again.”

I slapped my forehead and groaned. I wasn’t ready to go back to New York…

Killian saved me from whining by crooking a bossy finger at us.

Time to get back to work.

“So next steps. Dec, what are you thinking?” Killian turned it over to Dec.

“I did some digging in the New York property records and I found some property that belongs to Christine Miller’s father. He’s been dead since 1995 but the property is still listed in his name on the deed. It’s mountain property. I’m thinking there’s a cabin on it.”

Killian nodded. “Good place to bug out. You guys get out there and get that bitch on film. We need rock solid proof she’s alive.”

Dec’s eyes took on a slightly un-holy gleam and Killian laid his hand over Dec’s arm. “For God’s sake, don’t kill the woman now! Subtle, please.”

Profoundly disappointed, Dec frowned and muttered under his breath. Killian sighed and squeezed his shoulder adding, “You can kill her another time, okay? You and Sean can do it together if you want. She’s on your list. I get it. You just can’t do it now. Understand?”

“Sure, I get it. I can wait.” His ‘who-me?’ mask was firmly in place.

Killian bit the inside of his cheek and put on his sternest expression. “That’s why you’re taking Mica with you. Mica, you keep him from doing something stupid. I’m counting on both of you for this. Sean’s counting on you. I don’t have to tell you why.”

Silence.

All of us sat perfectly still as his words bounced around inside our skulls. Sean’s sentence was 100 years. He’d been there less than two months and was already slipping away from us. His eyes still moved within the stone angel shell but they were dimming.

Soon he’d be swallowed by the stone completely.

We had to get him free.

Finally Killian said, “Today’s the 15th. You need to get back here before the 20th. That’s a hard deadline.” He met Dec’s eyes and grimaced, “A really hard deadline.”

I polished my Oakleys and shook my head. He worked absolute magic. It was fascinating to stand here and watch him work. We’d traveled Primani Airlines to get to the rental car company inside of Newark’s airport. From here we’d planned to drive out to the mountains for our little recon op. The weather was too cold to just hang out for days in a snowdrift.

The middle-aged woman at the rental car counter had intimidated and worn down every one of the customers ahead of us over the past 30 minutes. Her hard grey eyes acknowledged no one’s humanity as she denied every simple request. No, you didn’t have a choice. They only had Chevys. No, you didn’t qualify for an upgrade. Yes, you could pay for another car. That will be another $200.00 for the week. No, she wouldn’t accept American Express. Her attitude was bored, shitty, and uncaring. Everyone walked away defeated, shoulders slumped in fatigue. There was no point in arguing with her. She didn’t care if you were happy or not.

Enter Declan Manning--Primani. One of the nice ones--The one with all the charm and dimples.

Oh, yeah, she caved.

Immediately.

Yes, why certainly she could upgrade his reservation. Did he want the fully-loaded sedan or the sports car? The SUV? Yes, that was completely doable. Silly me, the roads are slippery, aren’t they? Smile, smile, smile. Of course it had an upgraded sound system! Extra costs? Oh, not at all. He was clearly a preferred customer.

I lowered my sunglasses and rolled my eyes at the ceiling. Wow. I really was invisible. I was standing with my fingers casually tucked through one of the belt loops on his jeans and she’d yet to acknowledge my existence. The waves of angelic attractiveness swirled around us like air freshener. I was nearly immune to its persuasiveness, but even so, nearly was the operative word. I inhaled the green woodsy fragrance and felt my heart pitter-patter just a little. It was irresistible. Other humans never knew what hit them. He leaned forward slightly and she leaned towards him, breathless and wide-eyed.

Oh, come on, woman! He’s not going to kiss you.

He signed the credit card slip with a flourish and kissed her hand sweetly.

“Thank you, love. You’ve been very helpful. Have a good day now.”

She nearly fell over trying to watch him walk away. Beside me, he hummed a line from “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and draped his arm over me.

“You’re incorrigible. You know that, right?” I felt compelled to point it out.

Grinning mischievously down at me, he just squeezed my waist and unlocked the door to our new ride. “You know you love me.”

Leaning up to breathe him in again, I kissed his cheek and slid into the Tahoe. “My love for you is not the issue here. Declan Manning, you know you smell amazing when you throw off those pheromones of yours.” I breathed him in again and squeezed his fingers to make my point. “It’s not fair to do that just to get your way.”

He gave me a sniff and shrugged. “What do you think that power is for? It’s totally so I can get my own way. Why else would we have it? And you still smell like Killian. What are you two doing?”

Was he serious? I gave myself a sniff but didn’t smell anything unusual. I smelled like…nothing. Even my perfume was long gone. What was he talking about?

“I think your nose is jacked. I don’t smell like anything.”

The late morning traffic was heavy and he spent the next five minutes watching for idiots before we made it to the freeway. After a bit, he draped one wrist over the wheel and put himself on autopilot.

“What’s the deal with you two now? Are things getting serious?” he asked. His tone was more curious than concerned.

“I think serious is an understatement, Dec.”

I closed my eyes and brought Killian’s face into my mind. The image was so vivid, so real, I could practically reach out and touch the rough black stubble on his jawline. His eyes looked into mine with such commitment and love…his fingers held my wrist aloft over the stone altar…binding our blood, infusing me with his strength, his powers, his essence.

Saving me, protecting me.

I remembered our hands joined with the lightning cracking between us, through us…working as one, destroying the zombies, preserving life for a little while longer. Were we serious? I couldn’t imagine anything more so.

“What does that mean, Mica?” His voice was more than curious now. He dragged out the words like he knew something I didn’t and wanted me to figure it out.

“You never call me ‘Mica.’ What gives?”

His eyes cut sideways to me and he adjusted the defroster and the windshield wipers.

“Darlin’, you know I only have your best interests at heart, right?”

I nodded with an annoyed sigh. It was really a little too late to have the Killian’s-not-right-for-you talk. That ship sailed a long time ago.

“Dec, I swear I’m going to hurt you!” I halfheartedly squeezed his knee, making him twitch and grimace. “Listen, you nosy back-from-the-dead angel, I know you’ve missed a lot, but he’s amazing. I can’t imagine my life without him.”

Even as I said the words the vision washed over me like a gentle rain.

Soft and warm…cleansing me, lulling me...

Watching from above, I saw myself standing next to Killian, a much younger Killian, his strong hand splayed over my rounded belly. His eyes glowed with pride as he smiled into mine. I laughed into his face and he kissed my mouth. It was a poignant moment, almost too intimate to watch. Even though I was as substantial as a shadow, his head snapped up, eyes pinning me in place. He didn’t say a word but I felt his despair like a knife to my heart. With both eyes resting on my shadow, he placed a tender kiss on the baby stretching languidly inside of me.

The room wavered and I clutched at the ceiling. No! Not yet.

Reaching a hand towards me, he said, “Stay with me!”

My eyes met his and I felt the tug on my heart. Nearly impossible to resist, the urge to stay beside him, to touch him, drew me closer. He stretched his hand outward and I leaned in.

His voice compelled me to reach out to him when he whispered again, “Stay.”

In a second, I was nearer still and our fingers were almost touching. He encouraged me with a smile, his eyes steady on my own. They reflected nothing but love. My vision shrank until there was nothing but him.

“Hey!” The shout and Dec’s rough grip on my bicep brought me careening back into my body as the truck slid into a guardrail.

“What the hell are you doing?” Dec was horrified and looking at me like I’d just grown another head.

Blinking awake, I said, “What’s wrong?”

“You tell me! What were you doing?”

Good question. My brain felt like tissue paper…

“I…had a vision.” It pulled on me still. When I closed my eyes, I saw Killian’s hand reaching for me, heard his voice asking me to stay. No, pleading with me to stay.

“Damn it! Stop that!” Dec was officially freaked out and yelling.

I blinked at him and forced my eyes to clear but not fast enough for him. He shook me hard and scowled into my face.

“I’m not letting go of you! Do not, repeat, do not fade again.” His eyes blazed on low as he peered into mine. Apparently deciding that freezing rain would wake me up, he pulled me out of the SUV to the shoulder of the road.

“Dec, you’re scaring me here. What--”

My words were cut off by Killian’s appearance next to us. As soon as he was solid, he took my hands from Dec. He seemed worried but not especially hysterical so I relaxed. He didn’t let go of my hands though.

Dec filled him in with the same tone he’d use to describe a 100-car pileup on the freeway. All drama and awe at the massive amount of twisted metal and dead bodies.

“I’m fine. You’re way overreacting. Nothing’s wrong with me.” I held up a hand and wiggled it. “Look, I’m solid.”

Killian studied the ground. Without any other explanation, he caught Dec’s shoulder and hissed, “Get this done and get back.”

Turning to me, he pulled me tightly against him and took my chin in his fingers. Our faces were so close I felt the warmth of his breath against my skin. He caressed my cheek with his lips. His words were so soft they were barely a whisper inside my head.

I need you, Princess. I need you here.

Then he was gone. Poof. Leaving me stunned on the side of the highway with traffic zooming past. Without warning, lightning crashed in the forest behind us and rain came down in sheets.

The road trip from hell was over. Dec knew exactly where the cabin was and had painstakingly navigated the snowy roads to get us this close. Like all Primani, he had a photographic memory. Before we left, he’d studied the map and memorized the two best routes to get here. Plan A and Plan B. That was another one of Killian’s op rules. Never leave without a backup plan. Bad stuff happened all the time and we weren’t allowed to go into any op without a Plan B. Unfortunately, all plans required us to four-wheel it into the mountains.

This was not a good time.

The road was so deeply rutted the truck lurched violently from side to side. Tree branches scraped like fingernails along the side of my window. I winced as my elbow banged into the door handle. My seatbelt went on high alert and practically sawed me in half when I went airborne. Up ahead the road dipped, showing a small lake pooling on top of it. The rain was still coming down and mixed with the heavy snow it blanketed the woods. Everything was a brown, nasty mess.

Dec took his time meandering close enough for easy access and finally parked about a half mile south of her place.

“This rain sucks. What is it doing raining in the middle of December? This is New York not England. This is crap.” I was going to bitch until I felt better.

It hadn’t been a great trip so far. The lingering weight of Killian’s sadness sat like an elephant on my chest and I had no idea what was up. As soon as we got back into the truck, Dec immediately cranked up the stereo and kept the volume high enough to prevent me from dozing off or relaxing at all. As a result, my neck was tense and I had a dull headache. I’d asked him to turn it down and he looked at me and just shook his head.

“Not gonna happen.”

So now it was time to work some magic and I forced myself to shove thoughts of Killian into a box for later retrieval.

Dec drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while I plugged into my remote viewing skills to search for signs of human life. As my vision traveled farther away from us, I relaxed into the seat. Searching, searching…there were deer and chipmunks…a feral cat…but nothing human.

“It’s clear,” I said.

“Great. Be right back.”

While he was gone, I studied the forest around us. The woods were heavy with underbrush here. I imagined they were nearly impenetrable when strangled by summer growth. The tangled dead branches and clumps of brown leaves fed my imagination so I could clearly see it. Yep, in the summer, this place would be one huge brush pile. Probably be covered in poison ivy too. I was soooo glad we didn’t have to hike through it today. Even though it was afternoon, the light was dim and slightly creepy. I checked my watch. Dec had been gone for 15 minutes. Any minute, he’d be back.

On cue, he rematerialized a second later, his face flushed with excitement and dripping with rain.

“Holy shit, it’s wet out there!” He rubbed his face with my dry hoodie and grinned at my annoyance. “Get over it, love.”

“Soooo…?”

“All done. I set up the cameras in each room inside and another one on the outside of the front door. It’s facing the parking spot out front. We’ll be able to see when she pulls up and whatever she’s doing inside.”

I tapped an app on my cell phone and waited for the images to clear. By clicking on each of the camera icons, I could see real-time video feeds. The small cabin was furnished with minimal fuss. From the living room camera, I could see a simple couch and coffee table. A single mug sat tilted on a jumbled pile of magazines. A notebook sat next to the remote control for a small television. I pressed the icon for the bedroom camera. Again, minimal furniture and personal things.

Two overstuffed suitcases stood by the bedroom door and a smaller one lay open on a dresser.

“She’s not planning to stay,” I commented.

“Yeah, I noticed that. It’s been months though. What is she waiting for?”

“You tell me. You’ve got the superpowers.”

He lifted an eyebrow and frowned sourly. “If only it were that easy.”

He turned to me and started to say something but then stopped. His expression was completely unreadable. It wasn’t like him to be this serious or this quiet. He’d been different since he came back to us. He’d changed.

Trying to lighten the mood, I held my palm up and he placed his against mine and we both watched as they began to glow at the fingers. The trail of light snaked up our arms and I guided it towards our hearts and smiled as Dec’s grin spread. We’d played this game a million times on stakeouts where no one could see us. Sharing our saols, our warmth; just playing games with each other like little kids. Dec said it was good training for me to learn how to direct the energy. I had to decide where to focus it and push it where I wanted it to go. It had been good training for me, true, but I secretly believed he just liked the way it felt. It was the best kind of buzz you could get without doing jail time. Now, I grinned as he took over and guided the energy away from my heart and into my face. The sudden rush of warmth in my cheeks made me burst out laughing and the spell was broken.

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. You look happy, darlin’.”

“That’s because I am. I’ll be delirious when we’ve got Sean back.”

“Do you ever miss your old life? You should’ve gone to college and gotten a job someplace.”

Did I miss that? Nope, not so much.

Tracing the tan line on his wrist, I swore, “I don’t ever want a life without you guys in it. I can’t even imagine the emptiness. How about you? Do you ever miss your old life? Circa 420 A.D.?”

Snorting water out of his nose, he went from laughing to coughing and back to laughing again. He tossed the empty bottle into the back seat and said, “It’s been a very, very long time since I left my old life. Sometimes I miss it…people in it. People who’ve been dead and dust for too long to mourn.”

I wondered who he was thinking about. He never talked about his past. Not once, not ever. I’d asked him before and he’d always changed the subject or given me a non-answer. I knew so little about him really. I trusted Raphael recruited him for a reason though. Raphael’s Primani were picked for their warrior skills and their character. Dec had unique healing skills as well. The fact that he smiled more than most Primani was a bonus for the ladies.

“Something happened when you were with Michael. Tell me why you’re different.”

He shifted his weight and peered off into the trees for a minute, getting his bearings and watching the rain settle on the branches. After checking the camera feeds on his own cell, he began to talk.

“It’s not a long story, love. When Raphael yanked me out of the tunnels, I ended up in Heaven. It was just a room, really, but I know it was Heaven because of the overwhelming peacefulness that wrapped around me. Heaven is way cool.”

Good to know.

“As soon as I woke up, Raphael was there to help.” He smiled a little and winked at me. “You know how he is; he was uber-nice and as proper as always. As I blinked up at him, I realized I didn’t want to keep living. I wanted to keep dying.”

“Why would you say that?” I was horrified that he’d even think about that.

“Well, while I was quote ‘dead,’ I saw someone who’d left me so long ago I’d lost her memory. She’s still dead, of course, but her soul is in Heaven. I could see her again if I just let myself go.”

“It was tempting to go to her and spent eternity in the light instead of battling demons in the dark.”

“What did Raphael say?” I asked.

“Well, that’s the funny part. He shrugged and said he’d leave it up to me. He patted my shoulder and walked away. I lay there in the half-light of the room and wondered why he gave me a choice. I spent weeks wondering why I had a choice. Staring at the ceiling and wondering why. I didn’t even think about her at all; I was too stuck on having the option to give up. Was there a catch?”

“Obviously you decided to stay. Why?”

Shifting awkwardly in his seat, he said, “I realized I had a new family that needed me more than my old one. They were all dead and at peace. I couldn’t do anything for them. But you? And Killian? And Sean? I’m not trying to be arrogant, but you all need me. We’re connected, and not just by Raphael’s blood.”

Lifting my locket, I took it off and opened it up. The four drops of golden blood were still there inside the tiny circles. He touched it with his fingertip and it flashed delicately in recognition. He closed it and slipped it over my head again.

“Blood calls to blood,” I murmured.

He nodded at my perception and continued. “When Raphael came again, Michael was with him. I hadn’t told him my decision, but he already knew it. Of course, he already knew it, right? Michael came to heal me. Me! Just another Primani…” He grinned and added, “Dude, I almost died for real when he showed up! I was shaking so hard my teeth hurt.”

Yeah, totally knew how that felt! Michael scared the bejesus out of me too.

“But he just looked down at me and told me to relax and the next thing I knew I was completely healed and dressed in clean clothes. I don’t know what he did to me…I was asleep for months I think. An interesting side effect is the lingering memories of my family. I’d forgotten them for so long, and now they drift with me all the time. I don’t regret my choice, but I’m learning to let them go all over again. It hurts.”

He wasn’t crying but his voice had a sadness to it that squeezed my heart. I hugged him and he didn’t resist the comfort.

“I’m so glad you came back to us.”

We sat there and recharged our emotional batteries while the rain pattered on the roof.

An abrupt beep had both of us checking our phones. Ah, ha! There she was! The woman was back. Her grey pickup truck was now parked in front of the cabin. I checked the outside feed and watched her get out and run up the steps. Her face was covered by a hood though. We needed a full face shot so there was no doubt.

She stopped just inside the door and peeled off her wet shoes and coat. Still looking away from the camera, she made her way to the tiny kitchen and turned her back to make some coffee. The back of her head looked right, but we needed the face.

Dec snorted and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “Come on, you hateful witch. Turn around so we can fry you.”

“Dec! You heard Killian! We’re not killing her!”

“Dude, relax. That’s not what I meant.”

He wagged his head like I was the crazy one.

Both of us were leaning so close to our screens we kept fogging them up. I tried not to roll my eyes when she went to the bathroom and closed the door.

Oh, for crying out loud.

That reminded me. “I have to pee.”

“TMI. Totally TMI. I’ll watch. You find a bush.”

After dropping stiffly out of the truck, I carefully picked my way to the back. The mud sucked at my combat boots making them squelch. Ewww. I lifted my foot and two inches of brown gunk clung to the sole. The earthy smell of dead leaves and dirt battled with the delicate scent of rain and pine trees. I took a deep breath. All in all, it could be worse.

I kept up a silent prayer in my head. Oh, please don’t let me slip.

The image of lying flat on my back in this mud was too embarrassing to bear. I slowed my steps even more. I would never live it down. It was still raining and I was trying to pee as fast as possible without drowning or peeing on my leg. As I squinted into the woods, I had an idea.

“More coffee?” the waitress asked Dec.

“No thanks, love. I’m good for now.”

Looking disappointed, she sauntered away, ample hips swaying with invitation.

I wanted a refill, but I guess I was still invisible. Dec shrugged and pushed his still-full cup of caffeinated goodness across the plastic tablecloth. It was fully dark outside and cold again. I was still shivering and wrapped my fingers around the cup. We’d gotten footage of our target and retreated to this truck stop. It was warm and pleasantly crowded with country people who just wanted some comfort food. No one paid any attention to us despite our wet clothes and my mop of hair. I’d finally coaxed it into a heavy braid but it was springing out in rogue curls. I was pretty sure we looked like a couple of homeless people, but no one seemed to notice.

Dec shoveled a huge forkful of mashed potatoes and gravy into his already-full mouth. His eyes creased in ecstasy and he chewed and swallowed. Another forkful followed that. A healthy gulp of water and more potatoes; a pattern was taking form.

“Can you breathe?” I teased. I was trying to mainline the vegetable soup but it was nuclear hot. The best I could do was blow on a spoonful at a time. My stomach howled in protest. Out of nowhere, a hot buttery roll landed on my plate.

“Here you go, hon. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“I love that woman,” I managed around a mouthful of yeasty goodness. Butter coated my finger and I popped it into my mouth.

“Why don’t you make meatloaf like this? This is ridiculous!” His eyes were closed in bliss again.

Waving my spoon, I countered, “This is definitely not on your list of healthy food.”

He adjusted the waist of his jeans and said, “True, but since I’m back from the dead I’m rethinking the benefits of healthy food. I could die again tomorrow and I’d miss out on meatloaf and lemon merengue pie.”

“That is so true.”

After stuffing ourselves silly, we finally rolled out to the truck and managed to check into a hotel room for the night. It was old, fairly smelly, mostly clean, and had two beds. Perfect. After taking steaming hot showers and throwing on something to sleep in, we perched on our separate beds and compared our notes from the day’s stakeout. We had duplicate copies of the video evidence of the un-deceased Christine Miller living in the cabin. Key word being living.

Plan A was a screaming success. Technically we should already be gone. We were supposed to leave as soon as we had the evidence. But we had one more little thing to do before we took off. It was important, but I worried about Sean.

“Sean’s tough. He’ll be fine for one more day, darlin’. He’ll freakin’ kill me if we don’t check this out before we go.”

Dec was right. Sean would be livid if we didn’t at least try. “You’re right. I just hate to think of him…” My voice trailed off because my throat tightened up.

“Sweetheart, he’s going to be okay. I promise. Now shut off that light so I can sleep. I’m thrashed.”

The road to the cabin was only slightly better today. It was better because the rain and mud had frozen into satiny smooth ice. The temperature dropped to below freezing and everything was nice and hard. No more mud on my shoes. Awesome!

Downside? It was totally unhelpful for digging up dead bodies.

Dec angled the truck so we could leave in a hurry and looked over at me. Time to earn my keep. He reached for me and the truck disappeared.

We rematerialized just inside her bedroom. Perfect. She’s still asleep. She was sprawled on her stomach facing away from us. He gave me a reassuring touch and I nodded. He approached the bed and laid his hand on her bare arm. She exhaled a long sigh and sank into a deep sleep. He gave her a hard shove to make sure she was really out. She rolled into the wall and settled back in the middle of the bed without making a sound.

Overkill, maybe, but she was a murderer. How much gentleness could she expect?

Okay, my turn. I closed my eyes and steadied myself while reaching out to her accessible memories. I cringed as her memories unfolded themselves. I would have to bleach my eyes after this.

Her physical appearance looked harmless enough. She had a pleasant face with deep green eyes. They might be a bit too sharp, but her features were pretty ordinary. There wasn’t anything that screamed ‘I’m a horrible person’ in her looks. She could be a Kindergarten teacher. Physical appearance aside, there was nothing nice about this woman. Besides being a child killer, she was a liar, a whore, and a blackmailer. She’d been screwing her boss’s husband for months and blackmailing him to keep quiet about it. Probably he’d be relieved when she disappeared.

This crap wasn’t what I was looking for though. I wasn’t interested in today’s crimes; I was looking for something from five years ago. Like rewinding a video, I flipped backwards through her memories until I came to the date she buried the bodies. That’s body with an ‘s’ on the end. She’d killed two little girls who she was supposed to be babysitting. She’d been working for their family as a nanny and decided they were worth more than her salary. After kidnapping them, she placed the ransom call and waited. The girls were inconsolable and screamed until she dosed them with a little something.

They never woke up. She never got the ransom. The parents never got closure.

We were going to change all that. I knew exactly where they were buried.

“Got it, Dec. Let’s bounce.” My fists were hard against my thighs when I opened my eyes and looked at this pathetic excuse for a human. I didn’t trust myself to leave her alive.

With a grim look, he reached out to bring her around but then shrugged. “Nope. Not gonna do it. The bitch can sleep till the cops get here.

Chapter 16: The Promises of Angels

London, England:

“WE HAVE MUCH TO CELEBRATE.” Raphael allowed himself a real smile; one that lit up his midnight-colored eyes and brought his somber face to life. He was almost as excited as Killian. It was a day that was long in coming. Too long, if anyone had asked him, but no one had. This was the best he could do.

Killian twisted his fingers and snorted half a laugh. This was crazy. Look at me, he thought. I’m gonna break into tears in another minute.

Raphael only smiled more broadly when he caught Killian’s fidgeting. “Oh, ye of little faith,” he quipped.

“It’s been so long…I don’t know what to do now that it’s finally over.”

Done with useless fidgeting, he pushed away from the wall and prowled the Stone Garden. His oldest friend watched with amusement but didn’t follow until he paused next to Sean. Killian lowered his head in respect. He made the gesture even though he knew Sean was beyond caring. His eyes were closed and immobile as he withdrew further into stone. The healing burst of energy that Dec had slipped him was nearly gone now. Sean’s body was in shutdown mode and his mind was closing in on itself to keep from going mad. Killian’s gut clenched and he forced himself to stay calm.

Sean was strong; he would survive. Soon it would be over, soon…

Hang in there.

Raphael stood beside him and laid a strong hand on Sean’s shoulders. Sean didn’t move. With muscles hardened by the months of strain, he couldn’t move if he wanted to. His sacrifice humbled Raphael. He knew the suffering Sean endured--and the reasons why. Hoping to ease his pain, he pushed a little of his own powerful saol into Sean.

“It won’t be long now, son,” he said quietly. Where were they? Would they not hurry?

Mother Nature seemed to know that drama was called for. The wind picked up and flung icy drops of sleet like machine gun fire. Sean was beyond feeling the cold, but Raphael and Killian were not. Both turned up their collars and turned their backs to the stinging sleet.

Killian glanced around, searching for his family. They should’ve been here by now. They were late. He pulled out his cell phone and briefly considered calling them. No, they’ll be here. Dec knows what he’s doing. Shoving it back into his pocket, he leaned against the fence and considered Raphael’s words. He was right. If everything went well, they’d celebrate more than Sean’s release from this hell on earth.

Today was the 20th of December. By midnight tonight, his personal hell would be over too. If only she makes the right decision. He trusted her, believed in her. She’d make the right choice. There was just no other option for him. If she chose poorly, she’d exist in his dreams and nowhere else.

Then it would be he who was lost.

Damn it, where was she?

Sidling up beside him, Raphael chuckled and said, “Killian. Do you actually believe she would make that choice? Now? After all she has done? After all you’ve endured?”

He turned Killian’s hand over to study the rune and added, “We’ve made promises, you and I. You’ve kept yours and I will keep mine.”

Just as he was about to say something else, the air pressure shifted and Dec and Mica rematerialized in the shadows of the stone church. Dec’s eyes flashed neon blue for a split second before they dimmed. Killian watched as he scanned the area and pulled Mica out of the shadows. As soon as she spotted him, she broke away from Dec and ran to him.

Damn, she was beautiful.

He couldn’t help smiling at the light shining in her eyes. Not supernatural--just the light of a woman in love with her man. That light was for him; her smile was for him. She was breathtaking even in the murky night. He didn’t deserve her but he was going to keep her.

If she chose to stay.

If she stayed, he would protect her and keep her safe. He would love her like every day was their last, never forgetting how much they’d given up to get to here. She was a blessing he’d cherish every single minute. He held open his arms and she nearly knocked him over.

“We did it! We’ve got the proof!” Mica exclaimed against his chest.

Dying to bend her over and kiss her, but knowing this just wasn’t the time, he settled for a quick kiss and then set her away from him. Raphael cleared his throat and Mica swung around and hugged him too. Killian choked off a grin at the expression on the angel’s face. No way he’d walk away from her either. She was impossible to resist. Thank God she didn’t seem to know it. They’d be in trouble if she ever figured it out.

“Raphael! What are you doing here? Wait until you see this!” She pulled out the cell phone and brought up the video feed. She vibrated with the excitement of someone who knows they’re about to win.

Killian and Raphael studied the irrefutable proof and let out identical sighs of relief.

“Well? What do we do now? How do we show this to Michael?” Mica demanded.

It was Raphael who answered her. “I believe we should go someplace private for this. The church is quite empty this late at night.”

Before following them, Mica slowly approached Sean and wrapped her arms around the statue. Leaning her face on the icy stone, she sat there as sleet fell harder. Unwilling to leave him just yet, she leaned against him and whispered something. Killian couldn’t hear the words, but he knew what she said. She told him they’d come for him. They’d set him free. His heart warmed a little more with pride.

She’s more angel than any of them.

When she finally caught Killian’s hand in the doorway of the little church, she whispered brokenly, “We have to hurry! I can’t feel his pain anymore. He’s almost gone.”

He said, “Let’s do this.”

They didn’t want to attract attention so they left the burned-down candles alone. They could barely see their hands in front of their faces, but within seconds their eyes adjusted to the dark and they moved around easily. The old altar was dusty from disuse, but that was where they gathered to call for Michael.

The wind whistled between the crumbling mortar and cracked windows, sending a shiver down Mica’s back. She leaned closer to Killian and hung on his arm. She’s anxious, worried, he thought. Her body was trembling with the need to do something; the need for action. She was about out of patience as he was. As he looked around, he thought this was an appropriate place for summoning the most powerful of the angels. You couldn’t ask for a better stage. The air stank of stone and earth, conjuring up images of graves and dungeons. It was a creepy site; not peaceful and holy, but more mystical and unsettled. Killian knew this was a portal of sorts. It was not simply a church; no, it was used for more than worship. The angels had kept this site in their hands for millennia. Only they knew its secrets.

Unwilling to delay one second more, Mica marched in front of the altar and dropped to her knees.

In a clear voice, she called out, “I call upon the merciful angel Michael. Hear my prayers and listen to my pleas. I would present proof to exonerate the Primani Sean O’Cahan. In my most humble voice, I would beg you to release him from the Stone Garden and heal him to his former strength.”

Stunned, Killian bowed his head and stared at the wooden floor. How did she know the words? No one has uttered this prayer in thousands of years. Outside, the wind thrust against the tiny church as if it would mow it over. The glass rattled, the walls trembled, and still they waited.

Nothing happened.

Killian cracked open his eyes to see Raphael vanish. Good sign. It wouldn’t be long now.

Mica worried her lower lip and decided to try again. “Please, Michael, I beg you to show mercy on Sean as he has suffered greatly. As evidence of my unwavering faith in your mercy, I will wait with him to share in his pain.” With that, she stood up and left the church.

Killian and Declan stared in horror as she walked out the door.

Declan said, “What’s she doing? You can’t leave in the middle of a summoning!”

Guess she just did.

Gesturing for Declan to follow, Killian headed towards the door. “Let’s get out there before she starts yelling.”

When they rounded the corner, they saw Mica sitting patiently next to Sean. The freezing sleet had turned the stone angel into a glimmering ice sculpture. Ice was already sticking to the dead branches and the cold iron fence too. The frozen water reflected the dim light, creating an otherworldly scene of crystal. Mica’s eyes were squeezed shut against the stinging frost, but her chin jutted out stubbornly. She wasn’t moving until Michael showed. Both Dec and Killian went to stand with her.

Raphael appeared first, followed nearly instantly by Michael himself. Killian and Dec dropped to their knees with downcast eyes. Stiff with cold, Mica slowly opened her eyes and tried awkwardly to jump down. Raphael caught her arm and gently set her to her feet. She knelt stiffly and bowed her head.

“You would call upon me for mercy, little warrior?” Michael demanded in a voice like a bell tolling. Taut faced, he loomed above her like one of the Stone Angels: hard, cold, and immovable. With massive sword gripped in his fist, his wings partially spread, he was a nightmare come to life. Most would fear him, but not his newest fan.

Raising her eyes, Mica said, “Not for me, but for the Primani. He is suffering for naught. He is innocent.” She peered up at him and added hopefully, “You have seen the proof?”

Killian’s eyes jerked to Raphael who nodded imperceptibly.

Michael said, “I have and it is most compelling.”

“So you will release him from this punishment?”

“Perhaps.”

“Perhaps?”

She stiffened and lifted blazing white eyes. They sizzled in the ice, narrowing in a look Killian knew well. Her expression clearly said he was about to get his ass kicked if he didn’t let Sean go.

One more second passed, no one spoke…

Michael stared down at Mica without expression, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The sound of her teeth grinding together was unnaturally loud in the stillness. Killian felt the growl start low in her chest as her fingertips lightened. In another second, she was going to say something they’d all regret.

Michael could kill her in a blink of an eye. No way was that happening on his watch. He was going to gag her if he had to. Killian shifted his weight to lunge but Raphael shook his head with a tight smile.

Michael stood ramrod straight and towered above them as fitting his exulted position as head of all archangels. He feared no one other than his God and that God’s son. He’d not permit any being to question him or challenge him. He could extinguish this human life with nothing but a thought. But he didn’t. He did something that he would probably deny for the rest of his existence.

He cracked a smile.

Killian froze and blinked like an idiot. Michael never smiled. What was he smiling about? He closed his eyes and looked again but the smile stayed.

Michael smiled at Mica and nodded to Raphael.

“Un visi.” Raphael raised his sword and the stone angel façade rippled like a mirage and vanished to reveal Sean’s true form. With a cry of distress, Mica ran to him and wrapped her arms around his icy body.

She cried, “I can’t sense him anymore! He’s slipping away from us. Please, Michael, hurry!” A bright light raced outward from her core as she flooded him with her own hard-earned saol to warm him.

“Mica, stand away now,” Raphael ordered. Startled at his tone, she obeyed instantly. He waited until she was clear and said, “Shield your eyes, child.”

The wind died and the sleet stopped as though someone hit the off button. The air around them shimmered and coalesced into a private space, a plane that no human would see. The air was still and warm within this small bubble of magic.

Michael lifted his hand and a light of incredible brilliance formed within his fingers. The tiny ball of light grew larger until its brilliance threatened to blind them. When the power was at its peak, he placed his hand on the top of Sean’s bowed head and released the light. Like honey, it flowed from the top of his head, over his shoulders and torso, and through every cell of his body. Gradually, the veins in his arms flattened to normal; his neck regained its motion. The painfully hardened muscles warmed with blood and softened to their natural state. The ragged flesh of his fingertips healed and the torn nails grew back shiny and straight. As they watched, Sean’s body came back to its former glory. Mica let out a sob when his chest expanded with a lungful of fresh air. Still kneeling, he blinked groggily at the small group standing below him. His eyes burned with cobalt flame when he came fully awake.

He was free. Hallelujah!

Beside him, Dec drew in a muffled sob and wiped at his eyes. “Thank God.”

“Let it be known from this day forward that the Primani Sean O’Cahan is found to be innocent of all charges of which he was convicted. All remaining punishment is dismissed and his status as a Raphaelian Primani is fully reinstated.”

Sean’s ears were fully functional if the smile of relief was any indication.

Michael locked his terrible eyes to each of their faces. “And to all who bear witness to his release, know it is the depth of your love that has made this possible. Without your determination and sacrifices, we would not be here now. He owes you all a tremendous debt.” With another touch of his hand, he proclaimed, “Let your strength, your power, and your mind be as they once were.”

Sean was healed.

“Let not your sacrifice be in vain,” Michael murmured.

Sean met his eyes and nodded gravely. “I will do my best. Thank you, Michael.”

Killian stepped forward and gave Sean a hand down from his concrete prison. Once down, he hugged him hard and clapped him on the back. Dec was next and the three of them stood together having a bro-ment until Michael cleared his throat. Killian’s eyes flew to Michael’s and he gestured to Mica with his chin. She stood hugging Raphael with tears of joy running down her cheeks. Killian held back a teasing laugh knowing she wouldn’t appreciate it much. She really couldn’t help it anymore. Thanks to Michael’s gift, she was an Empath; and a very strong one at that. Her empath power was happily soaking up all the emotion filling their little bubble of joy. She was completely overwhelmed. One of these days, he needed to help her learn to compartmentalize everyone else’s feelings. Either that or he’d start building an ark.

“Mica.” Sean’s eyes filled with tears and he picked her up and crushed her against him. He tried to speak but he couldn’t form words over the emotion closing his throat. He bent his head to hers and lost it completely. The two of them cried like the world was ending.

Killian grinned like an idiot at Raphael. “That’s my woman! Isn’t she amazing?”

“Without doubt,” Raphael smiled and whispered something to Michael.

Michael studied Mica and Killian and stepped forward once more. The air of formality straightened everyone’s spines. They braced for more drama.

“It is truly as you say, Raphael. It is beyond time,” Michael announced.

As the words sank in, Killian sucked in his breath like he’d been punched in the gut.

Now? Surely not now?

He had to force himself to stand still, to not panic, or worse, grab Mica and run away. With fear raging through him, he planted his feet and tried to hear Michael’s words over the slamming of his heartbeat.

Michael said, “Mica, come here.”

She was terribly confused. She obeyed Michael but dragged her feet as she tried to read Killian’s face.

Michael kissed her on each cheek and said, “Killian? I believe I need you for this part.”

No, no, no…

His head was spinning so fast he stumbled over to them like a drunk. He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t prepared to lose her again. Not now. What if…

Michael snapped, “Now!”

Killian obeyed instantly and stood shaking like a leaf, fingertips glowing as his body went into full panic mode. He finally understood the flight or fight response. He could face Satan himself, but he didn’t have the courage to lose her again. Not now, not now…

Michael said, “A very long time ago, Killian made a promise to Raphael. In return, Raphael made an unbreakable vow to Killian. It is time to honor that vow.”

“Take his hands and close your eyes. There is something you must see. You will see everything and then you will choose.”

“Killian? What’s going on?”

“It’s okay--”he started to answer before Michael cut him off.

“Quiet!”

Mica’s face was ashen and her eyes darted frantically to Killian’s. She was terrified. Her heart raced and she was near to tears again. Damn it! She was totally unprepared; he should have told her…he wasn’t allowed to tell her, couldn’t influence her thoughts or her heart. That was the catch of the angel’s promise. The vow hinged on Mica’s free will, her choice.

It was her soul.

It was his heart.

That heart cracked at the desperate fear in her eyes. Just one more kiss…one more to remember. Sweeping her into his arms, he kissed her with all the longing and fear of lifetimes. If this was the end, he wanted one last memory of her in his arms. Digging his fingers into her back, he felt the strength in her muscles and softness of her skin. He would remember every pore, every dip and shadow of her body. It would last him. It would have to.

His life was endless.

Living without her would be worse than living in stone.

Her lips parted under the urgency of his, taking as much as she gave. Dec shuffled his feet and looked away. Raphael cleared his throat, but still he deepened the kiss to taste her, to soak up her essence, her scent. When he finally had the strength to pull away, she was as shaken as he and he steadied her by the elbows.

Looking into her wide blue eyes, he said, “Follow your heart and be free.”

Michael stepped forward and gently placed his hands on each of their heads. As they sank into a deep sleep, the icy churchyard shimmered and disappeared. When they opened heavy eyes, they stood in stasis in the back of a stone temple. Killian’s temple.

Unable to move or speak, Mica sent her thoughts to him. I know this place.

As do I.

He knew this place and exactly what they were about to see. This was the moment he’d waited for and now he didn’t want to watch. This was his memory. He’d relived it a million times, knew it by heart. It was the last thing he wanted her to see. When Mica squeezed his hand, he knew the vision had started. He opened his eyes and held his breath.

In front of them, a much younger version of himself fed peat into a brazier and frowned. The wind whistled shrilly and a gust found its way inside to lift his hair. He wore a heavy shirt over simple woven pants. The shirt was thick enough to protect against the freezing cold of winter. A familiar medallion nestled on his chest, its blue stone winking when caught by the light. Unable to sit still, he busied himself by putting away small pots of herbs and straightening a pile of kindling. His movements were loose, relaxed; more human, less predator.

Where was she? A storm was coming and she should be home by now. Suddenly his head snapped up and he stared at something outside of the room. Agitated, he paced and worried. He was on his way to go look for her when she hurried inside. Well, she tried to hurry but her belly was heavy with child; her movements clumsy and awkward. This was her first pregnancy and she complained about her waddling gait. Though she fussed over it, it was heaven to him. She was beautiful with his child growing inside of her. He was so proud he could explode. The other villagers were waiting anxiously for her to have the baby so he would shut up already. As she caught sight of him, her face glowed with happiness and good health.

He rushed over to her and supported her by the arm. “Come, love. You’re much too cold. It’s not good for the babe.” He led her to the small fire and took her wet cloak from her.

“You spoil me, Killian. It is not necessary to fuss over me. I am perfectly fine.” Her smile belayed her words though as she sank gratefully against his chest.

“I will always worry for you. You are my wife, the mother of my child. It’s my job to worry over you.” He leaned down and gently kissed her. There was such tenderness in the kiss that Mica caught her breath as she watched from her corner.

“Are you ready for the ceremony?” she asked him. It was nearly winter solstice. December 21st.

“All is prepared. We have some hours before I have to get started. How should we spend them?”

Smiling mischievously, she curled her fingers in his hair and pulled him to her. She’d barely touched his lips with hers when she cried out and hunched over in agony. As she did, a dark shape separated itself from the shadows and moved closer.

He didn’t see it, didn’t sense it. He was too focused on Mica. She collapsed to the floor with blood pooling underneath her legs. The smell of the blood sent his heart pounding in terror. She was too early. The child wasn’t ready. It was yet too young to be born. Screaming shrilly, Mica clutched at the mound of her belly with her face twisted in a grimace.

“Help me!” Her fingers clawed at his arm as another contraction ripped through her.

“Hold on! Please hold on.” Frantic, he used her cloak to try to stop the bleeding and looked around for help that was not there. He needed the midwife but she was in another village. She was too far to help them now.

Mica cried out again. This time the sound was weaker and less human. Curling against the agony, she panted harshly.

An icy voice shattered the cave. “Perfect. I’ll take the child now. Its mother is of no use to me.”

Killian turned to see the demon standing a foot away with its hand extended towards Mica. As he watched in stunned horror, the demon’s finger twitched and Mica moaned in agony again. Jumping between them, he snarled and lunged. The demon threw him into the wall hard enough that his eyes rolled up and he lay still.

While he lay there, the demon leaned over Mica showing its fangs. Its smile turned to a howl of rage when it saw the small leather pouch that lay on her chest. It reached for it and fell away shrieking with burned hands. It tried again and came away with more burns. Killian’s eyes were open and he shoved himself forward again. The demon took one last look and vanished with a curse.

Dropping heavily to his knees, he pulled Mica against him. Her face was white and still.

No, no, no! You can’t die on me! He rubbed her hands in his to warm the icy cold. Her eyelids fluttered.

“Raphael! Raphael!” Killian’s voice was a hoarse shout.

“You’ll be okay. Raphael is coming. He’s an angel. He can heal you. Stay with me! Mica, stay with me!”

Her eyes were unfocused as she gazed at something he couldn’t see. Her lips curled into a sad smile and she whispered, “I love you…always.”

His roar of pain drowned out Raphael’s arrival. Raphael took one look at the scene in front of him and rushed over to Mica’s side.

“You have to save her! She’s dying…dying.”

Raphael felt her pulse and sadly shook his head. “I’m sorry, my friend. I cannot save her. She is already gone.”

Mica gone? Dead? Forever? It wasn’t possible.

She was his world, his life. She couldn’t be gone.

He clutched her to him and wept against her hair.

Raphael tried to shake him out of it. He grabbed his shoulder and said sharply, “You can still save the babe!”

Killian looked at him blankly.

“The babe! You can cut it out. It’s not yet dead.”

Killian blanched. Cut out the babe? Cut open his wife? Desecrate her body?

“I will not gut her like an animal!” He clutched her closer and bared his teeth in a growl. He would kill the angel if he tried to cut her.

Raphael tried again, strained patience in every word. “She would want the babe to live. You know that. You have to hurry before it’s too late.”

Frozen with grief, Killian stared unseeing into the darkness. By the time he looked up again, it was too late.

The baby was dead.

His wife was dead.

His life was over.

Raphael surveyed the damage with his own grief etched in the lines of his face. He sat with his back against the wall for endless hours until Killian finally sat up and noticed him.

White-faced with fury, he glared at Raphael and came to a decision. His eyes burned with the thirst for vengeance, a need to kill and destroy. Very carefully, he laid the body of his wife against the ground and stood. Covered with her blood, he looked like a demon himself.

“I have one request. I want her back. You give her back to me and I will serve your God.”

“You agree to join my Primani?”

Gritting his teeth to steady his voice, he said, “She is the only woman I will ever love. There is nothing here for me now. I will do what you need. But I want her back.”

Raphael frowned at Killian and looked at Mica. As he studied the delicate pale face, he fought back his own emotion. It was a shame. She had been a beautiful woman; graceful and full of life and love. Her senseless death was an anathema to all that was good. Her soul was lovely and delicate, far too delicate for Killian’s. She was too fragile, gentle…too innocent to be a perfect match for him.

His powers were strong and only growing as he practiced. Once Primani, his warrior soul would overwhelm hers after a time, causing pain for them both. Killian couldn’t know that, but Raphael knew she’d not survive her life with him. Not as she was on this day.

He could maybe change that destiny for them both.

So he made an angel’s promise.

“If you will give your life to me, I promise you will find her again. But Killian, my friend, her soul will drift until that time, not resting, not at peace. You will not find her until she is strong enough to survive the life you are choosing. Will you do that to her? Will you condemn her soul to drift through time? Will you wait for her, giving up your chance for love and family?”

“I would wait a thousand years for her unless you would kill me now.” He thrust his blade towards Raphael, haft extended in invitation. “Perhaps that is the better choice.”

Raphael frowned again. “Your talents are too valuable for you to die now. The world has need of you. I have need of you. So no, I’m not going to take your life.”

“Then it’s agreed?”

“One more thing before we go. When the time comes, you cannot influence her choice. Her soul will always have the option to reenter its original body and move on to its place in Heaven.”

“What?”

Cringing at the volume, the angel answered, “I’m afraid the lost soul always has the right to its first home. She will have to choose between the peace of death on this date and the uncertain suffering in an immortal future with you.”

“That’s unfair!”

“Is it? If it were you, would you choose certain peace over a future filled with pain? All for the tiny snatches of time spent loving someone?”

The rest of the conversation faded into quiet as Killian and Mica stared at the scene. He felt the heaviness of her heart inside his own. She was torn and he didn’t blame her one bit. What did he have to offer her now? Demons and pain? Fear and uncertainty?

The rune on his hand flared with flame as it desperately called to hers. Now was the time. The moment he’d been praying for and dreading for almost 3,000 years was here. He finally had her at his side again.

Would she stay?

He watched as the scene flickered and then stilled. Mica’s golden soul swirled delicately above her body. A tiny galaxy of light and color, millions of stars spun in the still air of the temple. Kneeling on the floor, his younger self didn’t see it. He was too focused on the unseeing eyes of his wife. He gently closed them. His tears fell on her face as he begged her to stay with him.

The golden swirls coalesced and floated.

Mica had to make a decision.

I need you here, Princess. I need you now.

Mica stared at the scene in front of her and struggled to make sense of it all. Killian needed her now; but he clearly needed her then.

In this time, she was already dead, wasn’t she? If she stayed, she would move on to Heaven and live happily ever after, so to speak. She would see her mother again. That would be wonderful. There would be no more demons to fight. No more pain or fear. No more healing from hideous wounds.

Her choosing Heaven wouldn’t change things for Killian immediately. On this date, he would give up his human existence to fight forever as Primani do. He would wait for her, as agreed, but in vain. Would Raphael tell him about her choice or would he simply keep waiting?

He’s waited almost 3,000 years for me.

If I leave him now, he’ll spend eternity grieving and alone. He’ll never get married...have kids. He’ll press on doing what he does without happiness for himself until he’s lost his dreams and his humanity along with them.

Time crawled as she stood there, the hourglass in her vision slowly emptying. The grains of sand slipped through the narrow opening one at a time when she made her decision. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do exactly, so she focused on the delicate light of her soul and yanked it back to her present body.

With a lurch, the scene shifted to the present day churchyard and she fell against Killian’s chest with a sharp gasp. Killian caught her gently and searched her eyes.

Will you stay?

With a nod of her head, she sealed her fate.

Before Killian could say a word, Michael intervened.

“It appears she has made her decision; however, we must ask her formally. Mica Thomas, do you choose to remain in this iteration of yourself forever more? You will no longer drift; your soul will be contained within this body until the body is destroyed.”

Grinning from ear to ear, she said, “I do! Absolutely I do.”

He continued wryly, “I’m compelled to say that you are not bound as Killian’s mate. You are free to choose another mate, free to leave the Primani world altogether, if that is your wish.”

Killian scowled. Dec burst into laughter and Sean shook his head. Mica looked stunned as though he’d asked her to take off her clothes.

“I would never leave these guys! Not ever!”

With a satisfied smile, Raphael stepped forward and hugged Mica. “It is over, my child. You’ve come to the end of your tribulations at last. I am so very, very proud of you. You’ve earned your place in our world. You would make a fine Primani, but I suspect you will turn me down so I won’t ask the question. Instead, I will share with you a bit of advice.” He paused and looked at his watch. “Catch up with your destiny before midnight tonight.”

On that note, Raphael and Michael vanished.

Sean and Declan stared first at Mica then at Killian.

Finally, Sean said to Dec, “Did you know about this?”

Back at the safe house, Sean squatted to hug Domino. She’d knocked him over as soon as he walked through the door. Now he sat sprawled on the rug with her licking his face. Killian couldn’t help but laugh. It was a sight he thought he’d never see again--the four of them together, alive, and in a rare moment of peace.

He caught Mica’s eye and she blushed shyly. What was this? She was nervous? His grin grew wider as he let his eyes rove down her body. She was beautiful, and sexy, and brave. She was everything right in the world. His eyes lingered on her breasts and the burning began again. He wanted her now, in every way possible. Just thinking of her lying naked beneath him made his jeans uncomfortably crowded.

“It’s getting closer to midnight, babe. We should go,” he whispered against the back of her neck, just under her hair, just the way she liked it. Her blood pressure spiked as soon as his mouth touched the sensitive skin. Knowing it would make her crazy, he dragged his lips over her jaw and nibbled on her earlobe.

“Where should we go?” Her words were breathy and she pulled him closer by his waistband. Her cool fingers grazed the hard muscle of his stomach and he drew in his breath with a hiss. The blood left his brain and settled someplace much more useful.

“Would you two go fulfill your destiny someplace else? I’m not lovin’ the live porn gig too much, if you know what I mean?” Dec shook his head and covered his eyes.

Sean watched them with speculation, and finally nodded to Killian and tapped two fingers against his heart. He’d given them his blessing. Killian didn’t need it, not really. He would choose Mica over Sean if it came to that. Even so, he was surprised at the strength of the relief he felt knowing Sean was on their side. He loved him too. He’d hate to be at odds with him again.

Taking Mica’s hand, Killian pulled her upstairs. After throwing a change of clothes into a backpack, he grabbed her against him and the world spun away.

Cool misty air caressed them when they rematerialized. The ocean breeze was warmer on this plane. It was still December, but the climate here was a steady summer warm. Not hot or cold, no matter what time of the year he visited. Perfect for sex on the beach…

“Come with me, love,” he murmured as he slipped his arms around her and turned her to face him.

She gazed into his eyes with wonder. Smiling shyly, she ran her hands up the muscle of his arms and over the breadth of his shoulders. She was measuring him, feeling him, absorbing him. He kept a straight face while she got to know him again. They’d lain together so often he couldn’t imagine what she saw now. He hadn’t changed, physically at least. The look of awe in her eyes sent his heart thudding in his ears. Her thoughts came to him and he smiled inside. She was proud of him. She was proud that he was hers. She wanted to make sure he was real.

“I love you always,” she said against his throat. “I remember saying those words…I meant them then. I mean them now.”

She tucked her hands under his shirt and slowly dragged it up and over his head. Her mouth followed the teasing trail of her fingers until she came to his face. Stopping just long enough to throw the shirt on the grass, she linked her fingers behind his neck and stood on tiptoe to claim his mouth.

He kissed her softly at first, nibbling, tasting, soothing her unease. Her body was eager for him but she was nervous about making love; afraid she’d have another vision; afraid she’d be pulled away again.

Drawing her lower lip between his, he whispered, “Those visions are gone now. You won’t be pulled away. You’ve made your choice. It’s just us for as long as you say.”

She murmured, “I’m not going anywhere.”

When she was breathing in that throaty way he loved, he deepened the kiss and gripped her face with both hands. She writhed against him setting his blood on fire. She moved unconsciously with a rhythm that sent his eyes back in his head. He was trying to go slowly but she made him crazy. He wanted to throw her down and peel off her clothes and claim her. She made her choice; she chose this time, this place. He was so relieved he wanted to cry with joy, but mostly he wanted to bury himself inside of her and never come out. After thousands of years, she was back by his side. It had been forever already and the clock was still ticking. They had only a short time until midnight. They needed to hurry.

But he wanted this to be perfect for her, so he tried to go slowly.

She pulled her mouth away and unzipped his jeans with a jerk. Not shy at all now, she shoved his jeans over his hips and wrapped her hand around him. Holy God, woman, you’re killing me…his mind wanted to take it slow, but a million years of instinct took over. When she whimpered impatiently against his ear, he ripped her shirt completely in two and smothered a laugh. She was stripping away every ounce of his control and he liked it. Lowering her to the ground, he undressed her. Sucking in a deep breath, he kissed her again and lay over her so they touched from head to toe, hearts slamming against their chests.

With a growl of frustration, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed him down to her. He stopped for a moment to gaze at her with unclouded eyes. Her face was flushed with passion and love. Her eyes glowed in the moonlight, her mouth curled in a sexy smile. He felt her impatience and the stroking of her hands. And still he waited, watching her, memorizing this moment.

It was so long in coming…this night.

He rubbed against her just to feel the velvet of her skin, the heat of her saol as she simmered beneath him. She was finally his for as long as she would put up with him.

Her suffering was over.

Destiny was satisfied.

Almost.

There was only one more thing to do.

Make a baby.

“Let me see your eyes, Princess. I want to drown in you,” he whispered as he slid into her, and fell into the abyss.

Chapter 17: A Peace Too Short

“SHOULDN’T A COCK CROW or a bell ring?”

Killian sat up and arched an eyebrow at me. “A cock what?”

Looking down, he said, “I don’t think it can do that.”

Amazed I could still blush, I protested, “Not that! Geez! I meant the feathery kind!”

Laughing tiredly, he said, “Stroke of midnight? Nah, sorry, but destiny just happily accepts that we’ll do what she asks. No bells or whistles when she’s happy, mass chaos when she’s not. She’s a bitch that way.”

He slid his body across me and joked, “Unlike you, my noisy wife. You have a good set of lungs on you.”

Wife.

He called me his wife. My entire body bloomed with pleasure at the word. I put off enough light to see his face suddenly go blank. He looked deflated.

What was this?

I traced the shape of his jaw and asked, “Am I still your wife? I want to be.”

His shoulders lifted immediately and his eyes twinkled down at me again. “Are you sure? I’d never push you if it’s too soon. I’ve thought about this constantly since I realized who you were. Raphael almost ripped my head off more times than I can count. He was terrified I’d slip and say something that would influence your choice. And that would’ve been bad; a deal’s a deal. I would’ve lost you.” He slipped his fingers in my hair and added, “He didn’t want to lose you either.”

It was romantic lying under a million stars, but I was getting cold now that supernatural power wasn’t raging through me like an electrical storm. My toes still tingled in the afterglow…

He leaned up on an elbow and placed his ear just above my pubic bone. His strong fingers traced tiny symbols across my belly--runes of protection and health. The sensitive skin tingled as his fingers danced over the surface. He listened intently before suddenly lifting his head.

His eyes sparkled and he dropped a very soft kiss on my belly. I felt it all the way to my womb.

His expression was so relieved, so tender, so damn happy that my eyes pricked with tears.

“Am I?”

“Soon. The race is on. My money’s on Calvin.”

“Calvin? You named your sperm Calvin?”

“Not all of them. He’s in the lead.”

“Just so we’re clear, we’re not naming our son Calvin.” I felt this required a line in the sand statement.

“Yes, dear. Let’s get out of here. It’s getting too cold and I don’t want you to get sick.”

As he carried me away from the beach, I asked, “You’re not going to get all overprotective as soon as I’m pregnant are you? I can’t stand being smothered.”

That question doesn’t even deserve an answer. Of course I will.

And I’ll argue and we’ll fight.

You’re right. But I’ll win.

Oh really? Every time?

He laughed out loud and said, “Probably, since I’ll have biology on my side. Even you won’t argue about staying healthy and keeping the baby safe. This baby’s a miracle after all.”

Damn it.

I hate it when he’s right.

Why is he always right?

The small cottage was warm, cozy, and pretty as a painting. I was impressed with his thoughtfulness. This was much better than sleeping on the floor of a cave or in the temple. After carrying me over the threshold, he sat me slowly to my feet. My body slid down the naked length of him and I wrapped an arm around his neck.

“Kiss me again. I want to feel your mouth on mine,” I said in my best sexy voice.

With a soft growl of pleasure, he kissed my mouth and then worked his way downward. Scooping me up, he laughed at my girly squeal and carried me to the bedroom.

Setting me down gently to avoid disturbing Calvin and the boys, he said, “Close your eyes, wife. No peeking.”

Grinning happily, I scrunched up my eyes and covered them with my hands. He stepped away and I heard a drawer open and close. When he came back to my side, he peeled my fingers away. He sat perfectly still, breathing shallowly. The pendant on his chest tickled my breasts as he leaned closer and dropped a tender kiss against the tip of my nose. One corner of his mouth curled when I sniffed back a tear.

“Shh. This is no place for tears.” He tucked a curl behind my ear and murmured, “Will you give me your hand?”

My heart flittered around like a hummingbird. My throat closed up and I swallowed the rush of emotion.

The cool metal slid over my skin to rest in perfect harmony on my right ring finger. He kissed my hand and brought it to his cheek.

“It still fits. You look beautiful,” he said with a smile in his voice. “It’s traditional to wear your marriage ring on the right hand, but we can go modern and put them on the left. It’s up to you, love.”

“Oh Killian, it’s so beautiful. You’re so beautiful!” With that, I soaked him with a gallon of tears.

The simple band matched his exactly. The bright metal warmed my skin like it had been there forever. In my mind’s eye, I saw my hand wearing this ring…starting a fire, plying a needle, braiding my hair…the wink of gold in the firelight. I remembered Killian’s face when he slipped it on my finger the first time. He was younger, leaner--innocent. But his face was lit with the same love for me then as it was now. Somewhere inside of me the final click of recognition snapped into place.

We were free.

The sun had fully risen when my eyes cracked open. The cottage was sunny and warm and I sprawled my arms and legs into a more comfortable position. The sheets were like silk underneath me and I didn’t want to move. Killian had other ideas.

Shattering glass brought me straight out of bed. What the heck?

“Killian? You okay?”

Muffled cursing and then, “Fine, babe. Just killed off another coffee pot, that’s all.”

He came into the bedroom carrying two mugs of steaming goodness. The smell made me groan. Mmm…so good.

“What happened?”

Grumbling good-naturedly, he said, “I bumped it with my elbow. Good thing we’re leaving in a bit. You know I need coffee in the mornings. Can’t survive without it.”

“Do we really need to go back so soon? It’s like a honeymoon, isn’t it?” I sipped my coffee and let my eyes rove over him. He was yummy with or without caffeine. Of course the caffeine did bring him into sharper focus. He needed to shave and his hair was smooshed down on one side. He’d slipped on his jeans for some modesty but the rest of him was bare. There’s something sexy about bare toes and a well-marked happy trail. Yep, bare was good when it came to Killian. He should really stay that way.

Shaking his head at the gutter direction of my thoughts, he said, “I will if you will.”

“Yeah…that’s a fab plan. Let’s never get dressed again.”

He bent down and kissed me, tasting like sugar and coffee…and his own unique flavor. I wrapped my fingers around his neck, feeling the fine hairs against my skin. Soft skin, hard muscles…All mine.

All too soon he pulled back with a sigh. His eyes were still soft as he studied my face. “We have to get back, Princess. Michael’s given us a couple days of peace and then we have to split up again. As much as I want to spend the whole time alone with you, we have to work out our plans with Sean. He didn’t go through hell for nothing. It’s time for stage two.”

It was a brilliant plan. Sean’s rep as a tactical genius was earned.

Stage one: Sean gets himself sentenced to the Stone Garden. Somebody (Declan) decides he’s really innocent and moves Heaven and Earth to free him.

Stage two: Sean loses his mind and kills me.

Rivin was lounging on the couch, fondling the remote, when we rematerialized in the safe house. He looked up as soon as he felt us and gave a halfhearted wave as we came down the stairs.

“You’re back?” Killian asked. His tone suggested this wasn’t good news.

Rivin shrugged and said, “That’s right. The lab’s running behind. Some civs are out sick with the bloody flu. Gonna take a few more days to analyze the hard drive I dropped off. New York’s not one of me favorite places so I popped back here directly. Hope that’s okay.” His tone suggested he didn’t really care if it was or not.

Killian studied Rivin thoughtfully and shrugged. “No help for it, man. You’re welcome to hang here for Christmas, if you want. Mica’s a Christmas nut. She smothers us in cookies and forces us to open presents. It sucks all the way around. But we deal since we like her.”

I snorted at the less-than-flattering description and agreed, “Hang with us, Rivin. I’m going to roast the biggest prime rib you’ve ever seen. Yorkshire pudding too. It’ll be all kinds of British! There’s plenty to go around.”

He actually smiled at me and mused, “I may just do that. I’ve got a call into a hot little chippy that makes a bloody fine distraction. She’d be a perfect way to spend Christmas. I’ll let you know.”

Killian and I shared a look. Rivin didn’t want to stay with us but didn’t want to be rude. That was weird since he normally went out of his way to be rude. Huh. Wonder what’s up with him? Killian lifted an eyebrow and dismissed all things Rivin in favor of booting up his laptop. I threw on my domestic goddess hat and sat down to make lists. I needed to plan meals, go food shopping, grab some wine, get some presents. We weren’t going to start Stage Two until after Christmas. Because the plan was so sensitive, Sean wasn’t going to be seen in public with us until it was time to move forward. He’d disappeared for now so I assumed he went ghost with Dec.

An hour later, Killian leaned over my shoulder and kissed my temple. He picked up the list and gave it a silent once-over.

Finally he said, “I’ll ask Dec to get the wine for you. I don’t want you overdoing it this week. He won’t mind.” He shot me a don’t-go-there look as soon as I started to protest. With a much softer voice, he chided, “Babe, you absolutely have to be careful these first few months. I’m begging you to take it easy. We can’t lose this child.”

My protests died in my throat. Of course I didn’t want to lose the baby. It was a miracle to be pregnant in the first place. This was going to be the hardest thing I’d ever done…letting someone else help me. It went against the grain. I hated asking for help and the delicate female role didn’t fit me too well. I was used to kicking ass and running 10 miles a day. Slowing down was going to hurt. A lot.

With a heavy sigh at the thought of months of taking it easy, I changed the subject. “Will you come to the store with me? It’ll be fun.”

He smiled in relief at my reasonableness and snapped his laptop closed. “Absolutely. Are you ready to go?”

“Yep, time to dive into the shopping hoards.” I grabbed my coat and gloves and hopped into the front seat of the McLaren. The buttery black leather surrounded me in warmth. Whoever invented heated seats should get a trophy, or at least a cookie. Brilliance such as this should be rewarded.

The grocery store was jam packed which normally would’ve annoyed the heck out of me. I hated crowds, but it was Christmas and that I loved. Crowds were tolerable during the few days leading up to December 25th. With this magnanimous attitude firmly in place, I happily pushed the cart and read over my list while Killian went on high alert and scanned 360 for demons or reckless shopping cart operators. God help the careless person who hit me with a cart. Christmas would be a lot more memorable if one were stuck in a full-body cast.

I stood next to the meat counter staring at the most impressive prime rib roast ever. Beautifully marbled with eight heavy ribs, it was perfect. I wanted it. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other waiting my turn. I was next. Then it happened. Disaster struck.

“I’ll take the last roast in the front,” the woman in front of me said.

Noooooo!

So uncool! Smacking myself in the forehead, I groaned out loud.

Totally serious, Killian whispered, “Don’t kill the nice British woman. It would be bad.”

Without turning around, I elbowed him lightly in the stomach. He laughed and said, “There are other roasts. We’re not going to know the difference. We’re guys.”

But I wanted that one! It was so perfect…and now I had to start my search over again and be quick about it since the line was getting longer behind me. Decisions, decisions.

Mad cow disease popped into my mind and I shuddered. How did we know this beef was safe? Maybe we should have chicken instead? Would the baby like chicken? Baby chickens are so cute. Why am I thinking about chickens? Why am I thinking about the baby liking chicken? It’s not even a zygote yet. Do I have ADHD?

Squirrel!

An image of a streaking squirrel jumped into the middle of my brain.

Why was the squirrel naked?

I shook my head. Okay, beef or chicken? Certainly not squirrel.

I was mental.

Killian snorted next to me. Ooohh! He’s reading my mind again! He snickered and muttered something too soft for me to hear. Flushing, I crossed my arms and tuned him out. Now what roast did I want?

The butcher finished wrapping MY roast and handed it to the woman. That’s when I noticed her hand was in a cast and she had a bandage across one of her eyes. Old bruising was visible under the bandages. Moving stiffly, she reached for the heavy roast. Killian slipped beside her and picked it up for her. Gallantly placing it in her cart, he smiled politely at her surprise.

“Merry Christmas, ma’am,” he murmured before turning back to me.

“No way! You said ‘Merry Christmas’ to her? Since when do you acknowledge Christmas?” For as long as I’d known him, in this life, Christmas was no biggie. He’d always laughed at my human traditions.

He laughed and said, “You’ve corrupted me with all your nauseating niceness. I’m a changed man. I can be nice once in a while. It doesn’t hurt as much as it used to.”

I leaned up and kissed him quickly. “I always liked that tough guy version of you though. Hard, tough, unemotional…scary as hell...but so hot. Don’t change too much!”

Killian scowled ferociously and I laughed. “Perfect!”

He scowled some more and growled softly, “Oh, don’t worry. You’d be surprised how fast I can go from polite to deadly.”

Soldier-mode.

My blood pumped a little harder at the image of him in full soldier-mode--Instincts, powers, and body on full alert and at their strongest. Eyes blazing, skin burning hot, muscles taut and ready to fight, adrenaline surging…ready to destroy the enemy. A smart part of me advised caution. Don’t play with fire. Buuutttt…these physical changes always made me a little excited. It was wicked sexy even if freaking scary. Even though it freaked me out when the Primani were that far gone, I’ve always been curious about sex. Would all that power and tension make for mind-blowing sex? Could they channel it well enough for pleasure or would it just be mindless violence? Vividly imagining Killian’s naked body hard and hot, powerful and surging with energy, I pressed my thighs together and swallowed a little drool. Probably this was a really, really bad train of thought in the grocery store.

Squirrel? His amused sarcasm was loud and clear inside my head. Shiny ball?

Oh, shut up!

“Ma’am? Ma’am?”

Killian nudged me and I flushed at the cashier. Skinny, blond, and under 21, he just shook his head like I was annoying him and asked if I had my own bags. Killian was still laughing at me on the way home.

“You can’t keep your mind on anything today! Since when are you this ADHD?”

“I know, right? It’s making me mental! My brain’s got too much time on its hands. I’m going in a thousand directions!”

He relaxed at the wheel and slowed for a stop sign. Traffic was piled up everywhere. Guess we weren’t the only people out running around. It was beyond weird to be shopping with Killian. It was soooo, well, mundane. Killing demons? Yes. Picking out meat? Not so much. Would he change diapers too? Any second now I was going to wake up and be tied to a pole in some demon’s basement…

As soon as we pulled into the garage, Dec bounded down the steps to help. After whisking in the bags, he held up a bottle of little red balls and smiled happily over at me.

“You’re making the little cutout angels? The ones with the cinnamon eyes?” His eyes twinkled in expectation.

“For you, my angel? Anything. Anything you want. Want to help me?” I sat out two packages of butter to warm up. He loved the simple sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles. I always used the little red cinnamon candies for eyes. Mixed with the buttery cookie and vanilla frosting...yum, they were like crack!

Sean strolled in and leaned against the doorframe with Domino leaning against his leg. She’d been glued to him since he got back. He looked healthy again but the crease between his eyes was showing. Probably he was plotting his next move with Jordan.

Just as I was going to say something, a twinge grabbed my attention and I stopped and put my hand over my lower belly. “Oh!”

Dec and Sean glanced down without concern, but Killian came straight over and dropped to his knees in front of me. His eyes were grave and he shushed everyone while he listened.

He scooped me into his arms and kissed my very surprised open mouth. Spinning me in a circle, he grinned at me and said, “It’s official! You’re pregnant, wife!”

I had no words so I just grinned like an idiot.

“Pregnant?” Dec croaked.

“You got married?” Sean asked, with what-the-hell written all over his face.

Neither was smiling. They looked really confused. We had just gone to the store. When had we squeezed in a wedding?

Killian spun me in a circle and set me back on my feet. After making sure I was steady, he turned to the guys and grinned. “It’s a long, long story.”

Sean crossed his arms and scowled. “I have tons of time.”

Domino cocked her head. Do we have popped corn?

“Fair enough. Grab a beer.” Killian headed to the couch and patted the cushion next to him. “You want to sit, babe?”

I pulled my knees against my chest and marveled at the teensy little zygote hanging on inside my uterus. I hoped he had a strong grip.

Sean and Dec hadn’t seen the same vision we had the other night. They heard Michael and knew we had a history, a destiny, together. But now they’d hear the whole story and maybe it would help. Sean would finally understand the forces that drove us apart and the depth of Killian’s sacrifice for him. I prayed he’d recognize the sacrifice and let go of any bitterness that he still felt. I just wanted Sean to be happy and that meant he had to know the whole truth.

Killian was actually a good storyteller and had everybody’s undivided attention. He started at the beginning and explained how we’d been married before he’d become Primani. How he’d gone from priest to warrior in the blink of an eye. In a quiet voice, he recounted the night I died and Raphael’s promise to find me again.

As he talked, he rubbed his finger over the simple gold ring he’d worn since I’d met him, again, when I was only 17. That was more than five years ago and my world had changed into a totally new planet. Nothing was the same now. His eyes closed as he talked about the stretching of years, the feeling of time slipping by without him. His strong voice was soft in remembrance and the faint Irish lilt was enthralling. I squeezed his fingers and he smiled vaguely in my direction.

“I’ve worn this ring since the day you put it on my finger. There’s never been anyone else for me.”

The silence stretched for a couple of heartbeats.

Dec had been toying with his Primani blade and was totally lost in thought now. He passed the silver blade from one hand to the other as he processed Killian’s story.

Our story.

“When did you know it was her?” Sean asked in a voice edgy with strain.

Killian said, “I didn’t realize it until after I put the runes on her in the temple. The ceremony must’ve triggered the memories and I recognized her. I couldn’t believe it though. I’d waited so long and she shows up as your girlfriend. It seemed like a bad joke.”

“But you still erased her memory so she’d forget you? Why would you do that?” Sean was pacing now, his voice thick with emotion, eyes glittering.

Killian shrugged and said, “It was the right thing to do--for both of you. She’d already fallen in love with you. She had no idea what had happened between us. You were crazy about her. I didn’t want to hurt either of you. I tried to stay away. I figured things would work out or they wouldn’t.”

His hand tightened over mine and he held Sean’s eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, bro; that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Letting her go and waiting for free will to do its thing nearly killed me. I had to vaporize a lot of demons to keep my sanity. I wanted to rip your head off and kill you every time you touched her. I stayed away as much as I could and kept telling myself it would work out in the end.”

Dec had been unusually subdued and now he gestured to Killian and smirked, “That explains your crabbier than usual mood.”

I had to add, “I thought that was his normal mood?”

Dec laughed and Sean smothered a smile. Killian just crossed his arms and said to me, “And you should be glad things worked out. It was pretty dicey for a minute.”

Dicey was an understatement. Things went to hell so fast it made my head spin. We were pretty lucky I was even alive today! Still, James helped things along with his big dramatic reveal. That surely split Sean and I into two parts. Thanks to James, I ended up where I was supposed to be. Still not going to thank the bastard, though.

“And they worked out exactly like they were supposed to. Destiny is a selfish bitch.” Sean laughed with a tinge of sadness and added, “I can’t even be mad about this.”

I rubbed my belly and scoffed, “Oh, I’m sure you could if you tried real hard.”

“Oh, ha. ha. Good thing you’re pregnant or I’d take you to the mats and break your leg!” Sean leaned over me and said, “May I?”

I nodded, curious.

He kissed my stomach and murmured a prayer in their Primani tongue. He smiled up at me. “I’m really happy for you, sweetheart. Obviously this is meant to be. This little dude is going to be safe. It’s even more important that I kill you off now.”

Dec hooted with laughter. “Wow, dude, really?”

Later that day, I sprawled across the couch, content and tired. I was seriously considering a power nap. Dozens of cookies were iced and hanging out in the kitchen. Dec and Killian had disappeared again. No doubt up to something that I wasn’t supposed to know about. Sean leaned back in the recliner and closed his eyes. He wasn’t asleep though. I felt the waves of his emotions gently flowing away from his still body.

“Sean? What’s the matter?”

Without opening his eyes, he grunted, “Nothing.”

“Liar.”

Cracking open an eye, he sighed in annoyance. “You can’t help it, can you?”

If he meant reading his emotions and being nosy…well, duh. No, I couldn’t.

“Hello? Empath here! You can’t hide from me.” As much as I wished he could.

“Don’t get your panties in a wad. I’m just thinking about Aisling. We need to find her.”

“What will you do when we do?”

He made a frustrated sound and exhaled through his nose. “I have no idea. But at least she’ll be able to get on with her life. It’s the least I can do for her.”

“We’ll find her. When you leave, I don’t want you to think about me or Aisling. Promise me you’ll focus completely on your mission.”

He opened his eyes and stared at me for a second. The blue was dark and stormy today. A sure sign he was feeling stirred up inside. Intense and beautifully made, his handsome face couldn’t detract from the power in his body or the hatred boiling inside with Jordan’s name on it. Unleashed, Sean was a lethal weapon.

I almost felt sorry for Jordan. Almost.

“It’s not a suicide mission, love. This isn’t the first time I’ve been undercover. I can handle it. Shit, this’ll be a piece of cake. I’ll be in and out before you know it. With any luck, I’ll find Dani and Sgaine Dutre and rip Jordan’s throat out in 24 hours!”

Yeah, yeah, yeah…the best laid plans, etc., etc.

Snorting my doubt, I let it go. He was right. He’d done this before and my opinion didn’t matter when it came to their ops anyway. This was what he did; what they all did. Just because I was feeling all flush with joy didn’t change the reality of our lives.

The sound of the garage door clambering down brought us both awake. Blinking in the dim light of late afternoon, I yawned hugely and pushed myself upright. Sean was completely alert and listening hard. It must be friendlies since he immediately relaxed and stretched. Domino perked up her ears and stretched her front legs out in front. Tucking her chin between her paws, she closed her eyes again.

As soon as the back door closed, Domino shot off of Sean’s lap with a loud fart. Sean jumped up and moved before the fumes could settle. Dec rounded the corner and tossed her a stuffed Dalmatian puppy. Bounding after it, she made a lap or two around the room before bringing it back and dropping it at his feet. He knelt and gave her a hug.

“Merry Christmas, pup! You’ve been good all year!” He rubbed her ears and threw the toy again.

Mine! Mine! She took off again.

Christmas was finally here and the wet English weather turned cold with snow. Killian had gotten up earlier and started a fire in the living room but the rest of the house was still numbing. The bedrooms were especially cool since we only had radiators for heat and I kept forgetting to turn them on. Freezing my butt off, I shrugged under my cashmere wrap and tugged on socks. Socks were totally ruining my classy approach to dressing this morning. But it was either wear them or lose some toes.

Call me crazy, but I had a thing for my toes--All ten of them.

Straightening, I pirouetted in front of the mirror. My wardrobe was pretty limited but I managed to put together something Christmassy. The jeans from Paris were dark and fit perfectly. A loose silk top dipped low in the front without letting the girls hang out. It was a gorgeous sapphire blue with tiny rhinestone buttons. My locket nestled happily below the neckline and warmed my skin. My hair had grown out so much it flowed down my back in waves. I’d had my bangs trimmed so they curled under and around my face. My skin glowed. My eyes sparkled.

Was it possible to be this happy? I was delirious with it. For years I’d been restless and driven, always moving forward. Now I knew why. I’d been looking for my time; looking for Killian. The restlessness was gone. It was like opening the door to a house and knowing it’s your home. I held up my hand and looked at the pale rune. Just the sight of it started my heart racing a little bit faster. Killian’s face filled my mind and I felt myself leaning towards him. Our connection tugged me to his side even when he was gone for a little while. Something inside of him compelled me, drew me still. Should that bother me? Should I worry about losing myself?

“I feel it too.” Killian wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed the top of my head.

I pressed my back against the hard planes of his chest and felt his heart thud against me.

He met my eyes in the mirror and said, “You’re not going to lose yourself, babe. You’re strong and powerful enough to be with me now; you’re my partner, my equal. You balance me and I love you for that.” He drew my hand to his mouth and kissed the tips of my fingers one by one. He moved slowly, carefully, purposely. Every touch, every taste was seductive.

I watched in the mirror, my breath caught in my throat. His eyes stayed locked on mine as he kissed the center of my palm and rested it against his cheek.

I sighed and melted back against him, soaking in the heat. His unique musky scent mixed with the herbal notes of lemongrass soap filled my head as I inhaled slowly. His hair was still damp and he’d just shaved. His skin was silky smooth against the backs of my fingers as I ran them over his jaw.

Turning into his arms, I breathed him in and leaned up to kiss him. His lips were soft as they played gently against mine. I felt his breath on my cheek as he dragged his fingers through my hair and dragged his mouth along my jaw and over to my ear. Slowly, carefully…his mouth moved, his tongue stroking the silk of my skin. The trail of heat sent goose bumps racing over my arms and I shivered with anticipation.

His whole body tensed with the effort to hold himself still against me. With slow hands, he peeled off my wrap and let the soft cashmere float to the floor. With one hand locked in my hair and the other smoothing over my bare skin, he practically set me on fire.

“Lean your head back for me,” he ordered softly. He tugged my head back to expose my throat.

My pulse jumped and I trembled in his hands. His eyes shimmered and he licked his lips. The sight of his tongue and the raw hunger in his eyes was so erotic I wanted to throw him to the floor.

Patience, love.

His mouth burned across my throat and nibbled on the sensitive skin covering my jugular vein. My heart rang in my ears and I’m sure he felt the surge against his tongue as he bit gently on my neck. The slight pain of his bite sent my senses into overdrive and I had to grab his arm to keep from sinking to my knees. He was making me mental.

“Killian…” I lost my thought completely when he cupped my chin and slanted his mouth over mine. As his tongue slipped inside, his thumb stroked tiny circles under my jaw. I pulled his hips closer to me and let myself fall.

He took what he wanted from me but somehow gave more back. The combination of leashed power thrumming through his body and the gentleness of his touch left me mesmerized and liquid. It was control and power and tenderness and love…

All in perfect balance.

My head was spinning and tiny little fireworks were shooting off over us…I had no idea what we were doing when someone knocked on the bedroom door. I blinked stupidly as he crushed me against him and groaned in animal frustration.

“What?” he snarled at the closed door. His heart hammered against my chest and I closed my eyes and tried to calm down.

While my hormones took control, my hands had been doing their own thing. I yanked my hand out of his shirt and pulled it down for him.

He made me lose my mind. Wicked sexy, supernatural, hot creature that he was…Damn!

Dec’s voice came through the door. “She’s already pregnant. You can stop practicing.”

Growling low in his throat, Killian tugged my wrap around my shoulders and straightened his clothes. I fluffed my hair and tried to calm the blazing heat in my eyes by the time he yanked open the door.

Dec sniffed and shook his head. “It’s morning! What are you two thinking?”

Killian snapped, “Little brother, you sound like an old woman.”

Dec just laughed and headed downstairs humming a line from Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.”

I needed to find him a girl.

Someone had put on some Christmas music and made coffee. Dec was flipping scrambled eggs around a skillet when I walked into the kitchen. Bacon sat cooling on a plate and a box of pastries completed the meal. My stomach hissed in demand and I laughed at it. Yes, yes, I know. Eating for two; got it!

I was barely pregnant and hadn’t had morning sickness yet. The book I was reading said it wouldn’t start for a few weeks. I was hoping to skip the puking this time. Killian insisted we buy a box of crackers, just in case. They sat in the middle of the counter.

When Sean had demolished the last of the bacon, Dec leaned back with his hands behind his head. His expression turned sneaky and he elbowed Killian.

“What are you up to?” I asked.

We didn’t have any decorations this year and the house felt a little bare to me. I wanted a tree but it didn’t make sense to go to all that trouble since Sean and Killian were leaving tomorrow. I didn’t need the decorations, really, but I missed them a little. The roaring fire and howling wind provided all of the winter atmosphere I was going to get. Snow slammed into the windows with the ting of ice pellets. Mother Nature was throwing a Christmas tantrum.

Standing up with a grin, Killian winked at me and vanished.

“Where did he go?” I asked Sean.

Sean just shrugged and gave me an innocent look. Dec loped over to me and covered my eyes with hands that smelled like bacon.

“Don’t peek, darlin’.”

A heartbeat later, the atmosphere shifted and Killian was back. Warmth struck me like a personal sun and I flung Dec’s hands from my eyes.

“My tree!”

Killian brought my beautiful golden Christmas tree from the farmhouse in New York. He carefully set it down on one of the end tables. It glowed with all the warmth and magic of the angels who created it with their own blood and saols.

“It’s still breathtaking. You guys are so sweet!”

The silky strands of gold clung delicately to the intricate branches of the tree. Its fire warmed my face as I peered more closely at it. A work of art it was. More precious than a Hallmark card or a diamond ring. As beautiful as before, but with an intricate set of ornaments that were new this year. Gossamer threads wove patterns of runes throughout the hanging silk threads…delicately drawn with whirls and flourishes, they were beautiful ornaments on the magical tree.

Delicate...and yet their power was unmistakable. I recognized it as soon as my mind acknowledged the runes’ existence. Each rune had a faint halo, like an aura, around it.

“The runes are for protection and good health. This one’s meant to protect the baby from demons.” Killian pointed to one in particular. It was more vividly drawn than the others, as if the artist used more force to give it shape. It had no frills or flourishes; instead, its form was made from strong brush strokes and solid lines. Its power radiated in a faint blue halo. Its bold lines screamed authority. Killian had created this one.

“Give me your hand.”

His eyes were steady on mine. There was no stress or intensity in them. No reason for it; he was doing what needed doing. This was a practical exercise. He tucked my hair away from my eyes with a feather light touch and smiled to reassure me.

With a wave of a hand, the music shut off abruptly. The crackling fire seemed supernaturally loud in the void.

Sean and Dec stepped forward as Killian pulled Sgaine Eiron from its sheath. I held out my palm and took a deep breath as the others did the same.

Gone was the Primani. The high priest had returned. Killian stood utterly still in front of the blazing tree.

With a flick of his wrist, the tip of the blade pierced the center of my palm and drew a bit of blood. He repeated this action with everyone.

“Alam ne infant seain diote.”

Murmuring softly, he carefully swirled some blood from each of us onto the blade. Unlike other ceremonies, this one was elegant and graceful. His movements were as delicate and careful as an artist, and he wielded the golden blade like a paint brush. Even the motion to capture the blood was fluid, as if he were swirling paint on a pallet.

“Alam ne infant seain diote, Raphael.”

He called upon Raphael to hear his words and watch over the baby.

He paused and held each of our eyes for a beat before placing the blade against the rune he’d drawn over my belly the night the baby was conceived. He lowered the blade to it and let the blood drip to cover it. As the blood settled on my skin, it turned to golden light that seeped into my pores and tingled in the center of my womb. With feathery strokes, he traced the shape of the rune and set the protection with simple words.

“All who would harm this infant beware: the blood of Primani protect and defend him.”

Not the words of prayer; the words of a curse.

At his words, the tiny rune began to throb with life. An unexpected rush of heat shot outward and wrapped around me in a flash of pale blue.

Sean and Dec spoke together in a formal tone. “I give my blood to protect this child. He has the protection of my Primani powers descending from the archangel Raphael. Enemies beware: My retribution will be swift; your death slow.”

A chill ran down my back as the meaning of their words sank in.

Killian tapped the eye of the blade against the rune and added in a terrible voice,

“En vitrao dutre aain methite. Dio sai infant y Mica.”

Loosely translated he’d said, “I will find you and rip your heart out with my bare hands if you touch my wife or child.”

With a gentle stroke of his finger, the cut on my palm disappeared.

Hours later, the heavenly aroma of roasting cow lifted me off my feet and pulled me into the kitchen to check the temp on the roast. The thermometer said it was nearly done. Time to whip up the Yorkshire pudding.

“Dec? Are you doing the veggies?” I called out as I knelt to grab the flour.

Rematerializing next to me, he laughed when I jumped a foot. Deftly snagging the flour from me, he said, “I’m all over it, darlin’. Green beans are simmering away and the potatoes are almost done boiling. I bullied Sean into setting the table while you were, uh, occupied upstairs.”

“Declan Manning. Let’s get something straight right now.” I poked him in the arm to be sure he was listening. Using my best condescending tone, I said, “Killian is leaving for God knows how long again. Apparently I’ve been searching for him for 3,000 years. I really, really, really think we’re overdue for some alone time. So you need to stop nagging at us about it and just be happy we’ve found each other.” I blew out an exasperated breath of air.

“And besides, Raphael told Killian he had to be the one to heal the wounds in my heart. His words, not mine. So there!” I stuck out my tongue for emphasis.

Bursting out laughing, Dec stabbed a potato and tossed a green bean to Domino. “You’re adorable when you try to be mad at me. You know that, right?”

I glanced at the spotted pooch for some support; she ignored me in favor of human food. Traitor! I tried a glare and they both laughed at me. Huffing indignantly, I beat the heck out of the batter for the Yorkshire pudding.

An hour later, the chaos that precedes dinner was in full swing. By some kind of unspoken agreement, the guys all chipped in to help. Sean wielded the carving knife and sliced caveman-sized slabs of prime rib. Dec topped all non-meat items with too much butter and sat the bowls on the table. I was busy cutting up the uber-delicious Yorkshire pudding and dumping rolls into a basket. Killian lounged in the doorway with arms crossed, amused and content. He’d already uncorked and poured wine.

Sean licked his fingers and said, “There’s something weird about your face, bro.”

Killian lifted an eyebrow in question.

I stopped to look. Did I miss something? Nope, still looked like Killian to me.

Sean pretended to study him seriously and finally exclaimed, “You look different. Did you let Mica give you a facial?”

Killian chuckled shortly and said, “Yeah, like that would ever happen. This is my ‘peaceful’ look.”

Sean barked an unbelieving laugh and said, “Oh yeah? Better take a picture of it--today’s the end of our peace for a while! It’s back to maiming, killing, and blowing shit up tomorrow. Can’t wait to get my hands dirty!”

Elbowing Sean on my way to the table, I chided, “Stop! There’ll be no talk of blood, guts, or torture during Christmas dinner! We’re going to eat, drink, and open presents. Relax and enjoy it.”

As everyone sat down to eat, I whipped out the camera. Sean was right. We had to capture this dinner. Everyone was relaxed for a change; I had to get it on film. Dec made horrible faces while Sean tried to keep a straight face. Killian scowled at the lens. Finally Dec snatched the camera and took some of me. Killian surprised me by pulling me closer so Dec could take one of us together as a couple. He set the timer and took one final shot of the four of us standing by the tree. I didn’t know it then, but I’d learn to cherish that picture.

Just after we finished eating, the laptop pinged. Skype was calling me. Dec beat me to the computer and had the picture up just as I shoved him off the chair. Janet’s smiling face was the first one to greet me.

“Janet! Merry Christmas! Where’s everyone?”

Laughing, she shifted over to let my dad stick his face in front of the tiny camera. “Hey kid! Merry Christmas.”

He peered into the camera giving me a close up of his eyebrows. I tried not to giggle. Old people shouldn’t use technology...

“Hey, Dad! You look good! Nice hat.”

“Yeah, yeah. Janet keeps making me wear the damn thing. This is the last year I’m wearing it, I swear.”

He’d made the same promise for the past four years. He liked the furry Santa hat; he just didn’t want to admit it. Trevor jumped on for about 30 seconds; just long enough to thank us for the money we’d sent him.

“I’m going to buy that new game “Dishonored” as soon as it comes out! It’s way cool!” He was already riding the Christmas morning sugar rush. His freckled face was flushed with cookies and video games.

Then it was back to Dad and Janet. They caught me up on all the excitement in Plattsburgh--essentially none since the serial killer was dead and I’d moved out of the country. Before I could say anything newsy, Killian slipped up behind me. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head and I reached up automatically and squeezed his wrist.

With no tact whatsoever, Dad said, “Who’s that? Is that Sean? I thought you dumped him?”

“Dad! Shh! He’ll hear you!”

Sean’s amused voice drifted in from the kitchen. “Too late. I’m crushed you never told me I was dumped!”

Dec burst into howls of hilarity and Sean wagged his head mouthing the words ‘worst girlfriend ever.’

Janet was giving my dad some pointers on how not to be an ass when I turned back to the laptop. This she did using her inside voice while glancing back at their monitor to make sure I wasn’t watching.

She elbowed him one final time before fixing a smile on her face. “Sorry, sweetie. Your father has no sense at all.” She leaned a little closer and whispered, “Is that Sean? I’d like to say hello if it is. I always liked him. He’s such a sweetie.”

Dec burst into laughter again and Sean joined him. Unable to resist, both Sean and Dec yelled ‘Merry Christmas’ from the kitchen. Janet smiled at their antics and waved.

This was getting better and better. Geez.

I smothered a grin and held out my hand to my halfway-insulted husband.

“Janet, Dad, I have some news.”

Killian pulled up a chair and smiled into the camera. Janet’s pale green eyes widened in surprise and her mouth dropped open.

Oh, yeah, she’d never met Killian. No wonder she was stunned. He had that effect on women. He was at his happiest today, so those wicked blue eyes were warm and soft and the little sexy smile could melt Antarctica.

Dad’s eyes narrowed suspiciously though and he elbowed his wife to stop gawking. “Who’s this?”

The suspicion in my dad’s voice sent him over the edge. Killian grinned showing both canines, and stated facts like he was spitting bullets, “I’m Mica’s husband. We got married in a pagan ceremony three days ago. She’s pregnant. Sean lives with us and we all play nicely together. He’ll be our son’s godfather, if I don’t kill him.” He leaned back and draped his heavy arm around my shoulders. The short sleeves only emphasized the bulging muscles and golden skin. “I’m overprotective and bossy, but I would gladly go to hell and back for her. Any questions?”

Twin expressions of shock stared back at us and I burst into giggles. “Killian! You’re awful!”

My dad’s mouth worked like it was trying to form words, but he ended up clamping his lips together and glaring at Janet instead. Janet’s eyes were glued to Killian’s biceps.

I gave them a squeeze and teased, “Yeah, he’s hard as a rock.”

Killian shook his head in disbelief. Wow!

Sean fell against the counter laughing again. Killian flushed.

Dec was crying and gasping for air. “Oh, God, Mica!”

“That’s not what I meant! You are so immature!”

By the time I looked up at the screen, Dad was gone and Janet was grinning into the camera. “Well, his, er, hardness aside, Mica, he’s very cute. And he seems to really love you. You can’t fake that. Welcome to the family, Killian. Maybe we should come over there and meet him? I want to see the baby too.”

“Will Dad be okay?” There were a lot, and I mean, a LOT of swear words getting tossed around in the background.

She grimaced and smoothed her hair while trying not to stare at Killian. Killian had switched from predator to loving husband. It was impossible to resist those eyes. It was like staring into the ocean. She cleared her throat delicately and said, “Sure he will. He’ll be fine. He’s not good with change. Give him a call in a week or so.”

Abby popped into view and demanded her turn with us. Janet said goodbye and passed the mic off to my favorite twin.

Dec and Sean were horsing around in the kitchen behind me. Like the total clown he is, Dec stuck his mug into the camera on the way by with dirty dishes.

Abby squealed so loudly the dog barked in panic. “Omigod! Is that Declan!” Completely unhinged by teenage lust, she waved madly into the camera. “Dec! Dec, it’s me Abby! Come say hi!!”

Rolling my eyes to the back of my head, I moved over so Dec could say hi. Before sitting down, he displaced Killian and grinned at Abby. “Hey, Abby girl! Did you have a happy Christmas?”

Shining like a comet, she grinned with full dimples. Wow! She’d grown up--a lot. Almost 18 now, she was a stunner and a flirt. Her pale blond hair was full and wavy and streaked with pale pink highlights. She sported three studs in each ear and one tiny stone above her eyebrow. She lowered her voice to a sexy purr and said, “It’s much better now. You’re still so hot you should be illegal.”

Oh, no she didn’t!

Dec turned pink and actually stumbled out of the chair. “Hey, Abby, nice talking to you. I’ve...got...to get the door. Merry Christmas!” And he made a hasty escape to the kitchen.

“Abby! You little flirt! What are you thinking? You gave Dec a stroke.”

Leaning into the mic, she looked for her mom and whispered, “I’d sure like to stroke him. God, he’s hot!”

My mouth actually fell open and Killian reached over and closed it. His chest vibrated against my side as he tried to hold in the laugh that was strangling him. The back door slammed and he shoved his face into my neck. I could feel him vibrating with mirth and pinched him.

“Abby! He’s waaaaay too old for you! Put him out of your brain. Where’s Monica? She hasn’t lost her mind too, has she?”

Later, as the clock announced Christmas was officially over, I snuggled closer to Killian and smiled when he wrapped his big hand around my flat belly and sighed. He was sound asleep and still keeping watch over me. I loved him more than I could say.

Staring up at the dark ceiling, I let my mind relax and drift towards oblivion. Sleep tugged me downwards, but there was one more thing I needed to do on this special night.

“Merry Christmas, Raphael,” I whispered into the dark.

Chapter 18: Slummin’ on the Dark Side

London, England:

“HOLD STILL! I’M ALMOST DONE,” Raphael hissed under his breath.

“Shit! That stings like a bitch!” Sean bit his lip to keep from whining like a girl. His brothers didn’t need any ammo to mess with him.

That clown Dec hovered over him, watching...waiting for him to crack. Killian leaned against the doorframe with arms crossed over his chest, eyes alert and glittering. They were holding their breath just waiting for him to flinch. Probably had a camera some place.

Needing a distraction, he focused his attention on his discarded wristband lying on the wooden end table. The blue stone gleamed dully in the morning light, chastising him for taking it off. There was no help for it. He couldn’t wear it when he was undercover without raising suspicion. He was supposed to leave his Primani life behind him. Still, no one wanted to send him into No Man’s Land without a way to find him. So that’s what brought him to this point.

He was lying on the bed while Raphael marked him with a tracking rune. The marking process stung like a freakin’ red-hot poker digging into his groin. He bit his lip again as the final layer of the mark was set. Raphael’s hand hovered about six inches above him and directed a nearly invisible beam of light into his skin. It was kinda like a high-tech tattoo that would blend into his skin color when it was done.

“A little to the left and you can just neuter him.” Dec thought he was hilarious.

He cringed at the thought and his boys retreated all the way to his colon.

Killian just shook his head and smiled tightly. Not much amused him--at least not until recently. This crazy shit with Mica made him a whole new Primani. Guess this is what he was like when he was human.  He was still bad ass, but a lot more mellow, less cold, less angry. A LOT less angry! That would change in a few hours.

Oh, yeah. As soon as he killed Mica, Killian would lose his mind. Time for stage two.

It would be on then!

Raphael looked reproachfully at Dec. “This is the most appropriate location, Declan. It can be assumed that he’ll be searched by Jordan’s demons. We can’t risk the mark being found.” He glared up in some real anger then, his tone suddenly one he rarely used with them. The hair on the back of Sean’s neck vibrated at the warning. It wasn’t smart to piss off one of the angels of vengeance. “They’d cut it out and then kill him.”

Dec swallowed and turned away. Finally, someone embarrassed the smartass! It was about time.

“Are we done?” Sean asked. The mark wasn’t stinging now and he really wanted to put his jeans back on before there were any more comments from his pain-in-the-butt team.

“Yes, Sean, I am finished. The mark will allow me to track you and keep your team updated. I’ll be able to send my thoughts to you and vice versa. You can get it wet or whatever. Do try not to get hit with a fireball though. That could damage it.”

Dec snorted, “Yeah, and so much more.”

Even Killian chuckled at that.

Everybody’s a comedian…

A knock at the door interrupted them. Mica was waiting. Sean got dressed again and called her to come in.

“Why are you so pale?” she asked as soon as she approached him. “What are you guys doing in here?” Her nose twitched like she was sniffing out their lies.

Damn woman didn’t miss a thing. “I’m not pale; it’s the light.”

Dec snorted his water through his nose. Gasping and choking, he turned pink and struggled to breathe. Sean folded his arms and looked down his nose.

Sooo not going to save him…

Like a magnet to her steel, Killian moved to Mica and pulled a heavy chair around so she could sit down. Ever since they found out about the baby, Killian was freaked out about her losing it. Sean understood his worry. If it was his girl, he’d be stressing too. Wait a minute; she was his girl and he was stressing too…He mentally shook his head. I’m an idiot, he thought with a sigh. They should sign up for Jerry Springer or freakin’ Oprah. They were a seriously jacked up group. Whatever. Mica was a part of him even if they weren’t meant to be a couple. She still rocked and he’d do anything to keep her safe.

Including murder.

Her blue jean eyes were narrowed in concentration as she studied each of their faces. She knew they were up to something. Sean grinned at her suspicion and decided to put her out of her misery.

“It’s not a secret, darlin’. Raphael marked me so he can track me when I leave today.”

She flinched and wrapped her arms around her waist, tightening her sweater like a shield. Looking up at Killian, she asked, “Is it like the demon marks? Like what Da…uh, the demon did to me?”

She didn’t like to use his name. She was absolutely terrified Dagin would hear her and show up to party. Smart girl--he just might. That particular demon had a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time. Killian put his arm around her and murmured something in her ear. She relaxed the iron grip on the poor sweater, but still looked anxious.

Raphael spoke up. “It’s quite similar, child. The demon marks a human to gain access into their mind or body. They use it as a back door of sorts. They can place thoughts or dreams into the person’s head, usually to get them to invite the demon inside. They can also use it to possess the person if it stays undetected long enough. Of course, an angel’s mark is not used to harm. I will use it to track Sean’s presence and to send him instructions telepathically when he’s unconscious, drugged, or otherwise unwilling, or unable, to hear me. Sean can use it to communicate directly with me as well.”

“Could you use it to make him do something against his will? Or stop him from doing something wrong?”

The angel shook his head. “No, Mica. Sean, or anyone, is allowed free will by God. It would be against our teachings to attempt to control someone’s free will.”

Sean grimaced and said, “Can’t say the same for the hell spawn I’ll be living with. If I end up trying to cut your head off at some point, try to remember it’s not me!” He kissed the top of her head in a pre-apology.

“Whoa! This place is a dump! Would anyone really believe this is our safe house?” Mica’s whispered question made Sean grin in the dim light of the grungy living room.

Yeah, the place was a dump. It was barely furnished with cast off crap from a charity center. The couch smelled like cat piss. The single lamp burned with a dull glow as if its bulb was tired of living.

“Demons live in worse. They won’t know the difference.”

“Won’t Jordan?”

Good point. “Maybe. Probably not though. He knows we usually try to keep a low profile and blend in. This is a low-end neighborhood. Not too crowded; not a lot of nosy neighbors. Logically, this is a good place to put a safe house. I think he’ll believe it if he tries to verify my story. Since we have to leave you and Dec with a real safe house, this will have to do.” He paused and took her fingers in his for a minute. Her hands were cold and stiff.

“Mica,” he began and stopped.

What could he really say to her? I’m sorry I have to kill you.

This wasn’t going to be easy for either of them. Her nerves were jumping all over the place already and he felt guilty just thinking about what he had to do now. He’d already hurt her enough to last ten lifetimes...he didn’t like doing it again.

The plan was solid. His boys had run through it with him a hundred times and they were sure it would work. Sean wasn’t worried about himself; hell, he could handle anything the soul suckers could throw at him. He’d been in tougher spots. He’d be fine. He was wiggin’ over leaving Mica alone with only Dec for protection. Not that his boy Dec wasn’t a good fighter; he was. It seemed like one bodyguard wasn’t enough. If Jordan sniffed out their lie, Mica would be his first target. Since no one knew how Mica’s powers could affect the growing baby, they had all agreed that she wouldn’t use her active powers while she was pregnant. They’d also agreed that no one would teleport her in case it rearranged the baby’s molecules. Yeah, too risky. No one wanted the little dude to come out with his body parts in the wrong places.

Except for her Sig, Mica would be defenseless for the next eight months. If Jordan came calling, Dec would need backup.

Despite his worried thoughts, his fingers tingled with the beginnings of readiness. It was time to rock and get the fuck out of here. Sean’s blood thrummed a little faster through his muscles as his body psyched itself up for the role of his lifetime.

Bringing her fingers to his lips, he gave them a chaste kiss and rubbed some warmth into them. With eyes heating with the power of his saol, he looked deeply into hers and said, “Are you ready for this?” She shivered and he wanted to wrap his arms around her. That wasn’t his job now though.

“As I’ll ever be. This’ll be fun. Don’t worry about hurting my feelings. Just go with it. I kinda like Evil Sean!” She tried to smile but it fell short. Instead, her lip trembled and she bit it.

“This is going to work. I know it will. Have some faith in me, okay? I’m coming back. I have to.”

“I know. Promise me you’ll be careful?” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him one last time. Her lean body felt too good pressed against him and he let himself enjoy her touch. Yeah, he still loved her. He was a dumbass, but he couldn’t help it.

He groaned inside and hugged her back. She was warm and soft and completely trusting. He rubbed his hand over her back. She was making this really, really, hard for him. How could he do this? It was the perfect cover, but he was sure that it meant he was totally evil deep down. He just hoped his karma wouldn’t take another hit…

“I’m always careful, love. You remember what to do? It’s time.”

Nodding once, she stepped away and switched into her role. She curled her lip at him and put on her most haughty expression. She winked and stuck her tongue out at him.

With a wave of his hand, he removed the protection that enveloped the house. It was now open to prying eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he rounded on her with rage whitening his face. “You’re going to marry Killian? How could you do that to me after all I’ve been through?”

“To you? You’re not serious? Did you think I would marry you when I can have him?” Her voice dripped with disdain and she looked him up and down and dismissed him. “You’re not half the man he is. Look at you! Weak, pathetic, unstable. Your disappearance was the best thing that ever happened to us. You should’ve stayed gone and saved us all the trouble of dragging your dumb ass out of the Stone Garden.” She punctuated the insult with a low laugh and turned away from him.

“You faithless little bitch! You swore you loved me and then you hooked up with Killian the second my back was turned! How long did you plan that? You couldn’t wait for me?” He swung her around to face him, eyes burning into her face. “It’s your fucking fault I ended up in the Stone Garden to begin with! You strung me along...used me until you got what you wanted!”

So close to exploding into full-scale soldier-mode, he had to reel back some of the energy slamming through him.

Acting, acting, he reminded himself mentally. Don’t set her on fire!

She smirked into his face. “Oh my, are we switching to Evil Sean now? Your act is so old.” Her voice turned to sing-song as she mimicked him, “Oh, I’m so evil! Oh, I’m so confused! Whatever shall I do?”

“For God’s sake, grow a pair. Good, evil…whatever! Make a friggin’ decision so we can move on with our lives. Your morality crisis is getting on my nerves, and frankly, we’re all sick of you.”

Moving lightning fast, he grabbed her wrist and snarled low in his throat, “You got it, babe.” Yanking her closer, he growled, “So I’m asking myself a question. Just how much evil do you want from me? Hmm? When do I get to cut loose?”

She tried to back away but he held her in an iron grip. Her face paled as she got a close look at him. He grinned showing his canines and pushed her against the wall behind him. Pinning her in place, he sneered, “What? No answer to that? Let me tell you what I think. I think I sacrificed my happy ass for centuries helping you stupid, worthless, faithless humans. And for what? You’re worse than fucking demons. Killing, raping, destroying each other. You don’t deserve to live.”

He lifted one large hand and placed it against the side of her face, cupping it almost gently. Caressing her cheek with one thumb, he purred against her ear, “And you’re the worst of them. Aren’t you? Lying, plotting, unfaithful bitch. I would’ve sacrificed everything for you and you ruined it.”

A heartbeat passed and he said nothing.

Another heartbeat and he let the corners of his mouth lift slowly as she realized what he was doing.

Her eyes went huge and she tried to turn her head away from the pressure of his hand, but she was frozen in place. His thumb continued tracing gentle circles against her skin but his hand seemed to squeeze her skull. The pressure built and she freaked.

Staring hard into her eyes, Sean focused on her brain and watched as she panicked like a cornered rat. Her eyes darted back and forth desperately looking for rescue. Her heart pounded against him, its rhythm frantic, out of control.

Her blood pumped faster. He could hear it rushing through her veins.

“That’s it, bitch. Let your blood pump. The faster it goes, the quicker your brain will explode.” His voice was soft and lazy as he watched her face turn an interesting shade of red.

“Rot in hell!” she managed to snarl before a guttural moan escaped her lips.

Her fingernails clawed into his hand gouging ribbons of skin as she tried to move him. He didn’t feel the pain, didn’t care what she did.

She had to die.

There was no other way.

Blood bubbled from her ear and slowly dribbled down her jaw. Intrigued, he leaned forward and lapped at it with his tongue.

“So that’s what it tastes like? Sweet.”

She was crying and screaming as the arteries tightened and burst inside her skull.

Licking her again, he murmured, “Keep yelling, sweetheart. You’re just turning me on. I can’t believe I’ve missed out on this all this time. I’m going to enjoy letting myself go.”

His hand gripped her tighter and she went silent, eyes dilated with mindless fear now.

His feral grin disappeared and he studied her clinically. Blood was oozing from her nose and dripped over her chin.

Any second now…

He leaned closer and kissed her brutally just as she lost consciousness and went limp in his hands. Caught up in the moment, he kissed her again and then let her slide to the floor.

He gave her one last look of disgust and wiped the blood off his mouth with the corner of his shirt. Just as he turned to go, Killian materialized and stopped dead, his face draining to chalk as he took in Mica’s still body and wide staring eyes.

“What did you do?” he whispered hoarsely.

“She provoked me.”

With a roar of rage, he lunged at Sean and the two of them slammed into the wall. The wall cracked and Sean’s head bounced so hard his teeth cracked. Killian hit him hard in the gut and he gasped for oxygen while spots danced in his vision.

That hurt. Ow.

Sean jumped away from Killian and gave him the finger before vanishing.

The frigid night air slapped him in the face when he rematerialized on the shore. The air felt good as it cooled his flaming body. Breathing shallowly, he stood still and took inventory. His ribs hurt like hell and he couldn’t draw a full breath. Freakin’ Killian broke a rib or two. Shit. Man, he never could leash his power. Didn’t know the meaning of taking it down a notch. He’d hit Sean with the full force of his strength. His left hand was dripping blood and the scratches stung like a mother. He hissed in a breath when the cold air hit it, sending a new wave of throbbing through his fingers. Mica had scratched the hell out of him.

Her face floated in front of him; eyes wide and staring, lips glossy with blood.

Ah, Mica. Damn, girl.

This just wasn’t right.

Guilt threatened to swallow him up. He ran his tongue over his lip and tasted blood. Her blood. The image of licking her blood horrified him and he leaned over and hurled.

Jesus. That shit better be convincing. He spit into the grass and shook his head. I’m a bastard. I’m too good at being evil to be faking this. A chill ran through him and he recognized the touch of evil as it caressed him in the darkness.

That didn’t take long.

Resisting the urge to puke again, he wiped his mouth and rolled his shoulders. Okay then, time for the next act.

But first, he needed some alone time.

The Irish safe house was right where he’d left it, and still open to him. He swiped the alarm pad with his palm and went inside. It had only been months, but it felt deserted already. The air was stale and dusty. Hey, house, I’m back. The house lit up as soon as he walked in and warmth seeped from the floor. It was happy for company. A bit later, Sean took a shower. He stood with his head against the glass wall and closed his eyes. With steaming water pouring over his taut muscles, he forced himself to relax. The faces of his family floated through his mind and he let them hang for a minute before gently shoving them away. He had to forget them.

His survival depended on it.

There was no doubt that Jordan would test him. He’d want proof of Sean’s loyalty. Sean had no one other than his Primani family and Mica. And Aisling. His Primani brothers could take care of themselves. Mica was now dead, and therefore, not available for him to torture and kill. And Aisling…well, she was lost. He wasn’t worried about demons going after her since he had no way to find her. They wouldn’t be able to connect the dots.

He turned around and let the water run down his chest. His shoulders relaxed and he breathed a sigh of relief. Saying goodbye one last time, he neatly tucked the memories into the deepest corner of his brain and mentally locked them inside. He’d call Raphael and only Raphael if he needed something. Even Jordan wasn’t stupid enough to send a demon, or a hundred, after the archangel.

Sean sprawled naked across the bed and stared at the ceiling. He went over the plan again and again before finally turning his brain off and crashing hard.

The next morning, he sat up with a start and held his knife in front of him. What had woken him up? A sound? A touch? He blinked into the pale light of dawn and held his breath as the specter shimmered and disappeared. A sharp odor washed over him and he swore under his breath.

How had they found him here?

With his location known, he shrugged and got up. It didn’t change things. He’d just call Jordan sooner than he’d planned. That crazy, fallen angel could wait until he was ready though. Taking his time, Sean took a shower and got dressed in his commando gear. He didn’t bother to shave, knowing that the black growth made him look meaner and more dangerous. His hair had grown out to curl up over his collar. He hated it long; it made him look pretty. Like a girl. But he needed it to grow out and be shaggy. He would fit in better if he looked more uncivilized. The military hair cut was too conservative, too proper. It would have to go for a while. He brushed his teeth and shoved the brush into a pocket in his pants. Evil he may be, but that was no reason to compromise on dental health. He grinned at the mirror, pearly whites gleaming back at him.

After enjoying a last cup of coffee and a frozen waffle, he readied himself. Mentally he was set. Family pics were tucked away. His alibi was solid. He still had some of Mica’s blood on his shirt--just in case. He tucked his Sig and his knives into their sheaths and slung his backpack over one shoulder. He’d tossed in a change of clothes--no idea if they had washing machines in Hell. He hated wearing bloody clothes; it was just nasty. After resetting the protection spell over the house, he set the physical alarm and stepped outside.

Raphael? It’s go time.

Out loud, he yelled, “Yo, Jordan! I need a ride.”

Chapter 19: The Waiting is the Hardest Part

THE MIST CLOSED AROUND ME just as I slipped into the dark copse of trees. My steps were soundless as I went deeper into the darkness. Hushed, waiting, the very air vibrated with the energy of the unseen. Eyes followed me without blinking, expressions watchful, calculating. Expectant silence surrounded me. Who were they? What did they want with me? I shivered and ran my fingers over the goose bumps on my arms. I walked until I could move no further. The forest simply ended in front of me.

This wasn’t right. This shouldn’t be.

The air around me was thick and heavy like a curtain. Curious now, I ran my fingers through it and marveled as it flowed like silk and fell into place with a soft whisper.

It was warm, inviting...the silkiness wrapped around me, caressing my skin, soothing me. I closed my eyes and relaxed in the warmth. The baby turned in my belly and stretched languidly. With eyes still closed, I rubbed my palm over his tiny head and smiled.

The silky air began to writhe and tighten around me. My arms were pressed to my sides, my legs unable to move. Around and around the air swirled like a web cocooning me. I tried to scream but my mouth was covered and then my eyes.

I was trapped.

The baby squirmed frantically within me as my heartbeat slowed to a stop.

“Mica! Wake up!” Dec’s voice rumbled in my ear as I struggled to wake up from the nightmare.

Startled awake now, I looked around and grimaced. Safe. I was safe here. The baby was fine. It was that damn dream again. I’d been having it off and on for weeks. I stood and stretched the kinks out of my back. Falling asleep on the couch was something I did a lot these days. Apparently sleepiness is a side effect of early pregnancy...as was nausea, dizziness, and headaches.

“You okay?” he asked, totally invading my personal space.

Pushing him back a few inches, I said, “Geez, dude. Back off. It’s just a worry dream.”

I was pretty sure that was true; it didn’t feel like any kind of premonition, and God knew I was REALLY good at worrying. Especially since Killian was gone and Raphael told us that Sean was officially underground. I hoped he didn’t mean that literally.

Dec draped his lean self across the back of the couch and idly stroked Domino behind her silky ears. She closed her eyes and sighed. I think she started to purr but caught herself.

Taking a long deep breath, he plunged in. “Soooo, I’m starving like a hostage. You want me to make you some soup too?” His expression begged me to just say yes.

I didn’t want soup. What I wanted was to snap his gorgeous blond head right off his neck.

Knowing he wouldn’t cooperate with that plan, I resisted the impulse.

It wasn’t his fault. Really it wasn’t.

Oh sure, two weeks cooped up with a hot muscular guy who looks like a poster child for Australian tourism sounds like a great fantasy come true. You know, you spend days lounging on each other, feeding each other peeled grapes and laughing over silly things. Nights are spent lost in the throes of erotic adventures...

NOT!

The fantasy comes to a screeching halt when said handsome dude is more like your brother, will never be your lover, and you’re puking your guts out like clockwork. Add the constant tiredness, endless worry, and total seclusion and you get...

One viciously cranky bi-otch.

Poor Dec. In another lifetime, I would’ve felt sorry for him. Right now, I just felt...caged.

Feeling stronger after my nap, I paced near the small window and parted the ugly beige drapes. Huge sigh. It was raining. Of course it was. This was the wettest freaking place on the entire planet. It made me wonder why there weren’t more vampires slinking around London. I’d have to ask about that. Another huge sigh. Thumping my forehead against the cold glass didn’t make me feel much better but I did it anyway. My stomach gurgled unhappily and I scowled at it in dire warning. Don’t even think about it! You puked already today. You have a one-yack-a-day limit. Period.

The smell of chicken broth drifted to my nose. Another gurgle from the nether regions...

“Hey, little momma, you need to try to eat.” His face was carefully blank, somber, as he came over to me. A lock of streaky blond hair fell over his forehead, making him irresistible. “Please, sweetheart.”

I gave him a disgruntled half-smile and his face lit with pleasure. It was the sun bursting through a cloud bank. Yep, he was just that happy.

I smiled a real smile for him then.

“There’s my girl! I put rice in the broth so maybe it’ll stick with you. Come on, sit down and eat with me.” He wrapped a warm paw around my wrist and tugged me with him.

Carefully blowing on my spoon before each bite, I managed to put away the bowl without any lip from my stomach. Apparently the baby approved of rice.

“I have an idea,” Dec announced.

Domino trotted over and leaned her chin on his thigh with a small whine.

“You can come too, little spotted princess.” He gave me a full-dimple grin and tapped his watch. “Get some warmer clothes on. We’re getting out of this dump.”

“Seriously?”

“As a heart attack. You need some fresh air before you lose your mind and I wake up dead again!”

Three hours later, he pulled the car to the side of the road and parked. I wanted to jump out of the car, but the sight in front of me stunned me into mouth-hanging-open immobility.

Wow.

“Omigod, Dec! It’s so cool!” I gushed in whispered awe as I got out of the car.

Avebury.

It was breathtaking. I’d never seen anything like it. Mother Nature seemed to want to add to the drama by putting on a grumpy display of force. The winter sky was swollen with thick grey clouds that cast the field into early twilight. Tiny sunbeams trickled out to backlight the standing stones like works of art in a museum. Pale snow dusted the grey rock and the ground around the circle. The sky was grey, the rocks were grey; the air shimmered with darkness and light. But for the miracle of sunlight, the stone circle would’ve been creepy. As it was, it was mystical, inviting somehow. My heart quickened as a faint vibration ran through the earth under my feet. It felt like a welcome.

Taking my hand, Dec crossed the outer ditch and moved into the circle. Domino bounded with doggy joy and we let her go. There was no one here but us. To the casual observer, Dec would be a well-bundled young man out walking his spotted furball. I was cloaked. In other words, I was invisible to anyone but Dec. He held my hand to keep the magic in place. As long as we were connected, I was cloaked. It wasn’t always convenient, but it worked.

That’s what happened when you faked your own death.

Dec talked as he loped across the frozen ground. He said, “This is one of my favorite henges. It was built around 2,600 B.C., but it’s still a magical place. Can you feel the energy?”

Absolutely. It was like a constant hum in my blood. The waves of an unseen force washed over us like a gentle tide of warm sea water. It was like nothing I’d felt before.

“My teeth are vibrating. Does everyone feel this?” For some reason, I didn’t think so.

He glanced down at me and smiled softly, boyishly. “Now, darlin’, surely you know the answer to that?”

Okay...that was a big fat NO.

Guess we were special...

We wandered down the stone avenue and I was quiet for once.

Dec mused, “Someone’s named this West Kennet Avenue. It’s odd to me. Why does man feel the need to own everything? Why name this? Surely the Stone Age humans who built this place didn’t call it that.”

There weren’t a lot of standing stones anymore. It had been bigger a long time ago. It felt massive, powerful even. I asked, “What happened to all the stones? There were more than this, weren’t there?”

“Oh, yeah. Originally there were around 98 sarsen stones. By the time the Iron Age rolled around, no one used this place and the locals had no memory of why it was built. By the Middle Ages, overzealous Christians decided it was built by the devil and the villagers tried to dismantle it.”

That wasn’t a shock. Humans liked to destroy what they didn’t understand. I looked around at the lonely stones and sighed in sympathy. Men had built this place with sweat and blood only to have other men rip it down. The ghosts should be pissed, but I didn’t feel anything malevolent here.

“Why didn’t they destroy all of it?”

Dec chuckled and squeezed my fingers. His eyes reflected the eerie sunlight back at me. “Hard to haul rocks when you’re busy dying from the plague.” He shrugged and added with a wink, “Funny how no one took that as a sign.”

Laughing up at him, I said, “Oooh, you’re bad, Dec.”

He shot me a ‘who me?’ look of perfect innocence. “I am never, ever bad, sweetheart. I’m the good one, remember?”

Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure.

A gust of chilly wind swept through the stones. I pulled my knit hat down over my ears and shuddered. The sky was seriously thinking about dumping something wet and cold on us. I nudged him and gestured at the deepening gloom.

Whistling shrilly, Dec waited for our frolicking demon dog to race back to us. Her head snapped up and she took off like a rocket. Screeching to a stop beside Dec, she panted with her tongue lolling. She was in doggy Heaven.

This place rocks!

“Here you go, Princess. Have some water.” I stooped and poured some water into her grinning jaws. She suddenly stiffened and snarled deep in her chest.

Dec froze and gripped my hand in warning. He scanned the circle with narrowed eyes. I reached out with my own vision.

“Oh, crap. Dec, something’s here.” A cold shiver crawled up my neck that had nothing to do with the wind. The gust of frigid air numbed my face and stole my breath.

Dec’s entire body tensed and heated for battle. The snow melted beneath his feet. Still gripping my fingers, he searched for the entity I sensed. Domino was growling loudly now and barely controlling the urge to lunge and destroy. Her body trembled with adrenaline, but she planted all four paws firmly in the dead grass and guarded me.

Dec’s eyes turned fiery and he breathed, “Shit. Time to bolt. Let’s go!”

With a challenging glare at the unseen presence across the circle, Dec dragged me to the parked car and practically shoved me inside. Domino sat on my lap snarling out the window.

After we were several miles away and Dec was sure we weren’t followed, he let out the breath he was holding and said, “Damn it! That was messed up. Any other time I would’ve slaughtered that amateur.” He smacked the top of the steering wheel in serious the-one-that-got-away frustration. Primani NEVER ran from a fight.

Seeing my questioning stare, he shook his head and grumbled, “Dude, it was alone! I could’ve taken it with one hand tied behind my back. This feels so wrong!”

“What did it want? Was it me?” I hoped I wasn’t still sending out ‘kill me, please’ vibes to all of demondom.

“Nah, not you, darlin’. Me. Demons can sense our presence if they’re close enough. That one probably stays around here and picked up on my energy. It’s no biggie. He couldn’t see you so you’re safe enough.” He smacked the wheel with less force this time. “I hate walking away! I feel like such a girl!”

He blushed and hurriedly added, “No offense.”

“None taken,” I smiled placidly.

He was really, really annoyed right now. His emotions were careening out of him like a tiny nuclear meltdown. Annoyance, frustration, anger, and just a bit of fear (probably for me!) swamped me as my empathic powers went to work. The thing was, I couldn’t stay cloaked if he let go of me. The demons couldn’t find out I was still alive or they’d use it against Sean. On top of that, we didn’t know if the Primani powers or the demons’ powers would hurt the baby...like radiation or something. So we’d agreed to avoid all fighting and use of magic unless absolutely necessary. It was killing poor Dec!

An unfamiliar motorcycle was parked in the garage when we got to the house. The big Harley was still dripping wet. Who the heck was crazy enough to drive a motorcycle in the snow?

“Dimitri,” my bodyguard breathed with surprise. His bad mood vanished like smoke. “Come on, little momma. You’re gonna love this guy!”

Domino bounded up the steps and pranced impatiently while I picked my way across the slushy sidewalk.

Impatient himself, Dec lifted me up and carried me to the cleared porch. As soon as we came inside, the tallest man I’d ever seen froze and stared with surprise etched into his very handsome face. Straight golden hair fell to his shoulders, with a thin intricate braid hanging against his right cheek. Primani blue eyes blazed out of a pale face with high slanted cheekbones and feathery brows. A full mouth that curled into a natural smile completed the picture. He was easily taller than Killian and made strong and lean like a jungle cat. His black leather pants and heavy biker boots left no doubt that he owned the Harley.

Before anyone said a word, Domino gave a yip of mad joy and leapt into his arms. The blond giant laughed as she licked his face from top to bottom.

Geez. Was she greeting him or tasting him? The dog had no sense whatsoever.

“Dec? You can set me down now,” I suggested.

At the sound of my voice, the new guy stopped laughing and locked eyes with me. With a sound of annoyance, I flipped down my psychic shutters and closed my head to him. What was it with these guys?

“Stay out of my head, Legolas. I like my space.”

He blinked and inclined his head respectfully. “I meant no offense, miss.”

Dec cleared his throat and grinned from ear to ear. “Uh, maybe I should introduce you two? Dimitri, this is Mica. Mica Leahy.” He gave heavy emphasis to my last name.

Dimitri considered me again with a whole new expression on his face. Part curiosity, part fear, he respectfully looked me over and bowed at the waist. Without seeming to move at all, he suddenly stood in front of me and took my hand in his. His huge hand completely enveloped mine as he shook it gently. A small black rune was inked into the underside of his right wrist. There was a strange blue symbol in the center of it. It winked up at me like a gem, its iridescence surprising me.

“It’s my pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard much about your power, but not enough of your beauty, Mrs. Leahy.” His voice was deep and lightly accented. It wasn’t Irish. German? Russian?

“Mica. Please just call me Mica. It’s nice to meet a friend of Dec’s. Are you staying here?”

His mouth widened into a devastating smile and most of my blood rushed to my face in a burst of heat. He was captivating and supernaturally compelling--impossibly adorable. What was the deal with these Primani? They’re not gods; they’re warriors for crying out loud!

“It’s a job requirement, isn’t it?” I muttered to Dec. “Blond, blue, and bad ass.”

He burst into hoots of laughter until Dimitri frowned.

Dec finally calmed down enough to gasp, “You’re priceless.”

Amused, I shrugged out of my heavy coat and peeled off my hat. Underneath, I had on a pair of jeans and a sweater. Nothing special. It was more practical than stylish. Yet Dimitri’s eyes brightened at the sight of me.

Angel or not, I’ll bite you if you try anything. I shot him a warning glance and he ignored me. Before I could stop him, he placed his big paw over my belly and closed his eyes.

Really? “Haven’t any of you heard of personal space?”

Dec chuckled and patted my arm lightly. Apparently this was normal for Dimitri.

He murmured several words in his native language, and then smiled peacefully. “Does Killian know?”

“Of course he knows. He was there.”

Grinning wider, he nodded and said, “Of that I have no doubt. But that’s not what I meant.”

Chapter 20: Where Angels Fear to Tread

Hell, sort of:

THE DEMON’S FACE TURNED PURPLE. Sean’s fingers turned white as he tightened them around the rubbery neck. The demon cried out and weakly kicked at Sean’s stomach. Unperturbed, Sean growled in satisfaction as the reptilian eyes grew dim in the darkness of the corridor.

That’s a good demon. Time to die now.

“Sean!” Jordan’s harsh voice interrupted his playtime. “Put Xairin down this minute!”

Shit! Busted...again.

Sean’s eyes glittered dangerously as Jordan came up behind him. He wanted to turn around and grab Jordan’s throat and end this right now. But those were dangerous thoughts, so he shoved them out of his mind. Now wasn’t the time. Xairin gasped for breath and grumbled angrily when Sean threw him to the floor.

Jordan’s tone was gently chiding but his eyes seared him in place. “My boy, I thought we had an understanding. You are not supposed to kill my army. I need them to move my plan forward. He’s one of Dagin’s soldiers, correct?”

Sean forced himself to appear respectful and said, “I was simply defending myself, Commander. You don’t expect me to let them fuck with me, do you?”

Jordan shook his head in doubt. “I expect you to lead your army as I’ve instructed you to. Leave Dagin’s soldiers to him. If you have any trouble, bring it up with Dagin. I would dearly love, just once, to see you two brilliant strategists work together without having to scrape body parts off of the floor.” His tone had gone from chiding to complete exasperation. He threw his hands up and dismissed Sean.

Sean ground his teeth together as he stalked off towards his quarters. It had been a looonnnggg few weeks, beginning the night Sean called for Jordan. He’d been escorted here by his favorite demon. Of course it had been Dagin! He’d shimmered into the yard at the safe house and Sean immediately launched into attack mode. He’d seen nothing but red the second Dagin showed his face. His face! By the time they were done going at each other, Dagin’s mask was shredded into pieces and the black scales of his true form were all that was left.

To say that Jordan was pissed was an understatement. He’d sent two other demons to grab them and then read them the riot act. Dagin was forbidden to don Sean’s face again and Sean was hung up by his arms for three days--to think about his attitude. Jordan’s words, not Sean’s.

That soul-sucking bastard was going to pay for that. Oh yeah, Dagin would pay. He was so sick of him--had been for centuries. It was about time for that asshole to kick it.

Yanking a can of Coke from the vending machine, he headed into his room and carefully shut the door and locked it. Some welcome he’d gotten that first night. It had taken five of them to force his wrists into the metal manacles and he’d killed two of them by the time they were finished. Bloody and furious, he cursed them as they laughed and left him alone in the dark. His left arm was dislocated in the fight and the pain nearly drove him insane for three days.

Jordan had laughed at his protests and said simply, “You’ll behave or you’ll die here.”

Sean punched the wall and smiled grimly at the cracked plaster. Jordan was going down. That rat bastard traitor’s days were numbered. In the meantime though, Sean was the model fallen angel. He’d learned his lesson and was toeing the line now. Jordan had made him the commander of one half of his army while Dagin was in charge of the other. They were gearing up for a major assault. Sean knew he wasn’t getting the whole story from these demon idiots, but they didn’t know he already knew the grand plan.

Bring on the apocalypse, Jordan. We’re so going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Satan’s hot tub. Yeah, let’s see how happy the Deal Maker will be when you fail. With that thought fueling his determination, Sean pumped out 200 pushups and 200 crunches. He spent another 20 minutes practicing some of his favorite martial arts moves. The room wasn’t big enough to do much, but he was faithful to his body. He’d work out every day to keep himself physically strong. Couldn’t afford to get soft.

He hadn’t been allowed outside yet, but he got the feeling they were in the subterranean floors of the lab in Lucerne. He sensed a large human presence above him and some of the rooms were unused offices. The Coke machine also gave it away. The maintenance instructions were printed in Swiss. Duh.

His room looked like a dorm room: small, impersonal, and undecorated. He had a bed and a table. That was all he really needed though. With any luck, he’d be outta here in a few more weeks.

The woman with sad blue eyes haunted him. Every night she crept into his mind calling to him for help he couldn’t give her. Mute and immobile, he could only stare helplessly as the dream unfolded.

She gazed at the stars above her and wiped tears from her heart-shaped face. Something was different about her. She’d been lithe and graceful when he’d seen her last. Her delicate beauty and strength had comforted him when he was at the end of his rope. But something had changed her. Her shoulders drooped with fatigue and something more...sorrow, defeat? Unable to stand any longer, she dropped to her knees on the bank of the stream. Head bowed, shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs, she cried as though her heart was broken. Sean watched in shock, unable to help her, unable to stop her.

Aisling.

She raised her face to the sky and cried, “Why have the angels forsaken us? Please God, I’m begging you.”

Sean reached out to her but his hand was as inconsequential as mist. She turned towards him and her eyes met his. Sean flinched at the raw pain.

She whispered, “Please, Sean.”

Gasping for air, he sat straight up in the bed and looked wildly for her. A dream. It was just a dream. Throwing himself from the bed, he paced until his heartbeat settled to normal again. He was a wreck. Sweat dripped from his face and his breath came in harsh gasps. Her face swam into view and he squeezed his eyes against it.

Aisling.

Where was she?

She haunted him with those eyes.

Accusing him, begging him, damning him.

He rubbed his eyes as shame swamped him, and he sniffed hard against the sudden rush of emotion. I’m so sorry, baby! He was the lowest piece of shit for leaving her there alone. She needed him, but he couldn’t do anything for her. It was making him crazy with frustration, hence, the nightmares. He wanted nothing more than to be her knight in shining armor and rescue her from her solitude. Then they’d...what? Hell, he didn’t know what he expected from her. Nothing? Everything? He couldn’t let himself feel anything for her.

Not here. Not now.

All soft emotions were out; freakin’ demons could sense weakness in a heartbeat. He couldn’t afford to even think those kinds of thoughts. They’d just get him killed down here. He’d only survive on his animal instincts. There was no time for anything besides rage, violence, and cunning.

He’d buried all tender feelings the minute he ripped Dagin’s face off. Failing here wasn’t an option. The stakes were too high. But maybe...

Raphael? The wanderer’s in trouble.

The archangel’s calm voice came back immediately. Don’t think on it. I have it under control. Focus.

And that was that. Short and sweet--there was no sense in testing their boundaries. So far no one had discovered their telepathic conversations, but they didn’t know how long that would last. Sean let out the breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding.

Raphael would take care of Aisling. There was no doubt about that. The angel would move Heaven and Earth to find the wandering Primani if Killian failed to bring her in. Damn, I wish I could be there when he finds her! He couldn’t help wishing, but it was pointless. They all had a job to do, and his wasn’t rescuing the damsel. If all went well, he’d get to save the world...Hell, can’t complain about that!

Sean glanced at his watch. It was nearly dawn already. Time to slap on his game face and try not to die.

Looking out into the corridor, he scanned for life. The hallway was empty, but there were a few demons in the other dorm rooms. No doubt they were still busy brushing and flossing their endless rows of fangs...Sean slipped into the hallway and used his powers to go ghost. Instead of teleporting, he channeled his inner-Han Solo and used hyperspeed to get to the stairwell without being seen. A wave of the hand released the padlock on the fire door and he slipped inside. He took a second to reattach the lock and then crept down the pitch dark stairs. The air was thick and heavy with the smell of sulfur. Demons. He planted his molars together to keep from gagging on their disgusting smell and scanned for company.

So far, so good. He smelled them, but didn’t sense any nearby. The door at the next landing wasn’t locked. Odd, that. He flattened himself against the wall and listened with his ears and mind.

Wait a minute...

The childlike singing sent a chill crawling over his skin.

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word...”

Frozen against the wall, he closed his eyes against the burning that was taking over.

“Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.”

Oh God. No, it can’t be.

He curled his fingers into the concrete wall behind him to keep from charging blindly into the darkness. He sucked in another deep breath when the singing continued. Killian’s mantra echoed inside his head and he let it calm his impulse. Careful and smart.

“And if that mockingbird won’t sing...won’t sing...won’t...” The hypnotic voice cut off abruptly replaced by the scream of a wild animal. The feminine lilt was replaced by a hoarse plea. “James? Where are you, James? I can’t remember...can’t remember...”

Silence.

Okay. Okay. Shit. Sean rubbed his eyes and thought over his options. None of them were good. All of them would probably kill him.

Rolling his shoulders and palming his blade, he eased into the dark passageway and cranked his senses to high alert. As he ghosted down the hall, he tried not to breathe. The air was rank with death and dying. He passed locked doors that no force on Earth could get him to open. No way in hell. Those doors reeked of death and suffering--entrails, blood, brain splatters. Torture chambers. He’d been in one of them already. That was enough. He could give a shit less about the demons being tortured. Let them rot.

The smell changed when he got to the middle of the corridor. He slowed down and drew in a deeper breath.

Human.

Female.

The door was locked, but the key hung on a hook next to it. Tensing for an attack, he unlocked the door with a swipe of his palm and waited for the door to swing open. It creaked on rusty hinges and stopped halfway. Drawing in his breath, Sean let his Primani night vision take over. This wasn’t a cell.

This was a tomb.

A woman sat in a rocking chair with her arms wrapped oddly around her middle. She rocked mechanically. Back and forth. Back and forth. Her feet hung limply above the floor. The chair simply moved without her help. Her face was shrouded in a dark hood, her body covered with rags of a dress long since destroyed. Pale skin gleamed dully in the darkness. It smelled like a nightmare in there.

The sweet sickening scent of death clung to his skin while he hesitated in the doorway.

Poor woman would welcome death. It would claim her soon.

What was he going to do with her? He didn’t dare teleport her out of here; Jordan would know the second he tried to leave.

Raphael? Found Dani.

Is she dead?

Damn close.

Several seconds ticked by before the angel gave him instructions. Mark the location and I’ll send someone in five minutes. Get out of there before you get caught.

Roger that.

Sean placed his open palm on the door and focused his saol into it. The bright light outlined his hand and sank into the metal door. It winked softly and went dark. Raphael was right; he shouldn’t be here now. But he couldn’t just leave her like this. Mica would lose her mind if she saw her friend now. He paced for a minute and jumped when the singing started again.

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word...”

Her voice sent his blood to the freezer and he forced himself not to shiver. He wasn’t afraid of a human woman...no matter how creepy her lullaby sounded.

Her eyes were open and staring, but she wasn’t awake. She stroked her belly with an odd jerky motion. Mechanical.

No, not her belly...

Ah, hell.

Closing his eyes, he swore in three different dead languages before swallowing the bile that rose in the back of his throat.

He sighed and said a silent prayer to Raphael. He moved closer and lifted the corner of the material covering the bundle on her lap.

Jesus.

That explained the smell.

The air shifted behind him as someone materialized. He stepped into the shadows and went ghost.

“Dimitri, thank God.” Sean greeted his friend with a huge sigh of relief.

Dimitri’s eyes went round in surprise. “What are you doing in here?”

“Listen to me quick. That woman is Dani Taylor. She’s a friend. Dec has a soft spot for her. She was carrying a demon spawn. It’s dead.” He frowned and added, “I think it’s still, uh, connected to her womb.”

Dimitri whistled in alarm. “Okaaaay. That’s just gross on a whole new level. I’ll take her to another safe house and call Raphael.”

Sean nodded his approval. “Good plan. Don’t bring her anywhere near Mica or Dec. She’s probably marked.” At Dimitri’s look of surprise, he added, “Long story. Raphael will know what to do.”

They stared soberly at each other, both aware of the likely outcome.

Sean suggested, “I’d take the whole chair if I were you.”

With a grim nod, his brother Primani saluted and vanished with Dani, chair and all.

Sean took just enough time to destroy his mark on the door and cleanse any lingering Primani vibes before ghosting out of there.

“Well it’s about fucking time. Nice of you to show up.” Dagin’s mouth twisted into a snarl of contempt as he watched Sean enter the room.

The demon had taken to wearing the mask of a tall heavily-muscled human. This one had the look and mannerisms of a cage fighter from say, Trenton, New Jersey. The mask was part Italian, part Cuban, part Rottweiler: Dark skinned, dark eyed, with an explosive temperament. Not that Sean had anything against Rotts; he’d seen plenty that were great dogs. Blending the Rottie aggression with demon morals...Well, that was just asking for shit to go down. Dagin thought he was clever though and strutted around like he was the world champ.

More like world chump.

Ha.

Sean ignored the rude comment. He’d kill him eventually. Today wasn’t the right day. Instead of rising to the bait, he clapped him on the back on the way by and grinned like he was happy to be there.

“Sorry, asshole, I don’t answer to you.”

Dagin shrugged and leaned against the wall with crossed arms. He watched Sean with lowered lids for five minutes before saying slyly, “You know, your woman sure was sweet. The taste of her...mm, mm.” He licked his lips and showed his fangs.

Sean kept moving away from the doorway. He counted to ten while picking at nonexistent dirt under his fingernails.

He counted to ten again.

Raphael? I really want to kill Dagin.

Faint laughter rang inside his mind.

Dagin’s purring voice came again. “Oh, I don’t know, but I think she liked me better than you. She made the most exciting little whimpers when I ripped off her clothes. It was hard to resist.”

“Do you want to keep your tongue?” Sean turned slowly and raised his palm. A fine thread of energy coiled into a whip that dangled from his fingers. Another word and he would snatch the fucker’s tongue right out of his head.

The door to the office opened and Jordan’s assistant Kyrrin stepped into the room. Kyrrin was a minor demon who generally acted like a suckass. He was slightly built with wispy blond hair that was forever in his eyes. His eyes were reptilian, but strangely green instead of the typical demon red or yellow. His demon form was so close to humanoid that he didn’t bother to mask himself here. There were a few giveaways though. The extra fingers on each hand weren’t too obvious, but the twin grey horns on his head sure were. He also sported a set of retractable fangs.

The alpha male in Sean wanted to kick the shit out of him--just because. That, too, would have to wait. Instead of jamming the little wuss into the wall, Sean nodded at him and crossed his arms over his chest. This oughta be good.

Kyrrin swallowed nervously and said, “The Commander is unavailable. He left instructions for you both. Uh, Dagin, you’re to get an update from Dr. Braughn and brief the Commander tonight at 9:00 sharp. He wants to know when the first batch will be ready for large-scale testing.”

Dagin smirked at the choice assignment. Sean groaned inside. Damn it. He needed to follow the smallpox trail, but Jordan wouldn’t let him anywhere near it. He still didn’t trust him that far. Instead, he was training the demon soldiers on battle tactics.

Stalking forward, Dagin snapped in the wussy demon’s face, “Anything else, dickhead?”

Blanching and edging closer to Sean, Kyrrin whispered, “That’s it,” and buried his nose in his notebook again.

Dagin snickered and punched Kyrrin in the face. The little demon’s nose spurted oily black fluid and he pulled out a tissue with shaking hands.

Sean stepped forward and bumped chests with the MMA wannabe. “Piss off, Jersey Shore. It’s my turn.”

Dagin shoved him but Sean held his ground and sneered into his face. Come on, hit me. Do it! He wanted to rip Dagin’s head off but needed him to go first. If he was punished again, he wanted company.

Shouldering Sean to the side, Dagin stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

Getting his temper under wraps again, Sean considered the wimpy admin assistant with disgust. It made no sense. He was a demon, for crying out loud. Hello? Evil by nature. Come on, buddy, get your shit together.

Tick tock.

After several minutes of gushing, Kyrrin finally sniffed loudly and shoved the wad of disgusting tissues into the trash can. Straightening his starched white collar with some dignity, he turned to Sean. His expression clearly showed he expected more ridicule, but he lifted his chin and met Sean’s eyes anyway.

Hmm. Maybe he’s got some balls after all. Interesting.

Changing tactics, Sean said, “You’ve got a hard job, Kyrrin. I don’t envy you, man.”

Surprise, quickly masked with wariness, jumped into his eyes. The little demon sighed and said more firmly, “I have your orders, if you’re ready for them.”

“I’m listening.”

“You need to build a bomb.”

Chapter 21: Lost and Found

London, England:

“RIVIN! ARE YOU NUTS? What are you doing here?” Killian roared the second he rematerialized and spotted Rivin’s huge frame sprawled asleep on the couch.

Rivin jumped two feet in the air and threw both arms out in defense. His head swiveled back and forth as he tried to figure out where the threat was.

Killian ground his molars together and dragged the dumbass Primani outside by the back of his leather jacket.

Dec, who’d been lounging over one of the armchairs, hopped nimbly to his feet and followed with Domino at his heels. “Dude, what’s the problem? You’re freakin’ me out!”

Killian rounded on Rivin and snarled, “You dumbass! You can’t be here! You can’t be around Mica now.”

Speechless for once in his life, Rivin gaped at Killian like he’d lost his marbles. Mica peered through the curtains in the bedroom window above them. Her face lit with the force of her emotions and Killian felt it all the way to his bones.

Stay inside, baby, please. He sent his thoughts to her.

Her frown came immediately. He locked his eyes to hers and willed her not to argue. There was too much at stake.

She nodded and smiled with a slow wave of her hand.

Find me when you’re done?

Guaranteed.

She stayed in the window and watched as he tried not to kill Rivin. What was the idiot thinking? Didn’t he know better?

Now that the shock wore off, Rivin was thoroughly pissed. He wrenched Killian’s grip off of his jacket and shouted, “Back off, arsewipe! What’s your problem?”

Striving for patience and a sense of calm he wasn’t feeling, Killian dropped his hands and ground out, “You can’t expose her to the virus. She’s pregnant.”

Rivin’s mouth twitched and his eyes shot to the window above them. “No bloody way!”

Dec slapped him on the back, “Breathe, big guy. It’s just a baby.”

“Yeah, but...this is different. This is our baby!” He flashed a tentative smile of wonder and fingered the cross at his throat. “It’s a miracle.”

Killian felt his face morph to sheepish.

Well, hell. Didn’t he feel like the dumbass now?

He’d just about lost his mind when he saw Rivin. He’d been working in the lab around the virus cultures for weeks. He would be immune to infection, but theoretically could carry it. If Mica or the baby got infected...but Rivin couldn’t have known she was pregnant.

Holding out a hand, he manned up and said, “Sorry, man. I forgot you didn’t know. It’s just...well, I’m worried about them.”

Rivin’s eyes narrowed and he broke into a grin. “Well, I’ll be damned. The great Killian Leahy actually gives a shit about someone? Who the fuck knew this was possible?” He shook his hand and said sincerely, “Congratulations, mate. It’s about damn time.”

“You have no idea,” he muttered in response. Only thousands of years...give or take one or two. “Let’s get out of here so you can fill me in.”

They teleported to John’s pub so they could talk in private. John’s booming baritone greeted them as soon as they pushed open the front door.

“Lads! Come in, come in! Grab a table by the fire. It’s cold as a witch’s tit out there!”

The man had a way with words. Killian was glad to see his old friend and wished he had time to just hang out and relax. Not tonight though; too much to do.

After a quick catching up with them, John headed for the tap and set about getting two tall foamy beverages.

“So what’s the news?” Killian was all business now. Things were coming to a head and he’d been getting that crawling feeling across the back of his neck that usually came just before all hell broke loose. They really needed a break here. So far the intel hadn’t been strong and he was feeling more and more like they were on the losing side of this game. If something didn’t give, a lot of people were gonna die.

Rivin leaned forward on his elbows and lowered his voice. “The analysts are done running scenarios. They think Jordan will try a test run first. He’ll want to see how the dispersal works before launching a full attack. Likely starting points? Who the fuck knows? We have no idea. Could be anywhere.”

That’s not what he wanted to hear. “Are you telling me our analysts can’t narrow down possible locations? I can’t believe that.”

The big Primani twisted the hoop in his ear and frowned into his glass. “Apparently there are too many to narrow down. Killian, this is worse than we thought. There is no chatter about this. None. Zero. Bloody fucking zip.” He paused to take a long pull of his beer before adding, “It’s like the only plans are in Jordan’s head. I gotta give him props. Who knew he was this cagey?”

Good question.

The butler wasn’t.

It wasn’t Jordan calling the shots anymore. Killian had met the real demon in charge...the gravelly voice still sent a chill down his back when he remembered the confrontation in the cathedral. How the hell were they supposed to defeat Satan? The Primani couldn’t do that alone. They weren’t anywhere near strong enough. He’d chew them up and spit them out--dead. The archangels would have to help. It would come down to Michael, really. But even then...it would be an impossible task. After all, the final confrontation was already planned--surely this little attempt at world domination wasn’t going to replace the plans of God.

This wasn’t about the real Armageddon though. This was really about that idiot Jordan’s ego. Stupid shit was going to kill a whole lot of innocent humans for absolutely no reason. There was no way he was going to replace God. It was complete bullshit. Even if he killed off a million people and lit the world on fire, God wasn’t going to step down and turn things over to a crazy ass fallen angel. Satan would know that--he was just helping Jordan along for the joy of screwing with God. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about a few million people dying off. That just made this whole thing even more frustrating. Jordan was a pawn in the oldest game on earth and he didn’t seem to know it. It made Killian shake his head and want to just bitch slap that fallen angel. And then maybe kick him in the teeth.

Rivin knocked his knuckles against the polished table top to get his attention. “Hey! Have you heard a word I’ve said? I’ve got things to do if you’re not interested.”

“Shut up, Rivin. I heard you. All right. Here’s the plan.”

He felt her before he saw her.

She called to him even while he traveled in darkness. His mind, his body, his soul...all three knew exactly where she was at any given second of the day. Like an invisible bungee cord, he swung back to her whenever they were apart. Her essence reached out to him and held him to her plane; he simply closed his eyes now and she pulled him home with the warmth of her saol. Trying to be considerate, he rematerialized in the hallway so he wouldn’t startle her. But he needn’t have bothered. She was sitting up in the bed waiting for him when he slipped inside the room. The small bedside lamp was turned down low sending a soft glow over her face. Her eyes gleamed with humor as her lips curled into a smile.

“Well, it’s about time. I could give birth waiting for you.” The sarcasm was softened by her tone and the gleam in her eyes. Just looking at her sent a curl of heat into his belly. She pulled back the blankets and patted the bed.

In no hurry now, he watched her and appreciated all over again how lucky he was. She’d pulled her heavy hair up into a loose knot that left waves of it flowing down her shoulders. The light caught bits of red and gold glimmering in the rich chocolate strands. He knew exactly how soft it would feel wrapped around his fingers. He couldn’t wait to grab a fistful and tug her head back for a kiss.

“My God, you get more beautiful every time I see you,” he groaned as he crawled in naked beside her. She laughed and kissed his jaw before hugging him closer and covering them up.

“How did it go with Rivin?” She shivered and he felt just a little bad for bringing in the cold air.

“Fine, fine.” He didn’t want to talk about Rivin. He had to leave again and right now he just wanted to curl up with his sexy woman.

He put her off so he could focus on more important things. Like getting her nightshirt off and seeing her naked in his bed. To this end, he leaned her into the pillow and nibbled his way down her neck to the edge of the shirt. It was loose and he pulled it away so he could peak inside. Either she was still cold, or she was happy to see him. He slid the material over her head and dipped his head to warm her skin with his mouth.

Mica sighed and arched her back to give him better access. With a little groan, she slid her hands over his chest like he was some kind of Greek god, worshiping him with her hands, her body. Her thoughts drifted through his mind as he focused his attention on her pleasure. It humbled him to know she loved him so much, found him beautiful and sexy. She was so into him that he felt like a god every time he got naked with her. She made him feel like he could move planets. Her passion for him was like a drug...he wanted her constantly. Since they were reunited, he couldn’t get enough of her. It must be karma making up for lost time.

She dragged her nails slowly over the muscles bunching up on his shoulder and grinned wickedly when he drew in his breath with a hiss.

“I missed you, baby,” she purred against his throat sending little jolts of fire racing down his body.

“I see that. Come closer and let me feel you.” He captured her hands and held them over her head as ran his palm across her breasts and across the sculpted muscles of her belly. The silky texture of her skin was a sharp contrast to the rough calluses of his hands. Goose bumps followed the path of his touch making his own skin prickle with a rush of need.

Lifting his head, he cupped the swell of her belly. “You’ve been eating!”

“Hey!” She smacked him playfully and brought his palm down against her again. She guided his hand around the obvious baby bump. “I think it’s beautiful!”

“Yeah, yeah. Hold still.”

He kissed the taut skin and pressed his ear against her. There it was! A faint little sound, just barely there, it rang like church bells inside his head.

A heartbeat.

“Hey little guy...” he breathed in awe. It was a miracle. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the sound. There was a life in there, just under his cheek. Her child.

Mica twitched underneath him and he lifted his face to find her grinning down at him. “If you’re done communing with the grain of rice, I would like another kiss. On my lips. Up here.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a demanding wench?”

He carefully spread himself across her keeping his weight on his elbows. Leaning down, he tugged her lower lip with his teeth and gently bit down before capturing her mouth with his. She squirmed against him, deepening the kiss with her tongue and he closed his eyes at the pleasure of lying against her. God, he missed this feeling. All those weeks on the road, sleeping rough in the woods or a cave. He’d been ready to come home to her forever, and still they weren’t together. Jordan had a lot to answer for. Bastard.

Sleepy blue eyes locked onto his and he caught his breath at the intensity of her gaze.

Stop daydreaming and make love to me!

Startled, he blinked at her thoughts. Oh, so it’s like that, is it? Well, hmmm.

His mouth curled into a slow smile and he let his eyes travel over her shimmering body. The lamp light lent her skin the most seductive glow...he traced the shadows across her jaw and down her throat with one gentle finger. She reached for him with an impatient sound and he captured her hand in his and kissed the glowing rune. It flashed brilliantly in the dim light until his tingled and burst to life.

“Say that out loud and maybe I will,” he whispered against her neck. “But you have to ask nicely.”

The abrupt intake of breath made him crack a smile, but he smothered it by burying his face against her skin. She wouldn’t do it. She was charmingly shy about what she wanted from him. She was a passionate woman but she couldn’t say the words without blushing to the roots of her hair.

He wrapped her hair around his fingers and captured her mouth with his. It was as much torture for him but anticipation made it all the sweeter.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and he threw the game out the window and plunged into her just as she whispered, “The baby loves you already.”

Screeeeeechh...

Instant cold shower.

He froze and stared down at her face in horror. Then he looked straight down at the point where their bodies were joined and the tiny mound of baby just showing.

Well, now, didn’t he feel just like a pervert? He couldn’t look at that beautiful sight and then...Jesus! Now who’s blushing?

The sound of giggling brought his attention back to the devious wench who was the mother of that baby bump.

Feeling like a jerk, he growled, “Oh, you think you’re funny, do you?” He shifted his hips to the side and flopped down on his back. He snagged the blanket to smash down what was left of his erection and glared balefully at her.

She burst out laughing.

He turned away and pretended interest in the wall. She laughed harder and finally hiccupped and settled down into random snorts and giggles.

“Killian?” Her voice was deceptively sweet now. She was definitely up to something. He felt her poke him in the ribs, and twitched.

He leaned on his elbow and looked down at her smiling face. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes glittered. Unable to resist, he traced her bottom lip with his thumb and watched her eyes widen with emotion.

“I love you so much!” Her voice cracked and she clung to him with an iron grip.

His wife had to be the wettest woman on the planet, he thought. Knowing she wouldn’t appreciate his commenting on that, he rubbed her back and made little comforting noises until she relaxed. Usually these tactics worked to slow the tide but not tonight. She seemed more emotional than usual.

Wonder if pregnancy hormones would make her this much worse?

Flashback to their first pregnancy...

Ah, hell.

“I’m sorry...” she sniffed. “I can’t help it! My emotions are a wreck!”

A wave of love and desire hit him in the chest. He glanced down at his skin and was surprised he wasn’t smoking.

“Oh, ow! Make it stop! I can’t control it!” She held out her hands for him to see.

The tips of her fingers glowed white-hot as the strength of her emotions ignited the power of the saol resting inside of her. It caught fire so fast that her skin hummed as the current barreled through her.

Not good.

Using his softest tone, he let his voice wash over her while he smoothed her hair away from her face. “Steady, babe. Breathe slowly...that’s better. Control the power inside of you.”

Her breathing slowed and she stopped trembling.

“That’s it. Control it.”

“Damn it. I hate when that happens! The poor kid’s going to come out Kentucky fried,” she joked dryly, but her strain came through loud and clear.

He captured her hands in his and kissed her fingertips until they faded to healthy pink skin. “Much better,” he complimented. “You’ve been doing great so far; don’t beat yourself up. You can’t help loving me more than life itself--I mean, really, look who I am.”

She nodded at him without laughing at his teasing. The forlorn expression caught at his heartstrings. It was going to be a long nine months.

Taking pity on him, she cupped his cheek and said, “Don’t panic. I’m fine. I swear. It’s the pregnancy; I’m sure of it. Now that I don’t want to puke all the time, I want to eat, cry, and smother everyone around me with love...lots and lots of love! It’s nauseating.” She shook her head and grinned like herself again. “Dec is about to dump me at the local orphanage. He’s forbidden the rental of any, and I mean any, chick flicks. Apparently he’s squeamish about the tears.”

Killian didn’t bother to hide his grin. Instead, he ran his finger over her belly and laughed at the idea of Dec suffering through endless Rom Coms with Mica sobbing happily at the end.

“Don’t let him fool you. He loves a happy ending.”

She raised an eyebrow and glanced meaningfully at his baby-making parts and asked, “And how about you, husband? Do you like a happy ending?”

Suddenly there were way too many blankets on the bed.

Astral Plane #124:

“Ow, shit!” The sound of his voice ricocheted hollowly through a forest that glittered with a million suns. The light blinded him and he held up a hand to shield his face. Peering through his fingers, he groaned with frustration.

Another dead end.

This plane couldn’t possibly support human life. Everything was glass. Crystal-like formations reared up from the earth at his feet like some mad artist shoved them into a corkboard. Leaning crookedly against one another, they dotted the landscape for as far as his eyes could see. The colors were breathtakingly brilliant as the sun beat down from above and turned them into giant prisms.

“Ow, damn it!” His boots were melting. Again. Great. Now he understood how ants felt...

Time to go. Tucking Sgaine Eiron to his chest once more, he closed his eyes and reached out to Aisling.

Lower Manhattan, New York:

“Another beer?” The waiter rolled up and down on the balls of his feet like he was about to take off running. His eyes darted impatiently behind him at the crowded bar. Young and arrogant, he clearly didn’t care if Killian wanted another beer or not. Looked like he was more worried about his metro hair than his job.

Just for kicks, Killian said, “Sure. And bring me another order of wings. Diablo.” He scowled at the put-out expression on the waiter’s--Mike’s--face. Leaning slightly closer, he said, “Unless you have a problem with that?”

As if noticing his customer for the first time, Mike started at his tone and swallowed a rude comeback. Killian wore his favorite faded-to-grey Candlelight Red t-shirt over faded jeans and combat boots. The comfortable clothes did nothing to hide the bulky muscles he carried around. His forearms were corded with tension as he leaned towards the snotty punk waiter.

Mike flashed a sickly smile and nodded. “Sam Adams and Diablos. Got it. Anything else...sir?”

Much better.

Killian let his mouth curl into a smile knowing it looked more like a snarl. “That’s it for now.”

He watched Metroboy rush over to the bar and stifled a grin when he peered over his shoulder with worried eyes.

“Tsk, tsk. Still so cold? I’d heard you’d mellowed. Guess those rumors were wrong.” The throaty voice was accompanied by the touch of long nails along the side of his neck. “Why don’t I melt some of that ice?”

Reaching up, he grabbed the roaming hand and dragged her around the table. His skin actually crawled and he shoved aside the disgust so it wouldn’t show on his face. The woman slid gracefully into the opposite chair and carefully, artfully, crossed long legs in a short red skirt. Her fuck-me shoes glittered with black stones that weren’t glass. She only wore the best. Black diamonds and imported silk. She was an expensive little whore.

“What do you want, Lara?” he managed without choking on the polite tone.

She tipped her face towards him, showing off her cheekbones and wide eyes. Her red mouth was pulling out all the stops with a serious pout. She licked her lips...to moisten them, of course. The gallon of lip gloss was obviously not doing its job. God, she was so fake.

“I saw you from the street and I just knew you’d like some company. You looked so lonely and I’ve missed you, Killian.” She leaned across the table so he could look down her blouse if he wanted to.

He didn’t. She shifted her arms so her breasts practically fell out of the opening.

He couldn’t help himself. He rolled his eyes until he saw his brain. This bitch had been a pain in his ass for 200 years. She was a stalker long before the word was invented. He’d never been interested in anything she offered, but she wouldn’t let it go. She considered him a challenge.

He would rather stick his dick into a tank of piranhas than inside her overused sewer. And that was before Mica! Now? After finding his wife again? Oh, hell no! He’d cut it off before sticking it anywhere else. She claimed him completely.

The waiter perked up as soon as he spotted the half-naked blond slinking against the table. Rushing over with pad in hand, he dropped off the S.A. and smiled hugely.

“Welcome to B.J.’s. What can I get you to drink?”

She lifted one pale brow and purred, “B.J.’s? Oh, how apropos!” She reached for Killian’s thigh under the table, but he shifted slightly before she could latch on.

“She’s not staying. Just bring me my wings.” Killian’s voice snapped like a whip and the waiter actually jumped and bolted.

She tapped at her cleavage with one finger and purred, “Baby, that’s no way to treat an old friend.” Her nails reminded him of claws dripping with fresh blood. She reached for his leg again and he leaned across the table.

With eyes glowing, he growled low in his throat, “Listen to me and listen good. I don’t want anything you have to offer. Never have, never will. You will get up and get the fuck out of here now, or I will take you outside and help you disappear. Are we clear?”

She blanched and snatched her hand back. With a calculating stare, she smiled tightly and stood. After smoothing her skirt and straightening her hair, she leaned into his ear and murmured, “I do hope your wife survives this pregnancy. So fragile right now. Anything could happen to her. Shame.” She turned and walked away.

I’m going to kill her. From thought to action took nanoseconds.

He didn’t make it out of his chair though.

Strong hands clamped down on his shoulders just as he started to bolt from his chair. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic.”

Alex pulled up the recently-vacated chair and straddled it. Leaning forward on his elbows, he mused, “So. Lara. You’d think after 200 years she’d get the hint.” He signaled the waiter and smiled faintly. Alex wasn’t big on emotions.

Still seeing red, Killian muttered, “Fucking bitch.”

How dare she talk about Mica like that? She had no idea what they’d been through. Holy God, was she just that horny? To wish death on them? She was insane. He looked down at himself and shook his head. He didn’t see the reason for her obsession. Sure, he was hot--Mica’s words, not his--but there were plenty of Primani out there who were single and who were popular with the women. Sean’s face popped into his mind just then. Oh yeah, he’d ended up with a shattered leg the last time he let Lara anywhere near him.

He relaxed and let himself crack a smile.

That shit was funny...even now. He loved Sean like a brother, but he’d been such a tool that day. No wonder Mica broke him. He totally deserved it.

Alex rapped his knuckles on the table. “You wanted to meet with me. What’s up?”

Back to business.

“You happy with Rivin’s work?”

Alex narrowed his eyes and said, “So far. Why? Is something up?”

“Nah, not really. Just a feeling about him. He’s mostly--“

Sgaine Eiron burst into life.

“Jordan!” He threw his chair back and strode out the front doors with Alex at his back.

It was fully dark outside and the streets were crowded with evening commuters making their way home. Wishing he had a jacket to hide the blade, he thrust it under his shirt and let it guide him to his prey. As they turned the corner it hummed slightly. The frequency was too low for human ears, but Primani could pick it up easily. They ended up in a narrow alley used for deliveries. Puddles gleamed on the asphalt from an earlier shower. Dumpsters loomed in the shadows, while two cars were crammed sideways into a space near B.J.’s entrance.

Slowing now, he pulled the blade free and unsnapped the holster for his .40. Alex went ghost beside him with his own blade drawn and ready. Scanning back and forth, they slipped deeper into the darkness. Killian’s senses were so honed he could practically feel evil like a physical thing; could smell it too. Course, all demons smelled like ass...

He was here. Killian felt him, smelled him.

A putrid stench hit them like a linebacker. Without flinching, they pressed their mouths closed and tensed for battle. A shadow separated itself from the rest of the blackness and took form in front of them.

Jordan.

“You don’t look so good, old friend,” Alex observed dryly.

The boss was right. Jordan’s hair was hanging in skanky white strands now. The flesh of his face was slack and loose like the traitor was wasting away. One eye drooped. His eyes still burned with insanity though. Too bad they hadn’t fallen out.

Jordan snarled at them and braced himself against the wall, Sgaine Dutre lifted in a defensive position. “I’ve been ill, though my doctors tell me I am on the mend. How considerate of you to notice.” He inclined his head regally in Alex’s direction. “It’s good to see you again.”

Alex palmed his own blade and said coldly, “Can’t say the same.”

“Can the crap, butler. You want something. What is it?” Killian was sick of playing with Jordan and he wanted his knife back. Even now, the blade in his palm vibrated with its own unique anger, its red eye flashing like a cop car.

Abruptly enraged, Jordan snapped and started to lunge at Killian but jerked awkwardly as if snatched by an invisible hand. Instead of attacking Killian, he stood panting as he struggled to stay in control. Bony fingers clenched and unclenched around the weapon in his fist. He was very, very close to exploding.

Killian cocked his head with interest. Without taking his eyes from the unstable thing, he lazily passed Sgaine Eiron from hand to hand letting it hum and flash as it wanted. The blade was hot now and shined like a small sun. Alex sidestepped further away and watched with a knowing look.

“Well? I don’t have all fucking night. Did you come to give me back my property, or are you just bored?” Killian’s tone was about as rude as he could make it. Push, push...everyone had a breaking point.

In his world, losing control was fatal.

Jordan snarled and pushed himself away from the wall with an orange flame forming between his curled fingers. “You have a lot of balls for someone about to die, Primani. I’m going to destroy you. When I’m done with you, no one will even remember your name.”

Just as he was about to throw the fireball at them, Killian flashed himself directly in front of Jordan. His hand stopped mid-throw, flames dipping and swaying with the faint breeze.

“Put that shit down! You want to fight me, traitor? Then fight me like a man. Hand to hand. Fist to fist. No magic. No weapons.” He tossed his weapons to Alex and held out his hands to show he was unarmed.

Alex caught the burning blade, swearing as it seared two of his fingers. The damn thing was too valuable to leave on the ground, so he shoved it into his own sheath at his belt. Watching Killian stand there unarmed, he rubbed his eyes. Damn, his boy was giving him a migraine. What the hell was he doing? He moved out of the line of fire, but stayed close enough to jump in if he needed to. Killian had something up his sleeve; he always did. Jordan never battled beside him or he would know that too. The Primani was always one step ahead of his enemy.

“Come get some, traitor!” Killian curled two fingers in mocking invitation. “You too afraid to fight me? Afraid I’ll bury your punk ass?” He stood ready to move with catlike reflexes.

Jordan’s face had been turning an interesting shade of red and his eyes burned like a bug light.

Oh, yeah, there was a whole lot of crazy going on inside his head.

His mouth twisted with a feral snarl and he slammed his weapons to the ground and lunged at Killian with clawed fingers.

Anticipating this move, Killian leapt up and over Jordan’s back as he grabbed at nothing and lost his balance. Rolling smoothly to his feet, Killian swung a wicked roundhouse to Jordan’s head sending him careening into a dumpster. The resulting crash reverberated through the alley. No way his ribs didn’t snap.

Jordan howled like a wild animal and pushed himself to his feet again. He shook himself off and lumbered toward the Primani waiting with a bring-it-on smirk.

Jordan swung a right hook that barely caught the tip of Killian’s chin. Killian countered with a powerful left that knocked the fallen angel’s nose off-center with a crunch and a shower of blood. His eyes went flat and he threw himself at Killian swinging both fists at his torso, pounding him like a punching bag.

It was against Alex’s nature to stay out of it, so he flexed his fingers around his own weapon and watched intently as the pair lurched towards the wall. Jordan was completely unhinged and pummeled at Killian. Just when Alex thought Killian must be about to collapse, he grabbed Jordan’s neck in one hand, turned him around and swept his legs out from under him. Jordan went down in partial collapse just as Killian brought his knee up in a vicious jab to his spine. Jordan shrieked and fell to the ground trying to tie himself into a pretzel. Alex flinched. Nerve damage was a bitch.

“Get up, motherfucker! We’re not finished yet! You’re still breathing.” Killian reached down and hauled him up by the shirtfront. Blood spewed from Jordan’s mouth and nose and he spit into Killian’s face.

Killian snarled and wrapped his hand around Jordan’s throat. Jordan went limp. Was he dead? No, wait, he’s moving! Alex shouted out a warning but it was too late. Jordan reached out and viciously grabbed Killian’s balls. Alex sucked in his breath and mentally cupped himself in sympathy, but Killian simply slammed Jordan into the street and raised his right hand over his cocked head, listening.

He smiled triumphantly as Alex stared in amazement. Sgaine Eiron had been humming louder and louder as the fight had gone on. Now it let out a scream that echoed like a siren. Everyone froze and stared as Sgaine Dutre flew through the air to Killian’s outstretched hand. The blue stone blazed like a star as its master’s fist claimed it once again. The blade screamed in defiance and then both blades went eerily silent.

Turning slowly to Jordan’s prone body, Killian grimaced as he raised his foot for the killing blow. Just as the boot should’ve shattered his melon, Jordan shimmered out.

“Coward!” Killian swung around and swore viciously.

He was still amped up and running hot. Jamming the blade into its sheath, he threw out his hand for its brother, which promptly flew to his side with a wink of red light. Alex grinned as he handed over the Sig. His eyes sparkled with rare mirth and he shook his head in disbelief.

“You knew it all along, didn’t you?”

Still burning with unspent energy, Killian paused in his fuming to give his friend a distracted nod. He dabbed at a cut on his lip and said gruffly, “Of course I did.”

London, England:

Domino greeted him at the front door as his molecules settled into place. He knew there were others here; he felt their saols as he zeroed in on the house. Looking up, he met the surprised eyes of way too many Primani in one place. Dec was standing with his arm around Mica, who was frozen in mid-step. On the couch sat the twins, Dimitri and Alexandyr. The two huge angels took up the entire thing. At 6’5”, they were the tallest Primani he’d known. All eyes snapped to his and froze. A tingle of warning slid over his skin and he scanned the house for trouble. He didn’t sense demons...but there was another being...no, maybe something else. No one said a word and they were so still he thought they could be frozen by a curse.

They all looked...guilty?

Domino rubbed her freckled face against his hand and made a faint huffing noise deep in her throat. Was she laughing? He glanced down in surprise and she wagged her tail, tongue lolling.

Oh, this is gonna be good!

“What’s going on?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

Mica’s hands dropped over her stomach and she bit her lip.

Oh, God. No!

Lunging for her, he demanded hoarsely, “What happened? Is the baby okay?”

She burst into sobs.

She was babbling something about him being freaked out, but he couldn’t make out the words through the sobs. He was about to explode into full-blown panic and looked wildly around for help.

Calm, cool, and collected, Dec was a lifesaver, as usual. His Primani brother pried Killian’s fingers off of Mica’s arms and shoved him to the couch between the giant twins.

“This is where I tell you that you should sit down.”

The hell with that. He was ready to explode. “What the hell is going on here? Someone better start talking or I’m going to start breaking people!”

Dec squatted in front of him and scrubbed his hand over his mouth trying to wipe a grin away. Killian looked right at Alexandyr and caught the light of laughter in his eyes. That bastard had no sense of humor so something was up.

Dimitri finally spoke through a half-smothered laugh. “Relax, bro. It’s no big deal.”

Nonplussed, he moved to get up and both twins shoved him back down. Dec handed him a piece of paper, a photograph of some kind. It was dark and grainy and didn’t look like anything he’d ever seen before.

“What the fuck is this?”

Mica sobbed harder and all three Primani burst out laughing.

Dec pointed his finger to a fuzzy blob on the page and said in a very strained voice, “This here’s Killian Junior.”

The room got very quiet all of a sudden. Killian’s heart slowed to a dull thud as he counted the number of blobs in the image.

Stunned, he stared until the page fell out of his numb fingers and his eyes rolled back in his head.

Chapter 22: And So It Begins

Hell, for real:

SEAN LANDED IN A CROUCH and threw Xairin’s wiry body into the rock wall behind them. Xairin landed with a thud and a muffled curse. Sean turned and kicked him viciously in the head and he collapsed in a heap. Sean’s heart pounded in his chest as he looked around and counted the number of soldiers lined up to keep him in line. Fuck. There were at least 20.

What the hell happened?

He’d been sound asleep five minutes ago. Xairin and crew had smashed in his door and dragged him out of bed and then shimmered off to where ever the hell they were now. Smelled like a cave...probably Hell.

The air shifted so abruptly the oxygen was sucked out of the cave. The blackness brightened with a swirl of reddish light that coalesced into one very pissed off Commander.

Holy shit! Someone had worked him over good. Hunched over and staggering with each step, the crazy bastard was bleeding from everywhere. Even better, his stringy white hair was almost gone. Only a few strands clung to the grey skin of his skull. His eyes were insane as they rolled around their sockets.

Waves of fury roiled from him in a black cloud.

Pointing a shaky finger at Sean’s chest, he snarled, “You! Come here.”

All eyes on me, Sean thought. Oh yeah, everyone pinned him to the wall. He knew he could move but weirdly felt paralyzed by the demons surrounding him. He’d have to gut it out.

Holding both hands out palms up, he said evenly, “Has something happened, Commander?”

Snapping harshly, he answered, “Don’t toy with me, Primani. I’m not in a good mood.”

Without another word, Jordan raised his hands.

Sean’s world collapsed to a narrow tunnel of blinding pain. Gripping both sides of his skull, Sean ground his teeth against the pain and would’ve fallen to his knees if he wasn’t frozen. Unable to collapse, he was helpless against the attack and hung in the air three feet above the ground. The room spun wildly and he was going to puke.

Jordan began to mumble words that sent panic running through his veins. This was it. Something had happened that made him suspicious. He was out of control with paranoia. The smell of desperation filled the cave.

Blood poured from his nose as Jordan yanked memories out of his head. It felt like pulling barbed wire through his sinus cavities and out his nose. Jesus, it hurt. His eyes watered uncontrollably and he could hear snickering from the peanut gallery. The pressure on his brain was unbearable and he was sure he would be dead when Jordan was finished. His eyes rolled back in his head and someone drove a fist into his gut.

“Wake up, dick,” Dagin snarled.

Jordan’s eyes were partially closed as he mumbled in concentration. Sean bit back a moan as the memories of killing Mica ran through his mind. He concentrated on enhancing them, making them more real, more convincing.

Her face as she taunted him...heartless, cold, mocking.

Beautiful.

Fucking bitch. She deserved to be dead.

Jordan smiled faintly when he saw Sean lick her blood and smile.

Yeah, that had tasted good. Sweet, salty, rich. Bitch was good for something at least.

The last of the memories seared him as the invisible vice pressed harder. The pressure against his left eye was making it bulge, distorting his vision. One Jordan became two, then three as his vision blurred.

Breathe, buddy, breathe. You can deal with this. Pain isn’t a stranger. You’re Primani. You’re made for this. Breathe and stay in control. He hung there, blood running down his chin, pain blinding him, yet strangely calm. This is what he did. He would survive.

After an eternity, the memories stopped coming but Jordan left him suspended. His face blank as he processed what he’d seen, he stood shaking with unnatural fury and then vanished.

Dagin stepped over to Sean and smirked. “Well, well. It’s just you and me again,” he glanced around at his soldiers and added, “and a few of my friends.”

With a soft snick, he unleashed the claws from his human fingers one at a time and held them an inch from Sean’s eyes. These claws had practically shredded Mica’s back and ripped out her jugular. Three inches long, black, and wickedly sharp, they only had one purpose.

Sean wanted to rip Dagin’s head off but he was frozen in place. The veins in his arms and neck bulged from the strain of trying to move. His muscles screamed as his saol pulsed with urgency. His eyes lit the cave with vivid blue light. Instinctively wanting to annihilate his enemies, his body launched itself into full soldier-mode. The energy made him dizzier. His stomach churned.

Through his teeth, Sean snarled, “You ever hear of nail clippers? You look like a frickin’ woman.”

Dagin’s brown eyes flipped to yellow and the pupils went flat. “Oh, the bitches love my hands; especially yours.”

He dragged one claw lightly around his left eye socket, resting the tip in the corner of his eye. It watered profusely in protest. A little more pressure and warm blood trickled down Sean’s cheek.

Turning to the rapt soldiers, he spoke like a professor giving a lecture. “This is a prime example of the Primani fight response. Notice the eyes. The eyes are your biggest clue. When you’re in the field, you want to watch for the change.” He dragged a claw down the side of Sean’s bare arm and tapped at it. “See the glow? This is the source of their power. Their saol.”

“Would you like to see the size of my di--“ His smartass comment was cut off by Jordan’s abrupt return.

“Enough, Dagin! Get back to work.” Turning to Sean, he clasped his hands behind him and said politely, “I appreciate your being such a good sport about this. It’s not every day we have a live Primani with us. You’ve provided Dagin with an invaluable teachable moment.” He cocked his head and added, “I’m sure you understand my need to verify your story. We can’t have you spying, now can we?”

Oh sure, he understood. Fucking Jordan was going down.

“My loyalty’s with you, Commander. I have nothing left in the holy world. Michael betrayed me.”

After what he hoped was a convincing lie, Sean just stared blandly at his new boss and resisted the urge to say something that would get him killed.

Muuuuch harder than it sounded.

Why question him now? He’d been here for weeks...what made him suspicious?

Instead of mouthing off, he studied Jordan. The traitor was calmer now and had been healed. Did he have that power or had someone else done it? The bloody clothes were gone too. Back to his normal impeccably-tailored suits, he was confident and in control again. The nice threads couldn’t fix his skanky hair and skin though. Talk about gross...No amount of soap and water could cure the ugliness of pure evil. He was rotting from the inside and didn’t even sense it. He was too drunk on the power to see the corruption. That’s what evil did...it lured you until you were too far gone to stop. Once it got its hooks in you, it took over like a cancer that you never feel until you drop dead.

How long did Jordan have left? His body was already a shell of what it was before. The holy glow of angel blood was gone, replaced by the corruption of Satan. His eyes didn’t shine with the light of Heaven; their light was sickly and putrid.

How long could he hold on? Who would fill the void? Dagin?

His crazy boss lifted his hand again and Sean dropped to the floor in a lurching crouch. At least he didn’t fall on his face. Rising quickly to his full height, he flexed his shoulders and arms and threw a look of challenge to the soldiers.

“None of that. For Satan’s sake, go shave and get a haircut. You look like a bear. You’re going out in the real world today. We can’t have you looking like that; now can we?”

One minute later, Sean was back inside the dorm room underneath the lab. One of the demons had shimmered him from the underworld and dumped him in the hallway. With a look of pure hatred, he glared at Sean and bared his fangs.

“I should rip your head off and eat your soul!” The gravelly voice matched the ugly mug.

Without even thinking about it, Sean snatched him by his chest and slammed him into the wall with enough force to crack it. The demon hissed and snapped at his face. Sean glanced up and down the corridor and pulled out his Primani blade. One quick thrust in the chest and the sonofabitch was ash.

Whatever.

God, that felt good! He was soooo sick of this Evil Sean act. His blood was fired up with the need to destroy his enemies. It wasn’t natural to live like this. He was Primani--he killed demons for a living. The smell of evil was getting to him, making him edgy. He needed to get this mission done before he got himself scattered again. Shit. That would suck. Big time.

Okay, maybe he could scrape up a little more patience.

Raphael? Something’s happened to J. Do you know what?

A minute or two passed without an answer. Sean stripped out of his reeking clothes and turned on the shower as hot as it would go. Stepping in, he closed his eyes and let the water wash away the blood and sweat. The cut by his eye was still bleeding, so he healed the tiny wound. He flexed his shoulder and realized it hurt like hell. Having done this a million times in the past two millennia, he let the energy heal the torn ligaments and then let it flow through the rest of him. The slight buzz of electricity made him feel better.

Sean? Still there?

Yeah, boss. What’s up?

Good news. Killian retrieved his weapon at great cost to J.

Well, that explains the insanity...

He’s not taking it well.

Are you hurt?

Not anymore.

Care for some news?

Is there more?

Mica’s having triplets. Three boys. Killian fainted. I’m told it was very amusing.

You knew this would happen, didn’t you? You’re more devious than you look, Afriel.

How many times have I asked you not to call me that?

More times than I can count. Give them greetings from me. I have to go.

Triplets? Niiiice! Man, he’d give anything to see the tough guy faint! That was classic! Someone better have pictures. He plugged in his iPod and cranked up the Godsmack. As “Voodoo” thrummed inside his eardrums, he shaved off the heavy beard in prep for going topside. His hair was way too long; it hung to his shoulders in a heavy black disaster. He grimaced at his own reflection; he looked like a savage, a demon. His teeth gleamed whitely through the darkness as he smiled ruefully. He’d scare people. Can’t have that, now can we?

Beijing, China:

This was a bad idea, he told himself for the thousandth time. He knew he was repeating himself, but couldn’t help it. This was definitely a bad idea. He melted deeper into the shadows as a police patrol strolled past. The two men, both in their 20s, were smoking cigarettes and walking without urgency. Probably taking a break.  He’d gone ghost as soon as he rematerialized but still felt exposed.

It was guilt. The guilt he was trying to silence was nagging at him like a fish wife. Shut up, already, he snapped at his own conscience.

Dimming his eyes, he studied the map of the temple complex, again, and identified his route, again. He was stalling and he knew it. No way he could front himself. He didn’t want to do this.

It was a simple op, really. In and out. Should take ten minutes to set the fuses and then bolt before it blew.

Simple.

Yeaaahh...not so much.

Tian Tan, aka the Temple of Heaven, rose up in great majesty in front of him. It was a breathtaking example of a Taoist temple built back in the early 1400s. It was peaceful and beloved by millions of Chinese for centuries. The artwork was priceless. He’d come to this beautiful temple a hundred times over the years. He loved it, had always felt at peace on the grounds. Now?

Again, this was not a good idea. It was bad with a capital B.

It was his assignment. Damn Jordan.

He stared at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the circular building that most non-Chinese citizens of the world recognized from tourism ads.

He was still stalling. After 20 more minutes of staring at the peaceful building, he sighed and shouldered his backpack in the darkness. At least it was night.

No one would be inside.

Dear God, forgive me for what I’m about to do.

Chapter 23: House Arrest Sucks

SPRING IN ENGLAND WAS WET. Of course, it was. Was there a season that wasn’t? The country was beautiful but enough with the rain already. Domino moaned in disgust and wiped dog snot on the windowpane. The glass fogged with her breath and she sat with a sulky huff.

“I’m right there with you, pup. This bites.”

‘Stir-crazy’ didn’t begin to describe our current level of restlessness. It had been drizzling and chilly for more days than I could count. Dec had launched into full-on overprotective nanny mode and wouldn’t let me outside in case I caught a cold. God forbid, I get a runny nose! It was making me mental. He’d been such an angel though, no pun intended.

I couldn’t ask for a better bodyguard or friend. After the first few rocky weeks, we’d settled into a routine that kept us both sane. When the weather was nice, we went exploring around England and spent days trudging around monuments, parks, and tourist sites. We took the demon dog as often as we could since she sulked like a two-year old if we left her behind. Besides, it gave Dec an excuse to talk without looking like a crazy person. I was still cloaked outside of the safe house.

I wiped a little spot and peered through the glass. Dec was running errands and Killian was in Switzerland with Rivin. Where was Sean? I traced little hearts in the condensation and worried. He’d been undercover for months without any contact with us. We got some news from Raphael. The tracer was working and he’d talked to him every few days. He let us know Sean was alive.

Alive.

That five-letter word wasn’t comforting. Alive was straight up better than ‘dead,’ but didn’t mean ‘okay.’ For example, I was technically alive when Dagin tortured me. The pain and fear only made me wish that I was dead.

Yeah, you could live without enjoying it. I hoped and prayed Sean wasn’t being tortured. He had to come back from this; he had to. Our little cell wasn’t complete without him. Our family wasn’t complete. Everyone missed him. The stress was wearing on me as the little parasites sucked all my energy. I patted my stomach with affection and smiled at the image. Yep, I was going to be a great mother.

“Michael, please protect your Primani Sean. Bring him home to us unbroken and sane,” I prayed softly with eyes lowered.

Domino leaned against my leg and I cuddled her close. She prodded at the blanket with her nose and I lifted it so she could curl underneath my bent knees. The window seat wasn’t roomy, but we managed. After all, it was just us girls. I leaned back and closed my eyes. I was so tired. Maybe a short nap?

Domino shifted her head so she could lay her chin on the nursery, aka my belly. She seemed oddly interested in the sounds and movements coming from inside. Anytime she could, she rested her chin there. I was most definitely showing now. I rested my palm on the pile of tangled triplets and sighed. I was already huge. I closed my eyes and listened to the wind rushing through the new leaves in the garden and drifted off.

The sound of the garage door opening woke me just in time to see the sun sinking in the sky. Glancing at my phone, I jerked upright. I did not just sleep for six hours! Groaning about all the things I didn’t get done, I nudged the pooch and we both climbed down from our perch.

“Hey, little momma! I’m back!” Dec tapped once and cracked open the door. He beamed at me and held out a bag of something yeasty and still warm.

Inhaling deeply, I said, “Is that bread? I’m starving!”

Playfully pulling it behind his back, he winked and helped me up by the elbow. “This is for dinner with the stew I got from The Devil’s Hangman. We’re having company and I don’t want you to cook. I also grabbed dessert because I am just that good!”

“Spotted Dick?”

His eyes narrowed dramatically and he said, “You don’t even like it. You just like to say it, don’t you?”

Giggling at his expression, I said, “That is so not true! I love it, but yes, I like saying the name. Happy now?” Spotted Dick was one of the few English foods I loved. It was soooo good. All spongy cake and sticky syrup...and some kind of creamy vanilla sauce...yum on a plate!

He kissed my cheek and asked seriously, his brows dipping low, “How are you feeling? Okay?”

My stomach growled at the thought of the pub’s beef stew and fresh bread. It was perfect. “I’m fine, big brother. You’re too good to me, you know that? I hope you did something fun today?” He’d been acting like a caged tiger all week so I finally shoved him outside and made him go do Primani things.

“I killed two demons over near Worchester Common apartments and one near the park on Abbey Road.” He held out his hands and turned so I could see his back. “And look! Not a single scratch or piece of ash on me. Man, it felt so good to get out and fight again. I love you, darlin’, but I can’t let my energy build too much. Bad things might happen.”

“Like what? Could you explode?”

He shrugged. “It’s possible. You never know.”

Yeah, we wouldn’t want that! I didn’t know if I could bend over to clean the floor.

We headed for the kitchen with Domino on our heels. He held my elbow and I shrugged out of his grip, saying patiently, “You’re doing it again, angel. I’m not going to fall down--yet. Give me a couple more months though, and I’ll look like a whale. THEN you can help me!”

“Ah, come on now, you’re beautiful, darlin’. You’re like the Madonna right now. All radiant and peaceful. I like helping you and my nephews.”

Even though we’d had this conversation 100 times, he just couldn’t help himself and I’d given up getting mad about it. He looked a little sheepish but raised his hand to tuck my hair behind my ear. So gentle, he tucked the strand and let his fingers linger. Their warmth filled me with light and happiness and I couldn’t resist him. The smell of fresh leaves filled my senses. I breathed deeply and smiled. So peaceful, so warm...Before I knew it, I was resting on the couch with my feet propped up on a pillow and a cup of hot chocolate at my side. Three marshmallows floated on top.

Ooooh! He did it again! Damn, er, darn him!

He poked his head out of the itty bitty kitchen and flashed both dimples my way. “Gotcha! The twins are on their way so don’t freak.”

That’s our company? Cool. Dimitri and Alexandyr were endlessly entertaining. They were assigned to the Western European special ops div and stopped to visit whenever they could. Dimitri and Dec went way back and conquered many a killer wave with Rivin. Rivin was still sulking because he was banned from being anywhere near me.

“Do you want to Skype Rivin tonight? He’s feeling left out. I can sense him driving past the house. He’s pretty unhappy. I think he misses you, Dec.”

Dec just laughed. “He’s always unhappy, love. That’s just him. But sure, let’s call him later.”

With a sharp bark, Domino alerted and stared intently at the foyer.

Incoming.

A slight shift in air pressure and Dimitri and Alexandyr rematerialized together. Even though their bodies and faces were absolutely identical, they couldn’t be more different. They had completely different styles and personalities. Alexandyr wouldn’t be caught dead with long hair or braids. His golden blond hair was always impeccably trimmed in a conservative GQ cut. Short, slightly layered, and lightly gelled for a wee bit of lift on top. He dressed in clothes right out of GQ too. Metrosexual? Nah, definitely not. He was waaaay too bad ass to be metro. He did, however, look damn good in Armani.

Both Primani stooped to pat the watch dog. Dimitri grinned and sauntered into the living room. He walked in a way that could stop traffic (if the drivers were all women). There was something about his confident swagger and long muscular legs. He was just sexy, period.

His twin reminded me strongly of Killian, the Killian that had scared the bejesus out of me when we first met. He glided into the room like a mountain lion stalking a hiker. His intense blue eyes alert for the barest hint of a threat, he surveyed the house around him as he moved. His eyes missed nothing, ever. That’s where the similarities ended. Unlike my ultra-controlled Zen-loving husband, Alexandyr had the temper of an irritated bull shark. Where Dimitri was light, he was darkness. He gave me chills.

Coming straight to me, Dimitri bent and kissed the top of my head respectfully. His warm eyes glowed a soft blue as his body recovered from traveling. Ignoring my personal space as usual, he splayed his palm over my belly and closed his eyes.

“They’re fine, Legolas. You worry too much!” I said, exasperated.

Crouching to look me in the face, he smiled oddly and said, “There is no such thing as too much worry. You carry more than babies inside of you, little one.”

Before I could press him for more, my phone buzzed on the table. Killian.

“Hey, babe, I’m on my way home.” His voice was low and urgent in my ear.

Was he driving? It sounded like he was in a car.

Turning away from the avid eyes of the three Primani behind me, I said quietly, “Are you driving?”

His soft tone sent shivers of apprehension crawling over my skin. “Long story.”

He totally didn’t answer my question.

Alexandyr observed blandly from the doorway and lifted an eyebrow in question.

“Killian’s on his way.”

We’d just finished eating and the guys were clearing the table. I was wiping it down when a loud knock practically took out the front door. Now what?

Alexandyr grabbed my arm and hissed, “Stay here!” Then he was gone. Poof.

Dec and Dimitri vanished.

Domino looked up at me and seemed to shrug. She wasn’t worried.

The pounding came again.

I sent my vision out to search for threats and came back with nothing but two life forms standing on the porch.

Not human, but not demons either. They tended not to knock.

Primani. And one of them was mine.

Ignoring Alexandyr’s order, I came into the living room and announced to Dec, who had rematerialized in the foyer, “It’s only Killian. Open the door for crying out loud!”

Dec huffed at my tone and reached for the door handle just as it opened on its own.

Well, hell.

Heck.

Shoot.

Never in a million years did I expect to see this.

Killian stood there with a black-haired toddler cradled in his arms. The boy was pale and tiny. His little feet were bare but clean. He was dressed in Killian’s shirt which swallowed him up. His eyes were closed in exhaustion. Purple smudges brought my eyes to his sunken cheeks.

“So three isn’t enough?” I asked stepping closer to him with more curiosity than George.

He gave me a wry look and glanced behind him saying kindly, “Come inside. You’ll be safe here.”

Behind him stood a woman with wavy brown hair and terrified eyes. She was skinny and pale with dark circles of illness under her blue eyes. Her cheeks were sunken as though she’d lost a lot of weight. I hadn’t noticed before, but now I saw how hard she clutched at the belt loops on Killian’s jeans. It was all that held her up. An air of hopelessness and fear surrounded her and made a beeline for my empath side. She was absolutely terrified for her son.

I knew her; I’d seen her before.

But it was Alexandyr who choked, “Aisling? Mighty Gabriel, how is this possible?”

He turned white as a ghost and ran to her side, scooping her into his arms and carrying her into the living room. He set her down on the couch and knelt beside her with his arms clutching her against his side.

“We thought you dead!” His cold voice was harsh with emotion. “Where have you been?”

Dimitri’s mouth had dropped open at the sight of her and now he clamped his mouth into a tight line. His emotions were flowing around him like a storm. Shock, relief, and...guilt?

Okay, so this was beyond strange. Time to move things along before it got weirder up in here.

“Killian, bring the little boy over and sit him down. Dec, get over here and examine him so we know what we’re dealing with.” Turning to Aisling, I said, “I’m Mica, Aisling. This is a safe house for Primani. You’ll be okay here.” I gestured to the little boy and asked, “What’s his name?”

She smiled faintly and held a shaking hand to his mop of coal black hair. “Sean Michael.” A tear ran down her cheek and she let it fall. “He’s dying, isn’t he? I am being punished for my sins.”

Sean Michael.

Sean...

Oh, Jesus. This is Sean’s baby? He’s going to lose his mind.

Absolutely. We need to keep them alive first. They were unconscious when I found them. Killian’s face was carefully blank but his eyes were locked to mine from the other side of the couch.

I started to touch the boy’s forehead when Killian’s voice cracked like a whip.

“No! Don’t touch him! Stay back until we know what’s wrong. They’re both very sick. You can’t touch them.”

“I have to help them! I can help, Killian.” I was seeing red. I needed to help too. Didn’t he get that?

Turning to me with snapping eyes, he used his don’t-argue-with-me tone, “Oh, I get it, babe. You’ve got a heart of gold and I love you for it. But I refuse to take chances on your life. We’ll take care of this. Why don’t you go get them something to eat? They’re starving.”

Damn it. How could he scold me and compliment me in the same breath? The man was impossible to argue with. Taking a calming breath, I agreed and headed to the kitchen sending out an SOS along the way.

“Raphael? We found Aisling. Can you come?” I called my favorite doctor and crossed my fingers. He could heal anyone.

While we waited for him, the Primani went into a familiar rhythm that proved they’d done this before. I wondered vaguely if they’d been around during the Black Death. Dec was busy scanning each of them to find the cause of their problems. Alexandyr knelt next to Aisling and spoke softly to her while holding her hand, her expression hopeless.

I warmed up soup and cut up bread for Aisling. Dimitri poured a small glass of milk for little Sean.

Watching from the kitchen doorway, I gripped the edge of the counter while that tiny little boy tried so hard to breathe through racking coughs that shook his whole body. With every cough, he spit up a little blood. Every maternal instinct in my body wanted to run to him and make it all better.

Oh, hurry Raphael! Please hurry!

Dec held him in his arms and wrapped him inside his saol while we waited for help. I’d seen the look on Dec’s face before; he was doing his best to give the boy comfort and ease the pressure on his lungs.

Killian sighed with relief when Raphael made it. He materialized next to me and gave my belly a light pat before striding into the living room.

“Is this her, Killian?” he asked immediately. His eyes missed nothing as he crossed over to Aisling and Alexandyr.

He looked surprised to see the Primani here and studied him briefly before addressing Aisling. “I am Raphael. Are you Aisling, the Gabrielian Primani?”

She lowered her eyes respectfully and whispered, “Yes, the archangel Gabriel is my maker. He is not coming?” Her voice was dull as though she knew the answer and wasn’t surprised.

Completely focused on her, he picked up her wrist to check her pulse, saying, “Not right now. I did not take the time to find him. Let me see to you first and then I will call him for you.”

She clutched weakly at his hand and begged, “Please see to my son. He is close to death and I would ask you to save him. He is innocent and pure.”

The finely drawn brows lifted to his hairline as her words broke through his concentration. “Your son?”

Dec tenderly lifted the boy for Raphael to see. His little head hung limply over Dec’s strong arm. His thin chest barely lifted with each breath.

There wasn’t much time.

He looked stunned when he spotted the tiny child. With a single glance he understood the pain and suffering and overwhelming fear the two of them had been through. His aristocratic features hardened with anger and I felt the wave of cold fury that he tried hard to suppress. In the blink of an eye, his face went from kind healer to mighty archangel capable of destroying with a single thought. He was way, way angry.

The boy coughed weakly and Raphael quickly put his features back together and calmly took him from Dec. He closed his eyes and placed his palm over the boy’s chest.

Smiling faintly, he said, “Ah. Now I see. It makes perfect sense.” He rubbed a sweaty little cheek with the backs of his fingers and murmured a healing prayer before adding, “Sean Michael, you’re a fighter, aren’t you, my son? Breathe easy now; you have big shoes to fill. You will grow strong and powerful like your father. This is my blessing on you.”

My heart warmed at both the prophetic words and the depth of love in his voice. This angel never ceased to amaze me. This little boy had no idea how lucky he was. To have such a blessing...Sean must be doing something right.

As he spoke, golden light poured from his fingertips and surrounded the boy’s body. After a moment, the light faded and the boy’s breathing was slow, deep, and comfortable. The color came flooding into his cheeks making them pink with good health. His eyes fluttered open and he immediately began to cry, great lusty wails that sent all four Primani scrambling for an exit. Aisling sobbed with relief and held out her hands for him. He raised his thin arms to her and howled to be picked up.

Raphael laid a strong hand on her shoulder saying, “A moment, Aisling. Let me heal you first.”  Turning to me, he winked and said, “Mica, child, will you comfort the baby so I can heal his mother?”

Was he kidding? I’d walk through fire if he asked me to.

Killian scowled but the archangel held up his hand to halt the protest. “Killian, I’ve healed him. There is no danger to your family.”

Killian dipped his head in respect and said, “And I thank you, Raphael. Aisling, it’s all right. I’ll take Sean Michael.”

I had to stifle a smile as he straightened his shoulders as if he was bracing for combat. The toddler was still screaming and turning an interesting shade of purple. Huge tears streamed down his face and he’d gotten himself all sweaty. Dec, Dimitri, and Alexandyr were all pressed against the wall as far away from us as they could get.

Killian reached for the boy and picked him up under the arms. His face softened as he felt the pitifully light weight of the child and he held him gently against his broad chest. His hand spanned the width of the shaking shoulders as he patted him and murmured words against his sweaty little head. His eyes met mine and I melted at the emotion in them. He crushed the little body closer to comfort him.

Suddenly it was quiet.

When I pulled my eyes away from Killian’s, I was shocked to see Sean Michael sound asleep in my warrior’s arms.

The flash of a camera blinded me for a second and I blinked at Dec who shrugged happily. “Hey, no one would believe it without proof! It’s for Sean.”

Aisling had been lying quietly while Raphael healed her and now she sat up looking alarmed. “Sean? He’s alive? Where is he?”

Before anyone could answer her, she fixed me with a hard look and said bitterly, “I guess he found his way back to you, after all?” Her eyes lingered on my rounded stomach and she added, “We’ll get out of here in the morning.”

What? Was she crazy?

Killian handed her the sleeping toddler and came over to my side. With an arm around my waist, he kissed my temple and said, “You misunderstand, Aisling. These are my babies she’s carrying; Mica’s my wife.”

I warmed at the caress in his voice. The way he said the word ‘wife’ gave me chills--the good kind. It spoke of forever.

She said, “I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t he go back to her? He was devastated when he was trapped with me.”

He pulled me to his lap and said, “It’s a long story. The short version is Mica, Declan, and I used our combined powers to pull Sean back to us the day he left you. He’d been gone a year by then and we were desperate to find him. We had no idea where he was; we just wanted him back. The trip back scrambled Sean’s memories to the extent that he didn’t remember anything after he’d been scattered.”

Dec piped up, “That was Mica’s fault, by the way. Don’t make her angry!”

Raphael actually gave him a dirty look and snapped, “Declan, that’s not helpful.”

Dimitri smacked Dec in the chest and said, “You’re an idiot.”

I picked up the story from there. “Anyway, a lot happened after he came back. Most of it wasn’t good. We stopped seeing each other a long time ago.”

Leaning forward, Killian said seriously, “Aisling, I think it’s up to Sean to tell you how he feels. But I will tell you that he had no memory of you until we unlocked his memories one day. When he realized what had happened, he was horrified. But he couldn’t get back to you. There wasn’t any way to trace you. It really tore him up.”

She glanced at him and shook her head like she didn’t believe it. “Why would he care about me? He only knew me for a few months. I’m sure he was just happy to be out of there. To find you again.” She glanced at me.

“That’s not true! He was really worried about you! He was impossible to live with! And Killian’s been searching for you almost a year. He’s put himself in danger to track you and bring you home.” I was going to belt this woman if she didn’t get with the program and show some gratitude.

“Babe, take a breath. You’re glowing.” Killian rubbed my hand with the pad of his thumb and I took a calming breath. He said, “Mica’s right. We’ve been searching for months trying to find you. I’m shocked I was able to, if you want the honest truth. “

Raphael spoke up. “What plane did you finally find her on?”

“Astral plane number 130.” Killian smiled just a tiny bit. “Who the hell knew there were so many damn alternate universes out there?”

Alexandyr’s cold voice doused the humor like a fire hose. “So let me see if I’ve got this right. You disappeared without a trace, leaving me and Dimitri, your partners, to believe you dead, and somehow ended up screwing Sean O’Cahan, who was also scattered, and getting knocked up? Now miraculously, you and the magical brat are back?” His face was white as he looked down his nose at Aisling. “I can’t believe you.”

Stung, she jumped up and slapped him hard. “You watch your filthy mouth, Alexi! That’s my son lying there. Keep your viciousness to yourself!”

His face was lit up like a stop light with that brilliant handprint. He bowed mockingly and sneered in a deadly voice, “My apologies, my lady. I wouldn’t want to offend your delicate sensibilities. But the facts still stand, do they not? You had sex with another Primani and got pregnant. I seem to remember your morals differently.” His Russian accent thickened until I could barely make out the words.

Dimitri shoved them apart and grabbed his twin’s shoulder. “Alex, heel!” He didn’t smile at her, but he did touch her shoulder before adding, “We’re glad you’re back. It truly is a miracle. I’ll talk to you soon.”

With that, he grabbed his brother and dematerialized.

WTF?

Okaaaay. All eyes turned to Aisling.

Mortified but striving for dignity, she said, “Thank you, Raphael. I owe our lives to your kindness and mercy. I am very tired though. Would you mind if we went to bed?”

Raphael nodded and said, “Do not pay attention to words said in anger, child. Alexandyr is in great pain and only knows to lash out. He will come around in time. For now, get some rest and settle in. I will see that you have money and a place to stay until you’ve made your own plans.”

She yawned and said, “As you wish.”

I was about dead too. It was way past my bedtime and I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Yawning hugely, I peeled myself off of Killian’s shoulder and announced that I had to go to bed too.

“Mica, a moment,” Raphael murmured.

I sat back down.

“You’ll need to help her adjust and get settled. I’m counting on you to take her shopping and help her get what she and the boy need. She will not trust easily. You will have to give her time.”

“I’ll do everything I can to help her. Just let me know if I need to do anything specific.” I smothered another yawn and blinked hard.

“Come on, Princess. You need to rack out.” Killian scooped me into his arms and carried me to bed.

Setting me carefully on the soft mattress, he started to back away but I stopped him with a hand on his thigh. “Aren’t you coming to bed?”

His eyes smoldered in the darkness and he smiled wickedly. “I thought you were sleepy?”

That wicked smile turned my blood to gasoline and I heated up all over. Sleep? Who needs that?

“I can stay awake for ten more minutes.”

“Ten minutes? I think I’m insulted.”

“Come here,” I practically begged. Reaching out, I snagged the front of his jeans and purred when he sucked in his breath. I let my nails glide over the ridges of his hard abs and dip lower. He cupped the back of my head and dug his fingers into my hair. I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes while my fingers teased him.

“Mica, you need your rest.” His voice was strained, his body tense in front of me.

“You’re right, but right now I need you more.” I tugged him closer and batted my eyes at him.

With a murmur of agreement, he pushed me onto my back and knelt beside me, careful not to lean on my belly. He leaned down to kiss me before helping me strip off my clothes. Being pregnant with triplets meant my belly was a wee bit bigger than it used to be and finding a good position was a challenge. It also meant my adoring husband was more cautious and gentle than I wanted him to be. I was lucky to have sex at all since he saw the sonogram. He was worried about disturbing the babies...

He was all about holding back. Don’t break the pregnant lady...blah, blah, blah!

“Baby, if you don’t make love to me I’m going to die.”

He burst out laughing and sat up. His face lit up with a huge grin and my heart did a flip flop. He finally stopped laughing and said, “No one has ever died from not having sex.”

“But I want it,” I pouted with a grin of my own. “Don’t make me torture you!”

I dragged my fingers across his belly, enjoying the quivering of his muscles. He was breathing a little harder by the time I stopped playing. How much iron control can one person have? Grinning wickedly, I reached lower.

In one quick motion, he rolled under me and put me on top of him. Sitting face to face, he nuzzled my neck and whispered against my ear, “I’m all yours, love.”

He traced the line of my jaw gently before claiming my mouth in a kiss that left me melting. Every caress was soft, gentle, and more intensely erotic as he carefully moved inside of me. If I hadn’t already been so in love with him, I would’ve fallen all over again. The man had hands and lips that could ignite water. He should need a permit for those things.

Turned out that ten minutes was way off...Much, much later, I lay with stars circling my head and sparkling in my eyes while every muscle relaxed into mush. I curled onto my side and smothered another groan before his ego exploded with pride. He curled up behind me with his forearm wrapped around me, fingers gliding over the new heaviness of my breasts. He kissed the side of my face and breathed in.

“I love the way you smell.”

I nestled my bottom against his thighs and brought his knuckles to my mouth for a kiss.

He rubbed against me and gently bit down on the back of my neck. “I want you again.”

Loud banging dragged me kicking and screaming out of a heavy sleep the next morning. Dec cracked the door and shouted, “Get up, hurry! You have to see this!”

Killian was out of bed and halfway dressed before I could blink. Still zipping his jeans, he tugged me to my feet, giving me a brief kiss before heading downstairs.

I hurried but it was relative...I was clumsy and slow these days. The television was blaring when I came down the stairs a few minutes after Killian. My two Primani plus Raphael were staring intently at the screen as the announcer’s voice flipped our world upside down.

“And in breaking news, millions of Chinese citizens woke to the horrifying sounds of explosions early this morning. With unprecedented transparency, the Chinese government has acknowledged more than 22 separate explosions in several major cities, including Beijing. The Chinese government has declared these to be terrorist attacks and is blaming western extremists.”

“And so it begins,” Raphael breathed. He stood with hooded eyes a million miles away.

“Turn the channel,” I told Dec.

All news channels were covering this catastrophic event. The news got worse the longer we watched. Thousands had been killed and property damage was in the billions. The terrorists had hit several government buildings and major cultural landmarks, including the Temple of Heaven. The wailing of the monks had been caught in a sound bite that the media played again and again. The furious Chinese government was pointing its finger at the United States. Our government issued a statement condemning these attacks and offering its assistance. The Chinese responded by putting their million-man military on high alert and readying its fleet. North Korea jumped in before the news was an hour old. Its leaders activated its long-range missiles and pointed them at the U.S.

“Oh, shit!”

“Dec, watch your language. The babies will hear you,” I corrected automatically.

“Sorry.”

Raphael snapped out of his trance and said, “This is Jordan’s doing. I’m guessing he’s about to unleash the virus in the U.S. and let them blame the Chinese. This is how it starts. I must reach Sean.”

“How what starts? What’s going on?” Aisling stood in the open doorway with Sean Michael on her hip. He rubbed his brilliant blue eyes and stuck his thumb in his mouth.

Raphael met her stare and said, “Armageddon.”

Chapter 24: Choosing Sides

Lucerne, Switzerland:

SEAN PRESSED HIS BACK INTO THE WALL and fingered the haft of his knife. His spidey senses were picking up bad vibes, but he planted his boots to hold himself still. His thighs were twitching with the urge to run. He had a bad feeling about this. Using his peripheral vision, he checked out the others. A couple of lower-level demons, assistants of some kind, were working on a computer across the room. They paid no attention to Sean. An oddly pretty female demon set out a stack of papers and glided out of the room like a wraith. Dagin was here, of course. He leaned against the wall a few feet away from Sean. He picked idly at his claws as though this was the most normal thing in the world. He was nervous though; his body gave off waves of stress that Sean could sense.

Interesting. So he didn’t know what was up either.

Commander Whack Job was making them wait. Nothing new; he did that a lot. He thought it gave him more control. Stupid mind games didn’t worry Sean--usually. Today was different though. It felt different. Something was in the air. And it wasn’t good.

There were five chairs around a conference table. Jordan, Sean, and Dagin would take three, but who did the other two belong to? Dagin knows, he thought. The bastard was practically shaking in his biker boots. What kind of demon would scare another demon? Dagin was old; he was powerful; he had seen pretty much everything. What would it take to freak him out? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. He studied Dagin until the demon noticed and flipped him off with a claw.

“You want a piece of me, Primani?” he taunted under his breath with a covert glance at the door. Even he wasn’t about to give Jordan an excuse. Not the way he’d been acting since the bombings.

J. was going way off the deep end and both of his commanders were twitchy. The last demon to question him was skinned alive--in the middle of the staff meeting. It took a long, long, long time and the screaming was deafening. Sean shuddered mentally and froze his mask in place. It was almost time for his exit strategy and he felt the ticking of the clock like a time bomb.

Patience, he told himself. Soon he would disappear and fight from the other side where he belonged. Funny, he didn’t question good and evil any more. After mixing in with these assholes, he knew for sure he wasn’t evil. Oh, hell yeah, he might be a dick occasionally; might enjoy watching the bad guys die; might even want to drink a few beers and have meaningless sex with a stranger...even so, none of those things made him evil. These fuckers were evil with a capital E.

Last week, one of his soldiers had literally ripped their human ally into pieces before Sean could stop him. Their mission had been to pay the man for information on a local drug dealer who they were supposed to turn. He was a valuable asset. Instead of following the plan, the crazy-ass demon got hungry for blood and butchered the informant and his 15-year old girlfriend. Sean had gutted the demon, but not before both humans were beyond saving. J. nearly tore his head off when he reported in. In addition to being thrown repeatedly into the wall, Sean had to listen to J. rant about the weakness of God for giving immoral humans free will. When he was in charge, he would simply kill anyone who threatened the stability of the human population. Sean tried to connect the junkie with J.’s rant, but lost the thread.

It was all he could do to not mention that demons were actually more immoral than the drug dealing informant. Instead of mouthing off, he clamped his jaws together and took his punishment without complaining.

Later that night he’d sat in his room, healing his bruises and searching his soul. He’d decided he was through walking the tightrope between good and evil. He’d pushed the limits a hell of a lot more than he should’ve. It was time to get his ass in gear and put both feet on the right side permanently. No more fucking around. He was Primani. He served a higher purpose and by the angels, he was going to destroy Jordan if it was the last thing he did. Humans weren’t perfect, but then neither was he, although to be honest, he was pretty damn close.

Still, they needed someone to look out for them and protect them from evil. That was his job. This undercover gig was his way of making up for being an asshole earlier this year. He was done beating himself up over garbage that was in the past. It was a new day.

Thinking back on that night, he congratulated himself for the progress he’d made. Shit, who needs therapy? Not me, I’m good. Hey, I’m not even pissed off anymore! Look at the progress I’ve made! He scratched at his jaw and smothered a smile at his self-discovery. He was healed.

Halle-fuckin-lujah and amen.

Bored and restless, Dagin nudged at Sean saying, “Hey! You remember that time in Budapest when you picked up that Russian chick? Man, she was hot.”

Not one of his shining moments. He didn’t like to think about it; didn’t like to be reminded of it either.

Dagin needled him some more. He slipped into a chummy tone of voice, just two old friends reminiscing...“Come on, man, you remember her, don’t you? Tall, blond? Tits out to the wall?” He shrugged at Sean’s non-response and laughed softly. “I never thanked you for her. She died well; I have to give her props for that. No begging for her life or any of that pathetic bullshit. Just glared into my eyes right up to her last drop of blood. She was a good little informant. I missed her when she was gone.”

One day soon, he was going to stick a blade in Dagin. It was going to feel frickin’ amazing. He’d enjoy the pop of his skin just before the blade slid into the muscle and slippery guts. He’d twist the blade and let the girly squeals of pain wash over him like a song. In the meantime, Sean scowled at the idiot next to him and shrugged.

“Shit happens. Can’t save everybody.”

Dagin was about to say something more when Kyrrin scurried into the room. He kept his eyes glued to his notes as he passed by the big demon. Dagin stuck out a boot and tripped him. The little assistant was about to crack his noggin on the table when Sean reached out and snatched his shirt. Kyrrin stumbled but caught himself.

The door opened and Jordan strolled into the room. Everyone stood up straight and waited respectfully until he took his seat at the table. Sean swallowed uneasily and forced his emotions to go flat. Jordan’s eyes gleamed yellow, his face ashen and papery. Red sores dotted his arms.

The smell of insanity swirled around him like cheap cologne.

Shit, shit, shit. This was getting bad...

Sean and Dagin made a move to sit down but were frozen in place by Jordan’s uplifted palm. Kyrrin cleared his throat. His eyes cut to the doorway before turning to his notebook again.

“Before we begin today’s meeting, I need to introduce the Commander’s distinguished guest and the newest member of the staff. Please wait until he’s seated before you take your own seats.”

WTF? That sinking feeling was back and Sean’s gut tightened painfully. As the door opened, he sensed it before he smelled it--raw power so strong it sucked the oxygen from the air.

The raven-haired demon stepped into the room and every hair on Sean’s body stood up in protest. His balls retreated to his chest. Not much scared him, but this motherfucker did.

His face was dark and hauntingly, frighteningly made. Like an obsidian carving, he was all hard angles and sharp corners. He towered above everyone in the room; his shoulders brushed the sides of the doorframe. His haughty expression and frigid black eyes sent fear through Dagin too. Sean felt a tremor run through him and heard his heartbeat quicken.

Kyrrin’s voice trembled as he announced him. “It is my pleasure to announce Irku, the Harbinger of Death; the Reaper of Souls. Throughout history, he’s been known as the King of Nightmares, the Bringer of Sorrow, and the Eater of Souls. In modern times, he’s known affectionately as the Harbinger of Doom, the Magnificent Destroyer, and the Keeper of the Apocalypse...”

Kyrrin’s voice droned on and on as he included every one of the ancient demon’s titles. There were more than any other demon, except Satan and Lilith. Like them, he’d been around at the dawn of time. He was known by every culture across every continent in every time period except the last millennium.

A thousand or so years ago, he’d been defeated, banished.

By angels.

Sean swallowed and closed his eyes. Oh shit. His eyes popped open again when Kyrrin finished with, “and Slayer of Angels.”

Heaven help us. Irku was back.

As if reading Sean’s mind, Irku’s black eyes locked onto his with so much force that Sean staggered back a step. The immense power of the demon’s will burned straight into his mind. His eyes demanded, no, compelled Sean to open up, let him in. A quiet voice said to give him what he wants or he’ll just take it--Slowly and painfully. Much easier to just give in...

Over my dead body!

Sean ground his teeth together and held the wall of protection solid inside his mind. The only memories the demon would see were the evil ones. He’d see only the acts of destruction, the murders, and Sean’s satisfaction with his new place in Hell. All the carefully constructed memories that would show proof of Sean’s fallen angel status. Sean was sweating with the effort to hold the shutters in place when Irku abruptly looked away.

The disconnection was a physical thing, like someone driving an ice pick into his frontal cortex. As Irku turned to the table, he unfolded his black feathered wings and stretched them before tucking them against his back. Ho-ly God. They stretched from wall to wall.

Irku’s stone face was perfectly composed, but a hot coal burned in the depths of his eyes. He stared at Sean; the room went deadly quiet. Dagin sidled out of the line of fire.

The corners of Irku’s mouth turned up in amusement and he said, “Greetings, old friend. What an unexpected surprise.”

The deep voice rang off of the walls and reverberated inside Sean’s mind. The table shook sending papers spilling to the floor. Sean felt the words crawl over his skin like ants--biting, stinging, burrowing into his flesh. He gasped as someone wrapped a hand around his heart and crushed it. As fast as it came, the pain was gone. Sean was on his knees.

He willed his heart to stop stampeding and kept his eyes lowered. Stay in control. Don’t look up. Easier said than done. EVERY instinct screamed to fight.

He was in trouble.

Serious trouble.

It was sooooo time to get out of here!

Manhattan, New York:

Sean! Are you all right?

Raphael’s tone was terse with worry, but this was a very bad time. Sean glanced over at Dagin. He didn’t dare use telepathy this close. He was tailing the demon in ghost mode. Dagin had shimmered out after the endless staff meeting and Sean had latched onto his scent and followed. They had rematerialized next to Saint Patrick’s cathedral on Fifth Avenue. It was nearly time for Friday evening mass.

Masquerading as a silver-haired human now, Dagin wore a long black raincoat for protection from the misting rain that fell over the bustling city. Sean’s sensitive hearing picked up the faint clinking of metal canisters bumping together. He smelled the sickness. His stomach tightened. Calm the fuck down, he told himself. This was just another op. Stakes were high, true; but they always were. That’s why he had a job.

Crowds of humans flocked up and down the sidewalks on both sides of the building while hundreds of devout Catholics and a few tourists slowly shuffled through the ornate front doors. The church could hold roughly 2,000 people at a time.

Aaaannd, it was Good Friday...the place would be packed.

The incubation period for Variola Major is about 12 days. These people will remember Christ and then walk out of here covered with virus. By the time they showed symptoms, the angels only knew how many more people they’d contaminate. Could be hundreds, could be thousands. Multiply that...it’s ground zero on a big scale. Very clever, J.

Dagin nonchalantly headed for a side entrance, then disappeared in the middle of the sidewalk. Sean blinked. What the hell? Peering intently around him, he caught a colorless disturbance in the air near the door. He blinked again and brought Dagin into sharp focus. Oh, you can run, but you can’t hide. Dagin was using a spell to throw people off. Fortunately for him, demons sucked at magic.

With eyes glued to his prey, he called for orders.

Raphael? I’m trailing Dagin. He’s going to release the virus. Do I stop him?

He flattened himself into a shadow and held his breath. Come on, come on. He didn’t know the archangel’s plan. It might be important to let the virus go in order to bring about other events. Sometimes bad things had to happen.

Dagin paused and glanced around him. His eyes settled on Sean for a second too long and Sean froze. Turning away again, the demon pressed his hand to the locked door. Sean heard the soft snick of metal as the lock opened.

Raphael! We’re running out of time. What’s it gonna be?

Dagin slipped inside the building. Sean followed like a current of air. He didn’t have time to wait for orders. This was about to go down right now. Taking no response as permission to proceed, he moved in. It was do or die. He had to get back to the real world anyway.

His cover was useless now. Irku knew him.

Remembered him.

His fate would be worse than death if he went back to Jordan.

Damn it, he’d ask for forgiveness later.

He entered through the same door and scanned for Dagin in the darkness. Okay douche bag, where are you? Pausing to get his bearings, he considered Jordan’s plan. What’s the best way to release an aerosol? His brain threw that around for a minute and the light bulb went off.

Sean headed for the air handling system. The big building had to have a furnace down here...that meant air distribution. Best way to spread the virus: quick, simple, effective.

The sound of metal hitting the concrete floor froze him in place. The sound was close. He blended into the wall and listened. He could just make out the sound of soft breathing in front of him. He slid his blade from its hidden sheath and focused on Dagin.

He glided forward and hissed as a gleaming pipe nearly took his face off. Jumping back, he ducked as the air whooshed past his ear. Dagin laughed meanly as he swung the metal pipe at Sean’s head like a baseball bat.

“Did you really think you could follow me? Christ, you’re an idiot!” He’d switched back to his MMA fighter persona, dark eyes gleaming in the darkness, muscles bulging in a red muscle shirt.

Ducking and dodging lightning fast, Sean lunged at Dagin’s gut and slashed him with the blade. The demon grunted at the pain but kept coming.

Sean laughed with cockiness that Killian would beat his ass for. “You played right into my hands. This is perfect. You. Me. Shiny weapons.” He considered the knife and casually wiped the blood on his pants.

Growling with fury, Dagin swung the pipe at his ribs, Sean twisted out of the way but not fast enough. The impact sent him staggering into a table. Piles of old newspapers went careening to the floor in a cloud of dust.

Springing back to his feet, his eyes went flat and he ground out, “Now you’ve gone and pissed me the fuck off.”

He felt the heat in his eyes and let his powers take over. Ignoring the pain in his side, Sean unleashed his strongest weapon. As the killing energy rushed to his fingers, he feinted to the left and threw the bolt of energy into Dagin’s chest just as he lunged. The hiss of pain put a smile on his face.

“Awww, did that hurt?”

Acrid black smoke poured from the hole, but he still had fight in him. Throwing a fireball of his own, Dagin snarled, “Weak, Primani. That’s the best you got? You’re gettin’ old.”

Sean held up a hand and the fireball bounced off of the invisible barrier and hit Dagin in the chest sending him stumbling backwards. Sucking air through his teeth, Sean said, “Shit, man. Bet that hurt!”

Dagin touched the burning hole with an expression of complete shock. His claws curled against his flesh as the truth hit him. He was screwed.

Surprise, motherfucker. “Didn’t see that coming, did you?”

Sean kicked him with a roundhouse that forced the demon to his knees.

Playtime was over.

Time to burn and bolt.

With one last grim smile, he pointed his index finger at Dagin’s eye.

“Bang!”

Panicked, Dagin tried to shimmer. His body grew transparent as Sean released the beam of energy. The light hit Dagin’s eye just as his molecules expanded for flight. Halted in mid-shimmer, his form tripped and his features became solid and then transparent again. The demon fought against the force holding him to the ground. His body arched and twisted in pain. Tendrils of flame licked at the hem of the muscle shirt before engulfing it in phosphorus fire. His mouth opened in a howl as the brilliant strands of energy whipped around his body, faster and faster, until he exploded into a million particles of glowing ash.

The echoes of his howl lingered in the basement.

There was no coming back from that one.

Sean smirked coldly at the settling flakes and said, “Totally worth the wait.”

The moment was ruined by the sound of voices in the stairwell behind him. Oops. Outta time. Quickly scanning the room, he found three canisters sitting near the table.

The voices were coming closer. Nothing else seemed to be out of place. Holding open his backpack, he waved the cans inside and vanished just as a group of men came around the corner.

London, England:

It was just before dawn when he popped into the foyer of the safe house. The protected house was silent except for a light creaking of the upstairs windows as the north wind swirled around them. Outside, the rose bushes scraped against the wall near the kitchen. Somewhere nearby a cat cried out, its yowl fading as it ran off. Sean stood in the doorway just breathing as his body settled down from traveling. His heartbeat settled into a normal rhythm and he savored the sensation. It had been four months since he could breathe easy, could sleep without waking every five minutes, could eat without fear of poison. Damn, he was exhausted. Food. Shower. Sleep. In that order. Sex would be nice too, but that would have to wait. He was waaaayyy too tired to give that any real thought.

With eyes closed against the grit of the city, he rolled his shoulders in a stretch and thought of the lives he sensed sleeping upstairs--his family. Swaying slightly, he leaned against the wall and tried to ID the bodies. Mica and Dec would be here for sure. Mica was under house arrest and Dec was playing nanny. That was some funny shit right there. He’d give anything to see Dec babysit. Mica thought he was so sweet and innocent...He was Mr. Patience and the Perfect Angel in her eyes. Yeah, right. Dec had her so fooled.

He couldn’t wait to see her all big and pregnant. Knowing her, she’d be bending every rule that Killian laid down and would be working out every day. She’d hate sitting still. Dec probably had to handcuff her to the couch to make her sit. He smiled at the image of Mica handcuffed which led to other images that he shoved out of his head. With a mental head slap, he kept scanning...here was another body--probably Killian.

No one knew he was coming today. There hadn’t been time to call or text. He’d left the cathedral and brought the canisters straight to the lab in The City. Thank God the lab rats were around! After three hours of debriefing Alex, he finally got cleared to take off.

A slight sound brought his head up, knife in hand and body poised to kill. Killian frowned at him from the stairs. He was dressed in a pair of half-buttoned jeans and nothing else. Mica’s pendant glittered on his chest. Unimpressed with Sean’s show of force, he padded down the steps, his eyes never leaving Sean’s face. A wave of calm washed over him and he relaxed. Feeling like an idiot, Sean re-sheathed the blade and scowled at his brother Primani, daring him to comment.

“Good to see you in one piece, my brother,” Killian’s voice was soft as he shook Sean’s hand and then clapped him on the back. “You want coffee?”

Shaking off the tension, Sean tried to smile but was just too damn tired. Instead, he groaned as he tried to stifle a yawn. “I need to rack out, man. I’m about to fall down.”

Killian’s lips twitched oddly and he turned to the kitchen. “You stink. Get a shower and crash. We can talk when you wake up. The third bedroom’s ready.”

With that, he started making coffee and left Sean alone. Huh. Okay...nothing’s changed here. Killian’s still not a morning person.

A few minutes later, he stood steaming in the tiny shower and dozed off until the water ran cold. Yawning hugely, he dried off and slung the towel loosely around his waist. Padding down the hall, he cranked open the bedroom door and stopped dead.

“Mama! Who’s that?”

What the hell? Sean blinked and rubbed his eyes. Nope, he wasn’t seeing things.

The kid was still there.

He was sitting on the bed next to a shapely lump under the covers. His wide blue eyes stared in wonder at the stranger who’d just walked into his mommy’s room.

A soft husky voice mumbled, “Sean, honey, it’s too early to get up. Come back to bed for a bit.”

Clearing his throat, Sean drawled, “If you’ll move over, I’ll be glad to climb in.”

The screaming woke everyone in the house.

Dec got there first and nearly tackled Sean into the wall before he recognized him.

“Dude! You’re back!” Grabbing him in a bear hug, Dec swung him around and hollered for Mica and Killian. Sean desperately hung onto the towel that suddenly seemed way too thin.

Mica waddled in next; Holy shit, she was all stomach! Relief clear on her face, she exclaimed, “Sean! Oh, thank you, Michael!”

Her smile drew him straight to her. Everyone else disappeared as he looked into her eyes. She was positively glowing.

She threw her arms around him and burst into tears. He pulled her close and clung to her. God, she felt good. Her essence surrounded him and wrapped him in a peace he never knew with anyone else. She was still his anchor in any storm and the only person to ever soothe him. He was secretly glad she was crying because it gave him an excuse to hold her, to lean against her and soak up her strength. He was too exhausted to keep up a tough front. He just wanted to lose this horrible tension and be himself again.

Rubbing her back, he said, “It’s okay, darlin’, I’m alive. Don’t cry!” Glancing helplessly over her head, he tried to shrug in apology but she had a death grip on him.

Amused, Killian waved off the gesture and said, “She’s got a leak. What can I say? The hormones make her weepy. Weepier.” He handed Mica a tissue and pulled her away so Sean could breathe.

“Let the man catch his breath. You’re strangling him.”

Another voice piped up. “I have to go potty.”

Sean glanced down at the kid tugging on his hand. “Who’s this?” He glanced around at the amused faces circling him.

The woman on the bed cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her. She’d been so quiet, they’d all forgotten about her in the excitement of welcoming Sean. He didn’t get a good look at the woman when she started screaming earlier. Now he looked his fill and stood stunned into silence.

It couldn’t be.

Her dark hair flowed down her back and hugged the curves of her face. Tousled from sleep, it was damn sexy and he remembered exactly how silky it was running through his fingers. She’d slept in a pair of his old flannel bottoms and his favorite Metallica t-shirt. Everything was so big on her. She looked fragile and unbelievably tiny in his clothes. She stood now, a woman ready to do battle. She was just tall enough to nearly look him in the eye. With brilliant blue eyes shining with hurt, she gathered the boy close and glared at him.

“This is Sean Michael. I named him for his idiot father, and the great angel.”

No way. This couldn’t be happening. He had a kid?

Sean’s eyes drilled into hers, searching for the lies. She hardened her expression and he gulped. Totally confused, he stared at the thin child.

It was like looking in a mirror...2,000 years ago.

The blood left his head and his vision went dim.

“Grab him!” Mica’s voice followed him to darkness.

The dream was perfect. He lay on a field of grass with the gentle warmth of the sun lingering on his skin. The rock-hard tension was gone now. He felt at peace. His mind was calm, his thick muscles loose and relaxed against the ground. He breathed the salty air and let it fill his chest. Oxygen bubbled through his blood sending little tremors of pleasure through every part of him. His skin tingled, his heart beat gently. His saol simmered and flowed to heal and recharge him. Here in the dream there was no fear, no pain. He wasn’t hungry or aching. He wasn’t lonely.

He just was.

He didn’t know how long he lay there, but after a while, he was aware of another. Another saol had joined him.

He sat up and met his maker’s amused eyes.

“What are you doing here, Afriel?” Sean asked.

Raphael lifted one shoulder in an elegant Gallic shrug. “Does this disturb you, warrior?”

Hmm… Did it bother him that the archangel had slipped into his dreams?

“On so many levels, oh glorious one.”

Raphael chuckled at that and waved a hand in dismissal. “I won’t apologize for the intrusion. I needed to talk to you and this works for me. I understand you met an old friend. What news do you have for me?”

When he awoke again, it was twilight and a soft rain was falling. The pitter patter on the roof was seductive and he felt sleep dragging him under again. Stretching his limbs, he grabbed the pillow and buried his head under it.

Just as he was slipping into a sexy dream with a hot faceless female, someone tugged on his sheet.

“Are you dead?”

Without looking up, Sean growled, “No. I’m sleeping.”

“Oh.” There was a long pause and then, “Mommy says you might be dead.”

What? Ah, hell.

The memories came slamming back and he groaned and pushed himself up to find a serious little face next to him. The boy stared at him with a healthy dose of fear, as though Sean was the bogeyman

Rubbing his hand over the thick growth on his jaw, he frowned. Probably he looked like a werewolf.

“So, are you dead or not?”

Sean shoved away the last bit of drowsiness and sat up, while pulling the sheet across his lap. As the boy patiently waited for an answer, he squinted at his cell phone.

Holy hell. He’d been asleep for two days.

An impatient tugging grabbed his attention, and he smiled at the boy for the first time.

Sean Michael.

His son.

Unable to believe it, he studied the perfect little features and felt a rush of tenderness that overwhelmed him. I have a son. He rolled the word around in his head trying to add ‘father’ to his identity. It was such a foreign concept for him. In all of his years, he’d had no children. None that he knew of anyway. Mica and he almost had a son, but the baby had died. The loss still pained him, but it hadn’t been meant to be. After that, he’d assumed he’d never have another shot at it. His line would die out with him one day. That was to be expected; that was his life as Primani. His work was supposed to come first.

But now? He had another chance. Swallowing against the tightness in his throat, he cupped the child’s soft cheek and whispered, “No, Sean. I’m not dead. I was very tired and needed to sleep.”

Mini Sean nodded solemnly. “You’re furry.” He reached out and touched the beard and drew back his fingers with a frown.

Sean Michael spotted Aisling hovering just inside the door and ran to her side. “Mommy! He’s not dead!”

Flushing slightly, she nodded seriously and said, “You’re right, sweetie. Now let’s leave him alone so he can get dressed.” To Sean, she said, “Dinner’s almost ready and Mica says you need to show up. She’s in a mood...you shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

Aisling knew she should leave immediately so Sean could get dressed. But she couldn’t seem to move her feet or her eyes. The man was gorgeous lying propped on one elbow. The shaggy black hair and three days’ growth on his jaw only made him darker, dangerous...hot. His shoulders were wide and he had pecs to die for. With a will of their own, her eyes followed the light sprinkling of fine dark hair that divided his eight pack and disappeared into the sheet.

He made a sound like a soft growl and her eyes flew up to his face. His eyes were burning with something she didn’t want to think about. Blushing hotly, she backed away and he chuckled darkly.

“Yeah, you should go.” His voice came out like a snarl and she blanched.

Sean was stunned. She’d been staring at him like she wanted to crawl into the sheets and eat him like a snack. Not that he’d mind, but he wasn’t expecting that. She’d been avoiding him like the plague. He held her stare until she bolted from the room. Glancing down, he sighed at the familiar throbbing.

Groaning in frustration, he scowled and said, “You go back to sleep!”

Chapter 25: Broken Angel

“IT’S A MIRACLE!” I mumbled to myself. The sun was actually shining in a clear blue sky! I swear my pores went vacuum and sucked in all the vitamin D they could.

I shifted my butt on the stone bench and leaned back for a little more sunshiny goodness. The temp had finally warmed up into something like spring and it was comfortable enough to go without a coat. The house was getting too crowded and everyone was cranky. This morning Aisling had snapped at Sean who snapped back. That led to a nasty argument that EVERYONE got to hear thanks to the thin walls. Sean Michael was climbing said walls and had a major meltdown. It wasn’t his fault. Poor kid didn’t have anything to do. We needed to get him some toys. I wasn’t cranky really, just uncomfortable. My back ached constantly now and I was sure my feet were gone. Killian tried not to laugh, but I caught him constantly smothering a smile. It’s his fault I can’t see my feet.

In the beginning of my pregnancy, I was able to do yoga and tried to walk every day. The constant rain and cold of winter really killed my motivation to walk though. Dec had been a good sport and took me out whenever I wanted, but it wasn’t too often. I didn’t want to get sick and Killian stressed about it. So here I was five months along with three thriving fetuses doing their best to break size records. Yoga wasn’t happening now.

Bending over wasn’t happening either.

As we cringed at the yelling coming from the upstairs hallway this morning, my loving husband and genius leader declared today a day of rest.

So it was off to the park.

It was peaceful here. The sun was warm, bare trees swayed with a gentle breeze, and ducks quacked happily on the pond. Every few minutes, childish giggles popped my bubble of drowsiness.

Sean Michael. The boy was adorable. I peered at him now and couldn’t resist smiling at his enthusiasm. Considering he’d been raised with only his mother for company, he had adapted remarkably well to modern day England. He still started at loud noises, like car horns and dogs barking, but he mostly bounced from point A to point B with wonder and joy. Open and friendly, he had a zest for life that made every one of us love him.

Dec and Sean had always had a weakness for children and this one wrapped them around his tiny finger. Poor Aisling never got to hold the kid anymore; she had to wait in line.

“He looks better already.” Killian interrupted my musing. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, with weapons stashed from public view, he lounged at the other end of my bench.

“It’s amazing what Raphael’s powers can do. His mama looks better too.” It was true. Both of our patients were well on their way to normal weight. All signs of the sickness were gone. According to Raphael, they’d inhaled spores from a type of mushroom that must’ve been growing close to their cabin. The spores had settled into their lungs and grown into a sloppy mess that led to pneumonia. I couldn’t believe that could happen, but Raphael explained that it was actually not uncommon in our plane. Ewww! Apparently people died from it every year. Who knew? They’d been here for two weeks and looked 100 percent better. The little guy’s tall frame was filling out, giving us a good idea of who his daddy was.

“There’s no doubt about that, Princess. It’s uncanny.”

I leaned over and pinched his leg. “Stop reading my mind!”

Laughing at me, he scooted over and kissed the tip of my nose. “You know you love it. How are our babies today?” As usual, he’d laid his palm across my belly.

Jumping at a sudden pressure against my ribs, I gasped and said, “Oh, they’re trying to climb out! Oh, ow! Stop that!” I pressed my palm against a large lump and the baby shifted into a more comfortable position. “Have I mentioned that I want drugs for the delivery?”

He placed his cheek against the bulge to listen. “It’s up to you, but we could ask Raphael for help. You know he’d do it.”

Cue the image of the dignified archangel squatting with his head between my legs holding a catcher’s mitt.

That was sooo not going to ever happen. There were just some things a man, or angel, didn’t need to know about a woman.

“I know, but I think he’s done enough. Let’s stick with the plan.” The plan was delivering in a hospital with my doctor, several nurses, and lots of drugs on hand. Having triplets was risky enough. I wasn’t taking any chances.

“Oh, come on, Aisling! I was kidding!” Sean’s exasperation was clear even from 30 feet away.

“Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise.”

Killian glanced over with hard eyes. “That woman has no sense of humor. I wish she’d lighten up.”

That was a colossal understatement. Dour, bitter, angry...these are words I’d use to describe her.

“The female part of me wants to defend her, but I can’t. It’s like the only time she smiles is when she’s with Sean Michael. Even then, she’s not really happy. Her smile seems forced. You’d think she’d be thrilled to death just to be back in the real world. At least now she has options for her life. No one is expecting her to stay with Sean. She can get her own place as soon as she’s ready to go. And for the record, that should be soon.”

With a disgusted sound, he agreed. “She’s got a lot of issues to work through and my gut tells me she needs more privacy.”

“And Gabriel?”

He nodded grimly at my perception. “And Gabriel. He’s her maker and he hasn’t come to find her. That would piss me off if I was her. She mentioned her ‘sins,’ but I don’t know what she means. Having sex with Sean? Maybe she considers that a sin? Doesn’t ring true to me though. There’s gotta be something more to it. What do you sense from her?”

I scooted down so I could rest my head against his shoulder. He tucked his arm around me and pressed me into a comfortable angle. “She’s got her emotions on lock down, but I’ve caught traces of betrayal, hurt, fear, and...”

“Go on, say it.”

“Darkness.”

Killian sighed heavily and asked, “Walk with me?”

“Help me up?” I countered with a hand on my back.

Taking my hand, he turned towards the gravel path that circled the park. “I hoped I was wrong, but you’re sensing it too.”

“At first I thought it was just the overwhelming tangle of emotions. I wasn’t able to isolate them; they all ran together when you first brought her here. But I’m still sensing a shadow, a darkness in her that sets my teeth on edge.”

It was a darkness that I didn’t want to talk about. I didn’t want to put my thoughts into words for fear they would become fact.

I wished my empath side could be wrong just this once.

Killian stopped and gazed at Sean and Aisling. They were taking turns pushing Sean Michael on a swing. The little boy hooted with joy, but his parents stood stone faced, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

“Do you want to tell me what happened when you found them?” I asked. We had plenty of time to kill and I wanted to hear the whole story. He’d started to tell it a few nights ago but Sean, the toddler, got grouchy and had to go to bed. Killian got sidetracked and we never did hear the whole story.

“All right, but let’s walk a little so you can stretch your back.” He dug the heels of his hands into my lower back as he spoke. It was heavenly.

Dec and Domino trotted up to us then. He’d been throwing the hacky sack to her and she finally refused to give it back. It hung from her right canine in a sloppy mess. Her tongue lolled to the left.

“I swear the air is toxic over by the playground. It makes me want to throw Aisling into the pond. Man, she is something else. I don’t get her.”

Those were strong words coming from Declan. He never had a mean word to say about anyone. She was really getting on everyone’s nerves.

Killian snorted a laugh and said, “Yeah, she’s something, all right.” His eyes were troubled despite the laugh, and he rolled his shoulders to shrug off the bad feeling. “So anyhow, I was moving from one plane to another and landed in a creek bed when I rematerialized into that plane. The creek was running high and the bank was pretty muddy. It had been raining for a while. Clouds were low and rain was still coming down, but soft, like it was almost done. I could tell right away that it would be habitable. Then I spotted the homestead. It was just like Sean described--a small cabin with some sheds scattered around it. The cabin was a few hundred yards from the creek, set back close to the trees. I thought it must be the right place.”

“Were you sure it was Aisling? I mean, how could you tell it was her and not some other...life form?”

“That’s easy, babe. Sgaine Dutre recognized the saol of a Primani as soon as we got there, and warned me. It could’ve been another Primani, but I was betting on Aisling. After all the running around I’d done, I was hoping the angels would show some mercy and help me out!” He wasn’t kidding now. He had been praying for a break for weeks. Raphael was in his corner but hadn’t been able to sense the lost Primani.

Dec asked, “Could you tell there was something wrong? Did you know she was sick?”

Killian frowned at the memory and tightened his grip on my hand. “Yeah, I sensed the sickness. You know it lingers in the air. I could tell something wasn’t right.”

“Oh, for God’s sake! You’re impossible!” Sean’s exasperation was morphing into anger and I glanced over at the couple.

“They’ll be fine, darlin’. Let Killian finish before we get interrupted again and never hear the flippin’ ending.” Dec was getting testy too.

“So anyhow, the rest is pretty simple. I knocked on the door and no one answered, so I pulled out my Sig, just in case, and went in. Aisling and the boy were on the bed asleep. I checked to make sure they were alive and got them up and moving. It took a few minutes to help her get some things together and then we left.”

“Wait a minute. What did she say when she saw you? I can’t believe she just left with you.” Dec was glaring at the female in question who was now yelling at his best friend.

Killian grinned and said, “Yeaaahh. It wasn’t that simple. Basically, she took one look at me and demanded, ‘Who the hell are you?’ and then threw a pot of piss at me. Lucky for her, it missed. I probably would’ve left her there if she’d hit me.”

Dec burst out laughing. “Damn, I mean, darn, dude. That’s harsh!”

It was my turn to glare at her. That woman was getting on my nerves too. Ungrateful wench!

“It took a few minutes to convince her I was Primani and there to rescue her. She doesn’t much like us these days. I’m guessing Sean wasn’t the first one to disappoint her.”

Sean risked his life for thousands, no, millions of humans, and she was hung up on the fact that he left her? Geez. What an idiot. He didn’t leave her on purpose! She was lucky she’d been with Sean to begin with! If it wasn’t for that, no one would’ve ever found her! She should be thankful. Plus she had a great kid. You’d think she’d be a little nicer to the baby’s daddy. Ugh!

Killian nudged me and said, “She’ll come around. It’s a tough adjustment for her.”

Dec’s eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. “Are you defending her? You? Mr. Hard Ass? She’s Primani; she’s supposed to be a warrior, like us. She should be able to adjust without ripping Sean’s head off over every little thing.”

“Whatever, little brother. I’m just saying we don’t need to add to the drama by taking sides. We need to help her get her own place and get settled. She and Sean will work out something in time.”

“Sooooo, why did you show up in a car that night? Why didn’t you travel to the safe house?” I interrupted the argument that was about to break out.

Our hero looked a little annoyed at the question. “I’m lucky I got them as far as I did. It was hard trying to concentrate my powers to bring both of them with me. I got us to the area but my powers dropped and I couldn’t dematerialize again. I borrowed that car and drove us the rest of the way here.”

Dec whistled softly, “Note to self--”

“Don’t try to teleport with a set of hot Swedish twins!” I joked.

Later, I dragged Sean out to help me with shopping. You’d think I’d asked him to donate a kidney, but he came along with minor grumbling. Aisling watched us from the kitchen and I waved as the screen door swung closed. She didn’t wave back.

Unaware of Aisling’s expression, Sean perked up when I handed him the keys to the McLaren. Like a kid with a new toy, he spent way too long touching all the buttons and adjusting the seat, the steering wheel, the mirrors, and the stereo. The engine growled when he pressed the gas, and he grinned like an idiot and settled into the buttery leather.

As soon as we got away from the house, I turned to him and said, “We need to talk.”

His sigh was long and meaningful. He looked down his nose at me, trying to be stern. “We’re not going shopping, are we?”

“Of course we are! We can’t go back empty handed. She’ll know I lied. I get the feeling your baby mama doesn’t like me much.”

He snorted and said, “She doesn’t like any of us too much!

“What gives? Have you been a dick?”

“Oh, sure. I’m just always a dick, so you naturally assume I’m being one now? Jesus, Mica. Give me some credit!”

“Whoa! Hold up, I didn’t mean it like that.” I giggled and added, “Well, not really! You have to admit you can be hard to deal with.”

He rolled his eyes at me. “Pot. Kettle.”

“So not true! I’m ridiculously easy to please.”

“Ha! Whatever! Your mood swings make Stalin look like Tinkerbell!”

It was my turn to gasp and sputter. “You...you...that’s not fair! I can’t help it. I’m not just having a baby--I’m having a litter! It’s so bad that Domino’s giving me advice!”

He laughed so hard he nearly sideswiped another car. The driver leaned on his horn and we swerved back to our lane.

Wiping his eyes, he finally managed speech. “Killian always was a show off! Could he have one kid? Nooooo, he has to give you three at the same time. He prob--” He stared at me with horror in his eyes.

“What? What’s that face for?”

His eyes dropped to my lap and he said slowly, “Did anyone touch you right after you conceived? Anyone with powers?”

“Besides Killian? Only you and Dec. Remember Christmas morning?”

Silence.

Fingers tapping the steering wheel and more silence.

“Sean, what are you hiding? You look so guilty right now.”

Flushing even more, he dragged his fingers through his hair so violently that it stood up like a Mohawk.

This couldn’t be good news.

He glanced sideways and swallowed hard. “I, uh, think maybe we...” He stopped talking and waved a hand in the general direction of my uterus.

“Oh, no you didn’t! What did you idiots do to my egg?”

“Well hell, I think we split it up.”

“WHAT??”

“It was an accident!” Backpedalling now, he smiled down at me and deftly captured my hand before I could hit him. “Look on the bright side. All three have magical blood...and you can name them after all of us! No one gets their feelings hurt.”

I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. “You should both be shot! What were you thinking? Didn’t you know better?”

“No! How was I to know? I haven’t personally known anyone pregnant by a Primani...well fuck, now I can add Aisling to that list, can’t I?”

I leaned my head back and tried to be mad. The expression on Sean’s face was just too funny though. Killian’s reaction was priceless too. Watching him faint was worth it. How hard can three babies be?

“It’s no biggie. Just don’t do it again! I think three are enough! So back to you and your woman problems. What’s going on?”

“Look, I promise you that I’ve been nice to Aisling. I gotta tell you it’s hard though. She won’t talk to me and she’s got no sense of humor. Sometimes I catch her looking at me, but every time I try to tease her or lighten things up, she gets all serious and pissed off. I can’t win for losing.”

“Well, what do you want from her?”

He snapped very succinctly, “Nothing. I want to be a father to my son. If her and I can be friends, than that’s great.” He rubbed his fingers over the short spikes of his hair in a gesture I knew well. “Don’t you see? I don’t know her. I barely knew her when I slept with her. I’m relieved they’re safe, but I’m not ready for more.”

His voice had turned wistful underneath the frustration. I reached over and squeezed his hand. Surprised, he glanced over and smiled that old heartbreaking grin that tugged my heart to his. He said softly, “I don’t love her. I don’t think I ever will.”

“Never say never, darlin’. I couldn’t stand Killian when we first met.” I rubbed my fingers across the rune on my hand. It glowed happily. “Look what happened to us.”

“Yeah.” Lost inside his head, he stared at the road for a minute. His tone was a little sad when he finally admitted, “I think she might be too broken for me to fix. She’s not quite right.”

“Yeah, there’s something going on there.”

He thumped his fist on the steering wheel and changed the subject. “Besides, I just got back from more near-death experiences than I’d like. I still have to murder me one crazy-ass fallen angel, and I need to get used to the idea that I’m a daddy. Shit, Mica, I need some fucking me time before my head explodes!”

“Don’t say the f word. I don’t want the babies to hear it.”

He lifted both eyebrows and said, “Don’t say fu--“

“Don’t say it!” I held up my hand and tried to look stern. “It’s not good for them to hear bad language.”

He grinned at me. “Oh, sure, I see how you are. For the record, I’ll be filming you when you go into labor. Try to be creative.”

The grocery store was just up ahead and I pointed to the corner. He pulled in and parked.

“Can I wait in the car?” He rubbed his palm over the leather in manly bliss.

It was a beautiful, powerful machine. The black and silver paint gleamed in the sun. The music surrounded us like a full body headphone. He missed his Camaro.

“No! If I fall over, I’ll never get up! Geez. You can pet the steering wheel when we get done!”

I didn’t have a list but figured we’d need milk and cereal. I shoved a basket into his capable hands and waddled ahead. We slipped into the old rhythm of shopping together and were bickering over the ripeness of melons when an odd sensation crawled between my shoulder blades.

Something dark watched us.

With one hand protectively covering my belly, I sidled closer to Sean until I was nearly inside his clothes with him.

Sean stopped talking in mid-sentence and glanced around the aisle. The creepy feeling raised goose bumps on my chest and I stomped down a feeling of panic.

Slipping into soldier-mode, he angled his big body in front of me and scanned for threats. A slight lift of his mouth was the only sign he’d found it.

“Shh, it’s okay, sweetheart,” he murmured under his breath. “I’ve got you.”

He relaxed and headed to the checkout. I followed quickly behind, unwilling to put any distance between us. Still fighting the dark feeling, I shoved money at the cashier. As soon as we were in the parking lot, I rounded on him. “Who’s here? And why aren’t you freaked out?”

Instead of answering, he towed me carefully to the car. “Is there someplace public around here where we could go meet someone? We need neutral ground like a park or something.”

“Uh, yeah, okay. You’re scaring me.”

“Just tell me. I know what I’m doing.”

The demon wasn’t at all what I expected. Short, wiry, and humanoid, he walked with a hurried, shuffling gait and kept his eyes focused on the ground in front of him. He wore a blue baseball cap jammed onto his head, but wispy blond hair escaped to blow around his pale face. There wasn’t anything obviously demonic about him, but I smelled him. He smelled like burnt earth.

Demons were bad, especially around pregnant women. Like me.

Was Sean nuts? What was he doing?

I glanced at my Primani and he stood with arms folded in front of him and sunglasses hiding his scalding eyes. His long frame was casually draped against a tree, showing no tension at all. I leaned just behind him and rubbed ruefully at my lower back. One of my little buggers was kicking my kidney again. For the millionth time I wondered how on earth they could all fit inside of me. I still had four months to go...I was going to explode.

The little demon stopped a few feet in front of us. He seemed to be trying to gather his courage before he spoke to Sean.

Sean didn’t encourage him. “Kyrrin.”

Kyrrin lifted his chin and said haltingly, “I know you’re surprised to see me here. I didn’t know who else to go to. It’s been bad. I mean, really, really bad since you left.” His fingers worked against each other in agitation. “The Commander’s put Irku in charge of Dagin’s soldiers. There’s only one battalion now. They, uh, killed yours. All of your soldiers are dead.”

“They were evil so you’ll forgive me for not caring.”

Kyrrin flinched. “Irku’s put out an SOS on you. Thought you should know.”

Kyrrin’s emotions were all over the map. Mostly he was terrified. Terror was mixed with a little courage and a lot more fear. Waves of desperation drifted towards me and I understood him completely. He wanted out. Sean was his only hope.

Wait a second. Since when did my empath powers work on demons?

“What do you expect me to do?” Sean’s bluntness wasn’t making Kyrrin feel any better.

Kyrrin’s eyes darted around the park and he gulped. “I have information.”

On the way home, I had to ask, “What’s an SOS?”

Sean barked a laugh and answered, “Shoot on sight, or in this case, probably ‘skin on sight.’ Skinning is the kill method of choice. Those fuc...er, jerks love to skin things. Preferably while they’re still alive so they can struggle. It’s messier with blood flying all over the place. Sends them into a feeding frenzy.”

Ewww! “Gross!”

“You’ve got no idea. It’s barbaric. J. ordered Dagin to skin me when one of my patrols messed up. He changed his mind just as the first strip of skin came off.” He held out his right arm to show me the faint ribbon of a scar that ran from shoulder to wrist. About a half inch across, it was faded to a pearly white against the beautiful tawny color of Sean’s Primani skin.

It was just the width of Dagin’s favorite obsidian athame.

“Pull over!”

So much for lunch.

In the strange red light of dreams, the four horsemen stood shoulder to shoulder atop the rise of a dry rocky hill. Red dust swirled around the wicked black hooves as the horses stamped and snorted. The setting sun threw them into shadow so their faces were featureless and stark--empty skulls atop powerful bodies. Standing on the barren plain far below, I studied them without fear.

“Why do you summon me?” I called out. I stood loosely with my hand gripping the hilt of a blade. I wasn’t afraid.

I knew them. Knew of them.

One by one, they peeled off and picked their way down the rocky slope. The first horse to reach me was as pale as the witches’ moon.

The rider’s eyes were bright gold in the deep sockets of the skull. His face melted and morphed into something beautiful and human before he answered, “We are here to claim our warriors.”

“They’re not yours to claim.”

The rider’s voice rose and he demanded, “It is time. Give them to us.”

Digging my heels into the packed sand, I said, “No. You can’t have them.”

A hot wind whipped between us forcing me to cover my eyes against the driving sand. Harder and harder the wind blew, pushing me backwards and away. Only seconds passed, but it felt like hours. When at last I opened my eyes, the miles of land between us gleamed as flaming glass. Blinded, I cried out and fell to my knees.

As soon as I hit the ground, the earth swayed and buckled, rising up to form a mountain behind me. The screaming of a million souls thundered in my ears. I swayed and stumbled onto my hands and knees, trying to keep from slipping down to the melting sands.

Unable to see or hear, I finally managed to stand and face them with the single glowing blade. Its blue stone burning like a tiny star, Sgaine Dutre vibrated against my fist ready to defend what was mine.

I would protect what was mine. They would have to kill me first.

And that they would never, ever do.

A long shadow blocked the heat and I knew I was no longer alone. Reaching out with my mind, I saw the Red Horse of War bearing down on me. Its rider pulled him up short, sending shards of glass into my skin like shrapnel.

“You cannot stop what is to be,” he roared down at me.

“Go back to Hell and leave us alone!”

Just as I lifted the blade, a strong hand captured mine and gently took it from me. A familiar voice spoke from just behind me. “We’re ready.”

Chapter 26: Assassination Fail

London, England:

THE GROWL OF THUNDER DRAGGED HIM out of a restless sleep. Lying still, Killian measured its distance. It was close. The rain would start up again soon. The curtains were closed but he could hear the branches brushing against the house to the beat of the wind. Great. Another stormy morning. A blue flash lit up the wall sending shadows jumping. Shit. He just washed the car. Careful not to wake Mica, he squinted at the clock and eased back with a sigh. It was too early to be awake. They’d been up until 2 a.m. and his eyes were gritty.

Mica’s fingers twitched, followed by a low groan of pain deep in her throat. She’d thrashed around until she was perched against the edge of their bed. The dreams were bad again. He knew it, but she didn’t want to talk about them. She didn’t want to worry him, but she worried him more by keeping them to herself. Giving up on falling asleep again, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. She was warm and pliant with sleep, her silky hair piling up against his chest. Breathing slowly, he inhaled her scent and smiled at the immediate reaction on his body. His heartbeat sped up and the rune on his hand shimmered in the half-light of early morning. Her own heart was galloping in her chest as she faced the demons in her dreams.

She mumbled under her breath and suddenly stiffened with a cry, “No! You can’t take them!”

Damn. It was the same dream every night this week. She’d toss and turn tonight, but tomorrow she’d wake up and not remember a thing. That was the part that worried him the most. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles, her face pale. She was exhausted. Last night he’d found her staring fixedly into the mirror. The darkness seemed to draw her in. She peered inward as her body arched against the glass. The blank look in her eyes scared the hell out of him.

He’d asked what she was looking at and she’d mumbled something about a horseman. Her eyes kept drifting back to the mirror even as he’d put his body between her and it. She’d nodded woodenly at his words but she was miles away from him. Yeah, that was freaking him out just a little. Horsemen, strictly speaking, usually didn’t herald happy events. He’d thrown out that mirror as soon as she’d gone to bed.

She jumped abruptly and elbowed him hard in the gut. Sucking his breath through his teeth, he latched onto her arm--any lower and they wouldn’t have to worry about make-up sex again. The dream was pulling her under again; he could smell her fear and her heartbeat was ringing in his ears. What was freaking her out? Okay baby, you’re not gonna like this much, but I’ll apologize later.

Wrapping her delicate hands inside one of his own, he traced the shape of her rune and closed his eyes. Using his own sight, he let his mind connect to hers and slipped into her dream.

What the hell was going on?

Eden:

“You’ve lost your mind.” Raphael struggled to keep a serious expression, but his mouth curled up despite his best efforts.

“Not true.” Killian pointed at the sketch again and said, “Look at the layout. It’s perfect for what I have in mind. The structure is the right shape. It’ll work. I know it.”

Raphael studied the drawing for several minutes without comment. Killian stepped away from the altar and left him to his thoughts.

Tick tock.

Killian did a mental eye roll as he waited for his maker to approve the op plan spread across the stone altar. Come on now, you know it’s a great plan...Raphael would see the brilliance of it. It would take him a minute as he thought through all the pros and cons. That was his way. He never made snap decisions. He was the angel of science and knowledge after all. He was also one of the angels of the apocalypse and the end of the world, among many other things. Archangels wore a lot of hats. Killian was glad he had a more limited focus: Primani, priest, husband, father. Not a bad life for the simple man he was at heart. His magic and his family were his life. They were both his strength and his weakness. He was prepared to kill and die for them.

He and Raphael had met in Eden so they’d have uninterrupted privacy to put together this op. In the time since Jordan had trespassed a couple of years ago, Killian had cleansed the plane of evil and bolstered the protective spell that kept it hidden. So far, no one had found it. This was a good thing since the plane was Killian’s home away from home. He felt most comfortable here, and his powers were at their strongest. Letting his eyes drift around the temple walls, he went over his mental checklist. He had a lot to do over the next few days. He’d been away from the safe house for a week already and he was ready to get back there. But before he could go, he had to review intel he got from Rivin, map out the attack plan, coordinate with other key players, and figure out a way to evacuate the humans from the building they were about to hit. He needed a plan to reduce collateral damage.

God, he was tired. He’d been traveling non-stop all week and his batteries were shot. He needed to eat something and recharge before taking off again. At this point, he wasn’t sure he’d make it back to the human plane without scrambling some molecules. Stretching his neck, he closed his eyes and relaxed for a minute. Instead of the comforting emptiness that normally preceded sleep, his mind was abruptly filled with the vivid image of a red horseman glaring down from a mountain top.

Jolting upright, he snapped, “Get out of my head!” The image vanished.

Raphael frowned down at him from the other side of the room and said, “Who was it?”

“War.”

“Ah.”

Well that didn’t explain much, now did it? “Ah? Forgive my bluntness, Raphael, but what does that mean?”

With a slight chuckle, the angel gave him a nod and a non-answer. “The op plan looks good. I’ll make arrangements.” He straightened from the drawing and considered the expectant expression on his friend’s face.

“War is better than famine or plague,” he added with a note of finality in his voice.

“Oh. Yeah. Sure,” Killian said to the empty cave. “That makes me feel a lot better. How do I tell Mica that?”

No comment other than a soft chuckle inside his head.

Shit.

An hour later, he finished making his notes on the map. Too exhausted to stay awake another minute, he got comfortable and released his saol to recharge while he slept.

Killian!

Her voice launched him to his feet with weapons drawn. Crouched in the dim light, he searched for the threat.

Killian! Help!

Hold on! I’m coming.

Closing his eyes, he focused on her essence and dematerialized.

London, England:

He rematerialized in the shadows of a tree line in the countryside. It was midafternoon, sunny, and picnic-perfect in the trees. No sign of demons anywhere. In fact, there were no people around either. What was going on?

He smelled ozone and stiffened.

Where are you, Mica?

Concentrating fiercely, he picked up her voice. Mica was here. But where was she? He did a 360 and didn’t see her. He did another 360, but more slowly this time.

Ah, there it was.

A faint rippling in the air gave it away. Going ghost, he moved invisibly to the barrier and listened. She was just behind it.

She was arguing with someone. “You don’t want to do that. Trust me. I’m protected. You don’t want to meet my husband.” She was strong, but her voice was strained, scared. “Seriously, he’s getting tired of people trying to kill me. He’s going to lose his mind on you.”

A deeper gravelly voice sneered, “I’ll be gone before your heart stops beating. He’ll never find me.”

The deceptive peacefulness of the park was ripped apart as lightning arced overhead with a deafening crack of thunder. A blast of freezing wind raced through the trees sending branches flying down onto Killian’s back. Whipping Sgaine Dutre from its sheath, he slashed through the barrier, parting it like the Red Sea.

The sight that greeted him threw his mind into straight-up kill-mode and his eyes caught fire. A greasy-haired man stood behind her with a hunting knife pressed against the mound of her belly. He had his other arm wrapped around her neck holding her still. The man had blood all over his face; probably from the broken nose he was sporting. He also dripped blood from fingernail gouges down both forearms and his cheek. She hadn’t made it easy for him.

Her face was ashen except for the purple bruise on one cheek and the red blood running from a cut on her bottom lip. She clutched at her belly with both hands.

“Killian, stop him!”

Killian snarled, “Get your hands off my wife!”

“Uh, let me think about that...No, can’t do that,” the cocky asshole grinned. “I’m getting paid to kill her off. Gotta touch her to do that. Sorry.”

Before Killian could say another word, a swirl of golden lights appeared and took form just behind the man.

“Not on my watch!” The grey-eyed angel shoved the man to the side with enough strength to make him stumble to his knees.

Killian dove forward, hitting the guy dead center. They went airborne before crashing hard into the ground. The guy grunted with the impact and his eyes fluttered in their sockets. Killian ripped the knife out of his hand and punched him in the face.

Once, twice...

Aaaand once more for good measure.

Before the bastard could react, he was knocked out and trussed up. Killian wanted him alive for questioning. Who was he working for? How did he set up a barrier like that? That kind of magic comes from the angels. He would answer some questions and then he would die. The speed of his death was up to him.

He threatened my family. Fate sealed. Too fucking bad.

“Killian!”

He turned as Mica slid to the ground, with Dani straining to break her fall. He jumped to her side and caught her in his arms.

Grimacing with pain, she said, “Get me to a hospital!”

He smelled the blood. His gut clenched with raw fear. Oh, God. Not now. Not the babies.

Not Mica. He couldn’t lose her again.

He caught Dani’s eye. Where had she come from? Dismissing her, he turned his full attention to Mica. He didn’t have time to worry about Dani right now. He was glad she’d shown up though. He’d ask her about it if his family didn’t die tonight. If they did, Dani’s resurrection was the last thing he’d care about.

Dr. Lopez motioned for Killian to come into the private room. The lights were dimmed and the curtains pulled against the window. He didn’t hesitate, and stalked past the doctor’s outstretched arm before he could say a word. Dec and Sean followed him and the doctor frowned.

“She’s very tired. I’d like for her to rest now. She shouldn’t have visitors.”

Sean started to argue, but Dec put his hand on his arm and shook his head. Sean clamped his mouth shut. Dec reached out to the doctor and touched his hand with a small smile. The scent of fresh leaves filled the air. A minute later, Sean and Dec joined Killian at Mica’s bedside.

Mica lay tiny and fragile against the stark white sheets. The nurse had propped her into a sitting position to keep pressure off of her back. Even her bellyful of babies seemed smaller, shrunken somehow. She kept her face turned away from him, eyes staring at nothing and filled with worry. The sight of her lying there, scared and hurting, cut him like a knife. He wanted to punch that bastard again.

He pulled up a chair near her head while the other two hovered at the foot of the bed. Dec wanted to hug her but gave Killian his space. Instead, he shifted his weight from foot to foot and bit his lip. Sean scowled at the air above her head. Killian could hear the Primani’s teeth grinding together but said nothing to him.

The silence stretched.

He didn’t know what to say to her. He wanted to help, but he wasn’t sure how to do that. The three of them looked at each other and shrugged helplessly. In the end, they all sat and said nothing. Finally she sighed and held her hand out to him.

“It’s going to be okay, Princess. You’re strong and these babies are fighters.” He gently brushed her bangs away from her eyes and kissed her forehead. “They have to be.”

She rubbed the top of her belly and frowned before looking into his eyes. “The doctor says I’m in premature labor. Probably from getting thrown to the ground by that asshole, but it’s hard to say what triggered it. I have to stay on bed rest for the next two months. If I’m very careful, and we’re very lucky, all three of them will be born alive.” She choked back a sob and added, “I’m so scared. They’re so little. I don’t want to lose them!”

They weren’t ready to be born. They needed at least another two months before it would be safe even as preemies. He’d talked to the doctor earlier and the news wasn’t great. Wanting to comfort her, he tried to gather her against him for a hug. Her shape made it impossible to hold her and he tried switching positions. That one didn’t work either. He tried again and finally she laughed at him.

“You’ll have to climb up on the bed if you want to hug me.”

“That’s what got us into this mess!”

The maudlin mood was broken and everyone breathed out in relief.

Dec grinned crookedly and patted her leg. “When can you get out of here?”

She picked at the edge of the blanket and said, “As soon as the bleeding stops. I don’t know how long that’ll be. The doctor said they’re going to give me an injection of steroids to help the little Trips. I guess they’ll let me out in a day or two. I’m going to make you crazy if you have to babysit me again!”

Sean said, “We’ll take turns babysitting you. How about that?” He took her hand in his. Rubbing it playfully, he said, “I don’t know about these two idiots, but I wouldn’t mind a few days of kicking back and watching DVDs all day. We’ll nuke some popcorn and crack open some frosty beverages. It’ll be great.”

She smiled at the idea. “Sounds like a plan. Can you scrounge up some Spotted Dick?” She yawned and grimaced. Trying to hide it, she forced a smile on her face that none of them bought.

Dec and Sean took the hint and got up to leave. After giving her orders to rest, they both placed their palms over her stomach in a familiar gesture of love for her and the babies. She rolled her eyes but didn’t stop them. Not that they would if she tried. They were supernaturally bonded to their unborn godsons.

“Stay strong, little warriors,” Dec whispered. After kissing her cheek, he and Sean left.

Once they were alone, Killian perched on the side of her bed. Carefully wrapping his arms around her, he tucked her against him and held her close. He felt the trembling in her arms as she gave in to exhaustion and pain.

Whispering against her ear, he said, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything happen to you or our babies. Other than killing the prick that did this to you, what can I do to help?”

She said hoarsely, “Anchor me?”

He stroked her cheek and kissed her eyelids softly. “Always. Close your eyes and let me in. I’ll guard you in your dreams.” She snuggled against him and closed her eyes with a sigh.

Anchor her? Jesus, hadn’t she been through enough already? Now she was terrified to sleep again. It broke his heart and pissed him off. Her short life had been plagued with nightmares and they’d worked hard to get them out of her head this year. She was finally free of the demons that haunted her nights. He’d be damned if he’d let those horsemen anywhere near her subconscious now. They’d have to go through him.

And he was in a very bad mood.

A discreet tap on the door startled him upright early the next morning. Mica was sound asleep and didn’t twitch despite his nearly falling off the bed. Soledad, the day nurse, chuckled at the sight of him catching himself before hitting the floor. With a wink, she moved to Mica’s IV bag and began her morning care routine. Halfway through the blood pressure check, Mica’s eyes fluttered open and she blinked.

Soledad took off the cuff and patted her arm with a smile. “Good news. Your vitals look much better this morning. The doctor wants to do an ultrasound in a few minutes. Cross your fingers, love. You may get to go home later today.”

“That would be great. I hate hospitals.”

Soledad joked, “Everyone with any brains feels that way! You belong at home with your family. As long as you stay off your feet, you’ll be allowed to stay home. Your doctor will order you right back here if you have any more trouble though.”

Killian said, “We’ve got plenty of family around to help. She’ll be okay.”

After the nurse left, Mica looked up at him with a question in her eyes.

He shook his head and said, “No, you weren’t dreaming. She was there. I saw her too.”

“I don’t understand. How is that possible? Is she a ghost?”

Good question.

He had no idea. He studied her worried eyes and wished he had some answers. She was too pale and her eyes had dark circles under them this morning. He cracked his knuckles. He still had a prisoner to interrogate, didn’t he? That prick was going to wish he’d never been born.

Yeah, it was time to go.

Sean grabbed a fistful of the man’s hair and yanked his head back. His eyes were half closed as he tried to pass out again.

Dec snapped, “Wake up, asshole!” He dumped a bucket of water over the man’s face.

He sputtered and coughed, eyes going wide with fear. Blood ran from a cut over his left eye. It probably needed stitches, but he’d be dead before infection could set in.

In the shadows, Killian watched with arms folded across his chest and eyes cold. Sean and Declan had only begun to question the bastard. The bloody cut was his own damn fault. They’d left him tied to the chair overnight and the moron knocked himself out trying to escape. The cut above his eye was from smacking his head on the concrete floor when the chair fell over.

Now the broken nose? That was from yesterday.

In a voice thick with congestion, the man snarled, “You’ll have to kill me before I’ll give you anything.”

Killian cleared his throat and peeled away from the wall. “Let me tell you how this is gonna work. You’ll give me the information I want and then you’ll die. If you cooperate, I’ll kill you quickly. If you make me work for it, I’ll let my boys play with you awhile. Your choice.”

The man spit in Killian’s direction and clamped his mouth shut.

Sean laughed softly and slid his blade from its sheath with a sharp metallic hiss. “I love it when they argue.”

Circling the prisoner, Killian gauged his emotions. Perfect. He was talking tough, but he was freaking out on the inside. This should be easy. Motioning Sean and Declan away, he stopped behind the chair and rested his hands on either side of the man’s skull.

“Who hired you?”

Three days later, Killian faded into the shadows behind a crumbling brick house. The blackened bricks reeked of the fire that had gutted the structure yesterday. The air was thick with the smell of burnt furniture and accelerant.

Well, well...

He used his sight to search for bodies in the rubble and found three. All were male; all were burned to a crisp. The acrid fumes of the gas couldn’t disguise the smell of cooked dumbasses. Some humans deserved to die just for being too damn stupid to live. These three crossed the wrong demon. Too stupid to know they’d been busted, they’d paid the ultimate price for it. Personally, he didn’t care that they’d kicked it--they were vicious predators who were marked for death already. The timing was inconvenient for him though. He’d come here looking for answers. One of these piles of ashes was his answer.

Fuck. He didn’t feel like starting over.

A movement drew his attention to the back of the property. A hooded man slouched slowly around the gate and paused, head cocked, listening. After a few seconds he straightened, nervously tugging sleeves down to cover pale wrists. Killian melted into shadow, waiting until the man passed by before going ghost to follow.

What do we have here? He watched as the man went straight to a pile of rubble and began moving it aside. After a few minutes, he dug out a dented metal box about the size of a shoebox.

Interesting. He hovered just to the side of the scumbag who was so fixated on prying off the lock that he didn’t notice he had company. The wind shifted and a whiff of jasmine drifted by. Killian’s head snapped up and he scanned for company. Nothing moved. He breathed deeply and the scent grew stronger; it was familiar but just outside of his memory. What the hell?

His prey’s irritated tone brought him back to the task in front of him. “Come on, come on, you bloody piece of shit! Open!” he grumbled under his breath.

The lock finally fell open and the scumbag let out an ‘ah’ of satisfaction as he pried open the bent lid. Killian peered over his shoulder as the lid came up.

“Well I’ll be damned,” he said aloud.

The man whirled, clutching the box against his chest. “Who the fuck are you?”

Killian plucked the box from the man and wrapped his fingers around a bony wrist. “Someone who has some questions for you.”

Chapter 27: Ties of Blood and Bone

London, England:

“WHO’S THIS?” Sean asked as Killian materialized with his arm locked around some skinny punk in a hoodie. His other arm held a busted up metal box. Both were covered with a dusting of ash and reeked of fire. Sean’s nose twitched as he fought off a sneeze.

Killian shoved the skinny punk to his knees. The kid wheezed in pain and clutched at his elbow. The elbow stuck out at an odd angle.

Shit, that hadda hurt.

Eyeballing Killian, Sean asked pointedly, “Am I killing this one, too?”

Killian smirked and said, “Yeah, but let’s ask him a few questions first. Maybe he’ll be more reasonable than that other guy...what was his name?”

While they were talking, Killian had pulled over a rickety metal chair and shoved the guy into it. He sat stiffly with head lowered and arm cradled against his side.

“Paul. Paul Sellers.”

The hood popped up in surprise and quickly pointed to the floor again. Sean walked around to the back of the chair, close enough to hear his heartbeat bounding out of control. There you go, he thought. You’re in deep shit now, aren’t you? Time to have a heart attack, punk. The guy’s shoulders shook and the sour smell of sweat filled the room.

Fear sweat.

Sean tapped his fingers on the back of the chair and pulled out his blade. Not his prized Primani blade. No, that was too priceless for this job. Instead, he unsheathed the ten-inch military knife with the serrated edge.

Without warning, he yanked the hood back and hacked it off at the neck. The man pissed himself and passed out.

Killian’s chest shook with silent laughter as he watched from his vantage point by the wall. Disgusted, Sean slid the blade back into its sheath and pulled out the plastic cuffs. After cuffing their prisoner to the table, he and Killian stepped into the other room.

“Oh, shit. Can you believe that?”

Killian only scowled with annoyance. “Why am I not surprised? This whole week’s been a cluster fuck. Who would hire these idiots? They’re amateurs. It’d be funny if they weren’t trying to kill my entire family.”

Sean sympathized. It was his family too, and these attacks were pissing him off. Things used to be so simple. He had a second’s flashback to a century or two ago when their hardest op was traveling in and blowing up a nest of Anzu demons in Bulgaria. That was soooo much easier than life in this century. Too much technology for the bad guys; things were easier for them, which made it harder on the Primani.

On the other hand, he got to play bad cop a lot more now. And he was exceptional at playing the asshole. He’d never admit it out loud, but he got off on the theatrics of it all. The drama was fun. He and his boys settled into a familiar rhythm whenever they had interrogations to do. Dec went in first; played all nice-nice, softened them up, got them to relax. Once they were all comfy and feeling safe, Sean stalked in and put the fuckers against the wall, sometimes literally. But mostly he crawled into their heads and twisted their thoughts till they cried like babies. Pulling out the hardware worked the magic faster; the sight of those long-bladed Primani knives freaked out even the hardest badass. He rarely had to use them, but didn’t hesitate when he did. They were damn good at getting information without having to hack up the tools tied to the chair.

Yeah, it was good to play with their heads...less messy that way and they cracked almost immediately, especially when Killian moved in. There was no hiding your head from him. He was one scary dude. Once he put his hands on them, they spilled their guts.

Cleaner and faster. It was a win-win for everyone except for the tool in the chair...just because it was cleaner didn’t make it painless. Sean did a mental shrug.

You want to play with the big boys, well sometimes you got your ass handed to you.

Just the way it was.

“It smells like piss in here.”

Rivin poked his head inside the room. He was dressed for riding, decked out in full leather from head to toe. Minus an earring today, he sported fresh ink. The elaborate rune danced gracefully across the top of his left wrist. The rune spoke of unrelenting sorrow. Appropriate for the moody angel.

“Nice tat. You bored? You got time to hit the ink shops?” Killian was less than amused.

Rivin grimaced, his face hard with hostility. One of these days he was going to knock the bloody bastard out.

Killian spread his arms in an invite and smiled nice and slow. “You want a shot at me? I’m standin’ right here.”

Rivin took a step towards him, but Sean moved between them and snapped, “Don’t be a dumbass. Killian’s lookin’ to rip someone’s throat out. Don’t tempt him.”

With combat boots planted, Killian stayed where he was, arms open, big frame tensed for a fight. His eyes burned on low as he calmly considered Rivin and snorted with derision. Rivin scowled and fingered the clasp on his holster. The sound of the snap lingered in the quiet room.

No one moved as they all stared at each other.

Oh, hell. They didn’t have time for this bullshit. As if he was just thinking the same thing, Killian looked pointedly at the holster and it vanished from Rivin’s side and landed in Killian’s outstretched palm. Rivin’s mouth dropped in surprise. Sean barked a hard laugh.

Bouncing it from palm to palm, Killian warned, “Don’t fuck with me, biker boy. You’re only alive because I saved your ass. You play the game, you keep your wings.”

Taking a deep breath, Rivin hissed, “You bastard! You better watch your back. One day I’m gonna kick the shit out of you.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’ll try. Bring Band-Aids when you do. Now let’s get to work. The clock’s ticking.” Killian dismissed the seething Primani and peered into the two-way mirror.

The tool was twitching again. Almost time to get back in there.

Sean moved over to Rivin and said out of the corner of his mouth, “Dude, you need therapy. Seriously. Get some help.”

Rivin bared his teeth in a snarl, but then broke into a broad grin. “You’re such an asshole. How are you still alive?”

“I’m just that good. So seriously, do you have news? What’s up?”

Killian was focused intently on the prisoner and not listening to them at all. Rivin lowered his voice anyhow. He didn’t have good news. With a sideways glance at Killian, he said, “Rumor on the street is Irku directed the hit.”

“How good is the intel?”

“High level. I trust it.” Rivin pointed his chin towards the prisoner and asked, “He talk yet?”

Killian had slipped into the room and loomed over the guy in chair. He was wide awake now and sat with his bony chin raised in defiance. Looked like he was ready to be all brave and shit. That wouldn’t last long. Killian said something to him and his eyes bugged hard. With his face draining of color, he clamped thin lips together and looked at the wall. As Rivin and Sean watched, Killian whispered in the man’s ear and the man’s body jackknifed sideways, crashing hard. He hollered as his broken arm hit the floor. His feet churned at the concrete as he tried to scramble away. He only succeeded in turning himself in a circle that ended up with his nose pressed to the toe of Killian’s boot. Killian held up a hand in disgust.

Rivin chuckled, “It never gets old. He might be the biggest wanker on the planet, but he’s got flare. I’ll give him that.”

“Yeah, I love that guy.”

Killian waited until the skinny dude settled down and reached out with his boot. Lifting the guy’s face with the toe, he let it rest against his throat. Sean flipped on the speakers to listen in.

Killian’s tone was low and threatening. “What did he look like? Describe him for me.”

The man’s voice quavered and cracked as he tried to talk through half-frozen vocal chords. “He...he was big, huge...and dark. Weird eyes...uh, creepy eyes.”

“You didn’t think that was strange? Some guy with weird eyes wants you to set up a hit on a pregnant woman and no fucking alarm bells go off in your head? How many pregnant women have you killed?”

Killian jerked the chair upright and stuck his face up close for a little eye-to-eye contact. “You’re an amateur, dumbass. Your partners are dead. You’re next. This freak pay you?”

“Uh, no, not yet, uh, the job wasn’t done. He said the bitch would pay us when we were done.” His voice was harsh and breathless with pain and shock.

“Bitch? Who’s the female?”

“I don’t know, man!” He wheezed desperately, “She never let us see her face.”

Sean eased into the room and caught his brother’s eye.

Rumor says it’s Irku. You want to get a picture?

Give me a minute.

Turning back to the man, he put his hand on the side of his face, letting his fingertips dig into the flat bones of the skull. “Open up.”

That afternoon, Sean headed back to the safe house to talk to Mica. He wanted to pick her brain about a few things while Killian finished his interrogation. Mica and Dani were sitting under a tree in the little garden with Domino standing guard. Dani had moved in when Aisling and Sean Michael moved out last week. Sean’s gut tightened at the thought of Aisling and his son out there unprotected, but she wasn’t willing to stay with them another second. She’d stomped out of their lives the minute Gabriel released her from her Primani duties. He hadn’t seen her in days. She was avoiding him, but it wasn’t done between them. Not by a long shot...he’d try to work something out with her once this op was over and done with. Their son had to be protected and trained. They had no idea what kind of power he might have. Raphael had already talked to Sean about testing the boy. They wanted him to settle in and learn to trust them first. He was just a little kid; they didn’t want to freak him out.

Time for that when he grew up a little more.

Sean hurried out to the back yard, eyes zooming in on Mica. She was wearing a tent disguised as a purple tank top and a pair of denim shorts. He tried not to stare, but it was damn near impossible. Her breasts were climbing out of the top of her shirt--literally, climbing out. The damn things were massive. When had that happened?

It was a miracle she could still breathe.

Stop gawking, you idiot. They’re just breasts. You’ve seen them before.

Yeah, but damn!

Well aware he was being disrespectful to the one woman he gave a shit about, he dragged his eyes away and shoved the image out of his mind.

“Are you sure it’s safe for you out here?” he asked, eyes scanning the fence line.

He squatted to pet Domino and looked up at the two women.

Mica rolled her eyes and said, “Probably not, but I can’t breathe in the house. It’s too hot. Why can’t you scrounge up an air conditioner?”

Not bothering to answer, he smiled at Dani and said, “It’s really good to see you. You look great!”

She was completely corporeal and looked exactly as she had in life; pre-dead-demon-baby, of course. Her blond hair was plaited in random skinny braids tipped with turquoise beads, and her grey eyes sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight. Rosy lips and flawless skin completed her face. She always was a cute one. Her new halo just added to her appeal. He wondered if Dec had seen her yet. He’d lose his everlasting mind.

Dani flashed a dimple and said, “Thanks to you. I take back all the snotty things I’ve ever said about you. Raphael told me how you found me. I owe you for that.”

Sean waved away her gratitude. “You don’t owe me a thing. Forget about it. Just don’t waste your second chance; not many people get them.”

“I don’t plan to. Guess my stars have finally aligned, huh? Too bad I have to be dead to enjoy it.” She started to get up to give them some privacy. “Here, let me give you some room. You’re a man on a mission.”

“Don’t leave. You should hear this too. You picked a dangerous time to come back from the dead, girl.” He patted Mica’s leg and added, “This one’s a magnet for killers. You sure you want to hang with her?”

“Oh, ha, ha! Thanks, Sean! What do you want? The Trips are rebelling and I’m not in a good mood.” To emphasize this, she smashed his palm against the squirming mound of flesh that housed his godsons.

He jerked his hand away. “Jesus! Doesn’t that hurt? What are they doing in there?”

She laughed and said, “Krav Maga.”

Her smile was radiant and he couldn’t help grinning at her. He wondered vaguely how she could possibly be comfortable. Her belly was writhing like a net full of tuna.

Biting his tongue to keep from saying that out loud, he said, “I need to talk to you, seriously. Is now a good time?”

She nodded and shifted position with a frown. He reached over and helped her adjust the pillow behind her back. She smiled gratefully and leaned back again with a sigh.

“Have you seen any strangers around here? Anyone stop to talk to you? Anyone watching the house? Anything like that?”

Mica shook her head but Dani spoke up. “Wait. What about that guy who was talking to Aisling? Remember? You told me about him the other day.”

With a thunk on her forehead, she exclaimed, “Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. It was before I went to the hospital. It was hot, so Aisling and I took mini-you to the park to play. I parked my butt by the sandbox and watched Sean Michael build things. Aisling said she wanted to stretch her legs and went for a walk around the park. I hadn’t seen her for a while and stood up to look for her. She was on the other side of the park standing in the shade by some trees. She was talking to a man, but she didn’t seem happy to see him. They were arguing.”

Sean leaned closer and asked, “What did he look like? Can you remember?”

Mica snorted with exasperation and looked down her nose at him. “Of course I can remember! Geez. Anyhow, he was taller than Killian, not broad though; he was...leaner.” She tapped at his forearm and continued thoughtfully, “Yeah, that’s right; he was tall like Killian but built like you. He had dark skin and dark hair like a Greek or Italian. Wicked fine, too.”

Oh? Niiiice. The minute his back was turned, Aisling was out trolling for humans. He thought she hated men. Huh. Maybe she just hated Primani; him in particular. Nothing he did was good enough for her. No, he was just the father of her son. He fumed silently, as Mica babbled on. He thought Aisling should be a little cooler than she’d been. He didn’t mean for her to get pregnant. He was doing his best now. Damn female was making him mental. If she’s hooked up with a demon? That woman has issues.

Mica tapped his arm to snag his attention. “Sean? If it’s any consolation, he sent my psychic feelers into overdrive. The guy’s creep factor is off the charts. One thing’s for sure, he’s not human.”

No shit. But was it Irku? How would Aisling know him? That made no sense at all. Had to be another demon. What were the odds that the demon he banished would hook up with his baby mama? Could his life really be that fucked up?

Yeah, it’s possible...Raphael wasn’t going to like this. He’d have to bring Gabriel into the loop. Wouldn’t that just complicate the fuck out of things?

He should’ve stayed in Hell...

“Sean?”

“Yeah, I’m listening. Sorry, I was thinking. Anything else you can tell me?”

“Mm, maybe one more thing. You know how demons wear a mask to look human?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, this one’s mask was more than top cover. It went all the way through him. What’s that mean?”

“We’re in deep shit.”

The atmosphere thickened slightly as Killian materialized behind Mica’s wicker chaise. With his trademark poker face pasted on, he bent down to kiss her before dragging a chair over. He and Sean shared a long look that said ‘mission accomplished.’

Intel received; body dumped.

Sean tapped his temple and said aloud, “Mica’s got an image to compare if you want it. Mica? Do you want to share what you saw?” When she didn’t respond, he glanced over to find her distracted by something.

Sean followed her gaze to Killian’s hand. His rune gleamed in the shadows just as the one on her chest began to pulse. The light winked just above the neckline of her shirt. Alarmed, Killian scanned the yard for intruders. They were alone, yet her rune continued to pulse with light. She rubbed it, her face scrunched with frustration.

“Stupid thing’s been doing that for days. It’s making me crazy,” she complained.

Killian frowned and studied the runes. Finally he leaned his forehead against hers and whispered, “Close your eyes, babe.”

Dani started to say something and Sean grabbed her hand to quiet her. “Shh. Don’t interrupt them.”

Clearly unhappy with his abrupt tone, she sulked back against the chaise and watched Killian suspiciously. Her fingers tapped out cadence on the armrest but she kept her mouth shut.

Sean was starting to get used to the strange connection between Mica and Killian, but even so, it fascinated him to see it in real time.

Mica’s eyes were closed, her face relaxed as if asleep. Her chest moved up and down to the rhythm of Killian’s heart. The steady thump of the heartbeat reverberated in Sean’s sensitive ears. He’d heard Killian speak of blood calling to blood. To see it in action was a trip.

Killian balanced his weight so he wouldn’t put any strain on her stomach. The veins in his arms bulged as he held himself back. With one palm resting on the rune above her heart, he closed his eyes and focused. They sat perfectly still, just touching, hearts beating as one.

Killian leaned away and lightly traced the shape of her cheek before whispering, “I’m done.”

Mica’s beautiful blue eyes blinked back to life. Sean exhaled slowly.

Wow.

“Well?” she asked Killian.

“Are you still having those dreams?”

“Yes.”

He looked straight into her eyes and said, “I was afraid of that. Guess there’s no way to avoid telling you this. You’ve seen it in your dreams. One day, the horsemen will come. The angels of the apocalypse have claimed our sons to fight at their side. That is their destiny and it will happen, Mica.”

“What? They’re just babies! That’s not going to happen. I don’t care who says so.”

“They won’t always be babies. They’re destined to be powerful warriors--just like their creators.” He glanced meaningfully at Sean who flushed.

“It was an accident!” he protested lamely.

Dani’s eyes swung back and forth from one to the other. Poor girl, she’s clueless. She was going to need some help with this new life. He needed to remind Mica to fill her in before demons attacked again.

Shoving Killian away from her, Mica tried to get up to pace but couldn’t get past her stomach. Frustrated, she flounced back and cried, “It’s not right! Why can’t they just be kids? Ordinary kids! I don’t want to bring them into this world just so they can die!”

Sitting on the edge of the chaise, Killian clasped her hand in his and held it to his chest. He spoke urgently, “Is anything in our lives ordinary? Look at me! I’m your true mate. Me? I’m not even human! I’m not even normal Primani--I’ve got powers that would shock the hell out of the archangels if they knew. That’s me--their father! There is nothing ordinary about me.”

He kissed her knuckles and said softly, “And you...their mother. Your soul was lost for 3,000 years. Your blood flows thick with my power and Sean’s saol. You and I share the blood of the archangel and my ancestors. These babies will never be ordinary humans. It’s not biologically possible. Then add Sean and Dec’s Christmas blessing to the mix. These babies have all of our blood and all of our powers. Don’t you see? They are destined to be powerful warriors and they’ve been chosen to usher in the apocalypse when it’s time. You’re trying to stop it, but you can’t. Once you accept it, your rune will stop twitching. Your powers are trying to protect them...and you’ve been calling to mine for backup. That’s why my rune is active.”

He glanced at Dani whose face was purple as she choked on the urge to interrupt. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before Killian took pity on her and explained, “The twin runes connect us. When she uses her powers, I can feel it.”

The sound of her molars grinding together was loud in the silence. “What powers?”

Mica groaned. “I know, I know. I left you out again! It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it when these two take off. We’ll need something to do while we wait.”

Dani narrowed her eyes and said, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. I’m supposed to be helping you and I have no idea who you are anymore! Are you even human?”

Killian held up his hand to stop the argument. “Dani, can’t this wait?”

“Yeah, but you people are giving me some answers or I’m so outta here. I still haven’t seen my mom. Maybe I should just fly back to Zen until you have time to talk to me.”

He turned back to Mica, his eyes uncharacteristically soft and begging her to understand. “Say something...anything.”

“Who are these angels of the apocalypse? How can I trust them with my children?”

He smiled a real smile then, a big grin that lit up his face. “You’ve met two of them already--Michael and Raphael. You’ll meet Gabriel sometime. Trust me; Raphael would rather shave off his wings than piss you off. He’s crazy about you.”

Sean sat marveling at Killian’s explanation. Holy shit! They had no idea what they’d done. Between them, they’d made these babies exponentially more powerful than any Primani. Of course the archangels would want them in their service. No wonder they wanted to stake a claim now! These kids would be catastrophic on the wrong side of the line. They’d need to be carefully trained and prepared. Good thing there were three of them. Between Dec, Killian, and himself, they’d keep them on the right path. Plus, they had a pretty important relative. As Sean sat and waited for Mica’s light bulb to blink, he thought about his job as godfather. He just hoped the little dudes would be easier to manage than he was.

It didn’t take long for the light bulb to go off. Mica broke off in the middle of a comment and gaped at him and Killian. Sean grinned widely. He knew what she was thinking. It was written all over her face.

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she called, “Raphael? Can you come?”

Killian burst out laughing and said, “No, don’t do it!”

Sean laughed and counted, “Three, two, one.”

Raphael materialized next to them, his face peaceful as always. Dani jumped two feet in the air and nearly swallowed her tongue.

“My apologies, Dani. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s all right. I’m just not used to all this yet.” She edged further away from him.

Turning to Mica, his eyes rested on the mound of her belly and lit with humor. “I see you’re following the doctor’s orders. Is all well?”

Grinning hugely, she said, “I’m fine, and so are your grandbabies.”

The archangel froze and blinked. For once, he was at a complete loss for words, and Sean busted a gut. He’d waited a lifetime to see his maker stunned speechless.

Gathering his dignity, Raphael frowned, “My what? I don’t follow you.”

Killian wagged his head and cut off Mica’s giggles. “She thinks she’s funny, old friend. I just humor her when she gets like this. But she’s absolutely right about one thing.”

“And that is?”

“Your bright shiny blood runs through all four of us, and now that blood runs through all three of the babies...so that makes you...”

Raphael looked at him expectantly, one brow lifted, waiting patiently for him to wrap things up.

She took pity on him and placed his hand on her belly which promptly surged against his outstretched palm. “Grandpa, meet your grandsons!”

He broke into a rare beaming smile and murmured, “Well hello there, my little angels.”

Mica squirmed and grimaced as they churned inside of her. They must’ve been pushing and shoving to reach his touch. Her shirt was billowing like a flag in a hurricane. Gross.

“Okay, that’s enough prenatal bonding. You’re getting them all stirred up and I’d like to keep my liver. Will you do me a favor? When you meet my dad, don’t tell him you’re an angel of the apocalypse. You’ll give him a grandpa complex.”

Raphael chuckled and moved his hand in a slow circle over her belly. The churning stopped and she moaned in happy relief. Cupping her chin lightly, he said, “You continue to honor me, little one. I am relieved you’re not angry with my plans. Are you satisfied with Killian’s explanation of things?”

Seeming to enjoy the comfort of his touch, she sighed deeply and said, “As long as I get to mother them, I’ll let you guys train them. They have to go to school though. I want them to know what it’s like to live like regular humans.”

Sean smothered a smile. Of course she did. Why wasn’t he surprised? Her wishes didn’t carry a whole lot of weight though. The archangels could do whatever they wanted once the babies were born. They could take them to Heaven and raise them there. Such a nube--she had no idea that no one dared to negotiate terms with archangels...she just didn’t know any better. That’s what made her so entertaining. Raphael didn’t seem to mind, but they’d have to watch her when she had to deal with Gabriel and the others. They wouldn’t allow it and she’d lose. Knowing Mica though, she’d just call Michael himself and demand he fix it.

Raphael gestured to Dani who blinked in surprise. She’d been quietly watching for the past half hour. Dani got up and moved beside Mica.

He said, “Dani has agreed to help you with the boys. She’ll be with you for as long as you want her to be. I will leave the practicalities of that to you two capable ladies.”

Sean elbowed Killian. “Did you know he was listening? He heard everything, didn’t he?”

Killian winked and said, “He’s always listening. Don’t you know that by now? How long have you been Primani anyway?”

Their joking came to a screeching halt when they overheard Raphael ask, “Why are you crying?”

Both swiveled around to see Mica wiping at tears. Her face crumpled and Raphael wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders. Killian started to go to her but Raphael shook his head.

After a minute of silence, he asked, “Will you tell me what’s bothering you? Perhaps I can ease your fears. I’m quite good at that, you know.”

She swallowed hard and thrust out her chin trying desperately to get her emotions under control. Gritting her teeth, she said, “I just realized I won’t be here to see them go off with the horsemen. I’ll just be a memory to them--” Her voice broke and she sucked in a wheezing breath, “If they even remember me.”

Raphael said, “That is simply not true. Why would you think that?”

Hope and confusion warred across her expression and her eyes flew to Killian’s. He winked at her and she let out her breath with a whoosh.

“Okay, I’m confused. Aren’t they immortal? I just assumed the apocalypse was thousands of years from now. Wait! Are you saying it’s sooner than that?”

“Your children will live as long as necessary for them to fulfill their destiny. Whether that is 30 years or 3,000 years, I’m not at liberty to say.”

Killian slid between them and took her hand in his. “Babe, didn’t you hear Michael the night he set Sean free? Your life’s been altered so you can share it with me. And since I’m not dying anytime soon, you’ll have to stick around. No dying on me. I couldn’t take spending eternity without you. I’m not strong enough.”

Her face lit up like the sun and Sean’s gut tightened in response. Her happiness hit him like a physical touch. He felt it in his blood.

Aaaannd, that reminded him...

“Afriel, since we’re on the subject of weird and freaky...can I ask you something? It’s about Mica.” He was the only one who dared use that alias and his maker gave him a frown of censure.

“Is there a chance I could say no?”

“Not if you want me to go back to work!”

“Fine, Sean. Ask what you will.”

All eyes on me. Yep, everyone was staring at him curiously. Killian’s eyes narrowed as if he was reading his mind and knew exactly what he was going to ask.

Go ahead, little brother, ask.

Suddenly this didn’t seem like a good idea. Maybe she’d feel weird about it. Maybe Killian would punch him in the head. Preparing to backpedal, he hesitated.

Raphael saved him from embarrassing himself by throwing his business out on the table for everyone to see. He said, “You wonder about the physical connection between you and Mica. You care for her, true, but it’s more than that. You’re drawn to her even when far away. You feel her presence before you see her. You feel incomplete when apart. She’s the balance you search for. She eases your heart.”

“Uh, yeah. That about sums it up. Shit. Did you have to throw it out there like that?” Heat swarmed up his neck and he knew his face was beet red.

Mica flushed and stared at her lap. This was about to get uncomfortable on a large scale.

Raphael chuckled at the two of them. “Well, you seemed to struggle to find the words to express yourself. I was trying to help you. It’s not complicated. When you shared your saol with her, a part of it found its way to her core and stayed there. In simple terms, she’s literally sharing a piece of you. Your saol is your power--the strongest piece of who you are. That one selfless act inadvertently bound the two of you together much the way she’s bound to Killian. Though her bond to him is exponentially stronger, being as it comes from blood, power, and great personal sacrifice. Blood calls to blood; true. And the same can be said of saols.”

“Mica’s destiny was forever altered by your act, Sean. Your Primani saol contains the key to your immortality--my blood--and you gave part of it to her. Once it settled inside of her, it unlocked her given psychic abilities and made her receptive to Killian’s powers. Like a sponge, if you will. His protection ritual should’ve simply added protection to her. Instead, she absorbed his powers and more of my blood. At this point, I believe she was guaranteed immortality even without the choice that she made in the temple. Her destiny was to remain at Killian’s side, no matter how she got there. Your actions took her along a harder route, but I believe she would’ve gotten there eventually. Unfortunately for your future love interests, you’ll always feel tied to Mica.”

Sean rolled his eyes and shrugged. “So my original mission was to keep her from destroying herself after she was almost killed by Scott Flynn. Instead, I ended up pushing her down another path altogether and she winds up the immortal mother of three of the most important babies the world will ever know. Wow, I’m good.”

Mica scoffed, “Your head is going to explode one of these days! At least that explains a few things.” She looked shyly up at Killian. “Is this all right with you?”

“It’s okay, babe. I know you two are bonded. Why do you think I sent you with him? You’re the one person who could anchor him. Your presence in his heart kept him from falling, and that’s really all that matters.”

Raphael interrupted, “Killian, I need to go and make other arrangements. Your team will meet me as we’ve planned?”

“Absolutely. We’ll meet you later.” He dipped his head in a sign of respect as Raphael dematerialized.

Without missing a beat, Killian slipped into ops mode and filled them in on the plan. He spoke to Sean but included Mica and Dani in the sweep of his eyes, “We move out tomorrow night. It’s Sunday so most of the humans will be out of the complex. Min casualties, max destruction. You and I need to find Raphael later to tighten up the deets.” He glanced around and added, “Where’s Dec?”

As if on cue, the back door slammed shut and Dec loped across the yard to where they were sitting. He walked right past Dani and froze. His face went from ‘what’s up?’ to ‘holy shit!’ in a split second. Whirling around, he stared in total surprise, mouth working but nothing coming out.

Dani hung back shyly. The last time she’d seen him, she’d spit in his face and cursed him.

“Dani!” Dec’s halo flashed on and off like a lighthouse beacon and he grabbed her in a bear hug. Dani’s breath whooshed out and he swung her in circle, whooping with mad joy.

Here’s the part where his little brother loses his mind. Sean had to grin at the waves of joy swirling around Dec. Totally unaware he was glowing from head to toe, he clutched Dani’s petite body against him like a life preserver, face buried against her hair, their two bright heads shining in the late afternoon sun.

Killian gestured at the couple and quipped, “I had no idea they were so close. Is this weird for anybody else?”

Weird? After everything else they’d been talking about? Nah, not so much.

Hilarious, yes. Weird, no. Dec had been crazy about Dani for years. He just didn’t share the intel with anyone. Sean only knew because Dec talked in his sleep when they were on a road trip once. He’d been mumbling her name over and over again until Sean woke him and told him to shut up already.

Oh, yeah, he was supposed to tell Dec about Dani so he wouldn’t freak out.

Oops. Guess he forgot. Totally worth it.

“Thank God you’re alive!” With eyes squeezed shut, he held her pressed against him until Mica cleared her throat.

“Uh, Dec, you okay there?” she ventured carefully, amused.

Dani’s face was turning red and she pushed her hands against his chest. It was like moving a wall. “Dec! I can’t breathe!”

Killian reached over and smacked his friend in the back of the head. “Declan! For God’s sake, let the girl breathe. She’s not going anywhere.”

Sean had to throw his two cents in. “Dude, you’re glowing. Seriously. Might want to tone that down.”

Completely undone, Dec held her at arms’ length, studying Dani from head to toe. The play of emotions crossing her face went from embarrassment, to relief, and back to embarrassment when he pulled her face to his and kissed her.

Ignoring the rest of them, he met her eyes and said, “I’ve waited five years to do that.”

Chapter 28: The Path Poorly Chosen

Lucerne, Switzerland:

IT WAS ALMOST GO TIME. The sun was slipping behind the mountains, casting the valley in heavy shadows. Thick clouds would cover the thin sliver of moon later. Clouds and rain would be a bonus that Killian suspected wasn’t entirely Mother Nature’s idea. This was one battle they couldn’t afford to lose. Bad weather would help. He wasn’t the only one who understood that.

“Worried, bro?” Sean appeared at his side.

“Me? No. Just thinking. Any doubts about your buddy Kyrrin’s intel?”

Shaking his head, Sean said, “He’s a demon so you always gotta wonder, but in this case, I believe him. The intel’s solid. Real question is, how hard will they fight for it?”

Good point. Demons weren’t known for loyalty or bravery. The Primani were going in hot tonight and that might just scatter some of the more excitable bastards. The more who ran, the better. They’d love to cut a swath through Jordan’s hoard, but they’d settle for destroying the institute. According to Kyrrin, the entire Variola operation was kept in the underground levels of the Première Institute. That matched up with Killian’s surveillance. He felt confident they had their facts right. He hated to think about the alternative. Staring out at the gathering gloom, he sent his thoughts to Mica.

Babe. We’re going to start soon. Can you check the building?

A pause.

Her thoughts came loud and clear. Give me a minute, okay?

A longer pause while she switched into remote viewing.

There are three humans on the third floor, top right quadrant. Looks like they’re working at desks. Also two humans on the first floor...in a kitchen. That’s it. Looks like everyone else is off for the night. Anything else?

Yeah, get some rest. I’ll be back as soon as I can.

Killian? I love you. Be careful out there.

Always.

Sean cleared his throat. “Well? Anything?”

Declan and Raphael materialized beside them just as Rivin strolled out from behind the small outbuilding they were pressed against.

“We ready? Where’s everyone?” Rivin’s eyes gleamed with battle lust as he swept them over the target below them. Dressed in black cammies like the rest of them, he was armed to the teeth and amped to kill.

Dec said, “Dude, what the hell are you carrying?”

Rivin hoisted the massive weapon with pride. “This here is me new automatic shotgun loaded with demon-killing rounds guaranteed to scatter even the most stubborn demon.”

“Wicked! Hand it over. I want to see it.”

Raphael studied the setting sun and turned to Killian. “It’s nearly time. Are there people inside?”

“Five,” Killian answered. “Dec, ghost in and pull out the two in the kitchen. Rivin, Sean, you’ve got the three on the third floor. We’re gonna hit it in 20 minutes. Do a grab and go. Get them out of the line of fire.”

A familiar voice boomed behind them, “Is all in readiness, Raphael? My soldiers are here.”

Gabriel was one hell of a sight. The archangel stood seven feet tall and was dressed in his favorite battle armor. As the angel of war, he commanded a massive sword and incomprehensible powers. With a face that could bring even the hardest warriors to their knees, he glowered down at the compound. His vivid blue eyes burned with unrestrained fury as he snapped his fingers. Instantly, his Primani appeared in tight formation behind him.

There were an even dozen. Killian sought out Dimitri and Alexandyr with a steady stare. The twins lifted a hand in salute.

The sun had fully set now and the valley was plunged into darkness. Killian studied the rectangular buildings below and started to give the signal for his boys to go in. He was cut off in mid-sentence by a new voice.

“Hold!”

Uriel. He materialized still reeking of sulfur. His body glowed oddly red until he shook off the remnants of the protective spell that repelled demons. He was accompanied by six of his Primani. Dark and expressionless, all of them stood tall and silent behind him. They were strangers to Sean and Dec, but Killian had seen most of them before. He bowed slightly towards the group to acknowledge their help. They didn’t have a lot of overlapping missions because Uriel kept his men in Asia. All of his soldiers were of Asian descent. Many were recruited directly from Genghis Khan’s ranks. One was even rumored to have fought alongside Sun Tzu. Killian studied the stoic faces and wondered which one that was. He’d love to spend some days picking his brain.

Uriel could have been Raphael’s brother. He had the same dark hair and aristocratic features; same square jaw and straight nose. He opted to wear his hair long though and had it pulled back into a ponytail for fighting. Unlike Raphael, this archangel tended to be moody. And no wonder, really.

He was one big contradiction. On one hand, he was the angel of destruction and guardian of the gates of Tartarus; on the other hand, he was the angel of music and chance. When he wasn’t stalking around Hell, he was answering prayers in Vegas. Rumor had it he had a soft spot for high rollers.

Dressed in his own version of commando black with his trademark sword slung over his back, Raphael strode to the center of the group, grasping his brother archangels’ hands in greeting. “Thank you for coming, my brothers. Jordan’s plans to engineer the apocalypse affect all of us and the humans we’ve sworn to protect. It is not time to release the horsemen and we cannot allow this to happen.”

He would know, Killian mused. All three of these archangels were prophesied to be the angels who would usher in the end of the world. Surely they’d know the schedule.

Raphael waved him forward. “Killian, go over the plans if you please.”

Twenty minutes later, the Primani scattered to take up their positions. Sean, Dec, and Rivin dematerialized to rescue the five humans. Killian stayed on the rise above the buildings and considered the plan. It would work. It had to.

Failure wasn’t an option.

The flash of muzzle fire drew his eye to the eastern corner of the sprawling complex of buildings. Almost instantly the staccato sound of automatic weapons hit his ears. In another split second, the darkness was lit up with the first firefight. As if on cue the sky opened up, and the deluge blinded him and any demon snipers.

And so it begins.

Sean was the first to make it back. Soaked to the skin and dripping with ash, he grinned like the Grim Reaper as he wiped his blade on the wet grass. “All the people are out safe. We ran into some squads inside the building. Dec and Rivin are still slicing and dicing. Any sign of J?”

“Not yet. It’s just a matter of time though. No way he’ll sit this one out. There’s too much crazy up in his head. He’ll be here.”

Sean grunted in agreement. “Man, I hate that motherfucker. I’d like to skin him myself, but he’s already molting like a nasty-ass zombie snake.”

Killian let out a startled laugh at the description. “Nice visual.” Pushing at the hair plastered to his forehead, he chuckled again but added seriously, “You okay?”

Suddenly right next to him, shoulders just touching Killian’s, Sean murmured to keep things on the down low, “Better than okay. I’m resurrected. Focused. This past year’s been a bitch, but I think it was important. I damn sure don’t think this was all an accident. The fucked up fight with Dagin last year? The trip down Psychosis Lane? The little vacay in the Stone Garden? Sure, that was my plan, but someone else’s fingerprints are all over this happy trail of shit that I’ve been following. I’m stronger now, better. My mind’s right again, and I’m ready to kick some demon ass. It’s time to get moving.”

Killian approved. Totally.

It was time to get moving again. He called up the faces of his family, Mica, Sean, Declan, with a sense of rightness. They were all back on track. Everyone had choices to make...paths to choose. Paths that changed the person you are at the core, your essence. Paths that changed your soul. He’d made his own choice millennia ago, when he chose the life Raphael offered him.

The night the demon had killed his Mica, he’d nearly gone insane with grief.

And pain. And the raw taste of hatred that burned in the back of his throat. As he held his wife’s bloody body in his arms, he’d considered following the demon to Hell and wreaking the vengeance he craved right then and there.

He had the power, even back then. Even without the blood of his maker. He didn’t need the angel’s help. He’d closed his eyes and seen the path the demon had taken; memorized it. Still knew the way, even today.

It would’ve been an easy thing to project himself there and stick a sword in the demon. He could’ve hacked his way through a dozen or two before his body called back his shadow. He’d have had the satisfaction of avenging his woman. He could’ve milked the pain and rage and kept it alive for years. But he didn’t do it. He knew what choice she’d want him to make and that wasn’t it. She’d want him to stay the same man she knew. She’d want him to remain kind, gentle, and powerful; not turn into a bitter, heartless, empty shell of a man. So he resisted the easier path to vengeance.

He’d been tempted by the darkness and he’d chosen the light.

Not once in 3,000 years did he regret that decision. Not ever.

Reaching out, he surprised Sean by clasping his forearm and tapping two fingers against his heart. Sean blinked in surprise but returned the gesture. Warriors they were; brothers they would always be.

“You chose well, Sean. The results will be worth the pain. I promise.”

“If one of you chokes out an ‘I love you, man’ I’m going to vomit.”

Refusing to rise to the bait, Killian dropped a level gaze on Alexandyr. The big Primani vibrated with the force of his saol, muscles tensed with the need to fight. He flexed his fingers around the haft of his blade. His energy was so potent, he was humming.

“What’s up, Alex? Something wrong?” Killian asked.

“We searched level five for the storage freezers.”

“And?”

“According to the logs, one of the scientists is missing. The rest were accounted for when we prepped the building. We left a couple of guards on the floor to protect the samples until you’re ready to destroy them. Dimitri pulled a laptop and some zip drives from one of the offices too. No idea what’s on it, but might be useful.” Alex’s voice was cold, the account clipped but professional.

A missing scientist was bad. They needed to find him. Now they’d have to take prisoners. That wasn’t the plan. Damn it.

“Send in a squad and take some prisoners. By now most of the fuckers have shimmered out while their human soldiers protect the building. Get in there ASAP and grab any demon you find. Bring them to the holding cell in London. We’ll find that scien--”

The bullet screamed out of nowhere, slamming into his shoulder and sending him reeling against the side of the building. Blood bloomed from the entrance wound, but he stayed on his feet. Killian searched for the shooter and froze. His smile, when it came, was slow and feral. His breath exhaled in a hiss of anticipation.

Jordan. He gripped a handgun in one hand and leaned on a cane with the other. Despite his feebleness, he was one happy sonofabitch, grinning ear to ear and practically crowing with his victory.

Killian rolled his shoulders and said, “Well, well. Look who it is, Sean. The butler’s come out to play with us.”

Sean planted his combat boots in the mud and observed dryly, “He looks like shit. Is that a piece of his ear on his shoulder? That’s fucking disgusting.”

Whipping the gun up, Jordan leveled it at Sean’s chest. “I’ve no fondness for you, Primani. You’re twice a traitor. In my world, you’d be dead already.”

“Really? You got the balls? Go ahead. Try it. But you better make it count.” Sean aimed his palm at Jordan’s eye socket. A fine beam of light settled on the retina. “Wanna bet I’m a better shot than you? What’s up with the cane, J? You falling apart?”

“My physical body is only a temporary need. In another few hours I’ll be all powerful and will choose another that is more fitting my exalted position. Sadly, you won’t be alive to see that.” He swayed slightly and grimaced, adding, “Perhaps I’ll borrow yours. You seem quite strong.

Sean gestured to Killian and went on conversationally, “You know what I think? I think Commander Whack Job’s finally lost it. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and suggest his days are numbered--as in zero.”

Killian snickered in agreement. Smart ass.

Automatic weapon bursts echoed in the distance, flashes barely visible through the heavy rain. Small conflicts between Primani and demon ended quickly as the squads swarmed around and into the buildings. Watching his boy mess with Jordan with one eye, while tracking the squads with the other eye, Killian knew when the building was clear and they’d recovered the things they wanted. It was time to destroy the labs and be done with it once and for all. Jordan’s little visit was just part of the plan.

Time to tie up loose ends and get back to London. His intuition was twitching in the back of his mind. Something was happening.

Switching to soldier-mode, he pushed away from the wall and stalked towards Jordan. As he moved, his right hand came up to the bullet wound. Stopping two feet in front of the wreck that was Jordan, he summoned the bullet to his fingers. It popped out without a sound and he snatched it in his fist.

Jordan’s eyes went saucer and he raised the gun again. Before he could pull the trigger, Killian compelled his attention and he froze.

Killian’s hand gracefully manipulated the bullet between his fingers. Back and forth, back and forth; over and under each of his fingers...The yellow eyes tracked the motion, hypnotized. In a blur of motion, he jammed the bullet into Jordan’s heart. Jordan’s mouth flew open, hands clutched at his bony chest.

“You can’t do that! You can’t kill me! I’m protected!” He continued to protest but he was done. His lungs rattled as he struggled to breathe. Blood dripped down the front of his robe. His voice grew weaker as he babbled, “Your God is weak. I’m the one...the one true ruler. You can’t kill me.”

“You rule no one. Not now, not ever. You’re a puppet, Jordan. Always have been. Now your master’s left you to die. You’re of no use to him. Will you call him to save you?” Killian’s voice was harsh above the pouring rain. He stared into the ruined eyes of the fallen angel, daring him to call his master. Would he come?

In the heartbeat after he said the words, Killian felt a rare flash of pity. Jordan’s fate was sealed. No one could change it. It was too late. Destiny had given him a fork in the road; a test; a choice. Darkness tempted him on one side; light wooed him on the other. He’d considered the paths and made his choice. He’d chosen poorly. And now it came to this--a dishonorable death in the pouring rain. Such a waste.

A soft chuckle drifted through Killian’s mind, the sound sending chills up his neck.

A pity you won’t join me, priest. I have a place for you.

Killian jerked his head up and glared into the darkness. Not now, not ever!

The chuckle came again and faded away. Killian shook himself and turned back to the scene in front of him.

Jordan was on his knees bleeding nicely when Raphael, Uriel, and Gabriel materialized.

Uriel shouted, “No! Do not kill him! Our duty is to take him to Michael. He must face his judgment.” His mouth twisted into a sneer as he studied the destroyed face of the angel. There was no compassion in his eyes when he said, “The Stone Garden is too good for him. He’ll be bound in Hell for eternity. I’ll personally see that his stay is as uncomfortable as possible.”

Killian stepped away from Jordan and bowed respectfully towards Uriel. “As you wish. He’s about to run out of body though. You might want to hurry.”

Raphael started to speak when a crack of thunder cut him off. The landscape went techno as the storm picked up force. Thunder boomed and lightning arced in monstrous spears from the low clouds to the ground. Ozone filled the air around them and the fine hair on their arms stood up.

“Duck!” Killian yelled just as a bolt speared the ground between them. Sean and Alexandyr were thrown to the grass. Killian stumbled backwards and threw his palms out in front of him.

“Sgaine dios a liane!”

The massive bolt instantly reversed direction away from the archangels and jumped into his palms. He drew it inside until it settled into his saol and became a part of him.

He closed his eyes against the brightness and when he opened them his heart nearly stopped.

They had company.

Sean lurched to his feet, swearing a constant stream of Gaelic. Shaking his head to clear the ringing in his ears, he stumbled around like a drunk until he got a good view of the new guy.

Is this him? The guy Mica saw with Aisling? He sent his thoughts screaming into Killian’s head.

Dark haired, dark skinned, the demon stood directly behind Jordan with one elegant hand resting on his shoulder. Menace swirled around him like a physical force. The ancient evil sent another chill running over Killian’s neck. This was no ordinary demon. Jordan seemed to know him and smiled faintly with relief.

His voice was deep and heavily accented when he spoke. Staring directly at Raphael, he said, “You’re not taking him to Michael. His soul is spoken for.”

The three archangels unsheathed their swords at once, the metallic clang drowned out by the crash of thunder above them. “How will you stop us?” Raphael demanded.

Instead of answering, the demon jammed an athame straight into Jordan’s neck. The frail body arched off the ground in protest, spasming violently as it struggled to survive. Eyes wide with terror, he gaped at the demon as the wind stripped away the last of his flesh. Sinking downward, he collapsed into a pile of cloth and bones. All that remained was an oily swirl of mist that curled from the devastated body to disappear into the air. He was gone.

Dead and gone.

Killian’s skin crawled at the sight. Odds were pretty damn good he’d been spending the next 30 seconds with Satan before spending eternity burning in the pit. Hell of a way to spend it. Poor dumb bastard. That’s what you get when you sell your soul.

Satan always collects.

As Jordan’s bones settled into the mud, the demon looked up to find himself surrounded by Primani and their makers. Swords were drawn and blades gleamed in the darkness. He grinned coldly and shifted to his demon form. His human body stretched to his natural height and width. Monstrously huge and thick with muscle, he towered above them. His obsidian face was pure evil, carved from stone and set with fire. A red flame smoldered deep inside the black holes of his eyes. After studying each of them intently, he dismissed their power with a snarl of disgust. Slowly and proudly, he unfurled his great black wings. They stretched at least 20 feet across. He lifted them in a graceful, powerful arc that sent Alexandyr stumbling back to his knees as he caught the full force of the downdraft.

Unfazed, Raphael raised his sword and demanded, “How is this possible?”

The demon didn’t bother to answer him aloud. Instead, his growling voice rumbled through their minds, echoing, burrowing deep inside.

You failed. You thought to banish me? I am Irku, the destroyer of angels--brother of Lilith and Satan. I cannot be bound by your powers. You cannot compel me to do your bidding. But I can compel you--any of you. Any time I choose.

As he spoke the words, he let his smoldering gaze rest on each of them in turn. His will called to them, challenged each to resist. Killian felt the full weight of his will when he pinned his stare on him. Irku’s voice washed over him like an avalanche, demanding he heel, give up, and put down his weapons.

This was Irku? Oh, hell no.

He met the demon’s arrogant stare with his own, holding the other’s eyes until they squinted with interest.

Now that I’ve got your attention, asshole.

“You come after my family again and I’ll send your ass to the deepest piece of rock I can find.”

Irku lifted his eyebrows and growled, “Your pitiful family means nothing to me. I know not of what you speak.”

WTF?

Killian regrouped and snarled, “Heed my warning, Irku. Leave them alone or I will take you out.”

Irku appeared amused for a second before locking his eyes on Sean. Sucking in a strangled breath, Sean crumpled to his knees.

“Pathetic.”

With Sgaine Dutre in his fist, Killian sprang at Irku’s throat.

Irku warned, “Not today, priest!” Without another word, he vanished.

“Sonofabitch!” Alexandyr shouted at the sky. Pivoting on his heel, he asked Killian, “Are you out of your mind?”

Seconds too late, Dec and Rivin materialized in a crouch, ready to jump into the fight. On one side of the clearing, the three archangels stood deep in conversation. Gabriel gestured sharply with his sword hand, his face furious. Uriel seemed to be scolding Raphael who crossed his arms and glared at him. On the other side, Killian supported Sean by the arm while Alexandyr ranted. Other than them, the place was empty.

Rivin swore, “Aw, bloody hell. We missed it!” and slammed the shotgun to the ground.

Killian glanced up just as Dec loped over to check on them. “Don’t worry about me; it’s just a scratch.”

That left Sean. The big soldier swayed on his feet, but stayed up. Dec sprinted over and said, “What happened to you?”

Sean cleared his throat and spit out blood. “Irku happened to me. He’s got a long memory.” Glancing at Raphael, he added, “I think he’s going to be trouble.”

“You have no idea,” Raphael frowned.

Dimitri’s voice rang out in Killian’s head. We’ve got a problem here.

Chapter 29: Out of the Ashes, the Phoenix Rises

“HOW DO YOU STAND IT?” Dani grumbled as she swiped at the condensation on the window pane. It was raining again, but she wasn’t talking about the weather.

It’d been hours since they left. All of them were gone. It was time to wrap up Jordan’s nasty little plot once and for all. I hoped Killian’s plan worked. Checking the time on my phone, I leaned back and tried to get comfortable. Nearly impossible these days...Dani grumbled again.

Taking pity on her, I said, “Everything will be okay. This is what they do. Dec’ll be back; all of them will.”

She rolled her eyes at my ‘Dec’ reference. “Don’t start with me again. Dec’s just a friend.”

“For now. You could do much worse, you know. He’s the sweetest soul you’ll ever meet. And he’s got beautiful abs. I mean really, you could bounce a quarter off them.”

Those stormy eyes rolled around some more and she snorted at me. “I think I have a job to do here. I can’t spend my time chasing after him. Besides, I’m not up to dealing with men--of any kind. I’m still wonky in here.” She gestured to her heart with one pearly rose fingernail. Her silver pinky ring winked in the light.

I gave her an exaggerated sigh and rolled my own baby blues. “Dude, you’ll have plenty of time to do your own thing. Immortality lasts a looonnnngggg time. I think you’ll be able to squeeze in some hot sex every century or so. You don’t think they do without, do you? It’s not like Killian got special permission to get me pregnant.”

That surprised her and threw her off her game. She gaped at me and then burst out laughing. “Oh, God! Leave it to you to find the loophole!”

Domino lifted one ear and thumped her tail once.

“I feel no guilt whatsoever. They came that way! None of this would’ve happened if Sean hadn’t been so dark and mysterious. If he knew anything about human women, he’d have known that was like waving a red flag. No one can resist the mystery! If he acted needy and clingy, I would’ve run screaming in the other direction! So totally changing the subject from sex since I’m not having any...Why don’t you tell me what happened with Raphael?” I was dying to know if she got the same treatment that Dec had. Did Raphael give her the same choice?

Dragging her gaze from the window, she smiled wistfully and rubbed Domino’s ears between two fingers. Her lyrical voice was soft but not sad. “I wish I could tell you what happened. But the truth is I don’t remember a lot. The first thing I remember clearly was waking up in a room with Raphael sitting next to my bed. I was so confused.”

“Didn’t he tell you what happened?”

Her braid swung when she shook her head. She wore it in one heavy braid today. “Not at first. I asked him if I was dead. He asked me if I wanted to be.”

“I was so surprised I had an option. I couldn’t remember anything about the demons, but I sensed I had passed into another plane, another realm. I’d assumed I was dead. I just didn’t know if I was in Heaven or Hell.”

“You don’t remember being with James, or the demons holding you?”

“No, nothing. Sean came to check on me and filled me in, told me how he’d found me in that cell. But that was after I woke up. I’d been asleep for a while. He was surprised I didn’t remember, so he called Raphael to come in.” She scrunched up her face and asked, “Why does he call him Afriel?”

Laughing at Sean’s death wish, I said, “He likes to annoy people.”

Her mouth turned up at one corner. “Really? Well, he’s certainly elevated it to an art form. Anyhow, Raphael came in and explained everything. After Dimitri brought me to the safe house, he called Raphael for help. I was...I was...” Her voice cracked and she sniffed hard.

Trying to smile through tears, she finally managed to say, “I was dead, but I didn’t know it yet. They brought me to Heaven before my soul could leave my body. I didn’t see a bright light or anything. By the time I woke up, I’d been cleaned up inside and out and had my memory wiped.”

Ouch. Waking up dead sucked.

“I’m so sorry. I wish you didn’t have to go through that. Friggin’ James! If it makes you feel any better, he’s dead.” Probably I didn’t need to fill her in on his secret life as a serial killer, or his plan to use her as his personal baby factory. Ignorance really was bliss sometimes.

Getting up from the window seat, she glided over and perched on the other end of the couch. “Yeah, I’m sorry too. I had plans for my life. I was in the middle of college when idiot-man came along. Damn it. I was actually learning something for a change! I was having a good time. I should’ve known James was too good to be true. What was I thinking?” Her pretty face lit with the attempt at humor. It was good to see her try. Nothing kept her down for long.

“James used his powers to control you. You didn’t have a chance. We couldn’t figure out what was going on until it was too late. By the time we knew he had fallen, you were gone. We looked and looked...” It was my turn to sniff and wipe at useless regret. The past was gone and tears wouldn’t change it.

Reaching out with her bare toes, she prodded my leg and made me smile again. “I saw Aric in Heaven. He came to me in a dream. It was beautiful...so bright and pretty. He told me he still loved me. It was so good to see him. The next day I asked Raphael if I could stay with him, but he told me I had other things to do with my life. Or afterlife, really.”

“Didn’t he give you a choice?”

“Yeah, he did. I was upset about losing my memory, but he said I was too ‘gentle a soul’ to carry around such darkness for eternity. He has such a way with words...He apologized for everything that happened to me and said I deserved to have a clean start.” She paused, pensive and quiet. “He offered me a chance to make a difference, to be a part of something that would impact millions. I could flit about in Heaven for eternity, or I could resume some semblance of a human life in my old body. He said you would need my help with the triplets. That sold me, even though I was already hooked on the idea. I get to hang out with you guys and help you train the boys. No one has to know I’m not alive, so I can see my mother. God, she’s going to freak out.”

“You just couldn’t pass up the chance to play with magic, could you? I’m not sure you’re dying to be a nanny for three boys. I think you’re in this for the bennies! Which reminds me, did you get your wings yet?”

Grinning hugely, she said, “Not quite. Guess I have to get through this probation first. He said they’d appear when I was ready.”

Reaching out to squeeze her fingers, I said, “I’m so glad you’re back. I can finally share my life with you again. It’s been hard keeping this a secret. I wanted to tell you a hundred times. You’re gonna flip out when you hear about the cool supernatural stuff that goes on. Your mom, by the way, knows about us.”

It was time.

Rain fell in sheets and lightning struck the tree behind the house. The acrid smell of ozone drifted inside the open windows.

Yes, it was definitely time.

“I’ll watch over you.” Dani’s eyes were as serious as a blood oath.

“Who will watch over you, pretty girl?”

Domino was curled between us on the couch with her head resting on her paws. At the sound of my voice, she cocked an ear and huffed through her nose.

You can’t be serious?

Ready now, I closed my eyes with complete faith that Dani and Domino would protect my body while my mind was miles away. I’d finally mastered long-distance remote viewing this year. It came in handy for killing off demons without risking my body. Now though, I just wanted to make sure my family was safe. I told myself I wouldn’t interfere, wouldn’t use my active powers...I’m just watching...

Brilliant flashes of a firefight blinded me as soon as I got a lock on the location. Like looking down from a helicopter, I had a panoramic view of the institute’s grounds wedged in the small valley. Using remote viewing got me the onsite view, but I needed my built-in NVGs to see in the dark. While I could clearly see the heat signatures of the bodies moving around, I couldn’t see their features. I could only tell the Primani from the demons. They were different colors. Primani were golden. Demons were more orange and humans tended to be greenish.

Where are you guys?

Ah, ha. There you are.

Targeting their wristbands, I quickly spotted Sean and Dec. Next was Killian. He was the easiest to find because my eyes always immediately snapped to him where ever he was. The runes got the credit for that. Settling into a more comfortable position, I took a deep breath and nudged one of the babies off of my liver. Okay, little dudes, you really need to chill out for a bit. Mama’s busy keeping your daddy alive. So now that I’ve found them, let’s see what they’re up to.

Sean and Dec were together on the eastern side of the building. I tightened my focus to see their faces--stone cold--They were hunting. An explosion erupted above them and they threw themselves forward, rolling to a crouch with their guns out. Two quick bursts and the human lookouts were toast. One body tumbled from its perch and landed next to Dec’s boots. He made a face and walked around it.

The layout lent itself to a grid sweep so I methodically scanned the buildings one at a time. Just looking...just keeping an eye open for anything weird. Something niggled in my head. This was a major, major operation and neither side wanted to lose this. The demons had some tricks up their sleeves. No way they would just roll over and hand the lab to the Primani.

Something was up.

But what?

The rain was really coming down now. Lightning flashed in long bursts of white light making it hard to keep my eyes on the action. I blinked my eyes and lost track of Dec. Scanning for him, I spotted Dimitri fighting a demon on the third level of the center building. He danced lightly on the balls of his feet as he slashed at a tall demon in front of him. The demon wasn’t an amateur and fought back ferociously. Back and forth they lunged and parried, neither making contact at first. Suddenly Dimitri snatched his arm back just as the athame drew blood across his forearm. Lunging to press his advantage, the demon sliced a gash across the Primani’s shoulder. With a shout, he fell backwards with the demon diving forward on his chest.

They struggled to kill each other, rolling on the floor and latching onto the wrist of the other to hold back the knives. The blood streaming down his arm made Dimitri slippery. The demon grabbed him, lost his grip, and then swung his athame in wide arc.

Killian! Dimitri’s in trouble. Third floor, center building. Hurry!

A split second later, Alexandyr appeared behind them. The demon was too intent on his kill to realize he’d been skewered from behind. Alexandyr yanked the blade out without a second glance at the pile of ash left smoldering on top of his twin. Holding out a hand, he helped his brother to his feet.

Oh, thank God. I exhaled and steadied the vision again. I kept scanning through mostly empty spaces and was about to skip over a section when something caught my eye.

Hello? What’s this? Peering closer, I struggled to understand what I was seeing. Okay. Well that’s different.

Wanting a wider view, I pulled back to sky level. It seemed like all the demons had been smoked out. No more heat signatures. Hmm. That’s odd. Some Primani still circled the building to make sure no one came back. My rough count showed about 25 warriors.

Right about now, teams would be heading inside to blow up the lab. All equipment and samples had to be completely destroyed. Now that the site was cleared, Killian would send in the teams. Sean and Dec would be part of that group. They were both experts in demolition.

I flicked my eyes back to the box I’d seen. It sat under a stairwell that ran up the west side of the center building. Something was bugging me about it. I was about to call Killian when his sharp words startled me.

Mica! I need you to check something.

Let me guess. Fifth floor. Strange package?

Do you see any others?

One sec.

Once I knew what I was looking for, I could scan the entire complex in just a few seconds; it was kind of like speed reading.

There’s only the one. Wanna bet it’s a bomb?

His tone was furious. That’s no ordinary bomb.

Oh, my God! You have to get rid of it!

Ya think?

The sound of his teeth grinding together came through loud and clear.

I zeroed in on him. He stood gesturing to Raphael and two others. Huge, winged, armed with swords--they must be other archangels. I’d never seen Raphael’s wings before. Dark like his hair, they were beautiful: glossy and strong. A gust of wind jerked them from his shoulders, lifting them up and away from his back. With a grimace, he pulled them tightly in place even as I caught his eye. What were they all doing there?

I was about to call Killian again when the sound of yelling nearly dragged me out of my trance. Domino’s low warning growl turned to a snarl. She moved away from me while her snarling got louder. Dani’s voice rang out next to me.

“Don’t touch her!”

Someone laughed and said, “Or what?”

The fragrance of jasmine drifted in the air. Tingles of recognition jumped down my neck.

That voice!

Killian shouted, Mica! Tune them out! I need you right now. Anchor me!

Squeezing my eyes tighter, I tried to ignore the chaos exploding around me. The storms raged here and in Switzerland. I couldn’t escape the roar of the torrential rain or the peal of thunder. It was like sitting in a tornado as things were thrown against the walls of the living room.

More screaming, swearing...grunts of pain. The glass coffee table shattered with a loud crash. Shards bounced off of my face. Sinking deeper into my trance, I felt only vibrations until something grazed the side of my head. What the heck was going on in here?

Another loud crack of thunder and lightning flashed behind my lids.

Finally a shriek and a thud, then silence.

Domino rested her chin on my shin, the soft weight reassuring.

Snapping my full attention back to Killian again, I found him squatting next to the box, looking at a timer. His eyes locked straight onto mine and he wrapped his arms around the box.

Before I could take another breath, he dematerialized with it.

The explosion blinded me.

Oh, my God! Killian! No!

Throwing my hands up to shield my eyes, I sat spellbound as the nightmare unfolded.

The incredible force sent the top five floors of the huge building flying in every direction. The Primani vanished like fireflies as a small mushroom cloud billowed up from deep underground. Moving in slow motion, it took forever to breach the surface. At the same time, the flash lit up the valley sending brilliant light in every direction for a hundred miles. Red fire replaced the white flash creating the typical nightmare of nuclear war. Lightning forked above and inside the black ash cloud. The rest of the sprawling structures were sucked into the debris core.

Before I could spin into a full-blown panic, the air was sucked out of the room, leaving me in a vacuum. The force of outflow was so strong that for just a second I was pulled with it, my body straining against the invisible current. I clung to the couch as the waves washed over me in two cycles. Finally it was over. Dani screamed.

There, in front of me, was Killian.

Or mostly Killian, anyway. His corporal body faded in and out. Some of his molecules were missing...there were gaps in his skin, tears in the flesh; his saol gleamed through the missing pieces. He looked like a colander.

Even worse, the precious golden energy poured from his eyes as he struggled to bring his body back under control. The skin that was visible was burned and smoking. He’d planted his boots when he rematerialized, but now he staggered towards the wall. Blinded and disoriented, he stumbled and went down on one knee.

“Oh, my God. Baby, stand still!”

The rune on my chest was smoking and I heard his voice in my head. Not panicked, he was furious. His words were gibberish but I knew what he was saying. He was swearing...a lot.

I held my arms out to him and said, “Dani, bring him to me.”

She pulled him to his feet and guided him to the couch. Still blinking furiously, he sank down next to me. Dani’s eyes were full of questions, but there wasn’t time to explain. I had to work fast. I knew exactly what to do.

Leaning my forehead against his, I joined the twin runes together and didn’t like what I heard. His heart raced and stuttered, off beat, out of control. The pattern was dangerously off. His breathing was harsh and he wheezed every time he inhaled. I had to do something or he wouldn’t make it. I closed my eyes and breathed. In and out. In and out. Slow and deep.

I wrapped his fingers around my locket and tuned everything out but the sound of my heart. Strong, steady, normal. I called to my saol and released it to him. The locket warmed in his hand and sent a faint trail of light into his fingers.

That’s it; go to Killian. Fill him. Heal him.

Within a minute, he was cocooned and his heartbeat slowed to normal. His breathing grew easier. His thoughts came to me again, but the words were still wrong. He was struggling to form the thoughts; they were disjointed, in mixed languages without any syntax. I couldn’t understand any of it now. Then I realized the problem: his Primani language was missing. I opened my eyes to find him staring into my face.

Oh, no.

“What’s wrong with his eyes?” Dani asked.

Good question. “I’m not sure. Killian? How do you feel right now?”

He blinked at me and cleared his throat to answer me. The effort sent him into a coughing fit that left him gasping and bleeding from his nose.

“Don’t try to talk. Just let me think for a minute,” I muttered under my breath. What the hell was going on here?

Glancing down, I noticed my rune was still lit up like a flashlight. His was dark. In fact, his was fading from his skin.

Grabbing both of his hands, I yanked him as close to me as possible. Leaning to his ear, I said, “Listen to me! I have to do something to fix this. You need to relax your guard and let me in. Just let me do what I need to. Don’t fight me. Got it?”

He was barely conscious. I needed to hurry before he passed out completely.

“Dani, do you see a sheath on his lower back?”

Jumping up, she searched him and produced the gleaming silver blade. Sgaine Dutre. Thank God. “This one?”

“Perfect! Hand it to me.” She did and I ordered, “Okay, now hold his wrist out for me.”

She knelt beside us and put his hand in her lap so it rested palm down within my reach.

Gripping the blade in my hand, I said, “Sgaine Dutre dia en salad,” and traced the tip of the blade over the fading rune on the back of his hand.

His hand twitched but he didn’t jerk it back. Dani gagged but held onto him as his blood started to well up. I was working left handed, so the cut was awkward, but I managed to draw the knife across my forearm to get my blood flowing. Dani looked expectantly, and placed his hand on my arm to mingle the blood.

I raised Sgaine Dutre again. This time I drew the blade across his forehead and down the center of his face in the shape of a cross.

“Sgaine Dutre a dios.”

The rune on my chest burned like fire and my heart skipped several beats, stuttering and coughing in my chest. Killian’s face went white and he gasped out loud. After a second, my rune cooled down to a faint tingle and my heartbeat settled.

Okay, that was the easy part. Now for the hard part.

Wrapping my arms around him as much as possible, I held him tightly and closed my eyes. Reaching inside myself, I searched for his blood, his powers. They swam below the surface of my own, languid and strong, waiting to be needed. Well, damn it, I need you now.

Come on, come on, come to me, I called them. I held his heavy body against me and trembled as his powers began to build, to surge, to dominate. Like a tidal wave, they crashed through me, overwhelming everything in their path. Stiffening instinctively, I had to force my body to relax and let them take over. The assault made my head swim. My muscles expanded, my skin stretched and tightened, my body heated. Sweat ran like rain between us. Still I waited, let the pressure build, let it overwhelm me. Just when I was sure I would explode, I shoved the wave into him with a sudden surge of force.

Like a dam bursting, the ancient powers rushed out of me and into him. On and on they flowed, strong and eager. His body stiffened, arching against the onslaught. Thunder crashed overhead and rain came down in a current. Gusts of wind blew the rain into the open window behind us. The cold droplets cooled my overheated skin, soothing me with a hiss.

A kaleidoscope of images swam in my mind as I lay there with him, our bodies and minds joined. Color and thought. Memory and emotion. His and mine. His soul open to me, mine to him. Two worlds, past and present. Now and then.

As our blood and powers mingled, the two worlds collided into a starburst.

On and on it went, until I realized the mad rush of power had gentled and settled down to a trickle. Still, I clung to him and kept my eyes closed. After a bit, I felt the steady strength of his powers slip into me again and mingle with my own. The swirling sensation gave me goose bumps and set my teeth on edge. My ears rang and my head swam. Gradually the feeling of vertigo disappeared, replaced by a gentle feeling of effervescence tickling through my saol. My blood bubbled and sang with the joy of knowing we were whole again.

We were bonded; our past and our present locked together. The image of his face as he bonded me to him, so many months ago, lingered behind my eyes. Fierce, powerful...he’d stood over the altar with blood running between us, his expression resolute as he cut me with the knife.

The touch of his fingers on my face brought me back to the present and I sighed. I was afraid to open my eyes. I hope this worked.

“Look at me, babe.”

He caressed my cheek and kissed the tip of my nose.

I opened my eyes.

Brilliant blue Primani eyes twinkled back at me. A million shades of blue mixed together in intricate little puzzle pieces to form his irises. They gleamed with knowledge and power. As I stared into those heavenly eyes, I saw the kaleidoscope of his soul once more.

The essence of who he was, is, and will always be.

Protector. Warrior. Primani.

Father. Husband.

Mine.

Epilogue:

London, England:

“I’M NOT WORTHY of your blessing, but I thank you God.” Killian had been praying with his head lowered with appropriate humility, but now he looked up with fierce eyes, his voice rumbling in the quiet hospital room. “I promise you I’ll see them ready for your work.”

Under his breath, he added, “Es cabrinae e diade.”

They are my heart and soul.

He thumbed a tear and smiled to himself. Sentimental, he wasn’t. Not usually...But there was a first time for everything. Today was one of those firsts. He was a father--finally. He and Mica had a whole family now. They’d come full circle. The troubles of the past were behind them and they were moving forward again. No more waiting; no more living in an endless freezing limbo. They had their lives back and had each other again. He couldn’t be happier.

Mica...He never got tired of watching her. She’d given him three healthy baby boys. It was the family they’d been denied all these years...oh yeah, he was truly and forever blessed.

Killian dragged his thumb across the back of her limp hand and allowed himself to relax for the first time in days. She was fine. No, better than fine. She was beautiful. Perfect. Other than the dark smudges under her eyes, there was no sign of the hard work and pain she’d just gone through three hours earlier. Now hooked up to an IV and sleeping like the dead, she was the poster child of a new mother. Her face was flushed with health and happiness, eyelashes dark against her cheeks. The sight brought another tear to his eye and he let it go. As it rolled along his cheek, he draped the blanket across her chest and kissed her forehead. Damn, she was amazing. Three babies! And they were big boys, too. He’d be lucky if she ever let him near her again...

A light tap snapped him out of his musing. Dec stuck his face through the door and waved a hand for Killian to join him in the visitors’ waiting room.

The grey chairs were too small to be comfortable, so Raphael waited for them near a bank of large windows. The view wasn’t especially inspiring; it overlooked the wet roof of another wing of the hospital. Off in the distance, they could see a swath of green trees and the black asphalt of a parking lot.

As soon as Killian walked in, Raphael gave him a two-armed hug. Beaming from ear to ear, he said, “Congratulations, my friend! How is our little mother?”

Before he could answer, Dec threw his two cents in. “Judging by all the yelling, you’d think she was dying in there. But last time I checked she was still alive.”

Raphael’s smile vanished instantly. “What happened? Why didn’t you call me?”

Killian shot Dec an amused glance and drawled, “Yeeeah, we got here too late for the drugs...she wasn’t thrilled to hear that. She, uh, let the doctors know it.” He shuddered at the memory and shook his head to clear it. No sense in dwelling on that.

Instead, he said, “Other than the really mean names she called me, the delivery went perfectly. No problems for her or the boys. She’s sleeping now and the boys are in the nursery. The staff wants to keep them for a few days since they were early.”

“Surely they are fully formed? There’s no reason to be concerned.”

“It’s uncanny how you know these things,” Killian laughed. “You’re right. Even though they’re early, their organs are all developed and they aren’t underweight. They’ll be able to leave soon. Come on, let’s go to the nursery. We can talk on the way.”

The two angels beamed at Killian and beat him out of the room.

As they made their way through the hospital’s maze of hallways, Raphael asked, “Have you and Mica decided on a place to live?”

Nodding, he answered, “We’re moving back to the farmhouse in New York. Mica and Dani’s families are there and they both want to be near them. Plus, it’s a good location for our east coast ops. We’ll be able to work from there like we’ve been doing. I’m going to have an addition built onto the back of the house though. There aren’t enough bedrooms for all of us now.”

Dec disagreed, “Dani’s planning to get her own place. We won’t need a room for her.”

“Oh? And what about you, Dec? Are you moving in with her?”

Throwing up his hands, Dec protested overmuch. “No! There’s nothing going on between us. I’m just saying what she told me! What is it with you people? Stop playing matchmaker!”

Raphael turned serious and pulled them over away from a crowded nurses’ station. “I’ve actually come with other news.”

Both Primani snapped to attention at his tone.

“Michael’s made his decision. Lara’s lost her wings and will spend 50 years in the Stone Garden.”

Dec whistled at the harsh sentence. “Sucks to be her.”

Killian thought it wasn’t long enough, but Michael hadn’t asked for his opinion. He was just glad she’d be out of their lives.

He said, “I still can’t believe she was working alone. I was sure Irku was involved in this. Rivin had solid intel.”

Smiling tightly at one of the nurses, Raphael started back down the hall. “The intel was wrong. She claims she hired humans to do the wet work and she only provided the power to mask them. She vehemently denies working with any of the demons. That’s what got her only 50 years.”

“And Michael believes her?”

Raphael didn’t bother to answer the disrespectful question. He gave him a pointed look that said ‘shut up already.’

If she’d been consorting with demons, she’d have gotten double the sentence. Damn it! If Dani hadn’t been there, Mica could’ve been killed. Thinking Mica was unprotected, Lara had boldly walked into the safe house. Finding Dani there had thrown off her plans which gave Dani time to react. He who hesitates is lost. Lara was stunned when tiny little Dani kicked her ass and tied her up. When Killian had come to, he’d found Dani beaming at him and Lara snarling from behind the hacky sack that Dani had gagged her with.

Maybe he’d lost his Zen during the explosion, or maybe he was just amped up from Mica’s jump start, but he was ready to kill Lara with his bare hands. He’d been about to pull the bitch outside and beat a confession out of her when the rest of the team had shown up. His brothers had taken one look at his face and took her to Michael right then and there. She had no idea how lucky she was.

According to her confession to Michael, she decided to kill Mica herself after the attempt in the park had failed.

Wow.

She wanted to kill Mica just to hurt him. All this was about pride. Jealousy. Vengeance. Pride.

It boggled his freakin’ mind.

She was willing to destroy their lives just because her ego was hurt. Psycho bitch. He’d made it perfectly clear for centuries and she still didn’t fucking get it. He’d never liked her, never wanted her. Her weakness made his fingers itch to strangle her...slowly. He took a deep breath and recalled some sense of calm. Gotta find that Zen again. He couldn’t afford to give in to rage. Now wasn’t the time. She’d rot in the Garden like she deserved. And he would always watch out for Dani. She deserved nothing less.

The sound of crying babies echoed faintly in the hall as they got closer. As they turned the last corner, the nursery windows loomed right in front of them. The three big men stopped and stared. There were so many...Killian felt a second of panic. They all look alike! What if I can’t tell them apart? Are they too young to tattoo? That would help...maybe just first initials?

The boys were swaddled like tiny sausages in their bassinets. Their eyes were closed as they slept off the hard work of being born.

Raphael scanned the nursery with half-closed lids. Suddenly his face lit up and he touched his fingers to the glass in wonder. “They’re perfect.”

As soon as Raphael touched the glass, three sets of brilliant blue eyes blinked sleepily up at him.

One year later:

The screen door opened by itself. Tiny bare feet pattered across the porch and stopped. Don’t turn around. Don’t look. For God’s sake, don’t laugh. Mica will go ballistic.

Sticky fingers tugged at his hand. “Daddy, I did it!”

Killian allowed himself a fleeting moment of pride before scooping up his namesake and pressing him nose to nose. The boy giggled, but his father chided, “Killian, you know you aren’t allowed to do that. Someone might see you and get scared. We only use our powers when we are working. And you, my boy, are still wearing diapers. Toilet training is a job requirement. So knock it off!”

The small boy wasn’t impressed with his father’s scowl or his hard tone. He simply nodded seriously and pulled the smoky Ray Bans off of Killian’s nose.

“It’s getting worse, you know. You’re going to have to tell Grandpa Raphael,” Mica mused as she plopped down on the swing beside them.

“I’ve got it under control, babe. They’ll be fine.”

Three hours later, the grill was smoking, the music was playing, and the kids were screaming. The boys were one year old today. Their extended family had shown up to make sure they made it to year two. There were days when that was in doubt...Killian Leahy, Jr., Michael Declan Leahy, and Sean Raphael Leahy were currently careening across the lawn with Domino, Abby, and Monica in slow pursuit. Sean Michael shoved himself out of his mother’s arms and raced off to join his cousins.

Aisling turned to Sean and said, “You’ve totally corrupted him. All he wants to do is wrestle.”

Sean took a deep breath. He’d been learning anger management from Mica. Killian could practically hear his brother counting to ten before he answered his overprotective baby mama.

“Ais, you need to buy a parenting book. Boys like to wrestle. It’s how they learn to control their strength. Good Lord, woman, he’s Primani. Do you expect him to say he’s sorry after he whacks a demon?”

Flushing with anger, she opened her mouth to argue when Mica intervened. “Aisling, I know you’re only here for a few weeks, but I was hoping you’d come in and help me teach a few classes. I could really use your help; one of our instructors quit.”

Killian wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist and settled her butt against his lap. She was wearing a purple sundress that showed off her sexy shoulders and long legs. He was content to share her with the family for now, but he had plans for her later. Breathing in the citrusy scent of her hair, he stomped down the caveman urge to toss her over his shoulder and keep her busy for a while. Instead he sat back and enjoyed the perfection of the day. It just didn’t get any better than this.

Sean raised a bottle and winked at him as they listened to the women talk. Killian closed his eyes, and let the sound of their voices wash over him as his mind drifted. Life was good. Aisling had finally agreed to share custody with Sean, after Gabriel intervened, and had flown to New York to spend some time together. She was still living in England, but was thinking of moving closer. The past year had been good for her. She’d lost some of the chip on her shoulder and wasn’t as defensive. Mica and Dani had worn her down too. Flooding her with baby pictures and calling every week, they managed to make her like them in spite of herself. Withdrawn and private before, she chattered away with the other two women like they were old friends.

He caught the word ‘classes’ and his ears perked up again. What would Aisling say? Mica wanted Aisling to help with her classes in the studio she just opened. She’d barely made it home from the hospital before she picked up her workout routine again. She was as fit and strong as before she got pregnant. She’d shocked him by announcing she wanted to open a self-defense studio for women. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Had he expected her to stay home and be a wife and mother? Give up her powers?

Nah, not her style. Oh, she’d been a patient, caring mom so far, but he knew teaching women to defend themselves was a passion for her. She glowed like a torch every time someone asked her about it. No way would she let anything keep her from doing both. She’d be a mom and a business owner. Also a demon killer, when needed. That was his wife. She was just that talented. Naturally, Dani was all in as soon as she brought it up. Dani had been the one to come up with the marketing plan and made it her mission to go to the battered women’s shelters and jails to spread the word. Classes were brutal, but cheap; free if the girls were too broke to pay. They’d had the grand opening a month ago.

It was late afternoon when Mica elbowed him awake and snorted, “That girl’s got no sense. Look at her!”

Michael had curled up on her lap and dozed against her chest. He clutched a bit of her shirt in his chubby fist and jammed it in his mouth. Rafe was curled on Killian’s lap, his head lolling and pink mouth open in complete abandon. These boys slept like the dead. On the other hand, Mini Killian was still chasing Domino around the yard. The boy was like the Energizer Bunny. His heart swelled with pride. Black haired, blue eyed, and golden skinned, they were identical down to their fingernails. Although their appearances were identical, their personalities and temperaments were completely unique. Once you got to know them, it was impossible to mix them up. They were beautiful babies, just like he’d promised her.

Killian followed Mica’s finger and had to laugh. As soon as her parents drove away, Abby had cornered Dec and pinned him in place with one hand wrapped around his bicep. His back was pressed against a tree. He looked miserable. Her lips were angled towards his in a blatant invitation. Killian could practically feel the panic ebbing from the trees. Over the past six months, Abby had followed Dec around with a single purpose. She’d filled out nicely and was convinced he should notice. Dec got a haunted look in his eyes every time she came over. Right now, he swiveled around looking for help. Dani stood with arms crossed, pretending to ignore him--again. Dani was a slippery fish and he’d not reeled her in yet. Every time he tried to make something happen, she gave him an amused little smile and sashayed away. Judging by the frown on her pretty face right now though, she might be having second thoughts. Hmm, that was interesting.

Mica stood and handed the sleeping toddler to him. It was nap time for everyone. Brushing his lips over hers, he smiled at her startled glance. Since the boys were sleeping, he tugged her a little closer and deepened the kiss until she swayed against him.

“Come take a nap?” he purred with a hand roaming over her back.

“I’m not tired.”

“You will be.”

The crack of lightning shattered the moment and everyone jumped. Both boys snapped to attention and shoved at their parents’ hands to get down. Killian handed Rafe to Mica with a heavy sigh.

Well, shit.

“Daddy!”

Out in the sunny yard, his oldest son staggered with his little mouth hanging open in shock as the last remnants of electricity sparked across his fingertips.

He called the lightning.

He had no idea what to do with it.

####

A Note from Laurie

I write dark urban fantasy romance that blends the fast action and world building of urban fantasy with steamy sex, deep emotional connection, and strongly bonded characters. In my Primani series, the men lean toward alpha without the chest thumping and peeing on the doorposts. Powerful, ruthless, immortal, they’ve been known to take charge and show a woman a good time… sometimes for eternity! Between their wicked weapons and supernatural powers, they’ve got the demon problem under control--mostly.

When I’m not writing, I’m hanging out with friends, reading, or catching up on my “Supernatural” fix. I’ll be the first to admit to a fan girl obsession with Dean Winchester. There’s no way to deny it. It’s sad really. He’s my guilty pleasure… maybe with a glass of Jim Beam… and my spotted muse, Dalmatian Princess Domino.

Thank you so much for taking a chance on a new author! I write to create an escape. I hope I’ve done that for you. If you loved the books in The Lost Soul Trilogy, please consider writing a review on your favorite sites. Reviews are so helpful to Indie authors!

Peace, Love, and Happily Ever After to You!

Books by Laurie Olerich

The Primani Series contains The Lost Soul Trilogy and stand-alone titles.

The Lost Soul Trilogy

Primani

Call the Lightning

Stone Angels

Stand-alone Titles

Broken Souls

Book 5 (Coming in Feb 2015)

Follow Laurie for the latest information on book releases and meet up with other fans!

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Website

Bonus Material

Craving more Primani? Enjoy this taste of Broken Souls!

“HEY, YOU’RE AWAKE.” Moving slowly so he wouldn’t scare her, Dec leaned into her field of vision from a chair next to the bed.

His little mystery woman had been out for hours. Just now easing awake, she was disoriented and groggy. Intending to comfort her, he wrapped his fingers around her cold hand. Flinching like he’d shocked her, she jerked her hand away with a gasp.

“Sorry, sweetheart.”

Oops. He needed to dial it back some. Their saol did that to people if they didn’t rein it in before contact. She scooted against the headboard, eyes wide with fear and confusion. As they darted around the room, he got a good look at them. Cognac? No. Bourbon. Definitely bourbon. Her eyes were the shade of top shelf Kentucky bourbon. Tilted up at the corners, heavily lashed, with thick black rings around her pupils, they were stunning. Cheetah eyes. Beautiful and hypnotic. Exotic. He couldn’t look away. For the first time ever, he was speechless.

His eyes drifted over the rest of her face, taking in the pallor and dark circles. She frowned, shielding herself with the sheet as if it would protect her. Nothing could protect her from him. He could do anything he wanted. But he wouldn’t. He didn’t have it in him. Her vulnerability called to the warrior in him. He sensed her emotions as easily as he read her expression. She was scared, confused, and desperately trying to remember how she’d gotten here. He should say something… anything. He had a pretty speech all planned out until she opened her eyes and destroyed his ability to think.

She watched the man’s eyes linger on her face and tried to force her own expression to stay blank. Who was he? Where was she? When? Her mind raced in a mad scramble for information. This was not good. She wasn’t where she was supposed to be. How did she get here? This hadn’t happened before. She always woke up where she fell asleep. Glancing around the room, she searched for a clock or a calendar… anything with a date on it.

Table of Contents

About the Books
The Lost Soul Trilogy
Table of Contents

Primani By Laurie Olerich

- Prologue:
- Chapter 1: Life and Death
- Chapter 2: Recovery
- Chapter 3: Winter X Games
- Chapter 4: Peace Offering
- Chapter 5: Seduction?
- Chapter 6: Disclosure
- Chapter 7: Lost and Found
- Chapter 8: International Diplomacy
- Chapter 9: Pain and Suffering
- Chapter 10: Miraculous Recovery
- Chapter 11: The Truth is Out There
- Chapter 12: Mind Games
- Chapter 13: Curiosity and Cats
- Chapter 14: Welcome to the Family
- Chapter 15: Angels and Demons
- Chapter 16: A Merry Christmas
- Chapter 17: Snowflakes and Bloodstains
- Chapter 18: Escape to New York
- Chapter 19: Back from the Edge
- Chapter 20: The Seedy Underbelly
- Chapter 21: Fear of Change
- Chapter 22: Demons and Drummers
- Chapter 23: An Assortment of Vows
- Chapter 24: A Birthday to Remember
- Chapter 25: You Can’t Go Home Again
- Chapter 26: All Kinds of Teachers
- Chapter 27: Playtime is Over
- Epilogue:

Call the Lightning By Laurie Olerich

- Prologue:
- Chapter 1: Stakeout
- Chapter 2: Spring Awakening
- Chapter 3: Reunion
- Chapter 4: Scented
- Chapter 5: Ancient History
- Chapter 6: Unwanted House Guests
- Chapter 7: Vanishing Act
- Chapter 8: A Momentary Lapse of Reason
- Chapter 9: The Puppet Master
- Chapter 10: Grounded for Eternity
- Chapter 11: Healing and Forgiveness
- Chapter 12: A Serpent in the Garden
- Chapter 13: Facing the Music
- Chapter 14: Death and Destruction
- Chapter 15: Killers, Serial and Otherwise
- Chapter 16: Welcome Back…from the Dead
- Chapter 17: The Problem with Vengeance
- Chapter 18: Bah Humbug!
- Chapter 19: Many Kinds of Gifts
- Chapter 20: And the Plot Thickens
- Chapter 21: The Walls Have Eyes
- Chapter 22: How Hard the Fall

- Chapter 23: Hoards of Demons Come A’ Calling

- Chapter 24: Road Trippin’
- Chapter 25: Forgiveness and Promises
- Chapter 26: Apocalypse Now

Stone Angels By Laurie Olerich

- Chapter 1: Off the Deep End
- Chapter 2: Circling the Drain
- Chapter 3: On the Road Again
- Chapter 4: Inner Demons
- Chapter 5: One Perfect Night
- Chapter 6: Practice Makes Perfect
- Chapter 7: Penance
- Chapter 8: Something Wicked This Way Comes
- Chapter 9: Kryptonite
- Chapter 10: Intervention
- Chapter 11: Behind the Glass
- Chapter 12: The Best Laid Plans…
- Chapter 13: Sickness and Infection
- Chapter 14: Resurrection
- Chapter 15: Truth and Consequences
- Chapter 16: The Promises of Angels
- Chapter 17: A Peace Too Short
- Chapter 18: Slummin’ on the Dark Side
- Chapter 19: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
- Chapter 20: Where Angels Fear to Tread
- Chapter 21: Lost and Found
- Chapter 22: And So It Begins
- Chapter 23: House Arrest Sucks
- Chapter 24: Choosing Sides
- Chapter 25: Broken Angel
- Chapter 26: Assassination Fail
- Chapter 27: Ties of Blood and Bone
- Chapter 28: The Path Poorly Chosen

- Chapter 29: Out of the Ashes, the Phoenix Rises

- Epilogue:

A Note from Laurie
Books by Laurie Olerich
Bonus Material