Zoe wants things to go back to normal, but “normal” isn’t really her thing. There’s a new guy in town, one Zoe can’t help but feel desperately attracted to... though he’s dangerous. Really dangerous. And he’s just the start of her problems. Zoe is trapped in a race against time to get her powers under control or suffer the consequences. Tied to the fight between good and evil, Zoe must keep the peace between Angels, Fairies, Werewolves, and other creatures of the night. Betrayal and darkness loom in the shadows, and Zoe isn’t sure who she can trust.
But her current issues are nothing compared to the storm brewing on the horizon. Zoe has no idea what’s coming, or the danger she’s in. Because on her eighteenth birthday, it’s gonna be one hell of a fight.
A young adult urban fantasy filled with action, adventure, and romance, Daggers & Dresses is the second book in bestselling author Kristin D. Van Risseghem’s amazing Enlighten series. Paranormal monsters rule a universe where dark magic comes to play and love becomes dangerous.
Chapter One
Zoe
Last night a friend of mine rose from the dead—and I was the one who brought her back. So, I guess ... I’m an angel. Or, at least most of my friends think I am.
Even wrapped tightly in the arms of my favorite oversized PINK hoodie, I shivered. It was chilly for mid-April while I sat on my front porch. The sun was coming over the horizon, but that wasn’t where the tremor had come from.
I glanced up, startled by the high-pitched squealing of truck brakes that rang above the music playing from my phone. The truck turned into the cul-de-sac and careened straight into the next-door neighbors’ driveway. What made it really strange was the house had been empty since last October. I could still see the top of the “For Sale” sign on the manicured front lawn. I pulled out my cell phone to text my boyfriend, Shay.
Me: Good morning!
As I waited for a response, a gray-uniformed driver opened his door and climbed down. He walked to the back of the truck; multiple doors slammed.
“This furniture goes into the living room on the main level,” a man said.
I didn’t particularly want to be a nosy neighbor, but I couldn’t help myself. I eased higher on the top step, hoping to get a look at the man who seemed to be in charge. His back was to me, so all I could tell was he had short blond hair. He glanced down at something, then looked back up, turned, and pointed toward a number of other, smaller trucks in the cul-de-sac’s parking. More uniformed men jumped out of the smaller trucks and gathered around their boss, waiting for instructions. I had no interest in watching a bunch of people move boxes, so I just stayed on the step and waited for my best friend, Kieran, and Shay.
A shadow moved into my vision. I lifted my head and spotted someone standing on the street in front of my gate. From this angle and with the sun directly behind the person’s head, I couldn’t see the face, but I knew the body. Then he cleared his throat, and I smiled. I stood and lifted my hand to shield my eyes. No wonder he never texted me back. He probably thought an in-person hello was better.
“Hi,” I said to Shay. “Why are you just standing there? You can let yourself in.”
He stepped forward and opened the gate, and as he came into view, my eyes traveled up his body, over the usual black boots and black jeans. A blood red T-shirt hugged his upper torso, which was odd. When had Shay added color to his wardrobe? The sleeves barely contained a notable set of muscles, and the rest of the material was unsuccessfully hiding what I knew to be an impressive six-pack. In contrast to his dark clothes, Shay had blond hair, unlike my own long, brown hair. Now that he was coming out of the direct sunlight, I was able to admire his strong chin and soft lips. Last week I’d kissed those lips on a number of occasions.
But by the time I reached his eyes, which were the most startling aqua color, an intense shiver ran through my body. The sensation was nothing new, but it felt off.
My mouth opened, ready to speak, but he beat me to it. “Name’s Aiden,” he said.
Aiden?
The person standing in front of me looked so similar to Shay he could have passed as Shay’s older brother. He was going to be my next-door neighbor? Whoa.
“Hey, Aiden!” a shrill female voice shouted from an open window. “You still have unpacking to do! If I have to tell you one more time, I’ll raise holy hell ...”
I couldn’t speak. Maybe the saying “we all have a twin in the world” was true. Aiden turned and briskly walked back toward his house. I gawked at his retreating back.
Just then a gold Cadillac CTS-V screamed down the road toward me and finagled its way through the parked vehicles. Kieran usually walked with me to school since his house was only six away from mine, but the events of last week had kicked him into protection-mode overdrive. I watched him climb out of the car, wearing his usual cream-colored dress slacks, a tan, unbuttoned shirt rolled up at the sleeves, and a white T-shirt underneath. His tall, slender build was one a model would be proud of, and his wavy, light-blond hair had all the girls at school wanting to date him—except for me, of course, because well, because he’s my best friend. But he’s swoon worthy, or so they tell me.
“Hi, Zoe.”
“Hi, K. What’s up?”
When he took his sunglasses off, he revealed his bright blue eyes, but he wasn’t smiling. Actually, he looked a little panicked.
“Have you been waiting here long?”
I shrugged. “No, just listening to music and texting Shay.”
He shook his head and then gestured toward my neighbors’ place. “New people moving in?”
“Yep. Guess they finally sold the house.”
“They seem to have a lot of stuff.”
“Yeah, especially for only two people. He just stopped over and introduced himself. You just missed him. It’s amazing. He looks like Sha—”
“Him?”
Kieran always made such a big deal out of things. I raised one eyebrow. “Yeah. He said his name was Aiden.”
Kieran’s body tensed visibly. “Aiden? He said his name was Aiden?”
“Uh-huh. Do you know him?”
“Maybe.” He rubbed his chin. “A long time ago, I knew someone who used that name.”
Chapter Two
Zoe
“Why are we driving to school?” I asked as we headed toward Kieran’s car.
“It’s safer and faster,” he said. “After last night’s demon attack, you can’t be out alone. Ever.” He opened the passenger door for me, and I climbed in, a little too afraid to protest. “Your safety is now priority number one.” He closed the door.
I waited for him to get in on the other side, thinking how only seven days had passed since my eyes had been opened to the Enlighten world. Last Thursday, Kieran and I had been chased by two demon knights sent by Sammael, the King of Hell. Even more amazing, as we fled the creatures, Kieran created a warehouse in the Void—an in-between place separating Earth, Heaven, and Hell where we could try to hide. When matters got really rough, I became completely surrounded and protected from the demons by a purple orb, which I apparently manufactured all by myself.
“Where’s Shay?” I asked. “How come he’s not riding with us?” That warehouse was where I had met a tall, drop-dead gorgeous guy, Shay Curator. He and Kieran fought the DKs—short for demon knights—and sent them back to Hell. Memories of those disgusting battle images, of black blood and decapitated heads, made me shudder.
“He’s with the Archangels for a meeting, so it’s just us for now.”
“A meeting on what?”
“To find one of the Seraph Swords.”
“Oh.” My shoulders sagged. “I hope he’s not gone long.” Shay had rescued me at the warehouse, then explained that he was a Nephilim, meaning he’s a half-angel and half-human. He had amplified human traits of super speed, hearing, and vision, which was why he’s a warrior for Heaven. While I had struggled to take all that in, we happened to touch—and that’s when we discovered that whenever we came into co
ntact with each other, an electrical current ran through our bodies. Eventually, we learned that reaction meant we were soul mates. So, of course, I was concerned about him. He’s the love of my life.
Just then Mom pulled into the driveway with my little sister, Stella. They both got out and hauled sports bags from the trunk.
“Hey, Mrs. J,” Kieran said as he opened his door. “Let me help you with those.”
“Oh, Kieran, you’re such an angel,” Mom said. “Thank you.”
I had to snicker as I got out of the car and quickly followed him inside.
“Hi, Kieran,” Stella said shyly.
“Hey, Squirt. Just get done with soccer?”
“Yup. I hate these early morning practices!”
Mom stopped at the kitchen counter. “Zoe, honey, your dad won’t be home for dinner tonight until late,” she said as I entered the room. “I see the new neighbors are moving in. I’ll bake something while you’re at school, and we can bring it over this afternoon to welcome them to the neighborhood.”
“That sounds great.”
“Now hurry, so you have time to stop off at Coffee Grind before school. I know how you can’t function without it.”
I sprinted back outside and glanced over at the new neighbors’ house. Kieran stood next to me, and we watched the twenty or so movers haul the last of the boxes and furniture into the house. When they were done, the trucks drove away, leaving us to the early morning quiet.
“Earth to Zoe.” Kieran poked my shoulder and motioned to the car.
“What?” I cleared the images from my mind.
“I said, what you did last night was badass.”
“I know, right? I had no idea I could do that! It was awesome.” I hesitated. “But something else really weird happened after my hand started to glow. I didn’t get to tell you guys about it.”
“Yes?”
“I heard a woman’s voice in my head.”
“Really?” Kieran asked. “What did she say?”
What a relief that he didn’t just laugh at me about hearing voices. Then again, he was an angel, my guardian angel, so he’d probably heard them a lot.
“She said she was my mother,” I told him, still in awe as I slumped into the car seat. “She also said to be prepared because more sorrow and death is coming.” I swallowed, afraid to hope for the impossible, but it had to be said. “And when she was speaking, I think she might have passed part of her Angel Light, what makes her an angel ... to me.”
The angels believed I would join the Enlightens—the Eternals, the Naturals, and the Ordinaries—in their mission to stop evil from taking over and destroying the earth.
“Did she say her name?” Kieran asked, apparently not fazed at all by my idea.
“Grace,” I said.
“Grace!” Kieran slammed his hands on the wheel. “She’s the highest ranking Seraph angel. And if she said she’s your mother—”
“I know.” I beamed, hopping up and down. “She basically confirmed that I am going to be an angel, too.”
Angel Zoe.
When I turned eighteen in a few months, I would become the Seraph angel, of whom the Prophesy foretold. To mark me as an Eternal Enlighten, I would get a tattoo: a golden Triquetra symbol with wings.
I’d always thought of myself as an average seventeen-year-old girl. I’d never considered I might be special—or even extraordinary. But all that had changed when Grace said last night I was going to save the world.
Kieran smiled and shook his head. “Zoe, you’re not just any angel. You’re the angel we have all been waiting for. She validated that you are the one who was prophesized.”
At lunch Kieran and I met in the library instead of the cafeteria. We needed privacy. I pulled out a chair, and Kieran sat beside me. I wished Shay were here. It was strange I hadn’t even received a text from him yet.
Kieran nudged my shoulder. “Vash invited us to the pack’s compound. We should share the information we have and get them to join us. We need them to fight.”
Vash Bellator, the Beta from the Spiritus wolf pack, had told us during a late night meeting last week that the wolves could kill the Marquises demons, and that they stay dead—unlike the demon knights, who, when beheaded, regenerate in Hell and come back.
I nodded. “When do you think we should go?”
“This weekend.”
“Road trip!” Sidelle squealed as she entered the room. “I love roads trips. When are we going?” Sidelle sauntered to the side of the table, her signature stiletto heels clacking on the floor with every step.
“We?” Kieran leaned against a bookshelf.
“Yes, we,” she replied. “You’re going to need me to help you pull this off. After all I can read the wolves’ minds when they let me. Besides, I’m going as the ‘Summer fairy representative.’” She air quoted. “If Alpha Keegan sees me, maybe he’ll be more inclined to help our cause.”
Sidelle always came in like a storm, like she had when she’d saved Shay and me last Saturday night. We went on our first date to a friend’s party, where I discovered Sidelle was a Summer fairy. She had revealed herself by saving Shay and me from more demons by manipulating the weather. She created a crater to swallow up the Marquises Demons—the warriors of Hell who had crashed the party. I’d been safe, though, because another one of my purple protective orbs had encased Shay and me. He was a little frustrated by that, since it wouldn’t allow him to help her, but I was just glad we were both all right.
I wondered how long this quest would take, and how long to find other Enlightens and get them to fight with us? Honestly, I hadn’t even known they existed until last week. But I’d figure out how to make time. I didn’t really have a choice. Besides, school was almost over, just another seven weeks to go. During the summer months, I’d have more free time.
If we were leaving this weekend, it shouldn’t be a problem. I’d have to think of something to tell my parents. I couldn’t be gone from school for days without them noticing. This could be difficult. Maybe Kieran or Sidelle would have some ideas on how I could do it. Or maybe we could make long weekends out of it and not have to miss school at all.
What would happen if and when we finally found these other Enlightens? Would they even consider uniting with us if they didn’t know for sure that I was the angel they were waiting for? I had no proof to show them, just a few amazing powers that only emerged when I was really scared. I’d have to get practicing, or at least figure out if I could control these powers. If I didn’t at least do that, there was no way they’d believe me. On the other hand, my friends would vouch for me. Confirmation from an angel and a fairy had to have some pull, right?
“Where’s Finn?” I asked Sidelle. Last night she had returned from her homeland, Fairyland, with a Winter fairy named Finn in tow to help us fight the demons.
She glared at me, tossed her head, and huffed away. Huh. Maybe that was a sore subject.
I sighed. “Okay, so let’s go over this again.”
“What do you want to go over?” Kieran asked.
“Last week, well, let’s just say I might not have been paying close attention to everything. But now I’ve got to focus and understand my part in this.” I removed a sheet of paper from my purple backpack, ready to take notes. “Let’s start with angels. Tell me everything about them.”
Looking thoughtful, Kieran leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “Okay. All angels, including the halfs, can fly. Nephilim are the warriors of Heaven, and they carry blessed swords, which they use to dispose of the DKs. Guardian angels—like me—are protectors, and we can create orbs around ourselves, but not around others. On the other hand, Archangels can create them around others along with themselves. They can also suggest Ordinaries to do things. It’s called Persuasion. Sort of like mind control.”
I nodded and continued to scribble.
“Seraphs, well, we don’t know a whole lot about them, because they’re reclusive,” he continued. “They’ve never set foot on
Earth. What I do know is that they are the keepers of the Seraph Swords. And when the time is right, you will be blessed with one. It will be there when you need it the most.”
I stopped writing and frowned at him. “How am I going to know when the time is right? Don’t you think I need it now? I mean, I am being hunted. It’d be kinda nice to have one sooner rather than later.”
He chortled. “I know. We could use it now. Truth is, I’m not sure when you’ll get it. I guess you’ll know when you know. They’re custom to the individual, like the Nephilim Swords and—”
“The Seraphs Swords are powerful, too.” Sidelle reappeared at the table, smiling smugly. “Yeah, see the Marqs, when they’re killed, they don’t regenerate. When they die, they die for good. Which is a good thing. The Prince of Hell and the King, Sammael, rarely venture out of Hell, but my guess is one or both will ... and soon. Especially when Sammael is released from his cage because of the prophesy.” She pointed at me. “Which will be when you turn eighteen in six weeks.”
“Maybe you should try a Mind Walk and find out more of what’s going on in Zoe’s head,” Kieran suggested.
“Wait,” I said. “Mind Walk? What’s that?”
“Fairies can read Ordinaries’ and Naturals’ minds,” Sidelle said. “We watch their memories play out like a movie. We just grab it out of your brain.”
I remembered. “Oh, yeah, you told me about that, but you didn’t call it Mind Walk. Did you ever figure out why you can’t get a read on me? Could it be a Seraph thing?”
“Maybe.” She frowned. “But you’re still an Ordinary for a few more months. I should be able to.”
“I’d assume an angel thing since we can keep fairies from reading us,” Kieran agreed. “I think the protective orbs are, too—how you can project them around yourself and others just like the Archangels can. And if I was a betting angel, I’d also tell you that you will get all the enhanced abilities the Nephilim have, like increased speed, strength, hearing, and sight.”
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