by Tamar Sloan
The three of them spin around, finding Gabby standing only a few feet away, her wings gone. She covers the distance between her and Arielle, swallowing as she looks desperate to be believed. “I confronted your mom. She didn’t deny any of it. In fact, she helped me find some crucial information about the Grigori.”
“The Grigori?” Mac asks, suddenly piqued. “What are Grigori?”
Gabby looks away. “I’d rather not talk about it,” she says, pain flitting across her features. She returns her gaze to Arielle. “But it was your mother who helped me. The supernatural exists, Ari. And it has something to do with these abductions.”
“Maybe her mother is an Innocent.”
Reign jolts as Joseph materializes beside him. He keeps his gaze fastened on Arielle, pretending he didn’t hear him.
She’s chewing on her lip, regarding her cousin as she tries to process this.
“She is someone who knew of our existence,” Joseph muses. “If she believed, then you must, too.”
Again, Reign ignores him. Arielle becomes his lifeline to reality as she opens her mouth to respond.
Except Joseph steps in front of him, his solid body blocking Reign’s view. Something a hallucination shouldn’t be able to do.
“Grail Keeper, you must accept your destiny,” Joseph says urgently.
Reign’s head feels like it’s about to explode. “Will you just leave me alone?” he shouts.
Joseph instantly disappears, leaving Reign alone with three startled females.
Gabby’s spine straightens. “You can leave whenever you want,” she says caustically.
Mac steps toward him, shaking her head. “He wasn’t talking to you. He wasn’t talking to any of us.” Her face crinkles with concern. “You okay?”
The answer is no, but Reign’s chest is too tight to speak. Mac’s looking worried. Gabby is still frowning. But it’s Arielle who catches his focus and doesn’t let go. Her pretty face softens with something he’s seen too many times before. Pity.
He steps backward, drawing his own frown across his features. “Of course I was talking to you. You’re all cuckoo and I don’t want anything to do with any of this.”
He spins on his heel and strides away. The moment Mac calls his name he breaks into a jog. His shoes crunching on the driveway, he works to create as much space between him and them in as little time as possible.
He rounds the bend and a quick glance over his shoulder tells him that Mac didn’t follow this time. He’s glad. He’s about one word away from snapping, and no one needs to see that.
And right now, there are several words that could tip him over the edge.
Angel.
Grail.
Arielle.
Slowing to a brisk walk, Reign finds himself at the gates to the property. He looks left then right, noticing a car heading this way. For a second he considers trying to hitchhike, but then he realizes these people are going the wrong way. They’re here to go to Sinclair Mansion, whilst Reign wants to be as far from it as he can.
Tucking his head down, he decides to walk to the next bus stop. If Mac or the others pass him in a car, he’ll be so obnoxious they’ll wish they didn’t pull over. Jamming his hands in his pockets, Reign knows he’s running, but he doesn’t care. It’s what he does best.
The approaching car slows as it nears him and Reign moves further away from the road. Surprised to find it comes to a stop beside him, he leans down to talk through the passenger side window so he can tell these good Samaritans he doesn’t need yet another person checking he’s okay.
He’s about as far from okay as he can get.
Except a back door opens, making him step back.
“Hey—”
His words are cut off when a hand clamps over his mouth. Before he can react, a powerful arm drags him inside.
The oppressive hand muffles his scream as the car roars away in a spray of gravel.
16
Arielle
Reign’s absence feels like their circle is suddenly incomplete. It seems seeing a girl unfurl her wings inside a secret crypt can really bring people together.
Should Arielle go after him? When he’d shouted to be left alone, he’d sounded more than just angry. He’d sounded freaked out. She could be wrong, but there are moments—split-second flashes—when Reign’s jungle green eyes seem like a tangle of pain.
He wasn’t talking to any of us…
What did Mac mean by that? Does Reign have voices in his head, too?
Arielle shakes her head. Now she’s trying to find common ground with the guy.
Mac sighs. “He just needs to cool off. I’ll follow slowly to give him some time, then check he’s okay.”
“You’re a good girlfriend, Mac.” Arielle’s about to say Reign is lucky to have her when Mac snorts.
“Why does everyone assume that? We’re not dating. Reign is my brother from another mother.”
“Oh.” Why does that answer bring such a sense of relief?
Mac winks. “Although, he is kinda hot, isn’t he?”
Heat stains Arielle’s cheeks, no matter how much she wishes it didn’t. Before she can think of a response that acknowledges that, yes, Reign is beautiful in a way that keeps a girl looking, but no, she’s not interested, Mac spins on her heels.
“I’ll be back,” she throws over her shoulder in a deep, accented voice.
“Good luck,” Gabby calls after her.
Once Mac has disappeared around the bend in the driveway, Arielle realizes she’s alone with Gabby. Alone since she revealed who she really is.
“Why?” she asks her cousin.
It’s one word that encompasses the confusion, the hurt, the deep, penetrating sense of betrayal.
Gabby’s hands spear into her blonde curls. “I wanted you to have a normal life, Ari. Do you think it’s easy living a lie? Having to hide who you really are?”
“You seemed to cope okay,” Arielle shoots back. “Or are all those happy memories together also a lie?”
“Those moments are some of the most treasured ones in my life, bestie of mine. They were the beautiful, normal moments that I craved so much. You kept me grounded in a world of…”
“Angels?” Arielle asks. “And demons?”
And whatever else this supernatural realm she’s just discovered contains.
Gabby smiles forlornly. “Yeah. All of those.” She sighs. “But then your mom went missing and you started having dreams of obelisks. I thought it was better that you knew.” She startles, as if she just thought of something alarming. “You can’t tell my mom you know about this stuff.”
“She also knows about…” Arielle waves her hand as if Gabby’s wings are still there.
Gabby nods ruefully.
“And she didn’t want me to know, did she?”
“Like I said, we wanted to keep you safe.”
So the three most important people in her life were keeping secrets from her. Big secrets. Arielle feels so foolish. So naive!
“If it counts for anything, I wanted to tell you,” says Gabby. “And I just did, even though I wasn’t supposed to. And in front of two other humans because I could do it without further witnesses.” Her lips trip up. “And just to see the look on Reign’s face.”
Arielle is rubbing her temples again. “I suppose so,” she murmurs.
The truth is, she’s not sure of anything anymore.
She looks around, conscious that Reign and Mac haven’t returned yet. “So, what’s next?”
Gabby shrugs. “You act like nothing has happened.”
“You want me to do what?”
Gabby raises a welcome-to-my-world brow. “You have your studies, Ari. Your mom wouldn’t want you falling behind, or worse, failing.”
Arielle blinks. “I don’t care about college right now,” she points out. “I don’t even know what I want to do with my life. I don’t care about anything but getting my mother back.”
But her cousin shakes her head. “My mom can
’t know that you have any idea about what I really am. Or that Sierra’s disappearance is linked to the supernatural. You living your life is the only thing that can do that.”
“I’m not sure I can do that, Gabby. Nothing is ever going to be normal again.”
Gabby slips an arm around her shoulder. “Once your mom is back, all of this will go away. It’ll be a weird blip before you discovered your passion and started your dream career.”
Except Arielle’s cousin will always be an angel. Her mom is an occultist. Demons exist.
Gabby must sense Arielle’s hesitation, because her arm tightens. “I only revealed myself to you so that you stop stressing about your dreams and the obelisks. So you would understand what it all means.” Gabby levels her gaze at Arielle. “And so you could know how dangerous this is.”
Arielle suppresses a frown. Is Gabby trying to warn her off?
The frown almost gains traction across her brow. Should she be listening to her?
Gabby squeezes her shoulder before releasing it. “Aunt Sierra would kill me if anything happened to you,” she says jokingly, obviously trying to lighten the mood.
“I miss her, Gabby,” Arielle says quietly. “And I’m so worried about her.”
Her cousin’s face hardens. “We’re doing everything we can to get her back.”
We? But Arielle doesn’t get a chance to ask. The sound of someone running has them both spinning around.
Mac rounds the bend in the driveway, gravel flicking up because she’s moving so fast. She skids to halt a few feet away, breathing hard.
“It’s Reign,” she pants. “I can’t find him.”
17
Reign
Reign does what he’s done his whole life—he fights.
And he fights hard.
He throws punches, injecting all the adrenaline thrumming through his veins behind them. Except the man beside him grips his arms with impossible speed and pins them by Reign’s side.
With his weapon of choice—his fists—incapacitated, Reign kicks. He aims for groins and knees and shins. But the second man clamps his arm around Reign’s legs, holding them easily.
Even then, Reign struggles. He writhes and twists, throwing his body around.
And none of it makes a difference.
The men hold him like he’s a four-year-old having a tantrum.
Reign stills, panting hard against the hand still slapped across his mouth. A quick glance out the car window reveals a clear sky—no houses, no buildings. They’re heading further out of town. As fight mode slowly fades, fear wraps around his chest like a clamp. Has he just become the next victim of the serial abductions?
“Atta boy,” the man behind him murmurs. “If you keep quiet, I’ll let you breathe.”
The driver snorts, not taking his eyes off the road. “What’s the point?”
The man removes his hand. Reign has just drawn in a breath when the man slams his fist into his solar plexus. What little air was in his lungs is forced out as pain explodes through Reign’s torso. He doubles over, groaning.
“In case you were thinking of shouting,” the man says smugly.
Reign slowly unfolds, half-expecting another blow. When it doesn’t come, he cautiously glances up.
And freezes.
A gray-skinned, sunken-eyed Hell-face looks back at him. “Not that there’s any point screaming. No one’s gonna hear you.”
Reign blinks, trying to wipe the image away. But fiery-pits-for-eyes is still there. A quick glance to his left reveals another Hell-face. He knows deep in his gut that another one is at the wheel.
He roars his terror, the need to get out of this car an overwhelming frenzy. He bucks. He tries to headbutt. He throws himself at the door, uncaring that the car is speeding down the road.
The first blow strikes his temple, slamming a tidal wave of pain through his head. The second powers into his stomach, crushing muscles and sending hot nausea up Reign’s throat. The third and the fourth and the fifth batter everywhere in between.
They stop and Reign groans. And yet he knows this is only the beginning.
He rights himself, not glancing at either man. “Where are you taking me?” he croaks.
“Somewhere peaceful. Quiet.” The man chuckles. “Private.”
“This will all be over soon,” the second Hell-face croons. He grabs Reign’s chin and twists his head so he has no choice but to look at him. He grins, revealing pointed teeth. “When you’re dead.”
Ice replaces the second burst of adrenaline and Reign almost shudders. Not only is the thing beside him serious, he’s looking forward to it.
He releases Reign, his fiery eyes blazing. “In fact, let’s stop here.”
The driver hoots and slams on the brakes. The car jolts off the road and fishtails to a stop, dust enveloping it.
Surely this isn’t how it ends for him. He was so certain he was going to have more choice in the matter. That self-destruction was his fate. That he would follow in Lance’s footsteps.
The men get out, hauling Reign with them. Rough hands shove him and he lands on all fours in the dirt, grimacing as gravel scrapes his palms.
“Hurry up,” one of them growls. “He’ll try to run.”
Reign’s muscles are already coiled, ready to do just that. He grits his teeth as he holds still, waiting for another blow to come.
“Let him. I enjoy target practice.”
Reign braces himself to be just that—target practice. He’d rather die running than kneeling in the dirt.
Suddenly, there’s a loud crash followed by the crunch of collapsing metal.
“What the—”
Reign sneaks a peek over his shoulder, seeing that all three men are now facing the car. He catches a glimpse of the boots that just landed on the bonnet before he moves. He drops and rolls, the crack of a gunshot splintering the air a second later. Dust explodes in the space Reign just vacated.
Several more tumbles and he drops into a ditch, rocks painfully jabbing into his back. Reign holds himself there for breathless seconds, expecting another gunshot and hoping this bullet punctures the soil again instead of him.
Instead, he hears a grunt and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Uncurling to take a peek, he gasps. With wide eyes, he takes in the winged guy crouched on the car bonnet, red eyes glowing in his snarling face.
But these wings aren’t white like Gabby’s. If hers were ivory, then these are most certainly ebony. Stretched out to their full span, the raven-colored expanse casts a deep shadow over the two Hell-faces that are still standing. Their third comrade is sprawled in the dirt several yards away. The guy stands, his onyx wings rising with him like some avenging angel.
One word whispers through Reign’s mind.
Demon.
One of the Hell-faces leaps right and Reign sees that a gun is lying on the ground, a few feet away. The demon must’ve been expecting it, because he vaults off the car. One beat of his massive wings and he’s covered the distance between them.
The Hell-face dives for the gun. The moment it’s in his hands he twists and shoots. Reign leaps to his feet, breath trapped in his tight throat.
But the demon tucks his wings and twists, instantly becoming a missile. He slams into the Hell-face and the man’s propelled backward, gouging through the dirt. The demon is already punching before they’ve stopped, his fists like pistons. Except the Hell-face absorbs each blow, desperately throwing his own blows.
The second Hell-face walks toward them, the movement slow and calculated and full of menace. As he approaches, he withdraws a small handgun from behind him. It must’ve been tucked into his belt.
Reign is already running toward him. “Look out!”
The demon glances over his shoulder, sees the weapon pointed at him and grabs the Hell-face he was pummeling. He hauls the man up and spins just as the crack of the gun detonates.
The Hell-face arches his back as the bullet pierces between his shoulder blades. Reign blinks in amazement,
a little awed. The demon just used the Hell-face as a shield.
The second Hell-face never blinks at the loss of his comrade. His outstretched arm changes angle, once again centering on the demon. One pump of the demon’s wings is powerful enough to send a gust of wind over Reign as he launches into the air.
The gun discharges again and the second bullet misses the demon. Now in the air, he twists and somersaults, wings fully extended one moment, then contracted and wrapped around him the next. The Hell-face tries to keep his aim on his target, only to find the demon is moving too fast.
The screech of tires on road has Reign spinning around. He watches in horror as a car skids to a halt and Mac, Gabby, then Arielle tumble out.
“Get out of here!” he shouts.
The three girls duck as another shot rings out. Reign runs to them, waving his arm wildly. “Get back in the car!”
Except all three are watching the aeronautics happening behind him in wide eyed awe. Arielle looks terrified. Mac looks scared yet foolishly curious. Gabby is…smiling.
She glances at Reign. “Isn’t he amazing?” she asks breathlessly.
Reign isn’t sure he heard her right. “He’s what?”
“Incredible. And so freaking hot!”
Reign is at a loss for words. She’s checking the demon out?
“I mean, look!” Gabby says, pointing.
Reign spins around to see the demon spearing down like a vengeful arrow, one that has no intention of missing its target. The Hell-face aims his gun again and pulls the trigger. It releases little more than an impotent click.
Reign gasps, impressed. The demon waited until the Hell-face was out of ammo.
The demon ploughs into the Hell-face and he crumples. Reign half expected him to be pounded into the ground like a pole. One solid punch to the chin and the Hell-face is knocked out cold.
The demon stands, waits a second to make sure he isn’t getting up anytime soon, then turns to make his way toward them. He tucks his ebony wings around him as he flicks his auburn bangs out of his eyes.
“Colt?” Arielle asks, her voice full of disbelief.
