Licking my dry lips, I mutter. “I don’t want you to go.” I go for the concerned bashert ploy. Adrian’s eyes flash with approval.
“Don’t worry, Angel. One of us will stay with you. You are safe here.”
“That is not what I’m worried about.” At the moment, all four Fallen are my concern.
Adrian dips his head low until his nose almost touches mine. “Nothing is going to happen. Everyone will remain safe.” I know he’s not just talking about him and Zeke. I press my lips together, forcing my worried tears to stay where they are.
Sarah delicately clears her throat. Adrian shifts us to the side so we can see her and Zeke. The latter watches me with worry, and the former wears a regretful frown.
“Both you and Zeke have been requested to help. One of you may not stay behind with Veronica.”
“Like hell,” Zeke growls. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him speak to his mother with anything other than calm indifference. Zeke is the levelheaded twin.
She is undeterred. “We are wasting time arguing. The threat is serious. Both of you are needed.”
“Leaving Veronica without protection is out of the question. I will go help the Light Council, but Adrian stays here.”
“No,” Adrian drops my elbows and faces his brother and mother. “I will go. I am the better swordsman.”
“All the more reason you should stay with Veronica.”
“No,” I speak up. I touch Adrian’s arm. He looks down. “You can help them.” He understands who I’m talking about. I glance at Zeke and see he’s figured out my thoughts too. If Adrian is truly the best fighter, I want him to go help Joseph and Gabe. I wouldn’t forgive myself if Adrian stayed behind when he could’ve saved the Light Fallen.
Several seconds pass before Adrian finally dips his head in agreement. “So be it.”
I hear Sarah exhale, exasperated. “We need both of you.”
“You will only get one of us, Mother.” Zeke is back to sounding calm. “That was the deal. Veronica will not be without our protection.”
“I am one of the most powerful Dark Fallen, and even I cannot enter this flat without someone opening the door. No one will be able to harm her even if they want to.”
Without missing a beat, Zeke says, “We will not risk it.”
Sarah refuses to give up. “The Light Council won’t survive without every last Dark Fallen helping to fight the demons,” she murmurs quietly, looking around as if the walls have ears. “We cannot afford to let the Darkness destroy the Light Council. Now, more than ever, we need an ally.”
I don’t know everything, but I know the Light and Dark Councils are not notorious allies. If the vast injuries I’d seen haven’t convinced me the Darkness was dangerous, the fact the Dark Council wants to team up with the Light Fallen does.
I swallow the lump in my throat. The memory of Gabe’s battered body makes me take their mother’s side. “You should both go.”
Both Dark Fallen whirl on me. “Absolutely not.”
“It is out of the question.”
“I can take care of myself.” I try to convey confidence through our connection, doing my best to hide my unease. If they were being asked to do anything else, I wouldn’t bother to argue with them. But this is Gabe and Joseph we are talking about. My entire soul feels like it is about to shatter by just thinking of them in danger. I can’t let Zeke stay behind if they really need help.
All of this and more is shared as I look between the Dark Fallen. Their mother might as well be invisible. The three of us are totally absorbed in each other, digesting what the other is feeling as emotions are tossed between us. Adrian is equal parts irritated and worried. Zeke is uneasy and conflicted. And I’m scared but determined.
“Please,” I whisper. You know how much they mean to me.
Adrian growls and runs agitated hands through his hair. “Fine. But you will not take one step outside of this flat. Is that understood?”
I’d expected more of an argument. Stunned, I can only nod.
“Are you sure?” Zeke looks at his brother, then his mother. His mistrust is evident.
“I’ve already told you, no one means the girl any harm.” Sarah puts her hands on her hips, tired of the insinuated accusations.
“I’m sure,” I answer for Adrian, shooting Zeke another pleading look.
“The sooner we go the sooner we can be back,” Adrian grumbles, clearly unhappy with the situation. I want to wrap my arms around him, but I resist. His mother watches us.
Zeke locks me in his gaze. “No leaving the flat.”
“You have my word.”
Three
I didn’t anticipate how awful waiting would be. After several reminders that I am not permitted to even step out on the balcony, Adrian and Zeke left the flat with their mother. I spent the first hour back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. My mind conjured horrific and bloody images of what havoc The Darkness was unleashing on the Light Council. I realized I needed a distraction. Immediately.
Pushing myself up, I wandered down into the dining room. There were some fancy pieces of art displayed, but I could only stare at the glass sculptures for so long before my concern for the four Fallen threatened to overwhelm me again. I missed the sweet escape of television. I’m sure I could have found some show to distract me, but the flat doesn’t have a T.V. Maybe a book can provide equal distraction.
Confident there must be a study or library of some kind, I walk down an unfamiliar hallway, opening doors and peeking inside. Other than the common rooms and my bedroom, I hadn’t explored the flat at all. That truth makes me realize how sedentary and unengaged I’d been this past week. I’m surprised Adrian and Zeke hadn’t forced me out of the flat. Both of them tried to lure me outside, but neither pushed the issue. They both were willing to step back and let me process things in my own time. I can’t say I would’ve been so accommodating if one of them had started acting like a lifeless zombie.
I enter a room with a large oak desk. The walls are covered with burgundy wallpaper and wood panels line the bottom half of the wall. The style isn’t an exact match, but it reminds me of Lucas’ personal study. Lucas is the Light Angel who’d helped me access my angelic powers. Unbeknownst to me, one or both of my mysterious angelic parents hired a sorcerer to enact a mental barrier which prevented me from reaching my powers with ease. The only time I’d managed to utilize my abilities were in moments of great distress. Like when yancor demons cornered me on Mrs. Hall’s lawn—back before I knew anything about what I am. Or when Lucas kidnapped my parents in order to lure me into a meeting with him, but then a pack of yancor demons arrived and one slit my mom’s throat.
My fingers tingle, remembering the Angel Fire I used to light up the creature and burn him to a crisp. Even now, I don’t regret the violence. Does it frighten me? Sure. But I would easily do it again if it meant protecting my parents. I may not be biologically related to them, but Oliver and Janet Messenger mean the world to me. They adopted me as an infant and raised me with nothing but endless love and affection. They treat me like their natural-born daughter, and they don’t deserve the danger my heritage puts them in. Yet another aspect of the latest revelations which causes me guilt. I hate that their lives are in danger because of me. Not to mention I have to lie to them all the time.
As I stand in the center of the study, I think about giving my parents a call. They aren’t worried about me. At least, not more than a typical parent would be while their child is traveling abroad. The Fallen made sure of that. But I’m sure they would appreciate a call.
I reach into my back pocket and stare at the black screen on my phone, weighing the pros and cons of calling my parents. On one hand, it will be nice to hear their voices and know they are alright. I trust Gabe and Joseph are keeping an eye on them, and the last I spoke with the Light Fallen, no demons or angels had snooped around my home since I’ve been gone. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be a relief to actually hear them say everything is
normal back in Valley Lake. But if I call my parent’s, I will have no choice but to go along with the lies they’ve been fed. And I have no interest in doing that right now.
Sighing, I return the phone to my pocket. Before I can take a breath, the device buzzes and the familiar ringtone fills the room. I extract the device and once again see Annie’s name flashing on the screen.
Knowing I can’t ignore her calls forever, I hit the green button. “Hello?”
“Hello? Hello?” Annie screeches. “That’s all you have to say to me after you’ve ignored my calls. Hello?”
I cringe but try to play it cool. “Hey, Annie.”
“Don’t ‘Hey, Annie’ me,” my childhood best friend snaps, “Why have you been ignoring me?”
“I’m not,” I lie.
“Bull crap.”
“I’ve been busy sightseeing,” I am flying by the seat of my pants. Remembering Adrian’s most recent offer, I use it as inspiration. “I was touring Kensington Palace this morning and they don’t allow cell phones.” I hope she, at least, buys my excuse for ignoring her today. As for the other days, I can’t be sure.
“Sure,” Annie huffs. “My best friend abandons me, and I can barely get ahold of her to catch up.”
I try to guide us away from her suspicion and anger. “Well, now that you have me, let’s catch up! How have you been?”
“You mean, besides the fact my best friend ditched me for the summer? I’m peachy.”
I lean against one of the bookshelves. “I won’t be gone all summer.” At least, I hope not.
The Fallen haven’t been able to give me a timeline on how long this mess with the Dark Council will last. Adrian is adamant that the situation with The Darkness will be rectified soon, but Zeke’s somber expression says otherwise. Now that the Dark Council has their claws in the brothers, I don’t believe they will let them go easily. Even if the trouble with The Darkness is fixed, the council still wants them to join their ranks. And now that they know I exist, I don’t doubt they will continue to use me to get the guys to do what they want.
“But you and I had plans, Ronnie,” Annie’s lost her anger. Now, she sounds disappointed. “We were going to work all day and hang all night. You even started going to parties!”
It’s true. Throughout my life, I’d never been the girl invited to parties by my peers.
Well… that’s not entirely true. I’d been invited many times, but I never wanted to hang out with the kids I grew up with. Not all of them were bad. In fact, most of them were normal and down to earth, despite the fact many of their parents were wealthy beyond belief. That was the majority of the population in Valley Lake. Rich businessmen and intelligent women who either worked remotely or commuted to the nearest city for work every day. People enjoyed the quaint life of our lakeside town, and they especially enjoyed the enormous waterfront properties they could purchase.
My peers were nice enough, but I never felt comfortable around them. I always felt like a sore thumb. I wasn’t like them, and I struggled to blend in. Only Annie and Joey, my other best friend, really got to know me. They made me feel like I wasn’t different—that I was just like everyone else.
Oh, how wrong they were.
“You will be invited to parties without me.” In fact, I think one of the only reasons I was ever invited to parties was because of Annie.
“But I won’t have as much fun.” I can imagine Annie’s pout.
Despite what she says, Annie is a natural socialite. She is tall, slender, beautiful and intelligent. Growing up, she had no problem blending in with our peers. Everyone loves Annie. A fact which often made me wonder why she bothered to hang out with me. I definitely didn’t increase her social status. But that is one of the many things I love about my best friend: she doesn’t care what other people think.
“Isn’t Joey coming back soon?” I try to console her. The third wheel of our best friend tricycle had left to visit his older brother shortly after our high school graduation. He’d spend the last two weeks in California, and a lot has happened since he’s been gone. His family is pretty adamant about staying off technology during family vacations. Something about spending the maximum amount of time with one another. My only communication with my best guy friend was the occasional text message. Even then, we were always brief. I’ve never been a big texter.
I don’t know how Joey will react once he returns home and hears about everything from Annie. Maybe I should reach out and explain, even if it’s over text. That’s better than nothing.
“Joey’s already back,” Annie surprises me.
I stop leaning on the bookshelf, straightening. “What? When did he get back?”
“Two days ago.”
What? I can’t believe Joey returned to Valley Lake and I didn’t know. I expected him to reach out so we could all hang out. I’d even prepared my story for why I left on a spontaneous vacation. Gabe and Joseph offered to intercept Joey and convince him my absence wasn’t anything to be concerned about, but I declined. If I could spare Joey from having his mind messed with, I would. Besides, I hoped Annie would take some of the responsibility off of me and tell Joey about my trip.
I clear my throat. “Have you talked to him?”
“Barely,” Annie says.
“Really?”
“Really. All I got was a late-night text telling me he was back in town, but whenever I try to call, he doesn’t answer. It seems both of my best friends are determined to abandon me.”
Pain hits me. Why hadn’t I received a similar message?
I ignore my hurt feelings. Instead, I focus on consoling my friend. “I’m not abandoning you.”
“You’re halfway across the world.”
I sigh. “Annie, I told you. I’ll be back. In the meantime, you have Joey. Maybe he’s just worn out from his trip. You know how overwhelming his family can be.”
“Maybe,” she murmurs, semi-convinced. “Still, I would’ve expected him to want to see me. You really didn’t know he was back in town?”
I walk toward the window and stare out at the cloudy sky hovering over central London. “No, I didn’t know.”
“He didn’t text you?”
“No.”
Annie is silent for one second. “That’s… weird.”
“A little.”
“Did you guys have a fight or something?”
I think back to our last hangout before Joey left for California. We’d had a movie night, and he’d teased me about Preston. But that was it. We hadn’t argued or anything.
“No,” I answer. “At least, I don’t think so.”
“Hm.” Thankfully, Annie moves the conversation along, distracting me from worrying what I might’ve done to make my best friend ignore me. “Well, at least I’m not totally alone here. Freddy keeps hosting parties, and he always makes sure to invite me.” She confirms my earlier statement. “I swear, his parents are so chill. Mine would lose their mind if a bunch of teenagers took over the house every other night.”
Except for the fact Freddy’s mom offered me up to The Dark Council like a prized pig.
Trying to keep a level voice, I ask, “You are hanging out with Freddy?”
“A little bit.” Is it just me, or does she sound coy?
“Annie… what aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.” Nope. There is no denying it, Annie is acting funny. She’s definitely keeping something from me.
A thought comes to mind, and it takes me a moment to actually ask the question, “Are you seeing Freddy?”
“Well, duh. I see him all the time.”
I roll my eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant. Are you dating Freddy Hutchins?”
“… maybe…”
“Are you serious?” Alarms are ringing in my head. Freddy’s mother is Nephilim. That means Freddy is Nephilim. My mind is racing.
How much does Freddy know about me? Is he using Annie to get more information about me? Did his mother put him up to it? What is she trying
to do? Annie might be in danger. I need to warn her, but how? I can’t tell her the truth. Not yet. I promised The Fallen I would wait.
“Hello… Earth to Ronnie?”
I press my forehead against the window. The glass is cool, and my face feels hot. “Yes?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Did I hear you’re dating Freddy? Yes, I heard you.” I close my eyes. This is a disaster. My best friend is being used because of me. I have to tell her the truth. But I know I can’t. I want to cry. I can’t believe I’ve put another person I care about in danger. No one in my life is safe from the impact of what I am. A tear escapes the corner of my eye.
“Well… don’t you want to ask me how it happened?”
I already know how it happened. Freddy’s mom told Freddy to get close to my best friend. Still, I humor her and ask, “How did it happen?”
“I actually have you to thank for that,” Annie perks up while I feel my mood plummet.
“How so?”
“You and Preston,” she tells me. “Remember how I told you Freddy reached out to ask me why you kept cancelling dates with Preston?”
I open my eyes. “A little.” Preston McKenna, my childhood crush, had the unfortunate timing of asking me out while I was in the middle of battling yancor demons and learning the truth about my biological parents. Freddy tasked himself with asking my best friend why I was ditching his best friend. Now, I wonder if he didn’t have other motives when asking Annie about me.
“Well, we would text about you guys. I’d always defend you, even though you were ghosting poor Preston.”
“I did not ghost him,” I object, even though I know she’s not wrong. I didn’t mean to treat Preston so poorly. Like I said, the timing was horrible. It took me too long to realize there was no way I would be able to have a normal relationship amidst all the chaos in my life. And Preston was hurt as a result.
Protected by the Fallen: A Fallen Angel Reverse Harem Novel (The Fallen Harem Book 3) Page 2
