Again, he swallows. In a strained voice, he asks, “What are you doing?”
Am I imagining it, or do I detect desire?
Unsure how to verbalize all I’m feeling, I simply shrug. Then, I lean forward and rest my forehead against his sternum. I inhale deeply, allowing my senses to drown in the smell of sunshine and fresh cut grass. Gabe’s always reminded me of a warm spring day.
Gabe’s breath blows against my hair as he bends down to place an all-too-brief kiss on my head. He turns and rests his cheek against the top of my head, and he places a hand on my waist.
“I could get use to this,” he murmurs. I smile.
“Me too.”
We stay like that for another minute. Then, Gabe lifts his head. I look up at him, but instead of meeting his eyes, my gaze locks on his lips. They are full and bordered by laugh lines.
I lift on my tiptoes, pulse pounding in my ears, as I continue to stare at his lips.
Gabe is still as stone. Letting my instincts guide me, I begin to lean forward. I am less than a centimeter from pressing my lips to his when a barely-audible tap raps against the front door.
Gabe springs into action. He grabs onto my shoulders and spins me around until I am lying flat on the couch, his body covering mine.
“Wha—”
Gabe covers my mouth, cutting off my question. He leans down until his lips brush my ear, giving me goosebumps. “Someone is here.”
I want to point out he and Joseph had knocked a few minutes ago, and that the newcomer could be Zeke or Adrian, but I realize that is unlikely. The Dark Fallen would walk into the flat without preamble. Remembering the Fallen’s fear that the attack on the Light Council had been a distraction, I pinch my lips together.
Gabe tilts his head to the side, as if he’s listening to something. I try to stretch my hearing across the flat, and I think I pick up Joseph’s tentative footsteps.
The following seconds are painfully long. My heart is racing for a completely different reason, and I am contemplating a plan of escape for me and the Light Fallen when Joseph walks back into the parlor. Gabe extends his arms on the cushion beside my arms and lifts himself off me in one fluid motion. He holds out a hand. I take it. He swings me to my feet with ease.
I turn to Joseph, and I zero in on folded piece of paper in his hands.
Dread swims through my veins. “What is that?”
Joseph’s knuckles are white, gripping the paper with fury. “A warning.”
Gabe places his body between me and the paper, as if he can protect me from it. “A warning about what?”
A muscle in Joseph’s cheek jumps. “For Veronica.”
I step around Gabe and hold out my hand. “Let me see.”
Joseph lifts his arm, and I grab the edge of the paper. But he doesn’t let go.
I look into his eyes and whisper, “Please.”
Reluctantly, he lets go. I read the warning:
I know what you are.
If you want your secret to remain so, you will not try to stop The Darkness.
Heed this warning or suffer the consequences.
Five
I’m on a beach facing the English Channel, unable to enjoy the soothing sound of the waves crashing against the rocky beach. I can’t even take solace in the fact Zeke and Adrian are back and unharmed. All four Fallen have reunited, and they are either pacing behind me or standing stoically, lost in their own thoughts, trying to figure out how to handle our current predicament.
I’m being blackmailed, but we don’t know who is responsible.
Adrian and Zeke had been quick to name their mother as the prime suspect, but I’m not convinced. I’d seen how Sarah watched them, and I’d caught her looks of maternal longing when she thought no one was watching. Sarah wants to mend the strained relationship with her sons, and I don’t believe she’d risk doing anything to anger them.
Besides, Sarah knows my secret. That’s not a surprise. One of the first things she’d said to me had been about knowing my mother—my birth mother. She knows my father. When I put those two facts together, I can’t fathom the possibility Sarah is behind the cryptic and threatening letter. It doesn’t make sense.
To my right, a newly renovated pier extends out into the water. Families stroll across the wood. A child’s laugh floats on the breeze towards where I sit. I swallow and look back out to the ocean.
“It has to be someone on the council,” I hear Adrian state for the tenth time, ending the silence. The Fallen had stopped talking about five minutes ago when none of them could come to an agreement about whom they believed responsible for the note. I quit trying to interject my opinion long before that. I knew little about the players in this angelic game. Honestly, I knew next to no one. I couldn’t even venture a guess about who would warn me against trying to stop The Darkness. Who did this person even think I was? I’d spent the last week hiding in a London flat. I’m not fighting The Darkness at all. I sit up straight, an idea coming to mind.
“What if the note wasn’t for me?”
The Fallen don’t make a sound as they instantly use their speed to position themselves in front of me.
“Messenger?” Joseph asks, “What did you say?”
I tilt my head back. “The note didn’t say my name. What if it wasn’t written to me?”
“Of course it was written to you,” Adrian gives a humorless laugh. His entire body is rigid with anger, and his face is hard as stone. Of all the Fallen, he seems to have taken the potential threat against me the hardest. Or maybe he just isn’t able to hide it as well as the others.
“Who do you think the note was intended for?” Gabe asks at the same time.
I move my attention to the more agreeable angel and lift my right shoulder. “Adrian and Zeke are the only other people who are staying in the flat.”
Gabe squints, considering my words. “But what could the letter’s mysterious author know about either of them that they could use to blackmail them?”
“Nothing,” Adrian states. His tone draws my attention. His arms are crossed. They usually are when I’ve done or said something to upset him. I resist the urge to roll my eyes, no longer afraid of his grumpy behavior. I’ve grown used to his tantrums. I look away.
“My brother is right,” Zeke speaks up. “Plus, the wording of the letter implies there is something… unusual about ‘what you are’. That could only be referencing your unique bloodline.”
“A bloodline which your mother is aware of,” Gabe points out, bringing us back full circle.
I don’t hide my exasperated groan. “Sarah isn’t responsible.”
“How do you know?”
I meet Gabe’s questioning gaze. “Instinct.”
He shifts his stance in the sand. None of the Fallen contradict me. I don’t know if that’s because they agree, or they just don’t want to argue with me. I’m back to being coddled, it seems. And I’m ashamed to admit it, but part of me doesn’t mind it at all. Pathetic, I know, but true nonetheless.
“Let’s say you’re right and the note is about me,” I dig my fingers into the sand. “What do I have to do with The Darkness? I haven’t done anything.”
A beat of silence. Then, one of them clears their throat.
I turn to face the noise. Gabe says, “Veronica, you have been involved for several weeks now.”
“What are you talking about?”
He looks apologetic as he explains, “You’ve been using your powers to heal injured Fallen and Nephilim.”
My eyes are wide as saucers. “I-I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Neither had I,” Joseph mutters. I’m not sure he meant for anyone to hear him.
Lukas, the Light Fallen responsible for my parents’ abduction, not only lowered my ward and helped me practice using my healing powers, but he also asked me to help his allies. Light and Dark Fallen alike were brought to me whenever they sustained significant injury fighting The Darkness. Gabe had been one of them.
I lean forw
ard and rest my arms on my bent knees, letting my forehead press against my arms. Facing the sand beneath me, I ask, “How would someone know about that?”
“Lukas?” Zeke offers to the group.
“Unlikely,” I hear Joseph counter. “His history fighting The Darkness is well known, and he begs daily for us to permit Veronica to resume healing. He wouldn’t try to dissuade her involvement, and he definitely wouldn’t work in favor of The Darkness.”
I lift my head. “Lukas wants my help?” I don’t know why I’m surprised. My resignation, for lack of a better word, had been sudden. I couldn’t exactly keep a low profile with the Dark Fallen if I was disappearing from London to work with a Light Fallen. But I thought the guys would’ve explained the situation to Lukas. I’d expected him to understand that I couldn’t risk discovery now that I was under the Dark Council’s nose. A horrible thought has me blurting, “Are people dying because I’m not there to help?”
“No,” Gabe looks like he’s about to reach out and touch me. He thinks better of it. His hand falls to his side. “No one is dying.”
I hear what he isn’t saying. “But they are hurt.”
“Your only responsibility is to yourself,” Adrian tells me sternly.
I sigh and shake my head, trying to clear away the gruesome images my mind has created. I’ve seen many victims of The Darkness, and I know they are not pretty sights. I should be there to help. I’m a coward for staying hidden when others are suffering—a worthless coward.
This time, it’s Gabe who growls, “You are not a coward.”
I blink, stunned that Gabe had been so in tuned to my thoughts that he actually knew what I was thinking. Curse this mental connection!
Joseph steps in between me and his brother. “Enough. We need to focus. Whoever sent the letter must know about Veronica’s healing power. Such information may mean they know about her parentage. Regardless, we need to heed the warning. Veronica will continue to avoid involvement with The Darkness in every way.”
“What?” I scramble to my feet. “We’re just going to bow down to this guy?”
“Yes,” Joseph doesn’t hesitate. “Your safety is our number one priority. We will not risk angering this individual until we know what, if anything, he knows about you. Despite all odds, your secret remains a secret. We will keep it that way as long as we can.”
Around me, the other Fallen mumble their agreement.
“I can’t believe this,” I level my disapproval on each of them. “We’re doing what he wants!”
“Exactly,” Joseph says with a calm rivaling my frustration. “And you will stay safe.”
“So, what?” I cross my arms. “I’m just going to stay in London, locked in a flat, until the Dark Council no longer uses me to blackmail Zeke and Adrian to do their bidding? When will you all be tired of being manipulated?”
“I will suffer the manipulation as long as you are safe.” Joseph moves closer until he is staring down his nose at me. “And you would do well to remember how precarious our situation is—how precarious your situation is.”
I know it sounds crazy—the Fallen have done nothing but protect me—but it sounds like Joseph is threatening me.
Before I can accuse him of such, Zeke clears his throat. “The moment it is safe for you to leave London, I will personally take you home, Ron.” His honesty manages to soothe my frustration, and I feel the fight leave me. Exhaustion takes its place.
I hang my head. “I know none of this is what you want for me,” I speak to all the Fallen, “but I can’t hide forever. I’ll go crazy. I have to do something.”
“Glad to hear it, Angel.” Adrian’s relief is evident. He’d been worried about me this past week. They’d all been worried.
“I’ll go back to London,” I say, then face the Light Fallen. “But I don’t want you guys to stay away. I… I don’t like not seeing you.” I will benefit from seeing Gabe. His easy grin and positivity will prove invaluable whenever I’m feeling depressed. And even with Joseph’s bossy behavior, I want to see more of him as well. I focus on my ex-teacher and notice the pink hue highlighting his cheeks.
He swallows thickly before saying, “I’m sure we can arrange that.”
“Agreed,” Adrian states.
And despite the many turns this conversation had taken, I find myself smiling.
This newest threat may seem large, but I remind myself that it is only one of many. I’ve been attacked, abducted, manipulated, and used. Nothing in my life is easy, except for the fact The Fallen give me a sense of comfort and assurance I’ve never experienced before. Danger may be right around the corner, but I know my chances of overcoming the trials thrown my way are better with all of my bashertens by my side.
Six
“I don’t like this,” Zeke mutters under his breath. He speaks right into my ear, so I know he wanted me to hear.
“Me either,” Adrian seconds loudly. His eyes dart from left to right as we proceed down the corridor. Dark velvet covers the floor and muffles the sounds of our footsteps. The blood red color is rich and expensive. I say nothing, too focused on not panicking as we continue on our path.
We are in the Dark Council’s embassy. It’s been two days since The Darkness’ attack on the Light Council and the delivery of the threatening note, and Zeke and Adrian had been summoned to a meeting with the Dark Council this morning. They aren’t the only ones. Zeke told me all Dark Fallen who’d fought in the conflict were called to the meeting. He suspects it will be a debriefing of some sort.
Adrian and Zeke had tried to negotiate with the council, insisting only one of them needed to attend the meeting, but the powerful entity wouldn’t back down. Adrian, always the first to show his temper, ranted and raved, claiming he didn’t give a damn about the council’s summons. He planned to disobey the request… until his mother showed up at the flat.
All it took was for Sarah to remind Adrian about the danger his disobedience would cause for me. If he or Zeke went against the council’s order, she couldn’t guarantee my safety—she couldn’t guarantee to safeguard my secret.
Needless to say, that ended Adrian’s defiance. Or should I say, it muted his defiance. Adrian acquiesced to attending the meeting, but he wasn’t happy about it. And he definitely wasn’t happy that I came along, but what else could they do? The last time I’d been left alone in the flat, I received a threatening letter. Neither Zeke nor Adrian were willing to leave me again.
So, I walk sandwiched between them through the lair of one of the two angelic organizations which will destroy me if they figure out the truth. I barely glance at the priceless paintings and stunning artifacts spanning the length of the hallway. As far as I know, only members of the Dark Council know about our soulmate connection. But if we are about to enter a meeting with all other Dark Fallen who’d participated in the battle, our relationship is about to become much more public.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I whisper.
Zeke stops assessing our surroundings for threats. “Say the word, Ron, and one of us will take you back to the flat this instant.”
I know they will. But I don’t want to put them in a situation where they have to defy the council. I don’t want to find out how the council would retaliate.
“No, I’ll stay. But do I need to go into the meeting?” I express my concern of everyone finding out about our connection.
“Angel, are you ashamed of us?” Adrian teases despite the seriousness of our situation.
“Of course not,” I reply immediately. I try to ignore Adrian’s cocky smile as I continue, “But the more people know about us, the more likely they can use me against you.”
“We aren’t the enemy of every Dark Fallen in existence,” Zeke tells me.
“You aren’t?”
Both brothers chuckle. I pinch my lips together, not sure what is so funny. They are the ones who’ve been adamant about hiding me from every Fallen except for them, Joseph, and Gabe. I’d assumed that meant there were
many Fallen they couldn’t trust—Fallen who’d gladly use me against them, or perhaps figure out my dual-Fallen bloodline and want to kill me for being an abomination. Excuse me for thinking they are the black sheep of the angelic community like I’d been led to believe.
“I know we are not rays of sunshine,” Zeke shakes his head with a small smile, making his blond hair sway, “but we are actually well-liked by many of our brethren.”
I face forward. “I didn’t know.”
“You wound us, Angel,” Adrian resumes his teasing. “And to think, I thought you found me charming.”
I want to tell him now is not the time for jokes, but I find I can’t deny him this small reprieve. They’ve both been on edge since I’d received the threatening note. Really, they’ve both been on edge since Mrs. Hutchins revealed my identity to the Dark Council. It is nice to see them laugh and smile. Even if it is at my expense.
I decide to play along. “You are charming,” I admit, “but that doesn’t hide the fact you have an ego the size of Texas.”
Zeke barks a laugh while Adrian frowns in mock offense. I do my best to maintain a straight face, but the corner of my lip twitches.
Adrian presses a hand against his chest, “Show mercy, Angel. You know I live and breathe solely for your approval and affection.”
“Oh my god.” I roll my eyes. “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard you say.” I try to play it cool, but his words make my stomach flutter with happiness.
“You haven’t known him very long,” Zeke points out. “Just wait. It will get worse.”
Adrian punches his brother’s arm, but that doesn’t stop Zeke or I from laughing. Our levity dies the moment we round the next corner.
Protected by the Fallen: A Fallen Angel Reverse Harem Novel (The Fallen Harem Book 3) Page 4
