by Cameo Renae
“Yeah, I know.”
“What happened? Who stabbed you?” Lia asked.
“Lucian’s daughter. She thinks I killed her father, so she wants me dead.”
“What?” Lia became defensive. “I will cut a bitch.”
“Whatever, Lia,” Jeremy huffed. “Emma, why didn’t you fight her? I’ve seen how strong you are. You could have kicked her ass.”
“The situation was complicated. My hands and wings were tied that night. It was the first time since I’ve transformed where I felt utterly helpless. She had a knife to Miss Lily’s throat. There was nothing I could do to stop her, and she knew it.”
“Maybe you need to play her game. Find her weakness and use it against her,” Jeremy said.
“But that’s the thing. How am I supposed to find her weakness when I know nothing about her? Apparently, Lucian was Father of the Year.”
“Everyone has a weakness. We just have to figure out what hers is.”
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“Who’s her mother?” Lia asked.
“I don’t know. Bane said she died while giving birth, but word is she was most likely murdered by Lucian.”
“Most likely isn’t concrete,” Lia noted, and Jeremy agreed. “Maybe she has other relatives?”
“Because Lilith is a Nephilim, she was probably born outside of a hospital. That means there are no birth records,” Jeremy added.
“You’re right,” I sighed. “But there may be one person who might be able to help. Her name is Abigail Reed. She’s Alaine’s contact, and seems to have most information on things that go on between the realms. Maybe she’d have some clue as to who Lilith’s mom was.”
Jeremy shrugged. “It’s a start.”
I wrapped my arms around their necks, biting back the pain. “I’m so sorry I’ve put you both in danger.”
“Hey, you’re our best friend,” Lia said. “The three Musketeers, remember?”
“She’s right,” Jeremy said. “But it isn’t exactly the wonderful vacation we were promised. I thought we were coming up for an outdoor adventure, until I realized we’re only being herded away from an immortal death threat.”
“One day I promise to make it up to you. We will have an Alaskan adventure, and the only death threat will be that of the wildlife.” I laughed.
“Sounds like a fair plan to me.” Jeremy pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been much of a host.”
Lia giggled. “It’s not your fault. You were stabbed. That automatically warrants a free get-out-of-hosting ticket.”
“You both are the greatest.”
“Yeah, we are,” she said. “Come on, Nerdmeister. Let’s get dressed and head down for breakfast.”
I craned my neck toward the door, and Kade was standing there with a tray of fruit and juice.
“Alaine’s orders,” he said with a crooked smile.
Jeremy stood and gently tapped my shoulder. “Get well soon.”
“Yeah, get well soon,” Lia repeated. She gave me a quick hug before they made their exit.
“Why are you out of bed?” Kade asked with a raised brow.
“I wanted to wash up and brush my teeth.”
“Here, take this first,” Kade said, placing the blue vial in my hand. “Alaine told me to give it to you.”
I delayed my arduous bathroom journey, unscrewed the lid, and took a swig. This time, I felt the magical buzz travel from my lips all the way down to my injury, like it was hunting for the pain.
The longer I stood on my feet, the sturdier I became. My breathing was less labored, and my tired muscles felt reenergized.
Inside the bathroom, I raised my shirt, examining the dressing. “Could you help me find the start of this bandage? I’d like to take it off.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Kade said. “Maybe I should get Alaine.”
“No. Please.” I grabbed his arm.
He sighed and his fingers slid around my waist, gently unwinding my bandage. Underneath was a square gauze patch taped over the injury, right below my left rib cage.
I carefully peeled the corner of the tape away from my skin and pulled back slowly, revealing an inch-and-a-half gash neatly stitched together. Black and blue bruises stained the skin around the wound.
Kade took the vial from my hand, held a small towel under the wound, and poured some of the contents onto the stitches. They fizzed, almost like hydrogen peroxide would, but it didn’t have the same stinging sensation. Instead, the internal pain subsided, and the bruises faded.
“See?” A smile widened on his full lips. “You’ll be as good as new in no time.”
“Thanks to your dad’s magical brew, and your healing touch.”
“Come here.” He enclosed me in his arms, carefully keeping his distance from the injury.
“If I could, I’d stay in your arms forever,” I breathed.
“If I could, I’d keep you here, forever.” His warm breath caressed the top of my head.
ALAINE CAME TO CHECK ON me and was astonished at how quickly I was healing. To be honest, so was I. My pallid skin was returning to its normal, non-cadaverous color, and I almost felt like a normal person again.
I knew an enormous part of it was Kade. He never left my side and his closeness was my cure. It had always been. The bond we shared was much stronger and deeper than a physical connection. It was spiritual and emotional, and when we were brought together, it delivered healing and restoration.
Lilith had no idea how strong our bond was, and she was in for a surprise.
Not to mention, this injury could play to our advantage. If she thought I was weak, I might be able to catch her off guard. I still had a lot of recovering to do, but at least, I was recovering. I just had to keep out of sight and play the role of the injured fledgling. That was the easy part.
That afternoon I stayed in bed and rested. I knew it was the only way I would heal. I heard Caleb, Jeremy, Courtney, and Lia running all around the house on some scavenger hunt Alaine had put together. Jeremy won, and rubbed his triumph in Lia’s face.
That evening, Kade and I decided to have dinner with everyone downstairs. As we made our way down the stairwell, Lia was running up, sobbing. Her eyes were swollen, and her cheeks were stained with tears.
“Lia, what’s the matter?” I questioned, stopping her.
“My mom,” she wailed. “She’s in the hospital. She was in a car accident, and is in a coma.”
“Oh my God.” I exhaled, as Lia fell into my arms and cried. “What about your dad?”
“He’s okay. He’s the one who called me.” She stepped back, wiping the tears from her face. “I have to go home, Emma. I have to be there for my mom and dad.”
“I completely understand. We’ll talk to Alaine and find a way to get you home.” I glanced at Kade. “Do you know where she is?”
“I’ll look for her,” he said, bounding down the stairs.
I took Lia to her room and helped her pack, the whole time wondering if this was all a setup, and if Lilith was involved. I couldn’t help but think she was behind it because she was fully capable of stooping to such depths to separate us. If that was the case, there was only one solution. I would be going with her. She was my best friend, and I promised to protect her.
Alaine would be dead set against me going, but she’d have to bend knowing how important my friend’s safety was to me.
I reassured Lia everything would be okay, and Alaine would get her on the next plane home. About an hour later, her dad called with good news. Her mom was stable, and had not only opened her eyes, but responded to him. I was thankful for the call because it calmed Lia a bit, and bought us a little time to figure out a game plan.
Jeremy had also chosen to leave early and head back with Lia. So, after a short deliberation and a few arguments, everything was decided. Alaine and Samuel were going to stay back with Courtney and Caleb, wh
ile the Guardians and I traveled to LA with Lia and Jeremy.
Before we left, Alaine called me into her office for some last minute instructions. My heart was torn. I hated to leave her and Samuel alone with Courtney and Caleb, but I also knew they were better apt to fend for themselves. They had everything they needed to survive, and besides, Samuel and Alaine were two of the best warriors; especially when fighting together.
I hugged Alaine. “Are you sure you’ll be all right staying here?”
“Of course. This is our home, and no Nephilim girl will strip it from us. Samuel and I will have a much easier time protecting Courtney and Caleb from here. And if needed, I will call for backup. Right now, you will need the Guardians, especially in the city.”
“Hopefully, they won’t follow us,” I said, knowing that was a pipe dream.
“I hope so too, but knowing the way the Fallen are—” she stopped short. I knew it was because she didn’t want to scare me. “Just use your instincts, and please be safe.”
“I will,” I said. “What time is our flight?”
She evened out a stack of paperwork on her desk. “Oh, you won’t be flying. I would have never agreed to this if that were the case.”
“What? Are we driving?” I was confused. “How would that be any safer?”
“No.” She laughed. “A few miles from here is a portal that will deliver you directly to LA.”
“Really?” I gasped. “Why do we have to leave the house to go to another portal? Why can’t we take the one in my closet?”
“Because your closet is not a portal. It was only used as a doorway from Grandia,” she explained. “I wish it was a portal; it would make our lives so much easier. No, this one is behind a gas station, a few miles away. It’s the best I could do on short notice.”
“It’s perfect. Traveling through a portal is awesome. It’ll be so much easier than driving to Fairbanks and flying out.”
“I’ve sent word to Ephraim, so he will be configuring the portal to deliver you into an abandoned building in LA, not far from a car rental shop. I’ve given Kade and Dominic all the instructions and paperwork. Everything has been taken care of. You just need to get there.”
“Perfect,” I said, walking over and hugging her. “Thank you so much for doing this. I hope you understand why I have to go.”
“I do. I don’t have to like it, but I do understand,” she answered, her fingers grazing my face. “My only wish is that you all will come back safely.”
“That’s my wish too,” I breathed.
“If you ever run into trouble, don’t hesitate to call us.” She reached into her pocket and handed me a cell phone.
I hadn’t had one since the crash, but I also hadn’t needed one. Not when I was always surrounded by Guardians. I stared at it a moment before tucking it into my pocket, then gave her a hug and walked out.
Kade was in the hall waiting. As soon as he saw me, he grinned and offered me his hand.
“Everything’s packed and ready to go,” he said.
“Everything?” I asked.
“Mostly. I had the guys help.”
“But—”
“Don’t worry. I packed all of your personal items. Not really packed, just kind of threw them into a nice, semi-organized pile, then stuffed them into a suitcase and zipped it up.”
“You are amazingly efficient,” I leaned into him. “I was with Alaine for less than thirty minutes.”
He winked. “Traveling the world over the past few hundred years has its advantages.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Well, Mr. Anders. I’m impressed.”
“Don’t do it,” Dom hollered.
“Do what?” Kade asked.
“Hey, Dom,” I chimed.
“I bet you two can’t keep from touching each other for more than one minute.”
“Damn right,” Kade said, pulling me even closer.
“You both sicken me,” he chuckled. “Emma, I must say you’re looking quite attractive for someone who was on the brink of death a few days ago.”
“Thanks, Dom. The angel part of me seems to be finally kicking in.”
“That’s good. We were all pretty worried.”
“So was I. And I’m sorry for dragging all of you with us to LA.”
“Are you kidding? Yes, I’m not fond of the place, but it sure beats the hell out of Siberia. Besides, I’m back with my people, so it’s all good.” Dom headed upstairs as Mark came down. “If anything does come, we’ll be ready for it. It’s what we do, right?”
“Right,” Mark agreed, holding out his fist to Dom.
Dom paused for a split second. “Screw it,” he said, clenching his hand tightly and throwing it against Mark’s. The two fists colliding sent a mini shockwave through the foyer. “Freaking awesome,” Dom cheered, shaking his hand out. Mark laughed loudly.
“You guys are crazy,” I said.
“Kade, you've got to feel the power of this guys fist,” Dom said. “At least once.”
“I’m good for now,” Kade said, holding his hand up.
“Wuss.”
“And how’s your fist feeling?” I asked, noticing he was still rubbing it.
“Emma, don’t be a wise-ass,” he said, with a crooked grin. “But to answer your question, it’s numb.”
Alaine walked out of her office. “You’ll be leaving in an hour. Everything is set. Rental car, room—”
“How far is the place we’re staying from Lia’s?” I asked.
“The closest I could get is eighteen minutes away.”
“Eighteen minutes is a long way away if something happens.”
“Eighteen minutes by car,” Kade added. “But it’ll only take a few minutes with our wings.”
Dom slapped Mark on the back. “Don’t worry, bro. If we need to take to the air, I’ve got you covered.”
“Thanks, man.”
“I HOPE YOUR MOM WILL be okay,” Caleb said, wrapping Lia in a hug as we all gathered in the foyer.
“Thanks,” she sobbed. One moment she was fine, and the next she was in tears. I was glad she’d get to see her mom soon.
Samuel stepped in front of me, and took both of my hands. “Please be safe, Emma. I have complete faith in you.”
“Thanks,” I said, hugging him tightly.
As I stood in the doorway and looked out into the vast expanse of trees surrounding us, a shiver ran down my spine.
“Do you think they’re out there?” Alex asked, stepping behind me.
“Yes,” I answered. “Something is out there.” I could feel it.
He sheathed his sharp blade, and I realized I hadn’t really talked to him since they’d left after the wedding.
“How have you been, Alex?” I asked. “Has your injury healed?”
He pivoted and lifted his shirt, revealing a scar on his midsection. A flash of Lucian pushing his blade into him replayed in my mind, reminding me of the horrors we’ve had to endure.
“I’m as good as new,” he replied. “But because it was an immortal blade, I’ll wear this scar for the rest of my life.” His finger traced the line of raised flesh across his defined abs.
I sighed knowing Lilith stabbed me with an immortal blade. At least my scar wouldn’t be as prominent.
“So how are we going to do this? What’s our plan?” I asked the group, as we stood just inside the side door of the house. We were ready to go and had said our goodbyes.
“We’ll need to get to our destination fast,” Dom said with a gleam in his eyes.
“Fast and safe,” Alaine added.
“Not fast and furious? ‘Cause you all know that’s how I roll.” A crooked grin adorned his face. When we all moaned, he cleared his throat. “Alright,” he said getting serious, “I’ll pull the vehicle into the garage and close the door. Everyone will pile in. Emma, do you think you can make us disappear until we get to the end of the road?”
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” I replied. From the corner of my eye,
I noticed Kade’s head turn toward me, shooting a concerned look. I ignored it for the time being. No matter what, I had to try.
“And, I’ll pull the second car out of the garage at the same time,” Samuel said. “I’ll rev it a few times and lift the hood to draw their attention to me.”
I knew invisibility was one of the only options we had to make it out of here. If they saw all of us leaving in the vehicle, we’d be an easy target.
My eyes met Kade’s in an attempt to reassure him. “You know how Dom drives. We’ll be at the end of the road in no time.”
“She has a point,” Dom agreed. “She won’t have to hold it too long. Five minutes max.”
“Emma, you’re still healing, and you’ve never held an entire car filled with eight passengers,” Kade debated. He was only looking out for my best interest, and I loved him for it.
I reached out and took his hand. “But you’ll be there.”
He turned his body toward me. “If you start feeling weak or dizzy, you will stop.”
“I will.” I crossed my chest with my finger.
“I need you to say it out loud. I need you to promise me,” he said.
He knew me all too well. If anything went down, I would hold it until I passed out.
“I promise,” I exhaled.
Lia held her hand up in the air. “I’ll sit on the other side of her and be in charge of smacking her if she holds it too long. As her best friend, she’ll thank me for it.”
“Sure I will.” I gave her a side eye.
“You love me and you know it,” she said nudging me with her elbow.
I nudged her back. “You’re right. And you’re lucky I do.”
We all headed into the garage and piled into one of the SUV’s. I hugged Alaine and Samuel one more time before I slid in and promised them we’d stay safe.
Before we left, Samuel and Caleb hopped in the second car. Caleb took the driver’s seat and had the widest smile on his face. I guess Samuel was allowing him to drive the circle while blasting his music.
It wasn’t the best plan, but it was the only plan we had.
Kade advised me to take another sip of the potion before the garage door opened, and I agreed. I wanted as much of an advantage as I could get.
