Child of Mercy

by Lisa Olsen

  “I can’t find anything that looks remotely like it belongs to Adam,” she reported in disgust. “Did you have any luck?”

  “Not exactly, but I’m hopeful one of these numbers will lead me to him.” Snapping the phone shut, I eased it back into his pocket as quickly as I could manage. “Come on, we have to get back into place before he wakes up.” I waved her back into the room. Of course that meant she got in my way as I came around the desk, and we spent the next ten seconds re-enacting every episode of I Love Lucy, with less than hilarious results. Finally, I had to stop, wait for her to move past me, and sit down before taking my place by the desk.

  Resisting the urge to chat while we waited, I concentrated on trying to get into the exact same position I’d been in before. Was the envelope tucked under my arm or in my hands? I couldn’t remember, but the lawyer didn’t seem to notice when he snapped out of it.

  “Are you sure you won’t change your mind?” he asked, and I struggled to remember what we’d been talking about while Daphne’s eyes got bigger and bigger as her nerves kicked in.

  “My mind? Oh, no… nope, I’m good. Hey, listen, put the car in storage for me, okay? I don’t want anything happening to it.” Tossing him the key, it sailed right through his fingers to clatter on the floor.

  “You’re not taking it with you?”

  “Nope, I have my own car. Thanks anyway though.”

  “Suit yourself,” he shrugged, probably thinking I was a fruitcake anyways. “I’ll take care of it for you. Just give me a call if you want it brought around to the house.”

  “Why don’t we drive it to the house and put it in the garage?” Daphne asked, and I could have smacked myself for not thinking of that in the first place.

  “You’re right, that’ll be cheaper and just as safe.” I wiggled my fingers at Finch and he retrieved the key, placing it in my hand. “Thanks for your time, Mr. Finch.”

  “Any time, miss. Just remember, you need anything, you come to me.” His crooked smile left no doubts he really meant anything.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  * * *

  The ride to the house went smooth as silk in Adam’s fancy sedan. Daphne offered to drive it over for me, but I admit, I wasn’t above wanting to take the expensive car out for a spin. Years of driving my little, maroon Escort left me with the point of view that cars were important for basic transportation and little else. I had no idea how much fun driving a brand new car could be! The seat warmer kept my backside nice and toasty as I wound my way through the Seattle streets, the intermittent setting on the windshield wipers keeping the light drizzle at bay. All the while the pleasant lady trapped in the dashboard gave me turn by turn instructions to Adam’s house.

  So distracted by the luxurious ride, I almost didn’t pay attention to how much bigger the houses got the further away I drove from my neighborhood. I almost missed the entrance to the house. If not for the GPS lady telling me I’d arrived at my destination, I would have driven right past it. No house numbers were visible from the street, and the entire front of the property was obscured by tall hedges.

  Checking to make sure Daphne still followed behind in my car, I turned into the narrow driveway, glad to see the three car garage at the end of a roundabout up ahead. A quick check of the sun visor revealed a garage door opener, and I pulled directly into the garage for safe keeping, noting a shiny, black motorcycle parked in one corner.

  By the time I got out of the car, Daphne had parked out in front of the house and you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw Sam step out of the passenger’s seat. The blonde angel looked shaken, but otherwise alright for having survived the car trip, and I wondered if he regularly rode in cars? What else had changed that I’d been too wrapped up in my own business to notice?

  “Sam, what brings you along for the ride?” I smiled, digging in my pocket for the key to the house.

  “I came to see your happy home,” he replied, stepping away from the car like it carried a communicable disease.

  “I thought he might spot something inside that could lead to a clue where Adam is,” Daphne added, hands in her pockets against the cold, January weather.

  “Good idea,” I nodded, unlocking the heavy wooden door. Decorated similar to his place in the Ether, in neutral taupes and beiges, the dominating feature in the room was the expansive view of Puget Sound. A million dollar view like that meant the house was worth a mint, easy. I remembered Adam saying something about a pool and a pool house too, not that I wanted to go exploring outside in the lousy weather. “You’ve really never been here before?” I asked Sam, and he shook his head.

  “No, I have not. I’ve been to some of his other cribs before, but never to this one.”

  “MTV?” I mouthed to Daphne, and she nodded in amusement.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Daphne gushed, plopping down on the leather sofa. “We should totally do next Totally Awesome Tuesday night here!”

  I couldn’t bring myself to have our weekly movie night there, no matter how nice his TV was. “I don’t… I’m not staying here.” I swallowed uncomfortably, hands running over the sleeve of a jacket tossed carelessly on the end of the breakfast bar. “Not without Adam,” I murmured, touching the soft leather.

  “But he gave you this place.” Daphne’s face fell and Sam’s expression mirrored hers.

  “It may be some time before he returns. Surely you need the room for the child,” he suggested, and I shook my head, not ready to have that conversation yet. I left them in the living room while I explored down the hallway, finding an empty bedroom and one made up as a guest room.

  The master suite waited at the end of the hallway and I felt a wave of longing wash over me once I stepped into the first real indication I’d crossed into Adam’s territory. Again, the décor mirrored the house where we’d met in the Ether, far less pristine. The large bed dominated the room, sheets rumpled as if he’d just stumbled out of bed. The bathroom held similar signs of disarray, towels tossed carelessly on the travertine tiles, an assortment of male accoutrements spread out over the granite vanity (I knew he spent more time in the bathroom than I did cultivating that messy look). The steam shower needed cleaning and I wasn’t sure whether to shake my head over Adam’s untidy habits, or look for a memento to prove to myself he existed.

  The realization that I was close to pocketing his gross hairs for a keepsake sent me from the bedroom to keep exploring the master suite. Besides a sitting area in front of a big bay window, the walk-in closet proved almost as big as my entire bedroom. His clothes were hung neatly enough, and I was surprised to see an entire bar empty. Was that set aside for my clothes?

  It was supposed to be my room. Our room.

  I sat on the end of the bed, trying to picture myself living there. Making coffee in the kitchen, long soaks in the deep tub big enough for two, Adam bringing me pancakes in bed. I still wanted all of that in the worst way. “Damn it, Adam, why did you have to freak out?” I asked the empty room.

  Laying down on his side of the bed, I drew the comforter around me, imagining I could still catch Adam’s scent where his head last touched the pillow. Maybe it was silly, but I did feel closer to him lying there. Focusing on the tendril of a connection we shared through the Grace, I could feel him out there somewhere. I couldn’t tell much more beyond that, just that he was alive and in the world, not stuck in Midian or any other demon realm. At least, I didn’t think so.

  “Mercy?” A tentative knock sounded at the door, and I looked up to see Daphne and Sam leaning against the doorframe. “Are you really alright?”

  No. “Yeah, I’m a little tired.” I tried for a reassuring smile. “You guys can go on home. I want to stick around for a while before I head out.”

  “Are you sure? We could have a sleep over here, sorta break the place in.”

  “Oh, lets!” Sam caught on to her enthusiasm, his handsome features alight. “I understand there’s anything but sleeping involved in a sleep over, which
counts me in.” He bounced as he plopped down on the edge of the bed.

  “Yes, Adam has a killer sound system for his TV and I’m betting we can find chocolate somewhere in the house. We can watch movies until we pass out,” Daphne nodded encouragingly, but I wasn’t up for it.

  “I’m sorry guys, we’ll do the movie night another time, okay? I’m not in the mood.”

  “But that’s the whole point… to get you in a better mood,” she insisted, trying to tug me out of bed by my arms, but I pulled my hands free from her grasp.

  “Another time,” I declared more firmly. “It’s your night off, why not do something fun together?” I deflected. “You know, they have Finding Nemo re-released in 3D at the Cineplex this week.” That was all it took to make Sam sit up straight, his face taking on the look of an eager golden retriever with a cookie in sight.

  “Can we?”

  I almost felt a little bad for Daphne, clearly torn between her desire to drag me out of the dumps and spending a G-rated night at the movies with her honey. In the end, Sam’s earnest face won out. “Alright, if you’re sure you don’t want to come with?” She tried a last ditch effort, but I waved them away.

  “You two go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Wait, but how will you get home?”

  “I can manage, I’ve got my own ride.” Not that I’d tried exercising my wings since my return from Midian, but in theory they still worked.

  “You do?” Daphne’s brow crumpled in confusion, clueless to my meaning.

  Sam drew her aside, catching hold of her hand. “What if I were to take you home and we leave Mercy’s infernal contraption to her?” My mouth hung open as I caught on to what he proposed, and I could see Daphne still didn’t get it. “I could take you wherever you wish to go very easily.” His snowy, white wings extended with a sudden rush of air, echoed by Daphne’s gasp of surprise.

  “Oh, Sam…” she breathed, her face alight with wonder. What ever happened to not showing his wings as a sin of pride? All of a sudden he wanted to offer taxi service? “Yes, let’s go now.” Her fingers threaded through his. “You’ll be alright then, Mercy?” she asked as an afterthought.

  “I’m good, you go on ahead,” I replied, trying to catch Sam’s line of sight, but he only had eyes for Daphne.

  God help them both, but I hoped they weren’t a disaster waiting to happen.

  Chapter Two

  They were gone without so much as a backwards glance and in the sudden stillness, I couldn’t help but feel a little neglected, even though I’d been the one to insist they leave. Without their chatter, the house seemed awfully lonely, and I could feel the depression threatening to swallow me whole.

  What the hell was I doing?

  Did I really think I’d feel better wallowing in Adam’s bed? Did I think I’d somehow be able to hold on to my connection to Adam through his psychic vibrations left in the room? I had to get out of there and stop feeling so sorry for myself.

  Adam was gone and there wasn’t much point in moping around his house, hoping he’d decide to stop being such an idiot and come back. Without delaying any longer, I locked the house up tight and headed for home in my beat up Ford Escort, sorely missing the heated leather comfort of the Audi already.

  I hit my second wind coming up the three flights of stairs to my apartment, the earlier nausea thankfully having passed. I didn’t have to work, which meant a long night ahead of me trying to stay distracted, but I had a project in mind.

  The sight of Nelo popping out of the shadows at the top of the stairwell almost made me lose my balance, and I clutched at the railing with a wince as my wrist took the brunt of my weight. “Don’t do that!” I gasped, regaining my footing.

  “My apologies, Mistress. I wanted to warn you before you reached the apartment, I did not think of the danger in startling you.” The little guy’s head hung in shame, and I immediately felt bad for yelling at him. You’d think a demon would have a thicker skin, but I knew Nelo could suffer agonies aplenty at a single harsh word from me.

  “It’s alright,” I hurried to soothe, his exact wording finally catching up to me. “Wait, what do you mean warn? What danger?”

  “There is someone waiting for you in the apartment.”

  “Who?”

  “One of the heavenly host,” he whispered, amber eyes stretching wider.

  “An angel?” I blinked, expecting a demon maybe or something dangerous. So far I hadn’t had any trouble with any of the angels. In fact, they seemed to be pretty taken with me as a whole. “Which one?”

  “I don’t know, I hid the moment he entered. Was that wrong, Mistress? Should I have defended your territory?”

  “No, it’s fine, Nelo.” I patted his head. Other than being a little annoyed at the unauthorized entry, I didn’t see it as particularly dangerous. Not until I realized I might be on the wrong side of the skirts in Heaven since I had a bun in the oven. Had someone upstairs figured out I was carrying Adam’s child? With the Angel of Death safely tucked away in Midian, had the job of dispatching me been farmed out to someone else?

  My hand froze on the doorknob as I clued in to the reason for Nelo’s distress. But forewarned was forearmed. I let myself in carefully, prepared to materialize my sword at a moment’s notice.

  The TV was on, I noticed that right away, turned to some trashy reality show… That didn’t fit the usual behavior I associated with the stuffy angels in Nathanael’s crew. There was no sign of anyone in the living room though, the television played to an empty room. My apartment wasn’t all that big, from the entry hall I could easily see the main living area and into the kitchen. Unless I had an intruder crouched behind the breakfast bar, there wasn’t anyone in there.

  A quick check of my bedroom and the bathroom came up just as empty, and I was about to chalk it up to a drive by visit when I heard the TV turn off in the other room. “Crap…” slipped out, as I whirled to face the bedroom door. So much for being alone…

  Whoever it was in the other room had to be messing with me, and I called forth my sword, not in the mood to play. “Whoever it is, you’d better show yourself,” I warned, moving slowly back into the living room with my eye on the door. “I’m not in the mood for games.”

  “Aw, you don’t wanna play, kittycat?” A voice at my ear drawled, and I whirled, barely stopping myself in time from lopping off Remiel’s fool head. Dressed similarly to when I’d first met him in a white wifebeater and faded jeans, he at least appeared clean and sober, blonde hair falling over his brow with a rakish tilt. He didn’t even have the grace to look worried either, his smile revealing a pair of dimples and even, white teeth. Definitely the smile of one of the Fallen.

  “Oh, it’s you,” I muttered, the tension draining out of me. No way in Heaven or Hell Nathanael would have sent Remiel after me. He’d never take orders from the pompous angel either. “You’re lucky, an extra inch and this would have turned messy.”

  Remiel gave a half shrug. “I can take anything you dish out, sweetcheeks, never you mind about that. Ain’t you gonna invite me to sit down? Where’s your sense of hospitality?”

  “Nelo? It’s okay, it’s just Remy, you can come out now.” I saw him peep his head out of the bedroom, but the little guy didn’t leave the safety of the shadows. I knew he found the company of angels unnerving, I guess I couldn’t blame him for that. “My sense of hospitality is reserved for those who knock at the door like normal people. It kinda goes out the window when you break and enter.”

  “I entered right enough, but you left the bedroom window wide open, sugar. That’s practically an invitation.” His grin almost reminded me of Adam’s utter confidence that whatever female he spoke to would eat it up with a spoon and I had to admit, he was an attractive man. More than attractive. If I’d been susceptible to his angelic allure I might have bought such a line, but nursing a heartbreak didn’t put me in the most receptive mood.

  “What are you doing here, Remiel?”

  �
�Mine’s bigger.” His eyes flicked to the sword I still left leaning against his shoulder with a smirk.

  “What? Oh, ick.” My nose scrunched up at his attempt at banter, letting the sword disappear back into wherever it went when I let go of it.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Dyin’ of thirst. I don’t suppose you got a bottle we could dip into? Talkin’s thirsty work.”

  “How about you tell me whatever it is you came to tell me instead?” I pressed. “Please don’t tell me you heard Adam skipped town and you thought you’d come to collect on that favor I owe you,” I groaned. That was all I needed, a handsy fallen angel who thought he was God’s gift to women. Well, okay… I could have used one, but only my fallen angel.

  “Ain’t that a fine howdy do?” He shook his head in disgust. “I come all the way out here to check up on ya like Adamiel asked me to and you ain’t even gonna offer me a drink? Maybe I’d better be on my way…”

  It was like a light bulb went off at the magic word. “You saw Adam?” I demanded, dragging him over to the sofa before he got away. He wanted a drink? I’d get him a drink. It wasn’t like I had much use for alcohol for the foreseeable future anyway. I grabbed the first bottle I could lay my hands on and plopped it down in front of him, figuring he didn’t need a glass. True to form, he picked up the bottle and took a swig without missing a beat. “When did you see him? How was he?”

  “He was pretty upset when he came to see me. I ain’t seen him that tore up since… well, since before…” He meant Mariah, Adam’s first wife, at least that’s what I assumed.

  I digested that for a moment. “Good,” I said finally. Why should I be the only miserable one?

  “Atta girl,” Remiel chuckled, taking another swig. “Serves him right.”