“Cadriel, stop,” Big John panted as he approached.
“Step away, Jahoel,” Cade warned.
“Please, forgive him. They know not what is at stake.”
“I know,” Lukas choked out. His face turned pink, and then a horrifying shade of red.
“Put him down!” Whacking Cade’s back was useless, so I did the only thing I could think of. I stabbed my finger deep into his cut.
Cade howled. Dropping Lukas, he clapped his hand over the welt and spun around to face me. “Will you stop doing stuff like that?”
“Will you stop attacking my friends? I thought you were here to help…not choke people to death.”
“Where’s Lily?” Lukas wheezed.
“Don’t worry. She’s inside.” Big John helped him up before turning to Cade. “I’ll take you to Tovahiel. She’ll explain everything.”
“You know him, Big John?” I asked.
“I’ve known Cadriel ever since he was a young one.” There was a tender expression on Big John’s face that surprised me. It was hard to think of Cade being little as he stood there in all his archangel masculine glory.
“You’re Big John?” Cade asked.
“The children like to call me that. I like it myself.”
Cade’s scowl disappeared. I swear I thought I saw a hint of a smile. “It suits you. Come, Big John, show me the way. There is much work to do. If the others here are sheltered in the same manner, all may be lost.”
7
I wanted to follow them back to the temple and demand they tell me everything, but Lukas was leaning against the wall looking unusually pale. I couldn’t just leave him. So, I rushed to the nearby well, filled a bucket with water, and brought it to him.
“Drink this.” I handed him a ladle full of cool water. He didn’t say a word as he took it from me.
“Are you okay?”
He took a long drink before he answered. “Yeah.”
“Are you sure?” I’d never seen Lukas look so helpless. Fighting in the Sanctuary was rare. When it did happen, it was usually after a long night of drinking, which turned into a wrestling match. Lukas, being the strongest, was usually the one who broke it up.
“I’m sure,” he said, rubbing his throat.
“Good.” Now that I knew he was going to be all right, the betrayal I’d felt when I realized he’d been lying to me all this time rushed back. I let him have it, whacking his arm with each word to make sure it sank in real good.
“You.” Whack.
“Lied.” Whack.
“To me.” Whack! Whack!
“Hey! Trim your nails once in a while, will you? And I didn’t lie—”
He stopped when he caught my don’t-even-bother-trying-to-lie-to-me-again glare.
“Okay, so I didn’t tell you everything,” he admitted.
“You said there was nothing to see beyond the boundary.”
“There isn’t, not really.”
“It’s a freaking desert, Lukas!” I threw up my hands.
“Okay, it’s a little hot and there’s lots of sand. Big deal.”
“It is a big deal.” I pinched his arm, something I only did when he really annoyed me.
“Knock it off, squirt.”
I pinched him again.
“Ow! That one hurt.”
“Don’t be such a baby. Tell me what else is out there or so help me…I know about the hunters. Don’t even try to lie about that.”
He looked at me in alarm. “How do you know?”
“I saw them.”
“You saw—you crossed the border? I can’t believe you crossed the border! You promised me you wouldn’t.”
“Yeah, well, I saw a strange light and wanted to check it out. I saw a girl, Lukas. She was about my age. The hunters killed her right in front of me.”
Lukas grabbed my arms. His face was terrified. “Did they see you?”
“No, Cade pushed me down and hid me until they left.”
“Good.”
“Now that I know you were lying, you’re going to tell me everything. You can start from the first day you left the Sanctuary.”
Lukas looked in the direction of the poplar trees. He let out a slow breath as he brushed a hand through his wavy hair. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Once you know, it’ll change everything.” He pushed off the wall.
I chased after him as he headed down the trail that led to the horse stalls. “Don’t run away from me. You’re supposed to be my friend.”
“I’m not doing this, Senna.”
“I’m not leaving until you tell me.”
He shoved the doors so hard they flew open, sending chickens squawking. “Well, you’re stuck with me then because I’m not about to tell you.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.” He snatched a bucket and headed to Milo’s stall.
“Come here, Milo.” He slammed the bucket against the door, sending oats flying.
The horse’s big black eyes gazed at him cautiously. Milo then turned in my direction and blinked as if questioning me about his owner’s behavior.
“Don’t mind him, Milo. He’s just extra crunchy today.” I grabbed a brush and glided it over Mika’s fur. She craned her neck, took a look at my face, and snorted.
Great. She’s still mad at me.
I pulled out a cookie from my pocket and handed it to her as a peace offering. Her dark eyes lit up, tongue whipping out to snatch it.
“Crunchy? What does that even mean?” Lukas growled. “Hurry up, Milo. I haven’t eaten yet.”
I stroked Mika’s back, smoothing her reddish-brown coat to a shine. “It means you’re acting like an ass as big as Milo’s behind. No offense, Milo.”
Milo wasn’t even paying attention; he had his head dipped in the bucket munching away.
“I’m not doing this to be mean,” Lukas said.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really.” There was a sound of hay crunching beneath footsteps. My back warmed at the feel of his body so close behind me. I paused, waiting for him to say something. It was so quiet all I could hear was Milo’s chomping.
Lukas placed his hand over mine. His warm breath hit against my ear as he spoke in a soft voice. “I’m trying to protect you.”
I hated it when he did that. He’d been my best friend and protector since we were kids. I was the only person who lived and interacted with the guardians on a daily basis and the fact it was Tovah who raised me didn’t help either. A few of the kids in the Sanctuary teased me about it when Lukas wasn’t around. When I was ten, a couple of the boys pushed me around. I wasn’t the type to cry about it. I shoved them back. They wouldn’t stop. They just kept on laughing. It was like they were trying to see what would happen if I got mad enough. Once Lukas got a hold of them, they’d stayed far away from me since then.
The adults were polite to me, but all conversation seemed to stop or turn to whispers whenever I was nearby. I thought it was because of what happened to Hannah. But lately, even the guardians started whispering when I was around. I could feel their eyes watching me, as if waiting for something.
“I can take care of myself,” I said.
Taking the brush from my hand, he tossed it aside and turned me to face him. Gray eyes gazed into mine intently. “I know you can take care of yourself.”
“You should. You were the one who taught me how to use a crossbow and not to mention my—”
The strange sensation was back again. It swept over my body so fast and intense I couldn’t breathe. The stall, Mika, Lukas, everything disappeared as an image fell over my eyes like a curtain.
It was like the vision I’d had the day after Lukas returned to the Sanctuary last year. We had been riding near the edge of the boundary on the west side of Flathead Mountain. He’d been joking about how he was so tired of eating nothing but berries since he left the Sanctuary that he’d even settle for my burnt cornbread. The vision had hit me as he continued to talk. In it, he�
��d pulled me off Mika and kissed me. It felt so real I thought I was losing my mind. I could feel his lips pressing tenderly against mine, his hand gliding up my back and into my hair, even though I was still atop my horse.
It was happening again, but we were in Mika’s stall this time. In the vision, Lukas drew me into his arms and kissed me. I froze, shocked. Slowly, the curtain lifted. Lukas was in the exact spot as in my vision. He was so close I could feel his warm breath hitting against my face. I had a funny feeling if I moved one inch, he would kiss me and turn the vision into reality.
“What’s wrong?” He took a step back as if sensing my reluctance.
“Uh, nothing.” Letting out a breath of relief, I edged away, out of the stall toward a barrel of oats. I busied myself with filling a bucket.
I cared for Lukas deeply, but not like that. So why had I dreamed about him kissing me again? Maybe I did like him more than a friend.
I’d told Tovah about the vision. She simply brushed it away and said it was normal for teenage girls to daydream about handsome boys. But if I’d been daydreaming, wouldn’t I know it? The images felt as if they were being projected onto me, almost like they weren’t mine.
I kept my voice light as I went back into the stall and held out the oats to Mika. “Since we’re in agreement I have the skills to take care of myself, then there shouldn’t be anything holding you back, right?”
“Okay, I’ll tell you.”
I whirled around and dropped the bucket. Mika whinnied as oats splatted over her hooves.
“Sorry, Mika.” Lukas had given in so easily. I’d expected at least another day or two of nagging. “Did you say what I thought you said?”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have lied to you.”
“Wow, the great Lukas admitted he was wrong. I should have Big John add it to the library archives because this is historic.”
“Do you want to hear it or not?” He looked at me in annoyance.
“Go ahead. Spill it.” After picking up the bucket, I placed it by Mika and then gave Lukas my full attention.
“The moment I crossed the boundary, I saw the desert, too. I walked for hours. There was nothing for miles around except sand.”
“So why did you keep going? Why didn’t you come back?”
He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “Well…I had to go to Vegas.”
“You wanted to see Vegas? But Big John said the city was in shambles because of the war.”
“Uh, well, I heard it was different.”
“Was it?”
“Yes. And there are more of us there, Senna.” His face lit up with excitement. “There are crowds of people everywhere. The place is hundreds, thousands of times larger than here.”
“What about the hunters? Did you see them?”
“Yes, they were there. They hunt witches. Most of the witches in the city hide underground. Some try to escape, and the hunters chase after them into the desert. But hunters hate humans, too. So if they find you in the desert, they shoot first. They don’t bother asking if you’re a witch or not.”
I thought about Annalise and wondered if she was a witch. If only I’d crossed the boundary sooner. Maybe I could’ve caught her attention. Even if the spell was fading, the hunters wouldn’t have been able to see it. I could barely see it. How many more witches were out in the desert running for their lives?
“So what are the hunters? Cade said something about someone named Rahab. Do you know who he is?”
“Well, it’s hard to explain.” He looked down and fingered the pouch that hung around his neck.
“Explain it then.”
“I can’t.”
“Really, Lukas? Not this again.”
“I can’t because I was told not to.”
“By who?”
Slowly, he lifted his eyes to meet mine. “The same person who sent me to Vegas—Tovah.”
8
After I’d pulled myself off the floor from the shock of what he’d just said, I demanded he tell me everything.
It didn’t make sense. Tovah knew about the hunters and the curse, about how no one came back once they left, so why would she send him?
Lukas was no help at all. The stinker wouldn’t say anything else no matter how much I pestered him. There was only one way to find out what was going on and that was to talk to Tovah.
It was dark by the time I dashed to Tovah’s cottage. I hoped she was there instead of the temple. No such luck. I quickly shed my dirty clothes, washed off the grime, and slipped into the delicate white dress Tovah had made for me.
Cool silk cascaded down my body and onto the floor. I fingered the intricate gold embroidery that lined around my waist and over my chest, surprised it still fit. I’d only worn it once when Big John took our school group to the temple a couple of years ago. The temple was basically the angels home away from home. They adorned themselves in the ceremonial garb because it reminded them of their true home.
I hated the dress. The sleeves were too loose, and my arms were lost in a sea of material. The waistline accentuated my curves, but it was flimsy and hard for me to walk in. Plus, white was not my friend. But no one was allowed to enter the temple without wearing it.
I ran up the trail toward the foothills as fast as I could without making a mess of myself. It wasn’t easy. The trees and foliage grew thicker the higher I went. I cursed with each step as branches slapped against my arms, slowing me down.
When I finally stepped into the clearing, I stopped and gaped in awe at the temple. A full moon shone over the glorious stone structure. It gleamed under the moonlight. Fire danced from braziers sitting on pedestals that lined the stone steps. Six carved stone pillars loomed in front of the entrance. It was magnificent, almost unreal to see such elegance surrounded by mountain shrubs. It was so very different from the simple cottages in the village.
The only time people weren’t allowed to enter was when the guardians were in council. Still, most people didn’t dare go inside. Seeing the temple again, I understood why. I wasn’t even at the entrance and I could feel the angelic power emanating from the building. It was overwhelming.
Taking a deep breath, I dashed up the steps, taking two at a time. When I reached the top, I pushed the heavy oak doors, grunting as they slowly opened.
It was just like I remembered it. Everything was white from the walls to the marble floors. Exquisite paintings and pottery that some of the guardians created over the years added the only color in the grand room. Heavily ornate columns lined a walkway that led to the inner chamber where the guardians held council.
My footsteps echoed in the room as I carefully made my way to the arched doors that led inside the council chamber. I paused in front of the mirrored wall next to the entrance to make sure I looked presentable.
Wide mossy-green eyes gazed back at me. I was freaking out. Part of me wanted to know what Tovah had been hiding from me, but the other part was afraid of what I’d find. I wanted to be the type of person who could just let it go. I wasn’t.
The moment I opened the door, Cade’s stern voice spilled out.
“It’s been almost two decades and still you wait, Tovahiel.”
I slipped inside and hid behind one of the pillars, waiting for Tovah to let him have it. No one dared to speak to her like that, not even the guardians.
“It was necessary,” Tovah’s soft voice replied.
Whoa. I’d expected Tovah’s wrath to come down on Cade, not this meek-sounding plea. I dared a peek.
The inner chamber was a vast circular room with ornate pillars surrounding the perimeter. The dome-shaped ceiling was at least two stories high and painted in blues and gold. The guardians stood behind Tovah, except for Big John. He stood next to Cade with a strange smile on his face. Interesting. It was as if he was proud of him.
Cade walked past Tovah, looking appraisingly at the guardians. They shifted nervously under his scrutiny. “Necessary? While you wait, Rahab grows stronger.
�
�We’ve sent others to the city, Cadriel,” Big John said.
Cade paused, looking interested. “And what has been their word?”
Big John looked at Tovah and then back to Cade. His eyes drifted down. “They didn’t return.”
“They didn’t—of course, they didn’t return!” Cade roared. “What makes you think anyone you send will return? You were all in the war. You know this better than I do. Rahab’s curse is strong and grows stronger as you near the city.”
Cade stopped in front of Tovah, his eyes blazing. “You act like the ignorant humans you protect.”
I gripped the pillar, fighting against the urge to give the arrogant ass a piece of my mind. What was it with him? Just when I thought he might not be so bad, he opened his mouth. To make matters worse, Tovah was letting him disrespect her. It was so weird.
“We are well aware of the curse,” Tovah said. “Although none of the guardians we sent returned, a human did.”
I leaned in closer. She was talking about Lukas. It had to be him.
“A human,” Cade sneered. “Which one?”
“Lukas,” Big John said.
“That boy? He’s barely more than a child.”
“He’s loyal,” Big John added. “And brave.”
Cade waved his hand, dismissing him. “Brave though the boy may be, you took a significant risk in sending him.”
Running a hand through his hair, Cade started muttering under his breath. “A human boy? He has no power whatsoever. What were they thinking sending in a lamb to fight a lion?”
I gritted my teeth. Lukas may not have the same physical strength or powers the guardians had, but he fought just as hard, if not harder, than all of them put together to save his family and the people in the village.
Tovah jutted her chin. Her green eyes glittered as she coolly assessed Cade. “We gathered much information from Lukas. Out of all the others, only he managed to return.”
The chamber filled with hushed whispers as the guardians murmured their agreements.
Cade raised his voice, silencing them. “Admirable as that may be, Rahab’s curse still remains. Did you at least attempt to send the witch with him? She must be ready by now. She’s had more than enough time for her powers to mature.”
Archangel's Fire Page 4
