Shocked to the bone, Becca could only watch when Stone inclined his head, acknowledging the threat. “Good.”
Raz smirked, seeing her fighting to pick her jaw off the ground. “Speechless suits you.”
Ass.
The angel’s surreal words still ringing in her ears, Becca shook her head. “Anyway….Where was I? Right…so, Stone’s supposed to kill me, but seeing as the Marquis has particular conditions as to how Stone should go about it, we’ve been given a tight window of opportunity before he sends someone else to do the job. I suggest we use it.”
“How?” Lillian seemed wary, as if sensing she wouldn’t like what came next. Becca knew for a fact that her friend wouldn’t.
“I’ll have to go to Hell.”
Protests erupted like a volcano with words hotter than lava. Becca just marched on, raising her voice to drown out the others’. “Our plan was to spread the word and make Satan curious enough to talk to us. And it worked, kinda, anyway. However, we don’t have an army to back us up yet, and so stealth is our only option. I’ll go to Hell, whether you like it or not.”
Lillian shook her head vehemently. “Not alone, you will not.”
“You guys can’t go.” Looking around the group of Ivorys, it was quite clear that they would have loved to be able to.
“Rub it in, why don’t you?” Linda’s face was as dark as Becca had ever seen it, her whole body tense as if she was mad with the limits it imposed on her.
“I can go.” Stone’s deep voice stopped her in her tracks. “And I will.” His tone left no room for discussion. He didn’t look too happy with her, but Becca couldn’t really blame him.
“Me, too,” all heads snapped around to pin point the voice when Sli stepped into the doorway.
Becca couldn’t believe her ears - nor her eyes when she saw Quinn right behind the girl. She’d explicitly ordered them to stay in his room. Crossing her arms over her chest, Becca put on her best parent-face and took a stance. “You will not. You, young lady, will stay here with Quinn. You know better than any of us here that Hell is not a place for children.”
Sli’s stare didn’t waver. “I can fight.”
“We know you can. But aren’t you tired of it? You made it out of Hell, and now you deserve to take a break. Relax, rest, play a game. Leave the rest to us. The battle we’re talking about is ours, not yours.”
Sli didn’t look too happy, but Becca wasn’t surprised that she still needed to get used to her new life. Old habits were difficult to shake.
Becca was relieved when Lillian changed the subject. “When do you want to leave?” Her friend’s eyes were filled with regret and Becca knew that if she could do it somehow, Lillian would turn back time and never ask her for help.
“Soon. There’s just one thing I need to do first.”
“What is it?”
“My other bad news.”
The thought of Arthur was all it took and suddenly the gruesome images from this morning assaulted her. The loss was sharp and deep. Becca needed a moment to collect herself, fighting the tears and wondering how she would ever live with this. She knew then that the images would never leave her again. They were burned into her memories.
Warmth enveloped her hand then, and she looked down to see it cradled in Stone’s. She squeezed his in thanks, needing the support and love the connection offered.
Becca faced the group in front of her. “It’s about Arthur. I went to visit him this morning and found him dead. Murdered.”
Shock stunned the room into utter silence. Then the questions flew at her. “What?” “How?” “What the hell?”
“I want to find the answers to those questions, believe me, but before that I’d like to say farewell to him.”
For the first time Ed spoke up, “While you’re away on your mission, we’ll make Arthur’s murder ours. He was a good man, and I’d like it if we’d organized a funeral for him.”
“Thank you.”
Lillian stood up, took two strides, and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered into Becca’s ear. The words held so much. Becca knew Lillian was sorry for her loss, but also for pulling her into this.
Shaking her head as much as she could in the tight embrace, she said, “No, we need to do this.” Over Lillian’s shoulder her eyes fell on the group of Ivorys and demons, of people caring for each other. Her gaze fell on Quinn and then on Stone. Her grief a fresh wound, she was determined to protect them both. Becca was grateful that Stone would have her back. However, she wouldn’t allow it.
Now, the only question was how could she make him change his mind.
TWENTY-FIVE
Stone knew she would try to make a run for it, but was pretty sure Becca wouldn’t dare to sneak away until she’d paid her respects to Arthur. That was the only reason why he let her go alone in her boat to get the others on a second trip, while Linda, Sam, Wes and he gathered twigs and chop wood.
An hour later Stone climbed the jetty, unfastened Arthur’s boat and pulled it in so that it’s back rested slightly upon the shore. As one they worked to build a pyre, their faces grim and voices silent. For Stone, it was like each piece of wood placed was attached to a memory. All too soon it was time to lay his body gently on top of the bed they made for him.
As they stood in a half circle at the shore where even the birds seemed subdued, the calm waves played a soft melody. Stone’s gaze fell on Becca standing next to him. Her cheeks were wet, but her head held high. Her stance firm. He was proud of her.
Ed was the first to step forward, his bald head gleaming in the setting sun. “I mourn the loss of a new friend. I regret the fishing we hadn’t had the time to do yet, but will cherish the conversations we had.” He bent to grab some earth in his hand and threw it. “Rest in peace, friend.”
The Ivory’s Wes and Dave were next, and were then followed by Sam and Abby. The couple held hands as they bid their farewells.
A hand resting protectively on the girl’s shoulders, Linda stepped forward with Sli. Silently they each threw a bloom, probably from Becca’s garden.
Then it was the turn of Lillian and Raz. Even though the two hadn’t met Arthur, Raz spread his wings and threw soil, saying, “Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Thank you for what you’ve done to help. I hope you’re with your loved ones again.”
The group fell quiet for a while, until Quinn walked up to the boat. At first Stone couldn’t make out what the boy was holding in his hand, but then he made out a baseball when the boy leaned forward and placed it next to Arthur’s body.
Goodbye, Arthur, Quinn signed. That much Stone understood by now.
When Becca was about to move, Stone stepped forward and then smiled softly at the surprise he saw in her eyes. He took his time there at the shore, and gazed down on the man who had been like a father to Becca even if for only a short while. Stone wished he’d had the chance to ask him for his blessings.
“The first time I met Arthur, he caught me completely off guard. Dressed out in his fishing gear he told me that my life wasn’t mine if I let others rule it. I told myself that these words didn’t concern me. I was an Ebony, after all. An assassin for hire at that, and believed myself to be my own boss. I chose my missions, I chose who, what and how. Of course, Arthur knew better. His words…they stuck with me, even haunted me. Now I know I was just a soldier given a longer leash, nothing more.”
He heard her approach, and yet the warmth sipping into his bones from where her hand touched his shoulder took him by surprise. When it moved down to entwine her fingers with his, he lifted it for a soft kiss. Turning his head to look at her, he was amazed at the love he found.
Holding a bouquet of flowers close to her chest, her voice broke a few times, soaked with grief, before she finally said, “Arthur wasn’t just someone who’d escaped Hell. No, he was a father, mentor and a friend. From the first day we came to New Orleans, he was there. Smirking, laughing, teaching, bribing me for pies. He even printed recipes so I could learn ho
w to make them.” A sound, caught between a laugh and a sob, escaped her at the memories. Becca stepped forward, not minding the water lapping at her shoes, and bent to tuck the bouquet into Arthur’s hands linked across his chest. After kissing his cheek one last time, Becca blew across the wood surrounding him. Smoke rose before the twigs ignited with flickering flames. Soon the bigger logs caught fire as well.
Together Stone and Becca pushed the boat out onto the water and watched as it slowly drift away.
His words were softly spoken, but rang in the respectful silence, “Born from flames, laid to rest in flames, but your soul grew wings and inspired others to spread their own long before your death.”
TWENTY-SIX
After standing at the shore until the sun was merely a bleeding flicker behind the lush green that blurred with the greedy flames, Becca excused herself. She had a plan to stick to if she wanted to keep more loved ones from dying. Yet, at the thought of stepping into Arthur’s home, her feet paused and her stomach churned. Gritting her teeth, she crossed the threshold. She didn’t have any time to waste. She couldn’t let Stone start wondering what was taking her so long and come running in.
Not daring to look around at the place that felt as if it was merely waiting for Arthur to come back home, Becca headed straight for the hidden trap door in his room. With swift moves she opened it and quickly made her way down the narrow ladder to the small landing below. When her gaze fell on the boat hidden there, she stopped short.
Stone was already sitting in it.
“Should I feel insulted that you tried to sneak away without me?”
Becca’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t want to lose you, too,” she pleaded.
“Well, then we have a problem. ‘Cause that goes both ways.” He patted the seat next to him. “Come on, let’s be logical about this. I’m a trained assassin and you’re a kick-ass witch. Our chances of making it back alive are better if we do this together.”
When she didn’t move or respond, he went on, “Alone this is a freaking kamikaze mission. Do you really want to do this to Quinn?”
“That’s low.”
“I don’t care, as long as I get through to you.”
Becca didn’t know how to respond to that and just stared at the man she loved. Her mind knew he made sense. Her heart recoiled at the thought of losing him, yet it squeezed knowing that he was afraid for her too.
“Damn it.” Her decision made, she stepped into the boat and sat down next to him. At his triumphant smile, she wagged a finger in front of his face. “You better make sure you make it out alive.”
He held her by the neck and pulled her into a kiss that swept like a molten sea. It desperately told her of all the things they still needed to do, of a lifetime shared. It was a promise of making memories together.
Pulling away, he said, “Ditto.”
Her heart was still beating too fast when he started the motor and slowly maneuvered them away from the secret landing. Shouts from the shore erupted, first in surprise and then in apparent anger. Fortunately, Arthur’s back up was a small boat made for speed and within seconds they escaped through the green maze.
Becca sighed with relief.
Stone looked at her, and she shrugged her shoulders a little sheepishly. “I didn’t want to say good bye. Only to Quinn…but not the others. Lillian is blaming herself enough as it is.” Quickly changing the subject, she asked, “How did you know about the emergency boat, anyway?”
“I noticed it when we visited. Despite his oracle oddness, Arthur was a rational and practical man. He’d have a back up. The layout of the house and steep level of the shore provide an ideal space, and the jetty hides it perfectly.”
Impressed, Becca smiled at him. “Handsome and clever to boot.” She made a gesture with her head, “Now move over and let me steer.”
Facing the cool evening breeze, they fell silent and hardened themselves for the mission that lay ahead. Soon they reached the broader arms of the bayou that ran parallel to the road. Seeing their destination ahead, Becca brought them closer to an old jetty.
Stone eyed it suspiciously, “I hope this thing will hold our weight long enough for us to get out.”
Becca shrugged, daring him with a grin. “Only one way to find out.”
Luck was on their side.
Following instinct and the pull in her blood that told her where to go, they crossed the road and headed towards a church. The world turned a glaring shade of pink and got harsher as they ran for the cover of the trees nearby. The Spanish moss tickled her face, brushed against her cheek as she ducked under a branch.
There it was. A swirling chaos that reminded her of blood whirling down a drain.
“You sure you want to do this?” Stone asked beside her, his voice gentle.
“Yes. I’m sure.” She looked up at him. “So much good could come from this.” Yet, even knowing that didn’t change the fact that she was scared as shit. Her hands were clammy, her stomach a knot of raw nerves. She couldn’t count the times she almost died living a life on Hell’s edge, secretly preparing their escape. And now she was about to head right back to where she started.
Stone was about to head in when she touched his arm.
“Want to hear a joke?”
“Now?” Stone shook his head, a soft smile curving his lips. “You’re crazy.”
“That’s why you love me. It balances your whole seriousness.”
“The joke.”
“Right. Ever heard the one about two snowballs headed into Hell-”
“Not funny. Now move your ass and let’s get this over with.”
Becca was grateful when Stone joined their hands and they stepped through the portal together.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Abby still shook her head. “I can’t believe she pulled this off.”
Lillian had angry tears in her eyes and wiped them away. “I should never have gone to her.”
Raz put an arm over her shoulder. “You went to her for a reason, and you know it. Becca is the only one who can do this, and she’s strong. Don’t forget that.”
Abby agreed with him, but knowing that their friends weren’t facing an ordinary challenge, she prayed that they would make it back safe.
While they had been watching the sun kiss Arthur’s cheek one last time, they heard the muffled growl of a motor. All of them could only stare when they saw a boat shoot out from beneath Arthur’s house. Abby’s jaw had almost hit the floor when she recognized Becca and Stone as its passengers. Within a second they all called out and waved their arms. But to no avail. As sleek as a water snake, the boat had disappeared around the next bend, lost to them. Abby had stood staring out at the water as if the boat might actually return.
Bastards, she thought once more.
Someone tapped her shoulder and pulled Abby back to the here and now. Quinn held his little notebook up. Becca didn’t want to say good bye.
Abby’s eyebrows hit her hairline. “You knew about this?”
Yes, she told me back at home. Before she even talked to you guys. He shrugged, a guilty grin on his face. Her plan was to lose Stone but that didn’t work out.
“Thanks to you?”
Team work. Stone had a feeling Becca would try something, I simply assured him she would.
“Excellent.” Abby sighed with relief, and pulled the boy in for a quick hug.
He scribbled some more. His face was serious when he looked at her and held up the pad. I couldn’t let Becca go alone. Stone will look after her.
Her heart heavy with fear, Abby nodded. “Yes, he will.”
The two of them turned in silence to look out onto the water. An odd feeling filled her and Abby was amazed to realize that despite it all, she felt whole again. For weeks she had lived in a hole that had opened up in her chest when she started to question her purpose. Something that had been so clearly defined for her once the angels had come into her life. Now she knew that it was her choice and discovery to make. It was for her to
decide what to do with the mission and task set out for her. There was a difference between being told to fight, and finding the reason and passion for what you are fighting for. In the beginning it was about protecting human souls, now her job was to protect the ones in need - be it demon or Ebony, angel or Ivory, or human. People like Becca and Quinn, like Arthur or Sli. People like Lillian and Raz. It gave Abby an inner peace, a feeling of deep content that could not be shaken. Whatever happened, she would keep on fighting for what was right, listening to her heart above anything else.
Abby touched Quinn’s shoulder and asked, “Wanna go home?”
The boy nodded. There were shadows of fear in his eyes, and Abby hoped that she could somehow find a way to ban or at least distract him from it.
Linda remarked dryly, “Well, at least they left us a boat so we aren’t stranded out here. Now I know why that little witch asked me whether I’d remember the way. Cheeky shit.”
“And, do you?”
“Of course I do.” Linda strolled to the jetty. “Okay, let’s take the wounded and kids first. Dave, Ed, climb in first.” Her smirking gaze looked up and fell on Quinn. “Come on, boy.” Her eyes searched the shore, and her smile turned into a frown. “Where’s Sli?”
Her stomach sinking, Abby looked around.
The girl was gone.
“Sli!” Abby put her hands around her mouth and called out for her, hoping that maybe the girl had gone off into the shrubs. “Sli!”
It was useless.
Dammit.
Abby whirled around, “Quinn, when was the last time you saw her?”
He grabbed his pencil and scribbled, A few minutes ago, not more.
“She must have followed them.”
Linda cursed wholeheartedly. “That girl is too brave for her own good.”
Raz steeped forward, his eyes dark. “There’s a hellhole a few minutes west from here. At a church.”
Lillian jumped at that, spreading her wings. “Let’s go. With any luck we can still catch her before she steps through.”
Ebony Fight (The Guard Duet Book 2) Page 16
