by K.N. Lee
Fallen angels had to stick together.
5
Collin left the hospital early in the morning when most people were just waking up to get ready for work. The air was cool, and the sky was a deep gray.
A storm was coming.
He drove along the dark roads with his favorite band playing on his car’s radio.
His jaw tensed when the radio made a blaring sound and then went silent.
He sighed. “What is it?”
“I’m not sure I like your tone,” Darcy said directly into his mind. “Can’t a girl check in on her brother when she needs to?”
“Just tell me what you need, Darcy. I am too tired for small talk today. Is it important?”
“You tell me. I received another letter about our registration. Seems the Netherworld Division is threatening to revoke our licenses if we don’t report to the nearest office.”
Collin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t need this right now.”
“You think I do? You’re not the only one busy, Collin. But, unless you want to get deported, you better grab your documents and get to the office with me ASAP. And, I don’t feel like going back home. I’ve built a life here, though you don’t give me much credit for it. Not everyone wants to work every day and not have a life.”
His sister was right. They had to follow the rules the angels set in place if they wanted to stay out of trouble and keep their cover. He just wished they gave him some credit for saving countless lives each day. Instead, he always had to be alert and on guard.
That’s just the way life was for a shifter in the human world. There weren’t many of his breed of shifter allowed to even be here, so he would keep his mouth shut and do whatever it took to not be sent back to the Netherworld.
The supernatural world was a beautiful place, but this—the human world—was incredible. Especially the women.
The thought of Rae gave him more reason to comply. He couldn’t lose her or risk being sent away. She was worth fighting for in every aspect.
The day she walked into the hospital, in her favorite pink dress, he knew that there was something special about her. The way her hair seemed to glow under the lights and cast a sparkle within her eyes, he would have thought she was a fairy princess from a storybook. She was much more complex than that. Though she looked like Tinker Bell to him, she had a brilliant mind and a body to go to war over.
“I know, Darcy. When are you planning on going?”
“I’m at your house,” Darcy said and Collin’s brows lifted. “We are going today. I’m not putting it off any longer. So, hurry up.”
“Fine,” he said, exhaling. He was exhausted, but it was probably a good idea to go ahead and get it over with. “You’re driving.”
“Whatever. As long as we get this over with.”
Collin turned the corner on the main road to the hidden side road to his house in the woods and pushed Darcy out of his head.
The radio came back on, and he winced at the sudden blaring noise.
Turning it off, he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do.
There was a reason he and his sister had tried to evade the Netherworld Division and their registration checks on supernatural beings for so long.
Together, they’d broken the number one rule—a rule Collin never wanted to break and vowed to never break again.
Collin and his twin sister had killed someone, and now they might actually have to account for their actions.
So much for a normal life. He’d worked hard to become the respected surgeon he was. But that could all be taken away within seconds, and he and his sister could be sent to the Netherworld, where the king couldn’t wait to get his hands on their breed of shifter.
They were a rarity in the supernatural world. He hoped that would work in their favor for once.
He pulled into the driveway of his large lake house. Darcy awaited him, a bag on her back and a glow to her eyes as she watched him pull up. She sat on his front porch stairs, her short, black hair tipped with gray flying around her narrow face.
She saw him coming and leaped from his porch. She stood at his door and tapped the window.
Annoyed, Collin rolled his window down.
“Took you long enough,” she said, her matching hazel eyes peering into his car. She sniffed the air. “I can smell her.”
Collin opened the door, giving her a little shove back.
Darcy moved out of the way as they switched positions, and he sighed as he walked over to the passenger’s seat.
Once inside, she watched him, a quizzical look on her tanned face. “When am I going to meet her?”
“One day,” he said.
“She’s pretty.”
He shot a glare at her. “You stop that,” he ordered, pointing a finger at her. “No one told you to poke around in my head, Darcy. I respect your privacy. Please, respect mine.”
Darcy laughed and backed the car out of the driveway. “Very well. She’s a pretty girl. Good job.” She turned around and headed back out to the road.
It was going to be a long drive, and he hoped they could make it quick. He and Rae had a date planned for the following evening.
“Oh,” Darcy said, lifting a thinly-arched, dark brow. “A date. Sounds like fun. Can’t I stick around and meet her?”
“What did I say?” Collin asked through clenched teeth.
“Since when did you keep things from me? You’re supposed to tell me everything for the rest of our lives. And you are keeping a very important part of your life from me. It isn’t right.”
“Darcy,” Collin said and she sucked her teeth.
“Fine,” Darcy said. “I’ll stop reading through your boring thoughts.”
“Thank you,” he said and leaned his chair back so he could get comfortable. The fact that the sun was starting to rise didn’t help him get into the mood of taking a nap.
Collin closed his eyes and forced himself to remove all thoughts from his head. It was a long drive, and he just needed to shut the world—and his sister—out until they arrived at the closest Netherworld Division office in Charlotte, North Carolina.
6
Once Darcy and Collin reached the Netherworld Division office on the outskirts of Charlotte, Collin wasn’t the least bit rested. His nap was riddled with nightmares of flames and death. It had been years since he’d had such dreams. He had no doubts that facing the angels that operated the Netherworld Division had everything to do with it.
“Rise and shine, bright eyes,” Darcy said, turning the car off. She stretched her arms and tossed her hair. “I hope this is quick. I am starving.”
Yawning, Collin realized it was late in the afternoon and they were now surrounded by a field that stretched for miles.
The Netherworld Division office was unassuming, as he was sure they wanted it to be. It looked more like an office park for salesmen than warriors from heaven. The one thing that set it apart from a typical building was the lack of windows and glass. Collin was sure that was due to the fact that most of the supernatural creatures in their system were afraid of sunlight.
Darcy and Collin were lucky in that aspect.
They had their own weaknesses.
He wasn’t in the mood he’d hoped to be in as they walked through the main entrance and were directed down a long flight of stairs to an underground compound. It was odd to see vampires out in the daytime, their pale faces highlighted by the disc lights above. They must have arrived in the night and now had to wait like the rest of them.
Inside, the feel of the air changed. The scent of burning embers filled the air. He hated that smell. It reminded him of home, and home was not a place he wanted to go back to. Seeing the guards that stood and monitored everyone further reminded him of the unique system back home.
The guards were stoic, clad in metallic steel that was fused to their thin frames, with glowing light shining through the creases of their armor.
Scayors.
T
heir eyes were behind masks that scanned the crowd, reading each individual’s aura, type, and mood.
Just knowing that the men and women waiting in line were supernatural creatures put Collin on edge. And an on-edge shifter like Collin was not a good thing. Especially when one of the Scayor’s jobs was to pick out anyone who might be a problem.
Darcy and Collin signed their names at the front desk, and the secretary entered it into the system.
Too late to go back now.
While he tried to calm his nerves, Darcy stood in line in front of him, twirling his key chain around her finger.
Folding his arms across his broad chest, Collin wondered what Rae was doing with her day. He hoped whatever had been bothering her had been resolved. It pained him to see her fret and worry, even if she insisted there was nothing wrong. Collin knew better than that. He knew what fear looked like.
A tall woman with short, red hair and big, blue eyes stepped from behind the glass doors that everyone was lined up behind. She had a clipboard in her hand and looked at those in line.
“Collin and Darcy McCray?”
“That’s us,” Collin said, straightening his posture. He had already stood taller than everyone in the room at six-foot-five, while a much shorter Darcy tried to hide behind him.
“Shit,” Darcy said under her breath.
Collin nudged her forth. “At least we get to get out of this line.”
“I guess.”
The woman looked them over and didn’t bother to give them a reassuring smile. Instead, she motioned for them to follow her. Walking past the others wasn’t pleasant. More than a few angry glares and grunts of disapproval were cast their way.
Collin was almost certain this was it. He’d never see Rae again. He’d lose his home, friends, and career. What did the Netherworld have for him? Nothing but bad memories.
They walked through the glass doors and into a large room with rows of chairs sectioned off by supernatural creature type. Bypassing that room, they followed the woman down a long hallway with several closed doors on either side. Collin hoped she would at least tell them where they were going.
When they arrived at their destination, the woman stepped aside and held a hand out toward the doors. “Go on. He’s waiting for you.”
Collin and Darcy stood before the double doors, their faces paling as they heard the voice and the British accent that accompanied the voice come from inside.
There was no doubt in Collin’s mind this was the end for both of them.
Inside those doors, behind a desk, sat one of the heads of the Netherworld Division.
General Halston.
An angel.
7
The next day, Rae was relieved to have been granted a day off. Wearing her favorite pink dress, she sat on a blanket beside the river behind her house with a glass of wine. She sipped it gingerly as she waited for Collin to come and pick her up for the date they had planned, rescheduled, postponed, and re-planed for weeks. Getting an evening off between the both of them was never easy.
Although she didn’t feel like going out, she couldn’t resist seeing him…even if her blood still ran cold with the fear of her premonition from the evening before. She watched the rushing water, and couldn’t shake how much she missed home. Gazing at the sky, she sighed, resolved to the fact that she would never be allowed to return, especially after what she’d done.
“Rae,” Collin called from behind.
She stood. He hadn’t startled her. It was virtually impossible to sneak up on her. Her senses were superior to humans, but her thoughts—they left her preoccupied.
She forced a smile as she turned to him. “Hi,” she said, picking up her black heels and slipping them onto her feet.
“Ready?” Dressed in a suit, he held a hand out toward her, his bright hazel eyes looking her up and down.
As she looked at him, her brows furrowed. There was something different about him.
Her mind raced as she accepted his hand. It was his scent. A hint of something else clung to him, something she never wanted to smell again.
Netherworld magic clung to her boyfriend, and it terrified her.
She was grateful for how firm he held onto her. She needed something steady and sure tonight if she was going to deal with the nagging warnings in her belly and mind. But, now warnings were directed toward the one thing she was sure about.
How could she bring it up? Most humans knew nothing about the Netherworld. It was a place that had never even been discussed in their mythology or history. The ones that did know about it were either agents in the Netherworld Division.
Or those willing to exchange their blood with vampires for money, favors, or protection.
Rae stopped and took her hand from Collin’s.
He gave her a look. “Everything okay?”
“Where were you yesterday?” she asked, her heart thumping in her chest. “I called you and you didn’t answer.”
She hated to think that Collin could be one of those people. Though they helped keep order and made the Vampire Registration System the success it was, she couldn’t stand to think that Collin would let a vampire drink from him. Not when she had enough on her plate.
Not when Luke was coming.
The way Collin paused broke her heart. She could tell before he even spoke that he was about to lie to her for the first time.
“My sister came over.”
To her surprise, that was the truth.
Her face softened and she forced a smile, pulling her hair over her shoulder. “Oh,” she said. “I’m sorry. I’m a bit on edge.”
“Why?” he held her hands within his and smoothed them with his thumbs. “Tell me what’s been bothering you lately.”
“Well,” Rae said, looking off into the forest. “I’m just a bit worried about Crescentia.”
“Oh,” he said, nodding. “I can see how that would bother you. My sister tends to put me on edge as well. You still haven’t heard from Crescentia?”
Sighing, Rae shrugged. “No. But I’d feel it if something had happened to her. She’ll come home soon. I just hate when she doesn’t call and check in.”
“She’s not exactly a child,” he said with a chuckle.
Rae’s brow lifted. She’s actually not far from it, she thought. She knew she couldn’t say it aloud. Collin wouldn’t understand the dynamics between angels, fallen angels, and their eccentric brethren: demons.
“It’s fine. I’m not going to worry about it. Not tonight anyway,” she said, making a conscious effort to shove all of her worries and apprehension to the back of her mind. “Tonight is about us and I want to enjoy every moment.”
“I missed you yesterday,” he said and kissed her hand as they walked around the house toward the front driveway where his black Range Rover was parked.
“I missed you too.”
Collin smiled and held the door open for her.
Rae got in and turned on NPR. She would never admit it, but she sometimes missed living in England. There were so many memories there that she would never forget. She listened to it from time to time, catching hidden clues in the broadcast that those outside of her old division wouldn’t understand.
Once Collin got in, he was gracious enough to leave it on for her.
So considerate.
She did not deserve him.
An idea came to her, and she placed her hand over his. “Hey,” she said, looking ahead at the sky as the sun began to set. “Why don’t we just go back to your house and have a quiet evening together?”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” Rae said, nodding. “I don’t really feel like going out into town. I just want alone time with you. We haven’t had a night to just talk and enjoy each other since we first started dating. As much as I love our little escapades in your office, I want more.”
Collin nodded, loosening his tie. “I’m glad you said that. I’d much rather have you to myself as well. And, you’re right. I’ve been thinking the same th
ing.”
Rae traced his knuckles with her finger and smiled. “Good. So, are you going to cook? Or, do I have to do it?”
Collin lifted a brow. “I was thinking more along the lines of ordering takeout and taking it back with us.”
“I’m on it,” Rae said, searching her phone for one of her favorite Italian places that were fairly quick. “How about Guidobaldi’s?”
“That’s perfect. Order Carbonara for me. I have your favorite cabernet at my place.”
“Sure you do. But, how many bottles do you have?”
He chuckled. “I have enough. Go ahead and put in the order. I have something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
Rae sat up in her seat, her eyes brightening. “What is it? Is it a secret.”
“Don’t worry. We will talk about it later.”
Calling in the order, Rae watched Collin drive through the dark winding roads on the outskirts of the city. She was curious as to what he had to tell her. She could attempt to read his thoughts, but decided against it. Even she knew that people deserved their privacy. But…the temptation was there.
8
Rae licked chocolate from her finger as she gazed into Dr. Collin McCray’s eyes. A fire crackled in the fire pit, warming them in the cool autumn air.
She grinned as he leaned across the picnic blanket and kissed her. She dropped the rest of her chocolate covered strawberry and allowed herself to be lifted from her spot on the blanket and sat on his lap. The taste of chocolate, wine, and strawberries was on both of their tongues as they kissed under the moonlit sky.
“So, are you ready for the big news?” Collin whispered and his hands slid up her dress.
Rae nodded, as he massaged her back. “Tell me.”
“I got offered the position of Chief Surgeon at Mercy Hospital in London,” he said.
He looked a little wary as if worried about what her response would be.
“When do you leave?” she asked, trying to wrap her mind around losing the one person she’d grown to love.
