Angels of the Knights

by Valerie Zambito

  “Kade!”

  He jumped off the bed and knelt, grabbing her hand in his. “I mean it! Marry me, Fallon.” He had never been more sure of anything in his entire life. “I love you.”

  A lone tear made its trek down her face, but she did not respond.

  “Am I alone in how I feel, Fallon, or do you love me, too?”

  She shook her head. “It wouldn’t matter how I feel. I could never put you in the kind of danger that is my life.”

  “I can help protect you, Fallon! Your cause is now mine. We will fight together. Don’t you want someone by your side?”

  He could tell that his question struck a chord with her when she began crying inconsolably.

  “Don’t answer me now,” he whispered. “But, think about it, okay?” She was lying on top of the blanket, so he lifted one side and held it open. “Come on. Scoot in.” Surprisingly, she heard him and lifted her body to snuggle under the covers. When he got into bed beside her, she did not protest. “Go to sleep now. I am watching over you, Fallon, tonight and for all the nights to come. You are not alone anymore.”

  CHAPTER 10

  A Sinful Confession

  Marc Ellis sat in his office at the university and watched through the windows as the students made their way to morning classes, his furious thoughts of Fallon Angell consuming him.

  The girl knew, of course, what he was the moment he walked into his sister’s house for dinner last night. Her Kur would have told her that.

  He slammed his hand on the desk. What were the chances that his idiotic nephew would meet and bring home a Knight of Emperica! The Knight. The Knight he had been ordered by his superior to lure to Alden as she was responsible for the deaths of more Kjin in the past three years than any Knight in memory.

  And, his plan worked. She was here and soon the means to dispose of her would arrive as well. His soldiers were assembling, and his associate at the church was seeing to the details at his end.

  His only real concern was that the girl would disclose their true natures to his nephew. If she did that, he would be forced to leave Alden and start all over with a new body. He hoped to Tyras it did not come to that. He enjoyed his life here with money, prestige, and access to all of the beautiful young women he could get his hands on. No, he would not be pleased to have to begin again.

  The more he thought about it, though, the more he became convinced that she would not say anything.

  She was bound by her angelic oath to keep humans safe and dragging Kade into this would only endanger his life. In the end, she would handle this on her own, and it would be her undoing.

  He knew the Knights were under the mistaken belief that the Kjin were not organized, but they were. A new rigid hierarchy existed among their ranks, and he enjoyed a high position among his brethren, second only to his superior, a singularly ruthless Kjin, who had access to Tyras himself.

  Since Tyras was powerless at the moment to send additional Kjin to earth, he did not want to see a decrease in numbers before his plans could be put into motion. To that end, several Knights had been singled out and targeted for assassination.

  His orders were simple.

  Kill Fallon Angell.

  Fallon came awake slowly, reluctant to let go of her dream. Burrowing deeper into the sheets, she reached out and her hand found Kade. She smiled. It was not a dream after all.

  She fought the urge to wrap her arms around him and snuggle into his back. He said he loved her. For a moment, she let herself believe that she could actually have a normal relationship with him. Why not? Impossible as it seemed, the biggest obstacle had already been overcome. He knew what she was. He knew, and he still wanted to be in her life.

  She turned to gaze at him. His lips were parted slightly and his hair was tousled from sleep. He looked so innocent. So beautiful. It seemed like she had known him all her life instead of just a few days. He loved her. It was rash and ridiculous and she felt the same.

  He murmured sleepily as she rose from the bed. “Fallon?”

  “I’m here,” she replied.

  “Don’t go.”

  “I’m just getting into the shower. We’re late for classes.”

  He raised himself up on one elbow and the sheet fell down to his waist. He did not have a shirt on. Wow, how has he been hiding those muscles?

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Much better, thanks to you. I’m sorry about last night.”

  “I’m not. I found out that you’re an angel and that I am hopelessly in love with you. Nope, not sorry at all.”

  She walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead. “Thank you.”

  He grabbed her arm. “Wait. I just thought of something. After what you told me last night, it’s obvious that you’re not really a college student.”

  She shook her head, trying to ignore the sight of his smooth, naked chest. “No, but it’s still a cover I have to keep for now. You, on the other hand, are a college student, so get out of here and get ready. I’ll meet you outside in about thirty minutes.”

  Reluctantly, he got out of bed, retrieved his shirt from the floor and pulled it over his head. She was grateful that he was still wearing his jeans. “Okay, I’ll see you in a few.”

  As soon as he left, she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Letting the hot water pour over her face, it was not long before it was mingling with her tears. The thought of erasing her existence from Kade’s memory weighed heavily on her, with her heart and mind warring for control.

  Her heart was very convincing. What harm could there be in waiting a little longer? After all these years, why couldn’t she enjoy this special connection with Kade. At least for a few more days. It was not like he would ever be in any real danger, right? She would make sure of that.

  Her head was being stubborn. She was a Knight of Emperica. She had her duty. The lives of countless people depended on her vigilance. Kade would never be safe in this world of hers.

  In the end, her heart won. She would wait to erase his memory because anything else was unthinkable.

  Feeling more at ease, she hurried through her shower, toweled herself off and dressed quickly. Not only did she have to suffer through two classes today, but she also had to see Father Tomas.

  She grabbed her backpack and ran down the stairs. Kade was waiting for her out on the sidewalk in front of the house. He gave her a dimpled grin and kissed her chastely on the mouth when she approached. “It’s been too long,” he murmured.

  She barked out a laugh. “Yes, a whole twenty-eight minutes.”

  “If felt like a lifetime to me.”

  She glanced at him from under her eyelashes. “Me, too.”

  Suddenly, the shrill sound of a siren cut through the early morning quiet. “Where is it coming from?” she asked.

  “Just south of here. Come on.”

  Together, they ran the two blocks to Main Street. She looked west toward the highway that ran perpendicular and found the source of the siren. Fallon’s heart lurched as she glimpsed two vehicles, crumpled and smoking from a fiery collision. But, even brighter than the fire was the glow of all the angels hovering over the accident scene. There were both Aegians and Sentinels, which meant that there were survivors as well as victims.

  Fallon watched in fascination as the guardian angels flowed into the tight spaces of the cars and provided calming ministrations to the injured. She knew that was why most people never remembered the pain or exact details of the traumatic events in their lives. It was due to the protective force of their guardian angels and their caring, loving touches.

  The scene raised her spirits.

  Kade put his hand on her arm. “Are there angels around those vehicles?” he asked.

  She turned to face him in surprise. “Yes, but how do you know that? Can you see them?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I can sense some kind of energy there. It is like an enormous halo of light surrounding the cars, and it’s seriously making the hair on
my body stand up straight.”

  Julian was right. Kade most certainly did have Intuit tendencies.

  “Yes, the angels are there. Come on,” she said softly and reached for him. “All of those people are in good hands.”

  They walked in silence to the university and said a quiet goodbye once inside.

  Fallon tried very hard to listen in on her instructor’s lessons, but it was difficult. Always eager to learn more, usually assignments like this were welcome. Now, though, she found herself distracted by Kade. Could she really have a life with him?

  “What do you think, Ms. Angell?” The professor’s voice startled her out of her musings, as it was meant to.

  “Oh, sorry, can you repeat the question?” she asked, straightening in her chair.

  He did and fortunately, she knew the answer. After that, the rest of the class and the one after went by agonizingly slow. As soon as her second class ended, she flew out of the doors and into the unseasonably warm weather. She was anxious to tell Father Tomas that she had met up with Marc Ellis. Anthony probably had the Kjin’s home address by now, but having already met Marc Ellis’ wife and four children, she wanted to keep the confrontation with him as far away from them as possible. She already decided that tonight, she would break into his office at AU. If he was there, all the better. She could end his reign of destruction once and for all. If the office was empty, maybe she could get some clue as to what he was planning next.

  Arriving at the church, she climbed the stone steps, entered the dark interior, and immediately felt her anxiety slipping away. She hurried to the back pew for a short prayer and then stood and slipped into the confessional.

  “Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been one day since my last confession.”

  “You are forgiven, child, although I doubt very much you have anything to be forgiven for.”

  She paused and the silence hung in the air like a lead weight.

  “Fallon?”

  “Sorry, Father. Yes, I think I do need to seek forgiveness.”

  “What is it, child?”

  “I find myself very attracted to a man I met.” She would not confess to him yet about her disclosure to Kade about her true identity. She was not ready to share that bit of news.

  “Do you have strong feelings for him?”

  “Very much so.”

  He chuckled softly. “I see. Desire and love are not sins, Fallon.”

  “But, I am an angel, Father! A fifty-year-old angel!”

  “On this earth, you are still a teenager, Fallon. Raging hormones and all.”

  “But, I’m not even human.”

  “Of course you are. You are a human who has been on a great journey and back again, yes. A human with supernatural strength and otherworldly knowledge, yes, but a human nonetheless. You are not immortal. Although it would be extremely difficult to do, you can be killed.”

  When she remained quiet in contemplation, he continued.

  “Fallon, love is not denied to you. Love is one of the greatest gifts the Creator has bestowed on us, and there is nothing more precious than sharing your love with others. A world without love, is a world without light. Corinthians 13:13, Fallon. ‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.’ You would do well to remember that.”

  Fallon exited the confessional with a lighter heart. Father Tomas was right. Love was the most precious of all gifts, and she would not deny its existence in her life any longer.

  Turning the corner of the aisle that ran along the back corridor of the church, she ran into the altar boy, Anthony.

  The boy squealed when he saw her and dropped the papers in his hands.

  “Anthony, what is wrong?” she asked, bending to help him pick them up. Why did he always seem so nervous around her?

  “Nothing. You just startled me is all.”

  “Are you okay? You seem jumpy about something.”

  His eyes hardened. “I guess I am a little jumpy. I found…” He cut off what he was about to say.

  “Found what?” she prompted, but he closed down again.

  “Nothing. Where is Father Tomas?” he asked and his wide eyes quickly searched the church interior. He is afraid of something. But, what?

  “He has gone back to his office,” she informed him and handed the last paper to him.

  The boy visibly relaxed.

  “Look, Anthony, I know we hardly know each other, but I’m here if you want to talk about anything.”

  The boy shook his head. “No, it’s nothing. I have to go.” With that, he turned and fled out of the front doors of the church. As soon as they closed behind him, she noticed that he had left one paper on the ground. She immediately picked it up and rushed out, but he was already running as fast as he could away from the church. Something was obviously bothering the boy. With a shrug, she put the paper in her pack, deciding she would return it to him tomorrow.

  The sun was a bright, yellow ball in the sky and its presence brought out a crowd of people to bask in the unexpected warmth. As Fallon walked among them, she recalled her conversation with Father Tomas with a smile. But, although she was ready to invite Kade into her life, she refused to involve him in Knight business. The less he knew, the safer he would be until it was all over.

  Especially when all over meant that his uncle would be dead.

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  She yelped when the voice in her ear developed hands that wrapped around her waist.

  “Kade!”

  “Boy, for a tough warrior Knight, you’re awfully skittish.”

  Oh, yeah? In one smooth move, she reached behind her head and flipped him across her back and onto the ground in front of her. She dropped down and rammed her knee into his throat. “You were saying?”

  He laughed. “Okay, you made your point, but let me up! There are people watching us.”

  She grinned and stood.

  Red-faced, he smiled in humor at the snickers coming from the crowd, but took hold of her elbow and steered her away. “You are strong,” he whispered to her. “Remind me not to mess with you again.”

  His comment bothered her. “I suppose you’re used to the waif type, huh? The damsel in distress who needs a big strong guy to look after her? Well, that’s not me, Kade.”

  “Thank goodness!” He stopped and turned her toward him. “I fell in love with you, Fallon, and I love every single thing about you.” He glanced around. “But, I will admit that I’m not sure if my ego can handle you flipping me on my back in public all the time.”

  She pursed her lips at him playfully. “You will just have to stay on my good side then.”

  “Well, that should be easy since all of your sides are good.”

  With a smile, she pulled his face toward her and he gave her an oh, so, sweet kiss.

  “Mmm…the lips of an angel. I love you, Fallon Angell.”

  “I love you, too, Kade Royce.” There she said it! Right on Main Street, Alden, in the bright afternoon as people walked all around them. She would not deny the gift in front of her any longer.

  Throwing an arm around her shoulder, he said, “Come on. I have a surprise for you.”

  “A surprise?”

  “Yes. You don’t have plans for tonight, do you?”

  Besides going to AU to break into his uncle’s office? No. And, she could always do that after Kade’s mysterious surprise. She was very anxious to find out what it was and to spend more time with him. “What do you have in mind?”

  He tilted his head at her. “Don’t you know what the word surprise means?”

  She growled at him, but he ignored her and took her hand. “I have some papers to finish for school. I’ll walk you home and then pick you up around eight. Okay?”

  She nodded. “What do I wear?”

  The glint in his eye said it all. “Very little.”

  CHAPTER 11

  The Lake

  A bathing suit? At night? Really, Kade? Thankfully, the warmt
h of the day held and the humidity was still high, draping over the town like a shroud.

  She did not know where they were going, but he told her to wear a bathing suit under her clothes. Remembering that she did not even own one, she hurried out to a boutique on Main Street that afternoon. The choices were overwhelming, but relying on the clerk’s advice, she finally chose a white bikini and hurried home.

  Now, as she studied her reflection in front of the mirror, she was having regrets. She realized that nobody in her life had ever seen her in so little clothes. Her body was thin and toned from her constant workouts so she guessed she looked all right in it, but the top seemed too small to hold in her full breasts. She knew this style was what the other girls wore, but she felt so exposed. When all of her attempts to stretch the material over her bosom failed, she sighed and threw on her tee-shirt. Hopefully, it would be dark enough that nobody would notice.

  When Kade knocked a few minutes after eight, she opened the door and his smile sent shivers racing through her body.

  “You ready?”

  “I guess. Will you tell me now where we’re going?”

  “Where all college kids go on a Wednesday night. A party at the lake. There will be swimming, a bonfire, dancing.”

  Disappointment surged through her. She was hoping to spend time with Kade alone. “A party? Kade, I’m really not good in social situations.”

  “Why not? You’re smart, funny, beautiful.”

  She turned from him. “I don’t know. I’m just not that comfortable. I never know what to say and usually end up saying something ridiculously embarrassing.”

  He scoffed at her. “I doubt that.” Turning her by the shoulders, he lifted her chin so she had to look at him. “Look, I haven’t had a chance to laugh or just hang out with people my own age in a long time, and I doubt you have either. Even Knights need to have fun once in a while.”

  She frowned at him. “You make it pretty hard for a girl to say no.”

  “Then, don’t.”