There was no faltering in the redheaded angel as she put to death the Kjin who had taken so many innocent lives. “Tell Tyras hello,” she murmured as the body disintegrated.
When Fallon turned around, Kade had his back to them as he apparently tried to process all that he had been witness to.
It’s too much for him, Fallon thought once again. He does not belong in my world.
The realization weighed on her heavily and she sank to the ground and pulled her knees up tight against her chest. “Kade, I would like to talk to Nikki in private if you don’t mind. Can you wait outside for a few minutes?”
He turned with a questioning look. He was so achingly handsome, and it tugged at Fallon’s heart to see the grief on his face. Grief she put there.
But, he nodded and walked out without a word.
Nikki came and sat cross-legged next to her.
Fallon smiled at her friend. “How did you get here?”
“Julian called me yesterday and told me what was going on. After that, it was easy. I just followed the boyfriend.”
Fallon blushed. “You were pretty impressive tonight, Nikki. I would not be sitting here talking to you if not for your actions. Thank you.”
“The destruction of this many Kjin in one spot? I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Where’s Julian?”
Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she said, “He’s gone, Nikki. I am so sorry. He risked his life to save me and got caught up in the Ha’Basin.”
Nikki laughed. “Why are you so upset? He’s back in Emperica!”
“But, he’s going to be a Patie!” she cried. “Can you imagine Julian as a Patie?”
Nikki waved a hand. “I’m sure that Darius will come up with something more for our friend. And, he will be reunited with Blane. I’m sure he’ll be happy about that.” She reached over and took Fallon’s hands. “Look. We are warriors, Fallon. We know what the risks are, but we fight for what is right. We fight for those who cannot defend themselves. And, in that fight, we will die. But, the best part of all is that at the end of the road is the glorious Emperica.”
Fallon hung her head. “I know.”
Nikki narrowed her eyes at her. “Okay, I get it now.
There will be no Kade in Emperica.”
“Am I that obvious?”
“You love him.” It was not a question.
“Yes, I do.”
Nikki blew out her breath. “That definitely complicates things, but if you keep your work and love separate, I don’t see what the problem is.”
Fallon snorted. “He’s got this condition,” she murmured under her breath.”
“What?”
She shook her head. “Never mind. It’s just not that easy with Kade, Nikki. He knows everything and has this idea that he is going to fight by my side.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Nikki told her, but not unkindly. “As admirable as that is, he is a mortal. We are on the cusp of a very perilous conflict. Our world is too dangerous for a human. Especially, for one you love.”
Every word Nikki spoke felt like a spike driving into her heart. Fallon already had the same thoughts, but hearing them confirmed by her friend made them real. She could no longer escape the truth. The only way to keep Kade safe was to walk out of his life. She would have to sacrifice her happiness for him to live. And, it was a sacrifice she would make willingly because she would not gamble with his life any longer.
Tears dripped from her eyes. “Give me your Aventi, Nikki, and call Kade back into the room.”
CHAPTER 21
Alone Again
Nikki opened the door for Kade, and he immediately rushed to her side and took her in his arms. “Are you okay?”
She nodded into his shoulder and closed her eyes, inhaling his intoxicating soap scent for the last time. If she had not already hardened her heart with resolve, she would have lost her nerve from the smell of him alone.
He pulled away with a smile. “Here. I found this for you.” It was her Aventi.
Oh, Kade, so innocently handing me the tool of your destruction.
She took it and got to her feet, and he stood as well.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here,” he said. “I have a surprise for you.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“No? Why? What do you have to do?”
She could not meet his eyes. “Something I should have done a long time ago.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Kade was having none of it. He lifted her chin. “Whatever it is, I will help. We are together now, Fallon, remember?”
“That’s the problem.”
“What is?”
“Your condition.” She turned from him. “I can’t allow you to be a part of my world, Kade. Your life is far too precious to me.”
He watched in confusion as she switched the Aventi to her right hand and held it away from her body.
“What are you doing?”
She turned back and took a step toward him.
He threw his hands up to ward her off. “Fallon! Stop!
What are you thinking?”
She took another step and a sob escaped her throat.
“Fallon, listen to me! I take back the condition, okay? That means I won’t be in any danger. Now, put that thing away!”
She continued to move toward him as he backed away from her.
“Fallon, please,” he begged. “The condition is gone! I’ll take you any way I can get you. If that means allowing you to do what you have to do without interference from me, I’ll take it.” His eyes were full of hurt. “Please, Fallon. Don’t take my memory of you away from me.”
With a tortured cry, she touched the Aventi to her Kur and the room lit up with its unique white light.
A tear slipped down Kade’s face now, too, but his laugh was bitter. “If you truly loved me, you could never do this.”
She took another step.
“Fallon!”
His back hit the wall and he slid to the ground.
She took two more steps and stood over him. “I do love you, Kade, and that is why I have to do this.
Goodbye, my love.”
“No!”
That was the last word Kade uttered before she waved the Aventi in front of his eyes. When she pulled the weapon away, Kade blinked a few times and then looked at her blankly.
She crumbled to the floor with a moan.
Nikki was at her side immediately. “You did what had to be done, Fallon. It’s going to be all right.”
She pushed away from Nikki and staggered to her feet. “I have to get out of here. Can you make sure he gets home?” She did not even look his way. It would have killed her on the spot.
Nikki nodded. “I’ll come to see you right after.”
Fallon fled from the room and the warehouse. She inhaled deeply the first fresh air she had to breathe in two days.
Somehow, through her fog of grief, she made her way back to Oak Street and entered the house.
As soon as she stepped into the foyer, she heard the soft strains of music playing. She did not have a CD player or an iPod, so she knew this was Kade’s doing. Then, she remembered the surprise he mentioned. She listened. Tonight I’m Loving You drifted down the stairs. This is our song. He remembered our song.
She shook her head at the cruel irony. He would remember no more.
He did not stop there. Red rose petals were strewn across the floor and then straightened out to create a path up the stairs. Slowly, she followed the fragrant trial to her bedroom and stopped. In the middle of the room, Kade had spelled out Will You Marry Me? with more roses.
In a pain-filled haze, she walked through the flowers over to the CD player and yanked the cord out of the outlet.
The room fell silent.
With a primal scream of agony, she climbed into the four-poster bed and cried until the mental and physical exhaustion of the last two days swept her away.
Sometime later, she felt Nikki slide into bed besid
e her. It was comforting to feel her angelic presence so close. Several times, Fallon awoke in the middle of the night, and Nikki was there to soothe her back to sleep with soft strokes of her hair.
By morning, Fallon knew that she could not continue like this. She had to keep moving and decided to return to Buffalo right away to see Father Michael for her next assignment. It was all she could do. All she had left.
“Feeling better?” Nikki asked when she entered the room with two cups of coffee.
“As good as I am going to get.”
“I wish I could tell you I understand what you’re going through, but I don’t. I’ve never been in love before.”
Fallon was surprised. Nikki always seemed so worldly to her. She thought for sure, the auburn-haired beauty had had many boyfriends in her past. “Never?”
“No, and if it hurts this much, I think I’ll pass.”
For Nikki’s sake, Fallon decided not to tell her that it also came with incomparable euphoria, a sense of wellbeing and belonging, and a shelter from the storm. It was better that she not know and never have to endure what Fallon was going through.
Nikki had a plane to catch, but promised to visit soon. Fallon numbly embraced her friend and thanked her for her being there. She wished they lived closer together, but Nikki had her duty on the west coast and Fallon had hers here.
After her friend left, it did not take Fallon long to erase the signs of her presence in the old Victorian. It never did. She cleaned up the petals and the rest of the house and finished packing her belongings. With a last look around, she hefted her pack over her shoulder and walked out into the early morning. It was a short walk to the bus station, and there she would be able to purchase a ticket back to Buffalo.
She turned to make sure the front door was closed tightly and when she faced forward again, her breath caught in her throat.
Kade was walking out of his house with one of his roommates.
Both of the men, oblivious to her suffering, acknowledged her with a short nod of greeting and continued to walk down the street.
Her wounded heart, already fragile, shattered into a thousand pieces that ricocheted inside her chest like slicing glass. The urge to turn and run back into the house and hide from the pain in her bed was strong, but she fought it. She had to accept her life for what it was. She was alone again. Father Tomas, Julian, Kade. They were all gone. She was alone and the sooner she accepted her fate, the better off she would be.
Heading in the opposite direction of the only man she would ever love, she walked out of his life for good.
CHAPTER 22
The Notes
An insistent tap on Fallon’s door woke her from sleep. She had been doing that quite a bit lately—sleeping. It was the only time the anguish went away.
It had been two months since she left Alden, but she was still finding it difficult to care very much about anything. Mechanically, she did all that was required of her, but she derived no real pleasure from her life. It almost felt as if she was living underwater where the smallest of movements required tremendous effort.
She often wondered what Darius was thinking. Did he regret now that he had chosen her for his elite team of warriors? Did he wish it were her instead of Julian who fell victim to the Ha’Basin?
The knock on her door sounded louder.
Who could be knocking on her door? She had no friends except Nikki and she was back on the west coast. Her rent was paid, so it could not be her landlord.
She decided to ignore whoever it was and instead threw the covers back over her head and snuggled deeper into her soft haven.
A third bang on her door finally drove her out of her bed. Someone is going to get a piece of my mind, she thought as she stomped toward her door.
Rising up on her tiptoes, she peeked through the peephole. Nobody was standing there. Unlocking the door, she yanked it open and stepped out to look both ways up and down the hallway.
Nobody.
What is going on here? If this is a prank, some kid is going to pay for it.
With a frustrated sigh, she turned to go back into her apartment and that’s when she saw them. The notes. Two sticky notes were hanging on the outside of her door. She tore them down and went back into her apartment. As she headed back to her bedroom, she began to read.
A cry tore from her throat and her knees buckled. She grabbed the side of the wall to support herself as the tears she thought long gone ran unchecked down her cheeks.
“Kade!”
Pushing away from the wall, she walked unsteadily down the hall. “Kade!”
She started to run, tripped over a pillow on the floor, and then stumbled against the window. Afraid that her mind was playing a trick on her, she hesitated. Could it be true? Unable to stand it any longer, she tore away the curtain and frantically shoved the window open.
She looked down to the street.
There he was.
Kade. Her Kade. Leaning against his Jeep Wrangler with his faded jeans and dimpled smile.
He held a placard in his hand that said, “Will You Marry Me?” in red.
Their eyes met and in that moment, she knew she would never be alone again.
More tears sprang from her eyes, but they were tears of joy now. “Yes.” It was barely audible, but he heard her. He dropped the card and rushed to the stairs to her apartment while she fell to her knees and waited for her life, her love, her everything, to reach her side.
EPILOGUE
Blane
Blane stood looking down at the scene taking place on earth with a smile. Fallon and her new husband were exiting the church where they had just married. Family and friends, including Nikki, stood on the walkway outside of the church waiting to congratulate the couple and pepper them with rice.
He turned when he felt another presence behind him.
“That man is going to make a fine Knight one day,” Darius commented, pointing to the wedding party. With a swipe of his hand, the image disappeared.
“Where’s Julian,” Blane inquired.
“Tending to the gardens with the other Paties.”
Blane laughed. “How long are you going to let the poor man suffer?”
Very uncharacteristically, Darius also smiled. “Not long. I plan to have him at my side to train the new Knights.”
“Good. He will be very happy to hear that.”
“I expect so. He is a warrior in his heart and soul, and I would not want to waste his talents.” The Elder suddenly grew somber. “Tyras is growing stronger, Blane. We need more Knights—stronger Knights—in this battle or all will be lost.”
“How did he manage to cross his barrier into earth, Elder?”
“We have our theories, but are not yet entirely sure. One thing you can be sure of is that the Creator will stop at nothing to ensure that Tyras never sets a scaled toe on earth ever again.”
Blane nodded through his frustration. It was taking him far longer to achieve Knight status than his other friends. All he wanted to do was put his training to use and destroy the Kjin that were wrecking so much havoc on his beloved planet.
“That is one of the reasons I have kept you back for so long.”
Blane turned to him with raised eyebrows. “I don’t understand, Elder.”
“The extra years of training you have had was necessary. You have developed the skills you will need to guide your fellow Knights. The path of the Knight can no longer be a solitary one. The Kjin have organized and so must we in order to defeat them. We need strong leaders who have the physical and spiritual strength to stand in the face of evil.” The Elder placed a large hand on Blane’s shoulder. “You are that leader.”
“But…but, I’m not even a Knight yet.”
“On your knees,” Darius ordered gently.
Blane immediately dropped to the ground and lowered his head. “Angel of Emperica, I hereby call you to action as it is your time for battle. Take up your Aventi and let your destiny begin. By all that is good, in the name o
f the Creator, I name you a Knight of Emperica.”
Darius touched his head, and Blane gasped as a fortifying and powerful energy flowed through his body.
“Make the preparations, Knight. You are headed to earth.”
COMING SOON:
ANGELS OF THE KNIGHTS
~ BLANE ~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Valerie Zambito lives in upstate New York with her husband and three children. A great love of world building, character creation and all things magic, have led to the creation of the first book in her Angels of the Knights paranormal fantasy series. Her website is www.valeriezambito.com.
Other Books Published by Valerie Zambito:
Book One: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Blood
Book Two: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Mage
Book Three: Island Shifters - An Oath of the Children
Table of Contents
Prologue - Fallon - 1978
1 The Girl
2 The Emissier & The Cop
3 A Friendly Visit
4 First Kiss
5 Painful Memories
6 The Guardian
7 An Encounter with Evil
8 Caught in the Act
9 The Truth
10 A Sinful Confession
11 The Lake
12 All in a Knight’s Work
13 Conditions
14 The Trap
15 An Unlikely Hero
16 The Traitor
17 The Pawn
18 The Devil
19 Friendship Lost
20 Sacrifice
21 Alone Again
22 The Notes
Epilogue - Blane
Angels of the Knights Page 14
