“You’ll do no such thing.” Georgia Cael was bent over a hospital bed, in the midst of cleaning a wound. She scowled at me and stood tall. “I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“You have to let me see him,” I replied in a huff. Her hatred wasn’t going to disarm me today. We could deal with it later, as soon as Gabe’s soul was returned to his body. “I can fix this.”
“You’ve done enough fixing.” She marched toward me as everyone in the ward grew silent, their gazes flickering back and forth between us. “You brought this war to us. You released the Princes of Hell. You will not take one step closer to my son. It’s because of you, he’s dying.”
“The Princes have returned to Hell,” I replied, lifting my chin. “The Hell Gate is closed. The war is over.”
A murmur went through the patients and their nurses.
“Lizzy, is it true?” My Aunt Esther came beside me to place a hand on my elbow. “Are they really gone?”
“They’re gone.” Tears welled at the corner of my eyes. It felt so good to say it aloud. “It’s all over.”
The murmuring turned into a cheer as everyone began to cheer and whistle. The somber mood that had hung heavy on the medical ward dissolved and suddenly there were smiles and hugs all around. Several people clapped me hard on the back. I returned their thanks, all the while itching to be at Gabe’s side.
Before the cheering had a chance to die down, Ben Cael appeared from the depths of his son’s room. He ran into the hall with his eyes wide and cheeks red. His gaze fell on his wife and he trembled as he spoke. “Georgia, come quick. He’s fading fast.”
She took a sharp inhale of breath and sprinted toward the door. I followed closely on her heels, panic bleeding into my chest. This couldn’t be it. He needed his soul. He needed it now.
The machines surrounding Gabe’s lifeless form beeped with alarm. The heart rate monitor had flat-lined and a low buzzing tone filled the room.
Georgia ran to her son’s side and clung to his hand, tears streaming down her face. “No, not yet. I’m not ready. I can’t lose another child. Not today.”
In that brief moment, seeing Georgia so fragile and pale next to her dying son, all the resentment I held for her died. She’d already lost her only daughter. And now, she was about to lose her son. All the hatred she had for me had come from a place of fear. Losing one child was hard enough. To lose a second might destroy her completely. I understood her in that moment. I pitied her.
Rounding the bed to Gabe’s other side, I took a quick look at his deathly complexion. The blood had drained from his lips and there wasn’t a hint of breath left in his chest. A voice inside me screamed with panic. It couldn’t be too late. I had his soul in my hands. It was right here.
“Hold on, my love,” I said, placing my hands over his chest. The pale light of Gabe’s soul flickered. It was as if it too, were fading. “Just a moment more.”
Georgia gasped and stared at me through tear-soaked eyes. “Is that...?”
“His soul,” I answered.
I wasn’t sure how to place a soul back into a body. Placing it softly on top of his chest, I removed my hands and waited. It blinked and shuddered. With every bit of strength I had left, I prayed that this would work. That my Gabe would be spared. That Heaven would allow him to come back to us.
After what felt like an eternity, the small ball of light sunk into his chest without a sound. The skin beneath his shirt glowed bright for an instant and then it was gone. I clasped my fingers around Gabe’s and desperately watched his face for signs of life.
It was as if I was seeing him for the first time again. Just like those harrowing moments in that little abandoned cabin in the woods when I’d rescued him from the demons, I allowed my gaze to soak in his features. His strong chin remained clean shaven and the tiniest white scars marred his jaw. Thick black lashes splayed along his cheeks under his heavily lidded eyes and thick black eyebrows. The proud cheekbones that I longed to kiss were pale.
I begged him to open his eyes so that I could see his brilliant green gaze once more. I missed the fire in his stare and the stubborn way his mouth would twitch when he didn’t want to smile. He had to come back. His time here wasn’t done.
“Georgia.” Ben placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder.
She twisted away and clung to Gabe’s chest. “No, he’s not dead. He can’t be.”
I sobbed silently from the other side of the bed.
“Georgia,” he said again. “Listen.”
There was a note of something in his voice. It sounded like hope.
We both perked up our heads. There was something different in the room. It was the slight beep of a monitor, picking up a steady pace. I stared at the screen with confusion clouding my head.
“It’s his heart,” Ben said, his voice growing louder. “It’s beating again.”
I swiveled my head to look down at Gabe. The slightest lift of his chest made me cry out in relief as he took a breath of air. Color had begun to return to his cheeks and lips. His eyelids twitched and his hand squeezed mine.
“Gabe, I’m here,” I almost shouted. Glancing at Georgia and Ben across the room, I smiled. “Your parents are here, too. Come back to us.”
After the brief flutter of his eyelids, my green-eyed angel finally gazed sleepily upon my face once again. Happy tears rolled down my face as I pressed my lips to the palm of his hands. His lips twitched in a smile and he sighed.
“Lizzy.”
A sob wrenched itself from my throat and I couldn’t hold back the emotions any longer. My shoulders shuddered as relief, sharp as a knife, cut through me. I felt arms surround me and soft hands comb through my hair.
“He’s alive,” Georgia whispered, handing me a tissue. “My son’s alive. Thanks to you.”
I couldn’t reply. The emotions were still wracking my body.
“Mom...” Gabe sighed and reached for her hand.
“Son.” She kept one arm wrapped around me and clasped his hand. “Welcome home.”
He smiled and pushed himself higher onto his pillow. His cheeks flushed red and he took me into his arms. My tears soaked into his t-shirt. When I finally had control of myself again, I sat up to get a good look at his face. It hadn’t taken long for him to come back to the land of the living. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve said he was already in fighting shape.
“Don’t ever do that to me again,” I scolded. “Next time, I’ll go down into Hell, drag you out, and kill you myself.”
He laughed, low and throaty, and claimed my mouth with his in a dizzying kiss. When he was done, I felt my face flush with happy embarrassment.
“So...” Looking around at the machines, a frown pulled at the corners of his mouth. “What did I miss?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
It didn’t take long for Gabe to insist on getting out of bed. A half hour rest was long enough. He wanted to check on the troops and see what damage had been incurred by the recent demon invasion. I had to admit that I was antsy to see to my friends who were busy doing clean up. And according to Esther, my father had mysteriously disappeared into the lab hours ago. I needed to see him for myself, to know that he was okay.
As we entered the grand lobby, I prepared myself for what I might see. But this time, there were no white sheets covering up death. Only Nephilim coming and going, too busy in their work to pause. Relief soared through me once again. Maybe this time, we’d had the upper hand on the ferals. Luke’s new research lab had certainly proven useful.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, mate!”
We both turned to see Noah rushing toward us with a cardboard box in his hands, a giant smile on his face. He had a thick cut on his cheek that had already begun to heal. It only served to make him look more rugged. He reached out to shake Gabe’s hand and clap him on the shoulder.
“You’re both just in time,” he said with a toothy grin. “I’ve got something brilliant to show you.”
“What i
t is?” I asked, my interest peaked.
“Hold out your hand.”
I complied and he dropped a pill in my hand, no bigger than a vitamin capsule. It was dark green and solid.
“Does it give me super warrior skills,” I asked, blinking up at him.
“No, I’ll do you one better.” He held the pill up between his fingers and stared at it as if it were the most beautiful thing on the planet. “This little piece of heaven is the answer to your prayers. An exorcism in a tablet. Sixty times more effective than our previous methods and much safer.”
Gabe snatched the pill out of Noah’s hands and held it up to his face. “This is the project you’ve been working on? Does it really work?”
“This is a culmination of a lifetime’s work,” Noah said with a proud smile. “And yes, it works. I’ve tested it on the ferals myself. Ninety-percent success rate.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. A pill to save the humans? I’d been resigned to the horrible fact that hundreds of humans might die today with our outdated exorcism methods, but with Noah’s invention, maybe that wouldn’t be the case.
“How does it work?” I demanded a little too harshly. My excitement was getting the better of me. “And do you have enough for everyone?”
A twinkle lit in his eyes. Lifting up the box in his hands, he tilted it so I could see the thousands of pills within. “I perfected the formula yesterday and stayed up all night to make them. We just shove it down their throat. Easier said than done, but the rest is up to the pill.”
“I have to see this in action,” I squealed. “Show me how it works.”
He laughed. “First, we need a candidate.”
“I think I have one for you.”
I turned to see Luke, Adam, Ashley, and Raquel all standing in the doorway. They were escorting an unruly demon into the manor. It snarled and hissed at me, a stream of curses falling from its lips. I narrowed my eyes at its familiar form and sucked in my cheeks. Of course, it would be her.
Granny.
“Good to see you on your feet.” Adam pulled his brother into a hug.
I ran to check up on the rest of them, giving them quick once-overs and then a hug for good measure. No one seemed the worse for wear. Luke was splattered in blood, but it didn’t seem to belong to him. Altogether, it was the outcome I’d hoped for.
“Shall we see this beauty in action?” Noah asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He held up the pill. “No time like the present.”
“You’ll never destroy me,” the demon hissed in a low rumble of a voice. “Never. I’ll take this wench with me to the grave.”
We’d see about that.
“Do it,” I said, stepping back.
Luke held Granny’s head and Ashley held tight to the silver rope binding her hands. Granny snarled and tried to bite him, but he didn’t flinch. With a quick flick of his wrist, Noah dropped the pill down her throat and forced her mouth closed. She flailed, but after a few seconds we could all see her distinctly swallow. Releasing their hold, everyone backed away to see if the pill would work.
Part of me was still skeptical. Noah hadn’t claimed a perfect track record. Granny could be the one percent—the type of human who wouldn’t survive the process. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. My emotions were torn.
At first, nothing seemed to be happening. She had returned to her hissing display. But then, the blood rushed to her face. Her neck strained and she bent backwards against an invisible force. A scream ripped from her throat and spittle rained from her open mouth. It was hard to watch, even in someone as cold and hard as Granny. Gabe took my hand in his and I felt his support as I kept my eyes glued to her.
After what seemed like an hour of a torturous display, the fight went out of Granny’s face. Her muscles went slack and she slumped forward. I exchanged a concerned glanced with Luke. It looked like she had died. Maybe I’d been right. The old woman couldn’t take it after all. She’d finally lost the fight.
Just as I was about to approach her lifeless remains, a shuddering breath went through her. She coughed and cursed before turning her head to look at me from the ground.
Her cold brown eyes took in my whole form and blinked. “I knew I should’ve drowned you.”
My breath hitched in my lungs. Yep, same Granny. Noah’s pill had worked. And with it, we’d be able to save many more humans just like her.
“Nice to see you, too,” I said flippantly. Her hatred didn’t even phase me anymore. I had all the family I needed now.
“You’re nothing but a curse on my life,” she spat as Luke helped her to her feet. Her eyes stretched wide. “Cursed child!”
“She’s not cursed.” Gabe clutched my hand tighter and gave her a glare that would’ve cowed even the toughest of the Nephilim warriors. “She’s a warrior. And you’re never going to take that away from her. We’re her family, now.”
She shrunk under his gaze—the first time I’d ever seen Granny flinch. Still, she recovered quickly and set her shoulders while Ashley worked to undo the silver ropes around her wrists.
“Just take me back to my home,” she said. “Or, what’s left of it. We need to rebuild.”
I shook my head at Granny’s stubborn attitude. Despite her many flaws, her allegiance to the town of Hanna had never faltered. She would die in that town. And I would outlive her by many centuries. In time, her influence on my life would fade to that of a distant nightmare.
My wounds had already begun to heal.
❖
I led Reba out the stable doors with a nod to Laramie. Despite the damages, she’d managed to get the stables back into working order within days. She even had a Garth Brooks tune blaring through the old speakers. Things were getting back to normal.
It was the first time I’d had a moment to breathe since all the clean-up started and I was looking forward to a gallop across the manor grounds. By the looks of Reba’s prancing, she was, too. We both needed to stretch our muscles.
“Planning on running away again?” Gabe trotted up on Clint Black and dismounted next to me. A small smile twitched on his lips. “Because this time, I’m going with you.”
“Not a chance,” I replied with a grin. “I’m happy staying right here. With you. Forever.”
Gone was the humor from his eyes. In its place was a smoldering gaze that made me feel like I was going to melt into the ground. He dropped Clint’s reins and cupped my chin in his hands, raising my gaze to his eyes.
“You’d better mean that, because I’m prepared to do forever with you. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted, Lizzy Redding.”
My knees quivered with need. I stared into his emerald green eyes and sucked in a breath. “I promise. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He leaned down to brush his lips over mine. “Now and forever.”
No longer able to control myself, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in closer. Leaning into his kiss, I opened my mouth to his and flicked my tongue across the seam of his lips. He growled and wrapped his arms tightly around my torso. Flames erupted in my stomach as he returned my kiss with equal passion. My hands splayed across his hard chest and worked their way down his abdomen until he moaned and pushed us apart.
“Don’t stop,” I cried, feeling the loss of his lips against mine.
He chuckled and brushed a thumb over my bottom lip, making it tingle. “If we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to control myself. And I don’t think you want to make a spectacle on the lawn for everyone to see.”
I looked around, suddenly aware that we were very much out in the open. Warriors were going about their day, in and out of training and walking to the stables. Laughing nervously, I nodded at him and ran a hand through my loose hair.
“I suppose you’re right.”
“But tonight,” he said, his expression turning serious. “You’re all mine. And I don’t care what kind of spectacle we make in the bedroom. I intend to enjoy every part of you.”
My s
tomach flipped at his meaning. I had to turn to hide my reddening face in Reba’s side. I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy tonight just as much as him.
“I don’t know about that,” I said over my shoulder as I tightened the girth on Reba’s saddle. “My old roomie has been begging for me to come back. I might just have to sleep in my own bed tonight.”
He couldn’t see my teasing smile, but I could hear his irritated growl.
“I’m going to have to have a talk with Miss Raquel...”
“Tell you what.” I turned to him and smiled. “I’ll race you for it. Down to the manor. If I win, I stay the night in my old room.”
A cocky grin lit up his face. “And if I win, you’re with me.”
“Deal.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the look of determination on his face. He didn’t need to know that I’d be losing this race on purpose. Heaven and Hell couldn’t keep me away from my warrior angel tonight. That was for sure.
“Alright, let’s get this settled.” He swung his leg up into the stirrup and took his seat. Throwing me a devilish smile, he raised his eyebrows and clicked his tongue at Clint. “Go!”
He was off before I could even climb on my horse’s back. All I could do was laugh to protest his unfair advantage. We took off down the field, the wind streaming through my hair. I closed my eyes and soaked in the warmth of the sun on my face, the coolness of the breeze.
This was everything I’d ever wanted. Family. Faith. And a purpose. I’d found them all, here at Westward Manor.
My name was Elizabeth Quinn Redding and I was a warrior of Heaven.
And I was loved.
THE END OF BOOK III and THE DARK ANGEL WARS SERIES
I really hope you enjoyed the journey of Lizzy Redding and Gabe Cael—my angel warriors. This has been a fun ride! As always, if you liked this book, please leave a review.
Love Always, Lacy
About the Author
Lacy Andersen is the author of several novels, including the Aya Harris Collection and Heart of a Demon series. When not writing or dreaming up stories to tell, Lacy is busy playing with her daughter, watching Netflix with her husband, or reading the latest releases. She has a serious addiction to cotton candy, loves to compete in any type of game, and is currently planning her next trip around the world.
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