by Elise Marion
She laced her fingers through his hair and held him against her, closing her eyes and resting in the moment. They both knew what waited on the other side. Regret. Guilt. Confusion. Uncertainty.
But, for now, she didn’t want to feel anything other than the satisfaction of release. Micah seemed content to remain there with her, and so they sat there for a long while in silence, breathing the same air. She wasn’t sure which of them broke the haze, but eventually, they stood and dressed, still without saying a word.
“Well, this is no good anymore,” he mumbled, holding up the remnants of his torn T-shirt.
“There are some Temptations T-shirts in the back. The bouncers wear them. One of them should be big enough to fit you.”
He nodded, waiting until she’d slipped her tank top on over her head before taking her hand. Pulling her against him, he lowered his head and kissed her. This kiss felt unlike the others—slow, soft, and sweet. Thorough.
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen after we leave here,” he murmured. “I just want you to know I don’t regret a moment of what just happened.”
She smiled up at him, deciding she liked the feeling of being held by a strong pair of arms again. She’d missed that.
“That’s the thing about regrets,” she replied. “They have a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.”
“Well, I guess we’ll have to repeat the experience again and again.” He captured her mouth once more, stealing her breath away with a few well-timed kisses and the slow slide of his tongue against hers. “That way, we can keep outrunnin’ those bastards.”
Chapter Fourteen: Revelation
When Addison and Micah left the club after her shift, they found Reniel waiting in the alley, hard lines creasing his otherwise flawless face, his eyes turbulent.
Micah’s stomach churned as he met the angel’s gaze and realized something must be wrong. It had to be the most rotten timing ever, considering how good he’d been feeling all night. For the first time in a long time, all his anger and bitterness had melted away, and a far less jaded man had stood in his place. He’d been able to forget everything for a short time, and have a piece of happiness.
Sure, it had been dirty, raunchy, sweaty happiness, but that was his favorite kind. Just remembering it had him thinking about when he could get her alone again—maybe have her in a proper bed so she wouldn’t think him a complete animal. Maybe, he thought, things didn’t have to be so bad now. Now that he and Addison had finally crossed the line they’d been toeing for weeks and the distracting tension had dissipated, things could be different. He could be different.
“We need to talk,” Reniel declared, snatching him back from his wandering thoughts.
The severity of his tone only made Micah’s gut twist even harder. He had a feeling all his optimism was about to fly right out the window.
Addison wrinkled her brow and gazed up at Reniel, catching on to the same vibe Micah had.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it? Did something happen?”
The Angel of War sighed, running his fingers through his hair. For the first time since meeting him, Micah saw helplessness and uncertainty in his eyes. It was disconcerting, to say the least.
“There have been several … developments in the last couple of days. I hardly know where to begin.”
Addison smiled and took his arm, steering him toward Bourbon Street.
“Start with whatever news is the easiest,” she suggested as Micah fell into step on her other side. “The rest might come out easier, then.”
Reniel nodded and launched into his news. “I did a little poking around for information on your stepfather, as promised. Buck is a demon, just as we suspected.”
“That certainly makes a lot of sense,” she muttered, her expression turning sour at the mention of her stepdad.
“I’m not finished yet,” he said. Pausing on the corner, he gazed down at her, concern creasing his brow. “I don’t know how to tell you other than just coming out with it. Buck is Eligos in human form.”
A strangled sound escaped from deep in her throat, and she flinched as if she’d been physically struck. Micah reached out to clasp her shoulder, hoping the gesture offered her some modicum of comfort. And he’d thought his family was screwed up.
“Wait … you mean …”
“Your stepfather is actually your biological father,” Reniel offered when she seemed at a loss for words. “Like all demons, he can alter his physical form at will. He found a way back into your mother’s life, and I think we all know why.”
“As an attempt to get into Addison’s head,” he said, curling his upper lip in disgust.
“It’s more than that,” Reniel said, tugging Addison’s arm and urging her on toward home. “More information has been brought to my attention—intel that could change this mission from what it originally began as. The stakes have just changed.”
As a man with superhuman strength, Micah wasn’t afraid of much. There was nothing to be afraid of when he could literally crush anything that got in his way. But this … whatever Reniel was about to tell them, scared the daylights out of him. When an angel got spooked, he knew whatever they were about to face wasn’t something he could beat physically.
“What’s goin’ on, Ren?” he prodded, ready to get to the point.
“Eligos was grooming you,” he said to Addison. “Priming you for his own purposes. But you weren’t the only one. All over the world, his legions were in human form, parenting his offspring.”
Addison pinched the bridge of her nose. “That’s what Mama was talking about. When we went to see her, she said Eligos told her I was just one of many he’d created—his own personal Naphil army. I just thought there were a handful … but you’re saying …?”
Reniel’s tone became grave when he answered. “Thousands. There are thousands of Eligos’ children out there in the world.”
“Holy shit,” Micah muttered under his breath.
Addison shook her head. “That ought to make family reunions loads of fun,” she scoffed.
“Somethin’ I don’t understand,” he cut in, glancing over at Reniel. “You said he was groomin’ her. But for what? I mean, we all know the son of a bitch wasn’t the nurturing kind. He treated her so bad, she flipped out and killed him.”
“Think about it,” Reniel replied. “As a demon father, what would Eligos want from Addison more than anything else?”
It came to him in a rush so swift, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it before. “Another version of himself. A servant as sick and twisted as he is.”
“That’s why he was always in my head,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over traffic and the voices of others passing them by on the sidewalk. “He wanted me to give in to my dark impulses so he could make me like him.”
Reniel nodded. “Exactly.”
“Then his minions must be doing the same with his other children,” she continued, her eyes widening and her voice rising in panic. “Why? What does he want from us? And why am I the one he took a personal interest in?”
“Every person has a purpose from the moment they’re conceived,” Reniel replied. “And it’s not a secret. Lucifer and his servants know it, as well, and make it their business to seek out the Nephilim, because they can be corrupted to their side, disrupting that purpose.”
“It was always Addison’s destiny to wield the ring,” Micah said. “He knew that and he wanted her for himself.”
“Yes,” the angel confirmed. “You’re the most powerful of his children, and the one that was chosen for this moment in time. But it goes beyond that.”
Addison shook her head as if trying to shake herself out of a daze. “I don’t think I can take any more.”
“I am sorry to bombard you with so much, but I’m afraid we don’t have the luxury of easing into this. Things are happening at an astonishing rate. I have to get you up to speed so we can prepare for what’s next.”
“What is ne
xt?” he asked.
“War,” Reniel said gravely, his jaw tight and his mouth pinching at the corners. “Between Eligos and Lucifer.”
Micah burst out laughing, unable to contain his disbelief. “Are you kiddin’ me? That’s like a dog turning on its master. Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?”
Reniel paused mid-step and swiveled to face him. Flashes of silver lightning sparked in his eyes, and his face contorted into a mask of anger and pain that even Micah couldn’t withstand. He dropped his gaze and prayed the angel wouldn’t turn him into a pile of ash.
“Lucifer was once the most beautiful angel in Heaven,” he said, his voice low and strained, quivering with barely contained emotion. “We called him Morning Star. No one would have ever thought he would betray us, but he did. So don’t stand there and tell me what is or isn’t possible. When it comes to this war, nothing is impossible. Or haven’t you figured that out yet?”
Micah sighed, clenching and unclenching his fists spasmodically at his sides. If Reniel were anyone else, he would have made a smart-ass remark. But this was his boss, who possessed the ability to reduce him to a drooling imbecile with a wave of his hand.
“Look, I’m sorry. I was just shocked, is all.”
Reniel’s tense muscles relaxed and his face fell back into its serene mask of calm. “No, I am the one who is sorry. I did not mean to snap at you. You must understand this is difficult to bear.”
“Fortunately for you, we’ve got an army of Guardians to help you bear it. You’re not alone in this, Ren.”
“So, this war,” Addison cut in. “What’s the endgame here? What does Eligos want?”
“Hell,” Reniel answered. “He wants to overthrow Lucifer, and he wants to use his children to do it.”
They had reached the row of cafés and storefronts they called home. Above Mama Jo’s, their apartment shone with light through the living room window. Addison paused, sinking down onto the curb. Lowering her head, she buried her face in her hands.
Micah dropped down beside her and Reniel sandwiched her between them. He rested a hand on the small of her back.
“It’s all right, cher,” he murmured, running his palm up and down her spine. “There’s a plan. We can stop this.”
She shook her head. “I can’t do this. I barely made it through my first couple of demon fights, and beating my father and his ten lackeys seemed impossible enough. Now I have to take on thousands of my brothers and sisters, too?”
“I know it seems impossible,” Reniel said. “But Micah’s right. There is a plan, and you do not have to do this alone. You’ve got the other Guardians on your side, and I am always here.”
Micah trailed his hand up to her neck and gave it a squeeze, attempting to soothe the tense muscles. She relaxed a bit under his touch and leaned a bit closer.
“You know I’m not goin’ anywhere, cher.”
“And neither am I.”
Micah’s back stiffened and his throat clenched at the sound of the familiar voice. His hand shook as he lowered it from Addison’s neck and braced it on the pavement, slowly turning to face what he’d just heard. It couldn’t be possible, and even though he hadn’t had a drop of liquor tonight, he couldn’t help but question his sobriety. After all, a man had to be either drunk or insane when he started hearing voices from beyond the grave.
Yet, when he turned, his heart jumped up into his throat as he gazed up into familiar gray irises.
He stood over them, hands in the pockets of his jeans, white T-shirt a stark contrast against his dark skin. His smile was broad, and his eyes seemed to twinkle with a happiness that had been absent during the last year of his life.
Micah came slowly to his feet, his mind reeling as he struggled to fathom what he was seeing. He had to be going nuts. That could be the only explanation for this.
And yet, Addison stood, as well, her eyes fixed to the same spot—wide with equal parts horror and astonishment. Her mouth fell open, and a half-gasp, half-sob ripped from her throat and her eyes filled with tears.
He felt torn between happiness and sorrow as her expression changed to one of pure joy.
“Jack,” she whispered, her voice low and breathy.
In a blur, the two flew across the space that separated them and into each other’s arms. Jack wrapped his arms around Addison and pulled her close, closing his eyes and sighing as if he’d been waiting a thousand years for this one moment. Addison began to sob, clinging to the front of Jack’s shirt so tight, Micah doubted even he could have pried her fingers loose.
“Shh,” Jack crooned, reaching up to run a hand through her hair.
Micah relived running his own fingers through the same locks, the memory stinging like the lash of a whip.
“It’s okay. I know it’s a shock,” Jack continued.
“Is this real? You’re back?” she whispered, her face still buried against his chest. “You’re alive.”
He nodded. “It’s real, Addie. I’m here. And I promise you, I’m not leaving you ever again.”
Micah swallowed past the lump in his throat as the distinct craving for moonshine reared its ugly head. Yes, that was it. It would soothe everything away, just as it always had.
No one ever had to know the truth—that having Jack back both thrilled and hurt him. That losing Addison before he’d ever really had her was just as bitter as having his dead best friend return was sweet.
Still holding Addison with one arm, Jack glanced up at him and extended one hand with a grin.
“Hope you didn’t kill all the demons while I was gone,” he said with a laugh. “Did you save some a few for me?”
Micah clasped Jack’s hand and returned his smile. Despite his own pain, Jack remained like a brother to him. Which was why he had every intention of letting go of his idiotic ideas about him and Addison. They’d never stood a chance, anyway.
“You bet your ass I did,” he drawled. “Welcome home, podna.”
Jack tightened his arm around Addison and buried his face in her hair. He had to keep reminding himself this was real. He had been given a second chance at life. He had died, but now lived. Addison’s fresh from the shower scent, and the warmth of her beside him, proved that it was real. Otherwise, it all felt like some sort of amazing dream.
“Mmmm, you smell fantastic,” he murmured, kissing her temple. “I didn’t think I’d ever get to experience that again. I missed it. I missed you.”
Addison, who sat beside him on the couch with her head against his chest, wrapped one arm around him and held on tight. Aside from taking a shower, she hadn’t been out of his sight since he’d come down to meet them in front of the building.
“I missed you, too,” she whispered.
He frowned, gazing down at the top of her head. He felt bad for shocking her the way he had, but there wasn’t really an easy way to let the people in his life know that he had risen from the dead. According to his dad, he’d been dead for four months—an eternity for the people who had been stuck here mourning him. He knew that feeling well, had experienced it after losing Tracy.
She seemed numb from shock, unable to do more than sit and listen with a slack jaw as he’d told them all he’d been through. Reniel had left them to rest, promising to return in the morning with a better idea of what they would do going forward. While he understood the urgency of their mission, Jack felt grateful for the short reprieve. He wanted as much time alone with Addison as he could get before their mission interrupted everything.
“I know you’ve had a hell of a night with everything that’s been thrown at you all at once,” he said. “But I’m so proud of you. Micah’s stories about you going up against Nybbas and Lilith were impressive. Your ability to overcome every obstacle you face just amazes me.”
She turned her face up to meet his gaze. “Without you, there was nothing else to live for. I wanted to beat them for you, for what they did to you. I wanted them all to pay.”
He grasped her chin and tilted it up, lowering hi
s head to kiss her. She returned the intimacy, but seemed reserved and tentative—not at all like the woman whose kiss had set his very soul on fire just a few short months ago. But then, all this must still be jarring for her. He’d been dead to her just a couple of hours ago.
“I want to tell you something,” he said, slouching against the back of the couch and pulling her into his lap. She curled up against him and nestled back against his chest. “That need for vengeance and that emptiness … it’s how I felt after losing Tracey. So, I understand it. It ruled my entire life before I met you, before I died and was forced to realize I couldn’t let that control me anymore. It stole everything from me—the possibility of having a life outside being a Guardian, my ability to laugh and love and just live. I thought I had to win this fight first, then start living my life. With every year that passed, I began to see life and all my plans slip away, and it made me angry. But now, I see how wrong I was. Finding you, and then losing you so suddenly, opened my eyes. I want everything I was missing, and I want it with you. I want to fight alongside you, but I also want to live with you. I want … damn, this is hard to put into words. I guess the only way I can say what I mean is to just make it plain. I love you, Addison. I realize you may already know that, but when I was stuck in another world with no way to get back to you, I regretted not saying it. I regretted it every second of every day that I spent up there, so I’m saying it now. I love you.”
She sat up, her eyes wide and her expression stricken as she looked up at him. She trembled in his arms, and blinked back the tears welling in her eyes.
“Jack,” she whispered. “I’ve wanted to tell you every day that you were gone … I love you, too. Even though I will never understand how you could love someone like me, when I haven’t done anything to deserve it. I … if you knew …”
He took her face in his hands and studied it solemnly. It hurt him that she still thought so poorly of herself. He knew it would be an uphill battle showing her just how worthy of love she was. He had years of abuse and neglect to overcome, but felt more than up to the task.
