by Trisha Telep
A shadow darted across the landing in front of her. Eve stilled and played the role she and Alec had agreed upon. “Hello?” she whispered. “Is someone there?”
Behind her, Alec faked a loud yawn and called out, “Angel? What are you doing?”
“Nothing. Getting some water.”
Jesse materialized before her, a slender figure dressed in black with a serrated blade in her hand. She put a finger to her lips, then smiled, showing her fangs.
A brush of air against Eve’s nape caused her to pivot slightly. Pam stood between Eve and the master bedroom, her petite figure hunched in an abnormal way. Her fingers were splayed and curved, revealing thick claws. Eve’s gaze shot back up to the woman’s face, noting a feral snarl and pointed canines.
Jesse made a soft noise to catch Eve’s attention, then beckoned Eve forward with her knife.
As Eve moved again, the fine hairs on her arms stood on end and her breathing quickened. She was a step away from reaching the landing at the top of the stairs when an arm snaked out from one of the guestrooms, grabbing her by the biceps and yanking her backwards into a rock-hard torso.
“Back off, bitch,” Tim snapped. Whether he spoke to Jesse or Pam, Eve couldn’t tell. But then he wrapped his hand around Eve’s neck and she felt the razor sharp nails at the tips of his fingers.
The teenager blew a bubble of gum and popped it. “What now?”
Pam growled, her gaze darting back and forth.
Alec appeared in the master bedroom doorway. He leaned into the doorjamb, crossed one ankle over the other, and drawled, “Which one of you wants to get their ass kicked first?”
Jesse looked at Tim. Eve felt him move, then a plastic bag and tubing sailed past her, tumbling through the air from his free hand to the teenager. Jesse caught the package deftly.
“Get his blood,” Tim said.
Eve hadn’t expected that. She looked at Pam. “Are you with them?”
The sound that came from the other woman’s throat was agonizing to hear. Eve looked at Alec, but his face gave nothing away. He was better at bluffing under pressure than she was, but then, he’d had a lot of practice. Still, he wouldn’t look at her. She knew he couldn’t while she was absolutely vulnerable and in the hands of a vampire. He’d go nuts and that would put her in more jeopardy than she already was.
“Those aren’t veneers, are they, Jesse?” Eve asked.
“Nope.”
“Jesse . . .” Pam’s voice was sandpaper rough. “Why?”
“Because I wanted to,” Jesse said, continuing towards Alec.
Pam blocked her way. “I can’t let you touch him, Jess.”
“Can’t?” the teenager cried, sounding both furious and plaintive. “Because Adrian ordered you to be a good doggy and do what you’re told? Fuck him, Mom. Fuck all the Sentinels. We have a right to do what we want.”
“We have a responsibility to do the right thing.”
“What is ‘the right thing’? Protecting him—” she gestured at Alec, “—and the other angels that treat us like animals? Just because our ancestors crawled back to the Sentinels and became work dogs, doesn’t mean we’re stuck with their choice. We can still join the Fallen. We can still be immortal.”
“I’d be happy to turn you, Pam,” Tim purred. “Lycans take the Change better than mortals. You’ll like it.”
He sounded far too smug for Eve’s tastes, but she’d heard enough anyway. She shoved her hand between them and grabbed his balls. Vampire or not, testicles were always a good target. He roared and stumbled back. Startled, Jesse dropped her guard. Pam tackled her daughter, falling to the floor just as Alec vaulted over them.
Eve hugged the wall, knowing better than to get in his way.
Launching into the vampire, Alec caught him up and smashed him into the far wall. They grappled, the combatants discernable only as a flurry of violent movement in the dark. Then a body was hurled over the bed, crashing into the closet door in an explosion of shattered wood.
A figure stepped into the moonlight slanting through the window. Tim’s face was revealed, his handsome features contorted by both his vampirism and fury. Eve hunched low, prepared for a blow.
The muffled report of a silenced gun had Eve dropping to the floor. She watched, wide-eyed, as Tim’s body erupted into flames. He writhed against the wall, his claws ripping into to the drywall as if trying to crawl out of his own skin. His flesh sizzled off of his bones, dropping to the floor in burning chunks.
An outstretched hand came into her line of vision, snapping her out of her horrified fascination.
She looked up and found the gate guard from Adrian’s place. “Adrian sent me to help Pam,” he explained.
Alec climbed out of the ruins of the closet. “I forgot how bad it hurts to be mortal.”
The guard arched a brow as he helped Eve to her feet. “Adrian didn’t mention that part.”
“I didn’t tell him.” Which turned out to be a good thing. If he’d known, then Pam would have known, and then Tim would have known through Jesse.
Pam . . .
Eve scrambled into the hallway. She hit the light switch. The sudden flood of illumination revealed walls splattered with crimson. Jesse lay on her back, chest heaving. Half her throat was missing. Blood gushed in rhythmic pulses from her ruined neck, spreading across the floor in a thick, glistening puddle. Beside her, Pam sprawled with eyes open and sightless. The handle of Jesse’s dagger protruded from her heart.
The guard joined Eve in the hall. Dressed in loafers, slacks and V-neck sweater, he looked too polished and powerful to be anyone’s pet.
He lifted his arm and pointed his gun at Jesse. “Your mother will be missed.”
“Fuck you, lycan dog,” she gurgled, blood running from the corner of her mouth. “Tell Adrian . . . we’re both free.”
He pulled the trigger.
“You are like a tornado, Ms Hollis,” Raguel began, staring at Eve. “You always leave a path of destruction and chaos in your wake.”
Alec’s mouth kicked up on one side. They were presently crammed into the guest bedroom nearest the upstairs landing. Zaphiel sat on the mattress, while Eve stood at the foot of the bed next to Raguel. Alec grabbed a corner and settled in to enjoy the show. No one flustered Raguel like Eve did.
He watched as the archangel pointed at the blood in the hallway, then at the destroyed closet, then at the burn marks that shadowed the torn wall.
“Hey,” Eve complained. “I didn’t do any of that!”
“You arranged this confrontation, did you not?”
“Noooo . . . You and Zaphiel arranged this mess.” She looked at the cherub. “What exactly did you expect would happen when the vamp came after us?”
“I expect you to clean this up,” Raguel interjected. “Since I need you both to stay under cover to manage the neighbourhood reaction to the mysterious speedy departure of three residents at once, you can oversee the repairs during that interim.”
“Thank you for your help,” Zaphiel said, before shifting out.
Raguel moved towards the door. “You may use your expense account, Ms Hollis, to pay for the necessary repairs. I expect it will take at least three weeks to cement your cover story and settle the other residents. I will speak to Abel about removing you from rotation during that time.”
The archangel shifted away as quickly as the cherub had.
Alec frowned. “That’s it? Raguel usually likes to lecture us for an hour or more.”
“I knew it,” she said quietly. “The whole thing was too convenient. Too fast. Too easy.”
“Speak for yourself, angel. Seeing you in the hands of one of the Fallen damn near killed me.”
She looked at him sombrely, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “We didn’t get our Marks back. We’re still mortal.”
“Lucky for them.” He pushed away from the wall. “They wouldn’t want to see how pissed I’d be if I didn’t get you into bed first.”
Eve began to pa
ce, which meant she was thinking hard.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, hating to see her upset. “Are you still worried about me?”
“When we lost all the bonuses of the Mark, did we lose all the restrictions, too?”
“I hope so. I could use a drink right now.”
She gave a shaky exhale and glanced at him. “Tim gave himself away. Why? Pam was the backup Adrian talked about on the phone and she didn’t reveal herself. Tim was the one we were looking for and he walked right up to me at Terri’s party. He said he worked alone. If he’d been one of Adrian’s seraphim, he would have had a lycan or two with him somewhere. Wouldn’t he naturally assume I’d know that.”
“What are you thinking?”
“If he wanted his soul back . . . if he wanted to go back to Heaven after all these years on earth sucking blood, would he make a deal with an angel to earn his way back into God’s good graces?”
Alec inhaled sharply. “Maybe. But what would Raguel or Zaphiel get out of it?”
Stopping suddenly, she faced him head-on. “You and me alone in a house for a month with no Mark standing between us. No restrictions to the normal workings of male and female physiology. What would the natural course of events lead to, God willing?”
As understanding dawned, he grew very still. It took him a moment to find his voice. “Angel . . .”
Eve’s heart was racing. The roaring of blood in her ears was nearly deafening. She felt short of breath, bordering on panic. She was standing on the edge of a very sharp cliff and she was gearing up the courage to jump.
Alec’s sudden slow smile did crazy things to her equilibrium. It was joyous, outrageously sexy, and made her weak in the knees. He was gorgeous, wonderful and in love with her. He was also God’s primary enforcer, he killed demons for a living, and he had an ex-wife from Hell . . . literally. But what man didn’t have his faults? Her mother always said it wasn’t about finding the perfect guy; it was about finding a guy whose faults you could live with.
Then there was the fact that when it came to making babies, he was the only man she’d ever imagined having kids with. If one child was all they could finagle out of this damned mess of Marks, demons and manipulating angels, she’d count herself blessed for the first time in her life.
“We can damn well try,” he said, with a hoarseness that betrayed how the idea affected him. He came to her and pulled her close. His hands weren’t steady.
“Some people are afraid to bring children into the regular, screwed up world.” There was a tremor in her voice she couldn’t hide. “We’re talking about bringing one into Hell on earth. And we’re giving Raguel and Zaphiel what they want,” she warned. “We have no idea what their motives might be, what their intentions are—”
“Bring it on.” He wore an expression that dared all comers. “We’re giving ourselves what we want, angel. We can handle whatever we need to when the time comes.”
The tension left her in a rush, leaving her boneless. She sank into him and held on tight.
Alec pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Who says we can’t have it all?”
They decided to get married in the house, because it was quick and there was a bed nearby. Alec called in Muriel, a mal’akh they both knew and trusted, to perform the ceremony. Eve asked the angel to fetch a simple white crocheted summer dress from her closet at home, but she told Alec to stay just the way he was. He was exactly as she wanted him, no formality necessary.
When he protested, she explained that they’d have to marry again for her family and friends and he could wear a tuxedo then. For now, the need for haste was of paramount importance. She’d finally made up her mind and she was ready to get on with her new way of living – accepting her Marked fate and taking what joy she could from it. Everyone else was enjoying having her in the Marked system, because it benefited them. It was time for her to get something out of it, too. And really, getting married to the man she’d loved her whole life, with an angel presiding over the ceremony, was all any girl could ask for . . .
. . . except for maybe a bit of closure with the guy she was walking away from before they ever really got started.
But Reed was ignoring her. Whatever it was they had, it deserved a farewell and an attempt at separating with no hard feelings. He was her handler, the mal’akh responsible for assigning her to hunts. They’d be working together indefinitely, as well as sharing thoughts and emotions for many years to come.
Through the open bedroom window overlooking the back patio, she heard Alec and Muriel laugh over something. He’d looked so boyish and carefree when she accepted his ring, and she felt a soul-deep surety that this was exactly what she was supposed to do. There were no doubts left, which gave her a sense of freedom the likes of which she hadn’t experienced since becoming Marked.
Since they had the house for another few weeks, she intended to live all of her old dreams in that limited time span, making the most of every moment.
Then she and Alec would create new dreams to go with her new life.
Turning around, Eve took one last look at her appearance in the cheval mirror. When she saw the man reflected in the glass, she very nearly jumped out of her skin.
“You scared the crap out of me!” she cried, her hand lifting to shelter her racing heart.
Reed didn’t smile. He sat on the edge of the mattress with legs spread wide and his elbows resting on his knees. Dressed in a black shirt and slacks, he looked like he was in mourning. His gaze was hard and lacked any emotion.
“You make a beautiful bride,” he said without inflection.
Eve faced him directly. It was easy to say there was nothing permanent between them when they were apart. When she was faced with his presence, however, the attraction was undeniable. “Thank you. I suddenly feel like shit.”
“Don’t,” he said tightly. “Fuck the doubts and guilt and all the other crap I feel stirring around in you and give this marriage everything you’ve got. You wanted Cain and now he’s yours. You better damn well enjoy it.”
She intended to, but that wasn’t the issue. “Don’t be sarcastic. It stings.”
“I’m not.” He shifted to a spot right in front of her. “I mean it. I’m not going to have what I want from you until you’ve reached the end of the road with him. I’ve got all the time in the world. I can wait ’til you get there.”
“We’re getting married, Reed.”
The look he gave her was both scathing and mocking. “You have to. I didn’t realize that until last night.”
“Reed—”
He grabbed her right hand and pushed the pink diamond engagement ring over the knuckle of her fourth finger. “Cain gave it back to me, but it’s yours.”
The fit was snugger on her dominant hand. Not uncomfortably so, but enough to make her very aware of the ring’s presence.
Dropping her hand as if it burned him, he stepped back. “Marriage isn’t an unbreakable contract, Eve. Cain’s been married before.”
Her hand fisted, testing the weight of the massive stone.
“I have something you need and want,” Reed bit out. “I’m damned if I know what it is between us, but I do know it’s not going away, and neither am I. You and I are unfinished business, and you won’t be able to live with that forever. You’ll come back to me some day. And when you do, we’ll both know you’re ready.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but he shifted away. There one second, gone the next. As ephemeral as smoke, just as he’d always been. She sucked in a deep, shaky breath and felt a huge weight slip from her shoulders. He had given her a blessing of sorts, something she hadn’t realized she wanted until she had it. And Alec was right; Reed wasn’t putting up a fight. That spoke louder than words.
Eve left the bedroom in her bare feet and hurried down the stairs towards her future.
The Majestic
Seressia Glass
Rinna walked past the row of crimson stools at the Majestic’s well-used counter, heading for a
table in the back corner. The Art Deco diner had been an indelible part of the Poncey-Highland neighbourhood just east of downtown Atlanta since 1929. Open twenty-four hours and every day except Christmas, the Majestic catered to an eclectic crowd of humans and hybrids alike.
At this time of day, the diner was mostly empty. That would change as night fell, then at midnight. That was when the Majestic became a prime people- and hybrid-watching venue.
She wasn’t there to watch, though. No, she’d arrived an hour early to gather her thoughts and prepare to make her case to a man she hadn’t been able to forget for two years.
She looked up as the waiter placed a menu, a glass of water and tableware in front of her. “Hey Sam. Getting in touch with your feminine side this cycle?”
Sam flashed a sharp-toothed grin, pushing her green-tipped black fringe off her forehead. “Thought it wouldn’t hurt to take a walk on the wilder side,” the hybrid confided. “You wanna look at the menu, or do you already know what you want?”
“I’ll flip through it, and just start with a cup of black coffee, thick.”
Sam placed a laminated menu on the table. “Gotcha. Back in a bit.”
Rinna tapped her fingers as she looked through the menu, trying to quell her nerves. Two years. After two years, it would finally happen. She’d finally see him again.
Sam returned with coffee. “Today’s the day, eh, Rinna?”
“Yes.” She fidgeted. “At least, I hope so.”
“Of course it will be. How can Bale resist you?”
“Easily.” Rinna wrapped her hands around the coffee mug to prevent tapping a hole into the table. “Our people can really hold on to grudges, down to the smallest slight. Bale and I didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.”
Best of terms. She’d run away from Bale like a weak banring afraid of being exposed to die by her crèche mother. All because she’d discovered Bale’s clan affiliation. A clan he no longer recognized, much as she’d left hers for a new life in Atlanta two years ago.
