by Rose Wulf
“Yes,” Kai replied, shutting the door. “Because demons are good at spying on each other, and it saves us the energy.”
“You can’t possibly trust him,” Gwen insisted.
“You’re right. I don’t.”
But that didn’t mean he was lying this time. He’d gone out of his way to draw Kai’s attention, never making a move to attack. The chances of that not being suicide, from the demon’s perspective, had to be near zero.
“Could he be telling the truth?” Belle asked, concern and a flicker of fear in her voice. The existence of that fear bothered him more than he was currently willing to let on.
Kai released a breath, resisting the urge to run his hands through his hair to release a little energy, and offered the best answer he had. “He believes he is. And I’ve long suspected Creed had a powerful ally in his back pocket.” He moved properly into the living room and claimed the armchair.
Gwen and Belle sat—heavily, in Gwen’s case—on the couch. Belle took the seat nearest the chair, leaning forward with a thoughtful frown. “What do you mean?”
“He always seems one step ahead,” Kai admitted, choosing his words carefully. “Before yesterday he’d never risked a direct battle with me, but more than that, even when I shield my presence, he seems to sense me coming.”
Belle was silent, her blue eyes dimmed with thought as she processed Kai’s words.
Gwen tucked her feet beneath her on the couch and asked the million-dollar question. “Okay, so how many angels are more powerful than you? How likely is that?”
Kai met her curious gaze. “One hundred and one. And not very.”
Gwen’s eyes widened. “I take it … there are more than one hundred and two angels? Or three, counting Jaelyn?”
“We number over ten thousand currently,” Kai replied.
Gwen’s mouth fell open and a distinct utterance of “Holy shit,” reached Kai’s ears, though the words were mumbled.
“Okay,” Belle interrupted after glancing at Gwen, “let’s shelve this conversation. Stressing over who may or may not be betraying the High Kingdom is not going to get us anywhere.” She leaned to the side and rested a hand on Gwen’s shoulder. “You’re due for a healing session.”
Kai glanced up as Gwen’s attention shifted. Who could Knox have meant? If the angel in question was stronger than him, Kai needed to tread carefully. And on the off-chance Isabella was involved, he had to refrain from reporting this information. His gut insisted she wasn’t to blame. But then he’d be blaming the Archangels. The One Percenters. I need hard proof. Proof that would be hard to obtain while he was helping protect a human woman.
****
“Kai,” Belle called quietly as she stepped back into the living room that night. He’d gallantly volunteered to take the couch, allowing Belle and Gwen to share the guest room. It was late enough that Gwen, and likely Ben, too, was asleep. This was the best time they were going to get to talk.
Kai sat up, having been stretched out on the couch, and looked over at her. “What is it?”
Belle paused, debating keeping some distance between them and taking the armchair, but settled on being close enough to see his eyes in the darkened room instead. As she sat beside him, she asked, “Do you think it could be Isabella?’
Kai frowned. “I find it doubtful,” he replied. “But right now we have to consider all possibilities.”
“If not her,” Belle continued, “who? Do you have any ideas?”
“No, unfortunately,” Kai said. “And to suspect an Archangel is dangerous. There’ll be no going to Isabella for help without hard proof.”
Belle sighed, fighting the urge to rest her head on his shoulder. Whatever was developing between them this time, she needed to go into it with a clear head. A clear heart. Everything needed to be settled before their latest affair could go beyond what it had already become.
“But that’s not really why you’re here,” Kai said, his voice quiet and careful. He always had been perceptive.
Drawing a deep, unsteady breath, Belle lifted her gaze back to his and felt the sting of tears threatening. “You asked me the other day … how Madelyne’s doing.” Just phrasing it that way made her want to cry. But this time she contained as much of that continuous grief and outrage as she could.
“I did.”
It was all she could do to force the words past her lips. “She’s dead.”
Kai’s eyes went wide. For once, maybe for the first time since she’d known him, he was visibly shocked.
I guess he really did mute me.
Realization slowly dawned as his expression softened into one of sorrow and sympathy. “That’s what you meant,” he said. “That’s what you prayed for.”
“Yes,” Belle said, tears choking her voice now. “I prayed when we were attacked. And when that demon stole her body, before I lost consciousness. And again when I woke up.”
Kai let his head fall to his hands. “Belle,” he started, “I … I wish I’d done things differently. If I had, I’d have been there. I never would’ve let Madelyne die.”
Her heart warmed as a tear slipped free. She hadn’t heard such raw, exposed emotion from him since shortly before their breakup. Resting a hand on his shoulder, she offered him the best thing she could. “I appreciate that, Kai. Really. But what happened to Madelyne isn’t your fault. Even when we were together, we weren’t with each other all the time. I don’t want you blaming yourself for that.”
“But I’d never have muted you,” he argued. “And I sure as hell would never have ignored a prayer like that.”
The self-loathing building in his eyes pierced her heart more efficiently than his words. Belle reacted on instinct, grabbing his face and pressing her lips over his. Once, twice, three times in sweet, chaste kisses. “Kai,” she whispered, “I know. I believe that.” She swallowed, releasing his cheeks and letting her hands curl over his. “It’s just … because of what did happen, I’m hesitant. Maybe even scared. How am I supposed to trust that you won’t wake up tomorrow and remember why you left in the first place?”
Kai scowled and caught her hands in his. “I haven’t forgotten why I left back then. I’ve just decided that if I want to be with you, and if you want to be with me, I may have to raise my sword to people I once considered allies.” He lifted their joined hands and pressed kisses to her knuckles, but never broke eye-contact. “I’m willing to do that. Not only am I willing to do that, but I’m confident I would win.”
Belle’s heart fluttered, and she smiled before she could tell herself not to. “That’s sweet, Kai. But if Isabella comes for me—”
“She’ll have to kill me first.”
There was absolutely no room for argument, no doubt, no hesitation in his eyes. Just firm certainty. Unwavering determination. And the sight of it made her heart soar.
Still, she had to point out their reality. “You know we’ll be caught. You’re Second in Command. I’m Master Healer. If we suddenly move in together, someone will notice.”
Kai’s lips twitched. “Are you at the ‘move in together’ stage, then?”
Belle frowned at him. “I was making a point.” Liar.
Only a shadow of the grin she was sure he was fighting showed on his face. “Well, if that happens, let them figure it out.”
Belle huffed a soft laugh and finally gave in, leaning her head on his shoulder, their hands still clasped. It was silly to try and figure out their long-term plans, anyway. They had a mission to focus on, a mission that would take them another couple of months to complete. And they had a sub-mission. They were the only ones aware of the situation with the Archangels—because Kai was right, it didn’t seem believable that Isabella would be the one—and they needed to figure that out, too.
We’ll just have to figure ourselves out along the way.
Chapter Fourteen
They spent two weeks at Ben’s house. Two weeks of routine healing sessions for Gwen; two weeks of no new information from Knox. He’d c
hecked in a few times, reporting that Creed hadn’t returned to the angel’s location, but Creed was surely planning something. Something Knox suspected would cause problems for them personally. And the longer they went without any other demonic interruption, the edgier Kai became. They’d gone from multiple attacks in less than twenty-four hours to nothing for two entire weeks.
In his experience a warrior only pulled from the battlefield for two reasons: physical inability to continue the fight, or to prepare for something big. And with an Archangel in his back pocket, Creed had the potential for something big.
“You look agitated,” Belle declared as she stepped up to him. “I thought you’d be glad for a change of scenery.”
Kai looked away from the adequate backyard and offered her a small shrug. “It’s not that we’re leaving,” he said. “It’s the timing. It’s been too long since the last time we were attacked.”
Belle bumped his shoulder with her own. “Don’t say that, you’ll jinx us. I much prefer to think that Creed finally realized he was outmatched by the angel who nearly sliced him in half.”
Looping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his side, Kai said, “I wish we were that lucky.”
“You’re so cynical,” Belle teased, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Over the past two weeks Kai and Belle had grown closer. Almost like they used to be. But no matter what he said he sensed she was still holding back. He couldn’t blame her. Even if she consciously accepted his real reasoning behind the horrible things he’d said to her a century ago, she’d had all that time to hate him. To distrust and resent him. He wasn’t sure she would ever love him again, but the fact that she seemed to be giving him a chance was enough. For now.
Once this mission is over, we’ll have to make a choice.
And though he hated admitting it, he was terrified that she would ultimately decide to walk away.
“I can’t decide if you two are super cute,” Gwen began as she stepped into the yard, “or kinda creeping me out. It’s like walking in on family.”
Belle eased out of Kai’s embrace with a laugh. “You say that every time we so much as hold hands.”
Setting her bag on the ground at her feet, Gwen grinned. “Then at least I’m consistent.”
“Have you decided where we’re going?” Belle asked, changing the subject. Which was fine with Kai.
Gwen heaved a sigh and scrunched her lips to one side. “I suppose we should just pick somewhere good and hole up. I mean, I don’t have a place right now and we’ve still got all this healing to do.”
Belle turned to Kai. “I can do my healing from anywhere, so that means it’s up to you. What are your parameters?”
Kai frowned. Anywhere heavily populated was dangerous, so suburbia and apartments were out. For his sanity so were the larger cities like L.A. and San Francisco.
“Please don’t pick an isolated cabin in the woods,” Gwen said.
“Actually,” Belle interrupted, “that gives me an idea. What about a spread out resort? Maybe a small, high-end type that would have more space than guests.”
Gwen immediately held up her hands in a vetoing motion. “Uh-uh,” she said. “Nice as that sounds, my budget’s a little too thin for that. I spent most of my inheritance traveling, remember?”
But Belle’s idea held some merit. It was certainly worth the few minutes it would take him to look into it. “Fortunately,” Kai said, “we’re not limited to your budget.” He closed his eyes then and extended his consciousness in search of something that would fit Belle’s description.
Distantly he heard Belle explain to Gwen that he was, in human terms, very rich. He didn’t focus enough to hear the exact wording.
There.
A sprawling resort along the Colorado River. Suites came in bundles of two and three, each with a mini spa and covered walkways connecting them to the shared recreational facilities. Though he doubted Gwen was much of a golfer and it was the wrong season for skiing. But it would do nicely.
“Is everyone ready?” he asked, opening his eyes again.
“Found something already?” Belle asked as she shouldered her bag. Her rolling suitcase rested beside her, between her and Gwen.
Kai inclined his head and held out his hands. “I hope you don’t have anything against Colorado.”
****
Creed wrapped his hand around Knox’s throat the moment the other demon came into arms’ reach. “You been following me, whelp,” he growled, the evening air around them sizzling to match his mood.
Knox glared at him over the chokehold and held still. “Took you this long to notice?”
With an angry roar, Creed hurled the demon to the ground. “What game are you playing?” He couldn’t have spies at this critical stage. Everything was almost ready.
Knox rolled to one knee and wiped a dot of blood from his chin. “See, that’s the difference between us, Creed. You see this as some big game. I don’t. But I do know how you treat demons you feel betrayed by, and I wanted to make sure you weren’t harboring any delusions of making me your bitch.”
Creed allowed a slow smirk to curve his lips. “Is that so? Well, you should’ve asked. I don’t have any use for your self-righteous ass.”
“Right,” Knox returned. “’Cause I’d trust a word you said. You lied through your teeth to get volunteers, and I watched you throw us at that angel without a twinge of remorse.”
“What part of demon don’t you understand?” Was this kid serious? Of course he’d sacrificed his volunteers. He wasn’t about to get fileted by fucking Kai. Any demon worth his salt knew better than to go head-to-head with him. But he never would’ve pegged Knox to have the sense to recognize that.
“Oh, I understand,” Knox said. “I just don’t agree. Does that piss you off? You gonna do something about it?”
Cracking his knuckles, Creed said, “Yeah, I finally am.” He took a single step forward, already drawing on the dark energy around him when his senses tingled. Something prickled at the base of his scalp, and his gut jolted with a sharp tug. He was being summoned. Damn. “Fortunately for you, boy, something else just came up. But once I’m done dousing that blue-flamed angel I’ll be coming for you.”
****
Gwen whistled her appreciation as they came to a stop in front of their suite. Belle completely understood the feeling. Kai had done a fantastic job choosing their destination. They were on the riverside, with a spacious shaded deck area perfect for relaxing or barbecuing—if that was the sort of thing they’d be doing. A hot tub was set into the far side of the deck, and Belle already knew she’d be using it regularly. Few things were more rejuvenating after a long day’s healing session than a relaxing soak.
And hot tubs can be so much fun.
The suite itself comprised a two-part single story building. According to the layout she’d studied in the lobby office while Kai made their reservation, one of the sections boasted a large bedroom and the kitchen area. The other contained a second, slightly smaller bedroom and the large living space. Both rooms included full bathrooms and were connected by double doors between the kitchen and living areas.
Belle looped her arm through Kai’s with a smile. “You did a good job on this one.”
“You know you two are sharing a room, right?” Gwen declared as she pulled open the door. “’Cause I’m not. I need a little me time.”
Grabbing the handle of her rolling suitcase, Belle followed behind their eager companion. “Don’t worry, Kai can sleep outside if he doesn’t like it.” Kai was behind her now, but she swore she heard him scoff under his breath. And the fact was she had no intention of making him sleep on the deck.
She’d made a lot of progress on releasing her hesitation over the last two weeks. She was almost sure she could trust him again. Almost. But she wasn’t pressuring herself, either. If things between them were good, and she felt emotionally safe, at the end of this mission—that was when she’d make her final choice.
Bel
le was so absorbed in her reflection she nearly missed the change in the pressure of the air around her.
She turned in time to see a flash of blue flame as Kai drew his sword, his gaze fixed in the direction they’d been standing not thirty seconds earlier. And when she looked past him her stomach clenched. Sure enough, despite the last two weeks of peace, there was Creed.
“What’re you—oh, man,” Gwen said behind her.
“Stay back,” Belle instructed, releasing her suitcase in favor of extracting her weapon from her pocket. Sure, so far Creed was the only demon in sight, but he didn’t usually come alone. Instinct insisted there were more to come.
“Hey there, kids,” Creed called almost casually, not making an attempt to come closer. “Nice digs.”
“Leave,” Kai ordered. “Or I’ll cut you down where you stand.”
Creed tsked at them, even shaking a finger. “You shouldn’t be so hasty. Don’t you wanna know why I haven’t bothered you lately?”
“Not really,” Belle said, extending her blade but holding her position in front of Gwen.
Creed tilted his head to better see her over Kai’s shoulder. “Oh, Nephy, I promise you do. You really do.”
Belle felt the familiar anger rise inside her at the insult but this time she resisted it. He was trying to goad her again.
Kai dropped his bag from his other hand and started forward. “Looks like your time’s up.” His pace was calm as if he were just going to check the mail. If not for the sword he held and the angry blue flame crackling around it.
“Stay where you are, angel,” Creed instructed, holding one hand up, palm out. With his other he reached for the shade thrown by the nearby trees and rolled his wrist deliberately. The shadows began to shift, widening and thickening.
Kai stopped, undoubtedly to see who or what happened next.
A pit formed in Belle’s stomach as she watched a tall, square shape form. Whatever this was, it would be bad. But what kind of bad?
The shadows slowly receded, revealing first what seemed like a solid, portable wall of steel. It was braced at the base with posts. Chains were anchored, probably welded, into it, holding tight their captive.
