“I was thinking how strange it is for me to be here… like this.”
“Like this?”
“Talking… eating with you… not thinking about my duty.”
Amelia laughed and touched his hand, and then smiled deep into his eyes, her grey ones bright with amusement.
He was smitten. It wasn’t just physical desire he felt for her. It went deeper. So deep that he was beginning to question whether he would be able to leave her when his mission came to an end.
Could he?
Marcus frowned and tilted his head back again.
“What is it now?” Amelia said.
“Einar has arrived. He is wondering where we are.”
“That’s still freaky.” Amelia smiled and set her fork down, and signalled the waiter.
There was a hint of nerves in her eyes now. He felt it too. The past few hours with her had been a dream and now they had to face reality again. He had to return his focus to his mission and protecting her. His duty waited.
Duty.
It was all he had known since his rebirth and his heart had been dedicated to it but now he wasn’t sure what he was doing. When his mission was over, could he return to his duty and to Heaven?
It was all he had wanted for so long. It had kept him going throughout his time trapped in Heaven, wingless, and after that when he had been assigned to watch over Amelia. Now he was no longer certain about what he wanted. No. He was certain but he was finding it difficult to believe that he felt such a way.
He wanted to stay with Amelia.
Even if that meant turning his back on Heaven.
CHAPTER 15
Einar stopped in front of a dark door on the top floor of the Parisian townhouse and knocked. Taylor hung back on the short strip of hallway outside the apartment, a wheeled black travel case beside her, leaving Marcus and Amelia standing on the step below. Both Taylor and Einar had complained about the heat when they had met them at the base of the Eiffel Tower, and Marcus had felt inclined to mention that their usual tight black combat clothing probably wasn’t the best choice considering the weather. His gaze shifted to the travel case. Did it contain clothes or was it packed with weapons? It wouldn’t surprise him if Taylor had somehow managed to conceal a large number of knives in the innocent looking piece of luggage. The only thing that would surprise him was if she had actually come here unarmed. He couldn’t remember a time when he had seen her without a weapon on hand.
She looked over her shoulder at him, causing her long black hair to sway in its ponytail, and eyed him suspiciously. It seemed half-demons could sense when an angel was watching them closely. Marcus smiled and her hard look softened and then a smile of her own curved her lips when her blue gaze shifted to Amelia.
“Anything strange happen on the way here?” she said.
“Other than the fact I was flying in the arms of an angel?” Amelia smiled brightly and then shook her head. “Nothing out of the ordinary except that.”
“Good to hear. The local demons in London haven’t encountered any Hell’s angels, so those three you fought must have been the only ones in the vicinity. That means we couldn’t get any intel on what they wanted, I’m afraid.” Taylor’s attention shifted back to Marcus.
He nodded. Taylor held his gaze, a silent challenge in her eyes, a dare to mention that those three Hell’s angels hadn’t been the only ones in London. Veiron had been there too. The faint trace of hurt that shone in her blue irises alongside that dare stopped him from saying anything. Einar was right. Whatever had happened between Taylor and Veiron, it had hurt her, and bringing him up again would only renew that pain.
The door opened to reveal a petite blonde woman wearing a pale dress similar to Amelia’s deep blue one. Marcus wasn’t familiar with her but she smiled at them all in turn.
“We were not expecting you,” she said, her English thick with a French accent.
Was this the woman that Apollyon had sacrificed everything for? Einar had explained that the woman was a witch. Marcus had never met one of her kind. Power flowed from her, a force that held an underlying note of darkness.
“Apollyon is out. We needed food for our guests.” Her smile brightened. “I will have to send him out for more now.”
“You already have guests?” Einar said and she nodded.
Marcus focused and picked up the quiet conversation taking place inside the apartment. He would recognise the male voice anywhere.
“Rookie.” Marcus grinned and the petite blonde looked confused and turned to Einar for an explanation.
“He means Lukas.” Einar smiled warmly. “I hadn’t seen him since his rebirth until only recently.”
“You are lucky. I had to re-train him in combat with spears. He was terrible.” Marcus laughed at the memory of having to teach the angel that had once taught him. That was the downside to being reborn on death. Not only did you forget your past life, but you forgot everything you had learned too. The slate was wiped clean. Languages, knowledge, fighting techniques. All of it was gone and it was rare to instinctively remember anything. Most angels only recalled how to do one or two things and it often took centuries for those to come back to them.
Marcus had come through the ranks with Einar under Lukas’s instruction. It had been strange to be his junior one day and his superior the next.
“Come in,” the woman said and Einar passed her. Taylor followed him into the apartment. The woman’s gaze met his. “I am Serenity.”
Marcus stepped up onto the small hallway. “I’m Marcus and this is Amelia. We need to see Apollyon as soon as he returns.”
She sighed. “He will not be pleased to see you… if you ask… no… if you have come to ask him to bring you to that place.”
Something in the weary edge to her hazel eyes said that she wasn’t pleased to see him either. Marcus knew requesting access to Hell was asking a lot of Apollyon and that his old friend wanted to be rid of all of his duties that bound him to that place and Heaven, but all of Marcus’s hope rested on him saying that he could take him there so he could find out what Veiron and Heaven had seen.
“I must.” Marcus held his hand out to Amelia. “Her life depends on it.”
Serenity’s eyes shifted to Amelia and softened. “In that case, you may enter and wait for him. Do not expect a good response.”
She stepped aside and fixed him with a hard look as he passed and he got a clearer sense of her power. She was strong, her magic emanating from her in tangible waves and mingling with the anger evident in the set of her jaw. It warned him not to argue with her. It seemed Apollyon wasn’t the only one who was upset whenever someone asked him to travel to Hell.
Marcus could understand her reluctance and her feelings. Apollyon would have to accompany him in order for him to gain access to Hell, and it was a dangerous place for angels, even those as powerful as Apollyon. The pool that recorded the history of the mortal realm from Hell was close to the bottomless pit where the Devil resided. The Devil had a strong voice and had swayed hundreds of angels with his promises.
“This is a beautiful apartment,” Amelia said from behind him.
“It is Apollyon’s big taste and my décor.” Serenity giggled, seemingly more at ease with Amelia than she was with him. “We have lived here since we met.”
“I think Marcus must be the only angel who isn’t rich.” Amelia laughed and glanced his way, her bright eyes enchanting him. “Everyone else seems to have amazing apartments and he’s stuck in a one-bed next door to me.”
Marcus walked over to her and touched her arm. “I am only there because you are there.”
Amelia’s laughter faded. “I hadn’t thought of that. I guess I’m the poor one.” She turned back to Serenity and then looked across the pale living room to Einar and Lukas where they were talking. “Do you think Marcus would have an amazing place like this if he lived on Earth?”
The look on both men’s faces dropped away to reveal their shock and their hesitation drew a frown from M
arcus.
“Marcus living in this world?” Lukas broke the tense silence and smiled at him, his green eyes shining with amusement. He was quiet for a few seconds and then shook his head. “Nope… I can’t picture that at all.”
Marcus turned his frown on the man. He was tempted to cross the room, take hold of him by the mess of sandy hair that crowned his pretty face and drag him into a headlock. It was the truth and he hadn’t expected either angel to say that they could see him living in the mortal realm, but a tiny part of him had wanted to hear them say something more positive to Amelia.
She stood silent beside him, her eyes cast down at the pale wooden floor. Lukas leaned his bottom against the back of the beige couch and concern slowly replaced the amusement in his eyes. The redheaded woman sitting on the arm of the couch scowled at Lukas and he looked over his shoulder at her as though he had sensed her anger. Even Einar looked unimpressed and Taylor was crossing the room to Amelia.
“Let’s get some air.” Taylor took hold of Amelia’s hand, turned her back on him and led her from the room.
“I will go too,” Serenity said and cast a frown Lukas’s way before following Taylor and Amelia out of the room.
Marcus glanced through the open door into the beech wood kitchen beyond. The redhead frowned at Lukas for a few seconds longer and then followed the rest of the women.
“Annelie…” Lukas said as the woman stalked away from him without looking back, his deep voice quiet in the bright room. When she had reached the kitchen, Lukas slouched and then shrugged. “Guess I put my foot in it… sorry.”
“Try thinking before you speak next time.” Marcus dumped his backpack down on the wooden floor, exhaled a sigh, and rubbed his jaw.
“It’s not my fault that it’s almost impossible to imagine you living in this world.” Lukas stood and Marcus just stared him down. They might be the same height, but Lukas wasn’t about to intimidate him. When it came to a fight, Marcus could easily best him, and the way he was feeling right now, he might even start it.
“Do you think she was testing the water?” Marcus ignored Lukas and looked to Einar for help.
Einar nodded. “I think she wanted to see where she stood.”
“Great.” Marcus glared at Lukas again. “I thought you would know better. I presume that is your female who was looking as though she was going to murder you in your sleep.”
Lukas glanced towards the door, the shock back on his face as though he hadn’t noticed the bitter disappointment in Annelie’s eyes before she had left, and then folded his arms across his chest, pulling his pale blue shirt tight across his muscles. He leaned back against the couch and crossed his legs at the ankle, drawing Marcus’s glare down their long cream linen-clad length to his feet. They were bare. Lukas was certainly comfortable in Apollyon’s apartment. How often had they seen each other? That seemed strange to him. The last time Lukas had seen Apollyon before his rebirth they had parted on a monumental argument that had shaken the ground and turned the sky black. Lukas would have forgotten the argument but Apollyon wouldn’t have. Had he even told Lukas about it?
“I admit I was tactless and should have thought about what the girl was really asking, but there’s no need to fly off the handle about it… all of you,” Lukas groused and turned a frown on both him and Einar.
“Tactless. Certainly a good word for you, Rookie.” Marcus clenched his fists, drew a deep breath, and then blew it out. “I need to speak with her.”
Einar’s hand clamped down on his shoulder. “I think you should give her a moment. The women will take care of it.”
Would they? The temptation to go to Amelia and explain was strong but he held himself back. If Einar believed that the women would handle the situation and bring things between him and Amelia back on track, then he would trust them with that mission. He frowned at the wooden floor. She wanted to be with him. She wanted him to stay on Earth. He had hated this place so much in the past, had carried that feeling into battle with him so many times, but now his feelings were changing thanks to one woman. A pure soul. A beautiful creature in a world filled with cruelty, despair, death and destruction. If she let him, he would give her all she deserved. He would give her a place like this in whatever city she desired to live in as long as she would remain with him.
“Is he in love?” Lukas whispered in Einar’s direction.
“It certainly seems so.”
Did it? Marcus closed his eyes and turned his focus inwards, trying to decipher his feelings and put a name to them. He was attracted to Amelia, she was constantly on his mind, and he couldn’t stop thinking about doing things that would make her smile or feel safe or would make her want to kiss him. He cared about her and wanted to see her survive the event that lay ahead of her.
And he was considering staying in the mortal realm.
Marcus looked at Lukas and then at Einar. Both men had chosen to come to Earth in order to be with their women. Even Apollyon had forsaken his duties in order to be with his witch. Was his desire to remain with Amelia on Earth and follow in his fellow warriors’ footsteps a sign that he was in love with her?
He loved her.
The door behind him opened and then closed.
“Well, this is certainly a surprise,” Apollyon drawled and Marcus turned to face him.
The darkness in Apollyon’s clear blue eyes matched the anger that Marcus could sense in him. Serenity had been right. Apollyon didn’t want to see him and he hadn’t even mentioned anything about needing to go to Hell yet.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Apollyon lowered the plastic bags of groceries he held to the floor. “I haven’t seen you in a long time… Marcus.”
It had been centuries since they had last met but before that they had often seen each other, especially when Marcus had lent a hand as a temporary angel of death. As far as he could recall, he had done nothing to gain such a cold greeting from his friend.
“I need your assistance with something.” Marcus stepped forward.
At that same moment, the four women came in from the kitchen. Serenity hurried towards Apollyon and he smiled at her. Apollyon’s blue eyes rose to take in the other women and darkness crossed his face and his irises brightened. Serenity stopped dead. A wave of anger crashed through the room and Marcus could only stare at Apollyon as his black wings tore through his crisp white dress shirt and he let out an ungodly growl. His clothing shredded, revealing his black armour, the gold edging and the rampant lions on his vambraces gleaming in the bright expansive room.
He clutched at the sides of his head, burying his fingers into his long black hair and tugging strands free of his ponytail.
“Apollyon… what is wrong, mon ange?” Serenity went to move but stopped again when he raised his head, his vivid blue eyes locking on her. A pained look crossed his face and then he growled again.
“Must leave… send me far away… far… now! All in danger.” Apollyon pressed his fingers into the sides of his head and hunched over. “Now, Serenity!”
The world shifted around Marcus, swirling and distorting in a way that made him feel as though his insides were doing the same, and when it came back again, they were standing in the middle of a corn field with Paris far in the distance.
Apollyon looked up, sheer horror on his face. “No… what did you do… I said to send me.”
Marcus moved towards Amelia when Apollyon looked at her, his pupils narrowing and then widening, flickering between the two. Apollyon shook his head, closed his eyes, and then looked at Serenity, imploring her.
“Run… get away from me.” The desperation in his tone sent a bolt of fear through Marcus.
He caught hold of Amelia’s hand, sent his clothes away and called his armour. He grabbed one of the blades from his waist and clutched it tightly, watching Apollyon for a sign he might attack. Einar must have sensed something too because he motioned for Taylor to come to him. Lukas moved to stand in front of Annelie, shielding the redhead with his body.
&n
bsp; “Apollyon?” Serenity’s voice trembled. “What is wrong?”
Apollyon snarled, whimpered and then looked at her, his eyes full of pleading. “Take them and go… please? I cannot… I cannot fight it.”
Serenity took a step backwards, away from him, her pale dress blending into the corn that reached to her hips. She looked over her shoulder at Marcus and the others. Marcus wasn’t sure what was happening and it seemed the rest didn’t either. Apollyon had been fine when he had first arrived in the apartment. It was only once the women had come through that he had changed.
Marcus’s eyes widened.
It was when he had set eyes on Amelia.
There was only one explanation Marcus could come up with and it chilled him to the bone.
Heaven wanted her dead and was ordering Apollyon to do it.
“Take them,” Apollyon whispered. “I will hold off as long as I can.”
“I can’t.” Serenity shook her head. “I used all my power to bring us here.”
“No.” Apollyon stared at her, horror filling his bright blue eyes. Tears laced his dark lashes, trembling on the brink of falling, and his struggle was visible for all to see. His battle against whatever order was being sent to him was tearing him apart along with the fear of hurting those he cared about. “No… why… why did you have to come? Why?”
The tears in Apollyon’s eyes fell when he looked at Marcus, dashing down his cheeks. He had never seen such pain in his friend or witnessed such torment. It was so strong that Marcus could feel a sliver of it mingling with his own fear.
“I should never have set eyes on her… I do not want this.”
The truth in those words and the agony that crossed Apollyon’s face as he struggled with himself drew a dark curse from Marcus. He couldn’t imagine the depth of what his friend was feeling or what it would be like to do something against his wishes, to have Heaven seize command of his body, but he knew one thing. It was killing Apollyon and it wouldn’t be long before he lost what little control he had over himself.
Her Guardian Angel Page 18
