War Angel Contingent (Everlasting Fire Series, Book 1)

by S. J. West

  “I don’t know if I respect you or despise you,” Gideon says, looking properly confused by me.

  I shrug. “I can be an acquired taste,” I admit, but I’m certainly not apologizing for my business sense. “If you want my opinion, I suggest you guys make a decision quickly. If you’re not willing to pay me, I need to start working on another bounty. I don’t have a rich empress of some fancy cloud city backing my every move. Us ordinary folk have to actually go out and earn a living to survive.”

  Roan stares at me for a long time. I’m not sure if he’s trying to intimidate me or what, but my only response is a loud yawn.

  “Look, fellas,” I say, putting my feet back on the floor and standing up. “I have a job I need to get back to, so either give me an answer within the next ten seconds or I’m out of here.”

  “Could you make that ten minutes instead?” Roan asks. “I can’t authorize such a large payment myself. I need to speak with someone who has more authority than I do before I can make such a promise.”

  “Sure,” I say graciously. “I was just about to go down and get some breakfast anyway. You have until I’m finished eating to tell me what the verdict is.”

  Roan inclines his head in my direction. “We’ll be back as soon as possible with the decision.”

  Both he and Gideon phase away. I turn toward the door in the living room and walk out of it to descend a flight of stairs that takes me directly down to my mother’s nightclub. I place my hand on the black steel door at the bottom of the steps and wait for it to read my palm print. A faint blue glow appears underneath my hand just before the door slides open, allowing me entry into Grace House.

  After my human mother died and my rebellion angel mom took over her body to masquerade as Evelyn Grace, she built Grace House as a way to provide us with a healthy income. She and Uncle Enis are partners in the everyday running of things for the nightclub, and they co-parented me, which was a job unto itself most days while I was growing up. I may not have had the most conventional upbringing, but I always knew I was loved. I still do.

  I walk through the nightclub’s interior to the swinging door that leads to the kitchen area. At this time of day, the club is empty and eerily silent. The only sound I hear is the banging of pans in the kitchen where I know I’ll find Uncle Enis cooking my breakfast. As soon as I walk through the door, my nasal passages are filled with the aroma of a cheese and ham omelet and a side of bacon. The omelet is his signature breakfast dish, and the three slices of bacon are a must-have for me every morning. In my line of work, I need my energy reserves at full capacity so I can run after criminals regular cops can’t seem to catch. Most days I only have time to eat one meal, and everyone keeps telling me that breakfast is the most important meal, so I try to make sure I eat a large one.

  “I thought those two would probably end up waking you up,” Uncle Enis says as he slides my folded omelet onto a white plate.

  “I suppose I have you to thank for the cup of coffee,” I say knowingly.

  “I figured you would need it after last night. Do you want some aspirin this morning for your head?”

  “No. Roan brought some sort of magic wand back from Earth that took my headache away.”

  “Ah, yes. A healing wand.”

  “You know about those things?” I ask in surprise. “Why haven’t you ever stolen one and brought it here for us to use? That thing could save me from ever having a hangover again.”

  “You know what else can do that for you?” he asks. “Not drinking so much alcohol that you pass out from it. Seriously, Jules, you have to stop drinking so much. You’re going to ruin your liver.”

  “Considering what I do for a living, I probably won’t live long enough to contract cirrhosis.”

  “Don’t talk like that,” Uncle Enis admonishes me. “If your mother and I have anything to say about it, you’ll live a long long time.”

  I don’t make a reply. I just sit down heavily on my regular steel stool at the counter across from the stove. My uncle reaches over and hands me the plate with my breakfast on it. I bring the plate up to my nose and inhale deeply.

  “If this isn’t heaven on a plate, I don’t know what is,” I declare before setting the offering of food down in front of me and grabbing my fork to make the first cut into the omelet.

  “So where are Roan and Gideon?” he asks.

  “Went back to Cirrus, I think,” I say before stuffing my mouth full of egg, ham, and melted cheese. After I swallow, I continue. “They want me to traipse around the universe with them to find Helena with my tracker. Personally, I think it’s a waste of time, but if they’re willing to pay me to do it, I’m game.”

  “I realize the odds of finding her that way are low, but why do you think it’s a waste of time?”

  “If we just bide our time, I’m sure she’ll come back here eventually. I’m probably one of the few people who can understand her emotional state right now. At some point, she’ll return to the cabin because it’s the one place that still has untainted memories of Cade attached to it.”

  “Yes, but like you told us, it looks like she’s close to having the child. They want to get to her before she does.”

  “Has Roan told you how they plan on forcing Helena to give the baby to them?”

  “Do you honestly think they would divulge that type of information to me?”

  I shake my head. “No. But I thought you might have overheard them say something when they thought you weren’t listening.”

  “The only one who lets anything slip is Xander, and that’s only when he gets drunk.”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen him and his brother here before. What’s the brother’s name?”

  “Zane,” Uncle Enis answers. “He’s basically Xander’s keeper from what I understand. Whenever Xander has a night off, he likes to come here and get wasted.”

  “I thought angels couldn’t get drunk.”

  “We can if we drink more than our metabolism can keep up with. He probably drinks in one night what you do in a whole year.”

  I have to whistle in amazement at that as I pick up a slice of bacon and nibble on it.

  While I chew on the crispy deliciousness, Uncle Enis says, “I think Xander is trying to break the habit, though. Zane told me his brother has been attempting to wean himself off the stuff, but that he’s become addicted to it.”

  “I didn’t realize angels could become addicted to anything either,” I admit, finding these War Angels more and more interesting.

  “Why did they have to go back to Cirrus to get the okay to hire you?”

  “Roan said he couldn’t approve the amount I was asking for himself and had to talk to someone with more authority.”

  Uncle Enis raises both of his eyebrows, looking both concerned and surprised.

  “How much did you ask them for?”

  “Half the bounty upfront that I get to keep whether we find her or not. Then, after we find her, I get the rest of it.”

  “You asked them for fifty gold bars?” Uncle Enis exclaims. “Do you realize how much money that is on this planet?”

  “I know exactly how much it’s worth: twenty-five million credits.”

  “Well, I hope they give it to you. Then you can stop being a bounty hunter.”

  “Who said I would stop working?” I ask, feeling slightly offended. “What else would I do with my time? Lay around all day and let servants answer my every beck and call? Do you really think that’s the type of life I want to live?”

  “Then what are you going to do with all that money?”

  “I’ll keep a good chunk of it in the bank for a retirement nest egg, in case I live that long. The rest I figured I would anonymously give away to some worthwhile charity.”

  “And if you actually do help them find Helena and earn the rest of the bounty, what are you going to do with the other twenty-five million credits?”

  “I don’t know. If you and mom want it, you’re welcome to have it.”

  “We d
on’t need money. We have plenty.”

  “Then I’ll just give it to some more charities.”

  Uncle Enis leans back on the counter behind him and stares at me hard.

  “What?” I ask cautiously. It’s obvious he wants to ask me something.

  “Evelyn and I thought you would quit work if you earned this bounty on Helena. At least, that was our hope. It seemed like a logical assumption considering how often you’ve been making yourself visit the cabin the past few months. We both know how hard it is for you to go there.”

  “Which is why I kept the place stocked with alcohol,” I confess. “I don’t suppose you would be willing to take the liquor cabinet back up there for me, would you?”

  “And face the wrath of your mother?” he scoffs. “What do you think my answer is?”

  I slice another section of my omelet with my fork and stuff it into my mouth. Uncle Enis’ question is a rhetorical one that doesn’t require a response. We both know he will never go against my mom’s wishes, no matter what.

  After I swallow what’s in my mouth, I ask, “So where is Mom this morning?”

  “She had a meeting with our alcohol supplier. He was trying to raise the prices on us, but I’m sure your mom will be able to make him see reason.”

  “You know, if the two of you would just let me give you money from the bounty I’m going to collect, you wouldn’t have to keep running this joint. The two of you are going to have to go somewhere else soon anyway. Mom can’t keep having plastic surgery to look older, and your ageless beauty is already raising some eyebrows.”

  “Some men age better than others.”

  “That excuse is getting pretty thin, Uncle Enis. You know it as well as I do.”

  Uncle Enis drops his gaze from mine as if he wants to broach a subject with me but isn’t sure if he should or not.

  “What are you hiding from me?” I ask, suspicious of his behavior.

  He raises his eyes to meet mine again and says, “Evelyn and I have talked about moving to Cirrus on Earth, but we’re not going to go unless you come too.”

  “Why do you want to live there, and why haven’t either of you mentioned this idea to me before now?” I ask, finding it strange that the two of them want to change their lives so drastically.

  “We want to go back there and help protect Lucifer’s daughter. We both feel like it’s something that we should do.”

  “To earn your redemption from God?” I ask.

  “Basically, yes. We would feel more worthy of asking Him for forgiveness if we helped her deal with the remaining rebellion angels who want to harm her and her children. I don’t know how long that will take though. It could be years before Hale and the others make a move against her. There’s just no way of knowing.”

  “Then why don’t the two of you go there now?”

  “Do you really have to ask that question?” Uncle Enis tilts his head as if I should know better.

  “I am an adult,” I respond. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Your mother and I will never leave while you still need us. You should know that by now.”

  Secretly, I’m happy to hear him say what he just did. I rely on my mom and uncle to keep me from going off the deep end. Yet, a part of me hates being so selfish. What if this is their one and only chance to do something worthy enough to save their souls? Unlike most people in the universe, I’ve always known that God was a real entity. When you’re raised by two fallen angels, it’s hard not to believe in the Almighty. Strangely enough, neither of them tried to make me resent the God they felt betrayed them. They never pushed their beliefs onto me and always urged me to use my mind and follow my heart where He was concerned.

  While Uncle Enis washes the dishes he dirtied while preparing my breakfast, I quickly finish eating my meal. I assume Roan will be back shortly to tell me whether or not my bargain has been accepted. Either way, I have work to do today. His answer just decides whether or not I’ll be spending my day searching for Helena or tracking down a wife beater who skipped out on his bail.

  Just as I’m eating the last slice of bacon on my plate, Roan walks into the kitchen.

  I turn around on my stool to watch him as he approaches.

  “Have my answer?” I ask him.

  “Not exactly,” he says hesitantly, looking unsure about how I will react to what he has to say next. “There was some debate on whether or not your help is worth what you’re asking for. My commander would like to speak with you in person, if that’s agreeable to you.”

  “Sure,” I say, hopping off my stool. “Where is he?”

  “I was asked to bring you to Cirrus.”

  “Why can’t he come here?”

  “He needed to tend to something back home first, but he said to bring you to the palace now, so that you’re there when he gets through.”

  “Sounds like a flimsy excuse to me,” I say. “I think he just wants me unbalanced while we’re on his home turf.”

  Roan remains silent, but his nonresponse speaks volumes and lets me know that my assumption is correct.

  “Do you want me to go with you?” Uncle Enis says from behind me.

  I don’t look back at my uncle. I keep my eyes on Roan as I say, “No. I can handle this negotiation. That’s what it is, right? Your commander will try to work his charms on me and renegotiate the terms I’ve set.”

  “You would have to talk to him about that,” Roan replies, refusing to acknowledge that my take on the situation is the correct one.

  “Fine,” I relent. “Let’s go.”

  “If you’re not back soon, I’m going to come and look for you,” Uncle Enis tells me.

  I look over my shoulder and wink at him. “I’ve got this. Don’t worry.”

  Roan phases to right beside me and takes ahold of my arm.

  “Are you ready?” he asks.

  I nod my head and Roan phases us to Cirrus.

  I’m soon standing on a large veranda. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of the city laid out in all its splendor before me. In my twenty-eight years of life, I’ve never seen a sight to match its beauty. I look up and notice a slight shimmer to the sky. I know what it is. It’s the forcefield that encapsulates all cloud cities and keeps them safe from the turbulence they would otherwise have to deal with at this altitude.

  Roan lets go of my arm and says, “Stay here.”

  He phases again, leaving me alone to take in the spectacle of the castle the veranda I’m standing on is a part of. It looks like something out of a fairy tale where the beautiful queen and her dashing king live out their lives in tranquility. Considering the trials and tribulations I know Empress Anna has had to endure, any peace she might be able to find in her life now has been well earned.

  As I let my gaze travel around the veranda, I notice a set of large glass doors that lead into the interior of the palace. I walk to them and try to turn the knob on one door but find it locked. When I peer inside, I see that it’s a grand ballroom.

  “I guess they want to make sure the riffraff don’t just walk in and steal all their gold,” I grumble to myself.

  At least I think I’m talking to myself, until I hear a man behind me say, “It seems to me that the only people we need to worry about stealing our gold are greedy bounty hunters.”

  I quickly spin around to look at the man who just spoke to me and find him standing by the veranda’s stone railing.

  Unexpectedly, I feel the earth beneath my feet tremble.

  CHAPTER 3

  I literally have to bend my right leg at the knee slightly and take a small step forward to brace myself, in order to keep from falling onto the stone beneath my feet, as I feel the building lurch to the right.

  “What was that?” I ask the man standing in front of me, still feeling startled by the strange movement. “And who exactly are you?”

  “That was the propulsion system beginning to move Cirrus through the sky to its new location,” he answers. “And I am Ethan Knight.”
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  I had already assumed the man was the War Angels’ commander, but it’s never a good idea to take things for granted until they’re confirmed. Ethan is tall, but to be honest, I haven’t ever actually met a short angel. I know from my mother that the War Angels were able to design the bodies they came to Earth in, just like the Watchers who came before them did. I can’t say I’ve seen one yet that isn’t handsome, but Ethan seems to be in a different category from the others. When someone, man or woman, takes on the responsibility of leading others, they always tend to observe things with an air of caution. I suppose if you’ve been given the task of safeguarding lives, you can never be too vigilant.

  Ethan’s hair is dark brown and just long enough for it to brush the tops of his shoulders. The front isn’t quite as long as the back. It causes a framing effect around his face, which is, if I’m being honest, gorgeous. I can’t honestly say I’ve ever seen a man as handsome as him in my life. Perhaps it’s the hint of vulnerability I see within the depths of his chocolate brown eyes that makes him attractive to me. He may be the commander of two thousand War Angels here on Earth, but there’s a part of him that’s exposed, which touches a sympathetic part of my soul that I wasn’t even sure still existed until this moment.

  He’s dressed in his War Angel uniform, which tells me that he’s on duty. Although I get the impression from Ethan that he’s probably always on duty and rarely takes time off to enjoy the pleasures of an earthly life.

  “I’m Julia Evelyn Grace,” I say, feeling the need to tell him my entire name for some odd reason. I almost never do such a thing, but with Ethan, I feel like I should. “Most people just call me Jules though.”

  Ethan doesn’t say anything right away. He simply stares at me without uttering a word or giving away anything on his face to let me know what’s going through his mind as he continues to study me.

  After a while, I become self-conscious and begin to wonder if he’s attempting to use some sort of angelic power I’ve never heard about on me. Is he trying to read my mind? Good Lord, I hope not, because some of my thoughts right now are anything but pure. The odd thing is, I don’t know why I’m imagining Ethan and myself in rather compromising positions. I haven’t taken a man into my bed since Timothy died. I simply haven’t been interested in sex, but right now, my body is definitely urging me to reconsider the terms of my celibacy. Just in case he is reading my mind, I decide to distract it with other thoughts.