by Trina M. Lee
The song Rowen and I had written together was good. Damn good, if I do say so myself. And I do. But it didn’t feel right anymore. Arrow had gone out of his way to swipe it from us, and after Rowen broke up with me, I’d given up and let him have it. “Love Song For An Angel” haunted me still. It always would.
“Feel free to take it.” Rowen swore and hit the brakes when a truck cut us off. He must’ve felt the glare Arrow shot him because he hurried to add, “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good song. It’s just… complicated.”
Jett leaned forward, seatbelt straining behind her. “Have you guys thrown down over it yet? Kicked each other’s asses?”
“Jett,” I admonished.
She shrugged. “I just want to know how solid they are. If their personal shit can’t be managed, it could put us in danger. We need to be united.”
“No, we have not thrown down over it.” Arrow emitted a caustic glower and spun around to hit her full on with it. “We’re not immature idiots.”
“Says the guy who fought his brother on stage that one time.” Unaffected by any nasty look Arrow could throw, Jett sat back against the roomy seat and grinned.
Arrow flipped her a middle finger and turned back around.
I shook my head, wondering how the four of us were to take on a vengeful demon. We couldn’t exactly bicker it into oblivion. At least we tended to work well together when the pressure was on. Now that a new and unwelcome tension had settled among us, I hoped that hadn’t changed.
When we arrived at the downtown church, we found it quiet and unoccupied. By appearances, nothing had happened to tarnish the saintly vibe of the lovely building.
“Too quiet,” Jett mused. “That’s suspicious. Let’s take a walk around.”
A chill crept through me as I got out of the car. I’d put my hoodie on upon leaving Spirit, but it had nothing to do with the winter night air. Something definitely wasn’t right here. One side of the building faced the busy downtown street. A quick glance confirmed no sign of anyone or anything.
Expecting perhaps Nova or someone else from The Circle, we made our way to the back of the building. Instead we found Cinder, and he wasn’t alone.
He threw up his hands, warding us off. “No, Ember. Don’t come any closer. Please. I don’t… I don’t want you to see this.”
The chill slinking along the back of my neck tightened its hold. Every tiny hair on my body stood on end. “Why? What’s going on? Koda said there was another body.” Inching forward I strained to see in the dark.
Another man stood near the church’s back door. He angled his body in an effort to hide the victim from our view. The ethereal sensation that emanated from him marked him as an angel.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Cinder hurried over, reaching to take my shoulder and spin me around. “Just leave. All of you. Please.”
Jett continued on past him, eager to get a glimpse. “What’s the big deal? Can it be any worse than what we saw last night?”
Rowen trailed after her, curiosity getting the better of him. I tried to follow, annoyed when Cinder blocked my path.
“Ember, it’s bad. You don’t want to see this. I’d prefer if you’d go home and stay there until I can come speak with you.”
There was nobody I respected on this earth more than I respected Cinder. But there was no way in hell I was leaving without seeing whatever was near the back door. “I’m part of this now.” I strained against his grasp. “Hiding a body from me won’t protect me. Not from Wren. Not from anyone. Let me see.”
A small gasp escaped Jett, followed by, “Holy fucking shit.”
Rowen swore, something inaudible beneath his breath. He didn’t get as close as she did. Whatever he saw from the bottom of the stairs was enough to stop him in his tracks.
I pulled free of Cinder, and this time he let me go. Arrow fell into step beside me, lightly touching my arm in support. Each step increased my sense of dread. The dark made it difficult to see anything until I got closer. When I reached the church stairs, Cinder’s angel friend stepped aside to allow me a good view. Immediately bile rose in my throat as my brain struggled to deny what my eyes took in.
The mangled body of a woman had been strung up outside the church’s back door. Long black hair hid her face but not her slit throat. Blood, black in the dark, pooled on the ground beneath her naked body.
What made it more than gruesome, Wren had personalized the victim’s corpse with wings burned into her back. My wings. An exact replica of the tattoo that covered me from shoulders to hips.
I couldn’t breathe. My vision swam, and I reached out blindly, unable to keep my balance. Arrow grabbed my arm, as I fell against him in an effort to stay on my feet.
“I’m sorry, Ember.” Cinder’s voice shook. He fell heavily onto the bottom step. Dropping his head into his hands, his entire body trembled. “I’m so sorry he made this about you.”
CHAPTER SIX
I sucked in slow, ragged breaths, trying to keep from passing out. Cinder’s anguish drove me to stay on my feet. To be strong. Not for me. For him.
When the shock began to ease, I let go of Arrow with what I hoped was a grateful expression. Part of me balked at being separated from his warmth. My face felt numb, wouldn’t obey, and my gaze refused to stray from the body.
I sat down beside Cinder on the cold concrete and slung my arms around him, laying my head on his shoulder. “Never apologize for the actions of someone else. You didn’t do this, Cinder. Nothing he’s doing is your fault.”
He patted my arm, his hand the only source of heat now in the frozen night. “I know that. But I can’t help but feel like perhaps I failed him in the past and it’s led us to this place.”
Agony filled me, overwhelming, so strong it made me nauseous. My soul fell into crushing despair that sought to swallow me, sucking me down into an abyss of sorrow. Since unleashing my full powers, I experienced random bouts of empathy, tapping into someone’s emotions and feeling them as if they were my own. Cinder stood on the brink of emotional devastation. And I didn’t know how to help.
It took a moment for his emotions to fade, and they left me ill and uncertain. This was a talent I’d have gladly done without. Since it had been given to me, I had to trust there might be a reason for that.
From off to our side, the angel standing so stalwart and calm finally spoke. “That is exactly what he wants you to feel. You mustn’t allow him to get inside you, my friend. That is his goal.”
I glanced up to find the angel regarding Cinder with such warmth and care in his amber eyes. Eyes so much like Rowen’s that I had to do a double take. Those eyes were truly inhuman; I’d thought so every time I looked at Rowen. The beauty of them never ceased to move me.
The angel extended a hand to me. “My name is Serene. It’s a joy to finally meet you, Ember.”
When I took his hand, he clasped the other over mine, encasing it in warmth and light. I could feel the pure celestial glow that shone within him. The white of his warrior robes gleamed against the dark night.
“Nice to meet you too. This is Jett, Arrow, and Rowen.” I gestured to them each in turn. To Cinder I said, “Serene is right. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. You used to be close with Wren, so he knows how to get to you. Don’t let him.”
Deep within me a seed was planted. My growing inner rage watered and fertilized it. Anyone who could affect Cinder like this had to be a royal piece of shit. Wren wanted a piece of me, or he at least wanted Cinder to think he did. Fuck this guy. I wasn’t going down without an epic fight. Knowing Cinder had loved him and likely still did, I somehow kept from spewing my hateful ire.
“I need for you to head home. Just until we can deal with this.” Cinder flung a hand toward the body. He scanned each of my friends in turn. “Can one of you go with her? I don’t want her out alone anymore. Not until we catch Wren.”
“Of course.” Jett nodded. “I already suggested the same thing. We’ll take turns.”
&
nbsp; I frowned, not liking this plan at all. “I don’t need a babysitter, guys.”
“And we don’t need to be cleaning up your body, Spike.” Fear gave Rowen’s tone a hard edge. “Don’t be stubborn. We’re all in this now. Let us do what we need to do.”
Being alone with either Rowen or Arrow didn’t sit well with me. Still, would I really risk my own life merely to avoid that? No, I suppose not. “Ok, fine. Whatever.” Arguing wouldn’t make Cinder feel any better. Rather than make this about my personal shit, I had to make it about him and the demon seeking to destroy him. As much as I didn’t want to leave him sitting there with his face drooping and shoulders hunched, the best thing I could do for him right then was to go home.
I hugged him so tight he made a strangled sound. “I’m going home. Be careful, ok?”
“You as well.” Cinder caught my hand and held it, his expression pleading. “He has the dagger, Ember. He’s using its power to stay hidden. You’ll never see him coming.”
I nodded, and with one last glance at the woman Wren had left as a message for us, I left. We all trudged back to the Charger in silence. Then, with all the doors closed and the engine strumming, we all began to talk at once.
“That was some sick shit.” Arrow reached under the seat, remembered he wasn’t in his own drug-laden car, and muttered a few more obscenities.
“This is starting to get scary.” Jett clicked her seatbelt into place.
Rowen eyed me through the rearview mirror before adjusting the heat. “I’m not even sure what to think right now. All I know is that there is no room for error here. This guy has an agenda.”
A headache began to throb between my eyes. “I can’t get that image of Cinder out of my head. That look in his eyes.” My voice cracked, and I paused to gather myself. “I’ve never seen him so shook up.”
Rowen pulled away from the curb, the engine growling as he hit the gas. “Try to keep the faith, Spike. He’s been doing this for thousands of years. If anyone can handle it, it’s Cinder.”
We drove back to The Spirit Room, somber now in the wake of the vivid threat we’d just seen.
“So which one of you two is going to take Spike home?” Jett demanded without tact. “Or would you rather fight for the privilege?” She snickered but nobody joined in. “Ok, not funny. My bad.”
Rowen and Arrow exchanged a look. Without so much as a glance my way, Arrow threw his door open. “Go for it, bro. I have a sure thing waiting inside.”
Ouch. Did I wince? I hoped it was internal and hadn’t quite made it to my face.
Arrow closed the door and was gone. Back to his eager blonde.
After we assured Jett we’d be careful, she headed inside to the cozy comforts of Sam, leaving Rowen and me to venture home. I left my car at the bar; it’d be here waiting in the light of day, when Wren would be unable to take physical form.
When I moved to the front seat, the tension thickened. “You can just drop me off,” I blurted, needing to break the quiet. “I mean, you don’t need to hang around or anything. I’m sure you want to get home. Or back to Spirit.”
Rowen slid his gaze my way briefly before turning his attention back to the road. “I get it. You don’t want to invite me in. Why don’t you just be straight up about it?”
Well, this was not going as I’d hoped. I fidgeted with my seatbelt, finding it too tight even though I had plenty of room to breathe. All the air had been sucked out of the car.
Unable to hide my discomfort, I stared straight ahead. “I’m sorry, Rowen. You want straight up? I’m afraid to be alone with you. Because it’s awkward as fuck. Because I don’t trust myself right now to make the right decisions. Because my personal feelings are still too strong. Better?”
He took a moment to form his reply. Steering the car through the city, headed for my southside apartment complex, Rowen tapped his fingers on the wheel to the beat of the song on the radio. “Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling awkward. You seem so chill about it, I started to think maybe you were really over me. Over us.” Gaze fixed firmly on the empty road ahead, Rowen too seemed intent on avoiding eye contact.
My feelings were a mess. Over us? Not likely. Not even close. But that didn’t mean I was ready or willing to jump back in with both feet. “Hell no, I’m not over us. But that doesn’t change anything, Rowen. I’m not ready to try again. Because deep down, I thought we would never have to. And for some reason, I can’t let that go.” Honesty hurt like a motherfucker sometimes. This was one of those times. I felt sad having to say this. I loved him still. But I had to love myself more.
“I’ve noticed,” he muttered. “I guess sorry doesn’t go as far as I’d hoped it would.”
By the time we reached my street, I was ready to leap out of the car, tuck and roll, and hope for the best. When he stopped in front of my building and killed the engine, I glanced over in surprise.
“I’m walking you inside. No arguments.” Rowen got out before I could plead my case.
I grabbed my sword from the backseat where I’d left it and slung the strap over my shoulder. Something about the quiet struck me as wrong. Which was odd because my neighborhood generally fell quiet after dark. Pausing to survey our surroundings, I scanned the dark as far as my human eyes could see. Which wasn’t far. The street lights helped to make out the houses down the block and the empty lot across the street. To an extent.
Where the street light ended the darkness began.
That empty lot held me captive. Normally I didn’t look twice at it. Tonight it drew me.
“Spike? Let’s go inside.” Rowen started to head up the walk to the front door of the building.
Cinder had said Wren was undetectable due to the dagger he possessed. So if he lurked as demons tended to do, I wouldn’t be able to see him until he wanted me to. Yet my gut instinct screamed that he lurked nearby, watching us.
“Rowen?” I fought to stay calm. “Wait up. I’m coming.”
I wanted to scream for him to run. Except then Wren would know I knew he was here, and he’d spring into action. Forcing my feet to move at a normal steady pace, I caught up to Rowen and tapped the back of his hand. All I could do was give him a look, an unspoken alert, and hope he caught on.
His gaze darted over my face, and his eyes widened.
The front door seemed to retreat, growing farther away the closer we got. My body broke out in panicked sweat. The weight of the demon’s stare bore into me. We’d never make it to the protection of my warded apartment in time.
Perhaps Wren had come merely to observe. Maybe he’d keep his distance and let us walk away.
Footsteps echoed behind us in the quiet night.
Every fiber of common sense told me not to turn around. But I couldn’t resist. Like total suckers, Rowen and I both turned to look. Nobody was there. My skin crawled.
When we turned back, Wren blocked our path. He wore the amused, crooked grin of a psychopath. Brown hair and the clean-cut appearance of a late twenty-something made up his human façade. Black wings cloaked him. His brilliant red eyes, sparkling with murderous intent, were all monster. Pure evil.
Wren gave us little opportunity to assess the situation. He exploded into action. With both hands he smacked Rowen in the chest, shoving him hard enough to send him sailing off the sidewalk. He landed on the ice-packed grass with a pained grunt.
Then Wren came at me, snapping his fingers in my face. Power so black it left a bad taste in my mouth gripped me, freezing me in place. An ability so like one Arrow possessed but on a much grander scale. I couldn’t even blink.
“Ember Evans,” Wren purred right in my face as he studied me. Sadism coated his tone, making it something ugly yet erotic as well. “Cinder’s favorite. I’ve been eager to get a look at you.”
The many curses I longed to hurl were trapped inside me. I could only stand there as the demon perused me like a museum item he considered stealing.
Rowen rolled over and got to his feet. The palms of his hands
filled with glowing balls of light, he came at the demon, hurling one in his face. It struck Wren who took the blow with little more than a blink. A burn scorched the side of his face, healing quickly.
“Rhine’s idiot spawn,” Wren mused. “How cute.”
A careless wave of Wren’s hand and Rowen dropped to the ground, choking and grasping his throat like an unseen hand strangled the life from him.
I struggled to break free of the hold Wren had on me. My muscles refused to respond to my desperate plea.
“So you’re the one Cinder is most fond of. I suppose I can see why.” A nod of his head, Wren walked a slow circle around me. “The rare female nephilim. The flame bearer. A chosen one. So much promise in that lovely yet delicate frame. It would be a shame if the light should lose you before you can realize your full potential.”
Rowen’s flailing and choking frightened me more than the demon’s perusal. Standing there, able only to watch him suffer, I feared that covering my ass would cost him his life.
Spying the Midnight Star on my back, Wren stopped behind me. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him lurking close enough to turn my stomach. The sword moved against me as he reached to touch it. The fool.
Demons couldn’t touch the Midnight Star. How could he not know that? Just how long had he been locked away?
His hand closed around the sword’s hilt. A bright purple light lit up the night, surrounding us in violet. A crack preceded a yelp. A blast from the sword hurled Wren back.
The magic holding me fell away, and I spun around to face him. My hand went to the sword, and I jerked it free from its sheath. Though Wren had hit the ground and rolled, he was back on his feet by the time I swung the sword.
Rowen sucked in a deep breath, recovering fast for a guy who’d almost had the life choked out of him. His fingers lit up with a brilliant white light. Electricity arced between them.
I was stronger now than I’d been before the ritual that unleashed my full power, strong enough to kick the ass of the demon who’d performed that ritual. So what if I suspected this asshole was a lot more powerful than Dash? I’d kick his ass anyway.
