Insepth clutched my hand tighter and I pumped my legs harder, holding my gaze on the autumn landscape beyond Raphael’s opening.
Youmi jumped into the glowing ring first, and Ivan and Tamira were right on his heels. As the scent of clay earth and pine needles assailed my senses, I slowed, daring to look over my shoulder.
Samael’s pitch black wings were fringed in fire and folded into his sides as he rushed at us like a torpedo. Three-headed hounds and Hell beasts chased after him, and running ahead of the grotesque mob was Sawyer. Dark Angels swooped down from the clouds, brandishing gleaming black swords and axes.
Samael smiled and his ebony eyes brightened.
We weren’t going to make it.
I whirled and threw my hands out, calling on my Fire. It responded, surging out of me in a deafening burst of release. I prayed that my flames wouldn’t go to the master of the inferno.
They didn’t. Fire and Air joined, creating a smoking tornado that ripped into the Dark Angels, sending them somersaulting through the sky.
Samael ignored the screams of his fellow Angels as they fled the funnel cloud. His own deathly wind preceded him, knocking me and Insepth to the ground. Horas appeared, holding his hands out to us, and I reached for him, shutting my eyes tightly, and bracing for Samael’s impact.
A neigh pierced the air. War skidded to a stop and Cricket leaped from his back. She grabbed me and shoved me into the glowing ring. Horas helped Insepth, following right behind us.
Sunshine warmed my face and a meadowlark whistled as I hit the ground, rolling with Cricket.
I looked back. War turned and struck out with both his hind feet at the instant Samael slammed into him. A flash of lightning shot out of the Horseman’s hooves, knocking the king of the Dark Angels backward.
War gathered his muscles and surged through the window just as it blinked out. Standing where the opening had been was Raphael. His eyes were wide and sweat dripped down his forehead. But a small smile touched his lips when our eyes met.
Cricket squealed and ran to War, throwing her arms around his neck. He bent his head and nickered to her.
Thanks, Ila. You were right about Cricket, and changing her, I said in my mind, hoping she’d somehow heard me.
Insepth crawled to my side, his chest heaving. “He’ll follow us here,” he huffed.
“This place is protected now,” Raphael replied. He shook his wings and feathers floated to the ground around us.
Parts of the valley smoldered, wispy tentacles of smoke rising into the air, and the barn was leveled, but I saw the metal roof of Ila’s cabin glinting in the sun. Many trees still stood tall and strong. A new barn could be built, and the grass would grow back in the spring—if there was a springtime.
“How?” I managed to say, sitting up. My heart still hammered, but it was slowing.
“Uriel and I set warding over the valley after the evil horde came through here the last time.” His eyes fell on me. “It was Uriel’s intention to bring you here—to a safe place in the coming storm.”
My skin tingled. “Why?” I asked.
Raphael laughed. “You don’t know? He has helped you at every turn. You are from his own blood. He cares for you.”
I grunted as I jumped to my feet. “He went with the rest of the coward Angels! If he had been with you back there, he could have helped defeat Samael, and maybe even have saved my dog.”
My voice was angry, but it was only despair I felt. With shoulders slumped, I began to cry. Cricket left War, sprinting over and wrapping her arms around me. I pressed my face against her shoulder, rocking both of us with my sobs.
“This dog?”
Uriel’s words thundered in my head as I whirled around.
He stepped out from the trees and gestured with his fingers. My gaze followed the direction that he pointed.
I heard a whimper and I was running before I even saw him.
Angus pushed through the bushes and yipped, sprinting toward me. I dropped into the dry leaves and buried my face in his fur, reaching out with my Gaia for his injuries.
There was nothing—not even any residue of damage.
His prickly tongue licked the tears from my face. “I love you, boy. I love you so much,” I cried into his fur.
When Angus flopped onto my lap, panting happily, I finally looked up. I dried my cheeks with my sleeve and blushed. Everyone was watching me, even the red stallion.
“Thank you for healing my dog.” I swallowed back fresh tears.
Uriel came forward to stand beside Raphael. “I didn’t heal this beast. I brought it back to life.”
“You can do that?” Insepth asked, kneeling in the grass beside me and stroking Angus’ head.
“Of course, it is one of my gifts as an arch. Such a blessing is usually bestowed on only the most noble of humans.” His lips thinned and his eyes rolled. “I think I’m the first Angel to waste the rebirth prayer on a pet. When Raphael deposited the animal at my feet, I felt compelled to bring him back.”
I scrambled to my feet and rushed to Uriel, throwing my arms around his middle. “It wasn’t wasted, and you know it. Angus is the most noble of all of us.”
He let me hug him for only a few seconds before he grasped my shoulders and picked me up, depositing me a couple feet away.
His face was flushed. “You and your friends can enjoy safety and peace in this valley for a while,” he said with a curt nod.
Ivan was on the ground with Angus, butting heads and letting the dog lick his face. Tamira sat close by cross legged. She had changed into a girl when I hadn’t noticed. The lines on her face pronounced her grief. She’d lost her parents and her entire pack, but there was brightness in her eyes when she examined the valley. Ivan looked up and his expression reflected the same hope.
War had also transformed into a man and his arm was thrown around Cricket’s waist. Horas and Youmi shifted on their feet uneasily, and Insepth stared at me with a raised brow.
I turned to the Angels. “Why didn’t you fight Samael and his fallen Angels—aren’t they your enemies?”
Raphael looked to Uriel, who sighed, and said, “It is not in your nature to follow rules and orders, is it? The rebellious human inside of you is forever trying to alter the future—change destiny. And it’s the arrogance of your kind that spurs you into action, even when the outcome is dismal at best.”
He paused and looked around the clearing. His voice rose, becoming stern when he continued, “We are Angels, and the main thing that separates us from the fallen ones, is that we follow the strict orders set forth by our Father. Chaos would ensue through the universe if we began doing whatever we wanted.” His narrowed gaze settled on me. “We choose order over chaos, even during this time of instability. It is not our task to stop Samael from rising or the destruction of mankind on earth. Raphael and I have already interfered too much in the lives of humans and Watchers. We will not separate ourselves from our brothers or our Father any longer. We have provided you with a haven for respite. How you use this gift is your decision. But our time here is finished. We are returning to Heaven.”
Uriel looked at everyone in turn. “If you choose to do something that puts your lives in peril, we will not come to your rescue. This is goodbye.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but quickly shut it when Uriel shook his head. What Uriel said made sense, but I disagreed that God wanted the Angels to do nothing. Who was I to tell that to an arch Angel? Uriel had been around since the dawn of time, and he knew things I didn’t. I was just lucky that he’d broke from tradition as much as he had. And he’d brought Angus back to life. That more than made up for his departure.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Thank you for everything you’ve done—and you too, Raphael.” I smiled at the soft-spoken Angel and he smiled back. “Perhaps we’ll meet again.”
Uriel’s face scrunched in uncertainty and his brows raised. “I doubt it, child. But hope springs eternal.” He glanced at War. “Choose carefully your c
ourse, Horseman. You do not want to be trapped in this world when the end comes. Samael would like nothing better than to tether you to a heavy cart and whip you daily. He will not allow you a warrior’s death.”
War nodded. With a gust of wind and a spray of leaves, Uriel was gone. Raphael paused long enough to wink at me before he bolted into the darkening sky. I watched the dual streaks that were Heaven bound. When they met the blinking stars, they disappeared. Icy wind blew in from the woods, bringing the scent of damp smoke and decaying leaves.
The smell was comforting and I inhaled deeply. If the forest had time, it would recover. I reached into my pocket and squeezed Uriel’s feather between my fingertips. Even if I never saw him again, I’d have it to remind me that he really did exist, and that he’d helped me when I needed him most.
Horas’ voice broke the silence. “Is anyone hungry?”
“I could eat,” Ivan grinned. He reached out for Tamira and she grasped his hand, letting him pull her up. When she was standing, he didn’t let go of her hand and she didn’t try to pull away. During the few days we were apart, Ivan had bonded with the wolf girl. It was a good thing.
When Tamira glanced shyly at me, I smiled back. “I’m sorry about your family, but I’m glad you’re here with us.”
“Thank you,” Tamira said quietly before wiping away a stray tear.
“I’ll help you with dinner,” Youmi offered, slapping Horas on the back as he walked past him.
Cricket came forward with War. He bowed his head ceremoniously to me. I raised my hand, stopping him. “I can never thank you enough for what you did back there—attacking the Devil’s army, and kicking him in the face.” I chuckled, fighting not to grin.
War leaned in. “Unlike the Angels, I found it quite exhilarating to battle such an adversary. I only wish my brothers had been there. Between the four of us, we could have buried the army of the dead.”
“So you’ll continue to fight with us?” I asked slowly.
War looked at Cricket and back at me again. “I didn’t think you’d heed Uriel’s advice.” He spread his arms wide. “Spending the last of your days in this pleasant place isn’t nearly as appealing to you as dying a miserable and painful death, is it?” I saw humor in his eyes.
“You said so yourself that if the other Horsemen joined our cause we could win,” I said.
“That is true. We might be successful against Samael’s army, but we could never stand against our Creator. And we never will.”
My heart plummeted into my stomach.
“We will not be the ones to destroy the lands of men as is written, but we won’t disrupt the Creator’s will by stopping it, either. When I raised my powers for the destruction of Samael, I weakened. The Creator left me and I felt His absence.”
Cricket squeezed War’s hand as she stared at him. I knew that look. She was in love.
My chest constricted and I took a shallow breath. I remembered love. Samael had stolen it away from me when he’d taken Sawyer. I closed my eyes, picturing Sawyer in his faded blue jeans and black leather jacket, smiling at me.
I wouldn’t take that from Cricket. I loved her too much.
“Where will you two go?” I forced the words out.
They exchanged glances and Cricket nodded. I frowned, looking at them.
“I’m going to join my brothers in Heaven’s stable. Cricket has chosen to remain with you for the time being,” War said.
“No, you have to go with War. You’ll be safe with him,” I urged.
Cricket shook her head. Her eyes were glistening with sadness. “I don’t care about safety. I will miss him, but if I left you, I’d feel the same way.” I began to protest, but she silenced me with a stern look. “I will not hide, waiting for the world to end. War has promised to come back for me when my death is near, but I will not live my life in a place without grass and trees. I am of this world, and will die along with it.”
War was red faced, his chin raised.
“I’m sorry,” I mouthed to him.
“The short time I have spent in the company of this Horsewoman has been the best moments of my long life. I have no regrets, and I will honor Cricket’s courageous spirit. I pray that our Creator changes His mind about this beautiful land of men. When this mare travels to the other side, whether it be in days or in years, I will come to collect her spirit. ”
He bent and cradled the sides of Cricket’s face in his palms. Unspoken words passed between them, and I saw a tear trickle down the side of War’s face. When he pulled back, there was an explosion of colors and mist rose from the meadow floor. The red stallion tossed his head, whinnied loudly, and galloped into the clouds.
I reached out and took Cricket’s hand, tugging her to face me. She dropped her gaze from the sky. Her eyes were wet.
“You’ll see him again.”
“I know,” she murmured with a sniff and a bob of her head.
“They definitely leave in style,” Insepth muttered.
He was staring into the sunny sky with an expression of awe I couldn’t remember seeing on his face before.
“You’ve been awfully quiet through all this,” I commented.
Insepth’s face lit up. “We’re still alive and back in Ila’s valley, which is now protected by arch Angel wardings.” His eyes burned into mine. “It’s time to celebrate, dear Ember—celebrate the time we have left.”
My face heated. “You’re giving up, then?”
He snorted. “We’ve faced monsters of all kinds—dragons, Angels, and the Devil himself. It’s a bloody miracle we’re still alive. Maybe the fellow upstairs has been watching out for us all along, and now it’s time for us to finally have faith in Him.”
I licked my lips, staring at Insepth. He was tall and muscular with an angelic face. His eyes matched the color of his long pony-tailed, golden hair. The glory of his Earth power draped around him, reminding me of how star struck I’d been by him the first time we’d met.
If the proudest man I knew was ready to lay down his weapons and walk away from the war we’d waged together since the beginning, I could hardly blame him. I was so very tired, and Sawyer had killed Angus. He would have killed me if War and Raphael hadn’t gotten us out of there. I didn’t want to ever face his void black eyes again.
Insepth offered his hand. “Shall we see what Horas and Youmi are throwing together for a feast?”
My heartrate sped up. It would be so easy to take his hand and hide away in Ila’s valley. A shiver passed over my skin and I knew Ila was glowering at me. Some things are more important than ourselves, dear, I heard her say in my head. Whether it was just my imagination or for real, I didn’t know. But my stomach growled and Insepth’s grin deepened. Regardless of what I did, I needed to eat, rest, and recover.
I reached out to him and Angus barked. Our heads followed the dog’s gaze into the shadows at the edge of the forest.
Leaves crunched and bushes shook. I grasped my Fire and Insepth took hold of the Earth. Cricket trembled as if she was about to change into a horse.
The branches broke apart and a giant black bear barreled at us. He stopped close enough that his breath tickled my skin. A flurry of movement at his feet caught my attention and I saw rabbits darting out into the grass and several cats slinking around his feet. Hens flew from the cover of the underbrush, squawking over our heads. I watched them cross the meadow and enter their coop that had somehow managed to escape damage. A chorus of bleating noises brought the goats bounding into the meadow. They kicked out their legs and rose up to bump heads before sprinting off into the deeper grass.
I faced Lutz and rested my hand on his broad forehead.
You came back. I wasn’t sure if you would, the bear snorted heavily in my mind.
It’s so good to see you, Lutz. And you kept all of Ila’s pets alive. Thank you.
Lutz shook his giant body and groaned. It wasn’t easy. I took them to a cave I knew of and we stayed there until the fire and the monsters passed by. The goats
have difficult natures. They only think of food and play.
I pressed my forehead to his. I’m glad you’re home.
It is a good place to be right now.” He eyed me. “Are you staying?
It would have been impossible to look at my friend’s face and say anything except yes.
So I lied for his sake.
CHAPTER 25
EMBER
Chickens pecked the ground by my feet as the sun peeked out above the mountains that surrounded Ila’s valley. The air was crisp, but the sun promised a warmer afternoon. Cricket was back in horse form and grazing in the dewy morning grass with the goats. If it weren’t for the darkened pockets of burnt forest on the mountainside, I might be able to pretend that the Devil’s army hadn’t passed through here, like everyone else was doing.
Horas had put together a tomato sauce from canned goods stored in Ila’s cabin and served it over pasta the night before. Youmi’s contribution had been the strawberry wine he’d discovered stashed in the attic when he and Sir Austin had taken care of the place the last time. Our group had spread out in the little cabin, sitting at the table, on the couch, and in Ivan and Tamira’s case, on the floor. We ate and laughed, all too relieved that we were alive and monsters weren’t banging on the door. It had been a short time of respite from the devastation of our losses. Sir Austin had died, and so had Ivan’s and Tamira’s families. Sawyer might as well have been dead. There was nothing left of the Sawyer I’d fallen in love with. Eae was gone, too.
I understood why no one talked about our losses. It was too much to contemplate at this point, let alone discuss. But while we enjoyed some much needed peace and quiet, people were dying out there. The world was crumbling and soon there would be nothing left of it.
I groaned. Cricket lifted her head and looked at me, her mouth still full of grass.
I held my hands up. “I’m okay.”
“No, you’re not.”
Insepth had snuck up behind me. A long stem of straw hung from his mouth. He looked relaxed in a cream button up shirt and brown corduroy pants. A few stray curls covered his one eye and he tucked the strands behind his ear as he leaned against the tree I was sitting under.
Eternity (Wings of War Book 4) Page 15
