“No.” Amon, the uncomfortably attractive man—I mean, demon—stiffened on the couch next to Liam’s chair. “It has to be now. We have to do it today.”
Liam moved his hand over to clasp his lover’s on the arm rest. “We’re doing it today, love. With or without Emma.”
I turned from the door to look at the group. “Can we wait a few more minutes?” I checked my watch again. “She really wanted to be here.”
Mihir stirred the pot, bending over like he’d smell it. “Yeah. We can hold off a few minutes more, but that’s it.”
Amon leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and cupping his ears like he might be sick.
Liam rubbed his back. “It’s okay, love. I’m here. I won’t let him take you again. It’ll be over soon.”
Pity struck a chord through my body. “It’s still that bad?”
Liam looked up at me. “Naww, it’s gotten better. Abram’s call is just so damned seductive. Catches him off guard sometimes.”
“If it helps, Emma’s pretty sure he’s not actively calling the demons and Fallen anymore. They’d find him quicker if he did.” I crossed the room, sunlight streaming in through the big front windows. I took a seat across from the Irishman, still not totally cool with sitting next to a demon. “She thinks it’s like an echo. He still hears it because it was already in his head.”
“The mark I’ll brand on his spirit will stop it,” Mihir said.
I threw my buddy a smile. “Emma said you’d figure something out.”
Mihir grinned back. “I may not be able to play baseball worth a damn, but ancient shielding spells I can do.”
I laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll have you hitting home runs in no time.” The guy was hopeless on a baseball field, but he tried. Couldn’t ask more than that. Plus he was funny as hell and hands down the smartest person I knew.
We’d gotten close after I watched Emma heal the injuries some demon had caused him. They’d both been kind of sketchy about the details. Apparently I already knew the whole story, but I just couldn’t remember. According to them there were a lot of details, an entire life’s worth, I didn’t remember.
The healing abilities were new. Part of the whole angel package. She was still learning all she could do, but healing Mihir had been at the top of her list the moment she realized she was more angel than human now. They wanted me to believe I’d been an angel, too. Emma’s trainer, to be exact. And I’d been around for eons. Of course no one could explain why I was now totally human. Something about a gift from an archangel. Saint Michael to be exact. Of course. Who else?
They also couldn’t explain if I’d been this ancient love-struck angel, why I could remember my entire human life. I was Professor Eli Goldsmith. Born thirty years ago right here in Pittsburgh. I went to high school then college and finally got a job teaching theology at the University of Pittsburgh. Mihir taught there now, too, when he wasn’t filling in for Emma at the shop.
I remembered every detail of my human life. I still had family in Duquesne—my mom and her sister, Aunt Beatrice. I had trophies from running track in high school. I had proof of my life. But that didn’t seem to matter to Emma and Mihir. They insisted I’d been in love with Emma for over two years and that I’d given up everything to be with her, and the archangel Michael had finally made it possible.
Apparently the archangel is a bit of an ass. At least he hadn’t erased my feelings for her.
I had to admit, even though I didn’t know Emma well, there was something about her. I was drawn to her. My entire body responded when she walked into a room, recognizing her in my soul. I loved her, but I didn’t know why, and that kind of freaked me out. But I was working on accepting it and learning to trust my heart. I didn’t have a choice really. She was constantly on my mind.
The fact that she had these amazing powers, and she was on talking terms with other angels and demons and fallen angels, helped back up her claim. It was hard to deny I might be missing something when she had three demons, a fallen angel, and two seraphim sitting in her living room.
Emma attracted them now like some sort of beacon. She was a safe spot, a no-fight zone, wherever she was, and a lot of the unearthly types were eager for a break. Thanks to Emma, they got one.
She’d basically pushed the pause button on some angelic war. Having a foothold in both camps, good and evil, she had a unique perspective. She was also strong enough to hold her own against anyone who might try to question her decisions. The thought that someone might even try to harm her made me physically ill, but it’s not like there was anything I could do about it.
Emma had rallied both sides to search for Abram. He’d gone underground, but if her half brother dared raise his head again, there was an army of supernaturals waiting to put an end to him. Not everyone followed her. Most of the seraphim went back to Heaven. Michael included.
He’d left her in charge of everything: all angel, fallen angel, and demon issues on Earth. If anyone had a problem, they called on Emma. She’d gotten a few compensations out of Michael for her efforts before he left.
No more illorums would be marked, and those who were marked could lay down their swords and return to a normal human life if they wanted. Most didn’t, but the option was there. The gibborim weren’t given the choice. They were made human again whether they wanted to be or not. That was non-negotiable.
A bunch of seraphim volunteered to hunt the Fallen now instead of nephilim, but only the Fallen who continued to sin. Those seraphim were her army now, and they were pretty badass. Totally loyal to her. But the biggest difference, according to Emma, was that before being sent to the abyss, the Fallen would be given the chance to repent. A lot didn’t, but a few did. Emma said those few made everything we’d gone through worth it.
I had to trust her on that count.
She was gone a lot, to places I couldn’t follow, but we were happy. Emma was determined to hold on to her human life. And me. I was really glad for that.
Sadie squealed from the salon, and a few seconds later she hurried into Emma’s side of the shop. “Did you see this?” She waved a newspaper, taking it to Mihir. She didn’t give him time to read it. “Officer Dan’s getting married.”
Mihir nodded. “To his partner. Crissy. She looks pregnant.”
“Yeah. Emma told me.” I smiled, a pinch of envy twisting my gut. I would’ve liked to have kids. Someday. Emma wasn’t sure she’d be able to get pregnant. I wasn’t clear on why she felt that way. It didn’t matter. If I had to choose between her and kids, I’d pick Emma every time. “They took the out clause. Both Dan and Crissy laid down their swords, and Crissy found out she was pregnant a few weeks later.”
I wondered if that would work for Emma. What if she just turned her back on all the angel stuff and asked to be human again? I didn’t suggest it to her. In my heart I knew she’d never want to leave everyone who’d stayed to fight for her on both sides without someone they could count on. She’d decided a while ago that her human life was forfeited for a greater cause.
“Well, good for them.” Sadie snatched back the paper. “I’m glad they’re happy.”
I smiled. “Me, too.” Not that I knew either of them very well.
Sadie wandered back to her shop, staring at the paper. Amon moaned, and I turned to see him rocking in his seat, holding his ears.
“Bugger this,” Liam said. “Let’s get on with it. If it works, Emma can be there for the next git.”
“The idea was that she’d see how it was done so she could perform the spell, too.” Mihir stirred the pot again then set the stick, which looked suspiciously like a wand, on the desk. “Though she’s already missed the most important part of actually mixing the spell. But if this works to block Abram’s call to Amon, then it should work just as well for every angelic creature who’s fallen out of grace. It should block the power of King Solomon’s ring. Abram will lose the one small advantage he had. He’ll be alone.”
I pushed to my feet. “Which me
ans Emma will be even busier doing the spell a thousand times over.”
My friend met my gaze. He rolled a shoulder, empathy shaping his expression. “Sorry. Guess it’s a good news, bad news kind of thing.”
“Forget it. Comes with dating an angel.”
“Right.” Mihir chuckled. “Just ask Emma. She gets that better than anyone.”
I matched his smile. “Yeah.” That probably would’ve meant more if I could remember my angelic life. I held a hand out to Amon. “You need help getting over to Mihir?”
“I’ve got him.” Liam helped his lover to his feet. Liam had lost his right hand in battle, but thanks to his illorum power, the stump had healed quickly. He’d already learned how to fight left-handed. Liam would never lay down his sword. Amon was Liam’s life, and laying down his sword would mean losing the ability to know the man he loved as he truly was. I respected that.
“I’m here.” Emma suddenly appeared at the door. “Wait.” She glanced around. “Yeah. This is right. I’m here. Did I miss it?”
I hadn’t seen her walk through the door. I hadn’t seen her arrive at all, but I usually didn’t. She moved too fast. My heart leapt to my throat, my body hard in an instant. God, I loved her. “No. We were just about to start.”
She looked beautiful as always. Even with strands of blond hair hanging wild and loose from her ponytail and dust making brown streaks across her left cheek and coating her jeans and T-shirt, she looked…stunning. I clenched my jaw, not fully comfortable with the power of my feelings for her.
“Good.” She crossed the room to me and planted a solid kiss on my lips.
I snaked my arms around her waist and held her a half second longer.
When the kiss ended she leaned back, smiling. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I answered back. We stared at each other for a long moment.
“Can you two get over each other fast so we can do this?” Liam demanded.
Emma stiffened and shifted out of my arms. “Right. What do we do?”
“It’s pretty simple at this point.” Mihir lifted the pot, spilling more mist from its edges. “Amon just has to drink this.”
Amon leaned hard on Liam’s shoulder. He gave Mihir a sideways look. “What will happen?”
Mihir held the caldron out to the demon. “It will mark your spirit with a powerful sigil that will shield you from Abram’s call.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Um, no?” Mihir shook his head. “Okay, I’m not sure, but I don’t see why it would.”
Amon found his balance and let go of Liam. He took the black pot with both hands and drank. We all stared, waiting.
“Well?” Emma asked.
Amon looked around as though listening for something. I could already tell by the way he straightened to his full height and by way his eyes gleamed that he felt better.
“It…it stopped. I don’t hear anything.” Amon looked at Emma. “It worked.”
“Yes.” She did a little fist pump. “We’ll cut Abram off at the knees.”
“First you have to mix up new batches,” I said. “And then hand it out to everyone.”
She sobered. “I know. You’ll help though, won’t you?”
My heart expanded, filling my chest. She needed me. It didn’t happen often, but I had to admit I liked it. “Of course.”
Emma hardly ever needed anyone. She was the one who protected us. She was powerful, and fair and kind. She was everything we needed, and she was the only one among us who hadn’t gotten what they wanted most.
She touched my chin, turning my face toward hers. “I’m happy, Eli.” She could read my mind whenever she wanted. Luckily she didn’t seem to do it too often. “It’s not the life I thought I wanted, but it’s the life I was meant to have, and that feels good. I like where I ended up, how I ended up, and it’s all thanks to you.”
“Me?” I scoffed at her. “What did I do except get hit by your Jeep?”
“You believed in me. No matter what, you always believed in me.” She kissed me then stared into my eyes again. “Everything I’ve done, everything I’m doing now, is all because of you. There’s no power stronger in Heaven or on Earth than our faith in each other. Together we can do anything.”
“From your lips to God’s ear,” I said.
She winked. “Exactly.”
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Acknowledgments
Thank you to my amazing editor for sticking with me and helping to make the wonderful world of Emma and Eli come to life. I couldn’t have done it without her. And thank you to all the awesome people at Entangled Publishing who have carved out a safe, happy place for authors in this crazy roller-coaster ride called publishing.
About the Author
Paige lives in Ohio with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing she can be found doing the mom thing with a book in one hand and a notepad and pen in the other. Ideas come without warning, and the best way to stimulate your imagination is to enjoy the imagination of someone else. Visit Paige online at www.paigecuccaro.com.
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