by G. K. DeRosa
I couldn’t blame them; they didn’t know what my real purpose here was. It still stung though.
Only a few other human soldiers milled about; the majority of them patrolled the tower or fence perimeter at this hour. The number of human slaves on the property had greatly diminished in the past two weeks. According to Redson, over half of the recruits had been sent to prepare for battle, leaving only a few hundred on the complex. That was both good and bad. Good because it meant less people to get out, but bad because it also meant less bodies to fight off the angels.
We needed Azazel’s dagger. We needed hundreds more if we expected to stand a chance.
Reaching Britt’s living quarters, I pushed the gloomy thoughts to the back of my mind. Declan knocked and a few seconds later, Britt cracked the door open and motioned for us to enter.
His big gray eyes found mine, and excitement flashed across his irises. “It worked. Or should I say it didn’t.”
I bounced up on my tiptoes. “The augmentation ray failed?”
“Yup.”
I couldn’t help it; I flung myself at him and enveloped him in a big bear hug. “You did it!”
His big body stiffened at first, but then he wrapped his good arm around my waist returning the embrace. His “bad” arm was still in a sling he wore for the angels’ benefit. If the generals knew he was fit for duty, he would’ve been the first to be sent off to fight.
“Good job, man.” Declan’s voice sounded strained. I released Britt and found an unreadable expression across my nephilim’s face. Jealousy? I suppressed the giggle bubbling up inside and schooled my features. Britt was like a big brother to me. And yet, I couldn’t help but let Declan suffer a little. For a second anyway.
“We’ve got news.” The lighthearted moment passed, and it was time to get back to the gloomy reality.
Declan jumped in. “The vampires are planning to strike when Nathanael and his envoy are in New York City.”
Britt exhaled a sharp breath and spat out a slew of curses. “We have to move our timeline up by a few days then. We have the vampire venom grenades, but we could’ve used more.”
“Unless we plan for it to happen simultaneously.”
I spun at Declan. “I thought you said it was too dangerous.”
His dark brows drew together. “It is riskier, but the more I think about it, the more I believe it’s our best option.”
“Because the angels will be distracted by the vampires,” added Britt, catching on, “and they won’t have time to worry about the humans.”
“Exactly.”
“But we don’t know the exact day they’re planning to attack.” When had Declan changed his mind? Two seconds ago he’d said it would be a blood bath.
“Not yet,” said Declan, “but maybe with Asher’s help we can find out.”
“Who’s Asher?” Britt cocked his head, and I instantly thought of Duke.
I prayed Trinity had made it back to the house, and they were okay. “He’s my best friend, the one we were supposed to rescue from Arx.”
“I thought he died.”
“He did.” I paused. “He’s a stryx now.”
Britt’s eyes darkened as he shook his head. “There’s no way we’re trusting a vamp.” He ticked his head at Declan. “A half-angel is bad enough.”
“He’s the one that warned us of the attack,” I quickly added. “We should be thanking him, not questioning his loyalty.”
“He loves her,” Declan muttered.
My breath caught in my throat, and heat seeped up my neck. That was the last thing I expected to come out of Declan’s mouth. He was the one that had said vampires were incapable of real feelings.
“I see.” Britt paced the room, his gaze intent on me.
I refused to look up.
“And how do we contact your inside guy?”
That was a good question. We didn’t even know if Asher was still in D.C.
“I’ll take care of that,” said Declan.
“How?” I threw my hands on my hips.
“We’ll talk about it later.” He turned back to Britt. “You need to get word to Linc. We have to move up the timetable and make sure we’re ready to go at my say so.”
He nodded. “I can do that.”
“And I need the renegades to get Liv out of here before it all goes down.”
“What?” I spun at Declan, my eyes shooting open.
“It’s too dangerous for you to be here.”
I closed the distance between us and rose to my tiptoes so I was almost at his eyelevel. “Listen here, Declan. I am a part of this—it’s my destiny, remember?”
His hands shot up to my arms and he squeezed, his eyes smoldering. “It’s your destiny to stop this war and save the humans, and it’s my destiny to protect you. Please, let me.”
I shook my head, snagging my lower lip between my teeth. “I won’t let you do this alone.”
“He won’t.” Britt’s deep voice broke the tense standoff. “He’s not going to be here either.”
Now it was Declan’s turn to be surprised. “What are you talking about?”
“We discussed it with Linc, and we all think it’s best that you’re both far away from here when this goes down.” He glanced down at his hands for a second before meeting Declan’s gaze. “You’ve proven yourself pretty vital to this mission. We don’t want to raise suspicions if you’re here when the humans escape.”
“Absolutely not,” Declan hissed. “I need to be here.”
Britt’s gray eyes darkened, and he stepped closer. “All you’ve been saying since day one is you want to help. You’ve been asking us to trust you. Well, now we do, and I’m telling you we need you gone.”
A low growl simmered in Declan’s throat. “Don’t you think it’ll look suspicious if both of us are conveniently absent?”
Britt nodded. “Yes, which is why you have to leave tomorrow so your departure seems unrelated.”
I felt Declan tense beside me for a moment before he released a breath, his shoulders sagging.
“Fine,” he huffed. “We’ll make preparations to leave as soon as possible.”
Chapter 3
I flipped the gilded hilt over in my palm, scrutinizing every inch of the gold metal for the hundredth time. It had become my daily ritual. Each clue had come from the one before, but the sword of honor… Nothing. We were missing something, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what.
I let out a frustrated sigh and slumped back on the couch. The steady pitter-patter of drizzling water from Declan’s shower soothed my frayed nerves. Closing my eyes, I tried to clear my mind.
A vivid image of a very naked and wet Declan flashed across my eyes. What the—? I shot up, straight as a board. Rubbing my eyes, I pushed the highly inappropriate picture from my mind. I could almost feel my hands running over his six-pack, trailing down to the sharp angled V that disappeared down his torso.
Liv, focus!
I jumped up as heat ignited in my core, flushing my cheeks and setting my veins ablaze. What in the world was going on?
I darted to the kitchen and stuck my head in the refrigerator. Grabbing a bottle of water, I twisted the lid off and guzzled down half the container. The warmth raging through me began to subside and I inhaled a deep, sweet breath. I closed the fridge door, and a half-naked figure appeared behind it.
I totally screamed. The bottle slipped from my hands and crashed onto the floor, spraying water all over the kitchen.
Declan chuckled, illuminating that damn sexy dimple, and it took every ounce of my strength not to smack him. Or jump him—it was kind of a toss up at the moment.
“What are you doing sneaking up on me like that? You scared me to death.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know you were so jumpy.” He secured the towel around his waist, and my eyes unwittingly traveled to the V muscle disappearing beneath it. He smirked, totally catching me ogling him. “If you like what you see—”
Embarrassment flooded
my cheeks, and I let it steer my fist right into Declan’s washboard abs. It was like hitting a brick wall. I winced and pulled my arm back, rubbing my knuckles with my good hand.
He suppressed another laugh, pinching his lips together. “Here, let me help you.” He grabbed some ice from the freezer and wrapped it in a dishtowel. He held out his hand, and I reluctantly conceded. As he pressed the icy towel against my knuckles, I forced myself not to look at him.
Couldn’t he just put a shirt on already?
“What’s the matter? You have that deer in headlights look, and I don’t think it’s only because of my amazing body.”
I was glad someone was enjoying this. Glancing up, Declan captured my gaze. Damn it. I was trapped. “When you were in the shower,” I mumbled, “I thought I got a flash or something.”
“A flash? Like a vision?” His joking expression became severe.
“I don’t know.”
“What did you see?”
Heat burned my cheeks. Why couldn’t I have kept my mouth shut?
“Liv, just spit it out.” He moved closer, and it only made it worse.
“I saw you—in the shower,” I blurted. There, now at least it was out.
A smile tugged at Declan’s lips, and he slid his hand over his mouth.
“Declan, don’t. I’m being serious!”
“I’m sorry.” He chuckled then schooled his expression to normal. “You’re right; this is important. If you’re getting visions that is a big deal.” His dark eyes twinkled with mischief. “And if I’m your first, I suppose I should be flattered.”
I spun away, cradling my sore knuckles. Stupid, arrogant angel.
Declan reached out and whirled me back to him. My palms collided with his bare chest, and I jumped back like I’d been burned. Touching him was the last thing I needed to be doing right now. Not if I had any hope of my pulse returning to a normal rate.
“I’m kidding. Come on.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and walked me back to the couch. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
I shot him the death stare. “You’re just going to make fun of me.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
I told him exactly what I’d been doing when it happened and as the words left my mouth, realization hit. “Maybe it was the sword.” I reached down under the couch and placed it across my lap. “I’d been trying to figure out the next clue when it happened.”
Declan glanced at the blade, running his finger over its smooth reflective surface. “My mom said she got glimpses of the future during her episodes.”
“And Trinity has visions,” I added.
His lips twisted into a smirk. “I’m not making fun now, but don’t you think if it was a real vision, it would’ve been of something more important than me in the shower?”
I rolled my eyes. “Hardy-har-har.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.” I took the sword from his hands and stared at it, willing it to give me answers. “It doesn’t make any sense,” I huffed. “Even if the renegades are successful in getting the humans out of here, none of that will matter if we can’t find the shield.”
He squeezed my shoulder and gave me an indulgent smile. “We’ll find it somehow.”
“I wish Trinity were here. And Duke.”
“I know. I miss them too.”
“Declan, if we’re leaving then why can’t we go get them? Trinity has the Book of Salvation and the dagger. Maybe the book could help us figure out the next clue, and the humans need that dagger.”
“It’s too dangerous, and you know that. We barely made it out of vampire territory alive last time.” He swept a lock of hair behind my ear, his heated fingers sending a sweet tingle down my spine.
I sighed. “It’s not safe anywhere.” We still hadn’t discussed where he planned on going when we left the tower. It felt like he was purposely avoiding the subject. “So where are we going until all hell breaks loose again?”
A booming knock on the door interrupted his answer. Conveniently.
There was only one person that demanded that sort of attention.
Declan rose but before he reached the door, his father barreled in. As always, Nathanael’s presence sucked the air out of the room. His icy blue eyes landed on me, and then his shirtless son, and I suppressed the urge to tuck into a ball and hide.
“Father, the point of knocking is to wait for an answer.” He ducked into the bedroom, and came out tugging a shirt over his head.
It didn’t surprise me Nathanael had the key to our apartment. He probably snuck in at night and watched us. Bleh. The idea made my skin crawl.
“I’d apologize, but technically this is my apartment.”
Declan snorted on a laugh. “Yes, of course. What is it that you need?”
“There’s an urgent matter I need to discuss with you.” He motioned toward the door. “In private.”
Declan crossed his arms against his chest. “Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Liv.”
Nathanael frowned, his light brows knitting. “This doesn’t concern her. It’s official angel business, and I doubt she’d be concerned in military maneuvers.”
This was about the war. Had Nathanael figured out Zeke’s plan?
I gave Declan an encouraging nod. It would be better for all of us if we knew what Nathanael was plotting. It was more likely the Archangel would divulge more information if I wasn’t there.
“Fine,” Declan huffed and followed his father toward the door. Before closing it, he poked his head back through the crack. “Don’t go anywhere.”
I held up my right hand still wrapped in the icy dishtowel. “I promise.”
He retreated through the opening and shut the door behind him. I dragged myself off the couch to lock it, making sure to slide the deadbolt as well. The last thing I needed was an unexpected visitor.
Walking over to the massive picture window, I stared out onto the National Mall. The lush green had long been overrun by scorched earth, but the U.S. Capitol still stood in the distance. Chunks of cement crumbled off the corners, and it’s façade was more gray than white. The grand monument had seen better days, but at least it was still standing.
For now. What would happen once the fighting erupted again?
My mind flashed back to a little over a year ago. After nearly slicing my finger off, I’d returned from the hospital to find Dad securing the basement. He and Asher’s dad wheeled in barrels of canned goods and bottled water. Then came the plywood and reinforced door.
That night we sat glued to the television as reports came in of brilliant flashes of light over Manhattan. Witnesses said angels had come to save humanity from the evil vampires. Groups of devout Christians gathered in churches thanking God for the miracle.
A few days later, Manhattan had been brought to its knees. Not a single human survived—unless you counted the lucky ones that had been enslaved for food. The vampire and angel war raged on… spreading.
I remembered staring at the screen in shock as more reports came in. It didn’t seem real; it was like a science-fiction movie.
I shook my head, chasing away the dark memories.
How had I become the star of this horror flick?
Chapter 4
The balmy breeze blew through my hair, dark strands whipping across my face as we soared through the murky sky. I craned my head back to see the ominous angel tower receding in the distance. My heart felt lighter with every flap of Declan’s mighty wings. I couldn’t say I was sorry to leave that dreadful place.
I readjusted the strap on Declan’s shoulder, making sure my duffel bag was secure. It held the sword of honor, the key to ending all of this. If only I could figure out how to unlock its secrets.
“We’re almost there,” Declan shouted, his voice nearly getting lost in the wind.
I still couldn’t believe Nathanael had let us leave. Declan had been oddly quiet since meeting with his father. He hadn’t given me many details about the disc
ussion, only that we were no longer required to remain as guests. The timing of it all seemed much too convenient.
My stomach dropped as Declan began the descent. Flying time from the tower to the old church where the Rural Renegades resided was only about ten minutes, but Declan had circled for half an hour to ensure we weren’t followed. Once he was convinced, he headed south to their hideout.
Declan’s feet hit the ground, and I bounced up in his arms, my stomach still fluttering from the flight. Before releasing me, he caught my eyes in his dark gaze. Something flashed across his deep maroon irises that I couldn’t quite decipher. He snagged his lower lip with his teeth and desire swirled in my core as I longed for the feel of his lips on mine. I swallowed hard and blinked rapidly to sever the intense connection.
Declan exhaled a sharp breath and lowered me to the sidewalk. It took me a second to get my bearings as I scanned the desolate street. “This way,” I finally said, pointing up the block.
The discolored white cross jutted over the abandoned buildings in the strip mall. As we walked closer, a pit of dread unfurled in my gut. The last time I’d seen Linc I’d promised to deliver Nathanael’s son, and here I was doing just that. What if they tried to hurt Declan? What if this was all some elaborate scheme to trap a nephilim?
Declan’s fingers threaded between mine, and he squeezed my hand. “Calm down. Everything’s going to be fine. This is what we wanted, remember?”
This connection between Declan and me was growing by the minute, and I wasn’t sure whether to be happy or scared of it.
“Are you sure you can’t read my mind?” I asked.
He laughed. “Yes, I’m sure. Sometimes I wish I knew what was going on in there.”
“Not as much as I wished I knew what was going on in yours.”
His lips turned down. “You still don’t think I’m telling you everything.” It was more of a statement than a question.
“You were gone for awhile when you met with your father, and you gave me like a ten second explanation.”
