The Vampire & Angel Wars Complete Collection

by G. K. DeRosa

  “I love you, Declan,” I whispered as I rose to my tiptoes and gently brushed my lips against his. “And I’m not losing you now or ever.”

  “Do you want me to leave?” asked Trinity. I caught her queasy expression over Declan’s shoulder.

  “No. We need to figure out what this means.” I released Declan and picked the sword up off the bed. “And we need your help because I have absolutely no idea where to start.”

  Chapter 24

  Hundreds of bodies packed the commerce hall, making the stale air underground even denser than normal. I’d only arrived a few hours ago, and already I wasn’t sure I could stay hidden down here for long. As if sensing my unease, Declan squeezed my knee under the table. I smiled and attempted to refocus on the conversation.

  Parker, Linc and Jayse sat across from Declan and me recapping the attack on Arx. I felt like I was at an official FBI debriefing you’d see on TV. The men across the way were all business; even their postures had changed. I had a hard time keeping up with the military lingo, which was why my mind kept wandering.

  “But Nathanael took back control of the tower in the end?” Declan questioned.

  “Affirmative.” Jayse dipped his head as he spoke. “The vampire assault was both a blessing and a curse.” He turned to face me, his expression sheepish. “You were right. We never would’ve had a chance without the daggers, so thank you. Even with them, the only reason so many of us got out alive was the distraction the vamps provided.”

  At least Zeke had been good for something.

  “Redson got in the main control room and manually shut down all the exits,” Jayse continued. “While the majority of the angels were locked inside Arx, Britt led the prisoners through the tunnels. The nephilim soldiers had no idea what was going on. Without the generals to direct them, they ran around like chickens with their heads cut off. By the time they broke out of the tower, the vamps arrived and the rest of us made a run for it.”

  I would’ve loved to have seen the beautiful nephilim racing around in a panic as the vampires descended. My thoughts veered to Asher. Where was he?

  Jayse’s deep voice drew me back to the story. “I didn’t stick around to see what happened when the immortals went head to head, but according to our lookout, the vamps fled not long after Nathanael and his generals arrived.”

  So much for the angels getting weaker the longer they remained on earth. “Now what?” I asked.

  Linc rubbed at his white goatee as he responded. “We stay underground for as long as we can, and we recruit. We’ll build more subterranean stations just like this all along the eastern coast. Let the vampires and angels kill themselves off with this war. We’ll come out stronger in the end.”

  I nodded as restlessness brewed in my belly. I had to tell them about the next clue, even though I was certain they only half-believed in this stuff. We needed all the help we could get to decipher the cryptic message.

  “What’s your plan?” asked Parker. His brows knitted in an expression that reminded me too much of my dad.

  Pain ping-ponged across my ribcage, and I drew in a quick breath before speaking. “We’ve got the next clue.” I pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it in the middle of the table for all to see.

  After a brief pause, three pairs of eyes glanced up at me. “Do you know what it means?” asked Parker.

  “Not yet. I was hoping you guys could help.”

  Jayse leaned back in the chair folding his big arms across his wide chest. “This is not my area of expertise.”

  Parker and Linc looked equally confused, and my heart spiraled downward.

  Jayse glanced around the packed space and his eyes lit up. “There are hundreds of people here. Someone could know something.”

  I shrugged, debating the idea of sharing a message that felt so personal. Azazel had said that the first clue had changed over the ages to fit to the current circumstances. That was most likely the case with this one as well. If it was, that meant this clue was specifically created for Declan and me. Even sharing it with Parker and his family felt like a betrayal somehow.

  “Let’s keep it between us for now.” Declan’s gaze was steady and confident, instilling a twinge of hope in me. Did he feel strangely protective over the message too?

  Jayse stood and gave everyone a salute. “I’m heading above ground to coordinate the patrols. The nephilim are back in the skies which means the vamps aren’t far.”

  Linc rose, patting his son on the shoulder. “Excuse me. I need to get Jayse up to speed on a few things.”

  My shoulders sagged once they were gone. I liked the Donovan’s well enough, but Parker was like family, the others more like third cousins. I stared at the words on the paper, the letters blurring in my mind. I’d already read it at least twenty times and still it was gibberish.

  “You okay, girl?” Parker pinned me with his smoky blue irises.

  I huffed and rubbed my eyes. “Just worried I won’t be able to figure this out.”

  Declan snaked his arm around my shoulders and drew me into his side. His warmth immediately soothed the turmoil within.

  “You two will figure it out. I have faith in you.” Parker gave me a warm grin.

  I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, well, you know I would’ve been in the front lines if I could’ve been. But the young’uns, they refused to take us.”

  “I’m glad they did.” I stood, my limbs weighing a ton. After the night we’d had I wasn’t sure I’d make it back to my container before passing out. “Goodnight, Parker. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Sleep tight, Liv.” He narrowed his gaze at Declan and cleared his throat. “I know sleeping quarters are tight so I imagine you’re giving the ladies the bed?” He posed it as a question, but by the firm set of his jaw it was clear it was meant as a command.

  My cheeks flushed, but Declan kept cool. “Of course, Parker. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Good.”

  We walked away, and I couldn’t help but feel like my dad had caught me doing something naughty with my boyfriend. I smiled internally. It was oddly comforting.

  After a few days of living in renegade headquarters, we’d fallen into a comfortable routine. The underground outpost housed all the necessities and afforded us a comfortable safety I hadn’t had since Asher and I left the farm months ago.

  Then why was I so antsy all the time?

  Sleeping was an exercise in futility. I woke up most nights and crawled to the floor to lie in between Declan and Duke. Sleep without Declan’s arms around me was impossible. I kept telling my brain we were safe, but my heart didn’t believe it.

  Living underground was like being in a bubble. I hadn’t been up to street level in days. A part of me was scared of what I’d find.

  The angels were back in the sky. I could almost here the drone of their wings overhead. Okay, I couldn’t really, but I knew Declan could. Every once in awhile he’d tilt his head back as if he could see through the thick layers of dirt all the way up to the heavens.

  The fighting had begun. Though I couldn’t hear the clash of weapons or grunts of battle, we did feel the occasional tremor. Whatever the immortals were doing up there, they were making the earth tremble beneath it.

  Declan was restless too. He didn’t say it, but I could feel the unease radiating off him. Another perk of the twin soul perhaps? Ever since that day, I couldn’t deny our connection had intensified. We didn’t even have to say a word to know what the other was thinking.

  I finally reached the laundry center and dumped my belongings into a large tin tub. The young girl manning the counter gave me a sweet smile. “It’ll be ready by tomorrow afternoon,” she said.

  “Great. Thank you.” Yup, we even had free laundry service down here.

  Linc and the guys had set up quite a system. Everyone had a job to do, and they were all so happy to be free from the angels that no one ev
er complained or questioned anything.

  I wondered how long that would last.

  Heading back through the tunnels, I noticed the earthy smell sticking to my pores didn’t even bother me anymore. I’d definitely been down here for too long. I turned a corner and ran right into a hard body.

  “Britt!” I pulled the big guy into a hug. He tensed for a moment before eventually relaxing and returning my embrace. “How are you?”

  He released me, pulling away. The piercing sadness in his gray eyes told me everything I needed to know. He still hadn’t found his little brother. “Hangin’ in,” he finally muttered. At least his arm was out of the sling. “You?”

  “Oh you know, trying to figure out secret messages from the beyond. Same old. Same old.” I forced a smile.

  “I was gonna come look for you when I got back. Your friend Asher gave me a message for you.”

  My heart rammed against my ribcage as my eyes widened. “You saw him?”

  He nodded. “He made it out okay; he was headed north. He wanted me to tell you something.”

  I clutched my empty laundry bag against my chest and swallowed hard.

  Britt paused, as if he were chewing the words over in his mind. “He said you needed to let him go.”

  A lead fist punched me in the gut, stealing my breath away. I gasped as I fought the excruciating pain in my torso. He’s just trying to protect you, said an annoying voice in my head.

  I knew the voice was right, but it didn’t sting any less.

  “I’m sorry,” said Britt after a few beats of silence. “I know how hard it is to have someone you care about out there and not know if they’re dead or alive.”

  I sucked in my grief, burying it away in a deep corner I could deal with later. Or never. Glancing up at Britt, I met his hollow eyes. “You’ll find your brother. I know you will.”

  He nodded, his lips thinned out. “I’m heading north to rendezvous with Jaxon and search for recruits.”

  “Good luck, Britt.” I leaned in, giving him another quick hug and this time he didn’t hesitate.

  “You too, savior girl. We’re all counting on you.” With a lopsided grin, he turned the corner, leaving my stomach in knots once again.

  Chapter 25

  The black words danced across my vision mocking me. I’d been staring at the piece of paper with Declan’s scrawled writing for the past hour. Who was I kidding? I’d been glaring at it for days now. Trinity, Declan, and even Parker had taken turns examining the puzzling riddle, and we were still no closer to discovering its hidden meaning.

  “What time is it?” Declan’s gruff voice turned my attention to the floor.

  “Almost seven.”

  He snorted and squeezed his eyes shut. Sprawled out on a thin blanket, he took up half the floor space of the cramped container. Duke took the remaining half. The chiseled squares of Declan’s abs caught my eye as he sat up. Sleeping without a shirt on was so not fair. Not when we hadn’t had a moment alone together in days.

  His lip curled into a sexy smile as he caught my blatant ogling. “Where’s Trinity?”

  “Gathering some herbs for a potion.”

  Before the last syllable left my mouth, Declan pounced. Tossing the sheet of paper off the bed, he pressed me into the mattress, all his weight bearing down on me. “Are you trying to kill me?” I laughed.

  “Nope. Just distract you.” He shot me a megawatt smile as he hovered over me. “Did it work?”

  “Maybe for a second.” I placed my hands on his bare chest and my fingertips tingled, tiny sparks of electricity igniting between our flesh. I inhaled; the feeling simultaneously took my breath away and filled me with buzzing energy.

  He inched in, his mouth growing closer and my lips parted of their own accord. His tongue slipped through, caressing and exploring and for a blissful moment all my trepidation disappeared. It was only he and I. The warmth of his body surrounding me and protecting me from all the uncertainty. I dug my fingers into his hair, tugging at the unruly waves as he continued his gentle assault on my mouth.

  His soft lips moved down my neck then to the sensitive spot beneath my ear, and my toes curled. A slight groan slipped out, but Declan’s deft mouth smothered it before it broke free.

  He pulled back with a wicked grin on his face. “Maybe we should table this till we have less of an audience.”

  I strained to hear what Declan had heard with his superior supernatural senses. Footsteps in the sleeping hall. People were starting to wake for the day, and the last thing I needed was someone hearing us. So embarrassing. As it was everyone treated us differently. They all knew Declan was Nathanael’s son, and as much as we tried to keep my special role a secret, rumors were flying around. More humans just meant more gossip.

  “Thanks for the break. I definitely needed it.” Pressing a soft kiss to Declan’s cheek, I extricated myself from under his warm body and reached for the discarded sheet of paper.

  “You said Trinity was making a potion?”

  Funny, I didn’t think he’d heard anything I’d said, his male hormones too intent on mauling me. “Yeah. She’s been working on cloaking spells. She’s trying to make them portable so we can have one on us at all times in case we get into trouble.”

  “Hmm. Interesting.” Declan moved beside me, mirroring my hunched pose over the torturous riddle. He ran his finger to the last line. “At least we know what the twin souls means.”

  I grunted, loud and unladylike. “Yeah, too bad it’s the only thing.” Chewing on my lip, I mulled over the one possible answer that had been plaguing my sleepless nights.

  “Just spit it out, Liv.”

  Damn him. He knew me too well. “Is it too soon to contact your uncle?”

  Declan frowned, a darkness settling over his handsome features.

  I took his hands in mine and squeezed. “I get it if you don’t want to, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask. He did say he’d help us if we needed it.”

  He sighed and ran his hands through his jet-black hair. “And we do need it.”

  Declan was as desperate as I was to get back out there. It wasn’t in either of us to sit around and wait patiently.

  He jumped off the bed and dug around in his duffel bag until he revealed the shimmery opal gemstone. Hundreds of brilliant colors danced around the inside as Declan held it up to the overhead neon light.

  “How do you think it works?” I asked, my mouth slightly agape at its beauty.

  He shrugged. “I’d rather not know. My uncle doesn’t dabble in light magic.” He tugged a shirt over his head and stepped into a pair of khakis. “We better go above ground before we summon him. We may need his help but that doesn’t mean I trust him enough to reveal the rebels’ safe house.”

  “Agreed.” I threw my hair up into a messy bun and followed him out. Before drawing the curtain back, I whirled to Duke who was already trailing behind us. “You stay here and wait for Trinity. We’ll be right back.”

  Duke whined and settled back down on the floor with a huff.

  My heart picked up speed with each footstep, the outside world calling to me. I was practically running through the tunnels to keep up with Declan’s long stride. To be honest, the idea of seeing the sky again had my blood thrumming excitedly. Even if it was only murky sky. And probably swarming with angels.

  We reached the rusty ladder leading up to the old tool shed, and my hands trembled as I pulled myself up. Declan insisted on going first, of course. He pushed open the rickety old door, and the hinges squeaked in protest.

  Fresh air wafted into the opening, filling the shed. I sucked in a big lungful, grateful for the reprieve from the stale underground oxygen that had to be pumped in.

  “Okay, it’s clear,” said Declan, holding the door for me.

  The air smelled even sweeter outside. I tipped my head back and reveled in the hints of sun that peeked through the clouds. Then the flutter of tremendous wings killed my oxygen buzz.

  Declan yanked my arm, near
ly tearing it out of its socket. “Come on. We gotta get under cover.” He dragged me across the street to the encroaching woods, his pace never relenting until a thick canopy of trees blocked all the light from above. It didn’t block the steady drone of wings though. The annoying hum jackhammered across my brain, drowning everything else out.

  “I wished we’d gotten some of that cloaking potion before looking for your uncle.”

  Declan pulled the opal out of his pocket, turning it over in his palm. “Too late now.” Closing his eyes, he tightened his fingers into a fist. “Azazel, I summon you.”

  I scanned the woods, every nerve on edge. As much as I’d craved the outdoors, I suddenly felt very exposed. A trickle of sweat snaked down my back, but still a chill came over me.

  Declan’s eyes opened, and he surveyed the quiet forest. “Do you feel that?”

  The tiny hairs along my arms stood on end in response. “Yup.”

  He tugged me closer, pulling me into his chest. My back grazed his torso, tense and rock hard.

  The air in front of us shimmered then darkened. Black tendrils of smoke billowed over the forest floor. The scent of charred wood and licorice swirled in the breeze, sweet and choking all at once.

  The smoke twisted, thickening, until it coalesced into a shadowy figure.

  “Uncle?”

  A pair of mismatched eyes caught mine, and as always, I was trapped in Azazel’s intense gaze.

  “In the flesh,” he said with a lopsided grin.

  I couldn’t believe that worked. I stared at the fallen angel for a moment longer still trying to decide if the man was deadly or just drop-dead gorgeous. I shook the thought off as quickly as it came. It wasn’t fair that Declan’s family was all so good-looking. None of them appeared anywhere near their actual age. Azazel had that rakish George Clooney thing going for him, Nathanael was beyond beautiful and if Zekiel wasn’t evil incarnate, he’d give Johnny Depp a run for his money.