“Are you sure we’re Gibbor?”
“Yes.”
Lucy let out a breath of relief then turned to Gracie. “Told ya I’m no stinkin’ Eljo.”
“That’s a relief,” one of the parents murmured.
“And what if we were?” Karenna snapped. “What would you have done?”
Everyone stilled, tension filling the bus. The few humans who had remained quiet at the back of the bus looked warily at the Gibbor families, waiting for an answer. One Gibbor man was about to speak when a woman sitting next to him placed a hand on his arm, shaking her head.
Gracie’s father cleared his throat as he slowly rose from his seat. The other Gibbor nodded, permitting him to speak on their behalf. Cold eyes peered down at Karenna and Lucy. I stiffened, forcing myself to stay put.
“We’d have to deal with the enemy as we would in any battle,” he said.
Karenna’s hand reached to her back, underneath her jacket where she kept her dagger. “Do you mean you would kill us? I thought you didn’t kill.”
He scowled, his face growing red. “We’re not angels. And newsflash, honey, we’re in a war here. I’ll protect my family at any cost.”
I moved Karenna aside, ready to take down the Gibbor when the bus suddenly jerked to a stop.
“What the…!” Nacho cried.
I stumbled back, scrambling for the seatback. Gracie’s mother yanked her husband’s arm, making him sit back down.
“Sorry, guys,” Nacho called back. “I almost ran over this stupid bowlegged cowboy.” He honked the horn and stuck his head out the window. “Dude! You’ve got the whole damn highway. Are you blind?”
Everyone peered out the window, wondering what was going on. There wasn’t much to see. A sign announced we were close to the California border. A rest stop was the only standing building in sight. In the middle of the road, a figure wearing a cowboy hat and boots stood still, waiting. Next to his feet was a military green duffle bag and guitar case. Slowly, he lifted his head and thumbed back his Stetson revealing bright eyes and a wide smile.
2
Tristan
“Don’t.” I placed my hand over Nacho’s when he reached to open the door.
“What’s wrong?” Karenna leaned over Nacho’s shoulder for a better look. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the cowboy wearing a burnt orange t-shirt with a longhorn emblem underneath his jean jacket. “He’s from Texas. Let him in, Nacho.”
Nacho’s dark eyes darted questioningly from the cowboy to me. He looked puzzled, but let go of the door lever anyway. “Are you sure you don’t want to let him in?”
“Don’t be silly. Of course we’re picking him up. Open the door,” Karenna insisted. “He looks cold.”
As if hearing Karenna, the cowboy stuck his hands into his jeans pocket and rolled his shoulders inward. He swayed on the heels of his boots as he looked up with a hopeful expression.
He appeared innocent enough, and we’d picked up plenty of strangers along the way. Many Marmie knew, and some she didn’t. So why was I trying so hard to convince myself to let him in?
A gnawing sensation crawled up my chest. I couldn’t shake the ominous feeling they, my rebellious brothers who had joined Belial, were out there. I gazed at the overcast sky. It was an endless sea of gray.
“Tristan? What’s going on?” Karenna’s face was a mixture of curiosity and excitement.
It’d been days since we had left Texas, and this was someone who obviously reminded her of home.
The bus grew restless. Many people opened their windows, trying to get a better look at the stranger.
Before I could answer, Blaze stepped out of the SUV. His hand curled over his sword’s hilt as he approached the cowboy.
The bus erupted in shocked whispers.
“Is he going to kill him?”
“He’s just a college kid.”
“Jo, I need to go number one.”
“Shh, we’ll get off soon.”
“The boy doesn’t have any weapons, does he?”
“What do you expect from them? Everyone who’s not an angel is suspect. Makes you wonder whose side they’re really on,” Gracie’s father grumbled.
As the cowboy stepped up to Blaze, I raised my hand, silencing them. The cowboy slowly drew his hand out of his pocket. I held my breath, tense, ready to spring out of the bus.
“Howdy! I’m hoping y’all are the good guys ’cause man, my dogs are beat. Got this one crying for his momma.” The cowboy stuck out a worn boot. The sole flapped loose as he lifted his foot.
Blaze narrowed his eyes for a moment then shook the cowboy’s hand. He glanced up at me, shrugging.
“Open it,” I said reluctantly.
“Okay, everyone, ten-minute break,” Nacho said, opening the door.
As everyone filed out and headed to the rest stop, I stayed near Karenna. She didn’t seem to notice Gracie’s father and some of the other Gibbor watching her suspiciously.
“I’ll look around the building and keep an eye on them. The snack machines look like they’ve already been raided.” Nacho pointed to the vending machines laying on their sides.
“Thanks, Nacho,” I said, watching Zac, Val, and Calder climbing out the SUV.
Zac gazed at the group of children and parents following Nacho. His voice was low as he spoke, not wanting to frighten the others. “We’re going to make a run and circle the area. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Flying would be faster,” Val said.
“We can’t risk it,” Zac said.
“I know,” she sighed as they took off running.
I frowned. I barely made out what they’d said. Our angelic gifts of superior sight and hearing were getting worse by the day.
Blaze caught my eye and shook his head before he ran to catch up with Nacho. I didn’t have to guess what he was thinking. Having Karenna with us placed all of us in danger. If it weren’t for his affection for Lucy, he would’ve never allowed it.
“Jo! Jo! Jo! I gotta go!” Neto folded his hands in front of him and hopped from foot to foot.
“He didn’t want to use the bottle Nacho gave him, but I did. Look, Dorian.” Javi proudly held up a nearly full juice bottle.
“Whoa!” Dorian jolted back. “Uh, love, let’s take the kids to do their business.”
“Coming, Karenna?” Jo asked.
“In a moment. I want to welcome our new guest,” Karenna said.
“He’s wearing a UT shirt. Do you think he knows Dad?” Lucy asked excitedly.
“Highly doubtful,” Dorian answered. He glanced nervously at the cowboy. It was so quick; I’d almost missed it.
“I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to get to know him. Come, Josette,” Dorian said as he laced his fingers with Jo’s and sped off.
I looked at Dorian curiously as he led Jo and the boys to the rest stop. He was behaving oddly. Well, odd for him. As each person entered the bus, particularly the men, he always introduced himself with Jo by his side, making it clear she was his. It was interesting that he didn’t go through his same song and dance, especially with a young and rugged guy like this one.
“The name’s McCoy. Hunter McCoy.” The cowboy’s thick accent was pure Texan.
“It’s nice to meet you, Hunter. I’m Karenna. This is my sister, Lucy.”
“I like your shirt,” Lucy said.
“Longhorns all the way, ma’am. Imagine my luck to run into such pretty young ladies.” He plopped his bag and guitar case on the ground and stretched out his hand. Before Karenna could touch him, a force compelled me to place myself between them.
“I’m Tristan.” A cold sensation crawled up my arm like a dozen ice spiders. I fought the urge to snatch my hand away.
Hunter’s eyes flitted to Karenna and then me as he pumped my hand. “Tristan, you say? Hmm, have we met before? You look familiar.” Hunter dropped his hand and took a step back, taking me in. He rubbed his dimpled chin for a moment, then snapped his fingers and grinned. There was something about tha
t smile.
How do I know him?
Hunter slapped his hand against his thigh. “Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. You’re one of them magic folk from Vegas. The Revocations!”
“Revelationz,” Karenna laughed. “And their show is wonderful. Have you seen one?”
“Ah, Revelationz. Sorry ’bout that, buddy,” Hunter said, taking in my scowl. “I’ve never stepped so much as a foot out of Texas until last week when a friend got me a gig leading trail rides in Cave Creek. It figures the moment I poke a toe over the state line the world ends. I would’ve loved to have seen Vegas, though. I did see a YouTube video of your show. You did them card tricks.”
“That’s right,” I said between gritted teeth. There was a condescending edge to his tone. It seemed stupid to be associated with a Vegas act.
“I guess we know your secret now. Angels, right?” He threw back his head and laughed.
“Right.” I grunted. Something was wrong with this guy, but no one seemed to pick up on it. Some of the girls who returned from the rest stop hung around the bus, eyeing him and giggling and whispering. Even Karenna smiled at his lame joke. Lucy was one of the few exceptions. Her head tilted, eyes searching.
He lifted his hat and brushed a mass of golden hair back off his forehead before plopping it back on. “Smart. I bet you made wads of cash with that act. And the ladies…man, oh, man. I’m sure you had some of that action. Must’ve been some gig. Sure does beat hauling manure. I’m lucky y’all came along. Been walking for days and haven’t seen a single person. I was telling, Blaze here that I was on my way to the port in LA to meet up with Remi.”
“You know about that?” Karenna gave him a surprised look.
“Yes, ma’am. Lot of us Gibbor know about it. We’ve been waitin’ for it for some time now.”
“You’re Gibbor? No way!” Lucy looked at him skeptically.
“Sure am, little lady.” He winked.
Karenna beamed. “A Gibbor from Texas. You must know Aunt Marmie then. Aunt Marmie, come here and meet Hunter!” She waved to Marmie who was talking with some of the Gibbor mothers, including Gracie’s.
“Who doesn’t?” he replied.
I tensed as his smile wavered ever so slightly when the group of women approached.
“From Texas? I thought—” Marmie rocked back at the wide smile on Hunter’s face. The Gibbor women seemed enchanted.
Why were they looking at him like that? I took in Hunter’s lithe, athletic build, perfect smile, and light brown eyes, shining like polished tiger’s eye gemstones. He had a light dusting of gold stubble across a dimpled chin. He couldn’t have been older than Val or Calder. There was something about his flawless skin and the way his gaze seemed to compel others to look at him. The only one who wasn’t looking at him like he was an ice cream cone on a hot summer day was Lucy. She gripped her skateboard to her chest, her eyes flitting back and forth between the cowboy and the direction Zac had gone.
Instinct drew me closer to Karenna’s side. Hunter’s eyes hardened for a split second before he turned his attention back to Marmie.
“Marmie? Are you okay? You look flushed. Tristan, can you hand her a bottled water? There’s still a few on the bus,” Karenna said.
Marmie blinked a couple of times as if clearing her vision. “I’m fine, dear. Leave the water for the children. Really, don’t fuss. It’s just,” she peered at Hunter for a moment, “I thought I saw…oh, nothing. These old eyes take a while to adjust. I see you went to UT.”
“Sure did,” Hunter said. “You must be the famous Marmie, aunt to all the Gibbor. My father said great things about you.”
“You don’t know him? I thought you knew all the Gibbor. Gracie said you did,” Lucy said.
“I don’t know everyone, dear. What part of Texas?” Marmie asked.
“Small town along the Texas border. Only rattlers and cacti to keep us company,” Hunter said, chuckling. “You may not remember this, but my father told me about the time he wooed a pretty little lady in Laredo and she…”
Hunter leaned into Marmie, dipping his head until their faces were hidden behind his hat.
I clenched my fists as I strained to hear what he was telling her. Hunter’s chest rumbled. Words came out in short blasts of air, but before I could decipher anything he’d said, he pulled back with a satisfied expression on his face.
Marmie gazed out with a blank expression then, like a computer rebooting, she blinked, coming back to life. “The McCoys! How could I forget? Your father worked with Rowan and Lucia. Of course, the, uh, situation,” her cheeks flushed pink, “with your father happened way before he met your dear mother. Where’s your family?”
“Well, I don’t like to talk much about ’em, ma’am. They died in a car accident.” He swept his hat off his head and pressed it to his chest. “May the Ancients return their souls home again.”
“May the Ancients return their souls home again,” the women repeated in unison, some of them wiping tears as they chanted.
“You poor dear,” Marmie said, patting his arm. “May the Ancients return their souls home again.”
“Ancients?” Karenna looked from Marmie to me in confusion. “I thought since Gibbor were half angels they would…what did you mean by returning their souls home?”
There was a strained silence. Wary glances shot my way, waiting for me to provide an explanation for a question they knew the answer to. It was a truth I didn’t want to face, something I’d known all my life and hadn’t ever given a second thought…until now.
“It’s a Gibbor saying. Sort of like a prayer, a hope that our kind will be allowed the same courtesy as humans for our souls to rest in peace,” Hunter explained, his face looking way too smug.
“The Gibbor are sent to hell? No way! We’re the good guys!” Lucy exclaimed.
“No, no, not with Lucifer, dear. The Thrones would never do that,” Marmie said.
“Then where? Where are your parents’ souls?” Karenna asked.
“I’d like to say they are in a better place. But I guess that’s up to them to decide where we go after our mortal bodies are gone,” Hunter said, tilting his head in my direction.
Karenna turned to me. “Up to you?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later,” I said, shifting under her questioning gaze. I turned to Hunter, desperate to change the direction of the conversation. “How is it your family knows Marmie but she doesn’t know you?”
“A skeptic. That’s okay. I get it,” Hunter said. “I never made it up to Sanberly with my father. Now, if I’d known you were there, I would’ve jumped on his truck faster than a scalded cat.” He winked at Karenna. “I did see your father on campus, though. Where are Rowan and your mom? I’d love to meet her.”
“They…we…” Karenna paled as she struggled to get the words out.
“That’s none of your business,” Lucy spat.
Marmie gasped. “Lucy! Don’t be rude. My apologies, Hunter. It’s been a long drive.”
“No sweat. Didn’t mean to pry, little lady.”
“Were you one of Dad’s students?” Karenna asked.
Hunter laughed. “There’s one thing not even being a Gibbor could save me from and that’s math. No, I ran into him in the quad. I was playing a song that only a Gibbor would know, “Cascading Stars.” He came up to me and introduced himself.”
“Oh, that’s a pretty song,” Marmie said. “Your mom used to sing you to sleep with it.”
“Lots of Gibbor moms do,” Hunter said. He took a deep breath and hummed a few notes.
Karenna’s eyes glistened. “I remember. She sang it all the time.”
“It would be my privilege to play you a few Gibbor songs,” Hunter said. “That is, if your angel friends don’t mind me hitching a ride with you.” He gestured toward the horizon.
Zac, Val, and Calder joined up with Blaze, helping him gather the others as they made their way back to the bus. Calder followed Jo and Dorian, staying a few steps be
hind them.
“Back on the bus, people!” Nacho whistled at a couple of teens who straggled behind.
“Of course, they don’t mind. You can sit with us,” Karenna said as everyone made their way onto the bus. “I can also repair the loose sole on your boot.”
Hunter’s eyes lit up.
No! I clamped my jaw, swallowing back the word. Every cell in my body screamed, urging me to keep him away from her.
My eyes met with Calder’s, and he was suddenly by my side. “What’s wrong?”
“Later,” I murmured. I had no explanation for him. All I had was a feeling… a very bad one.
“It’s settled then. I’ll get my things and see you on the bus,” Hunter said.
“I want to ride with Blaze and Zac,” Lucy said.
“I don’t know. I don’t think there’s room in the SUV,” Karenna said.
“That’s a great idea,” I jumped in before she could say no, wondering how I could get Karenna to join her.
Hunter was now standing by the bus door. He introduced himself and shook everyone’s hand like a politician. I had the sense he was watching our every move.
“You can have my seat,” Calder said quickly, following my lead.
“Thanks, Calder,” Karenna said. “I guess you can go. Don’t distract them, and be on your best behavior.”
“Come with me,” Lucy whispered to Karenna under her breath, taking the words out of my mouth.
“There isn’t room,” Karenna said.
“We can fit,” she argued.
“I don’t think so. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she grumbled. “Are you staying with Karenna, Tristan?”
“Yes, and Calder will be with us,” I reassured her.
“Good.” Lucy grabbed her skateboard and ran to the SUV.
Karenna shook her head as Lucy disappeared into the car.
“She’s a little spitfire,” Hunter said as Karenna stepped onto the bus.
“I’m sorry about that. It’s not you. Really,” she said.
“No problem. I’m used to it. I’m the kind you either love me or hate me. I wonder what her big sister will choose?” Hunter turned his head slightly, taking in my reaction.
Reign of Angels 2 Page 2
