“I know him through Liam. They had a few run-ins when he was going out with Olivia. I’m sure she’s told you about that.” He offered simple explanations, hoping it would be enough to curb her curiosity. Ashley was silent. He felt her sadness and knew she blamed herself for getting mixed up with Max and for hurting Nate.
“It’s not your fault, Ashley. Max is manipulative and alluring. That’s part of what makes him so dangerous.”
“Nate’s angry with me,” she said, changing subjects. “He thinks I’ve chosen you over him.”
Her candidness caught him off guard. He took his foot off the accelerator and pulled the Mustang over to the side of the road. He turned toward her, giving her his full attention. “Is that what you’ve done? Chosen me over him?” Balen felt her uncertainty rise, and she hesitated before answering.
“I don’t know. Are you mine to choose? I’m sorry,” she immediately said before he could answer. “I shouldn’t have asked you that.”
Balen watched her closely, not sure what to say, but absolutely sure of what he shouldn’t. I’m yours, Ashley, but you’ll never be mine.
“Balen, say something,” she prompted, looking more anxious with every passing second. Her hands fidgeted in her lap. He reached over and placed his hand over hers, stopping the repetitious motion, but touching her was too much to handle. He quickly pulled his hand back, needing the separation from her in order to think clearly.
“Ashley,” he said softly, not sure exactly what to say. “I like you—a lot. But my life is very…complicated,” he said, searching for the right words. “I’m not sure that if you knew everything about me that you would choose me. Nate’s a good guy, and he obviously cares for you a great deal. I’m afraid that I would only bring you heartache.”
“I don’t believe that,” she denied, shaking her head. “If this is your way of telling me that you’re not interested, then please, just say it, Balen.”
The hurt and confusion in her eyes cut through him like a knife, and he wanted nothing more at that moment than to stop her pain. “That’s not it,” he said, hoping the conviction in his eyes would convince her he spoke the truth. “I just have other commitments, unavoidable obligations that would come between us. Believe me, the last thing I want is to hurt you.”
“I can’t decide if you’re being extremely chivalrous, or just an ass,” she said skeptically.
Balen suppressed a smile. He loved her strong spirit, and suspected that was why Max was so drawn to her. “Probably both,” he replied, pulling the Mustang back into traffic.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Nate pulled into the access of Byers Lake. He got there early, hoping to make a pass or two around the lake to blow off some steam before Olivia got there. He unstrapped the kayaks, lifted the first one over his head, and carried it down to the lake.
Gravel crunched under heavy footsteps. “I think you and I have some unfinished business, Nate ol’ boy.”
That cold menacing voice sent a jolt of alarm rocketing through him. A chill rose up his spine and he just knew this wasn’t going to end well. “Your business isn’t with me, Max,” Nate said calmly. “Take it up with Balen. Ash and I are just friends.” He felt no guilt in throwing Balen under the bus. Ashley had chosen him, and he’d be damned if he was going to get hassled over someone who didn’t want him.
“It didn’t look like ‘just friends’ when you kissed her this morning,” Max growled. “I warned you to stay away from her.”
Nate stopped at the edge of the lake and set the kayak down. He turned toward Max, trying to calm his racing heart. Guys like Max fed on fear, and he wouldn’t give the asshole the satisfaction of seeing just how unnerved he was. “I don’t know what to tell you, Max. I don’t want any trouble with you. There’s nothing going on between Ashley and me. She likes Balen…”
Max’s eyes flashed onyx, the abrupt color change catching him off guard. There was definitely something seriously wrong with this guy. Max lunged so fast, he didn’t have time to get out of the way before Max crashed into him. They both caught air, flying backward into the lake. Waves rocked up onto the shore, taking the kayak into the water with them.
The fierce blow knocked the air out of him and he struggled for breath as Max held him under the water. His lungs burned, his heart pounded, swallowing up his last reserve of oxygen he had. Fighting to get Max off of him, he threw his elbow into Max, catching him in the throat. Max let go of him long enough to break through the water’s surface. He gasped, drawing in gulps of the thick, balmy air. The burn quickly subsided, only to be replaced by a searing pain in his right side as Max drove his fist into his chest. Several ribs cracked as they gave way to the pressure of Max’s blow, and Nate buckled sideways, falling back into the water.
Max grabbed him by the throat and picked him up out of the water, slamming him back beneath the surface again. Nate clutched Max’s wrist, trying desperately to break the grip on his neck, but the hold only tightened. He struggled fruitlessly, his strength no match for Max.
***
Max felt Nate’s grip weaken just before his hands went limp and fell to the side. He held Nate below the surface of the water for a few more seconds before finally releasing him. Nate’s body floated to the surface, cresting the water like a bobber. He allowed himself a brief moment to savor the power flooding through his veins. The fight had been a disappointment, just like he knew it would. Humans were no match for him—not his strength, or his skill. But in death, that’s where the true power lies, and he was absolutely drunk with it.
A child-like giddiness came over him as he thought about what it would feel like to take Olivia’s life. He couldn’t decide which was going to be more satisfying, claiming her life force or destroying Liam’s reason for existence. Oh well, he’d just have to wait and see. A wicked smile spread across his face as he pulled himself out of the thigh-high water. One down, one to go…
***
The heavy chamber door closed behind him as Liam stepped before the court. A process he should be accustomed to over the millennia, but he’d never grown comfortable in the imposing presence of the twelve elders. At attention stood two winged creatures, each with a hawk-like head, a lion-shaped body, and two sets of wings jutting out of their backs with claws that were similar to a lion’s, but talon-like in sharpness. They would be guards, he supposed, if guards were needed in the kingdom of heaven.
“Liam, do you know why you’ve been summoned?” Sephat asked.
“I do,” he replied, standing at attention, hands clasped behind his back.
“And…”
Liam didn’t respond.
“What is the nature of your relationship with the girl?” Sephat asked impatiently.
“I am her guardian—her protector,” Liam answered. “A position that was given to me by you, the High Court.”
“A position that does not permit you to become intimately involved with the human,” the elder countered.
Liam froze. “Wait a minute, do you think I’ve had sexual relations with my mortal?” he asked, seeking clarification. He couldn’t lie to the elders, but he was hopeful that specific questioning would allow him to deny the nature of his relationship with Olivia. He wasn’t ready to walk away from his wings, nor was he willing to walk away from her. It was a decision he was hoping to postpone as long as possible.
“Tis the allegation,” another elder chimed in.
“I assure you, I have not had sexual relations with my mortal. As you know, it is an impossibility. The angelic have been unable to consummate with mortals since the Great Flood.” Of course they knew that, but apparently that little fact bore reminding. He had the sinking feeling that the elders’ inquisition was just getting started.
***
Olivia looked at the clock in her kitchen as she grabbed the keys to Liam’s car. It was one thirty. Nate planned to meet her at two. She didn’t want to keep him waiting and hoped they might get a chance to talk before heading out on the water.
The weather proved to be just as beautiful as the sunrise had promised. The sun shone high in the early afternoon sky. A few patches of billowy clouds provided a temporary reprieve from the intense heat of the sun. Olivia pressed the button on the key chain, and the roof of the Camaro slowly folded back. She bustled her hair into a twist and slid her sunglasses on before climbing into the driver’s seat.
It was one forty-five when Olivia pulled into the landing of Byers Lake. She parked next to Nate’s Escape and climbed out. She saw the single kayak lying beside the SUV and looked around for Nate. The air was still—too still, and uneasiness crept over her, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake.
“Nate?” she called, walking around the vehicle, looking for any sign of him. She turned toward the lake and shaded her eyes against the reflective glare of the sun. Something was floating in the center of the lake.
Olivia’s heart stopped. The kayak was overturned and something was floating beside it. Fear tore through her. “Nate!” she screamed, running toward the lake. She kicked her sandals off and splashed into the water, slowing her progress as she struggled to run. When it became too deep, she dove forward and swam toward Nate. Her heart slammed inside her chest. Her breath came in short, rapid bursts as her face broke through the water’s surface.
***
“What is the extent of your affection for the mortal?” Sephat demanded.
Liam ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Clearly, they had no intention of making this easy on him. They took these allegations very seriously, and he was starting to feel very uncomfortable under their piercing, all-knowing glare.
“I have spent the last eighteen years protecting her. I’ve done everything in my power to assure her safety. It is entirely reasonable that during that time, I would develop an attachment toward her.”
“Does this attachment include physical contact with the human?”
“In the course of protecting her…” Liam paused mid-sentence. Olivia’s fear suddenly hit him so hard it felt like an ax had been driven into the center of his chest. He stood there a moment, dumb-struck and unfocused, as her panic sucked the air from his lungs.
“Is something wrong?” Yoel asked.
He shook his head and tried to push her emotions aside so he could continue. The quicker he finished here, the quicker he could return to her.
“I apologize. As I was saying, in the course of protecting her, it has been necessary that I have physical contact with her.”
***
Olivia reached the kayak and saw Nate floating face up in the water. “Nate!” she screamed. He didn’t respond. His lifeless body lay limp across the surface of the water. She grabbed the edge of the kayak and swam toward him. When she reached him, she grabbed the shoulder of his vest and shook him. “Nate! Wake up!” she cried.
She pulled the kayak as close to him as possible and tipped the side of the boat into the water, scooping him up as she struggled to push his rag-doll body into the boat. “Come on, Nate, wake up!” she begged as she hoisted one leg into the narrow shell of the boat.
Olivia was exhausted by the time she wrangled Nate into the kayak. She put both hands on the side of the boat and was about to tip it toward her so she could climb in, when something latched onto her ankle—hard. She barely had time to draw a breath before she was yanked below the surface of the water.
Her arms flailed helplessly as the tight grip on her leg pulled her deeper and deeper into the abyss. She looked up and saw the bright beams of sunlight shining into the water, reaching out to her as beacons of hope. Her lungs burned, aching for the air that couldn’t come.
Olivia’s mind raced as her short life began to pass before her eyes. How had it come to this? Her poor parents, they were going to be heartbroken. All her hopes, plans and dreams were rapidly dissolving into what would never be. Liam…I’m so sorry, Liam…
A knowing calm began to wash over her, slowly replacing her terror, and she stopped struggling. Everything faded to black just before she was blinded by a bright white light. Its warmth surrounded her in a comforting, soothing embrace.
So this is what it feels like to die.
***
“Do you love her?” Sephat demanded, frustration ringing in his voice. They weren’t enjoying this cat-and-mouse questioning any more than he was.
He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, the pain in his chest was so unbearable. If one of the elders had reached into his chest and pulled out his beating heart, it probably would have felt better than this. “I’m sorry. I realize this is highly improper, but I must leave—immediately.”
“You’ll leave when you’ve been dismissed!”
“I must leave right now, or everything I’ve fought for will be lost,” he said, turning to run out of the courtroom.
“If you leave now, it is the same as an admission of guilt. You’ll become as the fallen, Liam!” Sephat threatened. “You’ll not get your wings back!”
“I won’t let her die!” Liam replied adamantly. “I can’t live without her.”
“Then your decision has been made. Be gone!” he commanded, with the flippant wave of his hand.
***
Liam broke through the water beside Olivia. He swam down and wrapped his arm around her chest, yanking her free from Max’s iron-tight grasp. Reaching the surface of the water, he swam to the edge of the lake with Olivia tucked tightly against his side. Please…please…please still be alive! He repeated the chant over and over as he pulled her to shore. As soon as his feet touched the bottom of the lake, he swung her up in his arms.
He laid her limp, motionless body on the sand and brushed her long black hair away from her face. He lifted her chin and placed his cheek close to her nose, feeling for a breath, watching for the rise and fall of her chest—nothing. He placed his lips over her mouth and breathed into her air-starved lungs.
“Olivia! Breathe, Olivia!” he commanded as he pressed down on the center of her chest, forcing the lake water out of her lungs. He struggled to keep her alive, pouring his energy into her with each breath and every compression of her chest. Nothing happened. Oh God, he no longer possessed the ability to heal her! He’d made his choice. He’d chosen her, and now he was going to lose her. A solitary tear fell from his eyes and landed on her cheek. “Olivia, you’ve got to breathe! It isn’t your time yet,” he pleaded.
***
Olivia was blinded by the iridescent prisms of light. The mind-numbing warmth that enveloped her body tempted her to stay. She squinted against the bright light, trying to make out the figure standing off in the distance. She couldn’t quite discern the details, but it appeared to be someone standing near a large tree with their arms stretched out toward her, beckoning her to come closer. She took a few steps forward and stopped abruptly when she heard the echo of someone shouting her name.
“Olivia!” the panic-filled voice yelled. “Breathe, damn it! Breathe!”
She paused a moment, and that’s when she realized that she wasn’t—breathing anymore. The ache in her lungs was gone, mercifully replaced by a euphoric wholeness that was beyond description. She no longer felt the need to breathe, and she wasn’t sure she even wanted to try.
A single raindrop landed on her cheek and she looked up at the vibrant blue sky, wondering where it had come from and if it was going to rain. The repetitious calling of her name and the echoing demands to breathe continued to assault her, distracting her from proceeding toward the figure that stood so patiently, waiting with the outstretched hands.
“Olivia! I love you! You’ve got to come back to me!”
The sorrow in that voice brought such a shooting pain to her chest, she gasped in surprise. As soon as she drew that breath in, it felt like she’d inhaled fire, and she desperately wished she wouldn’t have done it. Olivia began to cough, trying to purge her lungs of the searing pain. The more she coughed, the faster the light began to fade, and she soon found herself surrounded in total darkness again. Her he
art raced as panic came over her. The warm calming numbness was gone and she was left feeling cold, wet and afraid.
The weight returned to her chest, surely it would crush her if she didn’t move. She tried to force her body to obey, but it lay lifeless on the cold, wet ground, refusing to cooperate. She tried to open her eyes, wanting desperately to see what was happening to her, but her lids were too heavy to open.
Olivia began to sob. She was trapped inside herself and couldn’t find any way out. Her body hurt so badly, all she wanted was release from the agony. Something warm and soft touched her cold lips. The air that came into her lungs was warm and refreshing carrying a hint of spice that reminded her of cloves. That was the first comforting thing she felt since being yanked from the light, and she drew that air deeply into her lungs, trying to savor it. The wonderful sensation came again and she felt the warmth of that touch quickly begin to fill her whole body.
Someone said something, but she couldn’t understand it, everything was muffled. Warmth pressed against the side of her neck, and she forced her head to turn into the touch. Olivia drew another breath into her lungs, but this time it wasn’t nearly as pleasant as the last. The air was balmy and stale. It burned all the way down and she coughed uncontrollably, trying to rid herself of the fluid and unrelenting burn.
“Olivia! Olivia, open your eyes!” the muffled voice commanded.
She tried again, her lids still heavy, but a least this time they opened. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her blurred vision and make out the figure that loomed over her. The first thing she saw was a pair of deep amber eyes staring back at her. As if watching a blooming rainbow, the eyes she saw cascaded into a beautiful deep violet color.
The Redemption Series Page 26
