by Rene Lyons
“You failed just as your father did before you,” Seth sneered. “Your bloodline ends with you. Go to Lucifer, you piece of shit.”
Seth stared deep into Bryce’s eyes, snapping the bastard’s neck and tossing him aside like a sack of trash. He went to Sabrina, who was cradled across Bath’s lap. “She’s fine, Setheus.”
Seth dropped to his knees and took Sabrina from Bath. He smoothed Sabrina’s bloody hair from her ashen face. He looked away from Sabrina, his gaze going to Kael’s lifeless body.
“Can you bring him back?”
Bath shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Try, Bath. We can’t lose him.”
She cast a forlorn look at Kael’s body. It was the first time Seth had seen Bath to show any hint of emotion. “I don’t know if I have the strength.”
“If anyone does, it’s you.”
Bath-Kol took in a deep breath before she walked to Kael. She knelt beside him and ran her hand through his hair. Tears gathered in her eyes as she took in their lifeless brother. She flattened her hands on his chest and whispered a chant in the ancient language of the angels. Kael’s eyes flew open, his back arched, and a roar ripped from deep within him as Bath performed a miracle and restored his life.
Chapter Fourteen
Sabrina was pulled out of the blackness of unconsciousness by Seth’s voice. Sabrina cracked open her eyes. She quickly wished she hadn’t. A glare of bright light made the pounding in her head even worse. She shielded her eyes with her hand and peered up at Seth. Lying across his lap, his face encompassed her vision, blocking her from seeing all else. Gasping, she struggled to sit up but Seth held her down.
“Easy, Sabrina. You’ve been out for a while.”
“Am I…dead?”
Seth shook his head. “No, sweetheart, you aren’t dead.”
Relieved to still be of the living, she raised herself up on her elbows and realized the light wasn’t that brilliant white light people often described after a near-death experience. It was coming from the flashlight. The damn thing was shining in her eyes.
Nausea caused her to sweat and her mouth to water. “I feel as though I was.”
Seth helped her to sit up. A few feet away, she saw Kael and Bath staring at her. Bath looked like a train had hit her. Kael was even helping her to stand.
“If you were dead, you’d be with God and not me.”
“Then I’m glad I’m not dead, because I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else.”
A strange look passed over Seth’s face. She knew then that something bad had happened while she’d been unconscious. Memory came back to her and she remembered Colin stabbing Kael. The dagger he’d wielded had felled the angel.
No, not merely felled him, Sabrina corrected, it had killed him.
“Bath brought Kael back, didn’t she?”
He nodded solemnly. “She has the power of life.”
Sabrina swallowed hard, past the lump of emotion that jumped into her throat. “Why didn’t she save my father?”
“I wasn’t there,” Bath answered, drawing Sabrina’s attention. “I’d have given my life to save his. He was the first of us. Our leader. His death killed a part of Kael and I.”
Sabrina fought back her tears and nodded. “Bryce and Colin’s father killed him, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” Seth answered. “He bought the dagger from a Minion.”
Sabrina shook her head. “Do I even want to know what a Minion is?”
“A servant of Hell,” Seth explained. “The steel is forged in the fires of Hell and is the only weapon that can kill an angel.”
Sabrina looked at the dagger in Bath’s hand. She wanted to throw up at the thought that the blade had once been smeared with her father’s blood. “I want to go home, Seth.” He helped her stand but she stopped him. “Not my home…”
“Halifax is your home, Sabrina,” he interrupted.
Reaching up, Sabrina cupped Seth’s cheek. He leaned into her touch, as if it were a treasure to be relished. “I love you, Setheus.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck when he leaned down to kiss her. His lips touched hers and she felt a wonderful warmth flow through her. He pulled away, though his warmth remained.
“I’ve loved you since before you were born.”
Seth’s words wove their way through her, touching not merely her heart, but her soul as well. All her life she’d known only loneliness and sorrow. After learning what her father was and what that made her, Sabrina had believed she’d never know peace or acceptance, the two things she’d desired most. Love hadn’t even been a consideration, believing that was so far out of her reach it was unattainable.
Yet here was an angel offering her everything she’d ever dreamed—offering to return her love. She realized in that moment that Heaven was even closer than she or Seth thought. It was right in front of them. All they had do to was reach out and grab it.
Epilogue
Life as a nephilim wasn’t much different than being an ordinary human. Other than her days and nights being switched around and the fact that she no longer had to struggle to make ends meet, everything was much the same as before. She went into town and shopped. She read, watched television with Seth, and worked a bit on the computer trying to write a fictional story about a fallen angel and a nephilim. Funny, but what had started out as a horror had quickly turned into a romance novel.
Basically, life had gone on even though her existence had taken a turn for the extraordinary. What amazed her the most was how normal her life with Seth was and how happy they were together.
Sabrina had spent so much time over the years worrying what it meant to be a nephilim, she hadn’t taken the time to realize how little things would change once she found out. All that had changed was that she had new abilities. Among these changes were an acute perception of the world around her and added strength . The biggest difference was knowledge, which had more to do with the things Seth had taught her over the last year and little to do with being half angel.
He’d taught her enough about God and Lucifer that she began to feel one with the history of Heaven and Hell. Certain times, she sensed the love of God surrounding her and knew Seth didn’t. That knowledge killed her, since she knew for a fact God hadn’t forsaken him.
Placing a hand on her stomach, Sabrina sighed softly, his life inside of her filling her with love and purpose. She looked at the plain platinum band around her left ring finger and smiled. Though she and Seth couldn’t be married in a church, Kael had performed the rite that bonded them as husband and wife. Bath, surprisingly, had offered herself up as a witness to the ceremony and had even shed a tear as they’d recited their vows.
Sabrina had bawled like a baby as Seth promised to love and honor her until the stars burned out. And there was no doubt in Sabrina’s mind that he meant it. What woman could ask for more?
Certainly not her.
She had the love of an angel and there was nothing more beautiful than that.
“There you are.”
Sabrina turned at the sound of Seth’s voice behind her. Standing out on the balcony off her father’s room, she’d watched the sun set—one of her favorite ways to start her night.
“You looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you.”
He pressed himself against her back and put his arms around her. She stepped back into him, loving the beat of his heart against her. She felt infused with his love and strength, causing her to wonder how she’d lived without him for so long.
“You know I hate when you slip away without waking me. I need you to be the first thing I see.”
Sabrina turned in his arms, relishing Seth’s smile. “I wasn’t feeling well and thought the fresh air would do me some good.”
His smile was replaced with an expression of concern. “You’re still not feeling well? It’s been two weeks now.”
Fresh air wasn’t the only reason Sabrina came out here. She had something important to tell Seth and had
wanted the privacy to practice how to say it. Unfortunately, her mind was flighty lately and her thoughts had gone into a million different directions. That left her with no other option than to simply tell him what she’d found out yesterday. She’d wanted the moment to be perfect. Standing in Seth’s arms, their love charging the air, she knew there would be no time better than now.
“It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
“What do you mean?”
Sabrina smiled, knowing that what she had to say was going to prove to Seth that, athough he’d fallen from Grace, he still had God’s love.
“I’m pregnant, Seth.”
Seth’s face went white and he stepped away from her. His expression of awe was one Sabrina knew she’d cherish always. “How can this be?”
She shrugged. “I prayed and God listened.”
Seth grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. He dropped down, hugging her stomach. Sabrina felt his body shake. “My God… I can’t believe this… When? When did you find out?”
“Yesterday, when I went to the doctor.”
Seth looked up at her and she saw his eyes were wet with tears. “You said you were fine.”
Sabrina couldn’t help it, she laughed. “I am fine. I’m better than fine. I’m having a baby.”
After kissing her stomach, Seth placed a hand on her abdomen. He closed his eyes and stayed like that for a long while. Sabrina didn’t even dare breathe. Something passed between them, she just didn’t know what it was. All she knew was she felt as if Seth passed right through her soul.
He opened his eyes and stood. The kiss he gave her was filled with emotion. “You’ll give me a strong son.”
“Or a daughter. It could be a girl, you know.”
Seth shook his head. “No. It’s a son. Our son.” She didn’t need to ask him how he knew. He had powers, which, even after a year, were far beyond her comprehension.
“When I asked to fall, it wasn’t just to guard the stones.” His arms came around her. “I fell for you.”
Stunned by that revelation, Sabrina shook her head. “Why?”
“Because the thought of an eternity in Heaven without you was unbearable.”
“You didn’t even know me. I wasn’t even born yet.”
His arms tightened around her. “I knew you, Sabrina.”
Seth stared deep into her eyes and she knew he was right. They may not have physically known each other, but their souls had crossed long before she was even a thought in her mother’s mind.
“I love you so much, Seth.”
Again, she felt a rush of his love through her. “You’re my heaven, Sabrina. You always were.”
As long as Seth remained guardian of Hakion’s Stone, their future would never be an easy one to travel, but together—the three of them—they would find their way.
About the Author
To learn more about Rene Lyons, please visit www.renelyons.net. Send an email to Rene at [email protected] or email her at [email protected] to receive her monthly newsletter.
Look for these titles by Rene Lyons
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Midnight Sun
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An immortal soldier defies the ancient Gods he serves and puts his existence and the world at risk when he saves the life of the mortal woman he swore to kill.
n
Immortal Protector
© 2007 Ursula Bauer
Gideon Sinclair, an immortal, shape-shifting soldier, defies the ancient gods he serves, risking his existence and the future of the mortal world, when he saves the life of the woman he was sworn to kill: Dr. Megan Carter. For centuries he’s fought for justice and balance in the eternal struggle between good and evil. Gideon challenges destiny and the forces aligning against her, but when Meg becomes more than a mission, will he be able to accept the healing love she offers or will their enemies and the demons of his past be their undoing?
Meg’s accidental contact with an artifact sacred to the Goddess Isis thrusts her into the midst of a centuries old battle between two rival gods, and makes her the target of a crazed magician bent on unlocking the secrets of immortality. With nowhere to turn and no one to trust, she puts her life in the hands of the lethal, enigmatic Gideon, and is drawn into his dark world. She can’t resist the passionate desire he stirs, but will she pay the ultimate price when she falls for a man who no longer has a heart?
Enjoy the following excerpt for Immortal Protector:
Meg was out of the car and moving, any thoughts of her own safety gone from her mind. Gideon started to come round as she ran up her walk. The demon moved slower, as if in pain. She trampled the pansies and pulled the sword from the marigolds. The creature took note of her, snorted, and kept walking towards the immortal.
Gideon got to his knees, saw the demon coming down with a vicious swing, and lurched to the side. He rolled into the spill and came up on his feet just in time to sidestep another strike. This close Meg could see the other wounds. His shirt was sliced in a few spots, and blood poured freely. His cheekbone was bruised, and he was favoring his right leg.
The blade felt incredibly light in her hands. Her heart rammed hard against her ribs. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. But she managed. She put one foot in front of the other, and reached him just before the demon.
“Run. Meg. Run,” he ground out between clenched teeth. He grabbed the sword from her and lunged.
Meg stepped clear and started to back away as the two engaged in a series of traded strikes. The demon pivoted on the last salvo, changed gears, and made a run towards her. Before it could connect, Gideon leapt in between them, blade gripped with both hands, poised up in a defensive position. The creature’s sword connected, and Gideon’s sword severed the curved blade in two. A brilliant burst of light accompanied the sheering of steel, and the demon lurched back with an ungodly hiss.
Gideon pressed his advantage, taking a series of offensive strikes that connected more than they missed. He fought the creature back into the little house and disappeared around the corner of the vestibule. Meg knew she should go back to the car, every part of her sane mind told her to run away, but instead, she ran into the house, following her immortal. She didn’t know the rules, didn’t know the physiology of an immortal, but Gideon was a mess. She dearly hoped immortals couldn’t be killed. But if they couldn’t, why would he have so many weapons?
She hit her living room and froze in her tracks. Red blood and yellow gore covered her walls. Ash littered her furniture. What was left of it, at least. Her books were out of the built-in shelves and scattered in piles. Everything remotely breakable was in pieces. Even the floorboards fell victim. They were torn down to the joists in several spots. Gideon and the creature fought in her kitchen. She moved fully into the room and saw them as they traded blows. The demon had some kind of dagger now, but it was no match for Gideon’s superior weapon.
Meg worried a creature like that would fight dirtier, have more tricks. And she worried about Gideon. He was hurt, bad, and showing signs of fatigue. Meg swallowed the panic threatening to consume her and walked into her kitchen. Her kitchen, her house, her immortal soldier. He needed an advantage. He needed help. He needed her.
She was a mortal, but she wasn’t an idiot. However mythical the creature in her kitchen, it still had the same rise and fall of the thoracic region, demonstrating it still had to breathe. The first thing they taught in emergency responder class was to clear the airway. No airway, everything else was a wash. The exposed nasal passage presented an excellent point of entry. As calmly as she might grab a mug from the bakers rack near the south facing window and pour herself morning coffee, she pulled the fire extinguisher from the wall holder, moved into position, and opened up on the face of the demon.
The white foam shot out in a single stream and she angled it towards the wide nose holes. It was sucking wind already from the fight and couldn’t stop from inhaling the chemical ant
idote for fire. The foam was designed to expand on contact and that’s exactly what it did. The demon’s features seized, it grabbed for its throat and lurched back, coughing and choking. It banged into her stove and pushed it through the dry wall. Gideon used the momentary diversion and drove his sword through its exposed flank. As he pulled back his blade, a brilliant white light flared through the kitchen, its epicenter the demon’s rapidly disintegrating body. Then, a second later, everything returned to normal. All that remained was the destruction and a scattering of dark gray ash.
Gideon lowered his sword and it vanished. He staggered back hard into her refrigerator, braced his hands on his knees and slid to the floor. He looked up at her, a mixture of confusion, and something she couldn’t quite identify in his eyes. Then his visage shifted. His lips formed a hard frown, and his burning coal black eyes pinned her with an incendiary glare. “I told you to…wait…in…the…car.”
“Save the thanks.” She found herself finally able to breathe now that he was safe. Now that they were safe. “I don’t know much about immortals, but I’m willing to bet you could use a few Band-Aids right now. I’ll be right back with my med kit.”
———
Gideon wiped the sweat and blood from his forehead. His lungs burned from breathing in all the ash and from the taxing battle. He couldn’t seem to get enough air. He briefly considered moving and started to push up to a standing position, but his body screamed in pain, so he decided instead to sit and wait for the doc. He was pissed at her for risking her pretty little neck, and he was damned impressed that she’d wade into battle with demons without a second thought. She was a red-headed Valkyrie, and a genius. Spraying the Keeper in the face with the extinguisher gave Gideon the edge he’d desperately needed to turn the battle. Even without the sword, the Keeper was an ass kicker. Only one thing bothered him. The Keeper shouldn’t have died. Not from a flank wound.
