Dark Angel Box Set

by Hanna Peach

  “Yeah, I guess.” The guard’s eyes narrowed and Israel thought that he must have overdone it. Israel’s smile faltered for just a moment.

  “Anyway, I best be getting to it,” Israel turned to start pushing the cart away. “Toilets aren’t going to restock themselves.”

  “If it’s all the same,” the guard said, “I’ll check your ID before I let you go.”

  Israel grimaced. He had less than four minutes to get rid of this guard and get into position. He turned with a casual smile. “Sure.” Israel unclipped the ID card at his waist and held it out with the tips of his fingers. The guard stepped closer, studying the card. Then he reached out to grab the ID from Israel.

  Crap. If he touched the card, the mirage would be broken and the game would be up. The guard’s stubby fingers were almost touching the card. Think quick.

  Aaachoo! Israel broke out into a loud fake sneeze which made his stomach clench and his hand recoil the card. “Oh. Sorry,” he said, sniffing loudly and wiping his nose with the back of the hand that held the card. “Damn cold still hanging around. Must be catching if Derrick’s got it too.” Israel held out the card again and smiled inwardly as the guard drew back slightly from it.

  The guard stared at the card for a few more seconds then waved at him dismissively. “Yeah, alright, move it along.”

  Israel turned back to the cart and let out a quiet breath of relief. And not a second too soon. The distraction should only be minutes away now. He had to get into position.

  Israel had only just pushed the cart into the women’s bathroom closest to the security room when he heard the sounds of the security door opening and footsteps running past, echoing off the high ceiling of the hall. The distraction must be underway. Israel activated the Miragecharm he had on the end of a chain around his neck, rendering him invisible.

  Israel peeked out from the bathroom. He could see the security camera positioned right above the security room. Thankfully, the camera angled out towards the rest of the hall so that they couldn’t see whether the doors of the security room and the bathroom were open. They could only see someone coming in or going out.

  He waited. Twenty seconds later, the security door opened and the second guard ran out across the hall. Israel slipped out from the bathroom and moved swiftly to the closing door, catching it just before it clicked shut. Israel waited until the guards' footsteps had faded before he slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

  Israel felt a sweep of familiarity as he glanced around the fully enclosed room, a dozen or so screens covering the far wall behind a large panel and several chairs. The familiarity was from Peter’s memory, not his.

  In two of the screens he could see the two guards investigating two separate sections of the Galleria, their guns drawn. Israel didn’t have long until they realized the “fires” that they thought they could see in two separate windows of the Galleria weren’t really fires.

  Israel slid under the panel, pulled a screwdriver from a small pouch at his belt and got to work.

  It had been a while since he had done anything like this. His hands were shaking a little too much. He was taking too long. His fingers slipped as he positioned the last wire and the red light on the device turned on.

  “Israel.” From under the panel, Israel couldn’t see Alyx’s ghostly face, but he could hear her. “He’s coming back. Are you out of there?”

  “Alyx,” Israel said through gritted teeth. “I can’t talk right now.”

  He heard Alyx curse then it was silent.

  Israel finally got Mason’s device secured. He scooted out from the panel and glanced at the televisions. Dammit. The guard was already crossing the hall towards the security room. Damn, damn, damn. Israel glanced around the room. There was nowhere to hide. His only hope was to stand near the door and slip out as the guard stepped in. He couldn’t touch the guard, otherwise the guard would feel him, the mirage would be broken and their plans would be ruined.

  Israel stood near the door, his eye on the screen watching as the guard reached for the handle. Israel held his breath as the door opened. It was the stockier guard, the one who had checked his ID. The guard stepped in. Israel moved forward, ready to spring. But the guard turned at the last minute and closed the door with his arm, blocking Israel’s way out. Crap.

  Israel barely breathed as the guard walked over to the panel and sat down in the furthest chair. He played with some buttons and leaned over to grab a small pastry from a box sitting on the side of the panel. Soon the screen showed the second guard moving towards the security room. Last chance. Israel prepared himself as the second guard opened the door.

  “Found firecrackers outside the Galleria. Damned kids. You?” the second guard said as he strode across the small room to take his seat, narrowly missing Israel pressed against the wall. The door was closing. This was his chance.

  He launched for the door, holding his breath to make himself slimmer, focusing on making himself weightless so that he wouldn’t make a sound as he landed. The door caught his shoulder for a split second as he pulled himself through. Israel didn’t wait around to see whether either guard noticed the door hitching before it shut. He moved into the bathroom and waited until his breathing slowed before turning the mirage off. He pushed his consciousness out to Alyx to let her know he was okay. Then he began to restock the toilets.

  At the end of his shift, “John Smoote” returned his janitor’s cart to the closet and let himself out into the early morning Florentine air.

  Chapter 30

  “Okay, so the device is in position,” Tobias said. “Well done, Israel,” he added, nodding to Israel, who was standing next to Alyx at the back of Tobias’s office.

  It was crowded in Tobias’s office this afternoon, so Alyx, Israel, Jordan, Lukas and Marin were standing to let their guests sit. The FireTwirler named Omniya sat close to Tobias. She was slim and her skin was a silky caramel. Her large dark eyes were alert as she scanned the room. Next to her sat two male FreeThinkers from the Cajatambo community located near Lima in Peru. Both of them had thick coal hair, long and tied off their strong-lined faces.

  Vix spoke up, “I still don’t understand why I am not coming with you.” Her face was close to sulking.

  “Vix, this is a dangerous mission we’re undertaking,” Tobias said. “I feel that it’s necessary to risk the safety of as few Seraphim as we need to.”

  She scuffed her toe on the carpet. “It’s ’cause I’m not gifted, isn’t it?”

  Tobias smiled patiently at her. “Vix, this doesn’t reflect on your ability as a warrior, you know that. You did your part in securing the Black Stone in China.”

  She mumbled something under her breath, but she seemed to acquiesce.

  “Any other issues?” Tobias took a deep breath and glanced around the room at everyone. “We leave in a few hours. Let’s go through the plan once more.”

  After the plans were finalized, Tobias dismissed everyone with the suggestion that they all rest before it was time to leave. As everyone shuffled around to file out of the room, Alyx noticed Vix and Israel leaving together, heads tilted together as if in deep conversation. She felt a twinge of annoyance. Then tried to push it away. She huffed impatiently as she got stuck behind the two Cajatambo FreeThinkers leaving the room. By the time she stepped out into the corridor, Alyx could just make out Vix and Israel turning the corner.

  She knew she shouldn’t, but she followed them.

  They walked out into the back gardens and towards the edge of the property. What could they be talking about that would cause them to come out here?

  From behind a set of bushes, Alyx could see that Vix and Israel had stopped walking. They were talking but in such low tones that Alyx couldn’t hear them. Alyx glanced around the area. How could she get closer without them noticing? If only she had that Miragecharm.

  “You can come out, Alyx,” Israel called.

  Alyx froze. She was so busted. Alyx slowly stepped around the foliage she was hi
ding behind. Israel indicated with a wave of his hand for her to join them. Neither of them looked angry, which gave Alyx a little comfort.

  “How did you know I was there?” she asked as she stepped up to join them.

  “You forget we’re bonded. It goes both ways, you know.” Israel’s eyes seared into hers, his voice low. “I could…feel you.” Israel raised his fingers to his chest. “I can feel it right here when you’re near me.”

  “Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything more intelligent to say. His admission caused tingles across her own chest and her mind went numb.

  “It’s probably a good thing that you’re here,” Israel continued. “We have something to tell you.”

  Alyx stared between Vix and Israel. The look on Vix’s face worried Alyx. “What is it?”

  “Vix and I are going to go back to the Darkened den that we discovered while you guys are out stealing the Black Stone. We’re going to see whether there is any trace of Adere or any other thing that may help us.”

  “No,” said Alyx as her insides twisted. What a stupid, stupid, suicidal idea. Not to mention stupid. “Absolutely not. No way.”

  “Alyx, I’m not asking your permission. As far as I’m aware, I’m not being kept prisoner here.” His voice became softer and he stepped closer to her. “I’m telling you because I don’t want to keep anything from you. Not anymore.” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I’m serious about wanting us to be together, Alyx. But before that can happen, there are still things we both have to resolve with ourselves, with each other, and there are other, more pressing issues to deal with. You know, with the end of the world and all.” His mouth tilted up in a half smile. “But if we have any chance of making us work in the future, we have to start now. And it has to start from a place of complete honesty.”

  Alyx gritted her teeth and tightened her fists. She couldn’t believe he was doing something so ridiculous. “But it’s dangerous.”

  “And what you’re doing isn’t?”

  “But that’s different.”

  “How?”

  Alyx spluttered, flustered that she couldn’t seem to explain herself.

  Israel grabbed her hands. “Alyx, you don’t think it kills me when you go out there and risk your life? It’s not any different for me, you know. But the difference between us is that I trust that you can take care of yourself. So, please...I’m asking you to trust in me.” He bent his head down. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he leaned his forehead against hers and placed his hands gently around her neck, holding her to him as they made an arch with their heads. An arch that supported each other. “Do you trust me, Alyx?”

  For a moment, Alyx lost herself in the closeness of him and his familiar smell of sweet musk. He trusted her. She needed to trust him.

  “I don’t like what you’re doing,” she said finally. “But I understand why you’re doing it. If it can’t be me who is there with you, I’m glad it’s Vix you’re taking along with you.” Her voice stumbled over Vix’s name.

  As Israel pulled away, Alyx could see an amused look on his face. He glanced at Vix and a similar look came over Vix’s face. Then they both turned to look at Alyx.

  “What?” demanded Alyx, feeling like there was an unspoken joke they were sharing that she had been left out of.

  Israel said, “Tempted as I might be to keep your jealousy alive−”

  “I’m not jealous,” Alyx bristled, crossing her arms.

  “You have no reason whatsoever to be jealous of Vix and me. We are just two people with an understanding. With similar crosses to bear. Good friends.”

  “In fact,” Vix said, “Israel would have more to fear of me hitting on you.” She winked at Alyx.

  The realization ebbed across Alyx like thick honey. “Oh. Oh.”

  Israel laughed and crushed her to him with one arm. Alyx relished in the strength of his body as she pressed herself into the side of his ribs. Was it possible that he had gotten stronger?

  “You,” he said to Vix, “keep your grubby hands off her. I’m not above kicking your ass, you know, even if you are a woman.” Israel frowned. “Although, sometimes that’s debatable.”

  Vix jabbed him in the ribs on his other side. “Yes, well, you’d have to get in line behind Xiang. She’d kick my ass first.”

  Alyx felt her facial muscles relax. As Israel and Vix continued to banter, she could see that the affection between them was clearly more like the affection between siblings. How did she miss it before?

  Despite the lighthearted mood, Alyx couldn’t help the worrying feeling she was getting about this.

  Chapter 31

  There were so many things that could go wrong.

  Tobias clung to the roof of the Kaaba as if it were a small boat, exposed in the middle of this huge open-aired praying area of the Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām mosque. As the pale mosque walls and floor gleamed around him like white sand, he couldn’t help but think, where are the sharks? Tobias couldn’t stop the chattering of his nerves; in his head, under his skin, in the way his heart thumped – thud, thud – like a drumbeat against his ribs.

  For years the FreeThinker community had managed to stay off the radar of the Darkened and kept out of the way of the Seraphim still under the Elders’ rule. For years he had managed to keep the community of FreeThinkers safe.

  Things had changed in recent weeks. Starting with Zia’s death. His heart clenched when he remembered young Zia; a lively thing, she was. Tobias had hoped that she would have been the one to smooth out Marin’s rough edges but...it was not to be.

  Even the presence of Omniya pressed up next to him on the Kaaba wasn’t enough to make him calmer. No, her presence actually made it worse. But she tended to heighten his awareness when she was around. Even after all these years of not seeing her, apparently she hadn’t lost her effect on him.

  “The coast looks clear,” Omniya said. “Let’s go.”

  Tobias nodded. Making sure they kept within the boundaries of the mirage, Tobias and Omniya slipped off the Kaaba to face the Black Stone, tilted up in its frame against the Kaaba wall. There were several cracks in the stone which gave it the appearance of having been broken and reassembled again.

  “Let’s hurry,” Tobias said.

  Omniya nodded and placed her fingers on the silver frame. Immediately an intense heat began to radiate from her palm. As Omniya worked, Tobias glanced around the area looking for any sign of the caretakers or guards. When he turned back, sweat beads were breaking out on Omniya’s face. Glancing down, he could see that the sides of the frame had started to liquefy.

  He was about to speak when something caught his eye. His heart almost stopped. A robed figure was walking towards them from a building in the distance. A caretaker? Or a guard? Either way…big fat dammit.

  Tobias turned to Omniya. “I hate to hurry you, but in less than five minutes we will have company and our mirage will be broken. How much longer do you need?”

  Omniya cursed. “Silver has a melting point of almost 1000 degrees Celsius. I need more time.”

  Tobias glanced back to the advancing figure and he cursed inwardly. Why didn’t he think to calculate the time it would take to melt the silver frame enough to loosen the Black Stone? Silver had one of the highest melting points of all the metals. Of course, he knew that. He was an Alchemist for God’s sake and used to working with all sorts of metals.

  A thought occurred to him. “I have an idea. Step aside.”

  Omniya raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Trust me, Niya,” he said softly.

  Her eyes widened at his use of her nickname. He hadn’t called her Niya in a long time.

  She nodded and pulled her fingers off the frame. Tobias held his fingers to the frame, Alchemist flooding through his fingers so that his consciousness extended to the whole frame. It was hot but it didn’t burn him, since it was part of him now. He began to shift it. The metallic color faded into a molten gray.

  “Pull th
e stone out,” he said, his fingers still on the frame.

  “How?”

  “Tin. Its melting point is one of the lowest of the metals. It should be hot enough that the whole frame is melted now.”

  Omniya placed her fingers around the edge of the Black Stone and pulled. The stone shifted and with some working back and forth, it came out of the frame.

  “You were always so clever, Tobias,” she said, almost a whisper. Their eyes met and faded memories flickered across his mind. This was not the time to reminisce.

  “We need to hurry,” he said, his eyes flicking to the caretaker approaching. He was close enough now that Tobias could make out the features on his face. His heart thudded like the drum of hooves on hard ground. He tried to convince himself that it was because they were running out of time, but he knew that wasn’t completely true. Tobias stole a glance at Niya, then forced himself to focus. They both had made their decisions long ago.

  Tobias held open the thick sack strung to his waist and Niya slipped in the stone. He turned back to the frame. Opening a second sack, Omniya poured sand into the frame as Tobias aimed his palms at it. As the sand hit the frame, it transformed into black agate.

  “Hurry, Tobias,” Niya urged.

  A glance over his shoulder told him that the caretaker would be on them in less than ten, nine, eight…

  “On three, lift up,” he mouthed. “One.”

  She grabbed his arm. The last of the sand turned black.

  “Two.”

  Tobias touched the frame, turning the edges of the tin frame to silver.

  “Three.”

  They rocketed up into the air. Below, Tobias could see the caretaker pause at the sudden movement of air with no visible cause.

  When they were far enough away, he heard Omniya let out a loud breath. “That was cutting it too fine.”

  Tobias couldn’t help but agree.

  Chapter 32