Champion (War Angel Academy Book 3)

by S. J. West

  Having experienced his worst memory first hand, I can understand Silas’s dilemma.

  “I don’t think you would regret forgiving him for what he did to you in the past. However, I do believe you would regret pushing him out of your life now.”

  “I need some time to sort things out with him. I also need him to tell me more about his life before he met my mother and our life together before I died in my first life. He’s agreed to do that. Maybe after all of this Levi business is over, we’ll be able to sit down and work things out.”

  “If there is anything I can do to help, all you have to do is ask.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that more than you can imagine.”

  When we reach the front rotunda, Jered is waiting for us with a big smile on his face. He’s dressed similarly to Silas which makes me wonder if he actually will be tagging along on our date.

  “I’m just here to take you where you need to go. I won’t be hanging around and ruining your time alone.” Jered seems to have read my questioning expression to a T.

  “Where are we going?” I ask.

  Jered walks up to us and places a hand on each of our shoulders. He phases us to our destination as his answer.

  We phase into what appears to be a glass igloo large enough for all three of us to stand and walk around comfortably. The structure is near a dense forest but not so close that the trees obstruct the view we’re undoubtedly here to see, the aurora borealis.

  “Welcome to one of Earth’s natural wonders,” Jered says before looking up to the sky. “The Northern Lights.”

  The vibrant colors are beyond anything I’ve ever seen before in my life. The sheet of green, blue, and purple lights dazzles the sky in a shimmering display of God’s handiwork.

  “It’s so beautiful.” I can’t take my eyes off of it, and I only faintly hear Jered tell Silas he’ll be back in an hour to check up on us.

  When I feel Silas wrap his arms underneath my wings and around my waist, I spread my feathered appendages out slightly to make it a little easier for him. I lean back into his warmth, marveling at how perfectly we fit together.

  “This is amazing,” I say not only in awe of nature’s light show but also how loved the man holding me makes me feel. “I’m not sure you’ll ever be able to top this first date.”

  Silas’s chest vibrates against my back as he laughs. “I guess I’ll end up spending the rest of my life trying. My dad picked a really unique spot for us to have our first date.”

  “He’s been alive a really long time. I’m sure he knows all the good places.”

  Silas kisses the top of my head. “Are you hungry? We barely had any lunch today. I feel like my stomach is going to revolt if I don’t eat soon.”

  Silas’s arms begin to slip away from my waist, but I pull them back before he can leave.

  “One more minute,” I practically beg, not wanting the moment to end so soon. “I want to remember this forever.”

  He tightens his arms around me again and gives me more than just a minute.

  In all my life, I can’t remember ever feeling so at peace. The world and all of its problems fade to the back of my mind, and I begin to imagine what it would feel like to live in a place like this where Silas and I could cuddle and watch the sky dance every evening. That would be my idea of heaven.

  When my tummy begins to rumble, I know the moment needs to end even if I want it to go on forever.

  “What’s for supper?” My question causes Silas to back away so I can refold my wings and turn around to see what else is in the igloo.

  Laid out on the middle of the wood floor is a blue and black plaid picnic blanket with a large woven basket set off to the side. A silver tub shaped container filled with a variety of Spark drinks are chilling on ice.

  “I don’t have a clue what he brought for us to eat,” Silas says before sitting cross-legged on the blanket and flipping open the basket’s lid to see what’s inside. When he laughs, I’m even more intrigued by what Jered chose to feed us.

  Silas pulls out two small pizza boxes from the Crown and Saber restaurant in Halo Harbor. When he hands me the one with my name on it, I can already smell the pepperoni and extra cheese that I love on my pizza. After Silas sets his down and flips his box’s lid, he finds a meat lovers pizza waiting for him.

  “Your dad may know us a little too well,” I say with a small laugh.

  Without waiting for him to respond, I pull a slice of pizza out of my box and start munching on it. It wasn’t until the scent of the pizza wiggled its way up my nostrils that I realized how ravenous I am. I practically have my slice eaten before Silas has a chance to respond to what I said.

  “He seems to pay more attention than I realized.” Silas takes his first slice out of his box while I take my second. While he’s munching on his piece, he peers back into the basket.

  “Did he pack us more food to eat?” I ask.

  Silas nods and swallows what’s in his mouth. “There’s a thermos and another container in there. I’m guessing the thermos has some hot chocolate in it, and the container probably has a dessert of some kind.”

  “Could you hand me a drink, please?” I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

  Silas grabs a lemon-lime Spark from the tub and hands it to me.

  “So, uh, do you mind me asking what it is you and Caleb did earlier?” Silas grabs another slice of pizza as he waits for my answer.

  “Talked.” Short answers are the best when you’re limited to telling the truth but you don’t want to tell the whole truth.

  “Talked . . .” Silas mulls this word over in his mind as he chews. “I get the feeling you don’t want to tell me what the two of you talked about.”

  “I would rather not, if you don’t mind.” I stuff another slice of pizza in my mouth, hoping Silas will drop the subject.

  “That’s fine. I probably shouldn’t have brought him up anyway. I was just curious what the two of you did.”

  Do I detect a note of jealousy in his words? Perhaps, but he has nothing to be jealous about.

  “I love you, not him,” I say, earning a shy smile from Silas.

  “Does he know that?” Silas doesn’t sound so certain. “He seems eager to monopolize your time, and I’m still mad at him for what he tried to do last night at the wedding.”

  “Let’s just chalk that up to him not thinking straight. Besides, I don’t want to talk about him. I would rather just enjoy tonight with you. Who knows how many more chances we’ll have to do something like this?”

  “Are you worried Levi will win?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  Silas doesn’t answer right away. He takes a moment to consider his reply. “I have faith that good will win over evil. It almost always does in the end.”

  “Almost.”

  We each become lost in our own thoughts about what the future will hold for all of us. I still have hope that Az will stay true to his original bargain with Caleb. If nothing else, maybe his feelings for me will override his selfishness.

  Silas changes the subject to something less morose, and we talk about all the things we want to do after the war is over. I’m not in the least bit surprised to learn that Silas wants to become a teacher at the academy one day.

  “I’m assuming you don’t want to teach math,” I tease him.

  Silas laughs. “No. If anyone should teach that, it should be you. You’re awesome at math and easier to understand than Professor Chloe.”

  “Have you heard anything about her and Warlan? I haven’t seen them since we got back from the Void.”

  “I overheard Malcolm and Gideon talking about them while we were waiting in line for a holo-room. It sounded like she took Warlan on a trip to see some of the sites of the universe now that they’re out of the Void. I guess she wants to make sure he gets to experience all he can of the real world before Levi shows up.”

  “It’s a good idea.”

  Everything leads back to the war and our less than hop
eful chances of winning it. Levi’s army is massive and growing larger every passing minute. By the time he arrives, we may be drowned in what he brings through the Void.

  But I don’t want to think about that now. All I want to do is enjoy my night with Silas. The future will work itself out one way or another.

  After we finish our pizzas, Silas pulls out the black container we both assume holds our dessert. When he removes the lid, chocolate covered strawberries are revealed.

  “Here,” Silas picks one of the juicy fruits up and places it in front of my lips, “you should have the first bite.”

  “If there’s one thing you should know about me by now is that I’ll never pass up chocolate.” I take the whole strawberry in my mouth and bite it off just below the stem. The hard chocolate cracks against the roof of my mouth and practically melts on my tongue as I chew the ripe strawberry.

  In no time at all, Silas and I have eaten all eight of the sweet treats. After we’re done with those, he grabs the thermos out of the basket, stands up, and lends me a hand to help me to my feet.

  “Are we going somewhere?” I ask, feeling unnaturally giddy with excitement.

  “Yes, but you’ll need to put a few things on before we go outside.” He walks over and picks up a black duffle bag that was sitting beside the door of the igloo. He pulls out a parka, boots, beanie, and gloves.

  “When did you and Jered have time to find a parka that fits me?” I ask as he pulls the back of the parka apart by its magnetic closures so it can fit around my wings.

  “This is Cal’s from when he was younger,” he explains as I raise my arms so he can slip the sleeves down them while making sure the back slits pass over my wings.

  “Have you heard anything about Cal? How is he doing? Do you think we should have gone to see him before we came here?” I begin to feel guilty that I’m having so much fun while one of our best friends is hurting.

  “Keelan and I saw him when I went to get the coat,” Silas reveals. “He’s still upset and sad, but I also think he’s coming to terms with the fact that there’s nothing he can do for his son right now.”

  “Does he realize the baby isn’t a baby anymore?” I ask. “He has to be at least six years old in the Void.”

  “He knows. I caught him looking at the clock more than once while we were there. I can’t even imagine having a baby one day and knowing that he’s growing up so fast somewhere else. Cal probably feels like he’s racing against time and time is winning by a landslide.”

  “I wish there was some way we could help him.”

  “All we can do is be there when he needs us, but I have a bad feeling we won’t see his kid again until he’s all grown up.” Silas shakes his head in dismay. “That sounds crazy, but I know it’s true.”

  After he helps me slip on my boots, I pull the beanie over my hair and tug on my gloves.

  “My dad didn’t know it when he planned all of this, but he’s helping me keep a promise I made to you.”

  It takes me a few seconds to remember what he’s talking about.

  “That’s right! You did say you would take me for a walk in the snow when we were at your dad’s cabin. Do you think we have time to build a snowman while we’re here?”

  “We have all the time we need to do that, if you want. But first, I want to take you to a spot my dad showed me earlier. I think you’ll really like it.”

  If it’s the spot where you plan to kiss me, I’ll love it. I don’t say these words to him, but I’m crossing my fingers that this is when he’ll make his move. Is that silly? Possibly. I’ve only known Silas for seven months. Nevertheless, the one thing I know for certain is that this will be a moment I’ll never forget.

  Silas takes my hand as we exit the igloo. The snow crunches beneath our boots as we make our way through the forest. The air is cold but not so cold that it seeps into my bones. The strong scent of fresh pine needles from the trees adds a level of calm as we walk through the forest toward a cliff that overlooks a large shimmering lake nestled in between two mountains.

  My breath catches in my throat as I look out at the glassy surface. The water is so calm it acts like a mirror for the light show dancing across the sky above it.

  “I feel like this is a once in a lifetime moment,” I say, marveling at the beauty surrounding us.

  Silas takes me in his arms. The light from the aurora casts his face in shadows, but the look of love and intention in his eyes, glistens like a bright morning star.

  “I’ve waited two lifetimes for this moment,” he tells me, reaching up to pull a wayward strand of hair away from my cheek. “I may not remember a lot from my first life, but from what little I do know, I don’t think I was ever given the chance to feel the way I do about you. No matter what happens to either of us in the coming days, I want you to know that you are loved. You are cherished, and I want you in my life forever. Out of everyone in this whole universe, you are the one person I can’t live without.”

  My body tingles with anticipation as Silas lowers his head to mine. Our lips part. I can almost taste the sweetness of strawberries against my tongue as our breaths mingle. I’m about to close my eyes, preparing for our first kiss when Silas jerks his head back, staring in horror at something behind me.

  He gasps in surprise as something with claws swipes against my side hard enough to rip through my coat and flesh, tossing me off the cliff like a rag doll in a spray of blood.

  All I hear is Silas screaming my name before I dive head first into the cold black abyss of the lake.

  13

  Helena must have created me under a blood moon that cursed me for all eternity. Anytime I let my guard down to enjoy a moment of peace, bad things happen.

  As soon as my body plunges into the lake’s bone chilling water, I’m jarred back to my senses with a start. I know my side has been injured, but adrenaline and the cold are keeping the pain at bay. All I can think about is getting back to Silas. Whatever attacked me is probably going after him next.

  Gathering every ounce of strength I have left, I swim up to the surface and shoot into the air. When the cliff comes into view, I see Silas, armed with a rock as big as his hand, facing off against a hellhound. I have nothing to defend myself with but luckily Silas and I have a guardian angel on our side.

  Jered phases in beside the hellhound. Before the creature can even register his presence, he barrels into the animal’s left flank, propelling it off the cliff to send it flying into the lake. Simultaneously, Jered and I converge on Silas to make sure he’s okay. When he sees me, relief is his first expression but it’s soon replaced by concern when he notices the damage to my side. I haven’t even looked at what the hellhound’s claws did to me, and considering Silas’s look of horror, I’m not sure I want to.

  When I land on the cliff, both Silas and Jered are instantly by my side.

  “Lora! How badly are you hurt?” Silas asks as he looks at my injuries. I suddenly feel weak in the knees and lean against him for added support. He places his hand over my side and applies pressure. “We need to get her to Desmond, Dad. She needs more help than we can give her.”

  “Desmond?” a stranger says in surprise. “Where has that old scoundrel been hiding himself lately?”

  Jered places himself in front of me and Silas like a shield against our uninvited guest.

  The stranger is tall with a muscular build. His black hair is slicked back and his dark eyes pierce the night. His pale skin glows in the moonlight and the smile on his face is only a pretense of friendliness.

  “Hello, Piers.” Jered sounds angry. Is it because I was hurt or because he hates the man standing in front of us? Either way, it’s a warning that this person is not to be trusted. “How did you get your hands on a hellhound? I thought they were all sucked into the Void when it was created.”

  Good point. The hellhounds that I know were all brought from the Void. How did this man get his hands on one?

  “I have friends in high places,” Piers says haughtil
y. “Well, one friend, but one is all you need sometimes. What brings the three of you here on a night like this, and who is that delectable little morsel with the gold wings? With all those feathers, I think Hun thought she was a toy he could play with.”

  “What are you doing here, Piers?” Jered asks, ignoring the man’s questions about me. “I don’t remember you being the outdoorsy type.”

  “You’re right about that,” he says, pulling up the collar of his black wool coat to help ward off the cold. “I got a call about phasing activity in this area, and I was asked to check it out. You haven’t forgotten that we can track phasing on Earth, have you?”

  “No. I haven’t forgotten about that particular piece of technology, but why are you tracking phasers? Are you searching for someone?”

  Piers smiles but it looks more like a leer, and I know he has no intention of answering Jered’s question. If he won’t answer Jered, maybe he’ll answer me.

  “Who gave you the hellhound?” My voice sounds weak and the pain in my side intensifies.

  Piers locks eyes with me and I see no soul in the depths of his darkness. He’s an empty shell. If he ever had a soul, he lost it a long time ago.

  “Since you both seem so preoccupied about who gave Hun to me, I’ll tell you. He was a gift from Abaddon. She brought him to me as a sign of good faith in the bargain we made.”

  Jered’s body stiffens. “What bargain?”

  Piers dances a little jig before holding out his hands and saying in a singsong voice, “It’s the end of the world. Or is it universe? Either way. It’s the end and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

  “So, Abaddon made a deal with what remains of the rebellion angels?” Jered asks. Piers nods. “What’s the deal?”

  Piers taps his index finger against his lips as he ponders whether or not he wants to answer Jered’s question. When he stops, he shrugs his shoulders as if to say it doesn’t matter one way or the other if he tells Jered what he knows.

  “Levi promises to give us rebellion angels the universe in exchange for our help when he comes through from the Void. All he wants is Heaven. We can basically have everything that’s left.”