by Apryl Baker
“You were told not to.”
The coldness of her voice lashes at me, but I refuse to look away. No one wants Mattie alive, not the Angels, not the reapers, no one. She is something that has never been before, something crafted by a demon named Silas to kill Angels. She’s part reaper, part demon, part god. Many have tried to kill her, and she’s always fought them off. She killed a boatload of reapers and Angels when my brother Dan was shot by his adoptive mother. Mattie opened up her gifts and healed him. As long as her gifts remained dormant, they were going to let her live, but as soon as she let her god powers come out to play, the Angels and the reapers descended, and she smoked them.
I was so proud of her.
“As you told me, the Guardian Angel bond is unbreakable. I couldn’t not help her.”
And thank God for that. I was able to use our link to appear in her mind. She was so messed up and in so much pain. She was close to dying. I knew the only way for her to survive was to go back to that dark place she left behind, to become cold and unfeeling. She’s still fighting to come back from it. I know she will, but I hope in the process she doesn’t burn too many bridges.
Muriel purses her lips but changes the subject back to Ella. Smart lady.
“Ella needs you now. The abomination is fine.”
I hate that they call her that. I hate that I thought of her like that once, and it ruined any chance I had with her. When I found out she was part demon, something my family hunted and killed, I walked away. It threw me. But Dan, he didn’t care, and he told her that nothing would ever make him go away. He was in it for the long haul. That’s their saying. It’s cute, but I hate that too. I hate him just a little because he was stronger than me. He was able to look at her and see the kind beautiful girl she was. He didn’t see the ugly dark blood she carried. He saw her.
And that was what mattered to her more than anything. She chose him and not me. I’m still salty about it even if it was my own fault.
I love her too, though. I loved her so much I killed myself to keep from hurting her, thanks to a curse my family had on us. By killing myself, I broke the curse, and the men born with my color eyes would no longer murder the one they fall in love with. My little brother, Benny, has my eyes. He’ll be able to grow up, fall in love, and never try to hurt his girl. And me losing my family was worth Benny’s future happiness.
When I died and Kane, Mattie’s teacher in all things reaper, collected my soul and took me through The Between to the other side, Muriel met us as the gates into Heaven and told me my sacrifice was not in vain and they felt I deserved my own happiness, but it came with rules. Specifically, that I was never to contact my family. I argued, but they were adamant. So that’s how I ended up in West Virginia, in a town mostly made up of supernaturals. It’s the only way I could live and find my own happiness, even if it’s not with my family and the woman I love.
Not sure that’ll ever happen, though.
“Elijah, when Ella awakens, she’s going to start seeing the souls of the dead. She’s going to be scared and confused.”
“She’s going to what?”
We both turn at the voice. A man is standing there, dressed in fatigues. He has the same bright green eyes as Ella. This must be her father.
“Explain what you just said,” he demands.
“Henry, please sit.” Muriel’s voice is kind, but there’s an edge of coldness to it. I don’t think Angels can help it. They’re just unfeeling by nature.
“Who are you?”
“I am Muriel, an Angel of God. I am here to help your daughter.”
“Angels don’t help anyone but themselves.” Henry’s stance changes to one of an attack. “Stay away from her.”
This man knows about Angels? Well, we are in Supernatural Central, so it stands to reason.
“I only wish to help her, Henry. Come, sit.”
“She’s really not here to hurt her.” I stand and go over to him. “My name is Eli. My family was given the duty of protecting living reapers thousands of years ago. I won’t let anyone hurt Ella. It’s my job to protect her.”
“Eli…you’re the one who saved her life.” Henry’s face softens a fraction. “Thank you.”
I nod. “I was in the right place at the right time.”
“No, you instinctively sought her out because you felt something was wrong, Elijah. You’re her Guardian Angel. As soon as that bond was formed, you started to sense danger when it was near.”
“You’re an Angel?” Henry frowns.
“No. I have Angel blood in me, but I’m not really an Angel.”
“Yes, Elijah, you are part Angel. Our blood is stronger in you than in most Nephelim.”
I shrug. It’s all semantics to me.
“You’re also human?” Henry shifts from foot to foot.
I’m not sure about that. I did die and then was put back on Earth. Is my body even human anymore? It’s probably better not to mention that fact to the Army guy who looks ready to maim at any second.
“Yes, sir.”
“And you’re telling me you’re my daughter’s Guardian Angel?”
I want to tell him no, but even now I can feel her pain and confusion. That wouldn’t be possible if Muriel wasn’t telling the truth.
“It would appear so.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I can always find her, no matter where she is. I can sense when she’s safe and happy, and I can tell when she’s in danger. My job is to be whatever she needs me to be and to keep her safe.”
“You already saved her once.”
“It’s what I do. I’ll always save her.”
No use denying it when I can feel the bond getting stronger. I wanted to, but you can’t run from the truth. It only ends up hurting you and many other people. A lesson I learned the hard way.
“What did you mean about her seeing souls?”
“Your daughter has a unique ability that only awakens once she dies and is brought back,” Muriel says. “She is what is called a living reaper. She can see souls that are wandering the Earth lost and alone. She will be able to help them cross over to the other side eventually. A reaper has already been assigned to help her navigate her new ability.”
Maybe it’s a good thing I’m her Guardian Angel. Reapers are not to be trusted. They’re backstabbing little frickers. But then again, so are Angels.
“When she wakes up, she’s going to be scared. She might start seeing ghosts right away, and she’ll see them in the condition they died. It can be gruesome. My family only saw ghosts when they went crazy from being here too long and started to hurt people. We put them down. Ella will see all of them, the good ones and the bad ones. I’ll teach her to deal with the bad ones so she can protect herself when I’m not there.”
“How can I help?”
“Do you know what a blessed blade is?”
Henry nods slowly. “It’s made from pure silver and blessed by someone holy.”
“Well, not exactly. The blade is forged from silver, yes, but it has the blood of an Angel worked into it as well. That’s how it becomes blessed. I used to have one, but I don’t anymore. They’re the only real defense against ghosts. Do you think you can put your hands on at least two, one for me and one for Ella?”
“Yes, I can get my hands on a few.”
“And how, exactly, can you do that, Major?”
We all swivel our heads to see Sheriff Ethan McReynolds, who’s just come through the door. He’s a dead ringer for Russell Crowe. I’m not even joking. He could be the actor’s twin brother. Only more buff and fifteen years younger. He’s also a wolf shifter and can sniff a lie faster than most. Even my family won’t mess with shifters. They tend to dole out their own punishments amongst themselves, and it’s far more gruesome than anything a hunter could ever do to them.
Henry doesn’t answer.
Ethan smiles, and it’s feral. “If you think the town doesn’t know who you are or why you’re here, you’re delu
sional. Measures have already been put into place to protect against you, and if even one person goes missing, nothing will stop us from storming that pathetic little base you have up in the mountains.”
“Sheriff, what are you talking about?” I’m not sure what’s going on here, and I have this hinky feeling in my gut I won’t like it.
“The Army has been studying supernaturals for as long as it’s existed. It’s only in the last hundred years or so that real experimentation began.”
“Experimentation?”
Henry shifts from foot to foot, but his face is unreadable.
“And now that your daughter is one of us? One of the supernatural creatures you came here to capture, to study, to experiment on, what will you do? Will you turn her over to your supervisors and walk away because she’s no longer clean?”
That finally gets a reaction out of the major. “I would never.”
“So, she’s better than the rest of us because she’s your daughter, then?” Ethan asks, a snarl slipping out. His power grows with every single second. He’s the Alpha of the wolf pack here in town and in the surrounding areas. I feel it like the slap of humidity I’ve only ever felt in the deep south.
“I wouldn’t let harm come to my own child.”
“Then maybe I should call your supervisors and inform them she’s now a living reaper? A creature so rare, they were assumed to be nothing but myth and legend. What would they do, Major? Would they send a containment team for her? Experiment on her? Do an autopsy?”
Listening to the Sheriff threaten Ella, something inside of me rises up, something that I haven’t felt in a long time. A heat bursts over my skin. A low hum sounds in my ears, and the room grows dim as I stand, my vision focused and narrowed on the sheriff. If I had any doubts about being Ella’s Guardian Angel before, they’re gone now.
I feel myself grow taller, feel the gift that resides in my bones burn to life as I stalk toward the threat to her. The power of Heaven radiates out, and the sheriff stumbles backward. There is no mistaking I’m more Angel than human now that I’ve died and come back, and I don’t care. My only need is to protect Ella.
“What…” Ella’s dad frowns, perhaps feeling the sudden shift in energy. But he won’t see that my eyes have gone white with holy light; he won’t see the glow that surrounds my entire being. He won’t see any of the changes that Sheriff McReynolds and Muriel do, but he gets out of my way just the same.
“What the…” Sheriff McReynolds tries to look at me, but my light is so great, he can’t. It would burn his eyes out if he looked for long.
“You dare to threaten my charge in my presence?” I bite, reaching out to grasp the sheriff by his throat and lifting him a good three feet off the ground like he weighs nothing.
“Your charge?”
“Every living reaper is assigned a Guardian Angel,” Muriel says mildly. “Eli is Ella’s.”
“What does that mean?” Ethan tries to glance at me, but it’s impossible. I’m too bright, and being suspended three feet in the air can definitely make things difficult.
“It means if anyone, be it you, her father, or the Army, tries to harm the girl, they have to go through him, and I guarantee you, none of you would survive it.” Muriel sounds detached, but for once, I wholeheartedly agree with her.
“I would never harm the girl,” Ethan chokes out. “I was only trying to make the major understand how the rest of us feel about being experimented on.”
I taste the truth in his words, and my Angel juice starts to fade. That’s what Mattie always called it when I hulked out into Guardian Angel mode. A pang of grief lances through me at the thought of her. I miss her.
I let Ethan drop, and like the shifter he is, he lands on his feet instead of on his rear end.
“Perhaps instead of trying to harm them, Major, you could convince the Army to work with them?” Muriel stands, gliding over to stand by me. I have a feeling that’s partly why she stayed. She had ulterior motives. Those motives seem on the up-and-up, but you can never guarantee that with Angels. They always keep their true intentions close to their vest.
“With them?” Henry cocks his head, thinking.
“Would it not be a better option now that your daughter is a supernatural creature? Even if Sheriff McReynolds does not say anything, he cannot control every single supernatural in this town. Any of them could turn her in to save themselves. You would be protecting not only Ella, but all those here who might be thinking along the same lines as the sheriff.”
Muriel makes good points, and I hope her father can see that.
“I…I have to think about all this.”
“Of course.” Muriel smiles, but there’s no emotion to it. “But I would not take long, Major. Everyone in town now knows your daughter is a living reaper.”
“How?”
“Because word travels fast among our kind. We felt the shift in the power structure and were informed by Muriel of her new status.” Sheriff McReynolds nods toward the Angel.
She’s up to something, but I don’t know what, and it makes me nervous. Angels are just as much weasels as demons are.
Before anyone can say anything, a doctor comes out and looks around. “Ella Banks?”
We all turn to him, but it’s Henry who speaks. “I’m her father, Major Henry Banks.”
“Major, your daughter’s condition is very severe. The car did a lot of damage that we’re trying to correct. I’m the ER doctor who treated her originally, and the surgeon asked me to inform her family of her condition when they arrived.”
“What is her condition?”
“Ruptured spleen, broken leg, crushed ribs, but it’s her head wound that is cause for concern. There is major swelling, and we’ve gone in to relieve it. They’re repairing a bleed as well.”
“What does all that mean?”
“It means that we don’t know the extent of her brain injury, and we won’t until she wakes up. Right now, we’re not too sure if she will wake up, but the surgeons are doing everything they can to give her a chance.”
The doctor nods once and leaves.
I turn to Muriel, but she holds up a hand before I can ask. “We are not allowed to interfere with life and death, as you well know, Elijah. It will be up to the doctors to repair her body, and it will be up to Ella to fight for her life.”
“So, I guess all we can do is wait.”
With that staggering thought, Henry and I sit, both of us terrified for Ella.
CHAPTER FOUR
Eli
“You’re sure it was an old Honda?”
“Of course, I’m sure.” I glare at Ethan. “My father taught me cars. I know the difference between a Honda and a Hyundai.”
“We’ve had several different statements, and none of them agree.”
“None of them were trained to be a hunter by the best FBI agent in the US, either.”
Yes, Ethan McReynolds knows all about me. Not a lot of people in Jacob’s Fork do, only those who are pertinent. They know I’m some kind of supernatural creature, but I don’t advertise just what kind. I can’t hide it from them. They can feel it, taste it. That doesn’t mean they need the details. Ethan agreed. To know someone with Angel blood was here, someone who spent their life hunting down supernaturals, wouldn’t be a good idea. We only hunted down things that were bad, but hunters aren’t welcomed with open arms here.
“But you didn’t see the driver?”
I shake my head. “I was too focused on Ella. She wasn’t moving, and it terrified me. When I got to her and she wasn’t breathing…I guess the whole Guardian Angel thing had kicked in by then, and all I was able to do was to make sure she lived.”
“So, you can’t just heal her?”
“It doesn’t work like that. I can protect her from outside forces, but healing her is a power I don’t have. It would make the job easier, though.”
“Eli?”
My heart stutters at the sound of that voice. It feels like slow motion as I turn my h
ead and see her standing in the doorway to the waiting room. She looks different. Granted, she’s a mess of bruises, but at least her broken bones seem to have been healed.
Dark brown hair is piled up on her head in a cascading mess of curls, and hazel eyes that are still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen stare at me. They’re cold, though, and empty. I did that to her.
“Hilda, what are you doing here?” How is she here is the better question. She shouldn’t have been able to find me.
“Abomination,” Muriel hisses.
Mattie merely glances at her, like one would an irritating child who keeps whining.
“I felt something shift and came looking for it.”
“You felt her?”
She tilts her head. “Her?”
“Ella. She’s another living reaper whose abilities just woke up.”
Her nostrils flare.
“She’s in surgery. We’re not sure she’ll live.”
“It would be better for her if she didn’t.”
I flinch, my will to protect my charge at war with my need to protect the woman in front of me, who is also my charge.
“Don’t you dare say that,” Henry snaps, his anger rising. “My daughter is fighting for her life…”
“Your daughter is going to wake up to a world of living nightmares, never knowing when she’s going to turn a corner and come face to face with some horrific image of a ghost who died and was mangled, or run into one whose only thought is to hurt her, to claim her energy for its own. It’s terrifying on its best days.”
“Who are you to judge what she can and can’t handle?”
“Major Banks, Mattie is the only other living reaper alive on the planet.”
He blinks and slowly sinks down into the chair beside me. “Can you help her?”
“Why?”
“Why?” He stares at her stupidly.
“Yes, why would I help her? No one helped me when I woke up at the ripe old age of five to monsters. She’ll get through it or she won’t.”
