“You’ll be in town?” she asked anxiously.
“For now, yes.”
“Is there anything your father and I can do? If you’re in trouble, we know people.…”
“It’s not that kind of trouble, Mom.”
“There must be something! I feel so useless.”
“There is,” he said, standing to kiss the top of her head. “You can stay safe.”
Aside from me, there was nothing Xavier cared more about in the world than his family. It was one of the reasons I loved him. So in that moment, I didn’t care that the Sevens could be zoning in on our location. I didn’t care that our future was uncertain and everything could slip away in a heartbeat. Right now, nothing was more important than this reunion, and what it meant to this family. It was worth the risk.
Back in the car, Xavier and I sat for a moment, looking down the familiar street. For the first time in a while, we both felt utterly at ease. I didn’t know how long the feeling would last, but I knew I wanted to savor it. Chances were, Xavier and I would never truly be free of our persecutors. Our union had disturbed too many in both Heaven and Hell. Maybe there would never come a time when we could rest easy. I didn’t know. All I knew was that every day we woke up in each other’s arms was a blessing. So, if fate was offering us even a fleeting moment of happiness, we should grab it.
And for the first time in months, the lines of guilt I’d seen etched in Xavier’s forehead disappeared. At least for now, he looked happy.
27
Hostage
THE night sky was like velvet and studded with stars. A full crater-faced moon lit up the streets in a soft glow. It was good to be home, where everything felt so familiar, where every place had a memory attached to it. Xavier and I walked hand in hand until we reached the pier where I’d first seen him fishing and my siblings had hurried me away. Had they known who he was even then? Had they sensed something? I wondered if they’d had any inkling of how our lives would unfold, the saga we would be drawn into.
Neither of us wanted to go back to the hotel yet. This was our town and we’d been away too long. We needed time to rediscover it, to visit our old favorite haunts, but mostly just to be reassured that it hadn’t changed too much in our absence.
“It’s just as sleepy as it ever was,” I murmured. “Good old Venus Cove.”
“Nothing to do and nowhere to go,” Xavier replied. “Until you came along.”
“Right.” I rolled my eyes. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. “Wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
When we reached the shore, I slipped off my shoes and let my toes sink into the sand. It had been awhile since we’d just been able to take a break from everything. The beach was more surreal than my daytime memories of it. The black waves encroached territorially onto the shore. We sat on the cool sand in silence for a while. The horizon and the water had long merged into a mass of undulating darkness. A few white yachts moored to the pier swayed gracefully on the surface.
Xavier suddenly stood up.
“C’mon. Let’s walk to the Crags.”
“Really?” I asked hesitantly. “Are you sure? We haven’t been there in forever.”
“Exactly,” he replied. “And so much happened there. I feel like we need … closure or something. We go one last time and then we never go back.”
“Alright.” I stood up to join him. “Deal.”
We walked along a flat stretch of beach until we reached the rock pools, which were like tiny aquariums left behind by the sea. Even in the dark, I could still catch the darting of tails in the shallow water and see the twisted braches of dead coral like pretty skeletons on the sand.
We rounded a bend and then there they were. We’d reached them. Towering, black monoliths washed in moonlight. I felt like I was standing side by side with the Bethany of two years ago. I could almost picture us—we seemed so much younger then, so carefree with no idea what lay in store for us. We were a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation. We couldn’t wait to see how our story unfolded. We thought there was so much in store for us. And there was, just not what we’d been expecting. And now, we felt so much older, heavier, weighed down by too many cares.
The Crags were deserted as usual. No one came here except people who wanted a break from the world or a place to think uninterrupted. All noise was wiped out by the waves smashing against the rocks and the wind howling as it danced in and out of the caves around us. Despite the warm weather, it was chilly under the looming shadow of the Crags, in a place where the sunlight never could reach. I backed up, pressing myself against Xavier and absorbing his heat. His arms closed around me from behind.
Somewhere far above us, we heard church bells chiming the hour. Was it really midnight already?
“Gabriel and Ivy are gonna be mad,” I groaned.
Xavier laughed softly as he rubbed my shoulders. “You still think like you’re in high school,” he said. “You’re in college now and we’re married. You can do what you want.”
“Hmm.” I paused to consider that thought. “I guess so.”
“It’s funny how you’ve got no problems taking on a Seven, but your brother and sister still make you nervous.”
“They’re scary!” I protested. “Have you ever seen Ivy get mad? She can spit fire with her tongue.”
“That’s not scary,” Xavier said. “It’s kind of cool.”
“You used to think I was cool,” I said teasingly. “Sorry I don’t have any celestial tricks to show you.”
“Yeah.” Xavier shook his head. “It’s pretty disappointing. You really need to pick up your game.”
“Oh, really.” I folded my arms. “In that case there’s no lovin’ for you tonight.”
“Using sex as a weapon already,” Xavier replied. “Two can play at that game.”
“You can’t withhold sex, you’re a guy,” I told him.
“With a lot of willpower.” He smirked. “I bet you’d break first.”
“Please,” I snorted. “I’m an angel.”
Xavier winked at me. “Turns out so am I.”
We were both quiet for a while, watching the clouds drift across the moon.
* * *
“COME on.” I grabbed Xavier’s hand. “It’s past midnight, we really should be getting back.”
Xavier agreed and stood up to dust off his jeans. We were just gathering up our things when a crackling sound like a dozen electrical appliances going haywire filled the air. Instantly the whole beach lit up, as if someone were setting off fireworks. As it dulled slightly, I saw a now all-too familiar sight. Sevens. They were all around us on the shore, perched on the rock like statues, even waiting in the water. This time they were all dressed in starched black suits like some bizarre parody of FBI agents. Some stood alone and others in pairs. As usual Hamiel occupied the highest position on the rocky pinnacle that was the peak of the Crags, allowing him a clear view of what was happening around him. He leapt down, landing on his feet like a cat. Xavier and I were both beyond reacting defensively. This time we just stood and waited. I wondered if I should try using the same powers I’d called upon during the last attack, but there were too many of them now; we were surely outnumbered. I thought of trying to reach Ivy and Gabriel, but I’d led them into enough battles and Gabriel had already lost his wings because of me. Did he even have enough strength to overpower an army like this? I didn’t want to take any chances.
“Hello, again.” Hamiel folded his hands pleasantly in front of him.
“You’re back?” I asked. “Really? We thought you’d be tired of playing cat and mouse by now.”
“Actually, I believe this is check and mate,” Hamiel replied.
I was no longer capable of feeling any fear toward him. I only felt unadulterated hatred. I was looking at the man who had killed Xavier just to prove a point. I knew it went against my nature, but the only thing I wanted was revenge.
“A
nd how do you figure?” I hissed.
“Well”—Hamiel seemed to be taking his time—“we realized there was little point trying to fight you.”
“Yeah, because we’d win,” I replied. “And you know it.”
Hamiel chuckled. “Because the collateral would not have been worth it. So we decided to bargain instead.”
“You have nothing we want,” Xavier told him in disgust.
“Think again.” Hamiel motioned to someone standing, hidden by the gloom of a cave. Two Sevens glided forward, tugging between them a young girl. She was barefoot and a burlap sack covered her face.
“What the…” Xavier said. “You can’t just bring strangers into this! Let her go.”
“Oh, but she’s not a stranger,” Hamiel replied, and he walked across to the struggling figure, his heavy boots leaving deep imprints in the sand. He reached out and yanked away the sack, revealing the face beneath.
At first I didn’t recognize her. She was a mess of curly brown hair and a bloodied nose. But it was the same lanky figure and thin shoulders we’d seen earlier at Sweethearts. It was Nicola Woods. Xavier’s little sister.
My sudden intake of cold air hurt my lungs. Nikki was still squirming and wearing her pajamas: little cotton shorts and a tank. Minus the heavy eye makeup and Doc Marten boots, she looked much more her age. And she looked scared.
“Nikki?” Xavier’s face drained of color and he started forward, until one of the Sevens took Nikki by the throat.
“Don’t move,” Hamiel commanded.
Xavier darted forward and then caught himself just in time. He stopped, holding up his hands in defeat. It was as if he realized the madness of making any move under the circumstances.
“Okay,” he whispered. “Just don’t hurt her.”
“Xav,” Nikki called out. “What’s going on?” I could see she was trying to be brave, but her voice was quivering.
“It’s okay Nic,” Xavier replied. His whole body was braced forward. I knew he desperately wanted to go to her aid, every fraternal instinct in his body was screaming at him to do something. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
Nikki turned her face up toward her assailant and twisted her body violently. “Let go of me!”
“Be quiet, Nikki,” I heard Xavier mutter under his breath. “Be smart.”
“Xavier, what’s happening?” she screamed. The Sevens had her by the arms; she tried to kick her way free but any blow she landed might as well have landed on iron for all the impact it made. The Sevens hardly seemed to notice. “You’re hurting me!” Nikki cried, and Xavier winced as a ripple of frustration ran through his shoulders.
“What do you want?” he yelled. “Tell me what you want!”
“We want the two of you separated,” Hamiel replied. “That’s what we’ve always wanted.”
“So you’re asking us never to see each other again?” Xavier said, like it was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard.
“No.” Hamiel shook his head slowly. “You must come with us.”
“Fine.” Xavier didn’t hesitate, and I felt my heart drop like a stone. “I’ll come with you. Just let my sister go.”
“Not you.” Hamiel clicked his tongue and pointed a thick finger in my direction. “Her.”
“No.” Xavier gritted his teeth. “You leave her alone.”
I could see him wracking his brains, desperately searching for a solution. It was an impossible situation, his sister or his wife. But I wasn’t about to make him choose. And I couldn’t let his sister get hurt. Xavier had already lost one girlfriend, his best friend, his childhood priest, and his roommate. He’d seen more death than anyone should have to and he was only nineteen years old.
Nikki was still struggling and in order to subdue her, the Seven twisted her arm up behind her back, making her face crumple in pain. I felt Xavier’s body tense with anger and twitch forward instinctively. It seemed to be taking all his self-control not to run headlong into a fight.
Up until now, the threat had always been directed at us; someone had always been trying to harm us. But this was different. I had thought there was nothing Xavier and I couldn’t handle, it was us against the world, us against what seemed like insurmountable odds. We always opted to fight, to take our chances, because being together surpassed everything. But not this. We had been prepared for every eventuality except this one.
“No!” Xavier repeated. “Not her. Take me instead. Please?”
“We cannot,” Hamiel said evenly.
“Why?”
“Because you are one of the Elect. Our Father has big plans for you. We cannot interfere. If we did, the consequences would be severe.” His dark eyes fell on me.
Xavier stepped forward. “She’s my wife. You can’t take her.”
In response, Hamiel drew a gleaming silver blade from inside his coat and rested the tip at Nikki’s throat. She let out a scream that turned into a gurgle as one of the Sevens clamped a hand over her mouth. But her eyes were wide and wild with panic. Xavier covered his mouth like he might be about to throw up. There was so much anguish in his eyes I couldn’t stand it. I knew he would never surrender me to Hamiel, but at the same time he couldn’t let his sister die.
“Enough.” It was me that stepped forward this time, feeling as hollow as a drum inside. “That’s enough.”
If there was ever going to be a final straw in our story, this was it. I had seen enough destruction to last a lifetime. Nobody else was going to die on our account. If one thing existed that was going to break my resolve the Sevens just found it. And they knew it. Besides, we couldn’t keep running and fighting for the rest of our lives, letting the bodies pile up around us. Who would be next? Someone had to put an end to it all. And I had the chance to do it. I looked at Xavier’s face and all the grief he’d suffered was somehow reflected in his eyes. I only hoped this would be the end of it.
“I’m yours,” I said to Hamiel. “I surrender.”
Behind me, I heard Xavier let out a heartbreaking sound somewhere between a groan and a cry.
“No,” he whispered. “Beth, no.”
But I forced myself to block him out. “Let the girl go first,” I said, trying to keep my calm. “Let her go and I’ll come with you.”
“What, don’t trust me?” Hamiel sounded amused.
“Not at all,” I replied.
“We live by an honor code,” Hamiel said. “The soldiers of Heaven will stand by a deal. However, we don’t know if the same can be said of you. How can we be sure you’re not lying?”
“Because I know you could kill her in a heartbeat,” I said. “So you win. Just let her go, okay? I’m not going to try anything.”
Hamiel considered this for a moment and then nodded at the Sevens that held Nikki. They released her and she ran to Xavier, collapsing in his arms. He caught her halfway to the ground and hugged her tight to his chest, but his eyes were still fixed on me. It was Xavier’s job to look after his younger sister and his wife. I read the failure in his eyes. I walked across to him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Hamiel snarled.
“Just give me a minute to say good-bye,” I said. “Just one minute.”
“Make it quick.”
It was the hardest minute of my entire life. Standing there at the Crags, looking at Xavier, I truly felt like the world had come to an end. At least my world had. This was the place where it all began, it was only fitting that this was where it should end. I took his hand, trying to memorize the feel of his skin against mine and bent my head to gently kiss the cool metal of his wedding band.
“Beth…” he began.
“Shh…” I pressed my finger against his lips. “Don’t say anything. Just know that I love you.” I let my hands run through his hair one last time. I never noticed how many shades of blue there were in his eyes. His tears looked like droplets of crystal on his cheeks.
“I can’t lose you again,” Xavier said.
“I won’t be lost,” I told
him. “I’ll always be watching. I’ll be your guardian angel.”
“No.” His voice was thick and choked with tears. “This isn’t the way it was supposed to end.”
“We always knew I couldn’t stay forever.” I could hear my heart thumping so loud it almost drowned out his voice. But I couldn’t let Xavier know how much this cost me. He was already in enough pain.
“We were going to find a way,” Xavier said. “We were going to fight.”
“We did,” I said softly, glancing across at Hamiel. “We just didn’t win this one.”
“Please,” he said, closing his eyes. “Don’t do this to me. I can’t go on without you.”
“If you ever need me just close your eyes,” I whispered. I felt like my chest was being torn in two and I could barely hold myself together. “You’ll find me in the white place.”
Xavier’s eyes suddenly flew open and he grabbed my shoulders so hard it hurt. “You have to find a way back.”
“I will,” I said, trying to look as though I meant it. How was I supposed to stage a jailbreak from Heaven?
“Promise,” he said. “Promise you’ll find your way back to me.”
“I promise,” I whispered. “If there’s a way back I’ll find it.”
Hamiel’s voice cut through like steel. “Time’s up,” he said coldly.
* * *
PICTURES from the past began to flash through my mind. I saw our descent into Venus Cove, my old room at Byron, Molly crying, Jake laughing, Phantom sleeping on my bed. I saw my brother and sister in a blur of golden glory. I saw the flames of Hell and the bodies of the damned. And then I saw Xavier: Xavier on the pier, Xavier sitting at the wheel of the Chevy, Xavier in French class with a half-smile on his lips. I saw him on the beach and on the porch swing and standing at the altar waiting for me. I thought I was drowning in the blue of his eyes.
My reality was starting to crumble. I knew I was still holding on to Xavier’s hands, but all of a sudden they weren’t there anymore and my hands were hooked around thin air. The sand beneath my feet began to shift like it was sinking and I saw a light in the distance, growing brighter. Everything around me became blurry and washed out like a photograph that had been overexposed. The faces around me lost their definition, the voices merged together so they all sounded like nothing but a high-pitched whine in my ears. The light was growing brighter, absorbing everything around it. Soon it would absorb me. And then I could no longer feel my feet on the ground. I could no longer feel or see or hear anything other than a rushing, roaring wind and my hair streaming across my face.