With difficulty, Fallon nodded politely to Marc Ellis and his wife, and then sat in the chair Kade held out for her. Her Kur burned painfully this close to the demon, but she did her best to ignore it.
She could feel Marc Ellis’ eyes on her.
“And, does this lovely creature have a name?” he leered.
His wife may have been indifferent to her husband’s tone, but Kade wasn’t. He frowned at his uncle. “She’s not a creature. Her name is Fallon. Fallon, this is my Uncle Marc, Aunt Ellie, and the four rug rats are Mia, Gino, Joey and Rachel.”
After the introductions, Mrs. Royce came from the kitchen with a platter of ham and soon normal conversation broke out around the table.
Despite Marc Ellis’ constant looks, Fallon enjoyed Kade’s family. They were witty and smart and the conversation jumped from topic to topic.
After the dessert of apple pie, Marc Ellis scraped his chair back and declared to his family that it was time to leave.
With thoughts of the missing children still on her mind, Fallon did the same. She wasn’t going to wait for Anthony to get her an address. She was going to get it herself.
“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Royce. It was a lovely dinner, but I must be going, too.”
“Good night, Fallon. We hope you’ll come back to visit again soon.”
“I will.”
Kade didn’t look happy as he pulled her aside. “Are you sure? I was hoping we could hang out for a little while yet.”
She shook her head. “No, I really have to go. See you tomorrow at school, okay?”
“At least let me drive you home,” he said irritably.
“No, you said you were going to spend the night here. I’ll be fine, really. See you tomorrow.” And with that, she slipped out the front door.
****
Kade entered his bedroom with a frustrated growl. Why did Fallon leave so abruptly? As far as he could tell, she liked him as much as he did her. Was she having second thoughts because of his stint in jail? He never did explain to her that it had been a set up.
He picked up a football and tossed it in the air as he paced. I can’t stop thinking about her. How can a girl I just met turn my life this upside down in a matter of days?
He thrust his fingers through his hair and sat on the bed, his thoughts drifting to Ethan. Selfishly, he wished his best friend was still here to talk to. Granted, Ethan did undergo a major personality change in the last few days of his life, but it was possible he had something going on that Kade knew nothing about. He regretted now that he didn’t make more of an effort to find out what was bothering him. Even behind bars, he could have been there for him.
Downstairs, the front door slammed shut. Kade stood from the bed, went to the window and peeled the curtain back. His uncle, aunt and cousins were piling into their black Escalade.
Maybe I should go to Fallon, he thought, desperate to see her again. He wasn’t lying when he told her he felt a powerful connection to her. Even now, he was aching to be near her.
The black SUV backed out of the driveway. Kade started to turn from the window, but a movement caught his eye. He peered back down. It was Fallon! And, she was running in a crouch down the street after his uncle’s vehicle. What the hell is going on?
He ran for the door and then down the steps. “Mom! Dad! Be right back!”
Flying through the front door, he raced down the street. Neither Fallon nor the Escalade was in sight.
Is Fallon really following my uncle and aunt? But, that makes no sense. Maybe it just looked that way. The Ellis family moved into a new cul de sac a month ago about six blocks from his house. He decided to head there to find out.
Pumping his arms and legs for three blocks, he finally caught sight of Fallon and the brake lights of the SUV. How on earth did she get so far ahead of me? Now, though, she crept along the shadows of the sidewalk as the Escalade came to a stop sign.
There was no question now. She was following them.
But, why?
A green truck pulled up next to Fallon and a guy stuck his head out of the driver’s side window. “Hey, beautiful. We’re headed for a party. Why don’t you come with us?”
“No, thanks,” he heard Fallon mumble distractedly.
The car pulled to the curb. “Wait up!” The guy threw the truck in park and opened the door. From the way he stumbled over to Fallon, it was obvious that he had been drinking.
Fallon started to jog away from him, but he ran and launched himself at her, taking her to the ground.
Kade cursed under his breath, but before he could act, the drunk went flying through the air and landed on his back in the middle of the street.
What the…?
The passenger side of the truck opened and another guy got out. “What did you just do to him?” he demanded with a glare at Fallon.
“Just leave,” she told him.
“Not until you tell me what you did to my friend.”
“Nothing. Now go. Just get out of here and no one will get hurt.”
The guy continued to harass her and got right in her face. “What did you use on him? Some kind of taser?”
Fallon turned to leave and he moved to push her. With lightning speed, she sidestepped out of the way and he stumbled by her. He turned back with a drunken snarl and swung his arm to backhand her. She caught him by the wrist and twisted, pinning his arm behind his back. He screamed in pain.
“Weren’t you ever taught that no means no?” she asked with the guy’s arm still clutched firmly in one hand. With the other, she reached around to her back pocket and pulled out what looked like a knife.
Kade tensed, unable to believe what he was seeing. Is she going to stab the guy?
Fallon pushed her attacker away and slammed the hilt of the knife to the bracelet she wore on her bicep, and a glowing sword lit up the night. Before the man could recover, she waved the weapon in front of his face. “Forget about tonight and go home. And, don’t drive, idiot. Walk.”
Fallon hit the hilt of the sword to her bracelet once again, and the sword disappeared.
Kade was too dazed to do or say anything and could only watch in stunned silence as she turned and ran away.
The man stood immobile for a moment, but then shook his head in confusion. He glanced down at his friend lying on the ground as if trying to piece together what had happened.
Kade understood the feeling. He was trying to do the same thing.
Finally, the man reached down, helped his friend to his feet and together they stumbled down the street, leaving their truck behind.
Kade turned and walked back toward his parent’s house. He wanted to tell them that he wouldn’t be staying the night after all.
He was going back to Oak Street and the yellow Victorian next door.
He was going back for answers.
Chapter 9
The Truth
Fallon kicked the dirt in front of her. She lost Marc Ellis and had no way of knowing where he went. She prowled the streets for blocks but couldn’t find his car anywhere.
All because of a couple of drunks.
It had been risky to erase the memory of one of the guys with her Aventi out on a public street, but he left her with no other choice when he witnessed her unnatural power. It always bothered her when she had to resort to erasure, preferring instead to avoid trouble. She could only assume how unnerving it must be for a person to have a fragment of time missing from their life.
With a heavy sigh, she started back toward her house. Fortunately, tonight wasn’t a complete loss. If Father Tomas’ altar boy couldn’t obtain Ellis’ address soon, she now had this Kjin’s connection with Kade to exploit. Surely, she could find a way to get the information without arousing too much suspicion. Either way, it would have to wait until tomorrow.
With a long walk ahead of her, she thought back to her visit to Kade
’s house and especially the few stolen moments in his bedroom. No one had ever looked at her the way he did and the feelings he stirred in her were both thrilling and terrifying.
Anxious to get home, she started to run, thankful for the darkness that helped to conceal her swift movement. She had to slow several times because of people on the streets, but soon her yellow Victorian came into view.
She skidded to a stop.
Someone was sitting on the front steps of her house.
Cautiously, she approached and her heart fluttered in her chest when she recognized Kade. He came home! Grinning, she ran to him in excitement but hesitated when he didn’t return the smile.
“What is it?” she asked, wondering if something had happened to one of his family members. “Is everything okay?” It was hard for her to read the odd expression on his face. “Kade, what’s going on?”
He snorted. “You tell me.”
“Tell you what?” Suddenly, a sinking feeling developed in the pit of her stomach.
“You can start by answering question number one, Fallon. Why were you following my relatives?”
She just stared at him. She refused to lie to him, but couldn’t tell him the truth either.
Or, could she?
“Well?” He stood up to face her. “Are they in some kind of trouble with the law?”
She turned from him.
“Are you some kind of agent or something? I saw you following them. I also saw you use some kind of weapon that completely messed up the guy that attacked you. I don’t like secrets, Fallon, and I don’t like to be lied to. Obviously, you are something other than what you’ve told me.”
This was why she never sought out entanglements with humans. She always feared that if she let people get close to her, they would find out things they shouldn’t know. Her fears had been justified.
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Tell me. What are you?”
“I…I can’t.”
“Tell me!”
“You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Fallon! Whatever it is, I can deal with it. I can deal with anything rather than lose you. Tell me!”
In that moment, she decided she would tell him. She needed to tell him. Three years was too long to go without companionship. Too long not to laugh or to feel the touch of another human being.
She choked back a sob. Yes, she would tell him.
And, after I tell him everything about my life? What then?
She would have to erase his memory so he would never have any recollection of ever meeting her. The burning lump that formed in her throat made it hard to swallow. He didn’t understand what he was asking. He didn’t realize that if she told him the truth, it would cost them their relationship.
“Well, Fallon? What are you?”
Slowly, she turned to face him. “I’m an angel.”
****
Inside the foyer to Fallon’s house, Kade took her into his arms and held her close. With a deep breath, he inhaled the lavender fragrance of her hair. “Go upstairs,” he told her, pulling away to hold her at arm’s length. “I’ll grab us some sodas.”
She nodded woodenly and turned away.
Kade hurried into the kitchen, not wanting to leave her alone for long. Obviously, she suffered some kind of breakdown, but he still wasn’t sure what caused it.
She called herself an angel. Did this word have a double meaning or did she really think she was an angel angel? The kind with wings? He shrugged. Somehow, he had to get the truth out of her as gently as possible. Grabbing the sodas, he raced up the stairs and found her bedroom. She sat on a wide bench seat at the window and leaned her head against the glass. At that moment, bathed in moonlight with her long, blonde hair flowing down her back, she really did look like an angel.
“Fallon? Are you okay?”
She nodded with a small smile and turned to him. He handed her the soda.
“You’re scaring me,” he admitted to her.
“I don’t mean to.”
“I know. As long as you’re feeling okay, that’s all that matters.”
“I’m fine.”
“Do you want to talk?”
“I don’t think we have any other choice now.”
He sat on the bench, pulled his feet up and leaned back against the opposite wall. “About this angel thing…”
“I was telling you the truth. I am an angel.”
“That’s funny, I always thought angels had halos and wings,” he said with a soft laugh, trying to bring a little levity to the situation.
“My wings were clipped.” She put her soda down, stood up and turned her back to him. Crossing her hands in front of her, she grabbed the sides of her shirt and pulled it over her head.
He gasped, but wasn’t sure if it was from the two long, angry scars just beneath her shoulder blades or for the fact that he was staring at her naked back. He felt both empathy and desire course through his body at the same time. “What happened?”
She swallowed. “I told you. My wings were clipped.” She reached down and put the tee shirt back on, and then sat again, drawing her knees up to her chest.
“So, you’re really going with this angel thing?”
She smiled tiredly. “It’s all I got.”
Kade realized in that instant that she really believed it.
“You don’t believe me,” she whispered. “I can see it all over your face.”
Was he that obvious? What did he think about this? He believed in heaven, certainly, and even angels. But they existed in another dimension, not here on earth. “I wouldn’t say that. I’m just trying to figure out why you think the way you do.”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“So, how did you get here on earth then?”
Slowly, Fallon told him an unbelievable story. How she and her family died thirty-three years earlier at the hands of two robbers. She talked about her journey to heaven, which she called Emperica, and training with the Knights. Julian, the boy she brought to his party, was also a Knight. She described the different castes within Emperica and why she chose the path she did. She told him about the evil Kjin that walked the earth in the form of humans and her mission to eliminate them from the world. Lastly, she discussed her return three years ago and all of her progress in fulfilling that obligation.
An hour later, Kade leaned his head back against the wall with a thud. The story was implausible. No sane person could hear the story Fallon just related and not think she was crazy.
They both must be crazy then.
He believed her.
“So, that sword thing that you use. What does it do?”
“It’s called an Aventi and it erases all memory of my existence. Want me to show you, Mr. Royce?”
He held his hands up. “No! I would like to keep my memories of you if that’s all right.”
A strange look passed over her face, but he wasn’t sure why. Reaching his hand out, he touched the gold bracelet around her arm. “And, this?”
“It’s an activator. It’s called a Kur and brings the Aventi to life.”
He stood up and speared a hand through his hair. “So, you basically run around and kill bad guys. All by yourself?”
“I’m hardly defenseless, Kade. I am strong. Much stronger than you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Hmm…I’ll have to test that out some time.”
“Don’t. I wouldn’t want to hurt your male ego. I heard they were pretty fragile.”
“Mine more than most,” he confessed. “How many other Knights are there?”
“On earth? A few hundred, but we hardly ever work together.” She hesitated. “You actually knew another Knight.”
“Who?”
“Gabe Mackey.”
Kade reeled at the news. He quickly sorted back through his memories with Gabe and some things that seemed odd at the time start
ed to make more sense. “Have you ever told anyone else about this?”
She snorted. “I don’t think I’ve said more than ten words to the same person in the last three years, let alone disclose this. I hope I don’t have to tell you how important it is that you don’t discuss this with anyone else. Ever.”
Kade leaned toward her. “I would never betray you, Fallon, I promise you that.”
She nodded.
“Who are you tracking now? Who is this Kjin person?”
She turned to the window. “I would rather not talk about that now. I’m really tired and I just want to lie down.”
“Okay.” Kade went to Fallon’s side, lifted her from the bench and folded her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he carried her to the bed and set her down.
For a long moment, he stared down at her and for the first time, she looked fragile to him. Not in a physical sense, but emotionally.
“Turn over.”
He heard her soft intake of breath, but after a short hesitation, she rolled onto her stomach.
He sat beside her on the edge of the bed, lifted her shirt, and tenderly fingered the scars on her back. She flinched at the contact.
“Don’t.” Her voice was tortured and husky.
“Why?”
“Because I’m embarrassed.”
“Of what?”
“No one has ever seen my scars before.”
“Did it hurt? When they clipped them?”
“Unbelievably so.”
“I think they are incredibly beautiful.”
“How can scars be beautiful?”
“Because they tell me what kind of woman you are. One who would endure that kind of pain just to help others is very rare. You are really exceptional.”
If she believed him, he had no way of knowing since her face was turned the other way.
“It’s obvious that you’re the special one, Kade. I’m actually surprised that you’re still sitting here.”
“I will never leave you, Fallon.” He leaned down and moved her hair so he could kiss the back of her neck. When she turned to face him, he brushed his lips against hers, feather light. His muscles tightened with need at the feel of her body pressed so close to his. But, it wasn’t enough. He wanted to be much closer.
Somehow, she sensed his hunger for her and called him out on it.
“Kade, I can’t.”
He sat up and let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”