He lifted and carefully carried me over to the bed, his lips never leaving mine. He gently laid me down and pressed his hard body on top of me. I was lost. Lost in him. Lost in the moment. Lost in happiness.
“Kade!! Kade? Where the hell are you man?” a voice yelled from the outside area.
Our lips separated.
“Shit,” Kade sighed loudly, closing his eyes in disbelief. He shook his head.
It was Malachi.
Damn. His timing was impeccable, like he had some sort of alarm that went off whenever Kade and I were together.
“Where the hell is Kade? Does anyone know?” Malachi said, sounding like his normal, annoyed self.
Kade leaned down and gave me one last kiss, which sent my head into a spin. He stood up, and I found the edge of the bed, still feeling the lingering effects of my very first kiss.
“I’m sorry, Emma. I don’t know what came over me. I could be the fact that I’m human now, or…it could have been that thing you’re wearing,” he laughed, gesturing to my suit.
I blushed, shaking my head.
“Are you really sorry? That you kissed me?”
He paused for a brief moment, and ran his fingers through his hair. Then his eyes found mine. “Actually, no. I’m not sorry. Not at all.”
“Then don’t apologize. It would be beyond pathetic to die without being kissed, and I’m glad that you were my first.”
“Kade?” Malachi called again.
“I guess I’d better get out there before he comes busting down the door.”
“Yeah, I guess you should.”
“I’ll see you soon,” he winked.
My heart melted.
“Yes. I’ll see you soon.”
He then opened the door and left, leaving me alone and my head in a whirl.
It was just a kiss, but the most unbelievable kiss. What would have happened if we were left alone? Hey, I was an Angel, but half of my genetic make-up was Fallen. I guess I’d have to keep an extra eye out on myself.
I knew, deep inside, that it was fate that brought us together. I felt right, complete, and perfect whenever Kade was around me. He made my world a better place to be, whenever he was near. What kind of future would fate allow us to live? Would we be allowed to be together, or would we die trying? Only time would answer that question.
I walked over to the closet and found a bunch of jackets off to the side. There was a black leather trench coat, so I slipped it on. It reached just below my knees, covering most of my upper body. Good. I didn’t want the others to see me in this suit.
Chapter 5
Time flew by and before I knew it everyone had gathered in the living room, dressed and ready for battle. Samuel, Danyel, Dominic, and Alexander miraculously seemed to be as good as new. Completely healed and no scars. That was crazy. They were so lucky, and I was still amazed by it all. But then again, I was healing almost as fast as they were.
Kade came and stood next to me. He looked tired and weak compared to the rest of them, but still managed a smile when he saw me. As always, it melted my heart.
Thank goodness Alaine had some pretty strong medicine, which seemed to be working its magic, helping him to manage his pain and heal as quickly as a mortal could. She even returned his blue vial, which looked like it had been refilled.
“Hey Emma, you’re looking pretty damn hot in that tight leather outfit,” Dominic jested, wiggling his eyebrows.
Oh God. I quickly hugged the coat around me.
I glanced at Kade and he had a grin on his face. “Told you,” he whispered.
“Yeah, I have to agree with Dominic, which I hardly do,” Alex chimed, smiling at me.
All eyes were now looking at me, making me feel like I was naked. My face flushed with heat.
“Hey! Hey! Hey! Keep those eyes in your heads, boys. That’s my daughter you’re talking about,” Samuel stepped in.
“Watch out! Daddy’s gonna take names and kick ass,” Malachi laughed, punching Dominic on the arm.
“Hey, watch the goods, man. It just healed and it’s still a little tender,” Dominic said, rubbing his muscle.
“Whatever, you big baby,” Malachi huffed.
Samuel walked over to me, and placed both of his hands on my shoulders. “You’re beautiful, Emma. You look so much like your mother,” he said softly with a smile. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I smiled and he stepped to the other side of me, opposite of Kade.
“Okay. So let’s go over this one more time,” Samuel spoke. Everyone quieted and looked at him. “Once the cameras show the way is clear, the first team will go out and clear any debris before we exit. Malachi and James will go out first, Danyel and I will follow with Kade and Emma, and then Dominic and Alexander will cover our backs. Alaine will be staying back with Caleb, because he is still too weak to move.
“Once we’re out, we will make our way to the porthole. Dominic and Alexander will head back to the house and alert Thomas. You all will need to find a way to get Alaine and Caleb back to the house safely. Then pray for us. Even if we make it to the porthole, it’s a deadly journey into Hell, and we’ll need all the help we can get.”
Everyone stayed silent but nodded in agreement. They all knew what they had to do. It was the same as they’d always done from the beginning. It’s what they were born and trained to do. Fight. Even until death.
Samuel walked up to Alaine, wrapped her in his arms, and softly whispered, “Alaine, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I love you. There has not been one day, nor one breath, nor one beat of my heart, in which I have ever doubted that love. If I don’t find my way back, please be strong, and rest assured that I will do everything in my power to make sure that Emma gets back to you safely.”
Alaine wrapped her arms around his waist and sobbed.
I still had a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that they were my parents. They were much too beautiful. They didn’t even look like they were old enough to be my parents.
But what really blew me away was the way that they looked at each other. There was something in their eyes that spoke loudly to everyone around them. They were meant to be together, and they knew and felt it. A perfect match. A bond. A love so true, and so strong that it withstood years of separation and pain.
How could there be a law that forbade them to be together? Love should have no boundaries, no limits, and no law. Love should be free and given to whomever it wants.
I wondered if I would ever share a love like theirs, and if Kade was the one I’d share it with? I still had lots of time to figure it all out. But right now, at this moment, love wasn’t on the top of my list. My number one priority was to stay alive, and help to keep the people around me alive.
Kade’s hand reached for me, and as I took hold of it he laced his fingers through mine. I glanced up at him, and he smiled, his eyes were bright, and a little more blue than green today. I wondered if he was thinking the same thing I was.
As we watched Samuel and Alaine share their last kiss and embrace, he gently squeezed my hand and then let go.
“Are you ready?” he whispered.
I nodded.
Alaine walked up to me and wrapped me in her arms.
“I love you, Emma,” she sobbed. “Please be safe, and take care of yourself.”
Even though I’d only recently learned that Alaine was my mother, she was exactly that…my mother…and she obviously loved me.
What she did when I was born was for my own safety, and I came to realize that it was done unselfishly. Over the course of these intense few days, she’d proven her love, so I, in return, would let her hear the words that I knew she wanted to hear from her only daughter.
Four powerful words which could help mend her heart from the years we spent apart. She deserved them.
“I love you, too.”
As soon as I spoke those words, she broke down even more, and my heart broke for her. Tears streamed from my eyes, knowing that I’d be leaving her,
and not knowing if I’d ever see her again. I hugged her tight, one last time, and whispered, “Goodbye.”
Samuel took her into his arms again, led her back into the room with Caleb, and returned a few minutes later.
“She’ll be fine. It’s been a rough few days for her, and she hasn’t had much sleep.”
I nodded, wiping the tears from my eyes.
“Alright sweetheart, it’s just like we did coming out of the cave the other night. Just hold on tight, even if I have to let go,” he said with a smile.
“Got it,” I replied.
Malachi and James were already at the door.
“You guys ready to kill some Fallen ass?” Dominic cheered, raising his blades in the air. He suddenly stopped and looked over to Samuel and Danyel. “Hey, no offense Sam and Dan. I meant the “other” Fallen…out there,” he said, gesturing towards the hallway.
“None taken,” Danyel responded. Samuel just laughed and shook his head.
Malachi opened the door, and started out.
“As soon as we get to the next door, I want you to hop on,” Samuel said. I nodded, trying to slow my breathing. In a matter of a few minutes we were at the next door, and Malachi held his hand up for everyone to stop.
“This is it. You all ready?” he asked.
Everyone readied their weapons. Samuel took out a dagger similar to the one Dominic gave me, which was strapped to my waist.
“Ready!” everyone cheered in unison.
I hopped onto Samuel’s back and Kade did the same on Danyel’s. He looked so uncomfortable, and I tried not to look.
Malachi pushed the numbers on the side of the wall, and my heart pounded as the door slid open. He and James charged out first, weapons drawn with war cries. But they were met with nothing.
The place was empty, but they continued to sniff the air for any scents of evil.
“It’s clear! Go! Go! Go!” Malachi yelled, waving us to come.
I knew the Darkling couldn’t be out in the light, but I had a gut feeling that the Fallen weren’t too far away.
Watching.
Waiting.
“Emma, whatever happens, just hold on tight,” Samuel repeated.
“I will,” I breathed. I was anxious knowing that anything could happen, and praying that nothing would.
“Danyel, follow me. We’ll stay on the ground and use the cover of trees to stay hidden. We will be easy targets if we fly.”
Danyel nodded.
Fly? Did he just say fly? OMG! My father could fly, which meant he had wings! I wondered if they were black and beautiful like Lucian’s were.
Wow. My dad had wings.
I glanced over to Kade who didn’t look too happy about being a passenger, so I shot him a smile. He smiled back and gave me a slight nod. I was just about to wish him luck, when Samuel yelled.
“Let’s go!”
Before I could think another thought, Samuel took off. I almost fell off from his initial burst forward, but quickly repositioned myself and tightened my grip. I gasped as the cold Alaska wind whipped against my face. Samuel headed for the cover of trees, and in seconds we were there.
He tried to avoid tree branches, but there were way too many. I knew I’d have tons of scratches on every single place that was exposed; especially since he was traveling like the speed of light. We were going so fast, it made me dizzy. Everything around us was a complete blur, so I kept my eyes closed, and my head down to try and avoid being hit in the face.
It literally felt like we were flying, because I didn’t feel or hear his feet pounding over the ground. Our journey was silent, and I wondered if Danyel and Kade were anywhere near us. I tried to peek behind us, and to the sides, but I couldn’t focus long enough to see a thing. I heard branches cracking ahead of us, and resigned myself to think that it was them. At least it made me feel better.
We must have been traveling for a while because my muscles started to ache. I wanted to relax them because they’d been tensed for so long, but I was afraid that if I slacked, even the slightest bit, that I’d fall.
After what seemed like hours, Samuel started to slow down, and eventually came to a stop. He tried to set me down, but my body was plastered to his. My muscles had been in that position for so long, that it took a while for me to release from him. Once down, I stretched my tired and achy muscles, but was thrilled when I glanced up to see Danyel and Kade walking toward us.
“We’ll stop here for a short while to stretch and have something to eat. The Fallen are out there, so we cannot linger,” Samuel urged, in a hushed tone.
“How much longer will it be before we reach the porthole?” I asked.
“We’ve come about halfway,” he said, digging in his pouch. He pulled out a bag that contained pieces of jerky and a flask of water, and handed it to me. I unscrewed the cap of the flask and took a sip. The water was ice cold, and as soon as it began to run down the back of my dry throat, I instantly felt better. Rejuvenated.
All I could think was if my aching, tight muscles could handle another few hours of traveling like this. They were still weak and trembling from the first half of our journey.
Kade came and took a seat next to me on a downed tree stump. I handed him the bag of jerky and the water.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
I sighed and shook my head. I didn’t want to sound like a wimp, but I was totally feeling like one. “I – I guess I’m fine,” I lied. I had a feeling that he knew I was lying. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his blue vial.
“Here. Take a sip,” he said handing it to me. I took the vial, placed it to my lips, and took a small sip. A wave of tingles started at my brain, and made its way down my whole body, numbing the pain and instantly relaxing my muscles.
“Whoa,” I breathed, getting to my feet, stretching and feeling my body out. No aches and no shaky muscles. “That’s some pretty powerful stuff.”
He chuckled as I handed back the vial, and he took a sip. He closed his eyes letting it work its magic. After a few seconds his eyes popped open and he smiled. “Yeah, I never knew how good this stuff really was until now. It’s awesome.”
We were deep in the middle a dense forest filled with spruce and birch trees. I glanced up at the beautiful green canopy provided by the leaves. The birds were chirping, and it seemed so peaceful.
Samuel and Danyel were quietly chatting a few yards away, when there was a loud snapping sound, like a huge tree being broken in two. Kade jumped up, grabbed my arm, and then twisted me behind him, pressing my back against the trunk of a wide birch. He was facing me, our bodies pressed tightly together, so close I could hear his heart beating, and feel the heat radiating from his skin.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I don’t know. It could be a falling tree, but I don’t want to take any chances.” He glanced around me, and then slowly unsheathed his sword. Samuel and Danyel were nowhere in sight. They had to be near. They’d probably ducked behind some trees too.
My pulse began to race, not only because of Kade’s closeness, but because if the Fallen were out there and had been following us, then we were in trouble. Big and dangerous trouble! I had no doubt that Kade would try and protect me, but as Dominic said earlier, he didn’t have the strength or quickness that he had as an immortal. I wish I knew where Samuel and Danyel were. Seeing them would make me feel a whole lot better.
A thunderous noise shook the ground around us. Suddenly, a whole tree, about thirty feet long headed toward us. The branches from the tree scratched my face as it flew past, missing us by mere inches.
“Shit! That was too damn close,” Kade swore, grabbing my arm and pulling me away behind another bunch of trees. “Are you okay?” he asked, assessing my scratches. His fingers lightly touched the side of my face.
“I’m fine.” I said.
He nodded and grabbed hold of my waist and set me down between a large fallen stump that was wedged between two other trees. Then he grasped his sword tightly a
nd stood behind another tree a few feet away.
“Shhhhh,” he said silently, holding his finger to his lips. He then mouthed the words, “Don’t move.” I nodded.
I suddenly felt heat on my chest, and as I glanced down at the Bloodstone amulet, it was glowing bright red. My heart started to hammer.
I slowly rose to my knees, and peeked through the leaves, letting one eye spy. I had to know what was going on. I hated surprises, especially when it was a deadly surprise meant for me. But what my terrified eye spied was worse than I imagined. Three Fallen Angels were a few hundred yards away, sniffing the air.
Holy hell! They’d found us.
I couldn’t really tell the difference between the good Angels and the Fallen; they all looked the same to me. The only way I could tell that they were Fallen was by the evil look in their eyes. They were on a mission. A mission of death and destruction. A mission to kill us.
I glanced over to Kade, and knew there was no way he’d be able to take on all three of them on his own.
The Fallen were well over six feet tall, tanned, muscular, and strikingly handsome. They looked like Gladiators. The one in front had long black hair, which hung in front of his face and his dark black eyes. He was holding a long, sharp, golden sword. The other two had long dark-brown hair with dark eyes, and they each carried their own swords.
“Danyel!” The Fallen in front with the black hair called out. “Danyel, we know you’re out there! We can smell you and the others! If you give up the girl, even though our orders are to kill you, we will let you live!”
Yeah right. I’d heard that line too many times, and we all knew the outcome of that scenario. With the Fallen…everyone dies.
There was a brief pause, and I watched as the first one nodded to the others. They quickly disappeared into the thick brush. One to the right, and one to the left. I turned back to Kade, and pointed to the sides of us. He nodded and closed his eyes. I assumed he was listening to the sounds around us.
I tried not to breathe, but my adrenaline had kicked in, making it nearly impossible. Being frozen was easy, because fear had already done that.