Wings of Vengeance (Hidden Wings Series Book Five)

  We headed down the stairs; our visit to the safe room would have to be later.

  “Emma. Kade,” Alaine called from behind us.

  We stopped and waited as she made her way downstairs. She must have come from the safe room. She looked a lot more rested than she did the last time I saw her. Today, her eyes were bright and glimmering. They looked as if hope had been restored. Or maybe it was that everyone, including Samuel, was on the mend.

  When she reached us, she immediately wrapped me in her arms. “Oh my gosh. It’s so good to see you up and about. We’ve been so worried.”

  I smiled at her concern. “I'm all right. I have some scars on my shoulder and arm, but am hoping they will fade soon.”

  “They will. You’ll just have to give it some time. Even if you are left with a few, they are battle scars and will remind you of your bravery.”

  “I’m hoping they will all disappear. I’ll leave the battle scars to the boys.” I gave her a smile and she giggled.

  “How are Jeremy and Lia?”

  “They’re fine. Caleb set up a large screen television in the safe room and hooked up his gaming system. They’ve been at it all day. Miss Lily also took them up some food and snacks, and it seems like they’re having a wonderful time, laughing and even arguing with each other.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “That is a good sign, especially the arguing. It means they’re comfortable.”

  “Oh, did you hear we have visitors from Midway?” she asked. “They are the Archangel Gabriel’s offspring.”

  “Really?” Kade questioned.

  “Yes.” She smiled.

  I glanced at him. “Do you know them?”

  “Gabriel has eight children. I know two of them very well, but the rest, not personally.” His eyes shifted to Alaine. “They all haven’t come, have they?”

  “No,” she replied. “They’ve sent us four.”

  “Every one of Gabriel’s offspring is well trained in war and weaponry,” Kade explained. “We’re fortunate they’ve come to join us.”

  “I agree,” Alaine said, leading us down the hallway. “Come, let’s go welcome them.”

  I caught a whiff of Miss Lily’s cooking, and it made my mouth water. It smelled like a restaurant, and today I caught a hint of something sweet baking in the oven. Perhaps it was her famous chocolate chip cookies.

  As we rounded the corner, four very attractive faces looked back at us. Three of them were guys, and one was a girl, which I wasn’t expecting.

  “Welcome to our home. My name is Alaine,” she said walking up and greeting them. “I’m sorry I haven’t been down sooner to welcome you. I’ve been trying to get the children and injured into a safe room.”

  The oldest looking of the bunch stood. He was over six feet tall and very muscular. His shoulders and arms were a lot broader than the others. Reddish-golden hair fell to his shoulders, and a well-kept beard adorned his chiseled face. His bright green eyes glimmered as they met Alaine. Standing, he offered her his hand.

  “Thank you for your generous hospitality. We’ve heard stories of the Gray house, and we are honored to be here. Our father sent us to help you. My name is Gideon.” He bowed and pressed his lips to the top of her hand. “These are my brother’s Gale and Garet, and my sister Gwyn.”

  They all stood and greeted Alaine.

  Gideon then turned to Kade and me. “You must be Emma,” he said with a broad, bright smile. I couldn’t help but blush. “And we all know Kade.”

  Of course they did. Their fathers were probably friends, being Archangels and all.

  Gideon’s younger brothers, Gale and Garet, also had broad smiles on their faces. Gwyn, however, looked a bit shy and was sitting quietly in her chair with a cup of tea.

  “Kade, how have you been?” Gale said, walking toward him with open arms.

  Gale was very handsome and around the same height as Kade. He also had reddish-golden hair, which was a lot wavier than the others, but clean cut and his eyes were a deeper emerald green.

  Garet also came and stood behind his brother. “It’s been a long time, friend,” he said, holding out his hand to Kade. He was a little taller than Gale, with eyes that were jade in color.

  “Yes, it has,” Kade replied, shaking his hand. “What have you guys been doing all these years?”

  “A little of everything. Guarding, watching, helping our father on his missions. Gwyn has recently started worshipping with your mother.”

  “Really?” Kade said turning toward her. She gave a sweet smile. “If she’s a worshiper, then why is she here?”

  “Because her warrior skills far surpass those of worship at the moment.” Gideon chuckled.

  “Whatever.” Gwyn shook her head in embarrassment.

  “Our father spoke to Raphael, who told him of your predicament. Unfortunately, our older brothers are away on missions, and because our father cannot get involved, he sent us. We’re just as skilled, and have the advantage of youth and agility.” Gale laughed out loud, heading to the food with his empty plate. Gideon and Garet followed.

  Mark looked content, already seated at the far end of the table by himself with a large plate of food. He shot us a thumbs-up. I still couldn’t get over how much he reminded me of Malachi.

  Gwyn looked a little lost and seemed overshadowed by her brothers, so I decided to introduce myself.

  “Hi, my name is Emma,” I said, holding out my hand.

  She shook it. “Gwyn,” she replied. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “You have?” I felt my nose scrunch. How did she hear about me?

  “Yes, everyone in Grandia has been talking about you and Kade. It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.”

  “The pleasure is mine. Gabriel is your father?”

  She giggled. “Yes.”

  I wondered if other angels doted over the offspring of Archangels. Probably not.

  Gwyn was stunning and petite. She looked around my age, maybe a few years older, but in angel years that could mean a whole lot. Her skin was like porcelain, her lips stained pink, and her eyes were a grayish-green color. Her bright red hair curled in ringlets down her back. She was absolutely stunning.

  Gideon picked up a few pieces of bacon and placed it on his plate, then turned back toward Alaine.

  “We’ve seen the Fallen outside,” he said. “They have quite an army, but I can sense there is division. Before we came in, we did a little scouting. There is still a rift between Lucifer and Lucian’s armies. We’ve witnessed disorderly outbreaks, which led to a few deaths among themselves. I don’t think many of them are too happy about being led by an adolescent Nephilim. No offense to any Nephilim in the room.”

  “No offense taken.” Alaine smiled, sitting down with a cup of coffee.

  “Do you have a plan?” Gideon asked.

  “Not at the moment,” she said, stirring her coffee slowly. “This hit us fairly suddenly. We haven’t had much time to set up a plan, let alone figure out what she’s up to next. We’ve managed to survive and keep everyone safe. So far it’s working, but we’ve had some very close calls. Her primary target is Emma, who she blames for her father’s death.”

  “Excuse my language,” Garet said, with a mouthful of food. “But that bitch needs to be taught a lesson.”

  I figured now was good a time to tell them about our visit with her mother, Selene. After going in depth over the conversation I’d had with her, I looked to the room and concluded.

  She doesn’t want Lilith in her life, and to be honest, I don’t blame her.”

  “Yeah, I don’t blame her either,” Kade said wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “She’s better off living in solitude.”

  “Hasn’t anyone tried to tell Lilith the truth?” Gwyn asked. “I don’t understand why she hasn’t figured out who killed her father by now.”

  I sighed. “She’s either blinded by jealousy, or she knows the truth and doesn’t care. I’ve tried to tell her, on several occasions, and it hasn’t sway
ed her advances. For some reason, she is hell bent on watching me suffer, by killing those around me. It’s almost as if Lucian is back, seeking revenge through her.”

  Gideon placed his fork down on his plate and looked over to me.

  “We’re here to help make sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “Thank you,” I breathed. “She also has an advantage. She’s a shifter. It’s how she’s gotten close to all of us. Close enough to get inside and take my friends.”

  “Shifter?” Gale coughed. “A Nephilim shifter? We will have to find some way to identify her.”

  “You can tell by her eyes,” I said. “They’re dark, almost black. And she has a distinctive scent. It’s not a scent I can describe because it’s neither Darkling nor Fallen.”

  “What does she look like?” Garet asked, shoving a large forkful of eggs into his mouth.

  Gideon gave him an exasperated look and shook his head.

  “She’s a few inches taller than I am and has long blonde hair. She’s pretty and only recently transformed. One of her gifts is wings. Black wings,” I clarified.

  “Hmmm,” Garret hummed, swallowing whatever was left in his mouth. “Maybe Gale and I can scout her out.” He wiggled his brow.

  “Yeah, of course you’d love to do that, wouldn’t you?” Gideon huffed. “You won’t do anything until I tell you. I’m in charge of you three while we’re here. Remember, this isn’t a game.”

  “We know, Gideon,” Garet exhaled. “Don’t be such a stiff.”

  Garet was probably the youngest of the bunch, and I only thought that because of the way he acted.

  Alaine stood to refresh her coffee. “I’m going to have a meeting in my office in an hour. Kade or Mark, could you escort them?”

  “Of course,” Kade replied, while Mark shot her another thumbs-up, as his mouth was full of food.

  I grabbed Kade’s hand. “I have to visit Jeremy and Lia. I’ll see you at the meeting.”

  “Sounds good,” he said, then leaned over and kissed me on the forehead.

  Gwyn smiled at me as I left, so I asked her, “Would you like to come with me?”

  She turned to Gideon, and he gave a slight nod. Pushing back her chair, she walked toward me. I wondered how old she was. In immortal years, there wasn’t a way to tell, unless you asked. They all looked around the same age, except for Gideon. He looked to be in his early thirties, around the same age as James.

  Alaine said goodbye to the group and followed us out. “I’m going to come with you and check on Samuel.”

  “How is he doing?” I asked.

  “Much better. We don’t know how long it will be for his wings to grow back, but he’s up and about.”

  “What happened to his wings?” Gwyn asked.

  “Lilith,” I spat. “She captured him and one of her Fallen cut his wings off before we could get to him. She was going to crucify him, but we arrived just in time.”

  Her eyes widened. “She is certifiably mad, isn’t she?”

  “Yes. This stupid war she’s trying to start will have to end soon. She has to be stopped.”

  “We will find a way,” Alaine said. “We’ve been through worse. This is just another obstacle we need to overcome.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed. I could feel it in my bones. Something was going to happen very soon.

  “YOU’RE ALIVE,” LIA SQUEALED AND ran to me as I came through the safe room door.

  “Of course I’m alive,” I laughed.

  “But you’re walking around like normal,” Jeremy said, getting up to join us. “How can you do that after the kind of injury you sustained?”

  “It’s part of the benefit of being an immortal. Super speedy healing.” I winked and did a few jumping jacks.

  “I seriously need some of that immortal juice,” Lia said.

  I laughed and gave them both a hug.

  Samuel was sitting on a chair in the far corner, reading a book. He glanced up at me. “There’s my girl. I heard you ran into trouble at the portal.”

  “Yeah,” I huffed. “Two—” I paused, not wanting to scare everyone else in the room. “Two hounds attacked us.”

  His brow rose as he put his book down on his lap. “If hounds are out there, they could have called other things.” His eyes shifted to Alaine.

  I twisted my head and found four sets of eyes intently watching our conversation.

  “Yes, but it’s nothing we should be worried about.” Alaine put on a smile and placed her arm around Gwyn. “This is Gwyn. She and three of her brothers have come to help us.” I could tell she was trying to steer the conversation in another direction, and it worked.

  “Hi, Gwyn.” Everyone in the room greeted her.

  “Hello,” she replied with a broad smile.

  “How long are you staying here?” Jeremy asked.

  “Until you’re all safe,” she replied, putting a smile on his face.

  “It’s good to have you all here,” Samuel said.

  She bowed her head. “It’s an honor to be here.”

  Alaine walked over to Samuel to check on him. Meanwhile, Jeremy and Lia caught me up on everything they did while I was healing.

  As we were talking, there was a boom that shook the house.

  Fear surged through my body at the remembrance of the Grimlock.

  Alaine ran over to the monitors, her eyes searching the screens. “It’s the Fallen.”

  Everyone else gathered around her. Lia screamed as a face popped up right in front of one of the cameras. It was Lilith, and she mouthed one word. “Emma.”

  In her hand, she held a rock with a paper tied to it. She disappeared from the screen, but another camera caught her throwing the rock through a bathroom window. The same bathroom that led to the safe room. Alaine glanced back at me, making my stomach twist.

  “Stay here,” she said.

  “No,” I’m coming with you.

  “Emma, don’t,” Lia begged.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be all right. The Fallen can't make it beyond the barrier.” I tried to put on my fearless mask.

  “But she can.” Tears filled her eyes.

  “Hey, don’t doubt my strength. I can totally take her,” I chimed, flexing my bicep.

  It wasn’t even impressive, and I was glad Dom wasn’t in the room, or I’d be completely ridiculed.

  “Samuel, could you please stay here?” Alaine asked.

  “Yes, of course,” he answered. “Please keep me updated.”

  “We will,” she replied as we made our way out of the room. Gwyn followed us.

  Glass was shattered all over the bathroom floor, and in the middle of it sat the rock. Alaine carefully walked over and picked it up, unraveling the twine and unfolding the paper attached to it. I patiently waited as she read it; her eyes weren’t showing any emotion. When she finished, she paused then raised her head.

  “We need to gather everyone now,” she said, handing me the note before she left the bathroom. “Come.”

  Gwyn followed after her as I hung back to read through the note. I knew it wasn’t going to be good, but I wasn’t prepared to see what was written.

  To the inhabitants of the Gray house,

  If you don’t send Emma outside, alone, in exactly one hour, I will send the three hundred Darkling, waiting not so patiently outside, into the barrier. They will drag every single mortal and immortal outside of the barrier, where the Fallen will be waiting to tear them limb from limb. And yes, this includes everyone you are keeping in your safe room. I know exactly where it is, and how to get inside.

  You have no idea what I’ve been up to since my father passed. I know almost everything there is about the Gray house, as I’ve strolled around with each of your faces at least once this past year.

  All I want is Emma. Send her out to me, and the Darkling won’t attack.

  These are my terms:

  Emma and I will fight alone. If Emma wins, the battle is over.

  If I win, or if Emma does not show in the allotted
time, the Darkling will attack, and everyone inside will die. It’s as simple as that.

  Time is tick-tick-ticking, and I’m low on patience.

  Deeply unforgiving,

  Lilith

  I read it over again as I made my way toward the stairwell, my insides knotting.

  She’d been inside the house, infiltrating our privacy, posing as each one of us at one time or another, and we didn’t know. It was one of the most unnerving, frightening things I could ever experience. Having an enemy in your midst, wearing the face of a loved one.

  The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

  Inside Alaine’s office, all the Guardians were present except Samuel and Dom. Alaine took the note and read it out loud to everyone. I was glad Lia and Jeremy weren’t able to hear it.

  “No,” Kade said before anyone could discuss strategies. “No way,” he huffed. I knew he’d have something to say. “She knows Emma is injured and not at her full strength. She also knows Emma will do anything to save all of us. But I won’t allow it.” He stood and looked at me.

  I didn’t want to go against anything he said, but injured or not, this was my destiny. I would have to leave and fight Lilith, and I would either win or lose. Fate had already decided.

  “I think we should all get ready to fight,” Gideon said.

  Alaine folded the paper. “Yes, but none of us can leave this house. We cannot risk the mortal lives here, and the risk is enormous. Especially with the amount of Darkling and Fallen outside. They want to end this just as badly as we do, and will do whatever it takes to make sure we are taken out as quickly as possible.”

  “What are our options?” Gale asked.

  “It looks like we have none,” Gideon replied.

  Kade stood firm. “We can’t send Emma out there. Not in her condition.”

  “We have about forty minutes to come up with something,” Alaine said. “In the meantime, we should all prepare for battle.”

  All eyes turned toward me as they left, knowing I was the one she wanted.

  Kade pulled me to the side. “I won’t let you go.”