Surrounded By Flames (The Flames Trilogy Book 2)

Jasmine’s phone started talking, making Amon snap his eyes open. So much for quiet. “According to my GPS, we are halfway through Indiana. Which means we don’t have much longer to get to Ohio. But Hiram is almost all the way on the other side of it.”

  Amber yawned. “I’ve been driving for a while. Anyone else want to take over?”

  “I will.” Amon leaned forward. “I think we should pull over and stretch our legs for a few minutes too.”

  Jasmine frowned. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We’ve already wasted enough time. Two days are gone, what if we don’t make it in time?”

  Azzy turned to Jasmine. “But you said we didn’t have much longer until we arrive, so even if we arrive in another day, it still leaves plenty of time. Right?”

  Jasmine nodded, still frowning. “I guess, but I…I just have to get there.”

  Amon put his hand over Jasmine’s, which had been resting on the seat between them. “We will. Do not worry, Jasmine. I will make sure you get there with time to spare.”

  She nodded again, moved her hand on top of his, and squeezed. “Thanks.”

  Amber pulled the SUV over at a rest stop. Amon had never been happier to be standing. He’d hung on a wall forever in Hell, or at least what had seemed like forever, and had never been able to sit. Now that seemed like all he’d been doing, and he didn’t like it much.

  He walked around the small brown building, then entered through a side door. There were brochures for Indiana, but also a lot for Ohio. He picked one up, browsing through places to hike, to eat. These brochures went over everything you’d ever want to do on a trip. It kind of made Amon wish he had the option of sticking around once this war ended. He would love to be able to see some of the things in the brochure. Perhaps, if he ever made his way back into Heaven, he’d be able to visit again, once things settled down.

  Certain angels he’d known back from his time on the good side used to pose as human. They were undercover operatives. Their job consisted of acting human and protecting people. He’d try for something like that, if the Big Guy ever took him back in his fold. It might even make it easier for him not to screw up and fall again.

  But his whole vision rested on the Big Guy making him an actual angel again. His faith of that ever happening had started so strong, but all his time in Hell had made it spiral out of control until only a smidgen of hope remained.

  Amon worked the pamphlet back into the slot it came from and charged out of the building. He didn’t need to be fantasizing about things that would never happen. It would only get his hopes up for a future he’d never have.

  His mind needed to stay focused on the mission at hand. Arriving at Jasmine’s home and saving her mom. And how they could defeat Bael. Those were the only things that should matter right now.

  Not some silly traveling pamphlets.

  ***

  Traffic had picked up so much Amon had to focus hard on the lanes and staying inside the lines, something he hadn’t gotten used to yet. Apparently, people frowned on driving down the middle of the yellow line. He’d learned fast after getting repeatedly beeped at by numerous people. An experience he’d rather not repeat because he didn’t care for the sound of car horns. At all.

  In fact, it made him jump out of his skin. Some were louder than others, some more high pitched. Those kind he hated much more.

  So, he drove straight, down the long and winding road that never seemed to want to end. After what felt like forever, the green ‘Now Entering Ohio’ sign welcomed them, and everyone in the SUV breathed a sigh of relief.

  “We’re here.” Azzy’s high-pitched voice wrapped around Amon as the excited fallen angel jumped up and down in the backseat. “Finally.”

  Jasmine looked over her shoulder from the passenger seat. “Not yet, we aren’t. We just made it to Ohio. We probably have another four or five hours until we make it to my mom’s.”

  Azzy slammed back like a child throwing a tantrum.

  Amber laughed. “What are you? Five? You might as well be asking, ‘Are we there yet?’ over and over.”

  Amon smiled. Everyone seemed to be getting a lot more comfortable with each other. The group getting along as they were, even though they weren’t all together, made his heart swell with warmth. A bonding had begun, one that even the demon war on Earth wouldn’t stop. It made Amon grateful to be a part of this, to be a part of the group and one of the good guys.

  Jasmine pulled her phone out. “Just keep following this road. It will lead us right where we need to go.”

  “The one that says I-80 E?”

  “Yes.” Jasmine leaned forward, looking out the windshield. “This is the road.”

  Amon raised his eyebrows. “Why is it called that?”

  Jasmine shrugged. “Beats me. I didn’t name it.”

  “Good thing, or it would be called Sarcasm Ave.”

  Jasmine gaped at him with her brown eyes wide, but the hint of a smile curved the corners of her mouth. “Wow. He makes a joke. Everybody, I hope you heard that, because you probably won’t hear another one for a while.”

  Amon chuckled. So did Amber and Azzy.

  Jasmine reached forward and turned the little black knob on what she later told Amon was a radio.

  Noise blared, shrieking into Amon’s eardrums. He winced. “Turn that horrible thing off.”

  She didn’t. She only turned the volume down, but it worked. The noise became peaceful melodies that wrapped around Amon and he found he enjoyed it. And he could tell Jasmine enjoyed it as well, as her head bobbed with the beat. When she started to sing, Amon smiled. Her off-key voice didn’t put him off, only endeared him more to her. Jasmine had finally loosened up a little bit, what she’d needed more than anything lately. He wouldn’t stop her, even if her singing made his ears bleed. Which might be a bit dramatic on his part.

  He reached over and turned the knob and the music blared again, deafening to his ears and distracting him from the road, but the happiness inside of the SUV had him leaning back in his seat and smiling. When Amber and Azzy started singing, Amon stayed focused on the road, but kept his smile. He didn’t think it would go anywhere anytime soon. At least until they got to Jasmine’s house.

  ***

  After some confusing turns and about four hours, Amon passed the sign that told them they’d arrived in Hiram. The houses lining the streets looked old and historic, not in the way his house used to be, but not like Beau’s newer, modern home.

  Flower pots hung from poles along the side of the road in purples and pinks, blues and greens. The colors painted a rainbow of greeting, making Amon want to be here, want to live here, want to stay.

  He came to a stoplight glowing red, so he stopped as he’d been told to do before. Another lesson he’d learned the hard way, but when he’d gone through the last one, there’d been no cars anywhere around. No accidents had occurred due to his failure to follow the traffic laws. Luckily.

  There was a large brick building on the corner. Amon loved the way it hovered over the other smaller homes in the area. “What is that?”

  Jasmine peered around him. “It’s a church.”

  Churches had changed a lot since his time. They hadn’t had a communal place to meet to worship God, but they did come together and read the Bible in a small barn. Of course, everything had changed since his time, a fact he kept forgetting.

  Up ahead, young people walked along a sidewalk, some even crossed the street. A sign said ‘Hiram College.’ “What’s that?”

  “A college is a school, where older people go to study,” Amber replied, amusement clear in her tone.

  Amon nodded as the light flipped to green. “Which way?”

  Jasmine pointed. “Make a left.”

  About five houses went by before Jasmine’s breathing hitched. “Okay, turn left here, where that big white house is. With the little gray car in the driveway.”

  Amon did as she asked. He guessed they were here, so he parked the SUV and turned the ignition off.

&
nbsp; Now that they’d arrived, Amon’s stomach shivered. He’d never fallen victim to being nervous, but he didn’t have a clue how to handle Bael. He stood just on the other side of the white walls, holding Jasmine’s mom hostage.

  Amon knew the demon’s goal hadn’t changed. He wanted Jasmine from the moment he’d set eyes on her, and he still did. The group hadn’t made any plans for once they got here, a fact Amon regretted as he slumped in the seat, staring straight ahead with no way to know right from wrong in this instance.

  Amon released a heavy sigh. “Now what?”

  “Now, we go inside and outsmart the smartest demon there is.” Jasmine winked. “Piece of cake, right?”

  Amon scrunched his face. “Who would want a piece of cake at a time like this?”

  Jasmine laughed, opened her door, and got out, shaking her head.

  What had he said this time?

  Chapter 6

  A Day in the Clouds

  Beau

  Charmeine really pissed Beau off. Always flapping her brown wings around as if she’d turned into a bird instead of an angel. Show off. Annoying.

  The angel smiled, revealing too-white teeth. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  “I’m sure you don’t,” he replied.

  “You’re thinking there’s no way you need to go through this training because you have already figured out how to fly and walk on clouds. How hard can anything else be, right?”

  Beau widened his eyes because that was exactly what he’d been thinking.

  “Well, here’s the thing. Those are the easy things. The hard stuff is still out there, ready for me to teach you if you’d just stop being so stubborn.” Charmeine winked. “Of course, I could just throw you to the wolves and let them have their way with you.”

  Beau looked behind him, where a line of female angels sat in a large, extra fluffy cloud with anticipatory looks on their faces. They were having way too much fun watching him, and he could guess exactly why. Usually, he enjoyed attention from the female gender, but lately, only one emotion floated inside him: anger. Which he desperately wanted to get rid of; he just couldn’t figure out how.

  Charmeine couldn’t be with him all the time. When she disappeared, he flew off as fast as his wings could carry him, straight to the Orb of Overseeing. He didn’t look for his parents, only Jasmine. Every single time, Amon stood beside her, like they’d suddenly been attached at the hip or something. Beau couldn’t be there anymore. Amon could. Simple as that.

  Beau clenched his fists.

  Charmeine placed her soft hands against his. “There is no room for anger in an angel’s heart. You must remember that.”

  “I’m trying.”

  Charmeine ran a hand down the front of her hot pink suit jacket. “Well, you might be trying, Beau, but you certainly aren’t succeeding. You must try harder. Focus on your mission and let that be all you see. You must put your old life behind you. You must let Jasmine go.”

  Beau growled. “What do you know about any of it? Maybe I’m thinking about my parents.”

  Charmeine smiled, her brown eyes glistening. “I know you look into the Orb every day to see Jasmine. You haven’t once tried to see your parents.”

  Busted. Beau had thought he’d been alone. Guess he hadn’t been.

  “I see all.” Charmeine winked and laughed. “Not really, but I follow you. You are a bit unpredictable at the moment, so I can’t exactly leave you alone.”

  Beau ran a hand through his blond hair, looking at the ground. “Good to know. Guess I’ll have to be more careful what I’m doing, then.”

  “How about you just do what you’re supposed to do? I know it’s hard dying. It’s even harder becoming an angel. But you have to rise to the occasion. The Big Guy believes in you. Do you think you weren’t meant to die? Of course not. He wanted you up here. And you should be honored by that request.”

  Beau scowled.

  “And I can see that you aren’t. Hopefully, you’ll grow into the honor thing. Now, let’s train.”

  Beau brought his Angel Blade out. It was long, silver, and sharp. But it wouldn’t hurt a human. Or so he’d been told. Of course, he would take the angels’ word for it. There was no way he’d be testing that theory any time soon.

  “To use the Angel Blade, you must strike a demon through the heart. If you hit the heart, they will dissipate into nothing, after they are done screaming in pain that is.” Charmeine smiled. “They shrivel up into what looks like beef jerky and then explode. It’s really kind of cool.”

  Beau scrunched his nose. “Sounds…so cool.”

  Her short, spiky brown hair waved as she laughed. Then her chocolate colored wings beat two times and she came off the ground. “It is cool, Beau. When are you going to understand? Angels fight demons. All the anger you have because you are no longer with Jasmine is holding you back. Release it, and the whole picture will be shown to you.”

  “It’s a little hard. I lost the only girl I ever loved. I’ll never be a part of her life again.”

  The female angel nudged his shoulder. “But you will, if you just learn what I’m trying to teach you. If you let go of everything you used to know and accept all the new, exciting things in your life. If you take your angel role seriously, you will see Jasmine again.”

  Beau widened his eyes. “How do you know this?”

  She dropped down into a cloud. As her head started to disappear, she popped back up, her eyes shining with laughter. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I think you need a little inspiration. BG told me he’d be assigning you to Jasmine and her group of warriors.” Charmeine straightened her zebra print collar then glared at him. “But let me tell you this. BG isn’t going to assign you to anything unless you learn what you need to learn.”

  Beau blew out a breath in frustration. “Who the hell is BG?”

  Charmeine rolled her eyes. “The Big Guy, of course. Can you push the anger behind you in order to learn?”

  “My sword is out, isn’t it?” Beau thrust it forward, widening his stance, ready to mock-fight Charmeine. “Teach me to fight. Teach me to kill demons. Teach me!”

  Charmeine winked. “Don’t worry, Angel Beau, I will teach you everything you need to know. In time. Today, we will focus on swordsmanship. And I can tell you right now, your form is all wrong.”

  Beau laughed for the first time in what felt like forever until she came over, adjusting his shoulders, his hips. It made him feel awkward, wrong. Did his stance have to be so rigid? He shrugged it off, hoping he’d get used to it the more he practiced. Charmeine brushed past him, standing across from him with the same sort of stance, her sword poised and ready.

  She thrust her blade out. Of course, hers was hot pink zebra striped. “Ready?”

  Beau swallowed. After he shook his nerves off, he held his chin high. “As I’ll ever be.”

  And for the rest of the afternoon, they sparred. It made Beau feel old-world, learning to use a sword. But at the same time, he kind of liked it. Something about holding a sword made him feel powerful. More manly.

  For the first time, he forgot to think about Jasmine. Not once did he think about sneaking off to the Orb to get just one glimpse of her. Instead, he got lost in the fun of sparring with his angel guide. And she could fight, better than any man he knew.

  As the day went on, some of the anger slipped inside the clouds below his feet, perhaps slinking through them and falling into the world below for someone else to choke on. Charmeine had been right. Letting go of it felt good. He’d held on for too long already and he was done. At least, for now.

  Chapter 7

  Old Memories, New Problems

  Jasmine

  Jasmine walked into her old home as if she owned the place. The others followed right behind her. The minute she entered the small foyer her power came alive inside of her. It must have gotten a whiff of demon stench.

  Jasmine jutted her chin out. “Honey, I’m home.”

  No answer. Of course. She wouldn
’t have expected anything less.

  She stepped carefully into the living room. Empty. She retreated a few steps and climbed the steep staircase. Each step she took released a shuddering creak that pierced the air. The stench of burning trickled past her, but went away so fast she figured it must have been her imagination playing tricks on her.

  She walked down the short hallway, the brown shag carpet squishing under her tennis shoes. This was the only time she’d ever walked through the house with shoes on. Before, if she’d have left them on, she’d have been grounded. Jasmine didn’t think the same rules still applied.

  Jasmine stopped at the first door she came to: the bathroom. Turning the knob so slowly it wouldn’t make a peep, she inched the door open, peeking through the small crack. Nothing popped out at her. She couldn’t get a good glimpse of anything so she threw the door open the rest of the way. Nobody stood inside. Only blue rugs, a shower, sink, and toilet greeted her. She tiptoed inside and yanked the shower curtain back, remembering all those old scary movies she used to watch. Nothing. Empty. The only other door in the room, which opened to a closet, rested ajar, revealing towels and shampoos, washrags and toilet paper rolls. She blew a breath of air out, not realizing she’d been holding it.

  She began to back up and slammed into Amon. He grunted and Jasmine turned, one finger against her lips, reminding him to stay quiet. Not sure why, since she knew Bael had heard her little outburst when she’d entered the house. But just in case he hadn’t, staying quiet would be good practice. It might be wishful thinking, but sometimes a girl needed a little of that in her life.

  The others backed up, letting her take the lead again. The next door revealed her bedroom. She followed the same routine as she had in the previous room, stepping silently inside. The walls screamed their blandness as the color white swallowed her. The walls, the blankets, everything was so plain she couldn’t believe she’d ever spent so much time inside. She checked every nook and cranny, opening the door to her small closet and even stooping down to peek under her bed. Bael was a monster. He could have hopped out from under there…but he didn’t. After looking through her room, she pulled back the door to the smaller room adjoining hers, an office, but it, too, opened to emptiness.