Fallen Embers (Fallen Guardians #9)

Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

Terror tore through Nia as she fought to free herself from Kas’ grip. “No!”

“Yes. Finally, you’re mine.” He grabbed her throat in a stranglehold, baring her neck. “You can never escape me.” His fangs lengthened.

“Let me go!” she choked, yanking at his wrists. With a growl, he sank his fangs into her flesh. Agony flooded her mind. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t scream.

Impossible heat swept through her. Sparks erupted from her hands, consuming her in flames ? —

“No!” Nia bolted upright, clawing at her throat, panting for air.

It took several seconds before awareness trickled back into her horror-stricken mind. No hands were squeezing her throat. Kas wasn’t there. She was safe…safe.

It was just a nightmare.

Sucking in a shuddering breath, she flexed her prickly fingers and blinked, her attention drawn to the domed window. Watered-down sunlight filtered in, revealing the strange room.

Hastily, she took in the small, gloomy room with its faded walls and corner fireplace. The double bed and desk were the only pieces of furniture.

Oh, no, no! Where the hell am I? How the heck did I get here?

Nia frowned, trying to recall what had happened, but her head remained fuzzy, and the acrid smell of something burnt distracted her. Her gaze darted around. Nothing appeared to be on fire, not even the wood in the hearth…

Her gaze lowered to the pillow she clutched. Charred handprints had seared right through the linen.

Nooo! She shrieked, leaped off the bed, and darted across the room, opening the window near the desk. She shoved the cushion outside. Panting hard, she gaped at her ash-coated fingers.

God, it can’t be me. It can’t.

The only thing she could do was sense demons. Not summon fire.

The door flew open, and she spun around. Lore stood there like a warrior angel ready to smite an entire demon army.

“You screamed. What happened?” His stare, as sharp as a sword, nailed hers. “I don’t sense any interference in the wards. No threats.”

Eyes wide, Nia backed up a step, her hip hitting the desk behind her, and she grabbed the edge for support. She opened her mouth, then shut it. There was no way she could ever spill her suspicions. She already had enough to deal with.

His gaze shifted to the messed-up double bed, minus one pillow. “I smell something burned.”

Her heart thudded, and she searched the room, scrambling for an excuse. “Of course you do, Sherlock.” A thick taper on the desk had melted down to its base. “I lit the candle, saw a rat, and screamed. Can’t stand the critters.”

His eyes narrowed, shifting to the unlit taper and back to her.

“What? Do you think this place is rodent-free?” she blurted, trying to distract him. “With dust balls everywhere? See?” She swiped a shaky finger over the table surface. It had been clean, but now a light scatter of ash covered the wood, which had probably dropped from the singed pillow. Nia mentally begged whoever cleaned this place for their forgiveness.

Lore left without a word.

Oh, boy! She sagged against the desk, pressing a hand to her heaving belly.

Then she sprinted for the two closed doors opposite the bed, hoping one of them was a bathroom. She needed to wash up and get rid of the burn stench before he came back. The first door opened into a tiny restroom with a shower, toilet, and basin.

Minutes later, scrubbed clean, Nia reentered the spartan bedroom, rubbing the slight throbbing in her temples. The haze in her head eased, and what occurred last night rushed through her mind—Lore vanishing from her living room, Zayn sprinting outside, then Lore reappeared and grabbed her, his stare so intense…

Dammit! He’d sent her to sleep.

A frustrated growl escaped her. She stomped from the room into the narrow, gloomy hallway and glanced both ways. The left led to more doors, the right to a stairwell. She ran down the stairs and stumbled into a cavernous living room.

Early morning rays streamed in through a series of domed windows, casting a dim glow into the split-level area. It illuminated soaring walls and a vaulted ceiling with a faded, water-damaged biblical fresco. So pretty.

But studying the mural had to be saved for later. Right now, she had an annoying angel to track down?—

A tingle spread along her nape, and her gaze snapped toward the source.

Lore stood near a door, watching her from the shadows on the opposite side of the sunken living room.

She scowled. “You put me to sleep!”

“It seemed the best thing to do to get you to safety swiftly.”

Meaning she was the problem?

Ugh. With a frustrated groan, she gripped her head, the blonde strands falling forward. No matter her irritation at being carted from pillar to post like luggage, it was for her safety, and she got that. The glamour was pointless now because Kas knew— everyone knew!

She longed for her own visage back. Controlling at least one aspect of her life would be nice. But alas, that too was out of her reach.

Lore moved from the shadows and strolled the circular perimeter of the room, hands in his pockets. He stopped near the window, the rising sun silhouetting him, intensifying the fiery glow of his deep red hair and highlighting the chiseled bones of his unforgettable face.

While distracting her with his looks might not have been his intention, she refused to show him how much he did disturb her. “Well?”

He leaned against the sill, arms folded over his chest. “Well, what?”

“Zayn!” She glared. “My friend?”

“The human breathes.”

And wasn’t his concern.

Ugh. She couldn’t deal with his taciturnity so early in the morning. It was like pulling teeth without anesthetic. Nia stomped off toward the aroma of coffee. While not her favorite drink, and it would probably fray her nerves further, she hoped it would give her some clarity.

Nia pushed open the door where he’d stood a moment ago and entered a fairly large kitchen that appeared to have not been used in a long time. The brewed coffee on the counter was the only thing that mattered.

She got a mug from the shelf above, poured the steaming beverage, and took a careful sip of the hot coffee?—

Shit! She coughed. The piping-hot liquid almost scraped a layer off her poor throat. Worse, it tasted like paint thinner.

Aware she wasn’t alone, she wiped the grimace from her face and faced Lore at the entrance, cupping her hot mug with both hands. “Why?”

“Why what?” He raised a darker eyebrow. “Why does the sun rise? Why do mountains exist, and birds fly? Why do fish swim?”

Smartass. So, he wanted her to ask questions? Fine.

“You saved me from Kas. I want to know why. Yes, yes, you said you didn’t know and was asked to do so, but surely you must have some idea?”

“Why were you with a demon?” he countered.

Total avoidance again. Gah.

She said sweetly, “What can I say? I’m drawn to the ones who want to kill me.”

He stilled.

She rolled her eyes. As if. “I liked him, went on a date, but he was only after my blood.”

His eyes narrowed.

Nia gulped more of her hot brew and coughed again at the acrid taste. Dammit . She gently massaged her sore throat with one hand, echoes of her nightmare—the chokehold, fangs sinking in her neck—rearing up once more. And the blaze?—

Christ . Her breath stuttered. She didn’t want to think of that again; she’d probably lose her mind. Needing a distraction, she focused on the trailing mist beyond the window. “Where are we?”

He circled the table and stopped several feet away as if she had the cooties or something. “At an abbey in the Apuseni Mountains, Romania.”

“What?” she yelled. Her hand shook so hard, she almost dropped the mug. She left it on the table. “You brought me halfway across the world to some unknown place in the mountains?”

“Calm down, female?—”

“Don’t you female me. My name’s Nia!” God! She glowered upward.

Yeah, no help from up there when one of His angels was attached to her backside. Worse, if Lore had gone to such lengths to keep her safe, just how bad was her situation?

Was Kas truly that dangerous?

Feeling as if all the air had escaped from the kitchen, Nia stumbled for the door, jerked it open, and rushed outside into the brisk morning, gulping in lungfuls of icy air.

You couldn’t have known he was. Not when he pretended to be one of those quiet Otiums who dwelled on Earth.

Right. A snow-laden path snaked out in front of her. Nia followed it to the front of the abbey, into a huge courtyard with a lone occupant.

A soaring, almost leafless oak tree stood to one side, a solitary custodian watching over all. A wooden bench, worn and warped by the weather and the passage of time, sat beneath the tree. On her right, a discolored stone balustrade meandered and disappeared past the building.

Nia exhaled wearily, feeling a lot like the forlorn oak tree. Alone…always alone. Even as a child. And Nan… She blew out a tired breath. Nan likely wouldn’t care much if she disappeared.

God, how had her mundane life turned into this rollercoaster?

Just because she dared to take a chance, wanted what her best friend had…except she chose the worst of the species. Freakin’ Kas!

She pressed her fingers to her throbbing temples and glanced back at the building Lore had hauled her to. Her gaze went up, up, and up…

Holy crapballs! The gloomy granite abbey loomed like the lord and master of this grim mountain. Its spires and dome emerged like phantoms from the low-hanging fog. Drifting tendrils of mist trailed closer, reaching for her with spindly hands?—

Jeez, she shivered. She didn’t need to scare herself senseless. Kas already did an excellent job of that.

The angel appeared around the corner of the building, stopping under the naked tree.

No matter his handsome face, couldn’t whoever was in charge have assigned her someone with a bit more personality? It might have made the lack of knowledge more palatable. Just her luck!

Nia fished out her cell from her jacket pocket, and her belly clenched. A missed call from Zayn. She hit callback.

He answered after two rings. “Nia, are you all right?”

“Yes-yes, I’m fine. What happened?”

“I called last night.”

“No signal.” She shot the angel a stony glare. Lore must have silenced her cell.

He merely stared at her, arms folded over his chest. Like that intimidating pose would make her tread carefully.

“Okay, as long as you’re fine. I gotta go. Call if you need me. I’m here, on your street, waiting for the sewer stain to show. Don’t worry about anything. We’ll get the bastard. The angel will keep you safe.” He rang off.

Oh, wonderful. They had spoken, formed a committee, and decided her fate without her input.

Scowling, she called her boss. He answered on the first ring.

“Nia, are you okay? What happened? When you just vanished from the clinic, I was worried.”

She bit her lip, not wanting to lie to a man who’d been a good boss. “I’m so sorry, Gil. It-it’s…” With no other way to lessen the horror, the words rushed out, “Someone’s stalking me.”

“ What? Why didn’t you say anything?” he demanded.

It’s a demon. But she didn’t think that would go down well, especially with a God-fearing man like Gil, who had no idea that demons lived on Earth. “I didn’t want to drag you into this. I’ll be away for a few days. I’m just so sorry.”

“It’s all right. Your safety’s more important. I’ll take care of your newborns.”

Nia ended the call. Cell back in her pocket, she crossed the courtyard toward the balustrade submerged in mist, boots crunching through the patches of snow. She stopped at the rambling stone barrier winding its way along the mismatched facade of the abbey.

With her forearms braced on the rail, she tried to peer down but couldn’t see what lay below the swirling vapors. The sheer isolation of this place settled into her bones.

Great. Trapped in a lonely abbey with an equally remote angel.

Dense fog wafted past her, leaving behind its icy, wet kiss on her skin, and she shivered. Her teeth clacked. Damn. If she didn’t get something warmer to wear, she was going to freeze to death.

Upside, the frigid air helped ease her sore head a little.

She swung to the angel under the tree, rubbing her chilled arms. “I’m g-going to need warmer c-clothes. Could we go back and get my things?”

“It’s not safe.”

No, she thought not. Though her financial situation was dire, she did have a tiny bit saved from the pittance Nan grudgingly gave her. It didn’t matter; she didn’t need much. Once all this was over, she’d get a job, and no one would hold her last name against her anymore?—

An ominous groan reverberated. Nia spun as the balustrade crumbled away, stone fragments disappearing into the mist below, leaving a gaping hole.

She stood there frozen, her heart wedged in her throat. Oh God, oh God! She could have fallen to her death.

“You are safe,” Lore said, appearing at her side.

“I don’t k-know about that a-anymore.” She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to steady her quivering body. More, she refused to let him see how rattled she was at the railing collapsing. “This p-place is freezing.”

With a wave of his hands, the balustrade reformed. He got out his cell from his pocket and scrolled.

Seriously? Were his messages more important than taking her to a place where she could buy warmer clothes?

Phone back in his pocket, he stepped closer and touched her arm.

“What are you doing— eeep !” She reared back as a soft glow rippled over her, transforming into a long, white fur coat. Nia’s jaw nearly hit her chest. “What is this?”

“You are cold?—”

“I meant a puffer jacket. A hoodie! Not fur!” She inhaled harshly, her entire being protesting the pelt covering her. Who knew where this came from—how many poor animals were slaughtered for this?—

“I can’t wear this!” She tried to free herself of the awful coat. “I’m training to become a vet. Do you even know what that means?” At his unchanging stare, she snapped, “I take care of sick and wounded animals. I make them better, not wear their pelts!”

In a ripple, the coat vanished.

His brow furrowed, and he whipped out his cell again. Fingers sped over the display. He turned the device to her. The screen showed a range of women’s apparel. He hadn’t been looking at texts. He’d been researching clothes. For her. For some reason, one she didn’t want to examine too closely as her ire faded, warmth lit through her, and she almost smiled. A genuine one for the first time in days.

“Look, how about we just go to a clothing store? There must be a town, village, or something close by, right?”

His expression morphed to implacable. “It’s risky.”

“Yes, I get that…” Well, there was one way to get this intractable angel to move. “Are you saying you can’t keep me safe? Fine…” She tossed back her hair. “Get Zayn here. He’ll do so.”

His eyes flared into silver flames, the sudden emotion startling in its intensity. “That threat doesn’t work with me.”

Damn. “Look, since I’m staying here for who knows how long, I’m going to need some warmer things and probably food, too.”

He frowned, then looked back at the abbey.

Aaand the cell came out again. He glanced at it… A beep sounded a moment later.

“There will be food. Let’s get your clothes. There is a village at the foothills.”

“Now?”

“You asked.”

“Yes, but…” She bit back a smile. He truly had no idea how the human world worked. She couldn’t resist. “Breaking and entering. Is that what we’re going to do? I mean, the stores will be closed this early in the morning. Man, I love living dangerously. Let’s go.”

At his narrowed stare, Nia burst out laughing. Who knew her teasing would get more reaction than her irritation? “It’s maybe a half hour or so before the stores open.”

“This is not a game.” Lore pivoted for the door.

Of course not. How could she forget for even a moment when he was there to remind her every second of the day? The dread she’d lived with since she first discovered Kas stalked her returned in full force.

Irritated, she followed him.

Oh, she wasn’t done with this angel and his superior ways. No, not at all.

The female was clueless and mocked what she didn’t understand. He might not have revealed exactly what he was, but she should show her reverence for a higher being.

With a flick of his hand, the massive front door creaked open. Lore strode into the abbey.

“Oh, stop being so sore over a bit of teasing,” she called out, her footsteps echoing as she hurried after him. “Hey, do you know your shirt’s ripped down the back, both sides?”

A growl caught in his throat. With a thought, he changed his shirt. “This is why humans find themselves in trouble. They have little control and are often impulsive.”

“Yes, we love living dangerously.” Her voice brimmed with mirth. “Where’s the fun in hiding because you’re scared that you’ll scrape a knee or something, huh? Oh, BTW…” Her voice dropped low, husky. “I seriously liked your ripped shirt. So very sexy seeing peeks of your pale, pale skin…”

Pale? He wasn’t pale… Then he clenched his teeth, ignored her baiting, and headed along the corridor to the living room.

“Man, you’re no fun at all.” She laughed. “Lighten up, dear angel, or your eternal life will be lackluster and utterly dull.”

Do not react.

He cast his stare over the sunken room. He’d been here a few times in the past years, and nothing had changed. As the day built, sunrays highlighted the worn brown leather couches, armchairs, and scratched coffee table. Water stains marred the walls and part of the towering, muraled ceiling. The place was a rundown mess.

She halted next to him.

A tantalizing scent of apple orchards merged with flowers wafted to him. And it belonged to her. Beneath it all, another acrid smell lingered, teasing his sensitive nose. Lore frowned, glancing at her.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She stared up at the frescoed ceiling, finally acting a bit more normal. He forced his gaze away from her, and she gasped. “Arcade games!”

She sprinted across like some maddened human, leaping down the few stairs into the living room, across the space, and up the three steps. Indeed, she would be like those exasperating Guardians, loving those pointless pastimes.

With a wide grin, she halted at the tall black machines set against the wall, leaving behind her taunting apple grove fragrance. “Wow, Pinball—Pacman!” She spun to the flat table adjacent to the game machines. “Air hockey!”

Beaming like she’d entered paradise, she pivoted back to the clunky contraption again and turned it on.

Her pale cheeks heightened with color, she flipped back her light hair, and he wondered what she truly looked like beneath the glamour. While he had an image of dark hair and light brown eyes, as Chamuel’s missive and his own brief glimpse in the dark evening had initially revealed, he couldn’t see much else.

“C’mon, c’mon.” She thumped a big black button and tapped one booted foot impatiently.

The machine whined with a clang of noisy music, then died out. Her shoulders sagged. “Bummer. Short circuit.”

The morning grew brighter, sunlight chasing away the shadows.

Her gaze flicked to the ceiling murals depicting brutal, bloody wars between angels and demons.

He headed for the kitchen. He should go and check the generator housed in the back building and re?—

“So, did that really take place?” she asked, and he glanced back. “The wars? Were you there?” Her sparkling eyes shifted his way, then back up again. “Nah, I don’t think so. You were probably looking after pesky humans embroiled with demons.”

The generator rebooting could wait.

Rolling her dark eyes, an action he’d seen Echo use when riled at him, she paced the length of the two machines, stopping at the hockey game. She slammed something that hit the sides hard, the sound ringing in the cavernous room.

“Hey, Lore?” She leaned against the game table, her hands braced on the surface, fingers tapping the wood. “You wanna play with me?” An impish grin tugged at her mouth. “It’s sooo much more fun with two.”

He merely stared as she waited.

Did she ever remain still for a second?

That acrid odor beneath the apple fragrance drifted to him again. “You smell of something burned.” He scanned her, trying to find the source. “What happened in your room?”

She shrugged. “Like I said, lit a candle, rats, scared…yep.”

A falsehood.

But he let it go.

She removed her cell, glanced at it, then pushed it back into her pocket.

“Ten more minutes,” she murmured and strolled over.

“Why the glamour?” he asked.

She blinked, stopping a foot away.

“I heard the demon mention it before he attacked you.”

“Damn, Kas,” she muttered beneath her breath. Then, out loud, “So I could have breathing space while my friends hunted him down. Fat lot of good that did. How did he even know I was at the bar?”

“There are always ways and means.”

She cast him a frustrated look.

“He didn’t have to locate you himself,” he explained. “He would have used his minions to aid him. And since he knows your smell, it was easy.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she paced again, in front of him this time. “I know… My fault. I only seem to end up with jerks. Now, one wants to drain me. And he’s got minions hunting me, too. Just how powerful is he?”

“Powerful enough to have a horde crash into the bar, so a midlevel demon. All demons have the ability to coerce humans to do as they want.”

“Talking about my life is too depressing.” She marched past him, her arm brushing against his, and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving behind an agitated vibration. Then, the sounds of cupboards opening and shutting echoed.

Lore rubbed his arm at the tingle her touch invoked and joined her in the kitchen as she rummaged through cupboards. Sighing, she opened the fridge and retrieved a soda labeled Coke . She cracked the tab and drank some of the liquid.

Lore watched her for a second. “If we are not together and you feel unsafe, call my name. My full name.” It startled him that he’d actually offered her the loophole when he never had with anyone else in his long life.

Her face flushed, she shot him a terse look, didn’t answer, and consumed more of her soda.

Something felt off.

He scanned her, and her heightened energy battered him like barbed wire. Her heart pounded faster than normal, which could explain why her faint psychic vibration had also intensified.

She pivoted, still gripping the open fridge with one hand. Red patches mottled her pale cheeks. “The stores should be open now. Right?”

He had no idea. Maybe it was better to get out of there. “Perhaps. Let’s go.” He crossed to her and held out a hand.

Her gaze lowered to his palm, her lower lip caught between her teeth. She shut the fridge door, set her soda down, and gingerly touched his hand as if it were an asp about to strike. “I don’t like your mode of travel.”

“Don’t think about it.” He closed his fingers over her icy ones. “Shut your eyes.”

The moment she did, he flashed them, reappearing in the forest at the edge of the village. She blinked, her gaze meeting his for a fraction of a second, then she hurriedly stepped away.

It augured well for her that she remained cautious and didn’t trust easily. If Chamuel determined she was dangerous to the Celestial Realm, Lore would have no choice but to eliminate the threat.

Eliminate her …

“Why didn’t you use your wings to fly us down here?” she asked, drawing him out of his troubling thoughts.

“I’m sure you can figure it out if you try hard enough.”

“Yeah, yeah, we lowly humans aren’t supposed to see you winged beings, or we’ll be struck blind, yadda-yadda, whatever.” She snorted before stalking off through the trees toward the town.

No matter her wariness moments ago, this female had a mouth on her. It surprised him a little to realize he enjoyed goading her.

He caught up with her as they reached a cobblestone street lined with wrought-iron lights. She halted, eyes wide in wonder. Lore scanned the vicinity for danger…but couldn’t sense anything to mark as perilous.

The morning sun cast its wan rays over the little town, highlighting the sparse flora in the window boxes of the faded buildings, but doing little to warm the frigid air.

“Wow!” A puff of white escaped her lips. “How beautiful…”

Lore glanced at her and stilled. The glamour masking her rippled a little. He wasn’t surprised. Her stirring powers were diminishing the spell.

Dark streaks appeared amidst her pale strands. Another ripple flowed over her, and the glamour faded. Light hair gave way to a wavy, inky mane that swayed halfway down her back. She raked back the swaths from her face, revealing a lean feminine profile and honey-gold skin. Gold dots glimmered along the shell of one ear, and a tiny matching stud pierced her nose.

She dropped her hand from her hair and paused, staring at her tan fingers. “Oh… The glamour’s gone.” She cast him a wry look, her much lighter amber eyes appearing like gilded coins in the morning sun.

Lore froze. She was?—

“Surprise.” She scrunched her face, a smile curving her full mouth. “This is the real me.”

A surprise indeed.

His gaze lowered to the shallow indent in her chin. The oddest urge to touch it took hold, a compulsion he’d never experienced in his eternal life. He fisted his fingers to quell the impulse.

Heavens! Why did his thoughts stray to things like this when around her? He liked it not at all.

“Let’s get what you want before night falls, female,” he said, tone cool.

She shot him a killing glare and stomped off.

Indeed, she disliked being called female .

Lore followed, his gaze still fixed on her, feeling as if he’d been struck by a lightning bolt.

By the dark stars! She was turning out to be far bigger a deal than what he’d first suspected, a revelation and complication he hadn’t foreseen.

Michael had much to answer for.

No wonder he’d seemed surprised that Lore hadn’t made the connection about who she was. Jaw set, he sent a mental knock to speak with the archangel.

No response.

Undeterred, he got out his cell. With a thought, his message appeared on his text app.

Why didn’t you tell me about her? And she’s another psionic, isn’t she?

He hit send.

Either way, he would discover the truth about this female.