Fallen Embers (Fallen Guardians #9)

Chapter 22

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Nia stared at Lore, bile rushing up her throat. Worse, she couldn’t even strengthen her shaky mind shields to keep herself safe!

“I cannot enter the Celestial Realm without my powers,” Lore said quietly.

Panting like she’d run a mile, Nia sat on the bed and rubbed her face. The chaos in her head resurged, pressure built, and voices hammered inside her skull. Her mind flew across the lands to different places now. A melodious voice called for her?—

No, for Lore.

Nooo! She shook her head, the towel falling, her damp hair spilling all over her face. “Lore, I can’t…I can’t control this. They’re calling for you!” She shot up, flipping back her tangled mane and kneading the heels of her hands against her temples. “Take it back!”

He reached for her. “I am trying.”

“No, you’re not! You’re just talking to me. Take it—” She slammed her palms on his chest in frustration and fear, and he flew back, crashing into the desk near the window.

“Lore!” She sprinted across. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry—I’m so sorry!”

He shook his head, appearing a little dazed. “And no more peace for me.”

“What?” She blinked at him. And that hint of a smile that made her heart skip appeared.

“You’re incredibly strong, habun .” He rubbed his pecs with a grimace. “Your power strike has quite an impact even in its return. At least it didn’t render me unconscious this time.”

“What are you talking about?” She lifted a hand to her achy brow again, only to pause midway… The chaos inside her skull was silent. Even her own prickling powers had abated. “Lore, it’s gone.”

“I know,” he said, straightening. Clad once more in his usual immaculate black, he swept back his hair and secured it in a ponytail.

The truth whacked her like a punch in the head. When she struck him, it somehow channeled his powers from her back to him.

Holy crap!

“How did I do that?” Her gaze locked on his. “Both take and return your powers?”

“Your ancestor, Zarias, the Watcher’s leader, possessed that capability. Your emotions brought it out faster. Though with him, it was just a touch.”

Unable to cope with what he was telling her, Nia rubbed her chest. Heck, her heart pounded so hard against her sternum that it actually hurt. She had inherited a perilous power from a long-dead and powerful angel.

His eyebrows knitted together. “What is it? Are you okay? Does anything feel different within you?”

Okay? Man, she wanted to run and hide, pretend none of this existed…but that meant never seeing Lore again.

Inhaling sharply, she shut her eyes and took stock of herself…

Everything appeared normal again, but an intense warmth lit within her, soothing her.

She looked up, and her heart squeezed as she met his quiet stare. Hell, whenever she saw or thought of him, happiness swamped her.

“I’m fine. Everything is as it should be.” With a deep sigh of relief, she hugged him, pressing her face to his chest. “I don’t know how you do it. Live with all that.”

His arms came around her. “I was created this way, and my powers increased once I settled into my role in the angelic order. I can shut out everything when needed?—”

A knock sounded. Nia hastily put space between them.

Lore glared at the door. “She’s fine. You can leave.”

“Good to know.” Race’s chuckle echoed from the corridor. “Nia, see you soon.” His laughter faded as he left.

She frowned at her angel. “There’s no need to be so curt with him.”

“He barged in when I was inside you.”

Heat scorched her face, vaguely recalling the incident. “He probably thought you were attacking me.” She bit back a smile at his scowl. “Anyway, he kept me safe when the demons attacked.”

Lore’s entire being went scary-ass still. “Demons? They appeared here while I was unconscious?”

She nodded.

Instantly, he glanced around, probably scanning for any discrepancies. “What happened?”

Right. There was still that to explain. With a deep exhale, she returned to the bed and picked up her socks from the floor. “It occurred after I brought you inside.”

He took a step toward her and halted. “ You brought me inside? How?”

She shot him a terse look as she pulled on her socks. “I had to teleport you from the river to here. After I settled you on the bed and tended to your wound?—”

Her gaze shot to his brow and the Band-Aid there. Nia darted up, went on her toes, and carefully removed the bandage to reveal smooth skin. She exhaled in relief. “You’re healed, finally.”

Nia squashed the Band-Aid, crossed to the corner fireplace, and tossed it into the dying embers. She returned to the bed.

He didn’t respond, but he touched the healed spot, and his gaze softened.

“Anyway,” she continued, picking up her boots, trying to stop her stupid heart from doing a dizzy spin. “Demons filled the courtyard, trying to get into the abbey?—”

“And the wards kept them out,” he said with a slow nod.

“Yeah.” She put on her boots and zipped up. “I was terrified they’d find a way to break in. Then Race appeared in his dragon form and took them out in one bellow of fire. Man…” She shook her head, smiling and remembering. “He sure was something to see.”

Lore leveled her a dark stare, sliding his hands into his pants pocket. “He’s annoying.”

“Hey.” She reached out and patted his arm, hiding her smile. “Race is nice, but I like you more.”

When he stayed quiet, Nia pushed aside her tangled emotions for this angel, tried to ignore her dipping heart, and latched onto a thought that troubled her.

“Lore, that pillow I burned? It happened during my nightmare. If I took your powers, do you think that in my dream, when Kas was choking me, and I hit him…” She raked back the damp hair from her face. “Do you think it’s possible I somehow siphoned his ability, and that’s how I scorched the pillow?”

His expression grew contemplative. “I think you likely channeled some of his, which would explain why you didn’t retain it, unlike when you removed mine.”

“Ugh, I’m really glad I didn’t.” She shuddered. “Who knew what evil, depraved things I’d see?”

“I’ll teach you how to shield yourself, even in dreams—” He went quiet, a coolness sweeping over his features. “Give me a moment. I have to see him.”

“Who?”

“The seraph.”

Her stomach heaved. A high-ranking angel was there? “Okay. I’m gonna go get something to eat.”

Lore shimmered, disappearing from the room. Nia rose, uneasiness tightening the muscles along her shoulders. They couldn’t know she’d taken his powers, could they? Hastily, she shut her mind before whoever it was picked up on her thoughts.

She took Lore’s sheathed dagger from the bedside table and slipped the weapon into her boot. Grabbing a scrunchie from the drawer where she’d stashed her hair accessories, she coiled her damp hair into a loose knot and fastened it.

A little curious as to who this seraph was, the one who ruled over a formidable Power like Lore, she peered through the window but couldn’t see anyone. Dawn had broken, shaded in gloom. She opened the window, and still, she couldn’t hear a thing.

Ugh, they wouldn’t talk with a human so close.

As she shut the window, Nia spied the ruined pillow she’d chucked outside on the cracked, wet tiles. Aw, man. Guilt stirred at the thought of adding more work for whoever took care of this place.

Nia opened the balcony door, hurried out into the brisk air, and shivered. She rubbed her arms, then picked up the pillow and cast a quick peek over the balustrade at the forest far below. Nothing but swirling mist everywhere?—

“You’re hard to get a hold of, Loráed,” an unfamiliar low voice drifted downward in the light breeze.

Nia glanced up at the balcony ceiling, brushing the few strands of hair away from her face. Not like she could see anyone.

“My work keeps me so.”

Lore. She recognized his cool timbre.

Work? Fair enough, she understood he couldn’t really reveal the truth to a seraph.

“I was afraid you were going to be like Ashwin and decide to fall from grace. You know how that went.”

Lore remained silent.

Then, “I know, Loráed. I sensed the changes in you when we last met.”

Oh, crap. Her heart drummed in her chest as she waited for Lore’s response. The seconds stretched endlessly before he spoke. “It was a…momentary lapse on my part. Call it curiosity.”

Fierce pain ripped through Nia. No, he can’t mean that…

“I’m too old to change or live among humans when I have avoided them for most of my existence,” he said, his tone utterly indifferent. “My life’s dedicated to the Celestial Realm and keeping the balance. All this is nothing.”

The words hit her like physical blows. Nia swallowed hard, blinking back the burn in her eyes.

“Good, good. I need you back, anyway. I have something else that requires your attention.”

“The demon attack on the abbey yesterday?” Lore asked.

“It was nothing. A minor miscalculation…”

Even hearing that the angel had likely sent those demon minions didn’t gut her as much as what Lore said?—

Wait, maybe he was just throwing out a red herring?

Still, she hated feeling as if she were back on a precipice, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She’d lived with that sensation for most of her life, yearning to be accepted for who she was.

No, dammit! She shook her head. This is Lore, not my grandmother!

He wasn’t anything like Nan. He’d proven that.

Man, she hated that her trust issues always got in the way.

Blowing out a rough breath, Nia hurried inside and quietly shut the door before they sensed her, the ruined pillow clutched to her chest.

Downstairs, she tossed the pillow on the couch and headed for the kitchen. Too on edge to eat, she grabbed an orange soda from the fridge and returned to the living room.

She rolled the can on her hot face as she paced along the series of arched windows, waiting for Lore. Exhaling, she opened one. A chilly gust stung her cheeks, but even that didn’t ease the knots forming in her stomach.

She popped the tab on her drink, gulped some of the ice-cold soda, and crossed to the air hockey table on the opposite side of the living room. Setting the can aside, she turned on the machine, tossed the puck to the center, grabbed the striker, and slammed it. The puck crashed into the far side before sliding back to her.

As she repositioned the puck again, she sensed Lore approaching. He skirted the perimeter of the sunken living room, stopping on the other side of the hockey table.

Fighting for calm, she picked up her can and took another swallow, but the soda tasted like bitter rinds.

“That was Jehoel,” he said.

Nia waited. Not that Lore said much when it came to angel business.

He picked up the other striker, an unsettling quietness to him as he stared at it. Since it didn’t seem like he would speak, she’d have to break the silence.

Not sure how to start, she asked, “Want to play?”

He shook his head.

“Fine. I’d kick your ass, anyway.” She set her can down, gripped her striker, and shot the puck toward him. It hit the wood and returned to her in a flash.

She looked up and found him watching her. Lately, there had been some softness in his gaze whenever he looked at her…and now? Nothing.

The churning in her belly twisted into a ball of dread at the distance widening between them. Hell, his entire being had closed off. So sure her legs would cave, Nia gripped the edges of the table and blurted, “I overheard your conversation with him.”

His eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared slightly. He glanced at the ruined pillow she’d tossed on the couch, then back at her.

“Did you mean all that?”

He straightened and dropped the striker. It clattered against the wood like a harbinger. “Let it go, Nia.”

“It’s a straight yes or no, Lore. How hard is that? I’m not asking for a commitment. God forbid . ” I just want to know I matter, even a little.

He stared at her for another second, no doubt picking up on her thoughts. “I’m here to protect you in any way I can.” His expression morphed to complete coldness, like the angel she first met. “That is my job, first and foremost. It’s not like you didn’t know that.”

His impassive and callous tone was like a punch in the gut. He had no reason to pretend, no one to impress, now that it was just her.

“You don’t mean that,” she whispered, her eyes stinging, praying she could keep the tears at bay.

“Don’t I?” Cold, so cold. His stare bore into hers. “Did you think this was something permanent? Yes, angels have been known to stray. But my life is in service to the Celestial Realm, as it has been for millennia.”

Nia opened her mouth to spew out her hurt and anger, but his utter indifference killed her voice. Nothing would change his stance or eliminate his cruel words.

Tears welled.

“I see.” She marched off, heading straight for the kitchen. But her legs carried her straight outside into the chilly, dense mist, needing distance so she wouldn’t break down in front of him.

A gust of wind stirred the loosened strands of hair against her hot face. A sob caught in her throat as she rubbed her burning skin. She slumped against the abbey wall, a few feet from the door, and thumped her head against the granite surface, gut-twisting pain taking hold.

God, she was so, so stupid, believing in this beautiful chimera he’d enclosed her in, letting herself dream, even knowing it was a fantasy, knowing it would only lead to pain—her pain.

She sniffled, pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her cold fingers, and wiped her damp cheeks. This was all her fault. She let herself get emotionally involved when he had never promised her anything.

“Nia?” Lore called out, his voice muffled by the building wall.

Dammit. She didn’t want him to witness her devastation. Hastily, she scrubbed her wet eyes with her sleeves and turned for the door.

The mist grew denser and damper. She couldn’t make out anything. The bitterly cold winds picked up, stinging her face, and she stumbled?—

Hands grasped her, and she fell into a rock-hard body.

“Dammit, Lore, let me?—”

But he felt different; smelled different, too, of ice and spice…

Oh shit!

“No!” She tried to free herself, scratching and clawing.

The stranger’s arms cinched her harder, choking off her scream of terror as a howling tornado of darkness swept her away.