Fallen Embers (Fallen Guardians #9)

Chapter 35

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Lore followed Nia into the warm, open-plan living room and kitchen. The brother, Nate, leaned against the counter, a mug in hand, looking a whole lot forbidding. No sign of the bantering male from moments ago.

“Where’s Ely?” Nia asked, stopping at the counter separating the kitchen from the living area.

“She just left. Said she had something to check out.”

“Right.” Her grip tightened on Lore’s hand.

I’m not going to run off, he murmured while trying to figure out the male in front of him.

Brave man, she shot back.

“Nate,” she said, “this is my mate, Lore.”

“I heard.” His tone dropped to icy.

Lore could feel Nia’s trepidation through their bond, and he didn’t care for the male causing her such anxiety. But he already had a canyon to navigate, so he remained silent. For now.

Nia glanced at him, furrowing her brow, then back at her brother. “Do you two know each other?”

“In passing,” Nate said coldly. “I was mortally wounded not too long ago. Ely begged him to save me. He refused. I heard bits of it.”

Nia’s gaze snapped to him. The disappointment in her eyes gutted him. “You did?”

“So, how can I trust him to put you first?” the brother asked, and Nia’s focus whipped back to her sibling. “He has, and he did!”

Her defense of him had his chest warming. “Nia, let me?—

“He broke your mate bond without even telling you that you were mated, and you’re defending him?” The male scowled.

“Because you don’t know him like I do.”

“You think sweet words are enough from this guy?”

“Lore doesn’t do sweet!”

Stars! These siblings weren’t giving him a chance to get a word in edgewise.

Lore drew her stiff body closer and soothed her agitation. “I got this, habibti .”

He met Nate’s cool stare and understood why the male disapproved. His old self was a supercilious prick. “Yes, I broke our bond. It was the only way I could keep her safe from what I had to do,” he said, then addressed the accusation of not helping Nate. “As for not coming to your aid… I am eons old. At that point in my life, keeping the Celestial Realm safe was my only priority. As a Power, it was my job first and foremost.”

“You tutored Echo,” Nate pointed out. “And I thought you had no emotions?”

The entire conversation was annoying but necessary, because Nia’s face paled, and her anxiety strangled him like a garrote.

“For the former, I owed Michael a debt.” He kept it brief. “He wanted me to teach Echo, and from what I have since learned, Michael had reason not to trust anyone else up there to aid Echo in something so important. As to the latter, I never knew what emotions were until Nia.”

She pivoted in his arms to face him. At her trembling smile, his heart squeezed in gratitude to whichever entity guided them to each other. He brushed the shallow dimple in her chin. “Increment by increment, she broke through every shield I possessed, drew out emotions I never knew existed. I had no idea how to handle any of it,” he admitted.

Nate set his mug down and lifted an eyebrow.

“My pardon for not aiding you,” Lore said. “But I cannot give back life. Angels aren’t really as helpful as humans think we are, except for the guardian angels. It’s all about keeping the balance and making sure the Celestial Realm remains untouched by amoral needs.”

The brother’s forbidding expression remained.

So be it if he still didn’t approve.

Nia is mine.

Dammit, Lore had explained everything, yet Nate wouldn’t back down and give him a break.

Nia shifted closer to her mate. Though Lore held her, both males faced off like predators about to attack. There was no give in either of their expressions.

Nate folded his arms over his chest, then he smirked. “Just messin’ with you, man, but good to know the rest. The Celestial Realm? It’s not a place I’d like to live in.”

“Seriously, Nate,” Nia groaned. “I thought you were going to go all big brother on me.”

He shook his head. “I know what it feels like to be bound to the ruthless, with no say in anything you do?—”

“What?” Nia gaped. “What do you mean?”

“As a child, I was left for dead and resuscitated by a demon. A story for another time. Once I was older, I became an assassin for a demon overlord. Then I met Ely. She saved me. Now, I gotta run. Work calls. You can hang out here. And Lore, welcome to the fam.”

Frowning, Nia let her psychic senses skim her brother. “But I don’t sense anything demonic about you. I would know…” A slight brush of ice slid down her spine like the first time she’d scanned him. “In fact, you’re a lot like Lore.”

“Yes, now . But seriously, I must get to the garage. Later.” He disappeared in a shimmer.

“Were you scared I’d get beaten up?” Lore teased.

She huffed. “No, I don’t think you’d let anyone get the better of you.”

Smiling, he pulled her close, kissed her?—

And he flashed them. The air shimmered, the boathouse vanished, and they reappeared in their quarters.

With a muffled groan, he stumbled back?—

“Lore!” she cried out, putting her arm around his waist. Agony splintered her as if someone was flaying her back with blazing whips, and she gasped. Then it all shut off.

He’d locked down his shields.

Breathing hard, she glowered at him, his pain so fresh in her mind. “What is the matter with you? I could have brought us back!”

He grunted as she helped him to the bed, and he dropped on it like a sack of grain. “I felt the stirring of my powers. I had to try.”

He lowered his head, eyes shut. His skin appeared almost waxen.

Anxiety cramped her belly. She crouched in front of him and touched his thighs. “What is it?”

“I-I need a moment. I’ll be fine?—”

No, you won’t. I just experienced what you’re going through.

His mouth tightened.

She shot to her feet, but the potion and jar were no longer on the bedside table. Someone had tidied up. Even the bedding had been replaced.

Nia sprinted for the bathroom, found what she needed beneath the vanity sink, and hurried back.

She unscrewed the bottle and held it out.

“My…my wings. Those wounds didn’t heal properly.” The pain in his voice and the tightness in his jaw revealed the stark truth. He felt their absence deeply. Away from everyone, his mask slipped, and she witnessed his torment.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, eyes dampening. “The potion does help, doesn’t it?”

“I suppose.” With a sigh, he took the bottle and gulped some. “Hell,” he grunted. “This doesn’t get any better.” He scrunched his face, reminding her of a little boy.

But he had never been one, had he? Angels were all formed fully grown and didn’t know what love was either. It didn’t matter. He had her now.

She recapped and set the potion on the bedside table. “Lie down. Let me apply more salve to your wounds.”

When he made no attempt to open the buttons on his shirt, she did it for him, carefully sliding it off his shoulders and dropping it on the bed.

He grasped her hand. “While I’m in a healing sleep, don’t go outside alone, Nia. Promise me?”

Dread flooded her. “They will still come after me?”

“It’s one way to kill us both. You die, and I will, too. Without you, I wouldn’t care for this existence anyway. But I refuse to let them destroy the life we’re trying to build.”

She smoothed back strands of his bright hair from his face. “I promise. I’m so sorry about your wings. I did try to give you the seraph’s power, the one I unintentionally took, hoping it would heal you, but it seeped right through you into the ground.”

“It’s all right.” Exhaustion bled through his every word, his movements awkward as he lay on his belly. “I no longer belong in that world. The Guardians seem formidable enough with their powers, so I’ll be okay once I’m at full strength and blessed with whatever abilities the ancient goddess has bestowed on me.”

Nia sat at his side and opened the small jar. The familiar, mossy smell drenched the air. She scooped up some green ointment and carefully applied it to the swollen skin and bumpy scabs running along both shoulder blades. Some spots had cracked open again and were bleeding.

The lump in her throat grew thicker as her fingertips passed over each wound. She blinked back tears and stroked the angry red edges.

“I sense your tears, my heart. Don’t cry. It hurts me more.” He made to turn, but she pressed gently on his back, keeping him down.

She bit her trembling lip. He tried to soothe her when he was the one trapped in this torture.

“I hate what you were subjected to. But I’m so incredibly happy I have you back.”

“Me, too.” A deep sigh. Then, he quieted, succumbing to sleep.

Nia wiped her wet eyes on her sleeves, desperately wishing she still had the seraph’s powers to help him.

Once she was done, she tidied up and put the salve and bottle back in the bathroom cabinet before washing up.

Back in the room, she removed Lore’s shoes and socks and dropped them on the floor. Then she drew the drapes shut and undressed. In her underwear and t-shirt, she crawled into bed, shifting closer to him.

With a deep sigh, Nia pressed her face to his biceps, taking comfort in his warmth. She hoped tomorrow would be a better day and that his wounds would finally show signs of healing…

An unearthly quiet had Nia bolting upright in the darkened bedroom. Moonlight filtered through the windows of the turret room at the far side, casting a silvery glow over the couch there.

Lore remained in a deep sleep next to her, his slumber caused by the potion, as she now knew.

She rolled out of bed and padded across to one of the turret windows. Nothing moved in the garden, yet unease gripped her. She opened it, and the reverberations of swords clashing blasted her ears.

Oh, shit! She hastily fumbled the window shut, blocking out the noise.

Lore didn’t even stir, for which she was grateful.

A soft knock sounded. Sensing who it was, she hurried to answer.

Her sister stood there, face ashen, her bicolored eyes like dark holes.

“There’s fighting outside,” Nia rasped.

“I know. It’s the angels. Aethan, Dagan, and Tyr are out there. They tried to talk to them, but they refused to listen. They said the time for talk was over, the decree has been issued, and then they just attacked. Come with me.”

“I can’t leave Lore. It’s him they’re after.”

“No one can enter the castle. It’s always tightly warded. Hedori added an extra layer of protection to this room earlier this evening. Lore will be safe. We won’t go far, just to a window overlooking the fight.”

“Give me a sec.” Nia dashed inside and changed back into her jeans and boots. As she slipped on her sweater, her promise to Lore, not to go outside without him, rang in her ears.

Well, she wasn’t going outside, but she had to find out what was happening.

She fastened her hair into a messy bun as she rushed out, then quietly shut the door behind her before hurrying off with Echo.

“Why can’t they leave him the hell alone?” Frustration sent a flood of anger through her as they sprinted down a side stairwell. “He fell from grace as their laws demanded, and yet they tried to kill him afterward. Now this!”

Echo grabbed her hand and took off along the first-floor corridor. “I know. It’s never easy when mating with immortals of their caliber. Aethan said it could be because they asked Lore to eliminate you. Instead, he fell for you. It probably pissed them off that their most powerful would dare do this, basically giving the middle finger to their sacred law by taking up with a weak human, exactly like the Watchers had.”

“The assholes! I hope the Guardians kill them all!”

“I second that.”

Echo stopped at the corridor’s dead end, facing the windows on one side. “This floor is normally empty unless we have visitors, but that’s rare.”

Nia barely heard her, her gaze on the fight outside. Wings of various colors flashed beneath the moonlight, swords glinted, and powers blitzed in the night air in waves of sparks.

She found Aethan easily, his hair glinting like blue steel. Tyr’s pale locks glimmered like the moon itself. Everyone moved too fast to make out anything more. “How long has this been going on?”

“A while,” Echo muttered, her voice tight, and Nia could sense her anxiety. Heck, she would be, too, if Lore was out there.

“Usually, it’s over by now. But the thrones are formidable, being angels of war. They tried to breach the castle, too, but with the wards in place and Kira’s added ability to shield things, it didn’t work. Now they’re determined to kill our mates?—”

“To get to Lore,” she whispered. Christ! “Where’s Ely and the other Guardians? I don’t see them.”

“They’re on standby and still on patrol. No!” Echo yelled, and Nia froze as a sword ran through Dagan’s belly. With a snarl, he lunged for the angel. He grabbed the jerk by his hair. Moonlight briefly glinted on his extended fangs before they sank into the throne’s neck and tore it out. Blood gushed like a geyser.

“What is he?” Nia gasped, jaw unhinging.

“A vampire. He’ll heal.”

With a shaky hand pressed to her heart, Nia tried to calm down. She didn’t want Lore to awaken, sensing her agitation.

“We wanted to help fight, but Michael refuses to let us—no!” Echo cried.

Nia’s gaze latched onto Aethan stumbling back. She could clearly see the blood glistening on his shirtsleeves, his arm flopping as his sword fell.

“This can’t be happening!” Echo’s face drained of color, and Nia grabbed her as she swayed?—

With a furious snarl, she pushed away and took off.

Nia sprinted after her. Echo dashed down a side stairwell, leaped to ground level near the bottom, and raced along another corridor. Nia panted, barely keeping up.

Her twin darted into a living room full of people, the air rife with anxiety and agitation.

“Don’t.” Hedori grabbed Echo as she raced for the door. “I cannot let you go outside. Michael insisted everyone remain indoors. Aethan would be furious if you do.”

“I don’t care! Let me go, damn you!” She pummeled his chest, tears gleaming in her eyes. “He’s hurt. His arm?—”

“Echo?” Nia drew her away from Hedori. “I know what fear for your mate feels like, but if you go out there, Aethan will get distracted. It’ll make him a target—look!”

A stream of white fire shot out from Aethan straight to a black-winged angel, singeing him and setting his feathers alight. The angel leaped back, frantically flapping his extremities. The flames sizzled out.

“He can’t even summon his powers properly,” Echo whispered, tears spilling, and Nia hugged her, feeling utterly helpless as terror bled into her.

His fallen sword now back in his left hand, Aethan fended off another attack.

“This isn’t good,” Echo breathed at the horde of angels closing in on the three warriors.

Rania, come to the blue drawing room, a voice flickered through her mind, and she stiffened.

Echo swiped her damp face with the back of her hand. “Michael’s calling.”

“I think he summoned me, too. The blue drawing room?”

Echo nodded, and they both dashed out into the hall. A few entrances down, Echo threw open the door into a huge, dimly lit room overlooking the fight.

Michael stood near the window.

Nia frowned. He was the archangel. Why wasn’t he fighting, too?

He turned as if hearing her thoughts. “Because I am needed here, for this.”

Heat flooded her face, and her gaze flickered to the window. Ely, Blaéz, and Nik had joined the fight.

Nia could easily make Ely out with her short, braided blonde hair. She fought with a double-edged spear of sorts, spinning it like a deadly baton. Blaéz’s obsidian sword flashed like lightning, yet he couldn’t seem to do much damage. Then, the entire head of the angel he fought popped like a balloon. Blaéz leaped back into the fight.

Crap! Did he just do that?

The inner door opened.

“Good you’re here,” Michael said. And Nia spun around. Nate?

“What’s going on?” her brother demanded, his gaze arrowing in on the fight. “Ely?” He was at the window in a heartbeat. “I need to help her?—”

“No, don’t distract them.” Michael stopped him. “I need you here.” With a wave of his hand, the couches, armchairs, and baby grand piano moved to one side. “All of you form a triangle, hands reaching for each other but not joined. We must work fast.”

Nia hurried to the center of the room, as did Echo and Nate. Michael repositioned them, with Echo to her right and Nate a distance opposite them.

“What’s happening, Michael?” Nate asked, spreading out his arms toward them. His expression was hard, eyes bright with fury.

“You are the only ones who can stop this. The thrones are dangerous. With the seraphs behind them, they are perilous to everything we’ve worked so hard to maintain. This realm is under my protection, as are my Guardians. We must vanquish the threat.”

The three of them? How was that even possible?

Her heart pounding, Nia waited. Whatever Michael thought they could do, she prayed it worked. The Guardians were being hurt because they were protecting her and Lore.

She swallowed hard.

“Lower your mental shields,” Michael said. “Reach into yourselves and release your powers.” He kept a few feet away from them. “Once you connect, repeat these lines.” He said words that made no sense, in a language she’d never heard before.

Nia tried to remember, but it all slipped past her grasp. Breathing hard, she searched for her normally sparking power, one she’d just about learned to block?—

Energy crackled, filling the room like electricity, startling her. It emanated from Nate and Echo. Their powers joined in a fusion of color, but her side flickered and died.

Dig deeper, Rania. You have to seal the triangle for this to work . Michael’s quiet voice flowed through her mind. “You can do it.”

She strained her mind, reaching into herself, and tried to snag the flicker within, imagining it leaving her. It rose into a coil, moved through her…and petered out of her fingertips. Dammit. Sweat beaded her brow, and she tried again, but dizziness stole through her?—

“I can’t do it! It won’t come,” she cried.

“You can, Nia,” Nate said, his topaz eyes warm and encouraging. “Try.”

“Yes, you can, Nia,” Echo added. “Let your shields down.”

She met her sister’s encouraging stare, energy crackling from her. Deeper, Echo’s terror constricted her. If Nia failed to do this, her twin could lose her mate, and Nia, her sister?—

Anguish swept through her. “I don’t want to lose you!”

“You’re not gonna lose me. We aren’t losing anyone!” Echo bit out, her gaze darting to the window. “Try, Nia, please. I know you can do this.”

Please, please… Nia dug deep again, tears burning her eyes. Come on, come on… she tried to hang onto the flicker of her power, but anguish raged through her, aware she could lose her family?—

“Nia!” The door flew open. A shirtless Lore appeared, feet bare, chest heaving. He was at her side in a flash and drew her into his arms.

“What the hell’s going on?” he demanded.