Fallen angel, p.13
Fallen Angel, page 13
He wasn’t fast enough.
Amaer grinned, his face a mess of cuts, and flew out of reach.
Giving Lukas no choice.
He unfurled his white wings and beat them, ready to fly.
A bright light spiralled downwards and around his commander, freezing him in mid-air with his wings outstretched.
What was happening?
Lukas stumbled to a halt and lifted his hand, using it to shield his eyes from the piercing shaft of light, careful to avoid touching it. His gaze followed it upwards. It speared the night sky, reaching Heaven itself.
A bolt of bright blue shot down the column holding Amaer and his commander bellowed.
Amaer’s wings shattered, raining blood and feathers down onto the cars below.
The light flickered and died, and Amaer dropped to the ground, landing face first in the mess of blood and broken feathers.
Lukas breathed hard, fighting the pain filling him, and stared at Amaer. Heaven had banished him. It had judged Amaer and taken his wings completely. The first step in making an angel mortal. It would take his powers next.
Amaer pushed himself onto his knees and glared at Lukas with dark malevolence in his eyes. He held his hand out and cold fear flashed through Lukas when a spear appeared in his grasp.
No.
Amaer stumbled onto his feet and limped towards the entrance to the building.
Lukas gave chase, intent on protecting Annelie and Serenity, but a wave of power surged through him, freezing him to the spot. Pain chased the power, stealing his senses and sending his mind reeling for a second before everything came back online, only he felt different.
Powerful.
He had never realised just how strong he was.
With his powers returned to him by Heaven’s Court, a sign of their forgiveness, and the thought of Annelie in danger, he felt invincible. Nothing was going to stand between him and stopping Amaer.
Lukas beat his wings and flew at him. He held both of his hands out in front of him, his index fingers and thumbs against each other, and drew them apart. A white spear accented with gold detailing materialised between his hands and he grabbed it when it was fully realised. He focused on his target and felt the silent command issued to him.
He would obey, but not because Heaven had ordered him. He would do it because he couldn’t allow Amaer to harm Annelie and Serenity. He would do it to protect them.
“Amaer!” Lukas held the spear out at his side, the pointed golden blade of it directed at his commander’s back.
Amaer stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face him, bringing his own spear around to defend himself. His dark eyes widened when Lukas drove his white spear through his gut and thrust it forwards, sending him into the wall of the building. It shuddered and a shockwave blasted outwards it as the blade penetrated the bricks, knocking Lukas back into the road.
He stumbled, rolled heels over head and landed on his knees, struggling for breath.
Amaer’s spear fell from his hand and clattered to the ground at his feet where they dangled a foot off the pavement. He grabbed Lukas’s spear where it punctured his body and cried out as he tried to remove it.
Bright white light descended again, engulfing Amaer. Lukas flinched away, aware of what was coming. Life as a mortal was too good for one who had help take so many human lives. Amaer screamed as he disintegrated, leaving only Lukas’s bloodied spear jutting out of the wall.
He stared at it, ears ringing and body aching as he sank back on his heels.
It was over.
CHAPTER 14
Wind gusted against Lukas and he squinted as it blew dust at him, shielded himself with his wings and then came out from behind them when the breeze settled and he sensed the presence of two more angels.
“You did well.” Apollyon walked towards him, his long black hair tousled from flying.
A tawny winged angel stood behind him, broad built and glowering. Darkness itself seemed to cling to him, shadowing his features.
Einar.
Lukas was glad to see him again. It had been too long.
Apollyon pulled Lukas onto his feet and nodded skyward. “Heaven’s Court offers you an apology and they have rescinded their punishment, cleared your name, and reinstated you to your old position.”
The spiral of light began to fade and rise upwards. Lukas’s gaze followed it again. He was forgiven. Free. It was what he had always wanted but he didn’t feel at all as he had expected.
He looked at the balcony of the apartment high above him.
Annelie and Serenity stood there, leaning over and looking down at him. He couldn’t go back to his old life because these past three years had changed him.
He had fallen in love.
Lukas met Apollyon’s gaze.
“It is possible to balance life and work... although women will do their best to make it impossible.” Apollyon grinned and stared up at the balcony. “You will reach a decision in time. Do not be hasty to cast aside all that you have worked for. They will only spend months convincing you to stay, making you jump through hoops and wade through red tape, and then they will replace you with a temp and you will end up with twice the workload.”
Lukas smiled at the grim look on Apollyon’s face. His friend was right. He couldn’t be hasty about leaving his duty behind, not when he had thought of nothing but returning and clearing his name.
Einar stepped forwards, cast his dark gaze around the area, and then fixed it on Lukas. He was as distant as always, viewing everything with a critical and clinical eye that suited his position. His tawny armour matched his short ponytail and wings that were flecked with paler hues of brown and grey, marking him as one of the hunter legions.
“Heaven’s Court assigned you the best. Einar is their foremost hunter now,” Apollyon said with a teasing smile and something told him that Apollyon had lobbied for Einar, not only because he was their best hunter but because he wanted to tell the male about Rook and Isadora.
Apollyon wanted to help them both.
Lukas would be right there with him.
Einar raised his hand. Light emanated from his palm in bright shafts and Lukas could only stare as the cracks in the pavement and walls repaired themselves and the damage to the cars reversed until they were pristine again.
Lukas’s knees weakened when the light touched him and he stared at his arms as the cuts and scratches shrank and disappeared, until not even a trace of blood remained.
He had forgotten how powerful Einar was.
“Let us discuss things in more comfortable surroundings.” Einar’s deep voice echoed in the night and he glanced around the street. “Somewhere less exposed.”
Lukas nodded, stretched his wings and smiled as he focused on them. He took a long breath and beat his wings, slowly at first, building up the courage to fly again.
How would Annelie react now that he could do such things? Would she fear him again?
There was only one way of finding out.
He flapped his white wings harder and carefully ascended the height of the building, making sure that he didn’t clip the walls. Annelie was waiting for him at the top, holding her left arm, and a smile blossomed on her face when her eyes fell on him. He rose higher, enjoying the feel of the warm air in his feathers, and then descended towards her.
“I was so worried about you. I shouldn’t have come down... but I couldn’t let you fight alone.” She held her right hand out to him, a flicker of fear and guilt in her eyes, and relief swept through him when he realised that she wasn’t going to run away now that he was a true angel again.
Lukas landed close to her and gathered her into his arms, wrapping her in his wings to fully protect her and satisfy his desire to know that she was safe. “Are you hurt?”
He pulled back to look at her. She shook her head, but tears shone in her eyes. He cleared a smudge of dirt from her damp cheek and sighed.
“I can feel your pain.” Lukas looked her over and frowned when he noticed that her left arm was bleeding.
He carefully took hold of it, cradling it in his hands. Her elbow was cut and already bruising. A cursory glance at her shoulder revealed that it too was scraped and bloodied.
Lukas looked to Einar as he flew down towards them.
The large tawny angel glanced at Annelie and then nodded.
Apollyon set down close to Lukas and Serenity threw her arms around his neck, muttering things in French. He wrapped his arms around Serenity and pulled her close to him, lifting her and pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Her feet barely reached Apollyon’s shins as he held her aloft and fussed over her.
Lukas released Annelie and stepped back to make room for Einar.
He landed silently on the black railing around the balcony.
Annelie gasped when Einar held his hand out and white light danced in a wave over her skin. Lukas remained close to her, there for her so she would feel safe. When the light faded, she looked herself over with wide incredulous eyes, and then met his gaze.
She smiled and turned to Einar. “Thank you.”
Both women stared at him.
Apollyon covered Serenity’s eyes and she giggled, the sound light in the darkness.
“Jealous,” she whispered and looped her arm around Apollyon’s.
He released her eyes and smiled into them.
Lukas had expected him to deny the emotion she had pinpointed, but he gave her a guilty-as-charged look.
Annelie remained tucked close to Lukas and he was glad of it. He wasn’t the type for jealous fits but he was likely to join Apollyon if she even looked at Einar in the wrong way. Einar was strong, undeniably handsome, and the quicker he was gone the happier Lukas would be.
Perhaps he was already jealous.
“The evidence given to the court is troubling. I have alerted the Watchers and a team has been sent to the bottomless pit to evaluate the history recorded there. We will discover the conspiracy and the whereabouts of the demons and I will handle them alone…” Einar remained on the balcony railing, his wings tightly furled against his back, and the hard edge to his expression softened a little, a flicker of warmth entering his eyes as he looked between Lukas and Apollyon. “But if I should require assistance, I will call on you. As always, you have proven yourselves strong.”
Einar nodded, released his wings and tipped backwards. He dropped off the edge of the roof, reappeared with a beat of his wings, and was gone again in a gust of wind. Annelie burrowed into Lukas’s side as it blew against them and he held her closer as he watched Einar speeding into the night.
“Never was a very talkative fellow.” Apollyon sounded amused.
Lukas glanced at him.
He looked it too.
“And who is he to say I have proven myself strong? I thought that was an undeniable fact.” Apollyon glared in the direction Einar had flown. “I was casting the Devil into the pit before he was a fledgling.”
Lukas smiled. If there was one sure way to irritate Apollyon, it was to undermine his strength and power. Apollyon was likely to release the Devil early and fight him again just to prove how powerful he was. He huffed and Serenity pulled a face of mock-pity.
“I still think you are strong, mon ange.” Serenity stroked his arm.
“I could still prove it.” Apollyon swept her up and kissed her.
Lukas looked away to find Annelie smiling at them. He pulled her back to him, so her body was flush against his, and stroked the long strands of red hair from her face. She did look stunning in the small pale dress. Good enough to eat.
“I am sorry that I worried you.” He brushed the backs of his fingers down her cheek and quietly thanked Apollyon when he sensed him lead Serenity into the apartment, leaving them alone.
“I didn’t like seeing you fighting that man.” Annelie pressed her hands against the breastplate of his white armour and he wished that her hands were on his skin, warm and soft, slowly traversing his bare body. “Is it over now, like that other angel said?”
Lukas nodded. “Einar will hunt the demons involved. We have uncovered some sort of plot. The people in the factory that blew up were already dead. Einar must discover what happened and why. I want to assist him but it is not my place to investigate such matters. I am more of a mediator and intervention specialist.”
“It sounds far less dangerous.” There was a smile in her brown eyes and he could feel her relief. “I don’t like the thought of you being in danger again...”
She hesitated and looked away from him, her feelings shifting course to ones he couldn’t understand. She stared into the distance, in the direction Einar had flown, and tears lined her lashes. What had caused the sudden change in her emotions? What was she thinking to make her look so sad?
Lukas stepped around her, into the path of her gaze, and cupped her cheek. She sniffed and blinked, sending a tear down her cheek. He ached to see it and wiped it away with his thumb.
“Does it still hurt?” He cast a glance at her elbow and shoulder.
“It’s not that.” She rubbed her eyes and sniffed again. Her gaze darted to his and then back to his chest. Her fingers traced the gold edging of his breastplate. She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. “Are you going back to Heaven?”
A smile burst onto his lips and he dragged her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes. Foolish woman. As if he was going to leave her now that he had her. She was still the only good thing in his world and he couldn’t return to one where she didn’t exist.
He kissed her forehead and sighed against it. “I have not yet decided whether to give up my position and live as Apollyon does, but either way I am not going to leave you. I have something in this world my heart desires to protect and that is my mission now. You are more important to me than my duty. I love you, Annelie.”
Annelie pulled back, her eyes wide and no longer filled with tears, and kissed him. Her lips danced slowly over his, gradually turning more passionate, and he groaned when she tilted her head and fused their mouths together.
He lifted her and closed his eyes, wishing they were somewhere more private so he could prove to her that he wasn’t going anywhere and that he loved her more than anything.
He was free now, his innocence proven, and he wasn’t about to rush back into his old life. Apollyon was right. Lukas was going to give his new one his all and see where it took him. Whatever decision he and Annelie made, they would make it together, and he was sure that it would be the right one.
Whether they lived a mortal life or lived forever, he would never stop loving Annelie.
She broke away, her smile wide and beautiful. Her brown eyes met his and a small frown creased her brow.
“Can we see Paris now?” There was mischief in her eyes that said he wasn’t the only one thinking of proving their love to the other and wishing they were somewhere a little more private.
“As my love wishes.” Lukas swept her up into his arms, holding her close to his chest, and beat his wings, lifting off from the terrace.
Annelie squeaked, wrapped her arms around his neck and curled up. “I wasn’t quite thinking this way.”
Lukas laughed and flew with her, keeping his grip on her tight. “You are safe, Annelie. I will never let you go now that I have you... and this is the best way to see a city.”
Paris spread out before them, lights twinkling in the darkness, but it was incomparable to Annelie’s beauty. She came out from her hiding place against his chest, her eyes wide and lips parted as she took everything in. She was breathtaking when she was happy, her love flowing through him, merging with his own feelings, bringing out his smile again.
“Incredible.” Her gaze roamed to him and he swooped down, heading for the Arc de Triomphe.
When they had been there to meet Apollyon, he had sensed her desire to remain and take in the view of the city. At the time, he hadn’t been able to give her what she wished for but he could now that he was free. He would pander to her every whim, indulge her desires, and never tire of loving her.
He landed quietly on the thick wall of the empty roof of the arch and held Annelie close to him.
“Can we stay here a while?” she whispered, her eyes on the city.
Lukas curled his wings around her and nodded. “For as long as you like.”
She sighed and settled her head against his chest. He turned sideways, so she could still see the city, but she moved back and placed her arms around his neck. He looked down into her eyes and blinked slowly.
“If it will not cause a problem with the pub, we can stay in Paris for a while and be together.” He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and she smiled. “Apollyon has something he and Serenity are working on and I would like to help them.”
“That sounds good… but… I want to be together for longer than a while.” Annelie stroked his cheek, threaded her fingers into his hair, and teased his earlobe with her thumb. Her dark gaze held his. She hesitated and he knew there was something that she wanted to say, something that she feared to a degree. He held her closer, wanting to comfort her and give her the strength to speak what was on her mind. “Serenity told me all sorts of things.”
“She did?” he said to encourage her.
“She said there was a trial that she was going to undertake to become immortal like Apollyon.”
Lukas’s heart beat faster, hard against his chest. The warm affectionate look in Annelie’s eyes said everything that she couldn’t. She was considering taking the trial too. He had spent hours trying to think of how to broach the subject of their future and she had done it instead. It relieved him, giving him hope that she wanted to be with him forever and that he might not have to surrender his immortality.
Annelie stroked his wings, tickling his white feathers, and he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.
“It is dangerous.” He savoured the feel of her in his arms and her hands on him, not wanting to think about what was ahead of them in the future and focusing on the present instead.
“I don’t want you to give up what you’ve worked so hard for. You fought to make them see your innocence and to win back your wings, and Serenity said that even when Apollyon says that he would sacrifice them for her, she can tell that he would miss them. Angels love to fly apparently.”
