Angelic Anarchy (Heaven on Earth Book 1) (21 page)

I
woke up with a gasp
.
I’m in my bed?
How did I get here
? I was disoriented. The last thing I remembered was Colton and me being escorted to the Angels of Decision.

“Breathe, Belleeza. You are safe.” Colton got up from a chair in the corner and came to my side.

“How long have I been out? Where is everyone? What’s happened?”

“Just breathe. I’ll get you up to speed.” He kissed my hand. “The job is finally over. We did it. Well,
you
did it. I knew you would.

“Evang . . .?” I asked, choking on tears I refused to let fall. I couldn’t finish her name. All that she went through . . . all that I allowed to happen to her. What I almost did to her . . .

“Shhh, baby,” he soothed. “She’s fine, she’s . . .”

“Right here. I’m right here,” Evangelina said as she walked into my room and took a seat on my other side. She looked great, fully healed, physically at least. I could feel the pain she kept hidden inside tainting the brightness she usually radiated. She locked down her emotions, and I could no longer feel anything. I didn’t mean to overstep, but we were so close, now more than ever, and it was difficult to block it out. Our eyes met and she spoke as she grabbed my hand.

“I’m fine, Belleeza, just give me more time and I’ll be back to myself.” I looked at her without saying a word. She must have felt my doubt and worry because she reassured me once more. “Trust me, I just need time. It was my first time getting caught up in the battles.”

“I’m so sorry, Evangelina. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you . . . from myself,” I said with an ache in my chest.

“Belleeza, I don’t want to hear you speak like that. Even in full-on demon form you fought to protect me. I would not be here if it wasn’t for you, so enough of this.”

I nodded. “What of Anselma and Teddy?”

“Anselma is staying on Earth for a while,” Colton answered. “So she and Teddy can get to know one another.”

“So, you guys ready or what?” Liam asked as he and Olivia walked in. He was stuffing his face with food. Liam and Olivia’s bond was stronger than ever. I had no doubt I would soon be receiving an invitation to their binding ceremony. I also had a feeling I would be seeing a lot more of them. We worked well together, and I surprised myself when I realized I might like the idea of having people close to me. People to count on and people that just
get
me.

“Ready for what?” I asked.

“To go home,” Olivia answered with a big smile.

“Wait, what?” I looked around at all their smiling faces. “We’re going home?” I almost screamed it. “We’re really going home?”

I’m finally going home.

I was elated, looking at all their faces, until I stopped on Colton’s and all my happiness came crashing down. “What about you? You deserve to go more than any of us.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head.” Colton smiled. “All that matters is that those that betrayed Heaven faced a fate that was worthy of their sins. We stopped the bad guys.”

But there were still many questions left unanswered, and I still had a wary feeling that it wasn’t completely over.

For now, at least, I put it on hold. I was finally being called back home. I could feel my wings tensing to be free—and yet, for the first time in years, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back.

Not without Colton
. . .

After all that he did for Heaven, for mankind, for me, it was hard to image him being denied, and yet I knew it was unlikely he would be awarded the key to Heaven’s gates ever again, let alone this soon. It was fifty years since the last time someone passed the viatorship.

“Go, Belleeza, they’ve been waiting on you.”

I grinned as that spark came back in Evangelina’s eyes. How she loved giving orders. Somehow, I didn’t mind receiving them from her. She was my friend, my confidant, my mother at times, but mostly she was my sister, and that’s just what it was. There was a time when I resented the fact she was assigned to me, but now I couldn’t imagine life without her. She grinned, looking at me, as she must have felt the love emanating from me. I rolled my eyes playfully and looked around my condo to see if there was anything else that needed to be done.

“There is nothing more to do, Belleeza. You know I’ll handle everything. Stop stalling, you have longed to be home for years and now the time has come. Go, Belleeza, go home. Spread your wings and fly, sate the yearning in your soul.”

My heart was torn. I had dreamed about being called back home for several years but now that I was actually going back without Colton I was crushed. I didn’t want to go without him. I knew I would return and he would be here waiting for me but it wasn’t the same. I felt ungrateful but I just wanted to be with him. I grabbed him and kissed him like I might never see him again and the next thing I knew I was being whisked away by unseen forces and he was clutching air.

* * *

T
here I was just
outside Heaven’s gate, wishing Colton was with me, when someone ran into me at full speed, nearly knocking me over. Colton stood up, breathing heavily, and helped me to my feet with a grin on his face. He was radiant.

“Couldn’t you have waited for me?” He laughed.

“But how are you? Wait—you already knew!”

He was glowing from the inside out, and I knew before he spoke the words that he was no longer Colton the viator. He was Colton, the warrior angel. “I’m going to kill you, Colton, you already knew! You let me think I was going home alone?”

He broke into a full-on laughing fit. I punched him in the chest and he flew backwards. He got up, still chuckling, and we both stood facing one another, speechless and bearing wide,s knowing smiles upon our faces.

“Oh come on, it’s funny and you know it.” He took my hand. “Let’s go home.” We took those last steps and walked through the gates. Instantly, I felt my wings on my back; I spread them and released a pleasured sigh. I looked at Colton. He was so beautiful—he spread his wings and I couldn’t help but be in awe. My eyes unexpectedly filled with tears as I gazed upon him in all his glory. It was a sight of undeniable beauty that I thought I would never again see.

Colton looked at me with nothing less than pure love. I didn’t know what was in our future, but for now, at least, it simply didn’t matter. All that mattered was this moment. I was going home with the only soul I had ever loved.

Colton suddenly kissed me passionately—kissed me hard and firm until he made my knees weak with desire. He caught me, throwing his arm underneath my knees, and flew us to our home in the kingdom of the sky.