Courting Darkness (14 page)

It was hard to measure time when day and night ceased to exist. If they thought they could change his heart, the High Court was wasting their time. They could leave him locked up here for a million years and his love for Olivia would not diminish. Some things were just unchanging—unfailing. He was created with the capacity to be wholly devoted, to love entirely, and two things warred for that space in his heart—his Creator and Olivia. Could he ever come to a point where the two could coexist, or would one forever be at odds with the other?

Forever, Liam had lived an existence of black and white. He wasn’t sure he knew how to navigate a world of grays. Nothing was clear anymore—nothing simple. He was a Ronnin warrior, not a true Guardian, and those were two vastly different species created for entirely different purposes.

Over the years, he’d served in the army of the High Court with valor. He’d nearly lost his life on the steps of this very building during the Great Fall—how ironic, that millennia later, this would be the same place he’d lose his heart. With his connection to Olivia severed, his soul knew no rest. Night and day he thought of her, worried for her, and second-guessed the many decisions he’d made. It nearly drove him mad.

They couldn’t keep him locked up here forever. Eventually, they were going to have to set him free. And when they did…

Liam paced his cell, the tips of his wings brushing the bars constructed of Immanuel’s Stone, a heavenly material indestructible and wholly lethal when used against the fallen. The repetitious rattle against the bars echoed down the hall. The clattering,
chink, chink, chink
was the only sound to break the monotony of silence.

He sighed heavily. Uneasy, an odd sense of dread prickled at his instincts, leaving him restless, his mood more volatile than ever. Something was wrong. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Olivia was in danger, though he had nothing to base such a notion on. He thought of her constantly, so why now should this measure of unrest plague him so? If only he could see her one more time, know that she was well. Then perhaps, he could find peace with his decision to take her memory and finally endeavor to let her go.

Would he ever stop loving her? Never. But Liam knew he had to get to a point where he could let her live out her life as it had been fore-planned. Tate was a good warrior, a great friend. Were he given the choice in naming a successor for Olivia’s guardianship, Tate could have been the one he chose. He bore no ill will toward the angel, and after weathering the initial storm of his rage over learning of her new guardian, he took comfort in the knowledge that she would be safe with Tate.

Dragging a restless hand through his hair, he shoved it back from his face and resumed pacing. He’d just made another pass, roaming his cell like a caged lion, when the door down the hall opened and shut softly. No doubt, Balen had returned to check on him—again. He could do without his friend’s sympathy. If the angel really wanted to help, he could get him the hell out of here.

Liam’s own pacing steps drowned out the approach of his guest. Sensing he was no longer alone, he spun around to tell Balen to piss off, but it wasn’t his friend who stood before him. He tensed as the sweeping gaze did a swift, thoroughly disappointed, head to toe assessment of him. Refusing to bend to that weighted stare, Liam approached the elder, steeling himself for the condemnation, the judgment that was sure to come.

“I’m sorry we did this to you.”

Liam’s unwavering gaze locked and held Saphat’s through the impenetrable bars. Unmoving, he returned the elder’s assessing stare, unapologetic and rigidly defiant. Right or wrong, he stood behind the decisions he’d made. What’s done was done—too late for second thoughts or second chances. Violating Olivia’s free will had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he’d done it to save her life and to spare her the pain of letting him go. He’d be damned if he’d admit regret now. If they intended to keep him here until he repented, then he’d stay behind these bars forever.

“I’m sorry
I
did this to you,” Saphat amended. “If anyone could have walked among the mortals and not fallen into temptation, it would have been you, Liam. I never should have sent you there.”

Of all the things he expected Saphat to say, an apology had not been among them. “You give me too much credit,” he told the elder, finding himself wanting to ease his apparent guilt. It was difficult to hold the elder’s regretful stare, and he broke away to resume pacing.

“No. I don’t think we gave you enough credit. I don’t think the other elders realize the compromising position we placed you in. You should know the decision to take Olivia from you…wasn’t made lightly—or wholly agreed upon. We realize she’d be dead, were it not for your actions, your sacrifice—”

With the speed of a striking serpent, Liam stopped pacing and spun on the elder. Gripping the cage of his cell, he shook the door, rattling the unbreakable stone. “Then for the love of the Father, let me out!”

Saphat took a startled step back and then quickly regained his dignified pose, uncomfortably clearing his throat. “That’s partly why I’m here. Liam, we have been unsuccessful in locating the Nephilim you reported.”

“I’m not surprised. He’s kept his existence a secret this long. He can blend in with the humans. You’ll not find him unless he wants you to.” Liam gave the elder a sardonic chuckle. “You didn’t think he was going to make this easy, did you? But in all honesty, I fail to see how any of this concerns me now.”

Something flashed in Saphat’s eyes that fueled the dread burning in Liam’s gut, and he knew, at that moment, the unease gnawing at him all day was not unfounded.

“Liam, Olivia is missing.”

“What?” The barked demand echoed throughout the antechamber. “What do you mean ‘missing’? Are you telling me Tate lost her? How in the hell do you lose the human you’re bonded to?”

“That’s the problem. He’s not bonded to her. We didn’t know the connection was not made. He can’t feel her emotions. Somehow, she’s managed to block him.”

“Well, I sure as hell can’t feel her anymore!”

His irreverent tongue brought a scowl of displeasure to the elder.

“How long have you known about this?”

“We didn’t discover the bonding was unsuccessful until he petitioned the court for full revocation of her free will.”

“Absolutely not. You can’t do that to her!” Violating her free will was bad enough, but revoking it was another matter completely.

Saphat held up his hand, staying Liam’s argument. “His motion was denied. There are lines we will not cross, even if the result is death. However, there remains the issue of bonding, and when Tate returned last night to attempt, once again, to persuade her into accepting his guardianship, she was gone. Her car was found at the state park.”

“Restore my bond to her.”

“I cannot. Once the bond has been severed, it can’t be undone. We are concerned the Nephilim might have taken the mortal—”

“Why would you believe that?” Liam demanded.

“Tate’s been searching for her and he’s made some…concerning discoveries. The human she’d intended to marry was killed the night before she disappeared. Earlier that evening, he and the female had an altercation in which we believe the Nephilim intervened. Tate has not seen this Neph around her, but her friend, Ashley, has. We know he’s had contact with her at least once. During their argument, Mitch accused the two of being involved—”

“That mother fu—” At the elder’s scowl, he cut the oath short. Was it possible Olivia and Haden had become involved? It was a bone-chilling thought he’d not considered. But without the ‘afore knowledge of who and what Haden was, could it be possible that manipulative bastard was courting her? But why? She was no good to him now. Without her memory, she couldn’t lead him to the stone. And what in the hell has Tate been doing?—letting her run wild? His mind raced with possibilities and probable scenarios, all leaving him with a knifing pain in his gut, dread riding him hard to a near state of panic.

“Let me out, Saphat. I can find the Nephilim. I know what he looks like, where he’d go if he does have Olivia. I will bring him in to face the council of the elders and then you can decide his fate. You’ve said it yourself, he can’t be left to his own ambitions. He must choose a side in this war.”

When Saphat did not outright deny his request, Liam held a glimmer of hope he’d convinced the elder to set him free. His grip on the bars tightened as he struggled to school his voice. Emotion would gain him no measure of grace here. Factual, analytical, and tempered was the best way to convince his old friend to let him go.

“What of the female?” Saphat challenged.

“What of her? She doesn’t even know I exist. I wish only to assure her safety and to bring the heathenous Nephilim to justice. Had I not been forced to depart from Earth, I would have hunted him down months ago.”

The seconds ticked by in painful silence as he waited for Saphat to either grant or deny his request. After a long moment, the elder nodded his consent. “As you say, the female has no knowledge of you. Make sure you keep it that way.” Turning, Saphat walked away and the lock on his cell fell away. On its own volition, the door swung open. The stipulation on Liam’s freedom weighed down on him like a crushing vice.

Chapter Eleven

Olivia sat in silence, counting the passing mile markers, each one bringing her closer to— “Where are you taking me?”

Haden glanced at her, then turned his attention back on the road. “You really don’t remember anything at all?”

The frustration in his voice was evident. How many times did they have to go over this? “Not since the last time we had this conversation. Just forget it,” she sighed in frustration.

“How long have you known about your sight, Olivia?”

She hesitated to answer. Opening up to Haden didn’t exactly seem like the smartest move here. But on the other hand, if she wanted him to talk to her, to help her fill in the gaps of her memory, someone was going to have to take the first leap of faith.

“A week.”

“And the first time?”

“I hardly see how that matters.”

“I’m trying to determine just how thoroughly you’ve been fucked over here. I’m putting my bet on royally. Tell me what you know of your past.”

Was he truly trying to help or take advantage of her?—probably both. She’d be a fool to trust him. Then again, it wasn’t like she had a lot of options. More than anything, she wanted her memory back, and there was no doubt in her mind Haden held the answers. There wasn’t any reason she couldn’t use him as thoroughly as he was using her. The sooner he let down his guard, the sooner she could get away, because she had no intention of going wherever Haden was taking her. She had zero doubt in her mind he would do terrible things to her if he thought it’d bring Liam back.

“I remember nothing of the last four years,” she hesitantly confessed. “I found a journal I’d been writing in after Liam left. It was helpful in filling in some details, but nothing was familiar to me. I dream of him, but am unsure if I’m remembering events, or if it’s nothing more than wishful thinking.” She didn’t miss the subtle tug of his brows at the mention of Liam’s name.

He was silent, seeming thoughtful for a moment. “I saw you that day at The Wrath. You were there with a fallen angel. Do you know which day I’m speaking of?”

She did. Not because she remembered any of it, but because that had been the first day she had met Liam. She’d written of it in great detail in her journal. “You’ve been watching me for almost four years?” The thought sent a chill of unease shuddering through her body. Yeah, she definitely needed to get away from this guy—ASAP.

His chuckle held a note of mild amusement as he cast his sea-green gaze on her. “Don’t flatter yourself. I wholly expected you’d be dead by now. Kudos to your guardian. It’s no small feat he’s managed to keep you alive this long. You can imagine my surprise when I happened to cross your path again and noticed you happened to be in possession of something I needed.”

“The stone—”

He nodded.

“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me why you want it so badly.”

“I don’t suppose that I will. Let’s just suffice it to say that without it, the last hundred years of my existence will have been in vain. Nothing, and no one, will keep me from my revenge.”

Sitting there studying him, she was reminded of the cliché “still waters run deep,” and wondered to what depth Haden’s truly ran. Without a doubt, his carried an undertow that would drown anyone attempting to get too close. “Who has hurt you, Haden? What could someone have possibly done to you to incur such wrath?” She told herself she really didn’t care. It was nothing but morbid curiosity that she asked—really.

His taut brows hiked even closer, darkening his scowl another degree, but the more time she spent with him, the less effect that bad-ass glower had on her. “Don’t mistake my conversation for friendship, Olivia.”

She let out a sarcastic laugh and held up her hands. “Whoa, never that. Heaven forbid someone might figure out you’re not the asshole you pretend to be.”

He probably wasn’t pretending, but how badly did she want to believe there was something honorable in him? And, no doubt, that was the greatest error in her thinking, for the thought no sooner entered her mind, when Haden replied, “Why do you insist on looking for good where it does not exist? You will only find pain and disappointment for your effort.”

“Because I believe there is more to you than the darkness you cloak yourself in. I don’t deny that you frighten me, Haden, but I cannot believe that, in all the years you’ve lived, that it’s all come down to this—revenge. And if that’s truly the case, then my heart breaks for you.”

“Whatever. I don’t need your pity, Olivia, and I sure as hell don’t need you Dr. Philling me to death over here. And FYI, it’s nothing Liam wouldn’t do to avenge
your
death, and if you think he’s above such consuming emotions, then you’re a fool.”

Haden had been in love…? The mere thought of it nearly baffled her. Could it be that all this plotting, the hatred, his anger—his revenge—was over the love of a woman? “What was her name?”