Fall Into Darkness (3 page)

E
li teleported back
to his cabin—a quaint shack tucked into the thick forests of northern Minnesota. He was so far back into the boundary waters that the only way for humankind to get there was by boat or, with all the snow that had fallen already, snowshoes. He liked the seclusion and was better at being a loner. Never one for the social life, he tended to stay away from his unearthly loft, choosing instead to live in the solitude of nature. At least he understood the drive to live by instinct like the wildlife. Humanity was another thing altogether. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d thank the heavens he wasn’t a guardian angel. That role was reserved for the mated females who were far better suited for it. He had no patience for stupidity and bad decisions.

He pulled off his boots and unbuttoned his jeans, ready to head for a shower when Eva popped in. He raised a brow.

“You almost got an eye full. Maybe you should learn to use the front door and knock.”

She shrugged. “I’ve seen your bare ass before, but I’m not here to discuss your body parts. The Seven want you.”

He crossed his arms and snorted. “You their messenger now? Why don’t they tell me themselves?” He was in no rush to get his ass chewed for what he’d done to Logan. They’d wanted him brought back alive, and he’d failed. “They can wait.”

Eva sighed. “What’s happened to you, Eli? What happened to my friend who used to know how to have a good time? You’ve become so bitter. Have you considered mating?”

He buttoned his jeans and glared at her. “Are you fucking crazy? Why would I mate and especially at a time like this? The Maker has all but disappeared, angels are falling and…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “My gut tells me we haven’t even begun to see the bad shit yet.” He didn’t want to mention he had his own struggles.

Her chocolate brown eyes softened. Eli had liked Eva from the get go. When his buddy Sephtis had mated with the female a century ago, he’d been impressed. Any woman who could put up with a reaper was all right in his book. However, when she’d proved she could hold her own with Eli and refuse to take his shit, he’d taken her under his wing so to speak. With a mate whose job entailed escorting the condemned to Hell, Sephtis wanted Eva to be able to defend herself—just in case. He’d asked Eli to work with her and they’d become fast friends.

“I worry for you, Eli. Your attitude is shit,” Eva stated.

He let out a soft chuckle. “It’s always been shit, Eva. You’ve just been too blinded by my good looks to notice.”

She approached him and laid a hand on his chest. “Please take care of yourself. You know I love you like a brother, and I’d die if you became one of them.”

He pulled her hand free and kissed her knuckles. “I have no intention of joining the ranks of the fallen. Just because many of those that have taken to the darkness have been hunters doesn’t mean I aim to become one of them. I’ll go see what the Seven want.” He still didn’t really give a shit, but for Eva he’d go now. He pulled his boots back on and escorted her to the door. She stopped him.

“If you won’t consider a mate, then maybe a cat?”

He felt his brows rise. “Cat?”

She lifted a delicate shoulder and let her snow-white wings emerge. “Cats don’t require much and seeing how they’re independent, you two should get along fine. Animals calm the soul.”

He rolled his eyes and produced his own wings. “Come on, I’ll fly with you.” They both shot up into the pink-blue sky. The crisp morning air caressed his skin and made him feel more alive than he had in a long time. Within seconds, they’d passed through the barrier separating their world from the humans below. Cold turned to a comfortable seventy degrees. Not that angels couldn’t adjust to any weather. They did have their preferences, though.

He escorted Eva to the front door of her home, a large A-frame lined with windows both front and back. Sephtis stood on the porch and greeted them. He pulled Eva into an embrace and kissed her.

Eli cleared his throat. “Get a room.”

His friends broke free, both all smiles. “I have several and plan to have my mate in each and every one of them,” Sephtis replied.

“Seph!” Eva looked horrified.

“What? We’re a mated couple; it’s not as though people don’t know what we do.”

“You don’t need to advertise it. I’m going inside so you two can man talk.” Eva slipped by her mate and disappeared behind the door.

Seph chuckled. “I love to make her squirm.”

Eli just shook his head. Reapers had a wicked sense of humor. “You’re just lucky she ever completed the bond with you.”

“I know. I count my blessings every day. So, where you headed?” Seph inquired.

“To see the Seven.” He tried to keep the disdain from seeping through his voice.

His friend shook his head. “I don’t envy you your job. What can we do to stop our kind from falling?”

Eli wished he knew. “First we have to find out what’s causing them to fall.” He scrubbed his stubble. “I mean we’ve gone from not having an angel fall since… Devon.”

“Devon didn’t fall, he was cast out,” Seph reminded.

“Oh yeah. Do you remember why?” It took some pretty serious shit for an angel to be tossed.

Seph settle into a chair. “Well if memory serves, he was always a rebel, breaking rules and what not. The last straw came when the Seven discovered he was the one responsible for the plague.”

“Now I recall. He’d hope to destroy humankind. His petty jealousy cost him a great deal.”

Seph nodded. “Yeah. The Maker took his wings and his power, leaving him with only his immortality, and cast him to earth. His punishment was to live for eternity among those he hated most.”

“Shit.” He’d never known the Maker to pass judgment directly. That’s what the Tribunal of Seven was for.

“Right, but Devon’s not who you’re looking for. He’s merely a human who can never die.”

Eli sighed. “Well, it was worth a try. I’d best get over and see what the Seven want. I’ll talk to ya later and for fuck’s sake, put some damn shades on those windows before you go screwing your mate.”

Seph just chuckled. Eli shook his head then took off for the crystal palace at the top of the mountains where the Seven awaited him.

A
shley’s flight
had gone without a hitch. Taking off from Portland, Maine and landing in Chicago, a change of planes had her back in the air and headed for Anchorage. After six and a half hours, she was finally walking off the plane. Her legs like rubber and her eyes full of sand, she had a three-hour layover before her next leg to Kotzbue. Sleep was what she really needed, but she refused to give in to it. Instead, she headed for the small coffee shop in need of a large shot of caffeine. She’d sleep when she reached Point Hope, where her cabin lay on the outskirts of the small village.

Ordering a large cappuccino, she headed for a table in the corner. Ashley knew she should have gotten a breakfast sandwich. The last thing she’d eaten was a bag of peanuts almost five hours ago. Her head pounded, filled with images she never wanted to see. The young woman who’d sat next to her from Chicago to Anchorage had talked for three hours until finally going to sleep. Not wanting to be rude, she’d made brief eye contact then tried to look away before she’d had a vision.

She hadn’t been quick enough.

Now hiding behind a magazine, she hoped to avoid Brenda, who stood in line for coffee. There was no way she could carry on any kind of conversation with her. Not after seeing the woman plummet to her death off a mountain.

Ashley’s pulse raced, and she tried to control her breathing as she peered over the top of her paper. Dare she assume Brenda’s death happened here? Considering the girl had confessed she was going to climb Mount McKinley, and this was her first expedition, the probability was high. Ashley could never tell the exact time of death, but in the images, Brenda had been young. If the accident didn’t occur here then it would happen soon.

Luckily, Brenda grabbed her coffee and headed out to catch her bus tour. Ashley sighed in relief and put down the paper. Taking a sip of her hot beverage, she let it scorch her throat. Desperation ate at her, but she closed her eyes and calmed her frazzled nerves. She just needed to reach her family’s cabin and the solitude it brought then she’d be fine.

She glanced at her watch. Only two hours to kill before her flight left for Kotzbue.
I can do this.
Thankfully the airport was thinning out as people left for tour buses or their hotel. Within minutes, the small coffee shop grew quiet, and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Until her phone chirped. She pulled it from her pocket and swiped the screen.

Groaning. “Oh Ben.”

BABY, HOW’S THE TRIP?

She contemplated ignoring it, but something told her he wouldn't leave her alone.

GIVE IT UP! NOT INTERESTED.

She held her breath, waiting for a reply. Thankfully after five minutes, it never came. Maybe he’d finally taken the hint. She reminded herself that she was making the right choices. It was for her own sanity that she was moving away from her aunt, and it was for her heart that she wouldn't take Ben back.

E
li paced
the opulent outer room. His boots, smacking the marble floor, broke the silence. The Seven kept him waiting and he was positive it was intentional. They were always trying to teach him a lesson in patience, but they seemed to forget that he was a hunter. Patience wasn’t something he lacked.

“Eli,” a soft voice called out.

He spun and narrowed his gaze on the brunette who stood before him. “Ambriel.” He bowed in a show of respect for one of the Tribunal.

She smiled, though it was weak. Her white gown whispered around her body as she approached him. He could appreciate her beauty, but because she was mated, she brought forth no sexual urges on his part. Thank the Maker.

“Eli, I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Dread coursed through him. Not for fear of retribution from the Seven, but his gut said something was seriously wrong. “What is it?”

“Gabriel has fallen.”

The knife twisted in his heart. “No. There’s no way, I’d know.” He and Gabriel were close. He was more than a friend; he was a brother. They’d fought side by side. Saved each other during some of the great battles. Talked about life and how maybe, one day, they would find a mate and fall in love. No one knew Eli like Gabriel.

“I’m sorry, Eli. I know you two were close, and you’d want to be informed,” her voice bounced softly off the walls. “Tegan will be hunting him.”

“No! He was my friend and I will bring him in.” While Tegan was their commander, Eli knew Gabriel and could track him quicker.

“If that is your wish.”

“It is.” He didn’t wait for further discussions, but stormed off down the hall and back out the door. Trotting halfway down the steps, he stretched out his wings, jumped into the air, and took off.

Tegan!

I gather you heard about Gabriel?

Yes and I will hunt him myself.
He hoped his commander didn’t argue.

I figured you might. I currently have no leads on him, but I’m sure you know where to look.

He had a good idea. As he glided through the air, he wondered how the hell his friend had fallen, and he’d not even known. He should have felt it. Should have seen some kind of sign that Gabriel was headed down a darkened path. Granted, none of the others had given any indication, but his friend was different and part of him still refused to believe it was true.

Eli dropped to his feet and absorbed his wings. He produced a black tee, pulling it over his head then donned a black leather jacket, before he strode through the barely lit alley that led to a dive bar he suspected Gabriel might be frequenting. Several eyes followed him. This was gang territory, and the stench of violence filled his nostrils and fueled his anger.

Four punks, dressed in jeans that hung below their ass and heavy leather coats with their emblems sew on them, stepped in his path. One had a switchblade he twirled, obviously meant to frighten his victim.

“Yo, stupid fuck,” the one in the middle mouthed off in a thick Brooklyn accent. “You got a lotta shit whicoo, showing up here.”

Eli fisted his hands at his side and fought to control the twitch in his eye. “Fucking speak English, jackass.”

The punk to his right stepped forward and jabbed a finger in his chest. “Yo, muthafucker. It means you gotta lotta nerve bringing yo punk ass in the hood.”

“And you’ve got a lot of nerve standing in my way,” he growled. He dampened his divine energy in hopes they’d make a move. He was ready to pummel something, or in this case, someone.

One pulled a gun and shoved it under Eli’s chin. It was the trigger that sent his simmering rage to a rapid boil. He brought up his arm and shoved his elbow into the guy’s adam’s apple before he could get a shot off. Not that a mere bullet would kill an archangel.

While his victim stumbled backward, clutching his throat, the other three swarmed him.

Perfect.

He threw a punch to the left and connected square in the jaw. Though he’d toned down his power, he was still stronger than a mortal. The kid landed on his ass, knocked out cold. Next, he turned his attention to the other two, but not before one of them succeeded in shoving a blade deep into his gut.

It only pissed him off further as he pulled it out and flung it into the air. His sensitive ears could hear the ting of metal as it hit the pavement in the distance.

One guy jumped on his back, wrapping an arm around Eli’s windpipe, but he simply ran three steps backward and slammed the punk into the brick wall of the building. He heard the air escape from the guy’s lungs as he slid down the wall.

Eli narrowed his gaze on the last one who pointed the pistol at him. He waved his hand. “Bring it, punk.” He’d not even broken a sweat yet, and his pulse was still at a slow, steady beat.

The kid fired three times. Bullets tore through Eli’s skin, shredding organs and shattering bone. He clenched his jaw against the pain. They may not kill him, but they hurt like a son of a bitch. He sent healing energy to the inflicted areas and stormed forward. The guy’s eyes widened, and he fired again.