Gilded Wings (5 page)

“What are you doing here? You scared the crap out of me,” I scolded.

He laughed. “I was on the rooftop, waiting for you to get back. I felt you arrive, and had to make sure you were alright,” he noted, his crimson eyes flitting down my length.

“I thought you couldn’t come near the house… you know, the barrier?”

“You were gone so Samuel has been inside the house with Alaine. He hasn’t left yet. I think I have a few more minutes.”

“If that,” I laughed.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. But I was just about to take a shower,” I said, hugging my robe tight.

“Hmmm,” he grinned.

“Hmmm, what?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

He jumped onto the sill and sat down, then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me right between his legs. I closed my eyes, trying to fight the bond, holding tightly to my robe. “One day soon, you will be mine.
All
mine. What I told you in the tower is true. I will do whatever I can to make you happy. We will be happy, and I will make sure you are fulfilled in every way. You are my bonded and my future mate, and one day we will rule the Underworld.”

I looked into his crimson eyes and shook my head. “I don’t want to rule the Underworld. I don’t want to rule anything. I just want to live a normal life. A life where I get to choose my happiness.”

“With the bond, you will be happy, no matter what,” Ethon promised. “But, let’s not worry about all of that right now.” He brushed his hand down the side of my face.

I didn’t want a no-matter-what kind of life. All it meant was the bond would be forcing my happiness, making it false. A lie. If I bonded with Ethon, everything real would be shrouded by the bond. But would I ever find real happiness in the midst of the madness? As long as Lucifer was alive, the answer was a resounding no. The fact he was immortal, and I would soon be one, made things worse. I couldn’t see myself spending an eternity with Lucifer as my future father-in-law.

I forced a smile. I didn’t want Ethon to know I had another option. It was mine to do with what I wanted. And, as long as Lucifer was around, I’d have to play along. I wrapped my arms around Ethon’s neck.

“Right now I need a shower, and you need to get out of my room before someone sees you.”

There was a knock on the door. “Emma? Are you alright in there? I heard a scream,” Courtney called from behind the door.

“I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Ethon said, kissing me quickly before leaning backward out of the window.

“Ethon,” I gasped, watching him push out and freefall. Halfway down, he kicked off the side of the house, and his black wings spread wide behind his back sending him soaring into the sky. He turned back to me and winked, then flapped once and was gone like a flash.

“Emma?” Courtney called again.

“Hold on,” I called, locking the window and closing the shades. I was glad she unwittingly came to my rescue. 

When I unlocked the door, Courtney stepped in. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Yep. Everything is fine,” I smiled.

“Did you scream, or was I hearing things?”

“Yeah, umm… I thought I saw a spider,” I lied.

“Oh, they suck. I hate spiders. I smashed one in the bathroom the other day. It was small and black and had hair on its body. Totally creeped me out,” she shivered.” Those things are nasty!”

“Yeah, they really are,” I said, giggling.

“So how are you holding up? I bet you’re missing your friends. I know I am,” she grinned.

I guess Courtney didn’t know I’d been missing. Good. I didn’t feel like explaining myself to everyone, and she would’ve had a million questions.

I smiled. “I do miss them. So, have you heard from Jeremy?”

“Yeah. He texted me a few hours ago, when they landed in L.A. He said there was some crazy turbulence and Leah almost puked.” She giggled.

I laughed. “Yeah, Leah has a very weak stomach. We went to the fair once, and she puked on the merry-go-round. She never rode anything else since. I’m surprised she had the guts to fly here.”

“Wow, that sucks. I love rides, but haven’t been to the fair since I was eight.”

“Do they have a fair in Alaska?” I asked.

“Yep. It’s in August and a long way from here, in a town called Palmer.”

“Well, August is three months away. Maybe we can beg Alaine to take us there. I think we all need a break.” I smiled, just around the same time reality hit. There was no way Alaine would allow me to leave the protection of this place. Not with all things wicked and evil lurking right outside our door. I had a sinking feeling I’d have to be holed up here until my transformation. Yeah, this was totally going to suck.

“Well, enjoy your shower. I’m glad the spider didn’t bite you,” she said, stepping back. “Hey, since it’s dark and overcast, would you like to watch a movie in my room after lunch?”

“Sure,” I answered. I was glad I still had Courtney and Caleb to keep me company. Having them here would help keep my time and mind occupied.

“Awesome.” She waved and closed the door behind her.

I QUICKLY SLIPPED INTO THE bathroom hoping to avoid any further interruptions. I needed to wash the whole eventful morning off of me.

I stepped into the shower and let the steamy hot water pound down on my aching muscles, and as it did, it melted away the stress and made me feel a bit more relaxed. I scrubbed the blood and grime from my hands and nails, and stood under the showerhead for a good twenty minutes, wishing it would wash away the black and blue on my chest. Unfortunately, bruises didn’t wash away, but they would be gone in a few days.

After my shower, I changed into blue jeans and the long-sleeved shirt, and decided I would first go and check on Kade. Then I’d head down to the kitchen to see what Miss Lily was whipping up for lunch. My stomach growled at the thought.

As I made my way down the stairs, Alaine was exiting Kade’s room. When she turned and her eyes met mine, I saw a mixed look of relief and sadness.

“Emma,” she said, rushing toward me with open arms. I automatically fell into her embrace. She hugged me tight for a moment then stepped back, looking me over. “Are you okay? Are you injured?”

“No, I’m fine,” I said.

“Kade said you were struck by one of the Fallen. Are you sure you aren’t hurt?” she pressed.

I smiled. “Yes. The suit protected me from impending death.”

“Thank God,” she sighed, hugging me again. “Do you want me to check them just in case?”

“No, I promise I’m fine. But thank you.”

“Alright,” she said softly, her eyes still showing concern. “Now, would you care to tell me why you decided to sneak out of the house without letting anyone know? It’s dangerous out there,
especially
during these times.”

“I know. But I had a huge question I needed answered.”

She sighed and rested her hands on my shoulders. “You know you can always come to me or Samuel if you have any questions. We are here for you, and will answer them to the best of our ability or knowledge.”

“I know, but this wasn’t something either of you could answer. I had to go to Midway.” I stared into her deep brown eyes. “Right now, the information I have is for me, but when the time comes, I will share it with you and Samuel. I promise.”

“Oh, Emma. That’s fine, but please promise me you won’t run off again. You need to stay within the protective barrier,” she begged.

“I won’t,” I agreed.

“When you’re ready to share, I’ll be waiting. Did you find the answers you were seeking?”

“I did,” I reassured. 

“Good. I’m just glad you’ve come back to us safely. I’ll have to go tell Samuel you’re okay. He’s been worried sick.”

The thought of their concern brought a smile to my face. They had never stopped loving or worrying about me, and the warm thought settled in my heart.

“Thank you,” I breathed.

“Just promise you won’t do anything that will put you in harm’s way. You and Samuel are my life. If anything happened to you—” Tears pooled in her beautiful brown eyes.

“I promise to let you or someone else know the next time I leave,” I said softly, hugging her.

“Good,” she said wiping away her tears. “Kade is fine. I just stitched him up. Malachi is in the room with him if that’s where you were heading.”

“I was. I just wanted to make sure he was alright. Have you seen Dom?”

“No, I haven’t seen him, but he could be out in the cottage. I’m headed there now to see Samuel. Did you need him?”

“Nope. Just wondering,” I said.

“Alright. I’ll see you later, sweetheart,” Alaine said, kissing the top of my head, before heading downstairs.

I guess Dom hadn’t talked to Kade yet, which sort of put a damper on visiting him, especially with Malachi there. I had a feeling he was going to start the interrogation as soon as I stepped in the room. I didn’t blame him though. Maybe Kade told him I was headed to Midway. But still, Kade didn’t know the reason why.

I stood there for a few moments, debating whether I should go in or not. It was killing me because I was still sworn to silence.

What the hell. I would have to face them either now or later. I just wished Dom had already talked to them.

I walked down the hall and stood in front of Kade’s door, then raised my hand and knocked.

“Enter at your own risk,” Malachi said in a deep, scary voice.

I paused when the door swung open. Kade was standing there, shirtless. My face immediately flushed with heat as I glanced down at his perfect body.

“Emma, you’re back,” he said, stepping forward. It was then I noticed the stitches on his right shoulder.

I gasped. “Are you alright?”

“Totally fine. Especially knowing your back safely. Did Dom take you to Midway?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

“It’s still my duty to make sure you’re safe. I just wish I could have taken you.”

“It’s alright. Everything happens for a reason.”

I was kind of glad Kade wasn’t the one who took me. Knowing him, he would have stayed right by my side, questioning my question. I didn’t really want anyone else to know. And, after talking to Ephraim, I wasn’t completely sure what I was going to do. Becoming mortal would be the easiest path. It would mean freedom from any bond, and would completely set me free from Lucifer and Lucian.

On the other hand, becoming mortal would set me apart from my new family of immortals. Samuel and Alaine would be devastated to watch me grow old and die, way before their time. The only person who would benefit from me being mortal, would be Kade.

In the back of my mind I now wondered about the countless people who would benefit from my transformation. The one burning question was…what would I become?

Even though it was my destiny, I did have a choice. I could either run from it, or embrace it. As much as I wanted to be free from it all, I now had a responsibility. There were lives who were entrusted to me. Lives I had never met, and might not ever meet. And those who were already a part of my life.

Kade stepped forward and reached for my hand. “You have a worried look on your face. Want to talk?”

Those were the words I was hoping to avoid.

“Actually, I’m starving. I was just heading down to see what Miss Lily has for lunch. Would you care to join me?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

A wide smile graced his beautiful mouth. “Of course. I’m hungry too.” He twisted his head into the room. “Hey Malachi, care to join us for lunch?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” he uttered gruffly.

Kade ducked back in for a second and came back out, pulling a tight fitted black t-shirt over his head, then offered me his arm. I happily threaded mine through his and off we went. Malachi followed behind us.

“So did you guys run into any problems on your way to Midway?” he asked.

“Nope. It was all clear from the time we left you and Alex.”

“Did Dom behave?”

“Does Dom ever behave?”

“Good point.”

“Ephraim wasn’t too thrilled to see him,” I said, giggling as I remembered his face as soon as Dom entered the room.

“Yeah, Dom definitely knows how to make friends,” Malachi noted sarcastically. “The worst part is, he enjoys it.”

“I noticed,” I agreed. Dom was carefree and snarky, but those were also some of his best qualities.

“Emma, are you going to answer the burning question everyone wants to know? You know, about why you went?” Malachi asked bluntly.

I didn’t turn back, but instead shrugged. I knew he didn’t care about idle chat. He wanted straight forward answers. I exhaled. “I just needed to ask a few questions, and wanted to hear the answers for myself. It’s something personal.” I hoped that answer was good enough, though it was still vague.

“What question?” He pressed.

Dammit. He wasn’t going to relent.

“There was a reason I left alone and didn’t tell anyone where I was going. If I wanted you to know, I would have already said something,” I answered.

“I didn’t mean to interfere. We’re all responsible for your protection, and it seems you always try and put yourself in harm’s way. It’s like you have a death wish or something.”

“I have to agree with him on that one,” Kade added. “We need to know when you decide to leave the barrier. We can’t protect you if we don’t know where you are.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed. “I wouldn’t be able to live knowing something happened to you and I wasn’t there to help.”

“I know. I’m sorry. But, I wasn’t really alone. I did have some help.”

“Who?” Malachi jumped back in.

“I don’t know. When I prayed for help, I received an answer. The dagger, the suit, and the bloodstone amulet came to me for protection and guidance.”

“While that’s all well and good, those things can’t block a sword to your neck,” Malachi said, huffing loudly behind us.  

“They
did
help me kill two Fallen,” I mentioned with a little bit of pride.

“That’s true, Malachi. I saw it with my own two eyes. She kicked some ass. I’ve never seen anyone move the way she does. It was like she had eyes in the back of her head, and predicted strikes before they even happened.” He squeezed my hand again.

“I missed one,” I sighed, “But the suit did keep me from being impaled.”

Kade’s eyes immediately found mine and he stopped me at the bottom of the stairs. “That’s right. You were in a lot of pain. Do you need Malachi to fix you?”

“No, I’m fine,” I said.

“Emma, it’s no problem. I can take a look.”

“You should let him. It sounded like you broke something,” Kade insisted.

“I did break a few ribs, but they’ve already been mended,” I said, dancing around the reason why.

“How? Even immortals need assistance putting broken bones back before they can heal properly.” Malachi wasn’t going to let this go.

I swallowed hard, not wanting to give an answer, but Malachi was pressing. I closed my eyes and debated, then decided to answer. At least it was one thing I could tell the truth about, even though I knew Kade wouldn’t want to hear it.

“Ethon fixed me,” I said softly, pulling Kade along, trying to avoid any more chatter.

“Wait…
what
?” Malachi snapped. “He’s a healer too?”

“Yep,” I answered quickly.

“That can’t be. All the Nephilim I heard of only have one gift. Look at Alaine. Hers is invisibility and nothing else. Are you sure he’s a Nephilim?”

“Well, he is related to the ruler of the Underworld. That should count for something more, right?” I added.

“I don’t know. Sounds kind of fishy to me. Frankly, I seriously don’t give a damn, unless he crosses me… then things could get ugly.”

“Yeah, that would be a real tragedy,” I acknowledged with an over exaggerated nod of my head.

“Damn right,” Malachi added. “I’ll knock that demon straight back to the depths of hell, in a hand basket.”

“Hand basket?”

“You’ve heard of the saying, ‘to hell in a handbasket’ haven’t you?”

“Yes,” I said, rolling my eyes.

I knew the conversation must have been killing Kade. Ethon could not only fly, fight, and protect me, but he could also heal me. Right now, he had the advantage and Kade knew it.

He looked over to me as we entered the kitchen, his eyes glimmering. “As long as you aren’t in any pain, I’m good with it.” His smile instantly brightened the room and my mood.

“Well, if it isn’t the lovebirds,” Miss Lily welcomed. “And hello, Malachi.”

“Hey, Miss Lily. So what you got cookin’ today?” he asked.

“I’m not really cooking. I’m just throwing together some deli sandwiches, chips, and potato salad.”

“Sounds good to me, and I must say, you’re looking very pretty today,” Kade added.

“Why, Mr. Anders. You really have a way of making this old lady feel nice inside.” Her face lit up with a large toothy grin. “Now, you all head into the dining room, and I’ll bring out the platters in just a bit.”