Ivory Guard (9 page)

“
Two against one? Not fair.”

The female
, clad in tight black pants and a very revealing gold top as if she had planned a hot night out, clucked her tongue. There was malice in her eyes and voice. “We’re demons, what did you expect?”

Good point.

Then it was enough with the talk and time to fight. At first her mind was too much into it, overthinking, and making her movements less fluid and sometimes hesitant. At first she had also feared she wouldn’t be able to kill, but in a battle where it quickly became clear that her adversaries really wanted her dead it ceased to be an issue. It was survival now.

W
ith the warmth creeping up her muscles and settling into them, she became more and more aware of her body. As a weapon. Forgetting all the theories and the thinking of what to do, how to do it, she let instinct take over. It was a dance now. Of strikes and thrusts, that were parried and blocked. Weaknesses were revealed and used. On both sides. 

Soon
Lillian was breathing hard. She was still trapped between the two – time to remedy that. When they attacked simultaneously she jumped, willing her wings into being – and although she couldn’t fly they gave her the little extra boost she needed – and she rammed her sword down and into the Ebony’s neck while kicking out with her leg, bringing the female demon to fall.

Lillian chanced a glance at Raz.
Oh boy.

It was like looking into the eye of the storm, complete calm bursting with power. Fluid movements, fast, he was a fantastic fighter and a sight to behold.
But it was his eyes that did it; they were filled with a level-headed serenity that unhinged his opponents and made her heart stumble.

Unfortunately
Lillian didn’t have the luxury to enjoy the show since the woman was quickly back up on her feet, and they started circling each other, weapons raised.

The demon’s daggers had a closer range and had therefore a small advantage over her long sword for which she needed
more distance and space to work with. But she would do with what she had; at least she had most of the clearing by now since Raz had cut down his enemies to one. The Richard Gere wanna-be from earlier had joined in.

They attacked
until nothing existed but the lethal symphony of singing steel. Lillian’s attention focused on the woman before her – mind, body and soul. She was one with her sword, dancing with it. But then she made a fatal mistake. A beginner mistake.

She slid in a puddle of
black blood from the fallen.

S
he could almost hear Raz’s voice echoing inside her head. Even though she never lost sight of her adversary, she had lost it of her surroundings for just one moment. And it could cost her the fight, her life even.

The demon didn’t hesitate and used that moment, going for Lillian as she was on the ground. Straddling her
, the woman instantly crossed her daggers and pushed them down against Lillian’s neck. Lillian almost tsked. The bitch should have gone for her sword first. She still had it and in the last moment managed to put it between them, metal clashing against metal. But the demon was strong and using all her weight to push those daggers down. Even gravity was on her side. Lillian’s arms screamed with the effort. She grit her teeth as the demon leaned in even more.

L
osing wasn’t an option here.

She was too young to die –
and besides, it was downright embarrassing to go meet her maker as a brand new Ivory that was bested by a mediocre demon bitch in her very first fight. That woman wasn’t even an Ebony for crying out loud. With determination and the will to live fueling her, she let her arms loosen up a bit, let the daggers get a taste of her blood. Then she roared and pushed upward with all her might, using the demon’s rash presumption that Lillian was done for and the fight over against her. Lillian shoved her away and rolled to the side, using the momentum to get back on her feet.

White fire sheathed
the sharp length of her sword, which she hadn’t even noticed before. A smile spread across her face. She had done it. The flaming sword. Her lingering gaze nearly cost her.

The demon was up again and attacked, but Lillian was quicker, already moving and swinging her sword in a wide arch. The demon’s head toppled to the ground.

Her adversaries were dead. Her first fight as an Ivory was over.

Maybe it had been a little sloppy but in the end
she had come out on top of it, with her flaming sword in hand. She had killed, yes, but it was a trade - lost souls to save innocent ones. She was surrounded by mess, but deep down inside she knew she had saved lives. And that was a heady feeling. Exhilarating.

Heart knocking with adrenaline, fear exploding into nothingness, and delight in her chest she stared at Raz. He was breathing hard, the muscles in his arms flexing before his sword disappeared, and he was looking at her, with pride in his
piercing eyes and respect.

It was a gift that made it all the more real,
that made her heart swell until there was just too much inside of her. Too many sensations that wanted to explode and needed release. She cried out, a sound of joy about being alive and so much more, before she closed the small distance between them and threw her arms up to embrace Raz.

Her cry of sheer happiness was still ringing in his ears
as she jumped up to give him a peck on the lips. It was meant as a celebratory sharing of their achievement, he knew it. But it didn’t stop the snap of power in the air - or maybe it was in his blood, he couldn’t say - and they both stopped moving, staring into each other’s eyes. The thrill of battle and rush of victory was pumping through them, mixing with something deeper, even more primitive.

She swallowed
and wet her lips. Thought fleeing him, Raz dropped his head and kissed her and all he could suddenly think of and feel was Lillian. Her scent, her body and her warm lips against his.

His arms went around her, pulling her e
ven closer, molding her to him as her legs went up and around his waist, and for one perfect moment there was nothing else but the two of them. No thought to the blood covering them, to the scent of sulfur wafting around them as the dead went up in red flames. Nothing else existed but this new and intoxicating heat burning through his veins. Her mouth was inviting and warm as he dipped his tongue into it. A deep moan escaped him at the unfamiliar sensations and pleasure rushing through him.

In the haze he didn’t even notice that he had moved until her back
was up against a tree. He moved his lips along her jaw, tasting her skin, the healthy sweat, and then trailed a line of kisses from the soft, warm flesh underneath her ear to her collarbone which made her tremble and gasp his name. Fuck. He wanted to hear it again.

In his mind he knew all about
kissing, knew everything there was to know - and used it now - but feeling it, experiencing it was so much more than words could ever express. He could have fallen to his knees.
Or even further
…though merely the whisper of a thought it had the power of a sledgehammer bringing him back to reality with a snap. A cold shower was nothing against the chilling apprehension flooding him.

What the hell was he doing?
He had to get himself back under control, now.

With images of bloody fire and blackened wings flashing behind his eyes
Raz found the strength to pull away, his hand grabbing her knee and setting her back down on her feet. Their breathing was ragged. A look at Lillian, her eyes darker and more alive than he had ever seen with desire, her inviting lips swollen and red from his kiss, made his jaw clench. He silently cursed her for being so goddamn tempting, for making him
feel
this way. Cursed himself for cursing her, since he was the one who had failed.

He took a step back
, but it felt as if he put much more distance between them than that. “This was a mistake and won’t happen again. Keep your emotions under control the next time you’re close to a hellhole. Head in the game, if you don’t want to lose it.”

Her mouth opened on a mute gasp, her eyes wide. Something sharp and hot pierced his heart but he ignored it. Without another word he turned around, wondering whether he would ever forget the shock and hurt
he had put in her eyes.

Suddenly Maion appeared in front of him
, glaring white wings – silently mocking him – and a smile on his face that said he already had a few today. Great, exactly what he didn’t need right now.

His brother looked at him, then at Lillian behind him,
and Raz had no idea how much Maion really saw there. Maion’s best weapon was being underestimated. Downing a few beers didn’t keep him from doing his job and being good at it.

His gaze
was on Lillian as he announced. “The Guard is ready and on its way. They will be awaiting you at the safe house.”

TEN

Back in purgatory the Chevelle pulled to a stop in front of the house. Lillian closed her eyes, which she almost immediately regretted as her brain took her right back to that moment in the woods. Instantly her blood started to boil, as much from desire as anger, and her eyes snapped back open. Right now she couldn’t afford to think about the kiss and Raz and everything that was burning inside of her, and so she forced herself to count to ten inside her head. She needed to calm down for this, for this moment when she would face the people that she would have to train, be responsible for and one day would have to trust with her own life.

Pushing away the
white-hot mess that was Raz in her heart and head with all her might, she didn’t so much as glance at him when she announced, “I’ll need some time alone with them.”

From the corner of her eye she saw him nod sharply.

Then she took a deep breath and got out of the car to walk up the stairs to the house.

Stopping
in front of the door with her suddenly trembling hand above the knob she faltered as doubt and anxiety swept her. She had just come from her first fight and now she was supposed to train others? Her own training wasn’t even finished. There was still so much to discuss and to learn. How could she be responsible for someone else’s life like that? She wasn’t ready, far from it. But standing here outside on the porch wouldn’t change any of it either, especially considering that they might have heard her coming up the stairs.

Taking another deep breath she
reminded herself that she had gotten out of the fight on top today, and that she would simply have to do so again. The shaking hands had come later and were due to something, or rather someone, else. He wouldn’t get to break her down either, she promised herself. She’d come this far. Then, straightening, she opened the door.

“…
still think this is a load of cra–”

The voices
died as soon as she stepped inside and three gazes fixed on her. The girl’s was on the healthy side of guarded and yet curious. Big – probably chocolate – eyes in a beautiful face that didn’t give away anything, she was the observer of the three. From the two guys one was watching her carefully but couldn’t hide the natural friendly smile in his eyes, while the other looked downright weary. The latter was the one who had been talking.

At first Lillian had
resented her dirty clothes and not being able to freshen up before facing them, now she was grateful for the scent of sulfur surrounding her and the black blood splattering across her otherwise sunny blouse. Nothing could hammer home the point better than that.

Unhurriedly m
arching over to the sink to wash the black blood off her hands as if it were nothing more than a rather persistent speck of jam, she simply picked up the conversation where they had left off before she came in. “Well, if that’s the case then the make-up artist, or whatever guy, responsible for the gushing arteries should get a major raise.”

Silence greeted her.

Lillian grabbed a towel and, turning to face them, she added, “And not to forget those responsible for the black-and-white. Oh, and the guy who made those wings for you, too, I guess.” She looked pointedly at the wings the three of them sported.

That elicited a chuckle from
the girl standing to her right. Outside of purgatory Lillian would have guessed her skin to be the color of caramel. Her hair was thick and silky darkness and hit her back between her shoulder blades. She was dressed in rather fancy jeans and top and had a hip propped against the counter.

Pushing away from it
the girl stepped closer, offering her hand. “Hi. I’m Abby.”

“
Lillian. Hi.”

Friendly
Eyes, a rather handsome blonde dressed in jeans and shirt, nodded a greeting. “Matt.” Pockets in his hands, a small grin tugging up one corner of his mouth as he seemed to enjoy the verbal exchange.

Leaning against the counter as well,
Lillian returned the nod before looking straight at the weary guy. Tall, dark hair and dark eyes that were currently shooting daggers at her, he was standing in the middle of the room, stance wide, as if he owned it. A wanna-be arrogant touch to his face and entire bearing.

He offered, a little reluctantly.
“Joshua.”

“Hi, Joshua.
Nice to meet you, too.” She crossed her arms under her chest and cocked her head. “So. For real now. Do you really believe this is just some kind of joke? ‘Cause it’s really not.”

“Don’
t tell me it wasn’t your first thought when they showed up?”

‘They’ were the angels, she guessed.
“Of course, it was my first thought. But there came more afterwards, since reality smacked me in the face and I didn’t have the luxury to stick with that first one.”

Another chuckle from Abby
and Joshua’s eyes darkened, which made Lillian wonder whether this was the right way to go. Rubbing his arrogant nose in his inability to accept their new reality might not be the good move here. However, she wasn’t in the mood to babysit him through it either. She forced her shoulders to relax, rolling them to work out the kinks and knots the fight had left there, then sighed.

“I know this
sounds crazy, believe me, I’ve been there. But I also know that I just killed four demons who were about to snack on human souls. I’m covered in their blood, so sorry for saying that but wake up and look around you.”

He stayed silent, his fierce gaze on her brewing with the battle inside of him. She knew that the moment he didn’t have the audience he would think this through. That was enough for her, for now.

“Anyway, you’ll believe it when you see and feel it. And right now, I’m really feeling it. I hope you don’t mind, but I need a shower. So…welcome Ivorys and make yourself at home. Bedrooms are upstairs, minus the beds though. It’s a little rustic but it’ll have to do for now.”

Even though she was quick about it,
Lillian needed the space and solitude the shower offered. She almost sighed as the hot water caressed her skin. Her muscles were tight with the stress, her body physically and emotionally depleted. The after-fight high had gone in a rush, leaving her a little weary. Though maybe that was partly Raz’s fault as well.

Damn. Those thoughts brought her right back to the kiss.

She wasn’t able to hold back the images any longer and this time she let them flood her. Let them take her through every second of that moment in the clearing again. His scent and taste, the feel of him, of his hard body against hers. Her heart clenched at the sweet memory and ached where the harsh rejection he had dealt out afterwards had cut deeply. The wave of anger that followed was preferable to the pain and so she held on to it.
He
had started it, dammit. If he couldn’t live with the consequences of his actions, it wasn’t her problem. She wouldn’t let him get her down.

Ten minutes later, r
efreshed and dressed in clean, black skinny jeans and top, Lillian walked back into her room, to find Abby sitting on the floor, a book in hand and her duffel bag beside her.

She looked up.
“Hey, mind if we bunk together?”

“Not at all.
I had actually wanted to suggest the same earlier, but I forgot about it.”

“
No problem. I guess if it had been me I’d have hurried to get the blood off as well.”

Lillian grimaced. “Yeah, I still
have the sulfur in my nose.” She held up the bundle that was her bloodied top before putting it in her improvised laundry bag. “And the blood will be hell to get out. A little warning from the angels would have been nice. I’d have brought more clothes.”

“So, this was your first fight?”

“Yup.” Abby moved to get up so Lillian extended a hand to help her.

“Is
it weird that I don’t know whether I want know how it went down?”

Lillian grinned at that but before she could answer a rap on their door had her turning around. Matt was standing in the doorway
, behind him Joshua. “Hey, since we’re all settled in we thought about grabbing a bite. Wanna join?”

After exchanging
a glance with Abby, who nodded, Lillian replied, “Sure.”

The four of them made their way downstairs. “
Though I gotta warn you, our kitchen isn’t exactly well-stocked. Our in-house angel has weird priorities.” She stopped short at the sight in front of her. “And speaking of the devil.”

T
here was a somewhat menacing looking angel waiting for them, and bags filled with food took over most of the counter behind him. In his usual pose of arms crossed over his chest, he looked at her, one perfect brow arched.

“Angel, stargazer.
Angel. Thought we settled that.”

Lillian
stared right back at him, own brow lifted, until the air seemed to buzz with more than just her suppressed anger. Then she remembered their audience and stepped forward. “We both know that’s only wishful thinking on your part.”

She hadn’t meant for
it to be anything else than just another snarky comment they liked to exchange, but she must have hit a nerve. It flashed in his eyes, so quick she barely noticed it – uncertainty – before it was replaced by something hard.

Floored Lillian
continued to stare at him, wondering what the hell had just happened. What had she said that could account for such a reaction?

He pushed away from the
cabinet and moved to greet their new roomies. “I’m Raz. Nice to meet you.” 

It took her a moment, but manners eventually kicked
in. “This is Abby, Matt and Joshua.”

After the introductions were made Lillian took the lead in the kitchen.
She needed the calm of routine, of the scents and sounds, the rustling about and her fellow Ivory crew didn’t mind it at all, especially given the fact that with the exception of Matt they were all the pop-it-in-the-microwave type. She decided to make them pizzas since it was actually something rather easy and quick to do, and thanks to Raz’s recent purchases they had a great many choices regarding the garnish. Lillian settled for pepperoni and cheese, simple but delicious.

They moved into the living room, getting comfortable on the couch and floor around a carton box that served as a table, and just enjoyed the company
and good food and a cool beer.

“Damn. That was good.”
Matt, who was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, patted his belly. “But now that delicious food can’t distract me anymore…I have to say I’m curious. And I think it’s time to share the how-angels-popped-into-my-life-and-messed-it-up stories.”

Raz grunted and Matt shot him a sheepish look. “Sorry, man, but that’s kind of how it went down.” He looked around the improvised table and earned a round of confirming nods.

Raz
shook his head and rubbed a hand across his chin, but a smile curved one corner of his mouth. “I admit we aren’t always smooth about it.”

Abby
laughed. “Ha, that’s an understatement. But I get what you mean. There probably won’t ever be a good way to tell us. Nevertheless, you might want to be a little more choosy about the angels that come knocking on our door. I mean…Maion? Seriously? Come on, he doesn’t exactly inspire much respect, let alone credibility.”

“You got pulled in by Maion?” Lillian asked, incredulous, before she
burst with laughter that rang carefree through the room and was even joined by Raz with a rare chuckle of his.

“Who’s Maion?”
Joshua wanted to know.

“He’s …” Abby
was still laughing and held up a finger to indicate she needed a moment, before she explained, “He’s an angel. Of self-discipline but he has a rather …unique approach to that.”

When Abby snorted again as she fought to keep in the laughter Lillian came to the rescue. “Maion was drunk the few times I have seen him. And he kinda looks like he has just gotten out of bed, in which he slept with his clothes on.
Even the feathers of his wings are rumpled.”

Joshua stared at them.
“A shit-faced angel of self-discipline?”

Th
at one perfect phrase had them cracking all over again.

One by one they shared their stories.

Abby had been jogging, ear buds in and music loud, when she bumped into Maion. He had stood in the middle of the path as if he had somehow expected of her to sense his higher, magnificent presence. He had been quite disappointed when she hadn’t.

Joshua had been
watching a movie when a female angel, who Lillian didn’t know, knocked on his door. She suspected that maybe the macho in him hadn’t liked being told what to do by a woman and maybe that was why he bristled at the whole idea.

As it turned out,
Matt was another one of Maion’s recruits. When Lillian found herself laughing at Matt’s top imitation of the angel, she suddenly realized that her story wouldn’t be as funny.

Automatically her gaze searched
Raz and in his eyes she saw that the same thought had crossed his mind. Since Lillian didn’t want to ruin the mood, she had to try to get out of telling hers. Unfortunately, Abby and the guys would have none of it.