Night Angel (Angel Haven) (22 page)

****

James shook her the next morning as sunlight sparkled throughout the cabin. “Wake up, Angel. Someone’s coming.”

Dayla took to the air as Karen jumped to her feet, staring at the door. “Is it Troyington?”

James shook his head. “We don’t know. We can’t get a good look.”

She laid her hand on his shoulder. “Stay inside. Keep everyone away from the windows. Check out back just in case whoever it is isn’t alone. And lock the front door when I leave.”

James nodded as Matt took off for the back of the cabin. He opened the door just wide enough for her to squeeze out, then pushed it shut, clicking the lock.

Karen, people are starting to leave town. They could be coming your way,
Rena said telepathically.

Understood. Do what you can on that end. I’ll take care of things here.
Karen stepped off the porch while she was in contact with Rena. She turned to the fairy hovering by her head. “Dayla, get the wood folk. This is it.”

The tiny fairy took off as Karen ducked behind a large tree, watching the intruder’s shadow approach.

Close enough, she thought. She sprung out, struck his chest, then knocked him to the ground with a leg sweep. “Wrong cabin, buddy.”

Randall groaned from the ground and rubbed his chest. “Remind me never to startle you.”

Karen’s hands flew to her mouth. Randall was here! He was safe! She threw herself on top of him, straddling his lap. Grabbing his shirt, she kissed him fiercely.

“Where have you been?” she demanded. “I was scared something had happened to you.” She kissed him again, feeling him respond favorably to her greeting.

He grinned, holding her by her waist, running his thumbs over her ribs. “I went to call the guardians. They’re in the town. They’ve told Caledon the children are free.”

She pushed his hair off his face. “We need to go inside before the children get an impromptu demonstration of Sex Ed.”

He winked at her as his hands moved slowly upward to brush against her breast. They barely got in the door when Randall was mobbed by the werewolf children.

James came away from the window, clasping Randall’s hand before allowing himself to be pulled into a tight hug. James stood back, his face serious.

“Troyington’s coming,” the teen said. “And he’s not alone.”

Chapter Twenty

Troyington, Cray, and Harmon strode across the front yard with about twenty men from the town, splitting off to circle the building. The sheriff marched behind Troyington toward the cabin.

“Come out with your hands up, Dupré,” Troyington called. “The sheriff is here to arrest you for the murder of Edna Strathmore.”

Karen turned to Randall and he nodded, confirming the accusation. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Karen squeezed his hand. “I understand. When you told me what was happening, if I had been there, I would’ve killed her myself.”

Randall gave her a quick smile before turning to stare out the window. “I’m going out there.”

“Are you crazy?” Karen asked. “They’re going to kill you.”

James walked over. “The Angel is right, Guardian. You can’t go without us.”

Randall smiled at James, then turned to Karen, laying a hand on her cheek. “I wasn’t planning on being alone for long. When they approach, you, James, and Matt come out. Nikki, you and Owen stay in here with the kids.”

Matt slammed his fist into his open palm. “Is it finally butt-kicking time?”

Randall gave him a thumbs up. “Yes. Today, all this ends.” He pulled Karen close to him, kissing her hard. “Let’s have the end to our story.”

“Please be careful,” she whispered.

He grinned. “I’m always careful.”

Karen elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “Sure you are.”

“Come out, Dupré,” Troyington called again. “This is your last chance for this to end peacefully.”

Randall stepped out on the porch, his hands at his sides. He strolled over to Troyington and the men around him. “It’s over.” Randall nodded to the group behind him. “Take your men and leave. The children are with me, and they’re safe. I’m no longer bound by the contract I signed.”

Troyington stepped closer to him. “Look around you. As always, I’ve got the superior position. My men outnumber you.”

Randall smiled, glancing at the woods surrounding them. “Maybe.”

Troyington shoved him. “There’s no maybe about it. Give me the brats, and you and your soul mate can leave. Isn’t that what you want?”

“What I want,” Randall said, “is to see you pay for the crimes you’ve committed against the northeast pack. Let us take them home before you get hurt.”

Troyington picked at invisible lint on his jacket. “I’ve got many scientists that would be interested in werewolves and gargoyle hybrids. You and the pack aren’t leaving here except in cages to go to labs across the country.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Randall said, glancing over his shoulder as Karen, Matt, and James came out to stand behind him. “But you’ve chosen how this is going to end. I almost pity you. You have no chance and no clue.”

Cray hefted the cold iron bar in his hands. “Now can I kill him?” Troyington waved him ahead. Cray pointed the bar at Randall. “You’re dead, southern boy.”

He charged Randall, raising the bar high over his head before bringing it down quickly. Randall dodged away from the blow, slamming his fist into Cray’s stomach, dropping him like a stone. “And you’re stupid.”

Cray grabbed Randall’s ankle, pulling his leg out from under him. As Randall hit the ground, Cray brought his fist down hard on his chest. Cray’s face twisted into an evil sneer as Randall gasped for breath. The two struggled to their feet and separated, eyeing each other.

****

Karen watched as Randall faced off with the bigger man. Suddenly, she saw something black move out of the corner of her eye. Before she knew it, blackbirds swarmed over them, diving at her and the two teens.

“Guys!” Karen cried.
“Look out!”

Karen pointed to Harmon standing near the trees. “Harmon’s in the back. We’ve got to stop him!” She saw the wood folk emerge, heading straight for the men circling the cabin. She felt the familiar nudge of telepathic contact.

Karen,
Rena called through the telepathic link.
Mist, Metamorph, and I have stopped a lot more of the people here from leaving town. Do you need help where you are?

Not yet. Just keep things under control there. I’ve got help here.

“Harmon’s mine,” James said, then fully shifted, his eyes never leaving the stable master for a second as his lips drew back over long teeth, and he growled deep in his chest. He sprang forward, heading straight for the stable master. Animals tried to stop him as he bowled over the larger ones, ignored the smaller ones, and leapt on his target in a fury of brown and silver fur.

Karen glimpsed Troyington move in behind her and swing at her head. She pivoted, throwing her arms up, blocking his punch. Sweeping his arm aside, she countered with an open palm strike to his chest, staggering him back.

She shook her head. “Hitting from behind isn’t nice.” She swung her leg around in a roundhouse kick, silently swearing when he dodged it. His arm came around for a strike she barely had time to block.

He grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her and leaned close to her ear. “All this resistance for nothing. If we win, you’ll be dead. If you win, my men will burn the cabin with the wolves inside.”

She turned to him, her face inches from his. “Bradford, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time now.”

He smiled at her, making her skin crawl. “Oh? And what would that be?”

She stomped on his instep, then rammed her elbow back into his solar plexus. As he fell to the ground, she stood over him.
“Stop touching me!”

A yelp of pain to her right drew her attention from Troyington. James, bleeding heavily from a knife wound on his shoulder, had Harmon on the ground. Karen started over to him, but Troyington grabbed her leg, yanking her to the ground as he drew a slim dagger.

“I brought this to deal with Dupré,” he panted. “It’ll do the job on you too.” He swung it in a wide arc, grazing Karen’s arm. She cried out and he smiled, a maniacal gleam in his eyes as he brought the blade down. “It causes you the same pain as Dupré? Good.”

Karen grabbed her arm, the pain from the blade excruciating, making her eyes water. If it hurt her this badly, what did Randall feel from it?

****

Cray twirled the bar in his hands, giving Randall a condescending look. “I guess this is it.”

Randall nodded. “I told you before, there’s not going to be enough of you left for people to mourn over. I mean to keep that particular promise.”

Cray laughed. “Still talking the big talk. Come on, then. Let’s see if you can do it.” He swung the bar at Randall’s head.

Randall threw his arm up, crying out when the cold iron seared his flesh, breaking the bone. He held his arm close to his chest, ducking under Cray’s next swing, then kicked him in the crotch, smiling as the big man grabbed himself and fell to his knees.

Cray glared at him as he climbed to his feet, and swung the bar again, this time connecting with Randall’s side. Randall cried out again, feeling flesh burn and ribs break. He hadn’t thought Cray would fight this long or this hard. The man was a
coward
. Where had the steel in his spine come from? Cray jabbed him hard in the chest, and Randall felt his skin bubble through his shirt.

Randall slammed his head into Cray’s face, breaking the bigger man’s nose. He kicked out, catching Cray in the knee. Cray rained down blows with the cold iron bar, driving Randall to his knees. The pain seared through his skin, feeling like it was burning his soul.

Randall gritted his teeth as he yanked the metal bar from Cray’s hands, feeling his skin bubble and seeing smoke rise from his palm as the metal burned him. Blood dripped from his hand as his eyes watered and he clamped his teeth together to stop the scream building in his throat. He slammed it down on the big man’s skull again and again until Cray quit moving. Throwing the bar down, he drew a ragged breath as he looked at the damage he’d done to himself. Randall heard a moan from the ground and turned as a blur of black and gray fur streaked by him.

Randall watched the werewolf make short work of the big man and smiled. “Good job, Matt.”

A sparkle of sunlight to his right caught his attention. He turned, seeing Troyington stab at Karen. “No!” He ran toward them.

Randall saw Troyington’s head snap up, and the rich man’s eyes widened. In that split-second, Randall tackled him, taking both of them to the ground. Randall rolled out of it, rising to one knee and cradling his arm while Troyington climbed to his feet.

“Damn you!”
Troyington screamed, driving the cold iron blade into and down Randall’s chest, ripping open his flesh in a jagged cut. Randall fell to his knees before crumpling to the ground as Troyington ran for the trees.

“No!”
Karen shouted. She dropped to the ground next to him, laying his head in her lap. “Someone, anyone, over here!”

Raesheen appeared next to her. “Great Mother Earth, not him.”

Karen grabbed Raesheen’s sleeve. “He was stabbed with a cold iron blade. Do something!” she begged. “Help him!”

Raesheen waved Matt and James over. “Take him inside. Be gentle now.”

They carried Randall to the small bedroom. Raesheen ripped his shirt open so she could see the wound. The edges of the knife wound had already begun to blacken as the rest of his skin blistered. She shook her head. He must have taken a lot of damage in the fight with Cray for the black to spread so quickly.

“He’s got cold iron poisoning.” Raesheen looked up at Karen. “I need help. Stay with him. I’ll return soon.” The dryad ran from the room.

Karen took Randall’s hand, kissing his knuckles. “You can’t leave me,” she choked out. “You promised me you wouldn’t be dumb enough to get yourself killed.”

Raesheen returned a few minutes later, followed by a gnome with leathery brown skin and white hair that stood out in every direction from his head. The dryad laid a pile of herbs on the table next to the bed. She gestured to the gnome. “This is Gizel. He’s the best healer in the realm.”

Karen stared at him. “What can I do?”

Gizel stared at her, narrowing his eyes. “You and the guardian are soul mates?” She nodded. “And you’ve shared power?”

She nodded again. “Yes. I can feel his power in me. It’s so dim. I’m afraid.”

“No,” Gizel barked. “No fear. When I tell you, call the power forth and pour it into him. You understand?”

Karen nodded, opening her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

“Good.” The gnome turned to Raesheen. “The salve must be very strong this time. Stronger than any you’ve made before.”

Raesheen bowed to Gizel. “Give me a couple of minutes.”

Karen watched Gizel as he examined her soul mate. He muttered to himself as he checked the severity of Randall’s injuries. The black around the wound was spreading, making him check frequently for the dryad.

Raesheen finally entered, carrying a large bowl with both hands. The rising steam filled the room with a pungent, yet sweet, scent. She stood next to Gizel, who spooned a large glob of the concoction onto Randall’s chest. He smoothed it into the wound while muttering an incantation, making the salve glow pale pink. He took what was left, spooned some onto Randall’s hand, and repeated the incantation.

He sat back and looked at Karen. “Call the power. Keep him with you no matter what. I’ll be back before sunset.” The gnome turned on his heel, waddling from the room.

Karen pulled up the power in her, touching his mind as she did. She poured the power into him like she had before. “You’d better be in there,” she told him.

He was, but silent.

Pain filtered into her mind from him. She welcomed it. If he was feeling pain, then he was alive. She pulled more of it into her, trying to take it all from him. She could see her silver dragon fold around his pale purple gargoyle, cradling it in its coils.

She stroked his hair, placing a small kiss on his forehead. “You can’t leave me now that we’ve won. You promised.”