Origin of Angels: Elemental Legacy Book 1 (39 page)

Heath leaned down to brush a kiss to my cheek. He offered a cross between a smirk and a smile. “Give him a break, Rayla. What would you do if I went missing?”

A tiny laugh caught my attention. I spun in time to see my nephew waddle down the walkway after some butterflies. When I looked back at Travis to see him staring at Emily as if she were his world, I decided to take Heath’s advice.

“Travis?”

“Hmm?”

“We’ll be back at my place. I’m taking Blade with me.”

His head snapped up, and he mouthed thanks.

Blade had made it around a couple corners. He was at the right stage to get into a bunch of trouble. He’d cornered the butterflies, and a few flew in front of him as if playing. All would be fine until he managed to squash one of them,
then look out. Fae things had a way of surprising, and I wasn’t about to take a chance with my family.

When I scooped him up, he studied me, more sober than a child of his age should be. “Hello, Blade. Can you say Auntie Rayla?” His dark brows furrowed and his pudgy fingers found my mouth. I grabbed his hand and pretended to eat it, doing my best imitation of Cookie Monster. He laughed, and I knew I had
him fooled.

Heath took hold of Blade’s foot, jostling it this way and that. His laugh lifted my heart. I gave a challenging glance to Heath. “Race you home?” I held up my hand. “No drifting or cheating in any way.”

He crossed his heart. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

He took off. Blade reached for him and squealed. I rushed to catch up, careful to keep Blade close. We passed Heath, who wasn’t really trying. My nephew decided he wanted my husband and extended his arms in an obvious plea. I handed him over and ran. Heath called after me, so I turned and jogged backward.

“Getting slow, old man,” I said, pumping my brows.

He ran his teeth over his bott
om lip. “I’ll show you slow ... later.”

Butterflies erupted in my belly. I was tempted to give Travis back his son, but I could wait a few more hours to be alone with Heath. Anticipation was half the fun, anyway.

I crashed through the door moments before Heath and Blade. Lifting my arms in victory, I danced around the living room.

Heath shook his head, turning to Blade. “You see what a dork your aunt is? Watch closely. Do not repeat such behavior.”

I punched Heath in the shoulder, then moved to grab some water. I opened the fridge, knowing our food would still be good. Fae technology might be odd, but it was far better than the average human machine. Chilled liquid frosted the glasses as I poured.

Heath took my offering but gave Blade a sip first. His upper lip stuck to the rim. Heath, pro that he was, warmed the area until Blade popped free. The boy rubbed his mouth and frowned. I searched our living room for anything we could use as a toy. I doubted Blade would want to play with pillows, so I improvised. On the mantel was an array of rocks I’d found particularly pretty. I grabbed a few and lit each one with my power. The colors in the stones came to life. Grinning, I handed them to Blade. None were small enough he’d choke should he decide to take a bite. His dark brown eyes widened in awe as he fumbled to keep a grip on them.

Heath stared at me, mouth slightly agape. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

I smiled, but my heart hurt a little. “Plenty,” I said. “We need to hold a council. I don’t think I’m fit for my job. We need someone with more experience leading us.”

He set Blade down, who plopped onto the carpet with the glowing stones. I kept him in view and sat by my husband on the couch. I’d always thought at some point he and I would bond completely, that I’d be able to give him more of my power and potentially provide him the recognition and respect he deserved. I didn’t keep anything back from my thoughts, including the unnatural ache for children which started when I’d found out Travis had managed it.

Heath clasped my hand, lacing our fingers. Gently, he placed a kiss to my knuckles. “If you don’t know by now I don’t care about your power, I have no idea how to convince you. I knew you were different when I asked you to marry me.”

I stared at Blade, not really seeing. “What if I fail?” I asked.

He grunted. “Not possible. You don’t know how.”

He pulled me close until I leaned my head on his shoulder. “I wish I could believe in myself as much as you believe in me.”

He caressed my cheek. “You’d be unstoppable. It wouldn’t be fair to all us schmucks trying to keep up with you.”

Despite my wishes to keep the conversation light, my mind turned to darker thoughts. “Who do you think is killing those girls?”

He played with my hair. “It isn’t Lambert. He knows too much.”

I lifted my head to look at him. The sun beamed in through the windows behind him, casting his face in shadow. Foreboding filled my body. “What do you mean?”

He sighed. “It’s legend, really. Born of the early days of humans when the world was new and the power struggle was in the open.”

I frowned. “Like good and evil?”

His mouth curved in a wistful smile. “There once was sorcery on this world. It was done away with during the flood.”

“You’re speaking Bible talk, right?”

He shrugged.
“More or less.”

I shoved his chest. “Could you answer a stinking question for once in your life?”

Giving me a stern once over, he said. “Rayla, you know I can’t tell you everything I know. It’s against the rules.”

My jaw clamped. I tried to think of a loophole. “But I’m supposed to be one of you now.”

He shook his head. “Don’t think the Creator will let you go so easily.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Whatever.”

He grew serious, bringing his face closer. Right before his lips descended on mine he said, “I know I won’t.”

THE SOUNDS AND SMELLS WERE ENOUGH to make my head spin. No matter what I did, I couldn’t open my eyes for long. Travis ensured me I’d adjust soon enough. I felt as if I were in a dream, and I didn’t want to wake up. As much as I feared for Rose, I couldn’t let myself worry about her right now. Travis had come for me and our son.

My endless nights of trying to remember his face, his scent were hopefully behind me. Valen couldn’t touch me here. Blade was safe. What more could I want?

Travis tipped my chin back, running his thumbs gently over my face. It was a perfect moment in my not so perfect life. When his lips brushed mine, my heart flipped and stuttered. “I’ve missed you,” he said.

I
smiled, grateful I didn’t have to look at him. I didn’t want him to see how much I’d pined away for him. He’d get a big head, and he was already pretty full of himself. “I may have thought about you a time or two.”

He leaned in to place hot kisses against my neck. “Is that all?”

When his lips found my collarbone, I held onto the edge of the bench for support. “Maybe a little bit more.”

Chuckling, he kissed the tip of my nose. “I could think of nothing else. And now, I’m not sure what to do.”

I had some ideas. “Where are we staying?”

“Hmm. Haven’t thought about it. I’m sure Rayla will find a place for us.”

I found the base of his neck and feathered my fingers through his hair. “As long as it isn’t on her couch, I think we’ll be all right.”

His voice held an edge of tension. “It better have two bedrooms.”

I sat up. “Like a place of our own?”

I waited for his response
— and waited. Finally, he said, “Only if you want to, Emily.”

Was there a hint of insecurity in his tone? I tapped my chin. “I’ll think about it, but I’ll have to see it first.”

When I smiled, he wrapped his arm around my waist and hauled me to my feet. He guided me somewhere, but when I stumbled a few too many times, he picked me up. I let my head rest against him, enjoying the warm breeze filled with the most amazing floral scent I’d ever experienced. I’d heard rumors about the fae realm, and I couldn’t wait to see it.

It took a few minutes before we finally stopped. Travis knocked on a door. I recog
nized Rayla’s voice immediately. Though she was Travis’ sister, they seemed light-years apart. Perhaps they were opposites. They certainly weren’t identical. Laughter radiated from Rayla when she ushered us inside.

When I heard Blade babbling in the background, my heart fell at ease. It would take a long time before I would be comfortable leaving him with others for long. Since we were indoors, I tried again to open my eyes. It was manageable. The apartment surprised me. It was humble yet tasteful. Why a woman would choose to live in a small place like this when she had the abundance of Faeresia to work with was bewildering. I offered Rayla a smile when I realized she was watching.

She gave a lazy smile. “Kind of plain, huh?”

“No ... it’s .
.. nice.”

Laughing, she plopped on the couch, and the one they called Heath joined her. The way they sat, so close and comfortable made me think they’d spent years together. I glanced at Travis, hoping someday I’d feel the same way with him. “You don’t have to lie to me, Emily. I’ve been thinking I need to do some redecorating.”

Heath frowned. “How so?”

Rayla’s lips turned in an impish grin, followed by a wink. Something savory wafted my way from the kitchen, so I turned to get a better whiff. It had been several hours since I’d eaten, and for the first time in a very long while, I was actually hungry. Rayla stood. “Dinner is about ready. I’m just waiting on the rolls.”

My mouth watered at the thought, but I couldn’t avert my attention from Heath. Like all fae, he was gorgeous, but it wasn’t why I looked at him. It was the hard expression on his face which held my gaze. He caught hold of Rayla’s hand before she could leave. “I’m waiting for an answer.”

She smirked. “Why don’t you retrieve the information?” Her gray eyes shone with a mischievous light. “I’ve got buns in the oven.”

He said something under his breath, but I couldn’t make it out. “What are you planning?”

She shrugged. “You’ll find out.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“So you have been in my head?”

He grunted. “I can’t quite see the whole thing. What are you hiding?”

She twisted her wrist to extricate herself from his grasp. “We’ll talk about it later. It’s time to eat.”

Travis shook his head. “Why don’t you tell him?”

“It would ruin the surprise,” she said, grinning.

Travis hadn’t lost his contempt. I stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “When you’ve been with Rayla long enough, you’ll recognize when trouble is brewing.”

I picked up Blade, who was playing with some strange glowing rocks, and carried him with me to the table. “She seems harmless enough.”

Travis grunted.
“Yeah. I’m glad you see the problem.”

URIEL MET ME OUTSIDE THE INDIA Buildings. Night had settled, and the bustle of the day was gone. The streets were quiet, as was my companion. I tasked Jett and Taylor to seeing to Luke’s welfare. I had other problems to attend. “The dark ones are supposed to be contained,” I said, irritated with our conversation already. When I learned the old religion had resurfaced, I could hardly believe it.

Uriel crossed his arms and leaned against the stone façade. A position he seemed to like. “They are. I delivered them to the pit myself.” Before I could ask, he said, “None have escaped.”

“You are sure?”

His brows lifted. “You question me?”

Angels were too bloody touchy. “What of the missing girls?”

Uriel looked around, his eyes searching in the shadows. He and I were completely alone. I’d made certain. “The culprit has obtained the information another way.”

“How?”

He sighed. “I don’t know. We’re investigating.”

Good to know. Too bad it wasn’t good enough. “What are you doing to stop the rituals?”

His head cocked to the side as he studied me. “I was under the impression keeping humans safe was your job.”

“Aye, it is. From my kind. Not yours.”

Tension sprang between us. “Who said we were responsible?”

I worked to keep my fists from clenching. “No one I know possesses the rights, mate. Who else would it be?”

His chin dipped. “We should go inside.”

“Evading will not relieve you of this conversation. I will discover who is behind the attacks.”

His countenance changed, and he smiled. “I’m counting on it ... mate. Please come inside. We have much to discuss.”

I didn’t like his building or his secrets, but what choice did I have? It had been thousands of years since I’d personally dealt with angels. They were odd from the moment they were created, and not much had changed. Uriel led me down the stairs and through his operation to a quiet office at the end of a lengthy corridor. He motioned for me to sit, but I waited until he did. The office was sparse. There were no pictures to speak of — no ornamentation at all. Only a desk, a computer, and a couple chairs.