Redemption (13 page)

Luscid moved closer to Cassidy. Her head perked up, sensing his movement. Bastion was amazed at how in-tune with one another they were. He saw the other angel’s face harden, his expression one of readiness. His green eyes glowed again, and his hand was resting on the handle of his knife. Bastion knew that if Mara tried anything, she’d find herself up against a formidable opponent in Luscid.

His eyes drifted back to Bryan and narrowed. He watched him raise his glass to his lips, pause, and take a long drink. Something was wrong with whatever was in that glass.

“Luscid! It’s in the food!” he called.

Cassidy’s head snapped in the direction of Bastion’s voice. Her eyes widened, and she dropped her pizza as though it were poisoned.

“Cass, are you okay?” Carrie asked.

“Uh, yeah. I’m just not very hungry anymore,” she answered. Her hands were shaking.

Luscid put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. “Not yours,” he whispered. “His.” He pointed across the table.

Cassidy saw it now. Bryan’s eyes had a strange, distant look. His motions seemed mechanical. Something had happened to him. She wasn’t sure what was in the food or how it had gotten there, but Bryan needed to stop consuming it, and fast. As he raised the pizza to his lips, she leaned forward to knock it from his hands.

Bastion flashed over to stop her. He shook his head and put a finger to his lips. Slowly, deliberately, he put both of his hands on Bryan’s shoulders. Closing his eyes, he began to speak quietly in a foreign tongue. The stone in his ring blazed with color. Brown and white encased them both.

When Bastion opened his eyes again, she saw Bryan’s begin to clear. He put the pizza down and lifted his face to meet Cassidy’s. The expression she saw there made her heart ache for him even more. Although she knew that what his angel was doing was helping him, she also knew that whoever or whatever had wounded him had done serious damage. She touched her own stone and clenched her jaw. Couldn’t he just get a break? Between his broken heart and this demonic torment, Bryan was being torn to pieces.

Bastion took a deep breath and released Bryan’s shoulders. Luscid did the same with Cassidy. She picked up her plate and excused herself. Once in the kitchen, she spun to face Luscid.

“What on earth was that?” she hissed, dropping her food into the trash. “I’ve never seen you or any angel do something like that.”

“Shh,” Luscid cautioned her. “Bastion had to shield Bryan. I told you, evil forces have attached themselves to him. This particular demon likes to control her victims in many ways, lotus powder in the food or drink keeps them in a stupor.”

“But that light. It came from his ring. Does your stone, my stone, do that, too?” Cassidy’s voice was shaking, and she was struggling to keep it at a whisper.

“Yes. When necessary, the Maker’s power can flow through them,” he paused. “Bastion asked the Maker for more ability to drain the demon’s poison from Bryan.”

“So, it’s all gone now?” she asked.

“No, he has to still choose for himself, Cass. He still rejects the Maker.”

Cassidy frowned. “Yes, I figured that. Lu, who
is
after him? You said she.”

“He has power inside him, Cass. The darkness wants it, and since they lost Miranda,” he arched a brow, “let’s just say that they’ve stepped things up with this one.”

“But he’s so broken. Did the demon do that to him?” More than her voice was shaking now. Cassidy crossed her arms to keep herself steady.

“Yes. He also did it to himself. It’s the girl, Miranda. He’s still torturing himself over her.” Luscid sat on the edge of the kitchen table. “I know you want to help him. You’re so full of compassion and kindness you can’t help yourself. This is why I warned you to be careful.”

“Listen, Lu. I know the power that is in me is greater. The Spirit resides in me, and no demon can stand against Him. I’ll be fine. I can’t let him fall, Lu. I can’t.” Cassidy shook her head, her eyes welling with tears. “He deserves more.”

Luscid opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by the sudden appearance of Bastion.

“He’ll be okay. Don’t let him wear the Tiger’s Eye pendant, Cassidy. Try to get him to wear this.” He handed her a leather cord with a brown and white stone suspended at the end. “It’s Sardonyx. Like your Aventurine, it is his stone, matching mine.”

She turned it over in her palm, watching the way the colors swirled together. “I’ll do my best,” she said, wiping away a tear.

“Bryan responds to you,” Bastion began. “If you ask him to, he will wear it.”

“I said I’ll do my best,” Cassidy snapped. “Listen, I need to get back in there. Everyone is going to be suspicious of why it’s taking me so long to throw away a half-eaten piece of pizza.” She opened the door to the refrigerator and took out a bottled water.

Bastion stopped her as she tried to walk past him. “You’re a pure spirit, Cassidy Baker. I didn’t mean to offend or upset you.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Bastion, right?” When he nodded, she continued, “I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed, and I know you’re only doing your job. I’ll make sure he wears it. Catch you later, Lu.”

“She’s pretty incredible,” Bastion said.

“Yes,” Luscid agreed, “she is. More than you know.”

Cassidy returned to the living room and sat beside Carrie. When her cousin mouthed
‘What took you so long?’
, she just shook her head and put up a hand to quiet her. Carrie squinted. She didn’t like when things were kept from her. Cassidy knew she’d have to explain later. For now, her concern was Bryan.

And getting him to accept this stone.

She grimaced. He barely knew her, they spent a few hours together, and now she had to find a way to make it seem normal that she had this gift for him.

Thanks, guys
, she thought, casting a glance toward the wall where two angels stood, arms crossed, watching over them.

They smiled at her, both looking amused despite the seriousness of their situation.

Bryan looked crushed again. Cassidy really hated whoever had done this to him. For a tiny bit today, she swore she’d been able to see some light return to his eyes. Now, they were dull gray again. If this stone would help, she’d put it on him herself if that was what it took to make sure he wore it.

“Cass, you okay?” Nick asked. He’d been watching her.

“Sure, fine.” She forced a smile. “Let’s put the movie in. I’m getting kind of tired, and I don’t want to fall asleep before it finishes.”

He picked up the remote, navigated his way to the On Demand movie choices, and looked at the girls. “Well, romance, comedy, or action?”

“Romance,” Carrie answered.

“Comedy,” Cassidy suggested.

Nick went through the options. “Romantic comedy,” he said, proud of the compromise.

He and Carrie snuggled together on the couch. Cassidy chose the chair and ottoman. Bryan sat on the floor on the end of the couch opposite the two lovebirds. The seats they’d chosen said a lot about where they were in life.

Together or alone.

Cassidy got up and plopped down next to Bryan, surprising him. She smiled.

“It’s more fun to watch with someone, don’t you think?” she asked.

“Thanks, Cass,” he said quietly.

She leaned closer and whispered, “Not a problem, my fake-date-friend.” Her blue eyes twinkled.

From the couch, Nick and Carrie turned their attention from the television to watch what was happening between the two seated on the floor. Carrie smiled. Nick frowned.

 

S
aturday seemed to drag on forever. Cassidy woke up to her aunt making her breakfast, gifts on the table, and a day of pampering. Although it was all wonderful, she just wanted to fast forward to dinner, wear her dress, and maybe even dance to a song or two.

Now she was a little more than one hour from the big birthday celebration Carrie had planned. She stood in front of the mirror in her bathrobe. Hair up? She fussed with some possibilities. Hair down? Straight? Curled? Too many options. Cassidy couldn’t decide what had her more nervous - seeing Miranda and meeting Derek or facing Bryan.

She looked at her manicured nails - another gift from her aunt and uncle - at the dress hanging against the closet door, at her reflection...and groaned. Today was her thirtieth birthday. When would she stop being so self-conscious?

Probably never.

Cassidy sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window. The sky was gray, which made her think of Bryan’s eyes and how sad they looked the night before. Then she thought about her parents.

“Wish you were here, Mom and Dad,” she said to the empty room. “I could ask you what to do, and you’d know.”

Of course, she could pray about it. Luscid would tell her that she’d get all the answers to all of her questions by doing that. And she did pray for Bryan last night before falling asleep. The emptiness of his eyes had kept her awake long after he left. She considered how his face always seemed to find its way into the forefront of her mind. It was only that she worried about him. There was no way she was falling for him. Not after only two days. Not when he was still in love with someone else.

Having decided to wear her hair down so she could avoid freezing her neck, Cassidy began to brush it out. She’d add some loose curls to it. That would compliment the dress. She touched the stone she always wore around her neck. Since Luscid had given it to her, she’d never taken it off. Bastion’s stone lay on the table beside the bed. She picked it up and squeezed her hand closed around it. Tonight. She’d give it to Bryan tonight.

Last night she’d caved to her nerves.

Annoyed with herself, she finished her hair, did her makeup, and slipped into her dress. As she stood before the mirror, she smiled. She looked better than presentable.

“Whoa!” Carrie’s voice interrupted the silence. “You look incredible, Cass!”

She narrowed her eyes. “You sound surprised.”

“No. Being beautiful runs in the family. We have good genes.” Carrie laughed.

Cassidy smiled. “Yes, of course. When they see us, the boys won’t know what hit them.”

Carrie smoothed her dress and sat on the bed. “I noticed you and Bryan seem to be getting along well.”

“Just friends, Cousin,” Cassidy said quickly.

“Uh-huh. Just have fun tonight, okay? You deserve it.”

“I’m nervous about the Miranda Factor,” Cassidy confessed, chewing a nail.

“Stop doing that to your nails,” Carrie paused. “Miranda Factor?”

Before continuing, Cassidy let out a slow breath. “He’s going to have a hard time seeing her. Don’t you think that it’s kind of mean to put them in the same place?”

“Bryan will be fine.” Carrie waved her hand in the air dismissively. “He has you.” She smiled wickedly.

“Just friends,” Cassidy repeated firmly.

Carrie winked. “Uh-huh. See you downstairs.”

 

Bryan straightened his tie. He’d gone with the black suit, white shirt, black tie combo. Sleek, simple, classic. He picked up the small box with the pink wrapping paper and tucked it inside his coat. Going without a gift was in poor form. Besides, he was Cassidy’s fake-date, and dates don’t show up empty-handed.

It was all part of the game. That’s all. Really.

The fact that he hadn’t used a dime of Mara’s money to buy it meant nothing.

He thought about how Cassidy had moved to sit next to him at the start of the movie. It was as though she had some inner sense of exactly what he needed and acted on it, just to make him feel better. No strings attached. No games. Just sincere caring.

What was he just thinking about a game? He kicked himself.

Miranda’s face appeared before him, and he swallowed hard at having to see her again after the months he’d spent avoiding her. The stone from Mara beckoned him. It would be easy, he suddenly thought, to spend the night drowning his sorrow in a multitude of drinks. Enough alcohol, and he could forget it all.

Just give in,
he could hear Mara’s voice.
Why torture yourself?

It was enticing, the numbness that her memory promised.