Shadow of the Sun (11 page)

I walked down the hallway to my bedroom, and they followed me.

“
Aunt Gab-ella.” Jules tugged at my pants. “What are we going to do?”

I laughed at her attempt to say my name. “I’ll show you,” I said and pulled her into my arms.

I placed her on top of my suitcase. “Jump,” I insisted.

Her grin grew wide and mischievous. This would obviously not be allowed at home. She jumped on my suitcase until I was able to close it all the way. When I placed it on the floor, she continued jumping on my bed with Hercules dancing alongside her.

“
Gabby,” Jenna shouted from the living room.

I hated that nickname, but I let it slide because my name could be a mouthful. “Hey. I want to visit with you before you leave. Get your butt in here.”

“
Be good,” I mouthed to Jules, who only giggled and hugged Hercules to her chest.

As I rounded the corner into the living room, Jenna asked, “So why are you going to D.C. again?”

“
You know I can’t—”

“
I know,” she said with a smirk. “It’s all some super secret. You know, sometimes I think Mom goes crazy not knowing what you do.”

I shrugged. “I do research in a lab.”

“
Supernatural research. Whatever that means,” she said in a patronizing but playful tone.

“
One of these days I’ll be able to tell you. It’s not like I’ve ever disco—” I cut myself off. It’s not like I’ve ever discovered anything groundbreaking. Those words weren’t true anymore. “It’s nothing you would be interested in, anyways,” I continued, trying to save myself.

By the look on her face, I knew she didn’t believe me, but she didn’t pressure me. She never did. That was one of the reasons I loved her so much.

“
How’s Adam?” she asked.

“
I guess I forgot to tell you—”

“
That you broke up with him,” she cut in, smiling. “I figured as much. You’ll find someone one of these days, I’m convinced.”

Jenna knew me too well. Men never broke up with me; I always got to it before they could. Sometimes they didn’t want to break up at all, especially the men who still held on to a shred of hope that they’d get me in the sack, but I couldn’t stay with them. It was a curse: I couldn’t find a man worth my time, and I refused to waste my time on duds. Deep down, I believed in true love and refused to settle for anything less. Call me a sap.

As a peace offering for forgetting to tell Jenna about the end of another of my doomed relationships, I didn’t bring up her recent break up.

Her hand on my forearm brought me from my thoughts. “Maybe you’ll find some hot guy in Washington. Aren’t you working with the FBI?”

I nodded.

“
Well, I bet there will be some hunks around.” She winked at me. “Isn’t being tall, dark, handsome, and sexy a prerequisite for joining the FBI?”

I sighed, not wanting to stay on this subject any longer than necessary. Delving into my personal life was not high on my priority list. “How’s your job in Portland?” I asked.

Her smile brightened. “Don’t think changing the subject will save you. But it’s amazing. I love working with all the kids. Plus, I get to spend my days with Jules now that she’s going to school.”

After the tragedy of losing her husband before their daughter was born, it was great to see her happy again. For a long time, she and Jules had stayed isolated. We all worried about her, but she went through the grieving process and decided to move far away from the military base in Augusta, Georgia. Now she worked at an elementary school as a first grade teacher. But even though it had been five years, she still had her down times.

“
You can stay here for as long as you want. I’m not sure how long I’ll be in D.C.” I patted her leg, and she gave me a huge hug. There were so many unspoken words that went into that hug. She knew I was worried about her.

“
If you’re not back by the time we leave, I’ll take Hercules with us. Jules will love that. I just hope she doesn’t get any brilliant ideas about a puppy.” We both laughed. “A trained dog is one thing. A puppy is another.”

There was the soft purr of an engine pulling into my driveway, and I grabbed my jacket and suitcase and gave Jenna another hug. “Thanks for doing this. You’re the best sister in the world.”

“
Don’t go. Don’t,” a squealing Jules said, sliding down the hall in her socks.

“
I’m sorry, sweetie, I have to. Give me a big kiss, and I’ll come back soon with presents.”

After many hugs and kisses from them both, I was on my way to the airport.

CHAPTER
9: HEIGHTS

By the time I arrived at the airport, the rain had abated and the sun peeked through the shadow of clouds. The grounds were blinding as the water-covered asphalt gleamed and shimmered, reflecting the bright orb in the sky like a huge mirror. I put my sunglasses on as I exited the car, trying to deflect some of the brightness. When my eyes focused, I noticed there were roughly thirty people in the immediate area, many of them FBI agents. Karen was among them. The FBI agents watched the airline workers lift the angels’ boxes and carry them into the cargo area of the plane. Karen wasn’t happy about the situation; a frown dominated her features. The look didn’t sit right with her face. I didn’t blame her. Who would want one of their own to ride in the cargo area of a plane?

She must have felt my eyes on her because she turned to face me, her frown instantaneously twitching up into a very affectionate and welcoming smile. I returned the gesture. It seemed almost impossible not to feel cheerful in her presence.

As the airport employees loaded the cargo, Karen barked orders. One guy cowered in fear. I smiled at her exasperated face and wondered if she was stressed. Did angels feel stress? I knew they could feel sadness. Luke’s golden tears ran across my mind. I couldn’t imagine the loss he must have felt at losing not only his sister but his twin.

My driver placed my suitcase next to my feet. “Dr. Moretti.” He tipped his hat.

“
Thank you,” I said. I popped up the handle on my luggage and dragged it across the tarmac toward the plane, hoping it wouldn’t pop open after everything I had shoved in there. The stairs to the plane were down, but this was not a small puddle jumper. It was a huge Boeing 787.

One of the FBI agents came my way. He was tall and very handsome. Maybe Jenna had it right about the whole FBI requirements. His earpiece bobbed as he scampered my direction.

“
May I help you?” he offered, shooting me a dazzling smile.

“
That would be much appreciated,” I said gratefully and grinned at him.

“
My pleasure.”

He lifted my suitcase effortlessly, as if it was feather light. Maybe I could introduce him to Jenna.

“
Ladies first,” he said. His hand rested gently on the small of my back as he led me toward the stairs.

The inside of the plane was not setup as I was used to in a typical commuter plane. There were couches with coffee tables, big screen TVs, and a bar. Most of the couches faced the front of the plane. A hostess smiled at me genially and offered me a drink before I even had the opportunity to sit down. I declined. This was how the FBI traveled? Maybe I had gone into the wrong profession.

The FBI agent helped me put my suitcase in one of the overhead bins and smiled at me, his teeth straight and white. “It was a delight to meet you, Dr. Moretti.”

For some reason it didn’t surprise me that he knew my name. “You can call me Gabriella.” I could feel the blush snaking its way up my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name?”

His smile brightened. “Agent Carter.”

“
Will I see you on the flight, Agent Carter?” Was I flirting? He was delicious in his black suit with light brown hair and his dark-brown mysterious eyes. Plus, the voicemail I had received earlier made me want to venture out. No more drunk, burping men on my voicemail. That was a promise I was making to myself—starting right now.

“
You will, Gabriella.” His eyes twinkled. “You can call me Joseph, by the way.”

He paused to touch his earpiece. I thought it was funny how they all did this when someone spoke to them over the tiny device.

He frowned. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you back here shortly.” He threw me another grin before descending the steps of the plane.

Well, so far this day was faring well—except for all the mystical forces and prophecies being thrown around like beads at Mardi Gras, and the Shadow coming to my office to warn me. I bent to retrieve my book from my purse under the seat, and when I straightened Karen was sitting next to me. “Gah!” I screeched.

“
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Her voice was magically engaging, like a Disney movie. Must be an immortal thing. “Good book,” she murmured.

I put my hand to my chest to soothe my speeding heart. “How do you do that?” I gasped.

“
Now’s not the time,” she said, patting my hand. “Not while there are so many humans around us.” Her eyes darted around the plane suspiciously. Maybe she forgot I was human.

“
Is there a . . . a Shadow here?” I whispered.

Her head snapped in my direction. “Of course not. Did something happen?” Her eyes went wide in alarm.

“
No,” I said hastily. “No, I didn’t see one. But after what the Elders said about Jeff . . . well, I didn’t know if. . . .”

“
Thank gods,” she exhaled in relief. “You scared me for a second. Anyway, I talked to the Ladies of Light before I arrived at the airport, and they placed a charm on the airport to protect us from any Shadows.” Karen put a hand on my cheek. “You’re the imperative one now. You can save us from our never-ending war with the Shadow of the Sun. Maybe those keys will lead us to the answer.” Her eyes searched my face.

“
Who are the Ladies of Light?” I wondered aloud. “I have the keys, but where do they go? Where’s the lock?”

She looked over her shoulder, and her eyes darted around the plane again, then she sighed. “Okay,” she said, her voice lowered. “I can’t tell you everything now, but this is what I can tell you. The Ladies of Light are the protectors of the immortals. They’re fierce, and all angels follow their rules. They’re bringers of light. Even the Elders answer to them.” Once again, her eyes flashed from one side of the room to the other. “And those keys”—she pointed to my pocket—“I’m hoping we can figure out what they go to by waking the—”

“
Hey guys,” Sally interrupted.

My earlier fondness for Sally disappeared in that second. Karen was about to tell me something important, I just knew it.

Karen put her finger to her earpiece. I didn’t think anyone was calling her over the device; I think she just wanted to leave. “I’ve got to go.” She placed her hand on my arm and gave me a stare that seemed to say “keep this between us.” I nodded, and she rose to leave.

“
This is great,” Sally said cheerfully, turning on her phone and angling it so I could see the planner on the screen. “One of the FBI agents gave me the itinerary for the next two days.” She paused, but when I didn’t say anything or react she carried on. “Looks like we have a really busy schedule.”

She described the plans for the next two days, but it was lost on me. Her voice was a low hum in the air as more people boarded the plane. The keys in my pocket were distracting. I could feel them there, like they were calling for me. What had happened to those three angels? Why was the Shadow of the Sun symbol placed around their necks? What kind of power did the Nebulous Sun hold? And why was the Definitive Sun, engraved on the keys, also inside the chest that was marked by Shadows? I wondered if the Shadow chest was in the cargo hold with the angels. My mind was on repeat as the questions spun wildly in my head with no resolution. I needed answers, but Karen seemed just as clueless as me. Okay, maybe not as clueless, but she probably had just as many questions, if not more.

I thought about Luke and his glacial blue eyes filling with golden tears. I wanted to stop those tears, make them go away. The Elders said I could fix this. That I could stop their war. And I wanted to, if only for the sake of seeing Luke’s tears disappear.

“
And I’m dating Bigfoot. There is just something scrumptious about big hairy men,” Sally said, scowling.

“
That’s great,” I replied absentmindedly.

“
And I have eleven toes . . . Are you listening, Ella?” she snapped.