Tempted (8 page)

“
Why would it indeed?”

Sarah shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze. How was it that she felt so vulnerable when he looked at her that way? She had the power to fly, to scale buildings in a single leap, and melt solid matter into dust within seconds. She was indestructible, a force of nature. Why then could one look from him turn her knees into jelly? Why did he make her feel so weak?

Deciding that she’d rather not dwell on the answers to those questions, she moved to brush past him. As she paused in the doorway, his hand came up to brush a golden-streaked lock of hair out of her face. She froze, her eyes locked with his. A tremor passed through her as his hand brushed her cheek before falling back down to his side.

“
I like it,” he said softly.

Chapter 9: Guardians

“
Tell me more about Guardians.”

They were standing out on the fire escape of Jackson’s apartment a few hours later, watching the comings and goings of the people below them. Sarah looked up from the group of kids playing hopscotch on the sidewalk, her eyebrows raised. His eyes were focused somewhere on the horizon, but he was silent, his posture relaxed.

“
I’m listening,” he added.

Now they were getting somewhere.

“
Several centuries ago, a special race of humans were created,” she began. “They appear to be just like those around them but they are different. Each one is born with a gift, an ability that can be strengthened over time. Most don’t even know they have a gift, until something happens to bring it out of them. At some point in their lives, these people are offered the same thing you’ve been offered.”

“
They can be become Guardians.”

Sarah nodded, studying Jackson’s face intently as she continued.

“
Guardians have many purposes, but I honestly don’t know what yours is yet. But I can tell you that it is important. Guardians are a crucial part of the war between heaven and hell.”

“
But how?”

“
Heaven and hell are separated by earth, yet they are constantly interacting with each other through it. It is through earth’s hidden portals that angels and demons travel, moving from one world to the next. Sometimes things are brought through those portals that don’t belong and fall into the wrong hands.”

“
What kinds of things?”

“
Ceremonial objects, weapons, talismans. When those objects are found by the wrong people they can be used to do great evil or what a person might see as great good. It all comes down to what side the person is on, and whether or not they possess any power or knowledge of spiritual objects. That’s where Guardians come in. Some are responsible for retrieving and protecting these objects, from any angel, demon, or person who might try to use them for their own purposes.”

Jackson considered this silently for a moment. Sarah watched him quietly, waiting for the words to sink it. He seemed to be getting it, finally opening his mind up to everything she’d been trying to tell him. He moved from where he’d been leaning casually against the railing and rubbed the back of his neck distractedly, a habit of his.

“
I think I get it now,” he said. “Guardians represent the balance between heaven, hell and earth. The big guy’s way of tipping the scales.”

“
Exactly.”

“
There’s one thing I still don’t understand, though.”

“
Ask me anything.”

“
How is the other side involved? Why is hell targeting me for being undecided?”

Sarah sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose; thinking of the evils perpetrated by her enemies always gave her a splitting headache.

“
Remember the Great Battle I told you about before?”

Jackson nodded.

“
It’s not over. Until the end of time, heaven and hell will continue to fight. Unfortunately, that means that even Guardians are fair game. The Evil One has succeeded in tipping man over to his side; humans, angels, Guardians. No one is off limits, and no one is immune to his powers of persuasion. This is why it is so important for you to make a decision.”

Jackson folded his arms over his chest and hung his head. “There’s just one other thing I don’t understand,” he paused and sighed, his shoulders rising and falling slowly. He shook his head. “Why me? You said that the Guardians come from a special race of humans, but that would mean…”

His head snapped up and his arms fell to his sides. His eyes were wide with understanding.

“
Does this mean…?”

Sarah stepped forward and nodded. “Yes, Jackson. One of your parents was a Guardian.”

Time seemed suspended as Jackson stood on the subway with Sarah at his side. He used his long and broad frame to shield her from the other occupants of the crowded car. Granted, she was an angel who could very well take care of herself, but Jackson still felt the need to protect her from the rambling bums who smelled like urine and the leering perverts with their hands in their pockets.

She stood with her back to him, her eyes focused out the window, watching as the subway’s tunnel whizzed past them. Her back brushed up against his chest every time she swayed, and her hair was giving off some kind of flowery scent. As she turned her head, her shorter hair offered a glimpse of her curved neck. Jackson swallowed and closed his eyes, trying to refocus his thoughts. As it was, they were already running his through his mind as fast as the trembling subway train.

He couldn’t believe such a monumental secret had been kept from him for so long. To have grown up not knowing anything about his father made this an even more stunning blow. Grayson Bennett had left his family when Jackson was only seven years old. He didn’t remember much about the man, other than the fact that he’d also been in the Army and that they shared the same smoky gray eyes. There had to be a connection, some reason why his father had left that tied into what he was going through now. Jackson was willing to bet anything his father was one of those hybrid humans he’d just learned about.

This was why they were on the subway, taking the quickest route to his old neighborhood where his grandmother still lived. She was the only one that Jackson could count on to tell him the truth.

The subway train cruised to a stop and the occupants of their car made a mad rush for the opening doors, jostling Sarah into him. Instinctively his arms came up around her, pulling her tight against his chest as they were pushed from either side by people exiting the car. She turned slightly in his arms, her eyes wide and her lips parted.

Every muscle in his body tightened as her soft form pressed against his. The curve of her hip pressed against his groin, and that floral-smelling hair brushed against his nose. His nostrils were filled with the intoxicating scent, and his head swam from sweetness of it all. The innocence in her wide-eyed stare, the sensuality of her parted lips, and the feel of her pressed so tightly against him…all were enough to flood his senses. Once the doors closed again and the subway was moving along the tunnel, Jackson pushed her away. He wasn’t exactly gentle.

Sarah turned away and continued inspecting the inside of the dark tunnel through the window; he could see her reflection in the glass. Her eyes were focused on something Jackson couldn’t see, and he knew she wondered about whatever it was that had just passed between them. As much as he knew he shouldn’t dwell on it, he couldn’t seem to help it. The awareness that flared in her eyes had mirrored what he’d felt, and it just didn’t make any sense.

He hadn’t wanted to be close to anyone since Iraq. He’d made it a habit to keep people at arm’s length. But when she looked at him with those guileless, hazel eyes, something in him wanted to crumble. Something in him wanted to let her in. It scared the hell out of him.

Chapter 10: Family Tree

Sarah sat in an old, faded but comfortable armchair, cradling a cup of steaming tea in her hands. The two-story townhouse, sandwiched tightly between several others, was the homiest place she’d ever been. There was an air of coziness about the place; it was lived in. It smelled like vanilla and spices, and was warmed by the light summer breeze creeping between sheer curtains.

The furniture was old but plush and comfortable, and the dim lighting was broken only by the soft glow of a few lamps. Pictures lined every wall; pictures of people with wide smiles and twinkling eyes. Her eyes moved over the pictures and paused on the photograph of a very solemn-looking man. His mouth was a firm line and his eyes stared blankly ahead. His military dress uniform was starched to perfection, his medals polished and gleaming. His eyes were the same smoky gray as Jackson’s.

Jackson’s grandmother, Vivian, was a beautiful woman. She’d aged gracefully and showed her seventy plus years only around her eyes and mouth. Her dark eyes glistened behind square-framed glasses. Her lips were tinged ruby red, as were her nails.

As she leaned back in the chair across from Sarah and crossed her legs, she adjusted the hem of her leopard-printed caftan. She shifted and adjusted a few more times until she was comfortable before lifting her own delicate teacup. She stared at Sarah over the rim of her glasses and smirked.

“
Since you’ve come here with one of
them
I can only assume that you’ve finally figured it all out,” she said pointedly.

Sarah gasped. Jackson rose from his own chair, his strangled cry filling the room. Sarah dared a glance at him and grimaced at the expression of shock and horror she found there. His clenched fists trembled at his sides and his jaw worked furiously; Sarah could have sworn she actually heard his teeth grinding together.

She was the first to break the silence.

“
One of them?” she questioned.

Vivian’s smirk broke into a full-blown smile.

“
Child, I’ve been around of enough of you. I can spot an angel miles away, demons too. It’s a gift I’ve had since I was a girl.”

“
You’re an Oracle?”

The regal woman nodded before lifting her teacup. She inhaled the fragrant brew before sipping and sighed with satisfaction. “Sit down boy,” she said without a glance in Jackson’s direction. “I’ll explain everything.”

“
Someone better,” he mumbled as he sank back down to the couch. Sarah felt a twinge of pity for him. His life was changing at a maddening pace, and that was hard enough without the other problems he faced.

“
Oracles are humans with the ability to see into the past and future,” Sarah said to Jackson. “They, like Guardians and angels, have the ability to choose sides.”

Jackson stared at his grandmother with equal parts awe and dismay. “You knew about all of this? You knew what I was all this time and you never told me?”

“
Jackson, the Guardians have been around for centuries, and every one of them has had to discover their destiny the same way you have. There was no way to tell you before it was time. It was for your own good that I kept it to myself.”

“
Well now I know,” he said from between clenched teeth, his eyes narrowed. “You can start explaining now, from the beginning.”

Vivian stood and moved toward a bookshelf. She took down a thick photo album with a floral cover and sat next to Jackson on the sofa. She motioned for Sarah to join them. There was nowhere else to sit but on the other side of Jackson, pressed close up against his side. He gazed at her silently as she lowered herself next to him, her bare arm sliding over his. Her cheeks grew flaming hot and she lowered her eyes to the photo album as Vivian slowly opened it.

Pictures filled every page, some black and white and curling at the edges, yellowed with age. Pictures of men who all bore a striking resemblance to Jackson filled Sarah’s vision. Most of the pictures portrayed the men wearing military uniform. A smile creased Vivian’s features as she stopped and pointed to a picture.

“
You know this guy,” she said to Jackson. As her finger caressed the photo, her eyes creased at the corners and her smile wobbled. Sarah knew the emotion. She’d seen it too many times not to be familiar with it. Love. Vivian had loved this man.

“
Grandpa,” Jackson confirmed with a nod. “I used to love that picture of him.”

“
Yeah me too,” said Vivian. “I was drawn to him like a magnet. We all are, you know. People who are a part of this world that exists between heaven, earth, and hell just can’t help it. We find each other. That’s how it was for your grandpa and me. I would have visions and dreams about this man. Then one day he came into the diner where I was working, all dressed up in his dress uniform. Oh, he was so handsome, just like you.”

“
What was his purpose?” asked Sarah. She hated to interrupt their moment, but curiosity was gnawing at her. “What was his Guardianship?”

“
A Naphil child named Thomas. He was born of that demon scum, Orobas, and a human woman.”

“
Naphils are mixed with angel or demon and human blood, right?” asked Jackson.

Sarah nodded. “They are neutral, just like Oracles and Guardians. They are capable of choosing sides. A child of a demon like Orobas would have been a great asset to hell.”

Vivian nodded. “That’s right. The mother didn’t know what Orobas was until it was too late, and didn’t want him anywhere near the boy. My Matthew was charged with keeping the child out of their reach, and it was a responsibility he took very seriously.”