The Four Horsemen (The Light Series) (24 page)

I
am breathless and looking back at Wyatt who looks like he might kill everyone
in the room. I look at Michel, “What was that?”

The
man winks at Wyatt and me and walks away. Michael puts a hand up, “That was a
fallen angel. You can save them. Suck them clean of the sins they have
committed.”

I
step back into
Wyatt,
“They can also ask God for
forgiveness.”

Wyatt
steps in front of me, holding me back with his hands like I’ve done something
wrong. “You can find another way.”

Michael
meets his gaze, “You have no right to speak for her.”

“I
am her husband. I have every right.” I would argue that point but I agree.
He can talk
,
Michael scares me
.

Michael
gives him a look, “Not in God’s eyes. A witch ceremony hardly counts. You of
all
people,
should know that.”

Wyatt
grips me harder, “I know she is my soul mate. I know I will kill everything I
touch if she is harmed. I know I can kill everything in this room. That’s what
I was sent here for, isn’t it?”

Michael
steps back, putting a hand up, “Easy, Nephew. We are among friends and family.
If you say no, then no it is.” He smiles, but I can see his ruffled feathers,
so to speak. He gives Wyatt a look, “No need to think such harsh things.”

The
other angels and witches look shocked. He must have been plotting their death.
Wyatt doesn’t let go of me. His grip doesn’t lessen at all. He grabs harder
even and pulls me from the room. I almost trip, trying to keep up to him. I
pull back when we are alone in the hallway. I am strong again. Whatever was in
the angel was the good stuff. I couldn’t even get a sense of what it was.

Wyatt
looks at me, breathing heavily like he is desperately trying to get control of
his anger. “I am sorry. I am sorry I was a psycho. I shouldn’t have grabbed you
like that.” The words are forced and painful for him.

I
laugh nervously, “Let’s just say that if anyone, ever kissed you like that, I
would gut them like a fish.”

He
nods, “Okay. We’re good?”

I
nod, “Just don’t grab me like that. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know.”

He
sighs, “Me either. I thought you could eat him alive.”

“You
and me both.”

He
looks back at the hallway and opens his mouth. I plant a kiss on his cheek,
“Don’t say it. Just trust me.”

I
grab his hand and walk back to our room. I close the door and go brush my
teeth. The paste is actually paste, made from mints. I look up into the mirror,
jumping back when I see Willow.

I
scowl, ”What’s with you guys and the mirrors?”

She
whispers, “Who else came by mirror?”

“Constantine.”

She
nods, “The mirrors in the white towers are magical. Always have been. The
glass is made by the witches
. They use it to spy. So
Constantine’s in Boston with the fire witches? The earth witches are furious.”

I
nod, “I don’t care. The fire witches have helped me loads.”

She
looks at me in the dress and starts to laugh. I tilt my head, “Not even a
little funny.”

She
laughs harder, “It so is.”

“Whatever.”

She
stops laughing and gives me a look, “You need to get away. I can’t believe I’m
going to say this, but go to the fire witches. They use ancestral magic, it’s
intense and a little bit evil.”

I
look in the mirror, “Is this thing being used to spy on me?”

She
shakes her head, “No. I spelled it. I’m a ghost; it’s not the same thing as a
regular witch trying to see you.”

I
wince, “Constantine made me go to the glass door with the tree of life. They
must have heard him talking to me.”

She
shakes her head, “That’s a special spot. Can’t be used that way. Only dark
magic can use it as a portal.
Air witches are snooty
,
they don’t do dark magic
. You have to run, Rayne. You aren’t
safe there.”

I
nod, “I know. I just figured that out when Michael made me cleanse a fallen
angel.”

She
looks stunned, “FUCK! HE CAN DO THAT?”

My
jaw is on the floor. She snaps her fingers, “Rayne, he can do that?”

I
nod, “You swore.”

She
rolls her eyes, “I’m not a saint.”

I
shrug, “Pretty close.”

“Focus,
Nene. He can cleanse the fallen angels with you? Angels who have no conscience and
are able to do the darkest of things?”

I
nod. She presses her lips together, “Get to the fae. Forget the fire witches,
he is going for the gate. I guarantee it. Get to the fae and warn them.

I
look at her, “About what? What can they do?”

“Seal
the gate forever.”

I
step back. She sees my look, “Hurry. Get out of there and go for the gate. I’ll
get the earth witches to warn the nixie. Leave now.”

I
shake my head, “How?”

She
sighs, “Fly as fast as you can for the ocean. The nixie will catch you and
bring you to the gate.”

“Can
the nixie just warn him?”

She
shakes her head, “He will need to see. To read what you and Wyatt have seen. It
will take that for him to make this decision.”

I
turn and run into the room. Wyatt gives me a look, “What?” I hold my hand out
for him, “Do not think a single thing. Sing a song in your head and trust me.”

He
nods.

I
take his hand and we leave the room. We slip to the room with the tree. It is
the only place I can think of with access to the roof. When we get inside of
the small room, he looks at me, “Are you kidding?”

I
snarl, “Shut up and hum.” I jump into the air, dragging him until he too starts
to fly. We fly up to the highest point on the roof. I look at the ocean and
take a deep breath. I grab his hand and point. He hums and nods. We dive off
the roof at the exact same moment. I can hear the guards behind us when we are
halfway. I hold my body tighter, like a bullet. We are flying for the ocean. At
the last second, we both pull out our wings and float to the surface of the
ocean. I wince as my wings almost rip off from the force. As we enter the
water, we are snatched and dragged down. The
nixie swim
like I have never seen them do before. It is a rough, horrid, short trip across
the ocean. They literally fling us from the water to the shore. The gate
appears as I land, with no desire but to save my friends.

“Think
of saving our friends inside of the gate.”

Wyatt
and I step inside, wings still out.

I
fly for the castle, sailing over the village. When I get to the window ledge
where I had leapt from, I see the fae giving me a dirty look. I pull my wings
in, almost gagging from the last couple of hours of my life and step inside.
Mona runs to me but Gill frowns, “What is happening?”

I
am out of breath and still gagging when I reach him, “You may read my mind,
I
give you permission.”

He
places his hands on me and gasps, “Abomination and betrayal.” He gives me a
look, “Is that true about Michael?”

I
shudder, “I think so.”

Wyatt
is still heaving his breath, “What the hell is going on?”

Gill
gives me a look. He holds my hand
tightly,
“You must
leave the gates now.” He looks at Mona, “Say goodbye, fast.”

Mona
looks at me. Tears stream my face, “I love you.” I want to ask her to come with
me. I want to ask her to be my friend more than she loves him. But I cannot.

I
step to her, hugging her tightly to me. “Be safe, Mona. Please don’t ever
forget me. I think very soon the only place I will live is in your memories, so
please don’t forget me.”

She
sobs, “What’s going on?”

I
look back at Gill but he points and shouts, “RUN!” I grab Wyatt’s hand. I can
see the protest on his face. I
shake my head
,
“Trust me.”

He
grabs me and jumps out the window. We fly for the gates. When we cross over to
the riverbed, he tries to land but I fly higher. We pause for a moment and
watch as the gates crumble onto the earth, turn to dust, and blow away.

Wyatt
looks at me, “What happened?”

I
tremble with the sobs ripping from me, “Michael was coming for the fae. He made
me cleanse the fallen so they may enter the gates and kill the fae. We had to
get Gill to seal the gates forever. Constantine came to me, so did Willow.
Michael is a bad man.”

Wyatt
hugs me to him, “Where do we go now?”

I
sniff, “Boston. The fire witches.”

He
sighs, “Flying or swimming?”

I
make a face, “Neither.”

He
laughs, “Has to be one.”

I
lean into him, “Swim. Nothing can reach us in the water.”

He
kisses my cheek. “I’m sorry about Mona.”

I
nod, “Me too. It hasn’t hit yet. When it does, I know it’s going to be bad.”

“Where
is Michelle?”

“The
whole Constantine and the vampire army
is
Michelle and
Stella.”

He
sighs, “Wow, rough friend week.”

I
nod, “Rough friend week.”

We
drop into the water, letting the nixie comfort us as they drag us across the
Atlantic Ocean for the hundredth time. I wonder why they never get tired of it
all? Why they never say
no?
Why they don’t just sink
into the dark shadows of the water and never surface again. I would if I could.
I look up at the light of the sky high above us and know it isn’t the truth.

I
wouldn’t even if I could.

God
believes I can save the world, so I have to try.

Maybe
that’s why they do it too.

Maybe
we are all doing our little part, and one day it will make sense, and it will
be worth it.

Today
is not that day, and I doubt it will be tomorrow. But today I have friends and
I have Wyatt, and in my heart, I have Willow and Mona. My heart is full and I
am safe, and for today that has to be enough.

Stay tuned for the final novel in the Light Trilogy due in
2014