Wicked Edge (16 page)

“You won’t be dying unless the ones back in the castle don’t get Ganymede under control.”

Okay, he was crazy. “Uh, big wave coming our way?” She glanced at the massive wall of water. It was almost here. And no matter how calmly she wanted to meet her end, she couldn’t control the mad pounding of her heart, the need to try to run from death.

Zane looked away from her to face the incoming wave. He didn’t lift his arms, he didn’t chant, he didn’t do anything she’d expect a sorcerer to do in a last-ditch effort to survive. He just stood there. But even in her human state, Passion could feel the immense
something
flowing from him.

She looked up, up, up at the towering wave about to break over them, over all of Galveston.

Then…

The wave went away.
It freaking just went away! One minute it was there, and then only a few gentle swells reached their feet. It was as though the wave had never been.

Passion breathed out on a shocked hiss. She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding her breath. “What?” Words weren’t coming easily. “
What
did you just do?”

He didn’t answer her. He started to walk away.

She ran after him. “Oh, no, you don’t. You don’t get to be Mr. Mysterious this time. What. Did. You. Do?”

Zane didn’t stop walking, and he didn’t look at her, but he did give her an answer.

“I made the wave go away.”

“How?

“Magic.”

“You’re human. Humans can’t do stuff like that.” Even black magic shouldn’t have that kind of power.

His laughter was soft and mocking. “You’re right. I couldn’t have stopped the wave. So I guess you didn’t just see what you thought you saw.” He glanced at her one last time. “Oh, and I suppose I also didn’t wipe the minds of everyone who saw Ganymede doing his thing back at the castle.”

“Why?” Her question was only a whisper.

But he heard her. “I have another two weeks of vacation time. I didn’t feel like finding someplace else to stay.”

Passion stood frozen in place as she watched him climb the steps, weave his way between the cars, and disappear toward the castle.

Then she was running. She would live! They all would live.
Please, please let Edge be okay.

•   •   •

Edge felt like a dry husk, the last of his power draining away. Any minute now the squid’s tentacles would fall away from Ganymede’s mind, freeing him to destroy again.

Someone must’ve taken care of the tsunami, because it hadn’t swept everyone and everything away yet. He didn’t have the energy to figure out who would have that power.

The gargoyles had stopped roaring, but he hadn’t heard shrieks of agony as they annihilated people. So that must mean Holgarth had succeeded in shutting them down.

Where the hell was Hope? And more importantly, to him, where was Passion?

He almost lost his focus as someone stepped to his side. Dacian spoke quietly.

“I finished helping Holgarth put the gargoyles back to sleep. Figured you’d need a shot of power about now. Bain looks done for the day.”

“Yes. Now.” Edge felt the instant relief as Dacian’s power flowed into him. It wasn’t much. Taming the gargoyles would’ve drained some of it, but he needed everything he could get. “Have you seen Hope or Passion?”

“Yeah. Passion woke me, and then she ran off looking for Hope.”

“Damn. I told her to stay close by so that one of you could keep her safe.” From the edge of his vision, he saw Dacian wrapped in a blanket. The vampire had pulled it forward over his head so it shadowed his face.

“Oh, and Hope is standing in the doorway.”

“What?” Edge risked a glance toward the great-hall door. Sure enough, Hope stood there looking worried. “Why the hell isn’t she out here trying to help?”

Dacian shrugged. “That’s what I asked her. She gave me some story about Archangel Ted forbidding her to help any of the cosmic troublemakers. So there she stands.”

“I never killed an archangel. Maybe it’s time to experience the thrill.” Edge couldn’t believe Hope would allow thousands to die rather than disobey dickhead Ted.

God, he’d gone through Dacian’s power fast. Edge could already feel himself fading again.

“Bain said you needed help.”

For a moment, Edge didn’t recognize the voice behind him. Then the man stepped up beside him even as Dacian moved away.

“Murmur?” He only hesitated for a moment. He didn’t know why the demon was willing to help, but without a shot of something powerful, Edge was done. He nodded.

Murmur put his hand on Edge’s shoulder, and the surge of power was like nothing he’d ever felt. Somewhere in the part of his mind responsible for keeping track of things, Edge made a note that the demon just might be powerful enough to twist the minds of cosmic troublemakers.

“Passion’s here. She’s arguing with Hope.”

Dacian sounded relieved to see Passion. Edge must not be the only one worried about her. He suppressed a flicker of jealousy. Stupid emotion.

Just the thought that Passion was near kick-started his morale, which was at low tide right now. He’d always thought he had a shot at taking Ganymede in a fight. Not now. Ganymede’s power was a roiling cloud around him, just waiting until Edge’s strength gave out.

“Wow. Passion just knocked Hope on her ass. Now Passion is on her way over here.” Dacian laughed. “Angels are more fun than I thought they’d be.”

“No. She can’t come near Ganymede. There’s nothing she can do to help.”

“I don’t know about that. Check it out.”

Edge just managed to turn his head. What the hell? Passion had Holgarth’s staff in her hand, and she was helping Sparkle to her feet.

Propping Sparkle up, Passion dragged her toward Ganymede. When Passion got as far as she could without being drawn into the vortex of Ganymede’s trapped power, she shoved the staff into Sparkle’s hand and gave her a push.

“What’s she doing?” Dacian leaned past Edge to get a better look.

“I’m not sure.” Edge decided that Passion really didn’t have an angel’s power, because she had to let Sparkle go on alone.

Edge watched as Sparkle immediately fell down. But that didn’t mean she was out. Slowly and painfully, she crawled toward Ganymede. It must be torture meeting Ganymede’s power head–on.

Passion joined Edge. She laid her hand on his arm, and all the pain from maintaining his hold on Ganymede disappeared. He glanced at her.

“Thanks.” He hoped she understood how much her touch meant to him, and not just because it took away his pain. Then he returned his attention to Sparkle.

She’d reached Ganymede. Gripping the staff in one hand, she used the other hand to reach up and grab Ganymede’s arm. She hauled herself to her feet. Then she swung the staff against the side of Ganymede’s head. The crack made Edge wince. Ganymede fell without a sound.

Relieved, he released his hold on Ganymede, and Murmur withdrew his power. Edge felt shaky and weak as he turned to Passion. “That was your plan?” He was amazed by the simplicity of it.

“Worked, didn’t it?” She sighed. “I don’t have the power that you guys have, so I had to think like a human. How could we put him down without anything supernatural involved? Now I’ve got to use my gentle power of persuasion. I’ll be back.”

She walked toward Hope, who’d climbed to her feet and was staring openmouthed at Passion. “Get your butt out there and help with Ganymede or I’ll tell Ted that you were dancing on the beach with a demon.” Passion didn’t seem to care if anyone heard her.

It took a moment for the threat to sink in, but once it did, Hope rushed out to Ganymede. She put her hand on his chest and began the talking thing she did. This time Edge wasn’t surprised when he couldn’t understand her words, and he welcomed the sense of peace and contentment flooding him.

“Not only can she dance, but she has serious talent.” Murmur sounded sincerely impressed.

Passion had rejoined them. “You will
not
lure her to her destruction with your demonic…skills.”

“Skills? Really? Afraid to call them what they are? They’re temptations, my innocent.” Murmur laughed softly. “And I wasn’t the one doing the luring, Passion. You have a dynamite name, by the way. Anyway, she came to my room and said she wanted to dance.” He shrugged. “I never turn down a woman ready to dance.”

Passion looked over at the other angel as though she’d never seen her before.

“We can all be tempted. Even you.” The demon looked from Passion to Edge, and then walked away to join Bain.

Passion refused to meet Edge’s gaze. “I have to help Sparkle.”

By the time they reached her, Hope had finished talking and was sitting on the grass next to Sparkle. But she still kept one hand on Ganymede. Hope’s thoughts seemed to be elsewhere, though, because she was staring at Murmur as he spoke with Bain. Sparkle was holding Ganymede’s hand. She looked up at them.

Edge had expected tears, or maybe panic in the cosmic troublemaker’s eyes. What he saw was fury.

“When I find out who’s doing this to us, I’ll take off my queen–of–sex-and-sin crown and borrow yours for a few minutes. I’m going to
kill someone’s ass for this.
No one
hurts Mede.” She seemed to think of something. “What happened to the tsunami? It never showed.”

“Zane stopped it.” Passion raked her fingers through her hair. “He also wiped the minds of everyone except us who saw Ganymede in action.”

Edge followed the motion with his eyes before forcing his attention back to the conversation. “The sorcerer? Where did he get that kind of power? No, forget that. I saw him bring a snowstorm to Galveston a short time after he lifted the freaking castle into the air.” Was Zane really human? With that kind of crazy power, he could probably glamour them into thinking he was a turtle if he chose. “It’s looking more and more like the enemy is either Murmur or Zane.”

Passion seemed unsure. “I don’t know. Murmur gave his power to you a few minutes ago, and Zane saved the whole island. Would they do that if they were guilty?”

Sparkle offered her own solution. “I’ll kill both of them.”

Edge was still thinking about what Passion had said. “Maybe the goal isn’t to kill.”

“What other purpose could there be?” Passion sounded frustrated.

Just then Ganymede groaned and Sparkle leaned over him. “Don’t try to move, sugartart.”

Sugartart? Edge would never get it with those two. He watched as Passion moved over to touch Ganymede, and his groan faded. Ganymede opened his eyes.

Edge tensed, ready to jump into action if Ganymede was still crazy. Okay, so he didn’t have enough energy to jump anywhere. Luckily, the old Ganymede looked out from those cat eyes.

Ganymede didn’t say anything for a moment. He looked around him, and Edge could see the realization sinking in.

“I checked out, didn’t I?” He stared at his clawed hands.

“Completely.” Sparkle leaned over to smooth his hair from his forehead.

Ganymede rubbed a hand across his eyes. “Anything major happen?”

Edge suspected that Sparkle would try to ease into the disclosure, but if he were Ganymede, he’d like to be told the truth straight up. So Edge told him. “A minor earthquake and a big-ass tsunami, but the sorcerer shut the wave down before it reached shore.”

Passion added what she knew. “The news is reporting an earthquake along the Texas and Louisiana coast. Not much damage. We probably lucked out, though. Edge got to you before you could do any more major stuff. And scientists are already trying to figure out what happened to the tsunami.”

Ganymede closed his eyes and muttered a long string of “shits.” Then he opened his eyes. “The Big Boss will notice this.”

“I suspect.” Edge figured their boss had also taken note of
his
performance last night.

“What will happen?” Passion’s question was almost a whisper.

Ganymede answered. “He’ll probably show up any time now to take names and kick butts.”

Sparkle sighed. “I’ll have Bill reserve his room.”

Passion looked suspicious. “Is that it? Nothing else you have to tell me.”

Edge hesitated. “He might decide to destroy us.”

She wondered what Hope would tell Ted tonight. Passion sat cross-legged on the mattress watching the other angel. The nightly lie–to–Ted ritual had turned into practically Passion’s only entertainment.

She sneaked a glance at Edge. He lay on the mattress beside her, his eyes closed, waiting for Ganymede to finish his shower next door so that he could take his turn. Watching Edge wasn’t fun anymore; it was torture.

A week had passed since Ganymede took his swan dive off Mount Sanity, and still nothing. No visit from the Big Boss, no more mental meltdowns by anyone, and no progress finding who was messing with their minds. Sure, they had suspects, but no proof.

During that long, long,
long
week, Passion had learned the nature of temptation. She’d had no problem resisting when there’d been nothing to resist. Heaven had been pretty much temptation-free. All she did was sit in her cubicle with her eyes closed—no windows in the room, so nothing to see anyway—and reach into
human minds. Their worlds were filled with colors and emotions, and she lived vicariously through them.

No, she didn’t have to worry about crossing any lines in heaven. And when she’d first met Edge, she’d still had her feet firmly planted on the rules–of–heaven ground. Resistance had been a little tougher, but she’d still had some perspective. He was gorgeous but irredeemable. His lean-muscled body had made her want to touch, to taste, to do all sorts of interesting things to it, but she’d understood that what she was experiencing was lust. And lust alone wasn’t enough to make her forget what he was.

Now? Lines were blurred and perspectives muddied.

With the fear that at any moment Edge or Ganymede could go on a mindless rampage, Passion and Hope had stuck close to them all week. After all, it was their duty as angels to protect the general population if they could. The sticking-close thing had been her downfall.

She’d had to talk to him. A lot. He was interesting. He made her laugh sometimes. He made her restless and hungry in ways she’d never imagined. He’d introduced her to junk food and
Star Trek
. She
liked
him. And she’d found herself skittering away from thoughts of his job. Plus, the lust thing? It grew with each minute, each breath she took.