Fall From Grace (16 page)

Alexander focused his rebounding energy from
the fight and directed it all to his healing power. He’d mended a
few broken bones and didn’t think this one would be any more
difficult, except for the fact the man hated any creature with
powers.

Alexander surged all his power to his palms
and pressed them to the hunter’s ankle before the man had a chance
to protest. He concentrated on keeping him calm then healing him.
Last thing he needed was to be boxed in the ears. His hands glowed
with navy blue healing, and the man’s tense leg relaxed under his
touch.

Some of the bones were in little pieces, and
he had to focus deep to find all the shards but after some effort
he fell back, resting his head against the sand.

He relished the moment of peace, with
nothing but the sounds of the ocean and seagulls to calm him. It
was hard to believe only a mile away some master demon plotted to
kill them all. Not to mention the hunter he’d just healed, so he
could slay them all for being angels on earth.

“I’m David, Captain of the Southeastern
Division. Been a lot of activity in the northwest, but we suspected
that Kemp was the gateway to the underworld.” David stripped down
to his boxer’s and took a quick rinse off. The man had so many
muscles he looked like a demon himself. No human could maintain
that form naturally.

“What was that…that—”

“Gut wrenching swirls of hellacious darkness
that tried to suck your soul from your body like some vampire? That
would be the lost souls. They are forever trapped between worlds,
unable to rise to heaven or fall to hell.” Boon crossed his
legs.

A shiver at the memory of their touch
ravaged Alexander’s insides. “What are you talking about?”

Boon shifted. “Anyone who has died in the
last several months has been trapped between worlds. Except one,
some sort of earthbound creature managed to slip away, fueling
hell’s desire to harvest all the souls it can in the next few
months to raise his army.”

Alexander dug his hands down into the sand.
“Humans, but certainly not all souls are trapped. An angel
wouldn’t—”

“All souls.” Boon reiterated.

Alexander dropped his head to his hands,
spreading gritty sand over his face. “Grace.” A sting of fear shot
through his body. “She’s trapped?” No, it couldn’t be true. He’d
witnessed the darkness once, in Gaby’s eyes. His stomach churned at
the memory. It wasn’t fair. An angel with so many years of
servitude for the greater good. How many centuries did she help
save fallen angels and redirect them to Heaven’s purpose? No, it
was wrong. She deserved better. If anyone should have been cast to
darkness, it would have been him.

David stepped up, darkening the sand with
the water falling from his body. “Take it you were close to someone
who’s gone dark.”

Did that guy have a term for everything?
Alexander rubbed his throbbing temple and tried to focus. “There
has to be a way to free her.”

“Of course, just got to stop the war and
send all the master demons back to hell.”

Boon pushed up from the sand and abruptly
ended their conversation as he sauntered up the beach to their old
house. Alexander didn’t want to even look in that direction, let
alone go anywhere near it, but he left the tranquility of the shore
and followed Boon.

“Something’s going on.” Boon trudged up the
sand dune and David followed.

The finality of their loss drew closer with
each sand and heart-crushing step. Hadn’t the day been dismal
enough without facing the remnants of the only home he’d ever known
on Earth?

“It’s Sammy and Gaby.” Boon looked back with
eyebrows pulled tight to the middle.

Boards flew through the air and piles sat
around the house. His heart stuttered at the sight of Gaby sitting
on the ground. He wanted to run over, pull her into his arms, and
kiss her until all the memories of the last few days
disappeared.

Passion wasn’t a good idea. He needed to
keep her from getting too excited. If only he would have done more
to keep her calm, Grace would still be with them.

She studied some sort of book in her lap but
shot up to her feet and put it behind her back when she noticed
their approach.

Gaby stepped back, her face tense as she
stared at the hunter.

“It’s okay. He’s not going to kill us.
Right?” Alexander teased him. “This is David.”

“Not right now, no.” David nodded with a
wicked grin. “I’ve gotta admit, in all my years of hunting, I never
thought I’d be hanging with a fallen angel.”

Gaby narrowed her gaze. “What do you
want?”

“Just to find a way to regroup. My team’s
all dead. Slaughtered by a master demon. Hope to reconnect and
figure out how to destroy that thing. At the least, kill the one
who can open the gateway. The only way to stop this war is to close
their access to Earth.” David spoke with determination and
hatred.

“What of the others? The lost souls that are
trapped in darkness.” Alexander asked.

Gaby bit her bottom lip. “What souls?”

“Everyone who’s died in the last few months
is trapped in darkness.”

Alexander tried to stop David but he wasn’t
quick enough.

“Everyone? Even angels?” Gaby’s voice
quivered.

Alexander rushed to Gaby’s side and tried to
soothe her. If David found out what or who she was, hunter instinct
would kick in and Gaby would be killed.

“Yes.” David’s gaze remained on Gaby a
second too long for comfort.

Gaby fell into Alexander, absently dropping
the book to her side. “What have I done? I-I’m so sorry.”

Alexander continued to calm her, but his
heart ached to make her forget what happened. Heck, he longed to
make himself forget. He held the woman who murdered his mother in
his arms and loved her even more now than when they first met and
he rescued her from Forras. Now he needed to protect her from this
hunter. He glanced back at David, but he was studying the
perimeter. Thank God, he didn’t hear her words.

“What’s going on?” Sammy landed and took
Boon’s hand.

“We had a run in with the master demon,”
Boon said.

David kicked a few boards out of the way and
stood on the bottom step that once led to the front porch. “Still
don’t know why that demon didn’t rip you to shreds and why you had
black wings.”

Alexander cringed, he’d hoped David had been
semi-conscious and didn’t even see Boon out of the corner of his
eyes. But, of course he did, he was a hunter, he saw
everything.

“I’m destined to stay on Earth. Not even you
can send me home to Heaven or curse me to Hell. Only one has that
power and he’s nowhere around.”

Wait, Herak stated he’d given up the power,
but was he just lying because he had a greater plan? “Do you think
Herak escaped?”

“Not possible. Besides the master demon will
be someone close and hiding in a human body that is amongst us.”
Boon rested his forehead against Sammy’s. Their gazes locked on one
another, blocking the rest of the world. The Soulbonding had made
them one, and he longed for that with Gaby. But he pushed the
thought deep into a corner of his brain where it wouldn’t haunt
him.

“You mentioned someone opening the gateway.”
Gaby arched an eyebrow.

“Based on intel, it was some sort of
creature,” David answered.

“What type of creature?” Alexander played
through all the different demons he’d encountered since arriving on
earth. Snakes for tails, four horns, or fangs. Didn’t matter, they
were all hideous creatures.

David tapped his boots against one of the
boards. “One that is a product of many worlds.”

Alexander froze. No, it couldn’t be
true.

Gaby
? Boon and Sammy’s voices echoed
in his head competing with his own loud cry.

Chapter Fourteen

Gaby wrestled the tight grip reality had
around her fear. The last thing they needed was her setting someone
on fire or bringing down half the buildings in Kemp.

No way. She wasn’t the key to unleashing the
underworld. Heaven created her to fight for Earth, not destroy it.
She choked on the rising anxiety and clutched the book tighter
behind her.

Answers. They had to be in the book. This
hunter was wrong, and somewhere in Grace’s journal there had to be
more information.

Alexander pointed behind Gaby. “What’s—”

“It’s an old journal she left at our house.
I found it and thought she’d want it.” Sammy shot him a quick
glance of warning. Everyone saw it but David who was too busy
assessing the pile of mess behind her.

David stepped closer. His hunter eyes
transfixed on Gaby like a microscope magnified on her soul. “Your
father around? Need to speak with him.”

“He’s not going to join your—”

“Listen, I didn’t kill your boyfriend back
there. I’m not looking to start a war with every creature in Kemp.
Seems I’m outnumbered. Just need some info before I report in.”
David stepped past her and marched to the remnants of the once
beautiful white, two story home. “Master Demon’s been traveling
around.”

“What do you mean?” Alexander knelt on one
knee and lifted a few boards to peer under.

Her heart ached for his forgiveness, but she
didn’t deserve it. It was her fault he’d lost so much. She fought
back the tears and just gave a quick nod to Boon and Sammy before
heading to the woods.

“I-it wasn’t…?” Alexander mumbled.

“Wasn’t what?” David asked.

Alexander pushed from the ground and marched
to Gaby. He pulled her into his arms. “It wasn’t you.” He
whispered. His warm breath caressed her ear, but her body remained
rigid. “The master demon caused the house collapse.” He pulled back
from Gaby and spoke loud enough for Sammy and Boon to hear, but
held her face in his hands.

She raked her cheek against his palm to feel
his touch was real. Was it true? “You mean I didn’t—” He glanced
back at the hunter still analyzing the gaping hole beneath the
house. “You could never have hurt Grace. It wasn’t you, Gaby.” He
captured her lips, and her body gave in before her mind could
process the knowledge. Her legs turned to mush beneath her, and she
fell into him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

It had been days since they touched. His
hands moved to the back of her head, pulling her tighter. His kiss
urgent, sweeping, gnawing at her lips, telling her he’d never let
her go again.

Goosebumps covered her arms and legs while
tears slid down her cheeks. Someone cleared their throat, breaking
their moment, and he pulled away.

“Your dad know how, um…close you two are?”
The hunter chuckled.

Gaby felt heat burn her cheeks.

“Don’t ever leave me again.” Alexander’s
eyes grew moist, and she wanted to kiss him and prove even if she
wanted to, there was no way she could let him go. They were
destined to be together. Perhaps the journal would reveal
information that would help them Soulbond.

Boon slapped Alexander on the shoulder.
“About time you two made up.”

“Nothing will keep me from you again.”
Alexander smiled. His dimples made her heart flutter.

David stood with hands on his hips. “Thought
you said that demon couldn’t cross from its land.”

Boon shook his head. “No, I said it would
have to change to human form to cross. I’m not positive if it can
at all. The rules have changed on Earth.”

David scrubbed his face. “Hell’s changing
the rules. Let’s get to your house. Need to figure out how to fight
this thing.”

Gaby tried to read if there were any evil
intentions flickering in his facial muscles. Her dad had taught her
how to read people. Always be on the lookout for a lie. His eyes
didn’t twitch, and he didn’t avert his gaze. No shuffling between
feet or forced swallow.

Alexander rubbed his thumb on the back of
Gaby’s hand. Even the smallest graze of his skin sent her pulse
skyrocketing. “It’s okay. He’s not out to get us. Not now anyway. I
think we have a truce for the moment.”

“Okay, I need to get home to feed Patronus.”
Her guard remained up, but she was willing to do anything to help
learn how to fight the creature that killed Grace. She took in a
deep breath of relief.
It wasn’t me.

Sammy, Boon, and Alexander tensed and looked
down the long driveway.

“What is it?” Gaby’s stomach tightened. She
knew that look. Something was up.

“Car. Someone’s—” Sammy blurted.

“It’s Principal Mastema’s Cadillac.”
Alexander’s brow furrowed. “She can’t see this. It’ll spin up a lot
of trouble.”

“Too late.” The silver car came into view.
“I’ll talk to Judy-I mean Principal Mastema.”

“Judy?” Sammy asked.

“Yeah, she told me to call her Judy. She’s
been supportive guys. I think you’ve got her wrong.” Gaby
hesitated. Sammy, Boon, and Alexander shot looks at her. She knew
those looks. Her father did the pressed lips and narrowed eyes
thing every time he met someone new.
Never trust anyone until
they earn it
, he’d always said. Even then he believed you never
let your guard down.

“I don’t like this.” Alexander took her
hand. “Don’t trust her.”

She wanted to argue the point, but there
wasn’t time. “Remember who my father is? Not a problem.”

“You, come with me.” Gaby ordered the
hunter, knowing she had to show she could handle herself. Men like
David only followed people they believed in, and right now, she was
just some scared little daughter of a former hunter. But if there
was anything she’d been trained for over the years, it was handling
difficult situations with an impromptu cover story.

David didn’t move. “I—”

“You follow me or you won’t make it to my
father. We’ll all be detained with a lot of questions and possibly
police and social workers.”

His eyes shot to the tree line.