UnGuarded (9 page)

Four days passed by. Not once did I shift
into human form, nor did I leave Caitlyn’s side. There hadn’t been
a single demon on her either—not that her condition merited much
attention from them. She was in a coma, being fed through a tube,
with no vital response to anyone who came to visit her. The doctor
informed Caitlyn’s mother (Andrea), who got in last night from
Washington, that if nothing changed in the next few weeks, there
wouldn’t be anything more the hospital could do for her. Now Andrea
stood over Caitlyn, grief filling her face beyond what any parent
should feel. A female angel I didn’t know accompanied Andrea, along
with a demon I’d never seen before either. I ignored them both,
keeping my attention on my charge’s mother.

“Baby girl,” Andrea whispered as she scooped
Caitlyn’s hand inside her own. “Please wake up. Please show me this
is all a bad dream.”

When no response from Caitlyn came, Andrea
fell into the chair beside the bed and sobbed for the hundredth
time. Each time she did that, pain cut my insides like sharp claws
were tearing into me. I’d been sitting on the foot of the bed,
unable to stop looking at my charge. Finally, exhausted from my own
guilt and despair, I hugged my knees against my chest and cried
with the grieving mother.

“Please,” Andrea wailed, “please wake
up.”

Nothing.

“I’ll be more available if you do. I’ll get
a different job that will allow me to come see you more. Please,
baby, please wake up.” Andrea leaned over and gently stroked her
daughter’s cheek. “Lord,” she prayed, “I know I’ve made so many
mistakes, but please don’t take my baby girl away from me, please.
Let her wake up. Let her wake up now, please.”

The only response was
beep, beep,
beep
of the nearby machine keeping Caitlyn alive. Then
something that sounded like an air pump went off. It hummed a few
minutes, then went silent again. Andrea was still praying over
Caitlyn, getting no answers, no responses.

The guilt pressed down, harder and harder,
suffocating me inside a bubble of despair and loss, and I needed to
release it, get it off my chest, and catch a much-needed breath. So
I finally spoke with a voice only audible to the unwanted spiritual
audience. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. Cait
wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for me. I wish I could
change the hands of time and give your daughter back to you—happy
and healthy just like she was before this happened. I love Cait! I
really do. But I love him too and I’m just so very sorry.” Ashamed,
I buried my face back into my knees.

“I’ve heard of you, Selene,” spoke a soft
voice I didn’t recognize. “I’m sorry this has happened. I’m
Natalia.”

I peered over my knees and saw that Natalia
was the unknown angel in the room—Andrea’s guardian. Both she and
the demon stood on either side of the grieving parent. Natalia was
about my height with long hair the color of chocolate. Her white
flowing gown was similar to mine—except for the torn and muddy part
I had at the bottom. The demon was just a black floating glob of
smoke with greenish eyes. It had chosen not to materialize all the
way. With it being outnumbered, I didn’t blame it one bit.

“This is all my fault,” I explained to her.
“I feel horrible for what’s happened.”

“But Selene, you know everything happens for
a reason. This was supposed to happen.”

I always hated that response when humans
used it. I hated it even more now coming from a fellow angel.
“Spare me the dramatics,” I said, sounding more sarcastic than I’d
meant.

“Sorry, but you know it’s true. Everything
will work out in the end. It always does.”

I didn’t say anything. This was
so
not the speech I wanted to have.

“So what’s it like,” Natalia asked, “to be
in love?”

I felt my eyes widen. Did an angel just ask
me that? But I still answered her with, “You know what love feels
like.”

“Not that kind of love. You know what I
mean. What does it feel like to be
in
love with someone
else?”

Should I answer her or pretend I didn’t
hear? There was nothing more I could lose, so why not go for it?
“There’s nothing else like it,” I said under my breath. “Loving him
is perfect and wonderful, amazing and satisfying. And it’s not just
because I love him, but because I’m loved by him in return. I felt
weightless every time we were together. I long for him when we’re
apart. Even now, after all of this, I still think of him. I still
love him and want him here with me. Humans have it so good to be
able to experience this kind of love so freely.”

Natalia just watched me with an unknowing
gaze. It almost looked like pity. It hurt, but was nothing compared
to the stabbing pain in my chest. Cole. Each day that passed
without getting him back left me feeling more desperate, empty, and
lost. Even after all of this, I still wanted him.

Luke hadn’t sent for me yet, which was
probably a good thing. There was no way I could leave Caitlyn alone
again—even though her current state made demonic attacks unlikely.
Plus there’s the orbing problem. Having amnesia was bad enough, but
the unconsciousness was worse. What if I couldn’t wake up in time
to see the plan through? After all, I was the bait. The whole thing
wouldn’t work without me—awake.

It had been my idea to give myself up for
Cole, but Luke’s suggestion had been better, and would provide me a
way out. First, I’d be masking Luke’s aura. Then he and I would be
taking a trip to Charon. As soon as we arrived, Limos would sense
me and come straight for me. I was to offer myself to him in
exchange for Cole. If Limos took the bait, then I’d arrange the
time and meeting place. Hopefully by that time, Huron’s mini army
would be in place and I’d be taking all of them with me upon
returning to Limos. He wouldn’t suspect a thing since I’d be
masking everyone’s aura but mine. Once Cole was in sight, Luke and
the mini army would jump Limos and whatever minions he had with
him, and I was to use that distraction to grab Cole. Then orb us
all back to Earth. This could really work, right? Well, it had to
since there wasn’t a Plan B.

I’d been so heavy in thought I hadn’t
noticed that Natalia and the demon were gone.
Uh oh.
I felt
like a sitting duck. I wasn’t really sure how long he’d been
standing there since he obviously had his aura hidden from me—on
purpose, no doubt. But feeling his presence now, I looked behind me
and met his eyes. “Hello, Raphael,” I said.

His auburn hair gleamed brighter, like
shimmering gold laced with ice. “Oh, to know your thoughts, Selene.
I sure hope they’re about your duties to this innocent charge.”

I couldn’t get my voice past the lump in my
throat.
Thank goodness he can’t read minds.

Raphael moved around the bed and stood close
to Andrea. Her sobs had simmered and she wasn’t praying anymore.
Anger glared in her red, swollen eyes. Her shoulder-length brown
hair looked sticky around her face. She stood up and headed out of
the room, to where her spiritual followers were probably waiting,
with one long glance back at Caitlyn as she pushed through the
door.

“It’s been decided that you’re to remain
this charge’s guard,” Raphael said.

Believe it or not, I’d somewhat expected
that. If I was going to get cast down from Europa, it would’ve
happened back at that last meeting with Raphael. But he’d held back
then, which meant my time wasn’t all the way up—and that meant
there was still a chance I could get Cole back.

Raphael’s voice deepened. “But do not forget
the thin ice on which you stand.”

I felt my eyes widen as I nodded. An eerie
moment passed in silence, then I asked, “Were you shown anything
yet?”

He shook his head, steady and slow. “No, but
since you’re so eager to hear about her possible future, I’ll be
happy to share the path with you once it is shown to me.”

I gestured toward the machines flanking
Caitlyn’s bed. “Her stats haven’t changed. Isn’t there any way you
can help? You’re more powerful than I ever was.”

“You know I can’t—”

“But if she doesn’t get better… No, she has
to get better. What if her mother decides to unplug the machine? No
parent would want their child to live like this. The doctor has
already gone over the options.”

“Selene, you cannot worry about things that
have not happened. You only control the now, and you must give
whatever positive energy you have left to your charge. Hold her,
pray over her, lift her up with all the love you can harness.”

“But I’ve already done all those things,” I
pouted.

“Do them again, and again. Never give up.
He
is always listening and watching.”

I gave a long sigh, trying to hold the tears
in my eyes. Raphael shook his head and vanished—without another
word.

Five minutes had barely passed when I sensed
a dark presence. I refused to acknowledge it at first; I knew this
demon wasn’t here for Caitlyn—it was here for me. I glanced over
and saw the same demon Luke had sent to retrieve me before. It
didn’t speak—neither did I. I couldn’t leave without knowing
Corrine would be here, or at least some other angel that could keep
watch of my charge.

“Go on,” I hissed at the demon. “Let him
know I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

The demon nodded, then vanished inside a
cloud of grayish smoke. Then, to my relief, Andrea returned. She
had a bag of food from Subway in one hand, a book in the other.
Good, she planned to camp out for a bit. Natalia and that same
demon from before now flanked either side of her, which was all I
needed to come up with a plan.

I explained to Natalia that I needed to get
some air, which was partly true. I couldn’t stand to be in the
hospital room another moment. Maybe it was her pity for me, but she
bought it, and I was thankful. Natalia was a little nervous about
me leaving, but she promised she could handle Fizer, the demon
currently tracking her charge. I glared at Fizer and promised hell
if it tried anything while I was away. It cowered back, bringing a
small smile to Natalia’s lips.

I didn’t linger another moment, didn’t want
Natalia changing her mind. I orbed off, heading straight for the
vampire who’d summoned me.