Chapter Ten
Alex
We’d been back a few hours. When I first entered our room, I saw Eden lying prostrate on the bed in a comatose state. Her hair had some leaves tangled in inside, so I assumed she must have had a successful training exercise. It must have exhausted her because she didn’t even make it to the shower. Her face had some mud smudges, and although I wanted to get a warm, wet towel and wipe her clean, I let her sleep.
Instead, I laid a blanket over her shoulders and took a shower. Not wanting to leave her alone, I sat on her reading chair and in between worrying about Thomas, watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful, without a care in the world.
My chest ached inside. Not the same kind of aching I felt whenever I thought about Thomas, but a deeper aching filled with love for this one beautiful soul. I knew she didn’t want me to worry about her, but as long as the Fallen were out there, hunting Nephilim, I would never stop worrying. She was literally given to me, and now, I was in charge of keeping her safe and happy for the rest of my life. And was more than happy to fulfill that promise.
A text from Kade said that we were to meet down in the dining room. Dinner was ready and Dom had returned with another Nephilim. A boy, it seemed.
Eden stirred, so I sat next to her on the bed.
“Eden,” I whispered into her ear.
“Alex, where are you?” she breathed. Her eyes in a rem state under her lids. She must have been looking for me.
“I’m right here next to you.” I kissed her forehead.
“I can’t find you,” she mumbled.
“Open your eyes.”
When her eyes fluttered open, my heart constricted. Every time she looked at me with those big, beautiful, brown eyes, I felt I was the luckiest damn Angel in all of Grandia.
I told her about dinner, and she decided to shower first before coming down. I would have waited, but wanted to see if Midway had contacted Alaine with information. We now had another Nephilim under our roof, which made us an even greater target for the Fallen. We had to make sure we covered every base, to ensure their safety.
As I made my way into the dining room, everyone was already there.
“Little brother,” Dom said, standing.
“It’s great to see you alive,” I said, greeting him with a hug.
“Yeah, I’d give those Fallen bastards hell if they didn’t already possess it.” He laughed. “But I did happen to catch a Nephilim on my last assignment.” His hand gestured to the boy. “Alex, this is Mateo. He is recently transformed. I guess the Fallen caught word and tried to capture him. His mother was killed trying to protect him, but he wasn’t as easy to catch as they thought. His gift is speed.” He leaned forward toward me. “This dude is literally faster than a speeding bullet.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mateo,” I said.
He looked up slightly and smiled. “He’s a little shy,” Dom added. “But after a few days with me, I’m sure he’ll be full of wit.”
“Is Midway giving you time off?” Alaine asked, cutting a piece of steak.
“Ephraim, my best bud, should totally understand.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he will,” Kade snickered and Emma elbowed him.
“Right now, Ephraim thinks I’m missing. I’m sure he’s feeling horrible right about now, about the way he’s been treating me—sending me on crap assignments. I’m just going to sit here and enjoy Miss Lily’s steak and potatoes and let him fester in regret. It’ll do him some good.”
“Well, when he finds out you’ve been here, with a Nephilim, it’ll be off to Antarctica for you.” I couldn’t help but throw in a remark.
“Well, ever since Siberia, I’m prepared. I have a crap ton of warm winter stuff. Antarctic, North Pole…bring it.”
“What about the Sahara?” Emma added.
Dom’s eyes narrowed. “Did I tell you about the assignment before Siberia? Ephraim sent me to freaking Timbuktu. Yeah, to a dried up patch of land that boarders the Sahara. He said the Guardian in charge of watching a particular man and his family was injured. I now know that was bull crap. The guy probably injured himself, just to get out of it. I had to follow this simple merchant, traveling with a group of others on camel back, across scalding terrain for days. Days! Only to watch him trade salt.” Dom’s fists slammed against the table. “I stepped in camel shit and slept on dirt. Is that how they treat their best Guardians?”
Everyone was silent, glancing around at each other. Then, altogether, we burst into laughter. Even Mateo joined in.
“Well, enjoy your time off,” Kade said. “Midway should be contacting us soon about Thomas.”
“I think we should take our group and head back to Maui—swords blazing.”
“We don’t even know if he’s on Maui anymore. He could be anywhere.”
“What if they took him to the Underworld?” Emma asked, and everyone quieted.
“That is a possibility I’ve considered,” Alaine said. “Because Lucifer is behind this, he might very well be in the Underworld.”
Eden walked in and took a seat next to me. “Hey, guys,” she said, freshly showered. Her scent made me weak.
Miss Lily followed her in and placed a plate of hot food in front of her.
“Thank you, Miss Lily. It smells wonderful.” Eden sucked in a deep breath.
“You’re welcome, sweet girl. Enjoy.” Miss Lily turned on her heel and exited the room.
“Eden, we heard that your training was very productive today,” Alaine said.
“She is definitely getting stronger and not tiring as quickly as before.” Emma gave Eden a wink.
“Her twisters are getting more precise and a lot larger,” Kade added. “Hey Dom, you should come check out their training tomorrow.” He gave me a quick glance along with a wicked grin. “Oh, and bring Mateo. Now that he’s here, we’ll have to make sure he’s ready for any kind of confrontation.”
Alaine looked over to Mateo. “You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. This house is protected, and we are all here to keep you safe. We’re sorry about your mother. Do you have any other family?”
Mateo shook his head.
“I will show you to a room later. There is another boy your age who lives here. His name is Caleb. He and his sister Courtney are attending a camp, but they’ll be back in a week.”
“Thank you,” Mateo spoke. I think it was the first time he’d spoken.
“Dude, I thought you were a mute,” Dom said.
“Dom!” Emma scolded.
“What? Ever since he ran into me, he’s just been using hand and head signals. What was I supposed to think? And I thought it rude to ask.”
“I’m just shy,” Mateo replied in a soft voice.
Dom slapped a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You don’t have to be shy around us. We’re family now.”
Mateo’s lips lifted to a half smile, his eyes glued on his plate of food.
The doorbell rang.
“Expecting more unexpected guests?” Dom asked.
“I don’t think so,” Alaine said, checking her watch.
Samuel pushed his seat back and stood from the table. “I’ll get it,” he said, and walked out of the room. I pushed my chair out, as did Kade and Dom, and we followed after him.
Samuel opened the door and stepped outside. On the porch, there was a box, but there was no one around. We sniffed the air, but there was no scent of Fallen or Darkling. And there was no sign that anyone had been there. So who could have delivered it?
“Should we take the box inside?” Dom asked.
“No,” Samuel answered. “We’ll open it right here. We don’t know what’s inside, or who delivered it.”
We all stood around the box, each of us on a side. It was about forty inches wide and ten inches tall. Samuel bent down and pulled the tab to open it. He threw back the cover and took a step back.
My heart stopped beating. It was a piece of a wing. An Angel’s wing that had been severed, hacked off brutally. Blood stained the beautiful feathers and the box inside. On top of the wing was an envelope.
“Do you think it’s Thomas’s wing?” Dom asked.
“Who else would it be?” Kade replied.
I ran to the edge of the porch and vomited. Thomas was being tortured. They’d hacked off his wings, and who knew what else.
“Dammit!” I cursed, tears flooding my eyes. “We have to find him.”
Samuel reached down and picked up the note. “This might be the way,” he said. “Kade, please go get Alaine.”
Kade nodded and headed back inside. A few moments later, Alaine was at the door with Emma and Eden behind her.
“Oh God,” Emma cried, throwing both hands over her mouth.
Alaine’s eyes widened, taking in the bloodied wing.
Eden began sobbing. She ran over to me and buried her face in my chest. “How can they be so cruel? What did Thomas ever do to deserve this?”
“Nothing,” I whispered. “Those who did this are inherently evil.”
Her sobs made my own heart shatter. She was right. Thomas was one of the best beings I’d ever known. He was kind and fair, but firm when necessary.
Samuel held out the envelope to Alaine. “This was also inside the box.”
Alaine’s shaky hand grasped the envelope and opened it, carefully unfolding the note inside. Her lips quivered as she silently began to read, tears streamed from her eyes. She handed the note back to Samuel and fell to her knees.
“What is it?” I asked. “Is he dead?” Had they killed my best friend?
Deep sobs tore from Alaine’s chest. “I knew this day would come, but I’m not prepared. There is never any way to prepare for something like this.”
“Alaine?” Kade stepped over to her. He knelt down, resting his hand on her back. “Tell us. What is it?”
“In exchange for Thomas’s life, they want us to deliver a Nephilim.”
“Who?” Emma asked.
Then, it was as if the world fell from beneath my feet when Alaine’s eyes met mine and spoke three words that sent a crack through my entire universe.
“They want Eden.”
I couldn’t breathe. My worst nightmare was unfolding right in front of my eyes. Everything around me became numb and muted. I could see Alaine and Kade’s mouths moving, but didn’t hear a word they said.
Eden’s sobbing became uncontrollable, to the point where she was barely getting in enough air. She had become unhinged, and it was wrecking me mentally and physically. Through our bond I felt her desperation and fear. I couldn’t imagine what she was feeling. She’d just barely survived her senior year in Washington, thanks to the Fallen.
I knew she was a target. And that day on the mountain, they had to have seen her power.
“Listen to me, Eden,” I said, placing a hand on each side of her face, steadying her to look at me. “I will never let them take you.” There was no way in hell I would ever let her go. And anyone who tried would have to kill me first. But keeping my promise to Eden also meant I was giving Thomas to the Fallen, and his death would be the result.
My best friend or my mate. One of them would die unless we could find a way to stop it.
“What does the note say?” I asked. I wanted to know exactly what we were up against.
Samuel glanced over to Alaine. She wiped her eyes and gave him a slight nod, so he lifted the paper and began to read it out loud.
This gift is proof enough that we have your friend Thomas. If you want to see him alive again, with the rest of his limbs intact, hand over the Nephilim, Eden. You have three days. If you agree, Samuel must deliver her to the Santa Claus House at North Pole at midnight on Friday. If you disagree, Thomas will be delivered to you in pieces. We know the Nephilim’s father was Fallen, so she rightfully belongs to us anyway. Your choice. Your consequences.
Deepest regards,
Lucifer
There were no words to describe how wicked he truly was. Even confined to the pit of hell he was still wreaking havoc. Thomas must have been held captive in the Underworld. Why would they ask to do the exchange at Santa Claus House? We all knew there was a portal directly behind Santa’s chair which led to the Underworld. But the last time they went into the Underworld, Kade returned, barely holding onto life, Dom’s arm was nearly mauled off, and Danyel—Eden’s father—was murdered saving the others.
I vowed, then and there, that Eden wouldn’t meet the same fate as her father. Yes, Danyel was Fallen, but he had left them as Samuel had and went his own way, because inside he was good. He proved it, by helping escort the others through the levels of the Underworld. When Kade was injured and dying, he carried him back to safety so Alaine could save him. Then, he took help, and went back into the Underworld to aid Samuel and Emma, and died doing so.
“Notify Midway immediately,” Alaine said. “They need to know.”
Kade immediately pulled his cell out from his pocket and walked into the house, while Alaine carefully closed the box and lifted it, handing it to Samuel. “Please dispose of this.”
Samuel took the box and carried it to the side of the house into the darkness.
Eden’s entire body was trembling in my arms. “I won’t be the reason they kill Thomas,” she wailed. “I can’t let him die because of me.” She had become hysterical, and I couldn’t blame her.
Kade patted my back. “She needs rest,” he said softly.
I nodded.
Dom cleared his throat, and when I glanced at him he gave me the cut-throat signal and mouthed the words . . . put her out.
I knew it was the only way to afford her some peace and reprieve from this terrifying ordeal. Hopefully in the morning, after a good night’s rest, she’d be able to think more rationally.
“I love you, Eden,” I said. “I won’t let harm come to you.” When she didn’t respond, only sobbed louder, I hugged her tightly and whispered, “Sleep.”
In seconds, she fell limp into my arms. I lifted her, cradling her against my chest.
“Let’s all get inside and try to sleep on this,” Alaine said. I could tell this was affecting her just as much as any of us. But she was trying to be strong, like she always was. “We’ll try and figure this out in the morning.”
Dom sighed, throwing an arm around Mateo. “Dude, talk about one hell of a welcome, right?”
Mateo swallowed hard, his eyes wide with fright.
“Dominic,” Alaine admonished, smacking him on the arm. “Don’t worry, Mateo,” she said, taking him by the hand and leading him inside. “There is a protective barrier over this house that no Fallen can get through. We’re safe here.”
Emma walked over to me, her eyes red and swollen. “Take care of Eden. I know it’s going to be rough when she wakes up, but let her know that we’re all here for her, and Alaine and Samuel will be tirelessly figuring out a plan.”
“I will.” I hugged Eden’s small frame tightly against mine.
“Hey bro, try and get some sleep,” Kade said, patting my back. “There has to be a way around this. And if there is, we’ll find it.”
I nodded, but knew sleep would be impossible. The two people I loved most in this world, besides my parents, were in danger. One was being tortured physically, and now, knowing the kind of person Eden was, she would be tortured mentally. Her heart was too big to not think about giving herself up for Thomas. But I wouldn’t let her think that was an option.
The Fallen wanted her because they saw her power. But ultimately, she was a threat to them. They hated Nephilim, and for centuries, hunted and killed them. Did I believe that they’d treat Eden any less?
I knew if we handed her over, she’d be as good as dead.
Right now, we have to find a way to save Thomas.