Chapter Nine
Eden
After breakfast, I prepared for training with Kade and Emma. But my heart and mind were with Alex. I knew how much he loved Thomas, and I’d seen how close they were. Thomas had come to Brindle Hall to help keep me safe. I hoped that he was okay.
I slept well, especially after Alex and I made love. The last thing I remembered was cuddling up against his chest with his arms wrapped around me. The training took a lot out of me, so I slept like the dead. And when I woke, felt completely rejuvenated.
This immortal body was amazing. The ability to heal itself was mind blowing. Especially for me, who had grown up with illnesses.
A knock on the door told me Emma was here to collect me. Because the portal was outside of the barrier, she would be cloaking me and Kade with her invisibility. She was special. Having three gifts. Invisibility, strength, and wings . . . a triple threat.
When I opened the door, Emma greeted me with a smile. Over the past few months, we’d become close. She was like a big sister and a friend. I knew that if I had anything I needed to talk about regarding being a female Nephilim, she would be there with an answer, or would try and find it. She was the one who told Alex what to do when I transformed. To wrap his wings around me and kiss me. And although it didn’t take away the pain, it did help.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Ready. Are we flying or walking?” I asked.
“Flying. Kade will carry you and I’ll be holding his hand, to keep us invisible. We don’t want to linger in the woods. Especially knowing the Fallen are watching.”
“Sounds good,” I said. When we reached the door, Kade was standing there.
He held out his arms to me, and I hesitated. “It’s okay,” Emma laughed, “he won’t bite.”
I felt my cheeks blush as I stepped toward him. Kade was handsome. They all were. But Alex had my heart. When I stepped closer, Kade lifted me, cradling me in his arms. Before we stepped outside, I witnessed the most gorgeous, flawless wings spread behind their backs. Then, Emma took hold of his hand and we disappeared.
It wasn’t long, as we swept over endless forest trees, before we reached a different tree in the center of them all. We began to descend in a freefall toward it. I automatically tightened my grip around Kade’s neck and heard both him and Emma laugh.
We were headed straight for the tree, and they weren’t slowing down. I wasn’t used to portals, and this one, a solid trunk, had me cringing.
I shut my eyes as we sped toward it, and a moment later Emma’s voice spoke.
“Open your eyes, Eden. We’re here.”
I obeyed and when my eyes opened, I gasped. We were in a completely different place. A beautiful place untouched by man. A perfect place, with lush trees, thick bright green grass, the bluest sky, and a crystal clear lake.
We landed in the middle of a wide open area and Kade gently set me on my feet.
“You two can practice here. There is a barrier around the portal so no Fallen can enter. I’m going to go hang out by the lake.”
Emma wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss. “Thank you for escorting us.”
“I am always at your service,” he replied, kissing her nose.
They were the perfect couple . . . beautiful, immortal, and so in love. Seeing them together made me miss Alex even more, and I wondered how they were faring on Maui. I hoped that when they returned they had good news.
“He’ll be back soon,” Emma said, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.
“Oh,” I said, snapping out of my thoughts.
Kade had flown over to the lake and was already taking a lying position near its shore.
“This place is beyond beautiful,” I breathed.
“It is.” Emma’s thoughts went elsewhere. “Surprisingly, it was a gift from Lucifer to Ethon.”
“It’s hard to imagine an evil being giving such a wonderful gift.”
She gave a saddened smile. “Yes. It is.” Her expression changed. “But now we’ll use it to hone your gift.”
“Will it work in this place? Is the weather here real, or is it just magic?”
“It’ll work,” she replied. “Just start slow with the things you learned from the beginning, and once you’ve finished warming up, we’ll move on to the twister. I think that could be your weapon of choice. The more you use your gift, the stronger it becomes. In time you should be able to take out multiple threats. We just need to strengthen it.” She smiled and took a few steps back. “Are you ready?”
“I am.”
I wanted to be an asset to this team. To get as strong as I possibly could, and be the one who saved. Not who needed to be saved. I wanted to assure Alex that when he did finally leave for Midway to continue his assignments that I could manage on my own, and he wouldn’t have to worry as much. I was determined to master my gift, and use it for good. Mortal or immortal, I believed that’s what we were supposed to do. Find our strengths and then use them to the best of our ability. And live our best life.
I stood in the middle of the large, green field with a new confidence. With a thought, dark gray clouds appeared and swirled above. The wind picked up, rain fell in torrents, thunder and lightning cracked and rumbled, echoing around us. Then, with another thought, the darkness dissipated, clouds disintegrated, and the sun was shining brightly in the sky above, warming us.
I glanced over to Emma, shaking out her umbrella. She gave me a broad smile and thumbs up.
The power inside was growing. It was getting easier and easier to call the gift and make it go away. I felt as if I was gaining more control over it each time I called it. Like the gift and I were learning from and connecting with each other.
I felt like it was saying . . . Use me. Wield me. Make us stronger.
Glancing over to Emma, I gave her a nod. She moved back until she reached a small grove of trees, and took cover behind them. When she was safe, I called the wind. This time, I didn’t close my eyes. I kept them open, watching the wind swirl above me. Raising my arms, I felt myself connect to that wind, and slowly direct it downward, creating a funnel. This time the funnel was larger, double the size. The wind around it was furious, sucking up flowers and grass. Nearby was a good sized boulder. I aimed the funnel onto it and it sucked it right up, and watched it spin as if it weighed nothing. Then, with a push of my hands, the twister moved, spitting out the rock like a bullet from a gun. It shot across the field, and disappeared from sight.
I closed my hands into fists, quenching the winds.
“Holy crap!” Kade’s voice boomed from the lake.
Emma stepped out from behind the trees and ran over to me. “Wow. You have some serious power, and a weapon that can do some major damage.” She took my hand in hers. “How do you feel?”
“Good actually. Not nearly as drained as I was yesterday.” It was true. Yesterday, after I’d called the twister, I could barely stand on my feet. But today, I felt like I could call another one with no problem.
“You’re mastering your gift faster than expected. That’s amazing. I know Alaine will be proud. And so will Alex.”
I couldn’t help but beam inside because I knew a lot of my strength came because of him. Heck, I was alive because of him and wanted him to be proud of me. I knew he always would, but now, I could defend myself.
I guessed the real test would be really using it in the face of danger. That would prove my true strength. Would I buckle, or would I rise to the occasion and meet danger head on? Like it or not, danger was out there and it was actively seeking us. I couldn’t fear it. I had to embrace the fact that defending myself and those around me was a part of my life now.
“You want to try again?” Emma asked.
I nodded.
She smiled and grabbed my shoulders. “I better go take cover.”
I laughed as she dashed back behind the trees.
Kade was back on his back with his eyes shut. His shirt was off and he was enjoying the sun.
Over the next few hours, I called the wind, and each time it grew larger and stronger and I felt more and more connected with it. My body was trembling, but before I hit the brink of collapsing, I called another storm. At the end of the field was a large boulder, and I’d been eyeing it since we’d gotten here. I looked up, and summoned lightning. With a thought, it lit up the darkened, cloudy sky. Then, in my mind’s eye, I envisioned a large bolt slamming down on top of it.
In a split second, there was a loud boom as a bolt of light shot from the sky and connected with the huge stone, shattering it into dust.
“What?” Kade’s laugher boomed louder than the thunder.
I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath, and when I opened them the clouds dissipated and the sun shone bright.
“I don’t think there are any Fallen who would survive one of those bolts, or one of your twisters,” Kade laughed. “That is freaking amazing.”
“It is,” Emma added. “You will be unstoppable.”
I was drained but optimistic. My limbs were trembling and my knees wobbly.
“Let’s go home,” Kade said. He and Emma made their way to me, both with looks of satisfaction on their faces. Kade scooped me up into his arms before he and Emma called their wings and took to flight.
I relaxed, closing my eyes and rested my head against his shoulder, thinking about Alex and how excited I was to tell him about my progress. I smiled inside, knowing he would have loved to have seen that last boulder blast.
When we reached the house, Emma didn’t let go until we were safely inside. When Kade placed me on my feet I was still weak, but strong enough to make it to my room.
“Go take a hot shower and change. I’ll ask Miss Lily to make us something to eat, and then I’m heading home to do the same,” Emma said.
“Thank you. Both of you.”
“We were just the escorts. You did it all. And it was pretty amazing to watch,” Kade said. “Hopefully the others will be back soon. If we hear anything, we’ll let you know.”
Maybe it was the exhaustion setting in, but tears filled and ran down my cheeks.
Emma stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” She took a step back. “If you need anything, Kade and I will be right outside. Just shoot us a text, okay?”
“I will.”
Emma took Kade’s hand and just as they were about to leave, there was a loud knock at the door.
We all paused and looked at each other. “Stay here,” Kade said.
He walked down the hall toward the front door. We were the only ones there, besides Miss Lily. Henry, the other hired help, was on vacation. With all the craziness going on, none of us really knew what to expect. Especially when we’d just returned from training to a mysterious knock on the door.
“Eden, stay put. I’ll be right back,” Emma said, walking after Kade.
They were a team, so I didn’t expect her to stay put. If it were Alex, I would have done the same thing.
I stayed behind the wall, peeking my head down the hallway to watch Kade conceal a blade behind his back before swinging the door open.
From the side a large figure jumped into the doorway with his arms spread wide.
“Hoooney, I’m hooome!”
“Dom? What the hell?” Kade growled. He tucked his sword back into its sheathe behind his back and gave his friend a hug.
“What?” Not happy to see me?” Dom said stepping into the house. “I brought a guest. I hope you don’t mind.”
Behind him entered a boy who looked to be around my age. He was tall and lanky with bronze skin and black hair. His shoulders were slouched forward and his head was bowed. “This is Mateo,” Dom introduced. “He’s a Nephilim who literally ran into me while I was in Guam.”
Mateo looked up, his dark eyes went to each of us. He was shy, and looked like he must not have had much interaction with people. If anyone knew what he was going through, it would be me and Emma.
I stepped toward him and held out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mateo. My name is Eden, and I’m a Nephilim too.”
His eyes shot back to mine, wide with wonder.
“You aren’t alone.”
“This guy recently transformed, and after he did the Fallen went after him. His gift is speed . . . like super speed. This guy is like the Flash. When he moves, you literally can’t see anything but a blur.” Dom grinned at Mateo. “I was getting some food at a local stand and he slammed into me. I knew he was a Nephilim because of his scent and saw the mark on the back of his neck. Before he could run again, I grabbed his ankle and held on.”
Mateo didn’t look up but grinned.
Dom let out a laugh. “I could smell the Fallen nearby, so I dragged this kid by the ankle through portal after portal until we ended up here.”
“You dragged him?” Emma gasped.
Mateo nodded, still averting his eyes to the floor.
“Hey, I caught the lucky rabbit by the foot and wasn’t going to let go until I knew he was safe.”
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry, Mateo,” Emma exhaled, stepping over to the boy. “Are you hungry?”
He glanced up quickly and gave her a nod.
“What about me?” Dom asked. “I’m hungry too.”
“Sure,” she replied, hands on hips. “I’m sure we can drag you to the kitchen and find you something to eat.”
Dom blasted out a laugh. “God, I’ve missed you, Emma. You and your feistiness.”
Emma gave him a sassy grin.
“So, have you thought about leaving this loser and hooking up with a real stud?” Dom asked, slapping Kade on the shoulder.
Kade looked unamused. “Dude, I’ve been in a mellow mood all day. But if you keep yapping that huge jaw of yours, I might have to kick your ass.”
Another boisterous laugh boomed from Dom. “God, it’s great to be back. Come on, brother. Let’s go get some grub. I know Miss Lily will be thrilled to know her favorite Guardian is visiting.”
“But her favorites already live here,” Emma said, turning back to Dom with a wink.
“Emma, stop flirting with me, especially in front of your mate.” Dom elbowed Kade in the side. “Did you see your girl wink at me?”
“I did,” Kade said, throwing his arm around Emma’s shoulder before kissing her temple.
“You guys suck,” Dom grumbled. “Kade, how the hell did you manage to land the most perfect mate?”
“The bond thought highly of me.”
Dom sighed then turned his attention to me. “Hey Eden. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Nice to see you too.” I wiggled my fingers at him.
“Where’s Alex?”
“He’s with Samuel and Alaine on Maui,” Kade answered. “Let’s head to the kitchen. You and Mateo can eat while I fill you in.”
“Sounds good,” Dom said. He waved before he left, and I made my way upstairs.
I entered the room and made my way to the bed. I was so exhausted, I laid down and closed my eyes.
Sleep overtook me. I dreamed that Alex was calling my name, but I couldn’t find him.
“Alex, where are you?” I called out to him.
“I’m right here, next to you,” he replied.
I looked around, but didn’t see him and began to panic. “I can’t find you.”
“Open your eyes.” A warm kiss to my temple made my eyes open. Alex was lying on the bed next to me.
“Am I dreaming?” I asked, brushing my fingers over the beautiful contours of this face. His hair was wet and he smelled like he’d bathed.
“No, we’re back.”
“Thomas?” I asked.
He closed his eyes. “He’s missing.”
I slowly sat up, my body weak and aching. “I’m so sorry.”
“Midway is working on it. Hopefully, we’ll hear soon. There is nothing we can do but wait.”
“I know how much he means to you,” I breathed, wrapping my arms around him. “Did you see Dom downstairs?”
“Not yet. Kade messaged me though. I wanted to be here when you woke. Dinner is ready. Do you want me to bring you something to eat?”
“No,” I replied. “Go ahead and go down. I’m going to jump in the shower and I’ll be down shortly.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to come down. I can just as easily bring you a tray.”
“I’m fine. They probably want to discuss what happened today. Alaine might already have come up with a plan. You know her. They need you right now, and I’ll be down as soon as I’m done.”
“All right,” he sighed. “Don’t take too long. I’ve been dying to know how your training went. By the looks of it, I’d say it was successful.”
“Oh. Yeah, it was very successful.” I said, running my hands through my hair.
He grabbed my arm. “You’re beautiful. I just meant that you were out on the bed, with your legs dangling off, and your mouth wide open, snoring like a little kitten.”
I was horrified. “I wasn’t snoring.”
A crooked grin raised on his lips. “You were, but it was adorable.”
I stood from the bed and quickly grabbed my clothes. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“You sure you don’t want me to wait for you?”
I shook my head and backed toward the bathroom door. “I won’t be long. I promise.”