Angels of the Knights (6 page)

Because of the criminal nature of her loss, Kade’s ears perked up. “A home invasion? Were the perpetrators ever caught?”

“No.”

A look of sympathy filled his eyes. “I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you. You were so young.”

“Yes, it was pretty hard.”

“That’s why I always wanted to be in law enforcement. To get scum like that off the street. I’m sorry you had to go through that.” He reached out and rolled a piece of her hair between his fingers. “You are very beautiful,” he commented huskily. “But, it is not just that. There is something special about you, Fallon. I don’t know. You just seem to have this amazing aura around you.”

“I’m just a girl, Kade, who likes a boy,” she admitted shyly.

Desire colored his handsome face. “Now, that is something I can get used to hearing.” He lowered his lips to hers.

“Help! Somebody help me!”

She jumped to her feet in a flash. Probably a little too fast if the look on Kade’s face was any indication. Fallon sprinted to the sound of the cries.

“Help! My daughter!”

A woman was waving her arms frantically at one of the scenic areas common in upstate New York that overlooked a fairly large gorge. Fallon rushed to the waist high stone wall where the woman was pointing.

There, thirty feet below, a young child was crouched on the edge of a small protrusion in the cliff face.

The child’s mother climbed over the wall, ready to try and rappel down, but the terror on her face was clearly evident.

Fallon grabbed the woman’s arm before she fell, too. “No, let me. I have some skill in rock climbing.”

The terrified woman hesitated, apparently not sure if she wanted to put the fate of her daughter in the hands of such a young girl. But, she did scramble back over the wall. “Are you sure? Can you save her?”

Fallon nodded. “I can.”

Kade caught up to her. “Boy, you’re fast. What’s going on?”

“There’s a little girl stuck in the gorge. I’m going to go down and get her.” She ignored his look of disbelief.

“Can you find a rope or something that I can tie around her waist? Then, you can pull her back up.”

“What? No! You are not going over that wall! I’ll go.”

She shook her head. “No. I’ll need your strength to pull us up after I get down there. Don’t worry. I’ve done this before. Just get me the rope before that little girl falls.”

She actually was not worried about the child in the least.

She had already seen the glow of the guardian angel next to her.

Kade looked divided. He wanted to help the child, but was worried for her. “Go!”

He did not need to be told again. He sprinted off.

Now that the mother was safely back on this side of the wall, Fallon went over. It was a vertical descent, but she would have no problem. She could clamber down easily, but the real trick was in making it look like she did not have otherworldly abilities.

The guardian angel spoke to Fallon in her mind as she started her descent.

Hello, Knight.

Hello, Sentinel. Is the child all right?

Yes, she will not fall with me by her side.

What is her name?

Emma.
The angel said the name with pride and love.
She is a curious little girl. I can see that I will have my hands very full with this one over the years.

It was frustrating to proceed so slowly down the cliff face.
How is everything in Emperica, Sentinel?

Soft tendrils of mist surrounded the angel’s head as she smiled.
Glorious. How goes your fight here?

Unending
, Fallon said with a sigh.

Have faith in yourself, Knight, as we all have faith in you.

Fallon stepped onto the ledge and had to fight back her tears at the endearment. This beautiful angel floating majestically in front of her was home. This was her family. And, she missed both desperately. But, it was not yet time to return. She still had work to do and all in Emperica were counting on her.
Thank you, Sentinel. Your presence here has lifted my spirits.

“Fallon! Here is the rope!” shouted Kade. “I have a few guys up here, and we will pull the child up once you tie it around her waist.” The rope dropped down over the side of the embankment.

Fallon crouched in front of the girl. “Emma, my name is Fallon, and I don’t want you to be afraid.”

The little girl nodded.

“The men at the top are going to hoist you back up to your Mom, okay?”

Fallon grasped the rope and quickly constructed a sling for the little girl and had her step into the leg holes she created.

“Now, Emma, I want you to be a big girl and hang on tight. You’re going to go for a fun ride back up to the top.”

“Okay. I will.” The little girl reached out to touch Fallon’s arm. “Wait. How did you know my name?”

“Lucky guess. Now, hang on, Emma.”

Fallon called up to Kade. “All set! You can pull her up now.”

Fallon watched as the little girl was carefully inched upward back toward her anxious mother.

I need to follow to make sure she does not fall,
the Sentinel told her.
It was nice to see you, Knight.

Goodbye, Sentinel.

The lovely creature spread her wings wide and floated to the top after her charge.

A sharp pang of regret for the loss of her own wings wrenched Fallon’s heart and instinctively she shrugged her shoulders. But, instead of the miracle of unfurling wings, it was only a dull ache that she felt now.

As soon as Emma was pulled to safety, Fallon scaled the cliff face.

Kade leaned over the wall. “Fallon, we are sending the rope back…”

Fallon poked her head up in front of him. “Already here!”

She wanted to laugh at the look on Kade’s face.

“How did you get up so fast? What are you? Some kind of spider?”

“Just your average superhuman teenager,” she confessed truthfully.

He took her by the arm to help her over the wall. “Well, I’m pretty impressed with you, Fallon Angell. Not many people would have done what you just did for that little girl.”

“I agree,” said the mother, walking over to them. “I can’t thank you enough. You don’t know what you have given back to me. If there is anything I can do to repay you, let me know.”

Fallon shook her head. “No, the sight of you and Emma together is payment enough.”

The mother’s eyebrows rose. “How did you know…?”

“Gotta go! Take care!” She pulled Kade’s arm and they jogged from the scene as quickly as possible.

Kade stopped when they were far enough away from the scene of Fallon’s heroics and took her in his arms. “See, I told you that there was something special about you.”

She smiled. “You are a good friend, Kade Royce.”

“Friend? Is that all?”

Her heart stopped. “What more would you like?”

“Everything. All of you. Every thought, every laugh, every hurt.” He shook his head. “I can’t figure it out either, but I am drawn to you in a way I have never experienced with anybody else.”

“I feel the same.”
Really, Angell?
She would have to wear a muzzle if this kept up.

“My parents will be home tomorrow and have invited me to dinner. You’re coming with me. And, I won’t take no for an answer this time!”

She laughed inside her mind. When did he ever?

C
HAPTER
7

An Encounter With Evil

“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been two days since my last confession.”

“You are forgiven, child, although I doubt very much you have anything to be forgiven for.”

“No.”

“Report, please. Darius is anxious for news.”

“Not much to report so far, Father. The Professor will not be at the university until Friday. Do you have a home address for him?”

“Unfortunately, no. He moved recently and I do not as of yet have an updated address for him. Anthony is checking on that for me.”

“Anthony?”

“My altar boy. Don’t worry. He knows nothing except that I am trying to get the address of a parishioner.”

“Then, I will come back tomorrow for the address.”

“Remember what I said, Fallon. A Knight has already been killed. You must find a way to catch him unaware.”

“I will.” She thought of something. “You said that this Kjin was taunting you. Why?”

The silhouette behind the screen tensed his shoulders. “I don’t know. Perhaps he has found out somehow that I am an Emissier.”

Fallon doubted that was the case. Unless Father Tomas himself divulged the information to the Kjin, there was no way for any of them to know that, as an Emissier, the priest was one of the select clergymen on earth who worked directly with Emperica and had access to the Elders.

“Maybe,” she murmured noncommittally. “I will see you tomorrow, Father.”

“Be careful.”

Fallon stood and ducked out of the confessional. With her mind on her conversation with Father Tomas, she almost tripped over the altar boy who was scrubbing the floor outside of the small niche.

The boy reached up to steady her. “Oh, sorry! Are you all right?”

Fallon straightened. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Red spots blossomed on the boy’s face. “I didn’t realize anyone was using the confessional.”

“It’s okay. Really. Are you Anthony?”

The young boy nodded, but looked at her suspiciously. “How do you know my name?”

“I’m Fallon, and a friend of Father Tomas. He mentioned you to me.”

“Oh.”

There was an awkward pause, and then she asked, “How old are you, Anthony?”

“I just turned sixteen,” he said, glancing around nervously.

Fallon was surprised. He was small and looked to be no older than twelve. Not wanting to torment the obviously shy young man any further, she nodded and walked past him. “Well, nice to meet you, Anthony.”

“Okay. See you.

Just get me that address, Anthony
, she thought to herself.
Nobody in this town will be safe again, until you get me that address.

Oh, where is Julian when I need him!
Fallon stood looking at her meager selection of clothes to wear for dinner at Kade’s house with a scowl. She needed to buy some new clothes, and soon. Then again, maybe she would not need them. After Father Tomas gave her the professor’s address tomorrow, her stay in Alden could very well be over. The pretense of a college student at an end, she could then return to Buffalo.

The thought depressed her. What would she be going back to? A life of tracking Kjin, TV dinners, and solitude. Yes, that was her life and had been for three years now. So, why did it suddenly seem so unbearable?

Kade Royce, that was why.

Because thinking about leaving her new friend behind made her physically ill.

She looked at the clock. He would be here any minute. Finally deciding on jeans, tee and a scarf, she walked down the stairs just as the doorbell rang.

Fighting back her nerves, she opened the door and could not help but smile at his dimpled grin. “Hi.”

“Hi, Fallon. You look really nice.”

She laughed. “Not true, but thanks for saying it.”

He looked at her quizzically. “Of course it’s true. Don’t you have any mirrors in there?”

“I guess I just don’t see what you see,” she admitted.

“You’re right. A mirror only reflects what is on the outside. As beautiful as that is,” he said and reached out to stroke one side of her long hair, “it does not compare to what is inside of you. That is where you truly shine.”

She smiled. “A romantic. How many girls have you said that to, Mr. Royce?”

His blue eyes smoldered. “Counting you? Just one.”

A warm flush rose in her face.

“Come on.” He held his hand out to hers. “My family is going to love you.”

She put her hand in his, and Kade led her down the steps to where his Jeep Wrangler was parked on the street. He held open the passenger door for her and as soon as she slid in, she inhaled the scent of Kade. The car reeked of his spicy soap scent and it was a comforting smell.

“Nervous?” he asked he when he got into the car.

She tried to still the butterflies in her stomach. “A little.”

“Don’t be.”

Only two words, but she instantly felt more at ease.

It was a short ride to his parent’s house, a well-kept brick Tudor, and as soon as Kade pulled into the driveway, a brown, Chesapeake Retriever loped up beside them with a loud bark.

“Titus, get back!” Kade yelled out of the window. But, as soon as he got out of the car, he wrestled with the big dog affectionately.

Kade’s mother waved from the front door, and his father rushed out to meet them.

The parents. The dog. The house. It was all so…normal.

Sudden, overwhelming longing surfaced in her mind. A small tear managed to get by her tightly held defenses, but she scrubbed it away in irritation and smiled for Kade’s father.

He enveloped his son in a tight embrace. “It is so good to see you, son.”