Redemption (13 page)

An airport worker bangs his fist against the outer hull just before the seal around the door breaks.
 
Fane leans out and helps to lower the foldable stairs to the ground.
 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” William swears and burrows deep into his coat as the first blast of icy winds swirls about the cabin.
 

Nicolae wraps his arms about himself, following Fane’s lead from the small aircraft. Cruel winds toss Nicolae’s hair about his face, hindering his vision, not that he cares to keep his eyes open for long.
 
The dismal temperatures of the Arctic Circle are not to be underestimated.

“Welcome to Inuvik, Canada,” Fane calls.
 
Nicolae can hardly hear him.

“What’s with the sky?” William shouts.

“Don’t you know anything? It’s dark here in the winter,” Sadie says, closing her eyes as she lifts her face to the wind.

“Dark?
 
As in the sun never rises or sets? Oh man,” William groans, sinking further into the layers of his coat.
 
“I saw that movie,
30 Days of Night
.
 
Those vampires tore up that town!”

He casts a contempt-filled glare at Sadie and Fane.
 
“You two sure now how to show a guy a great time.”

“And you look like a fool,” Sadie chides, poking William in the area his stomach should be under all of his layers.

A muffled curse emerges from the general direction of William’s head.
 
“Why do you people always hide in the freakin’ snow?”

Sadie laughs, tossing out her hands as she twirls in the rising winds.
 
She is dressed in only a light sweater and jeans.
 
If she’d had her choice she probably would have stripped down to her underclothes just to feel the snow against her bare skin.
 
Her hair whips about her forehead as she laughs.
 
“It feels amazing.
 
I wish you could experience this, Will.”

“I’d give my left arm for a hot water bottle down my pants right about now,” he grumbles back.
 
His head disappears into the folds of cloth, reminding Nicolae of a very grumpy turtle.

Nicolae’s cheeks burn and his nose has become a leaky faucet.
 
His eyes water when he cracks them and he fears they will ice closed.
 
“William does have a point.
 
It’s freezing out here.
 
How long until our next flight?”

Fane pulls the sleeve of his black woolen coat up enough to look at his watch.
 
At least he has the decency to pretend to be affected by the weather.
 
“That was it.
 
A car will be along within the hour to pick us up.”

William groans and begins to waddle back toward the terminal, muttering something about dismal weather and terrible airport food.
 
 
Nicolae quickly hurries behind him, desperate to regain feeling in his extremities.

The rush of warm air that hits him when the airport doors open sends a shiver through him.
 
He shoves past William into the warmth and lifts his face to the blower overhead.
 
He is only just starting to come out of his ice coma when Sadie sneaks up behind him and slides her hands under his shirt.

“Sadie!”

She giggles and retracts her frozen fingers.
 
“Oops.
 
Sorry.”

“Can you at least pretend to be human?” Fane growls as he shoves past her.
 
He makes a show of brushing snow off his coat before adding a shiver for good measure.

Sadie pouts.
 
“Are you always this grouchy when you fly?”

“I am when I’m forced to babysit a toddler.”

His sharp retort makes her nostrils flare with anger.
 
Nicolae watches as she grits her teeth.
 
“I am not a”

Stomping on her foot, Nicolae wraps his arm around her shoulder and steers her away.
 
“People are watching,” he hisses in her ear.

He marches straight toward a door on the opposite side of the arrival lounge, which is really nothing more than a few benches and a questionable looking burger stand.
 
He shoves open the door and pushes Sadie through it.
 
“I think you need to cool off.”

“I can do that outside, not in a smelly bathroom.”
 

He glares at her until she turns and slams the door in his face.
 
Suppressing an irritated sigh, he turns and heads back over toward Fane.

“Thanks for backing me up.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” Nicolae mutters, sinking into a seat beside William.
 
It’s a tight squeeze with all of William’s extra layers.
 
“You act like she should know how to be a perfect immortal, but it’s only been a couple of days.
 
Cut her some slack.”

Fane leans over to speak into his ear.
 
“The Senthe won’t be as kind as I am.
 
She is a liability they will not stand for.
 
She has to learn now.”

“Then stop egging her on,” William says as his head pokes out of his oversized coat.
 
His hair is shaggy, tangled and matted with newly melted snow.
 
“Sadie has always loved to make waves.
 
She’s like a bull.
 
The more you ride her, the harder she is going to buck you.”

“So what do you suggest I do?”
 
Fane places his weight on one side, jutting out his hip.
 
Nicolae can tell that he’s struggling to keep his cool around the humans.
 
Even he has to admit that Sadie has been working overtime on Fane’s nerves since they left Romania.

“Just ignore her.”
 
William turns away to examine the reddened tips of his fingers.
 
“That’s what I do.”

Fane glances at Nicolae, who only offers a shrug in response.
 
“It might work.
 
Or you could just let me work with her.”

“Not going to happen. Not yet at least.”

“Why not?”
 

Fane leans in close.
 
“Because you’re a hunter.
 
I’m going to have a hard enough time keeping the Senthe from killing you at first sight!”

***

I
t is eerily disconcerting for Gabriel to realize that he doesn’t actually need to breathe as he swims deeper into the lake.
 
The water is much warmer than he would have liked.
 
It is almost like dipping into a sauna instead of a cool pool.
 
The salt water stings his eyes, making it hard to see through the murky water.

So far, nothing has crossed his path, but he is on alert for a lake monster.
 
Seneh swims beside him, his great sword locked tightly in his teeth.
 
Although separated by nearly ten feet, Gabriel is comforted by his guardian’s presence.

Water plugs his ears, making it impossible to detect any sounds.
 
Night has fallen above so he can barely see his hand in front of his face now.

A tap on his shoulder startles him.
 
He flails, trying to escape but fingers grasp tightly around his arm.
 
Seneh waves his other hand in front of Gabriel’s face, trying to gain his attention.

Gabriel releases the hold on his lungs and water floods in. He chokes on the brackish taste.
 
Seneh’s grasp on Gabriel’s arm tightens as he pushes with his powerful legs, propelling them closer to the bottom.
 

Within minutes of letting Seneh take over, Gabriel begins to sense a difference in the water.
 
The temperature has risen and a faint light glows from below.

Gabriel grunts, tapping Seneh’s hand excitedly but the angel is already nodding.
 
That is their destination.
 
Excited at the prospect of being free of the water, Gabriel surges forward.

He points his toes and pumps his legs, ignoring the screaming muscles in his calves and arms.
 
The multi-colored light grows brighter as he draws near.
 
It almost looks like it’s pulsating or alive.

Doubts begin to filter through his mind as he maneuvers toward the opening.
 
What is on the other side?
 
Will he be the first person to step foot in the Garden of Eden since Eve’s time?

Seneh’s hands clasp his feet, propelling him through the narrow tunnel.
 
It tapers sharply, making Gabriel wince as his back scrapes against the top of the narrow passage.
 
He wiggles and worms his way forward, his finger clawing deep into the sediment to pull himself through.

Just as Gabriel begins to fear he will never be free, the shaft takes a sharp turn upward and he emerges into a pool of clear, ruby red water.
 
He splashes to the surface, gulping in great breathes as he claws his way up onto the sandy shore.
 

The sand is pristine white and warm to the touch, as if it has been under the sun all day.
 
The walls of the cave are made of glistening rock and the ceiling twinkles like the night sky, appearing to be in constant motion.
 

Seneh rises up from the depths behind him, his long braid plastered to his chest as he thrashes about.
 
Gabriel laughs and holds out his hand, helping the large angel ashore.
 
“You could have warned me it was so narrow.”

The towering black angel grunts, ruffling his feathers to release water from them.
 
Gabriel notices that many of the feathers have been yanked free or bent.
 
Blood dots his back.
 
“I guess you didn’t know, huh?”

Seneh shakes his head.
 
“This is my first time here, young one.”

Gabriel rises and brushes the damp sand from his clothes.
 
It clings to his skin, chafing in places he’d rather not think of.
 
“Do you know which way to go?”

Each way he looks, a long dark tunnel stretches out before them.
 
Both are equal in size and apparent distance, with no light at the end of either of the passageways.

“Elias said to follow you.”

“Oh brother,” Gabriel mutters as he pauses to peer into the right tunnel.
 
Cold air escapes from within, scattering goosebumps along his arms.
 
He steps toward the left and feels a shift. It is subtle, but infinitely more appealing.

“I think we should go this way.”

“You are sure?” Seneh asks.
 
He clutches a bunch of broken feathers and yanks them free.
 
He winces in pain as he lets the handful float away.
 
Gabriel notices there is a slight current in the water, leading away from them toward the back of the cavern.

“No, but it’s a fifty-fifty guess, right?”

Seneh shrugs but instantly clutches his shoulder.
 
“Lead on.”

Gabriel turns and walks into the pitch black with his hands stretched out before him.
 
The air is slightly warmer here, a perfect temperature to dry his skin and clothes but not too warm to feel smothering.
 
His steps are slow and hesitant at first, but the tunnel continues on for what feels like miles.

“Maybe we took the wrong path,” he suggests, starting to doubt his instincts.

“No,” Seneh whispers just over his shoulder.
 
“Look ahead.”