The Chosen Knights (Read Prequel--The Angel Knights first) (The Angel Knights Series Book 2) (12 page)

“Okay. I guess I have to wait then.”

“Yup.”

“Awww.” His lips dipped low into a pout.

Jack made that sound so cute. When I leaned my head on his shoulder, he took a deep breath. “Thanks for being my best friend.”

“Always,” he said. “You’re a lot stronger and faster than me. And you can kick my butt. But know that I’m here for you...for keeps.”

I wrapped my arms around his. “And I’m here for you, Jack, for keeps.”

Chapter 14

Saturday couldn’t come fast enough. So much had happened in the first week that I hoped things would slow down. As much as I worried something bad would happen, I was anxious to see what humans did at a bonfire party on the beach.

Zach drove Jack and me to the party. After he learned Zach and I weren’t humans, Jack didn’t seem to care how fast we drove. In fact, he enjoyed the ride. At one point, Jack and I stuck our heads out the sunroof. He even stuck half his body out and pretended to fly. That was dangerous, but I held on to him the whole time.

The fire caught my eye first, blazing red and orange to the sky, dancing to the sway of the light breeze. The scent of the burning wood and the crackle of the flames tickled my nose and caressed my ears. I knew “bonfire party” meant partying around the fire, but I never imagined it would be so massive.

As I looked out over the dark water, I noticed the waves were higher than I’d seen at other local beaches. The crashing of the surf sounded deadly, but at the same time it created a serene atmosphere. When Zach entered the parking lot, a slew of cars were already there. I guessed, as the humans would say, we were fashionably late. People were already around the fire, dancing to the beat of the music, smiling, laughing, and having fun.

As soon as we got out, Abel welcomed us. After he gave me a hug, he helped us carry our bags, beach chairs, and surfboards, and led us to the party. Thank goodness Jack had known what to bring. Zach and I had no idea.

An information board beside the parking lot caught my eye. Pictures of missing teens covered its surface. One picture stood out. She had long, dark hair and brown eyes. Under her pretty face was the name Clarissa Goodman. Was this the Clarissa they’d been talking about? It saddened me to see countless photos of missing teens. I could only imagine the pain their families were enduring. We had to find a way to stop it.

Sand shifted between my toes, tickling my feet when we stepped onto the beach. I loved how I sank a little into the sand, even though being an angel meant I was light on my feet. The music became louder the closer we got to the group. They were gathered around the fire with their surfboards dug into the sand behind them. Some shouted greetings while others waved at us.

“I saved spots for you,” Abel said, helping Jack set up the beach chairs while Zach and I watched. We had no idea what to do. “I’ll be right back. Let me get you something to drink.” With that, Abel walked away.

“What’s up, Four-Eyes?” Cayden gestured with a tip of his chin to Jack after he greeted us. He had his top off like Abel, who I tried not to stare at. Droplets dripped from Cayden’s hair and swim trunks, so I assumed he’d just come out of the water. “Nice board.” He sounded sincere.

“Thanks,” Jack sounded hesitant, but pride glinted in his eyes. “It was my dad’s.”

Jack’s board was black with a gold shield and sword design running through the middle.

Cayden took a sip of his drink. “Cool. Going to ride that thing tonight?”

Jack tilted his head to the side. “Maybe.”

Cayden’s eyes darkened and his shoulders tightened. “I’m warning you. Stay out of my way. I will crush you.” Raising his bottle as a final warning, he went back to his friends.

“What was that all about? Never mind what he said, Jack.” I consoled. Briefly, I’d thought Cayden was finally going to be nice. Sometimes, when least expected, people changed for the better, but then there were people like Cayden.

“Hi, Jack, Lucia, Zach.” Vanessa went straight to my brother and dragged him to her crowd.

I didn’t try to stop him since Jack stood next to me. There were so many people I didn’t recognize. I wasn’t sure if they all went to our high school. One thing was sure; we were the only group on the beach. Why did that bother me?

“Here you go.” Abel handed an open bottle to Jack.

Jack shook his head. “No, thanks. I don’t drink.”

“I know you don’t drink, and I’m pretty sure Lucia doesn’t either. It’s sparkling water.” Abel gazed at me a bit too long.

“Thanks.” Jack broke Abel’s stare. He took both of the bottles, handed me one, and sat down on his beach chair.

As I was sitting, someone tugged me to the side. Liquid splashed out from the bottle in my hand.

“You can sit on my lap,” Abel said.

Next thing I knew, I was sitting on Abel’s lap. I tried to get up, but he held me fast. “I missed you all day. I couldn’t wait to see you.”

As my cheeks flushed, Jack spit liquid and coughed relentlessly.

“Jack, are you okay?” Placing my bottle down, I hopped up and patted his back.

After what seemed like forever, he finally stopped. “I swallowed the wrong way.” He cleared his throat several times.

Abel got up and tugged my T-shirt. “He’ll live. Right, Jack? Let’s go dance.”

I didn’t have a chance to protest. Abel picked me up and carried me until we were closer to the fire. After he gently helped me down, he held my hands and swayed us to the beat.

“What did you do today?” he asked over the loud music.

“We went surfboard shopping for Zach. Jack helped us pick one out.” Having never danced with a guy before, I felt a little awkward and hoped I was doing it right. The sand under my feet didn’t help either. I wasn’t as graceful as I thought I should be. In fact, I was a little clumsy. I glanced around, trying not to make it obvious, and from the corner of my eye, I spotted girls glaring at us.

“I think the other girls want to dance with you. They’re all looking at us.” I pulled Abel closer to whisper in his ear, but he’d gotten the wrong message and pressed his body against mine. We were slow dancing. Not what I had in mind. Abel smelled of something sweet and alcohol. For some strange reason, I thought of Eli and wondered what he was doing tonight.

“But I’d rather dance with you,” Abel whispered back. “Are you wearing a swimsuit under your clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you show it off?” His voice sounded seductive and his lips slowly started to move closer to mine.

A part of me wanted to know what it felt like to kiss a guy, but a part of me didn’t want Abel to be the one. Another part of me would have felt guilty if I had let it happen. However, our handbook had no rule about getting a kiss from a guy. Just as Abel’s lips contacted mine, Jack’s voice came to my rescue.

“Hey.” Jack tapped Abel’s shoulder. “The waves are high. It’s time to ride.”

“I’ll come watch.” I ran after Jack who was holding his board to his side. He had taken off his shirt. Abel grunted, sounding upset. As for me, I thanked Jack in my mind.

I stood watching, in water up to my knees, as Jack lay flat on his board and paddled his way to the waves while I worried. The only light Jack had was the massive bonfire, and I wondered if it was enough. It must have been. It seemed like they went night surfing often.

Never had I seen Jack so happy. He stood on his board, riding the wave like a pro. Moving his board to the motion of the wave, he was one with the water. Abel and his friends were skillful too. It was crazy to see all these surfboards daring the ocean. Unbelievably, on the right my brother howled along with the rest of the crew.

Excitement and sounds of joy filled the night...until the air shifted. Something seemed wrong. Even the dark sky seemed ominous, when earlier it was peaceful and still. My awareness kicked into high gear and every muscle was on alert.

I turned to the bonfire when I thought I saw a blanket of dark shadows. The fire seemed to go out for a split second, but that was impossible. When I turned back to the ocean, I was horrified. A group of black mist demons were trailing behind Jack. Was I seeing things? I jumped up and down and pointed in Jack’s direction. “Behind you!” No use—he couldn’t hear me.

Warily, I had to speak to Zach through my mind.
Jack’s in trouble. There are Possessor demons here.

Zach had heard me and came out of the ocean in no time. “Where is he?” he asked worriedly.

I pointed, unable to say a word. The group of mists had joined together and turned into a face with a wide-open mouth, ready to swallow Jack. Instinctively, I wanted to whip out my wings and rescue him, but I couldn’t among so many humans. The other option was to shoot light from my bow, but that would expose me too. So I did what I could—I swam to Jack with Zach right behind me. Underwater, no one could see how fast I could swim using my angel powers...but I never expected the Possessors to be under the water too.

“Gladius.” I willed my bow and shot the ones that came for me. Zach and I swam side by side and watched each other’s back. It was difficult to make headway when the demons moved in circles, creating a tornado. They were trying to suck us in. And the sparks from the impact of our bows on their swords clouded our vision, sometimes blinding our eyes from the brightness.

What do we do?”
I asked Zach.

Zach pointed to them.
We go in and light them up
.

I understood. We stopped fighting the current and let it take us in. We tumbled and somersaulted while blocking their swords coming at us. When we were boxed in completely, Zach and I lit up our wings and our bodies. Extending that light to our bows created deadly weapons. The angelic light shot out, sizzling the demons near us. From above, it must have seemed like one massive lightning storm. Finally, demons shrieked away, shrinking into nonexistence.

I popped my head out of the water, unable to locate Jack or any of Abel’s friends. “Jack!” I screamed in terror. “Jack!” I dove back into the water and then came back up. “Zach, I can’t see him.”

Zach dove into the water. As I waited for him to return, tears pooled in my eyes and emotions rushed, driving me to lose my calmness, my reason. We were trained to be in control, to assess the situation and take command of it. But it was a lot easier when I didn’t care about the person in danger.

Every inch of me surged into a state of alertness, and I thought the worst thoughts. I had to stay positive. Snapping out of the panic, I searched for Jack by the bonfire. Maybe he was safe, waiting for me. But before me was something unimaginable. I had no idea who was who. Black mists and countless bodies were at war, tearing each other apart. Bright amber eyes like Brody’s flashed here and there as they moved with graceful speed. I had no idea what was going on.

Zach dove out of the water with his wings expanded, circling around to search for Jack. We weren’t supposed to do that, but this was important, a matter of life and death. Surely Uncle Davin would understand.

The sound of a Jet Ski motor got my attention. It circled around me at super speed, so I knew some supernatural being controlled it. My heart raced at the thought I might have to fight this demon alone, but became steady when I heard his voice.

“Grab my hand. I’ll lift you up.”

“Eli?”

As soon as my hand touched his, I swung my body and landed behind him in one swift motion. Relieved, I rested my face by his shoulder and naturally wrapped my arms around his waist for support, and then realized my body was touching his. Warm tingles shot to every nerve. Even with my body going out of whack, I felt an inexplicable level of comfort and security with him.

What an odd feeling. I was continuously mad at him, and he didn’t like the fact I had wings. Yet, there he was, helping me, helping us. He had a heart, I supposed; a side of him I didn’t want to see. I worried something deep inside me would blossom from his acts of kindness because something definitely flourished at his touch, his voice, and his presence.

“Jack was knocked out by the wave,” Eli yelled against the sound of the motor and the crashing waves. “The surfboard hit the back of his head, but he’s safe. Brody is watching over him.”

Spontaneously, I squeezed Eli out of gratitude. “Thank you,” I said against his ear.

“Don’t thank me yet. I’m about to take you straight into battle. You’re going to have to be the badass you are, got it?”

“Yes, I’m ready. How about Abel and his friends? Where are they?”

“You’re about to meet his kind.”