The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) (99 page)

Snorting water out of his nose, he went from laughing to coughing and back to laughing again. He tossed the empty bottle into the back seat and said, “It’s been a very, very long time since I left my old life. Sometimes I miss it…people in it. People who’ve been dead and dust for too long to mourn.”

I wondered who he was thinking about. He never talked about his past. Not once, not ever. I’d asked him before and he’d always changed the subject or given me a non-answer. I knew so little about him really. I trusted Raphael recruited him for a reason though. Raphael’s Primani were picked for their warrior skills and their character. Dec had unique healing skills as well. The fact that he smiled more than most Primani was a bonus for the ladies.

“Something happened when you were with Michael. Tell me why you’re different.”

He shifted his weight and peered off into the trees for a minute, getting his bearings and watching the rain settle on the branches. After checking the camera feeds on his own cell, he began to talk.

“It’s not a long story, love. When Raphael yanked me out of the tunnels, I ended up in Heaven. It was just a room, really, but I know it was Heaven because of the overwhelming peacefulness that wrapped around me. Heaven is way cool.”

Good to know.

“As soon as I woke up, Raphael was there to help.” He smiled a little and winked at me. “You know how he is; he was uber-nice and as proper as always. As I blinked up at him, I realized I didn’t want to keep living. I wanted to keep dying.”

“Why would you say that?” I was horrified that he’d even think about that.

“Well, while I was quote ‘dead,’ I saw someone who’d left me so long ago I’d lost her memory. She’s still dead, of course, but her soul is in Heaven. I could see her again if I just let myself go.”

“It was tempting to go to her and spent eternity in the light instead of battling demons in the dark.”

“What did Raphael say?” I asked.

“Well, that’s the funny part. He shrugged and said he’d leave it up to me. He patted my shoulder and walked away. I lay there in the half-light of the room and wondered why he gave me a choice. I spent weeks wondering why I had a choice. Staring at the ceiling and wondering why. I didn’t even think about her at all; I was too stuck on having the option to give up. Was there a catch?”

“Obviously you decided to stay. Why?”

Shifting awkwardly in his seat, he said, “I realized I had a new family that needed me more than my old one. They were all dead and at peace. I couldn’t do anything for them. But you? And Killian? And Sean? I’m not trying to be arrogant, but you all need me. We’re connected, and not just by
Raphael’s
blood.”

Lifting my locket, I took it off and opened it up. The four drops of golden blood were still there inside the tiny circles. He touched it with his fingertip and it flashed delicately in recognition. He closed it and slipped it over my head again.

“Blood calls to blood,” I murmured.

He nodded at my perception and continued. “When Raphael came again, Michael was with him. I hadn’t told him my decision, but he already knew it.
Of course
, he already knew it, right? Michael came to heal me. Me! Just another Primani…” He grinned and added, “Dude, I almost died for real when he showed up! I was shaking so hard my teeth hurt.”

Yeah, totally knew how that felt! Michael scared the bejesus out of me too.

“But he just looked down at me and told me to relax and the next thing I knew I was completely healed and dressed in clean clothes. I don’t know what he did to me…I was asleep for months I think. An interesting side effect is the lingering memories of my family. I’d forgotten them for so long, and now they drift with me all the time. I don’t regret my choice, but I’m learning to let them go all over again. It hurts.”

He wasn’t crying but his voice had a sadness to it that squeezed my heart. I hugged him and he didn’t resist the comfort.

“I’m so glad you came back to us.”

We sat there and recharged our emotional batteries while the rain pattered on the roof.

An abrupt beep had both of us checking our phones. Ah, ha! There she was! The woman was back. Her grey pickup truck was now parked in front of the cabin. I checked the outside feed and watched her get out and run up the steps. Her face was covered by a hood though. We needed a full face shot so there was no doubt.

She stopped just inside the door and peeled off her wet shoes and coat. Still looking away from the camera, she made her way to the tiny kitchen and turned her back to make some coffee. The back of her head looked right, but we needed the face.

Dec snorted and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “Come on, you hateful witch. Turn around so we can fry you.”

“Dec! You heard Killian! We’re not killing her!”

“Dude, relax. That’s not what I meant.”

He wagged his head like I was the crazy one.

Both of us were leaning so close to our screens we kept fogging them up. I tried not to roll my eyes when she went to the bathroom and closed the door.

Oh, for crying out loud.

That reminded me. “I have to pee.”

“TMI. Totally TMI. I’ll watch. You find a bush.”

After dropping stiffly out of the truck, I carefully picked my way to the back. The mud sucked at my combat boots making them squelch. Ewww. I lifted my foot and two inches of brown gunk clung to the sole. The earthy smell of dead leaves and dirt battled with the delicate scent of rain and pine trees. I took a deep breath. All in all, it could be worse.

I kept up a silent prayer in my head. Oh, please don’t let me slip.

The image of lying flat on my back in this mud was too embarrassing to bear. I slowed my steps even more. I would never live it down. It was still raining and I was trying to pee as fast as possible without drowning or peeing on my leg. As I squinted into the woods, I had an idea.

“More coffee?” the waitress asked Dec.

“No thanks, love. I’m good for now.”

Looking disappointed, she sauntered away, ample hips swaying with invitation.

I wanted a refill, but I guess I was still invisible. Dec shrugged and pushed his still-full cup of caffeinated goodness across the plastic tablecloth. It was fully dark outside and cold again. I was still shivering and wrapped my fingers around the cup. We’d gotten footage of our target and retreated to this truck stop. It was warm and pleasantly crowded with country people who just wanted some comfort food. No one paid any attention to us despite our wet clothes and my mop of hair. I’d finally coaxed it into a heavy braid but it was springing out in rogue curls. I was pretty sure we looked like a couple of homeless people, but no one seemed to notice.

Dec shoveled a huge forkful of mashed potatoes and gravy into his already-full mouth. His eyes creased in ecstasy and he chewed and swallowed. Another forkful followed that. A healthy gulp of water and more potatoes; a pattern was taking form.

“Can you breathe?” I teased. I was trying to mainline the vegetable soup but it was nuclear hot. The best I could do was blow on a spoonful at a time. My stomach howled in protest. Out of nowhere, a hot buttery roll landed on my plate.

“Here you go, hon. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“I love that woman,” I managed around a mouthful of yeasty goodness. Butter coated my finger and I popped it into my mouth.

“Why don’t you make meatloaf like this? This is ridiculous!” His eyes were closed in bliss again.

Waving my spoon, I countered, “This is definitely not on your list of healthy food.”

He adjusted the waist of his jeans and said, “True, but since I’m back from the dead I’m rethinking the benefits of healthy food. I could die again tomorrow and I’d miss out on meatloaf and lemon merengue pie.”

“That is so true.”

After stuffing ourselves silly, we finally rolled out to the truck and managed to check into a hotel room for the night. It was old, fairly smelly, mostly clean, and had two beds. Perfect. After taking steaming hot showers and throwing on something to sleep in, we perched on our separate beds and compared our notes from the day’s stakeout. We had duplicate copies of the video evidence of the un-deceased Christine Miller living in the cabin. Key word being
living
.

Plan A was a screaming success. Technically we should already be gone. We were supposed to leave as soon as we had the evidence. But we had one more little thing to do before we took off. It was important, but I worried about Sean.

“Sean’s tough. He’ll be fine for one more day, darlin’. He’ll freakin’ kill me if we don’t check this out before we go.”

Dec was right. Sean would be livid if we didn’t at least try. “You’re right. I just hate to think of him…” My voice trailed off because my throat tightened up.

“Sweetheart, he’s going to be okay. I promise. Now shut off that light so I can sleep. I’m thrashed.”

The road to the cabin was only slightly better today. It was better because the rain and mud had frozen into satiny smooth ice. The temperature dropped to below freezing and everything was nice and hard. No more mud on my shoes. Awesome!

Downside? It was totally unhelpful for digging up dead bodies.

Dec angled the truck so we could leave in a hurry and looked over at me. Time to earn my keep. He reached for me and the truck disappeared.

We rematerialized just inside her bedroom. Perfect. She’s still asleep. She was sprawled on her stomach facing away from us. He gave me a reassuring touch and I nodded. He approached the bed and laid his hand on her bare arm. She exhaled a long sigh and sank into a deep sleep. He gave her a hard shove to make sure she was really out. She rolled into the wall and settled back in the middle of the bed without making a sound.

Overkill, maybe, but she
was
a murderer. How much gentleness could she expect?

Okay, my turn. I closed my eyes and steadied myself while reaching out to her accessible memories. I cringed as her memories unfolded themselves. I would have to bleach my eyes after this.

Her physical appearance looked harmless enough. She had a pleasant face with deep green eyes. They might be a bit too sharp, but her features were pretty ordinary. There wasn’t anything that screamed ‘I’m a horrible person’ in her looks. She could be a Kindergarten teacher. Physical appearance aside, there was nothing nice about this woman. Besides being a child killer, she was a liar, a whore, and a blackmailer. She’d been screwing her boss’s husband for months and blackmailing him to keep quiet about it. Probably he’d be relieved when she disappeared.

This crap wasn’t what I was looking for though. I wasn’t interested in today’s crimes; I was looking for something from five years ago. Like rewinding a video, I flipped backwards through her memories until I came to the date she buried the bodies. That’s body with an ‘s’ on the end. She’d killed two little girls who she was supposed to be babysitting. She’d been working for their family as a nanny and decided they were worth more than her salary. After kidnapping them, she placed the ransom call and waited. The girls were inconsolable and screamed until she dosed them with a little something.

They never woke up. She never got the ransom. The parents never got closure.

We were going to change all that. I knew exactly where they were buried.

“Got it, Dec. Let’s bounce.” My fists were hard against my thighs when I opened my eyes and looked at this pathetic excuse for a human. I didn’t trust myself to leave her alive.

With a grim look, he reached out to bring her around but then shrugged. “Nope. Not gonna do it. The bitch can sleep till the cops get here.

London, England:

“WE HAVE MUCH TO CELEBRATE.” Raphael allowed himself a real smile; one that lit up his midnight-colored eyes and brought his somber face to life. He was almost as excited as Killian. It was a day that was long in coming. Too long, if anyone had asked him, but no one had. This was the best he could do.

Killian twisted his fingers and snorted half a laugh. This was crazy. Look at me, he thought. I’m gonna break into tears in another minute.

Raphael only smiled more broadly when he caught Killian’s fidgeting. “Oh, ye of little faith,” he quipped.

“It’s been so long…I don’t know what to do now that it’s finally over.”

Done with useless fidgeting, he pushed away from the wall and prowled the Stone Garden. His oldest friend watched with amusement but didn’t follow until he paused next to Sean. Killian lowered his head in respect. He made the gesture even though he knew Sean was beyond caring. His eyes were closed and immobile as he withdrew further into stone. The healing burst of energy that Dec had slipped him was nearly gone now. Sean’s body was in shutdown mode and his mind was closing in on itself to keep from going mad. Killian’s gut clenched and he forced himself to stay calm.

Sean was strong; he would survive. Soon it would be over, soon…

Hang in there.

Raphael stood beside him and laid a strong hand on Sean’s shoulders. Sean didn’t move. With muscles hardened by the months of strain, he couldn’t move if he wanted to. His sacrifice humbled Raphael. He knew the suffering Sean endured--and the reasons why. Hoping to ease his pain, he pushed a little of his own powerful
saol
into Sean.

“It won’t be long now, son,” he said quietly. Where were they? Would they not hurry?

Mother Nature seemed to know that drama was called for. The wind picked up and flung icy drops of sleet like machine gun fire. Sean was beyond feeling the cold, but Raphael and Killian were not. Both turned up their collars and turned their backs to the stinging sleet.

Killian glanced around, searching for his family. They should’ve been here by now. They were late. He pulled out his cell phone and briefly considered calling them. No, they’ll be here. Dec knows what he’s doing. Shoving it back into his pocket, he leaned against the fence and considered Raphael’s words. He was right. If everything went well, they’d celebrate more than Sean’s release from this hell on earth.

Today was the 20th of December. By midnight tonight, his personal hell would be over too. If only she makes the right decision. He trusted her, believed in her. She’d make the right choice. There was just no other option for him. If she chose poorly, she’d exist in his dreams and nowhere else.

Then it would be he who was lost.

Damn it, where was she?

Sidling up beside him, Raphael chuckled and said, “Killian. Do you actually believe she would make that choice? Now? After all she has done? After all you’ve endured?”

He turned Killian’s hand over to study the rune and added, “We’ve made promises, you and I. You’ve kept yours and I will keep mine.”

Just as he was about to say something else, the air pressure shifted and Dec and Mica rematerialized in the shadows of the stone church. Dec’s eyes flashed neon blue for a split second before they dimmed. Killian watched as he scanned the area and pulled Mica out of the shadows. As soon as she spotted him, she broke away from Dec and ran to him.

Damn, she was beautiful.

He couldn’t help smiling at the light shining in her eyes. Not supernatural--just the light of a woman in love with her man. That light was for him; her smile was for him. She was breathtaking even in the murky night. He didn’t deserve her but he was going to keep her.

If
she chose to stay.

If she stayed, he would protect her and keep her safe. He would love her like every day was their last, never forgetting how much they’d given up to get to here. She was a blessing he’d cherish every single minute. He held open his arms and she nearly knocked him over.

“We did it! We’ve got the proof!” Mica exclaimed against his chest.

Dying to bend her over and kiss her, but knowing this just wasn’t the time, he settled for a quick kiss and then set her away from him. Raphael cleared his throat and Mica swung around and hugged him too. Killian choked off a grin at the expression on the angel’s face. No way he’d walk away from her either. She was impossible to resist. Thank God she didn’t seem to know it. They’d be in trouble if she ever figured it out.

“Raphael! What are you doing here? Wait until you see this!” She pulled out the cell phone and brought up the video feed. She vibrated with the excitement of someone who knows they’re about to win.

Killian and Raphael studied the irrefutable proof and let out identical sighs of relief.

“Well? What do we do now? How do we show this to Michael?” Mica demanded.

It was Raphael who answered her. “I believe we should go someplace private for this. The church is quite empty this late at night.”

Before following them, Mica slowly approached Sean and wrapped her arms around the statue. Leaning her face on the icy stone, she sat there as sleet fell harder. Unwilling to leave him just yet, she leaned against him and whispered something. Killian couldn’t hear the words, but he knew what she said. She told him they’d come for him. They’d set him free. His heart warmed a little more with pride.

She’s more angel than any of them.

When she finally caught Killian’s hand in the doorway of the little church, she whispered brokenly, “We have to hurry! I can’t feel his pain anymore. He’s almost gone.”

He said, “Let’s do this.”

They didn’t want to attract attention so they left the burned-down candles alone. They could barely see their hands in front of their faces, but within seconds their eyes adjusted to the dark and they moved around easily. The old altar was dusty from disuse, but that was where they gathered to call for Michael.

The wind whistled between the crumbling mortar and cracked windows, sending a shiver down Mica’s back. She leaned closer to Killian and hung on his arm. She’s anxious, worried, he thought. Her body was trembling with the need to do something; the need for action. She was about out of patience as he was. As he looked around, he thought this was an appropriate place for summoning the most powerful of the angels. You couldn’t ask for a better stage. The air stank of stone and earth, conjuring up images of graves and dungeons. It was a creepy site; not peaceful and holy, but more mystical and unsettled. Killian knew this was a portal of sorts. It was not simply a church; no, it was used for more than worship. The angels had kept this site in their hands for millennia. Only they knew its secrets.

Unwilling to delay one second more, Mica marched in front of the altar and dropped to her knees.

In a clear voice, she called out, “I call upon the merciful angel Michael. Hear my prayers and listen to my pleas. I would present proof to exonerate the Primani Sean O’Cahan. In my most humble voice, I would beg you to release him from the Stone Garden and heal him to his former strength.”

Stunned, Killian bowed his head and stared at the wooden floor. How did she know the words? No one has uttered this prayer in thousands of years. Outside, the wind thrust against the tiny church as if it would mow it over. The glass rattled, the walls trembled, and still they waited.

Nothing happened.

Killian cracked open his eyes to see Raphael vanish. Good sign. It wouldn’t be long now.

Mica worried her lower lip and decided to try again. “Please, Michael, I beg you to show mercy on Sean as he has suffered greatly. As evidence of my unwavering faith in your mercy, I will wait with him to share in his pain.” With that, she stood up and left the church.

Killian and Declan stared in horror as she walked out the door.

Declan said, “What’s she doing? You can’t leave in the middle of a summoning!”

Guess she just did.

Gesturing for Declan to follow, Killian headed towards the door. “Let’s get out there before she starts yelling.”

When they rounded the corner, they saw Mica sitting patiently next to Sean. The freezing sleet had turned the stone angel into a glimmering ice sculpture. Ice was already sticking to the dead branches and the cold iron fence too. The frozen water reflected the dim light, creating an otherworldly scene of crystal. Mica’s eyes were squeezed shut against the stinging frost, but her chin jutted out stubbornly. She wasn’t moving until Michael showed. Both Dec and Killian went to stand with her.

Raphael appeared first, followed nearly instantly by Michael himself. Killian and Dec dropped to their knees with downcast eyes. Stiff with cold, Mica slowly opened her eyes and tried awkwardly to jump down. Raphael caught her arm and gently set her to her feet. She knelt stiffly and bowed her head.

“You would call upon me for mercy, little warrior?” Michael demanded in a voice like a bell tolling. Taut faced, he loomed above her like one of the Stone Angels: hard, cold, and immovable. With massive sword gripped in his fist, his wings partially spread, he was a nightmare come to life. Most would fear him, but not his newest fan.

Raising her eyes, Mica said, “Not for me, but for the Primani. He is suffering for naught. He is innocent.” She peered up at him and added hopefully, “You have seen the proof?”

Killian’s eyes jerked to Raphael who nodded imperceptibly.

Michael said, “I have and it is most compelling.”

“So you will release him from this punishment?”

“Perhaps.”

“
Perhaps
?”

She stiffened and lifted blazing white eyes. They sizzled in the ice, narrowing in a look Killian knew well. Her expression clearly said he was about to get his ass kicked if he didn’t let Sean go.

One more second passed, no one spoke…

Michael stared down at Mica without expression, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The sound of her teeth grinding together was unnaturally loud in the stillness. Killian felt the growl start low in her chest as her fingertips lightened. In another second, she was going to say something they’d all regret.

Michael could kill her in a blink of an eye. No way was that happening on his watch. He was going to gag her if he had to. Killian shifted his weight to lunge but Raphael shook his head with a tight smile.

Michael stood ramrod straight and towered above them as fitting his exulted position as head of all archangels. He feared no one other than his God and that God’s son. He’d not permit any being to question him or challenge him. He could extinguish this human life with nothing but a thought. But he didn’t. He did something that he would probably deny for the rest of his existence.

He cracked a smile.

Killian froze and blinked like an idiot. Michael never smiled. What was he smiling about? He closed his eyes and looked again but the smile stayed.

Michael smiled at Mica and nodded to Raphael.

“Un visi.” Raphael raised his sword and the stone angel façade rippled like a mirage and vanished to reveal Sean’s true form. With a cry of distress, Mica ran to him and wrapped her arms around his icy body.

She cried, “I can’t sense him anymore! He’s slipping away from us. Please, Michael, hurry!” A bright light raced outward from her core as she flooded him with her own hard-earned
saol
to warm him.

“Mica, stand away now,” Raphael ordered. Startled at his tone, she obeyed instantly. He waited until she was clear and said, “Shield your eyes, child.”

The wind died and the sleet stopped as though someone hit the off button. The air around them shimmered and coalesced into a private space, a plane that no human would see. The air was still and warm within this small bubble of magic.

Michael lifted his hand and a light of incredible brilliance formed within his fingers. The tiny ball of light grew larger until its brilliance threatened to blind them. When the power was at its peak, he placed his hand on the top of Sean’s bowed head and released the light. Like honey, it flowed from the top of his head, over his shoulders and torso, and through every cell of his body. Gradually, the veins in his arms flattened to normal; his neck regained its motion. The painfully hardened muscles warmed with blood and softened to their natural state. The ragged flesh of his fingertips healed and the torn nails grew back shiny and straight. As they watched, Sean’s body came back to its former glory. Mica let out a sob when his chest expanded with a lungful of fresh air. Still kneeling, he blinked groggily at the small group standing below him. His eyes burned with cobalt flame when he came fully awake.

He was free. Hallelujah!

Beside him, Dec drew in a muffled sob and wiped at his eyes. “Thank God.”

“Let it be known from this day forward that the Primani Sean O’Cahan is found to be innocent of all charges of which he was convicted. All remaining punishment is dismissed and his status as a Raphaelian Primani is fully reinstated.”

Sean’s ears were fully functional if the smile of relief was any indication.

Michael locked his terrible eyes to each of their faces. “And to all who bear witness to his release, know it is the depth of your love that has made this possible. Without your determination and sacrifices, we would not be here now. He owes you all a tremendous debt.” With another touch of his hand, he proclaimed, “Let your strength, your power, and your mind be as they once were.”