UnGuarded (13 page)

Cole. I bit back the pain of not having him
here to help me, though obviously the rumors of Cole’s kidnapping
hadn’t spread through Europa…yet. “But you hate that I’m close to a
dark one. Why would you encourage me to bring him?” My gaze
narrowed. “And better yet, why are you even helping me?” Skepticism
pushing forward in my mind.

He brushed his fingers across my cheek.
“Because you’re my friend.”

I stared into his eyes, trying to discern
the truth. Beck and I used to be friends—really good friends. But
we’d grown apart this past year, mostly because I’d given my heart
to a vampire. And though he hated my choices, he still assured me
that he would always be there—friends forever, and all that sort of
stuff. I mentally weighed my options. What other choice did I have?
This was the only way I knew of saving Caitlyn. And that meant it
was worth the risk. As I looked in my old friend’s eyes, I finally
found the sincerity I needed to see. He really wanted to help me.
Instantly, my throat constricted, but I was able to squeak out a
“Thank you.”

Beck gave a slight nod, amusement crinkling
the corners of his eyes. “Praying it goes in your favor,” he noted,
then vanished.

I was too choked up to say good-bye
anyway.

My thoughts pressed heavy in my mind.
Caitlyn was dying, but at least I’d been given new hope on how to
save her. Somehow I needed to give my breath for hers. But how
could I do that? And could it really end up killing me? Or the more
pressing question: Am I willing to die for my charge? Shivers raced
down my arms and my stomach turned. I hugged myself, finding no
comfort to the menacing chills. There had to be another way, but I
wouldn’t know anything without getting my hands on those sea
scrolls. What if giving my breath didn’t mean I’d die? Beck had
said the angel that attempted this was never seen again. But that
didn’t mean the angel died.

One thing at a time
, I scolded
myself. The first thing I needed to do was get Cole back—then I
could worry about the possibility of going to Rhea. Cole. Just the
thought of his name sent my heart pounding. Even after everything
that just happened, saving him from Limos was still my number one
priority. But now if I didn’t take Luke, I wouldn’t be free to go
to Rhea and find those scrolls. The clock was ticking. The air
around me seemed thin. Pressure swelled in my head, throbbing at my
temples. I rubbed them with my palms and released a deep sigh. My
decision was made and it was time to inform my ally.

11

I ORBED TO CENTRAL PARK, in Manhattan, which
was where I sensed Luke’s essence. My annoying orbing side effects
had finally worn off, and I had just finished masking my aura. I
stood against a tree, in angel form, watching a few joggers
climbing a hill in the distance. Their angels floated above them in
iridescently lit shapes. Demons slicked the ground beside them in
shadowy formations of black, globby smoke. The sun hung below a
hazy gray sky, slowly dropping beyond the line of trees. A gust of
wind rushed the sidewalk, stirring burnt cigarette butts, tattered
napkins, and stained plastic cups along its route. The hustle and
bustle of the city could be heard miles away—the rush of traffic,
honking horns, and the occasional emergency vehicle blaring its
siren.

What in the world is Luke doing here?
I wondered, then closed my eyes and concentrated on his essence. He
was close. I followed his scent until I saw him standing under a
cluster of overgrown trees, physically hidden in their shadows.
Luke wore faded jeans with a gunmetal, bomber-style leather jacket.
His brown hair was parted down the middle and slicked back on the
sides, very similar to Keanu Reeves’ hair in
The Matrix
,
once he’d become the badass Neo. The joggers were almost passing
him and I could taste Luke’s hunger, could feel the saliva
thickening in his mouth. That’s what he was doing in the park! I
dipped behind a tree and turned visible, shifting into a navy
cotton tank and skinny jeans tucked into a pair of black
combat-style boots. I wore my hair down, and the wind forced it
sideways as I dashed toward Luke. He was prowling out of the
shadows, his eyes fixed on one of the joggers.

“No! Luke! Don’t!” I exclaimed as I
approached him.

He flashed around and locked eyes on me,
then licked his lips. “I knew I’d be seeing you soon,” he purred,
as the unknowing joggers safely moved past him. Luke took a few
steps my way, smiling. “You look”—his eyes slid up and down my
body—“delicious.”

Instantly, heat flushed my cheeks. But how
could he have that effect on me? It wasn’t possible. I hated him
for what he’d done, and I was only here because I needed his help.
Nothing more! I shook it off, feeling a little mortified, mostly
because I knew Luke had noticed. “We need to talk,” I demanded,
shrugging off my embarrassment.

He nodded slowly, then leaned down and
brushed his nose against my hair. “You owe me a meal.”

I gripped his forehead and pushed him back.
“You can feed when we’re done talking.”

There was a blur of motion, then he was
standing behind me, his arms trapping my body inside a firm grasp.
His lips were buried in my hair, trailing along my earlobe. Tingles
spread like tiny electric currents along my skin. I tried to speak,
but couldn’t get my voice around the tightness in my throat. His
body pressed closer into mine, and I knew I had to either use my
power to teach him a lesson, or I could…

I closed my eyes and went invisible. After
all, there wasn’t anyone else around to witness me doing it. His
arms crashed together as he fell forward, but in a flash he caught
himself and jumped up—more gracefully than a cat. His eyes were
searching around frantically. “Angel! Where are you? I didn’t mean
to do that. Come back!”

There was a park bench several feet away. I
sat down, crossing my right leg over my left, then shifted back to
human form. “Enough of the games, Luke. Please.”

He flickered to me and sat down—a little too
close for my comfort so I kept my guard on high. “But you’re just
so damn tempting.” He leaned over and sniffed my hair, seemingly
lost in the scent for a brief moment before sitting back and
casting a dreamy gaze my way. “It’s not my fault,” he added
innocently.

Yes it
was
his fault; he needed to
get better control over his appetite and I told him so. “You can’t
have me now, or ever,” I carried on impatiently. “You’re going to
help me get Cole back and then you will never see me again.” I
reached over and grabbed his arm, shaking it with a little force.
“Are you okay with that?” I let go and leaned back into the bench,
feeling the hard, smooth wood on my back.

Luke ran a hand through his hair. “Fine,” he
grumbled.

I smiled softly, feeling the sweetness of
victory, though I’d be keeping my senses alert around him for sure.
“How is Huron coming with our…um…
backup
?”

He assessed me, his expression unreadable.
“Everything should be set with that. There are six vampires, three
demons, maybe more when we show up tonight.”

“Can the demons be trusted to show? They
have no alliance with anyone.”

“They do what Huron tells them,” he assured
with no trace of doubt in his voice.

“Why? How does Huron have that kind of
control?” I leaned forward and some of my hair fell across my face.
In an instant, Luke’s fingers were there, brushing it out of my
eyes; then he quickly retreated back to his space on the bench. I
took a deep breath, ignoring my racing heart as best I could. All
the while, I stared into his dark, mysterious eyes and saw more
than hunger, more than a thirst for my blood. Lust—pure, raw, and
undeniably present lust, and that definitely was not good. But the
plan to save Cole (and me) wouldn’t work without him, which left me
no choice but in sticking with him.

Luke was the first to look away. He stared
at the ground and said, “Everyone helping us tonight owes Huron a
favor, and—”

“Wait a second!” I exclaimed, pondering how
he even knew I’d still want his help. “How did you know I’d still
need your help? Us spending any more time together whatsoever is
absolutely the worst idea ever!”

“I knew you’d want my help because there’s
no way on this Earth, or the others, that you’d really give
yourself to that demon if you didn’t have to,” he stated in a
monotone of resignation.

He had me there. I shrugged, then asked, “So
what were you saying about favors being owed to Huron?”

“In a nutshell, Huron owes me a favor, and
all the dark ones helping us owe Huron.”

“Do I even want to know why he owes you, or
why any of the others owe him?”

Luke shook his head. “None of that is
important.”

I was curious, but I wasn’t going to press
him for fear that if I showed too much interest, he’d mistake it
for me caring enough to know—which I didn’t. Shaking my head, I
looked away. There were a few more people approaching from down the
hill. A younger-looking man wearing gray cargo pants and a matching
hat while the woman with him appeared slightly older. She pulled
her cream-colored cardigan tightly around her body, then reached
down to take the hand of a five- or six-year-old little girl. The
girl’s blond hair was in cute little pigtails, and she wore a Hello
Kitty top with sneakers that lit up in flashing lights around her
toes. There was an entourage of spiritual followers directly behind
them, a few extra angels in place for the little girl.

Luke’s body stiffened. I could feel it in
his aura, and in the way he shifted on the bench. Instinctively, I
grabbed his hand. It was cold and hard, like polished marble under
silk. “No!” I warned under my breath. “Not them! Not that little
girl!”

It was eerily quiet for several racing
heartbeats. Then Luke said through gritted teeth, “Angel, you
cannot sit here and forbid me to eat anyone that passes, all the
while not offering me anything else from you.”

I turned and caught his eyes glaring at me.
There was a hunger inside them that provoked a familiar fear in me.
It reminded me of all the times I’d been with Cole when he hadn’t
fed. It was intense, intimidating, and very scary, but Cole was
able to control himself—at least until he was no longer with me.
Cole also promised that he never killed a victim. He’d just drink
from them, heal their wounds, and then erase any memories they had
of it. For reasons I couldn’t explain, I needed to know Luke ate
the same way. I needed to know he wasn’t a murderer.

Without taking my eyes off his, I asked, “Do
you spare them? Or do you finish them off?”

He licked his lips as he tightened his grip
on my hand. “What do you—”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” I hissed. “You
know what I’m talking about!”

“I spare them. How much more do you like me
now?”

Swallowing hard, I pried my hand from his
hold. “Sorry, it was none of my business, and I don’t like you,
therefore it’s impossible to like you more.” I stood up, running my
hands over my arms, a cool breeze prickling my skin. “Are we
meeting at Huron’s bar?”

“Wait a second.” He jumped up beside me, but
kept his hands to himself. “Where are you going?”

That was a great question. I had no idea,
but I still wasn’t ready to go to Caitlyn, and Europa was out of
the question. I would’ve loved to do a little research on Rhea, but
I doubted I’d learn anything until I got there. Should I ask Cole
to help me? What if I lost him all over again? I couldn’t bear it
if that happened. I needed to keep Cole safe. Once I got Cole home,
he could never leave Earth again. As I stared at Luke, I realized
that he was the only one who could help me get those scrolls. But I
knew that even asking him for that would be a huge mistake.
Unfortunately, going to Rhea alone was out of the question. And
since Beck wouldn’t go with me, it really left only one option.

“Will you walk with me?” I asked as I turned
around and headed up the hill, away from the humans.

Luke didn’t answer, but I felt him fall in
step beside me. We walked for several minutes, listening only to
the howl of the wind and the busyness of the city off in the
distance. Since there was really no way to candy-coat my request,
it was time to just ask and get it over with. Not that I felt any
more confident about needing his help once again. “After we return
from Charon, there’s another task I need your assistance with.”

“And what would that be?” His voice was
piqued with curiosity.

I took a deep breath and told him everything
Beck had told me about Rhea, the scrolls, and how I could give my
breath to save my charge. For reasons I couldn’t explain, I also
told him about being offered a second chance, a new charge, and the
possibility of regaining most of my lost powers. When I finished, I
glanced over at Luke and saw he was looking at me. Not wanting to
take my eyes off him, I stopped walking. He instantly stopped too.
He grabbed my hand and gently guided me over to stand by a towering
oak. His eyes were wide as he asked, “Why wouldn’t you just take
the second chance? You get your powers, a new charge, and a new
little life. Why is it so important to try to save a dying human?
What if you’re the one who dies instead?”