UnGuarded (26 page)

22

WHITE FLUFFY CLOUDS WERE EVERYWHERE.
Including the one I was nestled against like a big feather pillow.
I glanced down my body, appreciating the fact that my dress matched
the cloud I was on—minus the torn, muddy bottom. But at least all
that red sand was gone, and for that, I was truly thankful. Even
though I could sense that some of my angelic abilities were back, I
also felt something was terribly wrong. A quick glance upward gave
me an excellent view of the boiling mad archangel standing above
me. Wishing I could crawl in a hole, I ducked my head and lowered
my body as far as the cloud would let me—which, unfortunately,
wasn’t very far at all.

“
Where in all the worlds have you
been?!
” Raphael’s voice washed over me with an amazing thrust
of power, knocking me back several feet.

Once I stood up—a little shaky, I might
add—I bravely looked up at his face. “Nem…” I swallowed hard.
“…pha.”

“Nempha?” he snorted in disbelief. Then his
voice hardened. “You better come clean right now and tell me where
you’ve really been.” His eyes became flaming blue sapphires,
deepening with every threat I could fathom.

Remembering the last time he’d used that
fire on me, I fell to my knees before him. “I swear, Raphael. I
swear that’s where I was. I have no idea how I got there.”

“
Selene!
” His voice was louder and
madder, if that were possible. “Get up from there. Do not cower
from me if you have nothing to hide!”

Oh but I did have something to hide—plenty
of somethings actually. Slowly I stood up, careful not to look away
from my archangel.

Raphael rubbed his chin as he raked me with
a hard, penetrating gaze. “If you really were in Nempha, then that
explains why I couldn’t sense you anywhere. But I am in no way
conceding to your preposterous story.”

“I called for you more times than I could
count,” I noted, feeling despair resurface with the memory. “I
thought you’d abandoned me.”

“Assuming that’s where you were, your powers
would not have worked,” was his even response.

I felt my eyes widen. “They didn’t work. And
I couldn’t orb either. It was horrible.”

Bitter acceptance flashed across his face.
“How did you end up there of all places? You must have done
something that enabled darkness to take you!” He released a long
sigh, shaking his head wearily. “Do I even want to know what you’ve
been up to? I thought you needed time to accept the changes upon
you, and respectfully I gave you space to come to those terms. Now,
because of your delay, we have lost all contact with your charge.
She has not passed on to the light as she should have.”

A wave of guilt and fear washed over me. If
I told Raphael who had Caitlyn, then I’d have to come clean about
everything else. But I couldn’t risk my charge’s life any longer.
My secrets were what caused everything to go wrong. If I became
fallen for it, then I deserved no less. I stole a deep breath and
swallowed hard. It was time to come clean once and for all—with the
exception of having the scrolls in my bosom, and confessing to
sharing my blood with a vampire, or having vampire blood in my
system, of course.

Well, he didn’t strike me, or torture me
with blue flames from his eyes. That was a plus. But his expression
was punishment enough. His brows furrowed as he shook his head in
disgust. In a dramatic motion, he turned around, flinging his white
cloak to the side. After taking a few short steps away, he spoke
dryly with his back facing me. “So let me get this straight. You
went to Rhea behind my back and obtained sea scrolls from some
former guardian who is now the keeper of these ancient sea
scrolls?”

I nodded. But then realized he couldn’t see
me so I lamely said, “Yes.”

“And then,” he continued in a sharp voice,
“you performed a ritual over your charge to heal her using those
scrolls?”

“Yes”—my voice growing smaller.

He swung around, fury flushing his face.
“After I told you your charge’s fate had already been decided?” His
eyes morphed back into flaming sapphires as his words thundered on.
“After I told you to come to terms and make peace with the decision
that you were given a second chance?”

I nodded as I dug my nails into my palms,
fighting back the tears that threatened to choke me.

“And not only did you save that wretched
vampire enabling darkness to torment your charge, you’ve now also
acquired a new friendship with yet another dark one? With whom you
participated in black magic to escape Nempha?” With those last
words his eyes flared bigger and I closed my eyes, bracing myself
for what would come next.

But nothing happened.

Slowly, I peeked at Raphael through my
lashes. The flames were gone, and he was shaking his head.

“Raphael, I’m sorry.” I meant what I said
though I knew we were beyond words.

“Those scrolls were made of darkness”—dread
lacing his voice. “And their keeper is the demon lord of that
realm.”

“Ezariah?” I asked with astonishment. “But
he’s a former guardian!”

Raphael nodded. “Yes he was. But when he
chose to murder his human charge to be with his guardian lover, he
was cast down to Rhea to become a slave to the infamous
scrolls.”

“Murder his charge? But he told me a demon
tried to kill the human and the scrolls were his only hope of
saving him.”

Raphael released a deep sigh. “The scrolls
belonged to darkness the moment…Ezariah? Is that what he’s calling
himself now?...the moment
Ezariah
used them as a fallen
angel.”

“But that can’t be,” I argued. “What about
the stories told of those sacred scrolls from here? From Europa!
Told by other angels of light!”

“Selene, those stories are just that.
Stories. They have been fabricated over the centuries. Most never
learned of the darkness taking them over. You should have come to
me with this! I could have informed you of the truth.” He waved his
hand. “If you’d only listened to me from the beginning!”

“But it was an archangel that the
information came from!” I shot back. “Why would he leave out the
most important part?”

Raphael’s gaze narrowed. “Who?”

I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to get Beck
in trouble, but this was too deep, too important. Pertinent
information had been left out, and it was my fault for not
investigating it further. Shame on me for taking Beck’s advice at
face value. “Sicily’s archangel,” I said at last.

He snorted. “Not possible. Elijah does not
speak in part truths. Sicily must be your mis-informant.”

My chest tightened. It wasn’t her at all.
“Beck told me,” came my reply, waves of anger and dread flushing my
bones.

“Why would Beck say such nonsense?” he
asked, clearly baffled.

I was wondering the same thing myself. “I
don’t know. Where is he?”

Raphael’s expression hardened. “Stay here.
Soon we will be asking the guardian ourselves.” Then Raphael was
gone, and for the first time ever I was all too eager to listen to
him.

Waiting for the return of my archangel, and
my obviously confused friend Beck, was no easy feat. What if Beck
hadn’t been confused? What if he’d told me those details about the
scrolls on purpose? But why would he do that knowing I could’ve
ended up fallen? Unless that was his intention all along. But why?
What motive would he have to do such a thing? He was my friend. He
was a good guy. He wasn’t capable of such corrupt behavior. I shook
off the thought as shivers raced up and down my arms. Hopefully,
soon, I’d have some answers.

Suddenly, blue flames shot up from the
fluffy surface, spreading up and whirling until the cloud was
completely walled in by fire. Moments later, Raphael, Elijah, Beck,
and Beck’s archangel Micah appeared. “Selene.” Raphael motioned for
me to come stand next to him.

Once I was in place, Elijah moved to my
archangel’s other side. He was a little taller than Raphael, with
short, sandy blond hair. His face was youthful, almost boyish,
giving him a teenager look. Micah and Beck stood across from us,
both of their arms folded in front of their chests. They were about
the same height, but the archangel was thicker and broader with
rich brown hair falling just below his shoulders. His white cloak
covered most of his body, leaving just a trace of his bare chest in
view.

“What is the meaning of this?” Micah asked
with impatience, as small ripples moved down his cloak.

“The wall of fire is for our privacy,”
Elijah explained.

“Yes, I already know that,” Micah replied.
“I want to know what this meeting is about.”

Raphael cleared his throat. “I believe we
have a problem with your guardian.” His eyes fell on Beck.

“Oh, and your angel is such a little saint,”
Micah shot back, waving a hand in the air.

“No guardian angel is a saint.” Raphael’s
voice was even and firm. “The issues with Selene do not involve any
other guardian.” His hard gaze shifted to Micah. “However, the
problem we have with your angel does.”

“Whatever are you referring to?” Micah
furrowed his thick, brown eyebrows.

Elijah took a small step forward, his eyes
becoming swirling blue embers. “It seems your angel has concocted
quite a story, involving words that supposedly came directly from
my mouth. Sicily could not be pulled from her charge to be here,
but my confrontation with her has already produced the information
I need.”

Micah turned his gaze to Beck. “Explain
yourself. What are they speaking of?”

Beck took a deep breath, then nervously ran
a hand through his blond hair, leaving a few pieces behind his ear.
“A while back, I told Selene about the ancient scrolls of Rhea. I
never in a million years thought she’d actually go there.”

“Liar!” I shouted as I moved closer to
him.

“No, Selene.” Raphael’s arm extended around
me, pulling me against his chest.

“Your guardian went to Rhea?” Micah asked
with widened eyes.

“You’re missing the point, old friend,”
Raphael noted sincerely. “Elijah, please continue.”

Elijah nodded, then directed his fiery gaze
back on Beck. “Where did you learn of the scrolls?”

Beck anxiously glanced around, then settled
his eyes on the cloud floor. “I don’t remember,” he muttered.

“Yes you do!” I yelled, feeling Raphael’s
hold tighten around me. “You said Sicily told you, and that her
archangel had confirmed it!”

Keeping his eyes on the cloud, Beck replied,
“May…be.” His words stammered out. “I’m sorry, I just can’t
remember exactly.”

“Why are you lying?”
—
my voice
starting to break, just like my heart was.

When Beck didn’t answer me, Elijah spoke up.
“Sicily had never heard of the sea scrolls before I spoke with her
today. She did, however, see you, Beck, talking with a dark one
several weeks back.”

A few gasps sounded. Beck shook his head,
but never looked up from the cloud. Raphael’s hold on me loosened
as Elijah pressed on. “You were most concerned with Selene, and you
wanted her fallen at all costs. Then you sensed Sicily’s presence
and you followed her back to Europa, threatening her to keep silent
on everything she had heard. Now, will you be forthcoming with the
truth we seek, or will I need to burn it from your life force?”

His frown cutting downward, Micah grabbed
Beck’s shoulders and shook. “Speak now, boy! For I am your
archangel, and I demand to know everything. Now!” Micah’s eyes
widened with the same blue flames in Elijah’s. A quick glance at
Raphael showed his eyes were also ablaze.

Beck slowly looked up, his attention
directed at no one in particular. Tears formed in his eyes as he
tried to explain himself. “It’s not fair!” he whined, pointing a
finger in my direction. “She does everything wrong and is dealt no
punishment for her actions! Her boyfriend is a vampire! You heard
me, a bloody vampire! How is that acceptable? What horseshoe
resides upon her to grant her such grace? She does not belong with
us! She is below the world of angels. The darkness wants her, and I
will happily deliver her to them!”

“You may not judge another!” Micah declared,
a hand over his heart. “How could you? Your behavior is more
shameful than Selene’s.” Micah straightened, grabbing Beck’s arm.
“You may not play the role of God. You will be dealt with
accordingly!”

Beck’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But she
is the one that—”

“Silence!” Raphael’s voice thundered.
“Selene is my responsibility. Her mistakes have been addressed. Her
guilt does not give you innocence.”

Beck started to say, “It’s not…,” but then
Micah shot fire from his eyes into Beck’s mouth, silencing him.

“What deal did you make?” I asked, my eyes
boring into Beck.

Micah spit more flames into Beck’s mouth,
then shook him roughly. “Answer her!”