Archangel's Fire Read online

  I spun around. “You did this. I know it was you. Change it back. Right now!”

  “You need to calm down. I didn’t do anything,” he said as he snatched his shirt from the ground, shook the sand off, and slid it over his head.

  “Of course it was you. I’m not an idiot. You did something. I don’t know what you did, but you better fix it.” I paced around the area, looking for anything that would explain what had happened. What was I going to do now? I was stuck with an asshole of an angel watching me with his arms folded across his chest.

  “If you’d stop pacing, I’ll explain it to you.”

  He pursed his lips as if holding back a laugh. He thought this was funny? I clutched my crossbow, wondering if I could threaten him with it.

  As if reading my mind, he said, “It’ll take more than that to scare me.”

  Damn it!

  “I wasn’t—”

  “You were.” His upper lip twitched slightly. “Look, what’s your name?”

  “I’m not telling you anything!”

  Scowling, he leaned into me. His voice was a low growl. “Don’t make this difficult. I told you I would explain. So tell me your name. Now.”

  Maybe I should’ve been afraid of him. Any other normal person would be. It was clear he saw me as nothing but a nuisance. But as I gazed into his piercing blue eyes, something told me he wouldn’t hurt me.

  “Fine. It’s Senna.”

  “Well, Senna. If you look carefully, you’ll see that the sanctuary is still there.”

  “What do you think I was doing? Going for a stroll?”

  “Look again,” he growled.

  Rolling my eyes, I let out a heavy sigh and turned to stare at the empty desert. “Okay. I’m looking. There’s the sky. There’s sand, sand, and—oh look! More sand.”

  “Give it a moment,” he snapped.

  Time crawled as I waited underneath the searing sun. Each passing second was torture. I scanned the horizon. Sweat dripped down my face. I was about to turn back and call Cade out on his lie when there was a flicker. It was as if I could see the air. The translucent curtain was back.

  “Are you doing that?” Squinting, I moved closer, watching it wave and glimmer.

  “No. Wait a moment. You’ll see.”

  As the sheer curtain danced, I caught a glimpse of large shapes. It looked like the poplar trees, but they were so faint they look like ghosts. I blinked, and the trees were gone.

  “Did you see it?” Cade asked.

  “It was the boundary, wasn’t it?”

  Nodding, he motioned for me to keep walking. “The Sanctuary’s still there just as it has been for two decades, hidden by the poplar trees.”

  “By a spell,” I mumbled, shocked by what I was seeing. Slowly, the trees emerged again. The mountains became visible as we drew closer. Why hadn’t Tovah told me about this? Or Lukas?

  Lukas. I gritted my teeth. That rat knew and didn’t tell me. Wait until I got a hold of him. He was going to—

  The moment my foot touched the boundary, chilled air hit me. I froze. From where I stood, I could feel the coolness of the Sanctuary on my cheeks and the heat of desert on my back.

  “This is so weird.” I stepped in and out of the invisible divider. “One side is hot and the other is cold. How is this possible?”

  Cade stared down at me, shaking his head. “I can see why Tovahiel didn’t see you fit to know the history of the Sanctuary. I’ve wasted enough time explaining things to a simpleminded human. Now, take me to her.”

  My fingers twitched, ready for an encore. Fortunately, the rational part of my brain didn’t fry up and die under the desert sun and I was still somewhat sensible. Cade had information I wanted. I just needed to figure out a way to get it out of him.

  I studied him for a moment. In the natural light of the Sanctuary, he looked even more like the archangel he claimed to be. Underneath the breathtaking face and perfect body, he was still like any other man who thought I couldn’t take care of myself just because I was small. What they didn’t realize, including my so-called friend Lukas, was what I lacked in physical stature, I made up for in dogged persistence and good old fashion cleverness.

  So he thought I was simpleminded, huh? I might as well use his oversized ego to my advantage.

  Forcing a smile, I said, “Okay. Follow me.”

  Cade blinked with surprise. His perfect eyebrow arched slightly. I bit my tongue, holding back a laugh. Tilting my head innocently, I asked, “Is there a problem?”

  “You’re being nice.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?” I watched with amusement as his eyes darted around as we walked toward the village.

  “Two minutes ago, you wanted to pop my eyeballs out.”

  “Oh, that. I’m sor—” I gulped, swallowing my pride. “Sorry about that. I think the heat got to me.”

  “I can see where a sheltered human such as yourself would find that difficult to handle.”

  I froze. Don’t do it. Keep your hands to yourself.

  “Why did you stop?”

  “Oh, uh,” I jammed my hands into my pockets. “I wanted to show you the Sanctuary’s library. It’s also used as a school. Everyone is taught about the way the world was before the angel-witch war.”

  “So you know about the war but nothing else. Interesting.”

  On a weekly basis, all the angels convened for what Tovah called the angelic council in the temple located on the foothills of Flathead Mountain. She rarely told me anything about what happened when the council convened. People never questioned why they weren’t invited to sit in on decisions that were made on their behalf. They just trusted that the guardians had our best interest at heart.

  “So does Tovah know you’re coming?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “You mean Tovahiel?”

  “Yeah. Most people call her Tovah.”

  “I see. Well, she was expecting someone but not this soon and certainly not me.”

  “Why not?”

  He paused a moment, and a mixture of emotion flooded over his face. Sadness, anger, and…guilt? Oh, now that was interesting.

  Quickly, he smoothed his face and continued walking. “I’ll tell you this. All that matters is that you were able to see through the shield and so was I. The spell is fading, which means the hunters will one day see it too. And if they do, it will be the end of the Sanctuary. There is only one way you and your people can be protected.”

  “And you’re the one to do it?”

  “Yes, and only me.”

  As much as I wanted to dismiss Cade’s conceited remark, deep inside I knew he was telling me the truth. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone I loved was in trouble. As we walked up the path to the village, I had a sinking feeling that this was the last night I would ever see it.

  6

  As Cade and I walked through the quiet streets, the sun nestled low between the mountains, casting long shadows. Everyone was inside, most likely preparing for the evening meal as if it were an ordinary day. I looked back at the boundary. This time, I could see the faint outline of the desert dunes.

  Cade gazed up at the darkening sky as if he’d never seen stars before.

  “Incredible. Diana’s spell was powerful,” he murmured. “There’s hope.”

  “Who’s Diana?” There were only about fifty people in the Sanctuary, along with a dozen guardians. Not one of them was named Diana, and there definitely weren’t any witches. I remember when Jaclyn was accused of being a witch. It wasn’t pretty. Big John had just finished a history lesson about one of the angel-witch war battles and how some of the witches turned against the guardians. Jaclyn had been eyeballing the plate of apple pie that Lukas’s mom had brought as a treat for us. The moment Big John left the room, the plate slid across the table. Everyone freaked and stared yelling “witch” at poor Jaclyn. It wasn’t until Lukas told them to shut up and yanked off the tablecloth that they finally quieted down. Jaclyn’s little brother, Liam, was under the
table with a magnet, laughing his head off.

  Some kids whispered that they’d heard from their parents that there was a witch in the Sanctuary, hiding in the mountains. I’d never seen a trace of her. Obviously, Cade knew about her. I mustered up my sweetest smile, hoping he would give me more information.

  His eyes drifted over me carefully, his jaw tensing. He wasn’t buying the innocent act. I squirmed under his scrutiny. The last time someone looked at me like that was Tovah when I lied about feeding the last of our sugar cubes to Mika.

  Well, intense blue eyes or not, he wasn’t going to break me. I could play the stare-down game, too.

  Lifting my chin in defiance, I gave him my most penetrating glare.

  His upper lip twitched slightly again. “That’s something for Tovahiel to explain to you and the others if she so choses.”

  “Yeah, right. Important angel business not for us mere mortals.” The moment the words left my mouth, a strange feeling swept over me. My fingers grew numb and my chest tightened. I didn’t know what was happening to me.

  His face softened, and the odd sensation grew stronger. An image of Cade with shorter hair than he had now flickered through my mind. He held a child’s hand. Before I could see who it belonged to, the image vanished.

  What was that? There was no way it was a memory. I’d just met the guy. I racked my brain, trying to get the picture back again. Furrowing my brow, I let out a soft grunt as if I could squeeze it out of my brain. It danced just outside of reach.

  Cade’s brow wrinkled with worry. “Are you okay?”

  Before I could answer, Lily’s voice cried out, “Senna! Over here!”

  It was no use. It was gone. Whatever it was. Letting out a breath, I looked up the path. Lily frantically waved from her family’s cottage window. “I have something for you. Wait a minute.”

  “Okay,” I called. When she disappeared back inside, I shook my head to clear it. The strange feeling still lingered.

  “Senna?” Cade moved to my side. He was so close I felt the heat from his body on my right arm. The odd feeling intensified. It was like he was pulling something deep within me.

  “I’m fine,” I said, taking a step back. The moment I did, the pressure in my chest disappeared.

  Lily raced toward us, carrying a small basket. “Lukas said you had a cookie emergency. And he told me to tell you you’re welcome.” She beamed up with that cute freckled face of hers. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “He found Mika?”

  “Yeah. Oh, and Mom wants to know if you want to eat sup—who’s that?”

  “No one special.” I took the basket from her hand as she gawked up at Cade. A scrumptious scent of ginger and spice drifted from it. I was so hungry. I was sure Mika was, too. I placed a couple of the cookies in my pocket to take to her.

  “I’m Cadriel, an archangel.” He squatted down until he was Lily’s eye level. “But you can call me Cade.” He tapped her nose.

  She giggled. “Hi, Cade. Are you from the city? We never see anyone from the city.”

  Cade’s blue eyes flicked up to mine in question.

  “The children are taught about Vegas, too” I explained.

  “And Big John is the teacher,” Lily said.

  “Well, I’m not from the city. Senna was helping me find the leader of the Sanctuary. You must be Tovah.”

  She giggled again. “Nope. I’m Lily. My brother was with Tovah a few minutes ago. She just left. He’ll know where she is. Come on.” She took Cade’s hand, pulling him to her cottage. “Lukas! Senna’s friend wants to talk with you.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Lily,” I said, running after them. She was so sweet and trusting. But there was something off about Cade, and I didn’t know what to make of him yet.

  Lily skipped, swinging their joined hands and chattering nonstop to Cade. She was obviously enamored with him. “Can you stay for supper? Mom made stew. And Senna will be there, too. Right, Senna? Mom! Can Cade and Senna stay for supper?”

  I dashed passed them and posted myself in front of the cottage door, not about to let Cade in. “Wait, Lily. Cade’s not really my—”

  “Thank you, Lily, for making me feel welcomed,” Cade interrupted. I wasn’t sure why he was glaring at me like that. Did he expect me to welcome him with open arms? For all I knew, this sweet, sexy archangel thing he was doing could all be an act. It didn’t make a difference to me that he allegedly saved me from the hunters. He seemed to come from nowhere, and I needed more answers.

  The door opened and I whirled around, thankful to see it was Lukas. He stepped out of the cottage, his head bent as he rubbed a towel over his wet hair. “What’s all the screeching out here? Oh, Senna, remind me to never ride Mika when she’s in a bad mood. She bucked me into the lake.”

  When Lukas looked up and saw Cade, he jerked Lily away from him and snatched the crossbow from my back. “Take Lily inside.”

  “No, Lukas. Cade’s nice,” Lily screeched.

  “How did you get in here?” Lukas aimed the crossbow at Cade.

  “Stop it, Lukas.” I didn’t totally trust Cade, but I didn’t want him hurt either.

  “Stay back,” Lukas and Cade chorused when I reached for the crossbow.

  If Lukas and Cade didn’t look like they were about to kill each other, I probably would’ve laughed. I didn’t know whether to be offended or amused by the two testosterone-filled men barking their commands at me.

  “Senna, what’s happening?” Lily asked in a frightened voice.

  Cade looked over at Lily. His hardened face softened a moment before he let out a breath and slowly lifted his hands, palms out as if in surrender. “I mean no harm. I’m an archangel. I’m here to help you and your people. I have a message for Tovahiel.”

  “There is no one here by that name,” Lukas said.

  “He means Tovah,” I whispered.

  “I know,” he snapped. “I told you to take Lily inside.”

  I looked at him in surprise. He never rose his voice at anyone, not even when I’d tossed him a sack of flour and it accidentally smacked his family jewels.

  A water droplet dripped from his forehead, rolling down the side of his face and neck. It slid down a blue-green vein that throbbed against his tensed muscles. He looked like a warrior ready to defend us even though he knew, as we all did, that the angels were more powerful than humans, even when injured.

  “Senna.” Lukas’s voice was low as his eyes slowly met mine, pleading for me to do what he said. He was scared.

  “Go get Big John. Quick,” I said to Lily.

  I hadn’t been sure I could trust Cade, but that disappeared the moment Lily ran behind the cottage and Cade let out an audible sigh of relief.

  “You can put the crossbow down, Lukas. Cade wants to help us.”

  “He could be lying.”

  “Show him your wings, Cade,” I said.

  Cade looked from me to Lukas. Then his lips curled into a smirk as if he found this whole scene amusing. “That would require taking off my shirt again.”

  “What is he talking about?” Lukas threw me a glance.

  I rolled my eyes. “Nothing.”

  Cade lowered his hand to the edge of his shirt, still wearing that stupid smirk on his face. What was wrong with him? This wasn’t funny. Someone could get hurt.

  “Stop right there.” Lukas took a step forward, his finger squeezing the trigger.

  “Let him show you. Why are you being so stubborn?”

  Lukas looked at me, scowling. “Just go with Lily, okay? For once, will you just do what I ask? Even if he is an archangel, you don’t know how dangerous he could be.”

  “Oh, and you do?” I wasn’t a child. When was he going to learn to trust me? Friendship went both ways.

  “There are some things you don’t know about.”

  “I know more than you think, friend.”

  Cade cleared his throat loudly. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I really don’t have any time to waste.
So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll look for Tovahiel myself.”

  “I’m warning you. Stay back!” Lukas barked. “You may be one of them.”

  “I’m not a hunter.”

  “That’s not who I’m talking about and you know it.”

  There was a heavy silence. They were saying things I didn’t understand, and I didn’t like it. Lukas knew about the hunters. He knew what was beyond the Sanctuary’s boundary. And there was something else out there that made Cade pause.

  “I’m not one of Rahab’s followers, either. I give you my word.”

  “Really?” Lukas took out the small pouch he’d worn around his neck ever since he came back to the Sanctuary. He dipped his fingers inside, then rubbed a purple paste-like substance on the tip of the arrow.

  “If that’s true, then this won’t hurt you.” He directed the arrow at Cade’s heart.

  The next few moments went so fast, it was a blur.

  Big John’s voice boomed as his bulking frame raced down the path toward us. “Don’t, Lukas!”

  The strange feeling I had before slammed into me. I gasped and dropped the basket, sending the cookies tumbling onto the dirt. It was so intense I felt like was going to explode.

  But Lukas had already squeezed the trigger, and the arrow sailed through the air. Panic set my nerve endings alight, and a force slammed against my chest from the inside. It felt like something was being pushed out of me as I stumbled in a sudden gust of strong wind.

  The current swayed the arrow from its intended path. Instead of hitting his heart, it sliced over Cade’s arm, ripping his sleeve and leaving a red gash. Cade hissed.

  I stood stock-still, unable to make sense of what just happened. Whatever it was, Cade didn’t seem to notice or care. His sapphire eyes darkened as he marched to Lukas. Before Lukas could react, Cade grabbed his throat and lifted him off the ground. Lukas clawed at Cade’s fingers, trying to pry them off.

  “Let him go!” My fists pummeled Cade’s back. He didn’t even notice. It was like I was punching a wall.

  “That was stupid,” Cade growled. “What if I’d been one of them? Do you know what I could’ve done to you? To her?”