Archangel's Fire Read online

  My fingers twitched, ready to give him a repeat of what was probably my most effective fighting technique.

  “She’s not ready. Now that she knows who she is, we will train her. Give us a few days,” Tovah said.

  “And how will you do that? You know nothing about witches.” Cade said. “It was your responsibility to bring someone here to train her. Apparently, this is one aspect you’ve failed in completing your duty. Are there other witches here?”

  “Well, no, but—”

  “Then we’re wasting time.”

  The guardians nodded in agreement, each of them voicing their concerns.

  “Diana’s spell is wearing out.”

  “The hunters will find us.”

  “We won’t be able to protect the humans if they see us.”

  “There are too many of them.”

  “No!” Tovah’s voice reverberated throughout the chamber. “She is still a child! We must be sure she can be—”

  Tovah stopped herself. She turned a deep shade of red, her body trembling with rage. She never screamed. She was always in control.

  The room went silent. Some of the guardians shifted uncomfortably while Coretha and a couple of others simply shook their heads and looked at me as if I were the one to blame. Only Big John appeared to care. He placed his thick hand over her delicate arm. With that one simple gesture, she stilled.

  She muttered something under her breath, and he dropped his hand. Taking a deep breath, she brushed her palms against her gown. Her voice was low and careful as she spoke. “We do not know the extent of Senna’s powers. They are there, but we need time to help her grow. We cannot risk her life to test them.”

  “Give Senna time. She’s a quick learner,” Big John said as hovered between us protectively.

  “That remains to be seen. Still, you’ll have to do,” Cade said, shaking his head again as he made his way to the door. “I’ll show you what I can on the way to the city. Come on.”

  “I will not have this,” Tovah said. “You can send any of the other guardians.”

  “No. It must be me.” Cade opened swung open the heavy door with ease.

  “What makes you think you will succeed when your own—”

  Cade spun around, his eyes blazing. He quickly closed the space between them until he was in her face. “Do not question me. I will succeed.”

  Tovah squared her shoulders, standing her ground. “I’ve heard similar words spoken before, Cadriel.”

  Hushed whispers filled the chamber again.

  Cade turned to the guardians, his face resolute as he spoke to them. “I’m not him. This time will be different.”

  I was confused. Who was Cade talking about and why did the guardians doubt him? He was an archangel.

  “What’s going on?” I whispered to Big John. He placed a finger over his lips, shaking his head.

  Turning back to Tovah, Cade continued. “If Senna is indeed Diana’s daughter, we will be able to break the curse and you will be free to return home.”

  Home. It never crossed my mind that for Big John and the others that the Sanctuary wasn’t home to them. With that one word, the stoic expressions on the guardians’ faces shifted to longing and hope. Even Coretha’s eyes were lit up. I could refuse right now and I wouldn’t care if the guardians hated me for it, except for Big John.

  “All I have to do is read a book with you, right? I don’t have to do any special spells or anything like that?”

  “For the most part, yes,” Cade said.

  “Well, okay. I’ll go with you just give me a couple of days to get ready.” I didn’t want to leave right away. I wanted time to say goodbye to Lukas and Lily. Who knew if I would ever see this place again? Really, Cade couldn’t leave without me. I was about to argue this point when he turned me to him and said something that made me wish I had the strength to rip his pretty white wings off his back.

  “We can’t wait. The shield will disappear and leave you all exposed. Senna, your friends, Lukas, Lily, they will not be safe any longer. Remember what the hunters did to the girl. They will do the same to them.”

  My jaw clenched. Oh, did he play dirty. Right to the heart. “Fine. We’ll leave tomorrow.”

  “Good. We’ll leave at sunrise. Be ready.”

  Ready? Ready to leave the only home I’d ever known and face a world I knew nothing about? An image of Annalise screaming as the hunter’s net fell over her flashed through my mind. Annalise was replaced with Lily, tears streaming down her little freckled face. I didn’t know if I had the power to stop them like Cade said, but I had to try.

  “I’ll be ready.” The moment the words left my mouth, a force smashed against my chest. The strange sensation spread across my entire body, the curtain washing over me once again. Suddenly, waves of emotions flowed over me. Images flashed through my mind so quickly I could barely make them out.

  This time instead of freaking out, I was somehow able to step outside of myself and slow it down. The energy came from multiple sources. It was so overwhelming I could barely stand up straight.

  Straining, I slowed down the images until I could make them out. Some of them were actual memories like Big John pushing me in a tree swing when I was little. But the other images were of a place and people I’d never been before. Acres of colorful gardens and sweet-smelling flowers. Dozens of angels lingering on pathways. A family of angels picnicking under a large oak tree.

  Winged children, dozens of them, flashed through my mind. Yearning pulled at me from the outside, trying to get in me with each image that flew by.

  I staggered back, gasping for air. I couldn’t take it anymore. Faster and faster the pictures ran through my head. Tears stung my eyes, and the pain and intense longing raged over me. It pulled me under until I was drowning.

  “Senna, are you all right?” Big John asked.

  “I…I…” I couldn’t breathe. I had to get out of there. “I have to go.”

  11

  Blindly, I stumbled out of the chamber, crashing into more vases. I might have even bumped a few paintings off the wall. I wasn’t sure. It was hard to tell with the sounds of shattering glass and everyone yelling. Not to mention the voice in my head shouting at me to get out of there. All I could think about was getting as far away from the temple as I could.

  The moment I stepped outside, I gasped, desperate to fill my aching lungs with air. Tree limbs painfully whacked my arms and legs as I raced down the trail. I didn’t care. I couldn’t get enough air. I had to get away.

  I headed straight for the horse stalls and Mika. She must’ve known something was wrong because she didn’t fight me when I led her out. I didn’t even bother putting a saddle on her. I bounced up, kicking my leg high into the air and over Mika’s back. There was a loud rip.

  “Crap!” I didn’t even want to know what mess I was making. I kept my eyes straight ahead, nudging my heels against her sides. “Let’s go, Mika.”

  As if feeling my panic, Mika let out a whinny and took off.

  Frigid air slapped against my face as we rode. I leaned forward, urging Mika to go faster. My gown ripped again, exposing my thighs. I didn’t care. I was alone. No weird visions. No strange pressure on my chest. I could finally breathe.

  As we raced across the field, I studied the moon as if it held answers. It was the only light in the dark. Why was I running? I wasn’t afraid of leaving. I’d meant it when I’d said I wanted to go. I would do whatever it took to keep the people in the Sanctuary safe.

  Tears rolled down my cheeks. What the hell was wrong with me? I wasn’t a crier. Not even after I’d split my lip open when Lukas accidentally hit me with the pole we’d used to put up the sail.

  Okay, so I ran into the pole after Lukas told me to keep away until he had it secure on the raft. And maybe, running around with Tovah’s gown over my head pretending I was a ghost wasn’t a bright idea either. But, hey, when that sucker smacked my lip, I didn’t let out a peep.

  All right, I cussed a little
, but I didn’t cry.

  Brushing a sleeve over my face, I focused on the sound of Mika’s powerful legs thumping against the wet grass. With each stride, thoughts hit against my head in a synchronizing rhythm.

  I’m a witch.

  I have to save the Sanctuary.

  They will die if I fail.

  The overwhelming feeling was coming back again. It was too much. I couldn’t take it. Then I thought of Lily and Lukas. I had to take it.

  This was why the guardians always watched me. Their hopes rested on me. Had that been what I felt inside the temple?

  There was a sound of flapping birds in the distance. Mika whinnied nervously, going faster.

  “Sorry, girl.” I needed to calm down. I was freaking Mika out.

  I took a deep breath and relaxed. I could do this. How long would it take to get to the city? A few days? And all I had to do was read some book. I could do that.

  As I ran down a list of everything I needed to pack, a shadow moved swiftly through the sky, blocking the moonlight. There was loud crack, which made Mika come to an abrupt stop. She cried out and bucked, kicking her front legs into the air.

  “Whoa, Mika. Mika!” My arms flailed, trying to keep a hold onto her. She kicked again and I fell backward, crashing onto the ground.

  As Mika ran off, I stared up into the starry night. This was so not my day. My dress was torn and muddy. My horse had abandoned me in the middle of night. And some crazy bat was swirling around in the sky, probably hoping for a midnight snack.

  But bats didn’t have blue eyes.

  Cade landed at my feet. Muscular arms folded across his sculpted chest as he glowered down at me, slowly flapping his wings.

  “I caught you,” he growled, curling up his wings. They disappeared behind him.

  He caught—oh, god. This archangel was insane. It was bad enough I was a novice witch and pretty much had no clue what I was doing, but of all the archangels, why did he have to be the one to go with me to the city?

  “You scared Mika, you asswipe.” I pulled myself up, making the gown rip even higher up my thighs. Stupid gown.

  “Don’t change the subject, witch. I caught—what are you doing?”

  “Getting rid of this stupid dress.” Grabbing a hold of the torn material, I carefully ripped a loose piece high above my thigh, only half paying attention to Cade’s spluttering.

  “I caught you trying to, uh, escape. I should’ve, uh, I should’ve—would you stop that?”

  “What’s bothering you now?” I looked up at Cade. His eyes crawled upward, drinking in my exposed legs. I rolled my eyes. “Get over it.”

  I gave a final tug, tearing off the bottom part of the gown and tossing it aside. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find Mika.”

  “You can’t be trusted, witch. You’re coming back to the temple with me.”

  I jerked away from him when he reached for my arm. “Don’t touch me. And I wasn’t escaping anywhere, moron.”

  He scowled but he kept his distance. “Then why did you leave?”

  “I needed some air.”

  “Really?” He didn’t believe me, and I didn’t care.

  “Yeah, really. I already told you I was going with you in the morning. So you can fly back to your temple or whatever. I have to find Mika.” I spun around and started walking. “Mika!”

  “I’ll go with you,” he said.

  “No way. I’ll never find her with you around.”

  “Look, witch—”

  I stopped, whirled around, and marched to him. The way he kept calling me witch was pissing me off. I poked his chest, jabbing him after each sentence for emphasis. “You need to cut that out. My name is Senna. It’s hard enough for me to get used to the fact that I was basically lied to my entire life, and you aren’t making it any easier.”

  He snatched my hand and yanked me to him. My body hit against his. Suddenly, I was very aware of hard muscles pressing against my breast. I tilted my head up, swallowing thickly as I took in his incredibly broad shoulders and a chiseled jaw covered in brown and gold scruff. Then there were his lips, his way-too-sensual lips that were too close for comfort.

  “Well, Senna, if you’re not trying to escape or hide, then why are you so eager for me to go back to the temple?”

  There was a long pause. Did he ask me a question?

  He quirked an eyebrow up, waiting for a reply.

  “Uh…well, because…angels make the horses nervous.”

  “Now I know you’re lying. The hunters have horses.”

  That did it. I snapped out of whatever hormone-induced trance this blockhead of an archangel had me under and jerked away.

  “I’m not lying. Just ask your angel friends and they’ll tell you. Horses don’t like your kind, especially arrogant ones like you. And as for the hunters, I don’t know what they did to those horses. It’s the first time I’d seen horses like that. Maybe they’re under the curse, or spell, or whatever the hell is happening out there.”

  “Hmm, you may have a point there.”

  I did a double take. “You believe me?”

  “I’m not entirely unreasonable. You seem sincere—for a witch.”

  “Uh, what’s it with you and witches? You barely know me.”

  “I know of your kind. You may think it was angels who created the war. But it was a witch who cast the spell for the curse. Remember that. If it wasn’t for your kind, Tovah and the others wouldn’t have been separated from their homes for almost two decades watching over and protecting you and the humans.”

  “If it wasn’t for your—” I was livid. I could barely get the words out. “Rahab, the one who betrayed my mother, not to mention all the others who fought with him, was one of you guys. An archangel, right, Mr. Know-It-All?”

  A haunted look washed over his handsome face. It was there again. It was more than the guilt of his kind betraying innocent people. There was something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

  He studied me in silence. A cool breeze blew, making loose strands of hair hit against his forehead. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself and hunched over to keep warm.

  “Follow me,” he finally said as he made his way up the trail that led to Flathead Mountain.

  “Where are you going?” I called out to him.

  “I need to show you something. Come on.”

  I hesitated. It was cold, and I still needed to find Mika. I didn’t want to go up to Flathead. But something inside urged me to follow him.

  12

  The closer we got to Flathead Mountain, the more I realized that this was a bad idea. The moon gleamed right above its flat surface, pinpointing the exact spot where Hannah died.

  I slowly made my way up the trail. The foliage thickened as we climbed higher. I was walking at a snail’s pace but surprisingly, Cade didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he pushed through the heavy tree branches, holding them back as I passed.

  We were halfway to the top when panic set in. I should go back. I didn’t have time for this. Why was he even taking me up here? Did he know this was the place the guardians delivered their punishment?

  I froze. Flathead wasn’t meant for humans, but what about witches?

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, holding up a low-lying branch as he waited for me to go under it.

  “Why are we here?”

  “I told you. I want to show you something.”

  “I know, but why this mountain?”

  “Because it has the best view of what I want you to see. I know you’re worried about your horse. I promise it will only take a few minutes.”

  He was being nice. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But deep inside, I believed him. Whatever it was he needed to show me, it was important enough for him to actually be patient and polite with me.

  “Okay.” I ducked down and walked under his arm. Just as I passed, an overgrown tree root lunged from out of the shadows and grabbed my foot.

  Yeah, so it didn’t actually grab my fo
ot. I tripped over it and fell flat on my face.

  A pair of boots appeared in front me with a strange sound coming from its owner. Cade was chuckling. If mud wasn’t caught up in my nose right now, I’d probably find his laughter sexy and endearing.

  “Are you sure you don’t have any magical powers that could help you be less clumsy? Maybe I should fly you to the top.”

  I stood up, brushing off the mud and limping away. “No thank you. I can walk.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Not even going to dignify that with an answer,” I said, limping faster. “You can go ahead and fly up there since you’re so eager.”

  Showing off, he jogged passed me and walked backward. “I think I’d rather see what other entertainment you have to provide. I’m rather fond of your brand of slapstick comedy.”

  I was about to tell him off when we emerged into a clearing. We were there. The top of Flathead.

  It was a perfect circle with the familiar poplar trees lining it. Flat stones covered the inside. A large wooden stake stood in the center. Unlike the stories I’d read where witches were burned at the stake, this one was for angels.

  I swallowed thickly as I looked at the cluster of shrubs I’d hidden behind that night when I was little. I’d known Hannah was in trouble that day when Sylas and I were picnicking with her under the Kissing Tree. A few armed guardians commanded her to go with them. Sylas had fought back, but stopped when Hannah told him to take me away from there. Even at the very end, she’d wanted to protect me.

  When Big John left the cottage after he thought I’d fallen asleep, I followed him up the mountain, planning to tell Tovah and the others to leave Hannah alone. Instead, I stayed frozen, hidden in the shrubs, whimpering as I watched my sister die.

  I walked over to my hiding place from long ago, sliding my hand over its prickly leaves. Memories of that horrific night flooded my mind.

  Thick ropes wrapped around Hannah’s tiny waist, delicate neck, and ankles, holding her tight against the stake. Golden hair laid on her shoulders in perfect silky waves. The pink ribbons she’d always wore in her hair fluttered in the wind. Her pure white wings were spread wide, making her a vision of the perfect guardian angel.