Fallon got up and he held the door open for her. She felt her face flush when she passed by him. His presence was just so raw. Like he had too much bottled energy and might explode at any minute.
When they were out on the street, he looked up at the sky and breathed a sigh of relief letting some of that energy go. She could see the tension visibly go out of his body. He turned to her. “So, who are you?” His eyes were a remarkable, pale blue. Inquisitive. Assessing. Cop’s eyes.
“I…I’m Fallon Anders. Father Tomas sent me to deliver this.” She handed him the envelope. “Keys and the address to your new apartment.”
Their fingers brushed when he took the envelope from her, and the heat generated by their touch surprised them both.
Kade recovered first. “He shouldn’t have worried about it. I already know where I’m going. My friends came to visit me last week. I’ll be rooming with them.”
“I guess your parents wanted him to make sure you got settled in after being…,” she hesitated.
“Incarcerated. You can say it. Never be afraid of the truth, Fallon,” he admonished with a playful grin.
Blue eyes and dimples? This guy must be beating them off with a stick.
“Are you a college student?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, nice to meet you, Fallon. Thanks for bringing this,” he said, holding up the envelope.
“Wait. My house is actually right next to yours, so I’ll just walk with you if you don’t mind.” Did that really just come out of my mouth?
“A pretty girl walking me home after a year in jail? Yeah, I can deal with that.”
She blushed again. Stop it!
In silence, they made their way along Main Street and then turned onto Second Street.
“Where are you from?” he finally asked.
“Buffalo.”
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen.”
“You don’t talk much, do you?”
Now, she grinned. “Not really.”
He pointed. “Oak Street is right here. What number are you?”
“Forty-seven.”
“It’s the yellow one up on the left. Mine is the white one next door.”
“Thanks.” She moved to walk past him and he put a hand on her arm.
“Hey, my buddies are having a little get together tonight if you’re interested. Grab your roommates and come over.”
“I don’t have any roommates.”
“No? Come on over anyway.”
“I…I can’t, but thanks.”
“So, you’re going to be stuck up and not hang out with your new neighbors?” he teased.
“Are you going to let me go?” she asked, glancing pointedly at his hand on her arm.
“Not unless you agree to come.”
“Okay, maybe. Can I leave now?”
He let go of her and stepped aside. “By the way, remember my name, Fallon Anders, because I’m pretty sure I’m going to be the one that brings you back down to earth.”
Her head whipped around at his choice of words, but he was already moving away, laughing softly.
Chapter 3
A Friendly Visit
Fallon pulled out the key provided by Father Tomas and unlocked the door to the next on her long list of temporary housing. With a loud creak, the old Victorian opened into a foyer with a narrow staircase and scuffed hardwood floors. And, just like all of the other places she had lived in the past three years, the quiet was deafening.
She took time to explore the downstairs and found a fantastic large, old kitchen, a living room and formal dining room. She eventually made her way up the steep stairs to the second floor. There were four bedrooms, and Fallon chose the smallest for herself. She wasn’t sure how long she would be living here, but the smaller one had a fireplace that would keep the drafty room warm if the weather turned cold before she moved on. Dropping her backpack, she turned and fell back onto the old-fashioned canopy bed. In its pillowy depths, she braced herself for the inevitable onslaught of emotion. Entering a new, empty house always turned her thoughts to her family and the night they were all murdered.
It didn’t seem possible, but it happened thirty-three years ago and on a balmy Fall evening, just like today. The front door had been left wide open. It was the seventies. No one locked their doors and everyone was welcome to enter. It wasn’t as if there had been less crime back then, she had come to realize, it was just that people were more innocent to the evils of the world.
She remembered it like it was yesterday.
Right before the invasion, her family was gathered in their living room watching a television show called Laverne and Shirley. Fallon sang the catchy theme song out loud along with her younger brother, Gregory. Something about hasenfeffer and making dreams come true. Her mother was crocheting an afghan and Fallon could still see her agonized frown when one stitch didn’t come out the way she wanted. Her father was reading the paper, but his eyes were drooping and he was about to fall asleep.
Such an innocent scene and all taken away by two Kjin.
They entered with guns drawn, demanding money from her father. When he didn’t respond fast enough, one of the demons struck him across his temple with the butt of the gun. Her mother screamed out and received a blow to the face for it. Furious, Gregory picked up a lamp and hit one of the assailants. The gun turned toward him and discharged. Blood splattered the wall behind Gregory from the hole ripped into his chest and he dropped to the floor.
The Kjin who murdered him callously commented that they had to get out of there now and leave no witnesses behind. They shot her father next and then her mother.
Fallon remembered sitting frozen in fear as the gun was trained on her. She didn’t scream. She didn’t try to run. She never moved a muscle as the trigger was pulled. The next thing she remembered was waking up on a gurney at Brown Community Hospital.
I miss them so much.
During her years in Emperica, she rarely saw them but never felt the need with all of the love and light that enveloped her in a constant warm, soothing layer. But now, in human form again, all of her mortal needs surged to the surface including an almost painful psychological desire for companionship. Alone most of the time, she longed for family. For love. Tears began to streak down her face, and she let them. After three years of the ritual of remembrance and pain, she knew the tide of emotion had to run its natural course.
Suddenly, she was wrenched out of her misery as the front door downstairs banged open. She jumped from her bed noiselessly, removed the Aventi from her pocket, and shrugged free of her hoodie so that her Kur was clear.
Walking to the door of her bedroom, she paused and listened. No sound. Cautiously, she peered out into the hall, but still didn’t see or hear anything. Maybe the wind caused the door to open? She shook her head. No, she could sense the presence of someone in the house.
Besides the Ha’Basin, she didn’t have much to fear here on earth. Her angelic powers gave her enhanced strength, speed and healing ability. She could recover from almost any internal trauma including broken bones and even a gunshot. But, she would be vulnerable while she healed, so it was best not to find herself in that situation. Like Gabe Mackey.
She carefully made her way down the old stairs and gritted her teeth as the wood creaked under every light step she took. Hugging the wall, she scanned the hall and living room, but there was no one in sight.
The front door was still open and she looked outside once before walking toward the kitchen.
Just as she crossed the threshold, two strong hands gripped her by the shoulders. Drawing the Aventi, she touched it to the Kur and the weapon blazed to life.
“Whoa! Put that thing away, it’s just me!”
Fallon spun away from the trespasser with a glare.
It was Julian.
She breathed a sigh of relief and
extinguished the Aventi. “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you, too.”
“If you try knocking next time, I’m pretty sure you’ll get a much better reception.”
He held his arms out to her. “Come here.”
She laughed and walked into his embrace. At six foot four, he towered over her five foot seven inch height. He wore his hair out of style at shoulder length, but it looked good on him. Especially, since the new Thor movie came out and he was a dead ringer for the hot lead actor. Some Australian dude.
She lifted her head to look up at him, happy to see him. Since he lived and worked mostly in the New York City area and Nikki on the west coast, she didn’t see either one of them as much as she would have liked. And, for some reason they couldn’t figure out, Blane had not yet achieved his Knighthood and was still in Emperica. “It’s been way too long.”
His hand reached up and rubbed a thumb across her damp cheek. “What’s this?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Fallon, what is it? I’m your friend. If something is bothering you, I want to know.”
“Honestly, it’s nothing. I just get a little sad when coming to a new house, that’s all.”
“You miss your family?”
“Yes.”
“Me, too, but once I realize how happy they are, I forget about it.”
Typical Julian. The life of the party. Mr. Sociable. He never let anything keep him down for long. So, why can’t I?
She pulled out of his embrace. “So, what have you been up to?”
“I feel like I’ve been spinning my wheels,” he snapped irritably. “Do you ever wonder if we’ll ever get a leg up with the Kjin? They seem to be multiplying even though that’s not possible.”
“It does feel like that some days, but we just have to keep faith that what we do matters.” She walked over to the refrigerator. “Soda? I should have something in here.”
“Yeah, I’ll take a Dew if you have it.”
She found the soda, handed him the can and they sat at her kitchen table.
“When did you get here?” he asked.
“Just a few minutes ago. How did you find me? Father Tomas?”
He nodded. “I went to see him first.”
“So, what brings you out this way besides my charming personality?” she said, batting her green eyes at him.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Tracking a Kjin this way, but I lost him. Since I was already out this far, I decided to come see you.”
She smiled. “I’m glad you did. Are you spending the night?”
“Yeah, if that’s okay. Then, I’ll head back home in the morning.” He got up to rummage through the kitchen cabinets. “So, what’s for dinner?”
She laughed. “Whatever you make me.”
They ended up having a quick dinner of frozen pizza and potato chips and headed into the living room to watch television. After two reality shows, Julian began to prowl. “What is there to do around here?”
“How would I know? You know I don’t really hang out with people.”
“You act like you’re fifty years old!”
“I am fifty years old! Come on, Julian, what can I possibly have in common with teenagers?”
“You are a teenager, Fallon. Nineteen to be exact. The years training in Emperica don’t count here.”
“I know,” she relented. “I do feel like a teenager still, but really Julian, a Knight that gives in to teenage angst? I don’t think that would work out very well.”
“Well, we have to do something.”
For some reason, her heart started racing. “I did get invited to a party next door tonight.”
“By who?”
“A guy.”
Julian straightened and ran his hands through his hair. “How do I look? There’s got to be some hot college fillies at this party, right?”
“No one refers to a girl as a filly any more. If ever. Besides, I didn’t say I was going, I said I was invited.”
“Oh, we’re going.”
“Julian…”
His eyebrows drew down in thought. “You don’t think your boyfriend would mind if I tagged along, do you? Think he’ll try to beat me up or something?”
“He’s not my boyfriend! And, from what I know of college parties, they’re pretty much a free-for-all.”
His gaze roamed her body. “You’re not wearing that, are you?”
She looked down at her black pants and sneakers. “What’s wrong with this?”
“It’s lame! Where are your clothes?” He started up the stairs to her bedroom.
She ran after him. “I don’t have much! I only brought a few things with me from my apartment.”
He looked in all of the rooms until he came to the one with her bag. Rifling through it, he found a pair of skinny jeans. “Wear these, a pair of flip flops. Oh, and a scarf.”
She ripped the jeans from his hand. “What am I dressing up for?”
“Uh…for your boyfriend.”
“Say it again and the Aventi comes out,” she growled.
Julian pressed his lips together, but continued to stand there staring at her.
“Oh, all right! But, this will probably be the last time I’ll ever see the guy. Without a doubt, I’ll say something stupid and he will give me that look I have seen a thousand times, and I will be on my solitary way. End of story.” She paused. “Although, he did say something weird.”
“What?”
“He said he was going to be the one to bring me back down to earth.”
Julian’s dark eyes widened. “Ooh. Maybe he’s an Intuit and knows you’re an angel.”
She thought about it for a moment. Intuit was the term they used for clairvoyant people who could sense the presence of paranormal beings. She shook her head. “No, I doubt a college-aged guy has the awareness necessary to be an Intuit.”
He shrugged. “Hurry up and get dressed. I’m just dying to meet this new boyfriend of yours.”
The room lit up with the glow of her sword.
Chapter 4
First Kiss
A pair of skinny jeans and scarf later, Fallon followed in Julian’s wake to the white house next door. Music drifted through the open windows and she could see the silhouettes of people through the curtains.
Her stomach clenched. Why did I let Julian talk me into this? There were only two possible outcomes to this evening. Either she would say something idiotic and have to avoid Kade for the rest of her time here in Alden or no one would talk to her and she would spend the evening watching Julian flirt with girls from some isolated corner of the house.
Fortunately, she didn’t have too much time to think about it as Julian raced up the steps, opened the door without knocking and went inside. Even from behind his considerable bulk, she could see that as soon as he walked in, every female eye in the room turned his way.
She had to admit. With his large frame, smoky eyes and ready smile, Julian was a very attractive guy. Sidling in after him, her eyes roved over the people at the party, searching for Kade. Is Julian right? Could Kade really be an Intuit? Usually she could tell immediately if a human was an Intuit simply by the odd way they looked at her. She didn’t sense that with Kade, but then again she had only talked to him for a few minutes.
Julian reached back, grabbed her hand, and dragged her through the house to the patio outside. It turned out to be where most of the partygoers were hanging out.
Including Kade.
He was standing and laughing with two friends, but turned and looked at them as soon as they walked outside. The laughter fell from his face when his gaze traveled down and noticed her hand intertwined with Julian’s.
She felt her face redden and dropped Julian’s hand. Why am I feeling guilty? Why would I care what Kade-the-gorgeous-ex-cop-Royce thinks of me?
She knew why.
/> She wanted him to like her.
She hungered for another human being to find her worthy. Maybe share a laugh together. A tender touch even. Someone to tie her to this world.
Suddenly, she felt dizzy, and the sky seemed to be closing down on her, trying to suffocate her. Her heart pounded in her chest. “Be right back, going to the bathroom,” she mumbled to Julian and then fled from the patio. She had to get out of there before she did or said something completely idiotic.
Several more people had joined the party and she pushed through them toward the door. “Excuse me.”
“Hey!”
“Sorry.”
The door was right there, and it was open. She ran for it and ducked outside, greedily gulping in the fresh night air to calm her anxiety.
A strong hand seized her arm.
It was him.
She didn’t have to turn around to know.
But, she did turn and watched him push the hair over his forehead back in place. His expression was dark. “So, are you going to just leave your boyfriend here?”
That word again? Really? She shook her head. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Kade’s eyebrows rose in question. “No? Who is he?”
“A friend I’ve known for a very long time,” she muttered softly, hoping he didn’t ask how long because he would never believe the answer. “Great party, but I have to go.” She turned to walk down the steps, but his hand stopped her.
He leaned down over the back of her to whisper in her ear, and she inhaled the scent of him. It was a clean smell. Like some sort of spicy, masculine soap. “Let me walk you home.”
“I…I just live next door,” she responded hoarsely. “I think I can manage from here.”
“It’s too crowded in there. I really can’t stand enclosed places any more. Come on.” And, for the second time that evening, a boy grabbed her hand.
As a Knight, she was used to being in control, but Kade pulled her down the stairs and onto the sidewalk with a commanding stride and she had no choice but to follow.
Silently, they made the short walk to her yellow Victorian and up the stairs of the porch. Only then did he turn to face her.
On the top step, he towered over her. Realizing his mistake, he walked back down one stair and the air left her lungs as he picked her up by the waist and swung her up to the stair above him.
“Much better.”