At first they didn’t register she was holding a weapon. The lightning arrows hit the targets with such precision, hitting them dead on , that the rest started to hide behind the overturn ed tables. Seeing that she was handling this situation well on her own, she was able to block away her fear. The demons started to throw computers, keyboards and whatever they could place their hands on. Not only that, red lightning bolt s generated from their palms the way the silver bolt s sho t out from her bow.
Trying to battle not just material objects but demon ’s red bolts , she found herself in a bit of disorder and now was looking around for an escape. Jumping out the window was one option, but she didn ’t know if she could summon up the co urage with her fear of heights. Running down the stairs was the second, but either way, they would come after her.
Enclosed by the demons, Claudia sp un and shot any thing that came flying at her . Where were Davin and Austin? One bolt nicked her on the left shoulder. Wincing in pain, Claudia had to think fast or find a way out if she was going to survive. Looking for shelter, she dove behind a desk that was flipped over . Desperate, she willed the light within her. She began to glow, but not for long. Her concentrati on was broken when the window shattered, casting more light into the room.
Dodging the splintering glass flying toward her, she covered her face and parts of her body. Thinking it was Austin, Da vin, or both, she stood up. When she turned, an angel was standing right in front of her. His back was to her, but she knew it was hi m. She could never forget his massive wings. Her heart beating out of fear quickly succumbed to her heart beating out of exhilaration. How he ma de her feel was very unnerving, mostly for three reasons. She had never seen his face, didn ’t know his name , and she knew nothing of him. Regardless, having him fight alongside her built up her courage again , and she started to fight back.
Michael was so proud of her. With her b eing so delicate and dainty looking , he would never have guessed she could possess such strength, courage and will. With multiple blows from both of them, they were down to about twenty demons . Though they fought side by side, he mad e sure he had his back to her. Keeping his wings fully ex tend ed helped him conceal his face and protect Claudia at the same time without undermining her skills.
Unexpectedly, he wrapped Claudia with his wings and placed her safely under a table nearby. “Stay here, ” he comm a nded .
She did as told, but the sound of his voice made her feel light, so light she could float right back into his arms. Curiously , she peered out to see what he was about to do. Claudia gasped and was ready to dash out when she saw that Michael was completely surrounded. But when she saw his wings spin ning around like a propeller, dismembering the demons’ body parts, she knew he didn ’t need her help.
Awe struck, she sat there, but a picture of something similar flashed in her mind. She was under a table and wings like knives twirled around, killing a different type of demon. It was a split second of something , then it blurr ed away. A nnoyed, she made a frustrated sound and saw him standing next to the window, ready to fly away.
For no apparent reason, only that he had saved her once again, she felt sad to see him leave. “Wait, ” she called out. “I didn ’t get to thank you.” She stood up, pacing to ward him .
Michael turned slightly. “No need to thank me.” His voice was low and uncaring.
She could see his profile, urg ently trying to see more of him. “Who are you?”
Michael took a deep, heavy breath. It pained him to pretend not to care. “You already know. Don ’t tell anyone I was here.”
“I know. You can trust me.” She was now a few steps away. Claudia extended her arms and ran her hand down his feathered masculine wings.
Hot sensations coursed through Michael just from her simpl e touch. He closed his eyes, trying to wash away the temptation of pulling her into his arms and kissing her like he ’d been wanting to do every time he saw her. Erasing her memories was for the best , he thought. It was better for her to be here, near him , and not know who he was than to have her with the Royal Council and never see her at all.
“Why won ’t you look at me ?” Claudia asked sweetly.
Her tone and her touch were driving him mad. His mind told him to take off, but his heart told him to stay. Michael couldn ’t stand it any longer. His whole body was blazing with the heat of wanting her, needing to hold her. Cl e nching his fist s , he trembl ed , fighting what he ha d a lways wanted more than anything—her. Unable to escape his desire any longer , with one swift motion his lips me t hers. He knew this was wrong, but he couldn ’t control himself , nor did he want to at t his point.
First his kisses were soft and tender, waiting for her permission to continue. When she didn ’t push him away, they intensified with a passion that was driven from missing her. Michael ran his hand al on g her small back, taking her in , and at the same time, he couldn ’t get enough.
Claudia found her arms around the strong back of his neck. Still in shock, she couldn ’t grasp why she was allowing him to hold her that way , t he way you would hold your lover. Not only that, it felt so right.
Part of her wanted to push him away. How dare he kiss her when she didn ’t even know his name, let alone know what he looked like ? But she couldn ’t help the overwhelming yearning for this stranger , who was always t here when she needed him.
Their lips moved perfectly, so smoothly, like two lost souls that were destined to be. She was so caught up in the moment, so caught up in his kisses , that she felt dizzy and weak in the knees. The smell of him and his hungry kisses were too much.
She had never felt this way before, at least that she could remember. He made her feel alive. Her whole body exploded with desire , but at the same time she felt ashamed for allowing such temptation to overpower her. She should pull away, but couldn ’t. Then , like a moving picture, she saw herself in his hold in another place, a s if this kiss wasn ’t the first time. The memory came and went so fast it was difficult to hold onto it , as if she was chasing a dream she wanted to remember.
Michael turned when he heard Davin’s and Austin ’s voice s calling out for Claudia. Claudia was utterly compelled; she had no sense of anything around her. The flash memory and his kisses were too much to take in. Extremely dazed, she finally opened her eyes to see Michael out the window, his back to her.
His wings felt so heavy from the pain of leaving her he felt like he would drop from the sky. Hesitating to leave, he took his time elevating higher.
Claudia stuck her head out through the broken window, watching his every move. It was dark er , but she could still see him. She didn ’t know what she was feeling, but it was something she didn ’t want to let go. She w anted to call out his name, but couldn ’t …s he didn ’t know it. Then she remembe red the name Davin had mentioned and pretend ed not to know ; t he name that had struck her and made her feel just like his kisses did . “Michael, ” she called.
Out of reflex, he turned and looked at her with shock and happiness , but quickly turned away when he realized she ’d seen his face , and he soared away .
At last, she knew his name and ev en caught a glimpse of his face—his handsome face.
Davin and Austin burst through the door, running to her, finding her mysteriously staring out the window.
Chapter 15
Austin draped his arms around Claudia and let out a deep sigh of relief to find her in one piece. “I ’m sorry. I thought you were behind me. The demons didn ’t help either.”
Davin patiently waited for his turn, grabbed her and squeezed her tightly. “I ’m sorry too, but looks like you kicked butts. They ’ll know not to mess with you.” He smiled inwardly , knowing Michael had been t here. Austin felt his presence too, but he didn ’t mention it. Actually , for the first time, he welcomed it.
Claudia snapped out of her newfound revelation and smiled. “I ’m fine.” She picked up her bow that had dropped when she placed her arms around Michael , debating whether to tell them abo
ut him , but decided not to.
Davin and Austin swept the room with their eyes. There was no evidence of the demons, only black ashes that were scattered everywhere. As they headed toward the elevator, all Claudia could do was think of Michael and the flash b ack . She tried to hold onto to it, trying to pull it out of her memory bank, but couldn ’t.
She suddenly stopped. Katherine had told her to stop chasing her past, but after today there was no way she could. Michael was part of her past, part of something good and wonderful. She felt it to the depth s of her soul , and she couldn ’t deny it an y longer. She needed more of him, needed to know him.
Austin and Davin stopped too, wondering about the sudden abrupt halt from Claudia. With worried look s on their faces, they waited for her to speak. Claudia parted her lips to ask them if she could be by herself for a while, but knew she would be asking for permission Austin wouldn ’t grant. She didn ’t want Austin to tell Katherine , especially when they ’d just had the talk. Shifting her eyes toward the door, the elevator , and then to the broken window, she now knew what she had to do.
Dragging her feet one step at a time, she backed away. Austin waited for her to stop, but she continued right on moving, looking straight at him and then to Davin. She didn ’t give any indication she was going to do something crazy, but Austin sensed it. “Claudia, what are you doing?” He extended his arms and reached for her. “Come here. Let me take you home so you can rest.”
Davin took several steps forward, but Claudia placed her hand out , motioning him to stop. Her heart hammered . Even with angelic powers, she was deathly scared of heights , but b uilding up her courage and the willingness to face the consequences of what she was about to do would be worth it all if she could find the answers. Without any further delay , she smile d slyly . “See you when I see you.” She took a perfect dive right into the alley, landing on her two feet as her hand touched the ground to steady her self . Wow! That was awesome.
Claudia looked up and saw Austin and Davin looking down on her.
“Stay right there, we ’re coming down, ” Austin demanded , his body already half way out the window.
Claudia stood up in a hurry. “No! Forgive me, Austin and Davin, but I need to do something for myself. Don ’t worry about me and don ’t follow me.” Claudia darted away at lightning bolt speed. There was no way they would know which way to go or how to find her. Claudia ran so fast she felt like she was going through a wind tunnel. Her hair flowed behind her while the air brush ing against her skin made her feel free and alive.
She sped her way to the highway, occasionally stopping to figure out which way to proceed. The only place she truly felt a sense of belonging was at Gamma ’s house, where she ’d left her purse , and that was where she would go. But before she headed there, she leisurely took a stroll and enjoyed the freedom she never knew could be possible.
On the way to Gamma’s house, she sa w a park . She sat on a bench next to a stranger and took pleasure from observing a family. The way the mother protectively watched and played ball with her two young ones was very touching. And the hu sband, who was also there, playfully flirt ed with his wife. Claudia smiled, but felt a little sad knowing this kind of normal life was not in her path. She would never get married , n or have children to call her own. Watching the human family bonding made her heart ache , and she decided it was time to move forward.
Along the way, she strolled downtown. In some ways, th e solitude helped her escape the responsibilities and the destiny she never wanted. Observing and interacting with the humans felt normal to her. She thought about how little they knew of supernatural beings that existed in their world. Perhaps it was a good thing, being oblivious to the dangers.
Night had turned into day and Claudia had no sense of time. She sat on the rooftop of a stranger ’s house and watch ed the sunrise for the very first time. How beautiful , she thought. A second made a difference between night and day as Mother Nature welcomed another hopeful beginning. The transformation was so spell b i nding , the way the light crept in with a fiery glow, and the way the yellow, orange and red hues intertwined with one another , that she wished she could just rewind and watch it over and over again.
On her way to Gamma’s house, she accidently took a wrong turn. The street seemed familiar, but she couldn ’t quite put her finger on why. Strolling down the street, she felt pulled to a house. The lawn looked like it hadn ’t been watered , and the petals on the rose bushes were wilted. Oddly, there was a broken statue of an angel and a large sign that was staked through the grass that read “For Sale .”
Since it seemed like nobody occupied it, she decided to enter . By the will of her comm a nd , she turned the knob and it clicked. She smiled with satisfaction and was proud of something she could now do easily. “With practice comes perfection, ” she mumbled to herself and took a step in.
Expecting an empty house, she was utterly surprised when she entered. A mirror hung by the entrance. The living room was filled with furniture , and paintings were still on the walls. Household items such as small statues and trinkets were placed throughout, but strangely there were no pictures of the family. Nothing seemed interesting so she climbed the stairs.
The first bedroom she entered looked like it belonged to a female teenager. Being a teenager herself, the room looked inviting. When she spotted the closet, she opened it. Disappoint ing ly , it was empty. Then she sat on the desk , staring at the computer . She wondered why they left such an expensive object behind . Bewildered, she moved to the bed. Feeling a lump, she pulled out something from under the blanket , only to discover that i t was a large white T-shirt. The smell of the shirt cau ght her in a whirlwind. It smelled like Michael. She shook the thought off , because she knew the thoughts of him and his kiss still lingered.
She got up again, fumbled through a stack of books, read a few lines until she got bored , and decided to leave the house. Accidently, she knocked a book off the desk. When she went to pick it up, she saw a backpack shoved underneath , so s he pulled it out and placed it on top of the desk. Curious, she unzipped it. Inside were some textbooks , a notebook, a highlighter, pencils and a pen. Movement on the side of the backpack caught her eye, and she noticed a delicate trinket dangling from the zipper. When she placed it i n the palm of her hand, she was shocked beyond words. Her heart stopped as icy cold chills pinned every nerve in her body.
It was a picture of a guy and…her. She was looking straight at the camera, but his eyes were beaming with devotion as they lay loving ly on her. She wasn ’t absolutely sure, but the guy looked like Michael. It had to be him. He had the same soulful eyes, the dark hair. She closed her eyes and retraced his thick brows, strong cheekbones, and soft as a rose petal skin in her mind like when she had done it with out his permission. Heat rushed through her veins from the mere thought of him. Bu t how? They were not allowed to have relationship s in that way .
Claudia unclipped the trinket and placed it in the pocket of her jeans. Just then she had another flash back , a quick snip p e t of her giving the trinket to someone. It faded as quick ly as it came and she couldn ’t hold onto it .
Since s he found a picture of herself, then this back pack was hers. That mean t this room was hers. If this was her room, then she had lived in this house, but with whom? She grew dizzy and felt like her stomach was filled with acid. Claudia cuddled her face into the palm s of her hands , trying to calm herself. She didn ’t know if she was angry , scared or enlightened. Pa nting, she t ried to control the deep gasps that squeezed her heart so tight ly , she thought it would burst , and at the same time she wanted to vomit .
She looked up and gazed around, looking for something to help her remember. Feeling l ike a th ief , she rampantly rummaged through the drawers and closet, desperately l ooking for something—anything. After searching through the books and everything on the desk, she still found nothing and sighed disappointedly. Wearily she rested her head on the computer and closed her eyes.
The computer! If they were going to hide any evidence of her past, they would hide the material things that c ould be easily seen, but angels were not good with technology, she ’d observed. Anxiously, she pushed in the button to power the computer on , sat down, drummed her fingers on the desk , and shook her legs as if the computer could sense her urgency. Come on. Come on.
The computer ran its course and then wanted a password. Oh crap! Claudia thought for a second and typed her own name. It only made sense, she guessed.
Denied.
Hmmm…she typed Gamma.
Denied.
She knew it was a long shot, but she typed M i c h a e l.
It opened.
Claudia couldn’t believe her eyes. Flabbergasted, she had to give herself a few seconds to gather herself. Maneuvering the mouse, she went into the picture file.
Nothing.
She clicked on other files.
Nothing.
“Ahhh…, ” she groaned loudly and rested her head on the computer again. Think. Think. Think.
She raised her head as her eyes lit up with a smile, as if she had finally seen the light.
Deleted file.
Click.
Thumbnail copies of hundreds of pictures appeared before her, and she eagerly began to view them all. She saw the girl who work ed at Fashion Wear, the girl she ’d almost bumped into trying to enter the restroom. There were tons of pictures of the both of them together , and other pictures of them together with people she couldn ’t recognize. Then she clicked several files down and saw the same lady from the picture with her and Gamma, the picture she ’d found in Gamma ’s house. And not just that picture, there were many more. Could she have been her mother or someone who took care of her?
Afterward, she scrolled down and clicked away as fast as she could. She stopped on the last file. There weren ’t many pictures, but they were of Michael and her , and some with Davin and two others. She suspect ed they were alkins too. This was one piece of many pieces of evidence they ’d had something between them , not only that, but without a doubt, she ’d had another life before she became a venator. Claudia froze. She couldn ’t breathe. After she was able to breathe again , she gulped a lump back down her throat as she felt the threat of tears. How could this be possible?