A small smile tugged at Eae’s lips. He was definitely enjoying my incredulity.
“It isn’t an easy task, but for Angels a doable one,” he replied smugly.
“Why move it at all?” I retorted, regretting my harsh tone when my guardian Angel’s brows shot up.
“The tower was created for us to monitor mankind. As humans multiplied and spread over the earth, we moved with them.” He shifted his sharp gaze to the wide valley and the sprawling city there. In the distance, there were more of the dry, scrub-covered hills, and below our vantage point, not very far away, was the world-famous Hollywood sign.
Eae continued. “A few hundred years ago, we saw the expansion leading to this area, and with the convergence of ocean and mountains, decided it was a suitable place for our watch tower. It has always been an oddity to my brothers that the humans who came here first, without ever spying our Angelic tower, named their city, Los Angeles—The Angels.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“And you use the same shielding magic we do to keep the humans none-the-wiser of its existence,” Insepth said. His voice dripped with admiring approval.
Eae snorted. “Angel magic is far superior to that of the Watchers.” His face scrunched. “But in theory, your statement is accurate.”
Insepth winked at me before he took a swig of water from the bottle he had pulled from his pack. He offered it out to me and I stared at the bottle, my dry lips pressed tightly together.
“Go on, Ember. Take a drink. You need your strength.” He wiggled the bottle in front of me. “This fast you’ve forced on yourself helps no one.”
I swallowed the dry knot in my throat and turned away, staring at the smooth, glimmering surface of the tower. There were no doors or windows that I could see. Normally that would have made me ask a bunch of questions, but I didn’t have the energy for curiosity anymore.
I closed my eyes and tried to feel Sawyer, but there was nothing—only a hole where our connection used to be. He was my friend, my guardian, and my one-time lover. He was also a Demon, and he’d done the unthinkable when he’d made a bargain with the Devil, saving me, but in so doing, damning himself to serve the Fallen Angel.
The image of Samael’s wings wrapping around Sawyer, and them shooting into the sky was still vivid in my mind. I shivered. Everything was real. Demons, Growlers, Watchers, Angels, dragons, and even the Devil—they all existed. The end of the world was upon us. Despite that, all I could think about was the sadness in Sawyer’s eyes when he walked past me to his doom.
From the beginning, I’d been inexplicably drawn to him, and after he’d become my guardian through Ila’s magic ceremony, our bond had deepened. My mentor trusted Sawyer enough to bind me to him, but I’d always had my doubts. Not about his feelings. No, that was never in question. I knew he would do anything to save me, and he had proven it countless times by murdering my enemies. When he sucked the life out of Marshall, I’d silently rejoiced, but the apprehension of knowing that he would stop at nothing to aid me had been unnerving. Perhaps it was that I worried all along that his unfailing loyalty would be his undoing, or maybe it was his evil past that had kept me up at night. He’d been a Demon for over a hundred years before he’d even met me. I’d seen the horrible acts he’d committed during our bonding ritual. I wasn’t surprised that the Devil had come for him. But it still hurt like hell that Sawyer was gone.
I wanted to go after him, to somehow save him from his torturous fate, but the others wouldn’t let me. They’d explained how foolhardy it would be, and that even if I did by some miracle manage to pull it off, Sawyer wouldn’t be the same. The taint of the Devil was real. Eae had told me about it in great detail.
So I was here in Los Angeles with my guardian Angel, a Watcher—who had been my mentor, enemy and maybe something more—and two Horses of the Apocalypse, waiting for the Angels to arrive. It was beyond belief, but I’d gotten used to insanity.
It didn’t really matter anyway. The stabbing pain in my heart for Sawyer would soon disappear—along with everything else in the world.
I opened my eyes to the wary looks of four beings. Without meeting Insepth’s gaze, I took the bottle of water and drank deeply. He was right. What good would it do if I fainted in front of the Angels? After everything I’d already been though, I wasn’t about to wimp out now.
Insepth handed me a granola bar and I didn’t argue. I forced it into my mouth and took a bite. The crooked smile the earth Watcher gave me settled my nerves. As long as Insepth had his humor, I could at least pretend everything was all right.
“Why are they keeping us waiting?” Death stepped forward, frowning. He was a tall, straight-backed man with gray hair and a hard face. Occasionally, he’d shake his head or make a long snorting noise that made me remember that his true form was a mighty black horse, whose sole purpose was to bring death to all humans on earth.
“It seems patience would be something your kind would be used to,” Eae said with a tilt of his head in the Horseman’s direction.
Death laughed and it sounded like a low whinny. “Before, we were in a different plane of existence, where time had no relevance.” He threw up his hands. “Now, with the sun coming up and going down in our very presence, a sense of urgency fills us.”
Conquest nodded, his eyes wide.
“Which plane of existence exactly are you talking about?” Insepth’s voice was friendly interest, but I knew him better. He was always working an angle.
Eae clucked his tongue before Death or Conquest could answer the question. “That is of no importance at the moment, and certainly not something a Watcher needs to know.”
I finished chewing the last of the snack and swallowed. “If we’re all going to die, why does it matter?” I blurted out.
Insepth chuckled, but Eae was not amused. The Angel rolled his eyes in a very human-like gesture. “Until the time when God chooses to end it all, we will operate as usual.”
“Won’t it be a little late to have our questions answered then?” I said, my cheeks warming.
Eae’s mouth thinned and he shook his head. “You don’t have to know everything. That’s one of the problems with humans, their insatiable curiosity.”
Death cleared his throat. “The girl speaks the truth. The horn has been blown and my fellows and I have jobs to do. The mere fact that we’re here signals the end of times is now.”
The beating of wings filled my ears and I looked up. Sun glared behind two approaching forms. I caught a flash of red hair and I relaxed, pushing out a breath.
The wind from their pumping wings lifted my ponytail and I braced my feet more solidly to keep from toppling over. Uriel stepped to the ground, his long, fiery hair gleaming in the sunlight. He folded his crimson wings behind his back, making room for Raphael to land beside him. The brown-winged warrior had a boyish face, leaving him looking younger than Uriel. And where my descendant, Uriel’s woolen tunic was woven of threads of red and tan, Raphael’s was golden-colored. They were both tall, chiseled, and beautiful to behold.
“You made it here quicker than I thought,” Uriel commented, his piercing blue eyes boring into me.
I shrugged. “I wasn’t in as big a hurry as that one was.” I gestured at Death, who raised his chin further.
Uriel continued to stare at me, making me squirm inside. “I trust no problems arose in the Watcher’s eastern valley?”
My lips parted. Why can’t the arch Angel just say Ila’s name—or even the proper location of her valley in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee? I got the impression that the arrogant Angel didn’t want to acknowledge that Watchers had names or that places were named by humans.
“No one liked the arrangements. Horas and Ivan were especially irritated with being left behind,” I answered truthfully.
Uriel’s voice lowered to a threatening pitch. “It is not up to Demons and Growlers to make plans involving Angel business.”
I shrugged. Uriel had saved me a few times, but that was only because h
e’d had sex with an ancient ancestor of mine, impregnating her, and creating a line of humans with blood ties to him. If I wasn’t his long lost relative, he wouldn’t have shown me the time of day, or worse yet, he probably would have already struck me down for being a Watcher. The only thing that Uriel held in more contempt than humans, was the offspring of Angels and mortal women, who then had magical elemental powers.
Everyone was quiet. Except for the birds chirping and the bushes scraping together in the breeze, the hillside was silent. I stared at Uriel. His lips stayed pressed together for an uncomfortable moment before they softened and he blinked.
His voice was quieter when he leaned in. “Are your emotions in check and your mind clear?”
My cheeks burned. Uriel was referring to what happened to Sawyer. He was probably worried that my guardian being ripped away from me by the Devil was going to reduce me into a sniveling, emotional mess.
“I’m fine,” I said tightly.
The Angel’s brow lifted and his mouth opened to say more, but Raphael cut him off.
“Such talk can be left for later. The child has her wits. I told you not to worry so.” Raphael acknowledged me with a short nod and then stepped aside, motioning me to pass with an outstretched arm.
When I hesitated, glancing at Insepth, Death took the lead, brushing by me. Conquest offered me an apologetic shrug as he joined Death, walking toward the tower. The scent of horse hair filled my nose and I inhaled the pleasant smell. I probably would have been more intimidated by the Horsemen of the Apocalypse if I wasn’t such a horse lover. Mostly I was just in awe of them.
Insepth flashed a look of firm determination, but waited for me to take the lead. Eae forced an encouraging smile, but I wasn’t fooled. He was as nervous about the Angel meeting as I was.
I searched inward until I felt the hot fervor of Fire, the solid strength of Earth, and the emotional caress of Water. Air was hiding, but I knew it was there, too. The elements gave me the confidence I needed to step forward and in between the two warrior Angels. Now that my guardian was gone, I would have to rely even more on my Watcher abilities.
But as I tilted my head to look up at the windowless tower, a chill passed over me. And even my Fire couldn’t chase the feeling away.
Now that I was close to the tower, I could see flecks of blue, green, silver, and gold peppering the glazed white marble. I reached out to place my palm to what I imagined was cold smoothness, when Raphael snatched my wrist in the air. His cool hand gripped me tightly and all my elements flooded me at once.
His usual smile turned into a hard leer and I realized that for all of Raphael’s boyish charms, he was just as deadly as the rest of the Angels. “Only Angels may touch these walls with their hands.” He lifted his chin in Insepth’s direction. “We have lifted our magic to give the two of you passage in this holy place. Do not become arrogant in your standing among us. You are only Watchers. You have no rights here—and even God has forsaken your kind.” When my eyes narrowed, Raphael leaned in close. Tingling energy emitted off of him, thrumming my heart faster. I held my breath when he whispered, “I am trying to help you. Don’t be fooled into complacency. You have no friends here. Uriel, Eae, and I are the only ones who will not strike you down in a heartbeat.”
His tone was so serious, I nodded back, unable to tear my gaze away. Raphael’s brown eyes seemed to sear a hole right into my very soul. Abruptly, he stepped back and nodded to Uriel, who placed his palm against the stone the same way I had been about to do.
Angelic writing and strange markings appeared, and then there was the sound of crunching rock. A doorway-shaped slab appeared and dropped back, leaving an opening in its wake. A cool breeze blew out from the darkness, extinguishing the warm California air. Uriel stepped inside, with Death and Conquest close on his heels. Raphael waited with hands laced in front him.
I glanced at Insepth, who looked equally as worried about stepping into an Angel warded building as I was, where the only doorway we knew about would probably disappear behind us once we entered.
“I suppose they’ve had ample opportunity to kill us already and they haven’t done so,” Insepth said with a slight smile before he advanced through the doorway.
Eae inclined his head. “You readily plunged on a dragon’s back into Purgatory, but you hesitate on the threshold of Angel domain. I don’t understand.”
“She’s afraid of Angels. Who can blame her?” Raphael said in a level tone.
“This Watcher girl is afraid of nothing,” Eae retorted.
I held up my hands. “You’re both wrong.” I looked at Raphael. “I’m not afraid of Angels, just wary of them.” I turned to Eae. “And I’m always afraid—afraid of losing the people I love, like I lost my parents, Piper, Ila, and Sawyer. I never want to feel that hurt again.”
Every fiber of my being buzzed with adrenaline as I stepped into the dimly lit interior of the tower. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, and then my mouth dropped open. The inside of the tower was completely vacant, just the same marble walls, curving into the floor with no visible seams, almost as if the entire building was carved out of a single slab of stone. The only light illuminating the inside of the structure were faint sun beams, streaming through the openings at the highest peak of the tower. I could barely make out the golden shine of a platform of sorts suspended in midair close to the very top.
“What purpose does a hollow building serve?” I asked no one in particular.
“Things aren’t always what they seem, child,” Raphael said. He pointed to the floor. “The same length of tower that soars above the ground, is drilled into the earth beneath. That’s where the more mundane activities occur.”
“I gather the meeting is up there?” Insepth flicked his hand skyward.
“Of course. Shall we proceed?” Raphael unfurled his wings, spreading them wide. A few brown feathers fluttered to the floor. It was then that I noticed other feathers of every color littering the expanse of the giant room.
“Seriously?” I asked, noticing Insepth’s pinched expression.
“We don’t need stairs or elevator devices in this place. Only our wings.” Uriel turned around and motioned for me to step forward.
I’d ridden on a dragon’s back. Catching a ride from an Angel couldn’t be that bad.
The burst of colors at my side startled me. Death was suddenly a black horse, but not an ordinary horse. He reared up, jumping into the air, and as he surged upward, a cloudy mist rolled out beneath him. His shrill whinny seemed to shake the walls as he took flight. Another burst of colors, like an explosion of autumn leaves, erupted, and a snow white horse joined the black one in the air.
I watched Death and Conquest, engulfed in the clouds they created, carried to the top of the tower. Their hooves striking stone sounded loudly, clip-clop, clip-clop, when they landed on the platform. The power and magic of the Horsemen left me so breathless, I hadn’t noticed the newest arrival until the Angel was beside Eae, talking quietly to him.
The Angel’s wings were ebony, matching his skin. The tunic he wore had silver threads that gleamed even in the low light at the bottom of the tower. Eae nodded, and the Angel’s wings circled around him. A second later, they were ascending, the gust from their departure snapping my face.
The image brought back the memory of the Devil taking Sawyer away. I swallowed and quickly shook the vision from my mind. Without looking at Insepth, I stepped up to Uriel. His arms encircled me, and then his wings. The force of our bodies rocketing away made me press against the Angel, grabbing at his muscled sides with my hands. It was over before I had much time to think about it. He deposited me beside Insepth, who looked equally unstable when Raphael released him.
I blinked several times, seeing spots, and swallowed down the hot juices that rose in my throat.
“I apologize for the speed. We don’t really have a slow motion take off,” Uriel said.
I nodded and Insepth reached out to steady me. When I could finally focu
s on my surroundings, a warm breeze brushed my face, and streaks of sunlight painted the marble beneath our feet. I couldn’t raise my chin to see the Angels who stood in the center of the dais. The brightness they were emitting made it as painful to look directly at them as it was to stare at the sun.
“We have guests. Surely you will allow them to gaze on your magnificent faces?” Raphael called out. There was a hint of mocking in his voice that made me wonder about him all the more.
The room dimmed and I raised my face. There were a dozen of them, but my eyes were quickly drawn to Michael. He was the tallest of them all, and his silver armor shimmered with a light all its own. His hair fell long and blond on his shoulders, and his hand rested on the hilt of the enormous sword at his hip.
I licked my lips, remembering how he had turned tail and run away when Samael had arrived with his army of Fallen Angels. For all Michael’s mighty glory, even he had known he was no match for the others. My attention slid from Michael’s scowling face to the black-haired Angel at his side. My heart beat harder in my chest as I grasped for my elements. But they were trapped deep inside of me by the Angel’s warding.
“That one—” the Angel bellowed, pointing at me “—is mine!” His knee bent and then he was pummeling toward me, like a missile.
It happened too quickly to move a single muscle. His talon scratched my face, and I closed my eyes, ready to be obliterated, when a voice shouted, “Gabriel!”
My eyes popped open just as Gabriel was yanked backward, a glistening golden rope looped around his waist. On the other end of the rope was an Angel I hadn’t seen before. He wasn’t as tall as Michael, or even Uriel, but his shoulders were broad and his muscles bulged. His azure wings matched his tunic, and his trimmed beard was dark and curly. He looked like a heavy weight wrestler, and when he jerked the rope, Gabriel fell, cracking the stone floor when he landed.
“You will not pass judgment on this girl. That is our decision to make together, and she has come here at my invitation,” the stout Angel’s voice boomed. I covered my ears, trying to block out some of the sound.