Desiree rested her hand on his. "Then maybe it's time to end this."
"She might still have some usefulness to us," Jack said. "The Dominion is more attached to her than I thought."
"She's only useful if you can control her," Desiree said. She raised her eyebrows as Jack glared at her. "I'm just telling the truth. It's obvious that her heart is already given."
She leaned closer to him, her dark eyes burning. "She's so very far beneath you. Don't let her make you forget why you're here. You're fighting for a home, for all of us." She kept her eyes open as she pressed her lips against his. "For me," she whispered.
Jack breathed in the scent of her skin. Her voice flowed around him like velvet, like the seduction of a siren. "We both know how powerful love can be," she whispered, "especially when its object is lost. Kill her now. Then at least her death will have some meaning, and your mission will be complete."
Chapter 62
Samara opened her eyes as the first hint of light crept through the window. A few stars still lingered in the sky, but the morning sun was quickly chasing them away. She lay still and tried to remember everything that had happened the night before. Her thoughts were fragmented. She remembered the darkness and the rain, and then Lucian, coming to her rescue.
Could it really be true? Could he be an angel? She remembered the heat of his body as he carried her to safety, and the spark that had run up his palm, making him glow faintly as he attacked Jack. It seemed impossible, yet explained so much.
She was just realizing that she was lying on top of the covers, still wearing her sweatshirt and jeans, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Are you awake?"
She flipped over and saw Lucian's blue eyes sparkling as he smiled down at her. "You stayed!" she cried.
He nodded, laughing at her eagerness, and she threw herself against his chest. "I can't believe you're here!" she whispered. A ridiculous grin split her face and she ducked her head, embarrassed. She was so full of happiness her whole body felt like it was overflowing.
Suddenly she jerked upright on the bed. "What time is it?" she gasped. She peeked over Lucian's shoulder at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was a few minutes after six. "You have to go!"
"So eager to get rid of me?" Lucian teased.
"Never!" She pressed a swift kiss on his lips. "But if my mom wakes up and finds you here-" Samara shook her head. "You just have to go before she wakes up."
She started to climb off the bed, then changed her mind and threw her arms around Lucian. She hugged him swiftly before she hopped to the floor. "Stay right here," she said.
She tiptoed down the hall and retrieved his clothes from the dryer. When she got back to her room, he was standing beside her bed. The faint light shining in through the window outlined his shoulders and made him look radiant, even more breathtaking than usual. He was just too beautiful to be hers. "I have to be honest," she teased as she handed him his clothes. "You may not realize it, since you haven't been on the Earth very long, but I'm way out of your league."
Lucian laughed and kissed her softly. "I know," he said. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she stretched up to meet him. His teeth pulled gently at her lower lip and she melted into his kiss feeling dizzy and intoxicated. "I have to go," he groaned. He tore himself away from her embrace and quietly opened the bedroom door. "Can I return these clothes later?"
Samara nodded, giddy with joy. "Shhh!" she giggled. She led him to the front door and opened it slowly, trying to be as silent as possible, and they stepped out onto the porch. The storm was gone. The sky was a hard, pale blue, and the frost tipping the grass glittered in the early morning sunlight. "When are you coming back?" she asked.
Lucian brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "As soon as I can, but I need to talk to Duncan and Sofia."
"Your guardians," Samara mused. "Angels too?"
Lucian nodded.
"And Desiree! Jack said she was his guardian."
"We each have them." He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her close, silencing her questions. "I love you," he said. "Go inside where it's warm, and I'll be back before you have a chance to miss me."
"I miss you already," Samara groaned as he walked down the steps to his truck.
He turned around and blew her a kiss. "I'll be back soon."
She stood on the porch and watched him drive away before she tiptoed back into the house and locked the door. She thought about going back to bed, but she was too ecstatic to sleep. Instead she went to the bathroom and washed her face, carefully smoothing cover up over the bruises on her jaw. Then she went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She paced the floor as she waited for it to brew. She was trying to be calm, but she felt like dancing through the house screaming, "He loves me, he loves me!"
It was still before seven, probably at least another hour before her mother woke up. I'll go for a walk, she decided. She felt like she could run a race or climb a mountain, anything but stay in the house. She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a quick note to her mom, then pulled on her boots and jacket and headed out the front door. The cold air swept around her immediately. The air smelled clean and crisp, and she inhaled deeply. The sun was over the horizon now, and it reflected off of every frozen surface. There was no one else in sight; at this early hour the streets were deserted. She felt like she was the only person in the world.
Chapter 63
Jack sat up as Samara came down her front steps. She was practically skipping as she turned onto the sidewalk and walked in his direction. He stretched his arms overhead, rotating his stiff shoulders until he heard a soft pop. Finally, he thought.
He had arrived at her house hours ago, only to see Lucian's truck parked in the driveway. He'd been sitting outside in the cold waiting for her to appear, and now she was here, alone. He watched her stride gracefully toward him, bouncing with energy, and shook his head. She was so completely human. So careless in her happiness, so frail. She pirouetted on the frozen sidewalk, and her dark hair flew out around her face.
It was a shame he had to kill her. She was the most interesting thing he'd come across in decades. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about her was deeply intriguing. She was getting nearer, only a few yards away, and he shook his head regretfully. Desiree was right, of course. His personal interest aside, her life served no real purpose. But her death, he thought, will really mean something.
He smiled at the irony. She obviously preferred Lucian, her one true love, yet he was the reason her death was so necessary. He should've known better, Jack thought. Dominions don't belong here. They're good at giving orders, but they don't have the self-mastery to survive this kind of life.
They don't have to, he thought bitterly, because they aren't trapped in human bodies. They have a choice to live as their true selves. He cracked his neck and longed to feel the fluidity and power of his angelic form. He could almost imagine the rush of wind that was created when his wings sprang open, the weightless feeling of flying. Can I really remember? he wondered. It had been so long. So many thousands of years.
Samara was only a few steps away from the driveway where he was concealed, and he got out of the car quietly, steeling himself. Her sacrifice was unpleasant, but necessary. It would bring the Fallen one step closer to having a place to belong. He stepped in front of Samara as she reached the driveway, blocking her path, and she stopped short, startled by his sudden appearance.
"What are you doing here?"
Jack took a small step toward her and she stumbled backward, her eyes wide. "I need to talk to you," he said.
"I don't want to talk," she yelled. She glanced over her shoulder, hoping to see someone in the empty streets. "Leave me alone."
"I can't." Jack's hand flashed out and gripped her arm, preventing her from moving any farther away.
"I'll scream!" She pulled against him and clawed at his hand, trying to loosen his grip, but he held
firm.
"There's no one to hear you." He jerked her arm and she lurched forward, slipping on the icy pavement. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."
He wrapped his free arm around her waist and dragged her toward the car, ignoring her frantic scratching at his face. One of her fingernails connected, and he cursed as she ripped into his skin, leaving a deep scratch down the side of his neck. "I'd tell you to stop wasting your energy," he said, "but I know you won't. It would go against your nature."
He stopped at the side of the car and waited until she stopped fighting. "Will you get in?"
"No!"
"Please. I have to make you one way or another, and it would be so much easier for us both if I didn't have to force you."
Samara twisted her torso around and spat in his face. "Go to hell!"
Jack laughed. "Not today." He opened the car door and pushed her into the passenger seat. He felt her resistance, but she was no match for his strength, and he easily forced her into the car.
"Now I know this is going to seem counter to every instinct that you have, but I'm going to ask you to sit still, or I'll put you in the trunk."
Samara glared at him, panting from exertion.
"I'm serious," he said. "And to be perfectly honest, the trunk is small. You'll be much more comfortable sitting here, next to me." She turned her head away but didn't move, and he took this as agreement. He slammed the passenger door and pushed a button, locking it from the outside.
She was rubbing her wrists together when he slid into the driver's seat. "I don't know what you want from me," she said. Her voice was so low he had to listen closely to understand her words. "Are you angry because of what happened last night?"
"I was angry," Jack said, "but not anymore." He glanced sideways at her profile. All the blood had drained from her face, making her skin so pale it almost appeared translucent, and he could see her hands trembling. "I know you're not going to be able to understand, but this isn't personal."
Samara scoffed and turned her head away. "It feels personal to me."
"I know," he said. He started the car and pulled slowly out of the driveway into the shining dawn. "I'm sure it's not any kind of consolation, but you're just a small part of something much bigger than yourself. We both are." He gave her a chilling smile. "We each have our parts to play."
Chapter 64
Duncan and Sofia were waiting on the couch when Lucian opened the front door. "Finally," Duncan exclaimed. He shifted his weight as Sofia rose gracefully to examine Lucian's face. "I thought you were never gonna get home."
Sofia waved her hand impatiently at Duncan. "What happened?" she asked urgently.
"I followed her to the party, but she didn't stay there very long. Jack was bringing her home when he pulled over and tried to assault her."
"Why do you think he did that?"
"I don't know, but we got into a fight." Lucian held his hands up ruefully. "I'm not sure who won."
"Did you give him a good one?" Duncan asked. "What?" he said when Sofia turned to glare at him. "Lucian was taking care of the girl."
Sofia rolled her eyes, but Duncan ignored her and slapped Lucian on the back. "Can't be a guardian without learning how to fight. Don't let Sofia fool you."
"I told her I loved her," Lucian blurted out. "After I brought her home."
"Interesting." Sofia crossed her slender arms and arched an eyebrow. "I thought you had decided not to tell her."
"I couldn't help myself," Lucian admitted. "I wasn't going to show myself, even after Jack pulled the car over, but he was out of control. Seeing her like that-," he paused as he shook his head, "It was hard not to kill him right there."
Sofia's eyes darkened as he spoke. "Is the girl safe?"
Lucian nodded. "I took her home."
"Where is she now?"
"She's still there. I stayed with her last night because she was pretty shaken up, and I'm going back after I take a shower."
Sofia shot a concerned look at Duncan, and he silently got up and walked out of the room.
"Did I do something wrong?" Lucian asked.
"It's complicated," Sofia sighed. "You did the right thing by showing yourself, there was really no other choice, but it would've been better if you hadn't fought with Jack."
"He deserved it!"
"I'm sure he did, but sometimes it's best not to give people what they deserve."
"I don't understand you," Lucian exclaimed. "You've been telling me to follow my heart for months, and I finally did. I thought you'd be happy for me."
Sofia gave him a small smile. "I am."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Am I correct in thinking that you initiated this fight?"
Lucian nodded.
"You had to save her, even he wouldn't expect any less, but you went further than that. You lost control and revealed the depths of your feelings for Samara."
"Surely he knew!"
"Maybe not," Sofia said. "The Fallen experience the world differently than we do. Jack sees humans as tools to be used and manipulated. He knew you were infatuated with Samara. He understands that, because she obviously held some interest for him as well, but he personally feels humans are beneath him. It would be very difficult for him to comprehend a real love between the two of you.
"Now that Jack knows the truth," she said, "Samara is your greatest point of vulnerability."
Chapter 65
Samara stared out the window of the Mustang as it sped through town. The sun was beginning to move up into the sky, but the streets were still deserted. She knew she should be afraid, but she felt unusually calm and wondered if this was what it felt like to be paralyzed by fear. She closed her eyes and tried to form some sort of a plan, but her mind was empty and still. The fear of the previous night, Lucian appearing out of the darkness like a dream brought to life, all the things that he had told her, and now this new threat were too much for her brain to absorb.
She remembered the touch of Lucian's lips brushing against hers and the sound of his voice whispering in her ear. The memory was so vivid it seemed real; she almost wondered if she reached out her hands if she would feel him there beside her. The car swerved to the right and her head knocked against the cold window. No, she thought, he's gone. He's gone, and I am about to die.
The car slowed quickly and made a sharp right turn, and she heard rocks spin beneath the tires and bounce off the underside of the car. She opened her eyes to see that Jack had turned onto a narrow, twisting road. Trees close set on either side of them choked out the clear light of the morning and threw the car into shadow.
She could see Jack in her peripheral vision. He was gripping the steering wheel with both hands so tightly that the veins stood out in his arms. His face was set and hard, and his eyes stared straight ahead.
She realized they were driving up the road to Aerie Overlook, the same place she had shared her first, sweet kiss with Lucian. It would be deserted there, and it was so isolated that there would be no chance anyone would hear her if she called for help. She was aware of every sound, of every movement of Jack's body, but she still felt disconnected, as if she were watching a scene in a movie. It's too bad, she thought as the car wound toward the top of the bluff. She'd only just found love, and already it was slipping away.
Chapter 66
Lucian had a cold feeling of dread as Duncan and Sofia quickly and efficiently moved through the house grabbing supplies. All the relaxed easiness that normally permeated the house disappeared as Sofia spun through the kitchen and the pantry, pulling first aid supplies, rope, and an assortment of small knives off a shelf he had never even noticed. Duncan was at her side, packing the items into a small black backpack. Despite the flurry of activity, they still exuded a deep sense of calm. They worked together without words, and for the first time he had a sense of how deadly they could be.
"All right?" Duncan asked Lucian. He stuck the last roll of bandages into the bag, then zipped it up and handed
it to Sofia.
"Will we need all this?"
"You never know," Sofia said. "It's better to be prepared." She threw the bag over her shoulder and moved swiftly to the front door. "Let's go."
As she passed him, Lucian saw the handle of a gun sticking out of her waistband and was struck by how incongruous the weapon seemed on her delicate frame. When he didn't move, she turned toward him. "Do you really love her?"
"More than anything."
"Then be prepared to do anything to save her. She'll be the only one there with one life to lose."
"What if we're too late?" Lucian asked. He felt his heart constrict as he voiced his darkest fear.
"We'll deal with that if it comes."
Sofia turned and walked out the front door without a backwards glance, her fingers reaching for Duncan's as she passed him. She threw the heavy backpack into the bed of the truck and swung gracefully into the driver's seat.
"Time to move," Duncan said. "Remember, this is why you came to us. This is what we do."
Sofia had already started the engine and began backing up as soon as they climbed into the truck. "Where is she?" she asked.
"I don't know," Lucian said. "I don't know where Jack would take her."
"You don't have to know what he would do," Sofia said. "Focus on Samara."
Lucian thought of her eyes, deep enough to fall into and sparkling with a hidden flame, the first thing he had noticed about her. And her touch, the softness of her hands as they brushed against his face. His skin warmed at the memory, as if she had left an imprint there.
When he closed his eyes he felt the distance between them disappear, and it was as if he were right beside her, listening to the soft sound of her breathing and the rush of her heartbeat. "She's at the overlook on top of Eagle's Bluff," he said. He didn't know what sense told him, but he was certain that it was true.