Page 25 of Live Like Legends

“Like a babysitter?”

“Basically. Ideally, he can’t be totally sure that we are here with Natalia, getting your Dani hybrid certified. It’s just something I overheard; I could be wrong.”

“Do you know who?” I inquired.

Reese shook his head. “Nope. Anyone who does Ariel’s bidding like that can’t be all that great anyway.”

Garrett hummed. “Aren’t you two doing Ariel’s bidding?”

Reese and I looked at each other and started laughing. Garrett added to it with a loud thunderous laugh of his own. My laughter ceased when my eyes caught something in the sky. I shushed both of them and pointed towards the dark ripple that was longer than my eyes could make out. It wasn’t there for long, but I couldn’t unsee it.

“What the hell was that?” Reese asked.

I got up from the bench, feeling the need to get back to my girl. “No idea, but it can’t be good.”

The sun would be rising in a few hours, so I knew there were a few angels who would be getting up by now to shower andhead to wherever they needed to be. The hallway was still quiet though as I walked, the sound of my own footsteps echoing.

It was odd, though. I felt like I was being watched.

I rounded a corner just to run into two sentries that I recognized, but not well enough to call them a friend. I said a low ‘excuse me’, but neither of them moved. I backed up, prepared to ask them what was going on, but a voice that had my shoulders tensing and fists curling had me backing up even more.

“Back from a little trip to Oculus?” Ariel said, stepping around the two sentries.

“Yes, is that a problem?”

He waved his hand at me. “No problem at all, as long as your time there is spent wisely. I would hate for all the effort that the little demon is putting in to go to waste.”

I wanted to shove my fist down his throat, but I remained calm. “I assure you, we are doing what you asked. It’s not something that can just be achieved overnight.”

“Oh, I am well aware, Nicholas. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you are abiding by our agreement. If that means I need to take precautionary measures, then so be it.”

Ariel is likely sending someone to watch us.

I swallowed the feeling of wanting to ask a million and one questions down. “You have every right to do that, just as long as you keep your end of this deal and let her be free to do as she pleases and not be a pariah.”

“I can’t help how people think of her Nicholas. I am no monster though, so of course I will uphold what I’ve said. I have much bigger things to grant my attention towards. These ceremonies take much preparation, and I would like for there to be no mishaps, distractions or rogue demons who don’t know how to use their own powers.”

I nearly rolled my eyes. “You’re just done looking for Jonah’s power?”

“No need to look for something that doesn’t want to be found. I’m bored of it to be honest, and it would be nice to have that sort of power, but it isn’t necessary for the people to see me as a leader.” He walked over to me, placing his hands in his pants pockets as his green eyes bore into my brown ones. “Did you see the sky tonight, Nicholas?”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

He snickered. “Of course you do. Oculus has a gorgeous view of the sky.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “It does.”

He clucked his tongue. “The sky tonight let all of us know that something is coming and it will be here much sooner than you think.” He motioned with one finger for his sentry angels to follow him as he walked around me. “And if you think that when it’s time that I won’t throw her into the fire along with the rest of you to maintain order…well then I would think again.”

“Wait, I’m sorry, he punched Zane?” My voice cracked due to the laugh that came out. “And he almost punched you?” I pointed over to Reese who let us go ahead of him into Natalia’s house.

The blonde angel shook his head. “No, I’m way too quick for that.”

Nick rolled his eyes and shoved his friend. “Keep telling yourself that.”

My forthcoming angel decided that the minute I woke up and started to get ready was the perfect time to clue me in on all the things that had happened prior. My eyes had widened a bit when he told me about Garrett’s outburst. As out of character it seemed, it was something that didn’t surprise me. Garrett was a good father that was without his family. They were a part of him and without them, it was like he didn’t have much at all. Riskingeverything by taking Nick’s key was the ‘best’ solution in his eyes. Desperation makes you do wild things.

I had rubbed my hands all along Nick’s body, furiously asking if he was alright, which got me pushed against a wall and kissed very hard on the mouth. The story continued once we got to Oculus and in front of Reese who couldn’t help providing us with a more colorful interpretation of what happened.

---