Page 66 of Destined for Dreams
The fallen angel pursed her lips. “I suppose your visiting me is better than keeping my own company. There are times when I grow bored, and that guardian is hardly as entertaining as he thinks he is, except when Emily is pummeling him with snowballs. She should do that more often.”
Cori got a kick out of that as well and sometimes joined in the fun.
“We could go to that new supernatural bar that opened up a couple of months ago,” she suggested.
She’d never gone before because it wasn’t a good idea for humans, but now that she’d changed and wasn’t quite mortal anymore, it couldn’t hurt to go if she had a friend with her. Anything would be better than her routine of going from Melena’s house to work and back every day while waiting for Bartol to return. She needed to find new ways to distract herself from her worries.
Ariel lifted a delicate brow. “What sort of entertainment are you looking for?”
“Anything that isn’t what my life has been lately.”
“After what happened with that vampire ex-husband of yours, I’m surprised you’re willing to go anywhere near his kind,” Ariel said.
Cori shrugged. “I know a few decent vampires who aren’t that bad—like Kariann.”
“Perhaps you should ask your mate to go with you when he returns.” Ariel drew a card, amber eyes lighting up as she set it on the table. “I’ve won again.”
Cori sighed and grabbed the cards to shuffle the deck. “Bartol is antisocial. You know I’ll never get him to go there.”
As much as she would have liked to think she could eventually draw him into going out in public someday for something other than buying groceries or demon hunting, she didn’t plan on holding her breath.
“He will get better with time if you are patient.” Ariel reached across the table and touched Cori’s hand. A look of surprise flashed across her face before she covered it up and continued speaking, “Believe it or not, it has bothered me to watch the two of you suffer after all you’ve each been through. I advise being there for him in every way you can and letting him know how you feel. It will help.”
Some of the weight lifted from Cori’s shoulders. As much as her phone calls with Bartol had shown signs of him warming to her again, she still worried how it would be when he returned. Sure, she still wasn’t ready to commit to immortality, but she also couldn’t imagine a life without him. It was like there was an empty spot in her heart only he could fill. It had taken this time of being apart before she realized how attached she’d become to him and not just because of the mate bond, but because they’d become good friends before that.
Cori started to deal another hand, but her cell phone rang. She grabbed her purse and checked the screen—Melena.
“Hey,” she answered.
“The cabin is ready,” the sensor replied without further explanation.
A thrill ran through Cori. “Really?”
“Yep. Hurry and get over here as soon as you can.”
Cori hung up and gave Ariel an apologetic look. “Gotta go.”
“Of course.” The former angel gathered the cards, expression turning serious. “Remember what I said about Bartol. He may be damaged, but he is not beyond repair. Support him in his current journey, and things will begin to work themselves out between you two.”
Cori stood, clutching her purse. “So I shouldn’t worry about him tracking this demon?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. What he is doing is quite dangerous, and the future is fluid, but let’s just say your mate has an ace up his sleeve if he can believe in himself long enough to use it.”
As much as Cori wanted to rush to her new cabin, she couldn’t leave after hearing that. “What ace up his sleeve?”
The former archangel gathered up her cards. “All I’ll say is your mate’s parentage is even more unique than most people know—or even he knows.”
“That’s it? You’re going to leave me with that?” What could she possibly be referring to that Melena wouldn’t have detected with her abilities? Never mind that Bartol’s aura matched that of all the other nephilim she’d met.
“I’ve already said more than I should have,” Ariel replied and made a dismissive gesture. “Now go.”
With a final scowl for her, Cori rushed from the camper and over to Melena’s house. She leaped over a cat sleeping in the middle of the stairs—who didn’t bother to look up from her nap, of course—and kept going. The feline shape-shifter loved lying in inconvenient places just as much as the normal, non-magical breeds. It didn’t matter that she had the intelligence of a human and should have known better.
Cori entered the guest room where she’d been staying for longer than she’d expected and started gathering her things. She’d packed her bags days ago when Melena and Lucas informed her that the cabin would be ready soon. There had been some delays due to certain building materials not arriving on time, but at least her wait was finally over.
It took two trips down the stairs and one near fall while trying to avoid the cat that never moved, but she finished loading her Chevy Tahoe. In addition to destroying her home, her ex-husband had caused her to wreck her truck to the point it couldn’t be repaired without spending more than it was worth. She’d managed to get enough insurance money to buy a ten-year-old vehicle for a good price. It had a couple of small dents and a loose rear bumper, but that didn’t bother her. The only thing Cori cared about was that it ran well and handled the harsh winters of Alaska without too many problems.
Fifteen minutes later, Cori pulled onto the dirt road that led to her cabin. She passed Bartol’s place along the way. Her chest tightened at seeing his home and knowing he wasn’t there. How long would it be until he returned, and how would they handle things once he did? More than anything, she wanted to rebuild the trust and confidence he once had in her.
