Page 20 of Wicked Savior
Gabriel raises his sword.
I fire rapidly into his shield.
A small gold knife appears in Evren’s hand.
He takes a step back and stares at her in horror.
The shield drops, and I immediately grab her and disappear.
ChapterEleven
LUCIFER
Unwilling to chance Gabriel finding us, I take her to one of two places in this world where I know she can’t be detected. When we arrive, the lake is sparkling under the noon sun. Bees and insects buzz along the water’s edge, singing their song of nature. The rolling green hills we’re standing on lead to a white two-story stone cottage, where herbal plants and flowers grow wildly in its yard.
She looks around uneasily. “Where are we? Why can’t I feel anyone else here?”
“There’s nobody here but us,” I answer, my reply simple, although I suspect she means something more.
Her eyes sweep the landscape. “We didn’t go through a portal to Fae or Elven lands, so I’m guessing we’re still on Earth,” she speculates, giving me a suspicious look. “Where are we?”
I shrug nonchalantly, but my stomach tightens in knots. This was a bad idea. There are only a couple of places I can hide her from the angels, and this is one of them. I didn’t want to potentially endanger those at The Abbey, so I chose here. A place full of gut-wrenching, personal memories, and I bring a stranger. A woman.
But the only other place she would be safe from Gabriel is another world. Humans can’t survive in the Underworld and taking her to another’s land requires advanced warning and diplomatic maneuvering.
She shoves a swath of her luxurious red hair behind her ear, exposing the slim column of her neck.
The urge to lean down and skim her delicious neck is strong, but I force my eyes to return to hers.
Green eyes examine me closely. “Why is Gabriel so worried about Druids?”
“I was hoping you might know. Aren’t you a Druid?” I interject, trying to figure out what the hell has Gabriel so twisted up in knots.
“I’m not a Druid. A prophetic seer told my family humans must evolve to survive. So, a long time ago, my… ancestor helped Druids find their power and gave them a way to amplify it,” she explains. “But now their race is slowly dying out, and I’m trying to help them by finding the source of their magic. But it’s about more than just the Druids. I want to find a way to help humans evolve. They need power in this world of supernaturals, or they’ll be crushed beneath their ambitions.”
“Didn’t your ancestor keep any records?” I ask, still caught on her ability to kill angels and Gabriel’s look of horror when he saw her knife. Does he know she killed the others? Or does it go deeper than that… Does he know who she is? Why are the Druids almost extinct? Has Gabriel been hunting them?
Cormal said their insular ways made their numbers dwindle. Perhaps a bit of both? After all, if Gabriel actively hunted them to near extinction, it isn’t something he would have been able to keep quiet. Picking off a few key people here and there, though, would barely be noticed, and if they were the last of their line, it would result in fewer Druids in the future.
She stares at the lake. “She disappeared shortly after.” For the first time, her voice is full of emotion and not intellectual reasoning. Interesting.
“Let’s see if I’ve got all this straight. Your ancestor is responsible for giving Druids their power and using the torque to amplify it. Gabriel wants to kill you before you’re able to help Druids replenish their numbers. For some reason, he sees them as a threat. I think he suspects you killed the other angels. You claim you’re not a Druid, but you haven’t really told me what you are.”
“I never mentioned a torque,” she interjects, with a suspicious glint in her eye.
I raise an eyebrow at her singular focus. “A torque recently found its way into my court. A source told me it was passed down from Druid to Druid and used to amplify powers. I can attest that it amplifies anyone’s power, not just the Druids. It has a spell written in Viridian on it.”
Her breath catches. “You know Viridian?”
“Of course, it was the language we first spoke as angels, until humans were created, and new languages were introduced,” I reply. “Why? Do you know Viridian?” It’s my turn to sound incredulous.
“Yes, my mother taught it to me,” she says slowly, as if afraid of what she’s revealing. “Viridian was spoken here a long time ago.” One shoulder lifts in a dismissive shrug. “She’s taught me many languages, both ancient and modern.”
It’s a perfectly logical explanation, and I can’t detect a lie in anything she said, but something doesn’t feel right.
“You can kill angels, too,” she replies almost defensively. “I didn’t know it was possible for one angel to kill another.” Her head tilts to one side while she waits for me to explain.
“Three angels were born with the ability to kill other angels—myself, Michael, and Mercy. Gabriel doesn’t have that power, and it’s always been one he’s coveted. Not because he’s evil, but because he’s a fanatic who will do anything to serve ‘the greater good.’ In his mind, he needs the power to serve justice to those angels who deviate from the path.” I grimace when the distasteful words come out of my mouth. “I’m supremely grateful he doesn’t have it.”
