Page 58 of Rekindled Prophecy

Annoyed, she ignored him while she listened to Jasper detailing what had been happening at the psychic’s apartment building. As night overcame the city, the local shops had closed, and human traffic had come to a halt. Mysteriously, there was not one human on the streets. An entire five-block radius had turned into a ghost town in a matter of minutes. The demon battalion had kept under cover in the daylight but was now out in force.

“Even more arrived at dusk. Some creatures I’ve never even seen before. They’re prepping for something big, but I have no idea what. But something bad is brewing and they are ready to unleash Hell, so back to my original statement … Get your sweet ass here now!”

Greylyn groaned, partly in frustration because she had let him talk her into staying at the inn earlier instead of racing out to DC and partly because Kael was overhearing the conversation as he stepped up directly behind her.

“Time to stop partying and get back to your real job, darling,” he insisted. “There are no other guardians close enough to call for backup and these humans are not equipped for a fight of this caliber.”

Sometimes Greylyn and Jasper shared a mental connection. She could see what he was seeing even if they were hundreds of miles apart. It was rare when she could tap into this gift, but now was as good a time as any to try. Closing her eyes and taking three cleansing breaths, she stretched her mind out to him. Her entire body shook from the effort with no success. Either their connection had weakened, which she doubted, or her psychic tie to Jasper was being purposefully blocked – and not by him.

“Damn,” she muttered to herself. Unable to assess the situation from Gaelic Haven, she reassured Jasper that she was on her way there. “Don’t do anything stupid till I get there.” Jasper’s resulting laugh was not reassuring.

Opening the door to her room, she intended to close it behind her so she could quickly change into something more suitable for a fight. Kael put a hand up to block the door.

“Kael, I don’t have time to play games with you. Get back to the party and make some excuse for me.” After a second, she added, “Please.” The annoyed look he shot her spoke volumes.

“Not until you tell me what is going on, Greylyn. Remember, we are workingtogetherto protect Kelly and the baby? Why are you jetting off to help that lousy excuse for a guardian angel?” he said with more than a touch of ire.

Irritated, but trying not to alarm him, she took a reassuring tone. “We can discuss all this when I get back, but I have to go. Now!” She hoped he took her words at face value and let her leave without a lot of drama, that just maybe he would realize the gravity of the situation and let her go.

He continued to hold the door open, staring intently at her. His large, muscular arms strained against the fine fabric of his dress shirt. He had ditched the suit jacket long ago. Those same muscles twitched. She could tell he was fighting the urge to reach into the room and grab her, knowing a huge electric shock and perhaps more awaited him if he did since she had gone overboard on protection spells for her room.

“Why does Jasper need you anyway? He’s a big boy. Apparently, he was acing this guardian angel gig long before you showed up. Or is this his way to get you away from me?”

Greylyn’s eyes closed in aggravation. She did not need his jealous tripe right now. “The situation calls for an extra guardian. Okay? That is all you need to know.”

The nerve in his jaw twitched and a crimson film washed over his eyes for just a moment before fading away. “Does this have anything to do with why you came back last night all cut up and bleeding? You never did explain what happened. I think I deserve some answers after all the help I’ve provided.”

His tone was urgent and demanding. He had no intentions of letting her go anywhere without an explanation, especially if it meant she was joining Jasper.

With an exasperated sigh and melodramatic eye roll, Greylyn tried to think of the quickest way to appease him so she could get going. Time was not in her favor.

“Kael, I am sorry there is no time right now. I promise when I return you will get all your questions answered. But if I don’t leave right now an enormous tragedy could befall innocents, and I can’t allow that.” He stared at her blankly. “Okay, yes. It does have something to do with where I was last night. Actually, it’s the same place. Perhaps my appearance there alerted a local demon squad or something. But I will not allow the people there to be killed. I have to go.”

She hoped he would accept that answer for now, but the look in his eyes did not promise luck in that department. Eyelids narrowed to mere slits like a snake. His shoulders squared. One fist rested on his hip.

As an afterthought she again added, “Please.”

Ashamed to employ such tactics, she even looked up at him through her thick, curly eyelashes in what she hoped came off as flirtatious pleading. If Kayla could pull off the look, certainly she could too. There it was again, a jealous twinge in her chest. What the hell was wrong with her?

His response surprised her. “Well, I will just have to go with you then.” With a wicked grin he continued, “Can’t have you bleeding out somewhere without me to save you.”

Not the response she hoped for, but perhaps she could work this angle if he were in the mood to be so helpful.

“Kael, don’t think I don’t appreciate your … umm … offer of assistance, but the truth is that I do need your help. It’s just that I need your help – here.”

She could not believe she was requesting assistance from a dark guardian. Not just any dark guardian, but this one. The same one that helped kick-start the bloodshed during the French Revolution. The same dark guardian that beat her near senseless the night of her first guardian assignment. The very same one that leveled an entire mile radius of farmland setting off the Dust Bowl during the 1930s. Her brain could not even conjure up all the horrific things he had been responsible for and now here she was asking for his help!

Good thing there was not a performance evaluation for guardian angels because she was fairly sure this would cause her to fail.

He gave her a look that clearly stated, “I’m not buying it.”

Frazzled, she continued, “I can’t be sure this isn’t an attempt to distract me from my primary purpose, which is here, to protect Kelly and her baby. But I cannot allow the assassination of innocent humans who have also worked diligently for the same purpose. If Jasper says the situation is that dire, then I trust his assessment, and I must go. But, if this is a distraction, someone needs to be here to maintain watch over Kelly.” Pausing, she looked up into his face.

The next words out of her mouth stunned even her. “Truth is I can’t go and help the others unless I have backup here that I can … trust.” She stuttered on that last word.

If she honestly analyzed the situation, she would have realized that she did trust him in this one thing. Against all logic and good reason, she trusted him. However, if he betrayed her, well … there would be literal hell to pay.

The proclamation seemed to shock him as well, as his eyes rounded. After a moment, his stern, determined facial expression morphed into a sly, but pleased look.

---