stairs. Computer screens span the entire far wall with a long table that runs beneath them. There’s surveillance equipment, what looks like heavy-duty communications equipment, and some devices I’ve never seen before. The rest of the walls are lined with bookcases and there are two long tables that function as work space on either side of the room.
The screens are already on. One holds a map of the Earth with red and white dots.
He doesn’t bother looking at them, but grabs my hand and pulls me around the staircase to a door beneath it. He opens it and ushers me inside. We cramp ourselves into the tight space and he closes the door behind us. It’s pitch-black for a moment, but then I see the outline of his hand on the wall in front of us. A keypad appears, and he types a ten-digit code into it. The wall slides back with a whoosh.
We crawl out into a tall but compact room. Weapons of all shapes and sizes line the walls. One wall has lit cubbyholes with stones, pendants, rings, and other artifacts.
“All of this is yours?” In the close quarters, I’m aware once more that his brown eyes are flecked with gold, and his skin seems to shimmer. I want to touch him, to run my fingers over him again, but I force myself to resist. I clench my fists.
He shrugs and his exotic scent seems to fill the tiny space.
Get your mind on the plan, Gillian.
“Some of it,” he answers. “The rest I inherited. Or stole.” He takes a pendant off the wall and puts it around my neck, and puts a stone in my pocket. Then he goes to the wall in front of us that holds two more daggers, similar to one the demon had used.
“Those look alien.”
“They aren’t from this world,” he agrees. “Angels protect multiple worlds, even though I’ve never been to them. Some artifacts from other worlds make their way to Earth.” He holds out the dagger for me.
I hold up my hands to ward it off. “I don’t think I want that.”
“Yes, you do. It’s a Galadrian dagger. You might think using it is horrible, but believe me, a demon taking over your body is worse.”
I take the dagger.
He hands me a belt with a leather sheath and helps me to hook it around my waist. Then, he grabs an assortment of weapons for himself, sliding a pendant over his head. It lies against his bare chest and I find myself wanting to touch it. With a gentle hand on the small of my back, he guides me back out into the main basement.
He brushes by me, caressing my hip as he goes to the communications device. He flips a switch and a feminine voice answers in a language I don’t understand. He speaks back in the same language for a moment, then flips the switch off.
“Who was that?”
“Our angelic messaging service. She’ll call Cas and Zakiel to meet me.”
“I thought you have telepathy. Can’t you just call them with your mind?”
He shakes his head. “Not typically. We try to stay fairly well shielded from each other, or we’d always be in each other’s thoughts. Unless it’s an emergency. It takes a lot of emotion to use our minds like that.”
“Really.” I pause. “Isn’t this an emergency?”
He pins me with a level stare. “You’ll know when it’s an emergency.”
I don’t have time to think about it, because at that instant a glowing portal opens in the corner of the room and an angel steps through. He has short, curly dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He’s shirtless and his wings are out. Black jeans and combat boots complete his ensemble. He looks around the same age as Brion, but his demeanor is slightly older, more serious.
Do angels hold stock in Levi’s, or what? And what’s with all the tattoos? Ink swirls over him in much the same manner as it does Brion, across his chest, shoulders, and arms.
“Cas.” Brion steps forward and clasps arms with him.
“Brion.”
But before they can continue the exchange, a second portal opens and an angel wearing black slacks and black leather dress shoes steps out. He looks
The screens are already on. One holds a map of the Earth with red and white dots.
He doesn’t bother looking at them, but grabs my hand and pulls me around the staircase to a door beneath it. He opens it and ushers me inside. We cramp ourselves into the tight space and he closes the door behind us. It’s pitch-black for a moment, but then I see the outline of his hand on the wall in front of us. A keypad appears, and he types a ten-digit code into it. The wall slides back with a whoosh.
We crawl out into a tall but compact room. Weapons of all shapes and sizes line the walls. One wall has lit cubbyholes with stones, pendants, rings, and other artifacts.
“All of this is yours?” In the close quarters, I’m aware once more that his brown eyes are flecked with gold, and his skin seems to shimmer. I want to touch him, to run my fingers over him again, but I force myself to resist. I clench my fists.
He shrugs and his exotic scent seems to fill the tiny space.
Get your mind on the plan, Gillian.
“Some of it,” he answers. “The rest I inherited. Or stole.” He takes a pendant off the wall and puts it around my neck, and puts a stone in my pocket. Then he goes to the wall in front of us that holds two more daggers, similar to one the demon had used.
“Those look alien.”
“They aren’t from this world,” he agrees. “Angels protect multiple worlds, even though I’ve never been to them. Some artifacts from other worlds make their way to Earth.” He holds out the dagger for me.
I hold up my hands to ward it off. “I don’t think I want that.”
“Yes, you do. It’s a Galadrian dagger. You might think using it is horrible, but believe me, a demon taking over your body is worse.”
I take the dagger.
He hands me a belt with a leather sheath and helps me to hook it around my waist. Then, he grabs an assortment of weapons for himself, sliding a pendant over his head. It lies against his bare chest and I find myself wanting to touch it. With a gentle hand on the small of my back, he guides me back out into the main basement.
He brushes by me, caressing my hip as he goes to the communications device. He flips a switch and a feminine voice answers in a language I don’t understand. He speaks back in the same language for a moment, then flips the switch off.
“Who was that?”
“Our angelic messaging service. She’ll call Cas and Zakiel to meet me.”
“I thought you have telepathy. Can’t you just call them with your mind?”
He shakes his head. “Not typically. We try to stay fairly well shielded from each other, or we’d always be in each other’s thoughts. Unless it’s an emergency. It takes a lot of emotion to use our minds like that.”
“Really.” I pause. “Isn’t this an emergency?”
He pins me with a level stare. “You’ll know when it’s an emergency.”
I don’t have time to think about it, because at that instant a glowing portal opens in the corner of the room and an angel steps through. He has short, curly dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He’s shirtless and his wings are out. Black jeans and combat boots complete his ensemble. He looks around the same age as Brion, but his demeanor is slightly older, more serious.
Do angels hold stock in Levi’s, or what? And what’s with all the tattoos? Ink swirls over him in much the same manner as it does Brion, across his chest, shoulders, and arms.
“Cas.” Brion steps forward and clasps arms with him.
“Brion.”
But before they can continue the exchange, a second portal opens and an angel wearing black slacks and black leather dress shoes steps out. He looks
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