Blood Warrior (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles #4) by Jennifer Malone Wright

life, it was the deal made, once Korina was found. The only
thing I ask is that I am able to write all this into my journal
before the time comes.”
    The angel appeared to contemplate the
request. “Anthony Christos. If your death were to come upon us at
this moment, it would help the human race immensely. However, to
kill you, would indeed, result in the death of young Chloe
Kallistrate, whom has an important part to play in the
future.”
    He clasped his hands together.
“Therefore, as much as I would like to, I cannot condone bringing
forth your death just yet.”
    Anthony looked almost sad to hear that
his life was being spared by the Warrior Angel. “Are you positive
that this is the correct way to proceed?”
    With a nod, the angel then turned and
addressed the rest of the group. “No one shall lay a hand on
Anthony Christos. If any person shall attempt to murder him, they
will answer to me personally, is that understood?”
    I looked around the crowd as he
addressed them. Most of the group couldn’t speak and just nodded in
response. But, some were able to mutter a “yes” or “yes
sir.”
    “ I must return,” the angel
stated to no one in particular. “You warriors … all of you” He
looked over the crowd, “have done well this night. I am proud of
every one of you.”
    Then he lifted his sword to the sky
and lifted off of the pavement, ascending into the churning black
clouds from which he had come. Another flash of blinding light and
he was gone.
    As soon as the Warrior Angel was gone,
my brain snapped, the only thing on my mind was Drew.
    I ran to his side and saw that his
eyes were wide open and staring at me. I fell down by his side and
lowered my head to kiss him. I was never, ever so happy as I was
the moment our lips touched. For a while, I’d thought I would never
get to kiss him again.
    “ You’re all right,” I told
him, planting another kiss on his pale lips.
    He nodded as I pulled away. “I think I
was hallucinating there for a while though.” He sat up and felt the
healed skin where his wound had been. “I think I may have a
concussion.”
    I laughed and threw my arms around
him. “Maybe, we will have to get you checked out.”
    After I pulled away I looked to Gavin.
He was also sitting up and rubbing his chest. “If you hallucinated
the Warrior Angel, then we hallucinated the same thing.”
    Luke kneeled down beside our boys and
put a hand on each of their shoulders. “You didn’t hallucinate. You
died … and that angel, he gave you a second chance. So I recommend
you don’t waste it. The time for your petty war is over, cause that
war is nothing compared to the one we are fighting now.”
    Drew crawled onto his hands and knees
and then stood up. After he was in full standing position, he
leaned over, extending his hand out to Gavin. Gavin looked up at
him with a solemn expression. For a moment there were unspoken
words that passed between the two and then Gavin grasped Drew’s
hand and let Drew haul him up into a standing position.
    There wasn’t a big ‘damn why were we
fighting at all, hug’ but the two seemed to have come to some sort
of terms. They died, and then an angel gave them life again, Luke
was right, there was no reason for them to be fighting like
this.
    “ You guys have to see
this,” Sarah called from the opening of the alley and taking my
attention away from my guys.
    Before I ran to the street, like
everyone else, I looked back at where Korina had fallen. Anthony
stood there, staring down at the burnt ash that had once been his
only family. She and the other brother had been all that remained
for him.
    I strode up to him and grasped his
hand. “You have us now.” I told him. I didn’t want to make him feel
better, I knew that would take a while, but I did want him to know
that we weren’t going to abandon him.
    He flicked his eyes toward me. “I
thought I was going to follow her into death, now, that has been
taken from me as well.”
    I studied