why I’d stopped. He looked into my eyes and then at Orthon on the trail up ahead and quickly put two and two together. Anger rose on his beautiful face. Anger can make some people look like monsters, but Guy looked even more gorgeous. His skin grew taught and white, like fine porcelain china. His eyes grew wide with rage.
“YOU!” he screamed, shattering the silence. He rushed toward Orthon, moving so quickly it was practically in the blink of an eye.
“No, Guy!” I called.
He reached Orthon, corralled him in his arms and picked him up. I was stunned by his incredible strength. He held Orthon as if he were a small child.
“Don’t!” Orthon cried out, his voice coarse like sandpaper. His arms were pinned to his sides. He squirmed in Guy’s grasp.
Guy moved to the edge of the cliff where, before I knew what he was going to do, he threw Orthon over, down into a ravine. Orthon cried out as he fell, his diminishing cry sounding like an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. AAAaaaaah!
His body hit the rocks below with crunching thuds that ripped through the ravine as he pinballed off the rocks. And then—silence. My stomach began to churn, bile bubbling up into my throat as I wondered if Guy had killed him. Yes, I know demons can’t die, but he’d fallen so far and landed so violently, my mind automatically went to the worst.
“What did you do?” I called, the bile stinging the back of my throat. My head was spinning. I staggered forward.
Guy had been peering down into the ravine, admiring his handiwork. He now gazed over his shoulder at me, his eyes still black with rage. He was standing at the precipice of the cliff. He shrugged, as if to imply he had no choice in the matter, then he turned and leaped off the cliff, following Orthon down.
Chapter Ten
I reached the edge and peered down into the ravine, my eyes narrowing at the jagged rocks below, my gaze frantically bouncing along the canyon floor. My heart thumped in my chest, feeling as though someone were hammering against my ribcage from the outside, trying to bring me back to life.
I had died. The moment Guy leapt off the cliff I ceased to exist, and now my dying heart was trying to come back to life.
I saw them. They had both landed on a wide flat ledge about thirty feet below where I stood. Guy was now shirtless, standing opposite Orthon, his chiseled body and white angel wings gleaming in the sunlight. I knew Guy was an angel, but until then I hadn’t thought about his wings. The moment I saw both Guy and Orthon below, I breathed. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until then, and now fresh air came whooshing in in hungry gulps.
Orthon hadn’t been injured in the fall, although his clothing was ripped and covered with red clay. He was now standing, facing Guy. His hood was down away from his face, his shades were gone. His lizard-like complexion and bald head glistened in the sunlight like snakeskin. His crimson eyes flared at Guy. Both he and Guy were holding large boulders above their heads, about to hurl them at one another.
“Stop it!” I screamed, fearing for both of them. “Guy, what are you doing?” I hollered down. “Someone will see you like that. And then what will we say?” That seemed to do the trick. Both Guy and Orthon realized they were exposed.
Orthon lowered his rock first, but wouldn’t put it down. “I come in peace,” he called up to me, his eyes never leaving Guy. “I have important information,” he continued. “Tell the angel to put the rock down.”
“She does not command me!” Guy bellowed. He jabbed the rock menacingly at Orthon, who didn’t flinch.
“Guy, please. Put the rock down. And do something with your wings!”
He gazed up at me. Upon seeing the concern scrawled across my face, his wings retracted. He turned his attention back to Orthon. “What information do you have?” he inquired, lowering the rock.
“It’s for Megan’s ears, not yours, angel,” Orthon replied, the
“YOU!” he screamed, shattering the silence. He rushed toward Orthon, moving so quickly it was practically in the blink of an eye.
“No, Guy!” I called.
He reached Orthon, corralled him in his arms and picked him up. I was stunned by his incredible strength. He held Orthon as if he were a small child.
“Don’t!” Orthon cried out, his voice coarse like sandpaper. His arms were pinned to his sides. He squirmed in Guy’s grasp.
Guy moved to the edge of the cliff where, before I knew what he was going to do, he threw Orthon over, down into a ravine. Orthon cried out as he fell, his diminishing cry sounding like an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. AAAaaaaah!
His body hit the rocks below with crunching thuds that ripped through the ravine as he pinballed off the rocks. And then—silence. My stomach began to churn, bile bubbling up into my throat as I wondered if Guy had killed him. Yes, I know demons can’t die, but he’d fallen so far and landed so violently, my mind automatically went to the worst.
“What did you do?” I called, the bile stinging the back of my throat. My head was spinning. I staggered forward.
Guy had been peering down into the ravine, admiring his handiwork. He now gazed over his shoulder at me, his eyes still black with rage. He was standing at the precipice of the cliff. He shrugged, as if to imply he had no choice in the matter, then he turned and leaped off the cliff, following Orthon down.
Chapter Ten
I reached the edge and peered down into the ravine, my eyes narrowing at the jagged rocks below, my gaze frantically bouncing along the canyon floor. My heart thumped in my chest, feeling as though someone were hammering against my ribcage from the outside, trying to bring me back to life.
I had died. The moment Guy leapt off the cliff I ceased to exist, and now my dying heart was trying to come back to life.
I saw them. They had both landed on a wide flat ledge about thirty feet below where I stood. Guy was now shirtless, standing opposite Orthon, his chiseled body and white angel wings gleaming in the sunlight. I knew Guy was an angel, but until then I hadn’t thought about his wings. The moment I saw both Guy and Orthon below, I breathed. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until then, and now fresh air came whooshing in in hungry gulps.
Orthon hadn’t been injured in the fall, although his clothing was ripped and covered with red clay. He was now standing, facing Guy. His hood was down away from his face, his shades were gone. His lizard-like complexion and bald head glistened in the sunlight like snakeskin. His crimson eyes flared at Guy. Both he and Guy were holding large boulders above their heads, about to hurl them at one another.
“Stop it!” I screamed, fearing for both of them. “Guy, what are you doing?” I hollered down. “Someone will see you like that. And then what will we say?” That seemed to do the trick. Both Guy and Orthon realized they were exposed.
Orthon lowered his rock first, but wouldn’t put it down. “I come in peace,” he called up to me, his eyes never leaving Guy. “I have important information,” he continued. “Tell the angel to put the rock down.”
“She does not command me!” Guy bellowed. He jabbed the rock menacingly at Orthon, who didn’t flinch.
“Guy, please. Put the rock down. And do something with your wings!”
He gazed up at me. Upon seeing the concern scrawled across my face, his wings retracted. He turned his attention back to Orthon. “What information do you have?” he inquired, lowering the rock.
“It’s for Megan’s ears, not yours, angel,” Orthon replied, the
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