ANGEL'S KISS (A Dark Angel's Novel) (14 page)

“I...” I had no words for my thoughts.

B just patted my leg. “They’re sent to earth as a tool of justice. A Dark Angel follows God’s will, even against humanity, if that’s what is fated. They are not good or evil. They are impartial. They can create a tidal wave to clean an entire civilization off the face of the earth, or they can execute a single human. An individual life is not important if it stands in the way of the greater good.” B glanced at me again and I’m sure that my mouth was hanging open, but she continued without asking me to close it.

“Thousands of years ago, some of the Dark Angels resented the freedom that God had given his children—us humans—to choose their own path, when he had given them none. They revolted against God, were cast out of heaven, and sentenced to live as humans and die as humans. Most accepted their fate and lived out their lives in peace, but a few turned away from God. They stole the life force from humans to keep their immortality and...”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! You are sooo losing me now, B.” I tried to calm my whirling thoughts. “Tell me you’re not talking about vampires.”

“
Alexandria
, I understand that this is a lot to take in. Let’s not think about what you should call them just yet. Let’s just concentrate on why you’re so special. Okay, dear?”

Somehow, I managed to shake my head.

“Your great-grandfather Seraiah did not revolt and continued to be a tool of God, even hunting the renegade Dark Angels who were feeding on humans. Eventually he was sent on a mission to cause a great hurricane that would clean the
Gulf
Coast
of all evil and bring natural order back to a land that was being ruined by greedy fisherman and lumber barons.

As Seraiah created the eye of the storm, he heard a woman’s cry floating on the wind. The voice belonged to Evangeline, my mother. She was an extremely beautiful woman, but beyond that she had an unusual life force. The French call it joie de vivre. The Hindus refer to the atma jnana. Whatever the name, that life force was extremely powerful and a group of outcast immortals had found her. They attacked in the middle of the night.”

“What happened?”

“They had already killed her family so she was alone, fighting valiantly. However, she knew she was doomed. She was about to take her own life when Seraiah heard her cry and abandoned his mission. He killed them with his dagger of punishment. No one is sure if the outcasts wanted to harness her power by taking her life, or wanted to lay with her, so she would bear an immortal child.”

I couldn’t help it. “Eeew.”

“Seraiah begged God to allow him to stay with Evangeline. He’d fallen in love.”

“So are you immortal?”

“No. Not quite. I am not truly immortal, yet I age at a much slower pace than normal humans. My healing ability is even faster than the outcast immortals, yet I will die eventually. But because of our heritage, even a small taste of our blood will renew a renegade’s life, making any who tried it more powerful than the others.”

“I…” I didn’t know what to say. This could not be my world. Impossible.

I shook my head. “NO, no, I don’t believe you!” Angels, daggers, immortals—oh my! I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

I jumped to my feet. B blocked the stairs before I could get to the exit.

“Our ancestry is what makes us special, dear. Your veins burn because you have denied your strength for so long. When you were attacked, your power bubbled up and forced you to use it. I can help you harness it.”

“B, stop this craziness, please. I’m begging you; I can’t understand why you’re saying this to me.”

“
Alexandria
, think about it. We never get sick. We heal faster than normal, and we’re stronger and more tenacious than normal humans. You’ve always had more life and energy than anyone else around you. You draw people to you. They listen to you, you can influence them. You use this power in your job. People want to work with you and for you. You light up a room when you enter. You’ve just never taken advantage of all that’s been given to you through your genetic makeup.”

B moved her salt-and-pepper hair away from her forehead. “Look,
Alexandria
—our birthmarks.” She had the little pink splotches on her forehead just like I did. What had Dad called it? An Angel’s Kiss. I felt the slightly warmer skin of my own birthmark and went numb again. B helped me back to the chair.

“Somehow Evangeline saw Seraiah for what he was—a vision that most humans could not have seen and stayed sane. He in turn became bound to her by love. He changed her fate that day—and his own—by disobeying his heavenly directive to remain uninvolved. So God stripped him of his immortality. He was forced to live a mortal life. But God showed mercy. Seraiah was allowed to keep his strength, his knowledge, and his dagger of punishment. With Evangeline’s help, he continued to fight the immortals who stole life from others to renew their own essence, life force, and body.”

B touched my birthmark again. “The Angel’s Kiss has been passed on to you,
Alexandria
.”

I couldn’t comprehend any of this. B’s story was just too much.

“What are you saying, B? God really exists? The guy with the white hair who made earth in seven days—he’s really up there? I’ve never seen you go to church, and now you’re telling me that we’re descendants of some superwoman and an angel? Oh, God—oops, I guess I shouldn’t use his name in vain.”

I had to get away, back to my normal life—work, friends, and Alan. I needed to be home. “I’m not sure what happen to you, and I hope you get better, but I’m going home. It was a mistake to come here today.”

“
Alexandria
, I thought I was protecting you by keeping you ignorant of what you are. I see now that all I’ve done is put you at greater risk.”

B grabbed my shoulders. “Your mind will eventually come around, and you’ll feel the truth in your blood. I hope when that time comes, it won’t be too late. They want you,
Alexandria
. I can help protect you, but you have to believe me and do as I say. You cannot go up against this alone. They have found us by chance, or someone close has betrayed me. Either way, they’re aware of us both now, and they won’t stop. Our only hope is that they’ll fight with each other until only a few are left. Then we can defeat them.”

“Let go of me, B.” Blackness crept into my peripheral vision. “I need to leave,” I whispered.

“You’re not listening,
Alexandria
. I believe this outcast wants you for his mate.” She shook me, and my head rattled like a bowl of marbles.

“Mate? What are you talking about?!” My mind was reeling, but that last word got my attention.

“You said ‘dreams’ before, plural. What other dreams have you had? Have you dreamed about Ellasar?” Her hands dug into my shoulder now, and it hurt.

“Let go of me!” My voice had taken on a threatening tone, and B released me. “The morning you called, I had a dream about some bald guy. It felt too real.” I remembered his body, his eyes, and the bath—the erotic touch of multiple hands massaging me. “When I woke up, Alan said I smelled like roses. It freaked me out, because in the dream they used some sort of oil that smelled like roses. But B, I didn’t see anyone called Ellasar.”

My grandmother began to pace, and that made me nervous.

“
Alexandria
, I’ve been complacent until now, but I’ve had enough. My name is Beatrix; you need to address me with some respect.”

I suddenly felt very young. “Beatrix, then, if that makes you happy. So what did that dream mean? It was just a dream, right? Why are you so agitated?” Her turmoil was affecting me.

She turned to face me and I was startled to see that she looked better. Her expression was one of horror and pity mixed, but the swelling around her eye had gone down. “
Alexandria
, I need to know exactly what happened the other night and everything since. No matter how unimportant you think a detail might be, I need to know.” She sat down again and waited.

I told her everything that I could remember of the attack and my strange dreams. Things that I hadn’t even told Alan, I told her. She had already explained the burning in my veins and the strength but— “Beatrix, did he really bite me?”

My hand automatically went to my neck. I hated to ask. I felt like I was in the twilight zone. “I didn’t see any marks from his teeth, but I felt them on my neck, and when I got a look at him, his mouth was bright red. B, I mean, Beatrix, these immortals—” I shuddered at the word, “are they vampires? You know, like on TV?”

I couldn’t believe I’d even said the word. I thought she might laugh at me, but she just looked serious and sad.

Unbelievable! I couldn’t help myself—I laughed. I laughed so hard that I fell to the floor, laughing uncontrollably. I’ve always loved fantasy books, and I’ve even fantasized about a vampire taking me away from my normal life. How ironic now that I was living my fantasy. Only it wasn’t quite what I’d imagined.

B was patient and waited for my hysteria to pass.

“These immortals take blood to rejuvenate their bodies, like your TV vampires, but they take so much more,” she said. “They take your life force. They leave nothing but a husk, a dried-up shell, behind.” She looked down at where I sat curled up hugging my knees. “I fear that this is too much to absorb in one sitting. How are you holding up?”

“B—damn, Beatrix, was my mind trying to protect itself? Is that why I passed out for so long after the attack?”

“Perhaps.” She was thoughtful now.

“Why did he leave me there? Obviously, I didn’t kill him. Why not go ahead and take my force or whatever?”

“It sounds as though he was very young, dear. When he tasted your essence, it may have shocked him. That, coupled with your strength—well, they’re not used to losing to a human. You probably made him retreat.” She winked at me, like a proud parent, as if I’d just won a spelling bee or something.

I still didn’t understand that low vibrating sound that I’d felt and heard just before passing out. But at least Beatrix had explained some of the physical reactions, I sort of understood why my head itched, and why I’d had the strength to impale the guy who attacked me but—

“Hey, B, I mean, Beatrix.” I wanted to be respectful, but old habits die hard. “I get the whole Angel’s Kiss thing, but why would my head itch at a crime scene? Just the blood thing?” Then I remembered the way the bodies had been torn and drained leaving an ‘empty husk’ and the necklace. “Oh shit.”

“What have you remembered?” B sat up on the sofa. She moved with much more grace then when I’d first arrived, and her nose was much less puffy. She was healing right before my eyes.

“Well, I didn’t mention the murders because it’s a police matter. One of our clients and her husband were killed. I didn’t think it had anything to do with this. I mean us.”

“But now you do. Why?” Her eyes were intent now.

“When I saw the bodies, I got faint, and my head started to itch. At the time it was a welcome distraction, and it helped me stay focused in the middle of the scene. But I’m curious if this—” I touched my birth mark, “—is supposed to react only to immortal stuff? No, that couldn’t be. The crimes had nothing to do with my attack. They’re unrelated, I’m sure.” Even I thought my justification sounded pathetic.

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that? If your blood reacted in the way you’re describing, then an immortal was involved. Please describe the scene.” She sat back and waited.

“Beatrix, it was a double homicide. My client was murdered. I shouldn’t give you any details. I’m sure it was just a coincidence. The client didn’t have anything to do with me personally; I’d never met her before she came into the office.”

“Maybe not. Maybe they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or a simple domestic dispute, there’s nothing unusual about a double homicide in this day and age.”

I remembered the two bodies. How they’d looked. The way the necklace was placed on the woman’s torso. Had that been a message to me? I doubled over and held my face in my hands. I don’t want to see that sparkling gold room ever again. How could it be related to any of this craziness? But seeing the disturbing scene again in my memory I wondered how it couldn’t be related.

“B, the Janecks were ripped apart, torn to pieces. Ottie and I couldn’t figure out what tool or machine could have done it. Phil Janeck was posed at his desk as if he’d been writing a letter, and Mrs. Janeck was in pieces. Arms and legs in separate corners. I almost stepped on her torso. Her head wasn’t there, but I knew it was her because of the antique necklace she always wore. Whoever killed her positioned it on her chest in the shape of a bow! The large stone from it was missing, but the chain was hers. B, there was no blood! None! Not anywhere in the house. We don’t know where they were killed or how somebody got them back into the house. My man was watching the house. He’s only twenty-three B; he had to see that mess! He’ll never forget it.”

“Maybe, or maybe the memory is already fading from his mind.” She stood, looking down at me. “Either way, that’s not important. When did these people contract with your firm, and what did they want from you?”

I continued to rub my eyes as if I could somehow rub the sight from my memory. I let out a huge breath. “It was just a normal cheating husband case, B—Beatrix. Mrs. Janeck suspected that her second husband, Philip, was cheating, so she hired us to catch him. I was the bait. I followed him that night and tried to get his attention, but he wasn’t interested—so much for your theory about my attracting people. After he left the bar, I went to get some coffee. That’s when I was abducted. But you already know that. Oh, yeah,” I narrowed my eyes at her. “How did you know that I’d been attacked?”