Redemption (40 page)

I’m sure he was imagining his parents. It made me smile too despite my fear. My history with the Jacobs family made me comfortable with Ethan, and I decided to take the plunge.

“How much do you know about me?” I asked Ethan as coolly as possible.

He stared up at me searchingly.

“Not much. That’s what I came up here to find out. You totally surprised us all, Dayton. Mom mentioned that Monroe had been worried about you recently. She didn’t know why and then you and Monroe suddenly disappeared from Lodeston along with Conor Reinhardt in the company of a Demon. Maybe you should tell me why."

 I read the slight censure in his eyes, and I looked away. I’m sure he’d heard about the supposed romantic interlude between Marcas and me. In his eyes, I wasn’t an innocent anymore.

“Have you talked to Monroe?” I asked him unsteadily. I kept avoiding his gaze. I heard him sigh.

“I have. And I’m not exactly happy with her reply or her circumstances."

His tone made me look his way.

“Her reply?”

 Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

“She told me to ask you,” he answered.

I almost sighed with relief but looked away instead to hide the smile in my eyes. Trusty ol’ Monroe. My body relaxed.

“I wasn’t happy to find she’d been left with Lexi and Luther. I don’t trust either of them further than I can spit which is why I’ve sent for both her and Conor. I feel safer knowing Monroe will be here with me,” Ethan said almost irritably.

He sounded accusing, but I wouldn’t feel guilty. I didn’t have room in my emotions for that right now. I thought about what he’d said instead. Monroe and Conor were coming here? The thought made me both uneasy and excited. Ethan’s hand came to rest on my knees.

“I need you to tell me what’s going on, Day. Right now, you and your Demon are security risks to us all,” Ethan said imploringly.

 I looked down at him. He had no idea.
 
I adopted Marcas’ emotionless expression. My Demon? He was soooo far off.

“I didn’t know he was a Demon when we first became involved,” I said bleakly.

 I hated the look Ethan gave me at that word. But, at the same time, I felt surprisingly more forward knowing he thought I was tarnished.

“Involved?” he asked.

I nodded and looked away again. I had to get used to this lying thing.

“I met him at Everett’s on my birthday. I shouldn’t have gone, and most certainly not alone, but if it hadn’t been for Marcas I wouldn’t have discovered what I was,” I said softly. Only part of that was a lie.

I looked back at Ethan. He was watching me closely.

“A Naphil,” he said.

I nodded, and Ethan closed his eyes briefly. I’m sure he was telling himself it was impossible I existed too. I was getting used to knowing I wasn’t supposed to be alive. Or, at the least, not supposed to be sane.

“So Marcas didn’t lie to Alessandro?” Ethan asked.

I shook my head. Not entirely. Ethan stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

“My God, Day. Part Angel? Your aunt really has covered up way more than we anticipated,” he said in agitation.

She hadn't hidden it that well. The Demon Lilith had known. She'd even sent her son to kill me. Ethan looked down at me.

“And Amber?” he asked. He didn’t have to say more. I shook my head.

“We don’t share the same father. We do in looks, but not in make-up."

I hope he made sense of that. I didn’t have the heart to re-tell the story I’d been told about Bezaliel’s assumption of Daniel’s identity. Ethan nodded. I guess this was not unusual for fallen Angels. He stopped next to me and leaned against the wall beside my chair.

“Why the Demon?” Ethan asked me seriously.

I looked down at my hands. How did I answer a question like that? I thought about Marcas a moment. It made my heart feel funny.

“Because, despite what he is, he’s been straight with me where most have lied,” I said honestly.

This time, I wasn’t lying. I stood up and faced Ethan defiantly. The meek Dayton was going to have to go. If Marcas could play this game, I could too. I had come into this situation unhappy, sullen, and unsure, but I was going to leave it by making my own decisions. Choosing to stay with Marcas was up to me now. And I knew we needed that ring.

“What about you, Ethan Jacobs? How much more am I going to have to be faced with? What is Lodeston? The psycho capital of the world? Or the melting pot for religious disorder? How many people in my life are not who they seem to be?” I asked him angrily. Ethan looked surprised. His gaze wandered over me.

“You’ve changed, Dayton."

 I glared. “I’ve had to. Answer my questions,” I ordered harshly. Ethan frowned.

“It isn’t just you who’s been surrounded by organizations and people who are involved with things the general public aren’t aware of. You’ve just been dragged into it. Are you even aware how big this is? How big the interaction between Heaven and Hell can be? Earth is the platform for their disagreements and the vacation spot for Demons’ ugly deeds. There is a constant battle for the human soul. We are minute compared to this,” Ethan argued.

I watched him begin to pace. He had grown a lot since the last time I’d seen him. He’d been eighteen when he’d left home. He was twenty now, but he seemed older. He wasn’t as carefree as he used to be. I took in a deep breath. He was right. There was no telling what was going on out there in the world. If I wasn’t a Naphil who’d been bound to a Demon by his insane brother and an eccentric aunt, I’d still be blissfully unaware of it all. Ethan came to a standstill.

“I can’t forget why I’m here,” he said almost to himself.

I stood up straighter. I knew what he was after. He was here to gather information. I’m sure he’d been ordered to confront me as soon as the SOS had discovered his sister and I were close friends. He looked up, and I met his gaze unblinkingly.

“What is your aunt doing with Damon?” Ethan asked pointedly. I shrugged.

“I honestly don’t know. Ask her,” I lied before moving toward the door. Ethan followed me.

“Who is your father, Dayton?”

I turned on him just inside the open door way.

“Bezaliel. Any more questions, Ethan? I’d really like you to take me to Marcas and Alessandro now,” I said bitterly before turning to walk back out the door.

I’d taken only one step when I came face to face with Marcas. He was leaning casually against the wall next to the bedroom.

“I’ll take this from here,” Marcas said flatly as Ethan exited the room. His words were for Ethan, his stare was for me. I met it without flinching. Ethan started to speak but Marcas interrupted him.

“Alessandro could use you now. Demons are approaching. They will be here by nightfall,” Marcas ordered. His gaze never moved from mine. Ethan glanced between us then shook his head before moving away. He was down the stairs before Marcas finally spoke to me.

“You have friends everywhere don’t you, Blainey?” he asked. I shrugged.

“Unexpected ones, I assure you,” I answered him icily. He shoved away from the wall.

“There’ll be more surprises, I’m sure. Come with me, Blainey. You have a lot to learn before tonight."

 I stared after him wide-eyed.

“You’re going to teach me how to use my powers?”

My surprise was evident. He nodded slightly. I followed him as he moved down the hall.

“I’m going to fight too?” I asked hesitantly. Marcas paused and turned.

“Maybe, maybe not. But I don’t want you unprepared if you discover you have to,” he answered.

The look in his eyes remained cold. Did he care about what happened to me or was he afraid my being injured could injure him? I didn’t even attempt to discover an answer. It was pointless. Marcas didn’t reveal anything until he was ready to. I let that be my first lesson. I was determined to become the same way. I waited for him to start walking away again, but he surprised me. His gaze searched mine before suddenly moving toward me. I hated when he got close. He towered over me. I stared at his chest. Thank God it was covered. He leaned down and brought his lips close to mine. I almost screamed. What was he doing?

“Are you going to kiss me, Craig?” I asked him shrilly. His expression didn’t change.

“I’d ask you if you wanted me to, but I honestly don’t care, Blainey. We need to find the carpet tonight after the fight,” he whispered against my lips.

My heart was beating so fast and my body was so tense that it took me a minute to realize he was doing this so he could speak to me privately. I swallowed.

“Assuming we make it through the fight,” I said softly. Had I brushed my teeth? I couldn’t remember. Marcas put his hands on my arms. I had to work at staying relaxed.

“We’ll make it through the fight, Blainey. This is just the start of the Demon war. The first wave won’t be as strong as the one coming. I know where the carpet is. Tonight we fight, then leave. Follow my orders explicitly,” he commanded before placing a soft, quick kiss on my lips and moving away. My own lips burned. I wanted to touch them but didn’t want to get caught doing it. It had been a peck, damn it! How great a kiss could that be? I looked up at Marcas expectantly.

“Then you have a lot to teach me and little time to do it in.”

Chapter 31

An Angel’s powers are unique according to the type of Angel. For example, God’s Enforcers have entirely different powers than Guardian Angels. Each Angel must learn to use his abilities accordingly. There has never been a sane Naphil. The type of powers she could harbor is unknown. Many fear her abilities.

~Bezaliel~

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” I asked Marcas crossly half an hour later.

Only thirty minutes into his "training" exercises, and I wasn’t sure I’d make it to the battle tonight. I tried throwing a light ball and ended up sitting on my ass while my "flaming"
un
-success of a ball snapped off the limb of a nearby olive tree. Marcas proceeded to catch it in mid-air, not with his hands but with his abilities, and throw it at me. Show off. I tried rolling out of the way but it still pinned my leg. I shoved it off and frowned.

“Olive branches are supposed to stand for peace, right?” I asked sarcastically.

Marcas just gestured at me. His desire for me to stand back up was evident. I threw him the bird. I may have been afraid to do it before, but I was pretty sure he couldn’t hurt me more than he already had.

“Will taking my soul hurt less?” I whined as I stood up slowly and groaned.

 I was allowed to have an "It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to" moment. Marcas moved toward me.

“It’d hurt much,
much
worse. Imagine having a part of your body waxed. The pain of ripping out your soul is a thousand times more painful than that,” he said candidly. I eyed him suspiciously as he neared.

“You’re not going to start throwing
me
now, are you?” I asked him guardedly.

Marcas hissed. “You need more control, Blainey."

I had angered him. No surprise there. He moved behind me, and I froze. I honestly couldn’t take another direct hit.

“Why don’t we learn more about protecting yourself and less about attack for the moment,” he said in a low voice.

That didn’t sound so bad. I glanced around us. The grounds of Alessandro’s home were surrounded by olive trees with a vineyard visible in the distance. When I’d asked Marcas where we were he’d said something about hill towns near Rome in Lazio. Maybe Tivoli. He had been vague. Where ever we were, it was secluded and beautiful. The afternoon sun was warm but not overly uncomfortable. I wanted to enjoy it, but the situation was making it impossible.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked soberly.

His instructions made sense, but my body wasn’t producing the desired results. Marcas placed his hands over my eyes. I tensed.

“You couldn’t show me with another method?” I asked him shortly. The way he stood now reminded me of my father and the dream. I wasn’t happy with it. Marcas didn’t move.

“No, the only way you’re going to learn anything is if you learn to rely on yourself and not your senses."

I grimaced.

“I feel like I’m in an episode of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
,” I said through gritted teeth. Marcas didn’t comment.

“Angels and Demons have very different powers and they all depend on the type of Angel or Demon you are. But one thing remains the same. We tap into our powers the same way. The way you imagined your inner light when you needed to see in the dark is the same way you tap into your powers. That inner light
is
your power. For a Demon, it’s their inner darkness. By cloaking yourself in the light, you can prevent or cause an attack. It’s not rocket science, Blainey,” Marcas lectured. I stared at the back of his hands. For him it wasn’t.

“Always look for the light, right?” I asked.

The comment wasn’t lost on Marcas. He leaned down until his mouth was directly next to my ear.