Bound by Time (25 page)

Lucian took a step toward her. “Isobel.”

She held up her hand to stop him. “I don’t think he’s coming back. I don’t think he can. And,” she paused, “I don’t think there will be a vial. Xapar is my destiny; there is no reason for any of you to be hurt.” She lifted her chin. “I will handle him when the time comes. I promise he won’t become a problem for you.”

A stunned silence settled over the table. Amelia was the first to speak. “We aren’t leaving.”

Lucian leaned his fists on the island and pinned her with a look that almost made her wish she had said nothing. “We will not leave here, Isobel. Damien is one of the oldest dark angels; he is stronger than you can imagine. If he hasn’t called there is a reason. He will return.”

Isobel swallowed her response and only nodded. Let him hang onto that. Let them all think she agreed with them. It was for the best. Even with them there, she could handle Xapar when the time came. She only hoped none of them would get hurt in the process.

S
everal more days crept by solidifying Isobel’s belief that she would never see Damien again in this life.

Nearly a week after she suggested everyone leave, Isobel sat on the back deck alone. Except she wasn’t really alone. Lucian sat just inside the closed French doors at the formal dining table. He had been practically glued to her since Damien left, especially since the demon in the bathroom incident.

Isobel wondered if it was his natural tendencies or if it had something to with Damien.

Birds sang their last songs of the day and the scent of magnolias filled the humid air. She watched the view of the river that curved around her parents’ property. The water was dark as the sun sank behind the trees on its way toward the western horizon.

Much to her surprise the mosquitos were leaving her alone. Maybe they were afraid to bite her. Afraid they would end up with Xapar in their tiny, little minds. A bunch of mosquitos killing themselves and each other off—now why couldn’t the demon do something useful like that?

Though the whispers of the demon had been disrupting her sleep, everything else had been quiet. Too quiet. It unnerved her. What was Xapar planning? The demon in the bathroom was acting on its own. If Xapar had been behind it, Isobel had no doubt she would have believed it was really Maria screaming at her again. So what was he doing?

Restless energy drove her from the chair. She stood and walked down the narrow bridge to the dock, enjoying the movement even if she did shudder at the sight of a palmetto bug. It amazed her that after seeing demons the bugs would still bother her. Isobel thanked the Higher Powers that the demons didn’t look like giant palmetto bugs; she didn’t think she could handle that.

There was a clear view of the dock from the windows; Lucian would still be able see her. She leaned on the rail and gazed down at the slow moving channel. A turtle slid into the water with a light plop. Water that rose with the tide from the ocean. Twilight deepened bringing out insect sounds as the birds went to sleep. How strange that everything should seem so normal. Although apparently normal had always included demons and angels, though most humans didn’t know it.

Dark blue began to crawl up from the eastern horizon. It was time to get back inside. Dark energy radiated through the air. Isobel whipped around. A demon slammed into her knocking her over the railing. She embraced her power at the same time she hit the water and tried to fight free of the demon. It gripped her arms with burning hands, pulling her down to the murky bottom.

Her lungs burned for air as her strength waned. In her head, Xapar laughed manically, and Isobel understood. He would rather see her die, even if not by his hand in this life, than take the chance of banishment.

She was no match for the demon’s strength. In the confusion of the water her body slipped into panic mode as it screamed for air, and she couldn’t hold onto her power. She fought blindly until she could no longer move her arms and legs. Water poured into her lungs in a fiery rush and darkness rolled over her.

Isobel floated in a great, golden silence. Peace such as she had never known filled her.

Then the peaceful, golden promise was ripped away. Something pumped painfully on her chest and tried to force air into her waterlogged lungs. She started coughing. Her throat and lungs burned as water came up, and she was rolled quickly onto her side. Tearing coughs wracked her body bringing up more water each time. Then her stomach heaved and she vomited more water.

Even when Isobel could finally pull air down her raw, tortured throat her body lay limp, refusing to obey even the simplest command. After a lot of persuasion her eyelids fluttered open. Lucian knelt beside her, the feathers of his wings dripping wet and fear in his tawny eyes.

Isobel tried to reassure him but only a croak came out. Chills shivered over her cold, clammy skin. Though the evening was warm, she couldn’t stop the trembling that wracked her body.

Lucian lifted her from the planks of the dock and carried her into the house. Through the heavy fog that settled over her, she registered the chaos inside.

Elijah knelt in front of Amelia gently holding a towel to help mop up the blood that poured from her nose. His face held a mixture of frustration and worry. “You should have let Rose handle that demon, Amelia.” Elijah’s Spanish accent was thick with concern. “You aren’t strong enough for that yet,
mi dulce
.”

Isobel knew that language from high school though her sluggish brain had to work to translate it. Since when did Elijah call Amelia “my sweet?”

Rose limped to a chair in the dining room, a bruise discoloring the dark skin on her forehead. Isaac sported several bruises and cuts, though they were already healing.

Xapar had been waiting for this. He had bided his time until they were separated. Then he’d sent the demon to kill her while more attacked the others to prevent help from arriving. This couldn’t happen again.

Lucian carried her into the family room as Isaac brought in a stack of bath towels. Unable to hold them open any longer her eyes closed. A towel scrubbed over her hair, then over her arms and legs. Isobel tried to sit up to help but her body felt like lead. Never had she been so tired in her entire life. This one anyway. The quilt on the couch was tucked around her. After a long time her body warmed the damp cocoon and a deep, heavy sleep pulled her into its welcoming embrace.

She dreamed of Januarius and Eusebia, and of Rihanna the night she had died. When she woke, Isobel saw what needed to be done. The words
“vis vivendi, virtus moriendi”
echoed in her mind. Januarius had said them in her dream. She moved to sit up and found every muscle in her body weak. It wouldn’t be done today, maybe not for a couple of days, but it would be done. Peace stole over her, and Isobel found no fear in the path she had chosen.

A glance at the windows showed mid-afternoon sunlight streaming through the trees. Her legs were shaky but they held as she made her way into the dining room. Everyone looked up as she entered and eased herself into one of the chairs.

Lucian gazed at her, his eyes tight around the corners. “You look like hell.”

“Thanks.” Her voice sounded horrible.

Amelia stood and walked into the kitchen returning promptly with a drink and a sandwich. “You look shaky. You probably need to eat.”

Isobel nodded and took a long drink of the soda. The fizz burned her throat; she drank it anyway. The food didn’t go down much easier, but she needed it. Isobel listened to the conversation around her while she ate.

She noticed Elijah paying particular attention to Amelia. He had called her friend, “my sweet.” She watched the two of them curiously as the Spanish dark angel whispered something in Amelia’s ear, and a soft blush spread across her creamy brown cheeks.

Isobel raised an eyebrow in question at Lucian. He gave a bare shake of his head, and she picked up on the meaning of it immediately. Lucian would tell her later. Isobel glanced back at Elijah and Amelia again wondering what the problem was.

When the talk around the table turned to the angels taking shifts from now on, Isobel paid close attention. That could be a minor problem. In her head Xapar was silent as if he knew her plan. She sensed a trickle of fear in the evil that emanated from the demon and couldn’t help the small, grim smile that touched her lips before she took the final bite of her sandwich.

Already the food was going to work in her system. Her hands had ceased to shake and her legs felt steadier. Isobel stood and carried her plate to the kitchen, casting Lucian a meaningful glance.

He stood immediately. “Let me help you.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

The kitchen was open to the dining area with only a bar separating the rooms so Isobel stood close to him while he rinsed the plate and asked quietly, “What’s going on?”

Lucian bent toward her and whispered, “Amelia has become Elijah’s channel.”

“Is that all?” Isobel raised her eyebrows, surprised. She thought it must be something more.

“No, that isn’t all.” Lucian chuckled under his breath. “They are also
sodales in aeternum
.”

Isobel stared at him for a long moment. “Amelia is a new soul.”

He smiled. “It has to start somewhere. And when it does, we know.” Lucian glanced over her head toward the dining room then returned his gaze to her. “For her, it’s falling in love this time around. For him, there are a lot of emotions he has to suddenly learn that he hasn’t ever had to deal with before.” He chuckled again. “It’s been quite amusing to watch..”

Isobel leveled a stern look at him. “You shouldn’t find so much amusement in Elijah’s situation. One of these days it will be you.”

Lucian shook his head and laughed. “I’m known as a free spirit for a reason. I can get enough pleasant company when I feel the need for it.”

“You’re a mess, and I hope I’m around to see it happen to you.” She smiled as they finished up the few plates in the sink.

Isobel glanced toward the people gathered at the dining room table and asked quietly, “How old are Isaac and Rose?”

Lucian dried the last plate and set it in the cabinet. “Isaac is ninety-eight and Rose is ninety-four.”

She stared at him for a moment then looked back at the older couple. Neither one of them seemed like they could possibly be that old.

Isobel took a quick shower in the bathroom off the foyer to wash away the channel water then settled in the family room with everyone to watch a movie. They chose a vampire flick. The angels and Rose spent most of it pointing out where the makers of the movie had gotten it all wrong.

After it was over, they decided another would be fun. This time the angels cooked up a mountain of popcorn. Isobel couldn’t help laughing when they covered the top of the coffee table with several large bowls of the fluffy, white kernels.

Her eyes swept across the people in the room. They had become like family. Her parents’ would be shocked at how much company was here. Especially young men. An ache settled in her heart as her mind wandered to the one man that wasn’t there. The one she wouldn’t see again until her next life.

The words from her dream floated through her mind, dragging the dim memory of their meaning from many lifetimes ago.
Vis vivendi, virtus moriendi
. Strength to live, courage to sacrifice. Now she knew why Januarius had said them to her. Isobel pushed away the grief and concentrated on basking in the glow of friendship. There was precious little time to enjoy it.