Broken Wings (Hidden Wings Series Book Two) (8 page)

C
onstant thoughts of the crash, the death of my parents, my new life, the Darkling, Lucian, Lucifer, Samuel, Alaine, and Kade swirled through my mind like a tornado.

I tried to shut it
all out and think of happier, simpler times, but the darkness was much too overpowering.

“Can’t sleep?” A
loud whisper called from across the room. My eyes strained into the kitchen area, focusing on a large figure heading towards me.

Dominic.

He ambled to the couch and tapped my feet to get me to make room for him, so I pulled my legs up so he could sit.

“No. Too many things
wrapped around this sad mind,” I replied, tapping my brain.

“I hear y
ou,” he responded. “Well, I just wanted to tell you, in case we don’t ever meet up again, that you’re a pretty cool chick. Very pretty and very cool,” he reiterated.

“Thanks
. And you’re pretty cool yourself. But not pretty. Well, maybe pretty in a guy kinda way,” I giggled.

Dominic was
very pretty. He had a Greek god like appearance that would make any girl swoon. He was tall, muscular, had beautiful piercing green eyes, and a way about him that was completely fun, witty, and sarcastic. His happiness was contagious. Without him this whole death adventure definitely wouldn’t be as bearable.

“I guess I could take that as a compliment,” he smiled widely, “but just don’t tell the others you think I’m pretty. That we should keep just between us, because I wouldn’t want them to start getting all jealous. But, you’re free to throw around the words handsome or gorgeous as much as you’d like whenever you’re referring to me,” he said wiggling his eyebrows.

“Okay. I’ll be s
ure to remember that,” I laughed.

He then
cleared his throat and shifted to face me.

“By the way,
I’ve been noticing the way that you and Kade look at each other. You have
that look
.”

“Oh? And what lo
ok would that be?” I questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

“You know. That certain
look you get when you’ve found that special someone. Your perfect match.”

“
Really? You actually see that in us?”

“Yes, and
I just wanted you to know that I like Kade. He’s a good guy, and one of my best friends. In all the years I’ve known him I haven’t seen him happier, or smile as much as he has since he met you. And let me tell you…it’s been a long time.”

“So I’ve heard,” I breathed
, knowing he was referring to immortal years. “So what would
you
know about finding a perfect match?” 

He sighed and
nodded with a slight smile. A sad sort of smile, and then his eyes went blank, like he was reliving a moment in time.

I
cleared my throat, breaking him from his momentary trance.

“I’m s
orry, Emma,” he whispered. “I was just remembering someone. A very special someone in my past. It seems like an eternity ago.”

My heart sunk when I
suddenly began to understand.

“Was she your
perfect match?”

His
green eyes steeled on mine. They almost looked like they were glowing neon.

“
Yes,” he answered, and then his eyes went distant again. “She
was
my perfect match, and she was beautiful. I remember the first time I saw her. My emotions went crazy when she came near me. I’d never seen or met her before, and whatever I felt was completely new to me. It felt like my body was being pulled to her, like my heart was being tugged, and I had a knowing that she was to be mine for all eternity. I’d never felt that way with any other, and have never since.

“
To this day when I close my eyes I can see her face; her long, golden hair which sparkled like the sun, and her deep sapphire eyes that reminded me of the ocean. Every molecule of my being screamed to be near her. When she’d walk by, it felt as if I had been struck by lightning. Her presence weakened and yet strengthened me.” He shook his head, as if shaking the memory free.

“What happened to her?”
I asked, overwhelmed by his story. I wanted to know more.

He exhaled and closed his eyes
.

“She was murdered
.” His voice was weak and shaky and I suddenly felt horrible. I didn’t want to ask him any more questions, but he started speaking before I could tell him it was okay. “She was a Guardian, and a damn good one. One of the very few female Guardians ever sent out on missions. One night, while on her watch, she was attacked by the Darkling. She was alone, but fought them as best she could. She managed to take out two, but the third overpowered her. It beat her until she was unconscious, and then the bastard sliced her throat, barely leaving her alive.”

“When the news hit me
I rushed to her side, but I couldn’t feel her life force. I held her in my arms until she took her last breath,” his voice cracked on the last words.

“What was her name?”

“Khelsey,” he whispered, and then quickly looked away from me. He wiped his face, and then rubbed his arms. The strong, happy Dominic was broken, and it made my heart ache. I was still trying to cope with my own recent losses.

“I’m
so sorry,” were the only words I could find.  

“
Oh, it’s alright. I’m fine,” he said, sucking in a deep breath. He turned and painted his happier face on, but I could still see the pain behind his eyes. “Well, just keep an extra eye on my buddy for me. Now that he’s mortal, things will be a lot harder for him. He can probably kick a little ass, but I won’t be there to cover his back. Just promise me you’ll take good care of him.”

“
I will,” I promised.

“Now, the real reason why I came over here is because
I have something for you.” He reached over to his other side. “This is a dagger, given and entrusted to me by Michael the Archangel. He told me that one day I would find the person who was meant to have it, and I think I’ve finally found her. I seriously didn’t think it was going to a girl. No offense, Emma, but it’s now yours.

“This dagger
has brought me amazingly good luck, and every demon I’ve fought with this has fallen and died. It’s magical,” he said, handing me a medium sized dagger in a sheath. “Here. Take it.”

I
was speechless, but took it. I carefully unsheathed it and held it in my hands. It was very old and very beautiful. I suddenly started to feel a tingling in my hand, and then the dagger started to glow. I gasped and looked to Dominic for an explanation.

“See, Emma. I knew this
dagger was meant for you. I started to feel it as soon as we met. It’s almost like it’s been calling for you. I know it sounds strange, but this dagger is much more than it seems. Like I said…it’s magic.” 

“I can’t take this
from you. You’ll be fighting tomorrow and will need it much more than I will. I don’t even know to use it or if I could,” I said, handing it back to him.

“
Believe me, Emma, you will definitely need it much more than I will. It’s yours now, and it
will
help you. I have two new blades now that were designed just for me. I can kill just as many demons or Darkling with any blade given to me. I’ll let you in on a little secret. The secret is… it’s not really in the blades. It’s all in the technique baby,” he snickered. He started flexing the huge muscles in his arms.

The old Dominic was back
. The one I was used to seeing.

“Thanks Dominic,” I whispered,
laughing quietly. I put the blade back in its sheath, then reached over and hugged his neck. He hugged me back.

“Yeah, you better not hug me too long
or too tight, cause my boy Kade might get the wrong impression. I don’t want him getting all jealous over us,” he chuckled. “We just have to be careful. His new mortal heart is very breakable,” he said with a wink and a grin.

“Riiiiight…” I said, rolling my eyes.

“
Yep, and you’re welcome. Oh, and one more thing before I go. It’s Dom…just call me Dom,” he said, gently tapping my shoulder.

“T
hanks for everything, Dom,” I said softly. He smiled. His white teeth glimmered in the darkness. He pushed off the couch and disappeared back into the kitchen. It was his shift to watch the monitors.

I pulled
the dagger back from its sheath and held it in my grasp. It was razor sharp and I dared not touch the blade. The handle was a marble white, and had a large golden symbol engraved into it. It looked a lot like one of the symbols that were imprinted on their necks. Maybe it was Michael the Archangel’s symbol? I really didn’t know too much about him. I’d heard his name a few times in church but never really knew his story. I didn’t even know what an Archangel was, or what they did. That would be something I’d have to Google later.

I
carefully re-sheathed the blade and placed it safely under my pillow.

T
he night and my overactive mind stole precious sleep from me, and before I knew it, I was watching the clock turn 6:00am. Soon after, everyone began stirring.

I
should have asked Dom to put the sleeper on me, but I wasn’t thinking at the time. I sighed and decided to get up and see if anyone started brewing coffee. It would need to be super strong this morning.

Kade stumbled
out of his bedroom looking as just as tired as I felt. I wondered how we’d make it through the day, let alone survive Hell and whatever horrors it would throw at us. Thank God, Samuel and Danyel were joining us. We’d definitely have to rely on them for our safety.

As the morning dragged on, everyone eventually made it t
o the table and ate breakfast. 

“So, what’s the plan?”
I asked.

“There is no
actual plan,” Malachi answered. “We have two groups. The first group is just going to charge out of here, fight off whatever Fallen are out there, and then clear a path so the second group…you guys… can make your escape.”

That sounded easy enough.

“
It’s a good thing the Darkling can’t be out during the day,” I mentioned.

“Yes, but the Fallen are twic
e as strong and fast,” Alexander added.

“Then
I guess it’s even better that you guys are stronger and faster than they are,” I added. All of their faces began to brighten at my remark.

“She’s right, you know,” Dom muttered. “Except she was actually only talking about me.”

“Whateve
r, dude,” Alexander huffed. “We’ll see who gets more kills today. I’m on my game. I can feel it.”

“You’re on,
little man,” Dom nodded, narrowing his eyes at Alexander. With sly grin plastered to his face, he shoved his last piece of toast in his mouth.

“Let’s just see if the
two of you can survive today. There might be more Fallen than you can handle,” Malachi added. He had his dark sunglasses donned, and his usual smug face.

“
Malachi, don’t be sour. You can play too, if you want,” Alexander teased. Malachi just shook his head, and shot him an evil look.

“Alright everyone! I
t’s time to get serious,” Danyel jumped in. “Today is the whole reason why you’ve been sent here. You are Guardians, whose mission is the safety and protection of Alaine and Emma. We all need to make sure that Emma gets out of here safely, and today that is our top priority. We will fight to keep her safe, even until death,” James answered, with confidence on his face.

“Until
death,” everyone cheered in unison.

M
y heart instantly swelled and broke at the same time. I looked at each one of their faces, and realized that I’d come to love each and every one of them, even if I’d only known them for a short time. They were fearless. They were beautiful. And they were looking out for my safety. These Guardians already had, and still were, willing to risk everything for me.

E
ven if they were just obeying orders and doing their job, each one had a special place in my heart. But there was one who had a piece of it: My Guardian. The one who gave up his immortality to become human so he could travel with me into the depths of Hell.

I gl
anced over to Kade, and he had a smile his handsome face. His eyes were still their beautiful hazel, but they now had dark circles around them; the first flaw I’d witnessed since I’d met him. I smiled back at him, glad that he would be taking this journey with me.

“The sun will be at its highest point in
four hours. That’s when we’ll make our move,” Samuel announced. “Let’s get ready.”

Everyone agreed with shouts and fist bumps, and
left the table in high spirits. That was something I would never understand. How they could be so excited before heading into battle?

“Emma, could
I speak to you for a moment?” Alaine asked, peeking from Caleb’s room. I nodded and walked toward her. She widened the opening as I entered, and closed it quietly behind us. “I just wanted you to know that I don’t agree with you leaving, but I know that in your heart you have already made your decision. Before you go, I want you to have something from me,” she said, carefully removing a necklace from around her neck and placing it on mine.