Destiny: A Hunter's Novel, Book 3 (10 page)

BOOK: Destiny: A Hunter's Novel, Book 3
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“Promise me something,” I said.

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Promise me that if something happens to me, you’ll find a way to go on. A way to be happy again.”

“Nothing will happen to you.”

I wanted to laugh, because we both knew that was a total crock. It was the most danger any of us had been in and I stood at the axis of Mastema’s anger.

“Just promise me.”

“For you, I will try. But I make no promises.”

“Thank you.”

“Promise me something now.”

“What?”

“That nothing will happen to you.”

“I make no promises.”

Az sighed.

“I love you, Laney. You’re my world. If something happened to you – I don’t know what I’d do.”

“I love you, too. And I feel the same. But we both know there are risks in life, no matter what.”

Whether it was Mastema after us or, like my mom, I took the wrong step down the wrong road – you just never knew. We lived in a terrifying reality. We were so strong and yet so fragile. I pushed myself off Az’s chest.

“I need to go check on Anie.”

“Isn’t Cade with her?”

Yes, he was but I needed to make sure she was okay. We had been friends since we were kids. I knew Cade could take care of her, but I also knew Cade wasn’t great with an upset woman either.

I may have been a leader, but I was her friend as well.

“You coming?” He was already getting up off the ground. I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t happy. “I’m sorry. I promise there will be more time for things like this after things are settled.”

I didn’t promise I’d be there. I didn’t promise they’d be happy times. I didn’t promise that Mastema was going to react the way I thought he would to seeing his Mate and he would again be a good leader instead of a ruthless one.

Either way, for my heart, my Azrael, he would have more time for relaxation and appreciation when this was all over. The entire reason I was following through with the plan was for him.

“Let’s go make sure Anie’s alright.”

Az took my hand and I knew that no matter what happened, I’d be alright. I had the love of a man who would change the world for me if he could and had changed his for me.

~XVI~

“When the evening shadows, And the stars appear, And there is no one there, To dry your tears, I could hold you, For a million years, To make you feel my love…”

-
Adele (Bob Dylan Cover),
Make you Feel My Love

Az and I entered The Wet Mug hand in hand. It was deserted of the supernatural mixes that had recently crowded the floor. The only indication the meeting had happened was the spicy mix of all the latent magic left behind.

Az raised his eyebrows and shrugged. That was pretty much how I felt. I had no idea where they all went but, at that moment, I didn’t really care as long as they pulled it together when it mattered.

I pulled Az to the back staircase and led the way up, letting go of his hand. I could feel the tenseness before I got upstairs. Then I heard crashing.

My feet moved faster. I reached the top of the steps and threw the door open. There were miscellaneous broken…things all over the floor. I saw part of a picture frame next to where Michael’s kitchen was. I heard frustrated screaming coming from behind the closed, thankfully, bedroom door. I heard a laugh coming from the kitchen.

I turned the corner and found Michael with a beer in his hand and one held to his head. Cade sat across from him with a beer, too.

“What the
hell
is going on?!”

“Anie’s been screaming and throwing things for a while. I was sitting on the couch out there and she comes out and throws anything she can get her hands on. Screaming like the world is ending,” Cade said.

“I was closing up downstairs when I heard the commotion. Took a glass to the head when I reached the top of the stairs.” Michael moved the beer off his head so I could see his gash, although it was already healing. If he had been human, he would’ve needed stitches.

“So you
boys
decided it was better to come into the kitchen and drink instead of doing something?”

“After I tried to get near her to talk to her and she threw a picture frame at my head, with amazing accuracy I might add, we came in here,” Michael said.

Az stepped over the two idiots sitting on the floor, opened the fridge and got a beer out. He sat down and cracked it open.

“You’re not going to need me right?” Az said with a smirk.

“Sometimes I think all you’re good for is your penis.”

I turned my back on the three men who had been taken out by a heartbroken woman. And heard Michael say, “Sometimes, I wish that
was
all we were good for. I can’t handle that tornado in my bedroom – and I’ve never said that before.”

I put my hand on the door handle to the bedroom, not hearing anything. No yelling. No crashing. No crying. Did she jump out the window?

I twisted the knob and pushed the door. Something was behind the door, because when I tried to push it open the rest of the way it wouldn’t budge. I put my shoulder into the door and shoved. There was no resistance, though, because the door had already opened. I luckily, but ungracefully, landed on the bed. When my brain caught up with the fact that I was in Michael’s bedroom, I saw Anie.

She was holding a small lamp and had her other hand on the door handle. She was biting her bottom lip, shaking her head. Tears were invading her eyes. She put her head down and her body started shaking. I thought she was crying again. When she looked up at me, she was smiling. It looked sad but at least she wasn’t crying.

“You should’ve seen it, you went ass over appetite…” She shook her head.

“Why are you tossing Michael’s apartment?”

That sobered her up. Leave it to me to kill a happy mood.

“I’m mad. I’m mad you had Cade babysit me. I’m mad I can’t bring myself to function. I’m mad I’m stuck in the middle of Ireland. I’m mad he wasn’t strong enough to stay. I’m just…mad.”

I wanted to make a smartass comment like
yes you are mad…you’ve lost your mind
. But I wasn’t in her shoes and knew that if I was, I might be in a worse state than her. I also didn’t think that saying something like that right then would have its intended effect. She’d probably throw something at me, too.

“I get it. But the boys have now huddled up in the kitchen and are getting drunk.”

I was trying to pull her out of her dark emotional hole, testing to see if she was ready.

“What babies. I didn’t hit Donovan
that
hard.”

“I’m sorry for…everything Anie.”

“I know it’s not your fault Laney, you wouldn’t understand. You still have your Mate. Mine is never coming back. I won’t ever be totally okay again and there is nothing I can do about it. Fitz took that choice out of my hands.” Anie swiped a finger under her nose then looked at me. “How’d the meeting go?”

“I think I’m going to have enough support from the Village to win against Mastema.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

“I don’t know if I’m ever going to be okay. I feel broken. I don’t know where to start. I need some normalcy.”

Anie suddenly got up off the bed and stomped out into the living room, small lamp in hand. I put my arm on her shoulder to slow her down. She looked at my hand, then me. I removed my hand and she winked. Oh goody, she wasn’t going to kill them….hopefully.

She moved quickly to the kitchen entrance, screamed a battle cry with the lamp over her head and stopped. I moved so I could see around her and all three of the “men” on the floor were covering their heads like a bomb was about to go off. There was a former Angel/Demon, one of the Hunters’ counsel and a Shifter/Angel cowering on the floor. I busted out laughing, Anie raised her eyebrows.

She reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out shaking it. I heard the click of her cell camera and saw the horrified look on the guys’ faces when they looked up.

“Oh my God, that was priceless.” Anie said with a sassy smirk.

“I will be holding this over all of your heads for the rest of our lives. I am so glad we got that on film,” I said.

“One of you ladies hand me a beer,” Anie stuck her hip out.

Surprisingly, Michael was the one to act first. He opened the fridge, got a beer, opened the bottle and handed it to Anie.

“Glad to see you’re better.”

“Yeah.” Anie wasn’t looking at him, which meant two things: she didn’t want to talk about it and she was embarrassed about something. “Who’s up for a card game?” Anie swigged her beer.

I pulled her into the living room.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“What a card game? Laney, I’m
never
going to get over this. The best I can do right now is pretend.”

“Don’t pretend for too long.”

“What’d you do? Six months? I think I can swing it for at least half of that.”

She needed support, but I could tell she would get it from Michael and Cade. If I stayed, I wouldn’t’ be able to drag myself out of bed in the morning. Az finished the beer in his hand and tossed it in the trash. He slapped Michael on the back.

“Thanks for the beer.”

“Anytime Az. There’s a soccer tourney going on Saturday. Come over. You too Cade.”

I guess we all needed a little normalcy in the face of the looming battle with Mastema. I understood that we couldn’t stop living because we were afraid of dying, but Mastema was coming. I could never forget that.

“I guess I’m chopped liver,” I stuck my tongue out in mock-toddler-sadness.

Az pushed me toward the door.

“This is guys’ night.” Az called to Michael over his shoulder, “See you Saturday Mike.”

I literally left them alone for ten minutes and they were already using shortened versions of each other’s names; Beer, boys and their bonding, what could I do?

We made it downstairs and out the front door of the tavern, before I turned to Az.

“I’m glad you made friends.”

“He’s a good guy. I think he has a thing for Anie.”

“Oh good, because that turned out so well for her last time.” I winced.

I shouldn’t have said that, it was too soon. I was disrespecting Fitzroy’s memory. Even though Fitz was a naked pain in the ass most times, he was also funny. He had given me information when I asked him for it, and sometimes when I didn’t. I suspected he may have been playing both sides of the fence but now I’d never know and maybe that was for the best.

If I couldn’t voice my honesty to Az, then I would never be able to.

“She isn’t ready. But she’s going to need him,” Az stated wisely.

She would need him. Who knew what would happen to me, him, anyone?

I took his hand and we made our way down the street, back towards my Granddad’s. We strolled slowly, taking in the moment of just being together in our beautiful surroundings. I really would miss the town when I left. I felt a pull on my arm and Az had stopped walking.

His eyes darted back and forth. He was looking for something but I had no idea what.

“What’s up?” I asked, even though I hated to.

“It’s Alewar. He’s on the move.”

“What the Hell does that mean?”

“He’s out of Hell and currently at our apartment in Miami, sniffing around.”

“Is Alewar doing Mastema’s bidding now instead of yours?”

“No, it doesn’t work that way. Alewar is trying to find me. It’s his nature. He literally cannot stop himself. His genes are set to find and protect me. He’s, in essence, been reset. The first time Alewar was given to me, he had to seek me out because that is how they’re tested. If he hadn’t been able to find me he never would’ve been mine in the first place. I guess since he died he has to do it all over again. I have no idea what he’s thinking right now or if he even remembers anything from before he died. He probably feels like a newborn Hellhound, which is why he hasn’t just transported to me.” Az paced in front of me in the middle of the dirt road we had been walking on.

“So, he can’t transport to us, but what about us to him?”

“I could try to go to the vicinity he’s in, but without that mental connection, I can’t go directly to him. Besides, it might be a trap.”

“So we prepare for Mastema’s arrival, then?”

“What do you think?”

“Err on the side of caution, especially where the Devil is concerned.”

I pulled my phone out and hoped that the little town meeting we’d held had been enough to convince some of the supernatural town members to help us. A sweat broke out on my neck and palms. I pulled up the thread with the numbers my Granddad had gotten and the drafted text message I’d been waiting to send until that moment. Lord help us all.

Gather.

~XVII~

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stronger, Just me, myself and I, What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, Stand a little taller.”

-
Kelly Clarkson
, Stronger

When Az and I arrived back at my Granddad’s there was a large convergence of people standing on the front lawn. Luckily, my Granddad lived on the outskirts and there was nothing but green grass and hills surrounding his home.

Az had branched off to find the head Guardian Angel, Traugott. I made my way through the crowd to the top of the porch at the top of the stairs leading to my Granddad’s house. When I reached my Granddad and my Dad, they were in a close-headed discussion.

“Is everything okay?”

“Cade will be here, but not until morning,” My Dad frowned at me.

“I know.”

I wasn’t going to tell my Dad that he was drunk with Anie or that Fitzroy had died. I didn’t know what Cade had told him, but I knew he wouldn’t have told him those things, not yet. Everyone needed their heads in the conflict with Mastema and I knew Anie was fine with Michael, I didn’t need my Dad worrying about her when we were about to face Mastema.

“Are you ready, Lass?” My Granddad asked me.

“As ready as one can be in this situation.”

I heard that familiar pop I associated with Serafine now and turned to find her unruffled and looking fabulous. I took her hand and pulled her into the house.

I looked around the entry way to make sure no one was listening in on us.

“Are you ready to face him?”

“Yes.”

She was steadfast in her answer and I was glad she’d gotten to whatever place she needed to be in order to face her fallen Mate.

“Good. Anie can’t be here, so you’ll probably be up earlier. Maybe not start with you, I’m going to talk to him first, but pretty damn early.”

“I guess the sooner the better, right?” She laughed uncomfortably.

I could see the false strength from a mile away. She was trying to keep it together, and I commended her for it. But I also knew that if she waivered or backed out on our plan, we’d all be screwed.

“If you can’t do it, I get it. But I need to know right now.”

“Could you do it without question? Face the man you’d avoided and loved for lifetimes when he’ll be at his most destructive?”

I didn’t answer right away. I had to think about it. I had to consider the Az I knew to what he would be if I did what Serafine had done. I didn’t know, really. Seeing him after I broke up with him was difficult. Doing it after he thought I’d died…yeah, I could see where her hesitation was coming from.

“The only thing I know is that if you can’t do it, then you shouldn’t.”

Serafine stepped closer to me and brushed my hair behind my ears.

“Your Mother would be so proud of you. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become.”

I nodded my head and looked down, unable to look into the eyes of the woman who’d known my Mom best. Moved to tears at the thought of losing Serafine, too.

“I will do it. For both of us.”

I didn’t know if the “us” she was talking about was her and me, her and my Mom or her and Mastema, but I knew she was making the choice that I needed her to.

“Thank you.”

The front door slammed open and we both jumped.

“The masses wait, Lass. Rally ‘em. Make ‘em crave the battle,” My Granddad was not a subtle man.

Serafine held my hand as we made our way back outside.

The masses were facing the porch where my Father, Az and Traugott stood. Serafine, my Granddad and I moved to stand with them. I felt sad that Anie and Cade, my oldest friends weren’t there to stand with me, but I understood and supported their absence.

The moon was full. There was fog clinging to the hills surrounding us, and I could taste the salt from the nearby sea.

I was missing a few friends, but there was a quality to that moment that made me feel like I had never been more surrounded by support and love. Maybe it was my Mom, or maybe it was the fact that I knew so much more now about, well,
everything
.

As I stood in front of the people who had only heard about me, the Prophecy, or had been present and seen what I could do, I felt free in the confines of my bound prophetic position. I knew that no matter what happened I would stand strong and sure because at least now I knew what my roots consisted of.

I put my hands up to silence the curious murmurs coming from the crowd. The moonlight was enough for everyone to see what I was asking of them.

“I can’t tell you what you all being here means. I appreciate you all are willing to stand with me. I promise I will do my best to keep anyone from being harmed. What we are facing is uncertain but it is not so insurmountable that we can’t come out on top. If you want to leave now, you are absolutely welcome to do so. I need certainty backing me up, not doubt.”

I looked around at the faces surrounding me. I saw one that I wasn’t expecting: Roma Keenan, the doubting tom from the town meeting. I held his eyes and nodded. He had a respect on him now that was absent at the meeting. It suited him better than doubt.

“When Mastema gets here. I need you all to hold him in place,
do not
kill him. Whether you take out one of his Demons, because he will not come alone, or you use magic to hold him, anything helps. The rest you will leave to us.” I motioned to my family surrounding me on the porch of my Granddad’s house. “Until he gets here, we stay together. We will reevaluate if it takes longer than we expect.”

“How do you know he’s coming at all?” A petite blonde woman asked.

If I had to guess I would guess with her washed out almost white hair that she probably had some Fairy blood in her veins. Kai stepped into my thoughts for a moment and I felt my temper rise to the occasion. I wanted to give the smartass comment ready to roll off the tip of my tongue at this little blonde asking questions, but knew it wouldn’t serve any purpose but to amuse me.

“Hellhound.” There were raised voices. I knew Hellhounds weren’t liked but it seemed they were less than tolerant here. They seemed to be outraged by this. I had to yell to be heard. “Hey! I have only one Hellhound that is a friend. I will tag him as a friend with a red collar. The rest you can have, but be humane.”

There was a cacophony of joyful shouts. Wow. I wondered what happened that so many of these people hated the Hellhounds with such passion. I was now glad that Alewar was far away. I looked at my Granddad, who gave me a look and a nod that told me he’d explain later.

“If you have magic get yourself set up to stay for a while, if not grab a tent.”

“Nah. You all stay in tents. Too much magic will draw unwanted attention and strain our protections,” My Granddad said.

I guess going to more of my magic classes would’ve been a good idea. Of course the dark magic had its claws in me at the time. Everyone turned and moved away from us. I went inside. Exhausted and needing a moment to just do nothing. I sat down on the couch with a thud. A cloud of dust rose around me.

“Granddad, has no one dusted in here in a while?”

“Well, most people sit politely on the couch, Laney.” He titled his head in a reproachful Grandfatherly way and I laughed.

“Fair enough.”

Az sat down next to me, my Dad sat on the other side of Az on the couch and my Granddad remained standing, while Serafine sat in the arm chair. Serafine’s mother came in the front door. I wasn’t expecting that, but apparently my Granddad was. She moved to him and he hugged her with a familiarity that indicated something more than friends. My Grandmother had been dead for a long time, dying shortly after my Mother left. So, I supposed I shouldn’t have been shocked and I wasn’t. At least, that’s what I kept repeating. I was just caught off guard since Serafine had been my Mother’s best friend. She was a beautiful woman so I could understand the attraction.

My Granddad looked at me, and I raised my eyebrows in question. He simply smiled at me. His secret to keep I guess.

“You met Serafine’s mother, Bedelia.”

Bedelia walked to me.

“We’re lucky to have you. And please call me Delia. The only one that calls me
Bedelia
is this old coot,” She said, throwing her thumb over her shoulder. My Granddad didn’t respond, just smiled affectionately. I liked Delia.

“I’m lucky to have the help of so many from the Village. I didn’t think I gave that good of a speech.”

“Laney, don’t get me wrong, you gave a great speech. But the backing came because of your Granda.” Delia clarified.

“That makes more sense.”

“He’s well liked, respected and trusted. Normally when he recommends acting on something, we take it seriously.”

Delia walked over to Serafine and sat down next to her, taking her hand in an act of solidarity and family.

“Where is Anie?” My Dad was the one who’d spoken and I really didn’t want to have to be the one to tell him about how she may be broken for a while. Of course, he would understand better than anyone of us.

“She is playing cards with Cade and Michael.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Fitzroy is dead.”

Another soldier fallen. Another mark on my soul. Even though Alewar was back on Earth, I had no idea what condition he would be in when he finally got to us.

“Oh God.” My Dad took his head in his hands and sat forward. I knew the feeling.

Serafine was frowning at something I couldn’t see, and the lines of her face were digging deeper. I looked over the ground in front of her to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. When I saw I wasn’t, I finally spoke up.

“What are you frowning at?”

She shook her head. “Michael hates playing cards. Literally
hates
it. I used to beat him with skill and maybe a little magic when we were little, and he never picked up a card again.”

Apparently, he was willing to do it for Anie. It spoke volumes for the kind of character Michael had. Either that or it spoke of his attraction to my best friend. I hoped he was ready for a wait. She had just lost her Mate. She wouldn’t be ready for anything anytime in the near future.

“Some things change, I guess,” I said.

“They always do,” Serafine said.

BOOK: Destiny: A Hunter's Novel, Book 3
6.19Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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