Destiny: A Hunter's Novel, Book 3 (8 page)

“I believe in the lost possibilities you can see, And I believe that the darkness reminds us where light can be, I know that your heart is still beating, beating, darling, I believe that you fell so you would land next to me.”

-
Christina Perri
, I Believe

Az had escorted me, quietly walking with me and holding my hand, as we strolled along the quaint village. If I didn’t know about the population that lived in the houses around me, I never would’ve guessed. It was picturesque, filled with old stone houses and buildings.

Az held my hand and we just walked, pointing out different spots around us. There was a little graveyard that held old markers, nestled between two houses; three kids running around playing with a litter of puppies; the moon, full in the sky. I could see myself living there with Az. I already knew it was protected. It was just a matter of whether we would be accepted.

Az swung the door open when we reached the tavern. Serafine and Michael sat at a table, rather than at the bar, their heads bent closely together. When the door opened, Serafine stood, Michael didn’t move. When she saw it was us, she sat back down like she was a puppet and the strings attached to her had been cut.

“You alright?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Word is trickling down, she heard Mastema is coming. I don’t think she’s prepared for what you’re asking of her, even though she says she is,” Michael answered for his sister, who was white as a sheet.

“Can you boys excuse us for a while?”

“What happened to
the more the merrier
?” Michael was upset, but I couldn’t help it. I didn’t have a way of contacting Serafine anymore, nor did I know where she was staying.

“Things change.”

“No shit,” Michael said. Serafine leaned over and smacked him on the back of the head.

“Don’t talk to her like that.”

Michael looked like he was about to protest again, when Az finally spoke up.

“Perhaps you could help me with something, Michael.”

“What could I help a Demon find?”

“I think you’d be surprised.”

Michael got up, although unwillingly, and followed Az until they reached the door. Michael then turned back to where I stood and Serafine sat.

“You don’t do anything you aren’t willing to. You hear me?” Michael looked to his sister for her understanding and she nodded. The boys left.

“Are you not ready to face Mastema?” I asked her, having to know if we needed a backup plan in place.

“I’m ready to face Mastema because he is not the Mate I knew. I think that’s what scares me. If we fail, I won’t ever get another chance at having my Tema back.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

If this played out the way I wanted it to, then Tema would be back, and we’d all be able to start somewhere new.

“You’re too young to know the gravity of a promise like that.”

“Maybe, but how about this,” I reached over and grabbed her hand. “I will do everything in my power to bring Tema back to you. And if we don’t succeed, you won’t be the one taking him out.”

“Your Mother would haunt me for eternity if I failed to protect you.”

“I don’t think Vida has a say in this one. Living or dead.”

I knew it was unkind of me, but Serafine still saw me as the little child she watched grow up under a dictator’s rule. I knew she wanted the best for me, however, some things were taken out of your hands, for better or for worse, you couldn’t stop everything.

“I know. I just feel protective of you.”

“I appreciate that, considering you’ve been my Guardian since before I was born.”

Serafine squeezed my hand.

“Does Azrael remember who he was before he was a Demon?”

“Uh, no. Why does it matter?”

“I have some connections, since I was surrounded by Angels. Why do you think I didn’t scare him off when you first got together with him?”

“I thought that would step over a Guardian Angel line or something.”

“I stepped in a lot over the years. Especially with your Dad being possessed by a Black Shadow, which I couldn’t do anything about, so I tried to take care of you as best I could without being seen. But when you met Azrael, I looked into his history to make sure he was right for you.”

“Talk about overbearing.”

“I couldn’t leave you to fend for yourself, you were too young. That’s why when I found Anie, I put her in your life. She was a child wondering the streets alone, so pure and innocent. You having her, and her you, it was the perfect place for her to be…for both of you.”

“Okay, I’ll give that to you.”

“I didn’t do too much more than most Guardians do for their charges. But looking into Azrael was risky for me since he was a fallen Angel.”

“Why risky?”

“When an Angel falls, they aren’t supposed to be recognized or talked about by any of the remaining Angels. Luckily, I had a connection with a higher-up and he told me about Azrael. You already know about his status as an Enforcer. Mastema told him correctly that he was a born Enforcer. But he was created as an Angel Enforcer. Azrael kept the balance of good and evil. He kept
everyone
in line. Angels, Demons, Humans, Fairies, you name it. He
is
balance. It was part of the reason that he took out Demons that stepped over the line. His Enforcer blood couldn’t be tainted or tamed, so Mastema put him in charge of keeping the Demons in line.”

“So he was always good.”

“Yes.”

“So why did he fall?”

“He saw you coming and fell in love with who you would be. He asked God to let him fall before you were born. So when you and Azrael found each other there was no question that it was meant to be. No matter what skin he possessed he knew you and he would end up together – that you were his Mate. You were part of his soul. He recognized love before it was even born, and asked to be let out of Heaven to be with you.”

Tears fell freely down my face. The magnitude of Azrael’s love for me was overwhelming. I guess a ring didn’t mean anything when he gave up being an Angel for me.

“So now you understand why I never even considered removing him from your life. So when you did, I had never been so worried for you.”

“That makes two of us.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of the leader and woman you’ve become. Vida would be so proud of you.”

“Thanks. For everything.” I wiped my hand down my face of the emotions tracked there. Shaking off my personal feelings and getting into leader mode. “Do you think you can do this?”

“I am going to try.”

“I’d rather try and fail, than never try at all, you see.”

“Some say ‘Don’t ever fall in love, Play the game of life wide open, Burn your candle at both ends.’ But I say, ‘No! It’s better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all, my friend.’” Serafine laughed. “William F. O’Brien.”

“Glad you remembered that.”

“How could I forget? You had it in giant letters on your wall for the entirety of your adolescence.”

“Words to live by.”

I had originally put the quote on my wall because I missed my Mother dearly. It was a reminder that even though I hadn’t known her for very long, she was still worth having in my life, even if it was only for a brief time.

“Indeed. Now let’s go over the plan.”

“Blues has got me, there is teardrops in my eyes, Yes the blues has got me, there is teardrops in my eyes, Well dark is the night, since my baby said good-bye.”

-
B.B. King
, Dark is the Night

Azrael and Michael stumbled into the front door of The Wet Mug while Serafine and I were finishing up. The timing was perfect. They were both bloodied and beaten but laughing. Az slapped Michael on his back, good naturedly.

“Wow. Looks like you two got along well.” I pointed to Az’s shirt that was splattered with blood.

“Male bonding,” Michael said as though that should explain everything. And it kind of did: men were a strange breed.

“We’re good. No worries,” Az swiped my hand away from his shirt. I had worries but I wouldn’t add the two of them to that list.

“Did everything come out alright?” Michael wasn’t talking to me or Az.

“Everything is fine.” Serafine confirmed.

“You don’t have to do anything.” Michael said sternly, eyes darting from his sister to me.

“Calm down Kitten,” I said to Michael, his head snapping to me. I giggled. I loved poking him. “Did you have to tell him about our plan?” I asked Serafine.

“I’ve lived enough lies. He deserves the truth.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

“My Granddad has arranged a town meeting, its tomorrow. I’d like for you both to be there.”

“Well, I’ll be there, since it’s at my tavern.”

I hadn’t known where we were to hold the meeting, it was news to me, but not surprising seeing as The Wet Mug sat as the heart of the village.

I turned to Serafine silently asking if she would be there.

“We’ll be there.”

Az and I made our way back to the house. It was another nice stroll. When we got back, the house was silent and still most likely because it was well past the wee hours of the morning.

Az and I climbed the steps leisurely to our room. I opened the door, saw the bed and face planted on it. I didn’t want to change out of my clothes. It had been a long few days. Az stripped out of his clothes and slid in bed next to me, my back to his front. He slid his hand under my shirt, running it along my ribs.

“Can you see where Alewar is?”

It took a moment for Az to respond.

“He is still in Hell, but I am getting this itching feeling on my brain. Like he’s trying to tell me something, I just can’t tell what.”

“Probably the fact Mastema is coming for us?”

“But Mastema doesn’t know where we are. We still have the protection spell in place.”

I hadn’t told Az about my run in with Kai.

“About that…”

“What?”

I told him what Kai had done. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy.

“If I ever see him again, I will kill him.”

“It’s my own stupidity for trusting a Fairy. I’m just hoping he leaves the spell be.”

Az drug me closer to him, squeezing me. A reminder to us both that we were here and there was love.

I considered whether I should tell him who he used to be as an Angel. Since he was the Enforcer, he was to keep balance. Maybe if he remembered why he left the Angel ranks in the first place he wouldn’t question our love.

I thought better of it. It would’ve been cheating the time and healing we both needed to tell him about his fall and his Enforcer blood, what it all truly meant. We loved each other. There was no question about that.

“The only way to know if it’s in place, is to keep testing it.”

I pulled at the string that attached Fitzroy and I together through the spell, and I felt nothing. It was a void. I looked down at the compass on my arm. There was no longer an F for his name there. I shot up out of bed.

Although Fitz could be a pain in the ass, he was still a part of my pack. Fitz and I had our differences, but he had still given me information and supported me in the face of others who were eager to tear me down. My hand to went to my chest – I would miss him. But I knew someone who would miss him much more than I would.

“Anie.”

Fitzroy was her Mate, there was no way she wouldn’t know he was dead.

“What’s wrong?” Az asked.

“Fitzroy is dead. I have to find Anie.”

Tears slipped from my eyes, for the death of Fitzroy and for the Anie’s more profound loss. This road would not be a straight and quick one.

I was up and out of bed in a panicked fervor. I had to make sure she was okay.

I pulled my phone out and texted Cade:

Fitz is dead. Going to Anie, I’ll let you know.

I’ll be there as soon as I can.

I lifted the sleeve of my shirt to see the An of Anie’s place on my compass shimmering a little dimmer than the others, but at least she was still there, unlike Fitz. She was alive but drained. I felt the path open from me to her and yelled over my shoulder at Az.

“I’m going to be with Anie. I’ll be back when I can.”

I allowed the gentle air to carry me to her. I found myself at The Wet Mug. This was the place for everything, apparently. Not where I was expecting her to be.

She sat at the bar, alone. I walked slowly up behind her so as not to startle her.

“Anie?”

She didn’t move a muscle. I sat on the stool next to hers. Her hair was matted to her face; I pulled it to the side so I could see her. She was catatonic, pale and still as a statue.

“I found her sitting on the street outside when I closed up. She hasn’t said anything. Didn’t know what to do but bring her in here.” Donovan was standing in the doorway between the bar and the back. “Is she going to be okay?”

“I don’t know.”

“He’s dead. He’s dead. That son of a bitch!” Anie broke on a sob and an angry slap of her hand on the bar.

“Did he tell you where he was going?”

Anie turned to me with a dullness covering her normally bright eyes.

“He went to challenge his father for leader of the pack.”

“He should’ve challenged me then.”

“Who’s to say he wasn’t considering it before you went into your dark-magic-coma? I don’t have answers and he’s gone now, so…” Tears slid from her eyes and I saw my best friend break in front of me.

I pulled her to me and let her cry and scream into me, beat on my chest, whatever she needed to do and did. She sounded like a dying animal. I moved with her to the floor. We were too unstable to be up on the high bar stools. I was afraid she might hurt herself or me.

I don’t know how long we sat there or how long she cried, but the sun was well up over the horizon when she tired herself down enough to fall asleep on my legs as I ran my hands over her hair. My eyes were red from crying because I felt the pain of my best friend’s loss, and mine as well.

Michael had stayed with us the entire time. I didn’t know if he was concerned for my friend, me or his bar. No matter the reason, he had stayed and that spoke to a thankful part of me.

I didn’t know if Anie would ever recover from the loss of her Mate. Stupid hot head Fitzroy, had to go and get himself killed.

He had always been a hot head. Obviously I knew that from when he’d thrown his support behind me instead of behind his estranged father. Even though I knew all these things it didn’t make me any less angry and hurt that he’d gotten himself killed because he didn’t wait to see if I came out of my coma.

Then again, maybe the entire endgame was for him to challenge his father. He’d always gone up against his father but never directly. Maybe he just wanted to have it out with him once and for all. That’s exactly what he’d gotten in the end and I hoped it was worth it for him.

I hadn’t noticed Michael had left, but he was standing over us with two pillows. He put them side by side on the ground, then moved Anie gently over to one of the pillows.

“You can stay as long as you need to. Both of you.”

“Thank you for staying, Michael.”

“I’m not leaving. I’ll be behind in my apartment sleeping, it’s above the pub.”

I laid my head down next to Anie, studying her emotion battered face.

“Can you call Az for me?”

“Already did last night. Texted and told him where you were. He said to call if you needed him.”

“How could he have done this to her?” I asked myself.

Michael’s voice came from behind the bar.

“What happened?”

“Her Mate, Fitzroy. He didn’t think I was going to come out of my coma and went to challenge his father – he was killed. I should’ve gone and got him, pushed harder, but I was too weak.”

“Were Shifter?”

“Yeah.”

“They act before they think, the lot of them. Had to have pretty big beef with his Da, eh?”

“How’d you know?”

“To leave a woman as beautiful and strong as her, you’d have to be an idiot or have beef.”

“You just met her, how do you know she’s strong?”

I knew she was beautiful, but I couldn’t figure how he knew she had endless strength.

“I’ve known others who’ve Mates have died. Half killed themselves outright. Others put themselves in bad enough situations they knew they wouldn’t come out alive. She is a mess right now, but she’s strong.”

“She is.” I needed to get Anie to a safer place than the middle of a bar floor. I appreciated Michael bringing the pillows to us, but there was no way I could sleep like that. “I was going to stay, but I don’t think either of us will rest well on the bar floor. Can you help me take her to my Granddad’s?”

“I can. Or you can rest in my bed.”

“A dream comes true for you?” It was an inappropriate time to make a joke like that, but I was still working on acting appropriately in serious situations.

“Ha, ha, more like it’s closer and you’ll be able to get rest easier. I’ll just sleep on the couch.”

“Thank you.”

Michael moved Anie, with care, into his arms.

“Follow me.”

I walked behind him. Again thanking whoever was watching over Anie for putting her in Michael’s path. Anything could’ve happened to her out on the street at night. She was a Hunter and Drover, but that didn’t mean she was indestructible, especially when she was as wrecked as she was right then.

Michael led me behind the bar, where the kitchen was. To the left there was a set of old wooden stairs leading up, a door that looked like it belonged to the outside of a house was at the top. When we reached the top, he opened the door and went straight in.

I stopped for a moment to appreciate his flat. It was sparsely decorated and tidy. His living room didn’t have a T.V., which was a trend in the village I was still getting used to. Neither the tavern nor my Granddad’s home had a television, either. I guessed there were plenty of other things going on to keep their attention.

Michael walked to the back of the apartment where a door led into the bedroom. The room was taken up mostly by his bed. It was king sized with a solid blue comforter and grey pillows. It was nothing too exciting, but matched the rest of the décor.

I pulled the comforter back and he laid Anie down, covering her up.

“I appreciate all you’ve done.”

“If you need anything just shout.”

I wondered for a moment if he would really come if I shouted, because when Anie woke up I was sure there would be more unsettledness. It hadn’t been pleasant the first time, and I was sure the second time would be just as bad.

Michael left. I closed the curtain to the window at the head of the bed, and then laid down with Anie, putting her hand in mine. I closed my eyes. I wanted to purge the look I’d seen on Anie’s face the night before, but I didn’t think I had the power to do that. I hoped Anie found solace in her sleep or just a little quiet.

I lived in my dreams that night. I saw the death of Fitz play out there and felt the pain and guilt of not being able to save him wash over and drown me.