Ebony Fight (The Guard Duet Book 2) (17 page)

TWENTY-NINE

Stone couldn’t believe it. In a blink of an eye everything had changed. He’d woken up with Becca in his arms, an amazing feeling, and suddenly sensed that they weren’t alone in the room. How could he have missed the girl?

Now his love lay bleeding in his arms.

Take me home, my love.

His anger turned into a resolve as hard as steal. Yes, she didn’t belong in this world and he wouldn’t let her die here. He had to get her back into the human realm.

Determined, he stood to open the door that led to the balcony. A glance at the window made his anger resurface. It stood open. Just a gap, but apparently it had been enough for Sli to slip through. Becca moaned and he rushed to her, picked her up. Cradling her gently in his arms, he tried to reassure her, “Shh. I’m taking you home.”

His wings were made to carry his own weight, nothing more, but knowing he was running out of time he saw no other way. Stepping out onto the wide balcony, Stone summoned them. The take off would be the most difficult part. He moved his wings rapidly, knowing he would need more than the usual three thrusts to get into the air.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Muscles screaming, he grit his teeth against the agony shooting down his spine. “Aaargh!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The air around him seemed like molasses until he finally pushed through. After gaining enough altitude it was easier to use the winds, gliding on them from time to time to rest his sore muscles. He knew he wouldn’t be able to fly after this for a while, but didn’t care. Getting Becca home was the only thing that mattered right now. Time was not on his side. A stab wound to the stomach gave him about thirty minutes, tops….before Becca would die.

There was no changing her fate.

There was no one there to do what she had done for Dave. No witch, no Arthur.

Stone couldn’t breathe at the thought of losing the gift he’d only now found. Focus, he ordered himself. One step at a time. He was good with that, it was engrained in him. First Stone had to get her back to the human realm, and then he would take her to a hospital. His shoulders and back was a hot burning mess, the muscles starting to tire and making him plummet out of the sky a couple of meters before he could regain control. It was then that he sensed a new hole opening nearby. Relieved, Stone angled right and headed straight for it.

There it was. He could see the swirling mass of red from above, like a tornado eager to suck in demons and let them roam the human world. The alley was narrow and Stone had to align himself carefully.

Stone didn’t want to jostle Becca while landing, afraid to hurt her even more. Biting the inside of his cheek, he braced himself against the pain as his wings moved to break their flight as slowly and gently as possible. When his legs touched the earth, his knees bent with their combined weight. Recovering quickly, Stone kept on running. Right through the portal.

The lush scent of the bayou hit him and he whispered, “We’re home. We’re home.”

“Hey!” 

Too focused on moving forward and getting Becca to safety, he didn’t notice Lillian and the angel at first. Stone stopped abruptly and turned, out of breath.

At the sight of Becca bleeding in his arms, Lillian went as white as a sheet. Utter horror marred her face. “Oh no!” She lifted a hand to her mouth. Her eyes were still fixed on her friend when she started to shake her head as if trying to deny what her eyes were telling her. “No, no, no.”

Raz steeped closer and Stone knew the angel would have grabbed him by the collar if it hadn’t been for his precious cargo. “What happened?”

Such an easy question, yet Stone still had trouble wrapping his mind around the answer. “Sli killed her.”

“What?”

“We were resting for the night. Got us a room. In the middle of the night, we woke up. I sensed that someone was in the room and went to check. I…didn’t check the windows. Didn’t think that someone would be able to get in through the gap. But Sli did.”

Lillian’s face became a mask of anger. “And you want us to believe that? That a child did that? And not you?”

“I don’t care what you believe. All I know is that I need to find a hospital. It’s been about fifteen minutes since she got stabbed. She lost consciousness shortly after that.” His voice wavered. “I had to get her out of Hell.”

To Stone’s surprise it was the angel that nodded. Gesturing towards Becca, he offered, “I can take her.”

“Let me see her,” Lillian cut in harshly. Without waiting for an answer she walked up to Stone and put two fingers against Becca’s throat.

She looked so peaceful, Stone thought, as she lay there in his arms. His sleeping beauty.

An odd sound escaped Lillian’s throat, and his gaze snapped to her. “What’s wrong?”

Tears filled her eyes and escaped without reign. The woman only shook her head, not able to get a word out.

No!

His mind screamed. It couldn’t be. There was still time. He knew it. There had to be. His legs gave way and he hit the soft ground beneath him. Holding Becca in his arms, he looked at her. Her beautiful face. He would never see her smile again.

Then images flashed in front of his eyes. Becca fighting when he’d first laid eyes on her. Becca in her pink bathrobe, exhausted but always smiling. Laughing with Quinn. Dancing in the rain in a polka-dot dress, arms spread wide.

The flood seemed endless and ripped through him with an agony he’d never felt before. Even the torture lessons at the Academy had been more merciful.

They hadn’t known each other for long, and still he felt like a part of him was being ripped away, hacked off bit by bit. With every beat of his heart it got worse. They would never share a moment again, would never spend a life together. A normal life she’d fought so hard for.

Stone didn’t notice the other couple next to him, joining him in his grief or even the angel touching his shoulder to offer comfort.

VII

FROM THE ASHES

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you,

pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

THIRTY

Becca didn’t understand where she was or how she had come to be here. A door shut behind her, leaving her standing in an open meadow. Rich, green grass stretched out seemingly endless to both sides of her and was filled with rows upon rows of chairs. The people sitting there were colorful splotches reminding her of flowers and their chatter was a pleasant hum in the air. Looking up, Becca smiled as the golden morning sun and warm breeze tickled her face. What an odd place this was.

“Number 44 351 in office 8.”

The orderly voice made Becca turn to look for its source. Only then did she notice the front desk a couple of yards away. A sign above the receptionist’s head urged her to take a number.

Oh. Interesting.

Intrigued, Becca approached the counter. “Hello,” she greeted. “I’ve got a question.”

“Of course you do.” The woman’s voice was polite but firm in a teacher’s sort of way. Tapping a machine on top of the counter, she went on, “Please provide your print and I’ll try to help you out.”

Becca did as she was asked and put her thumb on the thing. After another look around, she asked, “This might sound odd but…where am I?”

“Oh, this is the Office. The in between if you want. You’ll wait your turn and then one of our staff will assist you.”

“Assist me?”

The receptionist looked at her over the rim of her half moon glasses. Her eyes held that amused hint that was usually reserved for the mentally challenged. “Whether you go to Heaven or Hell, of course.”

Of course.

Becca’s stomach plummeted and she swallowed dryly. She didn’t want to go to Hell. Another thought suddenly struck.  She must have died. The last thing she remembered was waking up in Stone’s arms. What had happened after that? Becca forced herself to remember but came up with a blank.

“Oh.” A soft sound escaped the woman and caught Becca’s attention. She was staring at the papers the printer had spat out, her mouth gaping open.

Her head snapped up. An apologetic smile spread on her face. “Excuse me. Just a second.” File tugged under her arm, she hopped of her chair and hurried to one of the offices on the left. Taking tiny steps as she ran in her pumps, she reminded Becca of a duck.

After opening the milky glass door, she stuck her head through the gap. Becca heard her as she hissed, “She’s here.” The file disappeared through the gap and after a nod the receptionist returned to her desk.

“The Arbitrator is waiting for you in office four.”

“The Arbitrator?” Becca asked, raising an eyebrow in enquiry. “Interesting name.”

The woman leaned forward to whisper, “He’s the boss here.”

“Oh, okay. Well then…”

“Good luck.” The words must have escaped her since the receptionist immediately looked around as if scared her little streak of rebellion had been witnessed. Apparently feeling safe that it had gone unnoticed, she smiled at Becca. It looked odd. The smile was so encouraging that Becca guessed she was already doomed.

Great.

As instructed, she walked down to the office and stepped inside. Confused and studying the bland room, Becca’s gaze took in the Arbitrator in a brief glance before it went to Sli who sat next to him.

“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you home?” Becca realized then that something could have happened to Sli while she was gone. Worried, she was about to ask but Sli’s tongue beat her to the buzzer.

“You asked me the exact same thing before I killed you.”

Becca told herself she must have heard wrong. “You did what?”

“I followed you and Stone, and killed you.” The girl’s voice was eerily calm, blank even. The cold attitude and the way she spoke shocked Becca speechless.

“But…” Becca didn’t understand. She heard what Sli had said, but her mind couldn’t grasp it. “It was you who followed us?”

“Yes.”

“But…why?”

Sli leaned forward. “Because you make us weak. Stone is said to be a formidable Ebony, and look at him now. It was too easy to get the drop on you two. Embarrassingly so. The same went for Arthur.” When Becca just kept on staring at the girl in stunned silence, Sli went on, “I’m an assassin. It’s what I do, it’s who I am.”

Becca looked at the girl in front of her and didn’t recognize her anymore. The face was the same, but not the spirit. It had gone back to hide in the only box it ever really knew.

Finally finding her voice, Becca said, “That’s a shame. I saw much more in you than a weapon to be hired or replaced, depending on the results it brought. I saw a girl that pulled a funny face when she tasted apricot jam for the first time in her life; who blushed whenever Quinn was around. I saw a girl who could have grown up to become a beautiful woman.”

“It’s that kind of attitude that makes you weak.”

The situation was too sad to laugh at. “Attitude? You mean emotions. Love and affection. What you see as a weakness is my greatest treasure.”

“Then how come you’re here?”

This time Becca laughed. “Why are
you
?”

Sli straightened in her seat but didn’t say a word.

“Enough,” the Arbitrator cut in. He looked slightly put off that he hadn’t turned into the center of attention and seemed of a mind to remedy that. “Please, do sit down.” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

“No, thank you.”

The Arbitrator got up, walked around his desk and leaned against it. After checking his tie by running a hand along its length, he looked at her as if dealing with a child. “The truth is, I sent the girl to keep an eye on you. I heard about the rumors spreading and wanted to make sure they were true. Killing you wasn’t part of it.” He looked at Sli then, chastising her with a glance. As if that would impress her, Becca thought. “However, I don’t mind the turn of events. I fully approve to be exact. You are a threat.”

Becca shrugged. “Glad to be considered one.”

His gaze hardened. “You don’t just go around and claim that God wants to change the rules. Rules that have been in place since the very beginning.”

A knock sounded from the door. The Arbitrator glared at it, obviously annoyed at the interruption. “Yes?”

The door opened wide and Arthur walked in. The Arbitrator gasped and started imitating a fish while Becca tried to understand what she was seeing. He looked just like Arthur, even if he was wearing jeans and a shirt.

However, there was something more to him.

She had never seen God but instantly knew the man to be him. Power radiated like a crackle of energy. Not overbearingly so, but softly instead. A resonance. She was glad that Lillian had told her about God’s nifty trick to take on the appearance of what a person imagined Him to look like. She might have had a heart attack otherwise.

“My Lord.” The Arbitrator scrambled to stand up straight, hitting over his pencil holder with one of his hands. Becca bet that if he’d still been in his chair he’d have fallen over backwards. She would have loved to see that.

“I’m disappointed,” God said.

Becca swallowed. She found his presence rather disconcerting. Relief flooded her when his gaze fell on the Arbitrator.

“After centuries you still haven’t learned from your mistakes. Should I have cast you out with Lucifer and his angels after all?”

Looking like a rabbit in front of a snake, the Arbitrator tried for a response. “My Lord, surely you must know of what this witch plans to do. If this were to happen, then the Ivory Lillian that has tempted the angel of mystery would be allowed access into Heaven. The threat of corruption…”

“It is not your concern to worry about. Besides, even if the Ivory were to be allowed into Heaven, it has been corrupted long before her. Every creature has good and bad in them, even the heavenly ones. Just remember the angel of the divine plan.” When the Arbitrator was about to open his mouth, God went on, his voice kind and patient like a father’s, “When will you learn that it isn’t your place to do what you
think
I want you to do?”

“I apologize.”

“You don’t have to. I think you could use a break, boy. Let’s discuss that later. I need to talk with these young ladies first.”

The Arbitrator nodded, his stance relaxing with relief before he went out the door.

God followed him with his eyes and shook his head as the man in a tie left. “That man. Ever since the thing with Lucifer he’s been walking on nuts around me.”

“I think you mean egg shells,” Becca corrected him, and immediately chastised herself for it.

God frowned and cocked his head. “Yes, you’re right.” He flashed her a quick smile which turned his bright blue eyes alive before he grew serious again. “Anyway, we have a couple of things to discuss. You first, young lady.” Facing Sli, he pinned her with his gaze. The girl didn’t show any reaction whatsoever. “You were given a second choice, but unfortunately you didn’t use it in the way I hoped you would.”

“I’m a creature of Hell.”

“Yes, you are. But that doesn’t define you as such. I had wished that surrounding you with people like Becca would make you realize that.” He sighed. “You may go. Sally will show you the way.”

Sli stood and left the office. Without a word, without even the slightest backward glance. It made Becca wonder what she might have said or done to make the girl harden so much.

“Everything happens for a reason. Don’t blame yourself. Everyone has their own journey to travel. What roads they choose and what signs they follow is entirely up to them.”

When His words rang through the otherwise silent room, Becca suddenly realized that she was alone with God. How had that happened?

“Then what about Lillian and Raz? Don’t get me wrong, you seem like a nice guy and all, but…”

Grinning at her, he cocked his head which reminded her so much of the friend she’d lost. “Even now you stand up for your friends instead of trying to bargain with me, fearing I might send you to Hell. Don’t worry. They all came out stronger.” At her questioning gaze he said, “I’ll explain. But how about we sit down? I’ve been on my legs all day.”

“Sure.”

God grabbed the chair that Sli had occupied earlier and sat it down next to hers. After he seemed were comfortable, he went on. “Lillian and Raz learned to bend to their own will and no one else’s. They fought for their love and that’s something that makes both of them whole. And even better fighters than they were before. The same goes for Abby.” He sighed. “Believe me, it’s not always easy to watch you guys and see your suffering. Only the thought that it’s all worth it in the end keeps me going. Unfortunately there are times when things don’t pan out.”

“Like Sli?”

His gaze was wistful and sadness clouded eyes that had seen the beginning of time. “Yes, like Sli. I had hoped…well, in the end it was her choice. Nothing I can do about that.”

“What will happen to her?”

“She’ll return to Hell. I do believe that there’s still hope for her. This issn’t the last crossroads she’ll come upon. But I can’t make any promises, it’s up to the girl. Choices, that’s what it always comes down to.” Raising one bushy eyebrow, he said, “Speaking of choices. Let’s talk about yours.”

“Oh.” His scrutiny made her uncomfortable - to say the least.

“You’ve repeatedly blown my mind. I remember the first time…it was when you stood up to your mother and told her you would take care of Quinn from then on. You were merely a child at the time.”

Stunned that he would know, tears burned at the back of her eyes.

God smiled softly. “Yes, I know. I’ve been there.”

“But…I wasn’t always good.” She forced herself to admit it. “I stole souls.”

“You did. However, the fact that you regret it is written all over your face, your heart and even your soul.”

Did that mean he would not hold it against her? Could that be?

“Even in the wildest storm you would look for a rainbow. You took the magic of the blood, the vilest of all, and turned it into something good. It is magic used to power the self…and you used it to selflessly save others. I find that admirable.”

Becca could hardly believe her ears. Frowning in utter confusion, she shook her head. “You aren’t how I imagined you to be. At all.”

“Aren’t I?”

“No.”

“In a good way, I hope?”

Becca smiled at that. “Yes.”

“Glad to hear it. It’s difficult to keep up with the times. Things change so quickly.”

“Yes.” Thinking of Arthur then, she wondered, “Why do you look like Arthur?”

“I look like what people would imagine me to look like. Arthur was important to you. A father you never knew.”

“True.” Tears threatened to finally escape. “Where is he now?”

“With his family.”

Relief and gratitude flooded her in a wave so strong it felt like she just started to breathe again. “Good. Thank you.”

“Pleasure.”

Becca frowned as she suddenly realized the implications of what he said. “But we didn’t succeed. Satan never agreed to the change of rules.”

“It wasn’t for him to do so. The fact that you all took on this impossible mission showed me enough to come to a decision. Lillian was right. Everyone deserves a chance at Heaven, and it seems my love can reach corners that had been darkened for far too long.”