Ivory Guard (8 page)

He knew he was walking on dangerously thin ice here.
A part of him was glad that the training in the dark was now over. Another part, the reckless half, wasn’t so sure and once again whispered about her scent, the feel of her body when he came up close to her.

Very thin ice.
He took a long pull from the beer he had placed beside the sink. Human emotions were forbidden to his kind. He had never felt this much before he had met Lillian, and what he felt was…marvelous, literally breathtaking. A deadly allure, since unless he wanted to end up rooting for the other side and move to warmer climates he had to pull himself together – and fast.

When he was done cl
eaning the kitchen he grabbed two beers and turned towards the living room.

She wasn’t there.

His gaze traveled towards the door leading to the porch, half open. Fear gripped him, utterly foreign and unexpected and something he had no idea how to react to. He marched over, stopping in his tracks as he saw her leaning against the railing. Apparently she had played with her wings since they were visible, folded at her back, but now she was oblivious to the world around her as she gazed up at the few newborn stars that would soon be swallowed by ribbons of silvery clouds that were harbingers for the storm to come.

The beauty of the picture
in front of him wasn’t enough to calm his beating heart though. So he stayed in the shadows of the house and then said, “Hey stargazer.”

Lillian
jumped at his deep voice, startled out of her thoughts, and whirled around.

That
calmed him down somewhat. “Did I or did I not tell to stay inside of the salt line when I’m not around?”

She frowned at him, anger rising in her eyes.
“But you
are
here. And I’m only about two feet away from it.”

“
In your head it was far more than that and that’s what counts.”

“Jesus Raz, I just needed some air, some time to think.
Or isn’t that allowed?”

He sensed her emotional turmoil and wished once more for Amber’s advice. He missed the other angel. She would have known how to handle this, all he could
come up with was moving over to stand beside Lillian and hand her a beer, which he did.

“What’s going on?”
He had an idea but wanted to hear her say it. A fierce part in him that he shouldn’t be listening to wanted her to trust him enough to admit it to him.

She grabbed the
bottle with one hand and the old railings with the other and pushed out a long sigh before looking up at the sky again. The glossy, dark hair, for once loose and falling down her back, had a little wave to it, probably after having been up in a bun all day. Her face was lit with the unique light of the night, her features soft. Her eyes searching, but for what he didn’t know. It tugged at him and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms. Careful, Raz. Very dangerous territory, he reminded himself once again and took a hopefully calming swig of his beer. But the territory was unknown and therefore all the more tempting. Angels weren’t supposed to feel any more than a slight compassion for humans, or Ivorys, so he had no business feeling whatever the hell he was feeling. He didn’t need any extra trouble, since his wings were gray enough as it was, something that was inevitable however, giving his specialty. Universal knowledge wasn’t always illuminating and pretty. No, there were some damned dark corners in this world.

“Nothing, really.
Just exhausted, I guess.” She gave him a small smile, “This place isn’t exactly cheery.”

He found himself smiling back. “No, it really isn’t.
Except for the nights. Can’t get them better than this.”

“Yeah, I guess purgatory having no electricity has its upside as well.”

It was true. Around them was utter darkness, the only sources of light the stars and moon that would soon be swallowed by the clouds coming in.
A light breeze brought her scent of warm vanilla to him. Curious that she never smelled as if she had been cooking, but rather baking.

Beside him she took a deep breath, held it and then pushed it out before admitting, “I’m scared.”

Warmth flooded through him at her words, surprising him more than her words had. “That just means you’ll be a good leader.”

“I wish it were that easy.”

Their gazes locked. “You aren’t alone in this. And believe me when I say I know you’ll be up to the task.” He wanted to touch her, reassure her.

No
, the only thing he really needed was to clear his fucking head. Succumbing to temptation was easy. He had thought admitting, deep down inside, to being tempted that was the hard part, however he had a feeling resisting it was going to be the worst.

Turning his
eyes away and breaking the connection he gazed out into the night. “Now go to bed. I need you rested for tomorrow.”

When s
he arched an inquiring brow, he knew she wouldn’t leave until she had the information she wanted.

“
We’ll go out. Your first date with a hellhole.”

Her jaw dropped open.
“What? But I still can’t handle my sword of flames.”

“
Guess you’ll be highly motivated then.”

She recovered
quickly and retaliated drily. “Right, I’ll be sure to put my heart and soul into it.”

He burst out laughing
, nearly choking on his beer.

III

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

“Those who live are those who fight.”

- Victor Hugo

NINE

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Astonished
Lillian climbed slowly out of the car, her gaze on the building in front of them. Then she stared back at Raz over the roof of the Chevelle. “A golf club? Seriously?”

He shrugged.
“They attract all sorts of people. Look around, it’s a breeding ground for sin and temptation.”

A little stunned Lillian
took in the banner showing the club’s services and announced, “But they even do weddings here.”

“So?”

She looked back at him. “So? Aren’t weddings supposed to be …I don’t know, a point for our team?”

“Some
, yeah. Others can be a downright buffet for hell. For instance when a demon scores the bride or groom, especially when the vows have already been exchanged. Or they tempt the guests into selling their soul for a better bridesmaid dress or whatever. Envy in particular, but also lust and loneliness are the top sellers.”

Lillian
still stared at him, incredulous.

“
Weddings can bring out the best or worst in people. Believe me it’s not always pretty to look at.”

“No shit.”

“Come on, stargazer, let’s have a look around.”

Now she knew why Raz had asked her to wear something ‘sunny’ and yet snobby enough to meet a possible dress code. Her duffle bag didn’t leave her that much to choose from, but in her dark blue capris and short-sleeved, flowery white-and-coral top she managed to blend quite nicely. At least she didn’t look like an Ivory who was about to cleave someone’s head open. Raz had chucked his angel of death aura – well,
tried
was more like it – and gone for dark blue pants as well, matching it with a polo shirt and deck shoes. Hands in his pockets he should have looked boringly normal, or at least tame. He really didn’t. There were guys who tried very hard to look strong and capable and then there were guys like Raz, who radiated it with every ounce of his being no matter what.

“Will they know that we’re here?”

“As long as my wings stay hidden I don’t give off any angelic vibes. You, thanks to the human part of you, don’t have to worry about such things. For them you’re just an ordinary girl.”

As
they started to walk and Lillian looked around she began to understand why demons would choose golf clubs. They attracted all kinds of people. Those who just wanted to have some fun, out in the sun. Then you had those who took this seriously as a sport, and focused on themselves. But the others, well, they thought golf made them some kind of superior being and looked upon the rest as if they were some nasty bugs. All kinds of people meant all kinds of souls, which according to Raz provided the demons several possibilities of attack and therefore a different kind of boost depending on the sin committed. Charming, huh?

“And the demons?
Can we sense them?”

“No. Same goes
for them, as long as they stay in human form we can’t see them.” He flashed her a wicked smile. “Makes it all the more fun.” More seriously he continued, “You have to watch closely. It’s all about subtlety.”

Raz nodded towards
a flagstone terrace, right before the green started to stretch out behind the clubhouse. She followed his gaze.

A
beautiful brunette, in her late twenties and with a good figure that showed she took great pride in and care of it, was standing beside a much older, yet carefully groomed and attractive, man.

“She’s looking at that guy
quite…hungrily. Now, it’s up to you to decide whether she’s just the gold digger type and only going after the
man
or a demon in disguise lusting after his
soul
.”

Lillian took in the scene.
Cocking her head after a moment she said, “Neither. She’s human.”

“What makes you think that?”

She shrugged and frowned. “I can’t really say. She just
feels
human to me. I mean, look at the way she tucks her hair behind the ear. You could think it was calculated strategy…but no. She likes him, or the attention he’s giving her. And the healthy blush on her cheeks is something I can’t conciliate with a demon. She’s nervous.”

“She should be. ‘Cause he’s the demon.”

Her head snapped around to look at Raz in astonishment. “What?”

“Sorry, it was kind of a trick question.”

Lillian looked back at the couple, this time watching the guy more closely. Graying hair, good build and sure smile, he had this Richard Gere thing going for him. She could see it now. He overdid it.

“It’s too much, too studied. The way he moves and dresses, he shouldn’t be in this golf club but rather in one with much higher rates. He’s good
but on a closer look he’s a little out of place.” And there was a hungry glint to his eyes that had nothing to do with sexual desire – but plain hunger, for a soul. After the two of them obviously came to a sort of agreement, the man took the woman’s hand in his and kissed it. It could have been quite the romantic gesture, if it weren’t for the weird, white gold…spark between them and the fire in his eyes.

“She doesn’t see it.”

“No, she can’t. He just nibbled at her soul, her very essence.”

Lillian thought a moment,
then suggested, “Some kind of vampiric demon?”

“Not bad. He’s a
Dreamwalker and just made the connection. He’ll find her in her sleep and garner her soul through mental games while she dreams, probably by playing with her fear and definitely by using sex.” Raz nodded at her approvingly and grinned. “You know, that’s one of the reasons while training you is actually fun sometimes, you’re a quick study.”

“Will we do something about him?”

“Not yet. Too open out here.”

Then
he took her hand in his, surprising her with the warm contact and shiver that ran up her arm. She peeked up at him to see whether he had felt the same, but without so much as a glance at her or an explanation he tugged her towards the club.

The interior was fashioned to appease different tastes and therefore rather bland.
Raz introduced them as a couple that had been scouting clubs in an effort to find the one that would fit them. The clothes they were wearing seemed to help and conveyed a certain degree of arrogance in Raz’ case, so did his whole bearing. His smile was that of a bored wanna-be somebody and Lillian had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from bursting out laughing. But it seemed to work since soon they had rented a cart and explored the course.

The sun was up in a blue sky that Lillian had to admit she wouldn’t have thought she could miss so much. But she had. Every touch of color was
now a miracle to her eyes that had gotten too used to the gray world that was purgatory. Leaning her head back she wanted to forget about the reason they came here and just enjoy the warm sunlight and breeze on her skin. Fate, or heaven, had other plans however.

“
Remember what I told you about the hellholes?”

His deep voice pulled her back to her reality.
She had no trouble swallowing her sigh but the sudden butterflies stirring in her belly were a different matter entirely. This was true and real, and she had to keep her head in the game. She could relax later…that was, if she survived her first fight against a couple of demons.

“
Yes.”

“Then tell me
where we’re headed.”

Hellholes were bubbles like purgatory but without the distinct boundary between worlds which meant
contrary to purgatory they blended with their surroundings. Nevertheless, in the heart of it was a hole leading to hell that was clearly visible for Ivorys and angels the closer they got. Raz had told her to watch the colors since they would become more intense until finally, upon approaching the actual hellhole, the world would be tinted in red. So that’s what Lillian did.

When her gaze slid over forested terrain
farther ahead and to the side, she frowned and looked more closely. She couldn’t really say whether the green of the trees really was more intense but what struck her as odd was the air. It seemed to move and blur above the tree tops, like on a hot road.

She discretely gestured towards it. “Over there.”

Raz didn’t say a word regarding her suspicion, giving her no indication whether she was right or wrong, but only nodded and followed her directions.

When they reached the edge of the tree line they quickly got out of the cart and
checked their surroundings, careful that no one was watching them before disappearing into the shrubs.

Raz motioned for her to take the lead.

Ignoring the
nerves fluttering inside her like a swarm of wasps now, she nodded and carefully continued her way towards where she suspected lay the heart of this hellhole. On alert, all her senses more alive than ever which she wasn’t sure was due to the fear and adrenaline rushing through her veins or her being an Ivory, Lillian’s brain almost clinically noticed the scent of the famous and local cedars, the roots and smaller shrub in her way, the flicker of shadows as the sunlight filtered through the branches.

But she didn’t hear any birds.

Her lips curved in a small, triumphant smile. In her gut she knew she was on the right track and the thrill of it called to the wasps inside her belly. Breathe in, and out. She was in control, she had trained for this. She could do this.

Soon she noticed the colors gaining an edge,
as if you played around with the settings of a TV, becoming more intense until finally a red veil covered the world. The sight was so stunning that Lillian halted in her steps. She should have been used to this kind of change in scenery. But this was different from purgatory. Purgatory’s white-and-black seemed harmless against this. The sky, a clear blue only moments ago, was now crimson. Lillian’s hand rose to touch the bark of a tree in front of her. It looked like a black, bloody thing rising up to meet the sky. A strong, branching vein pumping into a hungry heart. The dry leaves scattered on the ground were crimson as well, reminding her of images of blood cells under the microscope.

Somehow she couldn’t imagine that humans weren’t able to perceive this, but Raz had assured her that they
really couldn’t. Guess he’s right, she thought. If they had any idea, they would run away screaming and not calmly play golf.

Voices reached her, coming from where she suspected the hellhole, and pulled her out of her thoughts. A glance at Raz confirmed he had heard them as well,
and after a nod from him they both armed themselves. Not even a conscious effort was needed and her long sword was in her hand. The hilt felt good in her hand, her grip strong as she felt a warm ripple course up her arm as they became one. It was a heady feeling. Only weeks ago she had been calmly sitting in a library and now she was a fighter about to head into battle. Life really was a damn crazy ride.

Lillian took the lead, making her way through the trees and shrub to where she suspected
lay the center of the hellhole. Alert and as quiet as possible they closed in and another wave of adrenaline rushed through her, her heart pumping and reveling in the thrill. Amber had told her that Ivorys were made for this, would go nearly crazy without fulfilling their duty, and now Lillian understood.

It was a rush she really could get addicted to.

Crouching, hoping they wouldn’t be detected before they could use the moment of surprise, Lillian observed a small clearing ahead of them. It wasn’t so much a clearing as a space where the trees and shrub were thinning.

In the center of it was the hellhole.

A red, concentrated swirl, it was a moving, writhing thing and reminded her of a horizontal mini-tornado. Two winged Ebonys were guarding the hole while two other demons were stepping out of it. They were human in appearance but some gut instinct told her they were the middle ranking kind on the prowl for a good soul.

Of the
two demons, one was a man and the other a woman. They were talking with each other, the woman bursting with a laughter that had a nasty edge to it. Evil vibes practically oozing out of her. The guy was dressed in a suit, with his hands in his pockets looking like he was on his way to court. He stayed silent, and after a quick lift of one corner of his mouth that was probably meant to be a grin his expression was back to bored and a little annoyed.

Heart pounding against
her ribs, stomach jumping with excitement, Lillian swallowed. Her first fight. Four opponents. Breathe, one more moment to enjoy the anticipation that was a mix of healthy fear and nerves and … unholy pleasure – there was no other word to describe the euphoric buzz inside of her.

Lillian didn’t want to wait until there were more of them and decided
it was the perfect moment to attack, since the female’s resounding laughter offered a perfect distraction as the two guards turned to look at her as well.

Knowing Raz would be with her, s
he jumped out of the shrubs, sword drawn, and the battle began.

The first
Ebony was a victim of his own surprise and easy to dispatch. Swinging her sword, her movements fluid and determined, Lillian squared of with the remaining guard and the female demon. Both were armed with daggers, but thankfully the ones in the female’s hands weren’t of the shadowy variety.