Sparks of Blue (Dark Light Book 2) (4 page)

He scoffed silently.
Well, if anyone could.
He’d always recognized the strength in her healing power. And despite the pain it delivered to his heart to see her, and her resentment of him, on a regular basis, he was proud of her for finally accepting herself. When they’d met, she’d been playing human alongside her younger sister, thinking she had to hide to survive. If nothing else, then, he could at least be glad that he may have helped her learn another way to live. One he hoped was better.

In an effort to pull his focus back to the mission at hand, Kai dragged his thoughts around to Creed. That was the only name he knew the demon by, though certainly not the name the demon had been born with. More importantly, though, it hadn’t been too long since he’d last encountered the vile male. Had it been only a month, perhaps two, since he’d attempted to catch Creed during a battle with that human-loving demon, Darr?

How the hell does he keep escaping in time?

Sure, at night it made sense. Demons could travel through shadows, and the entire world—or, at least, the time zone—was enshrouded in shadow at night. But
every
time he’d found Creed on Earth, he seemed to get there a heartbeat too late to catch him. Or, in the case of the latest incident, he’d simply had different priorities. Priorities that would get him seriously questioned and possibly demoted if his commander ever learned of them.

Focus.

It didn’t make sense. Were Creed’s senses
that
good? Always
that
heightened? He knew he was damned good at shrouding his aura when necessary. But still the demon always escaped.
How?
If he didn’t know better, he’d think Creed had help. But no matter the demon who could be helping Creed, Kai should still have been able to catch them unawares once or twice. He just didn’t know what else it could be.

****

“You didn’t sleep.”

Belle didn’t phrase it like a question because it wasn’t one, but this once she did try to tone down the accusation. He could have had any number of reasons. Though she doubted they included him having left entirely, so he better not have tried that response.

Kai’s gaze flicked over to her from the chair he was sitting in while they waited for Gwen to finish up in the bathroom. They stared at each other unflinchingly for a long moment before he relented. “No I didn’t. Don’t worry about it.”

Releasing a breath and looking away, Belle focused on tucking her clothes back into her suitcase as she said, “Of course I worry about it. You’re the big protector, remember? And you were hurt yesterday. You should’ve rested.”

“Flesh wounds,” he replied easily. “I’m fine. I’ll rest tonight.”

Well, it’s good to know
some
things never change.
She hoped. “You’re always so stubborn.”
Crap.
She hadn’t meant to say that. She never wanted to let slip that she even
remembered
their history, let alone gave it any thought. It was just so hard to remember why he wasn’t worth it when he was right there, as tempting as ever. Especially after he’d saved her so recently.

Kai made a soft noise somewhere between thoughtful hum and scoff but didn’t move. Fortunately. “Very true. How’s your head?”

So he was calling her out, huh? That was an old tactic.
Forget the old tactics, Belle.
“Good as new,” she replied as she zipped up the duffel. She straightened, letting the bag remain on the mattress for the moment, and added, “But surely you figured that already.”

His lips twitched in acknowledgment, but he said nothing.

In an effort to keep her body from forgetting to stand strong, Belle moved to sit on the foot of the bed, facing him. She lowered her voice, not particularly wanting Gwen to overhear this part of the conversation. “Listen, Kai,” she began carefully, “I think we can both admit this isn’t our favorite job. But we’re mature enough to handle it anyway, right? So let’s … let’s not bicker.”

She couldn’t identify what it was that flashed through his eyes as he listened to her words, but whatever it was it threw her off. He didn’t leave her time to linger on it, though, before he inclined his head.

“Deal,” he said. He said it almost like he wanted to add something more, but he must have decided against it because nothing more was said until Gwen emerged from the bathroom.

And that was probably for the best.

Chapter Four

“So, are you guys going to be chaperoning me until I hit thirty?” Gwen asked as the trio made their way out of the diner where they’d had breakfast.

“Yes,” Kai said. That was it. Just yes, no personal touch. Belle wondered what else she should have expected.

Turning a grin toward Gwen, Belle added, “Think of it like a road trip with friends. One of whom happens to be capable of ensuring your improved health.”

“It’s just kind of,” Gwen hesitated, glancing sideways toward Belle and tipping her head forward in Kai’s direction. “Odd. Grumpy doesn’t seem like the ‘road trip with friends’ kinda guy.”

Belle wished she could see his face for that. Or, rather, the physical reaction he might have let slip if he thought no one was looking. Instead, she merely fought to swallow her laughter. “In his defense,” she finally offered, “traditional road trips are a bit slow for his taste.”

“Nope, sorry, not buying it. I think he’s grumpy anyway.” Something disturbingly mischievous lit Gwen’s hazel eyes, and before Belle could warn her off it, Gwen quickened her pace until she was walking at Kai’s side. Which, Belle noticed, Gwen had to strain to maintain. “Why are you so anti-social? I thought angels were friendly?”

“You’re thinking of Guardian Angels,” Kai replied. “I’m a Warrior.”

Somehow, Belle doubted Gwen would accept that answer in silence.

“I dunno,” Gwen pushed, “you’re guarding us, right? So what’s the difference?”

“I’ll leave.”

Apparently Gwen hadn’t expected that response, because she lost concentration on her pace and in two steps Belle had caught up to her again, catching her upper arm to be sure she didn’t fall farther behind.

“That was just hurtful,” Gwen finally returned, seeming to have shaken off the shock. “Guardian Angels are forever.”

“Exactly.”

“Okay, kids,” Belle interrupted, recognizing the loss of patience in Kai’s voice. He’d never been one for Twenty Questions. “I think this is isolated enough, right?” She stopped walking, placed her free hand on her hip, and they stopped as well.

They’d wanted to be out of sight before Kai teleported them to the next town. And since Belle couldn’t see another living soul larger than a chipmunk, she figured the spot they were standing in was adequate. She only hoped the nearest town wasn’t too far. Gwen was well enough for
some
travel, but not a lot at once. And since her body wasn’t used to that form of transportation Belle wanted to play it safe, at least the first time.

“I still don’t see why we can’t jump straight to Ben’s place,” Gwen declared as if reading Belle’s mind. “What’s the difference between that and the nearest town?”

“Where does your brother live?” Belle asked patiently.

Gwen paused for a beat before answering, “About an hour north of Sacramento.”

“By car,” Belle clarified for her. “And we’re, what, currently about four-and-a-half hours northeast of that, by car?”

Gwen nodded.

“That’s why. It actually takes energy to teleport, from all the parties involved in one form or another. Your body isn’t used to that, and we need to know how your heart will handle it.”

Gwen groaned. “This is silly. Teleporting has limitations, too? So we have to city-hop?”

Belle shrugged. “That’s one way to look at it, yes.” When Gwen seemed to have accepted her defeat, if only temporarily, Belle returned her attention to Kai. “Are we ready?”

Kai nodded and stepped between them enough to be able to rest one hand on each woman’s shoulder. Belle fought to keep her heart steady under the simple touch, sure she was imagining the slight curl of his fingers as they held her mostly bare shoulder. She was more sure that Kai’s warm touch had sparked an all-too-familiar fire low in her belly. A fire she could only ignore.

Fortunately, she barely had time to think about any of that before his hand was falling away again. Their forested surroundings had altered slightly, as had their position from the interstate. Instead of being a few yards off, to Belle’s right, it was now just beyond the tree line, to Belle’s left.

“Whoa,” Gwen mumbled, regaining Belle’s attention. The woman had placed her palm against her forehead and was standing very still. “That was … weird. Not sure I should’ve eaten first.”

Releasing the handle of her suitcase, Belle moved forward and gently pulled Gwen’s arm down. “Let me analyze you,” she said, already smoothing one palm over Gwen’s collar. The closer she could get to the source of the problem the easier it was for her to fix it, and though Gwen was feeling it in her head, it was her heart that was weak. Sure enough, Gwen’s heart was beating too fast. The jump had strained it. Belle was less than surprised—a teleport was always harder on mortals, and the first was jarring for
everybody
.

“Let’s find you somewhere to sit down. You should feel better in a minute or two.”

A rush of energy drew Belle’s attention, and she found Kai crouched beside a large stump. The trunk of the tree lay beyond it, appearing to have been blown from its base a while ago. The stump top was uneven, in some areas shredded, but as she watched, Kai extended his index and middle fingers deliberately. His unique blue flame gathered around his fingers and extended as he slowly swept them down and out, catching on the stump and burning away only what he willed. In seconds, the destroyed stump was transformed into a smooth place to rest, complete with a lip nearly a foot tall. Perfect for relaxing against.

Macho, arrogant ass … and a nice guy.
Sometimes it was easy to forget that he had a softer side. And though Belle knew that was how he preferred it, she also knew better than to judge him only for what he allowed others to perceive. Despite his parting words to her all those years before, she still believed she’d seen into his heart. And while he could be a cocky jerk, he could just as easily be thoughtful. Even gentle.

Giving herself a mental headshake, Belle took hold of Gwen’s shoulder and guided her toward the stump as Kai stood. “Come on, sit down for a minute. You’ll feel better.”

“How … did you do that?” Gwen asked, looking at Kai as Belle helped her deposit her backpack.

“Angel magic,” Kai replied with a nearly invisible twitch of his lips.

Belle extracted one of the water bottles they’d packed that morning and unscrewed the lid before offering it to Gwen. “Drink up.”

Gwen took the bottle and chugged half of it in one go before lowering it to her lap.

While Gwen took a moment to catch her breath, Belle moved over to stand beside Kai. “That was nice of you,” she said quietly.

After a moment, Kai replied, “I’m not evil, you know.”

“I never said you were.” She couldn’t decide if she wanted to walk away in a huff for that implication or kiss him until she’d chased the thought from his mind. But she wouldn’t do either; one was no longer her privilege, and the other would only instigate further distance between them. So instead of trying to decide why she was so against more distance, Belle changed the subject. “How far did we travel?”

“About fifteen minutes in moderate traffic,” Kai said, voice hushed.

“Damn.” Gwen’s heart was more unstable than she’d feared. She knew Gwen wanted to travel first and heal second, but Belle was going to have to put her foot down. Otherwise, it would take them until Gwen’s birthday just to get to their destination.

****

“Why don’t we just rent a car?” Gwen pushed, rolling her head sideways to glance over at Kai without sitting up.

They had found another local hotel once Gwen was up for the walk and Belle was finally getting to work on some healing. She only wished she could do more. Gwen, on the other hand, wished they could get going apparently. This was the third time she’d referenced renting a vehicle since finding the hotel.

“Several reasons,” Kai said from his post against the window wall. This time he was leaning between the window and the door, arms crossed over his muscular chest. The curtains were drawn so as not to draw any unwanted attention.

“Name two,” Gwen challenged. Belle glimpsed a purse to her lips and had to swallow a laugh. It was never good to challenge Kai.

“Unnecessary exposure, making you more vulnerable,” Kai explained easily. “And too complicated a process.”

Gwen demanded to know how in the world it was more complicated than teleporting, and Belle did her best to tune them out.

Gwen’s heart was a mess, all right. Whatever idiotic deal her parents had worked when she was young, it’d likely been filled with loopholes. The way Gwen had explained the curse, her heart was just supposed to
stop
. The reality was worse. Gwen’s heart was old and sick. Like it had been rapidly aged the moment the deal was signed, which in turn would have impeded its function immediately. Her parents probably hadn’t ever had her heart tested, or they’d have figured this out years earlier. Now, if she were to go to another regular doctor, she’d be told there was nothing they could do.

The heart Gwen had would make more sense in the body of an eighty-year-old who hadn’t treated themselves well over their lifetime. Clogged arteries, thinning blood cells, and slower blood flow made Gwen’s entire body weaker than it should be. The heart may have been the source of Gwen’s condition, but by now it was affecting her entire body. She would need a lot of healing time, which in turn meant they’d have to risk longer jumps.
And those will set her backward, meaning I’ll have to re-repair things I’ve already mended.
But it would be the only way unless they wanted to hold her hostage in this small hotel for the next couple of months.

“Well, that’s just dumb,” Gwen finally declared in response to whatever Kai had said.

Something tells me Kai won’t stick around if we have to go the hostage route.

“Am I done yet?” Gwen asked suddenly, shifting restlessly beneath Belle’s light touch.

“Not even close,” Belle said. She added a little pressure over Gwen’s collarbone when the woman made to sit up. “Lie still. I’ve barely had time to thoroughly analyze what I’m dealing with. I at least want to get you back to where you were before the teleport.”

Gwen groaned loudly but complied. “You’re way more demanding than I thought you’d be.”

“You’d rather die?” Kai asked pointedly.

“…No.”

Belle’s heart threatened to break at Gwen’s hesitation. The woman had several years to make her peace with an impossible, unfair situation. And either she had, and was now being forced to face the possibility of outliving her fate, or she hadn’t and was still in the first denial. Either way, it would undoubtedly be hard for her to accept Belle’s promise or the idea that Belle had the power to heal her at all.

Distracting herself, Belle looked up at Kai. “This first session could take about an hour.” She pointedly ignored Gwen’s outcry of disapproval. “You could go stretch your legs or something if you want?”

“I’m fine,” Kai said, staring at her with a certainty that had always made her blood heat. This time was no exception.

“An
hour
?” Gwen repeated incredulously as Belle released a breath and let her eyes close. “And then, what, I’ll be totally better?”

“I’m afraid not,” Belle replied as her power filled her. She envisioned it building up in her chest and spilling down her arms almost like waves, rippling out from her hands. In reality, her power was invisible. She’d been told on several occasions that to bystanders it looked like she was awkwardly holding whatever wound she was working on and praying. She didn’t like to think of it that way.

Gwen squirmed beneath her touch. “That’s warm.”

“I know. Hold still.” Part of her couldn’t help but wonder if Gwen had ever had an interest in medical school. Nurses and doctors notoriously made the worst patients.

****

Kai watched calmly as Belle began healing Gwen. Gwen began squirming almost immediately, though stilled again when Belle instructed her to. The scene reminded him of the first time Belle had healed him. It had been early in their relationship; well before he’d ever given real thought to the potential consequences of their behavior.

“Your touch is warm,” he murmured as his chest filled with a new kind of warmth. It vied for dominance with the usual heat already searing through his blood at her gentle touch. But this once he fought his need for her, recognizing that in his stupidly distracted state he’d taken a nasty wound. A wound he’d never be able to explain to his superiors.

“Is it?” Belle asked, her breathy French accent washing over him like it always did. Her blonde brow scrunched together a bit, and she added, “Madelyne’s never said.”

Kai hummed and reached for a wayward strand of her long, golden hair. He loved running her silky tresses through his fingers.

“Don’t move so much,” Belle lectured playfully, her smile betraying her words. But that smile faded just as fast, and she asked, “How did this happen, Kai?”

“Kai?”

Jerking himself from the memory, Kai opened his eyes and found Belle frowning at him, a flicker of worry behind her blue gaze. It struck him, then, that she’d lost most of her accent in the past century. It was a shame. “What?”