Angel Magic (20 page)

 
And dead.”

 
“I will.” One of the older Guardians vanished.

 
Rahmiel looked at Kari. “I will return with you, but I may not be able to stay.”

 
She nodded.

 
Rahmiel sat by Kari’s side once they arrived at Kaliel’s. Kari drifted in and out of consciousness, aware only at times. He sat watching her, waving away the healers who would tend to him.

 
“She’ll be fine, Rahmiel,” Kaliel assured him.

 
Kari,
awoke for a few moments, smiled up at him. “I feel better already, Rahmiel.

 
Go get your arm fixed.” His lips curved into a smile and he left with Tehmuel.

Chapter Thirteen

 
Kari woke up alone. She was no longer in pain and felt deliciously warm. Where was Rahmiel? Had they tried to arrest him? Was he already in custody, or in the Ether?

 
Kaliel wouldn’t let them take him, would she?

 
A healer entered her room, followed by her mom.

 
“Mom, I must get to Kaliel. We need to help Rahmiel. They might take him back to prison.”

 
Her mom blinked. “Rahmiel was in prison?”

 
“Yes, but he didn’t do what they said he did. There’s no time to explain.”

 
“You should rest,” the healer protested.

 
“I’ll rest later.” She got off the bed, and realized that while she was no longer in pain, she was quite weak. She swayed. Mom put an arm around her and helped her to the corridor.

 
They found Tehmuel a few moments later. He snatched Kari up and scolded her.

 
“What are you thinking? You should be in bed. Rahmiel is a tough old warrior. He’ll be fine.”

 
“Rahmiel’s still here? They haven’t tried to arrest him or anything?”

 
“Of course not. There is nothing for you to get upset about and there’s no need to wander the corridors.” He scolded all the way to Rahmiel’s room, and placed her on the bed next to him. “Here. I know you were going to get up in a moment to find her anyway. You two rest.”

 
“I was trying to find Kaliel,” she explained to Tehmuel. “I’m afraid Lemuel and the Guardians will take Rahmiel away to the ice prison. I just know they want to do that.”

 
Tehmuel nodded. “Yes, that’s true. Lemuel would do it if he could. I’m going to search out my daughter and some of the Assembly members to find out what is going on.”

 
Rahmiel nodded, and pulled Kari close. “Thanks, Tehmuel. I think we can both sleep now. But wake me and let me know what the Assembly is planning.”

 
Kari’s mom decided to stay and sleep on the small couch in the room, just in case Kari needed anything.

 
Tehmuel returned sometime later. Kari woke when she heard his voice as he spoke to Rahmiel.

 
“What’s going on?” she croaked.

 
“It is all right,“ Tehmuel said. “The Assembly has put Lemuel on probation, so he is not leading the Guardians. They are unhappy—I’d say they are embarrassed—that he refused to help with Kaphawn. They are in talks to determine leadership and the new direction of the Guard. Lemuel’s refusal to help fight the famine demon woke some of them out of their stupor. A group is currently working on setting Guardians on Earth as watchers, to report to the Assembly on any unusual demon activity.” He turned to Rahmiel. “They are reviewing your case and there is little chance they’ll put you back in ice or make you face any other disciplinary measures. Actually, I think they might ask you to be an Earth liaison. Since you have contacts.”

 
“Well, that’s good news,“ Rahmiel said. “Doesn’t look like I’ll have to go to the Ether to avoid the ice.” He looked at Kari and smiled, and she sank into the pillows in relief.

 
No ice prison.

 
“Samuel suspects there is some type of alliance between demons, or demon and human, that made that ritual,” Tehmuel continued. “They knew exactly what they were doing. It was very precise. The fact that a young human woman with no training in magic could perform such a detailed ritual has them a little shaken up. What if there are other rituals out there that summon other ancient evils?”

 
Kari didn’t realize her mom was awake until she spoke. “Kari was always good with small details. She’s very bright, you know.”

 
“So, the Assembly is going to be busy the next few days. They will probably request a great deal of your time, Rahmiel. Better get some rest.”

 
“Yes, you both need some rest.” Kari’s mom looked at Tehmuel. “They both look washed out. Perhaps you will direct me to my own room? I think these two will do fine alone for the rest of the night.”

 
Kari was vaguely surprised her mother wasn’t objecting to her sleeping in the same bed as Rahmiel, but she was too tired to dwell on it.

 
A healer came into the room at that moment with two small glasses of something that tasted like herbal tea. After drinking hers, Kari’s eyes immediately grew heavy, and she almost fell asleep as Mom hugged her and told her to rest.

* * * *

Kari and her mom went home after lunch the next day. Mom wanted to get the living room cleaned up a little and get ready for work on Monday. They both were shocked at the state of the living room. Broken furniture and
blood stains
covered the normally cozy room. Mom sat down on the single remaining dining room chair and looked like she was about to cry.

 
“Mom, I’ll help with this mess. And I’ll be out
job hunting
next week. I can pay for this stuff.”

 
“You will not. Kaliel said you needed to rest your arm for another few days. And I have money in savings. We’ll manage.”

 
Kari did need to continue resting the arm that Kaphawn broke so she wasn’t a great help at cleaning. They would need to replace the dining table, entertainment center, television, end tables and carpet. Mom thought she could get the
blood stains
out of the couch. Kari wanted to help haul broken furniture but Mom wouldn’t even consider it.

 
“You can rest. That’s it.”

 
Rahmiel was in meetings all day, with the Assembly and the Guardians. Kari had seen him briefly in the morning before he went to breakfast with some Assembly members. She wondered when she would see him again, now that Kaphawn was no longer a threat. Perhaps this is how it will be now, she thought. He will be busy with Guardian business and I will be back in my old life, and we won’t have any reason to see each other.

 
Auriel, who had
phased
them home, observed the stained carpet. “You know, my mom knows some textile people. Maybe they could get the stains off the walls and carpet. Want me to ask her?”

 
They readily accepted the help. Auriel prepared to leave, but stopped and turned back toward them. “Do you know where Amber is? She’s not at her apartment.”

 
“She went to Tressa’s. She figured Rahmiel would
phase
me down to Tressa’s to get my car, so she’s having a short visit. Plus she’s supposed to still be resting and healing.

 
Tressa said she’d look after her.”

 
After Auriel left, Kari’s mom continued to clean. “Mom, why don’t you wait to see what Auriel can do to help us? I’m sure the Angeli know how to clean anything.” Her mom kept sweeping up broken glass from the entertainment center.

 
It wasn’t long before Auriel returned with two thin, glamorous Angeli women.

 
They examined the room and spoke in quiet tones to Kari’s mother.

 
One of the two Angeli women put a hand on Mary Ellen’s shoulder. “We can take care of everything.”

 
The second woman nodded in agreement. “We will be finished by morning.”

 
Her mom finally accepted the help and Kari made her way back to her bedroom.

 
She could hear her mother chatting with the Angeli women in the other room as she stretched across the bed and looked around the room.

 
She missed Rahmiel. That’s why she was so out of sorts. She felt tired but restless at the same time, and wondered if that was the bond. She felt as though she couldn’t really relax with him so far away. It seemed so weird to be home, resting on her twin bed, alone. When would she see Rahmiel again?

 
Maybe be won’t see each other again.
 
He was back with his own people now.

 
Kari decided to bag all the too large clothes in her bedroom for a second hand store.

 
Doing something, anything, would help her keep her mind off gloomy thoughts about never seeing Rahmiel again. Her mother had slipped out to the grocery store and she could hear the two Angeli women as they continued to clean. She wandered toward the kitchen for some trash bags and stopped just before the door, halted by their conversation.

 
“…Rahmiel and Nadriel back together, now that they are working side by side on Assembly business. They were so gorgeous together in the past. I never thought her association with Deriel would last, and now that all the children are settled…”

 
“But he’s bound to the little Earth girl,” the other Angeli woman protested.

 
“Well, true, but surely in all these years, with all our advances, the binding can be removed.”

 
Kari retreated without a sound to her room, the tears almost blinding her. She’d been so foolish to think there could be anything between her and Rahmiel. She picked up the phone and called Amber at Tressa’s.

 
“What’s wrong?” Amber asked in alarm when she heard Kari’s voice.

 
“Is Auriel there?”

 
”Yeah. Is something wrong? Is the demon back?”

 
“No, nothing like that. Do you think Auriel would come and get me, so I can drive my car home?”

 
“Are you sure you’re up to that?” Amber’s concern was obvious in her voice.

 
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Plus, I need my car. Lisbet’s funeral is on Monday, and I don’t have anything to wear. I need to do some running around.”

 
“Lisbet’s funeral.” Amber spoke slowly. “I guess we missed all the others. Listen, I’ll drive back with you. That way you won’t get too tired.”

 
“All right.
” Kari called her mom on the cell and told her the plan, and then Auriel was there.

 
When he deposited Kari safely at Tressa’s place, she and Amber were out on the deck, drinking iced tea in the heat. Auriel picked up a glass and drained it. “I’ll be off.

 
Amber, may I come visit you? I have some free time until I start Guardian training.”

 
“Sure. I’ll show you how the computer works.”

 
He smiled at Amber and vanished.

 
The girls thanked Tressa for her kindness, stopped to get gas and snacks and finally headed north.

 
“So what’s wrong?” Amber asked as they hit the interstate. “Is it Rahmiel?”

 
Kari nodded.

 
“Did you have a fight?”

 
“No. I haven’t seen him. He has a lot of meetings to go to, and I went home to be with Mom, to help her get the house back together.”

 
She took a breath and realized she was shaking.

 
“So what happened?”

 
“Well, there are these Angeli women at my house, helping with the clean up.” She wiped a tear from her chin. “One of them said she thought Rahmiel could probably erase the binding, now days. And Rahmiel could go back to some Angeli woman he saw before he was put in prison.”