Blood Redemption (Angel's Edge #3) (27 page)

ait,” I said slowly, letting the word hang heavy in the air. My hands hurt, and I was still shaking a little from the things I’d seen in the nightmare forest. For some reason, the idea of myself and those I cared about being used as bait didn’t bother me as much as it should have. Perhaps I was in shock from blood loss and my trek through the woods. Or perhaps I was just that used to the idea that I was always going to be in some kind of danger.

Mrs. Alice shoved Bain aside with a sharp glare. He pretended not to notice. The elderly shopkeeper strode toward us with purpose, and stopped in front of me. She took my hands in hers and let them rest palm-up, so that the wounds were upturned to her.

“We’ll have those fixed in just a minute,” she said, warmly, but with an edge. Then she dropped my hands and threw her arms around me. “It’s so wonderful to see you, dear.” She gave me a full-body squeeze.

I startled at the strength in her ancient frame. “You too,” I said fervently.

Mrs. Alice reminded me of the time before―when my brother and I were just average citizens of Whitfield, and the only strange thing about me was that I sometimes drew the future. None of this angels and demons stuff.

Mrs. Alice began to dig in the pockets of her cardigan. Her right hand disappeared into the fabric up to her wrist, and then down halfway to her elbow as she furiously searched for something in the depths. My eyes bulged as she pulled a huge tube of something green from her right pocket; there was no way, according to the normal laws of physics, that it should have fit. I wondered what else she sheltered in there before Mrs. Alice turned to me with a wink.

“Let’s see what we have.” She spoke in soothing tones as she unwound my bandages.

Puncture wounds started at the dead center of my palms, and radiated outward. I counted ten or so such marks on each hand. Mrs. Alice clucked her tongue sympathetically, and rubbed the thick green ointment over my wounds. It smelled of eucalyptus, and tingled upon first contact. Jack and Ethan crowded close. Mrs. Alice wiped the green glop off with the rest of the bandages, and I gasped to see my skin whole again. I flexed them to test for pain, and no trace of it remained. Ethan ran a finger down the middle of my palm, making it tickle slightly. I offered a grateful smile to Mrs. Alice, who left me standing where I was and walked back to study the three-dimensional map once again.

She shot Bain a look of pure venom as she went. This time, he saw her for sure. I could have sworn he blanched.

Over in the middle of the room, where the map hung between everyone, the atmosphere was more charged. Jacob Eden paced while Bain tapped his fingers against his watch. No one took their eyes off the image with its rapidly changing patches of red and purple.

“What’s it doing?” Logan asked.

Cassandra stage whispered, “They’re running different battle scenarios. The map changes to show the different outcomes, based on strategy. We’re the purple, and the opposing forces are the red.”

After several permutations, the map stopped on a static image, one where the purple was concentrated brightly in a small area, and the red was spread out to the sides. In this model, I could see Whitfield itself, and it remained mostly untouched by colors. The Light and Dark forces attacked a small point from both sides, leaving Whitfield mostly alone.

“That’s it,” the pretty young girl attached to Jacob said. She sounded weary. “That’s the only scenario that leaves the town safe.”

“Putting us right in the dead middle of all the conflict,” Bain added unnecessarily.

A servant, all in black, brought in a tray of champagne in fluted glasses. Everyone ignored her except Bain, who snagged two glasses and downed them quickly before shooing the servant away.

“Does this scenario depend on us being bait as Bain says?” Jack asked. There was a curt edge to his voice that let everyone know exactly what he thought of the plan. No one answered. They just looked at the three of us―me, Logan, and Jack―with varying degrees of sympathy.

“No,” Ethan said, hugging me to his side. “There has to be another way.”

“We have very limited resources, and two huge armies coming right for us,” Bain spoke in slow measured words, as if addressing a not-very-bright person. “We must use whatever advantages we have.”

Logan and I caught each other’s gazes. Years of silent communication between siblings came in handy now. I could almost read his thought process. He was thinking about the importance of keeping the fighting contained, focused―I could just tell. I’m sure my thoughts were just as transparent to him. He nodded slightly, and I shrugged, lifting an eyebrow.

“It’s okay, Ethan,” I said after a minute, running my hand across his where it rested softly against my waist. “We’ll do it. Bain’s right.”

“We have to use every advantage we have,” Logan said, echoing our creepy host.

“And I’m kind of used to feeling like bait,” Jack grinned. “At least this way, it’s for a good cause.”

Ethan’s stony expression remained, however. “Then I’m going, too.”

“What could you possibly bring to the fight, boy?” Bain sneered.

Ethan drew himself up to his full height, which was still taller than Bain. “I have been a fighter longer than any of you have been alive.” The heavy years of a lonely existence echoed under his words. “I know these enemies. I have fought them before, at the dawn of time and beyond. I won’t hide now.”

A complex mix of emotions at the idea of Ethan standing with us swirled through me. Part of me wanted him as far away from the center as possible to spare him from harm. But another, bigger part of me, perhaps a more selfish part, wanted him near me no matter what. I squeezed his hand to let him know I agreed.

I wanted him close because I wasn’t sure I wanted to live in a world without him.

“And the rest of the town?” I asked, turning my attention back to the map. “What can we do?” I reached out toward the image, letting my fingers rest on what stood for Old Town Square. My job, my apartment, and my friends were all there. It was home, and I wanted to do all I could to protect it. Purple sparks flew from my fingers when I touched the map. I recoiled, but nothing seemed affected.

“That’s where you come in, dear,” Mrs. Alice said. “We can raise special protections for the town, but only if we have all four Guardians present.”

“We don’t have that,” I said, harsher than I’d intended to. It still hurt to think about
him
. He should be the one standing here, making plans. He was stronger than me.

“I know.” Mrs. Alice moved to my side, taking my hand in hers. “He wanted you to take his place, you know,” she said softly. “He believed in you, even if you doubt yourself now. You
can
do this.”

I nodded, miserable. “Just show me what to do.” I squared my shoulders. Whatever they wanted, I could do it. Be it blood sacrifice, or making bargains with demons, or…

Mrs. Alice interrupted my dark thoughts with a laugh. “It’s nothing so serious.” She patted the back of my hand, reading my expression. “We can enact the special protections at dawn. I suggest you get as much rest as possible between now and then. Once we raise them, the barriers between us and the town cannot be easily breached. We’ll effectively be cut off. That’s why, once we end this little session, the rest of us need to call up what forces we can muster. We won’t have the chance to call in reinforcements once the fighting starts.”

At this grim news I nodded, wishing for a moment that I could rewind the clock to the night before, when we’d all been safe in my apartment on the square. I wished I could go back, if only for a few minutes, but knew it wasn’t the best idea. I didn’t want to draw any unneeded attention to the town if I could help it.

“I’ve arranged rooms for all of you,” Bain said.

“You’ll excuse us if we choose to sleep outdoors,” Jacob Eden said.

Bain shrugged. The others continued to argue about everything from sleeping arrangements to battle formations. I found myself losing interest already. Part of me knew I should be paying attention. Should, in fact, be very interested. But I knew I had nothing of substance to add to the discussion. I had no extra help to bring in, and my role in the operation was fairly clear and defined.

Bait. I rolled my eyes and stalked from the house.

The rest of that afternoon and evening, Bain’s property grew busier and busier until it practically hummed with activity. Cassandra disappeared to help her great-grandmother while the rest of us gathered in the room I’d been assigned. We stared out the balcony window to the darkening back yard, which sported a few encampments with fires of their own glowing against the incoming night. Burly shapes moved against the darkness. I thought I recognized swords, axes, and other heavy weapons arming more than a few of the gathering crowd.

From the front window, I could see the porch was packed with people, ducking in and out of the house and spilling out onto the lawn. I recognized a few of them, mostly people who frequented the eclectic businesses on the square. One of them was Dylan, the intern who’d been so kind to me when Logan was in the hospital, along with his twin, the lifeguard that saved me from Dr. Christian. Since I knew they were shifters, I had to assume more of their kind had come to help. There were members of Mr. Markov’s group as well; I thought about asking after him, but I just didn’t think I could take any bad news where he was concerned. Best to focus on the coming battle instead.

The presence of my fellow supernatural citizens made me feel more than a little homesick. They had always known me as the barista from Mr. Markov’s place, rather than as Caspia, the Gifted Nephilim and wannabe Guardian.

I found that I much preferred the former title.

As night wore on and the house and grounds grew still around us, I found myself unable to settle. Ethan absently rubbed the back of my neck and the curve of my spine, hoping to ease me into sleeping, but it wasn’t working. I didn’t want to keep him up, though, so I let my breath slow as I pretended to sleep.

It felt like midnight when the knock came. I didn’t know for certain, of course. Bain’s house seemed to lack clocks of any kind, and my phone had long since died. I’d crept from the bed once I was certain Ethan was asleep, and sat at the very base of the window, looking out at the sliver of moon that showed through the curtains. I didn’t bother to say “come in.” I didn’t have to.

“You look beautiful like that,” Jack said, padding toward me on silent feet. “Your eyes match the moonlight exactly.”

I blinked before he could see the tears in them. “I can’t believe this is it,” I said, pitching my voice soft and low. “This time tomorrow, we could have lost the war.”

“Or won it,” Jack said, dropping to crouch on one knee beside me.

“What chance do you really think we have?”

“Maybe more than you think. I thought maybe we could use tonight to help.” He held out his hand expectantly. “It’s our last chance to gather information, if you guys are really going to close the barriers tomorrow. I thought we could…”

“Spy?” I finished for him, feeling my spirits lift a little in spite of myself. “Do you know how dangerous that could be?” I reached out to take his hand almost in spite of myself. Excitement swelled within me, and wondered briefly if it showed in my moon-bright eyes.

“No more dangerous than remaining ignorant of our enemy’s real strength,” he said, giving me a reassuring squeeze. “And who better to look than you and I? We can defend ourselves if we have to, as long as we stay together.”

I found myself nodding along with his plan. At last―I could be of some real, practical use. Jack led me back to the bed, and patted the empty space beside Ethan. “Do you remember how?” I heard teasing in his voice.

“It’s like riding a bike,” I retorted, rolling onto my side so that my back was toward him.

“As easy as falling asleep,” he whispered, and his warm hand brushed my back through my nightgown.

I had time to think of how nice it felt to be touched there before closing my eyes one final time.

And then opened them to the familiar bluish tinge of the Dreamtime.