Her Demon Prince (Forbidden Fantasy) (25 page)

"You're in
a modern healing center," Galaden said, silver tears streaking his cheeks.
"I thought I'd lost you. You stopped breathing."

"I had the
most terrible dream. Your father ordered my death. I felt it.
The blade across my throat.
I hate that dream. I've had it
over and over again. You disobeyed your father. Your whole body is shuddering,
changing, hardening. You're fighting against your father but you can't
win." She took in a large gulp of air and tears formed in her eyes.
"I don't want us to be parted again. I can't bear it."

"Please,
Rachael, don't distress yourself. Our son, Cassiel, is channeling healing
energy into you.
Relax
,
you need to
heal
. I want to get you out of here." Galaden glanced toward the
foot of her bed. "Your elders have gathered at the foot of the bed."

Rachael glanced
to where he was looking. "I can't see anyone."

"You will
not see them until you are ready to cross over. I have told them to leave, but
they will not do so," Galaden said.

"Don't
worry about it, Rachael. I'm on it. I'll get you better," Cassiel said.
"It's not your time."

She glanced over
to her right to see Cassiel who was seated, his hands hovering over her. His
face was stark with concentration, his mouth a tight line as he worked. Pulses
of white light left his palms and she saw it entering her heart area. She could
sense its
warmth,
feel the unconditional love and
healing that the white light brought with it.

"Make her
whole, Cass. If anyone can do it, you can," Daniel said, beside her bed.

Cassiel shot a
smile at Daniel, then his face turned serious again. "Heavenly energy is
strong. I have to do this slowly. Too much will dissolve her human body and her
soul will be called back to source."

"I am not
ready to let her go. Not yet," Galaden said.

Cassiel shot him
a piercing stare, the depth of understanding in his crystal-blue eyes made them
darken. "What do you mean, 'not yet'? You love Rachael. You're not leaving
her. We love you. You're not leaving us."

"Perhaps it
is not a choice," Galaden said, the tone of his voice flat.

"Don't
block us out," Rachael said, sensing his withdrawal. She pulled the hand
that was holding hers close to her face and examined it. The fingers were the
color of cement. "What is happening to you, my love?"

"Do not
concern yourself with my problems." Galaden's gaze slid away from hers.
Instead he frowned at the persistent beeping noise the monitor was making
behind him and blasted it, causing the front of the machine to blacken and
melt.

Rachael heard a
clattering of footsteps and the nurse dashed into the hospital room.

Galaden, Cassiel
and Daniel faded into the background.

"The alarm
for the heart monitor sounded," the nurse said, her face worried.

Rachael's gaze
flicked over to the monitor. "It started beeping loudly and then the machine
flared."

The nurse gave
the machine an odd look as she strode toward Rachael and took her blood
pressure. "I've never seen one of them do that before. She took off the
electrodes from Rachael's chest, pulled out her drip and put a plaster on the
point where the needle had entered the skin. "You know, this whole case
doesn't make sense to me. Your blood pressure and pulse rate are normal. I
checked your blood work. That's normal too, and there was nothing wrong with
your MRI. Yet, you were in a coma."

Rachael pulled
herself up into a seated position. "I don't really know what went wrong. I
feel fine. I'd like to go home."

The nurse
frowned. "You've had a most unusual recovery. Most coma patients wake up
confused, yet you seem lucid. Your doctor will be in to see you soon. Talk to
him about going home."

"I
will," Rachael said.

"Oh, I
meant to tell you, a friend named Phoebe Larson called and enquired about you.
I didn't transfer the call because you hadn't been awake for long."

"Phoebe
called?" Rachael said. "Oh, thank God."

When the nurse
left the room Galaden, Cassiel and Daniel became corporeal.

Rachael looked
at Galaden. He stared straight at her, his eyes unblinking, the skin on his
face grey like his hands. Something about this state triggered a memory from
her dream. When he'd defied his father in their past life, he'd shuddered and
lost his glow. She remembered his father's words. An angel must obey his maker
or turn to stone. But Galaden's father was long gone. So why was he turning?
Why wouldn't he discuss it with Cassiel?

What was it that
he wouldn't tell her?

Galaden rose,
walked over to the hospital window, his movement jerky and looked out at the
view of New York. His wings flared and silver sparkles glittered in the air of
the hospital room. His hand became a fist and he slammed it against the wall
with a loud bang.

"Father?"
Cassiel said.

Daniel's green
eyes narrowed, a rare frown crossing his handsome face.

Galaden turned
and his wings snapped shut. "Cassiel, is Rachael well enough to
travel?"

"Soon,"
Cassiel said. "Her life-force is nearly fully charged. Even so, humans
don't travel well."

"I get a
feeling you're not talking about me jumping in a cab," Rachael said,
looking from Galaden to Cassiel and Daniel. Something was worrying Galaden, she
knew by the stiffness in his wings and the fury his body barely contained, plus
her psychic senses were starting to pick up.

"He's
thinking about teleporting you," Daniel said. "Cass and I can manage
it together but it makes humans sick. Just for a short while. You might be
better in a cab."

"Do not let
my Rachael suffer. She has been through enough. Cassiel, you and Daniel escort
her home in a modern conveyance. I have something I must attend to,"
Galaden said.

"Wait a
minute. Where are you going?" Rachael asked. "I need to talk to you
about Phoebe. I'm worried about her."

Daniel started
at the mention of his mother's name. "Phoebe is safe."

"Silence!"
Galaden said. "I forbid you both to speak of the vow."

Daniel's jaw
snapped shut, but the expression on his face looked mutinous. "Or what,
Galaden?" he asked, clearly unable to stop himself.

Galaden glared
at Daniel, the expression in his crystal-blue eyes cutting. "I raised you
as my son. I did not expect it to come back and bite me like a scorpion."

"You raised
me to love my mother, to be brave, to be true. Dammit, I strive to be all those
things," Daniel said.

"To whom
will you be true?" Galaden challenged him.

Daniel's
moss-green eyes started to glow a vivid green and his muscles in his arms
bulged as his fists clenched. Sparks flared off his body.

Rachael raised
her hand to her lips. Why was Galaden provoking Daniel?

"So like
your demon father. You are made to betray," Galaden said bitterly.

"Like hell
I am," Daniel said, clearly stung. "I spent thousands of years in the
wasteland dimensions with Cass searching for you. We chased wraiths, wondering
every time we found one whether it was you.
Do you know how
much that hurt, Galaden?
Do you have any idea of what it was like for
him to have his father leave him when the kingdom fell? You raised me like your
son, then when things went bad, you dumped us."

"Stop this.
Now!" Cassiel looked from Daniel to Galaden. He finished his healing,
stood and put his arm around Daniel's shoulders. "We need to talk,
Father."

Galaden's gaze
moved from Cassiel to Daniel, his eyes narrowed with rage. "Angels follow
their maker's orders. They do not discuss. I order you to escort Rachael home.
Guard her until I come."

Cassiel's chin
tilted. "What you are going to do is wrong."

"I have no
choice," Galaden said, his voice hollow. "I made a vow. I order you,
do not follow me to the studio. This is my fight. This time it will be to the
death."

"No!"
Cassiel groaned. "You can't do this, Father. You could die. I only just
found you after all these years."

Daniel threw his
arms around his cousin and hugged him, misery streaking his face.

"Daniel?"
Galaden said.

Daniel's chin
tilted up at the mention of his name, but his mouth was tight as if he didn't
trust himself to speak.

"I thank
you for all that you have done. You are more than a cousin to Cassiel. You are
what a brother should be. Loyal. Good. Brave. You have brought great happiness
to my house. I am not your maker. I cannot order you not to come to the studio,
but I do not want you there. I do not wish you to see two brothers destroying
each other. Despite my harsh words, know I have loved you like a father,"
Cassiel said.

"What's
happening, Galaden? Please tell me," Rachael said. "Don't leave me
here wondering. You know I can't bear secrets between us. Something is
desperately wrong. It's destroying you.
It's
hurting
Cassiel and Daniel."

Galaden's gaze
softened the moment he looked at her. "I sense the demon prince is back in
New York. He has been here for some time. I can feel his energy lingering like
a poisonous stench close by. It is time he met his end."

"What about
Phoebe? He kidnapped her. Where is she?" Rachael asked.

"With the
demon prince in her studio. Do not fear. I will take care of her," Galaden
said.

"That's
what I'm afraid of," Daniel said. "You're asking me the impossible,
by telling me not to come. You know you are. You're making me choose sides.
You're breaking my heart."

Galaden's large
crystal-blue eyes grew sorrowful but he didn't argue with Daniel. "It is
time for the reckoning." With that, he vanished in front of Rachael's eyes
before she could ask him anything else.

"Why did
Agrat and Phoebe come back to New York?" Cassiel groaned. "Daniel,
didn't you tell your parents to stay put in Hawaii?"

"Phoebe was
in Hawaii?" Rachael asked. "I don't understand."

"Dan and I
have a house there," Cassiel explained. "It's a special place on
earth. No demons of the evil kind can go there and Galaden doesn't know that we
have it. Agrat and Phoebe were safe there."

"The prince
kidnapped Phoebe and took her to a place near Salem. The energy's fantastic
there for elemental demons. When you were in the coma, Galaden sent Snarcus,
the head of his demon army after the prince. Agrat was out for the count.
Injured. Bad. So I transferred Phoebe and Agrat to our place in Hawaii so Agrat
could heal. I told Phoebe our house was protected, that Galaden wouldn't find
them there unless he forced Cassiel to tell him where they were," Daniel
explained. "Dammit, Cass. Why did they come back to New York?"

"Talk about
wayward parents," Cassiel said.

"Wait.
You're going too fast for me. Phoebe is terrified of the demon. When I was last
with her in the studio, Agrat kidnapped her," Rachael said, trying to
clarify what the hell was going on. Cassiel and Daniel didn't seem to be
remotely concerned that they'd left Phoebe with Agrat.

"That's
because she didn't recognize the prince at first," Daniel said. "She
loves my father. Agrat married Phoebe in her past life, but the old king
forbade it. Phoebe was the old king's concubine. He punished Agrat by turning
him to stone. Phoebe's memories must have come back because she was tending to
the prince in Hawaii when he was injured after Galaden sent his demon army to
kill him in Salem. Man, the prince fought off those demons. He's a fantastic
warrior."

Cassiel raised
one perfect eyebrow. "Yeah, I noticed that about you elementals.
Fierce to the core.
You love a good fight."

"Depends on
who is fighting." Daniel gripped Cassiel's arm. "You can't let
Galaden fight my father. I know he betrayed him by arresting Rachael in her
past life but he was obeying the old king's orders. He had to do it. One of
them will be killed. You have to stop him. He might listen to you."

"I want to,
but when I think of stopping him my whole body starts to shudder. I can't force
him not to fight and Galaden knows it," Cassiel said, his voice
distressed. "I hate this whole maker power trip he uses on me."

"It
sucks," Daniel agreed.

"Wait a
minute," Rachael said. "Daniel, you said Agrat arrested me in my past
life and took me before the king."

"It
destroyed the brothers' relationship. Galaden vowed to kill Agrat for it,"
Daniel said.

"Oh God,
Galaden's making a terrible error," Phoebe said. "Galaden has got it
wrong. The man who arrested me was not Agrat. He was dressed like him but it
wasn't him. He wasn't even human. Whoever it was wore a helmet and I couldn't
see his face, but his eyes burned with fire and his hands were claw-like
talons. His blade was a horrible curled thing, not like the dagger Agrat
carries. I can still feel it across my neck." She crossed her arms around
herself and shuddered.