Redemption (6 page)

I sigh. “Of course they are.”
I swear to
all that is holy, nothing surprises me anymore.

“I told you before, love, things aren’t
always what they seem. You need to learn to understand realms. You
have gifts. Use them,” he scolds.

“I can’t believe leprechauns are evil,” I
retort, ignoring his jab.

Gage chuckles. “I can’t believe you didn’t
know they were.”

“Well, how would I know? I thought they
produced rainbows and pots of gold,” I argue.

“They create beautiful things to lure you
into dark behavior like greed and stealing.”

“I suppose when you spin it like that, it
makes sense.” I huff. “Pretty sure I’m never going to look at
rainbows the same way again.”

The side of Gage’s mouth lifts. “We need to
get moving. You up for flying with me?”

“Flying?” Flying is something I’ve only done
once with Asher, when he saved me from Deacon. Trepidation begins
to run through my veins. This feels intimate. Something I should be
doing with Asher, not Gage. It’s unsettling.

“Don’t tell me the daughter of Heaven is
afraid of heights,” Gage teases playfully.

I swallow. Hard. “No. Not of heights.”
You…definitely.

“All right, then come over here.” He motions
for me to move closer.

Pushing away my anxiety, I move toward the
sexy gargoyle whose wings have expanded.

Gage drops his voice. “You okay, love?”

“Fine.”

“Still don’t trust me?” he asks in a quiet
tone.

My eyes lift and lock onto his. “Working on
it.”

He reaches for both my hands. Once in his
grasp, Gage tugs me closer so our chests are touching. Without
releasing my gaze, he lifts our interlocked hands behind his neck
and repositions mine so they’re clasped together. Very slowly, he
drops his arms, allowing his fingers to graze the skin on mine as
his find their way to my waist, pulling me taut to him.

“Don’t let go, love.” The command is a soft
murmur. “This is going to be a fast ride.”

I nod my head and hold on tighter, closing
my eyes. Gage moves even closer and leans into my ear. “Trust me,”
he requests and rapidly shoots us up into the air.

Seconds later, my running shoes touch down
on soft grass and I pop my eyes open. Relief floods through me. I
step away from Gage to steady my body, grateful to be on solid
ground.

He offers a hollow smile before tilting his
head toward a path. “We have a small walk to get to the sacred
pools. There we’ll find the gateway back to the earth realm.”

“Okay,” I say and follow along, my leg
feeling less and less ache. “Why can’t you just teleport us
back?”

Gage faces forward, continuing to walk at a
fast pace. “Certain realms allow supernatural powers over others.
The Land of the Leprechauns is protected by the Dark Army therefore
anyone who’s not associated with Hell can’t fully use their powers
here. That rules out my teleport gift. Wouldn’t matter anyway. I
can only use it within realms, not across dimensions.”

“Why am I able to realm jump to the Kingdom
of the Fae and Eternal Forest?” I press.

“Your bloodline permits you into the Fae
Kingdom because it is protected by Heaven. As for the Eternal
Forest, love, neither Heaven nor Hell protect it. It’s Switzerland,
if you will. Neutral on all matters of religion, politics, and
supernatural species. Which is why, I’m guessing, you needed to
stone state with the dark prince to get there.”

“I don’t understand.”

Gage stops and turns to me. “You and the
dark prince possess light and dark bloodlines. Combined, you can
enter any dimension or realm. Alone, you can only jump to realms
that match your bloodline.”

I ponder what he has said for a moment. “How
do you know about Asher’s bloodline?”

“They must get off on keeping you in the
dark, don’t they, love?” Gage sighs.

“Enlighten me then,” I suggest as we
continue through dense woods.

“When we get back, I’ll introduce you to a
friend of mine. He’ll be able to shed some light on Asher’s
bloodline. He’ll be more informative than the St. Michaels have
been.”

I snort. “This information, will be provided
out of the goodness of your heart, right?”

“Believe it or not, love, my extension of
these olive branches are my way of showing you I can be trusted. By
the way, snorting is extremely lady-like,” he adds.

“Why is it so important to you that I trust
you?”

Gage stops walking, turns, and scans the
area behind me. “I don’t know. Maybe on some level, you remind me
of Camilla. Or perhaps it’s because I know how this world works,
the cruelty of it. Regardless of what you think, or where my
alliances lie, I believe in free will. I see what they’re doing and
I disagree with their methods. No one should be used as a pawn in
someone else’s war. If this realm has taught you nothing else
today, take this away. Nothing and no one are ever what they
seem.”

“Does that include you?”

“Especially me, love.”

“Then I’ll watch my step.”

Gage just studies me for a moment before
motioning behind him. “We shouldn’t stand here any longer. Let’s
keep moving. I’m sure the clan is having a coronary waiting for
you.”

We continue to walk along the woodland path
in silence toward the sound of waterfalls. If this realm wasn’t
filled with angry little leprechauns that wanted me dead, I might
actually be inclined to explore it. I guess even amongst evil,
there is beauty.

After a while, Gage and I come up to a large
mountain. Cut in the middle of it are stunning waterfalls. The
clear liquid cascades elegantly off the glistening rocks. Sunlight
filters through the center of the peak, beaming off the crystal
water. The foothill’s damp stones are covered with low trees and
vegetation.

There are five waterfalls descending off the
rock formation. At the bottom of each, small pools of water
collect. It’s breathtaking. The silent way the water falls, gently
gathering into the waiting body of water.

“These are the sacred pools. Our gateway
back to the earth realm,” Gage explains.

“Sacred pools? I thought this kingdom is
ruled by the Dark Army?”

“It’s a stipulation of the peace treaty.
Where there is dark, there must also be light. A balance. Even the
malevolent realms must have a Heavenly presence and vice
versa.”

“Sounds fair to me.”

“You up for a swim?” Gage asks, nodding
again to my sore knee. “It’s the only way to get back, love.”

“Yep, anything to return. How do we do
this?”

Before Gage can answer me, there is a
rustling in the trees. Without warning, thousands of tiny purgio
begin flying toward us.

“Shit,” Gage says while unfurling his wings
and folding me in them, protectively.

Even though I’m pressed against his heart,
all I can hear is the whooshing of the tiny daggers, followed by
soft grunts as each one strikes Gage.

In an instant, Gage teleports us to the top
of the pools, and without warning, we’re plunging toward one of the
bodies of water. I close my eyes, praying that he knows which one
is the portal. Trusting in him.

The next moment, we both land on a hard
surface. Gage flips so I rest on top of him as he takes the brunt
of the impact. Grunting from the collision with the ground, he
releases me. I manage to ungracefully roll off of him and sit up on
the dirt running path.

“By the grace, blood of Eden!”
Guess
we’re back.
I turn to McKenna’s anxious face.

“Missed you too, cupcake,” I throw out while
attempting to stand.

McKenna narrows her eyes and then yanks me,
none-too-gently, on my feet. Keegan extends his hand to Gage,
assisting him before scanning the gargoyle’s body.

“Purgio? The gateway was to the Land of The
Leprechauns?” Keegan asks.

“That’d be the realm,” Gage offers, his face
slightly pained.

“Let’s get you back to the manor. We’ll
remove the daggers and get some salve on the wounds so you can
begin to heal,” Keegan offers.

Keegan gives Gage an austere expression
before turning to me. “Are you alright, Eve?”

My eyes move from Keegan to Gage. “Fine.
Just a little shaken up.”

Gage nods to me with appreciation at my
omission of the knee injury.

“Let’s get you and the traitor to the manor
before Abby calls me again,” McKenna barks.

When we return, Callan is pacing by the door
like a worried parent. As soon as I enter the house, Abby screeches
into her cell phone.

“She’s back. Yes, unharmed.” She sighs in
annoyance before hanging up and pinning me with a relieved
stare.

Gage and Keegan move around us toward the
kitchen but my focus is on Abby. I watch her every movement,
knowing that Asher was on the other side of that call.

“By the grace, cutie. You have a death
wish,” Callan admonishes as he embraces me.

“Were you speaking to Asher?” I ask Abby
over Callan’s shoulder.

Her eyes drop to her feet and she goes
still. My heart plunges, knowing she was.

“Were you?” I ask again, forcing myself out
of Callan’s hug.

Abby’s face morphs into an,
I’m-sorry-but-I-can’t-tell-you
expression.

“I’m going to go check on Gage.” I try to
move but Abby’s tiny voice stops me.

“Ash just wanted to know that you’re okay,”
she whispers to my back.

“Then he should be here himself to witness
that I am,” I throw over my shoulder.

When I finally make my way into the kitchen,
I notice Keegan pulling out the last of the small daggers from
Gage’s sagging wings. There must be thousands of the tiny weapons
in a bowl on the counter. I watch Keegan apply the balm to each
bleeding pinprick. Gage doesn’t even flinch, just fiddles with his
unlit cigarette.
God, that has to hurt.

“Are you okay?” I ask, wincing at the
scene.

“Yeah. There were just a lot of them. I’ll
be healed in no time.” Gage offers a tight smile.

I clear my throat. “Thanks for coming in
after me and um…protecting me.”

“Next time, like Keegan did, I’ll be sure to
warn you BEFORE you step in and fall, love,” Gage says.

“You knew the portal was there,” Keegan
accuses. “Why didn’t you stop her?”

“She needs to learn to be more careful. On
her own, without someone telling her every five minutes that she’s
in danger. How do you expect her to survive by herself if you all
keep babying her?” Gage retorts. “The clan should have trained her
properly on gateways.”

“We’re protecting her OUR way. You’d do well
to remember the oath you recently took to do the same,” Keegan
barks, throwing the ointment jar on the counter and storming
out.

“You knew I was about to step into it?” I
cross my arms. “And you just let me fall?”

Gage throws his cigarette on the counter
before giving me a pointed glance. “Eve, you need to discover these
things on your own. How on earth are you going to stay alive if you
are unaware of the supernatural dangers you’re facing?”

“Screw you, Gage,” I spit out then turn to
leave.

With lightning speed, Gage is in front of
me, holding my upper arms. “Are you even taking the ascension
seriously? From my standpoint, you are no better off than you were
months ago. You’re a liability to the St. Michaels. No wonder they
keep failing at protecting you. You can’t even protect yourself,
love.”

I shake out of Gage’s grip. “You know
nothing.”

Gage takes a menacing step toward me. “I
know this. There is a war on the horizon, between Heaven and Hell.
You’re the monkey in the middle. These are not cartoon characters,
love. They are real supernatural beings with the power to destroy
the world. It’s time you face this, head on.”

“I HAVE!” I shout.

He shakes his head. “No. You’ve been play
fighting and falling in love with someone you shouldn’t be. There
is real danger coming. If you don’t want to end up like Camilla, I
suggest you get your head on straight. Otherwise, that death wish
that Callan seems to think you have won’t be a wish at all.”

“Is that a threat?” My voice is low and
throaty.

“It’s a warning,” he challenges before
leaving the room.

5
Homecoming

The briny fresh air infiltrates my lungs. The
ocean scent allows me to finally breathe after what feels like
weeks of suffocation. I inhale deeply as my eyes flutter shut. My
body soaks up the spring sunshine. The crashing of waves into the
shoreline lulls me into a peaceful calm. For a brief moment, I
pretend that I’m normal and enjoying the earthly benefits of being
alive.

Strong arms wrap tightly around my waist and
tug me back to a warm, muscular chest. Asher lifts his hand and
moves my hair to one side, over my shoulder, so he can have access
to my neck. I tilt my head to the right, making it easy for his
lips to gently brush the sensitive skin under my left ear before
leaving a trail of soft kisses.

“Someday, when this is all over, I promise
you’ll have the peace you’re craving. It will be just me and you,
siren,” he vows quietly.

I sigh in contentment. “That’s all I want,
Ash.”

“Then I’ll move Heaven and earth to make
sure you get it.”

I turn to face him and push up on my
tiptoes. Leaning in, I give him a slow, molten kiss. I push
everything I feel for him into the gesture. I want to fill every
space of his soul, the way he does mine.

It’s like I’m trying to climb inside his
heart and live there. I’m not sure how long we stay like this, in
our own private, perfect moment, but I never want to leave.

Breathlessly, I pull away. My eyes find
Asher’s. “What is it you want the most?”

Asher’s intense gaze holds mine, taking my
breath away. “Redemption.”