The Chosen Knights (Read Prequel--The Angel Knights first) (The Angel Knights Series Book 2) (23 page)

Chapter 28

In the beginning I’d glance at my classmates and wonder what their parents did for a living. I had been curious about each individual student, wanting to know what they did for fun or what they were feeling. But at this point the only question in my mind was whether each person was human or supernatural. And if supernatural, which category—or categories, if mixed blood.

“Lucia.” Vanessa appeared as I closed my locker. “I heard through the grapevine you need to go dress shopping. Would you like to go with me?” She gave me a puppy-dog-eye look, almost pleading.

I’d never gotten to know Vanessa well, but since she’d started being nice to Jack, and she was a Lamia, I didn’t mind being her friend. “Sure. It’s better than going with my uncle.” I snorted.

“Uh, yeah. I sort of have a dress, but one can never be sure until that day,” she sang. “Anyway, if it’s okay with Mr. President, maybe we can go this Saturday. Let me know. See you at lunch.” With that, she took off to find Zach.

The first half of the morning dragged. School wasn’t as fun and exciting as it had been the first week. Perhaps it wasn’t the school; maybe knowing we had to deal with Cyrus soon had put a damper on my spirits. The atmosphere at school had shifted as well. The supernatural beings appeared to be preparing themselves for a possible battle. Hopefully, it wouldn’t get that far.

Everyone seemed to be happier during lunch, laughing, talking, and acting more like themselves. Sitting among our group of friends lightened my mood too, but I couldn’t help eyeing Eli’s empty seat. I wondered where he was, along with his group. Had they ditched school?

About halfway through lunch, Eli and his group of friends came strutting in. The paper bags in their hands weren’t from the cafeteria, so I assumed that they’d gone off campus. Eli paid no attention to me. Even when he passed our table, he titled his head at Zach, but that was all. I was only a few seats away from my brother. Did he not see me? Was it because Abel sat next to me? Brody had waved at me, therefore Eli must have seen me too.

Abel and I were just friends. After he’d found out I was an angel, he knew there couldn’t be anything between us. Ever since then, the flirting had toned down. We were still going to homecoming together, but at this point it wasn’t about having fun. It was about saving lives.

My irritation toward Eli got worse when a parade of giggling girls and some guys trailed behind him and sat around his table. Not that it mattered; we weren’t an item and never would be, but I felt used. He’d kissed me and thrown me away—at least that was how I felt. I needed air. I needed to get my mind clear on the reasons why I was there in the first place. Guys were complicated, and though I’d never been in a relationship before, obviously they were complicated as well.

“I’ll see you later,” I said to Abel before he could ask me where I was going.
I had no idea.

I threw my trash away and headed for the door. Air whisked by me. Looking back to the table, I wondered which supernatural being had used their power. Everyone was still in their same spots. Then
bam!
I gasped as the air left my lungs. I’d smacked right into Eli’s chest. My hands landed right on his hard abs. Before I could bring them down, he grasped both of them. Heat zapped through my hands, traveled up my arms, and then spread to my face.

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

I tried to sound nice, but my tone didn’t come out quite the way I’d imagined, “Not that it’s any of your business, but far away from here. And why are you using your powers? You know the rules.”

He slowly leaned into me, taking every bit of my breath away. I hated when he did that. Unwanted tingles raced through every fiber of my being.

“I made up that rule,” he whispered. “Don’t forget, at least half of our peers are supernatural beings. I think they’ll understand when a guy needs to move at the speed of light so he can catch the girl who wants to slip away.”

“I—” Knowing he could feel my heart drum like I had run a mile, I took a deep breath.

“Can you do me a favor?” he asked.

I pulled back, expecting him to say something smooth, but his face was deadpan. “What is it?”

“I heard you were going dress shopping with Vanessa. Do you think you can take Milani? She doesn’t have many friends, and I don’t think she wants me to take her. I feel bad asking you, but I don’t think anyone is nice enough to be her friend.”

“Doesn’t she have her Elementum friends?”

“Yes, but I don’t trust them. I mean, it’s not like they’re going to hurt her, but I don’t know them well enough to feel comfortable.”

What could I say? In a way I felt privileged that he trusted me. Eli didn’t trust anyone. And he cared enough for Milani to ask me. That said a lot about his character.

“Okay, but I can’t be responsible if she takes off on me. And we’re meeting at the mall this Saturday at ten. Vanessa texted me during lunch.”

He arched a brow. “But you sit at the same table. I don’t get it.”

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. He was right. It seemed as though everyone texted instead of talking, even if they were sitting at the same table.

“I’ll tell Vanessa to be nice, and I’ll make sure Milani is comfortable,” I assured.

“Thanks,” he cooed softly, so softly I felt the sincerity in it. “You’re amazing.”

Dumbfounded, I took a step toward Milani. I needed space. “I’ll go ask her.”

Milani sat in the same spot as usual, only I couldn’t move. My body was yanked back and Eli had his arms around my waist so tight his chest moved against mine. Oh, dizzy...gloriously dizzy. It became worse when his thumb idly caressed the small of my back where my shirt had lifted, and I found my hands on his biceps. They were firm and strong, and I couldn’t believe what I was doing, moving my fingers like his. Oh, he was smooth, and I was falling.

“I didn’t say right this minute, Lucia.” He gave me a sexy smirk, enjoying this way too much. His tone came off playful, and I liked it. “She’ll know I put you up to it.”

“Oh,” was all I could say, hypnotized by his deep brown eyes pulling me into his world. “Then I should go.”

“Where’re you going?”

I didn’t answer, but like an idiot something else flew out of my mouth, “You shouldn’t touch me like that.”

“But I am. And you shouldn’t touch me like that either. A guy can get mixed signals, you know?”

I pulled myself out of my stupor and dropped my hands. “Um. Thanks. I should go.” I had no idea what I had said or why I had thanked him.

“Come with me,” he urged, begging me with his eyes.

Before I could answer, he tugged me out of the cafeteria.

“What are you doing?” I laughed as we ran down the hallway.

“Kidnapping you. You’ve never ditched school before, have you?”

“Nooo. My uncle is going to kill me.”

“There’s always a first.” He wore a wicked grin. “Don’t worry about your uncle. I’ll protect you.”

There were a lot of firsts for me with Eli. “You don’t know my uncle. Where are we going?”

Eli started walking backward, smiling at me and still holding my hand. “Going for a ride on my bike. I know you want to. And your uncle is as goofy as Brody. I just need to find a weak spot with him.” He turned around and I was almost certain we had moved at the speed of light, faster than I’d ever moved before. And I loved every second of it.

Chapter 29

“Here. Put this on.” Eli placed a black helmet on my head and strapped the bottom. Then he wiggled it against my hair. “Seems fine to me.” He got on the bike and put up the kickstand. “Hop on. I promise I’ll give you the ride of your life.”

You
are
the ride of my life, I wanted to say, but didn’t. “You don’t have a helmet?”

“Nah, I really don’t need one. If you fall, you can’t whip out your...you know. But at least I can ditch my bike and become a mere black spot or something in human eyes. I won’t have a scratch on my body.

“Luuucky.” I extended the word. When I got on, Eli guided my arms around his waist. Having his arms on top of mine felt so intimate, and I liked that feeling. He patted them as if to confirm I was actually there. The way our bodies were pressed against each other felt so natural, so right, as if we had done this many times before.

Vroom!
The engine roared and I quivered with excitement. Eli turned sideways to give me a grin. “Ready?”

I didn’t get to respond because he took off. We rode for miles in silence with my head on his back and my body molded to his. Hawaii had breathtaking scenery. I didn’t know the names of the trees and plants we passed, but certainly all the beautiful ones existed there. At one point, we passed a highway lined with trees for miles, sheltering it from the sun and creating a tunnel. Then we came upon a path bearing orchids of different colors.

Besides when I flew, I couldn’t recall feeling peace the way I did at that moment. No wonder he’d chosen the bike instead of a car as his means of transportation. And I could understand his love for his horse. I didn’t know how long it had been, but when we rode on the curve of the path to the mountain, I knew where we were going. I was confident in my sense of direction until we stopped.

Eli helped me off the bike and with the helmet. “Where are we?” I asked. Though I heard the soft sounds of a waterfall, I couldn’t tell where they were coming from. The trees and bushes blocked the view.

“There are many waterfalls in Hawaii, mostly on the Kona side. Some are on the map for the tourists, but other small ones that are difficult to get to from the road are not. This happens to be my favorite. I call it Eli’s Waterfall. To me, this waterfall is mine.” He chuckled, slipping his hand in mine. “Let me take you there.”

I thought we were going to hike up some unpaved road, but instead, in the blink of an eye we were standing on a ginormous boulder, facing a gentle but spectacular waterfall. We were surrounded by a landscape of colorful plants, bushes, and trees. If I could picture paradise, this would be it. Eli was right. It would be difficult to hike here. It was secluded, impossible to find.

“It’s beautiful,” I glanced at the spot where the sun’s rays hit the water, making it glow like Heaven’s light. It was even more marvelous when the light reflected off Eli coming out of the water. When he tossed his head back, I could see every single drop of water splashing around him. Only supernatural beings could see water in motion like that. Wait—Eli had been standing next to me a second ago. Now he was in the water?

“Come in and join me.” He gave me that sexy grin.

I flashed my eyes to the ground. His T-shirt and shorts were by my feet. He had left my sight without me even knowing. He was so sly.

“I don’t have a swimsuit.” I shook my head.

“Neither do I.” He patted the water, trying to tempt me.

“That’s different. You only have one place to cover. I have two.” My face turned red as I said the words.

“Who says I’m covering anything?”

My whole body turned blood red.

Eli continued, “If you don’t come, I’ll carry you myself. It’s your choice. And you know I’ll do it. I’ve done it before.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, but secretly I enjoyed it. Two could play at this game. He’d made me blush, so it was my turn. I didn’t know where this side of me came from, but I slowly and seductively wiggled my shorts down. My T-shirt hung past my thighs, so he couldn’t see my undies. Then just before I crossed my arms to pull up my shirt, I gingerly opened up my wings, taking my time, loving the stretch.

The whole time, Eli’s eyes were glowing with lust and he couldn’t peel them away. He tried to act cool, even though he blushed and looked down at the water at times and then back up again.

Just before I pulled off my shirt, I closed my wings, wrapping myself as if in a cocoon. All he could see was the plush white feathers. When I jumped into the water, he never caught a glimpse.

I came up to see Eli next to me. Then his lips curled, followed by a chuckle. “I didn’t think you had it in you, girl with wings.”

I pushed the water with my hands, making sure to splash some at him. “What do you mean? I can be bold.”

His boisterous laugh echoed around us. It bounced off the boulders where the water streamed down. From the shore, I didn’t have to tilt my head back far to see the top of the waterfall, but in the water, I had to.

“Then why are your wings still covering you like a blanket?” He cocked a brow. “Don’t worry. I won’t look, or touch.” His tone deceived his claim to be innocent.

I let out a soft nervous laugh. “Maybe not
that
bold.” 

Eli swam around me in a swift motion. “I’ll tell you what—if you catch me, I’ll take you to my stable and let you ride my horse.”

His offer tempted me.

Eli’s eyes glistened against the sunlight. “It’s almost like flying, maybe even better,” he coaxed.

“Maybe I’ll let you catch me.” I gave him a wicked smile and dove under.

Eli chased me. We swam from one end to the other. When I floated by the waterfall, he followed. And when I swam up the stream of the waterfall like a fish, against the flow of water, he did the same. We swam to the bottom and even soared out of the water. I couldn’t remember when I’d had so much fun and laughed this hard.

When I didn’t see Eli anymore, I stopped. “Eli,” I called. There was no sign of him. I jumped onto the boulder we were on earlier and saw his clothes were gone. “Eli,” I called louder this time, worried about him. I quickly got dressed and continued to look.

I was pretty sure he was fine, but...something warm and pleasant enclosed me. A thin sheet of black mist appeared under my feet. Starting by my ankles, it coiled around my legs, moved up to my waist, and then twisted from one arm to the other. I tried to touch it with my hands, but it skirted through them. Giggling from the cool sensation and certain it was Eli, I savored him as I felt all of him on every part of me. His entity wrapped around me like my wings could, caressing me, soothing me, enveloping me wholly. I didn’t know where he began and I ended as we melded into each other.

Something bubbled warmly inside my heart, like a little firefly finding its light for the first time, fluttering ever so softly at first, and then dancing inside the small space, wanting to burst out and soar. I was that firefly, and it wasn’t light I’d found. I had found something precious, something hard to describe, and something undeniably right.
Is this what falling in love feels like?
If so, I was in a whole lot of trouble and needed to stop it. But I didn’t suppose this kind of sensation was something you could just turn on and off. Tilting my head back, I let myself go, and allowed Eli to take all of me.

“Lucia,” Eli whispered. Though he was still in demon form, his voice vibrated in my ear, through every sense of my being, slowly breaking me out of my daze.

“Show yourself,” I breathed, dizzy from the amazing feeling.

The mist transformed into Eli right in front of me. Our frenzied hearts drummed as one from his embrace. His hair tickled my face, and I loved the way he smelled. Pulling back, he glided his thumb along my cheek.

“I accept your challenge,” he cooed, still using that soft hypnotic voice. “I believe you’ve been caught. I have you now.”

“Maybe I let you catch me, or maybe I caught you?” I smirked. “I believe I’m going to be riding your horse.”

“It will be her pleasure.” He winked.

“But I should go. My uncle will be worried about me if I’m not there after school.”

“Don’t worry. I texted your brother. I told him you and I were going after a lead.”

I crossed my arms and gave him a challenging stare. “Did you now?”

“I did.”

I willingly surrendered when he reached for my hand. I didn’t think I could ever get used to him holding my hand the way he had been. It felt so natural, as if his hands were meant for me.