The Chosen Knights (Read Prequel--The Angel Knights first) (The Angel Knights Series Book 2) (20 page)

I gasped and managed to sit up. Eli stood in front of me in his usual protective stance. “Eli, what’s going on? Why aren’t they attacking us?”

He waited a few seconds, taking in the phenomenon. “They know we’re here, but they can’t see us.”

“Why? What happened?” Eli helped me to stand. We both turned in a complete circle to see the demons floating in the mist, just waiting. Then we found out why.

A man appeared a short distance away. He made his presence known when the trees in his way fell as if a giant had knocked them down. With each impact, we bounced off the ground. I waited to see what Eli would do next.

The tall man, who I knew then to be a demon, possessed broad shoulders and a dark presence that would make anyone fearful. Everything about him was dark—from his hair, to his eyes, to the clothing he wore, and especially the massive black wings that were open and just as big as an archangel’s. They were beautiful, but at the same time he was death and evil. He made his grand entrance and folded his wings to close them.

The demon twirled a dagger in the air, caught it, and gripped it tightly in his hand. It wasn’t a normal dagger. It was made of wood but had a steel handle. “Eli, I know you’re here. Come with me and no harm will come to your friend,” a deep menacing voice said. The man waited for a second for Eli to respond, but when there was none forthcoming, he spoke again, “Your mother taught you well. You can’t hide from me forever. Forever isn’t that long for beings like us. Bring me the page you are looking for by Friday the thirteenth and no harm will come to the humans at the dance. Meet me at the football field by eleven. It’s in your hands, my boy.”

The demon casually strolled away while his black cape swayed with the rhythm of his steps. When he raised his hands, all the black mists floated to him. One by one they melted into him, entering his body.

“Who was that?” I asked when he was gone, still trying to process what had just happened.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Eli tightened his fists. “That was Cyrus. You just saw the epitome of evil. The lord of the Possessor demons.”

“Oh.” I gulped a big breath in relief that he was gone. Feeling uncomfortable in the wet clothes, I gradually opened up my wings, allowing feather after feather to expand to air them out. Eli’s eyes widened as he watched me fan them once, twice, and then my clothes were dry and good as new, except for the two long slits at the back where my wings had punctured my shirt. Folding my wings away, I asked, “Why couldn’t he see us?” 

Eli tugged on the leather cord at his neck and showed me the pendant. It was the first time I’d seen it. A sunray design was etched in a circular crystal. It shimmered against the light, glistening with the colors it captured. Something else captured my eye—Eli’s white shirt which clung to every curve of his body. I wasn’t sure which one was more captivating.

“Before my mother passed away, she gave me this necklace that had belonged to her friend who was killed by Vince. She showed me how to use it and told me how powerful it could be, but said I had to be careful. It was only to be used when absolutely necessary because it becomes so depleted of energy, it needs time to build up strength again. Cyrus is drawn to that power. He will know where I am when I use it. Milani has one too.”

“It’s beautiful.” I breathed. How this pendant, which was the size of his thumb, could give off so much light was unfathomable.

“Isn’t it?” Eli agreed, staring intensely at me while taking a step toward me.

My heart pounded mercilessly from his words. A hint of playfulness was behind his tone, especially since he wasn’t staring at his pendant but directly at me.

“Umm.” My face flushed. I changed the subject. “We need to get back to our friends. They’re worried about us, and they might need our help.”

He took another step, followed by my backward step. We continued that way for several steps more until I bumped into a tree.

“They’ll be fine,” he said. “Time stands still when we astral travel. It sounds strange, but we could be here for days, and only seconds will have passed in the present.” Eli stood before me with hunger in his eyes. The nearness of his six-foot-plus strong and masculine body caused fluttering feelings to erupt in my stomach.

“What are you, Eli?” I tried to break whatever was happening between us because God help me, I was falling.

Eli cupped my face tenderly with the palms of his hands. With his eyes deeply set on me, I imagined he could see right through my soul. “I am...everything,” he answered softly but sternly. Then he paused to brush his lips ever so gently on mine. “And you...are my girl with wings.” I was frozen in place, as stiff as the tree trunk supporting my back. The only thing that moved was my chest and my heart racing at the same speed as his. Just before he crushed his lips onto mine, he said in somber tone, “You will be the destruction of me.”

Chapter 24

Darkness surrounded me. I didn’t know if I was dizzy from his kiss or if we were astral traveling. When light appeared, I opened my eyes to see a small house with a stable nearby. Horses roamed about inside a gated fence.

Eli was standing by a black horse. You could see how much he cared for it by the way he handled the horse, stroking its mane and speaking to it as if it understood.

When I sensed a hand touch my shoulder, I turned to see Eli. Then I spun around to where I had seen him a few seconds ago, and sure enough he was there too. It dawned on me we had astral traveled forward in time. It also dawned on me that the clouds beyond the house were the ones Eli and I had been on a couple of days ago. Turning my head back to the house and the stable, I realized the stable was the same one from before, but I couldn’t recall a house being there.

“I don’t know why we’re here. I didn’t bring us here.” He looked troubled, angling his brows together. “Since you know what a freak I am, you might as well know the rest of me. Come.”

I followed him and stopped when he paused and turned around to reach for my hand. I didn’t protest. His touch always gave me comfort and security. It was strange to see another version of Eli tending to his horses while he was still there with me.

A lady wearing a long lavender dress came rushing out of the house. She moved elegantly, and with my angel senses I could tell she was pretty. I realized the lady was Ikelia. She was his mother for sure. Oddly, she wore pastel colors, more like a mother than an assassin. Not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable, I didn’t say anything. Eli was sharing this secret with me, but not really by choice.

His grip tightened on my hand when Ikelia caressed her son’s face and embraced him. I noted his expression as he watched the loving affection between his mother and his past self. His pain was evident. How badly I wanted to take the torment away, but I didn’t know what to do.

Angels were taught the appropriate words to say in situations like this, but words didn’t seem enough, so I gently stroked his hand with my thumb to let him know I was there for him. He gazed down at our intertwined hands and looked up at me with a warm, penetrating smile as if to say thank you. Then he gingerly caressed my hand. I wished he hadn’t done that; it made me feel the things I didn’t want to feel.

I knew our level of friendship had deepened and this incredible connection between us would be my destruction, and of my own doing. Everything I had been taught about attachments had flown out the window. When it came to Eli, I had broken most of the rules.

Shifting my attention, I saw Ikelia place a necklace around past Eli’s neck and whisper something in his ear. Past Eli seemed worried, holding on to the pendant I assumed was the same one he wore now.

“Why didn’t you tell me Ikelia was your mother?” I asked gently, trying not to upset him.

“It’s not your concern. Why would I want to share my most painful memory with you? What you are about to witness will be branded on your soul. You will never forget today, just as I can’t. I didn’t want you to see this, but Cyrus has somehow altered my travel. I keep coming back to see if there is anything I can do to change it.”

“I thought you said you shouldn’t change the past.”

“That was what I was taught by my mother. However, if I could bring her back, it would be worth the risk.”

“What will I see?” I tugged at his shirt when he ignored me. His eyes were rooted to the conversation between his mother and his past self. His facial muscles tensed as if preparing for something dreadful.

“If only I could have predicted,” he said, “I could have helped her. I could have stopped...used the necklace to stop her from blocking me in.”

Ikelia ran away, breaking our conversation.

“What’s going on, Mother?” Past Eli started to follow her.

“Stay right there, Eli. Stay with the horses. Whatever happens, you stay with the horses. Do you understand?”

Eli didn’t listen. He started to trail behind her until he was pushed back by Ikelia’s magic. Her arm was raised in his direction, and she was speaking in a language I didn’t understand. The light of his necklace glowed, just enough to sparkle, but not bright enough to blind him. Then a second light glowed. Did he have two necklaces?

When she lowered her arm, she was thrown across the field. Eli tried to get to her, but it seemed as though there was a shield around him. He couldn’t get out, and whatever he was shouting remained in the protective bubble.

Black mists appeared and then large black wings followed. When his wings creased to close, his black cape danced with the wind. A being I didn’t recognize at first stood tall in front of her with that arrogant smirk. Then it struck me who he was. No one could mistake those horrifying wings.

“Where is the boy, Ikelia? Give me the boy, and I’ll let you live.”

Ikelia stood up, placed her arms out again, and created a tunnel of wind around him. “Go to hell, Cyrus. You’re not getting my boy. He’s gone. You’ll never find him.”

Cyrus let out a boisterous evil laugh. “You have no idea of the power I possess, my little witch. You have forgotten over the years.” He reached out his hand and magically dragged her to him.

Present Eli almost made a jump for him, but I prevented him from moving. “You can’t change the past, Eli,” I reminded him. “He could kill you right now. Then what? You said you keep coming back here; you want to save your mother. What if Cyrus kills you instead?”

We both shifted our attention back to the forefront. Cyrus had a grip on Ikelia’s throat. “For the last time, where is the boy?” he roared. With his other hand, he willed his sword from behind his back.

Ikelia managed to raise her fingers with much effort, just enough. A pitchfork near where we stood went flying through the air, smack into the middle of Cyrus’s back. He released his hold on her and fell to his knees. At the same time, the sword skidded across the dirt. When Ikelia extended her arm, the sword flew into her hand.

“You’re not worthy of this sword, Cyrus. You didn’t earn it. You killed an innocent knight.”

“You’re going to pay for that,” Cyrus muttered in pain under his breath.

As expected, no blood appeared on his body where the pitchfork had stabbed him. Not even black liquid spilled from the wound. With a twitch of Cyrus’s finger, the pitchfork flew out of his back and swung around like a boomerang. Before it could contact Ikelia, she managed to block it with Cyrus’s sword and set it ablaze. But she didn’t see the one behind her.

When the pitchfork penetrated Ikelia’s chest, she dropped to the ground. She mumbled a few words over the sword, and then with one last effort she flung it to Eli. It melted into the bubble of the protective shield. We knew what had happened, but Cyrus didn’t. That’s how he’d gotten the sword.

“Where did it go?” he shrieked, unable to see the sword. Cyrus raced to Ikelia. “You stupid fool.” He took out the same wooden dagger he’d had in the forest. He waited a few seconds to assess Ikelia, and apparently decided not to use it since he then slipped it back into his cape.

Blood oozed from her wound and streamed from her mouth. Cyrus pulled out the pitchfork, got down on the ground next to her, and unexpectedly held her in his arms as if he were mourning. When he opened his mouth to the sky, shadows of demons escaped and a piercing sound boomed. The demons returned, flew into her body, and then into his by his command. As he raised his hand toward the house, it burst into flames in a fiery explosion. This explained why no house had been there in the present time.

I threw myself at present-day Eli and held him tightly for two reasons: one, so he wouldn’t jump in, and two, it was too much for him to see his mother die in front of him. How many times had he come here and seen his mother die? And how many times had he attempted to jump in and kill Cyrus?

The past Eli punched, kicked, and screamed behind the barrier, but it wouldn’t break. Realizing there was nothing he could do, he slid down, looking hopeless and in agony.

“I’m going to kill him if it’s the last thing I do,” present-day Eli sneered through gritted teeth. “Cyrus somehow brought me back here to remind me this would happen to everyone I care about.”

“I’m so sorry, Eli.” I tried to comfort him. His body shook under my embrace, trembling with grief and sadness. He let out a loud, somber moan through my shirt and gripped me tighter, as if somehow he needed to be inside me, to hide there to be safe. Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart ached for his loss.

I didn’t know what it felt like to lose a loved one, but I sort of understood. And I didn’t ever want to feel this depth of pain again. It ate away at him and took the life from his soul. It was no wonder he acted like nothing mattered to him, except for the two friends he trusted, Brody and Milani.

Eli backed away, blinking his eyes to stop the tears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to see this. Once we find the page, I’m going to leave the team. I’m going to have to find a way to stop him, alone.”

“You can’t, Eli,” I begged. “What about Brody and Milani? They need you, and you need them too. They are your truest friends. You will crush their spirits.”

“Better to crush their spirits than have Cyrus kill them.”

“But that’s not fair. You’ve been friends for a long time. Is that why you keep your distance from Abel too?”

“Abel and I are complicated.”

Eli dabbed my tear with his thumb. “My girl with wings, do not be sad for me. I’m not worth your effort...I’m damned.”

I shoved his hand away. “Why do you say that? We all have flaws. We’re all damned the second we are born. It’s what we do to prove our worth, to prove we deserve salvation, that matters.”

“Some of us don’t have that choice.”

“I don’t understand.” My tone went up a notch and then I realized I would get nowhere with him on this topic.

“You don’t need to. Some things are just the way they are.” His expression changed to one of determination.

I changed the subject, desperate to know what his mother had done before she flung the sword to him. “What did your mother do to your sword? Did she put a spell on it? I heard her say something.”

Eli released a sigh. “A curse is more like it. That sword will be mine forever. No one can take it away from me. And if they do, they won’t be able to use it. It’s the reason why it came back to me when I tossed it into the clouds.”

“Oh,” was all I could say. “Why didn’t your mother use her necklace to help herself against Cyrus?”

“Cyrus is too strong. The necklace won’t hurt him the way it did Vince, if you can recall the first time we astral traveled. But it can create a protective barrier against him. I already had mine on. She gave me hers too, just before Cyrus showed up. I’m not sure how she knew he was coming. My mom could see the future but it’s hazy. I just don’t understand what went wrong. I guess I never will.”

I thought I had imagined seeing two lights, but it wasn’t my imagination. “Sometimes there are no answers.”

“Anyway, it’s time to get that page.” Eli broke my thoughts.

“We need to get my uncle and—” I started to say when he placed his hands on me and we were out of there. I hated when he did that without warning me first.