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“I’m always in trouble,” she joked, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes that disturbed me. There was something about this woman that just pulled me in. She was clearly strong and capable, and yet she seemed so fragile, as if one touch could shatter her to pieces. I lifted my other hand and cupped her face, running my thumb across her soft cheek. Her eyes widened, and I realized I went too far, but then I felt the slightest pressure as she leaned into my palm. My gaze dropped to her soft pink lips, and before I knew it, I was lowering my face to hers. Her eyes closed...
A loud bark broke the silence, and something solid and furry collided with my leg. I staggered back, as did Dylan, her face flushing red again before she dropped to her knees with a cry of joy. “Jess! Oh Jess, you’re okay! Thank goodness!” She threw her arms around the aging dog but was rewarded with slight yelp. “She’s hurt!”
I crouched down and ran my hand over the dog’s fur. I pulled away when I found something wet and sticky and looked at the red blood smeared on my fingers.
“She is, but I don’t think it’s too deep—”
“Dylan!” At her father’s roar, Dylan jumped to her feet. Her face paled, and she looked down at the dog with such a pained expression, my heart broke for her. I slid my hands under the dog and gently lifted her into my arms.
“Go,” I said to Dylan. “I’ll take her to the barn and look after her. She’ll be fine, it doesn’t look life threatening.”
She smiled gratefully before she turned and flew up the steps to the house. Something wasn’t right here, and I was beginning to suspect what. I glanced down at the dog. “Well, girl. Let’s make you more comfortable.”
FIVE
DYLAN
I rushed around the room, preparing a large sandwich and some chips for my father. I could hear the blare of the TV in the front room and the occasional impatient sigh, but for once the pounding in my heart had nothing to do with how much I was rushing and the consequences of keeping him waiting. All I could think of was the feeling of Ade’s arms around me and the way he’d looked down at me. Oh my goodness... Would he have... We almost—no, I was reading too much into it. I grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and twisted off the top. What on earth was I doing? I’d only known these guys for a few hours, and I was acting like some cat in heat! I needed to get a grip, no matter how much fireflies danced in my stomach when he looked at me.
I picked up the plate, beer, and bag of chips and headed into the sitting room.
“About time,” my father grumbled as I laid the plate on the coffee table in front of him and passed him the beer. He took a long drink and smiled at me. I relaxed a little as he slammed the rest back.
“You look thirsty, Father. Shall I get you another?”
“Yes, yes, another would be great.” I dashed back to the kitchen. He seemed to be in a good mood, and I didn’t want to annoy him by being slow. He reached out and took the second bottle from me, twisting the cap off himself.
“You’re a good girl, Dylan,” he murmured, taking a sip. I raised my eyebrows, knowing he couldn’t see my face, and waited for him to continue. “You take care of me, and I appreciate that, but others might not appreciate you the way I do. Those men out there...”
“Angels,” I corrected quietly.
He nodded. “Angels, yes. Angels, but still... I don’t think they are the sinless beings we were taught.”
“Why do you say that?” I inquired, sitting down next to him, a heavy weight of fear dropping into my stomach at the thought he might have seen Ade’s arms around me.
“Just things the guys have been talking about in the bar, things that have been seen and been done... by angels.” His eyes moved from the screen to fix on mine. For once, I didn’t feel afraid of him because I could see the worry in his eyes. “Promise me you’ll be careful around them, Dylan. Don’t trust them, even for a moment. They aren’t like us. They aren’t human. And if they do anything... odd... you tell me, girl. You understand?” I nodded. His hand shot out and fastened around my throat, his fingers digging into my skin and cutting off my air. I didn’t react. I knew better than to do that. I forced my arms to hang limply at my sides as I waited for him to release me when he decided to.
“I mean it, girl. Watch them closely. Information on them could be valuable to the right people. Get friendly with them, get them to trust you, and we’ll come out of this just fine.” I gave a barely perceptible nod, and he let go of my throat. I sucked in a breath and got up. “I’ll watch them, Father, but I don’t think there’s anything about them that will be valuable.”
He rolled his eyes at my stupidity. “You don’t know who would pay good money just to know they are here. Maybe those hellion things work for someone high up. Maybe there are human scientists who’d love to look inside the wounds of that injured one. Got to think smart, my girl.” He turned back to the TV and fell silent, gulping down his second beer. I moved quietly into the kitchen and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes and wrapping my fingers softly around my neck. I really hoped it wouldn’t bruise, it was too warm for turtlenecks.
“Something wrong?” A voice at the back door made me jump, and I looked up to see Eleth staring at me from the open doorway. He’d cleaned up and changed since I’d seen him last. He looked strange in a plaid shirt and jeans. The shirt was clearly a little too tight for him, as he’d only done it up halfway, the buttons refusing to meet over the broad expanse of his golden chest, and I could see his well-defined muscles clearly. I swallowed and looked up to meet his golden eyes.
“Um, no, nothing’s wrong. I was just going to make some sandwiches and bring them down. I’ll need to change Remiel’s dressing too.”Remember the getting a grip and not staring part?I reminded myself silently as he moved into the kitchen. I glanced back through the kitchen door to where the TV was still blaring. I could hear my father shouting at the team on the screen, and I closed the kitchen door so he wouldn’t hear us. I moved over to the fridge to pull out more supplies for sandwiches and made a mental note to pick up some more from the store in town. Guys their size would probably go through a lot of food. I frowned, thinking of the food bill. Father wouldn’t be happy about the cost...
“Here, let me help,” Eleth said. He reached over and took the food from my arms, setting it out on the table. I packed a basket with plates, napkins, and some cans of soda and another thermos of coffee while he set about making sandwiches. I cocked my head and watched for a moment, amused by the idea that an angel was standing in my kitchen making sandwiches. He must have sensed me watching, because he looked over and smiled at me. The fireflies in my belly decided to hold an impromptu rave, and I managed a shy smile back while blushing the color of the tomato he was slicing.
We carried on that way a little longer, making sandwiches and sharing shy smiles when our eyes met, but not really talking. I had a thousand questions, but I was aware of my father just down the hall, and I didn’t feel comfortable, thinking he might be listening in. We were just packing the last of the sandwiches into the basket when Jophiel burst through the door. He looked around until he found me and darted forward, grabbing my hand.
“Can you come? It’s Remiel. Something’s wrong!”
I glanced back at Eleth who grabbed the basket. “I’ll follow, you two go on.”
I ran out of the kitchen, grabbing my medical kit from the bench near the back door. I wasn’t short, but Jophiel’s legs were longer than mine, and he was in a hurry, so I was panting for breath when we reached the barn. As we rounded the stall at the end where Remiel was, I heard him moan. I dropped to my knees next to him, opposite Ade who had been holding a damp cloth to Remiel’s forehead.
He was in a bad way, I could see that at a glance. He’d been stirring restlessly, and the blankets we’d covered him with were twisted around his body. He was burning up, his skin was pale and clammy, and his cheeks were bright red.
I lifted the loose shirt they’d dressed him in and stripped off the bandages as quickly as possible. I stared down at the wound.
