There she saw...no way...but there her precious Laila was, standing beside a handsome young man with red...hair...
Robby? Was that Robby, all grown-up? Nicolas eyes widened. The two were hugging and grinning and laughing, so happy it made Nicolas chest hurt.
They were together again.
Joy was deposited directly into her heart, filling her up, overflowing. One day, Nicola and Koldo would join them. Shed had knowledge of that before, but just then, it sank deep into her spirit, coming alive. Yes, one day.
But not today.
Koldo needs me, she said. I have to
An unassuming-looking man suddenly paced in front of her, claiming her attention. He had dark hair and kind, dark eyes. He wore a white robe, his hands anchored behind his back.
Oh, good. Someone else to pester about this. Sir, she said. My name is Nicola, Im human, and I need
My name is Clerici.
Clerici. Hi. Nice to meet you. I have a problem and
Sent Ones are not angels, you know, he said, interrupting her again. Were often called angels, and sometimes we refer to ourselves that way, but if we break down the pieces, we arent angels. Really, we are humans with special abilities. And yes, we have longer life spans and wings. We also fight evil.
O-kay. Trying again. Sir. I know all that. Its been explained to me. But I really need to
Our people serve the Most High, who is a Holy Trinity, he said. The Merciful One, the Anointed One and the Mighty One. Weand youwere created in His image. We are spirits, we have a soul, and we live in a body. Your spirit is your power source, what lives forever, and your soul is your mind, will and emotions. Im sure youre well acquainted with your body.
I am. Now. Id like to leave and
The Most High gave each of us a sword of fire. A sword you wielded, he said, and stopped. Just stopped and stared over at her with an enigmatic expression.
Hey, you cant be any more surprised than I was. But theres no time to ponder the reasons. Koldo is out there, and he needs me, and Im going to find
You didnt wield the sword because you married Koldo, although that plays a part, I think.
Argh! Would he never allow her to finish a sentence?
You wielded it because you were adopted into the Most Highs family. That adoption is the true origin of a Sent One. Perhaps one day youll even grow wings. Now, however, you will fight for us.
Wait, wait, wait. She was now a supernatural being, meant to join this warriors army? Head...spinning... Im happy to help you. I am. But Im going after Koldo first, she said in a rush before the male could stop her. She would do whatever was necessary to succeed. Well talk about all this other stuff when hes safe.
I know where he is, Zacharel said. His first words since this had started.
Nicola spun to face him. What! Why didnt you tell me? Where is he? Whats happened?
There was nothing you could do to aid him. You would only have harmed him. And my attention was and is needed elsewhere, where I can do some good. Another of my warriors is missing, and his friends are near the breaking point.
But Nicola began.
The part about Koldo is true, Clerici said, cutting her off. Again. Any Sent One who has been whipped for the Water of Life cannot be aided until their wounds have healed.
Thats insane! she gasped.
I agree. I have attempted to convince the Council to abolish the tradition, but they insist on continuing it the way Germanus did. I will continue to work on them, though. But until I succeed, to aid Koldo is to condemn ones self to the same pain he now suffers. He turned to Zacharel. For all but her. She can aid Koldo. Shes his other half, an extension of his being. Whatever she does to aid him will be as if hes doing it himself.
A muscle ticked in Zacharels jaw. To escort her to him is to die myself, for I cannot fight the Nefas. Im not bound to the warrior, thus anything I do on his behalf before he is healed will be considered aid.
I know. But you can aid and protect her.
Zacharels shoulders straightened, and he jolted, as if hed just experienced a startling revelation. Thats true.
So...he and his men couldnt hurt the bad guys unless they threatened her? Otherwise theyd be helping Koldo. And they could help her, even though she was Koldos other half, because she was also half...well, Nicola. Had anything ever been more confusing?
Clericis head tilted to the side, returning to his study of her. Are you ready for battle, Nicola?
For the man she loved? I am.
Koldo will be upset if shes injured, Zacharel said.
He cant be upset if hes dead, she saidand guess what? No one interrupted her.
Clerici brushed his knuckles across her cheek in the gentlest of caresses. I like the way your mind works, female. Now, go get your husband.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Even the smallest light can grow until theres no darkness left.
NICOLA HAD NEVER been to war. Well, not in the natural realm, fighting with her physical body. But even if she had, she knew it wouldnt have prepared her for this.
Zacharel flew her toward the side of a building inshe wasnt sure where she was anymore. There were multiple structures, a bridge, water, black birds in every direction, and the air was supercold, even damp. There were about fifteen soldiers with him, flying beside him, and oh, they were a majestic sight.
The sky was dark, the moon high, stars twinkling from their perches. The Sent Ones had somehow colored their wings black with tiny diamond sparks throughout the feathers, and the long appendages blended perfectly into the night.
To the left, she could just make out Jamilas beautiful face. There was fear in her eyes, but also a little excitement. My coworker is a Sent One, and I had no idea. And what was that sound? The...rattle of snake tails? The rustle of unmowed grass? The hiss of an animal being threatened?
Serp demons, Zacharel said. As Im sure you know, they are almost as evil as the Nefas, and they are poisonous to all life. They feed upon destruction.
The Nefas were worse, and Koldo was related to one. But look at everything hed done to overcome his heritage and his past. He might have been born to vileness, but hed crawled out of it, was no longer a part of it.
Jade-green eyes locked on her. These creatures wish to hurt Koldo. Can you kill them?
Yes. No hesitation. Evil wasnt to be tolerated.
Good. Because theyve sensed us, which means the starting bell has rung. To the others, he shouted, Only kill those who approach the girl.
Somehow, the words reverberated through her mind rather than her ears.
There was no time to question him, no time to marvel. He swooped down and dropped her on the street. She landed with a thud, dust pluming around her. Demons shot out of the shadows, headed straight for herbut Zacharels men were there, their swords of fire lighting up the night and striking the demons before they could reach her. Grunts and groans sounded. Heads soon rolled.
So close...
Thankfully, there were no other humans around. It was too late, she supposed.
Before she had time to unfreeze from petrifactionthought I was prepared...thought wrongZacharel scooped her up and resumed his breakneck pace toward the building, which was looming closer and closer. Closer still. He never slowed.
She squeezed her eyes closed, expecting to crash. But then he dived down. Farther and farther. Surely they would reach the ground any moment...now! Impact never came. The air chilled another degree, and she looked on. They were now underground andgoing farther dooown. She swallowed a yelp of panic.
When they landed at the bottom of a cave, Zacharel set her on her feet and released her. Then, he and his men lined up behind her, making her a big fat target. Gasps of shock resounded through a now-active campsite, followed by growls of rage. Footsteps scrambled. Bald-headed warriors raced toward her. Just before they reached her, Zacharel broke formation and attacked, swinging his sword of fire. Shouts of pain and panic rang out. The gasps and growls were replaced by grunts and groans.
Baldies kept coming, and the rest of the warriors broke from behind her, as well, stepping beside her to save her from being run down...or decapitated. Their swords danced through the air, cutting, slicing. Flesh burned. Screams joined the chorus. The winged soldiers darted up, flipped in the air, plunged low, moving so quickly she had trouble tracking their progress. Some of the Nefas ran away. Some ran toward the action. But Zacharel and the others couldnt chase them.
Nicola, Zacharel said from beside her. Do something to draw attention to yourself. Get the rest of them to attack you.
Yes. Of course.
No, she thought a moment later. She was here to fight, not to watch the action from afar. Not to watch others be struck down defending her. She could do something. And she would.
She held out her arm and peered down at her hand. Her empty hand. What had she done to summon the sword before? She thought back. Laila had just died. Oh, my darling Laila. The demons had just threatened Nicola. She had imagined her life with Koldo.
Joy had filled her.
Joy, then.
Nothing delighted her more than the thought of rescuing Koldo, of living her life with him, the way shed been born to do. And she would.
Flames sparked to sudden life.
You and your men gather as many of the enemy as you can, she said to Zacharel, and Ill deliver the deathblows. Dont do this to help Koldo, but to save me from their wrath. You know theyll come after me if I survive. Hopefully, that would save everyone from any kind of penalty.
Zacharel gaped at her, but he asked no questions. He leaped into motion.
He quickly caught one of the Nefas and threw him in Nicolas direction. She acted immediately, swinging her sword. The tip slashed through the beings middle. He collapsed on the cave floor, writhing. She struck a second time, taking his head.
One down.
Zacharel sped back into motion. Determined, she marched forward. A male swooped in from the left, morphing from human to black smoke in secondsbefore reappearing just in front of her, reaching for her. Again she swung the sword. He ducked and straightened. His hands fit around her neck. But at the moment of contact, he flew backward, as though shed pushed him.
Was she...shielded again? By her tattoos? Even though she wasnt staring at them? Maybe. Maybe she had memorized the numbers, and they were now a part of her. Maybe there was another reason. Either way...this rocked.
He hit the ground, hard, losing his breath, allowing her to simply drag her sword up his middle as she walked past.
Two down.
Nope. Three...four...five down. Zacharel and the others constantly threw the Nefas at her and she easily ended their lives, never missing a step.
Six, seven, eight.
After that, she lost count.
She saw that tents had been erected at the far end of the cavern, a little river winding through the center. The man from the park, Koldos father, rushed out of the biggest one, with another male and Sirena at his sides. Their eyes widened when they spotted Nicola and her sword.
Axel and Koldo stumbled from another tent. Both were covered in blood and bruises, their faces swollen, and they had to lean on each other to remain upright. Rage and concern nearly dropped her where she stood, but Nicola pushed the emotions back. Now wasnt the time to indulge.
The group of Nefas paused a few feet away from her, just out of striking distance.
Youre outnumbered, Nox, Zacharel called.
Sirena opened her mouth to speak. Nicola leaped forward and struck without issuing a warning.
The girls head fell to the ground, and her body followed.
Twenty-six, maybe?
Unlike the girls in the late-night movies, Nicola wasnt interested in taking time to discuss what was about to happen, what problems they had with each other or anything like that. She was simply doing what needed doing to save her man.
Koldos father peered down at the blondes motionless body and shouted with fury. His gaze jerked up, landing on Nicola, and he pounded toward heronly to hit the same wall the other male had. He didnt fall, but stumbled back a few steps before catching himself.
As the remaining guard gaped, Nicola was able to strike at him.
Twenty-seven.
Koldos father hurtled a mouthful of vile curses at her. Im going to remove my sons intestines through his mouth and force you to watch as he dies.
She laughed. Youll do no such thing. Youre surrounded. Your army is defeated.
He launched at her again, but again, he flew backward. When he straightened, he shook his head, as if to orient his thoughts. How are you doing that?
Aw, is the evil man confused? Does he not understand he picked the wrong side? One step, two, she approached him.
Paling, he backed up until he could go no farther, the jagged walls of the cave stopping him. Stay away, or Ill find a way to rip out your throat.
Hardly. I bet you wish youd stayed in hiding, she said, continuing her forward march. All your scheming and fighting, and you have to die knowing the good guys came out of this far stronger than when it started.
Im unarmed, he said, raising his palms. You dont want to do this.
A lie. He was always armed with evil. And she really wanted to do this.
She struck, but he bent low, avoiding contact. The momentum spun her, leaving her back to him. He charged her, but hit that invisible wall for a third time and stumbled backward.
Thatll never get old, she said, and spun back around, facing him.
He tried to dart right, but Zacharel stopped him.