I figured, but I had to try. She offered the same bright smile shed given him in the elevator, and he had the foresight to capture a mental picture this time. One he would remember on the worst of nights, when the past threatened to rise up and swallow him. She was proof there was more in the world than darkness and pain.
Do we have a deal? he asked.
We do.
He nodded. Very well. Dont allow the doctors to take her off life support. Ill return shortly.
But
He left before she could finish her sentence. Right now, every moment counted.
He flashed to Thane, who paced in the hospital hallway, and told him where he was going. Then he flashed to Zacharels cloud in the lower level of the skies. He had no wings and couldnt hover outside the entrance to await permission, which was why Zacharel had given him an open invitation to enteras long as he remained in the foyer.
Zacharel, he called. Walls of swirling mist surrounded him, obscuring his vision of the rest of the home. But thats the way clouds worked. They opened only as you moved through them.
His commander stepped through the haze, his black hair askew, his robe dirty, torn and speckled with blood. Solid gold wings arched from his back, patches of the feathers missing.
Protective instincts rose. What happened to you? Koldo demanded. Do you require aid?
Zacharels dark head tilted to the side, his emerald eyes glassy, as if hed...cried. No aid is currently needed. Youll find out what happened with the rest of the Sent Ones. A meeting will be called very soon, and every army will be there. Until then...what are you doing here, Koldo? The last was said on a weary sigh.
Koldo liked and respected Zacharel. The warrior had taken responsibility of the most unruly army in the skies, and wasnt afraid to get his hands dirty to help each and every one of his men out of trouble.
I gave Annabelle a vial of the Water of Life and I need what remains.
Zacharel stared at him for a long while before saying, Why do you want it?
Is there any left? he asked, refusing to state his reason when he wasnt yet sure there was a prize to be had.
Ignoring his question, Zacharel turned and motioned for Koldo to follow.
After only a few steps, the cloud opened up, revealing a living room suited for the richest of humans, with a velvet-lined couch, one half of it backed and the other half open. It was ideal for any Sent One and human pairing. There was a matching recliner, an intricately carved coffee table made of crystals from all over the world. A tapestry hung on the far wall, the words Perfect Love Casts Out Fear scripted in Greek in the center.
Clearly Annabelle had decoratedAnnabelle, who sat in front of the coffee table, poring through books, furiously writing passages down in a notebook.
Hey, Koldo, she said when she glanced up. She had a fall of straight, blue-black hair and rich amber eyes. Her Japanese mother and American father had certainly shared the perfect blend of DNA to create her, he thought, for there wasnt a single flaw to her exquisite features. And yet, she couldnt compare with Nicola. A fact that delighted him. Why?
He inclined his head in greeting.
Zacharel eased onto the couch behind her, enfolding her between his legs. Refusing to give precedence to the urgency inside him, Koldo claimed the recliner across from them. He had no wings, so the back of the chair offered no restriction to his movements.
A white-hot pang blistered through his chest.
You asked if there was any left. There is, Zacharel said.
Oh, what are we talking about? Annabelle asked, dropping her pen.
How much? Koldo insisted, ignoring her.
A single drop.
Annabelle grinned with delight. The Water of Life, then.
A drop. That was enough for what Koldo planned. I wish to purchase it from you. The words seemed to be pushed through a tunnel of broken glass. Hed shed blood for this liquid. Had lost his hair for it. And now he had to give something else?
Annabelle had kept her end of the bargain, he reminded himself. She had kept Zacharel out of the heavens while Koldo searched for his mother. The Water was hers. Not his. So yes, he had to give something else.
Again, why? Zacharel asked.
I hope to save a female. At least for a little while.
Annabelle tapped a finger against her chin. Human?
He offered no more. That information wasnt necessary.
The female you have locked away? Zacharel asked tightly.
He knew Koldo had a Sent One trapped somewhere because Koldo had rescued two females from hell, all those weeks ago. His mother, and one of Zacharels soldiers. That soldier had been lost to the pain of her injuries and should not have been aware of Koldos actions. But aware she had been. And shed told Zacharel everything shed witnessed.
Zacharel had no idea Cornelia was Koldos mother, and he had yet to demand Koldo free her. Maybe because he knew Koldo would simply hunt her down again. Instead, hed kept him busy with all those missions and now the babysitter, hoping to restrain him from any further wrongdoing.
One day Zacharel might realize nothing could restrain Koldo.
No, he said. Not the one I have locked away. Again, he offered nothing more.
She is
Not up for discussion.
Zacharel popped his jaw, the very picture of a commander whod had too much lip from his subordinate. Youre supposed to be with Thane, watching him. What are you doing with a human female?
So Koldo was to keep Thane from committing a crime, not the other way around? Ill return to Thane. You have my word. Now, will you sell the Water to me or not?
Emerald eyes crackled with angry flames. Not.
Koldo looked to Annabelle.
Seemingly delicate shoulders lifted in a shrug. Sorry, but I know better than to tango with Zachy when hes gone stubborn.
No, she didnt. She tangoed with Zachy no matter his moods. Koldo had seen herand hed seen her win.
Teeth grinding, Koldo popped to his feet. Very well. He would try and purchase a drop of the Water from someone else. If he failed, if he had to approach the Heavenly High Council, he...would not, he thought. He could endure a whipping, no problem, but he still wasnt sure what sacrifice they would next require.
Therefore, he had to find someone willing to sell him the Water. If he failed to return and keep his part of the bargain, Nicola would never trust him. And if she never trusted him, she would never listen to him. Never find comfort with him.
Never reap the joy that she needed so badly.
He marched out of the living room.
Koldo, Zacharel called.
He stilled, his muscles knotting from strain. Hes your leader. Show him respecteven though you would enjoy ripping his head from his body. Slowly he turned and faced the warrior. Yes?
I wont sell it to you. I will, however, give it to you. Zacharel reached into an air pocket and withdrew a clear vial. A single bead of Water rolled and glistened at the bottom. The very day you gave Annabelle the vial, I poured a drop into a separate container and saved it for you, waiting for the day you would need it. I only pray you use it wisely. Its a second chance...and I wont be offering you a third.
CHAPTER SEVEN
NICOLA WAS LIGHT-HEADED and close to fainting. Her nerves were frayed, her heart alternating between fluttering painfully and stopping as though squeezed by an iron-hard fist. Koldo had been gone sixteen minutes and thirty-two seconds. During that time the doctor had come back expecting to turn off Lailas machines. Ending her. Forever.
How was Nicola to remain calm, embrace peace and sow joy like this?
She had asked for more time, and the doctor had tried to talk her into hurrying along.
Lailas in pain.
Shes ready to go. Her body cant endure on its own, and her mind is already gone.
Shell never recover from this.
Nicola had refused him.
Finally, he had left the room. But he would be back. She knew he would be back.
If Koldo failed to return in time...
Laila will die today, she thought, and nearly vomited.
Her light-headedness increased, and she wasnt sure she had the strength to remain lucid much longer. If she passed out cold...
Again, Laila would die.
If. If. If. How she hated the word! She
Koldo stepped into view, as though hed opened a doorway she couldnt see.
Relief speared her, and she leaped to her feet. He was as big and strong as she rememberedmaybe bigger, maybe strongerand he was a warrior. In some kind of army, hed said. As long as he was here, Laila would be safe.
Except, his eyes held a grim taint.
Why grim?
She looked him over, searching for a clue. He wore the same flowing white shirt and pants as before, the same combat boots, looking comfortable, stylish and ready for action. There were no specks of blood to suggest hed had to fight his way here.
All that grim was for Laila, then.
Koldo, she croaked.
He nodded in acknowledgment. Stop worrying, Nicola.
First tell me the bargain stands. The words rushed out. And wow, had she really put her trust and hope in a stranger like this? A stranger of such dubious origins?
Yes, actually. She had. Lailas survival was too important.
It does, he assured her.
Good. That was good. Where have you been? Ugh. Watch the accusation. You dont want to send him fleeing.
Here and there.
A lovely nonanswer. Well, are you sure this will work? Whatever this was.
Im sure shell hurt, Koldo said, once again ignoring her question, and shell scream, but her body will heal. What happens after that will be up to her. Do you still wish me to proceed?
Nicola had a little talent for dissecting tones and unveiling a supposition only hinted at. What had she just gotten from Koldo? He didnt think the results would be worth the effort. Well, too bad. She did. Laila was worth anything. Her sister deserved a second chance. No matter how short.
I do, she finally replied.
Very well. Koldo stepped up to the bed and gently pried Lailas lips apart. He opened his hand to reveal an empty vial...no, not empty. A single droplet of water rolled at the bottom, glistening in the light.
He placed the vial over Lailas open mouth, paused. He inhaled sharply, as if trying to force himself to act. His hesitation caused Nicolas worry to magnify. Maybe this wasnt the best decision. Maybe she had made the deal with Koldo for her own selfish needs.
Is there another
But she was too late. Koldo had just tipped the droplet onto Lailas tongue.
Nicola waited, expecting something to happen right away. The screaming hed promised, perhaps. Or maybe, miraculously, a smile.
A minute passed, then two, and nothing changed.
Koldo released a heavy sigh. Its done, he said, and met her hopeful stare. I must return to my duties or facenever mind. I shall come to you tomorrow, and your time in my care will begin.
For the third instance in their acquaintance, he vanished.
But
There was no time to lament or rage over his newest defection. Laila unleashed the promised scream. A scream that nearly busted Nicolas eardrums. Worried all over again, she rushed to her sisters side. Laila, darling, whats wrong? What do you need?
Her sister responded with another scream.
Two nurses burst into the room, both unwinding stethoscopes from around their necks.
Whats going on? one demanded.
I dont know, Nicola replied hoarsely. Koldo had fed her sister a drop of...what? Not water, that much she now knew. But she couldnt mention the warrior without sounding utterly insane.
And if they doubted her sanity, they would refuse to allow her to see Laila. Lailas fate would fall into someone elses hands, and someone else would get to decide to turn the machines off.
Step back, the other said, even giving her a little push.
They checked the monitors and wheeled a machine closer to the bed. Lailas entire body began to violently shake.
Is she going to be okay? If Koldo had actually done something to harm her sister, Nicola would... She would... There were no actions vicious enough.
Another nurse came rushing in. Whats the problem?
Get her out of here, the others commanded, motioning to Nicola.
Nicola was too weak to fight as she was dragged from the room. The nurse raced back inside, shutting the door, leaving Nicola standing in the hallway. Tears leaked from her eyes, cascading down her cheeks. She flattened her hand over her heart. The flutter was gone, but the beat was too hard, too fast. Black spots began to wink through her vision. Breath singed her lungs even as her blood chilled.
Her sister was in there, screaming and screaming and screaming, and obviously in more pain than ever. Her sister could be dying right this second, but Nicola wasnt with her. Only strangers.
How could she have done this? How could she have risked so much, without knowing more?
The black spots thickened. Her breath heated another degree, and the chill in her blood turned to ice-thickened sludge. Knowing she would pass out at any moment, Nicola tried to sit down. But her knees gave out a second later, no longer able to hold her weight, and she toppled forward.
Her face slammed into the tiled floor, and she knew nothing more.
* * *
SOMETHING PRIED NICOLAS eyelids apart, and a bright light suddenly chased away the darkness. Little details claimed her attention. There was a throb in her temples, a steady beep, beep, beep in her ears and a stream of cold in her arm.
A voice beckoned to her, but she couldnt make out the words. A brighter light was flashed over one eye, then the other. She tried to turn away, but her head was too heavy to move. She tried to reach up and push the stupid thing away, whatever it was, but her arm was even heavier.