As the morning sunlight swept over the vineyard, Tempest picked up her pace. She’d walked amongst the grapevines at daybreak for months now—but this time was different.
This time, she could sense someone watching her.
The crisp autumn air cooled the nape of her neck, where tiny hairs stood erect. Darting her gaze in all directions, her head started to ache. Someone, or something, was in her vineyard.
Her pulse raced as she took quick but deliberate steps between the Cabernet and Pinot Noir vines. Harvest season hadn’t yet begun for the reds, so every vine contained plump grape clusters that offered extra camouflage.
A rustling sound echoed through the nearby Merlot vines. Footsteps? Who could be in her vineyard? The sound couldn’t have been the wind. She was a Wind Elemental and could recognize the sound of her own gifts. Universe had created her to be capable of perceiving and harnessing the power of Wind for the good of humankind.
Suddenly, a shadowy blip appeared in her peripheral vision. Dark hair, dark clothes. Then the image vanished.
More sounds reverberated across the large, green leaves, causing them to move. Without hesitation, she ran toward the noise. Either this was a spy from a competing winery, a person trying to destroy her livelihood, or—
Her feet skidded to a stop. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Lynk stood tall and confident, offering a cunning smile. He was a high-ranking Fallen Angel from the Ubel clan, and her archenemy for more years than she could remember.
“Lovely vineyard you have,” he said. Then he reached out, laced his fingers around her prized Merlot grapes.
“Don’t—!”
“Don’t what, Tempest?” he asked in an eerie voice, barely above a menacing whisper. “Don’t squeeze the life away?”
“Please. Don’t.”
Saying the words sent nausea into the pit of her stomach, but his large hands were ready to kill. Even if she summoned her Wind Element, he could choke her vines for fun before any gust of air subdued him.
“Oooh,” he said. “I like it when you say please.”
Damn sadist. She needed him to leave. “What do you want?”
He released the grapes and moved closer, his long, black coat touching vines that wilted in his path. “What does anyone want? Good wine, a great night with a lover, money.”
She adjusted her stance, ready to fight if need be. Focusing was essential. Like all Fallen Angels, Lynk had a striking appearance: wavy dark hair, intense gray eyes, and muscular arms. But she knew better than to admire the physical. Those arms could snap a neck like a twig. Even hers, if she didn’t stand her ground.
“How’d you even find me?” she asked. “No one knows about my cover job at the winery except my Elemental colleagues.”
“Tempest, do you really think I wouldn’t do my homework on you?” His voice had turned sweet, an alluring but twisted lullaby.
She clenched her fists. How had he learned her location? Her colleagues were loyal and dwelled in hidden locations of their own. Besides, the Ubel Fallen Angels tended to congregate in large cities where more sinners abounded. Why come to Napa Valley?
“Stay away from this winery, Lynk.” She stepped forward, ready to summon a windstorm to knock him down if he veered toward violence.
He cocked a half smile. “Not very polite. You won’t let me have a glass of wine?”
“It’s seven in the morning.”
When he laughed, the dimples in his cheeks softened and revealed just how attractive he could become. “Well, you know what the inferior race says. It’s five o’clock somewhere.”
She shook her head. “Stop insulting humans. Your kind is no prize.”
Lynk shrugged. “Humans have an abundance of material to make fun of.”
“You want souls to hunt? Go to San Francisco. Plenty of people in big cities who commit the Seven Deadly Sins—those humans I can’t save.”
“Not much of a challenge, is it? Nah, I prefer Napa.”
Her adrenaline surged through every vein. “If you think you’re going to come onto my winery and hunt the innocent, you are sorely mistaken.”
“Am I?” The bluish gray in his eyes shifted to an icy glare. “Don’t presume you can defeat me just because your Elemental colleagues have lucked out in the past.”
“Lucked out?” she repeated, her voice straining. “My kind defeated the most powerful Fallen Angels in the United States, all while preserving innocent human life.”
“That’s your side of the story.”
His arrogance made her skin crawl. With every second the adrenaline shifted into anger. Unable to restrain her Element, she summoned a hurricane-worthy gust of air in his direction.
His eyes narrowed as he strained to stand firm, but the wind pummeled him to the ground like a swift kick. Standing up, he dusted off his coat. “That was unnecessary. Be glad I don’t have a temper like some of my brethren.”
“Your temper led to fires in San Francisco, mudslides on the Pacific Coast Highway. Shall I go on?”
He shot her a dirty look. “You’re different than your colleagues.”
She wanted to ask how, but that would only prolong his stay. The exhaustion from using her Elemental powers had kicked in. Universe had created things that way so there would be no abuse of power. Just once, she wished she could use her powers without the aftereffects. She’d send a windstorm with enough strength to wallop Lynk off the globe.
“Just because you’ve discovered my winery doesn’t mean you can saunter your way in here—”
“Oh, contraire. The Ubel clan is better than the clowns you Elementals have been chasing all these years. I can send in any victim I reap—man, woman, or child—to your winery for a tasting. You won’t see me coming, sweetness.”
His words sent a chill down her back. In the past, she could recognize any Fallen Angel victims. Now Lynk was saying she wouldn’t be able to? Was that just him trying to get under her skin, or was it the truth?
Either way, best to keep her poker face. “You Fallen Angels and your little privileges,” she said. “Lucifer will never win and you know it. It’s why you try to reap souls like there’s no tomorrow.”
Lynk leapt forward. He stood inches from her faces, his cold glare locked with hers. “Don’t talk about my Master, if you know what’s good for you.”
“Fine,” Tempest said. “Leave my winery if you know what’s good for you.”
“This isn’t technically your winery, now is it?”
Anger surged through her veins. “I manage the place well enough. May as well be mine.”
His lips curled into a smile. “I’ll be seeing you again.” Then he strode away like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Message received. She had to be vigilant, had to be ready for anything and anyone that stepped foot into the winery.