Chapter Six

 

CAM

 

“With respect.” Cam met his commander’s eye, though it was hard in that moment. Shame stirred in him for what he was trying to do. “I would like to be given a different assignment.”

Zak stared at him confused and Cam guessed his thoughts. Cam had never backed down from anything before, no matter how intimidating or impossible the task might be. He often took the assignments nobody else wanted just for the challenge of it, the thrill of being able to fulfill a duty that wasn’t handed to him on a platter.

“Why?” Zak asked. The two angels were sitting again on a golden bench in the square, side-by-side near the Stream.

Cam had been hesitant to ask for a new assignment—to reveal any kind of weakness, but the girl frustrated him more than anyone he’d ever met. And his attraction to her was distracting. He had hardly been able to keep his eyes off her the last time they were together, and he still remembered the feel of her skin and the arousal she had sparked in him. He didn’t want to mention that, though, in case his commander thought less of him for that weakness.

“She is refusing training,” Cam said. “She won’t listen to me at all.”

Even when Cam had dropped her back at the bar she worked in, he had asked her again to come with him. She had stomped away furiously and told him to go fuck himself. He had to follow her and place a protection shield around her to block her energy from being detected by demons.

Her behavior did not bode well for their future training relationship if they were forced to have one. Cam hoped they weren’t. She was so alluring, so painfully attractive and yet unwilling to accept anything he said. She didn’t think highly of him or the Creator, and she seemed to be disgusted that he didn’t live up to her bizarre expectations of what she thought angels were. The tension between them would be both entrancing and unbearable—at least for him.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve had a difficult assignment,” Zak said. “Actually, this is possibly the easiest you’ve had. Surely you can handle a fledgling Nephilim girl?”

“This is different.” Though he’d never trained a Nephilim before, he had done his share of training young warriors in the past. None of them had been half as difficult as Elithea had been; most were obedient and eager to learn. “She has no respect for the Creator and she is… difficult. She doesn’t behave like most Nephilim do and she’s much stronger. Her healing powers alone are astounding.”

“All the more reason for you to help her. She needs guidance—all humans do when they realize angels exist and Nephilim are no different. A Nephilim that powerful is in serious danger on her own, whether she realizes it or not. You know this, Camael. You have to be responsible.”

Cam grunted. Even though she was just coming into her powers, the glow she emitted was stronger than most half-angels. And he could feel the power radiating off of her in the same way he could feel the heat from her skin when she was close. Demons would definitely be able to find her.

“I know, Zakiel,” he said, finally. “I’m just not sure I’m the most suitable Power to deal with her. I’ve had difficult tasks in the past but I’ve never had anyone flat-out refuse to train with me before. I don’t see why I need to persuade anyone to learn how to use the Creator’s gifts or recognize the Creator’s purpose. It’s a waste of my time.”

Zak served Cam with a glare so stern, he felt like a petulant child trying to argue about sharing his candy. Humiliation rocked through him. He wasn’t a training Power any longer and could not claim ignorance about his larger duties as an angel when it came to the human world. He was simply being impatient and selfish, and Zak knew it.

What Zak didn’t know was that Cam’s real reluctance to complete the assignment was because of Elithea’s ability to soothe him. His rage simply disappeared in her presence, replaced by an unfamiliar intensity of combined lust and calm. It was too disturbing for him to address. What if it changed who he was? What if it affected his ability to do his job? That would be unacceptable. Refusing this assignment didn’t mean he wouldn’t want to see her again—he would most likely watch her go about her life for decades—but he didn’t want to be forced to deal with that feeling simply because he had to train her.

“You will train the girl,” Zak said, his tone brooking no argument. “Once she’s fully embraced her powers she may respond differently. You should remember she was in shock and suffering injuries—give her the benefit of doubt. In the meantime, you need to explore her history. See if there’s anything worth noting, anything that explains her power.”

Cam nodded, unable to protest any further. Zak’s word was law.

“Where is she now?” Zak asked. “You left her unprotected?”

“I placed a protection shield around her.”

“That only lasts a few human hours.”

“One week,” Cam corrected.

“Good,” Zak said, rising from the bench. “You have always completed your assignments to the highest standard, Camael. Don’t let this one be any different.”

Cam ground his teeth as Zak walked away. He would have to convince Elithea to train with him. Convincing the stubborn woman that she needed help seemed like it would be impossible with that mouth, and attitude, of hers. Cam would have to think of some way to make it appeal to her without further damaging her opinion of him.

Cam didn’t have much experience with humans and he didn’t know the least about trying to get one to follow his orders. Angels were different—they had a sense of duty instilled in them from their creation. With humans, Cam tended to have trouble understanding their expectations and emotions.

The part he was most anxious about was the effect she had on him. He had to remain composed—and wasn’t sure he could. However, her disgust of angels would help to remind him not to stray too close to her.

He resigned himself to his fate and prepared to leave the Realm again to go to Elithea. He hoped she would agree to his request. The last thing he wanted to do was to try to force her into protection. A Nephilim that powerful could be a danger to herself if she wasn’t careful. She could be a danger to him, too, if he let his attraction get the better of his judgment.

As his contemplation ended, he chose to ignore the desire that snaked in his gut whenever he thought of her.