Chapter 26

Tayla inserted the key into the front door of the cabin, the place she’d called home for almost three months, maybe a little longer. But now, as she pushed open the heavy door, everything seemed unfamiliar, foreign, like she hadn't been there for years.

How could things change so quickly?

She’d been here only yesterday, waiting nervously on the couch for Raven to pick her up for their date. A date that started out so well, had a curve ball, but ended with a spectacular bang. Or three. Recalling their activities in his room sent a delicious shiver through her middle.

Wow.

She stepped through the door and dropped her keys on the small circular dining table, a piece of furniture she'd never used for its true purpose, preferring instead to eat with a tray on her lap on the couch. Far less depressing than eating at the table alone.

Raven stood behind her and rubbed the tops of her arms.

“How long will I stay?” she wondered out loud.

“As long as you like.”

How long did she want to stay? Things between them had heated up quickly and progressed faster than she’d ever experienced, but she got the sense Raven wasn’t going anywhere. Could this be where her new life was leading her?

Raven wrapped his strong arms around her; a level of protectiveness she found so damn attractive. With him, she felt like she could battle the darkness, chase away the scary monsters, and live her life without fear.

He squeezed a little tighter. “You’re safe with me.”

“Reading my mind again?”

“I try not to, I really do but when your thoughts are in sync with mine, it’s hard not to hear them.”

She turned to face him. “Can the others read my mind?”

It’d be good to be prepared, especially if she stayed in the same house as the other Guardians.

“All angels have the ability to read mortal minds when they choose. But for us, we use it as a last resort, only if absolutely necessary. I don’t want you to feel as though they’re reading your mind twenty-four-seven while you stay with me. The others wouldn’t do it; they have more respect for you than that. Blaine, on the other hand, doesn’t abide by the same set of morals, so beware.”

She nodded. “Good to know.”

Raven took her hand in his and surveyed the living room. “So, what's yours and what's not?”

“The books on the coffee table are mine, the wine glasses in the kitchen, and my clothes and some things are upstairs. Plus, the stuff in the bathroom. Not much when you think about it.”

“It’s all the things important to you.”

She smiled. “Exactly.”

“Right. Let's grab it all then, just in case you decide to stay longer, you'll feel more at home.”

All my stuff? Her stomach flipped. She was about to move in with a sexy Guardian and leave behind life as she knew it. But was she ready?

She had promised herself to listen to the universe, have faith in herself to choose the right path. Plus, Raven said at breakfast fate had led her here, so she must be listening to the right signs.

Her mouth went dry. Would she move her stuff into Raven’s bedroom or a guest room? Waking up next to her Guardian each morning would be her own personal Heaven, but what happened if things didn't work out?

She quietly mulled this over for a moment as she wandered the cabin. Maybe, for the short term, she should keep the key to the cabin. After all, she’d paid rent in advance so no need to rush and hand it back straight away. At least until she was a hundred percent sure.

It was a big step. And what if Raven needed to protect another woman? I’d have to take her out, no biggy. Actually, she might take Raine up on her offer of self-defense lessons. Raine looked confident in kicking butt, and Tayla could use a little freshen-up. Especially if the creatures whose butts needed kicking weren’t human.

Not human. That sounded so weird.

“Hey…” Raven appeared in front of her, leaning his head down to look her in the eyes. “Are you all right?”

Follow the signs, Tayla.

She nodded. “I'm good.”

He smiled and pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her, and his heart beat strongly against her ear.

“You don't have to stay if you don't want.”

She chuckled. “I thought you could read minds.” She reached up and kissed him. “I want to stay.”

He exhaled as his shoulders dropped. “Good. Let’s start packing.”

It took the two of them less than two hours to pack her entire life, again, into cardboard boxes and pile them into her Audi.

EJ had arrived a few moments before and poked his head in to say hi. He and Raven chatted in hushed tones out on the veranda while she did a thorough triple-check of the cabin to make sure she didn’t forget anything.

Raven stood at the bottom of the stairs as she made her way down.

“All good?” he asked.

“Yep, all packed and ready to go.”

“Did you leave out a jacket?”

She nodded. “It’s hanging on the dining room chair. Why?”

“EJ dropped off a picnic basket full of goodies courtesy of Ellen, so we’ll never hear the end of it if we don’t eat it. He’s going to drive your car back, so we can go together.”

“You know I saw a flyer at the library the other day advertising a bonfire tonight at the old Alpine property. I heard some millionaire from out of town just bought it and he wanted to host a winter festival on the grounds. We could have our picnic there.”

Raven’s jaw clicked, and she knew by now that meant his protective Guardian instincts had kicked into gear. Great. He stared at her for long moments and she prepared for his “it’s not safe” speech. Moving in with him, under the protection of the Guardians inside the mansion was one thing, she got that, but never allowed to venture out was another thing entirely. No way would she hide away until her Chosen path was over—whenever that might be.

She took a deep breath, ready to argue her point, but Raven spoke instead.

“Okay, let’s check it out.”

She raised on her toes and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “It’s a date.”

****

After what seemed like forever, Raven turned the Jeep onto a gravel driveway and parked in a small clearing scattered with a dozen or so cars. He grabbed the picnic basket from the back before opening her door to help her out.

He led her, hand in hand, through an open spiked wrought iron gate and up a long narrow gravel drive lit with iron fire torches evenly spaced along the edges. The whole place dished out all kinds of creepy haunted house vibes. Thank goodness for the flames illuminating the driveway. Without them, she wouldn’t be able to see her hand in front of her face.

The wind stung her cheeks and even with a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and jacket zipped up all the way, her body shivered like she wore only a bra and panties.

Raven pulled her closer. She sighed as she nestled against the walking furnace.

Halfway up the drive, the fire torches veered off to the right and continued along a smaller path, luring visitors across an immaculate landscaped lawn to a large open field in the distance.

At the junction, Raven tensed. His gaze was distant while he frowned, peering ahead along the dark sinister driveway which she imagined led to an even creepier house.

She glanced at him. “Is there something wrong?” When he didn’t answer, she stepped out from under his arm. “Raven?”

He snapped to attention. “What? No, it’s nothing.”

He took her hand once more and led her down the narrow path toward the open field. Electricity sparked in her palm where their skin connected, and warmth seeped along her veins.

As they continued strolling down the path, Raven peered over his shoulder several times as though searching for something. Or someone?

The gravel ended, and they continued strolling over soft, dewy grass before arriving at a giant stack of timber pallets, piled high into the sky. Tayla craned her neck to peer at the wooden snowman sitting proudly on top of the pallets. Three wooden circles stacked on top of each other, black painted eyes and mouth, a carrot nose shoved through a tiny hole, and twigs attached for the arms. A bright red knitted scarf wrapped around its neck.

Gosh, she hadn’t been to a bonfire in forever. And by the number of wooden pallets stacked high into the sky, this one could burn for an entire week.

People scattered around the stack with picnic blankets and cooler bags, setting up for a long night beside the open flame, while others chose to mingle around the center, plastic cups in hand. Music sifted through the space from large speakers in each corner of the clearing.

Raven led her away from the main crowd and threw out a blanket on a patch of grass toward the edge of the forest. They were so far from the bonfire she might not even feel the heat.

She relaxed onto the blanket while Raven placed an old-fashioned wicker basket in front of them and meticulously set up an assortment of delights, as he had the night before.

“Yum,” she murmured.

“Ellen likes to fuss about these kinds of things.”

She chuckled. “Lucky us.”

A soft glow from the torches illuminated Raven’s strong jawline and his deep blue eyes, and she found herself staring…ogling.

Oh, I’m so done for.

She stretched her legs out and tilted her head back to admire the clear night—she couldn't stare at Raven all night. Plus, dark cold nights like these somehow created magical clear skies, and tonight was no exception. Millions of tiny stars and planets scattered across the darkness like sparkly diamonds, the Milky Way Galaxy glowing like a smear of glittering fairy dust thrown from one side of the sky to the other.

The heat of Raven's gaze tingled her skin. Being this close to him was intoxicating. Turning her head, she met the burning gaze of his deep blue eyes swirling with black. He offered her a glass of wine and she took it, taking a gulp before peering over at the bonfire waiting to be lit.

Raven relaxed on his side, propped up by his elbow. “Are you warm enough?”

She grinned. “What would happen if I’m not?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “We’d leave. Go warm up some place a little less public.”

“Let’s at least wait until the bonfire’s lit.”

“If we must,” he grumbled.

Tayla grinned and turned back toward the sacrificial snowman as two men walked with metal jugs, pouring liquid around the base. The next minute, one threw in a lit match, and the bonfire ignited. Cheers erupted from the crowd and those closest retreated a few steps as the flames grew.

She peered back at Raven. “So…I’ve been wondering, how exactly does an angel become a Fallen?”

Raven chuckled. “Another interrogation dinner?”

“Sorry, I’m just curious. I want to know everything.”

Raven brushed his knuckles down her arm. “It’s fine. I’d be concerned if you didn’t have questions.” He took a long deep breath and peered up at the sky before looking back at her. “It rarely happens instantly. In fact, it’s only happened that way a handful of times in history. Lash was the first; he severed his connection to the Heavens the instant he made the decision to fall. Blaine was another. But for most angels, it happens gradually, over time.”

She kept silent, allowing the words to spill from Raven’s mouth, greedy for every bit of new information.

“You see, in the Heavens, angels are celestial beings filled with love, joy and faith. They don't need to maintain the light in their soul, it's just there, always guiding, nurturing, and healing. But the longer an angel spends time in the mortal realm, the more influenced they are by mortality, and the harder they have to work to maintain the connection to the Heavens. Over the years and centuries, all that death and destruction, along with the influence of the Fallen, takes its toll. When this happens, most angels return to the Heavens for a period of time, to restore their faith, strengthen the connection, kind of like what mortals call checking themselves into rehab.”

Tayla chortled.

“But for some…they choose not to return and instead give in to the influences and in the end become Fallen.”

Tayla took another sip as her mind scrambled to take it all in. She didn’t expect there to be so much to understand. Duh, it’s a whole other world. An immortal world.

“Can a Fallen be saved?”

Raven scoffed and peered toward the flames. “I honestly don’t know. It’s never happened before.”

She didn’t miss the sorrow in his voice and the fact Blaine was one of those Fallen who may never be saved. She chose that moment to cease her interrogation before she ruined the mood entirely. Instead, she grabbed a cracker with a slice of Brie and glanced at the bonfire. Now in full burn, the flames stretched high like giant fingers reaching up at the sacrificed snowman, its knitted scarf the first to light. Wood smoke and pine filled the air, twigs crackled under the flames, and she found herself mesmerized by the fire before her. The haunting sound of Pete Murray’s So Beautiful played in the background through the speakers; its soothing tune lulling her body into a state of relaxation.

A strange tingle traveled through her body, beginning in her toes, gliding up her legs and settling in her core. She turned to Raven as fantasies swirled in her mind of the two of them sprawled out on the blanket.

He sat up and leaned in closer to brush his thumb over her bottom lip, causing her chest to tighten and making it difficult to inhale.

Gosh, it was suddenly boiling. She tugged the scarf away from her neck and dropped it in her lap. A gradual fog drifted through her head and everything around her faded away; leaving only her and Raven, in that single moment. And man, he smelled so darn good.

Without taking his gaze off her, Raven slowly unzipped her jacket and used it to pull her closer. Her belly clenched when his lips pressed against hers.

Her breaths came hard and fast, and her body writhed with need. She shuffled closer and shoved the jacket off her shoulders.

Closer. Can’t get enough.

Cold air slapped her in the face when Raven retreated, breaking her trance.

“You have to be kidding me,” Raven snapped.

What?

Suddenly, he was on his feet, glaring at the trees behind them. “Stay here,” he commanded. “I mean it. Do. Not. Move.”

Before she had the chance to protest, he bolted into the forest.

What the heck just happened? Did she accidently project the wicked images in her mind and scare him off? No, she sensed his desire in their kiss, in his swirling, black irises.

She glanced at the bonfire, the image before her blurred as though a thin veil of cloud rolled over the entire space. She focused on the couple closest to her, curled up in each other’s arms on a picnic blanket, jackets and beanies tossed beside them.

The flames were too hot.

Tayla stood and faced the dense forest where Raven had entered and squinted trying to see more clearly. It didn’t help.

Should she go after him?

She waited several minutes, the churning in her stomach competed with the tingling in her blood. Every nerve ending sparked and prickled and she grew more fidgety by the second. Her fingers tapped on her pants, scratched an invisible itch on her chest. Something crawled inside her skin, along her hips, the flames singing her from the inside out.

Okay, time’s up. She couldn’t stand it any longer, she had to get away from the heat. Crouching down, she shoved everything back in the basket. She’d go back to the Jeep and wait for Raven there…

The snap of a tree branch sounded behind her. She froze. Turning her head, she braved a peek over her shoulder. Nothing.

She stood, grabbed her cell phone from her back pocket and turned on the flashlight, aiming it at the tree line.

A series of clangs, like a sword fight, echoed in the darkness.

She took a step closer. “Raven?” Her voice barely above a whisper.

A male voice shouted through the trees, followed in close succession by another. Her breath hitched. From this far away, she couldn’t tell if one of the voices was Raven.

What the heck was going on? Was he in there fighting…a Fallen?

She bit her bottom lip, trying to decide what to do. What if it was Raven? What if he was hurt? What if he needed help?

She inched closer to the forest. But he’d told her to stay…

Too bad. She couldn’t just abandon him, leave him in the forest while she ran to the safety of the Jeep.

With a long deep breath in, she crept into the eerie forest, guided by the light on her phone.

The fog thinned with each step farther into the forest. Her mind cleared as though she woke from a heavy dose of anesthetic. She took another step. The crawling sensations eased, disappearing from beneath her skin as quickly as they came.

Her heart leaped from her chest when a twig snapped under her shoe and the sound echoed through the darkness around her.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

The forest was straight-out-of-a-horror-movie creepy. Thin rays of moonlight broke through the thick tree canopy, illuminating the branches, which stretched out like wrinkly arms creating all kinds of scary shapes and shadows.

They're just shadows, they can't hurt you.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued on, shining the light from her phone on the ground to avoid tripping. But every rustle made her more and more jumpy to the point the pounding of her pulse in her ears drowned out all other noises.

“Raven,” she whispered to the darkness.

She halted, holding her breath and waiting for a reply. Nothing.

Tayla jumped when a loud snap sounded to her left, followed by a grunt. Raven? She narrowed her eyes, focusing in the direction of the sound but saw nothing other than never-ending blackness and sinister shadows.

She kept her light pointed to the ground. If she raised it, she may regret what it illuminated.

“Who's there?” she whispered.

Silence.

Another loud snap echoed in the darkness. Closer this time. Followed by heavy thumps as though someone—or something­—stomped the forest floor.

She ducked behind a tree and shoved her phone back in her pocket. She couldn’t risk discovery. Her heart sank. What if it wasn’t Raven?

Tayla poked her head around the trunk and sucked in a breath. As her vision adjusted to the complete darkness, she caught a large shadow between two trees. Stalking in her direction. She moved closer to the tree and her foot kicked a rock. Yes! She snatched it off the ground and gripped it in her palm, ready to use as a weapon.

Peeking around the trunk again, the shadow grew larger the closer it came, forming the shape of a tall person. Male or female, she couldn’t tell. Wait! She recognized the shadow of wings extending over its shoulders. But in the darkness, she couldn’t tell what color they were.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. They could be crimson.

She held her breath and gripped the rock tighter. Closer and closer the shadow came. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, her heart at a rapid rate. The shadow would reach her any second.

Deep breath. She squeezed the rock tighter. Three…two…

In a split second, the shadow disappeared and reappeared behind her. The rock flung out of her hand. Her back slammed hard against the tree, expelling the air from her lungs.

A large hand covered her mouth to muffle her scream.