Chapter Twenty-three

 

Hannah woke up to the smell of coffee and cinnamon buns baking in the oven. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world. First, she had an angel for a mate. Second, he even knew his way around the kitchen. Kicking off the covers, she stretched and yawned. Her shoulder blades were awfully sore this morning. She stood up and whirled her arms around like windmills, trying to loosen them up a bit. It didn’t work.

She ran a shower, as hot as she could tolerate. Standing under the steaming stream, she shrugged her shoulders, stretched some more, but nothing seemed to alleviate the familiar burning of muscle spasms on either side of her spine. Finished washing up, she rushed to put a robe on, as the coffee and buns made her stomach growl something fierce.

Padding her way down the hall, she stopped at a corner here and there to rub up against them for a massage. Why, of all times, did she have to get these damn knots in her muscles? Too much depended on her being in tip-top shape. Hopefully, Gabriel would be able to soothe them, or she’d have to call her mom.

“Good morning, Sunshine.” He flashed a toothy grin at her as he turned away from the stove, dressed in a chef’s apron.

“Good morning yourself.” She padded straight over to him and into his awaiting embrace. “What have we here? I didn’t know you could brew coffee and make sticky buns.”

“Every day, from now on, I am going to surprise you with more and more facts you don’t know about me. Should make for an interesting eternity.”

“I should say so. Especially if you don’t wind up running out of things to tell me.”

“In a former life, I learned how to brew amazing coffee. I’m just too busy at work to do it there. And, if I’m to be honest, which I must, the sticky buns are from the little Doughboy.”

“My favorite! My stomach’s been grumbling since your coffee woke me up, so let’s have at it!”

They ate out on the back porch, enjoying the fleeting cool air of the early morning.

“So, I bought you a few things to add to your wardrobe. Items that might come in handy now that you’ll be sporting some mad wings.”

“You did? Thank you! I can’t wait to see. About those wings—”

“Yes? Have they come in yet?”

“No, but I have some major knots in my shoulder blades I hoped you could help me with. I don’t want anything hampering my turning or the responsibility I now have as a Warrior.”

“Let me take a look.”

She opened her robe and peeled it down to her waist so he could examine her. “They’re burning like hot knives. A shower and stretching did nothing for them.”

“Hmmm.”

“Hmmm, what?”

“You’ve got two lines outlining your shoulders blades. Did you scratch your back with anything?”

“No. On the way to the kitchen, I rubbed up against a couple of corners for a massage, but that’s it.”

“The lines are where your wings will grow. I wonder. It could be starting, honey.”

“Great. So this is gonna hurt. Just what I wanted to hear.” She wrapped the robe back around her and took a long sip of her coffee.

“It may hurt a little. I mean, they’ve got to break through your skin. I have a feeling the first few times, it’s not going to be pleasant. I’ve never been through this with anyone before, so I only know my experience. It hurt the first few times until I got used to it. Now, it’s like breathing.”

“Just great.” She stuffed a whole bun in her mouth and rolled her eyes in ecstasy. “That doughboy’s got it going on! The perfect diversion to shoulder pain. You’re gonna have to fight me for them, mister.”

“I’ll see that challenge and raise you a jaunt in the shower.”

“Oh, you drive a hard bargain.”

“You’re not quite angel yet. I figure we could close out that bucket list and take care of something long overdue.”

“I like your line of thinking.” She shoved another bun in her mouth, grabbed the plate, and walked out of the kitchen, back to the bedroom.

“Hey! Don’t go too far with those!”

She heard him scramble up behind her and she bolted away. Too fast for her, by the time she made it to the bedroom door, he was already there, leaning against the jamb. “My dear, I believe I should have a bun. Whether it’s on the plate or standing right in front of me, I’m getting me some.”

“Okay, I give. You can have them both.” She winked and lifted the sugary pastry to his lips, rubbed the frosting on them, and licked it off. Then, she kissed him and pushed him back into the bedroom.

He took the plate from her and set it down on the bed. With a devilish grin, he took her by the hand and brought her and the frosting container into the master bath. He untied her sash, and as it fell away, the robe opened, allowing him to get a good glance at her reimagined body.

“Whew!” His voice had gone hoarse. “Honey, your body is smokin’ hot. I could frost you up and eat you for breakfast.”

She shivered with the thought and dropped her robe to the floor. “Please do.”

He dug a couple fingers into the frosting and used her like a canvas. He began with her breasts, swirling comets around her nipples. “I feel like Botticelli. You’re my Venus.” He painted ribbons on her shoulders and stomach, and a happy face with an arrow pointing south just above her hairline.

“Save some for me, sweetheart.” She took it upon herself to scoop a bit of her own and pointed to his clothes. “Uh, those need to be good and gone.”

“Yes, ma’am!” He licked the icing off his fingers, ripped the shirt off and tossed it to the floor, then unzipped and threw off his pants as quickly as possible. “Ready!”

“Why yes, you are.” She smiled and painted upon him, licking her lips as she did so, knowing she’d be having a tasty treat of her own.

“Baby, you’re all mine first. There’s no preparing for it. Just hold onto me and go for the ride.”

What did he have in store for her? She hadn’t a clue, but anticipation made her hot and wet for him. Already, her breath faltered. He closed in on her and licked one breast in wide concentric circles until he reached the center and suckled. Moving on to the other one, he treated it with the same erotic care. He wasn’t kidding when he told her to hang onto something! She leaned against the closet door and grabbed for the knob, using it to anchor her as she spiraled into a heightened state of arousal.

“Sweetheart, you are my nourishment, my life’s blood.”

He kissed her shoulders, eating the frosting off in the process, and trailed down to her stomach, where he tickled her sensitized skin with light swirly trails of his tongue. When he reached her lower belly, he held her close and stabilized her shaky legs as he concentrated on the most sensitive part of her.

“Oh, dear Lord! Oh, my God—” She moaned and grabbed the back of his head, grinding herself against his face. He growled and his deep voice vibrated straight through to her core, putting her over the edge. She wrenched his head back and fell to her knees to kiss him deeply. “My turn, sugar.”

She swapped places with him and leaned over to take him in. From base to head, she took her time tasting him and demonstrating her love. When he would jerk away, she’d find him again, until he cried out and all was spent. He plundered her lips, and brought them both to stand. “This was amazing. Now, for stellar.”

He turned the spa shower on and brought her under the steady streams of warm water to kiss her gently and completely. “Midnight tonight you’ll change forever. I want you to know, I will be there by your side, as your family will be, to see you ascend to your next stage of life.”

“Thank God for you, and everyone. I couldn’t do this on my own.” He massaged her back, especially along her sore spots. “Mmmm, maybe you can coax them out without so much pain?”

“I’ll do what I can, sweetheart.”

He turned her to face the wall and kissed her along the shoulder blades. His tongue traced along the sensitive lines and massaged around the area. His hands were all over her, and all thought of achy muscles disappeared. He lifted a leg to rest on the bench and entered her from behind. She leaned back against his chest and his handed kneaded her breasts to taut peaks. He quickened the pace, and she reached around to grab at anything she could. Pulling out, he laid her down on the wooden spa bench and lowered himself upon her, entering her again, slowly and deliberately. He built up the tension and thrust madly and deeply until she shrieked his name and lost all control. He came along with her and held her to him as though they were one body, one soul.

“I love you, Gabriel. So very much.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

They washed each other and toweled off. “Ready for your surprise?”

“I completely forgot. Yes!”

He brought her to his closet and opened one of the drawers she thought empty. He held up a pair of black leather pants and offered them to her. They felt like butter. Then he brought out a shirt. A tank top with a razor back.

“These are awesome. Thank you!”

“I figured, you’re a Brethren Warrior now. You need the proper attire. Leather pants are standard wear. The tank top took me a bit to find. You see, we can take our shirts off and let our wings loose. You, on the other hand, might cause a bit of a stir if you ripped off your shirt. You know what I mean?”

She laughed. “Um, yeah. I could wind up in jail for indecent exposure.”

“Right, so I bought you a slew of these. Me, too, actually. Look at the back. It’s cut so your wings can unfurl and not get impeded by your shirt. I must say, I’m pretty stoked at my ingenuity.”

“I love my outfits. Thank you. I think I should wear them now. Don’t you?”

“Absolutely, although, there’s no telling what I’ll do, seeing you in sexy leather and all.”

“You’re hopeless.” She swatted him with her towel and dressed. “Hey, I just realized something. Where is everybody? For the first time in a few weeks, they aren’t under foot.”

“I asked them to give us a couple hours alone. They understand how difficult it’s been for you lately. They should be back shortly.” His phone buzzed on the bedside table. “I’m not answering it. Today is too important.”

“Oh, go ahead. It hasn’t bothered us in a while. It could be work. Just check.”

He grabbed it and frowned. “Damn. It is work. Marty. I think I ought to take this.”

“Absolutely. Go ahead.”

“I’ll take it to my office while you finish in here.” He kissed her soundly while caressing her cheeks. Gazing into his eyes as he released her, she found a love so profound, it stole her breath and filled her soul all at once.

“I’m the luckiest woman alive. Now go. You’re needed.” She swatted him on his behind and winked.

As he left, she returned to the bathroom to dry her hair and get ready for the rest of the day. She dressed in her new leather pants and turquoise tank top. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a pair of biker boots that looked way too small to fit his feet. Sliding her foot into one, she found them to be the perfect size. With her outfit complete and her hair behaving for the moment, she felt confident, sexy, and in control.

Something drew her attention to the window—the mountains. The sun and clouds were playing upon them, creating elegant shadow shapes. She couldn’t help but be awed by the sight. The windows seemed a bit foggy, so she wrote a mental note to have them cleaned. The bedroom had French doors leading to the back porch, so she took the opportunity to go out for a more crystal clear view.

Her life had been inextricably bound to those Superstition Mountains. Thirty years ago, she’d been brought up to a mesa for sacrifice. The Brethren had been there to save her. Thirty-six years later, and she was stalked by the same damned entity. Back then, he was known as Namirha. Now, he hid behind no alias. Satan had returned for her powers, just as before. Would he succeed? Her earlier confidence evaporated like the dew on a blade of grass. She stood on uncertain ground, wondering if she had any “saves” left in her pocket.

Michael, her mother, and she buried evil into the very foundation of the infamous mountain. His resurrected spirit had spoken to her, touched her, made love to her, and now, it beckoned her to join him back up top to finish, once and for all, their battle for the world. Could she resist?

“Hannah, once my daughter, now my darling love, come to me. Fulfill our destiny of reigning over this world forever. We shall create our own army and destroy all others. We shall bring our own kind of peace and lay to waste those that would oppose us. Come to me, and you shall know a better eternity.”

Her soul begged her to scream, “No!” Her voice refused to yield. Her heart and mind pleaded for her to run inside. Her legs refused to comply. She prayed to her angel for help, but their connection had been severed, pulverized, with not a shred left to cling to. She watched helplessly as her body betrayed her and walked off the back porch to run for the foothills.

 

****

 

“It was Marty. He said they’ve rounded up more than a dozen people so far in connection with Hatchet. He needed the numbers to all the employment agencies we use to help place the rescued.” He waited for a jubilant response, but got none. “Hannah?”

He walked into the bathroom. Empty. He strode out into the bedroom again and noticed the door to the porch ajar. Prickles of uneasiness raised upon his skin as he opened the door, praying he’d find her sitting on a chair enjoying the heat of the day.

No such luck. “Hannah?” He called her name over and over, but she never answered. He opened the connection between them and that’s when he freaked out. It had been severed. Not by him and not by her. “Holy shit! What the fuck?”

He opened up all channels to his Brethren teammates. “Hannah’s gone. Our connection’s been cut. Hurry. If Satan’s got her, we’re all in for the battle of our lives.”

First came the chatter, then silence as everyone mobilized at his place to plan and get her back. “I don’t have to tell you how crucial it is we find her before midnight. I wouldn’t put it past the Dark One to use the same alter as he did before, so some of us should fly straight up to the mesa. Since I’m not sure if he took her or if she climbed, some of us should scan the mountainside as well. I’ve got legions ready to join us should he have his minions waiting.”

Everyone divided into three groups to cover the most territory.

“I’m going straight to the mesa. If she’s already there, I want to be, too.”

“I’ll go with you, Emma. Gabriel—”

“Michael, you don’t need to say it. I’ve said it to myself a million times already. I shouldn’t have left her alone for even five minutes.” He picked up a vase and smashed it against the fireplace in the family room.

“I was just going to tell you, it’ll all work out. We’ll find her and send the bastard back home. Don’t beat yourself up over this, man. We’re concerned, frightened, angry as hell, but we gotta use that to fuel our ability to save her. Understand?”

“Yes. I understand. Thanks.”

“All right. Let’s go!”

Gabriel figured Satan would draw her in, have her hike all the way up the mountain to try and tire her out before turning. It being mid-afternoon, she wouldn’t get to the top until early evening. Did she have water? Shoes on? Sun block? He didn’t know, but he shielded and flew over the land to save his woman and confront the bastard from Hell.

 

****

 

Sweltering hot and thirsty, skin crisping under the brutal sun, Hannah soldiered onward to meet the evil puppet master who held her life in his dark grasp. She couldn’t form a single thought without him insinuating his own right along with them. Frightened by the strong need to comply with his demands, she worried he’d make her do the unthinkable- hand over her powers. As if she even knew how! She hadn’t understood her turning from the moment it began.

It was pretty evident she’d be on her own to fight him, too. At least until Gabriel found her missing, and the Brethren figured out where she’d gone. If only she had her wings and sword, she could put up a valiant effort on her own behalf. Those damnable things could sprout at any time, though. The burning had grown stronger over the course of her journey. She could barely raise her arms at times to swipe the sweat forming on her brow. The hike grew increasingly painful as her feet bore the brunt of the ill-timed trek. New shoes and long walks never mixed well, and she feared she might have to remove them or be rendered a cripple before reaching the summit.

A strong breeze whooshed by, ruffling her hair as she began the vertical ascent to the mesa. Another gust nearly knocked her off her feet. Not so strange an event to happen at the base of the mountain. But…maybe it wasn’t the wind at all. Curious.

A fleeting thought of angels caused searing pain, like an impaling hot poker, to pierce behind the eyes, and brought her to her knees. Trudging along, all focus shifted to one burning desire planted within her soul against her will. Deeper still, a glimmer of wrongness tried to create a spark of alarm, but it was quickly doused, and she marched on, a robot with only one directive- bring Satan her powers.

Footfall after footfall took her higher up the mountain. She’d been directed to take the path less traveled, and it was kicking her ass, but she pushed on, relying on her superhuman strength as her backup. The sun had begun its descent, thankfully, offering a reprieve from the onslaught of its burning rays that had transformed her into a lobster.

After a bit of strenuous, near vertical hiking, she stopped and looked out at the land around her. She figured to be about a couple thousand feet up the mountain already. Only one more to go, but could she do it before the sun completely set? If not, would her eyes help her see the rest of the way? She took a few moments to stretch her arms and shoulders. Her back screamed, and she’d taken to hunching over to relieve the agony. It did little good. Nothing she did actually helped. Her wings just needed to break through and be done with it.

“Come on, girl! You’re not gonna let this mountain get the best of you, are you? Get your ass up this thing! Satan needs you!” She smacked her cheeks, shook her head, and continued on.

The hardest part of the climb now faced her. One wrong step and she’d fall those two thousand feet to her death. If she’d had her climbing gear, this would’ve been a cake walk. With nothing to anchor her, though, the climb became potentially life threatening. But what did it matter? Not at all. Not to him. He coaxed her on, and she obeyed.

Looking around for a path of good hand and foot holds, she’d eyed a few, but they grew too far apart before reaching the top. She took a few more steps, the last she’d be able to, and looked again for the way up.

There they were. It wasn’t a perfect route, as some were going to challenge her petite reach, but it was better than all the others. Now all she had to do was use them, hang on, and not fall.

 

****

 

Gabriel’d flown around the entire mountain, numerous times, as had the other Brethren. No sign of his mate anywhere. Michael found no signs of her or Satan up on the mesa, either. Had he led them on a wild goose chase? Did he jump to the wrong conclusion as to where she could have gone? He didn’t think so. This seemed the logical place. Maybe they couldn’t find her because she wasn’t meant to be found. Satan had tricks in his pocket like the rest of them, if not more. He could be making it impossible for them to detect her, just like he cut off all communication.

So, he continued to survey the landscape for the smallest detail. An unusual shadow, a wayward rock that might tumble without explanation. Those could be a result of her climb. Frustration welled, anger boiled over. He was at the end of his rope when the impossible assaulted his ears and caused his slow heart to stop.