Chapter Twenty Six

Uncharacteristically, Cam carried Lacey through the front door of the house and out the back to her room, his soft foot fall hardly registering on the timbered floor. Kicking the bedroom door open with his toe, he walked across the room and with all the angelic tenderness he could muster, lowered her weakened body to the bed, organising her so that she lay comfortably. The transparent robe she wore, ripped to the torso, only served to highlight the wounds inflicted by Zachael and Linda. Crusts of dried blood streaked her cheek and arms. Dried streams of candle wax were fused to her chest and stomach. The welt of the brand burnt across her forearm. Her wrists, covered by makeshift bandages stained in crimson, were purple and bruised. Thankfully, she was out cold, unaware of what had happened but it didn’t make the pain any less for him.

Cam’s eyes filled with tears. This was his fault. If only he had realised what she was up to. He could read her mind. He was her protector. He should have known and talked her out of it. There had been absolutely no need for her to rush off doing suicidal things like that.

In the doorway behind him, Aunt Beth held a breath. Her lips were pressed into a thin white line.

“Don’t say it,” Cam said. “I already know this is my fault.”

“Will she be alright?”

Cam looked down at the bed. Lacey looked so fragile. So vulnerable. “She’ll be okay. The sigil protected her from most of the pain, so what you see are surface wounds. I can heal those.”

“And Zac?”

“He’s dead.”

“But this isn’t over.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Not by a long shot. At some stage tomorrow, Lucifer will come for her.”

“So what do we do?”

“I’ll take her away, hide her. It will buy us the time we need to locate the demon who put Lucifer’s Mark on her and slay him.”

Aunt Beth walked further into the room and paused at the head of the bed. “Where will you go?”

“It’s best if you don’t know. I’ll take care of her, Beth. Lucifer won’t find us. You have to trust me on that.”

“I do.” Beth looked down at Lacey’s closed eyes, her frail injured body. “Are you sure she’s okay?”

“She’s sleeping for the moment,” Cam said, softly, “The effect of whatever drug he gave her compounded by the shock of it all, I suspect. Bring some warm water and we’ll clean her up a little. She doesn’t need to look in the mirror and be any more scared than she will be when she wakes up and remembers what happened.”

There was no answer but he heard Beth walk off in the direction of the kitchen.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Cam gazed down at Lacey’s silent form. He should never have let this happen. She was his responsibility. And not just because God had said so but because he loved her. Leaning in close, he strained to hear the soft escape of breath from her lips. Smooth and regular. She was under no stress now.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his cheek against hers.

The gentle pressure of fingers indented the skin of his arm and he looked sidelong at them wondering if she had touched him. There it was again. Tiny, tenuous movements, stretching and flexing as if they’d been restrained for the longest time and were now free. Her eyelashes fluttered. A tired smile formed on her rosebud lips.

“It’s not your fault.”

“I should have got there sooner.”

“I didn’t want you to. I just wanted it to be over.”

Aunt Beth bustled back into the room, all military precision. In her hands, she carried a tray containing a bowl of warm water, antiseptic cream, a washcloth and a glass of wine. She put the tray on the bedside table and with a sharp hand gesture, shooed Cam from the side of the bed. “You can discuss whose fault it is later. Right now, we need to get you cleaned up, Miss. Give us twenty minutes,” she said, as she pushed Cam toward the door. “You may be able to read her mind, but Lacey is only seventeen, until tomorrow at least. A girl needs her privacy.”

Closing the door, Cam leant his back against the wall and sucked in a heavy sigh of relief. Lacey was alive, but only just and he had less than six hours to find a safe haven for her. After that, they could concentrate on finding the demon that marked her and killing it. Lucifer would have to find another to fulfill his plan.

In front of him, Dad’s frantic pacing had stopped. “What’s going on in there? Is everything okay?”

Cam nodded. “Beth’s cleaning her up.”

“Can I see her?”

“Soon.”

Back in the bedroom, Aunt Beth set about attending to Lacey’s injuries - the warm cloth sponged over her body, the clean wounds smeared gently with salve. She helped her change into fresh leggings and a long sleeved t-shirt, then she dug Lacey’s favourite woollen bed socks out from under her pillow and slipped them onto her feet. Lacey sat without protest while Beth brushed her hair until it shone, and tied it in a ponytail. She was glad Aunt Beth didn’t see her lip begin to tremble. All this love and care. It was almost as if Mum were back. But she’d never see Mum again. Deep down she’d known Zac was lying. It was funny the things you could be made to believe in the name of guilt.

At last, when Lacey was all settled, Aunt Beth began to tidy up. She tipped the water bowl out the window, squeezed the washcloth and put Lacey’s brush back on the dresser. The glass of wine was still in its spot on the tray.

“What’s the wine for?” Lacey asked. Aunt Beth had revealed so many things about herself in the last few weeks; it wouldn’t surprise her if the wine were some healing thing or other from one of her Wicca spells.

Aunt Beth flopped into a chair by the bed and with a satisfied smile took up the glass. “It’s for me, silly. You gave me quite a scare.”

A tentative knock on the door brought Dad into the room. He headed straight to the bed, sitting alongside his daughter.

Lacey looked up into his worried face. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

“I can’t understand why you would even consider doing such a thing. And without Cam or Ty to protect you? It was stupid and reckless, Lace. We could have lost you.”

Lacey swallowed, wincing with the movement. “That was the point.”

“What?”

“Let’s face it, there’s no way to remove Lucifer’s Mark. It was either surrender or choose someone else go in my place, and I had no intention of doing what Mum did. I wanted to save you the grief by going quietly.”

“So why did you change your mind?”

“I realised I had people who loved me.”

*****

Cam edged his way onto the bed next to Lacey. She’d been groggy and slept for another four hours after the adults had left her and went to bed. Cam had sat on the floor in the hallway the entire time, refusing to leave until he knew she was out of danger. Then, he’d heard a sound, imperceptible to the rest of the universe but, to him, the small sigh was sweeter than the chorus of a thousand angels on Christmas Day. He’d rushed through the door to find her stirring, pushing herself up onto the pillow. He’d smiled.

“I’m okay.” Her voice was smaller than usual and weak but he knew she was telling the truth.

“I know. I heard your heart. I knew you’d be fine. But I wanted to make sure.”

Lacey looked up into Cam’s eyes. Her own were moist with uncried tears. “He hurt me, Cam. I thought I was going to die.”

Cam moved closer. His arm slid around to cradle her to his chest and he swung his legs onto the bed beside her so she could lean into him, breathing his smell, feeling the muscles of his chest against her cheek.

She felt safe.

“Why did you do it, Lace? You knew it was death to go there, even with the protection of the sigil. What were you trying to prove?”

Lacey rolled slightly to face him. His liquid green eyes delved into hers and she knew he already knew the answer; there was no point in lying. She dug her fingers into his shirt. “I wanted to save you and my family and I thought that surrendering was the only option left.”

“It was insanely stupid. I almost didn’t make it. That sigil protected you from most of the pain, but another few minutes and…..” His palm moved up to graze her face with tenderness. She tingled beneath it.

“Are you mad with me?”

“I told you I’d handle it but you never listen.” He shook his head in frustration.

“I’m sorry.”

“Zac’s dead, I killed him.”

A glimmer of hope lit up Lacey’s face. “And Linda or Lucifer or whoever that was?”

“Gone. But Ty’s out looking.”

“So nothing has changed. Tomorrow, I’m still dead.”

“No. Zac gave me a vital piece of information before he died. The mark can be removed. It is possible.”

“How?”

“Later. I’ll tell you later.”

“And in the meantime?”

“In the meantime, we have to get you away from here to a safe place. I’ve already spoken to your father and Beth. They’re in total agreement.”

“What good will that do? Lucifer will still find me.”

“Not where I’m taking you. Don’t worry, Lace. It’ll be over soon. I promise.”

Lacey reached up. Her arms coiled around Cam’s neck. His soothing light washed over her body. Everything was going to be fine. Cam had found a way.

Bending his head, Cam brushed his cheek against hers. Butterflies flew round in her stomach, making her quiver as his lips touched the tip of her earlobe. His voice cracked. “The thought of you dying….”

“Yes?”

“It made me see how stupid I’d been to pretend that what exists between us can ever be torn apart. It’s more than an angel bond.”

Lacey lifted her face to his. Her lips curved to a smile and he ran a finger across it.

“I shouldn’t do this,” he whispered.

“It’s your free will.”

His mouth travelled along her jaw. “I’m supposed to be your protector.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t love me.”

Slowly, she ran her tongue across her lips. Just do it Cam, I’m dying here, just do it, she thought.

The kiss began tenderly, tentative. Two mouths, slowly exploring. Then, as if of their own accord, Lacey’s eyelids grew heavy, and she gave herself up to it, closing them. Cam’s mouth melted on hers, blended with hers, sending shivers into parts of her body she’d never known existed. She could feel him increasing the pressure, his mouth opening and she followed, snaking her hands around his neck, moving her fingers through the golden gossamer that was his hair. Her mind blurred with words of love and she knew he heard them for he pulled her tighter, rolling her to her back and pushing her into the pillow as he continued to kiss her.

Sparks flew from his body and floated into the air. Millions of flickering embers, in all the colours of the rainbow, rose to circle the air above them, forming an electric mist that filled the room and set her skin tingling as they swirled around her, causing her to open her eyes.

“Woah,” Lacey’s words were muffled against his lips.

Pulling away, Cam opened his eyes to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Look!”

Cam raised his head and rolled to sitting. Lifting his face, he studied the strange crystals of colour as they floated down to frame his face in a halo. He looked more beautiful than ever, even with his wings tucked away. That smile. Those eyes.

Lacey sat up beside him, her face enraptured. “Does this happen every time you kiss a girl?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never kissed a girl before.”

“Well, that was pretty good for a first effort. What other party tricks do you know?”

Cam grinned. “I’ve waited a lifetime to show you.”

 

THE END

 

Now read on for a preview of Book 2

Lucifer’s Mark