Bella woke at her usual time, four in the morning, surprised by how soundly she had slept. When she’d first lain down, she’d questioned whether she’d be able to drift off at all. Apparently, the answer had been a resounding yes.
As she lay in bed, memories from the night before came crashing back. She stared at the ceiling, feeling a little more grounded in reality, and acknowledging that everything she saw last night had been real—she couldn’t fully accept everything one hundred percent, but she was getting there.
For the next six days, she’d have to be very careful, and found herself grateful that Jayden had come to her when he did. If not, she’d most certainly be dead. She had better thank him, as she didn’t think she’d done so last night.
As for this being her second life, she had a hard time wrapping her mind around that. She’d grown up with a basic knowledge of most religions, but had never participated in any of them. She certainly hadn’t given any real thought to the concepts of Heaven and Hell, but she had an angel staying with her, and she’d seen a demon with her own eyes last night. So, perhaps now would be a good time to admit both did exist. And if Heaven and Hell were real, then the act of being reincarnated could be, as well.
Feeling antsy, she rose from the bed and used the bathroom, then quickly dressed. She decided to do some baking, as it always relaxed her and helped her focus.
On her way to the kitchen, she wondered where Jayden had gone, then remembered he’d said he would keep watch from outside. Peeking out through the closed curtains in the living room, she hoped the night had been demon-free. The darkness hindered her view, so she rounded the corner into the kitchen and turned on the lights.
She glanced at the contents of her refrigerator. It seemed she had enough ingredients to make one batch of muffins. She opened the cabinet and found some chocolate chips, deciding to throw those in. One of her favorite things had always been chocolate chip muffins and a cup of tea. Because said muffins had caused her backside to grow at an alarming rate, she’d become an avid runner. She longed to hit the streets this morning, but fear kept her locked inside.
As she measured and stirred her ingredients, she considered her options.
Perhaps she should just leave the area. That seemed like the easiest and most simple thing to do. She could drive down the mountain and stay with her parents, or even go to the airport and catch a flight to anywhere in the world.
The front door opened, causing her he stomach to clench as she peeked around the corner. Jayden walked in, and her breath caught in her throat, as if she really saw him for the first time. His thick, leather-clad legs carried him with grace and confidence, the matching vest strained against his barrel chest. He carried his sword and knife with strong hands. His onyx eyes glittered in the low lights as he ran a hand through his black hair. With his brawn and power, she actually felt a little more confident that she’d survive the week.
He smiled and nodded at her. “I saw the lights come on. You’re up early.”
“I’m always up at four. Did you see Ulric?”
He shook his head. “No. It was a quiet night.”
Relief washed through her. “That’s good.”
She turned back into the kitchen, and he followed, setting his weapons on the kitchen counter. “What are you doing?”
“Baking.”
Picking up the spatula, she continued to stir the batter and add more chocolate.
“I see you still have a sweet tooth.”
She glanced over at him, his gaze soft as he looked at her with a small grin.
A jolt of recognition slammed into her chest, making her breath catch. How had he been aware of that, unless they did know each other in a previous life?
She turned back to her bowl without answering. “If what you say about this being my second life is true, and we lived in the fourteenth century, why don’t you have an accent? Why do you have the same vernacular as a modern-day person from the United States?”
When he spoke, his accent was thick as mud. “Aye, m’lady. I have lived as an angel for many moons, and I’ve studied the evolution of humans. My dialect has changed with the centuries.”
She smiled, the deep baritone voice resonating within her as something very familiar.
“What about you? Who exactly were you to me in my past life?”
He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the counter. “I was a knight, assigned to protect you from yourself.”
Another punch rallied through her, signaling he spoke the truth. How could this be? She put down her spatula and turned to him, confused. “What?”
“As I told you last night, you had a bit of a defiant streak in you. You did things that ladies of that time shouldn’t do, like pretending to be a boy so you could spend time in the stables, and sneaking around town spying on those who frequented the taverns and whorehouses.”
She laughed in spite of herself, trying to imagine doing those things, in that time. Apparently, her previous life hadn’t been filled with boredom and loneliness. She hadn’t needed to emerge from any ruts, and she hadn’t felt as if she had anything missing from her life.
“Did you make me a respectable princess?” she teased, thinking that her actions then seemed so innocent now, but had required a bodyguard to keep her in line. How silly it all had been.
He shook his head. “On the contrary. As it turns out, you were a terrible influence on me.”
Heat burned her cheeks as her heart fluttered in her chest, and she busied herself with pouring the batter into the baking cups. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know exactly how she’d proven to be a bad influence on him, and decided to change the subject.
“Why can’t we just leave the area?”
There was a beat of silence, and she wondered if her turn in the conversation had surprised him.
Finally, he spoke. “Because, you need to deal the final death blow to Ulric.”
Well, the discussion had just taken a very serious turn. Stunned, she set down the bowl and faced him. “Me? Why?”
He laid both hands on her shoulders. “Because if you don’t, he’ll stay here in this plane, and won’t stop until he’s killed you, and many, many others. You’ll never be safe, Bella. He’ll pursue you until he’s caught you and murdered you again.”
Her heart slammed in her chest as her fear and confusion escalated. “I-I don’t know anything about killing demons! Or anything, for that matter! I’m a baker, Jayden. The biggest weapon I’ve ever held was a chopping knife for quiches!”
He smiled and squeezed her arms. “That’s not true. You were once an amazing swordswoman—as good as any man, and even better than some.”
She studied his face, certain he’d lost his mind, and she felt on the verge of losing hers. “And if this is all true, somehow, this skill is supposed to return to me? I’m supposed to pick up that sword, and my ability from hundreds and hundreds of years ago will just suddenly manifest itself?”
He shook his head. “No. It will take practice, Bella. But it’s there.”
Taking a deep breath, she rolled her eyes. She could wield a spatula, but not a sword.
“If you try, I think you’ll find that you surprise yourself,” he added.
Glancing around the kitchen, she tried to find a way out of this mess, but none came to her.
Eyeing the sword, she had her doubts she could even pick the damn thing up, let alone handle it effectively and kill a demon.
Gazing up at Jayden, she saw in his eyes that he had faith in her, that he truly believed what he said.
And just like that, she would be going from baker to a swordswoman.
She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. This week got weirder with every waking hour.