Archangel's Fire

Chapter 4

4

I was burning. It was like the sun’s ray were aimed only on me, searing deep into my skin. I’d never felt such torture, but not even that could beat the agony in my chest.

“It’s safe to get up now,” the stranger said.

I should’ve felt relief when he lifted his heavy mass off me. I didn’t. The girl, Annalise, was dead, and I let it happen. Shame pinned me to the ground. I couldn’t even lift my head. I wanted the sun to burn me alive. I deserved it.

“I let her die,” I mumbled. “I could’ve ran after her and got her attention. I could’ve taken her to the Sanctuary and called for Big John and the others. I could’ve hidden her in the mountains. I could’ve—”

“What you would’ve done is killed everyone in the Sanctuary,” the stranger snapped.

I curled my hands into fists, ready to tear a new one into the stranger. It was his fault that I hadn’t even had a chance to try. “You don’t know that!”

My head snapped up. Impatient sapphire eyes met my furious ones.

He was an angel. His skin radiated the same luminous glow, his brown hair hung in waves across his forehead and down the length of his neck. Brown-gold scruff lined his cheeks and sculpted jaw. Even though his body was taut and muscled like the other male angels, there was something different about him. He carried himself as if he were royalty. I didn’t like it.

“Yes, I do. I don’t know who this Big John is, but I highly doubt he could beat Nimrod and his hunters. You don’t know the hunters and what they are capable of.”

“I don’t—” The gall of this angel. I jumped to my feet. “I was here. I saw what they did. And you don’t know me or what my family and friends are capable of.”

“I know the people in your village have very few weapons and the angels who watch over this place are not trained for battle. Not for the likes of the hunters. You should be thanking me for taking the time to save your life.”

“Why you arrogant—thank you? Thank you?”

“You’re welcome. Now, I have some business to attend to with Tovahiel.” He brushed sand off his clothing. “Take me to her.”

“Excuse me? I don’t even know you.” I didn’t care if he knew Tovah’s angelic name. The only person I’d ever heard call her that was Big John.

“Look, little girl.” With a scowl, he closed the distance between us, looming over me almost menacingly. “I don’t have time to argue with you. Take me to Tovahiel.”

He was trying to intimidate me. It didn’t work when Lukas tried to pull that stunt, and it wasn’t going to work now.

Pulling my shoulders back, I made myself as tall as I could. I caught a glimpse of my crossbow lying just behind him.

“You can find her yourself.” I dashed past him, snatching up my bow.

“Where are you going?”

“To find the hunters.” It would be easy to follow their tracks. The only thing the hunters left was blood-streaked sand. Red smudges lined the ground as far as I could see. The least I could do was find Annalise’s body and give her a proper burial, and maybe kill a few hunters while I was at it.

“I won’t allow it,” the stranger yelled after me.

I barked a laugh and continued walking. “You’re not the boss of me.”

I’d already broken Tovah’s command and crossed the boundary. I might as well continue and find out what else Lukas had lied to me about.

“There is no way you can save the girl.” The angel placed himself in front of me. “Even if you’re strong enough to make your way through the desert and to the city—by the looks of you, you wouldn’t last an hour—there is no way you can save her. She belongs to the hunters now.”

My hand itched to slap the arrogant expression when his words finally hit me. “Did you say ‘save her’? As in she’s still alive?”

“I told you it’s not possible.”

“It is possible if she’s still alive. Are you sure? I thought they stabbed her.”

“They only wounded her enough to keep her from running away, but they didn’t kill her. Wait!”

Before I could dart out of his reach, he grabbed my arm. “You can’t help her. She’s as good as dead.”

“Let go of me. She’s still alive.”

“There’s nothing you can do.”

“I heard you the first time.” I tugged my arm.

He leaned in close, his blue eyes blazing. “Obviously, you didn’t.”

My nostrils flared as I stared him down. Or in my case, glared up at him. “I know you’re an angel. And by the looks of you, it’s obvious you could give those hunters a run for their money. But for some reason, you don’t want to. That’s your choice. I choose to do whatever I can to help her. So. Let. Me. Go.”

He looked up at the sky, shaking his head, and then mumbled, “Do we have to save the humans in the process? Ungrateful beings.”

“If I’m so ungrateful, then get your meaty paws off me. You can find Tovahiel and get on with your business.” I tried to pull away.

“No.”

“Let go!” I whacked his muscled arm with my bow. He didn’t even blink.

“You’re a member of the Sanctuary. I’m not letting anyone out. There’s a reason Tovahiel forbid you all from going outside the boundary.”

“You know about that?”

“There are many things I know. And stop pulling, you’ll hurt yourself.”

“I’ll stop if you tell me who you are and how you know so much about us.”

He paused, thinking about it. “You won’t run?”

“You have my word.” I was such a liar.

“Fine. My name is Cade. The guardians know me as the archangel Cadriel.”

“Oh, it’s nice to meet—” I lifted my free hand, stuck two fingers out, and jabbed him in the eyes. “You!”

He jerked back, howling. I ran out of his reach as fast as I could. Placing my fingers in my mouth, I whistled for Mika, hoping she could hear me from this distance.

There was a sudden rush of hot wind and the sound of flapping. Before I even passed the pool of blood where Scarf Guy literally lost his head, Cade, in all his archangel glory, landed in front of me.

I staggered to a stop, astounded by the sight he made. He was stunning. With an impressive wingspan, he hovered shirtless above me, his wings fluttering softly. Every muscle of his lithe body flexed with each movement.

“Does Tovahiel allow all humans to behave like this or is it just you?” He gazed down at me, the whites of his eyes red from my fingers.

I placed my hand on my hips, satisfied to see him blinking and knowing even a puny human like me could take down an archangel, even if just for a couple of seconds.

“Are all archangels selfish or is it just you?”

“Selfish? Me?” He laughed, landing soundlessly on the sand and folding his wings inward. “Little girl, if you only knew.”

Little… Protruding fingers went sailing through the air again.

He caught my hand in midflight. Damn, he was fast.

“While you are busy playing savior, I’m here to actually help save your kind. As we speak, the witch’s spell is wearing out. We have no time to waste.”

“What are you talking about?” I didn’t know anything about spells or witches. There was nothing like that in the Sanctuary.

“Tovahiel didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Hmm, maybe she only told the intelligent humans.”

Resisting the urge to stomp my foot, I jerked the hand he didn’t hold up, aiming for his eyeballs again.

“I’m tired of this nonsense.” Cade caught that hand, too, and spun me around. “Look.”

I stared at the spot where the Sanctuary should’ve been. Poplar trees should’ve circled the fields. Small cottages should’ve sat at the foot of the mountain. But there was nothing but sand.

The Sanctuary was gone.