Angel Series Books 1-3 Boxed Set

Another Nightmare

Another Nightmare

Danny sat on the couch reading and I lay with my head in his lap dozing, my strength slowly returning of its own accord, though I knew I’d have to eat in order to be in peak condition.

The sun streamed through the window and in between naps I watched the dust motes dancing in the light, sometimes colliding then dancing off in the opposite direction.

I sat up and leaned my chin on Danny’s shoulder. Eventually he turned to look at me and smiled.

“Come read in the garden,” I said. “I’d like to soak up some sun and swing gently.”

He kissed the top of my head and, being playful, scooped me into his arms and carried me outside.

“I’m not an invalid,” I protested, as he sat me down on the swing.

“I know,” Danny grinned, “but I like to put my muscles to good use sometimes. I have to admit I miss patrolling, tracking and hunting. I’ve done them for so long it’s hard to give them up for an extended period. Having a break is nice, but it would be nicer if we had our freedom.”

“Danny, your invisibility thing, how often do you work on it?” I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Every few years. When you’re immortal that’s enough.”

“If I asked you to practice every day, just a little, would you do it?”

“Why does it matter?” he asked.

“Have you ever heard of the saying, practice makes perfect?” He nodded his head. “Well, I think it’s the same for immortals as well. You saw how often I practiced with my sparring partners, and how quickly I improved. I think you could get better at your thing — the invisibility — if you practiced more.”

“Yes, but why does it matter?”

“I’d be happier for you to come with me if I knew no one could see you. Think of the advantage you’d have. Our enemies would be truly blind when you fought. You’d be even better than those ninja things that attacked me.”

“And how would you find me?” he asked.

“Okay, you’ve got a point there,” I conceded. “Perhaps when you’re practicing at extending yourself I could practice trying to find you?”

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow, after you’ve had something to eat.”

“Why does everything have to wait until tomorrow,” I mumbled.

Danny pretended he hadn’t heard and pulled me to him, leaning my head on his shoulder, and began swinging gently as he opened his book to where he left off.

A dozen or so butterflies had flown into the cottage garden and were busy flitting from flower to flower. One flew to Danny and landed on his knee, gently flapping its wings. I reached out to touch it and it flew away. Even butterflies kept their distance from me. I closed my eyes and breathed in the mingled fragrances from the garden, identifying a number of scents until my head lolled forward and I drifted into a light sleep. Danny moved me gently so my head was in his lap and my legs were on the garden swing — a far more comfortable position.

When I woke, the sun was low in the sky. I lay there, content to be rocked, watching the butterflies’ graceful dance and the flowers wave gently in the breeze, as though in time with the butterflies.

I let my eyes lose focus and my vision ranged out beyond the confines of the cottage and its garden, into the forest. Much had changed in six weeks. Many of the young saplings were now half a metre tall — was it natural for them to grow so fast? — and the ground was covered with smaller native plants and grasses. I noticed a narrow winding path had been worn through the grass. Some of the animals must have returned and were carving paths through the forest they called home.

Life goes on.

I found I could range out about three kilometres. That was triple what I’d been able to do only months before, when we watched the angels ravage the earth, and torture monsters for information.

Which of them were truly the monsters? I thought. Those that had no choice — labelled monsters because of what they had become — or those that did not resemble monsters in the slightest, but were just as cruel?

“The animals are coming back to the forest,” I murmured. “I can’t see them, but I can see their tracks.”

Danny closed his book and tucked it behind his back.

“You’re looking outwards?” he asked.

I nodded my head.

“I’m looking north, south, east and west, about three kilometres in each direction. Not bad considering I don’t actually have eyes in the back of my head, don’t you think?” I said smugly.

“Who said you don’t have eyes in the back of your head?” he asked.

I sat up quickly, my hands reaching to the back of my head, feeling my skull through my hair.

“You mean I do?” I must’ve sounded shocked, for Danny started to chuckle and I knew he was having me on. “I thought angels couldn’t lie!”

“It was a question, not a statement of fact. It’s the only way I have found to get around telling the truth,” he chuckled. “I’m beginning to understand mortal humour now, but there’s so much from your memories I don’t understand. s*x, for example, was one thing I did not understand, not until I had tried it for myself. Even then it was different to what your memories showed it to be. It’s so much more.”

“It is much more with you, and only you,” I said. “Before you, s*x was only an occupation, or to be used as a bargaining chip.”

I thought of all the times we’d had s*x since a werewolf had attacked me six or seven months ago, and it only got better. I had imagined we’d fall into a routine, like many couples did after the initial passion had worn off. Nothing had waned. Perhaps it was all part of being immortal.

Thinking of s*x with Danny made me hungry, and I tried to think of anything to take my mind off it. Things like Brussels sprouts — why did Danny’s blood have to smell so good and taste so awful, but it was a good thing it did taste gross — the disgusting way vampires copulated, biting each other savagely until their bodies were covered in wounds and slick with blood — how I’d killed my mother — she’d attacked me, and my instinct for survival kicked in before I could contain it. The burning desire to feed my hunger simmered to a dull throb. If I kept thinking about crappy things I should be fine.

Danny was gazing intently into my eyes and I wondered how much he could tell from them.

“You look like you’re fighting some internal struggle,” he said.

“You don’t want to know,” I mumbled.

He chuckled and I noticed a familiar glint in his eyes. “Perhaps it’s the same thing I’m struggling with?”

He leaned towards me and kissed my lips. My heart started racing and my body ached. I pulled him to me and was instantly lost, all the hard work undone in one moment of pure pleasure. I hadn’t realised how much my body had missed his touch, how much it must have craved for him while it could do nothing but wait for me to resurface from the darkness.

He picked me up again and carried me back to the cottage, our lips still locked together.

Danny was restrained and careful, not wanting to sap me of the strength that was only beginning to return. I was so eager, so willing, caution and restraint quickly lost out to my needs, not once, but twice.

Afterwards, totally exhausted, though blissfully happy, I lay in Danny’s arms and let sleep take me …

A voice boomed through the forest and all around us.

“Our Father has commanded the prodigal son be forgiven and welcomed back into our arms.”

Danny sat up next to me, the sheet falling to his waist to reveal a sculpted chest with firm pecs and abs — absolutely delicious — not overdone like a body builder’s, but well-toned and defined. Just how I liked them. If I didn’t stop looking at his chest I’d be in trouble again, and I really needed to eat before doing anything else.

I rubbed his arm lovingly and smiled. “Sounds like someone has been campaigning on your behalf.”

“Yes, the truth has been revealed.”

“But what of me?” I whispered sadly. “There’s no mention of me.”

“If they know the truth, then you are safe, and we are free once again.”

He sounded so confident, so elated, I didn’t want to burst his bubble. If people didn’t change, and mortals lived such short life spans, what made him think some angels that had been hunting down and killing my kind — earth-bound angels — since the fall, would suddenly turn the other cheek and welcome me with open arms. Once a spiteful angel, always a spiteful angel.

“You go,” I said. “Go and talk to your superior and see what he has to say. I don’t think I’m ready for a trip to your world yet. Besides, I smell like s*x,” I laughed. “What sort of impression would that make in a place where they don’t do that sort of thing? I need to shower, and I need to eat.”

“Are you sure?” Danny asked. I could tell he was keen to report in and find out what had happened.

“Go,” I said, kissing him on the cheek. “I’ll be gone most of the day anyway. I’m really hungry.”

He pulled me to him in a hug and kissed me hungrily on the lips. Be still my beating heart!

“We’ll celebrate tonight,” he said excitedly. “Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, we’ll do it.”

Danny was dressed before he’d even gotten out of bed — man that was a handy talent to have — and walked backwards, blowing me a kiss as he did so. With each step he took his body become more transparent until after the fourth step he simply disappeared.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that came over me. Women’s intuition?

“Angels can’t lie, Helena, get over it,” I said out loud, trying to convince myself everything was okay.

I ventured out into the sunlight with my constant companions, Death and Danny’s feather — my good luck charm — strapped to my arms. I transported myself to the treetops in an area of the forest that was untouched by angel fire, in what used to be Amrael’s territory. On the roof of the world I crouched down and let my eyes lose focus, to allow my vision to range outwards and see where my possible quarry might be.

My hunt was good and my hunger satiated, until I felt I’d explode from all the blood I’d consumed. The rush and buzz of the blood carried me on such a high that I killed for the sake of killing, using Death on any vampires I found, revelling in her song. The blade was a she? I thought.

I stretched my arms towards the sky, enjoying the final rays of light as the sun set. Something knocked me to the ground and I was up with Death in my hand, ready to fight, in a heartbeat. It was only Danny. I sheathed Death and relaxed.

“Danny, you almost scared the crap out of me. Don’t do that!”

His head was down and he was looking at the ground.

“Danny, I’m not mad at you,” I laughed. “It’s just that’s not your usual playful tackle.”

He was still looking at the ground, clenching and unclenching his fists now. I was concerned. I’d never seen him like this.

“Danny, what’s wrong? Was the news about me bad?”

“Michael is dead, Raphael is in control,” he looked up at me and I saw his eyes were flaming red and full of hate, “and I have been cast out.”

I shook my head slowly from side to side, the shock draining the blood from my face. “No, it can’t be.”

Danny was on me in a flash, tearing and biting at my flesh, snarling like a rabid animal.

“Stinkin’ fuckin’ angel!” he yelled. “Stinkin’ fuckin’ angel. Look what you’ve done to me!”

He gripped me tightly so that if I decided to disappear he’d be right there with me. He knew all of my tricks.

“Oh god, oh god, help me please!” I called out in despair.

“Typical unbeliever,” Danny sneered, tilting his head from side to side. “Always hedging your bets at the end.”

I reached out for his throat and my hand closed around it, but my fingers wouldn’t latch onto him. All I could do was crush his throat and as I squeezed he let out a guttural snarl. I let my hand drop. I couldn’t kill him. He tore at me relentlessly and continued to bite. The wounds weren’t healing as quickly now and I was losing a lot of blood. He tore at my throat with his teeth and before he could tear out my vocal chords I screamed into the night.

“Raphael! A curse upon you!”

I woke up in a cold sweat. Danny still slept soundly. I doubted he would still be asleep if he’d joined my dream and lived through the nightmare with me. There were some dreams I was glad he didn’t see.

I’ve got to eat, I thought.

I dressed silently and, taking Death and my good luck charm, left the cottage to hunt on my own. I was only planning on going out for a few hours. With any luck I’d be back before Danny was awake.