Page 15 of Protected by the Fallen
The Fallen’s name is Jude, and he is the massive angel I met on the night Mrs. Hutchins brought me to the embassy. He’d led us to the chamber where the Dark Council was meeting, but unlike our first encounter, Jude appears almost friendly. He isn’t staring at me with thinly-veiled disapproval. In fact, he isn’t really staring at me at all. The massive angel only has eyes for the two Fallen at my sides.
“Ezekiel. Adrian.” Jude arrives and reaches out to shake their hands. “It’s been too long.”
“Jude,” Adrian returns. “Indeed, it has. How is Vera?”
The brute breaks into a beaming smile, and his joy nearly knocks me off my feet. “Vera is well. Thank you for asking.”
Zeke jerks his head towards the rest of the crowd. “Do you know what The Council wants to discuss with all of us?”
“The battle, I assume.”
“Hm.” Zeke hums. “Well, hopefully it won’t last long. We do not enjoy exposing ourbashertto mindless ogling for longer than necessary.”
I feel like my eyes are going to pop out of my head. I look at Zeke in horror. Why in the world did he just say that? With all these angels around to hear him?
Inside, I am screaming at him for the slip up, but then I register his calm demeanor. I glance at Adrian and notice that he, too, appears at ease despite the informational bombshell Zeke just detonated in front of the crowd.
I hazard a glance around Jude’s large frame and am stunned when I notice the angels are no longer staring at me. More than that, every single Fallen is making a point to avoid even a glance in our direction. My lips turn down, wondering what caused their collective change in behavior. Is it really because Zeke openly claimed me as their soulmate?
“Yes, speaking of yourbashert, I do not believe we have been properly introduced.” Jude’s voice catches my attention.
I look up and see a sheepish expression covering the broad male’s face. “My name is Jude. It is nice to meet you, Veronica.”
Ice fills my veins, taunting the dormant monster into stretching its violent thoughts. It’s been a while since I’ve sensed the violent part of my psyche. “We’ve met before.”
Jude winces. “Indeed. Please, allow me to apologize for my brash behavior upon our first meeting. I hope you understand I was only doing my job as a guardsman. I’d mistakenly believed you to be a rogue Nephilim, brought to The Council for justice. Had I known the identity of yourbashertens, I never would have shown you such blatant disrespect. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.”
Well, that explains why he’d looked at me like I was worth less than the dirt beneath his shoe. Not that I blame him. I’m sure I wouldn’t welcome a suspected criminal with a bright smile and open arms.
Hearing the logical explanation manages to subdue my inner beast, much to her disappointment. “Apology accepted.”
Jude’s shoulders lose some of their tension, and he hazards a cautious grin. “It is truly an honor to meet the soul who’s managed to ensnare these two rogues.” He shoots a teasing glance at each of the brothers, and they chuckle in reply.
“Veronica certainly has a strong soul,” Adrian states, nudging me playfully.
“She must in order to put up with the chaos which follows the pair of you around like a shadow,” Jude continues, sounding equal parts serious and joking.
“The Creator knew what he was doing when he paired our souls,” Zeke replies.
I’m caught off guard by two things. One, Adrian and Zeke are almost acting like Jude is a friend. I know they told me not ever Dark Fallen hates them, but with all the talk about how they like to live on their own and how much they despise the Dark Council, I didn’t expect them to have friends. I realize now how silly that idea is. Adrian and Zeke have been alive for thousands upon thousands of years. Of course they have friends. It would be impossible for them not to.
The second thing that surprises me is hearing Zeke credit God for linking our souls. Again, after hearing about the Fall and how Dark Fallen do not wish to regain favor with the all-powerful entity, I didn’t expect him to have a favorable opinion about God. I make a note to address both subjects the next time we are alone. For now, I need to focus on the upcoming meeting with the formidable members of the Dark Council.
Sensing my growing unease, Adrian lowers his lips to my ear. “You do not have to go in there, Angel.”
Jude politely turns to Zeke and begins asking him about his experience during the recent fight with The Darkness. I want to eavesdrop, but Adrian’s breath tickles my ear, and forces my attention up to him.
“I’m fine,” I whisper back.
His eyes dart between mine, and I almost don’t hear him say, “Liar.”
I chew my lip, hating how easy I am for him to read. My anxiety spikes as I think about being trapped in a room with not only the council, but also the dozens of Fallen I see standing in front of the library. Every single one of them knows I am Zeke’s and Adrian’sbashert. They aren’t staring anymore because they fear Zeke and Adrian, but what about later? The more attention I get, the greater the chance someone will realize I am not Nephilim. Right now, Sarah is the only other Dark Fallen who knows, and she keeps my secret out of loyalty for her sons. I might not be so fortunate with the next Fallen who figure out what I really am.
“I don’t have a choice,” I tell Adrian, pleading for him to drop the subject with wide, imploring eyes. “I will be fine.”
But asking Adrian, or any of my Fallen, to stop worrying about me is like asking them to stop breathing. Just as they can feel my emotions, I can feel theirs. And right now, I know Adrian would rather chew off his left hand than walk me into a situation which causes me such unease. But we don’t have a choice. They can’t leave me unprotected. Someone is out there, and he knows my secret. This individual wants me to stop interfering in The Darkness’ plans, and I wonder if the fact mybashertensare actively involved in such actions will count against me.
Adrian releases a dissatisfied growl and runs his hand through his hair, making it stand on end. The motion makes my lips twitch. He always does that when he’s irritated, typically after I’ve done something to annoy or frustrate him.
