Page 35 of Revelations

A tall, muscular form stood silhouetted against a lone oak tree with his arms crossed, head tilted, and one leg pressed against the trunk as if he were stretching after a long run.

Kael.

His eyes rounded at her sudden appearance, but quickly morphed into crimson orbs as Jasper burst through the doors. The two men locked stares. Just for a moment, the world stopped altogether. Tension filled the air, much like the final scene from that Clint Eastwood western movie Thomas had made her watch just about every time she’d visited him in South Carolina.

The stare-off did not last as long as the movie scene. By the time Greylyn had glanced between them for the tenth time, unable to form words to stop the inevitable, Jasper streaked by her in a blur and pinned Kael to the ground.

“Let me guess, Mr. Sunshine here knew all about this already?”

With one hand, Jasper held Kael down. With the other, he grasped his skull and slammed it into the ground with a vicious, sickening-sounding thud.

Greylyn gaped in horror as blood poured from the back of Kael’s head and soaked into the grass. Jasper stopped, turning to stare at her. “Did it ever occur to you that this is all his fault? A hoax so he can finally get his hands on you? I bet there’s no prophecy. It’s all his sick, twisted little scheme to get to you.”

Kael did not attempt to fight back or stop Jasper’s fist from repeatedly striking him in the face. Between punches, he simply grinned up at his attacker. “So let me get this straight. She didn’t confide in her so-called best friend?” He nearly choked on his own blood. “Maybe she doesn’t value you as much as you thought she did? Maybe she’s coming to her senses that you are a sniveling jerk who has been holding her back for centuries?” He spit blood in Jasper’s face.

The guardian angel’s only reply were more punches following in rapid succession, like a boxer pounding on his training bag.

Something inside Greylyn snapped, an invisible chain she had not known existed. In the woods, it had flittingly reared up, but this was something far more powerful that propelled her to spring onto Jasper’s back.

“Stop! Get off him, NOW!” She clung to Jasper with desperate strength. “I’m so sick of this crap. When this is all over and I’m still standing, maybe I’ll settle this once and for all and end you both.”

Their ragged breaths were the only sounds on the otherwise busy street. No one moved, all were frozen in place—Kael prone on the ground with Jasper kneeling above him and Greylyn’s arm around his neck, pulling him backward.

A few moments of silence lengthened agonizingly slowly. She was the first to yield. Jasper staggered back, nearly falling on his butt. Kael did not even wipe the blood from his face. He just collapsed on the uncut grass.

Greylyn glanced around. Several people stopped and stared with eyes wide as saucers, mouths hanging open. A man in a mechanic’s jumpsuit and greasy ball cap tugged the hand of a child. “Come on, son.”

No one appeared to be concerned with the sight of one man beating the other to a bloody pulp with a woman screeching at them. No one approached to offer help.

What the hell is wrong with people?

Sneering at the dark guardian still lying on the ground, Jasper jerked away from Greylyn with more anger reflected in his eyes than she had ever witnessed. He stomped down on the cracked sidewalk. “Ce sont des conneries!” was the last thing she heard.

Watching Jasper’s back retreat down the block and turn at the corner store, her legs gave out from under her. She had just defended their own archenemy…again. She had even fought off her best friend to spare Kael. How could Jasper ever forgive her?

Oh, dear God! What have I done?

Tears blurred her vision. She slumped forward, burying her face in her hands. All ofthe fear and anxiety that she hadpent up inside these last three months tumbled out in racking sobs. Nothing made sense anymore. She was trapped, just as surely as she hadbeen trapped in her own grave; no clue how to get herself out, flailing around out in fear and confusion.

Jasper had always been her rock; the one person on whom she could count, no matter what. She hadlied to him; betrayed him; and worse…she had sided with the enemy.

How could she be such a failure?

A soft pressure squeezed her shoulder. Greylyn jumped as if a live wire had been shoved against her skin.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” The tone was kind, but she did not trust it.

“What do you want, Kael?” Every word was clipped. She forced herself to look up at him, uncertain if she wanted to punch him or kiss him.

There was a slight glint in his eyes, and the way his lips curved up, Greylyn suspected he was thinking of an inappropriate response.

She flashed what she hoped came off as herdon’t even try itlook. His smile faded. At least someone knew when to stop pushing his luck.

Instead, he stood and offered his hand to her. “Are you okay? Listen, I’m sorry for provoking him, but I can’t seem to stop myself. It’s an old habit.”

Refusing his hand, Greylyn pushed herself up and took a couple of steps away from him. “Old habit, huh? Kind of like the way you torment me. Habit? Don’t you get tired of it all, Kael? This impossible game you play that I don’t even know the rules to?” She wiped at her tear-stained face.

“Tired of you? Never. You’re the only thing that keeps me going.” He stepped around to face her, but she turned away.

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