Page 52 of Revelations

The cat answered by turning its back and hopping up the stairs. “Well, come on. We’ve been expecting you.” It nudged open the creaky door with its head. “Shoes off. Eyes to the floor…”

“Francesca!” A smooth voice sharply reprimanded the cat. “Stop that nonsense. This is no time for formalities. Besides, Kael is most welcome here.”

A tall woman approached him with arms outstretched and a magnificent smile. She was dressed in vibrant colors that broke through the dimness of the room. “Son, I was expecting you with the young woman, but now is as good a time as any.”

She wrapped him in a comforting hug that was reminiscent of his own mother. Unbidden tears stung his eyes.

“Now, now, sweetie. You don’t have to be strong here,” she soothed.

All of the years of pent-up frustration, grief, and anger rushed out of his body in a giant wave of black energy, leaving Kael too weak to stand. The woman caught him with arms that were strong enough to lug his muscled six-foot, three-inch frame over to a worn, but comfy sofa.

“There, there, child. I know the pain you’ve been holding inside your soul. It does you no good to cling to it.” She stroked his hair like a small child. “It does her no good, either.”

Time passed in a murky haze, as sobs racked his body. All the while, a hand with long nails and smelling of sage rubbed his weary shoulders in a soothing, circular motion. Calm overtook him. The first peace that he hadfelt in centuries.

Kael wiped his eyes with his forearm. He looked up to find the cat staring at him from across the room. Its head was cocked as if trying to figure out what it was witnessing. “Need a tissue or something, man?” the cat snapped.

Funny, the feline’s tone had gone from a haughty butler to a surfer dude.

“Ignore Francesca. She’s been watching too much Netflix and changes her attitude to conform with the character to whatever series she’s binging on.”

Kael shook his head. Was there even a television in this dark tiny apartment?

“Now, let me have a look at you.” Holding her arms out wide, her obsidian eyes roved over him. After a few moments, she smirked. “Not exactly the epitome of a dark guardian, but it lurks inside you.”

Goosebumps arose on his arms. No matter what the outside world saw, this woman—he knew—could see the warring reality of his existence.

His humanity had not died with his body that horrible day, centuries earlier. Even Lucifer had realized the error almost immediately. Kael had not transformed into a pure evil being, like a true dark guardian.

Oh, it was there. It ripped him apart every hour of every day. Every ounce of his strength battled to put forth the façade of evil incarnate, but he made sure to not let it gain control. He was not proud that he had let it run rampant at times. He had done awful things; unforgivable things. The guilt gnawed at him like an ulcer. He could not let the rage consume him. If it did…oh, even his nightmares would not allow that terror to penetrate into the deep recesses of his mind.

“I think I really messed up this time.”

One long, manicured nail stroked his cheek. “Oh, she’ll forgive you for saving her friend.” The woman’s eyes narrowed for a split second before refocusing on him. “You did it to spare her pain, but I’m not sure it was worth the price.”

Her tone surprised him. Was she not in favor of saving a life?

She patted his leg. “No sense sweating it now. What’s done is done. Can’t hide it, though.They’llknow.” Her black eyes looked up and around as if waiting for the “they”to suddenly appear.

Yes, they would know. They would know that he hadbetrayed them for her…again.

He had paid a steep price to both Lucifer and Olivier when he had kept Greylyn’s resurrection a secret. While the first had tormented him for decades, the latter had extracted a higher price for the rebellion. Olivier’s orders had been explicit—watch the guardian angel, thwart her every move if he could, but never reveal the truth. Kael had done just that, and his heart broke every time that Greylyn glared at him in hatred. But in the end, Olivier had allowed him to stay close to her, protect her if and when needed. In exchange, he’d kept Lucifer at bay. Otherwise, all of Hell’s resources would have been sent to destroy her.

But somehow, the closeness was worse.

There had been a few slip-ups over the years when he had gotten too close, and Olivier had reined him in with not-so-gentle reminders as to where his loyalty lay. Dark guardians healed quickly, but the scars on the inside would never fade.

Lifting his eyes, his raw throat barely choked out the words. “Were you able to help her? Send her on the right path?”

Everything depended on Greylyn finding her way through the labyrinth of time, back to who she was…who they both were. To hell with the prophecy. They would face down that beast when they got to it.

“I told her what she needed to hear. That’s all I can do.” Obsidian eyes bore into his. “You could do both of you a favor and fill her in on some things.”

His stomach dropped. “If I could, I would.” If only…

A scowl wrinkled the oracle’s otherwise smooth features. “The deal?”

He nodded. Frustration pounded him in the chest. “That damn deal! I say anything and I lose everything, including her.”

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