“Just his bloodline?” she asked trying to get her reeling mind tofocus.
He frowned. “I don’t think it’s meant to be taken as singular since all the Watchers were brethren. He foretold thatfemaleswould rise again, and the very ones who’d destroyed them would be responsible for protectingthem…”
Dagan glanced out through the window again, his hair shifting like silky, blue-black whips down his back. “We had to find the first one—the Healer of the Veils—and protect her. If she died, then Zarias’ prophecy would come to pass, and that can’t happen. Chaos unlike any other will overrun this world, and with mortals possessing the abilities of gods and angels, demons and every other evil out there will be afterthem—”
“Not all demons are evil,” she interrupted, thinking ofHarvey.
Even though his tone remained quiet as he spoke, a tic worked in his jaw. “Last fall, we found the first one. Echo. But with a demon after her abilities, during her retrieval, it didn’t end well. Shedied—”
“Wait a minute, you’re talking about the woman with the spiky hair from thecastle?”
Henodded.
“But how can that be? She’salive.”
“Aethan brought her back, a gift he has. Anyway, because she died, the prophecy came to pass. Other psionics will awaken, we just don’t know when. And those with powerful abilities like Echo’s have to be protected. They cannot survive on their ownotherwise.”
“Protectedhow?”
“We find them and hand them over to Michael. If the seraphim can, they will bind their abilities and the mortal will live a safe, normal life. Those who wield unnatural powers that can’t be bound will traverse to the Celestial Realm to live out their human lives. If they refuse, they die—it’s the same with nephilim offspring. But they are rare…” He broke off, his entire manner changing, remolding into the cold, hard lines of the man she’d firstmet.
A hand on her lower back, he opened the main doors to the church and ushered her inside. “Stay here. Demons can’t enter a holy place. It will shieldyou.”
A glow emitted from the sword tattooed on his biceps. The next second, it vanished, and took form in his hand in a smoky haze. Whoa! “That weapon’sreal?”
“Yeah.” He glanced through the elongatedwindow.
She drew closer and examined his now unmarred biceps in the faint moonlight slanting through the glass pane, gently touching the place where the obsidian sword usually resided. “How?”
“When I—we became Guardians, Gaia, the ancient goddess who watches over this realm, bestowed this and the dagger to us so we’re alwaysarmed.”
“Wait, I thought Michael was yourleader.”
“He is, but Gaia is boss.” He headed for the door. “I’ll explain later. Don’t move from here until I come for you. And stay away from thewindows.”
“I can fight, too, youknow.”
He turned. There was utter lethalness in his stillness. “Not for this.” Then he wasgone.
Her mind in complete chaos, Shae rubbed her face, her fingers slowing on the bumpy scar there. A psionic? Jeez, she still couldn’t wrap her head around that. And really hoped she wasn’t one. She didn’t want to leave this world, leave her mother, Uncle Lem…orDagan.
With everything finally going the way she wanted—yes, he was stubborn, with a will of iron, and could be utterly frustrating, but he cared, too. And she wanted a chance withhim.
Shae remained in the shadows but peered out an elongated side window, listening for trouble. Nothing. All appeared quiet. Frowning, she looked around the gloomy place, the faint scent of incense and wood wax teasing hernose.
The sudden unmistakable cacophony of fighting yanked her head around. Not in the street, but the side of the church. She darted between the pews, banging her ankle on a woodencorner.
“Fuckity-fuck!” the curse flew out of her mouth. It took several moments to breathe through the pain. “Sorry, God.” Hopping on one foot, teeth clenched, she hobbled to thewindow.
Holy mother—!Pain forgotten, she gaped at the parkinglot.
A horde of demons scuttled about like black beetles, attacking a centralfigure.
Her gut cramped in fear for Dagan. Then a familiar glimmer and another sword appeared amidst the violent chaos. Nik? Shae searched the horde but still couldn’t see them. The frenzy grew, bodies flying through the air from thecenter.
Movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. There, at the edge of the parking lot, a tall man with silvery hair appeared. He watched the fight for a second and then leaped into the air and flung himself into the viciousbattle.
She had no idea who he was, but she was darn grateful Dagan and Nik hadhelp.
