“Tanzania, Africa. On the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.”
She gaped at him. “What?”
“We’re on the alpine desert side. When angels fall, it’s not leaping into a cauldron of flames or a volcano of fire or walking through a blazing tunnel. It’s literally falling from the Zenith, the highest point in the Heavenly realm, to the lowest peak. So, any mountain here.”
All her hurting heart wanted to know was,Is he okay?
Without a word, Michael swerved to his right, passing the looming groundsels, and headed toward an outcrop of rocks. Nia followed him to the dark opening of a cave.
Her heart pounded. She would have darted forward, but Michael grabbed her arm. “Don’t. I only brought you because he wasn’t in an approachable mindset and refused to leave the plateau. Now, he’s sequestrated himself in that cave. You must be cautious. He might have fallen, but he’s still strong and in immense pain…and dangerous.”
Her stomach churned. So, he wasn’t himself. She didn’t care. Nothing and no one would keep her from him, but she would do as Michael asked for now. “Okay.”
Sunlight grew brighter, chasing away the gloomy dawn as she carefully made her way over the rough ground to the yawning cave mouth. The darkness within prevented her from seeing anything or anyone.
“Lore?”
A harsh growl erupted as if a wounded creature had sought refuge inside.
Instinct clamored for her to hit the slopes running and get out of danger. But she dug her toes in and stayed. “It’s me, Nia. I’m not leaving, not without you.”
“I don’t want you here.” A guttural growl.
So, he remembered her?Thank God.
Her sight adjusted to the gloom. Then she saw him crouched at the back. His metallic eyes glowed in the dark, red-rimmed orbs of agony, and her heart shuddered in pain. He was pale and ragged, like a creature who suffered.
Oh, my love.She longed to hold him, to hug him, but couldn’t do anything.
She’d dealt with abused, tortured animals at the clinic, and he bore a similar expression. It crushed her heart.
She took a step inside. A harsh snarl erupted.
Nia froze. Dammit. In her need to get to him, she was doing this all wrong.
“Why did you bring her?” His husky hiss sounded like he’d lost his voice.
Screaming?
Tears burned her eyes.
His glare shifted behind her to Michael.
Slowly, Nia lowered to her knees on the ground, and his gaze tracked her movements. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Had it burned off during the fall? Yet, his dark pants remained intact for the most part, just singed in places, and her heart shuddered at what he must have suffered.
“So, you want to stay here, huh?” She waved her hand around the chilly cave, the odor of earth and cold stone dense. “Africa is known as where the Cradle of Life originated. Of course, you’d have to go further down to South Africa to see evidence of that wonder.”
He watched her with those luminous eyes, glowing as if whitefire still blazed within him.
When her comment received no reaction, not even a debate about how humanity originated, she whispered, “I missed you. So much. I thought I’d never see you again.”
Silence.
She plowed on. “Don’t you know, just like you would give your life to save me, so would I for you?”
Still nothing.
“Do you remember what you told me the first time we met? Or should I say, when you hauled me away to a rooftop? You said,I’m it, little human. Be grateful.I was so mad at you, but deeper, I couldn’t believe I had someone like you who would keep me safe.”
