“She was furious with me,” my father said, his voice so rife with pain that my heart ached. “Furious with me for not reaching you in time, and furious about your memory wipe. The council wasn’t happy that I’d done it without their consent either,” he added, “but they agreed it was the right thing to do. Your mind was damaged from the trauma of having your angel ripped away, and from what Lucas had done to you. It was kinder to remove you from this life—a Sentinel is nothing without their angel.”
“But… if my angel was taken from me, then how is it I still have my powers?” I touched the brand on my chest. “I was able to use my bow and arrow, twice now, as well as my enhanced sight.”
“I’m not sure,” my father admitted. “Either you still carry some small remnant of the angel’s power, or your bond is not completely severed and you somehow are still able to draw from her.” He frowned in puzzlement. “Can you feel your angel’s presence at all?”
I shook my head. “No, but I think Lucas keeps her in the necklace he wears around his neck. Whenever he shows it to me, my chest aches, as if a part of me was ripped out and is missing.”
My father nodded. “There might still be some lingering connection then. If we can get that necklace back, perhaps we can restore your angel.”
“Do you really think so?” My heart soared, then plummeted as a horrible thought occurred to me. “What if my angel doesn’t want to be with me anymore? What if she hates me because of what happened with Lucas?”
“She won’t,” my father said gently, stroking my hair again. “The bond between an Angel Kissed Sentinel and their angel is born of love and trust. She will not willingly abandon you. There is still hope.” His voice cracked a little, and he hugged me tight against him. “There is still hope, and I am supremely grateful to our Heavenly Father for showing us a way out. I thought I would never get you back, Arabella. I thought I’d given you up for good.”
He kissed my forehead, and I could feel his tears on my scalp. My own face was wet, and I hugged him back fiercely, so glad he was here. “I thought you were dead,” I mumbled into his chest. “I thought you and Mom had both died in a car accident.”
“No, sweetheart,” he murmured. “Your mother and I are both alive, and I’m here for you.”
Something about the way he said that gave me pause, and I glanced up at him. “What do you mean by that?” I asked as guilt flashed in his eyes. “Where’s Mom?”
“She… she couldn’t handle what happened to you,” he said softly, his voice aching. “She left me a year after you were relocated. We’re still married, but she’s closed the bond between us, and I have no idea where she is.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. The grief etched into my father’s face was so profound that I knew he missed my mother with every fiber of his being. I ached to see her too, but at the same time, I couldn’t blame her for leaving. She wasn’t a Sentinel, so she didn’t have the work to throw herself into the way he did. She would have been haunted by my loss for the rest of her days if she’d remained here. Maybe she wasn’t here to see me, but at least I could take comfort in the fact that she was still alive.
“Can… can we see Jax?” I finally asked, my voice small. I wanted to see her for myself. I wanted to get away from the past for a little while, and focus on what was good in the here and now. And Jax’s recovery was more than good—it was a miracle.
“Of course.” My father took my hand as he rose. “We’ll go and visit her right now.”
24
Brodie
Isatby Jax for a good hour, keeping vigil as I watched her chest slowly rise and fall beneath the sheet. Her coloring, while still pale, was much improved from the earlier deathly white marbled with black veins from the demon poison. Whatever was in that antidote was powerful stuff—it had driven the poison from her, using every possible orifice. Unpleasant, to say the least, and I was mighty thankful there were orderlies to care for that mess. But she was clean and comfortable now, lying on new bedding in a hospital dressing gown, sleeping as peacefully as one could after such an ordeal.
The infirmary was large, about the size of a school cafeteria, with curtains drawn around the beds to offer privacy to the patients and their loved ones. The place was large enough to comfortably care for fifty patients. Although, luckily, there were only three others I could discern. The doctor and his staff were off taking care of another, and Mack had returned to his duties, so I was the only one with Jax. I had half a mind to leave myself, but I knew Arabella would want me to stay. Besides, this was the first place she would come after her father let her out.
It had been a shock to learn that the Watchtower commander was the lass’s father. He’d shown up while the doctor was still trying to stabilize Jax, having been alerted to the situation. He shared Arabella’s eyes and mouth, and his stern features and commanding presence were not to be trifled with. He’d taken me aside and grilled me for a good thirty minutes, asking who I was, how Jax had been injured, and why I was helping his daughter. I’d been of half a mind to clam up, simply because of the way his men had treated me. But the man apologized for it, and beneath his terse questions was a father’s love for his daughter. So, I relented and told him everything I knew.
He’s probably still speaking with the lass, I told myself as I fiddled with my pouch belt. My knife and supplies had been returned to me once the commander had finished with his questions. The goddess knew those two had a lot to catch up on. But it still chaffed me not to be able to lay eyes on the lass, to be by her side while she faced the demons her father would no doubt bring up. Gaia had assigned me to protect her. Instead, I was sitting here with my thumb up my arse, completely useless.
The curtain swished open, and my heart jumped as Arabella stepped in. She was a little pale, her eyes red-rimmed and her nose swollen from crying, but those golden-brown eyes lit up with joy and relief. I wasn’t sure if it was because Jax was safe, or I was safe, or a combination of the two, but I didn’t care. That sweet look was all I needed—the knot of tension in my stomach relaxed, and I jumped up as joy swelled in my own heart.
“Brodie,” she choked out as I embraced her. “I’m so glad you got to her in time.”
“I knew ye’d never forgive me if I let her die,” I half-joked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. I knew I shouldn’t, knew I probably shouldn’t even be hugging her this fiercely, but I couldn’t help myself. She was mine, if only to protect, and I needed to hold her tight against my body so I could feel that she was still alive and unhurt.
“I wouldn’t have blamed you if she had,” Arabella said softly, “but I’m so glad she didn’t. You’ve done so much, Brodie.” She looked at me with eyes swimming with tears. “So much for both of us.”
She licked her dry lips, and I swallowed hard, the temptation to kiss her so strong that I instinctively leaned in. The lass’s body swayed closer into mine, and I hastily released her before I did something I would regret. My gut squirmed with guilt as I caught the flash of hurt in her eyes, but I pretended not to see it. I couldn’t allow myself the luxury of that kiss, because if I did, I wasn’t sure I would be able to stop myself this time.
“Has she said anything?” Arabella asked, turning toward Jax. She rested her hip against the side of the bed, then lightly took her friend’s hand.
“No,” I said quietly. “She’ll probably rest for a day or two before she awakens. The lass was near death.”
Arabella nodded. She sat next to Jax in silence for a good ten minutes, simply holding the woman’s hand. My heart ached at the way her shoulders bowed with silent grief, her long hair hanging down into her face to hide her from the harsh world she’d stepped into. Whatever she’d talked of with her father, it had not been happy news. I would have to get her to tell me about it, but not now, not when the grief was still so fresh.
“Lass,” I finally said when the clock struck six. “Why don’t we go and get a bite to eat? Yer father informed me that there’s a mess hall in the Watchtower that serves three meals a day.”
Arabella lifted her head, a small smile on her lips. “Figures you’d ask about the food,” she said, and it did my heart good to hear the light teasing in her voice. “I suppose I could eat.”
