 
# Fallon

### Angels of the Knights: Book 1

### by Valerie Zambito

## Angels of the Knights: Fallon

Copyright © 2012 Valerie Zambito

All Rights Reserved

2nd Electronic Edition

Cover design

Elena Dudina

Interior design

www.pencastlebooks.com

This is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.

## Books by Valerie Zambito

### Island Shifters

### An Oath of the Blood

### An Oath of the Mage

### An Oath of the Children

### An Oath of the Kings

* * *

### Angels of the Knights

### Fallon

### Blane

### Nikki

* * *

### Eden's Creatures

## Prologue

### Fallon - 1978

Who is she?" the doctor asked as he ran alongside the gurney.

"Fallon Anders. Sixteen years old. Gunshot to the chest. Home invasion."

"Her parents?"

"Dead. Along with a younger brother. She is the sole survivor."

_My parents are dead? Gregory is dead?_

The doctor snorted. "Not a survivor yet, nurse. Going in to scrub. Meet you inside."

Fallon's mind clawed desperately to put the bits and pieces of her shattered life back together. _Wait. I remember two strange men entering our home. They surprised us as we were watching television, and...nothing else after that._

The gurney pushed through two swinging doors with a loud bang, and Fallon squinted in the glare of bright overhead lights. An operating room, she realized.

People in masks shouted frantic orders, and she could feel their rushed movement around the room. Despite the harsh light above her, darkness at the edges of her vision slowly crept forward. Her body started to grow heavy, making it impossible to move.

"Grab the bottom! One, two, three!"

Hands reached out and roughly yanked at the sheet beneath her, lifting her onto a cold, metal table. Surprisingly, she didn't feel any pain, just that unfamiliar heaviness in her chest that made her feel as though she were sinking into quicksand.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"We're losing her! Where's the doctor?"

_Are they talking about me? Why can't I remember everything that happened?_

"He's still in scrub!"

_Beep. Beep._

"Damn it! Tell him to hurry!"

The quicksand continued to pull at her greedily with insistent, hungry fingers, and the bright white lights of the operating room began to dim further. What little energy she had left slowly leached away from her body.

"Paddles!"

With abrupt finality, the operating lights disappeared, plunging her into still, deep blackness.

"It's not working! Doctor!"

_Beep._

Unable to see, terror welled inside Fallon's throat. In a panic, she lifted her head off the table and flinched in surprise when a tiny pinpoint of light winked into existence above her. Not the artificial light of the operating room, but different. Pure. Radiant. There was something mystical and benevolent about that light, and Fallon felt compelled to move toward it.

"I'm here!" the doctor yelled. "Did you use the paddles?"

"She's gone."

The light beckoned to Fallon and she smiled as her body lifted off the operating table, anxious now to see where it would lead. She willingly left the worry, and the heaviness, and the screaming attendants behind and glided upward.

A small yelp tore from her throat as she was yanked forward, caught in a powerful otherworldly current that she could sense but not see. She picked up speed and the air sliced over her body, but for some reason, she no longer felt afraid.

Glancing to the left and right, an outline of a tunnel took shape and she noticed that she was not alone. Several people floated alongside her, and their faces held a variety of emotion. Some looked frightened, others peaceful, and a few shouted out with laughter with their fists in the air as if they were on a high-speed rollercoaster ride. But, most, like her, were simply curious.

As she drew closer to the white light, it dissolved into individual beacons of illumination and finally into white-robed figures, all waiting at the end of the tunnel and calling out names.

One waved her way. "Fallon Anders! Over here! Fallon! Come this way!"

Hesitantly, she glided out of the tunnel into white...nothingness. There were no colors or walls or a sky. No horizon to tell her up from down. Just white.

Fallon went to the man who called to her. He appeared to be middle aged with gray hair and a slightly lined but unremarkable face. Except for the smile, she corrected herself. It held such warmth and delight that Fallon couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Greetings, Fallon. My name is Josiah and I am an Aegian. I will be your guide to Emperica."

"Emperica?"

"Yes, my dear, that is the proper name although most humans call it heaven. Some refer to it as the Pearly Gates. A few, the Golden Arches." He paused and tilted his head. "No, no, that's not it. Mortals of your day use that name for something else, don't they?"

She nodded. "McDonald's."

"McDonald's? What is that?"

"It's a fast food restaurant," she admitted with an embarrassed shrug.

He waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Nevertheless. The proper name is in fact Emperica."

"So I'm dead?"

"I am afraid so."

"My parents and brother?"

"Oh, they came through already and are off with their guides. You may run into them again at some point, but right now I must get you to the gates." He started to move away. "Hurry, now, there are quite a few people arriving, and we have been instructed to keep the flow moving. It —"

He stopped and looked back over his shoulder when he realized she wasn't following. "Is something wrong, Fallon?"

"I...this is a lot to take in. I mean, I really can't believe I'm actually dead. I want to see my family and make sure they're all right."

Josiah gave her a sympathetic smile and glided back to her. "I am sorry, Fallon, please forgive me. Your family is fine. All will be made clear once you arrive in Emperica. I promise."

Feeling like she had no other choice, she nodded.

Josiah led the way forward into the white. With that kind smile of his back in place, he reached for her hand and as soon as they made contact, her feet left the ground and they floated upward through the air.

"We only have a few moments, but I will explain a few things to you in the time that we do have. In case you have not figured it out yet, you are an angel."

She nodded again. "I sort of figured that, but didn't want to assume."

"Now, in Emperica, there are four castes of angels. The largest group is the Patrit Caste. We call them the Paties, and they are the main society of angels and see to the administrative affairs of the realm. The second largest caste is the Sentinel Caste comprised of our guardian angels. Then, there is the Knight Caste, the warrior angels. And, lastly, we have the Aegian Caste, of which yours truly is a member. We are the guides. We are tasked with leading all new angels to the gates."

"Guardian angels?" she mused aloud, thinking of all the times she heard people talk about having a guardian angel looking over their shoulder. "Do these angels ever go back down to earth?"

Josiah nodded. "The guardians spend quite a bit of time on earth, but they also have responsibilities here in Emperica. The Paties and the Aegians never leave Emperica unless a special escort is required which is quite rare. The Knights, on the other hand, return to earth and stay there." He shook his head with a violent shudder. "Poor things. Their wings must be clipped because they cannot be in wraith form to kill the Kjin. Instead, they retain their human bodies and become earth angels."

If possible, the white nothingness around them grew brighter.

"Enough for now." He pointed ahead. "Look, Fallon, we're almost there!"

"Wait! What is a Kjin?"

Josiah's smile resolved into a bitter grimace. "Pure evil. Or, simply put, a demon. After the Holy War, demons were unleashed into the world and to this day, they continue to walk the earth causing death and destruction. The Knights seek them out and destroy them."

A million questions formed in Fallon's mind, but she bit them back as they were now slowing.

"I tell you about the four different castes because you will need to choose one very soon. Are you a guide, a guardian, a warrior or a worker bee, Fallon Anders? Only you can decide."

Their ascent came to an abrupt end and she felt the ground beneath her solidify. The misty layers of white slowly peeled away.

"Welcome home, Fallon."

Tears pooled in Fallon's eyes as she gazed upon the enormous gilded gates of Emperica for the first time. It was more than the beauty of the structure that moved her — it was the depth of emotion that swelled inside her heart. Josiah was right. Through some innate understanding, she knew that this place of unequivocal love and peace and tranquility _was_ home.

"I will leave you now, Fallon. The Paties are waiting for you on the other side."

Impulsively, Fallon reached out and hugged the Aegian. "Goodbye, Josiah."

He smiled at her. "We will meet again. I am sure of it."

Josiah left her then, and Fallon stood among the other new angels as the hallowed gates to Emperica slowly began to open. A ray of light brighter than anything she ever could have imagined flowed through the widening gap and she lifted her face, allowing the radiance to wash over her. She could have stood there forever bathing in that light, but as soon as the gates were fully opened, an army of angels walked out to greet them.

One, dressed in a flowing gown of white and a pair of lovely wings fanned out behind her, floated over to Fallon.

Fallon decided then that as long as she existed, she would never be as spectacular or as elegant as the being in front of her.

"Peace, Fallon. My name is Leah, and I am a Patie. I will take you through the process of choosing a caste." She held out an arm, trailing tiny tendrils of mist behind. "Follow me."

In speechless awe, Fallon drifted through the gates behind Leah.

The Patie turned her ethereal face to Fallon. "Do you have any idea yet?"

"Idea?"

"About what caste you would favor."

Fallon shook her head. "No...not yet. I'm still trying to figure everything out."

Leah smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. "I remember my first day. Goodness, it must have been almost one hundred years ago now, but it feels like yesterday." She gestured for Fallon to follow. "Come now, it is not very far."

As though moving through a dream, Fallon strolled through the realm of Emperica and could only describe it as a true paradise in every sense of the word. After the darkness of the first tunnel and the whiteness after, the vivid colors were simply blinding to look at — the hues unlike anything that existed on earth.

The path she walked wound through verdant meadows scattered with wildflowers so luminescent that they didn't seem to be solid. Blue waterfalls splashed into rivers that sparkled with life. Birds of every variety sang while they dipped and played in the air overhead, their trilling calls magical to the ear. Animals and children romped together in the sunshine.

Wherever Fallon looked, the scenery filled her vision with unimaginable beauty.

"We are here," Leah whispered reverently and stopped in front of wide stone stairs that disappeared into the mist above.

"Here?" Fallon asked. "Where's here?"

Leah pointed to the stairs.

Fallon swallowed and nodded. Very slowly, she made her way into the clouds and after a short climb, came out onto a large altar.

She gasped loudly.

Standing in the middle of the platform was a tall figure immersed in a halo of light.

_It's the Creator!_

Fallon couldn't make out any discernible features through the glow, but she knew instantly that she was loved by this man beyond anything in her reference as a human being. Yet, as much love as she could feel coming from him, Fallon also sensed that he harbored incredible wrath. Not for the angels of Emperica or the mortals of earth, but for the evil that stalked them and threatened them with harm.

He beckoned her forward.

Fallon glided into his arms eagerly and tears poured down her face from the sheer joy that flowed into her body.

_Welcome home, child._

The words were spoken inside her mind instead of out loud.

_Hello, Father._

His embrace felt like a cocoon of warmth and tenderness.

_Your mortal mother came to me just moments ago._

_Is she all right, Father?_

_Yes, my child. She wanted me to know what a special angel you are and thanked me for granting her the opportunity to be your mother for the short time she had you._

Fallon continued to cry tears of happiness and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop.

_You will not see her as often as you did on earth as she will be pursuing her own spiritual path just as you will follow yours._

Fallon nodded. The knowledge didn't upset her. The singular love she had for her small family on earth was quickly being replaced by an all-encompassing devotion to all in Emperica.

_Choose your path wisely, Fallon. Your mother is correct. You are special._

_Thank you, Father._

He released her then and she drifted back down the stairs. As soon as her feet touched the ground, an unintentional shrug of her shoulders caused the back of her shirt to rip open. She yelped in surprise as a majestic pair of wings unfurled behind her. _Oh!_ A dizzying sensation of weightlessness coursed through her, and she lifted off the ground with every step she took. Giddy with pleasure, she wanted nothing more than to take flight and soar into the clouds!

Leah flitted to her side and smiled. "Your choice of caste, Fallon. I know you have not had a lot of time, but you —"

"I don't need any more time, Leah. I know which caste I want to join." There could be no doubt as to what her path would be. "I want to become a Knight."

In the Creator's embrace, she had felt his fury for the Kjin that walked the earth and wanted nothing more than to aid him in his eternal battle against evil.

But there was another reason to fight. One that was equally as compelling.

She finally remembered what happened to her the night she died.

## Chapter 1

### The Girl

The girl had no idea that she was in mortal danger. Like a typical teenager of this age, she talked animatedly into the phone she carried, oblivious to her surroundings. She probably felt safe walking the main street of this small, active college town. The unusually warm fall evening brought out many of the students, and she walked among them as they stood in large groups laughing and horsing around. One boy called out to her, and she waved back distractedly as she turned onto a less populated side street.

Fallon shadowed the girl's movements, trying to anticipate from which direction the attack would come.

The Kjin was near.

She could sense his desire.

He wanted the girl and his hunger was growing.

Fallon took off her hoodie, tied it around her waist and pulled her long, blonde hair into a ponytail as she walked.

The girl, still lost in conversation, turned down a dead end road. Had she looked up, she might have noticed that the street light was out. The Kjin obviously had been stalking this girl for some time and knew her habits.

A young man on the opposite side of the street stepped into the road and approached the girl.

His boyish good looks didn't fool Fallon for a minute and it wasn't just because the Kur on her arm had erupted into a flaming sear. No. Despite the distance that separated them, she could see the foulness in his eyes, the sneer on his lips.

Fallon started to sprint.

The Kjin — focused on his prey — didn't see her.

He walked up to the girl just as she ended her conversation and was putting her cell phone into the book bag that hung from her shoulder. Smiling at her disarmingly, the Kjin caught her off guard when his fist came out of nowhere and struck her in the face.

The girl grunted in pain as the Kjin grabbed her around the neck and clamped his hand over her mouth. She dropped her book bag and struggled against his tight grip, but he was far too strong and easily dragged her behind the garage of a house with darkened windows.

The girl began to cry.

"Shut up!" the demon whispered harshly.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice cracking in fear.

The Kjin pushed her up against the side of the garage and ran his tongue slowly up the side of her cheek. "I want you."

"Please, don't," she whimpered.

With one arm pressed across her throat, he reached down for the button of her jeans. "Just do as I say and I'll let you go after I'm through with you. Do you understand?"

The girl choked back a sob, but nodded.

Fallon stepped out of the shadows. "Let her go."

The demon whipped his head toward her, but didn't release the girl. "Get lost or you'll be next," he growled.

"Highly unlikely," Fallon murmured and slammed her Aventi against the Kur on her arm. The night lit up as her sword flared to life in the dim recesses at the side of the garage. The girl's eyes widened as much as the Kjin's — hers with fright and his with recognition.

The demon rammed the girl's head into the side of the garage and she crumpled to the ground. He turned to face Fallon. "You don't know who you're dealing with, _Knight_."

"Nor do I care," she responded, spinning her weapon.

The Kjin pulled a knife from his pocket and whipped it at her in a powerful over-handed throw.

Fallon swiped the blade out of the air with her sword and lunged forward with supernatural speed. The demon slid to the side in an attempt to dodge the thrust, but she was too quick and the sword pierced his stomach.

He hissed in pain but managed to spin in a circle and bring his foot around toward her head. She caught his ankle in her left hand inches from her face. With her right, she drew the sword across his throat.

He made a clumsy attempt to hit her with his fist, but he was already dying from the cut she made, so she let go of his foot and pushed him to the ground.

His death didn't take long and within seconds, a black, snarling wraith exploded up out of the corpse, searching for a nearby body to steal. It roared menacingly when its eyes found Fallon, but she didn't hesitate. She plunged the Aventi into the center of the dark mass and it disintegrated into a pile of ash.

The threat eliminated, she walked over to the body of the young man the demon had inhabited. _How sad._ His head lolled to the side and his eyes were glazed but already she could see the change in him — the mask of malevolence replaced by one of innocence. She wondered when the Kjin had taken his body. Had he been a child at the time or was it more recent? Had his family detected the changes in his personality and wondered at the cause?

She knelt by his side and whispered, "Your Aegian guide awaits you. There, you will find your peace."

Whoever found his earthly remains would assume he died of natural causes. That would be better for the parents to accept than the fact that a demon had been living in their son's body. All that Fallon cared about was that there was one less Kjin in the world. They could not reproduce so every one slain was a step closer to having an earth free of evil.

The girl moaned.

Fallon quickly went to her, picked her up and brought her back to the sidewalk. As soon as the girl came to, Fallon waved the Aventi before her eyes. The pupils dilated and went out of focus for a moment and then regained their vision.

"Are you all right?" Fallon asked, tucking her weapon into her back pocket.

"Yes, I think so," the girl said, getting to her feet. "What happened?"

"It looks like you took a blow to your head," she answered truthfully.

"I...I must have tripped and blacked out."

Fallon didn't correct her. "Can I help you home?"

The girl shakily picked up her book bag and slung it over her arm. "No, I...I think I'm all right. I live just down the street. Thanks anyway."

"No problem. But, hey, be careful next time, okay?"

The girl gave her a grateful smile and walked away.

Fallon watched her for a moment and then went back the way she had come. She was late now for her meeting with Father Tomas at St. Mary's Church, but it couldn't be helped. She never expected to find a Kjin here so quickly.

Alden, known for its peaceful, quaint appeal, was a typical upstate New York college town, complete with the requisite non-working fountain in the center of Main Street. Old and stately homes lined the surrounding streets, many of which had been converted into apartments for the students that flooded into the area every fall.

_So what was the Kjin after here?_

Fallon shrugged, untied the hoodie from around her waist and pulled it on. She passed through the crowd of students without making eye contact, but their easy companionship made her long for her fellow Knights, Julian and Nikki, the only friends she had here on earth. Any friends Fallon had prior to her death were most likely busy making plans for retirement or caring for grandchildren.

Yet, she didn't feel envious. Her path had taken her to Emperica, and she knew that the leaders there were pleased with her efforts. With a smile, she thought back to her first day of Knight training.

After Fallon received her wings, Leah left her to walk through the vast, arched doors of the Hall of Knights on her own. Beneath a domed ceiling at least a hundred feet high, male and female angels of all ages engaged in a variety of battle drills. Some practiced group offensive techniques and others hand-to-hand combat. Most, however, sparred with a sword of light. The speed and agility with which the angels moved dropped Fallon's jaw, and she wondered if she, too, would have these same abilities when her training was complete.

The door opened behind her and she turned.

Three angels, two boys and a girl similar to Fallon's age, walked into the hall and approached her.

"Is this the Knight training?" asked a tall, blond-haired boy.

Fallon nodded.

"I'm Julian," he told her. "And these two are Blane and Nikki."

Blane didn't look at her, his blue eyes busy taking in his new surroundings. He, too, was tall but with short dark hair. Nikki, on the other hand, gave her a big smile. She was a few inches shorter than Fallon and wore her long, auburn hair hanging loosely down her back in pretty waves.

The introductions were cut short by a male dressed in all white who called out to their group. Completely bald and at least seven feet in height, the angel was much larger and glowed brighter than anyone else in the room.

Julian nudged her and whispered. "He's an Elder."

"What's an Elder?" she asked.

"A leader of a caste."

"Welcome," the angel greeted in a rumbling, deep voice. "I am Darius. I trust you are all prepared to show me your superior fighting skills."

He said it with a hint of humor, but Fallon gulped nervously all the same.

Julian bounced on the balls of his feet. "I'm ready, boss."

Darius raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, then, for the rest of you, do not worry. You will learn all you need to know about fighting the Kjin here. However, first things first." He reached into a bag that hung from his belt and handed each of them a gold cuff. "You are to wear this on your arm at all times. It is called a Kur and it is a device of great power. Not only does it activate an Aventi, but it also detects the presence of demons and can erase human memories."

Reaching back into the bag, he handed them another object. To Fallon's eyes, it looked like a simple black tube. "This is your Aventi. Your sword. To ignite its power, you simply touch it against the Kur."

Darius demonstrated with his own sword and the space between them blazed with white light.

"Amazing," breathed Nikki, twisting the Emperical weapons in her hands.

Fallon secured the Kur around her bicep. "How did these Kjin come to be, Elder?"

"I suppose a brief history is in order," Darius responded, extinguishing his Aventi and sheathing it in the scabbard on his belt. "At the dawn of time, Emperica flourished with the Creator and his twelve magnificent archangels at his side. But it didn't last. At the formation of the world of man, jealousy created a rift in the peace and some of the angels rebelled. The leader of this rebellion against humanity — an angel by the name of Tyras — sought their destruction at every turn. He became very successful at whispering dark insinuations into the ears of the flawed men and women of earth and soon developed a large horde of evildoers. When the Creator discovered what Tyras had done, he banished him and his creations into the underworld of Mordeaux."

Darius grimaced and shook his head. "But it didn't end there. Years later, Tyras discovered a way to break out of his prison, and he let loose thousands of his demonic wraiths into the world. Although the Creator was able to recapture Tyras and send him back to Mordeaux, the others — we call the Kjin — have been more difficult to find."

"Why?" Fallon asked.

"The evil spirits latch on to humans and live in their host bodies. When that body dies, they simply move on to another. They appear to others as normal humans, but are not. They are the murderers, the rapists and the terrorists that live to torment and cause pain."

He paused and looked at each of them in turn. "The only weapon that can kill the Kjin is the Aventi of a Knight of Emperica."

"How many Knights are on earth searching for these Kjin?" Blane asked.

"Not enough. Very few are chosen. Few develop the skills necessary. It remains to be seen whether the four of you will succeed."

Nikki cleared her throat. "My guide mentioned that if I become a Knight, my wings will be clipped."

Darius nodded with a twist of his lips. "It is not a pleasant experience I am afraid as the sacrifice of your wings cannot be made lightly. But it is the only way. You must have a corporeal form to wield the Aventi. The pain of wing removal also serves as a reminder of the commitment you wish to undertake. Mortals are completely defenseless against the Kjin and their only protection is the Knights of this caste. If you are successful in achieving your goal of Knighthood, you will not return back here to Emperica until every Kjin is destroyed or you are killed. If a Kjin does manage to kill you, you will return to Emperica and become a member of the Patrit Caste."

"A Patie! But I don't want to be a Patie!" exclaimed Julian.

Darius patted him on the shoulder. "Then I suggest that you do not die again, young angel."

Fallon felt a sense of pride fill her at the thought of returning to earth and saving humans from the Kjin. She was even thinking of seeing her old friends again. "How long does the training take, Elder?"

"Thirty years."

## Chapter 2

### The Emissier & The Cop

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been four days since my last confession."

Fallon couldn't see the Emissier's face beyond the screened window, but did hear him chuckle softly. "You are forgiven, child, although I doubt very much you have anything to be forgiven for."

She smiled in the dark of the small confessional. "No."

"Thank you for coming, Fallon. Darius tells me that you are proving to be one of our best Knights."

"I do what I can, Father."

"That's good to hear because we have a particularly dangerous Kjin in this area and we need your help. Two children have gone missing within the past month, but before that the Kjin was killing college-aged girls. A total of six over the past fifteen years that I can with almost certainty attribute to him."

"Are you sure it's the same Kjin?" Fallon asked. "It would be unusual for a serial killer of women to suddenly resort to crimes against children."

The dark silhouette nodded. "It's the same one. He is now leaving a calling card."

"He's taunting the police?" she questioned in surprise.

"No. Me."

"You? How do you know? What does he leave?"

"Flowers. A lily dipped in fresh blood has been placed on the rectory steps for me to find after each child disappeared."

Fallon's blood raged at the thought of this Kjin murdering innocent women and children. "Luck may be with us, Father. I killed a Kjin just before I arrived here and he could be the one you're looking for. He was young, probably in his early twenties, and he tried to abduct a girl right off the street."

"No. This Kjin is quite a few years older. But I'll admit, it _is_ unusual to have another demon in the immediate area. The Kjin have never come together as an organized faction as these animals are very territorial about their dens of destruction."

Something Father Tomas had said gave Fallon pause. "Wait. How do you know how old he is?"

He hesitated before answering. "I know who he is, Fallon. He is the President of Alden University with a wife and four children. I have personally known him for over twenty years and never once suspected him of being Kjin until a little over four weeks ago when he carelessly walked too close to the font and a splash of holy water burned his hand from the contact. He tried to cover his mistake, but not before I saw it happen."

"What's his name?"

"Marc Ellis, and for this particular assignment, you will pose as a college student to get closer to him. He is very intelligent, Fallon, and I cannot stress enough how difficult this will be." The shadow leaned in close to the screen. "He has already killed another Knight, Fallon. A man named Gabe Mackey."

Fallon sucked in a breath. "A Ha'Basin?" The Ha'Basin, a ritual of dark magic, required ten Kjin working together to invoke the power necessary to cast a Knight back to Emperica. She had heard of the deadly rite, but to her knowledge it had never been used.

"No, not a Ha'Basin. We found his...decapitated body."

Again, her anger flared and she clenched her teeth. "I will handle this, Father."

The priest's voice turned urgent. "Please be careful, Fallon, I do not wish to lose another Knight."

She nodded but didn't respond, already planning the Kjin's demise in her mind.

"Go to AU, get close to Marc Ellis, and choose your opportunity carefully. Your registration is complete so you simply need to go to the Registrar's Office tomorrow morning to pick up your schedule."

"Do you have a place for me to stay?"

A white paper appeared under the screen. "Here is the address, just two blocks from here. It's an old, yellow Victorian and quite large for one person, but all I could arrange on such short notice. It's very hard to find housing in Alden at this time of year." An envelope slid toward her. "Here is the key and money. I stocked the kitchen with a few groceries, but wasn't sure of your preferences."

"Thank you, Father," she said, standing. "I'll be back in touch in a few days."

"Wait. I need you to do one other thing for me if you would."

She sat back down. "Of course."

"It's a personal favor. There's a former police officer by the name of Kade Royce at the jailhouse. He's being released today after spending the past year incarcerated. His parents are out of the country, and I promised to deliver the key to his new apartment which just happens to be next door to yours." The Emissier passed another envelope to her. "He's also attending AU."

"What did he do to end up in jail?"

The priest snorted. "He was too good at his job. Working with Gabe Mackey, the two of them put a big dent in the criminal element in this county. Unfortunately, Ellis took notice and set the pair up on the fake charges."

"Kade worked with the Knight that was killed?"

"Yes. Gabe joined the police force as a cover and was partnered with Kade. During the ambush, an undercover cop arrested Kade before Ellis could get to him. Gabe wasn't so lucky."

Fallon let out a low breath. "Things are a lot more complicated than I thought."

"Yes, they are," the priest whispered softly.

"See you in a few days, Father." Fallon gathered her envelopes, stood and exited the confessional stall. The church was silent at this hour, but sudden movement caught her eye. An altar boy dressed in a white cassock was taking a seat in the last pew to pray. Fallon left him to his private moment and pushed out of the wide double doors of the church.

She looked down at the small paper in her hand.

Yellow Victorian at 47 Oak Street

She already knew that Oak Street was located a few blocks west from her earlier walk through the small town, but headed in the opposite direction toward the county jailhouse.

Navigating once again through the teenaged mob, she could feel the excitement in the air. For most of these kids, this was their first time being out on their own. Not yet bogged down with the deluge of work that would keep many of them confined to their dorms for long hours once the term started, tonight was a night for celebration.

_Soon, I'll be among them._

But she wasn't looking forward to it. Since her return, she found she had little in common with young adults her age and just wasn't comfortable in social situations the same way she used to be. After thirty years away, she was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that you could talk on a phone without wires and that parachute pants had gone out of style.

Oh, she tried in the beginning. Many times. But she really didn't have much to contribute to most conversations and whenever she tried, it usually ended with people looking at her funny.

Julian tried to help. Her overly confident friend had no such trouble assimilating back into this society. Listening to him, you would think he had been born in the nineties instead of the sixties.

With a fond smile, she shook away thoughts of Julian when she reached the jailhouse, a nineteenth century red brick building with huge white pillars. She went inside, and a young deputy behind the desk immediately straightened.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm here for Kade Royce."

His face registered shock, but he tried to hide it. He directed her to a bench along the wall. "Have a seat. He'll be out in a few minutes."

She turned from the desk and sat down, but noticed the guard glancing her way every few seconds, clearly curious as to who she was. In a small town like Alden, the deputy not only must have worked with this Kade guy, but probably knew him personally.

_Keep guessing, buddy._

The door behind the deputy buzzed open and a young man in faded jeans and white tee shirt strode out. He was about six feet tall, muscular throughout the shoulders and chest, but with narrow hips and legs. His brown hair was too long, and he needed a shave, but it didn't hide the obvious — he was drop dead gorgeous. He walked with an authoritative step that belied his young age, which if she had to guess was around twenty-two.

He threw some papers down on the desk. "Everything is there, Dave. I'm out," and he walked toward the door without waiting for a response.

"Um...Kade."

He turned back impatiently. "What is it?"

Dave the deputy jerked his head her way. "She's here for you."

Kade turned and looked at her and then shrugged. "For whatever reason you're here, let's talk about it outside. I need fresh air."

Fallon stood and walked to the door. Kade held it open, and she felt her face flush as she passed by him. His presence was just so raw. Like he had too much bottled energy inside and might explode at any minute.

When they were out on the street, he looked up at the sky and breathed a sigh of relief letting some of that energy go. She could see the tension visibly go out of his body. He turned to her. "So who are you?" His eyes were a remarkable, pale blue. Inquisitive. Assessing. Cop's eyes.

"I...I'm Fallon Anders. Father Tomas sent me to deliver this." She handed him the envelope. "Keys and the address to your new apartment."

Their fingers brushed when he took the envelope from her, and the heat generated by their touch surprised them both.

Kade recovered first. "He shouldn't have worried about it. I already know where I'm going. My friends came to visit me last week. I'll be rooming with them."

"I guess your parents wanted him to make sure you got settled in after being..."

"Incarcerated. You can say it. Never be afraid of the truth, Fallon," he admonished with a playful grin.

_Blue eyes and dimples? This guy must be beating them off with a stick._

"Are you a college student?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, nice to meet you, Fallon. Thanks for bringing this," he said, holding up the envelope.

"Wait. My house is actually right next to yours, so I'll just walk with you if you don't mind."

_Did that really just come out of my mouth?_

"A pretty girl walking me home after a year in jail? Yeah, I can deal with that."

She blushed again.

_Stop it!_

In silence, they made their way along Main Street and then turned onto Second Street.

"Where are you from?" he finally asked.

"Buffalo."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"You don't talk much, do you?"

Now she grinned. "Not really."

He pointed. "Oak Street is right here. What number are you?"

"Forty-seven."

"It's the yellow one up on the left. Mine is the white one next door."

"Thanks." She moved to walk past him and he put a hand on her arm.

"Hey, my buddies are having a little get together tonight if you're interested. Grab your roommates and come over."

"I don't have any roommates."

"No? Come on over anyway."

"I...I can't, but thanks."

"So you're going to be stuck up and not hang out with your new neighbors?" he teased.

"Are you going to let me go?" she asked, glancing pointedly at his hand on her arm.

"Not unless you agree to come."

"Okay, maybe. Can I leave now?"

He let go and stepped aside. "By the way, remember my name, Fallon, because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be the one that brings you back down to earth."

Her head whipped around at his choice of words, but he was already moving away, laughing softly.

## Chapter 3

### A Friendly Visit

Fallon pulled out the key provided by Father Tomas and unlocked the door to the next on her long list of temporary housing. With a loud creak, the old Victorian opened into a foyer with a narrow staircase and scuffed hardwood floors. And, just like all of the other places she had lived in the past three years, the quiet was deafening.

She took time to explore the downstairs and found a fantastic large kitchen, a living room and formal dining room. Eventually, she made her way up the steep stairs to the second floor. There were four bedrooms, and Fallon chose the smallest for herself. She wasn't sure how long she would be staying, but the smaller one had a fireplace that would keep the drafty room warm if the weather turned cold before she moved on.

Dropping her backpack, she turned and fell back onto the old-fashioned canopy bed. Burrowing into its pillowy depths, she braced herself for the inevitable onslaught of emotion. For every new, empty house turned her thoughts to her family and the night they were all murdered.

It didn't seem possible that it happened thirty-three years ago and on a balmy fall evening just like today. The front door had been left wide open, of course. It had been the seventies. No one locked their doors and everyone was welcome to enter. It wasn't as if there had been less crime back then, she had come to realize, it was just that people were more innocent to the evils of the world.

She remembered it like it was yesterday.

Right before the invasion, her family had gathered in their living room watching a television show called Laverne and Shirley. Fallon sang the catchy theme song out loud along with her younger brother, Gregory. Something about hasenpfeffer and making dreams come true. Her mother sat on the sofa, crocheting an afghan, and Fallon could still see her agonized frown when one stitch didn't come out the way she planned. Her father had been reading the paper, but his eyes had started to droop and he was about to fall asleep.

Such an innocent scene and all taken away by two Kjin.

They entered with guns drawn, demanding money. When her father didn't respond fast enough, one of the demons struck him across the temple with the butt of the gun. Her mother screamed out and received a blow to the face for it. Furious, Gregory scrambled to his feet, picked up a lamp and hit one of the assailants. The gun turned toward him and discharged. Blood splattered the wall behind Gregory from the hole ripped into his chest and he dropped to the floor.

The Kjin who murdered him callously commented that they had to get out of there now and leave no witnesses behind. They shot her father next and then her mother.

Fallon remembered sitting frozen in fear as the gun was trained on her. She didn't scream. She didn't try to run. She never moved a muscle as the trigger was pulled. The next thing she remembered was waking up on a gurney at Brown Community Hospital.

She scrubbed away the lone tear. _I miss them so much._

During her years in Emperica, she rarely saw them but never felt the need with all of the love that enveloped her in a constant warm, soothing layer. But now, in human form again, all of her mortal needs surged to the surface including an almost painful psychological desire for companionship. Alone most of the time, she longed for family. For love.

More tears began to fall, and she let them. After three years of the ritual of remembrance and sorrow, she knew the tide of emotion had to run its natural course.

A small sound outside wrenched her from her misery and she sat straight up. A moment later, the front door downstairs banged open.

Fallon jumped from the bed noiselessly, removed the Aventi from her pocket, and shrugged free of her hoodie so that her Kur would be clear.

At the door to her bedroom, she paused and listened, but heard no further sound. Cautiously, she peered out into the hall, but saw nothing. _Maybe the wind caused the door to open?_ She shook her head as she moved closer to the stairs. No. She could now sense the presence of someone down below.

Besides the Ha'Basin, she didn't have much to fear here on earth. Her angelic powers gave her enhanced strength, speed and healing ability. She could recover from almost any internal trauma including broken bones and even a gunshot. But she would be vulnerable while she healed, so it was best not to find herself in that situation. _Like Gabe Mackey._

She made her way down the old stairs and gritted her teeth as the wood creaked under every light step she took. Hugging the wall, she scanned the hall and living room, but there was no one in sight.

The front door was still open and she looked outside once before walking toward the kitchen.

Just as she crossed the threshold, two strong hands gripped her by the shoulders.

Drawing the Aventi, she slammed it to her Kur and the weapon blazed to life.

"Whoa! Put that thing away!"

Fallon spun away from the trespasser and crouched.

"It's just me."

"Julian!" Fallon breathed a sigh of relief and extinguished the Aventi. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you, too."

"If you try knocking next time, I'm pretty sure you'll get a much better reception."

He held his arms out to her. "Come here."

She smiled and walked into his embrace. At six foot four, he towered over her five foot seven inch height. He was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt. He wore his blonde hair out of style at shoulder length, but it looked good on him.

She lifted her head to look up at him, happy to see him again. Since he lived and worked mostly in the New York City area and Nikki on the west coast, she didn't see either one of them as much as she would have liked. And for some reason they couldn't figure out, Blane had not yet achieved his Knighthood and was still training in Emperica. "It's been way too long."

His hand reached up and rubbed a thumb across her damp cheek. "What's this?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Fallon, what is it? I'm your friend. If something is bothering you, I want to know."

"Honestly, it's nothing. I just get a little sad when coming to a new house, that's all."

"You miss your family?"

"Yes."

"Me, too," he admitted, "but once I realize how happy they are, I forget about it."

Typical Julian. Pragmatic. The life of the party. Mr. Sociable. He never let anything keep him down for long. _So why can't I?_

She pulled out of his embrace. "So what have you been up to?"

"I feel like I've been spinning my wheels," he snapped irritably. "The Kjin seem to be multiplying lately even though I know that's not possible."

"It does feel like that some days, but we just have to stay the course." She walked over to the refrigerator. "Soda? I should have something in here."

"Yeah, I'll take a Dew if you have it."

She found the soda, handed him the can and they sat at her kitchen table.

"When did you get here?" he asked.

"Just a few minutes ago. How did you find me? Father Tomas?"

He nodded. "I went to see him first."

"And what brings you out this way besides my charming personality?" she said, batting her green eyes at him.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Tracking a Kjin this way, but I lost him. Since I was already out this far, I decided to come see you."

She smiled. "I'm glad you did. Are you spending the night?"

"Yeah, if that's okay. Then, I'll head back home in the morning." He got up to rummage through the kitchen cabinets. "So what's for dinner?"

She laughed. "Whatever you make me."

They ended up having a quick meal of frozen pizza and potato chips and headed into the living room to watch television. After two reality shows, Julian began to prowl. "What is there to do around here?"

"How would I know? You know I don't really hang out with people."

"You act like you're fifty years old!"

"I am fifty years old! Come on, Julian, what can I possibly have in common with teenagers?"

"You _are_ a teenager, Fallon. Nineteen to be exact. The years training in Emperica don't count here."

"I know," she relented. "I do feel young still, but really Julian, a Knight that gives in to teenage angst? I don't think that would work out very well."

"Well, we have to do _something_."

For some crazy reason, her heart began to race. "I...I did get invited to a party next door tonight."

Julian straightened. "By who?"

"A guy."

He speared his hands through his hair. "How do I look? There's got to be some hot college fillies at this party, right?"

"No one refers to girls as _fillies_ any more. If ever. Besides, I didn't say I was going, I said I was invited."

"Oh, we're going."

"Julian..."

He scrunched his eyebrows. "You don't think your boyfriend would mind if I tagged along, do you?"

"He's not my boyfriend! But from what I know of college parties, they're pretty much a free-for-all."

His gaze roamed her body. "You're not wearing _that_ , are you?"

She looked down at her black pants and sneakers. "What's wrong with this?"

"It's lame! Where are your clothes?" He started up the stairs to her bedroom.

She ran after him. "I don't have much! I only brought a few things with me from my apartment."

He looked in all of the rooms until he came to the one with her bag. Rifling through it, he found a pair of skinny jeans. "Wear these and a pair of flip flops. Oh, and a scarf."

She ripped the jeans from his hand. "What am I dressing up for?"

"Uh...for your _boyfriend_."

"Say it again and the Aventi comes out," she growled.

Julian pressed his lips together, but continued to stand there staring at her.

"Oh, all right! But this will probably be the last time I'll ever see the guy. Without a doubt, I'll say something stupid and he'll give me that look I've seen a thousand times, and I'll be on my solitary way. End of story." She paused. "Although, he did say something weird."

"What?"

"He said he was going to be the one to bring me back down to earth."

Julian's dark eyes widened. "Ooh. Maybe he's an Intuit and knows you're an angel."

She thought about it for a moment. Intuit was the term they used for clairvoyant people who could sense the presence of paranormal beings. She shook her head. "No, I doubt a twenty-something-year-old guy has the awareness necessary to be an Intuit."

He shrugged. "Hurry up and get dressed. I'm just dying to meet this new _boyfriend_ of yours."

The room lit up with the glow of her sword.

## Chapter 4

### First Kiss

A pair of skinny jeans and scarf later, Fallon followed in Julian's wake to the white house next door. Music drifted through the open windows and she could see the silhouettes of people through the curtains.

Her stomach clenched. _How did I let Julian talk me into this?_ There were only two possible outcomes to this evening. Either she would say something idiotic and have to avoid Kade for the rest of her time here in Alden or no one would talk to her and she would spend the evening watching Julian flirt with girls from some isolated corner of the house.

Fortunately, she didn't have time to dwell on it as Julian raced up the steps, opened the door without knocking and went inside. Even from behind her friend's considerable bulk, she could see that as soon as he walked in, every female eye in the room turned his way. She had to admit. With his large frame, smoky eyes and ready smile, Julian was a very attractive guy.

Sidling in after him, her eyes roved over the people at the party, searching for Kade.

_Is Julian right? Could Kade really be an Intuit?_

Usually she could tell instantly if a human was an Intuit simply by the odd way they looked at her. She didn't sense that with Kade, but then again she had only talked to him for a few minutes.

Julian reached back, grabbed her hand, and dragged her through the house to the patio outside. It turned out to be where most of the partygoers were hanging out.

Including Kade.

He stood laughing with two friends, but turned to look at them as soon as they walked outside. The laughter fell from his face when his gaze traveled down and noticed her hand intertwined with Julian's.

Fallon felt her face redden and pulled her hand free.

_Why am I feeling guilty? Why would I care what Kade-the-gorgeous-ex-cop-Royce thinks of me?_

She knew why.

She wanted him to like her.

She hungered for another human being to find something worthy in her. Maybe share a laugh together. A tender touch even. Someone to tie her to this world.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy, and the sky seemed to be closing down on her, trying to suffocate her. Her heart pounded in her chest. "Be right back," she mumbled to Julian and then fled from the patio. She had to get out of there before she did or said something completely ridiculous.

Several more people had joined the party and she pushed through them toward the door. "Excuse me."

"Hey!"

"Sorry."

The door was right there, and it was open. She ran for it and ducked outside, greedily gulping in the fresh night air to calm her anxiety.

A strong hand seized her arm.

It was him.

She didn't have to turn around to know.

But she did turn and watched him push the hair over his forehead back into place. His expression was dark. "So you're just going to take off and leave your boyfriend here?"

_That word again? Really?_

She shook her head. "He's not my boyfriend."

Kade's eyebrows rose in question. "No? Who is he?"

"A friend I've known for a very long time," she muttered softly, hoping he didn't ask how long because he would never believe the answer. "Great party, but I have to go." She turned to walk down the steps, but his hand stopped her.

He leaned down over the back of her to whisper in her ear, and she inhaled the scent of him. It was a clean smell. Like some sort of spicy, masculine soap. "Let me walk you home."

"I...I just live next door," she responded hoarsely. "I think I can manage from here."

"It's too crowded in there. I really can't stand enclosed places any more. Come on." And for the second time that evening, a man grabbed her hand.

As a Knight, she was used to being in control, but Kade pulled her down the stairs and onto the sidewalk with a commanding stride and she had no choice but to follow.

Silently, they made the short walk to her yellow house and up the stairs of the porch. Only then did he turn to face her. On the top step, he towered over her. Realizing his mistake, he walked back down one stair and the air left her lungs as he picked her up by the waist and swung her up to the stair above him.

"Much better."

Now she had no choice but to look him in the eye.

"I like you, Fallon."

She snorted. "I think any girl might look good to you right now." The minute the words left her mouth, she cringed.

But he barked out a laugh. "No, that's not it. I promise. I don't know what it is, but I'd like to figure it out."

She shook her head. "There's nothing special about me."

"You know that's not true."

_An Intuit?_ She still couldn't decide. "I guess we can be friends," she told him, intensely aware that his hands were still holding her by the waist.

"Can friends do this?" He lifted a hand and caressed her cheek. She leaned into the tenderness of his touch without thought. The feel of his hands on her tapped into an emotional well she assumed dried up long ago. A wave of raw need washed over her and she felt her legs weaken. He pulled her face close to his.

_It's been so long! Can I really do this? Kiss him? Or will I screw it up like almost everything else connected to humans?_

When his head bent to hers, it suddenly no longer mattered. Their lips met. Gently at first, and then more insistently as his tongue swept inside her mouth. He moved the hand around her waist to the small of her back and pressed her in tight against his body. Her own hands came up instinctively to stop him, but of their own free will, curled around his neck.

He let out a moan of pleasure at the same time that the Kur on her arm flared to life.

Her head snapped up, gaze narrowed dangerously over Kade's shoulder at the three guys passing by on the sidewalk in front of her house. She wondered for a brief second if it could be Professor Marc Ellis, but it wasn't. All three of the men were young.

" _Oh_ , so this is where Kade went. Getting himself a little piece of our new neighbor, I see," one of the guys jeered.

Kade turned around and the anger etched into his features was unmistakable. "Have a little respect, Ethan."

Ethan put his hands up. "Hey, I don't blame you, dude. She's gorgeous."

"Just shut up and keep walking or I'll be only too happy to help you on your way." Kade moved down one of the steps of her porch, but Fallon put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

The other two guys on the street grabbed Ethan's arms. "Just ignore him, Kade. He's drunk and we're leaving."

Ethan let himself be propelled down the sidewalk, but Fallon noticed that his eyes did not leave hers for half a block.

"Who is that?" she asked him.

"Ethan Kiley, my roommate and supposed best friend."

"What do you mean supposed?"

Kade shook his head. "The guy has been acting really weird all day and even the last time he came to visit me in jail. Not like himself at all. I honestly don't know what's wrong with him. Maybe he's having problems at home."

He is a Kjin, _that_ is his problem, thought Fallon.

"Listen, Kade, I really should call it a night."

His eyes held disappointment. "Yeah, me too, I guess. School starts tomorrow." He paused. "I would like to see you again if you're okay with that."

"I...yes, I would like that."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

She nodded and went into the house. After closing the door, she ran up the stairs, quickly changed out of her jeans and into black pants and a black hoodie. She slipped the Aventi into her back pocket.

Oh, how she wished she could just lie in bed and think of Kade's kiss, think about how good it felt. But she didn't have any time to spare.

She had to go and kill his best friend.

## Chapter 5

### Painful Memories

Fallon tossed and turned most of the night, listening to the creaks and rattles of the old Victorian, watching the lace curtains billow in and out of the open window. But it wasn't just the unfamiliar noises that kept her up. In the darkness, she could deny reality and choose instead to think of Kade. To remember how amazing it felt to have him kiss her and put his hands on her. Here, where no Kjin lurked, she was just a normal girl fantasizing about a boy she had met.

Now, though, it was light, and much harder to escape the truth.

She could never see Kade again.

Regardless of how good it felt, it had been foolish and reckless to ever think she could develop a meaningful relationship. Last night, she had only lost herself in Kade for a few moments and a Kjin managed to get within striking distance.

Her focus needed to be on her duty where a single moment of inattention could mean the lives of those she had been entrusted to protect. Darius and the Knights of Emperica put a tremendous amount of time training and honing her skills, and she could not — _would not_ — allow all of their hard work go to waste.

As if to drive home the point, the two long scars on her shoulder blades began to throb. The wounds where her wings had been removed pained her most mornings when she first woke, but lessened to a dull ache as the day wore on.

The agony of the amputation never left her.

"Turn toward the wall and put your hands in the manacles above your head," Darius instructed.

"Is that really necessary?" she asked, suddenly frightened as she stepped into the small room.

"Yes. I will not lie to you, Fallon. The pain will be unlike anything you have experienced. In order to make clean incisions, you must be restrained."

With a deep breath, she stepped over to the wall and lifted her hands to the chains that hung from the ceiling. An angel locked the irons over her wrists while another secured her ankles in place into metal rings on the floor.

Darius stepped up behind her, made three expert cuts in her shirt and it fell away from her body leaving her back bare.

"For sacrifice to have meaning, you must remember the pain. It is a choice that should not be made lightly. Are you certain, Fallon, that you wish to give up your wings and become a Knight?"

Fallon had already heard the cries from her friends. Julian had gone through right before her and when he came out, his usual smiling face was ashen and tormented. But her mind was firm.

"Yes."

Darius didn't waste any time. A blazing hot thrust stabbed through her wing, and her back arched as she screamed. It felt like he was cutting off her arm!

White feathers drifted around the floor next to her as the Elder pulled and sawed through her new appendage. Fallon tried to bear the torture in silence, but she couldn't stem the tide of anguished moans that slid from her throat. By the time Darius moved to the second wing, she hung listlessly from the manacles, no longer able to stand upright. Mercifully, halfway through the removal of this wing, she blacked out.

Fallon shuddered. She had only had her wings for a short time, but still missed the blissful energy that emanated from them.

She stretched her aching shoulder blades again with a soft grunt and got out of bed to shower. She just hoped she would be able to leave the house without seeing Kade. Right about now, he and his roommates would be wondering where their friend, Ethan, was and why he hadn't come home last night. She left the body out in the open so he would be discovered quickly. There was no point in prolonging the grief for Ethan's parents and friends.

After undressing, she stepped into the hot shower idly wondering why the Kjin had picked Ethan. According to Kade, his friend had only started acting differently the past few days so it was a new possession. Did the Kjin simply trade an older body for a younger, healthier one? For some reason, she didn't think it was that simple. This was the third Kjin operating in this area and it gave her a disquieting feeling that she was missing something crucial.

Her cell phone rang, so she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel before running back into her room. "Hello."

"Good morning, sunshine."

"Julian? I thought you were still sleeping in the next room!"

"No, I left about an hour ago, but didn't want to wake you. You sounded like you were having a pretty erotic dream."

Heat crept up the sides of her face. "Okay, no more sleepovers for you."

He laughed.

She toweled her hair dry with the phone balanced in the crook of her neck. "Did you have fun at the party?" He had not been home when she returned from dealing with the Ethan Kjin.

"A gentleman never kisses and tells, Fallon."

"Exactly. That's why I'm asking _you_."

"That hurts."

She laughed. "Keep your secrets then, but don't be such a stranger, okay? Let's get together again sometime before this year ends."

"I'll try. Be careful, Fallon. Love you, babe."

"Love you, too, dork," she said and snapped the phone shut. It took several minutes to get all of the snarls out of her long hair and then she just ended up throwing on a baseball cap after she dressed.

She hefted a backpack that contained a single pen and flew down the stairs. It wasn't like she could have known she'd be attending college when she arrived in Alden.

She took the time to grab a granola bar out of the cupboard in the kitchen and then walked out the front door. She stopped short on the front porch when she saw a group of girls passing by on the sidewalk. In her opinion, of all the different types of humans, teenage girls were the closest to Kjin without actually being them. They weren't evil, of course, they were just...well, mean. Not wanting to get caught up in the mean, Fallon avoided them at all costs.

She glanced over at the white house next door. Thankfully, Kade was nowhere in sight.

Tugging her baseball cap down over her eyes, she fell in behind the girls and joined the growing trail of young people making their way to Alden University — a short four-block walk.

Once she arrived on campus, she found the registration office without difficulty. A long row of students waited to pick up their schedules, so she stood in line with them.

When she finally made it to the counter, she accepted her schedule from the clerk and was relieved to see _Forensic Science_ typed across the top. At least Father Tomas hadn't signed her up for something way out of her comfort zone like Engineering. But in order to have the access she needed at AU, she did have to play the part of a college student and, unfortunately, that meant attending classes.

She had two that morning and hurried to the first one — Psychology. The Professor was a portly old guy who apparently viewed himself more as a stand-up comedian than a teacher and spent most of the hour telling inappropriate jokes and ribbing his returning students. The Professor of her second class, Biology, could have been speaking a foreign language for all Fallon understood a single word he said.

At the end of class, she was the first out of the door, thinking only of finding Marc Ellis's office so she could start her surveillance and figure out a way to kill the monster.

She walked back toward the administration wing where she picked up her schedule that morning. The same woman was behind the desk.

Fallon put a smile on her face. "Hi. I'm wondering if you can tell me where to find Marc Ellis's office."

The woman raised her eyebrows. " _Professor_ Ellis is not teaching any classes this semester. Why do you want to speak to him?"

_Crap._ She learned early on to avoid drawing attention to herself when asking questions. In and out. One question, one answer. Nothing more. Unfortunately, it was too late now. "Oh, I was just going to interview him for an upcoming project."

The woman snorted. "A project already?" She muttered something under her breath about demanding professors, and then waved a hand in the air. "The Professor's office is on the second floor of Bartlett Hall, but he's not there. He won't be in until Friday."

"Okay, thanks," Fallon said and backed away quickly before the woman had time to remember her face.

She pushed out of the building at a quick walk. Intent on searching for Bartlett Hall, she didn't hear his footsteps behind her, but did smell his spicy soap scent a second before he clasped his hands around her waist.

Still, she yelped. A high-pitched, girl yelp! One of the most powerful Knights of Emperica just yelped like a schoolgirl.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"I...I had to talk to the clerk," she muttered angrily, more at herself than him.

He took her hand and started to walk. "Come on."

She pulled back. "No, Kade, I can't...I have to —"

He turned to her, his eyes rimmed red. "Look, I had some bad news today and just need someone to talk to."

"I wish I could, Kade," she said apologetically.

"Ethan's dead."

She put a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. Just be with me. I need you."

This was crazy! She had to find out more about Professor Ellis. She had to find a way to stop this Kjin from hurting any more innocent people. Just this morning, she made the decision that she couldn't see Kade again.

"Please."

The pain in his voice affected her on a visceral level, and her mouth betrayed her head. "Okay," she whispered and let herself be pulled away by the force of Kade.

## Chapter 6

### The Guardian

I wonder what happens when you die," Kade wondered aloud as he stared up at the blue sky with his hands behind his head.

"You go to heaven."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so." Fallon turned her head in time to see the corners of his mouth twitch up in a wry grin.

"I wish I could be that confident."

Her hand found his and squeezed. "You'll just have to trust me on this one."

He chuckled and the sound did strange things to her insides. She suddenly wondered how a guy like him was single.

She picked at the grass next to her. "So, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No."

"Why not?"

His shoulders lifted. "Oh, I don't know, busy at work and spending time in jail. You?"

"No."

"Why?"

_Oh, I don't know, busy dying and killing demons._ "Just never happened."

He turned on his side and propped up on an elbow to look down at her lying in the grass next to him. "Thanks for being here. For a minute there, I didn't think you would come."

She laughed. "You really didn't give me much of a choice!"

He gave her a dimpled smile. "No, I didn't."

They had been together for hours now getting to know each other, snuggled in a remote section of Highland Park adjacent to AU, a popular hangout for college kids

She learned that Kade's parents lived locally, but he had been out on his own since the age of eighteen when he joined the local sheriff's department. He never wanted to do anything other than be a cop, he told her, but since that part of his life was over now, he enrolled at AU to study Physical Education. He talked about his younger sister, Chelsea, and a dog named Titus. He also brought up his friend, Ethan, and she laughed with him as he recalled some of their best childhood pranks.

Fallon let him do most of the talking and only divulged that she lost her parents and brother to a home invasion some years back and now lived by herself in Buffalo. She actually traveled all over the east coast in her efforts to track the Kjin, but her apartment in Buffalo was her primary residence. She didn't call it home, because it wasn't. A home was a place of comfort and memories and love. Buffalo was a place to lay her head at night.

Because of the criminal nature of her loss, Kade wanted to know more about the incident that took her family from her. "Tell me about the home invasion. Were the perpetrators ever caught?"

"No."

A look of sympathy filled his eyes. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you. You were so young."

"Yeah, it was."

"That's why I always wanted to be in law enforcement. To get scum like that off the street. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Fallon." He reached out and rolled a strand of her hair between his fingers. "You're very beautiful," he told her huskily. "But it's not just that. There's something special about you. I don't know. You just seem to have this aura around you."

"I'm just a girl who likes a boy." _Really?_ She would have to wear a muzzle if this kept up.

He reached out and turned her chin so she had to look at him. Desire burned in his eyes. "Now, that's something I can get used to hearing," he murmured and lowered his lips to hers.

It was a sweet, tender kiss but one that ignited a fire raging through her body. More for the intimate emotional connection it forged between them than in physical need. His mouth moved over hers slowly, but left her breathless with the promise it held. She never wanted him to stop.

"Help! Somebody help me!"

Fallon jumped to her feet in a flash. Probably a little too fast if the look on Kade's face was any indication. Fallon sprinted to the sound of the cries.

"Help! My daughter!"

A woman waved her arms frantically at one of the scenic areas common in upstate New York parks that overlooked a large gorge. Fallon rushed to the waist high, cobblestone wall where the woman pointed and looked down. There, thirty feet below, a young child crouched on the edge of a small protrusion in the cliff face.

The child's mother lifted a leg to climb over the wall, ready to try and go down herself.

Fallon grabbed her arm before she fell, too. "No, let me. I have some skill in rock climbing."

The terrified woman hesitated, apparently unsure whether she wanted to put the fate of her daughter in the hands of such a young girl. Something in Fallon's face must have convinced her because she scrambled back over the wall. "Are you sure? Can you save her?"

Fallon nodded. "I can."

Kade skidded to a stop next to them. "Boy, you're fast. What's going on?"

"There's a little girl stuck in the gorge. I'm going down after her." She ignored his look of disbelief. "Can you find a rope or something that I can tie around her waist? Then, you can pull her back up."

"What? No! You're not going over that wall! I'll go."

She shook her head. "No. I'll need your strength to pull us up after I get down there. Don't worry. I've done this before. Just get me the rope before that little girl falls." Actually, Fallon wasn't worried about the child in the least. She had already seen the glow of the guardian angel hovering close.

Kade looked divided. He wanted to help the girl, but was worried for her.

"Go!"

He didn't need to be told again. He sprinted off.

Now that the mother was safely back behind the wall, Fallon went over. The vertical descent gave her no problem. The real trick was in making it look like she didn't have otherworldly abilities.

The guardian angel spoke to Fallon in her mind as she made her way down.

_Hello, Knight_.

_Hello, Sentinel. Is the child all right?_

_Yes, she will not fall with me by her side._

_What is her name?_

_Emma._ The angel said the name with pride and love. _She is a curious little girl. I can see that I will have my hands very full with this one over the years._

_How is everything in Emperica, Sentinel?_

Fallon glanced over her shoulder.

Soft vapor undulated around the angel's head as she smiled. _Glorious. How goes your fight here?_

_Unending_ , Fallon responded with a sigh.

_Have faith in yourself, Knight, as we all have faith in you._

Fallon hurried down the last few feet and stepped onto the ledge, a lump forming in her throat at the Sentinel's words. This beautiful angel floating majestically in front of her was home. She was family. And Fallon missed both desperately.

But it wasn't her time yet to return. She still had work to do and all in Emperica were counting on her. _Thank you, Sentinel. Your presence here has lifted my spirits._

"Fallon! Here's the rope!" shouted Kade. "I have a few guys up here with me, and we'll pull the child up once you're ready!" The rope dropped down over the side of the embankment.

Fallon squatted in front of the girl. "Emma, my name is Fallon, and I don't want you to be afraid."

Emma nodded.

"The men at the top are going to hoist you back up to your Mom, okay?"

Fallon grasped the rope, quickly constructed a sling and had the little girl step into the leg holes she created.

"Now, Emma, I want you to be a big girl and hang on tight. You're going to go for a fun ride back up to the top."

"Okay."

Fallon called up to Kade. "All set! You can pull her up now." She watched as Emma was carefully inched up to her anxious mother.

_I need to follow to make sure she does not fall,_ the Sentinel told her. _It was nice to see you, Knight._

_Goodbye, Sentinel._

The lovely creature spread her wings wide and floated to the top after her charge.

A sharp pang of regret for the loss of her own wings tugged at Fallon's heart. Instinctively she shrugged her shoulders, but instead of the miracle of unfurling wings, it was only the dull twinge of remorse that she felt now.

As soon as Emma was pulled to safety, Fallon scaled the cliff face.

Kade leaned over the wall. "Fallon, we're sending the rope back —"

Fallon poked her head up in front of him. "Too late." She wanted to laugh at the look on his face.

"How did you get up so fast? What are you? Some kind of spider?"

"Just your average superhuman teenager," she confessed truthfully.

He took her by the arm to help her over the wall. "Well, I'm pretty impressed with you. Not many people would have done what you just did for that little girl."

"I agree," said the mother, walking over to them. "I can't thank you enough. You don't know what you have given back to me. If there is anything I can do to repay you, let me know."

Fallon shook her head. "No, the sight of you and Emma together is payment enough."

The mother's eyebrows rose. "How did you know her — ?"

"Gotta go! Take care!" She pulled Kade's arm and they jogged away as quickly as possible.

Kade stopped when they were far enough away from the scene of Fallon's heroics and took her in his arms. "See, I told you there was something special about you."

"You're kind of special, too, Kade Royce."

"I am special, aren't I?"

"And humble," she said with a smile. "I hope we can be good friends."

"Friends? Is that all?"

Her heart stopped. "What more would you like?"

"Everything. All of you. Every thought, every laugh, every hurt." He shook his head. "I can't figure it out either, but I'm drawn to you in a way I've never experienced with anyone else."

_Definitely Intuit._ It's the only thing that would explain the pull they felt to each other.

"My parents will be home tomorrow and they invited me to dinner. You're coming with me. And I won't take no for an answer this time!"

She shook her head. _When did he ever?_

## Chapter 7

### An Encounter With Evil

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been two days since my last confession."

"You are forgiven, child, although I doubt very much you have anything to be forgiven for."

"No."

"Report, please. Darius is anxious for news."

"Not much to report so far, Father. The Professor won't be at the university until Friday. Do you have a home address for him? Maybe I can track him down that way." Inwardly she cringed at the idea. Normally she avoided taking the fight to Kjin residences because of the innocent families involved.

"Unfortunately, no. He moved recently and I do not as of yet have an updated address for him. Anthony is checking on that for me."

"Anthony?"

"My altar boy, but don't worry. He knows nothing except that I am trying to get the address of a parishioner."

"All right. I'll come back tomorrow."

"Remember what I said, Fallon. A Knight has already been killed. You must find a way to catch him unaware."

"I will." She thought of something. "The other day, you said that this Kjin was taunting you. Why?"

The shoulders on the silhouette behind the screen stiffened. "I don't know. Perhaps he found out somehow that I am an Emissier."

The answer didn't sit well with her. Unless Father Tomas himself divulged the information to the Kjin, there was no way for the demons to know that Father Tomas was an Emissier — one of ten select clergymen on earth who worked directly with Emperica and had access to the Elders.

_Is he keeping secrets from me?_

"Maybe," she murmured noncommittally. "I'll see you tomorrow, Father."

"Be careful."

Fallon stood and ducked out of the confessional. With her mind mulling over Father Tomas's words, she tripped over the altar boy scrubbing the floor outside of the small compartment.

The boy reached up to steady her. "Oh, sorry! Are you all right?"

Fallon straightened. "Yes, I'm fine."

Red spots blossomed on the boy's face. "I didn't realize anyone was using the confessional."

"It's okay. Really. Are you Anthony?"

The young boy nodded, but looked at her suspiciously. "How do you know my name?"

"I'm Fallon, a friend of Father Tomas. He mentioned you to me."

"Oh."

In the awkward pause that followed, she asked, "How old are you, Anthony?"

"I just turned eighteen," he said, glancing around nervously.

_Eighteen?_ The admission shocked her as he looked quite a bit younger. Not wanting to torment the obviously shy young man any further, she nodded and walked past him. "Well, nice to meet you."

"Yeah, see you."

_Just get me that address, Anthony the altar boy. No one in this town will be safe again, until you get me that address._

_Ugh! Where is Julian when I need him?_ Fallon stood looking at her meager selection of clothes with a scowl. She would need to purchase something new soon.

Then again, she thought glumly, she might not need them after tomorrow. If Father Tomas gave her Marc Ellis's home address, her stay in Alden could very well be at an end. With the pretense of a college student over, she could return to Buffalo.

_That's a depressing thought._

What would she be going back to? A life of tracking Kjin, TV dinners and solitude? Yes, that had been her life for three years now. So why did it suddenly seem so unbearable?

_Kade Royce, that's why._

Because thinking about leaving him twisted her stomach into knots. She'd heard stories about the allure between angels and Intuits, but this was insane! __

She shook away her thoughts and glanced at the clock. Kade would be here any minute. Finally deciding on the same skinny jeans and a sweater, she walked down the stairs just as the doorbell rang.

Fighting back her nerves, she opened the door and couldn't help but smile at the dimpled grin he gave her. "Hi."

"Hey." His eyes roamed her body. "You look nice."

She laughed. "Not true, but thanks for saying it."

"Of course it's true. Don't you have any mirrors in there?" he asked, straining to look over her shoulder.

She laughed. "I guess I just don't see what you see."

"You're right. A mirror only reflects what's on the outside. As beautiful as that is," he said, reaching out to stroke the side of her face, "it doesn't compare to what's inside. That's where you truly shine."

"Ah, and how many girls have you said that to?"

His blue eyes filled with heat. "Counting you? Just one."

"Mmm hmm."

"Come on." He held his hand out. "My family is going to love you."

She put her hand in his, and Kade led her down the steps to where his Jeep Wrangler was parked on the street. He held open the passenger door for her and as soon as she slid in, she inhaled the scent of Kade. The car reeked of his spicy soap scent, and she found it comforting.

"Nervous?" he asked when he got into the car.

She tried to still the butterflies. "A little."

"Don't be."

Only two words, but she instantly felt more at ease.

It was a short ride to his parents' house, a well-kept brick Tudor. As soon as Kade pulled into the driveway, a brown Chesapeake Retriever loped up beside them with a loud bark.

"Titus, get back!" Kade yelled harshly out of the window, but then wrestled playfully with the big dog when he got out of the Jeep.

Kade's mother waved from the front door, and his father rushed out to meet them.

The parents. The dog. The house. It was all so...normal.

Sudden, overwhelming longing settled in Fallon's chest, and a small tear managed to get by her tightly held defenses. She scrubbed it away irritably and smiled for Kade's father.

The elder Royce enveloped his son in a tight embrace. "It's so good to see you, son."

Kade patted his back. "Good to be home, Dad."

The two came apart and Mr. Royce smiled at her. "If you don't mind me saying, Fallon, you're even prettier than Kade described." He leaned in close. "So what are you doing with a bum like him?"

"Dad!"

"What? What did I say?" Mr. Royce asked with feigned innocence.

Fallon laughed.

"Come on," Kade said with a glower and grabbed her hand. Despite the scowl, it was all in good fun and the love between father and son was obvious.

At the front door, Kade introduced his mother, Judy, and after another emotional reunion, they all went inside. As soon as Kade entered the foyer, a shrill scream came from the top of the stairs to the second floor. A young girl who looked very much like him flew down the steps. Fallon stepped out of the way as the girl launched herself into his arms.

"Chels! Relax. You just saw me three weeks ago."

The girl pulled her head back and jutted her lips into a pout. "Well, I haven't been able to hug you in way too long. I wanted to be there for you when you got out, but Mom and Dad _forced_ me to go to Paris."

"Yeah, terrible aren't they?" Kade teased.

Chelsea laughed and Mrs. Royce snorted and disappeared into the kitchen.

Kade set his sister back on the ground and directed her gaze toward Fallon. "This is my friend, Fallon."

The feminine version of Kade raised her eyebrows. "Friend or _girl_ friend?"

"Give me another day and ask again," Kade answered with a smirk.

Fallon punched him in the arm.

He grunted and put his hand at the small of her back, guiding her to the stairs. "Come on, I want to show you my old room."

Fallon started up the stairs ahead of him, but halfway she nearly tripped when the Kur on her arm flared in a hot burn. _A Kjin? Here?_

She whipped her head around and glanced back down to the foyer. The front door opened and a man stepped in, followed by a woman and four children.

"Hope we're not late!"

"Uncle Marc is here," Chelsea yelled to all within hearing distance.

"Marc?" Fallon hissed at Kade.

"Yeah, Marc Ellis. He's my uncle."

Fallon's jaw fell open. The Kjin that had killed women and children was Kade's uncle? According to Father Tomas, he was also the one responsible for setting up Kade on bogus charges that sent him to jail for an entire year.

It took more resolve than she thought she was capable of to suppress her anger, turn from the Kjin and allow Kade to prod her up the stairs.

Shaking her head in disgust, only one thought filled her mind.

_Why do I have to keep killing the people Kade loves?_

## Chapter 8

### Caught in the Act

Distracted, Fallon ran her gaze idly around Kade's old bedroom. It was a typical guy's room. Bed, laptop and a fathead of Tony Romo on one wall. Apparently, nothing had changed since he last lived here.

"I still come and stay a lot," he said in response to her unspoken thought.

She turned to him. "Nice room, but —"

He grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against the door, snaking his knee between her legs to hold her in place.

"What are you doing?" she croaked out.

Mesmerizing blue eyes stared down at her. "Looking at you." He lifted his hand and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Touching you." Slowly, he leaned in and hovered his mouth over hers. "Kissing you."

Their lips met in a slow kiss.

Any objections Fallon had been about to form were swallowed by his mouth. The tenderness with which he glided his lips over hers drew a soft moan from her.

_Enough! I can't be doing this._

Her mortal enemy stood downstairs at this very moment, and here she was losing herself in a kiss.

But Kade was the one to pull away. Shaking his head, he let go of her and sat on the edge of his bed. "What have you done to me, Fallon? If I didn't know better, I would say you were a witch who's put some kind of spell on me."

"Not quite," she murmured.

"What is it then?"

"Kade..."

"Seriously. I can't stand next to you and not be moved by you. I've never felt like this before."

"Kade..."

He held a hand out toward her. "Come here and kiss me, Fallon. Kiss me like you mean it."

Her legs felt weak as she stumbled over to the bed and dropped to her knees in front of him. He framed her head with both hands and dragged her face to his. When their lips met again, a low ache thudded through her body, sending a wave of emotion flooding through her. Whether from her loneliness or Kade's sweet gentleness, she couldn't be sure, but she suddenly had to fight back the urge to cry.

Embarrassed by her reaction, she pulled away and sat back on her heels, looking everywhere but at him.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

It took a minute, but she gathered her courage and turned to face him. The depth of naked emotion she saw in his eyes floored her. Desire, compassion and, yes, the start of something deeper. Every feeling displayed across his face so easy to read, because she knew it mirrored her own.

She rose to her knees again, wrapped her arms around him and snuggled her face into the crook of his throat. They stayed that way for a long time, just holding each other. His warm breath wafted across her neck, and she wondered what it would feel like to have him kiss her there.

"Kade! Time for dinner!" Chelsea's shout up the stairs caused her to jump guiltily to her feet.

"It's okay," Kade assured her, hanging on to her hand. He stood and pulled her close. "Hey, why are you shaking?"

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure? We're together now, Fallon. You can tell me anything."

_We're together? What does that mean?_

"Really, I'm fine."

He pulled back. "All right. Let's go then. I want you to meet my Uncle Marc. He's great, you'll love him."

Reluctantly, she followed, grateful that he hadn't noticed her hesitation. How could she explain to him that his uncle was a vile demon? How long he had been so she didn't know, but he had been killing women for a very long time.

With effort, she shut the door on her conflicted emotions and descended the stairs behind Kade. Animated conversation drifted to her ears and she saw that Kade's parents, sister and relatives were gathered around the television.

"Shh! Listen," ordered Mrs. Royce.

Fallon peered around Kade at the blonde newscaster that filled the television screen. "Police have confirmed that there are still no leads in the disappearance of two local children. Six-year-old Sammy Hutchinson was last seen getting off the school bus three weeks ago, and seven-year-old Carly Cox went missing just last week from her own backyard. If anyone has any information regarding these two children, please contact Crime Control at the number displayed at the bottom of your screen."

An image of the children's crying parents came on next, and their heartfelt pleas were hard to listen to.

Mrs. Royce walked over and turned off the television. "What a shame. Right here in Alden! I can't imagine what those families are going through." She walked toward the kitchen. "If anybody has an appetite left, please sit down at the table. I'll be right out with the food."

"I'll help," Chelsea offered.

Fallon glared at the Kjin. He looked very scholarly in his square glasses, sweater vest, and easy smile, but it wasn't the outside that mattered — it was what skulked inside.

As everyone walked to the dining room, Mr. Royce suddenly remembered his new guest. "Oh, wait, you haven't met Kade's friend yet."

Fallon nodded politely to Marc Ellis's wife, and then sat in the chair Kade held out for her. Her Kur burned painfully this close to the demon, but she did her best to ignore it.

She could feel Marc Ellis's eyes on her.

"And does this lovely creature have a name?" he leered.

Kade bristled. "She's not a creature. Her name is Fallon. Fallon, this is my Uncle Marc, Aunt Ellie, and the four rug rats are Mia, Gino, Joey and Rachel."

After the introductions, Mrs. Royce came from the kitchen with a platter of ham and soon normal conversation broke out around the table. Despite Marc Ellis's constant looks, Fallon enjoyed Kade's family. They were witty and smart and just plain adorable.

As soon as the dessert plates were cleared away, Marc Ellis scraped his chair back and declared to his family that it was time to leave.

With thoughts of the missing children still on her mind, Fallon did the same. No way was she going to wait around for Anthony to get her an address. She was going to get it herself.

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Royce," Fallon said. "It was a lovely dinner, but I must be going, too."

Mrs. Royce hugged her fondly. "Good night, Fallon. We hope you'll come back to visit again soon."

"I will."

Kade didn't look happy as he pulled her aside. "Why are you leaving? I was hoping we could hang out for a little while yet."

She shook her head. "No, I really have to go. I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

"At least let me drive you home," he said irritably.

"No, you said you were going to spend the night here. I'll be fine, really. See you tomorrow." And with that, she slipped out the front door.

Kade entered his bedroom with a frustrated growl. _Why did Fallon leave so abruptly?_ As far as he could tell, she liked him as much as he liked her. Was she having second thoughts because of his stint in jail? He never did explain to her that it had been a set up.

He picked up a football and tossed it in the air as he paced _. I can't stop thinking about her. How can a girl I just met turn my life this upside down in a matter of days?_

Kade sat on the bed, selfishly wishing Ethan was still around to talk to. Granted, his friend underwent a major personality change in the last few days of his life, but it was possible the kid had something going on that Kade knew nothing about. Kade regretted now that he hadn't made more of an effort to find out. Even behind bars, Kade could have been there for him.

Downstairs, the front door slammed shut.

Kade stood from the bed, went to the window and peeled the curtain back. His uncle, aunt and cousins were piling into their black Escalade.

He leaned his head against the cool glass. _Maybe I should go to Fallon_ , he thought, desperate to see her again. He wasn't lying when he told her he felt a powerful connection to her. Even now, he was aching to be near her.

The black SUV backed out of the driveway. Kade started to turn from the window, but furtive movement down below caught his eye. He squinted into the darkness. It was Fallon! And she was running in a crouch down the street after his uncle's vehicle! _What is going on?_

Determined to find out, he ran for the door and then down the stairs. "Mom! Dad! Be right back!"

Flying through the front door, he raced down the street but neither Fallon nor the Escalade was in sight.

_Is Fallon really following my uncle and aunt_? _But that makes no sense. Maybe it just looked that way._

The Ellis family had moved into a new cul de sac a month ago about six blocks from his parents' house. He decided to head there to find out.

Pumping his arms and legs for three blocks, he finally caught sight of Fallon and the brake lights of the SUV _. How on earth did she get so far ahead of me?_ Now, though, she crept along the shadows of the sidewalk as the Escalade came to a stop sign.

There was no question now. She was following them.

But why?

A green truck pulled up next to Fallon and a guy stuck his head out of the driver's side window. "Hey, beautiful. We're headed for a party. Why don't you come with us?"

"No, thanks," he heard Fallon mumble distractedly.

The truck pulled over to the curb. "Wait up!" The guy threw the vehicle in park and opened the door. From the way he stumbled over to Fallon, it was obvious that he had been drinking.

Fallon started to jog away from him, but he ran and launched himself at her, taking her to the ground.

Kade cursed under his breath, but before he could act, the drunk went flying through the air and landed on his back in the middle of the street.

_What the...?_

The passenger side of the truck opened and another guy got out. "What did you just do to him?" he demanded with a glare at Fallon.

"Just leave," she told him.

"Not until you tell me what you did to my friend."

"Nothing. Now go. Just get out of here and no one will get hurt."

The guy continued to harass her and got right in her face. "What did you use on him? Some kind of taser?"

Fallon turned to leave and he moved to push her. With lightning speed, she sidestepped out of the way and he stumbled by her. He turned back with a drunken snarl and swung his arm to backhand her. She caught him by the wrist and twisted, pinning his arm behind his back while he screamed in pain.

"Weren't you ever taught that no means no?" she asked with the guy's arm still clutched firmly in one hand. With the other, she reached around to her back pocket and pulled out what looked like a knife.

Kade tensed, unable to believe what he was seeing. _Is she going to stab him?_

Fallon pushed her attacker away and slammed the hilt of the knife to the bracelet she wore on her bicep, and a glowing sword lit up the night. Before the man could recover, she waved the weapon in front of his face. "Forget about tonight and go home. And don't drive, idiot. Walk."

Fallon hit the hilt of the sword to her bracelet once again, and the sword disappeared.

Kade was too dazed to do or say anything and could only watch in stunned silence as she turned and ran away.

The man stood immobile for a moment, but then shook his head in confusion. He glanced down at his friend lying on the ground as if trying to piece together what had happened.

Kade understood the feeling. He was trying to do the same thing.

Finally, the man reached down, helped his friend to his feet and together they stumbled down the street, leaving their truck behind.

Kade turned and walked back toward his parents' house. He wanted to tell them that he wouldn't be staying the night after all.

He was going back to Oak Street and the yellow house next door.

He was going back for answers.

## Chapter 9

### The Truth

Fallon kicked the dirt in front of her in anger. Marc Ellis was long gone, and she had no idea which way he went. She prowled the streets for blocks but couldn't find sight of his car anywhere.

All because of a couple of drunks.

She shook her head. It had been risky to erase the memory of a human out on a public street, but the guy left her with no other choice when he witnessed her unnatural power. Still, it always bothered her when she had to resort to erasure, preferring instead to avoid trouble as she could only imagine how unnerving it must be for a person to have a fragment of time missing from their life.

With a heavy sigh, she started back toward her house. Fortunately, tonight wasn't a complete loss. If Father Tomas's altar boy couldn't obtain Ellis's address soon, she now had this Kjin's connection with Kade to exploit. Surely, she could find a way to get the information without arousing too much suspicion. Either way, it would have to wait until tomorrow.

With a long walk ahead of her, she thought back to her visit to Kade's house and especially the few stolen moments in his bedroom. No one had ever looked at her the way he did and the feelings he stirred in her were both thrilling and terrifying. Even after such a short time, it would be tough to leave him when this was all over. But she was too far in to start worrying about that now.

Anxious to get home, she started to run, thankful for the darkness that helped to conceal her swift movement. She had to slow several times because of people on the streets, but soon her old Victorian came into view.

She skidded to a stop at the sight of someone sitting on the steps of her front porch.

Approaching cautiously, her heart fluttered in her chest when she recognized Kade.

_He came home!_

Grinning, she ran to him in excitement but her steps faltered when he didn't return the smile.

"What is it?" she asked, wondering if something had happened to one of his family members. "Is everything okay?" It was hard for her to read the odd expression on his face. "Kade, what's going on?"

He snorted. "You tell me."

"Tell you what?" A sudden sinking feeling developed in the pit of her stomach.

"You can start by answering question number one, Fallon. Why were you following my relatives?"

She just stared at him, unable to respond. She refused to lie to him, but couldn't tell him the truth either.

Or, could she?

"Well?" He stood up to face her. "Are they in some kind of trouble with the law?"

She turned her back to him, but he persisted relentlessly.

"Are you some kind of agent or something? I saw you following them. I also saw you use some kind of weapon that completely messed up the guy that attacked you. I don't like secrets, Fallon, and I don't like to be lied to. Obviously, you're something other than what you've told me."

This was why she never sought out entanglements with humans. She always feared that if she let anyone get too close, they would find out things they shouldn't know.

Her fears had been justified.

Kade put his hands on her shoulders. "Tell me. What are you?"

"I...I can't."

"Tell me!"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Fallon! Whatever it is, I can deal with it. I can deal with anything rather than lose you. Tell me!"

In that moment, she decided she would tell him. She _needed_ to tell him. Three years was too long to go without companionship. Too long not to laugh or to feel the touch of another human being.

She choked back a sob. Yes, she would tell him.

_And after I tell him everything about my life? What then?_

She would have to erase his memory so he would never have any recollection of ever meeting her. The burning lump that formed in her throat made it hard to swallow. He didn't understand what he was asking. He didn't realize that if she told him the truth, it would cost them their relationship.

"Well, Fallon? What are you?"

Slowly, she turned to face him. "I'm an angel."

Inside the foyer to Fallon's house, Kade took her into his arms and held her close. With a deep breath, he inhaled the lavender fragrance of her hair. "Go upstairs," he told her, pulling away to hold her at arm's length. "I'll grab us some sodas."

She nodded woodenly and turned away.

Kade hurried into the kitchen, not wanting to leave her alone for long. Obviously, she had suffered some kind of breakdown, but he still wasn't sure what caused it.

She called herself an angel. Did this word have a double meaning or did she really think she was an _angel_ angel? The kind with wings? He shrugged. Somehow, he had to get the truth out of her as gently as possible. Grabbing the sodas, he raced up the stairs and found her bedroom. She sat on a wide bench seat at the window and leaned her head back. At that moment, bathed in moonlight with her long, blonde hair flowing down her back, she really did look like an angel.

"Fallon? Are you okay?"

She nodded with a small smile and turned to him. He handed her the soda.

"You're scaring me," he admitted to her.

"I don't mean to."

"I know. As long as you're feeling okay, that's all that matters."

"I'm fine."

"Do you want to talk?"

"I don't think we have any other choice now."

He sat on the bench on the opposite side and pulled his feet up. "About this angel thing..."

"I was telling you the truth. I am an angel."

"That's funny, I always thought angels had halos and wings," he said with a soft laugh, trying to bring a little levity to the thickness in the air.

"My wings were clipped." She put her soda down, stood up and turned her back to him. Crossing her hands in front of her, she grabbed the sides of her shirt and pulled it over her head.

He gasped, but wasn't sure if it was from the two long, angry scars just beneath her shoulder blades or for the fact that he was staring at her naked back. He felt both empathy and desire course through his body at the same time. "What happened?"

She swallowed. "I told you. My wings were clipped." She reached down and put the tee shirt back on, and then sat again, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"So you're really going with this angel thing?"

She smiled tiredly. "It's all I got."

Kade realized in that instant that she really believed it.

"You don't believe me," she whispered. "I can see it all over your face."

Was he that obvious? What did he think about this? He believed in heaven, certainly, and even angels. But they existed in another dimension, not here on earth. "I wouldn't say that. I'm just trying to figure out why you think the way you do."

"Because it's the truth."

"Why are you here on earth then?"

Slowly, Fallon told him an unbelievable story. How she and her family died thirty-three years earlier at the hands of two robbers. She talked about her journey to heaven, which she called Emperica, and training with the Knights. Julian, the boy she brought to his party, was also a Knight. She described the different castes within Emperica and why she chose the path she did. She told him about the evil Kjin that walked the earth in the form of humans and her mission to eliminate them from the world. Lastly, she discussed her return three years ago and all of her progress in fulfilling that obligation.

An hour later, Kade leaned his head back against the wall with a thud. The story was implausible. No sane person could hear the story Fallon just related and not think she was crazy.

They both must be crazy then.

He believed her.

"So that sword thing that you use. What does it do?"

"It's called an Aventi and it erases all memory of my existence. Want me to show you, Mr. Royce?"

He held his hands up. "No! I would like to keep my memories of you if that's all right."

A strange look passed over her face, but he wasn't sure why. Reaching his hand out, he touched the gold bracelet around her arm. "And this?"

"It's an activator. It's called a Kur and brings the Aventi to life."

He stood up and speared a hand through his hair. "So you basically run around and kill bad guys. All by yourself?"

"I'm hardly defenseless, Kade. I am strong. Much stronger than you."

He narrowed his eyes. "Hmm...I'll have to test that out some time."

"Don't. I wouldn't want to hurt your male ego. I heard they were pretty delicate."

"Mine more than most," he confessed. "How many other Knights are there?"

"On earth? A few hundred, but we hardly ever work together." She hesitated. "You actually knew another Knight."

"Who?"

"Gabe Mackey."

Kade reeled at the news. He quickly sorted back through his memories with Gabe and some things that seemed odd at the time started to make more sense. "Have you ever told anyone else about this?"

She snorted. "I don't think I've said more than ten words to the same person in the last three years, let alone disclose this. I hope I don't have to tell you how important it is that you don't discuss this with anyone else. Ever."

Kade leaned toward her. "I would never betray you, Fallon, I promise you that."

She nodded.

"Who are you tracking now? Who is this Kjin person?"

She turned to the window. "I would rather not talk about that now. I'm really tired and I just want to lie down."

"Okay." Kade went to Fallon's side, lifted her from the bench and folded her into his arms. She laced her hands around his neck, and he carried her to the bed and set her down.

For a long moment, he stared down at her and for the first time, she looked fragile to him. Not in a physical sense, but emotionally.

"Turn over."

He heard her soft intake of breath, but after a short hesitation, she rolled onto her stomach.

He sat beside her on the edge of the bed, lifted her shirt, and tenderly fingered the scars on her back. She flinched at the contact.

"Don't." Her voice was tortured and husky.

"Why?"

"Because I'm embarrassed."

"Of what?"

"No one has ever seen my scars before."

"Did it hurt? When they clipped them?"

"Unbelievably so."

"I think they are incredibly beautiful."

"How can scars be beautiful?"

"Because they tell me what kind of woman you are. One who would endure that kind of pain just to help others is very rare. You are really exceptional."

If she believed him, he had no way of knowing since her face was turned the other way.

"It's obvious that you're the special one, Kade. I'm actually surprised that you're still sitting here."

"I will never leave you, Fallon." He leaned down and moved her hair so he could kiss the back of her neck. When she turned to face him, he brushed his lips against hers, feather light. His muscles tightened with need at the feel of her body pressed so close to his. But it wasn't enough. He wanted to be much closer.

Somehow, she sensed his hunger for her and called him out on it.

"Kade, I can't."

He sat up and let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"You should know that I'm a virgin, Kade, and plan to remain that way."

"A virgin? Even before, you never...?"

"Never."

"And you plan to remain a virgin until you're married?" he asked incredulously.

"Married?" she scoffed loudly. "I don't think marriage is in the cards for me, Kade."

He didn't laugh and his eyes narrowed in seriousness. "Oh, you're going to marry me someday. Soon."

"Kade!"

He jumped off the bed and knelt, grabbing her hand in his. "I know it sounds crazy, but I mean it. You're the girl for me, Fallon." He had never been more sure of anything in his entire life.

A lone tear made its trek down her face, but she didn't respond.

"Am I alone in how I feel, Fallon, or do you feel the same about me?"

She shook her head. "It wouldn't matter how I feel. I could never put you in the kind of danger that is my life."

"I can help protect you, Fallon! Your cause is now mine. We'll fight the demons together. Don't you want someone by your side?"

His question must have struck a nerve because she began to sob inconsolably.

"Don't answer me now," he whispered. "But think about it, okay?" She was lying on top of the blanket, so he lifted one side and held it open. "Come on. Scoot in." Surprisingly, she heard him and lifted her body to snuggle under the covers. When he got into bed beside her, she didn't protest. "Go to sleep now. I'm watching over you, Fallon, tonight and for all the nights to come. You're not alone anymore."

## Chapter 10

### A Sinful Confession

Marc Ellis sat in his office at the university and watched through a wall of glass as the students made their way to morning classes, his furious thoughts of Fallon Anders consuming him.

The girl knew, of course, what he was the moment he walked into his sister's house for dinner last night. Her Kur would have told her that.

He slammed his hand on the desk. What were the chances that his idiotic nephew would meet and bring home a Knight of Emperica! _The_ Knight. The Knight he had been ordered by his superior to lure to Alden as she was responsible for the deaths of more Kjin in the past three years than any Knight in memory.

And his plan worked. She was here and soon the means to dispose of her would arrive as well. His soldiers were assembling, and his associate at the church was seeing to the details at his end.

His only real concern was that the fool girl might disclose their true natures to his nephew. If she did that, he would be forced to leave Alden and start all over with a new body. He prayed to Tyras it didn't come to that. He enjoyed his life here with all the money, prestige and beautiful young co-eds he could get his hands on. No, he wouldn't be pleased to have to begin again.

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that the girl would keep quiet. The Knight was bound by her angelic oath to keep humans safe and dragging Kade into this would only endanger his life. In the end, she would handle this on her own, and it would be her undoing.

The Knights were under the mistaken belief that the Kjin were not organized, but they were wrong. A new hierarchy existed among their ranks, and he enjoyed a high position second only to his superior — a singularly ruthless demon by the name of Cesar Grant who had access to Tyras himself.

With Tyras powerless to send additional Kjin to earth, he had commanded Grant to preserve the demons on earth at all costs until his plans could be put into motion. What those plans were, Marc hadn't a clue. He knew only that several Knights had been singled out and targeted for assassination.

Marc's orders were simple.

Kill Fallon Anders.

Fallon came awake slowly, reluctant to let go of her dream. Burrowing deeper into the sheets, she reached out and her hand found Kade.

She smiled.

It wasn't a dream after all.

She fought the urge to wrap her arms around him and snuggle into his back. _He said he wants to be with me. How crazy is that?_ For the moment, she decided to allow herself to believe that it could work. Why not? Impossible as it seemed, the biggest obstacle had already been overcome. He knew what she was. He knew, and he still wanted to be in her life.

She turned to gaze at him. With his lips slightly parted and his hair tousled from sleep, he looked so innocent. So beautiful. It seemed like she had known him all her life instead of just a few days. Still, she had to find out for sure if he was an Intuit. If what they shared turned out to be the allure of Intuit attraction, it would be next to impossible for either one of them to say goodbye.

_Until I erase his memory, anyway._

He murmured sleepily as she rose from the bed. "Fallon?"

"I'm here," she replied.

"Don't go."

"I'm just getting into the shower. We're late for classes."

He raised himself up on one elbow and the sheet fell down to his waist. He wasn't wearing a shirt. _How on earth has he been hiding all those muscles?_

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Much better, thanks to you," she responded, trying her best to ignore the sight of his smooth, naked chest. "I'm sorry about last night."

"I'm not. I found out that you're an angel and that I'm falling hopelessly in love with you. Nope, not sorry at all."

_In love?_ She stopped breathing, but Kade didn't seem to notice.

He reached out for her arm. "I just thought of something. After what you told me last night, it's obvious that you're not really a college student."

"Today, I _am_ a college student and it's a cover that I have to keep for now. So get out of here and get ready. I'll meet you outside in about thirty minutes."

Reluctantly, he got out of bed, retrieved his shirt from the floor and pulled it over his head. "I'll see you in a few."

When he left, she went into the bathroom to shower, but the hot water did little to calm the ache in her chest. The thought of erasing her existence from Kade's memory filled her with anxiety as her heart and mind warred for control.

Her heart was very convincing. _What harm can there be in waiting a little longer? After all these years, why can't you enjoy this special connection you found with Kade? At least for a few more days. It's not like he would ever be in any real danger, right? You'll make sure of that._

Her head remained stubborn. _You are a Knight of Emperica and you have your duty. The lives of countless people depend on your vigilance. Kade would never be safe in your world._

In the end, her heart won.

She decided to wait to erase Kade's memory because anything else was unthinkable.

Feeling more at ease, she hurried through her shower, toweled herself off and dressed quickly. Not only did she have to suffer through two classes today, but she also had to see Father Tomas.

She grabbed her backpack and ran down the stairs. Kade was waiting for her out on the sidewalk in front of the house. He gave her a dimpled grin and kissed her chastely on the mouth when she approached. "It's been too long," he murmured.

She laughed. "Yes, a whole twenty-eight minutes."

"If felt like a lifetime to me."

The sudden shrill sound of an emergency siren cut through the early morning quiet.

"Where is it coming from?" she asked, adrenaline spiking in her body.

"I don't know, let's find out."

Together, they ran the two blocks to Main Street. She looked west toward the road that ran perpendicular and found the source of the siren. Fallon's heart lurched as she glimpsed two vehicles, crumpled and smoking from a fiery collision. But even brighter than the fire was the glow of all the angels hovering over the accident scene. The Sentinels had arrived.

Fallon watched in fascination as the guardian angels flowed into the tight spaces of the cars and provided calming ministrations to the injured. She knew that was why most people never remembered the pain or exact details of the traumatic events in their lives. It was due to the protective force of their guardian angels and their caring, loving touches.

Fallon's smile did not go unnoticed by Kade.

He put his hand on her arm. "Are there angels around those vehicles?"

She turned to face him in surprise. "Yes, but how do you know that? Can you see them?"

He shook his head. "No, but I can sense some kind of energy there. Sort of what I feel when I'm near you only ten times stronger. It's like an enormous halo of light surrounding the cars, and it's seriously making the hair on my body stand up straight."

_Oh, my little Intuit. Does this complicate things or make them easier?_ "Come on," she said softly and reached for him. "All of those people are in good hands."

They walked the rest of the way to the university in silence and said a quiet goodbye once inside.

Fallon tried very hard to listen in on her instructor's lessons, but it was difficult. Always eager to learn more, usually assignments like this were welcome. Now, though, she found herself distracted by Kade. Could she really have a life with him?

"What do you think, Ms. Anders?" The professor's voice startled her out of her musings — as it was meant to.

"Oh, sorry, can you repeat the question?" she asked, straightening in her chair.

He did and fortunately, she knew the answer.

After that, the rest of the class and the one after went by agonizingly slow. As soon as her second class ended, she rushed out into the sunny afternoon, anxious to tell Father Tomas that she had met up with Marc Ellis. Anthony probably had the Kjin's home address by now, but after meeting Ellis's wife and four children, she wanted to keep the confrontation with him as far away from his family as possible. She already decided that tonight, she would break into his office at AU. If he was there, all the better. She could end his reign of destruction once and for all. If he wasn't there, perhaps she could at least find some clue as to what he was planning next.

Arriving at the church, she climbed the stone steps, entered the dark interior, and immediately felt her worry slipping away. She slipped into the confessional.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been one day since my last confession."

"You are forgiven, child, although I doubt very much you have anything to be forgiven for."

She paused and the silence hung in the air like a lead balloon.

"Fallon?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"Sorry, Father. Yes, I think I do need to seek forgiveness."

"What is it, child?"

"I...I find myself very attracted to a man I met."

"Do you have strong feelings for him?"

"Very much so."

"I see." He chuckled softly. "Desire and love are not sins, Fallon."

"I am an angel, Father! A fifty-year-old angel!"

"On this earth, you are still a teenager, Fallon. Raging hormones and all."

"But I'm not even human."

"Of course you are. You are a human who has been on a great journey and back. A human with supernatural strength and otherworldly knowledge, but a human nonetheless. You are not immortal."

When she remained quiet in contemplation, he continued.

"Fallon, love is not denied to you. Love is one of the greatest gifts the Creator has bestowed upon us, and there is nothing more precious than sharing your love with others. A world without love is a world without light. Corinthians 13:13, Fallon. 'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.' You would do well to remember that."

Fallon exited the confessional with a lighter heart. Father Tomas was right. Love was the most precious of all gifts, and she would not deny its existence in her life any longer.

Turning the corner of the aisle that ran along the back corridor of the church, she ran into the altar boy, Anthony.

The boy squealed when he saw her and dropped the papers in his hands.

_Why does he always seem so nervous around me?_ "Anthony, what's wrong?" she asked, bending to help him pick up the documents.

"Nothing. You just startled me is all."

"Are you okay? You seem jumpy."

His eyes hardened. "I guess I am a little jumpy. I found —" He cut off what he had been about to say.

"Found what?" she prompted, but he closed down again.

"It's nothing. Where's Father Tomas?" he whispered, his wide eyes searching the church interior.

_He's terrified of something._

"Father Tomas went back to his office," she responded and handed the papers she collected to him.

The boy visibly relaxed.

"Look, Anthony, I know we hardly know each other, but I'm here if there's anything you want to talk about."

The boy shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I have to go." With that, he turned and fled out the front doors of the church. As soon as they closed behind him, she noticed that he had left one paper on the ground. She immediately picked it up and rushed out, but he was already sprinting away from the church. With a shrug, she put the paper in her pack and started for home, deciding she would return it to him tomorrow.

The sun, a bright, yellow ball hanging in the sky, brought out a crowd of people to bask in the unexpected warmth. As Fallon walked among them, she recalled her conversation with Father Tomas with a smile. But, although she was ready to invite Kade into her life, she refused to involve him in Knight business. The less he knew, the safer he would be until it was all over. Especially when _all over_ meant that his uncle would be dead.

"Hello, beautiful."

She yelped when the voice in her ear developed hands that wrapped around her waist.

"Kade!"

"Boy, for a tough warrior Knight, you're awfully skittish."

_Oh, yeah?_ In one smooth move, she reached behind her head and flipped him across her back and onto the ground in front of her. She dropped down and rammed her knee into his throat. "You were saying?"

He forced out a laugh. "Okay, you made your point, but let me up. People are watching us."

She grinned and stood.

Red-faced, he grimaced at the snickers coming from the crowd. He took hold of her elbow and steered her away. "You _are_ strong," he whispered to her. "Remind me not to mess with you again."

She frowned at his words. "I suppose you're used to the delicate type, huh? The damsel in distress who needs a big strong guy like you to look after her? Well, that's not me, Kade."

"I'm cool with that." He stopped and turned her toward him. "I want _you_ , Fallon. Muscles, light sabers and all." He glanced around. "But, I will admit that I'm not sure if my ego can handle you flipping me on my back in public all the time."

She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "You'll just have to stay on my good side then."

"Well, that should be easy since all of your sides are good."

With a smile, she pulled his face toward her and he gave her an oh, so, sweet kiss.

"Mmm...the lips of an angel," he murmured.

Several catcalls pulled them apart. Kade draped an arm over her shoulder. "Come on. I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

"Yes. You don't have plans for tonight, do you?"

_Besides going to AU to break into your uncle's office?_ No. And she could always do that _after_ Kade's mysterious surprise. "What do you have in mind?"

He tilted his head at her. "Don't you know the definition of the word _surprise_?"

She growled at him, but he ignored her and took her hand. "I have some papers to finish for school. I'll walk you home and then pick you up around eight. Okay?"

She nodded. "What do I wear?"

The glint in his eye said it all. "Very little."

## Chapter 11

### The Lake

_A bathing suit? At night? Really, Kade? _Thankfully, the warmth of the day held and the humidity was still high, draping over the town like a damp blanket.

Although Fallon still didn't know where they were going, Kade told her to wear a bathing suit under her clothes. Remembering that she didn't even own one, she rushed out to a boutique on Main Street that afternoon. The choices were overwhelming, but relying on the clerk's advice, she finally chose a white bikini and hurried home.

Now, as she studied her reflection in front of the mirror, she was having regrets. Especially when she realized that no one in her life had ever seen her in so few clothes. Her body was thin and toned from her constant workouts so she guessed she looked all right in it, but the top seemed too small to hold in her full breasts. The clerk assured her that all the girls were wearing this style, but she felt so exposed.

When all of her attempts to stretch the material over her chest failed, she sighed and threw on her tee shirt. Hopefully, it would be dark enough that she wouldn't have to worry about it.

When Kade knocked a few minutes after eight, she opened the door and the sight of him sent shivers racing through her body.

"You ready?" he asked with a wicked grin.

"I guess. Can you tell me now where we're going?"

"Where all college kids go on a Wednesday night. A party at the lake. You know, swimming, music, a bonfire."

Disappointment surged through her. She had been hoping to spend time with Kade alone. "A party? Kade, I'm really not good in social situations."

"Why not? You're smart, funny, beautiful."

She turned away from him. "I don't know. I'm just not that comfortable. I never know what to say and usually end up saying something ridiculously embarrassing."

He scoffed at her. "I doubt that." Turning her back around by the shoulders, he lifted her chin so she had to look at him. "Look, I haven't had a chance to laugh or just hang out with people my own age in a long time, and I doubt you have either. Even Knights need to have fun once in a while."

She frowned at him. "You make it pretty hard for a girl to say no."

"Then don't."

"Fine," she snapped, and if it sounded petulant, that was just too bad.

He pointed to his face as they walked outside. "It's the dimples, isn't it? Am I right?"

She gave him a grudging laugh. "Yes, it's the dimples."

He held open the door of his Jeep and she got in.

"What lake?" she asked when he slipped in behind the wheel.

"Rushden Lake. It's only a few miles from here." He reached over and squeezed her hand. "Stop being so nervous. It's a party, Fallon, not an execution."

Not wanting to put a damper on his first night out in a year, she smiled at him. "I'll try."

Enrique Iglesias came on the radio with _Tonight I'm Loving You_ and the sexy lyrics filled the car as they drove to the lake. Kade continued to hold her hand and kept glancing at her with heat in his eyes.

"Stop it."

The innocent look was back. "What? I _am_ loving you tonight."

"Keep your eyes on the road, Royce."

He laughed and sang along to the song, and she found herself singing with him.

After a short drive, they arrived at the lake, and Kade parked his Jeep among the other cars on a rise that overlooked the beach. There must have been at least fifty people down below either standing and talking around a bonfire or swimming in the lake.

"Is it legal to have a bonfire on the beach?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not in the public areas, but this is private property owned by Cody Harlen's parents. Ever since Cody started at AU, he's been hosting bonfires on Wednesday nights during the school year. But, since this is his senior year, they probably won't be going on much longer." He opened his door. "Come on."

Nervously, Fallon picked up her bag, got out of the car and followed Kade down to the shore.

"Officer Royce!" A guy with blond hair and boyish good looks ran up to greet them.

"Just Kade, Cody."

"Oh, right. Hey, dude, none of us ever believed those charges against you. I just want you to know that."

Even in the growing darkness, Fallon could see Kade's discomfort at Cody's words.

"Thanks, buddy." He turned toward her. "This is my girlfriend, Fallon."

Odd how one little word can steal the air from perfectly healthy lungs. She had never been a _girlfriend_ before. She dated one boy in her old life, but it wasn't anything serious.

"Hey, Fallon, nice to meet you. Make yourselves at home. There's plenty to eat and drink so have fun."

"Thanks." Kade turned back to her. "Let's get a burger and then go for a swim."

She nodded and started to relax. Kade reminded her of Julian with his easy wit and humor, and soon they had a large group of people around them. To her surprise, Fallon found herself laughing and enjoying the company.

An hour later, Kade dragged her away from the crowd. He led her to an isolated spot down the beach and pulled her down onto the sand. He leaned over and kissed her. "I've wanted to do that all night," he murmured against her mouth.

"Me, too," she admitted.

A full five minutes later, he lifted his head and asked if she was ready for a swim. She nodded, so he stood, helped her back to her feet and then shrugged out of his shirt.

Suddenly feeling awkward, she set her bag on the sand.

_Now that I think about it, there was a perfectly nice one-piece I could have bought!_

With a shake of her head, she pulled her shorts down and stepped out of them. Finally, she pulled her shirt over her head.

She didn't have to look up to know that Kade's eyes were on her body. But he didn't say anything. He just reached for her hand and pulled her to the water's edge. The lake gleamed in the moonlight, reflecting the lights of the party. Kade let her get used to the temperature and then pulled her deeper into the lake. When he put his hands on her waist and lifted her, she wrapped her legs and arms around him.

"Kiss me, witch," he whispered.

She did, and the world melted around them. Nothing else existed except his lips on hers and the water lapping at their bodies. A rising mist floated sinuously off the water, shutting out all prying eyes.

Kade pulled back and cradled her head in his hands. He kissed one eye and then the other, each cheek and then the tip of her nose. Her head fell back to give him the access he needed to trail more kisses down her throat.

He groaned softly next to her ear. "I don't think I can take any more of this. I'm not the saint you are, Fallon."

"I'm not a saint, Kade."

"But..."

"Yes, there is a _but_ , and you know what it is."

"Marry me."

She laughed. "Every time you get excited, you talk about marriage. You need to handle your lust, Mr. Royce."

His eyes rolled skyward. "Oh, I do lust for you, Fallon Anders. Very, very much." Dropping his gaze back down to her, he said, "But I would take a lifetime of celibacy just to have you in my life."

She had no words, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.

"Hey, you're trembling. You must be freezing," he said, misreading her shivers. "Come on. I'll race you back."

Jumping free from his arms, she dove into the water and swam powerfully back to the shore.

"Hey!"

She heard him laugh as he tried to keep up, but he was no match for her. When he made it on shore, he grasped her around the waist and they fell to the sand in a giggling fit.

Fallon's laughter abruptly cut off, and she stiffened at the sound of rustling in the reeds lining the beach behind them.

"So what do we have here?" said a menacing voice.

She leapt to her feet, followed quickly by Kade.

Two bearded men in dark jackets stood looking at them.

Kade laughed. "Oh, this is going to be good. Gentlemen, you have no idea what you're getting yourselves into."

Fallon didn't laugh. "These are no gentlemen, Kade. They're Kjin."

"Stand back," Fallon told Kade, her tone deceptively soft as she dropped into a crouch.

"Uh...that's going to be a little tough for me to do, Fallon. You know that whole male ego thing you pointed out earlier."

She didn't turn to him. "I mean it. Stay out of it."

"But they're just human, right? No extra powers?"

She didn't get a chance to answer when one of the Kjin took a swing at her head. She easily ducked underneath it and spun, landing a kick square in his chest that sent him flying back onto the sand.

The second demon rammed into her side and tackled her to the ground, but she managed to keep her knees up underneath her body and used the power in her legs to launch him into the air.

"Fallon!" Kade shouted out.

"Stay out of it Kade!"

The first Kjin stalked toward her again and tried to kick her in the ribs, but she rolled out of the way and vaulted back to her feet. He came at her fast with both fists flashing at her, but she jerked her head out of the way each time. Stepping in close to him, she smashed the heel of her hand into his nose and heard the satisfying crunch of bone. He fell to his knees, cupping his hands to his face.

"Kade! My Aventi!"

"Where?" He sounded panicked.

"In my bag."

The other Kjin lunged toward her, and she pummeled him with three quick jabs to the jaw and then landed a punch to the abdomen, doubling him over.

"Here!" Kade yelled out and she turned to catch the Aventi he threw her way. She banged it against the Kur on her arm and the sword flared to life.

The Kjin cursed and ran down the beach still holding his stomach.

"Stay here!" she barked at Kade. "When I release the shade with the Aventi, it will be searching for another body. I don't want you anywhere near it!"

She took off at a run and was upon the fleeing demon in just a few seconds. She kicked him in the back and sent him sprawling in the sand. She stabbed him with one quick thrust of the sword and the demon wraith exploded out of the body, hissing in anger. Thinking only of her need to protect Kade, she slashed powerfully at the shade and it disintegrated into black ash.

Rushing back to the first Kjin with the broken nose, she found him still kneeling on the ground in pain. She grabbed his hair and held her Aventi to his throat.

"What are you doing here?" she snarled.

"Oh, just out for a moonlight stroll, darlin'," he answered, his voice already altered by the swelling on his face.

"I don't get it," Fallon said. "Why are you working together with another demon?"

"I just do as I'm told," he drawled.

"So you're taking orders from someone else. Who?"

"The blackcoat boss, darlin'." He turned his head toward Kade and lifted his lips in a bloody smile. "But it's him that I'm interested in now. Come here, boy. You look like you have a good, strong body, and I'll be needin' one momentarily."

"Kade, go."

"Fallon..."

She never took her eyes off the demon. "Go!"

"I'll be waiting by the fire," he said flatly and walked away.

The Kjin made an attempt to spring at her, but the Aventi stopped him, slipping into his neck with ease. As soon as the dark specter rose into the night, she sliced it in two.

"That body is off limits to you, Kjin," she said softly into the night. "That one is all mine."

## Chapter 12

### All in a Knight's Work

They drove home in silence. Fallon's brooding centered on trying to figure out why the Kjin seemed to be gathering in Alden. The two men tonight made five in the same area, and she could no longer deny that something peculiar was going on. The Kjin admitted as much when he said he was summoned by the _blackcoat boss_ , whatever that meant. It was time to call a council with the other Knights in the area to see if together they could figure this out.

But what was Kade brooding about? Was he upset from watching the violence of her actions tonight?

He pulled the Jeep in front of her house, and she glanced at his profile in the dim light of the moon. "What's the matter?" she asked him.

He grunted. "I'm a guy's guy, Fallon, and I think it's just going to take me some time to accept the fact that my girlfriend is stronger than I am."

She winced. "That ego again?"

"Yeah. It pretty much defines me."

"Ouch. Sorry."

He turned to look at her. "Don't be. It's who you are and I accept that. It just might take me a little time here."

"Do you want to come in?" She really shouldn't even ask, because she needed to get to the university tonight and deal with his uncle, but she didn't want to leave like this with his feelings so obviously conflicted about her. It felt unresolved.

"Can't. I have to get some sleep. Test in the morning."

"Okay, see you tomorrow." She reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good night," he whispered, but to Fallon's ears it sounded like he was really saying goodbye.

She stepped out of the car, and he waited until she went into the house and shut the door before backing up and pulling into his own driveway next door.

Turning from the window, she hurried into her room and stripped off her clothes and damp bathing suit. She dressed in black once again and retrieved her Aventi from her bag. Quickly tying her hair into a ponytail while she moved, she ran back down the stairs and out into the night.

The streets were quiet, and as she walked the four blocks to AU, Kade's somber face filled her mind. For the first time since admitting to him that she was an angel, she was having second thoughts. Apparently, it was too much too soon, and he freaked out. Then again, how could she expect a normal guy to accept and understand the paranormal? The thought that she may lose Kade brought stabbing pain to her heart, but she refused to allow any tears to fall. Tonight she had a job to do. The tears would have to wait.

She found the bricked, four-story Bartlett Hall in the administrative section of the campus. Knowing the doors would be locked at this hour, she slipped around the west side of the building — the furthest from the road.

Stepping back to examine the exterior wall, she noticed one window on the third floor slightly ajar. That was all she needed. There would be enough handholds in the brick and mortar to make it to the window. Enough for her anyway.

With one quick glance around to make sure no one was in the area, she leapt at the building and scaled the wall, shimmying effortlessly over the surface. When she reached the window, she used her strength to pry it open all the way and slipped soundlessly inside.

The room — a conference room of some sort — was empty, and she hurried through it and out into the hallway. The clerk she spoke to on Monday told her that Marc Ellis's office was on the second floor, so she found the stairs at the end of the corridor and started down.

The faint sound of a running vacuum cleaner from somewhere deeper in the building drifted to her, but it was too far away to give her serious concern.

Jogging down the hall, she looked at both sides of the corridor for nameplates or signs. Some doors had no labels, but she ran past them, deciding to come back only if she couldn't find the professor's office.

But she did find it. At the very end of the hallway with a plaque that read _Marc Ellis, President and Professor of Anthropology_ hanging on the thick oak door.

She twisted the handle, but it was locked.

After another quick look down the hall, she slammed the heel of her hand into the knob and the splinter of wood echoed in the hallway as it popped free of its casing. She pushed inside and closed the door behind her.

Moonlight streamed in the south wall made up almost entirely of glass. She moved to the enormous desk in the center of the room and began opening drawers.

They were completely empty.

_How can they be empty? No files? No paperwork? Student records?_ It didn't make sense. Finally, she tried the narrow center drawer and found a single piece of paper inside.

She took it out and read.

_Good evening, Ms. Anders. I hope you will not be too disappointed that your search has come up short. Thank you, my dear, for making my job easy. Goodbye, Knight._

Her blood ran cold.

Marc Ellis knew who and what she was.

As soon as she slammed the drawer shut, she heard a metallic click and every instinct in her body warned her that she had just set off a trip wire of some sort. She started to sprint to the door, but a blinding light stopped her in her tracks an instant before a thunderous explosion sent her sailing backwards out through the glass wall and into the night beyond.

Fallon knew immediately that her back and legs were broken. It took several long minutes of lying in the intense heat of the fire before she could even think of trying to move.

Fighting through the pain, she used the strength in her forearms to drag her battered body into the sculpted hedges that ringed Alden University. As loud sirens pierced the night and emergency personnel converged on the scene, she covered herself as best she could with leaves and branches from the ground. It would take some time for her injuries to heal, and she just hoped to remain hidden until then.

She didn't have the energy to question how Marc Ellis could have known that she was a Knight. She would unravel the pieces later, when she was restored to health.

Teeth gritted, she listened to the firemen fight the blaze as her body healed itself, realigning bones and knitting sinew back together. She felt every wrench as her fractured vertebrae fused back together. Sweat dripped from her brow. It took every bit of willpower she possessed not to cry out as she silently endured the agony caused by the healing and from being immobile on the cold ground for so long.

She had never been this hurt before and passed out twice during the night from the extent of effort needed to repair her injuries.

Several times, men drifted close to her place of concealment in their search for evidence, but passed by without discovering her.

Only when the faint blushes of pink from the rising sun made their appearance, did she finally feel whole again. Tentatively, she tested the movement in her limbs and discovered that she was able to do so without pain.

Relieved, she lifted herself into a squat and peered through the bushes. People were still mingling around the scene — mostly officers from the Alden CSI Team.

Brushing the grassy debris from her hair and body, she exited the back of the hedge row and made the short walk back to her house unseen.

Without showering, she fell into her bed and drifted off to sleep knowing there would be no classes at AU today. Not that she would have attended anyway, she realized drowsily. That ruse was now over.

When she awoke again at nine o'clock, she felt better but famished from the healing process. She went downstairs to make herself a breakfast of eggs and toast and after she ate, went back upstairs to take that much needed hot shower. As the water poured over her body, her mind focused on Marc Ellis.

He tried to kill her.

The note he left for her clearly indicated that the bomb was meant for her. But how could he have known that she was a Knight?

Kade?

She shook her head in denial. No, she trusted Kade. She trusted him with her life and no matter what the circumstantial evidence, she refused to believe he would betray her.

But where was he?

He must have heard about the explosion last night. Wouldn't he want to check on her to make sure she was all right? Or did he decide after seeing her kill the two Kjin at the lake that he couldn't accept her life? In his vulnerable state, did Marc Ellis trick him somehow into revealing all he knew?

_Oh, Kade. What did you do?_

As much as she wanted to deny it, there was simply no other possibility. No other way Ellis could have known about her.

She felt sick. In careless disregard, she had fallen victim to Father Tomas's romantic notion that love was an option for her, but she had been a fool. That much was clear now.

Frustrated with herself, she turned off the shower and stomped out of the bathroom, dripping water over the floors. As she dressed, she ignored the pain in her chest and decided on her next course of action.

She still needed to get to Marc Ellis. To do that, she needed his home address if only to track his movements. Now that Kade was gone, that left the altar boy.

Thinking of Anthony, she picked up her backpack and opened it. Inside was the sheet of paper the boy dropped yesterday. She took it out, surprised to see that it was a copy of an old newspaper clipping.

Curious, she read through it carefully...and grew more stunned with every word.

According to the article, Father Tomas was arrested fifteen years ago for the murder of six-year-old Lilly Segal.

So Father Tomas _was_ keeping secrets from her. He brought her to town to investigate the disappearance of two children in Alden without ever disclosing the fact that he himself had been suspected of killing one? Was this why Anthony had been so nervous? Was the boy afraid of Father Tomas?

Crumpling the article in her hand, she realized that she needed answers. Deciding to try the local library first, she grabbed her backpack and headed outside. Once out on the front steps, she couldn't stop herself from glancing over at Kade's house, but everything was quiet and no one appeared to be awake yet.

_I'm so sorry, Kade, that I can't be the girl you need, because in truth, you are everything I need._

She stepped off the porch and headed toward Main Street. Since the library was a block south of AU, she had to pass by the site of the explosion. She gasped when she saw the Sentinels and two new angels hovering over the still smoldering wreckage.

Then, she remembered.

The vacuum cleaner.

People had been in the building last night when the bomb meant to kill her had detonated.

_I will get you, Marc Ellis,_ she fumed. _You may know who I am now, but I also know you, and I promise that you will not get away with your evil for long. I'm coming for you._

With renewed determination, she walked the rest of the way to the library and entered the quiet interior. The librarian directed her to a row of computers that were set aside for public use. Selecting one, she sat down and entered Father Tomas's name and the word _murder_.

The article from The Alden Press she had already read came up as well as an account of the trial or, lack of trial, rather. The small town had been geared up for the proceedings and at the last minute, the charges were dropped and Father Tomas was released from custody.

Most in town simply accepted the fact that their beloved priest was innocent. However, the family of Lilly Segal, the murdered child, was very vocal for many months regarding the injustice in this case. Eventually, though, all of the gossip faded away, and Fallon couldn't find a single mention in subsequent years. It was as if the incident had never happened.

She found it difficult to believe that an Emissier of Emperica was capable of murdering a child, but his omission _was_ suspect.

Next, she typed in the word _blackcoat_ , a word she had never heard of before. The definition appeared on the screen as _n. 1. Black"coat, a clergyman_.

Clergyman? The Kjin said he was following the orders of the blackcoat boss. So he was taking orders from a clergyman?

The dreadful truth burgeoned in her mind.

Father Tomas ordered the Kjin to attack her. The priest was working against Emperica!

As devastating as this news was, she couldn't stop the surge of relief she felt that it wasn't Kade who had betrayed her.

She left the library and wearily made her way back to her house. When she turned onto Oak Street, she wished desperately to see Kade or his Jeep, but neither was home. Just because he didn't betray her, didn't mean he still wanted her, she reminded herself.

Still, she would need to speak to him at some point to warn him about his uncle. She had originally hoped to be able to take care of the situation quickly without him ever finding out the truth, but events had taken an ominous and more urgent tone and he was in danger. So was his family. Fallon thought about his parents and sister, Chelsea. A Kjin, no matter what the relationship to the humans involved, would not hesitate to harm them if he or she thought it would be of benefit.

When Fallon entered her empty, cold house, a pervasive sadness settled over her shoulders. _What is my problem? I've walked into empty houses for years. I should be used to it by now._

She may have been used to it, but Kade showed her she didn't have to accept it.

Staggering up the stairs in exhaustion, she peeled off her jeans, climbed into bed, and did something very unwarrior-like.

She cried herself to sleep.

## Chapter 13

### Conditions

Kade sat in the dark and watched the soft, even flow of Fallon's breathing as she slept. She looked so young and beautiful, his heart ached at the sight of her. But there were tears on her cheeks and he wondered at the source. __

He rubbed the back of his neck, exhaustion raking through him. After the bombing of AU last night, his Uncle Marc, devastated over the death of two custodians, called the family for support and they all gathered together at the Ellis home. As night turned to day, Kade found himself stuck at the house by the bevy of visitors that stopped by and the reporters camped out on the front lawn. This was big news not only for Alden but nationwide.

It was after midnight now, but he had to come. He had to see for himself that Fallon was all right.

He snorted in his head. Who was he kidding? She didn't need him for protection. She proved at the lake that she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

Kade shifted in his chair and it made a small creaking noise. It surprised him that she didn't wake. Her angel instincts should have warned her that someone was in the room with her.

Suddenly, Fallon's breathing stopped, and in the next instant he was flat on his back with her Aventi at his throat.

"It's just me," he told her softly.

With a sigh, her body relaxed and she stepped away from him, walked to the edge of the bed and sat. He swallowed. She was wearing nothing but a tee shirt and panties.

"Don't ever do that again," she chided.

Amused, he said, "That's twice now you've had me on my back. If I didn't know better —"

The pain in her green eyes stopped him and he got to his feet. "What's the matter, Fallon?"

"I'm just surprised to see you," she whispered. "I...I thought you left me."

He walked over and stood in front of her. "I would never leave you. I told you that." She didn't look convinced. "But I do have two conditions if we're going to continue this relationship."

Her gaze snapped up. "Conditions?"

"Yes. Number one. I will _never_ stand by and watch you confront the Kjin without getting involved. Don't ask me to stay out of it again, Fallon. I'm not cut from that cloth, and it nearly killed me to walk away at the lake. You may be stronger than me, but I'm stronger than most of them, and I know how to fight." _Wait. Is that a small smile on her face?_

"I think I can deal with that," she responded. "The second condition?"

"For the love of God, Fallon Anders, please don't ever, and I mean _ever_ , fight like that wearing a white bikini again. I'm a man. Flawed as I am, there is only so much I can take."

She smiled at him tiredly. "I'll try. Now, tell me. Where have you been?"

He explained everything to her and as each word passed his lips, he noticed her grow noticeably more relieved. He knelt in front of her and cupped her cheek. "You really thought I left you?"

"I thought it might be a possibility."

"And you're still mad at me, aren't you?"

She jerked her face away from his grip. "Not really, but I'm trying to play hard to get here, because I heard that's what girls are supposed to do."

He wanted to laugh, but figured that probably wouldn't be a good idea right now. "Fallon, you are definitely not most girls."

"No," she agreed.

Her demeanor still confused him. "Did something happen that I'm not aware of?" he asked. "You heard about the explosion at AU, right?"

"I was there."

"There? Where?"

She hesitated. "In your uncle's office."

"In his office?"

"Yes, Kade! I was in the office when the bomb went off and the blast threw me out of the windows."

"What?" he hissed, rubbing his hands over her arms. "Are you okay?"

"It took time for me to heal, but I'm fine now. Tired, but fine."

That was why she never heard him come in. He took her in his arms. "I'm sorry, babe, that I wasn't there for you. You _should_ be mad at me."

She quickly shook her head. "No, I shouldn't. I've been working alone for years. I never should have expected you to get involved."

"But I am involved now, Fallon. You have to accept that. You agreed to my conditions, remember?"

She gave him another one of her small smiles. "I did, didn't I?"

He stood up. "Move over and tell me why were you in my uncle's office."

She scooted back on the bed and drew her knees up close to her body while he sat down. "You may find it difficult to believe."

"Trust me. I would believe just about anything at this point."

"There is no easy way to tell you this, Kade, but the person you call your Uncle Marc is actually a Kjin."

Fallon watched sadly as Kade jumped up and ran both hands through his hair. "No, freaking way. No, you're wrong. I think I would know if my uncle was an evil demon."

"He is."

"What? How can you be sure?"

"Many ways. For one, my Kur warns me of the presence of a Kjin. Secondly, he left a note for me in his office. I had just enough time to read it before the bomb went off. He tried to kill me." Kade's stricken features broke her heart, but she had to ask. "Did you tell him about me?"

He whipped his head her way. "Never. I would never betray your confidence, Fallon. Tell me you believe that."

"I do," she replied and meant it.

His brow creased in thought. "You know, now that I think about it, it was him more than my parents who insisted that I stay last night and all day today."

"He probably didn't want to give you an opportunity to save me."

"Hold up. You must have realized what he was when you came to dinner at my house."

"Yes."

"And you didn't tell me? When my family is in danger?"

"I didn't feel they were in danger at the time. Marc Ellis wants nothing more than to appear as a functional, law-abiding member of society. Your family, his family, is his cover. He wouldn't jeopardize that."

"And now?"

"Now I think they may be."

He let out a deep breath. "We've got to keep them safe."

"We will, but that's not all." She went over to her bag and retrieved the research she printed out yesterday. She handed a copy of the newspaper article to Kade and waited while he read.

"What does the local priest have to do with any of this?"

"Father Tomas is an Emissier to Emperica. He is able to communicate with the Elders and relay information to the Knights."

She felt like kissing him when he didn't bat an eye.

"And this murder? I was only seven or eight when it happened, but I do remember. It was big news here in Alden."

"Don't you see? Father Tomas was arrested for the murder of a child and now two children are missing."

"But he was exonerated."

"No, the charges were dropped. How and by whom, it doesn't say in the article."

"You think he is a Kjin?"

"No, he's not. I would be able to tell if he was, but one of the Kjin that attacked us at the lake said he was summoned by the blackcoat boss. I looked it up. Blackcoat means clergyman."

"This is getting crazier and crazier. So what do we do now?"

_We? Oh, this is going to take some getting used to._

"I need to call —"

Her cell phone rang, cutting off her thought. She stood and picked it up from the nightstand. "Hello."

"Fallon, it's me."

"Julian! I was just about to call you."

"Listen to me, Fallon! I found out that the Kjin are working together!"

"I know. I —"

"Listen! Not only are they working together, but they're gathering in Alden for a very specific reason."

"What is it? Why are they here, Julian?"

"For you, Fallon. They're there to kill you."

"Me? Why me?"

"Apparently, the Kjin are now organized, and the higher ups don't like the fact that you're killing so many of them. You have been named their number one target for elimination."

"How do you know all this?"

"I finally cornered that Kjin I was tracking. He spilled everything — after I let go of his throat, of course. He actually believed me when I said I'd let him go."

"You lied?" she asked.

"It was a joke, Fallon. I can't help it if the Kjin can't recognize a joke when they hear one."

She shook her head and turned to Kade who was watching her intently.

"Julian, you have to go to Buffalo."

"Buffalo?"

"Yes, you need to go to Father Michael and tell him what's going on. He probably already has a message from Darius waiting for us."

"What about Father Tomas? He's a lot closer than Father Michael."

"I have reason to believe that particular Emissier is compromised."

Julian whistled through his teeth. "Are you sure, Fallon? That's pretty hard for me to believe."

"I know," she said regretfully. "Trust me. It's been difficult for me, too."

"Okay. I'll go. But what about you? I think it would be best if you put a little distance between yourself and Alden at this point. We'll go to Buffalo together and figure out how to handle this gathering. We may even have to call in other Knights. Nikki, for sure."

"I can't leave, Julian. Too many people will be at risk if I leave now."

His voice grew soft. "Fallon, I want to know that you'll be safe."

She glanced at Kade again — at his muscular physique and the determined look in his eye — and a calm washed over her. "I'll be safe."

"Okay. I'll call you when I get there."

"Thank you, Julian. I'll see you soon."

She hung up the phone, but before she could speak, Kade stalked over to her. "You're in danger, aren't you?"

She shrugged. "No more than usual."

He grabbed her arm roughly. "If something ever happened to you —"

"It won't," she interrupted.

With a desperate groan, he brought his face to hers and kissed her hard. She wrapped her arms around his waist and opened herself to his kiss, his passion and his fear. Still holding her, he walked her back until her legs hit the side of the bed. His lips never left hers as they fell back. A hand snaked under her shirt and lightly brushed her stomach. Then, his touch moved higher.

"Kade..."

His body went rigid. He rolled off her onto his back and flung an arm over his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry."

She sat up and looked down at him. "Don't be sorry. I love when you touch me. But I do have my beliefs and my duty. Both come first."

He peeked up at her from beneath his arm. "I've never wanted anyone more in my life than I want you, Fallon. Not just like this, either. I want you in my life forever, and I want to help you destroy the Kjin." His head dropped back down on the bed and he covered his eyes again. "I can't go back to being a cop, but helping people has always been important to me. I think we could make a pretty good team if you'll have me."

There was no use fighting it any longer. She gently removed his arm so that he had to look at her. "I would love nothing more than to have you at my side, Kade Royce."

He looked at her doubtfully. "Really?"

She laid her head on his chest and hugged him close. "Yes. I have my doubts, but I did accept your conditions, remember?"

He stroked the side of her cheek. "You've made me a very happy man."

"Happy to be throwing yourself into the midst of a war with evil forces? Do you really understand the danger here, Kade?"

"I do, and now that I know they exist, I couldn't walk away if I wanted to."

"I'll keep you safe," she promised. He stiffened, but didn't respond. "To be honest, it feels like an unending battle most of the time. The Kjin are very difficult to kill because they can easily possess another body when they have to. It would help if we had more Knights."

"I guess you'll have to make do with your Knight in Shining Armor until then," he teased. "What's the plan?"

"First, removing this threat from Alden."

He growled. "My uncle, you mean."

"He's not your uncle, Kade, and the sooner you come to that realization, the easier this will be. How long ago, I'm not sure, but the Marc Ellis you know today is not your uncle."

He was silent for a moment. "What's next then?"

"First thing in the morning, I'm going to visit Father Tomas and get some answers."

"And me?"

"Go to your aunt as soon as Ellis leaves the house. Suggest a vacation. For your family as well. A Kjin who has just had his human ties cut is the most dangerous of all. He'll not only be looking for a new body, he'll be looking for revenge."

## Chapter 14

### Soulless

What?" Marc Ellis hissed. "Are you sure of this?"

"Yes, Fallon Anders is still alive. I saw her walking toward St. Mary's before I came here."

"Was my nephew with her?"

"I didn't see him."

Marc glared at the Kjin in front of him. It wasn't his fault that the Knight was still alive, but Marc wanted to take his head off all the same. First, the girl managed to escape the two demons he sent after her at the lake and now somehow escaped his bomb. "We will proceed as planned then. If that girl wishes to do this the hard way, we will do it the hard way. But one way or another, Fallon Anders will die."

The Kjin simply nodded. His name was George Mason, a lawyer in a nearby county. He came when summoned like the good soldier he was, but Marc knew him to be ambitious. The fact that he wanted Marc's position in the organization was a given.

_Over my dead body, Mason_.

Marc turned from the Kjin and glanced out of the picture window at Lake Rushden glistening in the early morning sunrise. Oh, how he enjoyed the seclusion of this lake house away from his wife and screaming kids. Early on, he forbade Ellie from ever stepping foot in this house without his knowledge and after all these years, she knew better than to cross him. "How many are here in Alden?"

"Including me and you, nine. Brent Calloway is coming in from New York City tonight, but he needs another body. Cancer."

Marc waved his hand in the air. "He can have my liaison at the church."

George's eyebrows rose. "He's human?"

"Yes, but not for long."

George chuckled. "Does he know that?"

"Of course not." He shrugged. "Not that it would matter much. For a human, he is quite wicked. Soulless, in fact. I don't think the transition to Kjin is going to be very hard for that one."

"What has he done?"

Marc laughed and pointed with his chin. "Have a peek inside that room on the left over there."

George looked where he indicated and made his way down the short hallway to the door.

Marc followed behind him. "Go ahead, open it."

As soon as the door swung open, he caught glimpse of the two dirty, terrified children huddled in the corner.

Fallon prowled her bedroom impatiently, wondering what could be keeping Kade. After going to St. Mary's first thing this morning and finding it empty, she immediately returned home expecting to find him here or at his house, but there was no sign of him. And that was hours ago.

She thought about Julian's warning that the Kjin were gathering in Alden for her. Even more distressing was the fact that they were structured now. Just here in the northeast or all over the world? How far up the chain was Marc Ellis? Was he this blackcoat boss or did even he report to someone higher?

Then, there was Father Tomas. Where did he fit in? He wasn't a Kjin, but why would a devoted Emissier side with evil? And if he really was that evil himself, why hadn't he changed into a Kjin yet?

Then, it hit her.

He didn't turn so he could have access to what was happening in Emperica. How much information had he already shared with his covetous rabble?

She wanted to scream. Too many unanswered questions when it was the answers that she needed to be able to protect the people of Alden.

A knock sounded on the door downstairs, and Fallon cautiously made her way down the steps. Through the side panels of the door, she saw that it was Kade and breathed a sigh of relief that he was safe. She jumped down the remaining stairs and opened the door. "What took you so long?" she asked and threw her arms around his neck.

He lifted her off her feet and entered the house, slamming the door shut with his foot. "It wasn't easy to convince my family to leave town."

She untangled herself from him. "What happened?"

"I can't really blame them I guess, but they immediately jumped to the conclusion that the danger I told them they were in was from drug dealers I'm associated with. They even talked about an intervention for me."

"Drug dealers? But your parents know you were innocent of those charges, don't they?"

"They did, but it was the first thing they thought of and, in order for them to go, I had to let them think that's what it was. What else could I tell them, Fallon? That evil demons may be stopping by to steal their bodies? Trust me, it was much easier for them to believe the story about drug dealers."

"I'm sorry, Kade."

"Don't be. We'll get it straightened out later. Right now, their safety is the most important thing to me." He looked around the foyer nervously. "Come on, let's go up to your room. I feel like we're too exposed down here with all of these windows."

"Is that the cop talking?"

"No, the obsessed boyfriend. Now go." He pushed her ahead of him and she climbed the stairs. "What happened with Father Tomas?"

She opened the door to her bedroom and went in. "He wasn't there."

"My uncle is missing, too."

"I have to get to him, Kade. He tried to kill me, and he's going to be furious when he finds his family gone. He's too dangerous to leave alive."

Kade nodded. "I think I know where he may be."

She spun toward him. "Where?"

"His lake house in Rushden."

"Why do you think he would be there?"

"Because I've been racking my brain about peculiar habits of his and just realized that we've never been invited there. With his office destroyed, where else would he go to plot his schemes?"

"Do you —" Fallon froze at the sound of shattering glass downstairs. She put a hand over Kade's mouth to silence him, but he shrugged her away. He was a cop, she realized. He would know not to make any noise.

She activated her Aventi and started toward the door, but Kade gripped her arm and stepped in front of her.

_Really, my dear, brave Kade?_

She shook her head, but let him take the lead. He did have his conditions, after all.

Slowly, they made their way down the stairs. When her Kur heated, she tapped him on the shoulder and mouthed the word _demon_. He nodded and continued down the stairs with her right behind. They walked through broken glass in the foyer and headed to the kitchen. As soon as Kade stepped inside the room, an arm swung into view and hit him across the throat. With a choking gurgle, he slumped to the floor.

Fallon leapt over Kade's prone body and swung at the dark figure standing over him.

Expecting only one person to be in the house, the Kjin opened his eyes wide in surprise and had no time to defend against her strike. He screamed out and fell to the ground when her Aventi penetrated his chest. She stepped back as the deadly black wraith burst out of the body as a roaring, angry shadow.

Kade stirred behind her.

She straddled his body, standing over him protectively. "Stay down!"

Another Kjin burst through the front door. Kade ignored her warning and crawled out from beneath her shielding stance. "I'll get this one," he said hoarsely and ran from the kitchen.

The shade in front of her tried to pursue Kade, but she held him back with the Aventi. "Not happening, Kjin. The only place you're going today is back to Mordeaux."

The demon wraith let out a frustrated, ear-splitting shriek as it zoomed around the kitchen. It only had seconds to secure a new body and when that didn't happen, it exploded apart and fell to the ground in a pile of soot.

Turning, Fallon ran to help Kade, but he didn't need it. She got there just in time to see a brutal punch knock the Kjin out cold.

"Nice," she murmured, and stabbed the evil demon with probably more force than was necessary. This Kjin, too, burst into cinders when she thrust her Aventi at it a second time.

"Are there any more?" Kade asked, his body bladed for a fight.

She shook her head. Her Kur had gone cold. "No." She sat on the bottom step of the staircase to catch her breath. "You know, Marc Ellis isn't going to stop until I'm dead."

"I would have to be dead first for that to happen," he hissed quietly.

She reached over to touch his neck. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. The first guy karate-chopped me in the throat."

"Kade, I know you want to protect me, and I love you for that, but can I talk you into letting me do this alone?"

"No."

"This is not like anything you've ever done as a cop."

"No."

"But..."

"No."

Fallon let out a frustrated scream. "Are you always this stubborn?"

"Yes."

"It's going to be dangerous."

"Then why are we still sitting here talking about it?"

She took his measure for several long seconds and had to admit she liked what she saw. "We leave at dark."

## Chapter 15

### A Secret Lair

Kade turned the Jeep down a dead end street that ended at a wooden fence protecting the sandy beach of Lake Rushden. He turned off the ignition, and Fallon studied the contour of his face in the moonlight. The sexy stubble on his chin. The dimples that were even more pronounced as he clenched his jaw tight.

"I don't like this," he muttered.

"What?"

"It feels like a trap."

"Could be."

He turned toward her. "Then why are we going in?"

" _I'm_ going in because I have no choice. At any cost, I have to eliminate this threat to Alden. You're going in because of your _conditions_."

"About that. I decided I may have been a bit hasty with those demands."

She scrunched her face at him. "Oh, really?"

"From here on out, my only condition is the one about me helping you. I changed my mind about the bikini. You can fight in that thing any time."

"Kade, this is serious."

He smiled at her in the dark. "I know. Gabe and I used to joke to cover our fear all the time."

That surprised her. "Are you scared now?"

"I would be an idiot not to be. Aren't you?"

"Only for you."

He was silent for a minute. "So Emperica really is beautiful?"

"Indescribably so. Why are you asking?"

"Because it means that no matter what happens tonight, we win. Either we succeed in taking out my uncle or he kills us and we go to Emperica together."

She sighed and let her head fall back on the seat. "Kade, I'm looking forward to returning to Emperica. More than anything. But not until every Kjin on earth is destroyed. The people here need me, and I've sworn to protect them." She hesitated. "And...it's hard to explain, but it wouldn't be the same for us in Emperica. People aren't together like that there."

He nodded and turned back to gaze out of the windshield. "If I die tonight, I'm going to train to become a Knight and come back and find you."

"I would be a middle aged woman by the time you returned," she told him sadly.

"It takes that long to become a Knight?"

"Thirty years. Sometimes more," she admitted, thinking of Blane.

He turned, his eyes pinning her to the spot. "Then neither one of us is going to die tonight. I just found you and I'm not about to lose you." Leaning over, he cupped her head and pulled her close. His lips crashed down and he kissed her — branding her, sealing his vow. It was the kind of kiss she had waited a lifetime for. His mouth worked over hers, pulling and tugging, stealing the breath from her lungs.

Time stopped, the world shifted.

Nothing mattered but Kade and the sensations surging through her body. She snaked her arms around his neck and melted into him, practically crawling into his lap.

But all too soon it ended. Kade pulled his lips away and leaned his forehead against hers. "We're not dying tonight," he repeated, the words husky and demanding.

She said nothing. Although she prayed he was right, she refused to give him false hope.

Finally, he let go of her and opened the door. "Come on, let's get this done."

Still reeling, she got out of the car on shaky legs and felt tears prickle the backs of her eyelids. With a harsh swipe, she scrubbed them away.

Kade pointed to a large cottage built on a promontory that jutted out into the lake. "That's my uncle's house. On the main drag, it's three blocks from here, but we're going to get there by the beach. Follow me."

He started off at a jog and Fallon fell into step behind him, stamping down her rising emotions and focusing on the task in front of her.

The lake was deserted and dark at this late hour with only the moonlight and sporadic house lights to guide their way. Kade ran quickly, but she easily kept pace. As they neared the cottage, Kade ducked behind a sandy berm and used it to conceal their passage the rest of the way. Just under the outcrop where the house was built, Kade stopped and lifted his hand in the air.

Fallon peered over the top and saw that the house was completely dark.

_No one is there!_

All of the coiled up adrenaline in her body fled from her in a frustrated exhaled breath. She thought for sure, Ellis would be here, and she just wanted to end this. Now.

Kade turned to her. "It doesn't look like anyone is here. Should we come back?"

She thought about it for a moment. Should they try and track Marc Ellis at his house in Alden? Try to find Father Tomas again? "Let's go in," she finally decided. "Maybe he left behind some clues."

"As long as it isn't a bomb," Kade muttered, and together they ran up the wooden stairs that led from the beach to a wide covered porch. Silently, Kade walked across the deck, tried the door and found it unlocked.

He gave her a suspicious glance and went inside at a crouch, keeping his silhouette as small as possible. Fallon followed, wishing she had more light, but not daring to light the Aventi just in case someone really was in the house.

The place was completely silent.

"You go upstairs," she suggested. "I'll look down here."

While Kade climbed to the second level, Fallon ran a gaze over the interior. The furnishings were lavish and masculine, completely devoid of the touch of a woman. There were no prints or flowers, family photos or toys. This was a place solely used by Marc Ellis and not his family.

_What are you hiding here, Mr. Ellis?_

Fallon made her way down a hallway off the kitchen. There were two doors off the corridor and both were closed. She walked to the one on the right first and opened the door a few inches. Reaching inside, she felt along the wall and flicked on the light.

A laundry room. And empty.

Closing the door, she went to the room on the left.

This one was a small bedroom, and it, too, was empty.

She started to close the door, but froze when she heard a very faint rustling noise.

_Someone is in there_.

Marc Ellis? Another Kjin? No, her Kur was cold.

She opened the door wide and stepped inside. There was no closet where anyone could be hiding, so she dropped to the ground to look under the bed.

Nothing.

A wide wardrobe stood in the corner, and she made her way toward it. She heard the noise again and realized something was moving inside.

She threw open the cabinet doors.

Two children stared back at her with duct tape covering their mouths and wrists. A boy and a girl. The two missing children.

"Oh, no." She leaned down toward the children, and they shrank back from her in fright. "It's okay. I'm here to help. I promise." She reached out and peeled the tape from the boy first and then the girl. "Are you hurt?"

Both children shook their heads.

"I just want my Mommy," the girl cried.

Fallon pulled the little girl from the wardrobe and held her tight. "I'll take you to your Mommy. Can you walk?"

She nodded, so Fallon put her down and helped the boy out.

"Is the mean man gone?" the boy asked.

"I think so, but we better get out of here. I have a friend upstairs and he'll help us."

Fallon ushered the children toward the door. "Quickly now, go into the kitchen."

The children ran out of the room and, too late, Fallon felt the burn on her arm. Just as she stepped out of the room, a demon appeared at her side.

"Listen up!" he snarled. "I know you can kill me, but if you want those children and your little boyfriend to survive the night, send them away. Now!"

In response, Fallon elbowed him in the face and broke his nose. Spinning, she grabbed him under the throat and slammed him against the wall.

"Last warning, Knight! The place is surrounded. If you kill me now, your boyfriend and the children will die!"

Fallon trembled with fury, but let the demon fall to the floor. "Make yourself scarce then. If my _little boyfriend_ sees you, I'll never be able to convince him to leave."

The Kjin scrambled to his feet. "And tell him not to bring up Marc Ellis's name to the police," he warned her before disappearing into the bedroom.

She swallowed past the burn lodged in her throat.

Just like that, her life with Kade was over.

She took a deep breath and walked slowly into the kitchen. The children were huddled together, but broke apart and ran to her when they saw Kade coming down the stairs.

Fallon bent down to them. "Don't be afraid. This is my friend, Kade, and he's going to take you to the police station, okay?"

"No! We want you to take us!"

She shook her head. "I can't, but I promise that Kade is a very good guy, and he will take you to your parents. Okay?"

Reluctantly, they nodded.

"You're coming, too," Kade said, his tone resolute.

"Kade, just take them for me, please. I still have to track your uncle."

"We'll drop them off together and then go to my uncle's house. I can show you where he lives."

"Just give me the address. There's no need for both of us to go to the police station."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Please, Kade. They're so defenseless. They've been through too much already. Just take them to the police, and I'll call you and let you know where I am."

"Did you find some kind of lead?" he asked, suspiciously.

She nodded. She did find a lead. It was a big, evil Kjin, and she had no doubt that he would lead her directly to Professor Marc Ellis.

Kade grasped her shoulders hard enough to make her wince. He knew something wasn't right. "I don't want to leave you."

"I know, but you have to."

He looked over at the children and then back at her as if searching for an argument. In the end, he couldn't find one. "Call me within fifteen minutes and let me know exactly where you are. I'll meet you." He went into the kitchen and found a pad of paper and pen. After scribbling the address down, he handed it to her. "Be careful. I love you, Fallon."

"I love you, too," she said for the first time. "More than anything." The thought of never seeing him again, never holding him or kissing him, shattered her heart in a million pieces inside of her chest. Impulsively, she flung her arms around his neck and held him close, inhaling the scent of him. So unique. So Kade.

Her mouth opened to beg him to stay. To warn him about the Kjin. But she couldn't do it. For reasons she didn't understand, they simply weren't meant to be.

_I just wanted to love him. That's all. Now, we'll never share a Christmas together or curl up on a couch on a winter day. Hold hands or go for walks. Our dream has ended, yet I have no regrets. I feel blessed to have had him even for this short amount of time. He changed me. I'm a better person for having been loved by him._

When she slid her arms from around his neck, he grabbed both of her hands in his and brought them to his lips. "Fifteen minutes," he reminded.

"Can we go?" the little boy asked.

Kade dropped her hands. "Yes, we're going now."

The children squealed in unison and ran to him. Kade picked up a child in each arm, winked at her and disappeared out of the door.

"Goodbye, Kade," she managed to whisper right before a needle pricked her neck and darkness swallowed her.

## Chapter 16

### The Reluctant Hero

Twenty minutes after leaving Fallon, Kade walked into the Alden Police Department and into complete chaos. He had already called ahead, so the parents were waiting along with a single reporter and cameraman. He knew it wouldn't be long before more showed up. The story of the missing children had been nationwide news for over a month now.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Kade let go of the kids, and they ran into the waiting arms of their parents.

The Chief of Police stalked up to Kade with a terse nod. "Royce."

"Chief."

"Can we get a statement, Chief Mignore?" interrupted the reporter, a young woman with short red hair.

The Chief scowled. "Not yet. I'll have something for you in a few minutes."

Kade started for the door wondering why Fallon hadn't called yet.

"Royce! You're not going anywhere, my friend. I have a lot of questions for you."

Kade blew out a frustrated breath. The Chief obviously wanted more time than he was willing to give. He had to think of something fast. He turned back. "Where?"

"Interrogation Three. Now."

Reluctantly, he followed his former boss into the small room.

"Start at the beginning," Chief Mignore said, plopping down into one of the two chairs in the room. "Wait." He got up again. "Gates! Stevie Gates! Bring two coffees in here." Shutting the door, he sat back down. "Go."

Kade thought about his story on the way to the station and decided it was best to make it as simple as possible. "I found the kids at my uncle's lake house."

"Your uncle? Marc Ellis?"

"Yeah."

"And why would two missing children be at your uncle's lake house?"

"I don't know."

The Chief slammed his fist down. "Stop playing games with me, Royce! Tell me what happened and don't force me to drag it out of you one morsel at a time!"

"I honestly don't know! Your questions should be directed at my uncle, not me!"

The door opened and Deputy Gates set two cups on the table and, after seeing the looks on both of their faces, quickly left.

Chief Mignore rubbed his face. "Did you ask him?"

"He wasn't at the house. I went there to talk to my uncle and when I went in, I found the kids. I don't know how they got there or who left them." He leaned forward across the table. "You know me, Chief. That is the truth of it. I swear."

"There has to be more."

"There is no more! I went to my uncle's house, and I found the kids there. Trust me, I'm going to find my uncle and get to the bottom of this."

"You're not a cop anymore, Royce," the Chief growled.

"Look, if you're going to arrest me on some trumped up charge, do it! I've been there before! If not, I'd like to leave."

The Chief leaned back in his chair and entwined his fingers over his ample stomach. "So you're just the hero in all of this? Is that what you want me to believe?"

"I'm no hero. I stumbled across the kids and did what any other law-abiding citizen would do."

The Chief lifted his eyebrow at the law-abiding reference.

"Are you going to arrest me?" Kade demanded again.

The Chief took a sip of his coffee and stared at him over the top of the cup. "I haven't decided yet."

Kade threw his hands in the air and cursed.

"Now wait," the Chief interjected. "Do I think you kidnapped these children? No. I don't. But I don't think you've told me everything you know either."

Kade stood and put both hands on the table. "Let me out of here, and I will get you your answers. I promise."

The Chief remained silent for several long, uncomfortable moments. Then, he stood. "First, I want you to go out there and smile for the press and let Alden have their hero story. After that, you can go and get me my answers."

"Great Tyras, but you are a very hard person to kill, Ms. Anders."

Fallon opened one eye and squinted at the blurry figure sitting in a chair across from her. Clean shaven, square glasses and the sweater vest he seemed to so enjoy.

Ah, the elusive Mr. Ellis at last.

She tried to wipe her eyes, but the movement caused shooting pain to radiate up her arms. Only then did she fully realize that her wrists were chained above her head. Sitting on a cold cement floor with her legs curled to the side, she tugged at her shackles, but the effort only brought more agony to her raw skin.

"Where am I?" she asked, groggily.

"Oh, no need to worry about that, my dear. No one will interrupt us if that is what you're concerned about."

"Tell me, demon. How long have you been masquerading as Marc Ellis?"

The Kjin got up from the chair in front of her and walked over to a cheap, aluminum desk near the wall. She could now see that they were in a cavernous office space that looked like it belonged in an industrial warehouse.

"Too many years to count, young Knight."

Fallon heard laughter coming from beyond the only door to the room.

"Must be another soldier has joined us," Marc mused aloud.

_Soldier? What is he talking about?_

"What do you want with me?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"To kill you, of course."

Fallon swallowed. "So why haven't you done it already? You had plenty of time after you drugged me."

"Tsk, tsk. In such a hurry to return to Emperica? Well, you must wait a little while longer. We are still waiting for another guest to make his appearance."

_A Ha'Basin!_

Fallon struggled with her chains again, but the drugs he had given her made her too weak to do much of anything.

Marc crossed over to a television set mounted in the corner of the room. "Until then, let's see just how bad the Alden Police are mangling this investigation. They wouldn't be able to figure this out if I painted a picture for them."

The voice of a news anchor boomed across the room. "Sarah, what more can you tell us about this developing story?" The screen cut to a shot of a redheaded reporter standing in front of the Alden Police Department. "Thank you, Jane. At this hour, I can confirm that the children are unharmed and reunited with their parents. Earlier, we reported that former police officer, Kade Royce, was the person who actually rescued the children, and I have that hero with us now. Kade, can I ask you a few questions?"

The camera zoomed out and panned to the right.

Fallon's breath caught in her throat when she saw Kade's face on the screen. _He's safe._

"How does it feel to know you were the one responsible for saving the lives of two children?" the reporter asked and shoved a black microphone under his mouth.

"I...I'm just glad that they're home."

"You're a hero, Kade Royce."

"No, I'm not."

She laughed. "Well, I think we have a few thousand viewers, myself included, who would disagree with you on that one."

"Look, I'm grateful the kids are home, I really am. But there is something I have to take care of right now. If you will excuse me."

The reporter looked confused at the sudden dismissal. "A few more questions..."

Kade shook his head. "Sorry, I really have to go. But here is Chief Mignore," Kade said, waving the camera toward the Chief of Police. "He would love to answer any other questions you have."

Fallon noticed the Chief's frown a fraction of a second before he plastered on a polite smile for the camera.

"Is it true, Chief Mignore, that the children were found in the home of the President of Alden University, Marc Ellis?"

"What?" thundered Marc. "He gave them my name?"

"Yes, it is —"

The television went silent when Marc Ellis pulled it from the wall and it crashed to the concrete floor. "Does he care nothing for you?" he screamed at her. "He would jeopardize your life?"

"Oh, that's my fault. It slipped my mind to give him your message."

The Kjin's face turned dangerously red. "You think you're funny? I should have killed you, him and the kids when I had the chance!"

"So why didn't you?" she shouted and then regretted it when her head exploded in pain.

"You had your Aventi! We never could have killed you or drugged you unless you allowed it. And that could only happen if we threatened your precious Kade and the children."

"You're disgusting."

He smiled. "Now, though, I'm glad I didn't kill Kade. Obviously, I can't go around as Marc Ellis anymore thanks to him, so I'll just take his body in recompense. Oh, yes, just think of all I can accomplish here in Alden as the local hero."

Fallon screamed and staggered to her feet. "Leave him alone, you monster!"

"Did I touch a nerve, Knight? Do you love my little nephew? Will you love me just as much when I have his body?"

"I will kill you, Kjin!"

He gestured to her chains. "That is going to be a little hard to do, my dear." He walked closer to her. "Let me finish my story. We needed to let Kade and the children go to drug you, true. But the reason we haven't killed you yet? It's because Tyras wants to send a message to your Creator with a little Ha'Basin. When you return, we want you to tell him that his beloved earth is no longer the Eden he hoped for, and it hasn't been for a very long time. We are organized now and we are winning, Knight. And who is doing most of our work for us? The humans!"

"No."

"Yes! We are converting more and more to our side every day. We can't make them all Kjin, but we don't have to. Humans are greedy and arrogant little creatures. Believe me, with the right incentives, it isn't very difficult to turn them to our cause."

"No."

"Deny it if you will, Knight. In the age-old battle of good versus evil, the tide is finally turning in our favor."

"All lies."

Marc waved a hand in the air. "Deceive yourself all you want. When you return to Emperica, you will see the truth easily enough."

Fallon let out a primal scream. She yanked on the chains above her again, but she just didn't have the power to free herself. Marc Ellis knew this and laughed at her when her futile efforts only caused her to cry out from the pain. Not the physical pain. The pain of knowing that she had failed. Darius had entrusted her with saving the mortals in her care, and she had failed after only three years.

And what about Kade? Her brave Kade. Would Ellis really hold true to his word and take possession of his body? Thinking of Kade trapped in that nightmare for the rest of his life broke her.

She slumped back to the ground and, although she tried to hold back her tears, she couldn't do it. Worse, because of the chains, she couldn't wipe them away. Not for one second did she want to give this evil demon the satisfaction of thinking she was defeated.

"A Knight of Emperica crying?" Marc Ellis taunted through her agonized thoughts.

"I don't cry because of you, Kjin! I cry because I love. Because I feel. You won't make me feel ashamed for doing so."

"Weak," he muttered.

She snapped. "No! Not weak. The bonds of love are far stronger than the hatred you spew. I promise that you will be destroyed very soon, Kjin! If not by me, then by the next Knight who comes looking for you."

The door banged open, and now Fallon had another target for her anger. Her blood boiled at the sight of the confidant who betrayed her and Emperica so absolutely.

She glared at Father Tomas as he stood in the entrance to the room and smiled at her.

## Chapter 17

### The Traitor

Marc Ellis turned to the door and waved the priest in. "Come on in, Father, join the party."

Father Tomas walked in hesitantly and then fell to the floor on his hands and knees from a hard push from behind.

Fallon sucked in a surprised breath.

Standing behind the priest with an evil smile spread across his face was Father Tomas's altar boy, Anthony.

"Father, please go sit by your Knight," Marc gestured. "Come, Anthony, we have much to discuss."

Anthony gave Father Tomas a prodding kick before following Marc out of the room.

"Father! Are you all right?" Fallon cried.

The old man nodded and staggered to his feet. She could see now that his lip was bleeding and he had a fresh gash on his right cheek. "Yes, yes, I'm fine." He walked over to her on shaky legs and sat down beside her. Looking up at her shackles, he sighed heavily with regret. "I wish I could free you, Fallon. Are you in much pain?"

The muscles in her arms and shoulders ached in a constant throb, but she merely shook her head at him. "I can manage. Tell me what's going on here. I thought you were working with Marc Ellis."

He gave her a bewildered look. "Me? My goodness, child, you really thought that?"

Fallon turned from him, embarrassment heating her cheeks. "I...I saw a newspaper article about your arrest for murdering a child fifteen years ago." She shook her head. "You didn't do it, did you? What a fool I was to believe that obvious plant from Anthony."

"I did do it."

Her head snapped back toward him. "You did?"

"Yes. I did kill that child and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. But she was not a human child, Fallon. She was a Kjin. As soon as I figured out what she was, I plotted to kill her. I should have summoned a Knight to do it, but I didn't. Unfortunately, I was caught in the act by my altar boy at the time and he turned me into the authorities. It was his word against mine, and in the end, Bishop Tierney helped me beat the charge by discrediting the boy."

"I...I'm sorry, Father. I should never have believed you could be capable of such a crime." She paused. "But wait. The Kjin said they were summoned by the head blackcoat. Blackcoat means clergyman."

"If you had looked at the secondary definition, you would have read that it also means soldier. That is what the newly ordered Kjin are calling themselves. Soldiers. They have declared war against Emperica."

"And Anthony is working with them?"

"I am afraid so. Is he one of them yet?" he asked her.

Fallon shook her head. "No. He is still human."

"Maybe there is hope for the boy yet," the priest murmured. He sat silently for a few moments, his face growing more tortured. "There is no way out for either of us, Fallon. They will kill me outright and perform the Ha'Basin for you."

"I suspected as much. We should make peace with our deaths here on earth, Father." She gave him a resigned smile. "It's my solemn hope that we meet again in Emperica. Shall we pray?" The words came out calmly, but felt like broken glass in her mouth as she spoke them. _Goodbye, Kade. I hope you can evade your uncle and find happiness in this world. Until we meet again, my love._

Father Tomas interrupted her thoughts. "Fallon, unless you agree to help me, I won't be going to Emperica."

She glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"I overheard one of the Kjin talking. The body he has is full of cancer, and he needs a new body right away. I may be old, but I fear he is going to take mine. If he does, my soul will be locked away while the Kjin uses me for evil purpose. I could not bear that, Fallon."

Her heart skipped a beat at the implication in his words. "How would you have me help you?"

"Kill me."

"Father!"

"I am so tired, Fallon. I just want to go home. Please release me."

She shook her head violently. "You know I can't do that! Please don't ask that of me."

His eyes were reddened from his tears. "I have dedicated a lifetime of service to the Creator. I wish to be pure when I meet him for the first time. I cannot allow a Kjin to inhabit my body. Ever! Please, Fallon," he begged, "do this for me. I know how difficult this request is for you, but I will not go to my Creator tainted by evil! I will not!"

"Father! I...I have no weapon to use." _Am I really considering this?_

"You can use your legs."

"I can't!" she screamed at him in horror.

Panicked by her refusal, the priest glanced wildly around the large room. Spotting the broken television set on the ground, he scrambled to his feet and rushed to the broken glass. He pried a piece loose and came back to kneel in front of her.

She turned away from him. "I can't wield that glass with my legs, Father."

"I know, but I can," he whispered sadly. "Do you think the Creator will forgive me, Fallon?"

She turned back and her heart broke for him. "I do."

"Pray with me?"

"Yes, of course."

He put his hand on her leg, bowed his head, and prayed for forgiveness for what he was about to do. When he finished, goose bumps rose on Fallon's arms at the last desperate look he gave her. "I'm sorry to be leaving you alone, but I can think of no other way."

"Do what you think is right, Father. I will not judge you."

He nodded once more, and she swallowed back her scream as Father Tomas plunged the broken glass into the artery on his neck. Blood gushed from the wound as he sank down beside her.

It took several agonizing moments for him to die. Unable to touch him or comfort him, Fallon continued to murmur words of prayer over his body until he drew his last breath.

Almost immediately, the familiar black tunnel appeared in the room and a white light twinkled in the distance. This time, however, the light came forward, growing larger as it drew near.

Fallon sobbed tears of joy as Father Tomas's spirit lifted from the corpse on the ground and he was free at last. The wide smile on the priest's face, in such contrast to the torment of moments before spoke to the true miracle of death. Father Tomas beamed as he looked around the room in wonder that he had crossed over.

A white-robed Aegian appeared at the entrance of the tunnel, and Fallon noted with a smile that it was Josiah. _Father Tomas is getting his own personal escort to Emperica_. And, as far as she was concerned, there was no one better for the task.

"Over here, Father! Quickly now!" Josiah shouted with the same enthusiasm Fallon remembered. "There are many people coming home today!"

The Aegian looked over at her with a cringe. "Oh, dear. I am so sorry, Knight, that I cannot help you. The affairs of earth are not something I can get involved in."

"I know. It's okay, Josiah."

Josiah's face softened. "Fallon?"

"Yes. I am honored that you remembered," she said with a slight bow of her head.

The Aegian smiled. "Of course I remember. I cannot do anything for you now, but I promise you this. I will be waiting for you when you return home."

"I look forward to it."

Fallon watched Father Tomas glide toward the waiting guide. After a lifetime of devotional service, the euphoria on his face was contagious, and even the Aegian could not help but laugh out loud.

"Yes, it is a wonderful day for you, Father. I have been doing this for so long that sometimes I forget the pure ecstasy of the moment." He gestured. "Come now. We will talk along the way. A special welcome is in store for you."

Father Tomas burst into tears, but looked back at Fallon one more time and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Then he was gone. The tunnel disappeared behind him and she was alone.

Fallon hung her head in fearful exhaustion of what was to come. She had always known that she would die again in service to the Knights, but because of Kade Royce, she hoped that it wouldn't be tonight.

## Chapter 18

### The Pawn

Fallon did not die last night. The Kjin never returned that evening and she was left alone, hanging by her shackles with Father Tomas's body next to her. Every once in awhile, she would fall into a fitful sleep but would soon awaken from the pain and the nightmares.

It had to be morning now although there were no windows to confirm her suspicion.

She looked up when the door banged open and Anthony strode in.

The young altar boy seemed so innocent to Fallon all those times she met him at the church, but with the pretense of goodness stripped away from his features, he looked anything but.

The focus of his hatred wasn't her, though. It was the body lying at her feet.

"What a filthy coward!"

She really didn't want to speak to the boy, but refused to let this harborer of evil desecrate the Emissier's memory. "Coward? Father Tomas was one of the bravest men I ever knew."

"Taking your own life is brave?" he scoffed.

"Yes, when the alternative is to live as a Kjin."

"Kjin? What are you talking about?"

So he didn't yet know that he was dealing with the supernatural. This kid had no idea what he had gotten himself into. What then was his motive?

"Why do you hate Father Tomas so much, Anthony?"

The boy glared at her as if the answer should have been obvious. "Why? Because he's a child killer, that's why. You saw the article I _dropped_ at your feet, didn't you?"

Fallon knew there had to be more. Something personal.

"And you just took it upon yourself to seek justice for this child? After fifteen years?"

He stalked to where she was tethered and stared down at her with a sneer. "Don't be stupid. I hate the priest for what he did to my brother."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, he witnessed Father Tomas murder that little girl, Lilly, with his own eyes and was never the same again after with all of the members of the church ganging up on him and calling him a liar. My parents had to send him away to a mental institution." He kicked Father Tomas's body. "This murderer killed two kids that day. A boy and a girl."

A boy and a girl. Suddenly, it dawned on her. "The kidnapped kids? It wasn't Marc Ellis, it was you."

"Of course it was me! Haven't you been listening to me? I had it all planned out to kidnap the kids and frame Father Tomas for it. I wasn't going to let this jerk get away with what he did! As soon as he saw the lilies I left at the rectory, he should have known his days were numbered." He stared at the body on the floor with venom in his eyes. "But it looks like the coward got away with it after all. He deserved to suffer for what he did."

Fallon couldn't believe that Father Tomas never saw how depraved this young man was. Then again, he had fooled her, too.

"Where is Marc now?" she asked, wondering just how much time she had left.

"Getting ready."

"For what?"

"Are you that thick? Really?"

Anthony began moving the few furniture items in the room against the walls, leaving the center clear.

"How did you get involved with Marc Ellis?" If she was going to return to Emperica today, she would bring back as much information to Darius as she could. While the Elders were able to see some things in this world, they were not omnipresent. They could not see everything. And this fight would continue long after she returned home.

"Somehow he found out I had a grudge with the priest and offered to help me with my plans to kidnap the kids and hide them." He shrugged. "He said he was trying to lure someone here, and the crimes had to be pretty major. He also said Father Tomas was _on to him_. Whatever that meant."

"What did he promise you?" Fallon asked, remembering Marc Ellis's comment that it was easy to sway humans to his side.

"Money."

"That's all?"

"What else is there?"

"You would give up your soul for a little bit of cash?"

"What are you some kind of religious fanatic? It's a no-brainer. Marc is going to pay me some serious money to do things for him. Easy stuff at first, like bringing Father Tomas here, but later he said I'll get to do more."

"Your soul is worth more than that."

"Why do you keep talking about my soul? Jeez."

"Because any minute now, one of Marc's friends is going to come in here and take it. He is going to come in here and forcefully take possession of your body by unleashing a demon spirit into you. After the possession is complete, your soul will be locked away in tormented witness to all the acts you will commit beyond your control."

Anthony backed away from her with his hands in the air. "Whoa! Those drugs must have really messed you up."

"No, it's the truth."

"Even if what you're talking about wasn't a made-up fairytale, Marc wouldn't betray me to anybody."

"Marc Ellis is a demon, Anthony. Tell me. How many of his friends have gathered here?"

"Around ten, I think."

"And one of them is sick with disease. He will seek out your body and for years and years, you will be nothing but a mute passenger to the horror of your life. Then, when, your body finally dies, your soul will be sent to the fiery hells of Mordeaux."

"Don't be ridiculous..."

"You had eternal life in heaven!" she exploded. "And you threw it all way for some cash. The sad thing is, you aren't even going to get a chance to spend it. You're going to die here today, just like I am."

"I don't believe you. Plus, why should I care about trying to get into heaven. Everybody knows it doesn't really exist. It's just a made up place to get everybody to stay in line."

"It does exist, Anthony. I promise you that."

"I knew it! You are a fanatic!"

"No. I'm an angel."

"Oh, this is priceless! Angels and demons?" His threw his head back and laughed, but it was cut off abruptly when the door opened and Marc Ellis walked in with another man a bit older and with a sickly, yellow pallor to his skin.

"Marc! I'm glad you're here. You wouldn't believe the stuff this girl is saying."

"What would that be, Anthony?"

"She actually wants me to believe that she's an angel and you're a demon. And get this. You're going to try and _steal_ my body." He walked over to Marc and patted him on the shoulder with a grin.

Marc appeared to be thinking about it and then nodded. "That pretty much sums it up."

The grin faded from the boy's face. "Cut it out, Marc. This isn't funny."

"Humor is the farthest thing from my mind at the moment, Anthony."

The boy took a step back. "So you want me to believe that you're going to give my...my body to one of your friends? Come on! Be real. What's going on here?"

"I was actually going to take your body for myself in a few years, but Brent here needs it more than I do. Besides, I have another picked out for me." He took a deep breath. "Ah, there's nothing like a hero's welcome."

Fallon screamed at him in fury.

Anthony backed away in panic. "No! Get away from me, you freaks!"

Fallon closed her eyes, not wanting to witness what was about to happen. But when Anthony sprinted to her and collapsed beside her on the floor, she opened them again.

"Save me!"

"I wish I could," she whispered. Knowing it would be pointless, she tried anyway. "Marc, let him go. He's just a boy."

Marc ignored her plea as Brent advanced. When Anthony realized she could provide no assistance, he got up and ran. More agile than she thought possible, the sick Kjin tackled Anthony around the waist and brought him to the floor.

"No!" The bloodcurdling cry felt like a physical blow to Fallon's heart.

"Marc, hold him for me!" Brent demanded.

Ellis walked over to the struggling duo, lifted Anthony from the ground and held him still by his elbows.

"Stop! Please! I want to live." The last words were a murmured whimper.

Brent put both of his hands on either side of Anthony's face, hovered his mouth over the boy's and inhaled deeply. A human would not have been able to see what followed, but Fallon saw every grotesque detail that played out before her.

At first, nothing happened, but then a stream of white mist flowed from Anthony's mouth into Brent's. The boy's eyes bulged, spinning wildly in his head, but the rest of his body went rigid, paralyzed now in the sorcerous grip of an ancient dark magic that once started, could not be broken.

As Anthony's soul surged out of his body, Fallon thought of this happening to Kade and she turned to the side and retched.

"I have it," Brent said hoarsely and Fallon could not help herself. She looked back.

With a violent cough, Brent breathed the now black vapor back into Anthony's body. The sinister torrent seemed to flood endlessly into the young boy, and when the last sinuous tendril finally disappeared into his mouth, both bodies collapsed to the ground.

After a moment of silence, the body of Anthony staggered to his feet but not a trace of the boy remained.

"Much better," Brent said through Anthony's mouth.

"Oh, to be eighteen again," Marc laughed.

Fallon felt sick again. "I have had enough of your disgusting evil," she spat. "Get your ten in here and get on with this. I don't want to be in your presence another second longer."

"My thoughts exactly, Knight."

## Chapter 19

### The Devil

One by one, the Kjin blackcoats entered the room, and Fallon watched them come with resigned acceptance. They looked remarkably normal. Fathers, grandfathers, young men, and even a soldier still in his military uniform.

With ordered efficiency, they removed the two bodies lying on the floor and formed a circle in the center of the room.

Marc Ellis approached and stood before her. "Fallon Anders, Knight of Emperica, the all mighty Tyras, King of Mordeaux, has declared you an enemy of the Kjin. In his wisdom, he has ordered the Ha'Basin to expel you from this world to snivel at the feet of your master for all time."

She smiled. "Can't wait."

He pulled the glasses from his face and used the hem of his shirt to clean them. "I don't think you would be so excited, my dear, if you knew the truth."

"What would you know about truth, demon?"

"I know the truth of this. Let me just say that the Ha'Basin is...not pleasant."

"No?" she asked with feigned disinterest.

He leaned down close to her and she could feel his breath on her face. "As soon as you pass through the eye of the magic, the first thing you will feel is a scorching burn. It will progressively grow worse until your skin begins to bubble like molten lava. After that, all of the bones in your body will feel like they are breaking. One by one. And, finally, just before you meet your Creator for the second time, your brain will explode with the pain of a hundred needles plunging into your temples." He straightened and put his glasses back on. "Of course, the pain will fall away as soon as you enter Emperica, but until that time, you will wish I had sent you to Mordeaux instead."

Fallon gave him an icy glare. "Never."

Marc simply shrugged. "I'll never know in any case. Goodbye, my dear." He turned back to the other Kjin in the room. "Let us begin the ritual." Taking his place in the circle, he lifted his arms and his voice filled the room. "Mighty Tyras! Your faithful have come together to carry out the Ha'Basin. With this power you grant to us, we will cast your adversary, the Knight, Fallon Anders, back to Emperica!"

Fallon could only look on helplessly as in unison the Kjin joined Marc Ellis in a dark chant. " _With souls forged from the fires beyond, darkness and chaos seal our bond. Oh, King Tyras, show us your might, sever the life of this enemy Knight._ "

All of a sudden, Marc Ellis cut off the chant and his hands flew to his throat as a strange gurgling sound erupted from his throat. His eyes widened in terror, and his body began to convulse in spasms so violent that Fallon was surprised he could remain on his feet. Several of the other Kjin cried out and shrank back from their trembling leader.

Marc Ellis's eyes rolled up into his head until only the whites were showing, and then he stopped moving and the room went silent.

Fingers of cold dread climbed up Fallon's spine.

With one last powerful shudder that raked Marc's entire body, his mouth opened abnormally wide, and a guttural, sinister laugh echoed throughout the room.

Fallon cringed at the new countenance on Ellis's face.

It was evil personified.

It was the devil.

"My faithful," purred the voice that now emanated from Marc, and the rest of the Kjin immediately dropped to their knees in submission.

Fallon heard their scared whispers.

"Tyras!"

"How can that be?"

"The King is here!"

The voice spoke again, silencing the room. "You have done well, my faithful, and you will be rewarded for your efforts when we meet again. Until then, we have much work to do." The white eyes turned toward Fallon and it took every bit of strength she possessed not to cower from him.

He walked toward her with halting, unnatural steps. It seemed the devil had control not only of Marc Ellis's mind, but his body as well. Fallon wondered how it was possible that he was able to exert that much power here on earth. His seal should have prevented this from happening.

"Fallon Anders." The sibilant sound of her name on the tongue of the devil enraged her, but she found that she couldn't turn her head away from him. Somehow, he held her fast in an invisible, wicked grasp. "My words to you will be brief by necessity. While the seal to Mordeaux is weakening, it confines me still. You are here today at this Ha'Basin so you can relay a message back to your Creator."

She wanted to scream at him, kick out at his white-eyed gaze, but she could do neither, paralyzed by the curse of his presence.

"You will tell him that Tyras has declared war on Emperica! For thousands of years, the Knights have hunted the Kjin, but from this day forward, the Kjin will hunt the Knights. Our powers are growing. A portal is opening. Earth will soon be mine, Fallon Anders! Tell your Creator that earth is mine!"

Marc Ellis's body fell to the ground in a heap, and Fallon let out a deep gasp as the unseen bond that held her vanished. She gulped air back into her burning lungs until her breathing slowly evened out.

The Anthony Kjin walked over and helped his disoriented leader back to his feet. "I didn't know that Tyras could enter this world," Anthony commented with a slight tremor in his voice.

Marc opened his eyes and although they were his normal color again, he looked quite shaken by the invasion of his body. "I didn't think he could either."

Fallon strained against her bonds. She had to do something! She couldn't leave now with Emperica and Mordeaux poised on the brink of war! If fighting broke out between these two powerful forces, all of humankind would be lost in the struggle.

Marc ignored her. "Let's continue." He walked back to the circle, but Anthony held back.

"Aren't you going to remove her restraints?" he asked.

Marc shook his head. "Not until we're at full power." He looked at each Kjin in his circle. "Let us continue the Ha'Basin. The chant must be delivered three times to be at full power."

And so they began again.

" _With souls forged from the fires beyond, darkness and chaos seal our bond. Oh, King Tyras, show us your might, sever the life of this enemy Knight_."

This is it, Fallon thought. I now leave earth for the last time. Tears began to trace a slow path down her face. _Oh, Kade!_ Would she forget about him once she was back in Emperica? Could she?

" _With souls forged from the fires beyond, darkness and chaos seal our bond. Oh, King Tyras, show us your might, sever the life of this enemy Knight_."

A sudden breeze swirled through the large room. As the chanting grew louder and more fervent, so did the wind. Fallon had to squint as her long hair whipped around her head.

_They're opening the gateway._

" _With souls forged from the fires beyond, darkness and chaos seal our bond. Oh, King Tyras, show us your might, sever the life of this enemy Knight._ "

In the center of the spinning mass, a funneled shaft appeared and the vortex strengthened. Fallon's body slid on the ground toward the dangerous eddy, but the chain holding her wrists stopped her momentum. She screamed out against the cruel bite of the metal shackles into her tender skin.

She jumped to her feet to try to relieve some of the pressure on her wrists, but her legs were swept out from under her in the growing storm. Her body twisted in the air as she floated above the floor, secured only by her iron tether.

"We are at full power!" Marc Ellis shouted. "Keep up the chant and at the cost of your lives, do not stop!"

Marc slipped from the group, still murmuring his evil mantra under his breath.

As he neared, Fallon kicked her leg toward his face. She smiled at the small victory as her foot connected with his jaw and he cursed at her.

The gateway was fully open now, and a glowing white light appeared in the middle of the whirlpool. As soon as Marc unlocked her shackles, she would be powerless to fight the pull of the current and her body would be sucked through.

Then the pain would begin.

This close to the vortex's channel of power, Marc also had trouble staying on his feet, and he grabbed her chain to anchor himself.

She tried to kick out at him again, but he stepped in close, out of reach.

"It has been nice knowing you, Knight," he hissed in her ear and lifted a small key to the lock on her wrists.

Over the tumultuous noise of the wind, Fallon heard the door to the room slam open.

Several of the Kjin broke off their chant to look, but Marc Ellis screamed at them. "Don't stop! Do not stop!"

"A party? I love parties," said a boisterous voice from the doorway.

Fallon wanted to cry when she heard the familiar voice. Not the tears of joy for a rescue, but the tears of sadness.

Her savior did not stand a chance of surviving.

## Chapter 20

### Friendship Lost

_O h, Julian! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on your way to Buffalo!_

The wind started to lessen from the interruption.

"Keep chanting! I'll take care of this!" Marc yelled and ran to confront Julian.

"Julian! It's a Ha'Basin! Get out while you can!" Fallon screamed over the Kjin voices, lost once more in their sinister song.

"Full power! I need full power!" ordered Marc.

In response to the demand, the chant grew louder and the wind stronger.

Fallon watched as Julian ignited his Aventi and swung at Marc's charging form. The white blade whistled through the air and mere inches from Marc's head...it stopped. The Kjin were at full power. Julian's Aventi was useless.

A look of shock crossed his handsome features, and then he shrugged and used his fist instead, sending Marc Ellis flying against the wall.

He must have realized then the grave danger he was in, but instead of going back out the door, Julian fought the pull of the vortex and used his enhanced strength to sprint around the circle of Kjin to her side.

"Oh, Julian," she cried. "You shouldn't have come."

He reached up to grab the chain and allowed his body to float directly above hers, their noses almost touching. "Of course, I would come."

"How did you find me?"

"I realized that you would need my help more urgently than a trip to Buffalo. When I got back to town, it was impossible to miss the foul energy coming from this building. Well, for an angel as talented as me, anyway," he teased.

She smiled through her tears. "We both go, then. Back to Emperica together. It will be just like old times. And we can see Blane again."

He let go of the chain with one hand and shoved his Aventi down her shirt. "No. Just me. You have to continue the fight. I'll tell Blane you said hello. I love you, Fallon." He kissed her lips. "Mmm, I've always wanted to do that."

Then he let go.

His body was sucked violently toward the opening of the gateway. As he passed through the line of Kjin, he reached out and grabbed one of them around the neck. The demon screamed out as he followed Julian into the pulsating white light. Upon contact with the purity of an Emperica link, the Kjin was shredded to pieces, and with an agonized bellow, both he and Julian disappeared from sight.

Everything went silent and still, and Fallon's body fell to the concrete floor.

_Julian's gone_ , she thought in stunned grief.

Gone for good from this earth he loved so much and with him, he took his infectious smile, her tears and her will with him. She had nothing left. An empty husk who couldn't even bring herself to care when Marc Ellis started cursing and shouting, his mouth full of blood.

"Couldn't you idiots stop him? He was one Knight and we were at full power! Now, we need another blackcoat before we can start again!" He started pacing when no one offered an immediate response. "Tyras is _not_ going to be pleased." He looked directly at a middle aged Kjin who looked like he would fit right in coaching his child's soccer team. "Who can we get on such short notice, George?" Instead of answering Marc's question, the Kjin removed a cell phone from his pocket and began punching in numbers.

Marc strode to her while the Soccer Dad Kjin tried to solicit another blackcoat. "Any more surprises before we begin again, Knight?"

She just stared at him blankly.

He lifted her chin with one hand and gazed into her vacant eyes as his other hand slowly slipped inside her shirt. She never so much as flinched when he pulled out the Aventi that Julian had given up his human life for her to have. "I'll take this. You'll have little use for it where you're going."

Fallon's mouth lifted in a wide smile as she stood among the high grasses of a picturesque river valley. Butterflies fluttered freely around the trees and colorful wild flowers dotted the landscape as far as the eye could see.

Although the vista was stunning to behold, Fallon's smile wasn't for the beauty of the valley. It was for the man who suddenly appeared at the top of the rise.

Kade.

Her brave Kade.

A dimpled-smile painted his handsome face as his eyes found hers.

With a yelp, she ran to him, and he threw his head back and laughed before hurrying down into the valley to meet her. Fallon picked up her speed, anxious to be in his arms again.

She began to cry as she ran. She missed him so much. She couldn't remember why they had been apart, only that she needed to touch him.

Fallon ran and ran, desperate to reach him before he disappeared from her life again. The muscles in her legs burned, but she ignored the pain, wanting only to close the distance between them. Glancing down for a moment to avoid a rock in her path, she looked back up, and he was gone.

She stopped and spun around frantically, searching for him. Where did he go? Kade! Kade!

The realization suddenly came to her that he was gone for good this time, and she knew why. It was her punishment for failing so badly. She invited Kade into her life and it cost her. Not only her own life, but the lives of untold others who would now suffer at the hands of Kjin she should have been destroying. She selfishly elevated her own desires above the needs of others.

Still, she wanted to see him again. Father Tomas assured her that love was a gift she should embrace. If only she could see him one last time.

"Kade!"

"Shh. I'm here."

Fallon's eyes popped open and she gasped loudly. The furious beating of her heart slowed when she realized that she was still in the warehouse. Her aching arms still stretched over her head in chains.

It was just a dream. There was no valley. No butterflies. No Kade.

She slumped a tear-stained cheek against her shoulder. No, not a dream. A nightmare.

Another anguished cry caught in her throat when a familiar smell wafted to her nose.

Spicy soap.

She swung her head up.

"I'm here, babe," he whispered from behind her at her throat.

"Kade?" she hissed, turning on the chains to get a look at him.

There he was. Dimpled smile and all. And now he was going to die just like Julian.

"Kade, you have to go! There are too many blackcoats here. Please. I couldn't stand to watch you die."

_Not after Julian. And Father Tomas. And Anthony._

"No one is going to die," he told her confidently. "I'm getting you out of here." Standing from his crouch behind her, he studied the locks around her wrists.

"How? You don't have a key."

"I happen to know a thing or two about locks. Now, quiet." From his pocket, he pulled a slender pin and inserted it into one of the locks. After a few seconds of working it around the mechanism, Fallon heard a click and one handcuff came free. It took him only a few seconds more to free the other hand.

She lowered her arms, wanting nothing more than to rub her wrists, but they were too tender to the touch. She found relief instead by scrubbing away the prickling pain shooting up her arms. Nothing ever felt so good in her life. It meant she was alive.

"How did you get in here?" she asked.

He pointed up to the ceiling in the far corner behind her. The grate for an air duct was hanging open.

When he pulled her to her feet, she threw her arms around his neck. "But how did you know I was here?"

Kade scratched his head. "I don't know exactly. I felt the presence of a large, black cloud hanging over this building, and I knew something wicked was happening here. It wasn't a real cloud, just a feeling I had." He shook his head. "It was weird."

Fallon released her arms and looked at him. _My Intuit._ Although he didn't have the inner sight to see paranormal activity, he could sense it. "You are a very special man, Kade Royce."

He kissed her lips. "Keep that thought until we get out of here. Come on."

She stumbled as she tried to take her first steps, but Kade grabbed her before she could fall.

"I need a chair," he said, scanning the room.

"No, we don't," she said. She staggered over to the open vent and stood directly beneath it. "I'll go up first and pull you up." When she noticed the look on his face, she said, "Just deal with it, Royce."

He smiled. "Actually, having a superhuman girlfriend is kind of growing on me."

The door banged open.

"There!" shouted the Soccer Dad Kjin, and three blackcoats piled into the room and sprinted toward them.

Fallon bent into a crouch and jumped straight into the air and through the open vent. Landing smoothly in the tight space, she leaned back down through the hole and stretched her arm toward Kade. "Hurry! Grab my arm, and I'll pull you up."

Kade jumped, but not high enough to reach her.

"Kade! Hurry!"

He jumped again and this time she managed to catch his wrist. She breathed a sigh of relief and with a forceful yank, hauled his body upward.

But Kade screamed out before she could pull him all of the way through the opening, and he was ripped out of her grip and slammed to the floor, his body disappearing beneath the flailing arms of the Kjin.

## Chapter 21

### Sacrifice

Without hesitating, Fallon dropped back through the vent to the ground. With a snarl, she reached down, picked up two of the Kjin by their shirt collars, and threw them off Kade.

Kade scrambled to his feet and the other two Kjin stepped back, wary now of Fallon.

Breathing heavy, Kade put his back against hers. "What are we going to do?" he asked, as the four demons regrouped and formed up in front of them.

"I'm going to fight and you're going to get out of here. As long as they haven't established a Ha'Basin, I can take these four. At least long enough for you to escape."

"Are you forgetting something?" he asked her.

"What?"

"My conditions? Well, _condition_. If you'll remember, I revoked one of them. You know the white —"

"Kade! Your life is at stake here!"

"So is yours, and I'm not leaving you."

"What in Great Tyras is going on?" Marc Ellis, his face a thundercloud, entered the room followed by the remaining four blackcoats. "Ah, I see my nephew has joined us. How very convenient for me. You see, I was going to visit right after I was finished here. Aren't you going to say hello to your uncle, Kade?"

Standing back-to-back, Fallon couldn't see Kade's face, but she could hear the bitterness in his words. "You are no uncle of mine, demon!"

Marc Ellis laughed. "This _demon_ has been in your life for as long as you have been alive, young man. You seemed to like me well enough all those years."

"My eyes are now open, demon."

"Not for long," Marc growled at him. "You have no chance at survival, nephew. The Knight is strong, but without her Aventi, she can't kill the nine of us together."

"At least _you_ will die," Fallon hissed at him and felt immensely pleased when Marc's lip twitched. But he quickly recovered.

"You're going to need more than the two of you to kill me, my dear."

"How about the three of us?"

Every head in the room whipped toward the voice coming from the open door behind them.

Nikki!

Wearing all white, the angel slammed her Aventi against the Kur on her arm and the room filled with a brilliant white light. It was the most beautiful sight Fallon had ever seen, but she didn't have time to enjoy it as the room erupted into battle.

Together, Fallon and Kade fought the Kjin that rushed to close with them, but it was the formidable angel in white that drew all eyes. Every thrust of her Aventi left a trail of black ash as every Kjin in her path died. Her movements were graceful, but deadly as she moved like a dancer through the room in fulfillment of her oath to the majestic realm of Emperica. A warrior Knight in all her wrath.

"This is the day of the Creator!" she screamed out, thrusting her Aventi into the air. "The earth does not belong to you demons! You dare to declare war on Emperica? I tell you now! We accept! We will give no opportunity to the devil!"

Ducking a swing by Marc Ellis, Fallon had to smile at her friend. If Darius was watching now, he would be very proud.

With renewed faith in her heart, Fallon sent the Kjin leader flying across the room with a forceful kick. A quick glance at Kade showed her that he was holding his own with the Soccer Dad Kjin. The Anthony Kjin was already lying at his feet unconscious.

Nikki glided over to join Kade. "Stand back," she told him and for once, he did as he was told. In a blur of speed, she made two quick jabs of her Aventi through the once eighteen-year-old altar boy and the Soccer Dad Kjin and then sliced their two dark shades out of the air.

It was over.

All except Marc Ellis.

Fallon stalked toward him as he scrambled backward on the palms of his hands to escape her.

"Nikki! Give me your Aventi!" Fallon turned her head briefly to catch the sword and fixed her eyes back on her prey. "Your days of terror are over."

The demon shrugged. "Mine perhaps, but there will be plenty others vying to take my place."

"I'll kill them, too."

"The Kjin are growing stronger. Soon, they will be indestructible. You have won the battle, Knight, but the war has just begun."

"You heard my friend. If it is war you seek, we accept." Fallon raised the sword over her head.

"Fallon! Don't!"

Kade skidded to her side. His ashen face had lost all of the resentment of earlier as he looked down at the uncle he once loved very much.

"I have to do it, Kade," she said softly.

"Is there any other way? Any way to get my real uncle back?" The sorrow in his voice broke her heart.

"No, not here on earth. But he will be released to Emperica with the death of his body."

Kade ran a hand through his hair, conflicted still.

She touched his arm. "Marc told me that he was going to take your body after this was over, Kade. If I let him live, he will come after you. He will seek to possess you."

After a brief hesitation, he whispered, "Do what you have to do," and walked away.

"I'll do it," Nikki said and pulled the Aventi from Fallon's hand. "I don't want you to be the one who kills the person he has always known as his uncle."

Fallon gave her a grateful smile.

There was no faltering in the auburn-haired angel as she put to death the Kjin who had taken so many innocent lives. "Tell Tyras hello," she murmured as the shade disintegrated.

When Fallon turned around, Kade had his back to them. She put a hand on his shoulder, but he moved away from her touch. _It's too much for him_ , she thought once again. _He doesn't belong in my world._

The realization weighed on her heavily and she sank to the ground and pulled her knees up tight against her chest. "Kade, I would like to talk to Nikki in private if you don't mind. Can you wait outside for a few minutes?"

He turned with a questioning look. It hurt her to see the grief still lining his eyes. Grief she put there.

He nodded and walked out without a word.

Nikki came and sat cross-legged next to her.

"How did you get here?" Fallon asked.

"Julian called me yesterday and told me what was going on. After that, it was easy to trace what was going on here."

Fallon smiled at her friend. "You were pretty impressive, Nikki. I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you if you hadn't shown up. Thank you."

"The destruction of this many Kjin in one spot? I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Where's Julian?"

Fallon swallowed past the lump in her throat. "He's gone, Nikki. I'm so sorry. He risked his life to save me and got caught up in the Ha'Basin."

Nikki laughed. "Why are you so upset? He's back in Emperica!"

"But he's going to be a Patie!" she cried. "Can you imagine Julian as a Patie?"

Nikki waved a hand. "I'm sure Darius will come up with something more for him. And he'll be happy to be reunited with Blane." She reached over and took Fallon's hands. "Look. We're warriors, Fallon. We know what the risks are, but we fight for what is right. We fight for those who can't defend themselves. And in that fight, we will die. But the best part of all is that at the end of the road is Emperica."

Fallon hung her head. "I know."

Nikki groaned. "Okay, I get it now. There will be no Kade in Emperica."

"Am I that obvious?"

"You love him." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I do."

Nikki blew out her breath. "That definitely complicates things, but if you keep your work and personal life separate, I don't see what the problem is."

Fallon snorted. "He's got this _condition_ ," she murmured under her breath."

"What?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. It's just not that easy with Kade, Nikki. He knows everything and has this idea that he's going to fight by my side."

"That's ridiculous," Nikki told her, but not unkindly. "As admirable as that is, he is a mortal. We are on the cusp of a very perilous conflict. Our world is too dangerous for a human. Especially, for one you love."

Every word Nikki spoke felt like a spike driving into her heart. Fallon already had the same thoughts, but hearing them confirmed by her friend validated them. She could no longer escape the truth. The only way to keep Kade safe was to walk out of his life. She would have to forfeit her happiness for him to live. And it was a sacrifice she would make willingly because she wouldn't gamble with his life any longer.

"Give me your Aventi, Nikki, and call Kade back into the room."

## Chapter 22

### Alone Again

Nikki opened the door for Kade, and he stalked to her side and took her in his arms. "Are you okay?"

She nodded into his shoulder and closed her eyes, inhaling his intoxicating soap scent for the last time. If she had not already hardened her heart with resolve, she would have lost her nerve from the smell of him alone.

He pulled away with a smile. "Here. I found this for you." It was her Aventi.

_Oh, Kade, so innocently handing me the tool of your destruction._

She accepted it with a sad smile.

"Come on. Let's get out of here," he said. "I have a surprise for you."

She shook her head. "No."

"No? Why? What do you have to do?"

She couldn't meet his eyes. "Something I should have done a long time ago." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Kade was having none of it. He lifted her chin. "Whatever it is, I'll help. We're together now, Fallon, remember?"

"That's the problem."

"What is?"

"Your condition. I can't allow you to be a part of my world, Kade. Your life is far too precious to me."

He watched in confusion as she switched the Aventi to her right hand and held it away from her body. "What are you doing?"

She took a step toward him.

He threw his hands up to ward her off. "Fallon! Stop! What are you thinking?"

She took another step and a sob escaped her throat.

"Fallon, listen to me! I take back the condition, okay? That means I won't be in any danger. Now, put that thing away! Now!"

She continued to move toward him as he backed away from her.

"Fallon, please," he begged. "The condition is gone! I'll take you any way I can get you. If that means allowing you to do what you have to do without interference from me, I'll take it." His eyes were full of hurt. "Please, Fallon. Don't take my memory of you away from me."

With a tortured cry, she touched the Aventi to her Kur and the room lit up with its unique white light.

A tear slipped down Kade's face now, too, but his laugh was bitter. "If you truly loved me, you could never do this."

She took another step.

"Fallon!"

His back hit the wall and he slid to the ground.

She took two more steps and stood over him. "I do love you, Kade, and that's why I have to do this. Goodbye, my love."

"No!"

That was the last word Kade uttered before she waved the Aventi in front of his eyes. When she pulled the weapon away, Kade blinked a few times and then looked at her blankly.

She crumbled to the floor with a moan.

Nikki was at her side immediately. "You did what had to be done, Fallon. It's going to be all right."

She pushed away from Nikki and staggered to her feet. "I have to get out of here. Can you make sure he gets home?" She didn't even look his way. It would have killed her on the spot.

Nikki nodded. "I'll come to see you right after."

Fallon fled from the warehouse and inhaled deeply the first fresh air she'd had to breathe in two days. Somehow, through her fog of grief, she made her way back to Oak Street and entered the house.

As soon as she stepped into the foyer, she heard the soft strains of music playing. She didn't have a radio, so she knew this was Kade's doing. Then, she remembered the surprise he mentioned. She listened. _Tonight I'm Loving You_ drifted down the stairs. _This is our song. He remembered our song._

She shook her head at the cruel irony. He would remember no more.

He didn't stop there. Red rose petals were strewn across the floor and then straightened out to create a path up the stairs. Slowly, she followed the fragrant trail to her bedroom and stopped. In the middle of the room, _Will You Marry Me?_ had been spelled out with more roses.

In a pain-filled haze, she walked through the flowers and slammed the speaker to the floor.

The room fell silent.

She climbed into the four-poster bed and cried until the mental and physical exhaustion of the last two days swept her away.

Sometime later, she felt Nikki slide into bed beside her. It was comforting to feel her angelic presence so close. Several times, Fallon awoke in the middle of the night, and Nikki was there to soothe her back to sleep with soft strokes of her hair.

By morning, Fallon knew that she couldn't continue like this. She had to keep moving and decided to return to Buffalo right away to see Father Michael for her next assignment. It was all she could do. All she had left.

"Feeling better?" Nikki asked when she entered the room with two cups of coffee.

"As good as I'm going to get."

"I wish I could tell you I understand what you're going through, but I don't. I've never been in love before."

The revelation surprised Fallon. Nikki always seemed so worldly to her. She thought for sure, the beautiful angel would have had many boyfriends in her past. "Never?"

A fleeting shadow passed before her eyes, but she answered, "No, and if it hurts this much, I think I'll pass."

For Nikki's sake, Fallon decided not to tell her that it also came with incomparable euphoria, a sense of wellbeing and belonging, and a shelter from the storm. It was better that she not know and never have to endure what Fallon was going through.

Nikki had a plane to catch, but promised to visit soon. Fallon numbly embraced her friend and thanked her for being there. She wished they lived closer together, but Nikki had her duty on the west coast and Fallon had hers here.

After her friend left, it didn't take Fallon long to erase the signs of her presence in the old Victorian. It never did.

She cleaned up the petals and the rest of the house and finished packing her belongings. With a last look around, she hefted her pack over her shoulder and walked out into the early morning. It was a short walk to the bus station, and there she would be able to purchase a ticket back to Buffalo.

She took a second to make sure the front door was closed tightly and when she turned back, her breath caught in her throat.

It was Kade.

Walking out of his house with one of his roommates.

Both of the men, oblivious to her suffering, acknowledged her with a short nod of greeting and continued on their way down the street without a backward glance.

Her wounded heart, already fragile, shattered into a million pieces that ricocheted inside her chest like slicing glass. The urge to turn and run back into the house and hide from the pain in the solitude of her bed surged through her, but she fought it. She had to accept her life for what it was. She was alone again. Father Tomas, Julian, Nikki, Kade. They were all gone. She was alone and the sooner she accepted her fate, the better off she would be.

Heading in the opposite direction of the only man she would ever love, she walked out of his life for good.

## Chapter 23

### The Notes

A insistent tap on Fallon's door woke her from sleep. She had been doing that quite a bit lately — sleeping. It was the only time the anguish went away.

It had been two months since she left Alden, but she still found it difficult to care very much about anything. Mechanically, she did all that was required of her and plodded through all of her assigned tasks, but she derived no real pleasure from her life. It felt as if she was living underwater where the smallest of movement required a tremendous amount of effort.

She often wondered what Darius was thinking. Did he regret now that he had chosen her for his elite team of warriors? Did he wish it had been her instead of Julian who had fallen victim to the Ha'Basin?

The pounding on her door grew louder.

Who could be knocking? She had no friends except Nikki and she was in California. The rent was paid, so it couldn't be her landlord.

She decided to ignore whoever it was and instead dragged the covers back over her head and snuggled deeper into her soft haven.

A third bang finally drove her out of bed. _Someone is going to be very sorry,_ she thought as she stomped toward the door.

Rising up on her tiptoes, she peeked through the peephole.

No one was there.

Unlocking the door, she yanked it open and stepped out to look both ways up and down the hallway.

No one.

_What is going on here? If this is a prank, some kid is going to pay for it._

With a frustrated sigh, she turned to go back into her apartment and that's when she saw them. The notes. Two yellow sticky notes hung on the outside of her door. She tore them down and went into her apartment. As she headed back to her bedroom, she began to read.

Her knees buckled and she had to grab the wall to support herself as the tears she thought long gone ran unchecked down her cheeks.

"Kade!"

Pushing away from the wall, she walked unsteadily down the hall.

"Kade!"

She started to run, tripped over a pillow on the floor, and then stumbled against the window. Afraid that her mind was playing a trick on her, she hesitated _. Can it be true?_ Unable to stand it any longer, she tore away the curtain and frantically shoved the window open.

She looked down to the street.

There he was.

Kade. Her Kade. Leaning against his Jeep Wrangler with his faded jeans and dimpled smile.

He held a placard in his hand that said "Will You Marry Me?" in red.

Their eyes met and in that moment, she knew she would never be alone again.

More tears sprang from her eyes, but they were tears of joy now. "Yes." It was barely audible, but he heard her. He dropped the card and rushed to the stairs to her apartment while she fell to her knees and waited.

She waited for her life, her love, and her everything to come into her heart once again.

## Epilogue

### Blane

Blane stood looking down at the scene taking place on earth with a smile. Fallon and her new husband were exiting the church where they had just married. Family and friends, including Nikki, stood on the walkway outside waiting to congratulate the couple and pepper them with rice.

He turned when he felt another presence behind him.

"That man is going to make a fine Knight one day," Darius commented, pointing to the wedding party. With a swipe of his hand, the image disappeared.

"So the Aventi doesn't work on Intuits?"

"No, it does not."

"Interesting. Where's Julian?" Blane inquired.

"Tending to the gardens with the other Paties."

Blane laughed. "How long are you going to let the poor man suffer?"

Very uncharacteristically, Darius also smiled. "Not long. I plan to have him at my side to train the new Knights."

"Good. He'll be very happy to hear that."

"I expect so. He is a warrior in his heart and soul, and I would not want to waste his talents." The Elder suddenly grew somber. "Tyras is growing stronger, Blane. We need more Knights — stronger Knights — in this battle or all will be lost."

"How did he manage to cross his barrier into earth, Elder?"

"We have our theories, but are not yet entirely sure. One thing you _can_ be sure of is that the Creator will stop at nothing to ensure that Tyras never sets a scaled toe on earth ever again."

Blane nodded through his frustration. It was taking him far longer to achieve Knight status than his other friends. All he wanted to do was put his training to use and destroy the Kjin that were wrecking so much havoc in the world.

"That is one of the reasons I kept you back for so long."

Blane turned to him with raised eyebrows. "I don't understand, Elder."

"The extra years of training were necessary. You have developed skills the others do not possess, and you will need them to guide the Order. The path of the Knight can no longer be a solitary one. The Kjin have organized and so must we in order to defeat them. We need strong leaders who have the physical and spiritual strength to stand in the face of evil." The Elder placed a large hand on Blane's shoulder. "You are that leader."

"But...but I'm not even a Knight yet."

"On your knees," Darius ordered gently.

Blane immediately crashed to the ground and lowered his head, his heart thumping loudly in his ears.

"Angel of Emperica, I hereby call you to action as it is your time for battle. Take up your Aventi and let your destiny begin. By all that is good, in the name of the Creator, I name you a Knight of Emperica."

Darius touched his head, and Blane gasped as a fortifying and powerful energy flowed through his body.

"Make the preparations, Knight. You are headed to earth."

### The End

## Afterword

Thank you very much for reading Book One in the _Angels of the Knights_ trilogy. I hope you enjoyed it. Please reach out with comments at my website at www.valeriezambito.com. I would love to hear from you.

Thank you!

### Blane

Once the hunter, now the hunted. As the war with the Kjin rages, Blane Romero must lead the Paladin Knights against their mortal enemy while trying to protect the young, Juliet Hunter, who unwittingly finds herself entangled in their sinister schemes. Juliet cares only about shielding her young sisters from harm, but finds herself drawn to the enigmatic man who offers her much more than either he or she was prepared for.

Ostracized by the families they loved, Blane and Juliet find they have more in common than they thought as they battle demons both real and personal to stay together. But will it be enough when the powerful Cesar Grant decides he wants Juliet for his own?

Below are links to more titles you may enjoy.

Once again, thank you! I couldn't do what I love to do without your support.

## Books by Valerie Zambito

### Island Shifters

### An Oath of the Blood

### An Oath of the Mage

### An Oath of the Children

### An Oath of the Kings

* * *

### Angels of the Knights

### Fallon

### Blane

### Nikki

* * *

### Eden's Creatures

## About the Author

Valerie Zambito lives in New York with her family. A great love of world building, character creation, and all things magic led to the publication of her epic fantasy series, ISLAND SHIFTERS, in October, 2011. The first book in her paranormal fantasy series, ANGELS OF THE KNIGHTS, followed the following year in 2012.

Keep up with Valerie:

  * Website: www.valeriezambito.com
  * Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Valerie-Zambito-Author-Page
  * Twitter: @vzambito
  * Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5281726.Valerie_Zambito

## Table of Contents

  1. Title
  2. Prologue - Fallon - 1978
  3. Chapter 1 - The Girl
  4. Chapter 2 - The Emissier & The Cop
  5. Chapter 3 - A Friendly Visit
  6. Chapter 4 - First Kiss
  7. Chapter 5 - Painful Memories
  8. Chapter 6 - The Guardians
  9. Chapter 7 - An Encounter With Evil
  10. Chapter 8 - Caught in the Act
  11. Chapter 9 - The Truth
  12. Chapter 10 - A Sinful Confession
  13. Chapter 11 - The Lake
  14. Chapter 12 - All in a Knight's Work
  15. Chapter 13 - Conditions
  16. Chapter 14 - Soulless
  17. Chapter 15 - A Secret Lair
  18. Chapter 16 - The Reluctant Hero
  19. Chapter 17 - The Traitor
  20. Chapter 18 - The Pawn
  21. Chapter 19 - The Devil
  22. Chapter 20 - Friendship Lost
  23. Chapter 21 - Sacrifice
  24. Chapter 22 - Alone Again
  25. Chapter 23 - The Notes
  26. Epilogue - Blane
  27. Afterword
  28. About Valerie Zambito

## Guide

  1. Cover
  2. Table of Contents
  3. Start of Content

