Ebony Fight (The Guard Duet Book 2) (15 page)

TWENTY-FOUR

“Thanks, Lillian. Appreciate it.”

“No problem. See you in about thirty.”

Becca hung up the phone and looked at Stone.

“What now?” he asked, following her lead.

“Could you tell the others to meet us here in the kitchen in about half an hour?”

“Sure.”

There was an unvoiced question in his eyes and she explained, “I need to talk with Quinn.”

She saw the comprehension, the way his shoulders relaxed. He nodded, and then moved closer to kiss her forehead. For a moment she leaned into him, allowing herself a moment to breath in his scent and wished she didn’t have to leave to do what needed to be done. Wished they had more time.

Too soon they had to break their sweet embrace. While he headed into the lounge sending one last worried glance in her direction, she climbed the stairs trying to tell him with her eyes that she would be fine.

The door to Quinn’s room was slightly open, yet Becca knocked even though she knew it was useless before she carefully stuck her head through the small gap. Both kids turned their heads, noticing her immediately.

“May I come in?”

Quinn nodded and Becca stepped inside his room.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, the two of them were engrossed in yet another game. They had started to separate themselves from the adults now that the drama in the house had calmed down.

“Would you mind giving us some time alone?” Becca asked Sli, with an apology in her eyes and voice.

“No.” The girl got off the bed and left the room.

Becca sighed, not sure how to approach a frowning Quinn.

What’s wrong?

How could she answer that one? Before she had to come up with a reply, his hands swiftly added,
You’ve been crying.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Becca nodded. It would have been easier to sign the words than to say them out loud, but she knew she had to vocalize the truth. She had no time for denial. “I went to visit Arthur this morning. But…” Becca swallowed as tears carried a lump to her throat. “Quinn…he died. He’s dead.”

Quinn’s frown deepened until it was replaced by shock.

They hadn’t known Arthur for that long actually, but from that first day they’d met he’d been a constant figure in their new lives here in the human realm. He showed them the ropes, was a safe harbor and a mentor. Now, he was gone.

But…? How?

What could she say? The truth was painful, but Becca still believed it to be the better option. “He was killed.” Reading his face, she promised, “Stone and I…we’ll find out who did it, I promise.”

Her brother couldn’t do more than nod before the tears in his eyes ran free and she pulled him into a tight hug.

They sat like that for a long time. Holding and bracing each other.

After some time, Quinn pulled away.
Get the bastard who did it. Somehow they must have found him after all this time.

“Yes.”

She bit her lip. Stalling, she looked around her brother’s room. It looked rather tidy but carried enough traces to show that it was used. That life existed within. The walls were a lovely shade with a hint of blue, his desk was hidden under books and clutter, and a baseball bat stood in its rack behind the door. After Quinn had shown a passion for the newly discovered game, Arthur had been the one to go with her brother to choose one. Her heart cried at the memory. Somehow she’d managed to get them out of Hell and build this new life for them. She would do anything to protect it, to protect Quinn.

His hand waved in front of her face and brought her back to the here and now.

There’s more.
It seemed he saw right through her.

“Yes.”

I can take it. Let’s get it over with. Shoot.

With a nod and a heavy heart, she told him about Stone and the mission he’d been sent on, and lastly about the only solution to the problem she’d managed to come up with. As she’d suspected he was furious at first, claiming she was crazy, then worried, but in the end he had no choice other than to accept her decision.

She hugged him once more, and then got up from the bed. At the door, Becca turned around. “I’ll be back.”

His hands danced in a staccato, matching his defiant mood.
You’d better.

Only ten minutes later, Lillian and Raz landed on her patio in a feathery chaos of elegance. The gust of wind rattled her sliding doors and Becca was grateful for their timing. She didn’t want even a spare moment to have time to change her mind.

“Hey there,” Lillian greeted. Worry showed plainly in her frown, which was to be expected following Becca’s brief but cautious phone call.

Becca ushered them inside. After Stone had confessed and told her everything, her head had almost instantly come up with a new plan. It seemed logical, but it also scared the shit out of her.

First things first, though.

Her kitchen turned into an improvised headquarters as everyone, except for Quinn and Sli, gathered together. Even though Lillian and Raz proceeded to greet the rest and were especially happy to see Dave back on his feet, the atmosphere was tense. Becca wasn’t surprised to see curiosity and alarm warring on all their faces.

After they all had settled down, either sitting on a chair or leaning against the counter, Lillian asked, “What’s going on, Becca?”

“Good question,” Linda agreed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I have good and bad news. As always the bed news comes in a double pack.” Becca took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Let me start with the good news. It seems our plan to spread the word is working.”

Lillian’s face lit up, “That
is
good news.”

Becca felt like shit. “The problem is…it’s working too well, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“We made waves, but instead of Satan a marquis of Hell noticed them. His name is Andras.”

Raz leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “How do you know?”

Gesturing towards Stone, Becca explained, “The marquis went so far as to hire Stone to find out more about me, the do-gooder witch.”

Every pair of eyes pinned him, and Becca didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what went through their heads right now.

Raz’s voice broke the laden silence, “I warned you.”

“You did,” Becca nodded. Her voice was kind but firm, “And I told you I’d rather make up my own mind. I choose to trust Stone.” She let that sink in for a moment, making sure to meet everyone’s gaze. “A couple of days ago Stone was summoned again. His orders have changed and he’s been ordered to kill me.”

That announcement didn’t go over very well. The uproar tackled her from all sides.

“What?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“How can you trust him?”

“Stop it!” Becca shouted to be heard, silencing the room instantly. Whether it was because of her words or the anger they’d never seen her display, she couldn’t tell.

Raz stood up. “He went to Hell. What if he gave away your location? They could be surrounding us as we speak. What is going on with you?”

Lillian caught her gaze and looked at her for a long moment then at Stone. Suddenly, as if the Ivory had found what she was looking for, Lillian nodded subtly. Reaching out her hand, she tugged at Raz’s wrist. “I trust Becca’s judgment. She’s not the kind to be easily fooled.” With a wink and a smile at Stone, she added, “Besides, he loves her. It’s as plain as day.”

When Stone blushed under the onslaught of female scrutiny, Becca had to bite her lip. Before she could come to his rescue, Raz’s glare pinned him to the wall. “Hurt her, or Quinn, and I’ll kill you.”

Shocked to the bone, Becca could only watch when Stone inclined his head, acknowledging the threat. “Good.”

Raz smirked, seeing her fighting to pick her jaw off the ground. “Speechless suits you.”

Ass.

The angel’s surreal words still ringing in her ears, Becca shook her head. “Anyway….Where was I? Right…so, Stone’s supposed to kill me, but seeing as the Marquis has particular conditions as to how Stone should go about it, we’ve been given a tight window of opportunity before he sends someone else to do the job. I suggest we use it.”

“How?” Lillian seemed wary, as if sensing she wouldn’t like what came next. Becca knew for a fact that her friend wouldn’t.

“I’ll have to go to Hell.”

Protests erupted like a volcano with words hotter than lava. Becca just marched on, raising her voice to drown out the others’. “Our plan was to spread the word and make Satan curious enough to talk to us. And it worked, kinda, anyway. However, we don’t have an army to back us up yet, and so stealth is our only option. I’ll go to Hell, whether you like it or not.”

Lillian shook her head vehemently. “Not alone, you will not.”

“You guys can’t go.” Looking around the group of Ivorys, it was quite clear that they would have loved to be able to.

“Rub it in, why don’t you?” Linda’s face was as dark as Becca had ever seen it, her whole body tense as if she was mad with the limits it imposed on her.

“I can go.” Stone’s deep voice stopped her in her tracks. “And I will.” His tone left no room for discussion. He didn’t look too happy with her, but Becca couldn’t really blame him.

“Me, too,” all heads snapped around to pin point the voice when Sli stepped into the doorway.

Becca couldn’t believe her ears - nor her eyes when she saw Quinn right behind the girl. She’d explicitly ordered them to stay in his room. Crossing her arms over her chest, Becca put on her best parent-face and took a stance. “You will not. You, young lady, will stay here with Quinn. You know better than any of us here that Hell is not a place for children.”

Sli’s stare didn’t waver. “I can fight.”

“We know you can. But aren’t you tired of it? You made it out of Hell, and now you deserve to take a break. Relax, rest, play a game. Leave the rest to us. The battle we’re talking about is ours, not yours.”

Sli didn’t look too happy, but Becca wasn’t surprised that she still needed to get used to her new life. Old habits were difficult to shake.

Becca was relieved when Lillian changed the subject. “When do you want to leave?” Her friend’s eyes were filled with regret and Becca knew that if she could do it somehow, Lillian would turn back time and never ask her for help.

“Soon. There’s just one thing I need to do first.”

“What is it?”

“My other bad news.”

The thought of Arthur was all it took and suddenly the gruesome images from this morning assaulted her. The loss was sharp and deep. Becca needed a moment to collect herself, fighting the tears and wondering how she would ever live with this. She knew then that the images would never leave her again. They were burned into her memories.

Warmth enveloped her hand then, and she looked down to see it cradled in Stone’s. She squeezed his in thanks, needing the support and love the connection offered.

Becca faced the group in front of her. “It’s about Arthur. I went to visit him this morning and found him dead. Murdered.”

Shock stunned the room into utter silence. Then the questions flew at her. “What?” “How?” “What the hell?”

“I want to find the answers to those questions, believe me, but before that I’d like to say farewell to him.”

For the first time Ed spoke up, “While you’re away on your mission, we’ll make Arthur’s murder ours. He was a good man, and I’d like it if we’d organized a funeral for him.”

“Thank you.”

Lillian stood up, took two strides, and pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered into Becca’s ear. The words held so much. Becca knew Lillian was sorry for her loss, but also for pulling her into this.

Shaking her head as much as she could in the tight embrace, she said, “No, we need to do this.” Over Lillian’s shoulder her eyes fell on the group of Ivorys and demons, of people caring for each other. Her gaze fell on Quinn and then on Stone. Her grief a fresh wound, she was determined to protect them both. Becca was grateful that Stone would have her back. However, she wouldn’t allow it.

Now, the only question was how could she make him change his mind.

TWENTY-FIVE

Stone knew she would try to make a run for it, but was pretty sure Becca wouldn’t dare to sneak away until she’d paid her respects to Arthur. That was the only reason why he let her go alone in her boat to get the others on a second trip, while Linda, Sam, Wes and he gathered twigs and chop wood.

An hour later Stone climbed the jetty, unfastened Arthur’s boat and pulled it in so that it’s back rested slightly upon the shore. As one they worked to build a pyre, their faces grim and voices silent. For Stone, it was like each piece of wood placed was attached to a memory. All too soon it was time to lay his body gently on top of the bed they made for him.

As they stood in a half circle at the shore where even the birds seemed subdued, the calm waves played a soft melody. Stone’s gaze fell on Becca standing next to him. Her cheeks were wet, but her head held high. Her stance firm. He was proud of her.

Ed was the first to step forward, his bald head gleaming in the setting sun. “I mourn the loss of a new friend. I regret the fishing we hadn’t had the time to do yet, but will cherish the conversations we had.” He bent to grab some earth in his hand and threw it. “Rest in peace, friend.”

The Ivory’s Wes and Dave were next, and were then followed by Sam and Abby. The couple held hands as they bid their farewells.

A hand resting protectively on the girl’s shoulders, Linda stepped forward with Sli. Silently they each threw a bloom, probably from Becca’s garden.

Then it was the turn of Lillian and Raz. Even though the two hadn’t met Arthur, Raz spread his wings and threw soil, saying, “Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Thank you for what you’ve done to help. I hope you’re with your loved ones again.”

The group fell quiet for a while, until Quinn walked up to the boat. At first Stone couldn’t make out what the boy was holding in his hand, but then he made out a baseball when the boy leaned forward and placed it next to Arthur’s body.

Goodbye, Arthur,
Quinn signed.
That much Stone understood by now.

When Becca was about to move, Stone stepped forward and then smiled softly at the surprise he saw in her eyes. He took his time there at the shore, and gazed down on the man who had been like a father to Becca even if for only a short while. Stone wished he’d had the chance to ask him for his blessings.

“The first time I met Arthur, he caught me completely off guard. Dressed out in his fishing gear he told me that my life wasn’t mine if I let others rule it. I told myself that these words didn’t concern me. I was an Ebony, after all. An assassin for hire at that, and believed myself to be my own boss. I chose my missions, I chose who, what and how. Of course, Arthur knew better. His words…they stuck with me, even haunted me. Now I know I was just a soldier given a longer leash, nothing more.”

He heard her approach, and yet the warmth sipping into his bones from where her hand touched his shoulder took him by surprise. When it moved down to entwine her fingers with his, he lifted it for a soft kiss. Turning his head to look at her, he was amazed at the love he found.

Holding a bouquet of flowers close to her chest, her voice broke a few times, soaked with grief, before she finally said, “Arthur wasn’t just someone who’d escaped Hell. No, he was a father, mentor and a friend. From the first day we came to New Orleans, he was there. Smirking, laughing, teaching, bribing me for pies. He even printed recipes so I could learn how to make them.” A sound, caught between a laugh and a sob, escaped her at the memories. Becca stepped forward, not minding the water lapping at her shoes, and bent to tuck the bouquet into Arthur’s hands linked across his chest. After kissing his cheek one last time, Becca blew across the wood surrounding him. Smoke rose before the twigs ignited with flickering flames. Soon the bigger logs caught fire as well.

Together Stone and Becca pushed the boat out onto the water and watched as it slowly drift away.

His words were softly spoken, but rang in the respectful silence, “Born from flames, laid to rest in flames, but your soul grew wings and inspired others to spread their own long before your death.”