Authors: Cameo Renae
“Kade!” A voice snapped. My emotions whiplashed and I was suddenly yanked from heaven. I turned to find Alaine standing in the doorway, glaring at the both of us.
Oh crap!
As soon as Kade’s arms left me, all the good feelings left too.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m not,” I breathed, smiling back at him. He grinned and turned to Alaine.
“Kade, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Alaine said, in a not so friendly voice.
“Alright,” he said with a sad nod, then whispered, “bye Emma.”
“Bye,” I breathed, watching him leave for the second time.
“Emma, why don’t you go and get cleaned up. I’d like you to come to the room when you’re finished. Samuel is awake and we’d like to speak to you.”
“Okay,” I answered, my thoughts still lingering on Kade.
I slipped into my room and locked the door behind me. I opened the drawers and found some shirts and sweatpants in different sizes, and some underwear that fit. I balled up the clothes and headed for the bathroom. My reflection in the mirror…I didn’t even recognize. It was scary. I quickly peeled out of my mud caked clothes and threw them in the hamper.
I turned on the water, and as soon as I saw steam rising, I stepped in. Chills shot through my body as the hot water collided with my cold limbs.
I was still in shock over what had become of my life. First the death of my parents, and on top of that…the Darkling, Fallen Angels, Nephilim, Alaine, Samuel, Kade…and here I was, stuck somewhere in the middle. I still didn’t understand who or what I really was, and right now, it was way too overwhelming to comprehend. I curled up into a ball on the shower floor and cried. It felt good to cry, especially with no one around. I let the hot water beat down on my head.
I couldn’t explain the feelings I was having, knowing that I’d be in the same room with my birth mother and father, who never existed in my world until a few hours ago. Maybe it was apprehension, maybe it was nerves, but it had my stomach in knots.
I’d also forgotten, for just a moment, that I’d had a cast on this morning. Now it was off, and my arm was fine aside from a minor ache. That was a miracle in itself. I could recall a flash of what it looked like – limp, abnormal, and barely hanging on by its skin. I hoped that the same healing ability could heal the rest of my aching body. It seemed that even my hair and toenails were aching.
I finally got up, grabbed the shampoo, lathered and rinsed twice, just to make sure that the mud caked in my scalp was gone. Conditioner was next, so I glopped a large amount in my palm and rubbed it through my hair. It smelled yummy, like ripe green apples.
I finished my shower and quickly dressed, ready to meet my real parents, together, for the first time. As I opened the door, my stomach filled with slam-dancing butterflies and my pulse took off like a racehorse.
I stood outside their door and knocked.
“Come in, Emma,” Alaine called.
My heart hammered as my fingers touched the cold, brass knob and slowly turned.
The room was dimly lit by a small lamp next to the bedside, and smelled of sweet soap. Samuel wasn’t on the bed, but the bathroom door was shut.
“Come, take a seat,” Alaine motioned for me to sit in one of two chairs positioned next to the bed.
I took a seat; my knee bounced nervously up and down, my hands twisted around each other, and then…the bathroom door opened. My breath hitched as Samuel stepped out. He was almost unrecognizable – clean-shaven and hair neatly pulled back into a tight ponytail. His face was luminous, younger. His large, brown eyes gleamed as he looked up and noticed me.
“Emma,” he spoke with smile.
“Hi,” I replied, nervous as hell.
He took a step and doubled-over, grasping his side. Alaine rushed over and helped him to the bed.
“Lie down,” she said, fluffing pillows.
“You don’t need to tend to me, Alaine. I’m more than capable,” he huffed.
“Still stubborn, after all these years,” Alaine replied, but they both shared a smile. Samuel scooted back up on the bed, while Alaine took a seat next to me. She grabbed my hand and held it tightly.
“Emma, this is Samuel…your father,” she replied.
I didn’t know what to say. We’d already given our salutations and I’d met him twice before. I looked into his smiling eyes.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner. I was afraid you wouldn’t have believed me,” he said in a sorrowful tone.
“Well, you’re right about that. I wouldn’t have. When we first met, I thought you were some crazy bum.”
Samuel rolled with laughter, and then grabbed his chest and started moaning.
“You’d better take it easy, Samuel. They broke just about every one of your ribs,” Alaine noted.
“You should call Malachi. He’s good at fixing broken ribs,” I noted.
“And how would you know that?” Alaine questioned. She and Samuel stared at me.
“Um, because when I met that Darkling at the airport, I broke a rib and he fixed it.”
Alaine sighed. “Well, he and Kade never mentioned that to me. I’ll deal with them later,” she mumbled to herself.
“Please don’t,” I begged. “They saved me. Kade warned me not to go into the bathroom, but I was stubborn. I mean… how could I know there were things that wanted to kill me? But he came in and kicked that Darkling’s ass, while Malachi pulled me out, and healed my ribs. They did their job. They kept me safe. So please don’t be mad at them.”
Alaine and Samuel shared a look and a smile, both shaking their heads.
“She’s a lot like you. Stubborn and strong willed,” Samuel chuckled.
“But she’s also like you…daring and fearless,” she said. “I can’t believe we’re all here, together. It’s like a dream come true.”
“It is,” Samuel agreed. “This is a dream come true.”
I felt a little awkward and uncomfortable. They were staring at each other with goo-goo eyes.
Alaine looked young. Like in her mid-twenties, but I knew she was much older. I guess being half-angel slowed the aging process. Samuel looked a little older than her, maybe early thirties, but they were beautiful together. I didn’t know how I would fit in, but in my heart I knew I did, somehow. Alaine took hold of Samuel’s hand and sobbed.
“I thought you were dead. I thought the Fallen had killed you. Why didn’t you come to me?” Tears streamed down her face.
“I’m so sorry, Alaine. I didn’t want to put you in more jeopardy than you already were. They took me to the top of a mountain, stabbed me through the chest, broke my wings, and pushed me off the edge. Miraculously…they missed my heart. They left me for dead, and I was literally dwindling by a thread. I managed to muster enough strength to pull myself into a cave, where I stayed until I was strong enough to leave. If they found out I was still alive, they would have come searching for me, and would kill me and everyone near and dear to me.”
“Well, it was hell and a constant battle anyway. The Midway sent the Guardians when they thought you were dead. They’ve been watching over me, and saved my life on many occasions. When David died, I moved them into the house,” she sobbed.
“I’m sorry about David. I know how much you loved him.”
“Yes,” she paused, “But you didn’t even give me a choice. I could have been with you all those years.”
“But I could have never afforded you all of this,” he said.
“All of this? The house, the stuff…it means nothing! This,” she said pointing to her heart, “means everything. And it’s been broken ever since I heard you died.”
“I’m sorry,” Samuel said, leaning over and pulling her to him.
I stayed still and silent, looking down, giving them their moment.
“Emma,” Alaine whispered.
“Hmmm?” I looked up to both sets of eyes steeled on mine.
“I’m sorry. We’re so glad you’re here.”
I swallowed hard, trying to release the huge lump in my throat. This was the beginning of my new life, a life I knew I wasn’t ready for.
“ALAINE!!!” Malachi yelled, pounding on the door. There was loud commotion, and lots of shuffling outside the room. Alaine jumped from her seat, grabbed a gun from the dresser, and headed for the door. Samuel jumped from the bed and was at her side in a second.
She swung it open.
Malachi was standing with Caleb limp in his arms, covered in blood. Alaine dropped her gun and cradled him in hers.
“What happened?” she screamed, laying him on the bed. She felt for a pulse.
“They were attacked by the Fallen,” he said. “They know where we are. It’s just a matter of time before they find a way in.”
“Where are the others?” she asked.
“In the room outside. Battered but alive.”
Alaine quickly checked Caleb’s vitals.
“Caleb’s alive, but barely,” she said trembling, ripping his shirt off. James grabbed the medical bag and ran to assist her.
I made my way to the door. I had to see for myself that Kade was alright. Alexander and Dominic were sitting at the dining table covered in dirt and blood. They looked like they’d just survived another war. Barely.
“Where’s Kade?” I asked, scanning the room.
“He went to the Midway for help,” Malachi answered.
“Midway?”
“The place where Guardians are given assignments. The place where we came from,” Dominic said, pulling a shard of metal from his arm. “Kade wanted to go. It’s the only chance we have of survival. Plus, he’s the fastest and knows ways of getting there without being detected. Hopefully he’ll get back in time with reinforcements.”
I stood there, numb, and looked around me.
My world was spiraling out of control.
Alaine and James were trying to save Caleb’s life, while Samuel and Malachi looked on. Dominic and Alexander were tending to their injuries, bloody and weak. Kade was alone, somewhere out there, where the rogue Fallen were on a mission of death and destruction. And now we were trapped and helpless in an underground bunker. There was nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide.
God help us.
Dedication:
To my Husband and children for believing in and supporting me through this whole crazy process. I love you to infinity and beyond!
To my Grammy, who is proud, supportive, and the very one who instilled a love of reading into me at a young age.
To my parents who have been such a great support and encouragement.
To my awesome Publisher, SJ Davis who believed in my stories and published them.
To my editor Kristina…Thank you for helping make Hidden Wings shine.
To my beta readers Brianna, Karla & Khelsey. Your encouragement, critique, and love of the written word is invaluable.
To the Dream Team…The greatest team in the world!!! Thank you for reading, reviewing, and sharing my stories.
To my writing sisters Cambria, Amber, and Melissa…Thank you for pushing me to make word counts, and accountable to check in.
To my magical cover designer Regina Wamba, who took my vision and made it a reality.
To ALL of the AWESOME book pages who promote authors and help the world to notice us.
And, to ALL of my readers. Thank you for reading my stories and making my dream come true.
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