The Chosen Knights (Read Prequel--The Angel Knights first) (The Angel Knights Series Book 2) (11 page)

“Lucia, you finished?” Abel asked.

When I nodded, he took my tray. “Thanks.” I watched as he dumped the remains in the trash bin and placed the tray on top of the stack.

“He never asked me for my tray,” Cayden commented. “I guess I’m not pretty enough.”

“I could have told you that.” Kohl smirked.

Thank goodness the bell rang. I didn’t know how long I could endure the dumb- dumbs’ banter without getting heartburn. No wonder Jack kept quiet.

Chapter 13

After school Zach and I waited for our uncle by his car. It was unlike him to be so late. Zach chatted with a few girls who had come by while I looked around.

Surprisingly, Abel and Eli were in an intense conversation again, somewhat hidden off to the side of the building. What was up with those two? And Eli showing up after school—had his group eaten lunch elsewhere? Why did I care? I tried to listen, but too many noises around me drowned out their voices.

“Do we need to worry about Uncle Davin?” I asked Zach. He was still talking to the same girls, which annoyed me. But at least they acknowledged me. Then I understood my brother’s need to protect me, just as I wanted to protect him from these strangers.

“I’m sure he’s fine. Maybe he’s talking to some students. Teachers do that all the time after school.” He smiled at the girls.

“Okay.” I checked my phone to find no texts from my uncle. I had better luck with Abel and Eli after most of the cars left the parking lot and the campus cleared of students. I couldn’t believe they were still talking.

“Don’t take her there,” Eli stressed. “It’s not safe.”

Was he talking about me?

Abel chuckled, but it was short-lived. “You’re kidding, right?”

“You know what can happen,” Eli warned.

“If they come, we’ll deal with it. I have my friends.”

“Your friends are idiots,” Eli growled.

Abel blocked Eli against the wall with his elbow against his neck. I gasped as I imagined them fighting. Eli would definitely beat the crap out of Abel. Would he use his powers? His kind might not have any rules.

Eli pushed Abel off him. Abel stood, rather than being thrown a few feet away—an indication Eli only used his supernatural abilities when absolutely necessary. Relieved he hadn’t, I continued to listen.

“Like I said,” Abel began, “I got this. Oh, by the way, maybe you need to put a leash on Milani. She’s showing off too much.”

What did he mean by that? Was Abel a supernatural too? How else could he know about Milani’s powers?

Eli’s fists became tight balls. Sighing, he walked away.

“Ready to go?”

Uncle Davin’s voice broke my concentration.

“Where have you been?” Zach asked. The girls waved goodbye and left. Maybe my uncle had scared them away.

Uncle Davin opened the door on his side. “I’ll tell you at home. Get in.”

It never failed. Every time we went back home from wherever we were, we checked every room, every closet, and every cabinet. The cabinets seemed like overkill, but I guessed the demons could hide in their mist form and pop out. Or so Uncle Davin thought. Sometimes I didn’t understand him. But he was experienced with demon hunting, so I did whatever he told me to do without question.

“So what did you find, Uncle Davin?” I sat on the sofa after dropping my backpack.

Zach sat across from me and kicked up his feet to the coffee table. He watched Uncle Davin bring out the chips and salsa.

“Boy, I certainly needed this today.” Uncle Davin sighed, placed them on the table, and sat next to me.

Uncle Davin had mentioned some humans drank alcohol to help with stress. I guessed chips and salsa relieved stress for my uncle. He dipped a chip into the salsa bowl and gave it to me.

“Thanks.” I took a bite to try it for the first time. Not bad.

Uncle Davin shoved his into his mouth and finally answered my question, “Sorry I was late today. I kept Milani and Brody after school. Eli wasn’t in class today or I would’ve spoken to him too.” He raised his brows. “We had a chat. I made them talk, but I know they were holding back.”

Zach sat up and leaned forward with his hands on his knees. “What did they tell you?”

Uncle Davin swallowed his chips. “When I confessed who we were, Milani told me about her kind. She’s an Elementum. But Lucia had already told me that. She said you already knew, so telling me was no big deal. And by the way,” he huffed, “Milani has a major attitude.”

“I could have told you that,” I rolled my eyes.

“Anyway, Brody, on the other hand, wouldn’t say a word.”

“You didn’t find much. We’re still back to square one,” I leaned back into the sofa.

Uncle Davin took another bite. “Not quite. Milani suggested we spy at Hapuna Beach this Saturday night.”

“Why?” Zach asked.

“She said other demons might come out,” Uncle Davin answered.

I recalled Eli telling Abel it wasn’t safe. Did he know something bad was going to happen, the same way he’d known about blue moon night?

I picked up a chip and dipped it into the bowl of salsa. “Don’t worry, Uncle Davin. Zach and I are going. We were invited to the bonfire party. We’ll check it out and let you know.”

“Good. I’ll be close by.” He twitched his brows.

Oh joy.

“Oh, by the way—” Uncle Davin started to say.

He made me nervous whenever he started his sentence with those words.

“We’re having dinner with Jack’s grandmother on Sunday. I made a friend.” He lit a dorky grin, showing all his teeth.

Later that evening, when I knew Jack’s family would be finished with dinner, I walked over to his house. Jack stood on his front porch and appeared surprised when he saw me approach.

“Lucia? What are you doing here? I mean, I’m glad to see you. Is everything okay?” Jack sounded nervous.

“Everything is fine. Can I join you?”

“Sure.”

I plopped down next to Jack on the swing. We sat in silence for a few seconds until Lucky pawed at the door.

Jack got up and opened the door to let her out. “She knew you were here.”

“Hey, Lucky.” I stroked her head and then allowed her to lick my hand. After the greeting, she sat in front of me but kept her distance so the swing wouldn’t hit her.

“How was your first week of school?” I asked, straightening my legs out in front of me as the swing glided back and forth.

“Like any other year. It was fine.” Jack didn’t sound too enthused, as I’d expected. Didn’t kids like school? “How was yours?” he asked.

“Fine, I guess. I don’t have much to compare it to.” I changed the subject. I was afraid he would ask me questions about where I was from. “Can you tell me if Abel and Eli were ever friends? I mean, they don’t hang out. It’s obvious Cayden and Kohl don’t like Milani.”

Jack looked off into the distance before focusing back on me. “I’m not sure what really happened, but if I remember correctly, they used to be good friends. Eli was on the football team until his mother passed away.”

My heart sank at the thought of what Eli had gone through. “When did this happen?”

“Last year around this time. I can’t remember the exact date, but it was during the first week of school.”

I pushed on the porch floor to give the swing more momentum.
Oops.
I’d pushed too hard. “How did she die?”

“I don’t know.” Jack placed his hand on my shoulder. “Not too fast. Remember, I threw up in class.”

I shrugged sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

Jack placed his hand back on his lap. “It would have been great if I’d thrown up on Cayden or Kohl.” He chuckled.

I smiled to agree, then recapped. “So, Abel and Eli were good friends, but after Eli’s mother passed away, they weren’t?”

“Yup. I think Eli blames Abel for his mother’s death. And before you ask me how I know, I heard rumors. People make up stuff at school. They were the two big guys on campus. Every girl wanted to date them—they still do—and every guy wanted to be them, and they still do, but they were huge together. Now they’re just history.”

I stopped the swing and turned to face Jack. “I need to ask you a question, and I need you to tell me the truth.”

Jack’s brows pinched together, probably wondering why all the questions.

“You know what I am and you seem to be fine with it. So have you seen demons? You know they exist, right?”

Exhaling a deep sigh, Jack locked his eyes with mine. “It’s not a topic I like to talk about, but yes.”

I shook my head. “Humans can be possessed by them, but they can’t see them. Did your grandfather tell you anything else?”

Jack nodded. “Grandfather said when the demon lord Cyrus touched Jacques, he branded him. Meaning, Cyrus gave him the gift of sight. So Jacques could see him. From then on, all the Knights Templar were branded too, passing this gift down to their heirs.”

I leaned back and gazed at Lucky pouting up at me, her tail wagging like a windshield wiper. “That makes sense and was the reason why my uncle couldn’t compel you. Angels can control human minds, but not supernatural ones. So, in a way, your mind works like a supernatural being without any powers. You have been cursed to see them.”

Jack looked up and planted his feet on the wooden floor so the swing would remain steady. “I hate that I can. It creeps me out.” He paused and then spoke again, “I can’t wait for Sunday dinner. You’ll get to meet my mom. And by the way, she said she’d bring out the book. She forgot last time. She keeps it in a safe at the bank.”

“Perfect.” I leaned back the way Jack did with my head tilting back. The stars were countless, glistening against the black sky. I extended my hand as if I could touch them, so near, yet so far. Beauty did exist in this mad world. Wondrous, mysterious entities existed to remind us we were not alone; there was a purpose to all the craziness, pain, and hardship. And in the end, light would prevail. I had to believe it would. If an angel didn’t believe in the light, how could I ask it of a human sitting beside me?

“I could stay here all night and stare at the stars,” Jack said.

“Me too,” I seconded. “Zach wants to buy a surfboard. Can you go shopping with us Saturday morning?”

“Yup, sure can. Just remember you owe me a dance.”

“I know, Four-Eyes,” I teased. “I think Goose is spying on us.”

“He’s always spying on you. He finds you fascinating, and so do I.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. “Thanks, I think?”

“How does it feel to have wings?”

I didn’t how to answer his question. “Like having arms, I guess. They are a part of me. I don’t know anything else. But it’s amazing to be able to fly.”

“Can I see your wings again?” Jack asked.

“No!” I didn’t mean to snap at him, but asking an angel to see her wings was like asking a human to take off his clothes, sort of.