Tumbling in Time (3 page)

“Enough, you two! I’ll be fine.” Tasha said, exasperated. All the while she tried to hold Arikk back from tackling Rafe. “Boys!” she muttered under her breath.

The angel held a door open for the pair. The unoccupied room was decorated in a rustic style with overstuffed chocolate leather couches, thick wool throw rugs, and plaid accents. A stone fireplace dominated the wall at the far end of the room. A blazing fire crackled and heated the space. It looked like a room out of one of the great hunting lodges that used to grace upstate New York.

An open doorway opposite the fireplace showed a small kitchen. “What can I get you to drink? We keep the fridge well-stocked.” Rafe made quite the host.

While she took in the room, Rafe must have shed his robe. She enjoyed the outlines of chiseled muscles on his chest and arms that flexed under his form-fitting white shirt.
Oh, why oh why couldn’t it be a wet T-shirt contest?
She licked her lips at the thought. It would be a toss-up between Arikk and the angel. Come to think of it, the contest would have to be conducted with each of them only wearing a jock.
Yep, that would be the only way to give a fair and accurate assessment.

“Tasha?” Rafe laughed. She wondered if he could read her mind. If nothing else, she knew a rosy blush now stained her cheeks.

She made the mistake of allowing her gaze to drift south – below Rafe’s belt – before her gaze returned to his.

Amusement lit his eyes. He turned to Arikk, “I think Tasha has been comparing us. Given her color, I’d say she likes what she sees when she looks at my fine male form.”

Arikk frowned before looking at Tasha. He stepped into her space and grasped her hands. Placing them on his chest, he said, “Feel free to let your fingers be the judge. Nothing but hardness here, baby.”

Oh my. She hadn’t meant to open the door to a testosterone contest. However, this might work to her advantage. Arikk sure didn’t want her attention spent on Rafe.
Hmm, good to know.
She stepped back from Arikk and had a seat on the sofa, barely containing the urge to fan her overheated face.
Too bad the rest of my body isn’t that warm!

“Tea. I’d like some hot tea, please Rafe.” Tasha said as she tugged Arikk down next to her on the sofa.

“A whiskey will be fine for me.” Arikk waited for Rafe to turn his back before he slid her across the sofa to his body. His hand caressed her cheek.

Tasha leaned in to brush her lips across his. She teased her tongue along his lips, urging him to open and deepen the kiss.
I will wear him down yet! A determined, sexy woman can do a lot of convincing with her body. Arikk better be careful or he won’t know what hit him!
Her plan didn’t work quite as she wanted, but she knew she made forward progress when his hand skated to the back of her neck and tangled in her hair.

A loud snicker had the pair leaping apart from each other. “Tasha, darling, I thought I was the apple of your eye.” Rafe pouted, acting like the betrayed lover.

“Blasted angel. Quit preying on my woman.” Arikk couldn’t hide the disgust in his voice.

I know I heard him right . . . I so like the sound of ‘my woman.’
Just to be certain, Tasha wanted to ask him to repeat what he said, but Rafe ended the moment too quickly.

“Patience, children, I am more than willing to get you a room. First, though, I need to have some fun at Arikk’s expense.”

The mug of hot tea warmed Tasha’s palms. She watched as Rafe handed Arikk a generous serving of whiskey. The angel looked like he was up to something as he settled on the couch across from them.

“So, Tasha, has Arikk told you about his connection to the weather yet?” Rafe asked, his eyes gleaming with mischief and focused like spotlights on Tasha.

She answered with a resounding “No!” Softening her tone, she continued, “No, he’s managed to avoid the topic every time I broach it. He’s a bit of an enigma in that sense.” Tasha smiled.

Before Rafe could respond Arikk growled, “You really don’t want to go there, angel. This is my story to tell.”

“Please, then, do tell.” Rafe snickered. “Tasha needs to know. It’s time.” Tasha’s eyebrows rose at Rafe’s cryptic remark.

Arikk shot daggers from his eyes towards Rafe; the angel squirmed just a bit. Tasha was grateful those daggers weren’t flying in her direction.

“Since the cat stole your tongue, I’ll continue.” Rafe’s confidence returned as he shook off Arikk’s threatening glare. “Arikk is the product of a brief fling between Mother Nature and Father Time.”

Tasha’s jaw dropped. Filled with surprise and just a little bit of awe, she focused on Arikk, hoping for confirmation of what Rafe just said.
That story was way too good to be merely fiction – nobody could just make that up!

“Close your mouth, Sunshine. Didn’t your mother teach you it’s not polite to stare?” Arikk raised his arm towards Tasha’s chin to assist her lifting her jaw off the floor. Before his hand could make contact, she swatted it away in a move that would have made most martial artists proud.

After taking a deep breath, she turned her attention back to Rafe. “Please, continue.”

“If you think about everything, it makes perfect sense. Arikk manipulates time and travels through it without nasty side effects thanks to his father. He can use the weather thanks to his connection to nature, passed to him by his mother.”

A grimace spread across Arikk’s full lips as he picked at a tear in his jeans. “Well, don’t stop now. You’ve gone this far – you might as well finish it.”

“Not much left to tell, really.” Rafe leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Arikk spent his childhood roaming the Heavens and the Earth. To keep him out of trouble, his dad provided him with stacks and stacks of books, many of which were grimoires. His father even managed to lock him in the library every now and again!”

A small chuckle escaped Arikk. “Yeah, it seems dear old dad had an inkling that I got the magic gene. He cultivated it rather nicely giving me those spell books to study.” Arikk laced his warm fingers with Tasha’s and gave a gentle squeeze. “For that I’m thankful. It’s saved my life more than once.” He reached out and took Tasha’s hand before continuing. “Now, Sunshine, before you choke on all those questions you’ve surely got, start spilling.”

Her brain spun, trying with great difficulty to digest these new revelations. Tasha murmured, “Where to begin, where to begin . . .” She paused a moment to try and formulate a reasonably intelligent question. With a voice filled with amazement she asked, “So, Mother Nature and Father Time are real—”

Despite being underground, the tremor rocked the trio. The sound of the explosion was deafening. Tasha bounced off the couch as though she was just a rag doll. She had never experienced an earthquake before, but if she had to guess, this one was a ten on the Richter scale. Smoke wafted into the room, burning the inside of her nose.
This smells like the chemistry lab. That can’t be a good thing.
Her eyes watered as she inhaled a breath of the unknown substance.

The tears in her eyes couldn’t prevent her from looking towards the guys. She watched as the two men smoothly extracted their weapons and held them at the ready. Their gazes focused on the door, which was now splintered, hanging by a cracked hinge.

“It’s got to be the
Sogorhom
demons.” Arikk’s body tensed. “I thought you said this place was impenetrable.”

“It was supposed to be. They must be stronger than we anticipated.” Rafe glided across the floor without making a sound. He waved away the lingering smoke and peered out into the hallway. Angels and warriors scrambled to mount a defense and hold back the invaders.

“The hallway is demon-free. We need to get back upstairs where we have more room to fight. Down here, we’ll just be trapped. Fish in a barrel, so to speak.” Rafe motioned with his hand that Arikk and Tasha should follow.

“Hang on a sec, Rafe. Sunshine, the
Sogorhoms
are powerful and have a fire and chemical fetish. They are known for their brutal, widespread attacks. Anything they launch at us will be very painful and destructive.” Arikk grasped Tasha in a bear hug. Despite her earlier frustration with Arikk, she was happy for the reassurance as he wrapped her up in the shield of his body.

“What can I do to help? I need a weapon.” Tasha’s voice was muffled by Arikk’s chest. Despite her damp, shaking hands and fast-beating heart, she would swallow her fear to do whatever she could to help the fallen angel and his warriors.

The dagger Rafe pulled from his boot was stunning. The blade looked to be four inches long and was a matte gunmetal color. The handle appeared to be inlaid with ivory. It was in pristine condition as though it had never seen battle before. “None of Arikk’s weapons will help you. These demons were sent by Beelzebub. Only angel produced and enchanted weapons will harm them.”

She stepped from Arikk’s embrace to accept the knife, nervous about what lay ahead.

“With any luck you won’t have to use it, but even angels believe in the saying
better safe than sorry
.”

The trio, armed as well as they could be, headed up the stairs with Rafe in the lead. Tasha kept alert, the knife held tightly in her right hand. Her left hand grasped Arikk’s belt.
There is no way I am going to lose him in this mess,
she thought.

They no sooner cleared the stairs than a swift and furious attack came. Tasha had never seen red-skinned demons with multiple arms before this. Watching the warrior angels battle them was like watching a violent two-step of good versus evil. The horned demons wore some kind of thin black suit that provided a measure of protection. The angels worked twice as hard to pierce their skin. It was definitely costing them time and manpower. The demons reeked of sulfur and gunpowder. They were no match for the warriors in size, but they were quick and flexible.

A hand grabbed Tasha’s upper arm and shoved her behind a wood column. “What the—”

“You need to stay down and remain focused.” Arikk’s voice strained, laced with concern. “See that angel with silver and black stole?” Arikk pointed to the far side of the room where a lone angel stood erect behind two other warrior angels.

“Yes.” Tasha kept it short. She didn’t want Arikk to hear the fear in her voice.

“He is imbued with magic. I need to add my power to help in the battle. Whatever you do, stay down.” Arikk paused. “Be safe, Sunshine. I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”

Tasha moved behind a nearby desk. Using all her strength, she slid it a couple of inches to her right. This created what she hoped was a nice, safe cubby hole. With any luck she could blend into the surroundings and remain unnoticed by the demons.

Even though Tasha couldn’t see the battle, which raged around her, she had no problem hearing, smelling, or tasting it. Swords clashed while fireballs hissed and soared. Fire roared on the far side of the room. She could just imagine it stealing the oxygen in the room and growing larger, climbing the walls and scorching anything in its path. Wisps of magic, resembling shimmery dust moats, floated in the air. She associated the smell of sulfur and death with the
Sogorhoms
; it left a bitter taste in her mouth. The magic of the angels was not as potent; it smelled light and crisp like bed linens hung outside to dry on a warm spring day. Tasha prayed the angels would gain the upper hand, that Arikk and Rafe would escape unscathed.

A pained yelp cut through the sounds of battle. Tasha couldn’t bear not knowing if Arikk had been hurt. She’d never heard such a sound and hoped it hadn’t escaped Arikk’s lips, but she was sure he was in the thick of things. Anything was possible.

As quiet as she could, Tasha scooted around the edge of the desk, staying on her knees to maintain a low profile. Between the smoke and the magic, it was hard to discern who was winning. She gripped the knife in her sweaty palm. She crept a couple of feet closer to the battle. Arikk fought back-to-back with the angel sorcerer. Their swords sliced appendages off the demons, but they weren’t successful in killing many of them.

There had to be something she could do to help. If she could just get close enough without being spotted, she could use her dagger on the weakened, wounded demons. The smoke was thicker the closer she got to Arikk. She pulled her shirt up over her nose and mouth and took precious seconds to wipe tears from her eyes.

Slinking along the wall next to the stairwell, she made careful progress. She wished Arikk could cast his cloaking spell to keep her hidden while she worked.
How perfect would that be,
she wished.

“Tasha, no!” Rafe seethed as he approached her. “It’s too dangerous.”
“I can help you guys win.” Tasha pleaded with Rafe. Her eyes traveled between Rafe and Arikk. She couldn’t let the angel distract her from keeping her wizard safe.
Yes, admit it,
she scolded herself.
He is your wizard, he just may not be convinced of it yet.

“Please, get behind me. Arikk will kill me if he finds you exposed like this.” Rafe moved in front of her, shielding her from one of the cloven-hooved monsters who wielded a bubbling concoction in a crystal sphere.

Tasha looked to Arikk who was pinned to the ground by a demon bleeding black tar. “Noooo!” she screamed and darted out from behind Rafe.

With a surge of adrenaline, she launched herself at the demon’s back. Wrapping her arms around its neck, she plunged the dagger into the gap between its throat and the suit. Tasha knew she hit her mark when she heard the eerie shriek leave its mouth. Goose bumps covered her skin, but they only gave her courage as she twisted the dagger in clear to the hilt. The demon took one last breath before slumping to the floor in death.

“Good work, Sunshine!” Arikk pulled her to her feet and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. “Come on, hurry! We’ve got to get you to safety.”

A deep, menacing voice had them pausing. “Not so fast, wizard.” He sniffed. “What’s this – a human?”

Arikk turned to face the demon head-on while shoving Tasha behind him. “Nothing you need to worry about, devil. In fact, you won’t remember her after I cut off your head.”

Sulphured breath licked over the pair’s skin as the demon gripped its stomach in laughter. “No, wizard, on the contrary you and your companion will not soon forget me. I will be sure to make your death a symphony of screams.”

Tasha was glad Arikk didn’t wait for an invitation to spring into action. His sword sliced and stabbed at the evil monster in front of him. This demon was older and more experienced than Arikk in fighting tactics and techniques. He easily parried Arikk’s strikes; his lithe movements drew Arikk away from Tasha.

Before Arikk realized he was no longer in contact with Tasha, all three of the demon’s claws, dripping acid, shredded the arm of her shirt and the skin beneath.

Tasha bit her lip, stifling the wail desperate to escape, and fell to the floor, overwhelmed by the pain. She wasn’t going to go without a fight. Before the demon could move to attack Arikk, she thrust her dagger into its calf and then sliced open the back of its knee. She wasn’t able to kill it, but her strike served to disable it.

“You will die.” The demon stared at Tasha as he crumbled to the floor. He launched a fireball from the palm of his hand directly at her heart.

Arikk’s fist struck the demon’s arm at the last minute, altering the course of the fireball just enough so that it struck the floor above Tasha’s shoulder. It still managed to sear her neck and the side of her face.

Arikk pounded his own dagger into the base of the demon’s skull, killing it instantly. He skidded across the floor. His hands fluttered around Tasha’s body.

“Arikk, I’m sorry,” she paused, her eyes locked on his. “I thought I was strong enough to help.”

“You did, Sunshine. I’ll get you out of here. You’ll be all better in no time.” Arikk squeezed her hand.

“Please . . . promise me that you’ll take care of yourself. . . ” her voice faded off as she blackness enveloped her.

****

“Rafe, get your butt over here!” Arikk shouted in the direction of where he had last seen the angel.

Arikk guarded Tasha as he watched Rafe scramble over the bodies littering the floor. “Can you cast a portal and get her back to Topeka, Kansas, May 5, 2011? I don’t have the strength left to do it.”

“Shit, this is not good.” Rafe held his hand over her heart. “She is close to death. Her heart struggles to beat.”

“Damn it, I can’t lose her now.” Arikk knew how serious things were; he had never heard Rafe curse before. He might be commitment-phobic, but no way did he want to lose her.

Closing his eyes, Rafe prayed for several long moments in a hoarse whisper. He slipped a ring out of his pocket and placed it on Tasha’s pinky finger.

“What are you doing? What’s that?” Arikk was frantic.
Why wasn’t the angel taking Tasha back to her time? What was he doing with the ring?

“I’m calling on angels more powerful than myself to impart some of my life force to her so that she will survive the journey back to her home.” Rafe gently held Tasha’s hands in his own. He bowed his head and continued his prayer.

Arikk marveled at the glow that left Rafe and traveled into Tasha’s body. He watched her chest rise as she took a deep breath.
Thank the heavens that worked. I owe Rafe my life for saving my Sunshine.