Passionate Flames, page 18
As for flying? The thrill she expected never came. Maybe it was because her only mode of transportation for eons had been teleporting from one place to another. Having to work to stay aloft wasn’t that big of a thrill. Only when Thane had carried her, had it been exciting, as she could be pressed up against his chest.
After three long days of working out, Angelique decided to leave the battling to those who loved it—like Nessa, Tory, and most of the men. Declan was a natural in the sky, but next to Thane and him, she’d have to say Griffin was the biggest surprise. His ability to stay calm while under attack was impressive. It would serve him well when the time came to fight.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“How about we hit the showers and then indulge in a pastry at your shop?” Thane asked after a particularly long training session.
He was so sweet. He understood how much she enjoyed being among friends. “That sounds great, but I promised you that we would stay at your job for the afternoon.”
Thane smiled. “Sometimes even I want a break.”
“Aw, you’re human after all.” Angelique punched him in the arm and then stepped back.
“Funny girl. Let’s go.”
They were still staying at the safe house, which would have to change soon. Angelique was beginning to feel hemmed in. She wanted a place where she and Thane could run around naked if they wanted.
After cleaning up, they both took to the skies. Thane said she could never get too much practice. He also claimed it was safer to fly than to drive—at least until Mange was dead. Considering all that had happened, Angelique was happy to do as Thane suggested.
They landed in the alley behind her coffee shop, because it afforded her plenty of room in case she misjudged the space. Once down, they both shifted. Smells from the kitchen wafted toward them. Instead of going through the rear entrance the customers used, she entered through the kitchen.
“Hey there,” Donald said. “This is a nice surprise. Twice in one day.”
Angelique smiled. “It is for us too.”
Not wanting to hold up her cook, she and Thane entered the hallway and then turned right toward the coffee shop. For late afternoon, the place was quite full, and she couldn’t be prouder of how far she’d come.
Thane looked down at her. “Looks like business is really picking up.”
“Yes.” Angelique had worked hard to achieve this level of success.
Shannon was at the counter and waved. Angelique led Thane over to one of the few remaining booths that overlooked the street entrance and sat down.
Shannon rushed over. “I didn’t expect to see you again today.”
“Thane put me through my paces on the obstacle course. I need a cold iced tea and a peach cobbler to get me through the rest of the day.”
Thane smiled. “Make it two.”
“Coming right up.”
While they waited, Angelique decided now might be a good time to discuss their living arrangements. “Once all this stuff is over, we’ll need to think about where we want to live.” She leaned forward. “I’m ready to settle down, Thane.”
“I totally agree. You have a nice place, though it is a bit small.”
That was the problem. “And your place belongs to you.”
He chuckled. “That’s usually how it works.”
“What do you say we find a place of our own—a home to raise a family in? It’ll be fun to search for houses.”
He leaned back. “I’m game, but I thought you said being a white entity, you couldn’t…you know.”
“Have kids? I said that, but I was told I couldn’t shift either. I don’t want to rule anything out.”
“I like your positive attitude. I can guarantee you that I’ll like trying.” He winked, clearly trying to keep things light.
As Shannon returned with the tray carrying their drinks and pastries, a wave of darkness filled Angelique. What the hell?
Shannon set down the tray. “It’s time, Angelique.” Her voice sounded funny—much too deep and highly threatening.
Oh shit. “How could you?” Angelique spat out. Mange had taken over Shannon, and the idea of him killing her nearly incapacitated Angelique.
Thane slid out of the booth and grabbed the woman. He must have sensed her darkness too.
Angelique jumped out as well. “Please let Mange go,” she whispered to Thane. “I don’t want to make a scene and scare my customers.” Angelique turned to Shannon. “How about if the two of us discuss this in my office?”
“Not on your life. I want all of your patrons to watch you die. If you do manage to weaken me, I’ll just jump into another body.” Mange laughed, and the nearby crowd quieted into stunned silence. “Ah, yes, I can see it now. People will be screaming and dashing for the exit after I kill a few of them.”
Several of her customers were looking on in horror, while many were already making a beeline for the back entrance. Attempting to kill her was one thing, but threatening innocent people in her coffee shop took it to a whole other level.
Both of Shannon’s arms raised, and then Mange blasted Angelique with more darkness than she thought possible. Staggering back, she bumped into the booth and had to grab hold to keep from landing on the floor. Heart pounding and her insides on fire, she used much of her remaining strength to shoot her white light into Shannon. Angelique feared she might harm or even kill her assistant, but she had no choice.
Thane stood back and stared at Mange. A second later, he too leveled his arms. White light poured out of him. Shannon’s eyes widened, and then she searched for what was probably an escape plan. Steps faltering, she rushed down the hallway and ducked through the kitchen door.
Angelique’s breath and sanity finally returned. “She’s in the kitchen. I have to go after her.”
“I’ll head around back and come in through the kitchen door to cut her off. Together, we’ll take Mange down.” Angelique loved how Thane, the consummate warrior, had an instant battle plan.
Inhaling to steady herself, Angelique went after her nemesis on rather shaky legs. When she reached the kitchen, Donald was kneeling over Shannon who was sprawled on the floor, her body limp. He looked up at Angelique, grief stricken. “What happened?”
Shannon’s eyes had glazed over, but by some miracle, she appeared to be still alive. “Call an ambulance,” Angelique commanded. As much as Donald deserved an explanation, there wasn’t time.
She didn’t sense any evil around either of them, which meant Mange was on the hunt for a new body. Since he didn’t return to the main room, he must have escaped under the crack in the kitchen entrance door.
With her energy slowly returning, Angelique ran out the back. Thane was in the alley, looking around.
“Anything?” she asked.
“No.”
A blast of evil swooped in. Thane’s hands clenched at his sides and his eyes went wide. “I just felt something.” He grabbed his chest and took a step back.
“Thane, what’s happening?” Angelique feared Mange might have taken over his body.
At the horror of that thought, her throat closed up and her muscles weakened. She feared the worse for him.
“He’s inside me, trying to…” Thane telepathed.
“What are you going to do now, Angelique? Kill the man you love?” Mange grinned as the words came from Thane’s lips.
“You have to fight him,” she begged her mate.
“I’m sending as much white light through him as I can, but he’s pounding me with his darkness.”
“Hold on.”
Damn Fate. Angelique had no idea what sending her light through Thane would do to him. For certain, Mange would send all of his darkness through him to get to her, and that might kill her mate first.
Once more, she had no choice.
Thane stood tall. “Give it all you got,” he telepathed. “Don’t worry about me.”
“It might kill you.”
Mange powered up again and blasted her, only this time his powers were less than before. Thane’s white light was helping to kill the son of a bitch. The question she couldn’t answer was whether it would work fast enough to save him?
“Do it, Angelique! Now!”
Concentrating, she raised her hands and shot white light from her fingertips. Thane faltered and grabbed his stomach. It was as if a hundred men were hitting him in the gut. He bit down on his lip and nearly doubled over.
Help me, Fate, she pleaded.
Angelique’s vision blurred, and her knees gave way. A second later, she was one with Thane, just like she’d been when Declan was trying to save his mate.
“Thane, I’m here. Shift and take flight.”
“Angelique. Is that really you? I can see you on the ground. Your eyes are closed.”
Shit. “I had to leave my body. Now please, Thane. Shift.”
As if she’d been hit by a fifty-foot wave, she tumbled and spun, her white light bouncing everywhere inside him. While she wasn’t in her physical body, she was able to experience everything that was happening to Thane—pain mixed with determination.
“How high?” Thane asked, though she could tell it took a huge effort to even stay conscious, let alone fly.
“This is good. Let your dragon heal you while I take out Mange.”
An evil laugh rang in her ears. While she didn’t hear the dark entity speak, his evilness was edging its way into her. Drawing on all her strength, along with her love for Thane, she expanded her light in every direction.
Just as her attempt faded, a second blast surrounded her, bathing her in warmth and love.
“I’m here,” Thane telepathed.
Together, they pummeled their enemy, but Mange gave back as good as he got. She couldn’t die now, not when she’d just found Thane. Intense pain rattled her cells, and she seemed to be coming apart at the seams. In agony and barely able to hang on, Angelique expelled all of the light until she was no more.
“Angelique, wake up!”
It was Thane’s voice. She cracked open her eyes. She was now in her body on the ground in the alley behind her store. Sirens sounded in the background, and Thane’s magnificent face was leaning over her.
“What happened?” she telepathed, needing to know she was talking to Thane and not Mange.
“He’s gone.”
Gone? She couldn’t wrap her mind around that fact. Angelique pushed up on her elbows and then extended her hand. “Help me up.” With care, Thane pulled her to her feet. “The last thing I remember was that we were losing the fight—or so I thought.”
“I can’t be certain, but when I felt your love and warmth pouring through me, it was so strong and amazing that my dragon gave me a boost of energy. We dumped everything we had inside of us. Technically that might not have been what actually happened, but it felt that way.”
“Maybe it did. Then what?”
“I could feel you leave me, and it scared the daylights out of me. I thought I’d lost you.” He gathered her in his arms and held her tight. Thane kissed the top of her head, and Angelique’s body woke up.
While she wanted to be in his embrace forever, she had to know where Mange was. “And Mange?”
“It was as if something was leaking out of every cell in my body. I shot to the ground to make sure you were okay, and then I saw this dark shadow hovering over you.”
“Mange.”
“Yes. Without thinking, I used whatever energy I had left and shot it into him. I was so afraid my white light might have hurt you, but I had to put an end to him.”
She ran a hand down his arm. “I had wondered the same thing when I aimed my light at Shannon and then again at you. How did Mange respond?” She had to know he’d never hurt anyone again.
Thane nodded to a pile of dark spots on the ground. “That’s what is left of him. He’s gone, and good riddance.”
Just as she stepped over to Mange’s remains, a puff of wind scattered him. “I can’t believe we destroyed him, and that he can’t harm us anymore.” Or so she hoped.
Thane wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve never been so afraid in my life. When I saw you lying there, I wanted to shoot him with a ball of fire. I didn’t though for fear of hitting you.”
She chuckled. “It doesn’t matter now. We’re safe.”
An ambulance roared down the alley. “Why are they here? Is it for Shannon?” he asked.
“Yes.”
The back door opened, and Donald stuck his head out. “Angelique! Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. How is she?”
He shook his head. “Shannon is still alive, but that’s all. She has a bad burn on her body. I put some ice on it, hoping it would help.”
“That’s great, Donald. Thank you.”
Two paramedics piled out of the truck, and Angelique motioned for them to go inside. They didn’t need her interfering, so she remained outside with Thane. “I want to go to the hospital with her. Maybe my white light can help her.”
“No. You are not strong enough yet.”
“It’s all my fault this happened in the first place.”
He cupped her face. “You’re always going to be stubborn, aren’t you?”
She huffed a laugh. “I am when it’s in the best interest of someone I care deeply for.”
Thane held up a hand. “Fine. I’ll fly you to the hospital. We’ll get there before Shannon arrives.”
“Did I tell you that I love you?” She’d certainly hinted at it but had never actually said those words. They had been too scary to say out loud—but no longer. She wanted to profess her love every single day for the rest of her life.
“No, but I knew. Just like I’m sure you know how much I love you.”
“Yes. Your actions told me you did. Now, did someone mention a ride?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The next few days were touch and go for Shannon, but the doctors never gave up hope. Angelique had snuck in a few times and performed a few spells, which sped up her recovery. The hard part was explaining to Shannon exactly what had happened.
Anderson had interviewed her too, to find out what she remembered, but it wasn’t much, thank goodness. Shannon claimed one minute she was delivering coffee and pastry to Angelique and Thane, and the next, she was in the hospital with burns on her stomach, along with a wicked headache.
Shannon reached out her hand and clasped Angelique’s. “I’m sorry this maniac was out to get you,” she said.
“Well, he can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
“Thank goodness.” Shannon released Angelique’s hand and pushed up on her elbows to sit up. “When Melissa stopped by, she said something about the same thing having happened to Greer.”
Already the rumor mills had it wrong. “Not to her, but to one of her customers at the jewelry store. Like you, he pulled through.”
“I’m so glad. Melissa also told me there were others this dark entity had taken over, but that all of them had died.”
“That’s true too.”
“Then why did I live?”
Shannon deserved to know. Survivors’ guilt could be hard to deal with. “I hit you—or rather him—with my white light to weaken him. When he left your body, he didn’t have the strength to leave from one spot. It’s why your injuries, while severe, didn’t kill you.”
“Thank you. I know you thought I was asleep when you came into my hospital room, but I could feel your healing light enter me. It was peaceful and very comforting.”
“I’m happy I could help. Did the doctor say when you could go home?” Angelique asked.
“Tomorrow, if I’m lucky.”
A nurse entered the room and Angelique stood. “Take a few days off and rest. I’ll see you when you return.”
“Thank you.”
Thane was waiting for her in the lobby. “How is she?”
“She’ll be fine. Naturally, she’s still confused, but that’s to be expected.”
“Hell, I’m confused, and I was there,” he said.
She too had a ton of questions, but they could only be answered by someone from her realm, and she had no intention of going back there to ask—ever. “Speaking of confused, what’s the status of Blake Masters and his incarceration? He wasn’t responsible for his actions.”
“Greer went down to the station yesterday and said she wasn’t pressing charges. In light of what happened to Shannon, Anderson let him go.”
“I’m glad. If someone other than Anderson had handled the case, I’m not sure Blake would have been released.”
“I bet you’re right.”
They headed out of the hospital and were greeted by the late morning sun. Her skin warmed, and the sweet scent of some blooming flower elevated her mood. She inhaled, loving the freedom of life without Mange. “If Fate ever approached me about what happened, I’d give her—or him—a piece of my mind,” Angelique said.
“Why’s that?”
“How can you ask that? All this shit with Mange has harmed too many innocent people. Fate has control at all times—or so I’ve been led to believe. Mange could have been stopped.”
Thane wrapped an arm around her waist. “I like to think Mange was let out of your realm in order to bring us together.”
“I know I said that too, but then I dismissed it. However, if that was the case, I might consider thanking Fate.”
“I’ve been thinking,” he said with a sudden burst of cheer.
“Always a dangerous thing.”
He laughed. “Watch it. With all the stuff that has happened, what do you say to a small vacation?”
“While we just had one—albeit one that was short—I’m always up for another one. The problem is that Shannon won’t be returning for a couple of days.”
“I bet I could ask my Mom to help out.”
Angelique smiled. “I bet she’d enjoy that. Where do you have in mind?”
“Hearndon Province. My father has an old friend there by the name of Gregory Kearn who has done very well for himself. So well in fact that he lives in a castle, owns several boats, and has a couple of vacation homes, to name a few things.”
