The Angel Gift (Dark World: The Angel Trials Book 4) Read online

  The thought both surprised and scared me.

  Before, I hadn’t cared at all.

  Why did I care now?

  It was yet another alien emotion that made me wonder if the mate bond between myself and Flint had changed something in me—something that went down to the root of my soul.

  “It was Thomas.” Sage spoke his name with no emotion—like her love for him had been erased. “He must have flown it through my window last night while I was sleeping. It has a sound proofing spell on it, so I didn’t hear it arrive.”

  “How did he know you were here?” Flint’s eyes narrowed, and he continued before Sage could answer. “If you told him we’re here, admit to it now. I can’t promise how Azazel will react, but I’ll ask for him to go easy on you since you came clean on your own.”

  “I didn’t tell Thomas I was here.” Sage looked surprised Flint would even think it. “Azazel wants my location to remain secret. I would never betray his trust. Not after everything he’s done for us.”

  Flint nodded, apparently believing her.

  I believed her, too. She sounded so cold and heartless it was impossible not to.

  “Then how did he know you’re here?” Flint asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “But there was a letter attached to the drone.” She placed the thing—the drone—down on the floor and removed the letter from her back pocket. “I apologize for waking both of you so early, but I thought it best to deliver the letter to you straight after finding it.”

  “The letter was addressed to me?” Flint looked perplexed.

  “No,” she said. “It was addressed to me. But Thomas doesn’t realize I’m here willingly. He asked me to betray Azazel and our pack. I thought it best to immediately deliver the letter to you—my alpha—so you can decide what to do about it.”

  “You thought correct.” Flint raised his hand and motioned for her to come forward. “Give me the letter so I can read it myself.”

  She did as asked.

  Flint opened the letter and read it. He allowed me to read it over his shoulder. The handwriting was exquisite, but slanted, as if written in a rush.

  Dearest Sage,

  I’ve never been the best as expressing my emotions. That was always where you shined. But seeing you snatched away from me broke me in ways you can’t begin to imagine.

  I was supposed to keep you safe, and I failed. I’ll never be able to forgive myself for that. Especially knowing that because of my ineptitude, you were forced to become a slave to Azazel.

  I have sources working on figuring out how to break this bond between you two. I just hope you know that no matter what he’s done to you, it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. I love you Sage. I always have, and I always will. The imprint bond between us has grown weak, but it’s still there. Our love cannot be broken.

  I was foolish enough to let you get away from me twice. It won’t happen a third time. I promise you that.

  I have eyes on the Montgomery compound. I saw how well you’re pretending to go along with what that monster is doing for you. It’s a smart decision, and I’m proud of you for making it. It’s kept you alive. But you won’t have to pretend for much longer. Because I’m here for you, and I’m going to keep you safe from now on.

  I’d march inside the compound right now and take you away to safety if I thought we could get out of there alive. But it would only get us both killed.

  So you’re going to have to sneak out of there yourself. Since you have them all convinced you’re on their side, I know you can do this. I love you, and I believe in you. All of your rebellious experience of sneaking out of places in the past will finally come in handy, just like I always knew it would.

  But you have to do it soon. Tomorrow, during the day, when everyone is asleep.

  Meet me at the place you wanted to take me when I visited you in LA. I’ll be waiting for you at noon.

  I love you, always,

  Thomas

  PS: Once you read this letter, burn it. We can’t risk anyone finding it.

  PPS: I love you.

  Mara

  I’d never met Thomas, but I could practically feel his love for Sage oozing off the pages.

  He loved her as much as Flint had loved me before the blood binding ceremony with Azazel.

  Flint looked up from the paper, his red eyes raging with anger. “You imprinted on Thomas?” he asked, barely containing his fury.

  “I don’t know.” Sage shrugged, looking truly clueless. “He claims so in the letter. But I don’t feel the bond between us. The only bond I feel is the one with Azazel.”

  Dread twisted in my stomach at the implication behind her words. I turned again to Flint.

  “Did the same thing happen to you after the blood binding ceremony with my father?” I asked. “Did you lose touch with your imprint bond to me?”

  He said nothing. The hard look in his eyes told me all I needed to know.

  He softened his gaze a moment later, but it was like it was rehearsed and not real.

  “The bond I have with Azazel is strong,” he said. “But I still knew I was imprinted with you, and I wanted to mate with you. We wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

  He said it so… robotically.

  The Flint I was speaking to now was a different person from the Flint I knew and loved before the blood binding ceremony.

  That Flint loved me and would have given the world to mate with me.

  As a demon, I knew how blood binding worked. Flint—and any other shifters bound to my father—would want what my father wanted.

  My father wanted Flint and I to mate to show unity. He wanted other shifters to see that this alliance we’d made was built on love, not on threats. Plus, he was curious about what would happen when a shifter mated with a demon.

  Flint hadn’t told me he loved me since the blood binding ceremony.

  Now that he was bound to my father, he’d only wanted to mate with me because my father wanted him to mate with me.

  The realization made me feel like I was drowning in despair. It hurt to breathe. I tried steadying my breaths, but there wasn’t enough air in the room to keep me steady and focused.

  “Mara?” Sage asked from overhead. Her voice sounded distant and hazy. “Are you okay?”

  No, I wanted to say. I’m mated to the shadow of a man whose love for me has been overpowered by his bond to my father. How can I ever be okay again?

  But of course I didn’t say that. The mate bond was for life. The demon bond… well, as far as I was concerned, that was for life too.

  The Flint I’d loved was never coming back. And because we were mated, I’d never fall in love again.

  I wished I’d had more time between the blood binding ceremony and the mating ceremony. If I’d had the time, I would have realized how much Flint had changed.

  If given the time, I might not have gone through with it.

  Thomas needed to know Sage was lost to him. That way, he’d be given the chance I never had. The chance to let her go.

  “I’ll alert Azazel so he can go to the meeting location tomorrow at noon,” Flint decided. “He shouldn’t have a problem killing Thomas.”

  I looked to Sage, assuming she’d have some kind of reaction to the thought of the death of this man who loved her. She’d loved him before blood binding with my father. So she had to feel something. Right?

  She was completely emotionless.

  “If that’s what you and Azazel think is best…” she said with a slight pause. “I’ll stand by your decision.”

  “Wait,” I said.

  Both of them turned to me. Sage’s eyes widened, startled. Flint’s brow furrowed in worry.

  “Yes?” Flint asked, warning in his tone.

  I took a deep breath. I needed to get a grip on myself and be the cool, calm demon they expected me to be.

  They’d be more likely to listen to me that way.

  “Thomas will be no use to us if he’s dead,” I said, casually
glancing at the letter. “Why not use his feelings to get him to join our side?”

  The corner of Flint’s lips flicked up into a smile. “Fascinating,” he said, looking over to Sage. “What are your thoughts, little sister?”

  Sage pressed her lips together, as if nervous. She looked from Flint to me, and then back to Flint. “Azazel did say he wants more numbers,” she said carefully. “If we can convince Thomas to go through a blood binding ceremony, I only see that as being a good thing.”

  “Only shifters can blood bind with demons,” I informed them. “But any supernatural can enter into a blood oath. My father will ensure the wording of the oath is clear cut enough to have Thomas’s loyalty.” I smiled, as if relishing in the thought. “He’s going to be so pleased to have a vampire on our side. And not just any vampire. A vampire prince.”

  “He will.” Sage nodded, although her eyes were far off. Troubled. “But I’m not sure Thomas would enter into a blood oath with a demon.”

  “I thought you said he loved you?” I asked.

  “He does.” She tilted her head, confused. “At least, it appears he does from this letter.”

  Were her feelings truly so numbed that she couldn’t be sure he loved her?

  If so, this was definitely the right decision.

  “It does,” I agreed. “So, here’s what I’m thinking we should do…”

  They leaned forward to listen, and from there, I told them my plan.

  At least, I told them the parts they needed to know.

  Thomas

  I arrived at the meeting spot—the Hollywood sign overlooking LA—thirty minutes early. As expected, the hiking trail was crowded with tourists. Perfect.

  Despite trusting Sage to come alone, I needed to remain cautious. I couldn’t forget that she and the rest of the Montgomery pack were bound to Azazel.

  Even if she brought others with her here, they wouldn’t risk staging an attack in such a public place. There was too great of a chance of humans getting stuck in the crossfire.

  Humans remained rather ignorant to our presence unless they were injured or killed. If that happened, the Vale would swoop in and enact their wrath quickly. King Alexander was a fairer ruler than the Vale’s previous monarch, Queen Laila. But when it came to the laws about keeping the supernatural world hidden from humans, the vampire kingdoms didn’t budge, no matter how fair their ruler.

  I found a bench underneath a shady tree and sat there as I waited for Sage. While I’d asked her to meet at noon, I was well aware she might hit speed bumps that could make her timing unpredictable. I needed to return to the Devereux mansion before sunset, so I was prepared to wait for Sage until then.

  Ten minutes before noon, I smelled the woodsy scent of shifter nearby. My heart leaped, and sure enough, I spotted Sage heading in my direction.

  Sunglasses covered her eyes, but she looked more beautiful that ever with her long dark hair blowing behind her as she walked toward me.

  I stood to greet her, noticing our imprint bond wasn’t flaring up. This was concerning.

  Up until now, the bond always flared up when I was close to Sage. Noah had confirmed the same thing happened with him and Raven.

  But even though Sage was standing right in front of me, the bond remained as dulled as ever.

  I also noticed she wasn’t wearing her cloaking ring. It explained why I was able to catch her scent when she’d gotten near.

  “You came.” I reached out to take her hands in mine. I needed to touch her—to feel she was real.

  She allowed me to take her hands, although they laid limply in mine.

  Where was the Sage I knew? The one who used to run for me, wrap her arms around me, and kiss me even at the most inappropriate moments?

  “Of course I came.” She sounded like she was at a business meeting—not like she was reuniting with someone she loved after being abducted by a greater demon. “I have so much I need to tell you.”

  “I know what Azazel did to you,” I told her, figuring that was what she meant. “You don’t have to hide your eyes from me. Once we’re back at the Devereux mansion, we’ll figure out a way to fix this.”

  “I’m not going to the Devereux mansion,” she said simply.

  “The mansion is safe,” I assured her. “Their sister Whitney used her Final Spell to create a powerful barrier around it. Azazel won’t be able to get to you in there. I promise.”

  “I understand,” she said. “Which is why I won’t go there.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Why would she say such a thing?

  I glanced around the area, instantly suspicious. Were there other Montgomery pack members in the area, or even Azazel himself? Had they discovered my letter? Had they forced Sage to come here anyway and followed her here?

  It would explain why she was acting so strange and distant. She was trying to warn me.

  I tried to tune into the imprint bond, wanting to ask her privately if we were safe to speak freely. But I couldn’t tap into it. It was there, but at the same time, it was impossible to hold onto.

  My frustration grew as my attempts failed, until I eventually gave up.

  Luckily, there were other ways to communicate with her. We didn’t have to rely on magic.

  I let go of one of her hands and reached for my cell phone in my pocket. Upon touching it, I used my ability to command a message to appear upon the screen.

  Did they follow you here? Do we need to make a run for it?

  I angled the message toward her so she could read it. Her sunglasses were so dark that the light of the phone reflected on the lenses.

  “We’re safe,” she confirmed. “But I didn’t come here to run off with you.”

  “Oh?” I asked.

  “I came here to make you an offer.”

  I tilted my head, more confused than ever.

  The woman in front of me looked and smelled like Sage. But she wasn’t acting like Sage. And my imprint bond wasn’t responding to her the way it should.

  It was like I was speaking with a stranger.

  “Take off your sunglasses,” I told her. “I want to see your eyes.”

  She reached for her sunglasses and propped them up on her head. Red eyes stared back at me.

  I knew the demon bonding ceremony had changed her familiar warm brown eyes to what they were now. But the coldness in them took me by surprise.

  “Happy?” She dropped her arms to her sides, not reaching out for me again.

  I nodded, words getting stuck in my throat.

  I wasn’t the type of man to be caught off guard. In the rare times I was, I’d learned it was best to say nothing.

  But Sage had come here for a reason. Whatever that reason was, I needed to know.

  I was also grateful she’d come at all. Whatever Azazel had done to her had clearly damaged her in ways I hadn’t expected. Cassandra had warned me about this. But Sage was strong. I’d help her get through it.

  To do that, I needed to figure out exactly what we were facing.

  “What’s this offer you came to ask?” I finally forced myself to return to the conversation at hand.

  “Would you like to sit?” She motioned to the bench I’d been sitting on when I was waiting for her—when I thought I was about to whisk her away to safety at the Devereux mansion.

  Perhaps I’d been foolish to think the plan would play out so easily.

  I’d thought we might hit some speed bumps. But I hadn’t expected this… shadow of whatever Sage had become. I hadn’t expected to feel like I was talking to a stranger.

  “No,” I replied. “Let’s remain standing.”

  “As you wish.” She nodded, still as stiff as ever. “In your letter, you said you had eyes on the Montgomery complex. I take it that means you figured out a way to spy on us?”

  “Just long enough to see you were there, and to see you playing along with this alliance Flint made with Azazel.” Disgust laced my tone as I spoke the greater demon’s name. “Playing along was s
mart. It kept you alive.”

  She stared at me, her eyes cold. “I wasn’t ‘playing along’ with anything,” she said. “This alliance was meant to be. Flint wouldn’t have imprinted on Azazel’s daughter otherwise. Now that the Montgomery pack is bonded with Azazel, he’s going to keep us safe in the dark times to come. He’s our Savior. And Flint made this all happen for us.”

  “You don’t believe that,” I said. “You wouldn’t be here right now if you did.”

  “You’re wrong,” she said. “I came here today because I want you to join us.”

  I heard her speak, but I couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth.

  I searched her eyes for evidence that she was being coerced—that she was saying this against her will. But she was as serious and calm as ever.

  It was like the fire in her soul had been snuffed out completely.

  “Azazel won’t keep you safe,” I said sharply. “He—and all the demons—want the world to themselves. They want all the supernaturals dead.”

  “He only wants to get rid of those who oppose him and his kind,” she said steadily. “Which is exactly why Flint made this alliance. The demons are strong, dangerous enemies. Why fight them when we can join them? When they’re offering us their protection?”

  “They’re not offering you protection.” I sneered, unable to believe she truly bought what he was selling. “They’ve turned you into slaves.”

  “I’m not a slave,” she said. “I’ve pledged loyalty to Azazel. In return, he’s pledged loyalty to me. If you do the same—if you make a blood oath to promise your loyalty to him—you’ll be protected in the upcoming war. Then the two of us can be together forever.” Her eyes softened, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of the Sage I knew in there. “Isn’t that want you want?”

  “Is that what you want?” I asked in return.

  “Of course it is,” she said, and my heart fluttered with relief. She was still in there. “Your gift with technology will help us so much,” she continued. “Azazel will be so pleased with me for bringing you to our side.”