His Angelic Mate [Paranormal Protection Unit 7] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 16

  Cin hesitated but finally nodded and pulled back from the sauce in question. “All right. If you say that it’s okay, then I will trust you and believe in you.” She smiled brightly up at Talon. “But only because I think that you are exceptional and know your stuff when it comes to cooking.” Yeah right, they both knew that she would trust him even if he told her that he had to drop her from the top of a mountain.

  Snorting at her, he dropped a kiss to her nose lightly. “Then let’s get the food dished out so we can put on the sauce and go and eat.” Moving to the counter, he pulled the lid off the meat. Digging it out, he handed her the knife and long fork. “Slice the meat if you would and put a couple slices on each plate,” he told her with a grin as he watched her taking the utensils.

  Cin could handle blades. She was beyond good with them. With skill and precision she sliced the meat so thinly you could practically read through it. When that was finished, she laid the slices carefully on the plates and passed him one. “This good?” she asked with a hopeful grin on her face.

  “Very,” he told her honestly with a smile. “Now we dish up the vegetables and put on the sauce, at which point we turn the heat off and move the pot off the burner.” Carrying his plate over to the stove, he waited for her and then dished up the vegetables. Switching out the spatula for a ladle for the sauce, he spooned some over each of their meat before turning off the power and moving the pot. “Now we go and eat,” he told her with a grin. “The good part of it all.”

  “The best part.” Cin loved food. She found that she was nearly constantly eating since coming to Earth. “Food is such an unexpected pleasure.” She knew that food would be necessary to have energy to fight, to move, but she never would have dreamed from her perch in the skies that food would be such a joy as well.

  Chuckling at her, he led her toward the table and pulled out the chair for her. Sitting once she was settled, he looked to her and waited for her to try her first attempt at cooking. “So?” he asked as she dug into it. “Is it as good as the stuff they do in the cafeteria?”

  She took a tentative bite and chewed slowly. Finally she smiled up at him. “Oh this is very good,” she admitted to him. “I think that this is actually better,” she told him with a smile. “I know, strange for me to say, but I really do think this is better.” Because they had shared the experience in making it.

  Nodding, he smiled at her. “It’s always better when you put the work into making it, darling. It gives it that something special that when others make food just doesn’t exist.” Digging into the meal, he ate and talked with her softly.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Eight days later…

  He stood in the trees watching, his teeth grating together and anger pouring off of him in waves. Stalking from the shadows, he approached, a lifted hand tossing guards out of his way. “Hello, my dear one.” He didn’t know what she was, who she was, but he knew she was different. He wondered if this one was the reason for the odd waves that had cascaded and crashed into him weeks earlier. “Who are you, my little birdy?”

  She turned slowly, facing a monster of true proportions as she did so. Cocking her head to the side, she frowned. “It’s truly amazing how Gaia’s beings were created of beauty and love, simply because she is beautiful, but yours…” She tapped a finger to her lips. “Even yours didn’t fall subject to your devious visage and instead hold a part of that light and goodness inside of them. Do you think that perhaps it’s because you are completely void of any goodness or light?”

  Baring his teeth in an evil version of a grin, he hissed a breath at her. “They are things of beauty so that they can better lure you all to your ends at my feet. But you didn’t answer my question, little birdy, and that is just plain rude. Who are you?” he asked, the question blasting at her with a good amount of his power behind the words.

  Cinnamon laughed at the onslaught and tilted her head to the side. “You haven’t figured it out yet?” she asked and shook her head. “Father must have ensured that everyone else had the brains and just left you empty when he created you then,” she said and then allowed Chaos to see her for who she truly was. She felt Talon’s guards approaching, even felt her mate approaching, but she showed herself to one and all. “Such a pity, here I had truly believed that you would have known the moment that he allowed me to come to Earth.” Pulling her sword from her back, she faced her uncle in a loose fighting stance.

  “So you are that inferior little thing he sent here,” Chaos sneered at her in a dismissive manner. Waving a hand, he doused the flames of her sword, leaving it nothing more than metal in her hands. “I was born of his thoughts, child. What you have for weapons can’t harm me, not here.” He spread his arms wide. “This is my playground, and you”—he pointed at her—“you were not invited to this party. So you will just have to sit it out, I think.” He smiled slowly at her. “But since you decided to crash it, a parting gift for you.” He snapped his fingers and a small army of his Vampires appeared. “And no, you don’t get the flaming sword to protect yourself with, not this time,” he said, snapping his fingers again to hide the blade. He couldn’t take it from her, but he could ensure she couldn’t use it. “Good luck.” He laughed and stepped back to watch the “party.”

  “Don’t need luck,” she muttered. Even though her sword was no longer lit, she could feel the weight of it in her hands, knew the dimensions of it, and could use it, lit or not. He might have been able to hide it from her, but he would never have the power to take it from her. Ever. Only her father had that type of power. Standing to face the Vampires that came from the shadows, she smiled. “Come and face justice,” she hissed out softly and waited patiently, knowing that it was best to be on her terms in a fight instead of rushing into another’s.

  Cinnamon, talk to me, Talon ordered as he ran for everything he was worth. They’d been on the training fields right at the back of his property, a long way to get to the house. But the instant he’d felt a hiccup in her heart rate he hadn’t even thought. He’d just spun around and started running for all he was worth. He still had the sword in hand and knew better than to toss it to the guards. There was evil emanating from the house, somewhere close, and he had a feeling he’d need his blade before the night was over.

  Chaos has his Vampires about to attack me. He was just here, Cin said as she began to battle the first wave of Vampires that attacked. I think he’s done something to your guard. They can’t move and I’m fighting alone. A little help would be much appreciated please, she confessed as she moved like a graceful dancer through the wave of dark Vampires that practically swarmed over her.

  Rounding the house, he growled. “Coming to you, babe,” he warned and inhaled deeply. Fire coming through, he said before he breathed out a stream of pure Dragon fire. The Vampires in the path went up like the driest tinder known to man as he raced in and swung his blade in a wide swath, removing heads as he went.

  “Thank you, honey,” she said and moved so that her back was to his. “Are your guards all right, honey?” she asked as she took another head off of the Vampire that attacked, the remaining ones seeming to rethink the sanity of attacking her since her bond-mate showed up with her.

  “You’re welcome, babe,” he said and shrugged. “The guards with me are fine and picking off those on the outskirts. The others, I don’t know, I can feel them, but they seem wrapped up in a fog of some sort, like their minds have been messed with.” Which pissed Talon off to no end. Gods needed to leave him and his alone, or he’d be figuring out how to take the fight to Chaos’s doorstep right quick.

  “If you can reach them mentally, tell them to focus on my light. I’m going to amp it up so that they will be able to find us as well.” Another head went rolling from her sword, which was invisible. “And then after that I need to have my mother come and ensure that my blade is put back to rights. This is seriously angering me that I can’t have my sword as it should be,” she grumbled.

  “All right.” He could just to
uch the guards’ minds. He’d had them with him long enough and sent out the warning. “They’re ready. Do it and call Gaia,” he said, inhaling deeply and blowing out more fire in a tight stream. It wouldn’t harm the Dragons, but the Vampires all shrieked in agony.

  Amping up her inner Angel, Cinnamon allowed the pure light of who she was flow through the trees, knocking more than one Vampire onto his knees as she did so. “She’s coming, and she’s more than a little cranky. Said to tell you that nothing had better happen to me or she would be very cross,” she snorted. “She still doesn’t get that you would die instead of allow anything to happen to me.”

  “Considering she’s the one that created the whole bonding with a mate and the guidelines to it, you’d figure she’d know that,” Talon said, sweeping his blade around and grinning happily at the number of heads that rolled.

  “Yeah, I know, but where I come in she’s completely and totally uber-protective,” she admitted as she swung her blade and took off more heads. “Where the heck are all of these Vampires coming from? Did he pull them all from the tri-state area?”

  “More than likely,” he told her as he swung around. “Switch places,” he told her, putting a hand to her hip to move her to where he’d just been standing. Breathing in, he let loose a blast of Dragon fire and mowed more down. “I swear they are multiplying,” he muttered as a flash of light came from their left. “Mom’s here,” Talon said, swinging his blade again.

  Gaia took the situation in a moment and shook her head. Walking through the Vampires, her light knocked them down as she passed them. Moving to Cinnamon, she touched her blade, the fire once more lit, and she smiled. “There you are, daughter. Now you don’t have to take their heads. Just touch them with the blade and they will die. Now I have to go and turn off my brother’s call that he has out to these poor men and women.” With that she was gone.

  Shaking her head, Cinnamon sighed and then began to move once more, only the smallest touch of her blade taking the Vampires down where before she had to slice their heads off.

  “I so want one of those,” Talon said with a grin over his shoulder to her. “Think I can talk her into getting me one for Christmas?” he asked, only a little serious. He had Dragon’s fire. He could do a lot more damage in one blast with a lot less effort than she could with her sword. Still, it would be nice to have one, make a great conversation starter.

  “Only Celestial beings can hold this sword. Sorry, love, but you can’t even give it a swing. It would bring you to your knees with the weight. The sword was made only for me I’m afraid. It’s connected to my DNA only.”

  “Well, it was a thought,” he said, turning to drop a kiss to her lips as they changed positions again. “You are one sexy female swinging that around though.” He had to admit that. He loved the fact she knew how to handle herself and wasn’t afraid to get a little dirty.

  “I think that you are sexy as all get-out with your fire,” she admitted and pushed back so her back was to his for a moment. “Shoot,” she muttered. “Not all are in the darkness,” she whispered. “Crap, how is he forcing those that have chosen the light to attack us?” She growled, “It’s like they are under hypnosis.”

  “Maybe they are,” Talon said, looking around. “Point them out to me, babe, and I’ll put them on their asses and we can figure it out later.” Tossing his sword to one of his guards, Talon decked the one she pointed to and left him on the ground bleeding. They could patch them up after they weeded out the good from the bad.

  “Any that I touch with my sword is unredeemable,” she told him as they worked through the wave of Vampires. “The others, however, are a part of the light. Don’t kill them.” She pointed another three out to him as she let her sword move through the ones that were true monsters.

  Putting his fists into the faces of those she pointed out to him time and again, soon they had none standing. A lot were dust. Many more were on their backs unconscious. Taking his sword back from his guard, he pointed to those on the ground. “Lock them up for the time being. We need to figure out what happened to them and how to fix it.”

  Waving a hand over her sword, she cleaned it with a thought and then placed it on her back once more. Turning to Talon, she smiled. “Hey, honey,” she whispered. “How about a hug?” she asked hopefully. She was ready to fall into his arms. She was exhausted. She hated to take lives, even when they were of the darkness.

  Reaching out, he tugged her to him and wrapped her up in his arms. “You did amazing, my love,” he whispered softly. Brushing his lips to hers, he smiled. “You were pure poetry in motion, my Angel darling.”

  “Do you think that we can take a hot shower, and sleep for a long time? Taking lives takes so very much out of me,” she admitted. “I just need to get into bed to sleep before I crash.” She whispered, “Because trust me, I’m going to crash, and when I do it’s going to be for a while.” It would be the only way that she would be able to get past the exhaustion she felt because of taking so many lives.

  Nodding, he scooped her up into his arms. “Take care of them,” he told the guards quietly. “Put them in the cells, provide blood and water. Ensure the windows are barricaded so they aren’t harmed, and alert me when they wake. No harm comes to any of them or your heads will be on my wall,” he said, looking at each man. Seeing that they would all obey even if they didn’t understand, he carried his mate back to the house.

  Snuggling up closer into his arms, Cin sighed. “I do love you, Talon. Goodness, you were so very remarkable out there, honey. I would fight at your back any day of the week.” Hopefully they wouldn’t have to kill so many beings next time though.

  “You are amazing as well, sweetheart,” he told her, pushing into the house. Kicking the door shut, he took her straight upstairs. “Do you want a bath or a shower before we lie down?” he asked her quietly.

  “I just need sleep. When I’ve had a little rest I will wash, but right now the backlash of taking so many lives is hitting me hard.” She needed to recharge, so to speak.

  Understanding, he carried her to their room and locked the door. Laying her on the bed, he helped to strip her down and tucked her under the blankets. Moving around the room, Talon drew the drapes and stripped down. Slipping into the bed with her, he wrapped her in his arms. “Sleep, angel mine.”

  “All right,” she mumbled, moving and curling into him. Yawning, she closed her eyes. “Good night, darling mine,” she whispered and was off to sleep without another moment’s hesitation.

  “Good night, my Angel,” he whispered, stroking his fingers over her back as he pulled her in closer to him. Brushing a kiss to her cheek, Talon rested his cheek to hers. “Sleep well, Cin,” he said softly as he felt her relaxing into sleep.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Watching the TVs that showed the video feed from the cells, Talon spun the chair back and forth in short turns. The Vampires all seemed relaxed except a couple who were edgy and looked to be having arguments with themselves. Looking up when he scented his mate, he smiled. “Hello, angel,” he murmured, pulling her into his lap. “Did you find out anything that will help us help them?”

  “I have, but they so aren’t going to like it.” Cinnamon moved so that she could rub her lips to his shoulder and the side of his neck. “I can reset their buttons, I guess is the best way to phrase it.” She closed her eyes and whispered to him, “But to do it I’m going to have to reach inside their souls and pull out the seed that Chaos implanted in them. It’s going to hurt them like whoa crazy.”

  Wrinkling his nose at her words, he shivered in sympathy. “Well, I say we offer them the choices, love,” he told her honestly. “We lay it all out and let them make the call.” What they decided would be pivotal to what would happen to them.

  “I think that would be the best.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “For those that refuse it, we will have to put them down,” she admitted. “Because the dark seed that Chaos has implanted in them will only grow, and they will turn into dar
kness even though it’s not what they truly would want.”

  Nodding, he ran his hand up and down her calf gently. “All right, we should likely pull them out one at a time and discuss it. It will ensure that we get honest answers from them.” And they’d be able to tell who actually didn’t like the darkness and those who were starting to get into it.

  “All right.” Cinnamon turned into him closer, brushing her lips to his neck time and again. “Do we need to now?” she teased with a smile. “Because I’m telling you, darling, I’m feeling like I need you, need to be with you again before we go and deal with them.”

  Smiling at her words, he shook his head. “No, we don’t need to go right now,” he told her honestly. “They all need more blood, and while I understand it, it definitely gives me the heebie-jeebies, so I’m not going down there until they are done.”

  Wrinkling her nose, she nodded. “I was never so happy to see blood banks in my life as I was when I saw the first Vampire step from the darkness and into the light. It’s truly the best thing for them, and I’m so happy that they were created.” It meant that they no longer had to hurt humans. That was very good.

  “I’m just glad that there are ones specifically for them,” Talon said softly to her. It meant that the clean blood went to humans that needed it and the blood that was tainted or diseased could be used by the Vampires since they couldn’t catch diseases. Though Talon had been kind to their guests and gotten them only clean blood. It helped having a Vamp on staff who knew of a place off the radar.

  “Same here,” Cin nodded. Looking up at her bond-mate, she smiled. “How did you get to me so quickly? How did you know that I was being attacked?” It was as if he had known before she had sent out the call to him asking for help. Odd, but then again he was her bond-mate, so there had to be something there as well.

  “I felt your tension level rise. You weren’t the eternally calm deep spring of water you normally are inside,” he told her. “I was already kind of heading your way when you sent out the call. I didn’t want to just rush in if something had startled you. Then you did the holler for help and the Dragon gave me a burst of energy to reach you fast.” And he’d cheated a little, too.