Page 8 of Rekindled Prophecy
Greylyn found Maureen in the large kitchen off to the side of the dining room, putting away the clean dishes.
“I’ll be with you in a moment, sweetie. Just need to stash away the crystal. Make yourself at home. The pub’s fully stocked.”
During her visit ten years ago, Maureen had explained that the pub had been designed as a scaled down replica of her favorite bar back in Dublin – The Brazen Head, Ireland’s oldest pub, dating back to 1198. It was even older than Greylyn. She had frequented the actual establishment in the early days of her resurrectionwith her friend and mentor, Jasper Moreau. Its miniature replica brought a smile to her face.
Walking into the dimly lit nook off the front corner of the house, she felt transported back in time. It was still daylight outside, but the dark wood floors and wall paneling cast the room in eternal night, with antique wall sconces providing minimal illumination. Greylyn took down two glasses from the under-cabinet stemware rack and yelled to Maureen, “I’ll be out on the front porch when you’re free.”
The covered veranda overlooked the front lawn, furnished with old-fashioned rocking chairs. Flowerpots stretched across the railing and along the cobblestone floor. She took a deep breath of the fresh country air. Hints of lavender and rosemary greeted her senses.
Ah, now this is more like it. Why can’t I stay like this? Can’t another guardian work this gig?
She pulled out her phone from her jeans pocket. Maybe, Jasper can take care of this instead. Part of her felt guilty for wanting to pawn a job onto someone else, but guardian angel burnout had set in long ago. That last gig, she had been so exhausted that she had completely missed the obvious signs of a Jinn-infestation until it was almost too late.
With a few clicks on the phone, the message was sent. “Help. R&R in jeopardy. Wedding to save.”
She allowed herself a few moments to soak up the serenity Gaelic Haven offered. Birds chirped a cheery tune. A gentle breeze tussled her hair. Elegant calla lilies – her favorite flower – in colorful ceramic pots made her smile. With a sigh, she poured some wine into her glass and took a big gulp. Just a minute to herself. Was that too much to ask? Probably.
A blanket of iron-gray storm clouds off in the distance cast an ominous shadow over the landscape. She had been so engrossed in the countryside during her drive, she had not paid any attention to the weather. Usually, Greylyn enjoyed rain, especially thunderstorms. The sheer power and vitality of a storm had a strangely calming effect on her. Pure, unadulterated energy. However, she did hope the foul weather would not settle in for the weekend and interfere with the wedding. Most brides wanted glorious sunny weather for their big day, even though an old wives’ tale stated that rain on a wedding day heralded fertility.
But now, the electricity in the air raised the tiny hairs on the nape of her neck. Was it just the storm, or something more?
As she poured another glass, she caught the hint of a shadow moving at the edge of the front yard, in the gazebo. It was darker than the surrounding shade and appeared human-shaped. The evil was there, watching, and biding its time.
“There you are.”
Casually setting her glass down, she called inside the house. “Hey, Maureen. I forgot something in my room. I’ll be right back.”
Greylyn slipped back through the house and out the rear door. Instead of crossing the short, pebbled path to the Carriage House, she quietly snuck around the other side of the manor. The dense tree line edging the property camouflaged her approach. The shadow was still there, completely motionless. There was also a faint musky scent in the air. It was not offensive like the odor given off by lower-level demons, more like the lingering fragrance in her suite.
When clandestinely watching someone, the key was to keep your focus just to the right or left of your object of interest. Looking directly at someone could transmit the sense of being watched, and then the jig was up. Greylyn kept her sights directly on the side of the gazebo where her peripheral vision could still track the shadow in case it chose to bolt.
The shadow did not move. As she neared the gazebo, the scurrying of a squirrel up the tree behind her was enough to warn the entity of her presence. It still did not move. Either it was completely unaware of her, or it was waiting for her.
“Hello, Greylyn! Long time, no see. Did you miss me?” a husky male voice called.
Chapter 3
The Enemy Unveiled
Chills ran up her spine at the friendly greeting, and her breath caught in her throat. That voice belonged to the one dark guardian she never wanted to tangle with again. Kael.
She had never in her over four hundred years of being a guardian angel encountered the same evil being twice … except for this one. The menace had been showing up repeatedly ever since she began battling for good shortly after her rebirth. He would usually ruin, or at least try to ruin, her attempts to save someone and he took immense pleasure in toying with her. Now, she was not in the mood to deal with him … again.
Trying her best to sound unruffled, she countered, “Well, I would say it’s great to see you, but we both know that it’s not.” With more bravado than she felt, Greylyn stepped out of the shade of the trees into full view of her opponent. “Any chance you could just go pester some other guardian angel? Not to sound ungrateful for the attention, but I believe we could use a break.”
Her heart stopped a moment as she drank in the sight of him with his charming, yet cocky grin. She despised him for all the evil he had unleashed on the world and untold damage to humanity, but more so for the way he made her weak in the knees. With him around, Greylyn would have to be extra careful. Her head was never clear when he was near.
“Dare I ask what you are doing here aside from disturbing my vacation?” A waver in her voice betrayed her lack of confidence. Why did he always affect her so badly?
With a soft chuckle he emerged from the shadowed corner of the gazebo. Tall, dark, and sinfully handsome. His deep cognac eyes danced wickedly, alight with gold flecks that could hypnotize even the strongest mind. One minute they burned bright as topaz, the next they could darken to the shade of a tiger’s eye gemstone. She discovered long ago that directly gazing into those seductive pools was more dangerous than teetering on the edge of a volcano. Although she was unsusceptible to regular demon thrall, the same did not apply to him.
He strode over to Greylyn, took her hand, and gently kissed it, his lips soft and warm against her skin. “Come sit with me, love.”
Damn it!
An electrical surge raced through her entire body from the point of physical contact. Her breath caught in her chest. Every nerve ignited pinpricks of pleasure racing through her veins.
Trying to wrench her hand away, she steeled herself for any further interaction by digging her nails into her palms. Pain the only antidote to the physical influence he held over her. And sometimes, that did not work.