A Rescuer: Book 2 of the Rescued Series Read online

  A

  Rescuer

  The Rescued Series Book 2

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  Book Description

  Angels and demons. Fallen and devine. It all sounds like fantasy, hucum, or even malarky, right? Well, welcome to my world. It’s a blast.

  I was raised by a good ‘ol mom and dad, in a home with a basement and a fenced-in yard. Hiding my secret ability is easy when I figure I’m just crazy and the rest of the world doesn’t get it.

  Then, everything changes just like that when the guy I thought only lived as a figment of my subconscious actually speaks to me and tells me he is my guardian angel.

  Who knew he’d also be the man to take my heart?

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  I stared down at my feet, and the greenish-brown scuffs of dirt on my jeans. I felt lost. The soccer field was dark and empty, with only me standing beside the torn up lawn from the fight that ended only minutes before. I knew Zander won the fight. I saw him break the fallen angel, Morax’s wing.

  Still, I felt like somehow we both lost something precious. My heart sank into a thick quicksand inside of my chest. I knew there was more to Zander fading away from me after that kiss. More than just him going back to wherever it was that he went when he wasn’t guarding me.

  I had thought that him finally getting his wings would be a day to celebrate, that it meant he had accomplished something incredible… No…

  I thought back to when Penelope told me about her purpose as a Power angel. She sat beside me at the animal shelter where we worked together and told me that she was bred to fight the fallen angels, or Nephilim. She mentioned something about the purpose of guardian angels as well.

  Zander was a human before he died and only became my guardian eighteen years ago, just after I was born. What I learned from Penelope was, when a guardian finally gets their wings, their first mission is over. Zander was moving on to a new mission, and that meant a new person.

  I tried to steady my breath, on the verge of a full freakout. I wasn’t ready to lose Zander. I had only just kissed him for the first time. I could still feel his lips on mine, and I needed more of that feeling.

  I swiped at the dirt on my once clean clothes as dark clouds started to block out the moon, and I turned in the direction of home. I ran as fast and as hard as I could, but still at an all too human pace. So much for the theory that I’m special.

  It wasn’t a usual occurrence in the dry Albuquerque air, but it started to rain. Small droplets of cool water hit my back as I ran up my parent’s driveway. I welcomed the sensation, overheated from my run home.

  “Zander!” I called out the name of my guardian angel as I burst through the door of my basement apartment.

  Penelope came running from my bedroom with wide eyes, her long, platinum blonde hair messed up on the right side. “Why are you yelling?” She stood in a defensive stance, looking me up and down. “Oh my...”

  I was sure that I looked like I just crawled out of a muddy pit, but I didn’t care. “I’m sorry, Pen. I’m calling for Zander.”

  With his tongue falling out of the side of his mouth, my big furry St. Bernard, Bruno came up to me. I reached down to pat him on the head. “Have you seen my guardian angel around here, buddy?”

  Bruno just wagged his tail and looked up at me with his head tilted to the side. I shook my wet black hair and sighed, “Nevermind.”

  “Erin, seriously. What the hell is going on?” Penelope was freaked, and I felt bad for starting a fun BFF sleepover and then just ditching her for a no good Nephilim.

  Tears started to fill my eyes, even as I tried to keep myself together. “He’s gone, Pen! Zander is gone, and I don’t know where he went, or if I’ll ever see him again!” I was losing it, right there in the middle of my living room, in front of my angel best friend.

  Penelope ran to me and pulled me into her arms, not caring that I was surely ruining her white pajama top. “Shhh. It’s okay. Tell me what happened.”

  The tears came harder as I sat on my old couch with Penelope, and explained the night’s events to her. I told her about how I snuck past her to find my ex-boyfriend Joey, who was also a fallen angel that tried to kill me. Her eyes narrowed, but she stayed silent as I relayed it all.

  I told her about the Nephilim, Morax, who chased me down in the soccer field and threatened to kill me, and how Zander showed up and saved my life. “He was incredible, Pen. I don’t know how he was so strong, but he broke Morax’s wing and told him to leave. I’m surprised the guy could even fly after that.”

  “Guardians are every bit as strong as us Powers. They just have to have the right motivation, and it sounds like you were just that.”

  I nodded, and tried to find my next words. “He kissed me.” I touched my lips, wanting to feel his again.

  Penelope sat up straighter and her mouth fell open. “How in the world did he do that?”

  I shrugged. “I can’t explain it. Sometimes, when I’m really upset or emotional, my body kind of… glows, I guess. When it does that, Zander is able to touch me… as if he were a regular person.”

  “Or, as if you were a real angel.” Her eyebrows were raised and she pointed a finger at me. “I think that’s what’s going on. You are showing angelic qualities when you do the ‘glowy’ thing.”

  It didn’t feel like a possibility to me, but I knew almost nothing about myself, so how could I be sure? “Maybe,” I said.

  “So, what happened after you kissed? How did you end up running through the rain and yelling Zander’s name?”

  Though my tears had calmed down, her question made me want to start bawling all over again. “He… grew wings.”

  Penelope’s hand flew to her mouth. “Did he disappear?” There was sorrow in her tone, and I was afraid to answer. I just nodded and she closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Erin.”

  “Where did he go, Pen? Is he gone… like forever?” I was desperate to know.

  She opened her mouth to say something, but a knock came at my apartment door, followed by my mom’s voice on the other side. “Erin, honey? Are you home?”

  I sighed and ran to the door. “Coming, mom.” I tried to fix my wrinkled shirt, but figured it was no use and opened the door, mess and all.

  My mom stopped mid-step when she saw my appearance. “Oh, my. What on earth happened to you?”

  I looked down at my stained jeans and muddy t-shirt. “I went for a walk, and got caught in the rain…” I hesitated, not sure how much I should tell her, even though she already knew about angels and the fallen.

  My mom was no dummy. She tilted her head, and gave me a knowing look. “Now the real story, please?”

  I gestured for her to come in, and caught my dad coming down the stairs from the main part of the house. I groaned. “Oh, goody. It’s a family meeting.”

  “I’m sorry, baby girl, but your mom came to check on you and I hadn’t heard back. We were both worried since you didn’t answer your phone.”

  I felt my back pocket, but sure enough, my new phone was missing. “Crap. I must’ve dropped it earlier.” It wasn’t surprising, considering nearly being killed by a fallen angel. I turned and waved toward Penelope, where she now stood beside my sofa. “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to officially meet my friend, Penelope.”

  Pen smiled at them, showing her perfectly white teeth. “We met for a moment, but I’m glad to see you both again.”

  My parents stared at my poor friend with wide eyes and opened mouths. I nudged my dad’s freakishly large bicep and cleared my throat. “It’s okay, guys. Yes, she is an angel, but you are allowed to say hello.”

  My mom actually bowed like a weirdo at Penelope. “It’s so nice to see you, too.”

  Even through my sadness, I laughed at her, and Penelope let loose her own snickers. Penelope stepped closer to my mom and pulled her in for a warm hug. “I’m sorry if you feel weird around me, Mrs. Porter. Please, just treat me like your daughter’s friend, and nothing more.”

  My mom nodded and let out a long breath before turning her attention back on me. “So, will you tell your father and I what is going on? We’ve been trying to call you for twenty minutes.”

  I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. I went through the night's events with my parents, in the same way I had for Penelope. Both of their eyes filled with tears for the life of their only daughter. I hated putting the worry on them, but with my father being a police officer, I hoped he would be more vigilant now that I had brought a potential threat to them.

  “Please don’t worry, though. I will try my best to make sure you both stay safe. Please just keep the doors locked at night, okay?”

  My dad shook his brown head of hair and his dark eyes narrowed on me. “Don’t you start trying to look out for us, hon. Your life is in danger, and we are your parents. What can we do?”

  I shook my head. “I honestly don’t know. I don’t know anything, and every day feels more confusing than the last.”

  Penelope grabbed my hand in hers. “I am going to try and get in touch with some other Powers that I know. I think if we can get you in a room with some of the higher-up angels, maybe we can help you, and figure out why you’re
… well, you.”

  I turned to the three most important people in my life and they all watched me with loving and supportive eyes. I was only missing one thing… my guardian.

  I slowly nodded and a small weight lifted from my chest at the thought of getting some real answers. “Okay. Let’s take it one step at a time then.”

  My dad pulled me into his large arms. “You need some rest, baby girl. Your mom and I will be right upstairs if you need us, alright?”

  I nodded against his chest. “Love you, Dad.”

  “I love you too.”

  I walked my parents to the apartment door and just as my mom gripped the handle, another knock came from the other side.

  Each of us looked from one to the other, unsure of who could be knocking on my door in the middle of the night. Penelope pushed past us, completely silent, on her tippy toes and gestured for my parents and I to move aside.

  Bruno lay sleeping on the floor, completely useless as a guard dog for once, and I wanted to roll my eyes at him.

  Penelope pulled the door open just a crack to peer out at our unexpected guest, and her eyes widened farther than I had ever seen. “Oh,” she uttered, and stood up straight, letting the door open fully. “Welcome, brothers.”

  I stepped around my protective parents to see who had come to visit, and standing in my doorway were three very intimidating, open-winged Power angels… completely shirtless.

  Chapter 2

  “Good evening, Penemue.” One of the angels nodded toward Penelope, and she bowed her head back at the tall man. His red wings were larger than Pen’s by a lot, and he stood like a true soldier with his hands clasped behind his back, just below his wings.

  Two other slightly less frightening looking Powers stood behind him, their eyes forward and focused on seemingly nothing. They looked to be simply obeying, not running the show. They both had pure white auras, and it comforted me, even though they were standing at my doorstep at one in the morning. The tall angel confused me, though. His aura was dimmer than the rest, and I didn’t understand what it meant.

  My dad grabbed my arm as I stepped farther into their view, and I shrugged his hand off, trying to stand tall, though I felt like an ant. The leader angel turned his eyes on me.

  “Miss Porter, I assume.” He nodded to me, and I tried to force a small smile.

  “Yes, and who exactly are you?” His aura made me uncomfortable, and I was afraid he’d try to shake my hand. I couldn’t imagine how gray his feelings were.

  Penelope moved closer to me then, laying a hand on my shoulder. “Erin, this is Osca. He is my Talapati … or, commander, I guess.” She got stuck on the translation for a moment, when speaking in her angelic tongue. She turned to my parents. “They are Power angels, like me.”

  “Wow…,” my dad said, lost for words.

  Osca’s wings fluttered, and the broader angel behind him caught my attention. Not because he was watching me like the others, but because his dark brown eyes were stuck on Penelope. I turned to Pen, and her cheeks were pink as she avoided the Power’s eyes.

  I wanted to smile, but the situation didn’t feel right. Something was off… and it wasn’t just the fact that I had four angels in my apartment, and my parents standing beside me with their jaws on the floor. Something felt… wrong.

  I looked up at Osca, and I nodded my head to him, like I had seen Penelope do. “It’s good to meet you, Osca. Can I ask what it is you need? I wasn’t exactly expecting...this.” I gestured to pretty much everything in front of me.

  The corner of Osca’s lips lifted slightly, but it didn’t ease my stress. “Miss Porter. I have come to your home for two reasons. Very important reasons, as a matter of fact.”

  I waited in silence, and just as I was about to ask what those reasons were, Penelope spoke up for me. “You came for me, didn’t you?”

  Osca nodded to her, and she sighed. “Penemue, your stay here was to be completed three days prior to this night. It is time for your leave.”

  The way he spoke bugged me. It was too formal and stiff. He had no sense of emotion in his tone. I didn’t know what being a Power angel was supposed to be like, but I got the sense that Penelope was one of a kind.

  My mom spoke then. “Do you have to leave, Penelope?”

  My friend turned to my parents. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer to help protect you, Mr. and Mrs. Porter. And, Erin,” she grabbed my hand, “please stay safe. I will do all that I can to get back here, okay?”

  Oscar attempted a chuckling sound, but it came out more like a chortle. “Penemue, you do not understand. You both will be coming with us. You,” he pointed to Pen, “and Miss Porter.” His pointer finger aimed in my direction and my eyes went wide.

  “What?” Penelope, Dad, Mom, and I said the word in unison.

  The angel who had kept his eyes on Penelope peered around Osca. “Would it be alright if we came in to talk, Miss Porter?” He was asking my mom. Thankfully talking to the actual Mrs. Porter, and not her eighteen year old daughter. His white aura soothed me more than his commanders’.

  He gave me a genuine smile. From the looks of him, he seemed to be of Indian descent, considering his dark caramel skin and dark eyes, though he wasn’t even h uman, so what did I know? His skin was flawless, and I figured it had to be an angel trait to live without a single blemish. I would consider him incredibly handsome, even when another angel had hold of my heart already.

  “Yes, Riyon. Please come in.” Penelope answered for my mom, and I wanted to punch her for inviting a group of hostile Power angels into my home that wanted to take me away to who-knows-where.

  Penelope’s smile was every bit as warm as she looked back at the angel named Riyon. I felt like there had to be history between them, but I had no clue what that history entailed.

  Osca glared back at Riyon, not happy to be sitting down for a late night chat. Apparently, he had a life to get back to, as unlikely as that seemed. “We can talk, but we will need to be leaving soon.”

  The three of them barely fit through my door with their wings stretching behind them, and I wanted to laugh at the awkwardness of it all. Bruno jumped up from his spot on the floor, finally acknowledging the guests for the first time, and went around sniffing each of the Powers.

  We all stood in my small living room, looking at one another. The angel that stood by Riyon stayed quiet, and I wondered what his deal was. I smiled at him, but he just turned away from me.

  My dad puffed up his chest. Despite being one of the only humans present, he was taller and bigger than the others. “My daughter won’t be leaving with you, unless she chooses it. Now, why exactly are you here?” His cop voice always made me feel the need to go stand with my nose in the nearest corner, and I could tell the younger-looking angel was intimidated by him. Osca, not so much.

  Riyon opened his mouth to speak, but Osca cut him off. “Like I said, we are here to take these two women with us. Penemue is a dedicated soldier of mine, but I am sorry to say that she has failed a long, drawn-out mission.” He looked down at Pen with disapproving eyes and I glared back at him.

  “She hasn’t done anything wrong. She’s my friend.”

  Osca repeated his earlier chortling sound and raised a single eyebrow. “She was not sent here to be your friend, arai uyirinam .”

  Penelope took a step toward Osca, with clenched fists at her side. Riyon moved to stop her from whatever she was about to do, and gripped her shoulders with his large hands. He looked at her with kind eyes, and her fists unclenched. “He meant nothing by it, Pen. Be calm.”

  He called her Pen?

  Penelope stepped back, and folded her arms across her chest with a nod. “I’m sure he didn’t.” She glared up at Osca, and his face was careless.

  “What does that mean? The thing you just called Erin,” my mom questioned the Powers.

  They all remained quiet, not wanting to answer. Whatever it was, nobody wanted to fess up. I felt offended, even though I had no clue what for . “It’s alright, Mom. I don’t need to know.” I smiled at my mom, and she ran a shaky hand through her short blonde bob. I turned back to Osca again. “So, you’ve told us why Penelope needs to leave, but why me?”