Fallen Angel Reclaimed: The Complete Series by Lacey Carter Andersen
26
Tristan pickedup their angel and cradled her in his arms. His brothers had pinned down the treasonous vampire, but Tristan cared nothing for the fate of the man who hurt his angel. His brothers would handle it. He had eyes for only Surcy.
“I’m okay,” she sputtered, pressing her hand to her injured neck.
She’ll live, but her pain is obvious.
“No, you’re not.” But I thank the eternal stones that you weren’t taken from us again. Leaning down, he pressed his forehead against hers.
It was not a gesture she would understand. She never would. But it was what gargoyles did to their mates. It was a way of showing this woman that she was his world, his forever, without ever having to speak the words.
She reached up and touched his cheek, wincing from the movement. “Even your skin feels like stone when you’re in this form.”
He smiled. “Of course it does.”
“But your eyes remain the same.”
“That is the human part of me. My eyes dull when I am in my stone-form for too long.”
Her gaze met and held his. “I like them. I’ve never seen eyes like yours before.”
She likes them? I’m glad she no longer fears me.
“Uh guys,” Mark said. “I hate to break up the moment, but what do we do with him?”
Surcy looked away from Tristan, and the spell was broken. “What’s your name vampire?”
Why should any of us care?
Reluctantly, Tristan looked at the man held against the ground by his brothers. He was thin with a mop of auburn hair and dark eyes. He was as pale as most vampires, and even as a prisoner, he held himself with the typical arrogance of his kind.
In other words, he is nothing special. Could this really be the God of Night?
"Want to answer, asshole?" Daniel asked, pulling the vampire's arm up behind his back for leverage.
“Jasper,” the vampire growled.
“And why did you attack me after we saved you?” Surcy asked, her question an angry accusation.
For a moment, something unexpected flashed across the vampire’s face.
He didn’t want to attack her.
“Because, you’re my enemy. You all are.”
“We saved your useless life!” Daniel shouted, wrenching his prisoner’s arm harder.
Tristan watched the vampire and knew. “What did the angels threaten you with?”
The man took too long to answer. “Nothing.”
His brothers both began to talk at once, but Tristan continued watching the vampire and the vampire continued watching him.
“If you tell the truth, we could help.”
The man’s head moved side to side for a second before he stopped. “I don’t need any help.”
“Well then, we should stop wasting time and kill you, so that we may move on with our night.” Tristan shifted Surcy to one arm and drew his blade off his back.
The vampire tensed. “Wait.”
He waited.
“The angels have surrounded my home. The second we try to leave, they’ll kill us. They said they would let me live if I could kill her.”
“Coward!” Daniel growled.
Mark sighed, but didn’t release his grip on the vampire. “Do you have any idea what we went through to find you? Do you have any idea how important you are?”
That got the vampire's attention. “What do you mean?”
But Mark simply shook his head. “I’ll explain all that later. Surcy, can you teleport us out of here?”
She’s badly injured.
“Perhaps to town, but not further than that.”
Mark nodded. “Do it. And then we’ll decide what to do from there.”
And so she did.
They spent two tense nights in a hotel in the town, hoping the angels wouldn’t attack them when their guard was down. Fortunately, the cowards didn’t show themselves. Surcy slept and ate most of the time, insisting she was fine, but they made her wait before she teleported them again.
Mark used the time to explain everything to the vampire, who seemed all too excited to be named a god. The vampire irritated Tristan more than he wanted the others to know, even if he had acted out of fear for his life.
On the third morning, as he sat at breakfast with Jasper and Surcy, something else began to bother him. His brothers were out, checking the area one last time.
“I still can’t believe you’re an angel,” Jasper told Surcy, smiling too brightly. “I thought all angels were uptight. You’re an unexpected joy.”
Surcy returned his smile. “And I can’t believe vampires are actually real. I thought that was all Halloween fun and whatnot.”
They both laughed.
“Well, I do hope that you’ll come and visit me at this ‘sanctuary.’ It may be safe, but it sounds a bit dull. I could use a beautiful woman to brighten my day.”
She took a sip of her orange juice. “I’m sure we’ll come by again sometime.”
He reached out and patted her hand. “That would be nice.”
Tristan’s gaze clung to where the man still touched Surcy. He was surprised by the strange feeling blossoming within his chest. Could this be jealousy? The emotion was unexpected. And confusing.
“So tell me,” Jasper continued, completely ignoring Tristan. “What sort of relationship do you have with these three crude fellows?”
Tell him you belong to us.
Surcy’s smile fled. “I’m—uh—it’s confusing.”
The way the vampire smirked made Tristan’s hand curl into a fist. “So that means you’re available?”
Tristan reached across the table and plucked the man’s hand from Surcy’s. “She is not available.”
Surcy gave a nervous laugh. “We should get ready. The others will be back soon.”
Does she wish for this vampire’s attention?
The notion bothered Tristan more than he could say. The Surcy who loved them would have shot down Jasper in an instant, but this was not the same Surcy. For some reason, her interaction with the vampire left him feeling agitated.
One day will she seek comfort in the arms of other men?
Anger uncoiled within him. I will never allow it.
“I didn’t mean to upset anyone,” the vampire replied smoothly. “It’s just that none of you seem to be sharing a bed.”
“What we do in our beds is none of your business,” Tristan snapped.
The vampire patted his lips with his napkin. “Unless, of course, I want to invite the young angel to my bed.”
Tristan punched him so hard the man tumbled from his chair and hit the ground, unmoving.
“What the hell?” Surcy rose and reached for the vampire.
Tristan caught her hand. “I’m a gargoyle. But I don’t have a heart of stone. If you touch other males, I will kill them.”
Her eyes widened. “Tristan…”
He leaned closer. “That isn’t a threat. That’s a promise.”
“I—I’m not ready for any of that.”
He released her hand. “Well, when you are, you know where to find me.”
Turning, he strode from the room. Gargoyles were not accustomed to jealousy. Anger? Yes. But not jealousy.
When his brothers returned, no one mentioned the new bruise on the vampire’s face, but Surcy continued to glance at Tristan whenever she thought he wasn’t looking. He didn’t let her know he saw her. He didn’t say a word as they prepared to return home.
All he could think of was whether or not they had made a mistake with their plan. Getting Surcy to help with their cause might change her mind about angels and demons. But would it make her love them again?
They were demons. She was an angel. But at the end of it all, if they couldn’t remind her that they were men and she was a woman, what good would any of it do?
