Avenging Angel (The Fallen 4)

Tanner shrugged. “Then fate shouldn’t mess with me.”

Bastion’s teeth ground together. His gaze, bright with anger, lit on Marna. “You’ve given a shifter resistance to the Touch. What do you think will—”

“Times are changing.” While Bastion’s voice had been heavy with emotion, Marna’s was cold. Quiet. “Angel blood is being traded on the streets here in New Orleans, and I’m betting in other places, too. We’re starting to be the ones who are hunted.”

His eyes widened. “Wh-what?”

“Tanner isn’t the only one that you’ll find hard to kill. The secret’s out,” she said, her shoulders rising and falling in a sad shrug, “so that means angels are on hit lists.” Her lips pressed into a tense line, and after a moment, she said, “So make sure you spread the word. We all need to stay on guard. It’s not just about us taking them anymore.”

It was about angels being the prey.

And angels being killers. Tanner’s gaze swept the angry angel once more. “One of your kind is killing in New Orleans,” Tanner said.

But Bastion’s smile mocked him. “Death angels kill every day. That’s not—”

“No.” Marna’s voice. With more heat. “We take souls. We follow the orders we’re given. We take those who are meant to die.” Her gaze held Bastion’s. “This is different. We think—we think it’s a punishment angel, and he’s taking the forms of other people to kill.”

Bastion’s smile faded away.

“He took my form,” Marna said, “and killed two shifters.”

“And he used my face when he put a cop in the hospital,” Tanner added.

Bastion’s head shook. “A punishment angel wouldn’t ever use another angel’s face—”

“He almost killed my brother just hours ago.” Tanner’s hands clenched as he remembered the cold fear that had coursed through him. And this guy was trying to play innocent? Not lying, but still twisting the truth. “You f**king know. You were there when we were fighting to keep him alive.”

Bastion’s eyelashes flickered in the faintest of moves.

Tanner advanced toward him. “You were downstairs, waiting to take his soul, so don’t pretend otherwise. I’ve got your scent. I know.” He was so in the mood to keep kicking ass. “What I want to know—right now—is did you come after that bastard left, or were you there when that angel attacked Cody and left him to die in that alley?”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Were you, Bastion?” Marna pressed. “Did you see the punishment angel who attacked him? Were you there?” Because if Bastion knew who was playing a deadly game with her life, and he didn’t tell her . . .

Maybe she’d let Tanner keep up that ass-kicking. Or maybe she’d try a little ass-kicking herself.

“He wasn’t on my list.” The words were spoken quietly as Bastion’s powerful wings folded behind his body.

“What damn list?” Tanner wanted to know.

But Marna already understood. “The death list.” Because there really was a list of names, a list of those who would soon have their souls taken.

“Cody wasn’t on the list. I had no warning about him, I just—” Bastion exhaled. “There was no foretelling for his case. When I got to him, he was already on the ground, with half of his stomach cut out.”

Marna flinched.

Tanner didn’t move. “And his killer?”

“There was no sign of another angel there.” Bastion was adamant.

“No scent?” Tanner pressed. “No f**king flutter of wings? Nothing?”

“Just your brother and the blood. There were humans a few streets over, I could hear them, but nothing else.” Bastion turned away from them and headed back to the window. “The guy isn’t an angel. You need to look closer to home for this killer.” Then he leapt through the open window, wings soaring and breaking glass in the top windowpane as he flew high up into the dark sky.

Marna stared after him. Her old life had never been so far away. As if to remind her of what she’d lost, the scars on her back seemed to burn. Burning, itching—why wouldn’t they just stop bothering her? Reminding me of what’s gone.

She put her back to the window. “There’s one person who can tell us what he saw.” A guy who’d gotten a very up-close look at the killer.

And Cody was recovered enough now to tell them everything.

Tanner nodded. Marna pushed past him, ready to find Cody and—

He stopped her. “Do you still miss . . .” Tanner began, but then his words died away.

She knew what he’d been about to say. “Heaven? Sometimes.” How could she not? “But I’m finding there are things here that I like very, very much.”

His gaze lifted to meet hers.

She offered him a smile. “Now let’s go find out who this guy is and let’s stop him.” Because she was ready to move on with her life. Humans knew joy—she’d seen it on their faces. Maybe, just maybe, she could know it, too.

A home. A family. Tanner . . . and a child? Perhaps all of that could be hers.

But not with the killer waiting out there. Not with him playing his games.

Finish him. Then she could really start living.

Only . . . as soon as they opened the bedroom door, Tanner swore. He rushed past her and barreled down the stairs. Marna heard the faint sound then, too. A car’s motor, speeding away.

Tanner yanked open the front door. Marna was steps behind him, and she saw the glow of fading taillights.

“Cody,” she whispered.

The sagging front porch creaked as Riley stepped from the shadows. “The demon said he had hunting to do.”

“Sonofabitch.” Tanner stared after those red lights with his body tight.

“The guy was muttering about owing you, and making things right.” Riley stopped at Marna’s side, but his eyes were on Tanner.

Tanner threw a hard glance over his shoulder. “And you just let him drive away?”

“Why would I stop him?” Riley wanted to know. “I paid my debt.” He gave a little salute to Marna. “I don’t owe anyone now.” He started walking back into the house.

Marna caught his arm. “We were even before this. Now I’m the one who owes you.”

He sent her a quick smile, one that showed the edges of his fangs. “I like having an angel in my debt.”