The Ascended (The Saving Angels 3)

"Krista, you have to look at me," he said more urgently.

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because, I need to look in your eyes before I kiss you," he murmured.

I pulled my eyes up finally and was lost as he lowered his mouth to mine. I kept my eyes locked on his until the last possible moment. They finally fluttered closed as he kissed me like never before. We had always had our share of passion from the supernatural link we shared, but this made every other kiss feel like child's play as Mark plundered my mouth with his own. I gasped as he nipped on my lip, encouraging me to open completely to him. His mouth was familiar in so many ways and yet I could feel multiple layers that had never been there before. >"I know you feel bad leaving Mark in that cage, but just because his father treats him like some animal doesn't mean he deserved to be saved."

"Who are you to decide who should be saved? Who made you God? You have no idea how it feels to have to choose. Would you have chosen me over Sam if the choice was yours?" I asked, suddenly angry. I braced my hands on the wall behind me so that I could pull myself to a standing position. I swayed on my feet as my head began to swim. Shawn grasped my arm to help steady me. I wanted to jerk it free, but I knew I would have hit the deck if he'd let go of me.

Shawn helped drag me down the hallway toward the waiting room. I collapsed in one of the hard chairs that were kept bolted to the floor. I always found it comical that hospitals bolted down their seats, like they wouldn't be able to catch someone stealing a chair if they tried to carry it out the double doors right past the receptionist. It really annoyed me when my dad had his heart attack and I wanted to sit off in a corner by myself, but couldn't.

Shawn sank down in the seat next to me. "Krista, you know there's a huge difference between the choice you had to make a few minutes ago and me having to choose between you and Sam. He left you Krista," he said, repeating his words from earlier.

"You don't understand," I said, resting my head on the back of hard molded plastic seat, closing my weakened eyes.

"So help me understand, enlighten me with whatever lies he fed you," Shawn said sarcastically.

"Seriously? Because you doubt my gifts suddenly? You think he somehow hoodwinked me when I have the power to see all that dwell in a person's soul? And really? You question my gifts after I just whisked you and Sam away from harm's way? For someone who's so smart, you sure don't act like it," I said in a huff, using my limited air to berate him.

"Okay, okay," I get your point. So, explain it to me."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Mark didn't break our Link, I did. Well, his sister Harmony didn't help the situation, but ultimately it was me who severed the tie," I said heavily.

"What are you talking about? I watched you beg for him not to leave you and I also watched as he left you and all of us with a houseful of Daemons?"

"He actually left us with one less Daemon to deal with than we originally thought. Mark didn't say those hurtful words, and he didn't leave me on his own accord. Victor used him as a human host while I was knocked out. I never saw the Daemon enter his body because I was unconscious. I should have known though. I should've seen it. The complete one-eighty his soul took should have clued me in, but I was so quick to believe he had turned into his father. I'm the one who lacked the appropriate faith. I should've believed in him. Victor used my insecurities against me and gave me exactly what I was most afraid of."

"Then why didn't Mark try to contact you once he regained control of his body?" Shawn asked. I noticed his skin had taken on a delicate shade of green at my words.

"Harmony has been running interference with his emotions and his thoughts. She prevented either of us from being able to contact each other."

"Well mother of crap," Shawn said, resting his head in his hands. "And your Link is broken for sure?"

"Oh yeah, most definitely. Our souls no longer have that puzzle piece feel."

"So, you feel bad for leaving him because you feel guilty for believing he betrayed you?" Shawn asked, trying to make sense of things.

"No, I feel bad for leaving him because I still love him. It doesn't seem to matter that we're no longer Guides or Protectors. I felt more drawn to him than ever before. And now it's too late."

"You don't know that Krista. Haniel is still there and the other Guides and Protectors are there. They'll get him out."

"I don't think so. Harmony is a force to be reckoned with on her own and Victor is practically Satan. Haniel would be able to take Victor out no problem if Harmony wasn't part of the equation."

Shawn looked as defeated as I felt when the ramifications of my words finally sank in.

"Can you try to reach Haniel?"

I shook my head. "I can barely sit here without falling over. My gifts were rendered useless after the transporting sapped so much out of me."

Guilt filled Shawn's eyes as he finally understood all my frustration and could clearly see why I had struggled so hard with the decision.

We lapsed into silence after that, watching the second hand slowly move its way around the large circular wall clock that advertised some new drug. It was just barely 9:00 p.m. and we had been in the hospital less than a half an hour, yet it seemed as if an eternity had passed. I let my mind dwell on what was happening back at Victor's in our absence. Had Haniel discovered who the true Descended is? Had he found Mark yet or was he busy battling Victor?

Shawn was unusually silent too as he struggled with his own worries and guilt. I could feel the heavy emotions flowing through him until his mood abruptly changed to excitement.

I looked up expecting to see Sam's doctor in front of us, seeing no other reason why he would suddenly have a spurt of excitement, but the waiting room was as empty as before. I looked over at him, confused by the emotions radiating around him.

"I have an idea," he finally said, sounding animated.