Hell's Angel: Guardian Angel Book 2
Chapter 7

Cassiopeia was laughing so hard when we pulled out of the memory that there were tears in her eyes. I yanked my hand away and scowled. “Well that was interesting. How does someone go from wanting to kill you to kiss you? At least he was hot.”

“That’s so not the point,” I snapped.

“It’s like a soap opera. I might have to go into his memory to see what happened next.”

I dropped onto her comfortable bed with the beautiful, silky maroon bedspread. My mind raced as I stared up at the gauzy canopy. So they were on my side, but I didn’t know what to make of that kiss. I had to assume it was just the god of mischief playing a prank. But that didn’t mean I wanted to clue Michael in on the details. Our relationship was borderline platonic, but he still tended to brood about any men who might have a remote interest in me. It was probably best to just let the past stay where it was.

It was high time for that nap. After not being able to sleep and then a morning full of constant bombshells, my body was ready to crash. There was only so much I could take, immortal or not. I settled comfortably in the bed and my heavy eyes fluttered contentedly closed. I was just on the verge of sleep when my door creaked open just a crack. I groaned. “What now?”

“Apologies, Princess. I did not mean to disturb your nap. I hoped you weren’t yet asleep.”

I sat up in a flash. I’d assumed that it was Michael coming to see me, not the strange titan that confused the hell out of me from the vision of the past. Loki leaned casually against the doorway with a small smile just touching the corners of his kissable lips. I really liked Michael, but we kept things mostly professional and I could appreciate how attractive the Norseman was. “No, it’s okay. I just laid down. What’s up?”

He walked up to the bed with a little bit of a swagger, but cautiously like I was a deer ready to bolt at any second. He perched on the corner of the mattress and cocked his head to the side to study me. I gulped. That stupid vision made me irrationally nervous with this guy. “I wanted to check on you. The guardian said that you are fine, but I wanted to see for myself. New memories can be overwhelming.”

“I’m good. I’ve learned how to handle all of this new crap.”

He shifted just the tiny bit closer. “That doesn’t surprise me. You’re probably the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

I sucked my lower lips between my teeth. When he complimented me like that, I almost wished I remembered more about him. “I do have one question,” I said before his onyx eyes could draw me in anymore.

“Ask away.”

“How did you and your brother end up with Aphrodite? I saw the memory where you were supposed to kill me but didn’t. I don’t know what happened after that, but I don’t really see how you’d end up serving her.”

His face darkened infinitesimally for just the fraction of a second before he got his usual trouble-making smirk back on his face. “Ah yes, Freya. I asked her for a favor and she said she would do it if I joined her army. Thor has always been the more militant one and he likes to keep a close eye on me.”

I smiled, thinking of my own sister. Max wasn’t really a fighter, but if anyone messed with me, her wrath could rival Vega’s anger. “That’s not really a bad thing as long as you two like your job. I just don’t think that Aphro- Freya and I could ever be friends.”

“Because of how she treats the cupid’s wife? I’ve spent centuries in her service and I’ve heard her grievances. She is still bitter about Cassiopeia’s comments two thousand years ago.”

I snorted. “Not like Cassi was wrong. But gods are just as petty as people. Why else would Vega hold a grudge this long?”

Loki barked out a laugh. “You may be onto something there.”

I yawned and my eyes watered. I blinked to clear them and tired tears drizzled down my cheek. Loki, who’d moved closer without me really noticing, cupped my chin and gently wiped the offending moisture away with his thumb. Unlike Michael’s work-roughened hands, his were soft but strong enough that they couldn’t be considered delicate. My breath caught in my throat as his fingertips caressed my skin as lightly as butterfly kisses. It was hard to speak when I couldn’t even breathe. “I, um, think that’s a sign that I should sleep.”

I pulled away somewhat reluctantly. I really needed to squash down whatever feelings were messing with my head here. Loki was widely considered a trickster and I refused to get played. I would not entertain any romantic illusions.

Loki stood and bowed low to the ground. “Of course. I’ll see you when you wake up and we can begin strategizing. I am at your full service.”

I blushed at the obvious innuendo and he laughed gleefully at my red face. It took a while for my blood flow to return to normal and by then I wasn’t as tired anymore. It took longer than it should have to fall asleep and by then, I couldn’t keep my thoughts from straying to the titan in the living room.

I was a little more energized when I woke up, just enough for Michael to lead me to the enclosed backyard and draw out our swords. I really wasn’t in the mood to practice but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Aren’t I supposed to be the one in charge here?” I grumbled as I adopted a defensive stance.

The regular metal sword he was using clanked against mine in a test strike. “You are in theory. However, it is my job to ensure you are ready for the coming battle.”

“And for dealing with the stupid council, don’t forget about that,” I added bitterly with a jab of my own.

He frowned. “Lyra-Rose. It is not a punishment. You will make an excellent leader.”

I hacked away at him, letting my frustration govern my movements. “Yeah right. I can’t even hold my own against Vega. How does Thesis expect me to lead a bunch of gods against pure darkness? And how dare Freya exploit me like that?”

Michael sidestepped a brutal strike with ease, got his blade under mine, and yanked. My weapon went flying and the momentum knocked me off balance. He caught me in his tight embrace before I hit the grass. I shivered at the way his proximity sent tingles racing down into my gut. He smelled like a little bit of sweat mixed with a warm summer breeze. I licked my lips and gazed up at him over my shoulder. He stared back with concern in his grey eyes. “Are you feeling better now?”

“Definitely.” My voice took on a husky tone that had him raising his eyebrows suspiciously.

“All right, Guardian, aren’t you supposed to show her how not to lose a fight?” Loki’s voice cut into the moment and reminded me we weren’t alone. He left his post on the back porch, hopping easily over the railing. He swaggered up with his battle-axe already set to go. “Maybe she’d benefit from a new perspective.”

Michael didn’t look too happy with that idea but he didn’t argue. He sat on a red Utah Utes folding chair. Loki retrieved my double-edged sword and presented it to me with a flourish. He bowed so low that I thought he’d kiss the ground. I rolled my eyes as I took it. “If you know me, you’ll know that I really hate getting the royal treatment.”

He straightened up and gave me a devilish grin. “Oh, I know. That’s part of the reason I do it. Shall we begin?”

Loki was a master with that ax and I was glad he was on our side. He was also a surprisingly good teacher. Some of the things I’d had trouble with in Michael’s lessons just clicked. Thor joined us after a while and it was obvious he was the better fighter, but Loki took the reins on my lesson. I wouldn’t have expected that from reading the Norse mythology.

“Remember that for you, the weapon is only defense. Against others of my kind and even Vega herself, magic will be your only true offense.”

I wiped my sweaty forehead before any of the salty liquid could sting my eyes. “Yeah. I’m still working on that. I mean, I have all of my goddess gifts, but controlling them is harder than I thought. It’d be nice if your mistress would’ve stayed to help out in that department, not that I don’t appreciate you and your brother being here.”

He grinned and held up the iron weapon. A stared at him wondering what he was doing when it simply vanished. My grip on the sword went slack and it clanked softly to the ground. “Whoa!”

“Your humans didn’t believe me the god of mischief for nothing. My magic isn’t nearly as song as yours, but I can still help you get the hang of it.”

“That would be nice.”

He flourished his arm and the ax re-materialized right before he swung it at my ribs. My eyes darkened to a stormy blue from surprise and I just barely dodged having the sturdy blade impale my side. He winked at me with a playful smile. “Good. Expect the unexpected. And in terms of your magic, I hear that you don’t need too much help with that wicked light of yours. It’s about time someone got rid of that damn bird.”

I lowered the tip of my sword and cocked my head at Loki. He copied the stance. “How do you do it? Turn your back on your own kind? I mean, I’m grateful, but I don’t get it. Humans do it all the time, too, and it absolutely breaks my heart.”

For the first time since I’d re-met him, Loki he frowned. His long legs crossed under him and he made himself comfortable in the grass. I felt sorry for the expensive dress pants he wore, but I figured that if he could afford designer, he could afford the dry cleaning bill. Cautiously at first, I followed his lead. My own Target brand jeans already had dirt and rips from practicing in them, but they were comfortable and allowed for enough movement to wield my sword.

Loki’s fingers made a trail through his short hair, sending sexy spikes up. “The only thing that you and Vega had in common when it came to creating your... pets,” we both winced at the description, “was that you gave them free-will. You did it because you are kind and don’t want to control anyone. Vega did it because she didn’t want her little sister to look better than she did. Time was different for us, so I don’t know how long we spent under her control. She made us to be able to get to you, and we would have obeyed her until my brother and I actually got to know you. You weren’t anything like we expected. Your sister is cruel and vindictive and most of her titans admire her for it, but we saw your side of things from up close. You changed me, and Thor is loyal to a fault and he saw that you are Vega’s opposite, good where she’s a bitch. You earned both of our respect, Lyra.”

I pulled my hair from the practical bun it was in and let it tumbled down to my waist. He watched the light red waterfall it made before shaking his head quickly as if to clear it. the serious expression melted away and was replaced with the usual smile. He rose gracefully and reached down for my hand. “Shall we continue?”

I grasped his and let him haul me to my feet. His skin was warm to the touch, his hands strong and lightly scared from battle. He gave me a little squeeze before he released me and once again made his battle-ax disappear. “Let’s see what you can do with magic.”

I nodded and let my palms fill with my bright light. The golden-orange aura flared up, moving like it was a living entity. It looked brighter than normal, a little hotter but with absolutely no burn. It was comforting and reminded me of hot chocolate on a cold day. Those dark, troublesome eyes drank me in. “Very good. I know that you can throw up a shield when you need it. Can you do both?”

“Yeah, but it uses up my energy a little more quickly. When Corvus attacked, he almost broke through my defenses. That’s actually how I found out he could die; I was using my light as a last-ditch effort to get Maxine and my niece Mackenzie an opening to get to safety. I passed out afterwards, though.”

He appeared pensive. “You said you only remembered the day we meant to kill you. You have no recollection of the battles we were in together?”

I wet my lips and fixed my hair so that the loose strands that had escaped the hair tie were tucked back in. “Sorry, no. But I don’t think I had my magic back then.”

“No, you didn’t. It’s actually not your power that I’m talking about. Thor!”

The blonde warrior was up on the porch as he watched our practice. With a simple nod, he descended the three steps and strode across the grass to us. He was cute, like his twin, but he seemed a little more hardened. This man was what legends were made of, and it wasn’t hard to figure out how human myth had thought he was the leader of Asgard’s armies. His bright eyes took everything in like he was on a constant lookout for danger. He didn’t seem like an assassin to me. He wasn’t human so my empathy didn’t work on him, but something about him was too gentle. Yes, he could be scary, I’d seen it in the vision, but he wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. “What?”

Loki ignored his brother’s question and looked at me. “You know he’s supposed to be the god of thunder in Norse myth. That’s sort of true. The lightning he can summon serves to re-energize him as well as his soldiers. You’re a goddess, you can learn his trick.”

I snorted. “I can’t even summon a sword. That thing you were doing with the ax? That’s too advanced for me. I can’t make my sword from whatever I have on hand, even though I’ve done it once, let alone pulling one out of thin air. You really expect me to summon lightning to give myself an energy boost?”

“Yes, I do. But let’s get back to that sword thing. I’ll help you with that and then Thor can take over. You really need to focus on me. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to do it in your sleep when I’m done with you.”

Three hours later, I was sweaty and tired again and still could only create a weapon if the task had my full concentration. I’d shifted two sticks into swords successfully, but we’d lost a couple of pens, a tree branch, and even a pool noodle in pathetic attempts that only yielded dull, broken, and tiny blades. One of my tries had even set my practice pencil ablaze.

“I’m done. I give up! I’ve told Michael this wouldn’t work and now I’m telling you. It’s hopeless, especially in my sleep.”

None of his good mood vanished. “I said you would get there when I am done with you. I’m not done with you quite yet. And hey, you have made progress. I call that a win.”

Michael got up and walked over to us. He’d been quite for the better part of the day. Now he carried a glass of water which I drank greedily. “You did well, Lyra-Rose. Loki, thank you for the assistance.”

The trickster bowed playfully. “Anything for my princess. It was a pleasure, Lyra. We can pick up with it next time. Just trust me and you will get there soon enough.” He snagged my hand and kissed my dirty knuckles. “If you will excuse me, Thor and I have reservations at a hotel down the street. We shall be close enough to keep an eye on you, but far enough that we won’t bother. And I would hate to put out the cupid and his wife. Besides, absence does make the heart grow fonder, don’t you think?”

He winked and my cheeks flamed. “Thank you for everything. See you tomorrow?”

“Of course. But if you don’t want to wait, I know this amazing Chinese restaurant not too far from here. What do you say that you and I grab dinner?”

The synapses from my brain to my mouth stopped working and I gaped like a stunned fish. My eyes were rounder than they should’ve been and I had absolutely no idea how to respond to that. “What? Like a date?”

His grin stretched across his entire face. He was gorgeous when he smiled. It promised fun and trouble and some adventure and I suddenly felt like I’d been cooped up until he came along. And dammit if I didn’t keep thinking of that surprise kiss in the memory. “Yes, exactly like a date. I’m asking you out with me, Lyra. I’m really hoping you will agree. That is, as long as it’s okay with your bodyguard.”

I sucked din a guilty breath. It’s not like I was ignoring Michael, but my mind wasn’t processing the fact that he still stood there. His molten silver eyes were stormy and his jaw twitched. “She can’t.”

My eyes narrowed and I bristled. “What do you mean, can’t? You’re not my boss. And before you start saying it’s too dangerous or anything, I’ll be fine.” I turned back to Loki. “I’d love to. I need about an hour to get cleaned up and then I can meet you.”

“No need. I’ll be here to pick you up in exactly an hour. I look forward to it.”

This time he kissed my cheek before he motioned to Thor and the pair of them made their way out of the backyard. Michael still fumed, but I made myself ignore the steam practically coming out of his ears. A small part of me felt like I was betraying him, but he was the one that had insisted that things stay platonic. He was my best friend and I couldn’t lose him, but sometimes a girl needed a little more than strictly friendship.