Read Evermore, an Arotas Novella (The Arotas Series) for Free Online Page B

pass.
    It
has been hard to learn to rely on Gabriel. Not that she doesn’t
want to, it's just challenging to walk beside someone who is your
equal after so many years of being alone. No, not alone. She was
never alone… but she was stubbornly independent.
    The
metal door closes with a resounding boom as the wind rips it from
Roseline’s fingertips. She is instantly thrust into complete
darkness. The hairs on the back of her neck rise and her lips
instinctively peel back over her teeth as she breathes deep. She can
hear Gabriel doing the same thing and relaxes as nothing dangerous
leaps out at her, yet something in the air feels different. A sort of
electrical charge that she can’t place her finger on.
    Flicking
the switch of her flashlight, she hands it to Gabriel and follows as
they weave deeper into the base. It is eerily silent without anyone
else around. The doors to the rooms stand partially open. Evidence of
blood and bandages still linger on some of the floors and tables.
    They
left in a hurry. No one wanted to stick around longer than necessary
to collect the bodies after the remnants of the enemy fled to the
border, as far from Canada as possible.
    The
command room appears at the end of a long hall, the dark interior
making it seem much farther than she knows it to be. Gabriel opens
the door and motions for her to enter. She turns to flick on the
light switch but stiffens. The scent hits her first, masculine and
strong.
    Gabriel
calls out a warning, but her dagger is already spiraling through the
air. She catches a glint of metal in the lowered flashlight beam.
There is no sound of it hitting its mark. She blinks in confusion at
the sound of clapping that arises from the dark.
    Flipping
on the light switch Roseline finds herself less than fifteen feet
away from the largest man she has ever glimpsed. His skin is ebony
with a sheen along his bare chest that makes her wonder if he has
been rubbed down with oil. Muscle piles atop muscle along his arms
and calves. His waist is nearly double her width. His chest rises to
meet shoulders so broad that he would be forced to walk sideways down
the hall.
    His
head is shaved clean apart from a single ponytail of black hair that
reminds her of a horse’s tail, thick and coarse. Strange
markings scrawl out from the corners of his eyes, winding down his
cheeks and neck to coil over his shoulders and down his back.
    A
great curved sword hangs from his waist. A leather belt built sturdy
enough to hold the weapon’s great weight lassos his hips. His
legs are the size of tree trunks, spread wide, knees slightly bent,
as if preparing to attack. His feet are bare.
    Roseline
notices all of this with the first sweep of her gaze but immediately
perceives the most startling feature. A pair of sapphire-blue wings
rise from behind him, arched above his shoulders and tapering down to
the floor. In total, the man must be at least eight foot tall and his
wingspan double that.
    “Seneh
spoke highly of your woman, Gabriel,” the man says with a hint
of admiration as he flips Roseline’s dagger in his hand and
then holds it out for her to take.
    “You
know Seneh?” Gabriel asks, his voice raspy with disbelief.
    “Can’t
you see the resemblance?” Roseline steps forward, noting how
bright the whites of his eyes and teeth appear against his dark skin.
“You’re related to him, aren’t you?”
    The
man tilts his head, contemplating. “We do not have siblings
like you mortals do, but in a way, yes, Seneh was a brother to me.”
    Gabriel
blows out a breath and lowers his sword. He tucks the flashlight into
his pocket and steps forward to retrieve Roseline’s dagger. She
watches him as he struggles to find the words to express the pain she
knows he has felt since his guardian’s death. When he comes up
with nothing, she places a hand on his arm, accepting her weapon from
him.
    “He
knows,” she whispers. Gabriel nods, offering the angel a pained
smile.
    “Who
are you?” Roseline