"What's wrong, sugar?"

I focused on his eyes, the same bright blue as my own. Or did I look different? My skin still glowed like a lightning bug. "He's gone," I murmured, no strength to my voice.

"Who's gone?"

"One minute he was there and the next..." I swallowed back a wave of nausea as my head turned, sending a new wave of dizziness through me.

"Merce... are you okay?" Parker crouched beside me, trying to get me to look at him, but I couldn't tear my gaze away from the scorched remains of Raziel.

"I can't believe he tried to kill me..."

"Kill you...?" Parker choked on the word. "Who tried to kill you? Jesus, is that blood?" I felt his fingers probe at the wound on my shoulder, but it didn't hurt anymore. Nothing hurt, I just couldn't get back into my own head. "Mercy, answer me. Why are you glowing? And who tried to kill you?"

"For Pete's sake, will you shut the h.e.l.l up?" Remiel scowled, waving absently at Parker who froze mid crouch. "Now that's more like it. Gets so a body can't even think no more, all that racket," he muttered, pushing past him to haul me up to my feet. "Listen to me, sweetheart. You're all addlepated, and I can guess why. You got to pull yourself out of it or you won't be makin' sense. Do you hear me?"

I heard him right enough, I just didn't know how to do it. Nodding weakly, I trusted him to keep me on my feet, my bones felt like they were made of rubber.

"You got to connect to the Earth again, y'hear? Stomp your feet some, wake 'em up." It sounded stupid, but I did as he instructed, stomping my feet in place. Oddly enough, it did serve to shake me out of it. "Good, now let some of that energy out of your head before it explodes, send it on down to Hades, you understand?"

How could I have forgotten? I practiced my grounding techniques, picturing roots that extended from my feet into the Earth, sending the excess energy down until I started to feel a bit more in control. Remy held me until I regained enough of my balance to stand up straight again, and I started to feel much better. I still felt light headed, but at least I could think again.

"Why did you freeze Parker?" I frowned, realizing he still crouched in place beside us.

"He was on my last nerve, gettin' you even more riled up. I needed him to shut up so we could talk about what happened without him realizin' what you are."

"He already knows about me." I laid a hand on Parker's cheek, not liking to see him so still even though I knew he'd be fine in a few minutes.

"You want me to make him forget?" Remy offered, and I shot him a sharp look.

"You can do that?"

"Sometimes," he shrugged. "It don't always last for good, but I can make someone forget something short term most of the time. It helps if someone's seen somethin' can't be explained away by normal circ.u.mstances."

"No, I don't want him to forget." It was too nice not having to keep secrets from my closest friends. I had to wonder though, could I do the same? Would Daphne be better off forgetting about Sam? At least for a while until the pain faded? It killed me to see her in such misery, no doubt why Sam hadn't stuck around to watch it himself. I couldn't think about that though, there were other pressing matters to discuss.

"You mind tellin' me who bought the big one here?" Remy nudged at Raziel's ashes with the tip of his boot.

"It was Raziel." It hurt to say his name. "I'd rather wait for Parker to wake up before I go through it all though, I don't want to have to say it twice."

"Suit yourself," Remy shrugged, digging into the pocket of his jeans for a pack of matches, he lit up a cigarette. I moved a couple of steps away to avoid the plume of smoke, deciding to try sitting again to avoid the worst of it, and to ease Parker's mind when he woke up and found me in a different position.

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths, shaking off the last of the dizziness as my body adjusted to Raziel's Grace. With my eyes closed, I felt more in control, less distracted by the glow that lingered on my skin. I felt different. Stronger since the wooziness had worn off.

"Answer me, Merce." Parker unstuck, his anguish palpable, and my eyes popped open as I reached up to stroke the side of his face.

"It's okay, I'm alright. A little shaken up, but I survived it pretty unscathed."

"But your arm..." Parker frowned, touching the sliced fabric at my shoulder, still stained with my blood, but I slipped it off to show him the smooth, unblemished skin beneath.

"It's fine now, Raziel saw to that."

"Raziel was here? Did he chase away whoever was trying to kill you?"

"Not exactly." Taking a deep breath, I told my story gravely, stopping for questions as they popped up.

"Jesus Christ..." Parker brushed his hand over his face after I had nothing left to say. "I can't believe those f.u.c.kers actually came after you like that."

"Christ ain't got nothin' to do with it." Remy shook his head. "Am I the only one who sees this as a good thing?"

"A good thing?" I blinked. "How do you figure that? I'm on G.o.d's. .h.i.t list now. How is that a good thing?"

"'Cause I can pack up and go home now. Ain't no one can mess with you now, gorgeous. You're burstin' with more power than any creature on this hunk of rock."

"Pack up and go home? Now that I know I'm marked for death? That makes total sense." Except for not at all.

"Let him go, we don't need him," Parker said softly, laying his hand over mine. "We can handle whatever else they send your way."

"Y'all are missin' the point here," Remy interrupted. "Yeah, He sent his boy out to put you down, but you represented. Now they'll know not to f.u.c.k with you." He nudged at Raziel's remains again. I really wished he'd stop doing that.

"You expect me to believe they won't send anyone else after me?" Somehow I couldn't quite bring myself to accept that.

"So what if they do? You put ol' Raze down cold and that was before he hit you with his Grace. Ain't no angel stands a chance at takin' you down now." Remiel's grin stretched wide.

Only I hadn't defeated Raziel at all. He'd stepped into that final blow, I was sure of it. If any other trained soldiers came after me, I wouldn't stand a chance, Grace or no Grace. That tiny tidbit I'd left out of my story though; I couldn't stand the thought of bringing any shame to Raziel's memory. Not that I thought his sacrifice shameful at all, but the church's stance on suicide was well doc.u.mented, and I had to think they echoed that stance up above.

Then again, maybe Raziel didn't have to worry about that or anything else anymore. Did angels have souls? Did they get into Heaven when they spent most of their lives up there, or did they go somewhere else? Looking at the pile of ash, I couldn't help but wonder if that was it for him.

"What about this?" I waved my fingers through the air, watching the faint trail of light that glowed in the darkness. "I can't go walking around like this all the time. People will freak out." Of course I could make myself dim and drift through life like a ghost the way Sam used to. Not exactly a comforting thought.

"It'll wear off." Remy shrugged, unconcerned. "You're already glowing less than you were when we got here."

"I am?" I stared at my arm, I couldn't see any difference.

"Yeah, it's a lot less noticeable," Parker nodded, stretching up to a standing position and holding his hands out to help me up. "Come on, I'll take you home. We can worry about what this all means in the morning." I put my hands in his and took the help up, not offering any objection when he wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders.

"Great, if you've got this I can get back to a sweet little somethin' I was workin' on."

"So sorry my nearly getting killed put a damper on your night," I muttered sourly. Not that he'd done me a whole lot of good anyway. If Raziel had been truly bent on killing me I don't think I would have lasted long enough for him to get there.

"Don't sweat it, sweetcheeks." He waved me off, missing the edge of sarcasm completely. "If it's all the same to you I think I'll be headin' for home soon though. You don't need me at your beck and call no more, you got this."

"Because the c.r.a.phole motel room is so much more appealing than Adam's place?" My face scrunched up in confusion. "Whatever, do what you want, you don't owe me anything."

"I ain't goin' back to the place we met, if you must know, missy," he sniffed. "I'm goin' home. I got my own place in Texas, I think it's high time I head back there."

"Oh. Then you're leaving, leaving." Somehow I couldn't picture him owning property, but of course he'd had years and years to acc.u.mulate it, like Adam. Just because he'd been living in squalor didn't mean he didn't have plenty of money stashed away for a rainy day. "Well then, it was nice knowing you, Remy. Thanks for all your help." I offered him a hand and he took it, pulling me off balance so that I tumbled closer to him, my other hand pressing up against his chest.

"You don't got to look so sad, sweetness. We'll see each other again someday. Until then, let me give you somethin' to remember me by." Without any warning his lips descended over mine in a nicotine flavored kiss. I heard Parker start to swear behind me, but before he could take a step, I blasted Remiel in the chest with my Grace, knocking him on his a.s.s in an impressive shower of sparks.

"Not cool." I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth, feeling a little bad when I saw how far I'd thrown him. "s.h.i.t, are you okay?" I started forward, but Parker caught hold of my arm, keeping me in place.

"He got what he deserved. Maybe next time you'll think twice about how you treat a lady," Parker simmered beside me.

"d.a.m.n, your claws got sharp." Remy rubbed at his chest with a groan. "Sorry, my mistake," he said, slowly pushing himself to his feet. "I guess I learned my lesson. Take care, kitty cat. I'll see you around." Still rubbing his chest, Remiel strolled away, his boots echoing on the pavement.

"Bye," I called after him, my annoyance rapidly fading. "Sorry." Remiel raised a hand, but didn't turn around or quit walking. "G.o.d, this is turning into the weirdest night..."

"You're not wrong there," Parker sighed. "Come on, let's get you home."

I didn't argue as Parker led me to his shiny, silver Camaro, slightly subdued as I still worked on processing everything that went down. In my own little world, I tried to puzzle through what might be in store for me. If I'd been part angel before... what was I since I had all of Raziel's Grace swimming around inside of me? Was I human at all anymore? Would the skirts upstairs send another Angel of Death to try and kill me again? Would they send an army?

Lost to deep thoughts, I didn't notice right away when Parker turned off in the wrong direction. Gradually, I looked past my reflection in the window to the street outside, my brows drawing together as I peered into the darkness. "I thought you said you were taking me home?"

"I did, but I didn't say whose home, did I?"

Chapter Twelve.

In all the times I'd hung out with Parker, I'd never been to his place. I sort of envisioned it as a James Bond type sw.a.n.k pad with a round bed, a bar that appeared as if by magic, and a fireplace that lit with the push of a b.u.t.ton. I knew he had money and I knew he liked the finer things in life, if his clothes and car were any indication. Plus, he had a reputation as a player and I figured he'd want a place to impress the ladies.

That's why I had no idea where the h.e.l.l he had in mind as he pulled into one of the older neighborhoods about a twenty minute drive away from the club. Mature trees and hedges lined the streets, mostly roomy Victorians and Craftsmans mixed with smaller bungalows, none of them looking like they'd been built in the past seventy years or more. Turning down a narrow street, he signaled in front of a large, weathered Craftsman. The windows dark and dingy; I couldn't make out much more than decaying gray paint and rotting eaves above the front porch.

"You decided to take me to a haunted house? It's a little early for Halloween, isn't it?" My brow rose skeptically.

"Funny." Parker didn't say anything else as he pulled past the house to a detached garage, hitting a remote clipped to the sun visor. The door opened to reveal a newer building, half empty for the car and half full of construction equipment. Everything from doors to drywall.

"This is your place?" I asked, following him up the steps to the rear of the house that opened into the kitchen.

"It's all mine, lock stock and leaky plumbing." He tossed his keys onto the counter. Actually, strike that, it wasn't a counter exactly. The kitchen was half torn apart, only the cabinets by the sink still in place. A modern stainless steel fridge sat in the middle of the room blocking half of the cabinet doors though. The "counter" he'd tossed his keys on was an old door set up on sawhorses functioning as a counter/table, littered with common kitchen objects.

"Wow, this place is um... it's..."

"It's a work in progress," Parker admitted, eye sweeping the littered room. "I bought it for a song though, and it's coming along nicely. Come on, I'll show you the parts I've already finished."

He took me through an equally battered formal dining room to the living room which actually looked pretty nice. No peeling wallpaper in that room, the walls were painted a soothing sage green, the wood trim a crisp white. Dark mahogany floors gleamed, warming the s.p.a.ce up nicely. A flat screen TV hung over the fireplace and a worn but comfy couch faced it. No decorator touches like at Adam's place, but it looked lived in. "Hey, you did all this? It's nice."

"All by my lonesome." A note of pride rang in his voice and I flashed him a smile. It's funny how you can know someone for years and not really know them.

"I didn't realize you were so handy."

"You know I'm good with my hands," he winked, and I gave him the requisite roll of the eyes. There it was, same old Parker.

"Now I know who to call if anything breaks in my apartment."

"Anytime. Come with me, I'll show you the best part."

I let him drag me up the creaky stairs, hoping I wouldn't fall through a weak board at any moment. Despite the squeaks and groans, the house seemed pretty solid though, and I followed him into the master bedroom. The walls and floors were done in that room too. The bed was messy, yesterday's clothes lying in a heap.

"Sorry, wasn't expecting guests." He kicked the mess into the closet and shut the door.

"And here I thought you always prepared for unexpected guests, in here of all places." I shot him a teasing grin, poking my head into the bathroom. There was a room I could spend some major time in. Refurbished in a period style, the old tile had been painstakingly restored, and a large framed mirror hung over the pedestal sink. What drew the eye was the enormous clawfoot tub, the kind you can sink in up to your eyeb.a.l.l.s, and I couldn't help a l.u.s.tful sigh.

With very little prompting, Parker shared the rest of the plans he had for the house. There were four other bedrooms and a full bas.e.m.e.nt, though it wasn't finished. He didn't show me the other rooms and I a.s.sumed they were in rough shape like the rest of the house. Taking me back down to the kitchen, he painted a picture of quartz counter tops and warm cherry cabinets.

"Do you even know how to cook?" I asked, as he went on about the six burner gas stove he'd ordered.

"That's beside the point. If you're going to do something, you might as well do it right."

"A good lesson in life," I agreed, letting him lead me to the bottom of the stairs.

"Listen, why don't you go up and get some rest? You must be tired."

"Trying to get me into your bed?" I raised a brow. "Typical." I seriously thought about taking a dip in his bathtub though, but I wasn't entirely convinced I wanted to spend the night.

Parker's chuckled over my lame joke. "It's the best bed in the house, with or without me in it."

"I'm not quite ready to sleep yet, so you go ahead if you're tired. I'll just go sit on your couch and watch TV for a while. You don't mind, do you? I'll keep it low." I a.s.sumed not since he'd brought me over.

"I'll stay up with you."

"No, it's late. You go on up, I'll be fine here." I didn't feel tired at all, even though I'd been pretty wiped out after my shift at the club. Raziel's Grace must have zapped the fatigue away.

"Merce, I don't have to be at the club until after four tomorrow, I think I can handle a late night. Besides, I normally take a while to unwind after work, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," I admitted.

"Good, then park it." He turned me by the shoulders and marched me to the sofa. "Here, find something good on." He tossed me the remote, a rare move for a man in my experience. "I'm gonna grab a beer, you want anything? Coffee, tea, warm milk?"

Ugh, for warm milk... "You wouldn't happen to have any decaffeinated tea would you?"

"It so happens that I do. Chai okay?"

"Very okay," I nodded, settling into what would be my favorite spot on my own couch. While I heard him pushing b.u.t.tons on the microwave in the kitchen, I surfed through the channels with the fancy remote that showed me a preview of everything on. Parker had every channel known to man and there were a few movies I wouldn't mind catching the end of. I settled on one with regency period costumes figuring he'd veto it when he joined me, but Parker didn't bat an eye at my choice when he set our drinks on the coffee table.

"I think that one's on demand this month if you want to start it over from the beginning," he commented, dropping into the spot on the opposite end of the couch. I scooted my feet out of the way to make room for him, but he picked them back up and set them on his lap once he was settled.

"No, I'm good, I've seen it before."

"I have to say, I don't get this movie."

"I'm surprised you've even seen this movie."

"It was on once while I was doing something else," he shrugged. "Like I said though, I don't get it. She's in love with him, right?"