Page 69 of Ramiel

Zooming over to Grace, she picked the teen up again and spun her around over her head.

“Wee!”the kid shouted in glee.Her arms and legs were spread out like a starfish with the fake mink coat flaring out around her.

Losing her balance, Vic accidentally let go of Grace.Arkas lurched into motion and raced across the slippery ice.He caught the littlest cambion just before she could sail past the fairy lights and plunge into the dark water.

“Good catch, Ark!”Oak called out, proud of her mate’s quick thinking.

Queegly caught Grace’s eye when she was placed back on her feet.They shared a conspiratorial grin.They were the only two beings who were aware of the true nature of the teen’s special talent.

Chapter Forty

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RAMIEL WISHED HE COULDhave spared Caterina from the pain when he’d extracted the bullet from her back.She’d passed out and he’d cleaned her skin before putting a plaster on the wound.

Now that the danger was over, he took the stairs to the next level of the resort.Four women were being held captive.They all had gray souls, so he set them free.“The men who imprisoned you are dead,” he informed them when they gathered together in the upstairs hallway.

“What are you going to do with us?”a female asked.They were far too thin and looked haunted and defeated.

“You’re free now,” he said.“I need to get my female somewhere safe so she can recover from being wounded.”

“You’re just letting us go?”another human asked incredulously.“You don’t want anything for saving us?”

“No,” he replied.“I suggest searching this building for supplies before you leave,” he said, then headed downstairs.

Caterina hadn’t moved and was still unconscious.Ramiel went in search of a vehicle that worked.He found several cars and a pickup truck in a sprawling garage.The truck was old and battered, but the engine worked when he turned it on.He was thankful that the keys had been left inside it.He reversed it out and parked in front of the resort, then went to retrieve his cambion.

His female slept through being carried to the truck and placed on the back seat.Ramiel sensed the humans moving around inside the resort, searching for supplies just as he’d suggested.He drove back to their former ride and stashed their gear in the bed of the new truck.

Keeping the map on his lap, he chose a route that led him twenty miles away from the resort.Houses were scattered all around the area.None of them had lights glowing in the windows.That didn’t mean they weren’t inhabited.He picked one that stood far back from the road and scouted it on foot.“It’s vacant,” the knight said in relief, then sprinted back to Caterina.

He drove up the long driveway and parked in the garage.It was empty, so the owners had probably driven to their local church on the night of the Rapture.They’d left the front door unlocked when he checked it.Leaving it ajar, Ramiel scooped his cambion into his arms and carried her inside.

Caterina stirred as he climbed the stairs to the second level.“It’s okay, female.You’re safe,” he murmured.She snuggled against him and his heart picked up speed.Her trust that he would guard her filled him with pride.He’d never felt this protective of anyone before, except his commander.All of the knights would lay down their lives to keep Amaros alive.His survival was key to them winning their wars.

“What’s the point of it all?”Ramiel muttered as he studied the master bed.It was covered in dust, so he held Caterina with one arm long enough to strip the bedding off.Gently lying her down on the mattress, he returned downstairs to retrieve their belongings from the truck.Locking the doors and windows next, the warrior headed back to the main bedroom.Lying down beside the female the Mad Prophet called his mate, his own words bounced around inside his head.