sedona files 05 - falling angels Read online

  Was I strong enough? I glanced over at my mother’s pale face, at the taut set of my father’s jaw. They knew exactly what was at stake.

  And Taryn. She stood beside me, rigid, her body so still that I could barely tell if she was breathing. No, Taryn shouldn’t be at risk, since she was one hundred percent human, but her family had spent decades fraternizing with us aliens. I sort of doubted that an angry mob would care much about her human blood, since she was already gifted with the sorts of powers that most people couldn’t understand and probably didn’t want to.

  Then I looked over at Raphael. I wanted to memorize every detail of his face, the heavy lashes, the long straight nose, the mouth that had kissed me with so much passion. Lir Shalan had been right about one thing — Raphael had spent a lifetime working for the greater good. He needed to continue that work.

  As for me, well, he’d seen something in me, loved me. But what had I ever accomplished, except to amass one of Sedona’s larger shoe collections? My family would grieve, but maybe having me in his clutches would be enough to satisfy Lir Shalan, or at least make him back off a little on his threats of blackmail.

  A girl could hope, anyway. All I knew then was that my entire body seemed to ache with the intensity of my love for Raphael, for what he’d suffered for hundreds of years, until he finally was able to understand that there was nothing wrong with him, that he’d only needed to be patient. My sacrifice would wound him, but at least he would be alive. I had to hope he would understand why I acted as I did.

  I stepped forward. “Lir Shalan!”

  His gloating blood-red gaze had been fixed on my father, but it immediately shifted toward me. “Yes, honored Callista?”

  I knew he’d used the Assembly’s form of address simply to mock me, but I brushed the sarcasm aside. “Back on Penalta, you asked for me. I am offering myself now in exchange for Raphael. Let him go, and you can have the thing you truly wanted.”

  His eyes flared wide, even as my mother burst out, “Callista, no!” and my father began to utter his own denial.

  And Raphael’s voice in my head, saying, You cannot do this!

  I can, if it means saving you.

  No —

  Painful as it was, I shut down our mental communication. I’d already made the offer. Now it was up to Lir Shalan to accept the exchange.

  For a long moment, he was silent, watching me. No, if truth be told, it wasn’t so much watching as leering. My entire body went cold, and I was glad I’d never gotten around to eating the energy bar I’d stowed in one of my jacket’s pockets, because otherwise I was sure I would have been sick as I realized what probably lay ahead for me. But I didn’t say anything, only stood there with my heart pounding and the dim room seeming to spin around me. I’d made my move. The next one was on him.

  Before he could speak, though, the green-skinned hybrid went up to him and murmured something in his ear. A long pause, and Lir Shalan shot something back in the sibilant Reptilian tongue. I had absolutely no idea what was going on — and, judging by the mystified expressions my parents and Raphael wore, neither did they.

  Then the Reptilian tilted his head to one side, and his gaze moved from me to Taryn. She didn’t move, although a small shudder rippled through her before she went still again.

  “Not you,” he told me. “The other one.”

  Before I could react, Taryn had taken a step forward, then another one. My father moved in her direction, as if attempting to stop her, but somehow she sidestepped him and continued toward the Reptilian delegation.

  I found my voice. “Taryn, you can’t!”

  She turned toward me. The glassy look was gone from her eyes. They met mine, calm, unafraid. In that moment, I understood why she’d seemed so far away lately. Somehow, she must have known what was coming, had realized it was her sacrifice that would save Raphael, not mine.

  My heart ached. I wanted to stop her…and yet, I didn’t. Something in her expression told me that any of my protests would be ignored, that she had decided on this fate for herself, so Raphael and I might be happy.

  She even smiled faintly at me as she said, “I think it’s my turn to have an adventure.”

  Then she went to the green-skinned young man and laid her hand in his. I watched as he wrapped his fingers around hers, while Lir Shalan gave a nod of satisfaction.

  A flash of pale yellow light surrounded the Reptilians, and then they were gone.

  * * *

  The Sedona Files will conclude with Taryn’s story in Enemy Mine, due out in late spring 2016.

  To be notified when Enemy Mine releases and to get information on other new books by Christine Pope, please sign up here.

  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK…

  If you enjoyed reading Falling Angels, please consider taking a minute or two to leave a review. Reviews are a valuable resource in helping readers find other books they may enjoy — and they help the author, too, as there are many promotional opportunities only available for books that have a certain number of reviews.

  Thank you again for reading!

  ALSO BY CHRISTINE POPE

  THE WITCHES OF CLEOPATRA HILL

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Darkangel

  Darknight

  Darkmoon

  Sympathetic Magic

  Protector

  Spellbound

  A Cleopatra Hill Christmas

  * * *

  THE DJINN WARS

  (Paranormal Romance)

  Chosen

  Taken

  Fallen

  Broken

  * * *

  THE SEDONA FILES

  (Paranormal/Science Fiction Romance)

  Bad Vibrations

  Desert Hearts

  Angel Fire

  Star Crossed

  Enemy Mine

  The first three books of this series are also available in an omnibus edition at a special low price!

  * * *

  TALES OF THE LATTER KINGDOMS

  (Fantasy Romance)

  All Fall Down

  Dragon Rose

  Binding Spell

  Ashes of Roses

  One Thousand Nights

  Threads of Gold

  * * *

  THE GAIAN CONSORTIUM SERIES

  (Science Fiction Romance)

  Breath of Life

  Blood Will Tell

  The Gaia Gambit

  The Mandala Maneuver

  The Titan Trap

  The Zhore Deception

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Her work includes paranormal romance, and fantasy and science fiction/space opera romance. She now makes her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but hasn’t had any George R.R. Martin sightings yet.

  To be notified of new releases by Christine Pope, please sign up here.

  Christine Pope on the Web:

  @ChristineJPope

  ChristinePopeAuthor

  www.christinepope.com

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  If You Enjoyed This Book…

  Also by Christine Pope

  About the Author

 

 

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