Emma’s world is falling apart, and
Kade, the only one who seems to hold her together, is missing. With death
lingering right outside their door, decisions must be made before it’s too
late.
The Midway has refused to send help, so they are left to seek out the only
other who can stop Lucian.
A perilous quest sends Emma and a few Guardians into the Underworld, where the
unimaginable abide, to beseech the Prince of Darkness himself. Lucifer.
Now, they must endure the deadly levels of Hell, which not one … mortal or
immortal … has ever survived.
Prepare for love, loss, and the unexpected.
Excerpt from Broken Wings by Cameo Renae:
“Wake up! It’s Kade! Hurry!” A panicked voice yelled,
yanking me from my sleep. I sat up, breathless, my heart frantically beating. I
was trying to focus, when suddenly, all the lights clicked on.
Malachi was at the front door yanking it open. Dominic and
Alexander ran to assist him. As soon as the door swung open, Kade fell limp
into Malachi’s arms, and all I saw was red. Dominic and Alexander pushed around
them and ran down the tunnel with their weapons in hand.
“Kade? Kade? Hey man! Are you with me?” Malachi said,
shaking him. He quickly carried him to the couch across from me. Kade’s only
answer was a groan, but his eyes remained closed.
“What the hell happened to him?” I gasped, frozen in place.
He looked like he was badly injured.
I suddenly snapped myself from terror in front of me, and
jumped up off the couch. I knelt at Kade’s side and held his hand in mine. It
felt very cold and weak. Then a most horrifying realization hit me like a
brick.
I was touching him, and there was no heat… no surges… no
feelings of euphoria…nothing!
“Oh my God! Something’s wrong with him! He can’t die, right?
Tell me he can’t die!”
Hot tears welled in my eyes as I looked at Malachi for
answers. Something was VERY wrong. I couldn’t feel Kade and it scared the hell
out of me.
“We cannot die unless our heads are cut off, or our hearts
are pierced with an immortal blade, or ripped out,” Malachi answered.
“But why isn’t he responding?” I couldn’t tell what kind of
injuries he had, because he was covered with blood.
“I don’t know. Maybe his injuries are too extensive for him
to heal quickly enough. I’ve never seen an Angel in this bad of a condition.
Especially, Kade. He’s too quick for someone to have beaten the shit out of him
like this,” Malachi breathed.
I was even more worried, knowing that Malachi was this
concerned. Dominic and Alexander came back in and secured the door.
“It’s clear. Kade was the only one who made it through,”
Alexander announced.
“Alaine! Alaine!” Malachi yelled. Her door was still shut,
but within a few seconds it swung open.
“Yes?” she responded from the room where Caleb was still
under her watchful care.
“We need your help in here! Now!” he answered. I heard
Alaine quickly giving instructions to James, and then she exited the room.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. Her eyes suddenly caught and
steeled onto Kade’s lifeless body on the couch. She gasped and hurried over to
us. I moved out of the way so she could get to him. Her eyes furrowed as she
checked his pulse. “Malachi, help me get his shirt off.”
Malachi lifted his upper body while Alaine tugged his shirt
over his head and dropped it on the ground. Kade moaned, but he was still
unconscious. There were two noticeable puncture wounds in his chest.
Noticeable, because blood was constantly flowing out of them. He also had a
deep gash on his right shoulder.
“Dominic, bring me my medical bag! Quickly!” Alaine yelled.
In seconds Dominic was at her side, passing her the bag. She quickly opened it
and started pulling out supplies. She took a syringe and vial of fluid, and
pushed it into Kade’s arm, then started to clean out his wounds. He moaned
again, but his eyes were still shut.
Alexander went into the kitchen to watch the monitors.
“What happened to him?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I saw him on the monitor entering the tunnel,
but didn’t see what happened before that,” Malachi answered.
“Were there any others?”
“None that we know of. He showed up alone.”
“Where’s his vial?” Alaine asked in an urgent tone.
“He keeps it in his right pocket,” Malachi answered, with
narrowed eyes.
“Get it and pour some into his mouth, right now,” she asked,
cleaning out one of the deeper wounds on his chest.
“Why? It doesn’t work on Immortals… only humans,” he
responded, confused.
“I know that. Something’s happened to him. I don’t
understand how, or why, but right now…Kade is human.”
“What?!?” The room exploded with gasps, confusion, and
murmurs.
“Look,” she said, tilting his head to the side. She pushed
the hair back from behind his ear, revealing nothing. His mark was gone. There
was nothing, not even a scar.
I’d never really seen Kade’s mark, so I didn’t know what I
was looking for. From what I learned, each Angel was born with a special mark,
a mark that was unique to them alone. Their insignia. It was that mark which
distinguished them from all others.
The room fell silent. Malachi, Dominic, and Alexander stared
sadly at their wounded brother, who was now barely holding onto life.
Could Alaine be right? Was Kade really human? And if he
was…how?
It was difficult to watch him lying there, quiet and still,
beaten and barely hanging on. Just a few hours ago he was strong, fearless, and
full of life - slaying demons and saving my life. He was my hero, my
Knight-in-Shining-Armor.
“Just do it Malachi, and hurry,” Alaine scolded.
Malachi must have been in shock over her last words. He
quickly snapped from his thoughts, reached into Kade’s pocket, and pulled out
the blue vial. He twisted the top off, lifted his head a little, and poured
half of its contents into Kade’s mouth. Kade coughed a bit, but swallowed. A
few seconds later, he groaned, and his eyes popped open. They were red and glazed
over, filled with pain and confusion.
“Kade,” Alaine nudged. His eyes suddenly rolled back and
then closed again.
“We need to get him stabilized so we can get some answers
from him.” Alaine looked worried, and her eyes looked weak and weary. She also
looked like she was going to pass out.
“How is our perimeter?” Malachi called to Alexander, who
made his way back into the kitchen and was watching the monitors.
“Fine so far. I don’t think they saw where he came in. He
was probably injured taking out the ones that were near the entrance because
there is blood splattered all over the walls. Right now, I can only see about
three Darkling wandering around the outside, but they look completely lost.
Frickin’ idiots. There are no signs of the Fallen, and I’m pretty sure the
Darkling won’t find the entrance anytime soon. We should be safe, at least
until morning.”
“The Fallen are definitely out there, waiting. We just need
to be ready in case they do find the way in,” Malachi answered.
“If they do, I’ll know and will alert the rest of you. I’ll
make sure to wake all of you if there’s any action,” he chimed, wiggling
an air horn in his fingers.
“Yes, don’t forget to keep your weapons close,” Alaine said
with concern.
I spent the next few hours watching her carefully stitch and
bandage Kade’s wounds. I didn’t move an inch. I just sat still, watching her
fingers work like magic. She toiled, tediously and tirelessly, until her work
was finally complete, and when it was…it was perfect. She definitely knew what
she was doing.
“Nothing vital was punctured, so he should be fine after
lots of rest,” she whispered loudly enough so I could hear. I glanced up at
her, and a half smile grew on her weary face.
“Malachi, could you please take Kade into the middle room?
Danyel is in there now, but it’s closer and will be easier for me to go in
between, to check-up on both Caleb and Kade. I hope Danyel doesn’t mind.”
“Sure,” he answered.
“And please give him one more dose from the vial before you
leave.” He nodded and carefully lifted Kade.
A few minutes later, Danyel stumbled out of the room
carrying an extra blanket and pillow. He looked horrible, like he’d just been
awakened from the dead. He must have been out cold, because he didn’t move with
all the commotion that happened earlier.
