she could admit hers was largely an act of self-defense, given the way he’d left her, she’d always assumed his was real. Could she have been wrong?
What would that mean?
Sudden knocking on the door startled Belle—and Gwen—and she pushed to her elbows instinctively.
Kai was already striding toward the door, but he wasn’t reaching for his sword. So Belle doubted it was a demon. But who else would have cause to knock on their hotel room door?
“Who…” Gwen whispered, standing beside the bed.
Belle pushed herself up to a seated position, conveniently shielding the hilt of her weapon from sight, and shook her head. She might have added a verbal response, but the door was already opening.
An angel from Angel Clinic stood on the other side, her expression somber.
“Good afternoon,” Serafina said, addressing Kai with a bow of her head and shoulders. “I’m here for Belle.”
Frowning and immediately worrying about the patients she’d had to leave to Serafina and the rest, Belle stood and moved to Kai’s side. “Sera, what’s the matter?”
Sera looked between them before settling on Belle. “Can we talk in private?”
Belle could feel Kai’s attention on her, and she didn’t need to see his face to know his thoughts on the subject. But she didn’t see the harm in the request. “Just a moment,” she said to Sera. Turning to Kai, she added, “Why don’t you take Gwen to the next point and I’ll talk with Sera. When I’m done I’ll check us out, and you can come get me.”
Kai made no effort to hide his frown. “And if the demons return?”
“Demons?” Sera repeated, her blue eyes widening.
“They’re not targeting me, remember?” Belle said, ignoring her subordinate for the moment. “I’m sure this won’t take long. If you haven’t heard from me in thirty minutes, feel free to come looking.”
She recognized his disapproval when it flashed behind his eyes, but he didn’t voice his argument. And that made her wonder what it would be.
Kai turned and grabbed Belle’s larger suitcase before extending his other hand to Gwen. “Let’s go.”
“Belle?” Gwen asked hesitantly, shrugging into her backpack.
Belle offered her a smile. “Don’t worry, you should handle the next jump much better. And I’ll be there soon if you need a boost.” She hoped that wouldn’t be the case, though. Between spending a solid hour healing Gwen and then immediately having her head partially crushed by a demon, Belle was tired. What she needed was sleep. But her patients always came first.
As soon as Kai and Gwen were gone, Belle stepped aside for Sera to enter. “So what’s the situation?” It was unlike Sera to play messenger. Belle had expected Sera would have been taking charge of the clinic in her absence.
Serafina crossed her arms and aimed a disapproving frown at Belle once the door was shut. “You tell me,” she said. “I come in for my shift to find you’ve left without notice. Run off to Earth playing, what, house with a human and Kai ? I can’t imagine he’s on leave with all the demons running around topside these days.”
Belle blinked at her, taken aback by the accusation and the attitude. “Is that what this is about? You tracked me down to lecture me without knowing the circumstances?” She did her best to maintain her calm as she thought about the effort Sera would have had to put in to find her so quickly. “You have patients to be tending to, Serafina.”
Sera narrowed her eyes at Belle. “So do you, Belle. As Master Healer, you have an obligation to all of them. So what is this? Some Nephilim-population plan?”
“Don’t you dare speak like that to me,” Belle warned sharply, stepping into Sera’s personal space. “As Master Healer, I outrank you. One word of this to Kai and you’ll be unemployed, returning to the High Kingdom in shame. Now you listen to me, Sera, because I’ll only explain this once. I’m here on orders from Isabella herself. That
What would that mean?
Sudden knocking on the door startled Belle—and Gwen—and she pushed to her elbows instinctively.
Kai was already striding toward the door, but he wasn’t reaching for his sword. So Belle doubted it was a demon. But who else would have cause to knock on their hotel room door?
“Who…” Gwen whispered, standing beside the bed.
Belle pushed herself up to a seated position, conveniently shielding the hilt of her weapon from sight, and shook her head. She might have added a verbal response, but the door was already opening.
An angel from Angel Clinic stood on the other side, her expression somber.
“Good afternoon,” Serafina said, addressing Kai with a bow of her head and shoulders. “I’m here for Belle.”
Frowning and immediately worrying about the patients she’d had to leave to Serafina and the rest, Belle stood and moved to Kai’s side. “Sera, what’s the matter?”
Sera looked between them before settling on Belle. “Can we talk in private?”
Belle could feel Kai’s attention on her, and she didn’t need to see his face to know his thoughts on the subject. But she didn’t see the harm in the request. “Just a moment,” she said to Sera. Turning to Kai, she added, “Why don’t you take Gwen to the next point and I’ll talk with Sera. When I’m done I’ll check us out, and you can come get me.”
Kai made no effort to hide his frown. “And if the demons return?”
“Demons?” Sera repeated, her blue eyes widening.
“They’re not targeting me, remember?” Belle said, ignoring her subordinate for the moment. “I’m sure this won’t take long. If you haven’t heard from me in thirty minutes, feel free to come looking.”
She recognized his disapproval when it flashed behind his eyes, but he didn’t voice his argument. And that made her wonder what it would be.
Kai turned and grabbed Belle’s larger suitcase before extending his other hand to Gwen. “Let’s go.”
“Belle?” Gwen asked hesitantly, shrugging into her backpack.
Belle offered her a smile. “Don’t worry, you should handle the next jump much better. And I’ll be there soon if you need a boost.” She hoped that wouldn’t be the case, though. Between spending a solid hour healing Gwen and then immediately having her head partially crushed by a demon, Belle was tired. What she needed was sleep. But her patients always came first.
As soon as Kai and Gwen were gone, Belle stepped aside for Sera to enter. “So what’s the situation?” It was unlike Sera to play messenger. Belle had expected Sera would have been taking charge of the clinic in her absence.
Serafina crossed her arms and aimed a disapproving frown at Belle once the door was shut. “You tell me,” she said. “I come in for my shift to find you’ve left without notice. Run off to Earth playing, what, house with a human and Kai ? I can’t imagine he’s on leave with all the demons running around topside these days.”
Belle blinked at her, taken aback by the accusation and the attitude. “Is that what this is about? You tracked me down to lecture me without knowing the circumstances?” She did her best to maintain her calm as she thought about the effort Sera would have had to put in to find her so quickly. “You have patients to be tending to, Serafina.”
Sera narrowed her eyes at Belle. “So do you, Belle. As Master Healer, you have an obligation to all of them. So what is this? Some Nephilim-population plan?”
“Don’t you dare speak like that to me,” Belle warned sharply, stepping into Sera’s personal space. “As Master Healer, I outrank you. One word of this to Kai and you’ll be unemployed, returning to the High Kingdom in shame. Now you listen to me, Sera, because I’ll only explain this once. I’m here on orders from Isabella herself. That
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