“Shush me again, I dare you.”
His lips twitched in that way he was coming to expect in her presence. He searched ahead but no demons lurked in the vicinity. Still, he should not risk taking her to a public place. Minions often followed unsuspecting humans. He should take her to a private island in the Pacific, undiscovered and untouched by humans, as planned, but…he changed course.
For over an hour he glided through the vast expanse of blue, going high, then low, then high again, maintaining a constant zigzag impossible for anyone to lock on to.
“Since you don’t want to tell me what’s wrong with you, and I can tell that you’re still bothered by something,” Annabelle said, “why don’t you tell me why you no longer believe in the beauty of the land?”
Clouds of the purest white came into view, each surrounding mountains capped with snow. Fields of green grass, and meadows rich with dewy flowers. Water so blue it seemed to hold a thousand secrets in every ripple. He no longer pictured pieces of his parents strewn across different parts of the world. He no longer imagined the horror of his brother’s last days, but even so…
“A man’s surroundings are often tainted by his memories.”
Her warm sigh caressed his neck. “True. After my trial, my brother sold my parents’ house, as well as everything inside it. He wanted no reminders of the horror I’d caused.”
“But you did not cause that horror.”
“No, but he’ll never believe that.” Her sadness was a live wire, crackling and dangerous.
“Words laced with faith have power, Annabelle, even negative words. If you want him to change his mind, begin to speak and act as if he has.”
“What about his free will? And wouldn’t a claim that he believes me be considered lying?”
“Minds can be changed—of their own free will. And no, you wouldn’t be lying. You speak it, and because words have power, your faith makes it real.”
“But I don’t have any faith in this matter.”
“You do, but it’s small. You see, faith is measurable. It builds as you think about and meditate on a spiritual truth. And do not shake your head at me. What I say is true. There are natural laws, like gravity, and there are spiritual laws, like this one. You can have what you say if you believe that you have it before you actually see that you have it. That is faith.”
She thought about that for a moment. “All right, so he wants to reconnect with me.”
“Good. Keep saying that. Keep thinking that. Any time a thought contrary to what you just spoke tries to enter your mind, force it to leave. One day, you’ll actually believe it spirit, soul and body.”
“And just like that he’ll seek a relationship with me?”
“Just like that you’ll release a spiritual power unlike anything you’ve ever known.” He only wished he had applied these truths to his own life. But faith-filled confessions could take time, and if a man lacked patience, he could ruin everything.
“All right. Okay. I’ll think and meditate on this stuff.” She rested her head on his shoulder. So much time passed he figured she had acted on her promise and fallen asleep. Until she said, “So where are we?”
“New Zealand.” At the base of one of the mountains was the entrance to Thane’s cave. Most angels kept homes all over the world, because a warrior never knew where he would end up when hunting a particular demon, or when he would be injured and require rest. Like so many others, Thane had chosen a place where he was guaranteed as little human interaction as possible.
Zacharel would take her there. Later.
“I’ve always wanted to travel,” she said.
“And now you are doing so in style.”
A warm chuckle left her, a sound that threatened to overwhelm his senses with pleasure. “I can’t deny that.”