After the Smoke: Cole's Story (Kingdom Come Book 2.5) Read online




  After the Smoke

  Cecelia Earl

  Copyright © 2018 by Cecelia Earl

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For more information please visit the author’s website. (ceceliaearl.com)

  Cover Design by Christy Hintz

  Cover image credit: iStock.com/inarik

  Created with Vellum

  Also Available in Paperback

  When Ash Rains Down

  When Smoke Rains Down

  When Fire Rains Down

  Also by Cecelia Earl

  Before the Ashes (Kari’s Short Story)

  When Ash Rains Down (Book 1)

  After the Ashes (Mila’s Novella)

  When Smoke Rains Down (Book 2)

  After the Smoke (Cole’s Novella) (2018)

  When Fire Rains Down (Book 3)

  After the Fire (Mitch’s Short Story) (2019)

  For all those who grieve

  but have

  hope

  …there was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail swept a third of the stars from the sky and hurled them to the ground…

  Revelation 12:3-4

  Dear Reader

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading After the Smoke, Cole’s story.

  Have you grabbed your copy of Before the Ashes yet? If not, you may be curious about one of the side characters, Kari. You can read her short story for free after signing up to receive my newsletter. I only send emails when I have book news, updates, giveaways, or exclusives for my favorite readers. If you’re interested, you can sign up and get your copy of Before the Ashes here.

  The characters in my companion short stories and novellas all play an important role in the final book in the series, When Fire Rains Down, and I think you’ll enjoy getting to know them all better. I’ve enjoyed writing the series companion stories and main novels from various characters’ points of view. Because each character has his or her own voice, the stories may read a little differently from one another. Get to know Kari, Cole, Mila, and Mitch better after reading the main novels. Find the companion stories here.

  I hope you enjoy getting to know more about Cole in this behind-the-scenes look at the world beyond Julia’s earthly realm in Shady Creek.

  Blessings,

  Cecelia

  Contents

  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

  Sneak Peek of When Fire Rains Down

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Reviews

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  I attempt to go invisible at the sound of a familiar, eerie voice and high-heeled footsteps, but the best I can manage is to flicker translucently. I try again and fail. My human hands sweat as I panic.

  My senses are off, and it's hard to place the voice. The hairs on my arms rise and my chest constricts. I place my hand on a locker as cool as Shady Creek's rushing waters and lean toward the voice. It's deep and formal. I know I know its owner.

  I shake my head and exhale. Fully invisible, for the blessed moment, my wings reach across the hallway. Then, everything brightens as a human student, Kari, rounds the corner.

  With Legion.

  I should’ve known.

  Kari and I have hung out together a couple times while I tried to fit into the high school scene. She and her friends warmed to me and helped me stay inconspicuous and close to my human-angel Hybrid charge, Julia. What Kari’s doing with Legion is beyond me, and beyond frightening. I’ve not noticed her around him before, not even before I became human.

  It feels as though it's been three seconds since I chose to stay as humanly visible as possible, but watching Julia age tells me it's been three years.

  Three years.

  Three years, and I've nearly forgotten the sensation this particular demon brings. Legion smells of burnt feathers and rotting soul. Under his jeans and black jacket, his skin is green and scaly. His eyes are bottomless tunnels devoid of light. A wave of disappointment and disgust nearly overtakes me. I don’t think Kari can see him there by her side.

  She’s wearing her usual heels and short skirt. Her big brown eyes are wide and light up when they spot me. I sigh and hang my head. I'm visible again. I look up at her from under the hair that's fallen to partially cover my eyes.

  I push off the lockers, straightening to greet her with a smile.

  "Cole," she says, her voice breathless as a whisper. "What are…? Why…?" She composes herself and tries again, ducking her chin to look at me through her long lashes. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

  I turn and walk alongside her. "Shouldn't you?" Behind us, the hall is empty. Legion has vanished. Kari's Guardian Angel is also nowhere in sight—a troublesome observation.

  She gently bumps her shoulder into my arm and giggles. "Funny. I'm getting there." She holds out a slip, flutters it in front of me. "I have a pass. Ran an errand for Ms. Wiltrow."

  I nod and sidestep left so we're no longer touching. "Of course."

  The doors at the end of this high school hallway offer a glimpse of a dreary fall day, overcast and grim, like Kari after I attempt to ignore her plea for approval. I may be an angel, but I know flirting when I see it. Even when it's directed at me.

  Especially when it's directed at me.

  Flirting makes the human hairs on the back of my neck prickle and my palms sweat. Humanity is hard to endure. Emotions swirl. Most of them make me nauseous. Maybe that's how it is with everyone. Or maybe that's just how it is with me, because I'm not supposed to be human. Maybe it's a side effect, a flu-like symptom telling me to forego this plan I devised when it seemed like a good idea.

  Nicholas told me over and over not to do it, not to become human to better guard Julia. He suspected the results could be catastrophic. I wanted to be as close as I could, to protect Julia from the inside for once. Lucifer found out about her dad—their entire family— and is about to zero in on them. Julia's close to realizing what she is, and I have to be a physical presence in her life when she does. She has to have someone to turn to, someone to trust. That someone should have been her father, Raif, or even Tobias, but they're gone now.

  I'm doing what I have to do.

  Except I'm losing control.

  We round a corner. Legion reappears, as if he entered through the doors to our right. But they remain still and no autumn air rushes in at us from outside. Yet he’s visible to everyone. He beckons Kari with an outstretched finger, and Kari whirls, looking at him demurely through her lashes over her shoulder. She fights a smile, but it wins out over her red, pouty lips. I grimace.

  "Lovely girl, come here," he lures. Whether he says the words aloud for her to hear or not, I’m not sure. But she reacts as if she heard them spoken and
obeys.

  In that moment, the bell announcing class's end sounds and classroom doors swing open in slow motion, one after another, along the hallway we've turned down. I guess Kari won’t be making it back to that class after all.

  My humanity and angelic Glory mix and combat one another, causing my senses to overload. I cringe at the sounds, the light, the movement. Kari bends her head to listen to what Legion is saying, her ear brushing his shoulder. Heads bob in the way of my view. Lockers slam and each one is like a slap to my face. Tormented, I consider exiting to find peace among the trees beside the building.

  But then, my charge, Julia, is among the crowd filtering through the halls. She’s a light, a blip of something lovely amidst the dreary. It's lunchtime, and the students are more energetic than at an earlier hour. They rush toward their lockers, whooping and hollering, tossing novels with half-torn pages at one another and balling up loose-leaf paper to dunk into corner garbage cans. They greet me with smiles and shouts. But I’m not really here to be popular. I’m here to watch and protect. And Legion's black eyes roving toward Julia is not lost on me. What is he up to?

  "Cole."

  I start at the sound of my name. A towering figure hovers above me before lowering himself to stand beside my half-human form. He’s dressed in a cream-colored robe. His wings are white, but they cast shadows, hiding me. To the students here, I am a physical attribute: a football star, a friend, a smiling light bringing happiness to any boring class we share. To myself, I'm fading. I'm losing control. I'm darkness and mistakes.

  I’m regret.

  With the angel's Glorious aid, I become transparent and then invisible.

  I nod in gratitude. "Gavril."

  We step aside and observe. The hallway is in chaos. Humans are loud and active. Their respective Guardian Angels hover, offering guidance. Demons slither like whispers; the hallway sounds as if it's been invaded by a knot of snakes. Warrior Angels, too, stand guard, waiting for a demon to step out of line, to attack a human soul.

  Each soul is as visible as their body when I'm able to use my Glory to see them. Some are bright as the sun, strong and pure. Others dim or flickering. It’s the recent flickering of Julia’s that’s got me on edge. It’s a recent phenomenon, and I know I’m the cause of it.

  Because of me—not some demon—she’s losing her Grace. And I have to do something to remedy that, something drastic.

  Chapter 2

  “Let’s step outside,” Gavril says, tearing my focus away from Julia and Kari, away from my guilt.

  Relieved, I follow him. Though he could easily transport without the traditional means—walking through doors—he’s being sensitive to my… needs. Once outside, I stand so I can watch Julia walk down the hallway toward her locker through the glass doors. Legion keeps his distance, as do the other demons.

  The fresh air does help clear my head. “What’s the matter?”

  He puts a hand on my shoulder. “You’re troubled. It’s been a while since I checked in with you. You have Nicholas and Michael now, I know, but as a fellow Guardian, I thought maybe you’d like to speak with me about whatever’s been going on with you—” He pauses and drops his hand to his side. “—and your charge.”

  I stare at his hand, at the ring on his finger, a rare gift for a Guardian to have received. It’s an honor to serve with him, to have trained with him for this important duty. I don’t wish to disappoint him, but by the frown on his face, it seems I already have. I clear my throat. “Yes, you’re right. It’s been difficult, to say the least. I have developed strong feelings for the humans I care for, and I worry my emotions are affecting them in a negative manner. I’m trying to keep my distance while still offering the utmost protection.”

  “I have every confidence you’re doing the best you can. I’m not here to reprimand or to judge, only to be an ear or a shoulder if you need one.”

  I smile. “You’re a good friend. Thank you.”

  When I offer nothing more, he nods. “Okay, well I plan to stay for a while, to be of assistance to you and the souls here. Activity has escalated, and Heaven is sending reinforcements.”

  “Good. You’re much needed.” I stick my hands in my sweatshirt’s pockets. “As for me, I will get myself under control. I’ll be okay.”

  He steps toward the door. “See you inside. Take a minute if you need it.”

  “Thanks,” I say as he walks into the school as if there were no glass in the door at all.

  Kari steps through next, holding the door open a moment before letting it swing shut behind her. She giggles when she sees me. “When did you sneak past us?”

  I raise my eyebrows. “Us?”

  She looks behind her and frowns. “Oh, I thought he was coming with me. That new boy….” She laughs. “I guess I forgot his name.”

  I shrug and offer nothing. “What does he talk to you about?”

  She crinkles her nose, probably thinking it’s an odd question. “I don’t know. Stuff.” She looks down at her feet. When she returns her gaze to mine, she adds, “I know you’re probably going to the dance with Julia, so he’s asked me to go.” She shrugs. “I said yes.” When she reveals this to me, her eyes get cloudy, almost as if they’re not quite her own, but then they clear and she gives me her usual bright smile.

  I want to know what effect he’s having on her and why. I step closer to her to see her eyes. She takes this the wrong way and moves toward me. Without much more than air between us, it’s harder to breathe as she looks at me through her long, black lashes. “Just… be careful. When you’re with him,” I say. Her eyes stay clear. Is he forcing her to go with him? Not giving her the choice? Why? What will he do at the dance?

  Her smile widens. “Okay, Cole. I will. Maybe we could still dance together once?”

  Luckily, I’ll be there as Homecoming King, by Julia’s side, where I can keep her safe. I’ll be able to keep an eye on Kari too. “Sure.” Before I can contemplate this new soft look in Kari’s eyes, she’s leaned into me and stands on her toes to kiss me. Our lips meet, and I’m so stunned I reach out to catch my balance. With my arms at her waist, I don’t know what to do but stand there with my lips on hers for that moment. I have no true heart as an angel, but I swear my human heart beats extra hard, even after she steps away and holds my gaze.

  “I’ll hold you to that,” she says, her voice breathy and her cheeks pinker than normal.

  I can’t speak I'm so flustered, so I nod my agreement before she heads back inside. I realize the bell for the lunch period has rung. That means I have time to clear my head and think.

  The kiss replays in my mind. No, this can’t be happening. I run my fingers through my hair, pacing before the school doors. Now not one but two girls have feelings for me. I look inside. Kari is too sweet, too naive. I can’t even protect her from myself, much less Legion.

  I’ve let my humanity go too far, get too out of control.

  Something’s got to change. And soon.

  Chapter 3

  The grass is brown and crisp after a scorching sun has had its way with it the whole summer long. Fall is a much more merciful season, though it's too late to save any of it. It's dying, and nothing can be done about it. Not until it spends its time asleep in the cold and through the darkness. With great hope, it will be renewed in the spring.

  Not me, though. I don't think I can dare to hope for that.

  I sit up where I've been lying with the grass poking into my back, staring at the clear fall sky. I know it must be a cool blue, but to me, it's washed out, nearly colorless, as is the world lately. I open and close my fist, the humanness stiff and painful.

  I wonder if all demons see the world this way, pale and lackluster, without beauty of any kind.

  A shadow moves to block what little of the sunshine I’d been receiving. “Cole, get up."

  I flinch at the sound of my name. "Is there nowhere in this town to go for solitude?"

  "You didn't go through all this to sit outside by yours
elf… or did you?" Nicholas jeers, motioning to my human form.

  I jump to my feet, wings out, and whip around. "You know I didn't. I thought some time away might… help."

  His sword is at the ready, tip pointed at my chest. "Did it?"

  "No."

  “What do you need help with? Are you ever planning to let me know what's going on?"

  "No." I walk away.

  "Don’t stalk off mad."

  I don’t bother to respond while I take a sharp left into the Shady Creek Woods.

  "You know, mad is not the norm for you."

  "Spending too much time with you, I guess. You're wearing off on me."

  He's by my side in a flash, his Glory never having waned like mine has.

  He glances at my wings, and he can't mask the horror on his face.

  "Don’t even say I told you so."

  He clenches his jaw and stares straight ahead, letting his sword go. It disintegrates into the air around us, into an unseen realm.

  "Glad to see you're not so afraid of me."

  "Should I be?"

  I shrug. "Probably."

  He thinks I'm joking, but I'm not. Though, a leveled look from him tells me he may suspect, after all.

  I stop in the middle of the forest, no sound from cars or the creek audible, though I'm sure Nicholas's Glory-filled spirit can hear everything for miles and miles. "Look," I say, hands out in front of me, pleading for understanding. For him to listen without comment for once. "Demons are arriving in droves, and Guardians are a third of what they used to be."