Faith Revisited by Madelyn Ford Page A

confession concerning Bale had left her even more disconcerted. If she weren't so afraid of getting reamed by her father, Hope would have already contacted him. But she and Faith were both desperate to get out from under his oppressive control, to live their lives as they saw fit.
    With her Transfiguration complete, Faith now had her chance.
    Lost in her own thoughts, Hope was surprised when the hallway gave way to an opening overlooking a large foyer. Two stone staircases adorned each wall, and Hope slowly began the descent down the set closest to her. A chandelier overhead caught her eye. It resembled those from a century past, when candlelight was still used to feed a room.
    The two main walls were hidden behind large tapestries. The one farthest from Hope depicted a battle between two groups of angels. It was a beautiful design but did not hold Hope's interest. As her gaze traveled over the one closest to her, however, a gasp slid from her lips.
    The scene was much simpler. A lone angel stood in a green field surrounded by floral splendor. His long blond hair flowed over his massive shoulders, partially hidden beneath a pair of white wings that curled protectively around his body. The ends of his white toga flowed around his ankles as if caressed by a gentle breeze. But he appeared to see none of the beauty The Watchers: Faith Revisited
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    around him. Instead, green eyes, the color of glittering emeralds, gazed longingly into a bright light.
    Hope reached up and slowly traced a finger down his cheek. The anguish reflected in his gaze affected her like a punch in the abdomen. His sadness overwhelmed her. With a sudden desperation, Hope backed away from the tapestry. Scurrying down the remaining steps, she attributed her emotional response to everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours: the demons, Faith's injuries, and her own. Otherwise she was going insane, because for the briefest of moments, she could have sworn the angel's eyes had looked directly at her.
    Anxious to get as far away from the foyer and that damn angel as possible, she traveled quickly through the abbey, paying attention to very little until she found herself in a monstrously sized dining hall. A large rectangular table rested in the center, surrounded by twelve wingback chairs. In two of the corners, arranged in a square, were identical sets of black leather couches and four chairs. Beside one was a large wet bar. A cursory glance noted it was well stocked with high-end scotch, vodka, and tequila. These males had expensive tastes.
    They also apparently had an angel fetish. The walls in this room were also covered with scenes depicting angels. Hope sighed in relief when she found the angel from the foyer was in none of them.
    With hands rubbing her arms, she moved toward the enormous fireplace, thinking to chase away the sudden chill, when murmured voices to her right caught her attention. She changed direction, quietly approaching a half-opened door. Hope could see Bale standing inside the smaller room and thought to gain his attention when she heard Faith's name. She abruptly slid off to the side to listen unobserved.
    “I'm sure someone would be willing to take the little vampire off your hands, Bale,” a deep, husky voice said drily from farther within the room. “You don't need to take sole responsibility for her recovery.”
    “Yeah,” agreed a second voice, this one slightly higher and filled with a teasing cadence.
    “You've been guarding the female like she's the Holy Grail. I'd be more than happy to give up a little blood. Especially if she is as hot as her sister.”
    An aggressive-sounding growl followed by a loud scuffle had Hope peeking around the corner. Bale had a brunet about six inches shorter than himself pinned against the wall, his forearm pressed into the other male's throat.
    “Stay away from her,” Bale snarled, adding pressure to the male's throat.
    The brunet managed to break free, though Hope suspected