Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

made his choice.  If he changes his mind, he’ll have to find his own way back.”
“You’re sure?  You don’t have to worry about what I think,” Ted stressed.
Mia looked up into his eyes and said, “I know.  I just see it as a lost cause.  I’m only sorry that Kevin had to witness this new selfish nature.”
“Kevin and Fergus had a run-in last night with some neighborhood spirits.”
“Oh dear.”
“Evidently, Fergus was mouthing off and received a fist full of fingers for his trouble.”
“He’s not a great fighter,” Mia said.  “He needs to keep his left up.  He keeps dropping it.”
“Gee, I didn’t know I married a boxing groupie.”
“Oh, I assure you, Mr. Martin, you have no idea what you married,” Mia said, pulling his mouth down to be kissed.
“Ahem,” the head nurse of the cardiac unit cleared her voice and then scolded, “You’re raising the lady’s blood pressure.  You, sir, are to sit in that chair until I have her vitals recorded.  I want them ready for the doctor so we can be rid of you.  Although, that man claiming to be your grandfather was certainly helpful last night.”
Ted looked at Mia, and she hunched her shoulders.  “Don’t look at me, I was asleep.”
“She was,” the nurse said.  “It was a strange night.  We lost power, and there was this smell.  It smelled like Christmas, you know, Frankincense.”
“Really?” Mia asked.
“Yes, it left as soon as it came.”  Mr. Stavros stayed in your room so we could check on the others.  After, he made us coffee for our troubles.”
“Frankincense, maybe it was one of the wise men?” Mia questioned, trying to figure out what happened.
Ted waited until the nurse had left before speaking.  “Orion said that Abigor showed up.  He looked at you and then Orion with the most serious look on his face.”
“Did he say anything?” Mia asked.
“He said, ‘She’s stronger than this,’ and left the room.  Orion thinks he was worried about you.”
“I doubt it.  He probably was looking for his gold chain,” Mia said.  “I wonder why he didn’t wake me?”
“Do I have to worry about Abigor?  Is he the new Murphy?”
Mia threw her pillow at him.
“I want to go home,” she said again.  “Make it so.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
Orion looked at the clothing strewn about the room he was sharing with Ted.  He recognized Sabine’s style.  No doubt, Mia wasn’t pleased with what clothing was available to her.  She and her cousin had such different tastes.  He started to refill Sabine’s suitcase when he came across a uniform bearing the emblem of the flying horse.
“Fine, that explains Abigor.  What is my granddaughter up to?”
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out,” Abigor said from behind him.  “I’ll take that,” he said.  With each item Orion handed him, Abigor ignited it, destroying the ash before it hit the floor.
“Poor kid’s not going to have anything to wear home,” Orion commented.  “Thank you for coming to see her last night.  She’s awake now and could probably use some visitors to distract her while she waits on being released.”
“Is her husband with her?”
“Yes.”
“Then she wouldn’t like me there…”
“Abigor, is there something I should know about you and Mia?  You’re not lovers, are you?”
Abigor looked at the elder birdman and shook his head.  “You’re a man of letters; you would know our history, so I won’t bore us with the details.  Do you think Mia came to Hell to kill me?”
“No, I think she was saving Ted from having his big brain eaten, nothing more.”
Abigor paced the room.  “You see, I used to have a lock on her.  I’m the one that gave her early sight, and it gave me the ability to monitor her all her life.  I did this because I was supposed to kill her before she killed me, but…”
“You couldn’t do it.”
“No.  I won’t tell you why.”
“I’m not asking.”
“But after Shane took her to the time before the fall, I can’t keep track of her.  She worried me, popping up in Hell uninvited.”
“I spoke with her last night,” Orion started.  “No one was as surprised as she by her sudden incapacitation, and it angered her that people would think that it was because she was heartbroken over Stephen Murphy.”
“I don’t think it would be the stress of killing Ruax.”
“No.  She’s a trained warrior and a quick healer. Maybe it’s your rejection of her?” Orion said mischievously.  He waited to see if Abigor’s ego would bite on the bait.
“Me?  I had offered to put a baby in her belly, but then she pointed out that the baby would be not only a Nephilim but one with crone ability.  A witch lizard is not the child I wanted to give her.  Do you think I made her feel dirty and rebuffed?”
“You could just have…”
“I could have, but I was afraid she’d slice my throat.  So, it’s my rejection of her that broke her heart.  It all makes sense now.  You should have seen her.  She was dressed like…. No, you don’t need to hear that.  Respectfully, since you’re her kin, I will take the time to tell you that I would take her as my 109th concubine, but she has too much baggage.  It is not a rejection of her love for me.  You should make her understand this or I’ll be facing a woman scorned.  One who could kill me.”
Orion looked at the demon and asked, “When did you fall in love with her?”
Caught up in the memory, Abigor spoke without thinking, “The moment I picked her up in my arms just after she was born.  She looked up at me and saw me.  Not the demon or the fallen, but the archangel I used to be.  I felt such love radiate