Crimson Ties

by V L Moon

  Laziel meant it. Over the centuries, Arial had proven his worth time and time again. Laziel would willingly help lessen the load of Arial’s obvious distress. He was a friend, a brother, and Laziel knew Lachi felt the same, even if his vamp refused to admit it.

  “Do you think it possible for the likes of us to lay the past to rest? To start over again, make things right, make others understand that this life doesn’t have to be one long fight? Don’t you ever get scared for the future of….?” Arial cut his words short and let his eyes drift over Loz’s swollen abdomen. Arial reached out, but hesitated. Laziel caught his hand and pressed his open palm against Loz’s chest.

  “Do you feel that?” Arial looked confused, and Laziel continued. “My heart beats regardless of what form I’m in. It will continue to do so until the time comes when the bond that ties me to him is broken for good. Am I afraid? Yes. Every day.” Laziel sighed.

  “Loving Lachi makes me fragile, but at the same time, I love being a part of him. He completes me in a way that both hurts and confuses me. I love him regardless, even though it’s one sided. I can’t let go; I never will. Lachi’s all I’ve ever wanted. It sounds corny, but having even a fraction of his attention in any way, shape, or form is better than having none.” Lorenza moved closer to Arial.

  “The thought of never again having what we’ve shared terrifies me. It’s what makes the fight worthwhile, Arial. My love for him and for his young is something I’d die for and to keep. All either of us can do is have faith in those we love, fight for them for however long it takes. If it’s meant to be, my old friend, fate will always find a way. Never forget that.” Loz smiled briefly before easing back onto the overstuffed chaise lounge.

  Watching Arial through celestial eyes, Laziel wished beyond all hope the large, brooding male would one day be able to bury his past. Arial would never admit it, but Laziel sensed the loneliness brewing inside the mighty Fallen. It weighed him down constantly and only added to the burden of guilt Arial shouldered. Laziel knew the story behind Arial’s fall to Earth. He also knew it was a demon Arial secretly pined for and refused to search for fearing the nature of his curse would see him consumed with the need to feed off of the demon’s soul until there was nothing left but a pile of ash. Arial believed doing so would redeem him. Laziel feared killing the demon would destroy his Fallen friend. He suspected Arial knew it too, which was why he never intentionally hunted the demon responsible for his fall from grace.

  ~*~*~*~

  The knowledge of all that could be and all that had passed glowed within the depths of Laziel’s ever changing eyes. Sometimes, Arial swore Laziel could see into his soul, and could strip away the very horrors that lurked there. He should have been pissed, and would have been if it were anyone else but Laziel. Truth be known, Arial kind of admired the smart mouthed asshat. For all of Laziel’s foolish bravado, the angel’s heart was in the right place. He was loyal to a fault, fierce when needed and loved with such ferocity that Arial often wondered how Malachi dealt with it.

  The answer, of course, was that the vampire didn’t deal with it. Arial feared he didn’t know how. Arial smiled. For some reason, the fact Laziel and Malachi were polar opposites of each other tickled him. Even on his darkest days, Laziel’s antics and Malachi’s reaction to them lightened his mood and made the shit they faced easier to deal with. The eye rolls, the one liners, Laziel’s overtly flirtatious way of riling Malachi until the vampire couldn’t contain himself were at times hysterical, especially when Malachi lost it and blew. Laziel would run from the room, his laughter peeling through the halls at what was to come. That was when intelligent beings cleared the room. When the two of them came together, the clash of wills coupled with the carnal need they had for each other resembled the firestorms of Hell. Fighting through a hurricane was easier than dealing with the pheromones those two gave off. Once had been enough, Arial didn’t need an action replay.

  Resigned to keeping watch over Laziel, Arial gave into the glare burning holes in his back and took a seat next to Lorenza and cocked a brow when Loz propped her feet up onto his lap. “You miss him?” Arial hadn’t realized he’d asked the question out loud and could have smacked himself in the face for being so stupid at the sight of Loz’s anguished face.

  “Most days, I barely believe it’s possible to exist. The pain of being apart consumes me. The male part of me that Lachi prefers deals with it better than this form. Being Loz brings with it the heightened awareness of female celestial emotions. They are bloody unbearable. And now, due to my own stupidity, the whole expectancy bit doesn’t hold the same sense of happiness it would have had. If I hadn’t been caught off guard the night we were together, things may have been different,” Loz’s voice trailed off. Arial sensed the angel’s obvious dismay.

  “I tried to block him out at first, but the bond between us wouldn’t allow it. His scent and the memory of the years spent with him are so strong they haunt me.” Lorenza tapped a finger against her temple. Arial knew exactly what the angel meant. It seemed they were both emotionally crippled and reminiscing constantly over the past. Lorenza’s eyes started to glaze over, turning lighter more opaque then white. Arial had long since fathomed the mood behind each change and sensed the sadness dwelling within the other celestial.

  “You’re both so damn stubborn, Laz. I pleaded with you, months ago, when we first came here to go home. None of this has been easy on you, but I’ve also seen what your absence has done to Malachi. He isn’t the same,” Arial said. “Something’s changed in him. I don’t know what it is. He’s angrier than ever, sunlight has started to affect him, his ability to rule is going to be a topic of concern once the Elders find out he refuses to feed. And for what it’s worth, I really don’t believe that he gives a shit what form you’re in.”

  Arial took a breath. “I think he’d handle it if you were there, where he could see that you’re safe. Go home, Laz. Show Malachi that one of you has the ability to swallow some pride. I know it won’t be easy. But, I think it’s time don’t you?” Arial expected the usual run of excuses as to why Laziel couldn’t return. What he didn’t expect was the sound of Laziel’s broken voice.

  “Yes,” he whispered.

  Relieved Laziel would at last be safe and appeased by familiar surroundings, Arial sighed. “You’re making the right decision. He needs you, and you need him. When this little one makes itself known, its going to need you both to be there for it. Creator save us. That poor kid ain’t got a clue what its in for with that vamp for its dad.”

  Arial laughed at his own humor as he escorted Lorenza out into the night. Lines of worry marred her face as she searched the shadows for any sense of a threat. Arial didn’t care that beneath the feminine form, Laziel paced ready for any danger. Using one thickly muscled arm, he brought Loz’s petite form in against his waist and covered her appearance the best he could with the remnants of his wings. Carefully, he made haste through the cold, wet streets of Rome.

  ~*~*~*~

  With his female form tightly tucked against Arial, Laziel accepted the Fallen’s protective embrace. But, as they worked their way through the weather weary streets, the feeling of unease that had haunted him throughout the day grew stronger. At first, Laziel chalked it up to the anxiety of being held in Loz’s form, the unknown complexity concerning Lachi’s unborn young and their separation. However, as the day turned to night, the unease deepened. It took on a whole new dimension.

  Dread chilled the surface of Loz’s skin and seeped through her pores. A fine sheen of perspiration made her skin feel clammy. On the inside, where Laziel’s mind held celestial precedence, a storm of epic proportion threatened to break apart the bonded tie connecting his soul to Lachi. The shocking revelation sent a violent shudder through Laziel’s female form. Her knees went weak, and she collided with the hard wet ground. Robbed of strength, she lay there as the rain lashed against her skin.

  Eyes wide with fear, Laziel barely made out Arial’s face looming over their prone f
orm. The Fallen’s lips moved; yet, no sound came from his mouth. All Laziel heard was a faint echo, a static voice so distant he had to strain to hear it. The hypnotic sound drew Laziel toward it. Closing his eyes, he felt the turmoil in his mind simply slip away from him. For the first time ever, Laziel felt totally alone. He drifted slowly, following the soft accented allure calling him forth. The closer he got, the tighter the knot in his gut twisted. Something was wrong.

  The thrum of their unborn child’s heart quickened, taking the very breath from Loz. Inside the swollen mound of Loz’s womb, Malachi’s child moved, kicking out hard against Loz’s ribs. Its internal struggle grew in intensity, but Laziel couldn’t stop, couldn’t pull away from the dulcet sounds tugging at his heart. When the recognition flared of inside him, Lachi’s voice slammed through the ties that eternally bound them. Like a wrecking ball to Laziel’s soul, Lachi broke through his internal walls. His presence stilled their child’s obvious distress. Their babe already recognized its father’s beautiful voice.

  Hot tears stung Laziel’s eyes as he listened to the plight Lachi faced. Never before had Laziel felt so utterly compelled to allow the loss of a life. Lachi fed from no one; only him, and he never fed another soul. The nights they spent together drunk on blood and love were highly prized moments Laziel held sacred. But, as much as those memories consumed him, the thought of losing someone as genuine as Lance was one burden Laziel couldn’t allow. No matter how much it hurt.

  The aching memory of Lachi locking away the decorative Christmas angel came to mind. If there was anything left of the wall he’d built to keep Lachi out, it was gone. He loved Lachi and nothing was going to change that fact. Laziel knew Lachi could possibly see or sense his thoughts, but he was tired of fighting it, tired of hiding what he felt. Laziel took a moment to look upon the vampire king and let the memory of his dark brooding looks engrain themselves into what was left of his heart before whispering the words that could possibly do them more harm than good.

  “Lance needs you.” With the words said, Laziel mentally pulled away and readied his female form for the pain that was sure to come. “Get me back to the church and make it quick.” Laziel relinquished his hold and let Loz’s voice speak. The directive came in broken sobs. Arial lifted her easily into his arms and proceeded to run through the rain spattered streets. “I said back to the church, Arial. Please don’t fight me on this. I won’t be responsible for the shitstorm that’s about to break. Now take me back.”

  “The enclave is closer, and if anything’s about to break around here, it will be my fucking neck if anything happens to you. Now, how about you pull your head out of your fucking ass and just hang on tight. We’re nearly…oh fuck,” Arial uttered, when Loz’s body arched in his arms and ignited the darkness with celestial light.

  “Creator, save me. Not here, not now. If you never give me anything please give me this. Five minutes, just five bloody minutes,” Arial pleaded. “Let me get your boy to where he’ll be safe, and if you could, send me some bloody help, ‘cause I know shit about angel’s giving birth to kids”

  Arial’s words rumbled through his chest, but Laziel paid them no heed. Inside, his body started to burn. He’d thought about the moment so many times over the past months, feared it almost. But, with it imminent, he was scared.

  Arial ran. The streets blurred past them in a haze. Unaware of the time passing, Laziel failed to contain his anguish and pain. Within the realm of the vampire race, a Sire knew when their vassallos fed from another or attempted to sire one of their own. But, due to Lance’s lineage and the magic coursing through his veins, the Fae was an unknown entity within the vampire world. He lived off the magic of his race and not blood. But, something had changed. Laziel may not have been a vampire, but through the union of their souls Laziel knew the exact moment when Lachi’s blood flowed into Lance as though he watched it through his very own eyes.

  Each pull from Lachi’s wrist acted as a knife to Laziel’s heart. Thrashing from side to side, Lorenza screamed as an arc of light split through her abdomen and spilled out of the wealth of Laziel’s celestial core. His scent permeated everything, saturating their surroundings with the raw undiluted scent of angelic essence as his light slipped away and pain took its place.

  “Laz! Laziel. Come on, angel, hold on to me. Grunt, scream, cry or curse, but say or do something please,” Arial begged. “Oh God, you can’t fucking die; not like this.”

  Any other time, Laziel would have laughed at the panic in Arial’s words, but as he grasped the Fallen’s hand, his vision dimmed. His link to Malachi began to unwind. Like a piece of threadbare rope, Laziel watched each glimmering thread stretch out between them and start to fade. What once shone brighter than a million different stars was dimmed to a glowing ember, waiting to coolant die. He had to fight, force Loz to breathe.

  Drawing on the only other emotion left to him, Laziel split the seal on his seraphim wrath and set free the hidden tidal wave born from centuries of war and unrequited love. He relinquished his grasp on Fate, and gave himself freely. With a last urgent shove, he poured every ounce of good in him into the arising soul of Malachi’s young.

  ~*~*~*~

  Chapter Forty

  ~*~*~*~

  Heaven

  “Mirabella!” The voice boomed across the training center. Everyone froze except the one called. With exquisite grace and deadly precision, Mirabella finished the intricate incantation and shoved the ball of angel’s breath from her chest, across the room and into the dummy vessel. The pretend demon absorbed the influx of purity and flickered from black to a blinding white.

  Strength waning from the exertion and the control necessary to direct the blast, Mirabella refused to show weakness. She pivoted on her toes, offered Michael a small smile in greeting and bowed in deference to his archangel status. Too many times, he’d tried the same tactics and ruined her concentration or her aim.

  “Good day, Michael,” she said when she straightened. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Though she tried to hide it, bitterness edged her voice. After the brief encounter with Laziel, she’d returned to Heaven eager for her promised assignment. Months later, she still wandered the golden halls. None had visited her save Sashka, and no more little white envelopes had appeared.

  Without answering her, Michael grabbed her wrist and dragged her from the Training Room. Wide eyed stares followed their departure. With each silent step, Mirabella’s lips firmed, and her temper spiked a notch higher. Outside of the training room, they veered left, and then right before entering a small room. Several angelic heads lifted, but quickly returned to their assigned duties when Michael glared at them.

  “We have an urgent mission. He needs you.” Michael spoke low and fast. His eyes flicked furtively to the others seated in the room. Mirabella frowned. He who? Why didn’t he want them to know where she was going? Why the in your face personal approach instead of the formal assignment? She opened her mouth.

  “No,” Michael bit out, slapping a hand over her mouth. “We do not have time for your infernal questions. You must go now. Be brave, Mirabella.” Michael lifted a hand and placed it against her forehead. Fear entered his eyes. “Creator bless you, child. You’ll need it.” Power such as she’d never known surged into her. The room around her faded.

  Curses and a scream were the first things to register when she regained form. Gulping, she spun around and found herself face to face with a very pregnant female and a rugged—Holy Creator, a Fallen, complete with ragged wings and the scent of Hell surrounding him. Every protective instinct she possessed came online. Instead of panicking, she centered herself. When recognition of the female hit, dizziness assailed her.

  Laziel.

  Or rather Lorenza. The mighty Seraphim writhed in the throes of labor. The Fallen matched Mirabella’s combat ready stance. Battle hardened eyes regarded her white robes and the sabre of light clasped in her hand. In his hand, he held Lorenza’s small fingers.

  “You’
ve no need of that weapon, little one, if you have been sent in answer to the demands I’ve been sending Heavenward.” The male’s weary voice cut through her defenses. He moved aside to give her a clearer view of the female. “She needs help, and I don’t know what the fuck to do.”

  “Where am I?” She breathed, taking in the opulent room in a quick glance.

  “The Vatican enclave. Laziel’s and Malachi’s private chambers.” The disgraced angel supplied. “I trust you’ve been sent to assist and not kill Lorenza? If it’s the first, thank fuck; if it’s the second, I was wrong. You’ll definitely be needing that sword.”

  “I don’t know why I’m here. Michael chose not to say,” she shot back, but the sword disappeared. Mirabella hurried across the room to take her place at Lorenza’s side. As part of her training, she had been coached in birthing given many infant souls were lost in the transfer from womb to Earth.

  “Close your eyes, Fallen,” she barked and circled around to stand at the Seraphim’s feet.

  “His name is Arial, treat him with respect.” Spoken through clenched teeth in a voice weaker than most newborn screams, the censure was nonetheless received. Mirabella ducked her head to acknowledge the rebuke. Tenderly, she laid a hand upon Loz’s stomach and called forth her gift. The babe’s life force met her gleefully, robust and bright. But, Lorenza’s own dulled with each pulse of her heart. Sadness danced around the female’s aura.

  After a quick physical examination, Mirabella knew they were in trouble. “The babe is coming, but she’s not ready. Her body is not opening up as it should. I’ve never even heard of an angelic birth, much less attended one.”

  Arial cursed, and Mirabella almost chucked her angelic heritage and added her own choice words to the mix. Again, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the spiritual souls. The babe’s radiated the purest most beautiful energy she had ever witnessed, but it was being fed by its mother. Everything that was Loz was being poured into the babe while the battle for birth waged in her small body. As powerful as they were, the Seraphim was losing ground quickly.