by S Lawrence
Stopping outside a bar, I watch the television screen from the shadows. The news is playing, and I realize our war is becoming less and less of a secret. The mass killings of the Fallen are being noticed, and my brothers and the other demons Luc has fighting them are also.
Humans aren’t stupid or blind. They choose not to see the things that are happening around them, supernatural or not.
Evil comes in many forms.
The hairs on my neck stand up, and I use the windows of the bar to look around the street behind me. Nothing. My eyes keep scanning as I turn and start back down the street. I don’t see her, but somebody's watching me. Taking a right, I turn down an alley, letting the darkness swallow me. No need to fuel another news report.
I hear footsteps following.
They are what alerts me to my mistake.
It’s too late. I know it when I turn and see Seraphina. She smiles, and I see my death in it.
‘I love you.’
I send the thought as she closes on me. I roll my eyes up and take in the clear night sky, the stars...the heavens. His creations, or at least some of them, are so beautiful. Bringing my gaze back to the one drawing near, I shake my head. Rotten from the inside out.
“Are you going to fight, Arkyn?”
I nod.
“Good. I do hope you do better than before.” Her tone is so condescending.
I smile and a small laugh escapes. “I do too.” She pauses, and I can tell she is surprised by my answer. “Can I ask a question before we do this?” More surprise.
“Umm, okay.” Her perfect eyebrows draw down in her confusion.
I understand that confusion. I don’t think any of us have ever tried to speak to her other than the normal taunts between enemies.
“Do you think He knew all of this would happen?” She blinks. “I mean, do you think He saw even this moment?” A frown mars her flawless face. “Could every step we’ve made in this fucking eternal fight be one that He foresaw? Does He know how this…,” I wave my hand back and forth between us, “will end?”
She opens her mouth, then closes it, and then repeats the actions.
“So He knows you will die here in a dark alley tonight?” I shrug and nod. “He knew you would die by Celine’s hands that day?” This time I nod because of that, I’m almost certain.
I watch as her face transforms in her rage.
“I understand it would mean He knew of your hurt and sense of betrayal, knew what it would drive you to do, and still did nothing to stop it.”
She screams, and it rolls over the city like a tidal wave. Thousands of years of anger floods out of her and washes over the humans. It sparks their own anger, and fights break out in every corner of Amsterdam. They start killing each other as we stand facing one another but neither moving.
I feel him before he appears. Luc has come seeking the source of power.
“Seraphina,” he growls. “Pull it back.”
She shakes her head and her lip curls in disdain.
“Let them kill each other.” She spins to leave but pauses and looks back at me. “You are wrong.”
No.
I’m not.
She and I both know it.
Now, I just need to figure out who God wants dead this time.
Chapter 41
CITLALI
I’ve done everything that I can. She smiles, and the new wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkle.
She has always been timeless, ageless, but now she looks like a grandmother. She is healthy, but Theon stole an untold amount of years. I’ve always thought she would live forever, even before my mind accepted she wasn’t human.
To me, she was eternal.
He has killed her after all.
“I have many years before I leave you,” she whispers as she cups my cheek in her smooth palm.
“I don’t want you to ever leave me.”
“That was never His plan.”
I scoff and look away from her disappointed eyes.
“Why do you still love Him? Why aren’t you angry?”
Sighing, she begins to rock in the chair that had been carved long before I was ever born. The wood is worn smooth from her hands rubbing along the arms. She held me on her lap so many times, rocking me while wiping away my tears. I wait, silently demanding an answer.
“He isn’t perfect but then neither are His creations. We all have things to answer for.” She falls silent, and I know her well enough to know I’ll not get any more of an answer. No more of an explanation.
What do we have to answer for? He left us to the Fallen, who have been killing for thousands of years. Then there are us, the descendants, that at least I know myself for sure hadn’t killed or harmed until these powers we didn’t ask for were thrust upon us. I ignore those I didn’t save it isn’t the same as murder.
I don’t have anything to answer for.
She clucks her tongue at me. Did I say that out loud? Her shaking head and total look of disappointment says yes.
“You are no saint, Citlali.” I hate how her voice sounds and I feel like a small child again. “Don’t let your hurt turn you into someone different than the girl I love. The one Arkyn loves.” She’s right but I can’t let it go. Not yet. “I’ll be around for a very long time. I promise. But I’m tired, daughter, and I’m alone.”
Her words break my heart. “Momma, you aren’t alone.”
“I am the last of my people.”
“Apparently, we all are.”
She shakes her head and lets her eyes go unfocused. I watch her getting lost in her memories. Slowly, I rise to my feet and leave her to her many lifetimes, hating that I’ve only had one and it was too short.
I don’t care if I’m selfish; I will try to save her even from herself.
“Are you alright?”
I shake my head at Lillian’s question. “She’s giving up. I’ve done everything I can but I can’t return the years he stole from her.”
“It must be awful for her. She has lost everyone she ever loved.”
I grit my teeth. “She hasn’t lost me.”
She gives me a look filled with sympathy, but all I see is pity. I don’t want it. So I run. Out of the temple and into the jungle. I run until there isn’t another human for miles and miles. Until the jungle swallows my screams. A jaguar calls out, responding to my grief.
“I will save her if I can.”
I scream again when his voice sounds from directly behind me.
“Goddamn it, Luc.” My words are breathless.
“So true.”
My lips curve even as I try to fight it, and he returns the smile. He is breathtaking. With that smile on his face, he is The Morning Star. The ultimate temptation. It’s strange because he isn’t the type of man I’d normally be interested in, but somehow he is everything. Everything appealing even without looking like it.
I blink, and he’s watching me, his cheeks slightly pink, and he looks so uncomfortable. I chuckle and shake my head to clear the thoughts away.
“Has Arkyn found her?” I can tell he appreciates the change of subject.
“No, but he did find Seraphina.”
My heart stutters. “Is he…”
“I wouldn’t have told you like that, Citlali.”
Apparently, it’s my day for hurting people’s feelings. “I’m sorry, I know that. She was just so awful.”
“That she is.” He looks around when the jaguar calls again. “She just walked away though.”
What is going on? I don’t know much about her or any of the Fallen, but that doesn’t sound right.
“Why?”
“You’d have to ask Arkyn. He said something to her that shook her.” His eyes focus on me once again.
I just shake my head. I have no idea. “Did you ask him?”
“No, and he left almost as quickly as she did. He did ask me a strange question before he went out to look. He asked me if God wanted him dead.”
I see black at the thought.
“Did He?” My voice is gravelly.
“I’ll tell you what I told him. I don’t know. I hope not because Arkyn was the best of us. It makes no sense.”
No, it doesn’t.
What’s going on?
“Can you take me there after I tell Sitara?”
He nods and takes us to the temple in seconds. Torryn stands when we appear, and so does Lillian.
“Just give me a few minutes.” He nods again as I start into Sitara’s room.
I can hear him telling them what is happening.
“Go, I will be fine here. Avalon will keep me safe, and you have done all you can.”
“Something has changed or is about to.” She nods at my words. “Arkyn. I’m worried.”
“Your man is very smart and has a kind heart.” She pushes up from the chair, then crosses and pulls me down to her. When did she become shorter than me? She hugs me tightly, and I let go of the thought. “Go, fulfill your destiny.”
The words are whispered as she releases me and turns her head, smiling at the young looking man in the door.
“I will come and check on you as soon as I can,” he promises, and she nods.
The others are waiting, and he takes us all to Amsterdam in seconds, making me wonder why they bother with any other mode of transportation. He disappears as soon as he drops us at the penthouse.
“Where’s he going?” I ask anyone who is listening.
“He has lots of responsibilities,” Torryn answers, and his tone is hard.
I’m not sure I’ll ever be a part of this group. They need me but they don’t like it. I rub people the wrong way; it’s one of the reasons I went into surgery. Less people-ing. I’m not good at it and normally I don’t care but with these people, well, I do for some reason.
“Because you could have a family,” Zeph’s voice calls through the door even before he gets it open.
“What have I told you?” I grin at him.
“Sorry, little sister, but you think too loud.” He crosses to me and pulls me in for a quick hug, surprising me. “Just give them and yourself time, and it will all work out.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
Arkyn steps through the door and relief floods my entire body and soul. I squeeze Zeph as I release him and step away. We meet in the middle, and Arkyn’s hands cup my face, pulling it to his. He kisses me like he’s drowning. When he breaks away, I’m struggling to catch my breath.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” I smile up into his eyes. “Are you okay?”
He nods as he reaches down and grabs my hand. He turns and starts to pull me down the hall.
“Hey! Are we going to talk about why we were brought here?” Torryn yells.
“Later,” Arkyn grumbles, not even slowing.
My stomach flips at his aggressive tone. It only takes seconds for us to get to the room we had been in before. If I had thought he seemed to be drowning before, as soon as the door closes, it is like he’s ravenous. Electricity skates over my skin from his barely controlled power. He bites and licks at my skin even as he is pulling my shirt over my head. In less than a minute, I’m standing naked before him panting.
He’s upset about something, I can tell, but I’m not complaining. I’ll happily let him take it out on me.
Chapter 42
ARKYN
She’ll let me do whatever I want. I can see it in her eyes, the desire to lose herself in the moment, in us.
I need to dominate. To rule her.
Her breaths are labored from uncertainty as she waits for me to make my next move. So I do. I push on her shoulder, and she drops to her knees. She reaches for me, but I step back and she glances at me in confusion. Ignoring that look, I undo my pants and shove them down my legs, stepping out of them and back to her.
“Leave your hands down.”
Her cheeks flush at my command. Taking myself in my hand, I guide my dick to her mouth. Her tongue comes out and licks over her lips as she opens to me.
I start slow, with every intention of taking my time, but then she flattens her tongue and rubs it over that sensitive area just below the head. I force myself deep, feeling her throat fight to adjust as I hold still there. I only draw back when I know she needs a breath. The entire time she is licking over me.
My hand comes down and circles loosely around her throat as I repeat the process, and she moans. I watch as her hand disappears between her legs.
“Let me see.” It is a command.
She raises it, and her fingers are glistening with her wetness. All my plans go out the window. Instead I pull her up, letting my cock pop free from her reddened lips, and toss her back on the bed. She laughs as she bounces, and I can't help but smile at her.
This is true happiness. Lust and love all rolled into one. Complete confidence that her laughter is not at me but with me. I crawl over her, and she shifts her legs wide, giving me access to her core while her hands pull my face down for a soul-searing kiss. Pushing into her, I seat myself fully. Her heels push at my ass, wanting more. Our bodies are fused as one as I wait a beat before pulling back. We are both close, our emotions driving us higher than our actions. We both become frantic, our bodies slapping together as I pound in and she shoves her hips up to meet me.
We come together, her cries muffled as she bites at my neck. We both pant as we catch our breath.
“I wanted that to last much longer,” I murmur against her jaw as I kiss it before moving to just under her chin on my way to her breast.
“Sometimes, you really just need quick and hard.” She grins down at me as I roll my eyes up. My tongue flicks out and over her taut nipple before I suck it into my mouth. I let it go with a quick, hard bite.
“I guess you’re right.” Rolling off her, I pull her into my side after we untangle our legs.
She looks at me in silence for a few moments and then finally speaks. “So, what happened?”
I sigh, knowing the break from reality is over. “If we are going to talk about it, we should join the others.”
Lali nods but burrows closer, and I’m happy I’m not the only one that would like to hide from life and the war for a few minutes longer.
It ends up being much longer as we fell asleep in each other’s arms. I wake slowly, confused by the heat surrounding me, but smile when she shifts slightly and mumbles something incoherent in her sleep. I realize we haven’t slept in days, none of us have. Sliding very carefully out from under her, I pull the covers over her body and move to the end of the bed, bending down to grab my pants. After I pull them on, I turn to go find us some food but stop at the door. I turn back and look at her, just watching her sleep.
Thankful.
I run into Dagen in the hall, and we walk to the living area together. The others are there. Lillian is cooking. Charlie is watching the news, and Torryn and Zeph are in a deep conversation in the far corner.
“Sorry, guys, we fell asleep.”
“I think we all need to rest.” Zeph looks over at me. “We won’t win the war if we aren’t fit to fight.”
Are there really any winners in this war?
Chapter 43
CITLALI
I hear their voices as I stretch; they’re arguing about something. Ninety percent of me wants to burrow under the covers and ignore it, but the other ten percent pushes me up from the mattress. I see a closet and hope there are some clean clothes that will fit me.
I grin when I see things that will fit me perfectly. Sweet, sweet man. I pull out army green cargo pants and a black tank. Padding down the long hall bare-footed, I try to catch more of the heated conversation but I only get snippets.
Something about the war and not anything about how to win it. Arkyn is very upset. I can feel it. I can hear it. My feet speed up without me asking. I stride into the living area, and everyone stops talking.
“So…” I look right at Arkyn. “Time to talk.”
I can tell he’s not excited about it or maybe just not about saying it out lou
d.
“Luc said you told Seraphina something, and whatever it was, it spooked her.”
His brothers all turn and look at him, and he straightens. There is the man I knew he could be, looking out at them. I’m proud but also scared of whatever he’s about to say.
“I asked her if she thought God knew all of this was going to happen. If He even now knows the outcome.”
It’s like all the oxygen has been sucked out of the room. I look around and I can see them all trying to form an argument against Arkyn’s revelation, but no one can.
“He summoned me to Heaven the day it started. I wouldn’t have been there. I think He wanted me dead.” He looks hard at his brothers. “Which could mean that He wanted me to be this.”
He points at himself.
I draw a breath then let it, and the thoughts running through my head, out. “God made you a demon.”
All hell breaks loose. The Princes all start yelling at each other, unable or unwilling to believe that God could have orchestrated this whole thing.
Do I believe it? I certainly don’t want to but if He’s all knowing, how could He not know what was going to happen that day? Hell, what is happening right at this moment?
Would He do that, set this all into motion, or is He maybe not as all knowing as we were led to believe? I know better than to make that suggestion but I look at Charlie and I can tell she is having at least a few of the same thoughts. I jerk my head. She and Lillian follow me out the front door and up the stairs to the roof.
“What do you think? Not about my statement, I think maybe that was shock.” I smile my most awkward smile that makes me look slightly deranged. “More about what Arkyn thinks. Could this all have been orchestrated—them and the war?”
“Us,” Lillian says what all three of us are thinking. “Would He have let my family be slaughtered?”
I can hear how heartbroken the thought makes her. Charlie moves to her right side, I go to the left, and we both circle her with our arms.
