Versus

by Nick Freo

  Cara rushed over to me, her hands draping over my shoulders. “Are you okay? You don’t look well. What happened?”

  I watched the two of them, the concern in their eyes vast enough that I could have smiled. Since the Dead Man had left, I’d contemplated whether to follow his advice about distrusting Lilah and Cara, but seeing them here, there was only ever one answer.

  “Michael and Belial took the Dead Man. Mr. Gray is gone too. Why don’t we get some pizza? I’ll tell you both everything.”

  Cara ordered two pizzas—one pepperoni and one that was half buffalo chicken and half veggie. I told them everything the Dead Man had said, retelling several parts as Lilah and Cara shared the same initial confusion as me. When the pizzas arrived, we settled in the center of the library and began eating.

  “I still can’t believe you ditched us at the club,” Lilah said, popping a piece of chicken in her mouth. “I had to continue this charade about Cara being there for a special client and they shouldn’t murder her because she was profitable. Do you know how hard that was? Have you seen Cara? She has the sexual allure of a block of ice. And not the kind of ice used for nipple play.”

  “I pulled it off just fine,” Cara countered. “You were the one who was messing up. I would have thought demons were expert liars, but apparently, you missed that lesson in Hell.”

  “Well, don’t worry because I always knew angels were expert liars.”

  There was a certain comfort in watching the two of them argue—a familiarity to it. Because nothing else was familiar anymore. Cara glanced at me as she grabbed another piece of her veggie pizza.

  “Are you going to be okay, Kyle? I’m sure hearing that your father sacrificed himself must be hard.”

  “It’s complicated.” I bit into my slice of pepperoni, stalling for time, but as I chewed, Lilah and Cara watched me like they thought I was going to snap. I swallowed. “I’m glad I know the truth about what happened to my father. Sort of. And I found Serena.”

  “Sort of,” Lilah interjected. I smirked, the truth of it burning in my stomach.

  “But now I have more questions than before,” I continued. “And now I’m also supposed to start a new Celestial Court.”

  “It’s fucked up that the Dead Man wouldn’t tell you more about what was going on in the Celestial Court,” Lilah said. She sucked hot sauce off her fingers. “It sounds like he didn’t mind giving himself over to the mercy of the Court.”

  “But he saved Serena from the Court,” Cara said. “At least, I think that’s what he did. You said Mr. Gray had her, right?”

  I nodded. “I don’t know what Mr. Gray did with her. I don’t know if the Dead Man can revive her whenever he wants. I’d assume he needs to touch her, but he didn’t explain anything to me. I’m in a war, but I don’t know who I’m fighting, or any of the circumstances around it.”

  I turned to Cara.

  “Should I try to find out what happened to Serena? And the coven?” I shifted toward Lilah. “Or should I confront Belial and Michael about the truth behind my father’s death?”

  I stared at my right palm. I am the fucking Arbiter. The mark appeared for a second, the undeniable truth of my new identity.

  I rubbed my temple, closing my eyes. I should have healed my headache, but it was an indication of normalcy and humanity, something that had been missing from my life lately. I relished the discomfort.

  When I opened my eyes, Cara and Lilah were sharing a look. Cara raised an eyebrow and Lilah nodded.

  Lilah stood up while Cara crawled over to me. Cara’s hand covered mine as Lilah offered her hand. I took both of them. I was too tired to deal with any more magic, but they both kept their arms tangled around me. They led me up the stairs, my feet clumsily hitting against half of the steps.

  “Is there a way to see where Serena is?” I asked. “A magic mirror? A crystal ball? Or is this about Michael and Belial?”

  “Kyle—shut up,” Lilah said. Cara opened the door to the white bedroom. She flicked on the lights. The stained glass created flickering colors all over the room. Lilah squeezed my hand. “Impressive.”

  I stared at the huge white comforter. I turned to Lilah.

  “Do I need to change my alignment?” I frowned. “Don’t we need to consider the consequences of me going further towards Heaven or Hell? I don’t want to make the same mistake as before.”

  “You know I don’t care about consequences,” Lilah said, her hand massaging my shoulder. Cara smiled, leaning up against me. Her hand slid up underneath my shirt.

  “There won’t be a change in your alignment,” she murmured.

  I frowned. “But that’s how the ritual works.”

  Lilah kissed the spot behind my ear. “Stop worrying, Kyle. Tonight, Heaven and Hell will balance themselves out.”

  “What you need right now is to clear your mind.” Cara kissed my cheek, her breasts pressing up against my shoulder. “You deserve some relaxation.”

  “Imagine it as preparation for the coming fight,” Lilah added.

  I looked back and forth between the two.

  Oh. Oh, shit.

  I slowly smiled as my angel and demon drew closer.

  END OF BOOK 1

  The final bedroom scene was left out as some early readers thought it was too much romance for one book. If you want it, you can get the bonus chapter for free at HaremLitFic.com/VersusBonus. No signup is required to read the chapter, but please consider joining the accompanying email list as well for site news and updates.

  If you enjoyed this story, please also consider leaving a review. Your supportive reviews can make a big difference.

  If you are looking for another book to read, check out my first book, King of Sin. It’s a mashup of dark and urban fantasy with a bit of a sword and sorcery vibe.

  About the Author

  I enjoy dark fantasy, mashups, and fun tales of derring-do. I am teaming up with several other new authors to create HaremLitFic.com in order to bring you the best HaremLit stories we can. I take care of many of the administrative details on the site.