by Liza James
Danner laughs as Amelia steps forward to separate Camden and Stella. I know she isn’t intending to help any of us, but I do see the wary expression in her eyes as she watches Camden use another woman without her permission. For some reason, I have a feeling that it crosses a line for her as well. No matter how evil and ruthless she can be. She kills recklessly, she mutilates and poisons others with her words and actions. But she doesn’t want to be a part of this portion of the plan.
“Get back,” Danner’s voice is a hard command as it washes over Amelia and he uses his strength to forcibly pull her away from them. Camden continues his assault over Stella, moving lower to her breasts as she relaxes in his arms.
“Danner, this is enough. Stop them and take what we fucking need. I will not ask again,” Amelia speaks the words in dominance as she stands before him, and I notice Nathanial take a slow step to the side in the moment of distraction. Elijah laces his fingers between mine and tries to communicate with me through our bond.
We can change the surroundings.
His voice is quiet in my head. It’s difficult to communicate this way while our emotions are running so high and the stress overwhelms the room.
I don’t know how, or what to change it to. I respond to him as I watch Nathanial slowly make his way towards Camden and Stella.
Danner laughs as he draws his attention back towards Amelia and suddenly things start falling out of control at a different level. “You are nothing but a pawn in my game, Amelia. I am done with you,” he lifts his hand slowly, but it’s enough to drop Amelia to her knees in front of him.
Confusion races through me as I try to decide what I need to do next. But Danner shoots his arm forward and drags Stella back to him and away from Camden, who laughs at the sight of Amelia on her knees before Danner.
“I knew Luna and Elijah were Fated. It was clear from the moment he took her away from you at the mansion. You fool. You let him because you’ve always been so distracted by his presence. My only question now, is if Stella is Fated to Nathanial. Because truthfully, I want her for myself.”
Nathanial’s entire body tenses at Danner’s words but he stays silent, refusing to acknowledge his accusation. I would never have thought they were Fated, their interactions with each other are always distraught and negative. However, I can’t help but notice how innately protective Nathanial has always been over her.
Amelia moves to stand but Danner’s imperceptible weight crushes her back to the ground again. I can see her body shake in fear and uncertainty as she watches the scene unfold in front of her. I want her to suffer, but not at the expense of my sister.
“See, this little slut has become quite the good lay. And she needs someone like me to truly satisfy her. She needs an Incubus as her counterpart to feed that natural hunger she can’t live without.”
Confusion washes through me at his words. How could Danner be an Incubus when he’s an Angel? I thought they only derived from Demons. “I know, it’s confusing isn’t it? It actually shocks me that that no one picked up on the trace amounts of Demon blood in my system. All this time Amelia, you’ve been fighting against the mutts of our kind when you’ve been bonded to someone of the same supposed genetic flaw. But I’ve got a surprise for you too my dear.” Danner pulls a blade from his back and lifts it over his chest. I feel the familiar terror rip through Elijah and course into me.
The blood bond.
Nathanial is still inching forward, doing his best to maintain his quiet approach while a storm rages around us.
“We’re stronger. By leagues and bounds. Even Luna and Stella, who have only recently learned of their blooded roots. They are still stronger than you, and they have a larger claim to the throne than you do my darling. I was only lucky enough to not have black blood in my body. A minor flaw that I picked up on at a young age so that enabled me to blend in easily with the other Angels.
Now I did worry, that bonding to you would give you the insight no one else had. But you’ve always been blind, my Amelia. Blinded by the demented and false theories your father indoctrinated you with. You’ve been programmed by lies that have clouded your judgement. But you’ve gotten me here, and that’s an honorable enough achievement so I will let you live if you survive this.” He lifts the blade and slashes it across his chest, spilling blood across himself and my completely absent sister.
“I sever this bond with Amelia, Throne Angel of Arcadia above. I sever the ties of blood between us and reject the unity of our souls as one.” Danner collapses to the ground while Nathanial launches forward, aiming to pull Stella into his arms, but he’s a second too late as Danner’s blade slashes across her arm and he begins chanting a new line of words.
Ones I instantly remember as the Enochian phrase Elijah spoke to me when creating our blood bond.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Nathanial grits out as he shoves Danner away from Stella. But their blood has already mingled and Danner’s voice drifts through the air over the cries of Amelia as she self-destructs in front of us.
Camden is above her, sliding his arms under hers and dragging her across the floor away from the commotion while Elijah and I rush forward. Danner is weakened by the severance of his own bond, hindering him from using his own ability but he finds the strength to stand and move towards Stella.
Nathanial beats him to her, yanking her into his arms as her limp body falls against him. He begins speaking something else above her, drowning out the words of Danner’s chant as he tries to initiate their bond.
Now. Elijah shouts the words in my mind and I immediately spring into action. I run off of instinct, shutting my eyes and reaching out into the space around us, willing everything to change and depict something else entirely. I feel the power flow between Elijah and I as we both manage the same image in our minds.
When I pry my eyes open, everything is different. Sculpted into a reality that doesn’t make sense but far outweighs what we were just witnessing. We’re back in the middle of the woods, in the place where Amelia, Nathanial and Elijah found Stella and I when we were young.
Danner is on his knees in front of Nathanial, while he stands and holds Stella clutched tightly in his arms. At first, Danner looks confused as he glances around and tries to comprehend where we are. But Nathanial’s knee catches him off guard as it comes crashing against his face. Blood flows from his nose and he laughs maniacally at the observation. But Nathanial isn’t done, and while he won’t let go of Stella, he comes forward again by launching his foot into Danner’s chest, sending him colliding with the ground. Danner stares at him with wide eyes and begins chanting the blood bond again, desire and entertainment flaring over the sight of Stella’s white empty eyes.
Nathanial crouches in front of him, keeping his hold on Stella’s frail body and begins saying something of his own. Danner looks down at Stella and apprehension crosses his features when he realizes that Stella’s blood is no longer integrating with his. Instead, it naturally moves towards Nathanial, seeking him out rather than Danner.
He reaches forward to snatch Stella out of Nathanial’s arms. But Elijah’s brother is quick, and his fist comes forward and smashes across Danner’s face, whipping it back as more blood flows and falls from his features.
I maintain my hold on the vision, drawing the strength and power from mine and Elijah’s combined efforts. I glance to my left, expecting to see Elijah next to me but panic overwhelms me when I realize he’s gone.
I’m here, m’aingeal.
His words drift through me and his voice is the peaceful tenor I need to calm the fear inside of myself. I look around for him and see nothing until Camden’s body flashes in front of me. He’s alone, on his knees as he gasps for air and his hands come up to pull at the snake that wound itself around his neck. I know this isn’t me, I have no idea how to control different aspects of the vision. I’ve only been able to create them around us. I look behind him and see Danner’s eyes widen at the sight of Camden and then in a flash he’s gone. His fig
ure whipped into a small spark before it vanishes entirely.
“What the fuck!” Nathanial shouts as he watches the empty space that Danner previously occupied. He whips his head around to find me, his eyes searching me for answers that I don’t have. Stella’s eyes suddenly clear and she gasps for breath in his arms, dragging his attention back to her.
“I should have killed you,” Camden’s hoarse voice captures me as his hands continue gripping the thick black snake around his throat. It won’t budge, it pulls tighter and tighter as satisfaction roots itself in my stomach. My eyes fall to him wholly, now that I know Stella is safe, I offer him my complete attention.
I step forward slowly and crouch in front of him as my eyes rake across his now blueish face. Tilting my head, I observe him, slowly and fully while he struggles to catch his breath. I notice the veins pulling in his forehead and the way his once powerful hands now look thin and frail against his own skin.
“I feel sorry for you,” I say quietly. “That someone has done you so wrongly, that you allowed the poison to fester inside of your mind and soul. It coats your skin and spills from your cells. I can feel it, begging to be freed but you don’t release it.” I slide my hand up to the snake, letting my fingers skate across its scaly flesh and admire it. Appreciate it. “Because it doesn’t want to be there. The darkness. You could have let it go and become something more than this.” I let my fingers wrap around the thick body, adding to the strangle it offers Camden’s throat. “But you didn’t, and you took parts of me I will never get back. So, this is where life ends for you.”
I pull. Pull the snake tighter around his throat as its efforts join with mine and Camden chokes on the lack of oxygen. He tries to speak, to fight, but the strength has left his body and he succumbs to death with eyes wide open, a sad unity of fear and fulfillment shining through them.
Suddenly the vision shatters around us and I’m left in front of Camden with my hands wrapped tightly around his throat. It’s in that moment that I look around and see that the snake around his neck was actually Elijah, who’s rough, tattooed fingers are laced tightly with mine.
I fall backwards, releasing my hold as Camden crashes to the ground between us. Elijah rushes forward and immediately wraps his arms around me, pulling me against his chest in that blazing sun that I need to warm the freeze taking over me.
“I’m here, Luna. You’re okay. Stella’s okay,” his soft voice breathes into my ear and I force my mind to target the bond between us. I focus on the warmth he instills in me, the peaceful strength he gives me when I needed to pull it from him the most. I absorb his scent and his power until my own heart rate falls enough to clear my mind of everything that just happened.
Well, holy shit.
My blood is pumping vigorously through my veins as I come down from the adrenaline high we were just riding. Nathanial is on the couch, an unconscious Stella tucked safely in his arms as he refuses to let anyone come near her. Amelia is weak and frail in the corner of the room, covered in her own blood from the severance of her bond. Tears stream down her face and even while I hate her, I feel for the pain she’s currently in.
Betrayal. The loss of someone so important to you. Finding out that everything you’ve come to believe is a lie.
I’ve been there. And I wouldn’t trade any of it if it meant I didn’t end up with Luna at the end of all this. But I never wish to experience it again.
Luna is leaning against my chest as she attempts processing what happened. After the vision shattered and I calmed her, I pulled Camden’s lifeless body out of the house. I will go outside to burn him and bury his ashes as soon as we figure out our next move.
I don’t regret it. Killing him that is. Does that make me a monster? Probably. But I’ve never claimed to be anything more. In fact, at the beginning of all of this, I was never certain that I was truly the Angel in my relationship with Luna.
In fact, I believe I said I was most likely the Devil.
“Where is Danner?” I ask aloud, hoping any one person in this room will have an answer for me. But everyone remains silent, aside from Amelia’s continuous cries and whimpers of pain.
I should be happy as I watch her crumble piece by piece in front of us. But honestly, something pulls inside of me at what she just went through. Suddenly I’m looking at a broken girl no older than myself.
Pretty, but abused and broken.
It hurts, knowing everything she did to me but still feeling this way about her. I should hate her. I want to fucking hate her.
But I don’t. Instead, I foster the idea that maybe there’s a chance we can save her.
“I’m going to kill him,” Nathanial’s hard voice scrapes against my skin as his hatred leaks into the air around us.
“He didn’t bond to her, right?” Elijah asks as his hands wrap around my arms and move along my skin in a delicious reminder of who he is to me.
Mine. My Fated. Bonded, for eternity together.
“Hell no,” Nathanial says as if there is no other possible answer. “She wouldn’t accept him.”
“Thank you,” I look to him, offering every ounce of gratitude I have for him saving my sister.
“You and Elijah are a force to reckon with. I couldn’t have gotten her away from him without you both,” he responds quietly. But my attention falls to back to Amelia as she listens to every word we speak. Nathanial follows my gaze and his body tenses at the sight of her. “What are we going to do with her?” he adds, disgust lacing his tone.
“I don’t know,” I say truthfully, and I search the bond for any indication of how Elijah is feeling towards her.
He must know I’m searching, because his nose grazes the crook of my neck as his lips gently kiss across my skin. “I trust you,” he says, and I know in that moment that he would support any decision I made.
“I want to hate her,” I whisper to him, turning my head to meet his eyes. They’re filled with respect and admiration; with a love I could have never imagined experiencing. “But I don’t.”
“I know you don’t,” he says back, brushing his lips across my own. “That’s what makes you different than the rest of us. Stronger. Influential. A leader.”
My body melts into his heat as his hand grasps the base of my jaw and pulls me against him, devouring me with his touch and kiss. Heat courses through me and I lean into him, taking his lip between my teeth before pulling away gently.
I look back to Amelia, who has now fallen asleep from exhaustion on the other side of the room. I tear my eyes away from her and bring them back to Elijah and Nathanial. “I think we can save her,” I whisper the words carefully, trying not to wake her.
Nathanial groans in frustration and drops his head to Stella’s worn body. He’s already wrapped and patched the wound Danner left on her arm when he tried to initiate a blood bond.
Elijah laughs quietly as he pulls me snugly against him. “All right, little Angel. If that’s what you would like, then I’m here for you.”
“We have to leave, which means Amelia comes with us,” Nathanial states, bringing logic back into the reality we’ve found ourselves in.
“I agree, and we can’t tell her where we are. She can’t have knowledge of the information. If Danner truly is an incubus, he’ll have access to her dreams,” Elijah adds as he shifts back and stands, pulling me up along with him.
“Wait, doesn’t that mean he has access to Stella’s dreams as well?” I wonder out loud. I hope it’s not true, but we have to acknowledge the fact that it may be.
Elijah and Nathanial glance at each other with uncertainty in their eyes. But it’s Amelia’s weak and strained voice that suddenly breaks through the tension.
“Yes. He’s been visiting her in her dreams for several weeks now. Wherever we go, neither she nor I can know the location.” She slowly sits up and leans back against the wall, pulling her shaking knees up to her chest.
“Well, I guess things really have come full circle, haven’t they?” Her words are frail
and filled with regret as she speaks. Self-hatred is evident in her eyes as well as a clear anger towards everything surrounding her. She hates each of us, I can see it. Hell, I can feel it radiating off of her in thick waves of that toxicity that leaks from her pores. She hates what we are, mutts of her kind, or those who willingly accept and love us.
“We don’t trust you. We don’t owe you anything. In fact, I would have no problem killing you, Amelia. But my Fated refuses to let you go, and for that reason alone, you’re coming with us,” Elijah speaks firmly and finally from behind my shoulder.
She looks to me, her icy eyes meeting my own in undeniable revulsion. “You’re making a mistake, mutt. I’m far too gone to be saved now.” The cold words graze over my skin, but my own frost is too strong for hers to root itself within me now.
Because I’ve changed. I’m not the same girl I was all those nights ago. Not when she had me in the mansion, or when she tied me up in the tree.
No. I’m a powerful mix of both Demon and Angel, I accept both parts of me wholly and thrive in either place. Both darkness and light have claimed me, and I willingly surrender to both sides.
Uniting what can be evil and what is naturally good, and with my Fated, we’re far more indestructible than we’ve been given credit for.
“Elijah, wait,” I moan breathlessly as his large hands tightly grip my thighs and lift me onto the counter.
“No,” he growls as he spreads my legs apart and then drags me up against his thick cock. “I told you what would happen if you wore this fucking dress.”
“Jesus, do want everyone in the damn house to hear us?” I gasp as his teeth graze my collar bone, drifting further down to the swell of my breasts. I’m wearing a sun dress, it’s a short, flouncy yellow one that hugs my chest and waist tightly and then flares over my hips. It’s got thin straps that cross in the back and honestly, I wanted to tease him with it.
