by M A Roth
I moved towards it slowly. It seemed to pulse as if it had a heart. Its leaves were the greenest I had ever seen and its bark looked wet, fresh, and brown.
“Do you know what you are looking at?” Father Peter asked, not looking at me. His face was etched with awe as he stared at the tree.
“No,” I answered, moving closer.
“It’s the tree of life, Abigail. The tree of knowledge.”
“That’s only a myth.”
“Yet, here it is.”
I moved closer and could feel power radiating off the tree. Father Peter now watched me as I could feel the truth of his words.
“If you ask the tree a question, it will give you your answer, but only if you need to know.”
I looked at him, understanding slowly filtering in. “You know what I am,” I said.
He gave me a sad smile. “I have always known. But you can control your future. We all have good and evil in us. No one can make you a bad person, Abigail. You are not judged on whom your parents are, only your actions.”
Tears sprang to my eyes at his words. “How could I be good? His blood…” I stopped myself. I couldn’t say it.
“I have witnessed how good a person you are, Abigail. Please do not doubt yourself.” He wiped away my falling tears.
The large doors I hadn’t noticed before banged open, Steven and several other men came barreling into the room. The men held guns, all of them aimed at Father Peter and me, and I could see a flash of red - Cathy’s hair.
“You disappoint me, John,” Steven said, moving towards us.
Father Peter raised his hands in the air, and I took a step back. “She is only a child, Steven. There is no need for this.” Father Peter’s voice sounded pleading. Did he really think we were going to die?
“A child?” Steven sneered. “You took her to the most sacred place that we have, you broke The Reote’s trust.” Steven and his men inched closer, and I took another step back, closer to the tree. Steven’s gun swung away from Father Peter and was aimed right at my chest. “Don’t dare take another step, or I won’t hesitate to spill your blood!” I could see he wanted nothing more than to shoot me, but I wasn’t going to stand here and let him kill us.
“It’s me who you want, Steven. Let Father Peter go,” I said, raising my hands to let him know I was giving in.
Steven laughed. It was a harsh laugh. “Now, you’re giving the orders? That’s funny, yet I’m the one with the gun.” Steven took a step closer, and I went to take a step back. “I warned you, Abigail, I will shoot.”
Sweat ran down my neck, I needed to do something. Father Peter had brought me here to show me this tree. Did it hold all the answers to my existence? If I didn’t find out now, maybe I never would. My heart rate picked up.
“Steven,” I begged, but my words were sliced off with his roar.
“Shut up, you freak! I will do the talking and you can start by telling me what you are, or else…” His gun moved from me to Father Peter.
“Don’t, Steven,” I said, shaking my head.
“There you go again with the orders, you disappoint me.” Steven looked away and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gun echoed loudly in the room, along with the cry from Father Peter. Steven had shot him in the leg. He fell to the ground, and this time, Steven pointed the gun at his head.
No tears came, just anger; he had shot a priest, a man of God.
“Fine!” I bit through clenched teeth before looking at Father Peter.
He pleaded with me with his eyes. But if I didn’t, he would die, more blood on my hands and the wound on Father Peter’s leg was scaring me, too much blood was flowing freely.
“Abigail, I am an old man, do not fear for me,” Father Peter said.
Steven moved to Father Peter and hit him across the face. Father Peter’s head whipped back, blood dripped from his mouth. My hands clenched with anger along my sides, I felt so helpless.
“I’ll tell you what I am, but leave him alone!”
That got Steven’s attention; he turned to me, yet still pointed the gun at Father Peter’s head.
“I’m…” I swallowed. “I’m Lucifer’s daughter.”
The reaction I got wasn’t one I expected; Steven threw his head back and started to laugh. His guards slowly joined in. A movement behind the tree caught my eye, and once again, a flash of red. Cathy was there. Maybe that meant Zee was here too. He could save Father Peter.
When Steven’s laughter died down, he turned to me, his face serious once again.
“Abigail Thornton, you are amusing, you truly are, but my patience has come to an end.” Panic struck my body, he didn't believe me.
“I swear I’m not lying!” My words were quiet; I knew he wouldn’t believe me.
“Tell me, what are you?”
“I already told you. I. am. Lucifer’s. Daughter. You fucking moron!” I roared in anger and frustration.
The men seemed frozen for a moment and Steven’s face stayed frozen before a snarl crossed it and he charged for me. I went down like a ton of bricks, not expecting his attack. His fists met my face with such force that the sound was gone from the room, and blood from my nose splattered all over my face. He didn’t stop, and no one stopped him. My hands moved to claw at his face, but his rage was too much, giving him strength that he shouldn’t possess. He was going to kill me.
Then another flash of red as Cathy hit Steven hard against the side of his head with what looked like a flowerpot. His body slumped over mine. I pushed him off me and looked at his men as they charged for me and Cathy, with their firearms aimed at us. Getting to my feet quickly I grabbed Cathy’s hand and dragged her behind the tree as they opened fire. The noise of the bullets hitting wood and concrete was deafening, and Cathy hunched her body over, trying to be as small as possible. My back lay against the tree as I tried to think of a way out before me and Cathy died. They continued to fire, so I couldn’t even look around to see if Father Peter was all right.
What the hell do I do now? I thought to myself, just as the hard bark that was pressing against my back started to soften.
“What the…” I said, making Cathy look up as the tree behind me gave way. Cathy reached out to pull me back, but got taken down with me and we fell into a dark abyss.
Chapter Thirty One
Abigail
My eyes opened and I took in my surroundings. I lay on a white marble floor that showed me a young girl. Her eyes had seen far too much, for her years. Her eyes blinked as I did, and I looked away from my reflection. A gasp caught in my throat. My pulse picked up speed as I looked upon the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life, and she was smiling down at me. I had to look around me to make sure it was me she was smiling at, but a light chuckle that sounded like honey made me look back at this magnificent creature. She wore a white dress that flowed down her perfectly rounded body and lay all the way across the golden platform she stood upon. Her gown reached the marble floor in a soft wave of white. She was breathtaking, her eyes were different shades of green and seemed to swirl, making it hard to break eye contact.
“Where am I and who are you?” I wasn’t sure if she heard my voice, it was barely a whisper. I watched again as her red lips tilted up, showing off a set of snow-white teeth. Her complexion was perfect, not a blemish on her porcelain skin.
“My name is Cathetel. You are in my home.”
I looked at Cathetel and looked around me again. Everything was so white, it was really hard to know if the room was an endless open space. My hand itched to see if I reached out, would I touch a wall? Instead, I stood.
“I will grant you three questions. No more. No less.” I felt like sneering, shouldn’t it be three wishes?
She stood patiently, her small, elegant hands grasped together, and her chest didn’t seem to rise or fall. I wasn’t entirely sure if she was even breathing. This was a weird situation, but I had dealt with weird before.
“I want to think for a moment.” I looked at her and wai
ted until she nodded in approval. Okay, so I was with Cathy, it seems we have fallen through the tree, the tree of life, according to Father Peter. So maybe, Cathetel lived in the tree, but if Cathy fell with me, then where the hell was she? I looked around, but once again, was greeted by a sheet of white. Okay, first question. I cleared my throat.
“Where is Cathy, and is she okay?” I hoped that was considered one. Cathetel nodded her head before she spoke.
“Cathy is suspended in time and will be released with you, once you leave here, and yes, she is fine.”
Suspended in time. My head started to ache. I shook it, hoping to clear away the pain. I needed to focus, I was given this chance for a reason, and since Cathy was safe for now, that was good.
“Am I really the daughter of Lucifer?” I held my breath and repeated no over and over in my mind, hoping if I said it long enough, the answer may be no.
“Yes, Abigail Thornton, you are the daughter of Lucifer, King of Hades.”
I let the air out of my lungs in a shaky breath. Great, well, that was confirmed, but how had I gone unnoticed for so long? I had been in hospitals before, getting blood taken. Then I remembered Zee following the nurse, he was taking my blood back, had he been hiding me all my life, but why?
I wanted to ask if she knew Daniel, but it was my last question.
“Why am I the daughter of Lucifer? And I don’t mean in the DNA sense or whatever it’s called to you guys. I mean what does he want me for?”
A small smile played out on Cathetel’s lips, as if she was pleased with my question. “You are one of his gateways into middle-earth and when he’s ready, he will come for you.”
A shiver raced up my spine. “Come for me? For what? And one of his gateways? So I’m not the only…” It was hard, getting the words out. “Child of Lucifer?”
“I have answered your three questions, as promised, I cannot answer anymore. I will give you two choices and you shall leave then.” Cathetel waved her elegant hand to the right, and two identical black doors appeared. “Pick whichever door calls to you.”
I raised an eyebrow, but turned and studied both doors. Neither called to me. They were just two large black doors.
“Which one leads home?” I asked, knowing I wouldn’t get an answer.
“It is your choice and your choice alone, Abigail.” And at that, she disappeared into a swirl of white fog, leaving me alone to face the black doors. I looked between them for what felt like an eternity, but nothing was making me go to one or the other, and where the hell did they lead? So I made my mind up by doing something very intelligent and grown up.
“Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…” My finger landed on the right door. I let out a breath and sent a silent prayer up to God - if he even listened to the pleas from children of his arch enemy - in the hopes I had picked the right door.
My hand was slick with sweat as I gripped the handle, and I closed my eyes as I turned it and opened the door. I could feel cool air on my face as I stood on the ledge that fell into nothing but darkness I tried to backpedal, but everything was disappearing around me and I fell face first into the unknown. A scream barreled from my throat and in the distance somewhere I could hear another scream. It belonged to Cathy.
Daniel
I charged into the room. Two men lay on the ground John was bleeding from a gunshot wound, but I couldn’t see Abigail. I ran towards Steven,and picked up the gun and pressed it to his head.
“Where is she?” I roared. His face paled.
“The tree.” His hand shook as he pointed to it. I walked around it, but Abigail wasn’t there.
“Daniel,” John whispered my name, it was barely audible.
I turned as the two men reached for their guns. Mine rose, and with two quick pulls of the trigger, they fell to their resting place.
“Daniel, no more blood!” I looked at John. He wasn’t doing so good, but I needed to get to Abigail. Her face was what made me reconsider leaving John there to bleed to death, it wasn’t an option.
I let out a growl and moved towards him. My hands covered the gunshot wound, and he hissed, but I ignored it and pushed everything that I had into making him heal quicker. It didn’t take long before the bullet hit the marble floor. John looked at me in awe. Movements behind me caused me to turn. Steven stood still, his face in shock. He had seen what I could do. I raised the gun and he raised his hands.
“No, don’t,” he stuttered.
“Daniel, no more need to die. This is a sacred place!” John said behind me, his voice much stronger. I aimed for Steven’s head and pulled the trigger. His body crumpled to the ground, and red blood spread out on the marble floor.
“Why?” John questioned, but I didn’t answer. I moved to the tree and closed my eyes, asking for passage. The tree shifted and an opening became visible. I gave one more look at a bewildered John, before I leapt through the door so I could find my Abigail.
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Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Dedication
Acknowledgements
About The Author
Types of Demons
Dedication
This Book is dedicated to my sister, Amanda.
Acknowledgements
There are so many people I want to thank for their continued support and inspiration throughout this book.
Firstly, to my husband Dermot, who supports me, no matter what crazy ideas I get. Also to my family and friends, your support and encouragement have been amazing. And last, to my readers, without you guys, this wouldn’t be possible.
So to all of you, “THANK YOU SO MUCH”
Demons & Devils
Copyright © 2019 by M.A. Roth & Vi Carter
All right
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This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the copyright owner and/or the publisher of this book, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Published by Carter Books
Also available in eBook and paperback publication
About The Author
M.A. Roth lives in Ireland, has two leprechauns and a hawthorn tree in her back garden, which she guards day and night against the mischief fairy folk.
When she's off duty she loves to write, read and drink tons of coffee. Oh, and she eat's lots of chocolate, LOTS of chocolate!
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Types of Demons
Level One:
Tormentors: Torment a mind, using an unresolved wrong, and making the host feel worse (mostly attacks in dreams).
Whisperers: Always telling the person to do wrong.
