The Damned and The Pure Series: Books 1-4 (The Damned and The Pure Series Box Set)

by J. D. Stonebridge

  “Something’s different about this one,” Ariel told them. The demonic soul inched back again; the change of perspective allowed Ariel to see a spark behind the smoke. She gasped and turned back to the others. “Back inside!” Her warning was too late.

  Like an explosion, the soul crashed against the invisible barrier and created a shockwave strong enough to throw all of them off their feet. Caelum landed on the ground on his side, his weight crushing his left arm. Dirt thrown up by the impact showered them all. Something whooshed over their heads, spreading a dark cold mist all around. He heard shouting – Mikaela and David’s – telling them to get back in the house. Caelum struggled to his feet, digging his nails into the soil to pull himself up. His legs wobbled, his vision blurred by the mist and dirt. He focused on his hearing, trying to find the others. Many footsteps and voices caught his ears, but he felt disoriented and overwhelmed.

  Then, one voice stood out from the chaos. “Caelum!” Ariel’s voice screamed for him. He felt a force against his chest as if something had grazed across it, pushing him back. Caelum staggered but kept himself from falling again. He scanned his surroundings to see what was happening, but it was all too confusing.

  “Run!”

  He turned on his heels, uncertain of the direction he should run to. A gust of wind buzzed under his arm, and Caelum halted. Something dark materialized in front of him and sped forward, heading straight for his chest. Caelum caught a glimpse of the demonic soul before he jumped back, letting it shoot past him.

  Caelum landed on the ground and rolled back to his feet. The mist all around was thinning, allowing him a clearer view of what was happening. He saw the shadow of the demonic soul reeling around to make its way back to him. He smiled. He challenged the demon, spreading his arms as if to welcome it.

  The soul neared him but stopped only inches from him. The ball of dark smoke floated in the air, hovering in front of his chest. Mikaela stood just behind him, her hand outstretched.

  “Oh, you just ruined my fun,” Caelum smiled at her.

  “Well, sorry if I tried to save you,” Mikaela said. “Should I stop then?” The demonic soul nudged forward when Mikaela released it for a second, but she kept her hold on it. Caelum glared at her and spoke no further.

  “What is your purpose for invading this territory?” Ariel appeared behind Caelum, speaking to the demon. Her face was strong and serious, and her pose was intimidating. It had been a while since Caelum had seen that expression on the angel’s face, and he couldn’t help but be excited by it.

  Being an angel, even a fallen one, she was still able to communicate with the soul despite it having no form. Ariel’s face tightened at its answer and she announced, “It means to possess Caelum.”

  “Possess me?” Caelum stared at her in disbelief. He let out a laugh and said, “A demon wants to possess me, that’s rich.”

  “Makes sense, you know,” Mikaela chimed in. “Even without a physical form, it can exercise its full potential. And from the way I see it, this soul is too powerful, even for a demon. I’m guessing it tried to possess an ordinary mortal already, but the vessel wasn’t strong enough to contain it.”

  “What makes me so special?” Caelum wondered.

  Mikaela looked at him with raised brows. “You were a demon, remember? Your body already contained a demonic soul before, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d be a better fit for it than any other mortal out there.”

  “Well, now that you put it that way…” Caelum thought of it. He looked around and found no sign of the siblings; they had most likely retreated back into the house. He turned back to the soul and an idea beckoned him to request something that would probably have both women arguing with him. He decided to push away the thought. “So, what do we do with it, then?”

  Before either could answer, the light inside the demon soul pulsed. The dark mist began to thicken again as more of the smoke spilled from the demonic soul. Caelum, though in his mortal form, was still able to sense the power inside the soul. Eerie, cold. and dangerous. Intuition told him to back away as he stared at the soul, but something else inside him urged him to move closer.

  Before he could step closer, a hand curled around the collar of his shirt and pulled him back, just as the soul escaped from Mikaela’s hold. Ariel stepped between the soul and Caelum, swinging her hand as if to swat it like a fly. The soul moved away from the angel, then up.

  “You’re its target, Caelum. Stand aside for now, you cannot fight back,” Ariel warned him. Before he could argue, Jenny shouted from inside the house.

  “Here!” Jenny tossed the item to Ariel, and Caelum saw that it was a silver candelabra. From inside the house, he heard David’s voice bickering with his sister, and he knew what the young man was saying.

  A candelabra for a weapon? Even Caelum was skeptical. But Ariel held the item like a sword, her eyes staring up at the demon over their heads. She swung the candelabra across, making the demonic soul reel back.

  Well, it’s silver alright, Caelum concluded. Better than nothing. He turned to the siblings who were glued to the scene through the window and yelled to them, “Got anything for me?”

  The siblings looked at each other, confused. “I- I’ll find something,” Jenny offered, and scurried away to do the task.

  Caelum wheeled around just as Ariel jumped in front of him, blocking the demonic soul. She looked at him and said, “Caelum, please return to the house.”

  “I am no damsel in distress, my dear,” Caelum said. “I can still fight.”

  Ariel opened her lips to protest, but sensed the soul speeding back to them. She swung the candelabra against the demon again, hitting it. The soul pulled away, spreading more dark mist all around them and hiding within it. The cold mist stung Caelum’s skin, and he gritted his teeth to bite down the pain. Their eyes darted all around, trying to find the intruder but they couldn’t see it.

  A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and Caelum turned to find a small silhouette speeding towards him. He turned away from it, and the demonic soul was pulled away as Mikaela came for the mist. She swung her arm around as if throwing the soul over her head. But the demon fought back, creating a game of tug of war between them. Ariel moved to aid the witch, gripping the candelabra in her hand. She drove the silver item against the soul, creating a circular hole at its center. Like smoke, the soul evaporated in the air until it was completely out of their sight.

  “Is it gone?” Mikaela asked, her breath heaving.

  The mist began to dissipate, clearing their surroundings. Ariel looked around, seeing no trace of the demonic soul, yet the nagging feeling lingered in her. She could still sense a demonic presence in the area, but she was not certain if it was the demonic soul or perhaps something else.

  Her focus broke when Caelum began to laugh. The two women watched as he collapsed in hysterics, clutching at his arms until the veins in his hands protruded. Ariel stared at him and saw what was wrong. He wasn’t only laughing, he was groaning in pain between hysterics, as if laughing at his own pain. Mikaela moved to help him, but Ariel held out her arm to block her way.

  “It is not him,” Ariel said, and Mikaela understood.

  Caelum’s head snapped up, his hazel eyes darkening until they were black. A morbid smile pulled his mouth up, and he looked paler and thinner. His lips parted, and the voice did not belong to him. “Success…”

  “Release him,” Ariel demanded the demon who had tricked them to possess his body. Her piercing blue eyes challenged the demon’s black orbs. Her hand tightened around the mundane item she used as her weapon.

  The demon laughed at her, his face suddenly reddening. “You threaten me with that?” he mocked her. “You poor powerless angel…”

  Ariel bit her lip, knowing that now that the demon had taken a form, she could do no harm to him with what she had in her hands, despite its composition. The demon sneered at her, laughing. “Such power coursing through these veins now.” He looked at his p
alms with wonder in his eyes. “Indeed it was a good choice of a vessel. The others merely disintegrated while carrying me, but this body was designed for a demon. Ah, this is perfect!”

  “I wouldn’t celebrate too soon.” Mikaela circled Ariel and ran towards the demon. The demon welcomed the witch, stretching his palms and curling his fingers. Mikaela halted, her body no longer working. Her back straightened.

  “Mikaela!” Ariel made to go to her, but a force threw her to the side. Ariel slammed against the wall of the house, just as David and Jenny stepped out to help. The siblings went to the angel who struggled back on her feet.

  “Mikaela!” David shouted for the witch, who was being lifted off the ground by an invisible hand. David lifted himself from where he kneeled in front of Ariel, but before he could take one step in Mikaela’s direction, the witch halted him.

  “Don’t!” Mikaela croaked, clutching at something invisible near her throat. Pain was written in her face, but David found determination in her eyes. “Don’t come…”

  “What?” David was bewildered, but Mikaela was no longer looking at him. Her eyes were now on the demon that was controlling her father, and there was sadness in them. Along with something else…

  “Let him go…” Mikaela said weakly to the demon.

  The demon snickered in response. “My apologies, but I cannot do that, pretty lady.” He waved his free hand in front of him, drawing the attention to the body. “You see, this is what I need. Therefore, I will not give it away just because you bat your eyelashes at me.”

  “Take me,” Mikaela blurted out.

  “No!” David protested.

  Ariel yelled, “Mikaela, don’t!”

  “You want a powerful vessel, don’t you?” Mikaela asked the demon through gritted teeth. “I’m a witch. I carry both demonic and mortal blood in me. And while you’re in this land, you will be able to do more wearing a body that belongs here.”

  “Oh?” The demon’s eyes sparked with interest. “Indeed, I would fancy a female body rather than a male one; easier to manipulate humans that way. But to possess a witch?”

  “I can grant you my own power, my own soul!” Mikaela tried to convince him. “The one you’re wearing is powerless already. It may hold you now, but it will wither soon enough.”

  “Mikaela, are you crazy!” Jenny shouted, but her pleas were ignored.

  The demon looked at her with such doubt, but there was curiosity in the look he gave her. Mikaela was grasping at straws, desperation ruling her.

  “Take me now!” Mikaela shouted. “Before I kill both vessels!” She fished two dark red stones from her pocket. The sight of them shocked both the demon and Jenny who recognized what they were.

  “No!” Jenny said, tugging at David’s arm. “Those are treated cinnabar! If they crack, they excrete poisonous mercury gas!”

  “Mikaela!” David and Ariel screamed in unison. They moved forward to the witch but black smoke seeped out, blocking their view. David hid his face from the smoke, squinting his eyes and trying to see what was happening. There was a thud, and then another. David moved in the direction of the sounds. Soon, the smoke cleared, revealing an unconscious Mikaela.

  “Mikaela!” David bent and lifted her. Her eyes were closed and her face was relaxed. It looked as though she was merely sleeping. David heard movements behind him, and he turned to see Ariel carrying a sleeping Caelum in her arms.

  Caelum’s eyes fluttered open, revealing hazel eyes that focused on the face of the angel before him. He tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. He turned his head to see the unconscious Mikaela in David’s arms. “W- What did- she do?”

  Mikaela’s head suddenly snapped up, her eyes and mouth wide open as her back arched. David was in shock, inching away from Mikaela before realizing what was happening. He reached for her shoulders, trying to calm her. His efforts were futile.

  Caelum struggled free from Ariel’s grasp and crawled to Mikaela who was tossing and turning on the ground, silent screams escaping her lips. Then, a force threw them all away from her. Ariel, Caelum, and David were thrown several feet from Mikaela.

  “What’s going on?” David turned to Caelum.

  “I- I don’t know…” Caelum muttered under his breath, his eyes glued to his struggling daughter.

  “Don’t…” the word suddenly came from Mikaela’s lips. “I beg… Ah!” Then, her body fell limp on the ground, a ragdoll left behind.

  Caelum gathered himself and ran for the witch, followed by the rest of their group. Caelum lifted Mikaela’s head in his arms, shaking her awake. “Hey, what did you do? Mikaela!”

  Green eyes peeked between her eyelids. Her lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. All were silent, still uncertain of what had transpired before them. Though her eyes retained their natural color, all were skeptical if the one who looked up to them was Mikaela or the demon.

  Then, she smiled. A small laugh escaped her lips. Caelum felt his heart skip a beat, the fear that the demon had taken control of her foremost in his mind. But the next words that came from her lips were ones that confused them.

  “I got him,” Mikaela said weakly.

  Her tired body was settled on the velvet couch in the living room. Jenny had started a fire in the fireplace to warm the room as they all gathered to tend to the weakened witch. David had prepared a tea for her which she happily sipped before groaning from the pain in her head.

  “Mikaela, darling,” Caelum called her. “Are you truly alone in there?”

  “No,” Mikaela said flatly, setting the cup on the coffee table. “But I am in control.”

  “She speaks the truth,” Ariel confirmed, her eyes seeing beyond the form of the witch. “I can see her soul clearly, but the demonic energy lingers within.”

  “Because I ate him,” Mikaela admitted, earning surprise, confusion, and disgust from her companions. “Well, I mean my soul absorbed his.”

  “You can do that?” David asked, impressed.

  “I have been studying about the composition and framework of souls for nearly all of my life, so please give me some credit,” Mikaela said. “He was powerful, though. I felt that he carried many other souls in him. That’s probably how he gained enough strength to escape from Hell without a form. Of course, strength can only do so much when you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “So, you absorbed the demon into your own soul?” Caelum wanted to confirm, as the concept still bothered him.

  “Yes, I am more talented than you in that way, Dad.” Mikaela smiled at him.

  “But how did it find us here?” Jenny asked. “This house is protected. Well… was.”

  “I don’t know,” Mikaela admitted. “But I’m assuming that it caught our scent somehow. Which is bad. If one formless demon can track us here, who else can?”

  “You are right,” Ariel said, mournfully. “Perhaps there is too much energy residing in this house. It has become difficult to be ignored by others.”

  “We’re lucky that it was only a formless demon. If it had been something more powerful…” Mikaela trailed off.

  David studied the witch, concerned for her. “What are the chances of another one passing by?”

  “Enough chances that we are at risk,” Caelum pointed out. “Now that Ariel is weaponless… and without her wings. . .” He whispered the last phrase. “And I no longer have my powers; we’re at a complete disadvantage.”

  “We should go,” Mikaela suggested.

  “Go?” David looked at her curiously. “Go where?”

  “Somewhere we can gather information,” Mikaela answered. “But by we, I mean me and the lovebirds here. You and Jenny should stay.”

  “What?” David and Jenny protested in unison.

  “She has a point,” Caelum chimed in. “This way, we can keep the scent off you, and we can cover more ground. I suggest we head to the city where I assume a lot of activity will be.”

  “We can also investigate the area where Lucifer rose,” Ar
iel said. Then in a softer voice, she added, “Though it may put us at risk.”

  “You and Jenny can continue skimming through your family’s archives. You can summon me if you need to,” Mikaela told David, but the young man had an alternative in mind.

  “No, Mikaela. You can’t leave,” he blurted out, flushing at the implication of his words. “I mean, aren’t you doing your own research here?”

  Mikaela studied David’s face, then directed her gaze to Caelum who was sitting in front of her. “That can wait. Survival is our priority right now, and we can’t let you and your sister be exposed to danger again. The enemy will be more interested in tracking us down than you, and I can fortify the wards your ancestors created.”

  “But…” David tried to think of something else to say, but his words left him.

  “We still have to wait for Mom and Dad,” Jenny reminded him. “They might come home anytime now, and we have to be here when they do.”

  David looked to his sister, then to Mikaela. The image of the witch struggling when the demon tried to possess her lingered in his mind. Worry filled him, but all their statements rang true and sound to him, despite his efforts to counter them.

  David sighed heavily, accepting his defeat. “Okay. We’ll stay here while you guys go on an adventure.”

  Chapter Three: The Fallen

  With all the questions that plagued the minds of the angels, Daniel’s had driven him to where he stood at the moment. Stepping quietly on the marble floors was a task of its own. The thought of being discovered by the others almost convinced him to think twice about his decision. But the events of days before had pushed the angel to the edge. His memories of all the times he had questioned the tasks assigned to him and all the lives he had taken in the name of Heaven and the archangel he served haunted him. Were they all mere sacrifices to defile God’s will?

  Daniel had kept a low profile since Lucifer’s return. He thought of Ramiel who first warned them. He couldn’t believe his fallen brother had spoken the truth then, and he couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen the signs earlier. Now it was too late. Lucifer had walked into Heaven, and the angels either cowered in fear or prepared themselves to stand against him.