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

by J. D. Stonebridge

  “I know you feel fear. I know you believe you’re weak. But I say you are not. All of us here are His creations. We are all His children, and when we stand together, it is all we need to protect one another. Will you take that chance with me, my dear brothers and sisters? Will you take the chance to correct what mistakes we have made?”

  Gabriel heaved as she finished. She looked at all their faces once more and was saddened that not all of them were moved by her words. But there were a few, and they were enough. If she could convince a few, it would take only a little more effort to convince all. She turned back to her brothers and her smile fell at the sight of Lucifer’s.

  Hands clasped together in front of him, Lucifer gazed at Gabriel dearly. Fire burned passionately as Gabriel had spoken but her heart burned more fiercely with her fury.

  “What a dear speech, Gabriel,” Lucifer announced. “But I do ask one thing of you, little sister. Where is Father?"

  Gabriel was taken aback. “What?”

  “Where is He?” Lucifer repeated his question. “Where is this Father you speak of that created this land for us? Where is this Father to whom you are so loyal?” He cracked a smile. He took a step down to stand before Gabriel, but his eyes scanned the faces of their audience.

  “Gabriel speaks soundly. Why must you give all the fruits of your efforts to someone who doesn’t deserve it? All of you have served Heaven well. I do wonder, however, if this Father she speaks of realizes that? How could He when He is not even present? While all of you have been making the sacrifices, He has not been here to guide you and support you. Tell me, how could Father do such a thing as to leave all the burden to His children and then claim all the glory of their efforts?

  “The end of the cycle is inevitable, we all know that. I fear that my poor, disillusioned sister believes that we will fill the world with chaos, but I say to you now that it is not the truth. The cycle is ending! It will end soon and I believe all of you who stand before us are aware of that. And when the time comes, what will become of us? We will be broken down to our most basic form… souls. Mortals and angels alike will be turned into nothing but energy that will return to a Father who abandoned us only to return when the time is convenient for Him. Tell me, is that fair?

  “We may have kept some facts from you, but here I am now to confess.” Lucifer paused, taking a deep breath. “I have loved our Father. But he banished me for doing what he told me to do. He ordered us to serve the humans, to serve those lesser than us. And I did, and I loved them all as I love all of you now. And Father said no and cursed me to bear all the sins and torment of those I love. He claimed to love us all equally, yet He let them suffer, and for what? To punish me?” He scoffed.

  “Gabriel tells you to remain loyal to such a Father, but I stay loyal to the family who did not abandon me, who did not let others suffer to teach me a lesson. And to prove my words, I say to you what I and my beloved brother intend to do.”

  Michael turned to him. “Brother!”

  Lucifer held out his hand to Michael and looked at him with a confident gaze. “Have faith in me.”

  Doubt was in Michael’s eyes, but he kept his protests to himself. Lucifer addressed all the angels, telling the story that he and Michael intended to make come true. Each word that escaped from his lips was a dagger to Gabriel’s heart. She listened well to his confession, and the fire in her chest burned more furiously. Her hands balled into fists so tight and her lips pursed into a thin line. When his story was complete, murmurs amongst the angels spread like wildfire. All found themselves in shock and full of questions.

  But not Gabriel.

  Her faith was carved in stone, and to hear what her brothers had truly been planning, she could no longer hold back.

  “How dare you. How dare you think yourselves equal to Him! You are unworthy!” Gabriel turned around to face the angels who took a step back in fear. “Have you listened well? Would you truly stand by their side knowing what they intend to do? This is not for the sake of us all! This is vengeance and greed!” She wheeled around to face Lucifer once again, her rage boiling in her eyes. “I will not stand by and watch you succeed!” A wooden scepter appeared in her hand and the archangel, Gabriel, made the first strike.

  Chapter Nine: Deep in the Dirt

  Ashes of the once grand house of the Tenney family were blown away by the cold night wind. The rustling of the leaves was the only sound in the vicinity, giving the lifeless scene an eerie feeling. Ariel and Mikaela stepped out of the shadows of the forest to see the desolation created by Uriel's attack. Unrecognizable rubbles gathered at the center of a twenty-meter crater, while the trees around were uprooted and charred by the fire.

  Mikaela's eyes went to the cloudy night sky, checking for any sign of their angelic enemies. After both of them had confirmed that no threatening presence was nearby, they took the chance to near the rubble.

  "We must make haste, however. They may return at any moment," Ariel warned.

  "As if I wasn't nervous enough," Mikaela muttered under her breath. Her head still turned from side to side, taking in the scene before her. "Fire and an explosion. Funny how no one has come to check on what happened, considering there's a nearby town."

  “The archangels must have cast a protective spell so as not to alarm the mortals,” Ariel explained to her.

  “Oh, and I thought they didn’t care.” Mikaela rolled her eyes. They reached the house and a wave of guilt filled Mikaela. They had sought refuge in their home while they hid from the enemy, and now it was burnt to ashes. A patch of black mess stood where the beautiful house had been, and nothing seemed to be worth scavenging. But they’re alive. I know it, Mikaela repeated to herself.

  "What is it that you need exactly?" Ariel asked.

  "Anything that still has David's or Jenny's essence," Mikaela said, carefully setting a foot on the rubble. She stepped on something that seemed wooden and creaked under her weight when she tested it. "I think you angels do the same thing, right? To track down somebody, you need something with their energy to see a trace."

  "Yes," Ariel confirmed. "However, I do not see anything that fits what you need here. Everything has been destroyed.”

  Mikaela climbed up on the rubble, steadying herself with a hand on a protruding piece of metal at her side. Indeed, everything had been destroyed by the fire and explosion. Nothing was recognizable. She didn’t know if what she stood on was the door or a piece of furniture. Everything was black and charred. “But that doesn’t mean we give up on looking,” she said and hopped off into the middle of the black mess.

  Her memory tried to conjure up the image of the house: the structure, where the furniture had been, where each room stood. She compared the trees surrounding them to what she’d seen out the windows when she was having breakfast in the kitchen or when she was reading something in the living room. But even the trees were unrecognizable.

  “How does that spell work again?” she asked herself. Mikaela stretched a palm out and began to murmur a spell. Ariel watched the witch, and soon, small blue lights glowed all around her, like fireflies gathering. The light floated in the air, slowly heading upward, and then, the ashes from the debris at her feet floated with the light. More and more of the broken pieces followed until even larger pieces of charred items defied gravity. They hung just above Mikaela’s head, and the witch began to search the ground. Something caught her eye a few meters to her right. She carefully lowered her arms, the floating junk lowering with them. When everything was back on the ground, Mikaela went to what she’d seen and Ariel followed her.

  “What is it?” Ariel asked.

  “The stairs,” Mikaela told her. With her power, she removed pieces of junk to the side until a dingy-looking set of stairs leading down appeared below her feet. Ariel held her palm out, and her skin glowed enough to illuminate where the stairs led.

  “It’s the stairs that lead to the hidden passage to the archives,” Mikaela said, glad that the structure still remained, albeit
broken. The steps were burnt and cracked, all of them undoubtedly incapable of bearing either of the females’ weight. The basement at the end of the stairs had suffered less damage than the rest of the house, being underground. The smell of ashes and smoke filled it though, and everything contained inside was charred beyond recognition. But the walls remained, and Mikaela was certain the archives had a better chance of survival.

  Mikaela rubbed her palms together, heating up her skin. When she opened them, both held fire that did not burn her. “If anything survived that fire, it has to be something down there.”

  “It will be dangerous to go down there,” Ariel observed.

  “I know,” Mikaela said. “That’s why I have my angel buddy to save me in case I get into trouble.” She smiled at Ariel. “Stay here, be on guard. Okay?”

  Ariel nodded. Mikaela turned back to the flames in her palm and blew on them softly. The flames floated away from her palm and went down to light the room below. Mikaela twisted her body to face Ariel as she took the first step. Ariel extended her arm for Mikaela to hold on to to keep her balance. Mikaela reached up to Ariel’s arm and felt the warmth of her smooth skin. It was comforting amidst the disaster.

  “Please be careful.” Ariel’s tone spoke only of concern.

  Taking diligent steps down, Mikaela risked losing her footing with every movement. Her hand was slipping from Ariel’s as she went further down. Soon, she wouldn’t have much to steady herself with while she climbed down the weakened steps, but Mikaela bit on her lip and reminded herself why she was doing this. I have to make sure.

  “I admire your perseverance, Mikaela,” Ariel told her, as if to motivate the witch.

  Mikaela lifted her eyes to Ariel, retrieving her hand to place it on the wall beside her. “Is this really the time to talk about that?”

  “Forgive me,” Ariel said. “I only meant that I wish I could do the same for someone I care about.”

  “You know, it’s really awkward to talk about your relationship with him with his daughter,” Mikaela said.

  The top of her red hair was all that Ariel could see in the darkness, glowing against the ball of flames that hovered beside the witch. “And it’s not like this is the same as you and him. Jenny and David are…” Mikaela paused, her feet inches from the last step just in front of the entrance to the archives. “They are… my friends?” she finished, uncertain of the word.

  “Friends.” Ariel smiled. “Perhaps it is better to start that way, unlike those of us who started as enemies.”

  “Wait, what?” Mikaela looked up to Ariel. She was now in front of the entrance to the archives, but the implication of Ariel’s words made her forget what she was there for, in the middle of such darkness. “What do you mean, ‘start that way’?”

  Ariel’s blue eyes seemed to shimmer above Mikaela. The clouds were parting above her head and the half-moon shone down on them, giving a faint light. One small star blinked near the moon, decorating the night sky.

  The angel smiled. “You have not been paying close attention to your friend, Mikaela,” she said, and Mikaela couldn’t help but notice the teasing tone that she had never heard before.

  “What are you talking about?” Mikaela asked, warmth reaching her cheeks.

  “Do not mind it. I should not be the one speaking of such things,” Ariel said, shaking her head.

  Mikaela raised an eyebrow. “She’s weird,” she muttered under her breath.

  The flames that accompanied her began to hover around the basement, lighting the place for the witch to see if there was anything that might still contain some energy. As expected, every item in the basement had been ruined by the holy fire set by the archangels, destroying the energies that stuck with them completely. Mikaela sighed then directed the fire to the opening beside her. The door that led to the archives was blackened by the fire and was ajar. Oh, no… she thought.

  “I’m going inside, okay?” Mikaela shouted over to Ariel. “Keep on the lookout. I’ll scream if I need anything.”

  Ariel nodded. “Yes.”

  With the confirmation, Mikaela ordered the flames to illuminate her way inside the archives. She took careful steps against the stone floor and entered the room. Her breath caught at the sight of the damage. Generations of records had been destroyed, now nothing more than a pile of ashes. Burnt paper littered the floor, cracking under her feet when she walked inside. Mikaela felt such sorrow to see thousands of pages of knowledge reduced to the mess on which she now stood. If this isn’t blasphemy, I don’t know what is anymore.

  She walked around the room, lowering her flame enough to illuminate the floor without catching anything ablaze again. She swept the floor with her foot, searching for the hollow floor she’d found only days ago. When her boot hit something that made a strange sound, Mikaela knew she’d found the escape hatch.

  There was nary a sound in the air as Ariel waited for Mikaela to return. She stood in the center of the mess that had been the house, and her eyes scanned for anything that may strike her unusual. Since their presence had been discovered by the archangels, Ariel felt even more cautious about where they went, feeling as though she had a target on her back.

  The angel looked up to the night sky and gazed at the moon above her. It was a beauty she beheld only when she was in the mortal land, and she couldn’t help the thoughts of awe for what her Father created.

  When a gust of wind blew in one direction, disturbing the sleeping leaves of the trees around, her instinct kicked in, and she was ready to summon the weapon she had stolen from the archangel. A thick dark cloud loomed over the sky, obscuring the moonlight until the land returned to darkness. She waited for any sound, any movement that could mean an attack. But there was no other life that came, and Ariel released the breath she had been holding.

  “My, my... Someone’s a little jumpy tonight,” a familiar voice came from behind. Ariel wheeled around, brandishing the spear. She pointed the blade towards the source of the voice, and the cloud above moved away, revealing the half-moon in the sky. The moonlight shone beautifully on the face of the demon, Lilith, who smiled as brightly as the moon. “Did you miss me?”

  “Lilith.” Ariel said the name like it was a curse.

  “What? No welcoming hug?” Lilith extended her arms to Ariel, pouting. When the angel didn’t respond, the demon smiled with gleaming white teeth. “Oh, well. I’m sure your boyfriend will be more accommodating. Now, where is he?”

  “Why have you come here?” Ariel demanded.

  “For exactly what I just asked you,” Lilith snapped back. “Where’s my pretty boy toy?”

  “Caelum?” Ariel’s brows furrowed.

  “Oh, don’t get so jealous now. I’m sure he still loves you even though he lusts for me,” Lilith taunted. “But I need a word with him, so if you can be a little less stingy and release him from his collar, that’d be great.”

  “I will not let you,” Ariel warned. She spun the spear in her hand and swung it around, creating a slicing sound in the air.

  “Ooh, look who’s got a new toy!” Lilith smiled. Black tendrils began to grow from beneath her feet. “I didn’t know you cared that much, sweetheart. But I’m not one to ignore some effort. I’ll play with you.”

  Ariel watched the black things crawling at the corner of her eyes. She kept her position until the sudden movement caught her eye, and she spun the spear, slicing the shadows. She jumped to avoid another that slammed against the earth, then twisted her body to throw the spear at Lilith.

  Lilith swatted the weapon aside, but as she reeled her black whip back, Ariel was charging at her at full speed. The angel’s shoulder slammed against her ribs, throwing her back. Her shadow caught at Ariel’s waist and pulled her as she fell, tossing the angel over her. Ariel landed on her hands and pushed herself up to land on her feet. Something glinted at her side, and she dropped to the ground just as Lilith sent a spiked shadow in her direction. Ariel rolled and caught the spear as she got back up.

  W
hen she turned, a dark shape loomed over her vision, and she was suddenly encompassed in nothing but darkness. Lilith hopped over to the black orb that contained the angel, hearing her attempts to slice the cage open. Lilith clicked her tongue. “No, no. You’re in time-out, sweetheart. And you can come out when you tell me where Mr. Bad Boy is.”

  The slicing sound stopped. Lilith raised a brow, leaning closer to the orb. “Oh, giving up that easily? I’m disappointed!”

  Still no answer.

  The demon has expected at least a smart retort from the angel, but no such thing came. Lilith held out her knuckles and tapped it against the orb. “Are you even ali—?” Her words were cut short by the sudden burst of light radiating from inside the dark orb. Without warning, the orb expanded, growing larger and larger until it burst open from the inside, creating a shockwave of light that threw Lilith away.

  A tremble from above threw off Mikaela’s balance as she made for the stairs revealed after opening the hatch. She looked up and debated if she should check with Ariel or continue. One foot was already inside the hole that led down, and the sudden disturbance could mean an enemy had arrived.

  But Ariel hasn’t called for my help. Her eyes lowered to the darkness below her and the nagging feeling rapped in her mind. She was close to finding out if Jenny and David had truly escaped, and the chance of finding something that may point them in the right direction. If she went up to Ariel, Mikaela might be able to rescue the angel and escape with her, but she would risk losing this one chance.

  Sorry, Ariel, Mikaela begged in her mind. I’ll come for you as soon as I can. And with that thought, Mikaela sunk into the dark hole.

  The black shadows erupted and immediately dissipated against the pure white light that beamed from the weapon in Ariel’s hand. Lilith crashed on a pile of ash and dirt, her eyes blinded by the holy light. A sound alarmed the demon and without opening her eyes, she turned her body to the side just as Ariel came charging with her spear. The blade stabbed into the wood, completely obliterating it and narrowly missing Lilith.