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

by J. D. Stonebridge

  “Caelum,” Ariel breathed his name with a smile. The demon helped her get back to her feet, and she felt weary.

  Angels gathered around them, and Caelum placed his back against hers, ready to strike any who nears him. “I’m not sure if you are familiar with action movies, but this is such a typical scenario for the hero,” Caelum said. “So do not fret so much.”

  One angel broke the circle and charged at Ariel. She raised her spear over her head, and a light came shooting from above and tore through the angel that rushed to her. The angel froze and fell to the ground when the light died. Beside him, a sword appeared, stabbed into the earth. More screams sounded all around them when more of the shooting lights appeared. Angels fell one by one with a sword resting on the ground beside them. The swords hummed and glowed. The light reached Ariel and Caelum, and suddenly, Daniel appeared between them.

  “Never took you for one who likes a grand entrance,” Caelum commented.

  “Daniel!” Ariel greeted the angel. “Where are Gabriel and the others?”

  “They are fighting their own battles, my sister,” Daniel explained. “I am here to help.”

  “Such courageous words from the angel who broke his vow,” Lucifer interrupted their reunion. He walked slowly towards them, his hands behind him. He looked at each of their faces with a smile. “Treacherous ones such as yourselves will never win against the forces of the holy.”

  “Well, I’ve taken down many of your soldiers single-handedly. I think we have a shot,” Caelum said.

  A small laugh escaped Lucifer. Small sigils began to materialize over their heads, decorating the night sky. Ariel watched them with wide eyes and announced, “Ophanim.”

  “Perhaps a new type of enemy would create more of a challenge for you,” Lucifer said, eyeing Caelum.

  “There will be no need for that,” another voice claimed. All turned their eyes on a large boulder where a man lazily reclined. He ruffled his hair before turning to watch the events that unfolded before them.

  “No…” Ariel breathed in shock.

  “What are you doing here?” Caelum said through gritted teeth.

  “I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about,” Scott told him. “Also, Ann and David are safe, don’t you worry about them.”

  “Is he—?” Daniel meant to ask, but Lucifer cut his words.

  “Ah, you saved us a lot of trouble.” Lucifer approached the man, revealing his empty hands.

  “And you’ve caused me a lot,” Scott returned. “I built that house of mine with my own hands, and you and your buddies are destroying my den!”

  Lucifer laughed grimly. “You will need it no more, I assure you.”

  Lucifer’s body glowed bright, then he disappeared. Ariel watched in horror as Lucifer appeared behind the immortal man, tapping him on the shoulder.

  “Oh, please. You’re little tricks don’t amuse me anymore,” Scott said.

  “Perhaps a trip to Heaven would,” Lucifer offered. He grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and dragged him up. Scott did little to struggle, but Ariel and Caelum were alarmed.

  “Stop!” Ariel protested while Caelum shot a black spike towards Lucifer who easily deflected the attack with his own blade that appeared in his free hand.

  “Stop arguing already!” Scott groaned. He looked at Ariel and Caelum, and a smile flashed on his face. “I told you already, didn’t I? Have faith. All will fall into place soon enough.”

  The angel and the demon could not speak a word to him, doubt and fear ruling over them. Instead, it was Lucifer’s voice that caught everyone’s attention.

  “Cease your attacks on these worthless beings!” he commanded to his army. “They are of no worth to our cause. We have acquired what we came for, and now is the time to continue. The Day of Judgment is nearing, and your swords will be directed to the children of the God who abandoned us all. Now is the time for the end to begin. Destroy the vessels to harvest the souls within. Even the corrupted ones can bear fruit. Leave none behind.” His words echoed across the lands as both Lucifer and the immortal man disappeared from their sight.

  Chapter Ten: A Farewell to the World

  David felt a force as if he was being pushed. He stumbled forward and the scent of old paper teased his senses. When David straightened, the scene before him was no longer the odd shack he had been staring at seconds before. Instead, his eyes traced the line of bookcases and scrolls until his gaze fell upon the familiar face of his sister.

  “D-David!” Jenny exclaimed, the surprise in her face was apparent. “What are you—?” Then, her eyes fell upon the woman behind David. “Mom?”

  “Jenny!” Ann rushed to her daughter and caught her in her arms. The mother and daughter held each other tightly while David stood nearby, confused about what happened.

  We were just… David looked around with bewildered eyes. “Where’s Scott?” he asked, his voice frantic.

  “Scott?” Enoch stood from his seat with a questioning look.

  There was no sign of the man in any corner of Enoch’s library. David cursed under his breath upon the realization that he had been tricked by the strange man. He abruptly turned on his heel and made for the heavy doors. “I’m going back.”

  “David, wait—” Ann called for him. David threw open the door and crossed the grassy fields towards the double doors that led to the stairs down the lighthouse. But when David pulled on the doors, they did not budge. David tried again, desperately trying to open them, but they did not open. Frustration rushed through him, and David pounded against the doors with a grunt.

  “What’s going on?” Jenny approached her brother.

  “They won’t open!” David yelled. “The damned doors won’t open.”

  “That’s impossible,” Enoch claimed, walking towards him. He placed a palm on the lad’s shoulder to calm him. David turned to Enoch, his face irritated, but he moved away from the door. Enoch approached the twin doors and placed his palm on the wood. His eyes closed as he focused his energy on the door. A few seconds later, his eyes flew open, and he announced, “It’s sealed. The library has been sealed.”

  “What?” David and Jenny exclaimed in chorus.

  David continued with, “How could that be?”

  “I am not sure,” Enoch said. He turned to David and asked, “You spoke of a name— Scott, I believe. Who is that?”

  “He’s—” David looked to his mother, then back to Enoch. “He’s the immortal man.”

  “You found him?” Jenny was surprised.

  David pursed his lips before saying. “Yes. And I have no idea how, but he managed to get mom and me back here.”

  “He did?” Enoch pondered the thought. “If he is a mortal, how could he have done this?”

  “I don’t know!” David snapped. “Just tell me that you can get us out.”

  Enoch looked at the young man with concern. “I cannot do that.”

  “Why not?” David demanded.

  “Because I did not create the seal,” Enoch explained. “It will be nearly impossible for me to break it.”

  “Nearly impossible, but possible still,” David argued.

  “If I had a much stronger power to destroy it with. And sad to say I do not,” Enoch admitted.

  David gritted his teeth and balled his fists. “Then I just have to find my own way.”

  He turned his back on Enoch and went inside the library, straight to the bookcases. He cursed because he did not have his bag of ingredients to perform such a spell, but he was not about to give up.

  Jenny looked at her brother, deeply worried about him. She turned to her mother, and the question nagged at her. “I understand that David found the immortal man, but how did he find you, Mom? And where is Dad?”

  David and Ann looked at each other, frozen by the question. David’s hand hovered over a book he had meant to pick up, wishing suddenly that Jenny hadn’t been around when they arrived. He waited for their mother to answer the question and dreaded how his little
sister would take it.

  “Jennifer…” Ann murmured her daughter’s name. She soothed Jenny’s hair back and led her back to the chairs. Already, Jenny knew the news coming was not favorable, and a knot formed near her heart. She listened to her mother’s story, from the time they last spoke on the phone to how she met with David in Scott’s home. Each word weighed heavier than the last until the young teenager found herself losing her breath. No words left her, only a muted sob that escaped her lips as she leaned over to grasp at her mother’s shoulder. Her silent cries reached David nonetheless. He cursed at what had become of them over the last few weeks.

  After everything we’ve done. He closed his eyes and saw the red-headed witch again. In the last moment he’d had with her, she’d smiled at him in her usual way and told him, “Don’t be melodramatic on me now.” Had he known those were the last words he’d exchange with her; had he known that the day he walked out on his father were the last moments he would be able to spend with him, he would have said something, anything to reassure them of how he truly felt. But all opportunities were lost now, and there was no way he could turn back the clock.

  Now I know, David told himself. Now I know I have to do something. I won’t be put away again like some kid. I won’t back down without a fight ever again! Hearing the quiet sobs of his dear little sister who clutched at their mother in grief, he knew he would worry them. But I can’t lose anyone anymore. I’ll fight until my last breath so I won’t lose anyone again! David shouted with determination in his mind. He grabbed the book his hand had rested upon and swore to do whatever he could to get back into the battle outside.

  With the sights and sounds of Las Vegas as a background, the war foretold long ago began. While all the locals and tourists spent their nights showering themselves in the sinful acts of gambling, sex, and drugs, Lucifer’s command reached the remaining army of Heaven.

  A young teen who ran away from his home to indulge himself in the substance he’d purchased with his father’s money, looked up lazily into the sky. His eyes stared up to the moon until a shadow passed over it. Then another came, and his expression turned into that of terror as the shadows grew in numbers, soaring across the night sky. A scream tore from his lips as one figure swerved in his direction, a silvery blade in its hand, flashing in the moonlight.

  Around the city, more of the strange figures gathered the mortals, hacking and slashing, and the streets filled with crimson liquid. Sigils appeared in the sky, glowing brightly before something flashed below them and sent fire and lightning to the city. Civilians screamed in panic, men in uniforms removed their firearms from their holsters and fired at the attacking beings. But their efforts were futile as the beings returned their attack tenfold.

  “They have begun their assault!” Ariel shouted as she stared at the chaos from afar. Caelum and Daniel stood gaping by her side, their faces reflecting the lights that flashed from the ophanim. Ariel rushed forward, the urge to protect the mortals burning in her heart.

  “Wait!” Daniel stopped her. Ariel turned back to him, confused. “We will not win this way. Come, let us return to Sister Gabriel.”

  “But the humans are dying!” Ariel argued.

  “And we will, too, if we charge against them now!” Daniel warned her. “They are ordered to hold back no longer; we will perish before we can save a life. Think of our situation, Ariel! We must retreat!”

  Ariel had her lips in a tight line, having nothing to say against Daniel’s words. Reluctantly, she stepped to Daniel’s side again. Caelum eyed her with concern, giving her a nod of encouragement when she met his gaze. Daniel stood between them, reaching his right hand up in the sky so that a golden light flashed from his palm. Their forms were washed away by the light until they all disappeared.

  The three moved between the lights until Gabriel’s commanding voice reached their ears. “—the humans! I have no doubt in my mind that they will also attack the earthly creatures, specifically those who still carry mortal souls. Therefore, it is time to put away all your differences and band together!”

  “Sister Gabriel!” Daniel announced his presence to the archangel who turned to them with an ashen face.

  “You… What happened?” she demanded.

  “We lost,” Ariel confessed. “We found the final sacrifice, but he offered himself to Lucifer despite the knowledge of what is to become of him and the rest of the worlds.”

  “Why?” Gabriel hissed.

  “Faith,” Caelum replied sourly. “Or at least, that’s what he told us.”

  The archangel shot the demon a glare but spoke nothing against him. Gabriel turned away to look down at her feet; her soldiers of angels and monsters looked at her, hushed murmurs escaping them. The weight of the situation fell heavily on the lone archangel who stood for God’s creations, and she had no intention of backing down without a fight. She faced her army again with her chin held high.

  “You heard their report. The army of Michael and Lucifer has acquired the final key to their ambitious plans, therefore, they have no reason to hold back. As we speak, they have begun their full strike against humanity to harvest the souls they require. Knowing this, will you stand back and wait until they come for you? Or will you fight in the greatest battle this world will ever know and die with honor in your hearts?”

  A courageous shout echoed from them, earning a smile from the archangel’s lips. “Will you protect your brothers and sisters from those who wish to slaughter their way to their imagined version of holiness?” she asked them.

  They responded in chorus, “No!”

  “Then stand tall, my family,” Gabriel said, her tone calmer. “We may lose those who stand by our side now, but I swear to you that paradise will welcome us with open arms on the other side.” She raised her scepter over her head and the blue glow shone over them all. “Go and strike down those who harm your brothers and sisters for we are all God’s beloved children! Let us fight in His name! Let us fight for our home!”

  A cry of battle raged on as the angels and monsters scattered to charge into war. The archangel turned to the three who stood behind her and gave them the same order. Gabriel flew high above the clouds, burning with fury and purpose. As she halted her flight, she focused her energy on the orb that was held by the roots of her scepter. She sent a message to all those who sided with her. “The battle has begun!”

  From the shadows of the city of Kansas where the futile war between angels and mortals was nearing its end, four figures revealed themselves. Though the humans who ran for their lives paid them no attention, the angels looked down upon them with disgust in their eyes.

  “See how they’ve become unfriendly?” Asmodeus pointed at the angels with a deep frown on his face.

  Leviathan smiled, looking to those he used to call brothers and sisters. “Such hateful eyes. How has it become so that those who stayed in their so-called paradise have been corrupted by hate and anger?”

  “It’s a bother to ponder over such things,” Belphegor said.

  “Well, we have been hoping to feed on something other than weak demons, have we not?” Beelzebub asked. “I say this is the opportunity we have been waiting for.”

  “Indeed it is!” Asmodeus announced, tapping his foot on the ground. A rumble shook the concrete and out came the seven heads of the Beast of Babylon. The beast crawled up from underneath, screeching and spitting acid and fire all around them. A shadow of hesitation washed over the hateful glares of the angels, and Asmodeus relished in their fear. “Shall we get started, then?”

  While the archdemons wreaked havoc in the heavily populated city, Ariel led Caelum into the chaos that was in Chicago, Illinois. Immediately, they were welcomed by fire and screams with ophanim and cherubim soaring across the sky, sending bolts of lightning at any human they spotted.

  “Good to be back home. I guess,” Caelum said, looking around. A roar had him wheeling around to witness a horde of werewolves charging forward. They leapt up to take the cherubim in their j
aws and clawed at the ophanim. Though their attacks were not enough to take down the angels, it was a good distraction that saved the panicking mortals.

  “We must assist them,” Ariel told Caelum. The demon nodded and summoned shadows to gather at his feet. Ariel summoned her spear in a beam of light. She ran forward to disappear into the light that spilled from a streetlamp, while the shadows beneath Caelum’s feet shot up, catapulting Caelum into the night sky. He soared up and spun around. His leg connected against a cherub’s face, knocking it off the ophan it rode upon.

  Before falling back to the ground, Caelum called another pillar of darkness where his foot landed. He jumped back up, summoning a whip to extend from his hand, and he lashed at the sigil of the ophan multiple times, seeing marks created by his attacks.

  The pull of gravity overpowered him, and he called another pillar of darkness. But before his feet connected to it, a bolt of lightning branched out from the sky aimed at him. The demon turned his body, spinning out of the way of the bolt and the pillar. He plummeted quickly, and he attempted to summon more of the shadows to break his fall. Caelum hit the concrete road with a loud thud, cushioned only slightly by the darkness that pooled below him.

  “Caelum!” Ariel rushed to his aid, her weapon firm in her hand. She held out her free hand and pulled him up. The demon looked at the angel, and something else caught his eyes. He reached for Ariel’s shoulders and pulled her aside, summoning a wall of shadows to cover them before the bolt of lightning hit them. The impact caused Caelum to skid a few steps back. He fought the force that raged against them.

  “This isn’t going very well, is it?” Caelum said through gritted teeth.

  “The others will come soon,” Ariel assured him. “We must stand our ground until they come.”

  “But with an army as large as theirs whose power is supplied by Heaven itself,” Caelum reminded her with furrowed brows, “it’s very hard to see the ending.”