by A. J. Norris
“I can think of another reason females were made.”
“Would that reason have anything to do with…pleasure?” She pulled herself up and fused their lips together.
He moaned against her mouth. “Something like that…” Their passion ignited quickly. Virgil was all she could see, feel, and think about for the next hour. They settled into a comfortable position and fell asleep in each other’s arms. When they returned to Earth via the time portal, their problems awaited them just as they had left them. The amulet still had to be found and destroyed, Dahlia had to be dealt with, and the demon needed banishment. But for now, they had peace.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
Virgil
Holding hands, Evita and Virgil walked through the double-door portal to Earth.
Elliott stormed into the lounging area, tear-streaked and panicked. “It’s time!” he hollered. “Her water broke!” Max flew across the brick path, sending winds toward them rivaling a Warrior’s. A female chased after him.
Virgil looked around for Jeremiah, expecting to see Elliott’s son. He wouldn’t want to miss his brother’s birth. He found his cell on the bench beside the portal door and dialed Jeremiah’s number. The phone rang four times then went to voice mail. As he was leaving a message, Jeremiah returned the call.
“Virgil?” His voice sounded gravelly. Dogs barked in the background.
“Are you all—”
“Yeah. Never mind me. Is it time?” he gushed.
“Shall I tell them you’re on your—” The called ended abruptly. Virgil smiled, despite his worry of the little one’s fate. He wondered if they’d given the baby a name yet.
Evie’s brows knitted together. “What are you thinking about?” he asked his love.
“Arcadian traditions. Amalya isn’t going to give up her child without a fight and I’m worried. Not that I blame her. And Elliott, well…”
“It’ll be all right. Let’s show our support.” They headed for the private bedrooms.
Virgil smelled lingering soot as they walked past Gregory. Something had upset him. He knew Gregory’s wings were capable of throwing flames.
Jeremiah exited the elevator as they entered the lobby. Blotches covered his neck and he babied a wing, yet it didn’t appear broken. Virgil opened his mouth to ask him something. The other male put his hand up, quieting him.
“Don’t ask. I’m fine.”
“I was going to say, Amalya’s in the private section,” Virgil said instead of asking after the male.
Virgil had never witnessed an angel birth; he didn’t know what he expected. Jeremiah opened the door and held it for Virgil and Evie. If he had known, he would have waited in the hallway. He nearly tripped over himself, turning away from the horror show. There was so much fluid pouring out of Amalya.
Elliott and the other female sat behind Amalya, propping her up. Max was at the baby end telling her to push. She screamed in agony. Her face flushed and sweat glistened on her brow.
“I gotta sit down,” Jeremiah said, plopping down on the floor with his back against the wall. Gobs of goo dribbled out of the mother-to-be. Bile rose to the back of Virgil’s throat. He joined Jeremiah on the floor and sank down, covering his mouth.
Evie was undisturbed by the birthing process and asked if she could help in any way. She nodded while Max told her something. Virgil couldn’t hear anything but his own dry heaves. A blanket manifested in her hands. Other items appeared one by one, then a bassinet skirted with light purple satin.
“Push, sweetheart,” Elliott said.
“I…can’t!”
“Yes, you can. You’re the strongest person I know.”
“We’re almost there. One more push and the shoulders will be out,” Max said.
Amalya grunted and surged upright. “Oh God! Get it out of me!”
Virgil may have laughed under different circumstances at what Amalya shouted.
“Shoulders are out,” Max said. “And would you look at that, he has wing nubs.”
Elliott smiled and sniffed back his emotions.
Amalya breathed heavily, tears streaking her face. She would get only a moment’s rest before another contraction hit.
“One more push and he’ll be out. Come on, you got this.”
She took a deep breath, rolled up, her face turning so red, Virgil thought she might pass out. The baby spat out and Max placed him on the bed between Amalya’s legs. Evie handed Max tools which he used on the baby. After a tense moment the baby cried. Jeremiah jumped to his feet and clapped his father on the back. Elliott hugged his older son. Both males had tears in their eyes.
Max wrapped the baby in the blanket from Evie and presented him to his mother and father. “Meet your son, Killian.
“Thank you,” Elliott said.
“You’re welcome, and I’d hug you, but I have to heal your mate’s vagina.” Max chuckled at his own crassness.
Seraphina gasped then smiled. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“What? It’s true.” Max splayed his hands.
“That doesn’t mean you have to say it out loud.”
Elliott and Jeremiah shook their heads. Evie smiled at Virgil. She hadn’t been paying attention to Max during the exchange.
The Healer waved his light over Amalya. She too wasn’t listening. Killian made noises as his mother soothed him with her voice and gentle rubbing on his chest.
***
Evita
Evita loved when angels were born. Over the years on Earth she’d come to appreciate the way humans raised families. No matter how supportive the angel community was toward a baby, nothing replaced a mother’s undying love for her child. Two Sacred representatives should be here any moment now. She was ready to throw herself upon a sword if it gave Amalya even one more second with her newborn.
Virgil must have sensed her thoughts because he moved closer to her and put his hands on her waist. “Please, I’d rather you didn’t.”
She stepped out of his hold. “This isn’t fair. None of this is fair. How could Deus allow this? Babies belong with their mothers.” Everyone looked at her. Amalya peered around her mate. “I’m not letting anyone near him. Amalya, you hear me? I swear I won’t. I will fight to the death if I have to!”
“I hear you and thank you but that won’t be necessary.”
“I’ll kill all the Sacre—um, what did you say?”
“I said that won’t be necessary.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t have to give him away. Joelle made a deal with Deus. So we don’t have to hand Ian over.”
Evita frowned. “Oh, why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Amalya smiled. “I’d tell you to calm down but I love your enthusiasm. You go right for the throat. With feeling.”
Virgil stood in front of her. “Breathe, my love. Breathe.”
Evita inhaled and exhaled slowly. “I really would have done it, you know.”
“I know,” Virgil chuckled. “That’s what is scary. We aren’t going to murder any innocent Sacred.”
“I’ll be good,” she squeaked.
Max cleared his throat. “Let’s get Killian to Arcadia. Where he’ll be safer.”
“Why?” Amalya asked. “So soon?”
“Angel babies don’t develop at the same rate as humans,” Elliott said. “We’ll take him home. So why don’t you feed him quickly before you talk to your niece.”
Amalya looked alarmed. “How much faster will he grow?”
“Have you ever seen any baby angels?” Evita asked.
Amalya swallowed hard. “Well, no.”
“Once a baby is born, they need to take their place among the ranks. Deus allows the mother time to bond with the baby in utero.”
Ian cooed and giggled. Amalya’s eyes widened when she looked at her baby. “Hey, there, sweetie,” she said. “Are you hungry?” Except for Elliott, the males turned around when she prepared to breastfeed. He helped support the baby’s head. Evita inhaled
a shaky breath, fighting the urge to cry.
Everyone that wasn’t a direct family member left the room. “Congratulations,” Evita said and closed the door.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
Amalya
Jeremiah agreed to accompany Amalya, more for moral support than protection. Amalya could handle most anything now that she didn’t have a giant belly in the way. They stared at the revolving door outside Hazel’s apartment building.
“Well, this is the place,” she said, talking more to herself than Jeremiah.
“Are we going in or just going to stare at it and say we were here?”
Amalya snorted. “Nice.”
They pushed their way around the glass entrance. She glanced at the dark green marble floor. Her footsteps echoed as she walked up to the reception desk. Jeremiah remained by the door.
“Could you please ring Hazel Stevens?” she asked the concierge. Amalya remembered her from a year ago. And last month when she visited another tenant with a problem. Christ, Detroit got smaller and smaller every damn day.
“Of course Amalya, it’s good to see you.”
The woman picked up the phone and called Hazel.
Amalya moved to wave Jeremiah over, but he was staring at the floor, his brows knitted together in concentration.
“Careful, you might hurt yourself,” she said.
“Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.”
“What’s up?”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing. Did Killian like the present I had made for him?”
Amalya gasped. “I forgot it at the apartment. I can’t believe I did that, it’s his first present, and from his brother.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No. I am worried about it.”
The woman behind the desk put the phone down. “Okay, you can go up now. You remember the elevator code, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
When the elevators doors slid closed, Jeremiah asked, “Why didn’t we teleport?”
“Cuz I wanted to talk to you.”
He rubbed his jaw. “About?”
“About where you were before you came to Ian’s birth.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the red marks on your neck and you wincing every time you moved your wing just because I was in labor. And you smelled like dog.”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t do that. I know you better than that. I know you never saw Virgil and Evie at the apartment.”
He looked up at the ceiling and blew out a breath. “I teleported somewhere else. I dunno how it happened.”
“Where?” Amalya’s heart fluttered.
“Backseat of a police car.”
“That’s…odd.”
Jeremiah shrugged. “That actually wasn’t the weirdest part.” The elevator dinged at Hazel’s floor. Amalya followed him out into the hallway, leading the way to the apartment.
“Berus was there,” he blurted.
“What!? You fought a demon?” She stopped him in front of Hazel’s apartment door.
He shook his head. “I stopped him from killing one of the cops. I can’t explain it, it’s like he listens to me or something.”
“So you didn’t fight him?” She studied his face. Was he some type of demon whisperer? “How did you hurt your wing then?”
“One of the cops shot at me and hit my wing. Berus got angry, but I told him not to kill the cop, so he didn’t, then I guess he didn’t want me to follow him and he put me in a choke hold until I passed out. I woke surrounded by dog cages.”
“Wow. And you’re sure you’re okay?”
“I’m here.”
“I don’t understand how you wound up there. Never mind. You saw him before.”
“Yes, but I didn’t know he was a demon at the time. It’s just when you described him, I knew you were talking about him.”
Amalya smiled. “You were thinking about him when you poofed it.”
“Am I bad?”
“That you want a demon?”
Jeremiah turned red. “What? I don’t want him.”
“Relax. It’s cool.” She winked.
“What are you talking about ‘it’s cool’? It’s anything but cool.”
Despite the seriousness of what she was about to tell Hazel, Amalya laughed. “You should see your face.”
“You’re not funny. I don’t want a demon.”
“Okay.”
“I don’t!”
“All right. Jeez.”
Hazel flung the door open. “Amalya!” She threw her arms around her aunt. “You had the baby?”
“It’s fine. We figured out a way to keep Killian.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. Killian?” she asked, stepping back.
“Yeah, he’s beautiful. Elliott says his eyes are caramel like mine and he has my hair color too.”
“Does he have wings?”
“Yep. Well, he will. They’re only nubs right now. Can we come in?”
Hazel waved them inside the apartment and shuffled across the hardwood floor in her socks. “Have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?”
“No thank you,” Amalya said, taking a seat on the end of the couch. Jeremiah stood beside her, next to the sofa.
Hazel sat across from them in a chair. “So tell me, how did you get to keep Killian? I’m fascinated by Arcadian customs. I wish humans knew the truth about angels. No one believes…” Her words trailed off when Amalya glanced at Jeremiah.
“That’s why we’re here,” Amalya said.
“Oh…I…oh.” Hazel scratched her head. “You’ve come to erase my memories.”
“If there was another way, I’d take it in a heartbeat. I’m so glad we met, I’ll never forget about—”
“Maybe there is.”
Amalya shook her head. Silent tears rolled down her face. “I care for you but you have to understand, Killian is my son.”
“So you were given a choice. Him or me?” Hazel swiped at her tears.
“I’m so sorry, Hazel. I really wanted you in my life.”
“Save it, just…go, I can’t.” Hazel’s face was covered in big red splotches. Amalya leaned forward with her hand raised. “No!” Hazel yelled, gripping the armrests. “Don’t take this from me. Don’t I get a choice?”
“I have to.”
“No you don’t. Can’t you at least let me remember you?”
God, Hazel was making this harder than it had to be. A knot formed below Amalya’s heart like the worst case of heartburn ever recorded. Wiping her mind would be better for her, wouldn’t it? She couldn’t even believe she was contemplating what she wanted to do. “Jeremiah, what if I wipe everything that happened at Eternity so she can’t find the place? And Berus, Dahlia?”
Jeremiah looked as lost as she felt, exuding empathy and compassion. “I’ll wait out in the hallway. I think you should do what’s best for her. And I’ll never ask you what you decided either. That’s between the two of you.”
That was no help at all. She supposed that was the point. He left mutely, his footsteps hardly making a sound.
“Please, don’t take everything from me,” Hazel pleaded.
***
After Amalya did what she had to do, she slipped out the door. Jeremiah was leaning against the wall.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
This time they went to the stairwell and found a section unseen by surveillance cameras.
“Thank you for not asking.”
“I told you I won’t and you can trust me.”
“I know. Did I tell you I love you?”
He smiled brightly and faded. Amalya concentrated on Ian and disappeared.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
Berus
Berus’s head throbbed. He sat on the edge of Lilyana’s bed massaging his temples, trying to relieve the ache. Lilyana’s voice sliced through his brain like a dull knife, hilt and all. Everything about the human bothere
d him. Well, almost everything. She had her uses.
He relayed the numbers and words from Dahlia to her. His stuttering made it excruciatingly difficult.
“That’s an address,” she told him. He wasn’t surprised, and now he was suspicious. The Warrior either wanted him out of the way or had some scheme planned. It wasn’t a trap, that much he could tell. She could have easily sent a bunch of Warriors after him. As far as the other angels, their decision not to come after him only meant one thing. He was a far less intimidating looking human and no longer posed a threat to them in his current form. He felt his face. Although stubble had grown in somewhat, he lacked hair on his cheeks, forehead, nose. The sounds he made still surprised him whenever he spoke or grunted. Nothing was same except what was between his legs.
“Are you listening to me?” Lilyana asked.
Had she been talking? “N-no.”
“You want me to take you to this address or not?”
“Hmmm…ad-ad-address.” He needed to remember words beginning with ‘ah’ sound gave him trouble. Good thing Jeremiah began with another. He clenched his fists. What had the angel done to him? What power did he possess?
“The address isn’t far from here.”
Berus followed her out of the bedroom. Lilyana paused as they passed the kitchen. The roommate nurse lay on the tiled floor, her eyes open and flat, with a large knife sticking out of her chest. She had died slowly, taking quick shallow breaths until the blood loss took her life. Shadow-demons had not come for her. She’d risen through a shaft of light. Berus stared at the body and coagulated blood that remained for a moment, checking whether his apathy toward death remained. To his surprise, his indifference no longer satisfied him like it should.
“Maybe we should call someone to clean that mess up?” she asked.
He shrugged.
“I guess you’re right. I’m never coming back here again. Let’s leave her.”
Lilyana drove them to the address Dahlia had given him. She parked along what he learned was a sidewalk, in front of a gray building. “This is the address. The apartment should be on the top floor.”
