by Tigris Eden
Isaiah’s Undoing
The Warrior’s Curse
BLURB
The struggle between good and evil is never-ending.
In a battle that has been waging since the world began, one warrior comes face-to-face with a shocking truth…
His destined mate is alive.
Follow Isaiah and Dalila as they battle their undeniable attraction and uncover the shocking truth of their pasts. One that will unlock the way to saving not only their survival, but also the fate of the world.
Isaiah’s Undoing
Tigris Eden
Contents
Isaiah’s Undoing
Isaiah’s Undoing
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
About the Author:
Dedication
Books By This Author
Prologue
Temple Philae
Sometime during the 5th Dynasty
“For what they’ve done to me, I will end their entire existence.”
Lilith stood, arms crossed in defiance against the ghosts of her past. The corners of her lips lifted in a grin. It was the people inside the temple who had set her on a dark path to chaos.
She stroked Ophidian’s scaly, tapered head with her thumb.
Acid filled her veins as she gave voice to her plans. Her vow became airborne—a poison lying in wait for its victim as it floated through the air.
This will be a significant loss, which they will feel until the end of time.
They would suffer greatly. How could she not punish them after the pain she’d suffered at the hands of The Order? The warrior class of Angels known as Seraphim or the Burning Ones as they were called in the sacred scriptures. They attended their god in all things, which included escorting the damned to their place in Hell. They also carried out executions.
Asmodeus, her mate, hadn’t even stood trial, his life taken without a backward glance. He was the twin of Samael and rightful heir to the Underworld. His death still haunted her dreams.
Standing outside the temple, she glanced around for sentries. The women hadn’t even seen fit to place guards outside the ceremony. Fools.
The Temple’s surface was pristine, desert-honey walls covered with timeless art. Gold etched markings displayed tributes and victories, showing favor to Isis.
Lilith stood below the stairs in front of the west colonnade and sneered. These images depicted victories won in the name of the bitch goddess.
Today the wrong done to me will be righted. She’d fought and lost, and for what? To watch her loved one fall. He’d been beheaded right before her eyes, over something considered as trivial as taking souls.
Yes, today, the mating ritual of two who would cherish one another for eternity would take place. Today was as good a time as any to seek revenge. All of them clueless to her plans.
Adrenaline coursed through icy veins, raising her body’s temperature. Her right eye twitched. Only spilling celestial blood would come close to satisfying her thirst. Her pet snake hissed as her fingers tightened on his body. Lilith’s madness was evident. It shone as a bright beacon from her eyes. Killing them was her right.
“Let the death begin.”
A stream of linen gathered at Lilith’s waist, encasing her body in shades of red., As she walked, trails of crimson flowed behind her in waves. Ringlets of blue-black hair fell to her hips, the once vibrant curls, were now a disheveled abyss waiting to swallow anything in its path.
“Lilith, they’re in the inner court, waiting to perform the mating ceremony.” Excitement darkened Suriel’s voice, a sinister volcano waiting to erupt. Her advisor stood beside her, just outside the entrance, his monstrous form covered in a cloud of darkness.
“My queen, I have alerted the others. They await your command.” Spoken with surety, Suriel’s voice sang of the upcoming victory Lilith herself anticipated.
“Thank you, Suriel,” Lilith drew out the words on a long whisper. Like an elusive oasis in the desert, her voice could draw a man to his death. Midnight tresses bounced along her gown, puppetry in motion when she canted her head to stare at her commander.
“First, I want to go to the ceremony, take in the festivities.”
“Kill them, we must. Bathe in their blood.” Ophidian dangled the words, conjuring images pleasing to Lilith’s eyes. Her pet serpent whispered evil musings in her ear as she walked through the Portal of Nectandebo. She halted at the Inner Court of Temple Philae and watched.
Thick drapes of white linen swayed, bringing the fragrant breeze of Egyptian lilies. It was a sign of purity and light.
Lilith’s mouth tilted up at the corners once more. Her eyes glowed with vengeance, while death burned a promise on her lips. They assumed the ceremony would be completed. They will feel my pain ten times over and more. The color from the gems embedded in the floor danced across the walls, bathing Lilith in a spectrum of reds and blues. Things could have been different. Life didn’t mean much to her anymore. Anger and hate fueled her body. Vengeance and their life’s blood filled her dreams. Lilith only wanted one outcome, one solution to the problem. It would put her mind at ease.
Death to everyone who waited inside.
A pregnant hush settled over the room as she entered. The women rose to their feet, their faces tense, bodies readied for battle.
Even in their most delicate of garments, the women were lethal. Nubi, strong and fierce women, the ultimate female assassins, they were injurious to those they called enemy.
Lilith bowed, lifting her head slightly in disregard to the goddess, Isis, and her chosen daughters. Sitting on her throne, holding her infant, was Heka, goddess of magic and guardian of the sun god, Ra.
“I mean no disrespect, Heka,”—absolute disdain poured off her in waves as she raised her voice towards the goddess—“but you’re providing Raphael with a mate?”
“That’s none of your concern, Lilith.” Heka’s face, smooth and free of blemishes, morphed as lines appeared across her forehead, and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Why are you here?” Heka placed her small daughter in the arms of an adolescent. Her lips thinned, and her brows arched.
“You’re making a huge mistake by being here,” Heka warned.
Never a mistake, only intended errors.
Had she made a mistake in walking in completely unmasked? Possibly. Did she mind? It was of no consequence to her. Lilith didn’t care if she died. Death to anyone in her path before her time came was considered a win. A smile spread across her face as millions of scenarios played through her head. Each one, she the victor, they the spoils. Yes, they would all see the error of their ways soon enough.
Heka descended her throne to face Lilith. Her long, white linen skirt flowed around her ankles, her breasts covered only by gold chest plates that reflected the light from the fire casting an orange tint to Lilith’s face. As she spoke, her eyes glowed a bright white.
“You’re angry about Asmodeus. I witnessed what happened, justice was rightly served.”
“You LIE!” Lilith screamed.
She took a step toward the couple in the center, directing her anger where it would do the most damage. Raphael, first lieutenant of The Order, wore a white linen cloth nestled between his legs, his chest bare, showcasing hard, lean abs. His black metal collar was still locked in place until the ceremony concluded. He would never experience a day of freedom.
“You will die. You have stolen from me, an
d now I will steal from you, Raphael.” Lilith’s long, elegant arm rose slowly and pointed in his direction. She thought to inject him with her poison, but that would be child’s play.
Raphael regarded her with watchful eyes. The warmth he’d shown moments ago to his mate had been replaced by freezing fury. “Woman, you will bring war upon us if you choose such a path. I will not allow you to come here and disgrace my mating ceremony.”
Let war come. As long as retribution was served. She’d laugh in their faces if the gods dared to try and wage war against her now. She had been wronged. This was a sanctioned battle. She had seen to it. The Alliance would not step in. Certainly not the Justice Demon League[1][2][3]. They would side with her. Their deaths were long overdue. The Alliance and Justice Demon League were two factions overseeing the multi-realms. They kept the balance between good and evil. But they also allowed for just punishments. Raphael was an advisor to the Alliance, and the First Lieutenant of the Order, and Lilith’s mate, Asmodeous, was an advisor to the JDL. Rulings were handed down, and punishments were meted out based on the decisions of the two factions. They claimed there was no ill will between them, but that wasn’t always the case.
On the day of her mate’s beheading, there had been no unanimous vote. Nor had there been a ruling to remove Asmodeus from his position on a more permanent basis. It was a simple punishment. One that entailed a loss of power for a time and forced servitude to the family of the soul he’d taken. It was Raphael’s arrogance and self-imposed righteousness and hatred for her mate that’d caused his untimely death. Because of his actions, her mate was now only a painful memory.
Lilith had been given a pass. One complete cycle to avenge her mate. She remembered the conversation clearly as if it were whispered in her ear as she stood watching.
“You will have no interference from the JDL and I’ll personally see to it the Alliance is kept busy.”
“And what of the Order?” Lilith asked her informant.
“They will not be in attendance. Only the mated male is allowed inside the temple.”
Wearing a deadly smile, Lilith walked toward Raphael with outstretched arms, nails dipped with poison. “There will be no mating ceremony. As far as the Alliance and the JDL are concerned…I don’t imagine they will argue with me in this case.” She took another step.
“Stop this instant. You have no right to come here.” Seraphina removed her staff from her back to ward off Lilith and defend her mate. Typical. The other women would not interfere. It was Raphael’s mate’s job to stand beside him. The women kept to a strict code of honor and would only step in at their sister’s request. Too bad they would never have the opportunity to defend her or her mate.
Lilith smelled the fear on Seraphina, energy laced with sweat and hate. It did nothing but feed her fury, moving her closer to her goal.
Destroy the Nubi.
The moment Raphael’s mate cast her staff forward, Lilith’s poison dispersed, making a hissing sound as it burned its way up Seraphina’s staff, morphing the entire weapon into a snake. The serpent twisted its head to face the woman and sank its fangs deep into its handler’s hand, releasing a paralytic venom. Lilith had tested her creation on herself and understood firsthand what Seraphina now experienced. Fire so hot it boiled the blood from the inside out, slowing the beat of the victim’s heart. It had been worth the pain and paralysis to make sure her weapon worked. Suriel watched over her for days, and she’d allowed him to torture her endlessly to make sure the effects were indeed painful. The incapacitated victim felt every touch, every sensation that could be wrung from a tortured body, and Seraphina would experience it all.
Raphael stepped forward to aid his mate, but she looked at him with assurance in her eyes. A silent request that told him she would be all right; she thought she could fight off the poison. Lilith watched their interaction, her hands clutching the fabric of her dress. No one made a move.
Seraphina tried to drop the snake. Instead, it wound tighter around her hand until veins bulged and began to restrict the blood flow even more. Her honey-colored eyes morphed into silver orbs. Sepia-toned skin changed instantly to onyx black, a stark contrast to the blue and pink gown she wore. Seraphina’s brown curls straightened and turned platinum white.
Lilith was aware that she was trying to hold her warrior form, but the bite from the snake was too strong. It had done its job by paralyzing her. Lilith regarded Seraphina’s eyes, saw death was not far from taking her. A slow smile spread across Lilith’s face. This one would die when the time was right, as her mate watched her being tortured endlessly. Must take years, Lilith thought to herself. Eternity would be even better for the suffering she’d endured.
“You murderous bitch! What have you done?” raged Raphael. He reached for his mate to comfort her. His glare was venomous, his intent clear. He would try and kill her. The trying part was what Lilith looked forward to the most.
“Only a taste, Raphael. She will feel…everything, and bear witness to the destruction of her sisters. Right before I remove their heads from their necks.”
Seraphina, paralyzed from the snake’s bite, fell listlessly to the floor as Raphael dropped to his knees, cushioning her, a motion that seemed to take forever. Lilith watched the entire time, fascinated. Raphael gently rested his mate’s head in his lap. Agony tangled with hatred poured from his soul, bathing Lilith in a rush of energy so dark she laughed. Seraphina’s mate was still only for a heartbeat before he acted, rising to his feet before heading toward Lilith.
Heka halted him in his tracks. “No, Rafe. Wait.”
Heka and the others drew closer, each of their movements precise as the women surged as one. Watching them take their time to approach in a calculated motion, Lilith threw her head back and cackled harder. Heka and the Nubi formed a tight circle around Raphael and Seraphina as snakes slithered from under Lilith’s flowing gown.
“You will pay for this, Lilith,” Heka spat. “For thousands of years, we have been at peace. Now, you bring war? A war you will not win.”
She leveled a disdainful look on Lilith. “You spiteful bitch, your king never loved you. You’re a fool to show yourself here. If Seraphina dies, you will suffer beyond your worst possible nightmares. You think to disrespect me in my house?”
Lilith felt all eyes of the Nubi stab her with murderous glares. It was too late for them. She would have her vengeance, and the Nubi would die.
Heka’s eyes flashed a stunning, bright white before she took on the Nubi’s warrior form. Lilith had already sent a mental call to her Demons. They came in swarms, filling the inner court. Two massive beasts with smoke-black wings and twisted horns swooped into the center of the mating circle.
Raphael changed into his warrior form, as well. His wings, blacker than the deepest chasm, extended from his back and arched high above his head. His canines and nails elongated as his body showed the physical strain of his pain as he let out a horrible battle cry.
Massive, lethal, and ready to fight, Raphael attacked two Demons as they headed toward him. But before he was able to strike killing blows, he and his mate were swept up into large, pus-filled claws. The sound of ripping flesh echoed throughout the hall as Lilith’s Demons carried off their limp bodies, removing them from the ensuing battle.
Ω Ω Ω
Bodies of Nubi women lay scattered across the floor. Demons tore and ate at their flesh. Some of the women hung from the claws of flying beasts, screaming and pleading for release. They were prodigious monsters with dark red skin and black wings. The sound of their flight alone made the walls shake.
Lyric’s gaze searched the chaos for her mother, Heka. She found her in the center of the room, ankle-deep in Demon parts.
She’d seen the hatred etched on Lilith’s face when she entered the chamber. It had made her heart beat fiercely in her chest. She’d never met the woman up close and personal. Had only heard stories of the feared Demon Queen, mother of all things evil.
Raphael and Seraphina
hung lifelessly by their limbs; heads tipped back, likely strung up by an unseen force since Lyric could not see any bindings. They were motionless, their breathing shallow. Lyric’s entire body broke out in a cold sweat. Her hands burned as if they were on fire. She looked down and noticed that her fingers now had claws. Panic-stricken, she’d almost let go of her cousin’s hand. Instead, she clutched the baby closer. She shouldn’t be changing—she hadn’t matured yet. Besides, mature Nubi didn’t have claws. And why was her body shaking violently? She’d almost hurt her little cousin out of fear. Lyric’s body hummed with power before she leapt, taking her cousin into the heat of battle.
What in the goddess?
How was she able to leap? Lyric caught her mother’s gaze and heard her intake of breath, clearly amazed—just as Lyric was—that she could leap. Only full-blooded Demons could leap. That was how they showed up and confused their opponents, leaping in and out at supernatural speed. Nubi couldn’t leap. Their only modes of transportation were normal means or the Gates when in the presence of the warriors. Yet, somehow, she’d leapt right into the carnage currently taking place. She looked at her mother and knew that something was horribly wrong with her.
“You whoring bitches. How have you come to have a Demon in your midst? Which of you stole a child from me?” Lilith spat.
“She is no child of yours, Lilith!” Lyric watched as her mother stepped over bodies of slain Demons, desperately trying to reach her and the baby Lyric now held.
Demons gathered close to Lyric, saliva dripping from their incisors, their claws stained with the blood of her kin. The Demons that surrounded Lyric seemed hesitant to touch her, however. Hate flashed in her eyes. She stood perfectly still, daring them to come closer.
“Bring the child to me,” Lilith ordered.
Her mother, Heka, grabbed her by the arm, and her heart stumbled.
“No! Let me help them, please,” Lyric wailed. Her people were being slaughtered right in front of her face. She struggled frantically against Heka, but her mother was too strong for her. She cried out in anger, desperately trying to reach for her aunt, Lyka. Lyric watched in horror as her aunt’s eyes shone bright, seconds before Lilith leapt behind her and removed her head, the only sure way to kill the Nubi. Lyric’s shattering scream echoed through the air, becoming a burning fire in her lungs. She suffocated on her screams as she felt her aunt pulling at her. Lyric’s skin changed from a beautiful brown to black-red, her entire body quaking as a rush of adrenaline threatened to expel the contents of her stomach.
