by V L Moon
“Amen.” At last Gregori closed his prayer book. Giving Laziel’s hip a brief squeeze, Malachi stepped up to the coffin between Arial and Bastian. He studied the serene expression on Clariel’s face and noted the faint lines of fear on Celix’s proud countenance. He had not died on the field of battle of injuries sustained in war. He’d died of a broken heart, lost in a world that no longer held the male he loved. Yeah, Malachi identified with him. A world without Laziel would simply be Hell on Earth, a place unfit for man or beast. Malachi cleared his throat.
“Your deaths will be avenged. Those who dared to enter my domain will suffer for their treachery and their audacity in taking the life of one I protected as my own.” Malachi laid his palm along Clariel’s cheek. “You have not died for naught. You opened my eyes as a king; you reinforced Laziel’s lesson that all life is valuable.”
He moved his hand to trace the cross over Celix’s forehead. “Your courage and bravery knew no bounds in this life. You fought to protect the one you loved and the others who could not defend themselves. Your legacy will live on and I will see that your brethren are freed of the female’s tyranny. This I promise to both of you on my honor as King of the Vampires.”
Malachi backed away from the casket to stand shoulder to shoulder with the fallen angel and the demon doctor. “May you rest easy in the arms of my Laziel’s Creator.” He took a deep breath. “I would see the two of you in my office when time permits. I will not intrude on your mourning period.”
With a final nod to Gregori, Malachi returned to Laziel’s side and took his hand. “Come on, angel mine. We will leave them with their dead.” Silent tears slipped down Laziel’s cheeks and clinked softly against the stone walkway as they made their way back to their rooms.
~*~*~*~
“Stay as long as you like, no one will disturb you here.” Gregori blessed Arial and raised his hand to Bastian. A mirthless and deep laugh welled up from his chest.
“You’re wasting your time, padre. Hell owns me; that’s why we’re here.”
“We’re here because this precious young male believed you were worth saving. He gave his life to his belief. How can I do any less?” Gregori made the sign of the cross and murmured a few words. Bastian waited for the floor to open up and swallow him and was surprised when the small human man slipped past him and left the room without incident.
“I would say I can’t believe you dared to show your face here,” Arial snarled without turning around. “Except, you dare anything don’t you? Decency and honor mean nothing to you. All you care about, all you’ve ever cared about is your next fuck. Am I supposed to rip my clothes off now and throw myself on the floor so you can pleasure yourself and defile their memories?”
Bastian’s knuckles broke open when they connected with Arial’s hard jaw. The angel stumbled sideways and dropped into a fighting crouch. “Lash out at me if that makes you feel better. Wallow in your self-pity party. Hide behind your blinders and your false sense of righteousness. But, you aren’t the only one that grieves; you aren’t the only one who suffers.” Emotion sent his voice raspy.
“For centuries, I have lived with the pain that killed Celix. I thought you were dead. I wanted to die, but I’m the fucking son of Lucifer, cursed with eternal life. Every day, every fucking day, I lived with the weight of the grief that killed him. You were…you are my Clariel. And yet, you throw that love back at me.
I was a demon when you fell in love with me. I am still a demon though I am not the creature you make me out to be. I was once, but I fell in love. I held in my hand for the heartbeat of a moment, the purest ecstasy to be found in this Creator forsaken realm. Your love, Arial. Your love changed my path. When I lost you; I lost everything. I wanted to die.
Yeah, you were cursed because of me. Your beautiful wings were destroyed because of me. You became everything you despised and for the rest of my twisted, fucked up life, I will try to make amends for that. But you weren’t the only one, Arial. My curse is just as soul destroying. They turned you against me. And now, they’ve killed these two.”
Bastian blinked away the tears that stung his eyes and cleared his throat. “Malachi was wrong. Vengeance will be mine sayeth the Lord, and I will be his weapon.” Bastian vaporized, leaving Arial to stand with his precious Nephilim. Hell called him home though the master of the house wouldn’t be thrilled with his homecoming gift.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Thirty-Three
~*~*~*~
You’re my Clariel.
The vehemence behind those three simple words hit Arial harder than he cared to admit. He was lashing out, needlessly trying to hurt Bastian when all he really wanted to do was hold him. He couldn’t deny the truth behind the demon’s words. They’d both lived so long with the pain of loss it had become a part of them. And, wanting to keep Bastian safe, Arial had shielded him, placed himself between Bastian and Lucifer. So why had Clariel jeopardized his life? Because he was good, innocent and naive and wouldn’t see harm done to those he loved.
“You silly, silly fool,” Arial whispered and brushed a kiss to the Nephilim’s cold flesh. “I hope you find the peace you deserve within the Creator’s arms, my brave friend.” Arial’s eyes drifted over the small Nephilim held within Celix’s winged embrace and lost the war on his tears.
Celix. The mighty Nephilim warrior had been such an awe inspiring sight. His strength and courage had known no bounds. From the moment they’d first met, Celix had proven his worth as a warrior and ally. Arial had been proud to call him a friend. He had hoped they would stand side by side in exposing the Nephilim queen for what she really was, a treasonous whore.
Arial’s throat closed around the lump lodged there making it hard for him to breathe. His chest shuddered as his heart broke for the loss of his friend. He couldn’t do it anymore. He couldn’t lose another life to the senseless war. His heart couldn’t stand it. He deserved some peace. After centuries of living with the infliction of his mother’s curse, he deserved something more. He deserved to be loved.
Celix had suffered much the same plight, submitting to torture rather than see Clariel suffer. Bastian had suffered, too. Arial didn’t deny the demon’s love for him, not anymore. His heart refused to allow it. The deaths of the two Nephilim would not be in vain. They’d died protecting others. What was the point in living if you lived without love?
Saying a last goodbye to the two souls whose actions had managed to change the way he saw the world, Arial slowly lowered the stone slab over the top of their bodies, encasing their mortal remains together for the rest of time.
~*~*~*~
“Please pass on my condolences to all of the parties involved. I wish I could be there. We both do, but with Sage still missing, I need to stay in the Americas in case Tobias needs me.” Roman murmured from his side of the phone.
Kimberly smiled though he couldn’t see it. “That mischievous pup will always need you, Rome. Don’t worry. He’ll find Sage, and when he does, I dare say he’ll enjoy making up for the time he’s been away.”
A low groan vibrated through the line. Kimberly laughed when Roman followed it with a soft growl. They’d shared a moment, all three of them, a while back. It had opened her up to the possibility that even she could find love. And she had, even though she still had to pinch herself on the odd occasion to assure herself it was real.
“I’ll be back in Rome as soon as Tobias is home, or sooner if Malachi calls. Say hello to Saul, and don’t go wearing the poor male out. We’ll talk soon. Take care.”
After he hung up, Kimberley replaced her receiver and stretched. They spoke often, sometimes to discuss more formal matters, but mostly they chatted as friends. Roman and Tobias held a special corner of her heart. Saul held the rest. Kimberly’s eyes slowly drifted over the sleeping male’s muscular form. Gorgeous just didn’t do him justice.
Their time together was brief, but often. As one of Laziel’s elite, Saul’s main duty was to protect the King. However, after the arrival of
Laziel’s and Malachi’s daughter, they were both happy to take on the extra workload that came with protecting the beautiful youngling. Not that she needed it with Malachi and Laziel as fathers. But, there was still the odd time when council meetings or the rise of personal needs called for a little privacy from young eyes.
To have such an honor bestowed upon them said a lot for the couple’s faith in them. Yet, there were times when Saul held the infant that Kimberly noticed the sorrow darkening her warrior’s eyes. Shadows of his past, of the loss of a family ripped from his arms lay heavy in his heart. Every day, Saul mourned them and suffered the guilt of surviving the attack. It was her duty as his mate to help ease his grief, share his burden and soothe away the pain of his loss.
She loved Saul. Loved his strength, his ability to give all of himself. In return, Kimberly offered him a place in her heart, her home and her bed. To her, it was as though Saul had always been there. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
“You’re projecting again. How’s a male to sleep when your deviant mind plays havoc with his dreams?” Saul’s voice rolled through her mind, instantly sending a wave of warmth through her body and making her insides clench. Another groan followed by a deep Russian curse drew her closer to the bed.
“You know what you do to me, moya prekrasnaya roza; how you drive my blood and fill my heart?” The Russian dialect rolled from his mouth, seducing her with his words of endearment.
“My beautiful rose. You bloom so beautifully. Open for me; let me taste you.” Saul’s dark eyes beckoned her to come to him as he sat up. Naked, she strolled from the shadows to stand beside the bed. Her breathing hitched as she crawled up onto the mattress to straddle his legs. Her eyes drifted down to where the sheet had pooled around his waist, revealing the proud ridged girth of his impressive cock.
Licking her lips, Kimberley taunted Saul. Her hand slowly edged south; her fingers circled her clit. Saul growled, his eyes darkening with lust. She inched a little closer and widened her stance, giving Saul full view of her slick, glistening lips. The teasing display came to an abrupt halt when Saul’s huge hands grasped her by the hips and dragged her down to his hungry mouth.
Covering her mound with his mouth, Saul feasted. He suckled at the sensitive folds of her sex and laved the juices before separating the folds with his tongue and flicking at her clit. Kimberly’s hands gripped Saul’s hair as she squirmed above him. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream when his fingers slowly entered her core to stroke against her inner walls. Her body trembled under Saul’s avid ministrations. His fingers spread her wide, thrusting into her again and again as his tongue circled, sucked and flicked over the swollen nub of engorged flesh. She wanted to scream, to beg Saul to take her and drag the orgasm from her loins.
Kimberly moaned when Saul’s mouth left her. Without his fingers filling her, she felt bereft. Her moan changed to a whimper and then back to a groan that stretched on into a resonating growl when Saul dragged her down and impaled her in one powerful thrust. Her head fell back and her body arched to push her pert breast into his mouth. Teeth grazed her tight budded nipples, bit into the flesh and pulled. Kimberley rolled her hips taking Saul down to the root. She slid back up to hover over the broad tip of his dick.
Grunts pierced the air as he grabbed her shoulders for leverage and yanked her down with a resounding slap of flesh. Again and again, Saul bucked, entering her hard and fast. He filled her, spread her and made her body ache with need. Juices coated the thick girth that bumped against the deepest parts of her and dripped between them to scent the air with sex.
Saul struck as his cock swelled and throbbed inside her. The bite, the feel of her blood flowing between them lengthened her fangs. Kimberly bit. Her fangs sank hard and deep in his shoulder as she convulsed. Saul reared back, ripping her flesh as he spilled into her, filling her with thick ropes of creamy seed.
After he came down, he licked the wounds closed. They slid down in the bed and held each other tight, unwilling to leave their nest. She curled against his chest, toyed with the beautiful carpet of hair that covered him and tickled her breasts. Saul comforted her, stroking lazy fingers through her hair and down her back.
“I would ask of you to have me as yours. Would you, moya prekrasnaya roza, take me as your eternal mate?” Saul whispered against the shell of her ear.
Tears shimmered in Kimberly’s eyes. Her chest swelled as she looked up to meet the longing in the depths of his loving gaze.
“I would have you forever as my mate, my lover and my friend, through what is to come and thereafter,” she replied, her voice cracking with emotion.
“I love you, moya prekrasnaya roza.” Saul smiled and brushed his lips against hers. “I will do this right, make you mine by our laws. I will seek our king’s approval and blessing.”
Speechless and filled with pride for her honorable, handsome man, Kimberley returned his kiss. It quickly deepened into a prequel of the ceremony that would see them become one.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Thirty-Four
~*~*~*~
Malachi leaned back in his leather chair and studied the pair in front of him. They stood stiff shouldered with their heads down as if awaiting punishment. He would have never pictured them together, but what did he know about the workings of the heart? It had taken nearly losing Laziel for him to voice the emotion that roiled through him like a tidal wave at the mere thought of the angel. It crested in that moment, flooding him with a sense of peace.
“I’m not sure what good it does, but you most assuredly have my blessing on your union.” Both heads popped up like jacks-in-the-box. Ms. Stroner’s eyes were as warm as melted chocolate. Tears leaked. Malachi cleared his throat and turned his attention to Saul. The Captain of his guard sported an ear to ear grin, but he wasn’t looking at his King. The male only had eyes for his female.
“Congratulations to the both of you, and if you truly want your mating blessed, might I suggest a meeting with Laziel. I’m sure his blessing would carry much more weight than mine. The Creator and I don’t tend to see eye to eye.”
“With all due respect, my liege, he is not our king. You are.”
Malachi grinned, baring sharp incisors. “As my mate, he is due the title of queen.” Malachi chuckled at their shocked expressions. “And while he can be a diva in his glittery thongs, he is most definitely male. Therefore, technically, he is also your king by right of our mating.”
“Stop playing mind games with them, Batman. You know I don’t want either title. The vampires are all yours.” Laziel waltzed into the room with Destahny cradled against his chest. “Where did you hide the damn Jolly Ranchers? I can’t find the blasted things.”
Malachi lifted his head as the angel circled his desk. Firm, soft lips met his in a brief kiss. He brushed a hand over Destahny’s head while Laziel dug in his desk drawer for the expected bag of candy. Laziel tugged the hidden bag free and winked at Saul and Kimberly. “My vampire never lets me down. About time you two realized your future. My blessings to you both.”
Laziel’s mouth brushed over his again. “I’m taking our daughter up to get a closer view of the stars and the moon. Saul and Jaku will be at your door. Arial is due in a few minutes and Bastian after.” Laziel looked at Kimberly who nodded affirmation. “Take care of you.”
“Always, angel mine.”
They all watched the angel stroll to the double doors and disappear. “Before Arial arrives, Synta would like a word with you. He wasn’t scheduled. I’m sorry.”
Malachi waved away her apology. “Send him in and let me know when Arial arrives.”
“Yes, sire.”
The couple walked out hand in hand, and Synta soon pushed through into his office. Malachi rose and bowed to the fragile looking Elder of the Asian enclaves.
“Konbonwa, Synta-sama. Would you care for a drink?”
“Konbonwa, Malachi-sama.” The Elder bowed deeply at the waist before taking the seat Malachi indicated. “I’ve only a min
ute so perhaps a drink another time. I’ve come to escort the royal guards to my enclave and to meet the few Nephilim who have chosen my enclave as their new home. I believe Saul will have them waiting outside in a few moments.”
“You always go above and beyond. You honor me and our race my noble friend.”
“While I have concerns about the Nephilim given our history with them, I trust you. You are blunt and fierce, but you have never lied to us.” Synta smiled briefly. “We may not understand your tactics or your decisions, but it is clear to those who will look that you have always worked for the best interest of the vampires. Now, you seek peace not only within our race but within the preternatural realm. Only fools will object to your actions.”
Malachi swirled the last of the Glenfiddich in his glass before he tossed it back. “Sadly, idiots seem to sprout like weeds. Damn hard to get rid of and always popping up where you don’t need them.”
Synta chuckled and gained his feet. “I would also like to issue a formal invitation for you and your mate to attend a feast at my home to celebrate your union and the birth of your youngling.”
Unfamiliar emotion clogged in Malachi’s throat. He rose and circled the desk. A surprised gasp escaped the dignified little male when Malachi hugged him. “Laziel and I would be honored to attend. You let Ms. Stroner know the details.”
He released Synta and stepped back, cleared his throat. “Thank you, Synta-sama. Safe journeys.”
The phone on his desk buzzed. “Sire, Arial is here.”
“Thank you, Ms. Stroner.”
“I must be going, my liege. We look forward to your visit.” With another formal bow, Synta said his goodbyes and left the office.
