Revelations: Fire & Brimstone Scroll 1

by Nikole Knight

  “Whatever, Mom.” Jai flipped Gideon his middle finger before collapsing back to his original position on the couch with a flinch.

  Noel huffed, sulking like a child as he glowered at Jai. And I was left befuddled. During the demon attack, Jai and Noel had fought so hard for each other. They’d taken care of each other to the point of injury, yet now, they acted like enemies.

  “Ignore the immature children, Riley. I’m sure I’ll be able to find more suitable Secondaries before you get too attached to them.” Jai and Noel straightened in horror at Gideon’s words, and though I didn’t understand exactly what he meant, it was a clear threat. “To get back on topic, no, vampires are not real. Though your human supernatural folklore tends to stem from demon sightings.”

  “Demons are real?” I asked, and he nodded. “And you have wings and fight them?”

  Another nod.

  “So that makes you… angels?”

  The room was deathly silent until Gideon nodded once more. “Yes, we’re angels.”

  “Impossible,” I croaked, pressing my hand to my chest as my heart did its best to leap out of my ribcage.

  “I know it’s a lot to take in,” Noel said, abandoning his sour mood. “But it’s true. We’re angels, sweetie. Your angels.”

  My angels?

  “This isn’t real. You’re not real.” I stumbled off the stool, panic inching up my throat. “I’m losing my mind.”

  Power cracked through the air, and I yelped as Noel’s ivory wings exploded from his back. They stretched in newfound freedom before retreating, curling around his body. “You’re not crazy,” he whispered softly, his feathers rustling.

  “Show-off,” Jai snipped, and Gideon tugged on his earlobe in agitation.

  As Noel’s ethereal glow dimmed, I gaped at his pure-white plumes in wonder. He smiled in encouragement and stepped forward. Instead of recoiling from him, I inched closer. Curiosity and fear battled in my chest, but somehow, courage won.

  I felt Jai and Gideon’s stress like a weight on my shoulders, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from Noel’s beautiful wings. Noel remained immobile, allowing me to close the distance. His feathers fluttered in excitement, and the wing closest to me unfurled, bridging the gap.

  Hesitantly, I reached to meet the feathers, fascinated and terrified. My fingertips brushed the edge of his wing, and Noel inhaled sharply. His lids shuttered closed with a contented sigh.

  Feathers tickled across my palm soft as velvet, and a buzzing sensation traveled up my arm. The downy plumes were stark white like fresh snowfall, and I nearly drowned in the overwhelming scent of sunshine pouring off him in waves. When he opened his eyes, they were no longer colorless, but brilliant purple. My fingers inched over the spiny bones of his wings, and he gasped.

  He jerked away from my touch abruptly, his irises glittering with something untamed. Guilt crashed over me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “You didn’t.” His voice was husky, and he cleared his throat as his cheeks pinked. Shade by shade, his eyes lightened to their original hue, and he smiled sheepishly. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

  Remembering we weren’t alone, I cringed at the disapproval reflecting in Gideon’s eyes. My cheeks flushed hot as a stove as Jai’s lips thinned in displeasure. I had done something wrong. Maybe touching their wings was impolite, and I’d just committed an egregious cultural faux pas.

  “I’m sorry.”

  The scent of peppermint hit me moments before a warm finger tapped the underside of my chin. I allowed Gideon to tilt my head until our eyes met. “There’s nothing to apologize for, little one, but I suggest you take a seat. We have much to discuss.”

  I nodded and tried not to tremble under his gaze as the finger at my chin slid away, leaving a trail of warm tingles behind. “Okay.”

  Chapter Nine

  “Pop a squat, Riles.” Jai patted the cushion beside him in invitation. The thought of sitting next to him while he was shirtless had me on the brink of hyperventilating, but I obeyed.

  “Are you hungry?” Gideon asked.

  Before I could shake my head, my ravenous stomach rumbled, and Jai and Noel nodded their heads enthusiastically.

  Gideon chuckled. “I’ll make something.”

  “No, you don’t—” Jai smothered my protests with his palm, and I grunted in affront.

  “Pancakes?” Noel stuck out his bottom lip, his eyes taking on a puppy-like quality.

  Jai groaned in approval. “Apple-walnut pancakes.”

  “With cinnamon and bacon,” Noel finished his sentence.

  “Syrup and whipped cream?” they both said at the same time, and I barely bit back a snigger as they tilted their heads to the side simultaneously.

  A dark blond eyebrow arched as Gideon checked with me. “Riley, do you like pancakes?”

  I couldn’t answer since Jai was still covering my mouth, but I shrugged my shoulders, then nodded.

  “Of course he wants pancakes, Gid.” Jai released me with a triumphant grin, leaning back into the couch and slinging an arm around my shoulders like we were best friends. “Who doesn’t want pancakes at three in the morning?”

  Feeling strange at his awkward embrace, I twirled my sweatpants’ drawstrings around my index finger as Gideon lumbered into the kitchen. Noel’s wings melted into his back, and intense curiosity burned through me. I almost asked how their wings magically came and went, but the weight of Jai’s arm on my shoulders kept me silent.

  The skin of my shoulder buzzed where his bare forearm rested, like little insects scurrying over my flesh. It wasn’t bad or painful, just different. I assumed it stemmed from his angelic powers that I had yet to discover in full.

  “How’s your stomach?” I asked, and Jai scowled at the offending injury before leaning forward on the couch to unwrap the gauze dressing.

  Whatever he said in response was lost to me as I got my first look at his tattooed back. Black ink painted his skin from tailbone to neck, and my jaw dropped. A beautiful tree canvassed the expanse of his back, the roots disappearing into the band of his pants. The branches curled over the tops of his shoulders and teased the sides of his rib cage.

  On one side, budding flowers bloomed along the spindly branches. On the other, black birds nested, taking off in flight along his clavicle. The trunk of the tree was twisted, almost grotesque, but not ugly. Instead, the distortion filled me with a heavy sense of sorrow. It was a tortured picture of beauty and pain in equal measure.

  “It’s beautiful,” I blurted as my fingers traced the black bloom nestled on the top of his shoulder, unbidden.

  Jai glanced at me, then at his shoulder where my fingertip followed the dark ink. I yanked my hand away, blushing. “Oh, thanks. Noel did it.” Tossing the bandage on the coffee table, he propped his elbows on his knees. “You can touch it if you want.”

  “Um.” I did want to touch it. “O-okay.”

  Jai’s skin was warm and surprisingly soft compared to the rock-solid muscles flexing beneath. I didn’t want to hurt him, so I outlined the twisting trunk of the tree with only the tips of my fingers.

  Symbols hid within the branches and bark, but they were foreign and unreadable. My index finger followed the flight of a raven over his shoulder before teasing a flower bud barely blooming near the back of his neck.

  “It’s incredible,” I murmured, moving my hand down Jai’s spine, mesmerized by each bump of bone. The muscles on either side spasmed like he was in pain. Was I hurting him?

  “Like I said,” Jai husked, his voice raspier than normal, “Noel did it.”

  “It’s amazing.” I directed the compliment at Noel this time as he entered the living room with three steaming mugs in his hands.

  He shrugged off my admiration as his cheekbones dusted pink. “Oh, um, thanks. It was nothing.”

  “You did a good job with it.” Jai accepted one of the cups, and Noel rolled his eyes.

  “You’re only complimenting me because I’m giving you hot c
hocolate.” His eyes betrayed his delight, even as he covered it with feigned annoyance.

  “Well, there’s that.” Jai winked at me, placing the hot drink on the coffee table.

  Noel offered me a mug, and I carefully balanced it in my hands, the ceramic near scalding against my chilled fingers. At Noel’s silent prompting, Jai leaned back and allowed Noel to investigate his injury. Though injury sounded much too serious now that I could see Jai’s rippling abdomen.

  Where his wound should have been, there was nothing but a faint pink line signifying the place where, mere hours before, a blade had been embedded in his flesh. They healed that quickly? No wonder my own injury was nothing but a fading scar.

  “It’s like it never existed.” I gawked, tightening my grip on my mug to keep myself from tracing the wonder. Touching his stomach seemed much too improper, even if said stomach had just undergone an extensive and supernatural healing.

  “We can heal pretty quickly when needed. Just gives us one hell of a headache.” Jai shrugged, but the ashy quality to his complexion belied his nonchalance. Now that I was looking for it, it was impossible not to notice the unnatural paleness to both Jai and Noel’s skin, the bags darkening to bruises beneath their eyes.

  “Does it make you sick?” Worry gnawed at the back of my mind as I sipped my hot chocolate.

  They shook their heads.

  “No,” Noel said.

  “We just gotta head to Utopia sooner than normal to charge back up, you know?” Jai drained his mug as I stared dumbfounded.

  “Utopia?”

  Jai and Noel exchanged a significant look before Jai pushed his mug across the coffee table. “Uh, yeah. Utopia, Paradise, Nirvana, take your pick. There’s lots of names for the heavenly realm.”

  My brain hurt. “Heaven… right.”

  As I nursed my hot chocolate, the room filled with the scent of cinnamon apples, bacon, and sweet batter. My stomach gurgled, and I wrapped my arms around my torso with a blush. “Oops. I guess I’m a little hungry.”

  “At least we can ensure you actually eat a full meal for once.” Jai relaxed into the back of the couch as I frowned. Apparently, almost dying from a demon sword didn’t change his attitude about my eating habits.

  “Jairus, play nice,” Noel scolded as he carried his and Jai’s empty mugs to the kitchen.

  “Jairus?” I sipped my drink. “That’s different.”

  “I prefer Jai.” He flicked my ear, and I whined, unable to defend myself without spilling my precious hot chocolate.

  With a snicker, he rested his arm along the back of the couch, his hand behind my head. I jolted when his thumb dragged along the nape of my neck, faltering at the location of the bite mark. “He should’ve never gotten that close to you.” Remorse and rage darkened his face as his index finger blazed a buzzing trail from the base of my neck to my ear. “We should’ve been there sooner, never let him touch you.”

  “It’s not your fault.” My voice trembled as his finger followed the bob of my Adam’s apple. “Sometimes, weird things happen to me. I try not to read too much into it.”

  Jai chuckled, pinching my earlobe. I grinned shyly as he gave it a tug. “If that’s not the understatement of the century. You attract trouble like bees to honey.”

  “I don’t mean to.”

  I tried to ignore the sparks his touch ignited on my skin, but it was rather difficult. Usually, I disliked when people touched me, even absentminded touches like the graze of Jai’s fingertips. But it wasn’t so bad when Jai or Noel reached for me. Why was that? Was it part of their angelic auras, reeling people in with the promise of safety and comfort?

  “Gideon must have juiced him up something fierce.” Noel pointed to the spot on my neck Jai was currently circling as he sat down on the coffee table.

  As if Jai had forgotten he was touching me, he jerked his hand away and raked his fingers through his messy fauxhawk. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”

  “What do you mean?” I cupped my neck in concern.

  Noel patted my knee in comfort. “Nothing bad. It’s healing perfectly, actually. Just very quickly.”

  “Is that normal?”

  “Gideon healed you while you were unconscious since Noel and I were too drained.” Jai knocked my shoulder with his elbow. “It’s a nice perk of being your Guardians.”

  “My Guardians?” I straightened my posture, intrigued by this new information. “What does that mean?”

  His eyes widened, his head swiveling to catch Noel’s equally unprepared expression. The silence stretched as they searched for an explanation, but before they supplied one, my brain handed it to me on a silver platter. “Like guardian angels? People actually have guardian angels?”

  They both shrugged, nodding in a synchronized motion.

  “Not everyone, but you do. We’re your guard,” Jai finally said, and I blew out a heavy breath as I stared down at Noel’s toe socks.

  “Why doesn’t everyone have a guardian angel?”

  Noel fastened his long hair into a bun at the back of his neck. “It’s not really necessary. I mean, Powers and Principalities protect the mortal realm from being overrun by demons. So, inadvertently, they protect mankind, I suppose. But that’s another department.”

  “Department?”

  Noel pursed his lips and crossed one leg over the other, folding his hands on his knee. “Well, yeah. There are different classes of angels, and we all have different jobs. It just so happens that we’re Guardians, and it’s our job to watch out for you.”

  I was utterly bewildered that I had been singled out and given a guard. “Why do I have Guardians?”

  “I dunno. That’s a bit above our pay grade. We were assigned to you—or you were assigned to us.” Noel frowned as he considered that before shaking his head. “And that’s all that matters, really. We didn’t ask why, and they didn’t tell us.”

  “They?” I was curious by nature, but learning about a whole new world of angels and demons and magical realms was a whole other ball game.

  Noel seemed uncomfortable to be the sole informant, but neither Jai nor Gideon were inclined to take over for him. “Well, you know, our bosses. As Secondaries, Jai and I report to Gideon, and Gideon reports to the Archangel Council.”

  Gideon nodded to confirm Noel’s words as he flipped a pancake on the skillet, and Noel’s confidence grew. “So yeah, the council gives out assignments based on what the Thrones see—”

  “Thrones?” I interrupted, covering my mouth with an apologetic blush, and Noel waved off my apology before I could voice it.

  “Thrones are the eyes and mouths of Fate.” Gideon sauntered into the room with a grace I wouldn’t have expected from someone of his size. “They ‘see.’ The past, present, and future, they see all. They are the Maker’s instruments in dealing out certain judgments and keeping the world on the correct path. The universe must remain in balance, neither dark nor light can have too much power. We, as angels, are expected to do our jobs to keep that balance.”

  He handed Noel a full plate, then offered Jai and I one in turn. I accepted the plate with huge eyes as I took in the heaping pile of syrup covered hotcakes and crispy bacon. My stomach gave another rumble as I placed the plate on my lap.

  Without further ado, Jai and Noel dug into their food with gusto, and I copied, popping a bite of apple cinnamon pancakes into my mouth. It melted on my tongue. The earthiness of the walnuts cut the sweetness of the syrup, and crisp apples added just the right amount of freshness.

  “Holy cats, this is so good,” I said around a mouthful of pancake, and though he didn’t verbally acknowledge the compliment, I caught the subtle color rising in Gideon’s cheeks.

  He cleared his throat and continued his explanation. “As Noel said, Powers and Principalities keep the earthly realm in balance, ensuring mankind aren’t overrun by demonic powers. Dominions are our soul carriers, delivering souls to their final resting places. The Thrones hardly ever leave their sanctuary, but they del
iver visions and messages when they deem it important enough.

  “Cherubim are our records keepers, our teachers, researchers, scientists—”

  “Real brainiacs,” Noel supplied.

  Gideon took advantage of the break in conversation to take a bite of his food before continuing, “Archangels fill the council seats in terms, enforcing law and order. Politicians, if you will.” He grimaced but didn’t elaborate. “Seraphim are our most powerful warriors, but all angels are trained in combat. Even Virtues.”

  Jai snorted into his plate at the name, and Gideon sent him a stern look.

  “What?” Jai asked as he crunched on bacon. “Virtues are annoying little shits.”

  “Jairus,” Gideon chided.

  Jai waved a strip of bacon in Gideon’s face. “I’m serious! They’re all about love and harmony and nature. They flit around like little tree-hugging fairies. Can’t have a decent conversation without offending them, and you can’t count on them for anything because they’re airheads.”

  “You’re just mad you can’t bed one,” Noel needled, and Jai flipped him off.

  Grumbling under his breath, Jai viciously stabbed another bite of pancakes. “I could bed a Virtue if I wanted.”

  “Be that as it may,” Gideon interrupted the uncomfortable conversation as I fought the heated blush on my cheeks, “they play an important role in keeping the earthly ecosystem running cohesively so that man doesn’t die.”

  “Shocked they can manage it.” Jai chewed his bacon—a serene expression of innocence on his face—as Gideon ground his teeth.

  “Anyway, that’s a simple explanation of angels. There’s much more, but I don’t want to overwhelm you.” I was already overwhelmed, but it was sweet of Gideon to care. “As Noel explained, I’m your Prime, and they are your Secondaries.”

  “Prime? Like you’re their boss?” Jai and Noel released matching noises of offense, and I backtracked. “I’m sorry, I just meant—”

  “They report to me,” Gideon said simply.

  Noel puckered his lips like he tasted something sour. “He’s more like a nagging housemother.”