Ruthless (The Seraphim Series Book 2)

by Sophia Stafford

  That he would even suggest something like this shocked her.

  “Michael might make a deal with you and agree to let your family into Heaven too. You have to understand that if I’m gone, truly gone and past the point of no return, you’ll be in danger. The whole world will be in danger. Killing me could be an act of war against Michael and against Heaven. Lucifer knows I’m with you; Michael will take it as a personal insult against him and against you. I need you to be safe.”

  Lilliah was about to speak when Azrael continued, “Do you remember our first kiss?”

  Of course she remembered their first kiss. It had been in a forest just after she’d been attacked by a group of werewolves. She had been so afraid of Azrael at the time, so unsure if she could trust him or not. It had been dark and she had been so afraid, but as soon as his lips had touched hers, she’d almost forgotten about everything.

  “That kiss”—he breathed in—“was everything to me. I’d kissed others before, but it was like you breathed life into me, a life I thought I’d never have. For weeks, I only thought of your lips. Even now that we’re together, all I can think about is kissing you. That’s why I want you to be safe. You’re my life, Lilliah.”

  Lilliah touched his jaw, hesitantly. “I know I’m not really talking to you. I understand that this is some kind of spell or a memory or whatever.” She dropped her hands and moved closer to him. “I’m not sure if the Azrael of today can even hear me when I speak to you, but I want you to know that I’m coming for you. I won’t run away and hide. I will find you and bring you back.”

  Her tears started flowing again. “You wouldn’t stop looking for me. You would find me no matter where I was or what I’d done.”

  She leaned in and kissed him, not softly or delicately, but rough and hard. Finally, she pulled back. “He really hurt me, you know. Lucifer.”

  Of course he didn’t speak. Azrael from the past couldn’t have prepared himself for this conversation. Even Azrael, who was prepared for anything, wouldn’t have guessed what Lucifer was capable of. What he could truly do to them.

  “People know what happened and what he did to me.” She tried to swallow, her throat suddenly dry. “I see them staring at me, all the witches and warlocks whispering behind my back. They feel sorry for me because the man I love couldn’t help me when I was hurt so badly. But the thing is, I don’t want their pity. I don’t need it. What I need is help to find you, and then kill Lucifer. And I will. Because I can’t live without you. I won’t.”

  “I love you, Lilliah.”

  “I know, and that’s why I’m coming for you.”

  Chapter 10

  “You know she always does this? Faints. She never used to. It must be all the magic.” She heard Rebecca’s voice first.

  “She didn’t faint,” Zena replied. “She just hasn’t woken up yet.”

  Lilliah’s eyes slowly opened into a squint.

  “I’m okay,” she croaked and tried to sit up. Rebecca and Zena helped her. “How long have I been out?”

  Her head felt heavy and her neck was stiff, but other than that, she felt great. She had gotten to spend time with Azrael, her Azrael.

  “About two hours.” Rebecca cocked her head as she assessed Lilliah’s face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Lilliah tilted her head to the side, massaging her neck. “Perfectly fine. I spoke to Azrael.”

  Rebecca jolted at the sound of his name, and Zena moved away, her face paling to an ashen white.

  “That’s … that’s impossible!” Zena breathed, placing her hands over her face. “The spell … it went perfectly. How did this happen? How could he find you?”

  Lilliah leaned forward and grabbed Zena’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “It’s fine. It was sort of a message.” She stared at the two blank faces looking back at her. “Help me up.”

  She held out her hands, and Rebecca and Zena helped her to her feet.

  “How could he have left you a message?” Rebecca asked, still holding on to Lilliah’s hand.

  “It was a spell he—we did.” She was still trying to understand it herself. “About a month and a half ago, I think.”

  Zena had fetched Lilliah a drink of water. “So the spell didn’t go wrong?” she asked, handing her the glass. Her eyes still looked panicked.

  “No,” Lilliah reassured her and took a sip. “He was my Azrael.”

  She felt amazing. She could still feel his hands on hers, and she could even smell him. His scent was a reminder that her Azrael was real, and that the guy with the red eyes wasn’t him.

  Rebecca was smiling too. “So what did he say?”

  “That he loved me.”

  Rebecca narrowed her eyes as Lilliah blushed, but to her relief, Rebecca didn’t push it. Lilliah had no doubt they’d have that conversation when they were alone.

  “He gave me a few names in case anything happened to him. I think the magic you used was what triggered the spell.” She was talking more to Zena than to Rebecca.

  “Nuntius perierat,” Zena shared, her whole body relaxing. “It’s a lost message spell. A spell that, until triggered, will sit there like a forgotten memory.”

  “Yeah, that’s it.”

  Zena knelt down and started clearing the candles and pillows. “This, I’m afraid, is where I leave you.” She motioned with her head at the bag on the floor. “Don’t forget your stuff.”

  Lilliah reached over and grabbed it. She spied inside, checking that everything was in it.

  “The ring’s missing,” she said as Zena ushered them to the door.

  “It’s my payment for the spell.” Zena hugged Rebecca and then turned to Lilliah. “Don’t worry. Benedict knows.”

  Zena placed her hands on the sides of Lilliah’s face. “You’re very brave.” Zena’s eyes flickered to Rebecca. “Both of you are. Going against Lucifer.” She stepped back and folded her arms. “Please be careful and look after each other.”

  Lilliah and Rebecca agreed.

  Zena stood in the doorway as they made their way into the hall. “And remember: not everything is as final as it seems. Sometimes not even death.”

  Benedict was already waiting for them outside. He’d changed cars and was wearing a dark blue baseball cap. Instead of a greeting, he handed a cap to Rebecca and then one to Lilliah.

  “Get in quick,” he ordered, taking the bag from Lilliah. He went around to the back of the car and threw the bag inside the boot. When they were on the road, he asked, “How did it go? Are you both feeling okay?”

  “Lilliah received a message from Azrael.” Rebecca clapped her hands excitedly. “Tell me everything!”

  Benedict tensed.

  “It wasn’t like that.” Lilliah turned to face Rebecca and pulled a face. “It was the normal Azrael. It was good, more than good. It was amazing. Zena called it something, but I have no idea what she said. Something like a lost memory spell.”

  Benedict’s body relaxed, but he still didn’t seem satisfied. “How did he do the spell? I didn’t know about it.”

  “Well maybe you’re not his only warlock friend,” Rebecca joked, earning a stern look from Benedict in the rear-view mirror.

  “He did it himself, or we did it ourselves. I’m not sure.” She waved her hand, not wanting to get bogged down by all the details. “We used my old necklace. There was some magic still left inside. The message was a warning. He knew something bad was going to happen.”

  “How did he know?” Benedict pressed.

  “He didn’t; I think the spell was more of a precaution than anything else. He told me to trust you, and if need be, ask the angels for help.”

  No one spoke for a few seconds as they let Lilliah’s information settle in.

  “I know both of you have been through a lot today, but I need to perform another spell. It needs to be done as soon as possible. We’re going to track down The Delphines.” Benedict returned his concentration to the road, leaving Lilliah to think.

  “He talked about The
Delphines; he said we should find them. He also spoke about a guy called the Keeper?”

  Benedict’s large body tensed in the front seat.

  “So you’ve heard of the guy? You know what he does or where he is?” Lilliah pressed. In all the research she and Rebecca had been doing, Lilliah had never come across someone called the Keeper.

  “I’ve heard of him, yes. Did Azrael say why you should go looking for him?” Benedict still stared at the road, but Lilliah could see the muscle flex in his jaw.

  “No, he just said if we needed anything, like an artefact or something, that he’d have it. Or if not, he’d find it for us.”

  Benedict nodded once. Lilliah settled in her seat and finally let herself think. Given the crappiness of the situation, she was the happiest she could have been. She had been so deep in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed where they were going until they’d stopped. They were outside a derelict building. Steps led up to two large wooden doors, and the windows peered into darkness.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  Lilliah exited the car and Benedict motioned for Lilliah to put the cap on. She jammed it tightly on her head as Benedict exited the car. She followed him around the building and into the garden behind it. Considering they were in the middle of New York City, the house was very big. The only indication that they were still in the city was the smell of pollution and the constant hum that seemed to follow them everywhere.

  “My old family house,” Benedict finally answered. “There’s a lot of magic in these walls and on these grounds.”

  When Benedict had said old, he’d meant it. The house was pretty much in ruins. Lilliah wanted to go inside and have a real look, but he kept walking up the slight hill.

  Old garden furniture lay abandoned on the cracked paving, unused and rusted. The grass was overgrown and the bushes surrounding the garden had been left to grow wild. The place was eerie, yet magical, like a forgotten secret garden in New York City. They passed an old swing set that creaked in the breeze, its green paint just visible amongst the rust.

  Small flowers peeked out of the grass in little spots of blue and yellow. Lilliah reached down and plucked one of the flowers. Twirling the stem between her fingers, she leaned down to smell it. The aroma was fresh, a contrast to the dirtiness of the city around her. She kept hold of the flower as she jogged to catch up with Benedict and Rebecca. The garden just kept going.

  “What’s with the baseball caps?” Rebecca asked and then lost her footing.

  Lilliah dropped the flower and reached out to steady her. The uneven ground didn’t seem to bother Benedict. He clearly had a destination in mind.

  “They’re so Lucifer and Azrael can’t find you.”

  “I thought that was what the spell was for?” Rebecca asked the question Lilliah had been thinking.

  “They can’t find you magically, but you still have to be careful. We don’t know who’s working for them, how many there are, or where they are.”

  Lilliah understood that Lucifer’s minions could be everywhere and anywhere. She didn’t want to point out that Benedict was still recognisable with his beard. Few people had a beard like his.

  “The spell won’t work if they can see you with their own eyes. Remember that.”

  Finally, they came to a stop at the highest point in the garden—a flat, grassy area surrounded by small flowers.

  “This is where we’ll do the spell.” Benedict took off his cap and ran his hands through his hair and then jammed it back on his head. “It’ll be a simple tracking spell. But it could not be done at The Cure. It needed to be here.”

  Nervousness and excitement started building up in Lilliah’s stomach. Benedict pulled a map from his jacket pocket and laid it on the ground. “Sit.”

  They all sat around it, patting down the grass.

  “From here on out, we have to be careful. They can’t track you magically, but this is a modern world, so that means no cell phones.” He looked pointedly at them.

  “Why no mobiles?” Rebecca sounded shocked. “What’s my phone got to do with anything?”

  “They might be able to track your phones. From now on, we will only talk through disposables or pay phones.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, very basic mobile phone. “As soon as you call Seb to check on him and your mother, I’ll have to take your normal phones. We’ll turn them off and leave them at The Cure.”

  Rebecca handed her phone over. “I have no one to call. My parents told me that they didn’t want to be disturbed for a few weeks.” Benedict took the phone with a sympathetic look, then looked at Lilliah expectedly.

  Lilliah hesitated. “What if my mum needs to get in touch?”

  “Your mum will be fine, I’ll make sure of it, but you have to be careful. No phone and no airplanes. They can track your passports. Talk to her when you can, explain you won’t be able to talk again for a little while.”

  “Then what about Seb?” Rebecca asked, her voice edgy. “And what about this Keeper guy? Is he close by?”

  Benedict shook his head. “I highly doubt it. My guess is that he isn’t in America.”

  “Of course. Because it couldn’t be that easy, could it? So, if mobiles and aeroplanes are out of the question, how do we get to this Keeper guy?”

  “Private planes. They’re harder to trace, and if we get the right guy to help us out, we can get away with not showing our passports. A plane’s already on standby for Sebastian.” Benedict looked at Lilliah. “Azrael’s jet is, of course, off limits, as is The Cure’s private plane.”

  Slowly, Benedict rubbed his hands together and closed his eyes. “I’m going to begin.” He held his hand out and wiggled his fingers. “You need to be quiet while I concentrate.”

  Lilliah watched closely. After he told her about the spell in the car she hadn’t expected it would be this fast. Benedict didn’t use candles or lotions. He was muttering words, but so quickly and quietly that she had no idea what he was saying. The wind picked up, the trees around them rustling and drowning out the noise of nearby traffic. Rebecca reached over and grabbed Lilliah’s hand, her foot nervously twitching.

  “You okay?” Lilliah mouthed to Rebecca, not wanting to disturb Benedict.

  With one nod of Lilliah’s head, Rebecca focused on Benedict for a second before looking back at Lilliah.

  “Lots of magic today,” she mouthed back.

  Lilliah understood her friend completely. A lot had happened in the last few hours.

  Benedict had always been bit of an enigma to Lilliah. He was powerful, yet followed Azrael with a sort of devotion that she couldn’t grasp. He could take charge of any situation and people listened to him. Seeing him here, with his eyes closed as he muttered powerful words, she couldn’t have been more thankful to have him helping her.

  The map on the floor crumpled as if it were being burnt, until only a small piece remained visible. The outside of the paper had turned black.

  “Shit, this is cool.” Just like Lilliah, Rebecca was transfixed.

  They had seen spells and had participated in them, but seeing Benedict perform magic was something else. His hair flowed in the breeze and his hands were still stretched out, steady and strong. This was where he belonged, doing magic. He was in his element.

  His eyes shot open. Lilliah was shocked to see that his irises had turned a stone-grey colour.

  “Benedict?” She waved her hand in front of his face, slightly panicked. Maybe the wind and the burning paper hadn’t been part of the plan. But then he smiled.

  “I’m fine.” Slowly, his eyes returned to their normal brown shade.

  “That was crazy,” Rebecca said, waving her hands in the air. “The wind was going crazy. You went weird. And it only lasted for like, two minutes.” She held up her fingers. “You’re good.”

  “Thank you.” He appeared amused. “I try.”

  Benedict gathered the crumpled bit of paper from the floor and blew the dust away. “Good news. She’s in
America.”

  Lilliah sat forward. “She?”

  “It seems there is only one Delphine left—a girl. Her name is Iris and she lives in Las Vegas.” He looked down at what was left of the map. “It’s on Central Drive. I’ll write down the address for you. You’ll need to drive.”

  Lilliah was playing with some dirt on the ground as she spoke. “We’d need to drive? So we’re doing the whole road trip thing?”

  She finally looked up to a smiling Rebecca.

  “I’m cool with the road trip. You sure you don’t want to come, Benedict?” Rebecca leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees.

  Benedict’s eyebrows were raised. “I think I’m going to pass on the road trip. Now Lilliah, what else did Azrael tell you? Try and think—there could be a clue in his words.”

  Lilliah went over everything Azrael had said and done in her head, trying to pick apart his sentences to see if there was a hidden meaning behind his words.

  “He knew something was going to happen to him. He said if he wanted to take down two angels, he’d take down the strongest one first.” She took a deep breath. God, how she wished it hadn’t have been a dream or a spell or whatever it was. She wished Azrael had come back to her. “He said that if there was no way for us to save him, that I should ask Michael to take me to Heaven. He said I wouldn’t be safe with Lucifer around.”

  Rebecca gasped. “Does he think that’s a possibility?”

  Lilliah shrugged. “I don’t know what he thought, but I’m not asking Michael for anything.”

  “Was that all?” Benedict gently probed.

  Lilliah nodded.

  Benedict stood and brushed the dirt from his trousers. “Okay, we’ll see if the Keeper will really be able to help you or not.”

  Lilliah and Rebecca stood as well. She watched as Benedict started walking away.

  “He said the Keeper will have anything I need,” she called after him, trying to catch up with him without falling over.

  “The Keeper will have the items you need, I don’t doubt that. Whether he’ll give them to you, however, is a completely different matter.”