Ruthless (The Seraphim Series Book 2)

by Sophia Stafford

  Lilliah nodded as she listened intently. This could be what they needed to get Azrael back and get one over on Lucifer, who always seemed to be one step ahead of them. This could be what they needed to send him back to Hell. Her skin started tingling.

  “Azrael cut his hand, poured his blood into the cup, and said a few words.” Iris rubbed her hands together. “And that was it.”

  “Why do you think that has anything to do with Azrael now?” Sebastian was still standing by the counter, holding a steaming cup of coffee.

  “Because it was an oath. A blood oath. I’ve heard angels talk about blood oaths before. You can call on a blood oath at any time. The other person wouldn’t have a choice but to obey.”

  Lilliah was up and grabbing her clothes off the floor. She grabbed one of her shoes and tried to shove it on her foot while still walking around the room.

  All three pairs of eyes followed her, and Rebecca asked, “Going somewhere?”

  “I need to buy a new phone. We have to tell Benedict about this.” She headed into the powder room to change. When she emerged, Rebecca was waiting, already dressed and ready to go.

  “New rule. No one goes out alone.”

  “Do you have any idea where the nearest shop is?” Rebecca asked once they were on the road.

  “No.” Lilliah chuckled and kept an eye out for any road signs. “I got a little carried away.”

  “It’s understandable. This is huge news.” Rebecca put her seat back and rested her legs on the dashboard. “I have a good feeling about this. Things are going to go our way from now on.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Rebecca dropped her feet and reached over and turned up the radio. “I should call my mum and dad.”

  Lilliah eyed her friend out of the corner of her eye. Rebecca was still looking down at the radio as she flicked through the channels.

  “Yeah, you should. When was the last time you spoke to them?”

  Lilliah knew Rebecca didn’t like talking about her parents. Ever since Rebecca had been old enough to look after herself, she had. When she’d started her first day as a senior at school, or when she’d taken her final exams, her parents had been off travelling or partying somewhere exotic. Rebecca had never missed out on family activities, though. Lilliah’s family had made sure of that. Rebecca had celebrated every Christmas, birthday, and New Year with the Daniels.

  “Just before we left for New York.” Rebecca sat back and stared out of the window. “Dad was recording his new album, and I told them I wouldn’t be able to talk to them for a while. I said we were going on a girly holiday.”

  “What did they say to that?” Lilliah gently pressed. She kept her eyes on the road, watching for any sign of a supermarket or department store.

  “They just told me to have fun and be safe.” Rebecca pointed out of Lilliah’s window. “It looks like there are a bunch of shops over there.”

  “Oh yeah,” Lilliah muttered as she indicated left. “Do you miss your parents?”

  They sat in silence as Lilliah turned into the car park and searched for a parking space. It had just occurred to her that after all these years, she had never asked her that question before. To her, Rebecca had always been strong and independent. The fact that her family was never around had never seemed to bother her, until now.

  “Sometimes I miss them,” Rebecca finally said as Lilliah pulled into a parking space. “But most of the time, I’m fine.”

  “It’s because you have me,” Lilliah joked and got out of the car.

  “You’re kidding, but it’s the truth.” Rebecca walked around the car and weaved her arm through Lilliah’s. “Come on. I need to shop.”

  “So how much for these three phones?” Lilliah held up a box to the sales assistant. Luckily for them, the store they’d found sold everything, including very basic phones they could throw away after one use.

  “They’re twenty dollars each.” The young assistant walked around the counter so he was standing beside her. His long, shaggy hair reminded Lilliah of a surfer. “But they last for a really long time. You shouldn’t need three.”

  Carrying a bunch of beauty products in her arms, Rebecca walked over to join them. “I think we should get four.”

  “You think?” Lilliah reached down and picked up the boxes.

  “Totally. We might not get the chance to buy more.”

  The sales assistant looked between the two of them as if they were crazy. “So, four?”

  “Yes, please.” She handed over the boxes, then looked down at the products in Rebecca’s arms. “What are these for?”

  “For us. Don’t worry. I didn’t go overboard. I just got the basics like body wash and deodorant.” They followed the guy to the counter and Rebecca unloaded the products.

  “Good, because we’re running out of money.” Lilliah pulled out a couple of bills from her trouser pocket and separated them with her fingers. “Probably just enough for this and some fuel.”

  Lilliah looked around the shop as the guy bagged their goods. Most of the shoppers kept their heads down and weren’t even paying attention to them, but then a guy caught her attention. As soon as Lilliah made eye contact with him, he walked away and stared down at the floor, but she knew he’d been staring at them.

  She turned around, trying to act casual, and nudged Rebecca with her arm.

  “What?” Rebecca took the bags from the assistant and waited for Lilliah to pay.

  “There’s a guy, over there.” She subtly motioned with her head while counting the money. “He was staring at us.”

  “I could call security for you, if you don’t feel safe?” The assistant looked past Lilliah and straight at the stranger.

  So much for discretion, Lilliah thought and handed over a few notes. She picked up the other bag. “Thanks anyway,” she called behind her, already rushing out the door.

  “What do we do?” Rebecca sounded panicked as they ran to their car. They threw the bags in the back seat. “We can’t go back to the house. They might follow us! Holy shit,” Rebecca shrieked and pointed. “He’s walking over here. That guy is walking this way. Get in the car and drive, Lilliah. Get in the car and drive.”

  Rebecca had opened her car door and was sitting inside before Lilliah even had time to react.

  “Excuse me,” a male voice called out from behind her, and then more loudly, “Excuse me.”

  Lilliah turned, keeping her back to the car. Rebecca was right. They couldn’t go back to the house. She needed to sort this out here.

  “Yes?” She braced herself against the car, ready for whatever this guy might throw at her.

  “Are you that girl from the news?”

  Lilliah’s whole body relaxed and laughter bubbled up in her throat. “No.”

  She chuckled at her own stupidity. Not everyone, it seemed, was out to get her.

  “You’re not the girl who was fighting on the street?” the guy pressed, getting his phone from his pocket. “Because it would be so cool if you were.”

  “Sorry, it wasn’t me.”

  Rebecca opened the car door and stuck her head out. “What’s happening? What does he want?”

  “Nothing. False alarm.” Lilliah stepped back and opened her door.

  “Wait, can I have your number?” He held out his phone, looking hopeful.

  For the first time, Lilliah really looked at the guy. He was cute—there was no doubting that. He was tall and muscular, and his jet-black hair reminded her of Azrael, but his was filled with product. The way he already had his phone out, ready to take down her number, made her think he had done this before.

  Lilliah was about to let him down when Rebecca beat her to it. “Sorry, dude. She’s taken.” Then she slammed her door shut.

  “Oh.” The guy stood back, scratching his head. “Well, see you later then.”

  Lilliah got in the driver’s seat, giving a small wave to the guy, who was still standing outside.

  “That was so embarrassing,” she sai
d once they were back on the road.

  “Which part? The one where we thought he was going to attack us, or the part where he asked you out?”

  “Both.”

  The first thing Lilliah did when they got back to the house was charge one of the phones.

  “So we’ve run out of money.” Sebastian sat beside her on the sofa.

  Lilliah was leaning over the armrest, waiting for the phone to come to life. “Yep.”

  “Do we even have enough to get back to New York?” He stretched his long legs out in front of him.

  “Nope.” She knew what his next question would be, but she had no idea how to answer it.

  “So, what do we do now?”

  Lilliah ran her fingers over the patterned sofa. She didn’t have all the answers. She wasn’t the leader in this cat-and-mouse game they had found themselves in.

  “I say we call Benedict. He’s probably done the spell to find this Keeper person; we could go off and find them. Benedict can stay at The Cure and work at finding a way to send Lucifer back to Hell. Two birds, one stone.”

  The phone buzzed to life.

  “I’ll call Benedict now,” she muttered without looking up from the phone. Twisting her body further away from Sebastian, she typed in Benedict’s number.

  “Right,” he drawled.

  The line rang once before Benedict answered. “Lilliah.”

  “Iris had a vision.” When Benedict didn’t talk straight away, Lilliah continued, “She said it was different this time. She said the angels actually spoke to her.”

  “What did they say?” She could hear the apprehension in Benedict’s voice.

  “Well, they didn’t really say as much as show her. They gave her a vision of Azrael making a blood oath to Lucifer. This is huge, right? This could be it, what we’ve been waiting for.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?” she repeated, wanting to reach down the phone and shake him. He didn’t sound hopeful or excited. If anything, he sounded bored. “I’m probably not explaining this right. Hold on. I’ll get Iris.”

  Lilliah jumped up and burst into the kitchen, where Iris and Rebecca were talking. “You need to tell Benedict about your vision. Tell him everything.”

  Iris gently took the phone from Lilliah and cleared her throat. “Hi, Benedict. It’s Iris.” Her voice had gone shy, sounding uncertain, and a soft pink blush coloured her cheeks.

  “I wish I blushed.” Rebecca sighed, resting her head on her hand.

  “Oh, to be innocent,” Lilliah said as she paced up and down the small space, listening as Iris told Benedict about her vision. She described what the angels looked like and what Lucifer looked like.

  Finally, Iris held the phone back to Lilliah. “He wants to speak to you.”

  She almost snatched it out of Iris’s hand. “That’s good, right? This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

  “Wait, I’m putting you on speaker. You do the same,” Benedict told her, sounding farther away.

  Lilliah found the button and sat at the table, holding the phone out so the others could hear. Sebastian joined them but stood behind Rebecca.

  “What did the cup look like, Iris? Describe everything about it,” Benedict said.

  “Oh, erm. It wasn’t anything special. Kind of small. It was made of wood, dark wood, and had this marking on it. I’ve never seen the marking before.”

  “Is there anything else? Anything more specific?” Benedict gently pushed. Lilliah could hear him moving around, as well as the occasional flick of a page.

  “It didn’t have a handle. They held it with both hands. The inside had a kind of yellowy colour. I’m sorry. I know I’m not explaining this right, but there’s not really a lot to tell.”

  “No, you’re doing great. Amazing.”

  Iris’s face reddened at Benedict’s compliment. “Thank you.” She muttered the words so quietly Lilliah doubted Benedict had even heard.

  “So what was it? How do we break the spell?” Sebastian leaned on the back of Rebecca’s chair.

  “I think Iris is talking about the Holy Grail. I just need to find something.”

  Lilliah’s mouth fell open. The only sound was the flicking of pages coming through the phone.

  The Holy Grail? Benedict had said it so casually, as if it were nothing but an ordinary mug from the supermarket. She covered her mouth and looked around the room. Rebecca’s mouth kept opening and closing, as though she knew she should say something but couldn’t find the right words. Iris was nervously chewing on her fingernail and staring down at the phone. Sebastian was standing still, scowling at the table. Lilliah was glad she wasn’t the only one in shock.

  “The Holy Grail?” She let the words roll off her tongue. They didn’t sound strange; they just felt weird.

  “What makes you think that?” Rebecca asked, leaning forward on her elbows. “Was the Holy Grail the only cup in Heaven?”

  “Because I’ve seen it.”

  Lilliah gasped. She knew she must have looked comical with her mouth hanging open and her eyes as wide as they could possibly go, but she couldn’t help it. The Holy Grail was real, and Benedict had seen it. It was on Earth, not locked away in Heaven or Hell.

  “This is so surreal.” Sebastian straightened and rubbed his temples.

  “Could we use it to somehow reverse the oath and get Azrael back?” Lilliah clutched the table, the butterflies in her stomach doing somersaults. She knew it was hope slowly building up inside her. “It could maybe even help in sending Lucifer back to Hell?”

  “I have no idea how that kind of magic works. It’s old and angelic, but it’s also the best chance we have. Come back to New York. We’ll go from there.”

  Lilliah reached for the phone and turned it off loudspeaker. “One more thing. We’ve run out of money. We don’t have enough to get back. So I was thinking we could go looking for that Keeper guy instead of heading back to New York?”

  “The Keeper, yes. He could have The Grail. Or at least know where it is. I’ll text you an address. There will be money waiting for you there. Then stay put, I will find out more about the Grail and its whereabouts. Then I’ll call you. But Lilliah, stay safe.”

  “Okay.” Lilliah disconnected the call. “He’s sending us some money. We have to go and pick it up, then we wait there. This Keeper guy should know where the Grail is.”

  “Thank God!” Rebecca pushed her chair back a little and stretched her legs out.

  Lilliah walked into the living room, searching for a pen and paper to write down the address Benedict was sending over. Then she would dispose of the phone.

  Iris followed her. “Is Benedict rich?”

  “He definitely has money.” Lilliah started opening and closing the drawers on the side table.

  “That’s so cool.” She sighed, almost wistfully.

  Lilliah was about to ask her why she thought that was cool, when she heard a shattering sound. Something had been thrown through the window. She searched the floor and found a small tin can leaking gas.

  “Get out!” She grabbed Iris and pulled her towards the door. Without asking questions, Rebecca and Sebastian ran from the kitchen. Before they could reach the door, the gas seeped in and everything went dark.

  Chapter 17

  “What do we do now?”

  “You made the call, right? Now we wait?”

  “Lucifer will be here soon.”

  Lilliah opened her eyes. They were stinging so much. She was sitting in a chair, her head hanging loose, her chin touching her chest, and her arms tied tightly behind her back. The only part of her not tied were her legs. Her bare feet grazed the rough floor; it felt cold, like concrete.

  “What do you think Lucifer will do when he gets here?” Lilliah asked. She coughed, her throat sore. She lifted her head and squinted. The room was dimly lit, but she could still see Iris, Sebastian, and Rebecca, who were also tied to chairs. Two men were standing in front of them, hidden by the shadows.

  “You think h
e’s going to say thank you and leave?” She laughed, tipping her head back. “If you do, then you’re just as crazy as he is.”

  She still couldn’t make out who they were or whether they were werewolves or vampires. But she could bet they were one or the other.

  “Lucifer will do anything to get you,” one of them spat at her. “This world will soon be his.” He walked out of the darkness. In his late thirties, the man was small both in height and build.

  Lilliah eyed him. He was too tanned to be a vampire.

  “He’ll only win if you give me to him,” she stressed, trying to pull her wrists free. It was no use. The rope was too tight. “You need to let me go.”

  “What are you going to do?” He leaned in closer. “You can’t win against Lucifer. It’s impossible.”

  “Don’t get too close.” The second man walked forward. “She might look like a girl, but don’t forget, she’s still an angel.”

  Lilliah didn’t look at the newcomer. Instead, she leaned back then smashed her head against the guy’s forehead.

  He fell back, holding his head in his hands. “Bitch!”

  “I told you.” Lilliah looked at the other guy. Her eyes widened with recognition. Harold Bailey, the warlock she’d met at The Cure, was standing in front of her.

  “You traitor,” she hissed, struggling once more to pull her hands free.

  “I’m the traitor?” He placed a hand on his chest. “I’m a true member of The Cure. I should have been the one chosen to lead after Ada.”

  Lilliah leaned back in her chair, her hands working furiously behind her to undo the knots. “So that’s what this is really about then. You’re jealous of Benedict.”

  Harold stood taller. “He’s a child.”

  “And you’re a traitor.”

  He took one threatening step forward.

  Lilliah narrowed her eyes. His hand was almost twitching to hit her. “Do it.”

  “Grandfather,” the younger guy warned while still holding his head.

  Harold took a step back and tried to control his breathing. His eyes flashed to the others, who were still unconscious.

  “If Lucifer just wants me, let them go,” Lilliah tried to reason.