Uriel's Descent (Ubiquity #1)

by Allyson Lindt

  Instinct and indoctrination pulsed through her. It was her job and duty to send cherubs back home. But even as she thought it, her discoveries of the past few days rushed back. These individuals wanted the same rush from life she did. Besides, Lucifer was keeping things from her, most of the management at Ubiquity was asinine, and she was off the clock.

  “Way to justify your laziness.”

  And the best reason of all—because she didn’t want another fucking voice in her head, even for a couple of seconds.

  The line moved fast, and they were inside within a few minutes. Throngs of people filled the dance floor and rested at tables along the edges. Alcohol and sweat tickled her nostrils until she swore she could taste them—scents that should be revolting, but filled her with energy. The throbbing music spoke to her, calling her onto the dance floor. Flashing neon strobed, turning the room into a series of grotesque stills.

  She inhaled, trying to take it all in. “This is amazing. There’s so much energy here.” The music swallowed her awe. Talking was going to be impossible, and that was fine with her.

  Ari ducked her head close, fingers still intertwined with Ronnie’s. “Right? So worth it.”

  They wove their way through gyrating bodies and the gorgeous rainbow of auras, which blended and competed with the dim lighting in the club. The energy was almost tangible. Somewhere along the way, they stopped trying to navigate the crowds and lost themselves to the rhythm. It was easy to dance to the frantic music.

  Bodies brushed Ronnie’s, crushed against her, overwhelmed her senses. A whiff of perfume. A hand on her ass, sliding between her thighs before jolting away. Hot breath on her cheek from a random stranger. It invigorated and seduced her. Any number of these men or women, if she asked, would join her in a dark corner. Crush their mouth to hers. Melt into her as she wrapped a leg around their waist and pushed her skirt to her hips.

  Ronnie drifted away from Ari as they slid from one song to the next. They’d meet up again later, or not. Exhaustion still lingered on the edge of Ronnie’s senses, but the ambient energy made it easy to ignore. She could drown in the sensory overload here and be happy.

  A pair of hands rested on her hips, and a familiar rush pulsed through her, erasing the weariness. She knew that sensation but from where? It was the same intoxication she experienced in the coffee shop. Gabe.

  “I was hoping you’d be here tonight.” He brushed her ear with his lips.

  A tiny whisper of logic—or was it that annoying voice—tried to remind Ronnie of Michael’s story. And that she barely knew this guy. And that…

  She wasn’t listening. The almost erotic sensations of the room amplified his every touch. If a random hookup could get her off, in comparison, Gabe would show her heaven. He swayed with her, front against her back. His hard length pressed into her when she ground against him, and dampness grew between her legs.

  She whirled and draped her arms around his neck. He looked good. Black T-shirt, jeans, and that same odd but alluring combination of a blond ponytail and black goatee. Every new caress sent another jolt through her. Liquid energy soothed the cracks in her fractured psyche. The heat from his body swept along her skin. She wanted to submerge herself in him.

  “But…”

  Metatron quieted, vanishing in the noise of the night. Ronnie liked that. He drew her closer, hands gliding to the small of her back. His breath warmed her skin when he spoke, but she couldn’t make out the words.

  “He’s not worth hearing anyway.” The taunt was barely a whisper.

  “What?” Ronnie asked.

  He dipped his head closer, trailing his nose along her neck until her body pleaded for more. His words were distinct this time. “I need to talk to you.”

  She nodded and followed him from the dance floor, letting the trancelike feeling surround her. With his fingers intertwined in hers, the pleasant hum of being near him filled her. She hoped he’d lead her to a remote slice of wall. As they gained more distance from the dancing crowd, reason seeped in. Cool air kissed the sweat from her skin and chased away some of her arousal.

  She almost found the presence of mind to wonder what she was doing. They found a table, as removed from the crowds as possible, where conversation should only require a little yelling. Ronnie reluctantly tucked her wings away. Even though they were ethereal, she felt them when they did things like pass through chairs, and that made sitting awkward. But at least she’d enjoyed the freedom for a little while.

  Before they could take their seats, Ari seemed to appear out of nowhere. Ronnie didn’t know if she was disappointed or relieved by the interruption. The longer they stayed separate from the crowd, the more her head cleared. Did she get some kind of emotional contact high from being on the dance floor?

  Ari tossed her arms around Gabe’s neck with a squeal, burying her face in his chest. His hands rested at her hips, and squeezed before nudging her back. Ronnie should be jealous, shouldn’t she? For Ari or herself? She wasn’t sure.

  “I’m so glad you made it.” Red flushed Ari’s face.

  He nodded at the chairs and waited for both of them to sit before dropping into his own seat. “Wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Except maybe Armageddon.”

  Ari giggled.

  Awkwardness itched in Ronnie’s palms, making her want to fiddle with something as she watched the exchange. Gabe’s body language didn’t match Ari’s. His shoulders were drawn in and one ankle rested on the other knee. She leaned in, arms on the table, facing him, eyes wide and smile bright. Crap. She was infatuated with him. And Ronnie just shared a more intimate dance with him than she thought was possible in public without getting arrested.

  He gave Ari’s fingers one last squeeze—his face showed he saw the attraction too—before turning to Ronnie. “Have you remembered anything else?” he asked.

  “Who cares if she likes him? He won’t live long enough for her to act on it.”

  Ronnie thought Metatron liked Gabriel.

  “No. I wanted to use him to make Michael suffer. I didn’t realize the asshole tried to kill me.”

  Of course. At least Gabe was still worried about her missing memories. The thought didn’t comfort her. “I think I’ve been to Jerusalem before.”

  “Really?” His eyes grew wide.

  Ari sank back in her chair, fiddling with her purse. “Like almost every other angel or demon ever.” She glanced at Ronnie. “Sorry. I’m not being mean, but it’s true.”

  “Then, no. Nothing significant.” Why was Ronnie even chasing down this road? Michael was the only one to give her answers.

  “Do you hear voices?” Ari blurted out. Gabe scowled in her direction, and she shrugged. “You were going to ask anyway.”

  Yeah, this was definitely awkward. And there was no way Ronnie was admitting to hearing things. “Of course not.”

  “Really, she doesn’t. Not plural, anyway. There’s just me.”

  Gabe gestured around the room. “You see it, right? The angels, the humans, the cherubs?”

  “I do.” Odd question. Were there angels who couldn’t see that kind of thing? Did he think Ronnie was underdeveloped in some way?

  “Just your tits.”

  Ronnie so didn’t need that.

  He reached across the table and traced a finger over the back of her knuckles. Instinct sparked in her brain, wanting to jerk away. Not liking his hands on hers or that he did it in front of Ari. However, like before, his touch sent a tingle through her that muffled Metatron, and fuzzed Ronnie’s thoughts. She knew from the pitch of his voice he spoke quietly, yet she heard every word. “Can you tell for sure, all of them, which are angels and which are cherubs?”

  A yes flew to her lips out of instinct, and she swallowed it. Her failed cherub capture raced through her mind, bringing all her unanswered questions with it. “I think so.”

  “She can’t,” Ari said.

  He fixed another narrowed gaze on her before turning back to Ronnie. “Tell me honestly. I promise I won�
�t think you’re crazy or have you pulled from your job or anything like that. Are you hearing a voice?”

  Ronnie swallowed, and hesitation weighed down her tongue. That addressed her serious concerns about speaking up, and her brain thought it might split from indecision. She couldn’t trust him, but the heat flooding her limbs said she had to.

  “Yes,” she said.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Some of Ari’s irritation vanished. Gabe’s expression stayed neutral, and his voice kind. “I don’t have a solution for you, but I think I can tell you what’s going on. At least a little bit.”

  “Really.” Ronnie couldn’t make her tone anything other than flat. Michael already told her what was going on. Unless Gabe knew the details of how she acquired Metatron. And why didn’t he surrender any of this in his coffee shop? Hearing him out was far more attractive with Metatron quiet. Ronnie couldn’t even make out her snide words.

  He nodded at the dance floor again. “It’s why we’re here tonight. I wanted you to witness firsthand. There are rumors…” He wove his fingers through hers, eyes never leaving her face. “Instead of sending cherubs home, some angels are pulling them from their hosts and internalizing them.”

  This ought to be interesting. How would Gabriel spin it? “Why?”

  “It means more power without having to earn it,” Gabe explained. “Kind of like an extended battery.”

  Michael neglected to mention that. Then again, Michael seemed more concerned with rehabilitation than power. Was Gabe accusing her of keeping a cherub for her own gain? She didn’t like the implication. Worse, if Gabe went to Raphael with the information rather than Lucifer, would it cost her the Ubiquity job? “I’ve sent every cherub back home. I swear it.”

  “I’m not saying you kept one. At least not on purpose.” With his thumb, he continued to trace tiny circles along the back of her hand. The contact acted like a muffler on the voice in her head. “I just wonder if maybe you thought you sent one home, and you didn’t.”

  “No.” She almost told him about Metatron to defend herself. But for some reason her name died on Ronnie’s lips. She couldn’t keep the questions from running rampant through her thoughts. His explanation was nice. It was convenient and straight forward—and too easy. But if he was offering helpful answers now, maybe he’d confirm some of her suspicions. “If it’s a cherub, can I get rid of it the same way I do with the others?”

  His lips drew into a thin line. “I don’t know.”

  So much for him being helpful. Ronnie sank back in her chair with a sigh, breaking the contact between them.

  “You already tried that, remember? Almost tore you apart, because you’re a reckless amateur.”

  “Maybe I should try it again, if for no other reason than to piss you off.” A reminder of the earlier pain flashed through her head. Maybe not.

  The conversation tapered away from the voice in Ronnie’s head and shifted to other topics. Ari drew back in, smiling, laughing, and occasionally tracing a finger along Gabe’s bicep. Metatron provided a running commentary, and Ronnie found herself agreeing with the snark on more than one occasion. She still wasn’t certain why they were here.

  Not that she minded the club, but as she looked out at the dance floor, she’d much rather be dancing. With someone who wasn’t the object of her best friend’s affection. Sliding into the intoxicating seduction that enveloped her before. It was odd to be concerned about something trivial in the grand scheme of dead angels living in demons’ heads, but a squicky feeling lingered in her gut that she might stand between Ari and Gabe.

  Maybe Ronnie needed a little air to clear out the compulsion to dive into sensory overload. She shoved back from the table. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Wait.” Gabe half stood.

  Ari tugged him back into his seat. “She’ll be back.”

  Ronnie resisted the urge to roll her eyes and wandered away. She had no idea where she was going. Sitting in on the edge of the throbbing beat without moving to it drilled into her thoughts. She just wanted some silence. She rushed out the nearest door marked Exit.

  The evening humidity blasted her cheeks, and the door muffled most of the noise when it swung shut behind her. She dragged in a few breaths of exhaust-laden air. It didn’t help her clear her thoughts. Go figure.

  She leaned back against a nearby wall, and tilted her attention to the sky. The city lights muted the darkness and obscured the stars. Longing echoed in her chest, followed by a pang of homesickness. She should go back to Israel and star watch there. Except Israel wasn’t her home. What an odd impulse. Would anyone come after her, if she just vanished? Would they send someone like Ari after her? Of course not. Ronnie wasn’t a cherub.

  She had no idea how long she watched the sky. The music from inside blasted for a moment and then vanished again, but she didn’t look.

  “Are you all right?” Ari’s soft question wormed its way into Ronnie’s thoughts. “You’ve been gone a while.”

  Ronnie dragged her attention back to city level. “I’m good. Just thinking.”

  “About what Gabe said? Do you think maybe you have a cherub in you?”

  “I don’t know what’s going on with me.” It seemed as though Ronnie didn’t know much at all. “It’s not that, but maybe that’s a direction to look in.”

  “I had an idea about the entire thing.” Ari stepped in front of her, and the toes of their shoes met. “If you want to hear it.”

  Not that Ronnie had much hope for a real answer at this point, but there was no reason not to listen. “Sure.”

  “What if I could help?”

  It was so simple and straightforward. That alone was enough of a reason for Ronnie to like the idea. Plus, it made perfect sense. “I’ve already tried to extract it myself. Do you think you could draw it out?”

  Ari nodded. “It’s what we do. It can’t be easy to perform on yourself. But…” She held out her hands, palms up. “…maybe with me being removed from the situation, I could pull it off. I don’t know how you’re so certain it’s not a cherub, but even if it’s something else, if it works, it’ll be a load off your mind. And if that’s what’s keeping you from remembering, maybe it’ll knock something loose.”

  There was something wrong with that logic, or Ronnie was being paranoid. The idea of being alone with her own thoughts again was too appealing. Ronnie rested her palms against Ari’s. “I’m in.”

  “I’ve never had a willing victim before.”

  “With any luck, that’ll make it easier. Just make sure you leave the me bits intact.”

  “Of course.” Ari inhaled until her chest puffed out and then let the breath out slowly. “Here goes.”

  The seconds ticked away, and Ronnie waited. It should feel different, right?

  “Moron. I can’t believe you’re trying thi—”

  A sharp slice tore through Ronnie—a million razor blades forcing their way out of her skin at the same time. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming, but a gasp escaped.

  “Make her stop.”

  “Are you okay?” Ari asked.

  “Keep going.” Ronnie forced the words through gritted teeth. “I think it’s working.”

  More agony wrenched through her, tearing at every inch of her. Blackness danced at the edge of her vision, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She bit her cheek harder, trying to focus on the physical pain instead of the ethereal, and another whimper tore from her throat. Please, please let her be almost done.

  A switch flipped, and the pain stopped. Was it over?

  “Holy fuck. We’re never doing that again.”

  Fuck was right. God damn it. Ronnie opened her eyes. An odd sprinkling of relief mingled with her disappointment at Metatron’s voice. The weakness she experienced when she tried to extricate the voice herself was absent. However, haze and confusion still circled her as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. She blinked several times to clear away the odd vision, but it was still there. Ari s
tood on the far side of the alley, fists clenched, eyes narrowed, staring up at Gabe.

  “You were warned.” His low voice rumbled the ground.

  Warned about what? What was Ronnie missing?

  Ari’s expression wavered, but her reply was firm. “What gives you the right?”

  A million tiny pinpricks rushed and danced over Ronnie skin as the atmosphere shifted. Gabe’s wings appeared—flawless, taller than he was, black and white, lined with gold—and his aura flared vivid and golden. “I do.”

  The two words shook the building, vibrating more than the music inside.

  Ari stepped back, and her bravado vanished behind a mask of uncertainty. She turned her attention to Ronnie. “I’m sorry.” Ari disappeared.

  What the fuck? Ronnie rested her weight against the wall, still trying to make sense of the scene.

  The glow, the wings, and everything summoned around Gabriel vanished, and he was himself when he faced her. He closed the distance in a few long strides. “Are you all right?”

  “Why did she stop?” Ronnie winced at the dry rasp in her voice.

  “I stopped her.” He settled a hand on the back of her neck, gliding his thumb over her cheek. “You were screaming.”

  His touch rooted out the lingering pain and chased it away. She wanted to jerk from his grasp, but it healed her. “I was? I didn’t know.”

  “Are you all right now?”

  Except being so close to him fogged her thoughts. Desire pulsed over her skin, the sensation the same as the rush of being engulfed in a crowd. Despite the knowledge Ari was infatuated with him, warmth spread over Ronnie, tingling in her breasts and throbbing between her thighs. Was his presence doing that to her? She forced herself to speak. “I’m fine.”

  “Good. I was worried.”

  “About me? Why?” The attention encompassed her. The physical reaction was there, but emotionally, it didn’t feel right. She wanted him to shove her against the wall. To wrap her legs around his waist. At the same time, the idea repulsed her.

  He leaned closer and brushed his lips over hers.