“Do you find something amusing?”
Kasadya’s low rumbled voice startled him from his reverie. “No.” He gave him a slight bow of respect.
Kasadya was one of the five who were cast from heaven for their part in corrupting God’s precious children of Eve. It came to no surprise that the five were referred to as the Five Satans.
Kasadya revealed evil to the humans and proved the Otherworldy realm existed, giving the sight.
The other Satans were still locked away in their level of Hell, but Kasadya wanted to free them, let them loose on earth’s realm, but he needed Raziel’s book to do it. Arizul shivered at the prospect of such powerful creatures roaming earth again. Unfortunately, he was at Kasadya’s mercy. He released the Satan by accident when he tried to change events in history. His choices were to either pledge his loyalty to the Satan or die. At times, he wondered if death would have been the better choice.
Kasadya’s ill deeds lived on with the humans even today and so did the deeds of the other Satans.
Yeqon had misled the children of the angels, perverting their judgment and their rash needs to drink human blood. He created the first Vampires.
Asbel counseled the children of the holy angels, misleading them to defile the innocents with experiments. The were-creatures were created from such trials.
Gaderel thought he’d be spared when he taught the humans how to defend themselves against the Nephilim, Vampires, and were-creatures, but he was not. He showed the humans how to make the instruments of death. His teachings were the start of wars between the species and creating the rift where the prejudices still remained intact today. Arizul possessed the first breastplate and sword made by Gaderel in his Vault.
Pineme taught the children of the people how to use the written word, giving them ink and paper. Words were powerful instruments and writing them down gave the words greater strength. Witches can chant spells, but writing the incantations on paper gave the spell an infinite amount of power. The silly saying of sticks and stones may hurt, but words will never harm is a fallacy. Words could harm. They had harmed.
Kasadya folded his hands together, forming a ‘v’ with his forefingers. He tapped his chin in thought. The Fallen Angel was once beautiful with features artists have tried to capture on canvas, but centuries of blood lust had taken its toll on Kasadya. His eyes used to shine with the light from the heavens, his wings used to be gold and bronze, and his once handsome face used to be void of the broken blood vessels, but over indulgence changed the Angel. Dark, menacing, and lethal if crossed, or if he were having a rotten day, Kasadya was the poster boy for the devil himself.
Kasadaya focused his gaze on him now. “Lucca despises you. How is it, he will hand over the book to you?”
Arizul’s lips curved. “He won’t, but I have a plan that will ensure that I shall have the book in my hands.”
“You better. I grow tired of waiting.” His gaze wavered over Arizul with interest. “Now come closer.”
Arizul stiffened. His lips felt dry and he licked them, before he spoke. “I must stay strong if I am to confront Lucca.”
“Your matters with your son are no concern of mine. Now, I said come here.” His voice boomed, making the earth beneath his feet rumble in protest.
Arizul could shimmer away, but that would cost him. The last time he defied Kasadya, he could not leave his bedchamber for three days. He took a step forward and Kasadya’s magic whipped out, grabbing hold of him, making him powerless to run. His body moved on its own accord until he stood before the Fallen Angel like a sacrificed lamb, his head turned to the side in offering.
He tried not to whimper, but the humiliating sound escaped his lips before he could rein it in. Kasadya’s lips curved as if his fear turned him on. His long fingers slid over the throbbing vein like a caress.
Arizul closed his eyes, willing himself not to be weak, but Kasadya struck with vengeance, his teeth sinking into his flesh, tearing his skin away as a punishment for his refusal to come to him willingly. Tears of shame streamed down his face as Kasadya drank, the slurping of his blood a reminder of how weak he’d become, how inferior he was to Kasadya.
Once Kasadya had his fill, he released Arizul from the magic hold. His body crumpled at his feet in shame. His breathing labored, but already the skin began to heal at his neck, but there would be bruising. The other Fallen would know he was Kasadya’s blood bitch.
Kasadya crouched down beside him. He fisted a hand in Arizul’s hair and lifted his head so their eyes met. “Don’t ever deny me again or I’ll drain you until you’re nothing but dust. Do I make myself clear?”
His neck throbbed in time with his heartbeat, making it difficult to breathe, let alone spit out words to placate an ex-Angel with a superiority complex, but he managed to rasp out his reply. “Yes.”
“Good.” He let him go and his head hit the ground, scraping his cheek in the process.
“I believe I shall join you tomorrow night.” With that Kasadya spread his magnificent wings and was gone.
Chapter Forty-Two
Juliet had finished dressing and joined Lucca in the living room. She slipped into his embrace with a smile. She kissed him, pouring all of herself into the caress. He didn’t hold back either. They only had this time now since the future looked iffy.
His cell rang and Lucca pulled away with a growl.
Juliet chuckled. “I’ll just sit over here.” She pointed to the sofa as he answered the call, putting it on speakerphone. They promised there would be no more secrets between them.
“This better be good,” Lucca grounded out the words.
“Did I interrupt something?” The laughter in Blaize’s voice only proved to annoy Lucca as he cursed under his breath.
“You better be calling for a good reason.”
Blaize sighed. “Well, if you aren’t going to share your kiss and make up sex with me—”
“We’re on speaker phone,” Lucca interrupted.
“Well, well. Hello there, Juliet.”
“Hello, Blaize.”
“Can we stop with the pleasantries? Why are you calling?”
“Still grumpy as usual. Okay then, let’s get to it. Lana found a spell to keep our Archangel confined while we strike a deal with him. She’s good, Lucca.” There was no doubt he believed his claim. Admiration spilled over into his words. “This gal is the real deal, but there’s a small problem. To confine a being from Heaven, we need to have an Angel blade with a pure stone.”
“Like a dagger?” Juliet sat forward on the couch, leaning closer to the phone.
Lucca stared at her. They could hear Blaize speaking to Lana. Then he was back on the phone. “A dagger would be good. Are you saying you have one?”
“Raziel gave me a few weapons,” Juliet told him. “All blessed by his hands.”
“Uh, wait a minute, I want Lana to hear this.” Blaize followed their lead and set his cell on speaker, too.
Lana spoke then. “If Raziel gave the blade to you specifically, the power of the blade is for your hands only. You’ll have to perform the ritual.”
“She’s not going with us,” Lucca spoke up before Juliet could reply. “It’s too dangerous.” He looked at Juliet. “And not because I don’t think you’re capable, but because Barachiel is looking for you. Let’s not hand you over like an offering.”
“It wouldn’t be like that,” Juliet insisted. “Besides, you said it yourself, Barachiel doesn’t know who he’s looking for, and you’re not giving the Book of Magic to him. So all is good.”
“She has a point,” Blaize added, making Lucca grumble with annoyance. “Lana will go over what you need to do, Juliet.” Blaize continued. “And Lucca?”
“I didn’t go anywhere.”
“About your other little problem, Lana is still working on it. Beacon tattoos don’t show up in the books.”
“Look for a protection spell,” Juliet cut in. She met Lucca’s gaze. “Barachiel may be using the tattoo to hunt Lucca
down, but perhaps the tattoo is really a location spell to keep a person safe. It would work the same way.”
Lucca leaned down and kissed her. “Did you get all that, Blaize, Lana?” Lucca asked. His hand glided into Juliet’s hair as he indulged again.
God, she would never have enough of this man.
“Yes. Brilliant by the way, Juliet.”
“Thanks,” she answered between kisses.
“She’s a keeper,” Blaize said. “I’ll ring off now since the two of you…” he coughed as if to clear his throat. “You sound like you’re occupied.”
Juliet fumbled for the phone, ending the call as Lucca tumbled her back onto the sofa so she lay on top of him. She moved the long wheat-colored strands away from his face. “You’re too pretty for words.” She smiled at his frown of protest.
“I most certainly am not pretty.”
She chuckled and kissed his nose. “No, I suppose you aren’t, but you’re beautiful to me, Lucca.”
His large hand covered hers. His expression so full of love it poured over his features, exposing him in a way she hadn’t thought possible.
“Say the words,” she whispered, not sure if she spoke aloud or if he somehow knew she needed to hear it, if only once.
“I love you, Juliet.” His voice was a hoarse whisper, but she heard him.
Tears sprung to her eyes like a little girl and she half laughed, half sobbed. “I love you, too.” Her hand caressed his face. “Tell me something about you. Something personal.” Their time together was drawing to an end. If something went wrong and they couldn’t be together, she wanted to know as much about him as possible. “How were you as a boy?”
He stiffened, his expression closing off as if he slammed a steel door in place.
“Lucca?”
He shook his head. He took her hand and kissed it with a sigh, finally relaxing. “Let’s just say my childhood was not a warm and cozy affair.
She recalled him telling Owen his father wasn’t the best roll model. Had his father been abusive? It would stand to reason why he kept his distance from everyone, even his own brethren. He didn’t trust easily. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Lucca told her. They both sat up. She curled her feet to the side to sit next to him. “You’re good with Owen, you know,” he told her. “Loving.” He pressed his lips together and she thought he wouldn’t say more, but he turned to look at her and she witnessed the resolve in his eyes. “My father wasn’t human,” he stated.
“He was Nephilim?” she asked
He shook his head. "He was one of the original two hundred Angels to come here to earth to watch and record history.” He laughed without humor. “But that didn’t work out so well.”
Her hand clasped his, intertwining their fingers.
“My father is Arizul. He despised humans, blamed them for his fall when he was the weak one. He let his attraction to the humans overshadow reason.”
“And your mother?”
“Human. She died giving birth to me. Most of the human women did not survive giving birth to the Nephilim.”
“Like my sister. She was doomed from the beginning, wasn’t she?” She became quiet then, her lips pressing together in thought.
“You don’t have to worry,” Lucca told her. “The Nephilim rarely have children. It’s far and in between for a child to be born between a union.”
“But I thought it was only recently that the Nephilim could have a relationship with a human. How do you know?” The question put him aback.
“We haven’t had many children when we coupled with other preternatural beings.” He looked at her, realizing what he claimed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think… I would never intentionally put you in danger.”
She covered his lips with her forefinger. “Shush.” She leaned against him. She really didn’t think they had to worry. She hadn’t ovulated and she could still take the herbs. “Leroy knew things. He hinted that I would fall for one of the Nephilim. He gave me herbs to ensure I would not become pregnant. I kept them, but I never thought I would have a reason to use them.”
He squeezed her hand. “Promise me you’ll take the herbs.”
She nodded, but she couldn’t think of ending a life. If she were pregnant, the baby would be Lucca’s. He sensed she was hedging on the promise.
“Do it for Owen, if not for yourself,” he insisted. “He needs you. If the Angels get a hold of him and their intent isn’t death, I fear they’ll try to harden him against compassion for the humans.”
Her eyes blurred, but she blinked the tears back. “For Owen then. Is that what your father tried to do to you? Harden you against humans?”
He half laughed and the trials he endured spilled over into his words. “He tried to beat human emotions out of me. I defied him for awhile, but…” He let the words trail off. The memories of his childhood shadowed his eyes, the blue dimming to a darker gray. “I saved a young girl once, you know,” he spoke so softly she wasn’t sure she had heard him, but then he looked at her. “She would have been from your timeline and probably lived close to where you lived. Perhaps you even knew her. She would have been trampled to death if I hadn’t intervened.”
“Oh God.” She squeezed his hand and he paused in his storytelling. Her gaze wavered over the bold features of a man who endured much sorrow at the hands of his father, but somehow managed to survive. Lucca was beautiful to behold, but there was nothing evident of him ever being a child and yet she knew. “You were the golden haired boy. You leapt to my rescue, sweeping me off my feet and away from the horse that flew by. I would have died that day if not for your courageous act.”
His brows furrowed. “It was you? I saved you that day?” His eyes gave her a slow appraising glance. “Your hair was like sun-kissed strands shimmering in the light. I was drawn to you even then. My father ordered me not to interfere with your destiny, but I couldn’t watch you die.”
“You saved me,” she whispered, knowing without him saying it, he paid for his act of kindness. “I’m sorry. Your father punished you, didn’t he?”
He nodded, swallowing hard. “It was worth what I had to endure to know you still lived.” He pulled her close kissing her gently. Their foreheads touched, their lips a breath away.
“Leroy claimed fate had a way of catching up with you.” She kissed him gently. “He was right.”
* * * * *
A few days ago, Lucca would have sworn he forged his own destiny, but maybe their choices just put them on the path to where their destiny awaited. He shook his head. He brushed a silken strand away from Juliet’s face. “You look at me as if I’m worthy of your love, but in truth I’m not.” She tried to speak, but he silenced her with his finger gently pressed to her lips. “Please let me speak.” She nodded for him to continue. “I have done many things I’m not proud of. I could blame my father’s influence, but as an adult I didn’t change. I let bitterness rule my actions. I put up a wall to make sure I didn’t cross over and let my human emotions shine through. Every time I cared for a human, they paid a hefty price. My father would see to it.”
“Oh, Lucca, you feared being hurt so you closed off your heart.”
She understood him more than he thought. “Still it doesn’t excuse the deeds I’ve done.” He took a ragged breath. It was time to tell her the whole truth. “The Watchers don’t bind wings on a whim. I deserved the punishment I received. I didn’t want to believe the Nephilim had souls or that they could find a soul mate and have a chance for happiness. I tried to kill Eli before he could prove he’d found his soul mate. I thought if I did, it would end the Watchers’ curiosity. We’re the Nephilim, the children of the Angels fallen from grace. We were told we were abominations. We could never enter heaven, that we were damned. In my mind, killing Eli was the right thing to do.”
He met her gaze expecting to see loathing, but there was only compassion. She truly did love him.
She leaned forward kissing the side of his mouth. �
�Maybe you did deserve the punishment, but I believe you’ve found your way back. You always had a kind heart, but you kept it walled up, trying to be who your father forced you to be.” Her hand fell to his chest, where his heart beat under her palm. “You were the golden haired youth who saved me. Even then I knew you were someone special.” She pulled him closer. “I love you, Lucca. I need you to hear it. I need you to feel it in here.” She tapped his chest. “I love you.”
He did feel it. “No one has ever told me they loved me before. Never.” He believed no one could love him.
She shifted in his arms and looked up at him with surprise, but there was something more there, too, a sort of determination as if she would protect him from ever being hurt again. “Everyone needs to know they’re loved by someone.” He touched her cheek and she leaned against his palm. “Know it now, Lucca. You’re loved.”
She moved into his embrace and as his arms closed around her, he felt he had finally come home.
Chapter Forty-Three
Juliet and Lucca parked the car on the street in front of the Amphitheatre. As Lucca stepped out of the vehicle, he spotted Zaiden leaning against the entrance wall of the theatre in a nonchalant manner. He wore his leather jacket with the pockets, most likely to conceal more than a few weapons.
Sarice stood near him with arms crossed over her chest. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, a dramatic effect, giving her lovely features a more defined edge. Her dark clothing reminded him of what a cat burglar would wear on a heist, but instead of a tool belt to lift paintings and jewels, her belt contained lethal weaponry.
Lucca Page 26
