Safe Haven: Born In Hell Book 1

by Bella Claire

  I had been working on my powers for about five minutes before I heard the sound of wings behind me. My heart started to beat rapidly with excitement at the possibility of seeing their wings for the first time. I’d decided a while ago not to ask about them, and that they would show me when they were ready.

  Turning around to leap into one of their arms, I was surprised to see it wasn’t them standing there. My heart started to beat out of my chest for different reasons.

  Standing there was a tall man dressed all in black. As he walked closer, his long cloak dragged behind him on the ground. His midnight-colored eyes stared at me with anticipation, while his lips curved up into a wicked smile. There was no question who this man was standing in front of me, as evilness surrounded him.

  “You must know who I am by the frightened look on your face. I guess that means we can skip the introductions and let the show begin.”

  The devil was here for me.

  “Lucifer,” I managed to spit out, trying to mask my fear as best as I could. The only thing running through my mind was how I wasn’t ready to face him. I had nothing in my arsenal to defeat him, especially with my gifts still in hiding. Panic began to rise in my throat, making it hard to breathe.

  “The one and only, my dear. You have been quite a bit of trouble for me, and I don’t appreciate that.” He tsked. The thought to pretend I had my gifts crossed my mind, but Lucifer quickly put that idea to rest. “My followers have been trailing you for quite some time now. I know you are no threat to me, little one, so no need to act like it. I decided to come pay you a visit myself since apparently, you have managed to escape every attempt on your life, including one from your own pathetic mother.”

  Confusion started to cloud my mind. “My mother? What does she have to do with this? She never tried to harm me.”

  “I think you mean to ask what did she have to do with this? I was delighted when I discovered your mom was a fallen, but she should have obeyed her king. I sent her to end your miserable little life, but when she saw you, she couldn’t go through with it. Sad excuse for a fallen if you ask me.”

  “What did you do to her?” My voice quivered. I was desperate to hear that she was safe and sound somewhere, but I knew that wasn’t going to be the case; not when I was dealing with the King of Hell.

  His smile turned calculating, and I knew what he was about to tell me would turn my world upside down. “My pets were quite famished, so she became a nice snack for them. Of course, not before I made her suffer. I cut small gashes all over her body one by one until she was almost bled dry. When my servants dragged her away, I was more than happy to follow and watch my lovely hounds rip her to shreds. I’m pleased to inform you that your mother is no more, dear.”

  I gasped as the cruel reality that he’d killed my mom sunk in. Guilt welled up inside of me; she was dead because of me, because she loved me enough to go against Lucifer. I had thought there would be time to get to know her and to learn more about myself. I was finally going to have my real mom be a part of my life, but the devil stole that from me. My insides twisted in a knot and my stomach began to feel nauseated. Grief consumed me as tears coursed down my cheeks and splattered on the ground.

  A loud, boisterous laugh brought me back to the present, reminding me that I still had a fight ahead of me.

  Lucifer removed his black cloak, letting it fall to the snow-covered ground before slinging his midnight-black hair behind his ears. I heard a cracking noise and the most elegant ebony wings unfurled from his back. They hung almost to the ground while stretching out far from his body. As he shook his coarse feathers out, the tips of his wings caught my attention. They curved into a lethal point, almost mimicking a scythe, and I immediately knew to stay far away from those.

  “Anyway, let’s move on shall we? I have things to do and people to kill, other than you.” Lucifer narrowed his wicked smoky black eyes on me before his smile spread up to his eyes. When the shock finally wore off, I turned and hauled ass straight into the trees since he was blocking the pathway. “You can run, but you can’t hide, little girl.” His voice carried on the wind as if he was talking straight into my ear.

  I kept running until I hit the dense woods and had to maneuver through the branches and fallen trees, the moon being the only thing to light my path. My chest was burning, and my attempts to keep sucking in air were a struggle. I knew I had to stop and take a break, but I couldn’t afford to. My legs stole the decision from me as they gave out, and a tree branch stabbed into the side of my thigh. Trying to muffle my cries, I placed my mouth into the ends of my sleeves and let the tears flow. It fucking hurt.

  Once my pity party was over, I reached in my back pocket for my phone. If I could call my angels, they would be here to rescue me in no time, only that wasn’t going to happen. My back pocket was empty, and my phone was nowhere to be found.

  The air was ruthless, and my sweater wasn’t doing a great job of keeping me warm. I was shaking from a mixture of the coldness and the pain, but I knew I needed to keep going. This was a game of cat and mouse, and I’d be damned if I let the cat eat me.

  Each step became more painful than before, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I leaned against a tree refusing to go any further until the branch was out of my thigh. I somehow managed to rip a strip of fabric off of my sweater and braced myself against the trunk. I swiftly yanked it out before I could rethink my decision and had to grit my teeth to keep from crying out. I placed the makeshift tourniquet around my thigh and tied it tightly before I lost too much blood.

  After awhile, I finally made it out of the woods into another clearing. I flopped down on the icy ground and tried to take deep breaths. It was only a matter of time before Lucifer found me, but all this would be useless if I died from cardiac arrest. I had faith that my angels would show up and save the day. They always did.

  “Well, that was fun, don’t you agree? I thoroughly enjoyed watching you struggle, and then the look that graced your pretty little face. Oh, it was priceless. You didn’t honestly think you would be able to get away from me that easily, did you?” Lucifer clapped with anticipation, then held out his arms. “Does this not look familiar, too? You’re right back where you started. Hide and go seek was always my favorite game to play, except I don’t have to do any seeking since they always end up back at the starting line. Such a pity that our play time is up.” His excitement dissipated, and was replaced with a loathing glare.

  I quickly absorbed my surroundings before dread settled in the pit of my stomach. I was back in the field behind my apartment. I should have never underestimated just how demented the devil really was.

  Before I could bolt again, three figures dove down from the night sky. Easton, Tank, and Gage hit the ground with a purpose. They were here to save me! They took no time putting themselves in between Lucifer and me. I almost fell backward as their charcoal wings sprung from their backs, looking identical to Lucifer’s.

  “Ah, nice of you to join us. I guess now we can clear some things up. You see, judging by the look that just crossed Haven’s face, I’d have to say she doesn’t know who you really are. Am I correct to assume that?” Easton’s fist were clenched at his sides while his jaw ticked with anger as Lucifer addressed him. Gage and Tank stood in almost exactly the same pose, but lingered a little closer to me. Tank glanced my way, and I could see the veins bulging from his skin when his eyes landed on my thigh. The blood was starting to soak through the fabric now and had already spread down my jeans.

  “Lucifer, we can figure this out. She doesn’t even possess the gifts to lock us away.” Did Easton just say ‘us’?

  “I’m afraid that it’s just a matter of time before she unleashes her power. I cannot let that happen, and I have no idea why you three are okay with this. If you choose to stand with her, I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to kill you also. Is this really what you want? Could you really go against your dear old dad?” The devil smirked with a knowing smile. My angels turned to m
e with a sympathetic smile, and then it all clicked.

  “You’re not just angels. You’re fallen angels because you’re his sons. How could I be so stupid?” I started to slowly ease back away from them. I could feel the tears coming to the surface, and I blinked to keep them at bay. My heart hurt as it shattered into a million pieces. Everything had been a lie.

  “Angel, let us explain,” Gage pleaded as he held his hands out to me. Lucifer cackled loudly, amused by the predicament he had put us in.

  “There’s nothing to explain, Gage. I trusted you, all of you, and you betrayed me. You could have just been honest with me,” I whispered, trying to hold my emotions down. I felt a tear escape, rolling down my cheek.

  “Would you have accepted us with open arms? Would you have trusted us to protect you if you knew the truth? We couldn’t take that chance. We watched you for weeks, Haven, and were immediately captivated by you the minute our eyes fell upon you. You were so sweet to everyone you met, yet, you looked so lonely, so lost. We knew that feeling all too well and felt that connection with you. There’s no way we could kill you; you belong with us,” Tank stated surely.

  His penetrating gaze never left mine. He wanted me to see the truth to his statement. He was right, though. I wasn’t sure if I would have trusted them, given them a chance. But how could I be a hypocrite? No one got to choose where they came from, but they did get to choose their own path. I knew that better than anyone.

  They had proved themselves numerous times to me since first meeting them, protecting and caring for me from the beginning. They were always going out of their way to show how much they cared for me, and I would be insane not to see how much they truly loved me.

  “How sweet, you boys really know how to get the girl. Does this mean you have made your choice, sons?” Lucifer’s wings flapped, sending waves of wind toward us.

  “We will always choose her,” Easton said confidently.

  Lucifer gave a slight nod of his head before he smiled and directed his attention behind us. We all spun around at the same time to see seven fallen angels striding out of the woods with their piercing crimson eyes focused on me. My men surrounded me and prepared for battle. They were not going to go down easily.

  “Last chance, boys, you can still change your mind. We can forget this ever happened,” the devil said, trying one more time.

  “Never, we don’t belong to you anymore. We belong with her,” Gage answered Lucifer without ever taking his eyes off of our enemies. I turned my head enough to notice that Lucifer had disappeared. I guess he decided he didn’t want to do the dirty work himself.

  “You picked the wrong side, brothers,” one of the fallen said as he pulled a sword from behind his back. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of that piercing through one of them. I couldn’t take it if something were to happen to them.

  “I am standing with my brothers, and you are not one of them.” Tank charged toward the fallen. Caught off guard, the fallen fumbled with his sword before Tank rammed his fist into the fallen’s stomach causing him to drop his weapon. Tank picked it up and held it high above his head before slashing it down. It whistled through the air before making contact. The fallen’s head bounced off the ground and tumbled forward to rest against Tank’s feet. He kicked it clear across the field like it was a soccer ball.

  Everyone seemed dumbfounded for a moment until one of the other fallen stormed forward, and the battle ensued. With six left, my guys were still outnumbered. They shot balls of fire to slow them down, but the fallen mostly just dodged and kept moving forward.

  “You guys, I’ll be fine. We can’t get out of this if you’re all too worried about protecting me. Go, kill them, I’ll make sure I stay close,” I tried to reassure them; they reluctantly went on the offense. Gage dove for one of the fallen as he tried to move away, but Gage was too fast. The fallen went down, and Gage conjured a fireball and shoved it in his face. The fallen screamed in agony just before his neck was snapped like a twig.

  I turned my attention to Easton as he let out a battle cry. Two fallen had tried to tackle him at the same time. Easton basically went Hulk and threw both of them off at the same time before Hulk smashing their faces in. I never realized how strong they were until now. They looked sexy as hell taking out this fallen army. Sure, it was gross, and I was certain I was going to throw up or pass out when this was all done, but, for now, I was content to admire their strength.

  Tank was handling his own as he executed two more fallen at the same time, while Easton ran to assist Gage with the last one. I focused on Tank as he threw them around like rag dolls. Only one had dared to try and stab Tank with his pointed wings, and I’m sure that was a mistake he would forever regret. Tank pinned him to the ground. The fallen struggled to get up, but Tank overpowered him, grabbed the base of his wings, and ripped them clean from his back. The fallen let out a blood-curdling scream before Tank lifted his head and twisted it right off his body. I had a feeling fallen angels were a resilient lot, that is, until they managed to lose their heads.

  Tank had one more to deal with, and I had faith he would finish his job, so I looked to the other one. Apparently, he wasn’t faring too well, either, since he was running in circles on fire. Once Easton and Gage had enough, Gage picked up the sword from earlier and swiftly stabbed it straight through the guy’s head. He fell to the ground and lay there motionlessly while he turned to ashes. Looking around, I noticed they had all turned to ashes.

  A shadow flew over me. A fallen must have been lurking and known his chances were slim to none and ran off. We were all safe. Relief flowed through me as my men started toward me with smiles gracing their faces. They were a couple yards from me before their expressions turned to ones of pure fear. I could see the panic in their eyes as they ran at full force trying to reach me. Confused, I tried to ask what was wrong, but then pain tore through my chest before I had even managed a word.

  I looked down to see a long black tip protruding out. I placed my hand over it before it was ripped back out the way it came. Blood poured down my front staining my hoodie crimson red. Sadness consumed me as I stared at all three of my fallen angels. Their eyes were glazing over with unshed tears as they ran harder.

  “Sorry dear, nothing personal.” Lucifer’s voice traveled from behind me, then I knew he was finally gone. He’d accomplished what he had come to do.

  My legs couldn’t keep my weight up any longer, but thankfully Easton was there to catch me.

  “Haven, just hang on, baby. We’ll figure something out. You can’t leave us, we just found you. Please, Haven?” Easton spoke as his tears began to fall. He pressed my hand to his mouth and kissed it over and over. Tank was holding my other hand, begging me to stay with them, while Gage held my head in his lap and cried silently.

  I knew my life was coming to an end. I’d failed my duty to God, and I hoped he would forgive me. I felt the tears travel down my face as my body began to grow cold. “I love you all. Thank you for loving me and accepting me for who I was. You three were my safe haven, and you showed me that there was a place I belonged. I was lost, and you helped me find my way home.” The edges of my vision began to darken and the world around me began to fade, but I found peace with the knowledge that I was surrounded by the ones I would forever love, in this life, and hopefully the next.

  I knew the moment that Haven took her last breath, the moment that her precious soul had left her body. The moment her eyes were lifeless, and her head fell limply to the side, was also the moment that my heart felt like it was torn from my chest. A loud scream vibrated up through my chest and began to echo through the trees. I fell over her body as I was overcome with the pain of losing the only girl I’d ever loved. As her body went limp, my pain turned to great sadness, then to raging anger as I realized that my own father was the one who’d caused all of my pain. I was now burning for revenge, and it was going to consume me till I achieved it.

  I grabbed Haven from Easton and stood with her in my arms.
I looked back to my brothers to see they were still kneeling with their heads bowed in grief. I felt a presence and turned to see a woman, with colorful hair blowing in the breeze, mournfully walking toward us. Sam. I cleared my throat to get Tank’s and Easton’s attention, causing them to see my alarm and quickly get to their feet.

  When she finally stood in front of us, my brothers came to stand on either side of me before Easton addressed her, “Why are you here, Sam?”

  She stared at all three of us with a look that spoke volumes. She was clearly disappointed by the fact we even had to ask. “Haven was my best friend, you asshat. I couldn’t intervene because this had to happen, but you’ll eventually understand. I trust you’ll take care of her for me while I’m gone for a little while? Because well, you know, I can always make your deaths look like accidents if I have to.” Sam winked, and her huge pearly-white feathered wings sprang from her back. “I’m sorry there was nothing I could do to save her this time, but her journey isn’t over yet. I have a feeling she’s going to be very pleased with herself when she finally wakes up. Tell Haven I’ll see her soon, and not to have too much fun without me.” She smirked before taking off into the sky and leaving us with more questions than we knew what to do with.

  How the hell did we not sense her? Sam was an angel. We stood there, staring at each other in shocked silence, with the hope of seeing Haven alive again shining brightly in our eyes.

  Thank you so much for reading!

  If you enjoyed Haven and her men, please take a second to leave a review.

  Continue Haven’s journey in New Haven: Born in Hell book 2, coming soon!

  Acknowledgments

  First to you, reader. Thank you for giving my book a chance and following Haven’s journey thus far, the best is yet to come.

  Also, thank you to my friend, Keri, for being there since day one. Her encouraging words inspired me to be a better writer and to keep going even when I wanted to give up.