by Zoey Ellis
“It is,” Zak said, concern passing over his face. His eyes lowered as he fell into his thoughts. “What did they want with her?”
"I don't know," Cam said, frustrated. "The demon didn't know."
“We should talk to the Dominion League,” Zak said. “They might be able to tell us something.”
Cam groaned. Talking to the Dominion League was the last thing he wanted to do. They clearly and undoubtedly despised him and only petitioned him to get out so he could stabilize Thea.
Zak watched Cam for a moment, taking meaning from his reaction. "Okay, we'll go to Asteroth. We might not need to talk to them if he knows something."
“Asteroth,” Cam agreed. He respected Asteroth. Although he was part of the Dominion League, he had shown himself to be a good man; one who treated Thea kindly and watched out for her, one who had been worried about her recovery, who had gotten her the room and treatment at the healing temple, and who was sympathetic to the circumstances around her attack. Talking to him would be much easier than going to the Dominion League.
Zak hesitated. “You know, once we give this information to the Dominion League… I don't know what will happen.”
“I understand,” Cam said, quietly. The Dominion League only gave them three days and who knew how they would treat this information? They could decide at any time that his work on the assignment was over. Thea was pretty confident handling that demon on her own. “When will my sentence be carried out?”
Zak was silent for a moment. “There’s still the petition.”
Cam didn’t respond. There was no guarantee the petition would go in their favor and he would still be detained in the meantime. His mind turned to his relationship with Thea. His most enjoyable memories of being in the human world were with her; training her, staying in her apartment, and making love to her. He wished he could go back to that time.
“Do you have any idea what you are going to do in the human world?” Zak asked softly, after a few minutes of silence
Cam shook his head. “I have no idea.”
“I’ll send someone to look in on you.”
Cam nodded. Zak wouldn’t visit the human world and it wasn’t advisable for angels to stay in communication with fallen angels anyway, but at least they could still communicate through someone else.
“But Camael, it will be dangerous,” Zak added.
“I know.” Without access to his angel-form, Cam wouldn’t be able to use his Power skills and abilities. He would hardly be able to sense whether another angel or demon was even close by; and with his previous status as a warrior, as a formidable Power angel, he would probably be targeted by demons wherever he went. They would know who he was and be able to get to him easily. But he wasn’t really concerned about that. A large part of him didn’t care—life didn’t seem worth living, not for eternity, not without Thea. “I’ll get by. I’ll keep moving.”
He wouldn’t, though. Cam was going to spend the rest of his life wherever Thea might be in the human world. He didn’t want to tell Zak that, however, as he knew that it would be akin to admitting that he wanted to die. He didn’t want to worry Zak any more than he already had. He had never seen Zak look so worried as he was now.
“Will you keep an eye on Thea?” Cam asked, his gaze unwavering. “Will you make sure she’s happy if I can’t?”
Zak nodded. “I will. I’ll do everything I can, Camael. You have my word.”
“Thank you,” Cam said, somewhat relieved that Thea would always have Zak if anything happened to him. If demons managed to kill him, he wanted her to move on, to enjoy her life without him. A fiery ball burned in his chest. He had gotten himself into this and he regretted every minute, every instance of rage he’d ever had against the demons. It hadn’t been worth it to lose her, to lose his wings.
“Camael, I want you to know something,” Zak said, his voice deep. “I forgive you. It has been a great honor to work with you. I consider you to be a fine angel and a good friend.”
Cam stared at Zak for a moment, regret and gratitude expanding in him. He gave his commander a brief nod and embraced his arm in a warrior’s clasp. Zak’s grip was firm and respectful, and Cam held his eyes as he pulled his arm away.
“But, it’s not over yet. I’m still going to push the petition.” Zak stood. “Let’s go and see Asteroth.”
Zak and Cam made their way to the training center to find Asteroth, hoping that he wasn’t in the middle of a session. The angel spent most of his time training other angels for battle. They were lucky to find him in the common room of the training facility, where he was talking intently to a Power angel trainee. When he saw Zak, he nodded at him, putting his finger up to indicate that he would join Cam and Zak in a moment. Not long after, he beckoned them and led them out into the hallway and up the flightway to a small office.
Cam explained to Asteroth about the Legion demons.
"Legion are attracted to power," Asteroth said, thoughtfully. "They must've felt Thea's power and flocked to the area."
"What for?" Cam asked, a dense feeling of dread climbing within him.
"I have never known of a Nephilim as powerful as Thea. They could have wanted to use her for anything; they could have planned to infect her with demon blood and used her as a weapon against angels. They could have drained her of her unique energy. Or they could have wanted to mate her to a demon."
"Never!" Cam bellowed, unable to control himself. He snarled at the thought, fury rising within him. Thea being forced to go against her very nature, to do something destructive and wicked, especially against angels was akin to a type of slavery. "She was unborn at the time. How could they have such plans for her?"
Zak placed a hand on his shoulder, calming him somewhat.
"Power is power, Cam," Asteroth said. "If she existed, and they could feel her, then they would have wanted to capitalize on her."
"Why wasn't anyone there to protect her?" Cam ground out. "If Legion knew about her, why didn't the Angel Realm?"
"Oriah was a fallen angel," Asteroth explained. "No one knew she could even get pregnant, let alone that she conceived. The demons could have shielded her from being detected by angels so that we couldn’t get involved."
Cam began to pace back and forth in the office, his jaw tense. Thea had been in so much danger from before she was born and yet her mother still left? He stilled. "Why didn't they pursue her after Thea's mother left?" he asked, almost to himself.
"I don't know," Asteroth said, his voice troubled. "Where is Thea now?"
"She is visiting her friend in the human world," Cam replied. "She hasn't been feeling well lately and she needed to see someone from her old life."
"What do you mean? Is she ill?"
"No, she's been having trouble sleeping."
Asteroth straightened, a strange look filtered into his face. "Have you noticed anything strange about her?"
Cam frowned at odd question. "Not really…" He thought back to their conversations. “She told me she no longer has feelings for me.”
Zak’s head snapped to Cam, but Cam ignored him. He hadn’t felt like talking about it, but it was worth mentioning now.
“That’s absolutely not true,” Asteroth stated, his expression tense. “I saw how she was in the Dominion League meeting. She still has feelings for you. What else? Think.”
Cam thought back. "Actually, she seemed more vicious than usual when she was questioning the demon earlier." He glanced at both Asteroth and Zak. "But it's not like I'm the best judge of that."
"But Elyon is with her though, right?" Asteroth asked.
"No," Zak said. "Elyon returned to the Angel Realm. But her friend’s apartment is protected from demons."
"Camael," Asteroth said, sharply. "You shouldn't have left her. You need to go and find her immediately."
"What's wrong?" Cam's entire body tensed on high alert at Asteroth's tone.
"Thea has recently been infected by demon blood," Asteroth said. "And not just any blood but Legio
n blood. If she has been suffering headaches, sleepless nights, changes in mood, lack of feeling or intense anger, it could be an indication that a Legion demon has been trying to infiltrate her mind. Coupled with the fact that there were a lot of Legions in the vicinity where and when she was born, she could have been marked for demon possession all along. She needs to be watched closely."
“Why didn’t you tell us this was a risk?” Zak spat. “You let us take her on an assignment without telling us this was possible.”
“There are many risks when an angel is infected, Zak,” Asteroth said. “We cannot guess them all. I knew Thea was having headaches but as far as I know they stopped when she started going to the human world to heal. She should have been letting her healer know if she was suffering symptoms of any kind.”
“But no one has been watching her consistently,” Zak shot back.
"Hang on, what do you mean 'infiltrate her mind'?" Cam growled.
"I mean, feed her mind with their own thoughts and take control of Thea's body and her powers."
A stunned silence filled the room.
They all moved at once.
"I'm going to talk to the Dominion League," Asteroth said, as he took to the air. "Go find her and make sure she is still herself."
Cam didn't say another word. He shot down the flightway and out into the Angel Realm, heading towards a portal. He hoped nothing had happened in his absence. He cursed himself for leaving her behind. Of course, he couldn’t have known about the possible connection between her and a Legion demon. Still, he had sensed something was wrong—he had been distracted by her rejection of him. He should have been more worried, considering how sick she was after she'd been infected with demon blood.
He arrived at the portal and noticed Zak was behind him. He threw him a quizzical look.
"I'm coming with you," Zak said, his voice hard. "I should have come the first time."
Cam didn't bother to respond, there was no time. He stepped through the portal and immediately sent his focus to look for Thea. He sensed Thea's general location, but it was interrupted by a strange feeling surrounding her that was so strong it distorted her energy. His heart sank. Something was definitely wrong.
He and Zak took to the air. He didn't know what he would find when he found her, but any demon that fucked with his mate would regret it.
Chapter Twelve
THEA
‘You deserve to be happy, Thea.’ The voice sounded wistful. ‘These people don’t deserve anything. They have never fought for anything like you have and yet they are, cozy and comfortable and content.’
In her dreamlike state, Thea agreed. The people in her dream were selfish and undeserving, and she drained them like the voice said. It was a much more pleasant dream than the terrifying ones she normally had—all the people were alive and walking about—at least until she placed her fingers on their pressure points and pulled that delicious power out of them. All she had to do was enjoy the feeling and wait to wake up.
‘Drain them.’ The voice sounded vicious and demanding. It filled her head, echoing through her mind. ‘They don't even respect you; they don’t appreciate all you’ve been through to rid them of demons. They don’t deserve any happiness.’
Power seeped into her, the intoxicating effect, making her head spin and her whole body vibrate. Her dreams had been so life-like lately that Thea simply let the feelings rush over her.
‘More,’ the voice urged. ‘Take every human you can find. Enrich yourself, Thea. You will become a better person for it, a stronger person. And when you are strong, you won’t need anyone.’
The dream began to blur as she moved so quickly among the streets and neighborhood, placing her fingers on the pressure points of unsuspecting humans and draining them. At some point, she shifted into her angel-form because she was suddenly soaring through the air towards a busy part of the neighborhood and attacking most of the humans there. She came across a group of young people and the horror on their faces at what she was doing sparked a flash of doubt within her. Then the feeling passed as her emotions muted.
‘Yes. Yes! Take, Thea. Take from them like they have taken from you. It’s your right. Enjoy the benefits of your hard work.’
She glimpsed a couple of demons, but strangely they ignored her. They even seemed to herd humans towards her so she could pull more and more energy. As the dream became more disturbing, Thea struggled as she desperately tried to cast the voice aside. She clawed wildly to control any part of her she had left, but the voice seemed to penetrate every part of her now, and the powerful energy inside her was like a drug, twisting her mind and eating at her personality. She couldn't think straight, and her body moved of its own accord. She became more aware of the voice; its feelings, its thoughts… It was as though it was another person on the edge of her mind.
Find more, Elithea, the voice murmured hungrily, interrupting her weak thoughts. Take them all.
The voice ordered her to do its bidding, and yet she had no choice; it had control over her body. Its desires were her desires, its thoughts were her thoughts. And it seemed like nothing could satiate it. It grew louder and more persistent until Thea couldn’t even think. And each time a person’s energy seeped into her, each time that thrilling, orgasmic, luxurious energy entered her body, she lost a bit of feeling. Slowly, her emotions were dulling, melting into nothing and soon, nothing was all she felt.
Chapter Thirteen
CAM
Cam headed to Amber's apartment first. He had a feeling that Thea wasn't there—his connection to her kept dropping out, and even when he did feel her it was too distorted to pinpoint her exact location. Something was wrong with her energy and it made him almost wild with panic. If Zak hadn't been there, Cam probably would have torn down the entire neighborhood. As it was, Zak's calm and focused nature, even in a situation like this, rubbed off on him and he logically thought things through. Thea had been at Amber's; whatever happened, started there.
They arrived at Amber's and hovered in front of her window, peering inside. Cam was shocked to see Amber lying on the floor in the hallway. Thea was nowhere to be seen. They forced the window open and climbed inside.
Zak went to check on Amber while Cam searched the apartment for Thea. The couch had been made up into a bed as though Thea had been staying there. What had happened? He searched the bedrooms. One of them looked like the bedroom of a kid. Cam frowned. Where was Amber’s child? He made his way to the other bedroom. Nothing seemed out of place and yet something wasn’t right. He stood for a moment, trying to pinpoint what was making him uncomfortable. And then he suddenly realized that the energy in the apartment was off. Nephilim apartments usually felt energetically clean and pure, but this one was contaminated.
He made his way back to Zak who was still leaning over Amber. "Something feels strange in here, don't you think?" He walked around the living room and the kitchen again. The strange energy was everywhere. He glanced back at Zak. "Is she okay?"
Zak didn't answer.
Cam returned to him, approaching slowly. Zak knelt over Amber staring at her, his hand on her head, fingers buried in her hair.
Cam frowned. "Zak. is she okay?"
Zak seemed to come out of his daze and glanced at Cam. "Is this Thea's friend? Amber?"
"Yes, is she okay? What's wrong?"
Zak returned his gaze to Amber and stroked his fingers through her hair for a long moment. Then in one swift move, he scooped her up into his arms and cradled her as he carried her to the living room. He laid her out on the couch, gently adjusting her clothes and smoothing her hair.
Cam watched him, bewildered. "Zak!" This was no time to be fucking around grooming Amber.
"She's been drained of her energy," Zak said. "Like what Asmos demons do to human souls."
"So there was an Asmos demon here?"
Zak shook his head but didn't take his eyes off of Amber. "I don't feel any Asmos energy, do you? Something else happened. And… I'm not sure she is goin
g to survive. Her soul already has severe older scars."
"Yes, an Asmos demon was draining her soul since she was a young girl. That was the demon Thea killed that caught the Dominion League's attention."
"Fuck," Zak muttered under his breath. He ran his fingers across Amber's cheek, lingering there for a long moment before brushing his palm across her forehead.
Cam watched him, unsure what was happening. He had never seen Zak touch anyone like that before, not even when he was healing Thea. "Can you heal her?"
"I'm going to fucking heal her if it kills me," Zak ground out, with a harshness that surprised Cam. "My guess is that Thea did this. The energy on the entry points is strange; it’s Thea's energy but it's tainted. I think she has already been taken over so be careful."
Cam swore in frustration. "How do I find her?"
"The strange energy in the apartment is from Thea, I think. Just follow it. Don't try to look for your normal connection with her; seek out the strange energy you can feel." He leaned over Amber and placed his hands on both of her shoulders. "As soon as I stabilize her I’ll come and find you."
“Her kid’s not here, so she might come home. Be prepared for that.”
Zak swallowed, glancing at Cam. “Is she… married.”
“I don’t think so.”
Zak breathed out. “I’ll stay visible in case she shows up, and explain that her mother’s ill.”
Cam dipped his head in a sharp nod, and without further hesitation jumped out of the window. He searched out the strange energy from the apartment and followed an erratic trail across the neighborhood. In its wake were a number of collapsed humans that had been shielded with demonic energy so that non-warrior angels and other humans couldn’t see them.
Cam's concern intensified. Thea did not have demonic energy, even if she was possessed. That meant demons were helping her. His fists clenched at the idea of it. What the hell was going on? What were they trying to do to Thea?
