I dunno, I just thought about it and was able to do it, go figure.
“You may rise now,” Jehel called out. The leader of the council sat in the middle of the front row. He had long, white blond hair and very cold, pale gray eyes.
Is it just me, or does he remind you guys of one of the elves from Lord of the Rings? Cam asked silently as they got to their feet. Abdiel snuck a glance at the empath and saw that Cam had his gaze directed at the front of the room. His face was completely innocent looking.
As he scanned the group of angels, Abdiel quickly spotted Ana in the crowd, her brow creased with worry. He, also, picked Michael and Raphael out of the crowd. He hoped that they would be allies.
The three angels stood silently, facing the council, as they waited to be addressed. They were not offered chairs.
“We have a serious matter to discuss today,” Jehel finally announced breaking the silence. “We have three angels that are tainted with evil. As such, we must consider banishing them.”
The announcement immediately caused an uproar. Half the council was appalled at the suggestion while the other half vigorously agreed and nodded their heads. Abdiel gritted his teeth as he fought the urge to tell Jehel to go screw himself. Somehow he knew that comment would not help their cause any.
“I think that’s a bit harsh,” Michael said, his eyes narrowing in anger.
“They have taken demon’s blood into their bodies, never before has this happened,” Jehel replied, his voice clipped and detached. “They are no longer pure. Who knows what they may be carrying inside of them?”
“I have scanned them all,” Ana snapped. “I detected no evil in them.”
“I’m sure you scanned your brother thoroughly,” Jehel said sarcastically.
“What are you suggesting?” Ana hissed out slowly. “That I do not know how to do my job?”
“My apologies.” Jehel put his hands up. Even he feared Ana’s wrath. “We still must not forget that they have been compromised. Do we want to risk having them around us? We do not know what may happen.”
“Why don’t you get down to the real reason why you gathered us all here, Jehel, instead of beating around the bush?” Raphael did not hide the annoyance from his voice.
“I decree, as head of the council, that these three angels be declared Rogues and banished to Hell. For all we know they could have already turned and be spying for Lucifer,” Jehel announced.
The council buzzed, even louder this time, with conversation at this. Abdiel stole a quick glance at Gabi. Her cheeks were flushed with anger. Cam was biting his bottom lip, probably so he would not curse out loud.
“My brother would never turn!” Ana yelled out. “He has proven himself loyal time and time again.”
“The same goes for my sister,” Raphael called out. “She is from an ancient and royal line. It is obscene to even suggest that she would betray us.”
“What of Abdiel?” Jehel asked. “He has no family to stand up for him and why? Because they have all turned. Is there anyone willing to guarantee that he will not do the same? Who will stand up for him?”
“I will,” Ana said, getting to her feet. “In front of this council I proclaim Abdiel my family. My brothers and I accept him of our blood. He is one of us.”
Abdiel was shocked. What Ana had just done was huge and not to be taken lightly. By speaking them in front of the council they were binding, and she knew it. Cam placed his hand on Abdiel’s shoulder, showing the council he agreed with his sister.
“Abdiel is my sister’s mate,” Raphael added. “Therefore, he is of my family as well. Unless of course, Jehel, you would suggest that I would willingly give my only sister to a traitor. If you go ahead with this madness and banish them to Hell, I will do everything in my power to bring you down. I strongly suggest that you rescind your verdict.”
Jehel turned pale. He dared not oppose Raphael. Gabi’s brother was one of the most respected and feared angels. “Well, I suppose we can postpone final judgment until we are sure of the long term effects of the poison,” he said stiffly.
“I agree that this new weapon the demons have is worrisome,” Michael told Jehel. His look was as venomous as Raphael’s. “But you can’t blame my angels just because they had the misfortune to be Lucifer’s first test dummies. There is much we can learn from them.”
“I agree,” Raphael added. “As the head healer, I do have some questions I would like to ask.”
“We would be honored to answer your questions,” Abdiel told him as he bowed his head formally.
“Camael,” Raphael asked Cam, ignoring the way the young angel winced when addressed by his proper name. “Tell the council what happened when you were poisoned.”
“At first it just burned. But, as it traveled through my bloodstream, my whole body felt like it was on fire,” Cam replied. Abdiel noticed that his voice was weak and thready, probably from the effort it took to stand on his own combined with the energy he was using to shield their emotions.
“But, that wasn’t the worse part of it, was it?” Raphael prodded.
“No,” Cam gulped, looking pale. “There were voices in my head, voices of the damned souls from Hell. They cried and begged for mercy. I couldn’t turn them off. It wasn’t until I was brought to the healing chambers that they ceased.”
Having spent so much time around the young angel, Abdiel was able to read him like a book. He could tell that there was something that the empath was not telling. By the concerned look on Ana’s face, he knew that she sensed it too.
“Yet with my sister and Abdiel the blood just weakened them and rendered them unconscious. Did the poison affect Camael differently because he is an empath or because he is a telepath? We must find this out,” Raphael never took his eyes off Cam even as he talked to the council.
“Are my brothers free to go now?” Ana asked. “They are both still very ill and in need of their rest.”
It took Abdiel a full minute to realize she was talking about him too.
“For now,” Jehel replied. He did not look pleased at all that his wishes had not been carried out.
Once they walked back out into the hallway Cam finally allowed himself to collapse. Derel ran forward and caught him before he hit the ground. The male healer staggered a little under his brother’s weight, but managed to keep a firm grip on him.
“How did it go?” he asked them, even as his hands scanned Cam looking for fresh injuries.
“We have a new brother. Ana adopted Mr. Dark Angel.” Cam laughed.
“Only Ana would adopt someone hundreds of years older than her.” Derel chuckled. “I hope you know that now she is going to boss you around too, Abdiel.”
“Cammie!” a voice shrieked behind them.
They all turned and saw Anfial running towards them. She threw her arms around Cam, almost knocking both him and Derel to the ground. Today she was wearing a tight, baby doll tee-shirt and short, black mini-skirt.
“I heard what those mean demons did to you. I was so worried I cried,” she gushed out.
Cam awkwardly put his arms around her and gave her a hug, all the while shooting a “Help Me!” look over her shoulder. Derel and Abdiel snickered as Gabi rolled her eyes.
“I’m all right. It was no big deal really,” Cam mumbled, embarrassed.
“You just say that because you’re so brave. I can feel all the pain coming from you.”
“I wonder if she can feel my stomach rolling over,” Gabi whispered to Abdiel.
“Be nice,” he whispered back. “She loves her Cammie.”
“I brought you something,” Anfial declared as she held her backpack up for Cam to see.
“Is that what I think it is?” Cam asked as he caught a whiff of the bag.
“One Big Mac and a large order of fries,” Anfial confirmed. “Ramiel told me it was your favorite.”
“You are awesome,” Cam told her.
She bounced on the balls of her feet, showing how happy she was that she had plea
sed him.
“It gets better.” She pulled out an iPod. “I downloaded the new episode of Lost. I figured you probably missed it.”
“Thank you. That was so thoughtful of you.”
When Cam gave the young female one of his smiles, Anfial blushed. She grabbed his arm and took him from Derel. Abdiel was beginning to feel his own stomach roll over.
“You need to be resting. Come on back to your room, and let me feed you.” She led him away.
“She’s going to ruin all of my healing,” Derel said, shaking his head as he watched them leave.
“She’s good,” Gabi admitted. “She knew the way to Cam’s heart: junk food and prime time TV.”
“Well, now that she’s taken him off my hands, I better go get ready,” Derel told them as he walked away. “Michael says he has a new assignment for me.”
Abdiel felt for the healer. He couldn’t even imagine how hard it would be to lose his team. He reached out and grabbed Gabi’s hand for reassurance.
“Don’t worry. You’re never getting rid of me,” Gabi told him.
“I thought Cam was the telepath,” Abdiel told her with a crooked smile. “How is it you always seem to read my mind?”
“I love you, Abdiel. I don’t have to be a telepath to know what you’re thinking.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him, bringing him even closer. He felt, more than heard, the little whimper that slipped from her.
“Abdiel, let’s do the mating ceremony tomorrow,” she whispered into his ear. “I don’t want to wait any longer to formally be your mate.”
“Are you sure, Gabi?” he croaked out, all ability to speak normal robbed from him because she was rubbing him through his pants.
When she bit him softly on the earlobe, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Although they were alone in the hallway right now, anyone could discover them at any moment. He was trying to keep his cool, but she was not making it easy.
“I’m very sure,” she purred out. “Now, I don’t think I can wait much longer to be with you. Meet me back at my room.”
She slowly trailed her fingers down his chest before she turned and walked away, her hips swaying seductively. Now it was his turn to whimper.
“Remember,” she called out behind her. “Angels mate for eternity. We’re going to be together forever.”
“I’m going hold you to that promise,” he called out before he ran to catch up with her.
Mammon was pissed, and he made sure everybody in Hell knew it. Contrary to popular belief, Hell was not full of fire and brimstone. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Since Hell was located in a series of underground catacombs, it was cold and damp. However, the demons had gone to great lengths to make their home as opulent and beautiful as Heaven. They had almost succeeded too.
“You mean to tell me that you had part of the Order of Four within your grasp and you let them go?” he snarled at Douma and Forcas.
Mammon was second only to Lucifer himself. He was feared by all the demons. Mammon was a master of torture and pain and he did not hesitate to use it on anyone who displeased him.
“All is not lost,” Douma said, hurriedly trying to placate his leader. “Now that we know where this empath is, we can set up a trap for him. We also know that his weakness is the demon’s blood.”
“Somehow I do not think you brother Abdiel is going to just let you walk in and take this empath,” Mammon spit out.
“Abdiel’s weakness is his heart,” Forcas interjected. “He has a soft spot for both his healer and his empath. Our little brother has always been too kind for his own good.”
“Lucifer had always wanted to take Abdiel prisoner and punish him for his disobedience,” Mammon said thoughtfully. “Perhaps we can use the empath as bait and capture them both.”
A third demon walked out from behind Mammon’s chair. He let out a snide laugh at the three others. Unlike the other two demons, he showed no fear of their leader.
“What’s so funny, Beelzebub?” asked Forcas with a snarl.
“You all underestimate Abdiel. I was his best friend, and I know him better than all of you. He could crush both of you and not even be winded.”
“Get out of here, Beelzebub!” Mammon yelled. “When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.”
Bub held up his hands in surrender. He walked out of the chamber and shut the door behind him. Walking down the hallway he entered another room.
This room was much smaller. It was mostly taken up by a large bed. A small female angel lay in the center of it sleeping.
The girl’s eyes were closed but then, they were always closed. She had not opened them in centuries. She had not moved either. The girl was frozen in time.
“You need to stay out of my head, little one,” Bub hissed at her.
The girl looked so innocent. Long, dark hair fanned out on the pillow. Her face was pale and dark circles were around her eyes. Her small, white hands were clasped on her chest.
“Do you hear me?” The demon persisted. “Leave me alone.”
Let me go then, demon, the girl sent the command, although she never moved a muscle.
“No, you belong here.”
Let me go! The angel screamed in his head.
The screams grew louder and louder. Bub grabbed his head and started to scream along with her. His sanity had slipped away from him long ago. Only a shell was left.
Chapter Nine
“Ouch, that was my eye you know.” Gabi giggled and blinked furiously, trying to ease the hurt.
Ana pulled back the eyeliner pencil and gave her a mock glare. “Well, stop wiggling around then. If you don’t sit still, you’re going to go out there looking like a raccoon and we can’t have that happening at your own mating ceremony.”
Gabi complied and let Ana finish putting on her makeup. They were the only two angels in the large room that was set to the side of the ceremony hall. Gabi could hear the murmur of voices outside, indicating that other angels were assembling to witness the mating ceremony.
“Ana.” Gabi gave her best friend a grateful smile. “Thank you for convincing me to give love a second chance. Without you, none of this would have ever happened.”
“No problem, you guys belong together.” Ana gave her a sly look. “Cam told me that Abdiel has already marked you. Naughty, naughty, not waiting until the official mating ceremony.”
“I know, Ana, but it just happened. It was so beautiful too. He was so gentle and patient with me. He’s just so perfect.”
“Wow,” Ana breathed. “I wish he had a brother he could introduce me to. I mean, besides the ones in Hell. Are you going to show me the mark or not?”
Gabi giggled as she lifted her dress and bared her hip. Ana’s face filled with awe as she looked at the mark. She reached out and briefly touched it.
“Snakes. I guess that shouldn’t be too surprising considering who his parents are.” Ana talked almost as fast as Cam did when he was excited. “That’s so pretty. Now I’m really wishing Abdiel had an available brother.”
Gabi let her dress drop and covered the mark. “Why is it that you haven’t found yourself a male yet?”
“Please, who would want to have to deal with my brothers? Besides, I haven’t met anyone that makes me feel anything remotely close to what you feel for Abdiel.”
There was a soft knock on the door and Ana went over and opened it. Gabi was floored when she saw that it was Raphael. Her brother had never been one for public displays of affection of any kind, check that, make it any displays of affection, even the private kind. She was shocked that he was even bothering to show up for the ceremony at all, let alone taking the time to see her before.
“Ana, it is good to see you,” Raphael said formally with a nod of his head.
“Raphael.” Ana gave him a small curtsy. “I will give you two some privacy.”
After Ana left, the room became enveloped in an awkward silence. He held a rectangular, red, velvet box
in his hands, and he shifted it back and forth, obviously nervous. It should not have given her any satisfaction to notice his discomfort, but it did. It was nice to know that her brother was capable of having any kind of emotion. She was seriously beginning to suspect that he was some kind of robot.
“You look real beautiful.” He finally broke the silence. “But, you always do.”
Ooh, an actual compliment along with some emotion! she thought nastily. She was half tempted to ring up Douma and Forcas and ask them to take a look around to see if Hell had frozen over.
“Thank you for standing up for us the other day in front of the council,” the words sounded clipped and plastic even to her own ears.
He gave her an angry scowl before he caught himself and made his face neutral again. “I’m your brother. Of course I’m going to protect you.”
“Did you find anything out about the Order of Four?”
He shrugged. “Michael knows something, but he refuses to tell me. He said that we would know when the time was right.”
“Thank you for trying.”
That finally succeeded in getting a rise out of him. His green eyes snapped with fury. “Damn, it Gabi, quit thanking me. You’re my sister. I would do anything for you. Look, I know I’m not good at showing it, but I do care.
“You could have fooled me,” she scoffed. “Until the other night, how many years had it been since I had seen you? You probably don’t know the answer, but I do because I hoped each and every day that you would finally realize that you had a sister and that you actually gave a damn about her.”
He looked completely crestfallen. “Is that what you really think of me? No, don’t answer that, of course that’s what you think. Gabi, I have always loved you. In fact you are the only one that I do care about. I certainly don’t give a rip about our parents. I resent Mom and Dad for leaving us just as much as you do. The reason I don’t visit more is because I honestly don’t know how to have a normal relationship thanks to them. It scares me to realize that I am becoming just as cold as they are.”
Gabi could not respond because it was as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Raphael had always seemed to be in total control of everything around him, almost as if fate had never dared to challenge him because he would kick it in its ass if it did. The revelation that he felt as lost and lonely as she did sometimes was shocking to say the least.
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