“You have one choice, brother.” Forcas came over and stroked Abdiel’s cheek. “Come with us, or we’ll pump him so full of demon’s blood that he’ll be nothing but a blathering idiot.”
Cam started to yell against the gag once again. Even though Abdiel couldn’t understand him, he knew what he was trying to say. He smelled a set up and he didn’t want Abdiel to agree to this. What Cam didn’t know was that Abdiel wasn’t about ready to let Cam go down to Hell and suffer alone. He wasn’t going let him be all alone down there like Rachael and Appolion had been.
Douma held up a silver bracelet. It was an angel harness. A device used by justice angels, it made the wearer incapable of flashing. It was the angel equivalent to handcuffs. With a sigh of resignation, Abdiel held his hand out. Cam started to yell harder against the gag, pleading with Abdiel. He wanted Abdiel to flash out of there and leave him behind.
Even as Douma snapped it shut, Abdiel knew they had lied. They were never going to let Cam go. Now they had both of them. And now Gabi was totally unprotected.
As soon as they got them down to the dungeon in Hell, they chained them to opposite walls. They left the Chains of Containment on Cam but removed the gag. Now that they had him in Hell, they wanted to hear his cries of agony.
They started beating them, attacking the two angels without mercy or without letting up. It seemed to go on for hours. The worst part for Abdiel was not his own pain, but hearing Cam’s grunts, but, Cam never broke. He didn’t give the demons that satisfaction. Abdiel found a grim sense of victory in that.
Finally, the demons stopped and left. The two angels sagged against their restraints panting and in pain. Their blood trickled down and mixed with the dirt floor. The uneven stones that made up the walls of the cell dug into their backs even as their bodies started to protest the way the chains twisted their bodies. Abdiel tried to shift around to find a more comfortable position only to find that there was none. Cam started to sing Daniel Powter’s song “Bad Day” in a weak, broken voice. In spite of himself, Abdiel laughed.
“I’m sorry I got us into this, kid,” he told him.
“I was the one who went to them in the first place,” Cam admitted. “They had Dina and used his pain to draw me out. At least I was able to send him to Heaven before they got me in these damn chains. I was so stupid. Instead of fighting, I went up to the angel and helped him first. His pain and fear just overwhelmed me. I couldn’t think straight. I guess I’m just a plain old empath after all.”
“That’s crap, and you know it.” Abdiel spit blood out of his mouth. “If you were an empath you would’ve overloaded by now since we’re in Hell. Yet here you are still shooting off your smart mouth.”
The door to their cell swung open and Douma and Forcas strode in. They went up to Cam completely ignoring Abdiel. Forcas grabbed the young angel by the hair roughly. Cam tried to fight, but the chains kept him immobile. Douma held up a syringe for him to see. It was huge and full of demon blood.
Cam’s eyes went wide with fear. “No, crap no,” he whimpered. He tried harder to fight, bucking so hard against his restraints that his wrists bled from straining against the chains.
“Don’t, please,” Abdiel hated begging his brothers but he would do anything to stop them from doing this. “I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll even go before Lucifer and ask for his forgiveness. Just don’t put that stuff in him.”
“We’ve been waiting to experiment on this one.” Forcas pulled harder on Cam’s hair, tilting his head so that his jugular was exposed.
Cam continued to struggle wildly. This was his worst nightmare come alive, and Abdiel knew it. Abdiel also knew that he was powerless to stop it. He cursed the day that Cam had ever met him. Everyone that he had ever cared about had been hurt because of him. First the twins when they were taken to Hell. Then Gabi when she had brought his sister back. Now it was Cam, and all because his damn brothers wanted a lab rat.
Douma plunged the needle ruthlessly into Cam’s neck and injected every last drop of blood into the angel. That finally succeeded in breaking him. He threw back his head and released a scream of pure agony. It echoed all through the bowels of Hell causing demons everywhere to stop what they were doing and look up in surprise.
“Oh Gabi, look at this,” Rachael squealed in delight.
Gabi looked over at the dangerously short mini-skirt that her sister-in-law held up. “If I let you buy that, your brother will have my hide.”
Rachael just tucked it over her arm with all the other revealing clothing. It seemed every time that Gabi said something was too skimpy that was incentive for Rachael to buy it. Ever since she had discovered that she had breasts and curvy legs, she seemed intent on showing them off.
Rachael was currently dressed in a short, ruffled red skirt. It was paired with fishnet stockings and a tight, red top that showed off her belly. A pair of knee-high black boots with six-inch heels completed the outfit. Since they were out shopping, they didn’t shield themselves to the humans. Several men stopped dead in their tracks in order to get a better look at her. Rachael seemed totally oblivious to all the attention.
“As soon as Abdiel sees what you’re wearing, he’s going to strangle both of us,” Gabi huffed out.
“My brother needs to remember I’m not that much younger than him.” Rachael never looked up from the rack of clothes she was sorting through. “You know, Cam bosses me around too. I’m hundreds of years older than him, but he still acts like an old granny around me.”
Gabi chuckled as she thought about how quick Rachael had picked up on Earth lingo. It had only been a couple of weeks, but she’d assimilated. Obviously Cam had been a good tutor.
“He’s just overprotective of you.” Gabi took a black leather skirt from her hands and hung it back up. “I’m afraid all the Lehor brothers have decided you are their new sister.”
Cam had taken her to meet all of his brothers. They all had taken and instant liking to Rachael. They admired her spunk and quick wit. Not to mention the fact that she could chug a whole can of Redi Whip without coming up for air.
“Don’t remind me,” Rachael groaned. “The other day some poor empath tried to talk to me, and Ramiel all but growled at the poor guy.”
Gabi opened her mouth to respond, however, before she could, Rachael wrinkled her brow in confusion. “I don’t feel Cam or Abdiel on Earth any longer,” Rachael said with a worried look on her face.
“Scan Heaven,” Gabi ordered as her heart started to speed up with fear. “Maybe they went up there for something.”
Rachel closed her eyes and went into a trance. When she opened them, they were full of tears. “They’re not there either. We need to get back to the house.”
Gabi didn’t argue. She made them invisible to humans and then flashed them to their house. They were met with deathly silence.
Gabi ran one way while Rachael went the other. They both called out for the males, and neither received a response. Gabi found Abdiel’s phone on the ground. She snatched it up and scrolled through the history. The last call was from Cam. It had lasted thirty seconds. She clutched the phone in her hand desperately needing to touch something that her husband had.
Rachael came in the room. She was panting out of breath, and her eyes were wide. “I can’t touch either one of their minds. There’s something blocking me. It’s not Douma or Forcas. It’s something stronger.”
“Here, try this.” Gabi shoved the cell phone into her hand. “Sometimes Cam holds something that someone has touched and he’s able to read their past thoughts.”
Rachael grabbed it and jerked backwards as the memories slammed into her. She let out a small cry of distress. “Douma and Forcas have them both.”
She then bolted toward the gym. Gabi ran to keep up with her. Rachael jerked open a cabinet and started to paw through the weapons stored there. Since Abdiel collected every weapon imaginable, the choices were extensive.
Outside the sky tuned dark and thunder started to rumble. R
achael breathed hard with anger. “I’m going to go get them back.”
“You can’t go to Hell.” Gabi started to panic. They had Abdiel.
“Why not?” Rachael spat out. “I know the place like the back of my hand.” Lightning split the sky.
Gabi grabbed her by the shoulders, “Look I’m just as upset as you are. That’s my mate that they have. But, we can’t do this without help.”
Gabi flashed them to the one angel that could aid them. The mansion was in the heart of Heaven. She started to pound on the door. “Michael opened it. We need you.”
They unchained Cam so that Abdiel could have a full view of his thrashings. They even took off the Chains of Confinement. There was no danger of Cam using his powers now.
At first, Cam just flopped on the floor crying out as waves of pain racked him. Then he got up and started to ram his head into the wall again and again screaming about voices in his head. The demons stood back and watched him hurt himself while in the throes of his frenzy. Douma and Forcas laughed as the blood poured down the angel’s face.
Cam rolled on the balls of his feet holding his head in between his hands. Abdiel could see blood trickle out of both his ears, and he was foaming at the mouth. Finally, he flipped onto his back with a sickening, bone-crunching sound. He started to convulse violently. His already injured head pounded into the ground. Abdiel could hear joints popping as his body protested the contortions the seizures were twisting him in. The archangel started to fight against his own restraints desperate to get to his friend.“I’m going to make you pay for this Forcas and Douma,” he vowed.
They just laughed even harder. They walked out of the cell slamming the door shut. All Abdiel could do was sit there hopelessly as his adopted brother was slowly destroyed right before his eyes.
Abdiel sat there in the darkness listening to Cam’s ragged breathing. After what had seemed like hours, the young angel had finally quieted down some. Cam’s face was unrecognizable. Between the beating the demons had given him and his own self-destructive fit, he was a bloody pulp. He still had not woken up and Abdiel doubted that he ever would.
“Oh no, not my little puppy,” a soft voice cried out.
A small female demon glided into the room. She was really quite beautiful with long blonde hair. She had dark green eyes that looked like a tiger’s and an impressive set of fangs. She immediately went to Cam and ran her hands over him. At the sight of yet another demon touching him when he was so helpless and totally defenseless, Abdiel got good and pissed.
“Don’t touch him,” Abdiel snarled out. Not like there was much he could do besides trying to down her with a well-placed loogie.
She looked up at him, and her eyes flashed dangerously. Her black wings flapped opened as she displayed how much his comments, well … ruffled her feathers, “I would never hurt my little puppy. He’s too sweet.”
She opened the small pouch that she had over her shoulder and pulled out some manna. She tried to slip it in between Cam’s lips, but he gagged on it. Undaunted, she forced some more into his mouth. This time, the angel heaved as his body rejected it. She nibbled on her bottom lip with her right fang before she turned to Abdiel.
“He cannot take in the manna,” she told him. “Your friend is too far gone for it to help him.”
“How is manna going to help him anyways?” Abdiel growled out still not trusting the demoness.
“One of two ways me and my sisters keep our beauty is by consuming manna.” She started to rummage through her bag again.
“What’s the other way?” Abdiel asked wearily.
She pulled out a small dagger and a cup. “We drink angel’s blood,” she confessed. “Just like demon’s blood can change an angel, angel’s blood can stop a demon from physically turning all the way.”
“You’re a succubus, aren’t you?” He leaned his head against the wall and rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to know how you and Cam know each other, do I?”
“Which question do you want me to answer first?” She smoothed back Cam’s hair. “Yes, I am a succubus, and yes, little puppy and I know each other because we did what succubi are best at.”
“Do you get this close to every angel you know?”
“No, I have never given them a second thought.” She smiled gently down at the young angel. “But Cam was different. He knew what I was and still didn’t look at me with disgust. That’s why I’m willing to risk myself for him.”
“You can help him?” He really hoped this demon chick was just not messing with his mind for jollies.
“How about you? Are you willing to sacrifice everything you have been told for him?” she asked him instead of answering his question.
“Of course I would. He’s my brother.”
She walked over to him. “I need some of your blood. We need to feed it to him. Otherwise he will completely turn demon.”
“Is this some kind of twisted joke?” Abdiel was shocked she would even suggest such a thing.
“Answer me one thing, archangel.” The female looked him in the eye. “How do you think rogue angels last so long without turning? As soon as an angel turns their back on Heaven and embraces evil, they immediately begin the transition to demon. In order to slow down the process they buy angel blood from the black market.”
“You’re lying,” Abdiel spat out. “The council would never allow something like that to take place.”
“Please.” The demon curled her lip in disgust. “Your precious council has known about the practice of angel blood for centuries. They just hide it from the civilized angel population. They have their own interests at stake.”
From what he had seen of the council, he had to admit there was probably some truth in what she said. He could easily see Jehel putting politics before what was moral. But Abdiel still blanched at the thought. Even if she was right about rogues, no pure angel had ever drunk another angel’s blood. For all he knew it could make Cam even worse. When he looked at Cam and saw that he was slipping more into a catatonic state, he made up his mind. After all what did they have to lose?
“If this hurts him more I’ll hunt you down and make you regret the day that you ever set eyes on me.”
She cast a doubtful glance at the chains holding him to the wall. “Given your current situation, I don’t think making threats like that are very effective.”
She cut a deep slash in his wrist. Holding the cup under it, she caught the blood that flowed out.
“How much blood do you need?” he complained.
“It’s not like you can die from blood loss.” She rolled her eyes at him. “You are immortal, after all.”
Finally when the cup was full, she went over and knelt by Cam. She lifted his head and slowly let some of the blood trickle past his lips. At first he choked on the fluid, however he soon grabbed the cup with both hands and started to gulp it in. When he had finally drained the entire glass, he opened his eyes halfway.
“It’s you,” he whispered to the female.
“Yes, but I can’t stay long.” Abdiel was shocked to see that there were actual tears in her eyes.
“Am I going mental, or did you just give me blood?” Cam sounded revolted by the idea.
“If I had not done so, you would have turned or worse, gone completely catatonic. While the thought of you becoming one of us appeals to me, I knew that would make you unhappy. Don’t worry. It was pure angel blood. I would never poison you.”
“It still hurts,” he hissed out as his eyelids fluttered.
“It will while the transformation takes place.” She hung her head down while the tears flowed harder.
“What do you mean transformation?” Abdiel shot her a venomous look, his only weapon that he could wield at the moment. “You said this would stop him from turning demon.”
“He won’t become demon, but he won’t be full angel anymore either.” She dared to look up at him. “He will have to continue drinking angel blood or else he will succumb to his dark urges. There may a
lso be some physical changes as well.”
“What do you mean physical changes?” Abdiel felt his heart speed up as panic surged through his body. “What’s going to happen to him?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Her hands twirled around nervously. “The rogue angels chose to let demon power in them. Cam was forced to take it in when he was injected. This is a first.”
“What the hell did you do to me?” Cam whispered before his body arched upwards, and he yelled in pain.
“I had to.” She threw her head on his chest. “It was the only way to save you. Once this is all over and they grow tired of you, I’ll take you home with me. I promise to take good care of you, and it will only be the two of us forever.”
“He’s an archangel, not some stray puppy.” Abdiel was beginning to get a sick feeling in his stomach. Maybe the succubus had only been helping herself all along. It was suddenly beginning to look like she was trying to make Cam into her slave. Dear God, by giving her his blood, he had helped her.
Cam didn’t hear her stalker-like ranting because he had rolled onto his side and whimpered. Abdiel was relieved to see that the young angel’s breathing seemed less labored than before, and that he was at least conscious. It looked like the danger of him turning catatonic was over. Abdiel just hoped that he had chosen the lesser of two evils.
They heard footsteps walking up to the cell. The succubus looked over at him and placed a finger over her lips to tell him not to say anything. He mimicked using a key to lock his mouth before he flipped her off. Just to let her know he was not fooled by her innocent I just want to help act. She returned the rude gesture then flashed out of the cell.
Two demon jailers came in and unshackled him. They went to haul him up to his feet but he shrugged off their hands and stood up by himself. He would not let himself be dragged to his own torture session. He would walk on his own two legs and he had no doubt in his mind that was where they were taking him. He remembered what Haniel had looked like when they had found him and felt his stomach turn over. With one last worried look at Cam, he let them lead him out of the cell.
Angel Warriors Page 22
