by Alisa Woods
A small pop of air behind him announced that Micah had returned. But when Asa turned, there were two angelings, not one. His blade was out before he could blink, a reflex honed in more battles than he could count.
The angeling at Micah’s side wrenched away from his grasp. “Why are we here? I told you, I haven’t fucked her since—”
Asa surged forward, blade still at the ready. He hadn’t meant to, which only made him as surprised as the other angeling when he stopped just short of burying the point in the angeling’s skull via his chin. The angeling stumbled back and grasped for his blade, but his sheath was empty. The whole state of his dress—toga pushed aside, hanging from his waist, no other garments—and his flushed face, plus his erect cock tenting out the small drape of his clothes said Micah had pulled this one straight from the orgy.
“I figured we’d have more privacy here,” Micah explained, then grasped hold of the angeling’s shoulder again, this time with a blade at his side.
The angeling shot looks between the two.
“We don’t have to kill you,” Asa said, although he had a desire to do just that. It wasn’t purely Wrath animating him, either—there was also a more covetous Sin. Jealousy. If this angeling had seduced Molly, then this beast had tasted a pleasure Asa never would… and with a woman he was vastly unworthy of. Had he taken her by force, then he deserved to die, and slowly. Either way, Asa’s blade was ready to find a home in his skull. “Just tell us where she lives.”
“She’s in the nursery now.” The angeling’s fear response ticked up. “Go see her yourself. I told you, I haven’t touched her—”
Micah leaned in and hissed, “He means here in the human world, idiot.”
“But why—”
Micah’s blade pressed deeper, drawing blood.
“Okay! All right!” He strained to lean away from the cut. “I’ll take you there.”
“That works for me.” Asa grasped his other shoulder, sliding his blade so the length of it pressed the angeling’s neck.
The wide-eyed angeling quickly twisted, bringing them both outside another apartment door.
“It was here,” the angeling gasped, struggling to move without being sliced open by one of their blades. “I swear.”
Asa could already sense their souls inside. Molly… and the others. Including an angeling, who he hoped was the runaway angeling girl-child. If not—if it were some other angeling—then that angeling was about to die.
Micah nodded to Asa then pulled his blade from the angeling’s side. “Go back to the orgy. Keep fucking and keep your mouth shut. If I find out you’ve breathed a word of this to anyone, I’ll slit your throat before you know I’m there.”
The angeling’s eyes went wide, but when Asa released him, he twisted away.
Asa wiped the blood on his blade and sheathed it. “He will tell. They always tell.”
“I know.” Micah did the same, stowing his blade. “But it will buy us a little time. Perhaps.”
“Time is against us,” Asa insisted. “We need to move quickly. For all we know, Elyon will be here in a moment. Make your goodbyes, and I will transport them to true safety.”
Micah winced, stared at the door for a moment, then gave Asa a nod.
“I’ll take the angeling first,” Asa added. “In case she decides to flee with one of them.”
Micah nodded again. Then they both twisted, making the short jump to the other side of the wall, inside the apartment.
The three women were crowded around a tiny glass table, food spread before them. Ren saw them first and shrieked. The other two gasped. Micah spotted the angeling girl in the corner by the window just as she flung a blade his way. He dodged it enough to have it only graze his shoulder, drawing blood but sailing past to embed in the door behind him. He drew his own blade and rushed her, no intent on harm, but needing the shock to hold her in place before she could twist away. He reached her a split second too late—he grasped at empty air. As he whirled around, he glimpsed her reappearing by the door. By her blade.
He didn’t bother with charging her this time, just twisted and reappeared next to her. The blade stabbed the wall where he had stood a half second ago, and he grabbed her wrist before she could twist again. The women were screaming, the babies were crying, and the last thing Asa saw before he twisted away, runaway girl angeling in tow, was Molly’s horrified face.
Chapter Twelve
Why did you trust him? Molly screamed inside.
And as raging angry as she was—falling again for the soft promises of a shadow angeling? Epic level stupid—she had more important problems.
Like Asa just kidnapped Ariel.
Like Micah was here to get Ren.
Eden was slowly curling to the floor, huddling by the babies, but also just completely shutting down. Ren was crying—Micah had her by the shoulders, talking to her. Or something. Whispering with his head bent to her, but loud. It was a babble. And his wings were out, practically filling her small living room, but if Molly could just edge past him and get to the knife Ariel had thrown—it had landed near the window—she could maybe threaten Micah into leaving. Or at least leaving Eden alone.
There was no way she could go back. None.
But Molly only got halfway across the room when a pop in the air made her jolt—
Asa was back.
What the hell?
“Are you done?” he asked Micah, voice rough.
“Take Eden first.”
What? “No!” Molly rushed back across the room. “Don’t touch her!”
Asa was already kneeling next to Eden, who was clutching Ralphie to her chest and shaking her head in small, bird-like movements.
“No!” Molly screeched again when she reached Asa, trying to shove him away. It was like moving a granite statue.
Asa scowled at her. “Molly—”
“Take me!” she gasped. “Leave her and take me instead! You don’t… you can’t… she can’t…” Now she was the one babbling, still trying to shove his immovable body. She could feel the tears coursing down her cheek.
“I’m taking you all.” But his voice was gentle. As if he didn’t think this was a nightmare. As if his promise before to rescue her—to rescue them all —was just a wisp of smoke that didn’t matter, didn’t even merit speaking of.
She pulled back her fist to punch him because goddamnit—
He disappeared.
She punched air and tumbled to her hands and knees.
Eden was gone. Ralphie was gone with her. Even little Eva was gone.
Molly sobbed, dumbstruck for a moment, then she scrambled to her feet. Micah still had Ren in his grip, talking to her, whispering, like this was all okay. She wasn’t crying anymore.
Oh, God. He was talking her into going back.
All the fight went out of Molly. These were angelings. They took what they wanted, either by seduction or force. She was a fool. A fool once when she was lured into their trap, and a fool twice to think she could escape it.
Ren dashed her a wide-eyed look, but Molly didn’t even want to hear it. The excuses. The reasons it was okay. How it wasn’t their doom to return to the nursery. Molly closed her eyes—she couldn’t bear to see the concern on Ren’s face—and just stroked her tiny mound of belly and tried to stay upright. Okay, baby. I’m not making it through this after all—but you might. Her lungs burned for air like she’d been holding her breath for endless moments, so she pulled some in and blew it out and prayed for some strength.
The air popped again.
When she opened her eyes, three pairs were staring back at her—Ren, Micah, and… Asa again.
He’d come back for her. Of course. Because he was taking them all.
Asa was looking at her like he actually cared. Like he regretted some part of this. She just glared at him and dared him to say something—anything—to justify this. He actually seemed to cringe under her withering gaze. Good. Asshole. She hoped he felt all the guilt in the world. It was nothing c
ompared to what Eden was probably suffering already.
“Take Ren,” Micah said softly.
What?
Asa turned a confused expression to him as well.
“It’s okay,” Micah said, but it wasn’t clear to whom. Then he took Ren’s cheeks in his hands… and kissed her.
What the ever living— Molly just gaped.
Then it was over, and Asa took her hand, and they… disappeared.
Molly just stared at Micah.
He wouldn’t meet her gaze.
And somehow that powered her ability to speak. “How could you do this? Didn’t you love her at all?”
He winced then peered at her. “I’m doing this because I love her.”
“So you’re sending her back to hell.”
His face fell blank. “She’ll be safer there.”
Before she could come up with a snappy retort, Asa reappeared. Back for her, no doubt. Although she didn’t understand why she was last. Not that it mattered.
Instead, he turned to Micah. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Micah hung his head but nodded. Then he gestured to Asa’s side. “You’ll need to make it look good. I can’t go back with just a scratch.”
What the hell were they talking about now?
Asa grimaced, then suddenly, he’d drawn a knife from a hidden sheath at his side. Molly’s eyes went wide as he raised it, but when he stabbed Micah… she screamed. Then covered her mouth with both hands. And screamed again when he plunged the knife four more times, each time striking Micah full in the chest, beating him down to his knees and then to the ground.
“Go!” Asa cried out, and Micah just… vanished.
Then Asa turned toward her, bloody knife in hand, and she couldn’t breathe.
Not a sound came from her.
She was frozen like a mouse before a wolf.
Asa sheathed the knife, wiped his hands on his black body armor, and came for her.
She stumbled and fell backward.
He caught her… and a moment later…
They were back in hell.
Only this time hell was a small room with black crystal walls, and it was just Asa and her. Because apparently, he was bringing them all back… but she would have special treatment.
And he killed Micah.
Oh, God. Her legs wobbled, and Asa tried to hold her, but she wiggled free.
Free! Ha. She sagged to the floor and crawled away from him, as far as she could get, up against the wall, then she folded up her legs underneath her and tried to melt into the wall. It wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t stop him, whatever he wanted from her, but it was all she could manage. When he came closer, she would fight him. Then she realized… the baby. She couldn’t fight—it might hurt the baby. So she’d just have to…
Sickness rose in the back of her throat.
She managed to keep it inside.
“I’m sorry.” Asa moved—she heard the whisper of his wings folding, the soft thump of his boots on the crystal floor—but he didn’t move closer.
She peered up from where she was curled over against the wall. She didn’t even have the strength to glare at him, so she just stared. He’d moved to the farthest corner of the cell, which wasn’t far—just a dozen feet. The room’s low platform seemed like a bed but nothing else.
“You promised,” she whispered. Would that reminder stop him, now that he had her in a room alone?
“I’m not going to hurt you, Molly.” He looked pained that she would think that.
She didn’t fucking care.
“You promised!” she hissed. And this time she meant the other promise—the second one he made. That he would save them. That he would get them free.
He winced and didn’t answer right away. Seemed to search for the right words. As if there were right words to explain why she was back here. Worse, alone with him. In some kind of cage.
Finally, he said, “Elyon would have found you. Maybe not for a few days. A week at most. Or it could have been any second—we had to move fast. And when he found you, he would have done terrible things. To all three of you. He would have used it as a lesson for Micah. To break him.”
“You killed him.” Her mind was a soup of confusion.
“I know how to kill an angeling, Molly.” His voice was rough again. “I struck Micah everywhere he could afford to be struck and still live.” Then he stopped talking and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I… I don’t understand.” She straightened a little, still leaned against the wall for support, but eyeing him.
“I promised I would help you. And I swear this is the safest place for you right now.”
“Here? But this is…” She looked around at the tiny room again. Same black crystal walls as the nursery… but was this someplace else? And what about the others?
“You thought I was taking you back to Elyon,” he finished for her. “I see that now. I’m sorry. We should have explained and not just…” He gestured with his hands then just tucked them back across his chest. “…snatched you away. But we didn’t know how fast he might find you. We had to get out of there.”
“Because he might come after us.” Asa wasn’t attacking her, now in this moment, and if that was all he wanted, well… he would have by now. “So, you’re saying this…” She glanced around the small room. “This is saving us.”
“You’re deep inside Razael’s Regiment.” He unlocked his arms but seemed unsure as to what to do with his hands. He rubbed the back of his neck with one. “I split you up, spread you out into different cells. In the very unlikely event that Elyon attacked the Regiment and was able to find one of you, he wouldn’t be able to get all three in one strike.”
She straightened further but still stayed on the floor. Somehow, it still felt safer there. “Different cells? So we’re prisoners again, just in a different flavor of hell.” Her mind was clearing. What was really going on here?
He cringed and shook his head, wearily. “Cell is just… that’s what we call our rooms.”
“Your… rooms?”
“This is my cell. It’s where I sleep. When I sleep. Which isn’t often.” He seemed agitated.
She frowned, but hope was rushing back, unbidden. “You know bringing me back to your room isn’t exactly…”
“Yes, I know. That was a mistake.” He muttered something in a language she didn’t understand. “I’m sorry for all of this, Molly. You deserve better.”
And like that, a switch was flipped in her. Because that’s not the kind of thing bad men say.
He peered at her where she was still folded up on the floor. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” And she decided that maybe it was safe enough to stand. So she did. But her legs were still wobbly, so she held onto the cool wall as she did—it hummed slightly with energy. Just like the walls of the nursery. “Where are Eden and Ren and the babies? I want to see them.” She wasn’t 100% sure she believed all this. It seemed strange that they were separated, although his explanation made a kind of sense.
“Soon,” he said.
She scowled.
“It’s for your protection,” he tried, but it sounded weak. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. When he opened his eyes, his look was pleading—like he really wanted her forgiveness for this.
But this was far from the freedom she had just minutes ago. “You’re protecting me from Elyon,” she said coolly.
“In Truth, protecting you from everyone.” He grimaced. “Look, this is all… not to plan. I need to check in with Razael—”
“Razael?” He’d said that name before, but she didn’t know who he meant.
“He’s an angel, the leader of my Regiment—”
“Like Elyon.” She squinted at him.
“Not like Elyon.” He seemed flustered. “But yes, a dark angel. You don’t understand—”
“Shocking,” she snapped. “Given that no one bothers to explain anything to us. But we’re just the human slaves carrying the next gen
eration of angelings, that’s all.”
Asa’s shoulders drooped, and she felt a smidge bad for yelling at him, but not much—he wasn’t the one carted around and caged up like a prize to be fought over and traded back and forth. Maybe she was in Razael’s Regiment now, but as far as she could tell, the cage had just gotten smaller. And now she was separated from her friends. Her sisters.
“You have every right to be angry.” His face was drawn. “At me, specifically. But I promise you, Molly, I’m doing everything I can to protect you.”
She didn’t want to believe him—she didn’t want to be a fool again, three seconds after he’d snatched her out of her own apartment—but she believed him, in spite of herself. At the very least, he believed he was helping her. That much she was sure of.
“Let’s say I believe that,” she mumbled. “What happens now?”
There was relief plain on his face, and that wormed into her mind. He was Mr. Honorable before, and her experience with people wasn’t exactly vast—the important ones tended to die and leave her—but she liked to think that people’s character didn’t just change overnight. Unless she’d misjudged him before—but actions mattered. You are what you do. Her dad’s words again. She would judge Asa by the things he did—before and now.
Asa pulled in a breath. “I need to go see Razael and explain why he suddenly has three pregnant humans, two angeling babies, and a very irate angeling teen girl in his Regiment.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Ariel’s here? She’s okay?”
“I had to restrain her, so she didn’t run off with you three again, but yes.”
Her mind spun. “When can I see her? And the others?” If nothing else, she needed to see them to believe they were okay.
“Soon.” At her disparaging look, he quickly added, “I promise, as soon as I can. First, I need to speak to Razael. And before I can do that, I needed to make sure…” He looked her over, but not in a salacious way—like he was checking for bleeding or broken things. “Tell me you’re okay.”
