Lucifer and Lazarus’s feet weren’t nearly as beaten up as hers had been, but they were not without injury themselves. Was it wrong to think the males should suck it up, but Eve should not? Gabriel couldn’t tell, “Heal the others as well, Con.”
The Angel nodded and started working on Lazarus next.
“Better?” Gabe asked Eve.
“Much, thank you.”
“Never hide your suffering from us,” he insisted. “There is no reason to.”
“I didn’t hide it; I was only paying the price for what I was getting. Same as everyone else.”
Gabe’s brow arched, “And what is it you’re getting?”
“Freedom, Lucifer, and…” Eve bit her lip and didn’t say more.
The journey through the jungles wasn’t for the faint of heart. They’d not run into any trouble with another Angel or animal, but the ground was littered with thorns. Eve never once whimpered or let out any noise to indicate she hurt.
“Are you used to suffering?” he asked.
“Aren’t we all, Gabriel?” Her eyes held nothing but sadness. Damn, he wished he could do something to wipe away that look in her gaze. He wanted her smiling. Laughing. Safe.
Reaching out, he took her hand and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. She was tall for a female – her eyes were at his nose-level, and her weight was solid. It made him want to take a step back and appreciate her form once more, but that would only lead to trouble.
“I’ve got Eve,” he pushed out some of his energy, broke the barrier between realms, and escorted her over to the other side.
Once in the new realm, it took a hot minute for his lungs to adjust to the sultry, thick air. The sun was starting to rise and the gentle sky lit up in purples and pinks. The forest here was thick with trees that grew leaves in every color imaginable. There were three waterfalls to the left and a river narrowed to the right that branched off into nothingness. The nothingness was what had Gabriel worried.
“Never go that way,” he ordered.
“What’s there?”
“What do you see?”
Eve glanced over with a frown. “Nothing.”
“Exactly,” Gabriel still hadn’t let go of her hand. There was no particular reason to keep holding it, but for the life of him, he didn’t want to let her go yet.
Which meant he released her immediately.
The others crossed over in pairs – Uriel holding hands with Lucifer, and Constantine holding hands with Lazarus.
“What is this place?” Lucifer asked.
“We don’t really know,” Uriel shrugged, “Lazarus told us about it a long time ago. It changes once in a while, so we’ll need to stay focused. And never,” he pointed at the nothingness to the right, “go that way.”
Lucifer nodded then glanced at the forest. His eyes widened and wings perked up, “I like this place.”
A flock of small blue birds flew over their heads and started making a terrible racket in the trees. Eve smiled, “I like it too.”
Lazarus took the lead, “I never thought I’d see this place again.”
“I thought you knew everything,” Lucifer followed. “Didn’t you drink from the Cup of Knowledge?”
“I did.”
“Then wouldn’t you already know you were going to return here?”
Lazarus ran a hand through his long silver hair, “I know what I know and nothing more. If minds change, so does mine.”
“Do you see the future at all?” Eve asked.
“Of course, Flower.”
“Then what will become of us?” she asked.
“I won’t know until you do,” the lunatic Angel winked. “Now follow me. I know the way to a lovely little cottage on the other side of the falls.”
“How is it you came across this place?” she asked.
“I created it.” Everyone stepped aside and let Lazarus take the lead.
Eve’s eyes widened, “You have the power to create worlds?”
“Everyone does in their own way. I’ve only been able to do it twice. Never again though.”
“The price was too much to bear?” Eve tripped over a root and stumbled. “Oomph!” Lucifer caught her elbow before she fell.
“No,” Lazarus continued moving forward, “I just lost the ability. Perhaps I was only meant to have it for a little while.”
Why did that sound like a warning to all of them?
Chapter 26
Constantine hated this place. It triggered too many bad things and the air here stunk like memories. As they walked along, Gabriel kept his hand hovered over his sword and Con did the same. This untouched paradise was too calm and peaceful for them. It made their feathers tingle and skin prickly because of it.
Or maybe it was just that this place brought up bad energy because of what they’d endured here.
“She’s safest here,” Gabriel said quietly. “And Lucifer is too. That’s the best thing for now.”
Constantine’s jaw tightened. Instead of saying anything, he continued to march forward.
“She’s brighter,” Uriel chimed in from the back. “Do you see it like I do?”
“We are all brighter here,” Con half-smiled, “that’s the beauty of this place.”
“Speaking of beauties,” Uriel ran a hand through his blond hair, “Do you see her as I do? Eve’s not just Eve anymore. Not since that thing Lucifer did with his mouth on hers.”
“It’s called a kiss!” Lazarus announced from the front of the line. “And they get better.”
All three warriors froze, mid-step. Gabe growled. Uriel moaned. Con swallowed the lump in his throat.
“We need to leave here as soon as possible,” Gabe said. “We can’t stay away forever.”
Uriel tucked his wings tight to his back. “We need to train them to fight. We promised Eve we would do that. I’m not going against my word to her.”
“Lazarus can train them until we are able to return.” Before his brothers could protest, Constantine held his hand up, “Laz literally knows everything. Surely he can give enough instruction to keep them busy for a while until we are able to come back.”
“You plan to return?” Uriel asked.
Con arched a dark eyebrow, “Of course. Don’t you?”
Uriel shrugged. “I’m not sure how far we’re going to get with Michael and the brotherhood. If we go back, you know we might damn well be punished for staying away so long. Or… if the truth is told and he finds out that we—”
“He’s not going to find out,” Gabriel snarled. “If I see a threat to us, I’ll cut their tongues out and pull our secrets from them, one limb at a time, until all that’s left is a stump to kick.”
Con’s heart sped up. He hated when Gabriel got like this. He could be so violent. So angry. And was willing to go the extra mile to ensure the safety of those he loved.
Damn, how many times had Gabriel taken the fall for another brother? How many times had that Angel bled for someone else’s failures? Michael spared no mercy on Gabe, ever. When they returned, it was a given that no matter what, Gabriel would be severely punished.
“He’s going to make this punishment noteworthy,” Con warned. “You know this, Gabe.”
“So?”
So. That’s all he had to say? Con’s wings sagged, “I can’t bear to watch it again.”
“Then close your eyes, brother.”
Michael would punish Gabriel for not finding and dragging Lucifer back to the brotherhood. Failure to find Eve and Laz would mean bonus torture. As one of the top warriors in the camp, Gabriel was praised the highest, and punished the harshest. Such was Michael’s way.
“We all risked so much for this,” Uriel said solemnly. “I only hope it’s worth it in the end.”
“Lazarus once told me that the brotherhood would break,” Con sighed, “I didn’t think to ask if we were the ones to break it.”
“You didn’t think we were capable?”
“Having the capability and the desire are two diffe
rent things, Uriel.”
“And now we have both,” Gabe said. “That’s good and bad.”
Con bit his bottom lip, “When I tried to ask Lazarus more about it the other night, he started spouting something about how delicious poutine is.”
“What’s poutine?”
Con shrugged, “Here’s hoping we all live long enough to find out.”
“Did he say anything else about Michael?”
Con didn’t answer Uri’s question and he didn’t meet Gabriel’s gaze. “It’s never been easy to decipher when that lunatic is saying truths or fantasies. He’s said plenty about everything, and nothing about anything.” The words tasted sour on his tongue.
Con felt a sword press to his back. He unsheathed his own sword, turned to stare Gabriel in the eyes, and held the tip against Gabriel’s throat, “Are we doing this again, brother?” Gabriel’s trust only reached as far as the tip of his sword – not that Constantine could blame him.
With a sigh, Gabe let his sword fall to his side. Con did the same.
“You two are ridiculous,” Uriel tsked.
“He’s hiding something from us,” Gabriel seethed.
“Then he must have a good fucking reason, brother.” Uriel snatched Gabriel’s sword from him and walked away with it. “I hate it when you two get like this.”
And Con hated that Gabe didn’t trust him.
Then again, he had every reason to be that way, didn’t he? Fuck, Con thought, “Gabe, I—”
“Save it, Constantine.” Gabriel walked away and started cussing at Uriel to give him back his sword.
Con stared down at the blade in his hand as the past swirled like shadows that whispered in his ears. His skin grew cold and wings heavy. You’re not strong enough for this. You’re not worthy enough for this. Constantine turned the sword over and rested the pummel on the ground. With his middle finger balancing on the tip that pointed to the sky, he applied pressure and cut himself. Blood welled and dripped down the blade.
For a moment, Constantine wondered what it would be like to fall upon his sword. Would he be doing the world a favor… or damning it further?
“Constantine!” Lazarus roared from front of the line.
He lifted his finger and the sword dropped with a clank to the ground. Con bit his tongue and let the blood fill his mouth. Pain kept him focused. Pain kept him distracted. Pain gave him something beautiful to write about later. Picking his sword up from the ground, he sheathed it and began moving forward once more.
Eve stared at the small white cottage. It was like a little egg buried in a thatch of bushes. Strange, that a tiny structure would be tucked away in the woods like this. In fact, this entire realm felt strange. She wasn’t the only one with her hackles up.
Gabriel and the others’ posture screamed that they didn’t want to be there. Their eyes were hard. And their wings were stiff – which meant they were on edge. Was this place not as safe as she assumed? Why would they have come here if it wasn’t a good territory to stay in?
Because we’ve run out of options, she thought. Eve’s fists clenched. The sooner she learned to fight like a strong warrior, the sooner she could break off and survive on her own. But what of Lucifer?
Lucifer, however, was relaxed enough for his wings to sag and drag heavily on the ground. He liked it here. Perhaps that was because the sky stretched into space, the forests were thick and healthy, and wild things would naturally thrive in a territory this rich. If he’s happy here, then this is where we will stay, for however long we can get away with it. She didn’t want to think past the here and now. The future felt scary and uncertain.
“This is lovely,” she said, stepping into the cottage. There was one bed in the far-left corner. To the right was a table and chair. There was also a narrow counter on the back wall. Six windows brought in decent light. Oh, and a bowl on the floor. The cottage was simple, charming, and more than she could have ever dreamed for. “Does someone live here?”
“You do,” Lazarus smiled. “We all do.”
“Who was here before us?”
Laz plucked one of his golden feathers and twirled it between his fingers, not answering.
Eve’s gaze sailed over to Lucifer. He was scenting everything with a gleam in his eyes. The markings on his skin had faded. Was it because of this place or something within him? Holy shrike, her head was starting to hurt.
Stepping out of the cabin, she wrapped her arms around her chest and tucked her wings back. “Will you not come in?”
“There is no need,” Gabriel spoke for the others. “We must get back to the brotherhood. Michael’s fury will only grow the longer we stay away.”
Her heart raced, “I thought you said he would expect you to be gone until you brought Lucifer and I back in? Or at least Lazarus? Was that a lie?”
“Not hardly. Michael’s expectations are that we never fail, but we must also be efficient. Our time is up, Eve.” Gabriel’s exhaustion was even more pronounced when his wings sagged.
She didn’t want them to go yet. Actually, she didn’t want them to go at all. She liked having them all with her. Was that wrong? Wicked in some way? Selfish of her?
“What will-” Eve had to clear her dry throat, “What will happen when you return to the brotherhood?”
“We’ll know when we get there.”
“Can’t you just ask Lazarus to tell you? He knows all.”
Constantine shook his head, “Sometimes it’s best to not know.”
That didn’t make her feel any better about them leaving. “Stay,” she urged. “Stay with us. Don’t go back.”
“If we don’t go back, we’ll live in paranoia. It’s only a matter of time before Michael finds us.” Uriel explained, “It’s better to keep the damage contained, Eve.”
Damage contained. Now her heart stopped beating all together. She looked at each of their faces – Gabe’s broody glare, Constantine’s impassive, stoic expression, and Uriel’s hard lines and clenched jaw. Such fine warriors… strong, fierce, and—
“Eve, come here, Flower.” Lazarus called from inside the cottage.
She hesitated to answer him. Would these three males leave the minute she turned her back?
“Eve,” Lazarus called out again.
Damn her soul, she couldn’t fucking bring herself to turn around and speak. Instead, she latched onto Gabriel’s eyes and held his gaze. Rushing towards him, she grabbed the back of his neck and pressed her forehead to his. There were advantages to her height, and she intended to indulge right now. Looking him in the eyes, she squeezed the nape of his neck. “Why are you doing this?”
She caught him off guard. Good. She’d done nothing but watch and study Gabriel from the moment they met and she could sense there was so much more to him than he ever wanted to let shine. Over the past few days, she hadn’t just grown fond of these Angels. Eve had bonded with them. Living a day without them felt wrong. And what if they never come back?
“Don’t go.” She let her fear show. She wanted him to see it. Needed him to see it. “Stay.”
“I’m not an animal you can bark orders at,” Gabriel wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her hand off his neck. Then he stepped back. “When I was created, I was drawn to the brotherhood.” He took another step back. “I knew my place was there.”
Eve’s heart felt crushed and wrung dry as all three of them backed away from her. She dared not chase them down. She wasn’t going to beg. If they felt the need to leave, they were free to do so. Should they wish to go back and head Michael off on common ground, then fine. She’d train double hard with Lucifer and Lazarus and come when she could swing a deadly blow and be strong enough to take on the brotherhood too.
The three Angels turned their backs and walked away without even saying good-bye.
Eve took one step forward, “Will you be back?”
Gabriel was the only one to stop. He looked over his shoulder and said, “Yes.”
Her heart found breath again. “Prom
ise?”
His jaw clenched and he nodded once before walking away from her.
Eve felt out of control in a situation that very much needed a short leash and heavy bars to contain the chaos. Blowing out a heavy sigh, she needed to get right in the head. Training would start soon and they also had to forage for food and figure out how to survive in this realm.
She turned to head back into the house and ran smack into Lazarus’s chest. “Oomph!”
“Do not weep, Flower.”
“I’m not. I had something in my eye.” And stop calling me flower, it’s annoying.
Lazarus cupped her face, “He’ll be back. They all will.”
Hope shot through her like lightning. “You know that for sure? His mind is made up?”
“Like Gabriel said, he knows where he belongs. The others are the same.”
“And…. What of me? Lucifer? Where do we belong?” Surely it wasn’t here in this place. As beautiful as it was, she had no desire to stay there permanently.
Laz’s hand fell from her cheek, “The day is young, Flower. Your mind is too scattered. Come, let’s pluck some fruit and feast on the bounty of this paradise.”
“I’m not hungry,” she argued. Her appetite was shot the minute Gabe, Con, and Uri left.
“You are not the only one here,” he held the door open and stepped out of the way so Eve stared directly at Lucifer.
His wings sagged and dragged on the ground as he stared back at her. His skin darkened and eyes flashed red. She should have been scared of him, but wasn’t. Her Lucy would never harm her.
“Let’s get you something to eat, big guy.” She tugged him out the door, “How about you and I go on a hunt?”
Chapter 27
“We’re leaving her. Them. We’re leaving them,” Uriel stuttered as he kept up with his brothers. “We might never see them again. You realize that, right?”
“I’m not dying anytime soon and neither are the two of you,” Con grumbled.
“We should have stayed and made sure they had enough food, water, and warmth.”
Raise Hell Page 18
