Raise Hell

by Briana Michaels

  Lucifer followed Raphael, shoving Michael along with them. Lucifer wasn’t going to apologize for anything. He was doing right by the brotherhood even when many would have never done the same for him.

  Gabriel, Uriel, and Constantine stood together. “Will you return?” Constantine called out.

  “Yes.” Lucifer and Michael answered at the same time.

  Lucifer bit down on Michael’s neck hard enough to break the skin. He released his teeth and growled, “You will never see the light of day again.”

  Michael only laughed again. “I don’t need light, Lucifer. I don’t need anything from anyone. Never have and I’ve survived just fine. If you don’t kill me, I’ll be back. I promise you.”

  Luce didn’t keep the conversation going. If Michael wanted to hold onto the hope of one day getting out of the prison Lucifer had in store for him, then fine. That would be punishment enough – allowing someone to have hope before tossing them into an abyss of nothingness.

  Michael would be forced to cling to that hope until it turned against him.

  Lucifer knew that feeling well.

  Shoving Michael into the underground chamber, he ordered, “Empty this place. Break up the stone floor and pull up whatever he’s hidden there. Walls too. Leave this place in ruins.”

  Lucifer shoved Michael down onto his knees and yanked his arms up. “Cassian, give me that chain.”

  The Angel obeyed and pulled the blood-coated chains down to tie around Michael. “I bind you, Michael, from doing harm against yourself and harm against others.” Lucifer put every ounce of intent he could into those words. Wrapping the enchanted chains around Michael’s torso wasn’t nearly as satisfying as he wanted it to be.

  But when he put the thorny rope made of angel hair and poisonous barbs around Michael’s neck and pull-pull-pulled until Michael was dangling in the air and the barbs were piercing his neck? Well, that felt really fucking good.

  “How’s it feel?” he growled low in his throat. Lucifer forced himself to continue to stare at Michael while the bastard struggled to breathe. His legs kicked out while he choked. He suffered like that for much longer than Lucifer thought he’d be able to.

  All because he wasn’t going to kill Michael didn’t mean Lucifer couldn’t give him a taste. He released the angelic rope and let Michael drop to the ground with a thud.

  “Did you taste it?” he whispered in Michael’s ear. “Did you taste that sweet temptation of death’s embrace? The promise of no more pain, no more misery, no more suffering of this world’s depravity?”

  Michael choked and coughed.

  Lucifer stood back to deny the temptation to pull Michael’s ropes again. Once was enough to get his point across.

  Why isn’t Michael fighting back? Lucifer backed the fuck up and looked over at Raphael. The Angel was holding onto what was left of the wall, “Get out of here, Lucy.”

  “Are you sure about this?” They’d discussed it a dozen times – this plan of theirs. But now that it was put into action, Lucifer was starting to second guess himself. The choice of leaving Raphael in an imprisonment with Michael wasn’t going to be his. It was going to be Raphael’s. “We can help you. We can cleanse you of this power.”

  “It’s too late for me,” his voice was morphed and black blood dripped from his nose. “The more I fight it, the more I suffer. I’m tired of this life.”

  Lucifer’s heart felt brittle now. Of all the Angels to have connected with… why couldn’t he save Raphael too? “This cannot be your fate,” he whispered.

  “My fate… is… my own.” Raphael leaned against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut. “Chain me.”

  “NO!” Cassian yelled.

  “YES!” Raphael roared at him. “I will be Michael’s punishment. I’ll make sure he never escapes.”

  Lazarus looked around the room. “We need safe guards. Switches. Triggers.”

  Lucifer didn’t know what any of that meant.

  Meanwhile, Michael remained immobile with his arms tied and legs bound by enchanted chains. The ground started to crack beneath Lucifer’s feet. They needed to act fast before more went wrong.

  “Bring in Gabriel,” Lucifer commanded. “He’ll know how to secure this area.”

  Lazarus left and came back moments later with him. Holy Divine Light, Gabe looked awful. His head was cut in various places, one of his wings dangled by a small amount of muscle, and blood dripped down his legs and over his boots causing him to leave bloody boot prints. Uriel was right by his side, holding him up, and supporting much of his weight.

  “I’m here. What must I do?” Gabriel was out of breath.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “I’ve just been in battle, asshat.”

  “No,” Lucifer marched over and gently lifted Gabriel’s chin so he could see in the Angel’s eyes. They weren’t just bloodshot; they were turning black. “You’re tainted.”

  “I’ve just…taken back all the curses… of the Angels that survived. It’s… taking a toll… on my divinity right now.” Gabriel licked his cracked lips. “It’ll pass.”

  How could Lucifer ask Gabriel to lay upon this ground more curses? There was no way, not with the brother looking this awful.

  “Tell me what you need. The sooner this is done, the sooner we can leave.”

  Closing his eyes, Lucifer pressed his forehead to Gabriel’s and cupped the back of the Angel’s neck. “I hate to ask this. But we must put a curse upon this place. Secure it.” Before Gabriel could say a word about Lucifer’s demands, the Devil added, “I’m going in on this with you. The curse will not be yours to bear alone.” He’d never ask one of his brothers to do something he wasn’t willing to also do himself.

  “Are you sure about this?” Lazarus pressed.

  Lucifer wasn’t sure about anything anymore. But he needed to see Michael fall from grace. It was the only way the world – and everyone including the Angels – were going to be able to live in safety. Lucifer intended to paint the world in every color a soul had to offer… and Michael would never stop until the world was wiped clean and made white again.

  If it was a choice between damning one Angel to save the lives of many, he’d do it.

  In. A. Heartbeat.

  “Ready, Gabriel?”

  The Angel nodded and the two of them set to work.

  Chapter 61

  Eve finished wrapping Rave’s wounds. She’d made a poultice to plug some of the holes from the arrows because the damned things had been dipped in a poisonous plant. Eve wasn’t educated on plants like she with animals, so she had to do some guessing on what herbs to use.

  “When Con returns, he’ll be able to fix you right up.” She tried to offer a convincing smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sure these herbs will keep you steady until then.”

  Up ahead, she saw blurry movement. Squinting against the rising sun, it was hard to see anything but large silhouettes and tremendous-sized wings.

  Her heart leapt out of her chest and she darted towards her pack. “Lucy!” she ran several feet before flying the rest of the way. “Gabriel! Uriel! Constantine!”

  They didn’t fly to her like she thought they might. It made her worried. Were they that injured? Shit! The sun was bright and blinding, she couldn’t see them well at all to tell if they were hurt. Shielding her eyes with both hands, she dropped down in the center of them and rubbed her eyes to clear the white spots in her vision. “I was so worried,” she huffed.

  The silhouettes turned to faces and wings and hands and chests.

  It turned into blood and blades and growls and malice.

  Eve screamed as one of the warriors grabbed her wings and snapped them both so she couldn’t fly away, but another Angel shoved a gag in her mouth and hit the side of her head. Eve fell to the ground with a grunt - her world turned black.

  “Rise,” a female’s commanding voice forced Eve’s eyes to open.

  Her body ached like she’d been beaten with tree branches.
That wouldn’t have been the first time either, so she was familiar with the sensation of deep bruises. But never had she felt so fucking drained like this.

  “Merri,” her voice was scratchy. “What’s… what’s happening?”

  “A reckoning,” Merri lowered herself down to be eye-level with Eve on the ground. “Your reckoning.”

  The sun shone so bright, her eyes stung and watered. When she tried to scramble away from Merri, Eve screamed out in pain. Looking down, she saw both of her legs were laying at odd angles. A wave of nausea swirled up her stomach and she heaved.

  Someone’s boots moved out of the way of her vomit. Black boots. Warrior boots.

  “I’m so sorry,” Rave said. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted Lilith back.”

  Eve’s chin quivered. She couldn’t bear to look at him, so she chose to stare at the ones who kidnapped and brought her back to this Hell hole of a sect. Six Angels… not four… stood with scowls on their faces. They were all beaten and bloody, sporting broken bones and busted faces themselves.

  “I hope it hurts,” Eve half-chuckled. “I hope they come back and finish you all.”

  “They’re dead,” one spat. “Lucifer and those other disgraces are all dead. Michael killed each of them.”

  Eve bit back her laugh. She knew they were lying. The sliver of Lucifer’s soul was still tucked away in her and so long as she could feel that – and the others – then she’d go to her grave knowing they were still out there.

  Another terrible pain racked through her body and she convulsed on the ground. Digging one barefoot into the grass, even her toes curled with the agony of it. Then it eased and she was able to breathe.

  “It’s not working,” Merri frowned.

  Eve blinked hard and saw souls – both innocent and evil, were being held by her former sisters of the Purity Sect. Their white cloaks were stained with residue seeping out of the evil souls.

  “What should we do with these creatures then?” one of the warriors said.

  “Time to go with plan C,” Merri hissed.

  Plan C? “What happened to plans A and B?” Merri kicked Eve in the face for talking and blood spurted out of her mouth.

  “Now look what you did. My cloak is soiled with your filth.” Merri kicked her again, and this time broke Eve’s jaw.

  “You’re one vicious female,” one of the male warriors said.

  Merri huffed, “Who do you think taught Michael?”

  That shut everyone up.

  Eve rolled over and swayed on her hands and knees. She couldn’t just lay there and get beaten like a dog.

  “Send the souls back. Once Eve dies, the souls will die too. I doubt she’ll perish in these lands. Our energy is too strong, it’ll keep her alive even if it’s just barely.”

  Yeah, because Merri tried that once already. Its why Eve ran and sought out the brotherhood for defense lessons.

  Merri smoothed down her blood-stained white cloak. “Beat her until she barely breathes, then toss her body into the human realm with no chance of returning. I fear even keeping her corpse here will draw the attention of those abominations to our purest land.”

  Eve’s blood boiled. If she was going down, she was taking Merri out with her.

  It was the greatest sin of all – killing an Angel. But Eve could think of no better way to die than as a full-blown, teeth bared, fuck-her-woes, middle-finger-saluting sinner of the righteous and raging variety.

  Broken bones or not, Eve closed her eyes and forced every ounce of strength she had into her arms. Just like Lazarus taught her about envisioning that crackling ball of energy to help others, she now morphed that power into something poisonous.

  All her hate and sorrow, her regrets and resentment, her sadness and grief, spun it into a hot ball of wrath that burned her body up.

  With a wild scream, Eve lunged at Merri. Propelling herself forward with the use of her broken wings, Eve crawled and dragged herself towards Merri and grabbed the bitch’s ankles.

  Then she used every trick she learned from watching her beloved warriors train and, with some serious effort and a small miracle, she finally managed to get Merri on the ground.

  That was all Eve needed to turn into a fucking monster. Clawing her way up Merri’s body, Eve saw red. Far away, voices hollered and carried on, but no one stopped Eve and none of them helped Merri.

  Eve knew why too – if Merri was taken out, the sisters would be free of her cruelty. Someone else could take over. It was no better here than it was in the Protection Sect; it was only assumed this place was better. But grass wasn’t greener on the other side. The warriors who thought they could ally with Merri would soon see the grass wasn’t green at all. It was red.

  Red with sin and blood and rage and pain.

  This world needed to end. This reign of Angels needed to die out.

  May the righteous forever rule and all others know their fucking place.

  A surge of energy boosted Eve’s passion into a white-hot fury that lashed out and tore Merri’s flesh like a barbed whip.

  This powerful level of unholy fury had no understanding. No conscience. No mercy. No guilt. It was hateful and destructive. Cold and cruel. It was unstoppable. Unquenchable. And damned her soul, but Eve was going to wield it for however long she could.

  Merri deserved a thousand deaths. And Eve intended to give them to her.

  “Enough!” someone roared. “Eve st—”

  Whoever that was, his voice cut off.

  Eve. Kept. Tearing.

  She clawed at Merri’s face. She bit at her neck. Punched her belly. Pounded on her ribs until they broke and punctured her lungs. Blood sprayed out of Merri’s mouth.

  Eve screamed and swore as she slammed her fist into whatever piece of Merri’s body she could. Years of pent up resentment rushed out of Eve like a force of nature that only knew how to destroy what was in front of it. She hit Merri for everything that bitch had done to not just Eve, but to Lilith and all the other sisters who died by Merri’s cruel, punishing hands.

  Victorious, Eve sucked in a lungful of air, arched her back, and howled. Then she felt her body jerk up and suddenly she was being dragged away again.

  “NO! NO! NO!” she twisted and tried to escape, but it was no use. The minute she was no longer touching Merri, the fight in Eve died. The violent power that ruled her, abandoned Eve on her next scream.

  Realizing what was happening, she sucked in ragged breaths and tried to twist herself free. Her jaw hurt. Her legs hurt. Her fucking eyes stung and lungs burned.

  “Get off her!” Someone yelled. “That’s not necessary! Stop!”

  Rave, his voice barely registered in Eve’s fuzzy head. The bastard. Rave was no better than the rest of these traitors.

  Something sharp slammed into Eve’s back and she looked down half-expecting to see the tip of a blade protrude from her chest. When she saw nothing, she figured they hadn’t yet shoved it all the way through.

  Her spine snapped and stars burst in her vision. Eve’s head snapped to the side with the next blow to her face and she went blind from it. Someone kicked her and she fell into the dirt.

  Fighting Merri was a fair war to wage, but Eve couldn’t stand a chance against a group of male Angel warriors.

  Her bones broke.

  Her skull cracked.

  Those males beat on her for so long, they’d tired out long before she would give up her life. The worst of it wasn’t that she didn’t have the strength to fight back, it was the unknown of where they would hit her next.

  Eve clung to every ounce of strength she had left in her. There was barely enough to groan with. Still… she clung.

  “Merri’s right,” one of them said. “We need to get her into the human realm. She’ll die there.”

  “Don’t!” Rave yelled.

  Then Eve heard him scream and the sound of flesh pounding on flesh. There was another wave of shouts, but Eve lost her focus and retreated into the safe space in her min
d. Darkness took her, swaddling her in a chilly embrace.

  Lucy. She wished she could have seen him fight.

  Gabriel. She wished she could have seen him smile just once.

  Uriel. She wished she could have held him one more night.

  Constantine. She wished she could hear his soft voice one more time.

  But it was too late now.

  When Eve woke, she could barely breathe. Her lungs were punctured. Her eyes had healed enough for her to see a fraction of her surroundings, but the smells of wherever she was weren’t familiar.

  Holy Merciful Light, her head throbbed. Every molecule she owned vibrated in distress. Rolling over, her wings crunched and felt shattered. She could only use one arm, the other was broken in three spots and the bones stuck out of her skin. Blood stained the dirt under her.

  She was a mess.

  The moon hung high above her head and she stared at the star she was named after.

  Shit. They’d put her in the human world. She had no hope of being found here.

  Would Lazarus tell them where she was? No. He wouldn’t tell them anything because what would be the point? Lazarus would have known about this. He knew exactly how Eve would die. And he’d not warned her at all. Her heart shattered. He didn’t tell me, she thought. He knew this would happen and he didn’t tell me. She couldn’t tell if that was a blessing or not right now.

  A tear slid down her swollen face.

  Maybe it was best this way. She caused more trouble than she was worth and her death would be a service unto the realms – both Angelic and human.

  But damn, she was going to die alone. Eve could barely handle the hollowness in her chest. That pain was ten times worse than everything else wrong with her right now. She hated being alone more than anything.

  I want my pack.

  A low growl signaled Eve wasn’t as alone as she thought. Craning her neck towards that growl, Eve’s breaking heart jumped and skipped into panic-mode. A pack of wolves prowled closer. Each one bared their teeth and their hair stood on end. A snarling black one – the alpha – dipped his head down and licked his chops.