Lailah looked at Lucifer with what Hunter could only explain as awe, then slowly shook her head. “Hunter was only trying to save me, I will take his punishment.”
Hunter rolled his eyes, and turned back to his father. “Don’t listen to her. I will take my punishment.”
Lucifer held up his hand, “This pleading is disgusting, I make the decisions here.”
“You don’t get to just pop into Hell and then run out with your tail tucked between your legs. Did you think you could just run away and I wouldn’t know you were here?” Lucifer’s voice had risen to the point he was screaming the last part. Even Dante took a step back, the shadows peeled away. “The darkness grows in the mortal plane, and Dante is losing control of the Infernos. You all think I sit in Hell and know little if nothing of what goes on in the world around me.”
“No one believes that Lucifer,” Dante said. “We all know what you are capable of.”
“The gods of old may have fallen to the wayside, but I remain,” Lucifer said his chest swelling he grew several feet in height and width. “Do you know why, Dante?”
Dante took another step back a hand shooting out he moved Hunter with him. “Why, My Lord?” Dante asked.
“Because I do not cow to the whims of man, Other, or gods.” Lucifer bellowed. Hunter bowed when Dante did. His eyes shifted to Lailah who was staring open mouthed at Lucifer. “The punishment will fit the crime, and more will come as the mortal plane deserves to be punished for the actions they are perpetrating. Do you understand me Dante?” Lucifer asked between gritted teeth.
“Yes I understand, My Lord.” Dante said.
“You have been guarding the Gates of Hell a long time, Hunter,” Lucifer said to Hunter. “It’s time you fully understood what you are guarding it from.”
Lucifer reached out a hand for Hunter and Lailah let out a horrified scream when Dante stepped forward. “I will take the punishment. It is because of me my offspring have become so lax in judgment they feel they can break the sacred barriers of Hell.” Dante pushed Hunter closer to the Gates, “I will suffer the punishment.”
Lucifer regarded Dante closely, then reached over and took Dante by the arm. Dante visible shivered. “I have longed to have you as a guest in Hell, Dante. Are you sure this is what you want?”
Dante’s nose flared and Hunter could see his father was holding something back but he nodded at the ruler of Hell and then turned back to Hunter.
Hunter was about to protest, when Dante turned his head and shook it ever so slightly.
Lucifer turned to Hunter, “Leave now, and do not return unless you are prepared to suffer for eternity.” Lucifer pointed at the Gates and they groaned and creaked as they started to open. “And keep that Angel out of Hell as well.”
Hunter hesitated, but Dante again shook his head. “Victor will be in charge while I am gone.” With that he turned back to Lucifer and with a swirl of smoke they were gone. Hunter rushed through the gates as the shadows closed in around him snapping and biting.
He barreled into Lailah taking them both to the dirt as he came through the gates. They slammed shut behind him.
He sat up and looked at the gates, “Shit.”
“What now?” Lailah asked.
Hunter turned to her, “I have no idea,” Hunter said honestly. He had never known a time when Dante hadn’t been in the Infernos. He would need to let his brothers know what had happened to him and why. They wouldn’t be happy, but he looked at Lailah and thanked the gods she was safe. Lucifer could have asked for her soul. Or he could have asked for Hunter’s soul. But Dante had risked it all to save Lailah and Hunter.
“Dante sacrificed himself for me,” Hunter said honestly. Then turned back to the gates, “And I can’t do anything about it.”
Lailah wrapped her arms around him, “He must really love you.”
Hunter snorted, “Don’t ever let him hear you say something so sentimental. He would rather cut your tongue out or his own.”
“But you said yourself. Love has made you a stronger person,” Lailah reminded him.
Hunter nodded and leaned in to kiss her on the nose, “I can say that I’m just a Reaper. Dante on the other hand is the ruler over all the Infernos. He doesn’t have those type of feelings,” Hunter said.
Lailah burst out laughing, and for a moment Hunter forgot about all the other bullshit that was plaguing them. “I love you, Lailah,” he said kissing her more deeply.
“I love you too, Hunter,” she said once she was able to pull away from him. “But we should maybe take this somewhere other than within the shadows of the Gates of Hell please.”
Hunter looked up and couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up, “You don’t want to make love in the shadows of the Gates of Hell?” he asked nuzzling her just under her ear. “It could be really hot.”
Lailah sighed and shifted so he had better access to her neck, “As hot as that sounds. The reality of it, leaves a lot to be desired. There are things watching from the shadows of Hell. And I’m not so sure about the shadows of Treachery either,” Lailah said looking around her.
This time Hunter really was laughing, he was laughing so hard he fell back with his hands wrapped around his stomach. “Sweetheart, I’m not sure about what is in the shadows of Hell. But I can promise you there is nothing good in the shadows of Treachery,” he finally said.
Lailah straddled him, and Shifted them both to his room in the apartment overlooking the valley of Treachery. “Now that’s the truth if I’ve ever heard it.”
Epilogue 1
“It’s not that far,” Hunter said again.
“It’s six stories,” Lailah screamed. Her eyes as wide as saucers. “What part of I’m terrified of heights don’t you understand?”
“You realize you have wings right?” Hunter said for what seemed like the hundredth time. “You need to learn to fly.”
“Why?” Lailah asked. “I don’t want to fly. I shouldn’t have to learn how to fly. I can Shift anywhere I need to go.” She gave Hunter a large smile. “Or.” She drew the word out. “You can Flash us. I love my wings but really they are just for show or protection.” With that she turned and walked away from the edge of her apartment building. She was glad to be back home in Chicago now that the whole business with Grayson was taken care of, she and Hunter had found a new apartment for her. And she still had her fantastic job at the bookstore. Which was totally amazing because if she had to be an earthbound Arch Angel at least she could attempt to live a normal life. Hunter thought it was all useless and tried to get her to quit every day. But she wouldn’t have it.
Now if she could just convince Hunter she really didn’t need to learn to fly she would be golden. There were so many different ways to travel in this day in age. Wings were so unnecessary.
Hunter grabbed her from behind and picked her up, cradling her in his arms. He kissed her nose. “You know how much I love you right?” he asked.
Lailah wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, “Of course I do.”
Lailah let him kiss her for several minutes. In fact for just a moment she forgot where she was, so lost in the heat of the kiss.
When Hunter pulled away his eyes were dark with passion. “I love you.” he whispered again.
Lailah smiled for him. “I love you too.”
“Remember that,” he said kissing her on the nose.
Lailah was about to ask what he meant by that when Hunter tossed her out into the sky. For several seconds Lailah hung in the air before she flailed everything, in her mad scramble for purchase in a world without footing. Even her mind stopped working. Her eyes were held by Hunter, and so full of love. But there was something else there, something she hadn’t expected to see: Hunter believed in her, Lailah had a spilt-second where she thought I’m going to let him down. Then something happened as gravity took over and she started to fall. Then everything fell into place, like all the puzzle pieces clicked and locked.
Hunter shouted something
Lailah couldn’t hear, she wasn’t sure if it was because of the sound of her heart beating in her ears. Or the sound of her own screams piercing the night. That drowned out everything else, but the moment she realized she was falling, falling to the earth that was six stories below. Lailah felt her wings sprout from her back and she threw her arms out at the same time. As if they would catch her along with her wings, when they expanded and contracted several times, and it took her breath away.
When Lailah opened her eyes she was several feet above the sidewalk. She glared at it like it was going to reach up and bite her.
Hunter Flashed down from the roof and appeared in front of her with a huge smile on his face, “I knew you could do it.”
Lailah punched him in the nose, snapping his head back.
“I totally deserved that,” Hunter said his hand holding his nose.
“I’m not speaking to you,” Lailah said landing in front of him. “That was the rudest thing you have ever done to me. You threw me off the roof,” Lailah said pointing up to the roof like Hunter didn’t know where it was.
“You needed to conquer your fear, sweetheart,” Hunter said wiggling his nose. She should have hit him harder she hadn’t even given him a bloody nose.
Lailah felt her mouth drop open. “And you thought tossing me off the roof would help me conquer my fear of heights?”
“Don’t you feel better knowing you can fly?” Hunter asked.
Lailah shook her head, “NO!” she shouted. “Whether I can fly is neither here nor there. I am afraid of heights,” she screamed.
Hunter shook his head, “Who ever heard of an Angel that was afraid of heights?”
Lailah slapped him on the chest, “I was afraid of heights before I became an Angel, so I think they might have broken the mold when they made me.”
Hunter gathered her into his arms and tried to kiss her but she avoided him. “You can say that again. What can I do to make up for this?”
Lailah shook her head, “I can fly, okay great. Let’s try and not cure me of my issue with heights.”
Hunter nodded, “I promise to never throw you off a building again.”
Lailah pulled out of his arms, “You have a lot of making up for this one, buddy.” She gave him a wicked grin and turned to go back into her apartment building. “I think I know just the way you can do it too.”
Hunter had to jog to keep up with her, “And that would be?”
Lailah looked over her shoulder giving him a decidedly un-Angel like smile and a wink. “You’ll have to catch me to see.” Then she was running up the stairs to her apartment.
Hunter let her get a head start, then started to take the stairs two at a time. He knew she would eventually let him catch her. She may be an Angel but she had a very wicked streak that kept him up at night strung tight for more. And they both knew it. Gods he loved her so much, he didn’t know what he would do without her in his life. Thank the gods he would never find out.
The only dark spot in his life was it had been six weeks and there had been no sign of Dante. His brothers understood what Dante had done for Hunter. But it still didn’t sit well with Hunter, and late at night Hunter would often find himself standing and staring at the Gates of Hell wondering what the hell was happening to his father and praying to whatever Gods would listen that Dante would come out of this intact. And soon, because Hunter was pretty sure the longer Dante remained in Hell, the worse it made Hunter feel.
And no matter what his brothers said Hunter blamed himself for everything that happened to Dante while he was being punished by Lucifer. And that tore at Hunters soul.
“Hunter?” Lailah called from the door of her apartment.
Hunter shook off his musing, there was nothing he could do for Dante right now. He stuffed down his worry, he would do whatever he needed to do for his father whenever Dante emerged from Hell. Hunter just hoped it was sooner rather than later.
Taking the last couple of stairs he got to Lailah’s door, she held the door for him. Dangling a blind fold from her fingers she raised one eyebrow.
“Are you ready for your punishment?” she asked her voice already husky and full of passion.
Hunter’s entire body tensed and responded immediately. “You’re going to kill me one of these days.”
Lailah launched herself into his arms, “Oh but think of the pleasure we are going to give each other as we go.”
She kissed him long and hard before peeling herself off of him and then taking him by the hand leading him to the bedroom. Hunter knew he would follow her back to the pits of Hell itself if she asked. He had always thought love was such a weak emotion but he had been so wrong. Love had given him strength beyond anything he had ever imagined.
Epilogue 2
It wasn’t the flogging that hurt, not even the salt in the wounds. It was the damn images Lucifer threw at me while he was fucking doing it. The bastard knew how to fuck with you. And he laughed while he did it.
How long had it been? An hour? A day? A week, month, a year? Shit, Lucifer could go at you for a century and you wouldn’t know it. Maybe I shouldn’t have laughed during the first flogging, that might have pushed the sick bastard over the edge. That’s when the salt had come in, the salt and the images.
Now all I had was the pain, the pain and her. But was she real? Or was she a means to an end for Lucifer to push me to my limit, and beyond?
God’s please let her be real. Because if I wake up from this hell and she isn’t real. I might actually lose what little sanity I have left.
Acknowledgment
As an Indie author I cannot publish a book without the help of a slew of people and I can’t begin to name them all here.
Also I can't thank my beta-readers enough they see things that I miss even though I read through the manuscript countless times.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
To Jaycee my cover artist and all things art related you bring my visions to life.
To my twitter writing friends who teach me knew things every day.
To my husband and kids. You are so important to me. I couldn't do this without your love and support.
And last but certainly not least. To my FANS you guys rock and give me the drive to continue writing.
I am sure I have missed some one, so if I haven't mentioned you I sincerely apologize!!
—Christie
About Christie
Christie was born and raised in Utah. Where she still lives less than a mile from the home she grew up in. However, she loves to travel and can be found lounging on the beach at least once a year.
But her traveling spirit is not just contained to the earthly plane, she can often be caught traveling somewhere in her imagination. And within her vivid imagination she has traveled the world over as well as different worlds and different times.
Christie works a full time day job, in IT that she loves and it’s a good thing because it pays the bills.
Christie is a loving mother of two wonderful children that she admits she is obsessed with. She has been married for 20+ years to a very tolerant man who is grounded in reality in order for her to fly to the heights of her own imagination.
Christie started writing when she was a teenager after reading a book she admits she didn't like the ending too. Took a hiatus to raise her wonderful children but has dedicated herself to becoming a published writer for the last several years publishing 4 novels. Christie believes every character deserves a happy ever after, and takes it upon herself to re-write books that don’t give her satisfactory endings. If only for her own amusement.
Christie loves to hear from her fans so look her up on Facebook and Twitter. She tries to write back to each and every inquiry.
FIND Christie here:
Website: www.author-christiepalmer.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorchristiepalmer/
Twitter: @christieauthor
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/11563672-christie-palmer
Christie Palmer, Reaper Dreaming: A Reaper Novel
Reaper Dreaming: A Reaper Novel Page 33
