I glance up from the table, and all four sets of eyes are boring into me. I see the questions on their lips, but I hold up a finger.
“I didn’t agree with her. I thought something simple would work—even a tainted apple from the tree would have worked. But she was persistent. When I was devising a plan, so was she. She walked out into the field, showing Adam her true self. He was awestruck the minute his eyes landed on her, and they fucked. Lilith in spiritual form, once a human sees her, they become hers. But we didn’t know this at the time, so she made a deal with Adam and she created the first sin. Lust. Father’s wrath was almost immediate. When we were summoned back upstairs, Lilith begged me to take the blame, saying she couldn’t lose him. That he would understand and go easier on me. Well, that was the understatement of the century. I was cast to Hell in front of everyone. My brothers laughed, the other angels shunned me, my own mother turned a blind eye. As I was falling, I didn’t quite make it to Hell right away.”
“What? Where did you go?” Levi interrupts.
A sad smile graces my lips. “I fell to Earth. Somehow Lilith interrupted the portal path to Hell. She met me in the forest, thanking me for taking the blame and promising she’d talk my father out of my punishment. I believed her. Until a century past, then another, and another. I was livid by this time and, well…”
“Well?” Lex inquires.
“Yeah, what happened next?” Levi asks.
“I found a way back to Heaven and told Father what Lilith did.”
A chair clanks as it falls out from under Levi. Apparently, he’d been balancing on the edge the entire time. His head pops up from the edge of the table. “Holy shit. How did you get back to Heaven from Hell? There’s no portal there?”
A soft chuckle slips past my lips. “Not anymore there’s not. Father used to send Samiel or Michael down every ten years to see how things were going. I was told to never use it myself or it would disappear forever. But I was furious for being betrayed.”
“What did he do when he found out about Lilith?” Ryce jumps in.
Glancing his way, I see him leaning toward the table, his chin resting on steepled fingers. “He banished me back and took away the portal along with any visits from my own family. I heard through the souls crossing over that evil was running rampant after that on Earth. Then, we got our first deader a decade later. I guess he believed me to some point, but he still blamed me for everything. So, I sat in Hell alone, with no one but the souls until you all showed up. Then the demons came next, and you know the rest.”
“So, what does this have to do with Lilith and now?” Aries says, completely missing the point of the story.
“Didn’t you hear her? Lilith is pissed. First off, she caused sin and should have been banned to Hell over Lucia, but she also is pissed because how else would Lucia’s dad know about her betrayal unless it came from Lucia herself?” Lex sums it all up.
“She’s pissed and on a warpath to destroy me. It’s not a coincidence she’s in the same city at the same time I escape Hell, again. She was tipped off. By who, I don’t know for sure yet, but I have a feeling it was the bartender who killed me. But she’s searching for me.” A chill spreads down my spine at the thought of her wrath being directed at me.
“First things first, we need to ward the shit out of this place.” Levi jumps up. “Then, we need to get Lucia back to Hell before Lilith can get her revenge.”
They all nod in agreement, and I can’t help but nod too. I definitely need to get out of here before she finds me.
18
The wards aren’t as strong as they should be. I can feel the magic electrifying the air, but it’s a light dull instead of the force field they usually are. Levi pants as he places the last protection spell around the windows. “That should do it.”
“The fact our powers are dulled makes me wonder what else we’re losing being trapped up here. This is the longest we’ve gone without a connection to Hell.” Aries places his last ward around the front door.
“With all the research I’ve done, none of the books have even mentioned a portal, let alone us in their writings. I don’t even know where to begin.” Lex shuts his computer and rubs his face with his hand.
The defeat is evident on all of their faces. Even I’m scared at being trapped here any longer. “Did you check the library for answers?” I ask while flipping through the television channels. Anything to take my mind off my impending death.
“Why would we look there when we have the internet at our fingertips here?” Ryce says. “There’s more recent information online than any old dusty library would have.”
I land on a news station, the headlines covering a local mass shooting. But instead of one gunman, there were six. As fear roots in my chest, I fight the urge to stab something. “When Levi and I went, I found a few old books in the reserved section of the library. You can’t check them out, but you can research there at one of the desks. A few of them are the first editions of our history.”
“Are they the real deal or what humans were told to write?” Lex sits forward, his excitement hard to contain.
“They’re real. They’re the ones Father sent to Earth to be found by man. Unfortunately, man thought they knew better, and they wrote their own versions of the stories. These ones are the truth. They might have something in there about all of this.” I lean forward as I catch a glimpse of a blonde-haired, onyx-eyed female standing in the crowd outside of the mass shooting. “And if that has any indication of what’s to come, we better get to researching.”
They all glance to the television, Lilith staring back at them from the crowd, a smirk pulled at her lips. She’s holding a candle that depicts an image of me on it as an angel praying. She’s calling me out, baiting me to come to her.
“What part of the library are the books located in?” Lex asks, but he doesn’t take his eyes off the TV.
“The reserved section is up the stairs and to the right toward the back when you enter the building. Third shelf down, last two books on the right.” I turn to face him, but he’s gone. “Where’d he go?”
Within moments, Lex is back holding both books in his hands. He places them on the coffee table like he’s laying down a newborn child. “I can’t believe these are here. We were told they were lost ages ago.”
I wait to see if he’s going to caress it and call it precious like a movie I glimpsed while flipping channels the other day. He gently lifts the cover and turns to the first page. It’s written in the original language of the gods.
“What are the chances this would be here at the same time as Lilith and me?” I can’t help but wonder what actually is happening right now. None of this is normal, and I have a hard time believing it is a coincidence.
“Zero. This was put here on purpose.” Aries picks up the second book and flips through it like it’s a phone book.
“Be careful with that! These are the only copies in existence.” Lex takes the book from him and lays it out on the table.
“It’s not a fucking baby, it’s a book. It’s meant to be read.” Ryce flips the book around to face him and starts thumbing through the pages.
Lex groans as he watches his precious books being manhandled. “At least don’t rip the pages. There might be something we need on there, and until I can translate it, we need to keep them intact.”
I raise my eyebrows and stare at him. “You can’t read it?”
He shakes his head, squinting at the page he has opened. “This dialect was before our time.”
I place my hand on the book and pull it toward me, gently. “Let me.” I glance at the pages, flipping through until I find what I need. “It says here that the light of God and darkness of evil must coexist until the time comes for one to rule the other.”
Silence surrounds me as I read the next line. “The angel of living has the passage written for the worthy one to follow.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Ryce grumbles.
“It’s a fucking
riddle, which with your father doesn’t surprise me. So we’re nowhere further than we were before.” Aries sighs as he leans back with his hands on his head.
“Yeah, I guess this was a waste.” I close the book and place it on the table. “I’m going to get some rest. I just need some time to process this all.” Standing, I head toward the bedroom.
“Do you need anything or any company?” Levi suggests as he smiles.
“Nah, I just need to be alone for a bit. If you come in here, I doubt I’d be resting much.” I smile and wink before shutting the door on their stunned faces. When they don’t follow, I let out a deep breath. I didn’t think it would be this easy. I was waiting for the thousand questions from Aries, but they let me go. Maybe they’re so confused and at a loss, that they can’t see through me. I flip the lock and shove a pillow by the crack of the door. I would try to soundproof the room, but I can feel my magic is almost gone. Burning Aries’ hand earlier took everything in me to summon that little amount of magic. In fact, the amount I was trying to use should have caught him completely on fire. I sit on the edge of the bed, biting my lip as I debate about what I’m ready to do. If the guys find out, they’re going to flip.
With a deep breath, I relax my body as I try to summon my brother Michael.
Sweat is dripping down my face, my skin is clammy, and I’m emotionally exhausted. Yet, not a single signal called my brother. I used to be able to reach out my magic and make a quick connection; right now I can’t even muster the strength to get a drop of magic to appear. Lying back on the bed, I wonder what’s happening. Lilith could potentially close the portal, even though I doubt she did, but she doesn’t have the ability to take away my magic. Only angels or higher can disturb the divine’s abilities, but Lilith is under an angel. She’s part demon, part human. She was never truly divine, which makes me wonder what Dad ever saw in her. Pushing back a strand of hair that’s plastered on my face, I blow out a deep breath. The guys have enough on their plate; they don’t need to worry more about my powers dissipating. I think this is one secret I can keep to myself.
19
The guys have barricaded us in this tiny apartment, and my claustrophobia that I swear I’m developing is kicking in. It’s been an entire week of us just sitting here, day in and day out, nothing new to determine where or what Lilith is up to. I toss the apple into the air and catch it, tossing it over and over. I’m debating on chucking it at one of their heads to get them to do something other than stare at their computer screens. If I have to listen to the click, click, click of their fat fingers hitting a keyboard for much longer, I’m going to chop them off at the knuckles.
“I need to get out of here. Do something fun, before I murder one of you just for entertainment,” I say nonchalantly as I continue playing catch with the fruit. “There’s been nothing happening, I think it’s safe to say she doesn’t know where we are. So let’s go do something. Please?”
“No,” Aries says without even glancing at me. Grinding my teeth, I grip the apple. Pulling it back, I get ready to launch it at his head. A warm hand wraps around mine before I let go, stopping my assault with a deadly fruit.
“She’s right. Sitting in here is helping nothing. We’re all going stir-crazy. We need to get out of here for a bit,” Ryce states, taking the apple from my fingers.
“We need to take her out to the club!” Levi cheers, his enthusiasm brightening the room.
“No” is all Aries responds while flipping through his phone.
“They have a point. Besides, what’s the harm in going to the club? We have people there we can trust, plus she deserves to try a little of the human lifestyle she craves.” Lex winks at me. My stomach flips with excitement as I watch Aries pinch the bridge of his nose.
“I promise, I’ll stay with you the whole time. And we can leave as soon as you want to,” I squeal. “Please?” Begging isn’t usually my thing, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus, I can’t break the wards on the place without my magic, and there’s no need to tell the guys I lost that too.
He lets out a sigh and runs his hand through his hair. “Fine, but the minute I say we’re leaving, we leave.”
A girly squeak pops out of my lips as I lunge at him from my seat and wrap my arms around his neck. “Thank you! I promise I’ll leave whenever you want.” I squeeze him before jumping up and running to the room to get dressed.
“I mean it. No arguments,” Aries calls out. “We leave in ten.” No problem with me—I can be ready in two if it gets me the heck out of this place.
The club, as they called it, is a huge dance floor surrounded by writhing bodies and tons of liquor. My eyes widen as the humans laugh and grind on each other to the beat of the thumping music. I can smell the lust in the air; breathing in, I let the scent soak into me, causing a slight buzz to my body. My pupils dilate, allowing me see in the dark room the faint outlines of red surrounding multiple people. Taking another deep breath, I breathe in the lust again, as it hit me like a drug. This is even better than alcohol.
“Why are some of these people glowing red?” I yell out over the music.
“What?” Levi calls back.
“She asked why there’s red people here I think,” Lex shouts as he takes a sip of his blue fancy-looking drink.
Ryce butts in, “She asked why some of them are glowing red. You all need your hearing checked.”
My body starts to sway to the music, the feelings in the air and the beat beneath my feet pull me onto the dance floor. The air is humming with excitement, my body craving more of the energy around us. I move away from the guys. I know in my head I need to stay with them, but my body has a mind of its own. I stop in the middle of the crowd, where the feelings are ten times stronger. Swaying my hips, I close my eyes, letting myself soak in every little bit of desire around me. My stomach heats as the music gets louder, the vibrations tickling my skin with each beat of the bass. A laugh slips past my tingling lips.
“I told you to stay close to us,” Aries’ deep voice whispers in my ear. My legs start to feel wobbly and my head light with the overdose of emotions. Leaning back against him, I rest my body on his chest as I continue to sway, as he holds up part of my weight. His hands slide to my hips, moving with my own rhythm. I can still feel the humans around me, but the feeling of desire has increased. Biting my lip, I fight the urge to lean back farther into him with my hips.
“I couldn’t help it,” I breathe out, my body running on high. “I had to get on the dance floor. It was calling to me.” I try to pull myself away from him to give us space, but his hands stay locked on my hips. He pulls me backward into him, letting me feel every inch of his body against mine. A moan slips past my lips as I grind myself against him. The buzz on my skin and tingle in my body intensifies, the desire now flowing off us. I know I should move, that if this was any of the others it wouldn’t be this awkward, but I want to be here. I lean my head back against his chest, breathing him in.
His lips brush my ear as he whispers, “It’s the lust in the air. I forgot how this would affect you. Or the effect you’d have on everyone around you.”
“What do you mean?” I can feel his body tighten as I run my hands against his hips.
“Lust is a sin. You’re the protector of Hell where sinned souls go. You can feel the life in them up here, so it fuels you.” His grip tightens as I turn in his arms, resting my hands on his stomach. His burning eyes trace a line from my face to my lips. I reach up and run my fingers along his neck, wrapping my arms around him. Before I can pull him closer, his hands grasp my wrists and hold them still. I watch as he struggles with his decision. My entire body burns, craving his touch. “I should walk away.”
“What if I don’t want you to?” I breathe. My tongue darts out across my lips as I think of what he’d taste like.
His pupils turn orange, before he quickly shuts his eyes. Pulling my hands away, he gently places them at his side. “I need to.” He walks away, leaving me alone on the dance f
loor; hot and flushed, needing him even more.
As he disappears into the crowd and the music changes to a slower song, my pulse races with the increased endorphins in the air. My body starts to sway again as I fall back under the blissful spell of need. I dance, letting my nerves soak in every feeling throughout the room. Every secret touch or hidden kiss fuels my high. A set of hands rest on my hips again, moving with me to the beat. I don’t open my eyes. I can’t fight the calming effect currently buzzing through my head. I feel like I drank a bottle of alcohol, and my thought process is skewed from being drunk.
The person pulls me closer. Their leg forcefully pushes between mine until every nerve ending in my sensitive areas is pressed against them. They move their leg back and forth to the beat of the music, grinding me against them. My eyes roll back as everything becomes hyperaware and numb at the same time. I have no control over my body anymore, everything too much for me to handle. I know I should open my eyes. I try to pull away, but I can’t fight the need to feel everything on me and in me.
A hand slides up my hip and around, cupping my ass, pulling me farther onto their leg and closing the distance between us. I expect to smell the fresh air or a hint of salt, but instead the scent of rich flowers with a hint of decay reaches my nose. My eyes pop open to find a set of fully black pupils staring back at me. The human overcome with lust is glowing bright red around him as he grips me tighter. My pulse starts to race as I try to pull away, fear overriding need. As I lift up with my other leg, I knee him as hard as I can in his nuts. His grip loosens immediately before he falls to the floor. His face is red as he struggles to breathe, his hands cupping his probably broken penis. Stupid asshole.
A large body comes barreling through the crowd, followed by three others. Before I can shout that I handled it, Aries is dragging the poor bastard off the floor by his neck toward the back door. “Hey! He’s down, let him go!” I shout, trying to pull Aries off the injured human. He whips his gaze to mine, and bright red flames greet me back. “Calm down there, killer. There’s no need to go all psycho on him. He’s a human—you said yourself they’re affected by me as much as I am by them. It was my fault.” I grip his wrist, trying to get him to let go. A snarl slips past his lips as he pulls the guy away from me, dragging him toward the back of the room. The humans around us separate to let him through.
For Hell's Sake (Queen of the Underworld Series Book 1) Page 11
