Sagar

by HaydenWest

  I’m one of the Angels. My duty is to be a messenger and to watch over the mortals. I protect them. Secretly I’ve wanted to be one of the warriors, but I tell no one my wish. I have a place in the hierarchy, and I won’t challenge it.

  At least not until I meet the lifeguard Dorn, who is also tasked with protecting humans. I want to be intertwined with his future, but evil is approaching, and I’m not in a position to solely protect him. I have duties.

  Doesn’t stop my desire for him.

  I am…

  Sagar

  Sagar

  Ascension, Book Two

  by

  Hayden West

  MM, GAY, FANTASY, PARANORMAL, AND EROTIC ROMANCE

  Twisted E-Publishing, LLC

  www.twistedepublishing.com

  A TWISTED E-PUBLISHING BOOK

  Sagar

  Ascension, Book Two

  Copyright © 2018 by Hayden West

  Edited by Marie Medina

  First E-book Publication: October 2018

  Cover design by K Designs

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2018, Twisted E-Publishing.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  All characters engaging in sexual situations are over the age of 18.

  Table of Contents

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Also By Hayden

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  The stench of dead and decaying bodies permeated the air with a thickness not even an angel could ignore. His stomach seized, and Sagar struggled to keep his lunch down. Truthfully, most of his focus remained on keeping his pristine feathers out of the mix of entrails and blood as he moved across the carnage to where to Powers stood, talking to one another.

  From all appearances the Powers weren’t fazed. Not even with the dark stains on their wings. Still, their wings didn’t hang in the muck and he didn’t want his in there either. Slanting a gaze to the angel who had been summoned with him, he sidestepped a pile of bloody mess and returned his gaze to the warriors there.

  By all accounts—from what he’d heard—even the Archangels were amazed by the fighting skills of these Powers. More specifically, Danijel.

  “You’re staring,” Jordan whispered.

  “Hard not to. He’s a legend. They both are.”

  Jordan shook his head, but there was the same look in his own eyes, which Sagar knew mirrored his. They slowed and waited for the duo to acknowledge them both. Golden eyes, the mark of a Power, looked at him. Correction, not just at him, but deep into him seeing all he was and more. It wasn’t Danijel but his fellow Power, Demuri. The one who had fallen in love with a human.

  A human male.

  Thoughts to focus on another time.

  “Thank you for coming.” Demuri’s tone vibrated with his power, and it overflowed both of them from Jordan’s expression and his own feeling.

  “How can we be of service to the Powers?”

  While he posed the question to the two he found it nigh impossible to look away from Danijel. He was awe inspiring, and the legends surrounding him only added to the mystery and lore.

  Danijel gave him the briefest of glances. “There were three angels here, one’s missing. There is talk you are friends.”

  His stomach lurched and to him, Jordan’s expression turned a bit green to his mind. These were angels lying in nothing more than entrails and blood upon the ground? Unease skated up his spine. Why would anyone want to do this to them?

  “What did this?”

  Both the Powers stared at him once more. He refused to look away. Jordan had lost his food, and neither Power said anything, merely stared at Sagar. Assessing.

  Correction, not merely. Nothing with these two was merely anything.

  “Where would Renata be?”

  He thought about it and struggled not to focus on the knowledge if they searched for Renata, lying there were her siblings that made up the triplets.

  “She enjoys the beach and ocean. California’s beaches.”

  “Go there.” A flicker to Jordan. “I will send another Power along. Jordan will remain here.” Demuri cracked his neck. “You come with me.” He walked away, and Sagar hastened after him, not wishing to make him tell him more than once.

  They may not be in the same circles, but they all had the same boss. And Demuri was a Power. A warrior. Something Sagar had always wanted to be, in the deepest, darkest recess of his mind, that was his wish. He was always careful to keep that desire hidden from everyone. He never wanted anyone to think he wasn’t happy where he was, but in truth, he’d always wanted more. Not more power, but more. He wanted to be on the front lines.

  The Power lifted from the slaughter with a powerful beat of his dark grey wings. Sagar took after him—a lot less impressive than Demuri for sure.

  They flew for a while, and he had been pushed to his limit when they landed by a large home. Unsure of where they were, he gazed about as he struggled to keep his wings up as Demuri did. Sagar was strong but compared to the Power beside him, he was like a newborn baby. All he wanted to do was fall over with exhaustion.

  The Power didn’t look winded, even in the slightest. If there was any strain to hold those wings up and out of the dirt, it wasn’t shown on his face.

  “Wait here.”

  It never occurred to him to disobey, so after the Power vanished into and subsequently returned from the structure, he never moved. Beyond Demuri, he spied a human male stepping out onto the porch.

  His lover. Before that registered another angel flew into sight. Another Power, golden eyes, cold and unforgiving as he landed beside Sagar.

  Again, he was woefully outmatched and he didn’t like this feeling in the slightest. He gave him a nod, a respectful one, but didn’t speak. One didn’t simply talk to the Powers.

  “You are the one accompanying me to California?”

  “I am.”

  “Let’s go.”

  No name was given, yet when the Power lifted up, Sagar remained on the ground.

  “We need to go. Now.”

  “I was told to wait here.” Sagar flicked a quick glance to the powerful beating wings of the Power near him. Then he moved his focus to the one kissing the human.

  “You are ignoring my command?”

  “No, Elexus. He was following my order.” Demuri’s strong voice entered. “Land. We are not ready to go yet.”

  The one called Elexus obeyed, but Sagar couldn’t help but notice the slight flicker of discontent on his face as he did so. Averting his gaze, Sagar waited for his next instruction. He was far out of his league here, unsure how they went around and found those who preyed not just on humans but also angels.

  Frustration burned his eyes as he thought about Renata and her twins, Rolto and Reni, having to face the horror and fear they had. He didn’t allow them to fall for he refused to cry.

  “Come, Sagar.”

  Lifting his wings slightly higher, he followed Demuri’s bidding and approached the two Powers. Again, he took in how their wings never dragged in the dry, dusty ground and how they didn’t appear to have to strain as he did to keep that from happening.

  Demuri ran a critical gaze over him. “We will rest here for two hours then press on. I would suggest you rest. The flight is long. Tristan will show you to a bed.”

  While he longed to argue that he could go now and didn’t need to be babied, he kept that to himself and followe
d the dark-haired human male inside.

  “Here you go,” he said, opening the door to a nice-size room with a large bed. Tristan stepped back, ensuring not to touch his wings before moving back down the hall.

  Sagar’s dreams were full of blood and gore. When he woke, his uncertainty level had risen. After thanking Tristan for his hospitality, he rose into the air and followed Elexus and Demuri off to a part of the land he’d never been to before.

  * * * *

  Vendorn “Dorn” Qutie scrunched his hands around the railing of the lifeguard station he would man later today when he came on duty. He’d shown up early to the beach to get in a run and spend some time without all the people.

  He loved his job, but he wouldn’t give up his quiet mornings for anything. Tipping his head back, he took a deep breath, allowing the rich sea air to fill his lungs. He closed his eyes and cracked his neck before he opened them once more.

  Skimming his terrain, he frowned when something bobbed out on the water. Didn’t look like a surfer, or an animal caught in the riptide. He wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t strictly a pile of seaweed and wood.

  After he ducked inside to grab the binoculars, he put them to his eyes and swore as he made out the face of a young woman with dark hair. She gripped something that was keeping her afloat, but that didn’t look like it would keep her up for much longer. He wasn’t even sure she was conscious.

  He dropped the binoculars and ran for the water’s edge, running through until he could dive in and begin swimming in her direction. Eyes locked on where he’d seen her last, he cut through the waves desperately hoping he wasn’t already too late.

  The waves pushed at him, Dorn swore he had a force driving him away from the woman he was attempting to save. None of it made sense to him. He swam these waters daily and hadn’t experienced resistance like this. Yes, there were currents and riptides, but what he battled didn’t register as any of that to him.

  And I’m damn good at this.

  Setting his jaw in determination, he added more power to his strokes. The woman slid again, pale fingers tightening far too briefly on the board.

  “I’m coming.” He pitched his voice to carry over the roar of the ocean. “Hang on.”

  She lifted her head and gazed at him, her eyes overflowing with pain, exhaustion, and sorrow. Her lids fluttered down, and Dorn pushed harder. Her face was beauty personified, and he nearly averted his gaze. Eyes a pure untouched, undiluted blue unlike anything he’d seen before.

  With a small head shake, she slid from the board. Dorn kicked as he dove immediately after her.

  I’m not beginning my day with a death.

  He spied her sinking. For a moment he hesitated, for wings streamed up from her back.

  Elaborate costume. And foolish to wear on the water for the reason before him. The weight of it was detrimental to survival.

  He reached for her and wrapped an arm around her midsection. More struggling as he kicked to the surface. He felt around her for a way to remove the wings and froze for a moment when his hand brushed along where they fucking grew from her back. Gasping for air the moment he breached the surface, he brought her above the waves with him before repositioning himself to give her mouth to mouth. Prying open her lips, he breathed for her until she sputtered, those eyes opening again.

  As soon as he could, he struck for shore and carried her from the water. Wet feathers covered his feet as he moved, and he wasn’t sure what to make of that.

  Gazing around, he was grateful others hadn’t come to the beach yet. Readjusting his hold on the svelte woman, he strode over the warming sand and up to the interior of the lifeguard shack.

  “Wake up,” he said, positioning her in a seated position because really—who the hell had wings?

  “Who? Where? You’re human.” That last bit had a bit of upset air to it.

  “Name’s Dorn. You’re on a beach in SoCal. Yes, I am human and judging from the wings on your back, you’re not.” He drew her hand away and gave her a bottle of water. “I’m guessing calling the paramedics isn’t going to fly.”

  “I was flying. Tired. Scared.” A shrug. “Fell.”

  “Yes, you did.” He ran his gaze over her. Her white robes weren’t hiding anything. He averted his gaze and snagged a clean shirt.

  “This is dry.” The moment he locked eyes with her once more, he understood it wouldn’t work. Not with her wings.

  She appeared uncomfortable, and he hesitated. “I’m not going to hurt you. Not sure about the wings, do you need me to dry them? I have to admit I’m over my head when it comes to a woman with wings.” He cleared his throat. “Anyone with wings actually.”

  “Human.”

  He took a step back from her as she spoke that single word, her wings unfurling, white with baby blue edging. The voice falling from chapped lips was soft and melodic, relaxing him.

  “You should go. They will be coming.”

  Diamond tears fell from her eyes, and this overwhelming sadness filled him. With a massive struggle, as he fought off his desire to sink down and succumb to the tears, he moved to the couch before this beautiful yet haunted creature.

  “Who are going to be coming?”

  Color didn’t return to her cheeks, quite the opposite as her fair skin paled further. He held out his hand to her as she struggled to rise, wanting her to remain seated. Her gaze clashed with his before she swayed back down.

  “How can I help? This not human thing is a bit disconcerting.”

  “Angel.” A shuddering breath.

  A shadow passed along the side window, and he whirled around as the air crackled with power. Nothing.

  That I can see anyway.

  A low grunt reached him, and he spun back to find her lurching to her feet, gaze full of pain and loss but also determination. She moved to stand before him, her feathers no longer wet and dull. Quite the opposite. He wasn’t sure this was the same one he’d rescued from the ocean. The wings were dry and shone like an artist painted them with diamond dust. A beautiful soft baby blue tint was on each feather.

  He shifted to go around her, when she flexed one wing out, prohibiting forward movement. He paused. Two thumps sent shivers up his spine and he frowned. He didn’t appreciate the fear.

  Despite his height advantage over this petite woman—angel—he still couldn’t see over her wings.

  “You are going to die, and I am going to wear your feathers as a prize.”

  The low hiss made Dorn’s stomach churn and goose bumps popped out on his skin, not from being cold, but from that actual deep fear blossoming within his chest. The uncomfortable feel dug its claws into him and grew.

  “Your kind will never win, no matter if you torture and kill me like you did my siblings.”

  “You talk like you have the strength to hold out. You like to think you are better than us.”

  “I think nothing like that. I know it’s the truth.”

  “When I finish with you, we will take the human and eat him.”

  Dorn didn’t appreciate the sound of that. Not at all.

  Chapter Two

  Sagar bit the inside of his lip as he struggled to keep up with the two Powers who flew before him. They were high enough out of sight of any humans who may have the desire to look up at the morning sky. His wings trembled with exhaustion, he was beyond burned out. The two Powers with him didn’t seem the least bit winded, and again, he wished he were something more akin to them.

  Demuri turned his head and glanced at him. Instantly, Sagar slammed the door on that thought, frightened that his deepest desires had just been discovered.

  The Power lifted a red eyebrow before he turned to face forward once more. With a seamless beat of his wings, the warrior headed on and Sagar blinked back his tears of exhaustion and followed.

  “Here,” Demuri commanded.

  The trio landed, and the two Powers had hands on their spears the moment their feet touched the sand. He remained silent as they gazed about; instead, he focused
on the hard-packed, wet sand and the water that rolled in from the ocean. The smell was different here, nice, but different. Sharp, tangy almost on his tongue.

  Fog rolled beyond the breaking waters, and the moment the wind shifted he tensed, a frown turning down his mouth as the acidic scent of the demon filled his nose. Underlying that, he picked up on the pure smell of the Angels. Renata was there.

  Sagar surged forward, splitting between Demuri and Elexus, moving swiftly to get to his friend’s side. Off in the distance he could make out a building, and he knew, deep down, that she was there.

  Five steps from the ramp he hit a wall. Backing off, he frowned. Nothing he could see before him would have been the cause of such an instant halt.

  “You are acting foolish.”

  Demuri’s words were icy. Not with frustration, just matter of fact; however, there was zero warmth in the tone.

  Sagar froze and fought the urge to turn around. It was an eerie feeling having two Powers behind him. But he refused to show fear. They needed him. They’d asked him to come. Correction, they informed him he was accompanying them here. He was taking it as he was part of the group. So what if he wasn’t a Power? This was a moment he wasn’t ever going to forget.

  “Apologies, Power,” he said as Demuri moved by him and strode toward the building.

  The door was ripped off with barely a flick of his wrist, and Sagar caught his breath as he looked inside. Renata was battling with a demon, losing, but she was protecting a human male behind her, and surviving enough that he remained unharmed.