Araton

by Brenda Trim

  “This entire place smells like a dead rat’s asshole,” Slate complained as they snuck through the gate.

  Dante winced as a loud creak echoed throughout the area. “We need to get through the entrance and head to the field through an upper passage. Demons tend to head down more often than up.”

  The warriors nodded their heads and followed him through the empty place. Dante lightened his steps so that they didn’t echo like thunder through the halls. Dante had never been inside the stadium for a game and wondered at the layout.

  There were shuttered vendor booths along the inner curve with stairwells interspersed between where he imagined people would buy food and drinks. Along the outer curve he saw some bathrooms and lots of windows.

  Everything was white. Or some shade of it. The walls and the flooring were so similar they blended into one bland shade. Even the silver of the panels for the locations where products were sold blended into the whole.

  The dark openings for the stairs were the only things that broke up the view. Increasing his steps, he lifted his hand and left his neck injury when only a trickle of blood still seeped from the ragged edged wound.

  Dante climbed some steps and headed up into the chairs that filled the circumference of the place. He swore there had to be at least seventy thousand seats. If they even filled a quarter of the place with sacrifices, then they would have no problem generating enough energy to free Lucifer.

  The thought made him sick to his stomach. Every living thing on the planet would be at risk if the demons managed that. There were times in life when something occurred to renew one’s dedication to a cause or reaffirm the reason for living.

  This was one of those moments for Dante. He would do everything in his power to keep Lucifer from crossing over. He might not have much in his life, but most of his closest friends has discovered their Fated Mates in recent years and were starting to have babies.

  The love and new life inspired Dante to want to do his part. And in the back of his mind he realized he might have a Fated Mate out there somewhere. Not that he believed he would be blessed with one.

  He’d done too many awful things to have earned that privilege. Perhaps if he’d come to his senses and fled from the Underworld sooner, but not now. Focusing on what he could actually do something about, he ducked between two rows of chairs and trained his gaze on the green field below.

  The lighting in the place was awful. Out in the halls the windows allowed the moonlight to fill the area and make it easier to see what was around them. In the middle of the stadium the lighting was horrendous. He could see because his vision was better than a human’s, but small details were impossible to pick out.

  The one thing that was obvious was the grass below them, filling most of the area. The stuff filled a flat area of about two hundred square feet below them. There were also numbered white lines at regular intervals on the field. He thought the marks were used in some of the human sports. Zander and some of the warriors in Seattle loved watching football and baseball and he recalled them talking about it. But Dante had never been interested, so he retained little of the information.

  The most important details were the creatures crawling all over the place. There were far fewer demons on the grass than he expected. Maybe twenty-five or thirty. And, they seemed to be setting up homes for themselves. There were about eight or nine hellhounds circling each other off to the far left on the field. Their growls filled the air right before they lunged at each other.

  Dante grimaced as the beasts tore at each other. Chunks of flesh went flying through the air in black bloody masses. Pus demons stopped what they were doing and watched for several seconds before they raced over to take what looked like fabric from the area.

  The demon dogs broke away from one another and attacked the pus demons. So many other types of demons were on the field with them, but none in as high of numbers as the hellhounds.

  Dante noticed some skirm setting up beds on the opposite side of the field from the hounds and pus demons. This must be where they are living at the moment. Glancing at Slate, Dante whispered, “Look for the archdemon. Shit will remain chaotic if one isn’t here. We can let them kill each other while we get back-up.”

  Slate nodded and they continued scanning the arena. The smell of brimstone and sulfur thickened as the seconds passed. There was no sign of anyone in charge. Dante tapped Slate’s shoulder and nodded to the exit.

  The warriors got up one at a time and headed to the stairs in a crouch. They’d almost made it to the bottom when they heard voices. Luke was in the lead and paused when he heard the noise then plastered himself to the wall.

  “Where is Quinah? Someone attacked in the parking lot and we lost some,” said a male voice.

  “He told me to move my shit here, but hasn’t been around to give me more instructions,” said another.

  “We are to wait here for him to show up. He was looking for Lucifer who is supposed to take over the human cop again tonight,” a female told them.

  It was still jarring to hear a female skirm. Archdemons had never before turned women. Dante thought it was because the female mind was so much stronger than a male’s. But that was just conjecture. He wondered what brought about the change. He suspected it had to do with Lucifer gaining more of his power after he was released from being frozen in Lake Cocytus.

  “I hope he gets here soon. I hate having to control the hell hounds. I can hear them fighting already,” replied one of the males.

  “He will get here after he finds the Dark Lord. The time of demons is nearly here. Soon enough our efforts will come to fruition. I for one want to be on Lucifer’s good side when he crosses to Earth. If I’m lucky his Queen will want me as part of her personal guard,” the female interjected.

  “I still don’t understand why he went from having us hunt for the Princess to ensuring she lives,” one of the male’s replied.

  Dante’s head snapped to meet Micah’s gaze as she stood next to him. “What the fuck?” The Dark Warrior mouthed. Dante shook his head. There was no telling what prompted that change, but Zander wasn’t going to like hearing the Dark Lord had plans for his daughter.

  The Gods and Goddesses needed to leave the poor girl alone. Her entire life had been one danger after another. She’d been kidnapped by an archdemon and taken to Hell and gone through some kind of trauma when she was in Khoth.

  Dante wanted to slay every archdemon on the planet then plant bombs in the Underworld to protect her from being used by any more powerful beings. Izzy deserved to have a happy carefree life.

  The skirm’s conversation died down. They waited several more seconds to make sure the coast was clear before they hurried down the rest of the steps and headed out of the stadium.

  That little excursion left him with more questions than it answered. Dante moved as fast as his leg would allow before he pulled his phone from his back pocket and dialed Zander.

  “We need to talk, Z. And, you’re going to want to grab a drink for this one,” Dante told one of his best friends. Dante questioned his sanity for one silent second. He wanted more purpose in life and welcomed the new assignment. Having to tell a father the devil wanted to claim his daughter never crossed his mind.

  Fucking demons. Fucking up everything and causing chaos wherever they went. And, fuck the Lord of the Underworld and his desire to destroy one of the purest souls he’d ever met. Not happening on his watch.

  Chapter 17

  Araton brushed the hair from Lia’s forehead and gazed into her peaceful face. Looking at her with her eyes closed and the lines around her eyes and mouth gone, he couldn’t tell the turmoil that coursed through the sexy cop. All he saw was a beautiful woman with a spine of steel and a selflessness he rarely saw in any creature.

  She stretched her arms over her head and arched her back. “Good morning,” she said in a husky, sleepy voice. Of course, it shot through him and made him hard as stone.

  “Afternoon,” he replied, hoping she didn�
��t recall or ask questions about what happened the day before. He didn’t want the smile to vanish. Everything seemed better when she smiled at him.

  “When did we get to your place? The last thing I recall was the attic in the LaLaurie….oh shit,” she sat up and the green blanket fell to her lap. The sight of his shirt falling over her pert breasts distracted him for a split second.

  He had changed her into one of his t-shirts after he’d gotten her to his house. Her shirt was covered in Aison’s blood. No way did he want her waking up again stained with the crimson fluid. If the moment wasn’t so dire, he would take a moment to appreciate how much he liked seeing her in his clothes.

  “Yes, Lucifer took over, but I managed to stop him before he killed Aison,” he informed her.

  “Aison? He’s alive?”

  Nodding, Araton didn’t fight the urge to offer her physical reassurances. “He’s alive and will heal in no time.”

  “Oh God. I can’t take this. I need to do something before I really hurt someone. I couldn’t live with that,” she whispered with a lowered head. She looked completely torn apart. He knew exactly what she was saying but he refused to lose her.

  And it wasn’t only because he was falling for her. The world needed her in it. She protected her kind and made life better for anyone she came in contact with. He had a plan that his brothers were helping him with, but he needed to take her to Heaven first.

  “Don’t say that. I am not leaving your side until we banish Lucifer for good. I’m not ready to mate you yet, but I want to take you to Heaven. I think if you spend some time there it will give us enough time to develop a relationship,” he explained to her.

  “I don’t know. You know I will never ask you to mate me to save my life. It seems like it will be a major risk to have me there. Is it alright with Gabriel that you bring me to uh…Heaven?”

  “I haven’t asked Gabriel, but if Ayil was able to take his Phoenix there when she was actively plotting to blow up angels you should be welcomed with a red carpet. I mean, you’re like the epitome of everything angels stand for.”

  Lia snorted and shook her head. “Yeah if you ignore the fact that Lucifer can supplant my consciousness anytime and he was banished from Heaven thousands of years ago after he rebelled against God and started a war that divided Heaven.”

  Araton laughed. It was the first moment of levity he truly felt since his sister had been kidnapped over a century ago. “You’re worth the risk. And, for the record, I don’t think Gabriel will mind. You’re more of a warrior than those that have been trained for the position. Now, get dressed, Dove. We have a date to keep.”

  Climbing to her feet she headed for the bathroom. “I hope you have some better clothes for me. I don’t want to go up there in just a t-shirt.”

  “There’s an outfit in the bathroom,” he told her with a smile. It took all of his effort to wait for her in his bedroom. The sound of the water running had him thinking about her standing there naked as she soaped up her body to wash it clean.

  Araton’s cock throbbed and his body ached. He knew how good it felt to sink into her hot, wet core and he wanted more of her. Never before had anyone consumed so much of his attention and desire.

  For the first time he struggled to think of anything besides Natalia. He’d been so consumed he had asked his brothers to go to his home in Heaven and create a romantic scene for her. He and Abraxos had done it for Ayil and now they were helping him.

  He hoped that by making love to her surrounded by the origin of Light energy it would infuse her with an ability to keep Lucifer in check. It wasn’t that he was fighting his attraction to Lia. He had considered mating her regardless of anything else.

  He would never regret forming the bond with her. And, he would mate her before she hurt herself or worse. She might not choose him in the long run, but every cell in his body said she had to survive this. That the balance of good versus evil depended on it.

  “I’m ready to wow Heaven,” she announced as she came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. Her long black hair hung down her back. The strands were still wet and made the locks shine in the late afternoon light streaming through his windows.

  Ayil’s mate Kennex had brought the soft grey top and skinny jeans for Lia. They hugged her curves like a glove. She wore no makeup and didn’t need any. Her green eyes danced with amusement as she looked at him.

  “You look stunning,” he told her honestly.

  Waving her hand, she made a pfft sound. “I can’t believe this is my life now. I’m falling for a sexy Warrior Angel who has given me the best orgasms of my entire life. Other than having mind-blowing sex, I was tortured by demons and possessed by Lucifer. Now I’m being taken to Heaven. Oh, and I’ve met real live vampires, shifters and sorcerers.”

  Stepping close to her and pressing his hard length against Lia, Araton lowered his head and murmured in her ear, “Hold on tight, Dove.” Araton turned his head and claimed her lips in a searing kiss at the same moment that he teleported them to Heaven.

  Several long seconds later he broke away from her mouth and gazed into her passion filled eyes. Something nagged at the back of his mind, but he was too busy calming his need to focus on it.

  Licking her lips, Lia’s green eyes shifted over his shoulder. “Holy…is this Heaven?”

  “Yes, this is the mystical realm called Heaven,” he countered with a quirk. He wondered what she thought their surroundings.

  “I thought for sure I’d be rejected at the gate. I guess I’m meant to be here,” she observed as she looked around.

  Araton smiled and twined their hands together. “It’s fate,” he blurted.

  He’d never given it much thought, but suddenly knew it was true. Fate had a reason for everything. She was also a powerful entity that was tasked with helping keep the balance of existence in check.

  “Fate is my new best friend,” Lia countered as her gaze roamed around them. “This looks so much like any small town I’ve seen on Earth. Well, except the buildings are all white. But the park and the lake and the trees. It could be anywhere.”

  “Where do you think God got the idea from?” Araton asked with a chuckle.

  “I can’t believe where we live was made using Heaven as an example. It makes me want to work so much harder to save it,” Lia countered. “The biggest difference is that here everything is pristine and clean where Earth is full of pollution and filth.”

  “We don’t have the same technology to ruin our air quality here. But it’s not all like a church here. Let me show you Bladz. Our bar. I used to spend a lot of time there,” Araton countered.

  “Heaven has a bar?”

  “And, a bakery and café,” he replied with a laugh. Pulling her to the left, Araton guided her up the path to the stone building. The windows were stained glass and had been gorgeous at one point, but now they fit the feel of the place. Dirty and grimy.

  “It’s very reassuring to see not everything in Heaven is perfect,” Lia teased.

  Araton loved the bar. It didn’t matter to him there was layer upon layer of grit covering everything. It was one of the few places where he could both let his hair down and find a release when needed. Fights and whiskey were usually what relaxed him. Not females.

  The crack of balls splitting as a cue connected with a ball settled Araton’s nerves the second he opened the door. Looking around he noticed several Angels of Retribution playing a game of pool in the corner. Spheres scattered across green velvet. A blue striped ball rolled into a side pocket.

  Araton glanced around and noticed angels mixing with various other supernaturals. Bladz was the one place in Heaven supes could portal into. They weren’t allowed to venture outside these walls, but many visited regardless. It was hard to tell precisely who the angels were if you didn’t know them because wings had to be hidden in the bar. The owner, Thorne declared them off limits. He claimed it made it difficult to see every corner of the place and when beings became intoxicated shit went south. />
  Bar fights broke out even in Heaven, and Thorne refused to replace anymore tables and chairs. Besides if too much shit went down there the archangels would be more likely to shut the place down. They’d reluctantly allowed him to open the joint as a safe refuge for their kind.

  “This place is like something I would find on Earth,” Lia said as she glanced around. Looking at him from her perspective he understood her awe. Most humans thought of his home realm as a place of mists, joy and spirits. “Should we get a drink?”

  Nodding, Araton guided her to a stool. “Araton,” Thorne said in greeting. The angel had been injured battling demons and when his wings never healed, he retired and opened the bar. He’d always been a hard male. His short black hair might look like it was military style, but his tattoos told another story. He had one foot on the wild side at all times.

  Araton clapped Thorne’s forearm and gestured to Lia. “This is Natalia. She’s a human cop.”

  Narrowing his brown eyes, Thorne said, “Good to meet you. Welcome to Bladz,” Thorne said while he assessed her. Araton wondered what the powerful angel saw in her. Thorne might run a bar now, but he was powerful and capable of seeing what most couldn’t. “You’re surprisingly strong. I shouldn’t be surprised. Not many would be able to handle the possession of Lucifer. So, what’ll it be?”

  “What?” Lia blurted as she glanced around without really seeing anything. “I can’t stay here,” Lia blurted and jumped from the chair then raced for the door. Araton followed suit and waved to Thorne. The nervous energy left in Lia’s wake told him precisely how frightened she was at the moment. And it made her move fast. She was out the door faster than he thought possible.

  “Dove, stop. There’s no reason to rush away like that,” Araton called after her.

  “Of course, there is,” she hissed. “They know what I am. I’ve killed for no fucking reason. I’m evil and disgusting.”