by Mandy Lee
Uriel nodded. “I do have an encompassing knowledge of demonic species.” Turning to Sergei he continued. “Take us to the her. At the very least we can leave her with the knowledge of her lineage.”
Sergei turned, motioning to the angels to follow him into the living room. Conversation ceased as they entered the room, and Michael and Uriel locked eyes with Samael, then Baal, their fallen brothers. It had been millennia since they’d been in a room together, divided now by time and their fall. Being the smartass that he was, it was B who finally broke the tension in the room, pointing at Michael’s tailored white suit. “You’ve come a long way from the girly robes. Or are you headed to an audition for GQ after this?”
Amir snorted, then thought better of it, and turned it into a cough. Sam hid his smile by looking down at the floor.
“Still a joker, I see,” Michael said to B with sad smile. “I’m glad you haven’t changed.”
B’s smile faltered for a moment, then returned full force. “Yup, still the same.”
“And how are you, Samael?” Michael asked.
“Getting by — same old, same old,” Sam replied, not wanting to burden his old friend with the truth. The door separating the kitchen from the living room swung open as Luc entered the room with Katia. They stopped in their tracks as they noticed the three new visitors. Luc let out a nervous chuckle. “Took you long enough,” he said sarcastically. “We’ve been waiting for hours. I was about to suggest nap time so we wouldn’t fall asleep standing up.”
Before Michael could respond, Uriel stepped in front of him, eyes locked on Katia with an expression of wonder, sadness, and pain. “Elaina, it’s you.”
Chapter Twelve
“WHAT!” Satan bellowed, slamming his fists down on the heavy mahogany desk causing it to crack down the middle.
Voss jumped backward, slamming his body hard into the wall. His teeth clacked together painfully. If there was one thing all of Satan’s minions knew, it was to always delegate bad news delivery to a lesser demon. Unfortunately, this operation was need to know, and Voss was the only demon authorized to know. Delivering pain was what he lived for, being on the receiving end was another matter entirely. Moving out from behind his desk, but never breaking eye contact, Satan walked forward to stand in front of Voss. Pinpricks of red glowed through the deceptively soft brown of his eyes, growing in number until his irises were completely consumed. They glowed like twin beacons of pure evil. He stamped his foot angrily like a petulant teenager.
“How could you have let this happen? You — more than anyone — know the consequence of failure!” Reaching forward, Satan grabbed Voss by the front of his jacket and hoisted him up in the air single-handedly, slamming him up against the wall. Voss felt the bones of his long, forked, tail grind into powder as he made contact. In pain and fear, his skin began to change colour, blending to match the Wolframite walls like a chameleon, his red eyes standing out in sharp contrast.
A look of pure disgust on his face, Satan shook him like a rag doll and tossed him across the room. Voss landed in a heap, crying out at the agony of his broken tail. Pacing back and forth, Satan fumed. How dare Lucifer disobey him in this matter? Did he not realize that he had just bought himself a world of pain? And for what? The girl had no meaning to him. Satan would not be derailed by a fallen angel who had suddenly decided to start making up his own rules.
“Unacceptable!” he shouted. Voss trembled and cowered on the floor, eyes downcast. Stopping mid-stride, Satan pointed down at Voss.
“Get up, you sniveling waste of skin.” Cradling his ruined tail in one hand, Voss dragged himself to his feet. Resuming his pacing, Satan tapped his forefinger against his lower lip in thought. Suddenly smiling, he spun back around to face Voss. “Time to make it personal.” Walking slowly in his minion’s direction, he grabbed a paring knife off a nearby table. Testing the sharpness of the blade on his thumb, he addressed Voss. “Do you know the identity of the Jinn that aided their escape?”
Shaking his head nervously, Voss replied, “No, my lord, he wasn’t familiar to me.”
Nodding, Satan continued his interrogation. “And where did they go?”
“It was the building in which the woman lives.”
Smiling to himself, Satan replied, “I see. Were they met by anyone else before they entered, or was it just the three of them?”
“There were two others, my lord, two fallen. The ones called Samael and Baal were already present and waiting when Lucifer arrived with the woman and the Jinn.”
“Excellent.” Satan’s smile grew larger, the boyish dimples appearing on his cheeks. Chuckling to himself, he made his way back over to his cracked desk and took a seat in the oversized chair.
“I have a new assignment for you.”
Bowing, Voss replied, “Yes, my lord.”
“You will go to the building and you will locate her friend, Sergei Romanov.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“You will interrogate him to determine the location of the woman and my wayward servant Lucifer.”
“My lord, do you wish me to interrogate him in the usual fashion?” Voss asked, a hopeful smile starting to kick up the corner of his lips.
Bemused, Satan inclined his head. “Voss, you may interrogate him in any way you like. I have no need of this human beyond the information you will gather.”
Enthusiasm for this new assignment crept into Voss’s voice. “And do you wish me to locate the other two fallen who have aided in this betrayal, my lord? I can interrogate them too.”
Satan replied in a thoughtful tone, “No. Leave them be for now. I’ll have some special plans for them at a later date. Just take care of Sergei and report back to me as soon as it’s done.”
“Yes, my lord, your wish is my command.”
Suddenly, Satan leapt to his feet, crossing the room at superhuman speed, snatching Voss by the back of the neck. “Damn straight it is.” Leaning in close to whisper menacingly in Voss’s ear, Satan continued. “Now remember, you’ve failed me once already by letting Lucifer and the woman leave my domain. Too much is at stake. I will not tolerate another mistake. Do you understand?”
Nodding as furiously as he was able while still in Satan’s grip, Voss replied. “Yes. My lord. Absolutely, my lord. I will not fail you, master.”
Raising his free hand, Satan brought the paring knife he still held to within a millimeter of Voss’s eye. “You had better not or a broken tail will be the least of your worries.” He held Voss immobile for what felt like an eternity, the point of the knife a whisper away. Releasing him abruptly, Satan turned and stalked out of the room. Voss was left standing alone in Satan’s office in a puddle of his own urine.
As the door slammed behind him, Satan took a moment to bask in his new plan. Hurt the woman’s human friend Sergei, thereby hurting her and, if Satan’s assumption was correct, hurting Lucifer by hurting her. That was a lot of hurt…it made him all fuzzy and warm inside. He knew Lucifer well enough after all this time to guess that this was indeed personal. Like an idiot, Lucifer liked the woman, which is why they ran. Had he just wanted to flout an order to make a point, he would have simply refused the job and taken the torture. With a wicked smile, Satan whistled a happy tune as he skipped away down the hall.
Chapter Thirteen
She was frozen, her entire body locked up tight. Katia’s mind was reeling. Elaina. Something about that name was calling to her in the strangest way. She was in shock. A buzzing had begun in her ears, drowning out the whispered questions of the room’s other occupants. Through the numbness that had taken root in her body, Katia felt a hand run comfortingly up her spine. Leaning down, Luc whispered softly in her ear, “Are you okay?”
With a deep breath, she turned her head toward him and raised her eyes to meet his. They were inches apart now, their breath mingling softly. Katia didn’t know what to say, but she knew she felt safe here in this little private world held within Luc’s gaze. She nodded slowly as she swayed closer to
ward him. The moment only broken by the harsh sound of a throat clearing across the room.
Katia pivoted away from Luc, taking in the other new arrivals. The woman was stunningly-beautiful, she looked like she should be perched on a cloud somewhere strumming a harp. In contrast, the man looked like a warrior. His sharp, chiseled features and shortly-cropped military cut were in complete sync with the steely look in his eye. Stepping away from the comfort of Luc’s touch, Katia turned her gaze back to the man who had thrown her into mental limbo. He was still gazing at her in wonder. Swallowing hard, Katia finally found her voice.
“Who are you? I feel like I know you…” she said, shaking her head in confusion.
Uriel made his way slowly toward her. “My name is Uriel, and yes, you do know me.” That last part came out in a strangled croak full of emotion. As he neared Katia felt her heartbeat slow, the buzzing dropped away and time stood still. She reached out with a shaking hand, and gently touched Uriel’s cheek. An electric pulse ran through her. The angel must have felt it too as his body jolted at her touch. Shaking her head, Katia looked deeply into his eyes. “So much pain. Why?”
Taking a deep breath, Uriel reached up and tucked an errant lock of Katia’s midnight hair behind her ear. “Loss is the cause of my pain; loss of the ones I loved more than anything.”
Katia was caught in a trance by the sadness in his eyes that reflected her inner pain. “I’ve lost people I loved too. Who did you lose?”
A tear tracked down Uriel’s cheek as he replied, “My wife, my son, and my daughter. But that which has been lost can sometimes still be found.”
Drawn in by the soft tone of Uriel’s voice, Katia was almost willing to believe him. It sounded so simple. Smiling sadly, Katia shook her head and dropped her hand back down to her side. “I wish that were true. But when people are gone they’re gone forever.” Katia turned away from Uriel, ready to walk away when his calm, compelling voice floated back toward her.
“But I found you, Elaina.”
Looking over her shoulder at him, Katia spoke.
“Why do you keep calling me Elaina? My name is Katia.” Frustration was finding a way through the trance.
A wistful smile curled up the corners of his lips as he replied so softly he was barely audible. “It wasn’t always.”
Turning around to face him fully, Katia asked the million dollar question, a pinch of anger leaking through. “What do you know about me?”
“I’ve always known you, Elaina – you’re part of me,” he replied in that same quiet tone.
Katia raised her eyes to the ceiling and threw up her hands in annoyance. “Seriously? Can’t I just get a straight answer?” She began to pace back and forth in frustration, her hands shaking. Luc stepped forward and gently touched her shoulder to try to calm her. Shaking him off abruptly, Katia made cutting motion with her hands. “No. No. Enough of this cryptic shit! I want answers! I’ve slipped down the rabbit hole here and there’s no way out unless someone gives me something I can work with!”
Michael spoke up from his position behind Uriel. “Your human, Sergei, summoned us. Uriel came to help uncover what manner of creature you are within our world.” Narrowing his eyes on Uriel, he continued. “However, it appears there may be more to this situation than we’d originally thought.” Stepping forward, Michael placed his hand on Uriel’s head. Closing his eyes as though to block out the rest of the world, Michael stood silently for a moment, then took a sharp breath that sounded more like a hiss. His eyes snapped open and he stared at Katia as though she was a rare tiger that had escaped from the zoo. He turned back toward Uriel, shaking his head as he tried to complete a puzzle with missing pieces.
“How could you? A direct order was issued from the highest power…” Michael shook his head in complete confusion.
Tearing his eyes away from Katia, Uriel turned to Michael. “How could I not? You wouldn’t understand. None of you could have.” He took in a shaky breath. “I wish I could show you, make you feel it, but I can’t.” Michael took a step away from his colleague and passed his eyes around the room sightlessly. When his gaze returned to Uriel his face was a mask of confusion and hurt. “It seems I’ve never truly known you…angels carry out our duties, we do not fall prey to such…human emotion. Tell her. She has a right to know, and it seems as though it is now imperative that we find a resolution to your past indiscretions.”
“This should be good,” said B from across the room as he stubbed out a cigarette. “A bona-fide angel with indiscretions that hasn’t been hanging out with us for the last few centuries…who’d a thunk it?”
“Shut it, B.” Luc shot him an annoyed look.
Giving him a wink and sliding his eyes over to Katia, B replied, “Touchy. Aren’t we?”
Luc shook his head and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Just shut it, my man.”
Always the peacemaker, Sam stepped into the fray. “All right, you two. Let’s just get all the cards out on the table here. You can have a go at each other later.” He gestured toward Uriel. “Why don’t you share with the rest of the class. What did Michael see when he did the Vulcan mind meld?”
Katia took a deep breath and waited. Her stomach was full of caged butterflies; her heart was about to drop to her feet. This was it — the answer to the question that would hopefully set her free from this nightmare. Katia frowned as those thoughts flitted through her head. Why did the idea of being free from Luc make her heart clench? Uriel closed his eyes and spoke the words that Katia never thought she’d hear.
“You are my daughter.”
Katia’s head spun as she was once again pulled apart and put back together. “I need to sit down a minute,” She mumbled as she made her way numbly toward the couch and sank down. Sergei sat down beside her and draped a protective arm around her shoulders. Instinctively, she leaned into his embrace, seeking comfort from the familiar. Across the room, Luc clenched his hands into fists at the sight of Sergei comforting her. He looked like he was fighting to stop himself from flying across the room to take his place.
Uriel moved to perch on the arm of the couch next to Katia. He reached out hesitantly to touch a lock of her hair, rubbing it between his fingers and smoothing it back over her shoulder. He spoke quietly, his voice shaking with emotion. “I want you to know I loved your mother very much…still love her to this day. She was a remarkable woman. I would have happily spent eternity with her by my side, no matter what the consequences.”
Katia looked up at Uriel through a sheen of unshed tears. “Who was she?”
“Her name was Calista. She was a very powerful immortal, but more importantly, she was the love of my existence. She had a keen intelligence, she loved with her whole heart, and I lived for her smiles.”
As Katia looked into her father’s eyes she saw the raw, unadulterated love he still held for her mother. One of the broken pieces of her heart seemed to shift back into place. Uriel gently placed his hand on her shoulder and she felt a glorious warmth move through her. As her tension eased, she took a long breath in and let it out slowly. “So, am I part angel?” she asked as she continued to hold his gaze.
“You are as your mother was. She was equal parts light and dark.”
“What happened to her?”
“I’m afraid it is a rather long story that starts well before your birth.” Uriel moved to sit on the couch beside Katia. Reaching out, he took one of her hands in his and then began. “Many centuries ago, there were great wars between the light and the dark, each side vying for ultimate power over the world of man. Neither side was able to overcome the other. Over time, a race of powerful creatures came to the attention of both sides. Realizing that these creatures were the key to ultimate control, a momentous pact was made between the light and the dark. In order to maintain a balance, these creatures would be hunted to extinction. For centuries, angels and demons alike hunted and executed them without a second thought. During this time, I was a warrior, one of those tasked to destroy these c
reatures. There was a very high mortality rate amongst their offspring, so they were few in number. In all my time as a warrior, I only encountered one such creature…your mother.”
A groan interrupted Uriel’s story. Looking up, Katia locked eyes with the source of the noise. Luc had a stricken look on his face, he had gone white as a sheet. Flicking her gaze around the room, she saw matching expressions all around the room. Panic rose in her chest, constricting her lungs. Uriel stroked her hand and the panic began to fade as quickly as it had risen. With his free hand Uriel lightly touched the skin beside her blue eye.
“I was captivated the moment I met your mother. Her beautiful blue eyes could hold me like no other force on heaven or earth. I couldn’t destroy her. Her skin was like the finest ivory, her hair felt like silk. All that beauty couldn’t be destined for a fate of evil. So I hid her away from those that hunted her. Over time, we grew to know each other and fell deeply in love. I continued my duties to Heofon, but my real life was with her, hidden away from both the light and the dark. Centuries passed and the rest of her kind were gone, she was all that remained and I was determined to keep her safe. She was everything to me. Thirty-six years ago, she discovered she was with child. We hadn’t thought it possible. We were overjoyed at the prospect of having a family of our own, even though we knew we would have to remain in hiding. What we didn’t realize was that we weren’t as hidden as we had thought. A force from the dark had discovered Calista’s identity and was determined to use her for their own ends. Unfortunately for them, she had bonded herself to me as my mate and was of no use to them. However, should a child be born with her unusual gifts, that child would be the key to ultimate power.”
“Me,” Katia whispered
“Yes, you…and your brother.”
Katia’s eyes flew up to meet her father’s. “My brother?”
Uriel looked down at her, that sad smile returning. “Twins. Imagine our joy at being blessed with not one child, but two. A boy and a girl, the perfect family. But it didn’t last long. Shortly after your birth, your mother was attacked and killed by the dark; your brother was taken. You were with me. When we returned to our home, all that remained was the carnage they’d left behind. I realized then that they hadn’t known there were two of you, so I hid you in the human world, allowed you to be adopted and raised as a human. I intended to find you one day, to tell you of your heritage, but it seems as though circumstance has intervened and hastened our reunion. I always knew you were alive and well. I could feel you out in the world, but couldn’t bear the sadness of meeting you, of intervening in your life but being unable to be a part of it, so I kept my distance.” As a lone tear escaped her green eye that was so like her father’s and tracked down her cheek, she leaned in instinctively and embraced him. They held onto each other tightly, neither one wanting to let go. With her face buried in her father’s neck, Katia mumbled. “Is my brother alive?”