by Mandy Lee
“That’s why you love me,” she whispered back with a smile as they struggled toward a nearby wall.
Luc squeezed her arm. “One of the many reasons.”
“Okay, lovebirds, I hate to break up your little moment, but we really need to get the fuck out of here before señor psychopath comes up with another way to make our lives interesting,” B interjected, eyes darting all over the courtyard. “Any bright ideas?”
As the words left his lips, a ripple began to appear in the air about ten feet away from where they were standing.
Katia breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Amir!”
The doorway ripped open and there stood Amir with what looked like a small army at his side.
“And he brought back up!” Luc said with a smile. “I knew I liked him for a reason.”
The trio raced toward the doorway. As they approached, B shouted out to Amir. “You are my all-time favorite person!” Twisting his head he stuck two fingers between his lips and whistled as loudly as he could. “Anyone wanting to take the Jinn train out of Shit Station, all aboard!”
Amir stepped forward to grab Katia’s arm as Luc pushed her into the rift. Looking back, Katia watched as B helped Luc into the rift as another Jinn stepped forward and grasped his arm. Angels and fallen raced forward toward the doorway as Satan let out a bellow of rage. His anger pulsed through the air, setting off explosions all over the courtyard.
“The fallen, bring me the fallen!” Satan screamed as Halja burned around him, ashes falling from the sky like snow. Wooden beams and stonework crashed down off the façade of the castle like flaming missiles. The gargoyles let out an unholy screech.
Katia breathed a sigh of relief as Uriel hopped into the doorway. She could see Michael, Gadreel, Sam, Azazel, and Belial already safe in the misty hallway. As demons rushed forward, Michael scanned the occupants of the courtyard. His face was a mask of panic.
“Where’s Leila? Did anyone see her?” he shouted.
A chorus of murmured “No’s.” were whispered as everyone jostled about, straining to see through the opening in the fabric of space, desperately seeking a glimpse of the beautiful golden-haired angel. Demons rushed forward in a manic attempt to catch hold of Asmodeus, the only fallen who hadn’t crossed into the doorway. He raced forward, arms stretched toward Amir who had stepped forward once again to provide an anchor into the shadow world. Just as their fingers connected a demon’s sword swung, singing as it arced through the air toward Asmodeus. There was a horrible moment where time seemed to stand still and Asmodeus’ eyes were locked on Amir’s. Katia held her breath as though it would stop the inevitable. The moment was broken when Asmodeus’ hand dropped back down to his side, the light left his eyes as his head separated from his body, dropping to the ground.
“No!” Luc cried out from his place beside Katia. She gripped his hand tightly as tears rose to fill her eyes. Amir stepped back and let the curtain between the worlds drop. As the rift closed, their final view of Halja was Asmodeus’ body falling to the ground. As he struck the flagstones, his entire form was consumed light.
Silence reigned in the ghostly corridor as angels and fallen stood rooted to the spot in shock. Asmodeus was gone…really gone. Katia gripped Luc’s arm tight. Asmodeus had been in Luc’s apartment when she’d woken from her drug-induced stupor. Asmodeus had helped hide her and Luc from Satan’s minions. Asmodeus had risked his life when Luc had come to Halja after her. And now he was dead. Guilt washed over her. If only she hadn’t tried to rescue her brother; if only she’d stayed at Amir’s apartment with Luc. If only… She began to spiral as she hammered herself with second guesses. Katia suddenly felt a whisper soft kiss at her temple, pulling her back into the moment. She lifted her misty eyes to meet Luc’s gaze. His eyes were free of pain, only sadness remained. No anger marred the clear gray gaze staring back at her. He must have heard her thoughts, because Luc shook his head as he spoke. “No, love, don’t do that. It’s not your fault. He would have stopped at nothing to get his hands on you. Now that you're bound to me he’s got no reason to keep coming after you.”
Katia reached out through their connection. Her heart clenched when she realized that Luc was telling the truth. She could feel his heartbreak at the death of his friend, but all that radiated toward her was love and compassion, not a whisper of blame. Katia let out the breath she'd been holding and leaned her head onto Luc’s shoulder, feeling safe for the first time since she’d left their bed at Amir’s. The other fallen murmured their support for her, echoing Luc’s sentiments. B reached out to squeeze her shoulder. For the first time since she’d met him, he seemed to be in a serious mood.
“He knew what could happen coming here; we all did. This is something I think we all had to do. Maybe we’re trying to balance the scales a bit…we’ve done a lot of bad shit…you gave us a chance to do something good for a change.”
Katia looked up at B with a sad smile. “You’re a good man, Baal. Thank you.”
Uncomfortable with the praise, B cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. “Um, yeah, anytime.”
Michael and Uriel stepped forward, breaking the tense moment. “We need to go back,” Michael said with urgency in his voice. “Leila didn’t make it through with the rest of us. We can’t leave her behind, she’ll be trapped forever.”
“I'm responsible for her, she's my student.” Uriel added in a choked voice.
Amir reached out and squeezed Uriel's shoulder. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. The balance has re-asserted itself. I felt the shift as the doorway closed. There's no way back into Halja...or out...”
Uriel hung his head, and Michael shifted his feet, uncomfortable with the feeling of impotence. Neither angel was accustomed to inaction, both feeling the emotional crush of having let Leila down.
“I can’t believe Mo’s really gone,” Luc said with a shake of his head. The fallen around him nodded solemnly. They had been together for so long, a brotherhood of misfits.
“We need to go on living, and we need to do better. It’s what he would want,” Belial added quietly.
They turned slowly and began the walk down the corridor, smoky tendrils twisting around them as they wallowed in their collective grief. Katia reached out and grasped Luc’s hand. His immortal strength was gone, but he was still a pillar of love and strength in her world, a world that had been tilted upon its axis yet again. As the group shuffled along, lost in their own thoughts, nobody noticed the well-dressed blonde who brought up the rear, flecks of red breaking through the baby blue of her eyes as she smiled to herself.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Luc sat at a table in The Advocate, one hand rubbing his tired eyes, the other wrapped protectively around Katia’s shoulders. If he had his way, he wouldn’t let go of her for the rest of his life. She’d given him something to live for beyond simple survival. Amidst the pain of losing Mo, the shock of Keir’s transformation, and the overwhelming love he felt for Katia, Luc had one nagging, sobering thought that ran through his mind. He was human now and mortal. He was going to live and die; he would be gone in the blink of an eye. Katia was immortal. In all of his long existence, Luc had never felt the enormity of what a limited lifespan would mean, nor the importance of every moment. Deep in his heart, he knew that he would spend every second of whatever time remained making Katia happy. He was free of Satan’s pull now; he could feel it in every cell of his human form. When he’d bargained away his immortality, the tie between them had broken. He would never be able to erase the wrongs he’d done, but he would do his best to balance the scales in any way possible. Leaning down, he whispered in Katia’s ear.
“You know I’m human now.”
Katia didn’t reply, she just looked up at him with love and sadness mingling in her eyes and nodded, stretching her head up to kiss him gently on the cheek.
Luc swallowed hard and continued, nervous beyond belief. “Knowing everything I’ve been and done, and knowing I’ll only be around for a human l
ifetime, do you still want me?”
Katia held his gaze for what seemed like an eternity, before she threw her arms around his neck and uttered the sweetest words he had heard in all of his long life. “Yes! I love you! You’re quite literally my soul mate, you’re stuck with me now.”
Luc felt tears of joy stinging at his eyes, threatening to overflow. There was only one thing left to make his life complete, whether it was eternal or only a few short decades. With his arms banded around her, he buried his face in her hair and whispered right back to her, “Katia, will you marry me?”
He felt her nod as she hiccupped and sobbed at the same time. Through their connection he could feel her joy battling her sadness. A thought whispered through his mind. Duh, of course I will, you silly man.
Luc burst out laughing, causing the others that had gathered here to turn and look at him like he’d lost his ever-loving mind. They gave him questioning looks and shook their heads in confusion as he continued laughing. Luc knew in that exact moment that the darkness was gone and all that was left in his life was light, Katia's light.
A bright golden flash momentarily blinded the occupants of the room. Metatron stood in it's wake.
“Morningstar,” Metatron said with a smile.
Luc shook his head and replied, “Nope. Just Luc.”
Metatron nodded. “Ah yes, the deal. In fact, that’s why I’ve come.”
Luc felt Katia shift in his arms as she turned toward the brilliantly-glowing angel standing before them. He felt her intake of breath as she stared at the magnificent wings that arched gracefully from his shoulders. The angels had hidden their splendor at Sergei’s, and, in the heat of battle, she had not taken the time to admire the others. Luc felt a momentary stab of jealousy as he thought back to his own glorious wings. Katia would have loved them; he could have flown her around the world and back again. He felt her squeeze his hand, his thoughts having drifted through their bond.
“What deal?” Katia asked, looking back and forth between Luc and Metatron.
Metatron smiled at Katia, the glow around him seemed to grow brighter in his happiness. “He traded away his immortality in order to be there for you.”
Gasping, Katia turned back to Luc with so much love shining in her eyes he felt his heart swell. “That’s why your Sigil is gone, why you’re human. You did this to come after me.”
Luc cupped her cheek. Leaning down he kissed her. Their lips clung for a sweet moment before he pulled back and looked into those amazing mismatched eyes and replied. “Sweetheart, I would do anything for you.”
Metatron stepped forward and gently drew Katia out of Luc’s embrace. “You may want to step away from him for a moment.”
Luc looked up at Metatron in confusion, barely having time to register what was happening when Metatron placed a hand on his head and cried out. “Lux es tenebris!” Light from darkness.
Power crackled through the room and Luc felt a tingling travel up his arms and legs. “What’s happening to me?” he cried out as the feeling grew stronger and reached his heart. His chest burned like a brand had been pressed into his skin. Sparks lit up the air around him and his entire body jolted. A radiant golden glow shot out from his chest and consumed him in light. A flash of pain sliced across his shoulder blades making him cry out and squeeze his eyes shut. As the pain receded it was replaced by a familiar hum of power, and an intense feeling of peace. A hush fell over the room. Luc cracked open his eyes and looked at his friends. They were staring at him like he'd grown a second head. He turned to Katia, who had tears streaming down her face. All he could feel through their connection was joy. Luc took a step toward her and was momentarily thrown off balance by a weight behind him. Frowning, he reached a hand back and froze. Katia smiled at him through her tears. “They’re amazing,” she said softly.
Luc swallowed hard and did something he hadn't done in centuries, he stretched out his wings. Looking down, he saw his sigil once again burning with a golden light, not a trace of darkness to be seen. Katia stepped toward him and placed her hand over the glow. Luc tipped his head down to rest his forehead on hers as he enveloped her in his wings. She reached out and stroked the soft feathers, making him sigh and shiver in pleasure. He had forgotten how sensitive his wings had been; this was definitely going to make life more interesting. Katia heard his thoughts and raised an eyebrow suggestively, making them both laugh.
Raising his head, Luc turned to Metatron, “Why?”
“You’ve proven you’re not the same angel you were. You’ve always had a good heart; you just needed the opportunity to prove it to yourself.”
“Why are my wings grey?” Luc asked.
Metatron smiled. “Like your Chimera, you’re neither good, nor evil. You’re capable of both and the decision will be yours. Your wings are a reflection of that, neither pure nor impure, but a shade of gray.”
“Will I be able to enter Heofon?”
“You are an earthbound angel now, no longer fallen. Use your power wisely, Morningstar. I’m just glad you finally found your destined light.”
Luc frowned. "Destined?”
Metatron smiled a slightly devious smile. “Elaina, Katia’s name given to her by Uriel at her birth — Elaina means light,” he said with a wink, then disappeared in a flash.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Luc stood on the parapet of the gothic castle gazing down at Katia as she played her violin in the courtyard. He still couldn’t believe his luck. In the past few weeks, the frenzy around them had died down, and they were finally alone in their new home. The castle wasn’t exactly low-key, but there was a coven of powerful witches nearby that had weaved all kinds of magic to keep them safe. He didn’t even pretend to understand it. As long as Katia was safe, that was all that mattered. It was probably good they had such a large home 'cause Luc had a sneaking suspicion they would be having a lot of houseguests. Some of the fallen had crashed with them already, along with Sergei and Amir.
None of the fallen really knew what had happened, but when Luc's connection to Satan had been severed, they had all been freed. Luc had regained his wings, but he was the only one...not that anyone was complaining. Priorities, right? Luc turned his head into the driving wind and letting it whip through his hair. The possibilities open to him were mind-blowing. He couldn't wait to explore them all with Katia by his side. Luc stretched his wings to their full span and stepped off the ledge, allowing his body to glide gracefully on the wind as he angled left and right, finally dipping down to spiral into an easy landing a few feet away from Katia. She put her violin down and looked at him with sparkling eyes and laughed delightedly.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to watching you jump off roofs.”
“It’s not a roof, it’s a parapet. And you’re going to have to join me one of these times,” Luc replied with a teasing smile.
“Smartass,” Katia replied as she made her way over to give him a quick kiss.
“Yeah, but you love me anyhow…Heofon knows why,” Luc laughed back.
“Apparently there's something to be said for destiny, right?” Katia smiled. “But seriously...I can't imagine spending eternity with anyone else.”
“You don't just want me for my stunning good looks.” Luc struck a modelesque pose and waggled his eyebrows.
Katia burst out laughing. “Yeah, you’re passable,” she said with a wink.
“Now who’s the smartass,” Luc replied. He pointed over to her violin that lay resting on one of the wrought iron garden benches. “That was a lovely piece you were playing.”
Katia’s smile faltered. “Thanks. The violin seems to be the outlet for my feelings about Keir...” She trailed off.
Luc stepped forward and drew her into his arms, holding her tight. “We’ll find a way to get him back. I promise you. I won’t ever stop trying to find a way.” Katia rested her head on Luc’s chest and he breathed in the scent of her shampoo, something so small that he could never live without. "Why don’t we take a lit
tle adventure? I know exactly what will put a smile on your gorgeous face.”
Katia peered up at him coyly through her lashes. “Do you now?”
Luc gave her a wolfish grin. “Have you ever wanted to join the mile-high club?” With a great whoosh, Luc propelled them into the air, holding Katia tightly against him, her squeal of laughter music to his ears as they climbed higher and higher. Looking down at her radiantly-smiling face, Luc realized he didn’t know what the future held for them, but he knew one thing was true…amor vincit omnia. Love truly does conquer all.
The end.
Coming Soon...
Baal heaved a sigh and pushed a hand through his hair as he shoved his way out the side door of the apartment building and entered the alley. He felt the familiar sensation of his stomach rolling as he cleared the doorway. It was always like this, he’d go home with one of the demons he’d picked up at The Advocate — fuck their brains out, then sneak out the back door fighting to keep his dinner down. He’d been stuck on repeat for centuries now, but the nausea still seemed to sneak up on him and kick his ass. B leaned back against the brick wall of the building and hunched forward, resting his hands on his knees as he desperately sucked air into his lungs in a bid to slow down the roller coaster in his abdomen. He chuckled bitterly. This was all so ridiculous.