by Jacey Ward
Cassiel waited, his grey eyes growing wide and worried as he listened. For the first time since he could recall, there was an almost deafening silence around him as if Hell had ceased to function for one moment in time.
What could I possibly give him? What would he want from me?
“You will remain in Hell, ruling in my place while I take over your form and stay on Earth.”
Cassiel stared at him, the short elation he had previously felt dissolving into a puddle.
“How can you do such a thing?” he asked, his brow knitting in confusion. “You are bound to Hades – “
“I was,” he agreed. “But that was before He sent along another angel. It can be done and if you should lose this wager, I will return to earth and seek my vengeance on God without having to babysit the lot of you.”
Cassiel bit on his lower lip and stared at his guardian warily.
“Why do you not simply take what you want?” he whispered. “Why must we do this?”
Lucifer grunted and sighed.
“Fine,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “I cannot. You must agree to it and I assume you will say no if I merely ask. So, let us try it this way, shall we?”
Their gazes locked and Cassiel heard Lucky inside his head for the first time since falling from grace.
“We are not the same as the other souls,” he said cajolingly. “Give me a chance to reclaim what is mine, and you shall do the same.”
Cassiel nodded.
“Yes,” he said softly. “I agree.”
In the next moment, he was on earth, dressed in nothing but a t-shirt and blue jeans, inhaling breathable, non-sulphuric air.
No matter what comes from this, Cassiel vowed silently. I have experienced life on earth again, tasted clean water, eaten food, talked to others. I will not forget these feeling when I lose to Lucky.
But as Cassiel gawked at Sera, the vision of beauty before him, he knew for the first time that he was about to win the bet.
“Serafina,” he whispered. “The fiery one’.”
Her auburn eyebrows furrowed, and she stared at him.
“Excuse me?” she asked, a confused smile playing on her lips but Cassiel shook his head and stared deeply into her eyes.
“I am going to kiss you now,” he said.
A flood of moisture pooled between her legs at his statement, surprising the hell out of her. Since when did she react so strongly to a statement like that? But at the same moment, as if making a liar out of her, her body leaned in toward his and she did not resist as he grabbed her, pressing his mouth to hers. Cass felt her body quiver as their tongues met.
She pulled apart first, eyeing him with interest. She realized that here maybe, was the answer to her earlier prayers for a decent sex partner.
“Would you like to come back to my place?” she asked, and Cassiel nodded, rubbing his thumb over her lower lip.
I am going to win this wager, I am certain. But how will Lucky react when I do?
He pushed the concern from his mind and followed Serafina.
There was still time to worry about Lucky.
He had more important matters to think of at that time.
Chapter Five
Serafina
They did not make it out of the hospital.
The heat rushing through Sera’s loins was too much for her to bear and without realizing it, she had pulled Smith into a supply closet.
She had no way of knowing if they would be caught, but she didn’t care.
All Sera knew was that she needed to be taken by this mystery man - and fast.
What am I doing? Some remote voice yelled at her from the back of her mind, but she barely heard it, ripping her shirt over her head and throwing herself forward.
The stranger caught her and pulled her close, dancing backward against the wall until his back landed against a metal shelving unit.
Neither of them seemed to notice as the items crashed to the floor in a clang of insanity.
He reached for her breasts as their lips crushed into each other, their tongues wrestling to explore.
Sera gasped and pulled back suddenly, her green eyes clashing with his grey ones, and she felt touched on her soul by only his stare.
A tingling awareness ran through her body, and instantly, her crotch was soaked as his hands teased her nipples.
She dropped one wrist, eager to see the size of him beneath his jeans, but even before her fingers could reach the top button, she knew he was hung.
She was not disappointed and when she dropped to her knees to take him into her mouth, her dark emerald eyes fixated on him, she plunged her mouth firmly around his swollen shaft.
He startled her when he cried out, throwing his head back against the shelves, but Sera did not slow down. His fingers locked into her auburn waves, pulling sharply as he tried to take back the control of his own body. Then his body seemed to take control of his fist, and started guiding her down, thrusting his cock deeper into her throat. She took him deeply, swallowing the head of his cock as she felt his six-pack ripple against her palm.
“Oh, dear God,” he muttered, and Sera tightened her mouth to create a vacuum effect.
Her hand reached upward to caress his throbbing sack and as she massaged him, she felt him grow larger in her mouth.
Electric shocks of awareness zinged through her as his motions became almost violent, and she used her free hand to slip into her own pants.
She was sopping already, the feeling of him thrusting almost involuntarily against her as he lost control, making her even wetter.
“Wait!” he protested, clenching his jaw hard, his sculped abs rippling in from of her. But she didn’t stop, instead finding her own pulsating button and massaging herself in time to his deep, rhythmic thrusts.
She moaned softly, the hum of her expression causing him to jolt again and as she inserted a finger into herself, she looked up at him.
His sooty eyes pierced her soul as they watched the scene below him with rapture, but Sera’s gaze went hazy as her own body tensed.
His hands gripped her head and he bucked unexpectedly to her mouth, growling like an animal and as she found her release, hot streams of scalding liquid poured down her throat.
His orgasm seemed to go on forever, spurting endlessly into her until every last drop was savored.
Then without warning, he jerked away from her, running his hands through his hair violently.
Sera fell backward onto her rear and gaped up at him, fury rising through her veins.
“What the hell?” she snapped, the total change in his demeanor after the almost soulful moment they had just shared shocking her.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, reaching for his pants, his face turned away from her as he avoided her gaze. “Forgive me. I don’t know what came over me.”
Almost immediately, Sera’s mood changed from anger to mild amusement.
“Why are you apologizing?” she asked, slowly ambling to her feet. “You didn’t enjoy it?”
If possible, her statement seemed to cause him further distress, but he didn’t respond, eyeing her for a long moment.
“What’s your name?” she asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.
“Cassiel.”
Inexplicably, the name sent a shiver down her spine, but Sera could not say why.
Have I heard it before? It’s a strange name.
“Why – “
She didn’t get a chance to finish her question as the door to the supply room opened.
A nurse stood in pink scrubs, her mouth parted in shock.
Instantly, her expression became one of anger.
“What the hell are you two doing in here?” she demanded.
Sera barely held back a giggle.
“We were trying to find an on-call room but…” she trailed off and tried to look embarrassed, but she failed miserably.
I was never much of an actress.
“You’re not a nurse,” the woman snapped. “I would know if you were.”<
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“I’m a doctor!” Sera replied shortly. “What? Women can’t be doctors?”
She snatched her shirt off the floor and slipped it on over her head.
“Come on, Dr. Smith. This hospital is filled with hostility.”
“Security!” the nurse yelled, and Sera grabbed Cassiel’s arm, yanking him into the corridor, bursting out laughing at the same time.
“Hurry,” she said, through her giggles, almost dragging him down the hall so they wouldn’t be caught by the guards.
Once outside, the rain was almost painful as it pelted down over them, but Sera barely noticed it as she hailed a cab she couldn’t afford.
“Where do you live?” she asked as they managed to find a yellow cab.
“Hell,” he replied, and Sera laughed.
“Well, this is Detroit,” she replied. “Can you be more specific?”
She realized he was studying her face and she turned to stare at him.
“Where are you going?” the driver snapped impatiently, and Sera gave him her address.
“I live in the north end,” she told Cassiel.
He didn’t respond but he continued to watch her face as if memorizing her features closely.
“You’re not a big talker, huh?” she said, and he smiled.
There was something both ominous and light about him, as if he was a little dark but also, well….good.
“Why were you at the hospital?” she tried, sensing that she was going to be leading the conversation.
“A misunderstanding,” he replied shortly, as the cab sloshed through the rain. He looked out the car window towards the buildings and vehicles zipping past, his eyes widening with interest.
“That is some misunderstanding,” Sera cracked, peering at his face but even as she watched him, the swelling seemed a lot less severe than it had in the hospital.
Look at that, she thought with an inward chuckle. I cured him.
“Do you need to go to another hospital? Somewhere there aren’t cops looking for you?” Sera suggested but she could already sense that he would say no.
As she suspected, he shook his head.
“No thank you,” he replied quietly and that’s when Sera noticed his distinct speech patterns.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” she sighed.
He smiled and shook his head.
“No.”
“Why in God’s name are you visiting Detroit of all the hellholes in the world?”
Her question seemed to amuse him greatly and to her surprise, he began to chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Sera demanded, unsure if he was laughing at her or not.
Cassiel shook his dark head but the glint did not disappear from his grey eyes.
“It’s difficult to explain,” he replied, and Sera wasn’t sure if she should let it go or be annoyed.
Why do I always find the weirdoes? She wondered, turning to gaze out the window. But she couldn’t help but feel that there was something special about this man.
She had never felt so instantly drawn to another person so completely.
It had been like a magnet had thrust them together, one which she had no control over whatsoever.
Well, whatever his story, he is unbelievably attractive, Sera reasoned. And the size of him. I can’t wait to have him inside me. Round two, coming right up.
The thought of it created another stream of heat to flow through her and Sera bit her lower lip, glancing at Cassiel through her peripheral vision.
“We’re here, lady,” the cabbie barked, and Sera realized that he had pulled up outside her dilapidated apartment complex.
Damn, how long was I sitting here in the middle of a wet daydream? She wondered, reaching for her purse.
To her surprise, Cassiel handed the driver a bill and jumped from the vehicle, coming around to open her door.
She gaped at him.
“Paying her by the cab ride instead of the hour,” The driver sneered under his breath.
“Shut up,” Sera growled. “You don’t have to be such a miserable bastard.”
“Fuck you,” he yelled. “Stupid bitch.”
“Excuse me?” Cassiel asked, leaning forward inside the cab to look at the driver.
“Your girlfriend is a stupid cow, buddy. Put a leash on her,” the man snorted.
“Screw you, asshole,” she replied, grabbing Cassiel’s hand and tugging him toward the entranceway.
She was unperturbed by the cab driver; everyone in Detroit seemed to have an attitude problem after all, but she suddenly realized that Cassiel was not at her side as she dug for her apartment keys.
When she looked to see where her new companion was, he suddenly appeared, taking her arm and gently leading her into the worn lobby.
“Are you all right?” he asked, and Sera laughed.
“Of course,” she replied. “I have a conversation like that at least six times a day.”
Cassiel said nothing as he allowed himself to be pulled forward into the building.
Sera did not realize that the taxi had not moved from the curb.
If she had looked back, she would have seen the driver’s face frozen mid-scream and turning to stone, his hands going through the motions of driving his empty shell of a body away from her place.
Chapter Six
Nathaniel
It didn’t seem possible that the new city was worse than the old and, yet he could finally feel an awareness of Cassiel nearby.
This is the future, he thought mournfully, jumping back as a long, black motor vehicle splashed him with a puddle, soaking him from head to toe.
“You should not stand so close to the road,” Mari chided him, and he scowled at her.
He had travelled north into the cesspool known as Detroit and somehow, Mari had stuck with him.
While he had not put up a formal protest, he sometimes wished she would find a new john and move along.
“Do you not have friends who will miss your company?” he asked her several times, remembering the idle threat she had delivered when they first met.
It seemed like a lifetime ago when it had only been two weeks.
“You do not like my companionship, baby?” she asked coyly, flashing him a teasing smile. “You do not seem to complain when we are alone.”
She winked at him, reminding him of the one reason he was moderately happy to have her around for - her sexual appetite was insatiable.
Many times, Nathaniel had been tempted to kill her and get rid of her body, but he knew Josiel was monitoring his movements, as if he was some criminal who required a guard.
As much as Nathaniel wished to drop Mari for a younger, more beautiful woman, he also knew he could not be trading one hole for another or he would be judged harshly when he returned to Heaven.
If I return to Heaven, he thought grimly.
What other reason could his step-brother have for returning to earth after all these years?
“I do enjoy your companionship,” Nathaniel lied. “I only worry that your family fears for your safety.”
Mari barked out a laugh, the sound causing him to cringe.
“Que familia?” she snorted. “My father sold me to Los Zetas when I was thirteen for an eight ball of cocaine.”
Unexpectedly, Nathaniel felt a pang of compassion for the girl.
Ugh. The feeling made him nauseous.
“Where should we look for your amigo?” Mari asked as they continued through the filthy streets. “Who is this man, anyways?”
Whatever sympathy he had felt for the Mexican prostitute disappeared as he checked his temper.
She asked too many questions.
“I have told you,” he replied smoothly. “He is an old acquaintance with whom I have unfinished business.”
“That tells me nothing,” Mari complained, and Nathaniel felt his hands ball into fists at his side.
Not for the first time, he wondered if Cassiel had the privilege of killing without fear of reprisal.
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Maybe he got the better deal in Hell after all, Nathaniel thought. I should have the freedom to do as I please also.
“It is all you need to know,” he replied shortly. “We must find shelter.”
He was feeling a stirring in his loins which needed to be alleviated.
Mari grinned and nodded in agreement.
“Tengo hambre,” she told him, and Nathaniel sighed.
“We shall find somewhere to eat supper,” he said.
“Maybe we can get one of those fancy hotel rooms with room service,” she suggested, but Nathaniel had no idea what she was talking about.
“Of course,” he told her. “Whatever you feel is best.”
They had been journeying for days, first on a smoldering bus and then on an uncomfortable train. The only thing which had made the trip bearable was Mari’s soft, wet mouth.
He allowed her to lead the way through the dismal city until they stood before a building taller than anything Nathaniel had ever seen in his life.
“Dear God in Heaven, what is this?” he gasped, his eyes wide with wonder.
Mari laughed as if he was joking and grabbed his hand, yanking him inside the revolving doors.
It was clear they were out of place in the elegant lobby, with their less than sterling clothing, and their haggard hairstyles. But Nathaniel barely noticed as he looked about, impressed with the rich interior.
His senses were overwhelmed by the lavish sights, and the people in their modern clothes, casting them strange glances.
“Come on,” Mari urged, and Nathaniel had little choice but to follow her.
The concierge eyed them with undisguised disdain as they approached.
“May I help you?” he asked in a tone which indicated he did not believe he could.
“We are needing a room,” Mari explained.
His face puckered into a look of contempt as he looked over Mari’s skimpy outfit and Nathaniel’s disheveled look and overwhelming size.
“We don’t rent rooms by the hour here,” he retorted in a clipped tone. “This is the Hilton, madam.”
Mari did not seem to understand his reluctance, but Nathaniel instantly recognized the scorn in his voice.
A tight smile formed on his lips as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a fistful of bills.