by A L Williams
James’s eyes flashed with rage. “We need to get her back.”
“Bidh thu ga dhèanamh cho furasta, You make it sound so easy, ” Ben said. “How do we get there exactly? We can’t just waltz in. My people’s magic sealing the gates isn’t plastic wrap.”
I frowned. He was right. Lucifer and I could get into the garden, but the others could not. Andrew and James had human blood, so they could not enter, and the magic was beyond Ben. It was magic much older than he.
“Lucifer and I will go to the Garden,” I said.
James visibly tensed. “You aren’t leaving us behind.”
“There is no other way,” I said, softening my voice.
“They are correct, son. If we are to retrieve her, we have to go now.”
James chewed his lip, still pressed against Andrew. The larger man wrapped his arms around James, pulling him into his chest. “Bring her back,” Andrew said. I knew he didn’t like the idea of staying behind either, but I could see the wisdom in his eyes. He had grown much since I first met him.
“We will,” I said.
No matter what it took, I would bring her back. She meant something to me. I was not ready to face it, but I would not let her get hurt because of me. Regardless of how this would turn out, I was done ignoring it. We could all die. I had to save her, anyway. She was mine, and I would be damned if Lilith took her away from me. She would not win. Our lives counted on it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hayley
I was forced awake by the sound of birds and other creatures scurrying around. I squinted at the bright sun above, pulling my body off the grass. When I sat up, I scanned my surroundings, finding myself in a massive garden that stretched on forever. Off in the distance, a large tree towered over everything, radiating rays of light that was its own. I stared at it, its light warmer than even the sun.
When I was finally able to pull my eyes away, I continued my inspection and landed on another tree. The trunk leaned, pushing the crown closer to the ground. The branches curled in on themselves, resembling the rise and fall of the gyri of the surface of the human brain. Each branch tapered into a fiber thin string, emitting sparks of energy that trailed along each branch, illuminating the hanging fruit
“Where am I?” I said to myself.
“You are in paradise,” a familiar voice said.
I tensed and whipped around, finding Lilith standing before me, her skin even paler in the sunlight. At her feet lay the three children, sound asleep. Their faces looked so peaceful as if they hadn’t been kidnapped by this crazy bitch.
I balled my hands into fists. “What do you want?”
“I thought we should have a little chat.”
“Unless it’s about returning these kids, we have nothing to talk about.”
She smirked. “I could make that happen.”
“What?”
She moved closer. “You heard me. I could let them go.”
“What do you want?”
“You must stay.”
“What would you want with me?”
“Your womb.”
I arched my brow.
What did that mean?
My womb?
I looked down at the children once again. It didn’t matter. “Okay.”
She clapped her hands. “Excellent!” She waved her hand, and the children vanished.
My heart slammed against my chest. “Where—?”
She inched closer. “Do not fret. They have all been returned safely.”
My shoulders relaxed, and my body grew light as if a weight had been lifted off me. They were safe. I had done it. I had saved them.
“Now for your end of the bargain.” She moved closer. A chill trailed down my spine as she looked at me long and hard.
“My beloved wants you,” she said, reaching for my chin and tilting it up to look at her. Gabriel's face drifted through my mind. “You care for them?” Lilith said.
I tensed and frowned. “What about it?”
Lilith sighed. “They tried to hurt you. How can you trust them after that?”
“They changed.”
“Have they? Interesting.” She searched my face. “It matters not. If they want you, then they shall have you, but I will not let them go.” She dragged her long nail across my skin, and I shivered.
“What—?” I started.
A strange energy surrounded me, and my heart started to hammer in my chest. Everything blurred as her fingers curled around my neck. The Garden faded away, and a lightness filled my body.
Whispered words echoed in my head.
I will have a child.
I will have Gabriel’s child.
Realization hit me as I drifted further into darkness. She wanted a child, and she was going to get one through me.
We both can have Gabriel.
Together.
Chapter Thirty
Gabriel
Before we left, Corbin pulled me to the side. His eyes were dark with worry, and I could see a small trace of lines at the corners of his eyes. He had been through so much, and it was in his face, even as youthful as it was.
I smiled at him. “We will bring her back.”
“Please. She’s—she’s all I have left. When my wife was—” he paused.
I remained silent to allow him to find the words.
“When Laura was killed, I was destroyed. I did things I am not proud of. Finding out Hayley was in the hospital, even as much as finding out Cindy was dead, hurt, stopped me from going through with it. She needed family.”
I tensed when he grabbed my arm tight.
“I can’t,” he repeated, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. My heart ached. He loved his cousin so much. I had to bring her back, even if it was only for his sake. I knew by the look in his eyes he would not survive it.
“I promise I will bring her back. Even if it kills me.”
His eyes widened. “I need you to come back, too.” I wrinkled my brow at the affection in his gaze. “You are family now. You don’t get to just sacrifice yourself. You come back together, ya hear me?” he said, an accent slipping in.
I nodded, a strange emotion washing over me. The same emotion that I had not faced when I felt it with Hayley. I shoved it down. I could deal with that at another time. We had to get to Hayley before it was too late.
Corbin stepped away as Lucifer approached. James, Andrew and Ben came up behind him.
“Good luck, and be safe,” James said, with a reassuring smile. I gaze around at the men surrounding me. Trust shimmered in their eyes, and my chest warmed. They believed in me. They trusted me. After everything I had done. They had forgiven me.
It’s time to forgive yourself.
I blinked and looked around, wondering what that was.
“Let us depart,” Lucifer said. I looked back to him, and without another word, Lucifer’s wings sprung from his back, stretching high above us. When he wrapped them around us, the living room and the men before us faded into darkness.
In the Garden, the sun shimmered above us, and the wind whistled as Lucifer unwrapped his wings. Everything was as it should be. The lush fields of green stretched on as creatures moved about. The Tree of Life overlooked the vast landscape, shining with its own magnificent glow.
The only thing even close to its greatness was the Tree of Knowledge, its electrifying presence a stark contrast to the Tree of Life’s ethereal light. The gates groaned as they opened, overpowering the sounds of nature.
I stepped forward, examining the surroundings, and Lucifer came up beside me.
“Where is she?” I asked.
“She is here. I can feel her,” Lucifer said, scanning the distance.
I stepped into the Garden and whipped around at the cry of pain Lucifer emitted. When my eyes landed on him, he was thrown back, a cloud of darkness shooting up into the sky and blocking the entry to the garden. I frowned.
Lilith.
“Gabriel!” Lucifer called from the other side.
I closed my eyes. “This is my fight. Do not try to come through. You will get hurt.”
“You cannot!” he yelled.
“I have to. Trust me, brother.”
Silence followed until Lucifer finally said, “I always have.” My chest tightened at his words.
I turned and scanned everything, looking for any sign of Hayley, Lilith, or the children. I found nothing.
“They have been returned,” a familiar voice said. I followed it, finding Hayley lounging in the grass, plucking petals from the wildflowers around her.
I watched as she sighed. I inspected the area again for any sign of Lilith. “Come, sit with me,” Hayley said. My stomach twisted. Something was different. Wrong.
She met my gaze, her eyes sharp with a hint of annoyance. “I said come here.”
A chill shot down my spine.
“My love,” she murmured. My eyes widened as her eyes started to glow red. Lilith stared at me through Hayley’s beautiful blue eyes.
I stalked over and stared down at her. She smiled. “What’s wrong, Love?”
I frowned. “Leave her.”
“Let us have a chat. It has been so long since we have been alone. Together.” She patted the grass beside her.
“Leave her,” I repeated, gritting my teeth.
She glared at me, and I sank down to the grass, unsure of what she would do to Hayley’s body if I did not.
She leaned in closer and laid her head on my shoulder. I tensed but did not move.
She sighed. “This is nice, is it not?” I did not respond. It was not a question. “Why so silent, Beloved?”
I swallowed the rage. My heavenly fire ready to spring forth. “Why are you inside her body?”
“I see the desire in your eyes for her. You want her. You want to fuck her. Defile her body.” I flinched at the sharpness of her words. Her voice leaked with jealousy that I knew well. I was looking into a mirror of my own feelings towards Lucifer and Father.
Her face softened, and she reached up, trailing her fingers along my cheek. I closed my eyes, fighting the calm that settled over me. It felt like Hayley, but this was not Hayley.
“This way, we can be together. You can have her, and I can have you.” She pressed herself close, reached for my groin, cupping my penis. “We can have a child.” She squeezed it.
“No,” I said, disgust twisted in my stomach and acid rose in my throat. She started to stroke me through my slacks.
She frowned at my still flaccid penis. “I know you want her.”
“I said no.”
She glared at me. “You have never told me no.”
“Things have changed. Let her go.”
Her face twisted into rage. “You will give me a child, or I will kill this girl.”
My heart started to beat faster as a haze of dark clouds rose around us. Her eyes began to glow again. “You will give me a child, or she will suffer.”
She climbed into my lap, straddling my thighs. I sat, frozen, and she reached for my shirt, undoing the top button. I reached for her hand, stopping her in her tracks. She grimaced as I searched her eyes, realizing I was stroking her hand. Hayley’s hand. She looked down, and her face fell. She looked back at me, and a single tear trailed down her face.
I sucked in air, realizing what I saw. Hayley’s pain and confusion stared back at me. Her eyes pleaded with me to save her.
“Hayley…” I whispered.
A second later, the look was gone, and Lilith's hard gaze returned. She growled. “If you want her to live...” She reached up to her face, trailing a single finger along Hayley’s cheek. I gasped as the nail dug in, cutting the flesh. Blood rose to the surface and trailed down her face, mingling with the remaining tear on her chin.
I reached for her, stopping her. She took my hand and pulled it down to her groin, placing her fingers against Hayley's vagina. “You will give me a child.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as she pushed me onto my back, continuing to undress me. I lay there, lost in confusion. I did not know what to do. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized I could not help Hayley. I was powerless. What had I been thinking? I could not do it. I endangered Hayley’s life. I failed Corbin.
Because I am not strong enough.
Chapter Thirty-One
Hayley
I whisked the broom across the floor, pushing the dust and debris into the dustpan. A sharp pain barreled through my groin, and I stumbled, moving to the couch to sit down. I swallowed around the nausea and breathed through my nose as I throbbed in pain.
Todd hadn’t been gentle, this morning, and I could still feel his bruising touches. My skin was already starting to show signs of assault, and I knew I was going to have to cover them with some makeup before I left for school.
When the pain subsided, I dragged myself to my feet, using the broom for balance. The door burst open. I jumped and backed into the couch, preparing myself for Todd. When he was angry, I was his release.
I froze when a woman in a gray suit strode in. Her dark brunette hair was tied back. Although she was short, she carried herself with an authority that towered over the men that followed behind her.
“Hello, I’m Detective Leticia Romero. Are you Hayley McDonald?” she asked.
I backed further away, clenching the broom handle. “Yeah.”
She crept closer. “We got a call from your school. One of the students reported bruises on your arm. We just want to ask you a few questions.”
I looked around. “Where’s Todd?”
She frowned. “He’s in custody.”
“Did he do something?”
Her face softened. Last night flashed in my mind as she pinned me with a knowing gaze. At that moment, I wanted to curl into a ball of shame and never open my eyes again. A hand settled on my shoulder.
I looked up at the Detective, and she kneeled in front of me. “He won’t hurt you anymore.” I didn’t know this woman, but I knew she was telling the truth. I bobbed and wiped away the tears that had escaped. When I took her hand, she guided me out of the house, into the hot sun.
Gabriel’s voice pulled me from the past. They were staring at me with worry and a spark of fear. They searched my eyes, and everything came rushing back. Lilith was inside of me. She had taken my body. She was going to make Gabriel and I have a baby. I struggled against the pressure preventing me from moving, trying to get to them. Trying to stop her. I fought, and for a split second, realization spread across Gabriel’s face.
The pressure pushed me down onto my knees in the darkness, and I watched the scene unfold before me. Lilith pushed Gabriel onto their back. Gabriel’s face fell. They stared at me—at Lilith—with a pained expression. A sob rushed out of me at the shame in their eyes. So much shame. I knew it well.
The tears endlessly flowed as my heart broke, for myself and for them. They would never come back from this. They would never forgive themselves, just as I never forgave myself.
I collapsed and curled into a ball, my sobs growing more desperate and hopeless.
How did I end up here again?
Chapter Thirty-Two
Gabriel
Lilith stood and unzipped her jeans, wiggling them off and removing her shirt. I gazed up as she glared down at me, dressed only in lace panties. The urge to cover her rushed through me.
She climbed back on top of me, straddling my hips. She gyrated, grinding against me. When she undid the final button of my shirt, she eyed my chest hungrily. My stomach lurched. The night Hayley and I made love, those eyes had been filled with the same want, but it was beautiful. This was wrong. All wrong.
She laid her hands on my chest and goosebumps rose on my skin as she slid her palms along my pecs and stomach, swirling her finger around my belly button.
My heart hammered in my chest. I wanted to fight back, but if I shoved her off, what would she do to Hayley? Fear held me in place. She kissed and nibbled on my flesh, and I swallowed the acid that rose in my throat. She pressed her body in
to me, rubbing herself against my flaccid penis. She leaned into me as she continued to pleasure herself, her breathing coming out in quick puffs.
“This is how it should be, Beloved,” she whispered with a long groan, and my skin crawled.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Hayley
I walked through the doors of the group home, throwing my backpack into my room and on my bed. Everything was silent as I wandered through the hall. Today had been a field trip, and I wasn’t able to go because I had gotten into a fight with one of the other girls. It wasn’t my fault she was a royal bitch. I had warned her many times to leave me alone. She didn’t listen, which earned her a bloody nose. Some people were just asking for it.
I sighed heavily and entered the living room. Greg’s head poked out from the kitchen, and he smirked. “Hey!” I blushed and smiled back. Greg was one of the staff members of the group home. He was in charge of the teen boys which meant he interacted with us girls quite a bit. All the girls had a crush on him. I was no exception. He was good-looking with a charm that would make anyone giddy.
“Can you help me out, Hays?” he asked. My face grew warmer as I entered the kitchen. He was the only person who called me Hays.
I eyed the brown paper bags stacked on the counters. An assortment of fruit was piled on top of each other and plastic wrapped sandwiches were neatly lined up next to the fruit. “We decided that bagged dinners would be easier. Put one of each in a bag,” he said.
I got to work, shoving food in the brown paper, trying to ignore how close he was. Once I was done, I turned to Greg. He smirked and moved closer. I stepped back.
“Thanks,” he said with a low voice. He inched closer.
“No problem” I replied, swallowing. My mouth was dry. I looked around, wondering why this kitchen was so small. I backed up, trying to put space between us, but he followed. My back hit the wall, and I looked up at him. “What are—?”