by Megan Linski
Angels & Demons: The Series
Megan Linski
Copyright © 2017 Gryfyn Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The reproduction or utilization of this work in part of in whole including xerography, recording, and photocopying is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
BISAC Category: Romance/Fantasy
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Art by Molly Phipps
Formatting by Molly Phipps and Megan Linski
Editing by Thalia Smithingell of Gryfyn Publishing
Distributed in the USA by Gryfyn Publishing
For information about custom editions, special sales, ARCs, and premium and corporate purchases, please contact Gryfyn Publishing at [email protected]
Manufactured in the United States of America
Contents
Other Books by Megan Linski
Torrent (Angels & Demons #1)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Torture (Angels & Demons #2)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Truth (Angels & Demons #3)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
The Witch’s Curse
About the Author
Other Books by Megan Linski
Alora
These Starcrossed Lives of Ours
The Kingdom Saga
Kingdom From Ashes
Fallen From Ashes
Redemption From Ashes
Prince of Fire
The Rhodi Saga
Rhodi’s Light
Rhodi Rising
Rhodi’s Lullaby
Creatures of the Lands Series (co-written with Krisen Lison)
Kiatana’s Journey by Natalie Erin
Vera’s Song by Natalie Erin
Wyntier’s Rise by Natalie Erin
Vixen’s Fate by Natalie Erin
Midnightstar by Natalie Erin
Angel’s Rebellion by Natalie Erin
The Shifter Prophecy
Court of Vampires
Den of Wolves
War of Witches
Heir to Russia
Song of Dragonfire
Song of Smoke and Fire
Change of Wind and Storms
World of Gods and Men
Torrent (Angels & Demons #1)
A sexy angel.
A bad boy demon.
Cass is in love with heaven and hell.
Cassia is a foster kid. She has a plan; graduate high school, then pack her bags and leave her tragic past behind her. Yet on her first day of senior year, she meets two very different guys… biker Thames, who possess a fiery temper, and Cairo, football captain and handsome hero.
As Cass grows closer to the two boys, she finds herself caught in a love triangle, trapped in a world of angels and demons fighting for the souls of mankind... and hunted by a monster straight out of the underworld.
Will Cass taste forbidden fruit? What if YOU were in love with heaven and hell?
Fans of USA TODAY Bestselling Author Megan Linski’s Shifter Prophecy series will enjoy Torrent, a young adult paranormal romance featuring action, adventure, and a story of true love.
I want to start over. This seems like the only place left on earth that’s out of my past’s reach.
Heaven, Michigan. Located in the Upper Peninsula, with an upwards of 200 inches of snowfall per year and, I’m pretty sure, more bears than people. Population: Me.
Up here, I’m sure I’ll be lonely. But it’s not like I haven’t been lonely before.
“Welcome to your new home, Cassia,” Isolde says with a warm smile as I slide out of the car. “Grab your things and make yourself comfortable.”
Isolde stands before a gigantic wooden cabin, nestled against an array of pine trees. Since this is the only house for miles, the cabin is out of place, a castle in a vast wilderness. I know nurses make money, but I didn’t think Isolde could afford this kind of lifestyle. It’s definitely the most illustrious place I’ve ever lived in.
“Nice place,” I comment, trying to give Isolde a compliment as I reach inside the car for my things.
“I inherited the house from my grandfather,” Isolde says, casting a glance over her shoulder. “It’s been in the family for generations.”
From the car seat, I pull out a ratty trash bag, which holds all the belongings I possess in the world. Stuffed with worn-out clothes, cheap perfume, two books, and an old stuffed owl from my childhood, it feels like nothing.
It feels like me.
Isolde glances at the trash bag before she adds, “We’ll go shopping for new clothes tonight. School starts tomorrow. I bet you’re excited for your first day of your senior year.”
I’ve been to six different school districts in my life, so I really don’t know how to respond to that.
I follow Isolde into the house. My jaw drops open. You would think a professional interior designer did it, complete with imported furniture and fur rugs, fancy paintings and elaborate sculptures.
It’s a Northen Michigan paradise. Definitely too high-class for me, the gutter rat.
A moose head hangs on the wall above the stone fireplace. I swear, it’s staring at me. Unnerved, I ignore it as Isolde leads me past the massive kitchen and high-ceilinged living room to a set of winding stairs. On the second floor, she opens a door and says, “This is your room. I tried to make it as comfortable as possible.”
I step inside. The room is outfitted with a double bed and a chest of drawers. It�
��s small, but certainly more than what I’ve had before. In the past I shared a room with my foster siblings. I’m the only kid here.
“I did my best to decorate it. I… I hope you like owls.” Isolde holds her hands in front of her, clenching them tightly.
This is as awkward for her as it is for me. I attempt a smile and say, “Owls are actually my favorite. Thanks.”
She beams in relief. “Great. I’ll leave you to get settled.”
She heads out the doorway. “Would you like spaghetti for dinner? We can eat before we leave.”
“Sure.”
Isolde’s shoes clip-clop down the hardwood, the tension leaving with her. At least she’s nice. That’s way more than I can say for my last foster parent. Even if Isolde is some wicked witch of the west, there is no way that she could ever be worse than him.
Thinking about Eric churns my stomach. I quickly start unpacking to get my mind off him. If I let myself remember what happened I’ll get sick, and this was all about starting over. Time to put it behind me.
All my belongings are put away in less than ten minutes. I sit on the bed and tap my foot. Everything’s so nice, but it’s not mine. It’s not me.
I don’t want to go downstairs and bother Isolde. Curious about what my view of the outside world is, I open the curtains and look down. The window portrays an emerald world, coniferous trees as far as the eye can see with a sapphire lake far in the background. The yard leads to a thin dirt path that goes into the forest. I wonder where it goes…
A flash of white catches my eye and my head whips to the side. Before I can catch what it is, it’s gone, vanished as if snatched out of thin air.
I stare at the spot for a few moments, wondering if what I saw would come back. The flash of white was huge, bigger than me. If I wasn’t imagining things, I was sure what I saw looked like… feathers. Wings.
I shake my head. I’m starting to lose it. I snap the curtains shut, but it isn’t another minute before I’m peeking out of them again to see if I can spot the flash of white again. Maybe it’s an animal, some kind of large bird.
A bit of curiosity never hurt anyone, right? I head downstairs, leaning against the kitchen counter where Isolde is filling up a large pot of water.
“Hey, Isolde? Do you mind if I take a walk in the woods?” I ask, thumbing at the door. “I saw something interesting and wanted to check it out.”
Isolde grimaces. “I don’t know. There’s wild animals out there, and the forest is massive. You don’t know the area. You won’t be able to find your way back if you go too far. This isn’t Ann Arbor, Cassia.”
I try not to roll my eyes. I guess it would be bad if her foster kid got lost or eaten on her first day here.
“I know. But I’ll follow the path, and I won’t go far,” I say. “Please?”
She sighs. “All right. But be back in fifteen. Dinner will be ready.”
“Okay.” I bolt out the door before she can change her mind. I jog across the large yard before coming to a stop on the path, looking inward.
The forest is darker than I imagined it. The foliage is thick, strewn across the path and difficult to cross. Isolde’s right. I could get lost in there.
What’s wrong with a little adventure? Taking a deep breath, I head forward and start on the path.
The forest may be dark, but it’s beautiful. Submerged within the greens, I feel like I’ve finally found a safe place where I can hide and be alone.
The thought crosses my mind that if I can’t see anyone out here, I won’t see them coming, either, but I shrug it off. I have nothing to be afraid of. This place is safe.
Just at that moment a bird flutters out of a bush. I jump about a foot in the air before I settle.
“You’re spooking at everything, Cassia,” I mutter. “Get over yourself. It was a long time ago.”
It’s only early September, but already, the air is chilly. I pull my thin jacket around me and shiver. I knew it would be cold here, but even though Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is technically part of the taiga, I didn’t think it would be freezing so early in the fall. Guess that’s something I should’ve thought about when I told the social worker I wanted to go somewhere else.
An unexpected crackle in the brush catches my attention. I skid to a halt, but I don’t see anything. Is it another animal? Or have I found the source of the white flash?
There’s a rustling in a bush nearby. I know I shouldn’t be poking my nose in places where it doesn’t belong, but my nagging curiosity is getting the best of me. Cautiously, I use my hands to pull apart the branches, holding my breath as to what could be hiding behind.
Nothing. Hm. Maybe I really am going crazy.
Just then I’m knocked to the side, hard. My body slams against the ground and I let out a yelp, glancing around. It felt like someone pushed me over, but nothing’s there. I go to get up, but there’s a sharp pain in my gut. Someone just kicked me, but someone doesn’t exist. Either that, or they’re invisible.
“Cut it out!” I shout, getting to my feet. “Whoever you are, this isn’t funny!”
My head is knocked to the side and I’m tossed back onto the ground. Either I’m losing my mind, or an invisible man is beating me up.
I’m gonna go with the second idea, because even though it sounds completely insane my head really freaking hurts. I pull up my shirt and see that a bruise is already forming on my stomach. No way. This isn’t real. It can’t be.
“I never did anything to you!” I cry, bunching up my fists and stumbling to my feet. “Now leave me alone!”
I hear something coming, so I take a swing, but my fist flies through thin air and I’m pushed back down again. With the impact, I hear something that causes a shiver to run up my spine… a low, threatening laugh.
Reality hits. No matter how implausible, I’m being attacked by something I can’t see. And if I can’t see it, there’s no way I can defend myself.
I came up here to start a new life. But instead of a new beginning, it looks like this is the end.
I edge against the trunk of a tree as the dark laughter advances closer. I glance from side to side, trying to figure out where it’s coming from, but it’s no use. I’m totally blind to whatever’s coming at me. My throat clenches as I notice something even worse… clawed footsteps appearing in the dirt, coming towards me. The footsteps are large, and look like something a monster would make… not human.
A footprint appears by my leg, scattering dust. I let out a shriek and close my eyes, waiting for the end.
There’s a hissing sound. A halo of light. The creature that attacked me emits a wail. I open my eyes and see that the flash of white is tumbling on the ground, some sort of smoky, black mass in its grasp. Now that I’m closer I can make out details, the plush down of feathers masked by the swirling dark smoke. I was right. They are wings, gigantic ones, but attached to what, I don’t know.
Whatever is happening, I can’t see it, because the wings are too big to see around and the halo of light is so bright, it consumes everything else. But it’s not good for my attacker. The thing squeals as if it’s in pain, desperately trying to get away. Branches, rocks and other objects are kicked up and tossed aside by nothing as the white mass battles the dark.
I try to rationalize what’s going on, attempt to convince myself it’s not real and that I’m just seeing things, but I can’t. Every inch of my attention is caught up in the fight.
The black mass manages to get away. It vanishes, becoming completely invisible again, leaving behind only the pattering of footsteps. The white flash disappears on the spot, maybe to chase after it.
I get to my feet slowly. I’ve barely risen to my full height before I realize it’s time to run.
I knock aside branches and leap over logs on my way back. Twigs and leaves scratch at my face, but I don’t care. I increase the length of my strides. I’ve got to put some distance between me and whatever just happened out there.
I’m gasping for breath by t
he time I make it back to the yard. I bend over, hands on my knees, taking deep inhales. I glance back at the woods. They’re dark as ever, but I don’t think those monsters followed me.
I hope.
Trying to regain my composure, I hustle inside. I jump again when the door snaps shut beside me. After a second thought, I turn around and lock it. Just in case.
“You’re just in time.” Isolde stirs a large pot, putting a scoop of noodles on a plate. “It’s ready.”
When she turns around, her eyes widen at my appearance. “Cassia. There’s branches in your hair, and your face is red. What happened?”
I can’t tell Isolde the truth. Not if I want to stay. She’ll dump me in the loony bin, or worse, call the social worker. Even though whatever happened just now is terrifying, unexplainable, and maybe even a bit crazy, it doesn’t even compare to the horrors I experienced living with Eric.
I can’t gamble with the chance that I’ll be put into another foster home like that again. Not when I only have a year left.