The Damned and The Pure Series: Books 1-4 (The Damned and The Pure Series Box Set)

by J. D. Stonebridge

  The wendigo lifted its head, sniffing the air. Oh, boy… Caelum watched the monster as it caught his scent and turned to face him. It growled, baring its teeth before charging. Caelum spread his legs apart in a defensive position, waiting for the monster. The wendigo stretched out its long arm and Caelum ran forward, sliding on the grass between the monster’s legs. He quickly rolled back to his feet and made his way towards the tree where demonic energy was concentrated. The monster wheeled around and chased after him.

  Caelum jumped, his hands outstretched to reach the trunk of the tree. He crashed against it and quickly turned to see the wendigo, its eyes fixated on the tree. It growled softly, a sound more like a whimper, but the thing held its ground.

  “Scared, aren’t you?” Caelum teased, earning him an angry roar from the monster. Caelum lifted his fist and slammed it against the tree. He felt the tortured energies inside awaken and he basked in their power. The confused wendigo backed away slowly, alarmed by the eerie power the tree emitted. It roared loudly, a sad attempt to ward off the spirits. Instead, the wendigo was met by the reenergized demon who reached up to grip its jaw. Caelum threw the thing back to the church. The wendigo slipped inside the empty windowsill, alarming a group of goblins that had been climbing up.

  Caelum felt power surging through his veins, and he called on the spirits of the residents of the cemetery. The wailing ghosts gathered around him, and he forced them towards the monsters inside the church. The goblins were flung back inside, startled by the influx of ghosts rushing towards them.

  With a smirk on his face, Caelum wheeled around towards the cemetery. He ran forward and climbed on top of a tomb in search of Ariel when something else caught his eyes. A woman with blonde hair stood to his right, facing the iron gates of the cemetery. Caelum had almost mistaken the woman for Lili, but the woman sported curly hair and a dark red dress. Her palms were open and she held her head high. A witch? His eyes grew wide. He faced the cemetery and caught sight of the angel flying up to the sky. “Ariel!”

  Ariel turned around and saw Caelum standing on top of a tomb near the church. She was relieved to see him safe and swerved to return to him. But a shadow atop the church caught her attention. She paused in mid-air, looking at the figure standing on the very tip of the bell tower’s roof. A flash of memory appeared inside her mind again of another angel standing atop the white church she’d seen previously.

  “Look what you’ve done,” Ramiel shouted over the tumultuous noise of monsters and ghosts. She saw him standing on the roof of the church, leaning against the tower. “You really caused a mess out here. The spirits are very disturbed.”

  Ariel returned her attention to the figure above Ramiel. It wore a dark brown robe with a hood over its head. She couldn’t see any features to determine who or what it was, but she could feel power from it.

  “I think we’ve overstayed our welcome,” Caelum said from below. “We’d like to go home, but your pets seemed to have grown fond of us.”

  “Ah, right…” Ramiel said. “If that’s the case, then I have no choice but to keep you here.”

  A loud footstep echoed around them, shaking the Earth and almost throwing Caelum off the tomb where he stood. Suddenly, the door of the church burst open, the oak door flying across and shattering against a tomb nearby. A giant figure with sagging skin and droopy cheeks emerged from the church. It turned around, revealing a single eye in the middle of its forehead.

  Where in Seven Hells did they hide that thing inside a church? Caelum wondered.

  “Capture the angel and the demon!” Ramiel gave the order. The Cyclops turned to Caelum and grunted. It grabbed the wall of the church and took out a chunk of the stone, flinging it in his direction.

  “Caelum!” Ariel screamed, speeding towards him. She grabbed him by the torso and flew away just before the chunk of debris hit the tomb. Ariel flew faster towards the land beyond the iron gates that covered the cemetery, but Caelum turned to her and warned her. “Ariel, stop!”

  The warning came too late. They crashed against an invisible shield and fell. Ariel landed on the ground face first with Caelum just by her side. She turned to him, and before she could ask, he answered the question in her mind. “Witches,” he said.

  Ariel snapped her head up and saw the blonde woman standing still in front of the gate. Her eyes scanned further and saw three others standing in place, keeping the shield up that held them within.

  “You really are protecting this demon?” Ramiel shouted over them. He revealed two Zound blades from behind him and jumped down. He pointed one of his blades at her and said, “And you accuse me of being a traitor of Heaven!”

  “I remember now,” Ariel announced, both Caelum’s and Ramiel’s eyes widening in surprise at her words. “And I know what happened to me all those years ago.”

  She took flight again, speeding towards Ramiel. Ramiel readied his weapon but Ariel turned her back on him and swung her wings across him, throwing the fallen angel in the direction where the Cyclops waited.

  Ariel rebounded with her feet and shot up towards them. The Cyclops used the back of its hand to swat her, but she ducked in time and drove her elbow against Ramiel’s stomach, throwing him back inside the church where he slammed against the pews. Ariel followed him inside.

  “Ariel!” Caelum shouted for her. He saw the Cyclops slowly move back inside the church to help the fallen angel. I’m gonna regret this, Caelum thought as he got to his feet and ran towards the giant one-eyed beast. He jumped and reached up for its head, driving the nail of the kitsune he’d killed in its eye. The Cyclops roared in pain and slammed its hand against Caelum.

  He flew back and was caught by large hands; the face of the wendigo was close to his. Caelum gritted his teeth as the wendigo opened its mouth wide. He cringed at the stench and drove his fist inside, grasping the wendigo’s tongue and ripping it out of its mouth. The monster cried in pain, throwing him up. He landed on the roof of the church.

  “These monsters better stop throwing me around like a rag doll,” he muttered. Caelum looked up to the sky and saw the hooded figure staring down at him. The shadows covered the figure’s face, but he was able to see a crimson eye looking down on him. Caelum extended his arm. “Why not join the party?”

  Instead of the hooded figure, he was answered by the roaring of the Cyclops who had uprooted a dead tree and lobbed it towards Caelum. The demon jumped out of the way and the tiled roof exploded into pieces.

  Ariel and Ramiel looked up at the heavy impact on the roof that had caused the church to shudder. Ariel faced the fallen angel again as Ramiel switched his hand, blade extending outward. “So, what’s this about you remembering stuff? Care to clarify?”

  “You already know, don’t you?” Ariel said. “You were there.”

  Ramiel’s face turned serious. “Yes, I was. I watched Gabriel drag you back to Heaven, and I watched you cry like a baby when she did.”

  Ariel frowned. She changed her position, her feet spread apart and her fist raised, ready for combat. Ramiel studied her as if she was a little girl showing off for her father then crouched forward with his arms stretched back. “I may have lost my wings, little sist—”

  Ariel moved too fast for him to finish. She sprinted towards Ramiel and the fallen charged forward. At a close distance, Ariel jumped over his head and used her wings to shift her position to face him. She lowered herself, and her hands gripped Ramiel’s wrist. She twisted his wrist and slid down as he swung his other armed hand at her. Ariel pulled on Ramiel’s arm and drove her elbow against his, cracking the bones and allowing her to slip the weapon from his grasp.

  She then sliced the weapon across the back of Ramiel’s knees before jumping out of the way. The fallen angel was forced to kneel, his face angered. He stood up, the wounds bleeding but not enough to hinder him. He gripped the only weapon remaining in his hand and charged at her.

  Ariel deflected his attacks with her own blade. When he aimed a direct blow at her chest, Ariel
shielded herself by lifting her blade lengthwise, her other hand supporting the move on the tip of the blade. Then she angled her blade to the left. With Ramiel’s weight focused forward, he stumbled, allowing Ariel to move away.

  “Why are you doing this, Ariel?” he demanded. “If you remember what happened in the past, why still side with them?”

  “I am not siding with anyone,” Ariel said. “I am doing what I believe to be the right thing.”

  “Letting them win is the right thing?” Ramiel asked her.

  “No, what I want is the truth,” Ariel claimed. She sprinted forward, blade swinging at the fallen angel. Ramiel deflected her attack by throwing off her blade. Her blade bounced, lifting her arm up and leaving her torso open. He wheeled his blade around and sliced at Ariel’s stomach. She stepped back, but the blade tore her clothing, scratching her skin. She cringed at the pain and somersaulted away.

  “The truth is what I am telling you!” Ramiel insisted. “Michael and Lucifer are planning something big! And you and your demon friend are at the center of all of it without you even knowing!”

  “What?” Ariel looked surprised. Before Ramiel could answer, something constricted around Ariel’s body. She gripped her weapon tightly, not letting it fall from her grasp as her arms squeezed themselves against her body. Air pushed out of her lungs as the force tightened around her. She struggled to turn her head and saw a woman with short brown hair looking at her.

  “Witches!” Ramiel announced, arm stretched out. “More useful than humans, and more reliable than demons.”

  “Let go of me,” Ariel demanded, fighting off the witch’s power.

  “No.” Ramiel’s face turned grim. “I see it now, Ariel. The only way to completely stop what Michael and Lucifer are trying to do is if I kill you before you can fulfill their requirement.” He grinned. “They’ve prepared you for centuries. They won’t have enough time to make another one before Father arrives.”

  “What are you talking ab—”

  The wall on the left exploded as the Cyclops flew between the two angels. It crashed hard on the other side, and Ariel was suddenly freed from the witch’s curse. She looked over and saw the Cyclops regaining its feet, the mangled body of the witch unmoving underneath it.

  “Glad to know you’re still in one piece,” Caelum said, entering from the hole the Cyclops’ body had created. Ariel turned to him, breathless. Behind her, the giant stood, shaking its head, wiping off the dust that covered its face. “Let me take care of baldy here. Okay, dear?” He smiled to her and Ariel nodded, turning back to Ramiel.

  “Ariel,” Ramiel said her name. “If you truly love this world, you wouldn’t let them win.”

  “If you are speaking the truth, then I will not,” Ariel said. “But you could be lying to me as much as they are.”

  “There’s no way to convince you, is there?” Ramiel said with brows pulled together. He looked behind him at the image of Jesus Christ and then lowered his head. “Forgive me, Father,” he muttered before charging at Ariel.

  Ariel readied her stance, but before Ramiel could reach her, the stained window with the image of Jesus Christ exploded into pieces. Colored glass rained down on them. Ramiel and Ariel covered their heads while Caelum crouched down, watching as three angels flew across the church. The Cyclops he pursued was agitated at their appearance, swatting his hands as if to catch or hit them. One angel swiftly flew forward and drove his white blade into the giant’s throat. The Cyclops roared and whined in pain, grasping at the blade while the angel attempted to retrieve it. The angel removed the blade and dark blood spilled from the Cyclops’ neck. It tumbled forward, nearly landing on Caelum who jumped away to avoid it.

  The other monsters that waited on the sidelines began to run amok at the sight of the winged soldiers. One by one, the angels eliminated the monsters without difficulty. Caelum watched in awe.

  “A demon!” one screamed. Caelum turned to see an angel flying towards him, blade ready to pierce through him. Caelum dodged the attack, but the angel quickly recovered and stabbed him on the side.

  “Caelum!” Ariel turned to the angel attacking him and yelled, “Don’t! Stop!”

  Ramiel stepped behind her. Ariel turned to see his blade descending on her and she fell back, the blade slicing the bridge of her nose before she tumbled to the floor.

  “Sorry, little sister,” Ramiel said, raising his blade over his head. Ariel could only watch as he brought down the blade on her, eyes fixated on the tip. Just before it touched her, another blade shot through, deflecting the sword and causing it to fly out of Ramiel’s hands. The two turned to see Daniel’s outstretched hand, his eyes piercing Ramiel’s.

  “Hello, brother,” Daniel greeted the fallen angel.

  Chapter Nineteen: Demons and Angels

  At the moment of Ramiel's distraction, Ariel climbed back up to her feet and ran for Caelum who was cornered by the angel, Nathaniel. Caelum collapsed on his knees, hand clutching his side where dark blood seeped out, staining his white dress shirt. He glared at the angel, curling his other hand into a fist. Nathaniel pulled back his weapon, and Caelum readied his other hand to deflect it but Ariel stepped between them, her arms outstretched.

  The angel recoiled, his weapon still aimed. "A- Ariel?" Nathaniel looked bewildered by her actions. He immediately regained his composure and pursed his lips. "Step away, Ariel. That is a demon you are trying to protect."

  "He is my friend," Ariel announced, surprising both the angel in front of her and the demon behind. "He has been my companion, assisting me in finding the fallen angel who spread lies about Heaven. You will not harm him."

  Nathaniel's brows pulled tight. "You are being tricked."

  "I am not."

  Nathaniel studied her with suspicious eyes. A former prisoner of Heaven protecting a demon from Hell; Ariel wouldn’t be surprised if Nathaniel considered if the archangels made the wrong decision when they freed her.

  The sound of blades clashing against each other caught their attention. Daniel and Ramiel were in a heated battle. Daniel leaped high up and brought down his sword on Ramiel. Nathaniel shot Ariel another long look, trying to decide to continue with Ariel or help Daniel. With much hesitation, he moved to assist Daniel in capturing Ramiel.

  Ariel wheeled around to Caelum who managed a weak grin. "I'm your friend? I thought we were more than that by now."

  "Shut up," Ariel said. She crouched down in front of him and placed her hand over the wound. Caelum cringed, gritting his teeth at the scorching hot light that slowly mended his skin. Ariel focused on the energy in her palm as she spoke, "When this is over, I have something I must tell you, Caelum."

  "What you remember," Caelum stated. Ariel lifted her face to him, gaze locking with his. In that moment, the angel found herself drawn to the creature that was meant to be her enemy.

  "Yes," Ariel answered. Soon, the wound healed completely. She diverted her gaze away from his. She stood up and held her hand out for him. "Can you still fight?"

  "Please do not underestimate me," Caelum told her with a smile and an eye roll. And for the first time, she returned that smile. Caelum took her hand and pulled himself up, still cringing at the pain on his side. "Let's capture us a wingless bastard,” he said. “And I’ve got just the plan.”

  Ramiel was outnumbered with three angels on his heels and with the monsters meant to protect him either dead or gone. He turned full circle, swinging his blade across Ariel. She beat her wings outward to evade his blow and sent her weapon flying at him. Ramiel rolled to the side, dodging the weapon. He caught the hilt and threw it back at the angel, slicing her on the arm. Nathaniel and Daniel ran at him from both sides with their swords ready. The fallen one rolled on the ground, causing Nathaniel’s and Daniel’s swords to clash together. Ramiel turned away and ran for the church’s entryway to escape.

  The sun was high in the sky when the fallen angel stumbled out of the church. He looked up at the bell tower to find it empty. Just my luck, huh? Ra
miel thought bitterly, running out into the cemetery. He searched for the witches he had assigned to keep the area secure but none could be seen.

  Cowards! Ramiel gritted his teeth at the realization: he was all alone. The sound of wings caught his ears and he moved forward, away from the coming enemy.

  Damn you. After I fought for all of you! he screamed in his thoughts as the iron gates of the cemetery loomed before him. He didn’t look back but kept pushing forward. I'll need a new plan. I simply won't let them win, Ramiel thought as he reached the gates. He threw them open and sprinted. His feet took him farther and farther from the angels; escape was almost a guarantee. But he slowed his pace upon seeing a tombstone just a few feet away from him.

  "Wh- what the...?" Ramiel muttered. He turned around and found himself in the middle of the cemetery. To his left were the gates leading outside and to his right was a stone tomb with a cross. I must be losing it...he thought. Ramiel turned around and headed for the gates again. He ran as fast as he could and threw them open. He crossed the threshold and found himself back in the cemetery.

  He turned to find the broken church behind him as if he had just stepped away from it after seeing the familiar view. Oh, no... Ramiel thought to himself. The sound of thousands of beating wings thundered from above. Ramiel took another step outside, and he saw the sky rapidly darkening. Thick clouds weren’t shielding the sun but angels. Countless angels soared through the sky, nearly covering it completely.

  Fear struck his heart. He did not scream, instead, he went back inside the church, trying to find a way to hide. But the establishment has been damaged far too much that everywhere he looked, there was a hole that could fit multiple angels.

  And then, the sound of footsteps. Ramiel turned and all around, faceless angels landed and walked towards the church.

  "No," Ramiel said, lifting his one weapon. "Don't come near me!"

  But on all sides, the faceless angels with black wings climbed into the windows and crossed the entryway. They walked towards him, and the fallen angel screamed. He screamed in terror, his knees wobbling and the weapon slipping out of his hands. He was trapped.