by J. J. Dean
The angel is so tall I can't see anything else despite trying to peek around him. He doesn't move either, looking as though he's standing guard in front of me. I try to move him aside to no avail. Asher stands in front of me like an unmoving mountain.
"Who is it, Ash?" I ask, huffing when the stubborn angel still won't move. When he doesn't answer, his body still as stone, I lean my mouth close to his ear and whisper, "It would be a shame to give you blue balls when you promised to make me dirty again."
I see his jaw clench, but he starts moving down the stairs. I roll my eyes because he's going about taking the last steps slowly, but when he finally moves, I stop in my tracks. My mouth pops open, and I stare at the men I hope are just a figment of my imagination. Sure, Asher has seen them, but maybe it's a fluke. Maybe he's imagining things with me? Unlikely, but one can only hope when they're staring at a group of Sentinels standing just inside my doorway with their gold armor, pretty faces, and identical spears.
I've asked once, but I'll ask again. How is this my life now?
Chapter 15
Luna
"Oh, hell no," I blurt, eyes wide as I stare at the men in shiny armor. What in the actual fresh fuck are they doing here? Last I saw them, they kidnapped me and did some weird cult-like ritual on me only for me to come home and find that I had all my gifts back from Him. Sure, they didn't hurt me, but that's entirely beside the point. I was abducted and a subject of cult-like mannerisms. Not cool.
I go to turn and head back up the stairs for several reasons, the main two being that I'm still a little frightened of them after the impromptu abduction, and I'm pissed at Him for the way he went about giving me my gifts back. They could have at least told me what they were doing instead of being all creepy and weird about it, dammit.
Before I can get very far, an arm finds its way around my waist, and I'm being picked up like I weigh nothing more than a feather. I know it's not Asher because his arm is covered in tattoos. I know it's not Eli since he's on the couch. Noah wouldn't dare snatch me up and manhandle me like a caveman. That only leaves Devon the Dick. Growling like a rabid animal, I say, "If you don't put me down right now-"
"I know, you'll torture my balls. Tough shit, Princess. They're here for a reason, so put a cake in it and listen," he replies, sounding unjustifiably frustrated with me. He was there when I was abducted. They knocked him the fuck out. Why isn't he as pissed as I am right now?
"I don't want to listen. They can kiss my ass for all I care," I growl, doing my best to remove myself from the arms of the angel who's proving to be stronger than I assumed.
He carries me to the kitchen, away from the shiny shitheads, and drops me onto the counter. How he managed to turn me around while I was kicking like a toddler is beyond my comprehension, but the bastard manages it. He drops his hands on either side of my thighs and whispers, "Look, I'm pissed too, okay? But they have to have a good reason for coming here, so I think you should cap the anger and just listen to what they have to say, okay? Just do this one thing for me."
His light green eyes bore into mine, and I feel myself caving slowly. When did I start caving to this asshole? These angels are messing with my head, I swear. I narrow my eyes on him and clench my jaw before spewing, "Fine. I'll listen. But don't think I'm happy about this. And I'm mad at you for making me talk to them after what they did."
Devon's face smooths out, and his eyes are filled with amusement I'm not used to seeing in them. "When are you ever not pissed at me? You don't have to do anything, Luna. Just listen to them."
I sigh, look away, and nod. I turn my gaze back to him and dutifully tell him, "You're a dick."
For the first time, I hear him laugh without restraint, and it's a beautiful thing to hear. His head drops, and his shoulders shake, chuckles escaping past his lips. I find myself smiling in both surprise and amusement. His laugh is infectious, and I can't restrain the giggle that leaves me. A frigging giggle. Good Lord, what are they doing to me?
"That's fair. I'm a dick. Now let's hear what they have to say," he tells me with a white-toothed grin that leaves me a little off-kilter. Why is he being so... well, not like Devon at all. He's normally pissing me off beyond belief, causing me to retaliate in the same fashion. I'm not used to this Devon. I like him. And that's concerning.
I shove at his chest, making him snicker before jumping off the counter and walking side by side with him until we're at the front door again. I cross my arms over my chest and stare at the guys who all look identical save for their various shades in hair colors. There are seven of them, the same seven that held me prisoner at the mausoleum like a bunch of weirdos.
Narrowing my eyes, I ask, "What do you want?"
The guy who I know carried me fireman style steps forward. His voice is as soft as satin, and it almost distracts me from the words he mutters. "We have information you might be interested in hearing."
Information? These are His Sentinels. What are they doing giving me information? Unless it's information that'll try to sway me to His side. I really hate being this paranoid, but since I've been kidnapped too many times already and continuously forced to pick sides, it's safe to say my paranoia is warranted.
My eyes narrow further, and I take a step closer, Devon close to my side. "What information could you possibly have to give me?"
The Sentinel who seems to be the leader of the group answers, "It's regarding the old woman."
Now that has my attention.
I feel Asher step up behind me, his body heat warming the back of my arm. Devon seems to move closer unwittingly, his arm brushing against mine while he stands tall beside me. It makes me feel unusually protected, something I haven't felt in... well, ever. Last person I thought would protect me abused me instead.
My mood darkens with the reminder and my temper flares. "Tell me what you know and then get the fuck out."
The Sentinel nods and immediately jumps to it. "Your friend is still alive-"
He carries on talking, completely unaware that my mind has finally combusted, and I can't hear a single word he’s muttered since that bomb drop. My ears suddenly start ringing, and my knees cave in on me, unable to stand upright with the weight of the confession.
Two sets of arms catch me before I hit the ground, keeping me upright while that information sinks in. She's alive. Francis is alive. The old broad made me cry and worry and stress myself to death, and she's still alive. It's a good thing I'm being held up right now because I don't think I have the strength to do it myself.
Devon hooks an arm around my back, his hand coming to hold onto my waist as he takes the brunt of my weight. His head leans in close, and I hear him whisper, "It's okay, Luna."
It's then I realize I've started crying, tears streaking down my cheeks. Hiccuping a half sob, half laugh, my mind processes that my best friend isn't gone. Feeling Asher move closer still, his hands coming to rest on my shoulders, he offers me the comfort I seem to desperately need right now.
From the couch, I hear Eli ask, "You good there, Flower?"
Choking back the next sob that wants to escape, I rasp, "Yeah. I'm fine. Peachy."
I know no one believes me, and that's fine. I'll have my breakdown later, and I'm sure they know it. Right now though, I need to get my shit together and listen to what the Sentinels have to tell me.
My tear-filled eyes find Noah, and he offers me a sweet, encouraging smile. I give him a watery smile in return and wipe the tears from my face, sucking up my emotions before dropping a hand on Asher's, the other grasping Devon's shirt in a tight fist. Clearing my throat, I ask, "How do you know she's alive? Where is she?"
Something crosses the Sentinel's eyes, something I don't much care for. It's his turn to clear his throat before he answers. "We've kept a close eye on your friend. We know she's alive. She isn't faring very well, but she's alive. As for where she is, she's been taken to a place called England."
You have got to be shitting me. How did my best friend get to the other side of the
damn world? It's no wonder we couldn't find her. I feel a little sick knowing she isn't doing well, but knowing she's doing at all has me taking the first easy breath since finding out she went missing.
Shaking my head, I ask, "Why is she in England, and how the hell did she get there?"
"She was taken. After the Hellspawn attack, we spotted two of Lucifer's angels taking her," the Sentinel informs me. Great. Just what we needed. More Fallen angels on earth. Why did they take her to England of all places, though? This isn't making a lick of sense.
Clutching my fist tighter, I ask, "Why did they take her? And why take her to the other side of the world?"
"Isn't it obvious? Lucifer is trying to draw you out, lure you to him. Since his angels failed, he's taking matters into his own hands. Taking your best friend would lead you straight to him. As for why they took her to England, I'm sure that's where Lucifer is currently residing since he didn't trust his angels to keep that information to themselves since Falling," the Sentinel informs, sounding a little too patronizing for my tastes.
Devon takes the lead for me, which I'm grateful for as I feel my anger bubble under my skin. "Why didn't you step in when she was taken? You said you saw it happen, so why stand by and allow the woman to be taken?"
"It's not our place to step in where humans are concerned," is the response he receives. I'll be damned again if that doesn't make my anger bubble harder. They won't stop an innocent human from being taken on Lucifer's orders, but they'll abduct me, the Fallen angel who betrayed Him, and return my powers. On what planet does that make sense?
"Do you know where in England she's being kept?" Noah asks before I can unleash my fury on His Sentinels.
All seven of them shake their heads before the leader says, "Unfortunately, we don't. We only know the last sighting of the woman was at an airport in a place called Bristol. We don't have more information on her whereabouts than that."
"Is she okay? Do you know that much?" I ask, desperation seeping into the words.
"As I said, she's in bad shape. Bruised and wounded. Other than what we could see on the surface, she's alright," he tells me, his tone seeming less patronizing now. It eases some of my anger, but the worry for my best friend notches up a peg. She may be alive, but she's suffering, and I can't help but feel it's my fault. Had I not befriended her, she wouldn't have been on Lucifer's radar and used against me like bait.
"It's not your fault, Peaches," Asher whispers, proving he's starting to know me well enough that he can guess what thoughts are plaguing my mind.
I shake my head, internally begging the tears that are balancing precariously on my eyelids not to fall. Blinking repeatedly, I, try to clear my eyes before looking back at the Sentinel whose face is entirely blank. Not even a twitch as he looks at me with empty eyes.
Taking a deep breath, I ask, "Alright. So how do we get her back? If we don't know where she is other than the airport she left, how do we find her?"
"I'm afraid it isn't our place to provide that sort of counsel. You'll have to find her yourselves. We were only ordered to offer you the information we've provided," the Sentinel informs me. I really want to punch his nose through his pretty face, but I refrain. Mainly because Devon's hand tightens on my waist and Asher's moves from resting on my shoulder to wrapping a secure arm around my chest. Assholes.
Through gritted teeth, I say, "How very helpful of you."
I mean, they have been helpful, but it's not enough. Knowing Francis is alive but having no clue where she could be or how to save her is a brand of Hell I don't much care for.
"We do have another thing to offer. We found it roaming the streets near the airport I assume your friend was taken to before leaving the country," the Sentinel tells me, confusing me with his words.
Before I can question it, there's a high-pitched whine that sounds out from behind him. No way. It can't be. Can it? Another whine penetrates the air before the familiar barking I've grown very used to.
The Sentinel moves aside, the others following his lead and parting down the middle, exposing the overgrown dog we've been looking for. Brutus sits in a cage, his brown fur looking darker than it normally does. His head hangs sadly, and his ears are dropping down next to his face. He looks pathetic, but my heart is beyond happy to see him.
"Brutus?" At the sound of my voice, his head perks up, and his tail starts wagging. His entire body jostles the cage, the noise of metal clanking on the cement floor in the hallway of the apartment building.
One of the Sentinels at the back unlatches the cage, and the horse-sized dog doesn't hesitate to escape and barrel towards me. He reaches me in seconds, his long legs helping him eat up the distance like nothing I've ever seen before. Before he dives at me, the asshole angels let me go, and I suddenly find myself on my bag with an overgrown dog slobbering over my face like I'm an ice cream he can't get enough of. Gross.
"Hey, big boy. Damn, I've missed you," I tell him, ignoring the slobbery kisses and fussing over him. I scratch behind his ears, and the fat bastard drops his entire body on top of me, resting his head between my breasts and pinning me to the floor. My breath leaves me in a gust of air and I wheeze, "A little help, please?"
I hear a round of snickers before I'm dragged from underneath Brutus. The dog remains on the floor, content where he is, and I roll my eyes as I wipe the drool from my face. "That's disgusting."
Devon snorts, and I send him a glare before my attention is pulled away from the angel. The Sentinel steps forward and says, "We have one last piece of information for you, and it's something I think you'll find of great importance."
He nods towards the dog who's already asleep and snoring loudly. The Sentinel looks up, and his eyes darken, seeming both concerned and resentful at the same time. He opens his mouth and says, "That's not a mere dog."
"What do you mean? He's bigger than the average Great Dane, sure, but he's just a dog," I tell him, eyeing the sleepy pup at my feet.
The Sentinel shakes his head and proceeds to blow my mind to smithereens.
"That's no mortal dog, I assure you. It seems your friend has been in possession of a Cerberus all this time."
Chapter 16
Luna
"That's not right. Francis has had that dog for years. He's nothing more than a dog who grew a little bigger than the average pup," I inform them, eyeing the Sentinels like they're few sandwiches short of a picnic.
They don't say anything. Keeping their silence, they stare at me like they’re waiting for me to accept that they're telling the truth and the dog Francis has looked after for eight years is a creature that's supposed to guard the gates to the Underworld. What kind of crack are these guys on? I suppose that's a bit contradictory given that I'm an angel, but come on! A Cerberus?
"You can't be serious," I blurt, looking back down at the dog who's created a puddle of drool on my wooden flooring. I gesture my hand toward Brutus and, with a disbelieving look, ask them, "Him? A Cerberus?"
They all nod, eerily in sync, creeping me out enough that I take a step away from them. The one at the front says, "He's not a creature of Earth. But that is all the information we have for you. We'll take our leave now."
"Whoa, hold up. You can't just drop a bomb like that and then be on your merry way!" I yell, watching them ignore me and leave anyway. They all pile out of my apartment in single file, never looking back. I walk around Brutus and am about to open my mouth to yell at them to give me more answers, but a blinding yellow light steals my vision and sends me to the floor. I throw my arm over my eyes, trying to block the light out before it all fades.
Dropping my arm, I look around. They disappeared. From thin air and in a bright flash of flash of light. What the hell?
"Luna?" Noah calls a little nervously from behind me.
I stand and turn, opening my mouth a second time to answer Noah, only to spot the dog sitting in the middle of the room. His body is shaking, fur vibrating and reminding me of static. I take a step back, keeping a wary eye
on the dog as I say, "Guys? What's wrong with him?"
"We don't know. He started vibrating after the flash of light," Eli tells me. He's propped up on his forearms on the couch, watching over the arm of the chair while the others stand around staring at the dog with faces of complete puzzlement.
I turn my gaze back onto Brutus, and, in a weird turn of events, his eyes change color. Where once sat deep brown, soulful eyes are flares of fire. Literally. Rimmed a deep red, his eyes light up with embers and flames.
Cocking my head to the side with wide eyes, I take another step back without thinking about it. I keep my eyes on the dog, wearily watching him for the next development that's no doubt to come. Sure enough, it does.
In the form of a three-headed fucking beast of a dog.
The shock of the sudden transformations sends me once again sprawling on the floor, my ass hitting the deck with a jolt of pain. I crab crawl backward, my head hitting the door when I can't move further back.
Brutus sits down, his long tail wagging as he sits patiently, waiting for me to get over the shock of seeing the dog I've helped look after for so long turn into a big ol' mythical creature. Because that makes sense.
Instead of looking like a Great Dane, he looks more like a Pitbull now, three heads poking out from one neck. He looks as dopey as he normally does, only his fur has changed to black with specks of red smattered in some places, and his eyes are still lit up like a bonfire. Three tongues loll out of three mouths, flashing sharp canines while still managing to look like the friendly pup I've grown to love. He's a little smaller than I would have pegged a Cerberus to be, his head - or heads, rather - coming to reach just above mine. How in the unholy hell did Francis find a Cerberus and raise it without knowing what it was? How didn't I figure out what it was?! Oh, that's right. Because they're not supposed to be real! Again, a contradictory thought since angels aren't believed to exist, either.