Heavenly Hunted
Book two of the Heavenly Hell Series
Aria Williams
Heavenly Hunted
Copyright © 2013 by Aria Williams. All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: March 2014
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1494447267
ISBN-10: 1494447266
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this novel to all victims of domestic violence, may you find the inner strength to fight for yourself. When times are bad just remember;
“Don't be afraid of your fears. They're not there to scare you. They're there to let you know that something is worth it.”
― C. JoyBell C.
Table of Contents
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
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter One
Nate
I could not believe the last few hours.
I had been here for only ten minutes when all hell was starting to break loose. Indy wanted to crack my head open, and by the way Connor was looking at me, he would have loved to throw the knives neatly stacked next to him at my head. Max was the only person who was calm. I wasn’t too happy to be returning in these circumstances, the last few weeks had gone by so fast.
Arriving only a matter of weeks ago to hunt and kill one of the most evil demons in existence, I didn’t expect to find the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I tried to stay all business-like and get the job done by running her out of town and keeping the friends she held here safe. But somewhere along the way I fell for her big time and this led me on a new quest to make sure the information I was given was correct. Thank God she isn’t a demon. In fact, Indy is an angel, specifically a fallen angel. Obviously Indy has her faults but in my eyes, everyone does. After finding out Indy’s true nature, it was time for me to leave and continue with my job as a hunter, but I found out that my father, my boss, had called in another hunter to finish my job. This hunter was a badass chick whose legend was just as intimidating as Indy’s. So here I am again…
Connor had been all right with my return when he had learned that Indy’s life was at stake, but after a strange spell came over us and we nearly kissed, he instantly hated my guts, again.
Reality set in for Indy the moment I explained why I had come back, and like a rabid dog her hackles started to rise, and she was ready to pounce.
She wasn’t playing nice and the four of us argued until the early hours of the morning. I have heard the many ridiculous excuses why Indy didn’t need or want my protection and I thought they were all silly. She’s being very unreasonable and couldn’t accept the facts. I had thought we could get along now, but her pride was still getting in the way. I know she felt insulted to have to rely on a male to protect her.
For the tenth time tonight, I argued with Indy.
“I don’t care if you don’t want my help, Indy, you have no say over me. I’ll stay whether you like it or not. My new mission is to keep you alive.”
“Why do you have to stay for? A few weeks ago you wanted to kill me. You hated me and I hated you more,” Indy yelled in my direction.
“How many times do I have to say it? I was promised my own angel wings and the opportunity to see my family once again,” I explained.
“Do you understand how dumb you sound? You’ll have to die, and you will not just see them once more, it will be for the rest of eternity,” yelled Indy abusively.
I fully understand my suicide mission, having accepted it long ago, I want to die knowing where my soul will be going, hopefully not banished to hell. That future is not looking so bright at the moment. The thought of being trapped with some of those I killed for eternity didn’t appeal to me.
Coming back and helping Indy is my penance for killing those angels I will now try to protect instead of destroy. I had made up my mind and now there was no turning back
It would take my boss no time to discover that I had betrayed him then returned to protect the very person I had been sent to kill a few weeks ago.
I would now be fighting against others like me, those that believed they were doing the right thing by killing the holy fallen.
I learned from Max on the way back to Blayney that a lot of the angels fell due to love, whether it be love for a mortal, angel, or booze. I thought the last example was a joke, but it was in fact the real reason why Indy’s friend Russ was no longer an angel. He is a fallen angel of joy and took the meaning of his assigned gifts literally. He had been responsible for the creation of a few substances which altered the body in extreme ways, and took it upon himself to personally introduce these to the human race. Some of these addictions were wiped from the earth but beer and drugs will never be lost.
Max interrupted my train of thought. “We need to stay here for a while, Indy, I can’t use a credit card, and even if could, I doubt Nate will share a room with me. As for him, he now has no money.”
Fast to argue, Indy jumped in with her super swift comments before I could explain. “Max, you’re quite welcome to stay, but Nate can get lost. He can sleep in the gutter as far as I’m concerned.”
Indy looked at me with a devilish grin, I was unsure if she was serious or not.
“I’m staying here, it’s not like you don’t have the room,” I argued.
“No,” she yelled.
“Yes,” I protested.
I emphasized this by staring her down, trying to get her to cave. Like an internal switch, a fuse severed and anger took over her persona. Like lightning she ’s in front of me trying to lay a punch. By the time I blocked the third strike, pure rage came over her and with the blackness taking over, as the fury continued her signature intensified, creating a horrible nasty taste in the back of my throat. Every time she came closer, spikes of nasty revolting vomit sat in my mouth. I was fighting two wars at once. The physical combat with Indy is nothing compared with the struggle as I wrestled with my adrenalin, trying to control my own urges. I wanted to knock her h
ead against the floor to silence the demon trying to break free, but I also wanted to throw myself at her lips and crush them against my own. This beautiful angel is incredibly sexy when she gets angry. It’s like fighting a war with two different people, a lovely caring angel and a vicious nasty demon.
I dodged then darted and caught her off guard, pinning her to the ground. Max understood my look of concern, placing his hands on her arms. She stopped fighting and relaxed, the dirty unpleasant taste disappeared, and she slowly returned to a sweet radiant rose.
Connor stood near the kitchen, giving me the look of a jealous ex- boyfriend, he wasn’t happy with my return, but understood the importance of me being here. He just didn’t expect to live under the same roof as me.
“So there are two rooms upstairs and I’m pretty sure that she’ll kill you in your sleep if you grabbed one of them.” Connor pointed at me, bringing me back to the conversation at hand.
He was absolutely correct, Max should take the one upstairs and I could crash on the lounge. It would be a step up from that gutter that Indy suggested, but I’m sure I would find just as many food scraps. I had seen an empty packet of potato chips lying on it with nearly a quarter of the packet spilling out over the cushions.
These two are true teenagers. I would have thought Indy would take a bit more pride after hundreds of years.
“I do agree, Connor. Max, you take the room upstairs. I’ll sleep here,” I said, pointing to the lounge, with a little eye roll. Connor was finding this very enjoyable.
But before I went to bed, I needed to make sure we weren’t being watched. Indy is being cocky and living under the assumption that no one can hurt her. She may truly be that good of a fighter, but we can’t take that risk.
I can’t take that risk.
I slid out of the back door, peeling myself through the small crack. I jumped the back fence and scanned the back alley. Slowly I made my way towards the front of the house, keeping myself hidden in the darkest shadows. My nocturnal nature crept inside the shades, obscuring my human form. I was one with the night, as I had been taught to make it my friend.
Closing my eyes and concentrating with only my ears, I listened to the smallest of noises, searching for the concealed breath of a hidden watcher lurking in unknown glooms of night.
I heard the scurrying of tiny mice, invading boxes missed by the garbage pickup. The slight swaying of leaves moving in the night mimicked sounds from far away. My trained ear could separate the illusion from what is real.
Opening my eyes, I looked into every dark corner, observing the space for any lines of a darker color, which would depict an object hiding in its safety. A shadow fell from the one of the windows upstairs onto the front lawn. Looking up at Indy, she seemed confident but confused. I envied her over-zealous nature, she isn’t afraid for herself, as she feels nothing can hurt her.
I, on the other hand, knew what lurked in the darkest deeps of the night, preying on the human race. Yes, I had killed a few angels, but I have also killed some pure evil beings.
There was one evil creature hiding tonight, a vile, horrible creation that deserves nothing pleasant this beautiful world could offer him.
I have a lifetime of penance to perform to right some of the wrongdoings he’s inflicted upon the holy fallen. The sad truth of my existence weighed heavily on my heart tonight.
Walking back inside , I locked every single one of the dead bolts and repeated the same action on the back door. Everyone had gone to bed now, leaving me with the cold, uncomfortable lounge. I deserved no more.
As I lay my head on the armrest, I contemplated my next actions. Do I openly present myself back into life here or do I hide behind the shadows and stalk Indy’s stalker? Both choices have their pros and cons. If I openly go back to school tomorrow. It could be only a matter of minutes before the boss knew that I had gone incognito. On the other hand, if I could catch Bernie unaware, I might be able to discuss the possibility of her changing sides with me.
I had never met this chick before and she could be hidden as well as Indy. She could be anyone and could have been under our noses the entire time.
Chapter Two
Indy
I ran up the stairs to escape the humiliation of Nate’s win in our little fight. Max projected some of his physical attraction to me through his touch. For a few seconds all I could think about was pulling Nate on top of me and mauling his lips. Before I reached the last step, I turned and yelled out loudly, “Next time you touch me, Max, keep your feelings to yourself.”
Max blushed at my words and turned a bright shade of crimson, the others didn’t seem to understand what I was talking about. How could they? Connor and Nate had no idea how Max’s gifts worked. I didn’t know much, but I could feel something new hit me when Max touched me that wasn’t there beforehand. Neither did they know that sometimes his own feelings could complicate the person he projects onto.
I slammed my door behind me, hiding the shame I felt from the briefest emotions towards Nate. Throwing myself onto my bed, I grabbed my pillow and muffled my screams. No one but me could hear them, which is just as well.
I now had a huge dilemma amidst all of the new drama with this new hunter wanting me dead, and Nate demanding to live in my house under these circumstances. I had only a few short weeks to find a dress and attend my graduation—and the bigger question which plagues most teenagers—do I take a date or go single? Should I ask Connor or do what is expected or go with my ‘boyfriend’ Nate? Ahh! Why did I have to kiss him in an attempt to get him to leave?.
I left my bed to stand at the window, enjoying the beautiful view of the twinkling lights of the town spread out in front of me.
When I was in heaven, I cherished standing on the edge of the clouds looking out onto the developing nations. I still find peace in these small simple pastimes.
The floorboards outside my door creaked, signalling someone had just come off the stairs. A small rapping sounded on my door implying someone impending entrance. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. I had heard those footsteps around my house for weeks now and memorized their soft pattern.
“I organised the sleeping arrangement, if that’s okay with you,” Connor said softly.
I slowly turned towards him. “Thank you. I didn’t want to deal with that at the moment. I’m a bit over this bullshit.”
“I know, Babes. Max is up here with you, Nate will be on the lounge when he comes back from whatever he’s doing.”
I knew what he was doing, but I didn’t want to point out the obvious to Connor. He was dealing with this angel and hunter business really well, but if Nate felt the need to be outside checking the area, then he perceived this Bernie as a big threat. I don’t want to worry Connor, I would never let anything happen to him, and I’m sure Nate wouldn’t let any innocent get hurt, either.
Connor came over to stand next to me. He moved to put his arm around me and hesitated at the last second. I could see that he wanted comfort, he looked worried about the new developments. Ever since the other night he had been holding back. He still used my nicknames of babes but won’t touch me. I put my arm around him instead. He remained frozen on the spot. The moment became very awkward between us. I felt I had no option but to pull away.
I had crossed that line by wanting to kiss him; I hoped that our relationship could return to normal. Connor left my room, not saying another word. I wanted to kick myself in the ass.
I wasn’t going to even worry about this chick until I met her. What's the point of losing sleep over it?
I needed to find something to take my mind off all of this; a case would be perfect for me, the kind where a good ass kicking is warranted. I don’t know how easy it is going to be though, seeing I now have two shadows following me around. It will call for some real sneaky business.
Without even thinking of this Bernie business, I had a grad dress to buy, we needed to organise a girl’s trip and try some of them on. I don’t know where the girls m
ight be thinking of going, but I had a rough idea, Bathurst or Orange they are the only options. We may end up going to both places. I dream of a ball gown type dress—why not? I would never get married.
I climb into my bed, pushing my worries aside.
Chapter Three
Indy
I woke the next morning at the usual time. I wasn’t feeling particularly excited to walk down the stairs and into the lounge room, the testosterone had become too much last night. The two boys who were sleeping down there wouldn’t be in high spirits, I would be pulling them apart before the Pop-Tarts jumped out of the toaster.
I walked down the stairs and could feel the tension polluting the air; it was thick and made my stomach knot. Connor stood on one side of the kitchen counter and Nate was on the other. Each boy had their arms crossed and shook their heads. Nate whispered to Connor quickly as I approached.
“What’s going on, boys?”
“Nothing.” Nate glared at Connor.
Connor walked away, grabbed his Pop-Tarts and sat on the lounge, annoyance filled his pose. He turned his back to Nate on purpose.
“What, boys?” I demanded.
With a mouthful of crumbs, Connor mumbles loudly, “He wants to come back to school. I told him there is no point.”
That remark was like a huge bitch slap. My face reddened in numerous places. I appreciated Connor’s honesty. I was glad for the warning. I was too rapt up in dreaming of my grad dress to foresee this happening. It was the logical step if people knew Nate was back. Naturally he would slide back into his Mr. Popularity role at school and finish what was left of the school year, picking up where he left off as my boyfriend. I hated to admit that if he stayed in this role his job of protecting me could be easier. I had come to realize last night somewhere between counting sheep and drifting into a peaceful slumber that his new mission was ingrained into that stupid dumb head of his. If I just went along with it, then this Bernie would be out of our lives in a jiffy.
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