Redeeming Angel

by JL Weil

  REDEEMING ANGEL

  A DIVISA NOVEL, BOOK 5

  by

  J.L. Weil

  Smashwords Edition Copyright 2015

  by J.L. Weil

  http://jlweil.blogspot.com/

  All rights reserved.

  First Edition September 2015

  ISBN-10:

  ISBN-13:

  Edited by Kelly Hashway

  Cover design by Jennifer Weil

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  Also by J.L. Weil

  THE DIVISA SERIES

  Losing Emma: A Divisa novella

  Saving Angel

  Hunting Angel

  Breaking Emma: A Divisa novella

  Chasing Angel

  Loving Angel

  LUMINESCENCE TRILOGY

  Luminescence

  Amethyst Tears

  Moondust

  RAVEN SERIES

  White Raven

  SINGLE NOVELS

  Starbound

  It is bittersweet to end the series that is dear to my heart. This is for every person who stumbled across Saving Angel and ended up loving Chase and Angel as much as I do. This is for you. I can’t thank you enough! You gave me courage to continue this crazy, fun, amazing, and rewarding job.

  Table of Contents

  Title page

  Copyright

  Other books by J.L. Weil

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Part 1

  Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.

  —Aristotle

  Chapter 1

  {Angel}

  Like a kid who couldn’t resist the last piece of chocolate, I wrapped my hand around the bars of my cage. A freaking cage! It only took a second for the searing pain to register—red-hot burning. I snatched my hand away, swallowing the scream at the back of my scratchy throat. Hours of screaming taught me two things. One: no one could hear me. The damn dungeon was probably soundproof. And two: it was entirely Chase’s fault.

  Bastard.

  My hand was on fire. It felt like the flesh was literally melting off the bone. I glanced down to examine the extent of my injury, cursing Chase Winters to a hundred different kinds of hell. Redness bubbled along my slim fingers, the skin burning like a bitch. “Damn it,” I hissed, cradling my hand. The upside, in an hour it would hardly be noticeable, just one of the many perks from being mutated by Chase Winters.

  My egotistical, self-righteous, determined-to-make-me-miserable boyfriend, who also happened to be a half-demon.

  Pain and anger whirled through me, a potent cocktail.

  So many changes were reeling through my body. I didn’t know exactly what was going on inside, but for once it didn’t cause me physical pain. Oh, just the opposite. It was like an addict, begging and pleading for more, dying to be released.

  Each bond Chase and I fortified had mutated the cells in my body. We hadn’t known at the time what the outcome would be, and truthfully, I think we’d both been powerless to stop the forces of Hell. It was inevitable. Chase had saved my life, but by doing so, forged a link with my soul—a link that connected me not to just him, but to his bloodline—to Alastair—his demon father. My humanity had been pretty much doomed from that moment. The closer we got, the deeper our bonds and the darker my humanity became.

  Man, I sure knew how to pick them.

  A strangled laugh bubbled out. “Chase.” His name echoed against the dirty gray concrete walls. The jerk was going to pay. Who did he think he was, locking me up like an animal? I was supposed to be the love of his life. What a freaking joke. Why did it matter that I suddenly embraced the dark side? Had I not accepted him as he was? All the flaws (not that there were many), all the danger, and the near death experiences. Now he just stopped caring.

  Bull crap. I didn’t buy it.

  He was whipped and would do anything to save his precious Angel. It was the sole reason I was in this current predicament. Things had gotten…complicated. I wasn’t precisely sure how things had gotten so out of hand. There were dark patches in my memories, but really, why did I care about the how? It was where I was going that mattered. And I had a purpose. Being contained in a demon version of Alcatraz was not how I envisioned spending my first year of college.

  Plopping down on a small bed in the corner, the lumpy mattress dug into my butt. I squirmed, trying to find a comfortable position, and finally gave up. No amount of wiggling was going to make this sad excuse of a bed comfortable. I guess I should have been thankful he didn’t make me sleep on the floor.

  There had to be a way to get to him. I just needed to appeal to his sappy side, because I didn’t see another way out of this godforsaken contraption the hunters had constructed. Leave it to a bunch of whacked-out-of-your-mind demon hunters to possess advanced yet archaic torture chambers.

  The metal was a blend of titanium and amber. At least I thought it was amber. The flecks of gold reminded me of Chase when his demon prevailed his humanity. I eyed the perimeter with my newly enhanced eyeballs, desperate for a small crack in its defense, and to my utter dismay, I found nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zippo.

  I was so screwed.

  Rage boiled up inside of me. Hot, scolding, and fierce. There was no fear, grief, or panic…only power.

  It crackled, radiating in the tiny box, and if it wasn’t being snuffed out by this prison, its destruction would have been catastrophic. This harboring of hate inside me was easily evoked and took nothing more than a flick of a switch. Keeping it controlled and reining it in was an entirely different problem I had yet to master.

  Dampness gathered on my cheeks.

  And then it struck me.

  They were tears, I realized slowly.

  I swiped at my cheeks, disgusted I was crying. Weakness wasn’t something I could afford, not when I had a task set before me. Failing wasn’t an option, but there were these moments, these little breakdowns, where my humanity peeked through. Good and bad. Light and darkness. Human and demon. They resided inside me, but the want for power was resilient. Luckily, the new and improved me was stronger, able to keep my humanity at bay.

  Yet, I knew there was one very dete
rmined, fearless, and ruthless obstacle in my way. He was going to be the key to getting out of this dump, considering he was the only person who actually came down here. Not that I cared one way or the other. It was the good thing about losing your humanity; you no longer gave a rat’s ass about feelings. You didn’t care your friends left you here to rot. I only had one purpose now. Like a crackhead looking for their next fix, it was all I thought about.

  I sat in the middle of the bed, back rigid, and stared between the bars. The memories, they were the kicker, flashes of my former life. My childhood. Mom. And even Dad. Moving to Spring Valley where my life changed. Even then, I was happy, so happy it made me sick. The first day in hickville and meeting Lexi. But it was always the memories of Chase Winters that did something funky inside me.

  From falling in love to thinking he was the biggest douche in the world. There wasn’t a whole lot to do trapped underground, so my mind drifted, and I’d relived those moments over and over again. It was maddening. The memories actually hurt more than the damn demon-proofed bars.

  But the absolute worst were the memories of thinking I’d lost him. That was a torture I’d rather not relive, and it shot a different kind of pain down my body, curling my toes. Both physically and emotionally, it sucked. Knowing I couldn’t survive without him—the bonds made sure of it and even the power rippling through my veins knew it.

  I blinked at the harsh lights shining down at me, the only light in the entire dingy room. No windows. Not that I needed the light or glow of the sun. My eyes saw perfectly in the dark, a new side effect from being the keystone.

  Also, my very attuned hearing picked up the approaching footsteps before I saw a face. I didn’t need any special abilities to tell me who it was. The tingle that spread throughout was a foolproof detector. My body went haywire when Chase was near.

  So annoying.

  It was the times when he came to see me that were challenging. The good girl inside me fought tooth and nail to the surface, clawing and scratching just to give him false hope I could be saved. There was no saving me. The darkness was too strong.

  But the other part of me, she was relentless, screaming his name. I knew he was suspicious, but that was about to change.

  I had a plan.

  A dirty, no-good plan.

  {Chase}

  When I met Angel, I never imagined we’d end up here. Back in my pre-Angel days, I had a plan. It involved me on a crusade, traveling across the country, blaring the Eagles greatest hits, and killing as many demons as possible. A lonely road. Life rarely turns out as we expect.

  Meeting Angel changed everything.

  The good, the bad, and Hell.

  How many other guys could say their girlfriend commanded a demon army? None. That’s how many. In a twisted way, it was kind of hot, until she went all Terminator on me, glowing red eyes and all.

  Bitter anger surged through me. It was an emotion Angel and I shared more and more lately. It coated my insides like battery acid as I picked up speed, darting and weaving past the college row houses, making a beeline toward the trees surrounding campus. It was early or late depending on how you looked at it. A streak of whitish-yellow crested on the horizon, overriding the dark blue sky dotted with tiki torch stars that would have made an astrologist geek-out.

  When I wasn’t with Angel all I could do was think about being with her. Part of that might have been our bond, but ninety-five percent of it was just my wanting to be near her. Each time I saw her, my heart splintered, more painful than any knife to the gut. Seeing her locked in a cell no bigger than a cabin pissed me off. Knowing I was the one responsible for putting her there really pissed me off. The guilt was ridiculous.

  Not everyone agreed with my methods. It was no surprise Emma fully supported caging Angel. Lexi, on the other hand, lost her shit. Angel was her best friend, her first real friend who wasn’t a half-demon. I knew how much she cared for Angel, and not letting Lexi see her was a battle I thought I would lose some days. But I knew once Lexi got a glimpse of Angel behind bars, she would crack—and in a not-so-pretty way. Like Hello Kitty crossed with the Hulk.

  It was a shuddering thought.

  The speed of the brisk wind washed over my face as I ran, trekking up rocky hills, catapulting over fallen trees, and dodging anything in my path. I was impatient to see her, needing to know she was still safe, that she hadn’t found a way to escape and unleash Hell on Earth. Good times.

  Not even halfway there, I felt the familiar prickle of disorder. Lower-demon would be my guess.

  Oh goodie. Just want I needed—a punching bag to release all my rage and frustration.

  The bastard was coming straight for me, and with the way I was feeling right now, my anticipation grew. Skidding to a halt, the not-so-bright demon zoomed right past me. Dumbass. I whirled around, fists curled.

  Realizing his blunder, he circled back toward me, a ball of blazing darkness. In the shadows of the tall evergreens and the thick maples, his eyes glowed like hot ambers, charcoal oily skin flickering as he ran. Demons without a human suit were ugly mofos.

  A split-second before he reached me, I lunged, choke-slamming the slimy prick to the ground. A pile of pine needles embedded into his flesh in what I considered icing on the cake.

  “I hope that hurt,” I sneered, my fingers squeezing.

  His black lips pulled back, and he hissed, “Where is ssshe?”

  I titled my head to the side, pressing my thumb into his windpipe. “Who?” I countered, playing ignorant. They were more fun when provoked, and so was I.

  “You can’t hide her forever.”

  I had a mammoth-sized bone to pick with Alastair, and his minions were just a means to an end. “It’s killing you, isn’t it? Knowing I have what every demon in Hell desires. The key to your freedom.”

  He hissed, his tongue—the color of tar and forking like a serpent—catching between his jagged fangs. “Tell me where the keyssstone isss.”

  I glared. “I just bet you would love to know.”

  Shooting daggers, his eyes got brighter. “Then you die.”

  I cracked my neck. “Bring it.”

  There was no hesitation.

  Not from me. Not from him.

  Launching to the side, the lower-demon shot forward, a blur of dark limbs. I ducked, his swing whizzing over my head, and sprung up behind him. The heel of my foot slammed into the bow of his back and down he went. I welcomed the physicality of fighting. Fist against flesh. Knuckles cracking bone. I poured every bit of fury, worry, and aggravation into each punch, each kick.

  No sooner did he hit the ground was he back on his feet. I leapt backward, but not before he was able to clip the side of my jaw in a brain-rattling hit. I spit blood from the corner of my mouth, thriving on the pain that erupted from the side of my face. It fueled my hate.

  So the bastard wants to play that way, does he?

  This time when he came at me, I grabbed him and spun, tossing his ass straight into a tree. Bark splintered, flying up into the air around his grotesque face. I charged, the ground trembling under my feet. The demon met me halfway in a thundering clash, both of us taking pot shots at the other in punches so fast you felt them before you saw them coming.

  My knuckles were bleeding, but the pain was irrelevant. I didn’t feel it. All I saw was Angel’s face with crimson eyes—demon eyes. I pounded and pounded, dipping and dodging as many blows as I could foresee. Time ceased. We could have been going at each other for a minute or an hour. Mostly, I was mocking him. Holding back, to drag out the fight.

  And then he took me by surprise, landing a blow that stunned me for a fraction of a second, but that was all a demon needed. His hand went straight for my life source, latching on with his claws on my heart. I guess he wasn’t joking about killing me. Too bad today wasn’t my day. I had a mission, which didn’t include dying.

  It was time for the stupid SOB to go home. Wiggling my right hand behind me, I inched my fingers to the hilt of the blade tucke
d into my pants. He was too busy basking in what he thought was surely a victory to notice the glint in my eyes. Doing what I could probably do blindfolded, I sent the blade into the dead center of his chest.

  Let it rain demon ash.

  His eyes went wide right before I was covered from head to toe in smoky powder. I sat up, shaking the dust from my hair. What a way to ruin a perfectly awesome T-shirt, but there was no time to waste.

  A cold wind moved down my spine. I jumped to my feet, pivoting, and took off through the trees, racing toward Angel. My brain was churning. They were looking for her. Of course, I hadn’t thought Hell would just forget about its secret weapon, but I’d really banked on having more time to figure shit out. I didn’t have much of a plan. Nothing concrete, really only consisting of a few things: Save Angel. Destroy Alastair. Don’t die.

  As I crested the grassy hill, I looked over my shoulder, listening. It would do none of us any good if I were being followed. Hunter or demon, I had to make sure neither of them found Angel.

  I knew the risks of what I was doing, hiding her. So many people could get hurt. People I loved, but I had brought Angel so deep into my world. If only I had stayed away from her… But I hadn’t, and look where that had gotten her. I owed it to Angel to pull her out of the fiery depths of Hell.

  If anyone should be sucked down into the clutches of the underworld, it should be me. Never Angel.

  A whoosh of air left my lungs, and I shot down the hill, breaking into the clearing lit by the golden streaks of sunlight. With a heavy heart, the old barn-like door creaked as I pulled it open and let it close behind me, shutting out all the glorious light. This place gave me the creeps, and it was no place for Angel.

  I cursed under my breath, swiping a cobweb from above my head. This had to end. I wasn’t sure how much longer my resolve could last. Seeing her trapped here was wearing on me. I had to work harder and faster at finding the answers. I would not rest.