“Trust me, Gabi, this is no joke. I know I probably have no right to, but I think I’m falling in love with you.”
“You still feel that way, even after what I just told you.”
“I love you because of stuff like that, Gabi. You’re a caring and wonderful female. All these years you have put your own needs aside in order to help mortals.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you?” he echoed. “I tell you I love you and you say thank you.”
“I’m sorry. I should say that it’s about damn time. I’ve loved you since we were children.”
“What?” he asked her, his jaw dropping in shock. “I thought you said you were just infatuated with me, and that you were over it.”
“I lied to you for pride’s sake. I’ve loved you ever since I could remember. But you didn’t even know I existed.”
“I’m sorry.” He pulled her into his arms. “I was an idiot.”
“Yes, you were,” she giggled as she snuggled into his chest.
“If it’s any consolation, I’ve always noticed you.”
“Please.” She blew a raspberry at him. “I was such a dork in school.”
“But, you had the sweetest toosh.” He smiled at the memory. “With the cutest, hot pink panties.”
“That was so humiliating.” Her cheeks were as pink as those said panties.
“No, it was downright sexy.”
“You’re a big, fat liar.” She stood on tiptoe to brush back that lock of hair that always fell over his eyes.
“Why would you want me, Gabi? You know what my family is.”
“You are not your family, Abdiel. You were the only one who dared to stand up to Satan. If there’s anybody who doubts you after all you’ve gone though, well then they aren’t fit to even look at you.”
As Abdiel bent down to capture her sweet lips in a kiss, he could feel his heart galloping with excitement. She loved him. The sweetest, most beautiful angel ever loved him.
“Let’s do the formal mating ceremony.” He hoped he wasn’t rushing things. He just was afraid of losing her. “I want all of Heaven to know that you’re mine.”
His little princess responded like any other female in history. She jumped into his arms with a squeal of delight.
“Yes, yes, yes.” She punctuated each yes with a kiss.
“Can we do it right away?” Abdiel asked laughing.
“You have to give me some time. I have so much planning to do,” she cried out, running up the stairs. “Cam, quit yelling at your sister. Give me the phone. I need to talk with her.”
Abdiel laughed as Cam walked down the stairs with a scared look on his face.
“Never get between a female and her best friend when there’s news be told.” Cam shook his head.
“It might be a little while before you get your phone back.” Abdiel couldn’t get the goofy smile off his face.
“So, unless I was mistaken, you’ve finally marked her, huh?”
Abdiel nodded. “Is that going to be okay with you? Serving with a mated couple?”
“Please, it will be so much better than you two mooning over each other. It’s about time you guys came to your senses.”
As the two males laughed, Abdiel realized that he had something he hadn’t had in hundreds of years. He had a family.
Chapter Seven
After she had stepped out of the shower, Gabi wiped the steam off the mirror in Abdiel’s bathroom and twisted around so that she could get a better look at his mark that was now forever on the back of her hip. She smiled as she traced it with her finger.
When she had stripped down and gone down on her knees in front of him, she had been terrified that he would refuse her, but he had not. In fact, he had acted like she had given him the best gift ever. She was so glad she had followed Ana’s advice and given Abdiel another chance.
She dressed and went back into his bedroom. He was laying on his stomach sound asleep. The white sheet covered only the lower half of him, leaving his tan, sculpted back exposed. She blushed a little when she saw the small scratch marks she had left behind. She had offered to heal them for him, but he had refused saying that he had earned them and wanted to keep them.
His face, when he had taken her the first time, had been filled with such tenderness that she had scarcely believed it had been for her. His dark eyes had burned with passion while they had been soft with love. No matter how long her immortal life lasted, she would never forget that moment.
Last night there had been no question of her going back to her own room. He had simply held out his hand and she had taken it, then he had led her to his bed. They had spent the entire night making slow, delicious love as they got to know each other’s bodies, inch by inch.
She sat down on the bed and gently stroked his face. He slowly opened up his dark eyes and gave her a lazy smile.
“Come back to bed,” he coaxed, pulling her by the arm.
She playfully smacked him on the shoulder. “Your mate needs food. Do you realize that it’s already afternoon? We’ve slept the morning away.”
“It’s not like anyone is going to miss us. Cam had to go to a training class this morning, so we have the house all to ourselves.”
“I’m starved. If you come downstairs, I might even cook for you or, at least, call Cam and tell him to pick something up on his way home.”
“Fine, let me take a shower first.”
He got up out of bed, not bothering to hide his naked body from her. She felt her insides turn to jelly at the sight of his fine butt. He caught her staring and fixed her with a hot, smoldering look.
“Be a good, little angel, or else we’re never going to leave this room,” he growled out as his dark eyes burned with passion.
She just leaned back on the bed and crooked one finger at him. He didn’t need any further invitation. Reaching the bed in two strides, he pinned her to the mattress and started to rip off her clothes. Food is so overrated anyhow, she thought.
“I’m not going back Ana and that’s final,” Cam told his sister as he walked into the kitchen and set down a couple fast food bags.
“You have no choice, Cam,” Ana shot back, her cheeks pink with anger. “You need to develop your new skills and Hayyel can teach you.”
Ana and Cam stood in the middle of the kitchen facing each other, ready for battle. Even though the empath was scrawny, he was tall. Ana barely reached his chest. That did not faze her in the least, however. She just stood on tiptoe so she could stare him down.
“He’s a wolf, Ana.”
“He’s a shifter,” she corrected.
“I swear he smells like wet dog. I’m always afraid that he’s going to smell my … you know what.” Cam motioned over his groin area in case anyone had any doubts about what he was talking about.
Abdiel laughed at Cam’s last remark.
“Don’t encourage him,” Ana snapped as she rolled her eyes.
“I did just fine on my own before. Why is it that now that I know I’m a telepath you think I need tutoring?” Cam grabbed a Coke from the fridge and held the can to his head.
“Because I’m sick of you popping into my head uninvited.” Ana grabbed the can from him and opened it, before handing it back. “The other day I was in a council meeting and all of the sudden your voice is in my mind telling me the score of the hockey game.”
“Sorry, I meant to tell Nathaniel.”
“See, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. Geez, Cam I had TiVoed that game and you ruined it for me.”
“Sorry, Ana,” He gave her one of his famous smiles. “I’ve got tickets to next week’s game. I’ll take you to make up for it.”
“You can’t buy me off with tickets,” Ana said sternly, although there was no mistaking the glint of excitement in her eyes.
“Come on Ana.” He reached into a drawer and pulled out a bag of Skittles and held them out as a peace offering.
“Fine.” She snatched the candy from his hand. “But you still
have to go to your lessons with Hayyel.”
“Woof, woof,” Cam held his hands up in surrender.
Abdiel turned to Gabi with a flabbergasted look. She just shrugged her shoulders in response. She was used to the Lehors.
“My head hurts,” Cam complained, rubbing the heel of his hand into his eye.
“I’m sure it will go away the more you use your telepathy,” Gabi assured him.
“It’s not from that. It’s from Hayyel hitting me on the back of the head.”
Ana laughed.
“That’s something I’d like to see. I have another council meeting, so try to stay out of my mind, little brother,” she said before she disappeared.
Cam was about ready to say something smart, but he stopped short. As he closed his eyes and went into a trance, Gabi groaned, she was really getting sick of Cam’s spidey sense acting up.
“Your brothers are out tonight, Abdiel, and they’re looking for you,” Cam said, his eyes still closed. “Boy, are they pissed. They … Oops.”
“Oops? What do you mean oops?” Gabi stood up and walked over to him, her stomach doing little flip-flops.
“Your oldest brother is Douma?” Cam asked Abdiel with a weak smile.
“Yes, why?” Abdiel had a leery look on his face.
Cam started tugging at his hair. “Because he just told me to get out of his head and tell his little brother it was time to come out and play.”
As Abdiel patrolled the streets, he thought back to the last time he had seen his brothers. It had ended with him on the ground crying like a girl and them trying to hack him into a million bitty angel pieces. Call him crazy, but it was something he did not want to repeat.
Been there, done that.
“Are you sure it was just my two older brothers?” he asked Cam again.
He was worried that the twins would be with them. He didn’t know if he could bring himself to fight Rachael and Appolion, no matter what they had become.
“For the millionth time, yes.” Cam rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you just ask me if it’s your little brother and sister? I can hear the question bumping around your thick skull.”
“You know what? I think Ana was right. Get out of my head.”
“No one has seen the twins,” Gabi tried to reassure him. “Not since they were taken from Heaven.”
That should have made him feel better, but it didn’t. The fact that they had not been seen in all these centuries led him to wildly speculate what might be happening to them. What if they were being held prisoner and being tortured? Rachael was a full grown female now and Hell was full of rapists. A cold, hard fury built up inside of him as he thought about her being violated.
“Are you going to be okay?” Gabi asked, as always she read him like a book.
“Sure, just peachy, I can’t wait for the family reunion,” he said sarcastically.
“That’s just it, Abdiel, you haven’t had to fight any of your family members yet. I’ve seen your brothers. They’re different, changed.”
“It’s not like we were close even before they turned. Their favorite game when we were children was Kick the Tail of the Abdiel.”
“So,” Cam drawled. “I guess we can cross them off our Christmas card list.”
“Oh too bad,” a voice hissed at them. “I was hoping we could get close and lovey dovey just like the Waltons.”
They looked up above them toward the sound of the voice. On a fire escape they could see the shadowy outline of two demons.
I didn’t sense a thing, I’m sorry, Cam communicated telepathically with both Abdiel and Gabi.
Abdiel let out a hiss of displeasure. If his brothers had managed to shield their presence from Cam, then they were in big trouble. Only the strongest demons could hide from empaths.
Douma and Forcas leapt off the fire escape. They did a neat flip in the air before they landed on their feet, right in front of the three angels.
“Neat trick,” Cam shot out as he twirled his tonfa. “You guys work for Cirque Du Soleil? What do you think, Abdiel? They could name their act The Brothers Grimm.”
Abdiel couldn’t say anything smart back. He was seeing his brothers the first time since they had been banished from Heaven, and Gabi had been right. They had changed.
Douma’s body looked like Godzilla bred with the Terminator. His dark green skin was covered in scales and muscles popped out all over him. His eyes had turned blood red in color and they glowed brightly in the night. He was completely bald, the shiny skull bare except for a pair of black horns. Very large, pointed ears seemed to sprout from the side of his head. They had several chunks missing as if something had bitten them.
Forcas was smaller, but just as ugly, with skin that was pale gray. His long, white hair trailed down his bony back, matted and snarly. He had large, droopy eyes that were pure black, reminding Abdiel of a shark’s. His fingers tapered off into huge claws. While Douma wore nothing more than a loincloth, Forcas had on a pair a tattered jeans and a tight, white wife-beater shirt.
“You guys are in serious need of an Ambush Makeover,” Abdiel breathed out, disgusted.
Cam let out a whoop of laughter.
Forcas hissed right before he blasted the young angel with a bolt of energy. Cam went flying into a building, his body slamming into it before falling to the ground.
“You should teach your empath some manners,” Forcas glared at Cam like he was something foul that the demon had just stepped in.
Abdiel forced himself to remain calm. He could not afford to let his emotions get the better of him, even though the sight of Cam on the ground was enough to make his blood boil. The empath moaned as he started to move around a little.
Slowly Gabi walked backwards toward Cam, her crossbow aimed at the two demons the entire time. When she reached the empath, she knelt down and touched him.
“You okay, Cam?” she whispered.
Cam surprised everyone by getting to his feet.
“I’m fine, Gabi,” he moaned out as he walked forward and picked up his tonfa. He went and stood shoulder to shoulder with Abdiel.
“What a brave, little empath you have there,” Douma said to Abdiel. “He’s going to regret not staying down, however.”
Forcas and Douma each had a long sickle in their hands. A heavy chain was attached to their weapons. They started to swing the chains. Forcas looked over at Gabi and smirked.
“Oh isn’t that just precious?” He curled his lip in disgust. “Abdiel marked the female.”
“Wonderful,” Douma licked his deformed lips. “Right before we destroy our precious brother, we’ll take the female right in front of him.”
Abdiel ignored them, knowing that they were trying to goad him into making a mistake. He felt Cam stiffen up beside him before the young angel relaxed as well. The archangel was pleased to see that his training was paying off. Douma attacked Abdiel while Forcas took on Cam. The two demons moved so fast that they were just a blur. However, the two angels were ready for them.
Abdiel brought up his elbow to meet Douma’s face. The demon shrieked with anger as he arched his sickle around to strike the archangel. Abdiel swung his sword up to deflect it. Sparks shot out as the two weapons matched with an ear-grinding shriek.
When Forcas charged Cam, the empath jumped up and grabbed the fire escape. Pulling himself up, he made the demon stumble forward as he lunged to attack. When Forcas turned around to see where he had gone, the empath swung his feet around and kicked the demon in the face.
“Come on, you idiot, he’s just an empath,” Douma chided his brother.
Douma turned and fired a ball of energy at Abdiel. Abdiel threw up his hand and conjured up a shield, easily deflecting the ball. The demon’s face instantly filled with a mixture of shock and fear. He had not expected his most powerful weapon to be useless.
“A little trick Michael taught me,” Abdiel told his shaken brother.
“A worthy opponent,” Douma admitted begrudgingly. “Unfortunately we did
not come to play, we’re here on a mission.”
Both of the demon brothers pulled out several small throwing stars. Douma chucked his at Cam. The angel whimpered in pain as he fell to his knees. The small keeling cries grew into full blown screams as he ripped at his skin, his hands tearing chunks of skin out of his body as he tried to pull the stars out of his flesh.
Forcas threw his stars at Gabi. Abdiel dove in front of her, most of the stars hitting him. The archangel was unconscious before he even hit the ground. His massive body landed on top of hers, blocking her from the demon’s view.
Gabi let out a shriek of pain as three of the weapons buried themselves in her flesh. It felt like acid burning its way into her body. Poisons were not supposed to affect angels, but this was something new. She found the stars that were in her and ripped them out. She tossed them aside.
Gabi looked over at Cam and gasped. He was still digging at the stars embedded in his flesh. His hands were coated with his own blood and he foamed at the mouth. The empath’s eyes glazed over and he shook his head back and forth.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” Cam chanted. He clasped his hands over his ears before he yelled, “Shut the fuck up!”
Finally Cam slammed his head on the ground. The sickening sound of it echoed off the deserted street. He gave out another cry of agony, the tortured sound broke Gabi’s heart. The demons just laughed at him. They were obviously enjoying the show.
Gabi was shocked at how quickly Cam had become incapacitated. The poison seemed to have affected Abdiel in a different way. It knocked the archangel out. He still hadn’t moved. Gabi started to feel dizzy, and her vision dimmed. She knew she was about to become unconscious too. She shook her head, desperately fighting it. She didn’t dare nod off because then Cam would be all by himself.
The two demons walked over to Cam. Forcas grabbed the young angel by the hair and forced him to look up at them. The empath’s blue eyes were moving back and forth, wildly.
“Please,” Cam begged them. His nose started to trickle blood. “Please, make the voices stop.”
Angel Warriors Page 9