by Alisa Woods
“I’m okay.” And she was—confused and angry, maybe, but uninjured. And no longer in fear she would be imminently raped. Points in Asa’s favor for that.
“I’m going to leave you here.” He gestured to the small space they were in. “This is my room, but you may have it. I’ll find elsewhere to rest if I must. Just promise me you won’t do anything crazy like…”
“Like?” She lifted her eyebrows again.
“Like try to leave.”
Her eyebrows crashed back down.
“I’m locking the door, but it’s for your own safety.”
“Sure.” But the way he winced—he heard the bitterness in her voice.
He strode to a doorway that was seamless with the wall such that she hadn’t even noticed it. He waved it open and stood on the threshold. She could see a black-crystal-walled hallway beyond—no different than the nursery.
“Molly, I would never hurt you,” he said with a frown, “but I can’t promise others in the Regiment won’t be tempted. You must understand—you’re beautiful and human and shining with Virtues. Any angeling will be drawn like you’re an impossibly sweet nectar they can’t resist tasting. And angelings in shadow are not familiar with the concept of resisting Sin. So, I’m sealing the door with magic only I can unseal. If you must hate me for it, I’ll take that burden before I see you harmed in any way.”
And then he left, waving the door closed behind him.
Impossibly sweet nectar? Why did that make her flush? How stupid was she to feel a surge of… something… with the idea of Asa tasting her?
Answer: very stupid. Very, very stupid.
She was locked in his room, a prisoner once again.
And even if Asa was one of the Good Guys, this was not where she wanted to be.
Chapter Thirteen
Asa strode into Razael’s throne room, but the angel wasn’t there.
Razael kept a cell—really a suite of rooms behind the throne room—but that was empty. Asa grimaced. Had this all gone down while Razael was away… Asa quickly twisted and traveled to the balcony, the other spot commonly used for meetings of the Regiment and was relieved to see Razael there.
Less so when he heard Razael speak. “I know the humans are enticing. But you’ve been out in the human realm enough. You can resist the temptation here as well.”
The grumbling that went round chilled Asa.
Holy magic, the women had only been on the premises mere minutes. And he’d already locked all three away, not including the angeling Ariel, who he’d had to bind with magical restraints to keep her from fleeing. Fuck.
“Asa,” Razael beckoned him.
“Yes, my lord?” The gathered angelings parted between them, and Asa stepped forward.
“Am I to surmise your mission has been a success?” Razael arched an eyebrow, inviting him to explain. He had already given Asa extraordinary leeway, has he popped in with humans and an angeling in tow without explanation—and Razael was, unasked, counseling his Regiment in restraint.
Asa tried to repay that with an answer that would play well to the Regiment. “Yes, my lord, in part, but… there have been a few complications.”
Razael chuckled. “Rather beautiful ones at that.”
Murmurs of appreciation rippled through the crowd, but Razael’s eyes were sharp on him. He expected more, of course.
“My lord…” Asa could hear the strain in his own voice. “Might we discuss this in private?”
A flicker of concern crossed Razael’s face, but then he waved at the assembled troops. “All right, we still have a war to fight. I want rotations for patrols of the city to be kept, but during the off-times, you have my leave to engage in festivities.” He smirked. “To relieve a little of the tension caused by our new guests.”
A cheer went up. Festivities were the orgies. As much as Asa disliked them and Razael didn’t engage in them, they were a way to keep his troops engaged in each other and not drawn in by the allure of the humans living in the palace. The shadowlings could fuck each other any time they wanted, but a certain liberation came with the orgies—jealousies were expected to be forgotten; whatever tenuous love pairings existed were erased for the moment then resumed without rancor after the festivities ended.
Razael beckoned him to follow as he strode into the main chamber off the balcony.
Asa caught up with him inside. “Thank you, my lord.”
“I assume you have more explanation for me.” Razael kept striding into the hallway, heading for his throne room.
“Yes, of course.” But Asa wanted to wait until they had reached the throne room, and he was assured they were alone. “How goes the war?”
“Badly,” Razael said, his voice gruff. “The body count keeps rising. I’ve got a third of my Regiment out, requiring extensive healing and life kisses. Another third barely keeping those alive. And that’s not counting the ones we’ve already lost.”
“So the Summer Court has not been of help?” Asa frowned—Micah had said the summer forces were giving them a run.
“Without them, we would be lost already.” They had reached the throne room. It was empty. Razael pulled to a stop and turned to face him, his face more drawn than had been evident on the balcony. Angels control every aspect of their manifestation, so Asa took that for what it was—an encouragement to speak up quickly.
“I may have turned Micah,” Asa said.
Razael’s eyebrows lifted. “And what is uncertain about that?”
“The extent of his love for one of the women?” Asa lifted his hands in a helpless gesture. “The quality of his bravery? Whether he will be discovered? A lot remains to be seen.”
Razael’s expression had fallen into a frown. He took a seat on his throne. “One of the women you brought to the palace?”
“She’s carrying his child.”
Razael’s eyebrows lifted again. “And his love of her is True?”
“I believe so, but…” Asa grimaced, not sure how to accurately frame Micah’s situation. “He is definitely lost in love. Yet, Elyon has tormented him with previous loves—destroying them to destroy Micah’s ability to hold onto it. Believe in it, perhaps. It is vile, but Micah is… damaged. I don’t know the extent of it, but that’s just his soul—I also used a blade on him before I sent him back to Elyon, and well… he’s definitely in a weakened physical state.”
Razael rose up from his throne. “Killing our mole would not be very effective, Asa.”
“Understood.” He wished there had been a better option—that part had taken him by surprise.
“And we’ll know if he’s with us… how?”
“Unknown at this point.” Asa sighed. “We have his lover and child, my lord. If that’s not sufficient motivation for him to bring down his father, I doubt anything will accomplish it.”
Razael nodded and eased back to sitting on his throne. “And the others you brought?”
“I couldn’t just leave them, but…” Asa grimaced again. “I’m sure Elyon will want them back. He may even come for them.”
Razael tapped a finger to his lips. “Elyon does not suffer things stolen from him—”
“It’s worse than that,” Asa said. “The blonde one with the face of an angeling? She’s carrying his child.”
Razael gave him a long, hard look.
Asa shifted from one foot to the other. “I couldn’t just—”
Razael cut him off with a raised hand. “He will come for her.”
Asa cringed. “I’m afraid so.”
Razael let out a long sigh. “Does he know of your involvement?”
“I’m certain Micah will let me take the blame—it is his cover story. We should warn Zuriel.”
Razael nodded. “He will make war on her.”
“She need only tell him that it was truly us—”
Razael shook his head. “It would not matter.”
He was probably right. The angel drew in a deep breath. “And the third one? Is there something I need to
know about her?”
“She is innocent of any of this,” Asa rushed out. “Merely entangled. I had to bring her because…” He stumbled. Because what reason was there, really? “Because Elyon would have gone after her, too. She was part of his nursery.”
But Razael caught his hesitation. “So why not leave her?”
“In fact, the women orchestrated their own escape—”
“And yet you brought her here,” Razael pressed.
“She was in danger—”
“Only of being returned to where she started.” Razael lifted one eyebrow.
Asa stalled out. He couldn’t leave her. It was preposterous—
Razael tilted his head. “Do you have love of her?”
Asa’s struggled for words. Did he? How else to describe his driving need to keep her safe? “It’s not like that. She’s innocent in this. Her child, too. I couldn’t just leave…” He trailed off with Razael’s sympathetic look—too much understanding lay behind the angel’s eyes. Asa’s face grew hot, and he dropped his gaze, scouring his memories. Did he endanger the mission? Make the wrong choice? Just because he found her pleasant to look upon… or was it more than that?
“It’s all right, Asa,” Razael said gently. “Love doesn’t always announce itself with a clarion call and a surge of Lust.”
Asa looked up sharply. “She is very desirable.” Why was he defending that?
“Of course she is.” Razael tipped his head. “Which is why I’ve forbidden anyone from touching her. Or the other two.”
Asa swallowed. “You knew…” How could he have known? Angels can peer into one’s soul, but they can’t read minds.
Razael smiled gently. “I knew you, Asa. If you were bringing humans to my Regiment, it wouldn’t be as highlights for the festivities.”
Molly was safe here. Asa knew that intuitively, but it was reassuring to hear it from the angel’s mouth. “There remains the girl angeling,” he said, hoping they were moving on from his highly ambiguous feelings for Molly. “She was their escape from the nursery, barely more than a child. I’ve bound her, and she doesn’t yet bear Razael’s mark, but she’s also none too pleased to be here.”
“There’s no path for her to go back.” Razael frowned.
“I know that. And you know that,” Asa countered. “But she…”
“Bring her to me.”
Asa tipped his head and twisted away to the small cell where he had stashed the girl. It was one of the magically-bound cells that Razael kept for the rare, occasional prisoner the Regiment might take in. Mostly, angelings either fought-and-escaped or fought-and-died or, in rare circumstances, fought-and-converted—prisoners were not a thing most angels kept. But then Razael was far different from most angels.
“Razael has summoned you,” Asa said to her as he wiped away the magic bindings he’d hastily conjured on top of the boundary restraints of the cell. He kept his hand tight on her arm lest she twist and run. “He is the lord of this Regiment, so I suggest you listen to what he has to say.”
The girl simply glared at him.
He twisted and dragged her back to the throne room, but when they arrived, Razael was not alone.
Laylah. And she was covered in blood.
“What happened?” Asa demanded of her. He would go to her, but he couldn’t let go of the girl without her flitting away.
“Oh, just fighting the war while you were playing.” She wiped some of the blood from her face—it appeared not to be entirely hers, so his panic ratcheted down. “What happened to you?” she snapped. “I hear you’re back… and with humans?” But she gave an askance look to the girl whose arm he clutched. She was holding stock-still now that she was in Razael’s presence.
“Release her,” the angel commanded.
Asa gave him a pinched look but let go of the girl.
She stumbled toward him, definitely not under her own power. But then she found her footing again and stood tall and proud in spite of whatever hold Razael had placed on her to keep her from fleeing.
“What’s your name, child?” Razael asked.
She lifted her chin. “Ariel.”
Laylah edged over to Asa. “Okay, where’d you get the kid?” she whispered.
“Elyon’s nursery.” Asa visually swept her wounds. They didn’t seem dire.
Laylah’s eyebrows hiked up, and she fell silent.
“You cannot return to Elyon.” Razael was speaking to the girl—Ariel—and not unkindly.
“Release me,” she said, her voice strong. “You have no claim on me.”
“And neither does he.” The air hummed with the power emanating from Razael. The girl was brave to talk back to an angel, Asa would give her that. Laylah looked impressed as well.
“You do not bear his mark,” Razael continued. “You are welcome to make your vows here, child. We’ll protect you should he come seeking the mothers.”
“I won’t have sex with the likes of you!” Ariel announced.
Asa choked on his surprise. Laylah flicked a look at him like Where did you find this one? With disgust, Asa realized that must be what vow-making was like in Elyon’s Regiment. Even for those fresh out of the nursery. Micah spoke of a night-long orgy… Holy angels of light…
Razael was nodding solemnly. “Elyon requires this of you?”
The girl hesitated, flicking a look at Asa and then Laylah. “He… he chooses a Master, and then…” She stood straighter and faced Razael again. “You should slay me now. I will not submit.”
Sweet magic… Asa held his tongue. He could see Razael choosing his words carefully.
“We have no Masters here, Ariel,” Razael said, gently. “Our Regiment is a family. We pledge our blood to our brothers and sisters, to protect one another, to defend what’s ours, to fight those who would visit evil on the world.”
Ariel’s eyes were wide, but she seemed more lost than amazed. “You do not have sex?”
A smile twitched on Razael’s face. “It is voluntary. For those who wish it. But you are barely more than a child. I would recommend you wait.”
Her expression transformed to amazement.
“And as a child, I would normally not offer a vow-making.” Razael frowned. “But you are Fallen, are you not? Show me your wings, child.” It wasn’t a command, but Ariel readily obeyed, unfurling them wide. Asa could have told him—he’d seen them back at the apartment. Razael sighed. “If you were younger, and still full of Virtues, I’d send you to the angels of light.”
“But they would kill me!” she protested.
Asa smirked. Never mind she had offered herself up for slaying moments before.
“Well, they might,” Razael said. “Regardless, you’re better suited here. And, as I said, we can protect you. Should Elyon want to come and claim you.”
“What is… what do I have to do?” she asked, voice softer now.
“Make the vow. Bear my mark.” Razael leaned forward on his throne. “It is painful, Ariel. The marking itself.”
“I am not afraid of pain.” That defiant chin lift again.
“No, I imagine not,” Razael said with a small smile.
Asa flicked a look at Laylah. She was fighting a grin just like he was.
“I’ll need to make arrangements for our other guests,” Asa said, interrupting—but he was eager to get back to Molly and explain how everything was cleared. They had Razael’s blessing. Ariel was making her vows. This would all work out.
Razael gave him a nod. “I’ll pull some of the Regiment back from the streets. Make sure we have round-the-clock reinforcements here. And we’ll need to meet with the light forces, update them on the news.”
“Understood.”
Laylah tagged behind Asa as he strode from the throne room. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Later.” He strode ahead then pulled to a stop once they were outside the throne room. “Wait… are you all right? I’m pretty sure I owe you a life kiss.”
“Is that an offer I should
n’t turn down?” Her eyes lit up.
But that wasn’t what he meant. At all. “Laylah…”
She waved him off. “I’m fine. Can’t blame me for trying.”
He needed to say it plainly. “It’s not going to work between us.” Especially now that Molly… well, she had roused certain parts of him that were long dead. If there were anyone he might want in his bed… which was actually where she might be at this moment… Something stirred below his waist with that thought…
Laylah was giving him a very odd look. “Okay, then, Hot Stuff. Thanks for making that clear. Go take care of your humans.” She turned her back on him and strode away, boots striking harder than he thought necessary with each step.
He sighed. Laylah wanted him. He wanted Molly. Molly wanted nothing to do with any of them. It was the insanity that Sin produced.
Still… he couldn’t help the quick and eager steps that carried him back to his cell.
Chapter Fourteen
The New Hell was a lot lonelier than the Old Hell.
Molly stared at the walls. And the ceiling. And the floor. All hummed with the same mind-numbing dull vibration. Asa flitted in occasionally—to bring her food—but then he hurried out again with hardly a word. He had produced by magic a shower stall and toilet at one end of the tiny cell, which was very considerate, but also just made the space even more cramped. The walls were closing in on her, and she made extra trips to the bathroom just to move.
Right now, she was lying on the bed—just a super-thin mat on top of more of that black crystal—and staring at the ceiling and wondering how she would make it through this.
Was this her life now? What about after the baby? Would she still have to be a prisoner? Would she spend the next eighteen years raising a child in a tiny dungeon of shadow magic?
The questions were crowding in on her brain and making it shut down. The minutes ticked by like a watch winding down, somehow getting slower with each passing one.
She needed answers from Asa, not just another tray with cold soup and crackers.