Archangels Creed Box Set 1-3

by Azure Boone

Clutching each other, they crept toward the stairs. "Think Devyn, there's something in that head of yours you missed."

  "We need to hide," Devyn whispered, pulling Karly to the kitchen with a vague idea of cramming into a broom closet or a cupboard. A quick glance around revealed a small opening in the wall next to the fridge. Access to a crawl-space?

  She crouched and worked her nails into the crack and pried the cover to the little hatchway down.

  "Come play."

  They screamed and spun toward the gurgling voice behind them. Oh God. They backed up simultaneously until their shoulders hit the wall.

  The five foot sasquatch-looking thing grinned at them from a snout of crowded sharp teeth. The heaving of his massive body increased as his colorless eyes scanned them like rare treasure, trying to decide which one he wanted first.

  Devyn carefully nudged Karly toward the back door just to her left. Her gaze darted around the kitchen, seeking anything she might be able to use for defense. Her hand sought along the wall for something, anything. "Run," Devyn barely breathed. "To the car."

  They both bolted then skidded to a screaming halt. The thing blocked their path, shaking its head in a wobbly fashion, grinning, approaching, slow and deliberate.

  Karly screamed and launched herself at him, transforming mid-leap into a she-wolverine with red dagger length claws bared.

  The thing caught her by the throat and Karly growled and swung her right hand, slicing the grotesque face open from eyebrow to snout.

  Roaring its pain, it snarled and shook its head before throwing her like a rag doll across the room. Karly hit the wall hard, cracking plaster with her head, shoulder and hip before crumpling limp and soundless to the floor.

  Devyn was barely aware of the panic taking her. Where were her weapons? Oh God. She bolted for the stairs. Half way up pain erupted in her ankle, like white hot knives sinking down to her bones.

  She screamed, holding on to the rails against the force pulling her backward. She looked over her shoulder, horrified to see the thing grinning while it tugged at her foot. She kicked wildly with her free foot and landed a hard one to the monkey-man face.

  It squealed and growled, angling its head at her before jabbing a long claw into the back of her thigh, a couple inches above her knee, bone deep. He niggled the talon around inside her flesh, and purred.

  Devyn screamed. Rigid in agony, she could only pray and beg him to stop.

  He grinned and chortled like a human infant, apparently pleased. Turning back to her leg he slowly dragged his nail toward him, slicing through muscle, tracing her bone. Every few seconds he looked up from her leg to her face, giggling anew at each agonized expression or horrified sound.

  Devyn couldn't open her mouth wide enough for the scream that wracked her body. The thing paused in the task to laugh uproariously, slapping his knee with his free hand. She writhed and twisted but it only made it worse. Black spots finally entered her vision and convulsions shook her body as she lay on the stairs. A sharp heat slammed her abdomen as the creature slowly sliced her open. This was it, she'd die. Darkness seeped in, and Devyn grasped for it.

  ''Devyn…Devyn…"

  Devyn reached for the voice of her mother, not caring it meant death. She screamed for her to help, help take her away from the pain.

  Her mother hovered over her, smiling with tears. The pain of Devyn's body now flooded her heart. Her mom was so happy to see her. So why did it hurt so much?

  "It's okay Devyn." She nodded. "We love you. We forgive you. We understand."

  She stroked my face and I clasped her hand to my chest. "Don't leave mom, please don't leave me."

  "Sweetie, I have to."

  "Take me mom, please."

  She shook her head, tears streaming. "It's not time for you baby." She smiled proudly. "You have to live. You have to remember. You can't run from it anymore."

  "What mom, what am I running from?"

  "Oh sweetie. Just remember, I love you. Your father and I love you very much and there is nothing you could ever do to change that. It wasn't your fault Devyn. You were too young to understand."

  "Understand what mom?" Devyn sobbed, feeling the weight of some crime she couldn't remember.

  Devyn heard a familiar roar. A man she knew. And loved. "They're dead! They're both dead!"

  Troy? Who was he talking to? She struggled to open her eyes, let him know she was not dead. Not yet. She pried her lids open and stared. But she wasn't in the cabin. She was in her home, with her mom and dad. Only they were full of blood. And dead. "They're dead! They're both dead. You killed them!"

  Devyn shook her head at her sister. She didn't kill them. No, she'd never do that. She looked around and saw her druggie friends, saw them beating her parents. Saw them tie them to the chair. Watched.

  Oh my God, she watched. She just watched.

  Frozen in fear, frozen in terror, for her life. She'd brought her friends there. To steal from them…for drug money. They weren't supposed to be home. They weren't supposed to be home.

  She'd killed her parents.

  The pain ripped through her skull and her mouth opened to release it. But it couldn't be released, it could never be released, the pain was hers to keep forever.

  But she screamed anyway. She screamed in spite of it, because of it. She screamed for them, for her, she screamed like she should've then. She broke through the silence, the silence trapping her.

  "I’m sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

  There was nothing else.

  There was nothing. Else.

  The silence of solitary confinement filled her ears. Before panic could take her, a deep voice broke through the oppressive nothing. "You are forgiven."

  The words whooshed like a warm tidal wave. Red fire erupted and Kassern was there in her spirit, inside her somehow, his ruby sword swinging down on her. With every swing, she realized he was cutting through something that held her tight and with every slice, she felt lighter, more free. Devyn suddenly floated up. She finally turned and watched Kassern continue to swing at something. Devyn stared in horror at the shiny black demon with many limbs. Many limbs in pieces now. She'd been wrapped tight in his dark limbs, never knowing, never aware of it. He'd been there so long, so quiet, hiding where she couldn't see. Darkness and silence were his powers. The Guardian of Guilt, Sentinel of Shame. Blocking the path to forgiveness and freedom.

  No more.

  Devyn gasped and sat up. She looked around, confused first, then amazed. Had she died? She could've sworn no. Troy. Devyn shot up then froze at remembering that disgusting thing had sliced her up. She reached and felt the back of her thigh and found no sign of a cut. She jerked up her shirt and found nothing on her abdomen either.

  She glanced around. Where the hell was she? Looked like the inside of an onyx rock. Shiny black walls, floor, ceiling. Seemingly carved with a hand tool. She eyed the opening in the wall and hurried toward it. Troy rushed in with Kassern and Karly behind him. Her chest filled with joy and she ran him over with her embrace.

  "Thank God," he whispered in her ear. "I love you."

  "I love you too."

  They finally pulled apart and Devyn wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Where are we?"

  Troy stroked her face, the desperate look in his gaze saying he wanted to devour her where she stood. "The sanctuary. As soon as you confronted your sin, we were transported."

  Devyn let out a shaky sigh of relief, leaning in to the warm support of Troy's embrace. "Now what?"

  "We'll be here for about nine months."

  "What?" burst out of all their mouths.

  "Sorry, guess I should've mentioned that in the fine print of our little triumvirate. We are all in this for the duration, I'm afraid. I mentioned the circle we had to form?" Kassern's brows raised as he looked from Devyn to Troy for recognition. "Pretty sure I did. At least I meant to."

  "You mentioned a circle and your brothers coming, yes."

&nb
sp; "There you have it. We each have one month to form our part of the circle. My mission is complete for now."

  Kassern sighed and lowered his head. "Feel free to look around, I'm being summoned for interrogation."

  "What for?" Karly asked.

  "I have a lot to answer for. Nothing I regret, that's for sure." He angled a grin at her.

  Karly chewed her lower lip. "Well…are you going to be in trouble?"

  He shrugged, like he wasn't the least worried. "Nothing I’m not prepared to handle." Kassern pulled Karly in his arms and kissed her. When it was nearing the get a room point, Troy and Devyn turned around.

  Several moments later, Karly gasped for air. Damn.

  "Stop worrying. I love you."

  Devyn couldn't help but smile at how Kassern said it. Like that was the eternal solution for everything. For Karly, it was.

  She squeezed Troy's hand, feeling the same about their love. Images of him in that warrior outfit made her stomach flutter. He was so sexy. Wonder if he could make it appear at will. She'd like to make love to him in that form. Mmm.

  "I'll see you guys in a few. Feel free to roam the mountain. Appropriate human facilitations have been added for your stay." Kassern bowed slightly then disappeared.

  ****

  Kassern eyed his commander, Uriel, as he entered the onyx chamber where he’d summoned the twelve Elite Warriors chosen for their little secret mission. The curiosity in the large cavern stifled him. He couldn't blame a single one of them, he'd want to know what he was in for just the same.

  Uriel took his seat at the head of the long, onyx table and Kassern met his emerald gaze head on. As usual, there were no answers on his perfectly guarded face, and for once, Kassern resented that particular quality. He had a feeling he wasn't the only one resenting it, this interrogation slash briefing involved details each angel wanted to know. As it was, Kassern hadn't missed the many scientific stares he was getting. The test angel had returned from the most troublesome realm with a shitload of explaining to do.

  They all knew what he'd done. It was the how and why that crowded the air. How could Kassern, the most arrogant and strong of the elite have fallen to such a degree?

  Fallen…

  No. Kassern may have been weak where Karly was concerned, but he hadn't fallen. Although, others may not see it the same.

  Uriel finally spoke. "Why...did you take the human named Karly as your wife?"

  Kassern shifted in his seat, not quite prepared for several things. He expected that question, but not so soon, and wife? Not a term he’d considered for some reason. And the fury boiling beneath Uriel’s words were a little off putting as well. He’d expected the cut in his commander’s tone, but this was more than disappointment.

  "We must be patient and give Kassern time to organize his thoughts," Grythe said. "He's been touched," he tapped his temple, "by a human woman."

  The burst of deep laughter stung more than he'd anticipated. Kassern noted the grave looks from Salem, Dorn, and Azen. They’d been close to the Brothers who’d been punished for taking human wives millennia ago. This was anything but funny to them.

  But this was not the same. Hardly. Grythe knew him better than that, the orange chalcedony prick.

  How was Kassern supposed to proceed with a group that knew nothing of the human condition? Even he could've never anticipated it. He probably had more questions than them. "I was not fully aware of the complications that came with performing ligos and tendo tertius with a human couple."

  "Do tell us brother, what sort of…complications are there?" Lassin leaned forward and glared at Kassern.

  "Human women, for one," Zool growled.

  Dorn studied his aquamarine nails. "And let's not forget the dreadfully powerful human women."

  "Not to mention the great and terrible human women," Salem muttered.

  Kassern grinned to further annoy the angels before nodding. "Mock it up. You'll get your taste of humanity soon enough, and I'm going to be there, laughing my ruby ass off while you're out buying flowers for your girlfriend."

  The assembly erupted in laughter, but Kassern's mind had drifted to what kind of flowers Karly liked. To him she was the flower. A closed pink rose? Definitely. And when he did things with her, she bloomed right under his hands. And lips.

  "Okay men," Uriel boomed, drawing Kassern back to business. Back to his extremely pissed off commander. "Kassern, why? Why did you not clear something of such a magnitude with me? Do you realize what this means?”

  Kassern merely stared at the onyx before him, waiting for it. Waiting to hear what it meant, what sort of punishment he’d face, or demotion.

  “Now that you’ve bound her to yourself, she is part of the triumvirate whether she wants to be or not, whether she should be or not, whether she can be or not.” Uriel blasted the last with a fist to the table.

  Kassern couldn’t hide his shock. It was not one of the possibilities he’d considered in discipline. To have Karly at his side as his…as his wife?

  Holy Universes. But then that would mean having her in this war.

  Silence reigned for several moments and Kassern looked up to find his commander glaring at him. “Do you realize what that means, Kassern!” he repeated.

  Damn. Kassern hated being clueless on every hand, but no, he didn’t know what the hell it meant, but judging by the unusual display of fury from his commander, it was really bad.

  “It means you’ve screwed up the balance in the circle we’re creating. A triumvirate, Kassern, is three, not four.” The commander didn’t hide the moron in his baritone. “And I’m not sure what your little addition will do to the remaining triumvirates!”

  Ohhhhh shit.

  Uriel leapt up from the table, emerald wings erupting with his elite pissed-off-ness, the swords on his primary feathers shink-ing with the urge to rid the worlds of evil.

  “So what does this mean?” Arith’s pearl wings erupted at the commander’s annoyance.

  “Better not mean what I think it means,” Vecktor muttered.

  Uriel actually growled. That was new. “It damn well does mean that.” He stormed back to the table. “The circle must be perfect, it cannot be frankensteined without creating serious unknowns that we cannot afford.”

  The eruption of angelic anger was nearly deafening. Okay, maybe rage.

  The yellow topaz Meron was the first to let him have it. “How in God’s holy name does our best warrior manage to screw this minor task up?”

  Kassern stood, his own anger flaring. “Minor? I had one month to get the right couple together, so that alone demolishes your minor.”

  “A preacher and a whore?” Lyight’s diamond eyes flashed with his sarcasm.

  “Yes,” Kassern grated out, “we were to select one in need of redemption for maximum power, which by the way, I did not remember.” Kassern turned to Uriel. “My angelic powers were all over the damn place, memory shot to hell, abilities skewed, and guess what, the female was attached to people that I couldn’t just rip her from.”

  “Ah, yes, the whore’s best friend. Two whores with one stone, nice,” Salem said.

  Kassern launched across the table and blasted the bastard into the wall, pummeling with all he had.

  “Enough!” Uriel’s command came with ass-busting power and plastered them both on their backs.

  Kassern shook his head and jumped up, pointing a finger at Salem. “Her name is Karly. Call her anything else and I will kick your puke green ass across all Seven Universes, you have no clue what she’s been through.” Kassern couldn’t keep the roar out of the final words.

  Silence fell in the chamber and Kassern turned to find astonished gazes trained on him. Like he was a freak and they couldn’t believe they would have to become one too.

  Kassern reluctantly took his seat again. “Ask your questions, Uriel.”

  “Did you use influence on the human you joined with?”

  “Not intenti
onally, no.”

  “Not intentionally.” He wasn’t happy with that answer.

  “I told you my powers were out of my control. I think she got attached to me when I rescued her from torture and certain death. It was only hours after I’d formed the triumvirate and I was weak and my abilities were scattered.”

  “Scattered?” Grythe asked.

  “Yes, my humans picked up some of my abilities and I suffered with some of theirs.”

  “Suffered how,” Uriel demanded.

  “Hunger, headaches, anger—”

  “Lust.”

  Kassern bristled at Zool. “Not lust.”

  He quirked a brow.

  “Love.” Kassern’s voice lowered.

  More silence.

  “Eros?” Lyight finally asked.

  Kassern didn’t have to think about it. “Most definitely. Which…as we all know, comes with passions of every kind.”

  Utter quiet reigned again before Uriel spoke. “I just need to make damn sure you didn’t break any rules that the enemy can use against us. And since you know the rules, did you break any of them knowingly and willingly?”

  Kassern sighed, thinking. “Not that I can think of, no.”

  Uriel rolled his eyes, again not happy with anything but exacts. “What of the enemy? What are we up against exactly?”

  Kassern gave a dry laugh. “The equivalent of a spiritual dirty bomb? Those things I encountered just before coming here were a breed of their own kind. They’re intelligent, cruel, crave human flesh, strong, and worst of all, they adapt.”

  “Adapt how.” Uriel crossed his arms.

  “I’m not altogether sure but during recon, I learned they were connected. All of them, down to their demonic capillaries.”

  “Connected?” Meron wondered.

  “We hacked thousands of those things, and their parts remained with instinct, continuing with whatever directive the entire pack of them had.”

  “Disgusting.” Arith raked a hand through purple hair.

  “That’s not all,” Kassern said. “There are other creatures. Soceris has been busier than we thought. Seems he’s offering some of this harvested power to humans who choose.”