by L. L Hunter
If you were wondering how Abraham, being the Angel of Death or the Grim Reaper as he is more widely known, continues to harvest souls after being trapped in a far-off planet in space with his lover, the Angel of Fate, the answer is, he cannot be trapped. He is free to roam wherever he likes, but he chooses to spend most of his time with the love of his life Jazmine.
* * *
Max looked up after reading the end of the story. Jazmine looked bored as she studied her nails in another wingback chair, and Abraham was now seated in the chair he had been sitting on the arm of. The book Max had been given was a leather-bound journal, and only a handful of pages were filled with Abraham’s handwriting.
“That was a short story,” Max stated, sounding disappointed.
“Well, what did you expect? It’s the content that counts. Did you learn something?”
“I know what each of the colours means, and I also know that souls can be purified. I’ve witnessed it. That’s why I agreed to become the Angel of Death and the new Grim Reaper. So I can purify the souls of demons and the souls of the damned and the sinners. So they would never be lost.”
Abraham sighed. “You have such a good soul, Little Blackbell. Too good for this job.”
Max looked down at the worn leather cover of Abraham’s journal and felt defeated.
“I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. But this is my destiny.”
“I know, I know. But I’m afraid the souls of sinners do not trust you yet. They are reverting to their old ways and seeking their old master. Once a sinner, always a sinner, I’m afraid.”
His heart skipped a beat. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve allowed some of the tainted souls to escape, my dear boy. That’s why we’re back. We can’t allow the son of Lucifer to take back control of the underworld.”
Chapter 9
Gabe’s eyes shot open. He was lying on his bed in the middle of the night, and he couldn’t move. He literally was unable to move a limb. He glanced around, and that’s when he saw it. The face. He screamed, and the sheer fright of the presence in the room awakened his limbs. He could move once more. He shuffled back against the headboard of his bed and watched the ghostly figure approach him. It was hesitant at first, but when the moonlight hit his face, Gabe knew who it was.
“Max? Holy shit. What are you doing? You scared me half to death!”
“I’m sorry, Gabe. I had to see you.”
“Couldn’t you have waited until I wasn’t in a deep sleep? I thought you were one of those old hags that visit you during sleep paralysis.”
Max scrunched up his nose. “You have an old person visiting you during your dreams?”
“No. Not always. It’s only happened once. I googled it after it happened. It’s freaking scary, and I don’t want to experience it ever again. Anyway, why are you here, man?”
Max sat on the side of the bed, on Gabe’s feet. Gabe pulled his feet away and made room for his cousin. “I have a problem,” said Max.
“Yeah?” Gabe was intrigued and more awake now. He was curious. “What kind of problem?”
“I was just visited by Abraham, the former caretaker of the souls and Grim Reaper, and he told me I’d accidentally let some of the souls out of the Realm of Death.”
“What? That’s impossible.”
“I know. I take good care of the souls. I don’t understand how they could escape.”
“Abraham is meant to be on Mars or some far away planet in exile with his angel lover.”
Max scrunched up his nose again at his cousin. He shook his head and stood.
“Abraham said that once a soul is tainted by sin, it will always be tainted. But I have seen a soul purified. It can happen.”
“Yeah, I know, man. Don’t worry. Abraham is an ancient demon. He’s unhinged. You’re different, Max. There’s never been someone like you in existence before. You can do things no one else can do. I’d say Abraham is just jealous.”
“Yeah, him and the son of Lucifer.” Max slumped back on the bed once more. “I hate being different. It’s such a burden.”
Gabe put a hand on Max’s shoulder, and Max turned to look at him.
“Yeah, me too, but someone has to save the world from evil. Right? It may as well be us.” Max smiled at that.
“Oh, did you hear? I have a guardian angel.”
“Really? Did my parents send them?”
“Yep. Melody said she’ll help us all when the time comes—if the time comes. And she’ll call for some of her guardian angel buddies, as well.”
Max nodded. “That’s good. And we can ask my parents’ friends for help too. Gabe, we have to find all the souls before they find Lucifer’s son.”
Gabe raised an eyebrow at the mention of Samson.
“What do you mean before they find Samson?”
“Abraham said that once a soul is tainted, it will always be tainted, and they don’t yet trust me. They escaped to find their former master.”
“I thought their former master was Abraham?”
“No. The Master of Sin and Desire was Lucifer. That was his trait. And since Lucifer is dead—”
“They’re searching for Samson,” Gabe said, finishing Max’s sentence as if he could read his thoughts.
Max nodded and rose to his feet. “That’s why we must hurry.”
“Yeah, but not now. A guy’s gotta get at least eight hours of shut-eye a night. First thing tomorrow, we’ll talk about it with Eden, Asher, and Melody.”
Max stood near the window as Gabe settled back down to sleep and watched his cousin for a moment in silence before answering.
“Okay. Good night, Gabriel.”
And then he dissipated like smoke into the midnight air through the open window.
Chapter 10
The following day, as Gabe opened his locker to get the books out for his next class, Melody sidled up to him. She leaned on the locker next to him and folded her arms over her chest.
“So, when were you going to tell me you know the Angel of Death?”
Gabe’s heart leapt into his throat, and he dropped his Nephilim history book. It would have landed on his foot if Melody hadn’t stopped time. She caught the book frozen in the air just above his shoe and handed it back to him.
“What the— how did you do that?” He noticed that he and Melody were the only ones not frozen in time. He looked around him in confusion. Melody shrugged. Obviously, it was a normal thing—no big deal.
“So?” she prompted.
Gabe sighed. “Yeah. I know him. He’s related to Eden and me. Why?”
“I flew past your window last night because I heard you shouting in your sleep, and I saw him. Though I didn’t hear what you were talking about.”
“Oh. Yeah, Max sometimes appears to me in my dreamscape. It’s the easiest way to talk since he’s not corporeal anymore.”
“Is everything okay?”
He glanced around and stepped in closer to her, and lowered his voice. “Not really. I was gonna tell you and the others today.”
“Oh. Eden and Asher are out by the elm tree now.”
His eyes widened. “Great. Let’s go.” He grabbed Melody’s hand and quickly led her out into the courtyard.
Eden looked up as Gabe and Melody approached. She smiled, and then her smile dropped into a frown. She must have sensed Gabe’s energy or something. She must have known what he was about to share wasn’t good news.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Asher paused and glanced up from his phone and frowned too when he saw Gabe and Melody.
“Gabe has something to tell us,” announced Melody.
“What is it? It’s not good news, is it?” said Asher.
“Not really,” Gabe began as he sat down on the stone bench beneath the ancient elm. Melody took the seat beside him. “I saw Max, and he told me something worrying.”
Eden leaned forward, eyes wide. She anxiously awaited the news.
Gabe continued.
/> “He said Abraham and Jazmine returned and told him some of the tainted souls have escaped from the Realm of Death and are searching for Samson.”
“Well, shit,” exclaimed Eden. “I was hoping for something with less doom and gloom.”
“Tainted souls? You mean like demon souls?”
“No. Demons don’t have souls. Tainted souls are the souls of sinners. Each sin has a different colour depending on the sin the human or Nephilim committed when they were alive.”
“So, these tainted souls have escaped the Realm of Death and are out there somewhere causing havoc in this realm?” Eden said.
“Pretty much. We can’t let them find Samson,” said Gabe.
“We can’t let them tarnish the souls of innocent humans and Nephilim either,” said Melody.
“So, what are we gonna do?” asked Gabe.
“We need to catch them before they cause any more damage and chaos. And there’s only one way to do that,” explained Asher. Eden smiled at her boyfriend and then at her cousin. He continued. “We need you and Max.”
Chapter 11
Their plan to capture the tainted souls and return them to the Realm of Death was easier said than done. As it turned out, Gabe, Melody, Eden, and Asher couldn’t save the world on their own as they thought. During their following classes, the four were summoned to the principal’s office. When they walked into Ms Abegrine’s office, they didn’t expect to see the person who was there waiting for them. Especially Eden.
“Dad? What are you doing here?”
Lakyn Blackbell stood from the chair opposite Ms Abegrine’s desk and stepped forward to hug his daughter. Lakyn used to have a different visage, one that was sacrificed to save his brother’s life and that of the rest of the world from Lucifer. He was still recognisable as Lakyn from his unique ice blue irises. His new visage had once belonged to that of a soldier who had died in battle, and his soul mate Rachael had found him and placed his soul inside, much to his brother’s chagrin. Eden smiled up at her father. She liked his new look. He was handsome—though she was still getting used to the fact that he was her father.
“I came on a request from your grandmother, Eden. The palace has received word that a hoard of tainted souls has escaped the Realm of Death and that Abraham and Jazmine have returned.” Lakyn studied his daughter and nephew. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. Eden and Gabe both bowed their heads. “Something tells me you guys already know something of this. Am I correct?”
“Whatever do you mean, Daddy?” feigned Eden. “We know nothing about any escaped souls.”
“Eden, please,” Lakyn growled.
“That is correct, Mr Blackbell,” said Melody. Lakyn turned his gaze to Melody.
“Ah, you must be the guardian sent here by my brother to protect Gabriel. It’s nice to meet you at last.” He stepped forward and offered his hand to Melody. Melody took it and shook vigorously.
“Likewise, Mr Blackbell. I must say, I am kind of a fan. Your adventures and escapades are somewhat infamous in the Realm of Fire.”
“Only somewhat?” he joked, raising an eyebrow and chuckling. “In all seriousness, I am glad you’re here, Melody. Your assistance will be needed in this quest. Come along. The president requests a meeting.”
Eden snorted. “Who are you, and what have you done with my father?”
Lakyn rolled his eyes. “It comes with the new job title. Your mother and I are diplomats now.”
“Doesn’t mean you can start talking like Samuel.”
Lakyn chuckled and wrapped an arm around his daughter’s shoulders as they made their way outside to the waiting car.
When the five of them were seated on the private jet, Lakyn brought out a stack of flash drives and handed one to each of them.
“Your grandmother, Gabriel, has approved the four of you for this mission, but that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your studies. You still have to do your homework.”
All four of them groaned in disappointment, and Lakyn chuckled. He then reclined his seat and took a sip from his scotch before popping in his earbuds.
“Don’t make too much noise. Study, or do whatever. We’ll be in Rome in a few hours.”
Eden glanced at Asher and tilted her head toward the back of the plane. Asher grinned and jumped out of his seat, grabbing Eden’s hand and leading her down the back to their own private seat. Gabe rolled his eyes. He didn’t want to think of what those two were planning to do back there. He and Melody were seated across the aisle from Lakyn—he on the window seat and Melody next to him on the aisle. He turned to her and caught her typing away on her laptop.
“You’re not doing homework already, are you?”
She smiled and flipped the laptop around so he could see the screen. “No. I’m researching things to do in Rome. It’s such a beautiful city. Some say it was where civilization began. But I know for a fact that was Egypt.”
Gabe’s eyes widened, and he nodded just to go along with it. But in reality, he was shocked. He still couldn’t believe Melody was a several-thousand-year-old angel.
“Yeah. Cool.” Melody went back to her scrolling, and when she looked up at him again, he smiled and played it cool.
“We should do some of these things together, Gabe.”
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
He didn’t know why he sounded hesitant or unsure about this impending and impromptu trip to Rome. It was probably anxiety over what they had to do soon, or it was the fact he was going to a romantic location with his crush. Yeah, it was probably the latter.
He hadn’t realised he had fallen asleep until he felt someone shaking him and saying his name. He blinked and saw the most beautiful sight looking down at him.
“Gabe? Hey. We’re here. We’re in Rome.”
“Oh. We are?”
Melody smiled and winked at him and then threw her laptop bag over her shoulder before heading for the doors. Gabe’s stomach did a flip, and he swallowed the huge lump in his throat before hurrying off the plane after Melody.
A sleek black limo awaited them on the tarmac, and when he slid inside, Gabe noticed Eden, Asher, and Lakyn were already waiting. The silence was awkward as he shut the door behind him and buckled up.
“Sorry, guys. Those plane seats were super comfy, and I hadn’t realised how little sleep I’ve been getting lately.”
“It’s fine, Gabriel. You don’t have to explain,” Lakyn grinned. He was looking at him like a shark sizing up his dinner, though. It was really unnerving. Lakyn used to have demon blood, and he couldn’t forget that.
When they arrived at the Nephilim Palace, situated inside Vatican City, the capital city for all Nephilim and where the president resided, Gabe was awestruck. He was told by Eden he had been born here, but he couldn’t remember it. He couldn’t remember anything earlier than four years ago.
The palace itself was part of St Peter’s Basilica, with its ancient stone, gargoyles, and gothic architecture. There was a school next door as well as a hospital. This is the place where history was made, he thought. This was the place where Eden changed the law that forbade humans and Nephilim from being together, and it was also where he fought his very first battle. He had been here before, but the feeling never got old. The very square he walked through now was where he had helped sedate Lucifer so Eden could rip out his soul before she later stabbed it with a special blade and killed him. It was kind of strange to see it so full of life now.
The doors opened as they climbed the cracked stone steps, and a beautiful, middle-aged woman with long, dark hair stepped out. He knew this woman. It was Lakyn’s mother, Beth Blackbell. She was also Eden’s grandmother and the president of the Nephilim.
“Hi, guys. You made it.” Beth laughed when Eden ran up to her and threw her arms around her middle. Beth hugged Asher too and kissed her son on his cheek. Then she turned to face Gabe and, lastly, Melody.
“Gabriel, it’s good to see you again,” said Beth.
“You too,” he replied. Beth hugged
him and then turned to Melody.
“And you must be Melody, the guardian angel sent by Dyston and Scarlett from the Realm of Fire. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too, Madam President. I promise to be of assistance in any way I can. My fellow guardians are on call and ready if the need arises.”
“Thank you, Melody. Come. Let’s go inside. It’s almost dinner time. You must be tired after your trip. Eden, Asher, and Gabe, I trust you remember the way to your old rooms?” The three of them nodded. “Good. You can find one for Melody and then join us in the dining hall for dinner in half an hour. We have much to discuss.”
Gabe let Eden and Asher go to their rooms, and he stayed behind to walk with Melody.
“It’s quite surreal being here,” she said after a few minutes of silence as they climbed the marble staircase to the second floor, where the rooms started.
There were several floors of accommodations for travelling Nephilim to stay in when they visited the capital. Still, only those with diplomatic status, or those related to the president, were allowed to stay in the palace. It was kind of like Buckingham Palace.
“You’re telling me.”
Melody then turned to face him as they reached the top of the stairs.
“This mission could get quite dangerous, Gabe.”
“I know that.” She stepped closer to him.
“I’m worried about you,” she said quietly. Gabe just caught her words. He stepped closer to her and tilted her face up to look at him. She was a whole head shorter than he was.
“Hey, I’m strong, remember? I subdued Lucifer. My trait is kind of like a tranquilizer dart to demons.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”
“I’ll be fine.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and then did something he was not expecting. She kissed him.
Chapter 12
Gabe couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. Melody was kissing him! He had wanted to kiss her from the moment he saw her, but he never imagined she would be the one to make the first move. The kiss lasted for only a few seconds, but it might as well have been a few hours.