Luxure - The Cardinal Brotherhood Book One

by Sienna Parks

  He holds his hand out to me. “I guess I’ll take it. You are pretty cool to hang out with even if you won’t get naked for me.” I slap him again and try to sit up, but the pain in my ribs is too much for me to bear.

  Within seconds Luxure is outside gently lifting me into his arms. “What happened, angel?”

  “I dared Cole to hit me hard.”

  He turns his ice-cold stare toward his brother. “You fucking hit her full force?”

  Cole quickly gets to his feet. “No! Maybe seventy-five percent.”

  He has the good sense to look apologetic, but it doesn’t stop Lux from head-butting him in the face before walking away with me cradled in his arms. “Do that again, and I’ll castrate you.”

  Cole shouts behind us with a hint of defiance in his voice, “How is she going to take down Aze if you keep her in a glass box? She’s stronger than you think.”

  Lux turns to confront him. “You’re supposed to be teaching her technique and how to harness her power for maximum impact. Control, control, control. NOT break her fucking ribs!” He storms back to the cottage holding me close.

  When he lays me down on the bed, I get straight back up. “You can’t wrap me in cotton wool. I need to learn, and I need to be able to fight through the pain.”

  “I’m not in the mood to debate this. You need to rest, and I need to go and have a chat with Cole.”

  “No, you don’t. I spoke to him. I told him to hit me hard because I need to be able to take it. What you didn’t see was that I managed to turn mid-air and aim myself at him. I got him in a headlock with my legs and took him down before pulling his arm out of the socket. That’s the part we should be focusing on.”

  “You did what?” The corners of his lips turn up in a wicked smile.

  “You heard me. I kicked ass, and that was after I got injured. I channeled my power and was able to create a small surge of energy without taking it from you or the water. That’s progress.”

  “You’re fucking right it is! That’s my angel… dislocating a demon’s shoulder. That’s badass. I’m in awe of you, Sirena. Do you know that?”

  “Why? I’m a mess. You fell for a dormant Siren, human. Now I’m more of a dormant human, Siren.”

  “You’ve been through more than any human should ever have to. You’ve taken the fact that everything you thought was impossible is, in fact, possible, completely in your stride. You’ve faced great loss, and you’re still standing. That is the mark of a true warrior.”

  “Maybe.” I stand to grab a towel and head out the door.

  “Where the fuck do you think you’re going? You need to rest.”

  “I need to go for a swim in the stream before I work with Kade this afternoon. It clears my head.”

  “Have a bath.”

  “No. I can’t explain it, but it just feels… better.”

  “I’m coming with you to make sure you’re okay.”

  “Fine.” He follows me, worry etched on his flawless supernatural features.

  The stream is flowing fiercely today, the water crashing off the rocks as it makes its way rapidly downhill. I’m about to start stripping off when Lux takes my hand in his. “I think there’s a lake further downstream if you want to go take a look?”

  We walk for about ten minutes before stepping out of the trees and into a wide-open space, the water from the stream rushing down and into a huge lake becoming a part of something so much bigger than itself. I turn to Lux who knew this was here all along. “This is stunning. Why haven’t you brought me here before?”

  “I didn’t know you liked swimming outside.”

  “I never used to like swimming at all, but since we came here, I love it.” I give him a sly grin and drop my yoga pants to the ground. I attempt to pull my top over my head, but a searing pain in my ribs stops me in my tracks.

  “Shit. Let me help you.” As soon as Lux sees my bruised skin, black and blue up my left side, I can feel a wave of anger swell inside him. “That fucking dick. I’m going to kill him.”

  “Let it go. He’s trying to help. They all are. Even Selma.”

  “Let’s not talk about them while you’re standing naked outside. None of them matter right now. There’s just you…” he strips off his clothes leaving them on the ground, “… and me.” He takes my hand and leads me slowly into the water watching as my legs begin to shimmer, and my tattoos become darker somehow. “You are so fucking beautiful. I hate that you’re in pain.”

  When we’re deep enough, I break away from him and submerge myself completely underwater. As I start to swim, my tattoos become iridescent and striking in their beauty. With every move I make, the pain in my ribs begins to subside. At first, I think it’s just my mind playing tricks on me, but I begin to swim faster and harder, my arms moving freely and without pain. I look down to see the bruises on my side disappearing until my skin returns to normal. The second the last of the bruising is gone, my tattoos return to black, and I feel better than I have in a long time. I emerge from the water to see Luxure standing waist deep watching my every move.

  “Are you okay? Something weird just happened to my tattoos while you were swimming.”

  “Were they iridescent?”

  “How did you know?” He has a puzzled look on his face that makes me laugh. “What’s so funny?”

  “If you hadn’t guessed by now, we’re connected. What happens to me, happens to you, and vice versa.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m better than okay.” I walk toward him emerging from the water to let him see my side.

  “You’re healed? Holy fuck!” He lifts me into his arms twirling me around. “I will never get enough of you. You. Are. Amazing.”

  “I didn’t do anything. It’s all just happening to me.”

  “You are destined for greatness.”

  I suddenly feel a weight in my chest. “I wasn’t destined for greatness, Lux. I was destined to seduce poor unsuspecting men for all eternity. Tell me what about that screams greatness to you?” He lets me go as I make my way to the water’s edge and grab my clothes.

  “Sirena, wait…”

  “I don’t want to talk about it. I need to get back to the house. Kade is waiting to do some more research into Aze, and I need to find out more about who the hell I am and how I just healed myself.”

  He walks out of the water completely unashamed of his nakedness and stunning to look at with water dripping down his herculean body. He takes my hands in his. “Remember that you changed your fate once, Sirena. You can do it again with me by your side.”

  “Maybe.” I drop his hands and wait for him to dress.

  My mind is all over the place. I feel like I lose a part of myself, my human-self, every time I gain a new supernatural gift, if that’s what it’s called. Almost everything that’s happened to me so far has been bad. My strength caused my mom’s death. I almost killed Selma in a blind rage. But today… today felt like a gift—to be able to heal from such an agonizing injury within seconds of entering the water. That is something to be awed by, and yet I find myself more confused than ever and so conflicted by the emotions that war within me. A small part of me wants to forget any of this ever happened and go back to leading a normal human life, none the wiser about angels and demons and my place in it all. But a larger part of me wants to embrace my supernatural side in its entirety, to give up any weakness that remains from my humanity, and to stand by Luxure’s side without fear, or guilt, or conscience, and exact revenge on those who have taken everything from me.

  Angels and demons, good and bad, they all blur together now. Both have taken something from me that cannot be replaced. I can almost forgive the demons their actions as it’s in their nature. But the angels, I feel nothing but contempt for them. They took my mother from me. A sweet, kind-hearted woman who never did anything to hurt another living soul. Is that the actions of a ‘good’ being? Maybe history and mythology got it wrong. Maybe those we see as good are bad. Maybe the bad guys are fi
ghting for what they believe is right. Luxure has been nothing but honest with me, his intentions always selfless and loving. Those are not the actions of an evil being.

  Maybe I need to stop fighting the urge to give myself over to my demonic instincts, because maybe, just maybe… I will be fighting for the right side.

  21

  LUXURE

  “In the news today, the search continues for missing college professor, Sirena Sovende. She was last seen outside her parents’ house in San Francisco where her mother was found brutally murdered inside. There was no sign of her father. He is presumed dead at this time. Ms. Sovende, heralded as one of the foremost minds in her field, is now the prime suspect in the case. As yet, the police have no idea of her whereabouts. If you see this woman, please call 911 immediately.”

  “Shit! This is all we need. Now all of America is looking for Sirena, too.” I turn off the T.V. and throw the remote straight through the screen in anger.

  “Now how am I going to watch Days of Our Lives?” Sirena sashays into the room as if nothing was wrong.

  “It’s not funny, angel. You won’t be able to step outside of this house now.”

  “There is one street in this town. Do you think anyone is going to know who I am?”

  “Yes! You’re not ordinary looking, if you hadn’t noticed.” She crawls into my lap stroking my face. “I’m serious. This is bad. In that one street, everyone already knows you. As soon as they see the news, they’ll put two and two together, and the place will be crawling with police by the end of the day. We need to leave.”

  “But I like it here. You, me, Cole, Kade, and… Selma.” Sel and her are managing civility these days, but I don’t see them being best friends for life anytime soon.

  “I know, it’s been great not having to look over our shoulder and move on every night from one seedy motel to another, but we can’t stay here now. You see that, don’t you?”

  “I guess. I’ll go and tell the others.”

  Just as she stands to leave, there is a loud knock at the door. “Go and find Cole or Kade and stay close to them. If you need to leave here and don’t worry about me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

  “Can we fight about this later?” She gives me a short but fierce kiss, retreating to the back of the cottage in search of my brothers.

  There it is again. Knock… knock… knock.

  I slowly make my way to the door grabbing a knife from Cole’s arsenal of weapons along the way. “Who’s there?”

  The answer I get is not one I was expecting. “A friend.”

  “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  “I was a friend of Gabriel’s. I’m here to help.”

  I don’t bother looking through the peep hole. If he wants to force his way in, a piece of wood isn’t going to stop him. As I open the door, I recognize the familiar stance, the towering frame and the telltale wings… of an Archangel. “Well, well, well. To what do I owe this great pleasure? Which one are you? Michael or Raphael?”

  “You know your angels, very good, Luxure. I’m Raphael. May I speak with Sirena?”

  “No. She’s been through enough. You can speak to me, and I’ll decide if you get an audience with her.”

  “You’re protective of her, that’s good. You’ll need to be.”

  “Go to the lake. It’s about two miles into the woods. Wait for me there.”

  “What about your brothers? Or that sweet Masuulka friend of yours?” His knowledge of who I surround myself with isn’t surprising, but it makes me uneasy nonetheless.

  “You don’t go near any of them, and I won’t rip you limb from limb.”

  “Fair enough, but don’t keep me waiting, Luxure. Patience has never been my strong suit.” He turns and takes to the sky, his wings spreading wide, their majesty undeniable.

  I close the door just as Sirena appears at the bottom of the stairs. “Who was that?”

  “Someone I need to deal with before we leave tonight. You packed?”

  “Yes. Everything is ready, so I’m going to work on the jump meditation I’ve been trying with Kade and Cole for a while.” I look into her eyes so in love with the enigma that stands before me. With every day that passes, I feel like she’s coming back to me finding a balance between the woman she was and the woman she’s becoming. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. She embodies the best of both human and supernatural. The emergence of her supernatural side has given her an intoxicating fierceness, but the importance of her human side was made abundantly clear after her mom died. It keeps her grounded reminding her of what is right and wrong, and why she decided to live her life as a human. Without her humanity, she would be ruthless.

  I kiss her goodbye and go in search of my brothers. I don’t tell them that I’m going to meet Raphael, I simply ask them to watch over Sirena while I take care of a few things before we leave. They don’t question me, and I don’t offer anything further by way of explanation. I leave without speaking to Selma, she would know I was lying just by looking at me, and I can’t risk it. I’m already concerned that Raphael knows she’s helping me.

  I leave them behind and hope I’m making the right decision as I head into the woods. I could be walking into a trap and leaving them without warning or help, but I choose to believe that Gabriel had a backup plan when it came to Sirena’s safety.

  “I’m glad you chose to come alone. That was a wise decision. Colère isn’t known for his… diplomacy.”

  Angels are so fucking high and mighty. They’ve always pissed me off. “Speaking ill of my brother isn’t the best way to get into my good graces.”

  He throws his head back as if laughing to the Heavens. “I’m to get into your good graces? Remember who you’re talking to… demon.”

  I rip a tree from the ground throwing it into the center of the lake. “Remember who you’re talking to Raphael. I have won many wars over your kind throughout the ages. You would do well not to forget that. I may have been out of the game for a while, but I sure as hell haven’t lost a beat.”

  He takes a step back, wary of me, as he should be. “I can see that. I’m not here to fight with you, Luxure. I’m here to offer my help. I promised Gabriel a long time ago that if anything should ever happen to him, I would ensure Sirena’s safety.”

  “How big of you!”

  His demeanor switches, the skies becoming overcast as his anger builds. “How dare you. If it were up to me, I would kill you and your brothers on the spot. The way you killed those Guardians was disrespectful, even for you.”

  “They tried to kill Sirena. They did kill her mother, and it almost broke her. My brothers had nothing to do with it. It was me. I couldn’t let them live. They knew too much, and they weren’t going to stop until they killed her.”

  “That maybe so, but your brutality drew attention. We don’t want everyone to know about Sirena’s existence… not the demons, not the celestials, and certainly not the human race. They need to have faith. They would destroy themselves if they saw the truth with their own eyes.”

  “And we’ve been keeping a low profile. Sirena is perfectly safe with me, so why don’t you get to the reason you’re here and stop wasting my time.”

  “I’ve come to take Sirena. She’s beginning to draw attention from the humans, and that will only bring the Vollstrecker sniffing around. They’re already aware of your existence. The very fact that she’s with you right now puts her in the line of fire.”

  He can’t be serious? “Your kind have posed the biggest threat to her existence thus far, so forgive me if I tell you that you will be taking Sirena over my dead body. She is never safer than when she’s with me. You’re not taking her.” It requires every ounce of my control not to slam him to the ground and tear his wings from his back. I tell myself over and over that it won’t help Sirena if I bring the Heavens down upon us.

  “The Almighty has decreed she be put under my protection.”

  “Fuck him! And fuck you!”
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  He grabs me by the neck crushing it to the point of pain. “Now listen here, demon, I’m not asking, I’m telling you that’s what will happen. Maybe not today, but soon, and there will be nothing you can do to stop me. If I have to take her over your dead body, I will, and I’ll relish every moment, but remember that I gave you the opportunity to hand her over in a civil manner.”

  “I think it’s time you leave my brother alone.” I hear Cole’s voice strong and steady behind me.

  “Ah, Wrath. We meet again. I’m surprised to see you here helping Luxure.” He removes his hand from my throat and steps past me. “Don’t even think of attacking me from behind, boy. Tell him, Cole.”

  “Luxure. Go to the house and get Sirena. If I’m not back in ten minutes, take Kade and Selma and leave.” The look they exchange is fraught with meaning, and I have no idea what is going on.

  “I’m not leaving you here with him.”

  Cole rests his hand on my shoulder. “Raph and I are old… acquaintances. We have some things to discuss, but rest assured, Sirena is leaving here with you, brother. I will make sure of it. Now go. She needs you.”

  If not for my overwhelming desire to get Sirena as far away from Raphael as possible, I wouldn’t leave Cole, but I know out of any of my brothers, he can take care of himself. They don’t call him Wrath for nothing. “Okay, but make sure you’re back in ten minutes. I’m not losing you again.”

  Raphael begins a slow, sarcastic clap, a look of disgust marring his majestic features. “How touching. If only you knew the depths of your brother’s depravity, Luxure, I doubt you’d be so quick to embrace him.”

  I don’t have time for his weak attempt at mind games. “I know my brother better than anyone. He has more honor and integrity than you will ever have. Why don’t you fly back up to the ‘Almighty’ and tell him that?”

  Cole grabs me, the tone of his voice irate. “I told you to get the hell out of here, Lux. Go… NOW!”

  I can see it in his eyes, he’s begging me to go, and I know I have to put Sirena first, but I will never forgive myself if something happens to him. “Stay safe, brother.”