I did not answer his question.
Gabriel ignored my slight. “I am the Lord's Healer; Uriah is the Lord's Purist. Who do you wish to be?”
“I have grown weary of titles.” I sighed. “They offer little and demand much.”
Gabriel’s red eyes flashed when they drew down to my hip, where the Guardian stood by my side. The dog’s entire body was taut as if on guard; his white fur seemed to stand on end. The albino pursed his lips and dipped his head in a bow to the canine.
“Brother Michael, what a pleasure.” A shadow passed over Gabriel's face, but it had disappeared as quickly as it had come.
The Guardian pulled his lips back into a snarl, showing his black gums.
“I don’t believe he likes you very much.” I said in observation.
Gabriel shook his head as if waking from a trance. “He wouldn’t. I don’t tolerate weakness.”
I cocked my head to the side in confusion. Comprehension dawned on Gabriel's face, but his wide crimson eyes soon drew into a sour expression.
“You—”
“Can we please leave?” I asked Uriah, my tone was bored. I had no inclination to fight for little reason.
It seemed that the Lord’s Purist had an abrasive manner that was not exclusive to me. He eyed the occupants of the room with distaste.
“Yes. Let’s.” He agreed.
The Thames Barrier, on the edge of London, was a behemoth of shimmering metal. The four structures were each placed in the water, a distance apart and about a hundred feet tall. Their shape reminded me of the Sidney opera house. They protected the city from flooding, but by London standards the barrier was in the middle of nowhere. I had no idea why Uriah had transported us to the obscure location. We stood inside an empty and forlorn children’s playground, bathed in dim streetlamps.
Large grassy hills hugged our location, which made it obvious that we were alone. The Guardian trotted in a circle as if he hadn’t wound down from the conversation with Gabriel yet. I eyed Uriah in curiosity.
“There’s more to that dog then meets the eye.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“He’s not a dog.” Uriah squinted into the darkness. “He’s the Guardian.”
“If it barks like a dog…”
Uriah clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. The Angel waited until the Guardian had hopped into the grass verge before he spoke again.
“Have you never heard of the Archangel Michael?” Uriah asked, once the dog was out of earshot.
I waved my hand as if dismissing the notion. “Of course. Who hasn’t?”
Uriah pointed to the dog on the hill, who puffed his chest as he overlooked our tiny valley on the bank of the river. I looked from the dog to the bronze haired warrior.
“No.” I laughed.
“Yes.”
“Who turned him into a dog?” I snorted. “I assume that it was done to him. Unless he really enjoys holding a four-legged form?”
“Your lover was the one that cursed him.” Uriah informed me in a scathing tone.
I couldn’t help the snort that burst from my lips. Lucifer had turned someone into a dog. It sounded like something he would do.
“I wouldn’t laugh if I were you.” Uriah warned. “That dog saved your life in the Ice Prison. You have no idea what manner of beasts would have devoured your prone corpse if he hasn’t laid on your chest and protected you from them.”
My expression sobered and I looked to the Guardian with a new-found respect. Uriah stayed silent as the information seeped into my mind.
“Why did Lucifer curse him?” I asked.
“Michael is the Lord’s Balance. He sees all sides in an argument. He is empathy. He is understanding. Michael defended Lucifer to the Lord but the Devil cursed him as he fell.” Uriah’s anger burnt; a low furnace that had been alight for longer than I could possibly understand. “Michael can only control his own form if he commits the ultimate sacrifice for the Devil. Michael will return to power if his canine form perishes to protect him.”
“Did you ever think that Lucifer might have done that to protect him?” I whispered, as I forced myself not to shrink back from his anger.
Uriah’s eyes flashed. “What do you mean?”
“Surely the Lord would have cast Michael out as well? She threw Abaddon out simply for being Luc’s closest friend. What would she have done to Michael, if he had defended Lucifer?” I asked lightly.
Uriah scratched his chin and thought for a moment. “Michael is balance. It was his purpose to play Devil’s Advocate, as it were. She would not have thrown him out for doing what he was made to do.” He said with certainty.
“And yet, she threw Lucifer from the Summerland simply for being in her bed at the wrong time.” I replied tartly.
Uriah said nothing. The roaring sound of the river water against the barrier punctuated our silence. The wind was brisk, and winter had settled over London comfortably. With new seasons brought change.
“None of that will matter if the Leviathan takes over Hell.” I said in a dismissive wave of my hand. “At least I know why the Lord gave me wings. She wanted me to spy on my family.”
“Nova wouldn’t do something so petty. My Lord is above such things. She sees all and hears all.” Uriah’s back was rigid as he spoke.
“Then she asked for information to test my convictions then?” I bit back. “I don’t see how you can offer your fealty to someone like that.”
“And your master is much better?”
The sky had begun to turn pink as the sun rose on the horizon.
“This isn’t about me.” I whispered as I turned away from the conversation and Laced back to my Knightsbridge penthouse.
Chapter 16
“I agree with the fairy.” Luiz handed a hairbrush to me as Petra settled in between my legs so I could brush her long hair. Her silver eyes glittered with warm as she clasped her doll. Her smile seemed like a trick of the light. My child was too serious. Luiz turned away to her wardrobe to search for an outfit and I stuck my tongue out behind his back.
Petra laughed, but it was silent. Her shoulders moved and she put her hand over her mouth. Not a peep escaped her lips. She had not spoken a word since I had entered her life. It was an irregular trait for a five-year-old to have, from what I knew about human children.
Luiz had assured me that it wasn’t just me. Petra had never spoken in her life.
I blinked as Luiz’s words registered. “Angel. Not fairy.” I said without humour. “And, you agree with him?”
Luiz shrugged as he held out a red dress in one hand and a t-shirt with a dolphin pattern in the other. He held them out for Petra to choose. She pointed to the t-shirt. “What harm could it do?” Luiz shrugged.
I rolled my eyes. “I think the result of spending time in Uriah’s presence will be murder. We’ll kill each other out of annoyance.”
“Learning a few Angelic spells won’t kill you.” Luiz handed Petra a pair of jeans and she leapt up from the floor to start changing. Her hair had been parted in two Dutch braids. I was rather impressed with my own plaiting skills.
I knew that Uriah could hear our conversation from where he sat in the living room, and I was torn between insulting him (and his ingredient requiring magic) and keeping my swearing to a minimum around my daughter.
“You don’t seem to be in a rush to get back to Hell.” Luiz sat on the end of Petra’s pale blue bedspread.
“I feel confident that the First Circle is safe for the moment.” I surveyed my nails. “Hellhounds and statues on the front line. Lucifer also seems to be coming out of his madness. He will protect the First Circle.”
“It is unlike you to shy away from war.”
I gave Luiz a pinched look. “My place is by my daughter’s side.”
Luiz nodded in understanding. A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Petra, who had finished dressing, jumped up to answer it. Uriah stood at the threshold with his hand raised. His scowl was a permanent fixture on h
is face.
“Are you ready?” He asked. The Guardian weaved his way through the Angel’s legs and bounded over to my daughter. The canine liked to be near her, which I could not fathom.
“I don’t see why we need to go outside.” I said gruffly.
Even Petra gave me a look that seemed to ask if I was serious.
“Petra goes out every day.” Luiz reminded me. “She’ll be fine. I understand that you are protective, but it’s Chinatown not the Valley of the Valkyries.
I stood up and brushed the wrinkles from my skin-tight dress. I eyed my daughter and the Guardian, both sat on the floor together as she massaged his ears.
“Tube?” Uriah queried.
“I have a driver.” I scoffed. Luiz took a phone out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was the same phone that I had in the Human Realities before everything had happened.
“You kept it?” I whispered. I was unable to keep the softness out of my voice.
Luiz patted my shoulder. “It’s incredibly difficult to get a phone number with 666 in the sequence. I didn’t want to go through the hassle of finding one when you came home.”
He had always known that I was coming home? “Luiz, you're a big softie.” I nudged his shoulder with my own.
Not long after Petra had finally finished dressing, we got in the car with my driver and braved stop-start traffic from Knightsbridge to Chinatown.
The popular streets were an abundance of colour, located just off Tottenham Court in central London. The narrow cobblestoned alleyway was blanketed in rows of red lanterns strung between the buildings. The windows were full of the crispy animals. The full body of a duck greeted me, next to a lucky cat ornament that waved its hand at passing customers.
Uriah walked in front of us, leading the way to his Angelic charms supplier. Crystals and dirt, and all other manner of ingredients. I stopped outside of a bubble tea stall whilst Luiz dipped inside to get Petra a treat.
A hand tapped on my shoulder. Uriah and the Guardian were on the other end of the street. A wash of sexual energy doused my body in heat. Incubus.
I turned to the stranger, only to find that it wasn’t a stranger at all. The bottomless black eyes of Damian, my Pureblooded friend and loyal subject to Asmodeus, greeted me.
His perfectly straight white teeth were pulled back in a grin that bordered on deviant. His shaggy blonde hair touched his eyes and he pushed it away with a smirk.
“Dahlia doll.” He said affectionately. He held his arms out for my embrace and I eyed his pose with a raised eyebrow. “Not big on affection. I get it. It's fine.” He pulled his arms back to his body and gave me a thumb’s up.
Someone passed him on the street and dipped their head in reverence. How odd, I thought.
“The Queen of Lust welcomes you back to London.” He said.
“I’m glad that her prophecy worked out for you. Nasty buggers with lots of nuisances but we all win in the end.” I shrugged.
Uriah caught my eye from across the crowd of people; his gaze was questioning. He asked if the incubus by my side was a threat, using his expression alone. I shook my head minutely and turned my eyes back to the blonde Demon.
“It seems to me that much has changed for you as well.” Damian leant forward placing a kiss on my cheek. Seventh Circle demons were a touchy-feely bunch. I felt his magic touch mine, much in the way a tongue seeks entrance during a kiss. I slammed a barrier down on his magic, enough to make Damian flinch and then laugh at my reaction.
Even though it was November, Damian wore chequered surfer shorts and a tank top that stretched over his wide shoulders. I looked at his feet. He wore flip-flops, just as I suspected. Demons did not feel the temperature in the same way that humans did; his attire was a dead giveaway to his ‘uniqueness.'
He pulled a business card out of his pocket and placed it in my hand. Damian folded my fingers over it. His touch lingered in seduction. Every move he made was designed to lure, swoon and trap sexual energy.
I brushed it off and turned the card over in my hands.
“Amore wants an audience.” He informed me. “She has news on the Leviathan.” And then Damian disappeared into thin air with a bow and pop.
Luiz and Petra came out of the shop. Uriah approached quickly as I stared at the business card. It was red with black embossed cursive across the front. It had one word on the front, ‘Amore’ and ‘Come’ on the back. I laughed to myself. What an intriguing play on words.
“I’m coming with you.” The Angel stated as he looked down at the card.
I rolled my eyes and turned to Luiz. “Can you take Petra home, please?”
He nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder. My daughter’s silver eyes widened, pleading and full of curiosity. I knelt to reach her height, so I could speak to her face-to-face.
“I have to meet some very naughty people. It’s not a place for little girls.” I said kindly. “Papa Luiz will take you home, but I’ll be back in time for your bath and story. Okay?”
Petra nodded and then allowed the Hellhound to lead her away. She looked back at Uriah and me with a longing expression and my gut twisted in guilt. The Guardian followed them both without a word, leaving Uriah and me alone.
I pulled out my phone to call my driver before I quickly realised that Simon would be indisposed with taking my daughter and Luiz home.
“We’re going to have to Lace.” I sighed.
“We could fly by, but I doubt that you could pull an effective glamour. Especially since our lesson got interrupted.” Uriah quirked a brow. “Do you have any desire to learn if you have Angelic magic or not?”
“I pull my magic from what I know.” I eyed the grey sky and held out my hand. A single raindrop hit my palm. I curled my fingers and closed my hand into a fist.
Uriah shifted from side-to-side before offering his hand out for my own.
“You seem nervous.” I cocked my head to the side.
“We’re about to walk into the Queen of Lust’s abode in the Human Realities. I have no idea what’s going to greet me and if I will need to bleach my eyeballs afterwards.” He straightened his shoulders.
I placed my thumb on my bottom lip as I tried to pin down what bothered me about his words. I clicked my fingers in realisation. “You can’t be.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t tell me that you are a virgin, Uri?” I couldn’t stifle the immature giggle that escaped my red painted lips. I shook my head to myself. I couldn’t believe it. “You’re as old as time, Uriah. I’m willing to bet that the Lord's twelve Seraphim were created together. That makes no sense.”
“I am the Lord’s Purest.” His voice was sour.
“Not Purist.” I said to myself. “Purest.” What a misunderstanding. I reached up and patted the side of his face. “Oh, you sweet boy.”
Uriah batted my hand away. “Don’t patronise me. My purity should be celebrated not pitied you trollop.” He barked at me.
I laughed at his insult and waved it away. “Be as defensive as you like. I am not sure what your pure eyeballs will do when greeted with Asmodeus.” I couldn’t help the unladylike snort that came from deep in my throat. It turned into laughter quickly.
“Are you done?” He snapped.
I sobered when the thought of his tentative touches and the burning fire that licked up the inside of my thighs when he looked at me. How could someone that had no knowledge of what to do with a woman inspire such attraction? I wished the butterflies in my stomach (butterflies that he created) would go away. I did not want them.
We fought constantly and Uriah’s hatred for me was not subtle.
Perhaps I thrived on being attracted to men that didn’t want me. Lucifer certainly hadn’t wanted me in the beginning.
I held out the crook of my elbow, but Uriah gripped my wrist instead in a much less intimate touch. His skin burned mine. I could tell that he was as affected by our proximity as I was from the tightness at the edge of his lips. I could also tell that he hate
d it with every fibre of his being. We bickered like cat and dog.
What was wrong with me?
Asmodeus’s mansion was on the edge of Hyde Park. It had once belonged to Damian. I had only ever visited sporadically.
With the scent of sex and the accompanying sin that came with mass orgies, it had been difficult to watch others taking in the comfort of another’s body when I had been heartbroken over Lucifer’s abandonment.
I had rarely had sex in the two hundred years of which I had been banished to the Human Realities, but when I had, I had chosen men and women that were unlikely to become attached as I could never give them my own heart.
I would have said it was because I did not want to break any hearts, but that was a lie. It was because it was easier to deal with casual sex then it was to listen to whiny declarations of emotions when I felt nothing in return.
I had only made the mistake of bedding someone with emotions once. Meesha Patel had lied to me with her flippancy towards sex. When she had been my personal assistant, her revolving door of sexual partners told me that she would be experienced in the art of fucking without love.
I had been wrong.
Damian’s orgies were another story. It was a known fact that it was unlikely to find someone that wanted marriage and a picket fence whilst they were being ploughed by multiple partners.
When I walked through the iron gate at the front of the property, I turned back and saw that Uriah’s bronze skin had gone ashen with what looked like fear.
His golden eyes snapped to mine; I caught a moment of vulnerability before it was quickly shut down with such force that I staggered back. I would have reached out and offered comfort, but that wasn’t my style. Instead, I pulled my lips into a cheeky smirk.
“Are you ready to lose your purity?” I put my hand on my hip.
“Don’t even joke about it, demon whore.” He pushed past me and walked towards the ornate front doors with renewed purpose.
“You’re the one that wanted to come!” I put my hands around my mouth so that my words would carry through the rosebush lined path.
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