The Angels of Paris Chronicles Books 1-3: Boxed Set Bonus Edition

by Anna Santos

  “I’ll be fine,” I muttered. “Lead the way.”

  The desert seemed endless. I was tired but thirst wasn’t an issue. Kayden was talkative and kept explaining how this world worked. How we didn’t need food and water, only energy.

  We were walking to the far-away mountains. I stumbled for the third time since the journey began. A new memory of a past life rushed to my mind. Holding my head, I stopped until the memory was over and the pain was gone. They were good memories of me and Philippe in an idyllic place, talking and chasing each other while laughing, holding hands, and being in love. We had wings, white ones not red. We were blissful. It only made me miss him more.

  “My master knows we are here. He’s coming for you. He’ll keep us safe. All you have to do is open a portal, so we can leave for Earth.”

  “Only us and your master, no one else?”

  “It doesn’t matter anymore. I have no time to look for Maurice or any other soul that I’ve condemned. They are probably with my master, filling his ranks of soldiers…”

  “What do you mean? What soldiers?”

  “Some might even be your old friends. Fallen angels that you and Philippe sent here when you slaughtered them.”

  Frowning, I straightened up as my pain was gone. “I have no idea of what you are talking about?”

  “You have red wings. How do you think you got them?”

  “I have red hair and special powers, that’s why.”

  “You have red wings because you absorbed too many of your friends’ powers. You have their blood on your hands and it tainted your wings. That’s why they are red. You killed angels.”

  I sucked in a breath. “You are insane.”

  “I’m not. That’s why the fallen angels can’t see your wings. If they do, they will know that you fought to banish them to this forsaken place and punished them for their insurgency against God. That, and you have juicy and strong energy that they crave.”

  I put my hand in my pocket and squeezed the orb.

  Kayden noticed my gesture. “Yes, that can help you fight them. At least, it would if you knew how to use it.”

  “I know a lot more than you think,” I told him. “Now, let’s continue walking. The more time we waste, the more danger Philippe is in.”

  “I’m sure my master must have found him by now. I can’t assure that he’s safe and unarmed, but if we hurry, we may find him in one piece.”

  “If your master does anything to my mate, I’ll burn your soul until nothing is left of you.” I narrowed my eyes and invoked a fire orb to make my point. “Make no mistake. If you say that I was as ruthless as I was, you have no idea of what I may do to you if I can’t find and save Philippe. Being stuck in Hell will be least of your problems.”

  Kayden’s lips curled into a smile. “Oh, Aria. I love it when you are so ruthless. I knew that Philippe would be useful. Angelic mate bond, what a treat!”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  PHILIPPE

  I finally managed to control my wings and fly. The memories that were flooding to my mind helped with that. From a higher point, I could see the layout of the foreigner land I had ended up in—Hell.

  I had been here before. My memories weren’t complete, but those mountains looked familiar. Armies of angels had battled against each other on those sand dunes. The sounds of war and death echoed in my mind as images of swords clashing against each other blurred my vision.

  Aria.

  We were happy before the war. Before dying and being set apart.

  How will I find her again?

  Then, I saw them. Three figures in the distance, walking. One of them pulled what seemed to be another man with a rope around his neck.

  Demons.

  Fisting my hand, I noticed that a flaming sword had shown up and an inner voice compelled me to fly to the enemy and tear it apart. My former self clearly had issues with demons. Yet I had to be wise. I needed to figure out how I could survive here. Better yet, how I could leave.

  Reincarnation.

  Apparently, my former self knew a lot, but he didn’t know where I should go next; other than urging me to fly to the demons and dispose of them. Can I kill in Hell?

  The answer appeared as a whisper inside my head. Feed. Energy. You need to be stronger to defend yourself.

  Wise idea since I clearly recalled that Kayden mentioned a powerful Archangel living in this place and wanting to suck energy from everybody else.

  Enemies.

  I didn’t need my former self to tell me that. By how he had reacted to the demons, I was pretty sure that I wasn’t on the friend list of their master.

  It was time to test my new powers. I had been levitating for far too long. I would draw attention. Moving my wings, I sped to the demons. Effortlessly, my wings obeyed as if my vampire speed hadn’t disappeared. In a flash, I landed before the demons. They had black eyes, extended fangs, and pointy ears. I thought they would look uglier.

  Waving my sword, I sliced through their bodies and they shimmered as if they were projections that were disturbed by an oscillation. They didn’t have corporeal form and seemed to be made of energy. Yet I felt stronger and my blade shone brighter.

  “Bringer of Destruction,” one of the demons mumbled with a frightened expression. “Don’t drain us. We can help you, Master.”

  He had his hands up and his friends had lowered their head in respect and fear.

  “What can you possibly offer me other than your energy?” I asked them out loud as I held up my sword with both hands.

  “We can take you to the others like you.”

  “Others like me?”

  “Other warriors with red wings. Friends. Astaroth doesn’t dare take them.”

  I lowered my weapon. I didn’t trust them and kept my guard up. “What are you dragging?” I glimpsed behind them.

  “Bad man. Liked to molest children. We are punishing him,” the bolder one said as the others kept looking at the ground.

  I didn’t know if I should believe them. Yet I knew that whoever was here wasn’t because they were good people. Unless they were rejected souls and, for what Kayden had confessed, he had sent his fair share of innocents to fill his master’s ranks.

  I clenched my teeth at the idea. Still, I couldn’t save him or knew who was innocent or not. “Very well, show me where to find the other angels, and I’ll let you go.”

  “Yes, Master,” they yelped in unison.

  Memories were rushing to my mind faster than before since I met the other Archangels and angels who were stuck in Hell.

  I listened carefully to Samael. He was the leader of the resistance. Apparently, we used to be good friends.

  Kneeling on the sand, in front of an improvised layout drawn with a stick of Astaroth’s campsite, Samael talked to me and the other eight angels with red wings.

  “It’s time for one of us to be born again. Astaroth controls the reincarnation mirror. He wants to decide who reincarnates and who stays here forever without a chance for redemption. But we need to fight back once again and send one of ours to Earth.”

  “Who will go?” I dared to ask.

  “Whoever is stronger and can survive to cross the mirror,” he replied.

  “How many of us went through already?”

  “Not many. Some of us are stuck here since we were killed. We have never seen the new world. We’ve only heard stories…”

  “From the other souls who ended up here,” one of the red female angels explained.

  “Have you found Seraphina?”

  Samael was looking at me, so I supposed the question was directed at me.

  “Who?”

  Samael explained, “Your mate. Don’t you remember her? You always remembered faster than the rest of us.”

  “Her name is Aria in her new life.”

  “Is she okay?” another female voice asked.

  I looked at the tall girl with green eyes and red hair.

  “Gail?” I asked as memories of her rushed to my min
d. She was Seraphina’s sister. Twins…I wasn’t sure.

  Smiling, she whispered, “It took you long enough, Veil.”

  “She has her wings.”

  “Mated to someone else?” Gail questioned with a sad expression.

  “He gave her wings back, but she’s mine. She’ll always be mine.”

  Gail nodded. “You’ve been away for so long. We thought you had ascended. She never gave up hope. She went through that mirror twice since you were gone.”

  It stirred my emotions, knowing that. Yet I didn’t blink. “She’s okay. Yet Astaroth has servants on Earth trying to open the gate to set him free.”

  Samael spoke again. “Impossible. We closed all the gates and the sacred gems are in Paradise.”

  “Not all. The demi-angels have one. They use it to keep a portal opened to Earth. God has instructed them to protect Earth from evil…”

  Gail interrupted me, “Does Seraphina know who she is? Does she have the orb in her possession? Will she come to save us?”

  “Aria doesn’t remember us. She’s pure like she used to be before the war. I died to prevent her from opening the gate and freeing Astaroth. We are on our own.”

  “Then striking again and send one of us to reincarnate is our only option,” Samael said with a stern expression.

  Gail suggested, “It should be you, Samael. You’ve always stayed behind. Maybe you can find Kiera.”

  “Kiera.” That name was familiar.

  “She’s gone for a long time now. I made the decision of letting her be free of me, so she could have a chance to enter Paradise,” Samael said with a sad voice.

  “I don’t remember seeing her on Earth,” I said as I rubbed my forehead and another wave of memories assaulted me. Seraphina’s laughter echoed in my head. She was happy, running through meadows in a white dress as I chased after her.

  “Are you okay?” Samael had put his hand on my shoulder.

  “I’m fine. The memories are… I’m fine.”

  “If Kiera isn’t on Earth, if she managed to ascend…”

  Samael interrupted Gail’s speech, “She may not remember us or what she was.”

  “Or she ascended and what we thought about them leaving us here forever is true. We are no longer welcome in Paradise,” Gail voiced her fears. “We need to find a way to leave this forsaken place. Living on the new Earth seems like a good idea.”

  “What did you say?” I asked, facing her.

  “This planet was destroyed and a new Earth was created millenniums ago,” Samael clarified. “It will come back to you. Have you remembered the big war? When we had to fight Astaroth’s insurgence?”

  “Bits and pieces.”

  “All will come to you, eventually,” Gail said.

  Another Red Angel cleared his throat and spoke. “Since Seraphina doesn’t seem to remember who she is and what was her mission on Earth, we need to send one of us again and find out what happened. She was our last hope…”

  “At least, Astaroth is still trapped here, and he’s not loose on Earth to destroy everything,” Gail said.

  “We’ll attack his campsite and send one of us,” I said as I fisted my hands. “I can’t bear the thought of reincarnating so soon. It must be one of you, so I’ll help as much as I can to fight the demons and distract Astaroth.”

  Samael nodded sternly as did the others.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  ARIA

  There was a strange energy in the air. My hearing was focused on the deadly silence, but my body seemed to be drawn to something that I couldn’t explain.

  Kayden tried to start the conversation again. He couldn’t stay quiet. “Have your memories come back to you?”

  “Have yours?”

  “Not much. They’re confusing. I’ve been on the other side for far too long and the memories I have from this place…seem off, somehow.”

  His words intrigued me. “Of this place? Have you been here before?”

  “Yes. My master freed me and sent me to Earth, so I could build an army for him.”

  “How did he free you?”

  “We control the reincarnation mirror. Plus, he carved his mark on me. See?” He showed me a mark on his shoulder that seemed like an infinity symbol. “I crossed the reincarnation mirror, like many before me. With this symbol, he communicates with me and tells me what I need to do to free him from this place.”

  “Why doesn’t he reincarnate himself?”

  “He would lose the memories of who he is and his powers. Becoming a mere human is not an option.”

  “Why?”

  “He would still end up here once he was dead. He has done it before, several years ago.”

  I mulled over his words. “This master of yours, is he your mate?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is he an angel?”

  “An Archangel like yourself but more powerful. Don’t you remember any of this?”

  I stopped to catch my breath. “Should I?”

  “From time to time, a Red Angel escapes Hell using the mirror of reincarnation. They live a human life, die, and return here. It’s a vicious cycle.”

  “How many of us are there?”

  “Not many. Only the strongest were left behind. Eventually, my master took control of Hell, and you had to go into hiding.”

  Something was bothering me about his story. “Why do we always return here even after reincarnating as humans?”

  Kayden smirked. “If your mate is here, your energy will search for his. As I have said, it’s a perpetual cycle since rarely two Red Angels reincarnate, find each other, and ascend.”

  I kept walking as my eyes reflected images of when I first saw Philippe. The pain of being apart from him hit me like an earthquake. “We should get going.”

  “It was me who conceived the plan of using one of you to open a portal with the orb.”

  I halted, and he almost bumped into me. “How did you know that Philippe would reject me, and I would become a Red Angel?”

  “I didn’t, but I’ve arranged a lot of rejections to find your new body and separate you from your mate. You needed to gain your powers. Only a gargoyle could give you back your wings.”

  Nausea took over me. Closing my eyes, I saw a huge man with dark hair and red wings sitting on a throne. He had a vicious smile, and I knew that he was bad news.

  Opening my eyes, I voiced what I had just found out, “I made a deal with your master to reincarnate and open the portal.”

  “You did.” Kayden appeared in front of me with a sheepish smile. “You wanted to find your mate. He had been gone for far too long. You had just returned from an unsuccessful reincarnation. You struck a deal to reincarnate as many times as necessary to find Philippe. That was why I knew that your love for him was so strong that you would forgive his rejection and go back to him. You would perform the unbinding ritual and have your full Red Angel powers active to use the orb. Alas, things didn’t go as I wished, yet we are here. The memories are returning to you, and you have no other choice than to free my master as you’ve promised.”

  I clenched my teeth and balled my hands. I had no idea of what to make for the new memories. Was I a traitor? An evil angel?

  Narrowing my eyes, I focused my attention on the zigzagging lightning on the horizon.

  “Is that normal?” I asked, pointing at what I was seeing.

  Kayden turned around. “It’s someone fighting. Angels most likely. Not good.”

  “Why not?” I asked as I saw his expression change to worried.

  “It comes from where I feel my master’s energy.”

  “Should we hurry up?”

  Kayden arched an eyebrow. “Do you have memories of how to fly?”

  “Not yet, but we can run, can’t we?”

  He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. “Astaroth is strong enough to protect himself.”

  “Maybe, but something bad may be happening to Philippe.”

  I didn’t wait for him to complain. Grabbing his a
rm, I pulled him behind me as I sped up. Before I could understand what was happening, my wings were spreading and the tunic Kayden gave me flew off. He grabbed it in midair. As if they had a mind of their own, they flapped, and my feet left the ground.

  Kayden clutched my arm, begging me not to let him fall.

  The angel in me wanted to ditch him and fly in the direction of the lightning. Yet I knew he could be useful, and I had no idea of what I was going to find once I reached his master’s domain.

  I flew close to the ground as fast as I could. Eventually, we reached the woods, and I could see streams of water and shreds of energy circling the trees and wandering like they were lost souls. Tormented screams and moans echoed around us. I had to fly higher. Heights didn’t scare me as much as before.

  Curiosity made me look at everything that I was seeing. It was an interesting and Dantesque world.

  Far ahead, I saw a valley that had what looked to be a settlement with small cottages and fences. I heard the sound of weapons clashing and the screams of warriors facing each other in combat.

  I reached an open field and stopped when I saw the angels with red wings displaying magical powers while taking down waves of demons coming their way.

  Landing, I released Kayden and surveyed the battle with confused eyes. It looked strangely familiar.

  Female angels were using glowing orange shields to protect themselves. Their hands were lit with beams of fire and streams of blue energy which they used against the screaming demons on the ground.

  Male Red Angels were fighting with their swords, slicing the shimmering bodies of their opponents.

  In the heart of the battle, a huge Red Angel with dark hair and a flaming sword fought another Red Angel with long blonde hair and a bigger sword. Deep down, I knew who they were even without seeing their faces.

  “I have to help them.”

  Kayden held on to my arm. “Choose carefully who you will help. My master has the life of your mate in his hands.”

  I shoved his hand aside, and he fell on the floor. Frowning, he clenched his teeth. “I didn’t get this far to let you ruin everything. You’ll do what I tell you, so my master stays pleased with me.”