Sharon Karaa - A Familiar Problem (Northern Witches #2)

by Unknown

  “We don’t marry in the Catholic Church, we take a vow of celibacy,” he replied, looking at me confused.

  “Oh! So, you’ve never been intimate with a woman! Wow, now that makes sense!” I laughed, relieved as Zerachiel grabbed me roughly by the arm.

  “Reverend Father, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us today,” he said, dropping his cup on the table next to his cake and pushing me quickly towards the exit, his fingers pinching into my arm. Tea sloshed over the side of my cup as I dug my heels in, trying to slow him down.

  “Wait, I need to finish my tea,” I giggled inside as he took the cup from my hands and passed it to an old lady standing innocently at the door.

  He pushed me out in to the sunshine, continuing on until we were well clear of the church.

  “Well that was a little rude, don’t you think?” he said, turning on me and glaring furiously.

  “Absolutely! I was in the middle of a conversation with that nice man! What on earth has gotten in to you?” I put my hands on my hips and raised my chin, defiantly.

  He exploded. “Are you crazy? You can’t go saying things like that to a man of the cloth!”

  “What? Did I lie?” I asked, not giving him an inch.

  “That’s beside the point!” he stamped his foot in frustration, clenching his hands into fists and looking up at the sky as though looking for a sign from God. Or a bolt of lightning to come crashing down on my head. Probably the latter.

  “No it’s not! I’m in heaven; I am trying to abide by your rules. No lying is in there somewhere, I’m sure of it!”

  Zerachiel looked up at the sky again. After a moment, when I was sure he was either praying or counting slowly to ten, he turned to me.

  “You know what? I think it’s time to take you home.”

  6 - We are not amused

  I was watching TV with the volume turned up full blast and trying my best to block out the thoughts of Zerachiel. He was too damn sexy for his own good and despite my best intentions, I was finding I actually liked him as a person as well. Between him and Abaddon, I was becoming more and more confused. I’d gone from having no feelings one way or the other about the opposite sex to finding myself attracted to not one but two males who were poles apart. Either one, I was sure, would only lead to trouble. One a devil and the other an angel. If Abaddon was to be believed, Zerachiel’s interest in me was solely to tempt me to wickedness and scupper my chances at redemption. But what was Abaddon’s game? I’d set him free so there was no motivation there. Still, he was a demon, there had to be an angle I hadn’t considered.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re playing at?” Agnes screamed at me, her eyes like saucers and her mouth set in a grim line.

  I jumped in fright and reached for the remote, turning the TV off. It hadn’t proved to be much of a distraction any way.

  “I’m watching TV, what’s your problem?” I glared at her. I wasn’t really surprised she’d turned up.

  “You know what I’m talking about missy! What did you do to poor Zerachiel?”

  “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. He took me to heaven. We had a great time. What’s the problem?” I followed her out to the kitchen and she took a seat. She was getting better at it and didn’t land on her arse, although I wished she had. She was steaming angry.

  “Natalia, you have to take this seriously. This is your li….your existence you’re playing with!”

  I glared at her petulantly and folded my arms, slamming myself down into the chair opposite.

  “Was he mad?” I asked, finally breaking the silence.

  Agnes looked at me and pushed her spectacles back up her nose. Her lips twitched.

  “Well, he said you puked up, wiped it on his face, called him a man-whore and insulted a member of the clergy. Not bad for a first visit, I’d say.”

  “He is a man-whore,” I said, resentfully.

  Agnes raised her eyebrow and smiled in disbelief.

  “He is!”

  “So what did you think of heaven, interested?” she asked, resting her face on her hand and leaning forward across the table.

  “I’m not sure. I need to think about it,” I said, refusing to commit to a decision.

  Agnes grimaced. “Well, you need to make your mind up. Redemption doesn’t come easy and there’s a lot to do, if you decide to go for it. How’s Abaddon behaving?”

  I realised I hadn’t heard from him since the previous evening. “He’s not been around all day. I’m not sure what’s happening.”

  “Well let’s hope it stays that way, at least for tonight. Lauren wants you round at Daniel’s for dinner, they’re having another barbeque.”

  I was putting the finishing touches to my make-up when Abaddon made his presence known.

  “You really are a sexy little minx, aren’t you?” he growled.

  I poked myself in the eye with the mascara and grimaced.

  “Thanks for that,” I said, reaching for a cotton ball.

  I watched his reflection laughing at me through the one good eye while I dabbed ineffectually at the mascara. Man this demon was sexy. My body was suddenly on fire again.

  “Good to see you’re back. I was beginning to get worried,” I said at last.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, I was worried I was going through with all this redemption shit for nothing.”

  “I’m touched you cared at all, but I thought you hadn’t made a decision yet?”

  I continued wiping off the mascara and ignored him.

  “Nats, please tell me you haven’t rushed into a decision. Are you so desperate to get rid of me?” He came up behind the chair and stroked my face gently with his long, tapered fingers. Oh boy, the heat was back.

  I waved his hand away and proceeded to re-apply my mascara. My hands were shaking so much I gave it up as a bad job and applied it the good old fashioned way. With magic.

  “So how’s your day been?” he asked as I continued to ignore him.

  “You don’t know?” I replied, turning in my seat and craning my neck to look at him. Thank Satan I was already sitting as I’m pretty sure I would have swooned.

  “I’ve been busy,” he replied.

  “Me too, as it happens. Zerachiel took me to heaven.”

  I waited for the explosion. His eyes flashed red for a second and I watched him fight for control of his demon.

  “Did you like it?” he asked, eventually.

  “Oh it was…amazing,” I smiled as I picked up a blood red lipstick and turned back to the mirror.

  “Natalia, you don’t belong there.”

  “I don’t belong on earth either but look! Here I am!” I pursed my lips and pouted at the mirror. He groaned. I looked up at him, surprised and thrilled that he seemed to have as little control as I did.

  “So how’s the quest to clear your name coming along?” I asked.

  He sighed. “I’ve been chasing down dead leads all day. It’s a pity Lilith decided to off Kobal. It would have been really useful to have a word with him before his demise.”

  “What will you do now, then?”

  “I’ve been making arrangements to pay a visit to our three damned souls but it’s not easy. Satan has his minions on high alert. I could really use your help.”

  I jumped up from the stool and turned to face him. “Why do you need me? You have more chance of getting in and out of the prisons without me!”

  “Let’s just say you’ll make an interesting distraction.” He captured a curl between his fingers and stroked it, looking at my hair as though it were spun gold.

  “When are you going?” My voice was husky with desire and I coughed to hide it.

  “We are going tomorrow. First light. I’ll come and get you.” He looked into my eyes and my universe centred on his. Then on his lips.

  “I haven’t said I’ll do it yet,” I whispered, not trusting myself to speak properly.

  “You will.”

  He smiled at me and the
world tilted on its axis before he dipped his head and captured my lips in a gentle kiss. Then another. Then they came down and devoured me, his tongue thrusting into my mouth as he pulled me in to his body. His sex dug into my stomach as I ground myself on to him, my hands going instantly to his head to pull him in closer. Liquid pooled between my thighs as he picked me up and wrapped my legs around his waist, grinding in to me all the more as he pushed me heavily against the wall. Then the bastard stopped and looked at me, my breathing coming in rapid bursts as I fought to control my emotions. His eyes glazed and he looked longingly at my lips again.

  “I’ll pick you up in the morning,” he said, then disappeared and I landed unceremoniously on my arse.

  What the fuck was wrong with that man? I had all but offered myself to him and he ran away? I screamed in frustration.

  I arrived at Lauren’s to find the house empty. I walked through the dining room and found the party was in full swing in the garden. I propped myself up against the open doorway and watched everyone.

  Agnes and Matthew were waltzing on the lawn, Matthew’s hands planted firmly on Agnes’ backside. Daniel was once again playing chef with his barbeque set and bonding with our friendly angel, who was modestly dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. The man could wear sack cloth and ashes and he would still look like sex on legs. Zerachiel laughed at something Daniel said and I wondered what they were talking about.

  Beth and the girls were there with a man I hadn’t met but assumed was Morgan’s husband. They were playing cards on a large, rickety table in the middle of the patio. Selina and Lauren were huddled in the corner, talking animatedly while Geordie made the most of his unsupervised time by tucking in to the crisps set out on the table.

  Lauren was the first to spot me and she came rushing over to give me a hug. I still wasn’t used to all this emotional stuff but I hugged her back, uncomfortably.

  “Where have you been? You’re late! For a minute there, I thought I would have to come and get you,” she said.

  “I couldn’t decide what to wear,” I said, not wanting to tell her that Abaddon was back.

  Selina came across and hugged me.

  “I heard about your antics in heaven,” Lauren said, folding her arms and looking at me. I thought she’d be mad but she was smiling. Good sign.

  “Have you decided yet?” Selina jumped in, excitedly.

  “Can I get a drink before I get the grilling?” I laughed.

  “Oh, I made you a brandy sour, you’re going to love it,” Selina said as she rushed back in to the house to collect my drink.

  Lauren hooked my arm and dragged me over to the lawn chairs.

  “So come on, out with it,” she said, excited. “What’s the story with you and Zerachiel, he’s been eyeballing you ever since you arrived.”

  I looked up and sure enough, he was. But not in a nice way. He was glaring at me.

  “There is no story.”

  Selina chose that moment to return, holding a pint sized glass rimmed with sugar and filled with a suspicious yellow substance.

  “There’s nothing but alcohol in here, right?” I said, looking at her.

  “Natalia, I wouldn’t do that to you, promise,” she replied, looking innocent. I sniffed the glass suspiciously then took a sip. It tasted surprisingly sweet.

  “So did you really tell the priest you were a demon and that Zerachiel was trying to get into your knickers?” Selina giggled. I smiled at the memory of Zerachiel almost choking on his tea.

  “I simply followed the doctrine of their faith. I really don’t know what the fuss is all about,” I smiled.

  “So what was heaven like?” Selina scooted her chair in closer.

  I spent the next ten minutes describing my experiences in detail, trying to stave off the moment when the inevitable question would pop up. I still wasn’t ready to commit to a decision. It’s hard to decide, no matter how crap your home is, that you will never go back there. While I hadn’t made any friends in Hell, my parents were still demons and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be allowed to visit me in heaven. Not that they would.

  I’d just finished telling them about the horse ride when a shadow fell over me. I looked up to see Zerachiel standing behind me, still giving me an evil glare.

  “Let me top up your drink,” Selina said, grabbing my glass out of my hand and scarpering.

  “Let me show you where the ice is,” Lauren said, jumping up and running after her.

  Cowards, both of them. I looked over at Agnes and she turned away, quickly. The woman was up to something.

  Zerachiel took the seat vacated by Selina.

  “You owe me an apology,” he stated, blue eyes flashing at me.

  I turned in my seat to face him full on. “Really? And how did you come by that startling conclusion?”

  From a distance, he was devastatingly handsome. Up close, he was ...well…let’s just say I needed yet another change of underwear.

  “You don’t think your behaviour was inappropriate?” The glare was gone and I realised me was reading my mind when a slight smirk appeared on his face.

  “Again, was I lying?”

  “Not literally but what made you think I was trying to ‘get in your knickers’?”

  “You weren’t?” I looked at him innocently.

  “Do you always answer a question with a question?”

  “Do you?”

  He sighed and looked away.

  “You do know you are really hard work, don’t you?”

  “Am I?”

  “Enough!” he snapped.

  “Why are you so angry?” I asked, looking at him.

  He sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that I have a once in a lifetime chance of helping a demon to redeem their soul and they don’t appear to want to.”

  “And that surprises you?” I looked at him, shocked.

  “No. It disappoints me.” He turned and looked at me sadly. I don’t know why but the look on his face made me want to cry.

  I turned my head and looked over at Agnes and Matthew. Matthew was touching Agnes’ face as if it was the most beautiful and precious thing in the world to him. I suppose waiting four hundred years to be reunited made you value your loved one even more than usual.

  “Do people in heaven get to fall in love?” I asked Zerachiel, curious.

  “Everyone gets to fall in love, Natalia. That’s not something that is reserved only to heaven. The importance you place on that depends on the individual, not where they’re located.”

  I digested this information and hid my surprise. People in Hell fell in love too? I hadn’t seen any evidence of that.

  “So, it’s possible, then for someone from Hell to be in love with someone from Heaven?” I asked, not daring to look at him.

  “It’s possible, yes. Love knows no boundaries.” He looked at me curiously. I wished I could have answered the question in his eyes but I hadn’t a clue why it was suddenly important to me to know.

  I nodded, appreciating his honesty.

  Zerachiel eyes softened. He touched my chin and turned my face to his, his blue eyes boring into me.

  “Have you made a decision yet?”

  “I’m working on it, but it’s hard.” I replied.

  “Nothing worthwhile is easy, Natalia. Would it help if I took you back again? There are other things for you to see.”

  “Let me think about it. I promise I’ll give you an answer soon.”

  Just then, Morgan, Imogen and Felicity came over for a chat with the sexy angel and I was off the hook. For Now. But the weight of my decision lay heavy on my shoulders and I knew I’d have to make my mind up sooner or later.

  7 - Porridge

  I swatted my ear, refusing to open my eyes. I was right in the middle of a steamy dream involving a demon and an angel with me as the sandwich filler. Right now, I didn’t want to wake up. I wasn’t sure I would ever want to. Whatever it was tickled my nose and I swatted again, more annoyed now than
I’d ever been. The dream was just getting interesting. I heard a chuckle and my eyes opened of their own volition. Abaddon was leaning over me, laughing as he tormented me with a feather. Don’t ask me where he got it from, I have no idea. I looked at the sexy curve of his mouth and for a second, was very tempted to pull him in to bed and relieve my frustrations. Then sanity returned.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, wondering if he would go away and come back in an hour or so. Make that two hours.

  “It’s time to go, sleepy head. You need to wake up!”

  I closed my eyes and pouted, I really, really didn’t want to get out of bed right now. My eyes sprung open again and I sat up.

  “How are you here?” I asked, shocked.

  “I made a portal, how do you think I got here? Are you feeling ok?” he looked at me as though I’d lost my marbles.

  “Come on, get up. I’ve made you coffee.”

  He stood and left me to it and I pulled the covers off my legs and immediately changed the negligee for pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt before making my way downstairs, following the heady aroma of java like I was a Bisto Kid.

  Abaddon was sitting at the kitchen table wearing come to bed eyes and the sexiest black jumper that showed off his broad chest and muscular shoulders to perfection. My lady bits screamed in frustration. This was going to be a long day.

  I slumped down into the chair and wrapped my shaking hands around the mug of steaming coffee he’d left out for me, lifting it to my lips and taking a good, long drink.

  “So what’s the plan?” I asked him.

  “We’re going in to the prison. One of those three bastards knows why Kobal did what he did and who else was involved. We’re going to find out.”

  He took a seat at the table and lifted the steaming coffee to hips lips. I was so jealous of the cup it was unbelievable. I forced myself to focus.

  “And how would you propose we get in there? You know they’re going to be heavily guarded.”