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

by Unknown

  I smiled as a chuckle escaped me and I wiped my eye with the back of my hand. “He’s a stubborn bastard,” I said at last, looking back down at the soil as warmth invaded my heart. I wasn’t entirely sure, but I think it was hope.

  I stood and looked up at the sky. Dawn was starting to appear on the horizon, a pink and orange glow creeping slowly from the east, banishing the darkness of night.

  “I wish they’d hurry up,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself. “All this waiting around is killing me. I need to do something.”

  Agnes huffed. “I don’t know, bored to tears one minute, hyped up on adrenalin the next. You want to make your mind up, girl”

  I smiled and turned to her. “How are the others?”

  “Beth’s taken the girls home. Felicity is a tough little cookie but this has been hard on her. She’s too young to be facing her own mortality. The others have gone to sleep. You should too. You’ll need to be rested, when they come for you.”

  I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep if my life depended on it but I made my way back to the house with her.

  I lay on the bed, refusing to change into something more comfortable. I wanted to be ready when they came for me. What was taking so long? It had been hours since Zerachiel had left. How long did it take to rustle up a posse and get back here? I knew I should have just gone. Anything could have happened by now.

  “Natalia! Natalia, can you hear me?”

  I sat up in bed. It couldn’t be?

  “Natalia, can you hear me?”

  It was! It was Abaddon! He was contacting me through the bond, why the fuck hadn’t I thought of that before?

  “Abaddon! I can hear you!” I shouted. “It’s faint but I can hear you!”

  I felt his relief. “Sweetheart! I’m here, I’m fine, I was afraid you’d come straight back and end up dead!”

  “I tried but Zerachiel wouldn’t allow it. What’s happening, are you ok?” I heard a door open and the thumping of footsteps before the door flew open and Daniel stood there, naked to the waist but still wearing his trousers. I guess he’d had the same idea. I put my hand up to prevent him from speaking.

  “…fine, for now, but she’s planning something big….Satan…don’t know…”

  “Abaddon, you’re breaking up!”

  “…tell Zerachiel, she’s ….end of days…”

  My eyes flew wide and I gasped. “She wants to bring about Armageddon?” I shouted.

  “…Macchu Picchu…two days…two……me?”

  I waited for more. Nothing. Daniel was looking at me, expectantly and I exhaled the breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding.

  She’s coming to the ancient city of the Incas, two days from now.”

  He exhaled a breath he was holding and put his hand through his hair, coming fully in to the room and quickly followed by Lauren and Selina. Agnes was standing next to the window and I realised she must have materialised some time ago and been listening.

  She looked at me. “I’ve got to tell Zerachiel” and with that, she disappeared.

  I sipped the coffee Daniel put into my hands and stared at Geordie as he sat with his hands in his head, looking like he’d got the weight of the world on his shoulders.

  “What’s wrong with you, shortie?” I asked him.

  He looked at me sideways. “Yous fuckin left is here, that’s what’s fuckin wrong,” he glared then turned away from me as I looked at him, puzzled. He was upset because he hadn’t been taken to Hell? Was he crazy?

  He stood up and paced the table. “Am her fuckin familia, am supposed te protect her, how the fuck can a de that if yis all treat is like a fuckin baby?”

  “No one treats you like a baby, Geordie, why would you say that?”

  “She threw is to fuckin safety! AM SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER!” he screamed, going purple in the face.

  “Look Geordie…” Daniel said, getting down on his hunkers before him so they were eye to eye. Geordie turned his back. “…who was going to look after my mother and sisters if you didn’t stay?”

  Geordie stopped in his tracks and turned to face him.

  “Selina knew she’d be ok. Natalia and Abaddon wouldn’t allow her to go through alone. She had two demons to protect her. She needed you, her demon, to protect the humans.”

  “Really?” he asked, his colour toning down to lilac.

  “Yes, really. And you did a great job, by the way.”

  I looked at Daniel and smiled. The guy was just so sweet, trying hard to redeem Geordie’s self-worth! If Lauren hadn’t already claimed him I would have eaten him up. That stopped me in my tracks. Since when was I impressed with good deeds? There was a time, and not so long ago, that such displays would have had me gagging. I guess I’d just have to get used to the fact that I was changing.

  Geordie sat back down on his chair and crossed his legs. “Well, it wasn’t easy, like. Handin out hankies left right and centre, and did a tell ye aboot the wailin? Hoose full o' women, it was hell!“

  Daniel stood up, smiling at Geordie just as Zerachiel materialised behind him. I gasped in surprise and Daniel spun round.

  “We’ve got a battle on our hands, people, and we need to get Abaddon out of Hell before the poop hits the fan.”

  Poop? Seriously?

  “What’s the plan?” I demanded.

  Zerachiel sat down and looked at me. “All the portals are closed and so far, we haven’t managed to create a new one.”

  “So how the fuck are we going to get him out,” I demanded.

  “You need to connect to Abaddon and tell him to make his way to the third layer. “

  “The third layer? Are you fucking crazy? That’s suicide city! Do you want him to go mad?”

  “Satan’s secret stairway is in a bookstore on Main Street. It’s the only exit Lilith doesn’t know about, and it’s his only hope.”

  I lay in bed, trying desperately to make contact but there was nothing. What if I couldn’t get through to him? How would he get out? I’d give it until tonight. If I hadn’t managed to get the message across, I’d make my own way to him. I’d force Zerachiel to take me to the exit and make my way down. Then I’d have to try and bloody find him and bring him back out. It would be touch and go but I could do it. If I couldn’t contact him.

  I tried concentrating on him until I’m pretty sure a vein popped in my head. Nothing. I tried relaxing and letting him come to me. Still nothing. I was exhausted with the effort.

  Eventually, I lay there just thinking about his eyes like pools of melted chocolate and his smile as he’d told me he loved me. That warm glow flooded my heart and I allowed it to overwhelm me.

  “Listen carefully because I will only say this once. I love you, Nats,” I heard him say, but it was only in my mind.

  “How about I promise to pleasure you as much and as often as you want?”

  I smiled to myself at the memory. The demon had nerves of steel. So much passion and he refused his own release because of principles. Some demon he was.

  “I won’t take you yet, Natalia. There are still some things you need to discover about yourself.”

  What was it he thought I had to discover? I frowned. What more was there? What was I missing? I’d learned about compassion, about the goodness of people. I’d learned to have hope, damn it I’d even learned to cry. And then not to. I’d learned to want to put others before myself, a fact I’m sure the Vatican would sanction as a minor miracle, if they’d known.

  But what was it I was missing?

  “I love you, Nats”

  The warmth filled me. I said the words out loud.

  “I love you, Nats.”

  The warmth exploded through my veins as my lips formed the words. I decided to try it again.

  “I love you, Abaddon.”

  My heart filled with light.

  I said it again.

  “I love you Abaddon.”

  My heart exploded in my chest. I allowed it to fill me with bliss as tears coursed down m
y face. The memory of his fingers gently stroking my face as he looked into my eyes flooded my mind. He couldn’t hear me say the words and sadness filled me up.

  “I do love you, Abaddon,” I whispered sadly as I closed my eyes and sleep took me away.

  I was back in the poppy field. The sunshine and the gentle breeze didn’t even piss me off as I sat there, legs crossed and face to the sun.

  “I love you, Nats.”

  I’d brought my memories with me. I smiled and closed my eyes, searching for his face, his eyes, his lips, in my mind.

  “I love you, Abaddon,” I whispered to the sun.

  “Say it again, louder.”

  My eyes flew open and I turned to see Abaddon, standing behind me, love shining from his eyes.

  A sob tore from my throat as I looked at him. “I love you, Abaddon,” I repeated as a tiny tear escaped my lashes and rolled half way down my cheek.

  I stood up slowly as he took a step towards me, then I was in his arms, his lips on mine, devouring him, wanting to touch every part of him and have him touch every part of me. Then sanity returned and I pulled his face away and looked at him.

  “I need to give you a message; you need to go to the third layer, a bookshop.”

  “Tell me later, I’ve waiting too damn long to here you say you love me,” he said, his lips coming back down for a searing kiss.

  I pulled away again. “Focus big boy! Bookstore! Main Street, third layer! Find the stairway and make your way out. You have to leave tonight!” I demanded.

  “Message received and understood, now kiss me,” he said.

  I couldn’t resist him; I sucked his lower lip into my mouth and groaned as he swung me down to the ground, tearing my clothes off as he went. My fingers found the buttons on the front of his shirt but they were too fiddly. I had no patience as I took the shirt in both hands and ripped it apart. He buried his face in my neck, biting me gently and a rocket went off in my knickers. Damn I wanted this man.

  His hand went to my breast and his thumb gently rubbed the peak of one nipple as he pressed his pelvis in to mine.

  “No foreplay,” I panted.

  I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed him now. I couldn’t get the belt off his trousers fast enough and he kneeled up to do it himself, standing to take his trousers off completely and almost falling on top of me in the process. My eyes fell on his engorged penis and I felt the heat swell between my thighs. That thing was huge! He lay back down on top of me, pushing my legs apart as he went and pressing his erection into my stomach. I arched my hips as his lips claimed mine again. He lifted up and angled until the tip of his penis found my opening then he pushed just enough to tease. I growled at him as he laughed and thrust into me, burying himself up to the hilt. He groaned, I groaned, the pleasure almost bringing tears to my eyes.

  He took my hands in his and raised my arms above my head as he continued to thrust, stretching me taut and taking me higher and higher until I couldn’t hold it any longer and my body shuddered in release, muscles contracting around him. And still he thrusted, until the last contraction was spent. With a growl he found his own release and shot his seed inside me, shuddering then collapsing onto my chest and I lay there, beneath him, and stroked his back gently until our breathing returned to normal.

  Sated? Yes. Completely. Physically and mentally. There was only one fly in the appointment, one thing left that was niggling at me, preventing this from being the happiest day of my existence.

  “I love you, Abaddon,” I repeated.

  I wanted to be absolutely sure he knew, before he made his way to the third layer. Something told me that knowledge might be the only thing that would get him through this.

  14 - Going to war

  “What’s taking so long?” I snapped, looking down at the marble stairs that went on forever.

  These weren’t just stairs, they were super stairs. Three foot deep and pure white marble. They seemed to go on forever both sideways and lengthways. You would have to be one fit fuck to walk up this staircase. What if he was injured? What if he was lying across the cold marble, crying out my name, waiting for me to come for him? My knee jerked involuntarily as I scanned the horizon.

  “Calm down, Natalia, he’ll be here!” said Zerachiel, sitting on the stair to the left and behind me with his elbows on his knees.

  I looked back at him, furious, jumping up and pointing wildly with my index finger. “Have you got the first fucking idea of what he has to fucking go through to get to that fucking book store?”

  “Three in one sentence, you’re getting worse,” he said frowning at me. He scrunched his face up and cross his eyes and despite myself, I laughed.

  “Fucker!” I said, sitting down again heavily.

  Another moment passed. I sighed. I looked across at Zerachiel.

  “He should be out by now, surely. If he’d made it through?”

  “Will you stop fussing? You’re getting just like Agnes!” he snapped, losing his patience.

  I jumped up and made my way down the stairs, two at a time. “I’m not waiting any more, I’m going to get him,” I yelled as Zerachiel thundered down behind me.

  “Don’t be stupid! You’ll never find him!” he said, gaining on me.

  I picked up the pace but I wasn’t quick enough and a strong, angelic arm swung round my middle and tackled me to the floor. My hip cracked on the marble and I groaned as the air whooshed out of my lungs.

  “You fucking bastard!” I yelled.

  “Do you want to unhand my demon?” A voice said and I squealed with delight, shoving Zerachiel off me, not caring that he bounced down the stairs as I jumped into Abaddon’s arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and kissed him with so much enthusiasm I almost sent both of us tumbling down the stairs after Zerachiel.

  “All right you two, cut it out!” Zerachiel said, walking back up and rubbing the bump on his head. He was an angel. He’d heal.

  I lifted my head and looked at Abaddon’s face. He looked tired and worn but there were no signs of the depression I was sure would consume him. I smiled into his chocolate eyes.

  “Say it,” I demanded.

  “I love you,” he whispered and grinned at me. “Now learn demon, that is the proper response to that question; not ‘I want you inside me now!’” he laughed. "Although…" he looked up “…on second thoughts, that response is also perfectly acceptable.”

  I giggled and pressed my lips to his.

  “For Heaven’s sake!” snapped Zerachiel. “Have a heart! You’re killing me here!”

  I looked over and remembered his declaration of love for me. A strange emotion landed in my stomach. Here we go again, I thought. What was this one? Guilt? No wonder humans were all slightly mad, so many emotions to deal with on a daily basis. It was ridiculous.

  I jumped down from Abaddon but grabbed on to his hand. I needed some contact, no way was I giving that up, guilt or no guilt.

  “Shall we?” asked Zerachiel, indicating in an upward direction.

  We reached the top in a minute and faced two white doors that must have been about forty feet tall. Zerachiel walked over to them, putting his palm to the door and turning to us.

  “Are you ready for this?” he asked Abaddon, a question in his eyes.

  Abaddon looked at him and took in a breath. “Yep, let’s get this show on the road.” He turned to face the doors. This would be his first time in heaven in over 400 years. He looked more worried about going in through those doors than he was when he faced down Lilith and a hundred demons.

  “So glad you could make it, what took you so long?” asked Satan sarcastically, his spindly legs dangling over the seat of the throne as he sat, scratching his bald patch and glaring down at us.

  “Patience, my son, patience,” said the very deep voice of God, sitting in an adjacent and much grander throne.

  I looked across at him, in awe. So he was real! I thought he was make-believe, like the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny, the bogey man. Mind you, the j
ury was still out on the Easter bunny. God was nothing like I’d expected. I had expected a tall man, wearing flowing white gowns with sad brown eyes and a beard. A man who would let you climb in his lap and comfort you as he fed you Worther’s Originals.

  He was nothing like that.

  He looked like Mr. Bean. I could see where Satan got his spindly legs and thin frame from. Pity he didn’t have the hair to go with it, I mused.

  “Lilith is planning to start the end of days at Machu Picchu,” Abaddon stated, addressing God.

  “Yes, we got your message.” God picked his teeth with a fingernail. “Today… is that right?” he turned to Satan who nodded in agreement, still swinging his legs back and forth like a child.

  “Then we’re right on schedule!” beamed God, jumping down from the throne and landing spritely in front of us.

  He was wearing what looked like a martial arts outfit with a black belt. He was taller than Satan, but not by much. About five foot, if I had to guess. And he had huge, hairy toes. I wanted to giggle but managed to stifle it behind a cough. Zerachiel glared at me. I don’t suppose laughing at God would help me get my redemption but come on, it was funny!

  God walked across the floor towards a door then turned to face us as if remembering something. “Are you coming or what?” He turned to Satan. “Get off your arse, boy! And feed that damn sheep!” he nodded his head to his left and I turned as said animal baa’d for all it was worth.

  Satan slunk off his seat as God turned to the door, mumbling to himself as he pulled it open.

  “Supposed to be a fatted calf, the stupid bastards! I don’t know! If you want anything done, you have to do it yourself.”

  We followed him into a room that looked very much like an office. A map of worlds on one wall, a globe on the desk. It was the only furniture in the room and it was a very big desk, befitting a God of man, I supposed. I looked again at the map. Worlds?

  “We have to prepare,” said Abaddon, walking right up to, and towering over, God.