Feisty Heroines Romance Collection of Shorts

by D. F. Jones

  Jael pulled Alerian down the steps with him, dragging her until they stood facing Anael. Jael nodded, dismissing the guards. He yanked her against his side, clasping her waist so tightly she had to steel herself against the pain.

  “You have always followed your own fucking ‘that’s wrong, this is right’ rules, Anael. For whatever reason, I never found the damned playbook, let alone understood you.” He absently caressed Alerian’s hair, making her cringe. “If anyone else had done what you did, I would have had him killed and cut him into pieces. Yet, you have the nerve to stand before me as if you’ve done nothing wrong.”

  Anael’s gaze slowly slid from his brother to her, but there was still no emotion in his features. “We should be having this conversation in private.”

  Jael wound her hair around his fist, intensifying her headache. “No, I think we need her. When I gave you your orders in private, you didn’t listen. I saw the way you looked at her the first time you saw her. You didn’t even know I was watching, but I never thought you would allow one of the Appointed to come between you and your duty, let alone a woman who would just as likely cut you down with her sword as look at you.”

  “I told you there was no need to kill the Appointed high priest.”

  “That self-righteous bastard had our father killed, Anael! How can we have shared the same womb and see the world so differently?” Without awaiting a response from Anael, Jael glanced at Alerian again, then returned his focus to his brother. “What were you planning to do with her? Keep her in the Forbidden Zone?”

  Anael glanced at her, then locked gazes with his brother, remaining silent.

  “Guards!” Jael yelled, continuing to hold onto her. “Take him back.”

  When the guards started to walk away with Anael chained between them, Jael shoved her toward them. “Here. Take her, too. Her brother, Raguel, will be taken care of despite my brother’s betrayal. Then, she will be of no consequence.”

  Alerian closed her eyes, silencing the raging fury before it drove her to do something foolish, like kill Jael and get herself killed in the process. She felt relieved to get away from him, biding her time. He didn’t seem as evil as she had expected, but his touch revealed a mind ravaged by chaotic thoughts and emotions – the consciousness of psychosis. There was no room to doubt Jael’s insanity. His pain and anger made him volatile, and the fact that he kept his madness hidden just below the surface meant he was not to be underestimated.

  Chapter 6

  “You lied to me.” Alerian glared at Anael, pressing her nails into her palms until the pain was too great to continue. She preferred the physical pain to the new, heartrending realization that she cared much more for him than she wanted to.

  “I did not lie. I simply withheld information.”

  “A lie of omission is no less a lie.”

  “I didn’t tell you everything because I knew you would never trust me if I did.”

  “Oh, and I’m supposed to trust you now?”

  “In case you hadn’t noticed, High Priestess, we are both in chains, not just you. I had no more control over how or where I was born than you did. Just because I am of the Fallen line does not mean I am evil, and just because Jael is my twin does not mean I agree with him. I left my compound and spent years in the Forbidden Zone so that I could come to you when you needed me most. Jael sent me to infiltrate your compound and kill your father and Raguel. Once they had been killed, he wanted to do with you as he pleased, but I could never allow that to happen. I did not know he sent another after me, the one who carried out the mission when I failed to report back to him.”

  They turned away from one another as two guards approached.

  Alerian’s emotions ran the gamut between fury over Jael’s audacity and adoration for Anael as she absorbed the information he had just given her, but there were still questions left unanswered.

  “Commander,” the largest guard greeted Anael, his dark eyes glancing at Alerian before placing a key in the heavy iron gate.

  “Israfil,” Anael called the guard by name.

  “What are you—?” Before the second guard could finish his question, Israfil shoved him against the gate. As if the two of them had devised the plan beforehand, Anael reached through the bars, wrapped his hands around the second guard’s neck, and strangled him.

  The entire incident happened so fast, Alerian barely had time to digest it. During their short time together, he had become more than an assassin to her, but watching him kill so easily without emotion quickly reminded her.

  Israfil propped the guard’s body against the gate and finished unlocking it, freeing Anael. The two men then lifted the other guard’s body and placed it inside the cell.

  Alerian could hear the two men speaking in hushed tones, but she couldn’t make out their words.

  They both turned and looked at her, then Anael told Israfil to release her while he removed the dead soldier’s swords and knives.

  She stepped out, glancing at Anael in awe, but there was no time to ask questions.

  Israfil directed them to a hallway behind the cells, then through a section of the compound she had not seen.

  “This section is not as heavily guarded,” Anael explained, grabbing her hand as the three of them descended the steps leading to a dungeon-like area beneath the compound.

  Just as Alerian started to think she couldn’t believe they were getting away so easily, a wall of guards appeared. She blinked in disbelief when the guards gave Anael a wide berth, obviously allegiant to him.

  “Commander,” they echoed, each one falling in line to assist.

  “Gather the others,” Anael ordered Israfil and one of the other guards, sending them in the opposite direction. He then took two swords from one of the soldiers and handed them to her.

  She nodded, placing the swords at her back between her wings. She hadn’t forgotten her mission, to kill the Fallen who had murdered her father.

  The rest of them continued underground until Alerian thought the compound would never end. None of the guards seemed surprised by her presence, nor were they reluctant to help her, but they did seem particularly careful not to touch her, leaving that privilege to Anael alone. Watching him in action ignited the now familiar roll and clench at her core, and warmth suffused her body as she relished celebrating with him once they managed to overcome the danger they faced.

  “Israfil says the Fallen who murdered your father were dispatched to kill Raguel before he reached the council meeting,” Anael said, “but I advised your brother to take more guards with him because I realized he was still in danger after your father’s murder. The Fallen were intercepted by Appointed soldiers and killed.”

  “Thank you” was all Alerian managed to say as they exited the compound on the outside of the surrounding stone wall, and once again, guards greeted them. Alerian sensed the tension before Anael told her the guards were not his. Almost simultaneously, the two of them directed the soldiers to back up and stay close to the wall, using it as cover.

  Before another word was uttered, arrows from above came toward them, but the distance was enough to keep them safe.

  Alerian released her wings, twisting as she lifted herself from the ground, a golden tornado rising against the wall. When she heard swords clashing above her, she knew that Anael had anticipated the attack from above and sent Israfil to flank the archers and overtake them.

  Following their partial victory, the soldiers took flight, swooping down on their remaining enemies, men they had once fought beside.

  So far, Alerian had not seen any other female soldiers.

  Israfil remained but did not approach her. Instead, he seemed to be watching for additional threats.

  Upon reaching the roof, Alerian did not see Jael until out of nowhere, an arrow cut through her right wing, immobilizing her just long enough for Jael to advance, carrying his sword. Forcing the pain down, she used her left arm and slid one of the swords from her back.

  “Jael!” She heard An
ael call out. “Don’t do this. This has always been between us.” Apparently, Anael had followed her, landing on the roof beside her.

  Jael did not respond. Instead, he reached down and placed his sword on the ground, lifting the bow and arrow from one of the dead soldiers, then aimed and directed another arrow at Alerian’s wings.

  Lifting her unharmed wing, she managed to avoid the arrow, but when she turned, Anael stood, aiming an arrow at his brother.

  Alerian felt the gravity of the look passing between the two brothers, their lifelong battle boiling down to this moment, and the outcome flashed before her seconds before it became a reality.

  Both of them took a shot, Anael only milliseconds before his brother. Anael hit his target, a direct hit in the center of his twin’s head.

  Anael turned to face Alerian, lowering the bow to his side. His eyes were devoid of emotion – no sorrow, no remorse – and Alerian saw the little boy. She had an overwhelming compulsion to hold him as long as he would allow it.

  He walked over to her, gingerly touching her injured wing, then bent and lifted her into his arms. “You should not put stress on this wing. I’ll take you to the healer.”

  Leaving Israfil in charge with orders to bring the rest of his supporters, including women and children, to the Appointed compound as soon as things were in order, he took flight, lifting Alerian into the midnight sky with him as if she were a small child.

  “There is something I must tell you,” Anael said. “My mission and my brother’s were never the same. I wanted this.” He moved his hand from her to him to clarify his meaning. “An alliance…of sorts. Not all of the Fallen are evil. Some of us, like you, believe in the possibility of redemption.”

  “Is that the only reason you wanted to be with me, this ‘alliance’? You just killed your twin brother without so much as a frown, Anael. Did that mean nothing to you? Do you feel anything?”

  The powerful swoosh of Anael’s wings and the sound of his voice offered a momentary sense of peace despite what was to come. “I could not let him kill you,” he said, streaking across the sky.

  After a brief pause, he continued, his huge blue wings carrying them swiftly through the starlit night. “The first time I saw you was in the battle over the Forbidden Zone three years ago. You were the first and only woman I had ever seen in active battle, and you were breathtaking. You are breathtaking. To you, I was just another one of the Fallen, scourge of the earth, but now I know I fell in love with you that day. You ask me if I feel anything. My father once told me if Jael and I were not identical, he would have believed the Appointed magically implanted me in my mother’s womb for the sole purpose of betraying him. That is exactly what I did but I had no choice, just as I had no choice tonight. He and my brother were evil men. I was born for this, Alerian, for you.”

  His words warmed her heart, but they faced more urgent matters. “When we reach the compound, we need to save as many Nephilim as we can. The rain will return, and this time it will not stop until nearly every living thing on Earth is extinguished. I know how this sounds, but I have foreseen the devastation taking place. We must leave here and travel to a place with two moons.”

  Chapter 7

  By the time they reached the Appointed compound, the rain had started again, flooding the area.

  Raguel, some of the soldiers, and the healer hovered above the compound while dead bodies littered the grounds, floating on the rushing waters.

  Alerian realized they were too late to save most of the women and children who had been nestled underground where it had always been safest…until now.

  Anael carried Alerian to Raguel.

  Her brother hovered with tear-filled eyes. “I was too late to save them,” he said, his voice thick with tears. “They trusted me to take care of them, and I wasn’t here to protect them.”

  Alerian reached out and touched his face, resting her palm at his jaw. “Even you cannot be in two places at once, brother. You will be the greatest high priest we have ever known, but now we must leave here.”

  Relying on the visions that had plagued her for months, Alerian led the remaining Appointed soldiers through the clouds until they could no longer see the rain, moon, or stars.

  Israfil, Anael’s soldiers, and the Fallen women and children who supported their dream of redemption trailed behind until they reached a point where they could go no farther, but the moment Raguel and the Appointed saw them, the sound of metal against metal alerted Alerian as the Appointed drew their swords.

  It was then that everything became clear to Alerian. “Stop! No more fighting amongst one another. As a wise man recently taught me, it is not where or how we were born that determines whether or not we are evil, but our beliefs and actions. They helped save my life.”

  She summoned the fire, then gazed at Anael and Raguel as flames filled her eyes.

  Raguel frowned but ordered his soldiers to sheathe their swords.

  Alerian released the flames with a loud whoosh!

  A wall of fire appeared, burning for several minutes before dissipating.

  Beyond the wall, she saw her vision in reality as hushed sounds of amazement swept the Nephilim behind her. They saw it too, the land of two moons. Striking purple, fuchsia, and gold greeted them with bright green mountains and flatlands, silvery blue waters, and plants in colors they had never seen before. “This is Orlos,” she announced. “Our new home.”

  After instructing Anael to set her down in a patch of grass, she turned to Raguel, clasping his right hand in her left, then took Anael’s hand in her right to form a circle.

  Anael smiled, his blue eyes gleaming as he gazed down at her. He then announced, “The High Priestess and I will be mated as soon as arrangements are made. Our union will provide a new beginning.”

  Alerian picked up where he left off. “Our enemies are the demons who defy the One God and attempt to destroy his beloved humans. Together, we have a chance of redemption. From this day, we are to be called Orlosians, named for this wondrous place the One God has led us to.”

  Raguel leaned over, whispering in her ear. “I trust you above all others because you have seldom been wrong, but you have a great deal of explaining to do this time, my beloved sister.” He then smiled, nodding when everyone turned to him as if seeking his approval.

  As the Orlosians cheered, embracing one another and taking to the colorful sky in celebration of their new home, Anael wrapped Alerian in his arms and kissed her until she saw stars again.

  She knew they had a great deal of work ahead of them, but with Raguel’s good heart and caring nature, her brother would become the best high priest they had ever known, and Anael’s rule-based, iron-fisted justice provided the perfect complement to this new beginning. She gazed at the fascinating man beside her. In the past, no one could have told her she would ever love or trust another man besides her father and brother, but she was happy that Anael had proved her wrong.

  About Dariel Raye

  Dariel Raye is a USA TODAY Bestselling, READERS’ FAVORITE Award-winning author of paranormal romance/urban fantasy and psychological thrillers. She also recently started a sweet Christmas romance series. As an animal lover, artist, musician, and mental health therapist, her life tends to be busy and filled with real-life stories to fire her imagination. Whenever she finds a rare block of free time, she spends it reading and playing with her precious German Shepherd/Pitbull mix rescue.

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  “Bruce, if you keep pacing around like a caged bird, you’ll wear a hole in the floor.”

  Serafina, his mate and mother-to-be of his precious little bundle, lay stretched out on the sofa, reading as she rubbed her growing belly. Confident and content, she’d come a long way since they’d first met, from defeated rogue Phoenix on the run to the fiery goddess she’d always been on the inside. Now, he was the one pacing the floors with restless, unspent energy.

  Talk about role reversals. This was very unlike him and unbecoming of the Prince of the American Sylph.

  “You need something to do,” she said, not even bothering to look up from her reading. Gods, she knew him so well. He was damned lucky to have her and grateful for each and every passing day since she’d returned to him, reborn from the ashes of Phoenix fire and carrying their child.

  He should be happy. He was happy, damn it. So why was he so agitated?

  “Bruce?”

  He stopped pacing and focused on his mate. Sera’s gaze was full of affection that almost masked her worry. She couldn’t hide her feelings from him, of course. His empathetic Sylph sense was strong, both a blessing and a curse. “You shouldn’t worry, little sparrow. It’s bad for the baby. I’ll be fine.”

  “I know,” she said, smiling at his term of endearment. Such an understatement for a woman who was a powerful force of nature. “You’ll be fine as soon as you get out there into the wide world and use your gifts for good. I promise I’ll be here when you get back. Me and the little one I’m growing.”