The Beloved Fire

  “Holy shit Cain!” She shouted in surprise, as he yelled, “JESUS child watch it!”

  Elijah only laughed.

  “How did you do that?” She stopped talking when she realized that was a stupid question.

  Cain’s brows furrowed, and as he held his martini in the hand resting on the arm of the couch, the other hand landed on his hip. Even from his position curled into the corner of the couch he was able to pull off a sassy attitude.

  “I mean, if you were able to do this the whole time why haven’t you?”

  “Well that.” Cain paused dropping his hand from his hip. “Is simply because earlier, we were team Anock, and according to him, the use of magic around you could potentially ruin the Breaking Ritual. Kind of like the same reason he won’t read your mind.” He stated.

  She thought on that. “Then how did he know about my dream and the garden and stuff? And he whispered in my mind? And he showed me what I did in the hall!?”

  Elijah started to answer her, but stopped, and they looked his way watching him not so successfully try to dodge a bloody footprint, land in it, then squeal. Cain rolled his eyes, flicked his wrists and the blood was gone.

  “Sheesh, you could have done that like ten minutes ago.” She muttered.

  “Really.” Elijah agreed, lifting his way too adorable, way too childish puppy dog slippers up examining the blood on them. Cain did another flick of the wrist and that blood was cleaned too.

  Elijah smiled like a child, then finally answered her. “Well that is thanks to a certain dream walker who had seen your dream and reported it back to Anock. The other two he probably shouldn’t have done, but those things would have only made you trust him more, therefore helped in you falling in love with him.”

  “But isn’t that manipulation?”

  Blake stepped out of the bathroom, walking through a cloud of steam and breaking all conversation. He had on nothing but a pair of basketball looking shorts, which did nothing to hide his bulge. Water droplets trailed down his chest making their way over his six pack abs, coming from his hair that was still wet. She watched as a water droplet navigated his abs, down the V and followed the trail under the front of his shorts. His hair was messier like he ran a towel through it quickly, then fluffed it with his hand. She gulped unable to pull her eyes from his tanned, wet, and dangerously sexy skin.

  “JESUS Blake. Are you trying to kill the poor girl?!” Elijah squealed before flicking out his wrist towards Blake. A white skin-tight shirt appeared, covering his torso and chest, but she could still see his hard pecks and defined stomach line. She glanced away taking another big gulp of her, err, Blake’s whiskey.

  Blake growled his eyes flashing orange before, they went back to blue. “Tell me exactly why you want to help us? And how can we trust you?”

  Apparently it was time to get down to business, not that she minded. The closer they were to hearing out the twins, the closer they were to planning their escape, and then the closer they were to having…She stopped on the thought of sex. Gulped, loud enough for everyone to hear her, then tried to cover it up with a fake cough, before realizing the twins could hear her thoughts anyways. Well, hell.

  The twins laughed.

  Blake sat down to her right, separating her and Cain. He sat close enough that the bare skin of her thigh pressed up against the silk material of his shorts. His leg muscle felt hard, and she could feel the heat through his shorts. She took another big drink. Using all her mite she focused on Elijah, and not the demon who was going to take her virginity, that she anticipated with each passing moment.

  Cain hopped up walking over with a sway of his hips to where Elijah sat, and perched on the arm of the chair, one leg hiked up swinging lazily. Even with Cain gone from the couch, Blake never shifted over. She glanced over at him, but he just sat with his forearms on his thighs leaning forward, staring at the twins. He obviously wasn’t as affected by her presence like she was with his.

  After getting comfortable, Cain finally spoke. “First off, we are done playing defend the castle, and as long as she’s here.” He pointed his martini in Mikayla’s direction. “Realms that disagree with her taking her spot as Queen of Purgatory, will continue to send demons to attack and kill her. I for one do not like getting sulfuric smelling, icky thick ass, and nasty blood out of this gorgeous hair.” He reached up with his free hand patting lightly at his perfect hair. She rolled her eyes.

  “Plus.” Elijah said, starting to pat his own hair. All she could do was shake her head, these two were something else.

  “If she’s gone. You’re gone too. No more wars, and as much as we love your sexy angry self, Blakey-poo, we would like our job back. Playing the gay make up, dress up, babysitters is kind of a demeaning job for someone of our status. No offense.” He said giving Mikayla a small smile, still holding his offended hand above his heart that made it there in the middle of his explanation.

  She glanced at Blake watching as he clenched and unclenched his fists, making the muscles in his forearms bulge. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she tried not to drool. Blake clenched his jaw flexing that muscle and she remembered how amazing his lips, and jaw felt running along her neck. She sucked in an audible breath forcing herself to look away before knocking back the rest of the whiskey, grateful that the burning sensation temporarily put her raging hormones at ease. At least, for a moment. She shifted closer to the arm of the couch and away from Blake. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything.

  It was clear he was lost in thought. Blake let out an annoyed sigh before sitting back against the couch, crossing his strong arms across his chest, and raising an eyebrow. Even that almost put her in a fit. She jumped up heading for more alcohol.

  “Say we do let you guys in to help us escape. What’s the plan?” She heard Blake ask.

  She looked back as Cain was now pacing in between the chairs and couches.

  “Tomorrow there will be a formal dinner, with the queens and the Watchers. Mikayla will be personally introduced to each. Anock is hoping this dinner will put to rest some of the unease and stop the attacks. Getting attacked by the Chosen is hard enough, but other realms of Hell attacking almost put us at a disadvantage. We have to be able to maintain our numbers for the gates at the mortal realms entrance too. Plus Andronomean was injured during Mikayla’s attack. Somehow just from Mikayla stealing her powers or borrowing them for that little amount of time has put her out of commission and she is one of our strongest fighters.

  “The only thing we can come up with is that whoever Mikayla steals powers from last she keeps a part of those powers for herself, permanently, and the demon is never really recovered. But, that’s just a guess. Regardless we need these attacks to stop and unfortunately Anock’s political dinner I fear won’t go so well in changing minds. During the last meeting with the Watchers, the gatekeepers are already hearing rumors of demons trying to infiltrate this dinner to attack in stealth. Anock has everyone on high alert.”

  Mikayla temporarily forgetting her drink, turned back around reaching for the wine this time, pouring it with shaky hands. It was hard to believe she put a demon like Andronomean out of commission. Her snake form was bigger than the monstrous anacondas she’d seen in movies. For shit sake, one of her fangs was as big as a car! She gulped down the glass she poured in one gulp, starting to pour out another before ditching the glass and bringing the bottle with her back to the couch. This conversation called for all the alcohol.

  Elijah sat up now putting his martini glass, she didn’t know he had, down on the coffee table, talking for the first time in a while. “Our plan is to cause a distraction. We figure a certain little cat can do that just fine. We need to get a necklace from Anock that he wears at all times. It holds a single drop of the king’s blood. This is the last ingredient needed for the ritual to be performed. If we can get it, and destroy it, then it will stall everything, giving us more time to get you both out.”

  Mikayla plopped down on the couch heavily with the wine
sloshing in the bottle and Blake glanced over at her raising an eyebrow. “Thirsty?” He asked.

  She sighed looking him up and down again, clenching her thighs. She took a big swig of wine.

  “You have no idea.” She muttered crossing her legs.

  He scoffed, but she didn’t look at him again. At this rate she was going to jump him, and they had business to handle first.

  “I haven’t seen this necklace on him.” She said, trying to think about what he wore on their date.

  “You wouldn’t have, he made us cast an invisibility spell on it so others couldn’t see it and try and take it.” Elijah said.

  “Then how will you know he has it on?” She countered still slightly shocked that he just casually said invisibility spell.

  “However, we made it so we could still see it.” Cain said with a naughty smile.

  A small laugh escaped her, yeah, it sounded like something they would do.

  “And how is Alex supposed to create such a grand distraction that Anock won’t simply just kill the poor girl if she pisses him off?” Blake asked, and her hackles raised immediately. If anyone touched that little girl, she would lay into them.

  The glass of the wine bottle suddenly felt hot and she gasped dropping it more from shock than pain, watching it fall to the floor and shatter as red wine splashed up and scattered across the wood flooring, couch and her legs. She looked at the mess only for a minute before looking down at her now glowing red hands. Turning them palm up she examined them closely wondering if they were going to catch fire. They didn’t feel hot, she had only felt the heat from them, due to the glass she was touching.

  “MIKAYLA!” Her head snapped up, her eyes locking with Blake’s frantic looking yellow eyes. When did he move, and what color did yellow mean?

  He shook her slightly and the rushing inside her head she didn’t realize was there, faded and sound filtered back through her ears. Blake gently shook her shoulders continuing to stare deep in her eyes as she saw from her peripheral vision the red glow die down.

  “There.” One of the twins said.

  Blake’s eyes turned blue and she saw the wine had been cleaned up. She cleared her throat and blinked a few times to get her bearings. Blake sat back down next to her running a hand up and down her back. She knew it was in attempt to calm her, but it just made her feel embarrassed about needing to be coddled.

  “I wish I could get this power shit under control.” She said quietly but knew everyone in the room heard her.

  “You not having your power shit in control is the exact reason we know Anock won’t kill or hurt Alex in front of you. Just the thought of him hurting a child had your temper flared. You still have angel in you. You will still care about the health and wellbeing of those around you, even if you don’t know them. So yes.” Cain paused sitting down in the armchair across from where she sat giving both she and Blake a solid look. “We may be using Alex as a distraction, but we also know that she’ll be fine.

  Blake sighed in annoyance. “You never explained what distraction she’s supposed to be doing for you to get physical hands on Anock and take the necklace.”

  Elijah cleared his throat.

  “We are going to have her mess with Fellen.” He said, looking down quickly and away like he was embarrassed. She looked to Blake whose expression grew dangerous and dark.

  “You are sending a little five-year-old girl to fuck with the demon of emotions!? The same damn demon who has been attacking our realm the past week!? Have you lost your mind?” Blake yelled standing up, heading for the liquor.

  “Yeah it sounds bad but like we said, we need to get hands on Anock. He will be wanting to please her the most. He’ll be walking on eggshells around her. If something even seems like it may piss her off, he’ll be heading right there and drop his guard. It will give us the time we need to get the necklace!” Cain protested defending his position before jumping up and following Blake.

  Blake now with drink turned towards Cain.

  “And there isn’t any other way to stop this ritual?” Blake asked, and she was immediately confused, didn’t he say…

  The sound of glass breaking brought her from her thoughts and she watched as Cain’s martini glass crashed to the floor.

  “WHAT THE HELL?” Cain shouted prissily at Blake, who was walking back towards the couch, with his normal brooding look on his face. She missed what had happened but by the look of it, Blake shoulder checked Cain bumping the glass from his hand, making him drop it.

  Blake gave her a stern look when he sat back down but only for a second. She was about to ask what his deal was, but Ander had given her that look plenty of times when they had gotten into trouble growing up, it was the look that said shut up. She immediately wanted to face palm herself realizing why he wanted her to be quiet even though she hadn’t spoken, the twins could read minds. But how had he known she was thinking about that?

  “Why do you have to be such a grumpy bitch all the time Blake?” Cain said with a different drink. A laugh burst out of her before she could stop it, and Blake flashed red annoyed eyes at her.

  The new drink Cain had made looked like orange juice in a tall glass and had a toothpick umbrella with fruit hanging out the top. She tilted her head wondering what he was drinking and no sooner the thought entered her mind, then an identical drink appeared on the coffee table in front of her.

  “You will love that, it’s delicious.” Elijah said to her.

  She reached for it as Cain looked Blake dead in the eye looking down his nose at him before saying, “But none for the grumpy bitch.” She giggled again, and Cain winked at her.

  Elijah cleared his throat, and everyone looked at him, the moment of silliness passing. “There is no other way that we know of.”

  “Then how did you know what our plans were?” Blake countered

  “Because shithead, we can read minds. When we finally busted through your little magic wall, which we still need to discuss how the hell you got warlock powder, we heard Mikayla’s mind wondering how you were going to rescue her.” Elijah said crossing his legs rolling his eyes.

  She heard Blake slowly release his breath and she concentrated on the drink to keep her mind clear, it was obvious Blake didn’t want them to know about their full discussion in the bathroom.

  “So it’s just simple as that?” She asked tasting the sweet mango flavored drink.

  “Yup.” Cain and Elijah said together at once.

  Blake scoffed. “Let’s hope so.”

  They’d stopped in Las Vegas for the night at a small motel on the edge of town just ten minutes before Ander needed to leave. He set Ben and Anita up in their room, making sure they were comfortable before leaving to meet with two fellow soldiers that would guard them. He knew they would be in good hands but still worried about leaving them so exposed.

  Cassiel and Tagos showed up just in time to give a reassuring wave as Ander walked to the back of the motel and out of site to take off. He rounded the building into the dark, empty alley catching site of a figure not ten feet in front of him that held big white wings and a set look of destruction; maybe he wouldn’t be leaving after all.

  Ander stopped in his place feeling the familiar ache in his back from being threatened and stood still waiting for the angel to make his move. Instead of the angel attacking, he retreated taking off into the sky. Ander knew this could be a diversion, a trap, but opened his wings and flew high in spite of it.

  Catching up easily, he saw who it was. “What is the meaning of this James?”

  James evened his wings out, slowing his ascent and gliding high above the glow of city lights. “I need to talk to Samuel. You’re not getting her out unless we find the relic.”

  Ander wasn’t sure what he was talking about, why would, he come to Ander saying he needed to talk to his father. He had a feeling James was stalling him from getting to Mikayla, he decided to ask him instead of wondering.

  “Why?” He paused for effect, letting only the sound
of their beating wings fill the silence. When James continued to stare, Ander tried again. “Why are you doing this? Why stall me? I thought you loved Mikayla. Let me help get her out, leave us and go running back to your hole in the ground you traitor!”

  James smiled at this and shook his head. “We are just shadows amongst these hills brother nothing more, you and I don’t matter, never did, never will. We are the pawns of heaven and hell and the invisible beings of mortals. Don’t blame me for thinking of a way to make Mikayla happy. This will save her.”

  Ander looked deep at him, studying his aura. It shined bright white one minute, and black the next. His allegiance was back and forth, in a struggle.

  “What is this about? You are not the same, and you’re not making sense. What happened?”

  James came to a stop hovering over the clouds. “This is about the relic, about the ritual, and about how my brother and I came to an agreement until we could get Mikayla out. You see, we both love her…and this was the only way.”

  Ander slowly circled James, studying him. “I can’t get you to Samuel, but you can get yourself to your mother. I will be leaving now. Cassiel and Tagos guard her earth parents so there will be no use in trying anything there. I don’t know what’s going on with you but bother someone else.”

  Ander turned taking off with all the speed he could to meet Gabriel, he was late and couldn’t bear the thought of not being there when they saved Mikayla, even if that meant revealing himself to her. He wasn’t sure what was going on with James, but he needed to put him out of his mind and concentrate on the task at hand. There was sure to be an epic battle, he needed to be in the right state of mind for it. He’d trained to fight like all his brothers and sisters, but it’d been so long since he had. He’d need full concentration.

  The sound of beating wings catching up to him made him look back expecting James, only to find a blackness blind him and the sensation of a net encasing him without warning. He could feel that his wings were bound and he struggled to break free of the cloth surrounding his body. He screamed out, the feeling of hurtling towards earth took over, but it was short lived. The more he struggled and screamed the more a potent smell assaulted his senses. Soon his muscles grew weak, and before long, he passed out.