by G. Bailey
“He doesn’t know. His dad won’t tell him, but he was living with humans until recently,” Freddy tells me.
“I’m going to find Mich,” Freddy says, reminding me of the deaf wolf that Freddy made friends with. Seems they are still friends.
“Is Mich a half, too?” I ask Freddy, just having a feeling.
“Yes. His dad was a witch, how did you know?”
“A feeling,” I say, and Freddy hugs me before walking away.
“Keep an eye on who you make friends with, son,” Wyatt tells him, and he turns around at the end of the corridor.
“Careful, you’re starting to sound nice, vamp,” Freddy laughs before walking away, and I look up at Wyatt who is trying not to laugh as he watches where Freddy was. They are very alike.
“It’s weird you have a child, a child that’s not mine,” I blurt out my thoughts, and then cough realising what I just said.
“Does it bother you?”
“Sometimes, I’m jealous of Demi, that she had your love first. That she had your children first, and then I realise I’m jealous of someone who is dead. I just can’t help how I feel,” I admit, what I’ve never really said to him. He takes my hand and leads us out onto the balcony, and shuts the glass doors behind us. I look over the woods from the balcony, the very place that reminds me of my first date with Atti and loving the pots of flowers someone has placed out here.
“What I felt for Demi . . . well, I never want to admit it to Freddy, but it wasn’t love. I know that now, but back then, I didn’t. It was lust and tiredness of everyone in my home that was so fake towards me. The countless vampires my father tried to make me mate to. The countless humans and vampires I watched him kill. It was just a chance to be happy. I know this because I never felt for her, an ounce of what I feel for you. Nothing in my life compares to how I feel for you, you’re so much more, Winter,” he says gently, his dark eyes willing me to believe him.
“I don’t want you to just say that,” I whisper.
“I’m not. You will understand one day soon that I love you so much that I would die for you. I would do anything to keep you safe,” he tells me and looks away, watching something out in the skies. I know how he feels because I would do the same for him, but more. I would do anything to just have a life with him, with my other mates. I feel like every one of them ran away with my heart the moment we met, and I wouldn’t ever chase them for it. It’s theirs.
“You won’t have to die for me, no one will,” I say firmly.
“You mean the prophecy?” he asks, and I nod as he steps in front of me, then I look up at him.
“Someone might die, Winter, and you need to accept that, but it won’t be you,” he says and tilts my chin with his finger and gently kisses me.
“The last sentence of the prophecy was ‘Her saviour will die when the choice is made’. I don’t have an idea who that is, but it can’t come true. There has been too much loss,” I whisper the end part.
“Then we will make sure that part doesn’t come true, but we have an entire race of angels to win over first, My Queen,” he tells me and gently kisses my forehead as he pulls me to him. I rest my head on his chest, and relax in the safety of his arms.
“Are you going to announce your place as king soon?” I ask Wyatt after we wordlessly hold each other for a long time, the cold wind blowing around us, but it doesn’t matter as everything feels safe in his arms.
“Before the war I will, and I will announce Freddy as my heir. He is already heir to the wolf throne, but it will give him extra protection. Is that okay with you?” he asks, and I love him more for asking me. Not that he needs to, I would do anything to keep Freddy safe.
“Yes. I see him as family. I hope one day he sees me like that, too,” I reply.
“He already does, Winter. It’s how he looks at you, you two were drawn to each other from the very start,” he says and lets me go. He walks over and opens the door. I look back at the sun setting over the sky, and the way it sends oranges and reds across the sky. It’s so beautiful, like the peace before the storm.
11
Winter
“Remember to stay close, no matter what happens,” Atti tells me as I slide my hand into his, and my other hand is held tightly in Dabriel’s grip. I can feel the worry through our bond from all my mates. They all don’t like this, and I have to admit I don’t, either, but we can’t leave the angels alone until the council knows everything. Apparently, Lucifer can show the council members if they won’t let me show them my memories. The guys decided to all come today with three angels as well as Leigha who demanded to protect me when she heard what we were doing.
“Time to see my home, Winter,” Dabriel says gently, and I nod, squeezing his hand and keeping my eyes locked on his as Atti moves us all with his power. When we get there, the first thing I notice is the loud noise, a ringing noise that makes me want to put my hands on my ears, but both my hands are held in the tight grip of my mates. When I look away from Dabriel, I almost wish I hadn’t when I see all the bodies on the ground in front of me and the destroyed building we are standing in. Two demons run at us, not stopping once as they kick the angel’s bodies out of the way. Atti lifts his hand, calling his fire and destroying them before they even get close. There are bodies everywhere, of all ages, and sickness fills my mouth.
“Over there,” Lucifer says, getting our attention, and we look up to see a bunch of angels in the air, avoiding the arrows the demons on the ground are shooting at them. Most of them are holding children and trying to fly away. This place must have once been beautiful as I look around at the small houses, but all there is now is blood and more death. The demon king didn’t send his army here to help them or work with them, he came to kill them all.
“We need to save them, stay here,” Dabriel says and lets my hand go, flying over with three angels that came with us. I glance over as Leigha and Wyatt come to my side, and Atti keeps me close as we look around. What once must have been a beautiful building is now just pieces of rock, and I see a painting on the floor under the rubble, only the head of a handsome angel with a white crown can be seen. I take a guess that that was Dabriel’s father, the old king.
“We need to help them,” I tell Atti, who looks over at the angels fighting and back to me.
“Stay close, I don’t think the demon king is here now, but he could come back,” Atti tells me. I know the demon king isn’t here, this is just a game to him, and he wouldn’t waste his time. I doubt he would leave the portal now, knowing that’s the only way to keep himself safe.
“I’m going to shift, makes it easier to kill them,” Jaxson tells me, and hands his sword to Wyatt before his clothes shred away, and he shifts into his giant, black wolf. Jaxson’s wolf presses against my side just before we all start walking. I pull one of my daggers out of my belt, holding it at my side and my other hand is in Atti’s as we approach the massive group of demons. There are so many angel bodies at their feet, and just behind them are a big group holding off the demons, with what looks like women and children behind them. They are all a mix of white and black wings as they fight, holding each other off.
“I have an idea,” I say and step in front of Atti, pulling my power and sending it out like a shockwave towards the group of demons. My blue wave of power hits them one by one, and they disappear into blue dust. It even pushes some of the demons that escape the wave into the angels. The angels make quick work of killing the remaining demons as Jaxson rushes forward and starts helping them by ripping the demons to shreds with his paws and teeth.
“Your power works against them,” Atti whispers.
“I can’t do it again, it takes too much,” I tell him breathlessly, as I glance over at the twenty or so demons that are still left, but Jaxson is making a good go at killing the demons brave enough to come near us.
“That’s what your kings are for,” Wyatt says and lifts both his swords, and runs towards the demons. Jaxson runs over at his side and Leigha smirks at me before following t
hem, throwing knifes at the demons that get close. I glance up to see Dabriel fighting with an angel, and I catch a glance at his face, recognising him from the meal.
“What’s Dabriel’s brother’s name?” I ask Atti, who is looking up as well.
“Zadkiel,” Atti tells me, just as Dabriel tackles Zadkiel to the ground right in front of us. They both get up quickly, both of them weapon-less from the fall.
“You got them all killed, thousands of them must have died because of you. You are their prince, and you betrayed them all. I always knew you were a selfish bastard, but this . . . this is unbelievable even for you!” Dabriel shouts as he holds Zadkiel up by his white shirt and throws him across the field.
“No! Govan did!” Zadkiel shouts back as he stands up, and Dabriel shakes his head, the cuts on his face disappearing.
“Where is Govan? What do you mean?” Dabriel asks, but his tone is so sharp, I doubt that he believes a word his brother says, and I don’t blame him.
“Dead. I killed him when he told the demon king where we lived. I never told him that, I just wanted an alliance for my people,” Zadkiel says and glances at me. The fear in his eyes when he sees me is clear, and it almost makes me want to attempt to kill him myself. I don’t know if his words are true, but he knew the demon king couldn’t be trusted. You should never make a deal with the devil. I grew up knowing that and even most humans wouldn’t be stupid enough to make the decisions he did.
“They are not your people, and they will never be.”
“You’re not going to kill me, brother,” Zadkiel laughs.
“I am, and then I’m taking my throne. I’m going to kill you for treason. I’m going to kill you because I don’t believe a damn word that comes out of your mouth. I hope the Goddess forgives you when you die,” Dabriel says, his words echoing around.
“It wasn’t me!” Zadkiel protests, his worried eyes glancing between Dabriel and me.
“As a child, you always blamed Govad for your mistakes, and it seems like nothing has changed. You want the throne, then fight me for it!” Dabriel shouts, and calls his marks, which glow on his skin so brightly that I can barely look at him. I glance behind them both to see the battle is over, and Wyatt is walking back to us, unharmed and throws a sword each to Dabriel and Zadkiel.
“Good luck, my brother,” Wyatt says as Dabriel lifts Jaxson’s green, metal sword and swings it around his hand a few times. He clearly knows how to use it.
“What is left of the angels is here to witness this fight. Whoever wins takes the throne, and as a member of the council, I decree it,” Lucifer says after he flies down and lands next to me. The rest of the hundred, or so, angels stand behind Wyatt, Jaxson, and Leigha on the other side of the fight.
“Don’t, you can’t interfere. Believe in your mate,” Atti whispers when I try to take a step forward as Dabriel smiles at me. He mouths “I love you,” and I do the same. I watch as both Dabriel and Zadkiel bow low and then lift their swords.
“I remember beating you in sword lessons, you never had that skill, Dabriel,” Zadkiel taunts and does some complicated show with his sword before dropping into an attack position.
“No, I just refused to kill innocent angels for fighting practise, like you did. Always trying to prove something to someone, Zadkiel. What were you looking for in the demon king?” Dabriel asks, and I watch as Zadkiel’s face tightens in anger.
“Do I get your pretty, little, demon bitch to fuck when I become king? Does she come with the throne?” Zadkiel asks, and Dabriel charges at him as I hear Jaxson’s wolf growl and feel Atti tighten his grip on my hand. I watch as Dabriel strikes hit after hit on Zadkiel who is only defending from the hits and not getting any of his own in. Dabriel slashes a cut across Zadkiel’s leg. I watch as fear fills Zadkiel’s eyes, and he tries to fly away, but Dabriel grabs his injured leg and slams him onto the ground. I watch as Dabriel lifts his sword and swings it down on Zadkiel who doesn’t move as his head is cut off. The fight is quick, and it wasn’t even a fight at all. There was no chance for Zadkiel; Dabriel would never have let him get away with speaking to me like that.
“King Dabriel wins,” Lucifer shouts out, and Dabriel stands straighter, throwing his sword on the floor and walking over to me. Dabriel pulls me into a kiss the moment he can, and there’s silence as he breaks away from me, linking our hands.
“We have a place that is safe, and we will bring back witches to bring you there. War is coming, and we need angels to help win this. We will never win this apart, now what do you say?”
“May the queen and her kings rule true,” a male angel shouts out, and then the rest of the angels repeat the words.
“My Queen,” Dabriel says to me gently before he kisses me once more.
12
Winter
“You are no God,” Demtra’s cold-sounding voice flitters through my mind as I open my eyes and see my own bedroom, but it’s from the past, when it was my grandmother’s bedroom. Elissa’s body is on the ground where I have a rug now, blood pouring out of her mouth and stomach. I look up to see Demtra and the demon king standing close together, just outside the door. The demon king has some kind of white ward wrapped around his body, so he can’t move, and only his head is visible.
“Does it matter? Your poor, little sister is dead, all her mates are dead, and I’m going to find my daughter,” the demon king sneers, and Demtra laughs.
“It does matter,” she says and lifts the silver circle that opened the portal and drops it on the floor between them. The demon screams as Demtra slams a dagger into her stomach and falls to the ground, her blood slowly making its way to the silver circle. When it touches it, the blue portal opens, spreading and pulling the demon king into it as he screams but he can’t move because of the white ward. There’s silence as the blue portal sinks back into the silver circle, and Demtra picks it up. I try to move closer, but as usual, I can’t do anything but watch.
“Only one of my blood can open it. Only my blood can close it, it can only be closed with a death,” she says, her hand glowing white over the silver ring, and it’s clear that her words are a spell of some kind. That they are meant to stop anyone using it to bring the demon king back, but it’s too late for that. There’s only one person who can die to close it now, and that’s me. There isn’t anyone else with her blood left.
“No,” I shout, watching as she dies, and her lifeless eyes meet mine. I glance between Elissa and Demtra, seeing them both dead and knowing all of the ancestors are dead in this castle too. So much death, and for what? For me to just open the portal and let him back in, it feels like I’m repeating the same mistakes that my family did before me. As the silence of the castle, and the death around me hits me, all I want to do is wake up, but I can’t. I watch as a girl runs into the room, her brown hair is curly, and I would guess she is a vampire from how pale she is.
“Demtra, Elissa . . .,” the woman says, walking slowly into the room with tears falling down her face.
“It’s too late, I’m too late,” the woman whispers, falling to her knees and taking the silver circle off Demtra.
“Erina,” a man with curly, blond hair says as he runs into the room and stops at the sight of the bodies and Erina on her knees. I watch as she closes Demtra’s eyes and stands up, holding a hand up to stop the man from walking over to her.
“We have her child, and we will keep her safe, you knew we wouldn’t be able to save her Erina.”
“Let’s go back to Isa and your mates, it’s too late.” I hear them talking about my mother, as everything goes black.
“Sleepy head, time to wake up,” Dabriel whispers in my ear, and I snuggle myself further into his side. For a moment, I forget everything we have to worry about and just lie with my mate, after a long night of settling angels into the castle. But, that doesn’t last long as the memories of the war that is coming and the dream haunts my mind. I know it’s me that has to die to stop this, there isn’t any other way. How am I going to get cl
ose enough to the portal and get the demon king through it? I can’t use my power like Demtra did and bind him.
“How are we going to survive this?” I whisper, looking up at Dabriel as he leans over me. The morning light casts a light around his body, and his white hair seems almost too bright to look at. He is amazing to look at, I could spend hours looking at him.
“Together. We will make it,” he tells me and kisses my forehead. I push him back on the bed and climb over him as I kiss him. He groans when I deepen the kiss, and his hands slide up my back, before he shifts us on the bed until I’m underneath him, and I push down his trousers, feeling that he has nothing else on. Dabriel rips my long shirt off me and starts kissing down my neck, to my breasts and spends his time running his hands all over me before kissing me again and sliding inside me.
“Dabriel,” I moan out when he moves fast, every thrust getting me closer to the edge and Dabriel shocks me by rolling us, until I’m on top. He lets me take control as I lean up and he runs his hands over me, pushing me closer. When I speed up, and he groans, I know he is close, and he rolls us once more, taking over and we finish seconds after each other only a few moments later.
“I love you, Winter,” Dabriel says gently as we both get our breaths back.
“I love you too Dab, I always will.”
“You sound like you’re going somewhere, when there is no chance I’m letting you go,” Dabriel says, and I wrap my arms around his chest as he pulls me to his side. He has no idea, I don’t want to go, but I know only a death will win this war, and I won’t let the past repeat itself. My mates won’t die for me.
“Good morning, lass,” Jaxson says when I walk out of the bedroom after having a long shower with Dabriel. Dabriel kisses my cheek as he shuts my bedroom door and walks down the surprisingly quiet corridor.
“Morning to you, too,” I laugh as Jaxson pulls me close and kisses me.