Remembering her unhappiness, she sighed. There were three angelic castes. The Elite Seven, like Lysander, worked directly with the One True Deity. They had been selected at the beginning of time and never wavered in their duties to train other angels and monitor evil happenings. Next were the warriors. They destroyed the demons who managed to escape their fiery prisons. Last were the joy-bringers, as Olivia had once been.
Many of her brethren had experienced instant wing envy at the arrival of the golden downnothing malicious, of coursebut for the first time in her existence, shed been uncertain of her path. Why had she been chosen for such a duty?
Shed loved the job she had. Shed loved whispering beautiful affirmations in human ears, bringing them confidence and pleasure. The thought of hurting another living being, even a deserving one She shuddered.
Thats when she encountered those first thoughts about falling, about starting a new life. Theyd been innocent thoughts, really. What if and maybeAnd when she spied Aeron, those thoughts had intensified. What if they could be together? Maybe they could live happily ever after.
What would it be like to be human?
So by the time the Heavenly High Council, a daunting body composed of angels from each of the three factions, had called her into their tribunal chamber, she had expected to be chastised for her failure to destroy Aeron. Instead, shed received an ultimatum.
Shed stood in the center of a spacious, white room, the ceiling domed, the walls forming a perfect circle. Columns had stretched all around, even the ivy climbing them a stark, pristine white. A throne sat between each of those columns, a regal form perched in every one.
Do you know why you are here, Olivia? a resonant voice had asked.
Yes. Though she trembled, her wings never ceased their graceful glide. They were long and majestic, the feathers a glorious white threaded with moonlit gold. To discuss Aeron of the Underworld.
Weve been patient for weeks, Olivia. The emotionless voice had echoed like a war drum inside her head. Weve given you countless opportunities to prove yourself. You failed each time.
Im not meant to do this, shed replied shakily.
You were. You are. There is no better way to spread joy than to save humans from evil. And that is what you will be doing with the completion of this task. This is your last chance. You will end Aerons life or we will end yours.
The councilors threat hadnt been meant as a cruelty, she knew. That was simply the way of the heavens. A single drop of poison could ruin an ocean, and so every corrosive drop had to be wiped out before hitting the waves. Yet shed protested anyway.
You cannot kill me without the True Deitys blessing. And He would not give it. He was all that was tender and kind. He cared for his people, all of his people. Even wayward angels. Quite simply, He was love.
But we can send you away, ending life as you know it. The speaker had been female, but her voice was no less flat.
For a moment Olivia had had trouble catching her breath, and bright sparks of light had danced around her eyes. Lose her place? Shed just purchased a newer, bigger cloud. Shed promised to take over one of her friends joy-bringing shifts so that he could go on vacationand shed never before broken a promise. Still shed persisted. Aeron isnt evil. He doesnt deserve to die.
That is not for you to decide. He ignored an ancient law and must be punished for it before others think that they can do the same without consequence.
I doubt he even knows what hes done. Shed spread her arms, beseeching. If you would just allow him to see me and hear my voice, I could talk to him and explain
Then we would be ignoring an ancient law.
True. Faith was built on the principle that you believed in what you could not see. Only the Elite Seven were allowed to reveal themselves in the mortal plane, as they were sometimes tasked with rewarding people for that faith.
Im sorry, shed said, head bowed. I should not have asked such a thing of you.
You are forgiven, child, theyd replied in unison.
Forgiveness was always granted so easily here. Well, except when commandments were ignored. Poor Aeron, shed thought, even as shed said, Thank you.
It was justAeron drew her. He looked every inch the demon with his tattooed flesh, yet seeing him for the first time had roused desires inside her that had been too strong to ignore. What would it be like to touch him? What would it be like to be touched by him? Would she finally know the joy she brought to others?
At first, those thoughts had shamed her. And the better shed come to know Aeron, the stronger the desires had becomeuntil falling and being with him had been all she could think about.
Finally, shed told herself it was acceptable to feel so strongly about him because, despite his appearance, despite what the Council said, he was honest and good. And if he was honest and good, she could do the things that he did, and be honest and good, as well. More than that, it would be okay because he, protector that he was, would keep her safe. From others, from herself.
If he were killed, however, she would live the rest of eternity never knowing howexquisite experiencing him in every way could have been. She would regret. She would mourn.
But to save him, from her own hand, at least, meant giving up everything she knew, as the Council had proclaimed. More than losing her home and her wings, however, she would also be stuck in a world where forgiveness was not always granted, patience was rarely rewarded and rudeness was a way of life.
He is your first assassination, so we do understand your reluctance, Olivia. But you cannot allow that reluctance to ruin you. You must rise above it or you will pay the price forevermore. Which will you choose?
That had been the Councils last-ditch effort to save her. Yet she had raised her head and uttered the words that had been churning inside her for all those weeksthe words that led her here. Before fear could change her mind.
I choose Aeron.
Woman?
The hard voice shook Olivia from the past; it was deeper, richer than anyone elses andnecessary. She blinked, her surroundings slowly coming into focus. A bedroom she knew by heart. Spacious, with silver stone walls plastered with portraits of flowers and stars. The floor was composed of dark, polished wood, and draped by a soft pink rug. There was a dresser, a vanity and a young girls lounge.
Many would have scoffed at the fact that this strong, proud warrior possessed such a feminine room, but not Olivia. The furnishings merely proved the depths of Aerons love for his Legion.
Did he have room in his heart for one more?
Her gaze landed on him. Still he stood beside the bed she was sprawled upon, gazing down at her withno emotion, she realized, disappointed. And who could blame him? What a sight she must be. The tears had dried on her cheeks, making her skin feel tight and hot. Her hair hung in tangles, and dirt streaked her exposed skin.
Meanwhile, he looked gorgeous. He was tall and mouthwateringly muscled, with the most amazing violet eyes fringed by long black lashes. His dark hair was cropped nearly to his scalp, and she wondered if the choppy strands would prickle her palm when she caressed them.
Not that he would allow her to caress him.
He was heavily tattooed, even on the perfectly sculpted planes of his face. Each of those tattoos depicted something gruesome. Stabbings, stranglings, burnings, bloodso much bloodeach skeletal face etched in torment. Yet amid all the violence were two sapphire butterflies, one riding his ribs and one outlining the wings on his back.
The other Lords, she had noticed, only had one butterfly tattoo, each a mark of their demon-possession, and shed often wondered why Aeron had the extra. Wasnt as if his body contained two demons or anything.
More than that, he despised weakness. Didnt the butterflies remind him of his folly? For that matter, didnt the other tattoos, the violent ones, remind him of the terrible things his demon had forced him to do?
As for Olivia, why didnt this man repulse her as he would have repulsed any other angel? Why did he continue to fascinate her?
Woman, he repeated, impatient now.
Yes? she managed to croak.
You werent listening to me.
Im sorry.
Who wanted me dead? And why?
Rather than answer, she begged, Sit down, please. Looking up at you like this is straining my neck.
At first, she didnt think he would comply. Then he surprised her by easing to his haunches, his expression gentling. Finally, their gazes were level and she could see that his pupils were dilating. Odd. That usually happened when humans were happy. Or angry. He was neither.
Better? he asked.
Yes. Thank you.
Good. Now answer me.
Such a commander. She didnt mind, though. The reward was too great. Now she could drink in the wonderfully wicked sight of him without effort, while talking to him as shed dreamed of doing all these weeks. The Heavenly High Council wants you dead because you helped a demon escape from hell.
He frowned. My Legion?
His Legion? Olivia nodded, winced. Pain wasnt something shed ever experienced beforementally or physicallyand she wasnt sure how she was withstanding it. Lucidly, at least.
Or maybe she did know. Humans produced adrenaline and other hormones, which numbed them somewhat. Maybe she was producing those things, too, human that she now was. More and more, she began to feel pleasantly distanced from her new body and its unfamiliar aches and emotions.
I dont understand. Legion had already crawled free by the time we met. I did nothing to earn anyoneswrath. His mouth tightened on that last word.
Actually, you did. Without you, she wouldnt have been able to reach the surface because she was bound to the underground.
I still dont understand.
Olivias eyelids, suddenly heavy and seemingly laced with sandpaper, closedoh, to discuss something elsebut she forced them to reopen. For the most part, demons are able to leave hell only when theyre summoned to earth. Its a little loophole we didnt catch until too late. Anyway, when theyre summoned, their bond with hell breaks and in its place they become bound to the summoner.
But again, I didnt summon Legion. She came to me.
Maybe you didnt consciously summon her, but the moment you accepted her as yours, it was as if youd done so.
He flexed and unflexed his hands, a gesture she knew he made while trying to get himself under control. Perhaps he was angry. She has every right to walk this earth. I am demon, and I have done so for thousands of years without punishment.
True. But your demon is trapped inside you. Therefore you are its hell. Legion is now unfettered, able to come and go as she pleases. Which means she has no hell, and that defies all heavenly rules.
She could see he was preparing to argue. Perhaps it would help to explain the origins of hell.
The more powerful demons were once angels. Only, they fell. They were the first to fall, actually, and their hearts were blackened, all goodness wiped from them. So, rather than lose their wings and powers, they were punished to suffer forevermore. A tradition that has continued with their offspring. There can be no exceptions. Demons must be bound to some sort of hell. Those who break that bond are killed.
Red seeped into his irises, glowing brightly. Youre saying Legion has no hell, and because of this, she must die?
Yes.
Youre also saying she was once an angel?
No. Once in hell, the demons learned how to procreate. Legion is one of those creations.
And you think to punish her, even though she has caused no harm?
Not me, but yes. Even though.
Understand me now. I will allow no harm to befall her. Calmly stated, but no less violent.
Olivia remained silent. She wouldnt lie to him and tell him what he wanted to hear. That he and Legion were safe now, their crimes forgotten by those in the heavens. Eventually, someone would come to do what Olivia had been unable to.
She didnt deserve to be there, he growled.
That wasnt for you to decide. The rebuke emerged softly, as gently as she was able. That the words were an echo of what the Council had said to her left a bad taste in her mouth.
Aeron drew in a rough breath, his nostrils flaring. You fell. Why arent you being thrown into hell?
The first angels to fall turned their backs on the One True Deity, hence their blackened hearts. I did not turn my back. I merely chose a different path.
But why were you sent to me now? Not as one of the fallen, but as an executioner? Thousands of years ago, I did far more terrible things than break a little demons bond to hell. All of us here did.
The Council agreed with the gods that you and your brethren were the only ones capable of housing, and perhaps one day controlling, the escaped demons. As I said, you are their hell, and you have been punished for those early crimes sufficiently.
Victory claimed his features, as if hed caught her in an untruth. Wrath will be freed the moment of my death, escaping his so-called hell. What of that? You still think to kill me?
If only that loophole had not been closed Once, we were forbidden to kill demon High Lords, and that is what your Wrath is. Then they escaped the depths, forcing us to change our rules accordingly. SoI was to kill Wrath, as well.
The admission caused his victorious expression to fade. You fell. That means you didnt agree with the edict. With killing me, my demon and Legion.
Not true, she said. I think you should be spared, yes. And Wrath, too, since the demon is a part of you. Do I think Legion should be permitted to live in this world? No. She is a menace in ways you havent yet learned, and shell most likely cause untold harm. I fell because
You wanted freedom and love and fun, he said, parroting her earlier words. Only, his were sneered. Why were you chosen for this task? Have you killed before?
She gulped, not wanting to admit how things had unfolded but knowing she owed him an explanation. The dark one, Reyeshe has visited the heavens many times because of his woman, Danika. I saw him once and followed him here, curious about the life a demon-possessed warrior could have built for himself.
Wait. Aeron scowled over at her. You followed Reyes.
Yes. Hadnt she just said that?
But you followed Reyes. Anger radiated from him, body and tone.
Yes, she whispered, understanding. Suddenly she wished shed kept that part of the story to herself. She knew how protective Aeron was of his friends, and his dislike of her had to be growing by the minute. I didnt hurt him, though. II spent every day afterward traipsing these grounds. Following you. Wanting you. I was chosen because I, better than anyone, knew your routine.
Or had the elders sensed her mounting desire for him, and thought that if she were the one to eliminate Aeron, she would eliminate that appalling desire, as well? Shed often wondered.
Just so you know, Reyes has a woman. Aeron arched a brow, disrupting the etching of ghostly souls on his forehead. Screaming souls rising toward damnation. But that hardly matters. I want to know how you would have killed me.
She would have formed a sword of fire, just as Lysander had taught her, and taken his head. That was the quickest death an angel could deliver, she was told. The quickest and the most merciful, over and done with before a single thread of pain could be felt.
There are ways, was all she said.
But you fell and are now unable to complete your mission, Aeron replied, and now his voice was tight with dread. Someone else will be sent in your place, wont they?
Finally he was beginning to understand. She nodded.
His frown gave way to another scowl. Like I said, I will allow no harm to befall Legion. Shes mine, and I protect whats mine.
Oh, to be his, she thought, the longing inside her fiercer than her lingering pain. Thats why she was here, after all. Better to experience a moment with him than a lifetime with anyone else.
She would have liked more than a moment, yes, but a moment was all they had. When her replacement came, and he would, Aeron would die. Though her heart sank at the thought, the circumstances were as simple as that. Aeron would be defenseless against an opponent he could not see, hear or touch. An opponent who would be able to see, hear and touch him.
And, knowing heavenly justice as she did, that replacement would be Lysander. Olivia had failed, and so her mentor would be held responsible for her shortcoming.
Lysander wouldnt hesitate to deliver the final blow. He never did. Yes, he was different now that hed mated with Bianka, a Harpy and descendant of Lucifer himself. But to walk away from Aeron meant that Lysander, too, would have to fall. He would have to give up his forever with Bianka, and that was not something the elite warrior would do. Bianka had become his everything.
I thank you for the warning. Aeron pushed to his feet. If hed said something before that, shed missed it, distracted as shed been. What was wrong with her? Shed come here for him, but since her arrival, shed mostly retreated into her mind.
Youre welcome. But theres something Id like in return. II would like to stay here, she rushed out. With you. I can even help with your maid duties, if youd like. So many times shed watched Aeron clean this fortress, grumbling about his hatred for the assigned chore.
He bent down to untie her wrists, his motions so tender he elicited only the barest twinges of pain. Im afraid that isnt possible.
Butwhy? I wont be any trouble. Honest.
You have already caused trouble.
Her chin started trembling again, the emotional numbness shed experienced fading quickly. He still plans to get rid of me. Fear, confusion, despair all bombarded her. She buried her face in the pillow, not wanting Aeron to see. She was already at enough of a disadvantage with him.
Woman, he growled. I told you not to cry.
Then dont hurt my feelings. The words were muffled from the cotton pressed against her lipsand yes, from her tears.
There was a rustle of clothing, as if he were shifting from one foot to the other. Hurt your feelings? You should be grateful I havent killed you. You caused me untold grief this past month. I had no idea who followed me or why. My loyal companion couldnt remain with me and had to return to a place she loathes.
A place she deserved to be, despite Aerons earlier assertion, but whatever, as some of the Lords were fond of saying. Im sorry. Despite everything, she really was. Soon, he would lose all he valued and there would be nothing either of them could do to stop it from happening.
Dont think like that or youll start crying again.
He sighed. I accept your apology, but that doesnt change anything. You arent welcome here.
He forgave her? Finally, a step in the right direction. But
You are fallen, but youre still immortal. Yes? He didnt give her time to reply. Her clothing had healed itself, so in his mind it probably stood to reason that she would, too. Youll be fine by morning. And then Ill want you out of this fortress.
CHAPTER FOUR
AERON PACED THE LENGTH of the hallway. Hed been at it for hours, but saw no reprieve in his immediate future. Someone had to guard the angel. Not from intruders but from her intrusion, just in case she was here to sneak about and listen to things she shouldnt.
A rationalization that didnt make a lot of sense, but one he would stick with. Yes, she could have listened to things she shouldnt have as an angel, invisible and protected, but she was vulnerable now, and she could one day be captured by the Hunters and used to hurt his friends.
His hands fisted, and he forced his mind to retreat from thoughts of her torture and their deaths before he punched a wall. Or a friend.
Besides, when Olivia was well enough, which should be any time now, part of him expected her to try and escape his room to hunt for Legion. Even though Legion was absent, that wasnt something Aeron would allow. Not that Olivia, fallen as she now was, could do much damage during her search.
Still. She could reveal her findings to another angel, the one she predicted would come, and that angel could attempt to see the deed done.
Not on my watch, he thought.
His friends had already had their meetinghed heard their mutterings, then their laughter, then their footsteps as they partedbut he had no idea what had been decided. No one had visited him. Were they going to pursue the odd female hed met in that alley? Had Lucien found any sign of Hunters on the hill?
Aeron hadnt changed his mind; he didnt believe Olivia was involved with them. But they could have followed her here. Sneak attacks were their specialty, after all.
And really, an invasion would be the perfect end to this terrible night.
Half an hour ago, hed called for Legion to warn her about what was happening. Usually, no matter the distance between them, she heard his cry and came to him. Not this time. Like Lucien, she could flash from one location to another with only a thought, but she hadnt appeared.
Was she hurt? Bound? He was tempted to formally summon her, just as shed taught himthough until Olivias explanation, he hadnt understood what she meantfor that wasnt something she could ignore. The more hed considered the possibility, the more hed thought it likely that the angelfallen or nothad to be out of the fortress before Legion would feel comfortable enough to return. He remembered her fear, the way shed trembled even uttering the word angel.
He could have asked Olivia to stop doing whatever she was doing that pained the little demon and not him. Or his friends, for that matter. Theyd never sensed Olivia, not in any way. But he hadnt asked. She was healing, and he didnt want to disturb her.
Especially when shed done so much for him already. No softening.
So hed left Legion alone, as well. For now.
Not that he could imagine the fragile Olivia hurting anyone. Even at full strengthwhatever that was. Should it come to a fight, Legion would have the angel pinned, those poisoned fangs deep inside Olivias vein, in seconds.
Thats my girl, he thought, grinning. Only, his grin didnt last. The thought of Olivia dying didnt sit well. She hadnt killed him as shed been ordered. Not that she could have, but she hadnt even tried to do so. Nor had she harmed Legion, as shed probably wished to. She wanted only to experience the joys of life shed clearly been denied.
She didnt deserve to die.
For a moment, only a moment, he thought about keeping her. As calm as Wrath was around her, not demanding he punish her for some crime shed committed twenty years ago, a day ago, a minute ago, she would be the perfect companion for him. She could see to his needs, as Paris had said.
Needs hed claimed not to have. But he couldnt deny that while hed been crouched beside her, something had stirred inside him. Something hot and dangerous. Shed smelled of sunshine and earth, and her eyes, as blue and clear as the morning sky, had regarded him with trust and hope. As if he were a savior rather than a destroyer. And hed liked it.
Idiot! A demon, keeping an angel? Hardly. Besides, shes here to have fun and you, my friend, are as far from fun as a man can be.
Aeron.
Finally. News. Relieved to push Olivia from his thoughts, Aeron whipped around and saw Torin leaning one shoulder against the wall, gloved arms crossed over his chest and an irreverent smile curling his mouth.
As keeper of Disease, Torin couldnt touch another being skin to skin without beginning a plague. The gloves protected them all.
Once again, a Lord of the Underworld has a woman locked in his chambers while he tries to figure out what to do with her. Torin chuckled.
Before Aeron could reply, images began flashing through his head. Images of Torin lifting a blade, expression intent, determined. That blade descendednailed its target in the heartand emerged wet and red.
The man whod been stabbed, a human, collapsed into a heap on the ground. Dead. There was a figure eight tattooed on his wrist, the symbol of infinity and the mark of a Hunter. He hadnt hurt Torin, hadnt even threatened to do so. The two had simply passed each other on the street, some four hundred years ago, when the warrior had left the fortress to finally be with the woman hed fallen for, but had first spied the brand and attacked.
To Wrath, the act was malicious and without provocation. To Wrath, the act deserved punishment.
Aeron had seen this particular event many times already, and each time hed had to suppress the urge to act. Now was no different. He actually felt his fingers curling around the hilt of his dagger, the need to stab Torin as Torin had stabbed the Hunter strong.
I would have done the same thing, he mentally shouted at the demon. I would have killed that Hunter, maliciously and without provocation. Torin doesnt deserve castigation.
Wrath growled.
Calm. Aerons arm fell to his side, his hand empty.
Demon wanting a go at me? Torin asked matter-of-factly.
His friends knew him very well. Yes, but no worries. Ive got the bastard under control.
He thought he heard the demon snort.
The more he denied Wrath, the more its desire to penalize would growuntil the need overtook Aeron so completely, he would snap. That was when hed fly into town, no one safe, the slightest sins met with absolute cruelty and ruthlessness.
Those vengeance sprees were the reason Aeron had tattooed himself as he had. As he was immortal and prone to heal quickly, hed had to mix dried ambrosia into the ink to be permanently marked and it had been like injecting fire straight into his veins. Had he minded, though? Hell, no. Every time he looked into the mirror, he was reminded of the things hed doneand what he would do again if he wasnt careful.
But more than that, the tattoos assured him that the people hed killed, the ones who hadnt deserved to die, would never truly be forgotten. Sometimes that helped ease his guilt. And sometimes it helped dim his irrational pride in the demons strength.
sure you have control?
What? he asked, pulling himself from his thoughts.
Torin grinned again. I asked if you were sure you had control of your demon. Youre winking in and out, and your eyes are glowing red.
Im fine. Unlike Olivia, there wasnt utter truth in his voice. The lie was there for all to hear.
I believe you. Really. Soback to our conversation? Torin asked.
Where had he gotten sidetracked? Oh, yes. Im sure you didnt come here to compare me to our mated friends. Im hardly the love-struck fool all of them were when they brought their women here.
And just like that, youve ruined my next three jokes. Youre no fun.
Exactly what Aeron had thought when Olivia had mentioned her three desires. Having the knowledge confirmed, though, scraped him up inside for reasons he couldnt explain. Torin. Your purpose, please.
Fine. Your angels already causing problems. Some of us want to get rid of her, and some want to keep her. Im on Team Keep. I think we need to charm her to our side before you make her hate us all and she decides to help the enemy.
Stay away from her. Aeron didnt want the warrior anywhere near Olivia. And it had nothing to do with the mans white hair, black brows and green eyes that never seemed to take anything seriously, ensuring Torin didnt need to touch a woman to win her.
Torin rolled those eyes. Moron. You should be thanking me, not threatening me. I came to tell you to hide her. Williams on my team and he wants to be the one to do the charming.
William, an immortal with a sex addiction. An immortal with black hair and blue eyes even more wicked than Torins. A warrior who was tall, muscled and untamed. A warrior whose only tattoos were hidden under his clothes. If Aeron was remembering correctly, there was an X over his heart and a treasure map on his back. A treasure map that crossed his ribs and dipped around his waist, finally ending over his fun zone.