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CHAPTER 38
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Once the tea was made, the Erelim - now known as Albert - brought the cups to the table, his hands shaking slightly, the cup clacking against the saucer. Placing mine in front of me, he sat in the other chair, staring at me in wonder and cradling his own cup in his hands, almost as if he had forgotten it was even there.
'Drink,' he said, finally. 'I do hope it's to your liking. Please say it is.' There was such a desperation to please in his voice, that I almost felt sorry for him.I sipped at the fragrant liquid, smiling my appreciation, even though I hated the taste. Coffee would have been better. Vodka preferable. A fuck load of vodka.'Thank you,' I said.He hadn't stopped looking at me. Hadn't taken one sip of his own tea. I was getting creeped out. Seriously, creeped out.'So... Albert...' I began. Talk shit to it, Ethan had said. Talk shit . Like it was easy. Like sitting here, sipping tea with a creature that kept the amputated hands of demons in jarRelated chapters
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As the first wave of Powers surged through the forcefield, Ethan sent bolts of energy at them so strong that not only did the power of his assault stop them in their tracks, it literally blinked those first warrior angels out of existence. They were there - faces contorted with pain, mouths wide open with screams that would never be heard – and then they were simply gone .The Powers that did make it were already crawling over the ceiling, down the shelves, hovering in the air as they swerved each thunderous bolt. Like the Cherubim, there was something vaguely human-like in their appearance. Despite the slavering grins, the scarred flesh that stretched over their angular cheekbones, the hands that ended in savage talons and the angel wings that beat at the air, I could see a similarity with the race they were so desperate to rule and control. They were like human hybrids, a breed cooked up in a nightmarish laboratory, an experiment to make war machines that had gone horri
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'The wormhole is up there. I knew it was here somewhere.' He looked pleased with himself, a smugness creeping into his features, despite the fact we had a whole army of very pissed-off Angels on our tail.'You expect us to climb up there?'It was high. Really fucking high. I didn't have any particular fear of heights, but I also didn't spend my days hoping I could climb up the tallest bookcase in existence without a safety harness. He had to be kidding about this. Had to be . I stared at him with a hope that died a quick death as soon as I saw the look in his eyes.'Well, unless you're about to grow a pair of wings and fly us up there, yes, I do expect us to climb and I expect us to do it as fast as we bloody can before a Cherubim swoops in here and rips our hearts from our chests.''Cherubim?' My mouth went desert-dry. 'You never said the Erelim had called the Cherubim.''I have no idea what's coming, but whatever it is, it's pissed as fuck. So, if you want
Her Worst Nightmare CHAPTER 41
From my very first taste of Ethan, I'd known I was hooked.I was an addict, after all, and it had never really mattered what it was - booze, boys, drugs, danger – I always just knew when I'd found what I needed, and that first hit was always everything . There's a wave of emotion that lifts you up to the Heavens and drags you all the way back down into Hell, and then you get addicted to that too. To the high andthe low, because as deep as your addictions can bury you, you know that the next time you rise up, it's going to be spectacular. Euphoric.The best fucking hit of your life .I'd never really been that bothered about trying to deny my addictions before. Why would I? They were the fire in my veins that set aflame the ghosts of my childhood. With each pill, each line of coke, I watched the ghosts burn. With each sweaty, grubby moment of passion with a nameless guy that couldn't get enough of me, I rejoiced as the fire consumed everything. With every d
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Of course, he had nothing to be self-conscious about.I raised myself up a little higher on my elbows, drinking in the sight of him, desperate to satiate this thirst that was consuming me. I'd never wanted anyone like this before. I'd never felt so much like my whole body was screaming with desire.Holding out his arm out straight to one side, he dangled his jeans and boxers in the air, letting them drop from his hand onto the floor. He was enjoying this now, letting the demon take over, but I didn't care. The teasing was a turn-on. The way he was looking at me was a turn-on.Dropping to his knees at the bottom of the bed, he crawled up until he was over me, his hands positioned either side of my shoulders. Leaning down, his lips found mine again, and he kissed me deep, hard, licking his lips afterwards as if he was savouring the taste just as I was. Again, and again he kissed me, and my hands snaked into his hair, holding him there, not wanting him to stop. I tried t
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I awoke to the sound of running water and the smell of freshly-baked bread.On the floor, next to the bed, there was a white carrier bag with EATALY printed on the side, and poking out of the top, was a generously-sized olive-topped focaccia that smelled like Heaven, or at least, my idea of it. My stomach, clearly feeling neglected, grumbled angrily. I hadn't eaten a thing since the pastries Ethan had given to me before our trip to the Basilica and I was struck then by the realisation that I had no bloody idea at all how much time had passed since.So much had happened. Our journey through the wormholes. Getting inside the Vatican. St. Peter's Tomb. The Vaults. Here. Ethan. Me. Us.It felt like we'd lost hours in this room, wrapped up in each other, attempting to satiate a hunger that never seem to dissipate no matter how much we fed it. If anything, the hunger just seemed to grow, all vulnerabilities and all fears cast aside until it became something wild and untamea
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I frowned, putting the bag of bread to one side and shuffling over on the bed until I was sat next to him. His fingers were still absent-mindedly tracing the perfectly-neat script on the page.'I don't get it,' I said. 'Why didn't Saul kill her? I mean, she gave him some pretty shit news, to be fair. If she'd told him he would be victorious, I could understand. But she basically told him he was fucked and that he was going to lose the battle. Why did he let her live?''Because she was kind to him,' Ethan said. 'She could see he was completely terrified and she offered him comfort in his darkest hour. He might have been her enemy, but she knew that he had been manipulated by the Angels, like so many others. Ironic really that the man they sent to destroy the line of the Endorians, was the one who helped beget it.'My eyes widened. 'Wait, do you mean...'Ethan chuckled. 'Yeah. Saul and his three sons died in battle the next day, but his daughter – a daughter
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'You think I'm crazy, don't you?' he said.I was still staring at the vial. I couldn't look at him. Not yet. Not while an eternity rested in the palm of my hand.He chuckled, the sound forcing my gaze to meet his.'Maybe I am,' he said with a sniff, cuffing his nose with the back of his hand. 'You barely know me. I mean, you know more about me than anyone else ever has, but I guess that doesn't really matter. Not in human terms anyway. To you I must be this crazy bloke who's turned your world upside down and who's now asking to you stay with him for as long as we can stay alive. I wouldn't say yes if I was you.'His face was guarded, his tone too matter-of-fact, like he'd flipped a switch labelled Stop Being A Soft Bastard, but I could still see something in his eyes, a touch of hurt maybe? I hoped not. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. I didn't know what the Hell I wanted, but I knew I didn't want that.'I'm not saying no...''But you're not
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I carried the two tiny cups of espresso back to the table, sliding in beside Ethan so I could see through the window. In the distance, the spires of the Duomo rose high above the Piazza, the sky behind it a tranquil clear-blue backdrop contrasting with the crowded chaos below.'Can I ask you something?' I said, wincing as the hot coffee scalded my lips.'If I say no, you're still going to ask me anyway, right?''Of course.' I shrugged, putting the cup back down on the miniature saucer and taking a deep breath. I knew how this was going to sound before I even opened my mouth, but I knew I had to say it. I had to know. 'The last time you broke into the Vaults,' I said. 'When you hid the Gospel there. Who helped you break in?'Ethan said nothing for a moment, his eyes not leaving mine as he took a sip of his coffee.I swallowed. 'I mean, you said yourself that you need a maledicti to get in and keep the Erelim distracted. So, who was she? The one that helped yo
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'You sure you want to do this, Case?'Addi's brow was a mess of worry lines as he looked at me, his gaze flitting down to where my hand rested on my distended stomach. I'd been rubbing it without even realising it. Rubbing it because I could feel Lily moving around inside. Rubbing it because it calmed me. Addi knew that and I knew what he was thinking now. He thought I didn't want to do this. He thought I'd changed my mind.I looked into his eyes and smiled.'Yes, Addison. Perfectly bloody sure, thank you.'I chewed on my lower lip as I studied his face, suddenly uncertain whether he was trying to dissuade me because he didn't want to be a part of this. I couldn't blame him. He might have enjoyed being a gangster once, but things had stepped up a level since his days of dealing drugs on Davey's patch.'You know, if you don't want to be here, Ads, no one's going to stop you from leaving, or think any less of you for not sticking around.''Speak for yours
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'No,' I gasped. 'No.'Ethan glanced towards Blake, lowering his voice. 'Please, Casey, please listen to me. I have to finish this now. Angels? Demons? It makes no difference. They are one and the same. Look at them. Both want to control this world, but it doesn't belong to them. The First might have been the first Angel, but the First was not the first being to walk this earth. Humans were here long before we arrived. The First Angel knew this and knew we didn't deserve to claim it. That's why the Seraphim killed her.'My mouth fell open. ' Her? ''The First was female, Casey, or at least as close to it as it was possible to get.'I rocked back on my heels, feeling overwhelmed by his words, overwhelmed by the pain in my broken arm, but mostly overwhelmed by what I knew he intended to do.'There must be another way,' I said. 'There has to be. You can persuade them, Ethan, if anyone can change things, you can.''This is the only way things can change. Usu
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'Are you fucking insane? ' Ethan shot back, his voice echoing out. 'Think about what you're saying, Azazel! Think about the pain they inflicted on us all over the centuries!''They inflicted it on us, Helel, while you sat quaking in whatever dimension you created for yourself. Don't talk to me of the pain of the Shedim when you turned your back on your kind a long time ago. Lucifer poisoned you, Helel. He poisoned your mind to the truth and infected you with his lies.'Turning his face up to the skies, where the Seraphim and Council waited, Blake called up to them.'Blessed Seraphim!' Blake pleaded with them, gesturing to me. 'Rightful descendants of the Throne, this is proof of my devotion, proof of my commitment to you! I will give you the witch. Do with her what you will, but I beg you to grant the Shedim a pardon. We denounce Lucifer. We denounce the ways of the First to Fall. We will no longer defy your rule. Please, I beg of you, redeem us our powers and let us
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The ground exploded near my feet, sending plumes of white dust billowing up into my face and I stumbled, alarmed as a fissure appeared in the dry, white earth, wide enough to swallow my feet.'Casey, watch out,' Ethan shouted, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me away, just in time.A tall, lithe Dominion, no doubt the one to fire the explosive shot that had made the ground open up, came hurtling through the melee, its moves surprisingly graceful, its hair flying around its shoulders like a cascade of silver silk. With a cry that contorted its beautiful face into something quite repulsive, it released a hail of hard, focused bolts of energy that came at us with such speed that I felt the first ones rip through the air by my face as I pulled out of their way, the fierce velocity burning at my skin. I heard Ethan cry out and judder against me, and I knew he'd not been so lucky. He'd been hit, not badly, but a small trickle of blood was snaking from his temple where th
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'Ethan,' I whispered urgently. 'I can't do what you asked. I don't know how.'He pulled me close again, smiling as he trailed the backs of his fingers of his now-blackened hand down my cheek. 'Just let go, Casey. Trust your instincts. Trust yourself. You can do this.'I swallowed my fear and nodded, still unsure that I could do what he wanted, still sure that his faith in me was misguided.'Oscar, look after Addi.' Ethan gestured to Addi, who was standing behind us all, still staring wide-eyed up at the Archangels as if hypnotised. I couldn't blame him. Even with their terrifying wings of fire, they were still dazzling to the eye. They were rising up into the air now, retreating towards their forces, the screech of the Cherubim heralding their return.Oscar's nose wrinkled as if he didn't much like his appointed role as Addi's guardian. 'And what exactly are you going to do?' he said to Ethan.'I'm going to do just what I promised.' Ethan turned back, direct
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Oscar chuckled. 'Careful, Uriel,' he said. 'Endorian magic has a habit of burning a bit. Hate for you to hurt those pretty hands of yours.'Uriel, who was clutching his hand to his chest, sneered at Oscar, his angered gaze sweeping over him with repulsion. He inhaled deeply and grimaced.'Berith, it appears no amount of time can lessen the stench of your betrayal. So many years in exile and your mutinous intent remains sadly as strong as ever. We believed you had left Lucifer's failed teachings behind you and learned your place. It seems we were mistaken.'Oscar sniffed dismissively. 'The Council have been mistaken about many things, Uriel. Time could never diminish the power of Lucifer's teachings, and time was all I ever needed to make you believe the lie. I've got to say, you boys have disappointed me, you really have. You're such experts at smothering the truth, I thought you'd have realised centuries ago that I hadn't abandoned your brother.'Uriel hissed ag
Her Worst Nightmare CHAPTER 61
Snowflakes tickled my nose and I reached up with my free hand to wipe them away. My other one was gripping Mr. Tumnus' hand tightly.Behind me, the door to the wardrobe was open, the thick wall of fur coats being the only barrier between this world and my own. I knew if I wanted to, I could push my way through them and feel their warmth engulf me. I could go back and yet somehow, I knew that nothing would feel as warm as Tumnus' hand did around my own.'You could go now, daughter of Eve,' he said, softly. 'You should go now, before they get here.'I looked up at him, smiling at the snowflakes that were melting in his hair and settling on his woolly red scarf. The snow was falling heavier now, the wind catching it and making it look like a flock of tiny white birds, spinning and diving in the air. Tumnus blinked as a flake settled on his eyelashes. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he must have thought better of it in the end, because he swallowed it down
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'Casey, girl, don't you do this!'We glanced at the one called Berith, irritated at his intrusion, but he didn't matter anymore. None of them mattered now.Reaching out with the water, we pulled Helel to his feet, tugging him towards us. We caressed him with the water, ignored his revulsion as we let it run over his earthly form, shuddered as we felt his divine power – so much power like this world had never seen! The mighty Helel! Oh, Morning Star! Oh, Bringer of Dawn! We would have him now, claim him for ourselves, control the one that would be the First!We forced the water into him, just as we had done before, craving the touch of his power again, craving all that he was and all that he would be. He shuddered, fought against us, but we were the Naiad, we were with the water and with Endor, and we would prevail.We brushed aside his petty memories and all those pointless emotions that had enslaved him for so long and poured everything into him, all our p
Her Worst Nightmare CHAPTER 59
'You are sure?' Blake said.The sound of his voice popped in my ears, like a bubble of pressure bursting, pain stabbing in my eardrums and down into my throat.My throat .Something was in my throat.I gagged and coughed up water. I watched, dazed, my eyes barely half-open as it trickled away of its own accord, sliding over the monochrome tiles until it reached an ever-shifting stream of water that I could see stretching round behind Ethan.My cheek was damp, pressed against the floor and a lock of wet hair hung over my eyes. A tiny drop of water slid down the lock and grew fat, hanging there, before finally dropping to the floor and that tiny droplet moved of its own volition and joined the moving stream, like an ant, seeking the protection of its colony.My clothes felt heavy and stuck to my skin. I shivered and tried to focus. Ethan was positioned just as I'd remembered, before the water had come, only now his bound hands were in his lap again and hi
