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Chapter 687

last update Last Updated: 2023-04-01 22:15:38

“Serena, sweetheart. I’m here. You’re safe.” He could see her squinting and blinking, her eyes trying to find something to focus on and coming up empty. Being an angel, he had no trouble seeing in darkness. Right now, he didn’t see his goddess. He saw a broken woman holding onto a tenuous thread of sanity.

“Raphael?” Serena gasped and reached out, groping the air for him. It’s one thing to show bravado in the daylight, but now he knew her to be a fraud. And in the darkness he could see how terribly vulnerable she really felt.

“Raphael, help me, please,” she whispered franticly, swiping fruitlessly at her tears. “I’m so frightened! He’s coming for me, I know it. They’re all coming for me, and I’m going to die. Oh God, Raphael, I don’t want to die!”

Promises be damned, Raphael went to her quickly and enveloped her in his arms of pure angelic power and strength. She clung to him with a viselike grip, her cheeks soaked with tears, her body trembling furiously. He kissed her hair, sending
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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 688

    Not until midmorning did Raphael and Serena finally make their way back to the safe house.“Emma will be coming by later,” he told her while he prepared for the return trip. He set her carefully in the car and closed the door. “She’s our Great Savior Mother. She can heal you, and you’ll be right as rain again.” He jumped in his side, and they were off.“Okay. But you’ve told me you’re a Savior, and you said that Saviors heal people. Why don’t you heal me?”She had been trying to absorb everything he’d been telling her all morning, but it was a daunting task, to let go of all she thought she knew to be true of this world and simply accept another truth in its place.There were angels on earth! They were here to fight against evil and protect and heal the human race. Raphael was one of ten immortals, called the Brethren. For the purposes of blending in with society, most had regular job

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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 689

    Raphael quickly escorted her to the couch. He feels so good, so solid with his arms strong around my waist. The mere touch of his hand gave her the confidence she needed to maintain her composure, as though it was normal to have angels and immortals as friends.But how did one carry on a regular conversation? What did one say exactly? So, how long have you been immortal? Who’ve been your picks for the Super Bowl since…its inception? Lord, but she didn’t have a clue. Things were different with Raphael; they already had a connection, but the others…. She looked at him and squeezed his hand. He gave her a smile that numbed her fears and warmed her heart.“Relax, sweetheart. I know what you’re thinking. But we’re people, too, with normal lives, as you can see. Forget about what we are for now and concentrate on who we are. We’re people with family and friends and jobs, and we’re here to help you.”“

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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 690

    Just as the dust devils whirled harmlessly over the desert, so too did the D’Angelo family and Gabriel gather themselves up and head out by late afternoon. Serena took to walking about outside. She saw Raphael coming toward her with purpose in his steps. He didn’t look pleased. Her heartbeat instantly quickened, and not from watching his lithe form approach her either. She spoke first to quell the uneasiness growing inside her, as though it would give her the courage to face whatever he had to throw at her.“I was beginning to wonder where you’d run off to, leaving me to fend off the coyotes and snakes all on my own,” Serena admonished.“Oh, knowing what you do for a living, I figured you’d have them coyotes and rattlers running scared the minute they saw you, darlin’,” he joked. More sincerely he continued, “Thought I’d give you some time and space after spending time with the craziness that is the D&rs

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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 691

    There were men after her, bad men, men who wanted her and a man who wanted her dead. But now there was also Raphael, a good man, staring anxiously at her, with those eyes of the most curious blue. And he spoke from those lips that had set fire to her own. Did he just say something about being alive? Alive. She didn’t feel alive. She felt numb, empty.“Alive,” she whispered. “I’m alive.”“Yes, that’s right,” he encouraged. “You’re alive.”“Jared’s dead, and I’m alive,” she droned. “Why am I still alive? I should be dead, too. I should be dead….” She cocked her head, perplexed.“Serena, you’re alive because that’s the way it should be. Come on. Let’s get you off the ground and inside. I’ll get you some tea and we’ll talk.” He lifted her off the tiny stones surrounding the bench.“Yes, tea s

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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 692

    Her heart leapt to her throat at the stunning realization.“But why, Raphael? Why does he need me? What can I possibly do for him?”“Maybe he’s ill. Maybe he thinks you can heal him.” He rubbed his temples with his fingers.“You can’t be serious. With all the doctors and hospitals in the world, you mean to tell me he’s decided I can heal him? That’s crazy!”“I’m only guessing here, but it seems to make sense, in a twisted way, that if you look like the statue, maybe you could do what he thinks the statue can do. I don’t know. It’s just a thought, and a troubling one at that.”“So, now I possibly know why Dr. Crazy is after me. I can work with that. But Bull, he still presents a big problem. What am I going to do about him?”“First, you need to stop saying ‘I’ and ‘me’. We’re in this together, Serena. Don’t think for one minute I’m going to let you go or do anything on your own. Plus, we’ve got the other Brethren backing us up if we need them. So don’t worry about Bull. The Brethren wi

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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 693

    Serena soaked in the Jacuzzi tub resplendent with oils and fragrances. The heat from the water and the pulse from the jets served to batter away at the threads of anxiety and grief. She knew it wouldn’t take them away forever, and tears threatened to expose themselves. When she decided that to hold them back would be worse than having a good cry, she let them flow.My brother is dead.She would never have the chance to hug, laugh, scold, or tease him ever again. With every tear that mixed with the bath water, she said a prayer that he would rest in peace and be in a happier place.She ducked under the water as if to cleanse herself spiritually. As her head broke the surface, she took a breath, like the first a newborn baby takes in. It was a new world for her. A solitary one. And she decided to make the best of it.Resting against the back of the tub, she looked around at the bathroom for the first time and thought it a shame it had no windows. But

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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 694

    Raphael walked the perimeter of the property and stumbled across a pile of shell casings. Whoever the sniper, he didn’t seem to care too much about cleaning up after himself. He knew it had to have been Bull. The other men Serena mentioned were on Chappo’s payroll and looking to snatch her, not kill her. Bull was driven by some skewed vendetta towards her, and he’d never been shy about it. At least he had the sense to get the hell out of here before being found out. Raphael would have surely killed him first and asked questions later.He flipped open his phone and speed dialed Kemuel. “Hey, Kemuel. Bull’s been here, shooting at Serena. Can you come and trace him?”“You bet. I’ll fly right over.”He walked closer to the house, easily passing through the invisible protective shield Michael had erected, the latest and greatest in Brethren protective technology. It detected the DNA signature of people allowed on

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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 695

    Clothes were peeled and strewn about the hallway in passionate haste and desperation. Raphael slammed their bodies against one wall, and she slammed them into another as her hands frantically explored uncharted territory, and her lips sealed them together. They crashed down upon a settee at the end of the hall. Quite clearly, this first time would not be slow, or gentle, or any of those clichéd descriptions of lovers’ first times together.As one, they spun out of control, taking turns having the upper hand in their passion play. Dominating and submitting in turn.Serena pinned Raphael’s shoulders to the back of the settee as she straddled his lap, and raised herself above him in triumph. This act, while something she’d yearned for, shouted a big “fuck you” to her attackers. She had something to prove. They may have taken away her future, but she still had the goods. I am desirable, and I still have physical needs that can no longer

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  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 727

    Serena awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of fresh coffee brewing. She rolled over lazily, reaching out for Raphael, but the space was empty. With eyes still closed, she frowned. Where is that man? That man had probably been out of bed since the crack of dawn, beside himself with nerves for today’s big event, she thought regretfully. They were to be married today. Their lives intertwined for all of eternity. What man wouldn’t have cold feet at the prospect? And they’d known each other such a short time, too. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, and frowned again. She had awakened in the safe house. Last night, she’d killed a man in her own home, and knew she could never go back there ever again. She didn’t care how good the Brethren’s cleanup crew could restore her home. It would never erase the vivid memories and horrors of what had happened there. She and Raphael would have to find themselves a new home, together. Until such time, this place would be it, th

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    It’s going to be a long day without Raphael, Serena thought, as she washed and dressed. But she carried on. With so many loose ends to tie up, final checks to be made, people and places to coordinate, she scarcely had time to think about anything else. Except for her father. In the quiet moments between the bedlam of planning a wedding, she reflected upon him and her heart ached. She had arranged for a nursing home staffer to drive him and his wheelchair to the Chapel of the Holy Cross for the wedding. They didn’t usually allow weddings there, but somehow, Raphael swayed their decision. Kemuel promised to wheel her father down the aisle beside her, and she loved him instantly for that. But her dream was to have him walk her down that aisle. A sob caught in her throat, and she quickly shook her head to whisk it away. None of that nonsense, Serena. Don’t be greedy. At least he is alive and here to be a part of it all. As the day waxed on to evening, Serena felt unsettled. She hadn’t s

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    Raphael spent the next few days cloistered with Serena, away from everyone and everything, like a honeymoon before the wedding. But every morning he made creative excuses to tear himself away from her for a little while and work with Fred. To make sure she didn’t visit her father, he dropped her off at her shop first so she could plan a small wedding with Callie and catch up on the mountains of paperwork.The healing sessions with Serena’s father went spectacularly, and with Raphael’s charisma, he convinced the nursing home staff to keep any improvements secret from her. They thought it romantic that he came to help with his fiancée’s father’s rehabilitation. Everyone there rooted for him, amazed at his miraculous awakening. All of the therapists worked their tails off during his therapy sessions, wanting to see their severely stroke-damaged patient beat the odds and walk his daughter down the aisle.On the morning of the fifth day, Raphael got Fred walking without any assistance.“Co

  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 724

    Raphael grabbed her hands. “Do it!” he demanded. He placed them on his temples and spoke to her through their bonded connection. She felt every thought he had had of Sirona over the years straight to the present down their threaded connection. She heard every thought he’d had of her, including every word he had spoken while holding her in his arms at Dr. Chappo’s estate. He sent her everything that filled his heart and soul about her, and finally, at last, she knew.She knew. And knowing was everything to her. He gently brought her hands away from his face, kissing her fingertips as he eased them down, and she took a few steps backward, looking at him as if for the first time. No one before had ever felt about her the way he felt about her, let alone express so strongly all he’d expressed when she’d lain dying in his arms.“You’re in love with me.” She gasped, astonished. Tears welled again in her eyes, but this time, for a very different reason.“Yes.” He took a bold step toward her.

  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 723

    A bundle of nerves, that’s what she’d turned into. Since leaving her father’s, Serena had been nothing but a bundle of nerves, rehearsing over and over again what she would say to Raphael up on the Rock. Looking all around her now, frightening memories kept popping into her mind, making her think that at any moment, Steve or Wheezer were going to jump out and nab her. Unfortunately, she had gotten to the summit way too early, and now paced like a caged bobcat. It had to stop. The bad guys are dead, Serena. Think positive, and let go the past. So, finding a suitable rock to sit on, Serena decided to do a little meditation to soothe her worried heart. “When I see him, I’ll know the right words to say,” she notified the birds. It may sting for a bit, but it’s for the best.****Raphael showed up at the base of the mountain with time to spare, and noticed Serena’s Jeep already parked. Perfect, he thought. He checked his pocket for the millionth time, making sure the ring box hadn’t fallen

  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 722

    Raphael watched Serena leave the nursing home from behind one of the bushes in the front. She seems in good spirits, he thought. Only when he saw her disappear down the street did he dare to venture out of his hiding place. He walked into the nursing home and headed straight to the reception desk.“Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Sikes.” He smiled amiably at the receptionist.“Wow, two visitors in one day. Fred’s a lucky guy. Sign in right here, please. You’ll sign out before you leave. Take this badge so we know you belong here. Room 103 is down the hall, make a left, and he’s at the end on the left.”He looked at her name tag, and winked. “Thanks so much, Judy.”Walking down the hall, he found himself fidgeting with the badge in his hand. Am I actually nervous? Hell yeah! Raphael, the man, is about to meet the father of the woman he loves. Raphael, the man, is about to ask for this guy’s daugh

  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 721

    Great! Just great! There’s a leak in my bedroom ceiling. Wait a minute, that’s not right. I’m not in my bedroom. I’m locked away in Dr. Chappo’s house. She remembered more. Being bound to a gurney, her body broken and dying. But I’m not lying on a gurney now, and I actually feel great. How could she be dying and still feel great? And what’s with the rain shower on my face? Slowly her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.It was raining. Angel’s tears. Raphael’s tears, to be exact.She lay in his arms, and from the way he shuddered and sobbed, she thought maybe he didn’t know she lived. To be honest with herself, she’d only realized this fact just a few moments before. Iridescent wings were outstretched and trembling though no breeze made them flutter so.She gently raised her hand to caress his cheek and whispered softly. “Shh…there now, Raphael, shh. It’s all right. I’m ok

  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 720

    Raphael noticed a knob on the box. It made sense to dial it to its lowest setting. He followed the tubing to its clamp on Serena’s side and decided to completely clamp it off. Now, no more blood could flow. But he still needed to get the needle out of her arm. He found gauze and tape on the tray stand and proceeded to extrude the catheter from her arm carefully so as not to injure her. He replaced it securely with the gauze and tape. His hands shook. I can’t fall apart like this right now! He quickly shrugged off the threat of paralyzing fear.“Hey, Raphael, this guy says his name is Steve. Isn’t that the name of one of guys who assaulted Serena?” Gabriel asked.“Yes, yes it is,” he said through gnashed teeth. Rage filled him and he clenched his fists, trying to gain some semblance of control. “Bind him, tightly. Make sure he can see Dr. Chappo. I’d like him to see what happens to assholes like him when they choose

  • Leesa's Advent   Chapter 719

    Searing hot pain shot like lightning throughout every inch of Serena’s body. Well, every inch she could feel, which left her very disturbed indeed, because she couldn’t feel anything past her waist. She could barely breathe without severe pain ripping through her chest and back. She knew what that meant—broken ribs. But what about her legs? Where were they? And why did her wrists feel shackled? Oh, dear God! What’s become of me? Her shallow breaths quickened. Her heart raced and fought for freedom behind her aching chest. Tears burst through her closed eyes and flowed untapped down the sides of her face.A voice sliced through the whooshing sound in her ears. A voice she knew all too well, and had come to despise with every molecule in her being.“Uh, Doc, I think she’s coming ’round. What do you want me to do?” Steve asked.“Hmm? Oh, nuffin. Nuffin, Seeve. Jus’ keep watchin’,” Dr. Chappo sl

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