“Hearing a woman moan can be its own kind of music. Wouldn’t you agree, Razziel?”
Standing on the viewing pool was Joe. He was shirtless and wearing loose-fitting, black pants. The butterflies were no longer around him but smattered across his chest as if they had been tattooed there. If he looked at them long enough, he could swear they were flapping their wings. He stood up straighter to the taller angel and waited for his judgment. He walked across the viewing pool and stood on the grass. The tranquility about him amazed Razziel. It seemed nothing could faze him.
“I brought him as you asked.”
“Yes, thank you,
Lemiel
. You may go now.”
“But…are you going to do anything to Razziel? He’s my friend.”
Joe smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Go ahead.”
Lemiel
squeezed
Razziel’s
shoulder. He gave a slight nod to the other angel and watched him disappear. It was time he faced his sentence to see if he was going to be cast out of the only home he had ever known. He took a deep breath and stared at Joe.
“What is to be? Am I now one of the Fallen? Will I be thrown out of Heaven?”
Joe crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. “You came to me asking what you should do about the emotions surfacing inside of you and why you found yourself infatuated with this human woman you were visiting in her dreams. You did the correct thing by going to see her and exploring these emanations. I understand that you saved her from a daemon.”
He nodded. “I did. Was that the wrong thing to do? He was going to take her to someone else to be collected or used. I couldn’t let that happen. I’ve always been told that if we see daemons, then we’re supposed to eliminate them anyway.”
“No. No. You did the right thing about that. They are horrible creatures, probably serving some higher master. If one was sent for this human, then that means she has some special ability or it might be some kind of supernatural creature.”
“She’s an empath.”
“That explains it. It seems that a Grigori has an interest in her.”
“
Grigori
?”
The term was unfamiliar to Razziel. “What are they?”
“They were originally created to watch over humans and blend in with them, reporting back to angels on the demeanors of mortals to the angels. But they soon blended in too well with humans. When the
Fall
happened, the Grigori were twisted and turned into something other than what they were intended for. Now they are within the hierarchies of Lucifer’s demons. They were stricken from Heaven’s records so that none would ever seek them out and be corrupted.”
“And one of them has an interest in Penelope. Why would they want her?”
The other angel shrugged. “I don’t know why the Grigori would want her, but if she is a powerful empath then he or she may want to use that. All I know is that she can’t be taken. You have to make sure she is protected.”
“I would do anything for her.”
One butterfly escaped from his chest and fluttered about. The blue and yellow insect landed on his hand and was as big as his palm. Razziel saw the beauty in the insect and knew it should never be captured. Locking it away would kill it.
“It’s yours. It claimed you for its own. You have to protect it.
For the rest of its existence.
Do you think you can do that?” Joe asked him.
“I think so. How do I protect it?” Razziel asked.
“The butterfly you just press against your
chest,
and it will become part of you. That mortal you’ve taken a liking to, that is a different matter. Humans have to constantly be looked over. You know this. You’ve watched her in the viewing pool, and your path has brought you to this. It has introduced you into a war that other angels have been fighting for a long time.”
“War?”
“Yes. The war has been going on since the Grigori were turned away from Heaven. The humans don’t know about it, and it has to be kept that way. If you take this on, there are consequences.”
Razziel glanced at the butterfly and tried to process what Joe was telling him.
A war that no one talked about because it was kept out of Heaven.
What other secrets were hidden from him? What other mysteries were kept from the angels? Joe spoke about consequences, but if there was someone after Penelope planning to take her hostage or use her for some diabolical scheme, then he was not going to let anything happen to her. He was going to make sure she was okay. If he lost her now, when he had just found her, then he would regret it for all eternity. He took the butterfly and pressed it against his chest. It became one with him, and he felt a surge of power go through him. When he glanced down at his torso, the butterfly was similar to those on Joe’s chest.
“What are the consequences?”
Chapter Six
Penelope felt a soft touch on her cheek. It stirred her enough from the wondrous dreams that she had to open her eyes. All she could think about was Razziel and how wonderful her angelic
lover made her feel
. Her entire being hummed from the aftermath of the magnificent sex they had and how she was able to be completely open with him when she had never been able to do that with any other man. And he was not just a man, he was an angel that was hung like a bull and knew how to use his equipment. That long soft caress came again and stirred her from the wonderful languor she lingered in. She did not want to escape the warm cocoon, but she knew if she opened her eyes Razziel would be there, maybe with some other strange adventure for her to embark on.
“Come on now. I know you’re awake. Open your eyes.”
That deep voice was not one she recognized. Her eyes opened and she grabbed the sheet, pulling it up around her to cover her nakedness. The man sitting on her bed had ebony skin, was bald, and his eyes glowed purple. He wore a red shirt that stretched across his broad chest and he had powerful-looking biceps. His legs were crossed and encased in black slacks. What appeared to be a silver tattoo of twisting vines was etched into his left cheek. A ring of the same design was wrapped around the middle finger of his left hand, the same hand that he reached for her again with. She shied away, but he grabbed her hand and held her fast. Once his fingers encircled her wrist; that same silver wire twined around her flesh and held her in place.
“What—who are you?”
He smiled, showing off perfectly white teeth that were slightly pointed. Cold fear ran through her and raised the hair on her arms. When she tried to move, she was still frozen. The only things she could do were breathe and speak. He held her hand lightly and brought her other hand until both of hers were touching. Once the silver chain wrapped around her other wrist, he let her go and patted her hand.
“See, there’s no need for you to struggle. Now we can be friends. And you will do what you’re told.”
“Who are you?” she said through clenched teeth.
“Not that it matters, but my name is Marlon. And my master desires you.”
“Are you coming to collect me the same way the other one was?”
Marlon smiled. “It was obvious that Torkon was the wrong one for the situation, but our master was impatient and wished to have you collected. When my associate did not return, he called me in to do the job with a little more finesse. You must be very special for him to send me in.”
“Why does he want me?”
Her captor rose from the bed and placed a finger to her lips. He peeled the sheet from her chest and gazed upon her. A slight smile turned up his lips. “Oh yes, he will
definitely
enjoy you. I don’t ask what he wants with the items he wishes me to procure, but I do know you will please him. If you listen to him, he will be gentle. It’s better if you don’t fight.
Time to go.”
She felt tears gathering in her eyes and sliding down her cheek. Marlon took her by the arm and turned her in the bed, positioned her so that she could stand and posed her the way he would a mannequin. She glanced around and prayed Razziel would come for her. Or maybe he already had, and this creature had killed him. Penelope did not want to entertain the idea of losing her angel, but the idea flitted about on the edges of her mind. Marlon stood her up and gave her another once-over.
“This won’t do.” He snapped his fingers, and suddenly she was adorned in a mesh silver dress. Her wrists were still bound, and she felt something cold around her waist and her ankle. “This is better. A dash of perfume, and let’s fix your hair.” He waved his hand, and she felt her hair flutter and smelled lavender around her. “All ready to go. Remember what I told you. Listen to his instructions.”
He looped his arm around her waist, and she felt a whisk of air. When she opened her eyes once again, she found herself standing in a room illuminated by candles that threw ominous shadows along the walls. Before her was a chair up on a pedestal, a throne, looking down on the room, waiting for the king to appear. Standing next to the chair were two naked men; each appeared to be identical with short, black hair, well-muscled, deep blue eyes, and gold rings around their cocks. Fine chains were attached to the rings, and the other ends were wound around the arms of the chair so they could not escape. A faint breeze went through the room and chilled her, causing gooseflesh to pepper her arms. She could shiver, but was still unable to move. Marlon held her arm, and they waited. In the background, she heard what sounded like a violin. The candles flickered from the draft and a few of them winked out, plunging the room into near darkness. She gasped and when she did, Penelope heard a soft, velvety chuckle echo in the room.
A dark silhouette of a towering man sat in the chair. Pure evil radiated off the man before her. She didn’t have to be an empath to feel it. He exuded darkness and the longer she stared at him, it seemed the shadows were being pulled from around the room and forming into large black wings. Those wings spread out and eclipsed what little light was left in the room. When the image retreated, she was still left with not seeing him, just the darkness that he was comprised of. His fingers caressed the arms of the chairs, and she could make out his pointed nails. Penelope shivered from the fear rolling down her back. There was more to him than anything she had ever sensed before. Even when she opened herself up to see what he was feeling, all she met was a thick wall and she could not penetrate it.
“Master, I have brought the woman you requested.”
“Marlon, you’ve done well. She is exactly what I wanted. You may go.”
Her captor bowed,
then
touched her wrists. At once the silver chain around her flesh retracted back into his hands. When it had gone, she could move. Marlon leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “It’s best not to anger him.”
She nodded and held in her whimper. In a flash, he was gone. She focused back on the man before her, trying to see into the darkness. He took one of the chains of the men tied to the chair and tugged on it. The male fell to his knees and moaned. She glanced down and saw that his cock had hardened. What was to become of her? Was she going to become some kind of sex slave to the being before her?
“W-what do you want with me?”
“You’re to be part of my collection. One you will make a remarkable part of.
Beautiful as well.”
He rose from the chair, but before she could see him move he vanished and appeared behind her with only the slightest movement of air. His fingers ran over her shoulders and he inhaled her scent, running his nose along her throat. She tried not to move, and Penelope wasn’t sure that she could move anyway. His fingers traced her collarbone and slid across the top of her breasts. A slight moan came from her lips, and she squashed the stirring of
lust
his touch elicited in her. Penelope squeezed her eyes shut and pushed her mind to Razziel. Being in his arms was the most wondrous feeling, being against his soft skin and tasting his lips. The memory bolstered her spirits.
Please be okay. Whatever happens to me, please be okay.
Her captor’s palm settled over her heart. Penelope felt a surge of electricity leap from her into the other man. She jumped, and he pulled away.
“Bitch!”
Her head whipped to the side, and the sting of a slap flared across her cheek. She touched her jaw where it was already hurting and figured there would be a bruise there later. “What happened?”
Her captor snarled.
“Like you don’t know.”
“She doesn’t.”
* * * *
Razziel
saw Penelope clothed in a transparent dress with a silver chain fitting around her hips and another around her ankle. Seeing her marked for a slave enraged him. Joe’s words rang in his ears about the consequences he would have to endure if he was going to claim her. After his meeting with Joe, he had returned to Penelope and discovered she was gone. When he focused on her, picturing her in his mind, he had felt a sharp tug on his heart. Another daemon had claimed her, and he had not been there. She was all alone when she had been taken, and the fright she must have felt enraged him because he was not there to save her. Penelope had to go through being captured and did not have the safety of him being there.
“Well…well…the suitor comes for her. Do you truly understand what you are giving up for this human? Is she worth it? Just remove the mark and let her go. I’ll make sure she has a happy home.”
Razziel
peered into the darkness surrounding the creature before him and could not break into the shadows. Joe had warned him that Grigori were guiltless creatures so entrenched into the fallen tiers of Hell that they were nothing more than demons, Lucifer’s helpers and right hands. It all depended on what tier this one was on. He sensed the power blazing off the Grigori as it tried to wrap the darkness around him to smother him. But he was still within the light. While there was light in his being, the darkness could not comprise him.
“The brand won’t be removed. She is mine! If you abide by Heavenly law, then you will release her to me and we can forget this ever happened.” He saw the look of confusion and desperation on Penelope’s face. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he had to face down this creature. He would destroy the Grigori if he intended to hurt Penelope or use her for his personal enjoyment.
“Heavenly law,” the
Grigori
said with a laugh, “what do I care for Heavenly law? Heaven forsook me long ago when I learned of the true power that lies beyond the paradise you chose to dwell in. Now I know real power. Your little girl here is going to make a wonderful addition to my collection. Remove your mark before I make her a very unhappy woman.”
Penelope glanced at
Razziel
with questions looming in her eyes, but she held her tongue, not wanting to make the situation worse. The rage built inside of him, and this time he knew he could use that fire for his advantage. The power traveled down his arm and sparked to life in his palm. The Grigori remained in the shadow. Razziel wished he could see his adversary’s face, but it seemed he was too much of a coward to reveal himself.
“You wouldn’t dare hurt me. We were once brothers. You couldn’t hurt a brother, could you?”
The shadows seemed to withdraw some from the creature before him, revealing only his red eyes. “We are not brothers. Don’t ever think that, and this bitch is mine!”
Penelope fell to her knees and screamed. Her arms wrapped around her midsection. Razziel nearly went to her, but heard the sinister laughter coming from the Grigori. “Let her be. She is nothing to you.”
“You’re right. She is
nothing
to me, just another piece of furniture. You have no power to hurt me. I, on the other hand, can wipe you out of existence. Seeing you suffer this way is so much more delightful.”
He waved his hand, and Penelope writhed on the floor and cried out. Razziel lost his temper and lobbed the ball of energy at the shadow before him and instead of hitting the
Grigori,
he hit one of the naked men. He exploded in flames and disintegrated into ash. The Grigori rushed over to the fallen boy and tried to hold on to him. Before he could, he turned and threw a ball of blue energy at Penelope. Razziel stepped in front of it and absorbed the blow. It knocked the breath out of him, and he felt electrified as though he had soaked up the power. When he glanced down he saw the butterfly on his chest had grown a little bit bigger, absorbing the blow for him.
“You’re more powerful than I thought. But another
blow,
and you won’t be here.”
The
Grigori
stood slowly. Razziel felt the brush of his dark wings against his flesh. A shiver rolled through him from the evil that went through his being. He was not going to be beaten down by it. Penelope was his responsibility, and he was not going to let anything happen to her. She was the one who had opened his eyes to the world around him. No matter what was in his way, he would move it out of his way.
The Grigori threw another bolt of energy at him, and this time he dodged it. Razziel felt the power swelling deep within him. It was one of the things Joe had told him would happen if he chose this course. The power of Heaven would change him, making him stronger and into something different than what he was if he had reached out and called on the power. He glanced at Penelope and saw her face distended in pain. She should not be suffering. If it meant putting an end to her being in pain, he would do anything for her. He loved her. The weight of that love settled on his heart. Razziel truly understood why he had become so infatuated with her, why he had started to feel. It had not been because she was an empath. It was all because he had loved her. Once that love grew, it opened him to other emotions. She was his saving grace.