The Demon of Angels (Bk. 2)

ALL FIVE SETS of eyes watched the door in anticipated silence. A growl erupted within Zeke’s chest, eyes igniting as the veins in his body began to burn molten coal. The blood in his veins flowed with unreleased power. Noah stepped forward, fur rippling down his arms and neck. Venomous canines extended through his parted lips, dripping from their sharp edges. Hannah stood beside her brother, eyes haloed in crimson. Canines extended, and her claws lengthened from her fingertips, matching her brother’s.

I rolled my neck, calling my hybrid forth. The room around me glowed gold as my eyes ignited. My veins churned blue and purple throughout my entire body, unleashing a hungry power as it hummed beneath my fingertips.

The silence was brutally interrupted then, a body crashed through my front door. The wood splintered, pieces flying in every direction. The body slid across the wood floor, landing in a heap at my feet. The male groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. When he dropped them, bright blood-red eyes flashed to human green and gazed up at me.

“Well hello there,” he purred, a grin morphing his features.

My brows furrowed, a snort gagging my throat. His humor was odd despite the situation. “Who are you?”

Evan answered for him. “Hardin, Morgan’s cousin. He goes to school with us.”

“Hardin?” I repeated.

Running a hand through his shaggy dirty blonde hair, Hardin smiled. “Yes, ma’am. And don’t you forget it,” he winked. Zeke w, as the one to release a snort, and Hardin slowly rose to his feet.

“Where’s Morgan?” I aimed the question at Hardin, wincing when I heard something crack. Without a word, Hardin pointed to the door. As if on cue, Morgan was thrown through the shredded open doorway, skidding across the counter top, and slamming to a stop against the faucet. Glass was thrown to the floor, shattering upon impact and nearly splitting my eardrums.

Evan jumped, blue haloed eyes wide. “Good Lor-” he began, but was cut off immediately.

A voice I was growing to loathe interrupted Evan. “Ah-ah-ah.” My father chose that moment to casually walk through the destroyed doorway as if he owned it, a devious smirk upon his face. Wagging his finger, he shook his head. “Not that name in my presence please. That man still makes me nauseous,” he gagged. Wearing an all black suit decorated with a red tie, I scoffed. He looked the part he was trying to play, with all the theatrics.

How was I related to this guy? “Lord,” I muttered mockingly, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched my father with a raised eyebrow.

“I asked nicely, Daughter,” The Death Scythe glowered. I just shrugged, covering my mouth with an overdramatic yawn. I was past the point of caring about what my father wanted, let alone his preferences. Don’t get me wrong, the guy was strong a powerful. He was a High Demon for fucks sake, and used to be Lucifer’s right hand man. I knew I was playing with fire, but I’d willingly burn to watch him boil to the ground.

Off to my left, Morgan’s groaned. She slowly rose from the counter, glass crunched under her feet as she made her way over, standing next to her cousin and Noah. Blood spotted her nose, cuts along her arms and legs healed and caked in dried crimson. Her eyes glowed bright Hellhound red, and she looked pissed. Canines and claws extended, a fierce expression written across her once picturesque features, and for once it wasn’t directed at me.

A growl rose in my throat, my power coming forth as I called it to me. I inched forward, my hands sparking to life with flashes of deep blue and royal violet. Orbs of lighting consumed them, igniting my veins with a deeper shade of violet as the power crawled the length of my forearms. Lighting had always been my favorite source of energy to use. It was a magnificent, bright, powerful, and deadly source of power all in one.

Death eyed my hands, seeming not the slightest concerned of my capabilities. Zeke took another step forward, pressing his chest flush against my back. A silent way of telling me we were in this together. Noah growled behind us, a warning to the High Demon that stood before us.

“Get out of my house,” I ordered, snarling at my sperm donor.

Death scrunched his nose. “No.” Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers twice. On command, howl’s rang out in the distance, several menacing snarls followed. One by one, four fully shifted Hellhounds appeared at Death’s side, slinking their way into my house. He sighed, pursing his lips like it was a shame we hadn’t willingly submitted to him yet.

It was too bad I didn’t give a single fuck.

The Death Scythe focused his attention on me, his black eyes flashing white before returning to their original color. I swallowed my gasp, masking my shock in a face of clam. “We need to talk.” He eyed the group around me with disgust curling at his lip. “Privately,” he sneered.

The Hybrid behind me let loose a powerful growl of warning, the floor vibrating beneath our feet. “Over my dead body.” From the corner of my eye, Zeke’s veins were now on full display, showcasing just how powerful he was. I knew if it came down to it, Zeke would not hesitate to act on his words, but that was what I feared most. I had just got them all back, and I refused to lose them indefinitely.

Before I could utter a single word, Death’s eyebrow ticked. “That can be arranged.”

My body stiffened, the orbs casing my arms enlarging as the sky surrounding my house darkened. Thunder clapped in the distance as anger and fear fueled my power. “Not going to happen,” I sneered.

Death shrugged, patting one of the hound’s heads. “Shame,” he mused. “My pets are very hungry.” The hound his hand rested upon snarled, jaw parting to drool covered canines, some even caked with blood.

I took a step forward, facing my father with eyes full of venom. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’re not welcome here. So get. The fuck. Out.”

The Death Scythe sneered, any laid back expression he wore vanished within a blink of an eye as his eyes shifted and glowed white. “I’ve had enough of your games, child.” He snapped his fingers, and in an instant Noah’s neck was in his grasp, my best friend gasping for air.

I jolted forward, but Zeke reached out and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Let him go!” I screamed, eyes hazing red with a heavy mix of fury and fear. Noah clawed at Death’s hands, his eyes flickering from red to their deep chocolate brown until they held there.

Lightning crackled in the distance, visible from the gaping hole in the wall. The thunder grew louder as is drew near; the bolts of electricity crackling and sizzling reached my shoulders now. Without thought, I called my power forth and swung my arm out. A bright orb flew directly at Death’s chest, but with a wave of his hand, it sizzled out before it could touch him as a black protective bubbled encased him and Noah inside.

“I wouldn’t do that again,” he warned. Death’s gaze swiftly moved to the hybrid behind me. “Or I’ll use your lover’s invitation without hesitation.”

Growling, I stepped forward once more. “Let. Him. Go.”

My father’s eyes narrowed. “Or else what, Daughter?” He sneered. “You’re no match for my power,” he seethed. As if to prove his point, Death took a single step outside and what was once a grey storm turned black. Lightning clashed around the house, thunder echoing so loud it strained our hearing. Wind busted through the opening, knocking us off out feet and shooting us back against the far wall.

One by one, he hit the back wall with a thud, sliding to the floor. Black spots dotting my vision, but I shook it off. Multiple groans followed as our asses landed on hardwood, mine included, but I shot to my feet once the haziness faded.

Growling, I bolted for the door and straight for my grinning father. Noah was now hovering a foot off the ground behind him, arms and legs held tightly together as if he couldn’t move, bound by invisible restraints from my father.

“Celeste, don’t!” Zeke called, but my anger drove me forward. My vision blurred red and black, and something deeper within me was about to snap free from its chains.

“Why don’t we try this again, hmm?” Death mused. With another wave of his hand, a black shield covered the blown doorway just as the others reached it, sealing them off until it was just my father, Noah, and myself. Zeke’s fists pounded against the barrier, rage and fear simmering within his golden eyes, now laced with threads of black.

I turned and faced my father fully, my power brimming just below the surface. I was not ready to face him, not yet. I didn’t have my full power, and that meant I was no use to him now. It dawned on me then, and all we were doing was wasting our energy, and nearly getting ourselves killed in the process.

Sneering, I kept my hands lowered at my sides, reeling in my hybrid until my eyes no longer glowed. The storm in the sky retreated, but some heavy clouds still lingered nearby. I held my chin high as I stared at my father. “What do you want?”

Death purred. “Good girl.”

My eyes rolled, arms crossed over my chest as I gave him an impatient look. I avoided glancing over at my best friend, fear it would return my father’s attention back to him, and focused solely on the man in front of me. I would do whatever it took so no more harm fell upon my friends. “Out with it,” I hissed, my patience wavering.

The Death Scythe sighed. “Very well. I came to discuss our future… partnership.” The glee in my father’s eyes would have shudders quaking through my body, if fear for my best friend’s life wasn’t directly in my hands.

I snorted, unable to help my smartass nature. “Why would I ever help you?” I knew what he was referring to, but what I didn’t know and was entirely curious about were the specifics.

The brightness in my father’s eyes dimmed, returning to their depthless black pits. Death ignored my question. “You have something I need, something in your blood that will help me when the time comes.”

The Summer Solstice.

My father didn’t know I knew anything of the prophecy, and I wanted to keep it that way so I held my tongue in regards to the timeline. “Why not kill me, you’d have my blood then,” I offered. Zeke roared behind me, clearly able to hear the words we spoke through the barrier. I ignored him as pain nicked at my heart. If positions were reversed, I’d be going crazy trying to get to him.

However, the option seemed reasonable enough for the Death Scythe, but obviously didn’t play in my favor. Regardless, if I could avoid putting my friends in harms way, I’d do anything. Even if that meant my life for theirs.

The Death Scythe’s expression soured. “I’ve already tried that,” he groveled. “I took a sample of your blood when you were a baby and tried then, but I didn’t figure it out until after I was imprisoned in Hell that the source has to be willing and offer it themselves. What I need cannot be taken, only given freely.”

My brows furrowed. “Is that why you left me and mom? You were imprisoned?”

At the mention of my mother, Death’s eyes softened but the flicker of emotion was wiped away fast enough it was hard to decipher what it was. “I didn’t leave your mother; she left me.”

I held back my surprise. “Why?”

Death threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. “How the fuck should I know?”

A muffled voice from behind me spoke. “Probably because you’re a deranged psychotic maniac with mommy issues!” Hardin’s words earned a hard glare from the High Demon, a snarl curling his lip and eyes flashing white once more.

Fear chilled the blood in my veins. Attempting to divert his attention back to me, I asked another question. “Why would I willingly help you?”

It worked momentarily. Death’s eyes returned to normal as they met my heavy gaze. A slow grin morphed along his lips as he spoke his next words with ease. “Because if you don’t, I will shred your friends apart limb by limb just as I did your mother for hiding you from me,” he sneered, eyes shifting back to their depthless white.

I blanched, the fear evident on my features until it morphed into a hot blinding rage. “You wouldn’t dare,” I snarled, edging forward a step.

Death cocked his head to the side. “No?” Without a seconds delay, he whipped around and shot his hands forth, flinging a restrained and helpless Noah seemingly thousands of feet into the air with no chance of survival on the way down.

“NOAH!” I screamed, bolting past my father as panic and fear overwhelmed me.

A body crept next to me, watching with disgusting fascination at his work. With another flick of his wrist, a large wood stake with a spike and jagged edge buried itself into the ground, right beneath Noah’s body as it sailed toward the ground. My father had just signed Noah’s death certificate. “Think about this next time you so much as disobey me, Daughter.”

With those final words, my father disappeared, and the barrier around the doorway faltered. Zeke was the first to reach me, but I was too focused on Noah.

His limp body was plunging downward toward the edge of the forest as incomprehensible speeds, and I knew that if I did nothing, Noah would die on on that stake. It stood as tall as I did, the jagged edge would penetrate is abdomen and kill him on impact.

“Noah!” I cried again, the weight my best friend’s fate lying heavily on my shoulders, but I could do nothing but watch, helpless once again.

Sobs behind me caught my attention. Wrenching my head over my shoulder, Hannah’s horrified eyes stared up at the small mass, growing rapidly as it rapidly descended toward the stake. Staring at the redheaded Demi Demon, the tears streaming down her redden cheeks as Evan held her, looking anywhere but above, raged the Hybrid within me and its possessiveness of its friends.

Its pack.

Growling, red hazed over my vision as I returned my gaze to the sky. Noah was only a few hundred feet from the stake, and seconds remind until he became a fucking Hellhound Cabob. Anger from my father, for my friends, and Noah’s possible death undid something within me.

The final chains around my Hybrid stretched, then snapped. The red haze burned dark, a rush of power filling my body in waves I’d never felt before until the veins in my body churned black. Snarling, I pulled that darkness forward, charging my body until it encompassed wholly, inside and out.

A sharp hot pain in my back threw me forward, a cry escaping my lips. Zeke reached for me, but once the pain resided, my eyes narrowed in on the body a hundred feet from the stake. Without hesitation, I leaped into the air, a battle cry forged from my throat as I reached out for Noah.

His body was limp as I huddled toward it, and the fear that he was already dead nearly stopped me. But that hesitation cost me a second I couldn’t afford to lose, and Noah’s body was no more than thirty feet from meeting its absolute death.

“NO!” I screamed.

“CELESTE!”

Reaching out once more, I flew toward the stake, arching upward to catch Noah. It was a dangerous attempting to use my body as a shield if I couldn’t reach him in time, but Noah’s life was not something I was willing to gamble.

Then, my arms found a body and used my self and my new wings to wrap tightly around it like a cocoon. Just as relief washed over me, something sharp pierced my abdomen, I cried out, dropping the body and everything went black.