Chapter One
The wind rushed through Cade’s hair, and the vibration of the V-Rod underneath him breathed life into his cold body. He pulled the throttle back as he took the next curve, the peg scraping the pavement. As the mountain road straightened, he maneuvered the bike to accommodate and gave her more fuel, pushing the Harley to her limits as the speedometer hit 110. His leather jacket pressed against his chest, but it wasn’t enough. He was tempted to lean and spill the bike, letting his body tumble over the hard, black surface of the Colorado road, but he loved this bike and couldn’t do that to her. Besides, he already knew the physical pain would do nothing to ease the ache that pounded inside him.
He’d already tried.
All he could do was live with it. Accept that he had done some shitty things in his life. Had even fallen from grace to try and atone for them, yet he was still left cold and empty. The void inside him, a place for the darkness to begin and take hold.
Perhaps he should let it.
Some days were harder than others. The only thing that seemed to bring him joy was fighting. Spilling the blood of his enemies and coating the ground with it. After all, he was born a warrior. Did it matter what color his wings were? Black, white, who the fuck cared.
Cade?
Lyzander’s mental connection pulled him from his thoughts. Yeah?
You’re needed at the clubhouse. Eva is asking for you.
Be right there.
As it happened, he was only thirty miles down the road from the Snakehole, a bar they had discovered in the middle of no-mans-land, run by a mated couple. Seemed an unlikely place for angels to hang, but the owners were good, hardworking demons who preferred the human realm to the stench of Hell. Neither of them tolerated any shit. Cade had even started bouncing there in his free time, tossing those who created a disturbance into the parking lot and giving them all the trouble they could handle. It was a great stress reliever.
A siren blared behind him, pulling him from his thoughts, and Cade glanced into the mirror to find a state trooper on his tail.
“Fuck.” He throttled back and moved to the shoulder, finally coming to a stop.
The trooper exited his car and sauntered toward him. “Driver’s license.”
Cade shoved his sunglasses to the top of his head and stared at the cop. “You don’t want my license.” He thrust a burst of power at the human, compelling the cop to do his bidding. Angels, fallen or otherwise, had no need for such mortal papers.
The officer nodded. “Everything checks out fine. You have a nice day.” The officer touched the tip of his hat and flashed a smile before heading back to his car. Cade started the bike and pulled onto the highway. Next stop, the Snakehole.
Thirty minutes later, he was parked in the gravel lot and walking through the door to the tavern. He gave a nod at Sarah, one of the waitresses, who also happened to be a hot little number dressed in a pair of Daisy Duke shorts and a tank top. She flashed him a wide smile that promised another blowjob in the backroom. At his convenience, of course. He’d have to take her up on that later. For now, he made his way to a table in the corner and pulled out a chair between Lyzander and Ashley. Sarah placed a frosted mug of whatever was on tap in front of him and made sure she brushed her breast against his arm as she bent over.
His cock jumped to attention. Down boy. Later.
“So, why do I feel like I’m about to get ganged up on?” He looked from Eva to Kelana then Ashley.
Eva smiled. “We are here for no such thing.”
He took a swig of beer. “Where’s that little bundle of yours?”
Eva’s smile grew wider. “Having some bonding time with his father.”
“Okay, so why am I here?” His gut screamed this was going to be distasteful.
Eva cleared her throat. “So, as you know, the three of us have been working on the new Tribunal.” Eva glanced to her counterparts, Kelana and Ashley.
“What does that have to do with me in the here and now?” The Tribunal was the ruling body of the angelic world and had been ripped apart during a previous war. The Maker had put these three ladies in charge of rebuilding. Good for them, but he was a fallen and no longer followed their rules. Well, except for Ashley since she was currently in charge of both Hell and the fallen.
“We want all the new nephilim coming in to learn how to fight,” Kelana jumped in. “It’s high time the women were able to defend themselves.”
Cade understood and would even go so far as agreeing. He’d sparred with Kelana when she’d gotten her warrior wings. A female hadn’t been a warrior in a long time. Eva had recently been through her own ordeal in Hell. If not for the training Eli had given her, she might have been killed. Then there was Ashley, the Angel of Death. A female with nothing to fear. No one with half a mind would fuck with her, lest she rip their soul to shreds.
“You want my blessing? Okay, you’ve got it.” He picked up his beer and took another gulp.
“No, we want you to train the next nephilim to fight demons,” Eva stated.
Cade spit foam and went into a choking cough. “You want what?”
Kelana’s dark brows dipped down. “You heard her.”
He stared at them for a long moment before he opened his mouth again. “Did you girls get hit on the head? Because last I checked, I was still a fallen angel. Not exactly in the good graces of the Maker.”
Ashley waved her hand in the air. “All good. She gave us leave to run this how we wanted, but we did double check, and she was fine with it.”
“There is one thing. Abagail is a female of wealth and used to nice things,” Eva added. “Hell will probably come as a shock to her.”
Cade wrinkled his nose. “I have no desire to train your angel. I don’t have to tell you Hell is a dangerous place, and if one of your precious gets hurt, the Maker will burn me for eternity.” She could still reach him if she so desired. Besides, he was in no mood to deal with a snob. He looked at Lyzander, who had yet to utter a word in Cade’s defense. Bastard. And after Cade fell to help the fucker.
“Guys, can I talk to Cade? Alone?” Kelana asked.
Everyone rose and walked away. Screw the lot of them for leaving him defenseless. He dared not piss off Kelana however, or Lyzander, who was her mate, would make his eternity in Hell even more miserable.
“Cade, I know you fell to atone for killing my family and to help Zander. You know I forgave you, and I hate seeing you become so...” She cast her glance at the table.
“Go ahead. You can say it.”
“Dark. Zander has me to help keep his darkness at bay, but you and Raze have no one.”
“I don’t get it. You sound as if you’re trying to play matchmaker, but you know I can’t claim a mate now.”
Her gaze softened. “Says who?”
He crossed his arms. “I’m a fallen. No nephilim will want me.” Why do I suddenly care? He hadn’t even met this female yet, and already he was in a bad frame of mind.
“Cade. Any woman would be blessed to have you for her mate.” She touched his arm. “You are an honorable man with a heart bigger than most.” She smiled. “And you’re pretty hot looking.”
He felt his brow lift. “You’re not going to trick me again with your succubus ways, are you?”
She laughed. “No. Besides, you know I love Zander to death.”
“You do.” He shook his head. “Maybe I like being a fallen, though. It does have its perks.” No one had ever fallen and been allowed back in. At least none who had intentionally turned their back on the Maker. Yeah, those who fell because they were coerced by Devon, who had been a cast-out angel seeking revenge, had been allowed back. They were different. They had lost their souls, but Cade’s was still intact. Just a little darker than before.
Kelana played with the straw in her drink. “I can’t believe you like being fallen any more than Lyzander does. He says he’s fine with it but I know better.” She flashed her green eyes at him. Please, do this as a favor for me?”
Son of a bitch. “Fine, but I have my own stipulations.”
“What?”
“She will reside in the palace with Raze and me, and if she can’t cut it then back she goes. I’m not taking on any slackers.”
Kelana smiled. “Deal.”
He grumbled under his breath. What the hell had he just agreed to?
#
Abagail rushed from the bathroom to her bedroom in a frantic search for her curling iron. “Where the hell did I put it?”
“Abagail! Stop your swearing,” her mother yelled up the stairs of their Malibu mansion.
“Whatever,” she muttered under her breath. Why did her mother not understand that she needed to look perfect when he arrived? After all, he might be the one she would spend eternity with. Abagail, or Abby as she liked her friends to call her, had grown up with the knowledge she was special. When she realized she could determine when someone spoke a truth or lie, her mother sat her down. At the age of nine, she learned her real father was an angel. From then on, she was taught about the nephilim and what part she would one day play in the angel world.
Abby had waited for this day for years, and now it had finally arrived. Yes, it meant leaving her mother, sister, and stepfather. As well as all of her personal belongings. She had a lot of stuff too, but she was a free spirit, and this was another adventure in her life. A new chapter in her book.
The doorbell rang.
“Oh, my God! It’s him.” She slammed her bedroom door and began pulling clothes from her closet. What did a girl wear when meeting an angel? She decided on practical and pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and a low-cut pink tee with rhinestone wings on the front. It clung to her figure and made her breasts look fantastic, which would take away from her wide hips. Next, she slipped on a pair of low-heeled sandals, ran a brush through her hair, and painted on some pink lip gloss. Checking herself in the mirror, she decided she had better not keep the angel waiting. Not a good way to start out.
Heading for the door, she stopped and took one last look back. Never again would she sleep in her bed with the pink coverlet. Or enjoy the view from her balcony overlooking the ocean. Her entire childhood had been spent in this room.
Taking in a breath, she opened the door to begin her new life. With each step down the stairs, the lump in her throat grew. When she finally entered the formal living room, her breath rushed past her lips. Talking to her mother was the most glorious man ever. He smiled and headed toward her. She swallowed the knot that threatened to choke her.
“Hello. My name is Cassiel.” His voice was like a song and that hair. His long, black hair was more glorious than her own, and she wondered what he used on it.
“Hi. I’m Abagail, but you may call me Abby.” Did she shake his hand? How did one greet an angel? Her mother forgot to go over these important details.
Abby’s mother pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, “Remember this is the day you were born for. I will miss you, but I couldn’t be more proud.” Her mother kissed Abby’s cheek. “I love you.”
Abby fought tears. “I love you too.”
Her mother smoothed Abby’s hair. “If you’ll both excuse me a moment, I have something in the oven.” Her mother exited the room and left Abby alone with her angel. Alone to begin her new life.
“So...” She felt heat flush her cheeks. “Are you to be my mate?” Did she sound desperate? Abby definitely didn’t want to come off that way, but she was a little unsure how this mate thing worked. Thankfully, he continued to smile.
“I am unmated, therefore it is possible. The choice will be between you and the male of your choosing.” He gave a bow. So gentlemanly. “I would be honored to be considered.”
“Oh. What type of angel are you?” Abby had learned there were different kinds. Hunters, warriors, and even reapers, though the latter didn’t interest her. Then there were the elite, the ones who ruled over the hunters and warriors. Those would be more fitting her station, according to her mother.
“I am an elite warrior.”
Perfect! He was at the top of her list, and it would make her mother happy. “I would love to get to know you better.”
“After your training, we will have plenty of time to become acquainted.” He held out his arm and she accepted, laying her hand on his firm bicep. “Shall we?”
Abby took one last look around. This would be the last time she would see her home. She and her mother had already said their good-byes. She’d had a long talk with her sister last night. Abby was going to miss them all, but she was excited to begin her new life. It was best to go now before she became emotional again. Since she wasn’t allowed to bring any personal belongings other than what she wore, she focused on the front door.
“I’m ready.”
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...
Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved
Please log in to recommend or discuss...
