Anna Marie May - Fallen Angel - Being Human

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Being Human © 2012 Anna Marie May

ISBN # 9781614952442
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Being Human Anna Marie May
PROLOGUE
~The end is nigh…and this is its beginning~
Falling; wind brushing passed his body, wiping

through his soul, trying to tear him into tiny pieces until
nothing remained.
Eternity of nothing; the world ebbing away until
only sound surrounded him, bouncing off his injured grace
like tiny pebbles off the solid ground.
Impact; a landing so hard it jolted through his being.
And finally, the end of all he had ever known.
1
CHAPTER ONE
"Shhhh…"
Soothing murmurs, achingly familiar, set off tiny
alarm bells within him and yet, the comfort won out over
any other emotion.
A hand softly stroking his hair, rubbing his chin,
and a sweet kiss planted on the bridge of his nose.
"Don't try to move yet," the man's voice continued,
"You're still too weak. You need to give yourself more time
to heal."
Velvety sheets caressing his naked body; his head
cosseted by the softest pillow he had ever had the pleasure
of lying on while his essence quivered with joy and dread.
Friend.
Foe.
No, friend!
His dazzled mind tried to decipher what was going
on but no matter how hard he tried, struggling internally
like he had never done before, nothing he did could make
him stay conscious for more than a few seconds.
"Don't squirm," the teasing voice said, "Just relax.
You're safe."
He knew whom the voice belonged to, Kai was
2
sure, but for the life of him, he couldn't connect the dots.
At least not yet, and so he drifted back into uneasy
dreams, into memories of pain and torture by those he had
once considered his friends and family.
"Kai!"
He turned when he heard his name, a smile on his
lips, but the pleasant feeling quickly vanished when he was
grabbed and subdued.
As he was held down, face pressed into the floor, a
knee firmly lodged into the small of his back, one of his
attackers snarled, "You're a disgrace to our family."
"What?" he protested, "What are you talking
about?"
"Take it easy, Raphael," someone else said. Kai
didn't recognize the voice.
He craned his head, nearly breaking his neck in the
process, to see who else was here. This wasn't right; surely
someone would come to his rescue?
Raphael didn't take it easy. At least Kai assumed the
vicious kicks to his side were coming from Raphael. Pain
shot through his body like cascading ocean waves and he
couldn't quite suppress a whimper.
"And you're telling me this pathetic excuse of an
angel is one of the keystones?"
"He's been named."
3
Oh how Kai wished he had a fiery weapon, like his

fellow warrior angels. How he wished he could call for it,
wield it, and slice the heads off those who were trying to do
him harm.
His fingers curled, his body tensed, and in his
defense, he did try his best to get free but in the end, what
was one scholar supposed to do against Heaven's fiercest
angels?
A scream tore free from the depth of his heart,
ripping through his chest and setting his body on fire… and
then…
… Then he woke up. His ears were still echoing
from his roar of pain as he tried to get his breathing under
control. When the dark spots dancing in his vision finally
ebbed, he fell backwards onto the bed, pulling the covers
with him, curling them around his otherwise naked body.
He was glad the dream had cut out there. He
shivered; goose bumps traveling up and down his body as
he fought against the memories that tried to rise. If he
could, he’d he'd erase being tortured from his mind, will
the pain away, pretend it never happened. A sigh escaped
his lips as he pressed his face into a sinfully soft pillow.
Get your hands off him!
Kai's eyes snapped open again, lips parting in a
silent oh. There had been someone else there; someone who
4
had interceded on his behalf… had there been fighting

while he had lain there dying?
His thoughts were racing a mile a minute, jumping
from one topic to another while he was unable to exert any
kind of control. Death for an angel was final and absolute,
unlike humans, who could either be reborn or find peace in
the Afterlife. There were no such options for angels. You
either were alive or you weren't.
"You're awake then," the teasing voice from before
was back, jolting his memory, and like morning dew on a
cold but bright day, an almost long-forgotten moment rose
to the surface.
"Come on, you know you want to!" Lucifer insisted,
nudging him along while Kai stood his ground.
"No," he complained. "I don’t want to go and look
at Father’s creation. I’ve got things to do here."
"He’s favoring them," Kai’s friend complained.
"Shouldn’t we go and figure out why?"
"I’m busy." Kai brushed him off and with a fiery
glare, Lucifer vanished.
Their last moment together as friends before Kai's
foundations had been shaken and his life had taken a turn
for the boring without Lucifer in Heaven to challenge him.
And since a part of him had always blamed those pesky
humans for taking the Morningstar away from him, Kai had
5
never felt any need to visit the Earthly realm himself.

And he should've stuck to that since the one time he
broke his vow to ignore humans had ended in disaster.
He gulped. No, he didn't want to go there either.
"Here, you should drink." Lucifer had moved
closer. Kai watched, mesmerized by his friend’s bright blue
eyes, as the fallen angel's hand slowly came towards him,
holding out a cup of water.
When Kai didn't move, fingers gently lifted his
chin, putting the rim of the mug to his lips, prompting him
to do as he was asked.
"Drink," Lucifer ordered. "You’re more or less
human now. You need the liquid."
Kai wanted to argue, stomp his foot in protest, but
instead, like long forgotten nerve endings firing for the first
time, he realized his throat was aching. Was this thirst? If
so, how horrible! How did humans stand it?
He glared at Lucifer, challenging him to make a
comment. Then he shifted until he was in a sitting position,
snatching the mug, drinking deeply. When he was done, he
might've burped but apart from snorting, his former friend
didn’t call him on his lack of manners.
"This gnawing pain in my belly," Kai spoke, words
carefully enunciated as if he didn't trust his vocal cords to
do it right. "Does this mean I'm hungry?"
6
"I wouldn't know." Lucifer shrugged, eying him like

he was interesting specimen he wouldn't mind dissecting to
figure out what made him tick. "Not technically human
here, remember?"
Kai huffed. "How could I’ve forgotten?" he bit
back, forgetting whom he was talking to, falling back into
centuries of banter and good-natured fights. "Lucifer, the
Mighty. The Morningstar and the Lightbringer. Of course,
when you renounced everything, you couldn't just fall like
any other angel would. You had to be banished. Only angel
in existence to get that particular honor."
"At least I've got my wings. I'm still an angel,
unlike some I know." Lucifer wasn't holding back at all.
Kai flinched. How could he have forgotten for even
one second? He was not an angel anymore. He was human.
The very creations he had despised for so long. Well, he
might not have disliked humanity like Lucifer had, but he
had never been too interested in them either. And now he
was doomed to be one of them until he died? How would
he cope? There was so little lore on fallen angels and what
happened to them if they died after turning human. Would
he get a chance at being reborn? Or would he just vanish as
if he had never existed at all?
"Look," Lucifer's tone mellowed, his gaze
softening. "I got banished because I was the first one who
7
rebelled," he explained as if Kai didn't know the story

already. He'd been there, for crying out loud. "But I still got
my wings. I am still an angel and if I wanted to, I could
probably break my way into Heaven, but why would I even
bother?"
"But I'm not reborn," Kai mused, frowning. His
disinterest in humans had extended to other angels who had
chosen to fall over the years. Falling wasn't a frequent
occurrence but occasionally someone assigned to guardian
duty would get too close to his or her charge and decide to
be human, too.
"You technically didn't fall," Lucifer continued.
"But…" now Kai was getting even more confused
than he'd been before. "I'm no longer an angel. I'm human.
You said so. Ergo, I must've fallen."
"There are many ways to fall," Lucifer continued
slowly as if he was explaining things to a child or to a
simpleton. "There are those who choose to forsake their
calling, rip out their own wings and their grace gets
transferred into a womb, turning into a proper human soul."
"I know." Kai made a gesture with his hand, telling
Lucifer to get on with things and to stop telling him stuff he
was already familiar with.
"Patience, my little friend." Lucifer took the cup
away from Kai, taking a moment to ruffle his hair.
8
"Hey!" Kai swatted the hand away and when their

fingers brushed against each other, sparks of something
shot up Kai's spine. He gasped, lips parted and eyes wide.
What had that been?
"Do you remember the hushed talk about the
Forsaken?"
Now, the blond nuisance had got his attention.
"What?"
"Surely," Lucifer commented dryly, "someone like
you, nose always stuck in a book, should be familiar with
the Forsaken…"
"I don’t…" Kai's tongue peeked out as he tried to
gather his thoughts. The libraries in the heavenly realm
were huge and he wasn't the only scholar assigned to
safekeeping the knowledge. There were many areas he had
yet to set foot in and with a pang in his heart, he realized he
would now never do so.
He sniffed, hand rising so his fingers could wipe his
nose. He wasn't going to cry. He had pride and yes, as an
angel, having pride was probably the first step to certain
doom, but even though the saying had problems when used
on angels, it was still apt: I’m only human.
Angels, contrary to popular belief, weren't cherub-
like creatures, hovering on clouds and playing the harp. Kai
had never touched an instrument in his life and he had no
9
interest in doing so either.

His recent exposure to humanity and the concept of
science fiction and fantasy movies might have helped in
coming up with a more colloquial way to explaining the
Heavenly realm and Earth.
Heaven was a place, much like Earth. There was the
library—his favorite spot—and there were halls for
gathering, for celebration, for duty, and for sleeping. There
was no good way to put the difference into words a human
could understand, but the closest he had come was to
explain the two realms as two different dimensions. In the
same place but not quite there; overlapping, touching and
yet, totally separate.
The same concept applied to Hell. If Heaven was a
different realm, a different dimension, then so was Hell.
Speaking of Hell… "How bad was Hell?"
"Don't change the subject," Lucifer chided.
"Were you in any pain? Did you suffer?" Kai
worried his lower lip.
"No." Lucifer alleviated his fears. "It was mostly
like a prison. Sure, it wasn't pleasant, but overseeing the
punishment of sinners had its own kind of reward. Have
you ever heard of bondage?"
"Uh… what?"
"Never mind." Lucifer waved the topic away but
10
from the leer on his face, Kai made a mental note to look
into the term bondage. "And you know," he said with a
wink, "there's also the added advantage of something called
hellfire. Truly, the angels don't know what they are
missing!"
Kai very much doubted anyone would be missing
anything which originated from Hell but hey, maybe all the
centuries spent in confinement had warped Lucifer even
more? His sense of humor had always been kind of
peculiar, challenging everyone and everything around him,
and Kai doubted he would've mellowed over the years. If
anything, he'd probably only gotten worse.
"So, you could fall by being reborn, never
remembering you were an angel," Lucifer recapped what he
had said before in case Kai's memory was faulty. Kai
leveled a glare at his friend. As usual, Lucifer ignored him.
He continued with his little history lesson. "You could get
banished, like me, but that's only happened once."
Here, Lucifer took a moment to actually look
accomplished, as if being thrown out of Heaven was
something to be proud of. Kai rolled his eyes in
exasperation.
"The Forsaken, on the other hand, chose to banish
themselves, favoring humanity over their duties, wanting to
put the interest of humans first even if their orders had been
11
different."
Kai chose to stay silent, not wanting to interrupt
Lucifer because this was turning out to be interesting after
all.
"Remember the five cities of the plain? Sodom and
Gomorrah?"
When Kai nodded, the devil continued. "Well, let's
just say, some angels disagreed with the orders. Back then,
we walked among humans more freely than in recent
centuries and apparently those angels were rather attached
to those cities and to the people in them. They didn't agree
with the judgment passed down and for their troubles, for
their desire not to kill countless human beings, they were
exiled and imprisoned."
"Huh…" Kai mumbled. As interesting as the story
had been… what had been the point? As if Lucifer had read
his mind, he finally touched down onto the topic he had
been leading up to.
"You fell."
"I know!" Kai rolled his eyes. He might not like the
outcome but even he couldn't deny the proof any longer.
"Think about it!" Lucifer shot back.
Kai frowned but he did as told anyway. He fell. Oh!
A light bulb went off inside his head. "Normally, a fallen
angel would be reborn," Kai thought out loud, trying to
12
organize his thoughts. "But I’m not a baby… but I still fell?
How is that possible?"
"You managed a rare feat!" Lucifer hummed in
pleasure because Kai had finally caught on. "When your
other fellow, uptight angels butchered your grace. There's
hardly anything left of it. They clipped your wings and you
were this close to dying…" Here, the ever-helpful devil
held up his hand, spreading two fingers apart to show how
close Kai had come to the end of his existence. As if he
needed a reminder. "I think," Lucifer continued, "because
they failed to rip your grace away completely, this is why
you didn’t end up an infant. This is why, you’re still you…
somewhere caught between being fully human and an
angel."
"You saved me…"
"I did." Lucifer managed to look smug. "I entered
Heaven for you and let me tell you, I laid waste to those
who tried to harm you!"
If Kai had been under any illusion that his dear old
friend might've lost his cruel streak or his fighting spirit in
the pit, then this would've showed him how wrong he had
been. Lucifer thrived on conflict, on proving himself, and
when this was combined with his rare protective streak,
well, to say standing in the path of a tsunami wouldn't even
do it justice.
13
"They took your angelic essence away, leaving

almost nothing behind, and the only way for you to stay
alive was to turn human. Your body transformed for
you…"
"So you're saying I still have some grace?"
"You do," Lucifer confirmed. Then he shrugged.
"There isn't much left of it but it'll keep you not quite
human. How this will manifest, only time will tell, but
you'd better live your life under the assumption you're fully
human. Just to be on the safe side."
Kai nodded. He worried his lower lip, thinking,
before saying, "I've never heard of anyone falling like
this…"
"You wouldn't, right?"
"Don't be an ass…"
"Neither have I," Lucifer admitted. "But I guess
there's a first time for everything, and I'm pretty certain no
one is going to be in a rush to repeat what happened to
you."
"I guess not," Kai agreed, voice quiet and subdued.
He might not want to think about the torture and the pain
involved but it was kind of hard not to. It was like a distant
hum, like the roar of the ocean in the background; not quite
obvious, but always there.
"Let's eat," Lucifer declared out of the blue.
14
Snapping out of his gloomy thoughts, Kai blinked

rapidly. "What?"
"Food!" Lucifer made, yet again, some vague
motion with his hand, pointing towards a table by the
window. How had Kai managed to overlook it up until
now? How come he hadn't smelled the rich aroma of…
something delicious in the air? He tilted his head upwards,
sniffing. His stomach grumbled. He pushed the covers
aside, moving until his feet were dangling over the side,
and only when he was standing on his wobbly feet did he
notice his lack of clothes.
"Uhm… Luce?" Kai almost didn’t notice the quick
look of happiness that fluttered across Lucifer’s face at the
use of his old nickname. "Clothes?" He pointed down on
himself.
When in the human realm, angels could either be
invisible, drifting in and out, or they could take shape and
since every grace was unique, so were their human-look-
alike bodies. Would Kai’s now permanent human form be
the same as before? Probably, he mused, since angelic
grace was kind of like a soul for a human. It was unique;
keyed in to who he was so even as a fallen angel, he should
still be himself… right? The only way to be sure though
was to find a mirror and check. Speaking of mirrors…?
"Oh, I don't know," Lucifer teased, stepping up to
15
him, grabbing Kai's hands and lifting them in the air as if

he wanted to twirl him around to get a better look. "I think
you look mighty fine the way you are…" he drawled,
winking at him while his eyes traveled down from Kai's
rapidly heating face to his much more private regions.
"Hey!" Kai complained. "I'm up here!" He yanked
his hands away, slapping Lucifer across the cheek and then
pointing at his own face.
"Pity," his friend commented, taking a few steps
away from him. "I've put some clothes over there," he said,
using his head to point towards a chair in a corner, sitting
right next to a mirror. Oh good.
Kai hurried over, quickly grabbing the pair of
underwear, slipping it on. Loose-fitting jeans followed as
well as socks and boots. He grabbed the dark red shirt,
pulling it over his head, finishing the ensemble with a
hooded sweater. He took a few steps to the side, eyeing his
reflection in the mirror.
Messy, dark hair framed his otherwise pale face.
Huge, light blue eyes stood out in direct contrast to his
creamy skin, framed by long, dark eyelashes. He raised a
hand, using the thumb to push at his nose, wondering if
having a so-called button nose was a good thing or not.
Lucifer came up behind him on silent feet, startling him. A
heavy hand fell onto his shoulder, fingers squeezing lightly.
16
Kai didn't like having to look up but unfortunately,

Lucifer was nearly a head taller than him, so when their
eyes met in the mirror, he had to slightly raise his head to
keep full eye contact. They were both slender; Lucifer's
arms seemed stronger, more developed but then again, he
had a fiery sword and he was a warrior angel, not afraid to
resolve his issues with violence.
Kai's weapon of choice had always been words,
though he was no slouch in the fitness department with his
lean muscles and wiry body.
"You're going to have to be careful, little brother,"
Lucifer's said in a soft, deep voice. His breath ghosted over
Kai's earlobe causing him to shiver. "You look way too
tasty now. Someone might try to snap you up!"
"What are you talking about?" Kai demanded, eyes
fixating once more on his friend's impressive upper arms.
Contrary to Kai, who was fully covered up, Lucifer only
wore dark jeans, boots, and a shirt that gave Kai ample
opportunity to admire his muscles. "How's your fiery
sword?"
Lucifer stilled. Then he threw his head back,
laughing so hard Kai could've sworn he saw tears pooling
in the devil's blue eyes.
"What…?" he asked defensively as he pulled away
from Lucifer, turning around so he could fully glare at the
17
impossible angel. He folded his hands across his chest, foot

lightly tapping the floor. "What?" he repeated.
"Do you really want me to show you my fiery
sword?"
Was this a trick question?
Before Kai could react, Lucifer had grabbed him,
hauling him forward, and out of surprise, Kai stumbled
along with only a squeak of protest. Their lips met. Kai's
eyes turned wide. He gasped for breath and Lucifer used
this opportunity to plunge his tongue into the newly fallen
angel's mouth, devouring him.
Kai gasped, body shivering as an unknown
sensation started tugging at his cock, making his insides tie
into knots. It was both pleasant and awful at the same time.
"No." Kai extracted himself and thankfully, the
devil let him go. Kai's eyes fixated on Lucifer's swollen
lips, prompting him to lick his own to see if some strange
taste remained there for him to salvage.
"You need to be careful, little brother," Lucifer
repeated. He adjusted his clothes before turning around,
and walked to the table.
Kai watched Lucifer's retreating back, eyes
zooming in on the fallen angel's ass. Oh Hell. Is this lust?
"Why do I need to be careful?" Kai decided to avoid
the topic in his head by asking about something else. He
18
followed his friend, pulling one chair towards him, quickly

sitting down. He didn't protest when Lucifer grabbed some
cheese, cold meats, and bread, putting them all onto a plate
and then handing it to him. "Thanks," he said politely.
"How much experience do you actually have?"
Lucifer asked instead.
"Huh?"
"With humans… why did those morons think they
were justified in killing you? What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything!" Kai huffed, chewing on a
piece of cheese, trying to catalog the weird taste. Angels
could eat; they could drink and enjoy everything the human
realm had to offer but their grace meant that their tastes
were different, so he would have to re-evaluate everything
he had come to like or dislike. Could be interesting though,
trying everything at least once to test his new preferences
You've been named. The words echoed through his
mind, causing him to shiver. Had the temperature dropped
in the room?
"You don't have a soul," Lucifer said somewhat out
of the blue
"What?"
"You can only have a human soul when you are
born human. You have bits of grace acting like a human
soul. It is kind of the same thing but different. Like the
19
color blue, for example. Blue encompasses a wide spectrum

and wouldn’t you agree that the sky is blue and so are my
eyes?"
"Huh?"
"Similar and yet different," Lucifer continued with
his explanation. "Humans have souls, angels have grace."
There was a pause, and then he asked, "Now, what did you
do?"
"I might've gotten curious a while back," Kai
hedged, slowly starting to talk. "I might've thought it was a
good idea to visit this earthly realm to see what all the fuss
is about…"
"And?" Lucifer prompted.
"I might've been in time to see a human soul start its
ascent into Heaven when it was suddenly seized and
yanked into Hell. And in its panic, this soul might've tried
to latch onto me as an anchor and it might've pulled me
along. And… uhm… Hell… wasn't nice… I might've tried
really hard to leave…"
Lucifer snorted, body shaking, and for a moment,
Kai thought the devil was in pain but then he let out a loud,
roaring laughter and the blasted angel actually slumped
forward until he could whack his head against the table's
surface.
"What?" Kai asked defensively.
20
"You broke the barrier!"

"I did what?"
"Ever since I was cast out, I couldn't leave Hell. I
could watch, learn about humans and their ways, and I
could punish the sinners but I wasn't able to breach the
barriers since no angel was supposed to be in the hellish
realm in the first place…"
"Sooo?"
"So, when you flapped your wings and battled the
current, you broke the barrier. You saved me!"
"I did?" Kai was perplexed. How could he have
broken the Hell barrier when the more powerful Lucifer
hadn't been able to?
Lucifer sat up straight, suddenly very sober. "There
are things we need to talk about."
Oh goody… Kai thought. Not only had he fallen, he
had, somehow, single-handedly done the impossible and
ensured the devil was freely walking the earth… and now
he wanted to talk?
No, this wasn't his fault, Kai decided. It was the
human's fault. Alexander Markoff. If he hadn't gotten
himself killed and latched onto Kai as he was dragged into
Hell, then none of this would've happened.
Still, Lucifer's pensive look told Kai in no uncertain
terms that there was more going on than mere funny
21
coincidences.
22
CHAPTER TWO
"Kai?"
No answer. At first, Alexander Markoff wasn't
worried because despite being good about coming when
called, Kai did have a life and it wasn’t always possible for
him to drop everything just because Alex needed him.
"Kai?"
He shifted his feet, looking down at his boots and at
the nervous tremble in his right thigh. It wasn't like him to
be this agitated but something simply wasn't right.
Everything inside him was screaming at him, telling him
this wasn’t like the other times when Kai had simply been
too busy to answer. And if he’d learned anything in his life
so far, then it was to listen to his gut instinct.
"Maybe he's busy," Ariella, Alex's younger sister,
pointed out.
"Thanks, Mrs. Obvious," was his snarky reply.
Ariella Markoff shrugged before her dark head was
once again bent over one of the many books spread out
across the table before her.
"He always comes though," Alex was still talking,
wringing his hands and he even took up pacing their small
living room. Age-worn furniture graced their home, ancient
23
wooden floorboards and drafty windows sealed the deal on

a home slowly crumbling around them.
But Alex wouldn't trade their home for any of those
new, soulless cookie-cutter suburban houses. This place
had been in their family for generations and even if it was
close to falling down around them, he was sure it would
still be there for generations to come. It had balls, if such a
thing could be attributed to a house, and more than time
and neglect were needed to get it to crumble to dust. Kind
of like the Markoff family spirit.
Pride comes before the fall, Kai's voice whispered
in his head, causing Alex to shiver. He raised a hand,
rubbing the small scar over his heart where the bullet had
pierced his flesh, killing him nearly instantly. In their line
of work, dying young was more or less expected and while
some managed to survive to a ripe old age, no one could be
a Guardian and not accept he or she would leave this place
long before he or she was ready.
So, finding himself facing the barrel of a gun,
hearing the shot ring loudly in his ears… that had scared
him, but he had stood his ground. If this was his fate, then
he would go down with his head held high, knowing he had
done all he could to make this realm a better place.
It was what their family did after all. Probably since
the time of creation.
24
He'd never spoken to Ari, his sister, about his

memories, claiming he didn't have any because who wanted
to admit to remembering dying? But Alex did remember.
One moment white, piercing pain had shot through him.
He'd struggled for breath, drowning in his own blood until
he was above his body, floating upwards.
Then, like out of some bad monster movie, a dark
tendril appeared from below, snaking around his essence,
trying to drag him to Hell. He'd fought with all he had but
he'd only just started to make headway when he'd found
someone else calling out to him.
Like a sweet, gentle tone, the soul, or grace, had
called out to him, singing a soft melody, easing his pain
and Alex, without thinking twice about it, had latched on,
intertwining their life essences until he could no longer tell
where he began and the angel ended.
He hadn't known at the time that he had done the
impossible and ensnared an angel. He'd been full of panic,
running on instinct alone and when the angel had started to
wiggle, trying to break free, Alex had only held on tighter.
In the end, the angel had managed to break them free and
somehow, instead of ascending to Heaven like he
should've, Alex had found himself back in his body, his
wound healed apart from the small scar above his heart.
And Kai had been right there, right next to him and
25
since then, they'd been working together, trying to figure

out what the fuck had happened. To say the experience had
opened up a can of worms would be an understatement.
Ariella's long suffering sigh echoed through the
room. "Well, he isn't here yet, so obviously he's busy."
Alex chewed his lower lip, torn between accepting
the logic in his sister's statement and following his gut that
told him to go look for his angel.
"Don't you ever wonder why all the old families
have always known about angels, demons, and the different
realms?"
"Huh?" Ariella's dark head popped up as Alex
stopped his pacing to look at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Alex tried again, "the rest of the world
thinks Hell and Heaven are some mystical places… most
nowadays don't even believe in a higher power anymore
and yet, all our families have always known you could
travel between the realms given the right circumstances."
"Only an idiot would try to break his way into
Heaven," Ariella snapped, her hazel eyes narrowing.
"You're not thinking of doing something stupid, are you?"
"Who? Me?" Alex tried his best innocent look,
which had stopped working on his sister when he had been
eight and she had been five.
"You're not thinking of trying one of grandfather's
26
spells to see if you could actually travel to the Heavenly

realm?"
"Well, it's possible…" Alex answered, his voice
holding an edge. "Just because no one has actually tried
it…"
"Don't you remember what happened to Antopoles,
the Greek?"
"It's a legend!"
"He wanted to visit his dead wife in Heaven. He
used the spell. And he nearly unleashed a plague. There's a
reason we are told that while it might be possible for a
human to traverse the realms, it is also strictly forbidden.
We need to know about angels and demons being able to
come to our plane so we can vanquish those who want to
do harm. But we've got no business trying to mess with the
afterlife…"
"But… it wouldn't be the afterlife," Alex countered
weakly. "I only want to have a quick look around to see if
Kai is there and…"
"He's probably busy," Ariella said again. "He'll
come when he can. Doesn't he always?"
"Hm…" Alex hummed, finding no fault in his
sister's logic. His heart, though, and his gut, were telling
him something different. There was this gaping hole deep
inside him and he just knew Kai needed his help. "Ari," he
27
implored, raising a hand to rub at his face. Something

must've been given away because his sister's expression
softened. "Trust me on this. Kai's in trouble."
"Very well," she said, closing the book with a loud
pop. "Then I suggest we look at alternate ways to get some
answers. We're not trying to break into Heaven. That's
final."
"Since when are you in charge?" Alex groused but
Ari simply raised an eyebrow, daring him to challenge her.
"Just to be clear," Ari asked, rising from the chair,
"you want me to stop researching obscure prophesies and
texts dealing with people being resurrected and/or dragged
to Hell by mistake in favor of figuring out how to contact
Kai? Do I have your priorities straight?"
"Who crowned you the Bitch Queen?"
Ari rolled her eyes, walking past her brother,
bumping into his shoulder for good measure. "I might be
Queen Bitch," she commented, "but clearly, I'm the brains
in the family."
****
"This is your worst idea yet," Ariella grumbled, but

after years of hearing his sister complaining, Alex was
skilled in at tuning her out. He considered it an art form,
28
only allowing the important bits to filter through while all

the other rubbish leaving Ariella's lips was completely
blocked. Come to think of it, it might even be a survival
skill…
He went about grinding the herbs, his eyes
flickering sideways to make sure the fire wasn't burning too
hot before he focused on the task at hand again.
"Summoning an angel is not smart," Ariella
continued to complain while she drew a circle on their
wooden floor.
The fireplace had served them well and today it
heated anointed oil, which Ariella had liberated from a
nearby church. Maybe stealing from holy ground would
give them a one-way ticket to Hell, but they had bigger
fishes to fry. He figured they would cross that particular
bridge should they ever come to it.
"Turning off this crap music might help me
concentrate," Ari demanded and when Alex looked up from
his task, he found his sister standing before him, hands at
her hips.
"It's not crap," Alex defended his choice. "It's mood
music. Don't you like crashing ocean waves?"
"If I wanted to hear the ocean, I'd go down to the
beach, sit in the sand, and listen to the waves. I don't need
to have it in the living room too!"
29
"I could always pop in forest sounds?" Alex

offered.
"What's wrong with you?" Ari demanded. "How are
we related again?" Alex watched as she started pacing,
waving her hands about. "There's even a forest a few
minutes away from where we live. And Hell, if you want to
listen to cars go by, just walk down the bloody street until
you reach the main road and take a seat! What's wrong with
some normal music?"
"It relaxes me…"
"You don't know how to relax unless it's after
getting your brains fucked out!" she shouted.
"Hey!" Alex dropped what he was going, getting
onto his feet. "Sex as a relaxation technique has stood the
test of time! Maybe if you would try it once in a while
instead of burying your nose in a book, you'd be less
grumpy!"
The siblings glared at each other until both of them
deflated.
"You done?" Ari asked and Alex nodded. He might
be the head of the Markoff family clan, local leader of the
other Guardian families around but when it came all things
magical, he always deferred to Ari. She simply had a knack
for spells and potions. "Alright then," she continued. "Since
this is your stupid idea, I'll let you do the actual
30
summoning."
"Charming," Alex drawled. "So if things go sour,
I'll be the one in the hot spot."
Ariella only looked at him, silently asking him
what's wrong with that?
He grabbed his pot with the ground herbs from the
floor while she went to retrieve the heated oil. He then took
his place standing in front of the circle while she started
sprinkling the oil into its center.
"I don't know if this will work," she said quietly
when she was done.
"I know, sis, I know," Alex reassured her. "At least
we're trying… right?"
She made a sound in the back of her throat that
could be taken as an agreement so Alex decided to roll with
it.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves,
before saying, "Vocans vos in caelestis regni…" His voice
trailed off.
"Why did you stop?"
"Do you really think using a Latin summoning spell
is the right way to go?"
"Why not?" Ari asked. "What are you thinking?"
"Shouldn't we be looking for something older?"
"Haven't you learned anything by now?" Ariella
31
replied. "It isn't so much the word that carries the power but
the intention behind it. Sure, over the centuries, certain
phrases, certain spells have gained power because people
used them, people believed in them, but without a clear
path in your mind, you could be reciting all kinds of spells
and nothing would ever happen."
"Like it does for most folks," Alex mumbled.
"Of course," Ari retorted. "If it were as simple as
uttering the words, any weekend witch would be able to
wield magic and then where we would be? We'd be living
in chaos!"
"Alright then," Alex conceded. "I'll try again."
This time he intoned the entire summoning ritual,
completing it by sprinkling the herbs into the circle when
he was done.
Then he waited… and waited… His eyes found
Ari's, who stood across from him. She shrugged, clearly not
sure either if they had done it wrong or if no one was in the
mood to answer.
"Well," Alex drawled, shoulders hunched in silent
defeat. "This was rather anticlimactic…"
"How about instead of breaking down the door, you
simply ring the bell next time?"
Alex whirled around, body instantly poised for a
fight, years of training kicking in without a second thought.
32
Out of the corner of his eye, he observed his sister doing

the same thing but where he was unarmed, she drew an
intimidating-looking knife from the back of her belt.
Ariella Markoff, wicked witch and recently crowed
Queen Bitch, would always have his back, regardless of
everything else.
"Oh, please," the smooth voice continued as Alex
watched in mystification when the summoned angel
pretended to flick a speck of dust off his sleeve. "As if your
puny weapons are going to do much more than tickle…"
"Your eyes are silver," Ari's clear voice allowed
Alex to shake off some of his surprise. Really, what had he
been expecting? Hadn't he done this ritual hoping for
exactly this outcome? "Why are they silver?"
"Well, well…" the angel mumbled, his indeed silver
eyes leaving Alex, zooming in on his sister, who had come
to stand right beside him. "Isn't your sister a saucy minx…"
"Hey!" Alex objected, standing up straighter than
before. "This is my sister, you're talking about. Watch your
mouth!"
"You called me, remember?" the angel reminded
him.
"I did," Alex confirmed. He lifted his chin, trying to
look down on the angel, which was impossible because
they were of the same height. "Kai's not answering me. I
33
know something's wrong."

"And you assume by using a summoning spell to
randomly call any angel willing to answer, you'd learn
anything at all? Oh, you little human…" the blond angel
practically cooed, making petting motions with his hand as
if he Alex was the cutest thing he'd seen in a very long
time.
"I told him the plan was stupid," Ari not-so-
helpfully supplied. "But my brother does have a sixth sense
when it comes to Kai and if he says he's in trouble, then I
believe him."
Alex shot her an incredulous look because hadn't
she argued with him about this before? And now she was
backing him up? His sister raised an eyebrow, which
roughly meant what?
"Of course he does," the still nameless angel agreed.
"He created a bond between them when he attached himself
to my little brother. This bond makes them kind of unique."
"Bond?" Alex inquired. This was the first thing he
heard about this. "Does Kai know?"
The angel snorted. "If it hasn't been written down
somewhere or drilled into his head, then no, Kai wouldn't
know about it."
Alex felt affronted on Kai's behalf but since the
annoying angel wasn't wrong and since he still hadn't
34
gotten any answers, he chose to stay silent for now. Poking

the tiger with a stick wasn't going to get him any answers
but maybe temping bees with honey would? Only problem
was, he was good with actions… not so much with
diplomacy.
"Who're you then?" Ari questioned.
"I am Michael," the angel declared. "And yes,
witch,"—he was now addressing Ariella—"my eyes are
silver. You might know, the eyes are the windows to the
soul. They reflect who you are…"
"So your grace is silver?"
"If you need to put a label on it," Michael sounded a
little bit put out.
"Gah," Alex grumbled. Not only was Michael built
like a blond killer Viking, now he also had enchanting
silver eyes too? "Focus!" he shouted, raising his hand to
slap his little sister over her head. He then leaned in,
whispering. "Just because I told you you should get laid
doesn't mean you're supposed to make eyes at the first
angel you come across."
"You're an idiot," Ari observed in her best I'm
smarter than you tone.
"If you two wouldn't mind." Michael's smooth voice
stopped any further bickering. "We've got more pressing
problems."
35
"Such as?" Alex was now focusing on Michael

again since this was why he had called after all. "Where's
Kai? Is he all right?"
"It is unclear who or what sent a dakhar after you
but it happened…"
"A what?" Alex asked while at the same time, Ari
said, "A shadow dragon?"
Alex's head swiveled around. "You know what a
dakhar is?"
"I read," she simply said, giving him the stink eye.
"Its use was very creative," Michael admitted.
"They reside in Hell and are rarely seen in this realm, but
someone prompted one to reach out with its feelers and
since they like freshly and violently killed souls…"
"It tried to eat me?" Alex's breath hitched.
"In a manner of speaking, yes," Michael confirmed.
"It's nothing more than an animal, reacting on instinct. But
the puzzling thing is: who made it aware of you?"
"So a dakhar can just enter our realm like that?"
Ariella asked.
It was now Michael's turn to give her a look. "You
know very well that demons can travel to this plane. It isn't
easy but it can be done. Why shouldn't a dakhar be able to
do the same?"
"But what about Kai?" Alex was close to whining.
36
As much as he wanted answers to what had happened to

him, right now his worry about his angel burnt a hole into
his soul. Was Kai all right? What happened to him?
Something clearly had!
"When you pulled Kai down with you, you started a
chain reaction." Michael finally moved on. "Kai might be
an angel but amongst our kind, he doesn't hold much
power. He's a scholar, not a fighter, and therefore he doesn't
have a sword he could wield to fight his enemies…"
"And?"
"He shouldn't have been able to withstand the pull
of the dakhar. He shouldn't have been able to break through
the barrier of Hell. No angel can do that. Lucifer has been
imprisoned, banished for countless centuries and even he,
who was once the most powerful of us all, has been unable
to leave his hellish realm."
Alex still didn't see where this was going.
"But he did and by doing so, he allowed Lucifer to
walk free."
37
CHAPTER THREE
His wings were on fire; his eyes were closed,

darkness descending all around him while his senses
overloaded, firing so powerfully that he expected to be
burnt to a crisp soon enough.
"Where did you just go?" Lucifer asked him. Was
this worry lacing his voice?
"Why did you come for me?"
"You seriously have to ask?"
"I do," Kai confirmed. "Why did you risk entering
Heaven to save me?"
"You're my friend," Lucifer said, as if it were that
simple. The revelation left Kai stunned. "And there were
times when you might've been more…"
Kai swallowed hard. Contrary to popular belief,
angels weren't asexual. Sure, most human conceptions
about them were wrong anyway but even those in the know
often chose to believe that all angels were purely driven by
duty and by the desire to do good. Nothing could be further
from the truth but apparently, this was a misconception that
seemed to stand the test of time. Kai was ignorant of many
human ways, including lust, desire, and its outlet: sex. But
as an angel? He was no untouched rose and so what if he
38
and Lucifer had shared a few special moments here and

there? He hadn't been his friend's only conquest and Kai
had never claimed to be celibate either. However, if Lucifer
still remembered after all those countless years… what did
it mean?
"And my advice stands, be careful among the
humans…"
"What do you mean?" When had Lucifer mastered
talking cryptically? Normally, he spoke plainly, never
mincing words. Hadn't this habit of his led to his downfall?
So why was he talking in riddles now?
"You've got no defenses," Lucifer explained. "Some
might only see a young guy they could take advantage
of…"
"I'm no Miss Innocent," Kai defended himself,
grabbing a piece of cheese from his plate.
"No, you are not," Lucifer agreed. "But you still
need to be cautious. You don't know how to handle humans
or human sexual relations…"
Kai nearly choked on his food. "What?" he croaked.
"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking
about," Lucifer shot back. "It'll be only a matter of time
before you'll want to explore every aspect of being human.
I know you, remember? Your mind is very inquisitive.
You'll want to experiment, learn new things, and since I
39
also know how sensual you can be, you'll fall into bed with
someone sooner rather than later…"
Should Kai be offended or take this as a
compliment? He didn't know, so he chose to stay silent. His
appetite, though, was gone. He pushed the plate away from
him. "That aside, was there something else you wanted to
talk about?"
"The threefold war shall be fought in Heaven,
Earth, and Hell," Lucifer's tone was monotone, eyes cast
downwards, as if he was struggling to recall the exact
words. "The son of darkness shall lead the army rising to
meet them all."
"Excuse me?" Not the best comeback Kai had to
offer but it would have to do.
"You heard me," Lucifer replied. "Remember the
obscure text you were obsessing over for about a hundred
or so years?"
Kai nodded.
"Well, that passage stayed with me and unless I'm
mistaken, the war is upon us."
"The humans call the text the Dead Sea Scrolls,"
Kai added. "But they don't have a complete set. I believe
the exact phrasing is more like…" He closed his eyes,
casting his mind backwards until he found what he was
looking for. "The Prince of Light shall battle the son of
40
darkness and their armies will tear the world asunder until
the threefold war has cleansed the realms, both above,
beyond, and center and only shells remain."
Kai opened his eyes, finding Lucifer's intense gaze
on him.
"And who's the Prince of Light?" Lucifer spun the
conversation further. "Who's the son of darkness?"
"Er…" Kai stuttered. "Prince of Light? Michael?"
he offered helplessly. "Michael is the angel of death but
he's also called Prince of Light so I'd assume he's the one
who's supposed to the lead the armies of Heaven?"
"And you would assume I'm the Prince of Darkness
then?" Lucifer asked.
"Er…" What is this, a trick question?
"My name never changed," Lucifer stated, his voice
calm but his eyes ablaze. "I'm still the light bringer and
once upon a time, I was also called the Prince of Light. And
some new titles might include king of Hell or prince of lies
but when have I ever been called Prince of Darkness? Can
you recall any text, any words ever written where my name
was associated with the Prince of Darkness and him leading
the armies against the forces of good?"
Kai stayed silent. Then he gasped, fighting the urge
to smack himself over the head. "Then who the Hell is the
Prince of Darkness?"
41
Lucifer shrugged. "I think we should find out. Don't

you?"
Before Kai could agree, there was a loud roar in his
ears followed by pressure so intense he thought he might
spontaneously explode. He would've screamed if his vocal
cords had been cooperating but instead, all he could do was
open his mouth and voice his pain on the inside.
The world vanished, blinking out of existence until,
mere seconds later, it reasserted itself. He stumbled, falling
forward, landing hard on his hands and knees.
"You're alright!"
Hands grabbed him, hauling him onto his feet. A
familiar scent engulfed him, stalling his reflex to kick out
and attack. Sandalwood, pine, and something unique to
Alexander Markoff, apparent bane of his life.
Stunned into silence, Kai stood there gaping as Alex
finally let go of him.
Alex.
The human who had started everything. Kai would
be within his rights to be mad at him; to curse his name and
rue the day he was born and yet, he couldn't. If he'd had any
brains, he would've walked away after accidentally saving
the human. He should've gone back to Heaven and to his
archives but instead, he had wanted answers.
Well, he'd finally gotten his answers all right but
42
instead of bringing him peace, all it had done was leave

him with more questions.
And, there might've been something about the
blond, dark-eyed Guardian that had more than just caught
Kai's eyes. There was something there, something
intangible that had ensnared him just as tightly as Alex's
grasping embrace on his way into Hell.
"Lucifer didn't hurt you… Michael said he saved
you but you're alright… he didn't harm you?" Alex was
stringing the words together so quickly, Kai almost couldn't
follow.
"Michael?"
"Over here, little brother," the archangel answered.
Kai's gaze snapped away from the mesmerizing eyes of the
blond human, focusing on the angel instead.
"You know about Lucifer?" Kai asked, voice weak.
Would he get punished after all? Michael was the archangel
in Heaven, the first among them since Lucifer's fall. Why
was he looking so benignly at him?
"I see you've had a chat with the fallen angel?"
Michael chose to say instead. "Did he speak of the
Threefold War?"
Kai nodded.
"For what's it worth, I am sorry this happened to
you," Michael said with dignity. Kai stared at him, the
43
archangel stared right back, and after a few tense seconds,

Kai inclined his head.
"What war?" It was Ariella who spoke up. Funny,
Kai thought, he hadn't even noticed she was here. Alex
usually tended to suck the oxygen out of any room he was
in, leaving Kai unable to focus on anyone or anything but
him. So it was no wonder he had overlooked his sister. He
gave her a passing glance, wondering if she would look
different to his now more human eyes, but she didn't seem
changed at all.
Her dark hair was still dark; her hazel eyes still torn
between blue and green and despite being in excellent
physical shape like her brother, her body still appeared
softer somehow.
"You can tell him if he doesn't pick up the sword
and reclaim his lead, I will do it for him. But we both know
who was named first. Now," Michael paused for a moment
before continuing, "I'll leave you to it."
"Wait!" Kai shouted. "There are so many things we
don't know! The archives… and what did they mean when
they said I was named?"
"The library is closed to you, little brother,"
Michael said kindly, but a sense of urgency still carried
through his tone. "And I do not know why this happened.
What I do know," he said, his tone grave, "is if the war is
44
upon us, we are fighting an unknown enemy. And if that

enemy has allies in Heaven, then I am needed there."
Then with a flutter of wings, he was gone.
"What war?" Alex repeated.
"Uhm…" Kai hedged, rubbing the bridge of his
nose. "There are a few things I need to tell you…"
"You think?"
****
"So, to sum it up," Ariella said while reaching for

the bourbon, pouring herself a rather generous glass.
After Michael's departure, they had all sat down and
Kai had filled them in on what Lucifer had told him. When
he was done, Alex had gotten up, quietly retrieved the
alcohol, and they'd been drinking ever since.
"Someone or something sent the dakhar after my
brother because it would start a chain reaction…"
"But no one could've known I would bond to an
angel!" Alex interrupted.
"Bond?" Kai's question remained ignored for the
moment since there were more pressing issues.
"Kai, against all odds, managed to tear through the
barrier keeping Lucifer sealed up. And him walking free
was the last thing needed to herald the foretold Threefold
45
War?"
"How come we've never heard of this war until
now?" Alex added. "If it was prophesied, shouldn't
someone have picked up on it?"
"Even in Heaven," Kai tried to explain. "The
Threefold War is nothing but an obscure reference. It was
sheer chance I stumbled over it…"
"Maybe not so much chance as destiny," Arielle
muttered. Everyone ignored her.
"What we need to focus on is finding this son of
darkness and putting an end to him before our three realms
really end up in a conflict none of us will win."
"He's right," Kai agreed, hiccupping. Was the world
supposed to spin? He was aware the Earth went around the
sun and the moon went around the Earth, or something like
it, but up until now, he had always thoughts humans
weren't able to actually feel or see the rotation…
"How about we call it a night?" Ariella changed the
subject. "I, for one, am ready to turn in. Good night."
Kai watched her get up, wondering how she could
manage walking with the ground moving this much.
"Hey," Alex said softly and Kai didn't resist when
he gently lifted his head, forcing him to look into his eyes.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
"Not your fault," Kai slurred. "How'd you bring me
46
back anyway?"
"Oh." Alex waved it off. "Apparently when I
latched onto you, I gave us a permanent bond, which is
why I could sense your distress. It's also why I was able to
summon you. You could do the same thing with me. I
could teach you…"
"Nungh…" Kai commented, his head falling
forward until it came to rest on Alex's shoulders. Comfy.
He snuggled closer, crawling into the Guardian's lap,
getting ready to go to sleep.
"I'm not a pillow!" Kai could hear Alex protest but
since there was no heat in the voice, he ignored him.
"Come on then, let's get you more comfortable if
you insist on sleeping here," Alex's voice barely registered
with him anymore but the sudden movements, his limbs
being forced into different positions, did.
"No…" he muttered, daring to open one eye.
"If you scoot further back, you can press yourself
against the back of the sofa… come on, man, you can do
it…" Alex directed him, and since the evil world was
insisting on continuing to turn, Kai closed his eye again to
black everything out.
He followed the directions until he was lying on his
side, his back pressed against the cushions with his head
planted on Alex's chest.
47
During their movements, the Guardian must've lain

down with him and with a pleased sigh, Kai relaxed into
the hold.
This was pleasant.
Seconds later he was asleep.
****
Waking up wasn't a new notion. Even angels rested.

But rousing from a deep sleep as a human? This was
definitely something new.
"Good morning," Alex's husky voice greeted him.
Kai lifted his head, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"Morning," he mumbled, licking his lips. His throat
was parched, his head fuzzy, but overall, but nothing beat
waking up curled into Alex's side. He shifted, his legs
tangling even more with Alex's, and as he pushed himself
up, pressing his lips softly onto the man's, his thigh bumped
into something else.
Something akin to electrical shock roared through
his body, making his toes tingle and his tiny hairs stand up
straight. He groaned, eyes fluttering shut as he twisted his
body closer, fingers running up and down Alex's exposed
arms.
"Kai, we can't…" Alex pushed him away.
48
Had he misunderstood human anatomy? It was

possible, so he scooted backwards a little bit until he could
look down on Alex's body, noticing the bulge in his jeans.
"But you're excited," Kai pointed out, not the least
bit shy when he reached out, palming Alex's cock through
the fabric.
"What on Earth…?" Alex yelped, shoving Kai
backwards, jumping off the sofa as if Hellhounds were
snapping at his heels. "Kai, no. This isn't on…" Alex
mumbled, looking flustered before he ran from the room.
Kai gaped, wondering what he'd done wrong. Then
his stomach grumbled, signaling his need for food and he
decided he could always try to decipher weird human
signals later. Right now, he had a date with the kitchen.
****
"Kai isn't Mathew." Ari's voice was soft, coaxing

and yet, all Alex heard was pity.
"Leave me alone," he groused, not wanting to talk
about it. Of course, he knew Kai wasn't Mathew! For one,
they looked nothing alike.
"I mean it," Ariella said, walking up behind him.
Alex kept his back turned, staring out of the window.
His bedroom was his sanctuary and regardless of
49
how many conquests he made, how many people he slept

with, he never brought anyone up here. Ari knew this, so
why was she bothering him now?
"You've got feelings for him."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Alex
insisted, turning around to glare at his interfering little
sister.
"Oh, don't play dumb." She waggled a finger. Her
hair was neatly pulled back into a tight bun with a pair of
reading glasses perched on the top of her head. She might
not be pretty by most common standards, but Alex had
always thought she had a certain charm that would easily
get her a boyfriend or husband if she would only take her
nose out of her books or stop dabbling in magic.
Then again, this wasn't fair, right? This was what
their family did and without Ari's skill at all things
otherworldly, neither one of them might have survived this
long.
Had their parents wanted this kind of life for them?
"Do you think Mom or Dad would've liked what
we've done so far?"
"They'd be proud," Ari said without blinking.
"Don't you think they would've wanted for us to
maybe go to college or have a real job?"
"We've got a job," she continued, narrowing her
50
eyes. "We've got enough money to finance a small country

and what we do is more important than anything else…"
"But…"
"Where's all this doubt coming from?"
"They died," Alex said. "They went out on a routine
check to seal a breach between the realms and something
nasty poked its head through, and they died."
"So?"
"So?" he echoed. "Our parents died young. What
if…?"
"Kai knows the risks. If you're worried about trying
anything with him, he isn't some sort of innocent who's
never heard of magic or monsters. He knows the stakes."
"But with this new talk about war…"
"And he's a part of it. Whether you want it or not,"
Ari calmly replied. "So why aren't you on him like a cat in
heat?"
"I have no clue what you're talking about. He's my
friend. I don't think about him that way."
Ari snorted. "Please," she said. "I've seen you
undressing him with your eyes and that was before he
actually turned human."
"Mathew…" Alex started to say, wanting to point
out how disastrously his one and only serious relationship
had ended, but the moment he said his dead lover's name,
51
he knew he had made a mistake.

"Mathew," Ari finished the sentence for him, "was
an idiot. He was more interested in dating someone from
our family than in you. And his arrogance got him killed."
"This is pointless anyway," Alex deflected. "I'm not
interested in Kai."
"Well, alright then," Ariella said easily, a good
indication she had a punch line waiting and she didn't
disappoint. "Then I guess you won't mind if he rekindles
his relationship with the almighty devil, right? After all, if
he had needs as an angel, surely the same must be true for
the human…right?"
"Whaaaat?" His word might've come out more like
a screech than a manly protest but Alex couldn't help it.
"What are you talking about?"
"As if you haven't noticed how neither Michael nor
Kai have batted an eyelash at Lucifer walking free.
Common lore, which paints Lucifer as evil incarnate,
would have him wreaking havoc on our realm by now.
Instead, he risked everything to save Kai. Why would a
former archangel rescue a measly scholar?"
Alex stayed silent.
"He wouldn't," Ari pressed on, having found blood,
wanting to make Alex bleed. She was vicious, his sister,
she really was. "No one takes such drastic measures unless
52
they care a great deal…"

"You're full of it," Alex countered. "Kai's an
innocent. He wouldn't…"
"Are you listening to yourself?" Ari was shouting
now. "Since when do you believe angels are made out of
gold, playing the harp all day long?"
"Don't put words into my mouth, woman…"
"You're asking for it!" she replied. "Do you
honestly think, all those centuries in the Heavenly realm,
and all Kai ever did was read? Seriously? Can you look me
in the eyes and nod?"
Alex couldn't. Being raised as a Guardian had cured
him of any illusions he might've had about angels and of
demons because nothing was as black and white as most
people believed. And yet, when it came to Kai, he'd always
sort of thought of his angel as an innocent; caught up in all
of this by accident. The need to protect him, to shelter him
from the cruel world was so automatic, Alex hadn't even
questioned it.
Until now.
Ariella shrugged. "Since you're not interested in
Kai, be happy for him. I'm sure, once Lucifer figures out
who summoned Kai, he'll hurry to reclaim him. They've got
lots of catching up to do."
She was wrong. Kai wasn't for him. Mathew
53
might've only dated him for who he was and for what being
with someone of the Markoff family would mean, but deep
down Alex knew the guy would've left him anyway. He'd
done him a favor by ending their relationship first. After
all, he hadn't been enough for Mathew. Despite all the
lovers he'd had, when it had counted, Mathew had sought
affection elsewhere and nothing screamed you're
inadequate more than those actions. Alex might be good at
what he did. He was a good leader of all the local families
and he took pride in his heritage.
But on a personal level? He was a failure. Why
would he inflict himself on Kai? And it wasn't as if the ex-
angel was actually interested in him. Kiss aside, he was
probably only discovering what it meant being human. And
if he gave in, if he let himself believe again, and then Kai
walked away…?
It would kill him.
But he would keep an eye out for Lucifer, just in
case. And no, he wasn't jealous at all. This was just a
precaution.
****
"You've got a rather impressive library," Kai

observed.
54
"It's our pride and joy," Ariella confirmed. "We've

got more wards up here than anywhere else."
"Let's get to it then," Kai rubbed his palms together,
practically salivating at the prospect of research, of diving
into books he hadn't seen before. Nothing could ever
compare with the library he had left behind, but in its
absence, this would do.
Hours later, he thought differently.
"This is hopeless," he lamented. "There are tons of
vague references about wars, sometimes threefold,
sometimes not, but nothing we could actually use."
"If this had been easy," Ariella observed, putting a
book back into the shelf before turning around and looking
at Kai, "then we would've all known about what was
coming. And we've only been at it for…"
"Twelve hours," Alex finished her sentence.
"Where have you been?" she challenged. Kai closed
his book, looking at the Guardian.
"Yes, where have you been?" he repeated the
question. "I thought we'd all do some research…"
"I'm no good at this," Alex confessed. "If you need
something slain, or if you need to plan an actual attack,
then I'm your man. Plain research? Not my thing…"
"But this is important," Kai pointed out.
"Which is why I've been talking to all the clan
55
leaders I could reach, informing them of the change in the

game. And in turn, they are now looking into the same
thing we are. Strength in numbers, right?"
"Oh," Kai blinked, conceding the point.
"So, you've been human what… twenty-four
hours?"
"Maybe?" Kai crooked his head. "It's not as if I'm
keeping count…"
"Have you ever been to a bar?"
"Alex…" Ariella warned but neither Kai nor Alex
was looking at her. It was as if there was no one else in the
room, everything else fell away while the two men stared at
each other.
"No," Kai confessed. "Before meeting Alex, I
hadn’t visited this realm in a long time… and well," he
paused for a second before he continued. "You know how
hectic everything has become since then. I didn’t have time
for any recreational stops." "Trust me," Alex said with a
smile. "If there were humans walking the planet, then there
were bars around too. Might not have been called bars, but
getting drunk and having fun is almost as old as sex."
"What are you suggesting then?" Kai asked eagerly.
"We're not going out," Ariella interrupted. "We've
got more work to do here…"
"And how far do you think you'll get if you run
56
yourself ragged?" Alex was now looking at his sister and

Kai could see her relenting in the way her shoulders
slumped.
"Fine," she said. "But we're not taking the car.
Carly's is just down the road."
"Agreed." Alex happily clapped his hands, licking
his lips, which took Kai's mind to all sorts of places.
"I'll wait up front…"
"Kai," Ariella's voice held him back. He stopped,
turning to look at her again.
"I know we got drunk last night and you didn't seem
to suffer any ill effects but I would caution you against
drinking like my brother does. He's got a high tolerance for
alcohol…"
She seemed sincere in her warning, so Kai agreed to
take it easy. After all, his goal was to experience the world
as a human, try new things, but not get so wasted he
couldn't remember anything the next day. Would kind of
defeat the purpose of learning about new things, right?
****
The dark bar was everything Kai had expected. The

music was just loud enough to make talking difficult but
not impossible and there were clusters of humans standing
57
about, having a good time.

Some were even dancing, moving to the beat, and
even Kai had found himself tapping his foot along here and
there.
He'd lost sight of Ariella the moment they had
entered and she had yet to resurface. Alex hadn't seemed to
mind, and right now they were both leaning against the
counter, nursing cold beers.
He didn't really care for the taste; it was too sweet
and overpowering, and compared to the bourbon from last
night, the drink definitely came up lacking.
"Do you want to dance?" Kai asked his silent
companion.
"I don't dance."
"Suit yourself." Kai rolled his eyes, putting his beer
down. "I'll go myself then…"
He had no clue what had soured Alex's mood but he
would be dammed if he would let it affect his own. Alex
had been right after all. After countless hours of research,
letting your hair down, metaphorically speaking, was just
the right remedy to recharge his batteries. He hadn't even
realized how tired, how worn down he had become, until he
had started relaxing.
No wonder humans enjoyed going out so much!
There was definitely something to it.
58
He weaved through the mass of bodies, making his

way to the center. For a few seconds, he stood there,
ramrod straight, unsure what to do. Then he closed his
eyes, letting the beat wash over him, bringing his natural
sense of rhythm to life. He moved slowly to start, like a
fragile leaf in the wind, swaying with the rest of them while
his at first insecure steps turned more confident with each
passing note.
Eventually, a new song came on and he easily
switched gears, adjusting his movements to the new sound.
"You look good."
Kai smiled, his eyes fluttering open. He turned,
holding out his hand, and with a crooked grin, Lucifer took
it, pulling Kai flush against his body. His hands came to
rest on Kai's hips and instead of moving away, Kai
snuggled closer. His own hands came to rest on the devil's
ass, which earned him an amused chuckle.
"It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?"
"I don't know," Kai teased, leaning in so he could
whisper into his former lover's ear. "Is it?" And after a
pause spent nibbling at the lobe, he added. "I don't recall
ever being quiet…"
The hands on his hips tightened almost painfully
and Kai relished the feeling of having caused it.
"Be careful, little brother." Lucifer was now
59
returning the favor by whispering into Kai's ear, his hot

breath ghosting over Kai's skin, causing him to shiver.
"Human sex is a lot more hands-on than it was for us…"
"I'm willing to try," Kai admitted. As soon as the
words were out of his mouth, his eyes found Alex, who was
striding towards him, looking as if he was ready to commit
murder. If it were possible, thunder would be rolling off
him like waves, flattening everything in his path.
"But you don't really want me, do you?"
Kai barely registered the sadness in Lucifer's voice
because Alex finally reached them. He grabbed Lucifer by
the collar, hauling him away from Kai. Since they had been
embracing, Kai stumbled, nearly falling on his ass and only
his quick reflexes saved him from actual injury.
"Get your hands off him," Alex seethed.
Lucifer remained cool but there was a tick around
his right eye that told Kai that Alex should tread carefully.
"Oh, really?" Lucifer dared.
With dread pooling in the pit of his stomach, Kai
watched as Alex narrowed his eyes, his stance turning even
more confrontational while, for all intents and purposes,
Lucifer relaxed even further. Then with a wink, Lucifer
turned around, grabbed Kai, and kissed him hard on the
lips.
Kai's eyes widened, never leaving Alex, who
60
seemed to be frozen in place before exploding into a flurry

of motion. He yanked Lucifer backwards, stepped between
the two angels and then, with an iron grip, he secured Kai
to his side.
"Back off," Alex hissed.
"And you and what army is going to stop me?"
Lucifer asked.
"Guys," Kai interceded, trying to take a step
forward but Alex's grip stopped him before he could get
far. So he tried talking instead. "Luce, please…"
The blond's eyes focused on Kai and what Kai saw
in those blue orbs touched his very soul. Lucifer did care
for him. It was written in every plane on his face, in his
very expression, but there was also sadness there. Bone-
chilling sadness that Kai couldn't explain.
"We'll talk later," the former leader of Heaven said
before he turned gracefully, sauntering through the dancing
bodies as if nothing was remiss at all.
Kai tore his gaze away from Lucifer's retreating
back, turning so he could glare at Alex. "What's wrong with
you?" he demanded, emphasizing his question by using his
one free hand to poke at Alex's firm chest.
The Guardian didn't bother answering, instead he
started walking in the opposite direction as Lucifer, forcing
Kai to follow him.
61
He led the ex-angel past the bar and the restrooms

towards a back door. With a vicious kick, he pushed it
open, all but throwing Kai out into the alley. He stumbled
onto the rough pavement, barely able to stop before he
collided head first with the opposite wall. He straightened
up, spinning around, eyes ablaze. "What's wrong with
you?" he demanded again.
Alex was reckless, fearless in many ways, but
insulting and threatening Lucifer… this was height of
stupidity. And where did he find the balls to interrupt Kai's
dancing anyway?
"What's wrong with me?" Alex hissed through
clenched teeth, fingers balled into tight fists as if he was
trying to physically restrain himself from lashing out. Odd.
Kai had never once worried about Alex hitting him and yet,
faced with the irate Guardian and the distinct possibility for
there to be violence, he still wasn't afraid. Why were his
jeans suddenly so tight? Why was his breath coming in
ragged gasps and what were those buzzing things in the pit
of his stomach?
Was he turned on by the danger in the air? By
Alex's brown eyes that were narrowed to tiny slits and by
his powerful body practically telegraphing danger? Was
he?
"What's wrong with you?" Alex shouted. "You're
62
dallying with the devil! How's that smart?"

"I wasn't dallying…" Kai protested weakly because
strictly speaking, his hands had been on Lucifer's ass and
hadn't he nipped at his earlobe?
"Shut up!" Alex gritted through his teeth, closing
the distance and for a second, Kai thought he'd lash out. He
tensed, bracing himself for impact, and it turned out he
hadn't been totally wrong to be wary. He was shoved
backwards until his back connected forcefully with the
wall, Alex crowding into his space, face so close, they
might as well have been breathing the same air.
The Guardian wedged his thigh in between Kai's
legs, forcing him to part his own. Then Alex's lips were on
his, devouring him, and with a gasp, Kai opened up,
allowing his mouth to be plundered. This was so much
better than he had imagined! He leaned into the kiss,
pushing his own tongue into Alex's hot mouth, tasting and
exploring while his hands pulled at Alex's shirt until his
fingers were able to find bare skin. Then he dug his fingers
into the waistband of the man's jeans, shoving downwards,
not quite knowing what he was looking for and yet, every
instinct in his body told him this was the way to go.
They moved apart for some much-needed air and
instead going back in for yet another kiss, Alex attacked
Kai's throat. Kai tilted his head sideways, giving him more
63
access, a soft whimper leaving his lips.

"Oh, yes!" he groaned as his own zipper was pulled
apart and one of Alex's hands found his way down his
pants. Firm fingers wrapped themselves around Kai's
straining erection, squeezing hard.
He gasped, head falling backwards, landing with a
loud plop against the wall. Pain exploded at the back of his
skull but it was all good, all good.
His fingers worked harder at finding his goal,
yanking and shoving at Alex's trousers until some part of
him remembered it would be easier if he too pulled at the
zipper. With shaky fingers he finally managed to wedge the
trousers apart and then his hand found what he had been
searching for: his friend's straining member.
Passion surged through him and he launched
himself off the wall, one hand firmly planted on Alex's
waist, stumbling forward and more or less shoving the man
backwards. How they didn't trip over their undone pants,
landing in a heap on the ground, he didn't know. This time
it was Alex's back that connected with the wall and it was
Kai who crowded him.
His eyes were downcast, staring at his fingers,
wrapped around Alex’s cock and for a moment, he forgot
to breathe.
"You going to do something about that?" Alex
64
dared, and all sense went out the window.

With an animal-like growl, Kai pressed his lips to
Alex's, biting his lower lip until the man was shuddering
under the onslaught. A coppery taste exploded on Kai's
taste buds but he didn't stop.
His fingers stroked up and down the shaft, working
hard, savoring the velvety skin and how Alex was slowly
coming apart.
"No, like this," Alex wedged himself away and Kai
watched as he licked his bleeding lip. "See?" Alex then
proceeded to grab Kai's cock, aligning it with his own,
wrapping both his hands around the two shafts.
There were no words to describe what it felt like to
have his sensitive skin brush against another man's. No
words at all, so Kai settled for grunting, fighting for each
breath as all awareness rushed southwards. His hips jutted
forward, having developed a mind of their own, rutting
against Alex's hand, but he wasn't alone in his age-old
rhythm. Alex was right there beside him, making noises so
obscene that Kai's ears hurt while at the same time those
very noises added fuel to his already burning fire, igniting
it, making it burn hotter and brighter than ever before.
When his release came, he wanted to scream at the
top of his lungs, proclaim his victory to the world. Instead,
he barely managed a whimper, his cock erupting in spasms,
65
making his entire body shake and shake… wetness coated

his own fingers as he gingerly reached between them,
fingers interlacing with Alex's, helping him reach his own
climax. When Alex shuddered underneath him, Kai thought
this had to be Heaven. How come he hadn't tried this
before?
Gravity deserted him. Leaning in, his lips searched
for Alex's sensitive skin at his throat, nuzzling it. He
inhaled, savoring the intoxicating scent, totally at peace
despite his racing heart and ragged breath. Humans were
truly very curious creatures to be able to find peace while
their bodies were still raging on.
"This is wrong… I shouldn't have…"
"What?" Kai mumbled, barely able to keep himself
steady. His knees were wobbling and if he let go of Alex,
he might actually fall to the ground.
"Get off me," Alex shoved at him and Kai finally
got the message. He extracted himself, tucking himself in,
wincing at the cooling stains on his cock and lower
stomach. So not pleasant.
"Don't touch me," Alex hissed.
Kai raised his eyes, the flakes on his sensitive skin
forgotten.
"What?"
"You heard me," Alex replied, tucking himself in,
66
hiding the traces of their lovemaking as best as he could.

"This was a mistake," Alex said, leveling one more cool
look at him before pushing past him. In order to do so, he
bumped into Kai's shoulder, sending him spiraling
sideways.
Mouth slack, staring wide-eyed at his friend's
retreating back, Kai let him go.
What the Hell had just happened?
67
CHAPTER FOUR
"Stupid, stupid," Alex muttered as he practically ran

home.
Once inside, he took the steps two at a time, running
up to his bedroom, banging the door shut in his wake.
Frames rattled in the hallway, one might've even crashed to
the ground but he didn't care.
He tore at his clothes, heedless of where they
landed, and he practically jumped into the shower.
Thankfully, his master bedroom came with an en suite
bathroom, giving him the privacy he craved.
Yelping, he cursed at the cold spray of water,
fiddling with the controls until he got it right. Then he
placed one hand against the tiles, steadying himself while
he let the water cascade down his aching back.
"Stupid, stupid," he repeated. "How could I have
been this stupid?"
He went through the motions of washing himself,
ridding himself of any traces of what had happened, but no
amount of soap could get his skin to stop tingling wherever
Kai had touched him.
Kai.
Precious Kai.
68
His soul hummed every time his vivid blue eyes

were trained on him and his nights were filled with visions
of Kai sprawled out on white sheets, his pale body
glimmering with light sweat while Alex sated his senses on
the feast before him.
But Kai wasn't for him. First, he'd been an angel.
Now he might be human but just because they belonged to
the same species, didn't change the facts. Alex wasn't
relationship material and Kai deserved someone better than
him. Someone with less baggage; someone who could
cherish him and not let any harm come to him. Hadn't Alex
already caused enough pain? Hadn't he, by accident maybe,
but just because he hadn't intended any harm, didn't make
the guilt any less… so, hadn't he dragged Kai to Hell and
bonded them together without asking for permission?
Alex was no good and someone as precious as Kai
deserved someone equally awesome.
"But not Lucifer," Alex announced to himself. He
turned off the water, opening the doors. "If I can't have Kai,
then, even if it's the last thing I do, Lucifer won't have him
either."
****
"You're an idiot," Ariella announced.
69
It was the next morning and Alex was once again

standing by the window in his bedroom, staring outside. He
turned, glaring at his sister.
"Good morning to you too."
"You're still an idiot."
"Didn't we have this conversation yesterday?" Alex
asked.
Ari raised an eyebrow. "Which only proves my
point," she replied. "You're a first-grade idiot."
Alex shrugged. She could think what she wanted.
He still knew what was best.
"I don't know what happened between you and Kai
but I'm sure it's all your fault."
"Honestly, Ari," Alex tried to deflect. "With your
vivid imagination, shouldn't you be writing fiction? I'm
sure you could earn a fortune."
His sister huffed, putting her hands on her hips, foot
tapping lightly on the floor. "Just so you know," she said. "I
had to take Kai home last night because he was quite beside
himself. He wouldn't tell me what you did, but whatever it
was, you've got to make it right."
Alex mutely stared at her, refusing to rise to the bait
to bare his soul.
"Fine," she muttered, shoulders slumping. "I've
tried," she said and then, almost as an afterthought, she
70
added, "He stalked off this morning wanting to explore the

neighborhood. He said something about needing to pray…"
"You'll be wanting my help then with the research?"
Alex asked without any enthusiasm at all. He hadn't lied
yesterday; looking through books, finding hidden clues
wasn't something he was good at. Something important
could be staring him right in the face and he would still
miss it. But give him something to plan, a battle or any
confrontation, and then he would be in his element.
Research? Was akin to torture for him but since the
situation was so dire, he probably should overcome his own
issues and pull his own weight.
"Nah," Ari declined his offer. "I don't need your
ugly mug distracting me. Why don't you do something
useful, like calling our friends again. Maybe they've found
something."
"In twenty-four hours?"
Ariella shrugged. "No harm in asking, right?"
Since she was right, he nodded.
More phone calls it was then.
****
So far Kai hadn't really taken any notice of where

Alex lived. When he had popped in before, while he had
71
still been an angel, he had either flown there on swift wings

or used a rift between their realms to get there.
For humans, finding rifts and trying to use them
would be folly. Kai didn't know exactly why but
apparently, only angels and demons could traverse from
one realm to the other without actually suffering any
damage. Sure, no demon would ever be able to enter
Heaven and normally, no angel could enter Hell but it
wasn't as if either one of them had ever wanted to.
Humans were a curious bunch and over the
centuries, a few had tried to gain access to Heaven with
rather devastating results. Despite their flaws, apparently
the lesson had caught on because in recent years, no one
had been that stupid.
For angels though, popping into the human realm
was more or less just listening to the void, locating a rift, an
imbalance in the keynotes of the universe, and then heading
through it. So, in the past, he had never paid any particular
interest in the area around Alex's home. There had been no
reason for him to.
Walking along the crappy road, passing by a few
ancient-looking houses, heading towards Carly's, was an
interesting experience. For one, he hadn't realized the
Markoff home was this close to the ocean. He could hear
the crashing waves to the left, and even though he couldn't
72
actually see the water, it couldn't be far. At his back, he

could see tall trees in the distance, indicting a lush forest.
Up ahead, just past Carly's and the fateful alley from last
night, was a main road that, according to Ariella, would
lead him into a sleepy town.
Appearances, of course, could be deceiving. Willow
Creek, at first glance, seemed like any other sleepy town on
the Eastern seaboard. It was connected to major highways
enough to not be totally cut off, but in the grand scheme of
things, apparently not much happened here. And yet,
despite many small towns dying out all over the world,
Willow Creek wasn't suffering from any signs of
depression. Maybe because the townsfolk knew how to
look after their own. Sure, some people had left over the
years, never to be seen again, but most families had ties to
the Markoffs and to their family legacy, ensuring a steady
stream of support for the old Guardian family.
Knowledge had always come easy to Kai; he hadn’t
necessarily spied on Alex and his life by entering the
thoughts and dreams of people around him but he’d still
been able to pick up helpful clues, giving him an advantage
over any other random stranger in a new place. Visiting
Alex had never been for pleasure so while he knew the area
in theory, he hadn’t actually had the time to wander about
and take in the scenery. As far as he could tell, Willow
73
Creek was about as safe as any place could possibly be.

It didn't take him long to reach the town center,
where busy people went about their daily routines. Like
many old towns, the ancient church was located at the
center and when he approached the rather extensive
grounds, he stopped outside the gates, leaning against the
rusty metal bars.
He pressed his face against the cool metal, looking
inside. Small pebbles made a path towards the stone steps
leading up to an impressive wooden door. The church itself
was just like Kai would've pictured it. Spires rising towards
the sky, all sleek planes and impressive architecture with
Romanesque-style windows and intricate, colorful
ornaments painted on the glass. He would've expected a
church like this in one of the cities in the so-called Old
Country and not out here but clearly, the first settlers in this
region had taken their faith seriously.
Kai approved.
The door creaked, emitting high-pitched wail as Kai
pushed it open but he didn't let the sound deter him. He'd
come here to talk to the priest, to see about getting access
to the archive, hoping to find any kind of lead.
Sure, the Markoff library was extensive, spanning
many centuries and holding many rare books and
manuscripts, but they were dealing with a prophecy
74
involving the Heavenly realm so if anything had ever been

leaked, then Kai thought his best chances of finding this
piece of information would be at the source. Or as close to
it as he could get, since the Heavenly archives were now
permanently closed to him.
The stones crunched under his steps, almost as if
they were protesting his arrival, but he ignored them,
plowing on. He took the steps two at a time, and he had just
raised his hand to try the handle when the door was pulled
open.
"Good morning, son," an elderly priest greeted him.
"Good morning," he replied, lowering his hand.
"I'm doing some research and I was hoping you would
grant me access to your archives?"
"I'm sorry," the older man declined. His bushy,
white eyebrows were so distracting, Kai almost didn't hear
him. "But we don't open our archives to the public."
"Uhm…" Kai stuttered. Would dropping Alex's
name help? "I'm staying with Alex… em… Markoff," he
hastily added. "And this is rather important."
The priest eyed him and Kai thought this was what
being judged and found wanting must feel like. After a few
tense seconds, the priest smiled, stepping aside.
"You're helping with the family business then?" he
inquired and Kai quickly nodded, not wanting to miss his
75
chance.
"Yes," he agreed. "We've got a situation at our
hands and while Ariella is looking for information at home,
I thought coming straight to the source might be better."
"This is a Heavenly matter, then?"
"It is…" Kai agreed.
"Come in, son," the old man gestured and Kai's step
nearly faltered as the stepped over the threshold. Would a
former angel get smote on sight? Would hail and fire reign
down on him from Heaven? Or would he simply burst into
a pile of dust?
He took a deep breath, inching over the threshold,
holding in the air until he was inside, allowing the door to
fall shut behind him.
He squinted, body only slowly un-tensing but when
he exhaled, he decided he wasn't going to get killed yet. He
whispered a quick prayer of thanks, just to be sure.
"Our church is the oldest one in these parts." The
priest gestured for him to walk with him and Kai easily fell
into step with him. "We've only allowed for a few
modernizations." The man pointed at discreet lamps before
he continued, "but in our catacombs, where our documents
and books are stored, we're still relying on candles. I have
to ask you to be careful. Many books are fragile and the
tiniest bit of…"
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"I will be careful. You have my word," Kai

interrupted him.
"Good, good… it's this way…" The priest led them
away from the main hall of worship which Kai thought was
regrettable because he would've liked to see if it was just as
impressive as the building was up front. But he could
always come back when the fate of the world wasn't resting
on their shoulders.
"Here." The older man handed him a torch before
fiddling with keys, unlocking a heavy door. "Follow the
steps and then you'll be in our catacombs. I can't allow you
to take anything with you and when you're done, come find
me. If I am not here, then I am next door. I hardly go
anywhere else…"
"Thank you." Kai placed a hand onto the man's
shoulder to show his appreciation. "I really appreciate your
help."
"I knew Alex's father, you know," the priest said in
parting. "And I know they do good work. I'm proud to
help."
Kai inclined his head, watching the man go before
he pushed the door open, starting his descent.
What would he find?
****
77
If the church's facade had been impressive and awe-

inspiring, the hidden catacombs matched the building in
atmosphere and creepiness. The air was damp and cold, not
the best climate to keep any kind of books in and Kai made
a mental note to bring this up. Surely, if the priest was this
concerned about the precious materials hidden away down
here, then he should be a bit more concerned about the state
they were being kept in!
Or was this simply one of those human things: oh,
it's been this way for like forever… what's wrong with it?
Either way, he would have to see about saving these
precious artifacts because he wouldn't sleep otherwise.
Without any windows, the place was beyond dark.
His torch saved him from breaking his neck and after a few
seconds of wondering how anyone could ever find anything
in the constant darkness, he found matches and candles. He
then spent the good part of half an hour, lighting all candles
he could find and when he was done, the place appeared
less creepy. The soft, easygoing shine of the candles
doused everything in a calming light, a total contrast to the
usually harsh rays of artificial lighting.
But where to start?
There were boxes and shelves stacked with books,
manuscripts, and even stone tablets, and without any idea
78
of where to begin, he could spend the rest of his life down

here, searching.
The Threefold War.
Prince of Darkness.
Prince of Light.
Lucifer walking free.
All these things were important hints, but how to
combine them? Where should he start looking?
"I would start by looking at this." Lucifer appeared
out of nowhere. It was a credit to Kai's nerves that he didn't
scream like a little girl. Instead he settled for glaring,
something he seemed to be doing rather frequently of late.
"What's this?" Kai asked, staring at the flower in
Lucifer's hand. "Are you bringing me flowers?"
The flower was tiny with five white petals and dark
center. It was pretty, in an unassuming kind of way, and
nothing he would've ever associated with Lucifer.
"Bringing you flowers?" Lucifer's confused tone
indicated the flower wasn't supposed to be some sign of
affection like humans seemed to favor. Then why Lucifer
was holding on to it and why he was now handing it over to
Kai?
He took it carefully, not wanting to destroy it.
"What am I supposed to do with it?"
"I would suggest you look into the history of this
79
place… tonight's a full moon." The last bit was added

totally at random, or so at least Kai thought.
"Random much?" he asked.
"I'm never random," Lucifer countered, slightly
affronted. "I'm helping you."
"You know something," Kai accused his friend.
"Why don't you come out and say it instead of sending me
on a wild goose chase? I thought we were on the same
side!"
"What makes you think that?"
"What?"
"I might not be the Prince of Darkness named in the
prophecy, but I never said I wanted to save the world from
a war."
"You must be kidding."
"What if I'm not?"
"You are!" Kai insisted. Reaching out, he grabbed
Lucifer by the shoulders. "I know you got banished because
you didn't like the humans, because you were challenging
the status quo, but you can't want to hurl all our realms into
chaos… I don't believe it."
"You always thought too highly of me," Lucifer
said, his voice weak and barely audible.
"It's called having faith, moron," Kai shot back.
"And, despite your hotheadedness, I've got faith in your
80
good heart. When you fuck up, you do it with epic

proportions, but you wouldn't have risked everything to
save me if you were heartless."
"Saving you and saving the world are two different
things," Lucifer pointed out.
"Would you really become my enemy?" Kai
changed tactics, his eyes boring into his friend. "Would you
hurt me? Go up against me? Kill my friends?"
Lucifer stayed silent.
"You wouldn't," Kai concluded. "If this war would
only affect the Earthly realm, you'd probably leave the
humans to rot. But since it will spill over into Hell and
Heaven, you'll want to take a stand. You're not fond of
humans, they were the reason why you were imprisoned for
countless centuries, but you never had any disagreement
with your brothers and sisters. You wouldn't want any harm
coming to all the angels in Heaven. This is why I know
you'll stand by our side in this. And you'll be leading the
Heavenly armies, not Michael. He was right, you know,"
Kai concluded. "You're the Prince of Light, the light
bringer. This is your task."
Knowledge settled deep into Kai's bones and stayed
there.
"If I'm to lead Heaven into the upcoming war,
assuming they aren't going to kill me on sight and actually
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decide to follow a banished archangel, then who do you

think is going to do the same thing for Hell?"
"What?"
"This is threefold war, doofus," Lucifer pointed out.
"If I am leading Heaven and your dear friend, Alexander
the Great, is going to lead the earthly forces, who's left to
lead Hell?"
"Uhm…"
"You didn't think that far ahead, did you?"
"I'm still right," Kai insisted. "You're to lead
Heaven."
"Good luck convincing Michael to step down."
"He already said he wouldn't mind…"
"What?"
Truthfully, Michael hadn't quite phrased it like that
but that was what Kai had taken away from their
conversation.
"Look." Lucifer actually sounded tired now, which
freaked Kai out. Why was his friend tired? What was he
hiding? "Just look into the flower. And remember, tonight
is a full moon."
"What aren't you telling me? Why are you being
this cryptic?"
"We've got archives in Hell too, you know," Lucifer
said as he extracted himself from Kai's grip. "And you
82
know enough about prophecy and destiny to know that

sometimes, you need to let things play out. Prophecy,
especially one as obscure as this one, is never set in stone.
Once you are on a certain path, you'll encounter a few forks
in the road, and if you could manipulate the right ones, you
might be able to push for a desired outcome."
"This is your stupid way of telling me you know
something but you can't come out and say it because it
would affect the whole thing negatively?"
"Yes," Lucifer confirmed, a cheeky grin on his face.
"There are choices up ahead, not only for you but for
everyone, and you have to make those choices on your
own, otherwise it might all fall apart."
"And this is you helping, in a very unhelpful way,"
Kai added.
"Be glad I'm helping at all," Lucifer snapped. There
was a rush of air, the flapping sound of wings, and then the
devil was gone.
"Dammit," Kai cursed. He now had even fewer
answers than before and more questions. This wasn't how
he had envisioned this day going…
****
Faoin ghealach lán…
83
Under the full moon, by the watery banks, the

willow and the anemone rest hand in hand, showing the
path to three-folded destiny.
Kai paused, staring at the text, written in some
obscure Irish version of Gaelic. Stumbling across the
illustrated book, full of angels, demons, and talk of other
realms had been a stroke of luck and he refused to believe
some higher power might've guided his steps until he
stumbled over a discarded book, crashing into a pile and
landing face first on the aforementioned book. Sometimes a
coincidence was just a coincidence, right?
His gaze darted towards the wilting flower. He
couldn't be sure, because earth's plant life had never been of
interest to him, but he would bet any amount of money or
even his soul that the freaking flower Lucifer had brought
him was an anemone.
But what did it mean?
"Baby steps, baby steps…" he muttered, briefly
closing his eyes before trying again.
Under the full moon, by the watery banks, the
willow… wait a minute. He frowned. Willow trees were
sacred. Not only were they associated with the moon, with
the feminine, they were also supposed to induce clarity if a
seeker slept underneath its branches under a full moon.
Unless he was mistaken, Celtic legends also spoke of
84
enchantments and bindings so maybe he was supposed to

seek out a willow tree? And in mythology, the Alder tree
was known as the King of the Waters and the Willow tree
was the Queen. And yet, what good did this knowledge do
him?
Deep down in his bones, he knew he was on the
right path. There was an echo deep inside him, telling him
to keep going, to push onwards until he came out at the
other end. But what would be waiting for him when he did
reach the end?
And the anemone rest hand in hand, showing the
path to three-folded destiny.
The rest of the message was even less clear. Part of
the problem was he had no clue about flowers. Every
flower held a special meaning, and he had an inkling the
anemone quoted here meant something. Well, he decided,
closing the book with a loud plop, sending dust sky high
into the air. He’d come as far as he could down here. He
doubted he’d find anything else about the flower so maybe
it was time to move on. A violent sneeze startled him,
causing him to snort through his nose. When he’d calmed
down, he raised a hand, massaging his hurting orifice.
Maybe the priest knew what an anemone was supposed to
stand for… it was worth a shot, at least.
Right now, he was following a clue based on his
85
clumsiness, Lucifer's flower, and the words three-folded

destiny. Sure, three-folded destiny didn't necessarily mean
Threefold War, but it was close enough to get his attention.
And considering how cryptic Lucifer had been with the
freaking flower, he couldn't quite ignore the reference to it
either.
He ensured all candles were snuffed out before he
headed back up the stairs, closing the top door behind him.
He found the priest heading his way and both men stopped
in the hallway.
"I was just coming to see if you were all right."
"Why?" Kai asked.
"You've been down there for hours. It's now after 9
o'clock and I thought you might have fallen asleep or
gotten buried under stacks of books."
Kai's eyes widened, flickering towards a nearby
window, and yes, night had already fallen. Weird how
swiftly time passed when your mind was engaged.
"I might've found what I've been looking for," he
vaguely said, taking a page out of the devil's book by being
as cryptic as possible. "There's just one thing I'm stuck on."
"Oh?"
"I need to know what an anemone—that's a
flower—stands for."
"I can help you there," the old man said. "My
86
nephew went through a flower language phase when he met

his wife and when they got married, he gave the books to
me. I've got them in my study…"
"Brilliant!" Kai enthused, clapping his hands
together. He'd hoped the priest would be able to help him
but this was even better than he could've imagined.
"Follow me, young man," the priest turned around,
walking down the long corridor until he opened yet another
door.
They stepped outside, crossing a small yard until
they came to the man's private residence.
"I'm going to have to go back and lock the door," he
said. "Why don't you go ahead. My living room is through
the first door on the right. The book is on the top shelf. You
can't miss it. It has a huge violet flower on the cover."
"If you’re sure…?"
"Yes, yes, go ahead…" The man motioned for Kai
to go on, which he did. Finding the book wasn't hard
because, just as the old man had said, there was a huge,
ugly violet flower on the cover.
He flipped the book open, looking for the index. He
was so focused he didn't even notice he was chewing on his
lower lip, drawing blood.
There… Anemone. Page one-twenty.
He flipped through the pages until he came face to
87
face with a colorful version of his dead white flower.

Apparently, anemones came in different colors. Huh.
The meaning of the name anemone is forsaken or a
dying hope. Its blood red petals are symbolic for lost love
because they cling too loosely to the stem and are easily
lost in the wind.
Now he was certain he was on to something
because what were the odds of him looking into a flower
called forsaken?
The Forsaken, on the other hand, chose to banish
themselves, favoring humanity over their duties, wanting to
put the interest of humans first even if their orders had
been different.
Remember the five cities of the plain? Sodom and
Gomorrah?
They didn't agree with the judgment passed down
and for their troubles, for their desire not to kill countless
human beings, they were exiled and imprisoned.
Lucifer's voice rose from the depths of Kai's mind
as he recalled the conversation they had about falling as he
woke up in Lucifer's home… lair… house? He frowned;
did Lucifer own a house?
He shook his head. This so wasn't important right
now.
Had his friend, even then, been leaving him hints?
88
Breadcrumbs to follow? Why else bring up the Forsaken in

casual conversation? And what did it mean?
He closed the book, deciding on the spot.
Tonight was a full moon. This town was called
Willow Creek so surely there must be a creek around here
and a few willow trees. He would find one, sit underneath
its branches and hope for enlightenment. He'd know when
he found the right tree, if there were anemones growing
nearby or underneath it. Easy peasy.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I did." Kai rose, turning around. "Thank you."
"I'm glad I could help."
"One more thing," Kai said. "Is there a willow tree
nearby? A really old one near a creek?"
The priest blinked, not having expected this
question, but after a moment of blankly staring at him, he
nodded. "Yes, there is. Head past the church, through the
graveyard, and then you'll come to a creek. There's an old
willow tree there. Local legend has it, the tree is as old as
the town, and some say the town was named after it."
"Perfect," Kai exclaimed. "Thanks so much."
He brushed past the priest, heading outside into the
crisp night air.
He briefly considered seeing about getting a
message to Alex but as quickly as the thought rose, he
89
brushed it aside. His friend had made it clear he didn't want

to associate with Kai. He had no clue what he had done
wrong since they both had obviously enjoyed their
encounter but apparently, he had been a mistake. Sure,
Alex's exact words had been "this is a mistake", but how
else could Kai interpret what had been said?
As an angel, he might've been worth something to
the Guardian but as a useless human he was just dead
weight. Well, he would show him! He would find a valid
clue and then he would prove himself to Alex and make
him see he wasn't useless or worthless.
The burning need inside him, this constant yearning
to be near Alex and to inhale his scent was distracting; it
also meant he cared for the guy and he wasn't about to let
Alex brush him off so easily.
Sure, he was hurt. No one liked being considered a
mistake but if he proved his worth, if he could show he was
a good partner for a Guardian, then surely Alex would give
him a chance, right?
It was all he had to go on, and as the saying went,
hope sprang eternal.
****
Another indication he was on the right path was
90
finding the Willow tree with a bunch of anemones growing

right beside it. The pale moon provided enough
illumination for Kai to find his way in the dark and while
some might consider taking a walk under the starlight to be
romantic, he found it nothing more than a nuisance.
He sat down, eyeing the bark for a moment before
deciding to lie down on the ground instead. With his arms
folded behind his head, he stared up at the branches, softly
moving with the breeze.
He closed his eyes, allowing the rich scent of the
earth, of the nearby flowers in full bloom, and of the
ancient tree to lull him into a trance-like state. His soul, or
better, his shredded grace, hummed in contentment as his
body relaxed, bones nearly melting into the ground.
His ears strained to listen to the leaves softly
rattling overhead, and a distant coo of an owl only added to
the mesmerizing, tranquil atmosphere. Truly, if this
moment in time could be bottled up and sold as a calming
draught, anyone could make a fortune.
Free us, the air seemed to hum.
Lead us, the nighttime insects chirped.
You're one of us, brother, join us.
Kai's movements were disjointed, like a
marionette's strings being pulled, as he got up, stumbling
through the dark towards the water. He fell to the ground as
91
the voices rose to a deafening roar around him.

See and you'll be free.
Later, he wouldn't be able to tell if he acted out of
his own free will or if something pushed him, but the next
thing he became aware of was his face breaking through the
surface of the creek.
He gasped, inhaling water, choking on it, but
despite his jerky movements to pull back, he couldn't move.
His lungs strained, dark spots danced before his
eyes and yet, nothing seemed to save him. Fingers dug into
the muddy ground, arms strained, struggling against the
unseen force pushing him down… nothing worked until, as
if he had broken through yet another invisible barrier,
something popped deep inside him.
Are you one of us?
Do you vow to put humanity before anything else?
Will you fight; will you lead us to the very end and
back?
Yes! His mind screamed, I want to protect my
friends! I don't want to see them hurt!
Then free us. Break the binding. Be one of us.
But how? he silently screamed.
Free us by freeing yourself.
The idiotic answer was enough to make him really
mad. Anger pooled in the pit of his stomach, rising with
92
full force and despite his lack of oxygen, he was hurling

curses into the water in languages that hadn't been used for
centuries. He renewed his struggles, shifting his legs so he
had better purchase on the ground, and when he thought all
was lost, he tried one more time, putting everything he had
into it… and then, he broke free.
He reeled backwards, scrambling as far away from
the blasted creek as he could until his arms and legs gave
out and he slumped to the ground.
What the fuck had just happened?
And why could he practically hear Lucifer smirking
in the background?
What was the bastard up to?
If due to his actions, my friends come to any harm,
Kai vowed, then friend or no friend, Lucifer will rue the
day he was created.
****
"Tsts… aren't you a pretty, little thing."

Kai blinked but his body was slow to respond.
"Oh, don't get up on my account," the strange
woman practically cooed and despite the harmless-
sounding voice, Kai's hackles rose. His inborn instinct
screamed danger at him and because of it, he forced
93
himself into a sitting position while his eyes tried to adjust

to the faint morning light.
The sun was just about at the horizon, telling him he
had spent the better part of the night out here, passed out
cold.
"Perfect," he muttered. "Now what?"
"Now you'll come with me."
He focused on the woman sitting right before him.
The sun was at her back, framing her deceptively delicate
body, making her seem ethereal and strange. Her red hair
was gleaming, flowing freely and framing her face in
perfect harmony. Her wide, green eyes held flecks of
yellow, reminding Kai of a dangerous animal on the loose.
Predator's eyes, he thought, no remorse in them.
The dress would've been a perfect fit for a time long
gone, hugging her in all the right places while flowing
around her body like an embrace.
"I don't think so," Kai replied, scooting away from
her.
Her hand shot up, her fingers squeezed the air and
suddenly, Kai couldn't breathe.
He fell back to the ground, fingers digging into his
throat, trying to loosen the invisible noose, but since there
wasn't anything there, his efforts didn't do much good.
"Since I've got your attention now," the woman said
94
and the pressure eased somewhat, forcing Kai to suck in as

much air as he could, fearing she might change her mind
again and do him in for good.
"I'm Belial, and it's a pleasure to meet you. You've
been a thorn in my side since your name was spoken, and
for such a little thing, you seem to be quite the survivor.
But never mind," she added, hands waving in the air. "You
might've thought you found a way to stall me but actually,
when you serve me, I'll be even more powerful. With you
as my pet, nothing will stand between me and my new
kingdom."
"Over my dead body," Kai croaked.
The crazy woman, Belial, laughed, head tossed
backwards, exposing her pale throat.
"You've been named… and I've named you as mine.
Welcome."
The pressure around his throat increased. Panic
flared sharp, white, and hot inside him, but this time it
didn't ease. He clawed at his skin, drawing blood while the
dark spots in his vision became fuller and fuller.
Help me! His mind screamed since his voice was no
longer cooperating, and his last thought before darkness
claimed him was that now, Alex would never consider him
worthy.
95
CHAPTER FIVE
"Do you think I should go looking for him?" Alex

poked his head into the library, finding his sister slumped
over a book.
"Uhngh?"
"You asleep?"
"I'm not asleep," she mumbled, lifting her head
from the pages, righting her glasses before turning in her
seat to look at him. "I'm thinking…"
"Right…" Alex drew out the word, smirking.
"Looks like sleeping to me…"
"Did you want something?"
"Yes." His good humor vanished. "It's dinner time
and Kai's still not back. Do you think I should go look for
him?"
"You should've gone looking for him this morning,"
she replied. "You should've done a lot of things, but now,
I'd say leave him alone…"
"But…"
"He's a grown man…"
"Well…" Alex hedged, "Technically he's still a
baby… in human terms at least."
Ariella glared at him, giving him the finger.
96
An unseen force pushed past Alex, causing him to

stumble, sending him to his knees. A loud crash followed
and despite lightning-quick reflexes, it still seemed like an
eternity to him before he was back on his feet again,
surveying the damage.
"I think an angel crash landed in our library,"
Ariella commented dryly, pointing at Michael, who was
sprawled over a desk with books strewn haphazardly on the
floor.
"I think you might be right," Alex replied, slightly
wide-eyed. "Michael?" he asked, carefully approaching the
still unmoving angel as if he were a wild animal about to
get scared. "You all right there, buddy?"
A groan was the only answer he got.
"Do you think he's hurt?" Ariella asked. She was
closer to him and before Alex could tell her to be careful,
she was already by the angel's side, carefully touching his
shoulder.
As if he had been struck, Michael reeled backwards,
hands raised for a fight. When he saw Ariella's pale face, he
deflated.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "Didn't mean to startle
you…"
"You crash landed," Alex observed, not wanting to
be outdone by his sister so he approached as well, coming
97
to stand right by her side.

"I did indeed," Michael admitted, his silver eyes
still trained on Ariella. "I've come to ask a favor."
Alex opened his mouth, wanting to say no but
Ariella got there before him.
"Anything you need," she said.
"Wait a minute," he interjected. "Let the man
explain first before you say yes."
"Your brother is right," Michael agreed, which
raised all kinds of alarm bells inside Alex's head. "This isn't
to be taken lightly."
"What do you need?" Ari asked. Alex knew her
well enough to be able to tell she would agree to anything
to further their cause. Who would've known that a pair of
pretty silver eyes would melt his sister's heart?
"Why don't you sit down before you fall down
again…" Alex broke their staring match, grabbing Michael
by the arm and guiding him towards a chair. He pushed the
archangel into it before he reached for another chair,
pulling it up.
Ariella did the same, which was how they found
themselves sitting in the library, staring at a rumpled
archangel.
"I located the traitors in Heaven." Michael spoke
slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "We tried to get
98
answers from them but they refused, favoring death

instead."
Alex blinked but stayed silent. Hearing the angel
talking so casually about interrogating one of their own was
unsettling but honestly, he should know better by now.
"One of them carried a hidden parchment, sealed
shut with a powerful spell. I showed it to our head librarian
and he is certain it is a page torn out of an ancient text
called Regina in salici."
"The Queen in the Willow?" Ari translated.
Michael nodded. "At first, I thought nothing of it
but then he went on to say it also contains an old, obscure
prophecy detailing the Threefold War so I asked him to
find the book."
"Did he find it?"
Michael nodded. "He did."
"Why am I detecting a but?"
"Because there is one," Michael said. "Most of the
book was just gibberish but once I got to the part where the
page was torn out, this passage drew my attention."
"Come on," Ari urged him on. "Don't keep us in the
dark. There's no need to amp up the suspense, you've
already got our attention!"
Michael gave her a scalding look but otherwise
ignored her.
99
Smart man, Alex thought.

A soul destined for Heaven will enter Hell and an
angel of old will follow. The barrier will be broken,
allowing ancient evil to walk free.
Heaven will unite behind its first enemy, charging
into battle with the Prince of Light, while earth will follow
the ancient bloodline, leaving nothing but blood in its
wake.
Hell will cause chaos, uniting behind the Prince of
Darkness, tipping the scale and thus, the threefold war
shall rage across the realms, leaving nothing but ashes and
scorched earth behind.
The willow and its descendant will be named. Three
paths, threefold war… only one will remain.
"What does this mean?" Alex asked, dumbfounded.
"The end," Michael replied gloomily. "This is the
End of Days…"
"Don't be ridiculous," Ariella interjected. "It's a
prophecy, and an obscure one at that. If all is already lost,
why are we even fighting?"
Where did she find her strength?
"Now, it's pretty obvious to me, Heaven will unite
behind Lucifer since he's the first enemy and also the
original Prince of Light, right?"
Michael nodded. "I know."
100
"And we'll all be following Alex into battle since he

always happily proclaims he's better at strategy than
research anyway."
Alex gaped. "Don't be stupid, sis," he protested. "I
know I can lead, I've proven myself countless times but
there's a difference between being the elected local leader
and being responsible for everything!"
"And yet, I doubt anyone else will be named. Deal
with it," Ari said heartlessly. "And of course, without a
leader, Hell will cause chaos with demons running free.
They'll unite behind our still nameless enemy and, I hate to
say it, but I'm not so sure if this comes to pass that we can
win."
"You think our combined forces can't push back
Hell?" Alex asked, incredulous.
"A war between all the realms will cause
devastation everywhere," Michael explained in a calm
voice. "There'll be no winner, only losers. And even if we
come out victorious, defeating the Prince of Darkness and
his armies, we will still have lost."
Alex mulled this over, finding he agreed. "Then
what should we do?"
"Avert the prophecy from coming to pass," Michael
answered. "The Threefold War also gives three paths and
depending on which one we end up on, the results can vary.
101
There's also a wild card mentioned at the end."

"The willow and its descendant," Alex concluded.
"This is why I need your help," Michael held out
the page again. "I need to know what was so important that
they went through so much trouble concealing it."
"Wait…" Alex raised a hand. "Why did you crash
land here?"
"Are you hurt?" Ari added.
"I'm well," Michael said with dignity. "A fight
broke out when I snatched the page away, revealing yet
more traitors, and my brothers covered my back while I
retreated. There was an explosion and as I pushed through
the realms, the shock wave carried over. I apologize if I
caused any damage."
"No harm done." Ari waved Michael's apology
away. "Now what do you need?"
Michael's eyes focused on Ariella again, which
Alex didn't like one bit. The angel's gaze was too intense,
too curious for his liking.
"I need the blood of a soul whose grace once shone
through the heavens."
"Come again?"
Michael sighed, looking tired. "The spell used to
conceal the words written on this parchment is very old. It
can't be broken and many actually consider it unbreakable."
102
"But you know of a way?" Alex clarified.

"I do," Michael answered. "There are some perks to
being in charge after all."
"So what's the perk?"
"And what's the catch?" Alex added, not trusting his
sister to be reasonable in this. Who could've known angels
were her Achilles heels? Especially angels with silvery
eyes!
"The reason everyone thinks this spell is
unbreakable is that in order to break it, the blood of a fallen
angel is needed. An angel who was reborn, whose grace
turned into a human soul. Such angels are rare and
especially hard to find since not even the human in question
would know of his or her origin."
Michael gave Ariella a meaningful look.
Alex's heart constricted. His lungs refused to
cooperate and the world was swaying dangerously. "No,"
he said with heat. "My sister ain't a fallen angel."
"Of course I'm not," she confirmed.
Michael didn't say anything, just looking gravely at
her. Ariella deflated. "I am not, right?"
Alex hadn't heard this meek tone since she had been
little and he hated Michael for putting it into her mouth.
"You are one of a kind, Ariella," Michael
confirmed. "I do not know who you used to be, but your
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affinity for magic, your instincts, and your tenacity, all of

this combined, makes me believe you are the one I am
looking for."
"But you don't know for sure?" Alex inquired.
"I do not," Michael confirmed. "Once grace has
turned into a soul, there is no easy way to determine the
change."
"But if the spells works, then we'll know I'm a
fallen angel…"
"Ari…"
"Be quiet," she hissed, hazel eyes blazing. "I don't
like this either. But there's more at stake here than an
identity crisis. I'll always be your sister, regardless of
everything else. Now, what do you need?" Her eyes were
trained on Michael again, hard and unyielding.
Alex had lots of comments, protests neatly ordered
and ready to leave his mouth but none of them did. In the
end they needed answers and if this was the way to get
them, then could they really afford not to?
****
By the time they had all the ingredients ready, the

sun was rising. The only reason Alex hadn't worried more
about Kai was that he hadn't felt any distress coming from
104
the former angel.

Surely if he were in any kind of danger, Alex
would've known, like he had before?
"I'm ready," Ari announced.
Alex fought the urge to rush to Michael, clamping a
hand over his eyes because no one deserved to stare at his
naked sister in such an open-mouthed manner. Had the
angel never seen a naked woman before?
"Close your mouth," he hissed, keeping his voice
low so Ari didn't hear him.
There was an audible click and a quick glance
confirmed Michael had indeed closed his mouth.
Ari stood in the middle of their backyard, naked as
the day as she was born, her long hair flowing freely down
her back. Her breasts were perky, her waist slim, and her
thighs strong. Alex gulped, averting his eyes.
"If you entertain any impure thoughts," he
whispered to the angel, "I would suggest purging them,
right now."
"Your sister is a beautiful woman…"
"Purge… now…" Alex insisted.
The ritual was fairly easy. Getting the ingredients
ready had been a bit tricky, involving Michael flying all
over the world, but now all Ari needed to do was cut her
wrist, let the blood drip freely onto the parchment, sprinkle
105
some precious herbs onto it, and then mutter a few words.
If she were indeed a fallen angel then the spell
would reveal what the traitors had tried to erase. If nothing
happened, then his sister would still be his sister but
unfortunately, they wouldn't have gotten any answers.
Either way, Alex thought, this was a no-win situation.
He caught Michael staring at his naked sister yet
again, so he elbowed the angel in his ribs. Through
narrowed eyes, he watched the angel look away.
"It worked!" his sister suddenly screamed, running
towards him, not caring about her nakedness at all.
"Put a robe on," Alex ordered, grabbing the
parchment, positioning his body in between her and
Michael and blocking the angel's sight.
Did the angel look put out?
"I can't read it." He handed the paper to Michael. "I
don't know what language it is…"
"It's handwritten," Michael said, his nose
scrunching up as he focused on the paper. "By the unnamed
prophet who first recorded the prophecy."
"So what does the guy have to say for himself?"
"He says," Michael continued, "every foretelling
has a wild card. A unique, unpredictable force that can tip
the scale either way. He drew a flower…"
Michael's breath hitched.
106
"What?" Ariella asked, coming to stand beside them

dressed in a flimsy dressing grown.
"It's an anemone."
"So?"
"An anemone is an old flower, symbolizing the
Forsaken… the loss of hope."
"Sounds gloomy," Alex observed.
"You don't understand," Michael said slowly, his
eyes lifting from the paper, staring at the both of them.
"The Forsaken are the wild card. Whoever leads them can
tip the scale of the war."
"What are the Forsaken?" Ari inquired, taking the
question right out Alex's mouth.
"Angels who chose banishment because they
wouldn't follow orders. For siding with humans, wanting to
protect them from harm, they were sealed away, unable to
enter any realm. It must've been a horrible existence,
trapped between realms, able to observe but never
interfere…" Michael's voice trailed off.
"It doesn't give you a name of their leader?" Ari
asked, hope in her voice, but Alex knew it couldn't be this
easy.
"The leader of the angels who joined the ranks of
the Forsaken was an angel called Willow."
"Willow?" Alex echoed.
107
"What an odd name," Ari observed.

"Willow is an ancient name. It's believed Willow
was one of the first…"
"I thought Lucifer was the first…"
"Lucifer was the first archangel, the first among us
but neither angels nor humans were the first beings in the
realm."
"Wait…" Alex started to say. "What are you getting
at?"
"Willow was no ordinary angel. She had blood of
the old, the first creation that hasn't been named in forever.
Most believe it is nothing but a myth…"
"But you don't think so…"
"No," Michael confessed. "I always thought where
there is smoke, there is fire."
"So we need to find this Willow and get her to be
on our side… right?"
"No." Michael dashed Alex's hopes. "Willow is
their Queen, their leader, but she was banished with them."
His eyes darted back to the paper. "The prophet goes on to
say that the only way the banishment can be broken is for
someone of the old blood to release them."
"So Willow must have a descendant amongst you
guys?" Ariella spun the idea further.
Alex watched as Michael paled.
108
"Now what?" A paling angel, clutching a piece of

parchment like it was his only hope and the only way for
him to stand up right was just so wrong on so many levels.
"It can't be…" Michael whispered, dropping the
paper, vanishing into thin air.
"Oh, goody," Alex commented sarcastically.
Ariella bent down, picking up the piece of paper.
"Now, we go back inside. I'll have a shower, you'll
fix us breakfast, and then we'll talk about this like civilized
folks."
When Alex didn't move, she took a deep breath,
approaching him.
"Alex?" she asked.
He averted his gaze, staring at the ground. Grass
could be very fascinating indeed.
"I'm still your sister." She went right to the point,
always finding the jugular with practiced ease.
"You're a former angel," Alex pointed out, still not
looking at her. She was the only family he had left and yet,
she wasn't really his?
"Don't be more stupid than normal," she chided,
using her bony elbow to remind him she still had the right
to beat him up. "Who cares if my soul came in the form of
grace? Mom gave me life. Dad is still my dad. And you
will always be my idiot brother. Let's keep your eyes on the
109
important bits, shall we?"

"If you say so…"
"Smile, look me in the eyes, and nod," she
demanded and since he knew she wasn't going to give up
until he did as she had asked, he lifted his eyes, forced a
smile, and nodded. And who would've figured? It actually
worked. The clamp around his heart lessened and he could
breathe again.
His sister still looked like herself. She hadn't
sprouted wings or a halo and she still had the power to
drive him absolutely mad.
"Good," she declared. "Now fix me some food."
"Yes, oh evil overlord," he mock-saluted her.
She rolled her eyes. "Evil mistress, if you insist. I
don't have the right equipment to be a lord."
"Har har."
****
They had just sat down to a very early breakfast

when Alex turned as white a sheet. All the blood drained
from his face and the world started tilting dangerously.
"Alex!"
He could barely hear Ari scream his name as he
started his descent towards the ground.
110
"Where's Kai?" Michael was back, popping in as if

he had been invited.
Strong hands lifted him off the floor, carrying him
like a damsel in distress until he was put down onto the
sofa in the living room.
Slap.
Slap.
His cheeks stung but the action had its desired
effect.
"Kai," Alex whispered, sitting up as quickly as he
could without passing out. "Kai's in trouble… I need to find
him… I need to go…"
As quickly as the urgent need to rescue Kai had
come over him, it vanished.
He blinked.
This was wrong. It was as if their connection had
been cut, snuffed out like a candle, and instead of calming
him down, it made him even more anxious.
"Kai!" he shouted, jumping to his feet, and he
would've run out of the house like a madman if his sister
and Michael hadn't blocked his way.
"He isn't here?" Michael asked.
"He left yesterday morning," Ari answered. "Alex
and he had a spat…"
"There's something wrong with him," Alex
111
whispered, his eyes pleading. "I could feel him, he was

hurt… and then… he was gone!"
He started to move again, making as if to break
through the barrier of Michael and Ariella, but the
archangel grabbed him by the upper arm, holding him in
place.
"Think, Alexander Markoff," the angel demanded.
"You'll be of no use to Kai if you rushed heedlessly into
battle."
Alex stilled. As much as it galled him, the blasted
angel was right. He had no clue where Kai was nor how to
help him, and he had no one to blame for this but himself.
If he hadn't pushed Kai away, then the ex-angel would've
skulked out of the house in the morning and he wouldn't
have stayed gone all day. And now he'd found trouble and
Alex hadn't been there to help!
"You came back," Ari interrupted his thoughts.
"Have you found out who the descendant is?"
Michael managed to look sheepish, his grip on
Alex's upper arm lessening so Alex could wiggle free,
taking a few steps away from them.
"Yes, the name Willow rang a bell. I thought I'd
heard something mentioned to me before in passing, by
Lucifer no less, but I needed to check our birth records to
be sure."
112
"You have birth records?"

Michael gave him a look which clearly said: how
did you manage to stay alive this long?
"How do you think angels come into existence?"
Michael replied. "Do you think we're hatched out of thin
air?"
"Honestly?" Alex replied. "I haven't thought about
it…"
"Boys!" Ari piped in.
"Kai's the one named in the prophecy."
"Huh?"
"Kai can trace his linage back to Willow and an
unnamed angel. Records dating back so long are often
incomplete but there can be no doubt about this. Kai is a
descendant of Willow and of old blood. Whatever that
means…" Michael added the last bit with a huff.
"Alright." Alex filed this alarming information
away under scream at Kai later for withholding important
information. Now they had more important things to worry
about. "I'll get the stuff to summon Kai like we did the last
time…"
"You can try," Michael weakly said. "But I don't
think it will work."
"Aren't you full of cheer this morning," Alex
snapped. "What else do you think we should be doing?
113
Sitting on our asses?"

"Children, children. Stop with the fighting, please."
Lucifer's voice grated on Alex's nerves instantly.
"You know, sis," he told her. "We should be
looking into angel-proofing this place. We can't have
unwanted guests popping in at any given moment…"
"You would do well," Lucifer drawled, making
Alex's skin crawl, "to remember who you're talking to."
"I'm not talking to you," Alex spun around, glaring
at the devil. "I was talking to my sister."
"Lucifer, it's good to see you, brother," Michael
said.
"And you…"
Alex threw his hands in the air. Kai had gone
missing! Wasn't anyone concerned?
And why was his sister's mouth hanging open? Any
moment now, she would start drooling! He followed her
gaze, turning around again until he found himself staring at
the blond devil. Oh, Hell no! he mentally screamed. Wasn't
it bad enough his little sister seemed to have the hots for the
silvery-eyed archangel? Did she now have to make cow
eyes at the devil himself? At least her bad taste in men—or
angels—could be explained now. Maybe she was acting out
some subconscious thing from when she was angel too…
maybe, there was a way to suppress it…
114
"I'm afraid, I might have put Kai in more danger

than I realized."
"What did you do?" Alex ground out.
"I put him on the path of the Forsaken. I gave him
enough hints to steer him in the right direction…"
"You did what?" Both Michael and Alex shouted at
the same time.
"I knew something was up the moment the barrier
fell, allowing me to walk free," Lucifer hurried to say.
"Hell has archives too and I found a reference to the
Threefold War and a way to stop it from happening. I
needed Kai to free the Forsaken, become their leader and
thus be the wildcard in Belial's game."
"Belial?"
"Uhm…"
"Brother…" Michael threatened while Alex went
through his mental weapon drawer, trying to find one that
might work on a former angel. He might not be able to kill
the devil but surely he could cause him bodily harm. Right
now, he'd settle for excruciating pain. It would do as an
appetizer.
"Look," Lucifer raised his hands as if that was
going to stop Alex from hurting him. "I put Kai on the right
path yesterday morning and I only just learned Belial's
name because she's finally revealed herself. She's trying to
115
recruit my demons and I won't have it!"

"You… you…" Alex was at a loss for words so he
settled for the next best thing. He balled his fingers into a
fist, smashing it into Lucifer's handsome face. Pain
exploded along his knuckles but he had the pleasure to
watch Lucifer stumble backwards, looking stunned.
Before he could launch himself at him, Ari wrapped
her hands around his torso, stopping him from taking any
further action.
"Calm down," she insisted.
"You calm down!" he shouted, but he didn't
struggle against her because, despite his desire to see
Lucifer on the floor, writhing in agony, he also didn't want
to hurt his sister.
"Let's all calm down," Michael said, giving Ari a
look that Alex couldn't identify. "Sit," Michael ordered
both Lucifer and Alex. The only reason why he complied
was because he wanted to some answers.
Besides, planning how to hurt the devil, to make
him squirm in pain and beg for mercy was so much better if
he had time to think about it.
He sat down, eyes narrowed. Everyone else
followed suit until they were all sitting around their kitchen
table, breakfast long forgotten and cooling on the table.
Michael quickly filled Lucifer in on what they had
116
learned, ending by saying, "But you already knew about

Kai. So why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"Because," Lucifer answered, "I know certain
events had to play out by themselves. If Kai went after the
Forsaken with the intent to lead them because he knew he
could then, in theory at least, he would've failed."
"Did you know about Kai being named then? About
him being a target?"
"I suspected something," Lucifer said. "Which is
why I kept tabs on him."
"I always wondered how you were able to come to
his rescue so quickly. You created quite an uproar in
Heaven when you swooped in like some knight in shining
armor rescuing your old lover…"
"I love to cause trouble." Lucifer grinned. "Look,"
he added, his grin slowly fading away. "I never wanted to
put Kai in any harm's way but prophecy is a tricky
business. I had to let events play out because the last thing
anyone of us could possibly want is to tip the scales the
wrong way."
"And yet, Kai's gone missing," Alex pointed out.
"I might've underestimated Belial," Lucifer added.
"I overheard one of my demons discussing siding with her
and after a nice chat, he's seen the error of his ways. Once I
learned the Prince of Darkness's name, I came straight
117
here…"
"Why?"
"Because," Lucifer gravely said, "Kai can also tip
the balance the wrong way. If he's forced to work with
Belial, then we stand no chance at all."
"He would never," Alex protested.
"Not willingly, no," Lucifer admitted. "But Belial is
old, ancient even, and as brave as Kai is, he's no warrior.
How long do you think he'll hold out against her?"
"He'll hold out," Alex gritted out. "He might not
have a sword or be trained in battle, but he is stubborn. He
won't give in."
"Anyone can be broken," Ari quietly pointed out,
which earned her a vicious glare.
"How did she know where to find him?" Michael
asked.
"I don't know," Lucifer confessed.
"Who is this Belial anyway? And why is she called
Prince of Darkness when he is a she?" Ari steered the topic
away to something a lot more productive and relevant.
"But for corruption though hast made Belial, an
angel of hostility. All his dominions are in darkness, and
his purpose is to bring about wickedness and guilt,"
Michael quoted. "It's in the Dead Sea Scrolls."
"He—" Alex corrected himself "—she's an angel?"
118
"She had access to all the records…" Lucifer

mused. "You know," he said, looking at Michael. "I heard a
theory once that you could put a prophecy into play if you
knew the right triggers…"
"You think Belial planned all of this?"
Lucifer's gaze swirled around to pin Alex to his
chair. "You were shot point-blank. Have you found out yet
why?"
"No," Ari answered for him. "The guy who
ambushed Alex came out of nowhere and vanished just as
quickly. I found no trace of him…"
"Belial might've had a hand in this. She could've
dropped him off, given him a gun, and then vanished him
afterward."
Michael spun the idea further. "And she would be
powerful enough to coerce a demon into sending the dakhar
after you, dragging your soul to Hell."
"But Kai?" Alex pointed out. "How could she have
known I would hear Kai's grace and wrap myself around
it?"
"I don't know," Lucifer said. "But either way, it
looks as if she planned this for a very long time, leaving
nothing to chance."
"So you think she's been waiting for Kai to free the
Forsaken all along?"
119
"Yes," Lucifer answered, a pained expression on his

face. "As much as I hate to admit it, I think we all might've
been played."
"You mean, you've been played," Alex clarified,
looking pointedly at Lucifer. When the ex-archangel didn't
react, Alex let out a deep breath. "Can I now please
summon Kai?"
"Let him try," Lucifer answered. "I don't think it
will work but there's no harm in trying."
Alex was out of his chair in a heartbeat.
Half an hour later he had to admit defeat. It galled
him, churning his stomach, but when even the second
attempt at summoning Kai failed, he had to call it quits.
He could hear low-key voices drifting in from the
kitchen where the angels and Ariella were holding a
powwow.
There was one thing he could do in order to find
Kai. It was dangerous, downright suicidal, and his
grandfather had left explicit notes to never attempt the
spells—under any circumstances. But Alex was certain, if
his gramps had been alive, he would've agreed that these
circumstances warranted special means.
And if walking to the ends of earth, traversing Hell
and back, was what he needed to do in order to get to Kai,
then he would do it without a second thought.
120
Kai was his, dammit, and no fancy angel of hostility

was allowed to her get filthy paws on him.
"I'm sorry," Alex whispered into the air. No one
was listening but the words still had to be said. "I'm sorry,
Kai. I shouldn't have pushed you away. I shouldn't have
said it was a mistake when clearly all I can think about is
you. Forgive me."
There, he said the words which had been in his
heart since that fateful night and now he was going to raise
Hell in order to bring his angel back to him.
If losing Kai, facing the possibility of never seeing
his clear blue eyes again or hearing him laugh was for real
then he didn't want to be alive. Maybe there was something
to be said for not knowing what one had until you had lost
it, but Alex did believe in second chances. And if he wasn't
worthy of one, well, then he would make one.
All he knew was he wasn't going to go down
without a fight, and if the bitch thought she could just nab
his angel like that without any consequences, well, then she
had another thing coming!
****
Alex snuck up to his bedroom, quietly moving

across the floor, avoiding the floorboards, which he knew
121
would creak under his weight. He crouched in front of his

bed, lifting the bed sheet so he could look underneath. Then
he reached into the dark space, pulling the old, wooden
casket out.
The latch opened easily and the book he was
looking for sat right on top. His sister didn't know about
their grandfather's diary. He had found it by accident when
he had cleaned out the attic, reading it whenever the fancy
struck.
Most of the entries were logs on how his dear
ancestor had protected the town and neighboring villages,
but there were also a few entries about ancient spells and
rituals.
The one he was looking for was at the far back. He
didn't need to open it to know what he needed but his
fingers still shook when he lifted the book out of the box,
sliding it into his back pocket. Then he closed the casket,
pushing it back under the bed, adjusting the sheet once
more as if nothing had happened at all.
When he got back downstairs, the two angels and
Ari were still loudly arguing in the kitchen, so he liberated
what he needed from Ariella's workbox in the living room.
Oddly enough, he didn't need any rare herbs or moon
phases to perform this spell. Any fool could pull off this
spell, which was why Grandfather thought it so dangerous.
122
There is no circumstance dire enough to warrant

this spell being performed.
His grandfather's written words echoed through
Alex's mind but he ignored them. Clearly, Gramps had
been wrong.
He snatched a discarded plastic bag, stuffing what
he needed into it before turning around, heading outside.
No one stopped him, no one noticed he was missing, which
was yet another nail in his sister's coffin. If he got back,
he'd have to find some time to talk to her. He'd rather she
join a nunnery than make eyes at angels, especially if the
ones she was interested in were either Lucifer or Michael.
Neither was appropriate.
Oh… not if he got back, he mentally corrected
himself, when he got back.
Setting a quick pace, he made good time towards
the little stream that crossed their property not too far from
the house. Ancient lore said waterways were doorways and
that was exactly what he was hoping for.
Once he got there, he paid no attention to the softly
splashing water or to the sweetly singing birds. He dumped
his bag onto the soggy ground, sitting down in front of it.
Even though he knew the preparation by heart, he didn't
want to risk anything so he dug out the diary, flicking it
open to the relevant page.
123
He quickly scanned the instructions and then he

went about preparing what he needed.
Bark of a willow tree, harvested at the full moon.
Angelica root for protection.
Bay leaves to induce second sight and visions.
Shards of a broken mirror to symbolize the
passageways.
After putting the ingredients into a small, wooden
pot, he took a deep breath, steadying his nerves.
According to his grandfather's notes, there were
passageways, ancient doorways between the realms. They
could lead either to Hell or Heaven but they could also lead
to other points on earth and hopefully, Alex would be able
to open such a door that would lead him directly to
wherever Kai was. All he needed to do now was find a
symbol which embodied Kai…without it, well, let’s just
say, he didn’t fancy walking into an active volcano simply
because he hadn’t gotten the doorway right.
He picked up the last ingredient: crushed petals of a
red anemone. The red petals symbolized the tears of a lost
love, making the flower a very apt addition. Why he had
chosen this particular flower he didn't know, but when his
eyes had searched his sister's ingredients, they had been
immediately drawn to the petals. Since time had been short
and going on instinct had served him well so far, he had
124
decided not to argue with himself.

He took a deep breath, retrieving the last item: an
athame.
The spell was simple; too simple even, but the
danger wasn't in the ingredients, it was in what came after.
Without shaking, he raised the knife until the sharp
tip of the blade touched the skin of his upper arm. He took
one more deep breath before cutting a long, bloody line
down his arm. The pain was fierce but nothing he hadn't
been prepared for. He held his dripping arm over the pot,
letting his life's blood run freely into the mixture of herbs
and glass. When everything was coated red, he tore of a
sleeve of his shirt, bandaging himself up as best as he
could. In one quick move, he grabbed the pot, holding it
high in the air, reciting the memorized words, "Doorways,
ancient and old, hear me…"
Speaking the rest of the words didn't even take a
minute and when he was done, in one fluid move he
emptied the contents into the water. Then he picked up the
blade and with the bloody athame in his hand, he
approached the water.
"Alex, don't!" his sister called out to him.
Alex stopped, turning slightly so he could look over
his shoulder.
There she was, running towards him, her two angels
125
in tow.
"Don't! Whatever it is you're doing, stop!" she
screamed but he turned his back to her, plunging into the
small stream. If the ritual didn't work, he would end up
with wet feet and soaked jeans. If it worked, he would find
himself in a different world.
The task then would be simple: find the right door
and leave.
And this was exactly why his grandfather had
warned against the use of the spell. Sure, you could give it
a target, like he had done with Kai, but the transition wasn't
instantaneous. He would have to walk through the space in
between worlds, go where no one had gone before and find
the right door. It might take years, it might take forever, or
he might stumble through and find what he was looking for
straightaway. The point was, to his grandfather's
knowledge, anyone who had been stupid enough to try this
spell before had vanished, never to be seen again.
And yet, Alex thought this was an acceptable risk.
If he didn't do something to bring Kai back, Belial would
win. He'd rather be dead than see Kai destroyed.
There was only one acceptable outcome to this: he
would win.
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CHAPTER SIX
Had he gone blind?

Kai wedged his eyes open as far as they would
allow but nothing changed. Darkness reigned eternal.
He closed them, raised his hands to his face,
rubbing at them, hoping this would effect a change but
apart from streaks of light exploding before his closed eyes,
nothing happened.
Panic soared through him, making him forget how
to breathe, wanting to curl into himself and pretend he was
a small blip on radar: barely there and highly insignificant.
It took him a few seconds to fire up this brain and
apply some logical thought to the situation. He turned his
head, assuming he was looking left and right even though
he couldn't be sure. He used his fingers to fiddle with the
ground, his tips brushing over the dirty, sand-like surface.
Concrete, old and dusty and left neglected. He shuffled
backwards until his back hit a wall.
Cellar. He was in a cellar of sorts with no windows.
Relief flooded his system like a shock wave. He
hadn't gone blind. He was simply sitting in total darkness.
Now what?
What would Alex do? The thought jumped into his
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head, prompting a frown. No, seriously, what would Alex

do if he were locked into a cellar with no light?
He would try to map the cellar, figure out how big it
is and where the door is. Then he would try the door and
hope he could pry it open. When that didn't work, he would
devise a plan and jump the first person to come through the
door.
Sadly, it wasn't quite as simple as it might sound.
He had no way of marking the place he was currently at. So
how would he know if he had traversed the entire cellar?
He still set about doing it. He slowly got up, keeping one
hand on the wall, taking careful and measured steps. It
didn't take him long until his fingers brushed over a hinge.
He'd found the door. When he located the door handle, he
tried opening it but of course, the door wouldn't budge.
It couldn't have been this easy, right?
He cursed in several different languages but he
wasn't going to give up. Next on the list was finding a
weapon of sorts… So he started his trek around the room
again, this time on his hands and knees, hoping there might
be some rubbish left behind, anything really he could use.
Suddenly the light came on overhead. He yelped,
covering his sensitive eyes as hot spikes tried to drill their
way into his skull.
"I appreciate the sentiment," Belial drawled. "I like
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you on your hands and knees."

Despite still being partially blinded by the bright
light, Kai literally jumped to his feet, swaying slightly, but
he'd be dammed if he gave the bitch anything she was
looking.
"You've got spirit." She examined him. "It will
serve me well."
"I won't help you," Kai gritted out, balling his
fingers into tight fists.
"Oh, please." She waved at him, not the least bit
impressed with his statement. "That's what they all say, but
in the end, everyone always bows to my wishes. So will
you." The threat was there, extremely hard to miss.
Kai raised his chin, looking defiant. "I don't care
what you think I've done. I won't help you."
"You are the chosen leader of the Forsaken. You set
them free. You opened the pathways… and when you serve
me, I'll have full control over them…"
"Even if your fantasy were true," Kai pointed out,
"they still have a mind of their own. They could simply
refuse to listen to anything I have to say…"
"Oh," she clucked, "that isn't how it works. You
have the power to raise an army and you'll do it for me…"
Kai chose to stay silent. Any of his protests would
just fall on deaf ears anyway and what if she was right?
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What if he would yield? Raise an army for her? He'd rather

throw himself off a bridge first!
Faith… he needed to have faith, he whispered to
himself. So he kept his head held high and met her stare,
unflinching and unyielding.
"Let the game begin then," she said, snapping her
fingers.
****
Words like mind-numbing pain, shattering one's

soul… those were only words, empty of meaning apart
from what people ascribe to them.
Kai knew what he was feeling was in his head. But
did knowing it help him in any way? Did it lessen the
impact of feeling his skin being peeled off his body layer
by layer? When she switched gears to soaking him in
flames until nothing but ashes remained, he was aware, all
the way.
And yet, it was real.
His mind thought it was real while at the same time,
that very same mind kept telling him it was only his
imagination. She was messing with him, drugging him,
playing tricks on him, while out in the real world his body
was whole and perfectly fine.
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Knowing, in the end, made no difference.

Then she covered him tiny, flesh-eating ants, eating
his skin away, bite by excruciating bite.
"Do you yield?" she asked, and Kai's answer
remained the same, "No."
Bit by bit though, he could feel the remnants of his
grace being stripped away. What would happen if he lost it
completely? Hadn't Lucifer said he hadn't turned fully
human? He hadn't fallen per se but his body transformed
into this human shell, hosting the fragments of his grace at
its core instead of the soul. What if she destroyed what was
left of his former angelic self? Would he then too be burnt
out? Burnt asunder? Was this her goal? Get him to give in,
to submit, and if he did not, strip him of everything he was,
making him her willing puppet by default?
Would he still be himself if his grace vanished into
nothing? Or would he cease to exist too?
He didn't want to find out, so he renewed his
struggles, picturing his precious inner core as a tiny, fragile
ball of light. He then tightened his grip around the flame,
cradling it close, protecting it against the raging storm
outside.
You won't flicker, he mentally chanted, You won't
die out. Your flame will burn eternal, it will burn bright
and it will burn true.
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"She cannot harm you."

"Who's there?" Even in the nightmarish world he
was currently caught in, being eaten alive by those pesky,
tiny ants, he still valiantly tried to lift his head, straining to
locate the source of the female voice.
"You carry ancient blood within you. Diluted,
maybe, but still, you're one of the old ones. How else do
you think you were able to fight against the pull into Hell?
Break through a barrier no other angel ever could? Not
even Lucifer himself? You claim to not wield a fiery
weapon and yet you've done the impossible."
"Who's there?" Kai repeated.
"Know it to be true. Your core, your grace remains
untouched. The blood of the old sings within your veins.
Listing to its eternal song, embrace its protection…"
The voice drifted away and before it was gone
completely, he could've sworn he heard her say, "I am
Willow. Queen of the Forsaken, you have my blessing."
With her passing, she left behind a gaping hole that
was rapidly being filled with more and more ants, driving
Kai close the edge. He screamed, both out in the real world
and internally, a roar so loud it shook the windows, rattling
the glass, cracking walls… until a kind of calm settled over
him.
She had been right. There was a melody out there.
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Buried deep behind the sounds of the world around him,

hidden beneath layer over layer, very faint and barely there
but once he caught a whiff of it, it was very hard to miss.
He strained his ears, trying to catch more of the
song, humming softly along until its gentle rhythm
penetrated his very soul. His grace sprang to life, engulfing
him in white, bright, hot light, driving the ants away en
masse, leaving his skin tingling in the aftermath of their
departure.
This time, when he opened his eyes, the harsh
fluorescent light didn't hurt him. He heaved his tired bones
off the ground, rising gracefully and with purpose. The
world seemed slowed, stilled, as if someone had pressed
the pause key. The humming still continued but it was
fading rapidly back into the void, leaving nothing but a
distant memory behind.
"You can't," Belial said. Her eyes were wide and
with glee, Kai noticed how she was taking a step back. "It
isn't possible…"
He raised a hand, unsure why or what he was
planning on doing and yet, the action seemed normal, so
called for.
The air flickered beside her, as if it had turned to
water, and she must've sensed something because she
turned her head, facing the shifting air. Kai, too, was
133
distracted. It wasn't an everyday occurrence for the air to

suddenly act like the rippling surface of a lake. The
shadowy figure of a man appeared. First, only its outlines
were visible until he stepped through the portal, taking
shape.
"Alex!"
"Kai!"
They both shouted at the same time. They had only
eyes for each other, momentarily forgetting about the
enemy in the room, and Belial proved how smart she really
was by turning on her heels, running as if Hellcats were
chasing her.
"Are you hurt?" Alex rushed towards him, putting
his hands all over his body, patting him down and
obviously checking for any injuries.
"I'm fine," Kai insisted, trying to get closer to Alex
so he could hug him but the guy was way too focused on
checking over Kai to pay any attention. Sweet, really, if
rather annoying.
"Come on, we need to leave," Alex grabbed his
hand, dragging him towards the still shimmering air.
Kai dug in his heels, not wanting to step into
anything looking like that but Alex changed his mind by
simply saying, "Trust me."
Since Kai did, he allowed himself to be dragged
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along into the void.
****
"Where are we?" Kai asked on the other side of the

portal. He looked around, turning on his axis, watching
wide-eyed as the shimmering portal shrank until only a dot
remained. Seconds later, even the dot was gone.
"We are in between."
"In between what?" Kai asked, turning around again
to stare at Alex.
"In between worlds…"
"Come again?"
"I found a way to walk between the worlds," Alex
explained. "And now we need to get going before she
forgets to hold up her end of the deal and closes our exit."
"What?"
"Come on." Alex snatched his hand again, pulling
him along.
Kai followed, looking left and right. They were in
what could only be described a dark hallway. It seemed
endless, stretching far ahead into nothingness and every
step they took echoed through the hall as if someone had
dropped a bomb.
"Are we safe in here?" Kai asked, fighting to keep
135
his voice from wobbling. He was reeling from recent

experiences, and right now the urge to find a corner, curl up
into it and stay there with his head buried between his legs,
seemed like a very good and appealing idea. Thankfully,
the freaking corridor didn't seem to have any corners so
curling into an immobile ball wasn't an option.
"I don't know," Alex whispered. "When I first got
here, I thought something was watching me but then I met
Willow and the feeling kind of went away."
"Willow?"
"Yes, your ancestor? The one who is supposed to be
the Queen of the Forsaken or what not…? The angels you
freed?"
"I thought I was hallucinating," Kai mumbled,
thinking back to when he had been caught in the nightmare
induced by Belial. She had been real? The voice had been
there, guiding him? If so, then he owed her more than just a
debt of gratitude.
"Here," Alex shouted, pointing up ahead. "This is
the door I used to get here. She said she would keep it
open. Hurry up! I think it might be fading!"
And as soon as he had spoken the words, the portal
started to shimmer, shrinking in on itself.
Both Kai and Alex dashed forward, running like
they never had before in their lives and when they got close
136
enough, instead of wasting any more energy on actually

running, they jumped, hurling themselves through it, not
caring if they crash-landed on the other side.
Kai could've sworn he felt something grip his ankle,
trying to hold him back, but either the gods were smiling on
him today or maybe his motion had been too strong, either
way, he plummeted safely to the other side, landing face
first in muddy grass.
"Um… gross," he mumbled, spitting out a few
flecks of mud, raising his hand to wipe the rest of his face.
"Are you stupid?" He jumped onto his feet, turning around
so he could glare at Alex who had, of course, avoided
landing in any kind of mud. "Where did you find an insane
enough spell that let you into the void? Don't you know that
no one goes into the void?"
"Well, I found you, didn't I?" Alex shot back, hands
at his hips, returning his glare tenfold "I would raise Hell if
it meant to get you to safety!"
Kai gaped. "What are you saying?" he asked.
"Mine," Alex said which wasn't an explanation at
all, but what he did next managed to shed some light onto
the goings-on.
He closed the distance between them, grabbing Kai
by the scruff of his neck and kissing him deeply.
Oh… Kai's mind supplied, melting into the kiss like
137
an ice cube left out into the desert. Did this mean he was
easy? Well, who cared?
He tore at Alex's clothes, yanking and shoving, not
caring if fabric ripped along the way. Clothes were
replaceable after all, but if he didn't get to skin soon, he
might combust! Alex proved to be helpful, pulling back,
raising his hands so Kai could slip the shirt over his head.
His blond hair got messed up in the process and Kai
was so fascinated by the soft looking strands that it took
him a minute to figure out why Alex was tugging at his
shirt.
He laughed, pushing Alex's hands away, pulling his
shirt over his head, discarding it somewhere behind him.
His eyes feasted on Alex's smooth chest as if he was
a hungry man presented with an all you can eat buffet.
"Like what you see?" Alex teased. Kai watched in
fascination as his friend hooked his thumbs into the
waistband of his jeans, pushing them further down his hips.
He gulped, licking his lips, which brought Alex's
heated stare back to his face. Kai continued to watch as
Alex unzipped his trousers, letting them fall down his
muscular legs until they pooled at his feet.
"Tell me you want this," he said.
Kai opened his mouth, wanting to reply, but all he
could manage was a croak and a puff of hot air. He settled
138
for nodding eagerly instead.

"Then get to it!" Alex commanded. Kai had only
eyes for the blond man as he bent forward, undoing his
laces and then throwing his boots away. The jeans followed
until he was only clad in dark, formfitting underwear,
leaving nothing to imagination.
Kai's eyes were trained on the bulge clearly visible
under the fabric. Clearing his throat, willing the frog away
that suddenly seemed to have taken up residence there, was
almost too much for him to do and he was transfixed as
Alex sauntered towards him.
"You want me to help you?" he asked, head crooked
sideways, eyes hooded and shining with what Kai could
only assume was desire.
Kai nodded, eyes flickering downwards at his
shaking hands. Yes, help might be a good idea.
Alex's fingers deftly undid Kai's trousers and he
only had to be prompted once to lift his legs, helping him to
shake his shoes before his jeans went down his legs, off
them, landing in yet another heap nearby.
"Alex…" Kai whispered, barely finding the strength
to say this much, fearing anything else was beyond him, so
he decided to let actions speak louder than words. He
grabbed the man's shoulders, fingers digging in, pulling
Alex flush against his body.
139
He shivered where contact was made as something

primal snaked up and down his spine.
Their lips found each other again, tongues warring,
searching for dominance, and Kai was barely aware of his
hands landing on Alex's ass, keeping him in place as he
started rutting against him.
Alex was there right with him, meeting each of his
thrusts with one of his own. Their groans and moans
echoed through the otherwise silent meadow, bouncing off
trees and maybe scaring a few squirrels away.
According to his grandfather's notes, there were
passageways, ancient doorways between the realms. They
could lead either to Hell or Heaven but they could also lead
to other points on earth, and hopefully, Alex would be able
to open such a door that would lead him directly to
wherever Kai was. Kai yelped as cold fingers found their
way into his underwear, grabbing his ass with near brute
force but instead of reeling backwards from the pain, he
relished it, wanting more.
"This won't do," Kai mumbled, licking his bruised
lips as he pulled away, leaning his forehead against Alex's
sweaty brow.
The air might be cool but their combined body heat
was enough to set them on fire.
His hands were still on Alex's ass and he only got a
140
laugh when he grabbed onto the cloth, pulling it down.

"If you say so," Alex whispered back, breaking their
contact to move sideways, pressing his nose into the crook
of Kai's neck.
Kai shivered as Alex's tongue came out, licking
along his skin. Their bodies moved together again, their
cocks actually meeting.
"Oh…!" he moaned, knees buckling. Alex was right
there with him, guiding him down until they were lying
side by side.
The Guardian's hand was running soothing paths up
and down Kai's side. Their eyes met and for a moment, Kai
was caught up in the brown orbs, sucked in like a planet
into a black hole. He could lose himself there, never finding
the way back, and he would be happy.
"I want to…" Alex said.
Kai interrupted him, "Anything, Alex, anything…"
"You sure?"
"Do I look unsure?" Kai replied, jerking his head
towards his cock, which was strutting up proudly.
Alex laughed, scooting backwards until he found
his jeans, rummaging through them as if his life depended
on it.
"Ha!" he exclaimed, holding out some rumpled
package. When he proceeded to get up and do a little
141
victory dance, jumping from one foot to the other, cock

bobbing along, Kai couldn't help it. He rolled onto his back,
holding his belly as he laughed and laughed until he could
barely breathe.
When he came down from laughing like a lunatic,
his eyes were hooded and heavy when he looked at the
blond man.
"Shhh…" Alex murmured and Kai instinctively
parted his legs when his friend nudged them apart, letting
him settle between them.
"What’s this?" he asked, voice scratchy, as if he
hadn't used it in years.
"Protection," Alex explained. "And this…" he held
up a tiny bottle of something, barely a finger long. "This is
a life saver…"
"Huh?"
"Lube, idiot, lube…"
"You went on your rescue mission with a condom
and lube?" Kai asked, incredulously. "Wouldn't it have
better if you'd packed weapons?"
Alex snorted. "It's not as if I actually planned this,
you know. The last time I wore those jeans, I was out on
the prowl and I kind of forgot them there… until now…"
Kai was speechless, torn between wanting to
congratulate Alex and laugh at him some more.
142
Instead, he settled for pulling his legs up, baring

himself to the world. His face warmed as Alex's heated
gaze settled lower, staring at his exposed ass and at what
lay between his cheeks.
He watched as a pink tongue came out to play, and
he was so fascinated with cataloguing the emotions
flickering across his soon to be lover's face that he almost
missed the finger teasing his hole.
"Oh…" His head flopped back onto the soggy grass,
eyes fluttering shut as the lubed up finger breached him,
pushing into him. Never in his life had he experienced
anything like it and he thought nothing would ever
compare.
He started rocking against the finger as Alex
worked him open, flinching only slightly when one finger
turned two.
"Tell me to stop if it hurts or if you want…"
"If you don't get on with this," Kai threatened, "I’ll
find a way to hex you…"
The loud sound of ripping foil had his eyes
snapping open, head lifting off the ground. He watched as
Alex's tongue peeked out, face scrunched up in
concentration as he unfolded the latex, trying to get it on
his dick.
"Let me," Kai insisted, moving into a sitting
143
position, holding out his hand.

Their eyes met, heat sparkled yet again between
them, and without another word, Alex handed it over.
Kai had never done this before but he figured it
couldn't be that complicated. His fingers shook slightly as
he reached out, grabbing a hold of Alex's stiff dick, staring
intently at it.
"You know, you could take a picture. Might last
you longer…"
"Oh, shut up."
Kai was concentrating, trying not to be distracted by
the velvety skin underneath his fingertips as he sheathed
the proud shaft.
"There, all done," he said, eying his handiwork,
giving it a proud clasp.
"You'll pay for that," Alex growled, putting his
hands onto Kai's shoulders, pushing him back onto the
ground.
Kai was still laughing as Alex wedged himself
deeper in between his legs, forcing his knees up to his
body. He lifted his hips as much as he could until
something hard and unyielding poked at his entrance.
"Wait…" Alex mumbled and after what seemed like
an eternity, pieces of clothing were stuffed underneath
Kai's back, making the whole thing easier.
144
Then the pressure at his entrance was back,

nudging, teasing, promising Heaven but Alex-the-menace
didn't proceed until Kai resorted to growling in impatience.
Then the man pushed forward, forcing his way past
Kai's tight ring of muscles, not stopping until he was all the
way in.
Kai grunted, exhaling, willing the sting to go away
and then, it did.
"Oh…" he whispered as Alex started to move,
slowly at first, pushing in and out, stimulating him in ways
he hadn't thought possible.
At first, he was passive, too caught up in the new
sensations to know what to do with himself, but that didn't
last long. His body took over, as if on autopilot, and then he
was rutting against Alex, his hips stuttering in the ancient
rhythm of love, taking his lover in deeper and deeper with
each thrust.
The slapping sounds of flesh against flesh mingled
with their groans as both men were robbed of words.
Kai thought he'd died and gone to Heaven because
nothing earthly could possibly be this good. His fingers dug
into the mud, his back arched, as tingles and shivers
ravaged his body.
His balls tightened; all awareness moved south. All
his nerves decided to take up residence in his dick as his
145
body screamed for release. His muscles tightened, his belly

quivered and he might've screamed just before he erupted
like a volcano.
If the build-up had been magnificent, nothing could
possibly compare to having his life sucked out by his dick,
shooting high up in the sky.
Alex kept thrusting, pushing into him. His
movements were getting harsher, jerkier with each passing
second and Kai had just started coming down from his
high, slowly sinking back down to the ground, when the
blond screamed his name, pushing his cock so far into Kai's
body he started to see stars all over again.
Then Alex slumped on top of him, their sweaty
bodies clinging together as both struggled to find their
breath.
Kai raised his hands, putting them on the small of
Alex's back, his thumbs running soothing circles of their
own volition.
"That was… that was…" Kai started to say, coming
up at a loss for words. Nothing earthly could possibly
describe what had just happened.
"I know," Alex mumbled against his skin, his lips
pressed to his collarbone.
Kai could stay like this forever, intertwined and
sated, but eventually, the cool air had its effect on them and
146
both started to shiver.

"Next time," Alex announced as he pulled himself
off Kai, eyes still hooded, face flushed. "We do this in
bed."
"Agreed," Kai said, smiling.
He pulled himself up onto his elbows, watching as
Alex extracted himself further, mesmerized by the
Guardian's ass as he turned his back, grabbing a piece of
clothing from the ground and walking towards the stream.
He then dipped it into the water, using it to clean the spunk
off his skin.
Kai stared at the tiny rivulets of water running down
Alex's body, making him shiver all over again. His cock
gave a valiant twitch.
"Here." The wet cloth smacked into his face. "Clean
yourself up…"
"Ass," Kai replied, removing the soggy garment
from his face. Since the cooling spunk wasn't nice, he didn't
complain any further, wiping himself clean.
Struggling into the clothes afterward was a
challenge but he rose to it, mastering it.
Alex had to go without a shirt since they had used it
to wipe themselves clean but Kai didn't mind one bit,
welcoming the distraction and the opportunity to ogle the
man's magnificent physique. Hopefully, he would get a lot
147
more chances like this in the days to come. A guy could

hope, right?
"So…" Kai said after they were done making sure
no trace of their lovemaking remained. There were dents in
the grass but nature soon would erase them too, making it
appear as if this had never happened at all. "You like me
then?" he asked, unsure how else to put his feelings into
words. Angels weren't known for sitting down, talking
about feelings, and he figured the same must surely be true
for humans. And yet, the situation did call for some
discussion of some sort… but how to go about it without
entering awkward territory?
"What gave it away?" Alex quibbled, deflecting the
question.
"Alex." Kai stopped in his tracks.
Alex did the same, turning so they were once again
face-to-face. "Yes?" he asked, raising one eyebrow to
underline his question.
"Let's not play games," Kai continued. "I like you. I
like being with you, but if this isn't what you want, just tell
me."
"I’m sorry about before." Alex didn't quite change
the topic but he did amend it slightly. "I shouldn't have
lashed out at you in the alley…"
Kai nodded, casting his mind back to that fateful
148
night where they had touched intimately for the first time
and how it had ended badly with Alex running off in a huff,
claiming it had been a mistake.
"The last … the last guy I was with…"
Why did Kai find it so endearing when Alex
stammered?
"I wasn't enough for him," Alex continued. "I know
I didn’t get him killed. He did that on his own but yeah, I
wasn't what he needed…"
"Alex," Kai interrupted him, raising a hand to
indicate he wanted to say something. "I will admit that I am
new to being human but you're either an ass or you aren't."
This got Alex laughing softly.
"What I'm trying to say is: I really like you. I want
to try what humans call a relationship because I can't stop
thinking about you. I want to share everything with you.
You are the first thought that pops into my head when I
wake up each morning. Now, I don't know what the future
will hold but I can promise you the now."
Alex held his gaze, searching for something, and
whatever he had been looking for, he must've seen it
because a wide grin spread across his face. "I like you too,"
he said, crossing the distance and sealing his proclamation
with a heated kiss.
In Kai's experience, love needed time to grow, to be
149
nurtured and cared for and he had every confidence in

figuring out how to make their relationship last. I’m in love
with Alexander Markoff. The statement might be simple but
it held so much more meaning than words would ever be
able to express.
"Come on then," Alex grabbed his hand. "Let's get
back home and find out what my sister managed to screw
up while I was gone."
"Oh ye of little faith," Kai quibbled, which earned
him a not so gentle swat over the back of his head.
"Oh," he complained, sending a mock glare towards
his newly proclaimed boyfriend.
When they got back to the house, they could hear
raised voices and they stopped, looking into the window to
see what they were returning to.
Lucifer, Michael, and Ariella were arguing and
apparently having a mighty good time doing so.
Was this ragtag group of people to be his new
family?
An archangel, a former archangel turned devil, a
properly fallen angel, a Guardian, and halfway fallen
angel… what an odd mix, but who knew, maybe this was
exactly what was needed to stem the tide.
In this moment, Kai pitied anyone who decided to
try going up against them, for between them, they had the
150
forces of Heaven, Hell, earth, and anything in between

covered.
"Poor, Belial," he mumbled. "She's got no idea
what's waiting for her."
"What did you say?" Alex asked, tilting his blond
head to look him in the eyes.
"Nothing," Kai said. "Let's go in and say hello."
They sealed their fate with a kiss, cementing their
newfound love for all eternity.
The End
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I grew up with a grandmother who sang me to sleep and

told me stories about elves and fairies lurking in the woods.
She is the inspiration that still, even now, makes me want to
create new worlds and explore them in my mind.
*
Anna Marie May lives in the South of Ireland where rolling
hills and stormy seas are a fact of life. She started writing at
the age of fifteen and her inspiration comes from her
grandmother's stories about elves and goblins lurking in the
woods outside of her home.
Writing is a way for her to blow off steam, to create new

worlds and to visit them in her dreams.
Juggling life and many new projects is never easy but

hopefully there shall be many more books coming up in the
near future.
Website:
http://www.annamariemay.com/
Facebook:
http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Anna-Marie-
May/100001772499983
Blog:
http://amariemay.blogspot.com/
Email:
amariemay@gmail.com
ALSO BY ANNA MARIE MAY:
Available from Silver Publishing:
Betting on Love
FALLEN ANGELS
Being Human
WATCHTOWER
Over The Rainbow (02 June 2012)
Over The Moon (23 June 2012)
Out of the (Werewolf) Closet (coming soon)
Icelands (coming soon)
Darkest Hour (coming soon)

REVIEWS FOR BETTING ON LOVE SAY:
Reviewed by Lena Grey at queermagazineonline:
One of my favorite features of any story is character growth

and this story is overflowing with it. Almost everyone in
the story, at one point or the other, reaches a higher level of
perception for themselves and others around them. I
especially loved Zac and Len's relationship, how they are
so deeply and endlessly in love. It's absolutely
heartwarming. 'Betting on Love' is a great love story with
something for everyone—angst, adversity, deceit, danger,
passion, devotion, and a very happy ending. I highly
recommend it to anyone with a romantic soul like mine
who believes that true love is eternal and invincible.
Review by Teresa, fallenangelreviews:
I was intrigued and stunned by the plot twist in this story,

as I never expected it. As Len's story unfolded, I was
inspired by his strength to move beyond the trials of his
childhood and on to building a life for himself. Zach never
knew what hit him after meeting Len for the first time, but
to his credit, he never looked back or questioned his
feelings. It has to be a parent's worst nightmare to have a
child abducted and one that luckily, I've never had to live
through, but Karen's determination to help her friend
Louisa find her son was stirring. It was remarkable how
Len and Zach seemed to know things about each other that
one normally wouldn't know about a stranger, making me
wonder if there's more yet to be uncovered. This is one
story that I will never forget!

Anna Marie May - Fallen Angel - Being Human

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Anna Marie May - Fallen Angel - Being Human

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Published by Silver Publishing

Publisher of Erotic Romance

Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this

Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Being Human © 2012 Anna Marie May

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be

Please remember that the only money authors make from

If you see "free shares" offered or cut-rate sales of this title

Thank you for not pirating our titles.

To my editor: couldn't have done it without you! Thank

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and

~The end is nigh…and this is its beginning~

Falling; wind brushing passed his body, wiping

Oh how Kai wished he had a fiery weapon, like his

had interceded on his behalf… had there been fighting

never felt any need to visit the Earthly realm himself.

"I wouldn't know." Lucifer shrugged, eying him like

rebelled," he explained as if Kai didn't know the story

"Hey!" Kai swatted the hand away and when their

interest in doing so either.

"They took your angelic essence away, leaving

Snapping out of his gloomy thoughts, Kai blinked

him, grabbing Kai's hands and lifting them in the air as if

Kai didn't like having to look up but unfortunately,

impossible angel. He folded his hands across his chest, foot

followed his friend, pulling one chair towards him, quickly

color blue, for example. Blue encompasses a wide spectrum

"You broke the barrier!"

wooden floorboards and drafty windows sealed the deal on

He'd never spoken to Ari, his sister, about his

since then, they'd been working together, trying to figure

spells to see if you could actually travel to the Heavenly

implored, raising a hand to rub at his face. Something

"This is your worst idea yet," Ariella grumbled, but

only allowing the important bits to filter through while all

"I could always pop in forest sounds?" Alex

Out of the corner of his eye, he observed his sister doing

know something's wrong."

gotten any answers, he chose to stay silent for now. Poking

"Such as?" Alex was now focusing on Michael

As much as he wanted answers to what had happened to

His wings were on fire; his eyes were closed,

and Lucifer had shared a few special moments here and

Lucifer shrugged. "I think we should find out. Don't

instead of bringing him peace, all it had done was leave

archangel stared right back, and after a few tense seconds,

upon us, we are fighting an unknown enemy. And if that

"So, to sum it up," Ariella said while reaching for

During their movements, the Guardian must've lain

Waking up wasn't a new notion. Even angels rested.

Had he misunderstood human anatomy? It was

"Kai isn't Mathew." Ari's voice was soft, coaxing

how many conquests he made, how many people he slept

eyes. "We've got enough money to finance a small country

he knew he had made a mistake.

they care a great deal…"

"You've got a rather impressive library," Kai

"It's our pride and joy," Ariella confirmed. "We've

leaders I could reach, informing them of the change in the

yourself ragged?" Alex was now looking at his sister and

The dark bar was everything Kai had expected. The

about, having a good time.

He weaved through the mass of bodies, making his