Live Like Legends (LIVING LEGEND #3)

Chapter 3

H e had this look of shock on his face that had me wanting to burst into a fit of laughter, but I refrained for the sake of his very unimpressed leader. Ariel’s face was turning redder by the minute and there was a moment where I thought he might combust.

It didn’t take me long to find Nicholas, but my time would have been cut in half if I hadn’t been stopped every few steps by a power-hungry angel who thought I was some sort of threat. It was as if each one knew who I was, but wanted to test their luck with how far they would get in a fight with me. I had to admit I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions as negative as they were. Each one gave me a different direction which finally led me here.

“Lucky you. You found a girl who is willing to tear down at least ten sentries for you,” Reese said, rapping his knuckles against the doorframe.

“Ten is an understatement and a little insulting,” I added, running my hand through my surprised angel’s hair. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it with his own.

“Dani, I told you…”

“I told you I wouldn’t sit idly by anymore, did I not?” I interrupted, yanking my hand away from him.

Ariel rushed around him so that he was nearly in between us. “I don’t give you many jobs Mr. Cassial but keeping her in line was one of them and you can’t even do that. You want me to trust her and allow her freedom here? The minute she is given access without supervision she goes and does this.” The executive motioned towards the door.

“If your sentries had been more forthcoming, it wouldn’t have come to that,” I stated, shrugging. “No one is seriously hurt, so thank your angelic stars for that.”

Ariel swiped a hand over his forehead, exasperated. “I think it best if you handle yourself in the Ethereal Bastille for now.” He gripped my forearm with a force I didn’t know he had.

Before I could shout about the unwelcome touch, Nick did it for me.

“Get your hands off of her.” He roughly grabbed Ariel's wrist and threw it back, simultaneously pulling me over to him so that I was out of his leader's reach.

“Mr. Cassial, I beg your pardon?”

“You can yell and scream at me , but do not fucking touch her.” He kept a hand near my side. It felt like he was saying that he couldn’t hold me back, but he could at least let me know that he was here.

The sound of footsteps and clanging weapons sounded outside the door.

“I should yell and scream at you since you want to act like a petulant child, but maybe it’s best if you yourself go into the Ethereal Bastille to cool off. How does that sound?”

“Ariel you can’t be fucking serious!” Reese yelled over the sentries that barreled through the door. They all looked to Ariel for their instructions and quicker than I expected he nodded over to Nicholas. The sentries all seemed to hesitate for a moment as if they didn’t know if he actually meant to seize Nick.

“Do it now!” Ariel commanded, pointing straight at Nick. My raven-haired angel’s mouth gaped open. Reese mirrored that expression from across the room. The sentries charged forward, but they wouldn’t get much farther if they were aiming for what was mine.

I let shadows stream from my fingertips and towards the floor. Tendrils escaped from the stones, whipping and winding back and forth. They wrapped themselves around their weapons, tossing them aside. The shadows aimed for legs and arms, slithering around necks and squeezing so hard, any sort of circulation would have been nearly impossible. I flung my hand left and right, watching bodies get thrown towards the walls.

Reese ducked down, letting a body fly past him and into the stone interior.

I had a shadow slam the door shut, sealing the edges so we wouldn’t be interrupted. I looked over my shoulder quickly, my eyes connecting with Nick’s. He quickly assessed my damage and his face all but said impressive, but was this necessary ?

“This! Mr. Cassial! This is…”

I put a hand up to stop him. “If you want me to say sorry for hurting your little worker angels then I’m sorry. Next time please let them know that telling me what I want to know and politely stepping out of my way is the best course of action.” Ariel opened his mouth, but I lightly pressed a finger to his lips, telling him that I wasn’t finished. “I’m on your side here. I clearly always have been, I just don’t want to be confined to Nicholas’s room any longer, no matter how satisfying the sex has been.”

Reese let out a choked laugh in the otherwise quiet room.

“The one thing you should understand about demons is that the more you try to confine us, control us, the more unreliable we can become. You show me you can trust me, and I won’t be a problem, I assure you.”

Ariel took a step back and straightened his jacket. “Hand over your dagger if you want me to trust in you so much, Soul Seether.”

I felt my eyebrows pull together. There was always this phantom hold that my dagger had over me even knowing that it was no longer in existence. The very mention of it made my fingers twitch. I wanted to summon it and make him wish he’d never asked for it, but I couldn’t. A piece of myself was gone and I didn’t know how to fix it.

“I can’t.”

Ariel rolled his eyes, putting his hand out between us with his palm facing upwards. “Hand it over. I have no patience at the moment.”

“I don’t have it. That’s the truth,” I answered, crossing my arms over my chest.

The sentries were coming around, picking themselves up from the ground. They shook their heads and began to rally, seemingly trying to figure out what the fuck just happened to them.

Ariel raised a suspicious eyebrow at me. “Would this have anything to do with you being dead in the eyes of the Queen of Darkness?”

I licked my lips. “Perhaps.”

“You wouldn’t mind explaining that since your two companions seem to keep a tight lip about that part of your time in Purgatory, would you?” Ariel spoke to me as if we were friends, but the sharpness of his tone told me otherwise.

I gave him a small smile. “If they didn’t tell you anything, then I think it is highly unlikely that I will either.”

Ariel’s lip curled up as he turned away from me. “Mr. Diniel?”

Reese blinked over to him. I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed. “Yes?”

“You are still in contact with our High Priestess?”

Reese moved his eyes quickly over to me and Nick before returning to Ariel. “I am.”

“You and Mr. Cassial will make sure the High Priestess helps our dear Soul Seether.”

I stalked over to the red headed executive. “Excuse me, I’m right here. You want Natalia to help me with what exactly?” I noticed smoke seeping from the ends of my hair, and I tried to bat it away. The smoke wasn’t the only thing I noticed though, there were tiny sparks of light that came with it. I wasn’t used to that.

Ariel reached out, touching the light spark and it illuminated for just a moment before dispersing. I heard Nicholas’s loud huff at Ariel’s proximity to me, but he stayed put. “Dani, correct?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, but I nodded.

Ariel’s lips pulled into a sly smile. “Well, Dani, you want freedom to roam and not be watched with such scrutiny…then fine. I plan to consider the good your hybrid status could mean for us at Heaven’s Gate as a defense. I am well aware that you are a novice in understanding this combined power of yours, but I trust your established relationship with Natalia will do wonders.”

“You want Natalia to teach her how to use both?” Reese asked, each word coming out cautiously.

I didn’t let Ariel answer that before I asked my own question. “Heaven’s Gate’s defense? You want me to work for you?”

“You are the reason this entire mess is happening. Lilith wanted you here. You are the reason these two gallivanted off to Purgatory and put yet another potential target on us, I mean who knows who or what you angered there. The least you can do is offer your help and hybrid services to a place that you wish to see freely. Without your dagger and despite your withholding of information, I’m sure there is still some great use for you.”

“You are fucking insane if you think I’ll let you have any say on what I do or how I use whatever powers I have,” I spat out.

Ariel’s shoulders lifted in a soft laugh. “Alright, Soul Seether, have it your way.” He pointed to both Nicholas and Reese. “Seize them.” The sentries started to make their way to Nick and Reese, who began to back away from the throngs of angels.

“No! Stop!” My hands turned to fists as smoke started to envelope the room, but I was halted by the executive’s voice.

Ariel tsked. “This time I wouldn’t if I were you. You help Mr. Cassial and Mr. Diniel, but what about your friends in Oculus? They are of no use to me so disposing of them would be nothing at all. Your self-righteous behavior does not save everyone I’m afraid.”

I had a lot of power but being in two places at once wasn’t one of them, so it hurt to know he had a point. My shadows were inches away from their victims, but they began to retreat, the tiny light sparks within them doing the same.

Ariel put his hand up to stop the sentries and continued, “you want to show the people of Heaven’s Gate that they don’t need to fear you so much, that they should want to work with you and trust your aide, well then obliterating so many angels all because you didn’t want to accept my extended helping hand just isn’t a good look now, is it?” He smiled with all his teeth, but it wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was menacing and manipulative.

“You are fucking rotten. The people will see right through you,” I said, letting the shadows melt into my skin.

“They need something to hold onto, now more than ever. The ceremony and with your now delightful help, they will see that I only have their best interests at heart.” Ariel grabbed my hand and placed his other one on top of it. The gesture was meant to be tender, but all I felt was cold, icy skin. “I think you should head to Oculus and begin your training at once, no time like the present.”

I was pulled away from the cold feeling in moments and a strong, warm chest was at my back. I felt his thundering heart and it mirrored my own.

“I think I made it clear that you don’t touch her,” Nick warned, his voice low and authoritative. I wanted to fight back, but with everything I’d been through, everything I’d fought to keep, I didn’t want any threat Ariel threw at me to potentially have merit and it was all taken away.

Reese looked at me, mouthing, “are you okay?”

I nodded, letting my body fold into Nick’s as he turned me around.

“Keep me informed, would you Mr. Cassial? Your father must be so proud of all you’ve accomplished.”

Nick stopped, throwing a stone cold look over his shoulder. “You do know that you will never be Jonah.”

Ariel’s laugh came out hollow. “Ah, well, Jonah is dead. I am all they have.”

I watched as Nick frustratingly yanked out his portal key once we got further away from The Skies and closer to the woods. The sentry angels kept a close eye on us as we walked out; none of them making eye contact with Nick or Reese. I liked to think if they thought they had a choice in the matter, they wouldn’t be siding with that red-headed idiot.

Nick looked back at the castle-like structure with as much disdain as his face could muster and I caught myself nearly giggling. My blood was boiling over what happened in there, but I didn’t want to let it fester so much that it took away the happiness I felt since we were finally getting out of here. Ariel’s manipulative offer felt like selling my soul all over again, but at least this time, maybe some good would come out of the arrangement.

I would find a way around Ariel, but I had to get a hold on this odd thing I felt inside of myself. If the angelic executive could see the light that I was beginning to wield then it was probably time I learned—or attempted to learn—how to manage it. I noticed Nick’s hand shaking as he tried to make a circle with the key. It took him a few tries but eventually the telltale light from the portal shined. I let Reese go first, so I could grab Nick’s hand and stepped in behind him.

We ended up in the middle of all the shops. The woman who could make the smell of chocolate from her little bakery was to the left and the apothecary was to my right. Before I could look away from that direction, I caught sight of Natalia headed towards us. I started to open my mouth to speak but she had her arms around me in minutes. Hugs didn’t bother me, but this kind of hug wasn’t one I was used to. It wasn’t quick and sweet, like a general greeting, but it was more like the kind where you wanted to let the other person know you cared with your entire soul. It was odd that the first instinct I had was to hug her back with the same level of affection.

After some time, she let me go, holding me out in front of her so she could inspect me from head to toe. “Are you alright?” That voice of hers, the light musicality of it, washed over me with a sense of friendly security, like I knew I was amongst friends.

I nodded, but also shrugged at the same time. “More or less.”

She looked over to both Reese and Nick, who flanked my sides. Her honey-colored eyes were lined with silver and her cheeks were dusted with the same color, making her dark skin glow beautifully. Her dark hair was made up in a collection of braids that flowed past her chest, with various pieces of jewelry decorated within each one.

Reese rubbed the back of his neck. “Ariel is a piece of work, let’s just put it like that.”

“That’s a fucking understatement,” Nick muttered, rubbing at his temple.

Natalia pressed her lips together. “Well, then I guess we have much to discuss. It is good to see you though. Your presence has been missed.”

Reese started walking backwards past her. “You can thank Ariel for that. Although, I guess you can also thank him for having her back.”

One of the High Priestess’s neatly arched eyebrows raised. “Much to discuss indeed.” She reached over to stop Nick from walking around her. She looked at him, directly in his eyes, as if she was searching for something.

His facial expression quickly morphed into one of understanding. “I’m okay. Good days and bad days, but I’m okay.” He looked back at me, giving me a small smile that made my stomach flip. “She takes care of me.”

Natalia delicately placed a few of her ring-covered fingers at his cheek. “Good. Very good.”

Nick gripped her hand and placed it back at her side. He cleared his throat and asked, “he’s not here, is he?”

I sucked in a deep breath, knowing exactly who he was referring to. Natalia, who had likely been trained to control her expressions, was failing in this moment, which told me she knew who he was as well.

She brushed her braids over her shoulder, showing off her multiple earrings. “No, not today.”

Nick didn’t say anything else; he simply continued walking as if that was answer enough.

Natalia stuck her tongue into her cheek, her eyebrows pulling together. She shook her head and arranged her expression into one of content. She reached her hand out to me, and I took it happily, sliding my palm up so that I could grip the inside of her elbow instead.

The apothecary looked the same as always when we passed it, but there was always something different about seeing something again after thinking that you might not ever get to lay your eyes on it again. You appreciate the things you once thought so simple—not that they are a big deal now—but your eyes tend to pay more attention. All the smells of Oculus were so much more intense, and I noticed more laughter than I had before.

We came up to a large house, well it was more like a mansion, once we cleared the dirt walkway past some gorgeous weeping willows. The smell of fresh flowers hit me instantly and I looked around noticing them everywhere. The dirt at my feet turned into a stone pathway which expanded toward an eggshell-colored three-story building. The exterior seemed to twinkle in the sunlight as if without words, telling you this place was magic.

The left side had one large veranda on the ground level with multiple rounded archways. Various colors of foxglove cascaded from plant hangers that were attached to the top of each archway. Another balcony was right above it with the same decoration and behind it sat two large glass doors, a large purple curtain covering it from the inside. The top floor had no balcony, just a section of hexagonal windows with drawings carved into the exterior surrounding them. I tilted my head back so that I could see the very top which looked like it had an expansive roof surrounded by a railing.

Stairs greeted us, along with a stone-faced Zane, who stood under a monstrous bell-shaped archway that was covered in green vines.

“Long time no see, buddy,” Reese punched Zane in the shoulder, and I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh too loudly. Zane’s eyes turned into slits at the blonde angel, who simply put his hands up in surrender. “Okay, fine. We still aren’t there yet. I’m a patient man.”

I could have sworn I caught the large Enchanter rolling his eyes with a huff, but I couldn’t be too sure. Nick hadn’t moved from his place at the top of the stairs. His eyes roamed around what he could see. “You live here?”

Natalia chuckled. “Yes.”

“By yourself?” I chimed in, knowing full well this place had multiple bedrooms.

The High Priestess unlatched her arm from me and walked over so she could stand next to Zane. “Not always.” Her tone was a bit defeated, letting me know that she likely used to stay here with Isabel. She continued, “I have so much space, I like to let my people stay if they need it. I like the company. It can be surprisingly lonely leading so many people, but never really being able to know them. I can’t really be of any use to them if they can’t find me accessible.”

Zane cleared his throat. “Accessibility can breed dangerous creatures, but no one listens to me.”

Natalia looked up at her bodyguard and gave him a small smile. She raised her hand, patting his cheek softly.

I ran my fingers along the archway. “You sound like Beetee.”

Natalia motioned for us to follow her inside, Zane walking past her to open the door before she could. “Ah your little pink haired friend is quite a delight.”

Reese followed after her, but I grabbed Nick’s arm before he could walk through the threshold. He gave me a look of confusion as he gazed down at me. I looked past his arm to make sure we were alone before I spoke, “you aren’t letting Ariel get to you, right?”

His brown eyes narrowed. “No, why would I?”

I nearly snorted. “You practically growled at the man for coming into physical contact with me.”

He nervously readjusted his sword at his back. “That’s different.”

I tilted my head to the side, waiting.

He groaned. “I don’t like the guy, for one. Secondly, I…you…ugh.” He fumbled over his words in an adorable way. I blinked, patiently assessing him. He scrubbed a hand down his face. His voice was a little lower when he opened his mouth next. “The fact that he’s a fucking ass makes me even more angry that he touched you at all. You’re mine, okay. I would have cracked my fist against his face if he would have tried to put his hands on you again. I would let him cast me out of The Skies just to keep you safe.”

I bit my bottom lip, mischievously. “Very possessively sweet. Don’t think that being in the presence of our friends means I won’t drag you to the woods and rip your clothes off, Mr. Cassial.” I lifted myself up onto my toes and kissed him. “I do expect you to hold up your end of our conversation though.”

He kissed my nose. “What conversation would that be?”

“About a certain father of yours…”

He took a tiny step back. “I told you I would think about it.”

“I know, but I don’t want you to backtrack on all the progress you’ve made since Purgatory.” I stepped up to him, so that we were back in each other’s space again. “I took some of your darkness, sure. You still have some lingering and you always will. I just don’t want it to start feeding on…”

Nick placed his hands on either side of my cheeks, stopping me from finishing. “Dani, I’m fine. I have you and your support, so that’s all I need. Your caring makes me love you probably more than I already do, but right now my dad is the last thing I want or need to think about. He knows I’m alive and well, so that has to be good enough for now.”

I flattened my palms over his hands, pulling them off my face. “Yes, but he doesn’t know all the things you’ve been through…”

Reese’s voice rang out, interrupting us. “You’ve spent every fucking day together since we got back. You can survive out of your fucking love bubble without imploding for an hour.” We both looked over at him to see the blonde angel motioning for us to come inside.

Nick gave me a sympathetic look, before heading towards his best friend, but I grabbed his hand pulling it towards my face. It was the same hand I’d noticed earlier. The top of his hand was less red than before, but I could tell the top layer had been slightly burned. “Nick, what the hell is…”

He yanked himself free and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “Nothing. Come on, they’re waiting.”

I chewed on my bottom lip before following him. Nicholas was hiding something from me, but I didn’t exactly know where to place this on the list of things to be dealt with.