Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
H aziel lay like a contented, satisfied feline in Wrath’s arms as sunlight painted pink and peach smears across the horizon. Wrath’s warm breath huffed across her nape. The dead weight of his arm flung over her made her feel cocooned in his love. The world outside their bedchamber wouldn’t wait much longer to intrude, and then they’d have to get up and deal with an ever-growing list of problems.
Stirring, Wrath grew tense. Voice was raspy with sleep, he asked, “Did you feel that?”
Haziel sent her senses questing. Wrath’s power was greater than hers, and he was more sensitive to power shifts. Then she felt what had woken him. Ancient power rattled the power balance, and a power she recognized only too well. “The horsemen.”
Ancient and grating against her senses, the power swelled.
“Pestilence is awake.” Wrath growled. “Fuck!”
Fuck, indeed. The last time she’d tangled with Pestilence, it had almost cost her life.
Wrath’s seal pulsed with unadulterated fury.
A demon yelled from the courtyard below. Another yelled back, followed by a war cry and the clash of steel.
“We need to go.” Wrath unwound from her and stood. “Pestilence is affecting the seal.” He shoved his legs into discarded fighting leathers. “And my seal is the most stable. Hell knows what Pestilence is doing to the other seals.”
Haziel couldn’t look at him, not prepared to have her suspicions confirmed. “They wake because of me.”
One arm through his shirt, Wrath stopped and stared at her. “Eh?”
“Pestilence used my power to rise.” Haziel had been helpless to fight the horseman, and now they’d all pay the price.
“Angel.” Wrath perched on the bed beside her and tipped her chin up. “This is all on Ramiel.”
“But—”
“He sent you there knowing what the risk was. Pestilence has woken because your fucking archangel couldn’t control his jealous fit. Also this demon rebellion is turning shit inside out.” Wrath kissed her gently. “If I hear you blaming yourself for this, I’m going to turn you over my knee.”
He always had a way of making her feel better. “Is that supposed to be a deterrent?”
Chuckling, he kissed her again, longer and harder this time, before pulling away. “Now get up, before we both forget our responsibilities.
As much as she’d love to forget those responsibilities, Haziel hurried into fighting leathers and strapped crystalline daggers to her hips and thighs. Hell was not somewhere you went unarmed, especially not at this time. “What’s the plan?”
Even in their short time together, she and Wrath already worked as a tight unit.
“Check my seal first.” He slid an onyx broadsword into the scabbard between his shoulder blades. “Then lust and pride. With Lucifer and Shade gone, those seals will be the most vulnerable.”
She’d guessed he’d say that. She tossed him an apple from the bowl in their sitting room as they strode through. “Then the others?”
“Yup.” He bit into the apple. “Fucking Ramiel.”
She pushed her still niggling guilt aside to focus on the bigger issue. They had cracking seals and no way of stopping it. “Will you send for Eddie to stabilize your seal?”
“No.” He shut her down.
As she’d known he would but had still thought it worth the try. Wrath’s seal was the most stable because of Eddie’s repair. But that repair had knocked Eddie out for an entire day and had only been a partial repair.
As she followed him down the stairs to the throne room, she chose not to voice what they both knew. It may be dangerous for Eddie to repair the seals, but they were rapidly running out of choices. If one seal still held, it could delay the end of days, and Eddie was the only being who could do that.
Pestilence rising had red-lined the situation into critical. Shade and Wrath protected Eddie and hadn’t allowed her to attempt the more difficult repairs to the other seals, but they may have to face the hard reality and let Eddie do her thing.
She took to the air after Wrath, admiring the red and gold filaments that made his wings glitter in the harsh morning light.
Apassionata was waiting for them at the entrance to Shade’s palace.
Typically Wrath, he didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “The seal?”
“Good day, Apassionata.” Heavens but Haziel’s male needed lessons in politeness and how to get beings to cooperate. “You’re looking well.”
“Seraph.” Apassionata gifted her his beautiful smile and bowed his head. “As are you. Word has it that you are a hell dweller now.”
“Word is correct.” She sent Wrath a quelling glance before he opened his mouth and said something brusque again. You could get just as much information out of beings by being courteous. “We’ve come because we’re concerned about the lust seal.” Apassionata had stayed loyal to Shade, and they were on the same side. “I’m sure you felt what we did this morning. We wanted to know if it had any impact on the seal.”
“It’s not good.” Apassionata chewed on his pillowy bottom lip. “It was weak before then, but it may not hold if another horseman wakes.”
“Fuck!” Wrath growled.
Cresting waves of lust rolled over Haziel, stronger than last time she’d visited Shade’s palace with Wrath. Perspiration slid down her sides, her core throbbed, and her breasts swelled.
Clenching his fists, Apassionata panted. “Something must be done, or what little control there is over this demesne will disintegrate. All lust demons will be affected.”
The grim set of Wrath’s features told her he was reaching a similar conclusion. They might have to let Eddie attempt the repair.
She touched his arm. “Wrath?”
“Don’t say it.” He shook his head. “Let’s check the other seals.”
They reached Lucifer’s palace as the sun was sinking. They didn’t need to go further than the courtyard to ascertain that the situation here was no better. Fights broke out amongst Lucifer’s remaining guards as waves of pride buffeted them.
Nighttime was dangerous in hell, but neither of them thought of stopping.
At the border to Ava’s demesne, Rapace allowed them immediate access. “She’s been waiting for you.”
Ava was pacing her throne room. It had been repaired since the fight between her and Wrath last time they were there. Ava’s normal beautiful gown had been swapped for fighting leathers. “Wrath.” She nodded before giving Haziel a brief smile. “And Haziel.”
“You felt it.” Wrath stepped in front of Ava.
Ava grimaced. “I don’t think any of us could have missed it.”
Haziel indicated her skintight leathers. “You’re going somewhere?”
Ava nodded. “Michael is up to something. He’s entered the earth plane.
As Michael avoided the earth plane like a case of boils, Haziel agreed that Michael might very well be up to something. “Do you know what?”
“Nope.” Ava shook her head, and her long, dark braid snaked across her back. “But when last I heard, he was researching historical reports of Nephilim.”
“He was?” Wrath frowned. “I thought they’d all been…”
Wrath wouldn’t finish that sentence and confirm the systematic annihilation of Nephilim. The practice could have cost him his daughter, who was ironically, now their one hope.
Needing to comfort him, Haziel slipped her hand into Wrath’s. “Did he find anything?”
“Who the hell knows?” Ava threw up her hands. “The cagey bastard wouldn’t tell me if he had.” Her lovely face tightened into a determined mask. “But I’m not going to sit on my ass while we all go up in smoke.” Her eyes glittered. “And that fucker is trying to hide his presence on the earth plane from me. That tells me I have to find out why.”
Wrath held out his hand. “Go well.”
“If Michael can locate other Nephilim, there’s a chance we can repair all the seals.” Haziel shared her thoughts aloud. Another Nephilim would take the pressure off Eddie.
Ava nodded and gestured around her to her palace. “I’ve told Rapace to stay in touch with you,” she said to Wrath. “What’s left of my horde is yours to command.”
“My thanks.” Wrath nodded. “We’ve all been sitting around waiting for shit to get worse, and that is not my way.” He glanced at Haziel as if firming his conviction. “This rebellion is not going away, and it’s time we take the fight to them.”
The envy demesne resembled a large barren wasteland. Hot thermals radiated up from the land and made flying more difficult. “Are we going to war?”
Wrath had never mentioned that before they’d spoken to Ava.
He glanced at her and shrugged. “There may not be any choice.”
Whatever he did, he had her support, so she nodded. She indicated the dark, empty land beneath them. “There’s nobody here.”
“They’re here.” Wrath threw her a quick smile. “Levi likes to keep things hidden.”
Leviathan’s palace was built underground and accessed through a dusty, arid cave. They were led into a large room that looked like it had been cleaved from the rock. There were no decorations or embellishments, and the furnishings were plain and functional. Beelzebub was there with Levi.
Levi stood, her straight fall of dark hair catching the low light. In mint green lounging pants and an off the shoulder shirt, she was breathtakingly lovely. She moved toward them with a lithe economy of movement like a hunting cat.
Haziel had met Levi before but not had much interaction. She was curious.
“Well, this is a kick in the pants,” Levi said as she kissed Wrath on both cheeks. “I don’t remember seeing this fuckery in the contract’s fine print.” Her wide, full mouth split into a grin as she faced Haziel and held out her hand. “It’s Haziel, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Haziel was momentarily dumbstruck by the intense green of Levi’s eyes. And this from a seraph who’d spent centuries staring into Ramiel’s jade peepers.
Beelzebub, or Zeb as the other hell princes called him, sauntered up behind Levi.
Shoulder length dark hair framed the chiseled symmetry of his near perfect face. Amber eyes keenly assessed her and Wrath as he greeted them. “So, what’s the plan? You don’t make it this way often.”
“Wrath always has a plan.” Levi winked at her. “But I’m sure you already know that.”
“Ava is heading for the earth plane,” Wrath said.
“Wow!” Levi snapped her fingers at a nearby demon.
Haziel understood demonic nature, and that hell princes needed to be harsh, but having served in a host, she was never going to be a fan of the finger snapping.
“Hell is emptying faster than a leaky bucket.” Levi motioned them over to a seating area of straight, leather-backed chairs.
Wrath remained standing, energy humming from him. “I am taking command of Shade, Lucifer, and Ava’s horde.” He tapped the chair back impatiently. “We need to put together a combined horde army to end this rebellion.”
Zeb and Levi stilled. Trust didn’t come easily amongst hell princes.
“Is that so?” Levi murmured as her demon placed a flagon of amber liquid and a platter of meat, fruit, and cheeses in front of them.
Zen poured. He flashed a smile at Haziel. “We’re more beer drinkers in this part of hell.”
“Beer works.” After that hot flight, beer sounded the perfect way to ease the dust from her throat.
Zeb handed her and then Wrath a tankard of beer. “Do you have the numbers to conquer them?”
“I will if you give me your hordes as well.” Wrath quaffed his beer and wiped his mouth with his wrist.
Levi pursed her lips and delicately sipped her beer. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”
“I don’t see that any of us have much choice.” The sexy muscle Haziel loved so much ticked in Wrath’s jaw.
“You think the hordes will work together?” Zeb’s eyes looked like beaten copper as he considered Wrath’s proposal.
Well, more of a demand than a proposal.
Wrath grimaced. “If the rebels can do it, we can. And the hordes still loyal will do as their hell princes command.”
“Why you?” Levi cradled her tankard between long, slim fingers.
Wrath shrugged and accepted a refill from Zeb. “Because I’m the best of us at war.”
Levi stiffened, and Haziel suppressed a sigh. She adored the crap out of him, but a touch of diplomacy wouldn’t go awry.
“All the hell princes are good at war,” she said and sent him a hard look. She got an arrogant eyebrow raise in response, but she kept her attention on Zeb and Levi. “Wrath’s seal is still the most stable.” She sipped her beer to loosen her throat and formulate her next words. “If the seals continue to worsen—and with this newest development, that’s a near as dammit certainty—Wrath is best placed to lead an army.” She managed a chuckle to ease the atmosphere. “Believe it or not, his temper will be the most stable with the other seals weakening faster.”
Zeb chuckled and clapped. “Oh, well done, seraph. Well played.”
Levi watched her intently. “Why don’t you raise a host army?” She stretched her long legs in front of her. “Your archangel owes you a massive favor, owes us all, and he could help you put together an angelic army.”
“I intend to ask.” Haziel was tired of the archangels taking a back seat in this crisis. “The wait and see approach is not working for any of us and the angels need to act. Pestilence waking may be what we need to kick them into action.”
Wrath glanced at her but hid any surprise behind a stoic mask.
She would liked to have discussed this with him first, but she had a deal to broker.
Zeb nodded. “You have our armies.”
“You don’t speak for me,” Levi snapped.
Showing no reaction, Zeb turned to her. “You know it makes sense. And if we turn our hordes over to Wrath’s command, we can do what we do best.”
Levi appeared mollified as she asked, “Which is?”
“Get into places we’re not supposed to be.” A wicked grin made Zeb look deliciously sexy.
Levi must have thought so too, because her eyes twinkled as she said, “You mean…”
“Infiltrate the rebel horde,” Zeb said. “Shatter them from the inside while Wrath keeps them distracted and very, very busy.”