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Celestial Wars Ch. 01

By: Noble_Truth



First some house clearing.

This story is the direct sequel to 'Celestial Matters' and should not be read without reading that first.

I have broken the story into three parts. (Mainly due to fan encouragement). Each part will be six chapters long and about sixty pages in a word processor. Also, in lieu of some emails I have received I feel obligated to warn you gentle reader, that this is story does not immediately launch into the sex.

Your comments and your votes mean the world to me...so thanks.

Happy Reading

-Noble Truth



Celestial Wars Ch. 01



"No," he said as he put his head against the wall.

"All my planning, all my Angelic training for naught. I came to our confrontation prepared, and you came to it full of arrogance."

He nodded.

My lip curled up into a snarl, "Creation has no justice. Creatures like you shouldn't exist."

Devnikolus shifted me off his legs, and I fell to one side in surprise.

"The sun has set," the Demon Prince said. "Nine hours of darkness should be more than enough to find my little half breed."

He would be reunited with my half-sister, and all my efforts would truly be for naught.

"Traveling by magic to France will attract the Light to your presence. Isn't that why you traveled by carriage earlier?"

The Demon looked at me with his head cocked, "You were the agent of the Light whom was tracking us," he said simply. "It would be hard to find me by sensing my magic unless some entity was actively watching for it."

I had to admit, without intercepting the binding spell on his imp, I would have never been able to keep pace with the Demon Prince.

"Come Seraphim," Devnikolus said, "I will show you where you can stay in the Dublin manor before I leave for France."

The band at my neck tingled, and I found my limbs moving to join him on the stairs...while my mind silently seethed.





Celestial Wars Ch. 01



"I'm surprised he hasn't come to find us," Jon said suddenly.

His voice was a welcome break in the monotony.

"We don't know where he is Jon," I said softly, ready to defend my Master, "He might be safe but unable to travel back to us."

Jon shook his head, "I know we don't know anything for sure, but Devnik can travel great distances at a moment's notice. His magic has few limits."

I shrugged, and voiced a concern that had crept into my mind unbidden, "Maybe my wish sent him back down to hell?" I asked.

Again his head shook in the negative, "No, I'm almost positive that your wish would have sent him to his house in Ireland. That was where he first crossed from Hell to Earth, and he is at his strongest and safest there."

I nodded and looked back at the road, "I'm sure he has his reasons Jon," I replied sleepily.

The butler shrugged and fell silent. He wrapped his hands around in the reigns.





Celestial Wars Ch. 01



The smooth stone walls made any sound reverberate for a minute before it slowly disappeared. I had placed wards on the walls. Not to keep myself hidden, but to amplify what went on in here. If I was to play my part, the Light needed to sense me.

Slowly, I began to ease the iron grip I held over 'that' aspect of myself.

Like a muscle that had been held clenched and tight for too long, as soon as I relaxed my barriers, a pressure lifted, and a stress I hadn't know I carried was dissipated.

The power rushed to the surface with a roar.

Black flames sprang up on the dark stone. They flickered menacingly about my seated form. They were hungry...oh they were hungry. I stared back at them, transfixed. Their dancing shapes whispered to me.

They wanted to destroy, to undo. Anything they touched would be consumed...obliterated. 

These shadow flames were Destruction made manifest.

The power surged again, and the heatless, lightless flames rose. I couldn't control them, it had been too long. With a feral howl I clamped down again. I could feel my mental barriers bow and shudder underneath Destruction's might.

'Why do you deny us Master' They uttered sadly.

 'We love you...we are you...we could make you great again'

My shields solidified, and the voices stopped, and I was left alone in my place of rest...deep under the Dublin Manson.

All I could hear was the sound of my unsteady breath. 

My hands shook, but that was not important.





Celestial Wars Ch. 01



I brought my hands to the top of his back where his shoulders met his neck. I kneaded his hard muscled skin with the heels of my palms. Once I was done working on his neck I started a gently circular motion on his shoulder blades.

My mind still felt hazy, but I decided I liked touching his skin.

My fingertips danced lightly down his spine, until I reached his lower back. With my thumbs, I slowly worked on that sensitive place where the back ends and the slopes of his muscular buttock began.

'Did you just think about licking his skin?'

I hesitated at his clothed lower body. He hadn't said anything about undressing him any further. I suddenly felt guilty about removing his shoes. Well then I won't remove his trousers... I thought firmly.

I shivered slightly. This stone room was still so frigid. The Demon must be cold.

He said I had to comfort him. Being cold was not comfortable.

Before I could even really analyze my movements, I lifted up one of the Demon's heavy arms and slipped under it so that his arm was draped around me. Now our torsos were touching.

My soft breasts pillowed against the Demon's hard chest as I burrowed myself against the dark haired man. I put my arms around him, and hugged him to my body. Hopefully my flesh would warm him in this cold stone room he had chosen to imprison himself in.

'This is sexual. You are too close to him. You are wet. Why are you wet?'

The Demon should be comfortable now...I thought to myself.

Then, as if a fog had been lifted from my mind, I realized all the intimate and unacceptable things I had done. With my commands satisfied, I had regained control of my mind.

And yet, I couldn't move. If I moved the Demon might get cold, and then I wouldn't be fulfilling my orders.

I was trapped with the Demon's muscular arm lying across my body, while I hugged him to my bosom like a lover. Tears fell down my face as I embraced my captor, and tried not to rub my wet sex against his leg.





Celestial Wars Ch. 01



"Are you in Ireland?" I asked. When he nodded I smiled, "Jon and I are coming to you. So wait for us."

"I will," Devnik said, "I would come to you, but business is keeping me occupied.

There was a pause pregnant with tension and dark promises. 

"Master?" I whispered.

The beautiful dark haired youth stared down at me with half lidded eyes.

"Don't," he smirked, "I know what you need."

He scooped me up into his arms and pressed his lips almost violently against mine. The arousal that had been simmering since I saw him exploded.

I wanted to be thrown down and fucked, hard.

He placed one of his hands behind my head, which allowed him greater control of our kiss. It deepened and his hot tongue slide into my mouth. He was supporting my body weight with one careless hand. I felt another surge of lust erupt within me. My Master's power and strength were driving me crazy.

Then, he dropped me.

But instead of the pain I expected of falling on a stone floor, I fell neatly into a soft bed of black silk.

I had dreamed of this bed before. Good things happened on this bed.

Devnik once again pressed his body against mine. I could feel his silk and steel cock press against my thighs. I lay there and submitted to his wandering hands as he reclaimed my breasts after his absence.

Then my master placed his hands over my engorged sex and a single finger nestled directly over my clit. My legs involuntarily jerked as the intense sensation surprised me.

"Turn over," my Master ordered into my ear.

With shaky movements, I turned around and got on my knees. My heavy breasts swayed down and away from my body. I pushed my weeping pussy back at him obediently...hoping he would finally take what was his.

"Spread your legs my sweet slave," Devnik uttered as he ran a hand over the proffered globes of my ass. "I want to see that pretty cunt."

I groaned. It felt like my entire body was made up of arousal...like it had been forced into my very veins and muscles.

Spank. My Master's hand descended upon my buttock with surprising force. Shit...I didn't obey fast enough.

I moved my knees on the bed, spreading myself wantonly for my Master. I could feel the sting on my ass where I had been reprimanded.

Then his cock took me.

I cried out as he plunged into my slick slit. He plunged into me with such force that I fell forward off my knees. But that didn't stop him. My prone position simply gave him more room to sink further into my depths.

I rocked my hips back against my Master's cock. I felt his hands grip my flanks as he rutted into me mercilessly. I could feel my peak fast approaching. White hot pleasure took my mind as I came under his pounding.

He didn't stop, he didn't even slow down.

My mind screamed for reprieve while my body begged for more.

I could feel my pleasure mounting again. His hands slithered under my arms and took hold of my shoulders. He pulled my body back into his thrusts in this position.

His cock bumped into the curve of my cervix, and I exploded again as I felt my deepest being invaded. My body quivered around his cock. I shook so uncontrollably that I'm surprised he wasn't dislodge.

But no, something as meaningless as my disobedient shaking would not keep my Master from using me for his pleasure. Lust peaked once more at that thought.

His strokes became slower and harder.

"Omph"

"Omph"

"Omph"

I grunted as his cock slammed home. Then, I felt him stiffen, and his cock began to jerk and spurt his burning hot seed inside of me. His climax triggered yet another round of throbs and convulsions from my cunt, as it greedily sucked in my Master's spending.

My Demon lover rolled off me, and lay by my side. With a gently hand, he turned my face to the side, and gazed into my eyes.

I saw love there. I saw it as clearly as I felt mine.

"I can't stay," Devnik said.

"Just a little longer Master?" I whispered as I touched my small hand to his chest.

"I wish my sweet," he said, "But your sister is waking up."

Chapter 6: Taming

~Humans are both Light and Dark. We are capable of the most selfless compassions, and the most delicious sins. A life without both is an empty hollow thing. – Unknown~

-Devnik-

Maria's face smiled sadly at me as the dream fell apart.

Her image faded and broke like the reflection of a shattering mirror. She said she was coming back to me. That thought alone prevented my mind from despairing.

I could feel a stirring underneath one of my arms. Consciousness drifted lazily back into my mind... I lingered between sleep and reality. Cariel was awakening, and I could not slumber any longer. Using my innate Demonic ability, I reached out with my awareness and checked where the sun was.

It was just cresting over the horizon, marking the dawn of a new day.

A groan escaped my lips unbidden, I was nocturnal, and this infuriating Angel was interfering with my natural sleep patterns.

My eyes snapped open.

I was laying on some sort of feather mattress. It was soft, yet it reeked of old female sweat and Light magic. It was a surprisingly heady aroma.

But that wasn't the most surprising aspect of this unwelcome morning.

I glanced down to the small female nestled underneath my arm.

Her silver eyes were gazing up at me. She was trying her best to convey all her hatred and loathing for me through a simple look. But that didn't change the fact that her body was pressed closely to mine. Her soft naked breasts were pillowed against my side, and her hard nipples were making themselves known against my skin.

Her smooth arms were wrapped around my body...like she was my lover.

Cariel's mouth turned down as she saw me assessing our position. Her expression became unreadable.

"Are you cold?" She asked softly.

What an odd question.

"No," I replied. I could hear my own confusion in my voice.

In a flash, Cariel blurred out of my arms and away from me. She rematerialized on the far side of the underground room. Her back was against the wall, and her arms were folded over her bare breasts, and her legs were crossed, hiding her sex.

With a sigh, I stretched and flexed my fingers and toes. My muscles felt wonderfully relaxed and supple. I knew Cariel would be working on my back again soon, whether she desired to or not.

"You did a good job on my massage, little one," I said in a slightly mocking tone. I was still mad that she had interrupted my shared dream with Maria with her squirming.

"Though we must work on keeping you still while I sleep, I become irrational when I have to be up during the day."

Cariel shifted in her incredibly defensive position, it couldn't be comfortable trying to sit and cover her assets at the same time.

"This can't be my life now," Cariel said as she looked at me. Again I found her expression unreadable. "This isn't fair."

I laughed...and my booming jubilations echoed menacingly in the small room.

Cariel shuddered.

"There is no fair Cariel. You fought me and you lost. Accept your fate and I can promise you that one day you will live for serving me."

"But I didn't fight you thinking that this would happen!" Cariel screamed at me. Her silver eyes flashed, and blue magic fluttered in the air around her. She looked wild and fierce...and oh so fuckable.

"I thought the worst that could happen was my death..." she said in a softer tone now, "I never realized that I could become...a slave," she whispered the last part. For a moment there she had sounded truly broken. I liked it when she sounded like that.

"What difference does it make?" I asked. I would lead her down a road of submission. Visions of Maria and Cariel on their knees in front of me danced across my mind. They would be sisters in blood and sisters in service.

I would also drink that blood.

"It doesn't feel like you've won me fairly. This band around my neck feels like cheating," Cariel said with growing forcefulness.

"Oh? What rules are you referring to then little one? To my knowledge, our situation is unique," I said.

Cariel huffed, looking like the picture perfect example of an irritable and illogical woman, "The rules of my feelings Demon!" She shouted.

Her face was red now, and the flood gates had been opened.

"I am a higher entity of the Light! I am powerful. I have lived for fifteen hundred years! I deserve some fucking respect!"

More blue magic sparked and danced around her. The enslaved Angel's hand glowed a royal blue with unspent sorcery. In a flash, Cariel raised a hand at me, hoping to discharge magic at me.

The band around her neck activated...and the red haired and emotionally distraught Angel froze in place. The magic on her hands settled and then disappeared altogether.

A moment passed. Cariel put an absent finger on her collar. She stroked the metal as she looked vacantly at me. Her rage had left her hollowed out.

"Cariel," I said gently, "Look at me."

Her silver eyes flicked over to mine.

I sat up, and looked at her intently, "What do you think would be fair?"

"Fight me again," she said softly... eagerness gave her words a desperate undercurrent.

"Why would I do that Cariel?" I asked...as if I was questioning a child.

"If you win, I'll let you fuck me," she said immediately. Her mouth was set in a grim line. She had decided she would pay for this rematch with her very body...but I already owned that.

"You make it sound like I couldn't already do that with just a word," I leered openly at her.

Cariel covered herself again, but her eyes didn't leave mine, "You wouldn't want to rape Maria's sister would you?" She asked as if it were a forgone conclusion.

This Angel put too much weight in her blood relation to my Aethling...and too much weight in my sense of morality.

But there was one thing that she could give me. Something that could only be given...not forced or taken. Yes...that would be it. I would be willing to fight again for such unending pleasure.

"I have a counter proposition for you Angel," I said slowly. I couldn't keep the grin out of my voice.

"I will lift the band's restrictions, and we will fight again. If you win I will untangle the magical web I placed in that band and set you free."

Cariel nodded her face alight with expectation.

"But if I win," I continued, "You will offer me your blood for free. You will claim no wishes from me, and you will submit to my hunger whenever it strikes me."

Cariel's mouth dropped open, and she looked at me with familiar disgust.

"Unacceptable," Cariel breathed, "regular Demon bites are addictive, I have no knowledge of how potent a Demon Prince's bite is...I would be even further lost to you."

I shrugged, and licked my teeth suggestively. My mouth was watering, and my stomach rumbled...I wanted this badly. A fresh supply of Angelic blood whenever I wanted it. That would be true paradise.

"Those are my terms. You have just one chance at freedom. We can fight once more...with each party clearly knowing the terms of both victory and defeat."

I left that hanging in the air...and sat back on my haunches. I watched the little red head deliberate like the predator that I am.





Celestial Wars Ch. 01



My body would ache for him...it would be overcome with need...desire...pain. With my magic I could feel a substance coursing through my body where my blood used to be.

That substance caused these new feelings to emerge. 

The band could keep me here against my will.

The need for this new substance would keep me here willingly...eagerly even.

No hope of escape now...and I knew I couldn't kill him...even when the band wasn't stopping me. His embrace was soothing, and my arousal was still high. I had never felt pleasure like this before.

Being an Agent of the Light was dry and noble. It was mostly passionless. The pleasure came from being an unflinching servant of justice...an arbiter for the sinful. Love was a warm and glorious affair amongst the Light...but it didn't have this.

This was passion.

The Dark Demon in front of me represented a wet...sticky... intimate...all consuming pleasure. He represented hot blood and dirty degrading sex. Devnikolus was hedonistic and dominate, and it was all to easy to slip and submit into his hedonism. That is what I was becoming...submissive, needy.

I liked it.

I liked it in a way that I knew I shouldn't. He was evil, I was sinning, but the pleasure was too delicious. The visceral liquid euphoria that he could bring was better than being good and sinless.

Is this what Alarial felt? Do she too fight this evil until the overwhelming pleasure pulled her under and subjugated her mind and body?

This dark undertow was pulling at me, and I had already decided to give in.

He could have all of me for now...I could be his.





Celestial Wars Ch. 02



Here we are again.

This story is the direct sequel to "Celestial Wars Ch. 01" and should not be read without reading that first.

This is the second of three parts.

Middles are curious things. Middles are written to bring the reader from an interesting beginning, to an exciting ending. This means middles are often overlooked, even though they make up the bones of a story. Unfortunately, this story is all middle.

In lieu of some emails that I continue to receive, I feel obligated to warn you gentle reader, that this story does not immediately launch into the sex...however, I feel that if you've stuck with me until now, you know that already.

As always, your comments, emails and your votes mean the world to me...so thanks.

Now, come walk the Noble path with me...

-Noble Truth

Chapter 7

Truth Telling

The Fourth Sphere of Heaven is a glorious training ground. Sounds of virtuous battle ring joyfully throughout its verdant hills. High Legionnaire Dardihel is the Lord of this Sphere, by right of skill and loyalty. ~Alexander Morningstar's Celestial Matters

-Alarial-

With a wan smile, Master's beautiful dark countenance faded away. He took his dream with him. The bed of black silk gave way to expansive darkness.

For a time I floated upon this sea of nothing...adrift...like a lost ship on unfamiliar waters.

It was altogether peaceful... and altogether lonesome.

My mind gently tumbled over stray thoughts and flashes of memory.

The warmth of Sister Maria's hands was suddenly on my face. She was smiling in that way that made her eyes crinkle at the sides. Then she was gone and the Mother of the Abbey was showing me to the door. She begged me to take my vows. When I didn't, it was to the streets for me.

Memory sparked again, and my nose was filled with the stink of the Parisian gutter. An old tavern keeper let me wash his dishes for a bent copper every night. Two coppers could buy half a loaf of bread.

A man approached me one night after the dishes were done. His breath reeked of garlic and stale wine, and what little teeth he had were browned and rotting. He offered me five silvers to 'stick me,' as he called it.

The next day I bought a dress with my new money and knocked on all the doors of all the Parisian brothels I could find. Eventually, the Rosy Garter took me in.

The images faded back into the swelling blackness. Thankfully, no more followed.

***

My body returned to me slowly... or perhaps more accurately, I returned to it.

It began with a tingling in my limbs, and then a feeling of being warm...much too warm.

I opened my eyes blearily. A dying campfire greeted my visage. Glowing white embers gave off half-hearted smoke as they cooled in the breeze of the forest. In the sky, the purple hues of twilight were giving way to the pink and orange of a new dawn.

A blanket was wrapped tightly around my body restricting my arms, causing the uncomfortable warmth that had roused me into wakefulness.

I sat up, and after an embarrassing amount of effort, I managed to slip from the blanket's grasp.

The cool morning washed over my body, and I sighed.

I froze.

What had happened? I thought suddenly. The woman, what happened to that strange woman?

The last thing I remembered was being handed that teacup. My dream with Master had made it slip my mind for a moment.

Were we still in danger? I glanced about our little camp.

Blackened splotches of grass dotted the clearing around the well. My nose twitched. There was an odor in the air that smelled familiar.

Magic...

Two forms lay about the fire, shrouded in the long shadows of the dawn.

Daniel lay perfectly still... his breath was even... and a small smile played about the edges of his face. His rusted sword rested on his belly. I sniffed the air... the smell of magic was emanating from his blade.

I was about to move in closer and look at the strange sword when movement from the second form distracted me.

A low-pitched groan hissed from under the rough blanket. That was Jon's voice. There was no mistaking the pain in that sound. I rushed to him.

His forehead was beaded with sweat.

With fumbling hands, I put my palm over his forehead. He had a fever like none I had ever felt.

He cracked one eye open and gave me an unfocused stare.

"Jon!" I whispered. "What's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

The butler's teeth were clattering together as he convulsed beneath his coverings. I tore the bedding from his body with strength I didn't know I had. Underneath, Jon lay in a tattered shirt. Burn marks glistened on his shoulder... broken only by red, angry wounds that oozed with green and white puss.

"Wound..." he managed to stutter. "Not healing, forgot about... the ring."

How was he wounded? Did they fight the strange lady? How had a woman living alone in the woods managed to injure a five-hundred-year-old swordsman?

"What do I need to do, Jon?" I whispered.

Jon wheezed for a brief moment. He did so quietly, biting his lip the entire time. We both intuitively knew that we shouldn't wake Daniel.

"You're going to have to cut my finger off, Maria," he said, once the episode had passed. "In my boot there is a knife... should be sharp enough for the job."

With his other foot aiding him, Jon kicked off his right boot and then lay still upon the ground. "Hurry."

Deep breaths, Maria, I thought to myself. Do what must be done.

But deep breaths didn't come, no matter how hard my lungs called to them. All I managed were shallow gasps and frantic fingers. The knife slid out of the boot easily into my trembling hand.

I removed it from the sheath.

A wicked edge caught the dawn's light... a blade for killing more than eating.

Jon extended his hand. The silver ring on his finger was smoking. Every other moment it would spark with red magic.

"My immortality is trying to heal me... but it is trapped... hindered by the ring."

His kind eyes met mine as I sat there too frozen to move.

He smiled lightly. "Just imagine I have the rot in my finger, Maria. The affected limb must be cut off, so the rest of the body may be saved. Be brave."

I nodded once.

With steadier hands, I took him by the wrist and set his hand palm up upon the grassy ground.

"Curl all your fingers but the ring finger, Jon," I whispered, trying to be soothing.

He complied, closing his eyes tight and turning his head away.

"Be brave with me, Jon."

He gave a dark chuckle.

The knife cut through the bone and sinew easily. Dark red blood coated the flat of the blade... and then the deed was done.

Jon jerked his hand away, cradling his maimed limb to his chest.

The finger and the ring remained on the ground. The ring began to glow brightly. A small flash and crack echoed through the clearing. When the light cleared, the ring sat nestled in a bed of ashes.

"What was that?" cried Daniel from the other side of camp.

I scooped the ring out of the ashes and slipped it into my shoe.

"I don't know," I called out to the Monster Hunter.

Daniel climbed to his feet from the ground and twisted his back. "Nothing like sleeping on the ground to make a miserable morning," he said with a winsome grin.

Jon groaned. I moved to cover him with more blankets.

"What's wrong with him?"

"The wound he took yesterday is troubling him," I said quickly. "You might have to drive the carriage today."

Daniel shrugged. "I know some herbcraft. I could maybe take a look at him."

I shook my head. "He said he'd be fine... though you might have to carry him to the carriage."

Daniel smiled widely. "Carry him yourself, Half-Angel. I know you can."

***

-Daniel-

The look on her face was priceless. Her silver eyes widened in shock before rapidly narrowing into cold suspicion.

She opened her mouth and gasped. A small wheeze escaped her throat, like the rattle of a dying man, but nothing more.

I raised a brow. "Trying to lie to me will be quite difficult, Aethling," I said soothingly. "I don't mean you any harm. You are not a monster that I'm hunting."

I didn't mean her any direct harm. Just her lover.

This pale and shaking blonde had not yet mastered the art of half-truths and unsaid omissions. She had tried to lie to me outright, and the words had died before they could be uttered. This is how it has always been for those of the Light.

Slowly, Maria gathered herself, and nodded. "Yes, I suppose it was foolish to think I could hide that I am a monster from a monster hunter."

I blinked. That was shocking. This heavenly creature referred to herself as a monster.

You must understand, Daniel. I suspect that Maria has recently been awakened, Vraiel whispered in my head. She thinks she is a monster because she has been human until now.

I resisted the urge to shake my head in front of Maria. Instead, I offered a small, humble smile. "It is beneficial to my job to be able to recognize supernatural entities," I said softly. "But don't refer to yourself as a monster, Maria, because it's not true."

The mistrust on Maria's face cleared slightly, and she let out a slow breath. "I guess I can carry him then, Monsieur Daniel, though I'm afraid I don't know how to drive a carriage."

Why would such a sweet creature align herself with such evil?

I gave a low bow. "I believe I can be of service in that regard, my lady."

***

The sun was just breaking over the surrounding trees by the time we set off.

Jon was safely stowed in the back and Maria and I sat upon the driver's perch. Silently, we watched the north-bound road disappear under the horse's hooves. The reigns dangled loosely in my grip; the steeds in front of me required almost no direction.

I can detect a whiff of magic through the wood of the carriage, Vraiel whispered in my ear.

I know, I replied silently.

It smells exactly like your demonic core's magic. It has the same stink and tenor. Like a man with bad breath, whispering sins in your ear.

I stifled a small grin. I had no idea I smelt that badly.

Humor aside, Daniel, we must assume Devnikolus has granted this man immortality, Vraiel said.

But how would he have won the duel? I asked. He's just a human.

Vraiel didn't respond, and I knew that it was because he was still turning his theory around in his mind.

Maria stirred next to me and leaned back against the driver's bench.

"Not very comfortable, is it?" I asked with a forced smile.

She forced a smile of her own. It oozed a sticky, barbed sweetness. "Not as uncomfortable as being visited by Pierre the Giant, one of my old regulars."

I didn't understand the reference, but five hundred years of being a man insisted that I shut up.

***

Salt hung in the air.

At first it was subtle, like a taste at the back of the throat, a tingle on the lips. Then it grew stronger, and it filled my nose with its acrid, tangy presence.

I smiled.

We were drawing closer to the sea. Our journey was nearing an end. An hour later, the smell of salt was joined by the low din of the breaking waves, and for a moment, I was back on The Jezebel sailing toward the continent and the Holy Land.

The port town bustled with the natural restlessness of humans. The frantic activity was undercut with the slight edge of panic of men and women who didn't quite know where their next meal would come from.

Fish guts and human sweat were the odors of the docks. A small dirt road skirted the small town by half a league, allowing us to lead our carriage directly to the waterfront.

Three small ships moored at port this morning bobbing gracefully in the afternoon's calm waters.

Eyes followed Maria and me as our carriage rolled to a halt.

"We should find a place to sell our carriage and horses before we book passage," I said to Maria as I helped her down from the driver's perch.

"Perhaps," she said, her brilliant silver eyes peering into mine before darting to the carriage. "I'm going to go check on Jon," she said after a pause. "He will hopefully know what to do."

-Alarial-

I left Daniel to stand with the team of horses and nervously approached the carriage.

Throughout the entire drive, the intoxicating smell of Master's magic had been drifting from Jon's resting place. My body tingled slightly and tightened. All it took was a hint of his presence and I longed to both whimper and worship him.

Before my hand even grasped the handle of the carriage door, it turned. Jon stepped out looking hale and hearty.

He treated me to his full, mischievous smile, his brown eyes twinkling.

"Jon!" I said. I flung my arms around the manservant before he could even speak.

He chuckled lightly and patted me on the back.

I drew away, unable to stop grinning.

***

Jon refused to let Daniel sell the carriage.

"But it makes no sense!" Daniel said, still shaking his head in confusion. "These horses alone could pay for our fare on the most regal of ships."

Jon dangled the jewelry pouch on his fingers. "I assure you, Master Monster Hunter, that the price of voyage will be no obstacle. Now, I must return the carriage to its resting place." Jon turned and whispered into the lead horse's ear. The black stallion nickered as if in understanding.

Suddenly, the carriage lurched into motion as the team of horses galloped away along the earth-packed road. Daniel watched silently as they turned and disappeared into the maw of the forest.

I smiled lightly at Daniel's expression. I patted him on the back gently. "I've had to get used to these sorts of things. You'll figure it out eventually."

His face turned down into a scowl. "Talking to a Monster Hunter like he's green behind the ears... really," he muttered as he shook his head.

Jon cast his gaze about the moored ships and picked out the biggest one. "If you two would excuse me, I'm off to have a chat with the captain of that lovely vessel."

Daniel and I watched the butler's retreating form and sighed.

We looked around for a place to wait.

***

The ship was called the Adrienne.

The captain's name was Adrien.

The latter was a fat, squat man with beady eyes and a beard that looked like it was made of rat's fur.

"This man has been kind enough to make room for us on his vessel," Jon said as he gestured to the captain.

Adrien bowed as much as his stomach would allow. "It is an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance, friends," he said in a surprisingly articulate and cultured voice. "I know my business and these waters like the birds know the sky. Your journey will be a pleasant one."

The sailors around us scurried about, tying knots and securing barrels. They would pause briefly to stare at us through slitted eyes.

"Thank you, Monsieur," Jon said smoothly. "As agreed, here is half now." Jon poured six golden coins into the Captain's outstretched hands. The large man smiled. He gestured to a man standing nearby. "First mate Enzo will show you down to the guest quarters."

Daniel edged up next to Jon. "Are you sure about this, Jon?" Daniel whispered as he glanced around at the rugged crew members. "They seem as likely to feed us to the waves as carry us over them."

Jon just smiled. "I've made this trip more times than you'd think, Daniel," Jon said. "I'll warm the crew to us after we've been settled."

I personally shared Daniel's opinion. Their eyes crawled over me like hungry insects. It took all my willpower not to cross my arms over my breasts. A sea breeze blew some of my blond locks in front of my face. I decided it would be best not to adjust my hair.

"Right this way," said first mate Enzo.

The first mate didn't look quite as intimidating as the rest of the men. He had a shaved head with a scar on it, but his eyes were kind.

We followed him down into the bowels of the ship, to a small room underneath the foredeck. A single lantern swung unlit on an iron chain.

"This is all the room we have for guests, I'm afraid," Enzo said, sounding slightly apologetic.

The room was no bigger than a generous broom closet. We would be sleeping right on top of each other.

I had been hoping for some privacy with Jon. I needed to let him know that Daniel knew about my true nature. There was also the matter of Jon's missing finger. Daniel hadn't commented yet, but he had sharp eyes.

"Thank you very much, first mate," Jon said cheerily. "We'll be up on deck to acclimate ourselves once we've shoved off from shore."

Enzo stiffened. "I'd be happy to show you to the mess and tell you when Cook will have food set aside for you... but it would be best for everyone if you avoided the crew. We picked up a rough group of lads in the English ports this summer."

"Don't worry about us," Jon said as he waved Enzo out the door.

The first mate looked confused, but withdrew without comment. His eyes lingered on me as he shut the door. I was a woman on a ship full of men. I could feel the heat of their desire beating at me.

***

-Daniel-

Maria's eyes darted back and forth between Jon and myself. She looked nervous, like a whore who knows she's poxed.

But I didn't detect any fear directed at me. My revelation that I knew her secret might have rattled her, but she still trusted me. It must be all the crew members.

She probably wants to tell Jon that you know she's an Aethling, Vraiel whispered.

I smiled to myself. Our little party was so full up of lies and half-truths you could bathe in them.

I was traveling with an immortal and a half-Angel, and we were on our merry way to see their foul master.

They will sing songs of our victory.

Chapter 8

No Return

Only HE can force an Angel to enter Hell. Once a being of the Light has walked within the Halls of the Damned, there is no saving them. The Dark always keeps those who embrace it.

-Devnik-

Her breath went out slowly... and with it came a whisper.

"So good..."

The words were soft and muffled... and they were lead-heavy and full of a woman's emotions. The sound of it was utterly foreign to me. I didn't understand it... not even a sliver.

I drew her closer and softly trailed the pad of my thumb across her temple. The hot tips of her breasts lightly brushed against my stomach. I was about to say something... most likely words full of vitriol and dark promises... but she shifted lightly against me, and I knew she slept.

I collapsed us into formless Darkness and pulled our joined embrace through the rock of my underground room. We materialized in the master bedroom. The faint glow of sunset was visible from the windows, but direct daylight never found its way into this room.

Cariel spilled out of my hands and onto the bed like she was boneless. Her red hair fanned out upon my black silk sheets as her head fell to one side. I couldn't help but follow her pale jaw line with my eyes until it ended at her full lips, still moist from our joining.

My gaze wandered further.

Her sex was still slick and red with arousal. She looked strangely wanton as she lay naked upon my bed. Like a creature made for nothing but soft kisses and rough hands.

I had just taken my pleasure, and still she drew me.

But it was not time for that now. The last time I had seen Orias, he had said he would call on me this night. I needed to be kept abreast of the latest news. I needed to know if I was properly baiting the trap.

With a gentle hand, I pulled the sheets out from under the bed at the sides and wrapped them around the sleeping angel. I tucked the silk in underneath her and stepped back. She was swaddled like a babe.




Celestial Wars Ch. 02



She looked innocent and at peace. Nothing but the glittering collar clutching at her neck suggested that she was anything but a young girl at rest.

The room darkened as the sun's light died on the horizon.

I drew myself up and flexed my magic. Life and power thudded through me. I was full up on this sweet girl's lifeblood, and the strength of it seeped from my skin.

It was time to go out and play.

***

The night greeted me like an old friend as I made my way down my garden path. Shadows swirled around me, and the air smelled damp and deep and wonderful.

Flowers spiraled out of the ground between old and twisted tree roots. My magic had long ago claimed this place. My garden looked wild and ancient. It was beautiful to me, and I had cultivated its creation carefully.

Beauty is everything after all.

I was picking a violet when I felt him arrive.

The air dropped in temperature, and I felt the wisps of his power sliding through the air. Red sparks flashed briefly before they melded themselves together.

Orias smiled grimly at me and bowed. "Much has happened, Lord Devnikolus," he said formally.

For a moment I was shocked. Orias was wearing the full robes of his station and standard. A black tunic with a golden fringe clung to his slender form. Woven within the fabric was his standard, three stylized stars arranged in a half circle.

I nodded. "Let's do this properly then, Lord Orias."

***

My magic conjured up some wrought iron garden chairs and a tea table to match. Using the rend in creation that I often grasped my sword from, I pulled up a stoppered vial of blood.

Orias held out his hand for the bottle and I handed it to him. Deep purple liquid sloshed slightly as Orias examined the delicacy.

"Fae blood," Orias said with barely concealed delight. "My favorite."

I inclined my head slightly, waiting for him to say the words.

"Your offer is most acceptable, brother," Orias said.

"Then please," I said warmly, "avail yourself of my hospitality, and my table."

We both sat, having satisfied a ritual as old as evil.

My flesh tingled as I felt ripples of Dark magic emanate from our completed formality.

Orias flicked his fingers and two obsidian goblets appeared. With a lazy hand, he poured the thick purple blood into my cup and handed it to me. Then he filled his own.

We both drank deeply.

Fae blood tastes like old spiced earth and overripe fruit.

I thought of the meal I had just had.

Angelic blood tasted like liquid fire and hot ecstasy.

I knew which one I preferred.

We both put our cups down. Orias smacked his lips. His mouth was stained with the fae's blood. The Demon Prince's face widened into a satisfied smile, and I could see that his teeth were colored purple as well.

"That was potent," Orias said as he gazed up at the sky. "The donor must have at least been an Earth-Tender."

"She was a Tree-Shaper," I said proudly as I poured him another goblet. "And no, I won't tell the story."

"We don't have time anyway, I'm afraid," he said wistfully. "I have to be gone before midnight."

I settled back against the hard metal chair. "Why did we have to do the meeting ritual? Neither of us are in audience. We are not calling on each other's realm of Hell."

"The Light has captured a few Unami in service to Mammon," Orias said offhandedly as he continued to star gaze.

I raised an eyebrow. The Unami were the least powerful of the Greater Dark Entities. Their entire race should be grateful Orias and I were even talking about them at table.

"Why do I care about this? What does this have to do with meeting formally?" I was rapidly losing patience. Despite my great fondness for Orias, it was vastly irritating trying to make sense with an entity that could see the future.

Orias tapped the table, reminding me it would be bad form to lose my temper while acting as a formal host. Smug bastard.

"Mammon has been spending the past fifty years trying to steal some old piece of Chaos-touched gold. The stars haven't told me what these Unami were doing for him specifically, but they've been far too talkative in captivity," Orias said calmly. He paused, his eyes flickering back up to the sky. "In fact, from what I've seen, they've barely even been tortured."

I fiddled with my cup as Orias' gaze remained skyward. I wasn't sure if I would need to wait until he was done.

Orias can only tell the future with his eyes fixed upon the stars. They whisper the currents of the future to him... and the way he tells it, his power is dangerous... much like mine is.

There is a great temptation to learn just a little bit more of the future. To watch the sky for but another moment and listen for just the next hour... or two... or until the sun comes up. One time, he said he was caught in the sun, and was unable to move as his Dark flesh writhes under the light and his eyes shrivel in their sockets. Orias told me about that happening once. I wondered how many times it had actually happened.

"Get to the point," I said, finally unable to keep my patience.

He sighed, tearing his gaze from the sky. "With the Unami talking about Mammon's plans, the Light has been distracted from your tiny little flareup-wielding Destruction."

I winced. In truth, I probably hadn't been using it enough. Cariel had served as too sweet a distraction.

Orias noticed. "Don't fret, my friend. I've brought something for you to practice on. I'll give it to you before I leave."

I nodded. "Thank you."

"So, I decided that to regain some of the Light's attention, we would give the Unami something new to talk about." Orias smiled.

Then I understood.

The Dark meeting ritual between two Princes of Hell contained pervasive and wide-reaching magic. Every being that belonged to the Dark would feel the nature of Dark magic bend and shift as a result of the ritual.

Every being of the Dark would know that Lord Orias, Prince of Prophecy, Stars, and Change, had just called upon Lord Devnikolus, Prince of Destruction, Undoing, and Fire.

The fact that this meeting occurred formally in the mortal world would be doubly interesting. Normally, these meetings took place in the deepest reaches of Hell, within a Prince's stronghold.

I let out a breath. "Will these Unami be able to sense where the meeting took place as well?"

To my eyes, Orias had to visibly brace himself, to resist the urge to check the stars. "I believe so," he said. "In fact, I believe that at this very moment they are about to offer up news of our meeting to our captors."

"Mammon should use better slaves." I poured myself another cup of blood. "I will be speaking with him about this next time I see him."

Orias shrugged. "He has grown bold in the past two centuries. Lilith and Baal did much to temper some of his actions in ages past... but Lilith has not left her stronghold in a century, and Baal has been emulating you recently... spending much time amongst the mortals."

"Perhaps I should take a turn scolding Mammon," I said darkly.

Orias held up a hand. "Let us forget about Mammon's negligence for now... His actions can be rectified, and we have even turned them to our advantage."

I allowed the matter to drop, but I knew the Prince of Greed and I would be having words.

My flowers swayed slightly as the wind picked up around us. Clouds moving from the north swept in front of the moon.

The vial of blood was empty, and Orias sighed.

"I'll have to be going," he said slowly. "But first, I need to tell you what to expect. The Light is going to be coming at you from two sides. One you might suspect, but the other comes treading from the fogs of the past. I'll tell you what to do and hope that the currents I have seen hold their course."

I nodded, attending to his words.

Orias continued. "Tonight, there are things you must do..."

***

-Cariel-

Warm silk and the smell of crushed roses greeted me as I returned to consciousness.

I turned over, and the liquid soft sheets moved with me. Never could I remember feeling so warm and content. My body felt heavy and languid.

It was a curious sensation, as if the echo of some great pleasure had followed me through sleep and had woken with me.

What could have caused this? I wondered as I stretched and flexed my toes. Who replaced my sheets? And refurbished my chamber? This didn't look like my cloister in the Northern Second Sphere...

Suddenly, memories poured into my mind, and I jerked violently.

Devnikolus filled my mind's eye completely, his smile both cruel and caring as he lowered his mouth to my throat.

I remembered the sharp pain as his teeth sunk into my neck. I remembered how that pain had given way to the most glorious body-thrumming, mind-enslaving, all-consuming ecstasy.

A tiny spark of arousal jumped in my sex at the mere memory.

The bed felt no less soft, my flesh no less sated, but everything was different nonetheless. I hugged myself, trying to find solace in my own embrace.

I was losing my mind.

When will I need him to bite me again? I thought bitterly. Will I need it in a week? Three days? Every day?

I closed my eyes. The need wasn't on me now. But I had heard stories. I had seen better angels than me... mad with the addiction.

There was no turning back now. I had given myself to him last night... and in the thrall of the demon's seductions, I had done it gladly. But now, away from the distracting sex, I had to acclimatize to what that truly meant.

There would be no return.

A dark road had opened its wide maw in front of me. I was staring down an eternal path of slavery, ridden with sex and with evil.

How long would it be until I didn't recognize myself?

***

Eventually, I could stay abed no longer. My thoughts continued to spiral down into depression, and I decided there was nothing to do but face my future.

Noises from far off rang from somewhere within the mansion.

I guess I should present myself to my new Master, like a good little slave girl, I thought with cold anger.

I had no clothes of my own. When I opened the towering wardrobe, I discovered that there was nothing in there but the demon's impossibly large human attire.

He's never given me clothes before, I thought. Perhaps a creature of my lowly status was to be kept naked... for easy access to all the intimate bits that clothes were supposed to protect.

Whether they be demon or divine... men are all the same.

I descended the stairs gracefully, mindful that a harsh step would set my breasts swaying.

The entrance hall was empty, as were the kitchen and sitting room. The door to what I assumed was the library was locked, and I didn't think that forcing it would get me into the demon's good graces.

I didn't bother looking in the servant's wing.

The only place I hadn't checked was the mansion grounds. My hand hesitated as I reached to open the grand front door. Going outside might make my collar think I was trying to escape.

I gritted my teeth and pushed my way out into the waiting midnight.

There was no resistance from my collar. The grounds were very dark, and I blinked twice... trying to get my eyes to adjust. I heard voices in the distance, Devnikolus' deep timbre among them.

I walked down the garden path, following the sound of my Master's voice.

The path twisted at the base of an old, winding oak tree. As I turned the corner, the Demon Prince came into view.

He was standing in front of two handsome young men. They stood straight and still as Devnikolus paced back and forth in front of them.

I couldn't understand what he was saying, as he was speaking in the Demonic language.

The two men had large black feathered wings protruding from their backs. Their hands were clasped behind them. Instead of fingers, they had long, wicked-looking talons.

My hands clenched as I stared at them. I had a special hatred for Bra'rul.

I had called up my sword with barely a thought towards what I was doing. Nearly one thousand years as a ranking Seraphim had ingrained strong instincts within me.

In the back of my mind, I expected my collar to pull me up short at any moment.

But it never did.

My feet carried me quickly across the grass. I saw the closest Bra'rul tense and turn to look at me. I jumped, and then sailed through the air with deadly intent. The silver point of my sword was aimed straight for the throat of the nearest Bra'rul.

Devnikolus stopped his Demonic speech and looked up.

His red eyes met mine for but the smallest moment of time... but it was enough.

Red lightening erupted from the Demon Prince's fingers.

There was no pain... rather... just an incredible force. My body was flung into the winding oak tree. Roots creaked as my impact disrupted the bark.

Then, the tree glowed a sickly red, and the gnarled branches moved and wrapped themselves around my body like serpents. This was not a separate spell. The tree was sentient. It was aiding its Master.

If this were a normal tree, I could have ripped myself free in an instant. To my dismay, the branches hardly moved in response to my struggling.

"Stay there, little one," Devnikolus called out sardonically. "I'll be along shortly to deal with your disobedience.

He turned back to the wide-eyed Bra'rul, who were looking at both me and Devnikolus with shock and confusion. They both had their talons bared... as if prepared for more angels to jump out of the underbrush.

"Raak, Ezrih," Devnikolus said soothingly as he looked at the two respective Demons, "it is alright. There are no more angels here. We are not under attack."

The Bra'rul named Ezrih didn't look convinced, his red eyes still darting about the treetops.

"How can you be sure, Master?" Raak asked, gesturing with a taloned hand. "By the smell of her, that angel is a Seraphim. She is probably leading a sortie of Legionnaires."

"Silence!" Devnikolus spat, all attempts at calming the Bra'rul abandoned. "She is a recent acquisition of mine, and is subject to my will."

"Subject to your will? What sort of..." Ezrih trailed off hastily.

Frost was growing rapidly along the grass. The air took on a malevolent red tinge.

Both Ezrih and Raak dropped to their knees in a blur of supernatural speed. They kept their heads lowered and spoke no more.

Devnikolus' voice was as cold and hard as an executioner's smile... and it seemed to echo as he spoke. "Ezrih, once you have completed the first task I have already given you, you are to join Raak in freeing the Unami. Raak, if four days have passed and Ezrih has not joined you, you are to attempt your rescue, regardless."

Devnikolus paused. "Try to let at least one of them escape so that they may run away telling stories. Make sure to let them see your faces. I've chosen both of you because you are renowned for being in my service."

The Prince of Destruction eyed his servants. "Do you understand my orders?" Devnikolus said, his voice finally losing a little bit of its edge.

"Yes, my Lord," both Bra'rul replied in harmony.

"Dismissed," Devnikolus said with a wave of his hand. He didn't spare another look for the two Greater Demons; he was already stalking towards me.

I had long since given up struggling for eavesdropping, but I renewed my halfhearted efforts as he approached.

Over my Master's shoulder, I could see Raak look at me with a face full of hatred. Then both he and Ezrih both took flight upon their dark feather wings.

Devnikolus was staring at me, his eyes glowing red in the dark. A small smile played at the side of his mouth.

"It would seem you've woken up on the wrong side of the bed this evening, Cariel," he said. "Did I not leave you satisfied?"

The bark was rough against my naked flesh, and I could see a small cut on my shoulder seeping blue blood.

I decided to ignore his vulgar mention of our coupling.

"I was merely taking advantage of an opening, Master," I said, with as much impertinence as I could muster.

His small smile widened into a wolfish grin. "Yes... I suppose you were. I could command you not to attack anyone without my permission... but I can see how that might be dangerous for you if I'm not about."

The Demon paused and tapped his finger on his chin in a mock display of thinking.

"Hmm... I suppose there is nothing for it. I'll just have to let you use your own judgment and then punish you if you make poor choices."

I winced.

Devnikolus stepped closer until I could feel his cool breath on my face. "Did you make a poor choice, Cariel?" he asked in a slow, leading voice... like a teacher to a student that has forgotten his lessons.

I stared back at him. "I refuse to play this game. I want to..." My voice died in my throat as Devnikolus cupped my cheek with the palm of his hand.

His hand was warm and dry. I could feel my skin come alive under his touch. My mind didn't want to remember last night, but my body hadn't forgotten. The deepest parts of me remembered that white-hot pleasure.

I wanted to close my eyes. I wanted to hide. Almost as much as I wanted him to touch me.

"Shh..." he said soothingly as he took yet another step closer... too close. The heat of him radiated from his chest and made my hair stand on end.

"Keep looking into my eyes, Cariel," Devnikolus said as he put his hands underneath me.

The tree was loosening its grip on me. It almost seemed like it was handing me off to the demon, as a mother might pass a child to its father.

My naked body slid into his arms, and he cradled me close to his chest. His body heat was all around me now. I could feel my center clenching as wetness gathered there.

He pulled my head in so that it rested snugly on his shoulder.

Slowly, he began walking back up to the mansion... his strong arms taking care not to jostle me.

"It will get easier, little one," Devnikolus said kindly in my ear. "Every time you'll put up less and less resistance. Maybe one day you'll forget to resist at all."

I whimpered and tried to bury my face in the crook of his neck.

He was both my tormentor and my solace.

"You realize I will have to punish you, don't you?" he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I nodded into his body, and he started whistling while he walked.

***

-Devnik-

I brought her back to the master bedroom.

The sheets were still rumpled on the four-poster bed.

Cariel was very still in my arms, but her silver eyes were bright and alert. Her face was a picture of contrast... She looked like she didn't know if she should laugh or cry, so she did neither.

The sight of it heated my blood.

In truth, Cariel had simply given me an excuse that I had been craving. She had reminded my hands of how to seduce and pleasure Angelic flesh... but they ached to remember what it felt like to give pain.

I wanted to pull this red-haired girl through a crucible of pain. I wanted to push her to the edges that defined her. I set her down gently on her feet.

Cariel wobbled slightly as she took up her own weight. She looked at me curiously, a question on her lips.

Before she spoke, I snapped my fingers.

Black chains descended from the ceiling in a whirlwind of red sparks. Manacles clamped around Cariel's wrists as she stared on dumbly.

Blue sparks flashed faintly as the chains hauled her up off her feet. They died down quickly though.

I gazed at my prize. Cariel dangled a mere inch off the ground. Her pale feet swung in the air... so close to the ground, but very far away.

I snapped again, and more black chains emerged from the floor and wrapped themselves around her ankles to prevent her from kicking.

Cariel found her voice... but she didn't say what I thought she would

"It's okay if you hurt me," she said in a soft voice. "I can take it."




Celestial Wars Ch. 02



My eyes met hers, and I nodded.

She looked so small bound up in those chains. So frail... so trusting.

I walked to my wardrobe and pulled out a long black leather belt. I flicked it and it snapped with a dull thud against the air.

Cariel jumped in her chains, making them clatter.

I slowly walked back to the pale, suspended angel and stood behind her. Her muscular ass clenched and unclenched as she turned her head trying to get a look at me.

"I have a belt in my hands, Cariel," I said calmly.

"Okay..." she responded placidly.

"I'm not going to tell you how many strokes I'm going to give you... because I don't know. I'm going to hit you until I can't."

I could see the first signs of tension stirring along Cariel's bound muscles.

"I'm not going to ask you to count. Instead, I'd like you to scream. Don't fake it, but when the pain warrants it... I'd like you to scream for me." I put one hand on the small of her back. She jumped. "Can you do that for me?" I asked gently.

Cariel nodded, facing away from me. "Yes, Master."

I took a step back and began.

Swinging the leather belt, I whipped the smooth strap across the back of her thighs, where the leg thickens into the buttocks.

I had put my full human form strength into the blow. Dark welts already sprung up on her pale skin.

Her body stiffened with pain and she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I was disobedient, Master," she said through gritted teeth.

I didn't respond... I was fully in the thrall of my darkest impulses.

The belt fell again. This time it landed on her right cheek. Cariel thrashed a little in her chains. This was real pain, and her instincts were being brought kicking and screaming to the surface.

I called upon my powers. Using inhuman speed, I slashed and whipped with the belt.

Thirty blows landed within five seconds, and her thighs and posterior darkened into blue slash lines. She hadn't screamed yet... but she whimpered desperately in her chains. Her toes were flexing involuntarily and her arms and legs flailed as much as they were able to in her restraints.

The belt swung back again. This time the tip slipped between her legs and kissed her cunt with a loud thud.

The pain was right on her sexual being... and despite what must have been mind-numbing agony... the red-haired beauty began to roll and gyrate her thighs, her weeping sex looking for more contact. The moisture of it flowed down the inside of her thighs.

I took a deep breath. I could feel myself losing control.

-Cariel-

I felt a shocking numbness before the fire. That last hit upon my flower had broken something inside me. At first, I had resolved to take my punishment stoically. Then when I whimpered and thrashed, I promised myself wouldn't scream. Now, I couldn't remember my promises at all.

The pain upon my body was too much for me to take... and so my body was diverting some of it... into pleasure. After that hit, I felt a change come upon me. The pain was different. It was now like a kiss... with a bite... Sex, with some hair pulling.

I knew the demon was losing control. The air was growing cold... just like it had out in the garden.

I knew he was going to hurt me some more... but that was okay. I needed him to hurt me now. I wanted to feel the pain of his sharp teeth sinking into my body. I wanted him to drink again. But, for now, I was content with the belt.

I knew I needed to take it.

I knew he needed to give it.

I spread my legs a little wider, giving him better access to my folds.

Behind me, Devnikolus roared. This little act of submission had done something to him.

The belt hit the floor. Suddenly, his rough hands were mauling my sore thighs and ass. The pain tingled, and my cunt contracted in response.

Fuck me.

Please fuck me.

He gripped my flanks. With one sharp thrust, he was inside me.

His cock roughly pushed deeply within me. The suddenness of it made me cry out in pain and a little bit of shame. But that passed quickly. Now my cunt was welcoming him... and trying to coax him deeper as it hugged and milked him.

Creation is truly cruel... The one man who can give you this kind of pleasure is a sadist... and evil.

He pistoned his cock in and out of me, and then I reached my peak.

My mind exploded in pleasure... as my body went limp in the chains.

Dimly, as darkness encroached on my sight, I sensed that Devnikolus hadn't even slowed down.

I didn't lose consciousness... but rather, I entered a dreamlike place.

A place where I felt soft and warm and yielding.

Chapter 9

Butler at Sea

Leviathan is the Demon Prince of Wrath, Deep Dwellers, and Violent Waters. His moods are mercurial and ever shifting. He has never set foot on the dry lands of Earth.

Jonathan the Courageous

The boat shifted slightly as we shoved off. Timber and board creaked delightfully as the waters of the channel caressed the hull. I smiled and sighed. Boats are wonderful things. Five hundred years of living, and a strong ship and sea breeze still made me grin like a fool. But, I was a simple man back then. With simple goals and simple pleasures. That was when loyalty and honor were the words I lived by. When chivalry made up the bones of me.

Now I am a servant and a liar... and I am good at both... exceptionally good.

I glanced at Daniel Fleeting as he moved his bag into the back of the room and nearly rolled my eyes.

He thought himself clever; he thought himself righteous.

He thought he could fool me.

What does a misguided pawn of the Light know about lying? Did he think the scrap of Darkness in him made a difference?

He did save you and Maria from the Afflicted woman, came the unbidden thought from the oldest part of me.

He did it because Maria and I are his meal ticket to the Master. He saved me so he could stick that holy sword in Lord Devnikolus. Little does he know that I'm bringing him to his own demise. Master will be pleased to have this pest squashed.

A good deed is a good deed. Whether it be done by a righteous man or a wicked man. Your own words, Sir Jonathan.

I've been Jonard the Butler for longer than I was Sir Jonathan. Jonard the Butler would have no qualms about pushing this Judicar into the sea... despite whatever aid he might have rendered. Despite whatever noble words I've said long in the past.

It was Jonathan Peter's son that said those words. Is this how father taught you?

Father never taught me of demons... I chuckled darkly at that, and both Maria and Daniel looked at me.

I shrugged and smiled again, pulling the scars on my face tight.

"I'm simply happy to be moving," I said to both of them. "I'm sick of horses and I'm sick of forests. In truth... I'm also wholly sick of France."

Daniel raised a bemused eyebrow, and Maria gave a laugh like silver bells.

Ah, Maria, I thought sadly as I looked at her bright face and golden hair. I hope you find nothing but happiness with the Master... I hope you keep changing him. That melancholy thought made the nub where my finger had been ache. I really hope Master can do something about that. Eternity with a missing finger will be annoying.

Maria sat on the bunk. Daniel leaned against a wooden beam. They both looked ready to spend a long bout of time in the cabin.

I didn't relish the idea of spending time in close quarters. Daniel's Judicar sword spewed the most disgusting smelling magic. Besides, I wanted to go spar with the crew. On a short journey like this, that was how the sailors would pass the time.

I decided to wait until after supper.

***

The four hours until dinner in the mess hall were excruciating.

Maria fell asleep and snored prettily on the top bunk. To be young again, I thought wistfully.

Daniel simply sat down, still leaning against his wooden beam. He kept his sword across his lap and stared at it with a mesmerized look... as if it were a roaring fire.

I had nothing to do. So I did nothing.

And doing nothing for a man of my age was an excuse for remembering.

***

Half a Millennium Ago

Tones of deep violet and splashes of hesitant pink were all that colored the sky.

From a canvas bag I was pouring a rough circle of what looked like dark sand on the ground. The sand was made up of cold iron, new salt, and old bone.

Once the circle was complete, I moved over to a small rock. My armor clinked with each step. I had propped an open book upon the stone. Its pages were made of old papyrus and bound in old black leather.

I had found the book in an old burned-out convent in the Highlands in a lonely and forgotten vale. All the other books had been nothing but charred pages and ash. This book was untouched.

When I had picked it up, it had been cold. I discovered that even if I set it out in a day's worth of sun... it would always be cold to the touch.

The book held many secrets... all of them dark.

One page told me how to mix a draught that would turn a man's heart black. Another told me how to put a sickness on a person with nothing but their hair and a few words. There was even a recipe for marrow soup.

There were some pages that told of things too wicked for repeating.

Many times, I found myself about to throw the book into a well, or into the sea. But each time, I stopped, curious to read just a little more.

Then, one page offered me immortality.

I thought of all the good an immortal knight could do. My arm would never grow weak. My shield would never falter. I could be an eternal good, forever riding the hills of England, rooting out the sorts of evil the black book spoke of.

All I had to do was summon a demon... a very specific kind of demon. The black book said that only ten demons had the strength to grant immortality. The page read:

Only one and nine of the Dark

Are able to impart

The everlasting heart.

First be Caim, the Wild and Fierce,

Second, Leviathan, the Wroth and Deep,

Third is Soneillon, the Slothful and Bitter.

Fourth, Orias, the Knower and Schemer,

Fifth, Mammon, the Covetous and Merciless,

Sixth, Devnikolus, the Destroyer and Unmaker.

Seventh, Baal, the Liar and Shadowed,

Eighth, Lilith, the Lustful and Sanguine,

Ninth, Beelzebub, the Devourer and Gluttonous.

Last, there is the Lord of these:

Lucifer, the Prideful and Powerful.

I didn't know which to pick. I didn't recognize any of the names except the last two. I knew Beelzebub and I knew of the Devil.

I resolved not to choose those them.

In the end, I closed my eyes and touched the book with a blind finger. When I looked, I saw my finger had landed on Devnikolus, who was also called the Destroyer.

I winced. I wondered then if I should break my word with myself and choose the one the booked named the Slothful.

But I had never broken my word before. Not even to myself.

Devnikolus it was then.

***

After I had poured my circle, the book said there was only one more thing to do... and that was to say the words.

These strange words made up the only phrase in the book that I couldn't read. I couldn't even remember them unless I was looking right at them.

So, in the dying light, I sounded the words out as I read them from the page.

With each syllable, it felt as if the Earth itself shuddered and grew colder. It was as if each word I uttered gave permission for winter to creep closer... even though it was still a full moon away.

The circle began to glow with a fierce, unnatural red light. Shadows that moved and slithered like liquid snakes emerged from the darkness of the night and gathered inside the bright red shimmering of the circle.

Whispers that sounded like the cold voices of the dead emanated from those shadows. I would have turned to run... but icy, primitive fear kept me rooted to the spot.

The darkness swirling inside the circle took on a human shape.

But that wasn't quite right. They took on the shape of a man made out of shadow flames. Two red eyes opened on the shadow-flame creature... red eyes that burned with such an intense malevolence my knees began to wobble.

The shadow-flame man stared at me. It had no mouth, yet still it spoke.

"This circle cannot hold me, human," the creature said in a voice that sounded like crackling flames and breaking stone.

"I am Prince Devnikolus, and I cannot be bound."

The book had said this. It had also said I needed to state my intent quickly.

I cleared my throat, yet even my deepest voice sounded like a child's in the demon's presence.

"I am the knight known as Jonathan the Courageous," I said slowly, trying to enunciate each word. "I have summoned you this night with purpose... I wish to duel for immortality."

The demon called Devnikolus was silent for a beat. The creature cocked its head to the side. I could tell that the entity within my circle was considering me.

I had a sinking feeling it was the same consideration a bored farm cat gave a mouse.

"Jonathan the Courageous, indeed, it would seem," the demon said in its terrible voice.

To my horror, the shadow-flame man took a step... then two... and then stepped completely out of the red glowing circle.

But... it was strange. As soon as one shadow-flame foot left the circle, it became a regular human foot... then as the rest followed... the shadowy substance immediately also transformed into pale human skin.

The red circle vanished now that it was unoccupied. In front of me stood a beautiful dark-haired youth.

In his hand was an elegant black sword, and on his face was a perfect smile.

"Well?" he said in a soothing baritone. "Shall we begin?"

***

Present Day

The ship's bell roused me from my memories. I blinked twice and realized that my eyes had been closed. Dreams and memories had apparently melded together as I lay on my bunk.

I heard Maria yawn and stretch on the top bunk. Daniel blinked several times, and then shook his head. With what seemed like great effort, he pulled his eyes from his sword and looked about the cabin.

"That was the bell for supper," I said as I stood.

The rocking motion of the wooden cabin felt odd to me. It felt odd that I wasn't standing in the center of that clearing. It felt odd that I smelled the brine of sea air, rather than the earthy scent of late autumn.

"We best go collect what rations they've set aside for their paying guests," I said, gesturing to Maria to hop down from the bed.

The Aethling girl edged her way to the side of the bunk and slipped off. She seemed to float down. I had noticed that Maria had been showing more and more signs that revealed her true nature. Her powers were continuing to grow.

***

The mess hall smelled like smoke and bread and sweat.

The sailors filled the place with a noise that was almost too big for the small space. The ship had just been restocked, and the journey scheduled was short. As such, all the men had wine or something stronger in their cups. I kept a hand on Maria's shoulder.

In truth, I shouldn't have brought her into the mess hall. A normal lady would never leave her rooms on a normal voyage, save perhaps to visit the deck or the Captain's cabin.

Knowing Maria, she probably wouldn't have stayed anyway.

First Mate Enzo was waiting for us next to the kitchen. He smiled when he saw us, pausing for only a brief moment to ogle Maria. There was no harm in it. I had met a dozen men like Enzo. He loved his women, but he loved an untroubled conscience more.

"Hello, First Mate," I said cheerfully. "We heard the supper bell and could barely contain ourselves. You said something would be set aside?" I asked leadingly.

"Yes," Enzo said quickly. He reached behind the counter and pulled out a sack of foodstuffs. Then he pulled out three full skins of water. "Please, take this and retire to your rooms. The lads are rowdy tonight. Having a lady on board has made half the men talk of bad luck. The other half talk about 'good luck,' if you take my meaning."

His warning was too late.

"Ha ho! Look here, boys!" came the loud voice of a man just behind us. "The girly has decided she couldn't resist our charms for a moment longer!"

The speaker was a giant of a man with frizzy red hair and more freckles than could be counted. He was built like a tree trunk. Long, but stout.

"Yeah," said one of the smaller men behind him. "Look at those tits! You'd never go hungry with a cow like that!"

Maria took a step behind me, her face blushing a deep red, her hands covering her chest. I watched Daniel's eyes narrow and decided to step in before he did something stupid.

"I'd like your name, sir," I said, allowing my French accent to drop away in favor of my native English.

The red-haired man smiled, as if my response was just the next move in a game he wanted to play.

"My name's Harry. How much for a tumble with your girl?"

I looked at the mob of sailors that had gathered round. This game inevitably ended in violence. So I decided to skip a few moves. "Sparring," I said simply.

The smile that Harry had been displaying quite broadly dimmed slightly.

"What, now?" he said in confusion.

I tapped my foot, as if impatient. "Come now, you heard me," I said. "I will spar you for the girl. I would offer to use wooden swords, but since something so precious to me is at stake, I must insist on real swords. The match will be to first blood."

Poor Harry had just had a good deal of information that he hadn't expected dumped on him. He expected me to take a swing at him, after which he and his crew would beat us bloody and have an excuse for the captain later.

This new development wasn't accounted for.

"I... um... well," Harry muttered as he looked back at his companions.

The small man that had spoken before said, "Teach this rich bastard a lesson, Harry. Look at him. He's half your size."

The rest joined in.

"Knock their heads, Harry!"

"Nobody talks to you that way!"

"Fuck that slattern!"

This din of obscenities seemed to be all the encouragement Harry needed. His grin returned, and he was suddenly back in his element.

"Don't know why ya thought this would be a good idea, but if it's a thrashin' ya want, I'll give ya one before I take the girl."

***

We were standing on the deck facing each other.

My sword throughout the centuries gleamed in the lantern light of the ship. The edge was sharp, the blade clean. The years hadn't touched this sword... just as they hadn't touched me.

The rowdy crew members were mostly quiet in the presence of the half-moon and bitter night air. Water lapped at the sides of the ship. The air was still and hushed... as if it too were waiting for something.

Harry had to borrow his sword from another crew member. He looked quite different outside in the dark of night with naked steel in his hands.

Maria walked up behind me and whispered in my ear, "I'm not worried." After a pause, she added, "Don't kill him."

I smiled and nodded. She had never even seen me fight, and yet she put her faith in me.

How strange, how wonderful.

Harry was the first to break the hush. He did it with his normal bellicosity.

"Right!" he said. "Now, I'm standing out here in the bleedin' cold and I'm waiting for you to come make a fool of yourself."

"Well," I said, copying words said to me lifetimes ago, "shall we begin?"

My calm voice was Harry's undoing.

The talking was done.

Harry lunged at me with surprising quickness. He moved with sea legs that spoke of a lifetime on the water. Mine were one hundred years rusty.




Celestial Wars Ch. 02



His sword swung wildly at my head, and I was forced to skitter away. His side had been exposed for a moment, but I had promised not to kill him. I would need him to attack once more. Then I would see the answer in the steel... this was my gift.

The red-haired man turned and bore down on me with hateful eyes.

"Coward!" yelled someone in the crowd.

Harry charged again. I easily turned his thrust. The swords made a sweet song as metal met metal and sparks jumped. My feet pivoted, and I darted my sword up in a half-teasing feint that made him leap backwards.

The good humor of the sailors had vanished. After an elegant move like that, even a fool could see that Harry would lose eventually.

What they couldn't know was that I already had the measure of him. They couldn't know that I saw how this man moved better than he ever would. After just two exchanges, I could see him.

Harry came forward. I met his gaze without faltering. Something he saw there made him pause, not for long... but long enough.

Then I moved. I moved in a way that spoke of five hundred years spent with a sword in my hand.

A rich, sparkling ring filled the air as Harry's sword spun through the air and over the side of the ship.

He had switched his grip for his thrust... a beginner's mistake. I would have made my squire run with water buckets in his hands had he done that in practice.

With Harry unarmed, the fight was over. I slipped my sword out, almost as an afterthought, and sliced his cheek gently.

A small drop of blood seeped from the wound. It probably wouldn't even scar.

Harry reached a hand up to his cheek and scowled.

I extended my hand, about to offer him peace, when I was interrupted. Captain Adrien's voice sounded from above on the quarterdeck.

"What in God's name is going on out here?" cried the fat man, his cultured tones high and distressed.

One of the sailors spoke. "Sir, if it please you, these passengers you've taken on insulted Harry's dead da!"

I looked up at Adrien. His beady eyes were sweeping over his crew... taking in every face and expression. "Is this true, Mr. Wright?"

Harry's face broke into a slow, sick smile. He winked at me before turning and looking up at his captain.

"Aye, sir, what he says is true. Me honor demanded we fight."

I didn't hear the Captain's reply. I had already guessed at what he would do... what he would have to do. Mutiny is a word that always lingers in the shadows of a Captain's mind

My eyes had drifted and I was staring aimlessly at the night sky. It was clear and calm in the way it can only be at sea. My gaze almost slipped right over an inky blot in the distance.

Concentration focused my sight, and I could make out a shape.

There were dark wings on the horizon.

***

-Daniel-

My hands were clenched and shaking at my sides.

That filthy liar! Harry Wright was a sinner that needed a sharp point through his black heart. Jon had fought exceedingly well, moving with a precision that had seemed almost supernatural. The man moved only when he needed to, and no more.

Despite his ability, Jon was far too soft with this vagabond.

Captain Adrien seemed like a shrewd man. I doubted he would believe Harry's story for a moment.

Maria glanced at me from the small nook she had managed to find. Her face was mostly in shadow. I could only make out a few strands of blonde hair that caught the lantern light.

"Well," Captain Adrien said after Harry finished his tale, "it would seem I've picked up a couple of ruffians masquerading as gentle folk."

My mouth opened. I stood there looking on at this farce like a gawping peasant.

The Captain shook his head. "I really must confess myself embarrassed. I let them onto my ship because I thought them to be civilized, but now that I think about it, they've given me no titles or reasons for this journey. They're most likely on the run. Surely the gold they carry is stolen."

The crew were smiling and edging about with unspent energy. My hand drifted to my hilt.

"Lads!" the captain said after a dramatic pause, "seize these rogues and take their gold off them. We'll throw them overboard in the name of the King's Justice."

Daniel! Vraiel suddenly shouted in my head, I sense potent Dark magic flying in off the sea.

Before I could respond, Maria gasped softly next to me. "Is that my Master?" she asked as she pointed to a creature born aloft by the Dark wings of the damned.

***

-Jon-

Ezrih was now visible to everyone on deck. His dark wings thrummed softly as they beat the night air, a small trail of crimson magic floating behind him. A spell of silence enraptured the crew. Captain Adrien stopped his speech and simply watched, his fat face slack with rapture.

Ezrih touched down gently onto the ship. The dark magic swirling around him made the cold sea air frigid and biting.

The Bra'rul had long, midnight-black hair that fell past his shoulder blades. His face was bone white and slender, and his eyes glowed a bright, pulsing red. He was, perhaps, slightly too angular to be handsome.

To the crew, he must have looked like the Angel of Death, come to collect them.

He favored me with a small bow. "Greetings, brother," Ezrih said. "I come on behalf of the Master."

I returned his bow. Normally a Bra'rul would never bow to a human... but I sat close at Devnikolus' side.

"Your timing is good, Ezrih," I said. "These men were about to throw us overboard."

The demon's eyes glittered, and he bared his clawed hands. "I've come to bring you and the two you travel with to the manor. I will gladly kill the rest."

This stirred the crew, who had been looking on with horror. Dark magic has that effect on mortals. Simply being in its presence could freeze you in terror.

"It's a monster!" screamed a crew member as he drew his sword and looked about, wild-eyed, wondering why no one else was moving.

Captain Adrien found his voice. "Men!" he shrieked, "they're not just thieves! They are the damned! They've made deals with the Devil and his spawn! Burn that thing! Burn it!"

The Captain pulled one of the lanterns off the ship's cabin and hurled it at Ezrih. A dark wing unfurled and slapped the lantern away. It tumbled overboard.

"Those two are my companions, brother," I said as I pointed out Maria and Daniel to Ezrih. "The rest are yours."

The Bra'rul's unnaturally long tongue slithered out and licked his pointed teeth. "Very well," he said.

***

-Alarial-

Shrieks of pain echoed loudly on the ship, followed by the moans of dying men and the sound of hot gore dripping on wooden planks. The demon was fast... too fast to see. He would disappear for moments at a time, and then materialize on the other side of the ship, where he would rend another sailor into shreds with his claws.

I tried to close my eyes and tell myself that these were wicked men. But the sounds of pain are the same from any man or woman. Tears dripped down my face.

Daniel put a hand on my shoulder, offering me an awkward embrace. It was sweet and I appreciated it.

***

It was over in about a minute.

Ezrih stood before us amongst a scattering of bodies, his arms stained with blood up to the elbows.

"Come now," the demon said in a dry, raspy voice. "We've spent too long here, already. I must have you returned before sunrise."

I tried not to look at a severed hand that was still curled around a sword.

I decided to talk...it might distract me from the eyes that were still open but unseeing.

"How are we going to get there? You can't carry all of us," I said. It unnerved me to speak to a creature that had just slaughtered twenty men.

"I will transform," Ezrih said patiently, "and you will all get on my back."

"What do you—?" I stopped as Jon held up a hand.

"Watch," Jon said.

Ezrih glowed red, until his entire form was outlined in a malevolent scarlet. His body grew outward, his wings larger.

When the light died down, a true monster sat before us.

It had a massive black body covered in thick fur. It had a long serpent-like neck and head that ended in a snout that looked as if it belonged to a wolf. Both its forelegs and hind legs ended in massive black claws. The wings were still made of black feathers, but they were larger now.

These descriptions were accurate, yet also woefully inarticulate. In short, the monster in front of us looked like nothing I'd ever seen before, and nothing I had ever imagined.

"Climb on, Maria," Jon said softly. "He'll take us back to Devnik."

I nodded and took his hand.

Chapter 10

Jealousy

Hush now my baby you're safe where you lay,

The forest is napping, now sleep and let be.

Hush now my baby you'll wake all the fae,

The forest is stirring, you must hear my plea.

Hush now my baby they seek out young prey

The forest is moving, they'll steal you from me...

-Forgotten Lullaby-

-Cariel-

The dark iron chains felt cool against my heated flesh.

That was the first sensation that came to me... as my mind slowly clawed its way out of the deeper place it had fled to. I could still feel the pieces of that place in my mind... and I knew it would only get easier. I knew I would find myself there more often.

That was the place where submission was as natural as breathing. Where obedience covered all thought with a thick warmth that felt like safety and acceptance.

I could feel Devnikolus' hot seed leaking from my still pulsing sex, and then slithering down the inside of my thigh. It slid over one of the welts the belt had inflicted, and the sting of it made me jump in my bonds.

"You look exquisite, little one," said the demon in the room.

I opened my eyes. I hadn't remembered shutting them.

He was standing in front of me. His dark hair had tumbled over his pale face and obscured one of his red eyes. He was wearing a boyish smile that made him seem young and happy, and carefree.

"Every time I look at your face, I can see just a little bit more of what you will become," he said softly. With a grace that should be denied to evil, he traced his pale fingertips across my forehead and over the hair that sweat had pressed to my face.

We both knew what I was becoming. "Have I been sufficiently punished, Master?" I asked in a tone that conveyed no contrition.

Devnikolus laughed. It sounded like a deep rumble. It sounded like the laugh of the male who dominated me.

Something deep in my belly tightened again.

"No," he said. "I'm afraid not."

I stiffened. Surely, there couldn't be more? The backs of my thighs throbbed in time with my heartbeat. My sex felt sore and sated.

"I'm afraid I had more than one reason to dress you in chains."

I didn't like where this was going. "Why?' I asked, in a voice that didn't quite convey how much I wanted to both kill and kiss him. Then I remembered he hadn't ever kissed me... and that made me sad.

Devnikolus ignored my question and started to move about the room. He returned the belt to the wardrobe, and then he slipped out the door.

A hot flash of anger rippled through me. I swear on all that is Light, if he left me here I will gut him.

But then he returned a moment later, carrying a hot washcloth. Steam curled off it, and it was dripping slightly. He met my eyes for a moment and gave me a small smile. Before I could say anything, he began to clean me. The towel burned pleasantly as it moved down my thighs.

A small, traitorous sigh snuck through my lips.

Then he softly dabbed my sex... and I couldn't suppress a full-throated moan. A part of my mind broke off from the rest. It danced about madly in the corners of my being... and it chanted:

I will never have enough of him...

I will never have enough of him...

I will never have enough of him.

The rest of me was trying to gather itself. I managed to get my mouth to form words... even though my mind was busy fracturing. "Why did you want me in the chains?" I asked in a voice that sounded small and girly.

"I have to go out tonight," he said, not looking up from his task, "and you have demonstrated an uncanny knack for getting in the way."

The nerve... "I could break these chains if I wanted to," I said haughtily.

He looked up at me and grinned. "Could you?" he asked, like a parent to a willful child. "Show me."

I gave him a sharp, brittle smile with too many teeth. "Of course," I said. My magic gathered around as I called it. Blue lighting crackled around me, and I could feel my limbs fill up with tremendous strength. With this power I could stave in a rock wall with one mighty blow... I could rip a man apart like a lightning bolt might split a tree.

I yanked at the chains. The manacles pulled sharply on my wrists as the chain pulled taut and still. They clanked and rattled, but none of the links bent or broke.

"Seithi Rei!" I shrieked, frantically pulling and twisting in my bonds like a wild woman. The chains remained hard and unforgiving. A dull ache traveled up my arms as I expended all my magic... and then finally, I fell still and silent.

How had Alarial broken his chains? I thought despondently. Perhaps he fashioned stronger ones for me...

Through all of this, Devnikolus stood patiently, his hands clasped behind his back, his red eyes dancing. One side of his mouth was turned up into a little half smile.

Damn him.

-Devnik-

The little redhead breathed heavily as she gazed up at me. Her proud breasts rose and fell rhythmically, and a light red flush had crept into her cheeks. All that sweet, pale flesh had wobbled wonderfully as she had tried to free herself.

I wanted to bite her again. I wanted to sink myself into her so hard and long that she'd forget what it felt like to not have me inside her. I wanted her on her knees, slavishly kissing my feet while whispering her devotion to me. I wanted all of these things... but I couldn't stay and claim them. There was much to do this night, and much that could go wrong.

Tonight was the night I would get my darling sweet Maria back... and that was more important.

However, Orias' visions weren't always perfect. Great powers could divert the river of the future, and I had to be careful. Part of this caution called for Cariel to be bound in chains. She was willful and not yet completely broken to my will. I trusted that the mental commands of the collar would hold her, and I also trusted that she would bait the chains magnificently for another.

Still, so much could go wrong. Tonight was rife with variables, as Orias liked to call them.

"Are you finished trying to escape, little one?" I asked soothingly, as if I were trying to calm a scared animal.

She looked up at me with hooded eyes. "Yes, Master," she said in a strained, breathy voice.

"Good," I said, and I lay a cool hand on the hot flesh of her flank. Cariel shivered at my touch and leaned into it imperceptibly. I doubted she even realized she craved our contact. I brought my hand up her side and briefly hefted one of her breasts.

Soft, firm flesh rose in my cupped palm. Her eyes widened and she looked at me with a wild, untamed lust... completely separate from civilized thought. I let go of her breast and stepped back.

"What is happening tonight?" Cariel asked in a voice of forced calm. "What did you tell those Bra'rul to do? Why do I need to be restrained?"

I shook my head and offered her a small smile. "I can't tell you that, Cariel. All I can say is that I will be back before the sun rises in four hours."

She opened her mouth to speak, but I was already collapsing into black smoke. Before she said a word, I had disappeared altogether.

***

If a witless human had been standing in the field I had chosen, they would have seen something strange. They would have seen a dark mist rising and twisting from the ground... writhing like it was angry and sentient, moving swiftly and silently. Sparks of red would be seen deep within it... as it formed the shape of a man.

Then they would have seen me, standing in a dark field five miles from my mansion. But they wouldn't have known it was me, Lord Devnikolus, Hellish Prince of Destruction and Unmaking. They would have simply seen a dark-haired man in a cloak, pinned with a ruby, and black vest... with brown eyes that looked almost red.

But sadly, there was no one around to witness my greatness... which was a pity... because what I planned on doing next was truly impressive.

I reached my hand into Hell and pulled out a sword. But it was not my sword. This sword was dented and scratched along the blade. It had a simple leather handle that was torn and singed in places.

Along the side of the blade, the words 'Merciful Mary' glowed a faint blue when they caught the light. In my hands, I held the sword of a Judicar.

***

Earlier this Night

"Tonight, there are things you must do," Orias said as he pushed his hand upwards through a rend in creation. He pulled out a worn and weary-looking sword that pulsed with Light magic.

"For instance," Orias continued, "you must destroy this sword tonight using Destruction."

"Is that a Judicar's sword?" I asked. "How did you come by that?"

Orias tapped the table with his free hand. "Devnik, I don't really have time to tell you. Now, listen, you must pick a place away from your mansion and use Destruction to destroy the sword. This will kill the angel bound up within it."

Most Judicars thought that the angel bound to them resided within their physical bodies... but the angel really resided within the sword that they carried. That is why they are told not to break the sword. Usually, if they did break it, the angel would simply slip back into heaven.

That wouldn't be the case if I fed it to my flames.

Orias looked at me pointedly. "You know what this will do. The Light is extremely sensitive to the death of one of their own. I imagine that a sortie of Legionnaires will be dispatched within the hour."

"Why do I want to attract Legionnaires to myself?" I asked darkly, not liking the sound of this plan.

"Because the death of one angel will bring the Legionnaires running," he said. "The slaughter of an entire sortie will bring the greater entity of the Light running. Lucifer is hoping this will leave his prize unguarded."

Orias handed me the sword, saying, "One thing always leads to another."

***

Present

I sat down with my legs crossed on the grass. In front of me, the Judicar sword stood upright with its point stuck forcefully into the ground. 'Merciful Mary' glinted sadly in the light in front of me, and I briefly wondered who the sword belonged to. The Judicar had to still be alive. The bond was broken if they died.

I wondered if the angel in the blade was aware of what was about to happen. I wondered if they were hoping that their Judicar would die of a heart attack in the next few minutes so that they could escape to heaven.

No matter. I closed my eyes and sought out Destruction.

"We are here, Master..." the black flames whispered. "We are hungry... and it is a beautiful night. Let us dance for you under the light of the ever-shimmering moon."

"I have grown weary of your disobedience in the past," I said aloud.

"Please, Master... all we wanted was to show our service. We have been shut away from you for so long. We miss your love."

"So be it," I said.

I lowered my mental barriers and directed my power.

Small shadow flames guttered and sparked at the ground around the sword sheathed in the earth. The grass around the sword didn't burn. I kept Destruction focused and intent.




Celestial Wars Ch. 02



Slowly, wisps of black flame crawled up the blade. Then, within a minute, the flames surrounded the entire sword.

"Destroy," I said calmly.

"Yessssss," hissed the flames.

With their fetters removed, the black flames began to feast and glut themselves upon the blade. The silver metal darkened and cracked and splintered. Throughout the night, the flames of Destruction sounded like breaking bone and twisting metal.

On a hint of wind, I thought I could hear the angel in the blade screaming.

Then the blade was gone. Not a trace of it remained. There was no ash, no shards or fragments. It had been obliterated... utterly and completely.

The black fires died down at my command.

Now it was time to wait. There was more killing to be done this night.

Destruction cackled with glee at the thought.

***

-Alarial-

Ezrih's wings thudded heavily around us as we moved swiftly, high over the coast. We had passed over the channel and the tip of England in a matter of hours. Now we were traveling quickly up the shores of Ireland.

High cliffs and rocky beaches blurred by. It was bitterly cold up here in the sky, and I had to take slow, short breaths to keep dizziness at bay.

Jon was sitting up straight behind me. His hands were clasped loosely around my waist, holding me steady, keeping me warm. Daniel was behind Jon. I had glanced back at him once. He was hunched over with his eyes clenched shut.

"We're nearly there now," Jon whispered in my ear.

I nodded, shifting in anticipation.

***

"We have arrived," boomed Ezrih. His voice was loud and animalistic in this form, his words choppy from speaking through rows of razor teeth.

The great black wings all around us slanted to the right, and we began to circle in the air slowly. Below us, a mansion made up of stone and mortar and climbing ivy sat on a small hill. Around the building proper was a sprawling garden made up of large old oaks and twisting flower blooms.

The place looked wild. The place looked cared for.

I closed my eyes. In my mind I could see my Dark God carefully tending his garden... his soft red eyes looking down at his creations with intent and care. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to fantasize about living here with him... strolling by blood-red roses and gnarled trees under a starry sky.

When I opened my eyes again, we were nearly on the ground. The wind under Ezrih's wings batted leaves and dust away as his claws touched down on the ground. The demon's great black body settled, and his large muscles knotted and relaxed as he sat down on his haunches.

"Please get off my back," Ezrih growled. "If I hurry, I can attend to another task the Master has given me before the sun drives me to shelter."

Jon adeptly swung his leg up and over, dismounting with grace. He held his hand up to me, and I took it. He gently aided my dismount. It felt good to touch solid ground again.

Daniel slid to the ground, his knees buckling. His face was green, and his body shuddered. He dry-heaved once, but didn't puke.

Ezrih's monstrous body took on its transformative red glow. I listened as tendons and joints snapped and popped as the demon's body reworked itself. In a moment, Ezrih stood before us as he once looked... all angular and pale. His sharp white face had a tiny smile on it. He looked pleased with himself.

"Thank you, Ezrih," Jon said with a bow. "We owe you our lives."

Ezrih returned Jon's bow. "It was a good night, brother," Ezrih said. He looked at all of us with his unholy eyes, and bowed to me as well. "I have been instructed to tell you to wait within the manor house until the Master arrives." Ezrih paused. "You are not to leave for any reason."

Jon cocked his head, and I could swear he glanced over at Daniel. "Where are you going, Ezrih?"

The demon's black wings unfurled. "I have been given another task by the Master, and I must be away to meet Raak. If I hurry, I will make good time. Farewell."

Without our weight on his back, the demon moved with a speed difficult to comprehend. His dark wings hurled him into the air, and before I could blink, he was darting away through the sky.

Jon turned to Daniel, who was still looking faintly ill.

"Well, Monster Hunter," Jon said with a smile, "you've gone above and beyond the call of duty. I think you have earned your gold and more besides."

Daniel straightened himself as best he could and returned Jon's smile. "Thank you, Jon. We've come a long way, and I didn't expect to see an Afflicted or a Bra'rul on our little journey."

Jon gestured for us to follow him to the house. "Well, thank you for taking Ezrih in stride. I know your trade and your guild might have demanded that you attempt to slay him."

Daniel shrugged. "No one was paying me to slay the demon, and he was saving my life at the time. I truly never even thought about it."

Jon pushed open the heavy dark oak doors that led into the manor house.

The smell of Master's magic hit me like a thunderclap.

Shivers dotted every inch of my skin. I could feel my sex throb and clutch and dampen in reaction to the pervasiveness of his presence. But... Ezrih had said that Master wasn't here. Why would he send someone for us, but not be here to receive us?

Jon and Daniel were still talking.

"Do you think I could stay the night here?" Daniel asked. "It has been a long journey, and I'd like to be rested before I take my leave."

"Of course," Jon said as he handed the monster hunter a handful of thick gold coins from the purse. "Here is your payment. The mansion has spare rooms in the servants' quarters, and I'm sure our Master will want to thank you personally when he returns."

"Would you mind if I went to bed? Daniel asked.

Jon smiled, and he gave Daniel instructions to the servants' wing.

Daniel turned, said goodnight to me, and disappeared down the corridor.

As soon as he was gone, I whirled around to face Jon. My voice came out breathy and low as I struggled to contain my excitement. "Which room is Master's room, Jon? I have to be ready for when he returns," I said all at once.

Jon raised his hands in bewilderment. My gaze flicked to his missing ring finger, and I felt a twinge of guilt. I hoped Master and his magic could fix his hand.

"Calm down, Maria," Jon said. "I believe the Master will be back to take refuge from the sun by daybreak. You have plenty of time to get his sheets toasty."

I could feel heat creeping into my cheeks. Every once in a while I realized how odd and desperate my sexual cravings for my Master must seem. Others might not understand how much I needed it. Even now my body felt pent up and eager. My sex felt unused, my felt neck unbitten. I had too much blood in my body...

"There's no need to be like that, Jon," I said softly. "I can't control the cravings."

Jon sighed and ran his noninjured hand through his hair. "I didn't mean to sound like a cad, but I've been on edge. I'll walk you to the Master's bedroom, but while we walk, I must tell you some things about Daniel in privacy."

About Daniel? I wondered.

***

Jon led me up a grand staircase just off the main hallway. The old boards under the plush carpet creaked as we ascended. The smell of Master's magic had become overwhelming. It was all I could do not to fall to the floor and whimper.

"Daniel is not our ally, Maria," Jon said suddenly as we made it to the landing at the top of the stairs. His words managed to pierce through the ever-growing haze that Master's magic had created about my mind.

"What do you mean? He saved me from that scary woman. He tried to protect me on the ship!" I exclaimed.

"It is not you he wants to hurt," Jon said slowly. "It's Devnik." Jon's words sounded far away as he elaborated.

Daniel is a Judicar. Daniel is a member of the Light. He bested Master in a duel for immortality five hundred years ago, on a battlefield outside of the Holy City. He seeks to kill our Master, so that he might find forgiveness for accepting unholy eternal life.

Red tinged the side of my vision. My hands were clenched tightly at my sides. It was all I could do to hold myself in one place. My feet itched to fly back down the stairs and rip Daniel limb from limb.

"Maria, calm down!" Jon said in a sort of hushed shout.

I blinked and looked down at myself. Blue sparks crackled violently at the ends of my fingertips. My entire body felt light and quick and deadly.

"Take a deep breath," Jon said. "Devnik will be back later tonight. It will be safer to let him handle our 'friend,'" Daniel said softly.

I did as Daniel asked, and I gradually felt my power fading. I was almost sad to see it go. The world looked dimmer without my magic crackling at the surface of my being. No wonder Master was so arrogant. Magic made you feel invincible.

"This is the Master's room," Jon said as we stopped in front of a large door at the end of the upstairs hallway.

One sniff of the air and I knew it was true. Master's magic crept out from under the door like a thick fog.

"Try and get some sleep," he said as he turned the handle. "I have a feeling that something is afoot beyond our trouble with Daniel."

The door swung open, and my mind stopped as I looked inside.

Bound up in chains of pitch black iron was Cariel.

Her red flowing hair was like a flame as it trailed down her pale, shivering body. The tips of her locks ended just at the slope of her breasts. Harsh and angry lashes colored her thighs and sex. Her collar glimmered with green runes around her slim throat.

No, I thought numbly. Master wouldn't. He loves me. ME, not HER!

My rage felt like a living thing as I took in the sight of the red-haired angel bound up in my Master's chains. The last time I had seen her she was cutting a line across my Master's chest. I wanted to strangle her. I wanted to weep.

I wanted my Master. I needed to know why.

Cariel stirred in her chains. Her eyelids fluttered and her silver eyes opened. She took one look at me and her face crumpled. Her eyes filled with a thin film of tears. She lowered her head, and her hair fell like a curtain over her face.

"Don't look at me, sister," she said hoarsely, in a voice filled with more shame than I had thought possible.

"Please don't look at me."

Chapter 11

Rain and Flame

~Humans live two lives. First, they live out their mortal years, and those determine if they shall fall unto Hell, or ascend unto Heaven. Second, they live as a soul of either Light or Dark. When the soul dies... it vanishes unto Nothing. ~The Third Lesson of the Magician's Guild.

-Devnik-

Clouds rolled in across the night sky... quick and low and determined.

My tongue flicked out to taste the air. It was heavy and filled with the promise of rain. I turned my head up, and watched the stairs and moon disappear behind the clouds.

It was better than staring straight ahead. It was better than staring at the spot where the sword with an angel inside it had been consumed. Half an hour had passed since then. The Light was responding slightly slower than I had estimated.

Then I caught their scent out of the air. I hadn't noticed it at first, the smell of humidity and damp earth had masked their magic.

I turned my eyes northward. There were eight of them. An ordinary detachment of Legionnaires numbered at seven, no more, no less. Seven is the number of the Light.

An extra angel was accompanying their sortie.

They were about thirty miles away. I would have about one minute before they were upon me. I uncrossed my legs and slowly got up from the ground. Stray pieces of grass clung to my trousers, and I brushed them off.

Their white wings were now visible on the horizon.

I rolled my head back, and my neck popped gently.

They come to play... they come to burn... they come to die, cackled Destruction in the back of my head.

I clasped my hands behind my back. My cloak billowed dramatically in the wind, and the ruby at my neck glittered malevolently. I'm sure I cut quite the figure.

The angels landed heavily. They had to brace themselves with a hand and drop to one knee. Seven of the angels wore brilliant gold armor that swirled with ornate decorations. Blue wards glistened as they moved along the surface of the metalwork. Each angel wore a matching helm with tiny stylized angel wings clinging to the sides. Their visors were down, which obscured their faces. These were the Legionnaires, the golden foot soldiers of the Light.

I eyed the swords they kept in their sheathes. They were not swords of power. An angel that could materialize a sword of power was given greater rank.

The other angel was Viriel. He was dressed in the ornate white robe and blue cape of an Ophanim rather than the furs and sapphire of a Legionnaire commander.

That was odd.

"Good night to you, Viriel," I said as all the angels straightened to their full height. The Legionnaires all grasped the pommels of their swords. I ignored that.

"It would seem that you've been promoted," I continued as I flashed him a wide smile.

The blond hair that Viriel usually kept tied back hung loose around his angelic face. For a brief moment, I could see Maria standing next to him... as his Aethling wife. They would have both been bright and blond and utterly sinless together... had it not been for me.

"Demon," Viriel said, "I am here under orders tonight not to settle our personal debt. However, I suspect that both my orders and the call of my feelings might be in alignment."

"Does being an Ophanim instead of a lowly Legionnaire make you happy, Viriel?" I said mockingly. "What sort of rewards do your heavenly task masters dole out, I wonder?"

"QUIET!" Viriel roared, his voice echoing across the tree tops, his hands clenched and shaking.

"I am here under the authority of High Lord Michael the Valiant to investigate an extreme spike in Dark magic that resulted in the death of the angel Hariel, Guardian of the Fifth Sphere," he spat. "What do you know of this, cretin?"

Viriel was the only angel I had ever met who was both astronomically inferior to—and rude—to me. Only the highest-ranking angels, like Arch-Angels or Seraphims, could even dream of going toe-to-toe with me... and the Seraphims would be wise to bring at least four or five friends. If Viriel had any sense, he would be shivering in his boots.

The dew on the ground froze and clung to blades of grass as I drew my powers close. A lurid red tinged the sky. The Legionnaires all drew their golden swords. They held them up and at the ready as they shifted into a low combat stance.

"I've never really understood why angels volunteer to be sealed inside a sword," I said whimsically. "It's hard to fight back encased in metal. It's hard to call for help. I recently discovered that it's hard to even scream."

"Slay him, men!" screeched Viriel as he waved his hand in an intricate motion. A short sword with a silver handle and a blue blade appeared in his hand.

The golden soldiers all rushed at me, weapons raised. Metal clanked and rattled as they ran in their armor. To my eyes, with my powers drawn close, they looked as if they were moving with comedic sluggishness.

I clapped my hands together, and the ground shook slightly. Between my palms, a bright orb of red magic thrummed into existence. The ball of energy pulsed like a heartbeat as it grew large and brilliant. I watched as the eyes of the Legionnaires grew wide and fearful. But it was too late for them.

I pulled my hands apart, and the orb burst with a deafening boom. A shockwave of crimson magic ripped through the Legionnaires. They were knocked skyward like paper dolls. Their bodies tumbled through the air like spinning leaves for a quarter-minute before landing hard and awkward on the ground.

All seven of them lay unmoving. Their once golden armor was blackened and bent. From the joinings between their breastplates and pauldrons, I could see blue blood leaking slow and thick onto the field.

Viriel was flat on his back, wrapped up tight in his white angel wings. His feathers were charred and flaking, but they had spared him the brunt of my spell.

He got shakily to his feet. He sheathed his wings on his back, and they disappeared. His cape was in tatters, but he looked unscathed otherwise... apart from the look of bone deep dread in his eyes.

"All those years..." Viriel said softly, almost as if he were talking to himself.

I held a hand up to my ear. "Speak up, angel. Muttering ill becomes you," I said cruelly.

Viriel took a deep breath and set his shoulders.

"For all the years that you and I have fought, you have never used that much power," he said. He spoke loudly, but none of the previous arrogance even touched the edges of his voice. "Why did you toy with me for centuries, demon?" Viriel asked. "And why would you reveal your true strength now?"

I glanced up at the sky. It was still covered with clouds, and not a single star was visible.

"I toyed with you because it amused me," I said truthfully. "When you are as powerful as I, any fight becomes rare and entertaining. So, I let you think we were evenly matched so that you might stand and face me again someday, rather than run and cower."

Viriel's silver eyes flickered as he spoke. "When others told me of your power, I thought they overestimated you." He paused. I could tell how much he hated being played for a fool. "What changed?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Tonight, I am under orders as well. I do not have time to dally with you, or your shiny friends," I said, gesturing to the fallen Legionnaires.

There was a pause, and we both looked at the bodies. One of them stirred.

"Devnikolus," Viriel said, "please, let me gather my wounded men. We will depart to lick our wounds. You have won the day." He took a deep breath. "I cannot promise you that Heaven will not dispatch agents to make you atone for the angel you killed tonight, but I promise that I will tell Michael of the mercy you showed my legion." His voice was pitched low. It sounded like pleading, which was only one small step away from begging.

Something tugged at my emotions. I felt a tightening in my chest. Viriel's words reminded me of why I hated fighting Lucifer's war. But, I had no choice. I feared the Devil more than my own underused conscience.

"I'm sorry, Viriel," I said. "But I can't. My actions aren't my own tonight." His eyes widened, and for a moment, I think he heard the utter sincerity in my voice.

Then I snapped my fingers, and all seven of the wounded Legionnaires were engulfed in shadow black flames.

"NO!" Viriel screamed as he ran to his men.

The Legionnaires on the ground howled in pain as Destruction ate at their very beings. Viriel stopped just short of touching them. He hopped up and down and cursed and cried at his helplessness.

He turned to face me, his sculpted face awash with glimmering tears.

"Please," he sobbed, "don't do this."

I could feel tears of my own gathering in my eyes. I touched my cheek, and my fingertips came back wetted with black demon tears.

Then, the sounds of agony died down, and the flames dissipated. The Legionnaires were unmade.

"I have to tell him... have to tell him..." Viriel chanted through his grief. He staggered away from me, and his injured wings erupted from his back. The feathers that were burnt fell off as he flapped his wings during takeoff.

I didn't move as I watched him fly away. His movements were erratic due to his injuries, but soon enough, Viriel slipped over the horizon.

Just then, a thunderclap rumbled through the sky and cold rain began to fall.

I kept my eyes on the spot where Viriel had disappeared. When I was sure that he was gone, I teleported away from my killing field, and back to the manor.




Celestial Wars Ch. 02



***

-Cariel-

Shame.

That was all I could feel. It burned hotly in my veins.

Through my hair, I could see Alarial standing in the doorway. Her face was a masterwork in conflicting emotions. I could see rage clearly in her eyes... and I could see jealousy in her balled fists. However, underneath all of that, her sadness was the most profound. She truly and utterly loved Devnikolus.

My body twitched in the chains reflexively.

I was a hypocrite. I was pathetic. Not more than a few nights ago, I had sanctimoniously preached about how I would rescue her from the demon controlling her mind. She had begged me to just go away... but I didn't listen.

Now the demon had me as well. I was tied just as tight as her. Sisters in blood and sisters in service. Degrading, pleasure-wrenching service.

Alarial took a step forward into the bedroom. The soulless knight kept pace with her. He looked as if he were readying himself to restrain her if necessary.

"Tell me what happened," Alarial said. Her voice was pitched in the unnatural calm that sometimes precedes loud and terrible anger.

I peeked up and made the mistake of looking straight into my sister's bright silver eyes.

My heart wanted to apologize. It wanted to beg forgiveness. But my mind was sullen, and my shame had awakened my battered pride.

"I think you know," I said sullenly.

Alarial nodded. "Yes," she said, "I think I do."

"Well, well!" called a voice from the doorway. "Look what I've stumbled onto!"

Alarial and the soulless knight whirled around. I peered over Alarial's shoulder trying to get a glimpse of the speaker.

A man with dirty blond hair stood at the threshold of the doorway. In his hand he held a sword. Along the flat of the blade the words "Fleeting Light" gleamed with blue magic. The man was a Judicar, a mortal selected to be a judge of Heaven.

The soulless knight smiled consolingly and took a step towards the Judicar. "This isn't what it looks like, Daniel," he said. "This angel wronged our Master. No harm will come to her. Besides, what do you care? No one has paid you to do anything, Monster Hunter."

The man called Daniel spat, glaring at Alarial and the knight with loathing. "I heard your conversation on the landing, Jon," he said bitingly. "I know that I didn't succeed in fooling you for even a day."

A thunderclap echoed in the distance.

Jon raised a hand. "Be very careful what you do, Daniel," he said. "You are in The Prince of Destruction's house... and he will be—"

Jon was cut off when Daniel raised his free hand. Blue magic erupted from his palm, and Alarial and Jon were flung in different directions. They rattled off the walls with a dull thud.

Daniel rushed over to me. "Quickly, m'lady," he said breathlessly. "We must get you free of those chains before Devnikolus returns. I have a thrice blessed cross that can aid us, but I will still need your help to destroy him."

I could feel my eyebrows raise. A thrice blessed cross was a rare thing and took years to make. However, they could drain an enormous amount of power from demons. Such an advantage might have been enough to tip the scales in his favor... if I had been capable of fighting.

I thought about telling Daniel that I couldn't help him. I thought about telling him about the collar around my neck. I nearly did. I opened my mouth to speak.

Then I realized the collar felt warm and soothing as it rested against my skin. I had never realized how bare my throat had felt before. Suddenly, the thought of having my collar removed made my muscles tense in fear. It was easier to be owned. All I had to do was let myself float away and fill myself up with His will. All I had to do was move at his word.

Daniel was oblivious to my inner turmoil.

He raised his sword and brought it down hard on my chains. The moment his blade touched the dark iron, red magic whooshed into life, and demonic runes began to glow fiercely all over the room.

Suddenly, the manacles around my wrists and ankles released me, and I fell to the floor. The chains that had entrapped me began to writhe like snakes.

"No!" Daniel yelled hoarsely. "Shit, Vraiel... help me! It's a trap!"

Daniel's human brown eyes filled with power and changed until they were colored silver. Blue sparks gathered around his hands... but I could already tell it wasn't enough.

The power that radiated from the wards placed on the chains and in the room was unbelievable. It bore down like a heavy, oppressive weight.

The wriggling chains lunged, and both manacles encircled Daniel's wrists. His sword fell from his hands and clattered onto the wooden floorboards. Daniel thrashed violently as the chains pulled him up off the floor. He kicked his feet madly as they dangled in the air. Then, the ankle restraints had him... and his feet were immobilized.

Daniel looked more beast than man as he tried to jerk his arms and legs out of his bindings.

"No! I'm so close! I'm going to get you! Show yourself, Devnikolus! Come and let me KILL YOU, YOU THRICE CURSED BASTARD!"

Daniel's voice sounded broken and crazed. Never in all of my fifteen hundred years had I heard a human scream as he did.

***

-Alarial-

My head throbbed from hitting the wall.

A spell of dizziness blurred my vision and obscured my hearing. It was like trying to see through a fog, like trying to hear through water. I could hear screaming. Terrible, rabid screaming. But I couldn't discern the words.

Jon! I thought to myself frantically. What if Daniel is killing Jon?

I shook my head, trying to clear it. A sharp pain gathered at the back of my head and neck, but my vision did slowly clear.

I had to get up. I had to get up.

Now was not the time to let my Master down. The moment I thought of my Master was the moment I mastered myself.

Blue sparks filled my vision as I rocketed to my feet. My eyes found Daniel's face, and I raised my hand. Lighting arced from my hands. The magic hit Daniel squarely in the chest. Sparks danced angrily across his body as the magic crackled down to the bottoms of his toes and the tips of his fingers.

Daniel opened his mouth to scream, but only a dry, rasping noise scraped from the back of his throat. Chains rattled as his arms and legs twitched in them.

That wouldn't do, I thought darkly. He needed more pain. He wanted to kill my Master. He needed all the pain I could give him.

I raised my hand again and more blue power came eagerly to my palm.

"Alarial! Stop!" screamed the voice of Cariel.

But she seemed far away, and Daniel's agony-ridden face was all I could see.

Suddenly, a soft body tackled me, and I fell to the ground with them on top of me.

I blinked.

Cariel's naked body was on top of me. Her hands were pressed against my shoulders, holding me down. Her silver eyes were glistening with tears.

"Please stop, sister," she said softly, in a voice that sounded small and gentle. "Please, he's already locked up in chains. Look."

She rolled off of me but kept a tentative hold on my arm. Daniel was dangling limply in the black chains that Cariel had just been restrained in.

"How?" I said in slow wonder.

Cariel rubbed my arm. "The Master must have somehow anticipated this Judicar. He had the chains spelled to trap the first one to touch them."

This was all too much. Master had somehow known about Daniel? Cariel called my Dark God Master now too? Cariel was acting as bait for Daniel?

"I didn't know about the spell," Cariel said, having seemingly read my thoughts. "He never tells me anything."

There was a pause.

Then I giggled.

For a brief and absurd moment, I giggled at something this red-headed angel said. A part of me hated the fact that I was sharing this moment with someone who I should despise, but I couldn't help it.

Cariel's eyes narrowed slightly, and I couldn't tell if she was angry at me for laughing, or questioning my remaining sanity.

"That does sound like him," I said as an explanation.

Cariel gave me a wide smile of her own... one that reached her eyes. We sat there like that for a full moment, quietly grinning at each other. Then her smile faded, and she looked away. Her cheeks darkened as she blushed.

She made a haphazard attempt to cover her bare breasts with her hands, and she crossed her slim legs.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm naked... and I know you must hate me."

She looked so vulnerable and hurt. She looked nothing like the proud creature that had bravely attempted to defeat my Dark God.

In that moment of vulnerability, I saw how similar we were.

"Did you call me sister a moment ago?"

***

-Devnik-

I appeared in the entrance hall with my hair slightly damp from the rain. I shook my head, and small little droplets scattered. For a brief moment, I paused to collect myself. Seven angels had just died by my hand. Despite Orias' assurances, I didn't feel entirely comfortable provoking the Light in such an open manner. Perhaps I was out of practice... It had been a long time, after all. But still, after tonight, I would be in for a fight very soon.

With my mind settled, I began to calmly walk up the stairs to the master bedroom.

I knew Daniel was in my house. I had smelled the stink of his sword from the field. He didn't concern me. Especially after what I had just done.

Before I was even halfway up the stairs, I felt a tug on my magic, and I knew the Judicar had sprung my trap. Cariel did make delicious bait after all. It had probably helped that she had a few belt marks on her. The Light loved their heroics.

Idiots, all of them.

And Daniel might just be the biggest idiot of them all.

I paused on the stairs to listen to his incoherent screaming. My lips curled into a smile. I had to force down a small chuckle.

Then, suddenly I saw a bright blue flash. The smell of foreign Light magic lit up my bedroom like a beacon.

No, it couldn't be. There was no way Daniel could work magic when he was bound in chains made by my own hand. I blurred up the rest of the stairs and up to the open door in time to hear Cariel scream, "Alarial! Stop!"

With my eyes, I scanned the room, using my powers to enhance my perceptions. Within a mere second, I had taken in everything.

Jon was in the corner of the room. His skull was cracked, but his immortality was healing him.

Daniel was uncurious as well. He was bound up in the chains that I had left to trap him. There were small scorch marks on his clothes and skin, and a red line of blood dripped from his nose.

Then, my eyes landed on them.

Cariel was on top of my Maria. For a moment, my stomach tightened. Maria's face was twisted in rage and confusion. Her eyes looked slightly unfocused, but she was no less lovely.

Even there, rumpled and splayed out on the floor, she looked beautiful. Her thick blonde hair fanned out in a golden wave behind her. Her pale and strong jaw quivered as she looked up at Cariel. A weight that I hadn't realized I was carrying suddenly slipped from my shoulders.

Maria was here. Maria was safe.

She was right there. I could go touch her if I wanted. My hands had missed the soft feel of her.

I was about to step in and drag Cariel off of her when I heard the red-haired angel speak again.

"Please stop, sister," she said in a voice that didn't carry a hint of violence. "Please, he's already locked up in the chains. Look," she said.

In an instant, I decided there was no danger. With a flick of my finger, I cast a spell of invisibility. I disappeared from the threshold just as they looked at Daniel.

I wanted to eavesdrop on them. I wanted to know what they would speak of while they thought they were alone. Beings of my power rarely hear the truth of what others think of them. Most are afraid to speak the harsh words they carry in their hearts. Some might think this is a blessing, but they don't know how lonely it is.

***

I laughed silently along with Maria when Cariel pouted about being used as bait. My mirth soured slightly when Maria made a joke at my expense.

I thought that would be a good time to reveal myself. It would be fun to let them know I caught them being naughty. Their punishments would be... delightful.

Then Maria spoke. "Did you call me sister a moment ago?"

Cariel stiffened, and then nodded. The naked angel was sitting cross-legged with an arm over her breasts. I doubt she could have imagined a worse situation to talk about their relation to one another.

Cariel struggled to speak. When words came, they sounded stilted and heavy with embarrassment. "We're half-sisters," Cariel stuttered. "We have the same mother."

Maria ran a hand through her hair. She looked hard at Cariel, as if trying to see the family resemblance.

"That's why you tried to save me," Maria said. "You were family."

Cariel nodded. Tears glimmered in her eyes. "Yes. I had to try. No one else would."

"Why didn't our... um... mother try to help you?" Maria asked.

Cariel laughed darkly. The sadness that had been threatening to overcome her was quickly replaced with smoldering fury.

"Mother is far too important to disobey orders," Cariel said bitterly. "No... she was all too willing to fall into line when Seraphiel gave the order to abandon you as a lost cause."

"I see," Maria said sadly. "I guess I'll never get to meet her anyway. I doubt that Master would arrange for us to meet."

Cariel shrugged and glumly looked down at her bare toes.

They both lapsed into silence for a moment. I wanted to know what they were both thinking.

Then Cariel spoke. "I guess none of this matters anymore. We're simply the kept women of a demon now. Our futures are what he makes of them." Cariel looked up, fixing her sister with a look. "Doesn't that powerlessness frighten you? Don't you wonder what will become of us?"

My patience was suddenly exhausted.

Before Maria could respond, I stepped smartly into the room and let my invisibility spell fall away. Both of them jumped in surprise.

I smiled at them, basking in their expressions.

"Hello there..."

Chapter 12

Dark Embrace

~We each carry a sadness that lies heavy within us. Most of the time it is obscured, lost beneath muddied waters. But sometimes, in times of great stillness, the silt settles, and we can see our sadness, lying hard as ice in a crystal cool pool.~ An Old Fae Parable

-Alarial-

Two little words.

That was all it took...that was all that I needed.

"Hello there..." came the silky baritone of my Master.

Just his voice reminded me of his hands on my breasts... his teeth against my flesh...his heavy ivory manhood as it roughly invaded my sex.

But that was not all I remembered. I also remembered his whispered words...uttered close against my ear. I remembered him saying, "I love you Maria, and I think I always have."

With those words ringing in my ears, I turned, and looked upon my Master.

He stood in the doorway and he looked every inch the Dark God.

His midnight hair was slightly damp, and water dripped slowly from the tips of it. At his shoulders, his dark black cloak hung down to his feet. The fabric was pinned with the deep red ruby that he seemed to like so much. The gem seemed to sparkle even though no light touched it.

But none of these mattered compared to his eyes. His eyes were dancing. They glowed red and warm and welcoming as they looked right at me.

His perfect face and lips were drawn up into a smile, "I'm right here pet," he said with outstretched arms.

"Don't keep me waiting."

A laugh skipped out of my throat before I could stop it. I scrambled up off the floor, and over to the creature I loved.

I was full up of joy and bubbling happiness.

I didn't slow until I bumped forcefully into his chest. He didn't budge an inch. Instead, he drew his arms around me and held me tight. I was right next to him...it felt like a dream. It felt like everything would suddenly be alright.

I wanted to meld with his very being. I wanted to slip inside of him, where I could lay down and inhale his essence with every breath. There, I could doze and languidly sleep forever...contented and at peace.

Master's hands trailed down my flanks. He caressed the sides of my breasts, then continued downward, until he reached my thighs and buttocks. His fingers pressed into the soft skin there, and I mewled into the crook of his neck.

Then suddenly, I felt a hand grab at the back of my traveling dress. With a great heave, I was forcefully yanked backwards, and I slipped for my Master's grip.

With a quick turn, I slapped the hand clutching at my clothes. Cariel withdrew her hand quickly. She rubbed it while glaring at me. Her silver eyes had narrowed into focused slivers, and she darted her gaze back and forth between me and Devnik.

Master looked amused, "Do you think to keep Maria from me little Cariel?" He said in a voice rich with mockery.

Cariel squared her shoulders, and drew herself up. She didn't look particularly imposing. She was still naked, and angry welts still colored her thighs.

"Her name is Alarial, Master," Cariel spat. She put a disrespectful emphasis on her words. "And I sacrificed a great deal to keep her from your grasp."

Listening to her was like listening to myself...back when I didn't truly accept that he owned me. That denial had made me angry and irrational.

Devnik raised a perfect eyebrow, "And how do you plan to keep her from me little one?" He asked. "You can't even keep yourself from me."

Cariel grew rigid and tense with anger. Her fists balled at her sides, and for one brief moment I thought she would try to punch him. Then, something unexpected happened. Cariel took a deep breath, and both Devnik and I watched her anger cool.

"I hate this," Cariel said softly. "My emotions keep swirling inside of me. It's like living in the center of a windstorm. I can't settle myself, I can't keep myself from getting caught up in the gale."

Master's face turned thoughtful. For a brief moment, a silence stretched out, and the only sound that could be heard was Daniel's wheezing breath.

Devnik cast an irritated look at Daniel's bound form. He snapped his fingers, and Daniel disappeared in a flurry of red sparks.

There was a silence following Daniel's disappearance.

Cariel had her eyes fixed on the floor in front of Devnik. She was shaking slightly...but not in the way one does when they are cold. Rather, she shook with the frantic movements of someone in the throes of great fear...or great anticipation.

Finally, Master spoke, "Perhaps you need a few moments to settle yourself." He motioned to a corner of the room.

"Jon," Devnik said, "if you could be so kind as to escort Cariel to the guest quarters I would greatly appreciate it."

While we had been talking, Jon had been busy dragging himself up off the floor. There were flecks of dried blood on his clothes, but he otherwise looked quite recovered from Daniel's spell.

"Good to see you again too Master," Jon said with a smile. "I was worried that you were losing your touch. You had been in the room a full five minutes without giving me an order."

Devnik smiled and waved a casual hand, "You'll wish I had forgotten about you very soon. Cariel needs someone to watch her and calm her down."

Cariel widened her stance and raised her arms slightly. She stared at Jon with a look that would make a statue cringe.

"Just you try and take me somewhere little human," Cariel said venomously, "I'm not done talking to him."

"Cariel..." Devnik intoned softly, drawing her attention from Jon, "Why are you being difficult? You said you were feeling emotional. I am generously allowing you time away from me. Isn't that what you want?"




Celestial Wars Ch. 02



The red haired Angel blanched, "I, um...yes..." Cariel was cut off as her face began to pale. She started choking on her words before she could get them all out.

Those of the Light cannot lie.

Devnik continued on, his voice pitched low and dangerous, "Tell me the truth then Cariel. I am giving you a direct command to tell me what you want."

The green runes around her collar flashed.

"I want to be yours!" She screeched as she fell to her knees. Her slim hands shot up to her collar. She tugged on the metal band. Muscles and tendons bunched up tight as she tried desperately to pull it off. But it didn't move.

And all the while she spoke...driven by the compulsion magic.

"I want you to fuck me. I want you to hit me. I want to forget that I ever even had free will," She took a deep breath, and then continued, her voice cracking with unrealized sobs.

"I want to crawl at your feet. I want you to touch me...I want to touch you."

Cariel paused, and her hands fell from her collar. She simply knelt there, and spoke as softly as a whisper of wind.

"But most of all, I want you to bite me...please... I just want you to bite me...I'll do anything...I'll even love you...if you want me too."

Now her tears started to fall. They slid down her cheeks in big droplets. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to recover from her litany of confessions. She looked wrung out...as if she had finally been squeezed of all resistance.

I knew exactly how she felt. Now that Cariel had put it into words, I knew exactly what I wanted as well. I needed to make the blood deal with Master. Throughout the entire journey to Ireland, I had felt an overwhelming need for...something.

Now I knew what it was.

Cariel and I were both addicted to Master's bite. We were sisters in service, pleasure...and mind consuming addiction.

***

-Jon-

Cariel didn't move from her place on the ground.

I didn't quite know what to make of the situation. It wasn't every day that a creature as powerful as a Seraphim kneels and cries in the middle of a room. I spared a glance at Devnik and I met his red eyes.

He nodded to me.

A servant's work is never done I suppose.

I drew close to Cariel, making sure to keep my movements slow and visible. It felt like approaching a spooked animal. If I moved to fast she would either flee or fight.

I placed one light hand on her bare shoulder. Her skin was hot to touch.

"Cariel," I said, "Let me take you to the guest room. I'll find you some clothes, and then maybe you can get some sleep."

She swung her head around and looked at me. There was a vacancy behind her eyes...almost as if some part of her had fled, in order to escape the intensity of her feelings.

"Will master be okay if I go?" She asked. Her voice sound soft and light...innocent like a child, yet sultry and concerned, like a woman.

"Master wants you to feel better," I said gently, in the caring tones I used to use on my own boy many, many years ago.

Cariel paused, and then nodded her assent.

"Come on then," I said, as I helped her to her feet, "It's just down the hall."

I held her hand as I led her from the room. As we passed Devnikolus at the door way, Cariel stopped, and looked at him with that same vacant expression.

"Would that be a fair deal Master?" Cariel asked, "If I give you my love will you take my blood?"

For a brief moment, the good and noble knight that I used to be cringed at Cariel's words. This Angel wanted nothing more than to give herself, body and soul, to our Demonic master. Was this how Maria felt on the inside?

"Go rest Cariel." Devnik said simply.

Cariel nodded, and I tugged on her hand, and she allowed me to lead her out of the room.

I closed the door behind us.

***

-Devnik-

We were alone at last.

Maria stood in front of me, and I could tell simply by looking at her, that she had just realized this as well.

She was dressed in a dark brown traveling dress. Her blonde hair was mussed from the road, and a smudge of dirt was just visible on one cheek. Her silver eyes were looking down at my feet, and she was wearing a small, sweet smile. I noticed all of these things without meaning to.

Perhaps that is what love is...being painfully aware of someone. So aware that you almost wish you never met them, so that your mind could be free of their laughter...and the looks that they give you when no one else can see.

"Master?" Maria said, without lifting her eyes.

"Yes?" I responded.

"I missed you."

"You saw me when you walked in my dreams," I replied with humor in my voice.

Maria shook her head. "It wasn't the same. We were distracted. We didn't talk about what mattered. We couldn't touch properly."

I laughed, "Yes, we did plenty of improper touching if I recall."

Maria's cheek grew red, and she shook her blonde head.

"I was so scared....back in that field in France. I thought you might die."

Poor girl...she had been carrying such a great weight on her shoulders. Two weeks ago she was a prostitute in Paris. Now she claimed to love me, the Demon Prince of Destruction.

She had even saved my life.

I took two heavy steps towards her, and she fell back into my arms. She was soft and perfect. I took a deep breath. Her hair smelled like damp stone and clear autumn rain.

"Maria," I said, and I could hear that my voice had lowered, and taken on a serious tone.

"Hmmm," she muttered into my chest. I could tell she was quickly becoming caught up in how close we were. The awakening bond would cause her body to shiver with arousal in my presence.

"I want to say something to you...something that is rare for one of the Dark to say...and rarer still for them to mean it."

"What is it Master?" Maria asked without taking her cheek from my chest.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life. The magic from our blood deal existed outside of myself. Because of this, when you made your wish, I was able to use that magic to whisk myself to safety...even though I was caught unprepared in the sun."

Maria drew away from me.

"Don't say that Master. If it wasn't for me you would have never been fighting in the first place. I'm so sorry that I've been so much trouble."

Before I could say anything...before I could point out how ludicrous that logic was...Maria dropped to her knees. She unbuttoned her brown dress, and it slide from her shoulders.

"Let me make it up to you Master," she said. Her voice was tinged with raw emotion. She genuinely believed that she needed to atone for some imaged infraction.

Her pale breasts swayed as she leaned forward, and put her hands against the buttons on my trousers. She looked up at me, her eyes silently looking for permission.

I nodded.

She gently unbuttoned my pants, and undid the laces holding the fly together. I was already mostly hard. She gave me a mischievous grin when she saw this. Her hand was caring and careful as she took hold of my manhood.

She inched herself closer, and lowered her head around my cock.

Satin soft lips glided down my sex slowly. She pressed them hard around me, giving just the right amount of pressure.

Then, her tongue swirled around the head of my sex.

I stiffened, and let out a slow guttural growl. I let my eyes slide shut, and snuck both of my hands up into the tresses of her long golden hair. She moved her mouth up and down at a slow indolent pace.

Every minute or so, I would hold her head still, and she would simply kneel there with my cock unmoving in her mouth.

My climax was approaching. She lowered her mouth again. My hands moved to the sides of her head. I started to thrust back at her while I controlled her head with my hands.

Maria didn't miss a beat, and she started to match my rhythm. She licked and sucked and moaned, and the combination of her wet tongue and the vibrations at the back of her throat undid me.

With a roar, I emptied myself into the back of her throat. Maria trembled in excitement and arousal, as she felt my cock pulsing on her tongue.

I pulled her from my sex, and lifted her like a doll up into my arms. She giggled as she wrapped her legs around my waist, and put her arms around my neck. Her soft breasts and pointed nipples pillowed against my chest.

She tilted her face to the side, and looked at me questioningly. Then, she pressed her lips to mine.

Our kiss was long and searching. It seemed to draw out for an eternity.

When she finally pulled away her eyes were lidded with sleep.

"The sun will be up soon," she said delicately. "You'll be wanting to go to sleep soon."

I grinned at her. "We're not done dear one. Not yet, not by a half."

She unwrapped herself, and I set her down on the floor.

"Go lie on the bed," I said. "Lie on your back with your hands clasped behind your neck."

She walked slowly across the room at a languid pace. The air was thick with tension, and the smell of her sex permeated every breath.

I let her lie on the bed for a while...so that she could suffer in wonderful anticipation. Then, I went to join her. With a soft hand, I spread her legs.

With my thumb and forefinger, I spread her sex, and gently trailed the pad of my middle finger across the sensitive flesh an inch deep in her channel.

"Master...so good," Maria muttered. Her legs gyrated as she fought to keep them parted. She drew a deep breath and said, "Are you going to hurt me tonight Master?"

I shook my head. "No pain tonight love, only pleasure."

I took her ankles in my hands and pulled them up to rest on my shoulders. She whined slightly, and she pushed her sex up at me...desperate for me to keep touching her.

I entered her slowly. I watched her wet sex hungrily stretch around my cock. Maria gave a sharp cry, and her body seized up before relaxing into a few tiny shudders. She was hot and tight, and her sex was clenching and welcoming.

I pushed a little deeper, and I watched the last inch of my sex disappear into her.

"Every surrender feels like the first...doesn't it dear one?" I said as I kept my cock fully seated within her.

Maria nodded with her eyes closed. Strands of blonde hair had fallen over her face, but she didn't move her hands from behind her neck. I could tell that her entire being was focused on my manhood...hard and thick and unyielding.

I pulled back all the way, and then back in...then out again. Soon, I built up speed, and the bedroom was filled with the meaty sounds of our flesh slapping roughly against one another.

Her eyes opened as I grasped her thighs and pulled her pelvis up off the bed, allowing my cock access to the deepest parts of her. Her sex glazed eyes could hardly focus on me.

"After you come, I want to bite you little one. I will need you to offer me the blood deal for the third and final time."

Maria moaned something that sounded like, "yes."

I quickened my pace to supernatural speeds. I slapped one of her breasts, and she shrieked in pain. I slapped the other breast, and she opened her mouth to cry out...but she uttered no sound. Her sex clamped down hard around me and her body became rigid and still.

Then, the tension in her legs and sex drained away, and her ankles slide off my shoulders. My cock slid wetly out of her.

Maria's eyes were closed again, and I watched her belly rise and fall as she struggled to compose herself.

"Maria," I said soothingly. "For the third and final blood deal, you need to say the words that you said for the first deal. All you need to do is say those words...I will take care of everything else."

I gave her one long look, she hadn't opened her eyes.

"Do you remember the words Maria?" I asked.

Without opening her eyes, Maria flashed me a lazy grin. "I freely give my own blood to fulfill my own desires."

Cheeky girl...I thought warmly.

I moved up and lay down next to her on the bed. I put one hand on her cheek, and the other on her shoulder. I softly sunk my teeth into the joining where the shoulder meets the neck.

Hot, blue, Angelic blood poured into my mouth.

I took long, deep, dark, draughts from her willing body...while her limbs twitched in fevered ecstasy.

***

When I had drained her dry, I pulled my teeth from her flesh. She lay still and unmoving. She was deeply asleep.

I was just about to pull up the covers, and slip in beside her to sleep, when I heard a tapping at the window. The window was the only one in the bedroom, and it faced north. It never admitted enough sunlight to reach the bed.

Upon the window sill was a large blackbird. It was tapping its beak against the glass insistently. Behind the bird, the sky was beginning to lighten into a tepid, hazy purple.

I moved across the bedroom, and opened the window.

The bird hopped inside. It twisted its taloned foot up at me, and proffered a note of rich vellum. I took the note from the bird. It hopped back up on the window sill. With one wing, the bird gave me a deep bow.

I nodded at it.

The blackbird chirped, and then fluttered out into the early dawn.

I flicked the note open, and read:

Orias says that he will not wait until nightfall to attack you. He will be upon you no later than noon. You will have to take the proper preparations to account for the sun. Lucifer says he needs at least half of an hour to achieve his goals. You will need to distract him for this time.

Yours,

Caim.

***

-Jon-

Cariel was sitting up on the guest bed, hugging her knees to her chest.

I was seated on the spare chair in the corner of the room. From my position, I had heard nearly everything that Devnik and Maria had done in the master bedroom.

For Cariel, a powerful supernatural creature with supernatural hearing, I was willing to wager she had heard everything with crystal clear clarity.

She hadn't said a word since we had arrived. We had both remained silent as we had listened to the passionate love-making down the hall.

"It's dawn," Cariel said suddenly.

I peered out the window. The sky had brightened into a lively orange hue. "So it would seem," I replied, unsure of what the Seraphim was trying to say.

Cariel's eyes suddenly sharpened. The dull glassy look that had covered them like a film washed away like it had never been there. In its place, was an expression of wide eyed terror.

"It's him," she yelled as she bolted from the bed.

She was halfway to the door when she froze. The green runes on her collar fizzled and crackled manically. The entire room was bathed in a unearthly green light.

"I'm a full-blooded Angel..." Cariel whimpered as she put a hands on her collar. "I have to obey...but to obey would be to disobey."

I moved to her cautiously, ready to help if she needed it.

"What are you saying Cariel?" I asked.

"He wants me to go outside and meet him...but the collar thinks this would be an attempt at escaping."

Cariel put a hand to her head...and her face scrunched up into an expression of livid agony.

"Who Cariel?" I asked frantically. I was mere seconds from running down the hall to get Devnik.

"Michael," Cariel whispered between gasps of pain.

"Michael is here."

~

Special thanks to Lady Ver for editing this story for me. If you enjoyed it, and more importantly, were not confused by it, you have her to thank. Any and all remaining errors are mine.

-Noble Truth



Celestial Wars Ch. 03



This is the third and final chapter of Celestial Wars, sequel to Celestial Matters. If you haven't read all that, then you should scamper off to read those first. You'll be lost if you don't. 

For the rest of you, here we are, again. 

We've made it to the end. I'd like to take this moment to give my thanks to Lady Ver for editing this story for me. She remains invaluable to me as I write these little tales. Any errors remaining are mine. I'd also like to warn you, gentle reader, that there is only a smattering of true erotica in this story until the final chapter. You've been warned. 

Now, off we go once more. 

***** 

Chapter 13 

Preparing 

Many things must the righteous beware, 

Lest they slip from the path of Prayer. 

Fear a trinket that is ever chill, 

And fright that makes a heartbeat still. 

Fear darkness that flame cannot break, 

And men that death cannot take. 

But what the righteous should most fear, 

Are the evils not always clear... 

~Author Unknown 

-Jonathan the Courageous- 

Half a Millennium Ago 

The dark of the young night held itself still as the demon's words echoed softly amongst the trees. Bitter cold air hung close to my skin, causing my flesh to crawl and my hair to stand on end. 

The demon's red eyes gazed at me unblinking. They glowed a malevolent scarlet. 

I slowly drew Gloria from her scabbard. The heavy armor that I wore clinked loudly as I moved. Its heavy weight was a familiar and comforting presence as I stood before the creature of evil. The demon's mouth twitched up at the corners. He was smiling at me. 

I took a deep breath and centered myself. I thought of my goal. I thought of the songs that the bards would sing of me. I would be a legend. I would be the Undying Knight. 

"You haven't answered me," the demon said calmly, his voice soft and mesmerizing. 

I shook my head. "You are false, demon, for you have not truly answered me. So I pose the question to you again. I wager my soul in a duel for immortality. Do you accept?" 

The demon's smile turned down into a frown. "You may think you are being clever," he said, "but if I accept, a ritual will have been completed, and I will have no choice but to take your soul should you lose." 

I blinked. What did he mean by no choice? The black book stated plainly that all demons desired souls. The book said that amongst the Dark, the soul of a mortal was a delicacy. 

For a brief moment I was unsure. If the book could be wrong about a demon's desire for a soul... perhaps it could be wrong about other things? 

The demon twirled his sword in one hand. The blade was so dark... it looked like a piece of midnight. 

It was too late now. The demon was summoned; my courage could not falter. "I ask you again, demon. Do you accept my terms?" 

The monster that wore the face of a dark-haired youth cocked his head to the side. His ruby eyes looked me up and down once. Then, he shrugged. "So be it, mortal," the demon finally said. "I, Devnikolus the Unmaker, accept the stated terms." 

The wind, which had been completely still, began to blow gently. It was as if the very heavens had been holding a baited breath. The frigid air grew even colder, making my eyes water. 

The darkness amongst the surrounding trees deepened... and I saw wisps of shadow materialize on the outskirts of the clearing. Every moment or so I caught glimpses of demonic red eyes peering at me from between the branches. 

There were more demons here... flitting about the forest. 

"Do not fear," Devnikolus said. "They are here to watch. It has been many years since I have been challenged. The demons of my court are merely curious. They shall not interfere." 

I nodded once. They were easy to ignore. They did not radiate power like Devnikolus did. 

Devnikolus reversed his black sword in his hand so that the tip faced down. Then, he slowly sunk the point of his blade into the earth. "To begin our duel, touch the taper of your blade to the dirt." 

I didn't reverse my grip like the demon had. That would leave me out of my guard, vulnerable to attack. Instead, I merely bent my wrist and gently touched Gloria to the ground. 

The book had warned about demonic speed, but I hadn't truly believed until I saw the Demon Lord move. 

It seemed as if he simply disappeared. 

Suddenly, I felt a soft brush of wind tickle my back. I hurriedly dropped to the ground. My armor clanked loudly as I hit the grass. 

I felt a rib bruise. 

The demon's black sword whistled wickedly over my head through the space my neck had been half a moment before. I rolled quickly away, trying to reestablish space between us. Using the weight of my armor, I tipped backwards and regained my feet. 

Devnikolus hadn't moved again. Instead, he stood still, his eyes watching me closely. He held his sword down by his side in a loose grip. "How did you do that?" he asked. 

Now it was my turn to smile. 

"I ducked." 

The demon returned my smile. His flawless, pale face beamed at me with genuine amusement. "Yes," he said, "so you did." 

He came at me again with the same blurring speed. I felt the earth shift slightly to my right... and I waited a split second before spinning away from the thrust that I knew would come at my heart. 

Searing pain erupted on my shoulder as the demon's blade bit into my flesh. 

Stupid, I thought to myself. A movement that is fast enough to dodge a man's thrust cannot evade a creature like this demon. 

I took several quick steps backward. I put my free hand on my wounded shoulder. There was a rend in my pauldron. The demon's sword had punched through the steel like a crossbow bolt. 

The strength that would be required to deal this wound is unimaginable. 

Blood welled from my injury and spilled through my fingers. Hot throbbing agony lanced its way from my shoulder down my spine. My vision blurred as I blinked back tears. 

I heard soft whispers from the shadows of the trees. The watching demons were discussing my injury. 

"You did it again," Devnikolus said as he flicked my blood off his sword. "Once can be dismissed as luck. But twice? I am not the type of man to dismiss such things as coincidence." 

I gingerly removed my hand from my shoulder. The bleeding had slowed. I was in no danger of growing weak from blood loss. 

"I still took a wound," I said as I moved myself back into guard. 

Devnikolus shrugged. I could tell my pain was not what interested him. "You knew what to do, and your movement was good. You were simply not fast enough. Your heart should have been run through." 

I snorted. "Your arrogance might be considered a weakness." 

The steady stream of whispers amongst the shadows grew quiet. 

The Demon Lord raised a careful eyebrow. "Perhaps," Devnikolus allowed. "But I know that no ordinary mortal could evade my blows for a single pass... yet alone two." 

I knew what the demon was talking about of course. He was talking about my ability to see. Since he had first stepped out of my circle, I had been watching his movements. I knew how he moved. I could somehow sense how the wind cupped his body. I could somehow feel how the earth shifted beneath his feet. 

I took a step forward and said, "All I need is a little time to observe... and then I can see the answer to any fight. I can see the answers in the steel." 

The demon paused. Then, a slow grin spread over his face. This smile was nothing like the last one. This smile was predatory. "I've just had an idea." 

1623 AD 

Just outside Dublin, Ireland 

-Cariel- 

The soulless knight's eyes seemed far away for a moment. 

His gaze rested just above my shoulder, his face drawn tight with concern. That was understandable. I had just told him an archangel was outside. 

As I looked at him... for just a moment... I realized how many years had passed before those sad brown eyes. 

Mortal eyes were never meant for so much seeing. 

I nearly asked him what he was thinking about. 

Then, my concentration was shattered as Michael's compulsion magic washed over me once again. 

Pain mixed with nausea jolted its way down my body. Every pore on my flesh quivered as the unpleasant sensations ran their course. A hard knot of fear settled itself in my stomach as I tried to resist. 

But it was hopeless. I was a seraphim of Heaven, and I was being given an order from a celestial superior. My very nature demanded that I obey. 

My resistance cratered once again and I found myself trying to take a step towards the door. My traitorous feet hadn't managed to carry me more than half a stride before I could feel my collar's magic flare to life again. 

Michael's compulsion magic was washed away as the green magic flared. Where once there had been hot pain, now there was liquid ice pumping in my veins. 

I felt like a doll stretched between two quarrelling sisters... each trying to pull me into their own grasp. 

My skin felt tight and my head felt heavy. 

The part of my nature that still remembered the millennium of loyal service I had rendered unto Heaven urged me to leave this cursed mansion. 

But another part... the part that longed for possessive touches and wicked whispers... wanted to curl up and wait for Devnikolus to make the pain go away. 

These conflicting emotions felt strange; it was as if two entities were living in my head. 

Jon's eyes cleared and he took a hesitant step towards me. "Cariel," he said, "what you did mean Michael is here? Is he outside right now? Tell me what's going on." 

Don't tell him anything, one part of my being screamed. 

You've already done enough damage. Tell the soulless one you have made a mistake. 

Jon reached out a tentative hand and placed it on my cheek. I realized how I must look. My face was rigid... and tense. One hand had unconsciously gone to my collar. I was unsure if I had been trying to rip it off... or if I had been seeking the comfort of its touch. 

The golden rays of the morning had filtered in through the window. The light illuminated swirling wisps of dust as they floated gently around the bedroom. 

The soulless one looked very pale as the light of the new day touched his face. His scars looked like silver lines about the graceful curve of his face. 

A moment passed... then two. 

Michael must have realized that I wasn't coming... and the burning weight of his compulsion faded. 

Before the last of the pain flickered and died, I was already speaking. "Michael just tried to compel me to leave the mansion and the Master," I said. "He has just descended from Heaven, and he has landed five miles from here... in a clearing that has recently witnessed much death." As I finished speaking, my collar warmed slightly... and tiny pinpricks of pleasure danced across my shoulder blades. 

I both shuddered and rejoiced as I realized my collar was "rewarding" me. 

The soulless one was already out the door. 

-Jon- 

Old wooden floor boards creaked their protests as I sprinted down the hall to the master bedroom. 

Please don't be asleep, I thought desperately. 

Then my stomach sank as I had a new thought. 

He might have left... he has always moved where the breeze has blown him. Perhaps he went to tend to other things after spending some time with Maria. 

I spared no time to knock as I flew through the door and into my Master's chamber. 

Sweat that had beaded on my forehead from fear, not from exertion, slipped into my eyes and stung them with their salt. 

I blinked as I looked around frantically. For a moment my gaze was blind and unseeing. I didn't know why I was so afraid, but the look on Cariel's angelic face before I had sprinted from the room had shaken me. 

My vision cleared and I saw Lord Devnikolus sitting with his eyes closed in the center of the room. 

The faintest wisp of a smile twitched at the corner of his face. 

"Hello there, Jon," he said softly. "Close the door behind you and keep your voice down. We wouldn't want to wake Maria... now would we?" 

I took a deep belly breath and exhaled slowly. He is here... He is right here. 

A small slightly hysterical sounding chuckle escaped unbidden. I could not help the large grin on my face and I tried to hide it by turning to close the door slowly. 

When I turned back around, Devnik's eyes were open and staring at me. 

For a brief moment, my mind skipped back to the memory I had just relived... back to the first time I had seen those eyes. Then, it was gone again. "Master, I'm sorry to come bursting in like this, but I have some urgent news," I said, reason slowly reclaiming my mind. 

Devnik held up a hand. "I already know, Jon," he said. The brief smile he had worn was gone. His face had hardened, and his brow was furrowed. "This was all part of the plan." 

I blinked. "Are you sure we're talking about the same thing?" I asked. I didn't know much about Michael, but I did know that I had never seen Devnik pit himself against an entity as universally feared by the Dark as Lord Michael the Valiant. 

Devnik shrugged. 

"We are both talking about Michael, aren't we?" he asked in a voice that was much too calm. 

This was getting to be too much. Over the past few days I had watched Cariel cut Devnik across the chest. I had been on the receiving end of a spell from an Afflicted woman. I had had my finger cut off. I had to stare down an entire ship full of bloodthirsty sailors. And finally, I had been struck by a Judicar and had my skull cracked. 

Now, after all of that, Michael was coming to kill us all. 

I wanted to go back to the chateau. 

"Do you mind if I sit?" I asked as I pointed to a chair pushed against a wall. "I'm feeling rather tired all of a sudden." 

"Be my guest," Devnik said with a wave of his hand. 

I sat and put my head in my hands. 

Through my fingers, I saw Devnik close his eyes again. 

I recognized this as he "thinking" face. 

Minutes slowly ticked by. Over on the bed, Maria turned over and muttered something in her sleep. Outside the window, the light of the day grew from the luminous orange of late morning into the bright yellow of high noon. 

Finally, I couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Would you mind telling me what plan you're talking about? Things have obviously changed since we were separated." 

Devnik reopened his eyes and sighed. "It's a long story and I don't have time to tell you all the finer points." 

With a bit of effort, I pulled my face from my hands and sat up straight. "I'll settle for the broad strokes. I'm too tired to deal with anything more." 

Devnik flicked his fingers, and two snow-white candles appeared on the floor in front of him. He passed his hand over each of them. A flame blossomed on each wick. 

"Basically," Devnik said, "since we were separated, I've been spending my time trying to lure a greater entity of the Light to my mansion." 

I didn't have the energy to muster up any shock. "Why?" I asked wearily. 

Devnik placed a hand on the floor, and a bright demonic rune burst into existence. It glowed a deep crimson before fading into a softer dull red. 

"Truth be told," he said, "I'd like to know that myself. This little mission is what prevented me from fetching you both from France." 

He paused, then said, "All I was told is that Lucifer needed this entity distracted so that he could swoop in and make some mischief on whatever it was guarding." 

That perked me up slightly. "Lucifer? He was here?" 

"Ha!" Devnik barked. He was smiling fully now. "No... by the Dark, no." He shook his head. "If Lucifer had taken so much as a breath nearby..." Devnik trailed off for a moment, then said, "If Lucifer had come to my manor, all the battalions of the Light would have razed this place to the ground by now." 

Some old part of me was uncomfortable discussing the King of the Dark. 

"Did some lesser creature pass the message along then?" I asked. 

Devnik unclasped the ruby that he always kept pinned to his cloak and set it down on top of the rune. Then, he carefully arranged the two candles next to the rune. He looked like he was setting up some sort of summoning ritual, similar to the one I had performed all those years ago. 

"Orias came and told me," he replied. "I guess our King must have thought I'd be the most amenable to him... though I probably would have listened to Caim as well." 

"It is probably harder to ignore someone who can see the future," I said lightly. 

This conversation was beginning to feel surreal. I had met Lord Orias on one occasion before; however, I wasn't used to talking about the Princes of Hell like they might stop in for tea at any moment. 

Dealing with one Prince was enough of a headache. 

"It makes him damn annoying is what it does," Devnik replied. He narrowed his red eyes in annoyance and subtly shifted one of the candles at the edge of the rune. 

"May I ask what you are doing?" I said. "I'm hoping these candles are part of the plan to deal with Michael." 

Devnik peered up at me from his place on the floor. He gave me one of his rare boyish grins. 

"Oh, you needn't be too worried," he said. "We don't have to actually 'deal' with him." 

I cocked my head to the side. "Cariel said he's barely five miles away." 

"What I mean," Devnik said, "is that we don't have to kill him. That would be an entirely different matter. We've just got to keep him here and distracted for the space of half an hour." 

"He's already technically here," I said sarcastically. 

"I know. I'm hoping Lucifer is already bustling about his business. I doubt I can keep our guest suitably entertained for that long face to face." 

My nerves, which had begun to dissipate, came roaring back. 

For as long as I could remember, standing next to Devnikolus meant that you were standing on the side with the most firepower. 

"Wait," I said, "You don't think you can match him?" 

Devnik gave me a small shrug. "I don't know. I've never met him before. He does have quite a reputation, though. Apparently Soneillon still has nightmares about a wound Michael dealt him back in Egypt a few centuries ago." 

I needed to stay grounded. Devnik normally didn't talk about his fellow demonic gentry... I was beginning to feel truly out of my depth. 

"You never told me what the candles were for," I said. 

Devnik looked down at what he was doing. "Oh... well, you might have noticed that it's daylight outside," he said, pointing absently out the window. 

A small sparrow landed on a tree branch bathed in sunlight just past the window's glass. It trilled a soft little tune and then fluttered off. 

"I noticed," I said simply. 

Devnik rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, you might have forgotten, but I don't do to well out in the sunlight." 

I nodded. 

"Well," he said, "that's what this is for." He tapped the ruby he had unpinned from his neck. 

I had always wondered why he wore that thing. Devnik's clothing changed depending on what was fashionable among the mortals... all except for that ruby. 

"I thought you just liked jewelry," I said dryly. 

"It was a gift for services rendered a long time ago," he said, his voice taking on a wistful tone. "There was a cadre of fae that lived in a place that mortals called The Black Forest. Today there are some united provinces that claim these lands... but twenty-five thousand years ago, there was but a scattering of primitive mortals." 

Devnik looked up at me. 

I had leaned forward, and I caught myself staring just a little too pointedly. I was always starved for stories of the distant past. They reminded me of why I wanted to live forever. 




Celestial Wars Ch. 03



He sighed and looked back down. "To make a long and involved story short, this coven of faelings summoned me to help them deal with a detachment of legionnaires that wanted to eliminate them so that humans could claim that land." 

The room had started to grow cold during Devnik's story. I could feel him drawing his power in close. The light from the window seemed to dim, and the shadows from the candles began to grow long and deep. 

"When I scared off the offending angels, the Tree-Shaper of the coven gave me what all demons desire from the fae." 

I couldn't help but lean forward again. 

Devnik placed a single finger on his ruby and he stroked it fondly. "They wove a sun-shield enchantment for me... and they put it in this ruby..." 

A tiny rush of air escaped my lungs. If Devnik could go outside in the daylight that meant that he could face Michael head on. Perhaps things weren't so grim after all. 

"Why don't you walk in the daylight all the time, Master?" I asked. It was an automatic question. I had spent a great deal of time over the centuries watching Devnik avoid the sun. 

Devnik removed his finger from the gem and placed both hands on the glowing rune. "Daylight shields are enchantments that require a ludicrous amount of time to recharge," he said. "It has been eighty years since I last used the ruby's enchantment. It probably only has enough power within it to shield me for about four hours in the afternoon sun." 

"That seems—" I began to say, but I was cut off. 

The rune on the ground flashed brightly before going dark. The candles that had once burned a natural orange began to glow a cheerful green that symbolized earth magic. Red and green sparks began to glitter with the multi-faceted ruby. They danced and mingled in a mesmerizing and chaotic fashion. 

Then, it all stopped. 

The room lightened and the candles winked out. 

The rune on the wooden floor looked like an ancient coal stain. 

Only the ruby remained. 

Devnik reverently picked up the gem and slipped it into his pocket. "Well," he said as he cast a look over at the sleeping Maria, "she seems to be an extraordinarily heavy sleeper." 

Chapter 14 

~Why do the Light cast no Shadow? What does this mean of my Shadow? Should I fear it? Is it plotting secret sins as I sit down to write? I do not know. I am watching it now... as sways in my candle's light.- A Diary found in the charred ruins of an Abbey~ 

The Valiant 

-Maria- 

I could feel my Master's venom circulating through my veins. I could feel my Master sucking the blood from my body. Something...deep in my belly... shuddered contentedly. There was nothing better than this. 

Every time his mouth pulled another draught of blood my mind slipped gently away from consciousness. With every drop he took, I could feel a soft and satisfying sleep drift ever closer. 

As I felt the last of my essence leaving me to nourish and pleasure my Dark God, my mind sang out one last note. 

I love him. 

I am his. 

These words became my only truth. They echoed like the ringing of a loud, clear bell. 

*** 

In the back of my mind, I realized that I was asleep. 

But this was not the kind of sleep I was familiar with. I had only experienced this kind of waking slumber once before...when I had been attacked by the Afflicted woman. 

I was dreamwalking. 

Why does this happen to me every time I am forced to sleep? 

The last time I had walked amongst dreams, I had found my Master's dream. I wondered if I could do that again. 

I cast my consciousness around in the dark ether that surrounded me. 

Suddenly, almost as if it was waiting to be called, the golden cord that symbolized my Awakening bond with my Master appeared. 

It shone brightly amongst the dreary emptiness around me. 

I reached out, and touched it. 

Instinctively, I realized that the cord currently didn't lead anywhere. 

Master isn't asleep right now. 

Some part of me huffed at that. I had been rather proud of that blow job. Why wasn't he sleeping beside me right now? Had I not satisfied him? Had I not been submissive enough? 

Somewhere, in the deep reaches of the dreamscape, I thought I heard a voice say: 

Do you hear the thoughts you have now Alarial? Were these your thoughts a few mere weeks ago? 

I shook my head. Every once in a while a small part of me would question my relationship with Devnik. It would ask me where my backbone had gone. 

Admittedly, I had enjoyed punching my Master onto that stalagmite. 

Suddenly, I had an idea. 

I focused my thoughts, and attempted to see if I could control my own dream while I was in this altered state of sleep. 

It didn't take me long for me to conjure up the image of what I wanted this place to look like...after all, this was the place where my world was irrevocably altered. 

The sound of water droplets falling onto cold stone greeted my ears. 

Drip 

Drip 

Drip. 

I opened my eyes...and I saw the cave. 

This was the cave where I had first learned what I was. This was the cave where I had first made love with Devnik. This was a place of firsts. 

I cast my gaze around at the damp and earthy rock walls and the wickedly sharp stalagmites. It was a thoroughly miserable place...and there was something missing. 

With a smile, I closed my eyes and concentrated. 

"I see you're awake my dear," came a voice from the darkness. It was the same words he said to me just those few weeks ago. 

I opened my eyes. 

Devnik was standing not one pace from me. 

His red eyes were soft and inviting, and his perfect lips were curled up in a satisfied smile. 

"You look beautiful Alarial." He took a step towards me. The softness in his eyes was melting into something that looked like hunger. 

I smiled up at him. He towered over me, but instead of feeling intimidated, I felt safe. 

In the back of my mind, I realized that this is not how our relationship began here in this cave. Devnik had softened since we had left this sanctuary of earth and stone. 

"Alarial," Devnik murmured and he ran one of his slender hands through my hair. "What are you thinking about?" 

I had never told him about the name Cariel claimed was my real one. Hearing the name in his voice sounded strange and wonderful. 

I put my head against his firm chest. Underneath the satin of his brocade I could feel a sheet of rippling muscle contract against my cheek. 

I shivered slightly from the chill. 

"I'm a little cold," I said. 

Devnik's strong arms snaked their way around my body. One hand came to rest at the small of my back, and the other gently grasped the back of my neck. I shivered again for an entirely different reason. 

Every woman should experience being held this way...knowing from just an embrace...that they are loved and perfect. 

For a moment, as I lingered in the fold of his strong arms, breathing in his scent, I forgot that this was merely a dream. 

My heart cracked a little when I remembered. 

Maybe I would use my last wish to have Devnik recreate this moment with me. 

Dream-Devnik pulled me gently away after a moment or two. His red eyes peered into mine with a lust that I recognized all too well. 

"It was so good of you to wait for me without clothes on," Dream-Devnik said with a smirk. "I've always thought that clothes were a constant hindrance in our relationship." 

I gulped as I looked down at myself. I was as naked as the day I was born. 

Even in my own dream he had me off balance. 

Devnik took a step back. 

"Would you like to dance for me?" He asked. "Do you know how?" 

I nodded my head mutely. Of course I knew how to dance. It was one of the first things the Madame at the Rosy Garter made her girls learn. The Madame knew several kinds of dances. There were dances that said look but don't touch. There were dances that said I could be yours if you tried. 

The Madame even showed us a very special dance...only to be used if our patron was very rich, and very dedicated to one girl. 

This dance said, I am yours. 

Slowly, I began to move. I twirled and pranced about the dark cave...moving to music that only I could hear. Every once in a while my dance would lead me back to Devnik, and I would swirl around him, and nibble at his neck and trace feather light touches across his back. 

In the back of my mind, I suddenly realized that I had wanted to dance for him for a long time. 

Before I was even half-done, Dream-Devnik launched himself at me. We toppled backwards and while we fell everything shifted. 

We landed on a bed made of black silk. 

We were in the underground room at the chateau. 

His body pressed down heavy against mine. I could feel his hard manhood through his trousers against my bare leg. 

I could feel the heat rising within myself. Wetness gathered in my sex in the anticipation of the act to come. The base, animal part of me that my Master had uncovered readied herself. 

My nipples tightened as they brushed against his broad chest. I felt like I was drowning in him. His smell was like dark spice. It was masculine and powerful and incredibly potent. 

In the back of my head I thought I could hear that same voice from before speak again. 

You could shape this place into anything you desire as a dreamwalker. Is this what you would choose over all else? 

The voice sounded much closer now. 

Suddenly, Dream-Devnik turned to smoke in my hands. His form and smell and presence disappeared like it had been made of ashes and shadows. 

The bed and room also began to blur along their edges. 

A bright and pure white light began to burn in the center of the dreamscape...and it seemed to wash all my illusions away. 

Soon, nothing remained of the underground bedroom, and I was once again floating in the grey ether of the dreamscape. 

Except this time I wasn't alone. 

*** 

I couldn't see my interloper. It was more like a feeling...a kind of knowing. 

There was a presence here in the dreamscape with me...and it was not my Master. 

I felt unsettled as I looked out amongst the unbroken sea of nothing, as I waited for the presence to speak. 

"I agree," said the presence. "I have always found untempered dreams to be unsettling...let me take you to one of mine." 

The white light flashed again, and for a moment I was blind. 

All around me, I could feel the dream reworking itself. 

*** 

I was standing on a grassy cliff covered in flowers of every kind. I recognized pink tulips and white daisies and an array of deep purple violets. The sound of rushing and receding water hung like a half-heard melody in the background. I peered over the edge of the cliff. A calm light blue ocean rolled placidly below. 

The peace that suffused this place was overwhelming. This was truly a place that could only exist in a dream. 

"It did exist once," a voice said mildly. 

I turned around. 

A man dressed in an unadorned white tunic stood behind me. He had silver eyes and his hair was the color of burnished copper. His locks spun down to his shoulders in elegant ringlets that looked like flowing molten metal. 

This brilliant hair framed a face that looked like it had been carved by a master sculptor, whose only desire was to press the face of bravery incarnate onto cold marble. 

That was the most inescapable aspect of this man...one could not look at him and not think...brave. 

The man gave me a gentle smile. 

"Nearly two million years ago this cliff was a real place," he said. "It was my favorite place in the mortal world." 

"It's beautiful," I said without thinking. Overhead, a purple bird I had never seen before flew lazily across an azure sky. 

I suddenly realized how little of the world I had seen. 

"Is it not real anymore?" 

He shook his head. 

"What happened to it?" I asked. 

The man met my eyes. They were silver and sharp, and...for a moment...I thought I could see all the eons of the past dancing around their edges. 

"An age of ice came," he said, "and this cliff became a glacier." 

I looked around me, and tried to imagine this perfect place covered in ice and snow. It was troubling to reconcile that much change with what I saw before me. 

It was like he just told me something as grand as a mountain or something as vast as an ocean wouldn't last forever. 

"Who are you?" I asked hesitantly. 

The man's smile wavered. He took a step forward, and placed a hand over his heart. 

He gave me a smooth, slow bow. 

"I am Michael," he said. "And I am to blame for your sorrows." 

*** 

I staggered backwards. The back of my foot met the edge of the cliff, and I had to force myself to stay still...lest I plummet into the ocean below. 

Could one die in a dream? I thought to myself. 

"No," Michael said, "you cannot die...but it is possible to get lost within Somnatul. That is what we call this...dreamscape...as you have come to call it." 

A creeping realization struck me. 

"You can read my mind!" I shrieked, before I clapped my hand over my mouth. I hadn't meant to raise my voice, but I was beginning to panic. 

"Peace young one," Michael said. "I have invaded your dream...so I am able to glean some of the thoughts that float on the surface of your mind." 

Michael paused then said, "It is normally a great offense amongst the Somna to invade another's dream...but this is the only way I could speak with you before I meet with Devnikolus." 

Meet with Devnik...why? 

"What business do you have with my Master?" I asked. 

Regret washed over Michael's face. 

"It pains me to see how my own magic has made you call a Demon your master." Michael said sadly. 

"It was my Working that created the Aethling bond...I thought I made the spell impregnable...but it would appear that was prideful thinking." 

Michael slowly got down on one knee. He lowered his head and put one fist on the ground. He bowed to me as if I were a queen. For a brief moment neither of us moved. I stood there frozen and shocked. 

"Please forgive me Alarial, daughter of Ilirial." Michael said, without looking up from the ground. "We of the Light are not above fault. We can be hypocrites, and we can be blind." 

"Um..." I stuttered. I could feel heat rushing to my cheeks. 

"...Please stand up," I finally managed to say. 

Michael rose in a fluid motion. He gazed at me wearily, waiting for me to continue. 

I didn't know what to say. Did I forgive him? 

There is nothing to forgive. Without the awakening bond, you would have never met the love of your life. 

"I accept your apology...Michael," I said after a pause. Calling such an entity by his name rather than a title seemed...wrong. But, I didn't know how to address an archangel properly. 

The purple bird landed in a field of tulips. It plucked a flower from its stem and ate it in one quick motion. When it was done, it warbled happily before flying off. 

Both Michael and I had turned to watch the little creature. 

"I am glad you can offer me forgiveness Alarial," Michael said softly. "Though, I know the reason you are so quick to forgive." 

He turned and fixed his angelic eyes on me. 

"You feel like things have turned out for the best...don't you?" 

A swift wind blew across the cliff. Violets and Tulips and daisies fluttered gracefully along the sloped earth. I heard a particularly loud wave crash against the rocky crags below. 

I didn't know how to answer his question. I could feel a deep, rippling sadness in the timber of his voice...it made me feel like there was something I didn't understand...like there was some deep regret I didn't realize I should be mourning. 

Michael began to walk slowly up the slope towards me. Before I knew it, he was standing right in front of me. 

He was tall. With the incline, I was nearly up to his shoulder. I wanted to take a step back...not because I felt threatened...but his intense gaze made me long for some kind of escape. 

The cliff dropped just behind me...I couldn't get away. 

He raised a slender hand, and touched it gently to my forehead. For a moment, his fingers were above my eyes, and I couldn't see what he was doing. 

When he withdrew his hand, he held the shimmering golden cord that was my Awakening bond. 

My eyes widened. 

"What are you doing?" I asked...too terrified to speak above a whisper. 

"Don't touch that...please," I said meekly. 

The bond looked delicate and fragile in Michael's hand. Like it might snap if he squeezed it too hard. 

"It would be fitting if I severed this," Michael said, as he stared at the shimmering tether. "It is my magic, it is my transgression. I should put it right." 

I stood still...like a frightened rabbit caught in the gaze of a wolf. My body quivered...and I was afraid to move. 

Please don't do this...please don't do this...please don't do this. 

I chanted this phrase in my mind over and over again...like a prayer...I held the words tight like a crutch...like a drowning man might hold driftwood. 

Michael dropped released his grip on the bond, and it disappeared. 

"I cannot severe the bond right now," he said. "To undo this working I would have to expend all of my magic...and I have to meet Devnikolus today...even with the sun aiding me, it would be arrogant of me to approach him with less than my full strength." 

I let out a breath of relief. 

"But you should know one thing before you wake Alarial," Michael said, once again fixing me with his eyes. 

He stared at me for an entire minute. Then he said, 

"The bond does not simply influence you. Such magic is always reciprocal in nature. Just as the bond has changed you...so has it changed the Lord of Destruction. The man you claim to love...and the man he would be without the bond...are as different from each other as summer breeze and winter chill." 

Of course, I thought to myself...as I remembered those first few days with Devnik. Why did I not see it before? 

Michael looked closely at me, then nodded. 

"I see you understand." Michael said, then his eyes hardened. 

"But, before I allow you to wake, I will show the memories that some of the faithful have of your beloved before this bond came to be." 

Wait...what? 

The beautiful cliff side began to darken...and I could feel the dream changing again. 

"Know that I do this not to be cruel," Michael said sadly, "But because you need to know." 

Michael and his dream vanished like a wisp of smoke and new shapes began to form around me. 

*** 

I saw a primitive village in the still of night, with huts made all out of mud and grass and human determination. People with golden brown skin were running to and fro. True fear shone in their eyes. The tears of mothers fell like spring streams as they ran...clutching their babes. 

One by one, the huts burst into black, heatless, flames. 

Devnik appeared from out of the smoking ruins of these people's homes. His eyes glowed a malevolent red. The black flames moved forward as he did. 

He cast his head back, and cackled frenziedly into the night. 

*** 

I saw a forest bathed in moonlight. It was a primeval part of the world, untouched by human hands. Upon the forest floor, blue blood flecked the ground. Amongst the leaves and brambles, an Angel lay on his back. His face was cut and broken, but his brow was creased and resolved. 

Above him, Devnikolus stood, he was wreathed in black flames, and he barely looked human. He looked like he was made up of those black tendrils of fire...like he was made of pure destruction. 

The flames descended upon the Angel...and he screamed. 




Celestial Wars Ch. 03



*** 

I saw the Lord of Destruction, standing in a field. Black tears were streaming down his flawless cheeks...but his red eyes were hard, and his mouth was a grim line. 

Upon the grassy field, men in golden armor lay scattered about. An angel with bright blond hair that I thought I recognized shouted at the Demon, but I couldn't make out his words. They sounded like begging. 

I saw black flames gather around the Demon Prince...and I wanted to close my eyes and look away... 

*** 

"Maria! Wake up!" 

My eyes flung open, and I found myself staring into the same red eyes I had just had three visions of. My heart seized in my chest, and for a moment, I felt nothing but panic. 

Devnik gently placed a hand on my cheek, and gave me a warm, loving smile. 

"Are you all right, dear one?" 

Chapter 15 

Black Deeds 

"Love is not righteous. Only a fool who has never felt love's bitter edges would claim otherwise. Love is greedy, love is dark, and love is jealous. But this is why we desire love above all else. It is like a mania. Our thoughts become clouded, but our blood thrums with life." ~Attributed to Lilith, Princess of Lust and Blood 

Devnik 

The daylight shield rippled like gauze around me. My skin tingled as if a thin layer of frost had settled softly against it. 

I picked the ruby up and slipped it into my pocket. The gem felt dead and empty. The magic that normally coursed through it was gone, expended. 

Being forced to play one of my trump cards irritated me. The ruby was a comforting last resort. Now that it was used, I would have to wait decades before it could provide me with even an hour of protection. 

Jon was staring at me, speechless. I restrained the urge to roll my eyes. Jon liked to think that he had seen all of my tricks, and he seemed eternally bewildered when I kept surprising him. 

My gaze wandered over to Maria, whose hair was tousled by sleep. Stray locks of blonde hair pointed every which way, making her head look like the nest of some woodland creature. A warm feeling suffused me as I continued to stare at her. It was good to have her close. 

I had rather been hoping that my little ritual would wake her. One should not go to a potentially lethal battle without some sort of token of a lady's favor, and I had wonderful ideas about the 'favors' she could bestow upon me. All of them, however, required her to be awake. 

"Well," I said, "she seems to be an extraordinarily heavy sleeper." 

Jon followed my eyes to the bed. 

The white sheets had become tangled as she had stirred. They had fallen just enough to reveal the tops of Maria's breasts. Pale, curved skin peeked deliciously out from under the coverings. Maria had thrown one slim arm above her head. 

Jon spoke while I took in the sumptuous lines of her figure. "We had an extraordinarily trying journey, my Prince," he said as he averted his eyes from the sleeping half-angel. "We were attacked twice. Once by an Afflicted, and once by an entire ship of sailors." 

I nodded without looking at him. "I know, Jon," I said as I moved to stand. "Orias foresaw your journey. He was the one who told me to send Ezrih to rescue you from the ship. He was the one who warned me that the Judicar was traveling with you." 

My feet carried me toward the bed, and I knelt down beside Maria without thought. I listened to Jon splutter behind me while I traced my love's cheekbones with the pad of my thumb. She shifted slightly in her sleep. 

"My Prince," Jon said, "I hope you don't think too little of how I handled our travels. I was aware of the Judicar's identity the entire time and was bringing him here so that you could cast him through your Crossing Gate." 

I snorted. "How could I possibly get him to willingly walk into my realm? No living thing not of the Dark can be forced to walk Hell's roads." 

"Ah," he said, "but if I recall, Daniel has a piece of Darkness in him." 

My butler sounded terribly pleased with himself. Almost annoyingly so. 

"In fact," Jon continued, "I believe he has a stone heart beating in his chest ... crafted by your very magic." 

I pulled away from Maria and looked over my shoulder at the butler. 

Jon shrugged when he noticed my eyes on him. "I am merely speculating here," he said. "But I imagine Hell would gobble Daniel up readily." 

For a brief moment, I saw Daniel Fleeting—one of the four men to ever win immortality from me—condemned to wander my plane of Hell for eternity. It was a very agreeable fantasy. 

"That was"—I paused, unwilling to admit I hadn't thought of something—"very clever of you, Jon," I managed. "I will have to try and see if the Crossing will accept our guest after Michael and I have had words." 

My butler nodded. He gestured to the door, and I waved a hand in dismissal. 

Jon stood from his chair, and my supernatural hearing heard the tiny creaks and pops of his weary body. Suddenly, I felt very weary as well. Perhaps when this last matter was attended to, I would rest. 

"Don't think I've forgotten about that debacle on the boat," I said calmly, as I turned my attention back to Maria. "I'm going to tell Ezrih that you owe him..." I let Jon imagine what Ezrih would want as repayment. 

Jon sighed. "As you wish, my Prince." 

Then I heard him open the door, but I didn't hear him leave. 

"I suggest you hurry," Jon said after a moment's hesitation. "I don't know what has kept him, but I doubt Michael is going to dally much longer." 

Before waiting for my reply, he stepped through the door and closed it gently. 

I chuckled softly under my breath. I liked Jon. Impertinence suited him. 

Underneath my fingertips, Maria suddenly jerked violently. A great, heaving gasp rushed from between her parted lips. Beneath her eyelids, I could tell that her eyes were moving frantically. She jerked her head again and tears welled at the corners of her eyelashes. 

My heart clenched. She can't be afflicted with mortal illnesses ... can she? I thought uneasily. 

I was seconds away from calling Jon back when I caught the smell of it. A foreign Light magic on the air. It was insidious, and terribly, terribly subtle. It had completely slipped my detection. But now that I was focusing, I could sense it on Maria's skin. 

Dream magic, I thought to myself ... And more potent than any I have ever seen. 

A deep chill ran down my spine and settled at the base of my back. Michael. 

Frantically, I placed a hand on Maria's cheek and pushed my own magic against the spell that kept her asleep and dreaming. 

True dream magic is an art that only the Light can perform ... but I could still dispel the working ... hopefully. 

"Maria! Wake up!" I nearly yelled as I continued to channel magic against the foreign dream magic. Red sparks twitched down my hand as I gritted my teeth. Dispelling this magic had already consumed several times the power I had estimated it would. 

Finally, the dream magic shuddered ... and then broke. 

Maria's eyes flung open. Her pupils were wide and dilated, leaving little of her silver iris visible. 

Lust, light, and fear. Those are the three things that naturally widen the pupil ... and currently, fear radiated from my dear aethling's every pore. Before this moment I hadn't truly had any motivation to face Michael, other than duty to my king. 

But now, seeing Maria small and shivering like this, a blossoming anger towards the arch-angel unfurled. I did my best to stifle my growing rage. 

With a soft hand, I placed my palm on Maria's cheek. Her skin was cold and damp. 

"Are you alright, dear one?" I asked. 

Her body tensed up under my hand and she shied away from my touch. 

Confused and worried, I withdrew my hand as if I'd been burned. 

Ah, I thought after a moment, her fear is not for Michael ... it is ... for me. 

The anger that had been roiling and boiling inside of me reached a crest. Before I knew it the room was dark and cold and tinged with a wicked red hue. 

Never before had I felt this ... hurt. 

"What did you dream of, my pet?" I asked in the calmest voice I could muster. 

Maria huddled the sheet close to her body, attempting to cover herself. Her eyes had begun to water again. 

"I won't ask again, aethling," I murmured dangerously. 

Maria's head sunk down. "Michael visited me while I slept. He told me some things ... and he showed me even more." 

My mouth grew dry. "What did he say?" 

Maria pulled her legs up to her chest and set her head on her knees. She closed her eyes. "He told me he was sorry he didn't make the protections around the Aethling awakening stronger." 

I nodded dumbly, but she didn't see. Her eyes were still shut. 

She continued. "He also said that the only reason you've been kind and loving towards me ... is because the Awakening bond works both ways." 

No ... I thought. That's not possible. I would have felt it. I closed my eyes and dived deep to search out the bond's presence within my magic self. 

It was not on the surface like I had expected. It was not a weak and subtle thing as I had imagined it to be, to escape my notice for so long. I did not find it amongst the roiling ocean of Dark magic I had at my disposal. I did not find it even deeper down, within the place where the dark flames of Destruction rested. Michael probably lied to her. I can't find it where a normal working would take hold. 

But I hadn't looked everywhere. With hesitation, I searched farther down. 

There, down in the deepest part of myself, I found my love for Maria. 

It looked like a golden cord, made up all out of starlight and stillness. And like a gently twisting vine, it had entwined itself all around my true form. 

It looked wholly out of place wrapped around the embodiment of The Prince of Unmaking. Like snow white lilies decorating a guillotine. Like a dove perched atop a lion with blood on its maw. 

My anger cooled as fast as it had risen. In its place was a pit of sadness and disgust. Our love is a lie, I thought to myself bitterly. No matter how much I might wish otherwise, this beautiful magic was guiding me to act against my nature. 

I opened my eyes and found myself looking into Maria's bright silver eyes. 

"What else did he say?" I asked, my voice sounding hollow and dull. 

Maria regarded me warily, though not with the same fear as before. Now she simply looked confused and tired. 

"He showed me visions of you," she whispered. "I watched you murder an entire village with strange black fire ... I watched you kill other angels ... I watched you laugh at their suffering." 

I couldn't remember what specific nights those might have been. There had been many in the early years. 

Maria watched my eyes to see if I would deny the truth of Michael's dream visions. I held her gaze as my stomach churned in regret. 

"You knew that I was a monster," I said. "In France—in my library—you caught an inkling of the black deeds I have done." 

Maria nodded once, her blonde hair swirling and falling in front of her face. 

"You said you did not care then," I said. "Has that changed? 

Maria pulled her hair back and looked at me with an expression I hadn't seen from her in some time. Her face was fixed in the defiant expression she had worn during our first moments together. With a speed I had forgotten she possessed, she blurred out of bed and shoved me. In my surprise I tripped over the chair Jon had been sitting on and fell hard onto the floor. 

She was on top of me in an instant, her delicate nose a mere finger breadth away from mine, her golden hair hanging down and around us framing both our faces. Her hands rested on my chest crackling with unspent Light magic. I could feel the energy against my breastbone, and I could see the azure blue glow reflected off the floorboards. We held this position for a moment. 

All that could be heard was the sound of our breath and the gentle hum of Maria's magic. 

Then Maria spoke and the words she whispered were words for remembering. They were words that resonated within me. 

"There is some part of me," she said, "that wishes to burn you to a cinder for every black deed that you wrecked upon the weak and innocent." 

Her hands on my chest shook and the magic that she held against me began to burn and char. It hurt, but I was too stunned to move. 

Maria closed her eyes and a tear that had been mantled on her lashes dropped and landed on my cheek. She drew a breath and continued. "But that same part directs the bulk of her fury and disgust at the rest of me." A great tremor wracked her body. The magic that had been eating at my chest went still. 

Slowly, she lowered herself and gently pressed her forehead against mine. 

"I am disgusted with myself ... because even after witnessing your crimes first hand ... I still love you." 

Words for remembering. 

Words that made me ache inside. 

*** 

-Alarial- 

There. 

I had said it. 

The fear and confusion and the grief all rushed out of me. I now felt pleasantly empty and numb ... like a wound had just been cauterized to stop the bleeding. 

Now I let myself think about nothing but the man lying beneath me. 

I did not think about the terror I had briefly felt when I had seen his face as I woke. I did not think of the part of me that clung to any semblance of right and wrong. That part had quietened. It had left me alone with my misguided love. 

Slowly, Devnik raised his arms and wrapped them around me. 

"Thank you, Maria," he said, his voice hitched and faltering. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was close to tears. 

"My real name is Alarial ... Master," I said into the crook of his shoulder. 

He nodded once. With a soft hand, he took hold of my chin and looked at me. His eyes were warm and fire red. "My name is Devnik," he said, "not Master." 

"But the bond makes me obey—" I began, but Devnik shushed me with a kiss that was long and deep and perfect. 

When he pulled away, he ran a hand through my hair. He pulled on one strand playfully. In that moment he looked nothing like a demon ... not even a little bit. 

"Alarial is a beautiful name," he said. "I like it." 

And just like that, my world fell back into place. 

For a handful of seconds. 

A white flash scalded its way through the window ... and a loud boom accompanied it ... like thunder after lightning. 

"Devnikolus!" yelled Michael from outside, his voice sounding unnaturally loud. "Events have occurred that I cannot explain and there are schemes in motion that I cannot divine!" The timbers of the house shook slightly under the force of Michael's voice. "I am coming in!" Michael continued. "I desire answers. These plots and plotters must face the Light's accounting with valor!" 

Devnik smiled sadly at me. I nodded at him. We stood as one. 

"No need!" my Dark God roared back in an equally loud voice. "I will meet you outside!" 

My eardrums throbbed from all the yelling. I wondered what the nearby humans must think. 

Wait, did Devnik say outside? But it's daylight! 

I turned to tell Devnik off for being impulsive and forgetting that it was daytime. I never got to say a word, though. Before I could speak Devnik was already bounding through the hall and down the stairs. 

*** 

-Daniel Fleeting- 

Consciousness came to me slowly. 

My body hurt and my eyes felt crusted shut. For a moment I lay still without moving. For an instant I was at peace. It felt good to just lie here ... motionless. 

Then the pain hit. Tiny white-hot knives seemed to dig into my skin wherever they could. With the pain came despair. 

How could I have been so stupid? I thought bitterly to myself. How could I let myself fall into a trap so easily? 

Around my wrists and ankles the heavy weight of the manacles ensnared me. Curiously, however, I was lying down, rather than dangling from the ceiling. 

What had happened since I passed out? With surprising effort I managed to open my bleary eyes. 

I was greeted by pure, unbroken darkness. 

For a moment I thought I had gone blind. I thought perhaps Maria's magic had destroyed my vision, that my demonic core had yet to heal me. 

"You are not blind," came the voice of Vraiel inside my head. "From what I can sense, we are deep underground." 

I tried to sit up. I managed to lift my head, when my magically induced injuries screamed in protest. My head clunked back down onto the cold stone floor and I gasped in a desperate breath. 

"The damage that the aethling inflicted was severe," said Vraiel. "It will take some time for the stone heart to heal us." 

"So what?" I asked wearily. "Do we simply sit here and await our fate? We don't even know where we are." 

I sensed Vraiel attempting to send me soothing emotions, but my mood was black and full of bile. We had come so close to our goal ... and yet we had been outmaneuvered so easily. 

Vraiel sighed in my head. "Let me try to create some light," he suggested. "Lend me control of your arm." 

Gladly, I yielded control of my right arm. It stopped hurting immediately. 

Vraiel lifted our hand. The manacle and chain rattled as our arm moved, but it did not restrain us. Vraiel began to pull on our store of Light magic. A bright bloom of blue light blossomed on the tips of our fingers. 

He flicked our index finger and the ball of magic drifted slowly up and away. It eventually struck the ceiling. The orb erupted into an illuminating blue flash. Suddenly, the entire room was bathed in a gentle glow. 

I cast my gaze about as best I could from the ground. 

From what I could see, the room was startlingly simple. The walls were made of smooth black stone, and the chamber itself was hardly expansive. It was maybe eight paces from one end to the other. 

Not that we would be doing any pacing. 

Vraiel relinquished my arm and the pain in that limb returned. 

I moaned piteously in the dark. 

"There's no door in here," Vraiel said, his voice heavy. "That explains why the chains aren't attached to anything. We couldn't leave even if we wanted to." 

"Great," I said aloud. "This room was designed to be accessed only by translocation magic. So we'll just wait for Devnikolus to pop in, shall we?" 

Vraiel didn't answer, but I could tell he was brooding. 

Right then, my demonic core roared into life. Red sparks glittered all over my bruised body. The pain that normally accompanied the mixing of demonic and angelic magic was added to the already present pain. 

I nearly lost my mind. 

Vraiel helped me by taking control of my entire body while I spasmed in pain. His aid helped numb a good portion of it, but it was still many moments before I could think of something besides the pervasive agony. 

Finally the pain died away, and the red sparks guttered and winked out. 

"The price of eternal life ... eh, Daniel?" said Vraiel. He didn't say it unkindly, but I couldn't help but feel resentful. 

"Don't you start having one of your moods, Vraiel," I said past a thick tongue. "If I have to rehash the past with you now, of all times, I will probably strangle us with the chains." 

Vraiel chuckled. "Truthfully, I doubt I could make you feel any worse." 

That was comforting. 

I tried sitting up again. My body contracted smoothly. I managed to flex my core muscles, which brought me upright easily. It happened like this every time. First there was the pain, and then my body was like new. 

I spied my sword lying tangled up in the black iron of the chains a pace away. I pulled it out from the mess of metal. As I pressed my hand into the grip the familiar warmth and power that I always came with my Judicar sword jolted up my arm. 




Celestial Wars Ch. 03



Feeling slightly more in control of my desperate situation, I pulled my legs up and underneath me. I lay my sword across my lap and adopted the meditation pose that the fae called 'The Stone that Splits the River.' My mind slowed as I lowered myself into the meditative exercise. 

I took stock of all the wounds that had healed. I took stock of how much magic Vraiel and I had at our disposal. I took stock of the demon heart. It beat with its normal hypnotic pulsing. 

I moved on from the heart, lest it take me from my meditation with its lurid impulses. 

Then came a voice. It was so quiet and muffled, that had I not been in the hyperaware state that I was, I would never have heard it. 

"Devnikolus." the soft voice said, "events have occurred that I cannot explain and there are schemes in motion that I cannot divine." 

For a moment ... I thought I had imagined it. 

"Did you here that, Vraiel?" I asked. 

Vraiel ... for the first time in many centuries ... was stunned, and just a bit afraid. 

"Vraiel?!" I called. "What is it?" 

"My God ... why would he come here?" Vraiel said to himself. "What have we walked into?" 

Vraiel was beginning to scare me and that sharp emotion rent me out of 'Stone Split River.' 

"What is it! What was that voice?" I asked again, my tone taking on a hard, frightened edge. 

"Archangel Michael is on the manor grounds," Vraiel said, his voice disbelieving. "There is high Celestial intrigue at work here, Daniel. Archangels and Demon Princes do not meet for anything less." 

Surely Devnikolus wasn't planning to fight Michael, was he? 

"We have to help him!" I sprang easily to my feet. The chains rattled, but at my full strength they did little to weigh me down. "Let's just blast our way out of this place," I said as I began to pull on greater amounts of our magic. 

"We can't," Vraiel said, his voice tight with angst. "That voice that sounded so soft was actually a yell to shake the treetops." 

"Oh. That must mean—" 

"Yes," Vraiel thought. "We are nearly half a league under the earth. An army of seraphim could not force their way out of this pit." 

I stood there for a full moment. 

Then I screamed my frustration. 

Chapter 16 

The Confrontation 

The Singers are the seven that tend to God's throne. They flitter about the Center Sphere, and chant the eternal praises of their Lord. When He does not sit the throne, the Light look to the Singers to lead them. 

-Taken from Alexander Morningstar's 'Celestial Matters.' 

~ 

Devnik 

I jumped the full flight of stairs in my haste. I landed at the bottom as gently as an autumn leaf, as silent as a whisper. My movements might have been quiet, but my body was shaking with an eager, uncontained readiness 

A brief pause took me as I reached out towards the oaken front door. Outside was the full light of the late morning. The memory of what had happened the last time I had stood under the sun's rays flashed vividly in my mind. 

My chest itched as if it could feel the remnants of the cut Cariel had slashed across it. 

I put my hand on the door, and heaved it open. 

Light spilled across my face. 

For a moment I had to suppress a deep seated instinct to flinch and cower in the presence of the Light's light. When I was composed, I cautiously I tried to take a step outside. I found my leg ready and able to move. 

The daylight shield was working. 

Now then... 

*** 

Cariel 

I sensed Devnikolus' presence blur past the door to the guest room. 

He was going out there. 

He was really going to go face Michael. It seemed almost surreal. It seemed unbelievable. For the vast majority of the Light, the Arch-Angels were all-powerful and unassailable. 

One might more readily scold a thunderstorm for its actions than an Arch-Angel. One might more readily fight a mountainside than fight an Arch-Angel. 

For a brief moment I worried. By all rights, I had held my own better than I had any right to in my fight against the Prince of Destruction. 

Michael was so far above me in terms of power and position that it made my head ache. 

I wondered why he was here... 

Perhaps he was here to offer the aid he had once refused me? 

I had met Michael twice before. Once, through Michael's friendship with my Celestial Superior Johoel. 

The second was when I went to beg for my half-sister's freedom. 

It had taken me two full days of begging and bartering before I was allowed entrance to the Center Sphere. When I had finally stepped into its golden halls, my meeting with Lord Michael had been brief. 

He had told me that he could free Alarial from Devnikolus' control if I could get her to come away with me to a place where Michael would have time to meet us. 

Was he outside because he had changed his mind? Did he now intend to help us? 

A little too late for that, I thought angrily. Aid would have been welcome before I had this collar clenched around my neck. 

*** 

The soulless man shifted slightly in his place by the windowsill... distracting me from my ruminations. 

"You can't see the front garden from that window," I said, with some of my anger bleeding into my voice. 

The strange human shrugged without looking at me. 

"I don't particularly want to watch," he said mildly. 

The man had been quiet and withdrawn since he had returned and told me about Devnikolus's sun shield and his plan to face Lord Michael. 

I raised an eyebrow. "You watched me fight your Master," I said leadingly. 

Jon laughed. 

"Your Master too now," he said with a small smile. "Unless I've been mishearing since I got here?" 

I didn't rise to his jest. I wanted him to answer my question. 

When I didn't respond, he looked back at me and sighed. 

"When my Prince fought you, there was a chance that I might prove useful," he said, his voice losing much of its mirth. "But against an Arch-Angel... I imagine I'd just be a liability." 

I huffed at that, and pressed my shoulders against a wall. For a few moments I contemplated pouncing on this annoying human. I wasn't accustomed to hearing human sinners talk to me in such a manner. 

But then...I thought about the punishment Devnikolus had given me when I attacked the Bra'rul. I thought about the chains, and the blows he had rained down on me. My body shivered and clenched. 

"I want to watch," I blurted out suddenly. 

Jon raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't recommend going outside." 

"A window," I said quickly. "Where's a window I could watch from?" 

Jon eyed me for a long moment. I could tell he didn't quite know what to make of me. 

Something in that stare made me shift uncomfortably. 

"Hmm," Jon said finally. "I haven't been to this manor in about four centuries...but I think the bathroom might have a high window with a discrete view of the manor's front grounds." 

He gestured out the door, and then turned back to look out the window that wouldn't show him anything of the fight. 

Without saying another word, I left the human to his brooding, and crossed into the hallway. 

I was nearly to the bathroom when the door to the Master's chamber opened. Alarial stepped out, and neatly closed the door behind herself. 

She turned, and froze when she saw me. 

My half-sister's blond hair was an absolute mess...it looked like she had been the loser in a fight with her pillows. Her clothes weren't much better. She had slipped her old travel clothes on. A grass stain clung to the knee of her brown pants, and it looked like a few small specks of blue blood had stained her shirt at the shoulder. 

"Are you going to watch?" I asked simply. 

Alarial gave me a hard...scrutinizing look. 

I could only imagine what she saw. I was dressed in a heavy red robe that Jon had found in the guest room dresser. I still felt slightly nauseous and unwell from Lord Michael's compulsions. 

But more than that... I could feel the lingering shame of my display earlier. I had told a demon that I would love him if he satisfied my addictions...and she had seen it. 

"Yes..." she said slowly, her silver eyes betraying her distrust. 

I turned, popped the bathroom door open, and gestured for her to follow me inside. 

The window was too high to see out of for someone of my height. Scowling, I grabbed the copper bathtub, and dragged it underneath the window. 

"What are you doing?" Alarial asked from the doorway. 

I put one probing foot on the side of the tub. It seemed it would hold my weight without tipping over. 

"The human said this was the best window to watch from," I said, attempting to keep the ridiculousness of the situation out of my voice. 

"And what?" she asked frostily, "Are we going to take turns standing on a wash tub?" 

I edged my feet over, so that there was space for her to stand on the side as well. 

Alarial tentatively stepped up onto the tub next to me...I could smell the Demon Prince's scent on her. 

I tried to ignore the feelings that roused in me...and turned my attention to the grounds beyond the window...where a dark haired man dressed in a black waistcoat was slowly sauntering toward a copper haired man adorned in a simple white tunic. 

*** 

Devnik 

The wind was high in the tree branches as I walked slowly and measuredly down the garden path. The pleasant and unusual feel of the sun's warmth was at my back. Occasionally the breeze would swoop down and cut the heat with a tingling chill. 

I felt all these things as I approached Michael. He was taller than me by an inch or two, and broader as well. His face was sharp and harsh, and framed by a ridiculous mop of bright bronze hair that curled every which way. 

He was just what I expected...just what I had heard. 

To his credit, he didn't attempt to do anything awe inspiring or magically intimidating. 

That was the low sort of posturing that lesser demons and humans might take note of...but not me. Instead, he simply stood in the middle of my garden with his hands clasped behind his back. His face was stern, and slanted in an angry, disapproving expression. 

But that was all the reaction my appearance mustered from him. 

I stopped ten paces in front of him, and gave him my best smile. If he was not going to play the role of the righteously indignant angel, then I would happily take up the mantle of the mocking demon. 

"So wonderful of you to drop in Michael," I said, layering my voice with false graciousness. "You must excuse my lack of hospitality. I would have made the servants put the tea kettle on had I known you were coming..." 

The Arch-Angel cocked his head slightly to the side. His silver eyes narrowed. 

"And yet," he said, "You are wearing a daylight shield. You must have known I was coming in order to prepare..." His voice was low and rich, but his tone was far too mild for an irate Angel. 

"Are you insinuating that I have purposely not prepared any tea?" I asked wryly...trying to diffuse the nerves that this Angel inspired in me. 

Michael frowned and waved a hand. 

Suddenly, blue sparks erupted from Michael's fingers, and blurred towards me at a shocking speed. I barely managed to raise a hand in time and knock the spell away. 

My skin fizzled and burned from where the magic had touched my skin. I shook the pain from it with a grimace. 

"Speak respectfully Devnikolus," Michael said, with nothing more than faint disapproval. "Goading is far beneath us both." 

I blinked once and nodded. 

"Very well," I said as my magic healed my charred flesh. "I did know that you were coming." 

Michael inclined his head and returned his hand behind his back, "Thank you," he said. "I appreciate your civility." 

He paused then. The sun slipped behind a passing cloud, and my garden darkened briefly. In the distance I could hear a horse and cart trundling down the dirt road. 

"Devnikolus," the Arch-Angel began, "would you please tell me why you killed a Judicar bonded Angel, and then killed Legionnaire sortie fifty-four?" 

That was very direct. 

I looked up at the sun. I estimated that fifteen minutes would be long enough in order to give Lucifer his half-hour. I just needed to keep him here a little longer. 

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," I said, surprising myself with the sincerity in my own voice. 

Michael frowned. "So there is a scheme," he said evenly. "I wonder what could it be?" 

"Perhaps I needed their deaths for a greater Working?" I suggested, hoping to keep him talking a few moment more...before the fighting began. 

Michael shook his head, "No," he said almost too himself, "I don't sense that you've stored their essence anywhere." He paused, then said, "Could you have been trying to draw out Viriel? I know you have had encounters in the past..." 

I nearly laughed aloud. I stifled it quickly. I doubted Michael would appreciate a laughing demon. 

"Hardly worth my time," I said. "He was an amusing distraction over the years...nothing more." 

The angel nodded. "Yes...quite," he said. "And then I cannot forget that you anticipated my arrival...that means that you've either given this plan a good deal of forethought...or you've had some sort of access to predictions of the future." 

I stood still and silent. Watching Michael think was awe-inspiring. He hadn't been wrong yet. 

"And then," Michael continued, "there is the fact that you have chosen to stand bravely against me...rather than slink into the shadows...as your kind is want to do." 

I felt a brief twinge of irritation flicker in the corners of my mouth. Michael stood before me calmly and unafraid. A gentle breeze swept through the garden. The angel's bronze hair moved slightly in the wind. Above, the cloud covering the sun was blown gently away...and light bathed the manor grounds once more. 

It took me a second before I was sure I could speak calmly. 

"Perhaps I've found my courage," I said, biting back darker words. 

"Courage can come and go," Michael said, as if he was conceding a point I had made, "But I've found that unless valor rests at the heart of who you are...then most have to have an underlying reason for finding fortitude." 

I was beginning to find Michael's calm...irritating. 

"Well," I said, "As I've mentioned, I fear I am going to be less than forth coming about my motivations." 

Michael sighed. He fluidly lowered his stance. He brought his hands up and out from behind his back, and widened his fingers and thumb into a traditional magic casting stance. 

"I had wanted to avoid this Devniel," Michael said softly. For a brief moment, I could detect the great well of pity and sadness Michael felt for me. He felt the sadness that only comes from looking on at a creature that has known heaven... and will never return. 

I lowered myself down into my own casting stance. 

"I've never met you... and you never knew me when I bore that name," I said as I felt vitriol and pain crystalizing in my gut. "I forbid you to utter it." 

"Very well," Michael said. "I must avenge those of the Light who have been killed. If I cannot do it with words, I will do it with actions. Let us be brave together demon." 

I opened my mouth to retort, but before I could utter a word, Michael twirled away from me. He whipped the back of his hand around and a wave of shimmering magic exploded outward at me. 

The talking was apparently done. 

I drew on my power. Red sparks fluttered as I shot both my arms up into the air. Earth from my garden rose up and in front of me like a shield. The clumped and matted wall of dirt flashed and was turned into a fine powder as Michael's spell connected. 

Anticipating his next move, I pushed off on my left foot, and blurred away to my right...just in time to dodge a blinding gout of blue flames. 

As soon as I touched back down to the ground, I pivoted, and jabbed both index fingers at my opponent and cast. 

Twin red beams of demonic magic sliced towards the Arch-Angel. 

Michael ducked underneath them both and rolled away. In a neat forward turn, he sprang back up to his feet, and pushed the heel of his palm at me with supernatural celerity. 

A shockwave of wind hurtled at me. It wasn't a traditional spell, and it caught me wholly unprepared. 

The gale hit me in the face with the strength of a tidal wave. It lifted me from my feet...and I somersaulted bonelessly through the air. 

*** 

-Alarial- 

A small rasping scream caught in my throat as I watched Devnik fly end over end before landing in a hedge. My breath fogged the dirty glass window, and both Cariel and I hastily wiped it away. 

This was too much. When Cariel and I watched them talk for so long I almost convinced myself that there would be no fighting at all. 

How foolish I was. 

My Dark God burst out the hedge in a flurry of leaves. In each hand he held two glowing red orbs of magic. The magic radiating from Devnik's magic set my face tingling. I held my breath as I watch Devnik throw one spell after the other. 

Michael dodged them both...and I cursed under my breath. 

To my surprise, so did Cariel. 

Without taking my eyes from the garden below, I asked, "Why would you hope for a Demon's victory? From what you've said, isn't Michael our salvation?" 

I watched Cariel's grip tighten on the window sill. She leaned her head forward slightly, and strands of red hair fell over her shoulders. 

"You heard what I said last night," she said in a voice barely above a whisper, "you heard the shameful things I want the demon to do to me." 

"Yes," I said with a little heat in my voice, "I did." 

We fell silent as Michael unleashed a torrent of ice blue lighting at Devnik. I watched in horror as Devnik was forced to catch the spell with his hands. His face contorted with pain. 

"Why doesn't he draw his sword and close the distance!" I yelled at the window, as if I was a spectator at a game of court tennis. 

"They're fighting very traditionally," Cariel said, as if she were my teacher. "Beings of greater power begin by exchanging spells and taking the other's measure...when they draw swords...things will be different." 

I watched Devnik take a glancing blow to his shoulder as Michael unleashed a fresh spell. Devnik was spun by the magic...and he barely dodge Michael's following attack. 

"He's losing," Cariel said softly. A piece of the wooden window sill splintered in her grasp. 

The anger I had carried against Cariel leapt up, like a new flame from a smoldering coal. 

"Be quiet!" I screeched, as I forced my eyes from the garden. "There is no one more powerful than him!" 

Even as I said the words I realized how desperate they sounded. 

Cariel turned her head to look at me. Sorrow was etched on her porcelain white face. Now that she was looking at me, I could clearly see tears dripping down her cheeks. 

Her voice hitched as she spoke. 

"On any other day you'd be right..." she said slowly. "But right now...against that Michael...you're wrong...as wrong as you can be." 

I grit my teeth. I wanted to claw Cariel's eyes for doubting Devnik...I wanted to do...something. 

Cariel stepped down off the tub, and sat down against the bathroom wall. She leaned her head back, and she stared up at the ceiling. 

"Michael will probably kill him," Cariel said her voice dull and listless. "If you're lucky, he'll forgive you and forge you another Aethling bond with a respectable Angel...as for me...hopefully he kills me quickly. I deserve no less for my failure...and my...desires." 

I was about to respond to her...or attack her...when the bathroom door opened, and Jon walked in, looking about pale and angry. 




Celestial Wars Ch. 03



"Be quiet Seraphim," Jon said in a loud, furious voice. "He doesn't need to win. He just needs to last another ten minutes." 

*** 

Devnik 

Black damn. 

He was good. He moved well. He didn't waste more power than he needed to. His spells were ingenious and hard to read. He'd scored two hits on me...and all I'd manage to strike was a tree and empty air. 

We're right here Master... came the dry, laughing whisper of Destruction. Michael would look wonderful dressed in black fire...use us" 

No. 

I couldn't use Destruction. That would change the nature of our battle. Right now, we were both testing the other. Using my black flames would constitute a lethal attack, and I didn't want to escalate things when I just needed to stall for a bit longer. 

Then I heard Jon's voice...just barely audible above the magic crackling amongst the garden. 

"He doesn't need to win," Jon said, in what must have been a yell, "He just needs to last another ten minutes." 

Michael's eyes narrowed in confusion, and I knew he had heard. 

Shit. 

Favorite human or not, Jon was going to feel the full weight of my displeasure for that slip. 

Thinking quickly, in an attempt to distract the angel from analyzing my idiot servant's words, I drew both my hands back, and flung three consecutive waves of bright red sparks at Michael. The arch-angel didn't even blink in surprise, and he was already in motion. He dodge the first by ducking underneath it, the second by jumping over it. 

However, as the third one approached, I anticipated how he would attempt to dodge...by moving to the side with his dominant foot. 

As Michael shifted his weight to his right foot...a snarled tree root erupted from the ground in a spray of earth and bedrock. Like a snake, the wood of the root coiled itself around Michael's foot, and prevented him from sidestepping. 

The blast caught him in the stomach. I watched the breath whoosh out of the arch-angel as his face scrunched in pain and surprise. The force from the spell would have sent him flying, but the root around his ankle pulled him up short, and he jerked to a rough stop before landing on the ground. 

He wasn't down for long. 

A field of blue shimmered into life around Michael as he threw up a magical barrier. The follow up spell that I had already cast at him rebounded off his shield and set a rose bush on fire. 

The angel sat up, and ripped the root from his leg like it was made of old parchment. He rose steadily to his feet and massaged his stomach. The white tunic that he was wearing was slightly blackened from my spell. 

Michael let his barrier spell die as he stared at me. 

"The Dark have no command over the trees and plants of Creation," Michael said plainly. "How did you..." The angel trailed off as he began casting his gaze over the manor grounds. 

He inhaled deeply...then nodded. 

"These plants were grown in Hell," he said. His mouth turned down into a frown as he bent down and pulled a blade of grass from the ground. 

"This place is your Crossing," Michael said, as he dropped the grass in his hand. "Why have you lured me here Demon? You risk much by revealing this place." 

I smiled, perhaps he had forgotten Jon's mistake. 

"I wanted to show you my garden," I said as I made an expansive gesture with both arms. "I find it so hard to get an honest opinion about my roses from the servants." 

The arch-angel sighed. He looked sad, and tired. 

"What do you hope to gain from all of this Demon?" he said. "I heard a man inside the house claim that you were stalling me. Do you wait for reinforcements?" 

I decided not to answer. I lowered myself back down into my casting stance. 

"Has all of this been an attempt to kill me?" Michael asked "I can't think of anything..." He trailed off suddenly, his eyes widening as his face alit with shock and frustration. 

"No," he said slowly... "This is a distraction!" He yelled, his voice having lost its calm. "Curses, the monastery!" 

The Arch-Angel turned. Enormous marble white wings erupted from his back in a flurry of blue sparks. With a speed I had rarely seen, Michael was already tearing down the pathway toward the entrance before I could take a breath. 

Fuck. 

I closed my eyes hurriedly and threw my concentration toward the Working I needed to perform. 

Red lighting exploded from my palm as I raised it up towards the sky. Power rushed from my body as I poured my will into my earthly domain. 

My domain responded...and the earth shuddered as my Crossing awoke. 

Where once the Irish landscape had surrounded the grounds to my manor house...now suddenly there was nothing but an ever expanding blackness. The surrounding trees outside the walls of my property were gone...as were the subtle sounds of the nearby city. Despite the fact that there was nothing but darkness where the sky used to be...if one were to look around at the garden...one would think the sun still hung overhead. 

I had done it. 

I lowered my hand wearily and looked to see if I had been in time to catch Michael. 

At the very edge of the grounds Michael had stopped. He was floating in the air...looking out into the never ending blackness where the mortal world used to be. 

And for a moment...everything was still and hushed...as we stood in a world straddled between Creation and Hell. 

Chapter 17 

The Prince of Destruction 

I said the words, and the world fell away. 

The Demon appeared, and asked me to stay. 

He said Hell was near, he could show me the way. 

But I ran and ran, fearing the price I'd pay 

-A strange poem entitled 'Winnowing' 

~ 

-Daniel- 

I was sitting with my back to one of the black stone walls. My sword was in my lap, and my mind was focused as I strained my supernaturally enhanced hearing, trying to catch the sound of Michael and Devnikolus on the surface. 

Vraiel was tense and angry in the back of my head. 

"I can't tell who is winning," he said. 

I ran my fingers down the length of my sword. Over the years, I've found that this action calms us both. 

"You said that there was no chance of Devnikolus defeating Michael," I said. I tried to pitch my voice in a low and soothing tone, but I was nervous as well, and Vraiel wasn't fooled. We sat in silence. Nothing moved in the underground room except for the faint blue glittering of our light spell. 

A tiny red spark jumped across the far wall, directly across from me. 

I blinked. Thinking that I had imagined it. 

I opened my mouth, about to ask Vraiel if he had seen anything, when an explosion of Demonic magic thundered into life. 

Harsh runes, written in the jagged lines of Hell's language appeared in the four corners of the wall. The four runes began to grow across the wall in sharp lines... the way ice cracks upon a frozen lake. They glowed a deep, pulsing red as they wove themselves into a great pattern. 

"I don't believe it," Vraiel uttered in my mind. "This...this cannot be." 

The magic symbols continued to dance across the wall. They swirled and curled in a frighteningly complex pattern. Then, like a bolt slipping onto a latch, the demonic runes halted with a thud. 

Before me, the red lines of power had settled and cooled into the shape of an ornate double door. Above the twin doors lay an arch-way, and within that arch, were words: 

"The Broken Gardens," I whispered, as I read. 

Instinctively, my legs and arms folded in front of me as a feeble, childlike attempt at protection. 

Insidious power, like none I had ever felt, emanated from that door. Muffled voices seemed to slip from the seams of the stone. 

"Vraiel?" I asked, as my voice trembled, "What is that?" 

The doors creaked open slightly, and I couldn't help but gaze within. 

"It is a Crossing," Vraiel said. "We sit at the threshold of hell." 

-Alarial- 

Jon had his hands over his eyes. When we had all realized that Michael had heard him, a shudder had run through the butler's body that I had thought might make his knees give out. 

He had remained standing, but his shoulders had sagged, and his hand hadn't left his face. 

"I'm such a fool..." Jon muttered to himself. "He's going to punish me for decades for this..." 

I wanted to comfort him, but I couldn't tear my eyes from the window, where something I had never envisioned in my wildest imagination was occurring. 

The world had disappeared. 

Well...not all of the world...just well...most of it. 

Outside of the manor grounds, the rest of Ireland seemed to have...disappeared. 

Instead, there was nothing but a frightening black space. I hadn't realized my love could do something like this. What had happened? 

My eyes flicked toward Devnik. The red column of magic coming from his palm had thinned, and then guttered out. The spell was apparently over. My Dark God lowered his hand hesitantly. I couldn't quite see from so far away...but it looked like his hand had blackened...as if burned by his own spell. 

I twisted around on my precarious perch on the side of the bathtub. 

"Do either of you know what just happened?" I whispered. "Everything has gone all...empty... outside." 

Cariel didn't answer. Her legs were drawn up to her chest. Her slight pale body was shaking gently with tiny tremors. Tears were flowing freely down her face. Her eyes were closed tight. 

"He had to trap him," Jon said as he dragged his hand down his face. "Michael wasn't here for long enough, so Devnik had to prevent him from escaping and ruining Lucifer's plans." 

Cariel's silent tears hitched at that...and her silent crying turned into audible sobs. 

"But what did he do Jon?" I asked loudly, all thoughts of whispering forgotten. 

Jon looked at me. His face was too white and his brown eyes had unshed tears lingering within. 

"He opened his Crossing," Jon said. "We are in a realm in between Hell and the real world called 'The Winnowing.'" 

I stared at him blankly. 

Jon gave me a sad smile. 

"When the Prince decides the time is right...this realm will dissolve...and every sentient being within not of the Dark will be given a choice. They can choose to resist the call of Hell and return to Earth...or they can allow themselves to be sucked into Devnikolus's realm." 

"Oh," was all I could think to say. 

*** 

-Devnik- 

I smiled to myself. 

I had managed to drag my entire mortal domain into the Winnowing Realm. 

Orias had told me it was possible, if worse came to worse, but I hadn't really believed him. Winnowing is the realm a greater demon will take a mortal if it is believed that the mortal will be a boon to the Dark. 

If the mortal accepts, he will pass into Hell, where Hell will corrupt them into one of the Dark. 

I chuckled lightly to myself. I wondered if Michael would be interested. 

Before I could think of an appropriate taunt to yell at the arch-angel, I was distracted by a sharp sensation in my hand. 

I looked down. 

Dark, shadowy flames were bubbling out of the hand I had cast the Working with. 

My human hand had shattered. Already, fingers composed of pure Destruction were attempting to form to replace my lost appendage. 

I tried to focus my will on creating another hand before any more of my true form manifested itself. 

"DEMON!" Roared Michael at the outskirts of the manor gardens. 

I winced as the arch-angel's voice shattered my concentration. His voice seemed to vibrate the very earth. 

He sounded angry. 

In truth, I deserved his anger. I doubted anyone else in the history of Creation was bold enough, and stupid enough, to trap Lord Michael the Valiant in Winnowing. 

But it was just for five minutes. Then, I would slip back down to my realm. I had been absent for a long time. 

Soon, I would finally be able to rest. 

I looked up from my broken hand. 

Michael was standing right in front of me. 

I hadn't seen him move...hadn't heard him move. 

His eyes were inches from mine. They were the dark silver of a sky in a storm. 

"Do you know what you've done?" Michael asked. All his rage seemed to be gone. Now, all I could detect from him was sorrow. 

"Friar Ferdinand's book was nearly complete. It would have changed lives." 

I opened my mouth to respond. I didn't know what I would say. 

His fist struck me in the stomach. I'm suddenly doubled over, and in pain. 

Coughing, I tried to step back. 

Michael reached out and grabbed me by my hair and hurled me away. I strike the ground, hard. Tears gathered in my eyes and I have to blink them away. 

I look up and see him standing over me, his face a mask of sadness...but not mercy. 

My nose broke as the heel of his hand crushed my face. Black ichor dribbled out of my mouth and covered my chin and the grass beneath me. 

My body throbbed, threatening to come apart. 

"Men would have read his book and known the Lord's love," Michael said, as he drew back his hand for another blow. 

I tried to collapse into magic and flee. 

"Halt," Michael said in the language of the Light. 

Blue lighting crackled down my body. The pain was unbelievable. It had been eons since I had felt this kind of pain. 

The whole of my arm shattered, and the inky black fire of Destruction began to stream out. 

'Master?' Came the dry questioning whisper of Destruction. 

The flames wanted to know if I would use them. 

Michael's hand sparked as a new spell vibrated into existence. 

"But now, Satan has probably killed him, and burned his writings," Michael continued as I writhed underneath him. 

I tried to gather my reserves, but summoning 'Winnowing' to such a large area had left me drained. I closed my eyes. 

Then I was flying. Blue sky mixed with the emptiness of Winnowing flew by. I crashed into the front door of my manor house. The strong oak doors splintered like kindling. 

Wooden fragments pierced my human skin like needles. 

'Please Master?' Destruction called out. 

It was so hard to resist now. My human body was battered and broken. Pain seemed to fill my every thought. My mental shields couldn't hold up much longer. Destruction was pouring out in place of my missing limb. It was too much. 

I acquiesced, and embraced Destruction. 

The last of my fake form flaked away. True power, the likes of which I had suppressed for so long, rushed through me. Laughter began to bubble up from my sore throat. 

And then the change took me and everything faded... 

*** 

-Cariel- 

"We need to be ready," Jon said, as he paced frantically back and forth in the tiny bathroom. 

A loud crack echoed from outside, and Alarial gasped. 

Devnik must have been hit. 

I ruthlessly suppressed a raging desire to go help him. Instead, I fingered my collar, and tried to think of happy things. I tried not to think about the Demon, or the choice I would have to make, now that we were all in 'Winnowing.' 

But it was hopeless. A mere second passed and I was already trapped in another lurid fantasy. 

I'm naked with my legs spread, looking up at the Demon, awaiting his next command. His mouth is stern. His body is long and hard and entirely male. I can feel his dominance over me the way I'd feel the sun on my face. 

"Do you know what choice you will make?" Jon asked, breaking my fantasy. 

Alarial and Jon were both looking at me. 

My sister's blond hair was tangled and her face looked frightened and nervous...but there was also iron there in the way she had set her jaw...I knew she'd made her choice. 

Jon simply looked rattled. 

"Yes," I said, as I kept my hand on the gold band around my neck. 

My eyes unconsciously flicked back over towards my sister, looking for the anger and derision that I knew I deserved for my hypocrisy. 

But she wasn't looking at me. Her eyes were back out the window. 

Another crack echoed across the grounds from outside, and a bright blue light flashed in the window pane. 

"Love...?" Alarial whispered as she put a hand on the glass. 

A bright red light followed the blue one, and suddenly my senses came alive, as I felt a massive magical presence press against me. 

Then, I heard the laughter. It was like a dark, manic boom. There was no sanity, no goodness, in that laugh. It sounded like rocks grinding together. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before. 

I couldn't help but remembered some words that I had found carved into stone, as I perused the ruins of Alexandria. My commander, Seraphiel, had pointed them out me and the other Seraphim in our sortie. He had told us they described one of the ten Demon Princes. 

Only now did I remember the words I had read so long ago. 

Softly, I chanted under my breath. 

His voice is like a breaking bone 

And the song of shattering stone. 

Like listening to a city burn. 

He is the sound of the world 

Coming Undone 

*** 

-The Demon Prince of Destruction- 

Devnikolus breathed in deeply. 

He frowned. The stink of charred flesh and rubbled monuments didn't hang in the air. The cries of a broken civilization did not rise up to meet his ears. Strong men did not lie bloody and extinguished at his feet. 

That was wrong. Devnikolus brings destruction wherever he treads. He looked around, needing something to burn. 

His entire being screamed for the sweet song of ruin. 

He looked around, and could see nothing but Hell wrought foliage. 

The manor house... something whispered, and he scowled, there was nothing to burn here. 

An angel clad all in white flittered in front of him on giant wings. 

Michael...whispered a part of the demon lord that cared for things besides damage and decay. 

Perfect. 

He raised his hands, and limbs made all out of shadow and flickering flames rose in front of him. They were his true hands and he had missed them terribly. 

Gouts of true black fire rushed forward. The angel's silver eyes showed fear, but his body was moving. He scurried back and forth, desperately avoiding the beautiful fire. 

"Run little bird," Devnikolus said, pleased to hear his true voice on his black tongue. "The struggle makes the inevitable undoing all the sweeter." 

The angel shouted back at the demon lord while he moved and dodged and reeked of terror. 

"You think this corrupt power will be enough Demon Prince?" His voice was not as collected as it had once been. His calm had been broken. 

Devnikolus smiled. Other things would be broken soon. 

The demon laughed, and then he moved. He glided forth...made of nothing but darkness and flames. 

Suddenly he was standing in front of the angel. The angel's face started in fear. He backpedaled furiously as Devnikolus reached out to touch him. 

Blue spells shot from the frightened angel's fingertips. They passed through Devnikolus, like pebbles through smoke. 

The demon lord laughed again. Disasters like Prince Devnikolus heed nothing. A wall cannot stop the tsunami. A village cannot stand against the creeping lava. 

The angel's fear deepened as Devnikolus's flames reached for him again. 

"Enough!" the angel yelled, as his wings shot him backwards. 

The angel reached out his hand, and a sword appeared within it, out of a flash of blue lightning. 

The shadow-flame creature cocked his head to the side as he stared at the gleaming silver blade. It had a royal blue handgrip and a golden cross embedded in the pommel. 

Icy cold power rolled off the blade. 

Excalibur...Whispered a voice inside of Devnikolus. Caution. 




Celestial Wars Ch. 03



"Now cease demon!" the angel yelled. 

He darted forth, jabbing the blade at his demonic foe. Devnikolus flowed away from the strikes. The sword did not touch him. 

The angel's face was twisted in concentration. He was holding no part of himself back. He meant to slay the Prince of Destruction. 

The sword whistled, as it rushed towards the demon's shadow-head. Devnikolus moved like liquid underneath the blade, and snaked around the angel. Black flames darted out, too close to dodge. 

But then, the angel cut the sword at the flames, and they dispersed like smoke in the wind. 

The Black Fire of Destruction could not find purchase on Excalibur. 

The demon's fire shot out again, but not fast enough. 

The bright blade sunk into the demon lord's shoulder. Ragged spikes of pain echoed through the demon. True pain, felt in the demon's true form. 

Devnikolus tried to shift himself away from it, tried to flow away from the cold biting metal. But it held tight. 

Excalibur resisted the Lord of Destruction. 

It resisted like a tower amidst a hurricane, like an ancient oak amongst a forest fire...it stood against his chaos. 

The Lord of Destruction howled, and threw out a wave of dark fire that encompassed the garden and darkened the sky. The angel was forced to withdraw and the sword slid out. 

None of the fire found the angel's flesh, but it littered the field like pits of flickering nothing. 

*** 

-Alarial- 

I watched because I couldn't look away, even when the sword had been driven through him and that tidal wave of fire had erupted. 

My eyes were fixed on the shadow-flame creature as it moved like wood-smoke around the garden, and shot black flames at Michael. Something in my gut curled at the sight of that fire. It was like an instinctive fear, like the kind that comes with deep water, or moonless nights. 

That creature was the man I loved. 

Even though I was looking upon a true monster, my love for him was strong and clear through our bonding. Once in a while, I thought I could even see the shining gold cord of our joining deep within the flame shaped man. 

"Jon?" I asked, "Is that what Devnik really looks like?" 

Jon, who had still been eyeing Cariel as she sat on the bathroom floor, looked at me. 

"Yes, and no," Jon said. 

I had always wondered why people said that phrase. It was distinctly unhelpful. 

"Meaning?" I asked, as I watched Michael dodge another wave of fire, before cutting the rest with his sword. 

"The human form, the one that you are familiar with, was what Devnik looked like when he was an angel." 

"He was an angel once?" I asked. I would have been more stunned, but my capacity for surprise had long been exhausted. 

Jon nodded, "He was Devniel, the angel of Building and Preserving. Then, something happened ages ago, and Devniel was corrupted by Hell into Devnikolus. It was then that he was cursed to live as that...thing...you see outside." 

"But he can still appear as his angelic self?" I asked. 

"Apparently," Jon said, exasperated. "I honestly don't know too much of the mechanics. He doesn't like to speak about it." 

Cariel stirred from her place at that. She rose gracefully to her feet, and looked out the window. 

"I think the thirty minutes have been over for a long while now..." 

*** 

-The Demon Prince of Destruction- 

Devnikolus could feel the slow change. Like the first cracks in a strong barricade. Like the tremble that heralds a cracking mountain. The angel was slowing, and he was not. 

The demon lord knew that he could break this angel. And the demon smiled, knowing that the sweet song of ruin would soon fill his veins. 

It would be euphoric. 

The sword was fast in Michael's hand, but the flames kept coming. It would be easier to fend off the quaking earth than to stop Destruction. More fire leapt forward. 

Michael screamed as a wisp of flame touched his tunic. The flames stuck and began to burn. A touch to his skin would end him. But the Angel was moving quickly. 

He ripped the tunic free from his body. No fire touched his skin. The tunic was consumed by Destruction. Not even ashes remained. 

The angel stood before him naked, with his hateful sword in hand. He was panting, but he was unmarred. 

But Devnikolus laughed, for he knew it would not be long now... 

"Devnik!" came a voice from the broken manor doorway behind the Demon Prince. "The time has passed! Dispel Winnowing, and let us escape!" 

Who dares speak to me so? I am Devnikolus. Mortals would pray for plagues instead of me. 

But then that annoying voice whispered, Jon. 

Just go... whispered the voice, Michael does not need to be destroyed. 

Devnikolus snorted. That made no sense. Everything needed to be destroyed. Men set stones atop one another so he could knock them down. Wood existed so he could burn it. Angels were made so he could twist them until they were still and lifeless 

No...we must go, came the voice, but it was no longer a whisper. It filled the demon's head...it pushed him out. 

Suddenly, The Demon Prince of Destruction's strength was guttering. His limbs turned weak, and the flames of unmaking grew dim. His task was not finished...but he was fading. 

-Devnik- 

My human body snapped back into place as I forced Destruction from my mind. Exhaustion hit me in an all-encompassing embrace. My legs wobbled, and I nearly fell to one knee. 

I tried to clear my weary vision. Michael was standing some distance away. He was naked, and all his rippling muscles were bunched and tensed. In his hand, Excalibur glinted menacingly. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jon standing with Alarial and Cariel in the splintered doorway. 

"Alarial, Cariel," called Michael. "Don't forsake yourselves. When this realm collapses, you will be faced with a choice. Do not abandon the Light. You have seen the corruption of the Dark first hand. Don't choose that for yourself." 

He paused, before speaking softly, "The Light will forgive all your trespasses. Love will purify you." 

I was barely listening to any of Michael's words. I was desperately trying to undo the tethers that anchored this in-between place to the Earth. I didn't want to face the sword of Legend in my current state. 

"I already have my own love," Alarial said. "He saved me from a miserable life. You didn't." 

I couldn't help but glance over at her, shocked. After all she had probably seen... 

I had hoped she would choose to accompany me if I had to open up Winnowing, but to actually hear her say it, that was another thing entirely. 

She saw me looking, and gave me a small smile. 

The last tether broke. 

*** 

-Daniel- 

The tiny crack in the door to Hell widened. It was nearly imperceptible. But I had done little but stare into the waiting abyss between the gap in the doors. 

Then, the doors flung open, and I could do nothing but gaze into the true depths of the Hell that had opened up in front of me. 

Within the door I could see a sky of twilight and royal purple...and what looked like an ever expanding garden, dominated by a single black tower in the center. 

That was when I felt the pull. It was like icy hands had latched onto me, and they were determined to drag me, inch by inch, down into the depths. 

"Resist Daniel" Cried Vraiel in my head. "Put everything you have into resisting Hell's call." 

I saw a shape pass like a ghost through the wall of my prison, and fly through the Crossing. Another shape followed the first. Then another. 

In all, four entities swooped by me as they surrendered to Hell's pull. One of them had been Devnikolus. 

"I think you're doing it Daniel" Vraiel cheered. The doors had begun to close. Suddenly, the icy grip shifted. Now, it felt like my very heart was trapped in a vice. I slipped a little bit as I was dragged closer to the door. 

"The heart is pulling us in Daniel!" Cried Vraiel. "If you feel you cannot resist, you must drop the sword. The sword cannot be allowed to pass into hell!" 

It wouldn't come to that, I thought. I had failed when faced with the temptations of the Dark once before. I would not submit so easily a second time. 

I felt a sharp tear in my chest. 

I watched in shock as my stone heart, with the pentagram etched into the side, exploded out of my ribcage, and tumbled through the door to hell. 

The doors slammed shut, and then my vision dimmed. 

Chapter 18 

Talking of Eternity 

Don't fret my sweet. Endings don't last forever... 

-Forgotten Lovers 

~ 

-Alarial- 

It wasn't painful. Not like I expected it would be. 

When Jon and Cariel had talked about Hell's 'call' I had imagined an uncomfortable and irresistible pull. 

But there was none of that. It felt more like a question than a pull. I felt a cool presence embrace me, and it seemed to ask me if I would like to go with it. 

It did not try and trick me. This 'presence' seemed to make it clear that Hell was our destination, and that I would be forever different should I choose to go. It also let me know that I could refuse, and remain on this Earth once Winnowing dispersed. 

There was never any doubt. 

My Dark God's warm red eyes were focused on me as I smiled at him. He returned my smile with a bright, honest one of his own. One that made his pale face dimple at the corners of his mouth. 

Then, right before my eyes, he sunk into the ground like he was a substance-less ghost. 

Take me as well. 

The presence grew close around me, and a gentle grip pulled me through the earth. 

Through a chamber deep underground. 

Through a door not of this world. 

-Cariel- 

I watched my sister slide beneath the earth after her demonic lover and knew that all my efforts had been for nothing. 

He is your lover too...Whispered the jealous side of myself. 

I could feel that Hell's call had settled on me. I wondered if I was the first Seraphim in history to feel this sensation. It was strange. Cold but calm. Questioning yet soothing. 

Michael was looking at me. 

A few short decades ago, I would have been bowing before this mighty man. I would have been awed to spend time in the presence of the great Archangel Michael. Now...all I felt was unsatisfied. 

I tapped a finger on the gold collar that encircled my neck. 

"Do you think you could get this off?" I asked. My voice was dull. 

Michael just looked at me. A tear trickled down his cheek. He seemed to be in shock. He genuinely hadn't expected Alarial to choose the demon. He truly believed that good always triumphed when it mattered. 

"It will take centuries to unravel whatever locking magic Devnikolus might have devised." Michael said. "We'll have to keep you isolated in case the mind control magic affects your judgment." 

He sighed, and ran a hand through his bronze hair. 

"It's over now Seraphim Cariel," he said, "You go back to your Sphere, I need to check the monastery...though I know it is too late." 

I felt the compulsion to obey a celestial superior, but just then, the collar flared into life. Apparently, not accompanying Devnik down into Hell counted as trying to escape. 

Oh...well that settles it then. 

I closed my eyes before I gave in and slipped into hell. I closed them mainly to spare myself from seeing Michael's expression, but also because I was really fucking tired. 

-Jon- 

I watched Cariel slip down after Maria. 

Michael's face twisted into open shock. "Seraphim!" He screamed. "I order you to return to heaven!" 

But she was gone. 

He rounded on me. Now there was anger on his face along with tears. 

I just shrugged. I had come to terms with this. My life as I had known it was over. I guess no human truly walks this earth forever. 

"I made a deal a while back," I said with a forced laugh. "I've got to go. Bye now." 

I gave him a jaunty wave, and stuck my tongue out at him as I went. 

*** 

-Devnik- 

Hell welcomed me, as I sunk into its deep embrace. 

For a moment, I was nothing but raw energy passing between the mortal Plane and the Demonic one. It was comfortable, and I could feel my pains ebbing away. I always enjoyed the transition back to Hell. It was like coming home. 

Then, I began to reform. 

The press of a new reality began to reshape my physical body. My eyes began to see again, and my sense of touch, smell and hearing were returned to me. 

I blinked once, and smiled. 

I was sitting on my throne, in my tower, in the center of my Plane of Hell. My gaze swept over the throne room, where a very surprised Unami, who was sweeping the black marble hall, gave a startled yell. 

Despite my best efforts, I chuckled a little as he tripped over a blood red rug, and tumbled to the floor. 

Then, there was chaos. 

"My Prince!" squeaked the Unami. 

He quickly stood and righted himself. He gave me a deep bow, and then sprinted off down a passage way, yelling news of my return at the entire tower. 

"The Prince has returned! The Prince has returned!" 

*** 

Soon, nearly my entire court was assembled in front of me. 

My full court consisted of five X'irel and twelve Bra'rul, and I could see four X'irel and ten Bra'rul before me. 

All fourteen of them were on one knee, lowered into a deep bow. For a moment, I simply gazed at them. Then, my eyes wandered up to high ceilings, where wrought iron chandeliers burned red wax candles. 

Nearly thirty years since I had last sat upon this throne... 

My eyes dropped back down at my subjects. 

"Efular!" I snapped. "How have the affairs of court been in my absence?" 

My second in command jumped to his feet. He was a tall X'irel with a long braid of dark brown hair. Aside from his red eyes, he looked like a perfect human until he opened his mouth. X'irel have unnatural, needle sharp teeth. 

"Yes Lord," he said, as he stepped up onto the dais that my throne sat upon. He reached into a pocket in his robe, and withdrew a thick piece of vellum. 

"Three items of note took place during you three decade absence." He said, as he unfurled his list and peered at it. 

"The first is that Prince Baal attempted to call on you. He refused to leave a message. He said he would try again in half a century." 

I cleared my throat. If that was the most important thing, than the business of the court could wait. 

Efular, while reliable, was not particularly subtle. He continued on. 

"Second, is that a large party of imps have asked that you attend to an abnormally large Destruction fire that has erupted in the lower west side of the Purple Lily Gardens. They were..." Efular finally stopped speaking once I raised my hand. 

I pointed at a Bra'rul named Oreda. She rose quickly from her bow. 

"How may I serve my lord?" She asked. 

"Gather two others and search the realm for three newcomers that followed me through the Crossing. You are looking for a blond Aethling, a red haired Seraphim, and a human with scars on his face. They came through shortly after me, so they should be close by." 

Oreda bowed low once again. She pointed at two Unami who were watching from the far end of the throne room and ordered them to follow her. 

They left, and I turned back to Efular. 

"Does anything absolutely require my attention for the next four hours?" I asked. 

Efular frowned, and looked down at his notes. Reluctantly, he shook his head. 

I stood, and Efular sunk down into another bow. 

"Members of the Court of the Sixth Plane of Hell," I said loudly so my voice carried, "I am overjoyed to see you all. Tomorrow, I will hold an open court for all disputes, both large and petty. I shall also take some time for us to be reacquainted." 

I paused, and they looked up at me. 

"However, for now, I will be busy. I return to you all with wonderful news. I have brought a Seraphim, an Aethling, and a living mortal down to hell. They shall become members of our court, and members of the Dark." 

The court gasped, and I was greeted with a short round of polite applause. 

I held up a hand, and they quietened. 

"For now, I shall oversee their changing. I ask that you all excuse me. Dismissed." 

They all rose, and a din of chatter erupted amongst them as they began to exit into the passage ways. 

I turned to Efular. 

"Make sure Oreda brings my new subjects to my chambers immediately." 

Efular nodded, "It will be done my lord." 

He hesitated, then said, "It is good to have you back my Prince. It makes the court uneasy to be without the authority of our Lord." 

I clasped Efular on the shoulder briefly, and then walked through the doorway behind the throne into my chambers. 

*** 

I sat down wearily in my favorite armchair, next to the marble fireplace. I snapped my fingers, and a roaring orange fire blossomed in the hearth. 

One must always have a fire. 

While I gazed into the flames, I formulated what I would do. I wanted to go out into the realm and search for my love, my future bondswoman, and my butler. There were many dangers out in my Plane of Hell...and that didn't include the demons who made their homes there. 

But I couldn't. I had to play the part of the lord, so I had to have my subjects do my menial tasks for me. 

I sank back into my seat, and imagined what I would do to Oreda if any one of them came to harm. 

*** 

-Cariel- 

I stood with Alarial and Jon outside an intimidatingly tall black tower. 

I hadn't managed to see much of this strange place before being led here. 

From what I had seen it looked like a strange and savage garden in eternal twilight, with a sky shaded with light purples and some deeper pinks. Marble statues in various states of disrepair shared space with climbing roses. 

But that wasn't the terrifying part. As I explored the garden, I had turned the corner at a large hedge, and nearly walked into a section that burned with Devnikolus's strange black fire. My nose had been inches away from the blaze. 

After that, I had found a mossy bench next to some roses, and waited to be found. 

It wasn't long before a Bra'rul had accosted me. I had been expecting Devnik, and in my surprise, I had tried to use magic to defend myself. 

But my magic hadn't come. I could still feel it within myself, but I couldn't draw it to the surface. 

I am powerless here. 

"Come with me," the female Bra'rul had said. "The other two have already been found." 

"Where are you taking me...demon?" I said, unable to keep some of the sneer out of my voice. 

"To my Prince," she had said ignoring my jibe. "Follow close behind, the gardens will destroy you if you take a wrong turn." 

So I had followed, and now all three of us stood together. 

"My Prince sent us out to find you," said the Bra'rul, who had introduced herself as Oreda. "This is his stronghold, and the center of the Broken Gardens." 

I cast my eyes over at Jon and Alarial. Jon looked apprehensive. Alarial looked impatient. 

We all entered through the gate, and found ourselves in an expansive black marble chamber. At the very end, a black throne with rubies in the hand-rests dominated a large dais. 

Devnikolus's throne. I thought. 

Oreda continued speaking as we walked across the chamber. "My Prince has said that he will oversee your corruption transformations personally. It is a very high honor. You three must be strongly within his favor." 

Alarial snorted a little bit, and I saw Jon bite his lip to keep back a smile. I'd like to say I remained composed, but I might have rolled my eyes. 




Celestial Wars Ch. 03



Oreda pretended she didn't see. 

She took us around the back of the throne, where a discreet door was positioned just behind it. 

"This door will take you down a hall and up a flight of stairs. The Prince will receive you in his chambers." 

Alarial already had a hand on the door before the she-demon finished speaking. 

*** 

Devnikolus was sitting in a high-backed leather armchair. His red eyes were fixed on the fireplace before him. Orange light danced across his face, highlighting the strong length of his jaw, and his high cheekbones. 

His eyes flicked up and over to us, and he smiled. 

"I'm glad you all chose to come here." 

He said it genuinely. With more warmth and emotion than I had ever heard from him. 

Alarial bounded forward, and launched herself into his lap. She was all blond hair and enthusiasm as she nuzzled his neck with her mouth and nose. I watched her lick at his skin, and press her thinly clothed breasts against his chest. 

Devnikolus put a slender hand on top of her head, and stroked her like she was a cat. 

"Hush now, my love," he said, "There will be time for that soon." 

Alarial stopped squirming and settled. Her eyes drifted shut, and her cheek rested against Devnik's chest. 

I wanted to be there in his lap. I ached for those possessive touches. 

Devnikolus looked up at Jon and me, still standing in the entranceway. 

"I need to talk to all three of you," he said. "You will all start to experience the corruption soon, and I want you to know what to expect." 

Jon cleared his throat, and took a step farther inside the room. 

"Yes," Jon said, "I know that the...um...corruption involves us becoming true members of the Dark...but what does that mean?" 

Devnikolus sighed. 

"Basically," he said, "Hell will turn you into demons." 

Devnikolus looked at us, perhaps searching for some hint of shock or surprise. We disappointed him. I imagine we had both suspected as much. 

"Yes well," Devnikolus continued, "The process will occur gradually over a three day period. For the first day, you will find that you will be unable to access any magic that you once had." 

Jon grinned, "No problems there." 

Devnikolus shrugged, "That was directed more at the two angels rather than you...human." 

Jon winced. "You're not mad about my slip up...are you?" 

"Well discuss it after your change," Came Devnikolus's cool reply. 

Jon's face fell, and he looked suitably miserable. 

"On the second day," Devnikolus continued, "You will be confronted with tremors and uncontrollable discharges of magic. This is the day where the corruption will analyze your inherent magic and willpower. The type of demon that you are transformed into will be in accordance with the strength of those two." 

"I'm not going to be an imp am I?" I asked bitterly. 

Devnik's eyes met mine. My core clenched, and I immediately regretted my tone. 

"Doubtful," he replied. 

Then he said, "On the third and final day, your physical transformation will occur. After that, you will officially be subjects of my court." 

"Well," Jon said. "That doesn't sound too bad." 

"I'm going to be a demon," I said, my voice sounding strange to my own ears. 

Devnik looked at me curiously, and then he looked at Jon. 

"Jon," he said. "Go find Oreda. Tell her to give you rooms in the south side of the tower. I will visit you tomorrow to see how your corruption is progressing." 

The butler looked at both Alarial and me, and then nodded. It might have been my imagination, but I thought I could see a tinge of red in his brown eyes. 

"Yes Master," he said. Then he turned, and swept out of the room. 

The door closed with a click, and suddenly my sister and I were alone, together, with our demonic Master. 

"Stand up my sweet," Devnikolus said, as he patted Alarial on her head. 

Alarial smiled mischievously against his chest. She didn't open her eyes. 

"Send her away Devnik," she said. "I was a wreck while I watched you fight Michael and you need to make it up to me." 

The demon prince shook his head. 

"Sorry my dear," he said as he stood and carried her with him, "But I need to see to Cariel first." 

"But Devnik..." Alarial whined as she glared at me. 

"Hush now," Devnik said. He turned, and tossed Alarial underhanded towards the bed. She flipped over once in midair, and landed belly down on the bed. 

As soon as she touched down, she spun around. Her playful face was gone, and she looked angry. 

"Look," I said, "I'll just go." 

I turned to leave. 

"Do not move!" Yelled Devnik. 

A whisper of cold settled onto the air, and I remembered that I was without my magic. 

"Alarial," Devnik said firmly, "You will sit on that bed and you will not speak. I will take care of your sister's needs, and then I will come to bed. Understand?" 

My half-sister glowered at him. 

"Don't make me punish you pet," Devnik whispered, his voice taking on a spookily calm tone. 

Alarial sighed, and flopped back down onto the bed. She closed her eyes, and didn't speak. 

I stood shocked at the interplay I had just witnessed. 

"Now," Devnik said, as he turned to me. "I imagine your body is quite eager for some more venom." 

Suddenly, my heart was in my ears, and I could feel a fiercely coiled need well up inside of me. The need for the venom hadn't been so bad before he mentioned it...more like an ache that could be forgotten...but now...now I had to have it. I could feel my veins crying for it. 

Devnik nodded, he must have seen something on my face. 

"I understand," he said. "I exposed you to a good deal of it when I bit you last." 

I could feel my hands trembling at my sides. This strange and powerful need was terrifying, but I tried to control my speech as I spoke. 

"If...if it wouldn't be too much trouble...Master." I said. I cringed when I realized I hadn't been able to keep the tremor out of my voice. 

The demon smiled. "No trouble at all. You have promised me free blood for eternity after all...and your blood will change in the coming days," he said. "In fact, I may want to save a few drops for later." 

With that, Devnik turned, and wandered over to a corner of the chamber. 

My eyes flicked over to Alarial. I didn't think she was asleep, but I could tell she was trying her best to ignore us. 

Devnik rummaged around in a large mahogany cupboard. He produced a silver cup, and he placed it on a small circular side table. Then, he looked at me and, suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed. 

Suddenly, there was a hunger in his eyes. 

It was like he was invading me with his gaze...and something told me he understood more of me than anyone else. Something told me he could see the red-haired slut inside of me. The slut that would do anything for her master...because the master took care of her. 

I had promised to love him...if only he'd satisfy my need. 

My dark-haired master held his powerful arms out, and I stepped into his embrace. He enfolded me in his grasp, and I cooed before I could stop myself. I could not escape these arms. But I didn't want to. I was safe here. 

His hands slid down my body. They cupped the sides of my breasts as the moved. Our flesh made a soft swishing sound as his fingers drifted down my bare arms. 

Skin tingled and flushed underneath his touch. 

Soon, my wrist was in his grasp, and he raised it up to his mouth. His breath was cool as I felt him exhale gently on me. 

"In the Demon hierarchy, there are two ways to establish yourself above another demon." Devnikolus said, his voice as sweet and rich as honey over bread. 

"You may fight, and demonstrate that your magic is superior to theirs." 

A red spark jumped between us. And my body shivered. 

"That way is temporary. Power can be gained and lost." 

I looked into his eyes, and wondered who could possibly think to defeat this man with brute force. Michael hadn't been able to do it. 

Devnik continued to speak. 

"Or you may subject the other demon to your venom. If your venom and willpower is strong enough to dominate the recipient, then you have proven your superiority." 

He smiled at me. 

"I have already filled your body with my venom, and I can tell you already crave it." 

I nodded against him, unable to deny the incredible need I felt. I wanted his bite. I needed it like a mortal needed air. 

Devnik pulled my wrist even closer to his mouth. 

"But I don't want you to simply be below me. I want you to be my bondswoman. My personal attendant. No task will be too lowly for you. If I told you to lick my balls for an hour, you will do it with joy. If I told you to bath me every day...you would offer to do it with your hair." 

My lower stomach turned at his words...but not with disgust. 

My demon master continued speaking, "The position of bondswoman is generally held by a weaker demon, unable to refuse me anything. This is why I will bite you several times. I will increase your addiction until you cannot imagine anything better than serving me." 

His mouth was so close. 

Bite me. Please bite me. 

Then, he struck. 

His teeth sunk into me. But it was so much more. I felt the rush of venom enter me, and it was like my soul was being pierced. 

With each passing moment, I could feel his claim over me grow. My sex was wet. My breasts felt heavy and achy...but none of that mattered. 

What mattered was that I felt at peace. 

And I knew there could be no existence for me without him. 

I climaxed gently with his teeth clamped on my wrist. 

*** 

Devnik 

My mouth felt slightly dry as I pulled Cariel's wrist away from my teeth. I had injected all of the venom in my glands into her. A lesser entity's mind would have been broken by such an onslaught. As it was, Cariel was weak and languid, and I had to support half of her weight with my hand against her back. 

Alarial's voice came from the bed. "Is that what I look like? When you bite me?" 

I turned my head, being careful with the pliant red-head in my arms. 

"Yes my dear," I said. "That look of rapture graces your pretty face as well." 

My blond love frowned slightly, "Why do you have to have her too?" she asked. "Am I not enough? Don't you remember that she tried to kill you?" 

I sighed, and brought Cariel's wrist over the silver cup. I hadn't drunk any of her blood. I had been too focused on infusing my venom to drink. 

I allowed several large drops to splash into the cup, before healing Cariel's wrist with a dash of magic. 

"I remember," I said slowly. "But she is your sister, and I believe you will come to love her...in time. I can tell she already loves you." 

Alarial blinked her silver eyes in surprise. She fiddled with an errant blond lock of hair, and looked down. 

I turned my attention back to my bondswoman. 

"Cariel," I whispered, as I gently brushed her hair from her forehead. "Cariel, I need you to open your eyes for me. It is time for you to go." 

The Seraphim's eyes opened with quick, cute flutters. Her eyes were wonderfully dilated, and I could feel that her soft body was generating an impressive amount of heat. 

"Do I have to Master?" She said. Gone was the haughty voice she used most of the time. When she was aroused and in my thrall, she spoke like a shy girl. A shy girl who wanted nothing more than to be found pleasing. 

"Yes bondswoman," I said. "Go out the door, and tell Oreda you will take the position from the late Turkik. She will show you to his old rooms." 

Cariel nodded gently. Her face was serene in her submission, and her arousal. She was looked like the goddess of obedience as she padded to the door to my chambers. 

She left without looking back. 

*** 

I took a small swig of the precious blue blood in the silver goblet. Hot ecstasy rolled down my mouth. Soon I was drinking every last drop. It was too good to resist. 

Power and arousal was suddenly pounding just beneath the surface of me...and I knew what I wanted. 

And now there was nothing between me and her...and she was what I wanted. 

There was no Michael, no plot. No vengeful half-sister chasing us across France. 

Nothing could touch us here. Here we could just be. 

"Devnik?" My blond love asked from the bed. The sound of my name on her lips made something warm and wonderful uncurl in my chest. I didn't know if that was our bond's doing or not. 

I also didn't care. 

"Yes love?" I asked. 

"Is there any reason why you can't come to me now?" She said the last words with a brilliant smile on her face. She looked young and beautiful and perfect. 

I blurred over to her. It must have looked like I appeared out of thin air, because she started backwards. 

"None that I can think of." I said with a grin. 

I leaned down, and she leaned back to accommodate me. She gave into me so easily. Despite all the times we'd been together, she was still breathtakingly lovely and yet also innocent. 

She titled her head back submissively. Her eyes were searching. 

"Your sister's blood is on my lips," I said. "I think you should have a taste." 

Then, my lips touched hers. Her kiss was sweet and loving. My body pressed down against hers, and her soft, warm breasts pillowed against my chest. Our kiss went on for minutes before she pulled away. 

"Undress me?" she asked breathily. 

Moving my hands, I unbuttoned her worn traveling top, and then slipped her free of her travel pants. 

As the top came off over her shoulders, her breasts spilled free. Her small pink nipples were hard and needy. I took one into my mouth, and Alarial moaned as she cupped my head to her soft flesh. 

I gently suckled and nibbled upon her little bud. Then, I switched over the other, and she wrapped her legs around my back. 

Finally, I pulled away, and removed my own clothes. 

"Master," my lover said as she watched me disrobe, "I needed it a little rougher...please?" 

I nodded. 

"Get on your hands and knees," I said. My voice was dangerous now. Dark and commanding. 

My pet didn't hesitate and she moved to do as I commanded. She presented her rounded bottom up to me. Like an offer. 

Her sex was still covered by a wisp of silken panties. 

I moved the silk gusset to the side to reveal the pink skin of her womanhood. Then, I slid my hands down her proffered buttocks. I moved my hand between, and found wetness between her legs. 

She was wonderfully aroused. 

I knelt up, and settled my throbbing, thick erection between her globes. The tip of my cock kissed her lower lips, and I could feel her waiting warmth leave a wet spot at the head of my cock. 

Without warning, I entered her...hard. 

I flung my head back, and roared. Her folds felt like heaven around me. Muscles all along her sex rippled as she tried to accommodate my entire length at once. 

"Oh...Master...that hurt," she cried softly into the bed. 

Her plea ignited my lusts further. I grabbed her by the sides of her ass, and completely controlled her. I moved her up and down my cock furiously as I fucked into her. 

She whimpered, and struggled slightly as she tried to regain her balance. 

I didn't let her. My arms were like iron around her, and she moved to my will as I parted her drenched pussy with my cock over and over. 

Her pussy was soaked, and her cum leaked down her pale thighs as they quivered and bucked. 

I ran a hand through her golden hair, and made a fist as I pulled at her tresses. 

Her head snapped back, and I nipped her on the ear. 

At that, her entire body began to quiver, and she arched her back as a shudder ran down her body. I felt a new gush of hot wetness coat my balls as her channel spasmed and coaxed the seed from my manhood. 

I gave one final thrust, and held myself inside of her. Thick ropes of my pleasure splashed against the warm confines of her sex. 

Alarial gave one last deep moan of pleasure, before her knees finally gave, and she slumped down into the sheets. 

I followed her down, and I crushed her soft female body beneath mine. It felt good to lie like this. It felt like I was protecting the soft female with my harder form. 

Below me, my love wriggled in contentment. 

We lay like that for a time. 

Finally, I shifted, and I raised myself up onto my arms. 

"Don't go," she said. "We should just stay like this for the rest of our lives." 

I chuckled. I felt sated and calm. "We are immortal my dear, that would be quite a long time." 

Alarial turned slightly beneath me, and her eyes met mine. They were lazy and content. "Shush," she said. "This is our happily ever after. This is how I imagine eternity." 

How sweet. How sad. 

"Oh," I said, as I settled down next to my beautiful lover, "Do you think forever plays out so predictably?" 

Alarial rolled over, and we lay side by side on the bed, staring into each other's eyes. 

She gave me a small, submissive smile. 

"You're here with me" She said, "That's all I need. You're my love. My master. My Dark God." 

I snorted slightly, amused. "Is that how you think of me? Am I your Dark God little one?" 

She nodded softly, and I took her in my arms. 

Her blond head fit snugly under my chin, and her warm, curvy body pressed flush against mine. 

I draped an arm around her, and my hand found the nape of her neck. It settled there naturally. 

Possessively. 

It would be tempting, I thought. To hold her for an eternity. 

I held her for a long time...till eventually I heard her settle into the soft, rhythmic breath that accompanies an untroubled sleep. 

"Oh my sweet," I said softly to myself, as I looked upon the girl whose mind was made mine by accident. "Sometimes I forget how young you really are. There are no true endings when talking of eternity. You have merely gotten a taste of this life. You have merely gotten a taste of Celestial Wars." 

***** 

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Thank you to all who supported me. Words appeared on pages because of you. 

Yours, 

Noble Truth