type of man would I be if I abandoned them to the wiles of a
demon? Especially one as volatile and destructive as you?”
“You’d be a smart one.” Leviathan answered simply, turning to
fit the angel with a glare of his own. “I want you to get one thing
straight: I don’t like you. Nevertheless at this moment in time I
need your assistance in getting to Germany. But don’t think for a
second I won’t rip out your throat and bathe in your blood if you
cross me.” The angel snorted.
“Cross you? This entire time I’ve been the one trying to help that
Hellmouth of yours. You should both be thanking me.”
“Thanking you for what? Getting her kidnapped?” Leviathan
growled and Pierre frowned.
“I didn’t have a hand in her kidnapping and you know it. Why do
you continue to falsely accuse me?”
“Because it was you who ordered the plane. You, who called
those…things that attacked me and had me imprisoned.” Pierre
continued to stare at him like he was a madman.
“I didn’t order the plane. My wife did. And what ‘things’ are you
talking about?”
“The men who kidnapped Kailani. I wasn’t paying much
attention at the time because I was distracted, but there was
something off about them. Something I can’t explain.” Leviathan
frowned. Now that he thought about it he couldn’t sense them
either. Just like James they were off his radar, almost as if they
didn’t exist at all.
“As I said earlier I had no part in her kidnapping. I wasn’t even in
the room when she called for the plane. All I know is I received a
phone call from Ophanuel this morning stating that you had been
captured and one of his Chaplain’s needed assistance in sending
you back to hell. I was under the impression you’d finally done
the right thing and handed her over to him. I had no idea she’d
been forcibly taken.” Leviathan watched him speak, unsure if he
could trust his words. The man seemed to be telling the truth, and
genuinely sorry things went down the way they did. But no
amount of guilt would get them to Germany as fast as he wished.
“So you’re saying your wife set us up?”
“No!” Pierre turned on him with a glare, “My Naomi would
never. If you recall she was the one truly adamant about helping
you. Why would she set you up?”
“I don’t know. But if I find out she did I’ll—”
“You’ll do nothing. If you lay a hand on my wife I will find a
way to destroy you. Even if I have to dedicate the rest of eternity
to doing so.” The angel threatened and Leviathan leveled him
with a look that would have splintered a lesser man.
“When I find out who had Kailani taken from me there won’t be
a force in the universe that will stop me from killing them. I don’t
give a damn who’s wife they so happen to be. And another
thing,” He turned in his seat to face him, “If she’s hurt, or injured
in anyway, hell if she’s stubbed her toe, no man, angel or deity
will detour your demise.”
“Your threats are becoming less and less effective.” Pierre
retorted drolly but Leviathan didn’t break his menacing eye
contact.
“I’m not issuing a threat. Think of it as a blood oath. I will
murder you Pierre. Pray to your god Kailani is safe.”
“Why do you even care about her safety demon? She means
nothing to you.” He sneered and once again Leviathan looked
away from him. It was then realization hit him. “Or does
she…Tell me demon, what exactly is the nature of your
relationship?”
“It’s none of your business. Just fly the damn plane angel.”
Leviathan grunted and the angel cracked a grin.
“You slept with her. And now you’re so hung up over the poor
woman you’re flying all the way to Germany to steal her
happiness from her, aren’t you?” He asked and Leviathan leveled
him with another glare. “It’s true. If you can’t have her, no one
can. I bet you’re promising me death and damnation just because
you want to kill her yourself. You despicable cretin.”
“Watch it.” Leviathan said coolly and Pierre let out a laugh that
had the demon wanting to throttle him.
“I don’t believe it. I never would have guessed you’d be this
sadistic. Why can’t you just leave the poor woman alone? It’s not
as if you love her. Love is something a demon is incapable of.”
He continued his onslaught but Leviathan did his best to ignore
him. How did he know how he felt for Kailani when Leviathan
didn’t even know himself? Why was he flying all that way to see
her? Was she in need of rescuing? Who was to say she wouldn’t
agree to baring that bastards children? Just the thought of him
touching her set his soul on fire. But why? Why did he care?
It’s
just an infatuation that will fade the moment I make sure she’s
safe.
That was the lie he kept telling himself but he found it hurt a
lot more than the truth ever would have.
“Say, what are you blokes up to?” Jeremy’s voice suddenly
pulled him from his thoughts and he glared up at the thin man.
His lack of a presence was beyond eerie, and it was starting to
piss Leviathan off.
“I’m flying a plane half-breed, please return to your seat.” Pierre
said without looking up from the control panel. Leviathan
frowned.
“What did you call him?”
“A half-breed. Surely even your senses aren’t that dull. But given
your age—”
“Half what asshole?” Leviathan cut him off and Pierre gave him
a frown.
“Oh that’s right, demons can’t sense them. He’s half Grigori, half
fallen angel.” He answered and Leviathan turned to stare up at
James. His usually happy-go-lucky grin had turned into
something down right sinister.
“Surprise mate.” He chuckled darkly and before either of them
could react he pulled a revolver from the back of his jeans,
aimed, and sent them spinning into a world of darkness.
Chapter Seventeen
Night fell over Germany, leaving Kailani sitting in her
‘posh princess apartment’ alone, with dinner quickly cooling on
the tray in front of her. She hadn’t seen hide nor hair of
Ophanuel, or anyone else for that matter, since one of the maids
wheeled in her dinner and left without so much as a word. She’d
bathed and changed into one of the nightgowns Sergei had
packed for her, trying her best to hide her distaste for the gauzy
material that covered her body. Kailani lifted an arm and
grimaced at the nearly see through sleeve of her robe. It definitely
wasn’t her style.
“But beggars can’t be choosers.” She reminded herself quietly as
she dropped her hands into her lap and stared at the carefully
placed silverware and china on the cart in front of her. The food
smelled delicious, mouthwateringly so, but she couldn’t bring
herself to develop an appetite. Her mind was heavy with thoughts
of Leviathan, of Ophanuel and her bleak future that loomed ever
near. Not to mention poor Jeremy who’d lost his brother because
of her carelessness. It was almost as if she were cursed to bring
everyone she came into contact with nothing but pain. It started
with Cassandra, and now poor Leviathan was probably
somewhere being tortured to death for helping her. “Who am I
kidding, I am cursed.” She sighed, covering her dinner before
moving back into the bedroom. She couldn’t help but wonder if
she’d be sharing it with Ophanuel soon. Since she’d witnessed
William’s murder even thinking about the cruel Archangel put a
bad taste in her mouth. Would she be able to go through with
this? Sure she wanted to return to her life as soon as possible, but
there just had to be another way. Heaving another sigh she
flopped across the expansive bed, trying her hardest not to think
of who’d previously occupied it or what they could have been
doing between those sheets. She flopped unceremoniously across
the bed and was nearly asleep until something strange caught her
attention. The sound of tiny footsteps creeping into her room
pulled her from her thoughts and had her wondering why she
hadn’t heard the doors to her apartment opening. “Okay girls,
your mother told you not to play in here.” She said sweetly. They
were just kids after all, it wasn’t their fault she was in a funk.
When they didn’t answer or make a mad, giggling, dash for the
door she opened her eyes and rolled onto her back, only to freeze
at what she found there. Kailani’s heart nearly stopped in her
chest as she found herself staring into the blackest eyes she’d
ever seen. Gone were the cute, pixyish faces of the little girls
she’d met earlier, they’d been replaced by something twisted and
grotesque…demonic. She screamed as their lips stretched over
jagged teeth, their little bodies shuddering as they lunged at her.
Kailani threw herself to the side, tumbling off the bed and
scrambling to her feet as she made a mad dash for the door. Cries
of fury erupted behind her as they shredded the bed, sending
feathers and cotton flying into the air before they moved to
pursue her. She was inches from the door when something
wrapped around her ankle and sent her sprawling to the floor.
Looking back she winced as one of the girls dug their pointed
claws into the flesh of her calf, the other nearby, stalking her as it
waited for an opening. Lifting her other foot she sent it flying
into the girls face, a sickening crunch followed by a shriek filled
the room as the child recoiled in pain. Kailani rolled onto her feet
only to be tackled to the ground by the other girl, her arms
instantly flying out to keep her teeth away from her face. The girl
snapped and clawed at her forearms, leaving bloody welts behind
as she shredded the thin material of her robe. Kailani screamed,
knowing that no one would be able to hear her. She was on the
uppermost floor of a gigantic castle in the middle of nowhere.
Just when she thought she was done for the apartment door was
flung backwards into the air and the girl was ripped off of her.
Kailani was on her feet in seconds, being pulled into strong arms
that held her against a firm chest. For a second she could have
sworn it was Leviathan holding her but as she stared up into
Ophanuel’s worried eyes she felt herself deflate.
“Are you injured?” He asked and she glanced down at her
bleeding forearms, thankful the girl hadn’t managed to slit her
wrists open. Ophanuel’s frown only deepened as he turned his
head to glare at the possessed children who kept throwing
themselves at them, only to rebound of some sort of invisible
shield. He moved to take a step towards them and she caught his
arm.
“Wait. You’re not going to kill them are you?” She asked and he
stared down at her like she’d just asked the dumbest question of
the century.
“Of course I am. They hurt you.”
“Okay, I’m extremely flattered by that, but they’re only children!
It’s not like they’re doing this on purpose! Isn’t there someway
you can save them?” She asked, her eyes pleading as she stared
up at him. Ophanuel just stood there for several seconds before
he surprisingly sighed like a petulant child. Whatever shield he’d
been using to keep the girls at bay dropped suddenly and the girls
flew at them. Catching one of them in each hand he pushed them
to the floor, the palm of his hands resting over their eyes.
Ophanuel muttered something under his breath, his hands
glowing a dull gold before a shock of electricity jolted both of the
girls, causing their little bodies to shake violently. Kailani
watched with bated breath as he released them and straightened
to his full height, the girls collapsing to the floor as a black mist
rose from them both and dissipated in the air.
“Sergei.” Ophanuel called, his voice low as he frowned deeply.
“Yes my lord?” Kailani nearly jumped out of her skin when the
man appeared in the doorway behind her. Had he been standing
there the entire time?
“Return them to their mother.” Ophanuel ordered and the man
gave him a curt nod before gently removing the girls from the
room. The angel turned towards her and Kailani found herself
wanting to back away. He reached for her suddenly, catching her
by the shoulder and leading her over to the couch where he
