Hope in Love (13 page)

Ram had left her breasts and nibbled at her neck, his lips
blazing a hot trail of kisses that stole her breath. Raising his head, he
peered in her eyes and told her, “I’ll always take care of you.”

Deeper, harder he pounded her core, drawing an orgasm that
shattered her senses. It exploded from her in a wash of hot liquid spilling
around his thickness. He held her with her legs spread around his hips and continued
to thrust until his own release spurted a hot stream of cum. His lustful grunts
filled the night air and echoed through the trees.

A warm, rain began to spray through the canopy of leaves and
ran in rivulets down their naked bodies.

It was as though the heavens cried.

* * * * *

Yael had spent another night cradled in his arms and had not
felt him leave their bed this morning. She sat outside with tears threatening
to spill from her eyes.

“Is everything okay?” Patricia asked as she came onto the
patio.

“No. I can’t let this happen. Even if it hurts me, I won’t
let them touch him.”

“What do you mean?”

“The meshing. Michael will blame him.”

“Ya, you didn’t send him away because of that, did you? I
don’t believe Michael would ever hurt Ramiel.”

“No, he stayed with me again last night. It’s almost as if…”
She couldn’t let herself think he loved her. But making love in the rain had
felt special. “Oh, I know he desires me, but that’s not love, not the kind of
love I feel for him. Later, it will only hurt more. And I will not risk his
being harmed in any way, Patty, I mean it.”

“Good evening, ladies. Where’s Osce?”

Yael’s head came up at the sound of an archangel she did
know. One uncontrollable even by Michael. She’d often heard Uriel’s name
mentioned above and not in a good way.

She saw Patty’s eyes darken at the way he said Osce’s name,
but she answered him. “I don’t know. He left.”

“Do you have any idea where he
left
to?” Sarcasm
oozed from Uriel’s tongue.

“No.” Patty began to shake.

“I’ll wait a bit then. The dog is bound to show up back
here.” Uriel’s eyes glittered with danger as he took a seat.

Yael wondered what he wanted with Osce. Patty’s eyes were
wide with fear.

“That won’t be necessary. We’ll let him know you’re looking
for him when he returns.” Yael didn’t want this angel here any longer. How had
he breached Ram’s shields? She thought to call him but decided against it. She
could handle this.

“Please do not tell me you, a mere exulted, are dismissing
me?” Uri sneered at her.

“I am politely asking you to leave my home,” Yael stated.

“I see. Sure, I can do that. No need to tell Osce I called,
he’ll know.” Uriel vanished—so did Patricia.

Yael’s heart skipped a beat. Good God, what happened?
Without another thought, she reached for her friend’s mind and latched on to a
frightful thought.

She vanished, following the trail of essence Patty left, and
found herself in a dark hallway with many rooms off to the sides. “Don’t be so
afraid.” Yael barely heard Uriel’s voice. She waited until her eyes adjusted to
the dim lights. She walked past each closed door and tried to feel Patricia’s
energy. When she came upon the correct one, her friend’s fear lanced through to
her. Yael dematerialized into the room.

“What the
fuck
are you doing here?” Uriel shouted.
She thought she saw his hands shake.

“How dare you remove a guest from my home in such a manner!
Ramiel will hear of your rudeness.”

“Trust me, by now he knows. God damn it. Women!” he declared
in exasperation. “I’m going to kill Osce for this.”

Yael knew why his hands shook.

Ramiel was coming.

“You’re a mess, Ramiel. You need to get your shit together
before Michael comes down on you. And stay the hell away from me. I don’t want
to be near it.”

“Shut up.” Ramiel didn’t want to hear Luke’s crap.

“Hey, want to give me a hand with your friendly neighborhood
vamp? You remember Drake, Patricia’s friend?” Luke asked.

His eyes cut at Luke with venom. “What do you think? You
know I do. Did John the Baptist lose him again?”

“How’d you guess?”

“I know that vamp pretty well. He’s a slippery son of a
bitch. Where is he?”

“On my way there now, care to join me? He’s with Phoenix.”

“Shit, this could be a problem, but I got nothing better to
do.” These were the beings Gabe and EZ had meddled with. His and Yael’s
daughter would one day be their way to salvation.

They reached their destination in a hurry. Ram entered the
room and Luke followed in a blinding flash of light that caused the beings to
shield their eyes until it dissipated and flowed heavenward. In another blaze
of light, Gabriel appeared.

Ram raided Phoenix’s mind. He wondered who Ram was, so he
answered him. “Ramiel.” He didn’t bother to modulate his voice.

Drake the vampyre covered his ears at the sound. Phoenix did
not. Most couldn’t stand to hear the angel’s true voices. There was so much
love and despair in the sound that it could cause madness.

But Phoenix was special. A creation of Luke’s. Ram didn’t
bother to draw in his wings and smiled to himself at the man’s thought—
shit,
is he seriously standing in my great room with fucking wings.

Finally Phoenix spoke. “Did I miss the invitation to the
party being held at my own home? What the hell is going on?” His eyes darted
back and forth. “Somebody needs to start talking because I’ve about had it up
to here today.” Phoenix raised his hand to neck level. “And I’m not ready for
any more bullshit. Got it?”

Ramiel listened to the man with humor.

“Lucifer, if you cannot control Drake, perhaps Michael
should assign someone else?” Gabriel’s voice was agitated.

“Drake.” Ramiel modified his voice to a whisper this time. “Don’t
leave John’s service again or you will never see your family. Is that
understood?” Lucifer left with the vamp in tow.

The archangel turned and focused all of his attention on
Phoenix.

“I’ve been in your mind and you are as blasphemous as they
say. Have a care. I’m neither Gabriel, nor Lucifer. And I will not tolerate
what Michael does.” Ram stabbed him with a look. “My kindness only goes so far.
Should you decide to assist Drake, you will answer to me and the Fates. Is that
understood?”

“You know what, right now I don’t give a damn who or what
you are and you can shove the Fates so far up your ass, they never see daylight
again.” He stepped closer to Ram. “You come into my home dragging your crap
from up there and I don’t like it.”

Ram couldn’t believe the bastard had the nerve to talk back
to him, and the sacrilegious motherfucker was on a roll. The idea of
shoving
the Fates anywhere brought a shadow of a smile to his lips.

“Let me tell you what I do understand. I’m connected to that
vamp you just had unceremoniously taken from my house. Vampyres created me and
your people let it happen. You been trying to clean this shit up for thousands
of years and it took him only twenty-two to find what you couldn’t.” Phoenix’s
mouth was set in a sneer. “You took his mate. Do you even understand what it’s
like to have something you love, something you’ve waited for your whole life,
taken from you?” He leaned in and his nose practically pressed against Ram’s. “Do
you? Until you do, don’t come back into my home with your shit. I’ve had enough
of all you fucking angels.” He disappeared damn near as quietly as the angels
did.

Ram had felt the anger and pain emanate from the powerful
creature. He was Lucifer’s firebird and one day he’d wreak havoc with his
creator. He felt Gabriel’s eyes on him. He wondered why he didn’t annihilate
the man. He’d told Ram long ago that Phoenix was difficult to control. But Ram’s
thoughts were on what the being had said.

Do you even understand what it’s like to have something
you love, something you’ve waited for your whole life, taken from you?

Those were Nona’s words, her question to him. The question
that, when Ram could answer it, would give him his answer from her. Son of a
bitch.

“Well, Gabe, you were right. He’s a blasphemous bastard.”
Ramiel smiled. “He is very powerful and would make a great addition to the
family. You have a blood tie with him. Make sure he stays away from Drake. The
time is not right for any information to be divulged. I must go and mollify the
Fates. I’m sure they have their knickers in a bunch.” He vanished and left
Gabriel to handle things.

Ram intended to go straight to Nona but pulled up suddenly.
He hovered in the air, his mind searching for the disturbance he’d briefly felt
there.

Yael
. Her despair rode in a chill up his spine. “NO!”

The anguish in that one word began to tear at the fabric of
the world.

Ramiel lived up to his name’s meaning—thunder of God—as the
sound itself rippled across the universe. The Earth shuddered and moved on its
axis. Monsoons and typhoons swept the India and China shores. The sky opened up
with torrential rains. Lightning struck the mountains and valleys, leaving a
scorched path. Avalanches pummeled anything in their way.

* * * * *

Michael’s head lifted into the air, his heart beating
rapidly in his chest.

Then he felt it. All of Ramiel’s misery.

He pulled Decima to him in haste.

“What in God’s name was that?” she asked.

“Has the exulted returned to Deborah?”

“No, she is in Ram’s domain.”

“Evidently not. Bring Morta to me now. There is no time to
waste.”

He reached for Gabriel and Raphael. Both were sent to Earth.

Then he sent for Lucifer.

* * * * *

The white light intensified around his body as he broke
through the gates of Hell.

“URIEL,” he bellowed. He stripped through the earth angel’s
shields with such ease it was as if they didn’t even exist.

As he swept through the halls of Uriel’s domain, he searched
for any feeling of Yael. When Ram found her, calm settled upon him. He heard
Yael’s voice in his mind.
I am safe. He used a spell to lock me in.
He
struggled hard to bring himself under control as he entered the room.

“He has Patricia.”

“Thank God. I will kill him.” He enveloped her and held
tight. He swept the underworld with his mind and there was no sign of Uri or
Patricia.

On Earth, he felt Gabriel and Raphael at work, and the world
rapidly recovered from his assault. Ram rose through the bowels of Hell and
upward to his domain on Earth.

“What happened, Yael?”

“He came to look for Osce, he took Patricia and I followed.”

“Why?” Ram couldn’t believe this. He shook with fury. “Why
would you follow him?” He struggled to modulate his voice.

“I
followed
my friend, Ram, and he still has her. You
must send Osce to him.”

“I can’t do that. Osce has to make that decision.”

“Who will help Patricia?”

“I’ll go for her. It’s me he wants.” Ram’s head spun at the
sound of Osce’s voice. “What the fuck is going on with you two?” he asked.

“You’re a good friend and I’m sorry you were caught in the
middle of this, but I will not be locked up again in that dark hole below.”

“Tell me about Morta so I can help you.” Ram understood. But
Yael would not be a pawn in their game. When he found Uri, he’d punish him. He
didn’t know how Osce had stood being locked away so long and he vowed to do
whatever he could to help. But he needed to know what had transpired between
him and the Fate.

“It’s not my story to tell. I will return Patricia to your
home.”

Osce vanished and Luke appeared in his wake.

“What the fuck is up with you crazy bastards? Somebody
better get Uri the hell out of
my
house and now.” The earth belched and
rumbled beneath Ram’s feet. The devil was pissed off.

“Shit, it will be pretty damn hard to explain a volcano in
Florida to Michael or the Father.”

“Ram, Gabe and Raph have been busy cleaning up your
goddamned mess. I’d say Michael already knows.” Luke’s face held a lopsided
grin.

“You think? Let’s go before he calls me to task. Yael, I’ve
strengthened the shields. You will be safe. I swear it. Do not follow us,
please. We will find Patricia.” Last thing he needed was Yael in the midst of
Osce and Uri’s battle. Ram and Luke vanished.

“If Osce hasn’t already killed his ass, he’s mine. He
entered my domain and took a guest from my home. And what came over Yael to
follow the crazy bastard?” Ram rattled on as they traveled through the putrid
halls of Hell. He didn’t understand how Luke stood being down here. Yet,
whenever he surfaced, he always carried the sweetest smell of clean earth.

“I think she followed her friend. They’re different.
Friendship
means
something to them.” Luke grew quiet. He added in a
somber voice, “We above forgot what it means. Have you looked at all of us
lately? It’s your fault that we’re a hopeless bunch of cretins.”

“How did this get to be my fault?”

“Because you’re a hopeless asshole. Do you realize what you
did up there? Man, it’d take me months to harvest the souls from a catastrophe
the size you almost caused over a skirt. And she was only locked up.”

“Shit, if he had harmed her, I don’t know what I’d have
done.” Ram’s jaw clenched.

“Yeah, well, you proved that.”

“Luke, don’t push it.”

They entered a large cavern that was the most wondrous sight
Ram had ever seen and he thought he’d seen everything. But this place literally
took his breath away. Ram’s eyes traveled around the space in disbelief. The
walls were covered in crystals of every color. They lined the floor, the
ceiling. Two thrones sat at one end. One was ebony, probably onyx, the other
was clear crystal.

“They’re both diamonds, and not fabricated either.” Luke’s
eyes glittered.

“What is this place?” Ram’s voice quaked in awe.

“It’s a shrine. I’m not supposed to know about it. You don’t
know about it either.” The devil fidgeted beside him.

“A shrine to what, or should I say who?” Ram fixed Luke with
a stare.

“Morta.”

“Uri did this?” Ram had trouble taking it all in.

“Yep.” Luke’s short replies let Ram know he waited for him
to say more.

“Does Michael know about this? And don’t read my mind. I
hate that.”

“Hell no, and I’m not talking.”

Ram scoured the room. In one corner there was a monstrous
bed in pure gold. He realized what stood out. There was nothing here with
warmth. Not a thing. No candles. No pillows or covers on the bed. No real
lights. Cold.

“Has he lost his mind?”

“That’s a good question. We’ve all been around so long and
the powers we have are unbelievable. Are any of us sane?” Luke pierced him with
blue eyes.

“This isn’t normal.” Ram turned to face the devil and saw
his look. “Well, okay, you know what I mean.”

“No, Ram, I don’t. What the fuck is normal anymore? We’re at
each other night and day. If you find Uri right now, you’ll tear him limb from
limb to elicit pain. You can’t kill him. For what? Yael is safe. And Uri won’t
hurt Patricia. We know that. He’s trying to make a point with Osce. Him, he’ll
hurt.”

“What are you saying, Luke?” Ramiel became suspicious.

“I don’t know. But one thing I do know—hope. It all comes
down to that. Over the years we’ve all lost a little bit. Which means
you
have lost a lot, my friend.”

“You know what? Philosophy doesn’t sit well on someone who
enjoys burning souls for eternity.”

“Who said I enjoyed it?”

Ram did something he hadn’t done in a long time. He took a
good look at Lucifer. Michael and he had banished him from Heaven a long, long
time ago. This angel lived with more death than anyone. Yet he always smiled.
He wasn’t smiling now. His shoulders slumped. What bothered him most were the
eyes. He didn’t like what was reflected there.

Ram saw himself in the eyes of the devil.

“Shit.”

“Now you understand. Fix this, Ramiel. Fix it so we can all
get back to where we belong. Even I need hope, man.”

“What are you really saying? Did Michael send you?”

“Michael, our Father, they’re not going to let you have her.
Was it not enough of an honor to be selected as the procreator of the savior of
a whole species of beings?” Luke stared hard at him. “You’re an archangel, does
that alone not bring hope back into your heart? How far will you go?” Lucifer’s
eyes were crystal clear. Ram saw the end of life as he knew it.

His wings began to beat slowly. Ram rose to the top of the
cavern and spun so fast, he became invisible. The crystals shattered, the gold
crushed to powder. It all formed a liquid pool that came to Lucifer’s knees.
Ramiel disappeared.

“Okay. That went well,” Luke said.