Instead of answering, she pressed her mouth to his, kissing him despite the unabated tears streaming down her face.
I’m afraid.
His hands tangled in her hair.
“Of what?”
Of everything the Darkness showed me. Of everything destined to come to pass. Of losing you.
He pulled away, staring down at her with emotions she didn’t understand. He wiped her tears from her cheeks. Her fears were all too real to her. The one that mattered the most was in front of her. If she lost him, she would lose herself entirely. He anchored her to the world. The Darkness would consume her without Azrael.
“I’m yours,” he whispered. “Do you understand what that means to have an Archangel at your feet? I will lay down my immortal life for you.”
“What? You can’t die for me.”
He smiled, brushing her cheek with his thumb.
“You’re right. I can’t die. But I will protect you at all costs.”
“You’re going to make me cry again.”
She wrapped her legs around him, pressing him closer, deeper inside her.
“We can’t have that.”
She felt a wave of happiness flood through her. It broke through her fears, filling her with a sense of peace. She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Are you doing that?”
He grinned wickedly.
“Perhaps.”
“I’d much rather you use that on my body.”
He ran his fingers down her back. It sent sparks across her skin. She arched into his touch, revelling in the feelings he elicited.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered.
He continued stroking her skin. She felt the warmth of his power washing over her. He leant down, kissing her shoulder and neck. Her fingers dug into the hard muscle of his back. She never wanted this moment to end, but there was something else she wanted to ask him.
“Az…”
“Mmm?”
She drew her fingers down his back. He looked at her, his eyes narrowing.
“Would you perhaps consider, you know, doing it with them out?”
“Are you asking me to get my wings out for you?”
She bit her lip, nodding. She had no idea how he was going to react to her request. She wanted the full force of his angelic nature on show because it was who Az really was.
He tucked his hands under her behind before he stood. Nothing in his expression gave away what he thought. He carried her into the bedroom before setting her down on the bed. He stood at the end, staring down at her. Her gaze ran down his chest and lower.
Fuck me, he is too beautiful for words. I still don’t understand what he sees in me, but I know we are each other’s.
“Is this what you want?” he asked.
The air behind him shimmered. A soft halo of light appeared above his head. His brilliant white wings flared outwards, taking up half the room with their size. She swallowed, hard, sitting up on her elbows. She had no words. She put a hand up, curling her finger and beckoning him over. His lips quirked up.
I most definitely want you to come here.
He crawled over her, stealing her lips in a searing kiss. She lay back, staring up at her angel with unabashed admiration. She reached up, running her fingers through the feathers gently. He hissed slightly.
“Alice, that tickles,” he complained.
“Do you want me to stop?”
He shuddered, shaking his head.
“No… No, don’t. I crave your touch.”
Her eyes widened slightly at his admission. Her fingers brushed over the underside of his wing again. He closed his eyes, taking a breath. She wanted to make him feel good, just like he always did for her. She cupped his face, running a thumb over his bottom lip.
“Lie down, please.”
He opened his eyes, frowning for a moment. She shifted out from under him and pressed him down on the bed. His wings splayed out over the covers. She almost faltered at the sight of him. She straddled him, careful not to kneel on the feathers. He gripped her thighs when she sunk down on him. She leant over, trailing her fingers over his feathers. He groaned, closing his eyes, his fingers tightening around her.
My beautiful angel. I don’t know if I can describe my feelings for you. I just know I want you forever.
“You have me forever. I’m eternally yours,” he murmured.
She captured his mouth, pouring all of her feelings into the kiss. She wanted him to know the depth of her affections. To know that what she felt for him was beyond mortal words. He wrapped his wings around them, encasing the two of them in their own little world. It was at that moment she knew what her feelings for him truly were.
She loved Azrael.
There was no question.
She was in love with the Archangel of Death.
And she wanted to cry all over again, knowing her heart was going to be torn in half the moment the Darkness took her away from him.
§
He left her sleeping. Her hair was mussed, sticking up in places where he’d tugged on it earlier. His heart stopped momentarily. She was the most beautiful being in this world.
They’d spent the rest of the day in bed together, enjoying each other’s bodies in every which way they could. He would never get enough of her. Alice was the balm to everything. She gave him a reason to live again.
Before she’d dropped off to sleep, she’d shown him the visions she’d had when the Darkness had inhabited her body. He knew what would come to pass if he didn’t do something about it. And he would do anything to keep her safe.
He turned to the window. The storm outside raged, the rain battering down on the glass. Lightning streaked across the sky followed shortly by the crack of thunder. The storm signalled the arrival of the Darkness on Earth. He walked towards it, his wings spread out behind his back. He was glad Alice was asleep. He wasn’t quite sure she would forgive him if she saw him step through the glass into the nothingness beyond it.
The rain battered down on his bare chest, his wings becoming thoroughly soaked within moments. He beat them, flying upwards until he landed on the roof. He stared up at the dark skies. He didn’t feel the cold nor the rain against his skin.
“Is this what you wanted, Father? Did you wish to bring ruin to everything you built?” he shouted. “Did you want to watch us all suffer?”
Anger and frustration rushed through him. His punishment for disobedience was severe, but ending the world was something else.
“This has to be your idea of a joke. Why her? Why did you have to make her the vessel? Why are we connected? Is this what you meant? Is this how I bring the end?”
He paced away, unable to keep still. His whole body radiated with tension, distress. All of his emotions bubbled up to the surface, threatening to burst through the dam.
“Tell me one thing… Just one damn thing! What is the purpose of making me feel human emotions? Do you think I want to feel these things about her? Do you? Do you think I want to… to… to love her?”
He sunk to his knees, feeling the weight of his words crash over him. He loved the girl destined to destroy Heaven, Earth and Hell. The girl his father had chosen to be the vessel for the Darkness. The girl who could see him for who he really was. A broken angel. He wasn’t quite sure when it had happened or how, but it was true.
He loved Alice.
“Is it really what you wanted for me? I don’t understand why this would be your plan. I don’t think I have ever understood any of your motives.”
He wished his father was there and really listening to him. It had been so long since he’d heard the voice of the Divine. Yet, Alice had filled the unending void inside him. Her presence at his side was all he needed. He would find a way for her to remain there, permanently.
“Does it even matter what you planned? I don’t know that it does. All I’m sure of is she matters. I won’t let her be destroyed by the Darkness even if I have to give up everything. She is mine and I am hers. We belong to each other. You stranded me here, but I no longer want to return home.”
He got to his feet, staring up at the skies again. God didn’t care. He was content to let his sons rot.
“You hear me, Father! I refuse to return to your side. I don’t belong to you any longer. I belong to her. Only her. You cannot command me any longer. I’m going to stop you from destroying everything if it’s the last thing I do.”
The next moment, something slammed into him, sending him careening to the floor. Hands pinned him to the ground. He stared up into the dark features of his brother.
“Shouting at dear old Dad isn’t going to get you anywhere, brother,” Lucifer said.
“Fuck you.”
He threw Lucifer off him and got to his feet. His brother stood, dusting himself off. He was thoroughly drenched, his immaculate black suit dripping.
“That’s no way to greet your sibling.”
“And crashing into me is?”
What the hell is he doing here? Did he hear what I said to Father?
“Tsk, Azrael, if you had been paying attention, you would’ve heard me coming.”
He growled, low. He was in no mood for Lucifer’s theatrics. The moment of privacy was gone, rudely interrupted.
“What do you want now?”
“It’s here, is it not?”
“Yes.”
There was no point in denying it. Lucifer was going to find out the Darkness had awoken regardless.
“And you know what she is now, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And you still won’t give her to me.”
He clenched his fists. Lucifer was never getting his hands on Alice as long as he was around to protect her.
“It would serve no purpose. The Darkness won’t allow you to kill its vessel. You should be focusing your energies on stopping it, not murdering an innocent girl.”
“Innocent? I hardly call the Darkness’ vessel, innocent. Though, I do wonder why you are so protective of one small, human girl.”
He tried to reign in his temper, but Lucifer’s grin made him want to curl his hands around his brother’s throat. It wouldn’t do Alice any favours if his brother found out what was between them. If anything, it would make the situation worse.
“She is innocent. She didn’t ask for this. He is the one we should be blaming.”
Alice had the misfortune of God deciding she would burn the world. Even if he didn’t care for her, it was still a miserable fate for anyone to suffer.
“If you hadn’t insisted on involving our trusted sister, then none of us would be in this mess.”
“That is on Ariel. She came to see me today after I discovered her little daughter and her boyfriend. You knew, didn’t you?”
“That she was involved in their creation? Of course, I knew. Nothing happens in Hell without my knowledge. How is our sister?”
He didn’t particularly want to talk about Ariel.
“Apologetic, yet her supposed remorse was disingenuous.”
Lucifer was silent for a long moment. His wings curled up against his back. He looked up at the skies.
“Why were you shouting at Father? Do you think He’d really be listening to you?”
“Does it matter?”
“I do wonder at you. I thought you wished to return home and yet, here I find you telling Him you refuse to return to His side. Tell me, Azrael, who is it you belong to now?”
He flew at his brother, his fist connecting with Lucifer’s jaw. He was too riled up to care any longer. Fed up with his father. Fed up with Lucifer and his questions. He was done with all of it. Lucifer’s head snapped back. There was a red mark on his perfect skin. He growled, launching himself at Azrael. Fists flew between them, each landing several punches on each other.
“What is this, brother? Can’t you admit you’ve fallen under the spell of a human?” Lucifer said.
“Fuck you.”
He flew upwards, wings beating before he shot downwards. He slammed Lucifer into the floor, a dent forming in the concrete. His brother laughed.
“Oh dear, I think I’ve hit too close to home.”
Lucifer threw Azrael off him before pinning him to the floor with his foot. Azrael strained underneath his brother. He didn’t want to hurt him.
“Oh, well, this is rich. She’s made you weak, brother. I did wonder why you wouldn’t give her to me in the first place. Could it be you feel things for the girl who is meant to end the world?”
Azrael didn’t have time to respond. The door to the roof flew open and out walked Alice. Her eyes were pools of black. Smoke trailed from her fingertips. The rain plastered her hair to her face within minutes, but she didn’t seem to notice. She pointed to Azrael.
“He is mine.”