Alice took measured steps towards the two angels. Azrael struggled under Lucifer’s foot, desperate to go to her. The Darkness had consumed her again. He needed to stop this. He could chuck his brother off, but he’d much rather Lucifer released him of his own accord.
“Get off me,” he hissed.
Lucifer was too busy staring at the approaching woman to hear him.
“He is mine, Morningstar. You will release him to me,” she said.
“You think I take orders from you?” Lucifer replied.
Smoke shot out from her fingers, curling around Lucifer’s wrists, pinning him in place.
“I am His wrath. You will cower when I come for you.”
She reached them, her hand curling around Lucifer’s neck. She picked him up, launching him off the side of the building. Azrael stared up at her with confusion.
How is it possible for her to throw Lucifer around like he’s a ragdoll?
“Alice?”
She knelt down, cupping his face.
“You have bound yourself to my vessel. She cares for you, angel. You will be with me until the end.”
“I have no interest in being a part of your destruction.”
He sat up, pushing her hand away. Alice could touch him but not the Darkness in her form.
“Return her to me.”
Alice blinked, her black eyes unnerving.
“Azrael, this is why I told you to let me have her before this started,” Lucifer said.
He landed on the roof again, his expression a picture of irritation. Alice stood, smoke curling around her feet. It rose, circling around her back until a pair of huge, dark wings appeared.
“You will not stand in my way, Morningstar. I will end you.”
“Lucifer, get out of here before you antagonise it further,” Azrael said.
As much as he hated Lucifer at that moment, he didn’t wish him dead. His brother looked between him and Alice. He shook his head, taking to the skies. Alice watched him before turning back to Azrael.
“You wish to have your precious human back? She wants you too. I can feel her trying to push me out. A pity. Her mind is no match for me. One day, I will consume every part of her and you’ll have nothing left of the human you adore so much.”
Alice fell to her knees, smoke billowing out of her mouth. It took to the skies before it evaporated. She almost toppled over onto her face, but Azrael caught her. He held her close, wrapping his arms around her back. She coughed several times.
“Az,” she whimpered.
“Shh, shh, I’m here.”
He kissed her hair. His heart ached for her.
“I was asleep. It made me come up here.”
“I know.”
She shivered. She must be freezing. The rain continued to batter down around them. Lightning streaked across the sky. He stood, picking her up and carrying her into the building.
Her skin was cold, clothes plastered to her body. He couldn’t leave her like this. Heat washed over the two of them. She blinked rapidly. They were both dry again, but she still felt far too cold.
He took her to the penthouse. He tucked the both of them up in bed, holding her close.
“You’re so warm,” she whispered, her face pressed into his chest.
“I need you to get warm again.”
“I heard what it said to you.”
He stiffened slightly.
“It’s okay, Az. I’m glad you’re safe from him even if it meant being consumed by that thing again.”
“I wasn’t in danger. I didn’t wish to hurt him, not really. Years of anger and frustration boiled over between the two of us.”
“Then why did it come after you?”
“Your feelings for me are affecting it.”
She pulled away, staring up at him with wide eyes.
I could stare into those slate grey eyes for hours.
“How is that possible?”
“It has seen inside your head. It is bound to your body. I don’t think it can help it despite what the Darkness might say.”
“Because I care for you, by extension, it does too?”
“It is merely my theory, yes.”
“I guess it means it won’t harm you then.”
He stroked her hair from her face.
“No. I don’t think it will. You heard it. It wants me with you until the end.”
“I don’t want us to be apart.”
She reached up, curling her fingers around his neck, tugging him down. She kissed him. It wasn’t a sweet kiss. He could feel her desperation, her longing pouring out of her. He held her face, fingers curling into her hair. He’d give her what she needed. It hurt him to see her so affected by the Darkness and its presence.
“Az, make love to me, please,” she whispered against his mouth.
The word love almost made him pause. She doesn’t know I love her. He pressed Alice down on the bed. If she wanted him to make love to her, then that’s exactly what he’d do. No further questions asked. But tonight wasn’t the right time to reveal his feelings to her. Not after what occurred.
Soon, Alice, soon you’ll know how much I burn for you.
§
Alice hadn’t been to work in a week. She hadn’t wanted to leave Az’s side. Not when the Darkness could overtake her at any time. She was terrified of it wreaking havoc across London if they went out.
She’d finally managed to have a long conversation with Chris about what was really going on. He’d insisted he take time off work to see her but she’d refused. She didn’t want her best friend here where he could get hurt. He was safer in Edinburgh where the Darkness couldn’t get to him.
Being cooped up in the penthouse wasn’t doing Az or Alice any favours. He was withdrawn and broody after what happened with Lucifer and the Darkness. His dark mood only faded when he pinned her down and fucked her until she couldn’t take it any longer. She blushed every time she thought of how he’d made a meal out of her over the breakfast bar and a particularly steamy incident in the shower.
Her phone buzzed on the kitchen counter several times. She almost jumped at the noise. Looking down she noted a series of messages from Ella. They hadn’t heard from the angel, demon hybrids all week.
‘We want to help.’
‘Meet us at Fright Night later.’
‘The others will be there too. This affects all of us.’
“Az…”
The angel looked up from where he was fiddling with his laptop on the sofa. His beautiful eyebrows drawn down. She went over to him, wanting to soothe away his frown. Taking the laptop out of his hands, she placed it on the coffee table and straddled him.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with desire when he looked her up and down.
She gave him her phone. Whilst he looked at it, she ran her fingers down his chest before tucking them under his grey t-shirt. His muscles tensed under her touch. He let out a sharp breath when her fingers brushed lower, finding his belt and unbuckling it.
“You’re a very distracting woman,” he said.
“And you’re a very handsome angel who I want very much to have my hands all over.”
He raised an eyebrow, still intent on her phone.
“Is that so?”
She didn’t respond. No matter how many times they did this, she always craved more of him. He was addictive. And the fact remained, she loved the angel. Telling him such a thing, however, proved impossible. With the end of the world on the horizon, it should be the perfect time. The threat of the Darkness consuming her held her back. She didn’t want to ruin these moments with him with declarations. If she told him, she’d never be able to let him go. She was sure of that much.
She freed him, marvelling at the sight of her beautiful angel, already ready and wanting. She could tell he wasn’t prepared for what she did next by the groan of pleasure tearing from his mouth. Shuffling off him, she dropped to her knees on the floor. She hadn’t done this since that first night when he’d admitted he desired her. She took him in her mouth, savouring the taste of him against her tongue. His fingers curled into her hair. He wasn’t asking her to stop.
“What did I do to deserve your exquisite mouth around me?”
I want to see you smile.
She glanced up at him. His eyes were glittering with wicked mischief. His mouth was curved up at the sides. It was all she needed to see. She concentrated on pleasuring him. He hissed, his fingers digging into her skull when she took him deeper into her mouth.
“We’ll go this evening… I guess we… Fuck, Alice… We need to speak to them all…. Fuck. Fuck.”
He panted, encouraging her to increase her pace.
“Don’t stop,” he whispered. “Just don’t stop.”
Having him plead made her heart hammer in her chest. Her phone dropped from his hand onto the sofa. His other hand dug into her hair, pressing her down further until she couldn’t take much more. She pulled back, needing to take several deep breaths.
He leant down, his mouth pressed to her ear, hands on her shoulders.
“Tell me, are you wet for me right now?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Do you like to have me at your mercy?”
“Yes.”
His fingers tightened on her shoulders.
“Does it turn you on to see me so affected by you?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what you want to do to me.”
“I want to straddle you, to feel you inside me, to fuck you, to make you come.”
He growled low in his throat. One hand curled around her chin, forcing her to turn her head. He kissed her. There was no gentleness to it. Searing heat and passion sparked between them.
He tugged her back up into his lap. She’d worn a dress today, but Az didn’t stop to tear her underwear off. Pushing it to the side, she sank down on him. The low groan escaping from his mouth set her body on fire. They ground against each other furiously, lips fused together.
You are my everything. My world. My reason for existing. You and only you.
Az didn’t often listen to her thoughts any more. It was only during their most intimate moments when they communicated without words.
“And you are mine. Only mine.”
He gripped her hips, increasing their pace. She wanted a release from the tension she felt building inside her. Only he could give her that. He never failed to bring about an earth-shattering ending.
I want to forget for one moment that we’re running out of time. I never want these moments with him to end. It breaks me in half when I think of what’s to come. I can still feel it inside me. Waiting. Biding its time.
He pulled away, staring up at her with confusion. She almost cursed. He’d heard what she’d thought. She hadn’t meant to think those things. Being with him was bittersweet.
“Alice…”
“Don’t.” She pressed her hand to his mouth. “Don’t, Az.”
“Alice, it hurts me knowing how much pain the Darkness is causing you. Please don’t shut me out.”
Tears welled in her eyes. Why did it always come back to the same thing? The Darkness was a curse. It was driving a wedge between them.
“I can’t. I can’t have this conversation. It’s not fair. None of it is fair. It’s killing me, Az. It’s breaking me to think about the end. You told me you’ll protect me, but you can’t protect me from this. You can’t save me from the Darkness and I think you know that.”
They both stilled, staring at each other. Her hand remained over his mouth. She didn’t want to hear the words he might say. She wanted to take back what she’d said. He reached up, gently tugging her hand away. His green eyes intent on hers.
“I know.”
She didn’t think her heart could hurt any more, but the finality of those two words sent a new wave of pain rushing through her. They were on borrowed time. Tears fell down her cheeks. She no longer cared.
“I…I…”
She wanted to say those three words she was keeping locked up inside her, but they refused to come out. Why couldn’t she just tell him? Why wasn’t it easy?
My feelings, Az. It’s too hard for me to express those words.
“Whatever it is you feel for me, Alice, be assured I feel it for you too,” he whispered.
Those words broke her more than any others. She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He stroked her hair, soothing her with his presence, his simple touch.
“I’m sorry my Father did this to you. He is not always the benevolent God humans seem to think He is. I wish I understood why He chose you.”
“Why did He exile you from Heaven?” she asked, her voice quiet and unsteady.
“I disobeyed Him in the most fundamental way. I refused to kill for Him any longer despite it being my purpose. He cast me out to force me to accept I would always bring death to the world.”
“And Lucifer?”
“Lucifer wanted free will to be given to angels just as He had done for humanity. Several angels agreed with us, but… someone betrayed us to our father. They refused to side with us when He discovered what we wished.”
“Was it Ella’s mother?”
His arms around her tightened.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, Az. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you. Here I am, crying all over you and you must hate that. I feel stupid. I don’t want to cause you further suffering.”
She felt a rumble of laughter from his chest.
“Alice, I only suffer when we’re apart. You’re welcome to expel all your tears on my t-shirt.”
“Don’t say that just to make me feel better.”
She sniffled, trying to stem the tide.
“I’m not. Don’t you know all I want is your happiness?”
“Do you?”
He kissed the top of her head.
“It’s all that matters to me.”
“You’re my happiness in case you hadn’t realised it yet.”
“Are you quite done crying? Because I’d like to finish making love to you.”
She pulled away from his shoulder, staring at him with wide eyes. He reached up, wiping her cheeks with his thumb. His eyes sparkled with affection. Her heart thumped at the sight of it.
“What did I do to deserve you?” The words tumbled out against her will.
“I should ask what I did to deserve you, but I don’t think we’d come to any satisfactory answers.”
He was right. Questioning it was pointless. They’d already established what they meant to each other went beyond words.
“Kiss me.”
And he did.