Alice stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. Her hands placed on the counter by the sink. She stared at her reflection. For days she’d felt strange. She could’ve sworn she’d been seeing things. Smoke curled around her in the mirror, her eyes pools of never ending darkness.
She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the hallucination from her mind. It was still there, taunting her. It was coming. The Darkness. Sending her a clear message. Her time was almost up. She cursed.
“Alice?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice. His footsteps silent against the tiled floor. She eyed the mirror again, but the smoke was gone. He curled his arms around her waist, dropping a kiss on her shoulder.
“What is it?” Az asked.
“Nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. What did you see?”
“The smoke again. My eyes were black. Time has run out. I feel it.”
She placed her hands on top of his. The silence enveloped the two of them. What else could she say? It was time. This day would always come. Nothing could stop the Darkness.
“Then let me make these last moments with you count,” he whispered in her ear.
She turned in his arms. He pushed her up against the counter, his green eyes blazing with emotions she didn’t want to understand. The time for talking was over. They’d admitted how they felt even if the words hadn’t been uttered. What good would it do to say them out loud anyway? It would only make the inevitable unbearable. She let Az take her in the ways he wanted to because that’s what they needed. It was the only way they could say goodbye to each other.
His kisses were gentle, his touch unhurried as if they had all the time in the world. And she supposed they did in a way. The Darkness would allow her one more moment of unadulterated bliss with him before it took her. It would never be enough, but it would have to be. She couldn’t ask it for more.
In the aftermath of their union, he lay splayed out on the bed, his hand curled loosely around her waist. He’d fallen asleep. Her beautiful angel was dead to the world. Running her fingers through his auburn hair, she sighed. He almost never slept. The days spent worrying about when their last together would be had taken it out of him. It made her heart ache.
“Azrael,” she whispered. “Thank you for the last few months. For caring for me. For your touch. For your affection. It never occurred to me anyone was able to feel the way I do about you. Bound to one another in a way no one else could ever understand. I wish that we had forever. I never wanted to let you go. Az… fuck.”
Tears dripped down her cheeks. She was tired of crying, but it was all she could seem to do.
“I love you.”
The weight on her shoulders lifted slightly. Even if he was sleeping, she’d managed to voice her feelings out loud.
“I’ll always love you, from now until the very end.”
There was a rushing sensation in her head. It was here. Its laughter rang in her ears.
“Silly girl. Did you think your love for him would change anything?”
“No. If you’re here to take me, then at least allow me to kiss him one last time.”
There was silence in her head. She leant down, pressing her lips to his. Her tears fell down onto his cheeks. She stifled a sob when she pulled away. She rested her fingers on his cheek, brushing away the wetness. She didn’t want him knowing she’d cried when she said goodbye.
“Remember I love you, Az. You’ll know it when you wake up. You’ll feel it every day for eternity. You have to go on without me. Please don’t give up. Please don’t let yourself drown in sorrow. I love you, my beautiful angel. Goodbye, Azrael. My Archangel of Death.”
She crawled off the bed. The Darkness became an almost solid form in front of her. It was her image in black smoke. It smiled at her. She felt the sticky feeling rake across her skin again. There wasn’t anything she could say to it. Whatever words she had left were gone. Her heart was torn to shreds.
“It is time you and I ended the world, Alice.”
§
Azrael jerked awake. He felt an ache deep in his chest. Eying the empty bed beside him, he frowned. She should be here. He jumped up, tearing through the penthouse. Alice was gone. The knowledge of it almost made him collapse in the middle of the living room floor. He felt the whisper of her touch against his cheek.
“Alice,” he whispered, choking on the word.
He’d never wanted to feel human emotions, but they came crashing down on him all at once. Despair raked through him, tearing his insides to pieces. His heart tightened in his chest. His legs finally gave out. He knelt on the floor as a single tear slipped down his cheek. The Darkness had come and taken her from him.
“Why, Father? Why have you done this to me? Why did you give her to me only to take her away?”
There was only one person he could blame for this cruelty. His father. Yet if he hadn’t thrown Lucifer and Azrael out of Heaven, he would’ve never had the chance to meet Alice. To love her in the way he did.
It didn’t mean he had to like what had happened now. This was too much. All he wanted was to see her face again. To hold her in his arms. They’d not had enough time. Forever would never be enough. Tears streamed down his face. He no longer cared. Nothing mattered now she was gone.
“Azrael,” a voice whispered inside his head. “Do not fail me now.”
It was not just any voice. It was the voice of God. Of his father. He looked up at the ceiling, confusion marring his features.
“Fail you? How have I failed you now?”
“The end is coming, Azrael. Your purpose on Earth. You must fulfil your duty.”
“What if I don’t care anymore? You’ve taken everything from me.”
“Have faith, my son.”
Then there was only silence. Silence which rang in his ears.
Faith? What is the point in having faith? Why are you always so cryptic? You and Lucifer have that in common.
It had always driven him crazy. Lucifer had always been his father’s son. His favourite. None of them had ever matched up to the love their father had for his Morningstar. And yet, his favourite had disappointed him the most. Lucifer was sent to rule over Hell as punishment for his disobedience.
Lucifer would always be God’s favourite child. Azrael knew this because of the expression their father had worn when he’d cast them out. The pain in his eyes was unpalatable. It wasn’t for Azrael, but for the Morningstar. The brightest of all is creations. Now, Lucifer was the darkest of them all.
He felt something calling to him. A whisper in the air.
“I am waiting, Azrael. You know where to seek me. You know where you’ll find her.”
A tight feeling echoed around his chest. The Darkness sought him. He knew exactly where it was hiding. Waiting for him. It was time he ended things. He dreaded every moment. The Darkness would be wearing her face. He almost couldn’t stand it.
He rose to his feet. The sun dipped in the sky. Dusk was coming. He found Alice’s phone on the bedside table. He sent one message.
‘It’s time. The Darkness is here.’
He slipped it into a pocket. Ella would want to know where they needed to assemble. He stepped out of the penthouse, ghosting through the window as if it wasn’t even there. His wings flared out before he flew upwards and landed on the roof. Through the bond angels shared, he called to his brother. Minutes later, Lucifer landed with a thump on the roof.
“It is time,” Azrael said.
“I felt it too. You know where it is to end?”
Azrael nodded. Lucifer gave him a tight smile before taking to the skies again. They both knew what was expected. He stood for several moments. Would he ever be prepared to see the Darkness wearing the face of the woman he loved?
He jumped off the roof, allowing the wind to carry him towards the place where everything would end. Alice’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out mid-flight.
‘Where?’
He fired back a quick message to Ella. He knew they would come. They would bring whoever they could. He could see the park below him. There was a clearing. He soared towards it, landing with a thump. His wings tucked behind him as he looked around. He could feel its presence everywhere, permeating the air. The sky darkened at an alarming pace.
Lucifer landed beside him. He glanced at his brother. Lucifer’s expression was hard. Large cracks formed in the ground and up rose several higher demons. Azrael stiffened. The scent of them made his nostrils flare. He hated demons, but now was not the time for old divisions. They had a common enemy.
“Where is she?” Lucifer asked.
“It took her. Can’t you feel it in the air?” Azrael responded.
Lucifer’s expression soured further. Who’d have thought they would be standing here again? Brothers in arms once more. United against the Darkness. The shadows shifted next to them and out walked Gavin, Neave and Jack. Ella had worked fast. He imagined they’d been recognising the signs the Darkness was here for days. They would’ve been prepared for this moment. But where were the two angel, demon hybrids?
Gavin nodded at Azrael. He was still a little wary of the vampire after Gavin had tried to kill Alice. He was sure the Darkness had not forgotten that little incident either. Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t brought Daisy with him. The vampires looked over at where the demons were still assembling, eyes growing wide before glancing over at the angel standing next to Azrael.
“Is that…?” Neave whispered to Jack.
“Oh, that most definitely is,” Jack replied.
“Shit. Didn’t expect him to look so… ethereal.”
“He is an angel, Neave.”
Neave jabbed Jack in the side, scowling.
“Ha, fucking point out the obvious why don’t you?”
Azrael wanted to shake his head at their interaction. Now wasn’t the time for jokes. Beyond the three vampires, more started to pop up as they slowed down from their run.
A little way off a purple light appeared. Out walked Grace followed by Dalia and the werewolves he’d met at The Werehouse and several others. Lastly, the witch, Alistair walked through with two other men who looked to be twins and the portal disappeared. The only two missing from the assembled party of shifters were Izzy and Rex. It didn’t surprise him considering the female werepanther was heavily pregnant.
There were two loud thumps besides him and Lucifer. He glanced over at the noise. Ella and Lukas had arrived, both of them with their wings extend and horns protruding from their foreheads. Ella set Daisy down. She stormed over to her husband who looked at her in shock.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Gavin said.
“Do you think I’m going to be left out of the world ending? Are you crazy?” Daisy replied.
“But my love—”
“Don’t you start with me, Gavin. I am not leaving.”
She reached out to him, cupping his face with one hand.
“My heart is here, with you. Always. You know that.”
Gavin pulled her two him, holding the dark-haired girl close.
“You are the most infuriating woman.”
“Yet you love me anyway.”
There was a small smile playing on his lips at her assertion.
“You need to stay back, Daisy.”
She put her hand out. Ella threw something at her. She caught the bright dagger deftly.
“As if you think I’d come here without anything to defend myself with. Ella has been teaching me, as you well know.”
The vampire shook his head before releasing her.
“My wife, fiery as ever.”
“You know it.”
Azrael’s attention was drawn away to the treeline. A woman emerged with a long, flowing black dress on. She had black eyes and wore a sneer on her perfect lips. Behind her, black smoke pooled, wisps twisting and turning besides her. She was the reason they were here. She was still as beautiful now as the day he’d first seen her. His heart lurched.
“Alice,” he whispered.