LUXURE

“In the news today, the search continues for missing college professor, Sirena Sovende. She was last seen outside her parents’ house in San Francisco where her mother was found brutally murdered inside. There was no sign of her father. He is presumed dead at this time. Ms. Sovende, heralded as one of the foremost minds in her field, is now the prime suspect in the case. As yet, the police have no idea of her whereabouts. If you see this woman, please call 911 immediately.”

“Shit! This is all we need. Now all of America is looking for Sirena, too.” I turn off the T.V. and throw the remote straight through the screen in anger.

“Now how am I going to watch Days of Our Lives?” Sirena sashays into the room as if nothing was wrong.

“It’s not funny, angel. You won’t be able to step outside of this house now.”

“There is one street in this town. Do you think anyone is going to know who I am?”

“Yes! You’re not ordinary looking, if you hadn’t noticed.” She crawls into my lap stroking my face. “I’m serious. This is bad. In that one street, everyone already knows you. As soon as they see the news, they’ll put two and two together, and the place will be crawling with police by the end of the day. We need to leave.”

“But I like it here. You, me, Cole, Kade, and… Selma.” Sel and her are managing civility these days, but I don’t see them being best friends for life anytime soon.

“I know, it’s been great not having to look over our shoulder and move on every night from one seedy motel to another, but we can’t stay here now. You see that, don’t you?”

“I guess. I’ll go and tell the others.”

Just as she stands to leave, there is a loud knock at the door. “Go and find Cole or Kade and stay close to them. If you need to leave here and don’t worry about me.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“Can we fight about this later?” She gives me a short but fierce kiss, retreating to the back of the cottage in search of my brothers.

There it is again. Knock… knock… knock.

I slowly make my way to the door grabbing a knife from Cole’s arsenal of weapons along the way. “Who’s there?”

The answer I get is not one I was expecting. “A friend.”

“You’ll have to do better than that.”

“I was a friend of Gabriel’s. I’m here to help.”

I don’t bother looking through the peep hole. If he wants to force his way in, a piece of wood isn’t going to stop him. As I open the door, I recognize the familiar stance, the towering frame and the telltale wings… of an Archangel. “Well, well, well. To what do I owe this great pleasure? Which one are you? Michael or Raphael?”

“You know your angels, very good, Luxure. I’m Raphael. May I speak with Sirena?”

“No. She’s been through enough. You can speak to me, and I’ll decide if you get an audience with her.”

“You’re protective of her, that’s good. You’ll need to be.”

“Go to the lake. It’s about two miles into the woods. Wait for me there.”

“What about your brothers? Or that sweet Masuulka friend of yours?” His knowledge of who I surround myself with isn’t surprising, but it makes me uneasy nonetheless.

“You don’t go near any of them, and I won’t rip you limb from limb.”

“Fair enough, but don’t keep me waiting, Luxure. Patience has never been my strong suit.” He turns and takes to the sky, his wings spreading wide, their majesty undeniable.

I close the door just as Sirena appears at the bottom of the stairs. “Who was that?”

“Someone I need to deal with before we leave tonight. You packed?”

“Yes. Everything is ready, so I’m going to work on the jump meditation I’ve been trying with Kade and Cole for a while.” I look into her eyes so in love with the enigma that stands before me. With every day that passes, I feel like she’s coming back to me finding a balance between the woman she was and the woman she’s becoming. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. She embodies the best of both human and supernatural. The emergence of her supernatural side has given her an intoxicating fierceness, but the importance of her human side was made abundantly clear after her mom died. It keeps her grounded reminding her of what is right and wrong, and why she decided to live her life as a human. Without her humanity, she would be ruthless.

I kiss her goodbye and go in search of my brothers. I don’t tell them that I’m going to meet Raphael, I simply ask them to watch over Sirena while I take care of a few things before we leave. They don’t question me, and I don’t offer anything further by way of explanation. I leave without speaking to Selma, she would know I was lying just by looking at me, and I can’t risk it. I’m already concerned that Raphael knows she’s helping me.

I leave them behind and hope I’m making the right decision as I head into the woods. I could be walking into a trap and leaving them without warning or help, but I choose to believe that Gabriel had a backup plan when it came to Sirena’s safety.

* * *

“I’m glad you chose to come alone. That was a wise decision. Colère isn’t known for his… diplomacy.”

Angels are so fucking high and mighty. They’ve always pissed me off. “Speaking ill of my brother isn’t the best way to get into my good graces.”

He throws his head back as if laughing to the Heavens. “I’m to get into your good graces? Remember who you’re talking to… demon.”

I rip a tree from the ground throwing it into the center of the lake. “Remember who you’re talking to Raphael. I have won many wars over your kind throughout the ages. You would do well not to forget that. I may have been out of the game for a while, but I sure as hell haven’t lost a beat.”

He takes a step back, wary of me, as he should be. “I can see that. I’m not here to fight with you, Luxure. I’m here to offer my help. I promised Gabriel a long time ago that if anything should ever happen to him, I would ensure Sirena’s safety.”

“How big of you!”

His demeanor switches, the skies becoming overcast as his anger builds. “How dare you. If it were up to me, I would kill you and your brothers on the spot. The way you killed those Guardians was disrespectful, even for you.”

“They tried to kill Sirena. They did kill her mother, and it almost broke her. My brothers had nothing to do with it. It was me. I couldn’t let them live. They knew too much, and they weren’t going to stop until they killed her.”

“That maybe so, but your brutality drew attention. We don’t want everyone to know about Sirena’s existence… not the demons, not the celestials, and certainly not the human race. They need to have faith. They would destroy themselves if they saw the truth with their own eyes.”

“And we’ve been keeping a low profile. Sirena is perfectly safe with me, so why don’t you get to the reason you’re here and stop wasting my time.”

“I’ve come to take Sirena. She’s beginning to draw attention from the humans, and that will only bring the Vollstrecker sniffing around. They’re already aware of your existence. The very fact that she’s with you right now puts her in the line of fire.”

He can’t be serious? “Your kind have posed the biggest threat to her existence thus far, so forgive me if I tell you that you will be taking Sirena over my dead body. She is never safer than when she’s with me. You’re not taking her.” It requires every ounce of my control not to slam him to the ground and tear his wings from his back. I tell myself over and over that it won’t help Sirena if I bring the Heavens down upon us.

“The Almighty has decreed she be put under my protection.”

“Fuck him! And fuck you!”

He grabs me by the neck crushing it to the point of pain. “Now listen here, demon, I’m not asking, I’m telling you that’s what will happen. Maybe not today, but soon, and there will be nothing you can do to stop me. If I have to take her over your dead body, I will, and I’ll relish every moment, but remember that I gave you the opportunity to hand her over in a civil manner.”

“I think it’s time you leave my brother alone.” I hear Cole’s voice strong and steady behind me.

“Ah, Wrath. We meet again. I’m surprised to see you here helping Luxure.” He removes his hand from my throat and steps past me. “Don’t even think of attacking me from behind, boy. Tell him, Cole.”

“Luxure. Go to the house and get Sirena. If I’m not back in ten minutes, take Kade and Selma and leave.” The look they exchange is fraught with meaning, and I have no idea what is going on.

“I’m not leaving you here with him.”

Cole rests his hand on my shoulder. “Raph and I are old… acquaintances. We have some things to discuss, but rest assured, Sirena is leaving here with you, brother. I will make sure of it. Now go. She needs you.”

If not for my overwhelming desire to get Sirena as far away from Raphael as possible, I wouldn’t leave Cole, but I know out of any of my brothers, he can take care of himself. They don’t call him Wrath for nothing. “Okay, but make sure you’re back in ten minutes. I’m not losing you again.”

Raphael begins a slow, sarcastic clap, a look of disgust marring his majestic features. “How touching. If only you knew the depths of your brother’s depravity, Luxure, I doubt you’d be so quick to embrace him.”

I don’t have time for his weak attempt at mind games. “I know my brother better than anyone. He has more honor and integrity than you will ever have. Why don’t you fly back up to the ‘Almighty’ and tell him that?”

Cole grabs me, the tone of his voice irate. “I told you to get the hell out of here, Lux. Go… NOW!”

I can see it in his eyes, he’s begging me to go, and I know I have to put Sirena first, but I will never forgive myself if something happens to him. “Stay safe, brother.”

“Always.”

I turn and run as fast as I can never looking back afraid of what I might see if I do.

* * *

I burst into the cottage eager to feel Sirena in my arms. “Sirena! Kade! Selma!”

They all come running, the urgency in my voice a harbinger of bad news. “What’s wrong? Where’s Cole?” Kade is beside me in seconds.

“He’ll be back soon, I’ll explain everything later, but for now, we need to leave earlier than we had planned.”

“I haven’t filled up the SUV yet.”

“We can get gas on the way. Just help Selma get her stuff together, and I’ll organize Sirena. We need to be out of here in ten minutes.”

Selma speaks up, “Don’t talk about us as if we’re not even here. Sirena and I are more than capable of getting our things. What is going on, Luxure? I know when you’re worried, and it’s written all over your face right now.”

I pull my dearest friend into my arms and whisper in her ear, “Raphael is here.”

She holds tight to me for a moment aware of what this means without any further dialogue, then turns on her heels and heads for the stairs. “Are you going to help me or not, Kade?”

He looks at me and then to Selma, understanding that this conversation can’t happen right now, and he needs to trust me. “Yes, ma’am. Ten minutes, and we’re out of here. I’ll pack your panties for you.” She slaps him playfully on the shoulder, both of them putting on a front for Sirena’s sake.

As soon as they’re out of sight, Sirena starts asking questions. “What’s going on? What did you just say to Selma? Why are we leaving earlier than planned?”

These are all valid questions, and Sirena is the most intelligent person I know. I won’t be able to evade her for long, but I’m still concerned about her ability to control her emotions. The last thing we need right now is to draw attention to ourselves. I pull her into my arms feeling the rapid beat of her heart against my chest. “I don’t have time to explain everything just now, but I promise I will tell you everything when we’re safely away from here. We have information that we might be in danger, I’m just being cautious.”

“I know there’s something you’re not telling me, but if you say we need to leave now, then I believe you, and I trust you.”

“Thank you, angel.” I know she feels the sinking feeling in my gut, the guilt of lying to her. But, she’s scared enough to let it go for now.

I count the seconds waiting for Cole to return. I’ll leave without him if I have to, but I don’t relish the thought of it and neither will Kade. We always fought side by side, never leaving another behind. It goes against everything The Brotherhood stood for. We always were and always will be stronger together. That uneasy feeling I have is only getting worse as the seconds become minutes, and in the blink of an eye, our ten minutes is up, and Kade starts loading our stuff into the back of the SUV. I look up to the skies, dark gray clouds forming overhead. I know it’s Raphael, and I wait for the rain and thunder that tells me Cole has unleashed his wrath… but it doesn’t come. “What are you looking for?”

I turn my attention to Kade after checking that the girls are still indoors. “Raphael is here. Cole is with him now. He came for Sirena, and when I said ‘no,’ he wasn’t pleased.”

“We have to go and get him. We can’t leave him here.”

“I told him that, but he wouldn’t listen. He said he and Raphael have met before, and he wanted to talk to him. He made me promise to get everyone else out of here if he wasn’t back by now.”

Kade slams the back door of the SUV denting it in the process. “Fuck! So all of the Archs know, Azazel knows, and now the humans are looking for Sirena? Where are we heading?”

“Out of America. Europe somewhere.”

“Italy. Catholicism was born there. There’s nowhere on Earth that lacks religion more than The Vatican. It’s full of pomp and ceremony false idolatry and greed. ”

“Okay. Italy it is. If we get separated at any time, we need to have a meeting place to come together again. There seems to be no safe form of communication. We can’t track each other, especially now that an Arch is involved. We can’t track them.”

“But they can track us. We’re at a disadvantage.”

“Is there any way for you to leave a message for Cole that is secure enough to tell him our location and where to meet us?”

“Honestly, no.” He puts his hand on my shoulder. “If he can deal with Raphael, he can find us. In your absence, he has honed his skills. He didn’t do well without the enhanced strength and power that The Brotherhood provided. He’s more powerful than any of us now. If anyone can come out of this, it’s Colère.”

Sirena and Selma emerge from the cottage closing the door on our reasonably quiet life over the past few months. I’m saddened to think that I can never give Sirena a normal human existence. It’s what her soul chose above all else, and now… she faces life in the shadows and on the run. There will be no family home with a white picket fence, no kids running around in the yard, and no growing old together. I don’t even know if she will age the same way now that her supernatural side is emerging. I’ve taken all of those possibilities away, and all I can give her in return is my love.

She gives me a small smile, slips on her sunglasses, and slides into the backseat of the SUV with Selma. Kade and I take one last look at the cottage and the skies before we get in the car and leave behind our fleeting experience of humanity.

* * *

The inside of the car is deathly quiet as we pull out onto the main road everyone painfully aware of Cole’s absence. He and Sirena have become good friends in the time we’ve spent here, and I know she will feel his loss greatly. I can only hope he returns to us soon.

Kade breaks the silence with the cold logistics of our journey. “I just need to stop for gas, and then we’re ready to go. I’ll make some calls on the road to arrange a plane to get us out of the country, but I can do that when Lux is driving.”

“Okay, be quick, and let’s get out of here.” He stops at the first gas station we see, and I tell the girls to stay in the car while I grab some snacks for Sirena on the road. Selma just rolls her eyes, hating being told what to do… as always.

Kade grabs my arm before I head into the store. “There’s no rain or no thunder. You know as well as I do that Cole is all about creating a storm. I’m beginning to wonder if we’re doing the right thing.”

“I have to get Sirena out of here now. Raphael is coming for her. We’re not ready to face him yet. We need time.”

“Who the hell is Raphael?” Shit. I didn’t hear the car door open. Kade and I look at each other knowing she won’t let us out of here without getting an answer. “Answer me!”

“I told you to stay in the car. You can’t be out here.”

“Tell me who the hell Raphael is, and I’ll get in the car.” Sirena stands, hands on hips, ready to pick a fight.

“Just tell her, Lux. She deserves to know what she’s running from.” He finishes pumping the gas and leaves us to fight while he goes inside to pay. “I’ll grab the food. You guys need to talk.”

As soon as he’s out of earshot, Sirena starts in on me. “Tell me now. Why did we leave Cole behind with someone called Raphael?”

“Sirena, can you please get back in the car, and I’ll explain everything as soon as we’re back on the road?”

“No! Don’t treat me like I’m some weak little girl, Lux. Haven’t I proven to you by now that I can handle whatever comes our way, but only if we’re honest with each other.”

I pull her into my arms, kissing her with everything I have. “You’re so fucking stubborn, Sirena Sovende, but I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone.”

“I love you, too.”

“The man I met with today was a friend of your father’s. His name is Raphael, the Archangel Raphael. He said your dad made him promise to protect you if anything ever happened to him.”

“Why is that a bad thing? I thought we needed all the allies we can get.”

“He came to take you away. He came to take you to the Heavens. I would never see you again, and if the Guardians we encountered in San Francisco are anything to go by… he was going to kill you.”

“Couldn’t we have killed him?”

“You say that so flippantly. He’s an Archangel. If we kill him, we are declaring war on the Heavens. We have enough to worry about already.”

“Why did you leave Cole behind?”

“Because Cole can handle himself. He wants you safe and as far away from Raphael as possible, and I agree.”

“If anything happens to him, it will be my fault. I can’t… he can’t…”

I hold her close, her pain breaking my heart. “I know this is hard for you, but you are important and unique in this world, and we are going to encounter many foes along the way who want to take you from me. Enemies who don’t want supernatural or human beings to know of your existence. You have to trust that I will always do what is best for you.”

“Hey, you’re that woman from the news.” A stranger interrupts us. “The one the police are looking for.”

I step in front of Sirena. “You must be mistaken. You didn’t see her.” And just like that, he turns and walks away, Sirena’s face wiped from his memory.

Just then Kade comes barreling out of the store. “We have to go… now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s a Fallen in there who recognized Sirena from the news. He recognized you and decided to call the police. I tried to use my persuasion on him, but it doesn’t work on angels, even if they’re fallen. We have to go.”

I open the door and try to push Sirena inside, but she fights back. “No. I’m not going to live like this. I told you I would give myself up. Let me go to Raphael.”

“And I told you I would never let you sacrifice yourself to keep me safe.”

“How many people have to die to save me, Luxure? When is enough, enough?”

“I will never give up on you.” The skies roar with a burst of thunder, lightning splitting the skies, and I know Cole is putting up a fight. We need to get out of here fast. “Get in the fucking car, Sirena. We can fight about this later.”

By this time Selma is out of the car, fully aware that the growing storm around us is Cole. “What’s the holdup?”

“Sirena won’t get in the car.” Kade goes to her side, trying to shield her from the growing winds and the rain that has started pounding the ground so loudly I can barely hear the voices around me.

A crowd has gathered—everyone pointing and staring at Sirena as she struggles against me, hitting my chest as I try to force her into the car. At first, they think she’s in trouble, but as soon as they recognize her, they become an angry mob. I see the fight in her eyes and it fills me with dread. “You all need to get out of here, but I’m staying. I’m going to find Raphael and Cole.”

“No, you’re not. You’re not listening to me.” I’m practically screaming to be heard over the rain beating off the roof of the gas station.

“You’re not listening, Lux. I don’t want this to be my life. If I have to, I’ll bring Raphael to me. You’ve left me no choice.” She grabs me by the hands, a sudden surge of electricity coursing through my body. I try to loosen her grip, but I can’t free my hands. It’s as if we are bound together.

Everything around us starts to shake, the gas pumps torn from the ground with the energy Sirena emanates. The sound of people screaming and running for safety begins to fill the air. Kade and Selma try to pull us apart, but Sirena tips her head back as soon as Kade grabs hold of me. I try to gain strength from his touch, but I only feel myself weakening. Kade cries out in agony—she’s siphoning his power through me. I never knew she could do that. She shouts to the Heavens. “Raphael, come and get me. I’m not afraid of you.”

Lightning strikes the gas station causing a fire to break out. Selma struggles against Sirena refusing to let go. “Stop this, Sirena. Look around you! This isn’t a show of strength, and it isn’t the mark of a martyr. If you bring Raphael here, every one of these humans will die. Kade, Cole, and Lux will be tortured and murdered. I will be put to death for keeping Luxure alive all these years. This isn’t going to save anyone.”

Sirena’s eyes go on fire, and all trace of the woman I love is gone. “Raphael!”

I shout over the noise to Selma. “You have to get Kade off of me! Sirena is draining his strength through me.” She immediately moves behind him, summoning all of her strength to pull him free. As soon as the link is broken, Sirena and I can feel it. She reacts impulsively blasting a wave of energy toward Kade sending both him and Selma flying through the air and crashing into the store now engulfed in flames.

The sights that surround me are like something from a horror movie. People on fire, screaming for help before falling to their knees, their bodies consumed by fire—innocent people. I feel myself getting weaker and weaker almost unable to speak or even stay awake. “Don’t do this, angel. I love you.”

Moments later, Selma comes running through the flames. “Luxure! Kade’s hurt. The Fallen still had his celestial dagger. He stabbed him. He needs help… now.”

“I… I’m too weak… get him out of here. Jump.”

“I can’t leave you here.” She starts punching and kicking Sirena, but she doesn’t budge.

“Stop this. You’re killing him.” Those are the words that snap her out of it.

She releases my hands, and I drop to the ground, the flames licking their way across the lot toward us. I look to my friend, the one who has protected me all these years. I see terror in her eyes, but I know how strong she is. I need her to be the warrior I know and love. “Get Kade and leave.”

“Where do I take him? How can he heal from a celestial blade?”

“I don’t know, but you have to find a way to save him. Please.”

She kneels down beside me taking my face in her cold but loving hands. “I can’t leave you.”

“You have to. Kade needs you more than I do. I promise I will find you again.” She gives me a tender kiss and nods her agreement with tears streaming down her face before disappearing into the flames to save my brother.

I can barely move, I’m so weak. “Sirena. Please, come back to me.”

She stands staring at the skies. “Why hasn’t he come for me?”

“Look around you. This storm, that’s Colère unleashing his wrath, fighting for his life… and yours. You owe it to him to live.”

She slowly takes in the scene around her. Burning bodies, cars flipped over, people screaming, sirens blaring in the distance. “I did this?”

“You didn’t start the fire, but you can stop it. You can channel the rain.”

She stares at me for a moment. “Why would I do that? I want Raphael to find me.” This is not the woman I love.

“Because these people are innocent. They don’t deserve to die. This place will explode as soon as the flames reach the open gas lines. Businesses and homes for miles around will be wiped off the face of the Earth, and you will be responsible for their deaths.”

She doesn’t respond, and all I feel from her is fear and terror. “Channel the fucking rain and put the fire out, Sirena! Kade will die if Selma can’t get to him in time.”

Without a word, she lifts her hands to the skies drawing Cole’s wrath toward her. The rain pools in her hands, growing in size until she creates a massive, majestic wave. She hesitates for just a moment before setting it free to quash the flames that threaten to consume this small unsuspecting town. It washes away everything and everyone in its path as if they were a speck of dust and nothing more.

My strength slowly returns, and as soon as I’m able, I go in search of Kade and Selma, but I can’t find them anywhere. I can only hope that Selma was able to make the jump out of here and get him somewhere safe. But, even if she did, she needs to find a way to heal him. I know he couldn’t be in better hands, but I wish I could be with him and ensure his safety. I never knew how much I missed him until I had him back. The storm breaks and everything is silent. Not a drop of rain, no roaring thunder, and not a sound of another being for miles. Everyone who was here… is dead.

Sirena is still standing in the same spot staring at the skies. I walk over careful not to touch her. “We need to leave before Raphael gets here.”

“I want him here. I’ve told you that, but you just don’t listen.”

Only moments later, I hear him—his wings slicing through the air. If the storm has subsided and Raphael is on his way, what has become of Cole? I don’t have time to dwell on it. I grab hold of Sirena’s hand and block everything else out. I can see him in the distance, his majestic white wings dripping with blood. Sirena starts screaming at me to let her go, but I will not lose another woman I love. I wouldn’t survive it. I close my eyes and decide on the one place I know Sirena can’t fight me. Where she needs me, and where she will be forced to let go of her anger and trust me—Uitare.

I block out everything around us focusing only on the sound of her heartbeat.

Four… three… almost there… two…

I hear Raphael almost upon us…

One…

I can’t hear Sirena’s screams anymore.

Raphael is gone.

I open my eyes. I’m back in the Uitare zone… with Sirena.

Nowhere is safe… not the Heavens, not the Underworld. Not even Earth is safe for Sirena Sovende, the only living soul with free will. The woman I have fallen completely in love with, and the woman whose fate is somehow inexplicably linked to my own.

My Siren angel.