Chapter One
THEA
Thea and Cam stepped through the portal from the human world to the Angel Realm.
On the other side, she blinked furiously against the bright light that surrounded her. As her eyes adjusted, she looked around, mesmerized.
They stood on the mound of a hill, a vast forest spread out behind them. In front, they overlooked a beautiful city with multicolored buildings unified by their pale shades. Above the city, a number of oval buildings hovered and drifted, while angels flew between them. The sky shone a deep blue, though Thea couldn’t see a sun. The clouds, however, were a gorgeous shade of violet.
“What do you think?” Cam asked.
“Beautiful,” Thea murmured. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Cam grinned at her. “Of course not.”
“It’s… warm,” Thea said. “And bright. But there’s no sun.”
“The Realm doesn’t function like the human world,” Cam said. “Each angel will feel their required temperature automatically. The sky is always blue and bright, and the days are long. The clouds change color all the time, depending on the mood of the Sepharim.”
“The what?”
Cam pulled her close. “You will learn everything in due time, Elithea,” he murmured into her ear, before nuzzling her neck.
“Thea,” she corrected, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I call you Elithea, no one else can,” he mumbled in response, encircling his arms around her waist and pressing his body against her, almost lifting her up.
She whimpered at the feel of his hard, muscled body, his breath in her ear, his smell all around her. As she became wet she suddenly remembered where they were.
“Cam,” she exclaimed, pulling away. “We can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” Cam said, pulling her back toward him. “No one comes this far out.”
“Why?”
He rested his forehead on hers and punctuated his explanation with hot, wet kisses on her mouth. “That city is the Empire, where all angels live.” Kiss. “It’s enormous.” Kiss. “It would take months to fly from one end of the city to the other.” Kiss and a nibble. “But, it’s surrounded by this forest.” Kiss.
Thea eyed the forest. “The whole Empire is surrounded by this forest?”
“Yes. And when the balance in the human world shifts in favor of the demons,” he kissed her again, “the forest creeps closer to the Empire, eating up everything in its wake. No one likes to be out here, for fear of being killed.”
Thea pulled away from him, horrified. “Why are we out here?”
“I thought you might like to see the Empire from this view,” Cam said, gesturing toward to the city. He hesitated, glancing at the forest. “It’s a little strange... Most angels hate being too close to the forest but… I actually feel comfortable out here. And you’ve never been one to fear danger.”
Thea laughed. She looked back towards the city. “It’s beautiful from this view,” she admitted. “I would like to see more of the city.”
“As you wish,” Cam said. He shifted and his magnificent creamy wings shimmered into existence behind him. He lifted her up and launched into the air, kissing her as he flew. She rested her arms around his neck and pressed into him, deepening the kiss and sliding her tongue into his mouth. They kissed long, hard, and frantically and she was lost in the taste of him. He pressed her against him and broke the kiss to growl in her ear, “I am so hard for you right now, Elithea. I cannot wait to take you to my quarters and fuck your pretty pussy. I want it spread open for me.”
His words sent thrills of desire through her. It amazed her how aroused he got for her; it was almost unbelievable. He was such an incredibly gorgeous being. And he was hers. She stretched up to his ear and whispered. “I’m dripping for you, Camael. Soaked. I want you inside me, fucking me and kissing me.”
The rumble in his throat vibrated through her. The rhythmic beating of his wings changed and they began to rise higher into the sky, higher than any of the buildings that drifted over the city until they were among the lilac, misty clouds.
“Where are we going?” Thea asked.
Cam maneuvered her in front of him so her legs wrapped around his waist. “I can’t wait,” he said, his voice raspy. He ripped off her panties and stuffed them in his pocket before reaching underneath to stroke her sodden clit.
Thea squealed in surprise. “Cam! We can’t!”
“Why not?”
She looked down at the city below, but it was obscured by clouds. “What if another angel comes up here?”
“They’ll find their way back down soon enough.”
Thea’s chuckle was cut off by a rough kiss, as Cam thrust his tongue into her mouth. The thrill of what they were doing heightened Thea’s sensitivity to his attentions and her moans quickly became ragged as her pleasure built.
She heard Cam unzip himself and felt him position himself against her. She moaned as he rubbed the head of his cock over her clit, teasing her.
“Do you like that?” He pushed into her a tiny amount and then withdrew.
“Cam,” Thea said, her tone serious. “Don’t fuck with me up here.” He teased her every chance he got, forcing her to scold him and tell him how she wanted it. He seemed to get excited by being commanded by her, which she found endearing, empowering, and fucking hot.
“Don’t fuck you? Oh…” Cam said, feigning disappointment. “I thought you were into it.”
“Cam!”
He laughed, the booming sound rich and warm. His large cock plunged into her, and he was fucking her before she could even register it. He gripped her with one arm around her waist and the other on her ass, holding her steady and tilting her pelvis as he slammed into her.
She held herself steady with her arms around his neck opening her legs as wide as she could to accept his beautiful cock.
The experience was incredible—unlike anything she had ever felt before. His grunts in her ear, his breath on her neck, the beating of his wings in a strange harmony with his rough pounding, and his scent… Whether it was being in the Angel Realm or being high up in the clouds, she didn’t know, but his fresh, comforting scent seemed to have increased ten-fold. Her orgasm came upon her in a sudden cascade of intensity she could hardly bear. All of her senses seemed to spasm in overload and all that existed was the ecstasy that wrenched through her.
She became aware of Cam nibbling on her ear and sighed, long and heavy. “That was amazing.”
Cam lifted his head and pressed his forehead to hers, locking her with his smoky-gray eyes. “It was. Your voice does things to me I cannot even begin to understand. I love it. I love hearing you come.”
A flicker of nervous shyness stirred in Thea before she suddenly realized something. “You haven’t come.”
He smiled. “I am in my angel-form. If I come inside you, you could get pregnant.”
“Oh.” She had forgotten that. “You can pull out and come?”
“On the heads of the angels below?” Cam chuckled. “That wouldn’t be polite.”
Thea grinned and kissed him. “Let’s go to your home.”
Cam gently pulled out of her with a groan. “Let me show you the Empire first.” He gently dabbed her sensitive pussy with her torn panties. “When we get to my quarters, we’re not leaving for at least a month.”
Thea giggled as they swooped through the clouds, Cam lowering them towards the city as the breeze tingled her wet and exposed pussy. Maybe his angel-form was the reason why the experience had been so intense. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she had been in her angel-form too. She gazed at him, stroking her hand through his thick, chocolatey-brown hair, wondering whether there would be a time when they would want to have children. She had never indulged the thought before, ever. The world was too fucked up to try and bring children into it. Having your own personal demons was enough to deal with, and with actual demons in existence, it seemed even more unlikely to be a good idea. Yet… she would consider it with Cam.
Before she knew it, he was lowering to the ground. She unwrapped her legs and he helped steady her on her feet.
As she looked around them, wonder filled her. They stood in a square, surrounded on all sides by pale golden buildings, and in the center lay an enormous vibrant garden filled with colorful flowers, silvery trees, golden benches, and a small sparkling pond. Birds fluttered from tree to tree, little splashes disturbed the surface of the pool while the calf-long grass twitched and swayed in the gentle breeze.
At the center, a wide block of energy shimmered from a round marble base, like thick threads of electricity flowing upward, coiling around each other. Thea found her eyes drawn to it and she had trouble looking away. It was the loveliest thing she’d ever seen, more beautiful than any structure in the human world.
“The Stream,” Cam said.
“It’s beautiful,” Thea breathed.
A number of angels stood around the garden staring at the Stream, their faces tilted up, some with their eyes closed.
“They’re connecting to it?” Thea asked.
“Yes,” Cam said. “Let’s walk.”
He led her out of the square and they began walking along the wide roads in between the buildings. Thea gazed around in wonder. It was all so unique. Everything was either creamy and pale or sublimely colorful, and it was cleaner than the human world by far. The cream slabs of pavement ran between the buildings, punctuated by bursts of greenery and a golden bench. Some of the buildings’ outer walls had been stripped away, leaving only levels that angels flew to and from. Thea marveled at everything, drinking it all in.
The environment of the Realm appeared calm and relaxing, but many angels went about their business, weaving along the pavement, strolling in pairs or taking to the air. Strangely, most of them wore human clothing—dresses, jeans, trousers—although as outerwear they wore elegant robes of various colors. The angels themselves seemed large in stature and good-looking in different ways. Within the stretch of road they walked, she saw skin colors of various shades, diverse hair styles and they all had a pleasant demeanor, smiling at her as they passed, though they seemed to avoid looking directly at Cam and tended to skirt around him. He didn’t seem to notice, preferring to watch her the whole time.
None of the angels glowed in their angel-form like they did when in the human world. Thea realized that Cam didn’t either; maybe it was only something that was specific to when they were in the human world.
In a sudden whoosh of air, an angel landed before her and Cam. Pale-skinned with dark brown hair, his massive wings were a stark white. He was even bigger than Cam and had piercing mocha eyes and a serious, though warm, expression. He seemed much older than Cam, although she couldn’t see any obvious signs of age; the way he held himself suggested authority.
Cam froze beside her and Thea glanced up at him, suddenly unsure. His expression had hardened.
The angel approached them calmly, looking from Thea to Cam before he spoke.
“Camael,” he said, in greeting. “It’s good to see you.”
Cam gave him a small nod but said nothing.
The other angel looked at Thea, studying her face for a moment. “I see you’ve brought the Nephilim. Elithea?”
“Thea,” Cam and Thea said in unison.
Thea glanced at Cam, smiling. When he didn’t return the look, her nerves started to jangle. Something wasn’t right here.
The pale angel looked at her with his head cocked to one side. “I’m Asteroth, an angel of the Dominion League. Do you know who we are?”
Thea shook her head. “Are you a Dominion angel?”
Asteroth smiled, warmly. “I am, but the Dominion League is a specific collection of Dominion angels who oversee the duties of all angels. We are like the managers in a place of employment, making sure that angels fulfill their duties, providing them with support and ensuring they are successful in their endeavors.” His serene voice calmed her nerves somewhat.
“How did you know she was here?” Cam asked. He was almost rude and Thea frowned. Asteroth seemed nice enough, but Cam was behaving as though he was someone to be suspicious of.
Asteroth didn’t seem to be affected by it, though. “I felt her enter the Realm. We all did.”
“Why are you here?” Cam asked tightly.
Asteroth threw Cam an odd look. “To take her to her new home. Didn’t your commander tell you? I saw him a few hours ago.”
“I haven’t checked in with him yet.”
“I have a home here?” Thea asked, confused. She thought she would live with Cam. She looked at Cam, who was watching Asteroth intently. Cam clearly didn’t expect this even though he had brought her here.
“Your own quarters, yes. I’m sure you will find them suitable. Once you’ve settled in we’ll start your training.”
Thea frowned. “I have been trained,” she said. “Cam trained me.”
“Yes.” Asteroth turned to Cam. “Thank you for continuing to complete your assignment, Cam. I know it can’t have been easy for you to settle with training a Nephilim. I’m sorry for the disruption caused by this assignment. You know it is not our intention to anger any of our Powers.”
Thea looked between them trying to make sense of what this angel was saying.
“I’m also sorry we could not grant your request to be switched from her protection a week or so ago. We didn’t feel it would be beneficial at that time.”
A sudden uncertainty shot through Thea as she realized what he was saying. Cam hadn’t wanted to train her and had tried to remove himself from her protection. She looked at Cam for reassurance it wasn’t true, but he kept his glare on Asteroth. Her heart stuttered in her chest. Cam had never explained how he’d come to be assigned to her, and Thea had never imagined that he had been forced to do it against his will. An aching hurt prickled through her.
She had been attracted to him from the beginning, beguiled by who he appeared to be; he had apparently been doing everything in his power to be rid of her even until near the very end.
“Apologies, Asteroth,” Cam said, “but she will not be coming with you now. We have—”
“No, it’s fine,” Thea interrupted. “What kind of training will I be doing?” Thea asked Asteroth, who was frowning at Cam.
“Additional combat training, to start,” he said. “Techniques suited to your frame and agility and perhaps flight training.”
“Why?” Cam asked. “She’s trained well enough to hunt lower-class demons.”
“She will be working on a special assignment for the Angel Realm.” He turned to Thea. “Your defeat of the Asmos demon caught the attention of the Dominion League and we are intrigued by your abilities,” he explained. “We’re very interested in developing your skills further.”
“I don’t think that is well advised, Asteroth,” Cam snapped. “It’s dangerous. She hasn’t the experience or the training to undertake special assignments.”
Asteroth shot Cam a hard glare, distorting his soft features. Thea could suddenly see that he would be a force to be reckoned with, if pushed.
“Thank you for your concern, Camael,” he said. “I will take your advice into consideration. Please report to your commander for your next assignment.”
He was telling Cam to butt out and a twist of fear shot through her. Did that mean she wouldn’t see Cam again? Why didn’t Cam know all this? He seemed to be completely out of the loop on everything. Why hadn’t he told her about the Dominion League? She thought the Thrones made all the decisions. Annoyance fluttered through her that he wouldn’t even look at her.
“When do I start?” asked Thea, straightening and holding Asteroth’s eye.
Asteroth gestured to a pathway to the right of him. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Cam finally turned to look at her, and when he did, she saw what she had been looking for—guilt. It was true.
She tried to hold onto logic and reason—of course he wouldn’t have wanted to train a Nephilim, not a Power angel like him. She shouldn’t be surprised that being thrown together wasn’t his choice, and she knew she shouldn’t hold it against him. However, she remembered the heartbreak she’d suffered when they were apart. It had been almost unbearable. She hadn’t been able to talk to her best friend Amber about it and if she hadn’t kept herself busy, she would have fallen into a bottomless despair. While she was going through that, Cam had been trying to rid himself of her. That fucking hurt.
Doubts about them snaked in her stomach, as much as she tried to push them away. He clearly loved her now. Didn’t he? She glanced around the Angel Realm. Did that matter, though, if he wasn’t the one in charge here? He didn’t even know all the information. She had no idea what she had gotten herself into by coming here, and he hadn’t prepared her. She might as well face it head on.
“Fine,” she said, turning to Asteroth. “Let’s go.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cam studying her face. She refused to look at him. She needed time and space to think about it all.
Asteroth gave Cam a nod before turning to go, bidding Thea to follow him. As they left, she thought she heard Cam call her name; she didn’t look back.