Page 15

15

AZAZEL

M eet me in the Seeing Chamber, I linked Michael.

I put my ear up to Diana’s bedroom door, using my superhearing to zero in on her. She was fast asleep, her heartbeat slow and steady. Ares was softly snoring, and I was sure he had his limbs octopussed around Diana so tightly, neither of them would follow me. Carefully, I probed at the temporary wards, giving myself just enough of an opening to slip out of our apartment.

I didn’t know my way around enough to fade there, so I took off at a brisk walk down the hallway on my way to the bottom floor, where the shared amenities were located. Quelier and Lucifer completely renovated Pit-13. It no longer resembled a dungeon, and it wasn’t a military base like the Costa Compound. They set it up like a city. Instead of barracks, we all stayed in apartment buildings. Each building had shared amenities on the bottom floor, and our building had a Seeing Chamber just for me. Desmond built it for me, based on the old chamber I had the first time we dated. Having a dedicated, optimally balanced place to use my Sight usually resulted in better visions. Hopefully we could use them to turn the tide of this war.

Knowing Desmond thought about me enough to build it made my stomach swoop. The cold, distant workaholic I originally dated was slowly, but surely, turning into a more thoughtful partner. And I noticed . When he showed it to me earlier today, I made sure to show my appreciation…privately.

Desmond, Bash, Ares, and I had just arrived in Pit-13 after the battle at the compound. The battle had left me in a rare mood. Angie’s transformation would cause issues—it was a matter of if, not when—because karma always balanced itself eventually. It was a hurdle we’d have to jump whenever that time came. Don’t get me wrong, I was just as happy as Diana that her aunt got a second chance at life, but knowing that imbalance was out there stressed me out.

I had lived long enough to know how wicked and cruel the world could truly be.

“Feathers, did you see the crown molding in here?!” Ares shouted, throwing his arm over my shoulder.

“This is a swanky place, for sure,” Bash mused as we walked through the bottom floor for a mini tour. Tomorrow, all six of us would take a full tour of the facilities.

Desmond hung back, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me away from Ares.

“I have something I want to show Az, we’ll meet up with you two in a few,” he said before guiding me down another hallway with his hand on the small of my back. “I want to show you something,” he whispered in my ear.

“Okay…” I wasn’t used to Desmond being so secretive or spontaneous. He was a straightforward demon who was usually too focused on work, his head swirling with numbers and plans. This was uncharted territory, and I was excited for what came next.

“I promise, you’re going to love it.” His smile was a thousand watts—something I had only seen a handful of times since I met him.

We stopped at the door at the end of the hallway. It looked just like all the other doors, except it had an open eye carved into the center of it. He put my hand on it, then placed his hand over mine. A bright red light surrounded the door, tickling my fingertips as it passed from the top to the bottom.

“Added you to the ward. Only you can enter now…” he looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to open it.

I opened it, and my mouth dropped. It was a Seeing Chamber, just like the one I had in my first home on earth after I was disgraced. It has smooth quartz stone walls, with a pristine gemstone floor. The amethysts, clear quartz, moonstone, and citrine exuded the perfect vibes for directing my Sight. He included a wading pool on the other side of the room the size of a jacuzzi, perfect for soaking. Some of my best visions were had while in the bath, and I was shocked he remembered that.

My body lightly trembled just from the energy in the room, and I still stood at the threshold. I took my shoes and socks off, leaving them in the shoe basket next to the door before entering.

“Des…” I gasped as I sat on the giant pillow in the center. “Thank you.”

“You never mentioned having one the entire time we reconnected and I remembered how much you loved the one you had in your cabin…Is it okay?” He sat next to me on the floor, his legs in front of him.

“It’s everything I could possibly want. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t describe how much I appreciate this.”

“I know I’ve been working a lot, and I wanted you to know that even when I’m in meetings, I’m still thinking of you. As soon as Quelier suggested the move, I started mentally designing the room.”

I crawled into his lap, weaving my fingers into his hair and pulling him into a kiss. My words didn’t feel like enough to encompass my gratitude, but hopefully my actions conveyed exactly how I felt. Desmond’s tongue slid into my mouth, stealing my air with every meeting of our lips. What started as a slow burn picked up to a roaring fire. Before I knew it, my back was on the pillow, his hard body above mine. His hand cradled my head as he kissed down my neck. With a snap of my fingers, my clothes were gone. His eyes roamed the planes and lines of my body, from my pecs down to my hard length. My muscles weren’t bulky like his, but more compact. He ate the sight as if he was starving, and I realized how long it had been since we were truly alone together.

He glided his hand along my abs slowly, almost reverently, feeling every groove as he made his way to my faint V-line. It differed from his rough, dominant touch. Desmond enjoyed control during sex, and I enjoyed being under his control. But the passionate version of him was just as enticing.

I wrapped my legs around him and flipped us over so he laid beneath me. Our cocks slotted together, and the feeling of his jeans against my bare length had me leaking. I felt the cold touch of his shadows as they caressed my torso and arms. He snapped his fingers, and his clothes were neatly folded in the shoe basket.

I ran my hand over his biceps, down his sides until I wrapped it around us, giving our cocks a firm stroke. His big golden eyes peered up at me as he gasped in pleasure. My positivity sparked, perfuming around us. I wanted to make him feel so good.

“Let me say thank you…” I rasped as I worked my hand up and down our lengths. Every stroke brought us closer to the edge, to falling off it together.

Desmond’s breathing picked up as he bucked his hips and thrust into my hand. I felt him tense before he flipped us over again.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Az, but the best way to thank me is for your hole to clench around my dick when you climax. Spread your cheeks. I want to get you ready.”

I mentally shook my mind out of the gutter. This wasn’t the time to reminisce about Desmond fucking my brains out in my new favorite place. A profound shame clouded my conscience. Despite my earlier promise, I lied to Diana. I saw her vision in its entirety, as clearly as if I was watching a movie on a big screen. Michael was the only person who’d understand my reasons for holding back.

He was already there by the time I reached the door. I let us in, making sure to sound-proof the room with a silencing spell. His magic fortified mine, weaving around it.

“I casted a repulsion spell. Anyone tempted to come in here will suddenly think of something more important to do. Is she asleep?” he asked. The worried expression on his face gave me a clue that he already knew why I called him here.

“Yes. I’m sorry Michael. I wouldn’t have lied unless I absolutely had to…” I averted my gaze to the floor, because I knew what I did was wrong.

“I know. Who was in her vision…” he hedged.

I told him everything I saw, and when I got to the prophecy, his jaw dropped.

“Are you sure it was their voice?”

“Yes. It’s been a while, but I’d recognize them anywhere.” It was true. God sounded like every voice combined into one.

“But they never get involved in earthly matters…” Michael ran his hand through his short blond hair, pacing a few steps in thought.

“Rafe said God ordered him to infiltrate the Princeps Council. It seems like they’re getting involved,” I commented.

“This war is a pivotal point that will change the shape of our world. I think God is working in the background, trying to nudge us in the right direction,” Michael said.

“Or it’s a warning…”

I thought back to the original prophecy I had about Diana, hundreds of years ago. The one I told her and the guys about when I met them in Las Vegas. A witch-hybrid child would grow up and either save or destroy the world. In most of the visions I’ve had about Diana and this war, I saw the five of us fighting by her side…but in one vision, I caught a glimpse of her fighting Red alone. At the time, I thought it was an incomplete vision. But maybe it showed a final battle between the two of them.

I replayed God’s words from Diana’s vision…

Many will battle, but two will fight

Both are dark, and neither is light

Righteousness doesn’t always prevail

Sometimes in victory we fail

Wickedness is within us all

Sometimes the mighty must take the fall

“What did they mean by ‘Sometimes the mighty must take the fall’?” I asked him. “I won’t let Diana fall or fail. She won’t give her life for this.”

Michael sighed as he sat on my pillow. “That was my first thought too, but you know prophecies and visions aren’t etched in stone. They’re subject to change, mysterious by nature to the point they can sometimes be misleading.”

“My gut tells me otherwise, and it’s never been wrong about Diana. I knew before she even arrived on earth she was destined to change it. I think this is God’s way of telling us what to expect so we can prepare her. Like a lamb for the slaughter.”

I checked the urge to tell God exactly what I thought about their prophecy. It was pointless, and I couldn’t make contact anyway, because I was disgraced.

Michael’s jaw tensed as his ice blue eyes darkened to a stormy blue.

“I lost you because I let Heaven’s laws take their course. I gave up twenty one years of being with my daughter because I thought it would keep her safe, even though every bone in my body told me it was the wrong decision. I suffered being parted from the loves of my life because I couldn’t imagine another option aside from being an Archangel—I thought sacrificing my own happiness was worth it for the greater good. When I took a hiatus from upstairs, I did it for Diana, to guide her and be the father she deserved. As her father, Azazel, I promise I won’t let her fail. I won’t let her fall. I just got her back, and I sure as fuck won’t give her up. We’ll rewrite the future if that’s what it takes.”

Michael was like a father to me before I fell from grace. I didn’t truly realize how much I missed having him in my corner until now. His words gave me hope and renewed my determination. We would fight for Diana’s life, no matter what.

“I guess I have to tell her…” The idea of telling her whose voice was in her vision gutted me. I didn’t want her to be discouraged or to connect the dots and come to the worst conclusion. She needed to believe in herself.

“You did promise you wouldn’t lie to her again…” he reminded me, as if I could ever forget how epically I fucked up. Or how I promised to earn her forgiveness every day. “You should tell her who the voice is, but you don’t have to offer her our doomsday interpretation. Their words were meant for her to find the meaning in.”

“And as her de facto guardian angel, I’ll guide her in the right path…” I said, catching onto what Michael meant.

Regardless of what her prophecy meant, I would do anything it took to ensure Diana’s safety. Because nothing would separate her from me, even if the fate of the world depended on it.

“You lied to her…” Ares said with a deceptively calm voice. I asked him to gather everyone in the living room of our apartment, so I could update them on this new development. Of course, he asked why, and I sort of word-vomited the whole thing to him.

“Yes, I wanted to talk to Michael about it first. This is a huge development.” One that changed everything.

His frown took me off guard. Ares never frowned. The guy was the definition of unhinged energy, and his smiles were next-level maniacal…but his disappointment packed a shame filled punch right to my gut. Ouch.

“Set this right, Feathers. We all agreed that we were going to be better men, and when one of us fucks up, it impacts all of us, whether we like it or not. If I can’t make a baby with her, you can’t keep life-changing secrets. Desmond can’t be an asshole. Bash can’t be an overly obsessive freak, and Mal…um…Mal can’t stab her again.”

I rarely felt jealousy, but Mal had it easy.

It must be so hard not stabbing someone.

I mentally castigated myself for being so petulant. Mal had his own trials with Diana, and it wasn’t an easy road. He had grown so much and deserved his happiness.

Desmond and Bash walked into the living room, with curious expressions.

Everything okay? Desmond checked in.

Yeah, what’s going on, Az? Bash echoed in his usually annoyed, posh tone.

Um, not really. I’d rather wait until everyone is here to talk about it. Where’s Diana? I linked them both.

They looked over their shoulders at her room, and Desmond’s lips curled into a smirk.

Mal is helping her get dressed, because she’s sore… he cryptically commented.

Yeah, she had a rough morning, Bash added.

I took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then let it out. Sex always put Diana in a better mood, so maybe she wouldn’t be upset about it. If Bash and Des did half the things to her I assumed they did, she'd be too tired to be angry.

Mal and Diana came into the room a few minutes later. His hair was pulled into a bun, and his neck sported a fresh bite mark. A rosy blush colored her cheeks, and she did seem relaxed, even in uniform. Her lazy smile was a good start.

“What’s up, Zaz. Is everything okay?” she asked me

“Feathers has something he needs to say,” Ares announced in a steel voice.

Hells Bells, way to lead it off. May as well just say it and hope for the best.

I looked Diana directly in the face and went for it. “Last night, I saw your vision, in its entirety. I lied and told you about an old vision I saw, because I had to check something with Michael. I didn’t want to worry anyone if it wasn’t what I thought it was, and I am sorry.”

Her warm smile was not the reaction I expected. She sat on my lap before giving me a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. I exhaled deeply as I wrapped my arms around her.

“I know, you’re an awful liar on the spot. Your Sight can be difficult for you, so I gave you space to work it out. Thank you for telling me, Zaz.” I truly didn’t deserve this woman.

“Soooo,” Ares drew out the last syllable. “Can I get some space to work out having a baby with you?” he asked.

Diana rolled her eyes while the rest of us gave him varying ‘What the actual fuck’ expressions. Mal’s was my favorite, because his glare was glacial, as if he were over it before the words were even out of Ares’ mouth.

“No. As a reminder, Ares, I want to wait,” she patiently answered him. “So what did you check with Michael?”

“The voice in your vision was God. That was a prophecy, Diana.”

I saw the lightbulb turn on in her mind as her eyes lit up. Her brows furrowed as she put the pieces together. “Does that mean the vision will come to pass… Will I have to fight Red alone?”

“Not necessarily,” I honestly answered her. “Your father reminded me that prophecies are vague and open to interpretation. What you saw is one of many outcomes. What you heard is a riddle with multiple meanings.”

Desmond grabbed his tablet off the end table, and showed us the prophecy written out. Below it was multiple bulleted notes, all different interpretations of what the prophecy could mean.

“We’re assuming the vision and prophecy are related, but you could have just happened to channel Az’s powers while God sent the prophecy to you,” Desmond explained. “The ‘mighty must take the fall’ line can easily refer to Az, because he’s a fallen angel.”

“Or Michael. He’s taking a hiatus from his position in Heaven to be with us, which can be interpreted as a ‘fall’ of sorts.” I was surprised I didn’t think of this angle while laying awake at night, tossing and turning. It made sense.

“I do want to stress how important it is for Diana to train as hard as she can.” Des leaned forward, so his forearms rested on his thighs. “We can sit here and talk about interpretations all we want, but Diana needs to be prepared for every eventuality. Even facing Red on her own.”

“Agreed,” Ares and Bash both said.

“Jinx, you owe me a mimosa,” Bash quipped at Ares.

“If mimosa is a euphemism for sex, I’ll raincheck. Des is right. I have to train Diana hard , starting right now. It’s going to be back-breaking, exhausting work, but you can take it.” He cracked his knuckles, completely oblivious of how his words could be interpreted. We tried to hold back our smirks and barely contained laughter, but it was an impossible feat.

“She just got trained this morning…” Mal bursted into a laughing fit. Diana shot him a soft glare holding zero heat, because she was laughing too.

“Yeah, I spared her back, though. Taught her a lot about hands and knees combat,” Bash cackled.

“I made sure she knew all about how to escape if she gets tied up.” Desmond’s straight-faced delivery made me laugh so hard I started crying. I didn’t realize how much I needed a good laugh.

“Quit the sex jokes. This is serious, guys,” she said. “After I’m done giving my speech to the troops today, I’m all yours, Ares.”

He licked his lips, devouring her with a wolfish gaze. “Good, cause I’m going to train you. Then I’m gonna train you. I’ll call you all when it’s time for the third-round group training. If anyone has a train conductor outfit, feel free to wear it for some role playing.”

For fuck’s sakes, why am I getting a semi right now? The thought of all of us running a train on Diana was too much this early in the morning.

“Let me rephrase. I’m all yours for magical training purposes,” she said.

“Suit yourself, Little G. Either way, we’ll turn you into the most lethal supernatural being in the universe,” Ares promised her.

And so began the training of Diana Morningstar, Lethal Supernatural Combat Assassin.