Page 26 of The Bell’s Toll (Wanderlust Emporium Presents, Season One)

chapter seventeen

Nasiah

“ Nisha, will you please stop making fuck-me eyes at my bodyguard,” I chuckle.

The moment my cousin showed up and laid eyes on Erazel, she was smitten. I was off today, and after being locked up in the house for three days, I needed some girl time with my cousin.

Don’t get me wrong, being around Raziel is fine, and I can’t seem to get enough of his dick, but I needed the fresh air.

I was thankful that Erazel was sent with me. He’s sitting behind us at the small table.

“You’re not the only one who can get some demon dick.”

I toss my head back and laugh. “I told you, Razzy isn’t a demon. He’s basically a fallen angel.”

“Even better. He can anoint this—”

“Don’t even finish that,” I warn before we both laugh.

I take a sip of my drink. Tanisha clears her throat, letting me know that whatever she’s about to talk about is going to be serious.

“So, what’s going on?” Before I could respond, she holds up her hand. “Before you lie and tell me nothing, just know, I’ve known you all your life and I know when something is wrong.”

I sink back into my seat. “I have a lot going on.”

She lifts a brow. “Like what?”

For a moment I thought about not telling her but quickly tossed away the concern. I quickly run down all the details about the attack and everything that Raziel explained to me about how death marks work. The more I talk the angrier Tanisha got.

“Who the hell would do that to you? I mean, I know Rochelle can be a bitch, but do you think she would stoop that low?”

I sigh, shaking my head. “I don’t know. She was angry with me about J, but this seems low even for her.”

“What is Demon Boo doing to protect you?”

I don’t even try to correct her about calling Raziel a demon.

“Well, for one, I can’t travel without a bodyguard. He’s also monitoring and limiting where I go. Apparently, he has the wall between the dimensions around me blocked off. He is doing everything in his power to keep me safe.”

He tried to explain how the void worked and how he locked it up around me so that not everyone could just pop out in front of me. Honestly, he has done everything in his power to keep me safe except lock me away.

“Seems like he’s handling it. What’s the problem?”

I glance over my shoulder at Erazel. His attention seems to be on everything around us. Leaning forward, I lower my voice.

“Do you think I’m moving too fast? The other night, we were…” I pause, not trying to put all my business out there in case someone is listening. “ Talking. ”

She smirks at the term I decide to use for sex.

“And there was a moment when he was looking at me and talking so damn good that I swear I wanted to tell him I loved him. And it felt so right. Tell me I’m crazy.”

She tilts her head to the side. “If I’m understanding this thing between you two correctly, you’re basically his mate. He tied you to him the day he saved your life, right?”

“Yes.” I wasn’t sure where she was going with this. I explained it all to her the day she showed up at my shop.

“Then there is no such thing as moving too fast. This is fate. Your feelings for him are real and valid. I think that’s why you were feeling so uneasy at your wedding.

It’s why, even though Jamieson and Rochelle hurt you, it didn’t sting as much as it should’ve.

Your heart has always belonged to Raziel.

You were always going to be with him. At least that’s how I understand it. ”

She’s right. The bond Raziel made with me was always going to lead me to him. Even if he had never crashed my wedding and kidnapped me, I would’ve forever felt incomplete until I finally found him.

“I guess you’re right.”

She leans back and picks up her wine glass with a smirk. “I know I’m right. Besides, don’t act like you have another option. That man is not letting you go.”

At this I laugh because she is correct. Raziel has made a lot of adjustments for me over the last few weeks, but allowing me to leave him has not been one. I could tell him I wanted the moon and he’d deliver it, but my own apartment, not an option.

Nisha and I go back to chatting and eating. She continues to make passes at Erazel over my shoulder. After a while, I wave the server down for the check. I was excited to head back to the penthouse just to see Razzy.

An old woman catches my eye. She’s wearing a ratty long coat with high socks. Her gray hair is thin and stringy under her wide brim hat. Her dark gaze locks onto me and she smiles. However, there is no warmth in her smile. It doesn’t bring me comfort or seem friendly.

“You okay?” Nisha asks.

“I don’t know. That old woman is freaking me out.”

Nisha glances behind her at the woman before turning back to me. “What woman?”

An icy chill runs down my spine.

“Time to go,” Erazel says, appearing at my side. He takes hold of my hand and helps me up.

A loud screech comes from across the patio. Where an elderly lady once stood, is now a tall skinny creature with skin that looks melted off.

“Fuck,” Erazel shouts. “Get behind me.”

He steps in front of us, blocking our view of whatever the hell that lady was.

“What is going on?” Nisha asks. I’m thankful that even though she can’t see the threat, she is hiding with me.

“A demon,” Erazel replies without looking away from the creature.

“Why can I see it but Nisha can’t?” I ask.

“You’re mated to a forsaken. You’ve been marked by our world. She hasn’t.”

That seemed simple enough.

The female lets out a screech right before charging toward us. Erazel grabs her by the neck and holds her up in the air. She fights against his hold, swinging her long black claws toward me. I duck back, barely missing her talons.

I notice that even though Erazel is the one holding her, she isn’t trying to hurt him. Her focus is on me. Erazel slams the demon down onto the table we were just eating at.

“Go,” he turns to me and shouts. “Run to the car and call Raziel.” I grab Nisha’s arm and take off running.

“Wait,” she says as she follows me. “What about my baby daddy?”

“Girl, he will be alright.”

I make it to my car. Letting go of her arm, I rummage through my purse for my keys. When I finally find them and look up to unlock the door, I freeze in place.

Crouched on the hood of my car is another one of those tall naked creatures. It unfolds its long body from my car and stands.

“What’s wrong?” Nisha asks.

“Another one,” I whisper.

She looks around, trying to see what I’m seeing.

“Where?”

“On....on my car.”

Nisha steps in front of me. “Go back to Erazel.”

“No, it might—” I didn’t get to finish my warning before the creature charged. It moves so quickly I don’t have time to react.

The thing shoves my cousin out of the way, causing her to hit the ground. It rears its claws back to strike, but just as it swings, Erazel appears. He takes all five claws to his chest.

The way he hisses lets me know he’s in pain. He fights through it, grabbing the creature around the waist and slamming it to the ground. The monster snarls, trying to get up.

Tanisha groans. I rush to her side.

“Are you okay?”

There is a cut on her forehead that’s bleeding, but other than that she looks okay. Erazel howls in pain getting both our attention.

“Oh shit. I can see it now.” Tanisha says, covering her mouth.

The creature has its claws in Era’s back as he tries to choke the life out of it. Just then, something to my right catches my eye.

“You got to be shitting me.” Another one of the skinny creatures appears. This time, I don’t hesitate. “Raziel,” I scream as the thing charges at me.

Out of nowhere, he appears. However, it isn’t the man that I’ve grown to know. This is what I think of when I hear fallen angel. His bat-like wings span so wide they nearly block out the sun. The first time I saw them, I couldn’t tell how big they were. At the tip of each wing is a sharp talon.

His skin is charred and nearly black as if he’s been burned alive.

He’s shirtless but has tattered black slacks on.

His feet are large and clawed, like they belong on a beast instead of a human.

The black smoke I’ve seen around him many times hovers over every inch of his skin.

When he turns to glance at me, his eyes are pitch black.

Although he looks terrifying, my heart still races at the sight of him.

He turns back to the approaching demon. Raziel snatches the snarling creature around the neck, flies into the air and with both hands rips the thing in half. He then tosses the monster to the ground. It hits with a sickening crunch.

Loud screeching brings our attention to the other one that Erazel was fighting. However, it isn’t Erazel with it now.

The same black guy who came to my rescue the other night is here.

He has the creature on its feet in front of him, his arm wrapped around its neck from behind.

His free hand then punches into the creature's back, and it emerges holding a black object.

He squeezes the black organ, and the creature goes limp.

Raziel is kneeling in front of me now. He’s back in his human form. His dark brown eyes scan over my body as he cups my face.

“Are you hurt?”

“No, but Erazel—”

He places a desperate kiss on my lips cutting off my concerns and my thought process. When he pulls back, I feel drunk.

“Era will be fine. I promise,” he says.

“Hi,” Nisha says, getting Raziel’s attention. “I’m Tanisha. The cousin and best friend. Nice to formally meet you.” She holds out her hand. Raziel shakes her hand but then touches her forehead.

“We’re going to get you cleaned up.”

He helps me to my feet first and then Nisha.

The other guy lifts a limp Erazel onto his shoulder in a firefighter carry.

“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?” Nisha asks as the black guy disappears into what I now know is the void.

Razzy glances over at my cousin. “He will. But if you want to make sure, you are welcome to come to the house with us.”

Nisha glances over at me. I dip my head to let her know it’s alright.

“Okay. I’d like that.”

Raziel pulls me into his side as if even the little distance between us is too much. This is all overwhelming. Creatures are coming from every direction trying to hunt me down. I should run for the hills. I should regret the day I ever laid eyes on Raziel.

Yet, when I’m with this man, there is nowhere else I want to be.

I tuck my head into his chest as he opens an entrance to the void and escorts me and Tanisha through it.