“Oh yeah, feels so good,” Haniel grunted as he thrusted into me, the hold on my mind slipping as I accidentally tuned into his thoughts. She’s so hot. I can’t believe I’m fucking two
Archangels’ daughter. Raziel is going to lose his mind when I tell him about this.
That was one of the downsides of the power I inherited from Jophiel, the Archangel of Erelim. Her Choir all had the ability to read minds to some extent, but the trouble came when you heard something you really wish you didn’t. Like now.
People always think it’s awesome to be able to read minds, but let me tell you. It sucks ass. And not in a fun, kinky way.
I hastily withdrew from his mind and was about to shove him off of me when my bedroom door swung open, revealing a medium-height, slim woman with her blonde hair tied back in a severe bun at the nape of her neck.
Haniel leaped off the bed faster than lightning, his hands zipping down to cover his junk as a deep blush crept up his neck. “Um... ma’am. Ms... J...Joph,” he stuttered pathetically.
I rolled my eyes, annoyed at his behavior, and got off my bed, rolling my shoulders to stretch my downy, white wings. There were always consequences to having sex in that position, but Haniel wasn’t exactly what I would call sexually creative. Kinky wasn’t a term Angels used... ever. I typically went to the human realm to sate my desires, but he’d shown up while I was reading some alien smut, and I didn’t feel like turning him away.
“Yes, mother?” I asked while slipping on my recently discarded silk robe off the plush, white carpet. She was always trying to ruin anything that could be interpreted as fun. Though, this time I was actually grateful. Now, I didn’t have to come up with some sort of excuse to get him out of my room that didn’t involve a throat punch.
Angels didn’t succumb to violent urges. Not like the barbarians on Earth and Hell. At least, that’s what my father, Michael, preached. His Choir was the Ophanim, and their power was physical strength and agility. I was the only Angel in history to receive powers from both of my sires. A fact which made me a living myth that came with stupidly high expectations that I had endless fun ruining.
Jophiel sighed, which was the most emotion she ever displayed, and turned her sharp gaze to Haniel, who was still standing there, naked and gawking like a fool.
Did I mention that Archangels were a really big deal? It was like being in the presence of a deity, one that had a direct influence on the world. At least that’s what I heard floating around the minds of the lower-level angels.
“Get dressed and leave now. Your superior will be receiving a report from me within the hour,” she said, and I almost laughed at how quickly the tall, muscular, brown-winged male whipped about, yanking on his clothing in a desperate attempt to obey her command.
I would have felt bad for the trouble he was about to get into, but I couldn’t bring myself to care, not after hearing his thoughts.
He spared me a final, lust-filled glance over his shoulder before disappearing through the door, and all I could think of was how after all of that, he still got his story, and I didn’t even get an orgasm.
Jophiel thumbed through my closet before selecting a long, white dress and handing it to me, her white wings folded tightly against her back. She was the embodiment of perfection. Her clothing was always pressed, her hair always perfectly coifed, not a hair loose. I bet she’d never even burped before.
I wondered how tightly wound she probably was and what it would take to get her to snap. Since she was thousands of years old, probably a lot.
“Let’s go, they’re already waiting for you.”
I froze, the dress already half on my body. “What do you mean?”
She sighed again, her patience clearly wearing thin. “The Council. You’ve been creating problems, Anaella. It’s time to deal with the consequences of your actions.”
Dread kissed my neck.
The way she said it made it seem far worse than sore wings.
“Anaella,” Raphael started, his lip curled up in a sneer impossible to miss. “You’ve placed us in quite the conundrum.”
Don’t snap back with a smart retort. I chanted internally while trying to maintain a blank expression.
He was baiting me, but I wouldn’t lower myself to reply to him. I’d learned my lesson the hard way. I stood before the four Archangels, all of them sitting on their tall thrones high on a dais, believing themselves to be the kings and queen of Heaven. It had always bothered me, their superiority complex. What purpose did it serve to sit so far above everyone else? Honestly, it made conversation... awkward. Almost as if they were trying to make up for something. Like, tiny dicks.
The Archangels all had their own residences but congregated at the mansion I grew up in, Michael’s home.
Michael sat on one of the middle thrones, his gargantuan body alert and ready for battle. He was the largest male I’d ever seen, both in height and frame. His black hair was cut short, which made his violet eyes even more piercing, especially when directed toward me. He wasn’t a bad father, per se. More like an absent one, even though he was always around. I was positive he only allowed me to live with him because of how it would look if he were to have left me with Jophiel to raise. He was the big honcho of the Archangels, and therefore, was under the most scrutiny.
“You must repent for your sins, Anaella,” Michael continued, leveling a stern look at Raphael before facing me once more.
Confusion swam through me. “Repent my sins... how?” That sense of dread was back at full blast, even more so by the smirk now firmly planted on Raphael’s face. I wanted to slap it off.
Being told to repent was nothing new, but from the formality of the meeting and the smugness emanating from Raphael, my hands were beginning to sweat. I flicked my gaze at Gabriel and lowered the barriers on my mind, sending out tendrils of power to touch his thoughts.
Sending her to Hell is a ridiculous idea. She’ll be killed before she ever finds the weapon.
I jerked, my mental walls snapping shut. “You’re sending me to Hell?”
“Anaella!” Jophiel snapped. “You know it’s improper to use your power without asking permission first, especially on an Archangel.”
I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes, my frustration growing rapidly. “Don’t you think that might not be the thing to focus on right now? Are you, or are you not, sending me to Hell?”
I posed the question to Gabriel, whose deep brown skin, bright amber eyes, and white wings made his beauty the most striking. He at least had the decency to look guilty, but the moment he opened his mouth, Michael interjected.
“We’ve been too lenient with you in the past, Anaella. You are the only angel that has been gifted with two Choirs, and you are the child of two Archangels. That comes with the understanding that you’re held in higher regard. We simply cannot let you get away with your blatant disregard of our rules.”
“Having sex isn’t a crime, Michael, or else I wouldn’t exist, would I?” He’d insisted on me addressing him by his name instead of Father for as long as I could remember.
His jaw ticked. “Your mother and I have repented for the sin of your conception every day since.” He probably thought my existence was his punishment. Rude.
“Regardless. You will be sent to Hell to join the Demon Bride Trials and compete to become queen of Hell.”
My mouth dropped open. “The fuck?”
“Anaella!” Jophiel exclaimed, frustration lining her features. Apparently, my cursing was enough to finally bring out some sort of emotion in her. I filed that tidbit of information away for later.
“Sorry,” I amended. “Why would Heaven want me to become the queen of Hell?”
“We don’t,” Michael said, crossing his arms over his chest, his muscles bulging from the movement. “It is the cover for your true purpose there. We know there is a single weapon that is capable of killing Lucifer, so you will find it, take him out, and then you are free to return here.”
“Of course, we will lend our support in any way that we can,” Gabriel added as an afterthought. The others grumbled but didn’t go against him.
A deep sense of betrayal swept through me. Lucifer was considered the most ruthless demon king, and the mission would likely spell my death. I might not love the angels, but Heaven was my home. I didn’t want to be banished.
Jophiel rose to her feet. “Discussing it further will get us nowhere. You will go to Hell, find the weapon, and kill Lucifer. Otherwise, we have no other choice but to send you out of Heaven.”