If you read Fallen Angel, then you'll remember characters like Zakreel and Remuel (names sound familiar? Yep. They're Remien's and Zachariel's daddies). And the reapers, Abdiel, on whose back Davariel entered the demon planet's realm. There's also Drakken, Rowie's father, who Devon had been told in Dark Prince, was in a prison on Mercury in our solar system. But he wasn't. Well, get ready, because they're coming back.
Hope you like this chapter. This new planet of Arboria is home to many fantastical creatures, like faeries, elves, unicorns, mermaids, talking animals, etc... You'll see witches (like Alluna), wizards, dragons and even a few fairytale characters like the old lady in a shoe, little red riding hood... well, read on and you'll see as the rest of this story unfolds. This is an alternate universe where everything is possible and all legends exist.
Chapter Sixteen
Devon, followed by Seth and Remi, stepped across the threshold into a vaulted chamber. More guards waited inside, lined against the walls. Anniel's shoulder brushed Zak's and he looked down to smile reassuringly at her. Behind them, he could hear Natanael's feathers ruffling in agitation. Looking back, he saw the reaper looking around with a frown marring his pretty face.
Natanael's bright grey eyes turned back to regard Zak. "There's an evil presence here," he muttered. "Very bad."
They all slowed to stare at Natanael. His eyes grew darker, almost turning black in a reapers kill mode.
"What do you feel, Natanael?" Devon asked.
The reaper's muscles looked tense and his wings slowly unfurled. The guards muttered in alarm, clutching their weapons tighter.
Their useless weapons—
Zak thought with a wry smile.
Natanael's eyes finally blacked out completely, no whites showing, and, with his mighty, black wings spread out seven feet to either side of his muscular body, he looked terrifying.
He stood unnaturally still, his black eyes unblinking soulless voids that sent a shiver down Zak's spine.
Freaky shit—
Zak thought to himself. Anniel threaded her fingers through his and pressed against him, equally intimidated by the sight of a death angel in full glory.
"There are demons present. Fallen angels. Many of them." His nostrils flared as he inhaled and then let out his breath through his mouth. His lip curled with distaste. "I smell and taste their foulness in the air."
"The reaper must stay here," one of the guards' snapped.
One side of Natanael's lips tipped up in amusement, but his eyes remained black.
Zak took a step back. Without irises he had no idea what Natanael looked at. He'd need to grow accustomed to the reaper. At the moment, the blue-haired dark angel scared the crap out of him.
"Why does he need to remain here?" Devon asked in a very low menacing voice, his eyes narrowed.
"Orders. Only the original seven Edenian Master Guardians are to enter the grand council chamber," a Chidadent guard answered behind them.
They all turned toward the orange-skinned female. Her darker orange hair was buzzed short and she regarded them with cool amber eyes.
"It's okay," Natanael said tightly. "I'll stay here. It doesn't matter where I am. I can still kill..." he paused, letting a cold grin stretch across his face, "...dark entities."
Zak noticed how a few of the guards began moving away, inching toward the exit.
Another shiver ran through him, making him scowl.
"Let's get this shit over with," he growled through clenched teeth. "I want to get my woman home where she belongs."
***
Alluna found herself in mama's dungeon. The beautiful blond male deposited her unceremoniously at mama's feet.
She could only gape at the person that had once been her sole world for as long as she could remember.
Mama was garbed in her usual purple robes, her black and white hair swept up in an elaborate coif of braids, leaves and twigs. She stared coldly down her nose at Alluna, making Alluna cringe.
"M-mama?" Alluna croaked with a suddenly dry mouth. What was she going to do? Would Mama beat her? Alluna's face flushed when mama's eyes focused on her breasts, which were pushed up, nearly spilling from the neckline of her dress. Alluna pressed her palm over her heaving breasts and bit her lower lip.
Mama snorted. "Look at you. Look what you've become." Her lips curled in disgust. "You reek of sex, lust, and male dragon."
Alluna shrank against the floor, her fist covering her mouth to stifle her pathetic moan. Reflexively, she tightened her thighs and drew her knees up protectively.
"I've done what you bid me," the blond dark prince interrupted, drawing Alluna's attention. She hadn't noticed before, but his ankles were cuffed, and chains ran from them to similar cuffs on his wrists. Her eyes traveled up his long bare legs to the ragged grey loincloth bound around his slender hips. From there his torso veed up to broad shoulders cloaked in a fall of shimmering gold hair. He lifted his wrists. "Release me."
Alluna snapped her gaze back to mama.
Mama smiled, her eyes dancing. "So soon?" She laughed, her voice deep...masculine? "I think not, Dark Prince."
The golden-haired demon smiled back, but it didn't reach his ice-blue eyes. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said with deceptive softness.
The cuffs clinked open and fell with a loud clang to the dirty stone floor.
Mama gave a squeak of dismay and hopped two steps back, black polished nails against her lips.
When he opened enormous dark red devil's wings, his eyes glowing brighter, Alluna felt the blood drain from her face.
Mama ran screaming from the dungeon.
He stared after her for a few seconds with a frown before his burning gaze lowered slowly to Alluna.
Her entire body shook. "I...I want to go back to my... my Zak now. Please?"
He cocked his head to the side. "Zak?" One finger rose to stroke his chin. "You can't ever go back to him. There was a plot to kill you tonight." His wings folded neatly behind his back. "They were going to blame Angel and Rowie." He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. "I was not going to allow that to happen. Not to my... to the girls."
He crouched down to her and she backed away.
Again, he grinned. "I was waiting for someone to open a portal. I've been watching what goes on."
"Watching?"
The dark prince pointed to an old mirror mama had near the central column of the dungeon. It was covered with a white tarp.
She looked back at him. "What do you want with me? I want to go back home."
"Home?" His fingers stroked down her cheek gently. "My home?"
"Home to Zak," she whispered twisting her fingers. Alluna hoped he didn't try to kiss her.
He regarded her a moment and opened his mouth to answer her, but a faint moaning drew their attention.
The dark prince rose and strode to the corridor with the barred cells.
It had been a long time since Alluna had ventured into mama's dungeon. The bones of a few unfortunate souls that never again saw the light of day lounged, still chained to the walls, with their grotesque skeletal smiles. Alluna shivered when she saw an enormous spider snacking on a bug in the eye socket of one of them.
Timidly, she followed the red-winged prince, past the various cells. Most were empty. He paused before the one with the desiccated vampire, and frowned at the stone-like wings embedded into the creatures back to make him look like the statue of a weeping angel.
