The Book of Azrael (Gods & Monsters 1)

“SO, YOU SENT A MESSAGE ASKING FOR HELP, AND WHEN THEY CAME, YOU KILLED ONE OF YOUR OWN. IS THAT CORRECT?” I watched her movements and gestures, trying to gauge her responses. We were currently in a lower level of the Guild. Upstairs, the staff was busy repairing the damage Miss Martinez’s entrance had caused.

Vincent had refused to leave my side and had brought several celestials from his unit. She sat at the end of the table, its length separating us, but the tension swirling in the air was a heavy weight. Anger was such a powerful emotion. It didn’t ease the situation that she was still wearing her bloodstained clothes, ash and debris clinging to her skin and hair.

Every celestial in the building was brimming with energy, and a well-spring of power hid beneath her calm facade. I didn’t think she was even aware of the boiling intensity of it.

Her shoulders sagged as she sighed, clasping her hands together and placing them on the table. ‘Yes, more or less. How many times do I have to explain this?’

‘Your explanation makes no sense,’ I said as I twirled the pen between my fingers. ‘There is no way you could have communicated with anyone while in your cell. We watched your every movement.’

She folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. ‘Well, it’s good to know you’ve watched me piss. I guess we’re best friends now. And, as I said, Alistair, the one I killed, knew I was here. He had numerous spies on your precious team, and Peter was his mindless puppet.’

Several people shifted and murmured, the tension ratcheting up a bit more. I raised my hand, and the room quieted again. Maybe having them in here was not the best idea.

‘Spies?’ My headache was growing, throbbing behind my eyes. The effort to adapt to this new world had been more difficult than I’d expected. So much had changed, and I needed Logan here to translate. I rubbed my temples, knowing he would be out of commission for a while, and I would not risk him while he was healing. Logan had fought by my side in battles, both small and large. I had seen him beaten and broken after going up against some of the Otherworld’s strongest. So tonight, when I saw him so close to death and the light of his power flickering, I had hoped to feel something. But there was no sorrow or fear, and the complete lack of emotion for someone so close to me was terrifying. Maybe I wasn’t feeling the love and friendship for Logan, but I remembered it and my promises to him.

‘Those spies look like your guys but work for us,’ Miss Martinez said. I stared at her, realizing that for the first time, she had offered information instead of making me work for it.

‘That’s impossible,’ Vincent said. ‘If any of your kind got close, we would have known.’

She glanced at him and shook her head. ‘Nope, but you might now. Alistair is dead, and any mind puppet he had should be dead as well. Enrique in tech, Melissa in weapons, Richard in forensics, and you know Peter in tactical. You may have a few dead bodies on your hands now that the puppet master is ashes.’

The room went silent as all of those digested the information.

‘Vincent. Take the others and see if Miss Martinez’s accounts are accurate.’

‘With all due respect, sir, I am not leaving you.’

I turned to meet his gaze, my stare brooking no argument. ‘That’s an order.’ I saw his jaw clench and knew he was biting back his words. ‘I will be fine.’

He nodded once before glaring at the smiling woman, who was quickly becoming a thorn in my side. Vincent growled low in his throat before spinning on his heel and leaving the room. His men followed, leaving Miss Martinez and me alone.

She watched them leave before turning back to me. ‘I don’t think your friends like me.’

‘You and your kin have murdered several of ours through the ages. If you add in the recent attacks and the massive loss of innocent mortals we were charged with protecting, why would they ever like you?’

‘Ouch, you wound me, Samkiel.’

I continued, disregarding her comments. ‘Why betray them?’ I knew there was more she was not telling me, and I intended to find out.

‘That’s what evil, terrible monsters do or whatever words you spoon –feed your soldiers.’

Deflection was an interesting skill, and it was obvious she was well versed in it.

‘You seek immunity for your sibling, that I understand. But you risked it without any assurance I would agree. That screams impulsive and erratic, and I already know that isn’t your style. Which leads me to believe you need my help desperately, and whomever you just betrayed scares you more than you care to admit.’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘Nothing scares me.’

‘If that were true, you would not be here,’ I insisted

She didn’t respond, and I assumed her pride was causing her to say no more. We sat there in silence, the only sound that of footsteps above and beneath us. She finally sighed. ‘You asked who I worked for. His name is Kaden.’

The name meant nothing to me. It was not one I had ever encountered on Rashearim. Given who they had targeted, I had assumed it would be someone from my past.

‘I do not know that name.’ I wrote it down and glanced back at her. ‘Can you give me a description? Height, body mass, powers? Things of that nature.’

She nodded, leaning forward as she listed them off one by one. By the time she was finished, I had a small list of sorts, but still, nothing that stuck out to me.

‘That last power, you said he can bend earth? How so?’

She shrugged, resting her chin on her hand. ‘He has this flaming portal thing. I don’t know where it goes, only that what goes in doesn’t come out.’

‘And the other creatures you mentioned, why do they follow so blindly? Does he have power over them as he does with your sibling?’

Her back went straight, and her energy bristled. I noticed anytime someone mentioned her sister, she always had a visceral reaction. She knew it too and averted her gaze, trying to conceal the crack in her armor. She cleared her throat and deliberately placed her hands palm down on the table. ‘To them, he is King of the Otherworld.’

I wrote that information down as I spoke and did not raise my gaze this time. ‘There is no King of the Otherworld, for there is no Otherworld. That realm and all the beasts inside have been sealed for—’

‘Yes, I know. A thousand or so years.’

My eyes lifted as I folded my hands in front of myself. ‘Good. You know your history. So, is this the reason you work for him?’

She was choosing her words carefully, but she was still answering my questions. ‘Working for, yes, and more.’

‘More?’

She shrugged. ‘Well, I was fucking him.’

The word did not register. ‘Fucking?’

She threw her head back and laughed, her tone mocking as she said, ‘Oh gods, that explains so much about you. Anyway, I am talking about sex. You know, intimacy, that thing two or more people do, usually without clothes but sometimes with?’

She made a descriptive gesture with her hand, and I rubbed the bridge of my nose before lowering my hand with a sigh. I was starting to lose my patience. I didn’t understand how she could be this blood-thirsty beast and yet make light of the grave situation we were in. ‘Yes, I am aware of what that is, and it is irrelevant. I need something I can work with, not past interactions. I do not care what you have been through, only how you can be of use.’

A small laugh escaped her as she folded her arms and leaned on the table. ‘Since we are being honest, I don’t give a shit if he wins or kills you or this precious family you have. I’ll help you, as I said, but only if Gabby gets what we agreed on. The second you try to back out or double –cross me, you’re dead.’

Her threats meant nothing to me. I had fought and killed creatures far worse than her. Besides, I could not die, no matter how many nights I wished for it. True immortality had been thrust on me for the salvation of every world. It was a lonely, detrimental burden.

‘It is sealed in blood, so you have my word.’

She shrugged, sitting back. ‘I’ve seen greater men betray for less.’

‘Who are the other two that were with you? Since you and Kaden are mates, are they your children?’

‘What!’ The word was nearly a shriek. The shrill tone hurt my ears, and I flinched. She shook her head with a look of pure disgust on her features. ‘Kaden and I are not mates, or whatever you people believe in, and I do not have children. You know people have sex for fun, right?’

‘I am very aware, but a breeding pair of Ig’Morruthens made creatures far deadlier than their parents in my world. It is rare but possible. I only assumed—’

She held her hand up, her palm facing me. ‘Please, never assume again. They are my brethren, or so I call them. Kaden made me, but they followed him from the dimension he came from.’

‘Dimension?’ My brows furrowed. ‘As in realm?’

She nodded.

Unfeasible.

She must have misunderstood, or the man claiming to be Kaden was a liar. My father and the old gods fought, leading to the closure of those dimensions eons ago. Nothing escaped, especially not anything that powerful or ancient, but I could not deny what I had seen so far.

‘How many are there that possess the power you do?’ I asked.

Her expression softened for the first time since I’d met her. There was no false bravado, no illicit comments, just sadness etched in the depths of her eyes. ‘There is only me.’

My chest ached with an echo of a memory I did my best to keep buried. For a split second, I felt something. It was short and fleeting, but the way she’d said it triggered an emotion, and for a moment, I reveled in the ability to feel anything. As fast as it came, it went, a flutter of hope extinguished by my reality.

‘But,’ I cleared my throat, sitting up and folding my hands, ‘the others, your brethren, they are Ig’Morruthen, too?’

‘Yes, but only I was made from Kaden’s power.’

‘Made you? How?’

She avoided my gaze as if the memory was too painful and poisoned her mind. It was something I was intimately familiar with.

‘My sister was dying. I offered my life, and he took it. That’s all you need to know.’

I wrote down everything she said. ‘Very well. So then you were mortal before. Where did you come from?’

‘Eoria.’

The word was clipped, her tone crisp and cold. I felt the energy in the room change and watched her warily. The name was familiar, and it took me a moment to recall why.

‘Eoria is a lost civilization, dating back a thousand years.’

Her eyes held mine, all power and mystery. ‘Not lost. Destroyed by the fall of yours.’

That puts her age far greater than I had imagined. I was surprised, given how she looked and the nature of her speech. I flipped a page before continuing. ‘So, in all this time, he has not made another?’

‘He has tried but failed. The ones who have taken his blood turned into these winged beasts, lacking any mortal emotions. They are loyal only to him, following his every command. They are called Irvikuva.’

I wrote that down next. ‘I have not heard of these Irvikuva before. How many of these does he have?’

‘Oh, an army,’ she said nonchalantly, as if it did not just make this entire situation extremely dire.

‘So you must be of higher rank to him? Yes? Am I wording that correctly?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, so to speak. We would be what The Hand is to you. Tobias, Alistair, and I are his generals, and he just lost two.’ Her hands fisted, her expression going flat. ‘Except you all seem a tad bit nicer to each other. Some say he was lonely, having no equal or whatever, but let’s just say he doesn’t treat me like his equal.’ She realized what she had revealed and looked around the room before running her hands through her hair. ‘Anyway. Alistair and Tobias came with him, from what I hear. I never really questioned it. My only concerns were my sister and surviving.’

She had given me more than enough information to determine they were more of a threat than I’d previously thought. I would not be returning to the remains of my home anytime soon, not if she was telling the truth and was correct.

‘My last question for you this evening, Miss Martinez, is what is it you are all searching for?’

She looked at me as if I’d asked her the most basic question. Her thick, dark lashes fluttered once in disbelief. Her aura changed, reminding me of the first time I’d seen her. I saw again how deadly she actually was.

‘I am shocked you don’t know. Kaden wants the Book of Azrael.’

Azrael.

The chamber doors opened. I strode through, my helmet tucked beneath my arm and long white and gold threads flowing behind me. Logan and Vincent were at my heels, their spears drawn and wearing the same silver battle armor. The world shook once more, knocking the ancient scrolls from their holding places along the walls of Azrael’s study. The ceiling cracked, raining fine white dust on the large desk. Azrael hurried around, packing as many items as he could into his satchel.

‘We are out of time.’

His head snapped toward me, his long black hair braided on either side of his face. The cobalt lines on his skin glowed a shade brighter at our intrusion.

‘No, your father wanted me to take as many as we could for the new world.’

My voice was granite. ‘There will be no new world. We can only evacuate a selected few. War is here, and I need you out on the battlefield.’

He picked the satchel up from the table, the muscles in his arms tightening as he clenched it to his chest. ‘I cannot,’ he said, anger infusing his tone.

‘You can and you will.’ I nodded toward Logan. He stepped forward, calling forth another spear. He paused, his arm outstretched, waiting for Azrael to take it.

‘I cannot!’ he shouted, slamming his palm onto the table. ‘Victoria is with child. I will not leave my babe fatherless.’

The muscles in my jaw ticked. That explained Azrael’s erratic behavior lately. ‘A baby?’

Vincent and Logan looked at me but did not speak.

‘I am sorry, my king. I follow your lead and do what is best for our people, but I must think of my family. If you fall, if the world falls, I may be able to transcribe a weapon strong enough to help the survivors, but I cannot if I am dead.’

Azrael was the one who had helped me forge the rings that The Hand wore, helping me shape metal and minerals. He was my friend, even though his loyalties lay with the God Xeohr.

‘You know this is treason, regardless of the reason, correct? Abandon your guard while we are at war?’

‘I am aware and prepared to fight if I must.’

I nodded once, reaching behind my back. Azrael straightened, dropping his pack and calling forth a weapon made of silver light. Logan and Vincent stepped forward to flank me, holding until I gave the order to execute.

I ripped three long threads from my back and stepped forward, placing them in his hands. ‘For your child. If I cannot save this world, I hope you find another one.’

His eyes held a fine sheen of moisture as the silver weapon he held disappeared. He fisted his hand around the threads and grabbed his satchel. He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a small smile. ‘You are not like him. I am so sorry the other gods cannot see it.’

The memory faded as Miss Martinez’s face came back into view.

‘You and your brethren are mistaken, I am afraid. There is no Book of Azrael. He is dead. A mere legend.’

She raised a single brow and tapped her nails on the table. ‘Isn’t that the same thing they said about you?’

I sat back in my chair, exhaling a breath. ‘This is more than enough information to start with. I will need your sister’s location if I am to collect her. You killed one of his and have turned on him. From what you have said, Kaden will likely make a move against her.’

Her back snapped straight, and her eyes flashed. She jumped from her chair, nearly toppling it over. ‘Yes, of course. I need to change clothes. I’m disgusting.’

‘I can quite agree with that, but you will have plenty of time to do that while I am away.’

Her brows furrowed. ‘But I am going with you.’

I leaned forward, grabbed the notebook, and closed it as I stood. ‘No, I am afraid you are not.’

‘Oh, yes, I am.’

With a wave of my hand, the double doors behind her opened, and several celestials walked in. Her head snapped toward them, and a look of pure rage settled over her features when she saw the silver chains covered in runes they were carrying.

‘Cuffs? Again? Seriously? I helped you.’

‘Barely.’ I placed my hands behind my back and waited for them to proceed. ‘But the fact remains that I do not trust you. I do not trust you will not attempt to stab me in the back after I collect your sister. You have already proven that you are capable of such. So, now I will have you wait in a cell below until I return. Hopefully, your sister is more cooperative.’

She snarled at the advancing celestial guard. He paused and turned to look at me. Her eyes blazed as she glared at me. ‘I won’t go.’

The lights flickered as I lost my patience and strode toward her, invading her space. I stopped inches from her, forcing her to crane her head back to look at me, but she held her ground. Her attitude and demeanor made her height seem more than it was, but looking at her from this angle, I realized the difference in our sizes. Invading one’s space was a scare tactic taught on Rashearim. Usually, the weak backed down, but knowing Miss Martinez, I knew she would not. ‘You will, or I will carry you myself.’

The corner of her lips raised as she glared up at me. ‘You wouldn’t dare.’

Her failed attempts to get me to drop her were just that—failed attempts. My first impression of her was correct. She was every bit a beast if I’d ever encountered one. When cornered, they would lash out by whatever means necessary, and that was what she was currently doing. She clawed, hit, and bit at any part of my shoulders and upper back she could reach. It was annoying but had little effect, which seemed to just make her angrier.

‘Let me go!’ she snapped, slamming another fist against my side.

‘I offered for you to go peacefully, but you refused. Just as you refused when one of my men placed the cuffs on you, and you broke his nose. So this, Miss Martinez, is your fault.’

‘What are you laughing at?’ she snarled. I knew she was not asking me but was addressing a member of the team following us. The celestials we passed said nothing and avoided us, not wanting to get close to her, I would presume.

I adjusted her over my shoulder as we reached the solid white door at the end of the hallway. I raised my free hand, and the small electronic box came alive, running a thin light over my palm. The edges of the door lit up, lights running in parallel lines across its surface before it hissed open. That only encouraged Miss Martinez to increase her efforts to flee.

‘This is ridiculous.’ She clawed at me once more. ‘What are you made of? Steel?’

The hallway behind the door lit up at our entrance. There were fewer cells here than in Arariel, but I only needed one. I stopped in front of an open -ended expanse and placed her on her feet before taking a quick step back. The moment her soles touched the floor, she charged me. She was stopped short when several cerulean bars slammed down in front of me, the runes transcribed on them turning in counterclockwise circles. The cell behind her lit, showcasing the metal bed attached to the wall and a small bathroom at the very back.

‘Seriously?!’ she snapped at me, folding her arms. ‘So, bringing back your boy meant nothing?’

I placed my hands behind my back as I tilted my head slightly. ‘Please, do not assume that because you responded to a few questions that there is any trust between us. You are, in mortal terms, a felon. I do not trust you, and I will not risk anyone else’s life. You will be fine here until I return.’

Her expression changed at my words, desperation crossing her face as she raised her hands and wrapped them around the bars. Her skin sizzled, and small puffs of smoke danced off her palms. She did not wince or show any sign of pain as she stared up at me.

‘Please, let me go with you. Gabby doesn’t know you, and if you show up without me, she will be scared.’

I nodded once before turning away. ‘She will be fine.’

‘Samkiel!’ she yelled, and I stopped, my shoulders tensing. I despised that name, and a part of me wondered if she’d used it just to get a reaction from me.

I took a calming breath and looked back at her. ‘Vincent will be down to monitor you while I am gone. You should have fresh clothing in your cell, and you might want to take a shower. If you value your modesty, I suggest you change before Vincent arrives, for he is not to leave your side until I return.’

‘Please, let me come with you,’ she begged. She looked at me with those big hazel eyes and thick lashes. I wondered how many men had fallen for this act.

‘No.’

‘Samkiel!’ she screamed as I turned my back on her. I could hear her skin sizzle against the bars as she unleashed her fury. The celestials followed me out, the thick door sealing behind us and cutting off the sound of her protests. I turned toward the celestial closest to me as we paused in the main hall.

‘Do you have the address she spoke of?’

He flipped through a small tablet, and several pictures popped onto the screen. I saw trees lining a white sand beach and a large ocean expanse. There were small domed buildings and one large one with a lot of windows. Barely clothed mortals were everywhere. I took the tablet, bringing it closer as I looked through the images.

‘This is where we think she is. It looks like a resort of some sort.’

‘Very well.’ I handed the tablet back and turned to leave, saying over my shoulder as they started to follow. ‘Stay with Vincent. I am afraid our guest will be less than cooperative until I return.’

I heard an audible gulp and a few feet shuffle as I left them there.