Genesis: Falling Angel (3 page)

There was no turning back now. Gabriel still held me, and his lips pressed gently to my forehead. I was fading. My soul was leaving my body to form a new, human body. The sensation was cold, and the light that followed was almost blinding. I could feel flesh forming once more. The agonizing creation of human organs followed. I bore all of the pain. It had to happen, I told myself over and over. It had to happen. Suddenly, the pain ended. A new sensation overtook me. My mouth opened to form a scream.

Then I fell.

Chapter 3 – Adrian

I was born into another world. It was a world of fire and ice, a world of toxic air and horrifying screams. I crawled from a pit teeming with every lustful sigh and moan. Lucifer himself greeted me,
and he pulled my nude form from the pit just as I reached to grab hold of the surface. My body willed itself to black out, to reject the reality of the world it had entered. Where I was from, you never truly lost consciousness. The strange, clammy and cold feeling took over. My vision swam. Then recovery occurred so that every torture could be felt once more.

Why did I crawl out of the pit? I wanted to see. I wanted out of the darkness and away from the sounds that filled me with unbearable hunger. I was physically stronger than the others that dwelled in the pit. My will was strong. I would not be kept in the dark for all of eternity.

It was knowledge I wanted. Not the light of Heaven or anything good. I wanted my eyes to be open. I wanted to know what the feelings stirring inside of me were. I wanted to become part of the blazing world above. I wanted to feed and finally be satiated.

I needed to rise from the pit. I needed to crawl out of the darkness.

Lucifer held me by a wing, clawed hand piercing the flesh where my wing connected to my back. His grip tightened, and a single bead of black blood dripped onto the stone ground, hissing as it evaporated. The entire place was blazing hot, and the screams are the only part of it that stuck in my memory. The appearance of the place had been blocked out.

I looked him in the eye, and his spell took hold. I could feel him feeding off every lustful thought that ran through my mind. I couldn’t recall him for anything. Lucifer wasn’t someone you remembered outside of Hell. He liked to keep it that way, I think.

“This one?” he asked. I tried to avert my gaze, to see the figure standing off to the side. I was mesmerized by the burning souls swimming in the fire of his eyes. It was a raging inferno full of faces twisted in agony and rage. All were human souls that fell into the hands of Lucifer to be tortured.

“He’ll do.”

The voice was feminine, sultry. I was drawn to it like a moth to flame, instantly tearing my gaze from Lucifer’s. He released me and I could not hold myself up. I collapsed onto the hot floor, though it did not affect me, a creature born of flame. It was nearly soothing.

I wasn’t sure why the woman broke Lucifer’s spell. Perhaps it was because I was so very hungry. Perhaps it was because I had never heard a woman speak.

The woman grasped my jaw, and I met her gaze. I was sure then that my eyes reflected my hunger, the raw need to embrace her. Or maybe embracing anyone would’ve sufficed. Her appearance was flickering before me rapidly. Only later did I learn that her form was meant to take the shape of what was most appealing to me. She only held the same, violet eyes. It required too much energy to change the demonic eyes.

I closed my eyes, head aching from the onslaught of so many forms.

“Will you serve me well, my son?”

Suddenly, it was though I’d always been waiting for that moment. The eternity in the darkness and heat of t
he pit had led to that moment. It was like my whole purpose in life was to answer her, to serve her. I wished for nothing more than to please her. I rose, facing her with new strength, new determination. I sensed that she needed me, and I would be hers to command.

“I swear it.” My blood dripped from the wound Lucifer had given me. Without a wo
rd, she moved her hand under it and caught seven black droplets in her hand. Her tongue raked over them, eyes never leaving mine. There was a sensual feel to the act, a sort of intimacy. Yet it still felt wrong. It felt like signing some contract that I hadn’t even read.

“Come, my child,” she beckoned.

It was then that I knew there would never be resisting and that there was yet another bond to be shared. So I went to her as a lover.

Sadly, I would
never be her king.

I was the seventh and youngest child, the ruler of Lust. A lowly incubus had been given power and a place in the highest ranks a demon could aspire to. My bed was warmed by a queen, my subjects were infinite. I was no longer hidden in the darkness.

I deserved to rule.

A storm woke me.

The room lit up with each flash of lightning, shook with each crash of thunder. My nightmare was fading from me once more, a memory so ancient I couldn’t exactly remember the details, though I knew it was of my birthplace. I could still remember Lilith’s voice. I tried for the millionth time to remember Lucifer’s voice, but all that I remembered seemed to be static. I groaned in annoyance, thankful my bed was empty for once.

My throat was raw from screaming.

There was not much to say to describe my room. It was luxurious, but boring. All that mattered was that the bed was large enough. Sometimes one human wasn’t enough. If I had been starving before, I was now insatiable.

I woke up often in the middle of the night, sweating as though I were once more exposed to the fires of Hell. My prey would often wake as well, staring at me in fear. I often sent them away, leaving them with no memory of what had occurred.

Forget it, I told myself. Go to sleep.

“Trouble sleeping?”

I snarled, baring my teeth to the dark. I kept my eyes shut tightly, not wanting to see her. “Go away. I’m not in the mood tonight,” I rasped. She al
ways visited at horrible times.

She always wanted the same thing. She wanted me to take her, to treat her like a lover and not a master. She needed to feel some sort of comfort. I was her toy.

Fingers lightly tapped my chest. “Burning, again? How human of you to scream. I raised you better.”

I never liked to look at her directly. Her form was always changing, always trying to find the best way to seduce me. Joke’s on her. I lusted after everyone.

It wasn’t as though everyone was truly attractive. It was that I could not afford a preference. I had to be fine with having anyone as my prey. As far as I knew, a starved human wasn’t that picky, either.

Still, I bit back a moan as her fingers moved lower. “What do you want?” I snapped.

“I have a task for you.”

I opened my eyes, focusing on her changeless violet eyes. It was the onl
y feature of hers I possessed. They were glittering, amethyst eyes. I hated them. “Focus,” she teased.

My body jerked as her hands touched me. My lips curved into a smirk. Pulling her closer, I poured every ounce of my power into my words. “I’m listening,” I whispered.

She didn’t even flinch. A cold smile graced her lips. “I have wonderful news for us, my dear.” She leaned in close, removing her hands from my body. “
He’s
finally joining the war.”

“
Do you mean Lucifer?” I asked, laughing slightly. “He’s trapped. He can’t come here.” We had to do all his dirty work.

“Not him,” she said simply, the smile never leaving her lips.

“Then you mean God. God finally decides to join the fun,” I murmured bitterly. I was really enjoying the lack of conflict with His Holiness. He let us just walk onto the earth, tearing His creation apart in a matter of months. Once He got involved, we’d have to go back. I didn’t want to fall back into that pit.

I knew a few Fallen. If their punishment was the darkest part of Hell, then God would have to create an entirely new section for Lilith and her children. I was born of Hell. I was forged in sin, born of lust. Even so, there were tortures for my kind in Hell. What would he create for me, specifically?

As if reading my mind, Lilith said, “We will not lose this time.”

“Why is that?”

“You shall see, my love. For now, I’d like you to greet our guest. She arrived mere minutes ago, according to one of your guards. She’s right outside Ira.”

“If you would stop being so vague, maybe I’d be able to help you,” I replied coldly. I was sure my eyes couldn’t portray my hatred for her as well as I wanted.

“An angel,” she breathed, eyes growing wild with excitement. “One of the angels has come to earth. I have no idea why, but this is perfect! This is what we needed. Even better, she’s powerless, trapped in mortal form. The Almighty has made a grave mistake in giving her to us.”

“I thought angels were male.” I realized how dumb the statement was when her face fell. I needed to keep my mouth shut.

“No,” she sighed. “They were created soon after Eve’s creation.” She said the name bitterly, finally betraying some raw emotion, and I held up my hands as though that would somehow protect me from her anger. Eve was a touchy subject. One I liked reminding her of.

Eve was created for Adam because Lilith failed to serve him, after all. She left Eden once Adam treated her as an inferior being, thinking he would stop her. He didn’t. Instead, he gained the obedient Eve. He never once looked for Lilith. He never once wondered where she was. Eve bore him many children, and Lilith was left childless despite having always wanted children. How Lilith became what she was is still up for speculation.

All that mattered to me was one thing. In the absence of Adam, Lilith had turned to me for comfort. Without her husband, she needed someone to hold her. Despite becoming a horrible demon somewhere along the way, she held the emotional needs of a mortal woman. She bore echoes of her old life. She even decided to gather “children” together to fulfill her need to be a mother. She had a pretty sick idea of what motherhood was, apparently.

“Forget it. What do you want me to do?”

Her excitement returned. “Bring the girl to Superbia. I’d like her pure, of course.”

That almost hurt. As an incubus, my kind specialized in tainting humans. Purity attracted me especially. As a night demon, my hunger was sated by visiting mortals in their beds at night. Lust was my sin for a reason.

“Of course, but do you really expect me to reject an angel?” I smirked, though she sighed as if frustrated.

“Angels are beings of chastity. Though she is in mortal form, do not underestimate her. She has surely been training for this moment.” Her fingers ran over my arm. “I’m counting on your powers of persuasion to lead her there peacefully.”

I recoiled at her touch, and she frowned. “Why not get Thanatos or Judas to do it?” My brothers certainly had better fighting skills than me. Their physical strength had always been greater.

“Because of all your brothers and sis
ters, you’re the most like me. You’re the most loyal and persuasive. You possess every quality to get this job done fast.” 

I scowled. “You didn’t tell anyone else, did you?”

“Pride knows. Her presence enrages him, but he must make preparations. Wrath is not gentle enough to handle her. Envy…speaks for herself. Gluttony could very well
eat
her. Sloth would never get anything done. Greed would probably wish to keep her for herself. You’re the only one I can trust with this.”

Under the layer of praise, I could almost hear the threat:
Don’t screw this up or I will kill you myself.

“I’ll leave immediately,” I said, jumping out of bed.

“Don’t let her scar that beautiful face of yours,” she chided.

I rolled my eyes. Of course she’d worry about that. She liked eye contact.

“So this angel, do you know who she is?

She didn’t answer. Instead, she placed a hand over her heart, grimacing in pain. Her breaths came out in short, harsh pants. Her eyes were filled with rage. She collapsed on the floor, letting out a scream that shook the room.

I grew cold with fear. There was only one thing that could’ve jerked that reaction out of Lilith. It was as if a part of her had been torn away. Tears poured down her face. She was a mother that had just lost her child.

I waited till she calmed down. Who had fallen? Could the angel really have taken one of us out so fast? Should I just flee and hope she never searched for me?

Lilith took a deep breath, looking up at me with her strange eyes. She said nothing for a moment, merely inhaling and exhaling carefully. Her hand slowly slipped to fall at her side. She regained her composure.

“Thanatos,” she hissed. “Thanatos has been cast out.”

Thanatos was a preferred name. At one point, he’d been worshipped as the Greek god of Death. Well, Thanatos was a wraith, one of the most powerful beings born in Hell. They appeared as cloaked, shadowy figures with abnormally long limbs and glowing red eyes. They fed on the souls of humans. If they needed an appetizer, fear was always nice as well. What truly puzzled me about his death was that wraiths were impossible to kill. They just kept coming back.

“How
is that possible?” Then it hit me. It was the angel. The angel was already picking us off one by one. “I’ll get her,” I growled, turning to leave. I wasn’t particularly fond of my “brothers and sisters,” but she was suddenly a threat.

“Wait.”

I turned, and Lilith had somehow closed the distance between us. “Remember that you are still mine. Do not let this angel sway you, Adrian.”

“Sway me how?” I asked with a grin.