The Book of Azrael (Gods & Monsters 1)

IT HAD BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE I HEARD FROM KADEN OR THE OTHERS. Two weeks to spend time with my sister. I loved it, but that gnawing sense of unease kept forcing me to check my phone. I couldn’t place it but I knew something must be wrong. Gabby and I had just finished watching a movie at the local theater and were walking down the sunny boardwalk toward an outdoor restaurant.

Birds chirped in the trees lining the path and the people we passed were laughing and happy. Everyone was out enjoying the afternoon sun. Gabby wore a large brown hat and a pair of the largest black sunglasses I had ever seen. I had been teasing her about them all day. Her bronzed skin glistened, offset by her white tank and blue tattered shorts. her simple understated beauty drew a few second glances and compliments from passing pedestrians.

I’d opted for a black spaghetti strap tank, the hem fluttering over a white leather skirt. I was her opposite in every way, although we were both wearing matching pairs of white sandals. She liked them because they showed off the pedicure we’d gotten this morning.

‘This is one of my favorite places,’ Gabby said, grabbing at her hat as the wind picked up. She led the way to the open entrance, passing beneath the sign that read The Modern Grill. Tables and chairs surrounded the bar and TVs hung from the ceiling. The place was packed and the noise blasted us as we drew closer.

‘It looks busy. Maybe we should have made reservations.’

She waved my concerns away. ‘No worries, I know the owner.’

I smirked. ‘How many times have you been here?’

She grinned at me, but her tone was gentle as she said, ‘Not that many, but his wife had to have heart surgery a month back, and I was her nurse. They are super sweet and he said I would always have a table here no matter what.’

‘Ah, my sister, the sweet caretaker,’ I joked as I followed her further inside.

Gabby playfully swatted at me before turning to wave at an older gentleman. The owner was thrilled to see her and after introductions we were seated. I figured we would eat inside but the waitress led us to a deck at the back of the restaurant. The tables sat a little further apart, and the view of the ocean spread out before us was breathtaking.

A few people were out here with us, admiring the day and eating. The warm ocean breeze curled my hair around my chin and I moved pieces out of my way. Gabby took her hat off, placing it on the edge of the table as our waitress took our orders. We watched as a few children teased the waves crashing against the shore, their laughter a song in the air.

‘This. This is paradise. I don’t think I could ever get tired of the ocean,’ Gabby said, pulling me from my thoughts.

‘Yeah, it definitely beats the oceans of sand we grew up around.’ I looked at her as she continued to watch the kids on the beach, a smile teasing at her lips. The sun cast a shine over the ombre waves of her hair, making her look almost angelic.

‘You remind me of Mom, you know.’ I folded my hands underneath my chin as I spoke. ‘You take after her, especially when it comes to helping others. I know she would be proud.’

Gabby turned toward me, her eyes lighting with pleasure. ‘I hope so. And please, if I take after Mom, you definitely take after Dad. Headstrong, always trying to take care of everyone else but themselves, and that attitude.’ She whistled underneath her breath, ‘Definitely Dad.’

I couldn’t help but laugh. ‘I miss them. Sometimes I wonder what our life would have been like had they not gotten sick.’

‘Me, too.’ She sighed. ‘But I have to believe everything happens for a reason, even stuff like that. We can’t live in the past, D, nothing grows there.’

‘Oh, you and that pesky optimism.’

She giggled. ‘Someone has to be. Do you remember that hiking trip we took in Ecanus? You thought we would get lost because you couldn’t read a compass. That was one of my favorite vacations, even if I did get in trouble for feeding the wildlife.’ She laughed, covering her mouth with her hands at the memory. ‘I love the freedom you gave me so much.’

Gabby dropped her hand and smiled at me, but I felt mine slowly slipping. We never really talked about my sacrifice. What I gave so that she could live. We didn’t like to think about the price, and it resulted in a fight every time it came up. She didn’t like Kaden, Tobias, or Alistair and she never would. She didn’t understand the power he had over me, and I never wanted her to feel like it was her fault. I’d stayed for her, suffered for her, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

‘Yeah, and all you had to do was almost die,’ I joked as the waiter came back with our water and appetizers.

She mixed the greens of her salad, covering it with a thin dressing as she stirred. ‘I am being serious. I am happy here with my job and my life. I want that for you, too.’

My stomach sank. I knew where this was going. ‘Gabby.’

‘What?’ she asked innocently, her attention on spearing her salad. ‘I am just saying—’

‘I can’t leave, and I don’t want to fight you about it,’ I cut her off, my voice stern. ‘You know this, and you know I hate talking about it.’

She shook her head, placing her fork down. ‘Have you even tried?’

‘Gabby. Seriously. I can’t. Have you even thought of what that would mean? He pretty much owns me. Remember what we just said about the life you have? That came with a price. A price neither of us likes talking about.’

‘I know that.’ Her voice was soft but held a hint of the same temper we both carried. She may not have my powers, but my sister was feisty, especially when it came to those she considered hers. The fire that burned beneath our skin was there in her, mine was just literal. ‘But—’

I put my fork down and placed my head in my hands, frustration filling my voice. ‘There is no but, Gabs. He owns me. I don’t know how much clearer I can make that.’

‘No one owns you.’

I felt the Ig’Morruthen that lay beneath my skin wake and dropped my hands. My eyes flared and I could see the embers reflected in the sunglasses atop her head. ‘He does, and in every way. We can pretend that these last two weeks are real, and that we are the perfect sisters who braid each other’s hair, go out for drinks, and paint our nails. But the absolute truth of it is we are not. We both died centuries ago in that damned desert. Whether you want to admit it to yourself or not, we’re different, I’m different.’

My sister didn’t flinch. She wasn’t afraid of me and knew I would never hurt her. ‘You can’t blame me for wanting you to be happy. I want something normal for you, something besides the breadcrumbs he feeds you to keep you in line.’

‘Gabby. This isn’t some movie you watch on TV where everyone gets to live happily ever after. That’s not my world, it never was. There are no flowers, no cute words, and no sweet promises. My world is violent and real and permanent.’

She shook her head, the waves of her hair dancing with the movement. ‘You think I don’t know what’s going on even though you don’t tell me? I saw the bruises when you arrived. You don’t sleep, tossing and turning every night. You’re on edge all the time. I see the way you watch doors and windows, how you act when we go out. I see the way you flinch when someone brushes up against you. Why don’t you fight back? You have the skills and are strong. Why do you let him—’

‘Stop!’ I slammed my hands on the table, causing the entire thing to shake and groan. I knew it split from the force, but the tablecloth hid the cracks. Several people stopped eating and stared at us. Those inside the building didn’t notice the commotion, the noise drowned us out. I closed my eyes tightly, willing the flames to recede.

‘Look,’ I flicked my eyes open and looked at Gabby, placing my hand over hers, ‘I have everything I could want. Money, way too many clothes that you steal whenever you can, and I can literally go anywhere in the world. I mean you like the vacations we have had. You said it yourself.’

‘That stuff is material, D. It doesn’t make you whole.’

‘It makes me enough.’

Gabby slipped her hand from beneath mine and wiped a tear from her cheek. ‘You gave up everything for me, and now you’re forever bound to someone who will never love you, never care about you beyond what you can do for him.’

‘I know, but that’s not realistic. Not for me. This isn’t one of those fairytales you love so much. There is no knight in shining armor coming to save the day. There is only me. Only us. We take care of each other.’ My heart ached. It was unspoken, but I knew Kaden didn’t love me, nor did I love him. All Gabby wanted was the best for me, the same I wanted for her, and it broke me. ‘Hey, look at me.’ When she did I continued. ‘I don’t regret it, you know? Not a second of it. I would give my life a thousand times over for you.’

‘You shouldn’t have to.’ Her lip quivered and I realized this had been bothering her since I arrived. She had kept her feelings behind the same kind of wall I constructed around my emotions.

I hated seeing her sad, even for a second, so I did what I always did and tried to lighten the mood. ‘Hey, last I recalled I am the older sister here, okay? I take care of you. It is kind of like my job but with terrible benefits. The healthcare is shit, and I am not even talking about the amount of money I spend on the collect calls when I am out of town.’ She laughed bitterly as she wiped carefully beneath her eyes.

Our waiter returned with our food and refilled our glasses. Gabby smiled as she picked up her fork and twirled a few strands of pasta. She raised the bite toward her mouth but stopped. Her eyes widened as she looked past me, and that’s when I felt it. A cold chill ran up my spine and I knew darkness loomed at my back. The birds had disappeared, the children had stopped laughing, and even the sound of the waves was muted. It was as if life itself scurried and hid from what had just arrived. I stood fast enough to flip my chair and spun, catching Tobias by the throat.

‘You know what happens when people sneak up on me, especially when I am with her,’ I hissed, my nails elongated and pressing into his throat. He only smiled at my threat, his eyes a reflection of mine as he leaned into my grasp. He knew I couldn’t hurt him or Alistair. I couldn’t kill them because it would be a death sentence on Gabby and me.

He bit his lip and wrapped his hand around my wrist. ‘Squeeze harder, I almost feel something.’

I rolled my eyes and let him go with a slight push before righting my chair and sitting back down.

Alistair’s laugh filled the outdoor patio. ‘Someone is tense. Miss us?’ I didn’t answer him nor did Gabby move or say a word. Alistair turned to her. ‘Lovely day, isn’t it?’ I heard the scrape of a metal chair as he grabbed one from a nearby table. He flipped it and straddled it with his long legs as he sat beside me.

My stomach knotted and I picked up my phone, afraid I had missed Kaden’s call, but when the screen lit up I saw I had no messages. I clenched my jaw, annoyed I didn’t sense them sooner. How long had they been nearby? Had they overheard Gabby and me? Tobias lurked in my peripheral and I focused on controlling my irritation, he knew I hated when he did that. ‘What are you doing here?’ I asked, turning to face them both. ‘Kaden hasn’t called.’

Alistair reached over, stealing a meatball from Gabby’s plate and popping it into his mouth. He glanced at Tobias and swallowed before saying with a grin, ‘He is busy.’

They snickered at some private joke. I didn’t care. They’d always had their secrets. It was something I had grown accustomed to over the years.

The wind shifted and my mouth watered. I fought back the hunger and said, ‘You both reek of blood with a hint of something foreign. What’s happening? Why hasn’t he called?’

Alistair smirked, shaking his head. ‘Aren’t you always complaining that you never get to see your lovely sister here?’ He said, looking pointedly at Gabby, a predatory sheen in his eyes. Gabby remained silent and still, not taking her eyes from them.

‘Besides,’ Tobias cut in, ‘you weren’t needed.’

Alistair chuckled again. ‘Understatement of the century.’ That got a laugh out of Tobias.

Gabby slammed her fork down on the table. ‘Don’t talk to her like that!’ she snapped before she realized what she’d said. They both turned to her, quick as vipers in the flesh, the smile and laughter gone.

‘Oh, yeah? And how do you want me to talk to her, huh? Or perhaps talk to you?’ Alistair grinned coldly as he leaned closer to her. ‘You know, it wouldn’t take much to get into that pretty little head of yours. I could make you do whatever I wanted. Any time, any place.’ His eyes roamed over her. ‘Anywhere.’

‘Alistair.’ It was a warning. They could talk to me how they wanted, threaten me, but no one disrespected Gabby.

He turned back, knowing damn well he’d pissed me off. Gabby didn’t say anything as she leaned back in her chair, inching away from him.

‘Don’t worry, Dianna, we know the rules. No one touches your precious sister,’ he said. He was clearly annoyed but lost interest as a small busty waitress passed.

‘Enough small talk.’ Tobias sighed, folding his arms. ‘Kaden is tied up at the moment so we are here to collect you. Your visitation is over.’

Gabby’s eyes met mine as my heart sank. Two weeks, at least I had gotten two weeks.

I didn’t say anything as I stood Alistair pushed to his feet as I walked over to Gabby. She rose and I hugged her tight, whispering close to her ear, ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise.’ I pulled back, holding her gently by the arms. ‘Remember that I love you.’

She nodded once more before I let her go. I stepped around her, coming close to Alistair and Tobias.

‘Where are we needed now?’

Alistair rubbed his hands together slowly. ‘Oh, you’ll love it. We are going back to El Donuma.’

My stomach dropped.

‘Ophanium to be exact. Our little Celestial friend Peter finally pulled through’

‘El Donuma? But that’s Camilla’s territory. You know she hates me.’

Alistair only shrugged. ‘She fears Kaden a lot more.’

‘Stop talking,” Tobias snapped and I turned to look at him. His eyes weren’t on me but something or someone inside the restaurant. The red around his irises began to burn and I followed his gaze. I didn’t see any threats. No Otherworld beings were in the vicinity.

‘Here?’ Alistair asked, staring at Tobias and then glancing toward the restaurant.

Tobias shook his head and Alistair cursed.

‘What is it?’

‘Nothing.’ Tobias finally broke his stare but looked at Alistair instead. I scanned the area once more, trying to figure out what had caught their attention, but I still saw nothing of concern. I turned back to Gabby, offering her a small smile. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

Gabby nodded once before we left my sister, the restaurant, and whatever had spooked two of the most terrifying creatures I knew.