They arrived at the palace, but right away, Ashriel could tell something was wrong. Alarms were blaring and red lights flashed everywhere. His anxiety over Anniel’s safety went up ten more notches.

Eriel got up in his face, as if he could see Ashriel’s eyes through the black goggles they wore. “Are you in kill mode? You’re in kill mode, aren’t you?”

Ashriel clenched his fists and fought the urge to slap Eriel. “Get away from me,” he snapped instead.

Eriel winced. Natanael pulled him away and said to Eriel in a rush, “Leave him alone. Do you have a death wish, idiot?”

Ashriel stalked ahead with Seth trying to keep up. The weretigri’s black-gloved fists were clenched, as if fighting to keep himself in control too.

They exited the royal shuttle and made their way to the end of the corridor, but four guards stopped them.

The guards were covered head to toe in black, even their faces. One of them chuckled.

“Look what we have here, boys… some fresh ass for King Dred.”

The other guards snickered along with the insolent fool who’d spoken.

The guard was tall and muscled beneath his clinging garb, and his metal-soled boots thumped the floor loudly when he circled Ashriel once before stopping in front of him again.

He slid his hand over the growing bulge between his legs and looked Ashriel up and down. “Alright, pretty boy, strip.”

Ashriel had the man’s throat in his fist in the blink of an eye. The sound of charging laser weapons sounded loud amidst the shouting.

“Don’t shoot him, you imbeciles,” one of the guards that had escorted them from the black market exclaimed, pushing his way through the reapers to stand between Ashriel and the armed guards blocking their way.

“Ash, let him go,” Seth commanded in an even tone.

Ashriel needed to kill something… but that couldn’t happen now. He needed to find Anniel.

“Drop him, Ash,” Seth repeated in a soothing voice.

Ashriel tossed the tall guard into the wall next to them. The metal dented and the guard slid to the floor unconscious.

“If you’re going to take us to the king, do so now. Otherwise, we leave,” Seth stated.

Ashriel looked at Seth, about to tell him he was not leaving until he found the girls, but Seth lifted his hand to signal him not to speak.

Ashriel knew the young weretigri would not leave either of his Alpha Angel sisters stranded, nor the Utuduodian princess.

“We’re on high alert,” one of the guards blocking the doors snapped. “You know the protocols.”

The guard that had escorted them from the black market went toe to toe with the other guard. “King Dred wants these reapers. You explain to him why his new toys were detained.”

Ashriel did not like being referred to as a toy, but held his tongue. The important thing was to locate the girls.

The guard relented and let them through.

As Ashriel passed the furious guard, the foolish man uttered. “You’ll get what’s coming soon enough, and if not, I’ll be waiting here for you.”

As soon as he passed the guard, Ashriel flicked out his left wing and struck the man, sending him flying twenty feet away to slam into the wall at the end of the corridor. His body hit with a sickening crunch.

Ashriel grinned when he heard the guards running to their downed friend.

“He won’t be walking for a while,” Natanael snorted.

They walked through metal double doors and stopped at the edge of a platform. Silver, shell-shaped transports floated to them.

“You are to remain seated within these personal transports at all times. If you step out of the transport while the green boarder is lit, you will die instantly. The transports are for your safety.”

Ashriel glared down at the guard who was speaking.

“We need no protection. We are holy warriors.”

The guard gulped, and Ashriel imagined his eyes wide behind the black goggles he wore. His heavy breathing was audible through the respirator as Ashriel towered over him.

“Sorry, sir. It’s just protocol. You must never let your feet touch the glass floor. Only stand on the metal platforms and only if your transport deactivates its force fields. If we were attacked, the force field would keep you safe within your transport.”

Ashriel wanted to argue, knowing the whole safety issue was a lie. They only wanted to control their guests and monitor where they went, but that was unimportant now.

Grudgingly, he sat within one of the transports and watched the others do the same.

“This is like being in Disney,” Eriel laughed, his light mood really grating on Ashriel’s nerves.

As if reading his mind, Natanael looked at Ashriel and said, “That’s his coping mechanism, Ash. Please don’t kill him.”

Eriel sat and looked from Ashriel to Natanael. “What?”

“Erie, please. Just zip it already,” Natanael hissed.

Eriel snorted. “Whatever, sheesh.”


Chapter Eight

Anniel awaken to utter silence within herself. It took her a moment to realize she no longer felt Devon’s presence inside her before panic struck making her sit up panting in terror.

Her mind reached out to feel for any of the other Alpha Angels and there was nothing. She couldn’t see anything either, but then a light went on and a big looming shadow came toward her. She blinked, trying hard to clear her eyesight. All she saw were clumps of grey shadows with no clear definition. She was blind.

A snarl of warning erupted from her lips as her fear ratcheted higher. Heavy boots thumped the floor—concrete by the sound of it—as the very big shadow loomed closer. Anniel continued to snarl, baring fangs, and drawing deep breaths between, trying to pick up anything familiar.

The scent of something metallic mixed with the sweet scent Seraph’s usually exuded and… a hint of wolf drifted through the air.

Backing up away from the approaching person, her snarls grew louder and her skin prickled with the desire to shift.

A touch on her cheek had her snapping her elongated canines, but her sharp teeth came into contact with metal beneath velvet cloth and flesh. Whoever tried to touch didn’t even flinch when she bit him.

“You cannot hurt me,” a rasping voice said. “Not much of me is human anymore.”

“Who are you? Why am I here?” She winced when the feather-light touch stroked her cheek again, and turned away trying to avoid his touch

“I am no one,” the voice rasped, deep and demonic, giving her the chills, but not in a good way.

Anniel curled her feet beneath her butt when the bed she sat on dipped with his weight. She would have scooted farther away, but her back was wedged into a corner. “Where am I?” she demanded reaching back to feel that it was a metal grate and not a wall she leaned against.

“King Dred wanted to defile you. You are safe now.”

She slapped away what she assumed were his hands and yelped at the pain that caused. His skeleton was made of some sort of metal. “I don’t feel so safe with you touching me,” she snapped.

When he tried to take her hands, she pulled them away and crossed her arms over her chest, scowling to show her displeasure.

His arms rose, bringing his hands to his face. She narrowed her useless eyes and blinked to see if she could figure out what he was doing. When he removed his goggles and respirator, she wished she could see better.

“Kiss me,” his deep voice rasped.

“Go to hell,” Anniel spat, smacking her head against the grate behind her, trying in vain to put as much space between her and the cyborg as possible.

“Neo,” a feminine voice shouted from behind her. Boots stomped closer. “You said you felt no desire of the flesh.”

The female sounded enraged.

“I do not,” he answered getting up again.

“I heard you asking this bitch for a kiss,” the female shouted venomously.

Anniel opened her mouth to protest, but a vicious snarl had her gasping with a start. It came from the cyborg in front of her.

“Get out,” the male grated.

The sound of objects crashing to the ground had Anniel’s heart in her throat. A door slammed, the sound reverberating in the room.

From the sound, she surmised she was in a large, sparsely furnished room. Blinking up at her captor, she saw the shadow of his one wing and the glare of his metallic one, but she still couldn’t make out the features of his face.

He bent toward her and she shrieked when he seized her beneath her arms to pick her up. Anniel kicked at him, immediately regretting her action when her bare feet connected with more metal. She cursed roundly when her big toe began to throb.

Cyneolle, she supposed it was, sat her unceremoniously on a flat surface, and she soon found her mouth stuffed with a small, square, foul-tasting object.

Anniel yanked the horrible thing from her mouth and poised to throw it in his face. “Son-of-a...“ She stopped, sputtering. “Did you just stuff soap in my mouth?”

“Soap helps wash out dirty little mouths. Now say something nice.”

Anniel stared dumbfound. The soap fell from her numb fingers as she looked up into the grey shadow before her. She’d overheard Gareth say a swear word once and had put a little bar of soap in his mouth. She’d told him the exact words Cyneolle had said when he’d protested.

Her hands lifted slowly, until her fingers touched skin. When her hands skimmed up a strong jaw, her left hand touched an edge of metal while her right continued over soft skin.

“I lost part of my face in the first Rhylosian civil war,” he explained.

A lump formed in Anniel’s throat, but she continued to feel his facial features. His jaw was squared with an indentation on the chin, like a dimple. His lips were full, warm and soft, like Ashriel’s.

“Like Garethiel’s,” she whispered, her hands now beginning to tremble as she touched his nose and traced the shape of his left brow.

He drew her close, and she blinked, feeling tears bathe her cheeks. Her nose bumped his shoulder and then his throat. She felt the heat of his skin, heard the beat of his heart and the rush of blood through his jugular. Had she wanted to, she could have easily unleashed her fangs and torn his throat out. Instead, she ran her nose up the thick column of his throat and breathed in deeply. The scent was definitely a combination of machinery, wires, metal, and electricity, but beneath it all was the faint scent of Seraph and Wolf…mixed as one.

“No,” she gasped pushing him away. Her son couldn’t be alive after all these years even though he did have Seraphian blood in his veins.

Gareth’s blood had been so diluted. She assumed he would have a normal human life span.

But if he’d inherited his father’s life expectancy…? At a little over three-hundred years, he’d be considered a very young Seraph still.

“Who are you?” she asked again, this time her voice tremulous with tears.

“I am Cyn.”

“That woman called you Neo.”

“Those of the rebel group call me Neo. The Cyborgs named me Cyneolle. In their language it means newborn cyborg angel… but I am no angel.”

Anniel didn’t know what to make of this. She was curious about his background, but only Devon or Seth would be able to really help with that. They were the most powerful of the Alpha Angels. “I need to find my friends. They will be looking for me. Can you take me to the black market?”

She saw him tip his head to the side. Again, his fingers skimmed over her face.

Anniel winced, but this time allowed it. He touched her hair and then took one of her hands. She felt him place his over hers, as if comparing the size.

“You are very small.”

Anniel blinked, trying hard to see his face. “It’s been a long time since someone said that to me.” She took a deep breath before saying, “What happened to your voice?”

“A band of Greis tried to use me as a whore. They crushed my voice box by strangling me so I’d get...“

“Stop,” Anniel exclaimed, clapping her hands over her ears. She did not want to hear the horror she knew he was about to say. A shudder of revulsion shot through her as Angel’s horror stories replayed in her mind.

“I killed them all before they could touch me. I am a virgin,” he said in a softer voice. “I feel no desire… at all. Yet, I find you beautiful. I have never thought of any humanoid as beautiful...except…”

When he remained silent, she prodded, “Except?”

He remained quiet. Anniel felt him draw closer, as if looking closely at her face. “Except for my m...“

“Neo, you need to come take a look at this,” someone exclaimed, rushing into the room.

The cyborg Seraph straightened and moved away. Anniel heard the thump of his boots going across the room behind her. He must’ve been massively proportioned by the heavy sound of his footfalls.

“Keep an eye on her.” Silence and then, “I will kill you if anything happens to her.”

“Y-yes, Neo.”

The door slammed yet again, leaving her sequestered with another stranger.

Anniel thought hard, trying to remember what he looked like when he’d exploded through the glass dome back at the palace. It had only been a glimpse before her eyes had started burning. His skin was dark, though not like hers. He was more like Alluna, with a caramel—almost golden—hue. His hair was definitely dark blond, but she hadn’t seen his face because of the goggles and bulky gas mask over it. Metal-like coils covered him, most likely some sort of protective flight suit. If only she could telepathically connect with Remi so he could fix her eyes. She was dying to look at Cyneolle’s face…and at the same time terrified. What if Cyn was her sweet Gareth?

Anniel wrapped her arms around her middle and sobbed quietly. Her poor baby.

Ashriel stared at the strange androgynous creature before him in shock.

Seth chuckled humorlessly. “Let me get this straight… you want us to give you Devon in exchange for the Utuduodian princess and her two ambassadors?”

“Only for a night. I would like to share fluids with him. His beauty is legendary.”

Ashriel scoffed in outrage, but Seth gestured for him to remain calm.

“I can ask Devon to show himself, but you must also show me the girls.”

The white-skinned creature nodded its ascent.

“I’ll need a mirror,” Seth continued.

No sooner had he uttered the request, two doors opened behind the King’s avatar. A pair of Chid’s rolled out a mirror with an ornate gilded frame.

Ashriel clenched his teeth in agitation. He wanted Anniel, needed to feel her in his arms again. Once he had her back, they were leaving; to hell with his vow and investigations. He cared for nothing but her. He would never forgive himself if anything were to happen to her.

Seth stood before the mirror and pointed. The avatar drifted closer and gasped.

When Ashriel looked, Devon stood on the other side of the glass. He wore nothing but his black drawstring pants. His chest and feet were bare and his hair streamed in a spill of jet over his shoulders to just under his pectorals. His eyes glowed their usual eerie blue, like two burning suns in a sea of stark white skin—the most beautiful humanoid face one could ever lay their eyes upon.

But Ashriel knew beauty was subjective. All who cast their eyes upon Devon found him devastating because he was part incubus, like his father.

“You see Devon, now let us see the girls,” Seth was saying.

The avatar moved forward as if entranced and touched the glass. It began to pant. “I want him. Come through. Let me touch you.”

“Where are the girls?” Seth demanded.

“I’ve had enough,” Ashriel snarled. “Can you not telepathically feel for them?”

Seth looked at Ashriel. “I feel them close, but it’s not enough. It could take hours to find them by me just feeling them out.”

Ashriel took a menacing step toward the avatar, but Natanael and Reiven gripped his arms to hold him.

“Easy, Ash,” Natanael said in a low tone. “Your beating that creature won’t do a thing to the king. He’s possessing this creature’s mind and body, but it’s not really him.”

Ashriel shook both reapers off. “You’re right, but it would make me feel better.”

Seth turned back to the avatar. “The girls.”

The back doors opened again and two orbs floated in containing Angel and princess Glory. Both girls were pounding the bubbles, trying to get out.

“I’ll release them when Devon crosses over,” the avatar sighed.

“You’ll release them now,” Devon said, his eyes riveted on the white-skinned androgynous humanoid.

“Where’s Anniel?” Ashriel roared.

The avatar turned its head and regarded him with bright blue eyes. “She was taken by the rebel leader, Cyneolle. He has taken her to their underground headquarters.”

Ashriel’s patience snapped. He rushed to the creature and gripped it by its neck. Instead of showing fear, the creature only grinned. To Ashriel’s shock, it reached up to its chest and ripped off two strips of black adhesive covering its nipples. The snowy skin beneath turned an angry red. For a moment, the creature’s face registered pain, but the eyes became glassy and vacant again as it shoved its hands into the tiny loin cloth covering its sex. The avatar began to shamelessly masturbate as Ashriel choked it.

“Where is the rebel headquarters?” he demanded squeezing harder.

The creature gasped for breath and shuddered, as if coming to a little climax. It tore away its loincloth exposing a small penis, but then it gripped the small phallus in one hand to stroke it and fingered another opening beneath it. It had a pussy too.

“Answer me,” Ashriel shouted shaking the disgusting creature.

It grinned wider, its face already turning blue.

“Uh, Ash,” Eriel began,” if you want it to talk, you’re gonna have to let it breathe.”

Ashriel tossed the creature away from him and summoned his divine sword. The avatar had stumbled back to fall on its ass. When Ashriel stood over it with his blade, the creature lifted its head to suck on the sword lewdly. Blood poured from its mouth, making Ashriel back away. Natanael was right. The poor creature before him was nothing but an unfeeling vessel. If any pain was suffered, he was sure only the creature felt it and not the damned King Dred.

The avatar gave him a bloody smile. “If I knew where the rebel headquarters were situated, there would be no rebels.”

“Release the girls,” Seth demanded.

The creature leaned back, its eyes on Ashriel’s blade as it spread its legs wide to show the tiny slit beneath its penis. “Fuck me here. Make me bleed. This little whore loves feeling its little cunt ripped, don’t you.”

The creature suddenly let out a shrill shriek that had Ashriel’s skin crawling.

“Oh-Divinity-help meee,” it screamed at the top of its lungs. One hand began pumping it’s fingers into its tiny pussy, making it writhe, while the other savaged the rapidly reddening prick. The creature looked down with wild eyes. “Stop-oh-please-stop.”

Ashriel could only look on with horror and pity.

It screamed, and then it began to laugh again. “Ah, the terror, the pain. How good it tastes.”

The fingers came out bloody and it proceeded to lick and suck at them looking up at Ashriel coquettishly.

Ashriel moved back in disgust.

“The girls,” Seth repeated.

The bubble containing the princess dissolved.

“Devon,” the creature hissed, licking its bloody teeth and lips as it resumed masturbating on the floor, its legs spread wide.

Ashriel watched Devon step through the glass, the clear pane rippling like water. He walked slowly over to the groaning creature and stopped a few inches away.

Slowly, deliberately, he undid the ties to his drawstring pants and then let them drop around his ankles. He was erect, his cock resting against his belly. The creature just stared, awestruck.

“Release the women, and let them go free and you can have me. Otherwise I will destroy all you see around you.”

“You would not dare kill your loved ones,” the creature scoffed.

“I can protect them. I do not care about the rest.”

The creature smiled, “Then why do you not just go ahead and do it?”

Devon smiled. “Because they are attached to these females. And I like keeping my loved ones happy.” His smile faded and black veins began covering his face and arms. “Of course, I would not put them in jeopardy. It’s up to you. Either we all make each other happy or I just take my unhappy angels back home where it’s safe. They’ll forgive me eventually. They always do.”

The avatar did not realize he had Devon’s own female trapped. Ashriel didn’t understand why he didn’t just release her himself and then home in on Anniel so they could all go home.

The bubble containing Angel dissolved.

“You’re all free to go… except Devon, of course. He’ll be mine for tonight.”

Devon turned to all of them. “Go. Find Anniel.”

Ashriel frowned, but since he needed to locate Anniel and bring her back to safety, he did not ask any more questions.

They got back into their transports, Angel climbed in with Seth, and the princess chose to ride with Natanael.

Ashriel looked back to see Angel gazing at her mate. They seemed to be communicating telepathically, but he wasn’t sure. Angel looked determined, but not worried about her mate’s situation. He wouldn’t be too worried about Devon either. The King was stupid to think he could toy around with someone as powerful as Devon of Angelos

The transport took them back to the docking hangar. The new guards stationed by the exit did not try to interfere when they stepped out of their transports and hurried to the royal shuttle waiting to take them back to the black market.

Angel gripped Seth’s arm. “We’re going back to Glory’s space vessel orbiting the planet. Devon must’ve left Jazriel with Abdiel. He will be livid being left behind as a nanny. He was upset enough that Ashriel did not allow him to participate in this mission.”

Ashriel scowled. “I will not allow a virgin reaper to pose as a whore. That is blasphemy. Abdiel should just go back to Seraphia. He is still pure.”

Princess Glory stepped up beside Angel. “He does not want to be celibate anymore and is just waiting for the right person to come along. You have no right to dictate to him what he should do.”

Ashriel just frowned at her. The silly female just did not understand how special their vow of chastity was. It set a Seraph apart. Made them holier.

Angel stood on her tip-toes, pulled Seth’s mask down and kissed him chastely on the lips. His eyes looked down tenderly at her as he readjusted his gas mask. Princess Glory smirked and strode confidently up to him. Seth gave her a puzzled look and then gasped when she tore his mask off. She fisted his platinum blond locks, pulled him in for a deep, rough kiss that left Seth panting and looking at her wide-eyed. His cheeks flushed red when she winked and turned away to disappear into the small Utuduodian transport shuttle.

Seth scrabbled to readjust his mask, his eyes still wide in shock. “Hey, you two better put your masks on.”

Glory only giggled and blew him another kiss as they both walked into the Utuduodian space shuttle. He glared as the girls’ shuttled lifted off and headed down an airlock tube.

With a shake of his head and an annoyed huff, he turned and signaled to board the royal Rhylosian shuttle.

They boarded and strapped into their seats. Seth sat at the pilot’s chair, but the coordinates were already set for the black market so he didn’t need to pilot the craft, just let it direct itself to their destination.

“Now what do we do?” Ashriel asked Seth.

“We need to go down into the bowels of the city. I’m going to have to just use my powers to locate her, but I think that it won’t take me more than a day cycle.”

Ashriel slammed his fist against the armrests. “A day cycle? I don’t understand. You are supposed to have this immense power.”

Seth growled, and ripped his gas mask off again now that the outer hatch was locked and the inner cabin filled with clean air.

“Shit. I am not God, you fucking asshole. You are not the only one torn up by this. Annie was like my big sister.”

“You desired her,” Ashriel accused.

“I wasn’t the one who fucked her,” Seth spat back.

Ashriel gasped. “What?” Seth flattened his lips into a grim line and looked away. “Who?” Ashriel demanded. ”Who fucked her? Remi? Zack, Devon?” He snarled when the weretigri remained silent. “Lucien. It was Lucien, wasn’t it?”

Seth’s pale blue eyes snapped back to glare at Ashriel.

The shuttle shot forward, zipped through three airlocks before slamming to a halt, almost throwing Ashriel out of his seat. Alarms went off.

“Son-of-a-bitch,” Seth snarled. “Fuck.”

Ashriel looked out through the windshield and gasped. The sky was practically blotted out with transports, the majority of which had enormous crystal vid relayers aimed at them.

“The media,” Seth growled. “We’ve been found.”

“How’re we gonna ditch them?” Natanael asked.

Ashriel raked his hands over his head, wincing when his fingers tangled in his braids.

Seth eyes glowed with power as he stared hard at the control panel. His gloved hands gripped the control levers and the shuttle jets whined with augmented power. “All right. Everybody just hold on.”

It was all the warning they got before the shuttle dropped.

“Fffuck,” Ashriel roared.

Anniel awakened to soft sobbing. She stirred and sat up rubbing her eyes, all the time wondering who’d been crying. Her eyes itched, but when she rubbed them, they burned, making her hiss.

The bed she lay on dipped heavily, startling her. Large hands engulfed hers, pulling them away from her face.

“It is worse if you rub,” a deep raspy voice said. “Lay back. I will put the drops Chameleon gave me.”

Anniel struggled half-heartedly to pull her hands away. She needed to get away, though she had no doubt Devon or Seth would come to her sooner or later. A hand caressed her cheek, making her go still.

“Trust me,” Cyn rasped.

She closed her stinging eyes and leaned a bit into his warm palm. He wore velvet gloves and they were soft against her skin.

Huffing out a sigh, she lay back. Anniel felt him lean over her. Two fingers propped open her left eye and she felt when a cool drop of liquid bathed her eye, giving her instant relief. He repeated the same with her right eye.

She inhaled sharply when his hands cupped her face and drew her up. His lips pressed feather light kisses over each eye.

“All better now?” he asked in his raspy voice.

Anniel’s hands had wrapped around his wrists. She squeezed slightly, feeling the steel skeleton beneath what might be skin. She really wasn’t sure.

A sob caught in her throat as she thought of her baby, Gareth, and before she knew what she was doing, she jumped up and hugged Cyn tight.

Anniel breathed his scent in deep. Seraph and Wolf. It was slightly familiar, but it was not the scent she associated with her child.

Cyn held her gently, and then one hand reached up to take a handful of her hair and press it to his face. His chest expanded, breathing her in as well.

“You remind me of her.”

Anniel fisted his dreads, before running her left hand over the arch of his right wing. She laid her cheek on his shoulder and winced when she felt the distinct feel of metal beneath.

“Who do I remind you of?” She asked when she trusted her voice not to break.

His arms tightened around her, his nose pressed to her head. “My m...“

A loud crash behind her startled them both. A female screamed and Cyn shot to his feet. Snarling ensued, making the fine hairs on the back of Anniel’s neck stand on end. Werewolves.

“Get out,” Cyn grated.

“I want the female,” A deep masculine voice snarled.

Anniel frowned. She remembered that voice. The palace. The alpha werewolf at the dinner table.

“You cannot have her,” Cyn replied his voice deadly.

“You desire her,” A feminine voice shrieked, enraged. “You bastard.”

Amidst all the screaming and growls, Anniel took a deep breath and tried to concentrate hard on using her limited powers to feel around the room. She cursed inwardly at not having listened to Seth and allowed him to help her expand her abilities.

“You cannot have her,” Cyn roared. “She is mine. I will kill who ever touches her.”

Vicious snarls reverberated throughout the room and then it sounded as if someone had turned on a jet. Two green orbs began glowing.

“Get out, or I will fire upon the both of you.”

“Stupid bitch,” the female spat, clearly out of control. “You’ll pay. You’ll see. Cyn is mine. Mine—you hear me?”

Feet shuffled, as if someone were being forced from the room and then the door slammed.

After a while, the noise and glaring green light faded.

Anniel heard heavy breathing and realized it must come from Cyn. Whenever Gareth became upset, she would take him on her lap and rock him. He always enjoyed when she sang the dragon’s lullaby to him. Cyn was too big to fit on her lap, but maybe he’d enjoy her soothing him with the lullaby.

Anniel began to sing in a low voice, soft and soothing. She was not an international rock star like Rowie, but her voice was pleasant enough.

She heard his thumping steps as he approached her slowly. Anniel sat up straight on the edge of the bed she lay upon and tried to make out his form in all the black and grey splotches before her. It looked as if he’d gone down on his knees in front of her. She blinked in surprise when arms encircled her waist, and jumped a bit when he laid his head in her lap. Carefully, she stroked his hair and forehead and continued to sing. A quiver went through his large frame, making her pause.

“Are you okay?” she asked when he remained silent.

His voice was but a whisper, but she heard him clearly when he said, “My mother would sing that to me when I was a child.”

Anniel’s heart began to race. “Where is your mother?”

“I don’t know.”

“Were you always called Cyneolle?”

He remained silent a while. “No.”

“W-what was your name before you were called Cyneolle?”

Again he remained silent a while before answering. “I don’t remember.”

Anniel bit her lip. “Was it…Gareth?”

He stiffened this time and then shifted, lifting his head. Anniel held her breath, waiting for him to answer.

“No.”

The sob could not be contained anymore. Her heart crumpled, her breath choked in her lungs and she found she could no longer hold herself upright.

Cyneolle climbed up beside her and pulled her onto his lap. He held her much like she’d cradled Gareth. Fisting the front of his shirt, she cried out her sorrow over the loss of her child once more. Anniel lamented ever having left him alone and prayed he hadn’t suffered much.

Returning to the black market was impossible. Seth maneuvered through traffic while Ashriel tried hard to hold onto his seat. They dipped and turned, swerved and weaved until Seth ducked into an old docking station that led to the city’s hydro-lifters.

“Cover up. We need to get out of here, like now,” Seth said stuffing weapons into his long coat.

Ashriel pulled his gas mask over his mouth and nose after securing the goggles over his eyes again. He really didn’t need the goggles because reapers had a natural nictating membrane that covered their eyes during flight. He only used them to hide his face. It seemed he was somewhat of a celebrity…all because he’d lost his virginity. He shook his head, thinking how absurd the universe was.

Natanael changed his hair from deep blue to jet-black. “You should change your look too, Ash.”

Ashriel scowled at him.

“Nat might have a point there,” Seth sighed.

Ashriel shook his head. “I refuse to resemble a circus sideshow freak.”

Now it was Natanael’s turn to scowl. “Hey, I resent that remark. Besides, you’re the freak everyone’s hunting for.”

“Stop. Fighting will get us nowhere,” Seth huffed impatiently.

“I want to have blond hair,” Amadashiel piped up from the rear of the shuttle.

“Better hurry up,” Seth warned. “They’re going to come looking in here.”

Natanael used his silver wand on Amadashiel’s hair, turning it a rich golden blond. Eriel and Reiven asked for crimson hair like, Remien Fyre’s and Seth had his hair turned orange, like a Chid.

“Quick, Ash,” Nat said rushing toward him. “Pick a color.”

Ashriel blinked, his mind a complete blank.

“Hurry. Just give him anything,” Seth exclaimed. “More than half of them are turning back. They’ll come in here.”

“Ash,” Nat prodded.

Ashriel snarled, “I don’t know. Do whatever.”

Natanael reached toward him. Panic seized Ashriel, imagining himself with some wild crazy color. “A natural color, Natanael.”

“Natanael paused frowning. “You said whatever.”

“Whatever within the natural range of colors for our kind,” Ashriel snapped.

Natanael rolled his eyes and grabbed a handful of Ashriel’s braids. He swept the wand over the front, sides and back.

“Done,” he said stepping back.

“Wait,” Seth said raising his hands.

Ashriel yelped in surprise when it felt as if someone had tugged his braids hard. He put his hands up to his head to discover his hair was unbound. Tugging a strand forward he gasped when he saw the color. “You ass,” he shouted in outrage, tossing the honey-blond lock over his shoulder in disgust. “You’ve turned me into Garethiel.”

Natanael scowled. “You said any natural Seraphian color.”

“We gotta go—now,” Seth exclaimed running to the back hatch. “No more time.”

Ashriel felt adrenaline rush through his body, knowing the danger they faced being mauled by the media and not being able to reach or find Anniel. They followed Seth, rushing out of the docking section and melting into the multitude of beings awaiting clearance to board the hydro-lifters.

The metal and glass tubes ran up and down into almost every level within the city.

“Where are we going now?” Ashriel whispered close to Seth.

“They’ll be waiting for us at the black market. We can’t go back.”

Natanael leaned closer, “What about my Starcruiser?”

Ashriel saw when Seth took a deep breath. “I’ll figure out a way to get it back. For now, we need to get Annie. We’re going to head down…as far down as they’ll let us go. I can feel her…below…on the surface…I think.”

“You think?” Ashriel growled near his ear, showing his displeasure.

Seth turned, his black goggles mirroring Ashriel’s covered face. Ashriel winced, not because of the anger the weretigri emanated, but because he looked so much like his twin, and it irritated the hell out of him.

“Wow, Ash. You’re really starting to piss me off. How about you shut up for a bit and let me concentrate on feeling for Annie without you running your annoying mouth. Jeez, you’re worse than Remi.”

Ashriel clenched his fists at the mention of the irritating red weredragon. How dare he say he was more annoying.

They moved with the flow of the crowd. Behind them was the buzz of excited chatter and shouts of protests. Ashriel was about to turn his head, but Seth shook his head.

“They’re back there trying to find us,” Seth whispered. “Keep your head down and just keep going. We’re going down…all the way down. If we’re separated, just open your mind to me. I’ll try to link us all, but not here.” He looked around and Ashriel watched the reflection Seth’s goggles revealed. There were vid-relayers floating over them like birds of prey looking for its kill.

Ashriel followed the crowd and boarded one of the hydro-lifters. It was going down and was not monitored by any guards. It was going up that they seemed to want to control.

So far, they managed to escape the watchful eyes of the interstellar media. As the doors slid shut, a bunch of silver balls whizzed in and began buzzing like flies over the crowded beings within the hydro-lifter.

Ashriel was wedged with Seth in front of him and Natanael behind him, but to his left was a Chid girl chewing on gum loudly. Her respirator hung loose by her cheek and her goggles were on her forehead. She gazed idly at a holographic image projected from the com-unit device she had hanging from a barbed chain around her neck.

Ashriel looked at the image being displayed by her device and almost choked. It was an image of him from about three hundred years back, fighting amidst a horde of devils and demons.

He turned his head, afraid the young female would somehow recognize him, but saw that more than half the occupants in the lift were watching the same vid feed. He began to sweat.

A few of the silver balls whizzing about hovered over him. A handful dropped down right in front of his face and he tried swatting them away.

More approached and buzzed around him.

Seth spun around and Ashriel felt the distinct bite of power whip out from the weretigri. It tingled against his flesh like thousands of tiny bugs or needles prickling his skin.

The holographic images around them fizzled off making a few of the hydrolifters’ occupants murmur in anger.

The girl next to Ashriel stared up at him with a frown. The intensity of her stare made him uneasy.

The doors to the lift opened a few times on different levels. Ashriel was dying to step out of the lift and away from her intense stare.

Suddenly Eriel was there. He insinuated himself between Ashriel and the girl and slid his goggles and mask off.

“Hi,” he said in a deep seductive voice.

The girl’s eyes snapped to his face, her frowning mouth dropping open a bit.

Eriel tilted his head a bit, letting his fake deep red hair slither over one of his shoulders. “Where are you headed?”

The girl began to chew her gum again nervously. “My mama told me never to talk to pleasure workers.”

Eriel chuckled, squaring his shoulders. “Your mama must know something very naughty about us.”

“Your friend,” she began glancing quickly at Ashriel before her gaze became ensnared by Eriel again.

“Forget my friend. He’s been hired. I’m just tagging along to see if I get lucky too.” Eriel reached out and traced the girls quivering lips before he stooped down and covered her mouth with his.

Normally, Ashriel would have balked at seeing him try to corrupt such a young female, but he knew the girl was suspicious of him and Erie kissing her a bit would distract her until they could escape. It wasn’t as if he would try to fuck her right there in front of everybody.

Of course, when Eriel did raise his hand with every intention of grabbing one pert little breast, Ashriel gripped his wrist and shook his head when Eriel turned to look at him questioningly.

“It’s him,” the girl declared pointing at Ashriel. “All our devices malfunctioned because one of them is an ex-Edenian Master Guardian. One of those Alpha Angels. This one here is Ashriel of Angelos.”

Ashriel paled, but all the occupants of the lift did was stare and murmur amongst themselves.

Someone shuffled toward them and Ashriel cringed at his stench. The very dirty and ill kempt man grinned, showing green and black-stained teeth. His one eyes was milky white with a hint of a pupil beneath the meaty film covering it and the other was a metal ball with an actual brown iris sitting in the middle of it.

“Trying to run away from the media, are you?”

“Get lost,” Reiven growled.

Eriel began shoving him away, but Seth put his hand out to stop them.

“Can you help us?” Seth inquired making Ashriel’s brows shoot up his forehead.

“Of course,” the man cackled. “I didn’t come over here for your fucking autographs.” He spat on the floor, making the reapers jump away.

Ashriel wrinkled his nose at the green and red gob splattered on the floor. The man laughed and nodded toward the doors. “We get off on the next stop, my pretties.”

“We’re not even half way down the city,” Ashriel pointed out.

“I had some business to attend to, but your situation takes precedence, don’t you think?” The filthy man raised a hand to touch Ashriel’s face, but he slapped it away with a snarl, making the man laugh. “You’re very skittish for a whore.”

Ashriel’s face flamed. Being called that to his face left him feeling miserable.

No one tried to stop them when they squeezed their way out of the lift. The man directed them to the edges of the docking station. Open slits in the building let in foul air. Even through the mask he wore, Ashriel could feel the thick pungent fumes of the toxic Rhylosian atmosphere. Guards stood by the open airways. One of them stepped forward, his plasma rifle clutched tight to his chest.

“Where the hell do you all think you’re going?” he rasped through his mask.

Their filthy guide spat another nasty gob of slime on the floor at the guard’s feet, just barely missing his shiny boots.

“Those fucking lifts are vermin infested and smell bad.”

The guard snorted. “Maybe you should stop riding them.”

The dirty man laughed derisively and turned briefly back to Seth and the reapers, who stood behind him. “We got ourselves a comedian here.”

Ashriel caught a glimpse of vid relayers zipping by outside. He began to sweat again.

“Listen, asshole. My new buddies here offered to fly me down instead.”

Ashriel stiffened when the guard regarded them suspiciously. “Fly down, eh?”

“That’s right. Down,” their smelly guide nodded.

The guard’s black goggles revealed nothing as he remained silent, looking at all of them, his fingers flexing on his plasma rifle. “I’ll let you jump, but if you so much as rise one bit, even if it’s the wind current that lifts any of you…you’ll be vaporized instantly. We’ve got every level covered by guards and plasma canons.”

“Yeah, whatever, asshole,” the dirty man spat, waving his hand as he approached the opening in the building. “Just follow me down boys.”

He gave one last laugh before he leapt through the narrow opening in the building.

Ashriel gasped and ran, as did the others. The man was a rapidly shrinking dot far below. Natanael jumped first, after wrapping one arm around Seth. Ashriel followed, opening his wings straight back. His stomach rolled as he beat his wings and made himself fall faster. Ripping his goggles back, he narrowed his eyes and focused on Natanael a little farther down from him.

They spiraled down, closer to the darkened surface. Thank the Divinity they were far from the busiest veins of traffic. Close to the building, no transports flew by.

When Ashriel could barely see anymore, he halted his fall by beating his wings in reverse.

“Put your goggles back on,” he heard Eriel shout not that far from where he was.

Ashriel reached up and pulled them back down. He gasped in shock. The dirty man he thought had probably splatted to his death by now floated a few feet in front of him. On his back were a pair of metallic wings, glowing blue. There were more metal-winged humanoids around them. Natanael still held Seth, and Reiven and Amadashiel hovered to his right. Below his feet he saw the neon glow of the city. He looked around, noticing the darkened windows spanning at least fifty levels.

“You wouldn’t want to venture into these levels,” the dirty man chuckled. “Let’s go down into the heart of Rhylos.”

“We want to speak with Cyneolle. He has a friend of ours,” Seth said.

The dirty man laughed, as did the others around them.

“Well, I’d have to let his guards know you seek him out.”

“Take us to him,” Ashriel demanded.

The dirty man snorted. “And how the hell should I know where that devil is?”

He was lying. Ashriel felt it in his bones. He had to know where this Cyneolle was. They all had to know.

“All right, then get in touch with his guards. We want our friend back.”

“And what’s in it for me?” the dirty man grinned.

Ashriel remained silent, not knowing what to say.

“Pimp me out,” Eriel flew forward. “You could make a fortune pimping me out.”

The dirty man’s eyes roved Eriel’s body and he nodded slowly.

Ashriel shuddered. “Eriel…”

Eriel turned. Even though his face was covered from his nose down, his eyes were smiling. “It’s okay, Ash. It’s not like I’m not used to it. It’ll be fun…getting fucked for love…even if it’s not love for me.”

Ashriel shook his head. “Eriel…”

Eriel raised his hands. “Not another word.”

“I’ll go with him,” Natanael said drifting closer to transfer Seth into Ashriel’s arms. He winked at Ashriel. “We always watch each other’s backs.”

“Well,” the dirty man chortled, “I guess it’s settled then. Let’s go. I’ll show the rest of you a place where you can chill out while I take these two beauties to the black market.”

“Wait. What about letting Cyneolle know we want to speak to him?” Ashriel protested.

The dirty man laughed. “Trust me. Cyn already knows you’re here. He’ll come around. Just you wait and see. Nothing goes on around here that he does not know.”

Anniel stirred and lifted her face from the pillow she laid on. Her hair was in her face and it was dark. How long had she slept? Her body felt achy. Rolling over, she touched her belly and gasped. It felt rounded. Confusion assailed her. Had she been unconscious a long time? She ran her fingers over her belly feeling the familiar sensation of panic rise. Her mind drifted back to when she’d awakened from suspended animation. One moment she was hearing her Alpha Angel brothers and sister fighting telepathically and in the next blink, she was in Devon’s arms, awakening from a three hundred year slumber.

“Oh-god, not again,” she whimpered.

“Easy,” Cyneolle soothed.

“What happened to me?”

“I saved you.”

“Yes, but how much time has elapsed since you saved me?”

“Only one day cycle.”

Anniel frowned, sliding her palms over her rounded belly. Cyneolle’s hand smoothed between hers gently.

“The nanobots repaired you from the inside.”

Shock and fear slammed into her. Nanobots?

“My baby?”

“Your baby is fine and healthy. The nanobots accelerated her growth to strengthen her.”

Anniel’s jaw dropped. “H-her?”

“You carry a full Seraphian female within your womb.”

Anniel felt dumbfound. A daughter… but… She can’t be full Seraph. I’m an Edenian werewolf. My father was full human, but my mother carried the gene and it was transferred to me. It’s always passed on to the females.”

“Your daughter has full Seraphian blood.”

Anniel blinked in the general direction of his voice. This time it was too dark to make out his shape. “Her father is a reaper.”

“Describe him to me.” Cyn said.

She was about to blurt Ashriel’s name, but thought better of it. He didn’t know he was going to be a father. He should be the first to officially know. “He has dark hair… very silky dark brown hair with auburn highlights in it.” And when the light hit him just right, a few hints of red-gold showed too. “He’s very tall.”

“Most reapers are.”

“And he’s very muscular.”

Anniel bit her lip, thinking she’d gone too far in her description. Most reapers were well honed, but Ashriel had the body of a god, and he was well known in the galaxy.

“You do not want to reveal his name.” It was a statement, not a question. Anniel felt guilty, but she still did not wish to reveal the name of her baby’s father just yet.

“Is he the father of your first born… of Gareth?”

Anniel winced. How did he know?

“It was an easy guess you wept so despondently over a lost child,” he answered as if reading her mind.

Anniel felt her nose and eyes burn just before his hand caressed her cheek. She took a deep breath to control herself. “No. My firstborn’s father was a blond Seraph.”

“Why do you frown?”

Anniel bit her lips guiltily. She hadn’t meant to make a face, but just thinking about Garethiel made her want to scowl.

“It’s nothing,” she replied.

“He hurt you?”

Anniel pushed back her unruly hair. It felt like it was a terrible mess. “It was something that happened long ago. It doesn’t matter.”

“I am curious to know.”

Anniel rolled her useless eyes. “We were both young…or at least I was…and stupid. He just wanted to have a fling and I took things a little too seriously.” She shrugged her shoulders. “No big deal. I’m over it now.”

Cyneolle remained silent for a while.

“Are you still there?” She reached out to touch him and felt the leather vest covering his chest. His breath made his chest heave.

“That man is a bastard. You are not a woman to be taken and used like a common whore,” his voice spat venomously, making her wince. “If I ever have him before me, I will beat him to a pulp.”

Anniel’s mouth fell open for the hundredth time. She reached up looking to cup his face in her hands to soothe him. “No, honey. Don’t feel that way. It was a long time ago. Garethiel was almost a child himself. He didn’t know any better. It was all just raging hormones.”

“Unacceptable,” he growled.

Anniel took a deep breath, but the sound of sniffling caught her attention. She cocked her head to the side and listened closely.

“Your female companion. She cries allot.”

Anniel’s heart slammed harder against her ribs. “Rayne?”

“We do not know her name. She is a tiny female with black hair and big blue eyes.”

“Yes. That’s Rayne. What’s wrong with her? Why is she crying? Rayne? Where is she?”

“She is still hooked up to the life supports. We did the best we could for her. She was dead when we brought her in.”

“Oh, god. Poor girl,” Anniel gasped clutching Cyn’s arms. “Take me to her.”

“Not yet. We are keeping her isolated until her immune system strengthens. She is very vulnerable right now. In just a few more hours we will allow her to try to walk after Chameleon finishes with her.”

“Finishes? What was done to her? I mean, I saw what that horrible king did. He raped the poor girl and was going to eat her.” Anniel shuddered at the memory. “And she was dead? How did you ever revive her?”

Cyneolle was quiet a moment, making Anniel almost dread his answer. “We couldn’t revive her body. It was damaged beyond repair and contaminated. Chameleon built her a new one. He managed to salvage a few of her internal organs and used a sample of her DNA to grow new skin. She’ll be able to feel her body as if it were natural.”

Anniel quaked at what he was saying. “Sh-she was turned into a cyborg?”

“Her brain is fully organic. Chameleon removed it from her destroyed body, spinal cord and nerves intact, and transplanted it into the new body. He added most of her internal organs including her heart and stomach.”

Anniel felt sick. Cyneolle pulled her into his arms. “You are becoming upset. I will speak no more of this Rayne to you. Just know that she is well and recovering. She will be fully functional in a few hours.”

Anniel took deep breaths, breathing in his scent again. “Is that what happened to you?”

“No. I am what I am today after many battles. Each time I lose a piece of myself, it is replaced with cyborg hardware.”

Anniel’s heart clenched. “Why do you fight?”

“Because the citizens of Rhylos suffer.” His voice had gone deep and scary even though his hands continued to caress her back. “The so-called government pumps poison into the atmosphere and charges the citizens for fresh air.”

Anniel swallowed. “How long have you been fighting?”

“A hundred years. Before that, I was lulled into a false state of helplessness. My eyes were opened by the wolf bane society living here on Rhylos. They accepted me as one of their own when the Seraph’s would not.”

Anniel bit her lip, blinking up to where she assumed his face was. She reached up and touched her cheek. “You said the nanobots repaired me from the inside out. Why am I blind?”

His hand caressed her face again. “I could not bear letting them replace your beautiful eyes with cyborg technology. The acid from King Dred’s blood burned your corneal lenses.”

She swallowed hard. Lucky for her he thought her eyes were beautiful. There was very little damage Remi could not repair. He’d practically brought Alluna back from near death once. Repairing her eyes would be easy for him… if she could manage to get back home.

Anniel.

She jumped when she heard Seth’s voice in her mind. His presence as well as the presence of the others filled her soul, making her heart swell with joy.

Cyneolle’s hands gripped her arms. “What is wrong?”

Anniel blinked and rubbed her forehead. “I just feel so overwhelmed with everything that’s happened.”

“You should rest. Your accelerated pregnancy will tire you easily until your body becomes stronger. I have sent for food for you.”

“Food?”

“Prinut. It is very nutritious.”

Anniel covered her mouth, almost gagging. “Oh, no. Don’t you dare bring me that awful stuff—ew.”

Cyneolle rose from the bed. “I must leave. Do not attempt to leave this room. You are safe here.”

His boots thumped the floor heavily as he walked away.

When the door closed behind him, she was able to concentrate fully on the whispering voices in her head.

Seth? Devon? Guys?

Emotions wafted through her as the links became stronger. Rowie had given birth to twin boys, but something was wrong. The Vildminorian council was searching for Alpha 7… For Rowie, Remi and their babies. Zak was upset. Alluna was extremely uncomfortable with her pregnancy, her daughters too active within her belly and causing her pain. Angel was nervous and Devon…

Anniel still couldn’t feel Devon fully, but he was there, blocking himself off.

Anniel— Seth called again. We’re here. We’re coming for you. Look around so I can see where you are.

Anniel whimpered in frustration. I can’t.

She felt Seth’s concern. Why not? Are you blind-folded? Annie, just your use your powers to lower the blind-fold. Or are you somewhere that’s completely dark?

She bit her lip, reluctant to tell him she couldn’t see because her eyes were ruined, but she didn’t even have to think the words to him. He gasped and suddenly knew.

Shit. Don’t worry, Annie. I’ll find you. Hold tight.