Tempest’s POV

“You... saved her...” I mused, leaning forward on the book in my lap with my elbows. I was still trying to process everything Syn was telling me, and let me just say, it was a lot to digest.

I mean, from all the stories and warnings I’d heard about the Devil throughout my years, never would I have imagined him being capable of saving another, let alone being seemingly selfless. Everyone in the Silver City always depicted him as some selfish-serving monster that was out to protect himself and his reputation, and here I was face-to-face with the Devil, discovering something completely different. Were the angels in Heaven wrong about him? Or was this one of his infamous tricks?

I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to stay as subjective as possible. In my book, everyone deserved the chance to share his or her side of the story. So I was going to grant Gates the same courteously, even though it was against everything I had been taught to trust the Devil. Maybe something had just gotten lost in translation between the lands. Maybe Gates wasn’t all bad?

“Sometimes I think that’s the worst thing I could’ve done... I remained with her for six days... six days she laid with her head in my lap... six fucking days I watched her die a little bit more on the inside.” In an instant, Gates’ expression changed to something I couldn’t quite understand. It was almost like he was having some kind of internal battle with himself and his eyes glossed over as he stared off into the distance.

“What happened next?” I pressed, grabbing the arms of the chair anxiously. Was whatever he was about to tell me really that bad? I swallowed thickly as I watched the expression on his face slowly change. He looked angry for a moment and then he clenched his jaw, staring wordlessly into the stacks of books behind me.

“Syn?” I asked cautiously before he shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.

“God imprisoned her.”

I took in a sharp breath as my eyebrows skyrocketed. “God?”

God imprisoned Pandora in the torture chamber? What? How? It didn’t make any sense, especially since God had never set foot in Hell as far as I knew. And why would he want to imprison her? God wasn’t about punishment. He was about saving and forgiving souls that had made mistakes, so why wouldn’t he do the same for Pandora in this case? It couldn’t be true… could it?

My mind reeled with thoughts as I stared down at the book in my hands, trying to sort everything out. Why would God punish Gates for the war by imprisoning Pandora? She was only following her commands of her master. If God wanted to punish anyone, he would have punished his son directly. Our savior wasn’t a vengeful being by any means, so it just didn’t make sense for him to take his frustrations with Samael out on Pandora.

Gates must have mistaken who really imprisoned Pandora or he was lying to gain my trust. That was the only explanation that made sense. It had to be because God would never intentionally set out to hurt someone, it wasn’t in his character.

But then again, why would he create me as a weapon to whip out half of the world? Ugh, I was so confused I could barely think straight. What if Gates wasn’t wrong… what if God really did what he claimed? I felt sickened by the thought and quickly tried to push it away. There had to be some other explanation for all this, and I was going to find it.

I couldn’t accept the thought of God being malicious when he was the father of salvation. While on the other hand, there was something extremely honest and real about Gates and the way he spoke to me. Was there a way for both parties to be right? Or was one of them blatantly lying to me? God I was so confused!

“I’m sorry...” the sound of a chair scraping against the stone tiled floor ripped me away from my thoughts. I looked up to see Syn standing and looking down at me with an apologetic smile. “We’ll have to continue this story telling some other day, princess.” No, he couldn’t go! Not yet! I still didn’t have the answers I needed! “Suddenly I feel like drowning in a barrel of whiskey.”

“B-but—” I quickly shook my head as I moved to stand up, only for Syn to raise a hand at me. What was going on?

“You don’t need to leave. All these books you see here – they’re yours to read.” Syn smiled down at me as I gapped up at him, not believing my ears. “If you get tired, you can claim my room, I promise I will be a good pup and won’t disturb you.”

With that, his hand landed on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. As soon as his hand touched my shoulder, I felt a shockwave of goose bumps travel down my arm, taking my breath away. What was this power he had every time he touched me? It was highly addictive and selfishly wanted more; more of his touch, more of his story, more of his everything. I didn’t know what it was about him, but I seemed drawn toward him and his energy, and that thought terrified me. I wasn’t supposed to feel this way about God’s forsaken son. There had to be something wrong with me!

“Such a shame you’re an angel, Enepsigos,” he sighed before removing his hand and heading toward the door. I quickly shook my head and looked after him with confusion etched in my features. I still didn’t understand a thing that was going on, let alone what he meant with this words.

“Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?” I propped myself up to look at him over the back of my chair, only to see him smirk back at me. What was so wrong with being an angel? It was almost like he meant it to be a bad thing. Was that even possible?

“You’re too pure good for your own good.”

I frowned as I watched the door shut, leaving me alone in the dark library. Too pure for my own good? What did that mean? Why did everything that came out of his mouth confuse me? It was like he was put in my path to confuse me and test my faith in God. Was that why I was sent to Earth, as a test?

“Ugh!” I cried, flopping back down into the chair and looking at the book in my hands. I didn’t know what to think or believe about anything anymore! It was like my mind was mush and everything I had ever known was a lie! How could that be? Or rather, how could I even contemplate trusting the Devil?

But I couldn’t help it! Something about the way he looked at me seemed so truthful, like the most honest anyone had ever been with me. Maybe it was because he was the first person that actually answered my questions without brushing me off? I mean, back in the Silver City, anytime I had a question about my purpose or why I was kept away from the other angels, the archangel’s replies were always very vague. Gates was the first person who didn’t hesitate with me and I liked that. Oh, God… what was wrong with me?! How could I like the Devil?!

I shook my head and took a deep breath as I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Focus, Enepsigos. You will figure all this out, you just have to believe in the light. It will lead you in the right direction.”

My eyes looked back down on the old pages in front of me, scanning through each and every detail. I didn’t know how long I sat in that chair, or how many books I went through, but the long I read, the more confused I became. It was like every book contradicted what they taught me in the Silver City. How could that be? For example, we were always taught that angels couldn’t lie or betray others, but according to Gates, his brothers, and my mentor, archangel Michael, had done both multiple times.

“As much as it pains me to say, Michael has deceived me again. He took a conversation we had in confidence and ratted me out to father. Never has my trust ever felt so betrayed. I don’t know how much more of this I can take before I leave this place. For all the commandments we are forced follow, everyone sure seems to be breaking them, especially father. I cannot stand behind someone who blinds his followers with ignorance. He is the greatest martyr of them all and Michael is not far behind him. They are not to be trusted,” I read, my heart racing madly in my chest.

I had no idea what secret Samael had been talking about in his testimony, but the emotion in his words made my chest ache. I had never been betrayed, but I could image how that would feel, especially by this brother. But then again, he was talking about Archangel Michael. I didn’t see how he could go back on his word. Michael was always so wholesome and true to his word. How could Gates and I have two totally different experiences with the same people?! How could he have been so hurt and wronged by people I loved?

I shook my head as I continued to read through the books in search of some kind of answer, my eyes drooping slowly as the light started to peak in through the windows. I couldn’t give up yet, especially when I was more confused than ever. “Just one more book…” I yawned. “I will find it… I will find… it.”

Slowly the words started to blur and I drifted into the darkness of a dreamless sleep.


Matt’s POV

Oh, Pandora really was like no other girl that I had met before. She was sexy, hot as hell, a little bit crazy, a freak in the bed, and literally the smartest being I had ever met in my existence. No one could come up with master minded plans or weld a sword like she could. Damn she turned me on, especially after our night together last night. Hell, I just kept replaying it over and over again in my mind.

I couldn’t help but smirk as I leaned against the outside wall of the church, blowing out a cloud of smoke. Yeah, Pandora was definitely something, that was for damn sure. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for another go. Hell, just thinking of bending her over a pew and fucking her senseless made my dick had sprung up in my pants in a mere second. I could just image it now…

“Please forgive me for I have sinned,” I chuckled as I wrapped my arms around Pandora’s small frame and pushed my hard member into her thigh. She instantly looked up at me with an amused smirk, before glancing around the empty church.

“Is that so?” she chuckled, her brilliant greys looking up at me with a mischievous smirk. “Unfortunately for you, the asshole upstairs doesn’t grant pardons for his fallen son’s sins… so you’re shit out of luck, Big Boy.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, slowly nodding my head as I reached down to grab her perfect ass. “Well, luck for me that I have a demon girl with me to make me pay for those sins,” I smirked wickedly. “And I think I’ve been a very bad boy…”

Pandora threw her head back with a laugh, and if that wasn’t the most beautiful sound I had ever heard, I didn’t know what was. “You’d like that wouldn’t you?”

“You have no idea…” I growled. Without wasting another minute, Pandora reached her petite arms up around my neck as her lips hungrily attacked mine. Our lips wrestled for a few second before I won in the battle for dominance and scoped her up into my arms. I could feel my heart racing as our tongues wrestled, my legs moving us on their own accord. All I could concentrate on right now was the throbbing dick in my pants and the way her warm core screamed for freedom through her denim pants.

The next thing I knew, I had Pandora bent over the back of a pew as she moaned my name. My lips traveled up and down her neck and tattooed arms, nibbling and biting her all over. Her long red nails dug into my flesh and causing me to bit her harder as my hands worked on her breasts. Damn, she was fucking perfect in my eyes. Nice ass, awesome tits, and a freak in the bed…or should I say church? Fuck, demon girl was just what I needed. I leaned over her as her little fingers moved to release the screaming demon in my pants, my lips now firmly plastered to hers.

Seconds later, I held my throbbing dick at her entrance, teasing her as I rubbed it up and down her clit. “Stop fucking playing games and just do it, Shadows,” She hissed, her head back in pure pleasure. Damn, she was fucking hot. Without warning I shoved my huge member deep inside her without warning, causing a scream to fill the church.

“Oh fuck yes!” she hissed, clutching the pew.

Without further ado, I started pummeling her with fast, hard, and deep thrusts, feeling her little walls clamp down around me. She felt so good, and she was so damn tight that I could barely stand it. What was more hot than fucking having the hottest girl you know in a so called sacred place? It was like fucking off two things at once, which was perfect in my book.

“Harder!” she screamed, the pew squeaking underneath our weight with each thrust. I reached down and grabbed a handful of hair, pulling her head back as I pumped harder and faster, pushing her over the edge. Pandora’s released an animalist scream just as we heard someone coming down the hall toward the sanctuary, but I couldn’t stop now. Her walls vice gripped my dick and I was so fucking close that I couldn’t stand it.

“FUCK!” I screamed as an orgasm ripped through my body, leaving me in hormone-induced euphoria.

“What are you doing?

I chuckled and blew out a cloud of smoke before kicking the ash of the cigarette. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” I smirked, only for those dark grey eyes to narrow on me. It was only then that I noticed the frustrated expression on her face. What was up and where the hell was Teek? Wasn’t that the whole point of coming back here?

“Whatever,” Pandora shook her head before she brushed her bangs out of her face, looking down the street with her hands on her hips. “We’ve got more important things to worry about than you practically jerking off in public… and you would have thought after last night you’d had enough.”

“Never,” I chuckled, moving to her side. “Where’s the angel?”

“That’s the question isn’t it? Astaroth said she was gone when he got up this morning. Why cant that girl just stay in one place? I’m fucking tired of this hide and seek game. We should just put her on one of those kid leashes.”

I snorted with laughter. “Especially since she’s potentially a ticking time bomb.” Pandora shot me a pointed look and held my hands up in defense. What? Like I wasn’t right? “Where do you think she went?”

“I have no idea,” Pandora sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before she started down the street. “But I bet Gates has something to do with this.”

I took in a deep breath, knowing that Gates had done some pretty questionable shit before, but taking the angel out of the church in the middle of the night? That didn’t really sound like something he would do. It required too much work, and I was the one he always called for those kinds of jobs. “I don’t know—”

“Where else would she go? She doesn’t know anything or anyone on Earth,” Pandora continued marching forward and I had to increase my pace to keep up. Why was she so damn hot when she was flustered? I swear, I was quickly becoming addicted to this girl. One taste every now and then wasn’t enough for my liking. I wanted more of her after I’d had her once.

“Back to the Silver City?” Pandora shot me another look and I sighed. Okay, so maybe the last place I wanted to go was back to the mansion. I still wasn’t ready or willing to deal with the whole ‘fallen angels forcing us to go to war’ thing. It would surely be a bloodbath and I knew for a fact winning that war would be far shot in Hell.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Vengeance asked as soon as Pandora and I walked through the door. He looked disgusted and I just rolled my eyes. He was always so dramatic when things didn’t go his way. Green wasn’t a good color on him, considering you could see his jealousy for Pandora spewing out his ears.

“Good morning to you too, Vee,” Pandora smirked, pushing right past him into the house. “Where’s Gates? Or better yet, the angel?”

Zack crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow at her, almost like he was sizing her up, along with her request. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Don’t start your shit, Vee, just tell us where Gates is,” I sighed, watching Pandora take a step toward him. Oh, I would love to see her kick his ass and put him in his place. Maybe for once in his life he would understand his place as a demon, and one that wasn’t as high ranking as Dora. “We’re kind of busy.”

Zack scoffed and opened his mouth just as the sound of breaking glass sounded down the hall. Well, there was our answer, thanks for nothing Vengeance. “Thanks Vee,” I smirked, patting his shoulder and ignoring the priceless expression on his face as I followed Pandora down the hallway.

“Fuck!” Gates slurred as we walked into the door of the study. He was standing looking at the expensive broken bottle of whiskey that now coated the marble floor, pulling at the roots of his hair. Was it just me or did he look like he was actually losing his mind?

“Are we interrupting something?”

Notes