One Soul Book Two

Chapter Eighteen

Harlee POV

She was so tiny I was afraid I might break her, though Ash and Zeev kept promising that her Demon blood would make that very hard.  She latched and nursed with no issues even though the Angels and Demons had been feeding her formula.  One extremely tiny hand tired to wrap around my pinky and my heart nearly melted.  I remembered, dimly, worrying about having a half-Demon child, but Ash was ‘feeding’ her almost as frequently as I.  Together, it seemed like we had a handle on the situation.  Though of course, sometimes holding her like this did make my regrets come back.  The fact that I’d lost her twin…  I pushed the thought down and away.

She was pampered and spoiled by everybody, of course.  Even Cael, who seemed endlessly fascinated with his Cambion sister.  I supposed I should have been worried, one child made of light, one of dark… But none of my Angels or Demons were like that, so why should my children be?  Of course, Ash feeding the baby meant I had to keep Ash topped up too, which it turns out wasn’t that hard to do, since all of my Angels and Demons seemed to be suffering Harlee withdrawal from when I had amnesia.  Even Sands was randomly cornering me to initiate physical intimacy.  THe first few times had nearly made me faint.  Like when he’d snuck into the shower with me and pinned me up against the wall.  Or pulled me into the hall closet as I passed by on my way to the kitchen.  Then the night he’d ragged me outside under the stars..

“What are you smiling about?”  Sands asked as I leaned against the headboard with the baby in my arms.  Whenever one of the men weren’t in my arms, one or both of the children were.  I couldn’t let go of them, my heart still had an empty hole in it that couldn’t be filled.  I shook my head and blinked at Sands.  He had brought in a tray with hot chocolate and cookies.  I looked at it, mouth watering.

“Thank you!”  I gushed, snatching a cookie.  “And believe it or not-you.”  I peeked at him under my lashes.  His expression went from stunned to pleased in a second, but his voice remained steady.

“Me?  Whatever for?”  Sands asked.

“Hmm.. just recent events..”  I answered vaguely with a blush.  Sands made a noise in his throat and moved the tray so he could crawl onto the bed beside me.

“Would those recent events have anything to do with behavior like.. This?”  Sands’ mouth descended on my neck and I gasped.

“Uh yeah, actually.”  I breathed, trying not to squish the baby.  Sands chuckled.

“We nearly lost you Harlee.  And for a time, even though we had you physically, you were lost to us mentally.  We were scared, and it’s made us all a little.. Needy.”  Sands slid my loose Tee off my shoulder so he could kiss along the flesh there.  The baby fussed and I patted her bum, stifling a moan.

“Hey, what did I say about no acts of lust without me present?”  Ash demanded from the door as they made their way across the room.  I blushed slightly, but Ash merely crawled onto the bed and took the baby from my arms.  With one hand on Sands, Ash stared down at the child with a frown.  Sands suddenly gasped and bucked, then Ash laid their hand on my chest between my breasts, and I felt it, the surge of desire rocketed through me and I felt like I had a mini orgasm.  Ash’s expression eased and it seemed like a glow faded front hem into the child.  I shivered.  I was possibly even more aroused than I had been.  Apparently, I had broadcast my thoughts, because Ash’s head suddenly snapped up and they licked their lips.

‘Yes please’  I heard race through my mind.  I looked at Sands swiftly.  How would he react to this?

“Sands I..”  I began to ask, feeling the desire beating away under my skin.

“Harlee.”  Sam’s voice from the door.  “We have a visitor.”  His expression was grim, almost disgusted even.  The female Angel from before popped her head around Sam’s arm.

“Sorry, I ddi use the door this time!”  She remarked.

“I thought.. Didn’t we..  I mean..  Ash help me, my memory, did I miss something?”  I held my index and middle fingers to my temples, straining to remember what had happened with her.

“No, you guys let me go.  Lots happened since then.”  She came in and sat on the end of the bed.  “I’m here for.. Less pleasant.. Things.”  She said softly and I raised an eyebrow at her.  “The Angels that died here several days ago..”  She offered.

“Weeks Lu, it’s been weeks.”  Sands pulled me against his side.

“Days, weeks, all the same.”  She waved a hand in the air.  “Look, they weren’t supposed to be after you in the first place, and to think they thought they could take down one Fallen Arch Angel, much less the lot of you..  Well they overestimated themselves.  But you’ve upset some people, and put yourselves back on some radars I’d just managed to get you off of, but worst of all..”  She grimaced.  “I think I’m going to need you to take me in.”  She said in a rush.

“Take.. you in.. as in..?”  I massaged my temples harder, but Sands’ head snapped up.

“No, you didn’t..”  Sands whispered.  She grimaced again.

“I have abandoned my post in Heaven.  I refused to give up your location, and my Fall has already begun.”  She winced, extending her wings and allowing her True Form to show through.  I shaded my eyes, but I could get the picture, I saw her Form shifting, changing.

“Ah Lu..”  Sands murmured softly, but she waved a hand again.

“I was hoping Harlee might..”  She took a deep breath  “Take me on as another Bonded to help stave off further Corruption.  Sort of like she did for you.”  She let it all out in a quick rush.  I was staring at her, open-mouthed.

“You.. abandoned Heaven.. because they wanted you to tell them where I was?”  I asked softly.  She winced again.

“Your boys have done a good job hiding you here.  Only a few of us know..”  She replied.

“Family.”  I corrected automatically so Ash’s gender would not be ignored.  “But, you gave up being an Angel to protect me?”  Tears were stinging my eyes.  She looked away with another grimace.

“I mean, not just you, but yeah..”  She mumbled.  I didn’t even think.  I threw my arms around her shoulders and hugged her tight.

“No, not just me.  My babies.  My Zeev.  My Ash.  And Sands and Sam.  Everything I love in this word.”  I buried my face in her shoulder and let the tears fall.  “I can’t thank you enough for that.  Of course I’ll accept you.  You’re welcome here.”  I squeezed her around the shoulders a little tighter, even as I heard Sam objecting in the background.  Ash started yelling for Zeev and raced from the room as Sands pulled me away from the female Angel.  I heard her gasp and her back arched.

“She’s in a state of limbo right now.”  Sands murmured in my ear.  “She didn’t choose to Fall so much as walk away from her pot.  Essentially, in Heaven’s eyes, they are the same, but intent is everything, so she hovers between, like me..”

“She’s in pain!”  I cried out, reaching for her, but Sands refused to let me go.  A ball of light separated from her and slammed into me, loosening Sands’ grip and I struggled forward as she was encapsulated by the light.  I could hear her, feel her screaming.  I reached for her until I could grab her hand.

Zeev POV

Ash ran from the bedroom with the baby clutched in their arms.

“God damn it-another Angel Falling in our house.  They don’t make insurance for this kind of damage.  ‘Act of God’ my ass.  Get in there Zeev before they burn the place down or something!”  Ash griped, holding the infant against their shoulder.  I felt the burn first, and then the prickle of tears in my eyes and fear struck my heart.  Angel Falling?  My body jolted into action.

“Harlee!”  I yelled and ran towards the bedroom, the lunch I had been preparing laying forgotten on the counter.  The bedroom was in shambles when I arrived.  Sam had his eyes shaded next to a glowing ball of Grace while Sands reached desperately for Harlee’s disappearing ankle.  The ball exploded, knocking all three of us off our feet.  I stood up, rubbing the tears from my eyes harshly to see Harlee sitting on the bed with the head of a nude female Angel on her lap.    The Angel’s Form was curled up, shivering and shaking as she cried.  Harlee attempted to sooth her, smoothing her hair.  I let myself collapse back to the ground.  “God damnit Harlee.”  I breathed.  She looked up, eyes shining with love.

“Zeev.”  She held out her hand.  “This is Lu, I’m sure it’s short for something, but she’s a little, well, in shock right now.”  Harlee smoothed the Angel’s hair again with a sad smile.

“Harlee…”  I breathed.  “This could have been so dangerous for you.”  I sat next to her on the bed and placed my forehead against hers.  “I know we haven’t talked about it much, but we had to take your soul.. I mean the Corruption…  She could have burned you up.”  Now my tears were no longer the unbidden tears for a fellow Fallen Angel, but tears for the life that could have been lost.  Tears of fear, tears of regret.

“You what?”  Harlee growled and her skin rippled, fur popping in and out along her arms.