Page 7 of Crimson Soul
THREE
Lilith
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or whatever that fucking saying was. Anger burned my skin as I pried my eyes open to an impossibly bright light. Two steel arms wrapped around my front, caging my back against Gabriel’s chest.
I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind but stopped short as my vision adjusted. He’d taken us to Heaven, and I hadn’t been to Heaven in over a couple of millennia. I had completely forgotten how beautiful it was.
White, fluffy clouds took up the sky. Even with no sun, it was bright enough to make my eyes water. The purple hue cast over the clouds did little to take the edge off. The sound of rushing water roared from a waterfall nearby, and the purified water sprayed into the air, misting my sweaty face. A crisp scent of nostalgia filled my nostrils.
Hell may have been comforting, but Heaven had an unreal effect on me.
Perhaps my angel side was stronger than I had realized, because I’d never felt this serenity before—and I’d been to Heaven when I was a full demon.
Angels with their wings tucked away roamed around, mingling, and some angels with their wings flapping flew in the air as if they had somewhere to be. Angels never impressed me, but even I had to admit, they seemed peaceful in their element.
The exhaustion that swept over me when he put that damn bracelet on didn’t last long. I glanced down to notice it was still embedded in the skin on my wrist.
“It’s breathtaking, isn’t it? Do you remember all the times we snuck up here just to swim?” Gabriel asked, and the serendipity of the moment shattered as I whirled around and pushed him away from me.
I sure as fuck didn’t need a trip down memory lane. I needed answers.
“What did you do to me?” My rage curled inside, but I couldn’t push it out toward him. A twinge of pain bubbled through my temple as I tried harder to form a ball of energy from my anger to blast him.
It’s not working.
I was fucking fuming. Hellfire should’ve been summoned by my emotion alone, but that wasn’t happening. Closing my eyes, I tried bringing my wings out, but they didn’t unfold.
Please, please work. I can’t be vulnerable around him.
I snapped my eyes open and locked onto his gaze. “Take me back.” I hoped the commanding tone in my voice would trigger my compulsion, but it had zero effect.
He cracked a smile and his head fell back with a sickly sweet laugh. “Oh, darling. You always relied so heavily on your powers.”
I dug my fingers into the flesh around the bracelet and managed to slide them under the intricate brown wire and pull, ignoring the excruciating pain. Why does it hurt so fucking bad? Blood poured from the wound, sticky and hot, dripping onto the grass, turning the green blades a dark crimson.
Not black like my blood had been since I was turned into a vampire but crimson. My blood had changed.
My heart thumped hard against my breastbone as I brought the band to my teeth. My fangs dropped and latched onto it. I couldn’t begin to express my relief that I was able to use them. Whatever this thing did was blocking my abilities.
My flesh hung open, pain searing down my entire arm as I tore at the material like a rabid animal caught in a trap to no avail. And on top of that, my healing was fucking awful. The warmth of healing prickled the tattered skin and tendons, but the healing was slower than when I was a vampire.
“Are you finished?”
My lip curled back in a snarl, and I let my arm hang at my side as blood continued to drip. “I’m not the same Lilith you knew back then, and I’m not going down without a fight.”
He glanced down at me with a smirk as he reached out to grab my chin between his thumb and index finger to tilt my head up. “Of course you are,” he murmured.
I snatched his wrist with my good arm and stepped forward to drive my shoulder into his waist and flipped him over me. He toppled over with a grunt as his back smacked into the grass.
“No, I’m not. You may have fooled everyone else, but Aziel and I know what you’re really capable of.” I stalked away from him, leaving the pathetic angel on the ground.
I covered my chest with my arms as I continued my trek away from Gabriel. The leather outfit I wore was still ripped open, showing a good amount of my breasts. I cursed myself for not having the witch bless it for more than just Viktor’s bite. He ended up getting his teeth in me anyway. A low growl rumbled from my throat.
I have to get back to my guys.
Other angels cast worried glances my way, but I glowered in their direction.
Mind your own fucking business.
