AOD Ch. 02

Seshmel approached her with a wailing blond baby. He placed the tiny infant in her arms as Luciel gazed at her beautiful son. He was all plump and pink and loud. She smiled and put him to her breast. He immediately latched on. Blinking open his eyes, he looked at her face, as his rosebud lips pulled at her nipple. Luciel felt her heart constrict with love as she gazed into his pale blue eyes. Just like mom's, but—they had a slight almond shape to them. He looked just like Luciel, but with blond hair. She felt a little guilty at her relief none of the babies had been born with wings, angelic or demonic.

"I'm going to name you Lucien. It means Light of God. It was your grandfather's name." Her heart swelled with maternal pride. "Remuel, let me hold my other baby."

The other dragon, when in human form, had the deepest, reddest mane of hair she'd ever seen on a humanoid. It was the color of blood. She became nervous when he gazed at her with reluctance in his bright green eyes.

"Bring him to me," she demanded.

This baby was larger. His hair was deep blue-black, much richer than hers, and his skin very pale. If it weren't for his rosy cheeks, she would have believed he had been stillborn.

Remuel leaned down and placed her first born in her other arm. She gasped when she saw how his eyes glowed...like a demon's...like his father's. Except for the dark hair, the baby looked exactly like Davariel. Oh, God. For a moment she felt despair, but he smiled at her, one little blue eye scrunching closed, and then he stretched and yawned. "Oh," was all she could say, completely captivated.

A burst of blue-white light blinded Luciel. Clutching her babes to her breasts, she created a protective cocoon around them. Still, the room shook with the power of the new presence, making her feel terror.

The musical notes of a child-like voice filled the room, like a tinkling glass wind-chime dancing in the breeze—a breeze that carried the sweetness of a million fragrant blooms.

Luciel looked up and blinked in astonishment. A platinum-haired cherub floated before them; a legendary Dominatio. It eyes flashed blue, like lightning, in a round baby-face. The tiny angel held a gleaming sword over its head as though it weighed nothing.

He'd said a name. She tried to pronounce it. "Div-Div-" Luciel stuttered.

"Dev' On," the cherub pronounced a bit more clearly.

"Devon...Devon Luciel Angelos." She gazed at her raven-haired son, then looked at her blond son, "and Lucien Davariel Angelos."

Luciel heard loud gasps and looked up to see the were-tigris clutching each other with terrified looks on their faces. She'd mentioned Davariel's name. Beings were still terrified of him.

Before she'd even opened her mouth, Remuel ushered the were-tigris out, launching into what she surmised was going to be a lengthy explanation as to why they hadn't been informed that Luciel was carrying the offspring of the dark prince.

"The little ones must be kept safe. Both have powers beyond mere mortals."

"Both?"

"They must be kept safe."

One second she was staring at the blond androgynous baby angel, the next second at a cloud of hundreds of bright flowers spilling onto the floor of the bathroom. The entire room filled with the sweet scent of flowers. The sword the cherub held dissipated into a shimmering cloud of iridescent light that swirled around Devon and disappeared.

Luciel stared in awe at her son. She'd received her divine sword only two years ago. Dominatio's had never bestowed a divine sword to an infant before. What did it all mean?

A vision came to her, and she almost doubled over in pain when she saw what was left of Davariel in her mind.

Chapter Eight

How can I still be alive?

Time held no meaning for him. Davariel's life had become a blur of continuous torture. He'd tried to fight back, killed countless devils but there were too many of them. Once they weakened him, the demons had come to take their turn at him. His body had been battered and abused. Only his face remained untouched. They told him Lucifer wanted the privilege of ripping Davariel's pretty face off himself.

He dreamed of Luciel, drifting in and out of consciousness, holding on to his happy thought in desperation.

Soon. Soon the end will come . He tried to console himself.

Through the pain, he clung to the memory of Luciel, her scent, her face, her fiery temper.

"My love," he whispered.

Davariel lay listless on the filthy ground. His heart beat in an erratic rhythm as he waited for it to stop. However, to his dismay, it kept right on beating, stuttering now and then.

Why?

One of the younger she-devils came over sniffing at him. Her image swam before his bleary eyes.

She was different from the others in how she looked and acted, and usually stayed away. He'd seen her many times scratching and pulling at her skin as if being encased in a body made her uncomfortable.

Now she sniffed at him, watching the demons in trepidation. His eyes drifted shut. The female poked lightly at him and after a long moment began the task of tongue bathing him like a cat. Her tongue was a bit raspy and made his wounds sting, reminding him he was still alive. He hadn't the strength to wave her away...he couldn't even groan. When would death bless him with escape?

Briefly, and to his somber amusement, he felt her trying to grasp him under his arms, trying to pull him away. A threatening growl from one of the demons had her ceasing her efforts and scurrying away.

Then all sounds and sensations ceased.

He dreamt of a beautiful woman cradling him in her arms. She was a feminine version of himself.

For the longest moment, all he could do was stare at her. She was humming to him and stroking his hair back from his forehead. The woman just hummed and smiled at him.

"Are you my mother?" He finally asked.

Her blue eyes shimmered with moisture. "Something akin to that." Her delicate hand caressed his cheek.

"Why did you abandon me?" Strange. He felt weak even in this dream. Maybe she was a real angel and had come to take him away. The thought gave him comfort. She probably died giving him birth and now she would take him with her. Perhaps she hadn't abandoned him after all. He was just about to apologize for having caused her demise, but she began to speak.

"I couldn't keep you. I had no physical form."

"I don't understand." His wanted to touch her face, but he felt so weak. His eyes caressed what he hadn't the strength to touch.

"I fell in love with a Seraphian reaper I'd been feeding from and possessed a young Seraphian female to entice him into coupling." She bit her lip, looking uncomfortable, then continued. "I became pregnant. I didn't know that was possible. The woman would only show her pregnancy when I possessed her. I felt the presence of your soul inside me." Her golden brows drew together showing her confusion. She sighed, closed her eyes, and shook her head. "It was a punishment...for having fallen in love. When it was time for you to be born, my spirit became trapped in the Seraph's body until we birthed you. She was horrified because she'd been a virgin and didn't remember having lain with anyone. She wrapped you in rags, without even gazing upon you, and ran to the edge of a cliff to throw you down into the ocean. I begged her not to...she couldn't hear me...but then you began to cry. The sound of your sweet voice enthralled her, so she decided to leave you at the gates of Angelos, because you were a reaper."

"What are you? What am I?"

"In this realm I was cursed by Lucifer. He turned me into a succubus. You, my son, are a cambion. We were angels, Davariel. Alpha angels, because we were God's brightest. Lucifer was jealous of our splendor and tossed us down into this realm." For a moment, Davariel remembered falling... reaching down to a being made of pure white energy. He didn't understand where the memory came from. "There were seven of us," she continued. "Inside your soul you held the essence of the last two. Devon has already been released. The essence of the last angel is now with him."

Davariel's mind reeled. "Who's my father? Was he an angel too?"

She looked sad. "You killed him. His name was Gadriel. Lucifer corrupted his soul in an attempt to turn you against God." She caressed his face. "It almost worked."

Davariel felt filled with revulsion. His own father...everything they'd done... "I'm-I'm an abomination. Why didn't you let that woman drown me? I never should have been born."

She hung her head, her golden hair veiling her face and sobbed.

Her tears rained on his face filling him with sorrow. "M-mother?" Mother, I'm sorry for causing you pain. Please forgive me.

The dream faded.

The feel of cool water against his parched lips made him stir. At first, he instinctively swallowed with his bruised throat, then thought better and refused it. He only prolonged his agony by consuming water. If he stopped, then his days would be shorter.

He wondered where he would go once he transcended. Would the Divine One send him directly to Hell, or would he be sent back to this realm to try again? If he reincarnated, he hoped that this time he'd be someone or something a little more normal. How wonderful it would be to come back as a plant, just stand beneath the sun all day and wait for the rains. Better yet, he could be an Edenian toad. One of his reaper baby sisters received one as a gift from her parents. She had told him they lived in ponds, sat on lily pads and ate flies. It was an ugly, slimy little creature, but made the funniest sound and hopped fast. He remembered giggling with Amaranth, trying to catch it when they were still chicklings.

Someone was trying to lift him again.

"I want to be a toad," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. Something nudged him onto his back. "I'll s-sit... on a li-pad an eat fie..." He felt himself fading again.

Voices sounded near him. They seemed familiar.

Someone was worrying about swallowing him and then he felt himself rolling onto a wet, warm surface.

Blackness.

He heard a woman's cry. She was sobbing.

A curl of terror gripped his insides making him want to throw up. Had they found Luci? Was she fool enough to have come back looking for him? Were they hurting her too now? The thought had fury burning like fire through him. His instinct to destroy and kill arose like a black demon within his heart. If only his body weren't so broken already.

This time he fought the blackness, trying to stay conscious, but failed. It was all encompassing. Fine time for him to die. His last conscious emotion was one of extreme anger.

Someone was kissing his face and caressing his hair. There was a warm body pressed up close to him. His body no longer ached.

"Davariel, wake up, sweet baby."

"Luci?" His eyes blinked open. She was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. "Are...we dead, my love?"

She laughed. Her eyes held so much love...all for him. "Of course not."

Sadness tore through him. He was dreaming. But what a vivid dream. Maybe in his weakened state she dream walked into his mind. He'd kept her away so long so she wouldn't suffer for him.

Does that mean she loves me? Dare I hope? No-no, Dava. She only cares...that's still something. He tried to find joy in that, clinging to the thought in desperation.

"My love, you've got to be strong. No matter where I am, heaven or hell, I'll always remember you. I just want you to promise me that you'll be happy."

"Oh, Davariel. What nonsense are you going on about now?" She shook her head with a soft smile. "First you're going on about wanting to be a toad and now this. What in heaven's name are you talking about?"

His vision grew sharper. He began to realize that this was no dream. He was very much alive and awake...and Luciel was lying beside him.

He felt himself grow pale as he stared at her in horror. Her smile faded and her brows furrowed at his reaction. "It's a trap, Luci. Why...h-how did you rescue me? Where are we? You must flee." He gasped when he saw her flat abdomen. "You're not pregnant."

"Calm down. It's okay." His eyes flew to her face. He felt sick with anxiety even as she tried to soothe him. "We're safe. Trust me. There's a bunch of people helping us. Remuel and Zakreel were the ones that took you out of Megdoluc. Zakreel carried you back in his mouth while he was in dragon form. There are about a half a dozen reapers, both outcasts and fledgling that came to help too and some other weres." At Davariel's look of astonishment she added, "Shifters...wolves and tigers. The dragons recruited them."

"I don't understand."

Her fingers threaded through his hair gently. "You repented, Davariel. You repented from your heart. Not because you feared any punishment for yourself, but because you dared to feel love. That's why the reapers couldn't kill you. You're no longer a demon."

He had flashes of memory...a golden angel cradling him.

"What am I?" She'd told him, but he couldn't remember now.

Luciel answered him this time. "A man. My man." The possessiveness in her voice made his eyes tear. How could his life have changed so much? How long would it last? Then her next words turned that new life into a dizzying loop that left him dumbfound. "The father of my babies."

He swallowed. "Babies?"

She scowled at him. "I should be really pissed off at you, dumbass."

He swallowed. She looked very mad. "Th-the condom broke."

"Yeah, no shit, Blondie. You get me pregnant, get rid of me, and then don't answer any of my calls? What the fuck's up with that?"

He pondered what she could possible mean by calls, and the last sentence he couldn't make any sense of. What's up? What does she mean by what's up with that? He did understand she was quite upset at his having gotten her pregnant. Davariel instinctively pulled up his legs and clasped his hands over his cock, lest she decided to extricate a little revenge in that general area. "I'm... sorry?"

The corners of her mouth turned down even more, making her plump lower lip protrude, while her brows drew closer together.

"I couldn't let them find you. I needed for you to be safe." His eyes beseeched her to understand as the words tumbled out of his mouth.

"I'm a Master Guardian, Davariel. I have powers that you can't even begin to understand. Some of them I don't understand myself."

"If I was able to capture you, so can they, Luciel."

"We could have fought them together."

"While you were pregnant?" He could tell by the expression on her face she hadn't thought of that. "Had you fallen into their hands they would have taken care of you during your pregnancy only to await the birth of our child...my successor." He had to know. "What manner of offspring did I sire, Luciel? Are they Seraph or demon?"

Her expression smoothed out. "Allow me to show you."