Lucien's Hell Bound Angel (Hell Bound Series) (17 page)

“He said he was going to find his brother.” Hazel offered finally breaking the silence.

Athena’s gaze shot to her and worry was laced in her violet eyes.

“He doesn’t know what he’s up against! He shouldn’t have gone alone!” she screamed shooting to her feet as Chance opened the bedroom door.

Walking in, he obviously had bad news to bear. She could see it written all over his face.

“There’s no trace of him. He definitely didn’t want to be found.” He replied regrettably.

“Thea, you need to eat something and try and relax.” He offered walking to her and grabbing her by the arms gently.

Looking into her eyes, he knew her pain. He had been a guardian just like her once upon a time.

“How can I relax? I lost my Charge.” She said feeling guilty and embarrassed.

How could one demon throw her so far off her game? Was this her test? If so, she was sure she failed with flying colors. Before he arrived, she was kicking asses and taking names. And those names got there ass kicked too. There was no getting
away. But the moment Lucien had been thrown in the mix, her world had been off and she’d be kicked on her ass. Literally.

“Okay,
I’m not understanding this whole situation. How can a
demon
be your Charge?” Chance asked confused.

Just like Attie, he’d never heard of this type of scenario. But then again, he’d been gone from Heaven for a long time. Earth had become his home and he’d made the best of it. Becoming a rock star had it perks.
Yeah, yeah. So what if it was cliché? He wasn’t gonna roam the Earth belly aching and moaning.

“To be honest Chance, I don’t either.” Attie replied. “But he is. I can feel when he’s hurt or in trouble and I did this morning. But then there was nothing. It was like his end just went silent.”

Chance knew that feeling too. It was one you lived to regret. Knowing you’d failed someone you were destined to protect was heart wrenching.

“We’re gonna find him
Thea.” He offered. “But until then you need to eat. You’re in human form, and if you don’t eat you’ll be no good to anyone.”

Nodding, she sat on the bed as Hazel crawled in beside her.
Rubbing her back, she knew the worry that she felt. God, all she wanted to do was end her suffering. She wanted to shout the fact that Lucien loved her enough to walk away so he wouldn’t get her killed. To get the truth off her chest would make her feel better, but she owed Lucien her life. So, keeping his secret was all she could do at the moment.

Chance grabbed the phone and ordered room service.
After it arrived, he watched Athena eat. Afterwards, she got up to take a shower. He sat and pondered the times he wished to see her again. To see her smile brightened his day and thee things she said to make him laugh after a hard day of training. He’d given up on seeing those things a long time ago, but now she was here. In his hotel room in human form none the less. She had truly been his best friend. There when no one else was.

So the fact that she had ended up at the club he was playing for had left him reeling. He often dreamed of seeing her face again and to see it in human form had only stamped the approval on her undying beauty. She was just as he had remembered.

Heaven had been pretty strict when it came to angels. The rules were unbearable and breaking one would mean your
Fall. And to Fall was feared by all. Chance stared of into the distance as he got lost in the past.

Running down the corridor, Chance burst through the doors and saw Athena sitting at the fountain.
They’d met there every day after his combat training to unwind. Running up to her, he lifted her up in his arms and twirled her around before setting her back on the ground.

“What was that for?” she asked trying to center herself.

“Michael said I was at the top of the class!” he shouted excited, causing the elder angels to look their way.

“
Ssh.” She said grabbing his hand and pulling him to a secluded table.

Sitting down, he sat beside her as he grinned like a fool.

“Sorry. But you know what this means right?!” he asked and she nodded before looking away.

“Why aren’t you happy for me?
Thea, I’m on my way to becoming a real Guardian.” He replied.

“It also means you’ll be leaving me here. Alone.” She whispered.

“Thea—it’s not like I’ll be gone forever. After I finish a mission I’ll be home again.” He tried to reassure.

“Missions lasts years Chance and here time is different than Earth. It’s longer. Even
if you completely protect your Charge, how long will it be before there’s another?” she asked looking at him and her violet gaze burned into his soul.

In a way she was right. Becoming a Guardian was a huge thing. Threats against them didn’t just cease and desist. They were to be protected for a reason. In some way or another they were essential and stood in the way of
Heaven, Earth, and Hell being destroyed. There were those who had the power to see into the future and past, while others could bring life or destroy it. They were thrown onto the Earth to be protected from the evil lurking around trying to find it. Sometimes it took centuries to find, which was the point. If demons ever got their hands on certain relics, there would be an all-out war.

“
Thea, you know I’d never leave you.” He tried to assure as he grabbed both of her hands.

“But you are, dear friend.” She smiled faintly.

His heart sank as he felt her pain radiating through him. He hated that becoming what he was destined to be had hurt her. She was the one being he never wanted to hurt.

“I’ll quit.” He offered and saying the words shattered him, but he was willing
o do anything to keep her smiling.

“Nonsense!”
Athena shouted staring at him as if he lost his mind. “You have been talking about this since the day you have been created.”

“True, but I don’t want to do something that will end a friendship.” He replied truthfully.

“End a friendship? How selfish do you think I am?” she giggled. “You will be the best Guardian ever appointed.” She reassured.

A smile flicked on his face as they stared at each other. There was no way he was ever gonna have a better friend than the one sitting in front of him.

“Athena!” they heard an older female’s voice chime from across the garden.

Turning, they saw
Muriel standing with an annoyed look on her face. She didn’t like Athena spending too much time with Chance. They had been on two different paths and weren’t to mingle. With that said, it still didn’t stop them from being friends. Sure it was defying a tiny rule but so what? Rules were meant to be broken. How could being friends be such a hiccup?

“I guess I
gotta go.” She replied frowning. Chance nodded as he watched her stroll away.

Suddenly a crash in the bathroom snapped Chance out of his memory. In an instant, he shot to his feet. Rushing to the door, he opened it to see Athena sprawled on the bathroom floor. Hazel gasped as she rushed to the door. Grabbing a towel, he
wrapped it around her before picking her up. Laying her gently on the bed, he checked her wrists. There was a symbol glowing and he knew what that meant.

“What’s wrong with her?” Hazel asked overly concerned. Athena was her friend and she was supposed to look out for her. Lucien asked her too and already she seemed to fail. 

“She was summoned.” He reassured.

Her superiors had pulled her soul from her body, leaving her earthly form dormant. It usually happened during sleep, so the fact that they called her unexpectedly
wasn’t such a good sign. But it did mean she’d be back. When? Now that was a totally different complication he didn’t want to deal with at the moment. He was just hoping it would be sooner rather than later.

             
                                                        Chapter Fourteen    

             
                                        
 
Left in the Dark

Athena knelt in front of the council that summoned her. Muriel was amongst the three members and that should’ve put Athena at ease, but instead it made even more on edge.
Staring at the marbled floor, she waited until the spoke. Being dragged back to Heaven with no warning was scary especially since she’d broken a huge rule. If sleeping with her charge hadn’t been enough, she was sure that the fact that he was a demon added more to the wrong.

“You may rise.”
Michael ordered breaking the silence, and she did.

Muriel nodded to her curtly and she did so in return.

“Your duty is done.” Muriel smiled.

“Done? My Charge—is he—alive?” she asked hesitantly.

“None of that is of your concern my child. You have been called home.” Muriel snapped irately.

“There has been a mix up in my case it appears.” Athena replied and Gabriel frowned.

“Mix up? How can that be?” he inquired.

“My Charge is apparently not human.”
She answered.

“There was no mix up. There is
never
a mistake.” Michael corrected.

“How can a Divine be a demon?” Athena asked curiously.

“Again, that is none of your concern.” Muriel snapped as if to tell her to keep quiet.

“It is my concern if he is my Charge!” she shouted causing Michael and Gabriel to raise an eyebrow.

“You watch your tongue.” Muriel warned.

Sucking in a breath, Athena swallowed her anger and pride as she knelt again. There was no telling what they would do to her
for an inkling of disrespect.

“My apologies, I
am just— confused. What
was
my mission?” she pushed hoping they hadn’t already taken what’d she’d said in disrespect.

“
To find your Charge, and that you did.” Michael answered.

“Am I not supposed to protect him?” she asked baffled.

“Heavens no!” Muriel shouted disgusted of the mere thought.

“
Then why make him my Charge in the first place?!” Athena shouted furiously as she stood on her feet.

Bowing seemed to go out of the window as the emotion took over.
Anger was powerful, and it swayed the best of angels to go astray. She was confused on why they had used her. To merely find Lucien didn’t seem plausible. Something bigger was going on and she bet it had everything to deal with the fact that he had the ability to bring life back with just a mere touch.

“You have been on Earth too long child. You have forgotten your place.” Muriel replied rising as Michael looked on amused.

“You care for this demon?” Michael pondered with disgust in his tone.

“Of course she doesn’t.” Muriel interjected.

Athena’s heart would’ve been pounding had she had one, but in spirit form there was no need for one. She wanted to shout the fact that she’d fallen head over heels in love with Lucien, but knew that wouldn’t go over well with the council. Muriel sure would flip and her punishment—well she dreaded thinking of that. One thing popped into her head and she sure as hell hoped they hadn’t known about it.

Who am I kidding?
She scolded herself. They knew damn near
everything
.

“I didn’t ask you. Allow her to answer.” Michael barked.

Muriel fell silent because she knew her place. Michael was the superior angel, and defying him meant going against everything right. That was drilled into Athena’s head since the day that she’d been created. Muriel kept her close under her wing to ensure she never did anything unsuitable. Even though Athena had been grateful, she always longed for more. To be her own soul, and make her own decisions. She often watched the humans and wondered what it was like to be like them. Not that she wanted to give up being an angel because at the end of the day she was certain she’d end up in Heaven again.

“I—he is only my responsibility.” She offered as an answer as she stared
down at the white marble floor.

“Then why did you allow him to befoul you?” Michael asked and her eyes shot to him.

Swallowing hard, she nearly toppled over. How was she to answer that question? Breathing heavily as she paled in embarrassment, she shut her eyes. She wanted this to be all just a dream, a horrible nightmare.

“
A weak moment I assure you.” Muriel interjected.

Michael glanced at her and the anger in his eyes spoke volumes. Had he not been merciful, she would’ve been a pile of ash. Instead, he warned her with no more than a look. Glancing back at Athena, he saw the shame written all over her face. But he was curious to why she’d decided he was enough for her to fall. He never understood the way flesh made anyone weak. The pull of it had never swayed him, but he presumed it was a matter of will.