Cult of Fiction (Enchantress #9)

11

Brax and I had sex in the morning, but he didn’t push when I backed away. He seemed to understand where my head was, giving me a soft kiss.

I simply blinked at him, confused by my own feelings.

He tucked my hair behind my ear. “You don’t want to jump in so deep yet. Going from months of no sex to a sexfest last night—smaller steps. You’re overloaded. I understand. I’m just—” He kissed me again. “I’m just thrilled at where we are.”

That wasn’t what he was going to say. I wasn’t a fool.

But I appreciated it.

I appreciated him.

Hell, I was falling in love with him and we both knew it.

We got up and lounged by the pool to eat. Hunt was working, but he was going to meet up with us later.

Brax brought us to my apartment and pushed me to redo my master suite. It was clear that he liked the idea of me cleansing it and changing things up so it could be all new to my brain. I didn’t see how that could really help as they thought… But it was worth a shot.

It seemed ridiculous to focus on when so much else was going on, but that was just my life. He was clearly saying to stop putting things off that could help me. I heard him.

I even told him that I heard him, and after he received word that all of the souls dragged to Hell by the ciemny tygrys had been recovered, I felt I could focus on this without feeling guilty.

We took everything out and both used our magic to practically strip everything bare. All the magic and even the damn wood. I was glad he wanted to go that far, and it helped me feel like I wasn’t overacting.

Yes, I hadn’t wanted to focus on it, but I didn’t do things halfway. If we were doing this… I was doing it all the way.

Then we relaid all my wards and magic to protect us there, keep me there when I slept and so I couldn’t do magic—all of it.

Next, we popped to a furniture store and I sent some ideas to Hunt and Isaac.

“Why do you always call him Hunt when you refer to Isaac by his first name?” Brax asked when I told him what I was doing.

I frowned. “Habit? That was how we started.” I frowned deeper when he didn’t say anything. “Do you think he notices or doesn’t like it?”

The look he gave me spoke volumes that I was a bit behind.

“I didn’t even—it wasn’t intentional or a thing,” I grumbled.

“To him it probably showed you were still holding back or trying to keep yourself safe from falling in love,” he said gently. “I’ve even heard him say to call him Remy when you’re intimate.”

That was fair. I nodded, making the mental note to be mindful and make the switch.

I could do that for him.

“I think you’re going to need a custom overextended bed for the nights I’m able to sleep with you as well,” Brax said when we focused on a bedroom set we like best. “And I want to gift you something else if you’ll let me, sunshine?”

I nodded, assuming it was some sort of magic or wards.

Boy, was I wrong.

He extended my bedroom and added a gorgeous balcony. He promised it was stable and exactly what was needed, his power never allowing him to do things like that and it could hurt people.

Made sense when it came from an angel.

I went out there to show him that I trusted him and glanced over the side. “We cannot be over the sidewalk or street. That’s the rules for the city. It cannot stick out this far.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” he mumbled, sounding disappointed that I couldn’t accept his gift.

“I love the idea and have always wanted one, but it seemed too selfish,” I admitted. “How about longer so it moves along the apartment and has a door off the living room? I’ve always loved that vibe.”

“Oh, even better,” he agreed before adjusting it. He studied and nodded before letting out his wings and flying off of it and getting a better view. He waved for me to join him, so I teleported over.

I asked for some sort of supports under just so it looked good for the humans but didn’t block the windows for those under me. They would lose a bit of sun, but I could fix that with magic if they didn’t like it.

He handled it, and it completely changed the feel of my bedroom.

My living room as well.

Obviously, that was the goal from the way he was trying to hide he was pleased. We went over some more things and even freshened up other rooms. It was a good start.

Right as we were about to break for lunch, Isaac appeared with a frown.

“Thirty-two dead. It’s not Tandon but someone else who you’ve worked with before and says they’re willing to owe a favor to you as an elder to come check the scene.”

I nodded and got the information from him. “Talk to Helen and Shae. Make the announcement that we’re going back to the old ways that people will have to ask for help that way and only that way, meaning no other investigators. Not after how too many behaved and mistreated my people.”

“I’ll come with,” Brax said.

“It’s fine,” I told Isaac. “I know them. I’ll fill you in later.”

He sighed, scrubbing his hand over his face. “Yeah, okay, I’ve got a lot to help Helen with. She doesn’t want everyone back at the coven house until the court order goes through, and that can’t be until Monday.”

I arrived and immediately felt someone familiar around there. When I realized it was Loek, I ‘ported over to him where he was standing back in the woods watching.

“What are you doing here again at one of the crime scenes?” I asked, worried I needed to be suspicious of him.

“I heard something was going on with angel numbers and a possible—” he started to answer, but his eyes went wide and he shoved me behind him.

As huge wings appeared in front of me like a shield.

Except they were wings with black feathers.

“Raphael,” he growled.

“Step away from Soraya or I will kill you,” Brax said, his tone taking on a dark one I’d never heard before.

One that scared me.

I teleported next to Loek so I could see them both, but my eyes were focused on him. “What the fuck, Loek?” I demanded as Loek asked me, “Since when are you involved with angels?”

“No, no, you cannot know him!” Brax bellowed, making me jump.

Then I jumped again as Michelle and Gabriel landed, clearly getting some sort of signal or magic from Brax.

“Lucifer,” Michelle whispered, pain in her eyes.

While Gabriel had pure rage… For both of us. “Of course, you would work with him. I knew we shouldn’t have trusted—”

“She didn’t know, and you are one to talk about trust , Brother,” Loek sneered, trying to push me back again.

“Soraya, come away from him,” Brax ordered, waving me towards them while keeping his eyes on Loek.

I acted when I felt Gabriel’s magic ramp up, and so did Loek, both of us putting up barriers for each other… Which didn’t make the three angels happy that I protected the devil.

Seriously… What. The. Fuck?

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” I snapped at him as Gabriel’s magic hit us.

Brax grabbed Gabriel and threw him to the ground. “Are you insane to attack her? I will kill you!”

“She’s on his side!” he roared.

I didn’t know how to defuse this—nor did I think there was any way possible. I unlocked one of my islands in Japan and sent Loek there while they were distracted, locking it again so he was stuck there. I didn’t think that would hold the Devil, but… Well, I was me, so I had to try.

Michelle of all people moved in front of me when Gabriel jumped to his feet again. “Brother, you are lost on this. She clearly doesn’t understand. She doesn’t know what he’s done or—she has pieces. Her shock—use your head.”

“How could she not know?” Gabriel snapped.

“I wouldn’t have known Brax was an angel unless he showed me his wings,” I whispered, realizing I was shaking. “I didn’t know you guys were real. He never had red eyes.” I grabbed Michelle’s arm and spun her to face me, ignoring her shock. “I want to ask if you’re sure. You’re sure that was—he’s not Loek?”

Pity filled her eyes. “Loek is another name for Lucifer, another form of the same.”

My legs felt weak, and I dropped to one knee as spots filled my vision. “I don’t understand. Why give me so much help over the years if he was on their side?”

“To set you up and betray you,” Gabriel answered, losing some of his anger. “That’s what he does.”

“No, you don’t…” I closed my eyes as I realized my past could ruin my future. I looked up at Brax. “I didn’t know. I swear it. I had—he said he was an enchanter from a family he was trying to break free of. His magic is a lot—it seemed like mine, but he was more knowledgeable.”

“You’ve been with him,” Michelle gasped. “Intimately.”

“Yes,” I rasped, my heart hurting when Brax looked at me with disgust. “It’s been a long time. A couple hundred years? I didn’t know . I didn’t even know about any of you. I just found him again and—”

“And?” Brax demanded, anger in his eyes.

“He kissed me to start it back up. I told him no. I was confused about Remy, and we were… I told him no.” I begged him to understand as I blinked back tears. “We were both lost when we met. So much was wrong and he helped me . He taught me so much—he’s the reason the coven could be what it is. The wards and barrier—he’s how I put it together.”

“She didn’t know,” Michelle defended, giving me a sad look. “And it’s like Lucifer to help those who—”

“Do not defend him to me, Sister,” Gabriel seethed.

“Don’t order her around like you own her,” I snapped as I stood. “She can do what she wants for her needs. Just because he went dark side or whatever made his wings turn black doesn’t mean everything he did was always wrong! I’ve seen you do wrong and you still have white wings, right?”

“Soraya, I’m trying here,” Brax whispered. “Please, just… I’m trying.”

“Well, you keep trying because you sound like you’re about to give an ultimatum,” I said, my voice cold. “And let me be clear that I would pick my friendship with Loek on principle alone.” I nodded when all three of them gave me shocked looks. “I don’t judge people based on what others tell me or stories .

“I know him better than any of you!” I pointed to Gabriel. “And it irks me that he gets to be in charge of all the angels, so clearly a lot isn’t what it should be or was wrong. Now I’m going to get answers I need, so cool your heads and we can talk later. I’m sorry I have a past with someone who upsets you, but I won’t—don’t start giving me orders.”

I teleported away before anything else blew up, arriving at the island and locking it behind me again.

“Only you could keep the fucking Devil locked where you wanted him,” Loek chuckled darkly from behind me.

“What the fuck, Loek?” I whispered, staring at him like I’d never seen him before.

“Yeah, kind of feeling the same, Soraya. Are you like fucking nuts to get involved with angels and—”

“Brax and I have been dating for a while.” I swallowed loudly when fear filled his eyes.

Yeah, I was afraid that was going to be his reaction.

“If you hear nothing else I say—believe my next words like nothing else I’ve ever told you, Soraya,” he whispered, his voice shaking with fear. “Do not ever trust Gabriel. Ever.”

I snorted. “I’ve already figured that out.” I studied him when he didn’t say anything. “That was the brother who committed the crime that laid it all at your feet, right? You wouldn’t ever tell me the crime, but—one brother did the deed. One betrayed you by not even giving you a chance to explain and believing him over you. That was Raphael.”

Yes. It was all over his face.

“And Michelle was the sister too weak to stand up to them and saved herself when it was clear she could lose her position to defend you,” I continued, needing to say the rest.

“Yes.” That one word barely spoken was louder than if he’d shouted it at the top of his lungs. “Gabriel threatened to expel her from the plane you think of as Heaven with me if she didn’t stop trying to defend me when he saw it with his own eyes.”

I bobbed my head as he spoke. “And what was this crime you supposedly committed?” I almost lost patience when he wouldn’t answer, but then something Michelle said clicked with me. “He killed your sibling, didn’t he? You lost a—”

“Sister,” he whispered. “The eldest of us was a woman. She and I disagreed on much. Too much. We fought so often that—I was a hothead. I admit it.” He looked at me and couldn’t fake the pain in his eyes. “But I would never have hurt her over our interpreting of orders. Never. Gabriel—he lost his mind when she finally saw my side.

“She wanted to make clearer lines with demons and better oversight. I wanted that so badly. They were cheating, so—it was disgusting. She didn’t… She finally saw my side and the proof. She told Gabriel the change and—he just exploded and killed her. I don’t think he meant to. I was in shock. Then I was dragged away and locked up. Expelled. It was just done.”

“I believe it,” I whispered, nodding when he seemed shocked. “They did the same to Raphael when they thought he crossed a line. I had to threaten to break the world—I believe it. Hotheads.” I let out a slow breath. “But then you became the monster they accused you of.”

“Yes.” He turned away from me and chuckled darkly. “Even worse because—I let things get so much worse out of spite.”

I nodded, thinking back to what Michelle had said. “When did you realize this was all some sort of plan—that you were the rat in the maze or whatever?”

“About a hundred years before we met,” he whispered, tears leaking out of his eyes. “Not that the powers would risk our sister, but—I think it wasn’t just my pushing. I think she was given new information or—she changed her mind fast. I think the idea was to have one of us be the boss. Not like it happened. She seemed sad.”

“And yet it all played out that way but trapped you there,” I rasped, shaking my head when he nodded. “I’m falling in love with Raphael, but you are my friend, Loek. I won’t abandon you like they did.”

“You should,” he argued. “Tell them to get away from Gabriel, but you should. I’m—”

“I said I am your friend. Shut up, you fool!” I bellowed, locking him there and teleporting away. I couldn’t handle any more ugly truths or worrying he was going to do something he couldn’t undo.

I went back to the crime scene but didn’t even apologize for taking so long. I was an elder and not at everyone’s beck and call. I checked and found the same nothing as before.

It made me wonder why Loek was there though.

They thanked me for my help and promised to keep me in the loop. It was disturbing to think a cult on no one’s radar had the kind of reach to be four states away and take out another thirty-two people. At least they could work with Tandon now and share information.

I appeared where Michelle was and found Gabriel and Brax fighting. I was about to ask her to come away with me, but then I realized how stupid that was when Gabriel was a murderer.

So instead, I laid a trap.

I went back to my island and put down the spell circle I’d contained Michelle in before.

Then I unlocked it and brought Gabriel there, using way too much power to do it and override his protections.

Michelle and Brax followed to find me on my knees gasping for air.

“Please, please just hear him out,” I begged as I panted.

Then I gasped as Michelle recharged me.

“Lucifer wasn’t the one with blood on him that day,” Michelle said too loudly.

I blinked at her as I pushed to stand. “You weren’t just quiet because of their sexism, but because you knew your brother killed your sister and you worried you could be next.”

“I don’t know,” she admitted, tears streaming down her cheeks. “It made sense Gabriel would have blood on him if he helped our sister, but Lucifer had none on him. We arrived immediately. How did he have none on him if he killed her? He was too shocked. I’ve thought about it so many times. His temper could be frightening.

“That was true. I could even see Gabriel’s story and it wasn’t intended. We weren’t the best at controlling our power in the beginning and they grew with prayers. It could have happened. But he was in shock. Deep, deep shock. There was no way he cleaned up the blood when he stood there not registering anything. Not until we locked him up and his power was muted.”

“You never told me that,” Brax muttered, glancing between us.

“You were so quick to condemn him, and Gabriel threatened to toss me out as well,” Michelle whispered before looking at Loek. “I’m sorry I didn’t fight for you. And then I did the same to Raphael in fear of—if we didn’t lock him up before he did worse—I didn’t want to lose another brother.”

And then she was gone.

“For the record, he immediately told me to abandon him,” I told Brax, not looking at him. “He said to never trust Gabriel, but I should abandon him when I said I was falling in love with you.”

“I was just as worried about you because he killed…” Brax sighed. “You’re saying I should just believe him?”

I looked at him then. “No. I’m saying I believe him when he said you all jumped too fast. I saw it when they condemned you. You’ve said you regret having done the same. I’m not an idiot and put that one together, Brax. So even if he became the monster you thought him—by his own admission he did—you need to know if Gabriel is a monster.”

I was glad when he nodded but still didn’t seem happy. He cleared his throat in warning when I moved closer to Loek. I stopped, but I still needed a few answers.

“When I helped you—did I convince you to leave Hell?” I whispered. “Was I the reason you abandoned Hell and so much has spun out?”

Loek swallowed loudly and met my gaze. “Yes, but—”

My hand flew before I even realized I was doing it. I slapped him across the face with all I had. “How could you make me party to that?”

“It wasn’t—I wanted them to finally get off their asses,” he defended, gesturing to Brax and where Gabriel was trapped. “I was a pawn and trapped, Soraya. I didn’t lie even if I kept things from you. You kept them from me too. They never stepped up. Why was it for me to carry forever? Because of something I never did? I wanted some peace! ”

That was actually fair, but I hated being dragged into it.

That left me with only one question really. “Why were you at the cult scene today? I didn’t find anything magical or supe.”

He swallowed loudly. “Those people had all been around a demon recently. I think one is involved somehow.” He nodded when I couldn’t hide my horror. “It irks me that—they cannot lie for deals, but why else… I don’t even know if it…” He scrubbed his hand over his hair. “If they’re not making a deal technically but promising to bring them to their plane—I don’t know.”

“You were right that we should have gotten more involved. We are now,” Brax said quietly.

Loek snorted. “I hope you apologize to Soraya when you fuck up instead of whatever the fuck you think that was.”

Wow. Just… Wow .

And Loek wasn’t wrong.

“I don’t know that I should apologize,” Brax snapped. “You exploded over nothing sometimes, Loek! You were such a fucking brat about everything that it was exhausting. You hurt me before on accident. It did all fit! I almost lost a wing because of your fucking temper!”

Loek shot him a regretful but still pissed look. “And my temper chilled after that. I was destroyed at what I’d done, Raphael. I was a mess. That was my fucking wake-up call. Did I throw one more fit after that?”

“Not that I saw, but it was only like two years after,” Raphael answered after a moment. “Michelle said you blew up once I think. But it was so many years of you blowing up and—”

“That’s fair. That’s absolutely fair, but we never even had this fucking conversation before you just agreed with Gabriel and tossed me out. I deserved better than that. Even if I had accidentally killed Sister. Even then. I wouldn’t ever have killed her on purpose. Never.”

“What happened then?” Brax whispered.

“Gabriel killed her. He just exploded when Sister agreed with me. It went against everything he believed. She was giving us new orders and telling us on the side because she was changing her tune, but she seemed sad. She didn’t get to finish and he fucking lost it. I don’t think he did it on purpose. Then she was just dead and I couldn’t breathe.”

Brax studied him for several minutes. “I don’t know that I believe you.”

“I don’t care if you do,” Loek answered, shocking Brax, but I had expected that answer.

I probably would have felt the same.

“I told Soraya so she didn’t die because I know the truth about Gabriel. She probably wanted this conversation so Gabriel didn’t kill you next for going against him.” He sighed when I nodded. “I swear he really wants the apocalypse to come about or something. Why is he so against what the job of angels should be?”

Brax’s gaze went comically wide if not for the severity of the situation. “Did you tell him that you accused Gabriel of that?”

“No.” My one word practically echoed… And seemed to destroy something inside of Brax at the same time.

It was like he saw Loek and me as the team instead of him and me.

I moved towards him. “Don’t. Don’t say something you can’t take back or do something I won’t forgive when you’re this upset. Take a break and go think. That was why I left. We react too fast when the stakes are this high.”

He let out a slow breath before coming closer to me. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Can you please not be around him while I go settle with this? I know he is your friend, but even if he didn’t kill my sister, he is now the Devil, and I’m uncomfortable with you being around him alone. Right now.”

“Yes, that’s more than fair,” I accepted. “I won’t abandon him when he’s saved me, but that’s more than fair.”

“Thank you, sunshine.” He gave me a soft kiss, and then I brought the three of us back to Chicago before relocking the island.

And then we all went our separate ways.

Personally, I went to go tie one off.