© Jojo B 2020

All rights including those in copyright in the content of this story are owned by Jojo B. It's Illegal to steal and/or copy.

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Divine and Damned

Chapter 3

I dragged a brush through my thick, dark hair and tied it up in a quick ponytail. My work uniform was a standard pair of black trousers, which I'd had to purchase myself, and a forest green polo shirt with the store's logo on it.

It was my first ever job, which had taken a miracle to achieve since my GCSE grades weren't all that amazing. Despite it being temporary, my mother said if I performed well, they could call me back to work during my school breaks. Though she also added that I shouldn't give all my free time to work, or I'd have no time to study. Knowing myself, I'd find no time to study, even if I was locked in my bedroom all day.

Putting in my tiny gold hooped earrings, I smacked some lip balm on and grabbed my backpack. Water bottle, purse, keys and phone, as well as my work fleece jacket in case I was to be in the freezer section.

"I'm here, I'm ready," I murmured as I jogged down the stairs, waking up last minute as usual.

I'd only given myself enough time to shower and change, leaving me no other option but to skip breakfast, despite me warning others not to. Whilst changing, I made sure not to even look at my rash, in fear of what Cassiel had said. The thought of the rash being more than just eczema made a sick feeling settle in my stomach.

I gripped the banister tightly as I made my descent down the stairs, flashes of yesterday's fall coming into my mind. I didn't have any bruising, thankfully, but my stomach and ribs were definitely tender waking up this morning.

The jingle of Mum's keys meant she'd finished her tea and was ready to leave. She usually dropped us off at the store when we had morning shifts, since the supermarket was on the route to her work as an accountant. Cassiel, Micah and Nathan were probably already out the front, waiting in the crisp morning air. They rarely came into the house when my mother was home, out of shyness it seemed. That and they didn't usually know what to say to her. I was normally the one to bridge the gap, not that my mother had any problem interrogating – I mean, talking to – them.

"What is this I heard about Joe's eyebrows?" Mum asked as she joined me in the hallway.

"I, er – I was just helping him, he asked me!" I floundered for words.

Her beige pencil skirt and cream blouse complimented her brown skin and her short brunette hair was tucked perfectly behind her ears. She was thinking of growing the dye out and going back to her natural thicker texture, seeming to reminisce on the look.

"You shouldn't have done that, Vienna," she shook her head dismissively, as if not wanting to even get into it.

"He's the one who shaved all his eyebrows off!" I protested hotly. "That wasn't even me! What I did was a minor accident."

She regarded me with her dark eyes, before nodding, "Let's go."

Walking outside, my mood lifted when I saw the boys standing by the white Range Rover. They definitely weren't morning people, and I could see how exhausted Cassiel was from the way his eyes were barely open. Only Micah seemed alert, though he was much quieter in the mornings, probably taking time to wake up still.

"Good morning," Mum greeted them with a smile, unlocking the car doors with a communal clunk.

"Good morning, Jane," the boys responded.

I jumped into the front seat, rubbing my eyes in an attempt to eradicate the faint burning sensation of being up too early. The drive to work was usually quiet and relaxing. Mum only asked a few questions this morning, like how the boys slept and how long we were all working today. Rush hour traffic was only just beginning by the time she dropped us off in the supermarket car park, continuing on her commute to work.

"Did you look at the rash?" Cassiel asked me quietly as we walked towards the store entrance.

"No. Any update on your brother bond?" I changed the subject.

He fixed me with a look, but he didn't press.

"Still nothing," he shook his head.

"We are convinced his brother does not want to meet him," Micah teased, patting Cassiel on the back of his shoulder.

"I would not blame him," Nathan added darkly.

Cassiel ignored that, "I suppose he is too busy to make contact."

Cassiel had been trying to 'pull' his new brother for a few weeks now, after discovering the small brother mark on his hip, an identical marking each set of angelic siblings shared. Raphael had taught Cassiel more about the brother bond that existed between some Angels, explaining how it felt like a mental cord that connected him to his siblings. Raphael only had one cord left, since the one with Sariel had severed when Sariel passed. His remaining cord with Sammael allowed them to feel each other's emotions when in distress or in moments of elation. They could also sense each other's presence, though it wasn't something they could pinpoint with accuracy. It only gave them a general sense of whether they were in Heaven or on Earth. According to Cassiel, he couldn't make sense of whether his brother was near or far.

"I wonder what kind of role he has," I murmured as I slid my hand into his.

I was welcomed with a small spark that tickled our palms, either from me catching him by surprise, or from him being especially glad to see me this morning.

"Maybe he is like me," Cassiel pondered. "An Angel of Temperance."

"Would that not be boring though?" Nathan sent him a smirk. "He should be an Angel of Fire, a warrior."

"Yes, well I highly doubt that," Cassiel scoffed back.

"Why?" Micah shrugged. "Brothers do not often share the same roles."

"Raphael, Sariel and Sammael were all Guardian Angels at some point of their lives," Cassiel replied. "There is certainly some correlation."

"Fair enough," Micah responded, rubbing his messy brown hair. "You would have more to talk about if you both had the same role."

"Yeah," Cassiel said, his voice hinged with sadness.

Angels of Temperance were the quiet voices of reason, Cassiel had once described to me. He used to make sure humans didn't do things in excess and showed self-control. This was especially the case when it came to drinking, and taking drugs, and getting too angry. Cassiel would whisper in unsuspecting ears, trying to convince them that enough was enough. It was up to each individual to listen to that voice inside them, since Cassiel couldn't force them to do anything.

Now that Cassiel had fallen, he'd gained flaws which were usually the reverse of the roles or the abilities he'd once had. In his case, he became dependent on alcohol, despite having never touched a drop. He also had dyslexia, though that was unrelated to his previous role. The boys had explained to me that Angels called these conditions flaws, because unlike humans they were created perfect.

"Your birthday is coming up soon, Micah! 20th of July," I changed the subject, seeing the Cassiel's fallen expression. "Do you have any idea of how you want to celebrate?"

"Oh," a dark smile immediately crossed Cassiel's face. "How about we do for him what you all did for me? April Fool's Day, you call it?"

I laughed, remembering the onslaught of pranks Cassiel had suffered that day.

"It only happens on the 1st of April, your birthday, Cass, not Micah's," I squeezed his hand as we entered the supermarket.

He quickly narrowed his eyes, sending me a look, "Are you telling me you will do that to me every year?"

I shared a look with Nathan and Micah, both of whom were nodding.

"Weeell," I drawled.

Cassiel let go of my hand.

"Okay, no! I couldn't do that to you every year," I answered, somewhat truthfully. "You deserve way more than that."

"I cannot tell if you are being serious or not," he said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I'm being serious," I smiled widely, grabbing his hand again.

"It is for you to find out," Nathan looked to Cassiel. "Next year."

Rolling my eyes at his unhelpful response, we soon entered the back staffroom to put our things away, then gathered for the morning briefing. After a quick talk, we were sent to our respective duties and parted ways.

Nathan loved the bakery, or rather the ovens in the bakery. He wasn't a very good baker, unsurprisingly, but for some reason the women kept him around. He always managed to make them laugh, which was surprising since they were all in their forties and upwards. What the hell did Nathan know about charming older women? Apparently, a lot, since they liked him so much.

Micah worked loading the fresh fruit and vegetables from the delivery vans, to the storage unit, to the shelves. And when that was done, he tended to serve at the checkout. He was a friendly face and sweet to talk to, not to mention a treat for the eyes. It was unsurprising he had so much attention from girls.

Cassiel and I, of course, stayed together whilst stacking the shelves. I was sure the manager was sick of always seeing us talking, but as long as the job was getting done (which it was), he couldn't complain. Sometimes we were put on checkout tils also, though personally not often since I'd been told I should smile and make more conversation since my resting face 'put the customers off'. Was it my fault that eighty percent of the time, the customers were straight-faced grouches themselves?

Lunchtime was spent using our staff discount to get cheaper meal deals, since I was too lazy to make my own lunch every day. It was a good break, since I got to catch up with the boys, though I did also have to socialise with the other employees who I may, or may not, have gotten along with. The women from the bakery were nice enough, but the others from the shop floor were miserable to say the least. The only decent person was twenty-something year old school-drop out Leo, though that may have been because he was so quiet and kept to himself.

We finished our shifts in the afternoon and stepping outside felt like crossing into a heatwave. Being in the air-conditioned store all day had masked the fact that outside was boiling. Though, obviously, not boiling enough for Nathan.

"Not bad," he lifted his face to the heavens, shutting his eyes as the sun kissed his cheeks.

Cassiel, Micah and I walked past him, pulling at our shirt collars to try and get cool. It was the bus back home, and I wasn't looking forward to being sat next to sweaty and smelly bodies. Even with the bus windows open, the little air that filtered through did nothing to ventilate, but rather did a good job of whisking other people's stench right up my nostrils.

And that was exactly what happened.

I was practically peeling my polo shirt off me when I stepped off the bus, glad for the little breeze the outdoors had to offer. The boys and I walked through the forest to the cabin, finding Joe out the front, texting on his phone as he lay under the sun. A set of silver twins sat on his chest as his new nipple piercings caught the light.

"Hello Joe," Nathan greeted him.

Joe grunted back, his eyes never leaving his phone screen. Nathan stopped walking to look down at him with an arched brow.

"Are you not going to respond?" he questioned.

"Are you my mother?" Joe lifted his sunglasses and sent him a look.

"And what if I was?" Nathan scoffed.

"Who are you texting anyway?" I asked him. "A girl?"

"Yep," he slid his shades back onto his face.

"Which girl?"

"Why do you care?"

"I'm your sister, I have a right to know," I shrugged.

"Just like you had a right to remove my eyebrow," he muttered.

I blinked hard, "Okay, I'm sorry about that. It was an accident."

"Was it though?" Joe would have been arching his right eyebrow if it was still there. "Knowing you..."

"Really," I insisted. "I wouldn't do that on purpose, now would I Micah? Cassiel?"

I looked to them, wanting some backup. The fact they didn't respond right away made me realise I'd already made a mistake by asking.

"Never mind," I quickly shut it down and turned back to Joe.

"Are you texting who I think you are texting?" Micah asked him.

Joe met his gaze, "Yeah."

"Wait, what?" I stepped in. "You told Micah and you won't tell me?"

"We're bros," Joe shrugged.

"Yeah, but I'm your sister," my mouth hung over in offense.

"I don't care," Joe didn't look bothered.

"Why are you so invested?" Cassiel looked down at me in amusement.

"Because!" I spread my hands in the air.

"Well, I am not interested," Nathan stated.

"Agreed," Cassiel joined him as they went inside the cabin.

"Do you need help?" Micah asked him.

"Yeah, I do actually," Joe started to push himself into a sitting position.

I watched with a frown as Micah went to sit on the grass next to him and the pair started talking about whoever this mystery girl was. It seemed like Micah knew what to say to the ladies, since Joe was typing whatever he instructed.

"Fine, you little shit," I grumbled under my breath as I walked into the cabin.

I practically slammed into my sister, making us both groan and clutch our chests.

"Look where you're going," I complained, still hugging myself.

"You look where you're going," Gwen sent me an incredulous gaze.

"Why are you naked?" I did a double take as my eyes drifted down her body.

Gwen wrapped her arms around herself tighter, attempting to shield her chest and stomach.

"I'm not naked," she glared at me.

I grinned, "I never imagined you'd wear a bikini."

"Stop staring," she squirmed under my gaze.

"Don't cover up!" I gripped her wrists and pulled them off herself.

"Vienna!" Gwen cried in dismay.

"You actually have a really nice body, be confident in yourself," I nodded as I made her put her arms down by her sides.

"Well, thanks," her cheeks looked a hint warmer. "I was just going to sunbathe."

I tilted my head to the side, not sure if this was really my sister.

"Since when were you interested in sunbathing?"

"I like the sun," she argued. "I'm going to read out there."

"Okay," I raised my hands, stepping past her. "You do you..."

"Whatever that means," she sent me a dull look.

"Where's your boyfriend, anyway?" I questioned curiously.

"He's coming," Gwen replied.

"Hmm, you two are always joined at the hip, aren't you?" I mumbled.

"What?" Gwen frowned.

"Nothing, have fun!" I quickly returned.

I tried to brush off the feeling I got when I thought of how I barely got to spend time with my own sister anymore. She spent all her free time with Raphael and didn't seem to think anything wrong with it. I didn't know whether to be annoyed at Gwen or him, but for now I ignored it. Maybe she felt the same way about me and Cassiel, so perhaps I shouldn't whine over it.

Dumping my backpack, I kicked my shoes and socks off, padding against the cool wooden floors. Needing to pee, I turned the bathroom door handle and jumped when I saw the bathroom was occupied.

Standing stiffly by the door, I swallowed my rising irritation. My bladder could only take so much delay.

"Don't you lock the door?" I asked Sammael, who was chin deep in the ice-cube filled tub.

"It must have slipped my mind," he said indifferently.

"Well, can you excuse me?" I asked pointedly. "I need to pee and there's only one bathroom in here."

His usually blond hair was a frosty platinum, and Sammael's eyes glowed the eerie blue of his ice-demon form. So far, no horns or wings, so that was good.

"I just got in."

"So?" I exclaimed, my brows pulling together. "I need to pee?"

He rolled his eyes, a claw tipped hand coming to grip the edge of the bath.

"Could you be any slower?" I felt my heart starting to thump, blood rushing.

"It is boiling today," he replied, as if that answered my question.

"Just hurry up!" I snapped heatedly, shifting from one leg to the other.

I folded my arms and tapped my foot, trying so hard to be patient, that I barely registered the approaching footsteps.

"I need to use the bathroom," Nathan grumbled deeply from behind me.

"Yeah well, get in line!" I threw back over my shoulder.

"What is the holdup?" he sighed heavily, leaning against the doorway.

"The snowflake is taking his time getting out of the bath," I shook my head, looking away as Sammael grabbed his towel to wrap round his waist.

Sammael's slim pale body was dripping with water as he rose from the bath, the black scar on his back shockingly standing out. He stepped onto the tiled floor without drying his feet with the bathroom mat first.

"You're making a mess," I huffed.

Sammael ignored me, making me ball my hands into fists. It seemed to peeve Nathan off too.

"Are you deaf?" he snarled.

Again, Sammael acted like he hadn't heard, and went to leave the bathroom to give me the chance to pee. I moved aside to let him go, but Nathan blocked the doorway. Sammael hardened his jaw, his eyes momentarily shifting from blue to gold, then back again.

"You want to fight me?" Nathan asked, his face inches away from the shorter male.

"I could wipe you out," Sammael replied coolly.

I opened my mouth to half-heartedly defuse the situation, but Nathan's hand had shot out to grip Sammael's neck, rendering me speechless. Nathan's face pinched in pain, just from touching Sammael, and the blonde glared back at him.

We'd figured out that when in his normal form, Sammael's flaw was still present and he couldn't feel pain. When in his demon form, however, his flaw seemed to vanish, and he was more susceptible to painful sensations. Nathan must have been using this window as an opportunity to inflict pain, but without his fire abilities, the cold temperature of Sammael's skin alone was enough to hurt himself.

The veins in Nathan's arm stood out as he squeezed Sammael's neck tighter, and still Sammael made no attempt to remove his hand.

"Okay, you guys should stop that now..." I murmured, looking between them with a growing frown.

I dropped my gaze when I heard a quiet snapping sound, widening my eyes when I saw a sheet of ice growing up Sammael's forearm. His skin frosted over, tiny flecks of ice breaking off to the floor when he furled his fist.

"Oh go ahead and try it," Nathan yanked him even closer, fire raging in his eyes as his chest heaved.

Sammael raised his fist and I quickly lunged, grabbing his arm to hold him back. Nathan had already lost his fire ability, there was no knowing how much worse a blow like that could make him.

"Cut it out," I said through gritted teeth as Sammael tried to shake me off.

Raphael was next to the scene, having probably sensed his brother's anger through their sibling bond.

"What the hell are you two doing?" the dark-haired boy barged into the bathroom, pulling the pair apart.

"Tell your brother to show more respect," Nathan said viciously.

"Tell your friend to pick his fights wisely," Sammael shot back.

That had Nathan riled up all over again, and Raphael had to push against his chest to stop him going at Sammael. Whilst they were at it, I drove all three of them out, finally freeing the bathroom for myself.

Then I took one step towards the toilet and my foot slid out from underneath me.

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What did you think of the chapter? It was fun writing it xD

Any favourite parts?

J

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