© 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 6

I tested the first step of the ladder, making sure it was nice and sturdy. Part of my job at the supermarket shelves meant having to restock when items ran low. Most of the time there was extra stock on top of the shelves themselves, making it easier to replenish the goods.

Busying myself in the toiletries aisle, I began to climb the ladder to retrieve toilet roll from the very top of the shelf. Cassiel was busy in another part of the store, leaving me to get work done in the most boring way possible. The metal steps clanged under my shoes as I planted each foot firmly, not wanting to have another accident. The ladder was tall, but not extremely so. I'd had no problem climbing it before I realised the things going on lately may not have been just coincidences.

My hands secured the large pack of tissue from the top and, contrary to the training I'd received, I dropped it to the floor with a heavy thump. Smirking to myself, I continued with the remaining packs, practicing the same move of tossing them to the floor. It was toilet roll, they were soft and well protected. Anything else, and maybe I would have descended the ladder to put them down like I was supposed to.

As the pile of super-pack toilet roll grew at the bottom of the ladder, I reached for the last one. It was pushed far back, and I wasn't about to get down the ladder, roll it all the way to the next aisle, and set up again, just to bring it down. I chewed on my bottom lip, stretching for it, my hands clawing at air. At this rate, I'd have to climb right on top of the shelving itself, which was probably just as much effort as moving the ladder to the next aisle.

The clearing of someone's throat brought my attention to the shop floor. A customer was making a fuss about the mountain of toilet roll that may or may not have blocked the aisle.

"Are you supposed to be doing it like that?" the white-haired man asked.

What business of it was his?

Refraining from frowning, I settled for a stoic look instead, "Excuse me, Sir. I'll have them out of the way in a second."

He pursed his lips, looking around at the floor pointedly, before picking his way past. Grinding my teeth together, I turned back to the matter at hand, my tongue poking past my lips as I reached with all my might. My fingers caught against the plastic packaging, when I felt the sickening sensation of the ladder moving from under me. It was a four-legged platform ladder, which couldn't roll or slide on its own. The only way for the ladder to topple was if someone pushed its side – with quite a lot of force.

Looking down, I didn't see a single soul. Even the old man had cleared the aisle. With my heart in my mouth, I made the choice to abandon the last pack and get back down to the ground.

I made it one step down when an impressive force threw me off. It felt like a pair of hands shoving right into me. A weightless feeling took over, my lungs refusing to work for a moment, before I crashed in a pile of Cushelle, most likely flattening them beneath me. With the shock of the fall, I simply lay there and stared at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath. I barely had time to register pain when my eyes widened as I watched the ladder tilt sideways, teetering on its two left legs, before falling all the way and landing right on top of me.

***

"Is your lip still bleeding?" Cassiel's worried gaze hovered over me.

I pulled the tissue away from my mouth, seeing no more blood than there had been before.

"No," I said in a muffled voice, returning it to my lip just in case.

The muscles in his jaw pumped angrily as he clenched it, shaking his head.

"Cassiel, relax," I reached out to touch his arm, knowing how being told to relax rarely helped the situation. "It could have been worse, I guess."

"That demon needs to die," he muttered darkly, shoving a hand through his blonde hair.

"And he will," I said confidently. "Eventually."

Cassiel looked back at me and sighed heavily, wrapping me in a cushioning hug. I leaned against him as we stood in the waiting area of the car park. Gwen was coming to pick me up, after the store had me call someone. They'd sent me home after my fall, probably not wanting me to sue them or anything. They'd even let Cassiel come home with me, which showed they really didn't want me to claim anything for the accident. I didn't even consider it, since fighting for my life was more of a priority at the moment. Randal was either playing sadistic games or he really wanted me dead. Either way, I wasn't having it anymore.

"We are going to tell them," Cassiel said to me. "Group meeting."

"Agreed," I nodded, shutting my eyes as he kissed my forehead.

Eventually Gwen's blue Toyota Yaris pulled up and the pair of us climbed into the backseats together.

"Are you okay?" my sister twisted round to look at me.

Her face pinched and she let out a silent whistle when she saw my lip and the shiny blue bump on my forehead.

"Never mind me asking," Gwen took her question back. "How did that happen, Vienna?"

"It's a long story," I mumbled automatically. "Well, actually, not that long. Randal is trying to kill me. We think. We're certain he's behind it. Let's talk about it at home with everyone."

Gwen blinked behind her glasses, "How can you tell me that and expect not to ask questions?"

"You have patience, you can wait," I sent her a smile, then immediately regretted it.

"Bleeding again?" Cassiel rubbed my shoulder.

"I think so," I pressed the tissue against my lip.

"I should have been there," he shook his head to himself.

"Cass," I squeezed his knee. "It's not your job to be watching over me."

He kept his gaze down, "Well the one whose job it was, is no longer here."

"I know," I said. "Which is why you shouldn't blame yourself."

It was rich coming from me, since there was still a part of me that did exactly that. If I had listened to Sariel when he'd told me to send the boys away, the demons wouldn't have been attracted by the Holy Tablet, and ultimately Sariel wouldn't have died sacrificing his life for them.

The rest of the ride was silent on the way home, the three of us likely lost in the storm of our own thoughts. When we got to the cabin, I sat back in the armchair, closing my eyes as the painkillers they'd given me at work finally kicked in, slowly dulling the throb in my head and the sting of my lip.

"Is she asleep?"

I opened my eyes to look at Micah, who was standing near me with a bag of peas wrapped in a napkin.

"You should use this," he handed it to me, his brows furrowed as he looked at my head.

"Thank you," I smiled softly, placing the makeshift ice-pack to my forehead.

"So, what is this all about?" Nathan grumbled as he joined us.

He and Micah had been off work, and it was clear Nathan had been sleeping until late in the afternoon, from the way his dark red hair was so dishevelled.

"Group meeting," Cassiel entered the living room with two mugs in his hands.

He came to hand one to me and I took it gratefully, sipping on the tea. Tea wasn't usually my thing, but there were times when it was just the thing to help soothe.

The hot liquid caught in the back of my throat, making me cough as I drew it away from my lips.

"Wait, Cassiel, I think you gave me yours," I held it back out to him, my face screwed up.

"Oh, shit, sorry," Cassiel quickly swapped them, taking back his tea that was mixed with a spirit I didn't even know the name of.

Neither did he, to be honest. He didn't read the bottles, he just picked what looked interesting, now that he was eighteen and eligible to buy his own alcohol.

Everyone eventually filed into the living room, even Joe and Sammael.

"Your brother cannot be here," Nathan said to Raphael, perched on the arm of one of the sofas.

Although Raphael didn't object, he didn't look too pleased either. Nathan wasn't making a petty jibe this time. Things were getting serious, and Sammael had been part of the enemy not long ago.

"You should sit this out," the dark-haired brother said to the younger one.

Sammael showed no emotion as he walked away. Even though it was obvious what the meeting was about, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"So, what happened to you?" Joe would have been frowning.

"A lot of things," I sighed through my nose.

I then went on to explain what Cassiel and I had discussed so far. I pulled down the neck of my polo shirt to show the others the rash that had definitely turned into the mark '666'.

Gwen gasped and slapped both hands over her mouth, and even Joe looked scared. He probably had the worst experience with Randal out of all of us, after Randal had forced him to shed his blood and then stabbed Joe in the stomach when Joe tried to knife him. The scars were still prominent, pale slivers against his light brown skin.

"He's coming back then?" my brother asked in a small voice.

I shrugged, "I think so."

"He better," Nathan had all heads turning towards him. He continued playing with his lighter, his eyes fixed to the flame, "I want Randal to come back so he can make me a demon."

Everyone chuckled in mild entertainment, Gwen shaking her head and Raphael rolling his eyes as he smiled.

"Shut up, man," Joe scoffed.

Micah too sent Nathan an amused look, "I do not think Randal does that for just anyone."

"Is that sarcasm?" Nathan pointed the lighter in his direction. "You know I dislike sarcasm."

"Who doesn't?" I questioned. "That's not the point, anyway. You can't just become a demon."

"Why not?" Nathan met my gaze. "I have nothing else now that I've lost my wings and my flames."

Silence fell heavily within the room as it became clear Nathan wasn't joking.

"W-what?" I exclaimed. "You can't do that!"

"I can do what I want," he muttered back, flipping the cap closed on his lighter.

"Nathan, come on..." Cassiel looked at him.

"He does not mean it," Raphael said.

"Who says I do not mean it?" Nathan's voice hitched as he hardened his jaw. "You do not control me, Raphael. You are not my boss."

"I am not anyone's boss," Raphael sent him a perplexed look.

"Yeah, well, you are not fooling me," Nathan spat, getting up as he marched out the living room.

We watched him leave, quiet for a moment in his sudden wake.

"What just happened?" Gwen looked between us all.

"You tell me," Micah said.

***

I took a well needed nap for the rest of the afternoon, resting in the longest sofa with a blanket to cover me. By the time I woke up, the sun was setting outside. My head felt heavy and my mouth stale, so I washed up in the bathroom before taking some more painkillers and finding Cassiel out in front of the cabin.

"What are you doing out here?" I wrapped my arms around myself.

Still in my work uniform, the breeze was enough to make the hairs on my arms rise.

"Trying to call him," Cassiel glanced back at me before turning to the scenery.

Dusk had settled, and the sun was painted gold. Blush pink clouds filled the pale blue sky, and I too found myself transfixed by the surrounding beauty.

"How long have you been trying?" I walked over to him, standing by his side.

"I do not even know," he let out an exhausted chuckle. "But I think right now I feel he is on Earth."

"Really?" my brows peaked.

He nodded, lowering his gaze to the ground, "Raphael makes it sound easy when he talks about brother bonds, but this is hard."

"I know it is," I reached out to squeeze his hand. "I've seen you trying over and over."

My grip on his hand tightened when I thought about how his brother might intentionally be avoiding him.

"I will try one more time," Cassiel spoke lowly, reading my mind almost. "Then I will give it up. For good."

"Okay," I whispered, letting my hand slip out of his.

I took a few steps back, wanting him to be able to concentrate. I couldn't ignore the way my heart hammered in overdrive, desperate for Cassiel's brother to make an appearance. I didn't want to see Cassiel torn up over it before he'd even got the chance to meet his sibling.

Staying quiet, I watched him shut his eyes and angle his face up towards the heavens. He kept his hands loosely by his sides, but the tension in his jaw and neck showed how much he was trying.

Thirty seconds passed. Then a minute. Cassiel must have stayed that way for three minutes, or so, before he opened his eyes and exhaled loudly.

"Never mind," he turned towards me.

"It's okay," I met him and looped my arms over his shoulders. "You're better off without him, anyway."

He sent me a small smile, leaning in to kiss my lips long enough to make them tingle, then we started walking back to the cabin.

The sun's light intensified just as it dipped below the horizon, but when the light kept growing and not filtering away, I stopped and turned around.

"Oh my..." my words trailed off as I stared at the sight before me.

Cassiel turned to see what I was seeing. A being encased in brightness, so much that I had to squint my eyes. I felt the familiar trembling that came when an Angel tried to manifest fully, with his wings and all. Humans were unable to stand the fullness of their heavenly glory, as I'd found out with Sariel.

"Cassiel!" I shook his hand.

He too was lost for words, taking a step closer. The figure remained crouched on the ground, and thankfully the blinding white light that shone from him started to subside. As he stood, I heard him grumbling under his breath in a voice that sounded much like a younger brother would.

"What kind of lame older brother seems to need me so much? I have a job, you know..."

In fact, his voice was almost feminine, and my eyes grew as wide as saucers when the light cleared and the penny dropped.

With long blonde hair flowing down their shoulder and a fitted white tunic that only accentuated their curves, my jaw hung open. When I saw their bright blue eyes that rippled like water, and the shimmering blue birthmarks that adorned their toned arms, I couldn't believe it.

Cassiel had a sister.

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I BET YOU'RE SHOCKED!

This is the big reveal I've been keeping a secret since halfway through the last book Flaws and Feathers haha, and finally the secret is out! Ahh what do you think?!

J

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