Another Way To Bleed (Midnight Assassin) (14 page)

Chapter Twenty-
Two

She was floating in a vast sky of nothingness, an empty shell of darkness that swallowed her up and consumed her being.
I'm dead... I'm really dead...
and considering all of the sins she had committed, she would spend eternity trapped in this bottomless pit of black. She was nothing, not flesh or bone, body or blood. A light beckoned her from the distance.
Hell no! There is no way am I being another cliché and heading for the light.

It is not your time yet, Cassandra; you must go back into the light, for your destiny has not yet been fulfilled.
Her mother’s voice swirled around her, and if she had any breath, it would have caught in her chest.

Mom?
Is it really you?

Yes, my daughter, it is me... I was sent to turn you back... it is not now, nor was it your time before to die. Don't struggle against it... your part to play i
n this war has yet to unfold.

I'm sorry, mom. I’m so sorry...
her voice trailed off.

Do not be sorry, Cassandra. You did as I would have done had it been me... I pray to the Goddess that you can forgive me for my past when it is revealed to you. You will need to trust your gut, Cassandra and remember that many friends may become foes and foes can become friends... but remember, you are loved and blessed. Go now, Cassandra... be gone!

Cassie tried to call out to her mother, but she felt her soul being transported into the light. She felt her soul reconnecting with her body, the blood beginning to flow in her veins again. Cassie found it hard to make out what was going on, but she was warm and tingly. Wherever she was, she curled up tightly and fell into a deepened sleep.

When Cassie opened her eyes, she looked around dazed and confused. She was lying in her old room at Luka's; he had not changed one thing about the place. She rubbed her eyes and pulled herself up into a sitting position, grimacing as pain lanced her chest. Lifting the covers, she saw she was naked except for a pair of baggy shorts that were not hers. A bandage was wrapped around her chest to conceal her knife wound. She heard a tapping sound and spied Archer sitting in her rocking chair. The angel had his back to her, his feet pressed against the wall, her massive headphones covering his ears. His head bobbed along with the music, oblivious to the fact she was awake. She stretched open her mind and smirked as she read his thoughts.
Man, I wonder if there's any cheesecake left. I could murder a slice now.

Cassie couldn’t resist the opportunity to catch him out. With all her strength, she flung a pillow at the back of his head which masterfully hit its target and she giggled loudly as the angel yelped and sprang from the chair, almost stumbling over the wires of the headphones. His eyes widened in surpri
se at the sight of her.

“If you've finished gawking at me, angel-boy, I wouldn't mind a slice of cheesecake either. I'm so starved I could eat a scabby ho
rse.” She grinned broadly.

“As always, Princess, you are the ultimate wordsmith. I guess your freaky mind
reading is still active?”

“Appears so, Archie.”

“Then I guess I'll have to keep the dirty thoughts to a minimum.”

“You keep your smut to yourself, thank you very much. Now, will you tell me what happened, or do I have to get up off my death bed and find Luka?” Her heart jumped at the prospect of seeing the vampire, but she was unsure if her legs could hold
her up let alone walk anywhere. Archer sat on the edge of the bed, his face sheepish and coy.

“We can talk about that later. First,
how are you feeling?”

“Like I got rolled over by a truck and then stepped on by an elephant, but other than that I'm grand.”

She shifted in the bed, a dagger of pain flaring in her chest and her forehead creased under the strain.

“What happened with Cole?
Where's the bitch queen?”“

Luka refused to hand over Cole until you woke up, so the royal pain in the ass is down in the cells with a magical charm that prevents him from using his powers. The queen is pouting in the throne room and hoping for your speedy recovery. And considering you've only been out for just under forty-eight hou
rs, it may have worked.”

Her mouth hung open.
Two days? I’ve been out for two days?

“Okay, angel-boy, turn your ass around so I can throw on some proper clothes and we can get rid of those demons, shall we?”

The carefree cocky smirk reappeared on Archer's face as he turned away from her, but not before saying, “Hey, Princess, who do you think got you out of your bloody clothes? Does Luka know about the skull tattoo
that you have on your...”

“Finish that sentence and you'll
be chewing on your balls!”

She climbed slowly out of the bed to the sound of Archer's rich chuckle. She pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a loose tee so it wouldn't rub against her wound. Linking her arm through the angel’s, she led the way out the bedroom door. Her bare feet padded on the cool tiles as they made their way towards the main hall. Archer opened the door and ushe
red her in.

Raised voices greeted her, but stopped short as she entered. Luka rushed to her side, taking her arm from Archer. They exchanged a look that puzzled her, but she shook it off as Luka bent to kiss her cheek.
I'm glad you’re awake... our houseguests are starting to irk my patience.

Glad to be back, boss, although, I have no idea how I am back.

He squeezed her arm but made no effort to answer her. He led her to the top of the room, seating her on his throne and she shivered remembering Cole's visions. Lilith stood before her, her lips set in a frustrated line, uglying her remarkable face. She cracked her knuckles.

“Cassie dear, I'm so g
lad you’re feeling better.”

“Cut the crap, Lilith,” Cassie coughed, “we can get down to business now, 'cause I bet I'm not the only one who'll be glad to see the back of you. Hey Archer, will you bring the trash in for her roya
l self if you please?”

“With pleasure.”
The angel snorted, vanishing from sight. Luka stood behind her, his hands placed firmly on her shoulders. Cassie was apprehensive; soon she would learn her father's identity; she and Luka would hash out their relationship, and life could go back to normal. Whatever the hell that was. Archer popped back into the room, depositing a dishevelled Cole at his mother’s feet. Her face remained stoic. The once arrogant demon now had a look of absolute terror smeared across his face. His eyes flickered in Cassie's direction almost pleading with her, but a quick rise of her eyebrow forced his gaze away. Lilith snapped her fingers and Cole shot into a standing position.

“Moth...” he began, but his mother’s hand collided with his cheek with such a smack, that Cassie was sure she saw a
tooth fly across the room.

“Shut up, you snivelling, insolent brat.
How dare you disrespect me like this. You have disgraced your family by your childish tantrums... you’re confined to the underworld for the foreseeable future, my boy. I should give Cassandra her vengeance and allow her to cut you into pieces, but your father is not done with you yet. I may be bound to this plain, but you shall not set foot here until I say so. Are we clear?”

Cole glowered at his mother, his defiance faltering as magic drenched the room and the coward bowed his head and nodded. “Yes, Mother.” The powerful demon was scared to death of his mother and Cassie desperately wan
ted to laugh at the irony. Lilith let out a frustrated breath and waved her arm.

“Be gone, out of my way, the very sight of you disgusts me.” She snapped her
fingers and Cole was gone.

I wish I’d punched him in the face one more time for luck...

Lilith spun in their direction, her satin dress sashaying from the movement.

“Luka, my son, thank you for your hospitality and for bringing Cole to me in one piece, though I can comprehend how difficult that must have been.
I shall take my leave of you, but I fear it won't be too long before we have the fortune to meet again.”

The queen of demons turned on her heel and started to leave the room, which caused a thunderous
roar to surge from Cassie.

“HEY! We're not finished here yet, bitch... Your son fucked with our heads almost driving me
mad, then put a blade in my chest so that I died, and you want to leave without so much as a thank you, kiss my ass, nothing! You swore that you would tell me who my father is, and you’re going to tell me, or so help the Goddess, I
will
end you.”

Cassie rose to her
feet, the swell of magic leaked from her pours, snaking out in a stream of anger .Lilith clasped a hand over her mouth, her face turning to mock shock. “Oh, do forgive me, Cassandra dear. I would blame it on the old age, but you'd never believe me... okay, well, it is a long story, so listen carefully. It may just click into place sooner rather than later.”

She sauntered around the room as if she was deliberately trying to piss Cassie off. It was working. Cassie sat back down, mainly because her legs were threatening to give way. Luka's hand stroked the back of her neck, sending delicious shivers down her spine. She wanted those hands on other places, but as Lilith cleared her throat to speak, Cassie was forced to drag her min
d from the gutter.

“Many thousands of years ago, when the angels first fell from heaven, Lucifer tried everything to persuade his father to allow him back into the kingdom, but time and time again, he was refused. After a while, Lucifer became bitter, angry that his father preached about forgiveness and second chances, yet he would not afford his son the same
.”             

“More freaking daddy issues,” Cassie muttered under her breath, and she heard Archer try a
nd suppress a laugh.

“So almost an age ago, there was a great war and the Earth was almost destroyed by Lucifer in a bid to gain his father’s attention. The archangel Michael was sent to broker a peace treaty, you might call it, and the brothers called upon a prophetess to see on how best to resolve the eternal conflict between heaven and hell.”

The demon paused for Cassie assumed to be a dramatic effect, examining her nails before continuing. All it did was piss her off more.

“The prophetess gazed upon her all-seeing globe, and this is what she foretold: when the son of Michael and the daughter of Lucifer, products of good and evil, walked the earth simultaneously, then the end of the world will begin. And when the son and daughter lay together, the product of their union, a child, will either emerge with more good than evil or more evil than good, sealing the fate of the world. That child will either be the saviour or the destroyer.”

Cassie pretended to yawn, although she was tired enough to sleep for a month. She was getting increasingly irritated now, and was worried by the sudden tension from Luka as his fingers gripped her shoulders tightly.

“As much as I adore a good bedtime story, can you just get on with it? I assume this little story-tellin
g is going somewhere?”

A devilish smile materialized on Lilith's face as Cassie stared
cluelessly at her.

“You still don't get it, do you Cassandra? The son of Michael stands to your right. Your angel is
the son of the Archangel Michael, who was destined to fall to walk the earth at the same time as Lucifer’s daughter, who was born twenty years ago. You are Lucifer’s daughter, Cassandra and heir to hell. Your child will be the one to decide your world’s future. So now you know.”

Cassie clambered from the throne and rushed Lilith, pinning the queen against the wall.

“You’re lying, you’re fucking lying!” Cassie howled at her. “I am not Lucifer’s daughter, my mother would never have... she just... It’s not true.”

Cassie felt Archer pull her off Lilith, but she wriggled free of his grasp.

“Did you know? Did you fucking know?”

“No Cassie, I swear ... Did I know that Michael was my father, yes. Did I know who your father was… hell no!” Archer looked as shocked as she did, the colour having dra
ined from his face. Lilith straightened her clothes and matched Cassie's stare.

“Think about it, Cassandra. You feel drawn to the angel, as he does to you; it was sealed in blood. You were able to see his past when you touched his wings, a privilege only other angels are permitted. And your angel was able to heal your wound so that you would live again, a party favour only gifted to those bound together. Only an angel’s mate can heal another angel. Ask your an
gel if you don't believe me.”

She didn't have to ask him, the look on his face spoke a thousand words.
NO, NO, NO...
This was all wrong. She was meant to be with Luka, not Archer. She was in charge of her future, not some bunch of angels. Panic clamped down on her and she struggled to breath.

“Oh, but just before I leave, if you don't take my word for it, Cassandra, ask your Luka... He knew all along about the prophecy and who your father was. Didn't you, Luka?” And with a last parting shot, the
scheming bitch was gone. Cassie whirled to face the man she loved, but his betrayal was plastered all over his face. Her heart crumbled into a million pieces as she looked him dead in the eye, slowly backing away from his reach.