The Irredeemable Soul (Accursed Archangels #3)

Thalia reached out, her hands bloody and her face streaming with crimson fluid leaking from her scalp. It wasn’t the first time she’d gotten banged up like this. It wouldn’t be the last.

You can’t win, Ute spit at her feet as he crawled on his knees. You’re nothing but a wraith scum, and my master won’t be happy when he hears about this. Something clinked on the asphalt but he ignored it.

She reached out for the heavy object that had fallen from his jacket: a thick bottle of whiskey.

You really need some better lines for the ladies. And your master? He doesn’t give a damn about a pathetic body snatcher like you. Ichiro chews up and spits out expendables like you. She swung the bottle and smacked the side of Ute’s head with it before sinking her sword into his chest. He exhaled a deep, rattling breath as his soul exited the body he’d possessed, and the corpse spasmed on the ground. The soul couldn’t leave yet. It was still attached to its puppet. Good thing, because Thalia was out of breath.

She wiped the blade of her angel-killer sword across Ute’s shirt. This creature was the leader of a cache of demons who’d been running amok in the streets of New York City since she’d been lost in the Skein labyrinth. Now that she was back home, she was taking out the garbage. It was an extremely dirty job, but someone had to do it.

Uncorking the bottle of whiskey, she took a swig to numb the headache from a hit on the head. Ute had probably used this same bottle to do it. The irony of it all. It had left behind a lump the size of Texas along her hairline and a trickle of blood from the split skin, but she didn’t care. The same damn bottle was keeping the pain at bay for the moment.

Douchebag, she muttered, reaching up to dab the cut hidden by her hairline. It had bled plenty and would need stitches. The sticky mess had dripped down onto her leather jacket and black shirt. At least the color hid blood well. Ute had fought dirty, and she’d now have a scar to prove it. At least he had paid for the blunt force trauma with his earthly vessel; killing a possessor’s body before he had a chance to leave it would disable the demon for a long while, until he could resuscitate the body. If they couldn’t, they would be hard up to possess another, cursed to linger in the in-between. She’d make sure he couldn’t reanimate this corpse or another ever again.

The alcohol burned going down her throat as she finished off most of the bottle before tossing it over her shoulder. It crashed into a mess of slivers of glass, glittering across the alleyway, but she paid no mind. She cherished the now-eased throbbing pain as she closed her eyes. It felt human. Real. Something she’d been missing since her powers had amplified and she’d started feeling more inhuman.

Sighing, she grabbed the corpse, placing an invisibility spell over her and the body before catapulting into the air. Flying to the graveyard was far easier than walking. It would have made her work simpler to have wings in the long years before, when working as a mercenary for Ereziel. His enchantments had concealed the presence of her wings, and she’d spent far too long not knowing they were there. Now her memories were all back. She’d continued working for Ereziel, but it was more for a lack of anything else to do. The wings made it a lot easier.

Her stomach tingled as her thoughts wandered to Ereziel as she flew. Her first love, he had taught her how to fly. His own wings had healed well since reattachment after being ripped off in the labyrinth. They’d spent endless hours in flight, his arms around hers, facing her midair and kissing her lips gently as he carried her until her wings strengthened and they held their own in the atmosphere. There was nothing to fear now. The labyrinth had stripped away all the troubles and bad blood between them. Now they couldn’t get enough of one another, making up for lost time.

And he wasn’t the only one she had made up time with.

Returning from the Skein labyrinth had left them all feeling shell-shocked from the trauma and hardships they’d endured. The memories of her time there woke her at night, leaving her feeling restless and shaken. Yes, they were only dreams, but she knew their origins. If only their trip to the Skein had just been a nightmare and not real… but then she wouldn’t have grown so close to the four men now with her. None of the good parts would’ve happened, and she’d still be alone in the world.

Some tragedies were worth every bit of pain to feel alive again.

She flew toward the graveyard where she buried her victims, pushing the flood of thoughts out of her head. Nothing would ever be the same as it had been before she’d gone into the labyrinth, and for that, she was grateful. Right now, she kept her mind focused to finish what she had started with Ereziel’s kill list. She continued to work for him as a mercenary to keep the streets free of demons and other unworldly creatures. It kept her busy and her mind occupied. That was all she needed.

Staying out of her head was the only way she kept sane. Heaven was out of reach now, forever. As was the possibility of ever seeing her human parents again, but for the moment, that was okay.

Standing over the newly dug grave created just for Ute, she set down a spell for the demon soul so it couldn’t reanimate the body and quickly buried his bones. The dirt crumbled atop the grave, flattening out as though nothing had disturbed the cemetery grounds. It looked pristine, but she knew the disintegrating bones of Ute fought against her spell. It was useless. The magic was unbreakable. Ute’s demon soul wailed in the distance, a sound only gifted or sensitive humans and immortals could detect. She ignored it as though it was nothing but a dog barking in the distance. He was searching for another host to hijack, which was difficult when forcefully unanchored from their previous host. She’d harvest his soul like the others before that happened.

She dusted off her jeans. There were so many things running through her head. So many questions left unanswered from her time in the labyrinth. Merc jobs came and went like the breeze. Running these errands for Ereziel kept her busy. Checking off the marks he gave her from his kill list was somewhat satisfying. Anything to not think about the past.

No matter what, her thoughts wandered to it. Thoughts about the Archangel Sidriel, Ereziel, her parents, her wraith lineage… and ultimately, her four men. This didn’t make her unhappy. In fact, she had never felt more liberated in her entire life, but things were awry. She’d made the decision to stay on Earth, and she realized this was already a kind of Heaven for her. It was far more of a paradise than any other realm could be.

At least she had that going for her.

Her thoughts carried her from the graveyard and back to Ereziel’s mansion; her new home. Taking the steps two at a time, she shoved the doors open and strode across the foyer and into the living area.

Well, we don’t have to ask where you’ve been. You’ve got graveyard, curses, and killin’ all over you. Matt grinned at her from the corner of their new digs, his feet kicked up on the coffee table. The apartment was the part of Ereziel’s mansion located above a new forge now belonging to Matt, where he worked day in and day out on his weapons. He’d had to move all his things from the old forge since he was still in hiding from the Yakuza and their leader, the Archangel Ichiro.

Thalia stuck her tongue out at Matt, who returned the gesture by blowing her a kiss as she continued on her way to the master bathroom. Tearing off her filthy wardrobe, she cranked the water on in the shower, letting it heat up as she examined her wounds. Blood seeped from the cuts she’d sustained but were already clotting up. She rinsed the blood and dirt away, the water stinging the wounds as she sucked in a breath. Her wings ached from the flight, a good soreness as she let the steam from the shower wrap around them as the liquid beaded off the feathers. She stood there for what felt like hours, soaking up the heat until her fingers were wrinkled and the hot water edged toward lukewarm.

Finishing up, she wrapped an oversized towel around her body and peered at the reflection over the sink. Wiping away the steam from the mirror, she studied her face before squeezing her eyes shut. She was the same girl as before, on the outside, but now those brown eyes of her reflected a different person. Her time in the Skein had embedded itself, and even though she’d been left with few physical scars, the emotional wounds of the experience ran deep, remaining raw and fresh. Her real parents were dead; her adoptive parents were also gone. There was no way into Heaven now, and it was something she was going to have to accept.

She thought she had accepted it, but doubt crept into every moment she breathed. She wasn’t sure if it would be easy to keep it at bay. She was cursed to live the rest of her immortal life on Earth.

Then there was the new situation of her four lovers. It was all entirely new. Even though Isao and Matt were human and quite mortal, they would age and grow old while she remained young. Still, she was happy. Eventually, they would die while she remained alive on Earth. Helio and Ereziel were immortal. Human years were like seconds to them. Maybe Helio or Ereziel knew something that could be done to extend Matt and Isao’s lifespans.

God, she hoped so. Half her harem was immortal, and the other half was human. Somehow, she would have to deal with the repercussions of that in the future, but there had been so much death surrounding her already, she didn’t want to think about it just yet.

She dressed and went into the main bedroom, which was the largest room in the place. It had enough space for all of them. To Ereziel’s credit, he had offered up a great portion of his dwelling to the group. It was a secure location where they’d stayed since returning from the Skein. She had retrieved her things from her old miniscule apartment in the dead of the night to avoid being seen; memorabilia and whatever she could carry in a backpack. She had left all the heavy furniture; she didn’t need it anymore.

Now, the five took refuge here, together. New York City wasn’t yet safe for them, but this was Ereziel’s territory, and he made it known that if anyone took one step within the boundaries of his portion of the city and disturbed the peace, they would have to answer to him. No one wanted to piss off an archangel.

Luckily, no one had noticed her comings and goings. Not even the mysterious grey-feathered angel who had watched her at her apartment long before she’d discovered who she really was. The angel was nowhere to be seen, a fact that left her uneasy, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. She had no idea how to find him—or her—and it was the least of her problems right now.

Large row houses lined the streets across from the mansion. It wasn’t uncommon to never see her neighbors. In such a posh neighborhood, only the show-offs walked the streets wearing the latest fashions and with miniature poodles attached to them by leashes. The protections of Ereziel’s magic kept them safe. Her group lived and breathed and thrived every day in utter secrecy. Ereziel’s magic had returned completely, along with his health. His wings had healed, and things were better. She had never seen him so happy in life, but he was changed since they had returned from the Skein. They all were.

As she peered around her suite of rooms, her eyes fell upon the mirror now hanging on the far wall. It was ornate yet not gaudy. One of a pair. Her mother had bought it from a metalsmith in the labyrinth and infused it with powerful magic to create a portal to the Skein. The only one who could activate it was Thalia. It had been honed to her bloodline. It gave her a way to re-enter and exit the Skein without being followed right to her family’s castle.

Right now, it was Isao’s only way home. Her castle in the Skein remain protected with her and Helio’s magic, their wraith powers keeping the guarding beacon lit. Isao was using the castle as his headquarters while he continued to study the labyrinth, recording everything he saw. He was well protected within the castle, and luckily it gave him a bird’s eye view of the entire labyrinth.

Thalia’s castle was the center of the labyrinth and the main source of power in the Skein. The castle was the ruling monarch’s resting place. Whoever controlled that castle controlled the labyrinth. It wasn’t hard to see that Thalia was now the ruling monarch, whether she liked it or not. Her castle was the biggest, but the grounds and village surrounding it were abandoned, left to rot. Nobody had lived there since the old king had banished the entire population of the city outside its borders, mourning the loss of his only child and then later on, his wife.

Thalia was working on reversing the spell to reopen the city to at least have a staff to keep the castle cleaned and well-stocked with food. For the moment, Isao had to bring it all in from Earth, through the portal, until the spell was lifted.

Thalia had found a spell to allow Helio and Isao to go through the mirror at will, even when she wasn’t present, which saved her a lot of trouble. Isao spent a lot of time there but never ventured outside of the castle walls without an escort, like Helio, who often returned to the labyrinth to visit and to guide Isao around it. It was far too dangerous for humans to wander around the Skein alone.

Warm fingers slipped around her waist, tugging her back a few inches to press against an equally heated body. It felt heavenly around her chilled frame.

What are you thinking about, my love?

Thalia leaned her head back, nuzzling Ereziel as he kissed her with warm, soft lips. The sensation of his mouth caressing her sensitive skin made her body flare into goosebumps.

I was just thinking about the labyrinth and my castle. Isao has been there for a week. I should probably check on him. He gets so caught up in his research and observations that I think if it was up to him, he’d never return to Earth.

I doubt that. There is one thing on Earth that isn’t in the labyrinth.

What’s that?

You, he whispered, his voice husky, deepening. I doubt he can stay away too much longer and miss out on anymore. This perked her up, and she turned, barely avoiding smacking Ereziel with one of her wings and apologizing profusely when he stumbled backward.

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to move that fast. I’m still not used to these wings, but I’m getting better.

Don’t worry about it. Your wings are soft.

All right. Do you really think that Isao would return here for just one thing?

Yes. Of course. You’re not in the labyrinth. Eventually he’ll grow tired of his mistress, the Skein, and return to Earth to live a nice, long, happy human life with the woman he loves.

Thalia wrinkled her nose. She still couldn’t get used to having four loves all at the same time. Fortunately, it didn’t bother any of them, and it most certainly didn’t bother her to have their company either. It was funny. They completed her in different ways, and she enjoyed their company more and more every day. She was now a reformed loner. Who would’ve thought?

What’s on the agenda for the evening? she asked.

Well, Matt’s in the forge rearranging it for the thousandth time. I think we’ve gotten most of the equipment he needs from the old forge. He just has to ‘get it done right or it messes up his focus,’ in his own words. He winked. "But he’s also making more swords