here. If you’d like to follow me this way.”
Lilliah and Azrael followed Martin through the office and into a large room at the back of the building. By the time he reached the door at the far end, he sounded as if he’d run a marathon.
“Are you okay?” Lilliah reached out to rub his arm. Martin’s face and neck were bright red.
“I’m fine. I’m fine.” He patted her hand. “Not as fit as I used to be.”
Lilliah nodded and wandered around the room. She had only met a few werewolves—a couple of them had tried to kidnap her in the past—and one thing Lilliah had noticed was how fit they had all looked. Martin, however, was not like that, which she found strange for a werewolf. When she thought of werewolves she thought of True Blood and the ripped guy from Twilight.
The space Lilliah walked into was bigger than the offices they had walked through, and it was filled with large wooden boxes, which had all been stood upright.
“What are in these boxes?” she shouted over to where Azrael and Martin were huddled over a table.
Martin looked up first, his face paling, and rushed over to where Lilliah stood. “The boxes contain our elders. Please, do not touch them.”
“Your what?”
Martin’s hand hovered over the wooden box, and he closed his eyes.
Azrael came to stand behind her. “Remember when I told you about all the original angels and how they turned into werewolves and vampires?”
Lilliah tried casting her mind back to when she had first learnt she was a fallen angel. Azrael had briefly told her about the originals and how they’d changed after being on Earth for too long. He had only survived because of his ring.
“I remember it,” she said.
“They turned to stone,” Martin said, answering her unspoken question. He stepped away from the box and faced them. “It’s my job to keep them safe.”
“So you keep them in a box?” She looked between Martin and Azrael, wanting to touch each box and see what was inside.
“No, they belong in a place of honour. We’re moving them to their new home in a few days.” He took Lilliah by the elbow and led her to the door.
“How many are there altogether?” Lilliah craned her neck, still trying to glimpse all the boxes.
“Thirty-five werewolf originals. The vampires have their own elders, of course.”
“Martin,” Azrael said in a low, warning tone as he walked back to her, and Martin immediately released her elbow and stepped back, gulping loudly.
“There are thirty-one vampires.” Azrael took Lilliah’s hand and returned the folder to Martin. “We’ll talk about the diamonds later. I have more questions about the quality; I’ll talk to Benedict and then call you.”
Without waiting for Martin to reply, Azrael walked out of the room, pulling Lilliah with him. People tried to talk to him as they passed, but true to his style, he ignored them all.
Once they were back in his car, Azrael asked, “Did the thought of all those werewolves in there scare you?”
Lilliah thought about it for a moment.
“Honestly, what freaked me out most was the thought of you in one of those boxes. It could have been you and would have been, had you not had that ring.” She pointed to the gold band on his finger. Unlike all the other original fallen angels, Azrael had foreseen something terrible happening when they fell to Earth. He knew that Earth wasn’t designed for their kind of magic, so he had sought out a magical artifact, something that would protect him. Enter his ring. “The thought of you in a box, unable to do anything or even breathe, it’s unthinkable.”
Azrael leaned over and kissed her lips. “Don’t worry. You’ll never find me caged in.”
She laughed as he pulled away. “Good.”
Chapter 5
Lilliah picked up a black dress and held it against herself. Seven o’clock was approaching fast. She wasn’t ready. After returning from their meeting with Martin, she had spent the day watching Netflix and eating
Lilliah and Azrael followed Martin through the office and into a large room at the back of the building. By the time he reached the door at the far end, he sounded as if he’d run a marathon.
“Are you okay?” Lilliah reached out to rub his arm. Martin’s face and neck were bright red.
“I’m fine. I’m fine.” He patted her hand. “Not as fit as I used to be.”
Lilliah nodded and wandered around the room. She had only met a few werewolves—a couple of them had tried to kidnap her in the past—and one thing Lilliah had noticed was how fit they had all looked. Martin, however, was not like that, which she found strange for a werewolf. When she thought of werewolves she thought of True Blood and the ripped guy from Twilight.
The space Lilliah walked into was bigger than the offices they had walked through, and it was filled with large wooden boxes, which had all been stood upright.
“What are in these boxes?” she shouted over to where Azrael and Martin were huddled over a table.
Martin looked up first, his face paling, and rushed over to where Lilliah stood. “The boxes contain our elders. Please, do not touch them.”
“Your what?”
Martin’s hand hovered over the wooden box, and he closed his eyes.
Azrael came to stand behind her. “Remember when I told you about all the original angels and how they turned into werewolves and vampires?”
Lilliah tried casting her mind back to when she had first learnt she was a fallen angel. Azrael had briefly told her about the originals and how they’d changed after being on Earth for too long. He had only survived because of his ring.
“I remember it,” she said.
“They turned to stone,” Martin said, answering her unspoken question. He stepped away from the box and faced them. “It’s my job to keep them safe.”
“So you keep them in a box?” She looked between Martin and Azrael, wanting to touch each box and see what was inside.
“No, they belong in a place of honour. We’re moving them to their new home in a few days.” He took Lilliah by the elbow and led her to the door.
“How many are there altogether?” Lilliah craned her neck, still trying to glimpse all the boxes.
“Thirty-five werewolf originals. The vampires have their own elders, of course.”
“Martin,” Azrael said in a low, warning tone as he walked back to her, and Martin immediately released her elbow and stepped back, gulping loudly.
“There are thirty-one vampires.” Azrael took Lilliah’s hand and returned the folder to Martin. “We’ll talk about the diamonds later. I have more questions about the quality; I’ll talk to Benedict and then call you.”
Without waiting for Martin to reply, Azrael walked out of the room, pulling Lilliah with him. People tried to talk to him as they passed, but true to his style, he ignored them all.
Once they were back in his car, Azrael asked, “Did the thought of all those werewolves in there scare you?”
Lilliah thought about it for a moment.
“Honestly, what freaked me out most was the thought of you in one of those boxes. It could have been you and would have been, had you not had that ring.” She pointed to the gold band on his finger. Unlike all the other original fallen angels, Azrael had foreseen something terrible happening when they fell to Earth. He knew that Earth wasn’t designed for their kind of magic, so he had sought out a magical artifact, something that would protect him. Enter his ring. “The thought of you in a box, unable to do anything or even breathe, it’s unthinkable.”
Azrael leaned over and kissed her lips. “Don’t worry. You’ll never find me caged in.”
She laughed as he pulled away. “Good.”
Chapter 5
Lilliah picked up a black dress and held it against herself. Seven o’clock was approaching fast. She wasn’t ready. After returning from their meeting with Martin, she had spent the day watching Netflix and eating
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