Ruined (The Seraphim Series Book 1) Read online

  “Why aren’t we staying at your apartment?” she asked, staring at the street below.

  “I want to stay under the radar as much as possible. People know my apartment. They watch it to see when I’m in New York.”

  “Oh, okay,” she said, still looking at the street below. “New York is incredible. I've always wanted to come. Rebecca and I used to say we'd visit one day,” she said, excited. “Wow, just look at this view! I can see the whole city from up here.” Her entire body was pressed against the floor-to-ceiling glass that made up a wall of the hotel suite. “It’s really beautiful.”

  “It's okay. But nothing compared to what I’m looking at,” Azrael replied, smiling and walking up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his face in the hollow of her neck. “I can show you the city if you want.” The vibrations of his voice tickled her neck as he spoke.

  “How long will we be here for?” Lilliah had tried talking about why they were in New York as little as possible. She knew Azrael hadn’t wanted her to go—he had made that clear with his not-so-subtle hints on the plane—but this was something she needed to do.

  “We'll go and see The Cure tomorrow.”

  She just nodded, letting him know she’d heard. “Then tonight, we'll stay here,” she suggested, turning around to face him. “We'll order room service and watch TV.”

  “You’re in New York and all you want to do is stay in?” he asked, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. “We could go out. I own a restaurant. We could go there?”

  “No. Staying in sounds perfect to me.” As long as she was with Azrael, she could be anywhere.

  “Okay. We'll stay in. And maybe I can change your mind about going tomorrow.”

  “I'm not changing my mind.” She walked round him and into the large living room, which for some reason had two dining tables. Who needs two dining tables? she wondered, turning on the TV. “I just spoke to Rebecca. They’re just staying in and sleeping too.” She smiled. “Why don't you want me to have the spell? I'll remember everything—who I am and what I can do. Everything will be so much easier! You won’t have to babysit me anymore,” she pointed out, tucking her legs underneath her. “Okay, it’s going to hurt. But after that? It's going to be awesome.”

  Azrael looked up, surprised by the sudden question.

  “What if I like babysitting you?” Azrael asked, walking over to her, his hands in his pockets. “You’re not a liability to me, Lilliah. I don't care who you are or what powers you have, I’ll always be there to protect you.”

  “Good. So now I have nothing to worry about. Come over here and help me pick a film!”

  “Do you really prefer staying in?” he asked, sitting beside her and undoing the top few buttons of his shirt before pulling her close.

  “Yeah. I’m more of a staying-in girl who reads than a party girl. Never really been my thing.” She flicked through the channels on the TV, trying to find a good film. What kind of films did Azrael like? She realised she didn’t know what his favourite film was, or even his favourite colour. She felt like she had known Azrael all her life, but really, she hardly knew anything about him. “Do you like action films?” she asked, suddenly turning to look at him.

  “Action? I don't really watch films, to be honest.” He shrugged, a little confused as to where the question had come from. “Why do you ask?”

  “I just realised I didn’t know. There is a hell of a lot we don't know about each other, you know?”

  “Okay. Ask me anything you want. I'll tell you anything.” He stared down at her.

  “Then you can ask me anything.” She smiled, turning so she was facing him. “Okay, what's your favourite colour?” She decided to stay safe on her first question.

  “It changes daily, but right now? Red.” He smiled, running a finger over the sleeve of her red top. “The colour really suits you.”

  “Thank you. Rebecca talked me into getting it,” she told him. “I will pay you back for the clothes. And the ones Dena got us as well.” She was silent for a moment.

  “You shouldn’t worry about her any more. She's gone. She won’t be stupid enough to come back,” he assured her, correctly guessing where she had gone. He weaved his fingers through hers.

  “I know. I should be used to it all by now. I’ve nearly died like what, three times?” She was trying to make light of it all. Dena didn’t deserve to plague her thoughts. Azrael was right. She’d be stupid if she came back now.

  “No. You should never be used to people trying to kill you,” he stressed, a slight crease forming across his forehead.

  “Well, after tomorrow, no one will, because I’ll be awesome!” She giggled. “Okay, so it’s your turn. Ask me a question.”

  “Right. What do you want to be when you grow up?”

  “Oh, well, I love dancing,” she shared. “So something to do with that.”

  “Really?” he asked, surprised. “I’ve never seen you dance before. What kind?”

  “Ballet,” she said simply, feeling like a fraud for even saying the words out loud. “I stopped dancing. It’s been years now.”

  “Why did you stop?” he pressed.

  “My dad used to take me to practice. It just wasn’t the same after he died. Mum had to work more, so she couldn’t always take me and pick me up. It just became a bit of a burden, so I stopped. I started up again when I was about thirteen; they were doing classes at my school.” She smiled, remembering how excited she had been. “It wasn’t the same, so I stopped again.” It sounded pathetic that she had given up on her dream so easily; she couldn’t even defend the decision to herself. She had just given up.

  “That's sad. Why don't you start up again?” Azrael suggested, playing with her hands.

  “Dance really is the last thing on my mind right now. Besides, I got too tall for ballet. Okay, so it’s my turn.” She paused, trying to think of a good one. The man had lived for centuries; there was so much to cover. She wanted to know it all!

  “Okay, how are you so rich?” The question had been bothering her for some time. She knew he owned Purgatory, but what else? The guy was literally a billionaire.

  “I own a lot of property. I have a few clubs all around the world, plus a few hotels and restaurants. I’ve invested a lot.” He nodded. “I was here before anything. I’ve seen things being built. I’ve literally witnessed change happen before my eyes. I'd have been a fool not to act.”

  “That's so cool. You've had a front row seat to all of history.” she whispered in awe. Sometimes, she forgot how old he was and what he'd seen. “I would have wanted to be around in the Roman times. Oh! and the Egyptian era, too. You know, when it was at its peak? We read Antony and Cleopatra at school. I really fell in love with that story.” Even though it hadn’t ended in the happiest way, it was one of her favourite books.

  “Why?” he asked, looking baffled. “They were horrible people.”

  “Wait, did you know either of them?”

  “I've met them both, yes,” he shared as if it were nothing.

  For a moment, Lilliah was lost for words. “That’s amazing! Did Antony really love her so much that he'd do anything for her?” she pressed wishfully.

  “I guess. Why do you like the story so much? He turned his back on his entire army. That's not heroic at all.” He scowled.

  “But he did it for her. That’s romantic.” She smiled. “You can do anything in the name of love. Horrible things turn into romantic things when done in the name of love.”

  “That's not very good logic,” he told her.

  “I know,” she admitted with a shrug. “But it's still very romantic. Do you ever get bored? You've seen so much, done so much, and lived for so long. Do you ever get bored living like a mortal?”

  “Yes. I did. I hated this earth. To me, it was a prison. When I was in Heaven, I had a purpose, something I was made to do, and I did it well. But here? I was confined, slowly watching everyone disintegrate into shells of what they once were.” Azrael’s eyes glaz
ed over, taking him to a place from long ago. “I hated it. Everything about it.”

  “Do you still hate it here?” she pressed, feeling nervous about his answer.

  “Everyone I had ever known was in Hell. The angels that had fallen had once been my enemies; then, all of a sudden, they were all I had. Then they went, so I had time to plan. I plotted and searched for a way to get back home, at any cost. I had nothing else.”

  The other pieces of Azrael’s life were slowly coming together, giving Lilliah a better picture of what things had been like for him when they had first fallen. Lilliah's head was bent as she toyed with the end of her trousers.

  “Then I found you. This world became a lot more.”

  Lilliah's head shot up to see him staring down at her intensely, his eyes burning in a way she had never seen before.

  “A lot more what?”

  “A lot more beautiful, more vivid. I don’t know.” He smiled. “Just more. But you know all of this already.” In a way, she did. She knew that when he’d first touched her, everything had changed. But she would never tire of hearing him say it. “You could tell me every minute of every day and I still wouldn’t be able to get used to hearing it.”

  Azrael pulled her closer and moved so they were both lying down on the sofa, wrapped in each other.

  They laughed, ate from room service, and watched television, even after Azrael’s protests. They were just enjoying being with each other. Lilliah wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep, but she felt it when Azrael lifted her off the sofa and put her in the bed, tucking her in.

  “Aren’t you coming to bed too?” she asked with a sleepy yawn.

  “Of course.” The bed dipped as he got in from the other side. “Try and sleep, angel,” he murmured, leaning over to press a kiss on the top of her head as Lilliah drifted into a deep sleep.

  Azrael woke Lilliah up with kisses, his lips softly touching hers, then her cheeks, moving all over her face.

  She smiled. “I could really get used to waking up to that,” she said, her eyes still closed. It can’t be time to get up yet, can it? She snuggled back into the bed and pulled the covers up around her. She felt as though she had just gone to sleep.

  “I'll have to wake you up every morning then,” Azrael replied, still leaning over her. “You have to get up. I’ve got your breakfast ready.”

  “No. I need more sleep,” she moaned, slowly opening her eyes to see Azrael’s face hovering over her. He was already dressed, wearing his usual black. “Why are you ready? What time is it?”

  “It's six in the morning. Come on, get up,” he said, pulling the quilt off her and throwing it to the floor.

  “No. It’s cold,” she whined, curling into a ball and opening one eye to see him leaving. He had turned on the lamp at the side of the bed and laid out her clothes on the nearby chair. With one last sigh of defeat, she got up, sleepily walking over to the chair where her clothes were laid out. This really is too early to be called morning, she decided, yawning. She picked up the top, running her fingers over the soft material. The clothes were all black. According to Benedict, it was a requirement of the spell: black clothes made of natural fabrics. She smiled. Azrael had remembered while she had completely forgotten.

  Azrael was sitting at one of the dining tables, reading one of the newspapers, when she walked in.

  “Look, we're matching. We're both wearing black. We're not turning into one of those couples that dress alike all the time, are we?” she joked. “That would just be strange.”

  Although his black jumper was perfectly fitted, showcasing every muscle, and hers was a bit too big, hanging off her.

  “I wear black to blend in,” he pointed out, standing up to get a better look at her. “You couldn’t blend in if you tried.”

  “Oh, please. Before you came along, all I did was blend in.” Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips

  “You might have thought you were blending in, but I can assure you, it’s simply impossible. You should wear your hair down,” he said, pulling out a seat for her and taking his.

  “Why? Is it a requirement? I thought that it'd be more practical tying it back.” She frowned, playing with the ends of her hair.

  “It’s not. I just like it down.”

  “Oh. Then no!” She laughed, reaching for a croissant in the middle of the table. “My hair’s too long. Plus I don't know what I’ll have to do. It might get in the way.”

  “Get in the way? You won’t have to do anything.” He frowned. “They’ll do everything. You'll just have to lie there while they perform the spell.”

  “That's good. I'm too tired to actually do anything,” she said, chewing on the pastry, when a soft knock came from the door.

  “I’ll get it.” She was up and the across the room before Azrael could protest.

  “Morning, sunshine.” Rebecca and Sebastian stood on the other side, both looking tired.

  “You didn’t have to get up this early,” Lilliah said with a smile, letting them in.

  “We wanted to come along, but Benedict said we couldn’t.” Rebecca reached up to hug Lilliah. “So we had to see you before you left.”

  “But he said you’ll be back tonight,” Sebastian cut in, walking over to the breakfast table. “You’ll still be back, right?”

  “If everything goes okay, then we’ll both be back tonight, yes,” Azrael confirmed, sitting back in his seat so Lilliah could sit on his lap.

  “Yeah, I’ll be back in no time,” she said, trying to stifle a yawn.

  “Are you nervous?” Rebecca asked, taking a seat at the table.

  “Not really. More anxious. I just want it to be over and done with.”

  “You should eat. We have to get going,” Azrael suggested.

  “I’m not really that hungry.” She just wanted to get going.

  “Right, come on then.” Lilliah and Azrael both stood.

  “Oh, Lil.” Rebecca stood, panicked. “What if this doesn’t work? Have you really thought about it? Me and Seb spoke about this last night. You make this sound so easy, but what if it's not? How can such a huge spell be that easy?”

  “It'll be fine. I swear,” she tried to reassure her friend, even though she wasn't one hundred percent sure herself. “Benedict and Azrael will be there if anything goes wrong. And you heard him. I’ll be back tonight.”

  “I know, I know.” Rebecca tried to smile. “I’m just afraid for you.”

  “I’m going to be fine,” she reassured, again turning towards her brother. “And when I come back, I’m going to be amazing.”

  “You’re amazing now.” He pulled her to him in a tight, quick hug. “Please don’t do this just because you feel like you have something to prove.”

  “I’m not. I promise.”

  “Lilliah,” Azrael cut in, already standing by the door, ready to leave.

  “Okay. I’ll be back before you know it,” she told them, walking to the door, trying not to let her nerves show.

  “I love you, Lil,” Sebastian all but whispered, tightly wrapping his arms over his chest.

  “Love you too, Seb.” She smiled before following Azrael out the room. She had been completely calm up until now, but the closer they got to the main entrance, the more nervous she became.

  They went down on the elevator and walked through the lobby in silence. A few members of the staff tried to speak to Azrael as they passed, but he ignored all of them and headed right to the door.

  “Sir.” The chauffeur nodded, opening the door for them.

  “Those people really wanted to talk to you,” Lilliah said once they were both in the car and moving. “It was kind of rude to ignore them like that.”

  “I have more important things on my mind, Lilliah,” he shot back, not even looking at her.

  Talk about doing a one-eighty. Lilliah frowned, silently turning to look out the window, watching New York pass them by.

  Chapter 20

  It wasn’t long before they pulled u
p in front of an old building.

  “This is it?” she asked, her face scrunched up in disbelief. The building was clearly old and very beautiful. She tried to peer out the car window to get a better look; it was just very small. Not what she had expected at all.

  “It’s bigger than it looks,” Azrael said simply, getting out of the car and holding out his hand for her.

  “Right,” she replied with a nod, trying to see whether the building went any farther back. The large wooden door flew open and a middle-aged man came running out to meet them on street.

  “Sir, it’s very good to have you here. Is there anything I can take for you?” he rushed out, staring at the pavement, his face a little flushed.

  “No.” Azrael didn’t bother to look at the man as he walked straight past him and into the building.

  “Thank you, though,” Lilliah quickly added before following him inside.

  Azrael had been right when he’d said it was bigger inside. The place was huge! A large, sprawling staircase met them as they walked in; it was dark but not scary.

  “How is this possible?” she whispered, almost to herself.

  “It’s a spell,” Azrael said, not looking back. “It hides the majority of the building.”

  “Magic is awesome.”

  She followed Azrael as he stalked down the hall, completely ignoring everyone they passed. He obviously knew where he was going.

  “So who are these people?” Lilliah asked, jogging to keep up with him. “Are they all part of The Cure?” She looked at all the people lining the hallways. She could feel their eyes on them as they walked past.

  “Some of them. The others are mortals—people who, for some reason or another, are aware of the magical beings on this planet. The Cure likes to keep them close.”

  Lilliah had heard a little about The Cure before, but they had still remained very elusive.