Broken Angel

Chapter 12: Fear

AZRAEL

She’s here.

I doubted the information I received from the demon, but I had to see for myself. There were no more options left and I was running out of patience. I couldn’t keep up like this. Saying you’re done searching was a lot easier than actually being done. 

I knew Penelope was here. I could sense her the moment I stepped into the tunnels of the Vatican. They sealed off the tunnels centuries ago, but we managed to find a few entrances they couldn’t get to. 

Raph was actually the one to find the entrance. This was his hiding place for a century or two, then he got tired of it and moved on to the next. He let Jophiel have it afterwards. Once she got bored they told everyone about it, now it’s a place for anyone who seeks peace and silence.

Forgetting about the tunnels, I hadn’t imagined they’d still be in use until that demon mentioned it. I didn’t think that Penelope would know about this place considering how new she was. She was also irritable and rarely spoke to any of us. Even Zach said he had been seeing less and less of her after he chastised her for what she’d been doing to the humans.

I had to remember not to run in and snatch her. Penelope was like a feral animal. She would snap first and question why later. I couldn’t risk her bringing the tunnels down with us. The city would crumble and I wouldn’t be able to explain leveling another city to our Father.

A few hundred feet further in, I could feel the pulse of her power. Like it was just naturally happening now. Another turn around a corner and I found myself staring at her profile.

Penelope’s attention was squarely on a hidden mural that was painted by Michelangelo—with help from Jophiel—long ago. It was the creation of us, the Archangels. 

It was a scene of the cosmos, and our Father. His details were incomprehensible because no mortal could see what he was. He was everything and nothing. A glimpse of him would drive them mad.

The mural seemed to move along the wall, it showed our creation from cosmic energy to formation. The evolution of our conception. How our Father molded us into his perfect soldiers.

Penelope’s hand went to her chest as she watched the movements on the wall. She looked devastated or angry. Her emotions were in turmoil and her pulses were getting stronger, it was difficult to decipher what she was truly feeling.

She didn’t bother turning towards me before speaking. She already knew who I was and when I got here. Penelope may deny it, but our connection was still there. “I’m not like you,” she stated. It wasn’t a question, because she was just confirming what she already knew. 

“You are not,” I responded.

She faced me, fear and anger etched across her features. The once bright face I loved was taken over by a stranger. Her hair was in a tight braid, her clothes were white and rigid. I didn’t recognize this Penelope. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

Taking a few tentative steps towards her, I held out my hand in answer. “I’m here to take you back.” I needed her to come back with me. Praying to my Father that she’d listen this time and let me take her home to her family, to our children.

With a scoff she brushed past me at a brisk pace. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” I managed to stop her by grasping her arm. The familiar warmth overwhelmed my every sense. It felt like everything was falling back into place. Like Penelope was mine again. Only when I looked in her eyes, a stranger stared back. 

Her fingers wrapped around the hand that was holding her as she attempted to pry herself free. “I thought I made myself clear. Did breaking Gabrielle’s wing not get the picture across?”

“You hurt her on purpose?”

“I did what I had to do,” Penelope snarled. Her eyes had started glowing and her pulses were getting stronger and more pronounced. She was aiming for me. Penelope was attempting to get me to fall back.

Grabbing her by the nape of her neck—where my sigil was imprinted on her—I brought her inches from me. I could feel her haughty breath on my chin as she craned to look up.“You belong to me.”

I was tired of playing games. 

Penelope tried pulling away but I refused to acquiesce. She would not be getting her way today. I’d gone easy on her before but no longer. “I belong to no one!”

“You feel it. I know you do. Or else you wouldn’t make it your mission to stay away from me.” I carefully leaned in, her eyes still blazing in fury, and kissed her. Our lips met and she was hesitant but she didn’t recoil. She tasted exactly how I remembered.

I broke the kiss to look into her eyes wild and feral, lips bruised, cheeks flushed, and heart thundering. “Kiss me back.”

Cupping her face, I slanted my lips over hers and she finally melted. One hand gripped my shirt and the other trailed a path to my hair. Her fingers curled around me pulling me closer. Penelope’s body recognized me even if she still refused to.

I savored the strokes of her tongue against mine, the little moans that she tried to stifle, the tingling that came from every touch. Penelope was mine and she knew it.

Picking her up by the thighs, I wrapped them around my waist and pressed her against the wall. She was grinding her p***y all over me searching for her own release. 

But I didn’t want to do this, not while she wasn’t herself. It took everything inside me to stop, to not go any further. She whimpered when I pulled away from her. She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling with every heaving breath she took. Her eyes were glowing a soft pink.

Resting my forehead against hers, I tried to regain my composure. Only Penelope could make me lose myself like this.

I placed my index finger to her forehead and brought it down to the tip of her nose. She fell limp in my arms.

“I’m bringing you home,” I whispered into her hair.

******

I walked through the door with Penelope still asleep in my arms. It was late so I expected the twins to be fast asleep. To my surprise I found Gabi with Aurora on the couch, and Poochie in her lap.

As soon as the door clicked behind me, Aurora was up and running towards me. Her eyes widened as she came to a stop a few steps in front of me. “Daddy? Who is that?” Rory asked, pointing at Penelope.

Ignoring her question I motioned for Gabi to take Penelope so I could take care of the twins first. “Where is your brother?” I asked squatting in front of her. Aurora’s attention turned to Penelope instead of facing me. “Rory, look at me, go find Alec and go to your room. I’ll be there in a second.”

I watched while Aurora ran upstairs calling for Alec and disappeared around the corner. I heard a few whispers and the door closed. A growl from the Hellhound—for being left out—got them to open the door and shut it again.

Gabi was sitting on one of the seats watching Penelope asleep on the couch. I could tell Gabi was still annoyed with her for what she did to her wing. It was still healing, but it was taking longer than usual. “Summon Zach, he could finally give her back her memories,” I told her.

Zach wouldn’t answer my call, my best bet was to get Gabi to do it. No matter how pompous he was, he wouldn’t refuse Gabrielle.

“He said he wouldn’t do it unless she agreed to it. And she hasn’t been very agreeable lately,” Gabi replied.

“He’ll do it because I’m telling him to.” My sister didn’t look convinced, even though I wasn’t convinced that would work, but she nodded agreeing anyways. 

Gabi called the brothers saying they needed to be here for her, when I couldn’t even think about the aftermath. I just needed her back.

We waited for what felt like hours, but must have been minutes. The first one to show up was Adonis since Lex had been helping Luci with who knows what. They even managed to get Achilles involved in whatever they were up to.

“It’ll work,” Adonis said in an attempt to temper me. I had been pacing the room, waiting for Zach to show up. The little prick would probably be wasting time just to annoy us.

Before any of us could realize what was happening Penelope shot up with her wings flared. “What did you do to me?!?”

Adonis took a few steps towards his sister, hands held in front of him as if trying to tell her he wasn’t a threat. “Penelope, we're trying to help you,” he explained. 

It didn’t work. Penelope’s eyes glowed right as she blasted him into the wall with a small wave of her hand. A crack sounded and it didn't come from the wall, it sounded like she snapped his neck. She had much more control over her powers now.

“You’re trying to control me!” She screamed. Her eyes were wild as she searched for an exit, but Gabi and I were coming up close to her. I needed to sedate her before she hurt herself or someone in this house. The twins were upstairs and the last thing I wanted was for them to get hurt. I didn’t think I would ever forgive Penelope if she hurt one of them.

“Daddy?” I turned and saw Aurora standing a few feet from Penelope. We hadn’t even seen when she appeared.

“Aurora, go back upstairs!” I yelled. I needed her to get away, but that only caused her to cry. Tears started streaming down her pretty face and I wanted to scream for doing that to her. 

Penelope was looking like a feral animal. Her gaze kept shooting around us like she was detecting our weakest point. I was afraid of what was going to happen, but everyone was waiting on the next move. 

I’d let Penelope go if it meant keeping Alec and Aurora safe.

Alec appeared out of nowhere standing beside me. “Rory, no,” he whispered. He tried reaching for her hand to bring her into his bubble but Aurora was already stepping into the melee. He was protecting himself like he was trying to protect his sister. He felt threatened by Penelope.

“Aurora, go with Alec!” I begged.

Aurora stepped towards Penelope reaching for her as if she was being drawn to her. They were like two magnets being pulled together, just like I was drawn to Penelope the first time we met. Penelope couldn’t keep her eyes off of the twins, but only one of them wasn’t afraid of her. 

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Aurora was too close and she refused to look at me. She was angry and I couldn’t stop her without risking Penelope blasting me and hurting the twins.

The smile on Penelope’s face was full of deceit, she knew she had me cornered. Gabi was reaching for her spear and I knew this was only going to get worse if I let them engage.  

I had only one chance to get this right or I would lose everything. Pushing Alec towards Gabi, I rushed at Penelope attempting to block Aurora from her. Penelope dodged at the last second and jumped for Aurora. 

She picked my daughter up in her arms, holding her by the neck. “Don’t come any closer. I won’t be responsible for whatever happens to the Reaper’s offspring.”

Her wings spread out crashing through a window and they disappeared. I ran after them and took off but I couldn’t find a trace. I couldn’t sense either of them.