Infernal Read online

  Infernal

  The Warring Hearts Trilogy

  Book 2

  J. Ashburn

  Copyright © 2017 by J. Ashburn Fiction

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Art Copyright © 2017 by Clarissa Yeo

  Formatting by Polgarus Studio

  All characters, events and descriptions in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons living or dead are the product of the author’s imagination and are purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any mean, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from J. Ashburn.

  The Warring Hearts Trilogy

  Bedeviled

  Infernal

  Scorched

  Table of Contents

  1.

  2.

  3.

  4.

  5.

  6.

  7.

  8.

  9.

  10.

  11.

  12.

  Also by J. Ashburn

  Connect with J. Ashburn

  1.

  Micah woke and stretched. He felt a tingling in his belly. The sun splashed over his face. It was warm and welcoming. He turned to his left, reached for Caleb and smiled. Caleb moved closer to him, slinking beneath Micah’s arm. For the longest moment they just held one another.

  Caleb finally turned to face him and they kissed. “I love waking up to you,” Caleb said.

  A shy smile spread across Micah’s face. “I bet you say that to all the boys.”

  “No.” Caleb’s brow creased. “You’re the only one I tell that too. I have never been with another human like this… I mean… I…”

  Micah put his finger over Caleb’s lips. “Shhh, Caleb, it was a joke. I wasn’t serious.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  A chuckle escaped Micah and he leaned in to kiss Caleb again. He glanced up at the clock on the nightstand on Caleb’s side. “Shit! I’m late.” He jumped from the bed. “I’m due on my shift in a half hour. Sorry, I don’t mean to rush. I really could stay in bed with you all day.”

  “Maybe some day we can.” Caleb smirked. Micah thought it was sexiest thing he’d seen in weeks.

  “That would be awesome but right now I gotta go.” He rushed down the hall buck-naked to the shower. Luckily Rick and Nick had already left for work and the bathroom was free. He thought of Nicki as he let the hot water splash over his body and how she was going to be pissed at him for being late.

  After drying and dressing in his uniform, Micah gave Caleb a kiss goodbye and headed out the door. He raced to his car and sped through the neighborhood. He made is way to Nicki’s complex and pulled up to her building. He was surprised she hadn’t sent him a frantic text message or called him since he was not there right on time. He knew she was sick last week but thought she’d already be outside to greet him.

  He pressed his horn once and waited. Nicki didn’t emerg. Micah grabbed his phone and sent her text then waited a few more moments. “Okay…where is she?” He got out of his car and went to her door. He knocked a few times and rang the bell.

  “Nicki! Nicki! We need to get to work! Are you there? Are you all right?”

  Micah waited for a few more moments until he heard some footsteps shuffling and a soft voice on the other side of the door.

  “Micah… I’m sorry. I’m sick. I’m staying home. Sorry I didn’t call you.”

  “Again? Nicki you were out most of last week. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. I’ll be okay. I’m just fighting something off.”

  “C’mon Nicki, this doesn’t sound so good. It’s me you’re talking to, remember?”

  “Really, it’s nothing. I just need to get over it. I swear.”

  “If you need to be out this long then you need to see a doctor. Have you seen one?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, then let me take you.”

  “Micah, no. Just go to work I’m fine. I swear I’ll be back good as new tomorrow. I just need one more day. Okay?”

  He shook his head, placing his hand on the door before removing it again. “Okay. Until tomorrow then I’m dragging you to a doctor.”

  “Fine.”

  “Take care of yourself, girl. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Micah headed back to his station wagon and drove off to work. He was going to be late after all. Concern still filled him and he looked back at the condo complex before entering the main roads and the downtown area.

  ###

  The rooms of Nicki’s condo were strewn with trash. Dirty dishes filled the sink. Clothes littered the floors. She didn’t care.

  Nicki watched Micah drive away. She was dressed in nothing but her bra and panties. Again, she didn’t care. She hadn’t showered. Her arms had scratches on them. When he was out of sight she turned around and walked down the hall and into her bathroom. She stared at herself in the vanity.

  “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” She hit herself in the head a couple of times then yanked a few strands of hair out, letting them fall into the sink with the others. “Now I gotta go to work tomorrow. Stupid! Shit!”

  She scratched herself, raking her nails up and down her arms, leaving fresh, thin marks on both arms. Crimson beads crusted the scratches and streamed down to her wrists.

  Nicki strolled back into her bedroom and crawled into bed. She closed her eyes and pulled the covers over her body. The covers ripped off of her bed and she screamed. Pain gnawed in the pit of her stomach. She clutched her belly and writhed across the bed. “Oh God….what the hell is it?”

  The room trembled. Dressers shook. Knick-knacks flew off of shelves. Window blinds clicked open and closed over and over. A foul smell poisoned the air.

  Nicki’s muscles tensed as she watched her bedroom shift into chaos right in front of her eyes. The bed rumbled and the mattress buckled. She fought to stay atop it but rolled to the floor in a thud.

  “No!” Nicki screamed and everything suddenly halted. She reached up and took hold of her bed, pulling herself to her feet. Pain still bit into her, her stomach gurgled and her head felt as if it was going to split open.

  A snicker rasped behind her. Nicki turned around but didn’t see anything. Then the laughter sounded on her other side. She turned around again.

  “I know that laugh… I know you damn you… I know you!”

  ###

  Jake looked at the piece paper with the drawing of the sigil on it before putting it back into his pocket. He crossed the street over to the Midtown Diner and waved to Nick who had already gotten them a table.

  Nick’s face lit up as Jake drew closer and slid into the booth across from him. “Hey,” Nick beamed.

  “Hi yourself.” Jake leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

  Nick reached across the table and rested his hand over Jake’s. “I love when our schedules sync up for lunch.”

  “Me too.”

  “How are you with everything?” Nick asked. “I know that was a lot to process. It’s been almost a month and we haven’t talked about it since we stopped Sebastian and saved Caleb.”

  Jake flashed a half smile. That was promising. “It’s a lot to take in. I still can’t believe all of it is real. Angels and demons, heaven and hell, I left that all behind when I moved away from the south.”

  “I know. It’s hard to believe. I was right there too, where you are, but now, I have the scars to prove it.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Nick smiled. “It’s okay. They don’t burn anymore. Just a bit sore. You did such a great job taking care of me.”

  A waitress stopped by and interrupted their conversation. “Are you guys ready to order?”

  Jake looked up at her. �
�Bacon Cheeseburger and soda.”

  She looked over at Nick. “I’ll have a Cobb Salad and ice water.”

  As soon as she trotted off Jake resumed. “It’s fine. Everything is fine. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

  “I would never dream of it.” Nick’s smiled widened and Jake could see the relief wash over him.

  “Still, it’s a bit concerning. I mean… can you really trust this Caleb. He was…a…demon. I mean he used to torture the damned or something. How can you let him be with Micah? Doesn’t it bother you?”

  “It’s not my call. Besides, after all they’ve been through together and seeing them with each other, I don’t doubt their feelings for each other at all.”

  “Caleb’s not even human.”

  “No, he’s something more.”

  “Yeah, a demon.”

  Nick shook his head. “No. He’s a fallen angel. He was once an angel. He made a mistake and now he’s trying to make up for it.”

  “An awful lot of mistakes.”

  “Everyone makes mistakes, Jake. I think you just need to give him more of chance. Maybe get to know him better. He can really teach us so much.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Will you? For me, Jake?”

  Jake looked into his Nick’s beautiful eyes. “Of course. For you, anything.”

  “Cool. I know you’ll really like him once you get to know him.”

  The waitress returned with their food and Jake quickly changed the subject. “Sure you don’t want some fries with that salad?” Jake teased. “They’re mighty good.”

  “No thanks. You can keep your fat, grease and carbs to yourself.”

  The two laughed as the lunch hour grew late.

  Jake hugged Nick tight, soaking in the warmth of his body and the smell of him. They said their goodbyes as Jake started back for the hospital, reaching for the stash of pills in his pocket before anyone noticed.

  ###

  Nick took the long way back to his car. He parked as far away as possible from the diner so he could get a good walk in after lunch. He crossed a park, observing lot’s of other professionals on their lunch breaks using their phones, tablets and laptops. Some nibbled, some drank coffee while others had nothing to eat at all instead they digested a steady stream of data and social media constantly updating on their devices.

  The thought to check his own social media accounts suddenly crossed Nick’s mind and as he reached for his phone he heard a strange fluttering. He stopped and looked around. At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary then the scars on his arms burned, they itched. Nick moved to check them when he caught a glimpse of something across the park. He refocused and his heart started beating faster.

  A woman sat on a bench engaged with her tablet but standing directly behind her was a black-hooded figure in a long flowing robe. The figure bent, its ebony-wrought robes rippling in the air, and started whispering into her ear. A moment later it looked up and stared at Nick who discovered there was only darkness inside of the hood.

  Nick lost his voice, intending to call out to the woman only produced a whimpering. He started towards her but his legs wobbled. He watched it return to its whispering but struggled on, pushing himself across the well-manicured green land and the vivid flower gardens. He reached a fountain and stopped, his heart was thumping in his chest and his arms were on fire. The woman looked up at him and when he met her gaze, he blinked, his sight blurring.

  When he cleared his eyes the hooded thing was gone. The woman stared at him, a concerned look on her face before she chose to ignore him and return to her tablet. Nick caught his breath and noticed his scars had stopped burning. He looked around the park again but could find no sign of what he saw. He decided to return to work, it was the only thing he could think of and hastened his stride. The park had worn out its welcome.

  ###

  Caleb stared at the computer screen, using the mouse to navigate around the Internet. There was so much information to be seen, read, digested, consumed that he barely knew where to start.

  He delved into human history, everything from the ancient world to the industrial revolution. It was amazing how little they actually knew. There was still so much that was incorrect or yet to be uncovered. He studied all of the human wars and conflicts and grew somber over the parts that he and his brothers and sisters played in them.

  Not wanting to wallow in the negative aspects he studied their triumphs, their works for peace and community, their most famous artists, musicians and scientists. Humans could be very resilient, inventive, creative and loving. Many of them had solved the problems of malignant and deadly diseases, made headway in science and space flight. If they only knew how much more there was to discover and what wonders awaited them in the thousands of years to come.

  Caleb’s hunger for knowledge mesmerized him. He spent so long on information overload, everything from the Earth’s version of science, history, music, art to what humans consumed, ate, grew, destroyed and played with, that he’d forgotten to drink or eat anything. He never moved from his seat all day, eyes glued to a computer screen. He hadn’t even noticed when the sun went down. The glow of the monitor illuminated his ventures as the dark filled the house.

  “Hey, I’m home!” Micah called. “Anyone here?”

  “I’m here!” replied Caleb, shaking his head and finally tearing himself away from the computer.

  “Caleb? How long have you been surfing the net?”

  “I think all day.” Caleb scratched his head, stretched and flashed an innocent smile.

  “Did you eat anything today?”

  He shook his head.

  “Caleb, you shouldn’t do that. Your Earthly body needs fuel, ya know?”

  “Your Internet has a wealth of information…some of it wrong of course…but it’s a great study of the human condition.”

  Micah laughed. He walked over to Caleb and kissed him on the cheek.

  Caleb smiled wider and put his arms around him, returning his kiss with one on Micah’s lips.

  “I think that’s enough Internet for today,” Micah whispered into Caleb’s ear. Caleb shivered. Micah took him by the hand and led him to the bedroom.

  They kissed again, Caleb basking in Micah’s touch. He watched Micah reach for the buttons on his uniform then stopped him, gently halting his hands. “Let me.” Caleb undid each Micah’s buttons slowly, looking into his eyes. He slipped the shirt off and let it fall to the floor. He ran his hands over Micah’s bare chest and kissed him.

  Caleb put his strong arms around Micah and eased him onto the bed. He licked behind Micah’s ear, he knew it drove him crazy then glided his tongue down his chest and to his tummy. He soaked in his lover’s scent, the pleasant smell of this beautiful human, as he maneuvered to his pants, flicking the button open with his fingers. He pulled his underwear off and rolled his hand over Micah’s dick, letting it grow harder in his grip.

  Micah closed his eyes and titled his head back as Caleb went down on him. Caleb loved making Micah writhe with his touch. He glided up and down his cock, soaking it before lifting Micah’s ass and diving in, rimming him long and slow.

  A long passionate sigh escaped Micah as Caleb continued to pleasure him. The fallen angel couldn’t get enough of his lover, every moan and twitch from Micah urged him on, fueling his desire, a burning sensation flourished in his chest, stretching all the way to his loins.

  Caleb stood up, grabbed Micah’s hips and pulled him close. He eased inside of Micah and thrust gently, sliding in and out of him, enjoying every stroke. Leaning over, he showered Micah with kisses, slipping his tongue to his lover.

  They made love for what seemed like hours. Sweat rolled down their bodies. Caleb held Micah tightly, wrapping his arms around him as they finished. They rolled up beside one another and cuddled, wrapped up in their warmth.

  “That was incredible,” Micah whispered to him and giving him a kiss.

  “The moment I saw you I wanted to be with you,” replie
d Caleb.

  Micah leaned his head onto Caleb’s chest. “Your human heart is still beating fast,” he said to Caleb.

  A smile formed on Caleb’s face. “You’ve always had that power over me.” He kissed Micah back.

  “Hmm.” Micah glanced up at the wall.

  “Is everything all right?”

  “I’m still worried about Nicki.”

  “Did she go to work with you today?”

  “No. She promised she would tomorrow. If she doesn’t I don’t know what to do. She isn’t herself at all. She doesn’t call and text like she used to. I hope she’s okay.”

  “Do you want me to go see her? I do have some healing powers that work on humans. Maybe she…”

  Micah took Caleb’s hand. “Not right now. Thank you, though. I still think she needs more time about us. I think she had a hard time with all of it. It was a lot to take in.”

  “She’s your best friend.”

  “She is but even friends need time to adjust.”

  “Guys!” the call came from down the hall, the kitchen area Caleb surmised.

  “The boys are home.” Micah laughed as he hopped from the bed and rummaged around for a pair of jeans and a tee.

  Caleb said nothing. He re-dressed and followed Micah out of the bedroom.

  Down in the kitchen Nick was waiting, Rick was searching around the refrigerator for something to eat. He turned to greet Micah and Caleb. “Jeez, you two are like rabbits.” Rick snickered.

  Caleb saw Micah roll his eyes and grin.

  “Guys, can I talk to you,” Nick said, his tone serious, concern was etched on his face.

  “Okay. What’s wrong?” Micah asked.

  “Well, I really want to talk to Caleb.” Nick approached the fallen angel. “I’ve been seeing things. After having lunch with Jake today I went for a walk through the park.”

  “I’ll bet.” Rick quipped.

  “Shut up. It’s not like that. Caleb, I saw something weird. This figure or something… I don’t know. It was dark and hooded. It was something like the grim reaper. It was whispering into some woman’s ear.”