Hannagan’s Bar was a rough and tumble place that ironically sat on the corner of Blood Alley just north of town. The story went that back in the day the original owner PJ Hannagan threw so many drunkards out mid-brawl that cleaners had to come down every morning and hose blood from the laneway outside. Eventually, the lane earned the nickname Blood Alley and when old PJ passed away the City officially named it in his honor. It always struck Gabriel as a strange kind of memorial but made for a good yarn all the same.
Aurora sat back against the pillows and hugged her knees to her chest. She didn’t want to admit it, but she had gotten used to the idea that it was just the two of them. She and Gabriel against the world. Now there would be other people in his life, important people who had a lifetime of history with him. People like Harrison, and now his parents.
The house, where Gabriel grew up, was warm and inviting. In the living room, a floral couch was offset by peach cushions, and behind them, a warm fire crackled in the hearth.When his mother had opened the door and seen Gabriel standing there, Aurora feared the woman was going to faint. At first, she simply stared at him, but then tears rolled down her cheeks. Aurora expected them to shout, to be angry, at least at first, but there had been none of that. Just relief, love, and forgiveness. The essence of family
Back at the cabin, Aurora was sitting on one of Gabriel’s over-sized armchair, her long legs tucked beneath her bottom, and her hair piled high on her head. She was so engrossed in whatever she was reading that she hadn’t even noticed him staring. When he eventually managed to tear his eyes away from her, he looked around the place. Since she moved in the cabin had a few new additions. There were throw pillows on the couch and wildflowers in the kitchen. There was a dog bed for Aurel and a scented candle on the hearth.
Hell was ruled by five demons. Melloch, Belphegor, Astaroth, Lucifer, and the Master himself, Satan. Melloch knew most humans believed Lucifer and Satan were one and the same, but in reality, they were very, very different.Lucifer was an exquisite creature, perfect to behold, with a mane of golden hair and majestic wings that glimmered like mother of pearl. He was the first angel cast from Heaven, the first to break God’s heart. But Satan was something else entirely. He was the Beast, the creator of hell.As old as the universe itself, Satan dwelled in the nether regions amid the flames of an unquenchable fire. His skin was burned and charred, his desire for anarchy insatiable.
Before Aurora’s foot even touched the old wooden porch Jasmyne came bursting out of the front door, her hands perched sharp on her hips. “And just what do you think you’re doing here?” “Jasmyne…”
Out on the veranda, Aurora stroked Aurel’s head as he dozed quietly by her side. When she had first wandered through the forest all those years ago with Stefan and her sisters in tow, it was Aurel who had appeared from behind a towering elm and led her to the old farmhouse. He had been just a cub then, separated from his pack, and they bonded immediately. Since then he had been her constant companion. When things got tough there was something about the strength of his presence that reminded her of who she was. Aurel was an alpha. A leader. And so was she.
They were coming. Any day now, the Reaper Army would rise, and the world Aurora loved would be destroyed. She thought of Gabriel and wondered how, knowing all they were up against, he could choose to just sit back and let it happen.
It was quiet. Too quiet, and Gabriel couldn’t think. There was something about the stillness of the cabin, the way sounds echoed through the empty rooms. Everything looked the same. The fire still crackled in the hearth, the old leather armchair still stood in the corner, and in the bedroom… Gabriel hadn’t been able to bring himself to sleep in the bed since she left. Instead, he spent restless hours on the couch, tossing and turning, and cursing the quiet.He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. Had it b