Destruction Read online

  Destruction

  The Sins of Angels

  Book Two

  R.C. Knight

  Copyright © 2019 R.C. Knight

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9781542374910

  Acknowledgements

  This book would not have been possible without the support and encouragement from our friends. We’d like to personally thank Nick and Donna for their help during the editing process. Finally, thank you to those that enjoyed Fallen and have waited patiently for this next installment.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Acknowledgements

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Epilogue

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Prologue

  Heaven

  Two hundred years before the Battle of Armageddon…

  Smoke and the smell of lavender filled the small, stone chamber. Water trickled down the cold stone walls as the loud knocks on the door echoed through the chamber. Embers of a dying fire flickered, forgotten in their small pit. The blood-red drapery billowed with a soft breeze. Cordelia rocked back and forth on the floor, her arms wrapped around her legs, pulling them tightly against her chest. The small hairs on her arms stood on end as shivers coursed through her body. The stone chair towered behind her, making her figure seem tiny and frail. Her milky white eyes were fixated on the darkness in front of her, shining ominously through the black hair that had tangled around her face. She continued to rock back and forth as her fingers traced various designs in the air, creating indecipherable runes of holy light. Words flowed incoherently from her lips, echoing eerily off the stone walls.

  The scraping of the stone door being forced open filled the chamber. A bright, white light flickered in from the doorway, illuminating Cordelia’s feeble frame. Raphael’s large body filled the doorway, his golden robes and blonde hair shimmering in the light. His bright blue eyes fell on her huddled form, rocking back and forth. He sighed wearily as he stepped into the chamber and shut the door, leaving them alone with just the dying embers for light.

  “Cordelia?” Raphael’s voice was soft and full of worry. He quickly walked forward and knelt next to her, his eyes staring at the runes she was creating in the air. “Cordelia, you must stop.” He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from rocking back and forth. Cordelia moaned as she shook her head, her fingers moving quickly as she created more runes, their silver light illuminating the damp, stone walls.

  “I see it,” she mumbled hoarsely as she turned her head towards Raphael. “The end.” She inhaled slowly. “I can see it,” her voice shook with fear as her blind eyes flickered around the dark room.

  “That’s impossible,” Raphael sighed with disbelief as he watched Cordelia create more runes. He sat patiently as the holy light left her fingers, the light illuminating the dark circles under Cordelia’s eyes. The runes floated in the darkness, searing their images into Raphael’s mind. “You must have been mistaken,” he muttered as he gently grabbed her hand, stopping her in the middle of a rune. “Cordelia, listen to me. This needs to stop,” his voice pleaded. “Everyone is worried about you.”

  “Let go of me!” Cordelia shrieked as she tried to pull her hand out of Raphael’s. “I need to get it out. It’s tormenting me,” she sobbed as she yanked her hand away from him. “It’s tormenting me.” The words drifted from her lips as Raphael sighed with defeat, watching Cordelia as she began to trace more runes in the air. Incoherent words left her lips as the holy light lit up the chamber.

  “Cordelia.” Raphael’s voice was stern and emanated with power. “Don’t make me bring Christ down here. This nonsense needs to –” He stopped as his breath caught in his throat. His eyes latched onto the rune glowing in front of him. Its elegant swirls overlapped one another, creating a jarring disharmony. He took a deep, shaky breath as he gently grabbed Cordelia’s hands. “How do you know that rune?” he asked softly, his eyes searching her face.

  “I saw it.” Her voice was hoarse as she tried to free her hands, her fingers twitching with unease.

  “That’s impossible,” Raphael muttered softly as he watched the rune fade away, the image seared into his mind. “Only the Cherubs have knowledge of this rune.”

  “Oh, Raphael.” Cordelia sighed as a tear rolled down her worn face. “You have much to learn.” Her hands began to shake violently as pain etched across her tired face. “I need to keep going,” her voice was hoarse as tears of pain escaped her blind eyes. “I need to get it all out of my head.”

  “Then tell me.” Raphael spoke soothingly as he stared at her scarred faced. “Tell me what you have seen, so you can ease your mind.” She took a deep breath as she forced her body to stop shaking. Her fingers continued to twitch against Raphael’s hands as her white eyes locked onto his face. Raphael’s body filled with unease, it felt as if Cordelia was staring into his very soul.

  “I cannot tell you,” she croaked.

  “Why n –”

  “But I can show you.” Her words echoed eerily around the chamber as her white eyes drilled into his blue ones. The air in the room grew heavy as the light of the embers flickered across the damp, stone floor. Raphael took a long, deep breath as time seemed to slow around him.

  Shouts filled the air as Raphael examined his surroundings. The sky was dark, a black fog had blocked out the once bright sun. The white marble of the cathedral lay in ruins on the dead grass. The statues of the warrior angels that once guarded the entrance were broken and crumbling. Black vines had sprouted from the ground and twisted over the white marble, an eerie red glow emanating from them. Bright, red blood seeped from the broken marble and ran across the white stones of the path. Raphael took a deep breath as he walked forward, avoiding the broken marble that had scattered onto the path. He staggered forward as a warrior ran past him, his red robes billowing behind him as he went. “Hey!” Raphael shouted after the warrior. “What’s going on?” He ran after him, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings as he went.

  He stopped as they passed the destroyed cathedral that had once housed the Counsel of Heralds, his face fell in disbeli
ef. Warriors filled the field before him, their red robes billowing in the wind as they fought creatures that he had never seen before. They looked like angels, but their skin had been covered in what seemed to be molten lava. Black flames surrounded the battlefield, absorbing the angels’ holy light. His eyes scanned the field, his soul screaming with pain as he watched his fellow angels being slaughtered. Golden wisps floated through the air, being carried away by the wind. “What the hell is going on?” he shouted, his words echoing eerily over the sounds of battle. The fighting continued; the angels oblivious to his presence. He walked into the battlefield, his eyes searching their faces, looking for someone he knew.

  “He’s over here!” A female’s shout echoed across the battlefield, her voice one of harmony and peace. Raphael turned quickly, his eyes latching onto the small female. Her green eyes shown fiercely through the black blood that covered her face. She was leading a small group of angels towards the back of the field.

  “Wait!” Raphael shouted hoarsely as he pushed his way through the fighting to reach her. “Who’s over there?” his voice rose with worry as he dodged the sword of one of the creatures. He slipped on the slick ground and fell backwards with a thud. His blue eyes latched onto the face of the creature, its red eyes staring down at him. The creature’s once porcelain skin was cracked and burned, black blood oozing from the cracks. Raphael pushed himself back, sliding on the blood-soaked grass as he put distance between him and the fiend. The creature turned away from him and raised its sword high as it attacked one of the warriors. Raphael sighed with relief. “They obviously can’t see or hear me.” He scolded himself as he pushed himself up from the ground. His eyes widened in horror as they beheld the black blood that covered his hands. He examined the ground around him, the pools of black and red blood shimmered in the darkness. Demons, but how? he thought as his eyes lingered on the black blood. Raphael jumped back as black flames erupted from the ground, incinerating those that were caught in its wake.

  “What the hell is this magick?” Raphael whispered to himself as he scanned the battlefield, searching for the female warrior. He spotted her at the far end of the field and quickly made his way towards her. He stopped short as his eyes fell on a head of wavy, dirty blonde hair that he would recognize anywhere. “Christ!” he shouted in vain as a human male with black hair launched towards him. How is a human here? he thought as he looked over at the female angel, standing with unease on the sidelines. Her wings were out and daggers at the ready as she watched Christ fight the human. Black flames surrounded the two as they fought, making it difficult to see what was transpiring. Raphael ran into the flames and froze as Christ’s eyes flickered towards him. “No.” Raphael staggered back as the human continued his assault. He fought with his bare hands, the black flames swirling around his clenched fists. A red aura of holy light surrounded his chiseled frame. He swiftly grabbed both of Christ’s arms and followed with a headbutt. Christ fell to the ground, breathing heavily with exhaustion. The human placed his knee on Christ’s chest, pinning him to the ground as black flames grew around his fists. He looked back at the female angel, who gave a slight nod of approval. Her face filled with absolute trust as the male placed his hands over Christ’s heart, his red holy light mixing into the black flames. Screams of excruciating pain filled the air. “No!” Raphael shouted as he lunged forwards, the screams echoing through his mind. “This cannot be!” The images swirled together, creating the rune that Cordelia had traced in the air.

  “No!” Raphael shouted as his mind returned to his body. His eyes frantically searched Cordelia’s solemn face. “How?” He stood up and began to pace around the small chamber. “How the hell did a human get into Heaven? And what did he do to Christ?”

  “Don’t be so naïve Raphael.” Cordelia scolded as her shoulders slumped forward from exhaustion. “That wasn’t a human.”

  “He sure as hell wasn’t an angel.” Raphael countered as he rushed to Cordelia and helped her into her chair. He knelt before her, his eyes searching hers for answers. He took a shaky breath as he ran a hand through his hair. “What the hell did you just show me?”

  “The end.” Cordelia’s white eyes scanned his face, almost as if she could see his fear. Raphael took a deep breath as he tried to still his trembling hands.

  “But who could destroy Heaven?”

  “A Nephilim,” her voice was quiet as the words fell from her lips. Silence surrounded them as Raphael stared into the dying embers. Cordelia’s voice echoed through the chamber as she whispered, “the Nephilim will come, and with him, the fall of Heaven.”

  Chapter One

  Earth

  Present day…

  “Nephilim.” The White Horseman’s voice was hoarse and filled with disbelief. Aria stared at Zane, his body trembling from exhaustion. Her mind was running in a million directions, not wanting to accept the truth that was in front of her. Shivers ran up her spine as her eyes locked onto Zane’s, his normally bright blue-hazel eyes were clouded and dark. Understanding filled her soul as her mind made the connection. “Raphael?” she whispered as Zane thrust Raphael’s massive sword into the ground and dropped to his knees. A silent tear rolled down her cheek as she walked towards him, her daggers in hand.

  How did this happen? Aria wondered as she stared into the blazing fire. The air around her was heavy with grief and despair. The light of the fire seared her eyes as she watched Mikayla’s and Jackson’s bodies burn on the funeral pyres. The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon, its golden rays shining through the dense smoke. Aria closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them again, they would be preparing for the battle and this had just been a bad dream. The blazing flames of the fire seared her eyes as she opened them again, the harsh reality slowly sinking in. She glanced over at Bishop, he stood with his back to her, his body stiff and unmoving. The flames danced in front of him as if they were inviting him to join. He was so close to them that Aria feared he would give in and allow his body to be engulfed by the flames as well. Her body shuddered as a cold wind blew across her face and through her hair. She scanned the area that had once been their camp. The horses were still tied up, the bags that they had packed the night before lying on the ground next to them.

  Aria’s eyes landed on Cain and Abel, standing at the edge of the camp whispering amongst themselves. She smiled wearily as she remembered running into them outside of the temple, their faces filled with the excitement of victory. Cheers had filled the air when their small group appeared in the doorway of the White Horseman’s temple. The excitement quickly dissipated once they saw the solemn faces and the bodies being carried out. Cain and Abel quickly dispersed their group and followed them back to their camp. Once they reached the top of the hill, they volunteered to build the funeral pyres, allowing their group to grieve and process the events that had transpired. Aria shivered as another cold breeze made its way through the camp. With a soft sigh, she straightened her back and walked slowly towards Bishop.

  His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes unwavering as he watched the flames engulf his beloved’s body. The smoke billowed around him, causing Aria’s eyes to water. She gently laid her hand on his shoulder as she stood next to him, emanating a tranquil peace that she did not feel. His eyes flickered to her face for a brief second before resuming their attention to the flames. She examined him, his face was drawn and gray, looking as if he had aged twenty years overnight. His once bright, hazel eyes were dull and lifeless. Her heart felt like it was breaking as she watched a tear silently roll down his cheek. Bishop took a deep breath, his body trembled with the effort.

  “Aria,” his voice cracked as he looked over at her. He cleared his throat as he ran his hands through his hair. The light of the fire flickered across his face, casting shadows over his sunken eyes. “What is Heaven like?” Emotion filled his voice as his eyes flickered back to Mikayla’s burning body. “I know that’s where she is now. She was the kindest person I have ever met. There’s no way she
would be sent to Hell.” He faced her, a tear rolling down his cheek. “Please,” he pleaded; his voice strained, “tell me.”

  Aria shifted on her feet, her mind churning through the possible repercussions of her answer. “Well… Heaven for humans is much different than my Heaven.” She paused, examining the pain etched across Bishop’s face. “My Heaven is like another realm, where angels are born and raised. We have our own community and families, living and dying just like you.” She stopped to gather her thoughts, sensing Ryder’s presence close to her.

  “And?” Bishop prompted, his eyes begging her for more.

  “Heaven for humans is different. It’s your eternal resting place, a solitude of peace where your weary souls can rest.” Aria smiled sadly as a flicker of hope flashed through Bishop’s tired eyes. “I’ve heard that each person’s Heaven is based on their soul, creating their own sanctuary. I’ve never seen your Heaven though, it’s as much a mystery to me as it is to you.”

  “What do you mean you’ve never seen it?” His voice was filled with disbelief.

  Aria shifted uncomfortably as she looked over at the fire. “We were created to watch over humankind, here on Earth. To help lift the fallen and fix those that are broken. To heal their pain, both physical and emotional.” She sighed wearily as she looked back at Bishop. “Your Heaven is your personal paradise. There is no need for angels there,” her voice was soft as she willed a sense of comfort and peace into her words, “even though I’ve never been there, I know that Mikayla is in her own sanctuary, watching peacefully for you to join her. Until then, she’ll be able to watch over you.” Aria smiled sadly as she looked into the flames. “You will see her again someday.” Bishop nodded solemnly, a sad smile on his face. His eyes focused back on the flames as he turned away from her.

  “Thank you,” he spoke softly, his voice shaking. Aria turned and walked away, leaving him to his thoughts. Ryder appeared next to her, matching her stride.