The Bliss by Jennifer Murgia Read Free Book Online

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    For Csilla Horvath & Kathleen Kennedy  - winners of the Angel Star Character Contest.
    Vayne and Talan will live forever within these pages. Thank you for creating such beautiful angels and such riveting characters to add to the story!
     
    And for Michelle Flores – who fell so hard for Hadrian she couldn’t live without a story dedicated to him.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    HEAVEN
    I n my memory, I step closer to where my brother stands. His name hovers at the edge of my tongue, but I remember myself, and steal a glance out of the corner of my eye. His form is the only one that stands beneath the silver willow swaying in an invisible breeze. It is forbidden to disrupt another Guardian’s Bliss while they are subdued, and I have stumbled upon him in such a state.
         My brother has been ordered to devote himself to reflection twice as often than myself or the others, and he is on a near constant surveillance. To be Watched is a weighted sentence, one that is not so easily cast off, and to my surprise, I don’t detect the presence of an Arch guard.
         I approach quietly, so as not to disturb him just yet. His expression startles me. It bears more than Reflection, more than asking forgiveness for whatever it is the Seven have accused him of. While he is still unaware that I am merely a foot or two alongside him, I try to catch a glimpse of his thoughts, to spy that which captivates him so completely, quietly forcing my way in out of concern: It is a dark, swirling mass in the recesses of his mind that greets me, one that I dare not touch. Yet . . .  it calls to me as surely as it calls to him. The hairs on my arms begin to rise.
         "Lucifer," my breath softly allows his name to slip beyond the limits of my mouth. The sound of my own voice is enough to brush my thoughts aside, knowing if I open myself to what seduces Lucifer of late, then I too will become Watched.
         He turns slowly, and I watch as the dark orbs of his eyes cloud over, then resume their natural color; a brilliant shade of cerulean, like the sea. I do not understand half of what he is accused of, but when our eyes meet, his emotions hit me in waves, like nothing I’ve ever felt before; both cold and warm at the same time, almost choking. Before I can dig for a likely excuse as to why I stare at him so, he is already composed, already the same strong brother he has always been to me, and I feel guilty for the uncertainty flooding my veins.
         “Hadrian,” he regards me as if I’ve appeared out of nowhere. “I thought you were . . .”
         “Rafael?” I have a habit of interrupting, and Lucifer smirks at my impatience.
         “Yes,” he nods, and I am glad to see that for the moment, all is as it should be.
         I wait for him to continue, to be irritated that I’ve surprised him, to tell me why Rafael wishes to speak with him, but he doesn’t offer that information to me. The urge to ask is nearly unbearable, but I find the means to squelch it.
         “They are meeting about the Gates,” I state, suddenly quite nervous. I hold my chin decisively taut as he so often does, trying to find solace in mimicking my brother.
         Lucifer peers beyond the boundaries of Heaven, down at the earth below. “They live quietly, don’t they? Undisturbed. Unaware.” He lets out a sigh that I have a hard time determining if it is impatience, or regret. “Tell me brother,” he turns to me again, “what do you think of my Gate? Is she worthy in your eyes?”
         “The Seven have chosen her, who am I to question?” I respond, but I fear he can sense my hesitation. He’s never asked a question like this before.
         Lucifer delivers a low chuckle , then seems to let it go. “Ah, the Seven, so Rafael wishes to speak with me, does he?”
         I give a nod, saying nothing more on the matter. My