Chapter One
It took a very long time for my eyes to open. It
felt like an eternity. The smell of fire and brimstone filled my lungs. It was
choking me. It was no mystery where I ended up. This deal was made centuries
ago. Had I known how unfortunate my very long life would be, perhaps I wouldn’t
have made it. Then again, there was a lot of fun and sex in my life.
As my eye lids began to function, the light was
poured in. It wasn’t what I was expecting. Hell was generally dark with shades
of red. This was more of white light. It wasn’t supposed to be there. The
unnaturalness of it forced my eyes to acclimate much more quickly than I wanted
them too. I gripped the metal bunk I was on and put my feet down on the ground.
I couldn’t believe how cold the floor was. It shocked me even more than the
visitor in my cell.
“Good morning, Cade.”
“Good morning, Michael.”
“Now that the niceties are dispensed with shall
we get down to business?” Michael stood and began pacing the small cell. His
broad body made the room feel even smaller. Generally, I never found myself
jealous of other men, but Michael was gorgeous. His long blond hair was tied back
with a leather strap and his face was chiseled. The armor he wore was bright
polished steel. It clinked with each step.
I looked down to check my appearance. My throat looked like hamburger
and my clothes were all burned. Other than that, I was the same old me. I stood
up so he could see I wasn’t a weak short man. My six foot four-inch frame
rivaled his. Though I was very gaunt. I had no idea how long I had been down
here.
“What business to I have with one of the angels
of heaven?”
“You are funny, Cade.”
“I fail to see your meaning Michael.”
“I am not one of the angels of heaven. I am the
commander.”
“Pardon me.” I rolled my eyes and then bowed to
him. I couldn’t help but think he was the most arrogant sob I had ever met.
“I want to recruit you before Lucifer has a
chance to offer you an even dumber deal than the one you signed.”
“I suppose it was a dumb deal, but what can you
do for me? I am already bound to hell.”
“I can do a lot for you, Cade. The question is,
do you want my help?”
“I’m really not sure. The last time I trusted a
sentient being I got burned.” We paced in circles in the cell. It wasn’t going
to be long before someone was going to notice I was up. Michael must have known
he would get a limited audience.
“This is a deal you won’t be able to resist.”
“Let me have it.” I sat back down and waited for
the story of a lifetime.
“To fill you in, you have been down here for
nearly ten years. The wound you received from Nat was terrifying. She is down
here as well. Trevor is not. As you see where you go is determined by your
life, not what you are.” Michael sat down and looked out the tiny window. There
were flames licking at the bars and smoke trailing in. My mouth went dry just
looking at it.
“Okay. So my deeds didn’t matter.”
“They didn’t out-weigh the way you lived your
life, Cade. Plus, we tend not to mess with Lucifer’s deals. He is like a
petulant child.” Michael couldn’t hide a smile. Lucifer was his older brother
after all. He found great humor in his current circumstances. Michael was not
tempted by anything. This is way he had the Lord’s favor. He was completely
trusted.
“I’ll tell him you said so.” My snicker was
louder than I meant.
“I suggest you think about it. I will come back
in a few days to see if you are ready to be serious.”
