#fallenangel!oc x noah sebastian

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy Pinterest Board

Hi, my lovelies! I am passing this along in case anyone is interested. For the last few days, I've been creating a Pinterest board for Mercy and wanted to share it! It's another way to describe how Lethia looks!

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-one

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: Here we go! Now this is an AU but I will keep things true to life with Bad Omens and Noah as possible! Also, this is NOT a reader insert fic. I decided to create a character for this.

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch

LETHIA

The wind whipped widely through my hair, smacking me in the face, as my limbs thrashed around with such force I cringed in pain. I could see the clouds out of the corner of my eyes as I fell through them, with no sense of comfort protecting me. I choked on a sob when I noticed parts of my long, golden, hair was being singed from the rate of the fall. I held my hands in front of my face to watch in horror as the once short nails grew in length and darkness. 

“Wh-what?” 

How did it get like this? All because I chose to follow someone else instead of the almighty King? How was that fair? I’d been loyal since creation, one of his most loyal servants, but the second I thought of something different than the divine plan, He cast me away. 

“Leth, follow me to the ends of the darkness. For we can create our own Kingdom and rule.” 

My eyes screwed shut at the familiar voice as my throat burned with the thought of him. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was close by, surely he had to be. I was thrown from the Kingdom first, Lucifer not far behind. 

The air around me began to thicken, grasping around my throat with such force, that I clawed there with my newly fresh nails. Blood dripped from the wounds but none of that mattered to me; I simply stared up towards the sky where my former home disappeared through the clouds. I could try and climb my way back, as far as my wings would allow. But I knew, like Icarus, if I climbed too high to the sun, I’d fall into the unknown jungle below. 

Icarus was a fool. 

My ears rang loudly from the sudden change in altitude and I looked towards the left, almost crying out when I took in the most recent alter to my appearance. Bright wings that mirrored the colors of the clouds surrounding me were no longer pure. No, they were dark with the tellings of my betrayal. 

“My King, forgive me!” I cried out seconds before my body fell to the hard soil below; darkness overtaking my vision.

NOAH

Slamming the car door shut with a long sigh,  I walked from the street, up to my house. I took in the variety of cars, realizing that one of the guys must have invited a few people over tonight. Usually, I never minded when we had small get-togethers, but tonight I did mind. It wasn’t anything anyone in particular did, my mind was just filled with the same dream I’d had the last seven nights in a row. 

Black feathers. Even darker hair. Cream-colored skin. And vibrant red eyes. 

At first, I chalked it up to being a random dream but as the nights progressed, the dream continued with the same figure. 

One night they were sitting on the edge of my bed. The following night, they were perched on top of the roof of my house, watching the street below. Last night, the figure was in bed with me as my lips trailed over the curvaceous lumps of her breasts. 

I ran a hand over my face as I neared the front door, taking a deep and steady breath. I thought about asking my therapist about these dreams but now that they were getting more intimate, I decided against it.

“It's just a dream, Noah,” I told myself while my hand reached for the door. 

A groan halted my movements and I turned swiftly on my heels back towards the driveway. But all I heard was silence; besides the loud music coming from inside the house. 

Shrugging, I took one final step towards the threshold until a groan sounded again, only this time louder. It sounded as if a large bird fell from the tree hanging overhead, feathers fluttering in the air.  I dropped my bag on the front porch before taking the steps back down two at a time towards where I heard the groans of pain; in between Jesse’s and Orie’s cars parked in the driveway. 

“Fuck,” I cursed seeing the crumbled body. 

Head snapped to the side, dark tendrils of hair covering her face, and an arm draped over her midsection. I winced as I saw the contortment of it, knowing that it had to be broken. 

Where the hell did she come from? 

There was a sudden surge that spread from my heart to every vein inside of me; flowing through in shocking waves. I couldn’t place it but seeing this figure in front of me, there was something so familiar about it; her. A painful groan fell from her lips and I breathed in relief, almost forgetting to check if she was alive. I’d been so entranced in her familiarity. 

Gently scooping the body up into my arms, the dark hairs fell away from her face and I sucked in a breath when I noticed there were fresh cut marks along her cheek, and blood dripping from her ears. I rushed her inside, gaining stares from my roommates, who immediately stopped the music. 

“What the fuck?” Orie’s voice was raised. 

I shook my head while setting her on the couch in our living room. “I don’t know, man.”

Our house was packed with random faces; some I recognized, others I didn’t. I knew there was a party tonight but suddenly, I wanted everyone that didn’t live here out. 

Folio, who noticed my expression, waved a finger in the air. “Alright, I think it’s time to end this party. Thanks for coming, everyone!” 

Pretty quickly, everyone who didn’t live there or weren’t part of Bad Omens left the house. 

“Where did you find her?” Nick asked.

I hesitated. “That’s the thing. I found her lying broken in the driveway.”

“The driveway?” Jolly gasped. “How long had she been out there?” 

I shrugged while brushing away the stray hairs from her face, hearing a soft but painful breath falling from her dry, cracked lips. My eyes grazed down the line of her neck down to the swell of her breasts that were barely covered by the tattered black shirt; it looked as if it was burned off. I tossed a blanket over her to help cover her modesty. 

Something glinted in my vision and I looked back at her neck to see a golden chain hanging loosely between the valley of her breasts. My heart dropped to my stomach as the reality slammed into me. 

I’ve seen this chain before; in my dreams. My lips tasted that chain in my dreams. 

My hands shook at my side as a shaky breath escaped from my throat and Jolly called my name. 

“Hm, what?” I turned to look at him. 

He ran a hand through his hair. “Should we call the police? She looks like she’s been attacked.” 

“No,” I said a little too suddenly. “She just needs a place to rest. We don’t know what happened. I’ll ask when she wakes up.” 

I slowly sunk into the chair across from the couch, resting my elbows on my knees, watching the rise and fall of her chest to make sure she was still breathing. 

Jesse stared down at her from behind the couch and let out a low whistle. “It’s a miracle that she’s even breathing right now. We should probably wrap her arm. It could be broken.” 

Just then, Michael returned with our first aid kit and handed it to me. I took it with a small smile and started rummaging through it to look for the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls. The least I could do while she slept was clean the wounds on her face. 

The softness of her face twisted as the sting of peroxide sunk deep within her wounds and when a whimper fell from her lips, my cock twitched in my jeans. Images of her lying spread wide in my bed for me flashed in my mind and I did my best to push them to the back of my brain. 

“How did she end up in the driveway? Looking like this?” Orie asked as he finished wrapping up her arm. 

“I don’t know,” I sighed while sitting back in my chair, eyes still trained on her. “With how I found her, it looks like she fell from somewhere.”

Jolly shook his head as he sat on the armrest of the couch, also watching the stranger. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

All seven of us stood around the body laying on the couch, wondering and watching to see if she would wake. 

“Maybe she’s an angel,” Jesse snorted, trying to ease the sudden tension. 

“Angels don’t exist,” my eyes snapped up towards him. 

Jesse held his hands up. “It’s a joke, Noah. But you have to admit it’s a little weird.” 

I ran a hand over my jaw and nodded. “I know. I couldn’t leave her out there, though. Once she wakes up, I’ll take her wherever she wants.”

“Luce,” the woman croaked out, head turning towards the side. 

Her voice rang out in song, echoing throughout the house, and my heart rose in my throat hearing how eternal it sounded. I barely knew anything about her but I couldn’t ignore the way my soul felt connected to her. Maybe it was because of seeing this form in my dreams or fate that I found her in my driveway, almost as if I was destined to help her. 

“What did she say?” Nick questioned. 

 Folio shrugged while leaning over her. “Luce? Maybe that’s her name?” 

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and with one swift movement, the woman had her legs wrapped around Folio’s midsection and him pinned to the ground. Her good forearm was pressed deep into his neck while he lay frozen underneath her.  All of us were on our feet but none made a move to stop her, not knowing if it would ultimately help or make things worse. 

“Who are you?” 

The venom in her voice was cold as ice. 

“Ni-Nick,” Folio choked out. 

The woman tilted her head towards him. “Where am I?” 

Taking a tentative step towards her, I placed a soft hand on her shoulder. “I found you outside.” 

It was as if my touch meant nothing to her, eyes still burning deep into Folio. It wasn’t until I spoke again that she finally noticed I was touching her. 

“You’re hurt. I brought you inside to help you.” 

Before I could register what happened, I felt myself being pinned up against the front door, fiery red eyes staring deep into my soul. With all the doubt that plagued my mind the last hour as I watched her sleep on the couch, I tried to tell myself that I didn’t know who she was. It was all a coincidence that parts of her reminded me of the figure I dreamed of.

But the moment I saw those bright red eyes, I knew that all the doubt was wrong. This was the same woman I dreamed of the last seven nights. 

LETHIA

With my nails digging into the fresh skin of the man in front of me, I assessed every inch of his face. The brown eyes widened in slight horror when my nails dug deeper and I took in the way his lips parted, breaths coming out broken. His long hair was held back by a clip but strands still fell into his face and I cocked my head to the side when I realized something drastic. 

Well, a few things. 

First, I couldn’t feel my hand around this man's throat. I squeezed harder, my face twitching in anger, when I still couldn’t feel his skin underneath my grasp. I expected to feel the erratic thrum of his pulse or his Adam's apple dip low as he swallowed. 

Instead, I felt nothing. 

No. It couldn’t be. 

I’ve heard tales of this happening to the Fallens but I never believed it to be true.  An old folks tale the other Archangels discussed over a cup of wine. 

My eyes blinked as I slowly removed my hand from the man’s throat, fingers shaking with the realization. The dark nails mocked me for my failure, scolding me for taking the darkness over the light. 

The second thing I realized? I’ve seen this face before. Moments before I fell, it flashed in my mind like a photograph, every fucking detail. The long brown hair, bright brown eyes to match, the freckles that littered over his nose and cheeks, the tattoo that wrapped around his throat where my fingers were moments before; a snake, apples, and hands. 

How metaphorical. 

“What’s going on with me?” I muttered bringing my hand to my chest, noticing it was wrapped in some kind of material. 

“You hurt your arm, we wrapped it for you,” a different voice spoke. 

My head snapped to the left, seeing another man slowly approach me. His voice sounded different than the others and I narrowed my eyes at him. 

“You’re not from around here,” I noted. 

A snort sounded from behind me causing me to whirl my body towards it, seeing yet another strange man staring at me. 

“Not from around here? Who talks like that?” 

Someone smacked him in the chest. “Michael, don’t be an asshole.” 

“I’m just saying, Nick. She wakes up in our home and attacks two of our friends. Are we supposed to allow that? We don’t even know her fucking name.” 

My tongue clicked against my teeth. “Lethia.” 

Various sets of eyes stared at me until the man who had an attitude spoke.; Michael. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“My name-,” I spoke slowly. “-Is Lethia.”

Michael snorted. “Well, Lethia, where the hell did you come from?” 

Giving him a wave of my hand, I decided it wasn’t worth answering that question only because none of these men deserve to know.

“Who’s Luce?” 

I snapped my eyes towards the man I had pinned against the door, heart stuttering in my chest. “Excuse me?” 

He rubbed at the fresh red marks on his neck. “You said it in your sleep.” 

Lucifer. 

I licked my lips, widely shaking my head. “I need to leave.” 

A soft voice called to me. “We can take you back home.”

This man had a buzzed head and a beard. “Although, you should get those injuries checked out.” 

“I’ll heal,” I answered honestly.

Lethia, come to me.

I gazed around the room to see if that voice belonged to any of the seven of them although I knew it didn’t. I knew exactly who uttered those words. 

“I have to go.” 

The man from my vision stood tall against the door, not allowing me to leave. My jaw ticked with anger and I motioned behind him. 

“Move.” 

His brow raised. “That’s a funny way of saying thank you for saving your life.” 

“Thank you?” I chuckled darkly. “You simply did nothing for me except keep me prisoner in this home.” 

“Prisoner?” It was his turn to chuckle. “I fucking found you in my driveway, broken and bruised. The least you can do is tell us what the hell happened!”

They’ll never understand. Mere mortals never did. 

I might not understand where I was but I knew mortals when I saw one. Their smell was different than angels; some were stronger than others. Except for the man blocking my way out. It was different, his aura, and I didn’t want to admit it but it drew me into him. There had to be a reason why I saw him mere seconds before I fell from the Kingdom. 

The two of us were unmoving, not wanting to break first, and one of the men must have felt the tension because one gently stepped between us; the one that sounded different from the rest.

“Noah, let her go.” 

Something fluttered in my stomach and I nearly shook with the unknown feeling. Never in my life had I felt something like this, even during my time with Lucifer. But with this mortal, Noah, it was entirely something new and it scared me to the depths of hell. 

Noah scrunched his face with anger but eventually stepped to the side, allowing me to leave. 

“Thank you,” I mocked with a slight curl to my lip; more like a snarl. 

After two steps toward the door, I froze when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eyes. Titling my head towards the glass, my reflection stared back at me and I gasped at what I saw. 

Short black hair, black ink covering almost every inch of skin across my shoulders and arms, my shirt barely hanging one by a thread, and what shocked me the most were my eyes; crimson red, not the vibrant violet. 

“No, it can’t be,” I brought my shaking hand to my mouth. 

Suddenly,  an ear-piercing ringing dug deep in my ears and I brought my hands to them, screwing my eyes shut. My head throbbed in pain as if someone was scratching their claws there. With one eye open, I noticed Michael held some kind of device in his hand. 

“Wh-what is that dreaded noise?” I stuttered. 

“A phone? Fuck, how hard did you hit your head?” 

A what? 

When the ringing stopped, I stood taller and for the first time, took in my surroundings. Everything in this home looked different than how we lived in the Kingdom. While we had advantaged technology, we simply didn’t have things of this nature. 

“None of this makes sense,” I whispered to myself before my eyes landed on a small device on a table. 

October 12, 2021. 

I nearly stumbled on my feet when everything began to click into place. Someone during my fall, I landed in a time that hadn’t existed yet. 

Noah could tell something was off because he turned towards me, a frown pulling at his lips. “Are you alright?” 

Without saying another word, I left in such haste, I hadn’t realized what I left behind in my wake. 

NOAH

My eyes stared at the space in front of me, the door wide open as it let in the cool night air. Those red eyes haunted me in Lethai’s wake and my skin crawled when an old dream crept back into my consciousness. 

I lay in my bed, bare for her to see, Lethia’s tongue traced down my chest and then stomach to brush across my navel. I gripped her dark hair, wrapping it around my fingers to guide her head farther down. My cock throbbed with such an ache, I was sure it wouldn’t last. Beads of precum slipped from the slit and Lethia’s tongue danced around it, tasting me. 

“Fuck,” I cursed as my eyes fluttered shut in ecstasy. 

“Look at me, Noah.” 

My eyes snapped open at Lethia’s firm tone and felt my heart stop dead in my chest; her eyes were glowing red. 

“Noah!” 

Breaking free from my trance, I gazed over to Orie. “Did you say something?” 

“We did all we could, man. There’s no use dwelling on it.” 

He patted my shoulder before they all dispersed into their sections of the house. But not me, I remained frozen in my spot, still staring at the vast darkness past the threshold. There was something just outside the realm of that darkness that caught my eye, it fluttered in the wind until it fell to the concrete just outside the door. 

With furrowed brows, I bent low to pick it up, analyzing it with curious eyes. It was a black feather, at least twelve inches in length, and the softness of it was something I’d never felt before. 

“Who are you, Lethia?” I murmured to myself, holding the feather close to my chest.

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-two

gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: I hope you all enjoy what I have planned for this story because it's going to be amazing!

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch @blackveilomens @crimson-calligraphyx @cookiesupplier @lyschko666 @shilohrosechicken @thebadchic @iknownothingpeople @sammyjoeee @malice-ov-mercy @kaelyn-lobrutto24

LETHIA

I stood before the old, cracked, mirror, completely bare, and a scowl stared back at me as I took in my new appearance. I felt off; wrong, and despised the darkness that encompassed the room. I held my hand out in front of me to look at the long black nails; sharp as knives. My gaze then took in the sight of the wings that protruded from my shoulder blades and a sob left my lips when I realized that I didn’t look like myself. The ink that covered my arms had no true meaning or designs but one held my gaze longer than the others. 

It was on my ribs and the design was of a snake wrapping around a hand that held an apple. I titled my head in confusion at it, unsure as to why this design was the one that stood out to me so much. 

Up in the kingdom, my hair was down to my back in golden waves, my nails were short nubs, and my skin was pure with no ink. But I wasn’t sure what I was more afraid of, my wings or my eyes. 

My eyes were blood red as I stared at myself in the mirror. It was as if pure evil was in my presence.

The devil. 

My body shook at the thought, not knowing where that word came from, and the noise my wings made echoed throughout the abandoned building I was holed up in. The wings that I felt disgusted by. Angels were known by their wings and everyone knew of my bright golden ones. But now, the darkness that caused my fall had taken over every aspect of my form. 

My wings were black as the night sky but seemed to almost glow in the darkness of the building. What used to be soft and weightless was now heavy and jagged as it felt like a crushing weight against my back. I wrapped them around myself, hiding underneath the dark feathers, and I let out a shuddering breath. I despised the way I looked now and turned my back to the mirror, refusing to look at myself any longer. 

During my time in the Kingdom, I never was present when angels fell but I heard many stories. In all of them, an angel never changed during their fall. They lost their wings but their looks remained the same. Throughout the entire history of angels and the Kingdom, as far as I knew, I was the only angel that drastically changed. 

Was it because I went against the King? Was it because of who I found myself in bed with before my fall?

I didn’t know where I went from here, unsure of the path I needed to follow. Since creation, I followed some sort of leader or order but now my purpose didn’t matter. 

Through all the doubt and confusion, there was one thing I knew I needed to do. I sat with my legs crossed and took a deep breath while letting my eyes flutter shut. I’d been in this place for the last few days, hiding away from the outside world, as I tried to center myself. Even though I was upset with the way my appearance changed from the fall, I was glad that my powers remained; especially the fact that I was able to become aware of my surroundings. I was in a different time period and while at first, I felt different, an outcast among mortals, with hours spent dream walking I was able to learn more about where I fell.

The cool air brushed along my bare skin, my nipples perking, as I let out a long breath, finally feeling weightless when the scene in front of me changed. No longer was I sitting in the abandoned building but instead, I was standing in front of yet another mirror, still naked. I looked in the reflection of the glass seeing a bed behind me with orange lights glowing from behind it. There was a figure sitting at the edge of it with a piece of fabric wrapped around his waist and water dripped from the long strands of his hair. 

The window to the bedroom was open and a crow perched itself on the sill of it, cawing when our gazes locked. I’d seen this crow many times before when I dreamed walked, almost as if it was my familiar. 

With another caw from the bird, the man on the bed snapped his head, brown eyes drinking me in as I shifted on my feet and when his hand extended towards me, I studied the tattoos that seemed to cover every inch of skin. 

“Lethia.” 

I twitched as if hearing my name on his lips awoke something within me. 

“Come here.” 

Instantly, he pulled me into his lap and my hands rested on his shoulders. It wasn’t only his hands that were tattooed, almost every inch of his chest, stomach, and arms were as well. 

He brushed the hair from my face but I kept my gaze cast away from him, not wanting him to see the darkness behind them. 

“Don’t hide from me, Lethia. I want to see those eyes.” 

A finger lifted my chin where briefly our gazes locked and my heart beat widely in my chest. His name weighed heavy on my tongue but I refused to say it. He licked his lips before they pressed delicate kisses along my jawline, down to my neck, and I sucked in a breath when he used his grip on my hips to move me back and forth on his lap. The fabric that covered his bottom half did nothing to hide the outline of his cock as it pressed against my heated core. 

“Say my name,” he rasped in the crook of my neck leaving bites against the skin. 

I did my best to shake my head as a moan fell from my lips. Unlike outside of the dream state, I was able to feel his touch; his fingers gripping my hips, his teeth scraping along the pulse point of my neck, and the head of his cock breaking free from the fabric and sliding against my folds. 

There were many times in the kingdom that I found myself intimate with other angels, my most recent lover the reason for my fall, but something with him was different. The way my heart pounded so hard in my chest, I could hear it in my ears. Or the way my stomach burned with desire and spread through my entire essence. 

“Say it,” he poised the head of his cock at my entrance. 

I shook my head. “No.” 

A grunt sounded from the back of his throat before he switched our positions so he was leaning over me while I lay beneath him. My fingers quickly worked through the long strands of his still-damp hair, marveling at the softness of them. Intense eyes stared down at me, lip caught between his teeth. 

“You’re an angel.” 

“Shit,” I mewled when he finally pressed his cock between my folds, filling me up completely. 

Not giving me a second to breathe, he began slamming into me with such force I scratched my nails down the tattoos of his chest and stomach to try and grab onto something. 

“Say. It.” He punctuated each word with a hard snap of his hips. 

His fingers linked through mine and held our intertwined hands above my head. The fire burning from his eyes was almost too much to take so I dropped my gaze lower to his neck and I sucked in a breath at the tattoo. 

A snake wrapped around a hand that held an apple. 

The pad of his thumb brushed against my swollen clit in fast circles and my toes curled as the orgasm washed over me in a tidal wave, his name finally falling from my lips. 

“Noah.” 

My eyes snapped open with a choked breath as I nearly stumbled over in my position on the floor. I was back in the abandoned building, alone, and quickly rose to my feet while trying to gain my composure. When I dreamwalked in the past, there never was a set destination, only going where my brain and heart guided me. I wasn't sure why it led me to the man who saved me a few nights ago. 

My skin prickled with desire, the feel of Noah still heavy on my senses, and I squeezed my legs together hoping it would kill the ache in my core. It wasn’t uncommon for angels to lay with other angels; I had before, more recently with Lucifer. Which, some above in the Kingdom would say that’s the reason why I fell. 

But with this mortal, Noah, something felt different inside of me. An unknown heat burned my entire soul at the mere thought of him. Although I couldn’t feel his physical touch, his emotional touch hindered me in the most confusing ways. 

With a deep breath and a roll of my shoulders, my wings sank into my back while I reached for the jeans and shirt I stole from the store around the block. I quickly got dressed and slipped into my black boots. I tried not to let the thoughts of those brown eyes and the tattoo on his neck hinder me from my current mission. 

I needed to find a church. 

NOAH

My feet pounded lightly against the pavement as I left my car parked in the street, ready to meet up with the guys for a late lunch. I’d been in the studio most of the day and when Jolly called about getting something to eat, my stomach growled in agreement before I could. 

“You need to get out of the house, Noah. You’ve been locked in the studio the last three days.” 

I didn’t bother arguing with Jolly because it was true. The old, battered, notebook I used to write my lyrics never left my side the last few days, my current page being bookmarked by the long black feather; the one Lethia left behind in her wake. The image, the thought of her taking over every part of me. Even in my dreams, she felt so real. The touch of her, the scent of her, and her sweet sounds especially the dream I had mere hours ago felt so fucking real. Even the crow that watched us from my window. 

I was still perplexed as to why for the last few weeks I kept dreaming of Lethia, long before even meeting her. And why ever since I did meet her, the dreams felt more intense; real. 

Running a hand through my hair, I rounded the block and pushed past the large crowds of people that poured out from the bar, stumbling into the streets; dressed to the nines in costume. With Halloween a couple of weeks away, some of the local bars were having Costume Nights, hence what I was seeing right now. There was a sudden commotion just past the group of people and I stopped at what I saw.

“What the fuck,” I muttered the curse into my hand as I rubbed my jaw. 

Lethia was standing at the corner of the block with her hands wrapped around a man's wrist. 

“What gives you the right to say those vulgar words to me?” the anger in her voice radiated down the block. 

The man, dressed in a white toga and golden leaf crown, tried to rip his arm from Lethia’s grip but hissed out in pain. 

“Those jeans do wonders for your ass, sweetheart. Those tits are begging to be grabbed.” 

A scowl pulled on her lips. “Mortals. You’re disgusting. You all think you’re owed anything you desire.” 

“I’ll give you whatever you desire,” the man traced a finger down her face. 

Jealousy stabbed my chest seeing how close he was to Lethia but before I could step in, she had twisted his arm over her head, causing him to flip over onto his back, slamming into the pavement below. He tried to fight it but Lethia simply stepped on his chest, keeping him locked in place with her boot. 

“What the fuck,” he struggled. 

Lethia pressed the heel of her boot harder into his chest. “I should eviscerate you, right here. In front of your friends who simply can’t stand up for you. How pathetic.” 

One of the guys’ friends snuck up behind Lethia to try and wrap an arm around her neck to pull her away but she must have heard or sensed him because she whipped around, knocking him back with elbow. 

“Fucking bitch!” The second guy cried out, clutching his bloody nose.

Toga guy scrambled to his feet but Lethia was two steps ahead of him and kicked him in the nose, knocking him back down. 

“How is she so strong?” Toga guy spat out blood. 

Hearing the crowd next to me muttering something about calling the police, I cursed and pushed my way through, knowing that if I didn’t do something soon, Lethia would be in a position she couldn’t fight her way out of. 

“What the fuck!” She screamed as I quickly scooped her up, tossing her over my shoulder. “Unhand me! NOW!” 

Her hands smacked against my back but not wanting to risk staying around the mess of bodies at my feet, I quickly ran back down the block toward my car. 

“Can you stop smacking me?” I grunted while shifting her position on my shoulder. 

“LET ME GO!” Lethia tried to knee me in the gut but I wrapped my arm tighter around her legs, keeping her locked in place. 

It took a bit of trouble but I managed to reach for my keys to unlock my car just as I walked up. Yanking the door open, I gently dropped Lethia into the front seat, her feet kicking widely at me. 

“I swear to gods if you don’t stop kicking me, I’m going to leave you here to deal with those assholes on your own,” I said with agitation. 

It was a lie. I had zero intentions of leaving her here with them, even if she could handle herself. 

Lethia halted her thrashing for a moment, tilting her head up towards me as I leaned over the car. 

“Gods? What Gods? There is only one King,” she said. 

Sudden commotion from where we just came from caught my attention and I saw Toga guy and friend frantically looking around. 

“Shit,” I cursed while quickly buckling Letha into her seat. 

“What is this contraption? Why can’t I move?” 

Ignoring her shouts, I shut the door and ran across to the driver's side, easily slipping behind the wheel. Thankfully I was able to drive away without the two guys noticing Lethia was in my front seat.

“What the hell was that about?” I asked, glancing at her briefly. 

She kept pulling on her seatbelt. “Those men said such vulgar things. I couldn’t allow them to get away with it. 

The sound of the blinker echoed in my car as I turned left, our destination unknown. 

“I’m pretty sure you broke both of their noses,” I chuckled. 

“I would have done more if you didn’t pull me away,” Lethia grumbled under her breath, the seatbelt snapping against her chest. 

She didn’t even flinch. 

“You need to let me out of whatever this thing is.” 

I raised a brow. “Have plans?” 

Her red eyes assessed every inch of my car before her gaze fell on the side of my face. 

“None that concern you,” Lethia replied flatly. 

I hummed while pulling the car to a stop at a red light. My fingers drummed against the steering wheel as silence filled the tiny space between us. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Lethia stared straight out through the windshield of the car. 

“Do all mortal men have staring problems?” Her lips were pulled in a tight line. 

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my smirk away. “I’ve never seen eyes your color before.” 

When the light turned green, I began driving again, hoping Lethia would give me an inclination on where she wanted to go. 

“There’s quite a lot you don’t know about me, Noah,” she clicked her tongue on her teeth. 

My cock twitched in my jeans at the way my name sounded on her lips and I shifted in the seat, my knuckles turning white from how hard I was grasping the steering wheel. 

I cleared my throat. “I’m glad to see your injuries healed up nicely.” 

“I said they would, didn’t I?” Lethia smugly smiled. 

Ignoring her witty remark, I pulled into a parking lot. She gazed up out of the window at the large yellow M sign. 

“Mephistopheles?” 

“No,” I shook my head with furrowed brows. “Mcdonalds. I thought you might be hungry.” 

She fell back into her seat. “I don’t eat.” 

I continued to stare at her, confusion etched in my bones. This was only our second meeting and every time she either said or did something that made me question where she came from. 

“I know you said you weren’t hungry but what if-.” 

Lethia suddenly sat forward. “Is that a church” 

With narrowed eyes, I followed her finger as she pointed to a building across the street. 

“Uh-yeah?” I answered with hesitation. 

“Thank you,” she gave a curt nod then all but scrambled out of my car. 

“Wait,” I followed her movements by walking in front of the car. 

But it was too late, Lethia was already halfway down the block. 

“Where are you going?” I called after her. 

“I need to talk to the King!” She waved a hand over her shoulder and then slipped into the sudden darkness that encased the church. 

I never pegged her to be the religious type, needing to talk to her king this late in the evening but then again, I didn’t know much about her to begin with. 

My feet went to follow but the buzzing from my pocket halted me and when I peered at the screen, I knew I couldn’t ignore this. With a long sigh, I got back into my car, Lethia still heavy on my mind. 

LETHIA

I sat in the long, beaten, pew, and stared up at the altar where a lone statue of Jesus stood. His arms spread wide as if it was accepting everyone’s sin with a stone face; literally. A low scowl pulled on my lips as I glared at the statue. 

“I don’t understand why your creation was more important than ours. The King always favored you more than us.” 

An ear-ringing silence filled the large space of the church as I continued to sit there, waiting for any kind of sign from above. 

“I’ve followed you since my creation. I was your number one for as long as I can remember. However, you cast me out because I loved someone other than you? We were all your children but didn’t think twice about turning your back on me.” 

I sat forward with a start, hands gripping the pew in front of me and my long black nails dug into the wood. 

“Why did you cast me in a different time? Is this punishment?” 

The only noise in the church was the sound of the old building creaking with the blowing wind from outside. 

“Fuck, give me some sort of answer!” I bellowed, my voice echoing. 

More silence and that’s what finally made me rise to my feet with a start and I spat on the floor. 

“Why did I think I’d get any answers from you? I’ll figure this out on my own.” 

Turning my back to the altar, my footsteps bounced off the marble walls as I pushed open the doors of the church, bounding down the steps with newfound adrenaline. It was foolish of me to think I’d get the answers I deserved in a building that was built for two things; worship and greed. 

My fire eyes stared straight ahead as I pushed my way through the bodies of mortals whose problems paled in comparison to mine. My mind was filled with so many different things, that I hadn’t realized I walked straight into a body, never feeling his touch, until my voice was called; quite loudly. 

“Lethia!” 

My gaze snapped up towards those familiar brown eyes, filled with warmth and concern. 

I was wrapped in one of his arms, although I couldn’t feel it, I knew his fingers were grazing over my lower back; I felt it in my heart. 

“Are you alright? You look pretty upset,” Noah asked. 

His scent tickled my nose and it brought back memories of when I walked in his dream earlier. I was able to feel everything in his dream; his touch, his lips on my skin, his cock as it buried deep inside of me, and my orgasm as it ripped through me. 

But here, in the flesh, I couldn’t feel any part of him on my skin. My lip quivered because out of all the confusion on where my life went moving forward, what dug the knife deeper into my chest was the fact I couldn’t feel him. 

He’s a mortal! Why does my heart yearn for him in ways I don’t understand?

“Are you following me? It seems like everywhere I turn, you’re there!” I snapped, ripping myself from his embrace. 

Something flashed in his eyes. “I promise you, I’m not.” 

The tattoo on his neck caught my attention as it peaked through the hood of his black sweater and I felt my hands twitch at my sides. My long nails practically begged me to dig into the bright-colored ink because it mirrored the one on my ribs. There had to be some kind of connection between us, hence why I thought of Noah when I fell and how easily it was to walk into his dream earlier. Not to mention our matching tattoos. 

His long hair was pulled back, only a few strands falling into the soft features of his face, and it was then that I noticed the large bag on his shoulder. 

“What’s that?” I motioned towards it.

“My guitar,” Noah shifted it on his back. 

“Guitar?” 

“Yeah,” he nodded with a faint smile. “You know, for music.” 

Music. 

“You play- music?” I spoke slowly. 

“Yeah, I have a band. Bad Omens.” 

The proud smile on his face made something flutter in the pits of my stomach and I shifted on my feet at the uncomfortable and unknown feeling. 

“Do you know Luce, then? He used to play music all the time for me.” I wondered. 

If the King couldn’t give me the answers I sought, I knew Lucifer would if I found him. 

Noah’s brows furrowed. “The name doesn't sound familiar, sorry.” 

Cursing, I ran a hand through my hair, it still shocked me that my hands smacked my shoulder instead of continuing to run through long longs. The short length would take time to get used to.

“Why don’t you let me take you home? It’s getting kind of late.” He suggested. 

I waved him off. “I was kicked out of my home.” 

Noah’s jaw dropped slightly. “So, where are you staying then?” 

Movement over his shoulder caught my eyes and I sucked in a breath; familiar emerald eyes staring back at me. They were calling me in, pulling my soul back to his. Black strands of his hair were combed back, further showcasing those bright eyes. His olive-colored skin I spent many nights in the Kingdom kissing sparkled under the moonlight. 

“Lethia, come home.” His deep rich voice spoke to me. 

“Lucifer,” I breathed. 

Noah’s face twitched. “What?” 

Ignoring him, I pushed past him and through the sea of people, trying to reach Lucifer until his form vanished with the blowing wind.

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-Fallen Angel AU

Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OFC x Lucifer!Andy Biersack

"Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, and isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.- CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS

*smut

PINTEREST BOARD

Mood Board by @madomens

ONE* | TWO * | THREE | FOUR | FIVE*| SIX TEASER-chapter coming soon

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-Four

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: So I pulled a lot of ideas from my favorite fallen angel romance series, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick! I hope you all enjoy!

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch @blackveilomens @crimson-calligraphyx @cookiesupplier @lyschko666 @shilohrosechicken @thebadchic @iknownothingpeople @sammyjoeee @malice-ov-mercy @collapsedglasshouses @klutzy-kay24 @iamamatus @lma1986 @bngurngheart @happi-goth

LETHIA

I sat in the middle of Noah’s bed with my knees pulled to my chest and rested my chin on top of them. My mind continued to replay the conversation with Maraxa and her parting words had been etched deep within my soul. I feared that maybe I brought darkness and death to not only Noah but all of his friends' lives. They were innocent bystanders in the battle for my alliance. Stay on this Earth with mortals or fall into the depths of Hell with the light bringer. 

Lucifer. He wanted me alongside him to lead his army of darkness. Against what? I wasn’t sure. But the love we shared wasn’t what it used to be and my heart didn't covet for him any longer. Not when there was someone else who seemed to have filtered into this newfound life without warning. 

Those almond eyes captivated me from the moment I had Noah pinned against the door. His scent was different from most mortals and for the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why. The way we always seemed to run into each other or that anytime I dream walked, it was his dream.  

Why was it Noah’s face I saw moments before my fall? 

Why did we have the same tattoo? His on his neck, mine on my ribs? 

None of this made any sense and it only angered me more as to why I was stuck here. 

As I was staring at the length of my black nails, there was a gentle knock on the door of the bedroom; me humming in response to it. When it opened slightly, Noah poked his head in, the long strands of his hair falling into his face. 

“Hey,” his voice was gentle. “I’m just checking to see if you’re settling in fine.” 

“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m sorry for having Maraxa show up here. I assure you, it won’t happen again.”

You don’t know that. 

Noah leaned against the wall next to the door, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s alright. Is she an old friend?” 

I scoffed while laying my legs straight on the bed to lean my back against the wall. 

“She is far from a friend. More like an acquaintance that always wanted my position.” 

If he could hear the venom in my voice, Noah said nothing and simply nodded. 

“Are you hungry?” He asked instead. 

“I’m fine, thank you,” I ran a hand over the black comforter. “I must say, I do feel terrible making you sleep on the couch when your bed is quite comfortable.” 

“Seriously?” Noah chuckled while walking farther into the room to sit on the bed next to me. “I’ve had this mattress for years and it's anything but comfortable.” 

An eerie silence fell between us, something that made me shift in my spot next to him when the warmth from him radiated around me in flames. I could feel his essence all over my skin while not feeling his actual touch. Bumps rose at the back of my neck when I felt his gaze linger there, lighting me a blaze. 

My eyes caught sight of something hanging from above his window so I pointed to it. 

“Are you religious? The rosary?”

Noah peered up at the wooden necklace hanging from his curtain rod. “Oh, that. It’s kind of a long story.” 

Crossing my legs, I rested my elbow on my thigh to rest my chin in my hand. “And I have time. I’d love to know your view on it.” 

With a tender laugh, he nodded before turning toward me so we sat facing each other. “Well, I was raised in a very Christian Baptist household with my grandparents; when I wasn’t staying with my mom. That's another story but it’s not important.” 

Immediately I picked up on the way his eyes cast down at his hands at the mention of his mother but made no effort to acknowledge it. Instead, I urged him to continue with a nod. 

“I’d go to service with my grandparents and help out in the church any way I could. Painting, setting up for service, things like that. I was exposed to a lot of religion growing even though when I was younger I didn’t buy into it as much. Despite having a lot of questions and doubts about it now, I still think there’s a lot to learn about it through religion, spirituality, and faith. Which is why I write about it metaphorically.” 

He ran a hand over his chin for a moment. “I never try to push my own beliefs or agendas on people. I want people to think and believe in things on their own, without having my choice influence them in any way.” 

“I think that’s marvelous,” I hummed. 

Noah smiled. “The whole lore and stories in religion really interest me. I’m currently reading a book about The Fall.”

My mouth ran dry when my body went rigid. “Th-the Fall?” 

“Yeah, fallen angels. It’s actually quite interesting.” 

I ran my hands over my thigh and cleared my throat. “Do you believe in them?” 

“Angels?” Noah asked with furrowed brows. 

All I could do was nod, afraid that my voice would give way to how nervous I was for his answer. 

He ran a hand over his mouth, almost deep in thought. “It’s hard to give a definitive answer because I haven’t seen proof of angels. I thought that angels didn’t exist at first but something changed my view on it. My grandma told me a story about fallen angels when I was younger. What about you? Do you believe it?” 

“You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen,” the tone of my voice dropped drastically as my fingers brushed along the softness of the comforter beneath me. 

Flash images of what I’d done under the King’s command plagued me. Death by my sword was ordered to anyone who disobeyed him. Which rarely happened but when it did, I was the one that dealt with the end of the traitor's life. The familiar feeling of ripping out their wings weighed heavy on my hands as I stared down at them with sheer disgust. 

How could the creator who was supposed to love all of us equally order me to do such vile, horrendous, things to his creations? 

“Lethia,” the softness of his large hands rested on my shoulder, fresh off a kill. “You’ve done well my child. Your allegiance is greatly thought of.”  

My jaw clenched at how foolish I’d been. Following a King who cared so little for us in the end. The amount of wings I ripped out was too much to count. The amount of angels I dragged my blade into cut deep into my gut, causing me to revolt in disgust. 

At myself. 

Since I fell weeks ago, I questioned so deeply why my appearance changed and I always thought it was because of my love for Lucifer. But it could be to pay for all of my heinous crimes up in the Kingdom. Crimes ordered by Him. 

“Hey,” Noah’s tattooed knuckle lifted my chin. “Are you alright?” 

I nearly sobbed when yet again I couldn’t feel his touch; another repercussion. 

“No,” I choked out. “I did horrible things back home and how could I ever be allowed back? Why would he want me back?” 

The screams of my victims were loud in my mind, their bloody wings lying at my feet, and I squeezed my eyes shut at the vision. 

“You don’t have to go back there. You can stay here with me. Whatever you did can’t be that terrible,” his voice cooed in the silence of his bedroom. 

The words died on my tongue, it not being worth it to explain myself to him because Noah wouldn’t understand. 

My heart's racing faltered for the briefest of moments, only for it to double in pace when Noah’s eyes studied me, assessing every inch of my face. I tracked every movement of his tongue when it darted out to wet his pink lips. 

“Lethia.” 

My name was all but a hushed whisper that hung on his bottom lip and when our eyes met, some kind of light danced behind his. I raised my fingers to his mouth to drag the nail of my pointer finger along that bottom lip. Noah’s breath hitched in his throat but remained still as I glanced up at him, dying to know what it would feel like. Facial hair peppered his chin and above his mouth, and I couldn’t help but smile at how good he looked. 

There was no way he wasn't like me. Noah was too eternal, the aura that radiated around him shone bright and pulled me in every time he was around. 

The long locks of his hair fell into his face when he tilted his head towards me, closing the distance slightly. The divine scent of him filled my senses and I let my eyes flutter shut to pick apart each of the different smells. Noah smelled woodsy with a hint of Bergamot and Nutmeg. It smelled like his bedroom. It smelled like him. 

“Noah,” I breathed, now dragging my nails over the tattoo on his neck. 

I couldn't feel his touch but I did notice my hair being brushed away from my face. 

“I can’t explain it,” Noah swallowed. “But I feel this strong connection to you.” 

All of my actions were unknown to me, along with this feeling in my chest that burned with such a good ache. Noah silenced all of the voices in my mind, easing away the guilt and hurt that weighed heavily on my heart for my actions in the Kingdom. I was resistant at first with him but I think it was only because this feeling deep inside of me scared me to the ends of the earth. 

“Me as well,” I admitted quietly. 

My hands rested in my lap now, shaking with nerves, wondering what Noah was going to do. We were so close now, with almost no space between our lips, and before my brain could catch up on what was happening a sudden surge of warmth exploded inside of me before seeping into my veins. My skin pricked with electricity when Noah’s hand glided through my hair and it was then that I noticed his eyes were closed but his lips were on mine. 

He was kissing me? 

Fuck. 

I nearly cried and cursed the King for bestowing me with this curse of not being able to feel human touch. All I wanted was to feel Noah’s lips on mine, taste him, devour him. Although I couldn’t feel him, the feeling that was coming alive inside of me was almost too much to handle and I let a quiet moan be swallowed by Noah, who hummed in delight. 

It felt like fireworks being shot off inside of me. It felt like that first flight I took when I realized my wings kept me upright. It felt like the wind blew through my hair and the softness of the clouds encased me just as Noah’s arm did. 

Something spread my lips apart and now all I could feel was the sudden wetness in my mouth and between my legs. I clenched them together while grasping at Noah’s shirt, trying to feel anything. 

He pulled away to glance down at me, briefly searching my eyes for any emotion I couldn’t give off in the kiss we just shared. 

“I mean this with genuine curiosity but have you never been kissed before?” Noah wondered while his hand cupped my cheek. 

I shifted on his bed and kept my gaze cast down on my lap. While I lay with other angels up in the Kingdom, we’d never kissed; Noah was my first kiss, ever. 

“Lethia?” 

“I-,” my shoulders slumped. “No. Was I that bad?” 

Now while I couldn’t feel his touch, that didn’t stop me from meeting his kiss with the same amount of gentle caress that he led with. 

A low noise rumbled in Noah’s chest. “Not at all. I’d actually like to kiss you again if that’s alright?” 

Unbridled heat expanded deep within me as I nodded quickly and then his lips were on mine again. I let the passion in my heart guide my lips, doing my best to mimic Noah’s actions, and he let out a moan when I climbed into his lap to run my hands through the waves of his tawny hair. Even if I couldn’t feel any part of this physically, I could feel it in my heart, and to me, that’s all that mattered. 

“Lethia,” Noah groaned when I pressed my hips into his. 

Something in my heart told me that he was brushing his tongue along the side of my neck before his teeth grazed over in its path. That same feeling told me that Noah’s hands were sprawled over my lower back before slipping underneath my shirt to claw at my skin, digging his nails in. 

My spine tingled with fire, starting from the base and shooting straight up into my neck before spreading through my entire angel essence. My head fell back as my jaw went slack when the familiar feeling of ecstasy crept its way into me.

Only this wasn’t the kind of ecstasy brought on by a man's kiss or touch.

No. 

The skin on my shoulder blades began to peel away an opening for my wings to protrude from and with a gasp of fear, I scrambled away from Noah and nearly stumbled over my feet as I stood in front of him. He lay back on his elbows, hair a mess from my fingers running through it, and lips were swollen from our kiss. The rise and fall of his chest was uneven as he tried to catch his breath. I dared a glance lower and sucked in a breath when I noticed how hard his cock was in his gray sweats. 

“Hey, are you alright? Did I do something?” Noah asked while rising to his feet and taking a step towards me. 

I took a step back. “No, you didn’t do anything. I-I can’t explain it but-.” 

How could I explain it? 

Oh hey, Noah. I was getting so turned on by our kiss that my wings almost came out.

Yeah right. 

I dragged my hands through my hair and let out an aggravated groan to which Noah gently grasped my wrists and held them against his chest. My gaze bounced back and forth between his eyes, my erratic heartbeat calming. 

“If I went too far, I apologize,” he said. 

“No,” I hastily shook my head. “You didn’t do anything. I just needed a moment to clear my head, that's all.”  

He hummed. “I know the perfect thing to help with that.” 

Before dropping my hands, he left a gentle kiss on them, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread to my lips as I watched him gather the extra clothes on his desk and towels.

“A shower always helps me clear my head,” Noah said while leading me out of his bedroom. 

“A shower?” I asked, slowly treading behind him. 

“Yeah,” he nodded as we stepped inside the bathroom. “Hot Water. Soap. Shampoo.”

“Naked. I know the drill,” I crossed my arms over my chest with a raised brow. “Are you trying to get me naked, Noah?” 

Nervously he rubbed the back of his neck and a red tint painted over his cheeks. “N-no. I just want to help you.” 

I took the things in his hands with a nod of thanks. “You’ve already done enough for me. Giving me a place to stay.” 

The space between us was small in his bathroom due to his tall stature and he gazed down at me with a slight up curl of his lips as he stuffed his hands in his pocket. 

“I help the people I care about.” 

I cocked my head at him. “You care about me?” 

This word, care, was foreign to me; unheard of in the Kingdom. So to hear Noah utter it made a weird feeling stir inside of me. 

“I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t,” Noah’s voice was low as he took a small step towards me. 

However, when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I nearly dropped the clothes and towels. I always tried to avoid looking at myself because of how evil I looked. My red eyes matched the red lights from under Noah’s bed and my short onyx hair barely reached my shoulders. Thankfully my jacket and jeans covered the tattoos that were drawn on my skin; etched in deep with my transgressions. 

I despised how I looked now. Revolted in the darkness that I become. 

“I never used to look like this,” I admitted with a long sigh, letting the things in my hands fall to the bathroom counter. 

Noah stepped behind me to stare at my reflection in the mirror. “Really?” 

“This look?” I pointed to my reflection. “It’s a telling of everything wrong I’ve done. I can’t even look at myself without disgust.” 

His face fell at my words and he rested his hands on my shoulders. “Lethia, that’s the farthest thing from the truth. You look beautiful.” 

That was another word I hadn’t heard before. 

“Beautiful?” I raised a brow, staring at his reflection still. 

Noah rested his chin on top of my head and I couldn’t help but giggle at the size difference between us. I wasn’t exactly short but with Noah’s length, he easily towered over me so to rest his chin on my head he had to bend down a bit, encasing his arms on either side of me to grip the bathroom counter. 

My eyes raked over the tattoos that covered the entirety of his arms, various designs and colors. 

“Well for starters, the length of your hair suits your face structure and the color compliments your olive skin tone,” he left a kiss on the side of my head. 

“I used to have long, almost white hair,” I said. 

“Oh,” his face scrunched up. 

“You don’t like it?” I teased with a chuckle. 

Noah shrugged. “You look beautiful either way but like I said this look suits you better.” 

His hands grabbed the collar of my jacket to slowly pull it down my arms, letting it fall to the floor at our feet. I now stood in front of him in my jeans and white shirt, arms exposed to show the darkness of the tattoos that covered them. 

“Your tattoos are made for you,” he breathed in my ear, fingers trailing up the skin of my arms. 

Our eyes locked in the mirror, the deep crimson of mine paled in contrast to his bright almond ones; however this time when I looked into them, they weren’t cold and vacant. Not like I’d see in my dreams. 

“Your eyes,” Noah breathed. “I think your eyes are one of my favorite things about you.” 

He brushed away the hair from my neck so he could press kisses along the skin there. I watched in the mirror as his teeth grazed over the shell of my ear before sinking deep into the crook of my neck. Straight heat shot through me again and I let myself fall into his embrace with a sigh that sounded more like a moan. 

“I’m afraid,” my bottom lip trembled as I cast my eyes down from his. 

Noah turned me in his arms so I had no choice but to look up at him. His eyes were filled with worry as they searched every inch of my face. I grasped at the front of his shirt, fingers trying desperately to feel the material. 

“Afraid of what? This?” He pointed between us. 

“No,” I shook my head and then let out a shaky breath. “I am terrified by this dark thing that sleeps in me.” 

Noah’s hands were on both sides of my face because he held me firm. Then when the light sparked inside of me, I knew that he crashed his lips on mine, tongue slipping inside of my mouth. Although I couldn’t feel his touch, the feeling I had deep inside of me was telling me everything he was doing. 

One hand cupped my cheek while the other slipped inside my shirt, grasping at the skin of my lower back. His lips and tongue explored every inch of my mouth, dragging his teeth along my jawline and neck as he went back to leaving small marks along my collarbone. 

His name came out just below a whisper when he lifted me onto the bathroom counter, digging his nails into the thick material of my jeans to spread my legs open for him. Noah stepped between them as I brought our lips together again in another fiery kiss, needing to bring Noah even closer to me by any means. 

“Lethia,” he murmured against my mouth. “I need-.” 

Just as the skin on my shoulders began peeling away, someone walked into the bathroom, causing Noah to jump away from me slightly. Glancing at the now open door, I noticed his roommate Jesse’s eyes bouncing between Noah and me. 

“Shit, I should have knocked,” he muttered while rubbing his face. “I just saw the door was cracked open and didn’t think.” 

I wiped away the saliva from my lips and turned my head away from the two men, feeling this unusual burn on my cheeks. 

“It’s alright,” Noah ran a hand through his hair, still keeping a wide distance between us. “I was just letting Lethia take a shower.” 

Jesse nodded. “Yeah sure, no problem. I’ll just use the bathroom downstairs.” 

When it was just Noah and me yet again, I peered over to him who was leaning against the wall with a wicked smirk. 

“What?” I asked with a slight up curl on my lips. 

He said nothing, only adjusting himself. I dared a glance downward and sucked in a breath when I noticed his cock pressing hard against the front of his sweats. All the warmth in my body shot down to my core and I squeezed my thighs together, hoping it would curb the itch.

How did this mortal seem to set all of my senses ablaze like this? 

“I’ll give you some privacy,” Noah motioned to the shower. 

As he began walking out of the bathroom, I dared a glance at the shower but tilted my head in confusion. 

“Wait,” I spoke while reaching for his wrist, my black nails grazing his skin. 

Both of us reacted with such a shock, nearly making me rear back in surprise. Noah’s eyes bounced from my hold on him to my face; a spark of something behind them. 

“How do I turn it on?” 

“The shower?” His brows creased. 

All I did was nod, some things on this planet still confused me but I didn’t want to tell him that. 

With a chuckle, Noah walked over to the shower, sliding the door open then turned the dial left. 

“Left is hot. The right is cold. Adjust how you need to. There’s already some shampoo and body wash in there for you,” he said when he stepped in front of me. 

Steam began to fill the bathroom, dancing above our heads like the clouds in the Kingdom. Reaching up on the tips of my toes, I laid a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. 

“Thank you, Noah.” 

NOAH

I stifled a yawn behind my hand as I poured myself yet another cup of coffee, stirring the dark liquid as I leaned against the kitchen island. Craning my neck far to the left, I groaned when it popped in a few different places. Sleeping on the couch did a number on my back and neck but I didn’t want to verbalize my discomfort knowing that Lethia was comfortable upstairs in bed. 

Possibly naked, lying in my sheets. 

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I took a large gulp of my coffee, it slightly burning on the way down, when Jesse walked into the kitchen. His eyes raked over my disheveled hair and skewed clothes with a smirk. 

“Rough night?” 

I grumbled in response. 

“I’m sorry about interrupting you and Lethia last night,” Jesse apologized while reaching for a cup in the far right cupboard. 

“It’s alright,” I set my cup on the counter next to me. 

It seemed as if there was something on the tip of his tongue so I urged him to ask his question with a nod. 

“Are you sure you aren’t moving fast with her?” Jesse was hesitant to ask. “You don’t know a lot about Lethia?” 

Even though I was growing tired of the same conversation with my friends, I took a deep breath to ease away the annoyance. I knew they were only coming from a place of love. 

“It’s hard to explain,” I rubbed a hand up and down my arm. “We feel this strong connection between us and no matter how hard I tried to stay away, it seemed as if something kept pulling us together.” 

Jesse nodded with a faint smile. “She seems like a great girl, Noah. We just don’t want you to fall too deep and end up getting hurt.” 

I reassured him with a pat on his shoulder just as Jolly, Michael, and Orie came bounding into the kitchen, all of them going about to start their typical morning routine. It was a rare Saturday that we all had off so earlier in the week we talked about going for a hike today. 

“Still on for today?” Orie wondered. 

“Yeah,” I answered. 

Jolly took a sip of his coffee. “Did you ask if Lethia wanted to come?” 

My lips parted to speak but there was this tingle at the back of my neck, making the hairs there stand to attention, and when I turned slightly, my heart shuddered in my chest. 

Lethia stood in the middle of the kitchen, rubbing a hand on her elbow. Her hair was a mess from a night of sleep and I could make out the faintest of a few purple marks across her neck. My cock twitched in my sweats when I remembered our kisses from last night. But that’s not what made my heart stop. It was what she was wearing. 

My blue and white star shorts and my Jesus playing basketball with the devil t-shirt. It drowned on her, barely covering the shorts. Not only were her arms covered in tattoos but so were both of her legs, the black designs standing out amongst the sunlight that brushed in through the patio door next to her. Lethia looked absolutely breathtaking. 

Like an angel. 

“Hilarious,” she pulled at the picture of the shirt. 

I smiled. “Did you sleep alright?” 

“You guys were going to ask me something?” 

She averted my question with one of her own and Orie spoke up. 

“We were going for a hike today. Would you like to join?” 

“A hike,” Lethia repeated the words slowly. 

Michael rolled his eyes. “You know, walking up a mountain. Fresh air. Scenery. Exercise.” 

Crimson eyes sliced into him. “I know what a hike is.” 

“Cool, so are you coming with or not?” He crossed his arms. 

“I’m touched you want me to tag along, Michael. I knew you secretly had feelings for me,” Lethia teased with a playful smirk. 

Peering over to Michael, I noticed a red tint covering his cheeks before he hid his face in the fridge, rummaging around for something. 

“So,” I began while closing the distance between Lethia and me. “Do you want to come with us?” 

She peered up at me through dark lashes. “You want to spend time with me?” 

“I think after last night that it’s pretty clear,” I said while taming her sleep-tousled hair. 

Lethia leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering shut with a peaceful sigh. 

“Okay,” she agreed after a beat of silence. “Give me a few minutes to get dressed.” 

“Take all the time you need,” I said, trailing my fingers down the side of her neck. 

Lethia slipped away from me and trotted back upstairs to get ready and when I turned around, I ignored the looks from Michael, Orie, and Jolly. Instead, I walked into the living room while hearing Jesse fill them in on what happened last night. 

“You kissed her?” Michael asked as he followed me into the living room. 

Slipping my black jacket over my hoodie, I shrugged. “It sort of happened. We were in my room talking and I asked if I could.” 

He hesitated and I knew, like Jesse, he had some reservations. 

“Look, I appreciate you guys looking out for me, I do. But if I didn’t trust Lethia, she wouldn’t be here. So can we please make her feel welcome?” 

I directed the question towards Michael, who raised his hands. “I didn’t start it.” 

“I think the reason why you two seem to butt heads is because she doesn't take your shit,” Jolly chuckled while tying up his hair. 

Michael grumbled under his breath as Lethia came bounding down the steps, yet again taking my breath away. She was dressed in biker shorts, showcasing her long and toned legs, and a black fitted crop top. Her white tennis shoes stood out as she came to a stop when all eyes fell on her. 

“Do I have something stuck to me or something?” She asked, doing a full 360 turn, and I briefly saw a tattoo peaking on her shoulder through the straps of her shirt. 

Some kind of bird. A crow?

“No, you look great,” I smiled. “Ready?” 

“Shit, my jacket. Let me-.” 

Before she could run back upstairs, I handed her an extra sweater of mine I grabbed from the front closet. 

“Your leather jacket is looking a bit worn so here, you can have my sweater for the day,” I said. 

She hesitantly took it, fingering the material of my yellow sweater. “Thank you, Noah.” 

The drive to our usual hiking spot seemed to go by faster than normal as we all piled in Orie’s SUV; he and his dog, Harper, up front; something Michael gave him shit for when he tried to call shotgun. 

Jolly and Michael were in the middle. 

Me, Lethia, and Jesse were in the back seat. 

My knees were brushing with hers, heat spreading throughout my nerve endings and I suddenly wanted to feel all of her all over me. Memories of our kiss last night flashed in my mind when I found myself staring at her lips while she talked with Jesse. 

I remembered how they tasted; like every dark thought I’d ever had. There was something about her that kept calling to me, to a side that I forever repressed. I needed to know more about her and to know who she was running from so I could protect her from them. 

Once we all stumbled out of the car, Lethia bent low to Harper so the dog could sniff her fingers. With a faint smile, she scratched Harper being the ears, something the dog appreciated with a wag of her tail. 

“You’re a beautiful creature,” Lethia mused before rising to her feet. 

With Orie taking the lead, we all followed up the usual path, Lethia slowly trailing behind. I let her take her time alone, figured something was bothering her, but when we made it about halfway up the trail, I finally turned to face her. Her hand was moving in an orbit as she studied the long black nails; sharp as a blade. 

“Come on slowpoke!” I called out to her with a smile after pulling my hood up.

Her eyes barely lifted to mine, something still clouding her mind. 

“What’s going on?” I asked, coming to a stop. 

“Hm?” 

When Lethia finally looked up at me, it was a few seconds too late as she crashed into me, not realizing I stopped walking. My arms wrapped around her to keep us upright while her hands sprawled over my chest. I was still so nervous to have her this close to me that I knew she would be able to tell when she’d feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest. 

“What’s going on in here?” I asked again, tapping her forehead. 

She didn’t even flinch. 

“Nothing,” Lethia said. 

I knew she couldn’t see the look I was giving her through my sunglasses so instead, I squeezed her hips; once again not reacting to my touch. 

“I’m fine, Noah,” she reassured me with a gentle caress to my face. “We should move along before the others wonder where we drifted off to.” 

I glanced over my shoulder, noticing that Jolly was at the top of the hill about ten feet ahead of us; stopped and waiting. 

“The first one to Jolly wins,” I said. 

This made her raise a brow. “A race?” 

“Yeah,” I dropped my hands from her waist. “If I win, I get to sleep in my bed with you. The couch isn’t the best place to sleep on my back. If it makes you feel better, we can put a wall of pillows between us.”

“What do I get when I win?” Her hands replaced mine on her hips. 

I snorted. “Someone’s confident.” 

It was her turn to snort. “There’s no way you can beat me. Now, what do I get when I win?” 

“Whatever you want,” I shrugged. 

She tapped a finger to her lip as if she was really thinking about her decision. 

“If I win, I’d like for you to kiss me again.” 

My cock twitched in my joggers while my heart hammered loudly in my ears. 

“Lethia,” my voice dropped. “You don’t have to make a bet for me to kiss you again.” 

Cocking her head to the side, she stood taller to close the distance. I felt the warm breath fan over my bottom lip and I almost captured her tongue with mine when it darted out to wet her lips. 

Suddenly, her laughter erupted through the trees as she took off in a sprint toward Jolly. Chuckling under my breath, I whipped around to begin running after her, amazed at how fast she’d already closed the distance to Jolly. She was less than five feet from him as he watched the two of us with a smile. 

Suddenly, her steps faltered briefly, just enough for me to pass her in such haste that I didn’t see that she stopped running completely. When I reached Jolly, I tapped his shoulder before raising my hands. 

“I win!” 

Lethia slowly caught up to us with a smile painting the features of her face, not even working hard to catch her breath from the race. It was as if she wasn’t even winded. 

“You did, fair and square,” she agreed while tying half of her hair up into a bun. 

Jolly looked from me to Lethia, a knowing look on his face. “Really?” 

My shoulders fell when I saw the look the two of them shared. 

“Wait,” I pointed to her. “Did you let me win?” 

“No,” Lethia dragged out the word and shrugged. “Why would I do that?” 

When she slipped between Jolly and me, she patted my chest and winked. “You better not be a blanket hog, Noah.” 

I watched her walk up to Jesse, the two of them picking up the conversation they had in the car. 

“You know Lethia let you win, right?” 

Jolly’s voice made me snap my gaze over to him. “No, she didn’t.” 

Now it was me that gave that knowing look and I shifted on my feet. 

“Why would she let me win?” I asked. 

“She wanted you to share your bed with her,” Jolly said as if it was obvious. 

I stood there for a long moment after he left to catch up with everyone else, letting his words settle within me. Lethia let me win because she wanted to share my bed. A fire burned in my gut with that knowledge as excitement filled my veins with the thought of going to sleep tonight. 

When I reached the group, they all were standing on a cliff edge staring down at the city of Los Angeles. This was one of my favorite spots because you could see everything up here but hear nothing of the hustle and bustle of the city, only your thoughts. 

I took note of Lethia who was a few feet away from all of us, in her own little bubble, letting the wind blow through her hair and my sweater that was tied around her waist. Her eyes were closed, a look of peaceful bliss on her face almost as if she belonged in the breeze. Her arms were outstretched as she tilted her head back.  “Lethia.” 

One eye cracked open as she looked at me when I snapped a quick picture of her with a smile. 

“I’m glad you invited me with you guys,” she breathed while dropping her arms. 

“Yeah, you’ve been alright company,” Michael admitted with a grumble. 

She came over and ruffled his hair. “You’re not so bad yourself.” 

Hooking an arm around her back, I pulled her into my chest, breathing my question over her lips. “You let me win the race?” 

“Now why would I do that?” Lethia hummed, playing with the strings of my hoodie. 

“That would mean I secretly want to sleep in the same bed with you.” 

Something mischievous sparkled in her crimson eyes as I lowered my head to her, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Her body relaxed in my embrace, lips molding against my own, while my hands roamed up her back. 

Pulling away, Lethia dragged a finger over my bottom lip. 

“Looks like we both won in the end,” she respired. 

“How sweet.” 

Lethia’s body went stiff in my embrace when she peered over my shoulder toward the unfamiliar voice. Following her gaze, my brows creased when I noticed a man standing a few feet away from our group, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his dark Levis. The top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, showcasing a golden chain. For someone walking outside on a dirt-filled mountain, he looked clean; pristine. Not a single strand of his blonde hair was out of place on top of his head. 

“Uriel,” Lethia forced out through gritted teeth.

“Do you know him?” I asked when I looked back at her.

“Unfortunately,” her jaw ticked, never removing her eyes from the stranger. “He’s an old friend. Give me a few minutes?” 

I swallowed the jealousy burning deep in my gut at the way she said old friend but nodded, letting her slip from my embrace. With the guys flanking in a line a few feet behind her, we watched with careful eyes as she moved out of earshot from us. 

LETHIA  

“How did you find me?” I questioned, the soles of my shoes scraping along the rocks beneath my feet. 

Uriel smiled with his lips but not his eyes. “I must admit, your scent was a bit harder to find now that you mingle among these mortals.” 

“What do you want, Uriel?” My hands shook at my side so I rolled them into fists. 

Bright gold eyes flicked over my shoulder towards the guys before they fell on me. 

“I come with a message from the King.” 

I swallowed thickly, nearly faltering my stone face at the mention of the King, but remained calm. 

“I’m surprised he let you leave his side; you were always the one to be up his ass any chance you could get.” 

Uriel’s eyes sliced into me. “The vulgarity of your speech, Lethia. A few weeks here and you’ve changed; in more ways than one.” 

“What’s this message?” I asked with a sigh, ready to end this surprise meeting. 

“The King is welcoming you back into the Kingdom.” 

My heart stopped in my chest as my jaw dropped. I couldn’t ignore the way relief flooded me for the briefest of moments. 

A way back home? I was allowed to go back home. 

“That seems too good to be true. How can I believe your word?” I asked while crossing my arms over my chest. 

Uriel held out his hands. “I am an archangel, Lethia. We’re known for our word.” 

“When the fuck has your word ever been good enough? I sneered, countless memories of how wrong his word had been in the Kingdom. 

“Do you want to be granted a way back or not?” Uriel clicked his tongue against his teeth. 

“Surely the King has a catch,” I reminded him. “He always did.” 

Uriel pointed to Noah. “Erase that mortal’s memory of you, renounce him and everything you’ve done together. Never look his way again and you have your way back home.” 

My heart fell to the depths of my stomach at this demand. Even though there was a tiny sliver of hope of being granted access back into my home, there was no way I could erase Noah’s memory of me. These feelings we shared were still unknown to me but that didn’t mean I didn’t understand that we were important to each other; the feelings were real. 

“I’m not interested,” I spat while spinning on my heels, ready to walk back over to Noah. 

“He will allow you time to think about it, but not for long,” Uriel spoke. “I suggest you accept because the stench of humans is beginning to rub off on you; especially that mortal.”

Both of us glanced over at Noah who was watching us intently while talking with Jesse. They were still a good distance from us so I knew none of them could hear mine and Uriel's conversation. 

“Hm, he fancies you, Lethia. Tell me, how often do you walk in his dream? Quite often I suppose since he has those vulgar thoughts of you,” Uriel breathed against the back of my neck, fingers grazing over mine. 

My head snapped up to Uriel, creating distance between us by snatching my hand away from him. It was clear that I still was able to feel the touch of fellow angels, just not mortals.  

“You don’t know anything! He’s a good man offering me a place to stay away from Maraxa and Lucifer,” I seethed. 

His eyes darkened, almost as black as my wings. “You must not heed to their demands. If you even think about joining Lucifer's army, any chance of you getting back into the Kingdom will be long forgotten. The King is only allowing you one chance. Erase that mortal mind or stay on this putrid planet and walk among these disgusting creatures.” 

“Trust me, I have zero intention of joining Lucifer. It’s because of him I fell into what I am now. But the thought of joining a Kingdom that banished me also isn’t quite appealing,” I scoffed and walked a few steps away from him when his next words gave me great pause. 

“What if I sweeten the deal?” 

Turning slowly on my feet, I held out a hand. “I doubt it but go ahead.” 

Uriel pursed his lips before running a hand through his already perfect long, golden hair. “It is known that Lucifer is looking to revolt and he’s trying to find other fallen to join his army; for example, you.” 

I shook my head. “I already told you, I have no interest in joining him.” 

“The King can be quite lax with this upcoming war. He thinks he has enough soldiers for it but if I’m being frank, without Oblivion, we have no chance.” 

Every part of my body chilled to the bone as all the breath was snatched from my lungs at hearing that name; I hadn’t heard it in so long. 

“I’m not that person anymore,” I stated. “I haven’t been for a very long time.” 

“If you come back to the Kingdom, you can bring him with you. But still would need to erase his memories of you.” Uriel nodded behind me. 

To Noah. 

“What?” I stood tall. “How would that work? He’s mortal, he wouldn’t survive in the Kingdom. Not to mention, the King would never allow it.” 

That’s when something sparkled in Uriel’s eyes. 

“You two will dethrone the King.” 

I laughed out loud at his words. “Dethrone the King? Show up to the pearly gates so we can spit in his face?” 

“Think about it,” Uriel stepped closer to me, running a hand through my short locks. 

“If you accept to dethrone the King, lead the army in victory against Lucifer, you can bring the mortal with you and rule the Kingdom. However, he would have to be a mere peasant there. He cannot remember who you are. Think of him as a mere pawn for you to play with.” 

I stood frozen under his touch as he twirled a strand of hair around his finger. “I’ll even return you to your old physical state. Which you should be thankful for because this one doesn’t suit you.” 

The promise of not only going back home in my old form but being able to bring Noah with me made something inside of me light with the life I’d been searching for since I fell. But it wouldn’t be easy to bring a mortal into the Kingdom; there was only one way to enter. 

Being an eternal being. 

“I’ll think about it,” I muttered under my breath. 

Uriel smiled as he removed his hand from my hair. “I suggest you do because the longer you try to hide your true form, well I don’t need to remind you of what will happen.” 

No, he didn’t. 

My wings will deteriorate. My powers will weaken. Slowly over time, I will lose myself in my mind. 

With a scowl, I turned my back to him and finally sauntered back over towards Noah, who met me halfway, quick to pull me into his embrace. 

“Everything alright?” He brushed away some stray hairs from my face. 

“I need to get far away from that man,” I begged, parts of me that I didn’t want to remember coming back with force. 

“Did he hurt you?” Noah’s hands were on both sides of my face, almost mute against my skin. “Are you alright?

“Please,” I grasped at his arms, digging into the material of his jacket. “Can we leave? Seeing him brought up far too many memories I’d like to forget”. 

Noah nodded while wrapping an arm around my shoulder to begin leading me back down the hill, Uriel’s voice calling after us. 

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Lethia!”

JOLLY

“This place is called what?” 

Noah chuckled at Lethia’s upturned head at him with furrowed brows. “In-N-Out. They’ve got great burgers here.” 

“Burgers?” She said slowly. 

I watched as Noah explained the menu to her, what’s good and what to stay away from. Revealing that she wasn’t particular to any kind of food, he took it upon himself to order her a cheeseburger, fries, and a large chocolate milkshake. 

“Oh, that milkshake sounds delicious,” Lethia mused with a bright smile.

There was a faint smile on my face as I continued to watch the two of them, Noah sliding his hand on the lower back of Lethia as they waited for their food. She had slipped on his sweater on the way down from the mountain, the sudden change in the wind causing all of us to feel a frigid chill.

After Lethia spoke to that old friend of hers, something shifted with her. Noah could tell instantly because he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, not wanting to let her more than a few inches out of her sight. 

“Something doesn’t feel right about this guy,” Noah muttered to me as we watched Lethia and her friend converse. 

I held him back with a grip on his elbow when he nearly stomped over there seeing Uriel run his hands through Lethia’s hair. 

“Jolly,” he warned through gritted teeth. 

“Just give her some time alone, like she asked. If she’s uncomfortable, she’ll let you know,” I said. 

I could practically see all the worry leave Lethia’s body when Noah’s arms wrapped around her not even a minute later. 

I couldn’t explain it, and frankly, I don’t think Noah could explain either how Lethia entranced him since he found her in our driveway all those weeks ago. He claimed there was this undeniable pull between them and almost as if it was fate that they kept running into each other.

There’d been this light in Noah’s eyes every time he looked at Lethia, shining brighter now knowing and witnessing they kissed. He’d become transfixed ever since that first meeting even when she had her hand wrapped around his throat. We all should have been terrified of the strength she possessed when she tackled Folio to the floor or with how tight her grip was around Noah. But if he didn’t feel harm when he was around her, the least we could do was trust her. 

“What do you think?” Noah asked. 

She nodded with a mouth full of food then once she swallowed, Lethia took a large gulp of her milkshake. “Delicious.” 

While I ate my food, I continued to carefully watch them as the others around me had their own conversations. I didn’t miss the way when Noah muttered something in her ear, Lethia’s cheeks turned a deep crimson, like her eyes. 

She had her milkshake halfway to her lips when her body stilled, a painful grimace crossing her features. Those eyes scanned the entirety of the restaurant, almost looking for someone. 

“Are you alright?” Jesse questioned. 

“Uh,” Lethia winced, nearly doubling over in pain when she grasped at the ends of the table. 

A small gust of wind bristled by our table, tickling the back of my neck, and as I rubbed there Lethia quickly rushed to her feet. 

“I need a moment,” she grumbled before rushing out of the restaurant. 

Noah wanted to go after her but decided against it, knowing she needed time to herself. 

“Anyone else think she does that a lot?” Michael questioned. 

Noah sighed while running a hand through the long strands of his hair. “Lethia has a lot going on right now. She needs help.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked while tossing my garbage on the tray in front of me. 

There was slight hesitation from Noah for a long moment until he eventually divulged to us that he believes Lethia is running from an ex who wanted her back, even though he kicked her out of their house. 

“Oh, right. Lucifer,” Michael snorted. “Are we sure she doesn’t have this obsession with the occult or some shit? The only Lucifer I’d heard of is the supposed devil. 

Orie smacked him upside the head. “Dude, Lethia is not dating the devil.” 

“She’s not dating anyone,” Noah’s eyes sliced over to him but they softened when he realized his words. “Lethia’s not dating anyone.” 

“Then what do you call what’s going on between the two of you?” Jesse wondered. 

“I don’t know,” Noah shrugged. “I like her but I don’t want to rush her into anything she doesn’t want.” 

“From what I’ve seen, you’re not. Whatever you’re giving her, she’s reciprocating it back. Lethia feels the same, Noah. You don’t have to worry about that,” I assured him. 

All he did was nod as he kept his gaze on the door of the restaurant where Lethia stormed through minutes before. 

LETHIA

“Come to me, Lethia. My queen. I need you by my side to rule.” 

I clawed at my ears, digging out Lucifer's voice, and continued to run into the woods behind the restaurant. My body ached with the pain of my wings nearly forcing their way out of my back. It’s been a few days since I let them out and it was beginning to crush me. 

“I miss you, Lethia. I need you again.” 

“Stop!” I cried while falling to my knees in the leaves and dirt, hands covering my ears. 

“I’ll never stop until I have you in my presence. You are mine, Lethia. Not his.” 

All but ripping Noah’s sweater off of me, I tossed it to the side just as I let out a sheer groan of agony mixed with ecstasy when my large wings exploded from my back. The force of them caused the branches of the trees around me to falter, some falling to the ground around me like drops of rain. 

My jaw was slack as I peered up to the gloomy grays of the sky, an upcoming storm about to ravage through the city. All the pain I felt inside the restaurant was long forgotten, replaced with the intoxication of my angelic being. My powers began to slowly fester low inside of me and with an open palm, I watched the bright light slowly begin to grow into a baseball-sized orb then with a flick of my wrist, I sent it to a tree far off into the distance, incinerating it completely. 

My body vibrated with all of my senses. I could hear the chatter of people miles away, feeling the slight creep of chills against the skin of my back when my name came out from the chatter. 

“Lethia.” 

Before, it was Lucifer speaking in my mind. But now, that voice that uttered my name was the same that spoke when he was kissing me last night. 

My left wing came around to the front of me, blocking me from anyone who dared to venture into the woods and a broken sob fell from my chattering lips. They were deteriorating at such a rapid pace. While they were still large, dark, and caused fear to any mortal who saw them, my wings were a pathetic excuse to any other angel. A few feathers drifted into the wind, the weakness from hiding who I was taunting me. 

“There she is. I knew you couldn’t hide who you were. The darkness lies inside of you, begging to awaken.” 

I sucked in a gulp of air when Maraxa’s voice crept into my mind now; the cold and monotone bringing a chill to my bones. 

My eyes rolled to the back of my head when a vision slammed into me. 

Noah and the guys sitting in the booth of the restaurant, smiling and laughing with a group of girls that sauntered up to the table. One of the girls was standing a bit too close to Noah, as he signed something for her. When he handed it back, their fingers grazed over the girl’s. His almond eyes snapped from her hand to her face, gazing at all of her features.

“No!” I screamed while rising to my feet. “Stop. I know what you’re doing!” 

“Oh, sweet Oblivion. I’m doing nothing that your mind is already thinking.” 

The way Maraxa uttered my other name made me whirl around, thinking she was here with me. 

“I’m not Oblivion anymore. I haven’t been for a very long time,” I spat, eyes scanning my surroundings. 

“You should see yourself. Looking like a mad angel who lost her mind.” 

Uriel’s warnings were right. My wings were deteriorating and now, I was losing myself in my mind. Were these voices even in my head? Or had I been imagining them since my fall? 

“Lethia?!” 

My head snapped up to just outside the clearing of the woods, Noah’s faint outline slowly closing the distance. 

“Oh, you’re thinking of letting him see you in your true form. Surely, he will think you’re even more of a freak than how you look. He wouldn’t understand.” 

Meraxa. 

The voices wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard I smacked my ears to drown them out. 

“This mortal will never understand you. You’re mine, Lethia. Mine and no one else's. I will have you in my arms once again.” 

Lucifer. 

“Stop,” I cried while falling to my knees again, my wings wrapping around me in a protective barrier. 

“Dethrone the King and all of his kingdom will be yours.” 

Uriel. 

“Lethia? Are you okay?” 

Noah. 

Snapping my eyes open, they landed on Noah who was now a few feet away from me. With a roll of my shoulders, I stood to my feet, appearing just as I had moments before leaving his presence. 

NOAH

“Lethia, are you alright?” I questioned as she appeared through the clearing of the woods. 

I felt Lethia brush past me as she walked back toward the car, not uttering a word at me. My heart sank slightly but I did my best not to dwell on it because of our moments together in my bedroom and the bathroom last night. The unbridled passion between us was burning over into undeniable attraction. 

With a sigh, I tied my hair into a low bun, ready to go back home after this long day, but a flutter of movement at my feet caught my attention. It was a lone black feather, just like the one I'd found that first night Lethia appeared in my life. 

Bending at the knees, I reached for the feather, and then with a gasp of breath, I felt my vision being yanked away from me at the edges, darkness encompassing every part of me. I felt my soul being dragged away into another dimension, tumbling into a brighter vision of pure peace and eternal life. 

A woman with white golden hair stood in front of me, even brighter wings protruding from her back, as she held onto less fragile wings from the man who kneeled at her feet. 

"Oblivion," he cried. "Don't fall into the true meaning of your name, please." 

The woman; no angel cocked her head to the side with a slight wicked smile. 

"The King bestowed this name to me for a reason," was all she said before the man's cries of death and pain erupted but were overshadowed by the sounds of his wings being ripped from his back. 

With a gasp of breath, I was dragged back into the present, nearly stumbling onto my ass. Looking around my surroundings, I noticed I was back in Los Angeles, Jolly and Jesse slowly walking towards me. 

"You alright?" Jolly wondered. 

Ignoring him, I twirled the feather in my fingers and locked eyes with Lethia, who gave nothing away from her face except the slight flicker of light in her red eyes.

This vision didn’t feel like it was one of my own memories. It was as if I was dragged into someone else subconscious as I watched from the outside looking in. Something about watching the angel get his wings ripped away from him felt wrong, especially with the wicked smirk the female angel had on her face when she did it. 

I couldn’t ignore the way my mind vibrated with the familiarity of her. I knew who she was but she didn’t look familiar. Her presence was the only familiar thing about her and with a flick of my gaze to Lethia, there was a small part of me that knew who it was. 

With a sigh, I carefully pocketed the feather in my coat pocket and nodded over to Jesse who asked if I was ready to head back to the house. When I climbed into the car, I noticed that Michael and Jolly sat in the back with Lethia, so I retreated into the front seat of the car, while Jesse lounged in the middle with Harper. 

“Everything alright?” Orie asked as he pulled the car out onto the main road. 

Glancing over my shoulder, I watched Lethia for a few beats as she stared straight out of her window, not bothering to meet my gaze. I knew she could feel it burning into her but whatever happened to her outside in those woods rendered her speechless. 

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully before turning back to face forward with a sigh. 

As soon as we arrived back at the house, Lethia nearly jumped out of the car to run inside once Jolly opened the door for her. She locked herself away in my bedroom for the rest of the afternoon well into the evening. Part of me wanted to check on her if she was alright but it was clear she wanted to be left alone. If she needed me, she would let me know. 

Would she? 

With a shake of my head at the thought, I bid a goodnight to Jesse and Michael as we watched a movie together in the living room and slowly retreated up the steps to my room. The door opened a crack but before I pushed my way through, I noticed Lethia standing in the middle of my room in front of my mirror. She was only wearing a pair of black panties and a matching bra. I knew I should have averted my gaze to anything else but I was mesmerized by her. 

Lethia showed me her back, hands slinking up her spine towards the hook of her bra, the material falling to the floor at her feet. My breath caught in my throat when I noticed the large crow tattoo on her right shoulder blade. But it wasn’t just the sight of it that gave me great pause; it was the large upside-down V scar on her back. It wasn’t an old scar. It looked new; fresh. 

“What the?” I muttered, slowly pushing away from the door to stand in the middle of the landing above the stairs. 

With a glance over the landing, I noticed that Jesse and Michael were still sitting on the couch, and knowing Jolly and Orie retreated to bed earlier, the computer in the studio was free. As I came back downstairs to head into the studio that was off the den, Jesse raised a brow at me. 

“I thought you went to bed?” 

I motioned to the room in front of me. “Late-night inspiration.” 

Shutting the door behind me, I dropped down into the chair in front of the computer with my fingers hovering over the keyboard. My mind was full of different words, I wasn’t sure where to start. 

Black feathers. 

Vivid dreams. 

Crows in dreams. 

Upside-down V scars on a person's back. 

Angels. 

Fallen Angels. 

The last one made me freeze ever so still, a memory of my own past creeping into the front recesses of my mind. 

“Noah, dear! Come on. It’s time for your bedtime story!” 

Eight-year-old me ran down the long hallway of my grandparent's house into my bedroom there and hopped into my bed, where my grandma sat on the edge with a fond smile. 

“Lord of the Rings?” I asked while climbing under the blankets. 

She chuckled while tucking me in. “Now, what did I say about those books? Aren’t you a little too young for them?” 

I rolled my eyes. “Ok grandma, what’s the story tonight?” 

“Fallen angels.” 

“Like from heaven?” I asked with furrowed brows. 

“Now I won't bore you with all the details but there’s something special about them,” my grandma began while patting my thigh over the blanket. “When an angel falls from heaven, people think they’re automatically stripped of all their powers but sometimes that's not the case.” 

She continued. “There’s this story of a great angel that fell, her feathers scattered all over the world. Whenever a human touched them, they would be sucked into memories of the angel.” 

I gave my grandma a “you can’t be serious” look but she only cupped my cheek in response.  

“No one believed that angels walked among us until someone saw the scars on the back of one.” 

“Scars?” I said, sitting up straighter in bed. 

“Large ones on their back. In an upside-down V.” 

I choked on a breath nearly falling out of the computer chair but gripped the handrests to keep myself steady. When I was eight years old, I figured my grandma was blowing smoke out of her ass, telling another one of her many stories. But now, everything seemed to have a bit of truth. 

Biting my bottom lip, I clicked on Google and quickly typed the words into the search bar before I doubted myself a second longer. 

Fallen Angel.

I clicked on the first website. 

“Fallen Angels are angels who have been exiled or banished from Heaven. Often such banishment is a punishment for disobeying or rebelling against their King,” I read the words out loud. 

I scrolled down the page a bit farther, still muttering the words out loud as I read them. 

“If a fallen angel is impaled or struck in the scars created when his or her wings were ripped out usually spanning from shoulder blades to kidney area, he or she will be temporarily immobilized. Some angels still have scars even if they haven’t lost their wings. It’s easier for the skin to peel away for the wings to slip from.” 

I shivered at the phantom feeling but then froze when I read the next section. 

“A fallen angel is unable to feel physical pain or sensations.” 

Scrolling down a bit farther, it was then that I realized how right I’d been about this feeling festering within me; almost begging to be let out. 

“A fallen angel's feather holds a lot of power. It holds the memories of the angel and whoever touches them can find themselves in those memories. A fallen angel's biggest weakness is one of their feathers. If a feather is burned, the original owner of the feather will be chained in Hell for eternity. Otherwise, fallen angels are nearly as indestructible as Angels and Archangels.” 

I fell back into the chair and rubbed a hand over my mouth, letting everything I read process in my mind. Everything correlated to what I’ve noticed with Lethia especially the part of her not being able to feel anything. 

There’d been a few times when it seemed like my touch meant nothing to her. But when we kissed, it seemed as if she could feel that. 

The feathers. 

Even though I tried to deny what I’d seen when I picked up the feather today, I knew that it was true what I’d seen. 

But how come I hadn’t seen anything when I picked up the first feather? 

Hunching back over towards the computer screen, I read more into the section about fallen angel feathers. 

“The more fallen angel feathers you touch, the stronger your connection to their memories is.” 

With a purse of my lips, I rummaged around the desk looking for my lyric book where I had stashed the first feather, using it as a bookmark. The other feather was still in my pocket, weighing heavily with the fear of what I would see next. My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears and feel it in my throat. It was suffocating, this feeling clawing its way inside of me, threatening to pull me under. 

Did I want to do this? 

Was I ready for what I could potentially see? 

Granted, I had to take everything I read online with a grain of salt because it could have been a bunch of made-up bullshit. But with it correlating to not only my grandma’s story but things I’ve noticed about Lethia, there had to be some truth to it all. 

“Fuck it,” I muttered while grabbing the feather in my lyric notebook at the same time I grabbed the one in my pocket. 

Darkness lingered at the corners of not only my vision but my mind as well. It dragged me under with no warning to the dark depths of what I could only assume was Lethia’s mind. 

My body landed with a thud to the cool wetness of the grass below me and quickly scrambling to my knees, I took in the vast empty field that went on for miles. Brightly colored trees lined the edge of the field and it was so quiet here that I could hear my blood running through my veins. 

“My love. I've been waiting for you.” 

Whirling around on my heels, I took in the sight of a tall man with skinny but large white wings extended from his back. His black hair was a mess of curls in front of his eyes and the dark levis hung low on his hips. The sheer brightness of his green eyes was almost eerie and I felt as if he could see straight into my soul. 

But he didn’t. It was as if he didn’t see me when he walked past me, over towards a lone figure lying in the grass a few meters away from me. 

Long golden, almost white, strands of hair fell around her shoulders as she sat up, bright eyes staring back at the man who was slowly closing the distance. I swallowed thickly when I recognized that face. 

It wasn’t the way I knew her but it was still her. 

Lethia. 

“Lucifer. You know you’re not supposed to be here,” she quickly rose to her feet, taking a step back from him. 

He stood in front of her shirtless, the defining muscles of his chest and stomach tightening as he stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. 

So her ex actually was Lucifer. 

What the fuck did you just step into, Noah?

“I snuck away from the King for a moment. I needed to see you,” Lucifer tried to reach for her. 

Lethia smacked his hands away before running a shaking one of hers through her long hair. I then noticed she also had her wings exposed; large and as white as her hair. 

“We cannot be seen together! If the King finds out we’ve been together, he will banish us; or worse.” 

Lucifer chuckled darkly then pulled Lethia into his arms; her going willingly. 

I gritted my teeth at the jealousy that coursed through me, trying to tell myself that it was a very long time ago and it didn’t mean anything; not anymore. 

“My sweet Oblivion. The King wouldn’t banish his number one soldier. If he lost you, who would tear out the wings of the ones who went against him?” 

My blood ran cold at Lucifer's words. I knew that the first memory I saw had something to do with Lethia but I never put two and two together. She was the one who ripped out the angel's wings.

“I did horrible things back home and how could I ever be allowed back?

Her words from the last night made more sense now than they did when she first uttered them. 

“I cannot,” Lethia tried to fight against his grasp but ultimately gave in. 

“One more night. After tonight, I’ll let you be,” Lucifer’s fingers linked behind her neck, tilting her lips up towards him. 

“We both know we cannot stay away from each other,” she uttered before pulling him down to the grass with him. 

My eyes snapped open with a gulp of air and I gazed around the room of my studio, making sure that I was still alone. It took me some time to get my breath back to normal and my heart back to a steady pace. 

I slammed both of the feathers in my lyric book and hid it in the far back of the closet in the room, hoping no one else would find it. Those feathers held too much power and if I lost them, the looming fear of what could happen taunted me. 

“If an angel's feather is burned, they become changed to Hell for all eternity,” I reiterated the words I read earlier. 

Whether or not that part was true, I couldn’t risk it. 

Letting out a long breath, I shut down the computer and slowly slipped out of the studio, going upstairs to my bedroom unnoticed by Jesse and Michael who were still watching the movie. This time when I stopped in front of my room, I noticed the door was shut so I was quiet as I stepped inside, finding a sleeping Lethia cuddled under the mounds of blankets on my bed. 

I stood there for a long moment, staring at her back as it faced me, wondering what the scars looked like again underneath her shirt. 

My shirt. 

I had offered her to wear anything of mine and it seemed like she took me up on that offer. 

It was clear who she was running from. Lucifer. He wanted her back for reasons unknown to me but it was clear she didn’t want to go with him. 

I moved around my room quietly to change into a pair of sweats, opting not to sleep in a shirt only because it got extremely hot in my room during these summer nights, even with the air conditioner on. 

Softly, I got into bed behind Lethia as the faint breaths coming from her filled the air. For the first while, I laid on my back and stared up at my ceiling but when I noticed she didn’t move away, I turned to my side but still kept space between us. The heat from her body radiated around me, pulling me into her aura and I found myself never wanting to leave. 

Even though I knew what she was now, I wouldn’t tell Lethia I knew. This was something she needed to tell me when she was ready. 

Instead, I wrapped my arm around her midsection and pulled her into my chest. Although she might not be able to feel my touch, that didn’t stop me from running my nose along the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her. She must have showered because she smelled of peaches and a hint of something familiar. 

Me. 

I faintly smelled my shampoo in her skin and I hummed in pleasure. 

“What happened to the wall of pillows?” Lethia’s tired voice broke through the silence. 

I knew she was teasing when I heard her smile with her words. 

“This is much better than a wall of pillows,” I mused while I caressed her neck with my lips.

Lethia relaxed in my arms as she gave herself over to me and linked my fingers that rested on her stomach with hers and I wrapped my leg over hers, locking her in place. 

“Goodnight, Noah,” she murmured into the pillow. 

“Sweet dreams, Lethia,” I pressed a kiss to her head, finally letting the long day falter away with the darkness that swallowed us whole. 

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-coming soon.

"Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the most high banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-Chapter Six: Teaser

Just when I thought I had no plans on updating Mercy anytime soon, I remembered how much I love it and the story behind it deserves a little bit of love right now. Please enjoy a little snippet from Chapter Six below the cut! Not sure when it'll be posted. There are only 2-3 chapters left for this series!

I stood in the middle of the bedroom in a broken daze, trying to gather if what I'd just seen was the truth. My skin was slick with sweat as my heart pounded in my ears. I felt like there was a hand wrapped around my throat, cutting off my oxygen until I was able to give my answer.

Gentle fingers skimmed through my feathers causing me to let out a shaky breath. Then when those fingers grazed up and down my arm and that warm breath fanned over my ear, I melted into the touch because I was actually able to feel his touch. It was the first time in weeks since I fell that I was able to feel skin on mine when I wasn't dream walking and in my weak state, I let a moan slip from my lips.

"Malach," his nickname for me weighed heavy on my shoulders as I tried to fight back the urge to give him all of me.

"You're lying," my voice shook as I kept my eyes trained hard on the sight in front of me, still not believing what I was seeing.

His hands cupped my cheek, his touch a blaze against my skin, and I was forced to look into his ice eyes.

"I'd never lie to you. It's always been you and me, even in the Kingdom. I was made to be your king," Lucifer said.

No, not Lucifer.

Andy.

With everything he showed me tonight, I knew that he was telling the truth. Andy never hurt me; he'd give me everything I wanted. A life where I didn't have to hide. I could be my true self without the worry of being found.

With my eyes lingering on his lips, the fire inside of me burning as bright as his red wings that enveloped around both of us, they were so large, I gave him the slightest nod.

"That's my girl," he mused while closing the distance.

TAGS: @happi-goth @missduffsblog @hayleylatour @sleepyomens @loeytuan98 @artificialbreezy @marvelousmal @bngurngheart @lma1986 @dsireland86 @wild-child-7747 @calleyx13 @illmakeyousaywow @jaded-and-hollow-souls @exitwoundsx @shayzillaaaa @badomensls @princesspeach-00 @blueskylinesx @shadowseve @klutzy-kay24 @sorrowsofsilence @shilohrosechicken @itsafullmoon @toospooktocute @thatchickwiththecamera @hoe-for-daddywise @whenthesummerdies @cookiesupplier @thisbicc @sammyjoeee @pathion @flowery-mess @tashka @malice-ov-mercy @respectfulrebel @themortaljessica @crimson-calligraphyx @blackveilomens @lyschko666 @iknownothingpeople @collapsedglasshouses @iamamatus

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-Three

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch @blackveilomens @crimson-calligraphyx @cookiesupplier @lyschko666 @shilohrosechicken @thebadchic @iknownothingpeople @sammyjoeee @malice-ov-mercy @kaelyn-lobrutto24 @collapsedglasshouses

LETHIA

I sat in the darkness of the old building with a scatter of books in front of me and a face of pure rage. These texts were all wrong, they had to be. There was absolutely no way that Lucifer was the evil that this bible talked about. He never tempted anyone into any sin. He was valued in the Kingdom and so many other angels turned to him in times of despair; me included. 

Kicking the bible away with my boot, I turned to the next book and perched it on my lap. 

The Book of Enoch.

Watchers. Nephilim. The fall of angels. 

All of those words replayed in my brain as I read through the book for what seemed like the third time, searching for an answer I subconsciously knew wasn’t there. 

"The Grigori, who with their prince Satanail rejected the Lord of light,” I read the words out loud, my wavering voice echoing into the large space. 

Slamming the book shut, I tossed it back into the pile with the others and quickly rose to my feet, done with my studying for the day. Ever since I thought I saw Lucifer, I spent the last handful of days searching all over the world for the books at my feet but could only search in the darkness of the night so as not to risk mortals seeing me. 

I tried dream walking to find where Lucifer had ended up but only found myself walking into a dream of someone who wasn’t familiar. The only scene in front of me was a vast field of green overtaken by bloodshed and soot from what some may thought came from the burning woods behind me. 

Although, I knew it wasn’t soot that covered the ground at my feet. It was something not many mortals saw quite often. 

Angel dust. 

It was only ever left behind after an intense battle, their energy staying behind in a variety of ways; most of the time in angel dust. 

However, the destruction from the battle and angel dust weren’t what made my stomach twist in knots. It was the crumbled body that lay at my feet, blood pouring from a gash in his neck but I couldn’t see his face due to his long locks of hair covering it. The crow that seemed to follow me everywhere pecking away at the open wound on the man's chest. 

I ran a hand through my hair, the black locks not as shocking as the first night after my fall, and slipped on my jacket. It was worn from me spending the last few nights flying from other ends of the earth and two large slits in the back from where my wings extended from my back. The old building I’d been hiding away in since my fall almost two weeks ago was slowly becoming my home. I didn’t have a bed since angels didn’t need to sleep. We could, if we wanted to, however, I never felt the need to. 

There was no food since, like sleep, angels didn’t need to eat. Although I did indulge in some sweets now and then from the bakery across the street, I didn’t feel the need to sit and have a meal. 

The one thing, however, I did need was a shower but unfortunately, this abandoned building did not have running water. Which meant late in the evenings, I found myself bathing in the ocean; the salt water helped maintain the life and color of my wings. 

Dreaded black wings. 

With a long sigh, I stepped out into the night California air to head back to the bookstore that was around the block. Among the intellectual texts I’ve picked up, I’ve also begun reading up on psychology and philosophy just as a way to pass the time. 

“Hello, Lethia! I was hoping you’d stop by tonight,” Greg, the older gentleman behind the bookstore counter, smiled at me. 

I raised a playful brow. “I told you I would. You promised you’d have something for me.” 

Greg slid over a worn book to me. “It took me some time to find it but here it is.” 

The corner of my lip curled carefully and flipped through The Death of Socrates, my nostrils flaring at the old book smell. 

“How much do I owe you?” I asked Greg. 

He waved me off. “Same as always. Just make sure to return them in the same condition. No one ever asks for Plato’s work anymore; it's such a shame. So any chance I can scour for one of them, makes me happy.” 

I tapped the counter with a smile. “Thank you, Greg. I’ll make sure to bring you a cannoli when I return the book.” 

“I think this deserves a large pan of Baklava,” he said while placing another book on the counter. 

The Secrets of Lucifer.

My red eyes darkened as I carefully picked up the book, it weighing heavy in my hand. 

“Greg, I will bring you whatever your heart desires for this,” I shifted my eyes to his. “Thank you.” 

With both books tucked away in a bag from the shop, I maneuvered my way through crowds of people, scowling at the King above for dropping me into one of the busiest cities. A bright neon sign on a building caught my gaze as I approached the street where my makeshift home was. 

Live Music. 

Music? Maybe I can find a hint about where Lucifer is.

Before I stepped inside the building, a chilling and painful breeze brushed across the back of my neck causing me to spin on my heels. A loud ringing scratched at my ears but I remained stoned as my eyes hastily looked around the busy street and sidewalk. Something was different in the air; it smelled different. 

Titling my head to the side, I gazed down at my feet when something caught my attention. 

“What are you doing here?” I muttered. 

Dark eyes from the crow stared into my soul as it was perched between my feet. 

“I’m not dreaming so why are you here?” I bent to my knees. 

I knew it was the same one from my dream walking because of the single white path of feathers that ran down its spine. The crow continued to stare at me, not making a sound, so I tapped its head with a gentle finger. 

“If you’re here outside a dream,” I looked at my surroundings once again. “It can only mean one thing and that my friend, is what I was afraid of.” 

Rising to my feet, I ushered the bird away with a simple flick. “Go see what you can find for me.” 

With a simple caw, the crow fluttered its wings and flew to an unknown destination as I turned on my heels walking into the building. It was loud from the constant pounding from the speakers and the boisterous voices from the packed crowd. Everyone in Los Angeles was here tonight as I pushed my way through to find a single spot open at the bar. 

“What can I get you?” A petite blonde behind the bar asked me with a smile, but when she took one gaze into my red eyes, she took a large step back. 

It was like this every time someone took their first look at me. Red eyes must not have been common here on earth. 

“I’m alright, thank you.” I gave a curt nod while sitting on the stool and began reading The Death of Socrates. 

It didn’t last long, however, when a man pushed his way past the bodies on both sides of me so he could lean against the bar, eyeing me down. 

“Who the fuck reads at a bar?” 

Ignoring him, I simply turned the page, continuing to read. 

This prompted him to lay his large hand on the pages of the book, crumpling them. 

My head snapped up towards him when his green eyes ravaged my face, licking his lips slowly. “I’m not into broads with short hair or eyes like yours but I’m sure if I fuck you from behind, it won’t be an issue.” 

“I’d suggest if you want to keep that hand that you take it off of my book,” I said with an eerily calm voice.

“Or what?” He snorted. “You think you can do anything to me?” 

Just before I was about to rise to my feet, a loud voice came through the speaker which prompted the man to push away from my book and disappear into the crowd. 

“We have a treat for you guys tonight!” The voice in the microphone made my ears burn as I screwed my eyes shut. “These guys are on break from tour but we managed to talk them into playing a show for you all. Give it up for Bad Omens!” 

Bad Omens. 

My eyes snapped open just in time for me to look up at the stage before me when that familiar face beamed out into the crowd. His almond eyes shone brightly as he began singing the first song, other familiar faces registering in my mind as they played their instruments. 

The man playing what I was sure was the drums: Nick, the one I had pinned to the ground the first time I fell to Earth. 

The man with long hair playing a guitar. I didn’t know his name but I remembered his voice didn’t sound like the others. 

The man playing an instrument I just learned about, the bass. He was also there that night but I didn’t talk to him. 

Then the last man stood front and center as he sang into a microphone, his hair falling around his shoulders in dark waves. Those almond eyes scanned over every face in the crowd until they rested on mine; a breath getting caught in my throat. 

Noah. 

I was only a few feet away from the stage so when our eyes locked, Noah’s face broke out in a smile as he took a couple steps towards me. 

“And when he has you by your neck,” he screamed into the microphone. 

I expected him to sound like something else; nothing like this. So eternal. So elegant. So breathtaking. 

I stood there frozen as Noah danced across the stage, the crowd jumping along with him. People even enjoyed jumping on top of each other as others moved them along, carrying them throughout. 

As Bad Omens played their set, I couldn’t move; transfixed on the sight of them before me. I couldn’t explain this weird feeling that surged through me as Noah’s eyes kept darting over to me, almost making sure I was still there. Then when he waved toward me during their last song, my heart studered in my chest. 

What was this feeling? It was unknown and it scared me to absolute death to follow it. 

But then something familiar tickled behind my neck, chills covering every inch of my skin and I hastily looked around me to see the crow perched outside the open door of the building. The noise of Bad Omens and the crowd faded to nothing as all I could hear was the constant cawing of the bird, almost beckoning me to follow. 

“Lethia, come back to me.” 

Whirling behind me, I expected to see Lucifer but ended up scaring the people who stood there when they took in the wild look in my eyes. 

“Lethia, you belong to me.” 

Lucifer’s voice was loud in my mind now as I whirled around again, this time facing the stage. My eyes caught with Noah’s and he gave me a slight frown before he took the steps down the stage to come towards me. 

“You were sworn to me and me alone. No other being on this earth can have you.”

“Stop it,” I muttered, closing my eyes. 

“Why haven’t you looked for me? Why haven’t you come to me?” 

I clawed at my ears, now yelling. “STOP! LUCIFER STOP!” 

“Lethia.” 

Noah's soft voice cooed as he reached for my hands, the touch unknown and unfamiliar; as if the wind was grasping at me. 

“You’re a disgrace for a soldier of Lucifer’s. How dare you spend time with a mortal?”

My eyes snapped open at this new voice, only to be clouded with a new vision of a face I hadn’t seen in a very long time. 

White eyes. Even whiter hair. A large golden hoop hanging from the middle of their nose. 

Her name fell from my lips as darkness suddenly took over, my body falling to a heap into Noah’s arms. 

LETHIA

I stood alone in an empty field, the same one I dreamed walked in earlier. Angel dust covered the ground and fluttered in the air. Smoke weighed heavily in my nostrils, leaving a bitter aftertaste on my tongue. The crow pecked away at the gaping wound in the stomach of the man who lay at my feet. 

His long brown locks were covering his face so bending slowly at the knees, careful not to disturb the crow, and black nails brushed away the hair from the man's face, void almond eyes staring into my soul. 

I choked on his name as I stumbled back, falling to my ass. 

“No-.” 

Suddenly, a fast and hard stampede echoed in my ears and my chest as I scrambled to my knees. Large, black wings exploded from my back with a gust of wind just in time for a massive bull to run towards me. With my left hand outstretched and a mere thought of a dagger, it appeared out of thin air. I threw the dagger at the bull when it was less than five feet away from me, only for it to bounce off its large back. 

“Shit,” I cursed, protecting myself with my wings. 

The bull’s nostrils flared, a puff of breath blowing through the angel dust, then as I prepared myself for impact, the bull stopped meters in front of my face. Its warm breath now fanning over my face as I gritted my teeth. 

Bright white eyes stared back at me as the large golden hoop protruding from its nose rumbled with each deep breath. 

“Lethia, my how you’ve changed,” the bull's voice spoke in my mind. 

“Maraxa,” I spat with ice-cold venom. 

The bull chuffed, dragging its feet against the grass. Its black horns were almost too large for its head but somehow seemed as if it weighed nothing. Its lips curled back in a deep snarl, sharp black teeth covered with blood held my gaze. 

“You’ve been hiding your scent well, Lethia.” 

“I didn’t know you were looking for me,” I said. 

The bull chuffed. “My dear, everyone is looking for you. Unlucky for you, however, Lucifer and I have found you first.” 

I raised a brow. “Oh, since when did it become Lucifer and I? You were nothing to him before we fell.”

“Lucifer is my king, I do as he says. I serve him. He sent me to find you, now he never said you had to be alive.” 

My eyes never left the bulls. “You can’t kill me in a dream, Maraxa.” 

“No, I cannot,” the bull snarled its teeth again. “But I can in that little hole in the wall you’ve called home since you fell. If not there, then that bookstore you love to frequent.” 

Ice filled my veins as my wings stood ever still, unmoving in the wind. I thought I’d been smart with hiding my scent from heavens beasts but if Maraxa managed to find me, that only meant others were soon to follow. The only way I could fix this situation was to find somewhere else to hide for a bit before my scent was picked up again. 

But I’d been so lucky to find that abandoned building. I couldn’t risk it again. 

“I didn’t expect to be on the Kingdom’s most wanted list.” 

A loud laughter echoed inside my mind. “The King doesn’t want you. He cast you for a reason, Lethia. It is Lucifer that sent me.” 

Lucifer’s face flashed in my vision for a brief second. Instead of feeling the usual love and adoration I’d felt before, now all I felt was dread. Darkness. Sadness. Fear. 

I swallowed thickly. “You can tell Lucifer if he wants me, he can come find me himself. Not to send one of his lackeys.” 

“Should he look for you in that crumbling building or with that young mortal man with the almond eyes,” the bull didn't flinch. 

My eyes snapped to the body to my left, the crow long gone, and all that stared back were those cold, vacant eyes. 

“It’s time to come home,” its voice spoke in my mind again just before it sunk its teeth deep into my throat. 

I awoke with a loud gasp, breathing uneven and labored as I clawed at the skin of my throat, checking to make sure there were no open wounds. But instead were now scratch marks as my nails dug deep. 

“Shit, Lethia,” large hands grasped mine to stop my attack on my throat.  

My eyes snapped up at the voice, almond eyes gazing down at me full of worry, only this time they were full of light and life. 

“Hey, it’s alright,” Noah’s soft voice cooed; exactly like earlier. 

Feeling the comfort radiate off of him made my heart rate immediately calm and I couldn’t stop myself as my fingers slowly grazed over his cheek; the feeling numb. 

Noah’s beauty was mesmerizing, the way his hair fell into his face in perfect waves, the way his lips curled up into a faint smile, and the freckles that peppered his nose and cheeks. Then lastly, those eyes and the way they drank me in. 

“Are you sure you’re not like me?” I whispered, fingertips tracing over his bottom lip. 

NOAH

“How is she?” I asked, all but barreling through the door of the green groom. 

Jolly, who was kneeling in front of the body on the couch, nodded. “She’s alright, hasn’t woken up yet.” 

Sighing, I set the bag of books down on the table and took Jolly’s spot, him giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

“Any idea what she was screaming before she passed out?” Nicholas wondered. 

“Lucifer,” I muttered, never taking my eyes off the sleeping form of Lethia. 

Her lips were parted slightly, a soft snore emanating from them, ebony colored hair fell into her eyes so I gently brushed it away; her face never reacting to my touch. 

Almost as if she couldn’t feel it. 

“I’m sorry,” Michael shook his head. “Did you say Lucifer? As in The Devil?” 

I pinched the bridge of my nose with a sigh. “It’s probably unrelated.” 

The sound of a bag rustling sounded in the small green room, Michael holding up the two books that belonged to Lethia. 

The Death of Socrates and The Secrets of Lucifer.

“Unrelated my ass,” Michael grumbled while tossing the books onto the table.

“What is your issue with her?” I asked while turning towards him, sitting on the edge of the couch. 

He shrugged. “She showed up broken in our driveway and didn’t even say thank you to you for taking her in and helping. Then you keep running into her. LA isn’t a small town, Noah. She’s stalking you.” 

“You don’t know that,” I narrowed my eyes toward him. 

Folio could immediately pick up on the tension so his calm voice spoke up. “Michael is just worried about you, Noah. That’s all. You guys just moved a few months ago because of previous stalkers.” 

I peered down at Lethia as she still slept. “Lethia’s not like the others. Every time we run into each other, she tries to get away from me.” 

“Maybe you should let her,” Michael grumbled under his breath. 

Choosing to ignore him, I looked up at the door to the room when it opened, Bryan walking in now. 

“Any luck?” I questioned. 

He hesitated before shaking his head. “The guy at the bookstore only knows her name and the kind of books she’s interested in; nothing else. She always picks up the books, never lets the store send them to her.” 

Fuck.

“Lethia mentioned that she was kicked out of her previous home,” I said. 

“Where does she stay then?” Jolly asked while crossing his arms. 

I shrugged. “No idea. She didn’t tell me.” 

When I noticed the name of the bookstore on the bag, I asked Byran if he could go find out any information. It had been bugging me for weeks since I first met Lethia to find out more about her; where she came from, where she lived, and what her obsession with finding Lucifer was.

I nodded at Bryan before resting my eyes on Lethia’s face once more, watching her sleep for a few long moments.

When I saw her out in the crowd tonight, I couldn’t ignore the way my heart skipped a beat or the way my hands shook with nerves. It always was like this when we found each other again, a feeling I couldn’t push deep down and lock away. Lethia was interesting and had her quirks, some of which I was desperate to find out. 

I couldn't let her leave here alone tonight. There was this pull deep within my chest that vibrated every time Lethia and I were nearby; just like right now. She needed my help whether or not she would admit it. 

“I think she needs a place to stay and try to get back on her feet,” I said while looking back over to Michael and Jolly. 

The latter nodded, immediately understanding what I meant. Michael, however, rolled his eyes. 

“We don’t have a guest room. It’s already a full house with the three of us and Jesse.” 

I shrugged. “I’ll sleep on the couch. She can stay in my room.”

“Noah, you know I’ll agree with you no matter what, but we’ve had issues with stalkers finding out where you live and leaving shit on your car. We can’t have this happen again,” Jolly said. 

“I know,” I nodded. “But Lethia’s different. She needs help and I want to. Just until she gets back on her feet.”

“Savior complex back?” Nicholas asked. 

“No! It’s just me being a decent human being,” I defended. 

Bryan snorted. “Yeah, her being attractive doesn’t have anything to do with this?” 

My cheeks burned as I shifted on the couch. “No.” 

“Right.”

A loud gasp had me snapping my head towards Lethia as she awoke, immediately clawing at her neck. Her black nails left red marks, deep and angry, and I grasped at her hands. 

“Shit, Lethia,” I cursed while grasping her hands. 

Her red eyes filled with fear and despair softened as soon as they met mine but her breathing was still erratic. 

“Hey, it’s alright,” I cooed. 

Lethia’s shaking fingers grazed over my jaw, nails tracing the pout of my bottom lip. 

“Are you sure you’re not like me?” 

Her voice was hushed so much that I had to lean into her touch, hoping I heard her correctly. I scanned over every soft feature of her face but sucked in breath suddenly. 

“Lethia, your nose. It’s bleeding,” I informed. 

Her hands went to her face, wiping away the dark blood; only hers wasn’t the typical crimson color. It was black. 

“Fuck,” she muttered as she stared at her hand. 

Folio handed her a tissue, one she took with a small smile. “Thank you, uh-.” 

“Nick but you can call me Folio,” he smiled. 

“Right,” Lethia nodded before sitting up, drawing her knees to her chest. “You were the one I attacked that night.” 

“Thank you for not doing it again,” he chuckled while packing up his things. 

She looked around the room skeptically until her gaze landed on Michael, a low scowl pulling on her lips. 

“Oh, it's you.” 

He crossed his arms. “Are you stalking Noah?” 

“Michael,” I warned with a stern voice. 

“Me stalking him?!” Lethia gasped while standing to her feet. “Everywhere I turn, he’s there.” 

“Maybe it’s some soul mate shit,” Bryan joked. 

I rolled my eyes as I stood to my feet next. “I don’t believe in soulmates.” 

Lethia cocked her head to the side as she peered down at the table. “My books.” 

“Yeah, I brought them back here with you after you passed out. I wanted to make sure you didn’t lose them,” I said. 

“Thank you,” she looked up at me through her lashes. 

“Can you guys give us a minute?” I asked the guys. 

Nodding, they all gathered their things before Lethia and I were alone. She refused to meet my gaze now, kept it trained hard on the books she had clutched to her chest. 

“How are you feeling?” I asked after a long beat of silence. 

“Fine.” 

I shifted on my feet, trying to gain the courage to bring up the idea of having her stay with me. 

“Is there a hotel where I can drop you off?” 

Lethia slowly raised her gaze to mine. “Hotel?” 

The confusion in her voice made me narrow my eyes slightly. 

“Unless you’ve found a house to stay in. I guess, is there anywhere you want me to take you? I can drop you off wherever or you could maybe stay here,” I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. 

The corner of her lip curled up in a quick smile.

“Nervous?” She jeered. 

I scoffed, trying to play it off, but she saw right through me. 

“What I’m trying to say is; is there anything I can do to help you, Lethia? I feel compelled ever since I found you in my driveway,” I admitted while taking a tentative step toward her. 

The hesitation was evident in the way her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. 

“Will you let me help you?” 

My voice was quiet as my fingers reached for hers and when our skin touched, it felt as if sparks shot off inside of me, igniting all five of my senses. My stomach flipped and my heart jumped into my throat when I linked our fingers together, squeezing her hand. 

Lethia never reacted to my touch. 

“Wh-why would you want to help me?” She stammered. 

“I help people I care about,” I answered as if it wasn’t a big deal. 

Her brows furrowed. “But you don’t know me, Noah.” 

I swallowed thickly hearing my name fall from her lips, it causing straight heat to shoot straight to my dick. 

“Come with me, stay at my place for a few days until you get back on your feet; figure out where you want to go,” I suggested with another squeeze of her hand. 

Again, no reaction. 

But I could see the internal battle within Lethia as her eyes darted between mine. Finally, her shoulders slumped as if the decision was made with so much thought it made her weak. 

“Ok,” Lethia agreed with a curt nod. 

I did my best not to show my excitement even though my heart was soaring. 

“But I have to take care of some things first,” she said before I could. “Then I’ll be ready.” 

“That’s fine. Did you want me to pick you up or something?” 

“No, that’s alright. I have my own means to get to your house,” Lethia waved me off. 

She went to walk away, ready to leave the room, until I called after her. “Can I have your phone?” 

“My what?” Lethia slowly turned on her heels. 

Fuck, she looked so cute with the way her nose scrunched up when she was confused; which seemed to happen a lot. 

“Your phone,” I couldn’t hold back my smile. 

Her eyes widened. “Oh right, that cellular device you humans use to talk to one another. I don't have one.” 

“You don’t have a phone?” I asked. 

“Why would I? I don’t have anyone to talk to besides you but it seems like we’re always destined to run into each other,” Lethia pointed a finger at me. 

Destiny. 

I didn’t know why but that word always made my body shiver with something I couldn’t put my finger on. I never believed in soulmates and that my soul was meant for one person only. Well, that was until Lethia seemed to fall from grace into my life a few weeks ago and all I could think about was her. My soul yearned for her in ways that physically made me weak. 

When I wasn’t in her presence, I spent my time holed up in the studio writing or bedroom trying to dream of her because that seemed to be the only time I could find with her. Those dreams felt so real each time even the fucking bird that seemed to watch us every time. 

Except for the last few days, when I did dream, it wasn’t of Lethia. It was of destruction and death, leaving me in a sweaty panic mess when I awoke.

“Noah?” 

Snapping out of my thoughts, I hummed in response to Lethia. 

“Give me some time. I’ll be at your house before midnight,” she said, clutching those books close to her chest. 

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?” I ran a hand through my hair. 

Even though her smile was wide, I could see the fear behind her eyes. “I’ll be fine.” 

Just as she was about to walk out the door, I rambled off my address to her. 

“I remember!” Lethia’s sweet voice echoed back. 

NOAH

With careful precision, I straightened out the blanket on my bed and made sure the pillows were fluffed just right. On my desk was a stack of fresh, folded towels with some different toiletries Lethia might need. Jolly’s girlfriend left some shampoo and body wash behind the last time she stayed over and after double-checking with her, she gave me the okay to use them. 

I didn’t know if she needed an extra set of clothes so on the end of my bed was a pair of my sweats and a shirt, just in case. 

Running my hands over my thighs, I went through the mental checklist of everything as what seemed like a large bird flew past my window. 

Fresh bed sheets. 

Fresh towels. 

Comfy clothes. 

Toiletries. 

“Noah.” 

Spinning around, I gave a warm smile to Jesse and the form behind him. 

“She’s nervous,” Jesse mouthed before stepping to the side, showcasing Lethia. 

She was, in fact, nervous as she shifted on her feet with her bottom lip caught between her teeth. 

“Hi,” I said. “Did you take care of what you needed to?” 

“Yes,” she still stood outside my bedroom door, idly in the hallway. 

I waved her in. “You can come in.” 

Hesitantly, Lethia stepped past the threshold as her eyes took in almost every inch of my room. The lights were off, the only light emanating from the red LED behind my bed, and she quirked a brow at them. 

“So,” I ran a hand over my chest. “I left you some things in case you wanted to shower. And some extra clothes.” 

“This is where you sleep?” Lethia pointed to my bed. 

“Yeah, but don’t worry. You can sleep here, I’ll stay on the couch.” I assured her. 

I noticed she was still standing uncomfortably in the middle of my room, clutching a black bag to her chest. 

“Is that everything?” I asked. 

“Uh, yes. I didn’t have much. Just some clothes and books,” she said. 

“Like the ones I found on you earlier?” I asked while sitting on the edge of my bed. 

Lethia nodded, hesitantly following my lead. “Yes, I’ve been studying philosophy. It’s quite interesting learning about Socrates and his life.” 

She bounced a few times on the bed, a small giggle leaving her lips. “Oh, this is nice.” 

“My bed?” 

Her body fell in a heap against it, now a soft sigh emanating from her. “This is nothing compared to the clouds but fuck, I can’t believe I’ve been depriving myself of this kind of comfort.” 

I chuckled. “Well, make yourself at home.  I’ve also been reading up on philosophy. It’s always been a passion of mine. I might have some books lying around on my bookshelf. Feel free to read one that interests you.”

“That is very nice of you, Noah. You do not need to do all of this.”

Lethia gazed up at me, still lying back on my bed. 

I patted her knee. “I want to help you out any way I can, Lethia.” 

Slowly she sat up and stared for a long moment at my hand on her knee, her brows furrowed with confusion and anger. I went to pull away but her hand stopped me by resting on top of mine. The softness of her skin sent heat throughout my body. 

“I can’t feel you,” she muttered under her breath. “Why can’t I feel you?” 

“Wh-?” 

“Noah!” Jolly knocked on the open door, urgency in his voice. “There’s someone outside for Lethia. 

Her eyes snapped up towards Jolly. “Excuse me?” 

“She’s on the front step claiming she’s an old friend of yours,” Jolly informed. 

I narrowed my eyes. “How does she know Lethia is here?” 

A loud cawing caused me to jump towards the open window of my bedroom, a black crow sitting perched on the sill. The long white stripe of feathers down its spine told me it was the same one that had been haunting my dreams. 

“Fuck,” Lethia cursed when she eyed the bird. 

Before Jolly could answer, she was quick on her feet to push past Jolly, her loud footsteps descending the steps. 

LETHIA

Ignoring the wild looks from Noah’s other roommates, I whipped open the front door to be met with bright white eyes. Her usual long white hair was pulled back in a tight bun but her golden nose hoop stood out in stark contrast to the black night sky. It was weird not seeing her in the beast form she was known for; the one I saw earlier in my dream. 

Her human form was equally as daunting. 

“Maraxa,” I seethed while stepping outside, the door falling shut behind me. 

She eyed up the house. “Hm, cozying up with the mortal, I see. What would Lucifer say to this?” 

“I gave up caring what he thinks when he was the reason for my fall,” I sneered while crossing my arms; the leather of my jacket creaking. 

Maraxa clicked her tongue. “You chose to follow him, Lethia. The love you two shared was palpable. Untouchable. Not even the King could get between you two.” 

“If Lucifer loved me then why is he sending you to fetch me like I’m some kind of animal,” I seethed. 

“He’s a busy man. I’m sure you’ll understand once you're down there ruling beside him.” 

“Why do you want me to go back with you so badly? I know you’ve always wanted my place,” I said. 

An all too-knowing look flashed behind her white eyes even though they were filled with no emotion. 

“I live to serve my lord, Lucifer,” Maraxa simply said. 

“Well, you can tell your Lord that if he wants me beside him, he can come find me himself,” I swiftly spun on my heels, ready to head back inside. 

“He’ll search all four corners of the earth for you,” she called after me. 

“Let him!” I shot back, not bothering to look. 

It was Maraxa’s next words that gave me pause with my hand on the doorknob. 

“Your actions will get this mortal and his people killed!” 

I remembered the body with the gaping wound on his chest as he lay in the open field of angel dust. Those lifeless eyes that stared up at me during that dream weren’t like the ones that shined as they looked up at me as we sat together on his bed. 

“I’d rather cut off my wings than let that happen,” I vowed before slipping back inside the house.

[thefallennightmare]

Mercy-Five

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: thank you to everyone who was incredibly patient in the long two and a half months it took for me to update this. I am so proud of myself for busting through this chapter this past weekend. I am VERY excited for what's to come! I had so much fun creating the gif.

Tags[OPEN]: @happi-goth @missduffsblog @hayleylatour @sleepyomens @loeytuan98 @artificialbreezy @marvelousmal @bngurngheart @lma1986 @dsireland86 @wild-child-7747 @calleyx13 @illmakeyousaywow @jaded-and-hollow-souls @exitwoundsx @shayzillaaaa @lookwhatitcost @badomensls @princesspeach-00 @blueskylinesx @shadowseve @klutzy-kay24 @sorrowsofsilence @shilohrosechicken @itsafullmoon @toospooktocute @thatchickwiththecamera @hoe-for-daddywise @whenthesummerdies @cookiesupplier @thisbicc @sammyjoeee @pathion @flowery-mess @tashka @malice-ov-mercy @respectfulrebel @themortaljessica @crimson-calligraphyx @blackveilomens @lyschko666 @iknownothingpeople @collapsedglasshouses @iamamatus

NOAH

With a sigh, I rolled over in bed and stretched out an arm towards Lethia, hoping to feel her warmth again but was met with cold sheets. I removed my head from underneath the pillow to see that the space next to me had been empty for a while. 

“Lethia?” I called out while rubbing the sleep from my eyes. 

Silence. 

After I got into bed with her last night and we said our goodnights, neither of us said a word. Letting the silence that encased my bedroom be the eerie white noise we needed to fall asleep. My dreams were filled with all the information I had found out moments before coming to bed and the feathers tucked away in the studio's closet. I hadn’t told Lethia what I knew, I wanted her to be the one to tell me. It was her secret to tell. 

If she ever did.

Slowly dragging myself out of bed, I let my feet guide me over to the bathroom across the hall. 

Do angels even go to the bathroom? 

I shook my head with a chuckle and peeked into the bathroom only to be met with darkness. Once I made it downstairs and through the quiet house, I noticed the back patio door open, the cool breeze wrapping around my bare legs. 

“Lethia?” I called her name again when I stepped outside. 

Just past beneath the trees to our backyard was a path that led down to the beach less than a mile away and something in my gut was telling me to follow the path. I only made it a few feet away when something black on the fence caught my eye. 

One of Lethia’s feathers. 

I hesitated slightly, not knowing if it was a good idea to touch it now knowing what I do. It would take me into a part of her memories and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to see something else I couldn’t understand. It felt as if the memories were getting stronger, more intense, and there was a part of me that feared I might not be able to pull myself out of it. 

“Fuck it,” I muttered.

With my fingers wrapped around the soft feather, I felt the darkness creep in, pulling away at my subconsciousness. My breath caught in my throat as my soul went through a black tunnel, throwing my body from left to right, and when the oxygen was constricted any longer, the white haze around my eyes cleared. I blinked rapidly before gazing around at my surroundings. 

There was an eerie calm. But the ringing in my ear caused me to cover them for a moment. It was an annoying sound but after a moment, I got used to it and pocketed my hands in my sweats. 

Movement from my right caused me to whirl around and what I saw took my breath away. 

Lethia stood in front of me, in her old form. The exposed skin from her sheer white dress was clean and innocent; not a mark of ink anywhere. 

The only way I knew it was Lethia was from her smile. It radiated comfort and solace, something I found myself falling for. There was a connection between us that I couldn’t explain and it drove me absolutely mad. I couldn't figure out why she felt so familiar. 

Lethia was standing on a mountain's edge, the soft and quiet breeze blowing through the feathers of her wings. Her hair danced over the freckles on her shoulders and from my position behind a tree, I watched as a smile graced her face. 

“I was wondering when you would show,” her angelic voice rang out. 

My heart skidded in my chest and for a moment, I thought she was talking to me and I was ready to step out from behind the tree. But then another figure stepped forward, his wings breaking the branches as he emerged from the forest. 

“It was hard for me to slip away, Lethia.” 

She turned to face the man and I tore my gaze away from her to take in the sight of the angel. Large black and gold wings extended from his back but unlike Lethia’s, he had a design to them. 

Gold lines, almost like veins, vibrated with color as he shook them out. His hair long and dark, pulled back out of his face, and Lethia brushed away a loose strand; tucking it behind his ear. From my position, I could only see the man’s back. 

The white shirt clung to the muscles as he moved his arms around Lethia to bury his face in her neck. I expected to feel jealous at seeing how close they were but instead, I felt at peace. 

“The King has you caged like one of his peasant animals,” she sighed deeply. “How can we ever be together?” 

The man gave her a small smile. “It will all be worth it, Lethia. Soon we can go wherever we like. Leave the Kingdom.” 

Her eyes widened. “Leave the Kingdom? Are you mad? Where would we go?” 

“There are places outside of here. I’ve seen them and they are gorgeous. Vast fields of green, the colors here in the Kingdom pale in comparison to what I’ve seen there. The light creates a humming glow and the sounds of the birds make you want to dance.”

The two of them began to sway, dancing in the wind, and Lethia laid her head on the man’s chest. 

“Oh, Knoa. This place sounds wonderful,” she sighed. “Can you take me there soon?” 

He kissed the top of her head. “Soon. We can create a home there, rule the two of us. Anyone who is tired of the King’s ruling will join us.” 

“How are you so sure?” Lethia gazed up at him. 

“They’re all lost and looking for the meaning. I've been searching high and low for it. Some think that we will fade into nothing, going up in the smoke, and fail. Some may think we will beg the King for a mercy that we both know he would not show.”

Blinking rapidly, I looked around to see that I was back in my backyard and it took me a long moment of staring straight ahead to process what I’d seen. Lethia was with a different angel this time, not Lucifer. 

Knoa.

Was this angel before or after Lucifer?

Pocketing the feather, I continued down the trail behind my house and towards the beach. The waves crashed against the rocks, echoing loudly into the dark sky above. There wasn't anyone on the beach and when I was ready to give up, I saw a flash of black off in the water. 

Enormous wings lapped up the salty brine of the ocean water and the figure stood with their arms outstretched. Lethia’s face made my heart leap in my throat when I took in the euphoric bliss on the soft feature of her face. 

Her wings looked heavy but the way she moved through the water at a rapid pace made it seem like they weighed nothing. I already knew what she was but seeing her in her true form silenced the lingering doubt that plagued my mind.

Lethia tip-toed out of the water, standing on the shoreline and that's when I noticed she was naked. Her perky nipples begging to be tasted and the water droplets between her breasts slipped down over her navel and towards her pussy. 

“Shit,” I muttered while adjusting my cock. 

Her crimson eyes snapped up at me and we stared at each other for a long moment, neither of us saying anything. 

“I knew it,” I breathed. 

Lethia’s lips twitched. “What?” 

Taking a tentative step towards her, her wings shook causing a gust of wind to blow through my hair. They were even larger close up and the darkness of them felt like I was staring in the depths of someone's subconsciousness. 

“I knew it,” I repeated without taking my eyes off the wings. 

“How?” Lethia questioned, unmoving. 

My eyes finally darted to her face. “I found some of your feathers and slowly things started to come together. I researched some things last night.” 

Her shoulders went even more stiff. “My feathers. You’ve seen-?” 

“Your memories,” I finished for her with a nod. “I’ve seen Oblivion, Lucifer, and Knoa.” 

Her brows furrowed while shaking her head. “Knoa?” 

“He talked to you about a new kingdom. A place where the two of you could rule,” I explained. 

The confusion never left her face and that’s when I realized she had no idea who I was talking about. For a second, I thought I might have slipped into someone else's memories but I was certain it was Lethia who I saw in that particular scene. 

“I saw you in your old form,” I closed the distance between us. 

Her lips turned down in a scowl. “Oblivion. Do you still prefer what you see in front of you now?” 

I cupped her cheek. “Definitely.” 

There was a strong urge to run my fingers through the feathers but I was hesitant. If merely touching her dropped feathers dragged me into her memories, what would happen if I touched her wings?

“You can only see my memories from a dropped feather,” she answered my thoughts. 

“Can you read minds?” I asked, not being able to hide the excitement in my voice. 

She giggled. “No, but the hesitation in your eyes was clear.” 

I raised my hand slowly. “Can I?” 

When she nodded, I let my fingers brush along the softness of her wings and marveled at how they felt against the roughness of my palm. Lethia gasped which caused me to rear my hand back in worry. 

“Did I hurt you?” 

“No,” she shuddered. “Touch them again.” 

I did and she gasped once more. 

“I can feel your touch. The roughness of your fingers on each feather,” her eyes sparkled. 

“I thought fallen angels couldn’t feel humans touch,” I said. 

Lethia nodded while linking our hands together. “I can’t feel you here but I can feel you touch my wings.” 

They encased us, protecting us from the outside world, and I felt a sense of peace fall around me. I couldn’t stop staring at them, marveled at the sheer strength and power they could possess. 

“You’re not afraid?” Her voice was quiet. 

I raised my brows. “Why would I be?”

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and I wanted to taste them so bad but refrained with the look of disgust in her eyes. 

Not at me but at herself. 

“They’re darkness. Evil. Every part of who I am now shows my transgressions,” she said. 

“That’s not who you are anymore, Lethia,” I lifted her chin with a knuckle. “I don’t know the reason why you fell but think of it as a way to leave that part of you behind. Start fresh.” 

“Fresh,” she repeated, as if mewling over the word. 

We stayed like this for a long moment, letting the warmth of her wings block out the chill brought on by the ocean. It was then that I realized she was still naked and I let out a low cough, trying to keep my gaze on her face still. 

“Did you want to get dressed?” 

“Shit,” she cursed. “I almost forgot. I was taking a bath in the ocean. The salty brine helps my wings. They’re beginning to deteriorate from hiding my true form.” 

Stepping away with the opening, I watched in awe as the large wings retreated into her back, hidden away beneath the slits of skin. 

“Deteriorate?” I asked while she slipped on her clothes. 

My eyes cast downwards for a moment and a flash of ink on her ribs caught my attention. A green snake. 

“That’s why you keep finding my feathers. They’re falling off,” Lethia explained once fully dressed. 

Linking her hand with mine, I brought her into my chest to lay a chaste kiss on her lips. Even if she couldn’t feel it, she still kissed back with equal force. 

“You never have to hide from me, Lethia. I want to see all of you,” I said with a stern gaze. 

Crimson eyes danced between mine and with a curt nod, she let out a long breath. 

“I can’t believe you figured it out on your own.”

With a smug smile, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and began leading her back up the beach towards my house. 

“I’m quite perceptive with these things,” I informed as we slipped back inside the quiet house. 

It was nearing four in the morning and everyone was still asleep as we quietly ascended the stairs back to my bedroom. 

“Let’s get some sleep,” I suggested while tossing back the blanket. 

“Angels don’t sleep,” Lethia informed while sinking low beneath the mounds of blanket on my bed. 

Once I was lying next to her, I brought her into my chest and shivered when long black nails dragged over the tattoos. 

“Does that mean you can’t dream?” I asked. 

“Well funny story about that. One of my powers is that I dreamwalk in others dreams. I actually walked in yours a few times, unwillingly. I go wherever I’m needed I suppose. I have this familiar that follows me in every dream; leading me,” she said. 

“Wait,” I gazed down at her. “A crow? With a white stripe of feathers?”

She rested her chin in her palm. “You see him too?” 

“In my dreams. So that means when I dreamt of you, that it was actually you?” 

Her cheeks reddened, thinking back to the dreams I had of her. “Yeah. I don’t know why it was your dreams I always found myself in. There’s a lot of things I’m still trying to understand.” 

“Could you feel it when we would have sex?” I asked slyly. 

A darkness crossed her features, the one that I found myself gravitating towards. 

“Right now, I can’t feel your heartbeat,” she placed a palm on my chest. “But in your dreams, I could feel every inch of you.” 

Now Lethia’s hand dragged down my stomach, those sharp nails leaving red marks in their wake, and when she reached my cock, I hissed out in pleasure. She palmed my cock and I let my eyes flutter shut. 

“I can’t feel you physically, but I get this feeling inside of me; almost like a fire. It’s urging me to continue because I know it’s making you feel good.” 

Lethia adjusted herself so her mouth was hovering over my sweats before she hooked her fingers in the waistband, slowly dragging it down over my hips. 

“You don’t have-,” I tried to say but my voice was seized from me when I felt her cool lips around the warmth of my cock. 

She hummed but I couldn’t tell what it was for. I knew she couldn’t feel the way my cock hit the back of her throat but could she taste the precum that gathered at the head? 

Did it taste bitter? 

Was it sweet? 

Fuck, I wanted to taste her so bad.

“Lethia,” I moaned, grasping at the sheets beneath me when her tongue flattened against the base of my cock. 

Her movements were precise, like she knew what she was doing. Even if she couldn’t feel how perfect her mouth was on me, Lethia used my moans and sighs of pleasure to guide her. 

“Just like that,” I snaked my fingers through the short tendrils of her hair to keep her in place. 

Our eyes met in a blaze of seduction and the way those crimson pupils shined with curiosity of if she was doing it right, I dragged a finger over her cheek. 

“So good. You’re doing so good,” I praised. “I don’t know how it’ll affect you but tap on my thigh three times if you need me to stop.”

Lethia winked and with both hands at the base of her skull, I kept her in place to fuck into her throat. My pace was relentless as the head of my cock reached the back of her throat with ease and when her fingernails grazed over my balls, I felt my body ignite. The base of my spine tingled as I let out a guttural groan, her name falling from my lips as I came into her mouth. 

Her hums of tasteful pleasure intertwined with mine as I spilled every last drop down her throat. She let go of my cock with an audible pop and wiped away the drool from her mouth with a slick wipe of her finger. 

“You taste so fucking good,” Lethia whispered while placing tender kisses along my stomach. 

“You were able to taste me?” I asked, still breathless from my orgasm. 

She nodded with a wide smile. “I couldn’t feel your cock in my mouth but I could taste you. Everything I feel with you, I feel it here.” 

Her finger traced a heart over my own. 

“That was better than any dream,” I mused as she tucked herself underneath my arm again. 

“And no little friend watching us,” Lethia teased with a wink. 

Just to add to the humor, I made a show of looking around my bedroom for the crow with the white stripe of feathers but breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Thank fuck,” I murmured while tucking us deeper underneath the blanket. 

We were quiet for a long moment until Lethia kissed the tattoos on my chest. “Thank you for being so understanding and not running away after you found out about what I am. There’s still a lot I don’t understand about myself.” 

I squeezed her shoulder. “One day at a time, angel.” 

The lines in her forehead creased when the realization of what I called her sinked low in my gut. 

“To on the nose?” I asked. 

“No, surprisingly I like it,” Lethia patted my chest before laying her head there. “Goodnight, Noah.” 

My face twitched at hearing my name on her lips but thought nothing of it as I brought the blanket higher up over us. 

“Sweet dreams, angel,” I teased with a smile. 

LETHIA

I was falling down to the depths beneath the earth. 

My body felt weightless as the darkness underneath me started to creep without warning of when I would hit the ground. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears as I reached up towards the space in front of me, hoping by some miracle I’d be able to latch onto something. 

Just as I braced for impact, the scenery changed and no longer was I falling. Instead I was standing in this unknown darkness in my angel form and my wings shook with the uncertainty of what would jump out. 

“Hello?” I called out cautiously. 

The silence was deafening and I couldn’t tell which way was right as I spun on my heels, my wings not even making a sound in this unknown void. 

“The faith and the fighter.” 

I froze at the deep voice. It sounded far away yet at the same time like it was spoken right in my ear.  

“Lighting up the streets, singing for the damned.” 

I whirled around, the voice now sounding farther away but I could feel the breath on the back of my neck. There was something so familiar about the richness of the voice but ice cold fear crept into my bones. 

“Confessing to the choir.” 

It was as if the voice was right in front of me, the warm breath fanning over my lips and I shuddered when the familiar smell tickled my nose. 

No, it couldn’t be. There was no way he could be here. He couldn’t have found me. 

Although, Maraxa did know where I was hiding and she could have easily told him where I was. 

The all too familiar heat spread in my veins that made my wings flutter, the noise absent in the darkness. He was so close now, the anger radiating off of him in droves and I nearly collapsed with how it crushed my throat, making it hard to breathe. 

Suddenly loud footsteps smacked on the ground at my feet, closer and closer. It came from in front, behind me, and on both sides. It sounded as if someone was running but I couldn’t figure out which direction. 

A face appeared out of the darkness, bathed in a red glow but the even darker circles around those eyes made a broken cry fall from my lips. 

“Bury every beast and we are born again!” Lucifer’s wicked smile spread across his face, showcasing the sharpness of his teeth. 

The scene around me shifted, the warmth now overtaking me as I found myself standing in the middle of flames. It licked up my arms but I couldn’t feel the sting of pain. Through the lick of fire, a lone figure stood out and the pain from his screams stabbed me in my chest. 

No. 

No, no, no. 

It isn’t. 

A hand outstretched towards me, begging to be pulled from the fiery depths of Hell, and my eyes took in the sight of a tattoo; some kind of mandala flower. 

“Lethia!” 

I took a step towards the hand but hissed in pain when the flames caressed my skin. 

“Please. Help me!” 

Tears welled in my eyes as his name choked on my tongue. “No-Noah!”

“You can’t save him, my sweet Oblivion. His soul is mine,” Lucifer’s voice tickled my ear. “Just like yours is about to be.” 

I woke up with a start, sitting up in bed and feeling the cool beads of sweat trickle down my back. My breathing was erratic and my veins were pumping the blood in my body so violently, I could hear it in my ears. 

Noah stirred next to me and reached for me, wrapping the mandala flower tattooed hand on my thigh. I watched as his hand squeezed but felt absolutely nothing. Then that hand reached up to cup my cheek, dragging his thumb over the sharpness of my cheekbone. 

Once again not able to feel anything. 

I watched as his hand wrapped around behind my neck, bringing our lips together. The base of my spine vibrated, telling me that Noah’s tongue was brushing over mine. But the images of what I’d seen were hindering me, useless, unable to respond. 

“What’s wrong?” 

His voice was laced with exhaustion and there was guilt eating away at me for waking him up. 

“I’m fine,” I dragged through my hair, trying to ease the pounding of my heart. 

Noah sat up in bed, his own sleep tousled hair a mess, but he still looked gorgeous. 

“It doesn’t seem like you’re fine. You’re acting like you had a nightmare?” 

I thought about for a moment of lying, keeping up the ruse that I was fine, but deep down I knew I wouldn’t be. 

“I don’t dream, so whatever this was,” I let out a shaky breath, trying to compose myself. “It felt too real. The flames when I tried to reach for you.” 

Noah stiffened. “Flames?” 

I turned towards him, pulling my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them. “I wasn’t in my own dream. I was in his.” 

When Noah gave me a look of confusion, I bit my lip and said his name with fear. 

“Lucifer.” 

A bunch of different emotions passed through his face and I wasn’t sure how he was going to react. 

“You saw me in the flames?” He asked. 

I then reiterated the whole scene for him from beginning to end, not leaving any details out. Quickly, Noah left the bed to begin pacing his room and the red LED lights casted him in the same glow I’d seen Lucifer. I shuddered with that same fear, slowly sinking farther away from Noah. 

“It sounds like an omen, Lethia. Lucifer shows up in your dream, tells you my soul is his. Am I going to die?” He stopped pacing to run a hand over his face. 

Your lips parted to speak but hesitated for a moment to which Noah took the opportunity to speak again. 

“Is that why you fell? You were sent here to tell me I’m going to die?” 

“That’s not-,” I shook my head, still in my crouched position on his bed. 

Noah chuckled dryly. “If that’s the case, why didn’t you tell me in the beginning? Why waste my fucking time with everything?” 

My eyes narrowed. “I can assure you that I wasn’t wasting your time, Noah. It’s just that I'm still learning things. Figuring out why I fell into this time and not where Lucifer fell.” 

Noah halted his pacing, dark eyes pinning me. “Is he going to stop looking for you?” 

“I don’t know,” I sighed while resting my head against the wall next to Noah’s bed. 

Silence fell between us for a long moment and Noah remained unmoving, eyes staring straight at me. 

“What’s the point of this, Lethia?” He asked. 

My eyes snapped away from the sharpness of my nails and sliced them into him. “Excuse me?” 

“Lucifer won’t stop looking for you. He wants you back and it’s probably better that you’re with him instead of me,” Noah said with his hands on his hips. 

I couldn’t figure out where the shift in attitude came from and it had me rising from the bed so I could stand toe to toe with him. 

“This is pointless,” he continued. “You can’t feel my touch. You can’t feel anything about me. How would a relationship between us work?” 

My face turned to stone, crimson eyes deepening with his words.

“That’s not fair, Noah. That’s not anything I can control,” I reminded him. 

“Is that why you just magically dropped here?” He scoffed. “If I was going to fucking die you should have told me from day one.”

“I didn’t know. I swear,” I almost begged for him to believe me. 

He didn’t say a thing, simply shrugged before crossing his arms over his chest. The silence between us was deafening and when I felt the tears burning in the corners of my eyes, I stood up straighter. I refused to cry for this mortal, no matter how I felt about him. 

“Fuck this,” I grumbled while ripping my jacket from one of the hooks in his room and throwing it on me. 

When I brushed past him, slamming my shoulder into his, Noah stumbled back but I gave no indication the push impacted me. But when the lone tear slipped down my cheek, I could hear his soft intake of breath. 

“Lethia, I’m-.” 

“Save it! I’m going to get some air,” I spat while slamming his bedroom door shut behind me. 

By now, his roommates were awake and lingering throughout the house downstairs. As I reached the front door, Michael’s voice called out after me. 

“Lethia, are you alright?” 

But I didn’t bother saying anything. It wasn’t worth it. None of these mortals mattered anymore. My life wasn’t something that concerned them anymore and in the haste of my fight with Noah, I had one goal in mind. 

Find Uriel. 

However, my thunderous footsteps stopped when four figures stepped out of the dark street and boxed me in. My head snapped in all different directions and when the one familiar face stepped even closer, a low scowl pulled on my face. 

“Ceecee,” I snarled. 

The man adjusted the black bandana around his forehead before winking. “Nice to see you as well, Lethia. Although I must say, you’ve changed since we've seen you last.” 

I rolled my eyes. “Tell me something I don’t already know.” 

The man with spiked up black hair spoke next. “Do you know how long we’d been looking for you?” 

“For all eternity, Jake?” I joked with not an ounce of humor in my voice. 

“I never remembered you being such a jokester,” said Jinx, one of the other men.

I turned towards him with an unamused shrug. “But I do remember Lucifer always sending his little bitches to do his dirty work.” 

The last man, taller than the others, wore a sour smile. 

“Always the conversationalist, Lonny,” I faux sighed. “Nothing to say this time?” 

His dark eyes never left my face. “I said everything I needed to say before.” 

“Oh, that’s right,” I snapped. “You accused me of keeping Lucifer from his true potential. I was a snake in the grass.”

“Was I wrong?” Lonny extended his hands wide. “We all fell for your transgression.” 

My upper lip recoiled. “Lucifer led me astray. It’s because of his betrayal to the King we all fell.”

Ceecee made a show of groaning while tying away the long strands of hair from his face. “You can come with us the easy way or the hard way.” 

“NO! Please, not the hard way,” I overplayed my helpless voice before a dark chuckle fell from my lips. “We know all of you together are no match for me. I was higher ranked than you four up in the Kingdom.”

“Things are different now,” Jake said, his leather jacket slick from the earlier rain. 

“You know, I’m surprised Maraxa isn’t here,” I clicked my tongue. 

Lonny chuckled low behind me. “Lucifer was upset with her failed attempts so she’s chained in hell.” 

I cocked a brow while glancing over my shoulder at him. “I take it as Lucifer is there, watching her beg for his forgiveness?” 

“No, he’s actually been up here in the mortal realm for quite some time. Closer than you think,” Jinxed explained. 

My arms were extended wide with a playful smirk on my lips. “I’m right here. Tell him to come and get me.” 

“I already have.” 

A voice inside my mind spoke and my wings exploded from my back as I turned towards that voice only to be met with darkness as it overtook all of my senses. 

NOAH

I sat in my computer chair, knee bouncing so fast I was sure the guys could hear the floor shaking downstairs. I couldn’t stop biting the skin on the pad of my thumb as the worry began eating away at me. Lethia had been gone for almost an hour and with no way to reach her, I was at a loss of what to do. 

I never meant the things I said. Us being together, whatever this relationship was, wasn’t pointless. I knew it was wrong of me to use the fact she couldn't feel my touch against her but when Lethia told me that Lucifer was not only after her soul but mine as well, I got scared. If you would have told me last month that I’d find myself falling for a fallen angel and had to worry about Lucifer coming after her, I would have laughed in your face. 

My life had been soley Bad Omens until Lethia arrived. Now things changed and Lethia slowly became top on my priority list. For example, finding where she went. 

Just as I sat up from my chair, ready to head downstairs and ask the guys for help, Jesse appeared at the open doorway of my bedroom. 

“Hey,” he said. “Everything alright?” 

No. Far from it. My girlfriend's, who's not my girlfriend, her ex-boyfriend is after her soul and mine. 

I shifted on my feet while stuffing my hands in my pockets. “I don’t think so. Lethia and I had a fight. She stormed out of here almost an hour ago and I thought she’d be back by now but I’m worried something is wrong.” 

Jesse nodded and held out his keys. “We can take my car.” 

Quickly slipping on a sweater, I followed him down the stairs and filled in the rest of the guys in on our plan. To which Jolly and Orie said they’d go out looking as well and Michael would stay in case she came back. 

Two hours later after scouring almost all of downtown L.A and our neighborhood twice, there was no sign of Lethia. But it wasn’t until we were walking back up the steps to the house that my eyes caught sight of the large black feather there. 

How had I missed that before? 

I gently covered it with my shoe as Orie, Jolly, and Jesse walked up. 

“Have you tried calling her?” Orie wondered. 

“Voicemail,” I lied, knowing she didn’t have a phone. 

It was now mid afternoon and I knew the guys had plans to work on the studio for a bit so after thanking them for their help, I told them I was going to hang outside for the time being. 

Once alone, I hastily picked up the feather beneath my shoe and felt that all too familiar feeling of my soul being dragged through the dark subconscious of Lethia’s mind. 

I landed five houses down from my own to see a group of four men standing over the crumbled body of Lethia, who was protecting herself with her large wings. 

“Hm, it’s a shame what she became. Are we sure he’ll even want her back,” a man wearing a bandana asked. 

The tallest of the group and dark curly hair snorted. “If he doesn’t, I’m sure we could find use for her down there. We’re always in need of slaves.” 

One of the men with spiky hair lifted Lethia’s body with ease and it was then I got a good look at her face. No marks indicating she was hurt but my heart stopped in my chest when I noticed how white and vacant her eyes were. 

“Is Lucifer in the same place we left him?” 

The man with the bandana nodded. “As soon as he found out where Lethia was staying, he refused to leave. He wanted to remain close.” 

“Remember what he said Jake, not a hair on her head is to be misplaced. He wants her in all her glory.” 

Jake rolled his eyes while adjusting his grip on Lethia. “How do you think he’ll react when he smells that mortal on her?”

“It will be a death that I cannot wait to experience,” The taller man smirked before all four of them extended their wings, all differentiating in size and color. 

My eyes blinked a few times as I felt the earth tilt back on its axis, everything coming back to me with a force that had my breath shaking. Four angels took Lethia and they had plans to bring her back to Lucifer. I didn’t know where but what I did know was that they were close. And that once he found out Lethia and I had been together, it would only mean one thing for her. 

Death.

“Fuck,” I raked a shaking hand through my hair. “Fuck!” 

The sounds of fluttering wings echoed behind me and I swiftly turned on my feet, expecting to see Lethia but instead saw the crow. It was perched on a branch up in the large willow tree in our yard and its wings were extended wide, showcasing the white stripe between its feathers. 

“Where is she?” I asked the bird. 

Its response was a simple caw. 

“You’re her familiar. You know where she is,” my voice raised. 

Now the crow didn’t make a noise. Its dark eyes watched me intently as I did the same to it. I could feel the anger beginning to boil over that stemmed from my fight with Lethia and an afternoon spent trying to look for her, only to be met with this fucking bird that wouldn’t stop staring at me. 

“If you’re not going to be any fucking help, then leave me alone!” I yelled while throwing a rock at the bird, hitting its left wing. 

It cried out in pain before fluttering out of the tree and off into a direction I didn’t bother to follow. There was only one way I could possibly talk with Lethia and figure out where she was. 

I needed to go to sleep.

LETHIA

My eyes slowly opened, a feeling behind them causing a slight groan to fall from my lips. This was a new feeling; pain. I hadn't felt something like this since I fell to earth all those months ago. 

So why could I feel my insides burning? 

Groggily looking to my left, I took in the chains around my wrist with a curious pull of my brows. There were markings all along the cuffs and my eyes doubled when I recognized those markings. 

Ancient markings. Ones that hadn't been seen in eons. 

Ancient markings that were created for one thing and one thing only. I knew because it was me who created them. 

Power binding markings. To help keep an angel trapped in imprisonment. 

"No, no," I whispered, trying with all my strength to fight against my bindings. 

It was futile. There was no way out. 

When I looked to my right and saw the same bindings, I did my best to remain calm. There had to be a way out of this. I was the one who created these sigils, surely I could find a way out. 

I thought back to what happened moments before my capture. The fight, the accusations, and the hurt look in his eyes. 

"Noah," I breathed while closing my eyes, trying to dream walk into his mind. 

Blocked. 

Cursing under my breath, I knew the reason why I was blocked had to be because he wasn't asleep. 

A sudden movement from my left made my head snap up and the rage festered low in my gut when those four familiar men stepped into view. 

"You were always the ones sent to do his dirty work," I chuckled while rising to my knees. 

Ceecee smiled wickedly. "He was tired of waiting. Maraxa clearly wasn't the right one for the job." 

I clicked my tongue against my teeth. "Right, you said she’s chained in hell. Was that before or after trying to get into bed with him?" 

"No, malach. That place belongs to you." 

I froze at hearing that name; it had been so fucking long since it was uttered in my presence. 

Angel in Hebrew.

There was only one being that ever called me that.

No. No. No. It can't be. 

The dark voice loomed in the shadows and I whirled my head to the right in time to see his face emerge from the darkness; those piercing blue eyes locking into my soul. 

"Lucifer," I shuddered while pulling on the bindings, to no avail.

He cocked his head to the side, those eyes drinking in the sight of me before he bent low to his knees. Our faces were mere inches from each other and with one gaze down to those lips, memories of us lying together up in the Kingdom replayed in my mind on a loop. 

I couldn’t figure out why he looked different from the images I had been seeing around town lately. 

“I played with your mind, creating a different version of me. It was easy to control you, Lethia. Your mind has become weak since the fall,” Jinx said. 

I snarled while rising to my feet, ready to attack, but was pulled back by my bindings. 

“I should have known you were inside my mind, Jinx. This entire time, I thought it was Maraxa.” 

He chuckled darkly while crossing his arms over his chest. “Please, she was weak before the fall. She couldn’t hold a candle to the things I’ve done.” 

Lucifer held up a hand when I was about to have a witty remark. 

“Enough!” His voice boomed throughout the small room I was held in. 

The four men behind him slinked farther back into the darkness, like puppies who were just scolded for chewing something they shouldn’t have. 

“Lucifer’s bitches,” I repeated my words from earlier with a smirk.

His hand gently cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at him in those blue depths. 

"I haven't been called Lucifer in quite some time, not since the fall. Humans aren't too keen on it when you tell them your name is literally the devil. You can call me my mortal name." 

I swallowed thickly. "Which is?" 

The grin that spread to his face was a wicked one and made my heart drop with fear.

“You can call me Andy.”

[thefallennightmare]

I updated the master list for Mercy with a new cover!

Mercy-Fallen Angel AU

Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OFC x Lucifer!Andy Biersack

"Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, and isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.- CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS

*smut

PINTEREST BOARD

Mood Board by @madomens

ONE* | TWO * | THREE | FOUR | FIVE*| SIX TEASER-chapter coming soon

[thatchickwiththecamera]

DO YOURSELVES A FAVOR AND READ THIS!

YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED!

DEFINITELY A NEW FAVORITE!

Mercy-Noah Sebastian AU

"Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, and isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.- CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS

*smut

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Mood Board by @madomens

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[sammyjoeee]

ohhh I love this so much already☺️

Mercy-Three

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch @blackveilomens @crimson-calligraphyx @cookiesupplier @lyschko666 @shilohrosechicken @thebadchic @iknownothingpeople @sammyjoeee @malice-ov-mercy @kaelyn-lobrutto24 @collapsedglasshouses

LETHIA

I sat in the darkness of the old building with a scatter of books in front of me and a face of pure rage. These texts were all wrong, they had to be. There was absolutely no way that Lucifer was the evil that this bible talked about. He never tempted anyone into any sin. He was valued in the Kingdom and so many other angels turned to him in times of despair; me included. 

Kicking the bible away with my boot, I turned to the next book and perched it on my lap. 

The Book of Enoch.

Watchers. Nephilim. The fall of angels. 

All of those words replayed in my brain as I read through the book for what seemed like the third time, searching for an answer I subconsciously knew wasn’t there. 

"The Grigori, who with their prince Satanail rejected the Lord of light,” I read the words out loud, my wavering voice echoing into the large space. 

Slamming the book shut, I tossed it back into the pile with the others and quickly rose to my feet, done with my studying for the day. Ever since I thought I saw Lucifer, I spent the last handful of days searching all over the world for the books at my feet but could only search in the darkness of the night so as not to risk mortals seeing me. 

I tried dream walking to find where Lucifer had ended up but only found myself walking into a dream of someone who wasn’t familiar. The only scene in front of me was a vast field of green overtaken by bloodshed and soot from what some may thought came from the burning woods behind me. 

Although, I knew it wasn’t soot that covered the ground at my feet. It was something not many mortals saw quite often. 

Angel dust. 

It was only ever left behind after an intense battle, their energy staying behind in a variety of ways; most of the time in angel dust. 

However, the destruction from the battle and angel dust weren’t what made my stomach twist in knots. It was the crumbled body that lay at my feet, blood pouring from a gash in his neck but I couldn’t see his face due to his long locks of hair covering it. The crow that seemed to follow me everywhere pecking away at the open wound on the man's chest. 

I ran a hand through my hair, the black locks not as shocking as the first night after my fall, and slipped on my jacket. It was worn from me spending the last few nights flying from other ends of the earth and two large slits in the back from where my wings extended from my back. The old building I’d been hiding away in since my fall almost two weeks ago was slowly becoming my home. I didn’t have a bed since angels didn’t need to sleep. We could, if we wanted to, however, I never felt the need to. 

There was no food since, like sleep, angels didn’t need to eat. Although I did indulge in some sweets now and then from the bakery across the street, I didn’t feel the need to sit and have a meal. 

The one thing, however, I did need was a shower but unfortunately, this abandoned building did not have running water. Which meant late in the evenings, I found myself bathing in the ocean; the salt water helped maintain the life and color of my wings. 

Dreaded black wings. 

With a long sigh, I stepped out into the night California air to head back to the bookstore that was around the block. Among the intellectual texts I’ve picked up, I’ve also begun reading up on psychology and philosophy just as a way to pass the time. 

“Hello, Lethia! I was hoping you’d stop by tonight,” Greg, the older gentleman behind the bookstore counter, smiled at me. 

I raised a playful brow. “I told you I would. You promised you’d have something for me.” 

Greg slid over a worn book to me. “It took me some time to find it but here it is.” 

The corner of my lip curled carefully and flipped through The Death of Socrates, my nostrils flaring at the old book smell. 

“How much do I owe you?” I asked Greg. 

He waved me off. “Same as always. Just make sure to return them in the same condition. No one ever asks for Plato’s work anymore; it's such a shame. So any chance I can scour for one of them, makes me happy.” 

I tapped the counter with a smile. “Thank you, Greg. I’ll make sure to bring you a cannoli when I return the book.” 

“I think this deserves a large pan of Baklava,” he said while placing another book on the counter. 

The Secrets of Lucifer.

My red eyes darkened as I carefully picked up the book, it weighing heavy in my hand. 

“Greg, I will bring you whatever your heart desires for this,” I shifted my eyes to his. “Thank you.” 

With both books tucked away in a bag from the shop, I maneuvered my way through crowds of people, scowling at the King above for dropping me into one of the busiest cities. A bright neon sign on a building caught my gaze as I approached the street where my makeshift home was. 

Live Music. 

Music? Maybe I can find a hint about where Lucifer is.

Before I stepped inside the building, a chilling and painful breeze brushed across the back of my neck causing me to spin on my heels. A loud ringing scratched at my ears but I remained stoned as my eyes hastily looked around the busy street and sidewalk. Something was different in the air; it smelled different. 

Titling my head to the side, I gazed down at my feet when something caught my attention. 

“What are you doing here?” I muttered. 

Dark eyes from the crow stared into my soul as it was perched between my feet. 

“I’m not dreaming so why are you here?” I bent to my knees. 

I knew it was the same one from my dream walking because of the single white path of feathers that ran down its spine. The crow continued to stare at me, not making a sound, so I tapped its head with a gentle finger. 

“If you’re here outside a dream,” I looked at my surroundings once again. “It can only mean one thing and that my friend, is what I was afraid of.” 

Rising to my feet, I ushered the bird away with a simple flick. “Go see what you can find for me.” 

With a simple caw, the crow fluttered its wings and flew to an unknown destination as I turned on my heels walking into the building. It was loud from the constant pounding from the speakers and the boisterous voices from the packed crowd. Everyone in Los Angeles was here tonight as I pushed my way through to find a single spot open at the bar. 

“What can I get you?” A petite blonde behind the bar asked me with a smile, but when she took one gaze into my red eyes, she took a large step back. 

It was like this every time someone took their first look at me. Red eyes must not have been common here on earth. 

“I’m alright, thank you.” I gave a curt nod while sitting on the stool and began reading The Death of Socrates. 

It didn’t last long, however, when a man pushed his way past the bodies on both sides of me so he could lean against the bar, eyeing me down. 

“Who the fuck reads at a bar?” 

Ignoring him, I simply turned the page, continuing to read. 

This prompted him to lay his large hand on the pages of the book, crumpling them. 

My head snapped up towards him when his green eyes ravaged my face, licking his lips slowly. “I’m not into broads with short hair or eyes like yours but I’m sure if I fuck you from behind, it won’t be an issue.” 

“I’d suggest if you want to keep that hand that you take it off of my book,” I said with an eerily calm voice.

“Or what?” He snorted. “You think you can do anything to me?” 

Just before I was about to rise to my feet, a loud voice came through the speaker which prompted the man to push away from my book and disappear into the crowd. 

“We have a treat for you guys tonight!” The voice in the microphone made my ears burn as I screwed my eyes shut. “These guys are on break from tour but we managed to talk them into playing a show for you all. Give it up for Bad Omens!” 

Bad Omens. 

My eyes snapped open just in time for me to look up at the stage before me when that familiar face beamed out into the crowd. His almond eyes shone brightly as he began singing the first song, other familiar faces registering in my mind as they played their instruments. 

The man playing what I was sure was the drums: Nick, the one I had pinned to the ground the first time I fell to Earth. 

The man with long hair playing a guitar. I didn’t know his name but I remembered his voice didn’t sound like the others. 

The man playing an instrument I just learned about, the bass. He was also there that night but I didn’t talk to him. 

Then the last man stood front and center as he sang into a microphone, his hair falling around his shoulders in dark waves. Those almond eyes scanned over every face in the crowd until they rested on mine; a breath getting caught in my throat. 

Noah. 

I was only a few feet away from the stage so when our eyes locked, Noah’s face broke out in a smile as he took a couple steps towards me. 

“And when he has you by your neck,” he screamed into the microphone. 

I expected him to sound like something else; nothing like this. So eternal. So elegant. So breathtaking. 

I stood there frozen as Noah danced across the stage, the crowd jumping along with him. People even enjoyed jumping on top of each other as others moved them along, carrying them throughout. 

As Bad Omens played their set, I couldn’t move; transfixed on the sight of them before me. I couldn’t explain this weird feeling that surged through me as Noah’s eyes kept darting over to me, almost making sure I was still there. Then when he waved toward me during their last song, my heart studered in my chest. 

What was this feeling? It was unknown and it scared me to absolute death to follow it. 

But then something familiar tickled behind my neck, chills covering every inch of my skin and I hastily looked around me to see the crow perched outside the open door of the building. The noise of Bad Omens and the crowd faded to nothing as all I could hear was the constant cawing of the bird, almost beckoning me to follow. 

“Lethia, come back to me.” 

Whirling behind me, I expected to see Lucifer but ended up scaring the people who stood there when they took in the wild look in my eyes. 

“Lethia, you belong to me.” 

Lucifer’s voice was loud in my mind now as I whirled around again, this time facing the stage. My eyes caught with Noah’s and he gave me a slight frown before he took the steps down the stage to come towards me. 

“You were sworn to me and me alone. No other being on this earth can have you.”

“Stop it,” I muttered, closing my eyes. 

“Why haven’t you looked for me? Why haven’t you come to me?” 

I clawed at my ears, now yelling. “STOP! LUCIFER STOP!” 

“Lethia.” 

Noah's soft voice cooed as he reached for my hands, the touch unknown and unfamiliar; as if the wind was grasping at me. 

“You’re a disgrace for a soldier of Lucifer’s. How dare you spend time with a mortal?”

My eyes snapped open at this new voice, only to be clouded with a new vision of a face I hadn’t seen in a very long time. 

White eyes. Even whiter hair. A large golden hoop hanging from the middle of their nose. 

Her name fell from my lips as darkness suddenly took over, my body falling to a heap into Noah’s arms. 

LETHIA

I stood alone in an empty field, the same one I dreamed walked in earlier. Angel dust covered the ground and fluttered in the air. Smoke weighed heavily in my nostrils, leaving a bitter aftertaste on my tongue. The crow pecked away at the gaping wound in the stomach of the man who lay at my feet. 

His long brown locks were covering his face so bending slowly at the knees, careful not to disturb the crow, and black nails brushed away the hair from the man's face, void almond eyes staring into my soul. 

I choked on his name as I stumbled back, falling to my ass. 

“No-.” 

Suddenly, a fast and hard stampede echoed in my ears and my chest as I scrambled to my knees. Large, black wings exploded from my back with a gust of wind just in time for a massive bull to run towards me. With my left hand outstretched and a mere thought of a dagger, it appeared out of thin air. I threw the dagger at the bull when it was less than five feet away from me, only for it to bounce off its large back. 

“Shit,” I cursed, protecting myself with my wings. 

The bull’s nostrils flared, a puff of breath blowing through the angel dust, then as I prepared myself for impact, the bull stopped meters in front of my face. Its warm breath now fanning over my face as I gritted my teeth. 

Bright white eyes stared back at me as the large golden hoop protruding from its nose rumbled with each deep breath. 

“Lethia, my how you’ve changed,” the bull's voice spoke in my mind. 

“Maraxa,” I spat with ice-cold venom. 

The bull chuffed, dragging its feet against the grass. Its black horns were almost too large for its head but somehow seemed as if it weighed nothing. Its lips curled back in a deep snarl, sharp black teeth covered with blood held my gaze. 

“You’ve been hiding your scent well, Lethia.” 

“I didn’t know you were looking for me,” I said. 

The bull chuffed. “My dear, everyone is looking for you. Unlucky for you, however, Lucifer and I have found you first.” 

I raised a brow. “Oh, since when did it become Lucifer and I? You were nothing to him before we fell.”

“Lucifer is my king, I do as he says. I serve him. He sent me to find you, now he never said you had to be alive.” 

My eyes never left the bulls. “You can’t kill me in a dream, Maraxa.” 

“No, I cannot,” the bull snarled its teeth again. “But I can in that little hole in the wall you’ve called home since you fell. If not there, then that bookstore you love to frequent.” 

Ice filled my veins as my wings stood ever still, unmoving in the wind. I thought I’d been smart with hiding my scent from heavens beasts but if Maraxa managed to find me, that only meant others were soon to follow. The only way I could fix this situation was to find somewhere else to hide for a bit before my scent was picked up again. 

But I’d been so lucky to find that abandoned building. I couldn’t risk it again. 

“I didn’t expect to be on the Kingdom’s most wanted list.” 

A loud laughter echoed inside my mind. “The King doesn’t want you. He cast you for a reason, Lethia. It is Lucifer that sent me.” 

Lucifer’s face flashed in my vision for a brief second. Instead of feeling the usual love and adoration I’d felt before, now all I felt was dread. Darkness. Sadness. Fear. 

I swallowed thickly. “You can tell Lucifer if he wants me, he can come find me himself. Not to send one of his lackeys.” 

“Should he look for you in that crumbling building or with that young mortal man with the almond eyes,” the bull didn't flinch. 

My eyes snapped to the body to my left, the crow long gone, and all that stared back were those cold, vacant eyes. 

“It’s time to come home,” its voice spoke in my mind again just before it sunk its teeth deep into my throat. 

I awoke with a loud gasp, breathing uneven and labored as I clawed at the skin of my throat, checking to make sure there were no open wounds. But instead were now scratch marks as my nails dug deep. 

“Shit, Lethia,” large hands grasped mine to stop my attack on my throat.  

My eyes snapped up at the voice, almond eyes gazing down at me full of worry, only this time they were full of light and life. 

“Hey, it’s alright,” Noah’s soft voice cooed; exactly like earlier. 

Feeling the comfort radiate off of him made my heart rate immediately calm and I couldn’t stop myself as my fingers slowly grazed over his cheek; the feeling numb. 

Noah’s beauty was mesmerizing, the way his hair fell into his face in perfect waves, the way his lips curled up into a faint smile, and the freckles that peppered his nose and cheeks. Then lastly, those eyes and the way they drank me in. 

“Are you sure you’re not like me?” I whispered, fingertips tracing over his bottom lip. 

NOAH

“How is she?” I asked, all but barreling through the door of the green groom. 

Jolly, who was kneeling in front of the body on the couch, nodded. “She’s alright, hasn’t woken up yet.” 

Sighing, I set the bag of books down on the table and took Jolly’s spot, him giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

“Any idea what she was screaming before she passed out?” Nicholas wondered. 

“Lucifer,” I muttered, never taking my eyes off the sleeping form of Lethia. 

Her lips were parted slightly, a soft snore emanating from them, ebony colored hair fell into her eyes so I gently brushed it away; her face never reacting to my touch. 

Almost as if she couldn’t feel it. 

“I’m sorry,” Michael shook his head. “Did you say Lucifer? As in The Devil?” 

I pinched the bridge of my nose with a sigh. “It’s probably unrelated.” 

The sound of a bag rustling sounded in the small green room, Michael holding up the two books that belonged to Lethia. 

The Death of Socrates and The Secrets of Lucifer.

“Unrelated my ass,” Michael grumbled while tossing the books onto the table.

“What is your issue with her?” I asked while turning towards him, sitting on the edge of the couch. 

He shrugged. “She showed up broken in our driveway and didn’t even say thank you to you for taking her in and helping. Then you keep running into her. LA isn’t a small town, Noah. She’s stalking you.” 

“You don’t know that,” I narrowed my eyes toward him. 

Folio could immediately pick up on the tension so his calm voice spoke up. “Michael is just worried about you, Noah. That’s all. You guys just moved a few months ago because of previous stalkers.” 

I peered down at Lethia as she still slept. “Lethia’s not like the others. Every time we run into each other, she tries to get away from me.” 

“Maybe you should let her,” Michael grumbled under his breath. 

Choosing to ignore him, I looked up at the door to the room when it opened, Bryan walking in now. 

“Any luck?” I questioned. 

He hesitated before shaking his head. “The guy at the bookstore only knows her name and the kind of books she’s interested in; nothing else. She always picks up the books, never lets the store send them to her.” 

Fuck.

“Lethia mentioned that she was kicked out of her previous home,” I said. 

“Where does she stay then?” Jolly asked while crossing his arms. 

I shrugged. “No idea. She didn’t tell me.” 

When I noticed the name of the bookstore on the bag, I asked Byran if he could go find out any information. It had been bugging me for weeks since I first met Lethia to find out more about her; where she came from, where she lived, and what her obsession with finding Lucifer was.

I nodded at Bryan before resting my eyes on Lethia’s face once more, watching her sleep for a few long moments.

When I saw her out in the crowd tonight, I couldn’t ignore the way my heart skipped a beat or the way my hands shook with nerves. It always was like this when we found each other again, a feeling I couldn’t push deep down and lock away. Lethia was interesting and had her quirks, some of which I was desperate to find out. 

I couldn't let her leave here alone tonight. There was this pull deep within my chest that vibrated every time Lethia and I were nearby; just like right now. She needed my help whether or not she would admit it. 

“I think she needs a place to stay and try to get back on her feet,” I said while looking back over to Michael and Jolly. 

The latter nodded, immediately understanding what I meant. Michael, however, rolled his eyes. 

“We don’t have a guest room. It’s already a full house with the three of us and Jesse.” 

I shrugged. “I’ll sleep on the couch. She can stay in my room.”

“Noah, you know I’ll agree with you no matter what, but we’ve had issues with stalkers finding out where you live and leaving shit on your car. We can’t have this happen again,” Jolly said. 

“I know,” I nodded. “But Lethia’s different. She needs help and I want to. Just until she gets back on her feet.”

“Savior complex back?” Nicholas asked. 

“No! It’s just me being a decent human being,” I defended. 

Bryan snorted. “Yeah, her being attractive doesn’t have anything to do with this?” 

My cheeks burned as I shifted on the couch. “No.” 

“Right.”

A loud gasp had me snapping my head towards Lethia as she awoke, immediately clawing at her neck. Her black nails left red marks, deep and angry, and I grasped at her hands. 

“Shit, Lethia,” I cursed while grasping her hands. 

Her red eyes filled with fear and despair softened as soon as they met mine but her breathing was still erratic. 

“Hey, it’s alright,” I cooed. 

Lethia’s shaking fingers grazed over my jaw, nails tracing the pout of my bottom lip. 

“Are you sure you’re not like me?” 

Her voice was hushed so much that I had to lean into her touch, hoping I heard her correctly. I scanned over every soft feature of her face but sucked in breath suddenly. 

“Lethia, your nose. It’s bleeding,” I informed. 

Her hands went to her face, wiping away the dark blood; only hers wasn’t the typical crimson color. It was black. 

“Fuck,” she muttered as she stared at her hand. 

Folio handed her a tissue, one she took with a small smile. “Thank you, uh-.” 

“Nick but you can call me Folio,” he smiled. 

“Right,” Lethia nodded before sitting up, drawing her knees to her chest. “You were the one I attacked that night.” 

“Thank you for not doing it again,” he chuckled while packing up his things. 

She looked around the room skeptically until her gaze landed on Michael, a low scowl pulling on her lips. 

“Oh, it's you.” 

He crossed his arms. “Are you stalking Noah?” 

“Michael,” I warned with a stern voice. 

“Me stalking him?!” Lethia gasped while standing to her feet. “Everywhere I turn, he’s there.” 

“Maybe it’s some soul mate shit,” Bryan joked. 

I rolled my eyes as I stood to my feet next. “I don’t believe in soulmates.” 

Lethia cocked her head to the side as she peered down at the table. “My books.” 

“Yeah, I brought them back here with you after you passed out. I wanted to make sure you didn’t lose them,” I said. 

“Thank you,” she looked up at me through her lashes. 

“Can you guys give us a minute?” I asked the guys. 

Nodding, they all gathered their things before Lethia and I were alone. She refused to meet my gaze now, kept it trained hard on the books she had clutched to her chest. 

“How are you feeling?” I asked after a long beat of silence. 

“Fine.” 

I shifted on my feet, trying to gain the courage to bring up the idea of having her stay with me. 

“Is there a hotel where I can drop you off?” 

Lethia slowly raised her gaze to mine. “Hotel?” 

The confusion in her voice made me narrow my eyes slightly. 

“Unless you’ve found a house to stay in. I guess, is there anywhere you want me to take you? I can drop you off wherever or you could maybe stay here,” I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. 

The corner of her lip curled up in a quick smile.

“Nervous?” She jeered. 

I scoffed, trying to play it off, but she saw right through me. 

“What I’m trying to say is; is there anything I can do to help you, Lethia? I feel compelled ever since I found you in my driveway,” I admitted while taking a tentative step toward her. 

The hesitation was evident in the way her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. 

“Will you let me help you?” 

My voice was quiet as my fingers reached for hers and when our skin touched, it felt as if sparks shot off inside of me, igniting all five of my senses. My stomach flipped and my heart jumped into my throat when I linked our fingers together, squeezing her hand. 

Lethia never reacted to my touch. 

“Wh-why would you want to help me?” She stammered. 

“I help people I care about,” I answered as if it wasn’t a big deal. 

Her brows furrowed. “But you don’t know me, Noah.” 

I swallowed thickly hearing my name fall from her lips, it causing straight heat to shoot straight to my dick. 

“Come with me, stay at my place for a few days until you get back on your feet; figure out where you want to go,” I suggested with another squeeze of her hand. 

Again, no reaction. 

But I could see the internal battle within Lethia as her eyes darted between mine. Finally, her shoulders slumped as if the decision was made with so much thought it made her weak. 

“Ok,” Lethia agreed with a curt nod. 

I did my best not to show my excitement even though my heart was soaring. 

“But I have to take care of some things first,” she said before I could. “Then I’ll be ready.” 

“That’s fine. Did you want me to pick you up or something?” 

“No, that’s alright. I have my own means to get to your house,” Lethia waved me off. 

She went to walk away, ready to leave the room, until I called after her. “Can I have your phone?” 

“My what?” Lethia slowly turned on her heels. 

Fuck, she looked so cute with the way her nose scrunched up when she was confused; which seemed to happen a lot. 

“Your phone,” I couldn’t hold back my smile. 

Her eyes widened. “Oh right, that cellular device you humans use to talk to one another. I don't have one.” 

“You don’t have a phone?” I asked. 

“Why would I? I don’t have anyone to talk to besides you but it seems like we’re always destined to run into each other,” Lethia pointed a finger at me. 

Destiny. 

I didn’t know why but that word always made my body shiver with something I couldn’t put my finger on. I never believed in soulmates and that my soul was meant for one person only. Well, that was until Lethia seemed to fall from grace into my life a few weeks ago and all I could think about was her. My soul yearned for her in ways that physically made me weak. 

When I wasn’t in her presence, I spent my time holed up in the studio writing or bedroom trying to dream of her because that seemed to be the only time I could find with her. Those dreams felt so real each time even the fucking bird that seemed to watch us every time. 

Except for the last few days, when I did dream, it wasn’t of Lethia. It was of destruction and death, leaving me in a sweaty panic mess when I awoke.

“Noah?” 

Snapping out of my thoughts, I hummed in response to Lethia. 

“Give me some time. I’ll be at your house before midnight,” she said, clutching those books close to her chest. 

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?” I ran a hand through my hair. 

Even though her smile was wide, I could see the fear behind her eyes. “I’ll be fine.” 

Just as she was about to walk out the door, I rambled off my address to her. 

“I remember!” Lethia’s sweet voice echoed back. 

NOAH

With careful precision, I straightened out the blanket on my bed and made sure the pillows were fluffed just right. On my desk was a stack of fresh, folded towels with some different toiletries Lethia might need. Jolly’s girlfriend left some shampoo and body wash behind the last time she stayed over and after double-checking with her, she gave me the okay to use them. 

I didn’t know if she needed an extra set of clothes so on the end of my bed was a pair of my sweats and a shirt, just in case. 

Running my hands over my thighs, I went through the mental checklist of everything as what seemed like a large bird flew past my window. 

Fresh bed sheets. 

Fresh towels. 

Comfy clothes. 

Toiletries. 

“Noah.” 

Spinning around, I gave a warm smile to Jesse and the form behind him. 

“She’s nervous,” Jesse mouthed before stepping to the side, showcasing Lethia. 

She was, in fact, nervous as she shifted on her feet with her bottom lip caught between her teeth. 

“Hi,” I said. “Did you take care of what you needed to?” 

“Yes,” she still stood outside my bedroom door, idly in the hallway. 

I waved her in. “You can come in.” 

Hesitantly, Lethia stepped past the threshold as her eyes took in almost every inch of my room. The lights were off, the only light emanating from the red LED behind my bed, and she quirked a brow at them. 

“So,” I ran a hand over my chest. “I left you some things in case you wanted to shower. And some extra clothes.” 

“This is where you sleep?” Lethia pointed to my bed. 

“Yeah, but don’t worry. You can sleep here, I’ll stay on the couch.” I assured her. 

I noticed she was still standing uncomfortably in the middle of my room, clutching a black bag to her chest. 

“Is that everything?” I asked. 

“Uh, yes. I didn’t have much. Just some clothes and books,” she said. 

“Like the ones I found on you earlier?” I asked while sitting on the edge of my bed. 

Lethia nodded, hesitantly following my lead. “Yes, I’ve been studying philosophy. It’s quite interesting learning about Socrates and his life.” 

She bounced a few times on the bed, a small giggle leaving her lips. “Oh, this is nice.” 

“My bed?” 

Her body fell in a heap against it, now a soft sigh emanating from her. “This is nothing compared to the clouds but fuck, I can’t believe I’ve been depriving myself of this kind of comfort.” 

I chuckled. “Well, make yourself at home.  I’ve also been reading up on philosophy. It’s always been a passion of mine. I might have some books lying around on my bookshelf. Feel free to read one that interests you.”

“That is very nice of you, Noah. You do not need to do all of this.”

Lethia gazed up at me, still lying back on my bed. 

I patted her knee. “I want to help you out any way I can, Lethia.” 

Slowly she sat up and stared for a long moment at my hand on her knee, her brows furrowed with confusion and anger. I went to pull away but her hand stopped me by resting on top of mine. The softness of her skin sent heat throughout my body. 

“I can’t feel you,” she muttered under her breath. “Why can’t I feel you?” 

“Wh-?” 

“Noah!” Jolly knocked on the open door, urgency in his voice. “There’s someone outside for Lethia. 

Her eyes snapped up towards Jolly. “Excuse me?” 

“She’s on the front step claiming she’s an old friend of yours,” Jolly informed. 

I narrowed my eyes. “How does she know Lethia is here?” 

A loud cawing caused me to jump towards the open window of my bedroom, a black crow sitting perched on the sill. The long white stripe of feathers down its spine told me it was the same one that had been haunting my dreams. 

“Fuck,” Lethia cursed when she eyed the bird. 

Before Jolly could answer, she was quick on her feet to push past Jolly, her loud footsteps descending the steps. 

LETHIA

Ignoring the wild looks from Noah’s other roommates, I whipped open the front door to be met with bright white eyes. Her usual long white hair was pulled back in a tight bun but her golden nose hoop stood out in stark contrast to the black night sky. It was weird not seeing her in the beast form she was known for; the one I saw earlier in my dream. 

Her human form was equally as daunting. 

“Maraxa,” I seethed while stepping outside, the door falling shut behind me. 

She eyed up the house. “Hm, cozying up with the mortal, I see. What would Lucifer say to this?” 

“I gave up caring what he thinks when he was the reason for my fall,” I sneered while crossing my arms; the leather of my jacket creaking. 

Maraxa clicked her tongue. “You chose to follow him, Lethia. The love you two shared was palpable. Untouchable. Not even the King could get between you two.” 

“If Lucifer loved me then why is he sending you to fetch me like I’m some kind of animal,” I seethed. 

“He’s a busy man. I’m sure you’ll understand once you're down there ruling beside him.” 

“Why do you want me to go back with you so badly? I know you’ve always wanted my place,” I said. 

An all too-knowing look flashed behind her white eyes even though they were filled with no emotion. 

“I live to serve my lord, Lucifer,” Maraxa simply said. 

“Well, you can tell your Lord that if he wants me beside him, he can come find me himself,” I swiftly spun on my heels, ready to head back inside. 

“He’ll search all four corners of the earth for you,” she called after me. 

“Let him!” I shot back, not bothering to look. 

It was Maraxa’s next words that gave me pause with my hand on the doorknob. 

“Your actions will get this mortal and his people killed!” 

I remembered the body with the gaping wound on his chest as he lay in the open field of angel dust. Those lifeless eyes that stared up at me during that dream weren’t like the ones that shined as they looked up at me as we sat together on his bed. 

“I’d rather cut off my wings than let that happen,” I vowed before slipping back inside the house.

[sammyjoeee]

YOOO TINA ATE WITH THIS CHAPTER

Mercy-two

gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: I hope you all enjoy what I have planned for this story because it's going to be amazing!

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch @blackveilomens @crimson-calligraphyx @cookiesupplier @lyschko666 @shilohrosechicken @thebadchic @iknownothingpeople @sammyjoeee @malice-ov-mercy @kaelyn-lobrutto24

LETHIA

I stood before the old, cracked, mirror, completely bare, and a scowl stared back at me as I took in my new appearance. I felt off; wrong, and despised the darkness that encompassed the room. I held my hand out in front of me to look at the long black nails; sharp as knives. My gaze then took in the sight of the wings that protruded from my shoulder blades and a sob left my lips when I realized that I didn’t look like myself. The ink that covered my arms had no true meaning or designs but one held my gaze longer than the others. 

It was on my ribs and the design was of a snake wrapping around a hand that held an apple. I titled my head in confusion at it, unsure as to why this design was the one that stood out to me so much. 

Up in the kingdom, my hair was down to my back in golden waves, my nails were short nubs, and my skin was pure with no ink. But I wasn’t sure what I was more afraid of, my wings or my eyes. 

My eyes were blood red as I stared at myself in the mirror. It was as if pure evil was in my presence.

The devil. 

My body shook at the thought, not knowing where that word came from, and the noise my wings made echoed throughout the abandoned building I was holed up in. The wings that I felt disgusted by. Angels were known by their wings and everyone knew of my bright golden ones. But now, the darkness that caused my fall had taken over every aspect of my form. 

My wings were black as the night sky but seemed to almost glow in the darkness of the building. What used to be soft and weightless was now heavy and jagged as it felt like a crushing weight against my back. I wrapped them around myself, hiding underneath the dark feathers, and I let out a shuddering breath. I despised the way I looked now and turned my back to the mirror, refusing to look at myself any longer. 

During my time in the Kingdom, I never was present when angels fell but I heard many stories. In all of them, an angel never changed during their fall. They lost their wings but their looks remained the same. Throughout the entire history of angels and the Kingdom, as far as I knew, I was the only angel that drastically changed. 

Was it because I went against the King? Was it because of who I found myself in bed with before my fall?

I didn’t know where I went from here, unsure of the path I needed to follow. Since creation, I followed some sort of leader or order but now my purpose didn’t matter. 

Through all the doubt and confusion, there was one thing I knew I needed to do. I sat with my legs crossed and took a deep breath while letting my eyes flutter shut. I’d been in this place for the last few days, hiding away from the outside world, as I tried to center myself. Even though I was upset with the way my appearance changed from the fall, I was glad that my powers remained; especially the fact that I was able to become aware of my surroundings. I was in a different time period and while at first, I felt different, an outcast among mortals, with hours spent dream walking I was able to learn more about where I fell.

The cool air brushed along my bare skin, my nipples perking, as I let out a long breath, finally feeling weightless when the scene in front of me changed. No longer was I sitting in the abandoned building but instead, I was standing in front of yet another mirror, still naked. I looked in the reflection of the glass seeing a bed behind me with orange lights glowing from behind it. There was a figure sitting at the edge of it with a piece of fabric wrapped around his waist and water dripped from the long strands of his hair. 

The window to the bedroom was open and a crow perched itself on the sill of it, cawing when our gazes locked. I’d seen this crow many times before when I dreamed walked, almost as if it was my familiar. 

With another caw from the bird, the man on the bed snapped his head, brown eyes drinking me in as I shifted on my feet and when his hand extended towards me, I studied the tattoos that seemed to cover every inch of skin. 

“Lethia.” 

I twitched as if hearing my name on his lips awoke something within me. 

“Come here.” 

Instantly, he pulled me into his lap and my hands rested on his shoulders. It wasn’t only his hands that were tattooed, almost every inch of his chest, stomach, and arms were as well. 

He brushed the hair from my face but I kept my gaze cast away from him, not wanting him to see the darkness behind them. 

“Don’t hide from me, Lethia. I want to see those eyes.” 

A finger lifted my chin where briefly our gazes locked and my heart beat widely in my chest. His name weighed heavy on my tongue but I refused to say it. He licked his lips before they pressed delicate kisses along my jawline, down to my neck, and I sucked in a breath when he used his grip on my hips to move me back and forth on his lap. The fabric that covered his bottom half did nothing to hide the outline of his cock as it pressed against my heated core. 

“Say my name,” he rasped in the crook of my neck leaving bites against the skin. 

I did my best to shake my head as a moan fell from my lips. Unlike outside of the dream state, I was able to feel his touch; his fingers gripping my hips, his teeth scraping along the pulse point of my neck, and the head of his cock breaking free from the fabric and sliding against my folds. 

There were many times in the kingdom that I found myself intimate with other angels, my most recent lover the reason for my fall, but something with him was different. The way my heart pounded so hard in my chest, I could hear it in my ears. Or the way my stomach burned with desire and spread through my entire essence. 

“Say it,” he poised the head of his cock at my entrance. 

I shook my head. “No.” 

A grunt sounded from the back of his throat before he switched our positions so he was leaning over me while I lay beneath him. My fingers quickly worked through the long strands of his still-damp hair, marveling at the softness of them. Intense eyes stared down at me, lip caught between his teeth. 

“You’re an angel.” 

“Shit,” I mewled when he finally pressed his cock between my folds, filling me up completely. 

Not giving me a second to breathe, he began slamming into me with such force I scratched my nails down the tattoos of his chest and stomach to try and grab onto something. 

“Say. It.” He punctuated each word with a hard snap of his hips. 

His fingers linked through mine and held our intertwined hands above my head. The fire burning from his eyes was almost too much to take so I dropped my gaze lower to his neck and I sucked in a breath at the tattoo. 

A snake wrapped around a hand that held an apple. 

The pad of his thumb brushed against my swollen clit in fast circles and my toes curled as the orgasm washed over me in a tidal wave, his name finally falling from my lips. 

“Noah.” 

My eyes snapped open with a choked breath as I nearly stumbled over in my position on the floor. I was back in the abandoned building, alone, and quickly rose to my feet while trying to gain my composure. When I dreamwalked in the past, there never was a set destination, only going where my brain and heart guided me. I wasn't sure why it led me to the man who saved me a few nights ago. 

My skin prickled with desire, the feel of Noah still heavy on my senses, and I squeezed my legs together hoping it would kill the ache in my core. It wasn’t uncommon for angels to lay with other angels; I had before, more recently with Lucifer. Which, some above in the Kingdom would say that’s the reason why I fell. 

But with this mortal, Noah, something felt different inside of me. An unknown heat burned my entire soul at the mere thought of him. Although I couldn’t feel his physical touch, his emotional touch hindered me in the most confusing ways. 

With a deep breath and a roll of my shoulders, my wings sank into my back while I reached for the jeans and shirt I stole from the store around the block. I quickly got dressed and slipped into my black boots. I tried not to let the thoughts of those brown eyes and the tattoo on his neck hinder me from my current mission. 

I needed to find a church. 

NOAH

My feet pounded lightly against the pavement as I left my car parked in the street, ready to meet up with the guys for a late lunch. I’d been in the studio most of the day and when Jolly called about getting something to eat, my stomach growled in agreement before I could. 

“You need to get out of the house, Noah. You’ve been locked in the studio the last three days.” 

I didn’t bother arguing with Jolly because it was true. The old, battered, notebook I used to write my lyrics never left my side the last few days, my current page being bookmarked by the long black feather; the one Lethia left behind in her wake. The image, the thought of her taking over every part of me. Even in my dreams, she felt so real. The touch of her, the scent of her, and her sweet sounds especially the dream I had mere hours ago felt so fucking real. Even the crow that watched us from my window. 

I was still perplexed as to why for the last few weeks I kept dreaming of Lethia, long before even meeting her. And why ever since I did meet her, the dreams felt more intense; real. 

Running a hand through my hair, I rounded the block and pushed past the large crowds of people that poured out from the bar, stumbling into the streets; dressed to the nines in costume. With Halloween a couple of weeks away, some of the local bars were having Costume Nights, hence what I was seeing right now. There was a sudden commotion just past the group of people and I stopped at what I saw.

“What the fuck,” I muttered the curse into my hand as I rubbed my jaw. 

Lethia was standing at the corner of the block with her hands wrapped around a man's wrist. 

“What gives you the right to say those vulgar words to me?” the anger in her voice radiated down the block. 

The man, dressed in a white toga and golden leaf crown, tried to rip his arm from Lethia’s grip but hissed out in pain. 

“Those jeans do wonders for your ass, sweetheart. Those tits are begging to be grabbed.” 

A scowl pulled on her lips. “Mortals. You’re disgusting. You all think you’re owed anything you desire.” 

“I’ll give you whatever you desire,” the man traced a finger down her face. 

Jealousy stabbed my chest seeing how close he was to Lethia but before I could step in, she had twisted his arm over her head, causing him to flip over onto his back, slamming into the pavement below. He tried to fight it but Lethia simply stepped on his chest, keeping him locked in place with her boot. 

“What the fuck,” he struggled. 

Lethia pressed the heel of her boot harder into his chest. “I should eviscerate you, right here. In front of your friends who simply can’t stand up for you. How pathetic.” 

One of the guys’ friends snuck up behind Lethia to try and wrap an arm around her neck to pull her away but she must have heard or sensed him because she whipped around, knocking him back with elbow. 

“Fucking bitch!” The second guy cried out, clutching his bloody nose.

Toga guy scrambled to his feet but Lethia was two steps ahead of him and kicked him in the nose, knocking him back down. 

“How is she so strong?” Toga guy spat out blood. 

Hearing the crowd next to me muttering something about calling the police, I cursed and pushed my way through, knowing that if I didn’t do something soon, Lethia would be in a position she couldn’t fight her way out of. 

“What the fuck!” She screamed as I quickly scooped her up, tossing her over my shoulder. “Unhand me! NOW!” 

Her hands smacked against my back but not wanting to risk staying around the mess of bodies at my feet, I quickly ran back down the block toward my car. 

“Can you stop smacking me?” I grunted while shifting her position on my shoulder. 

“LET ME GO!” Lethia tried to knee me in the gut but I wrapped my arm tighter around her legs, keeping her locked in place. 

It took a bit of trouble but I managed to reach for my keys to unlock my car just as I walked up. Yanking the door open, I gently dropped Lethia into the front seat, her feet kicking widely at me. 

“I swear to gods if you don’t stop kicking me, I’m going to leave you here to deal with those assholes on your own,” I said with agitation. 

It was a lie. I had zero intentions of leaving her here with them, even if she could handle herself. 

Lethia halted her thrashing for a moment, tilting her head up towards me as I leaned over the car. 

“Gods? What Gods? There is only one King,” she said. 

Sudden commotion from where we just came from caught my attention and I saw Toga guy and friend frantically looking around. 

“Shit,” I cursed while quickly buckling Letha into her seat. 

“What is this contraption? Why can’t I move?” 

Ignoring her shouts, I shut the door and ran across to the driver's side, easily slipping behind the wheel. Thankfully I was able to drive away without the two guys noticing Lethia was in my front seat.

“What the hell was that about?” I asked, glancing at her briefly. 

She kept pulling on her seatbelt. “Those men said such vulgar things. I couldn’t allow them to get away with it. 

The sound of the blinker echoed in my car as I turned left, our destination unknown. 

“I’m pretty sure you broke both of their noses,” I chuckled. 

“I would have done more if you didn’t pull me away,” Lethia grumbled under her breath, the seatbelt snapping against her chest. 

She didn’t even flinch. 

“You need to let me out of whatever this thing is.” 

I raised a brow. “Have plans?” 

Her red eyes assessed every inch of my car before her gaze fell on the side of my face. 

“None that concern you,” Lethia replied flatly. 

I hummed while pulling the car to a stop at a red light. My fingers drummed against the steering wheel as silence filled the tiny space between us. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Lethia stared straight out through the windshield of the car. 

“Do all mortal men have staring problems?” Her lips were pulled in a tight line. 

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my smirk away. “I’ve never seen eyes your color before.” 

When the light turned green, I began driving again, hoping Lethia would give me an inclination on where she wanted to go. 

“There’s quite a lot you don’t know about me, Noah,” she clicked her tongue on her teeth. 

My cock twitched in my jeans at the way my name sounded on her lips and I shifted in the seat, my knuckles turning white from how hard I was grasping the steering wheel. 

I cleared my throat. “I’m glad to see your injuries healed up nicely.” 

“I said they would, didn’t I?” Lethia smugly smiled. 

Ignoring her witty remark, I pulled into a parking lot. She gazed up out of the window at the large yellow M sign. 

“Mephistopheles?” 

“No,” I shook my head with furrowed brows. “Mcdonalds. I thought you might be hungry.” 

She fell back into her seat. “I don’t eat.” 

I continued to stare at her, confusion etched in my bones. This was only our second meeting and every time she either said or did something that made me question where she came from. 

“I know you said you weren’t hungry but what if-.” 

Lethia suddenly sat forward. “Is that a church” 

With narrowed eyes, I followed her finger as she pointed to a building across the street. 

“Uh-yeah?” I answered with hesitation. 

“Thank you,” she gave a curt nod then all but scrambled out of my car. 

“Wait,” I followed her movements by walking in front of the car. 

But it was too late, Lethia was already halfway down the block. 

“Where are you going?” I called after her. 

“I need to talk to the King!” She waved a hand over her shoulder and then slipped into the sudden darkness that encased the church. 

I never pegged her to be the religious type, needing to talk to her king this late in the evening but then again, I didn’t know much about her to begin with. 

My feet went to follow but the buzzing from my pocket halted me and when I peered at the screen, I knew I couldn’t ignore this. With a long sigh, I got back into my car, Lethia still heavy on my mind. 

LETHIA

I sat in the long, beaten, pew, and stared up at the altar where a lone statue of Jesus stood. His arms spread wide as if it was accepting everyone’s sin with a stone face; literally. A low scowl pulled on my lips as I glared at the statue. 

“I don’t understand why your creation was more important than ours. The King always favored you more than us.” 

An ear-ringing silence filled the large space of the church as I continued to sit there, waiting for any kind of sign from above. 

“I’ve followed you since my creation. I was your number one for as long as I can remember. However, you cast me out because I loved someone other than you? We were all your children but didn’t think twice about turning your back on me.” 

I sat forward with a start, hands gripping the pew in front of me and my long black nails dug into the wood. 

“Why did you cast me in a different time? Is this punishment?” 

The only noise in the church was the sound of the old building creaking with the blowing wind from outside. 

“Fuck, give me some sort of answer!” I bellowed, my voice echoing. 

More silence and that’s what finally made me rise to my feet with a start and I spat on the floor. 

“Why did I think I’d get any answers from you? I’ll figure this out on my own.” 

Turning my back to the altar, my footsteps bounced off the marble walls as I pushed open the doors of the church, bounding down the steps with newfound adrenaline. It was foolish of me to think I’d get the answers I deserved in a building that was built for two things; worship and greed. 

My fire eyes stared straight ahead as I pushed my way through the bodies of mortals whose problems paled in comparison to mine. My mind was filled with so many different things, that I hadn’t realized I walked straight into a body, never feeling his touch, until my voice was called; quite loudly. 

“Lethia!” 

My gaze snapped up towards those familiar brown eyes, filled with warmth and concern. 

I was wrapped in one of his arms, although I couldn’t feel it, I knew his fingers were grazing over my lower back; I felt it in my heart. 

“Are you alright? You look pretty upset,” Noah asked. 

His scent tickled my nose and it brought back memories of when I walked in his dream earlier. I was able to feel everything in his dream; his touch, his lips on my skin, his cock as it buried deep inside of me, and my orgasm as it ripped through me. 

But here, in the flesh, I couldn’t feel any part of him on my skin. My lip quivered because out of all the confusion on where my life went moving forward, what dug the knife deeper into my chest was the fact I couldn’t feel him. 

He’s a mortal! Why does my heart yearn for him in ways I don’t understand?

“Are you following me? It seems like everywhere I turn, you’re there!” I snapped, ripping myself from his embrace. 

Something flashed in his eyes. “I promise you, I’m not.” 

The tattoo on his neck caught my attention as it peaked through the hood of his black sweater and I felt my hands twitch at my sides. My long nails practically begged me to dig into the bright-colored ink because it mirrored the one on my ribs. There had to be some kind of connection between us, hence why I thought of Noah when I fell and how easily it was to walk into his dream earlier. Not to mention our matching tattoos. 

His long hair was pulled back, only a few strands falling into the soft features of his face, and it was then that I noticed the large bag on his shoulder. 

“What’s that?” I motioned towards it.

“My guitar,” Noah shifted it on his back. 

“Guitar?” 

“Yeah,” he nodded with a faint smile. “You know, for music.” 

Music. 

“You play- music?” I spoke slowly. 

“Yeah, I have a band. Bad Omens.” 

The proud smile on his face made something flutter in the pits of my stomach and I shifted on my feet at the uncomfortable and unknown feeling. 

“Do you know Luce, then? He used to play music all the time for me.” I wondered. 

If the King couldn’t give me the answers I sought, I knew Lucifer would if I found him. 

Noah’s brows furrowed. “The name doesn't sound familiar, sorry.” 

Cursing, I ran a hand through my hair, it still shocked me that my hands smacked my shoulder instead of continuing to run through long longs. The short length would take time to get used to.

“Why don’t you let me take you home? It’s getting kind of late.” He suggested. 

I waved him off. “I was kicked out of my home.” 

Noah’s jaw dropped slightly. “So, where are you staying then?” 

Movement over his shoulder caught my eyes and I sucked in a breath; familiar emerald eyes staring back at me. They were calling me in, pulling my soul back to his. Black strands of his hair were combed back, further showcasing those bright eyes. His olive-colored skin I spent many nights in the Kingdom kissing sparkled under the moonlight. 

“Lethia, come home.” His deep rich voice spoke to me. 

“Lucifer,” I breathed. 

Noah’s face twitched. “What?” 

Ignoring him, I pushed past him and through the sea of people, trying to reach Lucifer until his form vanished with the blowing wind.

[sammyjoeee]

OHH HERE WE GOOOO

Mercy-one

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: Here we go! Now this is an AU but I will keep things true to life with Bad Omens and Noah as possible! Also, this is NOT a reader insert fic. I decided to create a character for this.

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch

LETHIA

The wind whipped widely through my hair, smacking me in the face, as my limbs thrashed around with such force I cringed in pain. I could see the clouds out of the corner of my eyes as I fell through them, with no sense of comfort protecting me. I choked on a sob when I noticed parts of my long, golden, hair was being singed from the rate of the fall. I held my hands in front of my face to watch in horror as the once short nails grew in length and darkness. 

“Wh-what?” 

How did it get like this? All because I chose to follow someone else instead of the almighty King? How was that fair? I’d been loyal since creation, one of his most loyal servants, but the second I thought of something different than the divine plan, He cast me away. 

“Leth, follow me to the ends of the darkness. For we can create our own Kingdom and rule.” 

My eyes screwed shut at the familiar voice as my throat burned with the thought of him. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was close by, surely he had to be. I was thrown from the Kingdom first, Lucifer not far behind. 

The air around me began to thicken, grasping around my throat with such force, that I clawed there with my newly fresh nails. Blood dripped from the wounds but none of that mattered to me; I simply stared up towards the sky where my former home disappeared through the clouds. I could try and climb my way back, as far as my wings would allow. But I knew, like Icarus, if I climbed too high to the sun, I’d fall into the unknown jungle below. 

Icarus was a fool. 

My ears rang loudly from the sudden change in altitude and I looked towards the left, almost crying out when I took in the most recent alter to my appearance. Bright wings that mirrored the colors of the clouds surrounding me were no longer pure. No, they were dark with the tellings of my betrayal. 

“My King, forgive me!” I cried out seconds before my body fell to the hard soil below; darkness overtaking my vision.

NOAH

Slamming the car door shut with a long sigh,  I walked from the street, up to my house. I took in the variety of cars, realizing that one of the guys must have invited a few people over tonight. Usually, I never minded when we had small get-togethers, but tonight I did mind. It wasn’t anything anyone in particular did, my mind was just filled with the same dream I’d had the last seven nights in a row. 

Black feathers. Even darker hair. Cream-colored skin. And vibrant red eyes. 

At first, I chalked it up to being a random dream but as the nights progressed, the dream continued with the same figure. 

One night they were sitting on the edge of my bed. The following night, they were perched on top of the roof of my house, watching the street below. Last night, the figure was in bed with me as my lips trailed over the curvaceous lumps of her breasts. 

I ran a hand over my face as I neared the front door, taking a deep and steady breath. I thought about asking my therapist about these dreams but now that they were getting more intimate, I decided against it.

“It's just a dream, Noah,” I told myself while my hand reached for the door. 

A groan halted my movements and I turned swiftly on my heels back towards the driveway. But all I heard was silence; besides the loud music coming from inside the house. 

Shrugging, I took one final step towards the threshold until a groan sounded again, only this time louder. It sounded as if a large bird fell from the tree hanging overhead, feathers fluttering in the air.  I dropped my bag on the front porch before taking the steps back down two at a time towards where I heard the groans of pain; in between Jesse’s and Orie’s cars parked in the driveway. 

“Fuck,” I cursed seeing the crumbled body. 

Head snapped to the side, dark tendrils of hair covering her face, and an arm draped over her midsection. I winced as I saw the contortment of it, knowing that it had to be broken. 

Where the hell did she come from? 

There was a sudden surge that spread from my heart to every vein inside of me; flowing through in shocking waves. I couldn’t place it but seeing this figure in front of me, there was something so familiar about it; her. A painful groan fell from her lips and I breathed in relief, almost forgetting to check if she was alive. I’d been so entranced in her familiarity. 

Gently scooping the body up into my arms, the dark hairs fell away from her face and I sucked in a breath when I noticed there were fresh cut marks along her cheek, and blood dripping from her ears. I rushed her inside, gaining stares from my roommates, who immediately stopped the music. 

“What the fuck?” Orie’s voice was raised. 

I shook my head while setting her on the couch in our living room. “I don’t know, man.”

Our house was packed with random faces; some I recognized, others I didn’t. I knew there was a party tonight but suddenly, I wanted everyone that didn’t live here out. 

Folio, who noticed my expression, waved a finger in the air. “Alright, I think it’s time to end this party. Thanks for coming, everyone!” 

Pretty quickly, everyone who didn’t live there or weren’t part of Bad Omens left the house. 

“Where did you find her?” Nick asked.

I hesitated. “That’s the thing. I found her lying broken in the driveway.”

“The driveway?” Jolly gasped. “How long had she been out there?” 

I shrugged while brushing away the stray hairs from her face, hearing a soft but painful breath falling from her dry, cracked lips. My eyes grazed down the line of her neck down to the swell of her breasts that were barely covered by the tattered black shirt; it looked as if it was burned off. I tossed a blanket over her to help cover her modesty. 

Something glinted in my vision and I looked back at her neck to see a golden chain hanging loosely between the valley of her breasts. My heart dropped to my stomach as the reality slammed into me. 

I’ve seen this chain before; in my dreams. My lips tasted that chain in my dreams. 

My hands shook at my side as a shaky breath escaped from my throat and Jolly called my name. 

“Hm, what?” I turned to look at him. 

He ran a hand through his hair. “Should we call the police? She looks like she’s been attacked.” 

“No,” I said a little too suddenly. “She just needs a place to rest. We don’t know what happened. I’ll ask when she wakes up.” 

I slowly sunk into the chair across from the couch, resting my elbows on my knees, watching the rise and fall of her chest to make sure she was still breathing. 

Jesse stared down at her from behind the couch and let out a low whistle. “It’s a miracle that she’s even breathing right now. We should probably wrap her arm. It could be broken.” 

Just then, Michael returned with our first aid kit and handed it to me. I took it with a small smile and started rummaging through it to look for the hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls. The least I could do while she slept was clean the wounds on her face. 

The softness of her face twisted as the sting of peroxide sunk deep within her wounds and when a whimper fell from her lips, my cock twitched in my jeans. Images of her lying spread wide in my bed for me flashed in my mind and I did my best to push them to the back of my brain. 

“How did she end up in the driveway? Looking like this?” Orie asked as he finished wrapping up her arm. 

“I don’t know,” I sighed while sitting back in my chair, eyes still trained on her. “With how I found her, it looks like she fell from somewhere.”

Jolly shook his head as he sat on the armrest of the couch, also watching the stranger. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

All seven of us stood around the body laying on the couch, wondering and watching to see if she would wake. 

“Maybe she’s an angel,” Jesse snorted, trying to ease the sudden tension. 

“Angels don’t exist,” my eyes snapped up towards him. 

Jesse held his hands up. “It’s a joke, Noah. But you have to admit it’s a little weird.” 

I ran a hand over my jaw and nodded. “I know. I couldn’t leave her out there, though. Once she wakes up, I’ll take her wherever she wants.”

“Luce,” the woman croaked out, head turning towards the side. 

Her voice rang out in song, echoing throughout the house, and my heart rose in my throat hearing how eternal it sounded. I barely knew anything about her but I couldn’t ignore the way my soul felt connected to her. Maybe it was because of seeing this form in my dreams or fate that I found her in my driveway, almost as if I was destined to help her. 

“What did she say?” Nick questioned. 

 Folio shrugged while leaning over her. “Luce? Maybe that’s her name?” 

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and with one swift movement, the woman had her legs wrapped around Folio’s midsection and him pinned to the ground. Her good forearm was pressed deep into his neck while he lay frozen underneath her.  All of us were on our feet but none made a move to stop her, not knowing if it would ultimately help or make things worse. 

“Who are you?” 

The venom in her voice was cold as ice. 

“Ni-Nick,” Folio choked out. 

The woman tilted her head towards him. “Where am I?” 

Taking a tentative step towards her, I placed a soft hand on her shoulder. “I found you outside.” 

It was as if my touch meant nothing to her, eyes still burning deep into Folio. It wasn’t until I spoke again that she finally noticed I was touching her. 

“You’re hurt. I brought you inside to help you.” 

Before I could register what happened, I felt myself being pinned up against the front door, fiery red eyes staring deep into my soul. With all the doubt that plagued my mind the last hour as I watched her sleep on the couch, I tried to tell myself that I didn’t know who she was. It was all a coincidence that parts of her reminded me of the figure I dreamed of.

But the moment I saw those bright red eyes, I knew that all the doubt was wrong. This was the same woman I dreamed of the last seven nights. 

LETHIA

With my nails digging into the fresh skin of the man in front of me, I assessed every inch of his face. The brown eyes widened in slight horror when my nails dug deeper and I took in the way his lips parted, breaths coming out broken. His long hair was held back by a clip but strands still fell into his face and I cocked my head to the side when I realized something drastic. 

Well, a few things. 

First, I couldn’t feel my hand around this man's throat. I squeezed harder, my face twitching in anger, when I still couldn’t feel his skin underneath my grasp. I expected to feel the erratic thrum of his pulse or his Adam's apple dip low as he swallowed. 

Instead, I felt nothing. 

No. It couldn’t be. 

I’ve heard tales of this happening to the Fallens but I never believed it to be true.  An old folks tale the other Archangels discussed over a cup of wine. 

My eyes blinked as I slowly removed my hand from the man’s throat, fingers shaking with the realization. The dark nails mocked me for my failure, scolding me for taking the darkness over the light. 

The second thing I realized? I’ve seen this face before. Moments before I fell, it flashed in my mind like a photograph, every fucking detail. The long brown hair, bright brown eyes to match, the freckles that littered over his nose and cheeks, the tattoo that wrapped around his throat where my fingers were moments before; a snake, apples, and hands. 

How metaphorical. 

“What’s going on with me?” I muttered bringing my hand to my chest, noticing it was wrapped in some kind of material. 

“You hurt your arm, we wrapped it for you,” a different voice spoke. 

My head snapped to the left, seeing another man slowly approach me. His voice sounded different than the others and I narrowed my eyes at him. 

“You’re not from around here,” I noted. 

A snort sounded from behind me causing me to whirl my body towards it, seeing yet another strange man staring at me. 

“Not from around here? Who talks like that?” 

Someone smacked him in the chest. “Michael, don’t be an asshole.” 

“I’m just saying, Nick. She wakes up in our home and attacks two of our friends. Are we supposed to allow that? We don’t even know her fucking name.” 

My tongue clicked against my teeth. “Lethia.” 

Various sets of eyes stared at me until the man who had an attitude spoke.; Michael. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“My name-,” I spoke slowly. “-Is Lethia.”

Michael snorted. “Well, Lethia, where the hell did you come from?” 

Giving him a wave of my hand, I decided it wasn’t worth answering that question only because none of these men deserve to know.

“Who’s Luce?” 

I snapped my eyes towards the man I had pinned against the door, heart stuttering in my chest. “Excuse me?” 

He rubbed at the fresh red marks on his neck. “You said it in your sleep.” 

Lucifer. 

I licked my lips, widely shaking my head. “I need to leave.” 

A soft voice called to me. “We can take you back home.”

This man had a buzzed head and a beard. “Although, you should get those injuries checked out.” 

“I’ll heal,” I answered honestly.

Lethia, come to me.

I gazed around the room to see if that voice belonged to any of the seven of them although I knew it didn’t. I knew exactly who uttered those words. 

“I have to go.” 

The man from my vision stood tall against the door, not allowing me to leave. My jaw ticked with anger and I motioned behind him. 

“Move.” 

His brow raised. “That’s a funny way of saying thank you for saving your life.” 

“Thank you?” I chuckled darkly. “You simply did nothing for me except keep me prisoner in this home.” 

“Prisoner?” It was his turn to chuckle. “I fucking found you in my driveway, broken and bruised. The least you can do is tell us what the hell happened!”

They’ll never understand. Mere mortals never did. 

I might not understand where I was but I knew mortals when I saw one. Their smell was different than angels; some were stronger than others. Except for the man blocking my way out. It was different, his aura, and I didn’t want to admit it but it drew me into him. There had to be a reason why I saw him mere seconds before I fell from the Kingdom. 

The two of us were unmoving, not wanting to break first, and one of the men must have felt the tension because one gently stepped between us; the one that sounded different from the rest.

“Noah, let her go.” 

Something fluttered in my stomach and I nearly shook with the unknown feeling. Never in my life had I felt something like this, even during my time with Lucifer. But with this mortal, Noah, it was entirely something new and it scared me to the depths of hell. 

Noah scrunched his face with anger but eventually stepped to the side, allowing me to leave. 

“Thank you,” I mocked with a slight curl to my lip; more like a snarl. 

After two steps toward the door, I froze when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eyes. Titling my head towards the glass, my reflection stared back at me and I gasped at what I saw. 

Short black hair, black ink covering almost every inch of skin across my shoulders and arms, my shirt barely hanging one by a thread, and what shocked me the most were my eyes; crimson red, not the vibrant violet. 

“No, it can’t be,” I brought my shaking hand to my mouth. 

Suddenly,  an ear-piercing ringing dug deep in my ears and I brought my hands to them, screwing my eyes shut. My head throbbed in pain as if someone was scratching their claws there. With one eye open, I noticed Michael held some kind of device in his hand. 

“Wh-what is that dreaded noise?” I stuttered. 

“A phone? Fuck, how hard did you hit your head?” 

A what? 

When the ringing stopped, I stood taller and for the first time, took in my surroundings. Everything in this home looked different than how we lived in the Kingdom. While we had advantaged technology, we simply didn’t have things of this nature. 

“None of this makes sense,” I whispered to myself before my eyes landed on a small device on a table. 

October 12, 2021. 

I nearly stumbled on my feet when everything began to click into place. Someone during my fall, I landed in a time that hadn’t existed yet. 

Noah could tell something was off because he turned towards me, a frown pulling at his lips. “Are you alright?” 

Without saying another word, I left in such haste, I hadn’t realized what I left behind in my wake. 

NOAH

My eyes stared at the space in front of me, the door wide open as it let in the cool night air. Those red eyes haunted me in Lethai’s wake and my skin crawled when an old dream crept back into my consciousness. 

I lay in my bed, bare for her to see, Lethia’s tongue traced down my chest and then stomach to brush across my navel. I gripped her dark hair, wrapping it around my fingers to guide her head farther down. My cock throbbed with such an ache, I was sure it wouldn’t last. Beads of precum slipped from the slit and Lethia’s tongue danced around it, tasting me. 

“Fuck,” I cursed as my eyes fluttered shut in ecstasy. 

“Look at me, Noah.” 

My eyes snapped open at Lethia’s firm tone and felt my heart stop dead in my chest; her eyes were glowing red. 

“Noah!” 

Breaking free from my trance, I gazed over to Orie. “Did you say something?” 

“We did all we could, man. There’s no use dwelling on it.” 

He patted my shoulder before they all dispersed into their sections of the house. But not me, I remained frozen in my spot, still staring at the vast darkness past the threshold. There was something just outside the realm of that darkness that caught my eye, it fluttered in the wind until it fell to the concrete just outside the door. 

With furrowed brows, I bent low to pick it up, analyzing it with curious eyes. It was a black feather, at least twelve inches in length, and the softness of it was something I’d never felt before. 

“Who are you, Lethia?” I murmured to myself, holding the feather close to my chest.

[cookiesupplier]

ommggg Noah figuring out who she isss!

lmfao her reaction to his shirt!! Love that so much!

Everyone being worried is absolutely valid, I would be to from the outside of this, its so intense for them! Noah figuring out he's seeing her memories though, oh wow!

Mercy-Four

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Fallen Angel!OC

Warnings: swearing, angst, fluff, smut, mythological talk, violence.

Summary: "Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the highest banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.

Lethia: Archangelus Oneironaut also known as Archangel of Dream Walking. Across worlds and dimensions, she walks within. Uncovering dangerous secrets, leaving her cast out, isolated- that is until she begins to learn what it means to feel.

Authors Notes: So I pulled a lot of ideas from my favorite fallen angel romance series, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick! I hope you all enjoy!

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch @blackveilomens @crimson-calligraphyx @cookiesupplier @lyschko666 @shilohrosechicken @thebadchic @iknownothingpeople @sammyjoeee @malice-ov-mercy @collapsedglasshouses @klutzy-kay24 @iamamatus @lma1986 @bngurngheart @happi-goth

LETHIA

I sat in the middle of Noah’s bed with my knees pulled to my chest and rested my chin on top of them. My mind continued to replay the conversation with Maraxa and her parting words had been etched deep within my soul. I feared that maybe I brought darkness and death to not only Noah but all of his friends' lives. They were innocent bystanders in the battle for my alliance. Stay on this Earth with mortals or fall into the depths of Hell with the light bringer. 

Lucifer. He wanted me alongside him to lead his army of darkness. Against what? I wasn’t sure. But the love we shared wasn’t what it used to be and my heart didn't covet for him any longer. Not when there was someone else who seemed to have filtered into this newfound life without warning. 

Those almond eyes captivated me from the moment I had Noah pinned against the door. His scent was different from most mortals and for the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why. The way we always seemed to run into each other or that anytime I dream walked, it was his dream.  

Why was it Noah’s face I saw moments before my fall? 

Why did we have the same tattoo? His on his neck, mine on my ribs? 

None of this made any sense and it only angered me more as to why I was stuck here. 

As I was staring at the length of my black nails, there was a gentle knock on the door of the bedroom; me humming in response to it. When it opened slightly, Noah poked his head in, the long strands of his hair falling into his face. 

“Hey,” his voice was gentle. “I’m just checking to see if you’re settling in fine.” 

“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m sorry for having Maraxa show up here. I assure you, it won’t happen again.”

You don’t know that. 

Noah leaned against the wall next to the door, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s alright. Is she an old friend?” 

I scoffed while laying my legs straight on the bed to lean my back against the wall. 

“She is far from a friend. More like an acquaintance that always wanted my position.” 

If he could hear the venom in my voice, Noah said nothing and simply nodded. 

“Are you hungry?” He asked instead. 

“I’m fine, thank you,” I ran a hand over the black comforter. “I must say, I do feel terrible making you sleep on the couch when your bed is quite comfortable.” 

“Seriously?” Noah chuckled while walking farther into the room to sit on the bed next to me. “I’ve had this mattress for years and it's anything but comfortable.” 

An eerie silence fell between us, something that made me shift in my spot next to him when the warmth from him radiated around me in flames. I could feel his essence all over my skin while not feeling his actual touch. Bumps rose at the back of my neck when I felt his gaze linger there, lighting me a blaze. 

My eyes caught sight of something hanging from above his window so I pointed to it. 

“Are you religious? The rosary?”

Noah peered up at the wooden necklace hanging from his curtain rod. “Oh, that. It’s kind of a long story.” 

Crossing my legs, I rested my elbow on my thigh to rest my chin in my hand. “And I have time. I’d love to know your view on it.” 

With a tender laugh, he nodded before turning toward me so we sat facing each other. “Well, I was raised in a very Christian Baptist household with my grandparents; when I wasn’t staying with my mom. That's another story but it’s not important.” 

Immediately I picked up on the way his eyes cast down at his hands at the mention of his mother but made no effort to acknowledge it. Instead, I urged him to continue with a nod. 

“I’d go to service with my grandparents and help out in the church any way I could. Painting, setting up for service, things like that. I was exposed to a lot of religion growing even though when I was younger I didn’t buy into it as much. Despite having a lot of questions and doubts about it now, I still think there’s a lot to learn about it through religion, spirituality, and faith. Which is why I write about it metaphorically.” 

He ran a hand over his chin for a moment. “I never try to push my own beliefs or agendas on people. I want people to think and believe in things on their own, without having my choice influence them in any way.” 

“I think that’s marvelous,” I hummed. 

Noah smiled. “The whole lore and stories in religion really interest me. I’m currently reading a book about The Fall.”

My mouth ran dry when my body went rigid. “Th-the Fall?” 

“Yeah, fallen angels. It’s actually quite interesting.” 

I ran my hands over my thigh and cleared my throat. “Do you believe in them?” 

“Angels?” Noah asked with furrowed brows. 

All I could do was nod, afraid that my voice would give way to how nervous I was for his answer. 

He ran a hand over his mouth, almost deep in thought. “It’s hard to give a definitive answer because I haven’t seen proof of angels. I thought that angels didn’t exist at first but something changed my view on it. My grandma told me a story about fallen angels when I was younger. What about you? Do you believe it?” 

“You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen,” the tone of my voice dropped drastically as my fingers brushed along the softness of the comforter beneath me. 

Flash images of what I’d done under the King’s command plagued me. Death by my sword was ordered to anyone who disobeyed him. Which rarely happened but when it did, I was the one that dealt with the end of the traitor's life. The familiar feeling of ripping out their wings weighed heavy on my hands as I stared down at them with sheer disgust. 

How could the creator who was supposed to love all of us equally order me to do such vile, horrendous, things to his creations? 

“Lethia,” the softness of his large hands rested on my shoulder, fresh off a kill. “You’ve done well my child. Your allegiance is greatly thought of.”  

My jaw clenched at how foolish I’d been. Following a King who cared so little for us in the end. The amount of wings I ripped out was too much to count. The amount of angels I dragged my blade into cut deep into my gut, causing me to revolt in disgust. 

At myself. 

Since I fell weeks ago, I questioned so deeply why my appearance changed and I always thought it was because of my love for Lucifer. But it could be to pay for all of my heinous crimes up in the Kingdom. Crimes ordered by Him. 

“Hey,” Noah’s tattooed knuckle lifted my chin. “Are you alright?” 

I nearly sobbed when yet again I couldn’t feel his touch; another repercussion. 

“No,” I choked out. “I did horrible things back home and how could I ever be allowed back? Why would he want me back?” 

The screams of my victims were loud in my mind, their bloody wings lying at my feet, and I squeezed my eyes shut at the vision. 

“You don’t have to go back there. You can stay here with me. Whatever you did can’t be that terrible,” his voice cooed in the silence of his bedroom. 

The words died on my tongue, it not being worth it to explain myself to him because Noah wouldn’t understand. 

My heart's racing faltered for the briefest of moments, only for it to double in pace when Noah’s eyes studied me, assessing every inch of my face. I tracked every movement of his tongue when it darted out to wet his pink lips. 

“Lethia.” 

My name was all but a hushed whisper that hung on his bottom lip and when our eyes met, some kind of light danced behind his. I raised my fingers to his mouth to drag the nail of my pointer finger along that bottom lip. Noah’s breath hitched in his throat but remained still as I glanced up at him, dying to know what it would feel like. Facial hair peppered his chin and above his mouth, and I couldn’t help but smile at how good he looked. 

There was no way he wasn't like me. Noah was too eternal, the aura that radiated around him shone bright and pulled me in every time he was around. 

The long locks of his hair fell into his face when he tilted his head towards me, closing the distance slightly. The divine scent of him filled my senses and I let my eyes flutter shut to pick apart each of the different smells. Noah smelled woodsy with a hint of Bergamot and Nutmeg. It smelled like his bedroom. It smelled like him. 

“Noah,” I breathed, now dragging my nails over the tattoo on his neck. 

I couldn't feel his touch but I did notice my hair being brushed away from my face. 

“I can’t explain it,” Noah swallowed. “But I feel this strong connection to you.” 

All of my actions were unknown to me, along with this feeling in my chest that burned with such a good ache. Noah silenced all of the voices in my mind, easing away the guilt and hurt that weighed heavily on my heart for my actions in the Kingdom. I was resistant at first with him but I think it was only because this feeling deep inside of me scared me to the ends of the earth. 

“Me as well,” I admitted quietly. 

My hands rested in my lap now, shaking with nerves, wondering what Noah was going to do. We were so close now, with almost no space between our lips, and before my brain could catch up on what was happening a sudden surge of warmth exploded inside of me before seeping into my veins. My skin pricked with electricity when Noah’s hand glided through my hair and it was then that I noticed his eyes were closed but his lips were on mine. 

He was kissing me? 

Fuck. 

I nearly cried and cursed the King for bestowing me with this curse of not being able to feel human touch. All I wanted was to feel Noah’s lips on mine, taste him, devour him. Although I couldn’t feel him, the feeling that was coming alive inside of me was almost too much to handle and I let a quiet moan be swallowed by Noah, who hummed in delight. 

It felt like fireworks being shot off inside of me. It felt like that first flight I took when I realized my wings kept me upright. It felt like the wind blew through my hair and the softness of the clouds encased me just as Noah’s arm did. 

Something spread my lips apart and now all I could feel was the sudden wetness in my mouth and between my legs. I clenched them together while grasping at Noah’s shirt, trying to feel anything. 

He pulled away to glance down at me, briefly searching my eyes for any emotion I couldn’t give off in the kiss we just shared. 

“I mean this with genuine curiosity but have you never been kissed before?” Noah wondered while his hand cupped my cheek. 

I shifted on his bed and kept my gaze cast down on my lap. While I lay with other angels up in the Kingdom, we’d never kissed; Noah was my first kiss, ever. 

“Lethia?” 

“I-,” my shoulders slumped. “No. Was I that bad?” 

Now while I couldn’t feel his touch, that didn’t stop me from meeting his kiss with the same amount of gentle caress that he led with. 

A low noise rumbled in Noah’s chest. “Not at all. I’d actually like to kiss you again if that’s alright?” 

Unbridled heat expanded deep within me as I nodded quickly and then his lips were on mine again. I let the passion in my heart guide my lips, doing my best to mimic Noah’s actions, and he let out a moan when I climbed into his lap to run my hands through the waves of his tawny hair. Even if I couldn’t feel any part of this physically, I could feel it in my heart, and to me, that’s all that mattered. 

“Lethia,” Noah groaned when I pressed my hips into his. 

Something in my heart told me that he was brushing his tongue along the side of my neck before his teeth grazed over in its path. That same feeling told me that Noah’s hands were sprawled over my lower back before slipping underneath my shirt to claw at my skin, digging his nails in. 

My spine tingled with fire, starting from the base and shooting straight up into my neck before spreading through my entire angel essence. My head fell back as my jaw went slack when the familiar feeling of ecstasy crept its way into me.

Only this wasn’t the kind of ecstasy brought on by a man's kiss or touch.

No. 

The skin on my shoulder blades began to peel away an opening for my wings to protrude from and with a gasp of fear, I scrambled away from Noah and nearly stumbled over my feet as I stood in front of him. He lay back on his elbows, hair a mess from my fingers running through it, and lips were swollen from our kiss. The rise and fall of his chest was uneven as he tried to catch his breath. I dared a glance lower and sucked in a breath when I noticed how hard his cock was in his gray sweats. 

“Hey, are you alright? Did I do something?” Noah asked while rising to his feet and taking a step towards me. 

I took a step back. “No, you didn’t do anything. I-I can’t explain it but-.” 

How could I explain it? 

Oh hey, Noah. I was getting so turned on by our kiss that my wings almost came out.

Yeah right. 

I dragged my hands through my hair and let out an aggravated groan to which Noah gently grasped my wrists and held them against his chest. My gaze bounced back and forth between his eyes, my erratic heartbeat calming. 

“If I went too far, I apologize,” he said. 

“No,” I hastily shook my head. “You didn’t do anything. I just needed a moment to clear my head, that's all.”  

He hummed. “I know the perfect thing to help with that.” 

Before dropping my hands, he left a gentle kiss on them, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread to my lips as I watched him gather the extra clothes on his desk and towels.

“A shower always helps me clear my head,” Noah said while leading me out of his bedroom. 

“A shower?” I asked, slowly treading behind him. 

“Yeah,” he nodded as we stepped inside the bathroom. “Hot Water. Soap. Shampoo.”

“Naked. I know the drill,” I crossed my arms over my chest with a raised brow. “Are you trying to get me naked, Noah?” 

Nervously he rubbed the back of his neck and a red tint painted over his cheeks. “N-no. I just want to help you.” 

I took the things in his hands with a nod of thanks. “You’ve already done enough for me. Giving me a place to stay.” 

The space between us was small in his bathroom due to his tall stature and he gazed down at me with a slight up curl of his lips as he stuffed his hands in his pocket. 

“I help the people I care about.” 

I cocked my head at him. “You care about me?” 

This word, care, was foreign to me; unheard of in the Kingdom. So to hear Noah utter it made a weird feeling stir inside of me. 

“I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t,” Noah’s voice was low as he took a small step towards me. 

However, when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I nearly dropped the clothes and towels. I always tried to avoid looking at myself because of how evil I looked. My red eyes matched the red lights from under Noah’s bed and my short onyx hair barely reached my shoulders. Thankfully my jacket and jeans covered the tattoos that were drawn on my skin; etched in deep with my transgressions. 

I despised how I looked now. Revolted in the darkness that I become. 

“I never used to look like this,” I admitted with a long sigh, letting the things in my hands fall to the bathroom counter. 

Noah stepped behind me to stare at my reflection in the mirror. “Really?” 

“This look?” I pointed to my reflection. “It’s a telling of everything wrong I’ve done. I can’t even look at myself without disgust.” 

His face fell at my words and he rested his hands on my shoulders. “Lethia, that’s the farthest thing from the truth. You look beautiful.” 

That was another word I hadn’t heard before. 

“Beautiful?” I raised a brow, staring at his reflection still. 

Noah rested his chin on top of my head and I couldn’t help but giggle at the size difference between us. I wasn’t exactly short but with Noah’s length, he easily towered over me so to rest his chin on my head he had to bend down a bit, encasing his arms on either side of me to grip the bathroom counter. 

My eyes raked over the tattoos that covered the entirety of his arms, various designs and colors. 

“Well for starters, the length of your hair suits your face structure and the color compliments your olive skin tone,” he left a kiss on the side of my head. 

“I used to have long, almost white hair,” I said. 

“Oh,” his face scrunched up. 

“You don’t like it?” I teased with a chuckle. 

Noah shrugged. “You look beautiful either way but like I said this look suits you better.” 

His hands grabbed the collar of my jacket to slowly pull it down my arms, letting it fall to the floor at our feet. I now stood in front of him in my jeans and white shirt, arms exposed to show the darkness of the tattoos that covered them. 

“Your tattoos are made for you,” he breathed in my ear, fingers trailing up the skin of my arms. 

Our eyes locked in the mirror, the deep crimson of mine paled in contrast to his bright almond ones; however this time when I looked into them, they weren’t cold and vacant. Not like I’d see in my dreams. 

“Your eyes,” Noah breathed. “I think your eyes are one of my favorite things about you.” 

He brushed away the hair from my neck so he could press kisses along the skin there. I watched in the mirror as his teeth grazed over the shell of my ear before sinking deep into the crook of my neck. Straight heat shot through me again and I let myself fall into his embrace with a sigh that sounded more like a moan. 

“I’m afraid,” my bottom lip trembled as I cast my eyes down from his. 

Noah turned me in his arms so I had no choice but to look up at him. His eyes were filled with worry as they searched every inch of my face. I grasped at the front of his shirt, fingers trying desperately to feel the material. 

“Afraid of what? This?” He pointed between us. 

“No,” I shook my head and then let out a shaky breath. “I am terrified by this dark thing that sleeps in me.” 

Noah’s hands were on both sides of my face because he held me firm. Then when the light sparked inside of me, I knew that he crashed his lips on mine, tongue slipping inside of my mouth. Although I couldn’t feel his touch, the feeling I had deep inside of me was telling me everything he was doing. 

One hand cupped my cheek while the other slipped inside my shirt, grasping at the skin of my lower back. His lips and tongue explored every inch of my mouth, dragging his teeth along my jawline and neck as he went back to leaving small marks along my collarbone. 

His name came out just below a whisper when he lifted me onto the bathroom counter, digging his nails into the thick material of my jeans to spread my legs open for him. Noah stepped between them as I brought our lips together again in another fiery kiss, needing to bring Noah even closer to me by any means. 

“Lethia,” he murmured against my mouth. “I need-.” 

Just as the skin on my shoulders began peeling away, someone walked into the bathroom, causing Noah to jump away from me slightly. Glancing at the now open door, I noticed his roommate Jesse’s eyes bouncing between Noah and me. 

“Shit, I should have knocked,” he muttered while rubbing his face. “I just saw the door was cracked open and didn’t think.” 

I wiped away the saliva from my lips and turned my head away from the two men, feeling this unusual burn on my cheeks. 

“It’s alright,” Noah ran a hand through his hair, still keeping a wide distance between us. “I was just letting Lethia take a shower.” 

Jesse nodded. “Yeah sure, no problem. I’ll just use the bathroom downstairs.” 

When it was just Noah and me yet again, I peered over to him who was leaning against the wall with a wicked smirk. 

“What?” I asked with a slight up curl on my lips. 

He said nothing, only adjusting himself. I dared a glance downward and sucked in a breath when I noticed his cock pressing hard against the front of his sweats. All the warmth in my body shot down to my core and I squeezed my thighs together, hoping it would curb the itch.

How did this mortal seem to set all of my senses ablaze like this? 

“I’ll give you some privacy,” Noah motioned to the shower. 

As he began walking out of the bathroom, I dared a glance at the shower but tilted my head in confusion. 

“Wait,” I spoke while reaching for his wrist, my black nails grazing his skin. 

Both of us reacted with such a shock, nearly making me rear back in surprise. Noah’s eyes bounced from my hold on him to my face; a spark of something behind them. 

“How do I turn it on?” 

“The shower?” His brows creased. 

All I did was nod, some things on this planet still confused me but I didn’t want to tell him that. 

With a chuckle, Noah walked over to the shower, sliding the door open then turned the dial left. 

“Left is hot. The right is cold. Adjust how you need to. There’s already some shampoo and body wash in there for you,” he said when he stepped in front of me. 

Steam began to fill the bathroom, dancing above our heads like the clouds in the Kingdom. Reaching up on the tips of my toes, I laid a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. 

“Thank you, Noah.” 

NOAH

I stifled a yawn behind my hand as I poured myself yet another cup of coffee, stirring the dark liquid as I leaned against the kitchen island. Craning my neck far to the left, I groaned when it popped in a few different places. Sleeping on the couch did a number on my back and neck but I didn’t want to verbalize my discomfort knowing that Lethia was comfortable upstairs in bed. 

Possibly naked, lying in my sheets. 

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I took a large gulp of my coffee, it slightly burning on the way down, when Jesse walked into the kitchen. His eyes raked over my disheveled hair and skewed clothes with a smirk. 

“Rough night?” 

I grumbled in response. 

“I’m sorry about interrupting you and Lethia last night,” Jesse apologized while reaching for a cup in the far right cupboard. 

“It’s alright,” I set my cup on the counter next to me. 

It seemed as if there was something on the tip of his tongue so I urged him to ask his question with a nod. 

“Are you sure you aren’t moving fast with her?” Jesse was hesitant to ask. “You don’t know a lot about Lethia?” 

Even though I was growing tired of the same conversation with my friends, I took a deep breath to ease away the annoyance. I knew they were only coming from a place of love. 

“It’s hard to explain,” I rubbed a hand up and down my arm. “We feel this strong connection between us and no matter how hard I tried to stay away, it seemed as if something kept pulling us together.” 

Jesse nodded with a faint smile. “She seems like a great girl, Noah. We just don’t want you to fall too deep and end up getting hurt.” 

I reassured him with a pat on his shoulder just as Jolly, Michael, and Orie came bounding into the kitchen, all of them going about to start their typical morning routine. It was a rare Saturday that we all had off so earlier in the week we talked about going for a hike today. 

“Still on for today?” Orie wondered. 

“Yeah,” I answered. 

Jolly took a sip of his coffee. “Did you ask if Lethia wanted to come?” 

My lips parted to speak but there was this tingle at the back of my neck, making the hairs there stand to attention, and when I turned slightly, my heart shuddered in my chest. 

Lethia stood in the middle of the kitchen, rubbing a hand on her elbow. Her hair was a mess from a night of sleep and I could make out the faintest of a few purple marks across her neck. My cock twitched in my sweats when I remembered our kisses from last night. But that’s not what made my heart stop. It was what she was wearing. 

My blue and white star shorts and my Jesus playing basketball with the devil t-shirt. It drowned on her, barely covering the shorts. Not only were her arms covered in tattoos but so were both of her legs, the black designs standing out amongst the sunlight that brushed in through the patio door next to her. Lethia looked absolutely breathtaking. 

Like an angel. 

“Hilarious,” she pulled at the picture of the shirt. 

I smiled. “Did you sleep alright?” 

“You guys were going to ask me something?” 

She averted my question with one of her own and Orie spoke up. 

“We were going for a hike today. Would you like to join?” 

“A hike,” Lethia repeated the words slowly. 

Michael rolled his eyes. “You know, walking up a mountain. Fresh air. Scenery. Exercise.” 

Crimson eyes sliced into him. “I know what a hike is.” 

“Cool, so are you coming with or not?” He crossed his arms. 

“I’m touched you want me to tag along, Michael. I knew you secretly had feelings for me,” Lethia teased with a playful smirk. 

Peering over to Michael, I noticed a red tint covering his cheeks before he hid his face in the fridge, rummaging around for something. 

“So,” I began while closing the distance between Lethia and me. “Do you want to come with us?” 

She peered up at me through dark lashes. “You want to spend time with me?” 

“I think after last night that it’s pretty clear,” I said while taming her sleep-tousled hair. 

Lethia leaned into my touch, her eyes fluttering shut with a peaceful sigh. 

“Okay,” she agreed after a beat of silence. “Give me a few minutes to get dressed.” 

“Take all the time you need,” I said, trailing my fingers down the side of her neck. 

Lethia slipped away from me and trotted back upstairs to get ready and when I turned around, I ignored the looks from Michael, Orie, and Jolly. Instead, I walked into the living room while hearing Jesse fill them in on what happened last night. 

“You kissed her?” Michael asked as he followed me into the living room. 

Slipping my black jacket over my hoodie, I shrugged. “It sort of happened. We were in my room talking and I asked if I could.” 

He hesitated and I knew, like Jesse, he had some reservations. 

“Look, I appreciate you guys looking out for me, I do. But if I didn’t trust Lethia, she wouldn’t be here. So can we please make her feel welcome?” 

I directed the question towards Michael, who raised his hands. “I didn’t start it.” 

“I think the reason why you two seem to butt heads is because she doesn't take your shit,” Jolly chuckled while tying up his hair. 

Michael grumbled under his breath as Lethia came bounding down the steps, yet again taking my breath away. She was dressed in biker shorts, showcasing her long and toned legs, and a black fitted crop top. Her white tennis shoes stood out as she came to a stop when all eyes fell on her. 

“Do I have something stuck to me or something?” She asked, doing a full 360 turn, and I briefly saw a tattoo peaking on her shoulder through the straps of her shirt. 

Some kind of bird. A crow?

“No, you look great,” I smiled. “Ready?” 

“Shit, my jacket. Let me-.” 

Before she could run back upstairs, I handed her an extra sweater of mine I grabbed from the front closet. 

“Your leather jacket is looking a bit worn so here, you can have my sweater for the day,” I said. 

She hesitantly took it, fingering the material of my yellow sweater. “Thank you, Noah.” 

The drive to our usual hiking spot seemed to go by faster than normal as we all piled in Orie’s SUV; he and his dog, Harper, up front; something Michael gave him shit for when he tried to call shotgun. 

Jolly and Michael were in the middle. 

Me, Lethia, and Jesse were in the back seat. 

My knees were brushing with hers, heat spreading throughout my nerve endings and I suddenly wanted to feel all of her all over me. Memories of our kiss last night flashed in my mind when I found myself staring at her lips while she talked with Jesse. 

I remembered how they tasted; like every dark thought I’d ever had. There was something about her that kept calling to me, to a side that I forever repressed. I needed to know more about her and to know who she was running from so I could protect her from them. 

Once we all stumbled out of the car, Lethia bent low to Harper so the dog could sniff her fingers. With a faint smile, she scratched Harper being the ears, something the dog appreciated with a wag of her tail. 

“You’re a beautiful creature,” Lethia mused before rising to her feet. 

With Orie taking the lead, we all followed up the usual path, Lethia slowly trailing behind. I let her take her time alone, figured something was bothering her, but when we made it about halfway up the trail, I finally turned to face her. Her hand was moving in an orbit as she studied the long black nails; sharp as a blade. 

“Come on slowpoke!” I called out to her with a smile after pulling my hood up.

Her eyes barely lifted to mine, something still clouding her mind. 

“What’s going on?” I asked, coming to a stop. 

“Hm?” 

When Lethia finally looked up at me, it was a few seconds too late as she crashed into me, not realizing I stopped walking. My arms wrapped around her to keep us upright while her hands sprawled over my chest. I was still so nervous to have her this close to me that I knew she would be able to tell when she’d feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest. 

“What’s going on in here?” I asked again, tapping her forehead. 

She didn’t even flinch. 

“Nothing,” Lethia said. 

I knew she couldn’t see the look I was giving her through my sunglasses so instead, I squeezed her hips; once again not reacting to my touch. 

“I’m fine, Noah,” she reassured me with a gentle caress to my face. “We should move along before the others wonder where we drifted off to.” 

I glanced over my shoulder, noticing that Jolly was at the top of the hill about ten feet ahead of us; stopped and waiting. 

“The first one to Jolly wins,” I said. 

This made her raise a brow. “A race?” 

“Yeah,” I dropped my hands from her waist. “If I win, I get to sleep in my bed with you. The couch isn’t the best place to sleep on my back. If it makes you feel better, we can put a wall of pillows between us.”

“What do I get when I win?” Her hands replaced mine on her hips. 

I snorted. “Someone’s confident.” 

It was her turn to snort. “There’s no way you can beat me. Now, what do I get when I win?” 

“Whatever you want,” I shrugged. 

She tapped a finger to her lip as if she was really thinking about her decision. 

“If I win, I’d like for you to kiss me again.” 

My cock twitched in my joggers while my heart hammered loudly in my ears. 

“Lethia,” my voice dropped. “You don’t have to make a bet for me to kiss you again.” 

Cocking her head to the side, she stood taller to close the distance. I felt the warm breath fan over my bottom lip and I almost captured her tongue with mine when it darted out to wet her lips. 

Suddenly, her laughter erupted through the trees as she took off in a sprint toward Jolly. Chuckling under my breath, I whipped around to begin running after her, amazed at how fast she’d already closed the distance to Jolly. She was less than five feet from him as he watched the two of us with a smile. 

Suddenly, her steps faltered briefly, just enough for me to pass her in such haste that I didn’t see that she stopped running completely. When I reached Jolly, I tapped his shoulder before raising my hands. 

“I win!” 

Lethia slowly caught up to us with a smile painting the features of her face, not even working hard to catch her breath from the race. It was as if she wasn’t even winded. 

“You did, fair and square,” she agreed while tying half of her hair up into a bun. 

Jolly looked from me to Lethia, a knowing look on his face. “Really?” 

My shoulders fell when I saw the look the two of them shared. 

“Wait,” I pointed to her. “Did you let me win?” 

“No,” Lethia dragged out the word and shrugged. “Why would I do that?” 

When she slipped between Jolly and me, she patted my chest and winked. “You better not be a blanket hog, Noah.” 

I watched her walk up to Jesse, the two of them picking up the conversation they had in the car. 

“You know Lethia let you win, right?” 

Jolly’s voice made me snap my gaze over to him. “No, she didn’t.” 

Now it was me that gave that knowing look and I shifted on my feet. 

“Why would she let me win?” I asked. 

“She wanted you to share your bed with her,” Jolly said as if it was obvious. 

I stood there for a long moment after he left to catch up with everyone else, letting his words settle within me. Lethia let me win because she wanted to share my bed. A fire burned in my gut with that knowledge as excitement filled my veins with the thought of going to sleep tonight. 

When I reached the group, they all were standing on a cliff edge staring down at the city of Los Angeles. This was one of my favorite spots because you could see everything up here but hear nothing of the hustle and bustle of the city, only your thoughts. 

I took note of Lethia who was a few feet away from all of us, in her own little bubble, letting the wind blow through her hair and my sweater that was tied around her waist. Her eyes were closed, a look of peaceful bliss on her face almost as if she belonged in the breeze. Her arms were outstretched as she tilted her head back.  “Lethia.” 

One eye cracked open as she looked at me when I snapped a quick picture of her with a smile. 

“I’m glad you invited me with you guys,” she breathed while dropping her arms. 

“Yeah, you’ve been alright company,” Michael admitted with a grumble. 

She came over and ruffled his hair. “You’re not so bad yourself.” 

Hooking an arm around her back, I pulled her into my chest, breathing my question over her lips. “You let me win the race?” 

“Now why would I do that?” Lethia hummed, playing with the strings of my hoodie. 

“That would mean I secretly want to sleep in the same bed with you.” 

Something mischievous sparkled in her crimson eyes as I lowered my head to her, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Her body relaxed in my embrace, lips molding against my own, while my hands roamed up her back. 

Pulling away, Lethia dragged a finger over my bottom lip. 

“Looks like we both won in the end,” she respired. 

“How sweet.” 

Lethia’s body went stiff in my embrace when she peered over my shoulder toward the unfamiliar voice. Following her gaze, my brows creased when I noticed a man standing a few feet away from our group, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his dark Levis. The top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, showcasing a golden chain. For someone walking outside on a dirt-filled mountain, he looked clean; pristine. Not a single strand of his blonde hair was out of place on top of his head. 

“Uriel,” Lethia forced out through gritted teeth.

“Do you know him?” I asked when I looked back at her.

“Unfortunately,” her jaw ticked, never removing her eyes from the stranger. “He’s an old friend. Give me a few minutes?” 

I swallowed the jealousy burning deep in my gut at the way she said old friend but nodded, letting her slip from my embrace. With the guys flanking in a line a few feet behind her, we watched with careful eyes as she moved out of earshot from us. 

LETHIA  

“How did you find me?” I questioned, the soles of my shoes scraping along the rocks beneath my feet. 

Uriel smiled with his lips but not his eyes. “I must admit, your scent was a bit harder to find now that you mingle among these mortals.” 

“What do you want, Uriel?” My hands shook at my side so I rolled them into fists. 

Bright gold eyes flicked over my shoulder towards the guys before they fell on me. 

“I come with a message from the King.” 

I swallowed thickly, nearly faltering my stone face at the mention of the King, but remained calm. 

“I’m surprised he let you leave his side; you were always the one to be up his ass any chance you could get.” 

Uriel’s eyes sliced into me. “The vulgarity of your speech, Lethia. A few weeks here and you’ve changed; in more ways than one.” 

“What’s this message?” I asked with a sigh, ready to end this surprise meeting. 

“The King is welcoming you back into the Kingdom.” 

My heart stopped in my chest as my jaw dropped. I couldn’t ignore the way relief flooded me for the briefest of moments. 

A way back home? I was allowed to go back home. 

“That seems too good to be true. How can I believe your word?” I asked while crossing my arms over my chest. 

Uriel held out his hands. “I am an archangel, Lethia. We’re known for our word.” 

“When the fuck has your word ever been good enough? I sneered, countless memories of how wrong his word had been in the Kingdom. 

“Do you want to be granted a way back or not?” Uriel clicked his tongue against his teeth. 

“Surely the King has a catch,” I reminded him. “He always did.” 

Uriel pointed to Noah. “Erase that mortal’s memory of you, renounce him and everything you’ve done together. Never look his way again and you have your way back home.” 

My heart fell to the depths of my stomach at this demand. Even though there was a tiny sliver of hope of being granted access back into my home, there was no way I could erase Noah’s memory of me. These feelings we shared were still unknown to me but that didn’t mean I didn’t understand that we were important to each other; the feelings were real. 

“I’m not interested,” I spat while spinning on my heels, ready to walk back over to Noah. 

“He will allow you time to think about it, but not for long,” Uriel spoke. “I suggest you accept because the stench of humans is beginning to rub off on you; especially that mortal.”

Both of us glanced over at Noah who was watching us intently while talking with Jesse. They were still a good distance from us so I knew none of them could hear mine and Uriel's conversation. 

“Hm, he fancies you, Lethia. Tell me, how often do you walk in his dream? Quite often I suppose since he has those vulgar thoughts of you,” Uriel breathed against the back of my neck, fingers grazing over mine. 

My head snapped up to Uriel, creating distance between us by snatching my hand away from him. It was clear that I still was able to feel the touch of fellow angels, just not mortals.  

“You don’t know anything! He’s a good man offering me a place to stay away from Maraxa and Lucifer,” I seethed. 

His eyes darkened, almost as black as my wings. “You must not heed to their demands. If you even think about joining Lucifer's army, any chance of you getting back into the Kingdom will be long forgotten. The King is only allowing you one chance. Erase that mortal mind or stay on this putrid planet and walk among these disgusting creatures.” 

“Trust me, I have zero intention of joining Lucifer. It’s because of him I fell into what I am now. But the thought of joining a Kingdom that banished me also isn’t quite appealing,” I scoffed and walked a few steps away from him when his next words gave me great pause. 

“What if I sweeten the deal?” 

Turning slowly on my feet, I held out a hand. “I doubt it but go ahead.” 

Uriel pursed his lips before running a hand through his already perfect long, golden hair. “It is known that Lucifer is looking to revolt and he’s trying to find other fallen to join his army; for example, you.” 

I shook my head. “I already told you, I have no interest in joining him.” 

“The King can be quite lax with this upcoming war. He thinks he has enough soldiers for it but if I’m being frank, without Oblivion, we have no chance.” 

Every part of my body chilled to the bone as all the breath was snatched from my lungs at hearing that name; I hadn’t heard it in so long. 

“I’m not that person anymore,” I stated. “I haven’t been for a very long time.” 

“If you come back to the Kingdom, you can bring him with you. But still would need to erase his memories of you.” Uriel nodded behind me. 

To Noah. 

“What?” I stood tall. “How would that work? He’s mortal, he wouldn’t survive in the Kingdom. Not to mention, the King would never allow it.” 

That’s when something sparkled in Uriel’s eyes. 

“You two will dethrone the King.” 

I laughed out loud at his words. “Dethrone the King? Show up to the pearly gates so we can spit in his face?” 

“Think about it,” Uriel stepped closer to me, running a hand through my short locks. 

“If you accept to dethrone the King, lead the army in victory against Lucifer, you can bring the mortal with you and rule the Kingdom. However, he would have to be a mere peasant there. He cannot remember who you are. Think of him as a mere pawn for you to play with.” 

I stood frozen under his touch as he twirled a strand of hair around his finger. “I’ll even return you to your old physical state. Which you should be thankful for because this one doesn’t suit you.” 

The promise of not only going back home in my old form but being able to bring Noah with me made something inside of me light with the life I’d been searching for since I fell. But it wouldn’t be easy to bring a mortal into the Kingdom; there was only one way to enter. 

Being an eternal being. 

“I’ll think about it,” I muttered under my breath. 

Uriel smiled as he removed his hand from my hair. “I suggest you do because the longer you try to hide your true form, well I don’t need to remind you of what will happen.” 

No, he didn’t. 

My wings will deteriorate. My powers will weaken. Slowly over time, I will lose myself in my mind. 

With a scowl, I turned my back to him and finally sauntered back over towards Noah, who met me halfway, quick to pull me into his embrace. 

“Everything alright?” He brushed away some stray hairs from my face. 

“I need to get far away from that man,” I begged, parts of me that I didn’t want to remember coming back with force. 

“Did he hurt you?” Noah’s hands were on both sides of my face, almost mute against my skin. “Are you alright?

“Please,” I grasped at his arms, digging into the material of his jacket. “Can we leave? Seeing him brought up far too many memories I’d like to forget”. 

Noah nodded while wrapping an arm around my shoulder to begin leading me back down the hill, Uriel’s voice calling after us. 

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Lethia!”

JOLLY

“This place is called what?” 

Noah chuckled at Lethia’s upturned head at him with furrowed brows. “In-N-Out. They’ve got great burgers here.” 

“Burgers?” She said slowly. 

I watched as Noah explained the menu to her, what’s good and what to stay away from. Revealing that she wasn’t particular to any kind of food, he took it upon himself to order her a cheeseburger, fries, and a large chocolate milkshake. 

“Oh, that milkshake sounds delicious,” Lethia mused with a bright smile.

There was a faint smile on my face as I continued to watch the two of them, Noah sliding his hand on the lower back of Lethia as they waited for their food. She had slipped on his sweater on the way down from the mountain, the sudden change in the wind causing all of us to feel a frigid chill.

After Lethia spoke to that old friend of hers, something shifted with her. Noah could tell instantly because he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, not wanting to let her more than a few inches out of her sight. 

“Something doesn’t feel right about this guy,” Noah muttered to me as we watched Lethia and her friend converse. 

I held him back with a grip on his elbow when he nearly stomped over there seeing Uriel run his hands through Lethia’s hair. 

“Jolly,” he warned through gritted teeth. 

“Just give her some time alone, like she asked. If she’s uncomfortable, she’ll let you know,” I said. 

I could practically see all the worry leave Lethia’s body when Noah’s arms wrapped around her not even a minute later. 

I couldn’t explain it, and frankly, I don’t think Noah could explain either how Lethia entranced him since he found her in our driveway all those weeks ago. He claimed there was this undeniable pull between them and almost as if it was fate that they kept running into each other.

There’d been this light in Noah’s eyes every time he looked at Lethia, shining brighter now knowing and witnessing they kissed. He’d become transfixed ever since that first meeting even when she had her hand wrapped around his throat. We all should have been terrified of the strength she possessed when she tackled Folio to the floor or with how tight her grip was around Noah. But if he didn’t feel harm when he was around her, the least we could do was trust her. 

“What do you think?” Noah asked. 

She nodded with a mouth full of food then once she swallowed, Lethia took a large gulp of her milkshake. “Delicious.” 

While I ate my food, I continued to carefully watch them as the others around me had their own conversations. I didn’t miss the way when Noah muttered something in her ear, Lethia’s cheeks turned a deep crimson, like her eyes. 

She had her milkshake halfway to her lips when her body stilled, a painful grimace crossing her features. Those eyes scanned the entirety of the restaurant, almost looking for someone. 

“Are you alright?” Jesse questioned. 

“Uh,” Lethia winced, nearly doubling over in pain when she grasped at the ends of the table. 

A small gust of wind bristled by our table, tickling the back of my neck, and as I rubbed there Lethia quickly rushed to her feet. 

“I need a moment,” she grumbled before rushing out of the restaurant. 

Noah wanted to go after her but decided against it, knowing she needed time to herself. 

“Anyone else think she does that a lot?” Michael questioned. 

Noah sighed while running a hand through the long strands of his hair. “Lethia has a lot going on right now. She needs help.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked while tossing my garbage on the tray in front of me. 

There was slight hesitation from Noah for a long moment until he eventually divulged to us that he believes Lethia is running from an ex who wanted her back, even though he kicked her out of their house. 

“Oh, right. Lucifer,” Michael snorted. “Are we sure she doesn’t have this obsession with the occult or some shit? The only Lucifer I’d heard of is the supposed devil. 

Orie smacked him upside the head. “Dude, Lethia is not dating the devil.” 

“She’s not dating anyone,” Noah’s eyes sliced over to him but they softened when he realized his words. “Lethia’s not dating anyone.” 

“Then what do you call what’s going on between the two of you?” Jesse wondered. 

“I don’t know,” Noah shrugged. “I like her but I don’t want to rush her into anything she doesn’t want.” 

“From what I’ve seen, you’re not. Whatever you’re giving her, she’s reciprocating it back. Lethia feels the same, Noah. You don’t have to worry about that,” I assured him. 

All he did was nod as he kept his gaze on the door of the restaurant where Lethia stormed through minutes before. 

LETHIA

“Come to me, Lethia. My queen. I need you by my side to rule.” 

I clawed at my ears, digging out Lucifer's voice, and continued to run into the woods behind the restaurant. My body ached with the pain of my wings nearly forcing their way out of my back. It’s been a few days since I let them out and it was beginning to crush me. 

“I miss you, Lethia. I need you again.” 

“Stop!” I cried while falling to my knees in the leaves and dirt, hands covering my ears. 

“I’ll never stop until I have you in my presence. You are mine, Lethia. Not his.” 

All but ripping Noah’s sweater off of me, I tossed it to the side just as I let out a sheer groan of agony mixed with ecstasy when my large wings exploded from my back. The force of them caused the branches of the trees around me to falter, some falling to the ground around me like drops of rain. 

My jaw was slack as I peered up to the gloomy grays of the sky, an upcoming storm about to ravage through the city. All the pain I felt inside the restaurant was long forgotten, replaced with the intoxication of my angelic being. My powers began to slowly fester low inside of me and with an open palm, I watched the bright light slowly begin to grow into a baseball-sized orb then with a flick of my wrist, I sent it to a tree far off into the distance, incinerating it completely. 

My body vibrated with all of my senses. I could hear the chatter of people miles away, feeling the slight creep of chills against the skin of my back when my name came out from the chatter. 

“Lethia.” 

Before, it was Lucifer speaking in my mind. But now, that voice that uttered my name was the same that spoke when he was kissing me last night. 

My left wing came around to the front of me, blocking me from anyone who dared to venture into the woods and a broken sob fell from my chattering lips. They were deteriorating at such a rapid pace. While they were still large, dark, and caused fear to any mortal who saw them, my wings were a pathetic excuse to any other angel. A few feathers drifted into the wind, the weakness from hiding who I was taunting me. 

“There she is. I knew you couldn’t hide who you were. The darkness lies inside of you, begging to awaken.” 

I sucked in a gulp of air when Maraxa’s voice crept into my mind now; the cold and monotone bringing a chill to my bones. 

My eyes rolled to the back of my head when a vision slammed into me. 

Noah and the guys sitting in the booth of the restaurant, smiling and laughing with a group of girls that sauntered up to the table. One of the girls was standing a bit too close to Noah, as he signed something for her. When he handed it back, their fingers grazed over the girl’s. His almond eyes snapped from her hand to her face, gazing at all of her features.

“No!” I screamed while rising to my feet. “Stop. I know what you’re doing!” 

“Oh, sweet Oblivion. I’m doing nothing that your mind is already thinking.” 

The way Maraxa uttered my other name made me whirl around, thinking she was here with me. 

“I’m not Oblivion anymore. I haven’t been for a very long time,” I spat, eyes scanning my surroundings. 

“You should see yourself. Looking like a mad angel who lost her mind.” 

Uriel’s warnings were right. My wings were deteriorating and now, I was losing myself in my mind. Were these voices even in my head? Or had I been imagining them since my fall? 

“Lethia?!” 

My head snapped up to just outside the clearing of the woods, Noah’s faint outline slowly closing the distance. 

“Oh, you’re thinking of letting him see you in your true form. Surely, he will think you’re even more of a freak than how you look. He wouldn’t understand.” 

Meraxa. 

The voices wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard I smacked my ears to drown them out. 

“This mortal will never understand you. You’re mine, Lethia. Mine and no one else's. I will have you in my arms once again.” 

Lucifer. 

“Stop,” I cried while falling to my knees again, my wings wrapping around me in a protective barrier. 

“Dethrone the King and all of his kingdom will be yours.” 

Uriel. 

“Lethia? Are you okay?” 

Noah. 

Snapping my eyes open, they landed on Noah who was now a few feet away from me. With a roll of my shoulders, I stood to my feet, appearing just as I had moments before leaving his presence. 

NOAH

“Lethia, are you alright?” I questioned as she appeared through the clearing of the woods. 

I felt Lethia brush past me as she walked back toward the car, not uttering a word at me. My heart sank slightly but I did my best not to dwell on it because of our moments together in my bedroom and the bathroom last night. The unbridled passion between us was burning over into undeniable attraction. 

With a sigh, I tied my hair into a low bun, ready to go back home after this long day, but a flutter of movement at my feet caught my attention. It was a lone black feather, just like the one I'd found that first night Lethia appeared in my life. 

Bending at the knees, I reached for the feather, and then with a gasp of breath, I felt my vision being yanked away from me at the edges, darkness encompassing every part of me. I felt my soul being dragged away into another dimension, tumbling into a brighter vision of pure peace and eternal life. 

A woman with white golden hair stood in front of me, even brighter wings protruding from her back, as she held onto less fragile wings from the man who kneeled at her feet. 

"Oblivion," he cried. "Don't fall into the true meaning of your name, please." 

The woman; no angel cocked her head to the side with a slight wicked smile. 

"The King bestowed this name to me for a reason," was all she said before the man's cries of death and pain erupted but were overshadowed by the sounds of his wings being ripped from his back. 

With a gasp of breath, I was dragged back into the present, nearly stumbling onto my ass. Looking around my surroundings, I noticed I was back in Los Angeles, Jolly and Jesse slowly walking towards me. 

"You alright?" Jolly wondered. 

Ignoring him, I twirled the feather in my fingers and locked eyes with Lethia, who gave nothing away from her face except the slight flicker of light in her red eyes.

This vision didn’t feel like it was one of my own memories. It was as if I was dragged into someone else subconscious as I watched from the outside looking in. Something about watching the angel get his wings ripped away from him felt wrong, especially with the wicked smirk the female angel had on her face when she did it. 

I couldn’t ignore the way my mind vibrated with the familiarity of her. I knew who she was but she didn’t look familiar. Her presence was the only familiar thing about her and with a flick of my gaze to Lethia, there was a small part of me that knew who it was. 

With a sigh, I carefully pocketed the feather in my coat pocket and nodded over to Jesse who asked if I was ready to head back to the house. When I climbed into the car, I noticed that Michael and Jolly sat in the back with Lethia, so I retreated into the front seat of the car, while Jesse lounged in the middle with Harper. 

“Everything alright?” Orie asked as he pulled the car out onto the main road. 

Glancing over my shoulder, I watched Lethia for a few beats as she stared straight out of her window, not bothering to meet my gaze. I knew she could feel it burning into her but whatever happened to her outside in those woods rendered her speechless. 

“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully before turning back to face forward with a sigh. 

As soon as we arrived back at the house, Lethia nearly jumped out of the car to run inside once Jolly opened the door for her. She locked herself away in my bedroom for the rest of the afternoon well into the evening. Part of me wanted to check on her if she was alright but it was clear she wanted to be left alone. If she needed me, she would let me know. 

Would she? 

With a shake of my head at the thought, I bid a goodnight to Jesse and Michael as we watched a movie together in the living room and slowly retreated up the steps to my room. The door opened a crack but before I pushed my way through, I noticed Lethia standing in the middle of my room in front of my mirror. She was only wearing a pair of black panties and a matching bra. I knew I should have averted my gaze to anything else but I was mesmerized by her. 

Lethia showed me her back, hands slinking up her spine towards the hook of her bra, the material falling to the floor at her feet. My breath caught in my throat when I noticed the large crow tattoo on her right shoulder blade. But it wasn’t just the sight of it that gave me great pause; it was the large upside-down V scar on her back. It wasn’t an old scar. It looked new; fresh. 

“What the?” I muttered, slowly pushing away from the door to stand in the middle of the landing above the stairs. 

With a glance over the landing, I noticed that Jesse and Michael were still sitting on the couch, and knowing Jolly and Orie retreated to bed earlier, the computer in the studio was free. As I came back downstairs to head into the studio that was off the den, Jesse raised a brow at me. 

“I thought you went to bed?” 

I motioned to the room in front of me. “Late-night inspiration.” 

Shutting the door behind me, I dropped down into the chair in front of the computer with my fingers hovering over the keyboard. My mind was full of different words, I wasn’t sure where to start. 

Black feathers. 

Vivid dreams. 

Crows in dreams. 

Upside-down V scars on a person's back. 

Angels. 

Fallen Angels. 

The last one made me freeze ever so still, a memory of my own past creeping into the front recesses of my mind. 

“Noah, dear! Come on. It’s time for your bedtime story!” 

Eight-year-old me ran down the long hallway of my grandparent's house into my bedroom there and hopped into my bed, where my grandma sat on the edge with a fond smile. 

“Lord of the Rings?” I asked while climbing under the blankets. 

She chuckled while tucking me in. “Now, what did I say about those books? Aren’t you a little too young for them?” 

I rolled my eyes. “Ok grandma, what’s the story tonight?” 

“Fallen angels.” 

“Like from heaven?” I asked with furrowed brows. 

“Now I won't bore you with all the details but there’s something special about them,” my grandma began while patting my thigh over the blanket. “When an angel falls from heaven, people think they’re automatically stripped of all their powers but sometimes that's not the case.” 

She continued. “There’s this story of a great angel that fell, her feathers scattered all over the world. Whenever a human touched them, they would be sucked into memories of the angel.” 

I gave my grandma a “you can’t be serious” look but she only cupped my cheek in response.  

“No one believed that angels walked among us until someone saw the scars on the back of one.” 

“Scars?” I said, sitting up straighter in bed. 

“Large ones on their back. In an upside-down V.” 

I choked on a breath nearly falling out of the computer chair but gripped the handrests to keep myself steady. When I was eight years old, I figured my grandma was blowing smoke out of her ass, telling another one of her many stories. But now, everything seemed to have a bit of truth. 

Biting my bottom lip, I clicked on Google and quickly typed the words into the search bar before I doubted myself a second longer. 

Fallen Angel.

I clicked on the first website. 

“Fallen Angels are angels who have been exiled or banished from Heaven. Often such banishment is a punishment for disobeying or rebelling against their King,” I read the words out loud. 

I scrolled down the page a bit farther, still muttering the words out loud as I read them. 

“If a fallen angel is impaled or struck in the scars created when his or her wings were ripped out usually spanning from shoulder blades to kidney area, he or she will be temporarily immobilized. Some angels still have scars even if they haven’t lost their wings. It’s easier for the skin to peel away for the wings to slip from.” 

I shivered at the phantom feeling but then froze when I read the next section. 

“A fallen angel is unable to feel physical pain or sensations.” 

Scrolling down a bit farther, it was then that I realized how right I’d been about this feeling festering within me; almost begging to be let out. 

“A fallen angel's feather holds a lot of power. It holds the memories of the angel and whoever touches them can find themselves in those memories. A fallen angel's biggest weakness is one of their feathers. If a feather is burned, the original owner of the feather will be chained in Hell for eternity. Otherwise, fallen angels are nearly as indestructible as Angels and Archangels.” 

I fell back into the chair and rubbed a hand over my mouth, letting everything I read process in my mind. Everything correlated to what I’ve noticed with Lethia especially the part of her not being able to feel anything. 

There’d been a few times when it seemed like my touch meant nothing to her. But when we kissed, it seemed as if she could feel that. 

The feathers. 

Even though I tried to deny what I’d seen when I picked up the feather today, I knew that it was true what I’d seen. 

But how come I hadn’t seen anything when I picked up the first feather? 

Hunching back over towards the computer screen, I read more into the section about fallen angel feathers. 

“The more fallen angel feathers you touch, the stronger your connection to their memories is.” 

With a purse of my lips, I rummaged around the desk looking for my lyric book where I had stashed the first feather, using it as a bookmark. The other feather was still in my pocket, weighing heavily with the fear of what I would see next. My heart was pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears and feel it in my throat. It was suffocating, this feeling clawing its way inside of me, threatening to pull me under. 

Did I want to do this? 

Was I ready for what I could potentially see? 

Granted, I had to take everything I read online with a grain of salt because it could have been a bunch of made-up bullshit. But with it correlating to not only my grandma’s story but things I’ve noticed about Lethia, there had to be some truth to it all. 

“Fuck it,” I muttered while grabbing the feather in my lyric notebook at the same time I grabbed the one in my pocket. 

Darkness lingered at the corners of not only my vision but my mind as well. It dragged me under with no warning to the dark depths of what I could only assume was Lethia’s mind. 

My body landed with a thud to the cool wetness of the grass below me and quickly scrambling to my knees, I took in the vast empty field that went on for miles. Brightly colored trees lined the edge of the field and it was so quiet here that I could hear my blood running through my veins. 

“My love. I've been waiting for you.” 

Whirling around on my heels, I took in the sight of a tall man with skinny but large white wings extended from his back. His black hair was a mess of curls in front of his eyes and the dark levis hung low on his hips. The sheer brightness of his green eyes was almost eerie and I felt as if he could see straight into my soul. 

But he didn’t. It was as if he didn’t see me when he walked past me, over towards a lone figure lying in the grass a few meters away from me. 

Long golden, almost white, strands of hair fell around her shoulders as she sat up, bright eyes staring back at the man who was slowly closing the distance. I swallowed thickly when I recognized that face. 

It wasn’t the way I knew her but it was still her. 

Lethia. 

“Lucifer. You know you’re not supposed to be here,” she quickly rose to her feet, taking a step back from him. 

He stood in front of her shirtless, the defining muscles of his chest and stomach tightening as he stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. 

So her ex actually was Lucifer. 

What the fuck did you just step into, Noah?

“I snuck away from the King for a moment. I needed to see you,” Lucifer tried to reach for her. 

Lethia smacked his hands away before running a shaking one of hers through her long hair. I then noticed she also had her wings exposed; large and as white as her hair. 

“We cannot be seen together! If the King finds out we’ve been together, he will banish us; or worse.” 

Lucifer chuckled darkly then pulled Lethia into his arms; her going willingly. 

I gritted my teeth at the jealousy that coursed through me, trying to tell myself that it was a very long time ago and it didn’t mean anything; not anymore. 

“My sweet Oblivion. The King wouldn’t banish his number one soldier. If he lost you, who would tear out the wings of the ones who went against him?” 

My blood ran cold at Lucifer's words. I knew that the first memory I saw had something to do with Lethia but I never put two and two together. She was the one who ripped out the angel's wings.

“I did horrible things back home and how could I ever be allowed back?

Her words from the last night made more sense now than they did when she first uttered them. 

“I cannot,” Lethia tried to fight against his grasp but ultimately gave in. 

“One more night. After tonight, I’ll let you be,” Lucifer’s fingers linked behind her neck, tilting her lips up towards him. 

“We both know we cannot stay away from each other,” she uttered before pulling him down to the grass with him. 

My eyes snapped open with a gulp of air and I gazed around the room of my studio, making sure that I was still alone. It took me some time to get my breath back to normal and my heart back to a steady pace. 

I slammed both of the feathers in my lyric book and hid it in the far back of the closet in the room, hoping no one else would find it. Those feathers held too much power and if I lost them, the looming fear of what could happen taunted me. 

“If an angel's feather is burned, they become changed to Hell for all eternity,” I reiterated the words I read earlier. 

Whether or not that part was true, I couldn’t risk it. 

Letting out a long breath, I shut down the computer and slowly slipped out of the studio, going upstairs to my bedroom unnoticed by Jesse and Michael who were still watching the movie. This time when I stopped in front of my room, I noticed the door was shut so I was quiet as I stepped inside, finding a sleeping Lethia cuddled under the mounds of blankets on my bed. 

I stood there for a long moment, staring at her back as it faced me, wondering what the scars looked like again underneath her shirt. 

My shirt. 

I had offered her to wear anything of mine and it seemed like she took me up on that offer. 

It was clear who she was running from. Lucifer. He wanted her back for reasons unknown to me but it was clear she didn’t want to go with him. 

I moved around my room quietly to change into a pair of sweats, opting not to sleep in a shirt only because it got extremely hot in my room during these summer nights, even with the air conditioner on. 

Softly, I got into bed behind Lethia as the faint breaths coming from her filled the air. For the first while, I laid on my back and stared up at my ceiling but when I noticed she didn’t move away, I turned to my side but still kept space between us. The heat from her body radiated around me, pulling me into her aura and I found myself never wanting to leave. 

Even though I knew what she was now, I wouldn’t tell Lethia I knew. This was something she needed to tell me when she was ready. 

Instead, I wrapped my arm around her midsection and pulled her into my chest. Although she might not be able to feel my touch, that didn’t stop me from running my nose along the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her. She must have showered because she smelled of peaches and a hint of something familiar. 

Me. 

I faintly smelled my shampoo in her skin and I hummed in pleasure. 

“What happened to the wall of pillows?” Lethia’s tired voice broke through the silence. 

I knew she was teasing when I heard her smile with her words. 

“This is much better than a wall of pillows,” I mused while I caressed her neck with my lips.

Lethia relaxed in my arms as she gave herself over to me and linked my fingers that rested on her stomach with hers and I wrapped my leg over hers, locking her in place. 

“Goodnight, Noah,” she murmured into the pillow. 

“Sweet dreams, Lethia,” I pressed a kiss to her head, finally letting the long day falter away with the darkness that swallowed us whole. 

[cookiesupplier]

YEESSSSSSSS

Mercy-coming soon.

"Blinded by a fear of feeling, these are the kings we chose. Lost and looking for the meaning, I've been searching high and low" It came crashing down on him. This is the story of the most high banished angel from where she came only to find home in the arms of a mortal man. This mortal realizing he'd face Lucifer himself to keep her.