Untold Anguish (book 7)

Josiah Orchem gazed lovingly at his wife whom he adored. She was heavily pregnant with their first child. She was going to give him a son, and he couldn’t believe his luck in this.

He’d found a woman who was accepting of his oddities and had a few of her own. Knowing they could trust each other and not be called heretics. Ana sat playing with a gold necklace around her throat.

A present that he’d given her, an old family heirloom. An item of power, but he didn’t know how to use it so he gave it to her. Still, they had to hide themselves some. Gifts or not the world was not kind to those like them. The church was growing self-centered and run by men thirsting for power.

During this time anyone who was different was feared and killed. Those who claimed to hear the voice of god feared and punished. Josiah had a nice house, plenty of money, and workers in his fields. He treated them all well and paid them handsomely.

“How’s Nathanial doing today?” Josiah asked his wife Ana, touching her round stomach and kissing her briefly. He loved her so much that it hurt. She had gold hair and bright green eyes. Where Josiah had black hair and violet-colored eyes.

“Perfect,” she said. “Content and nearly ready to come into this world.” Ana moved to stand. “I’m not sure that he won’t be here tonight or tomorrow. I feel it,” Ana said. There was the sound of someone coming into their living room.

“Master, there is a man here who wishes to talk with you.” Josiah frowned at his worker. He bowed and moved out of the way as a man came up to the door of the living room. It was clear this man was not going to wait in the sitting room to meet him.

JOsiah's eyes widened. No, how had this thing found him? Found him now of all times. He had black hair and eyes and an air of evil around him. There was no other way to describe it. This was a creature, not a man. Josiah knew it but Ana it seemed did not as she frowned.

“Josiah, it has been a while.” Ana looked at the man whom she’d never seen before and then looked at Josiah. She knew what this man was, how did he know Josiah? Ana herself was different, and this demon that had just walked into their home unnerved her. Ana was more than special, it scared her that a demon would come to her husband. Her husband was a good man, he'd never done anything evil.

“I’d hoped you’d forgotten about me,” Josiah said none to politely.

“Oh no. No, no. How could I forget about you Josiah? You have exactly what I need. We made a deal after all.” The demon didn’t enter the living room where they sat but looked around the frame of it.

“I see that you have guarded this room against one such as me. How clever,” Abaddon said. Josiah never forgot his name. Of course they protected their house from demons, they weren’t fools. Josiah was aware now of how powerful his blood was thanks to Ana.

“What is it you want?” Josiah asked.

“I’m here to collect my payment, Josiah. I believe that the day you met me, weak and near death, you said you would give me anything that I wanted in return for saving your life. I saved your life and now you have something I want to collect,” Abaddon stated. Little did Josiah know how long this demon had been watching those of Josiah's blood waiting to pounce.

Josiah said nothing and Ana looked at him. Yes, he remembered, but he’d thought the demon forgot. He’d never come to collect.

“Josiah, you didn’t,” Ana said. “This is no man, he is the most evil of creatures. A spawn of hell itself, not even one turned demon.” The demon Abaddon raised an eyebrow sensing her read of him. So he read her, Josiah had no ordinary wife. Abaddon nearly wanted to laugh, oh this was perfect. Waiting all this time had paid off.

“Hello, Ana is it?”Abaddon asked and then a frown creased his brow before a smile spread across his face and he gave a laugh that was deep.

“Well now that is the last thing I expected. Josiah seems to attracted trouble doesn’t he? But one should expect that of his blood. Does he know his wife isn't human?” Abaddon asked.

“You have no power here.” Ana snapped, and was already thinking of her next actions.

“Ah but I do Ana, and you know it. He made a deal with me and now I’m here to collect.” He looked at Josiah. “Tell me do you even know what your wife is Mr. Orchem? You deal with devils and then marry their foes.”

“I don’t care what she is, what do you want?” Josiah said. He did not care, Ana was nothing evil so it did not matter to him. Abaddon shrugged and told him what he wanted.

“My payment, which is your child,” Abaddon loved the hate on their faces. Ana stood up then, quicker than a woman her size should have been able to. As she had taken a seat when the man had appeared. Ana would never allow this, never! No matter what Josiah had promised as a young foolish man.

“You can’t have him, and you know it. He is not solely Josiah’s to give. He is my child and I do not give him to you!” Ana said firmly. She would die for her child, and she just might this night. If it took a sacrifice on her part so be it.

“Josiah has no say and therefore your child is already part mine.” Abaddon countered darkly. He had plans, and he needed one of Josiah’s blood. A woman came up from behind Abaddon from the dark hall.

“Having trouble?” She asked her gold-colored hair spiraling around her. A pretty face that was a facade for the thing that lay beneath. Bael following Abaddon even now.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Abaddon said eyeing the couple. “You will give me your son Josiah, he belongs to me body and…” Ana immediately cut him off.

“His soul is in my care. I am his mother! That is not up for the taking. No child before maturity can give a soul.” Ana snapped and she knew that her son was going to be born before the day was over. The powers that be, were now working.

This war of good and evil never ending, and why she’d been sent to Josiah. She never thought something like this would happen. The two of them had kept secrets that now caught up with them. She could feel the danger and outcome that had been set in motion. Demons had gotten to Josiah first.

“Well it doesn’t matter now does it? I still get him his physical self. His flesh. It belongs to Josiah, he has no choice but to give him to me," Abaddon said. Until the child was of sound mind and body the parents could choose for them having given them life.

“I won’t, I’d rather die,” Josiah said.

“I doesn’t matter what you want you have no choice. Isn’t that right Ana? I have a bonding contract in blood. I saved your life and now I came for payment. I could sense the payment I wanted was close at hand.” Ana didn’t respond she had tears in her eyes.

“Josiah why?” Ana asked him. It would have been better to die.

“I didn’t know until I said the words. I didn’t know he was a demon then.” He defended coming over to her and framing her face.

“It was so long ago I was barely twelve. I was scared and dying,” Josiah explained. Ana looked at him then to the demon. Immediately Ana knew and her eyes nearly glowed.

“You planned this, you made it so. You brought him close to death to save him and take hold of his bloodline! That is why he is the only one left!” Ana’s eyes were glowing as she looked back at this event.

Abaddon looked slightly surprised. He had no idea that she would figure that out so fast. What he’d done or known of his bloodline, then again she wasn’t human herself. So he really shouldn’t be surprised. However, that meant Abaddon was not the only one hunting for those with special blood. Shit, would having angelic blood do something Abaddon was not prepared for?

“What do you know about his bloodline?” Abaddon said with narrowed eyes, he had a damn good plan and no one was going to fuck with it. It would take years, it had already taken years. It was all in motion. Abaddon would bring hell to earth and rule.

“It’s pure, anyone born to it has a pure soul at birth. Do you think I’m a fool? That I don’t know who carries a divine line? There are only three lines that exist, but you already know that. They are born to dispatch justice against the darkness. You will never control them,” Ana said.

They were mortals gifted by the divine to fight against those like Abaddon. This was bad, so very bad. Josiah was the last left of his, and if Abaddon had control he would be able to curb them. To hold them back from their true ability, their true talent. She had been sent to strengthen Josiah and his line. To help him carry on and this was a horrendous blow.

“I don’t understand,” Josiah said. “If you want my soul to have it, leave my child alone.”

"Tell me why," Ana demanded. Her voice echoed a little.

“Temping but we need more than just one. You give me yours, it’ll just feed me. I have far bigger plans.” The woman said, Abaddon looked at her and she closed her mouth looking away. Clearly he didn’t want her saying to much. Abaddon did not like that Bael was suceptible to Ana's voice.

“Pure souls are had to come by, I’m afraid. Needed to be sure that I was getting what I needed from the moment of birth, and angel blood added to the mix.” Abaddon chuckled looking at Ana calling her out for what she was. Yes he told her, because he wanted her to know how fucked her child was. He would be the tool of a demon.

“Did you know Josiah your wife is an angel? Just sweetening the pot and it’s wonderful to know how I’ll turn your own flesh and blood against you,” Abaddon said.

"Over my dead body," Ana moved to an ornate desk and opened it. She made a decision right then. The words of the demons she saw the danger. Saw what they would do to her son with her sight.

No, this was the only way to save him. She regretted what this would do to her child but it would also give him the only chance to save himself. This was all she had for him. Ana took out a small round object and walked back over to sit on the couch. If these demons thought they were more clever than she, then they had another thing coming. They would never truly have her son.