The Blue Iris

By Ashton Bradley

Welcome to the world of the dammed, the forgotten, the left behind.

Born into a world condemned by Lucifer and without God, Ainsley is traumatized, afraid, and hunted. Her life is an unending storm of sorrow, fear, and grief, and its almost more than her eighteen-year-old soul can bear. Orphaned at six, she has every excuse to give up.

She is also the last human alive, and her experience is about to become even more incomprehensible. She meets an angel named Gabriel, one of the most loyal angels in Gods army. When he meets Ainsley, his heart breaks for her suffering. Unable to bend to his Fathers will, Gabriel finds himself falling in love with Ainsley. He is willing to sacrifice anything and everything for her, even if the cost is his soul. Condemned to earth for his disobedience, he is exposed to carnal nature for the first time in his eternal existence. Subjected to desire, lust, and hunger, the fallen angel not only has to protect his love from demons, he also has to protect her from himself.

But Lucifer also desires the young woman for his own selfish, prurient needs. As the sole female human in existence, Ainsley is the only one capable of producing his unholy heir. For this reason, he will stop at nothing to obtain her for himself.

But God has an agenda of his own as well

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491739440

Ashton Bradley

Ashton Bradley, a former runway model, is working on her first fashion collection. She grew up in a Christian church, and has a passion for studying all religions. She believes in chocolate, love, and spending time in nature. She lives in Halifax, North Carolina, with her grandmother.

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Copyright © 2014 Ashton Bradley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4917-3943-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-3944-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912556

iUniverse rev. date: 8/13/2014

CONTENTS

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

About The Author

PROLOGUE

I couldn’t fathom what I was hearing. Sure, I knew the day would come. Everyone’s day comes; it is the price of being human. However, to me, she was no ordinary human. I have loved her since the moment I heard her first cry. I was there the first time she walked, and I have followed her every step. Some say that I am far too attached, that my feelings have clouded my original task, for it is not my will but my Father’s. I am too involved. I must step aside. Her mistakes are her own. I have seen a billion deaths, watched a million lives, been assigned to a thousand subjects. I have watched humans love and hate; I have watched them win and lose. I have watched them die for one another, kill for one another, and even kill each other. But as soon as I felt her presence, I knew I would never be the same. Some say I am too protective, but they do not realize that I am not only protecting her; I am protecting my own heart. As we walk down the path of her life, I cushion her falls because I cannot bear them. I feel every fall, every scratch, as if it were my own. She is the only light among the darkness, and now it is time for her to be extinguished. God has removed His presence from the earth, and now it is Lucifer’s kingdom. All must bear his mark and begin their march into the lake of fire. As I unseal heaven’s door, I feel a premonition that I will never enter it again. As my feet land upon earth’s soil, I force myself to begin the march. My task is simple. As one of God’s angels, I transport souls from this life to the next. Today, my subject is Ainsley Galloway, and I will be forced to watch the only girl I have ever loved be slaughtered. My name is Gabriel, and this is my story.

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Her mother heard them coming. The sound was unmistakable. She knew they would. The only question was when, and the answer was today.

Ainsley sat in the corner with wide, frightened eyes, trying to look as small as possible. The woman paused to stare at her one and only daughter; she was so unique, so unlike any of the other children. At age six, she had never spoken so much as one word. Frail, with her long pale-blonde hair falling forward and a smudge of dirt on her cheek, she was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Tears pooling in her eyes, she ran to her, snatched her up, and sprinted down the hall to the back of the small house.

Opening the door to the safe room, she whispered for Ainsley to go inside. Listen to me, angel. Don’t make a sound, and no matter what you hear, do not come outside. Do you understand, baby? Ainsley nodded her head. One last kiss to her, and she sealed the door before sprinting back down the hallway.

As soon as her feet hit the kitchen floor, they kicked the door in. Two pairs of red eyes … Despite the pounding in her chest, she raised her chin defiantly. This elicited a smirk from the leader.

Suddenly, fire erupted in her head. The demon had head-butted her, and she was on the ground. She tried to breathe through the fog and remain conscious.

He forcefully jerked her dress up her thighs and ripped her panties from her hips, rolling her onto her stomach. The other demon pushed him aside as he dragged her with him. He found a chair in the kitchen, forcing her to straddle him as he lowered himself. She felt tears stream down her cheeks as he began to pull his cock free. He took her in one hard thrust while he pulled her torso to his chest, pinning her.

Come now, brother; I’m not selfish! she heard the demon yell in amusement to his companion.

Next, she heard the demon unzip his pants before suddenly trying to force his thick cock into her anus.

Reviews for The Blue Iris

[choochoosnme · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the third five pound brick of study Bibles I have acquired recently. This is coupled with the online ESV Bible which makes for a great working Bible. I love the notes and find it to be one of my favorites. I'm swiftly falling in love with the ESV.

[br0k3nglass_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I used this translation quite extensively during my study of the book of Daniel. The prose of the scriptures in this translation is quite beautiful, but there are numerous inconsistencies and historical inaccuracies within even just the book of Daniel that the commentary and footnotes either fail to properly explain, hand-wave away, or ignore altogether. I realize that this was not meant for critical studies, but it would have been nice to see at least some acknowledgment of problems with the scriptures instead of simply presenting them as infallible. After all, the bible is a religious and political volume, not a historical one.

[gdill-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For most of my Christian life I have always been NIV-positive. Someone introduced the ESV Study Bible to me about a year ago and I haven't reverted back to my NIV Bible ever since. I have understood that the ESV is a revised version of the RSV and perhaps the most accurate English translation of the Bible to date. Similar to the Tyndale English Bible, it captures both the thought-for-thought and word-for-word translation better than any other English version. This study version has excellent commentary from notable Bible scholars, theologians, and seminary professors throughout the English speaking world. I highly recommend this study Bible to any Christian ready to dig deeper into God's Word.

[dvalliere_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The ESV is an excellent bible translation, accurate and yet more readable than some of its literal translation counterparts. The commentary ("study") part of this bible is excellent as well, and far more thorough than any other that I've encountered. it takes a generally conservative evangelical approach in the commentary.

[jerry.hatchett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love the ESV translation and based on what I've seen and heard, it's the most accurate "non-wooden" translation available in English today. Sadly, however, I don't care as much for the commentary in the ESV Study Bible. I find it to be lacking in depth, sometimes so obvious as to be redundant, and sometimes wildly interpretive. I hope some different study versions emerge to go along with the excellent translation.

[annedenney · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My husband gave me the ESV Study Bible as a present for our anniversary... And what a wonderful edition this is! I got the calfskin cover in Cordovan, but that's only a wonderful side note because what matters is the great translation and the study notes that I am looking forward to perusing and testing :) The print is crisp, and it is a pleasure to handle this bible. I am very happy with it!

[deusvitae · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The English Standard Version with helpful articles and running commentary on the text.The ESV is an excellent formal equivalence English translation of the Bible. It faithfully renders the words and concepts of the original texts but does so in clear and easily understood English. As such, the ESV is an excellent primary Bible for reading and preaching, and well-suited for everyday use.The study Bible has many additional resources. The quality of the maps and diagrams are superb: if you really want to get a good rendering of the installations described in Exodus, 1 Kings/2 Chronicles, and Ezekiel, the diagrams in the ESV Study Bible prove extremely helpful There are introductions to each testament, each section of books within each testament, and for each individual book; there are also articles at the beginning, between the testaments, and at the end regarding the history of the Biblical text, the theology of the OT and NT, the history of the intertestamental period, matters regarding various religions, denominations, the history of Christianity, Biblical ethics and morality, and such like. Within each book there is a running commentary at the bottom, explaining the meaning of the text in sections and verses. The ESV Study Bible also highlights literary aspects and themes present within the texts, which is most helpful.There are many great strengths to this study Bible; many of the comments are extremely good and useful for general understanding. There is an unevenness about the commentary since each book is commented upon by someone different. Occasionally a commentator will focus a bit much on a particular line of argument in a way that distracts from the text, but most of the comments are relevant and useful. On the whole, I felt the OT commentary was much stronger than the NT commentary. The OT is more even-handed; in matters regarding eschatology, multiple interpretations are suggested, and primacy is not inherently given to any particular eschatological plan. It is in the New Testament where it becomes plainly evident that the commentators are conservative Evangelicals with a Calvinist bent. For better or worse, far too many of the NT comments attempt to explain what the text is "not" saying, which can sometimes be useful but can also be problematic. Baptism is relegated to symbolic status; faith only and especially substitutionary atonement are magnified; the commentators' adherence to "once saved, always saved" is so obvious that they resort to minimizing the texts which show the challenge with such a view (Hebrews 3:12-14, 6:4-6, 10:26-31, 2 Peter 2:20-22, etc.), attempting to say that they don't say what they clearly say because of other passages that in no way deny what is being said. The commentators do recognize that multiple elders over a single congregation was the original organization of NT churches. Some commentators have more sympathy for dispensational premillennialism but it is not as prevalent as might be expected.So, as with any commentary, caveat emptor: test all things. Nevertheless, when it comes to cultural background, making general sense of the text in context (especially in the OT), maps, diagrams, and other such things, the ESV Study Bible remains a great resource and worth consideration.

[heidip_38 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Positives of the ESV Study BibleThe Maps! If you like maps, this is your Bible. Most Study Bibles have maps, especially in the back of the Book. But, this study Bible is map-paradise. There are maps in the back, but also in the front of each book placing the book in location. Not only that but there are maps in the study notes at the bottom of the page, and they are in color. So, if you are talking about a battle, in the notes there will be a map of the area and arrows showing the movement of each side. If there is a journey, a map will chart the course.The Charts! I'm a "chart-girl." At least my girlfriend used to call me that. There are charts, charts, charts: genealogies, charts of kings, charts of all the mentions of a word or phrase in a book (such as how many time The Spirit of the Lord is mentioned), charts of percentages, etc. The Historical/Archaeological Corroboration: Events are put into their historical setting. For example, the book of Nahum is a prophecy against the Assyrians, and the author names the rulers of Assyria with their dates of reign, the affliction they brought against Israel, and the significance historically. The study notes often list archaeological corroboration. For example, in I Kings 14:25-26 the note tells that "a monumental relief of the Bubastite Portal of the main temple of Amon...catalogs, town by town, Shishak's military incursion into Israel and Judah. The Karnak relief provides striking verification of the biblical account."The literary significance: At the beginning of each book there is a section titled "Literary Features." This section clearly talks about the genre of the book and some literary features employed by the author, holding each book up as some of the world's great literature.Possible Negatives: Each book of the Bible has a different author/s for the notes; some authors seem more conservative than others. (This is also one of this Study Bible's great strengths because dozens of theologians are writing in their area of specialization.) For example, there is a note in Genesis arguing that the flood did not have to be worldwide.Prophecy: Your view of future prophecy may differ. For example, the notes in the book of I Thessalonians do not use the term "Rapture" but instead the "Second Coming of Christ." However, the notes in Revelation do delineate the various viewpoints on end-time prophecy. There are diagrams/timelines showing future events from the various schools of interpretation including Dispensational Premillennialism, Historical Premillennialism, Preterists Schools, Idealist School, etc. Then there are more charts discussing various ideas on the Millennium. Overall I think this Study Bible is worth it for the maps and charts alone. The colored graphics for the Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple, and Herod's Temple (not to mention of the city of Jerusalem) are outstanding. Even if you disagree on the some of the comments on prophecy, this would be a great reference book to have on your shelf. I thought the notes were very helpful in linking events to their historical setting.

[hgbutchwalker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible resource which sets a new standard in study helps and scholarship. 100-page section in the back provides lots of top quality articles on theology and Christian living. Great full-color illustrations. Edited by Wayne Grudem and J. I. Packer.