The Nephilim Rises: The Moonstone Trilogy, #2

By Stephanie R. Lowell

Selene has been betrayed by both Bilal, the djinn that she thought was her friend and Raguel, her over protective angel who has banished her to Hell. There, she will meet the 'vile' fallen angels that she has heard so much about from the angel that she thought she could trust. 

After being broken out of Hell by a secret force, she realizes that home isn't as she left it. It is now a place where witches are hunted freely and killed on the street in front of an audience and the worst part is, she is the reason why. 

 

This Nephilim Rises is the second book in the The Moonstone Trilogy and must be read in order starting with the Druid Descendant. 

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephanie R. Lowell
• Release date: Oct 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215460450

Stephanie R. Lowell

I love to write!!! I write poems, songs and I am working on a couple other books. As much as I love writing I also love making people laugh, usually at great risk to my own dignity. I am "that girl" who if you laugh at my jokes I will keep going, spiralling and escalating until boundaries are crossed or people stop laughing... usually both. Above all else I hope you read my stuff and even more than that, I hope you like it!!!

Book preview

Chapter One

I can’t believe it. Raguel has left me to burn in Hell. I stare at the gate in complete disbelief. I’m a Nephilim and I have been imprisoned for it even though I haven’t done anything evil... unless you consider killing a bunch of demon summoning assholes evil, but then again, I guess it’s all about perspective.

I turn around, staring at the cave that appears to go deep into the ground. I am not ready to be introduced to the evil that is down there and have been actively avoiding the journey. With a heavy sigh, I decide that I might as well get it over with.

I begin my journey into the tunnel of the cave system. It isn’t long after that I can hear voices talking and laughing.

Hello? I call. The voices go silent which only serves to ratchet my anxiety. Uh, anyone there.

Who is that? Is whispered as if they are asking someone else.

A newbie? Someone else answers back a little louder.

This way. I hear a voice call out and I follow, leading me to a wide open cavern. What brings you to our lovely abode? A blond man asks. His hair is shaggy but his blue eyes are almost mesmerizing. He grins and I notice a dimple giving him a charm that could bring any woman to her knees.

I, uh, was thrown in here. I respond, looking at the ground nervously, trying to avoid eye contact with any of the several men sitting around. I notice they all have wings which leads me to believe that they are indeed angels.

It’s been so long since I have seen a new face. Another angel says who’s sitting against the cave wall.

This wasn’t exactly the first place I had expected to end up. I look up at the beautiful blond angel before me. I actually thought I was going to burn to death in a demonic sacrifice.

One of the angles spits at the prospect. Dirty rotten fiends.

Continue. The blond angel encourages while studying my face.

I don’t know what happened really but Raguel along with a few other angels sent me here. I really don’t want to give them all the details of what happened. I don’t need them to ostracize me.

There must be more to this story. Only we the fallen angels end up locked away in here. The blond cocks his brow. You look too mortal to be an angel. He circles around me as if he is looking for whatever reason might have brought me here. There’s something else though.

I don’t know what to tell you. I shudder on a whisper.

Do you think she’s a Nephilim The one who spit on the floor rushes over to study me as well.

There is no way Raguel would ever let one of them live. There’s a collective sigh as if flooded with a plethora of memories.

You know Raguel? I ask them.

Oh yeah. We all know Raguel. The blond scoffs. He killed our children and grandchildren without so much as batting his eyes. He then looks to the other angel who had approached. There is no way she’s a Nephilim.

I’m a druid. I don’t know why I said that, it’s not like that’s the reason I’m here.

They wouldn’t send a mortal here, druid or not. Prison time here is a minimum of ten thousand years, depending on what you’re in here for. The blond shrugs as if it’s no big deal. Maybe after being here for so long it isn’t any big deal anymore.

How long have you all been here? They laugh which surprises me. You would expect these exiled angels to be bitter.

I lost track of that a very long time ago. One angel says amongst the small crowd.

We are the reason they made Hell to begin with. We were very, very bad. The blond says with a grin. Damn, that grin. I then recall Raguel’s grin and my heart aches. He has nothing on Raguel.

Maybe someday you can tell me the whole story. It looks like I have nothing but time. I sit down in a chair made out of stone in preparation for the long tale. These guys have been down here long enough to have furnished all of Hell with stone.

I sigh as I stare at the ground, feeling all these angelic eyes on me as if they are waiting to hear a tale of my own. I am not ready to talk about what happened. I whisper.

Well it isn’t like we were perfect angels either. The blond says with a laugh as he sits next to me. I’m Azazel. He holds out his hand to me.

I’m Selene. I take his hand and give it a shake.

Nice to meet you Selene. It’s nice to have a new face down here. At my frown he seems to catch himself. I mean, it’s not the ideal place to be but it’s been forever since we met anyone new.

Something to look forward to. I sigh.

It’s not that bad down here. We are great company I assure you. Azazel points to the other angels. Some of these guys are really good at card games too.

Oh goody. I get to spend the rest of eternity playing Go Fish. I deadpan.

It could be worse right?

I don’t really see how at the moment. I will never see my friends or my mom again and I was betrayed by two beings that I was actually stupid enough to trust in the first place. I shake my head.  Raguel was one of them.

He is stringent when it comes to the rules. He was one of the only watchers who didn’t seduce any of the woman. Azazel appears to be lost in better times. Oh how he missed out on the softness of their skin, their intoxicating smell and the sounds they made when I...

Enough Azazel. Another angel cuts him off. This new angel enteres the cavern with an air of authority around him and steal in his eyes.

What do we have here? He says as he approaches me. She looks like a mortal. He frowns. Why would they send a mortal here?

That’s what we’re trying to figure out. She doesn’t want to talk much about what sent her here though. Azazel tells the new comer.

Well how about you tell me your story and I’ll decide if I want to tell you mine. I compromise.

There isn’t much to tell. The watchers were a faction of angels that were tasked to watch over the mortal beings. Unfortunately for us, the mortal woman were beautiful. I definitely enjoyed the company of many, many women. Tall, short, slim, curvy, oh how I love women. I notice that Azazel’s eyes are glazed over as if he’s lost in the past. They clear as he looks over at me. "We didn’t expect to be able to reproduce with mortals. It seemed like a miracle the first time that it happened.

These beings were superior to mortals in every way which thrilled their mothers. I think in some ways, many women would seek us out just to have our children. They were stronger and faster, could easily do the everyday labour that needed to be done in a quarter of the time and without breaking a sweat. They could heal from any wound and were almost impossible to kill because of their angelic heritage. Unfortunately, they also had a thirst for bloodshed. Azazel sighs. I sure miss a woman’s touch though. At that I scoot away which only causes him to grin.

Not all of us went from woman to woman. The angel who was sitting against the cave wall says. Some of us only found one woman that we wanted and had many children. He sighs. I lost everything when the Nephilim turned.

That’s terrible. I try to convey all of my empathy because I too have lost everything.

We all made the mistake of creating these monsters but it wasn’t our children that were the monsters, it was our grandchildren and their children. In the end it didn’t matter which ones were good or evil. They were all wiped out. Every. Single. One.

Whoa, I had heard some of this from Raguel but I had no idea that you felt the loss. I shrug.

You thought all of us were as unfeeling as he? Azazel asks.

Well, yeah, I guess so. Can you blame me? He’s the only angel I had ever met until now. I retort.

I understand. Azazel gives me a small smile. Even though he was a womanizer at one time, he is definitely nice to talk to. I get hints of his sense of humour which is something I seldom saw in Raguel.  So what’s your story?

I blush as all eyes stare at me awaiting my story with intrigue. I get the impression that they haven’t heard a new story in a while. I am one of those monsters. I had no idea until I was almost sacrificed on a burning pyre. Raguel saw what I was and he made sure I was brought here. The other angles wanted me dead but Raguel had assured them that I would be taken care of. So here I am. That was a much shorter story then theirs.

Raguel just let you live? Azazel whistles in surprise. He must really like you.

Like me? He sent me here without so much as a second thought. I scoff.

I think you must have missed the part where we told you that he killed every single Nephilim Selene. Azazel speaks slowly as if he suspects I might be daft.

Well he didn’t kill me so he didn’t kill all of them. I cross my arms.

That’s kind of our point here little Nephilim. He killed every single one, but you. He gives me a soft smile.

Maybe we’ll be seeing Raguel here. One of the other angels hollers. I would love to get that guy alone. He does the tough guy act where one hand punches the other.

It wasn’t anything like that. He was only around because of my druid heritage and to hinder the demons that want me dead. I shake my head with a small chuckle. It’s actually all very ironic when you consider what I am. I bet he wishes he just let me die. I can’t believe that my life has lead me to Hell. Many people say they’re in Hell but they have absolutely no idea what it’s actually like.

Well regardless of what happened, what Raguel did and even who you are, you are here now with us and we will take care of you. I like Azazel. As I peer around at the other angels they seem to be just as kind as this one. For the most part anyway. The one with the commanding energy just grimaces at me.

Who’s the scary one? I whisper low to Azazel and he looks around, laughing when he sees who I am referring to.

That would be Samyaza.

That name sounds familiar. I tap my finger to my chin.

He was our leader. Azazel shrugs. He is now known as the king of the fallen.

I thought that was Lucifer. I state.

Nope. They all laugh but they don’t let me in on the joke. As I look around I even notice Samyaza with a humorous glint in his eyes.

O-kay then. I draw. I have no idea why that’s so funny.

Oh you will. Azazel puts his arm around me in a comradery sort of way.

Chapter Two

Azazel offers to give me the grand tour of Hell which is much bigger than you would imagine any prison to be. It’s all one big cave but it has many tunnels that lead into different chambers. Some of those chambers have been made into bedrooms, really uncomfortable looking bedrooms. The beds again are made out of stone and there are no blankets, which I suppose works out with the sweltering conditions.

Since we’re in a cave, I don’t understand why it’s so hot. I wipe the sweat off my brow.

It’s a prison Selene. Comfort was not their first priory when they made bars of fire and imbued the walls with magic. Azazel deadpans.

What are those symbols? I point to the cave walls.

Those would be the angelic sigils that they used to magically reinforce the wall.

Why didn’t you ever scrub them away? Isn’t that how you counteract such things? I caress one of the sigils.

I did mention this was a prison right? There is no way that you can ‘scrub’ that away. He rolls his eyes at me. As if I’m supposed to know, I have never been in any prison, never mind one that was created for angels.

Ever heard of a magic eraser? I raise my eyebrow, trying not to smile.

A magic eraser? His eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. It erases magic?

I laugh. Sadly no. It just removes stains like magic. I end with a sigh. I really wish there was a magic eraser that could get me out of here though.

You haven’t even been here a day and you’re already sick of us? He covers his heart in faux pain.

You know, you’re pretty sensitive for an immortal being who has been imprisoned for as long as you have. I pat his shoulder.

He scoffs. I am not sensitive. He sniffs and then grins at me. Maybe being trapped in Hell won’t be so bad after all.

I have been locked away for most of my life. I say in a low voice. In the mortal world, if you claim to see demons and that they attacked you, you’re considered crazy and they lock you away to make you better. This place is actually bigger than the mental institution I was in. I shrug.

I’m sorry that your young life has had so much confinement. He says sincerely. The mortal world has changed a lot since we have been locked away. Back in my time, everyone knew there were demons and warded against them.

Well in today’s world there aren’t too many people who actually believe in demons and the most evil people in the world are using that to their advantage. I clench my fist. I was the one who was supposed to stop them.

Who’s to say that you aren’t still meant for that? He asks. I wave my arms at my surroundings.

I’ll admit that this is a small hiccup.

A small hiccup? I snap. Being here for the rest of eternity or until I die is not a small hiccup.

You don’t know that you will be stuck down here for all of eternity. He argues.

You have been so far.

Actually, our imprisonment was only for ten thousand years. Some of the angels have been released from my time and some of these angels are new comers.

Why are you still here?

I keep breaching the conditions of my parole. He shakes his head with a grin.

What’s what?

Women. They have allowed me to leave for a brief moment but I have a problem.

This sounds like an addiction. There are mortals who have the same problem. I tell him.

Yeah but they won’t create murderous monsters by acting on it.

Clearly you haven’t heard of Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer or we can go further back to Vladimir Dracula. At his raised eyebrow I continue. These are mortal monsters. In fact, Vlad has been made into a fictional vampire they have dubbed just ‘Dracula.’

How are these mortals considered monsters?

Uhh, bloodshed and mayhem, not too dissimilar to the Nephilim.

Why aren’t their parents imprisoned for thousands of years?

Well, when these monsters are caught they do go to a mortal prison, but their time there is much more lenient than here due to their mortal existence.

I see.

He continues to show me around and then he ends up taking me down a tunnel that looks unused. When we get to the chamber he says, This can be your bedroom. I look around with a frown. It feels so lonely, especially since each bedroom is far away from each other. I guess that’s not a bad thing when you want privacy but it still seems rather inconvenient. I am in a prison I remind myself.

It’s uh... spacious. The only nice thing that I can say about it.

Yeah, we’re lucky that we get our own living areas. I guess they figured that after such a long stay that we might end up killing each other if we were confined too closely. He chuckles.

How can you laugh so freely after being here for so long? I cock my head.

I guess it’s just in my nature. He shrugs.

When we walk back to the rest of the angels, I begin to go over what he had told me. Some of those angles that created the Nephilim had been released, but one angel, whose name I did not get is still here and he only wanted one specific angel.

I’m curious about something.

Of course you are. About what in particular.

Why is that monogamist angel still here?

It’s by choice. He doesn’t feel like he deserves to leave and has nothing to go back to. When they killed his family, it broke him.

That’s so sad. So he could leave if he wanted to.

Probably. He shrugs. Hopefully he will want to leave and be the angel he once was.

Maybe the same can be said about you.

He doesn’t get a chance to reply as we make it back to the rest of the prisoners. They are singing some kind of cannon which sounds pretty amazing with all the different voices. I applaud as I come into the cavern.

That sounds great.

We have had a lot of time to practice. One of the angles says.

I guess so. I mumble under my breath. "Maybe I’ll get a chance to join in once I learn all the words.