Night Specter: The AngelQuest Chronicles, #4

By Lyndie Ferguson

A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL...

 

Bree Donovan, Earthbound Angel, married into a family of supernatural slayers. All supernatural beings are eliminated. Under no circumstance can they discover her child is only half-human.

 

Jace Hawke, Former Guardian Angel, is tasked to win Bree to Heaven's Side. Things couldn't get worse--he's competing against a she-demon, Bree's family knows he's a supernatural, and his worst enemy is Bree's baby-daddy. 

 

Lilith, Primordial She-Demon, the first wife of Adam, makes a deal with the devil to reclaim Eden. But winning Bree's soul for Hell is not her only objective. A little magic here, a little mayhem there, and a whole lot of murder everywhere.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lyndie Ferguson
• Release date: Apr 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223787662

Lyndie Ferguson

 Lyndie Ferguson has a sixth sense of her own; she sees stories. A bible verse, a song lyric, or even a snippet of conversation could be the catalyst for a paranormal plotline. She loves books and movies with humor, romance, and suspense mixed with otherworldly (and quirky) characters. Out of that love was born the Urban Fantasy series The AngelQuest Chronicles. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she loves to bike ride and backpack. Follow her at www.AuthorLyndieFerguson.com and Facebook.com/Author Lyndie Ferguson.

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Prologue

"He drove man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life."—Genesis 3:24 HCSB

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Eden, The Near Past…

The owl sat on the branch, looking towards the garden of Eden. She ruffled her wing as she stared at the holy angel with the whirling, flaming sword. Hours had passed with no opportunity to invade the garden undetected.

Ever so slightly, she flew down to the ground beneath the tree. As she stretched her wings above her head, her form shimmered. Heat invaded her body, burning more intensely with each breath she took. Her outstretched wings transformed into arms. Her body writhed in agony until at last she had her human form. It was a painful transformation, but such was the life of a shapeshifter.

Lilith flicked her long red curls behind her shoulder as she crouched behind the enormous tree trunk. With a perpetual pout on her lips, she observed the angel with the flaming sword, unaware of the serpent that slithered on the tree branch above her.

You can’t get in, said the serpent.

Lilith jumped a fraction, almost revealing her hiding place. She looked up at the serpent. You devil!

Oh, come now, said the serpent, we’re old friends.

Define friends, said Lilith, looking back towards the garden.

The serpent uncoiled his girth from the tree branch, gracefully dropping to the ground. He lifted his head, stretching towards the sky. His beady eyes transformed into the eyes of a human, then his face and body followed suit. Once his transformation was complete, he flashed a brilliant smile at the woman. Better now?

It did not impress Lilith. Well, at least not that much. What did it matter if his human countenance was breathtaking when he suffered not one iota of pain as he transformed?

It works, she conceded, but I still despise you.

I can change the look, if you prefer, said the devil man, who immediately transformed his black hair to blond.

She ignored him.

It’s all your fault, he poked. You could have chased Adam out, but you left instead.

Lilith bared her teeth. I followed your advice. You said if I held out, Adam would seek after me.

And it would have worked if you hadn’t taken up with Samael, king of the demons. Now look at you—you’re more wraith than human.

So what if I am? snapped Lilith. Besides deceiving me, what exactly did you do for me?

The devil man nonchalantly looked up into the sky. You are the only human who has never died. Thanks to me, you were not involved in the downfall of humankind.

Wrong, said Lilith. Samael had already given me the power to transform into a wraith. Therefore, you had nothing to do with it.

Semantics, said the devil. Some husband he turned out to be.

I got what I wanted from him.

Right, he said. It’s a pity God made Eve to replace you, but it doesn’t matter now. Eden is off limits.

Eden was, and always will be—mine, said Lilith.

The devil leaned up against the tree. It could be.

And I suppose you’re going to help me get it back?

No, I’m going to give it to you.

Lilith cut her eyes at him. You didn’t keep your end of the bargain last time. Why would I trust you again?

The devil sighed. It’s a gamble, that’s true. But what if it gave you a chance to regain Eden? Would it be worth the risk?

Ha! said Lilith, looking at the angel guarding the gate to Eden. Even with all your deception, you can’t get past the flaming sword.

I have one-third of the heavenly host to do my bidding, and thanks to the angel-worship fiasco in heaven, I gain more every day.

What exactly do you want? asked Lilith.

You win the next AngelQuest and I’ll give you Eden.

Lilith crossed her arms against her chest. It’s just a numbers game. You could terrorize any of your underlings to do it for nothing. She leaned closer to the devil man and whispered, Why me?

The devil displayed his perfect white teeth. You took a holy angel and befriended her. You used her blood to vanquish your own bloody hoard. Then you deceived her—practically led the Seraphim straight to her side. You caused her demise. Perhaps you were afraid her blood would destroy you, too.

Lilith’s eyes grew wide. She had betrayed many, but there was only one holy angel she ever befriended. Briella. Her namesake meant God’s Heroine on Earth. She had one job—to eliminate Lilith from the earth. Fortunately for Lilith, she had persuaded Briella to join her cause to rid the earth of the pestilence caused by Lilith’s careless offspring. But unfortunately for Briella, she had not only failed her mission, but befriended Lilith, which ultimately got her booted from heaven.

I thought Briella was in the Abyss, said Lilith.

For a season. Once it was determined she was eligible for an AngelQuest, they moved her to Purgatory. You must win her soul for me.

And you know for sure that she was reborn a human? asked Lilith.

Indeed, it is true. She goes by the name of Bree. He leaned closer to Lilith and lowered his voice to barely a whisper. If heaven’s competitor wins Briella back to her rightful place in heaven, she will come for you. And she will not fail this time.

Lilith thought about it. What happens if she loses?

The Abyss. Permanently.

And Eden? she asked.

It’s yours.

Lilith didn’t hesitate. I accept your offer.

Don’t you want to know what happens if you lose?

I don’t lose, said Lilith. But if you deceive me again, I will seduce every one of your angels. Then I will have one-third of the heavenly host to do MY bidding.

Deal. The devil-man laughed as he transformed back into a serpent, then slithered away.

Chapter One

Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. – Psalm 144:1 NIV

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Earth, one year ago…

Bree Donovan stood at the hostess station of The Chateau de Rouge Restaurant. She looked up as her coworker, Ethan, joined her side.

The room is ready for the private party. Thanks for staying a little longer. he said.

Not a problem, said Bree, pushing a lock of her long blonde hair behind her back. I’ll just get a bite to eat in the kitchen and slip out the back way.

Going home to study, I guess? asked Ethan.

I’ll do as much studying as I can. I won’t get much done after Nate gets into town this weekend.

Ethan cocked his head towards the dining area. Look who’s coming.

Bree watched as her employer, the owner of The Chateau de Rouge, stepped through the glass doors that housed the elevator. Right on time, she thought. For the last week, he had left his penthouse around this same time each evening.

He perused the dining area for a familiar face. Patiently, Bree waited for him to make his rounds, as he occasionally stopped at a table to chat with someone he knew.

She noticed he wasn’t wearing his standard Armani suit this evening. Instead, he wore a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a black leather jacket. His raven black hair swung loose about his shoulders. Several of the waitresses caught his eye, hoping she would be next in line for an invitation up to the penthouse. Bree rolled her eyes. She wouldn’t be caught dead sucking up to Quinton Slade.

Finally, he made it to the hostess station.

Good evening, Miss Donovan. Mr. O’Reilly, he said as he stepped up to the podium in front of Bree.

Good evening, Mr. Slade, piped up Ethan, always eager to get on the boss’s good side.

Mr. Slade, Bree nodded. She got a whiff of his cologne. God, he smells good. And looks good too…

He smiled at her, ignoring Ethan altogether.

Ethan stepped away from the podium. My private party has arrived. Excuse me, sir.

Bree watched Ethan lead the party away, then she looked back at her employer. His eyes held a predatory glint, which caused her breath to catch in her throat. She knew he was waiting for her to make a move. And if he was any other man, she might have. But he was off limits. He couldn’t possibly fit into her world. Not even for a one-night stand.

Have a good evening, sir. said Bree, hoping like crazy the man didn’t read minds. Do supernaturals read minds?

He stood there a moment as if he was expecting her to say more, but she remained silent.

I plan to, he finally said. Then he turned away to exit the restaurant.

Bree let out a deep breath.

Ethan came back to the station. Pleasant as ever. If you’re not a woman, Quinton Slade doesn’t know you exist, he said as he watched his employer walk away.

As my dad says, that’s my cue to go. See you later, said Bree, walking towards the kitchen.

Pushing through the kitchen doors, the workers bustled about, not noticing her entrance. She exited through the other side of the kitchen into the foyer that led to the elevators. She looked towards the glass doors. Not seeing anyone around, she stepped inside the elevator and pushed the top button before she lost her nerve.

Just a look around, she told herself. The elevator doors opened into the spacious penthouse. She stepped through the doorway, allowing the elevator to close behind her.

Directly ahead was a sitting area, and to the right was a well-stocked bar. The guy had tons of money. But it did not impress her. Truthfully, her step-father probably had more.

Slowly, she walked to the center of the room. Where do I start?

She headed to the bar area, opening cabinets and drawers, then closing them quietly. She didn’t know why she was being so quiet. No one was here.

She stepped past the bar and checked out two bedrooms, which she guessed were for overnight guests.

Crossing the sitting area, she entered the master suite. Hopefully, she’d find some personal items here. If she could find evidence that Quinton Slade was indeed a supernatural, she would take him down. Then BOSS, the Brotherhood of Supernatural Slayers, would have to change their minds and let her train with them. Not that she needed to train. Her father secretly taught her everything she needed to know, but only to protect herself. The women in BOSS did not hunt supernaturals. Her father would never want her to join in the family’s clandestine activities, but she would keep that a secret.

She rummaged through a chest of drawers, looked in the closet, and even crouched down to look under the bed. Nothing. How can a person live somewhere and have no belongings? Maybe that was all the evidence she needed. Clearly, supernaturals needed