Ethereal

Nina's POV

A deep scream came from where Cameron was lying. Lucifer. Whatever.

I watched as his body became bathed in static. A shield of pulsing blueish light.

Phillip's hand latched for my elbow, stirring me back.

"This is dangerous," I heard him grit over the rumbling above our heads. "You're not getting any closer."

I would've fought harder but I saw a flash of light zoom pass me. I couldn't see the inside. But Cameron's body wasn't lying on the ground and the roots that had kept him down were fried.

Any other time, Phill's face would've been priceless. Mine was pretty much the same way, though.

Cameron's body was encased in light—ranging from white, blue and red—it looked straight out of a science fiction movie. Even for us.

Seriously, it was like he was light.

"He's never done that before."

The hold on my elbow loosened, but I inched into Phillip. As awestruck as this was, we couldn't forget who was test driving it.

"That's because it's not Cameron doing it," I glanced up at Phill. His face tightened. "It's Lucifer."

The guy did say he knew how to use Power. Only I never thought...

Strings of lightning sailed from Lucifer and Miss Chilling was no more. Uriel was dodging more times than I could keep track of. There were times when she became invisible to me, popping up for a brief second, looking like a caged animal.

Thunder snapped at her heels, sniffing her out.

"He's like a giant glowworm." I mumbled.

A high pitched scream rung about. On the damaged road, Uriel was on one knee, gripping her side. Blood leaked over her fingers and torn clothes.

Glowworm got her good.

Lucifer wasn't whooshing around, instead, he was taking each step towards her slowly.

Lion going for the kill style.

Energy clacked, zinging the air surrounding us. I only saw a head, two arms, torso and legs made of light. No dark, thick hair or slight golden skin. The steps he took scathed the asphalt.

Uriel threw a furtive glare Lucifer's way—and ours?—before disappearing into the woods.

He didn't follow.

Lucifer reared back an arm and white light turned red mixed with blue before blasting from his hand.

We watched the bolt lighting a flame somewhere among snow covered plants—how hot was that, to burn with snow?

This time Phillip acted. He stepped in front of me, lifting his own hand. As his fingers closed, I watched fire diminish. Soon, it was like it never existed.

"If you think you can lure me into a trap, sweetheart," Cam's voice floated around us. I blinked. It was literally coming from every side. Even the bursting lightning storm sounded low and distant in comparison. "You're more delusional than I gave you credit for."

Another pulse of light spasmed through Cam's body, skidding into the pitch darkness of Haven Hills' woods.

There was scuffling in bushes. Numerous bird chirps, scared and angry for the destruction of their homes. Some actually flew off.

Engorged branches of God-knows-what launched forward.

"Shit," Phillip cursed.

Turning my head, my blood ran cold.

They were coming for us, too. The flesh of Phill's palm became bright red, I could feel heat growing. He blasted enormous fire balls their way. Then, circling my waist, he ducked us.

I managed a dizzy glimpse around.

We were squatting behind Cam's black car.

My breathing was coming fast, it got worse once I saw the light bulb effect fizzle out, leaving skin and bone behind.

"Look out!" I yelled out.

Lucifer turned from the in-coming vines two seconds too late. Uriel landed a blow to the base of his skull.

And surprises kept coming.

"What the hell...?"

"Her hand it's... it's stone." The younger twin swallowed.

Light armor totally gone, Uriel grabbed hold of his neck. Her fingers were hard stone, concrete color. Uriel looked like a gargoyle as more skin turned rock.

A bolt slashed through the sky, hitting her shoulder. Burned a hole in her clothes, but other than that, didn't faze her.

With her free hand she took a knife from the inside pocket of her jacket.

An Azure Dagger.

Phillip's fire blasts did nothing but burn more clothing—even her hair had become stone!

Uriel smashed Lucifer into the already cracked road, adding damage. The hand holding the deadliest weapon known to supernatural creatures dove in a slit motion.

Aiming for the neck.

Lucifer curled a hand around the blade. Blood dripped down the blue blade. Uriel put more oomph behind it, leaning in. Lucifer's throat was red, blood seeping from pressure and scratches.

I was starting to understand why she was called The Reaper.

With a sudden growl, he kicked her knee in. Rocky balked. The Dagger slipped left nicking his cheek and Uriel got pushed on her pebbled-butt. The Azure blade skidded to a halt, near one of the Camaro's front wheels.

The Angel was punt kicked in the face. Stone chipped off. Little by little, her ability got reversed. Rock gave way to soft skin. Her face was cut, bleeding, where rock had splintered.

Plus, she was naked. Okay. Not naked.

Her shirt was tattered. Some buttons had popped off, forever lost in the great unknown. So, let's just say perky breasts needed no safety net.

"You bitch," he wiped the cut on his cheek, rubbing the blood between his fingers. "This is a rental." He palmed Cam's chest.

A lip curled. Uriel's cat sprang was cut short with a hard shove—she landed on her healing side.

"This is the part where I kill you and you beg for your life." Lucifer said, with a half grin.

Uriel sat up enough, spitting at his feet.

"I would never beg you for—" The Angel's words melted into a scream as her body convulsed. My guess, from high voltage.

Lucifer dropped the hand from her chest—I gritted my teeth. Cam wasn't touching a girl's boobs. Nope. That wasn't him. I knew being jealous was the last priority but come on! Right in front of me?

"But then I'd just be copying you. Slaughtering thousands of your race without batting an eyelash." Lucifer crouched, elbows on his knees and an insane glee in his pupils. "I'm no copycat, darling, there's something special in store for you. When the time's right." He finished wickedly.

Phillip's cheek touched mine, warming me up. He was stock-still, same as me.

I couldn't decide if she was extremely brave or stupid. She showed no fear about being threatened by a guy who clearly had no problem killing.

"They stopped being my race when they followed you and your rotten morals." Uriel hissed, her voice was different. Raspy, like a seventy year old smoker. The shock must've busted her vocal cords.

He smirked devilishly.

"Considering I spent one hundred and somewhat years locked in Hell—dreaming about the taste of your intestines—insulting me?Not a good way to get on my good side. If I had one."

Goosebumps showed along my arms.

The sky was calm, still heavily clouded, though. It made all of this scarier.

"You helped a Coven find a spell to lock me in Hell."

I remembered the story. What he'd told me. He'd asked a powerful Witch for something, when it was done, he'd killed her. The girl's Coven hadn't been happy. They'd cast a curse on him. Lucifer's body and soul couldn't leave Hell at the same time.

Hence the body snatching.

"Stop with the whining," she barked, pieces of black hair covering her face. "All you ever do is whine. Like a spoiled brat. It was like this when He created humans, when we got orders to protect them."

Lucifer reached out, gripping her chin in what looked like a crushing grip.

He drawled, "Does my little brother know what a lying whore you are, Uriel?" He laughed—he actually laughed in her face. She wanted to claw out his eyes. "I know Michael has a stick up his ass, but come on, how doesn't he know that one of his Archangels murdered twenty or so Nephilim?"

Shock rippled along my entire being. Worst of all, I felt Phillip jerk. Glancing over a shoulder, I could easily read the betrayal in his facial lines and eyes.

I reached down for his hand.

"...Nephilims are a sin. Angels aren't supposed to reveal their nature to humans, little alone breed with them."

I'd heard similar talk in New Orleans. When those Angels showed up to bring us back. Adriel hadn't wanted to drag Cam. Not alive, anyway.

Lucifer's hand moved from her chin to her throat. He flipped her over—hard. He tore the back of her shirt in half, exposing her latte smooth skin. With no fooling around, the Devil dug a row of fingers below both Uriel's shoulder blades, applying massive pressure.

I wondered if he was breaking her vertebrae.

Feathers floated around and a short breeze rocked the premises.

Holy Jolly.

Those were... Beautiful? Black? Huge?

Uriel's wings had just been forced to come out and they were all of the above. I'd seen Angel wings before—twice. Raph's. His had been golden, almost radiant. Hers were pitch black. But breathtaking all the same.

A little more than the edge of one, touched the car's hood.

"Did you really expect to win against me, Uriel?" One hand curled on the left wing's base, where it emerged from the back—he tugged. The female Angel writhed under him, making no sound. "And if you did manage to pull off such an incredible feat, what would you get? A higher place on the Court—maybe you thought dear brother would make you his right hand?" He snorted. "That used to be Gabriel's job. Now it's Raphael's..."

A shrill cry echoed throughout, the pop fading under it. He'd snapped the middle of her wing bone.

Lucifer leaned in, lips brushing the edge of her ear.

"Your time's not up, yet, Uriel. But when it does come, you'll really wish you hadn't killed Nephilims." A flicker of fear shone in the Archangel's eyes. "I need you to deliver a message to my brother." He yanked her hair aside, forcing her eyes to meet his. Cam's face turned cold and slick marble. "You tell Michael next time I sense an Angel—any kind—lurking this town I will kill them. Can you make that clear to him? Or do I need to kill the messenger?"

He didn't wait on a word from her. Her forehead was brutally smacked against the road. There was sickening crack. Blood poured from her nose.

Uriel was limp.

My legs hurt from crouching so long, I stood shakily, walking along the Camaro for support. Phillip was somewhere behind me, tense.

Between Lucifer and the knocked out Angel, I couldn't tell what made me more afraid. Honestly, when I noticed blood dripping from his nose, and swaying, I stopped thinking about it. Stumbling, Lucifer smacked his hands on the Chevrolet's hood.

The more I wanted to ask what was wrong, the lesser sentences I could put together. All I could see was the flicking eye color: gray to black, black to gray.

Like frigging Christmas lights.

Hands slipped off the hood, and Cameron's body landed with a heavy thud.

I ran, throwing myself beside him, unsure of what the heck had just happened. One minute he'd been kicking Heaven's Reaper's ass, the next...

His eyes slit open as my hand fell on his.

My heart thudded faster.

They were black.

The emotion was so thick—I knew if I talked an ocean of tears would break free.

"Nina," I jumped.

It was Phillip.

I whirled my head to him, "It's Cam, look!" Facing the fallen boy before me, my heart crash and burned. His eyes were closed. "No, I... It was Cameron. His eyes were black."

I gripped Cam's hand tighter. Come back, I willed.

"Nina, it's fine. I believe you." Phillip put his hands on my shoulders.

"What... What's wrong with him? He was fine—then he got a nose bleed and went all whacky." My thumb grazed the Dagger cut on his cheek. These wounds took longer to heal. "Do you think she did something...?"

"No," Phillip answered promptly. "This happened a lot when we were training—as kids. There's only so much a human body and soul can take, Power wears us out much faster than Angels, Fallens, even Cambions."

A frown creased my forehead.

"You're saying he overdid himself?"

"Yeah. Probably popped blood vessels up here, too." He tapped the side of his head. Phillip threw a hasty glance Uriel's way—then the road. "We've gotta got. Pocahontas won't be too happy after he beauty sleep."

Phillip got his brother's body into the back seat of the Camaro. I grabbed the ditched Azure Dagger, twirling it in my hands. Could come in handy.

"I'm going to burn those roots, but we'll still have to drive close to the road. Can't do a thing about the hole."

Looked like someone had drilled around looking for oil.

I got inside my yellow Volkswagen, fingers mightily closed on the wheel. The sky was starting to clear. Dark clouds were unraveling, letting late winter sun shine through.

Phillip cleared the weedy path, and finally, we drove around a beaten Angel and a massive hole. I couldn't hit the gas pedal enough. But what happened didn't leave my head.

She was an Angel—they were supposed to be good guys. Yet, she'd killed Nephilim. There was the possibility of Lucifer lying, but why?

She hadn't defended herself.

She hadn't cared that Cam was innocent.

Like Adriel, she... she despised Nephilim. And if that was the case, she hated me as much. Not that I cared I didn't strike her fancy-ass, I... I was worried.

How many more Angels felt that way about us?

I bumped my head on the headrest, groaning from frustration. There were too many questions, so little answers—about everything.

Had been for such a long time.

Especially Lucifer's connection with my family. With my grandmother.

Phillip had to haul his brother up to his room. The minute I stepped through the threshold, Serena came at me.

"Hey," I stiffled a yawn. "You won't believe what happened..."

"We to do it soon."

I blinked at the pretty blond, with translucent blue eyes. Who was a good head taller than me.

"Do what?"

"Your Succubus problem. We need to act soon, I just have to practice the chant and get a few things, then we can separate them."

I felt a smile tugging at my lips.

"Oh my God, that's the best news I've heard—"

"No, listen. She killed a guy." My skin tone went down twenty-five shades. "Jade and me were watching the local news channel. I know what attacks from Incubus and Succubus look like—or are described as. I'm pretty sure a healthy thirty year old didn't die of heart failure." She crossed her arms, lips sitting in a straight line.

This girl could do serious.

"Where was he found?"

"An ally, close to that bar I found Phillip at yesterday." The Lighthouse. Last time, she'd killed inside the guy's bathroom, this time she attacked in the vicinity. "How many kills so far?"

"Huh... Two with this one." Unless Sam was stashing boys' bodies in a stolen dumpster somewhere.

"The more guys she drains, the more her and the Succubus will merge. Some humans can't survive without it afterwards. It's an addiction."

Alright.

Before I could get answers, I needed to handle this mess.

Once and for all.

***

Sheets rustled as I moved, rolling from my right side onto my left. My cheek brushed up against something hard and warm. Eyes fluttering, I smiled a sleepy smile.

"Good morning," I breathed, looking up at Cameron.

He was half sitting against the headboard, hands behind his head. Smiling in a way that would have panties dropping across the globe.

"I was planning on kissing you awake." Cam slid down, lying beside me before gripping my sides.

I buried a squeal as he lifted me on top of him.

Nestling my legs between his, I rested my chin atop of Cameron's bare chest. I kissed his chin.

"I'm game for that," I wiggled up a bit, enough so our mouths were lined. Cam's mid-section shifted and I found out those weren't the only things perfectly lined up. "For waking up with a kiss, I mean."

Cam's smirk was knowing. He shifted a few more times on purpose. I took the abuse until my cheeks couldn't get any redder, next on the list was bursting.

I slapped his shoulder.

"Stop," I whispered softly.

His eyes found mine. They gazed deep into mine and I watched teasing drop away, forgotten, and a richer emotion took residence. Cameron's arms claimed me, smashing me against him. I could barely breathe, it didn't matter. We were so tightly pressed together that the sound of his heartbeat was a drum roll. I could hear it picking up, just as mine did.

"Nina?" I mumbled something incoherent against him. A laugh rumbled Cam's chest. "Sorry, my bad." He loosened up so I could tilt my head. "What's on our agenda for today?"

Rolling my eyes, I touched my nose to his.

"We have school, dummy. We can't skip." No matter how appealing a half naked Cameron was, I still wanted to finish senior year.

My good mood came to a halt next.

"We only have school if you want to. This is your dream."

Mouth hanging open, I asked, "What?" I was aware how hollow it sounded. How quick paradise became hell.

I looked around us. We were in his football-field-sized bed, the endless bookshelves were present, the sleek and black furniture, the... the guitar—even the archway leading into Cameron's spectacular rain shower bathroom.

I sat up, cradling my head between my hands. The mattress bounced as Cameron moved, sitting up to cage me in his arms again, leaning my back against his chest. He kissed my cheek sweetly.

I could tell he was cracking a smile.

"Come on, little bird, we can do anything. We can make good use of my seamless shower?"

The suggestion was familiar and it burned my insides. They were already scorching because I was remembering. This wasn't real. This wasn't another school day, it couldn't be, because the last thing I'd thought about before falling asleep had been about Lucifer being in Cam's body.

About him still being knocked out after an epic fight with an Archangel.

So yeah, waking up next to the actual Cameron was impossible.

"There's always the tub," Dream-Cam brushed his lips against my pulse. "What do you say?"

I felt close to a heart seizure.

"Cam... You... Don't, just don't." It took a lot for me to push and shove, finally disentangling myself.

I jumped to the floor, glaring everywhere. Cameron sat on bed looking my way with that sexy curious eye-look of his.

"Why did you tell me this was a dream?" I shouted, I felt seconds away from going cray-cray on my conjured up boyfriend.

"Because you wanted me to."

I fisted my hands in my hair. God, this was so real I was wearing his hoodie.

"I... I didn't." Did I? Oh, how would I know? Usually, in a dream that wasn't a premonition I wouldn't be aware of such things. "Shouldn't I wake up? After realizing a dream is a dream you wake up, right?"

Cam's brow pinched. He slid off bed. Thank God my imagination hadn't gotten kinky and he was wearing boxers.

"Don't do that." He stayed a foot away from me. "If you start thinking about waking up then it won't be long before you do."

"Good," I choked.

Cameron's eyes widened with hurt.

"You don't want to see me?"

"No—that's not it. I want to... I really do, it's just..." This wasn't the real Cameron. "You're not real."

As I finished saying it, the blue color on his bedroom walls melted, one by one the room's décor vanished and everything but me and Cameron faded to black. I knew it was a dream—I'd basically told myself. Yet, when Cameron turned on his heel—now fully clothed, rocking his leather jacket—walking away, I ran after him. The deeper he went into oblivion, the slower I got.

The more I fell behind.

Soon, I couldn't see his back.

He'd been swallowed whole by the darkness and I'd sunken to my knees, destroyed.

I smacked my alarm clock seconds after waking up. My brain felt muddy, my heart was pumping hard like it did after a run and sweat stuck my pajamas to my skin everywhere.

Twisting at the waist, I opened the bedside table's drawer, pulling out a bracelet. The one I'd given to Cameron a day before his birthday, the day we went into Hell.

The bone charm had a pentacle engraved. The single point pointing up meant it was a Witch's symbol for protection. The first time I'd seen it, I'd mistaken it for the Fallens symbol. Theirs was an inverted version.

The leather cords had snapped a few days after we got back, Cameron gave it to me for fixing, but with everything going on, I'd totally forgotten.

I gripped the bracelet, then with my other hand, touched my necklace.

"I will get you back, Cameron." My eyes closed and in a silent vow I thought, I promise.