Katie, Raphael’s consort, is not the only one cooking for her Archangel. This recipe is one that Koyu recommended, Santanael’s wife. She knows her Archangel well, and she’s well aware of her husband being a big cheese lover. She, therefore, often prepares a little cheesy appetizer, or a cheesy midnight snack for him, when he has to work long hours and comes home exhausted and hungry.
Let’s see what Archangel Santanael can expect:
Baked Brie With Pecans
Ingredients
1 (8-oz.) Brie round
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
2 tablespoons chopped sweetened dried cherries
Apple slices, crackers, and/or toasted baguette slices for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Unwrap cheese, and place on prepared baking sheet. (Do not trim rind from cheese.) Bake until cheese is soft to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.
Place honey, salt, and five spice powder in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low until honey “melts,” about 2 minutes. Stir in pecans and cherries; cook until warmed, about 2 minutes.
Carefully transfer cheese round to a platter; top with pecan mixture. Serve warm with apples, crackers, and/or toasted baguette slices.
This morning Janny C posted a 5-star review for the 5th book in ‘The Council of Twelve’ series, Dream Walker.
I’m very proud of it! See how it starts:
Koyu thought she had done her duty, but deep inside she knows it will never be over. She is bound to her master forever and will have to execute his every command. But when he demands she’ll invade his sworn enemy’s dreams, she chooses to rebel. Koyu risks her existence to help the ‘other side’ by purposely disobeying her master's orders. Koyu knows she'll pay with her life for her impertinence. Is there, indeed, no hope for her?
Having followed the series since book one I am ecstatic for book five! Each book is a stand-alone book on its own though so it doesn’t matter where you start (though starting at the beginning does make it more enjoyable.), either way, you are going to get hooked and want to go back and read the rest.
In book 5 Dream Walker we have introduced Koyu, a succubus demon with a heart of gold. She actually distastes her duty, her existence. When her master calls upon Koyu with a mission to seduce one of the Council of Twelve Angels, she is horrified. Unable to say no though she unwittingly says she will take the challenge giving her an upper hand. Not wanting to do it, Koyu bravely reaches out to the Council of Twelve to warn them.
When Koyu is whisked up to heaven to talk to the Council of Twelve and Koyu sees her target, a strange feeling starts to stir in Koyu. You can take a demon out of hell, but can you take the hell out of a demon?
Alexander takes the sexy succubus demon creature in a direction I didn’t know could be so tastefully done. She strikes gold again in her 5th book of the series.
Reading is my escapism. I want to be whisked away from this reality and into another and Alexander does not disappoint you. For a moment my troubles are gone and I am in heaven, or at least A.J.’s re-imagining of it. In every book she takes you on a delicious journey into her world which she lays out in a sweet poetic song of words. Lovely!
It was late in the afternoon when the teenage angel returned home… He had spent a wonderful romantic afternoon and expected to have dinner and then meet a few friends, pretending to do homework together.
What he did not expect, was his father standing behind the door, his fists stemmed into his hips, his impressive frame of 6’4” stretched out, his handsome face showed overshadowed eyes, lips, pressed to form one thin line of anger, and he radiated power, tension, and rage.
The young angel stood there, lowering his head. He knew, there was no way out of punishment.
His father stared at him: “Have you been skipping classes, son?” Anghariel lifted his head and looked right back into his father’s eyes. He would not lie. He would take responsibility for his decisions and actions. So, he simply replied: “Yes, Father.”
The older angel just nodded, then ordered: “Come with me. We will fly.” Anghariel was surprised but followed directions without another word.
It did not take long, and Anghariel lost his father, somewhere in the Alpes, between the ‘Schilthorn’ and the ‘Allmendhubel’, how they would be known in later times, after the founding of the ‘Confoederatio Helvetica’, later known as Switzerland. After searching for over two hours, Anghariel found his father peacefully resting on the ‘Griesalp’, between cows grazing. He did expect his father to yell at him, but the older angel just got up, grinning widely. “Not too bad, my son.” He greeted him amused.
Anghariel frowned. He had hardly ever seen his Father this chipper, not, when he seemed to be so brooding dark and enraged, only a few hours ago.
Aquilo smiled. “Sit down, Anghariel. We need to talk.” The younger angel nodded and sat on a boulder. Aquilo stood there, shook his breathtaking orange wings with the silver-gray tips and folded them neatly behind his back. Anghariel waited patiently until his father was ready to talk, when he finally did, it was like a shock to the boy.
“When I was your age, maybe a tiny bit older, I was a womanizer, son. I know, you would not think so now, that I’m happy with your mother and our family. But back then, I was craving for the attention of women… or, let’s say, ‘girls’, since for real women I was far too wet behind the ears.” He took a break before taking a deep shaky breath…
“And then I made a horrible, horrible mistake, that nearly cost the lives of several teenage angels, one of them myself, and a few of my closest friends. – I fell for a human girl.”
Anghariel swallowed. “You… you did?” Aquilo nodded. “Yes, son. And believe me. It was not easy. I had to sneak out, not only our house, but Heaven… I had to lie to see her, to cheat, and to lie again. I loved her with all my being, and she did not even know who the boy was, who visited her night after night…” He took a break, the silence in the air was only interrupted by his hasty breathing. Then he continued.
“One night, I snuck out again, I was followed by a few other young angels, who couldn’t bear that I refused to tell them where I was going, when I disappeared. They followed me carefully, to see where I went, and on the way, they were attacked by a group of demons who happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time. My friend’s careful distance to me was a curse, since I couldn’t hear what happened behind me, and they barely made it out alive, my best friend was injured so badly, it took him months to heal. We remained best friends to this day, but I still have nightmares, that it could have been my fault that he died. It speaks for him that he never held it against me. But he was hurt for a long time to find out, that I refused to tell him my secret and made a mere human girl more important in my existence, than he was.”
Aquilo took another break and his breathing sounded shallow and hasty. His hand seemed to wipe his face, but Anghariel couldn’t discover anything that needed to be wiped off. He remained quiet until his father decided to pick up where he left off.
“I had to think hard about what happened, and I felt guilty. But also, I was in love. And even though I loved my best friend like a brother, I still was addicted to that human girl. I was young and didn’t know any better. I was with her whenever I could. We were teenagers, I was, in angel years counted, barely older than her fifteen years… and one night, she told me, trembling with fear, that she expected my child…” I knew, right then and there, that rule breaking always has a price. This one could cost me my spot in Heaven.”
He shook his head and snorted. “It was a different time back then, and I loved her. I never, for one second, considered to run, or to hide what I had done. There were consequences, and despite only being little more than a boy myself, I would take responsibility. What I did not know, was that no matter what my intentions were, they were doomed.”
Aquilo turned around to look at Anghariel. “Son, this is going to be very, very painful for you. To listen, and to take your own responsibility on your path.” Another break before he added: “I went to my father, Angel Commander Rezakiel in Archangel Raphael’s Army, stood in front of him and told him of my rule breaking, my young love, the child, and that I would give up my angel future to be with her and my baby, stand with them, work for them and with them, and make sure they had a decent life. I expected an outburst of rage or despair from my father. What I did not expect was his laughing fit. When he recovered, he told me: “Well, son. I admit, I am impressed, by your impertinence to stand there, tell me, what is going to happen, and your alleged sacrifice – without having the slightest clue that things are never as easy as they seem. The only reason, why I am not going to beat you into a clump is, that you have a spine, and the guts to come to me and confess about your wrongdoing.”
Aquilo smiled a little, sad smile… “Then he grabbed me by the neck and dragged me to Archangel Raphael, which scared the living daylight out of me, and I had to confess a second time that day. Before Raphael said anything to me, he sent my father out of the room. Then he sat down with me on a bench and told me calmly: “Your father is right to bring you here, young Aquilo. You need help, our help to be precise.” He got up and suggested: “Let’s go for a walk.” And that we did. After a while Archangel Raphael asked me: “Do you know the difference between the human and the angel spiritual anatomy?” To my utmost shame I did not. I had to skip classes to visit my human girl, and these were the ones I would have learned about this. Raphael explained me that my human girl would not survive carrying an angel baby to full-term. This was only one of the reasons why physical relationships between Humans and Angels were taboo. The very few so-called ‘Nephilim’, offspring from Angels and Humans, were often neglected, ejected from society… instead of doing what they swore to do, protect humans, they ever so often turned over to the dark side. To a certain extent that is understandable. Who would want to stay with a crowd that is notoriously nasty?” He saw his son’s face and nodded. “Right, I thought so too.”
Then Aquilo’s eyes darkened, as he added. “Archangel Raphael made me swear that I would never meet my human girl again, neither in this, nor in the next world, and I stood true to my oath. He assured me that she would be fine, and even though I never forgot who and what she was for me, I was told, she never forgot about the ‘youngster’ who wanted to take responsibility for a horrible ‘error’… Indeed, I do not know what had happened, but she passed away when she was in her 90s, old and white haired, after a long and happy life. She gave birth to five children, and none of them looked like me.”
Aquilo turned around, a sad smile on his face. “I want you to turn around, son. Do not repeat my mistakes. It is a tragedy to be separated from the one you love. You cannot protect her, you cannot look out for her, you cannot be with her – unless you give up everything you have at this moment, separate from Heaven, your friends, your family – and live a lifetime with her, or not, depending on where life will take you. You would have learned about the Nephilim, if you had not skipped school, son. I admire you did not try to find excuses or lie to me, and I acknowledge that everyone can make mistakes, even the best of us. But this needs to find an end or demands your full dedication – and sacrifice. And believe me, son… this girl is not worth it.”
Anghariel looked at his father and frowned. Then, unexpectedly he asked: “Father, does your name have a meaning?”
Aquilo stared at his son with disbelief in his eyes, then he chuckled. “It means ‘North Wind’ in Greek. Why? Is this important?” Anghariel nodded. “Probably… see… I always admired you for your flying abilities. I am scared I could never live up to your expectations, become as tall as you, as good as you, as good a flier as you are… and here I am, so different from you, and I am making the same mistakes as you do.” Aquilo remained silent. He knew his son.
After a while Anghariel shook his head. “You said, she is not worth it… why would you say that? She said, she loves me.”
Aquilo shrugged. “I said ‘I love you’ to a thousand girls and women before I met your mother, and these words meant the moment for me, not more. When I hug your mother, in one moment of overwhelming connection and love, I tell her, ‘you mean the world to me’, because that is what it is, not less than the world. What, if these three words, who have such an enormous meaning to you, do not mean the same for your girl?”
Anghariel thought about it for a while, then he said. “It would break my heart.”
Aquilo nodded. “I understand that. Your mother told me, that despite all your humor, your good mood, your laughter, there is something deep inside of you, which gives you the extraordinary ability to love, deeper than the ocean, and about as strong. Mothers can sense something like that, much better than we men can… and I believe her. I am not surprised, that a heartache is what you expect to experience. But also, son, do not forget – it will pass… This might not be the first, only, and last heartache you will face. It will just be the first of many… do not forget… you are a strong, very strong young angel… stronger than I was and ever will be. And you are immortal. Remember her, son. But leave her be… please.”
Anghariel shook his head. “Now I want to know everything. Father, please.”
Aquilo shrugged. “There is nothing more to tell, son. I rather leave it like this. Here, as we are now, it is good… remember her as she was…”
Anghariel interrupted his father. “What happened?” Aquilo took his time, and several times tried to say something, only to close his mouth again, and take another few minutes to think what to say next. The young angel did not try to force his father. He just waited.
Finally, Aquilo turned around, held his hand out and waited for his son to grab it… the older angel covered his son’s hand with his other one and then started to submit pictures and memories to Anghariel, who held his breath for a moment… closing his eyes, and smiled… until within a few minutes, the smile died, and was replaced by tears collecting in his eyes and softly and silently rolling down his cheeks. His handsome face was a mask of terror and pain…
…” I understand you’re meeting with my son on a regular basis?” Aquilo’s voice asked. The girl replied: “And your son is…?” Aquilo frowned. “You meet more than one boy?” The beautiful girl laughed. “Of course, I do. I need to find a future husband. The youngsters are out of the race before they even start. I want a man who can offer me a house, servants, money, nice clothes… you get the drift. Only an older man can give me that. The young ones are for fun.” Aquilo frowned. “My son would easily be the most handsome one you’re seeing.” She chuckled. “Yes, sure. The one with the weird name, who is helpless and hopeless, when it comes to physical intimacy. Too shy… I need a bit more than holding hands and a few kisses.” Aquilo shook his head. “Didn’t you tell him you’ll wait for him, never leave him, and love him?” The girl could not hide her amusement any longer. “Of course, I did… he is like a puppy dog. He needs love. He needs the feeling of being adored. And I need some good amusement. I barely laughed as much as…” Her voice trailed off, when she investigated Aquilo’s beautiful face, and suddenly her entire expression changed from defensive to seductive. “But why should I put up with the unexperienced son, if I have someone here, who clearly can give me what I want?” – Aquilo’s face grimaced in disgust. “Do not bother, please. I have someone home, who gives me what I need, and believe me… you are not even considered ‘competition’.” Her pretty face got angry, and even dark and ugly, when Aquilo finally said: “You will never see my son again. You might have had a chance, maybe, one day, to become his one and only, his consort, his love… But you do not have what it needs to fulfill this task.” Her voice eagerly asked. “And what would that be?” Aquilo simply replied: “A pure, loving and caring heart.” Then he turned around and left her there, with a dumbstruck expression on her face…
Anghariel opened his tear wet eyes… “She used me?” Aquilo nodded. “In the worst sense of the word. She used you to her own amusement, to satisfy her need to be adored, she never considered you seriously as a partner… unless, she had known you are an angel, of course, then you would have been her status symbol, something that had elevated her over all and everybody in her limited little world. She mocked you and laughed about you, son, while she had other men…” He took a deep breath, wishing he would know his son better, praying he would know if Anghariel would be comforted by a fatherly hug… So, he decided to wait.
What he did not expect, was Anghariel’s face switching from one expression to another within nanoseconds: embarrassment, humiliation, sadness, anger, rage, and finally, total emptiness… Anghariel was crushed, even Aquilo, who rarely permitted himself to show emotions, which helped him in his daily professional life, but was a limited success with his family, could see that his son had lost all hope that might have lived within him.
After quite some time, Anghariel looked over the mountains and hills and smiled. “What do you think, Father? Do we have time for a little race between these snow-covered peaks and mountains?” Aquilo laughed. “I would say, let us just take the time before going home, son. I will give you a little head start.” His son chuckled. “I doubt, that will be necessary. I know my wings.” On Aquilo’s sign, they both shot up in the air and shot through the mountains like bullets, using the wind and every advantage they could find to be victorious. And finally, Aquilo won, but only by a hairbreadth.
He turned to Anghariel and laughed, surprised to see his son standing proud with a wide smile on his face. “You’re growing up, my son.” Aquilo said proudly. “I better start working out more, if I want to delay an embarrassing situation in the near future.” His son laughed loudly. But because Aquilo did not know his son well enough and was not overly adept in the recognition of emotions, he did not hear the high pitch of underlying sadness, and the trace of despair, that Anghariel would never lose again, for a very, very long time.
At times Katie invites her entire family, namely, the ‘Council of Twelve,’ a dozen of the most powerful individuals in existence with their respective consorts, for dinner in hers and Raphael’s house.
Despite Katie’s progress in the kitchen, it’s become a ‘running gag’ that she had no clue about cooking at the time of her and Raphael’s wedding. And even though she liked to cook, the results could be disastrous. Some of the other Archangel consorts gave her a hand at times, and with their help, and the support of a few excellent angelic chefs, Katie’s cooking improved visibly.
This is one of the recipes she cooked, this time with Koyu’s and Simin’s help.
½ teaspoon dry thyme, or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
pinch nutmeg
¾ cup dry white wine* See sub note below
2 slices bread, crusts removed preferably sourdough or multi-grain
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded Emmentaler, Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Instructions
Grease 9 by 13-inch casserole dish with softened butter. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange fish fillet in the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often (adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water if necessary to prevent the onion from darkening too much) until the onion softens and starts to brown, 6 to 9 minutes. Stir in thyme and nutmeg. Spread the onion mixture over the fish. Pour wine into the casserole dish.
Pulse bread in food processor until coarse crumbs. Drizzle on the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and add paprika and garlic powder. Process to combine until the bread is evenly red and moist. Sprinkle crumbs over the onion.
Top the casserole with the cheese and place in the oven. Bake until the fish is cooked through and the crumbs are browned, 18 to 22 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Instead of wine you can use broth (or clam juice) plus one tablespoon lemon juice for a non-alcoholic option.
I got this ‘Achievement’ badge from WordPress, informing me that my blog was started 8 years ago!
I started this blog when told I needed more ‘exposure,’ networking, getting my name out there, and promoting my ‘future’ books. Demon Tracker was just in the works back then, and Soul Taker was not published yet. (And yes, that might sound weird, but I wrote the third book in the series before the first. After you read the series, let me know, and if you’re still curious and interested, I’ll let you in on the secret.)
I want to say ‘Thank You.’ Thank you so much, you all, for your loyalty, for becoming my readers, for your regular comments, and for all your encouragement and support! You make this blogging journey for me an easy and fun one! If it wasn’t for all of you, ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest’ wouldn’t be where it is today!
After long years in the line of duty as a ‘Soul Taker’, Kate is worn out.
When she gets a new job offer from the ‘Powers Above’, she accepts her new job as a Guardian gratefully without knowing that her teacher is one of the most powerful beings in existence, the Archangel Raphael.
Along with Raphael, she takes on her new task and the connection between them grows.
Raphael helps, protects and supports Kate, but suddenly, she becomes a target for the Demons of Hell.
Raphael realizes that Kate means more to him than he expected, which causes him to fight furiously against danger. If he fails, Kate’s future will contain eternal darkness, evil, and torture.
Sundance is a promising young Warrior Angel, the first in centuries to join the Divine Army. With the help of one of the most powerful Archangels, her skill and talent develop, allowing her to master some of the most difficult tasks that face her kind. Sundance, under the supervision of the ‘Council of Twelve’ seeks to prove that she deserves her unusual gifts in the eternal fight between good and evil.
Follow her adventures as she discovers love, fights the good fight, and finds herself in the heat of battle trying to keep her wings from being singed.
Zepheira is the best Demon Tracker working for the Good side. With her unusual looks, her phenomenal sense of smell, and her bravery, she quickly draws ‘The Big 7’s attention to her talent. They hire her to find one of them. Leaving her familiar surroundings and regular work environment unsettles Zepheira at first. But the challenge to prove herself and to increase the reputation of her infallibility tempts her.
She is convinced she will be a great asset to ‘The Big 7’. Little does she know she will be a much greater asset in Heaven’s fight against Evil. Zepheira suddenly becomes more than a hired tracker. She finds herself an important pawn in the game of love, heat, and fire. Will her courage and sacrifice be sufficient to dance with the flames?
When Centriel roams the Earth in a dark mood and atypical despair, in a mountain clearing, far from humankind, he unexpectedly discovers a runner, followed by a petite hunter. The way the woman treats the giant fugitive amuses the Archangel, but he quickly learns that neither of them are what they seem to be.
Simin Arnatt is an extraordinary woman. Her occupation as a Bounty Hunter takes her all over the world, as she follows her prey to the most unusual places. She would have never expected to meet the famous Centriel while on a hunt. When he offers to help her, she feels the enormous attraction, but she knows, with the secret she holds, she could never dare to hope for love.
Neither of them could guess that with her next assignment, Hell is breaking loose…
Koyu thought she had done her duty, but deep inside she knows it will never be over. She is bound to her master forever and will have to execute his every command. But when he demands she’ll invade his sworn enemy’s dreams, she chooses to rebel.
Koyu risks her existence to help the ‘other side’ by purposely disobeying her master’s orders. Koyu knows she’ll pay with her life for her impertinence. Is there, indeed, no hope for her?
After long years in the line of duty as a ‘Soul Taker’, Kate is worn out.
When she gets a new job offer from the ‘Powers Above’, she accepts her new job as a Guardian gratefully without knowing that her teacher is one of the most powerful beings in existence, the Archangel Raphael.
Along with Raphael, she takes on her new task and the connection between them grows.
Raphael helps, protects and supports Kate, but suddenly, she becomes a target for the Demons of Hell.
Raphael realizes that Kate means more to him than he expected, which causes him to fight furiously against danger. If he fails, Kate’s future will contain eternal darkness, evil, and torture.
Sundance is a promising young Warrior Angel, the first in centuries to join the Divine Army. With the help of one of the most powerful Archangels, her skill and talent develop, allowing her to master some of the most difficult tasks that face her kind. Sundance, under the supervision of the ‘Council of Twelve’ seeks to prove that she deserves her unusual gifts in the eternal fight between good and evil.
Follow her adventures as she discovers love, fights the good fight, and finds herself in the heat of battle trying to keep her wings from being singed.
Zepheira is the best Demon Tracker working for the Good side. With her unusual looks, her phenomenal sense of smell, and her bravery, she quickly draws ‘The Big 7’s attention to her talent. They hire her to find one of them. Leaving her familiar surroundings and regular work environment unsettles Zepheira at first. But the challenge to prove herself and to increase the reputation of her infallibility tempts her.
She is convinced she will be a great asset to ‘The Big 7’. Little does she know she will be a much greater asset in Heaven’s fight against Evil. Zepheira suddenly becomes more than a hired tracker. She finds herself an important pawn in the game of love, heat, and fire. Will her courage and sacrifice be sufficient to dance with the flames?
When Centriel roams the Earth in a dark mood and atypical despair, in a mountain clearing, far from humankind, he unexpectedly discovers a runner, followed by a petite hunter. The way the woman treats the giant fugitive amuses the Archangel, but he quickly learns that neither of them are what they seem to be.
Simin Arnatt is an extraordinary woman. Her occupation as a Bounty Hunter takes her all over the world, as she follows her prey to the most unusual places. She would have never expected to meet the famous Centriel while on a hunt. When he offers to help her, she feels the enormous attraction, but she knows, with the secret she holds, she could never dare to hope for love.
Neither of them could guess that with her next assignment, Hell is breaking loose…
Koyu thought she had done her duty, but deep inside she knows it will never be over. She is bound to her master forever and will have to execute his every command. But when he demands she’ll invade his sworn enemy’s dreams, she chooses to rebel.
Koyu risks her existence to help the ‘other side’ by purposely disobeying her master’s orders. Koyu knows she’ll pay with her life for her impertinence. Is there, indeed, no hope for her?
For several reasons, I needed to check on my ‘The Council of Twelve’ book links and connect with Amazon France, where I looked for my five books.
When I looked at the ‘Sundance’ book page, I suddenly realized that the book has a 5-star rating and review from a reader in France! (OMG – I’m an internationally famous author! *grin*) If you’d like to see it for yourself, click HERE.
I’m so very proud and flattered to be able to show you the review here!
Following ‘Soul Taker’, ‘Sundance’ is the second book in the Council of Twelve Series. The book is less a simple sequel than a parallel story to the first part, which first surprised me, but then I was enthusiastic about that fact. I found it fascinating to read the story from a different point of view and to find the skillfully orchestrated connections to the first book. One of the things I love about this book is to see Sundance grow up into a strong woman. Also interesting is her education. Even though the book shows many known characters and places, the book still allows the reader to re-explore the world, AJ Alexander created masterfully. I look forward to read book number three in the series.
The little angel boy had just tested his wings, like the others in his class. Despite him being the first who had been able actually to lift his entire body off the ground, the others laughed about him. ‘Too big, the wings.’ They said. And the boy got discouraged…
He decided he had to grow into his wings as fast as possible and wished he didn’t have to go to school anymore.
When the teasing and mocking didn’t stop, the teacher finally had to halt the bullying.
During one of the flying lessons, he removed the breeze from under the bullies’ wings, and the entire gang fell to the ground… and they fell hard.
After the groaning and moaning finally stopped, the teacher told them harshly: “Now, get up, you lot.”
They followed directions and stood before their teacher, who paced up and down. “I’ve had it with you all.” He stared at them; his already dark brown eyes got darker. “We were working hard for you all to get into the air. The one who does the best job is the one none of you respects. He would have been the only one keeping himself in the air during the wind drop. None of you could do that. I strongly recommend you study more, and you might ask him for help instead of laughing about him and giving him a hard time.”
The teacher eyed one of them in particular. “Shane. Don’t even think I don’t know you are the leader of that pack. I insist you concentrate on your studies and your soon-to-be-seen progress, or I will have to report you.” He turned to all in the group again. “If you’re too stupid to think for yourself and follow this jealous hypocrite of a boy, so be it. If you want to get somewhere in this life, you might want to start using your brain.”
The bullies shyly eyed Deonur from the side, and he didn’t budge. He looked at them, but there was no smile or mocking on his side. It was just a mild curiosity in his eyes.
It took years of further development to understand that they could have had a strong bond with this calm and highly versatile boy… but they weren’t smart enough to recognize that.
The bullying flared up again when the class was much older, and they were flying close to the mountains to test their flying abilities in that area.
The teacher overlooked Deonur, not because he wanted to be cruel, but because the boy was so calm, quiet, and modest, he was barely visible… and when he flew in front of trees and rock, he disappeared. His breathtaking, strong wings, the color of a Golden Eagle’s, blended in so perfectly that the teacher could not see his student.
*****
The Senior Class of that year’s Divine Army had just had their final exams and celebrated by spending some time on Earth. They were a bit overenthusiastic and wanted to prove to each other how good they were as angels… They flew through cities and tested their wings, but also helped two groups against thieves, broke up a fistfight between several people, supported a group of ladies who had to bring in the hay, and walked around, spreading smiles and making the one or other female heart jump… until one of them disappeared.
They had agreed to meet at a particular spot where they had landed to return home together. They knew, technically, they weren’t permitted to go down to Earth unsupervised yet. But their teachers occasionally looked the other way, provided the final exams were passed.
The group had yet to learn where to look for the missing youngster until Deonur asked. “We were quite a group coming down here. Who is the missing one?” One of the others said quietly: “It’s Shane.”
To everybody’s surprise, Deonur didn’t hesitate. “Well, we better hurry up and look for him. The more time passes, the worse it gets. But we don’t have to stay here. Let’s say five of us are searching for him, and the rest go back home – but please, inform Nicholas. He needs to know, and he can help or send us help. No matter what Shane did or did not do, he’s still an angel, nearly of age, and he doesn’t just disappear with no trace. Something serious has happened. I feel it in my guts.”
The others looked at him with growing respect. It seemed very much the boy they had ignored most of their school time suddenly showed he would have been a valuable member of their group and a formidable friend if they hadn’t been so jealous.
*****
The search took several hours, and just when they discovered a group of bad-smelling creatures who had abducted Shane, Nicholas found them.
“Oh, that’s not good.” He whispered. Deonur nodded. “We can’t sneak up on them and hope to get him out. They’ll disappear with him, and we won’t see him again for a long time. I didn’t consider this to be a danger. I’m so sorry.”
Nicholas shook his head. “It’s not your fault, boy. It’s mine. I have responsibility over you, and I let you go. But let’s think about what to do.” One of them whispered desperately. “They’re getting prepared to leave. Are these demons?”
Nicholas nodded grimly. “I’m afraid so. I called for help, but it will take a moment for them to show up.” Deonur smiled. “I can help. But you will have to trust me… all of you.”
Nicholas frowned. “What do you….” Deonur shook his head. “No time to explain. Grab the lot and go home… Shane and I will meet you in our classroom.” With these words, he took off, no even a ‘swoosh’ of his wings betrayed his presence… the feathers were as silent as the one of an owl.
The teacher nodded, satisfied. “He’ll be a phenomenal spy one day.” He thought by himself, then he took the entire group and disappeared.
Deonur flew a circle and waited for his chance… just when the ugly creatures pulled Shane up to his feet, Deonur saw that the brutal demons had bound Shane’s wings; one of them held Shane’s right arm, the other one half-heartedly the left one, Deonur quietly flew down… His speed was breathtaking, but he needed plenty of strength to lift his classmate and gain height again to disappear.
He shot out of the dark like a cannonball, grabbed Shane’s waist with his muscular legs, and took off. He didn’t waste any time looking back… he knew he had to leave immediately. His solid and well-trained wings carried the two angels higher and higher into the clouds. Deonur had torn the ties off Shane’s wings, and the boy and himself could finally teleport to the school of Divine Army. They landed, heavily breathing in front of the building.
Shane coughed, straightened himself up, walked over to Deonur, and looked into the young man’s eyes before finally calmly saying roughly: “Man, that was a hell of a ride. I don’t know how you managed to fly that quietly. I’ve never seen any other angel do that.” He took a break; then, he finally held out his hand. “Thank you, Mate. Thanks for saving my sorry butt from hell. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
After a moment of hesitation, Deonur’s face cracked into a smile; he accepted Shane’s handshake and said: “You’re welcome.”
Shane nodded, and suddenly his eyes seemed to water a bit. “Listen, Man… If you ever need help, no matter when, in what situation, or where… call me – and I’ll be there, that I swear.”
Deonur smiled a bit. “Are you the teeniest bit touched?” Shane shook his head. “Bullshit… I got dust in my eyes.”
They laughed when they entered the classroom where Nicholas was waiting with the rest of the group.
Deonur didn’t feel like talking much about that episode, and he just nodded, found his teacher’s eyes, and then quietly disappeared. When Shane went looking for him, he didn’t see him anywhere.
Later that evening, Nicholas met with Raphael. “That boy is remarkable, isn’t he?” Nicholas nodded. “I can only recommend him for the highest possible education to prepare him for a spot in the ‘Council of Twelve.’ This boy would be a phenomenal spy for the Archangels.”
Raphael smiled. “Thank you for your recommendation, Nicholas. We will surely keep an eye on him. But let’s find out what he will become first. Maybe his destiny is entirely different? None of us knows.”
*****
When Deonur’s birth flower opened, not only the regular group of school senators and experts were present. The group included Raphael and Michael. When Deonur spread his wings, these beautiful, strong wings, in the color of a Golden Eagle, they both looked at each other and smiled… One day, this boy would join their Council… but this was for later… many millennia later…
*****
(Sub-story to ‘The Council of Twelve’ series by A. J. Alexander – Copyright Aurora Jean Alexander, February 2023)
I just discovered that my interview is published now on the ‘Paranormal Romance Guild’s’ website. I’m so very proud of this interview, as well as my nomination.
Please, don’t forget to vote for the book and the series. Thank you so much for your support, it means the world to me!
A.J. Alexander, Paranormal Romance Guild 2022 Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee, writes poetry, fantasy, and is an accomplished classical musician. She often explores the concept of good vs. evil in her short stories or novellas while challenging the idea that angels, guardians and demons aren’t necessarily always male but romance usually figures into the struggle.
Once again, I’m excited to no end! I just read Dream Walker’s second Five Star Review and I’m so enthusiastic! It shows that readers love my work. I’m honored, indeed!
I have been reading this series from the beginning, and in the last few installments the author has been introducing us to more ‘beings’ as well as new points of view. First we were shown things from the ladies’ perspectives as they meet the Archangel who will become their betrothed. Then in book four, we were shown one the world she has created from one of Archangel’s point of view, as he meets the woman who is destined for him.
Now in this latest chapter, we’re back to a woman’s perspective, but there’s a twist. Whereas the other ladies were angels or destined to become one, a demon hunter, or a daughter of Pan, this young lady is a Succubus. And she has been working for the ‘other’ side in the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
It’s these twists and turns that keep readers like me coming back for more. The author continues to unveil the world she has created with surprises and intrigue which often involves characters from previous books, making this reality more whole and real. And each tale does not fail to entertain and even keep us on the edge of our seats, as mystery upon mystery unfolds before our very eyes.
And this volume is no exception. Can a Succubus truly find happiness with a member of the Council of Twelve? And what about her master down below? Will he take this betrayal lying down? Or is all Hell about to break loose? You’ll have to pick up this book and find out for yourself. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed.
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