Page 35 of An Unexpected Ascension
“Hmmm,” he hums darkly, like the seduction of the tree. “Neat little trick, right? Didn’t even think it was a thing, but here you are. Go on, now... Touch me.”
“Stop! You’re going to get me into trouble.”
“Good. You don’t belong here anyway.”
“Says who? What exactly have I done in my life that’s worth an eternity in Hell? Tell me.”
“As I’ve said, it’s not what you’ve done but who you are. You could be a saint for all I fucking care.”
I wince at the curse, the word reverberating inside my skull.
“Tell me, please! Why do you hate me so much?”
“I hate your entire bloodline. Fentonellis have only produced one vile soul after another. Though, I have to admit, I’m surprised to finda female descendent. You’re the very first I’ve come across.” He pinches his lips thoughtfully.
“I’m the first daughter on my father’s side.”
I don’t know why I bother offering him any information when he’s been infuriatingly vague with me. Despite the countless times I’ve asked, he refuses to divulge any more history with me as if he didn’t just watch half my childhood memories.
Before I get the chance to pester him again, he rips his hand from my jaw and creates space between us.
“Any other Fentonellis I should expect to meet in the future?”
“Just my father, if he isn’t already dead.”
His gaze turns thoughtful, those eyes drinking me in. I can feel every bit of his stare like hands groping the most intimate parts of me.
“Well, isn’t this news,” he murmurs to himself. “Please, go on. Watch your memories like I’m not here. I have business to attend to.”
With that, he vanishes in the blink of an eye, leaving me in the cave alone.
Chapter 12
The Demon
The first female Fentonelli and the last of her name...
Her father is already as good as dead. Has been from the moment he left that house of theirs, the moment his wretched soul was revealed to his sweet, innocent daughter.
That man has been drinking himself to sleep every night since and it’s just a matter of time before he’s knocking on Heaven’s gates, begging for entry. Despite the many times he’s beaten his wife, despite leaving his family behind instead of manning up, despite killing himself while wallowing in self-pity – he'll still be accepted into the God’s home.
Why? Because he’ll atone for his sins and that will be enough. The Gods don’t care who walks their streets, so long as they pledge their eternal fealty to them. With each passing angel through those gates, comes a little more power.
Greedy, manipulative fucks.
And Briar, to be the last lingering Fentonelli.
Over the years, I’ve condemned every male to ever be sired from that name. Never once have I come across a female. They all knew they had it coming and took their fates with malicious grins andundeserving pride as they stared me down with those feral green eyes.
Then she appeared with that same jade gaze, but her soul sang a different tune. Not one of pure evil, but of something sweeter. Something lighter and...
No, I will not allow myself to be swayed by a pretty face. She’s still a descendant of the very people who ruined my life. So, I will do what I’ve always done and return the favor.
Yet, eradicating her seems so... pointless, now that she’s the last of her kind. All my woes, all that vengeance unreadily coming to an end. That sickness in me longs to drag it out. Ending her is to end centuries worth of hatred and revenge. No, I can’t let it be so simple.
My mind simmers with endless thoughts of Briar Fentonelli as I stroll through the center market, if you can even call it strolling. No, my gait’s a little more aggressive than a pleasant idling with zero purpose to my journey.
Giving me a wide berth, Heaven dwellers scatter, avoiding me as if I were made of repellent, ready to kill the innocent, little bugs too stupid to get close. Their fear scents the air, masking that flowery perfume that drifts by every so often. In prior visits, I would relish the way my presence makes a Saint cower or a nun recite the sign of the holy cross. How one accidental look into my eyes forces an angel to spew prayers as if it would save them from Hell.
