Eversion- Ever Rising Book 1-under editing!

Chapter 25

Modern Times

The little group was silent when Gabriel had finished.

"You didn't like me because I reminded you of Alejandra?" Cassandra asked quietly.

Gabriel dipped his head. "It's not exactly something I'm proud of. But yes."

Instead of seeming offended, Cassandra stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. She then quickly moved back and offered an awkward grin.

"Well, at least you have someone else in your life, right?" she said with a quiet laugh.

"Speaking of which, where even is Kaydeen?" Gabriel asked.

"Anywhere and everywhere, knowing Kay," Michael responded. He had a flower bulb in his hand and spun it absentmindedly through his fingers.

"Michael, put that down." the second angel said, glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes. "It's daffodil. It'll irritate your skin."

Michael shrugged dismissively but dropped the flower all the same.

Just then, a shadow dropped from the ceiling, landing directly on top of Gabriel.

"Surprise!" the shadow said, bouncing to their feet to reveal another angel, with one blue eye and one green eye.

Co, surprised, let out a quiet squeak and quickly jumped behind his mother, not recognizing the angel in front of him as his friend.

Indeed, it was Kaydeen. However, instead of their hair being blue, this time, it was a soft violet that faded to a lighter white near the ends.

"Kaydeen, you piece of absolute shit, get off of me!" Gabriel snapped, muffled underneath the weight of his partner.

"Gabriel, there are little ears here," Cassandra growled, covering Co's ears.

Michael responded by covering Cassandra's ears. The lithe demoness shooed him away with a glare over her shoulder.

Kaydeen helped their boyfriend to his feet, grinning somewhat apologetically.

Co seemed to have gotten over his initial surprise, and moved back forward, putting his arms up so Kaydeen could pick him up.

"Scared you, didn't I?" they teased as they lifted the little toddler up.

Gabriel snorted in amusement but otherwise did not respond.

"So you guys are talking about the time Gabe and Cassie got captured by demons?" Kaydeen asked.

"More than just that, the whole entire time that Michael and the others first met us," Cassandra said. Seeming confident that her son was in good hands, she had moved backward against Michael's twin like brother, who wrapped an arm around her absentmindedly in a half embrace.

"Now that is a story I haven't heard in for a while," Kaydeen said.

"You're kind of interrupting it," Michael said with a laugh.

Kaydeen shrugged, running a hand to tame the wild hair that permanently stuck up in all directions. "We'll, continue, please. I like this story."

Michael nodded. "Well, Kaydeen. It was just before sunrise, right before we went to go and free Gabe and Cassie..."

~~~~~~

Michael's POV

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The eastern edge of the mountains was starting to turn a deep black, outlined by the brilliant red of the rising sun. They should be about to move Gabriel, and more than likely execute Cassandra. It was time to move.