LiAW Update

Hey ya'll,


Quick update on the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's Love is Always Write event. The event is in full swing now, with new stories being released daily. There were150 stories written this year by some amazing authors, and they are all being released for free for the readers out there.


My submission, My Lord's Judgment will be coming out soon. Keep an eye out for it and let me know what you think. Here is a little teaser for you. Enjoy.

Chapter 1

Kneeling with his head bowed to his chest, in the most submissive position he could possibly form, Samael pleaded once more for mercy. He had tried to contact his Lord numerous times since the Judgment, but to no avail. Minutes upon hours, he prayed, hoping against hope that once again Yahweh would come to his aid.

“Please!”he cried out, his heart breaking. “This is wrong. I didn’t do this, My Lord.”

No answer. Not even an acknowledgement.

 

God had never refused to answer him before. Between his dread of what was to come, anger at his situation, and his position, his limbs had started to tremble.

He really wasn’t surprised. It had been coming for centuries, and the day he feared had finally arrived.

He had known there were a great many that were jealous of his position. As the chief ruler of the Fifth Heaven, and one of the seven regents of the world, served by two million angels, he was one of the most powerful archangels ever. If that wasn’t enough, he had two other gifts that many coveted. He could speak to his Lord in His presence and survive it, and he had control over life.

He was The Angel of Death after all.

They’d attempted to cause his exile numerous times. Finally, they had succeeded.

“Lord God, save me,” he whispered, feeling tears of frustration build behind his eyelids.

He tried so hard to keep his bitterness at bay, but one thought kept forming above the rest. Gadreel and his cronies had won. Consistently harassing him was not enough. They’d wanted him gone.

And that had been his pronounced punishment.

Samael had been accused of many things over the millennia. Of tempting Eve in the form of a serpent, of seducing and bedding her to create Cain, but he had done neither of those things. “Gadreel” he growled.

He’d seen through that trial, barely escaping with the skin on his back. So relieved he was, when his Lord had taken his side. God knew the hearts of His people. He knew the truth.

Why did He not see now?

His friend, his Father, his Creator, had abandoned him to his fate.

Over the centuries, Gadreel had made sure to implicate him as the cause of different atrocities, but this one finally did it. Taking advantage of the gift of life and death was not something to be trifled with. Even the lowest of angels knew that. Samael would never, but somehow, some way, Gadreel had made it seem like he had. Now everything he knew, everything he’d been created for, was being taken from him.

Why was the demon spawn still in Heaven? Everyone knew the truth about him. That he was a spy for the fallen. That Gadreel, in fact, had committed most of the allegations of trouble, which Samael had dealt with. Why then, wasn’t that foul creature the one to be banished? Why was that germ allowed to continue with his treachery?

He just didn’t know.

His legs were numb from the hours spent kneeling in prayer, but that didn’t even register over the ache in his chest. The pain shooting through him felt like the hot blade of a sword, covered in flames. He felt betrayed by someone he loved above all others, and he couldn’t understand why.

There was nothing he could do. No way to prove his innocence in this cell, and especially once the judgment was carried out. He was helpless, and that’s not something a warrior of his status was accustomed to.

He did not like it one bit.

Sam wanted to act, to fight, to do… something, on his own behalf. His honor was being trashed, his loyalty tarnished, and he could not stop it.

He had to have faith that there was a reason. For now, that was all that he could do.

Realizing his deliverance was not coming, he finished his prayer, the only way he knew how.

Looking up, knowing his pain was written all over his face, he gave his oath. “My loyalty is unwavering, My Lord. I know not Your purpose in this, but I trust You have one that I cannot yet see. I will be Your servant always.” Touching his fist to his heart, he bowed his head again and then stood.

Samael’s legs were shaky from holding the position for such a long time, so he held the wall as he walked life into his limbs again. Once he started though, he couldn’t stop. Back and forth, he strode the five steps across the tiny room. Back and forth and back again. At this rate, his nervous energy was going to tear him apart.

Michael and Raphael would be coming in to deal with him soon enough: removing his wings, divesting him of his power and banishing him to Earth. Allowing nothing to remain. No clothes, no coin, nothing but a dagger to defend himself with.

At least they were giving him that. Once stripped, he would be human. Not weak, by any means. He’d been a warrior for far too many millennia for that. However, he would need to live as a man, his life would be mortal, and his strength would not be what it was.

As Samael paced, he could feel his fists clenching and releasing almost in time with his steps. “Gadreel” he growled. “I will not rest until my name and honor have been restored, and I am home again.” Then, he would make sure that demon spy was where he belonged.

In Hell.

He had no idea how long he waited, marching along in the small chamber, before he heard keys in the lock outside the door. Stopping suddenly, he turned toward the noise and stiffened. It was time.

Michael entered the room followed by Raphael, and the looks on their faces said it all. Their eyes so filled with pity and sadness that he actually flinched.

“Hey buddy.” Michael said, sounding so defeated that of course he had to make a joke.

“Finally,”he whispered, grinning the best he could without making it into a grimace. “It’s about time you guys came to bust me out of here. I think I wore a hole in my shoes.”

Raph grunted and crossed his arms, while Mike gave the most dismal half smile he had ever seen. “Yeah, don’t we wish?” Mike murmured. “I am sorry, man,” he continued,“You can’t know how hard this is for me.”

Feeling the need to give his friend some ease, he slapped him on the shoulder. “I know, Mike. I know. I don’t blame you. Let’s just get this over with.”


Michael nodded sharply once, then grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, smacking his shoulder hard a couple of times. Sam did the same and then pulled away, not knowing where to look.


“Alright already, quit your blubbering, you little girls.”

Samael turned to Raphael snorting. “Look who’s talking, Oh Pretty One.”

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful,” he said striking a pose.

“Ok, Mr. Vain.” Michael put in, cuffing Raph’s ear.

 

“Ow. Hey! Don’t mess with the hair.” Raph called out, smoothing his hair back, before starting to hum a song from the twentieth century about being vain.

Samael realized he was grinning at the byplay. He didn’t know how he did it, but Raphael had broken the tension that was overwhelming him. Somehow, things were going to be okay.

He held his hand out to Raph, who gripped his forearm tightly and nodded to him solemnly. Samael held his gaze for a moment, seeing friendship and regret, before tilting his chin in acknowledgement and turning to Michael.

“Ok, man,” he announced to his friend. “Do your thing.”

Michael and Raphael exchanged a meaningful look before they moved. In the blink of an eye, they had surrounded him, and then there was just white-hot light. It was so bright Samael had to close his eyes against the burn. The beams sliced him, setting his blood on fire. Agony shot through him and he felt like he would collapse, but somehow stayed standing. He cried out as the wind kicked up and he was in the middle of a tornado. It beat against him, stealing his breath, whipping his hair and ripping his clothes off his body. The fray could have lasted minutes or an eternity, he couldn’t say, until a sucking sensation pulled at him with such force that he thought he would implode. He felt as if his soul was being extracted from his body. It jerked and stretched, like a rubber band pulled past its limits, until it felt like the band finally broke. Or maybe he did, because everything went black, and then he was falling. Tumbling and plummeting into a darkness he didn’t know could exist. Faster and faster, until he came to stop with a crash and let unconsciousness take him away.