Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos
240. Ansel - Revelations I

Healing deep wounds like the ones I received in the Catacombs always takes my demon a few days. So when I woke up in my bed and glanced at my phone, which was plugged into the charger on the nightstand, wanting to check the date, and saw that two and a half days had passed since demons ripped out two of my wings, it didn't seem strange to me. Even the intense hunger I felt was normal. Healing requires a lot of nutrients and other shit I never bothered to learn. My demon is snarling in anger, the loss of two of our wings is a sore spot for him. Having four wings always made him feel superior. He was like a peacock, proud of his wings.

While I'm not happy about the situation, there's nothing I can do about it, and moping around will only distract me from my duty as a Guardian. Olivia's powers are finally awakening, and no doubt the enemy will be looking for her. After a quick shower and an inspection of my back-which is still tender, the muscles not being fully healed-I went to the kitchen to wolf down some food. On my second plate of bacon and eggs, I pause, finally realizing something is wrong. Who the fuck got me home?

I don't think Olivia can drive since she always used a bike as a teenager, and I doubt she learned while she was a pornai for Carlos or Jason. Maybe she called the others? I hope she didn't get in trouble because of me.

When my hunger is sated, I finally notice the state of the kitchen. It's an absolute mess, with piles of unwashed plates next to the sink while empty boxes of pizza are stacked next to the trash bin. We might not be the cleanest guys ever, but we managed to maintain the house pretty well. I can't imagine a reason why chores are not being done.

The house is also quiet. Too quiet.

I used a towel to wipe the grease off my fingers, then stand.

"Olivia?" I call out as I leave the kitchen.

There is no reply, so I go room by room, yelling the names of my blood-brothers, but it doesn't take long to realize there's no one here. Where the hell is everyone? Could it be they are in the Lair?

They wouldn't fucking dare get Olivia all settled in without me.

I go to the stairs at the end of the hallway that lead to the top floor, and climb two at a time, ready to blow up on my blood-brothers that they didn't wait for me to wake up to be present when Olivia took her first steps into the Lair. But the top floor is as quiet as the rest of the house, with no evidence that someone has been up here recently.

Maybe they are out on the pasture, getting Olivia acquainted with her new horse. I wonder if she already chose a name for the filly.

After I grab my coat from my room, I make my way to the pasture. There's no one here, but what makes me stop in my tracks is the dark red snow. There are also tire tracks all over the place.

I crouch and examine the snow. Is this blood? What the fuck happened here?

Dark thoughts rush to my head. What if someone attacked us while I was asleep? The link with my blood-brothers and the bond with Olivia are still in place, so I know they are alive, but where the fuck are they? And all the blood in the pasture....

Before I let the panic settle in, I take my phone out of my pocket and dial Tyson's number. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for the blood. The forest is close to the farm, and maybe a wild animal got on the property, and the others killed it. But the tire tracks?

Tyson's phone is out of range, so I try calling the others but it's the same with Jasper and Mose, while Rueben doesn't pick up.

I yell in frustration before I return to the house to grab the car key so I can look for them in the city. On my way to the garage, I stop by the armory closet to grab some long-range firearms. On the knife shelf, I see Olivia's daggers. I run my fingers across the blades, making my demon pur in contempt. He is as strange as ever.

The day Olivia figures out how to use them will be joyous indeed. She still has no clue what she can do. Neither do I, but I can't wait to learn. Of all the hellstars, she is the strongest. Or at least that's what Ladybug told me. A crease forms between my brows, trying to remember my lessons with Ladybug.

*She who wields the Twin Daggers of Power is the strongest of her sisters; her war cry will call the Outcasts and their allies to face the Nephilims and all who stand with them when Armageddon begins.*

Unfortunately, Ladybug disappeared before she could teach me everything about my duty as a Guardian or Armageddon. I was sent to find Olivia when I didn't understand the consequences of my actions, which led to her being abused for years. Failing her again is not an option.

The armory closet is next to the stairs, making it hard to hear people entering the house, and Diva's barks coming from the living room takes me by surprise.

"Thank fuck they are home." I let out a huge breath of relief before leaving the closet.