Horns and Halos, page 35
I was alive.
Slowly, I found my voice and laughed as I said, “He heard us. God heard us. We don’t need devils. We have Him. He sent us an angel. Our village is protected by an angel sent by God, Elijah!”
He stared at me in awe and then laughed happily before he crashed into me with a hug that made me cry even harder. His mouth found mine, and he stole my breath with his kiss. After breaking away from me, he said, “You did it, Sia. We are free. We are free!”
“I didn’t do anything. God did it.” And I realized then that every step that I took wasn’t cursed from the start. Every bit of hell I went through was taken and made to fit a plan that I didn’t understand until the end. We were to rebuild the faith city. I had been blessed, we all had been, and we could finally live without being dictated by devils. We could be free of them without fear that demons would overrun our homes.
I knew that this was just the start of something bigger than me. I could feel it in places beyond blood and bone. We weren’t going to stop here with this place. We were going to break the bonds of all the devils and free the people of this land.
“I shall show you the way,” A voice whispered sweetly to me.
At that moment, I felt a love that was beyond words and a blessing greater than the breath in my lungs wash over me. After everything I had been through and suffered, I was not only alive but I had been given gifts that I never would have imagined that I would be worthy of receiving. Despite all my failures and all of my mistakes, I was still loved. I was still forgiven. The devil was wrong about how God would never accept me. I had been a threat to Draki from the start ... I just didn’t know that until now. No matter what, I knew what the first steps of my journey were—what they were for all of us.
In a world of endless night:
Be the love.
Be the light.
Epilogue:
He is the Hope
A burnt hand with a few missing fingers reached out and slammed against the night-washed ground of the Wastes. Small puffs of dry earth rose into the air when a second slapped over the rocky dirt, and extended claws dug deep as Draki dragged his body over the desert floor. His white robes were now soiled, his long hair was a tangled mess, his brow was beaded with sweat, and his face was twisted with anger as he struggled to reach a destination that even he was unsure of.
After dragging himself a little further, he tiredly hit the ground with a grunt. Not a moment later, a scorpion skittered out from behind a small collection of stones and repeatedly stabbed the devil’s hand with its tail. Draki seemed to register no discomfort. He only snatched it up in his grasp and snarled as it squirmed and struck at him with its poisoned tip. Suddenly, red threads of mist came rolling out of the creature. Strange, high-pitched screeches of agony poured out from the scorpion as its essence was drained. Opening his hand, the devil inspected the husk that remained therein. With a sneer, the carcass was tossed away into the shadows of the dying night.
With newfound vigor, Draki resumed his crawling travels. However—a few feet later—he miscalculated the shadowy depths and rolled down a rocky hill. Landing at the bottom with a howl of pain, the devil screamed out into the night in frustration. Rolling over, he reached out again to pull himself forward, only his hand didn’t touch dirt or stone.
It landed on something soft.
A quick glance revealed to him a human, sandaled foot. Draki’s lips twitched and slowly curled into a devious smile. Grabbing hold of the foot, the devil made sure his prey wouldn’t be able to run away from his burning touch.
“Oh, you’re about to have a bad day,” he announced with a dark chuckle. Slowly, he looked up, and then all of his confidence drained from his face.
“No, I am not. However, you are ...” the stranger informed.
The man that spoke had short, wooly hair that was whiter than snow. His eyes were a bright hazel color that held hints of orange like they had been kissed by a flame. His skin was like burnished bronze, and his robes were a deep and vibrant red like they had been soaked in blood. His crown atop his head glittered in the moonlight, but the rest of his face was so bright it was hard to make out any other features.
“No!” Draki shrieked and flopped over in his sad attempt to flee.
But he never made it far. His body ignited into flames as a pillar of blazing fire rained down from the sky. One second, the devil and the pillar of fire were there, the next ... they were gone. A hole in the ground surrounded with singed dirt was all that was left behind. Smoke rose up from the opening and cries from within it faded into the night as the pit gradually closed shut, forever sealed.
The crowned man then faced the direction of a newly built faith city, and he drew in a mighty breath. With a grand smile, he headed toward it just as the dawn broke over the horizon.
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Also by Nia Rose
Coven Chronicles
Spellbound and Hellhounds
Spirits of the Black Forest
Smoke, Lies, and Grimoires
Standalone
Horns and Halos (Coming Soon)
Watch for more at Nia Rose’s site.
About the Author
Nia Rose is the author of 3 books in the Coven Chronicles serial, a dual trilogy written along with author Octavia J. Riley. Nia wrote books 1, 3, and 5 in the epic fantasy adventure while her co-author wrote books 2, 4, and 6. The original idea for the books was birthed from excessive amounts of coffee, no sleep, and Polish accented hand puppets.
In 2021, Nia Rose started to outline 3 novels that would be published in the years to follow after the end of the beloved Coven Chronicles series. She and Octavia built an entire world and plan to release future books within the world of Raen but on different continents of the world. Each just as unique and mystical as the series that started it all. But there are countless stories that she still has to tell between those.
A mother of 4 children, Nia Rose is surrounded by creativity and wild imaginations that feed her craft. She is forever telling in-the-moment-spun fairy-tales for her bright, beautiful babies. Almost every moment is an inspiration for a new story.
Nia Rose is fueled by her faith in God and by the love for her family. Oftentimes, she finds herself battling her demons on paper and ever constantly discovering herself through the adventures that she writes. It is her therapy and joy.
Her wish is that her work inspires people to be happy and magical beings that never lose hope and always strive for a better tomorrow.
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Nia Rose, Horns and Halos
