Between Heaven and Hell
by David Burnett
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
When Adryel follows Lucifer in his
rebellion, she loses Ramael, the one she loves, and everything else she holds
dear. How can he still love her when, as the Mistress of Hell, she has done
more to thwart Adonai’s plan for humanity than all the other fallen angels
combined?
Adryel
stood on the portico above the Great Gates, looking into Palace Square. The
gates rose almost ten meters above the last step in the Grand Stairway and from
her vantage point on the floor above, she could view the crowd that carpeted
the open square and spilled onto the steps of the buildings on either side.
Banners flew from the towers, trumpeters lined the palace steps, and soldiers
stood at parade rest beside the gates, their polished, gold armor sparkling in
the midday light.
The
clock in the tower struck, and, as she watched, the procession of the
archangels emerged from the tall, gray Chancery building. Led by the
chancellor, himself, dressed in the silver robes of his office, it proceeded in
a straight line toward the Grand Stairway. Swinging his verge—a long, black,
silver-tipped staff—back and forth before him, the chancellor cleared a path
for the eight archangels and their aides, all of whom followed in single file.
Uriel,
president of the Council of the Archangels, wearing a golden robe trimmed in
purple, led the group. Behind him strode Michael, commander of the army. He was
accompanied by Ramael, his aide and second in command. Both wore robes of
midnight blue. The red sash across Ramael’s chest identified him as the
superintendent of the city’s guard, and, seeing Ramael, Adryel smiled. He
looked quite handsome.
She
started to raise her hand to wave, but thought better of it. He likely would
not see her even if she did.
Lucifer,
attired in his black academic gown, a reminder that he was dean of the
Institute—the angelic college located in the southwest quadrant of Celestial
City—strutted across the square as if he owned it, giving the impression that
the others, archangels and spectators alike, were present simply because he
tolerated them.
Adryel’s
heart was pounding. Even though it had been a decade since she had witnessed
the parade from the square itself, she could sense the excitement of those who
were there today.
Gabriel
was clothed in pure, glistening white. Adonai’s messenger, his movements were
fluid and graceful, and he seemed to glide over the pavement rather than walk
across it like the others. Raphael wore a green robe, Chamuel’s was pink,
Jophiel’s, a pale yellow, and Zadkiel was attired in violet. The colors
reminded Adryel of the wild flowers in the meadow she passed each morning as
she left home.
The
procession crept across the square, the archangels’ colorful robes contrasting
vividly with the plain white ones of the ordinary angels who moved aside to
allow them to pass. From her perch high above, Adryel imagined the line of
archangels to be a multicolored caterpillar inching its way through the tufts
of a fluffy white towel. She chuckled at the thought. She would have to
remember to tell Ramael.
On
this day the procession was for a specially convened meeting of the Council of
the Archangels—the group that governed the city and the surrounding
territories. No one in the square, including the archangels, knew the reason
for the meeting, and gossip ran rampant throughout the city.
We recently moved to our new
home near Charleston, South Carolina. Three of my four books are set in Charleston,
and I’ve always enjoyed the Carolina beaches. I now have the opportunity to
walk on the beach almost every day and to photography the ocean, the sea birds,
and the marshes that I love.
I love photography, and I
have photographed subjects as varied as prehistoric ruins on the islands of
Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, and a Native American powwow. My wife and I
have traveled widely in the United States and the United Kingdom. During trips
to Scotland, we visited Crathes Castle, the ancestral home of the Burnett
family near Aberdeen, and Kismul Castle on Barra, the home of my McNeil
ancestors.
I went to school for much
longer than I want to admit, and I have degrees in psychology and education. In
an “earlier life” I was director of research for our state’s education
department.
The book is on sale for $0.99 during the
tour.
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David will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a
randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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