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After the Fall by L.G. Castillo
(Broken Angel #2)
Publication date: September 15th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Synopsis:
There’s a Spanish proverb that says, “From the thorn and the pain, a flower is born.” Naomi Duran never really understood what that meant until she became an archangel.
Finally reunited with the love of her life, Naomi thought she had everlasting love and happiness in Heaven. Even with the rebellious Lash by her side, she learns that life as an archangel isn’t easy.
When secrets of the past are finally revealed, tempers flare, brother is pitted against brother, and Naomi and Lash face the greatest threat to their relationship: choosing among love, family, or duty.
In the end, can this family of broken angels forgive past mistakes, or will they carry the thorn in their hearts forever, ripping their family apart?
Finally reunited with the love of her life, Naomi thought she had everlasting love and happiness in Heaven. Even with the rebellious Lash by her side, she learns that life as an archangel isn’t easy.
When secrets of the past are finally revealed, tempers flare, brother is pitted against brother, and Naomi and Lash face the greatest threat to their relationship: choosing among love, family, or duty.
In the end, can this family of broken angels forgive past mistakes, or will they carry the thorn in their hearts forever, ripping their family apart?
Excerpt:
After
the Fall Copyright © 2013 by L.G Castillo.
All
rights reserved.
CHAPTER 1
Rachel’s
cloak fluttered as she sped through the dark tunnel. He was there. She could
feel him.
Shivering,
her fingers fumbled with the heavy material as she drew it closer to her body.
Puffs of white drifted from her mouth as she panted, trying to catch her
breath. With each step she took, it was as if her angelic powers were being
drained away. She stopped and slumped against the damp wall of the cave, unable
to take another step. Could she do this? Even if she managed to reach him,
would she have any power left to save him?
Gabrielle
had warned her it would be like this, but Rachel had dismissed her, especially
when she first stepped into Hell. It looked just like home! Lush grass and
fragrant flowers lined the landscape as far as she could see. Snowcapped
mountains stood as a backdrop against the clear blue skies—even the stream was
located in the same exact spot as in Heaven. If it wasn’t for the unnerving
feeling in the pit of her stomach and the hairs that stood on the back of her
neck, she would have sworn she was home.
Considering
Lucifer held his captives at the Lake of Fire, she had assumed Hell was a vast
empty land of sweltering heat. It wasn’t until she found the cave hidden behind
a waterfall that she finally understood what Gabrielle meant about not letting
her guard down. The cave was frigid. The icy air seemed to seep into her pores
and deep into her bones, causing her teeth to chatter uncontrollably.
She
wished Gabrielle had given her more information about what to expect. She
would’ve dressed warmer. Gabrielle had only gone once, and she had waited on
the outer boundaries of the cave. According to her, one time had been enough.
It had taken her days to recover from the experience.
Only
Raphael knew what Hell was really like. He had made Gabrielle wait for him
while he bravely went through the deepest depths of the cave to reach the lake.
He was the only person she knew of who had gone down and returned—alive.
If
only she could have asked Raphael about what to expect and how to prepare. She
sighed. If she had, there was no way she could’ve slipped away unnoticed. She
would’ve been reported to Michael and more than likely, would’ve been put on
watch until it was too late.
A
sob escaped her at the thought of his death. She slapped a hand over her mouth,
horrified as the sound echoed in the darkness, bouncing off the walls. Her body
shook as she wrestled with the thought of losing him. She had to pull herself
together. If she were caught, it would be the end for both of them.
Her
feet scraped across the floor of the cave as she trudged forward in the
darkness. As she rounded a corner, she came up to a pair of tunnels.
Which way should I go? Her eyes watered, and she bit
down on her lip, frustrated. She was tired. So tired. If she chose the wrong
one, she didn’t know if she would be able to make it down the second. Time was
running out. She had to make a choice, now!
She
was about to go down the tunnel to her left when she heard a moan from the
right.
It’s him!
She
raced toward the sound with renewed energy, and within minutes, she came into a
large cavern. Heat slammed against her body, making her cringe in pain from the
abrupt change in temperature. She stopped suddenly, her arms flailing out as
she tried to regain her balance and not fall into the molten lava that appeared
right before her eyes threatening to singe the tips of her toes.
The lake!
Immense
heat blurred her vision, and she rubbed her eyes. All she could see was a sea
of red heat. Where is he?
Searching
through the haze, she finally saw a faint figure, motionless. She blinked again
and gasped when her eyes finally focused.
No! It can’t be him.
Across the lake, chained to the wall, naked,
was the one person in her life who she couldn’t be without. The one person for
whom she would defy the orders of the most high of archangels just so she could
save him.
Uriel.
Tears
spilled down her heated cheeks as she took in his once magnificent body,
scorched by the lava that splashed onto his skin. His beautiful downy-white
wings were now a grotesque black. With each movement he made, feathers turned
to ash and fluttered lifelessly to the ground.
“Uriel,”
she croaked.
Uriel
lifted his head, and pained eyes looked back at her, a startling blue against
the black of his charred face. “No,” he groaned. “Leave. Leave now. He’ll be
here—”
The cave rumbled, and lava sprouted into the
air. A splattering of the searing liquid fell onto his chest. He arched his
back and screeched.
“I’m
coming, Uriel!” She tore off her cloak and flicked her wings open.
“It’s too late for me,” he rasped. “Don’t do
this.”
“No,
it’s not. I don’t care what the others say. You’ve redeemed yourself. You
deserve another chance.”
He
looked deep into her eyes. “Forgive me. I’m unworthy of you.”
“There
is nothing to forgive. I love you.”
Desperate
to find a way to get to him, Rachel looked around the cavern. She swallowed
hard as she flit her wings and with all the strength she could muster,
propelled herself into the air. She was only able to get herself a couple of
feet off the ground. It was as if an invisible barrier was holding her down.
Frantically, she looked around for another way to get to him and saw a narrow
stone path with lava washing across it. There was no other way to him.
With
all her might, she pushed herself upward, trying to get distance from the fiery
liquid. The cave shook again, and a wave of lava slammed against the walls,
sending droplets of lava flying into the air and onto her wings.
She
wailed in pain and began to fall.
“No,
Rachel. Go back,” Uriel moaned.
Before
Rachel could tell him there was no way she was leaving him, she felt a rush of
air on her back. An arm wrapped tightly around her waist and yanked her away
from the lake, away from Uriel.
“Take
her…Gabrielle,” Uriel gasped. “Keep her…safe.”
“You
have my word,” Gabrielle said as she tightened her hold on Rachel.
“No!”
Rachel screamed, struggling against Gabrielle’s steel-like arms. “Let me go.
Let. Me. Go!”
Rachel
stretched out her arms as if just by doing so, she could hold on to him.
“Uriel! Uriel!”
Just as Gabrielle flew out of the cavern, a
loud thunderclap rocked the cave, and the sound of his screams ripped through
her, mixing with her own.
Then,
silence.
He’s gone.
She
fell limply into Gabrielle’s arms as they flew back through the frigid tunnel.
The cold spread to her face, her hands, and then crept into her heart and the
deepest part of her soul until there was nothing left except a dark numbness.
It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
When
they flew out of the waterfall and into the sunlight, she stared lifelessly at
the clouds drifting overhead. And though the sun shone down on her face, she
couldn’t feel its warmth. She doubted if she would ever feel it again. The cold
emptiness in her heart would be there forever because Uriel was dead.
Purchase Links:
Lash by L.G. Castillo
Series: Broken Angel #1
Publication date: May 6th, 2013
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Series: Broken Angel #1
Publication date: May 6th, 2013
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Synopsis:
Decades after being banished from Heaven for saving a life he shouldn’t have, Lash is given a chance to redeem himself. His mission: protect Naomi Duran, a young woman who has lost her faith. The assignment proves to be anything but simple when his superiors, the Archangels, withhold key information about Naomi and refuse to restore Lash’s powers. When an unexpected source reveals centuries-old secrets, his trust is shaken to the core, and he begins to doubt those whom he had once considered to be his greatest allies.
Determined to avoid anything that would risk his chances of returning to Heaven, Lash struggles with the greatest obstacle of all—his growing feelings for Naomi. But when her life is threatened by an unknown source, Lash questions the wisdom of the Archangels and his ability to keep her safe.
Soon, Lash will have to choose where to place his faith—in the home he has fought so hard to regain or in the forbidden love he can’t bear to lose.
Determined to avoid anything that would risk his chances of returning to Heaven, Lash struggles with the greatest obstacle of all—his growing feelings for Naomi. But when her life is threatened by an unknown source, Lash questions the wisdom of the Archangels and his ability to keep her safe.
Soon, Lash will have to choose where to place his faith—in the home he has fought so hard to regain or in the forbidden love he can’t bear to lose.
Purchase Links:
AUTHOR BIO
L.G. (Linda) Castillo wrote her first story when she was ten and has been writing ever since. She took a break from writing fiction and poetry to focus on obtaining her Ph.D. in counseling psychology. She is now a licensed psychologist and currently works as a professor at a Texas university. Although she has published her psychological research in several professional journals and books, her dream has always been to publish a novel. Lash is her debut novel and was written during the 2012 National Novel Writing Month event.
Author Links:
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