Chereads / SPHINX: A CHASE FOR THE SOUL / Chapter 7 - CHAPTER 6: BROTHERS APART

Chapter 7 - CHAPTER 6: BROTHERS APART

"So this is how you are going to spend your days? On my bloody couch," Amanda throws a pillow at Samuel.

The pillow knocks off the half worn glasses hanging on the bridge of his nose and he opens a pair of drowsy eyes. He found the couch to be a peaceful place to rest his head and of course the beautiful beach view from the balcony of the penthouse was a bonus.

A white table in front of him carries three bottles of Grey goose and half a glass on its glass sturdy legs. He pays no attention to the cool breeze basking his face as he drinks his misery away.

Samuel looks up at the blond who has her hands on her waist and her denim jean jacket dangling on her body as she nag about something that escape his ears.

Slowly the world gets noisy and he feels her voice creep into his ears, "Don't tell me you finished another bloody Grey goose. Sammy, I will kill you if you don't sit up," Amanda shouts at the immortal behaving like a child as he slouch.

"Man. Bro, give me a break," Samuel complains in a lazy voice, "Don't tell me you bloody came here to brood because you couldn't love someone more than yourself," she says.

"Ouch," his eyes dart over to the liquor in the glass.

Amanda catches his eyes move away from their conversation to the table, "If you fucking touch that cup I will chop off your hand," the 5'10ft blond threatens.

Her dark blue eyes focus on the man in a squeezed white T-shirt. He raises his hands in surrender, "Don't worry, I will be good".

"Why did you come here, Sammy?" she asks in a demanding tone, "Your boyfriend decided it was a good idea to have me visit my best friend. Besides, well else I'm I going to go," he says with a smile.

"I am immune to your charms, talk" she says with a stern face, "Fuck, seriously. I met Poseidon while I was ditching Manhattan," he drags his voice into a low growl.

"Don't growl at me. Don't forget who you are talking to," her eyes light up with a blue glow.

"So you didn't want to see Gabriel get all mushy-mushy with the girl of your dreams, big deal" Amanda says.

"Girl of my dreams? But I don't dream. Besides, that's a bit exaggerating" Samuel scoffs, "Says the chicken running from a mortal girl,"  "Love is a scary thing,".

"How would you know? You've never been in love,"

"Says the wench dating a guy who probably has kids in every continent. What are you? His 108th girlfriend? I'm pretty sure love has nothing to do with your union," he sips what's left of the liquor in the glass.

"Bastard, I dare you to say that again," she frowns at him, "I'm kidding, I just wanted to finish my drink" he winks at her and stands up from the couch.

He stretches his hands and back, his neck makes a sound as he bends his neck to the side, "Fuck, that feels good".

"Where are you going?" Amanda asks, "I'm going to take a shower. Except you want me to keep smelling like booze,".

Amanda folds her hands as she frowns heavily at Samuel who walks past her, "Of all the places in the world, he came to my fucking couch. That's fucking expensive," she mumbles.

Samuel leans against the white walls of the bathroom as the cold water from the showers hit his skin. His mind travels back to that night when Rachael died.

He almost gave up on her but thank God Gabriel insisted on bringing in Mary, the witch. She brought Rachael back but it was at a cost, a cost he wasn't willing to pay.

He felt the white light drain Gabriel's immortality but he couldn't stand to see Rachael wake up in his arms.

He wanted it to be him but he couldn't make the sacrifice his brother made.

How are they, he wonders?

The air is hot, the smell of smoke and burning corpses gives the air a foul taste against her tongue. Her eyes turn red and she coughs.

A loud eerie cry fills her ears and she raises her head to see a giant creature with flames all over it's body.

It holds someone familiar in it's grip, it holds Samuel, it squeezes him with it's huge hand of bones and flames.

A blond woman stands in front of them with her hands extended forward and flames flow from her direction to engulf Samuel and the monster.

His screams shatter her heart and tears trickle down her face as she wakes up beside Gabriel.

"What was that?" she thinks as she breathes heavily. It looked like a demon in flames.

She leaves the half naked man on the bed and goes into the bathroom.

Gabriel wakes up feeling stronger than he should. The morning aches he anticipated from his broken ribs did not come. He touches his ribs and his hand but feels no pain.

He begins to loosen the bandage around his hand as Rachael yawns, "Good morning sexy," Rachael greets him. "Why are you removing your bandages?" she asks, "I feel incredible. I feel great like I used to," Gabriel says.

Gabriel turns around and Rachael eyes widen with shock.

The lights shine against his muscular build but what draws her attention are his eyes, those glowing blue eyes.

His wounds are healed.

Gabriel's face lights up with a smile that would put the sun to shame.

"Gabriel, your eyes are glowing. I thought you lost your powers," Rachael says, "So did I, but my injuries are all healed. I don't understand," he says with excitement.

"Fancy a round with the supernatural?" Gabriel winks at her.

"Shouldn't you be worried why your powers have suddenly returned?" Rachael asks.  "From what you told me, giving up your powers was the price for resurrecting me.

If your powers are coming back doesn't it mean something else could be going on," she adds.

"You sound like you don't want me to get my powers back," "How can you say that? You know I want you to have your powers.

It's just that I remember what that reaper said, that we weren't ready for the repercussions and then you became human. Now, your powers are coming back so I'm just worried" Rachael folds her legs on the bed.

Gabriel places his hands on the bed and leans forward; his face is close to hers.

"Don't you worry about that," he smiles at her worried face. "Whatever comes, we will fight through it," he says and places a kiss on her forehead.

"I don't get it. I know I'm new to this supernatural thing but I thought supernatural warnings are to be taken seriously," she says.

"A sphinx is like a cheat, you know. Even death has nothing on us so why should the rules of sacrifice," Gabriel says as he climbs the bed and sits behind her.

He embraces her and plays with her hair as she leans against his chest, "What does that mean?" she asks.

"A sphinx is difficult to kill. You see, a nephilim is born from a human and an angel or fallen angel and that is the unity between a spirit and a physical body.

Most nephilim carry only the physical traits, which is abnormal compared to the normal human physical trait. They have spiritual and psionic awareness but that's where it ends," Gabriel says.

"I'm not following," Rachael is confused, "I'm getting there,".

"A sphinx inherits the physical traits of a human and the spiritual traits of the angel or demon, this allows us to exist in the spirit realm and the physical one at the same time," Gabriel says.

His hand rubs her shoulder softly and traces down to her back, "When you died, I came to you as a lion with wings, that was my sphinx form in the spirit realm," he slides his hand to her waist and kisses her neck.

"How does this make you difficult to kill?" Rachael's voice is low but audible.

"If you kill us in the physical world, we can be resurrected or reborn, we can never really die because we are cursed to protect the treasures for eternity as per the treaty with heaven. We can never cross the threshold between the living and the dead.

There is no heaven or hell for us, unless our treasure is stolen or destroyed," he says.

"That sucks," Rachael gasps as she feels his hand on her thigh.

"How so?" Gabriel asks.

"So, you guys will never really know what heaven or hell is like. You are just stuck between here and the spirit realm, doesn't it hurt watching your loved ones die while you live forever?" Rachael closes her eyes as his touch makes her shiver.

She rests her head on his shoulder as his hands slide into her gown and cups her breast. Her nipples stand erect as she feels the soft texture of his hard squeeze on her nipple. She bites her lip and whimpers at his pinch.

"I don't know. Before now, my only loved one has never been a mortal," "And now?" she looks up at him; "One immortal and one sweet mortal," he places a hand on her chin and raises her head. They lock lips and kiss passionately letting the rest of the world feel insignificant in a tongue tied heaven.

"What are these treasures by the way, gold or diamonds?" she asks, "Don't worry about that. Right now, you are my only treasure".