The Archangels Battle Read online

  COPYRIGHT

  Copyright © 2021 by Juliette N. Banks. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction and imagination. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely one of coincidence. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products and music referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and/or use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Author: Juliette N. Banks

  Editor: Happily Ever Proofreading LLC

  Cover design by: Sheri-Lynn Marean of SLM Creations

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Juliette first published with Random House in 2013. After three decades as a marketer, Juliette felt the time was right to share the stories and characters who were taking up residence in her imagination. 2020 gifted her with the time to write and learn about the independent author landscape, and by early 2021, Juliette had released her first paranormal romance series, the Moretti Blood Brothers, and then the Realm of the Immortals.

  She lives with her Maine coon kitty in Auckland, New Zealand, frequently travels to the United States, and reads the same books as her readers.

  Connect with me:

  www.juliettebanks.com

  https://www.instagram.com/juliettebanksauthor

  https://www.facebook.com/juliettenbanks

  Facebook Readers Group:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorjuliettebanksreaders

  DEDICATION

  To all the exceptional women in my life who have supported me in many ways to become the best possible version of myself.

  You are loved and appreciated. x

  ALSO BY JULIETTE N. BANKS

  The Moretti Blood Brothers

  The Vampire King (Short story)

  The Vampire Prince

  The Vampire Protector

  Realm of the Immortals

  The Archangels Battle (Short story)

  The Archangel’s Heart – Available September 2021

  CONTENTS

  COPYRIGHT

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  DEDICATION

  ALSO BY JULIETTE N. BANKS

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  THE ARCHANGELS HEART

  FREE DOWNLOAD

  CHAPTER ONE

  “PUT YOUR DAMN WINGS away, you show off,” Archangel Gabriel said, rolling his eyes.

  Uriel spread out his large turquoise wings so they slapped Gabriel in the face, and then the two of them leaped into the air, legs kicking out at each other playfully. They both landed on the ground, crouched, and continued to slap and attempt to trip the other up. Uriel caught Gabe in the side of the thigh with his foot and ended up twisted in a full circle for his efforts.

  “Can you two act like grown-ups, please,” Michael ground out. “We’re here on recon, not so you can impress the local goddesses and...”

  “And...?” Raphael raised an eyebrow.

  Michael shook his head and looked around the streets of Olympus. There was a buzz in the air and the reason for it was no secret: Zeus had triumphed once again. This time by defeating the Titans after a decade-long, destructive war. Around them, minor gods and goddesses danced in the cobblestoned street which led up to the drinking establishment the seven archangels were currently heading toward.

  It wasn’t like Michael didn’t know he was leading his brothers into a sexual playground. After ten years away from Olympus, they were all eager to reunite with their favorite sexy goddesses and stretch their wings—so to speak. And he had no issue with that. But first, he wanted them to focus on their reason for being here.

  Zeus.

  Or at least Zeus’s next target. Because if there was one thing Michael knew, it was that the father of the gods always had another conquest in sight and would never stop warring in the heavens. Were the archangels powerful enough to stop him? Yes. Could they?

  That answer was a little more complicated.

  God—the real God, their Father—had one simple rule: free will. And unfortunately for Michael, that included Zeus’s.

  Michael’s instincts were loudly telling him to keep a close eye on the Olympians, so he’d brought the archangels to Olympus to get closer to the gossip and find out what they were up to. If they were lucky, the arrogant gods would do something really stupid, giving him the opportunity to get a little rough with them. He might be the Lord Protector, but beating up a smart-mouthed god or two was one of his favorite things to do.

  “Get our rocks off?”

  “Have some schizzle with our dizzle?”

  “Who actually says that?” someone asked.

  “Play hide the sausage?”

  Michael grinned. “Just stay focused on the job, you clown, and then you can hide your damn sausages anywhere you want.”

  Raphael snorted.

  The truth was, all seven of them were powerful archangels committed to protecting the realm of the immortals, Heaven, and the mortal beings God had created.

  Watching the battle of the gods had been frustrating and infuriating, especially when their fighting had extended down to Earth. Michael had sent angel warriors and a number of other celestial beings to protect the beasts and humans, but there had still been casualties. Fortunately, it was the 1800s, and the advancements in science were underway on Earth.

  Free will.

  A blessing and a curse.

  “Oh, come on,” Gabriel said, nudging his arm. “Live it up a little, Mr. Serious.”

  He raised his eyebrow, then hooked the tall, blond archangel into a headlock, receiving a punch in the kidneys. Barely hurt. Mostly.

  “Save the showing off for the ladies.” Michael laughed, squeezing harder, and only released his grip when he heard Gabe gasp. Didn’t hurt to remind them who was boss.

  They turned the corner, and the well-known drinking establishment, The Fat Angel, came into view. Olympian humor, which clearly sucked. Musicians played and bodies swayed all around the waterfront venue.

  If we are to get their tongues wagging, we need to relax and fit in, Michael.

  He nodded.

  Raphael was right. It was no surprise the archangel of healing had telepathed him privately; the two of them were tight. Michael loved all his brothers, but he was closest to Raphael.

  You’re right. I’m just on edge.

  None of us trust Zeus.

  “Eyes and ears open, boys. And don’t forget the meeting with Father tomorrow,” Michael reminded them, glancing around at his six brothers. All of them were tall, broad, and commanding.

  “Great. So we’re a million years old and have a curfew.” Jophiel laughed.

  “Dude, you can’t count. Zads, how old are we exactly?” Chamuel asked.

  Zadkiel was their resident intellectual. He could remember eons of memories, which came in handy because most of them didn’t. It was useful to have som
eone eager to keep records and memories when you’d been alive forever, so Zadkiel—or Zads, as they called him and he hated—was their go-to archangel.

  As they stepped into the bar, Michael turned to Gabriel. “Grab the big table over by the windows. Uriel and I will get the drinks.”

  He watched as Gabriel, Raphael, Chamuel, Jophiel, and Zadkiel made their way across the bar, their enormous bodies drawing attention like they did wherever they went. The climate on Olympus was tropical, so everyone was scantily dressed in light fabrics. The archangels themselves only wore cloths covering their nether regions and top of their thick, muscular legs. Most of them had markings on their arms and chest, similar to human tattoos.

  The open garden bar was spacious, with tall marble tables, barstools, and plants scattered around. The sun had begun to fade, and candles began flickering as they were lit by the waitstaff. The atmosphere was sexually charged, as it always was. Michael found it difficult to ignore the tug at his groin even as his spine tingled with knowledge he had yet to grasp.

  Hell, he could multitask just like his brothers. He looked around at the minor goddesses making googly eyes at him. Michael knew he was the ultimate bachelor. In fact, he was the eternal bachelor. All the archangels were. They never mated or took a wife, as other species did; something they had to remind others of. The desire to snag an archangel seemed to be a never-ending challenge.

  Michael loved sex. He fucking loved it. But he was also the Supreme Archangel, and he took his role of protecting God’s creatures seriously. Yes, all living beings.

  No fucking pressure.

  Letting his guard down wasn’t something Michael did often, or lightly. He found time to share pleasure with a female from time to time; angels and goddesses, usually. But never humans. He was the only one of his brothers who refrained from sex with a male or female from Earth. He had no explanation why.

  Well, he had one theory, but he couldn’t think about that right now.

  Michael leaned his elbow on the bar next to Uriel while they waited to be served.

  “Archangel Michael,” the server said. “What can I get for you?”

  There was little respect in his voice, and he wasn’t surprised. The Olympians as a race had a natural desire for power. They saw Zeus as the all-powerful, and mostly resented the presence of the archangels; especially the males, who gave them dirty looks when they swept in and pleasured their females, then left them wanting more.

  He ignored the guy’s attitude. Tonight, he needed wagging tongues, and this male’s would not be one of them.

  “Hello, am I invisible?” Uriel interjected, his arms outstretched, grinning. “Another archangel here, my man. Get us twelve jugs of ambrosia.” As the Olympian rolled his eyes and disappeared to fulfill their order, Uriel leaned against the bar, all casual.

  Michael frowned. “Why twelve?”

  Uri shrugged. “I figured three jugs in each hand. Twelve. Just seemed a more economical way of...” His voice tapered off.

  Michael turned to see what had caused Uriel’s eyes to bulge. Goddesses.

  And one in particular, as far as Uriel was concerned.

  Aphrodite.

  Michael watched the goddess approach them. A dark red gown hung loosely on her body, plunging at the neckline and then tying under her breasts. Her arms were adorned with silver bangles, and a large red ruby was on her hand.

  Behind her was Artemis, goddess of wild nature.

  Aphrodite looked him up and down briefly before casting her eyes upon Uriel. Fire blazed in them as she stepped into his personal space.

  “Goddess,” Uriel purred and placed a hand on her hips.

  “Archangel,” she purred in return and slowly rose on her tiptoes to land a purposeful kiss on his lips. She lingered, then slid down his chest. Uriel seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

  Idiot.

  She turned to face him. “Archangel Michael, you grace us with your presence. It has been a long while, hasn’t it, Artemis?”

  He ignored the snide judgment in her voice and took the high road. “Aphrodite. Artemis. You are both looking well.”

  “I am a goddess, Michael. I don’t look well.” Aphrodite snorted. His eyebrows made a half-hearted attempt to rise before he decided not to bother. It was too much effort.

  “Don’t rankle him, Aphrodite. He looks to be in a good mood tonight,” Artemis said, flicking her dark curls over her shoulder before running a hand across the top of her fleshy breast.

  “Am I?” he asked.

  Artemis rubbed her body against his as she leaned across the bar, helping herself to one of their jugs of ambrosia. She took a sip, froth coating her top lip, and licked it off slowly. All while holding his gaze. “Yes,” she purred.

  His cock twitched before he could stop himself. He narrowed his eyes, and she grinned.

  “Where have you been, lover?” He heard Aphrodite ask his brother. When he turned, he saw her bejeweled hand drawing circles on Uriel’s pec. He cringed inwardly. Somehow, the powerful archangel turned into a puppy in the presence of this female.

  “Doing archangel stuff while you’ve been at war,” Uriel answered.

  “Yes, and I was terrific. You should have seen me.”

  Uriel gripped her chin and studied her face. “Were you harmed?”

  “I do have a little boo-boo you might need to look at later.”

  Gag.

  Michael glanced down at Artemis, who was smirking. The arrogance of the Olympians was alive and well in both goddesses tonight. While it irritated the fuck out of him, he couldn’t deny it made some of them excellent lovers. He’d decide as the night went on whether he could be bothered spending the energy. The swell of her breasts and the way her skin shimmered in the light were tempting his twitchy fingers. Instead, he picked up a jug of his own.

  “Have you been well, Michael?” she asked.

  “I have,” he replied. “Congratulations on your success. Zeus, your father, must be pleased.”

  “Oh yes.” She grinned. “He’s calling it the Great War.”

  Of course he is.

  “I have no doubt,” he responded cynically, knowing it would go over her head. Everything was the greatest, biggest, most enormous, or amazing in Zeus’s world, also known as narcissist land.

  “He will one day be a prominent leader across the universe,” she continued before catching herself. “I mean, I’m sure there will be an agreement with Heaven.”

  “With Heaven?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light.

  “Yes, when—”

  “Sister!” Aphrodite interrupted them suddenly. “Let us sit.”

  Whether or not she’d overheard their conversation, Michael wasn’t sure, but having the two high-ranking goddesses at their table and filling them with ambrosia was an excellent strategy to loosen their lips further. And attracting the goddesses’ brothers when they showed up.

  Aphrodite hooked an arm through Uriel’s and walked off. Artemis winked at him and followed, her ass waggling sexily. Through the nearly sheer white fabric, he could all but make out the shape of her ass and see her crack. He narrowed his eyes. She spun and grinned at him, and it was then he noticed the dark shape of her nipples.

  His cock twitched.

  Oh, well, when in Rome.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “HEY, GORGEOUS,” JOPHIEL greeted, spinning Artemis around like a ballerina. “It’s been ages.”

  She giggled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. “Soooo long. Will you dance with me tonight?”

  “You betcha!”

  Michael groaned and moved around the table to sit beside Raphael. Three more goddesses joined them, and the evening got into full swing.

  After that little nugget of information from Artemis, he was feeling more confident that his instincts were right. Zeus was up to something. Michael had suspected the win against the Titans would give Zeus a false sense of confidence, and if what the goddess had hinted at was true, he was now aiming to conquer mor
e worlds and civilizations. Was Heaven on his list? If so, the guy was in huge denial.

  Zeus believed himself the veritable god. Father of the gods, he called himself. And that was true to a point, but he was not the creator of all things. He had always denied God’s existence, believing the archangels could be destroyed. That was his first mistake. And if Michael had his way, it would be his last.

  Between Zeus and his loudmouthed son Ares, the god of war, his patience was tested like no other.

  Three jugs later, and he was feeling far more relaxed.

  “She’s looking good. You can’t deny that,” Raphael said, nodding toward Artemis.

  “I cannot.”

  Her midlength, curly dark hair bounced around her shoulders as she twirled and danced, casting him flirtatious glances. Michael realized he’d been watching her too, albeit in his usual broody way.

  “If Apollo shows up, your opportunity will be gone. Just saying.”

  “It’s weird that none of the gods have shown up tonight, isn’t it? They know we’re here,” Gabriel interjected as he sat down beside them.

  “Indeed.”

  As soon as the archangels had landed, news would have spread. Seven archangels flying into their airspace with enormous, colorful wings did not go unnoticed. Unless they hid their presence, which they hadn’t.

  “In any case, Apollo doesn’t control his twin.” Michael was surprised he’d defended the goddess, and realized his mistake when he caught his brother’s exchanging grins. “What?”

  They both shrugged, grinned wider, and looked away with equal mutters of no, nothing.

  He stood and tossed back the last of his jug.

  “Perhaps you two should go digging for information instead of concerning yourselves with the future of my cock.”

  Gabriel gagged. “Ugh, Christ, thanks for that visual.”

  Michael laughed and slapped his brother on the back. “See that Uriel gets out alive,” he said, an in-house immortal joke which never got old.

  Michael glanced at the goddess, her eyes seductively working their way over his body as she swayed to the music. He was the largest of the archangels, standing six foot five with a solid mass of muscle and, when he let them out, enormous white wings. He crossed the space between them and took the jug out of her hand, placing it on the table.