Astrals Assemble: The Astrals Series, #2

By Maggy Gould

Ten years after the events of The Atonement Demon, Lilith's plan to rid the Earth of evildoers is progressing well. But her team of Demons are run off their feet, and the Astrals of Heaven can only do so much to help. There's still so much to do, so many abhorrent humans to annihilate.

A new radical idea comes to Lilith - one which involves seeing far into the future and stopping crimes before they happen.

Lilith needs the help of the All-seers - Astrals with a specific and special type of power. She already knows one All-seer, but the rest are spread far and wide... and not all of them want to be found.

Lilith puts together a team of trusted friends to seek out the All-seers. Some head for another soul sanctuary. Some head for another planet. Lilith heads for Supremasis, the domain of the Astral governing body. Can she get all the Astrals to help her and work together when they can't even trust each other?

Astrals Assemble is an adventure through space and two universes. It is the second book in the Astrals Series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maggy Gould
• Release date: Mar 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224719969

Maggy Gould

Maggy Gould is a fantasy/sci-fi author who enjoys world-building. She creates stories in mystical realms and far-off planets, with diverse characters (some human, some not). An avid reader herself, she is particularly inspired by fairy tales and sci-fi epics. She lives with her family in Cheshire.

Book preview

Chapter 1

There were nineteen of them in the cave, and they each sensed something bad was about to happen.

Some had been there for just a few hours, others for nearly three weeks. Men and women of different ages, different walks of life. All British. Complete strangers.

One by one, they had been taken from their homes at night, bound, gagged and blindfolded, and brought here. Their captor hadn’t told them where ‘here’ was – in fact, their captor had barely spoken – but they knew they were by a coast; they had heard waves splashing on rocks as they were being bundled out of the van.

Once inside the cave, their restraints had been removed and they were told to wait. Then they were left there.

No one spoke. They spent most of their time asleep. Although when they awoke, food and water was waiting for them. And another prisoner.

No one tried to escape. The cave was completely sealed. Even the opening they’d used had disappeared as soon as their captor left, leaving no trace it had ever been there. And they were so sleepy all the time. They used the abundant supply of pillows and blankets, softer and more luxurious than anything they’d used before. There was nothing else in the cave, which was comfortably warm. Plenty of air to breathe. Lighting not too harsh, not too dim, and coming from somewhere high above their heads.

But now they were all awake and alert. For the first time since coming here, the prisoners stood in one group in the centre of the cave, silent and anxious. Terrified. They knew something, someone, was coming.

And she did.

One side of the cave disappeared completely. It was dark outside, but they heard the sea close by, felt a cold breeze blowing into the cave, noticed the scent of seaweed wafting in.

A tall woman stood in the opening, and she took a couple of steps forward, just enough so they could see her properly. She was dressed in jeans, white boots and a fluffy orange faux fur jacket. Her long, softly-curled blonde hair had streaks of copper running through the ends. She was beautiful.

They all stared at her, mesmerised.

Lilith stared at each of them in turn, and did a quick final check. She delved into their minds, saw exactly what they had done and what they would do in the immediate future. As expected, all were horrible human beings. None deserved a reprieve.

Begone, begone, begone.

They all opened their mouths to protest – they always protested – and then they were gone in a flash of orange light.

Annihilated.

Without a second thought, Lilith turned and left, nearly bumping into a tall blond-haired man. He was carrying a bound, gagged and blindfolded woman over his shoulder. He glanced at the empty space.

Am I too late?

Lilith smiled. Not at all.

He put the woman down just inside the cave. Don’t suppose there’s much point untying her.

Not really. Just leave her there, Elideer, thanks.

Elideer stepped away from the woman, looked at Lilith, then moved even further away.

Lilith had to suppress a smile. Even after all this time – what had it been, ten Earth years? – nearly all her fellow Demons, along with most of the Astrals, always gave her and her intended victims a wide berth before she carried out an annihilation. Only Aden and Godivia had no problem being close while it was happening. She had given up explaining to the others they were perfectly safe.

So what do we have here then? Lilith reached inside the prone woman’s mind and found a litany of violent crime, abuse and bullying. Two of the woman’s more horrific acts had led to the suicides of her victims. Another had seen someone else in jail for something she had done. The worst was yet to come, though. Three weeks from now, this woman would visit her son’s high school with a knife in her bag and slit the throat of the teacher who had refused her offer of sex as payment for her child’s school trip. There would be no reprieve for this one either.

Begone.

The woman’s body vanished. Her soul, which would ordinarily be arriving in Afterworld about now, was erased from all existence too. She had been well and truly annihilated.

Elideer blinked, then looked quickly at his hands to reassure himself he was still very much in existence.

Lilith rolled her eyes. For goodness’ sake.

Sorry, Lilith. Can’t help it, he thought to her.

They walked side by side out of the cave, which immediately became a pile of rocks thanks to Lilith. This particular holding cell was no longer needed.

They scaled the boulders easily, as sure-footed as mountain goats, until they reached the coastal path.

Where are you off to next then? Elideer asked.

Lilith stuck her hands in her jacket pockets. I’m going back to Heaven for a break.

Yeah, don’t blame you.

Lilith gave him a concerned look. You have a break too, OK?

Yes, Mum. Elideer grinned.

Seriously, Elideer, you know that dealing with humans for too long can affect your wellbeing.

Elideer sighed. Yeah, even with our amazing Demon powers and protective shields, the bastards still get to us.

Why don’t you come to Heaven with me? It’s been a while since you were back.

I will, thanks. A thoughtful look passed over his face. Actually, I’d like to go down to Cornwall first. Do some night-time surfing.

Lilith smiled. It’s been a while since you did that too. Have a great time.

Thanks, Lilith. See you later.

Elideer trotted off towards his van. Lilith knew he’d make it disappear as he’d be using another mode of transport to get to Cornwall. Sure enough, seconds later there was a streak of bright green light in the black sky as Elideer flew over Lilith in his skysuit. Originally invented by Lilith – and inspired by Iron Man! – in her early days as a Demon, all the Demons used skysuits now as a fast and efficient way of getting around. Lilith still hadn’t succeeded in making the flying suits invisible, so they were mainly used at night.

She waved at Elideer, then decided she wouldn’t rush back either. She sat down, letting her feet dangle over the edge of the cliff, and looked out at the sea far below. She conjured up a large mug of hot sweet tea and sipped from it thoughtfully.

Had it really been ten years since the Beginning? Doesn’t time fly when you’re changing the world!

Lilith smiled to herself. It had indeed been ten years, at least here on Earth. (Time worked differently in Heaven, of course, and the rest of Energis.) Ten years since she had received the Demon energy blast that turned her powers into superpowers, meaning she could wipe out any immortal being – human soul, Astral, Demon – just by thinking about it. Ten years since she had brought about the destruction of Hell and annihilated the millions of evil souls residing in that prison. Ten years since she had tried to annihilate Lucifer, the King of Hell, too, before he had been whisked away by the Supremasis Astrals and locked up in their prison.

The Demons, liberated from Lucifer, their controlling, vindictive creator, called it the Beginning. It signalled a fresh start for everyone, including the Earth. The Demons, led by Lilith, and the Astrals of Heaven, led by Godivia, had banded together to make one amazing team. In just a few short years, they had made the Earth a better place. But it took a lot of work, and there was still so much to do.

Lilith finished her tea, made her mug disappear, then stood up and stretched her arms.

Time to go.

She needed to have a proper discussion – not too lengthy, of course – with Godivia and the others about what should be done next.

She touched the selenite heart pendant she wore underneath her fluffy jacket, and thought of Aden. I’m on my way home now.

The response was immediate. See you in a bit, my love.

Lilith moved away from the cliff’s edge just as a tall column of orange light appeared on the coastal path. She stepped into it straight away.

Chapter 2

Lilith emerged in Afterworld and kept walking, along a grey path through grey trees. As ever, the sky above her was grey. She had once brought up the subject of brightening up the place, but no one had seemed bothered so she hadn’t mentioned it again. She had enough on her plate anyway.

Straight ahead was one thing that had changed. Where once had been a simple tree stump now stood a small bright yellow wooden house, complete with a veranda covered in fairy lights. Rows of garish garden gnomes sat on the steps leading up to the veranda, and a red metal sign reading ‘Kenroth’s Man Cave’ hung over the door. The man himself sat on the porch in a rocking chair, engrossed in a Spider-Man comic.

Hey, Kenroth, Lilith hailed him.

Kenroth looked up and grinned. He dropped his comic and bounded down the steps to greet her. Lilith prepared herself for the bear hug that was coming.

Hello, gorgeous!

Giggling, she disentangled herself from his grip, then pointed at his bright yellow onesie. Very subtle.

He pointed at her bright orange jacket. You can talk.

Lilith conjured up a garden gnome with a yellow hat, green trousers and red jacket with pink and purple spots.

She handed it to Kenroth. Another one for your collection.

Thanks, honey. Kenroth placed it near the others.

He stepped back and looked at his home appraisingly. Time for a change, I think.

The entire house turned fuchsia, as did Kenroth’s onesie.

Lilith blinked. Whoa, you’re going to give me a migraine.

I’m just doing what no one else wants to do and adding some colour to this place, Kenroth said jovially. Especially as I’m the one who has to sit here. Not like the rest of you swanning about in Heaven.

You have such a hard life, Lilith teased.

He gave her a wink. Not as hard as it used to be, thanks to you.

Lilith looked behind him at a small clearing. How many have we got in the pit at the moment?

Only three hundred and fifty-seven. I’ve had a good run recently. The last few souls have either been good or I’ve sent them back for reincarnation. Talking of which...

Lilith followed his gaze and turned to see a middle-aged man with long white hair in a ponytail walking slowly towards them.

Kenroth looked at him intently. Hmm. Another one for reincarnation I think, but I need to be sure.

I’ll leave you to it then.

But Kenroth was already focused on the new arrival, a human soul, seeing every detail of the man’s past, his entire life before he had died on Earth, before deciding whether he deserved a second chance at life or whether he should remain in Afterworld in one of two places – Heaven or the pit. Kenroth judged all the adult human souls who came here. Only the souls of human babies and young children, as well as those of animals and plants, were not judged and received an automatic pass to Heaven.

Lilith wasn’t interested in taking a peek into the man’s Earthly life. If Kenroth decided it, she’d be seeing him soon enough anyway. She walked towards the clearing.

A huge metal grille was embedded in the dusty grey ground, surrounded by a circle of grey rocks. Lilith stepped through a gap between the stones and looked down into the vast pit beneath the bars. Three hundred and fifty-seven faces looked up at her – the souls of men and women, different ages and ethnicities, all reeking of evil. This was the holding cell where wicked human souls were kept before Lilith dealt with them all. The despicable humans of Earth no longer went to Hell when they died. There was no longer a prison to house them for all eternity. No more endless torture, as there had been under Lucifer. Now there was just a short period of waiting, followed by oblivion. Annihilation.

Lilith, chosen by Nature for this very task, was the only one who could do this. It didn’t even occur to anyone else to try, or ask if they could somehow learn, or seek a way to find the power needed to annihilate souls. This was her responsibility and hers alone.

The metal grille slid open silently, and the man Lilith had just seen was thrown into the pit by an invisible force. No reincarnation for this one then. Kenroth had seen something he didn’t like.

As the bars closed again, Lilith didn’t bother checking to see what he’d done that had been so terrible. She didn’t bother checking any of the other souls there. If Kenroth decided they deserved to be here, then that was good enough for her. He was the Judge after all, an All-seeing Astral, and he had been doing this for a very long time.

Begone, begone, begone.

The pit was filled with a flash of orange light, then all its inhabitants were annihilated.

Lilith picked her way through the rocks again and went further into the forest. If Kenroth sent any more souls to the pit now, they would have to wait.

She came to another clearing, this one much larger, and smiled to herself. The enormous gold structure, which seemed to fill every bit of space in front of her, never failed to impress her. The arched gates, with pearls embedded in the frame above them, opened as she approached, as if welcoming her home.

When she’d returned to Earth as a new Demon, she’d created a luxurious underground home for herself and Aden, somewhere they could both relax and be hidden from the ever-watchful Lucifer. Since the Beginning and all that had transpired so quickly afterwards, she no longer needed a permanent residence on Earth. At the invitation of Godivia, she had created a home in Heaven close to the Golden Palace where her spirit babies spent a lot of time. Also at the invitation of Godivia, Lilith was a member of the High Council. She was due to join one of their meetings soon.

First though, she wanted to see Aden and her little ones.

Lilith entered the circular hall lined with doors, and again one opened for her. She stepped through and was immediately filled with love, peace and positivity. Heaven, Earth’s soul sanctuary, was a beautiful, colourful, happy place, and Lilith was so grateful she too could call it home.

She set off across the vivid emerald grass, her eyes once again taking in the splendour of the rainbow-coloured flowers and shrubs that surrounded her, the sparkling turquoise sky that was above her, the rolling hills and picturesque lakes in the distance. She would never get tired of this view.

Lilith hadn’t gone far when a camel came up to her.

Need a lift? Like all souls, the camel did not speak out loud and communicated solely via telepathy.

That would be great, Brian. Thank you, Lilith responded.

The camel crouched down and Lilith jumped onto him easily, settling between his two humps.

As Brian set off, Lilith sensed he had some news he wanted to share.

Go on then, she prompted.

The camel’s thick lips spread into a huge grin. Guess who’s just won the Crystal Chess Tournament?

Lilith patted Brian’s neck. Well done!

I thrashed Felicity in the final. It was awesome!

Lilith didn’t bat an eyelid at the news that a camel played chess and had beaten a snake to win the tournament.

Congratulations. Hope Felicity wasn’t too disappointed.

Nah, she’s a good sport. Anyway, she’s a great chess player so she’ll get her chance one day.

Not while you’re still competing though!

Nope!

They were passed by three ostriches, all carrying human children who grinned and waved at Lilith as they raced by. Lilith waved back.

They passed a group of small trees who were playing basketball with some human lads and several gibbons. The trees waved their branches like arms, and Lilith waved back.

They passed a couple of elderly women who were sitting by a tiny pond which had a stone globe water feature in the centre. The women, who were leaning against two dozing lions, were knitting pink and white scarves. They waved at Lilith and she waved back.

Lilith saw many other souls – human, animal and plant, including species that had not been seen on Earth for thousands of years – as she journeyed through Heaven, and was greeted by all of them. She knew them now, and remembered every single name. She enjoyed seeing them, enjoyed seeing how much they loved being here, enjoyed seeing how much they loved each other’s company. They all deserved to be happy. They all deserved to be here.

Lilith’s heart lifted even more as she glimpsed the Golden Palace up ahead, one of a trio of structures that were each on top of a hill. Next to it, at the base of its hill, was her home.

She spotted Aden waiting for her. With his help, Lilith had created a stunning single-storey abode, above ground this time, out of sandy-coloured brick. The entire frontage was glass that could be opened or closed whenever they chose. (It was open now.) There was a large stone patio with rattan furniture – sofas, armchairs, and a huge circular table surrounded by chairs. The cushions on all the seats were orange. Inside was an open-plan sitting and dining area and state-of-the-art kitchen, along with a wine cellar. There was also a sumptuous bedroom, bathroom and cinema room that had been duplicated from their old home beneath the Cheshire countryside.

At the right-hand corner stood a Buddha statue made of amber, a much larger version of the carving that had formed a protective shield round their former home. This one was as tall as their home now, and its only purpose was to sparkle and look impressive as it watched the various comings and goings silently and serenely.

Brian deposited Lilith at the front of the house, and Aden caught her as she slid off.

Thanks, Brian, she thought.

You’re welcome. And off he went round the hill.

Lilith and Aden kissed passionately, as they always did when they’d been apart, then went inside their home.

Chapter 3

Lilith’s five spirit babies and Aden’s mother Isabella were waiting for her in the kitchen.

Lilith held out her hands and the little balls of golden light – the souls of the babies she’d lost through miscarriage when she’d been human – brushed against her fingers.

Welcome home, Mummy. Their voices were like tinkling bells in her head.

It’s nice to be home, munchkins. So what have you been up to while I’ve been gone?

Playing!

Of course. What else? Lilith laughed.

She embraced Isabella – the soul of the woman who had been abused and murdered by her husband, Aden’s father, centuries