by Joy Nash
Simon Ben-Meir’s body crumpled. The newly risen demon spread its wings over the corpse. Staring, Cade felt his stomach turn. This was no common hellfiend.
“I thought it would be your body he possessed, Maddie. Not another Nephilim’s.”
Maddie stood rooted to the spot, eyes trained on the monster. “That’s . . . Oh, God. That’s not a Nephilim. That’s Azazel’s own body. The demon he turned into during his battle with Raphael. It must have been waiting, all these years, to be reunited with its life essence.”
Bloody hell. Cade eyed the creature warily. It was stretching its limbs, as if relearning to use them. If a newly resurrected Azazel had returned to the world, the human race was in grave peril.
So far, Azazel in his new form had taken no notice of them. Cade thought he’d like to keep it that way. He began to ease away, slowly, pulling Maddie with him. To his relief she didn’t resist. But neither did she seem fully aware of what he was doing.
“Azazel and Raphael fought,” she whispered. “I saw the battle in Lilith’s memory. The Seed of Life was Azazel’s defense. A blow from Raphael’s sword split the bloodstone in two. Azazel couldn’t stand against the avenger then, but he wasn’t completely defeated. Raphael must have imprisoned only his body. Azazel bound his life essence to the amulet.”
Cade guided her around a pile of rubble. “And the disc ended up at the bottom of the Watcher well.”
“Yes. The other half of the bloodstone remained with Lilith. It passed to the man who built this cathedral. Lilith’s descendant.” She swallowed. “My ancestor.”
“A Nephilim of Clan Azazel,” Cade said.
“Yes. He was known by the name Scarlet. He was a master builder and alchemist.”
The burning red eyes of the newly risen demon swept the cathedral. Cade went motionless, his arm around Maddie, and willed the creature’s scrutiny to pass them by.
It didn’t. That horrible red gaze fell directly upon them. But only for an instant. Almost without pause, Azazel turned his attention to Ben-Meir’s corpse.
Maddie’s breath hitched as her demonic ancestor lifted the archeologist’s body from the ground and bit off its head. With a sickening crack, strong jaws cracked the skull, and the creature chewed and swallowed. Then, upending the headless corpse, it fastened its lips around the severed neck. The beast’s throat worked as it suckled.
“Oh, God.” Maddie bent double. “I’m going to be sick.”
Cade held her as she retched. The black stench of evil burned his nostrils; he was on the verge of losing the contents of his own stomach.
Azazel looked up from his feast. Blood dribbled from bulbous lips and his head executed a slow swivel. Cade shoved Maddie behind him.
The red gaze lit upon them, and a clawed hand beckoned. “Daughter. Lover. Come to me.”
Cade knew Maddie wanted to obey. At least, her body did. It yearned toward the monster even as she clutched at Cade and sobbed. He wrapped his arms around her and put every ounce of his strength into helping her resist the summons.
Azazel’s eyes burned. “Lilith. Long ago I promised that you would live forever. Now, at last, you will. Come.”
Maddie strained in Cade’s arms. “Let me go to him.”
His arms tightened. “Like hell I will.”
“You can’t hold me for long. Don’t you realize that? Azazel’s here. He’s alive. He wants me. There’s nothing you can do. The only choice you have is whether you’re going to get yourself killed trying to stop the inevitable. So just . . . let me go. Get out. Let me fight Azazel on my own.”
“The hell I will. You think I’d do that? Leave you here with that stinking creature? Forget it. We fight together. Always.”
“He’ll tear you apart!”
“Then we’ll die. Together.”
“You’ll die. Not me. Me, he wants to keep alive.”
Cade’s voice roughened. “That sort of existence would be worse than death. I’d kill you before I let him take you.”
Azazel hissed. An angry crash of thunder shook the walls, and wind whipped through the wounds in the masonry. The siren was louder now. Cade heard men shouting. Humans must be gathering beyond the cathedral doors.
He looked down at her and watched the knowledge of the truth he’d spoken come into her eyes. Their time was running out. “I’m sorry, Maddie.”
“No,” she said. “Don’t be. It’s me who’s sorry. For what I did to you during my transition. If I’d trusted you—”
He cut her off. “That wasn’t you doing those things, Maddie. That was him.”
She closed her eyes and nodded. “If you have to do it, Cade, if you have to kill me . . . Just make it quick. And as painless as possible.”
Her trust awed him. He opened his mouth to reply, but his words were cut off when, with a subtle down-sweep of wings, Azazel landed before them. Claws scraped rubble as he landed. The scent of arrogant pride flowed from his pores. Cade’s nostrils flared, but he met Azazel’s red stare unflinchingly. There was no retreat. There would be no surrender, either.
He brushed the hilt of the dagger tattooed on his chest and touched cold metal. Pulling the weapon free, he imagined how much he’d enjoy plunging it into Azazel’s heart.
The chance of that was slim. The dark shining shield of Azazel’s power encased his demonic body and Cade’s power was a child’s toy in comparison. The best outcome he could hope for in the coming battle was his own death—and Maddie’s.
Red eyes flicked over Maddie’s body. Azazel’s long tail swept out in an arc, brushing softly up against her leg. “My love. My daughter. We are together again.”
She shuddered. “Cade. Do it. Do it now.”
Cade clenched his weapon but could not bring himself to use it.
Azazel extended a hand. “Come, Lilith.”
“I’m not Lilith.”
“You were.” His claw clutched at her arm. “You are. You will be, forevermore.”
“No . . .”
Cade struck. He aimed his first blow at Azazel’s chest, but the blade bounced harmlessly off. The Watcher laughed. Cade slashed at Azazel’s back, his arm, his thigh. His blade made no contact, and the angel-turned-demon hoisted Maddie in his arms.
“Cade! Don’t let him—”
With a vicious curse, Cade swung one last time. This time, his target was Maddie. The blade flashed as it descended, the point trained on her heart. Something in his own heart wrenched as the dark metal connected—
And shattered.
Black iron exploded everywhere. Shards of metal spewed into the air and sparks flashed. Cade stared stupidly at the untouched swath of Maddie’s skin, then at the stumpy hilt he held clutched in his fist. He’d failed. Thank Heaven, Hell, and earth, he’d failed.
Azazel lifted Maddie’s struggling body higher in his arms. He pressed his thickened lips to hers. As she sputtered and gagged, he drew back and gazed down at his descendant with an almost tender smile.
“Let her go,” Cade snarled. “You disgust her.”
Azazel’s head swiveled. “Son of Samyaza, spare me your righteousness. You would have used her as your slave. Now I have her safe.”
“You want her as your own slave.”
“No. Lilith is no slave. She is my lover.”
“Maddie isn’t Lilith. She’s not the daughter you turned into your whore. She’s not your victim. And she never will be. I’ll see to that.”
“Silence!”
A flick of Azazel’s wrist flung Cade into the air. His body slammed against a wall, then flopped to the ground. He tried to rise; he found he couldn’t move.
Azazel lowered Maddie to the ground. She stood rigid at his side as he considered Cade. “The only question is whether to keep you or kill you.”
Rain pelted through the shattered window above Cade’s head. Wind roared, sirens wailed. A slow, rhythmic pounding began on the cathedral’s shattered entrance. Stupid humans. They should be running for their lives.
Azazel took no no
tice. His eyes swept Cade. “It would be amusing to keep you. Your magic is strong enough to be useful. And your blood”—he licked his lips—“would be most welcome. But you dared touch my daughter. You defiled her body and sought to enslave her. No doubt it would distress her to have you near. No, it would be impossible to keep you. You must die.”
“You’ll slaughter me as I lie defenseless rather than face me in battle?” Cade spat out a laugh. His only hope lay in stirring Azazel’s pride. It was not in any Watcher’s nature to back down when facing a challenge from a rival of lesser power. “Five thousand years of bondage must have shriveled your cock.”
Azazel’s eyes blazed. The next instant, Cade found himself on his feet. He flexed his arms and tested his mind. Both were clear and unencumbered. A wave of elation rushed through him.
“As you wish, son of Samyaza,” Azazel snarled. “We will fight. To your death.”
A strangled sound emerged from Maddie’s throat. “No!”
“Silence, woman!” Azazel roared. “You will not interfere.”
He flung Maddie to the ground. A dark half-sphere of magic sprang up around her. She jumped to her feet and pounded the wall to no avail. Her mouth was open and screaming, but no sound emerged. Even her voice was trapped inside Azazel’s dark protection.
Cade sprang into action before Azazel had fully turned to the battle; he flung the hilt of his ruined dagger at the demon’s head. Azazel, surprised, staggered back. His tail whipped forward and fixed his balance.
Crimson fire exploded the floor under Cade’s feet. He jumped back and brushed his palm down his arm, sweeping the Celtic knot tattoo into his hand. The twisted strands gleamed with Druid magic.
Growling, Azazel beat his wings. His body lifted. Cade melted into Nephilim form and rose with him.
Cade dodged as red fire spat from Azazel’s fingers. Masonry exploded behind him. Shifting his wings, he dived low, watching for the best moment to throw his snare. He didn’t fool himself that he could defeat Azazel, but this net had driven an archangel into the sea. If Cade could immobilize his enemy long enough to snatch up Maddie and escape—
Azazel hurtled through the air. Cade rolled, flinging the net behind him, and his aim was true. The snare struck its mark. Instantly, the magical strands wrapped around Azazel’s limbs and tangled his wings.
Cade wasn’t quick enough, however, to avoid retribution. His enemy angled his plummeting body, and Cade and the creature collided. The monster’s weight slammed him into the ground, and he heard and felt a sickening crack. Pain electrified his left wing, and Cade cried out, gasping. His shoulder blade felt as though it had been ripped from its supporting muscles.
He stumbled to his feet and lurched toward where Maddie stood trapped, palms flat on the dark sphere of Azazel’s magic. He had to reach her, had to get her away somehow before their foe broke free.
Pain bludgeoned him to his knees. Roaring, Azazel rose almost to the cathedral ceiling. Dark lights flashed on the arching stone, and the Druid magic binding his wings exploded. The last of Cade’s hope drained away. He’d failed. In moments he’d be dead.
“Maddie.” He stumbled toward the sphere of protection and imprisonment, yelling her name, though he wasn’t at all sure she could hear him. He placed his hands upon the surface, over hers. The magic that separated them burned his palms. “I’m sorry,” he said.
The last shreds of Cade’s tattoo net fluttered to the ground. Azazel hovered above, black wings beating the air. A searing wind rushed through the cathedral and flames ignited everywhere.
Cade turned to face his enemy. His last thought was of Maddie, who would live on as Azazel’s slave. It was a final moment tainted with bitter shame.
Power gathered in Azazel’s demonic claw. Laughing, he took aim.
“No!”
A blue streak blazed past Cade. Maddie’s fire bolt struck Azazel in the chest, driving him back. Cade spun. Maddie was on her feet, flames spurting from her palm. Azazel’s protection had shattered, and it lay in dark shards at her feet. Cade’s warrior lover surged in attack. Cade’s chest tightened; her fury filled him with awe. After what he’d planned to do to her, here she was, battling in his defense.
“Get away!” the beast roared.
“You will not kill him,” she shouted. Blue fire blazed.
“You will not interfere!” Azazel roared in reply.
“I will!” Maddie yelled. She sprinted to Cade’s side. “We stand together.”
An indigo fire bolt erupted from her hands. It met a matching torrent of Azazel’s power, and the two streams of energy collided and exploded. Maddie careened backward, while Azazel, dark and angry, rose.
The ancient demon let out a hideous screech. “Enough! You wish to die with your Samyaza lover? So be it. No longer will I call you Daughter.” A ball of red flame appeared between his clawed hands. Snarling, Azazel raised it above his head.
Cade grabbed Maddie around the waist. “I love you,” he said again, and he braced himself for the killing blow.
It never came. An impact caused the building to tremble. The remaining remnants of the cathedral doors exploded inward. Azazel was caught in a tornadic roar; his body slammed up and into the ceiling. His fireball went wide, crashing into a supporting column of the church. The stonework began to crumble.
The entire cathedral shook. The fissure that had previously stalled above the front portal streaked suddenly skyward. The great rose window shattered completely; colored glass spewed down like hail. Cade crouched over Maddie, shielding her.
And then, amid the chaos and destruction, a celestial chime sounded and a glorious golden light filled the gap where the window had been. Cade, looking up, raised his arm against the brilliance—and saw a winged celestial warrior brandishing a fiery sword. Raphael.
Holy shit.
Never in all his life had Cade been so happy to see an angel.
Chapter Twenty-three
“You!”
Raphael’s booming voice reverberated through the cavernous space. “You, Watcher. Azazel. You dare to escape your bondage?”
Azazel hovered just below the vaulted ceiling. Blood dripped from gashes the exploded window had scored across his chest. He brandished the Seed of Life and snarled, “I dare that and more, coward.”
“Come on,” Cade said under his breath to Maddie. “We’re not sticking around for this fight. That way.”
They scrabbled across the ruined floor. Cade winced as his injured wing snagged on a pile of shattered masonry.
Raphael gave no notice to the fleeing Nephilim. He flew toward his adversary, his golden wings vibrant. “Your magic is flawed, Azazel. Do you imagine your evil will stand against my righteousness? It will not.”
Azazel took up a position before the high altar. “It has. And it will again.”
“Long ago,” Raphael raged. “I was a fool. I showed you mercy. I let you live.”
Laughter rang through the cavernous space. “Let me live? You? What farce. You had no choice! You could not kill me. The Seed of Life is mine. I am immortal.”
Raphael’s fiery sword rose above his head. “Immortal life will mean nothing once I return you to your prison. This time, you will not escape.”
“I invite you to try, angel. You will fail.”
Blue fire crackled in Azazel’s hands. A burning plume arced through the air, but Raphael caught it on the flat of his sword. The magic dissipated in a shower of sparks.
Snarling, Azazel flew at his adversary. Raphael moved with equal swiftness, and fire and sword clashed. The air sizzled with both holy righteousness and unholy fury.
The great cathedral shook. A chunk of masonry plummeted from overhead. Cade yanked Maddie into the shelter of a massive column, and the falling stone exploded in the space they’d just occupied. A fragment struck his injured shoulder, and pain rang in his ears. He fought the blackness at the edges of his vision.
“Cade! Oh, God, are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
But it was a lie if he’d ever told one. An entire quadrant of his body was on fire. His stomach was heaving, and the fight to maintain consciousness was a losing proposition.
“We’ve got to . . . get out,” he gasped. “Whoever wins this fight . . . will be coming after us.”
Maddie bit her lip and nodded. They moved farther into the shelter of the side gallery before she asked, “Which way?” All paths were blocked by rubble.
“Not out the front. There’ll be a crowd.”
“That window, then.”
A ruined opening gaped above. Rain blew through, falling in sparkling drops on shattered bits of colored glass. The stone sill was several feet above their heads.
Shifting to Nephilim form, Maddie spread her wings and leaped easily over the destruction and through the breach. Cade, trailing his broken wing, followed more slowly. Heaving himself over the damaged wall, he dropped some twenty feet down on the other side.
He landed painfully. Several moments passed during which he could do nothing but gasp and battle for consciousness. The shock of the cold rain, despite the partial shelter of a wide buttress, was all that kept him from passing out.
A fire bolt splintered the stone above their heads and Maddie gripped his arm. “One more hit like that and this wall’s coming down.”
Cade lifted his head. The twisted remnants of a wrought-iron fence separated them from a narrow street. Humans ran in either direction, shouting. Luckily, no one looked in their direction.
“Change,” he choked out.
“What?”
“We have to change back. The locals aren’t . . . aren’t going to be friendly if they see us like this.”
She’d forgotten they were in Nephilim form; the expression in her eyes told him so. “You’re right, of course.” She reached out and touched his broken wing. “Can you change? I mean, when you’re injured like this?”
“Yes.”
With a long exhale, he let his demon body seep away. Maddie did the same. In human form, his arm hung limply from a shattered shoulder blade.
Maddie circled behind him. “Oh, Cade. It looks like someone took a pickax to your back.”