by Ciara Graves
“Lela, your wound,” he started.
I nipped his lower lip, and he grunted.
“I’m not going to die from a few drops of blood.”
“We really should change the bandages,” he mumbled against my mouth even as his arms wrapped around my waist.
Why couldn’t the war find a way to end on its own? I was tired of fighting. The demon I was meant to be with was here in my arms, and that’s where I wanted him to stay. No more risking our lives, no more wondering when the next attack would come. Just us, living our lives and finding out who we were together.
I let him undo the bandages and revealed the ghastly wound beneath. He paused as his eyes lingered. Guilt poured off him, and I caught his hand in mine.
“Not your fault so don’t even think it. You didn’t let me die.”
“You shouldn’t have been hurt at all. I should never have let you stay in Dakota.”
“That wasn’t your decision to make.”
“It is when it means keeping you alive.” He quickly applied a new bandage. I grimaced at the pressure, and he handed me the bottle of whiskey. “It won’t happen again.”
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it right now.”
He said nothing, but his brow furrowed even more, a sign I was beginning to understand meant that he wasn’t going to change his mind. Two could play at the stubborn game. I let him finish dressing my wound and sipped on the whiskey. The liquor burned going down, and after a few sips, I realized as a mortal, alcohol did indeed have an effect on me. I set the bottle aside and laid down. I waited for Mech to leave, but he laid down right beside me. I snuggled against his side, and though I sensed our aggravation at each other over whether he was going to let me fight by his side again, it was impossible not to be at peace beside him.
Tomorrow, I’d argue with him.
Today, I’d save my strength and prove that one injury was not going to be the end of me.
Chapter 12
Mech
I held a lock of Lela’s hair between my fingers and watched it glow with hellfire.
“You think that'll work?”
I shrugged at Kexan and raised it to the wind. “Can’t hurt to try.”
I was worried using Lela’s hair would somehow draw Hadariel instead of Nathaniel to us. She told me Nathaniel had probably been freaking out since she disappeared. If he sensed a hint of her anywhere, he’d be the first one to show up. The plan was to snatch him and get away before anyone else came for her. Like the high general or any of his corrupt angels.
The strands of hair were swept away, and I lowered my hand, watching. Waiting. We chose the location of the rift Lela and I first met. If Nathaniel was looking for her, this might be one of the places he was keeping an eye on. Thankfully, the rift remained closed, though a sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air. That was the case at every rift. Kexan was the only demon with me. Too many might alert scouts of our presence. As the breeze blew harder, rustling my hair around my horns, I itched for this angel friend of hers to show up. I needed to get back to Lela. She’d wanted to tag along with us, but after a five-minute argument that ended with kissing her to stop her ranting, I’d backed into the portal. Her annoyed yell had followed me.
I was going to have Hell to pay if we came back with no Nathaniel.
Kexan nudged me. “Someone’s coming.”
A bright spot appeared in the sky, shooting toward the ground. When the white light faded, an angel straightened, his wings folding in behind him. He had the light blond hair and sky-blue eyes Lela described. He wasn’t wearing armor, just normal clothes. The idiot wasn’t even armed. He slowly turned around, squinting.
“Lela,” the newcomer whispered harshly. “Lela, please tell me you’re here.”
“Think that’s him?” Kexan asked.
“Has to be. Get the portal ready. I’ll grab him.”
A portal opened behind me and as I was about to step out of the trees, a second figure shot toward the ground beside the newcomer, who I’d have wagered was Nathaniel. I paused, reaching for the daggers at my hips. The light faded and a taller angel bearing the markings of a general on his silver armor glanced around. His short hair was jet black, and his brown eyes were sharp. He had two scars running down his right cheek. I was confused by the lack of wings on his back. He must’ve tucked them away as he landed.
“Is she here?”
“I swore I sensed her,” Nathaniel replied.
Shit. Were they looking for her to help her or take her back to Hadariel? Maybe she’d been wrong to put her trust in these angels.
“We have to find her,” Nathaniel said urgently. “She could be hurt or dying.”
“I know. We’ll get to her before it’s too late,” the second angel assured him. “Have faith.”
“In what?” Nathaniel snapped. “The high general did something to her, Remiel. Everyone else might buy his lies that he sent her on some top-secret mission, but I’m not. Something’s wrong. Lela’s in trouble. It’s been too long.”
“I know.”
“Do you? You told me I could trust you, that you already know what’s going on. I don’t even know what’s going on,” Nathaniel ranted. “I want the truth, Remiel, and I want it now. What else haven’t you told me? And where have you been all this time?”
Remiel’s dark brows shot to his hairline. “My, my. You are developing quite the temper.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet. I want to find my friend, and if you’re not going to do anything useful, then you can just get the hell out of here.”
No, we couldn’t let either one of them leave. I motioned for Kexan to stand by the portal, then I stepped out from behind the rock outcropping we’d used as cover. Both angels spotted me. I held up my hands to show them I meant no harm. Remiel’s hand fell to the sword at his hip. Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Looking for Lela?” I asked.
Nathaniel shot a confused look to Remiel. “What would you know about her, demon?”
“I know where she is. She’s safe, and she sent me to find you. Both of you, actually.”
“Why would we believe you?”
“She gave me her hair to bring you both here,” I explained.
Nathaniel shook his head. “No, if she wanted to find us, she’d be here herself.”
“She would if she was still an angel.”
Nathaniel paled. “What do you mean?”
“I mean your high general murdered Morael then ripped her wings out of her back,” I spat. “He cast her out. I’ve kept her safe.” I glanced around warily, not wanting to be out in the open like this much longer. “Either we can stand here arguing, or you two can come with me to see Lela. We don’t have much time, so I suggest you choose quickly.”
Nathaniel didn’t hesitate, striding toward me. Remiel’s hand closed around his sword. He seemed torn but finally followed Nathaniel. I led them to the portal.
“Follow me, stay close,” I told them.
I walked into the portal with them right behind me. Kexan was the last one through and shut it hastily behind us. From the sudden worry on his face, we’d left just in time. He must’ve sensed something coming toward us.
Nathaniel frowned, shaking his head. “We’re in Dakota.”
“Yes, we are.”
“But there are demons everywhere. I don’t understand. What is this?”
“Nathaniel?” Lela called, and he spun around. The moment he spotted her, he rushed to her. She hugged him back just a fiercely as they both cried. He was asking her questions, and all she could do was answer them. Each answer left him paler, and a dark look filled his eyes.
“I don’t understand. Why did he do this to you?” Nathaniel asked harshly.
“Because I figured out the truth,” Lela told him. “I regained my memories. Hadariel started the war. He’s the cause for everything that’s gone wrong.” She squeezed his hands. “We have to stop him before it’s too late. To do that we need your help.”
I kept waiting for Nathaniel to call her out for siding with demons.
He glanced at me again then asked her, “And him? What’s this demon to you?”
Lela smiled as she looked my way. “He saved me.”
Nathaniel let her hands go and came toward me. I braced, waiting for him to deck me, but instead, he held out his hand. When I took it, he dragged me into a one-armed hug. He was a lot stronger than he looked.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I thought I lost her.”
I hugged him right back. “You’re welcome.”
He stepped back and nodded slowly as he took in the demons and humans surrounding him.
“I’m assuming this means you believe her?” I asked him.
“We always knew something was wrong. That, and after Morael and Lela disappeared, Remiel found me. He’s the one that told me the truth. Or some of it.” He gave the general a disgruntled look. And he wasn’t the only one.
Lela had shifted her attention to Remiel now. Her icy stare was back. The general fidgeted as she came closer. A circle of curious onlookers had gathered. The humans openly glared at the general, clearly holding him responsible for those they recently lost in the battle for Dakota.
Remiel didn’t turn away from Lela. She stopped a few feet from him and simply stood there. Staring. The tension between them rose.
Remiel lowered his head. When he raised it, he said, “Lela, I—”
The rest of the words never escaped his mouth.
Lela smacked him, the harsh crack echoing around Dakota.
“You bastard,” she whispered. She smacked him a second time. “Where were you when they needed you? Where were you when Hadariel murdered my parents? Or when he killed Morael.” She slapped him a third time as she shouted, “Where were you when he stole my wings?”
She raised her hand to hit him again, but Remiel fell to his knees and hung his head.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice shaking. “I thought we had time.” He hunched over more as if he could curl in on himself and disappear. He no longer looked like a general, but a lost soul who had been beaten down by the war. “You have every right to hate me, Lela. I never imagined Hadariel would go so far with you.”
Lela’s hands fisted at her sides as she shook with anger.
“I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m going to fight Hadariel until I die. Maybe that’ll be enough one day.”
She spat at the ground at his feet, then stormed away. Remiel remained on his knees until Nathaniel and I approached him. Nathaniel helped the general up, appearing as pissed off as Lela.
“I want to know everything,” Nathaniel told me. “And I mean everything. I’m tired of being kept in the dark.”
“Why don’t you both come with me? The demon lords would like to meet you both.”
Nathaniel’s wings disappeared into his back as he nodded. “We’ll follow you… sorry, didn’t catch your name.”
“Tonamech. Son of Demon Lord Koreth.”
Saying nothing, Remiel fell in line beside Nathaniel. The crowd of humans reluctantly parted for the angels, and I took them to the town hall to decide what their fates would be.
The silence that fell over the town hall was deafening. Nathaniel looked like he’d been stabbed through the heart. Remiel’s eyes had glazed over. He sat at the end of the table, staring at the wall. He hadn’t said much the entire time we’d been here. Nathaniel had asked all the questions.
“No wonder the people looked at us like that,” Nathaniel finally said. “They must hate us now.”
“Only if they believe none of you are on their side anymore,” I explained. “Hadariel’s the real villain. They know that now, but they don’t know which angels they can trust.” I glanced at Remiel, not sure how I felt just yet about this general. “Lela said there were more who knew the truth. Do you know who they are?”
Remiel nodded. “Getting word to them will be difficult. The Heavens have changed much since Lela was cast out.”
“But you can get to them,” I insisted.
“Yes, at great personal risk to myself. Even if we get them on our side, though, the war won’t end until Hadariel is dead. Killing him should be our only priority.”
“And has it been?”
Remiel stiffened at my harsh tone.
“From what Lela told us of you, you’ve been doing nothing to stop the atrocities caused by the high general. So tell me, Remiel, why should we trust you? Why should we listen to anything you have to say?”
“I understand your hesitation to trust me, but perhaps this will change your mind.” He stood and turned his back to me. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he undid his armor chest plate. It clanked to the floor at his feet, and he grabbed hold of the shirt beneath. He pulled it off and chucked it in the seat he’d just vacated. “Now do you believe that all I want is Hadariel dead?”
Two massive and deeply grooved scars marred his back. Where wings had once been. The scars were older than Lela’s, but not by much.
“But your light,” I said, “you still have it.”
“Only because I got away before he could drain it all. What little I have, I’ve pulled from the same stone altar the abominations have been using. I won’t be able to do it forever. Each time, I risk exposure.”
“Hadariel did that to you?” Koreth asked.
“Yes.” Remiel lowered his shirt. “He was onto Morael and Lela’s parents. I offered up myself to get them off his back.”
“But she said you were still a general?”
“Another of Hadariel’s lies. I’ve been on the run. It’s why I wasn’t able to save her parents or many others he’s killed. Why I failed to save Morael or Lela. Many angels who stand against him have had their minds erased, again and again.” He sank back down in his chair, picking up his shirt as he did so. “Others have been handed over to the abominations to drain them of their light.”
“Then Hadariel knows what they’re doing?” I asked, confused.
“Knows and is unable to stop them. He won’t admit it, but he’s losing control.”
“Then what do you propose we do?” Koreth asked as he and the other demon lords eyed the general with a newfound understanding. They all hated Hadariel, and it was that hatred that would bring us together.
“We kill Hadariel. Whatever plans you were making, I suggest we fulfill them now. Soon, Hadariel will become unstoppable. As will Zeraxin.”
At first, the name didn’t sound familiar. Then it clicked. “The winged devil.”
Remiel bowed in acknowledgment. “That’d be him. Pleasant, isn’t he?”
“What is he?”
“From what I’ve been able to discern, he appeared after Hadariel unleashed evil. He came to the high general and told him his name. Said he would be his ally in this new world. In truth, I think while Hadariel was in Hell, a bit of his soul was stripped away and was contorted to create Zeraxin.”
“That’s a beast that is not going to be easy to kill.” I rubbed my forehead as I walked away from the table.
Nothing about this meeting was making me feel any better. Remiel’s warning sank in. There was no more waiting around. We needed to attack Hadariel, and we needed to do it now. There was no chance to get more angels on our side. It would be us against him. When I turned back, Nathaniel looked just as worried as I did, but there was a fierce, determined look in his eyes. I’d take two angels over none.
“Guess it’s time we get to work,” I said. “Let’s kill Hadariel.”
We finally exited the town hall half a day after entering it. The streets were cleared of everyone except those on guard duty or patrolling. I rolled my shoulders, wishing I felt better about what we were about to do. Lela was not going to be happy, but Remiel was right.
If we killed Hadariel, we had a chance to end the war now, instead of wasting more years and more lives. Nathaniel stepped out beside me.
“I’d feel better if I was going to be there,” he said q
uietly.
“We need someone in the Heavens keeping an eye out,” I reminded him. “And if you can find a way to slowly recruit angels just in case, it’ll help.”
“Just in case.” He shook his head as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
The plan was sound. Remiel would go to the falls and draw out Hadariel. Once he showed his face, we’d attack. Koreth and I would lead the charge. The rest of the demon lords were to stay behind and begin gathering the forces of Hell to march on Zeraxin. Once Hadariel was gone, we’d be able to turn our full focus against him and the army he’d gathered. With any luck, this whole mess could be over in a few days.
“If anything happens to me tomorrow,” I said quietly, “swear to me you’ll look out for Lela.”
“You better not let her hear you saying that,” Nathaniel commented.
“Swear it, Nathaniel.”
He held his hand to his heart. “Swear.” He sighed as he glanced around Dakota. “All this time, I knew something was wrong, but I was too much of a coward to act.”
“You’re doing something now. That’s what matters.”
“Yeah, just hope I’m not too late. I’ll be in touch. Tell Lela—well, tell her I’m sorry, but I’ll be back soon as I can.”
We shook hands then he made his way toward the front gate. He’d go back to the rift then return to the Heavens and act as if nothing changed.
I wanted to believe this was a fool-proof plan, but anything could go wrong. We were calling Hadariel out. There’d be a small army backing us, but so could he. It was going to be a blood bath. The urge to get to Lela and spend as much time with her as I could before I left for Blood Falls. I might die there. I picked up the pace and jogged back to the building that we had taken over as our small sanctuary. When I reached the second floor, I opened the door to find Lela standing at the window. A bottle of whiskey was on the end table nearby, mostly empty.