Agony tore through me as Noel shrieked. Blood trickled out of the corner of Jai’s mouth, and his eyes widened in shock as he fell. Blurring forward, Noel caught Jai before he hit the ground, but my focus was on the smirking Fallen before me.
Asmodeus flashed sharp fangs, wiggling black claws at me, and I roared at him, all-consuming rage rushing through my veins. I charged him, glowing red, electricity surrounding me until I was choking on ozone. With a snarl, he met my attack, our blades clashing.
Noel’s ribbon flared in my chest, pulling at me. He couldn’t heal Jai alone. So I redirected my energy, giving him everything I had. Jai’s rope was weak, but it was there. I clung to it, digging in my heels to keep him with us, with me. All the while, Asmodeus attacked to kill.
He sank his claws into my thigh as I sliced my blade across his face, splitting his nose and cheek until I saw bone underneath. He cried out in pain, ripping his claws free, taking a chunk of flesh and muscle with him.
The pain was white hot, and my leg collapsed as my vision spotted. Asmodeus shifted in my peripheral vision, and I lifted my sword in a feeble attempt to deflect his death blow. But the attack never came. Asmodeus snarled, and hot blood splattered my cheek. It washed away under the rain as I lifted my head and blinked through the deluge.
Belphegor stood over Asmodeus, ripped clothes clinging to his starved frame. His eyes were red as blood, claws sharp and black, fangs too long to fit in his mouth. His sword looked too heavy for him to bear as he stumbled to stand in front of me. Asmodeus tracked his every step as he struggled to his feet, face split, gut bleeding.
“Traitor,” he spat at Bel.
Bel chuckled dryly. “Yeah, well, I’m dying anyway. Might as well croak doing something good.” To me, he said, “Get the fuck out of here, kid.”
I didn’t wait for him to tell me twice. Scrambling away from the showdown, I crawled to Jai and Noel. Jai was breathing, a painful, wet wheeze. Noel’s hand pressed to the wound on his chest, both aglow as Noel attempted to heal him before he lost too much blood. His ribbon circled Jai’s torso, but it was dull.
“Don’t you dare,” Noel was saying through his tears. “Don’t you leave me.”
Jai’s lips quirked in a weak smile, his dark eyes manic. He met my gaze, his lips forming my name inaudibly.
“I’m not letting you die,” I shouted at him, covering Noel’s hand with mine as I pushed my energy through Noel’s hand. “Fight! Jai, fight.”
It took too much power to knit Jai’s heart back together, but we gave it all the same. Blood gushed from the hole in my thigh, and my back was screaming in agony, but I ignored every distraction. Noel started to bleed as a gash on his neck reopened. But still we pushed.
When Jai’s wound finally stopped welling with blood, we eased back. Noel sobbed, hauling Jai into his chest. His ribbon remained wrapped around Jai’s body, but it barely glowed. They were both pale as death, bleeding from too many wounds. But they were alive.
I sighed, hissing as my thigh protested when I tried to sit back on my heels. The rain had finally lightened, turning to a misty sprinkle. Bel and Asmodeus were lost to the sea of soldiers. The sound of fighting had lessened marginally. There were angels standing around us, looking lost and exhausted. The battle was almost over.
My mind was stuffed with cotton, but I searched through the haze for Gideon. He was there, tired and in pain. But alive.
“Go,” Noel said hoarsely as he cradled a barely conscious Jai to his chest. “I’ve got him, okay? Go. We’ll be right behind you.”
Nodding numbly, I staggered to my feet, my leg trying and failing to heal. I limped through the mud, past Malachi’s headless body. Past a female with platinum hair, lying face-down in the mud. Past a kneeling Xavier with one eye socket empty, the other eye tracking my every step.
I was so cold. My feet were heavy. I wanted to lie down and rest. I just wanted to sleep.
“It is almost finished,” Hezekiah said, walking beside me. His autumn leaf hair dragged through the mud as his white eyes stared ahead. “You have done well, Riley Shepard. There is but one more fight to face.”
“I can’t,” I said as my leg threatened to give way beneath me. “I can’t do it.”
“And yet you will.” He stated it with such conviction I couldn’t help but believe him. “You are almost done. Do not give up now.”
“I’m so tired.”
Hezekiah’s hand landed on my shoulder, and his power washed over like warm water. The pain in my leg eased, and my breath came easier. I sighed, my eyes sliding shut as the sprinkling rain coated my skin with mist.
“You do not fight alone,” Hezekiah said. “Your battle is almost won.”
When I opened my eyes, I turned to Hezekiah to ask what winning would cost me, but he wasn’t there. Maybe he never had been. I stood alone in the sleet and mud, my feet surrounded by golden feathers. I followed the bloody trail until I found a disembodied wing bent at a gruesome angle.
Sorrow clawed at my chest as I lifted my gaze to the duo savagely fighting before me. Lucifer, bloodied and furious, clawed and snarled like a rabid animal. Gideon, left wing curled close to his back, an injured arm tucked into his chest, defended himself with only one sword. The place where his right wing should have been was nothing but ravaged flesh. I saw bone peeking through the blood.
Lucifer had ripped out Gideon’s wing. That had been a mistake. Oh, Lucifer was going to pay for that.
Straightening my spine, I steadied my grip on my swords and stepped forward. Weak electricity crackled to life along my arms as my eyes bled red. I bared my teeth, wishing—not for the first time—that I had fangs. I wanted to tear into Lucifer’s throat. I wanted to feel his bones break beneath my hands. I wanted to eat his heart out of his chest.
Lucifer saw me first. His golden eyes widened, and Gideon took advantage of his distraction, slicing into his abdomen. With a snarl, Lucifer ducked Gideon’s next swing, knocking his golden sword from his hand. His claws shredded Gideon’s good arm, and my angel cried out.
Before I could move, Lucifer had Gideon on his knees before him. One hand gripped Gideon’s shoulder, claws digging into my angel’s flesh. The other hand circled Gideon’s throat. The black claws dimpled the tender skin there, Gideon’s Adam’s apple bobbing against Lucifer’s palm.
I froze. Gideon groaned in pain. Lucifer smiled.
“Hello, my sweet. I’ve been waiting for you to find me,” he said, his voice silky smooth. He was short of breath, and he was injured. But he had never been more dangerous than he was right now with his hand at Gideon’s throat.
“Lucifer,” I said.
He scowled. “Is that really the way you address your master? Have you forgotten your manners?”
“You’re not my master,” I said through clenched teeth, and Lucifer grinned.
Hitching Gideon’s head up, his claws flexed, and a bead of blood trickled down Gideon’s throat. “Careful, pet.”
“Don’t.” I stepped forward, stopping abruptly when Lucifer’s claws plunged deeper into Gideon’s skin.
“Ah, ah, ah. Stay right there.” Five rivulets of red streaked down Gideon’s neck where Lucifer’s talons sank in. “We wouldn’t want Gideon to lose his head now, would we?”