A righteous wave…the righteous blaze. He’d had it first. He’d used it without realizing, but the darkness in him had twisted it, resulting in the loss of innocent lives.
“You didn’t mean to kill the innocent.” I stepped forward. “I believe you.”
“My mother told Samael I’d killed in cold blood.” He focused on Samael. “And you acted without speaking to me. You acted as judge, jury, and executioner, locking me away.”
“Eve wanted you to live…“ I came abreast of Samael. “She wanted him to live so she could live.”
“She was afraid I’d find a way out of my curse,” Cain said. “And I did. Locked away, I created tulpas to do my bidding, and I discovered that the only way to end my life was to end the life of the person who gave me this mark.” He looked to me. “But the only way to wake up was to end my bloodline.”
He just wanted to die. How could I be mad at him for that? What Eve did to him was despicable. But I couldn’t let him kill Samael, because that would be wrong too.
Not that Cain cared about that, but maybe… “If you kill Samael, you’ll get what you want, but thousands of innocent demons and daemons will die.”
Doubt flickered across his face. “What are you talking about?”
“Samael is linked to this realm. If he dies, this world will die, taking every living creature with it.” I put out my hands palm up. “I’m sorry for what happened to you, and you have every right to be furious. You should have the right to die, but not if it means taking thousands of innocents to the grave with you. That isn’t who you are.”
He tucked in his chin for a long beat, and for a moment hope that my words had hit home flared in my chest. He was considering my argument. But when he raised his head, his face was a mask of indifference.
“Everything has a time,” he said. “And all things must die.”
As if on unspoken cue, the super vamps attacked. They spilled across the floor like shiny black beetles with fangs.
The troops made to counter.
“Don’t let them bite you!” Mal cried out.
But it wasn’t so much about let, and more about avoid. Because the super vamps were faster than the demons, enhanced to be stronger than them.
While Cain watched from his platform, waiting on Samael’s entourage to be decimated, I summoned my scythe and charged into the fray. I wasn’t alone. Hunter and Grayson came with me. Hunter in half shift and Grayson in wolf form.
Our Tribus connection swelled and snapped taut, opening the channels of power between us. I moved with Hunter’s grace and hit with Grayson’s power, while Grayson and Hunter benefitted from my parkour skills, leaping and kicking, slashing and tearing limbs from bodies. The super vamps were no match for us. Through the haze of adrenaline, I caught sight of Azazel as he decapitated a super vamp. Mal let out a whoop as he dropped and kicked the legs out from another. Conah stayed close to Lilith and Samael. Fighting alongside them while Keon moved like a shadow, leaving open wounds in his wake.
We could do this, we could win. Our troops were holding.
And then a fizzing sensation skated over my skin. A whisper at the back of my mind, not intended for me, but an order to someone else.
To my left Mal cried out in alarm. I whirled to see him fighting off one of our guys. All around me, our troops had turned against us.
Cain stood by the pedestal, arms crossed, a smug smirk on his face.
He was doing this. He was controling them.
We couldn’t win this.
“Give up now.” Cain’s voice filled the room, coming from a multitude of mouths. You’re outnumbered, Samael. Give your life to me willingly, and some of your people may live. There’s still time to get out of the Underealm before it crumbles. Lilith will live and so will your daughter. But if you fight me any longer, I will make sure they are wounded so badly that they won’t be able to escape this world before it ends.”
My head whipped round to find Samael. He stood with his arms around Lilith., surrounded by his troops.
The super vamps couldn’t kill Samael or Lilith—both were immortal—but they could cause some serious fucking damage.
Around us, the fight wound down as Cain took control.
He held up his hands, which sparked bright white. “I have the power of the dread in my hands,” he said. “It’ll be quick, for the both of us.”
Samael’s shoulders sagged.
He was giving up.
He couldn’t give up.
But even as I thought it, the logical part of my mind told me there was no other option but compliance.
“No…” Lilith looked up at him with brimming eyes. “Samael, no.”
He stroked her cheek. “It is the only way. Once I’m gone, you must leave immediately. Take as many citizens as you can. Go to the human world.” He kissed her forehead before his gaze found me. “Take care of your queen and our people, daughter. I am sorry we did not have the time to know each other better. But know you are loved.” Then he turned to Cain. “I will come willingly.”
Cain’s chest rose and fell rapidly. He was about to get what he wanted.
Death.
Samael extracted himself from Lilith’s arms and strode toward Cain.
Something urgent and destructive stirred inside me. This was wrong, this couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t let him take Samael. The braid Eve had given me, was suddenly in my hand. My muscles bunched, and I made to lunge toward Samael, to stop him, when a boom shattered the world.
I spun to face the throne room doors to find them off their hinges, and standing in the doorway, epic silver wings extended like a shield of light, was Uriel.
And he wasn’t alone.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Uri strode into the room and a troop of glowy-winged celestials spilled in behind him. Who were these guys? Where were the Seraphim? And then I caught the ember eyes of one of the celestials, and I knew.
Esmael.
These were the Seraphim, but no longer tainted.
They were somehow restored.
“Stand down,” Uri said to Cain. “Leave this place in peace, and you will not be harmed.”
The Seraphim had the room surrounded, but Cain seemed unperturbed.
He sighed and held his hand up toward Uri, his gaze growing intense. A fizz skated over my mind. Shit, he was trying to get into Uri’s head.
Uri arched a brow. “No, Cain. That won’t work on us. We are the reborn.” His chest glowed orange and then every Seraphim’s torso lit up with the same light. “We are neither of this world or the other. We exist in between. Our minds cannot be altered, and our blood cannot be tainted.”
Cain’s eyes narrowed, and for the first time since I’d known him, his confident stance faltered. “No. This can’t be.”
His jaw tensed, and he made a grab for Samael, but I blur moved knocking Samael out of his reach.
Cain’s bellow of rage shattered my eardrums, and then the room erupted into chaos.
Keon
Uriel has come through. We have the advantage, and the enemy falls beneath our assault, but Lilith’s order resonates in my mind, and I find myself drawing closer and closer to Fee.
No. I don’t want to do this.