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Asmodeus had brought his people to us. The dead would conquer the living.
Heaven help us all.
Rafael barreled through the air, heading straight for the tower as another round of thunder crashed. A flight of arrows from the vampire archers came straight for us. Rafael shielded us with his wings as he spun, narrowly dodging, but I worried for Victus.
When more arrows bolted toward us and lightning blocked our path, Rafael was forced to land on the tower near the staircase. My back to his chest, he set the dagger to my throat.
Victus crouched twelve feet away. A shaft of sunlight peeking out through the dark clouds illuminated his ripped chest muscles and all of his powerful physique. His pitch-black wings spread wide, casting a menacing shadow over us. With his fierce gaze and chiseled face, he looked like a vengeful fallen angel. One hell of a sexy one.
“Let Joleen go, Rafael.” Victus tucked his wings in and sauntered forward. “This is between you and me.”
Rafael stiffened, his grip on me tighter. “Stay the fuck back or I’ll kill her.”
I’d never seen Rafael as frightened as I had at this moment.
“You won’t because you love her.” Victus kept walking. His gait poised, graceful, yet deadly with purpose and determination.
I swallowed hard and the blade grazed my skin. “Rafael. Did you really love me? Let me see your face to know it’s true.”
I wanted to give him a sliver of hope to distract him, to give Victus an advantage, and also to release myself from the dagger. If it were any other weapon, I wouldn’t have hesitated to bring him down, even if he stabbed me. But supernatural weapons were unpredictable. I might be choosing my own death.
And I’d rather not die today, especially when I’d gotten my memory back. I had missed eight years of Nadira’s childhood, and eight years I had not lived with the other half of my soul.
When Rafael loosened his hold on me, I grabbed my dagger out of my boot as I spun around and stabbed him in the heart.
Rafael sucked in air and his shocked eyes rounded in betrayal. He gasped for air as he gripped my hand still wrapped around the handle.
I pushed his arm away and my hand hovered over the hilt of the dagger, ready to strike at his heart again. But before I could act, the sound of wings expanding filled my ears, then Victus leaped through the air and pounced on Rafael.
They tumbled across the ground, fists swinging in a flurry. As if their wings were an extension of their arms, sometimes they smacked each other or used them to defend against an attack.
Victus dodged every punch and threw Rafael against the brick wall with enough force that it broke and crumbled, debris falling off to the other side. Rafael lunged forward and tried to stab Victus, but his reflexes were too slow.
Vampires were more agile than angels, but Victus was even faster with all the combination of blood running through his veins. He was indeed a beautiful abomination.
Rafael lunged for him again, and again, and again. The powerful divine dagger broke through the wall with every stab he missed.
I wanted to help, but if I interfered it might cost Victus’s life and I would not be the cause of his death. I had already done enough damage when I’d brought down the structure with all the people inside the cave with my power.
Victus gave Rafael an uppercut punch punctuated by a rumble of thunder, then he pivoted and swept out a leg that knocked Rafael on his back. When Victus reached for Rafael, Rafael tossed a handful of crumbled stone debris at Victus’s face.
Victus stumbled back, blinded. Rafael lunged for him with the divine dagger raised.
No. “Victus!” I screamed from the depth of my lungs and bolted through the air.
Chapter Forty-Five
Battle
Michael
Victus soared like a shooting arrow through the already shattered glass ceiling after Rafael holding Joleen hostage. While Tank, Otis, Snow, and Gorgo distracted Asmodeus and the soldiers, Markane and Abacus took an unconscious Nadira to the safety of the corner of the dining room.
The earth continued to tremble while fighting the demon soldiers. Just as I wondered if the Guarded Sea would burst again like it had done before, hot lava bubbled and boiled along the cracks the dagger and the lightning had produced, just like at Mount Stones.
Holy shit! The Netherworld had come to us.
Snow let out an ear-piercing whistle, then out of every wall and corner, mice of all colors and squirrels came scurrying. The soldiers screamed as these animals attacked them.
