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"Keep moving!" Ash yelled. “Sariel, look out!”
I looked up to see a huge, winged beast descending, its sharp talons outstretched, and I screamed in pain as they sank into my shoulders. Its leathery wings flapped as it rose in the air, dragging me with it. I fought to free myself, but its talons only dug deeper into the soft flesh beneath my shoulder blades. Then I was falling, red fire engulfing the thing that held me, and we crashed to the ground. Hands dragged me free from the burningcorpse, and I was shocked to see it was Ash pulling me to my feet.
“Are you good?” He snapped.
I blinked, pain flowing through me.
“Sariel, do you still have the scroll?” He demanded.
I nodded and held it up, pain racing through my arms.
“Good, let’s go,” he said, turning to fire more demonic fire into the air above us.
We broke into a run, picking up the pace as we tried to put as much distance between us and the hellions. Ash and Carlisle continued to fire at the winged creatures above us, their rapid shots lighting up the darkening sky. Alastor and Theo led the way, their muscular forms weaving expertly through the narrow streets of the ancient city.
Suddenly there was an explosion. Dirt and debris rained down on us as a section of the city wall to our right burst apart, revealing a mass of snarling hellions. I could feel a bone chilling terror rise within me but pushed it down. I couldn’t afford to lose control now.
We changed direction abruptly, darting down a narrow side street that would take us towards the old city's eastern gate. But our detour didn’t slow down our pursuers. Instead, more hellions seemed to materialise out of every shadow and doorway, and they were gaining on us.
"Close off this pathway!" I commanded my golems.
Immediately, they formed a shield wall behind us, their clay bodies quickly absorbing the strikes of the winged hellions.
Despite my pain, a part of me couldn't help but feel a thrill at the sight. To see my orders followed so swiftly and seamlessly... it was a reminder of why I became an angel general in the first place. But it also made me reflect on what I’d lost. This was what I’d been made for. This was who I was.
We turned down another street, and then the tunnel entrance loomed ahead - a welcoming dark void in the midst of hell.
"To the tunnel!" I ordered, my voice hoarse with pain and exhaustion. I gripped the scroll tightly, my other arm hanging limp by my side as blood soaked through my clothes and dripped onto the ground. The winged beast's attack had taken its toll.
Alastor glared across at me, and I realised that with the weight of the golem command on me, I had also assumed control of the team. My heart sank. Alastor was going to be so pissed at me.
He stormed back to me, but instead of the reprimand I expected, he swung me up into his arms.
“What are you doing?” I gasped.
“You’re hurt,” he answered simply. “Now, get us out of here, Sariel.”
I felt as though my heart might burst at his words, at his faith in me.
"Right," I managed, despite the searing pain. "Golems, guard our retreat. And Ash, Carlisle, shoot anything that moves towards us."
The golems stood firm, holding back the advancing horde as we made a final push towards the tunnel entrance. Ash and Carlisle fired round after round into the air, providing coverage from above. The darkness wrapped around us as Alastor ran into the cover of the tunnel, the others following close behind.
“Ash, deal with that,” Alastor shouted.
I wasn’t sure what he’d meant until there was a blinding flash of red light and a deafening crash as the mouth of the tunnel collapsed, sealing us inside. Silence fell, as we paused, waiting to see if any hellions had got through, but there was nothing except our ragged breathing. I reached down the link, finding that strange, dry consciousness for the last time.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “You can sleep now. Your purpose is fulfilled.” A feeling of satisfaction touched me, before I was filled with a sensation of falling dust and a long-awaited peace.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
ALASTOR
My stomach churned as Dr Taylor’s voice washed over me, but I wasn’t taking in a single word he was saying. I was waiting for my team to show up to the late afternoon debrief I’d ordered, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over so I could get Sariel on her own. I was going to make her talk to me. No more messing around, no more hiding. This - whatever this was - wasn’t working. I couldn’t survive on brief touches and smiles, on moments of desire stolen when she weakened in her resolve. I didn’t want to be her dirty little secret. I didn’t want to be the sin she thought I was. I was her mate, and she was mine, and it was time she knew the truth.
I tried to drag my thoughts back to the present. I still had this debrief to get through and the man in front of me was practically vibrating with excitement, a dusty fedora perched askew on his head as he clutched a cluster of pottery shards like they were diamonds.
"Remarkable, isn't it?" he enthused, holding up a fragment painted with faded ochre lines. "While you lot were gallivanting in the mountains, chasing hellions, Mother Nature shook things up here—quite literally!"
