The wrought-iron gates creaked softly as he slipped inside, disappearing into the shadows between the tombstones.Rathiel and I exchanged a glance before we followed, slipping through the gates as silently as we could manage.Our steps were slow as we navigated the rows of gravestones.Up ahead, the vampire had come to a stop before a modest tombstone, his head bowed, a strange stillness settling over him.
An earthbound vampire, then?Visiting the grave of a loved one?
I sighed, about to signal that we leave, when the atmosphere around us suddenly shifted.
Something dark and far more dangerous, swept through the cemetery like a cold gust of wind, sending a shiver down my spine.
Rathiel stiffened again before he slowly pivoted, his body coiling.
“What is it?”I whispered.
The vampire, who had been still and contemplative just seconds before, suddenly tensed.His head whipped up, and his gaze darted around, eyes wide with alarm.Without a word, he spun on his heel and sprinted out of the cemetery, his steps frantic as he disappeared into the shadows of the night.
I barely had time to register the vampire’s panicked flight before Rathiel grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back hard, stepping in front of me.His wings unfurled so fast and with such force that they shredded his winter jacket, the jagged, blackened feathers tearing through the fabric like paper.In one swift movement, his wings created an impenetrable shield in front of me, blocking my view.
“Rath—” I barely managed to choke out before he lifted his hand and silenced me with a sharp motion.
I craned my neck, leaning out from behind the cover of his wings just enough to glimpse of a figure that clearly had Rathiel on edge.
And my stomach dropped.
Gremory.
One of Lucifer’s fallen angels and a carnage demon.One of the worst.
“My, oh my,” Gremory’s voice slithered through the air, cold and cruel.“Look who we have here.”
He stood perched on a nearby mausoleum, his wings, black as night, stretched out behind him.He was larger than I remembered—and far more menacing.His presence seemed to fill the entire cemetery, oppressive and suffocating like an impending storm.
Rathiel’s stance was rigid, his wings still spread wide, keeping me behind him, but I could feel his entire body vibrating with tension.He was ready to spring, every muscle tight like a predator waiting to strike.
I swallowed hard.
If Gremory was here…well, that could only mean one thing.
The moment we’d dreaded had arrived—Lucifer’s fallen had found me.
ChapterTwenty-One
“The Great Rathiel,Lucifer’s most loyal dog.”Gremory’s voice was thick with mockery, cutting through the eerie silence of the cemetery.His wings unfurled behind him like an omen, their dark feathers gleaming faintly under the moonlight.He tilted his head, a cruel smirk twisting his lips.“Oops.I guess that title’s a little outdated now, huh?More like Lucifer’s biggest mistake?”
I stiffened, my pulse spiking, but my training kicked in an instant later.My hand shot to the hilt of Inferno’s Kiss, and I drew my sword, the familiar weight grounding me as I stepped out from behind Rathiel’s wings.
“Lily—” Rathiel growled.
I shook my head sharply.No.I was a warrior and just as lethal as Rathiel, if not more, considering I could blast hellfire at anyone who pissed me off.I would not hide, and I certainly refused to cower behind someone else.
Rathiel’s wings remained outstretched, but his body was a wall of tense energy, poised for action.His silence was deafening, the calm before the storm.
I studied Gremory.His towering frame was impossible to ignore, every inch of him radiating power.His silver hair framed his sharp features, highlighting the cruel curve of his lips and the icy gleam in his blue eyes.
Gremory appraised me, his smirk widening.“Ah, Lucifer’s little princess steps up to play,” he sneered, his gaze roaming lazily over me as if I was no threat at all.“And here I thought you intended to hide behind your fallen knight like a scared little girl.”
I narrowed my eyes, the heat of my hellfire simmering just beneath my skin.Inferno’s Kiss thrummed in my grip, the blade instinctively igniting with fire in anticipation of battle.“I’m not hiding from anyone, least of all you, Gremory.”
He let out a low, callous laugh, the sound sending a ripple of unease through me.“Cute, but we’ll see how long those little flames last when I snuff them out.”
Without warning, Rathiel moved, his wings snapping shut as he advanced a step toward Gremory, his sword raised and ready.“I’ll kill you before you lay a hand on her.”
