Page 106 of Greed

“Anything, it’s yours, name it.”

“Don’t.” She paused, her chest barely rising as she tried to take a breath. “Slip back, don’t be… who you were,” she coughed, and more blood dripped from her mouth. “Be this version of you, be the man I fell in love with.”

“I…I…”

“Promise me, Riker,” she said, her voice softer.

My lower lip trembled. “I promise.”

She smiled wide, the same smile that captured my heart the first moment we met. “I. Love. You.” Her hand slipped away from my face and fell onto the blood-stained grass.

“No, no, this is not happening.” I picked up her hand and laid it against my cheek. “Don’t leave me, please.”

When she didn’t move, her eyes stared blankly up at the sky, a roar ripped from my chest that shook the ground. My power flowed out in a mad rush as the pain enveloped me, seizing me in its grasp. I couldn’t breathe. Every limb shook with the crushing sadness as I wailed. The power exploded and tossed everything to the wind. Demon, angel, car, and trees were driven back by the blast.

“Father! Please help her!” I yelled to the Heavens. It was the only time I’d asked for anything since my fall, but I’d do anything he wanted if he’d let Minny live. “Please, if you ever loved me, save her!”

The sky remained quiet. No words of comfort came from above. More tears fell from my eyes, landing on her still form.

A hand gripped my shoulder, and I looked into Dai’s tear-filled eyes. So similar was the look on her face as when I’d comforted her so long ago. “Get her out of here. We’ll finish this.”

I lifted Minny as carefully as I could. Penny and Shilo stood close by, both wearing the same expression. I wanted so badly to rip out the stupid spear from her chest. Michael stepped forward, his sword bloody, but his eyes sad as he stared at Minny’s still form.

“I’m taking her to a hospital.”

“It’s too late. She’s gone, my brother,” Michael said quietly.

“No! I don’t believe you.” My mind didn’t want to believe what I already knew to be true. I soared into the air, my wings taking me faster than they’d ever done before.

“Brother, stop!”

“No!” I hollered back at Michael, who was following not far behind. “I’m not letting her go.”

As we neared the tall hospital with its glowing H, Michael grabbed my legs and hauled me toward the roof.

“Stop it, let me go!” I tried to kick him off, but I couldn’t fend him off properly with Minny in my arms.

Michael let go at the last second, and I barely got my feet underneath me, but we didn’t crash. “What the fuck? I’m trying to save her!”

Michael grabbed my shoulders and shook me. “Look at her face, brother. She is gone.” He gripped my shoulders harder. “She is gone,” he said softer.

“No,” I said but couldn’t bring myself to look at her face knowing he was right. “Save her, please save her.” I held her out to him. “You want me to beg?” I dropped to my knees, his hands falling free of my shoulders as I held her up to him. “Please, save her. I will do anything you want.”

“I can’t. I wish I could.” Michael said and reached out to wipe some of the blood off her face. “I really wish I could.”

“What good is being an archangel then?” I growled out bitterly.

“I don’t know,” Michael whispered, his eyes moist.

“You did this. You put her in my path, and you made this happen! You killed her.” I laid Minny down on the ground as gingerly as I could and called my sword to me once more. “You commit more sins than I ever could, and yet you remain at Father’s side as the loved child.”

The sword slammed home into my palm as rage flowed through my body. The demon that was part of me rose from the pain and growled at the archangel, the sound rippling from my lips.

“I didn’t kill you all these years, but I won’t hold back now.” Gold met silver as our blades collided and wings flapped hard.

“I don’t want to hurt you, brother,” Michael pleaded.

“You already have. Her blood is on your hands.” The clanging of the swords grew as we swirled in the air above the hospital, our arms moving faster than any human eye could see. “You wanted to break me? Well, you’ve done it. I’m broken, Michael.” Sparks flew as the deadly metal met and the handles locked together. “I hate you. Everything you touch turns to ash, and yet you live. It’s not right,” I growled in his face.