Page 82 of Greed

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I lifted her body enough that I could wrap the great wings around her. She was mine as I was hers, and I intended on keeping her.

Hours later, I lay on my back, holding Minetta to my body as she slept. Her slow, deep breathing was a comfort to me. Two things plagued my mind now. The first was how different I felt. I was still Riker, still Mammon, and yet I wasn’t. My soul was lighter, more akin to when I was a warrior of Heaven when my name had been Maddix, and I was a beloved son and brother.

The second thing that gave me cause to sweat and worry was how little time I had with Minetta. As an immortal, I didn’t give time much thought. I would wake up every day the same way I did the day before and the one before that. I’d seen history shape itself, humans advance, and the world change, but I’d taken it all for granted. Minny was human. At best, she had another fifty good years. At worst, she could die tomorrow. The thought made me hold her closer and kiss the top of her head. I couldn’t lose her. I just couldn’t.

I stared at the ceiling slightly terrified to close my eyes and try to get some sleep. I didn’t want to lose a single second with her and had this crazy urge to stand over Minny and growl at everything that came near her. I pinched the bridge of my nose and pushed the images aside. As my eyes fluttered shut, I was pulled under and taken back in time.

I’d never thought I’d have to cut down a fellow angel, but as I flew into the chaos that had erupted in Heaven, I found myself drawing my golden sword and defending myself from an onslaught of attacks. The sound of metal-on-metal clanging and the roar of the dragon echoed off the ivory palace—the once bright green grass and white clouds had become a disturbing abstract blanket of blood red and grey ash.

I dropped to the grass and laid my hand on Dai’s shoulder. I’d never seen her cry. She was a warrior, an archangel, and one of the strongest angels I’d ever known. Yet, tears streamed down her face as her hand lay on her bloodied best friend.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Dai said as she rocked back and forth.

I spun with the sound of wings and cut down a small hoard of the black demon things that were flying around, causing chaos and mayhem.

“Come, you must move from this spot, Dai. It’s not safe.”

Her tear-stained cheeks turned up to me, and anger that burned bright in her violet eyes caused me to swallow hard.

“I’m going to kill them all.” With a mighty thrust of her wings, she soared into the air with wild furye, and I took flight after her, fearful of what she would do.

“Stop this madness!” I heard someone yell and looked down to see Shilo as he grabbed a fallen sword and held it up, his arms shaking as he tried to fend off an attack from an angel guard. I no longer knew who was on whose side, but the angel’s face was twisted into a mask of rage as he swung his weapon at Shilo. The sword Shilo had been holding sailed out of his hands harmlessly, and I quickly averted my original path to land in front of my old friend. I glared at the angel I once considered family.

“What are you doing?” I said, my sword up and at the ready.

“His family is part of the traitors!” The angel screamed and pointed to Shilo’s son, who was indeed dressed in the same black leather as the rest of Lucifer’s army. “He must die with the rest!”

“He doesn’t even have a weapon, so you consider an old angel and not even a warrior a threat?” My question was lost on deaf ears as the angel lunged. Sighing with sadness, I smacked the sword away from the much less experienced guard. He looked down and began screaming hysterically as he realized that I’d taken his entire hand. The bloody stump spat blood like a fountain, and he turned to leap into the air and flee. I swung my sword again. The blade easily sliced through his wings, the large white feathers landed on the grass in a bloody heap, and the angel crashed to the grass.

“What have you done,” the guard yelled as he gripped his bloody arm to his chest and tried to push himself backward on the ground. I stalked him, following his path, my boots squishing in the bright red grass.

A hand grabbed my arm before I could make a killing blow. “Do not kill him. You will be no better than the rest.” I looked into Shilo’s concerned face and nodded.

“Are you okay here? I must go see if I can stop this.”

“Yes, go. I must do the same, and thank you, my boy.”

With a flick of my wings, I joined the chaotic fray of battle once more and spotted Michael and Lucifer facing off at the far end of Heaven that had turned into the raging battlefield. I dodged blades and spears from both sides of the battle a I sliced my way through wings and armour no longer certain which side I was on.

Rising higher into the darkened sky, I soared toward the two archangels, my two brothers, and my family that was tearing this place asunder.

The distinct reverberation of their silver swords rang out like a bell toll sounding the beginning or maybe the end. With lightning-quick motion, they flew around one another, blade meeting blade, black versus white as their skin and eyes glowed with power. Fire rolled along the ground as the great dragon roared and stomped closer to the palace, its mighty breath consuming all in its path with blood-curdling screams and wails of pain.

The dragon reared, and as it did, it unwittingly knocked the two fighting above it away. Michael and Lucifer tumbled toward the ground, landing hard. They rolled their wings and became saturated in bright red blood, making them look like bleeding marble. Michael recovered a split second before Lucifer did, and a wicked smirk spread across Lucifer’s face as the sword lowered for the killing blow.

Neither had seen me moving in, and just as the blade would have taken Luci’s head, my blade landed between Michael and his mark. My arms strained to hold Michael off and to keep him from doing something he’d regret.

Michael’s eyes met mine, his glowing blue orbs locking with my own. “What have you done,” he asked softly.

I watched the slow trickle of blood running down his cheek from a cut I knew would scar. The silver made in Heaven was a killing blow to all it touched, and an angel cut would never heal clean. The blemish would become a constant reminder that another angel had touched them with aggression.

“I stopped you from killing your brother. Look around you, Michael. Is this what you really want? For Heaven to be divided, and for your hand to lay waste to your brothers?”

“He brought this war upon us! Look at that thing. It is an abomination and has destroyed our gates. It has killed many and marches on Father’s palace. How can you protect him?”

I looked down into Lucifer’s face, who still had two blades touching the skin of his neck in a deadly V. He’d done an egregious thing, but all I could see was my family.

“I see my brother, as you are my brother. I cannot let you kill him any more than I could let him kill you, Michael.”