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Zade finally reacts to Joel’s presence. His muscles bulge, and he reaches behind him and unsheathes his sword, setting the world aglow in heavenly light. Joel’s scream pierces my ears, and I squeeze Zade’s torso between my thighs, holding him with my legs to free my hands to cover my ears.
“I might not be a ruler of Hell but I am a vessel for the Higher Power and will seek justice where the devils have failed. If you step another inch closer or say Raven’s name again, you will face my holy vengeance.” Zade’s voice booms through the air, filling me up with something I can’t fathom. What is going on? Again, why is he doing this? Protecting me. Is it because of Andre? I have so many questions.
“No! Please!” Joel screams, smartening up. He stumbles away from us and trips over the demon’s remains.
No, not remains.
Oh shit. Zade might’ve decapitated the bastard, but the demon starts healing and putting himself together.
“Zade, please. We have to go,” I whisper. “Please.” My pleas come out so softly, but I pray the words, hoping that he’ll take me back to the Mortal Realm.
My heart jumps as Zade expands his wings. Whoa. He is going to answer my prayers again.
“My soul.” The guttural sound of the demon’s voice stakes into my very being.
“Angel, help! You can save—” Joel’s words snap off.
I don’t have a chance to look behind me. Bending his knees, Zade launches us into the air, sending my midnight hair flying around us. I cling to him tightly, burying my face in the crook of his neck to ease the sting of the hot wind whipping across my body. If it’s hot to me, I imagine it being even hotter for him. But he doesn’t complain or sweat, soaring with me higher and higher until...oh, fuck. We’re going back down. There is no portal or anything. All he does is relocate us, landing near a blood-filled river.
“Zade, what are you doing?” I ask, squeezing my eyes shut, praying that when I open them our surroundings will change.
“Getting you away from the soul who tried to consume your light. I felt his desire to destroy you. It was unpleasant.” Zade’s voice remains even, and he strokes one of his big hands along the length of my back.
It shouldn’t feel so good, but it’s like my body and soul just know that unless my devils find me that I might only have safety in Zade’s arms, no matter how annoyed I am by it. He got here, and he should be able to leave.
“No, I meant why aren’t we leaving? Let’s get out of here. Lucian—” My stomach flies to my throat, the sudden freefall stealing my words. I can only tense and hold on. I can’t even get myself to open my eyes to see what’s happening.
The rush of falling from the sky subsides, and I gasp, trying to catch my breath. I open my eyes and stare at the smoldering world around us. A red stone road, like it’s made of garnet, winds through an expansive burning landscape. Zade lands in the middle of it, touching his boots to the ground with a thump.
And then I see them.
There are souls everywhere.
Men and women fight monstrous demons in a horrendous battle. The hellish warzone goes on for miles, the yells and shouts of fury resonating through the air. Here, there aren’t guns or knives or any human-made weapons. These people are using their bodies, using each other, and even using the parts of bottom feeder demons trying to up their power in Hell.
Cool fingers touch my chin, and Zade guides my face to look at him instead of the war surrounding us. “Raven, you’re safe. Despite Andre abandoning his purpose on your behalf, I do not blame you and don’t want to see you hurt. He wouldn’t want that. I know it.”
I suck my bottom lip into my mouth and nod my head. I know it hurts him, knowing his eternal companion jumped from grace because of me but he’s too pure to place the blame on me. He empathizes on a soul-deep level unlike the rest of his brethren. He always stood by Andre’s side and would try to warn him, but he never truly did much to stop him. It’s like he only prayed or held his faith in Andre. He didn’t fight for Andre, which is why I’m surprised he’s now going through the effort.
“I don’t understand why you’re going through this trouble, but I think he would want you to do as I ask and take me out of here,” I finally say, covering his hands with my own. “He would want you to help me find Elias.”
I press gently, feeling the weight of his fingers against my cheeks. The exhilarating spark of being so close to him helps staunch the fear inside me. I don’t know if it’s his presence alone or something more, but whatever it is excites me. It feels as if it breathes life into me amid the fiery darkness around us.
Blinking a few times, Zade shakes his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I won’t risk my grace. I won’t betray the Higher Power or Cassius.”
My chest tightens. I should be used to angels giving me a blip of hope only to steal it away. “Zade, please. I’m scared. Elias could die and be lost forever. He was once part of your brethren. Can’t you summon an ounce of mercy to help him? He can’t end up in Hell and unable to claim a throne. This place will destroy him.”
Tears burn my eyes at the thought. He might not be bound by contract to a demon any longer, but he’s still destined for Hell—but it must be by my hands. No one told me exactly why, but I assume it has something to do with our shared soul and my contract with Lucian. Regardless, I already die inside thinking about it. But to not be there to do what must be done? I’ll let everyone down. I can’t stand the thought.
Zade releases a long breath and strokes his thumbs across my cheeks, smearing my tears. “You care about him.” He says it like the idea is impossible to comprehend. “You’ve asked for me to show him mercy instead of you.”
“He’s my soulmate,” I say, the words ringing more true than ever before.
“You’re too pure and light for all of this.” Tipping his head back, Zade closes his eyes. He remains silent as if he’s praying or thinking or just trying to process everything that happened involving me. “I wish you would accept Cassius’s terms and let us help you. I don’t understand why you fight so fiercely for a place that will consume you.”
Annoyance sizzles through me. He is as dense as Cassius to even think that I would humor such a bargain. Maybe if it were destroying only Lucian. But he wants Kase and Dante too. I’ll do anything to protect my psycho sweet devils, even if it means I’m lost here.
“Because it won’t. My devils won’t let it. It’s not about Hell, Zade. It’s about Kase and Dante. I’m sorry if you can’t get it through your thick, righteous head, but I...I love them. I want to spend eternity by their sides. By Micah and Andre’s. By Elias’s. We have a plan, and I don’t give a fuck about what Cassius thinks—or what you think—for that matter.” I tug myself away from him.
