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A smile crosses my face, and I can’t help glancing at the broody hunter. He’s always been so rude, but his comment arouses a strange feeling inside me. I think I’m starting to like him. I don’t know if it’s because he resembles Storm so much, and I definitely like the good twin, or if it’s because he’s agreeing with me. Either way, I like that he already knows his place. He knows that we’re on a mission. We have things that we must take care of immediately, and sometimes, strategizing will only waste time. We must go with our instincts.
If only mine hadn’t led me astray.
“Angel, please. You know it’s an awful idea when he agrees with you. He’s just trying to get you to let your guard down, so he can send you to Hell along with me. Only Storm is stopping him from doing as much.” Damien slides his arm around my waist, tucking himself under one of my wings. I should be angry, but I enjoy his affection. He does it more and more, his closeness just proving that he’s here for me.
I release a breath and close my eyes, wishing I could find the answers within a prayer. But everything goes unanswered now, and I refuse to meditate and risk accidentally tapping into Hell again. Not as Dagan enters the mortal plane.
“I suppose you’re right. I just...I’m uneasy. It’s hard to comprehend that a Prince of Hell is out for me. That he’s already gotten to me, using the fact that I touched Hell to communicate. Or that I’m seeing visions. I don’t know anything anymore, and it scares me.” There. I admitted what was truly on my mind and why I’m so set on getting this done.
“And here I thought you were trying to get on Heaven’s good side again, so you could abandon us.” Damien smirks with his words, but something dark flickers in his eyes. I think the thought saddens him. Because now that I think about the idea of suddenly returning to Heaven and leaving these three behind makes my chest tighten. I don’t like it, but this is my purpose. I’m supposed to be an angel and a warrior for Heaven. If I stay here, it’ll be easier for Hell to claim me.
“It’s not like that,” I finally say, reaching for his hand to lace my fingers through his. The gesture feels so natural, and I meet Damien’s blue eyes, capturing him in my gaze for a moment.
A guttural snarl cuts through the air, snagging my attention. I whip around and spot a monstrous demon crawling from a sewer grate. It’s as if we were being stalked from below, and I guess I should’ve expected as much.
“That son of a bitch,” River says, squaring his shoulders and unsheathing his blessed blade from his belt.
I flap my wings and launch into the air, flying over his head to beat him to the beast. I never thought ending something would feel so incredible, and I don’t want to give River the luxury of doing it. I have a deep-seated need to send the demon to Hell, but I can’t tell if it’s because I want to get that much closer to the fire pits or if it’s because that’s what I’ve been training for. It’s all so confusing.
Hot arms encompass me from behind, dragging me back before I get within reach of the demon. I shout in anger and flail, elbowing Damien in the jaw, getting him to release me.
I spin around and glower at him, wondering what is going through his mind. He’d better not be helping this demon. He can’t be. That would make him—
“Angel, you can’t send him to Hell yet. If he’s here, he will give us Dagan’s location. We can use him.” Damien holds his hands up in surrender, putting a couple of feet of space between us as if he thinks I’ll use my blade against him. And with the fire enveloping my hands, I might. It’s as if every time I face evil, I can’t see things clearly.
Storm shouts an incantation, the sacred words stinging my ears as flames explode in a circle, caging the demon in. He doesn’t hesitate in capturing the monstrous beast, stopping him from fighting and fleeing.
“Where is Dagan?” Storm asks, aiming his blade at the demon through the wall of fire crackling between them.
The demon doesn’t respond, snarling again and snapping its fangs.
I stride up to stand beside Storm. “You’ll tell us, or we will send you back to Hell immediately.” I toe the fire barrier, feeling the heat against my boots. My whole body cringes as the gross sulfur scent of Hell trickles through the flames, radiating from the demon.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Dagan desires to see you too.” The demon flicks its forked tongue, hissing as its scaly head morphs into a horned serpent, its green eyes glowing. “You’ll find him in the penthouse of the Hellshire Tower.”
I shudder and take a step back. I didn’t expect it to be so easy. It’s obviously a trap, and I know better than to just take the demon’s word for it.
“Don’t call me that. I am not royalty. I will never fall to Hell,” I mutter, inching closer, staring into the demon’s neon green eyes.
He strikes, opening his mouth wide, trying to sink his sharp fangs into my arm. A blade cuts through the demon’s neck, severing his big head from his slithering body. Damien sends the demon to Hell before he can bite me.
I heave a breath, backing up as the flames grow brighter and a portal opens, dragging the demon in. Both Storm and River each take one of my hands, grabbing onto me as if they’re afraid that I might jump in. And maybe I might.
But I don’t get the chance to consider it, because the portal closes and Damien stands before me, his demonic side flashing for a second. He feels the call of Hell too, but he resists it. I need to resist it as well.
“We must sneak up on Dagan. If he is where the demon said he was, it should be easy enough to set a trap,” Damien says, swiping his gooey blade on his pants, not even caring that it’s covered in demon guts.
“It should be easy enough. We have demon bait.” River squeezes his hand around mine, the sensation sparking something exciting inside me.
I startle and rip my hand away. “I’m glad you’ve volunteered, River.” I press my lips together, enjoying his frown far too much.
Storm laughs and smacks him on the back. “I’m with Riella. You’ll make excellent bait, brother.”
River swears under his breath and turns away. “Fine, whatever. Just don’t be upset when I get the honor of sending him to Hell.”
“I’d like to see you try, little hunter,” I say, twisting his comment about me being a little demon to mess with him. “Just don’t cry to me when he forces you to bow. But don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
River glowers. “Back at ya, little demon. Now, come on. Let’s make this quick. This will be your chance to prove whose side you’re truly on.”
