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I swallow hard, my throat burning.
Heaven’s. I know I’m on Heaven’s side. I am one of their warriors.
If only I completely believed it.
If only Hell didn’t sound so tempting.
20
Lust
Riella
Idigmyfingersinto my palms, watching the entrance of the building. We are too late. Dagan stands within the lobby, his human façade as handsome as I remember. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was just a wealthy businessman with his tailored suit, clean-shaven face, and neatly styled auburn hair. He carries himself with confidence, leaning on the counter and looking deep into the eyes of the woman behind the counter of the front desk.
I shiver and watch as he leans even closer, getting into her personal space. Anger rushes through me, and I suppress the sudden jealousy sneaking up inside me. What is wrong with me? I can’t envy the way he looks at her, wishing he would look at me like that. These incomprehensible feelings make me nervous.
What’s worse is that I can’t stop my feet from stepping forward. It takes Damien latching his hand to my shoulder to get me to stay in place. I can’t reveal myself just yet. The first thing we need to do is to get Dagan out of the building. The last thing we want is to cause any human casualties, and the place is busy with life.
“The end is near!” River shouts, raising his hands toward the sky. “The devil walks among us, and he will drag all of your souls to Hell. You must abandon this area. Save yourselves!”
No one listens to River, treating him as if he is Lucifer, walking wide around him as he stands outside the Hellshire Tower.
“Why aren’t they listening?” I ask, rolling my shoulders, trying to loosen my bunched nerves.
Damien chuckles. “Because they think he’s insane. He looks a bit unhinged, and most mortals that shout at people about the End of Times are disregarded. It’s just one of those things, angel.”
“Yeah, really. But we’re not concerned about getting people to run. We just want to attract Dagan’s attention. He won’t be able to resist my brother. He’ll want to claim his soul, considering we’re descended from angels.” Storm shifts on his feet, rolling loose pebbles from the asphalt beneath his boot.
I keep my eyes locked on Dagan’s back, wondering if it will truly work. What if Dagan thinks River is just one of those humans that Damien mentioned, the ones that everyone ignores.
I knew this was a mistake. River was right. I should be the bait.
I lose my patience and bend my knees, launching into the air. Damien surprises me by grabbing tightly to my hand, forcing me to pull him with me. He doesn’t let go until he’s a couple of feet from the ground, and then he releases me to land beside River. Storm calls our names from a block away, but I was too fast for him to catch up.
River tries to grab me, keeping me away from the entrance of the building, but Dagan needs to know I’m here. I need to face him and make certain he knows that I’ll never be his queen.
I have to trust my instincts. This is how it should be. I can’t just hide from my enemies. I must face them head-on.
“My warrior, you’ve made it. I knew it wouldn’t take long to see you again.” Dagan stands just outside the glass doors, resting his hands on his hips, looking so incredibly handsome that my sudden urge to kill him falters.
Damien snaps me out of his hypnotic trance over me, his hulking form getting in front of me as if he doesn’t think I can protect myself. “You’re going to lose these games you’re playing, Dagan. Riella is not your warrior. She is not going to fall to Hell. Now tell us who sent you. Don’t make this hard.” Damien’s growly voice ignites lust inside me, and I can’t help appreciating his sudden protectiveness. He knows I’m capable of handling myself, but the fact that he wants to do this gets to me in a good way.
His words only make Dagan smile wider. “I’ve already told my warrior that to get the answers, all she’ll have to do is bow.” He doesn’t look at Damien, treating him as if he is beneath him, and instead, he keeps his gaze trained on me. I can only see his dazzling eyes from over Damien’s shoulder.
“I will never,” I snap, unfurling my wings and preparing to launch at him.
But I don’t get the chance. Dagan summons fire within his palms and shoots it toward Damien, setting the demon aglow. My heart speeds up, and Damien yells out as his human facade melts away, leaving him standing before me in his unholy form. And I’ve never seen anything like it. I know I’ve glimpsed him before, but he fought hard against revealing himself to me. And now that he has...
“Riella, run. Grab the hunters and run,” Damien commands, swiveling to face me.
I freeze the moment I stare into his icy eyes. “Dagan, stop this.” I can’t believe I’m pleading with a demon.
“Only you can stop this, my warrior,” he says, taking a step back instead of moving closer. Why he doesn’t come after me leaves me anxious. He doesn’t try to fight or even close the space.
But he doesn’t have to. Because my feet inch forward as I move closer to Damien. Something about him entrances me, and desire blooms between my legs in a way that I’ve never experienced as an angel. Goosebumps prickle over my skin.
River rushes toward me, stepping between me and Damien. The second his eyes meet mine, I lose control of my body and rush him. He opens his arms and engulfs me in a hug, meeting my lips with his own, and I kiss River with enough passion to leave the two of us breathless. His body presses flush against mine, and I can feel it awaken, the length of his erection pressing against my hip. I never really thought about a man’s body like this, but my curiosity consumes me, and I graze my fingers over him through his pants. He moans against my mouth, setting me off even more.
