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Sariel definitely came to the same conclusion as me, because he bristled, his expression twisting into a scowl.
“See?” Azazel asked, spreading his arms. “I win. I willalwayswin, Sariel.”
“No, you won’t,” Credence announced from behind him.
I’d been so busy keeping my eyes on Tyler and Azazel, that I hadn’t seen her move. And, apparently, neither had the other wolves.
She smashed the test tubes she’d previously come out with on the floor at her feet. The room immediately filled with a thick fog, as well as the sound of… fireworks going off.
“Get her out of here!” she yelled.
Sariel grabbed me, and, because he knew this house inside out, guided me blind toward a room. We ended up in the library, where he began to speak quickly.
“You need to get to Virginia,” he instructed as he maneuvered me through the shelves. “That’s our next rendezvous point with Johnny before we leave America. He should have the papers ready for you.”
I paused at his words. “For me? You’re not coming?”
“I can’t,” he answered distractedly. He was searching for something. “I can’t leave Lucy and Credence.”
“He won’t hurt Lucy or Credence,” I tried to reason with him. I was being selfish; I understood that Azazel was currently unpredictable. “He wouldn’t—”
“And what about the wolf, Tyler? Do you thinkhe'llbe as merciful as Azazel?”
At my silence, he sighed, cupping my face in his hands. “That’s not a risk I’m willing to take, Aria,” he said softly. “He’s escalating. I can’t afford to gamble on their lives.”
“So you’re going to give yourself up.”
I swallowed the sudden paralyzing fear clawing at my insides for him. It was admirable, sure, but I couldn’t help but let myselfishness guide me to grab Sariel’s arm as he moved to shove a giant bookshelf aside.
“Come with me,” I begged. “Please.”
A heavy thud landed against the door. “Don’t be stupid, Sariel. Open this fucking door.”
“You can’t run from me, girl,” Tyler also growled beyond the barrier.
Sariel’s gaze clashed with mine as another thud came. When the door groaned, it spurred him on.
“I can’t,” he whispered urgently, shoving the bookshelf aside harshly.
Beneath it was a well-concealed trap door. Sariel’s fingers dented the wood as he yanked it up, and a plume of dust rose in the air, making me cough. A wooden set of stairs was revealed; beyond that, I couldn’t see what was below.
The door on the other end of the room crashed open.
Sariel grabbed me by the back of my neck and hauled me into his body. I only had a split second to appreciate his heat and the firmness of his body before his lips crashed onto mine in a kiss.
His lips were soft. His tongue swept roughly along the line of my mouth, and when I gasped, he licked inside with a wild desperation that had me clutching his shirt to keep myself upright.
“Stay alive,” he said when we separated. His eyes had already begun to glow, the gold ring around his iris sparking as he gazed at me.
And then, he shoved me backward.
For a moment, while I was airborne, the world narrowed to only Sariel: his wings spread behind him, his eyes aglow, his expression sorrowful.
A scream lodged in my throat as Sariel dropped the door, plunging me into darkness.
I landed on something soft and squishy. I could hear furniture being dragged and things being smashed above me. I didn’t stick around to find out who survived whatever happened up there.
The room I’d landed in was an underground storage room filled with bedding and old furniture. I couldn’t stand all the way up, but I was able to feel my way along the wall until I found a door. I stood still and listened, strained my hearing, because I was unsure of what I would find on the other side.
