Although the hill wasn’t very high or steep, walking toward Loray was a daunting task. She fought the sense that each step she took brought her closer to her doom. The urge to run threatened to overwhelm her determination to defeat Loray. But what good would running do? There was nowhere to run. No place he wouldn’t eventually find her. This was her best chance.
As she reached the hill’s crest, she could finally make out the features of Loray’s face. Although still shadowed by his hood, the sharp edge of his jaw, the strong structure of his nose, and the curves of his cheek bones made for a handsome face. Or what would have been, she realized as she continued to close the distance between them, if he hadn’t been a demon. Loray’s skin was so pale it had a bluish hue to it wherever there was unmarked skin left. The rest of it was riddled with charred patches of decay. Although she could only see his face, she suspected that the marks covered the remainder of his flesh in much the same way. His glowing red eyes were watching her as she took him in. She’d thought she’d been subtle enough in her study, but apparently not.
“Like what you see?” He said caustically.
She pointed a finger toward him. “You seem to have a little mark there next to your nose.” The words had tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
They enraged him. His nostrils flaring, he grabbed the wrist of her outstretched hand and squeezed until bone snapped. The pain made her eyes water, but she didn’t care. She had accomplished her goal.
“Go to hell,” she hissed. She let loose the power the tiny spirits had bestowed upon her. It gushed through her, as if a dam had broken. The torrent was so powerful it threatened to sweep her away with it if she wasn’t careful. But it wasn’t painful. On the contrary, it was a rush of pure rapture. Her wrist was mended instantly. She wanted to let her conscious melt away into the flow, but she needed to keep her wits about her. She forced her attention back to her enemy.
Loray’s eyes had gone wide with shock. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came forth. Instead, a froth of black, blood-like liquid, seeped from the corner of his mouth. Loray began to make choking sounds, forcing more of the fluid out of his mouth. A few droplets of it spattered across Grace’s face, but she barely noticed. The light blue glow of her power wrapped like vines, first up Loray’s arm, then across his torso and down his legs. Although he could not scream, his eyes betrayed his silent agony. Grace held on until every drop had left her.
As Loray’s lifeless body dropped to the dirt, Grace blinked with disbelief. Had she defeated him? Had she, alone, faced a powerful demon of Hell and won? She kept staring at him, waiting for him to stand back up, strike out at her, grab her. But he lay in a disheveled heap in the mud. Defeated. It wasn’t until flames began to lick up from under him and spread across his body that she was certain she had done it. She was too amazed to do anything but watch as the conflagration consumed him.
Despite her mixed feelings about Caleb, Grace’s first thought was how proud he would be of her. At least, once he got over his protective anger that she’d gone to face Loray alone. He certainly wasn’t going to like that part. Maybe it was the heady strength of victory that made her feel better about the entire situation, or perhaps without the looming threat of death she could think more clearly, but maybe they could work things out. He was human now, after all. Had he not paid the price for his transgressions? Surely, they could find a way forward. After much groveling on his part, of course. Grace couldn’t help it. The first tendrils of hope began to grow inside of her once again. Didn’t she deserve a chance at love?
“Well, well, well. This is certainly a surprise. I appreciate you doing all the hard work for me.” The familiar masculine voice, it’s friendly surface masking the blackness of the soul underneath, sent icy dread down her spine. Grace snapped her head up to stare straight into the glittering dark eyes of Daemon.
✽✽✽
Could a human heart beat so hard that it burst? At the rate his was hammering in his chest, Kalev was certainly testing its limits. He had spent the beginning of the day adjusting to the demands of his body while concocting a plan to prove to Grace that he loved her. He had thought through a million different ideas and landed upon a bold one. He’d just finished setting it up when Gavriel and Jophial had appeared to him in the back seat of his car.
It had been more than startling to suddenly see them in his rear-view mirror. He’d laughed at what he thought had been an attempt at a joke on their part until he saw their grave faces.
“She’s gone after Loray,” Gavriel had said solemnly.
Kalev hadn’t thought he’d heard correctly. “She’s done what?”
“She went after Loray. Alone,” Jophial emphasized.
Kalev had slammed on the brakes, threw the car in park right on the side of road and swung around to stare at his two best friends.
“What do you mean she’s gone after him. How? When?” He hadn’t been able to comprehend what had made her think she could tackle Loray alone and live to tell the tale.
“We don’t know! We were tracking her down and saw her bust out of a church. She was lit like a Christmas tree!” Jophial had exclaimed.
“Lit?” Kalev had asked, not understanding what Jophial could possibly mean. Grace wasn’t the type to imbibe or do drugs, nor did he imagine she was super excited about something given what had just happened between them.
“She has taken Cherubian power within her and she is wielding it,” Gavriel had said.
“Who gave the authorization for the Cherubs to give her that kind of power?” He’d asked.
“We haven’t the slightest,” Jophial had said.
“We need to get to her. Now.”
Jophial and Gavriel had taken him to the edge of the tree line as fast as they could travel with him. But when they’d arrived, Grace had already been sending chords of power through Loray. Kalev had been unable to see anything other than Grace herself, but Jophial had filled him in. Kalev had heaved a sigh of relief when Gavriel had announced, “Grace has vanquished Loray.”
“That’s my girl,” he’d whispered from his vantage point and then started up the hill to meet her. He’d been so amazed by this woman. She had tackled the stuff of nightmares with a tenacity that few mortals possessed. He couldn’t imagine having to spend another day, no less the rest of his life without her. He would win her back. He had to.
He’d been about to call out to her when Grace, Jophial and Gavriel had all frozen simultaneously. He’d known immediately that something was seriously wrong.
“It is Daemon,” Gavriel had warned.
Even though Kalev hadn’t been able to see Daemon, he could tell that he’d grabbed Grace and was holding her against him with one arm locked tightly around her upper arms, pinning them against her torso. Her lower arms had been grasping at what looked like empty air, but he’d assumed was Daemon’s arm. Despite her struggling, she hadn’t made any headway.
That was the reason why his heart was now beating faster than he thought possible. Why blood was pounding through his ears. Why adrenaline was pumping through his veins. Daemon was a much more dangerous foe. One that he doubted Grace was prepared to take on.
“Nice of you to join us,” Daemon called to him, appearing in a flash before his eyes. Kalev saw the relief on Grace’s face when realized she wouldn’t face Daemon alone. She had such trust that they could rescue her. He hoped her trust was not misplaced.
“Leave her be, Daemon,” Kalev said. He took a step forward.
“Last I checked you weren’t really in a position to be making orders, mortal.” The condescension in his tone was evident.
“Daemon, this is not an advisable course of action. The situation is still two angels against only you.” Kalev appreciated Gavriel’s attempt at reason, but reason had stopped working with Daemon long ago.
“Only me?” Daemon threw his head back and laughed. “Did you hear that?” He called out into the blood red sky, “They think it’s only me!”
The ground beneath Kalev’s feet began to shake. He saw hundreds of fissures forming in the forest floor, some large enough that trees were swallowed whole.
“What’s happening?” He shouted, frustrated by his human body’s limited perception.
“Oh, well this isn’t any fun, is it?” Daemon pouted. “Here old friend, let’s make this a bit more exciting.”
A jolt hit him squarely in the stomach. He huffed as the air rushed out of his lungs, but he quickly recovered. He looked around. What only moments before had been dead forest, now came to life with the teeming of thousands of demons, crawling up from under the dirt. They covered every inch of earth in every direction for as far as Kalev could see. The swarm was composed mostly of daevas, but, further back, he could make out the elephantine forms of Asuras, their chained tusks swaying back and forth with fury. To the left of the mound sat a large file of the bull-headed Tauronia, their skinless muscles flexing in stark contrast to their furry heads. There were even a few types he didn’t recognize — some satyr-like demons with black twisting horns and red bodies were dotted throughout the mass, as well as winged skeletal creatures that resembled dead, over-sized bats.
“That’s better isn’t it? I’ve given you just enough power so that you can bear witness to this whole event before I kill you.” Daemon smirked.
Kalev didn’t have to look at Gavriel and Jophial to know that they were thinking the same thing. This was the end. They were surrounded by an army too vast to hope for victory. Kalev was not concerned for his own safety. He would cease to exist once he was killed. His mortal body would not be able to withstand torture indefinitely. It was Grace, Gavriel and Jophial he was worried about. Capture for human souls and angels meant an eternity of endless torment in hell. His stomach roiled.
“We can’t let them get her,” Kalev whispered, unable to hide the panic in his voice.
“Kalev, I hate to say this, but I do not think we will be capable of rescuing her.” Jophial nearly choked on the words.
“I do not believe so either,” Gavriel added, “Not alive that is. But her soul. We may be able to save her soul. It will be light; I have no doubt. We may be able to transport her to the gates faster than this army is able to follow.” He looked at Kalev.
Kalev could barely process what he was hearing. While a small part of his brain could see the logic of that plan, understood that it was probably their only real option, Kalev was unwilling to entertain it. Grace didn’t deserve to die. Not here, not now. She had so much life to live. She had fought so hard to overcome her past. She should have the chance to fall in love, have a family, pursue her dreams, explore the world, grow old…even if none of those things were with him.
Kalev didn’t give it a second thought. He yelled, regaining Daemon’s attention. “Daemon! Daemon, listen. If our friendship ever meant anything to you, do not do this. Spare her life. I will give you anything I have the power to. Just leave her alone.”
“Ironic really,” Daemon drawled, “I just overheard Grace trying to strike the same bargain with Loray. And now, look at him,” Daemon gestured to the charred lump nearby, “I won’t be falling for that routine. Besides, I really want to watch you suffer as you and your friends die, knowing I’ll be busy fucking your lover until she too expires. Then I will take her soul with me to hell.” Daemon glided his free hand up Grace’s torso and squeezed her right breast so hard that she gasped in pain. “She is a responsive little thing, isn’t she?”
“Don’t touch her! Daemon, STOP!” Kalev yelled at him. Daemon ignored him. He felt so helpless. How was he supposed to rescue Grace in this useless human body? He would give up everything he had, everything he was, to save her, but it wasn’t enough. “Why are you doing this? I still don’t understand. What did I ever do to you? I know I never bothered to hear you out before, but I’m listening now.” Kalev could not understand how his former friend had become so twisted with hate, how he could be so heartlessly cruel. He doubted he would be able to understand but he hoped that getting him to talk would give them an opportunity to escape, or at least buy time.
“It is what you failed to do. But it’s too late for all that now,” Daemon whispered. Then raised one hand toward the sky.
“What are you-” Kalev started, but he was cut off abruptly. It appeared that Daemon had signaled for the demons to close in. As they neared, both Jophial and Gavriel unfurled their war wings. It was truly a sight to behold. Jophial’s were a polished stainless steel with a burgundy underglow; Gavriel’s were a silver so light it bordered on white with midnight blue light emanating from underneath. Kalev took heart that they at least were determined to take out as many demons as they could before they were either captured or killed.
The pair swirled in erratic patterns through the air, taking turns diving into the horde and slashing hundreds of daevas as they flew. The cries of the dying filled the air as small fires ignited all around, marking their deaths. Arrows littered the sky, most missing their mark, others bouncing uselessly off the wings’ metallic surface.
Knowing there was nothing he could do to help his friends, Kalev turned his full attention back to Grace. He needed to give her an opportunity to escape Daemon’s clutches.
“Daemon, listen to me,” he started, hoping that conversation would buy him time to think, “you don’t need to do this. Tell me what I didn’t do. Tell me how I can make things right.”
“It is too late,” Daemon hissed. “What is done is done. She is dead.”
“Who is she? Who are you talking about?”
“Cecilia.”
It took Kalev a moment to realize who he was talking about. But it couldn’t be. “Not Valerian’s Cecilia. That was, what? Two thousand years ago?”
“How DARE you call her ‘Valerian’s’. She was mine. I LOVED her! Why do you think I left all those years ago?” he bellowed, all pretense of control gone. Daemon had entered a blind rage.
One second, Kalev was working out how to reply, and the next burning agony took over his chest. He looked down. A knife hilt stuck out from his thorax, right where his heart was. Blood started pouring from underneath it. Kalev could only blink at it in shock. His human observational skills were no match for Daemon’s angelic reflexes. He felt woozy. He was losing a lot of blood. Too much blood. He was dying. This was the end. He couldn’t save her. He had failed.
Knowing that all his efforts had come to naught, that he could no longer do anything to help her, was worse than death. And he would never know if she was alright. He would die, right here, right now, not knowing. He wanted to scream. Instead he looked into her captivating eyes. They were wide with fright and glistening with tears, but they were still breathtaking.
“Grace, I love you. I have always loved y…” His knees buckled. His vision darkened. His last thought was of her beautiful face.
Chapter 21
A blood-curdling scream rent the air; it took Grace a moment realize that it was her own. Daemon loosened his grip in surprise allowing Grace enough slack to break free of his hold. She ran directly for Kalev. His lifeless body was sprawled awkwardly in the mud.
She threw herself over him when she reached his side, searching for any signs of life. There were none.
“Caleb, Kalev, don’t do this to me. Wake up. Kalev, please. I love you too. God, I love you. I never stopped loving you. Kalev…” The words kept tumbling out, faster and faster as panic flooded her. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t die. Not now. Not like this. She kept waiting for his chest to rise, to feel a pulse under her fingers, for his eyes to open. He remained still.
As the moments ticked by, Grace came to the haunting conclusion that Kalev was truly dead. She choked on a wail, trying to control herself, knowing that at any second, Daemon would come over to her and take her away. She should be ready for him, but she couldn’t stop the racking sobs. She clung to Kalev, her chest heaving, her whole body shaking.
“Please come back,” she cried, even though it was useless. The
cold metal of her ring pressed into her cheekbone as she wipes away her tears. That too was a useless endeavor as they were quickly replaced. She held Kalev to her, letting all her emotions flow out, not caring about the insanity going on around her. Let the angels and demons fight their stupid war. She had reached the absolute depth of sorrow. There was nowhere else for her to fall. She had loved with all her heart, but it had not been enough. Kalev was gone.
Without warning, a blinding, resplendent light erupted from the ring face. It was so bright that Grace had to hide her eyes in Kalev’s shirt to protect them. She sheltered there, unmoving. She heard screams and wails rise up in a chorus all around her. What was happening? She dared not open her eyes. The light was so bright she feared losing her eyesight. The cacophony of agony was so loud she wouldn’t be surprised if her ear drums were damaged.
Within the discord rang the distinct popping noises of the crackle of flames. The scent of burning flesh reached her nostrils, growing stronger by the moment. She gagged. The temperature around her rose sharply, no doubt because of the inferno she imagined was swirling around her.
If this was to be the end, at least she was with him. Maybe his soul would be there waiting for hers, if that wan ‘s how it worked. She didn’t want to die, but she forced herself not to think about the flames. Instead she imagined seeing his smiling face again, holding his hand out for her to join him. Maybe her parents would be there too, ready to embrace her. As the deafening noise heightened to the brink of intolerability, Grace prepared to die.
But then it was silent. She thought she had gone deaf until she heard Daemon, only a few feet away from her.
“What have you done?” He croaked.
It was only then that she dared to crack an eye. Daemon was doubled over on the ground, holding his stomach with both hands. Deciding that he was not an immediate threat, she moved her gaze to take in the scene around her. She gasped, astonished. There was not a single demon in sight - only endless piles of ashes. Joe and Gav were also on hands and knees, not far from her, trying to recover from the blast.
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