Walking out into the open, his jaw dropped.
Dozens of angels surrounded the weakened dragon as it struggled to flap its wings. Their soul-blades were lit with light, and they swung each time he snapped at them. The dragon turned its head, saw him, and roared, only it was a sound of desperation.
A shiver moved through his body, and his hand went to the sword at his back.
“They’ll kill him,” Summer whispered.
“No, they won’t,” Tristan told her.
Moving forward, he severed a head from one of the angels. That got the others attention. Two turned to look at him. The dragon clamped its teeth over one of them, and threw back its head, devouring the angel.
Chaos erupted in the white-winged angels, a few raced at him, while the others spread out their circle around the dragon. Tension hung between them as he faced them, hoping they wouldn’t notice the helpless Immortals behind him.
One sword struck his. The sound of metal on metal rang through the air.
He pushed back his opponent. Caught the blade of another angel, and kicked it in the stomach, sending the massive man back.
A blade struck his shoulder, vibrating through his stone body.
Fool.
He whirled, catching the angel’s shocked expression as he sliced his head off.
More attacked. Blades struck him from every angle. At first only an annoyance, but after a time, the soul-blade sent aches through his body. The damn blades were different than regular ones, imbued with angel magic.
Unfortunately.
Gritting his teeth, he continued to move until the dragon was behind his back. His large wings flapping hopelessly. And then, to Tristan’s shock, the beast began to rise into the air.
The angels, damn them, followed the beast as it wobbled in the sky on its broken wings.
Tristan felt fury uncurl within him. Clutching his blade more tightly, he shot into the sky after them. The battle was a dangerous one. The dragon was driven by a need to survive. Tristan had to stay close, had to knock the angels back as they attacked the dragon’s wings.
And yet, the angels were everywhere, teleporting into the sky, surrounding them. The sky filled with white-winged bastards hell-bent on destroying an innocent creature.
The dragon let out the most horrible sound, and then, it shifted in midair. A man fell from the sky, his eyes closed, his face pale.
Tristan dove for him, catching the shifter in his arms. His heart raced as he refused to look back at the angels who surrounded them. He just flew with all his might, choosing a direction at random. He could not let the Immortal die. He had to save him. Not because of Caine, or the fight, but because this man was an innocent who had been tortured and destroyed as a person.
Tristan knew what that felt like.
His heartbeat filled his ears. He could sense the angels just behind him. They shouted for him to stop, but an angel couldn’t compete with a gargoyle.
Slowly, the noise faded away. He continued to fly without slowing, but he also glanced down at the man in his arms. He was massive, even for a shifter. It was clear from his broad shoulders and the size of his hands that he had once been a muscular man.
His filthy blond hair had grown long, and a straggly beard hung to his belly. Tristan thought of the dragon with its broken wings and its sagging scales.
Looking behind him, he saw the angels far in the distance, still losing ground. Soon, this man would be safe.
But what of Surcy? And Mark? And Daniel? What of the other Immortals?
His instincts screamed to turn back, but it would mean death for the broken shifter in his arms. And so, he kept flying but he never stopped worrying.
Chapter Fifteen
Surcy crouched beside Daniel and Mark in the small cave hidden just around the corner from the main entrance.
“We have to help him!” Surcy whispered, trying to rise.
Daniel caught her arm and pulled her back down. “Sit down, and shut up. Or you’ll make things worse.”
Rage uncoiled within her. “Don’t tell me to shut up, you shitbag!”
She tried to shake her arm free of him, but his grip only tightened. “I’m not a... shitbag. But they’re fighting in the air. We’re useless there. We’ll be sitting ducks, so you have to use your brain a little.”
“My brain—!”
Mark cut her off. “Daniel, don’t talk to her like that. But Surcy, he’s right. We can’t teleport up here. If we want to escape, we have to scale down a mountain... which we’d never survive with the angels attacking, so our best bet is to stay here.”
“But—“
Suddenly, Daniel rose slightly, looking behind her out the cave entrance. “Stay here. And I mean it.”
And then, he ducked out of the cave.
Surcy’s heart clenched. She whirled to follow after him, but this time, Mark caught her arm.
“What are you doing?” she said, feeling panic rise within her. “We need to stop him. You’re right. He’s exposed out there. It’s too dangerous!”
Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a movement. The three Immortals were hovering by the entrance to the main cave.
Sweat dripped down her back. If just one angel saw them, their lives could end with the flick of their swords. Yes, they’d be reborn... so that Caine could torture them all over again, but that would be the end of their chance to help them.
“What is he doing?” Mark murmured.
Daniel walked past the Immortals. Pointed to where Surcy and Mark were hiding, then kept going. As he emerged out of the shadows of caves, and out into the open beneath the angels. He pulled something from his pocket. Not his sword from his back. Not a dagger. But a small silver item from his pocket.
“What is that?” she asked, heart hammering.
He turned back and gave Mark and Surcy the saddest smile, then flicked his finger. A little flame blossomed to life. And as she watched, the flame spread over his body until he blazed. It continued further until it lit the very sands, spreading out until the entire top of the mountain behind the caves blazed with fire.
Then, and only then, he withdrew his sword.
The angels had seen him. Watching the flames grow in confusion. And then, they circled above him, staying out of reach of the fire.
Surcy’s entire heart squeezed in fear. The three Immortals left the cave entrance and raced to Surcy and Mark. Mark helped them sit down near the back of the small cave. She heard him murmuring words of comfort to them, but her focus was on Daniel.
What had he been thinking? Yes, it was the distraction the Immortals needed to reach them safely, but what would he do now with an army of angels surrounding him?
She doubted he’d thought further than that. The damn fire mage.
And yet, her legs ached with a need to run to him. Seeing him out there, exposed and alone, made her feel helpless. And she hated feeling helpless.
Again.
“How do we help him?” she whispered.
Mark knelt down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “He’ll be fine.”
“Can he last forever like that?”
Mark took a long second to answer. “No, eventually the fire will kill him.”
She turned to him in shock.
“But not for a long time,” Mark rushed out.
“Then, what’s his plan?”
The druid shrugged. “I’m sure he has one.”
Surcy pushed his arm off of her. “Why don’t you seem worried?”
Mark sighed and moved to rest his back against the side of the cave, suddenly looking very tired. “I’m less worried about this situation and more worried about what’s going to happen when we get home. Daniel has a way of getting out of tricky spots, but he’s in a bad place. I don’t want this to encourage him to start using fire again.”
She looked between the angels trying pathetically to use their swords on Daniel, but flying back every time they got too close. “I don’t know how you have so much faith that this ins
ane situation is going to work out, but he can’t control his addiction.”
Mark closed his eyes. “Spoken like a person who knows nothing about addiction. I’m sorry, Surcy, but angels he can fight. Himself? Well, he might not be strong enough. Especially without you at his side.”
“I’m on his side,” she said, feeling prickly. Hadn’t she just been talked to by Tristan about this?
In answer, the Immortal known as Spring spoke. “If we could shift, we could help end this. But we can’t. It’s like our bodies forgot that side of ourselves after so long.”
Surcy turned to the blonde, and her emotions changed. The three Immortals looked so weak and so sickly. Their backup plan couldn’t be that they’d shift and save them all.
It’s our job to protect them.
No, not ours. Mine.
Mark was exhausted from using the God Finder. These people were suffering. She was the only one who could help Daniel. But how?
And then, it hit her. A completely insane plan. But one she knew could work.
“What do you think the chances are that the angels will find you here?” she asked.
Spring answered with certainty. “They won’t. They’ll either assume we already escaped or that we’re in the tunnels.”
She nodded, feeling more certain with every passing second. “Mark, keep them hidden here. We’ll be back.”
“Surcy...”
Rising, she slowly and cautiously made her way out of the cave, sliding along the outside of the larger cave until she reached the entrance. Daniel was still surrounded by fire. The angels were no longer attacking, but staying just out of his reach.
Let’s do this!
“Daniel!” she shouted.
He turned, his eyes widening in shock.
As one, the angels turned to her too.
“Get rid of the fire!” she shouted, then, taking a deep breath, she ran towards him.
His jaw tensed, and the fire around him suddenly leapt from the earth, latching onto the white-winged angels. Screams surrounded them as their wings burned, and sparks of fire fell down from the sky like rain.
She didn’t slow, even when she felt the sting of the embers on her skin. She just continued toward Daniel. His arms were outstretched as he forced all the fire from her path. And from him.
But as he did, he took several steps back, the sand and rocks at the edge of the mountain tumbled over the edge as he neared it. And yet, he seemed unaware of how close he was to falling to his death.
She sped up, her muscles burning as she sought to reach him in time. When she drew closer, his gaze moved back to her. She saw the moment he realized she wasn’t going to slow. He put his hands out as if to stop her, but she was going too fast.
Her arms wrapped around him. For an instant, she tried to flap her wings, her instincts going against all logic. And then, they plummeted over the edge, tangled together.
The wind whistled around them. Daniel wrapped himself around her, as if doing so could protect her from the fall. And when she felt the tingle that told her she’d passed through the barrier surrounding the mountain top, she teleported.
They hit the ground, her on top of Daniel. Their breathing was hard, his strong arms wrapped around her. For a long minute, they just held each other, too relieved to do anything else. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she inhaled his smoky scent. It was familiar, and yet, unexpected.
“What were you thinking?” he whispered. “I had a plan.”
What was I thinking? “I needed to keep you safe.”
“Why?”
She pulled back and stared at him as his arms dropped to his side. “You have to know I care about you.”
The look of absolute pain that ran over his face made her heart stop. He didn’t know. He actually didn’t know.
“Daniel...”
He shook his head, closing his eyes.
“I care about you. I know things are different now, but—“
“You have absolutely no reason to care about me. I’m an asshole. I don’t know how I got you to love me the first time, but you’re not going to be that dumb again.”
She couldn’t breathe as she leaned down and brushed a light kiss against his lips.
His eyes opened, two dark pools of anguish.
“You’re not an asshole... you’re wings.”
“Wings?” he repeated, raising a brow.
“Yes,” she felt more certain now. “When wings are curled up, they look like nothing. Maybe even ugly piles of feathers... but when they open up, everything changes. They’re beautiful. Not just beautiful, but capable of amazing things! Some people are wings. And you’re wings. There’s nothing wrong with the fact that it takes you longer to open up to people. And there’s nothing wrong with the fact that that’s the time where they see who you really are.”
“I’m wings,” he said, and the slightest smile touched his lips.
She gave him another gentle kiss. “And wings are absolutely loveable.”
Her words seemed to break something inside of him. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly against him. His mouth sought hers, and then, they were kissing. Not their hard normal kisses, but this time it felt different. Less rushed.
When he broke the kiss, they were both breathing hard, staring at each other. And then, his gaze moved away from her and widened.
“Where did you teleport us to?”
She glanced around. They were in a cabin of some kind. There was a mustiness in the air, and the curtains were drawn, but it was still a strangely comforting place, with a tiny kitchen, living room, and a massive bed in the back. They were lying on a rug in front of a dark fireplace.
“I don’t know.”
His gaze moved back to her. “You don’t?”
She shook her head.
He seemed to be choosing his words with care. “This is another hideout we have. A cabin we used to go to when we wanted to be alone.”
I’ve been here before?
Her heart raced. “I don’t remember it, but I took us here, so... so I must still have my memories somewhere inside of me!”
He smiled, making her insides tremble.
“What if I could remember? Then everything could go back to the way things were! I could be me again!”
His brows drew together, and his smile vanished. “Listen, I know we’ve all been walking around like a pack of heartbroken animals, but your lost memories don’t mean you’re not yourself anymore.”
“Daniel, come on.”
“I mean it. You’re still you. And you have to know that even if your memories do come back, you won’t be the same.”
Her stomach pitched. “Do you not want me to remember?”
He smirked. “I’m just saying I don’t care either way. You’re Surcy, no matter what.”
The strangest realization hit her in that moment. Daniel meant it. He really didn’t care whether she remembered or not.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her face against his throat and tried to hold back the tears. She’d felt such pressure since the moment she’d met these demons to remember who she was and to become the woman they loved. The idea that they could love her just the way she was made her feel relieved in a way she could never explain.
“It’s okay,” he whispered against her head, and his hand went to her temple. Slowly, he began to rub circles into her skin, and she melted with a slight moan. “See, you love it when I do this, now and then.”
She relaxed more deeply against him. “How long do you think it’ll take for the angels to leave and for us to go back?”
“Maybe we’ll check back right before nightfall.”
That would probably give the angels enough time to sniff around, but also time for them to climb down where she could teleport them safely away.
“Do you think Tristan is okay?”
Daniel laughed. “Of course. Tristan can handle himself.”
She closed her eyes. It was nice to feel the rumble of Daniel�
��s laugh through his chest. This man was strangely comfortable to lie on. Even though they’d slept together many times before, she’d never felt closer to him than she did in that moment.
“What should we do until then?” she asked, not really caring.
“I have an idea.”
She didn’t know what to expect at the slight teasing note in his voice, but she never expected what happened. They played cards at the table. A game he assured her they both loved. And as soon as she got the hang of it, it became an absolute blast, because she kicked his ass every time.
Daniel was not a good loser.
She was not a good winner.
So the game was more fun than she ever imagined. He swore. She danced obnoxiously every time she won, and they ate popcorn and drank soda.
When it came time for them to go again, she felt strangely sad. “It was nice to pretend that everything is normal for a little while.”
He looked up from where he was still seated at the table, putting the cards away. “One day we’ll be able to enjoy things like this all the time. When we’ve defeated Caine, and we’re sure you’re safe from him.”
“And that his angels can never drag the three of you back to the demon-realm,” she added with force.
He smiled. “That too.”
Rising, she watched as he moved toward her. His blond hair was messy after all they’d been through, sticking up in random spots. His face was neatly shaved, as always, showing the incredible lines of his face.
It was hard to breathe as he got closer. Daniel was truly a beautiful man. He didn’t have the ruggedness than Tristan had, or the nerdy-hotness that Mark had. He had something else. A confident spirit hiding a softer side. Like wings.
He took her hands with a shyness she hadn’t expected. “Shall we go?”
She nodded, but didn’t teleport them. “Thanks... for the cards.”
He smiled, his genuine smile. The one that seemed uncertain. “You’re welcome.”
But still, she hesitated. “Are you staying away from fire?”
His eyes widened, and she saw it in his face.
“Daniel...”
“I’m working on it.”
Her entire chest ached. “You kicked it once. You’ll kick it again, because we’re here for you. We won’t let you fall down that path.”
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