“When did you capture him?” Nyx demanded.
“I did not capture him. Damiel found him and delivered him to me before revealing himself to us.”
So that was the real reason Ronan hadn’t punished Damiel. Damiel had delivered the Legion’s First Betrayer to him, the one who’d hurt Nyx, the one who’d betrayed her and the Legion. Including Ronan, the Lord of the Legion. This prisoner was worth more to Ronan than Damiel’s head. A whole lot more.
I had to hand it to Damiel; he sure was devious. He hadn’t revealed himself empty-handed. He’d come bearing gifts. Damiel must have wanted something from Ronan. Otherwise, he would have continued hiding. But what was it he wanted from Ronan? Did he believe he could use Ronan to find the Guardians and Cadence?
Whatever Damiel’s reasons, the same time that he’d revealed he was still alive, he had also reminded Ronan of how useful he was, how good at tracking he was, how resourceful. All this time, Damiel had been answering to Ronan, not Nyx. Neither Ronan nor Damiel had told Nyx about Leon’s capture.
The look on Nyx’s face said she’d just figured that out too. She’d realized Damiel wasn’t really her angel to command; he was Ronan’s angel. Nyx’s face was an even mix of hurt and pissed off as all hell.
“We agreed there would be no secrets, Ronan,” she growled.
“It was necessary,” the god replied. “Leon knows things. And your feelings for him would have complicated matters if you’d known he was here.”
“He betrayed me most of all. I no longer have feelings for him.”
“We both know that’s not true, Nyx. You are half-human. You lived as a human for years. You can’t help but feel empathy.”
“I am also half-god.” Her voice sizzled with fury. “And I lived with the gods even longer than with humans.”
“You taught Leon well, Nyx. Too well. Extracting his secrets was not easy.”
“And you didn’t think I was up to the task? That I would falter?”
He frowned. “Quite the contrary. I knew you were up to it. I knew that you would do anything to protect us, the Legion, and the Earth. I also knew that doing ‘anything’ would hurt you. Because you do still care about him, Nyx. I didn’t hide him from you because I thought you weren’t up to the task. I hid him from you because I wanted to spare you the pain of hurting someone you care about.”
Nyx glowered at him, and the walls shook. “You should have let me make that choice.”
I recognized the way Ronan was looking at Nyx, like he would do anything to protect her, to keep her happy—body, mind, and soul. He was completely devoted to her. And I got it. I understood that he wanted to save Nyx the pain of torturing someone she still cared about, despite Leon’s betrayal. He was right; she would hurt Leon because she saw it as her duty. She would bottle her feelings to do what she thought was right. But that didn’t mean those feelings weren’t still there.
I could also understand Nyx’s side because I’d been in her shoes before. Like a god—or like an angel—Ronan always thought he knew what was best for everyone. He protected Nyx without asking if she even wanted to be protected. He just decided for her, never giving her a choice. In Nyx’s place, I would have been mad at Ronan too—and yet touched at the same time. To be in a relationship with an angel or god was to be torn by opposing emotions. Happy and sad. Grateful and furious. I had felt this way with Nero many times before.
Ronan reached toward her. “Nyx—”
“No, Ronan,” she cut him off. “Not now. I just…can’t. I can’t talk to you right now.” Then she stormed off, disappearing into thin air as she walked, demonstrating yet another godly power she possessed.
The walls shook, and this time it wasn’t from Nyx’s anger. Ronan cast a magic window before him. It showed a view of a castle, presumably the one we were currently inside. An army of dark angels and Dark Force soldiers had us surrounded.
Two female demons moved to the front of the army, clad in gold armor. Each of them held a gigantic magic sword in her hand. One of those demons was Sonja, goddess of the Dark Force. The other looked very much like Sonja, except her hair was pale blonde, not dark.
In fact, she looked identical to the demon from Faris’s memories, Sonja’s sister Grace. It seemed my mother had finally come calling.
29
Demon Sisters
In fact, the dark dungeon wasn’t deep below Ronan’s castle; it was inside a windowless concrete tower high above all the others. We descended the spiraling staircase to a wide balcony that was even big enough to hold seven Legion soldiers, six angels, and the God of War. From there, I looked down upon the demon’s army at our doorstep.
“So this is where all the demons’ forces disappeared to when they fled the last battle, Faris,” said Ronan. “They left to march on us here.”
Faris suddenly appeared beside Ronan. “So it would seem,” he said, his face hard.
The demons had abandoned the battle and come here. But why? What was so special about this castle that they’d risk bringing their fatigued army here?
Faris’s eyes panned across the enormous army below. “Sonja has come for Leon.”
“I know,” Ronan said. “But how did she know he was here?”
“Her spies are everywhere.” Faris’s voice cut like steel.
If Faris hadn’t revealed Ronan’s secret in front of everyone, that spy wouldn’t have been able to tell the demons that Leon was here. From the way Ronan was glaring at Faris, he was thinking the same exact thing.
“Sonja came personally to rescue her dark angel,” Faris said. “Did you extract everything of usefulness from him?”
“We were thorough,” Ronan told him.
A calculating gleam burned in Faris’s eyes as he considered the demons’ army.
“You’re thinking of throwing Leon to them,” Ronan said.
“If you have indeed extracted his secrets, he’s no longer of any use to us.”
Ronan frowned.
“You can’t make every decision based on Nyx’s wishes,” Faris told him. “It’s bad enough that she rules your heart. No need for her to rule your head too.”
“I don’t expect you to understand, Faris. You’ve never cared for anyone but yourself.”
“And it’s kept me out of trouble.”
“Not always,” Ronan countered. “You had to have sex with a demon? Really? How the hell did that happen?”
I perked up, trying to catch every word that had anything to do with Faris and Grace—anything to understand the twisted series of events that had led to my birth.
Faris shrugged. “Even I get bored sometimes.”
Boredom? Really? I’d been conceived because Faris had been bored one day, so he decided he’d alleviate that by doing something completely outrageous and screw a demon. Obviously, he had to upstage his brother who’d slept with a mortal. I was sorely tempted to punch Faris in the face.
“Eternity is a long time to hold my attention,” Faris told Ronan. “We all experimented once or twice over the millennia. Or have you forgotten you and Meda? And you and Maya? Both sisters. You playboy.” Faris tsk-tsked. “Does Nyx know?”
“Firstly, that was centuries ago, long before Nyx was born,” Ronan ground out. “And secondly, you very well know that Nyx knows, otherwise you would have exposed it all in this little game of yours.”
There wasn’t a hint of remorse on Faris’s face. “As I said, I get bored sometimes.”
“No, this training, this game of yours, wasn’t about boredom,” Ronan shot back. “It was too calculated. And my response will be equally calculated.” His gaze shifted to the demons’ army. It hadn’t moved since we’d stepped onto the balcony. What were they waiting for? “Just as soon as we’re done with them.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Faris said, grinning.
I wasn’t sure if he was referring to Ronan’s retaliation or to fighting the demons’ army.
“Have you sent for reinforcements?” Ronan asked him.
/> “Why should I? This is your world, and you have an army.”
“An army to protect the Earth, which it’s doing right now. You are the God of Heaven’s Army, and this is a demon attack outside of Earth. Don’t make me throw you to the demon army, Faris. They’ll probably find you tastier than Leon.”
Faris sighed. “Relax. My soldiers are on their way. In about five minutes, they will close in on the demons from behind, and then we’ll have a little fun with them.”
Down below, at the front of the demons’ army, Sonja lifted her arm in the air. Magic fireworks shot up.
“Sonja is summoning us,” Ronan told Faris.
“So she is. How adorable that she thinks I obey a demon’s summons.”
“Don’t tell me that you bedded her too.”
“No,” Faris laughed. “Definitely not. To even contemplate such a thing, I would have to be more bored than I could possibly imagine.”
Fireworks shot up again.
“Ava is summoning us now,” Ronan said.
“Ava?” I asked.
“Sonja’s sister, the Demon of Hell’s Army,” Ronan told me.
So the demon beside Sonja was Ava, not Grace.
“Oh,” I said. “She looks just like…”
“Like Grace,” Ronan finished. “Yes, the resemblance is remarkable. Ava and Grace are sisters.”
I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed that my mother wasn’t here, or if I was happy about it. After all, my father wasn’t all that stellar, and I sure didn’t hold high hopes for my other parent.
“Twin sisters,” Ronan added. “Ava the Demon of Hell’s Army. And Grace the Demon of the Faith.”
“And their big sister Sonja, the Demon of the Dark Force. The demon sister triad.” Faris made a face. “The three sisters are even more trouble together than Meda and Maya.”
“I doubt Meda and Maya will be making trouble for you anytime soon,” Ronan said drily. “You took care of that by putting a rift between them.”
“You say it like you wouldn’t do exactly the same thing if you had the chance.”
Ronan cleared his throat. That wasn’t a denial. “Let’s get back to the matter at hand.”
“Of course,” agreed Faris. “Let’s go parley with the Demon of the Dark Force and the Demon of Hell’s Army.”
“Parley,” Ronan repeated, frowning. “Don’t use that word. Ever. In fact, after seeing that little memory of yours, I don’t think I ever need to hear it again.”
Faris laughed. It was an eerie, disturbing laugh, one that made goosebumps prickle up across my skin. If any monsters had been present, they’d have run for cover.
“Ava has a demon soldier by her side,” Ronan said. “And Sonja has a dark angel by hers.”
“They always did love accessories.” Faris looked around. “Where is Nyx? Don’t tell me she is still pouting.”
“She is going to kick your ass when she finds out you said she was pouting,” Ronan told him. “You know that, don’t you?”
“Who’s going to tell her?” Faris asked with a sardonic smile. “Last time I checked, you two weren’t speaking.”
A scowl etched Ronan’s face.
Wow, Faris really was an asshole. I hoped it wasn’t genetic—or contagious.
Faris waved Nero over. “Windstriker, you’re with Ronan.”
Nero was Nyx’s second at the Legion, so the choice made sense.
There were no godly soldiers here. Faris would have to pick an angel. The problem was Ava had a demon soldier by her side. Gods trumped angels, and so did demons. Not having a godly soldier at his side would make him look weak.
Faris’s gaze fell on me. “Pierce, you’re with me.”
“Me?” I gasped.
Colonel Fireswift protested, “Her?”
“You heard me,” Faris snapped. “Now go. Over the edge.”
Faris and Ronan stepped over the balcony, flying down on their wings. Nero glanced at me before he jumped off too. He looked like he wanted to help me, but he couldn’t. Even though I had no wings of my own, I had to get down there all by myself. Appearances were everything when you were marching out to meet an invading force. I had to show I was strong in front of the demons.
Faris had picked me for a reason, likely because Sonja knew what I was: half-god, half-demon. That unusual magic cocktail trumped angel when it came to showing off your weapons. It seemed the result of this whole parley hinged on me. If I didn’t demonstrate how badass I was, the demon army would sense weakness and attack.
So I jumped over the edge. I didn’t use any spells to slow my fall. I trusted in my origins, in my blood.
I am strong.
I kept repeating those three small words silently to myself on the very long way down to the ground. I used the words as a shield against the temptation to cast my magic and cushion my fall. I dropped like a stone, panic boiling in my stomach, my breath catching as I sped toward the inevitable collision with the ground.
I’d like to say that those three words and my unwavering determination were all that I needed, that the landing didn’t hurt at all. But that would have been a lie. It hurt. Of course it hurt. But the Nectar and Venom had fortified my body, making it strong, resilient. Instead of shattering me completely, the impact broke only a few small bones in my feet. The breaks weren’t so big that I couldn’t walk. Well, sort of. The hard part was not limping—or whimpering in pain as each step delivered a fresh dose of agony up my legs, exploding inside my nervous system.
I walked beside Faris. Nero walked beside Ronan. And together we faced Sonja, Ava, their escorts, and the enormous army at their back.
Sonja’s sparkling green-blue eyes, the color of blue fir trees, zeroed in on me. A calculating smirk curled her lips, one that quite honestly scared the hell out of me. The Demon of the Dark Force had held me prisoner for days. She’d tested me, tortured me, and pumped my body full of Venom. If she got hold of me again, she’d pick up right where she’d left off.
Beside Sonja, Ava was looking at me with something bordering on amazement. “This is the one?”
Sonja nodded, her two high black pigtails jingling with strands of gems. Today, she really looked like a gothic high school girl. Well, at least from the neck up. The rest of her was clad in gold armor that shone like a pulsing star.
“I’ve never seen anything like her,” Ava commented, her gaze panning up and down my body.
“You will,” Sonja said. “Soon enough.”
She looked at me like she wanted to finish what she’d started in her fortress, pumping me full of Nectar and Venom until she maxed out my magic. And then she planned to breed me to create more balanced light-and-dark beings for her army. According to Faris’s memory, that plan went back over two decades, before I’d even been born. Sonja had wanted me from the moment she’d learned of my conception.
Well, Sonja wouldn’t be getting her way if I had anything to say about it. I was not an animal, a lab rat, to be experimented on.
“Are you lost, ladies?” Faris said smoothly. “We’d be happy to show you the way back to hell.”
“Charming as always, Faris.” Ava brushed her long blonde hair off her shoulder, hair so like Grace’s, so like my own.
Honestly, I was surprised no one had made the physical comparison yet, that no one had identified me as the offspring born from Faris and Grace.
Sonja shifted her weight, her armor clinking. “You know why we are here.”
“You have come for the traitor, Leon Ironfist,” Ronan said.
“Leon Hellfire,” Sonja corrected him.
That was presumably Leon’s dark angel name, the one he’d taken on when he’d defected to the Dark Force.
“Hand him over, and there will be no reason to crush that pretty armor of yours.” Sonja’s eyes slid over the bronze symbols on Ronan’s dark armor.
“Truth be told, we have no further use for the traitor,” Faris said.
“But you don’t intend to release him anyway.” Ava’s tone
was pleasant, her eyes burning with menace.
Faris hit the demon sisters with a dazzling smile. “I’m sure you understand. After all, what precedent would that set?”
His smile was so bright that it seemed to sparkle. That was his siren magic at work. Clearly, he didn’t only wield Siren’s Song with force; he could weave the spell smoothly as well. In fact, he almost came across as downright charming right now. Was he trying to seduce Ava like he had Grace, or was he just intrigued by their similarities? You know, because he was ‘bored’.
“What precedent would it set?” Ava repeated gruffly, not drawn into his charms. “The precedent of you turning things around and thinking with your brain for once.”
“Faris acting reasonable?” Sonja laughed. “The Immortals will return first.”
“You’re hardly in a position to dispense judgment, sweetheart,” Faris told her.
Sonja flashed him her bright, vicious teeth.
“Well, isn’t this fun.” Ava planted her gloved hands on her hips. “Let me be blunt, gentlemen. You have no more than a few paltry soldiers guarding your castle. Our forces consist of demons and dark angels, soldiers numbering in the hundreds. Surrender Leon to us now, or be destroyed.” Her smile was every bit as charming as Faris’s. “The choice is yours.”
A ring of magic flashed around the demons’ army. Faris’s newly arrived forces closed in on them from behind, cutting them off. His soldiers’ numbers were easily double those of the demons.
“Ava, if you’re going to make a threat, at least make sure you’re holding the right cards to follow through,” Faris said, his smile brighter than ever.
Ava and Sonja looked back at Faris’s army with obvious annoyance as they did a mental count of the soldiers.
“Let me be blunt, Ava,” Faris said. “Our forces outnumber yours twofold. This is your chance to walk away. Or be destroyed.” His smile was decidedly more threatening than charming now. “The choice is yours.”
Fairy’s Touch: Legion of Angels: Book 7 Page 26
