He would have to teach the wretch a lesson when he next saw him. Nevar should have called for him. He should have cast a portal and brought Lysia back to the fortress. They could have fought the angels together.
He huffed and brushed his knuckles across Lysia’s dirty cheek, wiping a stray tear away, and wished he had something better to tell her, something that would give her hope.
“Nevar would never turn his back on you like that, Lysia. He loves you.”
He cursed again when more tears lined her lashes. He hadn’t meant to make her cry and he knew those tears of happiness would become tears of sorrow and possibly rage when he told her why Nevar wouldn’t return to her. He cursed himself for good measure, because he felt like a bastard as he weighed up his words and realised there was no way of breaking it gently to her.
“Nevar will not return because it is not possible to just make him an angel again, Lysia.” He dropped his hand to her shoulder and squeezed it as he felt the rage beginning to lace her power and the lava around them churned, throwing great streams of it high into the air. “He will not return because he will not remember you.”
Her face paled.
Her eyes darkened.
The ground shook beneath his feet and massive boulders cracked and tumbled down the slopes of the crater surrounding them.
“They mean to kill him.”
The pain he could feel inside his chest changed, becoming one born of anger.
She stared up into his eyes and her dark leathery wings appeared, growing rapidly from her back, and her nails became deadly talons.
“I will not let them do such a vile thing to him when all he desired was to be one of their angels again. They will pay for taking him from me and tricking him into going with them. Deceitful creatures… I will pull him from their clutches before they can harm my male.”
Asmodeus’s eyes burned crimson and his claws emerged, black talons that were almost as formidable as hers were.
“We will save him,” he said and she clenched her jaw and nodded. “But we will need help.”
He threw his hand out and black ribbons of smoke swirled before it, growing outwards and forming a portal. He took Lysia’s hand and looked down at her as she came to stand beside him.
“Be prepared. I do not expect a warm welcome.” He waited for her to nod before stepping into the portal.
The bright sunlight stung his eyes as he stepped out on the other side, the soft sand cushioning his steps and the heat of Hell giving way to the cool salty breeze of morning.
“What the hell is she doing back here?” Veiron snarled and charged towards them. Asmodeus called one of his golden blades to his free hand and shifted sideways with her, keeping her away from the Hell’s angel as he began to change, the skin around his eyes turning as black as night as they blazed red and turned gold in their centres. The immense male’s step faltered as he looked from Asmodeus to Lysia, and then to the closing portal. “Where is Nevar?”
“The angels have taken him.” Lysia stumbled through the English words and bravely stepped out from behind Asmodeus. He tried to pull her back again, unwilling to let her place herself in danger. He had to protect her in Nevar’s stead and keep her safe until they were reunited.
“What?” Erin’s voice boomed across the island and she appeared before them, materialising out of a swirl of black smoke. “Those angels took him?”
It appeared the Devil’s daughter wasn’t as upset about their presence on her island again as he had feared she would be.
The rest of the group raced across the sand to them, Apollyon leading the charge with Marcus and Amelia hot on his heels.
“What is happening?” Apollyon said and looked between him and Lysia. “Where is Nevar?”
“Those bloody sons of bitches took him,” Erin snapped, her eyes golden fire and shadows beginning to flutter from her back. “This is my fault. I shouldn’t have asked him to leave. I drove him away and now Heaven has him.”
“Shh, Sweetheart, it’s not your fault.” Veiron gathered her into his arms and rubbed her back. “You didn’t know this would happen.”
“Veiron is right. It was more important that you protected your son,” Asmodeus said and sent his golden blade away as Liora approached him, her hazel gaze overflowing with concern. “We know where he is and they have not had him long. I went to Lysia as soon as I felt the fight and her pain. I am going to take him back from them.”
“I will go with you,” Apollyon said and Asmodeus nodded, glad that his twin had done as he had hoped and offered his assistance. “I am sick of them interfering and toying with our lives. I will not let them kill Nevar. They will pay for this.”
“Count me in.” Marcus’s blue shorts disappeared, replaced by the pieces of his blue-edged chrome armour, and his flinty grey-blue eyes swirled silver. “I warned them to leave us alone. I won’t let them get away with forcing Nevar back to Heaven and stealing away his life.”
Amelia stepped forwards and Asmodeus waited for her to refuse and order Marcus to stay with her on the island.
She slipped her hand into Marcus’s and the dark-haired male looked down at her. She tugged on his hand, luring him down for a brief kiss, and spoke against his lips.
“Be careful. Give them hell. I’ll watch over Erin with the others.”
He nodded and kissed her again. Lysia looked away, closing her eyes, and Asmodeus felt a sliver of her pain.
“We will bring him back to you,” Asmodeus said in a low voice, wanting to reassure her without everyone hearing him and storing up his kind words for use against him at a later date, making him out to be a sweet man.
It was becoming a habit of all of them. They found it amusing to tease him whenever he was nice, until he offered to unleash his darker side and all that was evil within him upon their heads.
Lysia’s dark eyebrows dipped low and she flicked her eyes open and glared at him. “I am coming too.”
He shook his head and signalled for Liora to come to him. His beautiful little witch halted beside Lysia and took hold of her hand, slipping it out of his.
“I cannot allow you to come with us. Nevar went to protect you. I will not be the one who delivers you to Heaven. He would never forgive me that sin.” Asmodeus wouldn’t relent on the matter either. If she refused to comply with his orders, he would have Liora create a cage to hold her here on the island, or ask Taylor to send Lysia to sleep with her demonic powers.
Finally, Lysia nodded and he stepped back from her and beat his wings to bring his flight feathers back into line.
“Liora will take you back to Hell.” Asmodeus held his hand out to cast a portal and Erin was suddenly there, both of her hands wrapped around his wrist.
She looked down at her feet as she held him, drew in a deep breath, and raised her head to meet his gaze.
“That won’t be necessary.” Erin released his wrist and brushed her black fringe away from her golden eyes. Those eyes searched his, an edge to them that echoed the feelings he held hidden inside him, out of sight. “Bring him back, okay? Give them hell… for me. You always wanted to go to Heaven and teach them all a lesson… well… here’s your chance. Make sure it’s one they won’t forget, and be careful.”
She stepped to one side and looked past him, to Apollyon and Marcus.
“All of you… be careful.”
Asmodeus nodded at the same time as Apollyon and Marcus. Liora came to him, the concern that had already been in her eyes growing into fear.
For him.
He slipped his hand along the curve of her jaw, tilted her head back, and softly kissed her, silently telling her that he would return to her and hushing her fears. He was no fool. He would work with Marcus and Apollyon as a team to ensure they all made it out alive, including Nevar.
He swept his lips across hers one last time, savouring her softness and sweet taste, and then forced himself to take a step back.
Marcus spread his silvery half-feather half-leather wings and beat th
em, slowly lifting off the beach. Apollyon followed him, the span of his black feathered wings as great as Asmodeus’s, each beat of them shifting the white grains of sand.
Asmodeus lingered, absorbing the beauty of his wicked little witch as she looked upon him with endless love in her eyes. A male could battle a dragon for the sake of such a beauty and having her look at him like this.
He already had.
He smiled, turned and kicked off the sand, launching upwards with one powerful beat of his wings.
Apollyon took the lead as they shot upwards, Marcus bringing up the rear a short distance to Asmodeus’s left side.
“They will be expecting us. We will have to break through the ranks quickly.” Apollyon’s voice caught the wind and rushed past Asmodeus.
He nodded and flew harder, picking up speed as they approached the first layer of cloud. He had never been to Heaven, but he knew he was capable of reaching that place because he had been born of Apollyon’s blood, and Apollyon had been an angel of that realm.
The next bank of cloud approached, coming at them fast as they flew with haste, speeding upwards as quickly as their wings could take them. Marcus closed ranks and swept his left arm out at his side, extending the silver engraved handle of his curved sword into a long shaft and transforming the weapon into a spear.
“Next one,” Marcus shouted and Asmodeus nodded, his heart lodging in his throat and anticipation pouring through his veins.
Soon he would see Heaven for the first time.
And soon Heaven would know his wrath and all of it would tremble before him.
He called his golden blades to his hands at the same time as Apollyon materialised his and readied them, preparing himself as they headed into the final bank of cloud between them and Heaven.
How many angels would be awaiting their arrival on the other side?
He had heard tales of Hell’s angels battling them beyond the white walls of the fortress of Heaven. That realm had sent their angels out in the thousands.
The thought of battling so many sent a thrill through his blood and he flew harder, eager to reach the other side of the thick misty cloud and see what awaited him, the King of Demons.
Apollyon broke through ahead of him and Asmodeus readied his blades. The final wisps of cloud gave way and the brilliant glowing white fortress of Heaven hovered before him, the gateless walls stretching as far as he could see in both directions and the mighty castle spearing the blue sky in the centre of the grounds.
Between him and the fortress there was nothing.
No angels.
Marcus halted beside him. “You think it’s a trick?”
Apollyon looked uncertain. Asmodeus wanted to agree with the whelp. It was a trick. It had to be one. Why wouldn’t Heaven defend itself against intruders they knew would be coming?
He frowned as it dawned on him.
Heaven would never leave itself exposed. It would never risk intruders penetrating the walls. Not even to trick them into flying into a trap. It had sent thousands of angels to deal with a measly force of Hell’s angels. It would unleash the entire army to deal with three powerful enemies such as themselves.
There was only one explanation.
“They did not know we were coming.”
Apollyon looked across at him, his blue eyes shimmering with paler flecks. “Something isn’t right.”
Asmodeus didn’t care. He was going in regardless. Nevar was in there and he would bring him back safely to the island and Lysia.
He beat his wings and shot towards the fortress. Apollyon cursed him in the black tongue of Hell and his power rose, swirling around Asmodeus. He flew harder, intending to be first beyond the wall, refusing to give his twin the pleasure of beating him there.
He looked back over his shoulder to see Apollyon closing in and Marcus just beyond him.
He didn’t care if Heaven didn’t want to defend itself. He was going to shake it to the ground regardless. They were going to pay for taking Nevar.
The wall passed by below him and the guardian angels patrolling it in their blue armour all raised their heads, stunned expressions on their faces as they watched him fly straight into the fortress. There was a moment of silence and stillness, and then horns blared and angels along the wall burst into action, combining their powers to form a protective shield over the entirety of Heaven.
Too late.
Apollyon and Marcus were through with him, barely feet behind him now.
His golden gaze scanned the angels rushing around below him, searching for the ones who had taken Nevar.
Several warrior angels with their tawny wings and dull brown armour flew in to attack him. Marcus intervened, handling all of them at once with ease as he unleashed a bright blue orb of energy, the same power that his master, Amelia could use.
Apollyon pointed towards something and then shot backwards, beating his wings and gaining height. A stream of angels from the guardian corps flew after him and Asmodeus tucked his wings back and rolled to avoid them. He spread his wings once he was below them and levelled out, scanning the fray in the white grounds for what Apollyon had wanted to show him.
His gaze zeroed in on a blond male.
Asmodeus snarled, his lips peeling back off his fangs, and sent his right sword away. Shadows swirled around his fingers as they began to turn black and leaped up his arm, twining around it and caressing him. He commanded them forwards, unleashing them in one long stream at Lysander, catching the male unawares.
The ribbons of shadows wrapped around the male’s arms and stomach, and bound his golden wings.
Lysander’s cold blue eyes shot up to him and narrowed. “What is the meaning of this?”
Asmodeus smirked and couldn’t stop himself from responding in a manner reminiscent of his little wicked witch.
“You have some balls to ask me that question after what Heaven has done.” He landed in front of Lysander and curled his fingers into a fist, causing the shadows that contained the angel to tighten, digging into his skin.
The angel grunted and wavered, but refused to fall to his knees as Asmodeus had wanted.
“Heaven has done nothing,” Lysander spat and a darkness crossed his face, a shadow of something sinister. This one held evil in his heart or in his power. Asmodeus couldn’t tell which it was. “Release me.”
Asmodeus laughed.
Several angels tried to rush him and Apollyon landed beside him with Marcus, driving them back.
“You took Nevar,” Asmodeus said with a grin. “And I think I shall take your head.”
The shadows looped around Lysander’s neck, twisting ever tighter, and his face turned red as he struggled to breathe, veins popping out across his forehead.
“Apollyon.” A deep male voice cut through the noise of battle and his twin foolishly halted his fight.
Asmodeus snarled at him and the newcomer, a dishevelled sandy-haired angel dressed in the gold-edged white armour of the mediator division.
“Come to negotiate?” Asmodeus growled and sent his left blade away. He flicked his left hand towards the mediator and had his shadows wrapped around him before the male could even begin to defend himself.
“Asmodeus, no.” Apollyon grabbed his arm and hissed as the shadows snapped and lashed out at him, striking blows at his vambraces and his bare upper arm. He withdrew and his power pressed down on Asmodeus, a warning he heeded because he wasn’t in the mood to fight his twin today. “He is with us.”
Asmodeus relented, releasing the mediator, and eyed him. “This… fuzzy warm thing is with us?”
The mediator’s green eyes darkened and a spear with a golden blade and gold inlaid into the engravings on the staff appeared in his hand.
Asmodeus waved him away, not interested in battling such a puny enemy.
There was a blur of movement and he quickly shifted his hand, blocking the staff of the spear before the blade could reach his throat.
Perhaps the male was not as puny as he had first believ
ed.
He pushed the weapon away from him and slid his gaze towards the male. “Name yourself.”
The scruffy blond lowered his spear and the staff shortened, turning it into a sword. “Lukas.”
A name he was familiar with.
“We have a problem, Lukas… care to mediate for us?” He curled the fingers of his right hand again and Lysander cried out as the shadows obeyed his command, snapping at the male, slicing into his stomach and legs and drawing blood. “This one has taken something of mine… something precious to me and to another… and I want it back.”
Lukas looked between him and Lysander.
“Does he speak true?” Lukas said and Lysander tried to shake his head but Asmodeus throttled him with the shadows wrapped around his neck. Lukas’s eyes darkened further and he approached Asmodeus. “Release him so he can speak and defend himself.”
Asmodeus considered it and then shook his head. “I will allow him to speak though, since you asked nicely.”
He flexed his fingers and the shadows around Lysander’s neck loosened. The blond gasped at air, his eyes watering, and Asmodeus sighed, admitting to himself that it felt good to see the wretched angel suffering and he had missed punishing creatures who were beneath him. Not that he would tell Liora what he had done. She would be mad at him and would put him back in the doghouse, and he spent far too much time in that fictional place as it was.
Marcus moved beside him, shifting in time with a group of guardian angels now lined up in front of him. They were surrounded on all sides, but the numbers Heaven had sent were still too small to be of interest to Asmodeus. When the angels numbered one thousand, he would have fun with them. Until then, Lysander had the whole of his attention.
“I have not taken Nevar,” Lysander rasped and Asmodeus checked Apollyon to see if the male believed him.
He didn’t seem convinced either.
“Lysia witnessed your angels in Hell. Those angels.” He pointed beyond Lysander to the four males standing at his back, watching events unfold with cold eyes that held only fury as they stared at him. He had hoped to draw them out by attacking their leader and he had succeeded. Shadows swirled around his left hand and rose to curl around his legs as he called upon them, preparing himself to fight them all. “You took Nevar. You told him Heaven wished to speak with him and you brought him here.”
Her Avenging Angel (Her Angel Romance Series Book 7) Page 23
