Page 52

Story: Kiss of Death

My stomach turns at the number of bodies I see, nausea rushing through me.

There’s just so much death already, and for what? Because some demigodsgot jealous?

I dodge another slew of magic, grateful my body has finally recovered from the electric shock I got.

I find my mates once more and realize I’m no closer to them than I was just a few minutes ago. This isn’t working. There are too many angels in the air and not enough from our side.

It won’t be any better trying to run to them on the streets below—not with how crowded they are with both angels and our allies.

Spinning in a circle, I send hellfire through the air. I’m not aiming for anyone, just trying to get them to back off so I can get to my mates.

I ignore the screams, knowing I hit at least a few of them as I dip down and push myself through the air.

I’m finally almost to them when something knocks me off course, my hellfire sputtering out as I begin making a rapid descent toward the ground.

Panic flails through me, making it hard for me to grasp my magic again. Finally, I yank on it and my hellfire flares around me once more. I’m no more than twenty feet above the ground now, hovering over the battle.

Scythes slice through the air, and I realize I know some of the reapers down there fighting.Tears pool in my eyes as I watch three of them felled by a bolt of lightning.

I knew war wasn’t going to be easy, but experiencing it is horrendous. Watching people I know falling to the ground, unseeing eyes staring up at me, is more than I can deal with.

I shoot back into the sky, zeroing in on my mates. I need to be at their sides, and I’m not going to let anything stand in my way—especially not the selfish angels who want to destroy the world I grew up in.

Determination rises within me as I move closer and closer to my mates. Hellfire flies through the sky, taking down angel after angel, and I don’t even feel bad about it.

They brought this on themselves. We’re protecting the people of this world from the hell they want to rain down on them.

Fuck that.

I’ve almost reached my mates when Nex’s head snaps up toward me. His eyes go wide, and I see his mouth move, but he’s too far away for me to hear him. Then he’s launching himself into the air toward me, and I swing around to find Michael hovering twenty feet from me.

“Fancy meeting you here, Audrey.” He smirks, dodging the hellfire I sent toward him. “Tsk tsk. I’m just here for a friendly chat. There’s no reason to try to kill me.”

“Sure there is. There are a million reasons I should try to kill you, you selfish prick.”

Michael doesn’t look offended by my words. “I wasn’t sure you were going to figure out what I had planned, but I’m so glad you’ll be here to see the beauty of my plan. It’s going to be spectacular.”

“We will not let you win, Michael.”

His smirk finally slips away, his eyes flashing. “And who do you think is going to stop me? You? It’s funny that you think you can. No one can stop me, Audrey. You’re all too weak.”

Then, before I can respond, he sends a bolt of lightning at me, and there’s not enough time to dodge it. He’s too close.

Fuck.

Chapter Twenty

Nex

Flying away from Audrey was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.

While I know she can take care of herself, I don’t like leaving her unprotected.

But she’s not really unprotected, is she? Not when she has four other mates who haven’t broken her like I have.

She doesn’t need me when she has the four of them.

I certainly don’t deserve her. Not that it keeps me from wanting her, anyway.