Page 123 of Daman

A whip that looked to be made of pure white light appeared in Lazarus’ hand. He caught Asa around the wrist with it and yanked him away from me. With Asa’s focus now on the angel, his spell lifted, and time returned to normal.

Galen roared and charged at a group of shades clustered around Gray, tearing them apart with his bare hands. Raiden and Alastair sprang into action, fighting side by side with the wolves. I rushed in to help Daman. He jumped up, hooked a leg around Belphegor’s neck, and flung him to the ground. Belphegor smacked Daman with his wing and knocked him off-balance.

I was almost to him when it happened.

Belphegor summoned a second sword. Fire spread along the long blade as it appeared in his hand. And then he thrust it into my husband’s chest. A scream tore from my throat, and my heart shattered. My soul did too.

“Daman!” Castor’s voice broke.

“Dad, no!” Gray cried.

Belphegor flung Daman off his blade and stepped over him, the sword of fire disappearing. He lifted off the ground, flew above me, and landed beside Asa. When Gray ran toward him, he averted his gaze. Asa knocked Gray aside with a blast of energy, not enough to hurt him, just to stop him.

I didn’t care anymore. Not about the battle or the key to the celestial realm. Damn the world and everybody in it.

I dropped to my knees and gathered Daman in my arms. “I’ve got you,” I said, forcing my eyes to the wound. There was so much blood.

“Just… a scratch.” Daman’s faint smile broke when he coughed.

I used ice to stop the bleeding, knowing it was only a temporary fix. But it would give us more time to figure out how to save him.

“That’s our cue to leave,” Phoenix said. He was kneeling beside Bellamy and stood up before flickering out of sight. He reappeared beside Asa and put a hand on his shoulder.

“No, you don’t!” Lazarus flung out his whip and caught the demon around the ankle and sent him high into the air.

Phoenix vanished before he hit the ground and materialized between Asa and Belphegor. He blinked the three of them out of sight, but not before Asa smirked at me.

“War?” Daman’s lids fluttered as he fought to keep them open. “I-I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,kotya.” A tear slipped from my eye. “Not all battles can be won. But that’s why we keep fighting.”

His brothers gathered around us. Gray grabbed one of his hands while Alastair knelt across from me, expression grave. Daman’s eyes remained on me.

“You’llk-keep fighting,” he rasped. “This is the end of the line for me.”

“Don’t say that.”

“D?” Bellamy dropped down, clutching his bloody side. He squeezed Daman’s shoulder, tears streaking down his cheeks. “Come on, little brother.”

“I feel him fading,” Castor whispered.

Snow started to fall. A flake landed on Daman’s cheek, and he stared up at the sky through the clearing of trees. “Hey, War?” He softly smiled. “It’s just like a snow globe. Reminds me of home.”

Home.I pushed my face into Daman’s hair, my heart raw and bleeding. His scent of earth and spring water wrapped around me, ushering from me a pained whimper.

“Do something, Lazarus,” Gray cried. “You can heal fatal wounds.”

The angel shook his head. “Not when a celestial blade is used. Not even I can save someone from that. It’s my one limitation.”

“Then what good are you?” I growled at him, vision blurring. “Where were you when we needed you? Whenheneeded you? You don’t care about him. You treat all of them as disposable tools.”

Lazarus held my gaze. He looked cold. Detached from the situation. His voice gave him away though, the emotion bleeding through. “I’ve been with each of these men since they were boys. Do you think I don’t care for them?”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Castor said.

“I have no patience right now for your smart mouth,” Lazarus snapped. “Belphegor has the key to the celestial realm. I need to warn Uriel.”

“Actually…” Daman lifted a shaking arm. Dangling from his hand was Gusion’s necklace. “Told you I was good at pickpocketing. I took it when I s-slammed him to the ground.”