Page 113 of Galen

“Why?” I asked. “What just happened?”

Raiden hooked an arm around my waist.

“I’m not leaving without Galen!” I pushed against Raiden’s chest as panic took me over.

Daman broke through the wave of demons, bleeding from several wounds all over his torso and arms. He was holding up Bellamy, who appeared to be in even worse condition as he fought to stay conscious.

“Take him and go!” Alastair told Raiden before clashing again with the fallen angel. “That’s an order.”

“No one will be leaving,” a smooth voice said. He didn’t yell, but his words rang clearly over the noise.

The fighting stopped, and a chilling silence fell over everyone.

The warriors all looked up as Asa hovered above us, his black wings creating a large shadow in the rising smoke behind him. Castor—who had already met Asa—glared, while the other Nephilim gaped.

“It can’t be,” Raiden whispered, his arms shaking as they held me. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. They all had.

Bellamy, who seemed more alert now, trembled as Asa landed in front of him. “L-Lucifer.”

“Aren’t you a beauty?” Asa said, caressing Bellamy’s cheek. His touch sent Bellamy to his knees. Asa then slid his fingers through the warrior’s blood-streaked golden hair. “I might have to keep you alive. I haven’t fucked someone as pretty as you in much too long.”

“Get your hands off him!” Daman said, lunging toward Asa with his dagger drawn.

With a simple flick of his hand, Asa sent Daman flying backward. He didn’t even have to touch him. However, just like when Castor and I first met him, Asa seemed to lose some of his strength.

“My king?” Belphegor rushed to his side.

“I’m fine,” Asa said, trying to keep his authoritative demeanor. The power that had sparked in the air around him had diminished though.

I searched the crowd for Galen. He was the only one missing—other than Gray. Where was he?

“Pride, correct?” Asa asked, stepping toward Alastair. “Our fathers were close companions.”

Blood filled the cracks between Alastair’s teeth as his lips pulled back in a snarl. “And what? You think you and I will be the same?”

“That’s the hope, yes.”

“After you threw my brother into a pit?” Alastair spat blood at him. “You can go fuck yourself. We defeated your father and will do the same to you.”

Asa held his arms out, motioning to the demons around him. “In case your Pride has blinded you, you’re outnumbered. So how is it you’ll defeat me? You can barely stand, let alone fight your way out of here.”

A guttural roar sounded.

Belphegor’s eyes widened.

Phoenix burst through the line of demons. “Your Majesty! You need to—” His words cut off into a scream as he was thrown high into the air, blood squirting from a fresh wound.

Demons leapt out of the way as something large came barreling toward us. I saw it then. Beautiful black wings with traces of red in the feathers. My heart leapt into my throat, and my eyes stung as relief slammed into me.

Galen. He was here. He was unharmed. As I stepped forward, intent on running straight into his arms, Raiden jerked me back.

“That’s not the Galen you know, little human,” he rasped in my ear. “He will tear you apart with no hesitation.”

“No, he won’t!” I tried to weasel out of Raiden’s hold to no avail.

“The beast you spoke of?” Asa asked Belphegor.

The fallen angel nodded, then took a defensive stance.