Page 73 of Grave Revelations (Prophecies of Angels and Demons #3)

Chapter 72

Rebecca

Rebecca slid to a stop beside Azazel, her throat going dry. It wasn’t Elizabeth; it was her entire night-born army. They crowded onto her porch, pressed together, silently staring back at her.

“There are so many,” she breathed.

“Mindless creatures with no will of their own,” Azazel said. “I can end them with a thought.”

“Don’t,” Sophia’s cracked voice called from the hall.

Rebecca beckoned her forward, and she came haltingly, gaze darting to Azazel several times before she stopped beside her.

“Some of them are my coven, compelled to follow,” Sophia explained. “They would never harm us intentionally.”

Rebecca wrapped her arm through Sophia’s. “We won’t hurt them as long as they don’t hurt us.”

They are a threat, Light, Azazel thought.Wetness glittered in Rebecca’s eyes as she glanced at Sophia before returning her gaze to him.

They didn’t choose this.

“Helena,” Sophia gasped, tugging against Rebecca’s arm.

“You can’t go out there, Sophia,” Rebecca said .

Helena had pushed through the crowd and stared blankly through the foyer window. Her vacant expression chilled Rebecca to the core and sent a shudder rolling through her. The healer had been kind to her, helped her, or had tried at least.

As if responding to some silent command, the mass stepped forward, and several nails began tapping against the glass. Wind whipped their hair and clothing, a light trickle of snowflakes dusting their heads and shoulders in white.

“They’re here,” Sophia said. “Mama and the rest of the coven. She’s been using them to control the weather.”

“Why?” Rebecca asked. “What does the weather have to do with anything?”

“It’s why all the natural disasters have been happening. Elizabeth has been sending out her loyal soldiers to find witches and bring them back to her before she destroys entire cities.” Sophia squeezed Rebecca’s arm. “There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands of them now.”

Az? What do we do now?

The demons can’t get in; most of them. Only Elizabeth’s creatures can breach Dina’s wards. I will end them.

Can you choose which ones? Leave my coven and any of the others who are compelled?

No.

Then it’s too risky. We use our magic, or we escape. Those are the best options.

Azazel’s lips turned down. I will stop her and end this once and for all.

“No! Don’t leave,” Rebecca said aloud, terror shooting through her.

His ebony wings twitched at his back, but his mind was silent.

“Please.”

The tapping at the glass grew louder, and Rebecca returned her focus to the creatures outside. A dark mass swooped low, reminding Rebecca of a flock of geese as they dove among the crown in unison before crashing against some invisible barrier. One by one, they redoubled their effort until a single creature burst through the foyer wall.

“Demon!” Rebecca said, opening her palm as flames erupted at the center .

Azazel stepped into its path, and it froze. “You are mine,” he said, and the demon’s red eyes glazed. “Find Elizabeth.”

“I had it,” Rebecca grumbled.

You cannot vanquish demons unless they harm you first. Remember the rules of seraphim. You must let me handle them.

Rebecca swallowed, glancing beyond him at a sky growing thick with inky, swirling creatures.

Two more demons breached the wards, and Azazel sent them away with the same instruction.

A loud bang sounded against the door, followed by another.

“Release me!” a child screamed as something crashed into it again.

Rebecca hadn’t needed to hear her voice to know Elizabeth was there. Every yellow-eyed creature outside her window swiveled its head. They moved as one, converging outside the door.

Rebecca lunged forward, but Azazel wrapped large fingers around her biceps, halting her.

I’ll take care of her.

Rebecca met his eyes. Together.

He nodded, and they faced the door as Elizabeth’s high-pitched voice carried to them. “Sophia, bring me the lance. Children, help Sophia.”

Glass shattered as hundreds of creatures pushed against one another to get to them, falling into the room. They scrabbled over each other, scratching and scraping in their desperate bid to reach her first.

Azazel lifted Rebecca into his arms and launched through broken glass, spinning as he wrapped his wings around them and pressed through a mass of nails and claws, bursting into the sky.

Rebecca peered over the side of his arm at the conflux of creatures surrounding her estate.

That was close , she thought to him as she reached over to the sheath at her back, the blood draining from her face as she touched it.

It was empty.