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Nex

F lying 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.

I swing around at the sudden movement through the air, ready to blast whoever is trying to sneak up on me.

“Whoa there, Nex. It’s just me. ”

I relax when I recognize Cassian’s voice. “What the hell, man? I was about to remove your head from your body.”

“That wouldn’t have happened.” He shakes his head as his eyes move over the battle beneath and around us. “This is a damn clusterfuck.”

“You can say that again.”

He sighs before turning back to me. “No one fights alone. I’m with you for the duration.”

Something flutters in my chest at his words.

Does this mean he accepts me? Forgives me for the damage I caused Audrey and Brenden?

I hiss as magic slices across my side, reminding me this is not the time to get lost in my thoughts. I spin around and launch myself at the angel who thought I’d be an easy target. I land a punch to his face before gripping his shoulder and sending lust coursing through him.

I laugh when he tries to kiss me, pulling out the sword Audrey’s mom made for me. I slice off the angel’s head, watching it fall to the ground beneath me.

“We need to find Lucifer. He wants his daughters close during the battle. We’re supposed to meet them there,” Cassian reminds me, and I give him a sharp nod .

We race through the sky, taking down angel after angel as they barrel toward us. Even having to stop to take out the angels, we make it to Lucifer in mere minutes.

“Wren and the horsemen are a few streets over. They got pushed away when people started crowding in. Go help them keep my girls safe,” he yells before launching more hellfire at the angels trying to dive-bomb him and Ana.

Cassian and I push our way through the crowd, fighting when we need to until we reach the horsemen. By the time we make it there, Wraith and Donovan have already arrived.

“Where’s Audrey?” Cassian yells as soon as we reach them, trying to be heard over the sounds of the battle.

Who knew battles were so loud?

Wraith shakes his head. “She took Brenden into the shadows with her before we followed them. We haven’t seen either of them since then.”

Shadows slink around him before darting out and wrapping themselves around an angel, dragging her to the ground.

She fights against the shadows as they wrap themselves tighter and tighter around her and finally cover her face.

She stops fighting and when the shadows pull away, her head is no longer attached to her body.

My eyes find Wren, surrounded by the other three horsemen as they fight.

Her hand moves between them as she shoots fire at the angels, but unlike Audrey, she still doesn’t have access to hellfire.

The fire doesn’t damage them much, but it does distract them long enough for one of the horsemen to take their head off with another sword made by Ana.

Ana hadn’t felt comfortable making more modern weapons as she’d never forged them before. She admitted that she’d given up forging to keep her secret safe, which means we’re all out here fighting with swords, daggers, crossbows, flails, knives, and axes.

Hecate was able to infuse each of the weapons with magic to kill the angels, but the only way they’re effective is if we pierce their hearts or if we chop off their heads.

There are a few of our allies who have powers that will kill the angels without needing a weapon, but those are few and far between.

The goddess had also infused the same magic into the reaper’s scythes.

It’s all that most of them are comfortable fighting with .

Pulling myself out of my head, I dart forward to stop an angel intent on taking off Donovan’s head with his own sword.

Donovan shoots me a quick thanks before dancing away to battle with another angel.

I swing my sword toward the angel, but they parry my blow, and I’m really not in the mood for a long, drawn-out production.

I send lust through the crowd, making sure to only affect the angels who stand against us. There’s so many of them here, I can’t do much more than send a flash of lust through them, but it’s enough to distract them.

My sword slices through the angel’s neck, and he falls to the ground, his sword clattering loudly as bodies hit the floor all around us.

I won’t be able to do that again. I’m a powerful incubus, and I topped up this morning in Audrey’s room, but my power still has its limits. I’ll be able to target a few angels at a time, but that’s about it.

But as soon as the angels fall, another group of them is rushing toward us.

Fates only know how long this battle will last, or how long any of us will be able to last.

Forcing myself to focus, I work my way through each of the angels who step in my path. A few hits make it past my guard, leaving blood welling from the wounds, but I ignore them for now. Nothing feels life-threatening.

As more time passes, I can’t help worrying about Audrey.

Why hasn’t she made it to us yet? None of us knew exactly where our group would end up fighting, but we knew we’d be with the rest of the war council.

They were all staying on the same street as us, so it shouldn’t have been hard for her to find us.

So, where is she?

“Watch out, Nex,” Wren cries, and I spin around to find an angel about to sink his blade into my back.

I swing my sword around and knock it to the side before taking the angel’s head off, smiling a bit at the look of shock on his face that follows him into death.

They really thought they’d be able to destroy the mortals without resistance, didn’t they? They didn’t count on the denizens of the underworld to come earth-side to protect it.

Sucks to be them, doesn’t it?

My eyes find Brenden as he joins us, and I let out a sigh of relief. Thank the Fates they finally found us.

My attention is torn away as another sword swings toward me, but I’m able to block it. I shoot a blast of lust into him before cleaving off his head and shuffling toward Brenden. It takes me a moment to realize Audrey isn’t with him.

I swing around, taking off the head of the angel trying to sneak up behind Brenden as he rips the still beating heart from another angel’s body.

“Where’s Audrey?”

Brenden shakes his head. “We got swept away from each other. I tried using my speed to find her, but she took to the sky. She was heading this way, so I sped over here.”

Fuck.

While one of my mates made it to us, the other is still unaccounted for.

“Cover me?” I ask, pressing my back to his.

“I’ve got you,” he assures me, and I lift my eyes to the sky.

Angels fly through the city, but there aren’t as many of us who have wings. Maybe Cassian and I should’ve stayed up there to keep it clear, but we didn’t know Audrey would choose to travel that way.

I scan the area before my eyes drift further away. Purple hellfire flashes in the sky, and I follow it to find my fearless mate battling ten or more angels at once .

I curse, ready to burst into the air to help her, but Brenden’s hand on my arm stops me.

“Don’t. She has this. She’s closer than she was before. She’ll come to us,” he reassures me before turning back to the battle.

I want to argue with him, but he’s right. She doesn’t need my help. She doesn’t need anyone’s help.

I barely get my sword up in time to block another blow. My sword locks with the angel’s, and I shove against him. He stumbles back before coming at me again.

This time, I’m ready for him. I send a blast of lust at him before taking his head.

This is almost too easy. Except that each time I take out an angel, two more seem to pop up in their place.

I hope it’s because of who I’m fighting with and not just that their numbers are overwhelming us.

There are so many reapers and demons out here fighting who are weaker than the angels we need to defeat.

But I can’t let my thoughts dwell on that for too long.

The dread threatens to weigh me down, begging me to give up.

Fuck that shit.

I have two mates who still haven’t forgiven me. I have everything to lose if I die. I plan to live long enough for them to forgive me at the bare minimum. I won’t be dying here today.

When no one rushes toward me, I lift my eyes to the sky again. Her red hair is a beacon even against the night sky. She’s almost to us, finally.

Movement behind her has my body stiffening. An angel is trying to sneak up behind her.

But it’s not just any angel, is it? It’s fucking Michael.

“Audrey!” I scream, drawing the attention of everyone around me—her mates, sister, and friends, plus the angels.

The pause in the fight gives me long enough to launch myself into the air, eyes wide with fear. While I know my mate can hold her own against Michael, she doesn’t even know he’s behind her.

“Behind you!” I scream, but she can’t hear me. I’m too far away.

Thank the Fates.

She seems to realize what I’m trying to tell her and spins around to face Michael.

I grin when she shoots hellfire at him, but he easily dodges it.

Why can’t this fucker just die already? If we kill him, we should be able to subdue the others easily. At least, that’s what we’re hoping for .

Michael is their leader, and Lucifer seems to think they’ll stand down if he dies. I’m not as sure as he is, but I really want the angel dead.

I flap my wings harder, trying to get to her as quickly as I can.

Right now, she and Michael seem to be talking, but I doubt that’s going to last for long. Especially not when I see the smirk fall from his face as it contorts into a sneer.

I push myself harder as I see him lift his hand, a lightning bolt forming and flying toward Audrey.

She’s too close to him to avoid it, and I’m too far away to save her.

I let out a roar that bounces off the building and draws Michael’s attention, but I only have eyes for Audrey as I force myself to fly harder and faster than I ever have.

Already, my wings are tiring, but I don’t give a fuck. All I care about is making it to Audrey in time.

Somehow, it seems to happen both in the blink of an eye and antagonizing slowly, but I finally reach her. I stick my hand into her hellfire, ignoring the pain of it burning my flesh as I push her out of the way. I have just long enough to spin around and watch the lightning flying right before me.

I close my eyes, knowing this is it for me, but at least I saved my mate.

At least she’s safe.

I have all the faith in the world that she’ll be able to save the world from Michael’s reign of terror. My only wish is that I could’ve gotten her and Brenden to forgive me.

I hope my death isn’t too hard on them. They’ve suffered enough, and I never want to be the cause of their pain ever again.

My body goes rigid as the bolt hits me, electricity racing through me and I lose control of my body. My wings stop flapping and I tumble through the air as I feel my heart pounding in my chest. It’s beating harder than it ever has before.

Pain courses through me as my eyes fall shut, darkness pressing in around me.

I love you both so much . I try to send my thoughts to my mates.

It’s not something that we’re usually able to do, but I’m about to die, and I’m willing to try anything to reach them.

I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m even more sorry that this is going to cause you more pain.

You were the best part of my life—even when you were rightfully angry at me and pushing me away. Be happy, my loves.

The darkness consumes me, and I feel nothing.