Page 21

Chapter Twenty-One

“The Great Rathiel, Lucifer’s most loyal dog.” Gremory’s voice was thick with mockery, cutting through the eerie silence of the cemetery. His wings unfurled behind him like an omen, their dark feathers gleaming faintly under the moonlight. He tilted his head, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. “Oops. I guess that title’s a little outdated now, huh? More like Lucifer’s biggest mistake?”

I stiffened, my pulse spiking, but my training kicked in an instant later. My hand shot to the hilt of Inferno’s Kiss, and I drew my sword, the familiar weight grounding me as I stepped out from behind Rathiel’s wings.

“Lily—” Rathiel growled.

I shook my head sharply. No. I was a warrior and just as lethal as Rathiel, if not more, considering I could blast hellfire at anyone who pissed me off. I would not hide, and I certainly refused to cower behind someone else.

Rathiel’s wings remained outstretched, but his body was a wall of tense energy, poised for action. His silence was deafening, the calm before the storm.

I studied Gremory. His towering frame was impossible to ignore, every inch of him radiating power. His silver hair framed his sharp features, highlighting the cruel curve of his lips and the icy gleam in his blue eyes.

Gremory appraised me, his smirk widening. “Ah, Lucifer’s little princess steps up to play,” he sneered, his gaze roaming lazily over me as if I was no threat at all. “And here I thought you intended to hide behind your fallen knight like a scared little girl.”

I narrowed my eyes, the heat of my hellfire simmering just beneath my skin. Inferno’s Kiss thrummed in my grip, the blade instinctively igniting with fire in anticipation of battle. “I’m not hiding from anyone, least of all you, Gremory.”

He let out a low, callous laugh, the sound sending a ripple of unease through me. “Cute, but we’ll see how long those little flames last when I snuff them out.”

Without warning, Rathiel moved, his wings snapping shut as he advanced a step toward Gremory, his sword raised and ready. “I’ll kill you before you lay a hand on her.”

Gremory’s eyes flicked back to Rathiel, amusement draining from his expression, replaced with a cold, deadly intent. “Oh, brother,” he purred, his voice laced with venom. “You couldn’t protect her before. What makes you think you can now?”

Before I could respond, Rathiel lunged, his blade flashing in the moonlight as it sliced through the air, aimed for Gremory’s throat. But Gremory was fast—faster than I’d anticipated.

He sidestepped the blow effortlessly, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth as he spun away, his wings flaring out behind him. “Tsk, tsk,” he taunted. “Did you really think it would be that easy?”

I didn’t wait for Rathiel to recover. Fueled by fury, I summoned hellfire to my hands, flames licking up my arms as I raised them, and hurled a fireball directly at him.

Gremory’s eyes widened for a split second before he spun to the side, effortlessly dodging my attack. The fireball sailed past him and slammed into a nearby tombstone, shattering it into pieces. His grin widened as he straightened, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. “You’ll have to do better than that, little girl.”

And I would. I wasn’t near done yet. Inferno’s Kiss gleamed in my hand as I darted forward, Rathiel at my side. We moved as one, our blades flashing in the night as we aimed strike after strike at Gremory, who blocked and dodged with infuriating ease. His wings provided an impenetrable shield, deflecting our attacks like we were mere children playing at war.

Rathiel’s face twisted with frustration, and my anger surged, threatening to boil over. Gremory wasn’t just toying with us—he was savoring it, like a predator playing with its prey.

“Is this really all you’ve got?” Gremory sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “Lucifer thought you’d be a challenge. What a disappointment.”

I gritted my teeth, determination coursing through me as I adjusted my stance, gripping Inferno’s Kiss tighter. I would wipe that smug look off his face if it was the last thing I did.

Together, Rathiel and I moved, our blades a blur of motion as we attacked in tandem, striking from opposite sides. Gremory’s laughter faded as he focused on defending himself, his wings straining under the pressure of our combined assault.

Just as I saw an opening, I swung my sword toward his exposed side, flames licking the edge of the blade. But Gremory outmaneuvered us both. With a savage grin, he parried Rathiel’s strike and spun toward me, his hand glowing with dark magic.

I barely had time to register the danger before he blasted me backward with a pulse of energy—a skill I’d never seen him use before. My body collided with a gravestone, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs as I crumpled to the ground.

“Lily!” Rathiel shouted, his voice filled with panic.

I coughed, struggling to catch my breath as I pushed myself to my feet. Gremory advanced on Rathiel, his wings casting a dark shadow over him, the air thick with malevolent power.

“I told you,” Gremory said, his voice dangerously low as he closed the distance. “You can’t protect her. Word’s out, brother. Lucifer wants both your heads served to him on silver platters.”

Rathiel didn’t waste a second. He lunged forward, his blade flashing in the moonlight. But Gremory anticipated the move. Magic burst from his hand, and with a casual flick of his wrist, he deflected Rathiel’s strike and stole his sword, now gripping it in his own hand.

Both Rathiel and I stumbled to a stop, stunned. I’d never seen anyone disarm Rathiel before. Nor had I ever seen Gremory use that kind of magic before.

“You’ve stabbed me more than enough for one lifetime, thanks,” Gremory commented casually.

“I’ve stabbed you once in the thousands of years we’ve known each other,” Rathiel argued. “And that was twelve years ago. You can’t possibly still be whining about that?”

“Hmm,” Gremory hummed. “Let’s see if you’re still whining about this in twelve years.” Then, without warning, he struck, driving Rathiel’s own blade straight into his side.

The sound of metal slicing through flesh was sickeningly sharp in the stillness, followed by Rathiel’s sharp intake of breath.

I gasped, breath catching in my throat as if Gremory had stabbed me. I’d never seen someone move so fast before. My pulse spiked, and a wave of adrenaline crashed over me, freezing me in place. Fear tangled with rage, tightening in my chest. For half a second, all I could do was stare—at Rathiel’s blood staining Gremory’s hand, at the sick pleasure twisting Gremory’s features. And then instinct kicked in, and I surged forward, my grip on Inferno’s Kiss tightening as fury propelled me back into action.

Gremory lifted a hand and blasted me with another burst of power. Except, this time, it locked me in place rather than throw me back. “I wouldn’t, girl. You’re not ready to play this game. Not yet.”

I struggled against Gremory’s magic, but it held me tight. His power wound around me like thick vines, locking me in place. My muscles strained, but it was like fighting quicksand—every movement tightened the vines. I glanced at Rathiel, who gripped Gremory’s shoulder with white-knuckled determination.

Gremory gave the blade a final twist before pulling it out with a sickening sound, and Rathiel’s body jerked in response. Blood dripped from the sword, but Gremory didn’t bother to wipe it away. He spun the blade lazily in his hand, like it was a toy, while Rathiel staggered, his hand instinctively moving to cup his wound.

With a growl, Rathiel moved to take a step toward Gremory, but he flicked his wrist, and another pulse of dark energy slammed into Rathiel, forcing him to his knees. Dark energy encircled his body, locking him in place, just as it’d done to me.

Gremory sneered at Rathiel. “Stay down,” he spat, eyes gleaming with malice.

Rathiel raised his hand, and the blood dripping from his side quivered before rising into the air. The power crackled around him, illuminating his strained features. The crimson liquid twisted and churned, pulling together into thin, razor-sharp blades that hovered midair, glinting under the faint light.

But Gremory’s lips curled into a wicked grin. “Oh no, brother,” he sneered, his voice a dangerous whisper. With a sharp motion of his free hand, an arc of dark energy lashed out, slamming into Rathiel’s chest.

His body jerked violently, his concentration breaking as the blood he’d commanded collapsed back into the snow with a sickening splatter.

“Look at you,” Gremory taunted, his voice menacing. “It’s pathetic, seeing you like this. Are you proud of yourself? Are you happy with the choices you made?”

Rathiel let out a strained breath, his muscles taut with resistance as Gremory’s magic held him captive. Dark energy coiled around him like unbreakable chains, forcing his arms outstretched and his head bowed. His entire body trembled with the effort to break free, but the crushing weight of the spell rendered him immobile, his power to command the blood now beyond his reach.

“You were our brother !” Gremory shouted. “You were the best of us. Now, look at you.” He sneered, and his voice grew more venomous with every word. “You betrayed us. Betrayed him . And all because you two had the stupid fucking sense to fall in love with each other! Was she worth it, brother? Worth the pain, the torture?”

Wait.

What?

Fell in love with each other?

I stared at Gremory, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. The words rattled around in my skull, barely making sense. Gremory’s face contorted with rage, his voice crackling with fury as he continued to spit his accusations. But all I could hear— really hear—was that last sentence.

“Rathiel…” I whispered.

He didn’t respond.

My mind spun in a thousand directions at once. The pieces I hadn’t been able to fit together before suddenly began to slide into place. The way my body always seemed to respond to him. The memories that hovered just beyond my grasp, teasing the edges of my consciousness. The pull I couldn’t ignore, the yearning that always lingered beneath the surface, no matter how hard I tried to deny it.

It all started to make sense.

Like how his presence always felt like a tether, an anchor grounding me, even when he pissed me off. The inexplicable feeling of trust, even when he’d given me no reason to trust him. The way my heartbeat raced whenever he was near. It wasn’t just instinct, wasn’t just familiarity from our time together. It was so much more.

The realization hit me hard. My knees nearly buckled as the weight of it all came crashing down, my mind racing through the possibilities, through everything I’d lost—everything he had stolen from me.

I tightened my grip on Inferno’s Kiss, but I wasn’t thinking about the blade. I was thinking about him. About us. My mind surged with the full force of everything I didn’t know, but now was beginning to understand.

The way he would sneer at any mention of Jack, or the way he’d scowled the night Jack had kissed me. I’d chalked it all up to his overprotectiveness, but clearly I’d been wrong.

He loved me. Maybe even still loved me.

And I had absolutely no idea how I felt about that. My brain was a jumbled mess. Because of him .

Gremory’s sneer twisted into something darker as he stalked toward me, his boots crunching in the snow with each deliberate step. His wings unfurled further, casting an ominous shadow over me. “You really thought you could hide from us? From your father?” he mocked, his voice low and dripping with venom. “All this time, playing house up here, thinking you could escape the inevitable.”

Gremory circled me like a predator, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. “Tell me, Lilith—how does it feel, knowing he threw everything away for you?” His gaze flicked to Rathiel, who remained on his knees, blood still pouring from the wound Gremory had carved into his side. “How does it feel to know that this is how your epic love story ends?” He scoffed, lifting Rathiel’s blade in his grip, the metal catching the moonlight. “Look at the two of you. Pathetic and weak.”

I gritted my teeth, my fingers tightening around Inferno’s Kiss as the weight of Gremory’s words bore down on me. My chest burned, each venomous syllable lighting a match against the simmering fire inside me. But I stayed silent, refusing to give him the satisfaction. Instead, I tightened my grip on Inferno’s Kiss and let the power build with every breath.

Gremory leaned in, his face inches from mine, the stink of his breath hot against my skin. “Loving you cost him everything. And guess what? Now, you get to watch him die.”

I glanced at Rathiel, his blood staining the snow beneath him, his face pale but defiant. Gremory’s laughter rang in my ears, a taunt I couldn’t bear any longer.

“You’ll have to tell me what that’s like,” Gremory continued. “Provided I let you live, of course.”

Something inside me snapped.

“Shut up!” I screamed, my voice tearing through the night like a battle cry. Fury ignited in my chest, blazing through me like a wildfire. My magic surged, the power I’d buried for so long searing through my veins with blistering heat. The force of my anger surged outward, and suddenly, everything shifted. Gremory’s binding spell shattered from the sheer force of my rage, the magic dissolving like smoke in the air. Energy exploded around me, and just like that, I could move again.

Gremory stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. “What—how did you?—”

I didn’t let him finish. With a flicker of thought, I called the shadows to me, cloaking myself in darkness, and vanishing from Gremory’s sights.

His eyes darted wildly, his wings twitching as he spun in place, trying to find me. “Lilith!” he bellowed, voice tight with frustration as dark magic crackled from his fingertips. “Stop hiding and face me, or?—”

I didn’t let him finish his threat. The shadows shifted with me as I slipped behind him and struck him with a burst of hellfire. The force sent him stumbling forward and the stench of burnt feathers filled the air.

Gremory released a furious roar and whipped around to retaliate, but I had already vanished into the shadows once more.

My heart thundered in my chest as I darted around him, reappearing for split-second strikes. I lashed out with hellfire, then disappeared, keeping him off-balance, keeping him guessing. His anger mounted with every miss, his swings growing wilder as he realized he was losing control. He might have been a chaos demon, but I was chaos.

“You think you can play this game with me?” Gremory spat, his frustration palpable. He gripped Rathiel’s sword and stalked toward him, positioning himself right in front of Rathiel. “You forget—I know who trained you. I know exactly what you’re capable of.”

Yet he’d completely underestimated me.

“And I know where your heart truly lies,” he snarled, lifting the blade high above Rathiel, poised to bring it down in a killing blow.

I wasn’t about to let that happen. Sure, I was pissed at Rathiel— furious , really—but I wouldn’t let Gremory rob me of the chance of killing him myself. Sprinting forward, I threw myself forward and let the shadows fall away as I reappeared between them. I threw Inferno’s Kiss up in an instant, clashing against Rathiel’s sword with a violent screech of metal on metal.

Gremory’s smug grin flashed as he pressed against my blade, but I was already two steps ahead. I twisted my wrist, locking our swords together for a heartbeat before I lashed out with a sharp kick to his knee. The impact made him stumble, but I didn’t stop there. I drove my foot into his groin, sending him reeling backward with a grunt of pain.

He bent forward, and I seized the moment. I shot up, cracking my knee into his face with bone-shattering force. His head snapped back, blood spraying from his nose, but I didn’t hesitate. As he staggered, I unleashed a blast of hellfire straight at his shoulder, watching with grim satisfaction as the flames tore through his shirt and seared into his flesh.

Gremory howled in agony, his wings flaring wildly as he struggled to regain his footing, but I was relentless. I stepped forward, swinging Inferno’s Kiss in a deadly arc, aiming for his ribs. He managed to block, but barely. His movements were growing sluggish, the pain slowing him down.

I didn’t give him time to recover. Another burst of hellfire exploded from my hand, striking him square in the chest. With a scream, Gremory dropped Rathiel’s sword and desperately slapped at the flames that ate away at his flesh. But he couldn’t stop them. This wasn’t ordinary fire—it was hell fire. It burned at my command, and I gave them free rein to consume anything they touched. His skin blistered and blackened as the fire crawled up his chest, licking at his neck, searing his face.

Panic flared in Gremory’s eyes as he realized the truth—he couldn’t douse the flames, and I had no intention of pulling them back. I had to give him credit, though. Even while burning alive, he still fought.

With a snarl, he launched himself at me, fists swinging wildly, but I was already moving. I ducked under his arm, sliding Inferno’s Kiss across his thigh in a clean, vicious slice. Blood sprayed across the snow, and Gremory’s howl of pain echoed through the cemetery as he stumbled back, his wings beating frantically in a desperate attempt to snuff out the fire.

He released a pulse of dark energy in a last-ditch effort to push me back. The blast exploded outward, but I melted into the shadows just in time, letting his magic pass harmlessly by.

I reappeared in front of him and grabbed him by the collar, my hellfire surging through me, the heat of it burning at the edges of my control. With a snarl, I blasted him point-blank with a torrent of flames.

Gremory shrieked, then flung himself backward and into the snow just as the fire spread to his wings. His eyes were wide and wild with pain, his body twisting in a desperate attempt to escape. He flung himself backward, rolling in the snow, but the flames wouldn’t die. They clung to him, burning brighter, hotter, devouring everything in their path.

He slammed his fists into the ground, trying to summon more dark energy, but nothing came. He was too far gone. Desperation flickered across his face as he clawed at the snow, his wings flapping weakly in a feeble attempt to extinguish the flames. But nothing could stop it. Not now.

I raised my hand, ready to end it, a final surge of hellfire burning brightly in my palm. Gremory’s eyes locked on mine, filled with fear and disbelief.

With a desperate cry, he shoved himself to his feet, his wings barely holding him up as he stumbled backward. Flames still clung to his body, trailing after him as he leaped into the sky. His singed wings carried him into the air, his figure retreating into the darkness, the smell of burnt flesh lingering in his wake.

I stood there, my breath coming in heavy, furious bursts as I watched him disappear into the night. The rage still simmered inside me, boiling just beneath the surface, but for now, Gremory was gone.

I turned to Rathiel, who now stood, freed from Gremory’s magic and soaked in blood. His face was pale, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion and pain. He didn’t say a word—he just looked at me, his gaze heavy.

“Is that why you stole my memories?” I glared at him, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. “To hide that you loved me?” That we loved each other , apparently.

Rathiel’s lips parted, but no words came. The silence that followed was crushing, filled with the weight of everything unsaid. His lips moved as though he wanted to speak, but no sound escaped. He stood there, his gaze filled with a sorrow so deep it was like staring into a void, a darkness that mirrored the one inside me.

“Why?” I asked, my voice trembling with the weight of everything I’d just learned. “Why would you hide that from me? Were you ashamed or something?”

Finally, he staggered a step toward me, his expression crumbling under the weight of his guilt. His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke. “No, Lily. I was never ashamed of loving you.”

“Then why ?” I demanded again.

Rathiel’s face crumpled, and for the first time, I saw the full weight of his guilt. “To protect you,” he whispered. “I thought it was the only way. You were dying, Lily. Lucifer… He held you in his hands, ripped your wings off, and held them up for the entire realm to see. He meant to kill you. And I couldn’t let him do that. I couldn’t lose you like that. Not to him. I had to send you away. And to keep you safe, I had to erase everything. Everything about us. About what we were. Because I knew—I knew —you would never give up. You would never stop trying to find me. And if you returned to Hell, Lucifer would destroy you. So, I?—”

“You destroyed us instead,” I whispered, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces.

Finally, I had the truth. All of it.

I just didn’t know what to do with it.