Page 5

Chapter Five

RATHIEL

My gaze moved over the fallen, cataloging positions, measuring their stances, reading the tension in their frames. They primed themselves for violence, shifting with the controlled precision of trained killers. But it was Gremory who stepped forward first, marking himself as their leader.

That should have been me.

The role didn’t fit him. He wore it like a soldier in borrowed armor, posturing rather than commanding.

I had no regrets. The second I’d turned my blade on Lucifer, I’d made my choice. Lily was worth the cost. But seeing them now, falling into rank behind Gremory, still moving as a single unit—it cut through me like a blade sliding between my ribs—a feeling I was intimately familiar with, thanks to Gremory. I hadn’t just walked away from a post. I had walked away from my brothers and sisters, who I’d fought beside for millennia. They were my soldiers, my family, and I’d walked away from them all. For her.

And I would do it again.

I scanned the area. Empty.

Good. Lily claimed humans were oblivious to the supernatural, and it needed to stay that way. That would’ve been difficult if anyone had been around to witness the fight about to break loose.

Gremory spread his black wings, feathers catching the moonlight as they flexed against the cold air. He tilted his head, assessing, calculating. Even from here, I could see the damage Lily’s hellfire had left behind during our last encounter. Jagged burns twisted across his face and neck, warping flesh where her flames had consumed him.

He deserved worse.

“Brother,” Gremory called, his voice rougher than I remembered. Lily had done quite the number on him.

I didn’t respond.

His gaze snapped to Lily, and his blackened upper lip curled into a sneer, his expression furious.

“And you,” he spat, the words thick with venom.

Tension spiked through the fallen as they adjusted their stances. Their gazes locked onto Lily with the same unspoken intent. Gavrel’s chaos warped the air, bending moonlight into restless shadows. Miriel’s pestilent aura thickened, tainting the crisp winter air with a deep rotting scent. Ezrion’s fire sparked to life in his palms, embers spilling from his fingers like his control was slipping. Calyx’s grin stretched, hollow and predatory. Even Raelia, the most composed among them, let her power bleed out, black veins creeping through the snow, leaving rot in their wake.

Gremory took another step forward. The crunch of his boots was the only sound before his voice cut through the frozen air. “You’ve been busy.” A slow, measured pause. “Killing family. Spilling celestial blood.” Another step. “Tavira and Zera were my kin. My sisters.” His voice fractured at the edges, the fury barely restrained. Then his wings flared wide, black feathers bristling. “And you—” His control snapped. His fists clenched, his scarred face twisting with raw hatred. “You killed them like they were nothing.”

Lily unstrapped her pack in a smooth, deliberate motion, lowering it alongside Vol’s bag. No wasted movement. No hesitation. Just a soldier preparing for battle.

Beside her, I did the same. The duffel bag holding Lily’s and my weapons hit the ground, my pack sliding off my shoulders in one efficient movement. Eliza mirrored us, immediately slipping into warrior mode.

Lily straightened. “To be fair,” she said, voice cold, unnervingly steady, “they tried to kill me first. I was just better at finishing the job.”

I recognized the mask. The empty expression. The clipped tone. I’d seen her use it countless times when facing her father. She carried the weight of Jack’s death and had killed Zera out of retaliation. But Gremory and the others wouldn’t care about her reasons. To them, humans were fleeting, insignificant things. What did killing one matter when there were billions more?

Gremory stilled for a fraction of a second. Then his fury detonated.

His wings slammed downward, a gust of wind blasting through the clearing, sending ice and snow skidding across the ground. The earth cracked beneath him, spiderweb fractures splitting outward as his power surged.

“You dare mock their deaths?” he roared, the force of it rattling through my bones.

I didn’t wait for his next move.

I dropped to a knee, unzipping the duffel in one smooth motion, fingers closing around the hilts inside.

“Lily!” I barked, tossing both her blades in her direction.

Her hands closed around the hilts mid-air, Inferno’s Kiss in her right, Shadow’s Embrace in her left. She spun them in a reverse grip, her blades flashing in the moonlight. Fire ignited along the edge of Inferno’s Kiss, while shadows clung to the curve of Shadow’s Embrace, darkness coiling along the sword like smoke. She landed in position, stance shifting effortlessly. Controlled. Lethal.

I’d taught her well, and for a moment, a surge of pride swelled within me.

Beside her, Eliza unsheathed her daggers in one smooth motion, testing the balance with a practiced twirl before settling into a stance. Mercenary through and through.

I armed myself, fingers curling around the hilt of my own sword. The weight of it was familiar, grounding. The steel caught the moonlight as I adjusted my grip and stepped into position in front of Lily and Eliza.

Gremory’s gaze swept over us, his scarred face twisting into something uglier. “You think your blades will protect you?” His voice dripped with mockery. “Against the six of us? Do you really think you’ll survive this?”

I levelled my sword at him. “I don’t think. I know.”

A low snarl rumbled from his throat, and behind him, the others stirred. I met each of their gazes, cataloging their every shift in stance, every change in movement.

I didn’t want to fight them. I didn’t want to kill them. But I would, if it meant protecting Lily.

Their gazes burned with fury, twisted by the bonds that tied them to Lucifer’s will. These weren’t just enemies—they had been my brothers and sisters in arms once. Warriors I’d trusted with my life, soldiers I’d led into countless battles. And now, we stood on opposite sides of a war I had never intended to fight.

“You don’t have to do this.” My voice cut through the cold air, flat and unwavering. Not a plea. A statement. “I know what he’s done to you. I know how he’s twisted you, broken you, made you believe there’s no way out. But there is.”

Gremory’s expression darkened, his lip curling in disgust. I ignored him, my focus on the ones behind him.

“Lucifer freed me from my vows. He thought I would choose to stand by his side, but I didn’t. That means the vow is breakable . You don’t have to be bound to him any longer. You can walk away from him, from this. Make your own choices. Help me destroy him and take back what is yours. Say the word, and I will help you.”

For a moment, the battlefield was silent. The only sounds were the crackle of flames and the whisper of wind. Something flickered in Calyx’s eyes—uncertainty, hesitation. His expression faltered, just for a moment, as if the weight of my words had sunk in, piercing through the darkness that clung to him.

Then Gremory laughed—a short, biting sound that shattered the moment like a blade through glass.

“You’re a fool, Rathiel,” he spat, his wings flaring wide as he stepped forward. “Do you really think you’re free? That you’ve escaped him?” He gestured around, as if the very air bore Lucifer’s mark. “You don’t break a vow to Lucifer. You don’t run from him. He owns you—body, mind, and soul. And the only thing waiting for traitors like you is death.”

I met his scorn with a steady, unflinching gaze. “I’d rather die free than live as his pawn,” I said, my grip tightening on my sword.

Gremory’s laughter faded into a snarl, his rage twisting his already scarred features. “Enough of this nonsense. You want to die with her?” He pointed his blade at Lily, his voice venomous. “So be it.”

Calyx blinked, his expression once again hardening. Together, he and the others shifted into position.

“Get ready,” I muttered to Lily and Eliza, my voice low. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”

I’d faced many battlefields. But none had prepared me for this.

Gremory struck the first blow. He lunged forward, his blade carving through the frigid air toward me, and I met him head-on, the clash of steel ringing out like a war cry. His strength hadn’t diminished, but neither had mine. The ground beneath our feet splintered with the force of our collision, and I could feel his hatred pressing against me with every strike.

“Still as predictable as ever,” I taunted, my voice steady even as my muscles strained to deflect his relentless assault.

“Keep talking, traitor,” Gremory spat, as he pushed me back with a powerful swing. “I’ll carve out your tongue and feed it to the hellhounds.”

Before I could respond, flames erupted to my right. Lily and Ezrion collided in a blinding clash of dueling infernos. Her blades danced in the light, fire and shadows igniting with each slash as she dodged and struck with lethal precision. Ezrion’s flames burned hotter, but Lily wasn’t giving an inch.

“Rath!” Lily shouted. “Watch out!”

A blur of movement caught my attention as Gavrel’s chaos warped the space around us, the ground rippling like water. The air grew thick and disorienting, but I fought against the pull, focusing on Gremory’s blade as he pressed his attack. From my vision’s edge, I saw Eliza darting toward Gavrel, her daggers a blur as she moved to disrupt his focus.

She was fast, precise, and relentless. Her blade caught Gavrel’s arm, and he hissed, his concentration faltering. The ground stilled for a moment, giving me the opening I needed to twist and shove Gremory back. He stumbled, but his rage only grew.

He launched himself at me again. I sidestepped, my blade cutting a clean arc toward his exposed side, but he deflected it with ease, his movements quick and calculated. I had taught him well—too well.

A scream pulled my focus for a fraction of a second. Miriel’s pestilence surged through the air, her power spreading like an invisible wave. Eliza staggered, coughing, as the sickly energy wrapped around her.

“Lily!” I barked.

With a flash of fire, Lily turned her focus from Ezrion to Miriel, her blades slicing through the air as she barreled toward the pestilence demon. A plume of flames erupted around her as she struck, forcing Miriel to retreat.

Gremory struck again, and I barely managed to avoid the slice of his blade perilously close to my throat. I ducked and countered, my sword slicing through the air to meet his. The clash sent a jarring vibration up my arm, but I held steady, refusing to give an inch.

“You’re slipping, Rathiel,” Gremory sneered, pressing forward again. “Is the traitorous bitch distracting you? You always did have a weakness for her.”

I didn’t take the bait. Instead, I met his next strike head-on, catching his blade with mine and twisting hard, forcing him off balance.

His lip curled. “Look at you. A traitor playing bodyguard to Lucifer’s mistake. You’re nothing now. Just her lapdog.”

The insult barely registered. Words didn’t win battles—steel did. And I had no intention of losing.

His sword came at me again, quick and brutal, but this time, I was ready. I shifted my weight, dodging left, then snapped my wings out in a single, powerful motion. My jacket tore as they unfurled, the sudden force sending a gust of wind rippling outward. Gremory staggered, his footing faltering.

I didn’t let him recover.

My blade arced through the air as I lunged at him. “You want to see what a lap dog can do?” I growled.

Gremory barely managed to parry, his expression twisting with fury. I caught his blade on mine, locking us together then struck out with my wings. They slammed into him, sending him careening backward, his own wings flailing to keep him upright.

He stumbled, his boots skidding across the frozen ground as he fought for balance. I didn’t let up. I advanced, raising my sword to end this once and for all. Gremory snarled, raising his wings in a futile attempt to shield himself.

I lashed out again, but another body dropped to the ground in front of me. I barely had time to recognize Gavrel’s arrival before Ezrion came from the side, the two of them working together to protect Gremory.

The two collided with me simultaneously, their combined force pushing me backward. Fire and chaos enveloped me, their powers a relentless onslaught as they pressed their advantage.

Ezrion’s flames licked at my wings, the heat searing my feathers, and Gavrel warped the surrounding area until it the ground swayed beneath my feet. I gritted my teeth and pushed back, slashing at Ezrion with my blade. But my brothers were relentless, their attacks coordinated and punishing.

I just needed one clean hit. The instant my blade split their flesh, their blood would be mine to command. Fallen or not, few could survive a blood spear carving out their chest. But they knew that. They’d trained with me for millennia. They were intimately familiar with my tactics and my techniques. Which was why they were doing all they could to keep me from landing a strike.

“Pathetic,” Gremory sneered as he rejoined the fight, his voice cutting. He straightened, his blade raised. “You think you’re free, Rathiel? You’re nothing. A traitor clinging to a broken cause.”

Lily’s fire suddenly blasted toward the four of us, flames blasting the air near Gremory, Ezrion, and Gavrel. The three leapt back, giving me the space I so desperately needed. I caught a quick glimpse of Lily holding her ground against Miriel and Calyx before my own fight dragged me back in.

As much as I wanted to believe otherwise, we were not a match for six fallen angels. Lily and I were expert warriors, but so were they. And while Eliza was quick-footed and sure of hand, she wasn’t a celestial or fallen. One mistake, and they would cut her down.

I ducked another swing from Gavrel, countering with a slash that forced him to retreat. Ezrion’s flames flared again, licking at the edges of my wings as I twisted to avoid the brunt of his attack. My breath came fast, the cold air burning my lungs, but I couldn’t falter. Not now.

Lily’s fire raged in my periphery, but I couldn’t bring myself to look again. In battle, every second counted. But the thought of her—of her being overwhelmed, cut down by them—ignited a fury inside me that quickened my movements.

We had to escape. But I could only think of one way out of here.

The gate.

I blocked another strike from Gremory, the force of it jolting through my arm, and leapt back to put distance between us. My gaze unconsciously darted toward Lily. She was holding her own but seemed unable to gain the upper hand. Miriel’s pestilence thickened the air, choking her, and Calyx’s illusions rippled in and out of existence, shadowy horrors nipping at her heels. Eliza darted around Raelia, her blades catching the dim moonlight as she fought to keep the corruption demon at bay. They both fought like hell, but it wouldn’t be enough.

I knew what had to be done.

I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening on my sword. I would get them out of here. No matter the cost.

With a twist of my wrist, I forced Gremory’s blade down and out of the way, then spun in tight, controlled circles. My wings flared wide as I twisted, the edges cutting through the air like razors. Ezrion reeled back, flames sputtering. Gavrel hissed in frustration as he stumbled out of range, shrouding himself in darkness. Gremory jumped back, shielding himself from the whirlwind of feathers and steel.

The opening was small, but it was all I needed.

With a powerful beat of my wings, I launched into the air, the frigid wind slicing across my face as I surged upward. Gremory’s frustrated roar followed me, but I didn’t look back. Instead, I came back down right in front of the gate. The impact cracked the frozen ground beneath me, and I forced every ounce of my power to the surface.

I reached for the gate. The air began to hum, the vibration building in intensity as the ground trembled beneath my feet.

“Lily!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos. She turned toward me, fire blazing in her eyes, and for a moment, she looked every bit like the warrior I’d fought beside in Hell. Strong. Defiant. Unstoppable.

“Get ready to move!” I shouted.

Then I touched the gate. Called it to life.

Energy surged through me, tearing and burning as it coalesced into a swirling vortex of red and black light. The gate pulsed, unstable and ravenous, but it was forming. I just had to hold it long enough for them to get through. My body trembled under the strain, pain tearing through my chest like I was being ripped apart from the inside. My knees buckled, and my vision blurred, but I couldn’t stop—not until they were safe.

Movement in my periphery snapped my attention back to the battlefield. The fallen had regrouped, and Gremory had directed their focus to me. Their predatory gazes seemed to analyze my exposed and vulnerable position. Gremory barked an order, his voice booming across the clearing, and the others surged forward like a pack of wolves scenting blood.

I raised my blade instinctively, but the gate was taking everything I had. My wings drooped with exhaustion and my muscles screamed in protest as I tried to ready myself for their assault. Despair crept in—I couldn’t fight them like this. Not now.

Then I saw her.

Lily.

She charged toward me, fire trailing behind her like a comet, her swords flashing in the dim light. Her expression was fierce, determined, and utterly breathtaking. For a moment, I forgot the pain, forgot the gate, forgot everything except her.

The fallen were nearly upon me when she slid to a halt in front of me, her blades slashing through the air in an arc of fire and shadow. Ezrion lunged first, flames erupting from his hands, but Lily met him head-on, her fire surging in a violent clash against his. Sparks flew as their powers collided, and both stumbled a step back.

Eliza joined the fray, and she parried Gavrel’s strike, her daggers moving with practiced precision. She spun and kicked him square in the jaw, but it did little more than annoy him.

Lily fought like a force of nature, a whirlwind of fire and fury, holding them at bay with every ounce of strength she had. But I could see the strain in her movements, the desperation in her strikes. She couldn’t keep this up forever.

And neither could I.

The gate’s pull grew stronger, its hunger gnawing at my very soul. My knees buckled, the pain in my chest now a fiery lance threatening to split me in two. If I didn’t let go soon, it would take everything I had. The realization hit me like a blow.

Lily must have sensed it because she turned, her gaze locking with mine. Her eyes widened, the fire in them dimming with fear. “Rath!” she shouted, her voice breaking. She fought her way back toward me, slashing through Calyx’s illusions as she cleared a path.

“Let go!” she shouted.

“I can’t,” I whispered, my voice shaking as I fought to keep the gate stable. I only needed a few more moments until they could safely jump through. “It’ll close.”

Lily reached me just as my knees gave out, her fire scorching the air around us as she planted herself between me and the fallen. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t even glance back as she fought against Calyx and Gavrel.

Afte a moment, she glanced at the gate, at me, then at the fallen bearing down on us.

“Damn it, Rath,” she muttered.

Before I could react, she shoved me back. The force broke my connection to the gate like a taut cord cut loose. Relief hit me hard as the gnawing hunger immediately vanished. My knees hit the frozen ground, my chest heaving as I dragged in air, my limbs trembling.

But the relief was short-lived.

I lifted my head just in time to see Lily reaching for the gate. Panic sparked within me like a lightning bolt. “Lily, no!”

Before the words fully left my mouth, her fingers connected with the swirling vortex and everything exploded.

A surge of power tore through the grounds, scorching hot and blindingly bright. It detonated outward like a bomb, a shockwave that ripped through the battlefield. I barely had time to throw my wings up in a feeble attempt to protect myself before the force slammed into me.

I was airborne before I even realized what had happened. The world blurred in a dizzying spiral of snow and fire. It took longer than I would have liked to gain my bearings, but once I did, the sight before me shocked me into silence.

Lily stood at the gate’s center, glowing with an unearthly light and hair whipping wildly as energy poured out of her. Flames burst from every inch of her, spiraling upward like twin pyres, and a six-foot-wide patch of ground beneath her cracked and shone with molten heat, the snow now melted.

But it wasn’t just the power radiating from her that stunned me—it was the gate. It had burst wide open, its swirling vortex of red and black light stabilizing and expanding as though it were alive. It thrummed with something I’d never seen before. Something almost…joyful. The gate wasn’t fighting her. It was welcoming her, responding as if she was the key to its lock.

The fallen hesitated, their expressions shifting from fury to something closer to disbelief. Even Gremory faltered in the air, his wings slowing as he took in the impossible sight.

“Go!” Lily screamed. She didn’t look at me, didn’t falter in her stance as she held the gate open with sheer force of will.

Eliza and I didn’t hesitate. We raced toward the gate, snatching up all our packs along the way—Purrgatory and Vol included. The energy from the gate clawed at me as we approached, its pull growing stronger, more insistent.

I glanced at Lily, blazing like a star. She stood at the center of it all, her flames shining brighter and hotter, the sheer force of her power keeping the fallen at bay. Gremory and the others circled warily, their previous fury now tempered with hesitation and something that looked dangerously close to fear.

“Lily!” I shouted, but if she heard me, she didn’t react. Her focus was unshakable, her entire being locked on the gate as she poured everything into holding it open.

I reached the edge of the gate and hesitated, just for a heartbeat, my gaze snapping back to Lily. Her flames roared higher, defying the darkness, and her expression was fierce. She glanced at me, just for an instant.

“Go!” she screamed again, the power in her voice as commanding as any order I’d ever given.

I dove through the vortex. The last time I’d traversed this portal, the gate had nearly torn me apart before spitting me out on the other side. This time, it was silent. No pain. No screaming. No violent power ripping at me. Just the strange disorientation of being transported to another realm—then a jolt of impact as my knees hit scorched, cracked ground.

I dropped our many bags beside me, and Vol scrambled out of his satchel, his tiny form immediately puffing up with indignation. Eliza stood with her back to us, her daggers still drawn and stance defensive as she scanned the terrain for any danger.

I stood just as a blinding flash erupted behind us. I pivoted and watched as Lily came barrelling through the gate like a comet, her fire flaring in a final, defiant burst as she landed in a heap beside us. The portal snapped shut with a deafening roar, the energy dissipating into a heavy, suffocating silence.

A slow breath slipped past my lips as I reached down and helped her to her feet. Relief shone in her eyes. We’d survived—for now.

After a moment’s pause, Lily straightened, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath. She faced the gate, her brows furrowed in concentration.

“It’s locked,” she said at last. “They can’t follow us. At least, not right now.”

The weight on my shoulders eased, and I allowed myself a moment to catch my breath.I brushed the ash and dirt off my coat, then turned and took in the familiar—and all too unpleasantly suffocating—landscape. Nothing but a desolate expanse of rugged rock, swirling smoke, and rivers of molten fire cutting through the doom.

Before anyone could speak about all that had just happened, Vol strutted forward, his tiny frame cutting a defiant silhouette against the smoldering landscape. He stopped a few paces ahead, planted his hands on his hips, and surveyed the ash-choked horizon.

“Welcome to Hell,” he declared, his voice dripping with mock grandeur.