Get everyone out, Aeron told him. Its about to blow.
Strider nodded and was off, shouting warnings to their fellow warriors.
Aeron jerked at the latch on the tunnel door; it held. Though his arm was throbbing, trembling, he squeezed his weapons trigger over and over until the metal splintered apart.
Now! Striders shout echoed through their earpieces.
Aeron didnt allow himself to wallow in the pain he feltpain that would soon intensify. He didnt allow himself to acknowledge the drugging lethargy even then working through his bloodstream. Courtesy of the Hunters poison, he was sure. He simply grabbed a grenade from the pouch at his waist and pulled the pin with his teeth.
He tossed open the doormultiple guns fired at him simultaneously, hitting, hitting, peppering his body with holesand, pushing himself into the air with what strength remained in his legs, he dropped the grenade.
Wrath uttered another of those joyful laughs. Punish!
Boom!
The ensuing blast of air sent him crashing through the roof. When he stilled, he grabbed another grenade, pulled the pin, and dropped it through the void hed created.
Boom!
Wood and glass shards soared in every direction, cutting him further, knocking him off course. Still he persevered. His wings were now so broken they barely flapped, but he managed to work himself higher. At a safe distance, he stopped. Hovering, though, proved impossible.
As he fell, he swept his gaze around the surrounding area. Plumes of black smoke shielded the building. But through them, he could see crackling gold flames licking their way toward the sky.
None of the humans could have survived this kind of carnage. He, however, was unwilling to leave anything to chance. He withdrew the third grenade and as he closed in on the building, he dropped it.
Boom!
Once again, he was shot upward. The new flames made contact, singeing his skin. He twisted midair, letting his back take the brunt of the damage before twisting again, changing direction and finally falling and hitting the ground where hed first waited with Strider.
His friend was already there. I could kiss you, was the first thing the warrior said. Even though you look like shit.
Aeron would have laughed, but hed inhaled smoke and his throat was raw and swollen. He was barely breathing. His eyes teared from the burn, and he didnt have the strength to swipe the drops away.
Im sure you want a report, Strider added, helping him to his feet. William managed to cut the throats of the guys who cut his guts. Paris took a bullet to the stomach, and Reyes got hammered in the kneecap. They arent faring so well, so Maddox and Amun are helping them home. Exactly where you need to be. Luciens gonna remain behind to escort the dead souls to hell, and Sabins gonna stay with him just in case he has to leave his body behind. Or there are survivors. If the tunnel is deep enough, those who ran could have been protected from the blast. And you know how Stefano likes to run.
Dizziness swept through him, mild at first, then raging, flooding, and if it werent for Striders arm snaking his waist, he would have fallen. Worse, darkness was descending.
They used poisoned bullets, definitely, Strider said, mirroring his earlier thoughts. Like the one that almost killed you. Howd you survive? What did you do? We should have asked before, but with everything else going on
Aerons thoughts fragmented, but he knew there was something he needed to tell his friend. Something vital. Something about life and death. Yes. That was it. Life! Menshotdieneedwater, he managed.
I dont understand.
Shit, shit, shit. If he passed out before he explained what was needed, his friends would suffer. They might die before he awakened or Olivia explained. River. Drink.
Youre thirsty?
Water. Men. Must. Drink. Water. Life.
Aeron, I dont understand, Strider said, his frustration clear. The men who were shot need water? How will water save them?
Water life. Only needlittle. Olivia. Oliviaknow. And then the darkness dragged him under completely.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
OLIVIA PACED the confines of Aerons bedroom. Legion was still sleeping, but shed been moaning the past hour so Olivia knew she would awaken at any moment. And wouldnt that just be a treat?
cant give up, TemptationLuciferwas saying. Hed been jabbering for hours. You must win Aeron.
Allowing a prince of darkness to win, as well. Never. That was something shed fought against her entire life. Victory was all that truly mattered, even at the expense of her own happiness. And thats exactly what the price was. Her happiness.
He needs you.
Quiet.
Hell be miserable without you.
And hell deserve every bit of that misery. Holy Deity, who was she becoming? That kind of attitude wouldnt serve her well in the heavens. Yes, angels were tolerant and patient, as shed told Aeron, but that didnt mean they had to like who shed become.
If you leave, youll never be allowed to taste him again.
A whimper escaped her. She wanted to hit the wall. You are a thief, a liar and a destroyer. You will leave me alone. Or by my Deity, I will request Lysander be sent into the depths of hell to silence you. We both know that request will be granted. You are not to consort with the angels.
Youre no longer an angel.
I will be.
Lucifer screamed in frustration, but didnt say another word.
Your voice is so annoying, Legion mumbled as she sat up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She must have forgotten how shed fallen asleep, because she didnt leap up and attack. Either that, or she didnt care about retribution now that she knew Olivia would be leaving. Wheres Aeron?
Anger draining as concern swept through her, Olivia stopped at the vanity and plopped into the chair, facing the bed. Hes raiding a Hunter camp. Was he all right? Shed left his balcony doors open so that he could fly straight into this room. Though forever had passed, he hadnt yet appeared.
Legion yawned. Oh. Well. Hell be home soon, then. My man kills quickly.
Her man. Yes. He was now. Once again, Olivia wanted to punch the wall. A hole would leave some reminder of her. A reminder they could patch up when she was gone, but whatever.
That wasnt important now.
A cool breeze had been dancing in through the open door, but for the past few minutes, shed felt something sinister in the air. A sign of Lucifers presence, perhaps, or something else? The dark hints of smoke stung her throat, burned her eyes.
Perhaps the battle had already erupted.
Was it over? Was Aeron hurt?
Licking her lips, she wrapped trembling fingers around the vial shed slipped into her robes pocket. The River of Life. She lifted the cold glass and studied the swirling blue liquid. Only a drop had been used, and there was plenty more. Would he need another drop this night? More than a drop?
If so, how long would the contents last?
Whats that? Legion asked with a yawn.
No longer did Olivia have to tell the truth, so she could have lied to Legion and kept the healing water a secret. But she wasnt going to be around much longer, and she wanted the Lords to have access to the contents.
She explained what it was while reluctantly approaching the girl. When she held out her hand, the precious vial resting in her palm, she said, Here. I want you to have it.
Hell, no. With a grimace, the demon batted her hand away.
The vial slapped against the mattress, and Olivia anchored her fists on her waist. Legion!
Your River of Life ruins our water system. We cant even bathe after a single drop of that crap has contaminated just one of our five streams.
How sad for you. Just make sure the Lords use it sparingly. The longer it lasts, the more times you can bring Aeron back from the brink of death.
It can save Aeron? Legions distaste had yet to dissipate, but she pinched the vial between her fingers, then smashed it between her cleavage. Ill use it sparingly. Promise.
Olivia believed her. If anyone would see to Aerons health and make sure the warrior came first, it was Legion.
Should have been me.
She moved to the terrace but remained just inside, resting her head on the door frame. The moon was still high, still golden, but the stars were hidden behind that smoky film. She couldnt see the city lights any longer, just trees and hill. Her worry increased.
You need a distraction. Why do you love Aeron? she asked before she could stop herself.
A pause, then, He plays with me. He makes sure Im happy. He protects me. Legion probably didnt realize it, but she sounded defensive.
Hinges squeaked as the bedroom door suddenly swung open, and Olivia turned, heart suddenly slamming against her ribs. Aeron? No one replied because no one was there. And with the door now thrown wide, she could see that the hallway was empty, too. The breeze must have been stronger than shed thought. When would he return?
The others, the women, were camped out in the attic with Gwen, Sabins wife, acting as their protector. Just in case someone dug through the floor, Torin had explained. Something Olivia didnt understand, though hed mentioned a text message. Anyway, she liked Gwen, had from the first moment shed seen her, scared to be here, hating what she was. Now Gwen was confident. Happy. Like I want to be.
Shed been grateful for the womans offer to join her and the others, but Olivia hadnt wanted to leave Legion sleeping helplessly. And when Gwen had offered to carry the demon to the upper level, she should have caved, but again, shed said no. This was her last night inside the fortress. She hadnt wanted to spend it with a group of women she knew but who didnt really know her. They would have questioned her about Aeron, and she just couldnt deal with that right now.
Besides, Torin watched every inch of this place. He would sound an alarm if anyone besides a Lord even approached it.
With a sigh, she strode to the door and closed it, then ambled back to the terrace entryway. Her gaze flicked to Legion along the way. The demon was still lounging on the bed, but now she was studying her nails as if she couldnt believe how pretty they were.
Where had they left off? If you love someone, Olivia said, you want them to be happy. Right?
Uh, yeah. Hence the reason Im going to sleep with Aeron. Itll make us both happy.
Had Olivia ever been this clueless? No. Itll make you happy. He thinks of you as a daughter. By forcing him to do this, youre going to destroy him. Youre going to keep him wallowing in guilt, just like his tattoos do, a constant reminder of what he is, what hes done and what he can never have.
Those nails ripped into linen. And you think you can make him happy?
I know I can, she said softly. Or knew she would have. The way hed made love to her that last timethat hadnt just been about pleasure. That had been about a meeting of souls. A promise of what could never be. He needs me.
There was a very masculine laugh behind her. Well, well. A demon Lord in love with an angel. I cant believe my luck.
Olivias eyes widened as she spun. She didnt recognize the voicenot Lucifer, thennor did she see anyone in the room. Great. Another invisible tormentor. Who was it this time? Was this her payback for all the times shed spied on Aeron unseen?
Who said that? Legion demanded.
You heard him? What did that
Strong hands suddenly settled atop Olivias shoulders, propelling her outside and forcing her to face the sky. Before she had time to resist, those hands shoved her over the railing shed repaired in Aerons absence, and she was falling down, down, down.
For the first time in her life, falling terrified her. The water, she screamed to Legion. Dont forget the
She would have said more, but something hard clamped over her mouth. Something else, just as hard, snaked around her waist, jerking her back into a solid wall. She leveled out, began to lift higher, higher still.
A man, she realized. A man was holding her. Not Aeron and not Lysander. Menace poured from this one. Using all the strength she possessed, she struggled for her freedom, scratching at the skin she couldnt see but could now feel, kicking at the legs resting atop hers.
I wouldnt do that if I were you, he said. The voice from the room.
Who are you? What do you want with me?
They broke through a layer of clouds, hiding them from view. Im hurt, truly. I thought my reputation preceded me.
Galen, she realized. Aerons greatest enemy. He had found the Cloak of Invisibility; Aeron had said as much to Torin. Thats how hed entered the fortress undetected. Thats how hed snuck into Aerons bedroom.
Thats how he would ruin what was left of her life.
Torin didnt have cameras in the bedrooms, but there were cameras outside them and those would have captured her jumping and flying. Anyone watching the feed would believe shed simply been heading back to the heavens. Unless Legion told him what had really happened, Aeron would assume Olivia had lied to him. He would think shed left him without saying goodbye.
Blood froze in her veins. She had to convince Galen to take her back. Im not sure what you hope to accomplish, but I assure you, you wont get your wish. Aeron doesnt care about me. Not the way she dreamed, hoped. Hes letting me go.
I highly doubt that, but you werent the reason I was in the fortress. You were simply a last resort.
And what did you hope to accomplish?
His arms tightened around her. Do you really think Ill spill all my secrets?
Are you going to hurt me? Tell me that, at least.
And spoil the surprise? He chuckled. No. Id rather show you. His wings snapped closed, and they began to fall.
AERON CAME AWAKE with a jolt. One moment hed been lost to the burning pain working its way through him, flaming his organs to ashes, and the next a cool rain had swept through him. A cool rain hed instantly recognized. The River of Life. Olivia was here, and she had healed him once again.