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I turned to Zhèmson, narrowing my eyes.
“What did you do?”
His eyes danced, his lips slowly curling into a serpentine grin.
“How do you know I’m the one who did something?”
“Because I know you.” I pointed to the prison. “How? Why?”
He snorted, eyes flashing.
“Why? Because they should’ve never taken you, that’s why. You’re the most important thing in all of existence to me, that’s why. I’d burn down this entire rotting cosm for you, that’s why.” Righteous fury flared his ethèr, his powers visibly vibrating along the columns of his arms. “For what those scumrot bastards did to you, Daliah, I swear.”
His voice grew quiet as he assessed me again. Divine wrath clouded the handsome planes of his face. He memorized every bruise. Every cut. Everywhere I was swollen from the beatings. Zhèmson snarled, the frightening contortion of his features chilling my bones.
“Zhèmrazraèl,” I whispered.
“They will pay, Daliah.” Thin wisps of smoke seeped out of his mouth. “Every single one of them. I’ll be back my Lightheart. Wait for me.”
He floated close, bending over the chariot’s rim. Zhèmson brought his lips to mine like a fiery brand. My heart pounded as I melted beneath the kiss. I whined when he began pulling away. Like the sweetheart that he was, he obliged, smiling with a soft expression. Zhèmson leaned in to kiss me again. This time when he let go, I was too in a daze to protest for more.
“Go nowhere. I won’t be long, my heart.”
I watched him as he flew fast towards the pillars upholding the ramparts that snaked around the prison.
“Zhèmson, what are you going to do?”
I watched him with curiosity, my bodily aches an afterthought. It took me all this time to realize there wasn’t a Sky Watcher in sight. Where had they gone?
I leaned forward, squinted, and saw. From behind a glass, I witnessed Sky Watchers relentlessly pounding on the barricades set up by Zhèmson.
“Holy skies.”
I brought my hands to my mouth, at first giggling, then outright cackling. The sound was a broken, jagged thing and I didn’t care. Zhèmson had trapped all the Sky Watchers inside!
Once he was close to the prison, Zhèmson spun around in the air with perfect elegance, snagged my attention, smiled and winked at me, before turning to keep flying. I flushed, so easily undone, by this warrior of an angel. This Judge who had my heart forever.
Zhèmson flew to the center of the pillars, landed on his feet, and stretched out his arms.
“What in the hells…”
I nearly fell out of the chariot when I realized what he was about to do. Zhèmson began pushing against the pillars. Cracks popped in the stone, fissures snaking up their sides. In moments, they began to crumble. A series of curses left my mouth as I sat there dumbstruck at his strength. His power. His determination to take revenge on those who falsely chained him for an angelic lifetime in a cloudy tower. Who’d put their hands on me and nearly killed me.
Zhèmson threw his head back and roared, snarling against the heavens. The pillars violently trembled, ripping out of their lodges until the stone exploded. As the pillars crumbled, the ramparts that upheld the prison burst.
The Sky Watchers fought to get out, but they were all trapped. Zhèmson flew up through the debris and slammed his wings against the ramparts. I watched, stunned, as the angel single-handedly destroyed the entire structure that made up the prison. In awe, I sat back and gawked as the entire Saelus Prison disintegrated. Plumes of smoke blew high into the sky. Stone cracked, rumbling under the sunlight, their upheaval spilling out over the land. The prison caved in on itself. Then the world fell silent.
I blinked, and Zhèmson was before me, flapping his wings in triumph. In glory. There was a somberness in his gaze. This was no maverick warrior having dangerous fun. This was a Judge who’d given out a final, fatal sentence. I hardly breathed as he flapped those amber wings and floated close. I hadn’t realized tears wet my cheeks.
This was High Prince Zhèmrazraèl Briyen the Strong.
And he was all mine.
Zhèmson looked at me in the chariot, eyeing my wounds.
“I’ll be okay,” I said.
“Burning right, you will.”
