Page 104 of Greed

“Do you smell that?”

Shilo nodded. “Demons, lots of them.”

“Minetta, no!” I ran a few strides and jumped into the air, my wings ripping free of the confines of the jacket I’d been wearing. “Sword.” I summoned my great sword that had laid dormant since the day of my fall. I’d protect her with my bare hands if I had to.

With Shilo by my side and the wind loud in my ears, I streaked across the sky toward Minetta and could only pray to someone that I never thought I would again, that I wasn’t too late.

The searing pain of dread in my chest only worsened the closer I flew. Minetta’s small car looked like a mangled piece of metal, the front end and roof smashed in as it lay up against a tree. Penny stood on with her back to the roof of the upturned vehicle, flaming sword in hand as she tried to fend off the massive swarm that was descending on the car.

Brill, I need you.

I sent the telepathic message to the captain of my army. There had to be hundreds of demons, far more than the three of us could take on. My sword reached my hand just as I descended upon the hoard. Sweeping low, I cut a path through the throngs, the gold blade flashing in the darkness as red and black and green blood flew in all directions. I landed with Shilo beside Penny, who was panting hard, but her face was resolved to the task of saving her friend.

I gripped her shoulder and allowed some of my power to flow into the girl. She sucked in a shuddering breath, her eyes glowing brighter. “Thanks. Where the hell were you?”

“Later.” I jumped up on the side of the car and dropped to my knees. The side window was broken. Minetta hung like a doll on strings from the seatbelt, her dark hair cascading over her face. Hand shaking, I reached in and touched Minetta’s neck. She was still alive. The ball of dread eased a little with that little thumping under my finger.

“There’s just so many!” Penny yelled over the noise of the hoard.

“Do you know who’s controlling them,” I asked.

“Give up! This has to happen!” I looked up and stared into Raphael’s face as he slowly floated toward the ground.

“Brother, what are you doing,” I asked, shocked to see the archangel and the wild look in his silver eyes.

“You’re no longer my brother, and she needs to die.” He pointed at the car. “The prophecy has to continue, the war must happen, or balance will never be restored.” Raphael raised his sword in the air as he preached. “And you Erinyes, you disappoint me. You’ll be sent back to Hell where you came from for your betrayal.”

“Fuck you, Raphael!” Penny spat on the ground. “I’m done being manipulated by you.”

“So be it.” He laughed, and I was torn as to what to do, go after Raphael or help Minetta out of the car.

“You must know the prophecy is volatile? Anything can change the course of a crossroads or simply create a new one that will come to the same conclusion. Killing one human will make no difference,” I tried to reason.

“These are lies. This prophecy has stood in the book of creation for millennia. You will stop the war, you are the closest to Lucifer, and I cannot allow you to stop him from rising. Only in the final battle will peace be restored to the way it was.”

I laughed, the sound bitter. “You really think I have any control over anything Luci does? Then you don’t know your brother very well.”

“It is written! She must die!” Raphael screamed hysterically. I knew not what to make of his erratic behavior. This was so not like the angel I remembered.

The ground began to vibrate, the car shaking like they were in the middle of an earthquake, and it was my turn to smile. “You underestimate me, Raphael.”

Brill’s distinctive battle roar ripped through the air, his twin swords raised as my army charged toward the hoard of demons Raphael had gathered. Raphael spun to see what was coming just as Skye and Neven suddenly appeared in a puff of smoke. They wore their red battle leathers and twin swords in hand.

“What are you doing here,” I yelled at her.

“We followed the sword. Look, I’m sorry for all the shit I’ve caused, but nothing is keeping us away if you’re in trouble. You can stop speaking to me again after.” She spun gracefully and took the head of a demon.

“Fine.” I nodded at her.

“Kill them all,” Raphael bellowed as a ripple of thunder and bright light rolled across the dark sky, breaking a hole in the dark. The sky glowed brightly, and what looked like a star fell from Heaven, but I recognized Michael’s face long before he would’ve been recognizable to anyone else. He used the battle trumpet to call angels to arms as he descended upon them. One by one, the glittering pride leaped from their fluffy perch and dove toward the Earth.

Like the past had never finished, a war erupted all around me, the car shaking violently on its side. I needed to get Minetta out of here. Michael’s appearance had distracted Raphael, and he rose into the air, their silver swords clashing loudly. The sounds were so much like other battles as screams of pain, and the sound of bones being crushed was all you could hear.

Brill leaped over the car. “Protect Mammon!” he ordered.

The army did as he asked, a wide circle of multiple rows forming around the car, the snarling fangs of his Molyneux an imposing force. Their great size and muscled bodies were enough to have the closest demons take a step back. “What do you want, Master?”

I looked to my Captain. “Kill any demon that stands with Raphael. Leave everyone else alone.”