Page 63 of Absolved In Death

No worries, my beautiful Goddess. One day you will, and I’ll take pictures for the trophy room,I promised her. She smiled at me briefly, before her face settled back to a murderous frown.

“We need to address the larger issue at play here. Red is openly attacking humans in cities, places where he can do large-scale damage that will garner media coverage.” Michael vaguelygestured to the maps. “He chose two densely populated cities in the U.S.”

“If humans are scared of us, it doesn’t help our cause,” Oisín said.

“If Red can manage to capture the cities and expand Hell to earth, he’ll keep going.” Desmond’s shadows swirled around him as he talked.

Ares, we managed to secure New York. Minimal casualties from our side,Apollo linked me. I hadn’t heard about L.A. yet, but I trusted Morrigan to get the job done.

“Apollo secured NYC. Just waiting on news of L.A.,” I updated everyone. Every visibly relaxed, and a few sighs permeated the air.

“We can keep fighting small battles, but we won’t neutralize the threat until we know where his army is located,” Diana said as she leaned back in her chair, her eyes lost in thought.

Red is here,Morrigan shouted down the link.

“Get ready to move. Red is in LA,” I announced.

Everyone jumped into action. Those who weren’t dressed in uniform used magic to change quickly. Weapons were summoned. Mal joined hands with me, using my mental link with Morrigan to open a portal for us.

“Let’s go!” Lucifer said, running through the portal first, the rest of us following. I made sure to stick close to Diana. She was a force to be reckoned with, but I meant what I had promised myself when Red took her from us. I would never separate from her again.

The urban battle ground’s acrid smell of magic, burning buildings, and death hit my nose like a slap to the face. Red’s forces held their ground, and the armies seemed to be evenly matched. Car alarms sounded like a battle cry, and civilian magical folk and humans alike were running for their lives. The soldiers the Morrigan spared to evacuate them were trying toget them to a portal, but most of them wouldn’t go—probably because they were scared shitless of us. They didn’t make the distinction between the two armies. The sooner this battle ended, the sooner Lucifer could think of a way to fix the major breach of secrecy.

Diana cut down Red’s soldiers one by one, leaving a trail of corpses in her wake. I followed her, taking out targets with fireballs and assessing the best course of action. The fight was a complete melee, with groups of people fighting all over the place. At this point, the best method of attack would be to get as many people airborne as possible, corral the opposition toward the center, and take them out in a mass magical strike.

I linked all of my soldiers and leadership.If you have wings or can make them, get in the air. Herd Red’s soldiers to the center and those on the ground, take them out. If you see Red, let me know and only engage to hold. His death is in Diana’s hands.

I’ll pass it along to the hive, A-Bomb,Judas replied. He burst into a hundred bats, moving like a tornado on the ground to move scared soldiers toward the center. Many of his higher level vampires followed suit.

Feathers, you focus on finding Red. I know you can.

Copy,he responded.

The screams of humans in business casual and formal clothing sounded like nails on a chalkboard. They were in the midst of their workday—they didn’t belong here. Red’s total disregard for their safety and for the secrecy we as a community swore to uphold made me steaming mad.

Desmond, use your powers to calm the humans. Shift back to your human-looking form and try to convince them to go to the Morrigan’s evacuation spot.

On it,he growled.

I heard screeching from behind me. I turned to see an entire squad of Queliers copies taking down a massive unit of lizard shifters. I had heard he could multiply like that…but seeing it was a completely different thing.

For fuck’s sake, he can multiply?!Voice screamed.You made the wrong enemy, Ares. You guys could barely take down one of him. But seven?

Now isn’t the time to remind me of my stupidity,I reminded Voice.You’re supposed to be pumping me up when I’m mid battle.

I picked a corpse up from the pavement, using it to shield a werewolf who thought clawing at me was a bright idea. Bain stood across from me, and pointed at the pavement beneath me. A magical vine grew from a crack a few inches from my foot. It wrapped around the wolf’s leg and dragged it right in front of a moving car that was trying to escape the chaos.

We nodded at each other, then moved on. Diana had found some of Morrigan's fighters, and flew with them in her raven form. No matter what form she took, I always knew where my goddess was—I could feel her presence, her danger. The unkindness swarmed around one of Red’s higher ranking generals, pecking him hundreds of times until he fell to the ground. Deep empty holes remained where his eyes used to be.

Do we have an aerial confirmation of where Red is?I asked Feathers.

I peered up, immediately finding his marbled wings. They stood out from the smoke and clouds. His shield rippled when a bolt of magic bounced off it, but it remained intact.

He’s near the center. Lucifer is fighting him right now,he responded.

I had an idea.

Every time you say that something fucked up happens,Voice sighs.

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