Page 75 of Roman

Roman caught sight of Charlotte.Tora stood on the edge of the gate, holding Charlotte out in front of her, a dagger to her throat.Charlotte’s golden hair was red with blood.With her blood.Bruises and cuts marred her face.Turel struggled, punching Roman again and again.But he felt nothing.The sight of Charlotte’s face caused the demon to rise like fire in his veins.

“You hurt her!”he snarled.

His vision blurred as white-hot fury overwhelmed him.Roman opened his mouth, savagely going for Turel’s throat.He tore through flesh and muscle with his fangs as he viciously wrapped his hands around Turel’s neck.He slowly started to squeeze, relishing in the pain it was causing him.

Turel had been his friend for eons, one of his trusted family members.But all Roman could see now was a traitor, an evil creature who dared to hurt his love.Had handed his soul mate over to certain death.He squeezed his neck harder, Turel’s body jerking violently as Roman heard him gargle and choke on his own blood.He bit down harder, the sound of bone snapping and the taste and smell of blood filling his senses as, with one last roar, he severed Turel’s head from his body.

Roman stood panting, covered in Turel’s blood, staring at Charlotte across the chamber.Tora’s eyes were wide as she stared at Roman, horrified.

Dagger still at her throat, Charlotte’s eyes locked with his.“Roman!”she yelled over the sound of the gate.

Hope shined bright in her eyes.Hope, he realized, that he was here, hope that he would save her.He began to reel his demon back under control.

To his left, the others were in battle with Azazel.The dark demon with that evil grin on his face knocked the angels down every time they attacked him.Armaros, eyes glowing and hands out, full of magic, landed next to Tora, taking her by surprise.He hit her with a violet bolt, grabbing Charlotte and throwing her behind him as Tora went flying.

“Roman, we need your help!”Ariel yelled from the other side of the room.

Roman had to stick to the plan.Armaros gave him an assuring nod, and Roman had no choice but to trust him to keep Charlotte safe while they took out Azazel.It took every ounce of willpower he had to rip his gaze from her.

Phoenix, Lucian, and Maalik went flying across the room as Roman raced over to help them.The three of them crashed into the wall of the chamber, rubble falling on them.Ariel, Sabriel, and Grigori were attacking Azazel as one from the left, while Ramiel, Marius, and Cael came from the right.They looked like dancers as they slashed, kicked, and punched.Azazel somehow blocked, darted, and weaved each time.Marius spun, slashing his sword, his dreadlocks and wings spinning through the air.Azazel kicked out his leg, sending Cael flying across the room.The demon jumped into the air, spinning and landing behind Ramiel and Marius, slashing with two knives so fast that Roman barely saw him cut the backs of the two angels.He kicked them both with so much force they soared into Grigori and Ariel.All four hit the ground hard.

Roman ran up, lunging through the air as Sabriel, like a silver angel of death, continued to slash and spin with her two swords.Maalik flashed behind Azazel, grabbing him around the neck and taking the demon by surprise as Roman’s fist connected with his face.Azazel, unfazed, grinned at Roman as he whipped his head back, smashing his skull into Maalik’s face.Roman heard his brother’s nose break, blood spraying everywhere as he soared through the air, hitting the wall.

Roman punched again as Sabriel slashed, finally getting the demon in the leg.He stumbled but righted himself in time to punch Grigori as the warrior came at him from the side.Maalik appeared again as the rest of them all surrounded the demon.

This was it.

“You three, go for his arms,” Roman screamed at Cael, Phoenix, and Lucian.“You three, his legs.”He pointed to Ariel, Sabriel, and Ramiel.

They all moved as one, Maalik flashing behind Azazel once again, getting him in a headlock.Azazel lashed out, cutting Roman’s cheek, but he pressed forward, smashing his fist repeatedly into the demon’s head as the angels finally took his legs out, all of them falling to the ground and trying to pin him down.

The Archdemon’s strength was overwhelming.Roman couldn’t believe that even with all of them attacking as one, the demon was still strong enough to fight them.They didn’t seem to faze Azazel one bit.The whole time, he kept that annoying smile on his face, mocking them.The more Roman saw the demon grinning, the angrier it made him.

“Fuck me,” Ramiel yelled, taking a kick to the face as they regained control of his legs.

“We’ve got him,” Roman screamed.“Marius!”he yelled for the dark warrior.“Take his head.”Hope shot through him.

We’ve got him.This is it.His mind raced.They would finally be rid of this creature, for a while at least.

They all held on tight as the demon bucked and heaved, trying to throw them off.The demon started to scream and snap at them with his fangs, his yellow eyes glowing in fury.Azazel got one of his arms free and smashed his fist into Lucian’s face.Lucian’s eyes glowed a dangerous green as a deep growl rose in him.The demon quickly slashed out, slicing Ariel’s throat, blood squirted everywhere, gushing from the wound and down her chest, her green eyes going wide in shock as she fell backward, her hands going to her throat before Sabriel and Ramiel pinned his arm again.

Roman panicked as he watched Ariel lay on the ground, blood seeping through her fingers as she desperately tried to hold the wound in her neck closed.She started to cough and choke on her own blood.

He couldn’t help her, though.They were so close.“Ariel, hold on!”

“We can’t hold him for long,” Maalik yelled in a strained voice, pinned under Azazel, taking the weight of them all.Still, he never eased his arms from the demon’s neck, even as blood continued to run down his face from his shattered nose.

Marius stood over them, sword raised and gleaming in the red glow of the portal.

“Maalik, get ready to port,” the dark warrior warned as he swung with all his might.

“Roman!”It was Armaros’s voice calling out from across the chamber.

He whipped his head in the direction his voice came from.His whole body froze in shock.Without thinking, he jumped off Azazel, stopping at the edge of the portal.Maalik appeared beside him.The others screamed, cursing them, as the demon broke free.

On the other side of the roaring gate, Tora stood, battered and covered in blood.Her eyes were bright, magic pouring out one of her hands, which she had raised and pointed at Armaros.She had him pinned by magic against the wall behind her.He was just as battered and bruised as Tora.They must have had one hell of a fight.

Tora had Charlotte restrained against the pillar.Her hands were above her head, with glowing violet bands pinning them to the stone.She was completely helpless as tears rolled down her cheeks.

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