Page 56 of Providence

I felt the snarl rise up in my throat, but Dippy’s despondent voice drew my eyes back to the woman I loved. I pulled Death back to me, letting it wrap around my feet like a pet. “Tenebrae. They are here for me and for Madoc.”

She looked pale, probably the effects of being so close to me like this. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, to hug her to my chest, to promise it would be okay, but I was an angel killer. It wouldn’t matter she was immortal, that I loved her. She would die.

Goliath didn’t have such restrictions. He was across the room in the space of a breath, tearing her restraints away, and pulling her into his arms. He kissed her like a man who had seen the fucking end, who needed her more than air. It was quick and fierce, filled with pain and love.

She looked over at me, her eyes taking me in warily. She could sense that I was more Death than Judas right now. Still, she mouthed, “I love you.”

Then a fucking tactical vehicle slammed through the front of the house.

“Go!” I yelled, stepping toward the vehicle and the fucking soldiers pouring out of the rear doors. I let Death free, my voice changing, my eyes glowing eerily. To me, my hands became skeletal. “Get them out! Go!” I yelled again, but now there was nothing human about it at all, as Death pooled around my feet. I shoved it toward our enemies.

Dippy looked at me with fear filled eyes, and then did something I would never contemplate again. “Lucifer, I wish to make a deal!” she yelled, even as Goliath dragged her down the hall toward the basement.

I turned back to the men lining the front of my house, and I smiled. I let my true visage out, more Death than Judas, and the hood and scythe came to my hand. I saw the fear in their eyes, saw the moment when they realized their lives were about to end. I lifted my scythe and slammed it in the ground.

Like an atomic blast, Death swept along the ground toward them, not the creeping, insidious miasma anymore. No, this was all consuming, punishing death. They wouldn’t die quickly. I would make them writhe in pain until they begged for death. I would not grant them mercy. I had none.

But the waves after waves of men kept pouring through the gates. Who had this many fucking men?

“Hey Death, heard you were fucking shit up, thought I might come and play too.”

My head whipped to the side, and there was Lucifer’s consort, huge gray wings spread behind her, a sword in her hand and a grin on her face. Acerezeal. She was fucking terrifying. “Not gonna lie, I’m not usually into skeletal guys, but you are rocking that hooded robe and scythe like a badass. Lucky I’m a taken woman, and Gusion would gut me if I stole his daughter’s boyfriend.” She gave a put-upon shrug. “Let’s just do my second favorite pastime instead, shall we? Tenebrae and I have some unfinished business. But not for long.” She swung her sword in some impressive whirls, using her wings to lift herself over the group of men, trapping the ones who were trying to run at the sight of Death and the consort of Satan, who was a motherfucking psycho in her own right. The black cloud of death even avoided her, as if it knew she was his Mistress as much as I was his Master. It recognized her as Hell in living form.

There was no running. No savior was coming for them. There would only be Death and Hell.

31

Solomon

Imoved Bear, who honest to fucking God turned into a giant bear as soon as I got him in the back of the truck and hidden away in an empty warehouse about two streets over from our place. Leaving him to heal or whatever, I sprinted back to the house. I needed to get them back. Of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, my powers were the least useful in a fight, but I still itched to shed blood, to hold Dippy in my arms. I trusted they would save her. Trusted it would be okay. But the fear churning my gut would not ease until I could see them with my own two eyes.

I leapt another fence, cursing myself to go faster. They needed me. Bear had needed me too, but if anything happened to them because I was too slow...

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Hurdling another fence, I ran into a fucking hard body of motherfucking Angel. I looked up at the huge Onyx angel, every part of him black except for the piercing blue eyes. Memphis. One of Hope’s lovers.

“Would you like a lift?” he rumbled, and it sent goosebumps across my skin. I got to my feet. “Fuck yes. The basement. The kids are in the basement.”

He nodded, wrapping his arms around my body and transporting us into the basement of the house.

Everyone turned when a fucking Angel turned up, and especially Memphis, with his wings that sucked all the light from the room. Goose was bloodied on the floor, and he looked like he’d put up a hell of a fight. His face was so battered that I could barely tell it was him. But he was still breathing, and I could work with that. I roared, launching myself across the room at the fucker who had a gun pointed at his head, slamming my fist into his chin and feeling the crunch of it breaking beneath my knuckles. It seemed to wake everyone up, because there were bullets suddenly flying. Memphis had a giant sword out in the small basement, and was swinging it with as much efficiency as a guillotine. I could hear gunfire and yelling from above us, but I ignored it as I focused on the room.

There was a guy placing C4 on the door of the safe room, and I growled. He would kill them, setting off explosives so close. I kicked at a soldier who came at me, my boot connecting with his knee then my fist connecting with his face. The guy working on the explosives was cool under pressure, I’d give him that. He didn’t even look up when a head rolled toward his feet courtesy of Memphis. He didn’t look up until I was standing over him. Then he drew his gun fast, and shot me in the chest. It just popped right back out and healed over.

I saw the moment of recognition, that split second where he realized he was looking at his death. He dropped his head, handing me the detonator. “Looks like I picked the wrong side.”

“Without a fucking doubt,” I murmured, whipping my gun out and blowing his fucking brains all over the door.

I looked over the room, and Memphis had eradicated the rest of the soldiers in here, hovering over the beaten body of Goose. I had to get them out of here before a stray bullet sent us all sky high. I punched the numbers into the keypad and pulled the door open.

A tiny body launched itself at me with a scream, tiny fist flying.

Sammie was laying tiny, ineffectual punches at my gut and I swear I almost cried with relief. “Hey, hey, it's me. It’s okay. I’ve got you,” I said, grabbing his hands and pulling him up into my arms. His little body shook with relief as he clung to my neck so tightly that I was glad I didn’t really need air. He cried huge fat tears that ran down my neck. I looked over his shoulder at a tear stained Cara holding a crying Madoc. “Hey, Darlin’. You look like you’re doing a real good job there. How about we get out of here, okay?”

She nodded, and I put Sammie back on the ground. Reaching down, I shuffled Madoc from her arms and into mine. Memphis looked at me. “I can sift the baby to Hope in our apartment. He will be safe there. Azriel is still with her, as is Blue Halloran.”

I clutched Madoc to my chest. I didn’t want him out of my sight. But I didn’t want him here either. I swallowed hard, kissing his head, and passing him over to Memphis. “Nothing happens to him.”

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