Page 68 of Redeeming the Angel

I scolded my younger self for previously thinking that a half century was too long to be away from home, especially since the last bastions of magic had died from Earth a few hundred years after he’d banished the vampires.The lack of magic ended up having dangerous effects on visitors from Aisthanesthai.Mages who spent too long in that world ended up dying.I’d cried when the Conclave put out the emergency warning after investigating the deaths and coming to that tragic conclusion.

Therefore, the last few rescue missions I’d done were very short.They no longer needed to take as many years as they used to, since only small groups of magic users remained.As the Evil One had washed his hands of the now barren world, I’d been saving them from other Earthfolk.These last few decades, the only reasons to visit Earth was to watch movies, a new invention there that I adored, go to concerts, and shop.Though, if I happened to sense someone who needed my help, I would do so.The last time I’d done so had been back in Earth’s 1980s, a fun decade for parts of that world.

Now, another mission was beginning to take hold in my mind.I was pretty sure I was ready to let Lucian ease my next Yearning—whenever that came.Aside from that odd one that came only a century after my first, they’d been blessedly distant and sporadic.I’d spent those alone in agony because I couldn’t bear the thought of conceiving again, only to suffer another miscarriage.My fear of going through that again had been so great that I’d even used the mage strategy of willing my body not to be fertile just in case.

I’d stopped doing that five years ago and now, fates be good, I was considering even trying to will myself to conceive after the wedding.

I forced my focus away from that subject before doubts could creep in and ruin this special day.I met my mother’s gaze in the mirror and returned her smile before voicing another worry.

“Do you think Nik will come?”I’d sent messages all around Aisthanesthai and attempted to dream summon her, though it was hard to pierce the drugged haze of her dreams.

“I’m not sure,” Natalya answered honestly.“She’s been avoiding us for so long.I thought that once she’d gotten over her infatuation with Delgarias, she’d forgive me and come home.”

“She’s in a lot of pain.”

I wanted to point out that nearly every bit of that pain was her fault, since if she’d permitted them to marry, Del never would have abandoned her to seek out the immortality that ended up disgracing him in both Shellandria’s and Nik’s eyes, but I didn’t want to spoil this happy moment, by reminding her of what she already knew.Especially when I was unable to tell her the things she didn’t know.

Although I was still furious with Nik about her recklessness that caused her to lose her baby, I was still able to sympathize with her grief.We both had losses.And we both handled our pain in different ways.At least I had my mate.But I’d dealt with my pain by avoiding conceiving and brief breakups with Lucian.Nik had lost her mate before losing her child, so she had no one.I couldn’t fault her too much for numbing herself with drugs, though I hoped that she’d be sober enough to come to the wedding, and perhaps even make up with Mother and Father so she could come home.

I missed her so much.I hadn’t seen her in almost two hundred years.

Father came in the room and nearly wrinkled my gown from hugging me so tightly.“You’re so beautiful and I’m so happy you’re finally seizing your chance at happiness.”

Mother made a sound calling for our attention and addressed me with solemn copper eyes.“This may be the last time we’re alone for a long time.There’s something important you need to know.I finally found out why ours and Lucian’s matriarchs wanted this union—”

She broke off as the palace shook under our feet.The light streaming through the windows dimmed.

Suddenly, we heard screams from outside.

Concern for our people took over.My parents and I ran out to the balcony and gasped in horror.The beautiful late spring day had turned eerily dim and gray, like a solar eclipse, only neither of the moons were anywhere near the sun.

The ground shook again, and there, to the East, we saw a nightmare.A giant hole had been ripped in the air, creating a portal that screamed in agony at its pained formation.When I recovered from that sensory assault, my brain processed the rest of what I was seeing and hearing.Hordes of warriors, mages, demons, and corpse-walkers were pouring out of the hole and slaughtering nearly every luminite in sight.

“Mephistopheles,” my father moaned in agony.

“We must fight them!”Mother screamed.“Kerainne, you must hide.I know you and your sister had your secret places.Go to one of them and don’t tell us where.”

“To Irkalla with that.”I tore the train off my gown.“I’ll get my weapons and meet you.”

Before they could argue, I transported myself to my suite and grabbed the sword that our instructor had custom made for my grip.The hilt was sticky with cobwebs and dust.With no time to change clothing, I released my wings and launched myself from the balcony.

Everywhere below me was chaos and bloodshed.My people were fighting back, calling their magics to incapacitate the mages and warriors with various methods like immobilization spells, quicksand, roping vines, and shielding barriers.

As the corpse walkers were already dead, luminites could kill those without being hurt.And we did.I incinerated many with fireballs and the farmers and townspeople did damage with various tools of their trade.

Our few human and faelin residents proved themselves invaluable with their contributions as well.With no hindrance on killing, they took out the evil mages, warriors, and demons.

At first it looked like we’d prevail, and I seethed with anger and grief over our casualties and the destruction of my beautiful gown that I’d worked so hard on.I missed Lucian with every cell of my being and wished he was here.His swordsmanship was far superior to mine, and though it had taken him longer, he’d achieved the purple robes in his mage studies and would soon attain the black.

However, after I don’t know how many hours had passed, the tide turned for the worst.More and more enemies poured out of the unnatural portal, including the Evil One himself.

Mephistopheles floated on an octagonal platform carved from bloodstone and grinned smugly at the slaughter before him.Waist-length black hair framed the two curved black horns on his head and flowed behind him.His gaunt, sharp features would have been beautiful if not for the twisted hate and violence radiating from his being.

His blazing red eyes met mine, burning into me with a smug, malevolent triumph that made my stomach quiver with nausea.

A child’s scream tore my attention away.I flew down to see a group of the Evil One’s soldiers rushing toward four children and their sobbing mother.

I swung my sword in a wide arc, slicing the backs of their knees, making them all collapse, though they would live.

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