Page 102 of Wings of Lies
The doors to the back of the carriage slammed open. With the lack of side-to-side swaying, it seemed the demons were staying inside.
“Do not speak, understood?” Aspen said, taking off his cloak and handing it to me. “Cover yourself.”
I stared at his outreaching hand and dangling cloak, wondering what would happen if I didn’t, gazing back at the sky. The black specs were larger and coming fast.
“Lucille!”
I snapped my attention back to him and rolled my eyes, putting it on.
Two loud resounding booms echoed in the field, causing a cloud of dust. Once it cleared, one man and woman—or male and female—sauntered over to us. Aspen stepped down the stairs of the carriage, blocking me from view, while Brock stood off to the side.
“Look what we have here, Milda. I told you it’d be entertaining to see who was with this carriage.”
I peered around Aspen, wanting to see who spoke. He looked to be in his thirties, not that that meant anything, with short golden hair and smooth, tanned skin—average. What wasn’t average was the armor they wore and the female standing next to him.
She stood tall, covered in the palest blue, almost white, colored armor. Silver rivets held together each tiny piece of metal that made up the body-hugging uniform. Red corkscrews tumbled behind her head, held back by intricate braids. The vibrancy of the color melded well with the deep caramel of her face, her ruby lips, and the three red-hilted daggers at her side.
“Yes, Brocky boy seems to have aged since we last saw him. And we get the attractive, worthless demon prince to add to the disappointing Fallen scum,” she tittered.
“So nice to see you, General Tavean and Colonel Milda,” Aspen said, sounding the least bit amused by her condescending tone.
Colonel Milda approached him, poking him in the chest. “Does that scowl ever come off your face, Prince Aspen? Or do you need help with that?” The salacious tilt to her ruby lips screamed desperate.
A bolt of bitter jealousy spear-headed through my drained state—a feeling I didnotlike.
“Remove your hand before I do it for you, colonel,” Aspen said as he gripped the pommel of his sword.
But she didn’t remove her hand. No. She dared to place her entire palm on his chest.
“Oh, no, no, prince. We wouldn’t want to start a war, would we? Not with your queen a prisoner to her own land. We’d slaughter you.” Her words may have been a warning, but the eager gleam in her purple-ringed eyes told me she wanted war.
Aspen’s spine stiffened. “Back up, Milda.”
“Oh, dropping my fancy new title so soon?” she pouted.
I hope she didn’t think that was cute.
“Don’t test me, Milda. Back up,” Aspen warned.
But the foolish female didn’t.
“Milda, let the poor defenseless prince go. We are here for a job, you know,” Tavean said, moving closer.
“Oh, but I think the prince needs some fun,” she said, rubbing the stiff leather covering his chest.
My eyes zeroed in on that hand. “Remove your gaudy nails,” I snapped, glaring over Aspen’s shoulder.
Milda jerked her gaze to mine, still touching him.
“Who do you have behind you, prince?” Tavean asked. He leaned to the side to get a better view.
Aspen shifted, finally side-stepping her unwanted touch, blocking me from Tavean’s view but opening more space for Milda toscrutinize me, especially my eyes. Before I could duck my head, she smiled. “Oh Tavean,” Milda sang. “I think I found who we’ve been looking for.”
“Fuck!” Aspen snapped, pulling out his sword before either one could grab me. The metal erupted in vicious blue flames, pushing Milda and Tavean back. “Guard Lucille, if something happens to her, the queen will kill you, and if she doesn’t, I will.” Then he swung his flaming sword at Tavean and sent a fireball at Milda’s face, forcing them back further.
Heavenly shit.
Brock took Aspen’s place as he faced off against the two angels. I glanced up into the darkening sky. Thunder boomed with the first clash of sword on sword, snapping my attention back to Aspen. This fight was different from the one with the Hellhounds. All three luscelered, dodging each other’s swords and daggers. Lightning shot down, hitting the spot where Aspen last stood.
