Page 57 of The Angel's Kiss
Baal smiled wickedly. “And why should I tell you?”
“Because you hate Satan, surely you don’t want him freed while you remain locked away,” Darius said.
“He betrayed me!” Baal said.
As I watched the two converse, my heart was beating a mile a minute. My palms were so sweaty, I thought I’d drop my sword and gun. Azazel stepped up next to me and his very presence calmed my nerves. I didn’t know if it was something he was doing, or just the fact that he was beside me, but I did start to gather my wits about myself.
“Your Majesty,” Azazel began as he walked over to the cage. “Can you help us?”
“Do not try to flatter me, Azazel. You have no loyalty,” Baal said with a sneer.
“I’m loyal to the strongest,” Azazel said. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was talking about me now, or when he was a demon. Because he had served three rulers. Baal, then Lucifer, then his Empress.
Baal glared at Azazel. “How can you call yourself a demon when you fight against your own kind?”
“It was my own kind, like you, Baal, who cast me out. I’ve been exiled for over a century,” Azazel said.
“I am your King! Respect me!” Baal yelled.
“You were my King and are no longer. Also, need I remind you that I tried to show you respect and you told me not to ‘flatter you,’” Azazel said and I wanted to laugh, because it was stuff like that which made me like him. He didn’t take shit from anyone.
“And so, you side with them... was it for your freedom, Azazel?” Baal spoke and his tone was very much of one that was used to being in control.
“I am his Champion,” Azazel said proudly and I wasn’t expecting that. It made my chest puff out just a little bit.
Baal spat a ball of fire onto the ground at Azazel’s feet that exploded, then fizzled out. “Pathetic!” To Azazel’s credit, he remained unfazed.
Azazel smirked. “What’s ‘pathetic,’ sire, is you being beaten off your throne by a fallen angel, then cast from Hell only to be locked away for eternity.”
Baal roared again, fire blazing from his mouth directed at Azazel, who dodged it. Azazel, I knew was immune to fire—hell, he controlled it, but I figured Baal’s fire was on another level, one Azazel didn’t want to fuck with.
“How dare you speak to me with such insolence!”
“I’m no longer a Knight of the Round Court. I have no demonic ruler, you nor Satan or the Empresses,” Azazel yelled.
He conjured his sword as Darius did the same, it was the same sword Michael was going to use on Azazel, only it glowed with white flames instead of blue. I knew it was because Michael and Darius were one. Both Darius and Azazel’s armor covered their bodies. Darius’ was white with gold trim, and Azazel’s was black with glowing red trim. They both looked badass.
“Answer our question. Can the demons free Satan?” Azazel asked Baal.
Baal roared and swung around, whipping his large, scaly tail at us with the sharp tip like an arrow. Instinctually, I slashed at his tail as I leaped over it, and my sword broke in two. The shard of the blade went flying in the air to land on the ground. It was at that point I realized just how useless I was. And... it hurt to have to admit that. I dropped the rest of my sword, which had been shattered along with my pride.
“Rai!” Azazel yelled
Before I knew it, he’d tackled me to the ground just as Baal’s tail reversed to slash at me. There was a strong possibility that I could have been sliced in two had Azazel not saved me. My heart hammered in my chest as my breath came in rapid succession. My adrenaline was at full force, and yet, I was completely out of my league in my current state.
Azazel shoved me through the cage door. “Stay here,” he said, then joined Darius as he fought the demon.
Relegated to the sidelines outside the parameters of the cage, I had to stay alert, but also watch as Darius and Azazel worked as a team better than I had expected. Their blades sliced wounds all over Baal’s body, causing the demon to grow increasingly more enraged. The wounds Darius made weren’t healing like the one’s Azazel made, but still, it was effective.
Darius was like a beast, his movements were swift and agile as he leaped, slashed, and dodged, which seemed to drive Baal insane with agitation that he couldn’t get the upper hand. I guessed it didn’t help that the chains that bound his arms and legs gave him little room to maneuver. Still, he was doing more than enough fighting, in my opinion. I watched as Darius flipped back, then darted forward and swung his blade with a roar of his own. His sword cut through Baal’s tail, slicing it off in the middle.
“Ahhhhhhh!” Baal screamed and thrashed about in his confining chains.
“Are you done?” Darius yelled. His chest heaved and he was bleeding from several cuts he’d suffered while fighting, but he looked like he could go a few more rounds.
“Stop... stop... no more!” Baal begged.
“Answer me, then, demon,” Darius commanded.
