Page 37 of Heart Shaped Wreckage
“MAGNUS!”
I looked up, and the skies opened as if they had been slit in two.
Shit. There was no way out.
“Bye now,” she said before shifting back into her wolf form and running away.
“Heath… er… I think I’m about to pass out,” I wobbled, and he grabbed onto my arm.
“Don’t you dare. I’m gonna need all of the witchy power I can get. Can you do that?”
“I’ll… Fuck I’m scared. I’ll try.” I slapped my face to keep myself tethered to the terrifying reality of my existence.
“That’s all I can ask. You’re about to see some shit. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to…”
“MAGNUS!”
The ground shook with the force of his voice.
I glanced back up, and the wards put in place around Eire’s sky had been torn open with Aurelius’ flaming sword. Thosethings must come in handy. Heath walked over to the sword and picked it up. It looked heavier in his hand.
“I had once been worthy to carry a blade like this; now my essence can’t connect to the Godly power. But it is still stabby. Get behind me. No matter what happens, Kevin, know I will never hurt you. I would have gone all the way with you if I could.”
“You have to unleash the beast?” I understood, but I was a little scared of what I was about to see.
“Yes.”
“Kick his angelic ass, please.” I kissed him quickly on the cheek.
Aurelius descended feet first. His wings made the winds kick up like the beginning of a hurricane on the shores of Florida. The trees swayed perilously, and branches fell to the ground.
Aurelius stared at us with his flaming sword pointed in Heath’s direction. Yeah, I have no idea what it was Heath did – but the angel looked pissed.
“FALLEN, YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND AND THE JUDGMENT OF THE HORDE IS UPON YOU,” He was using all of his powers to scare us. His feet touched the ground, and the grass instantly sprouted as if it had been fertilized.
“Aurelius,” Heath sneered, stepping in front of me. “Stop the fucking dramatics. Why the pomp and circumstance? Drop the stupid angel voice and speak to me as we always did.”
“YOU…” He cleared his throat. “You think you deserve me to speak to you the way we used to when you flew at my side? You who betrayed us all and sided with him would only destroy all of creation.”
“Well, he had a great retirement plan,” Heath tried joking, but it failed. Angels must have no sense of humor. “You know that was never our plan. We did what we thought needed to be done. Besides, you know how his silver tongue could twist yourbrain. Maybe we were wrong, or maybe it was Dad’s plan all along. He wanted the fall – needed it even, and you know it. Without Hell, Heaven would have failed.”
“Dad is a mystery. But we two have unfinished business, don’t we?” Aurelius sounded sad as he stared at Heath.
“I mean, do we?” He shrugged. “I haven’t seen you for millennia. What’s the point of this? Can’t we just grab a beer and catch up? Have you tried pizza?”
16
HEATH
Iwas trying to drag this out as long as I could. I still had part of my essence, but not enough to tangle with an angel in his full glory. Of course, I also had the beast inside me that was fueled by Lucifer’s power, even if I had never followed him into the depths. It was still there if I needed it. But would it be enough?
“Human trifling’s. Is that what you have become, fallen one?” Aurelius sneered. “Pathetic.”
“I go by Heath now. The being you knew hasn’t existed for a very long time.”
I heard Kevin gulp behind me.
“Enough. I care not what human you wear in your sad and pathetic half-life. You walk between worlds but exist truly in none, Magnus of the fallen. Your journey ends now, and your soul, or what is left of the tattered remnants, will go to where it goes.”
