Page 104 of To Crave Madly
He had made it to the line of angels but somehow, he was being beaten. He was supposed to be the best at hand-to-hand combat but Camael threw a punch that connected with Cassian’s face and he fell to the ground like a stone.
“Get up, Cassian!” I shouted. Why wasn’t he moving?
I was close but I still needed to get through a few more mages before I could reach him. I shadow hopped around two and slashed the third, my scythe slicing his middle. He fell to the ground screaming but I didn’t care. I was aware of Lucifer shouting my name but my attention was fixed on Cassian as he got back to his feet. I knew Camael was toying with him, playing with his opponent before delivering the fatal blow.
I watched in horror as the angel pulled a knife from his belt and thrust it into Cassian’s stomach. He fell to his knees in shock, his hands flying to the hilt of the knife.
“Cassian!” I was almost there. Just another second and I’d reach him. He should be healing himself. Why wasn’t he? What was stopping him?
His eyes met mine and I froze. Fear shone in his eyes as he looked at me. Fear and despair and grief. Tears welled in my eyes as defeat claimed Cassian and he fell to the ground with a thud.
No. Not today.
Camael raised his sword and I acted without thinking. I hopped into another shadow and appeared in front of the angel. He gasped in surprise at my sudden appearance and I raised my scythe to stop the descent of his sword.
The force of the blow was immense. I stumbled under the power of it and the scythe fell from my grip. There was a malicious grin on his face as he drove the hilt of the sword into my stomach. I fell to my knees, but I wasn’t given a chance to surrender to the pain because there was an almighty smack delivered to my left temple. My body fell sideways, and I landed next to Cassian in an undignified heap.
Who knew the last thing that I saw on this earth would be a tender look from the man who hated my guts?
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled through the blood that pooled in my mouth.
“I know,” he replied through gritted teeth, pain etched into every line of his face. He reached his hand to my face and cupped my jaw. I could feel his blood smearing on my skin as he took one last look at me. “I’m sorry, too.”
Then the light faded from his eyes and he was gone.
No. No, no, no.
Familiar rage came to life within me and gave me the strength to stand. My hand wrapped around my scythe as I gathered the strength I needed to pull myself to my feet. I looked deep into those angelic eyes and it was only then I became aware of the silence in the room. Silence and stillness. Somehow, Camael had frozen time around us. No, not frozen, I thought as I saw a small movement from the peripheral of my vision, just slowed down to the point of stopping. If I wasn’t pissed, I’d be impressed.
“You once asked me with what army would I come for you? Well, here I am with an army only loyal to me.”
“You,” I whispered. Now I knew why his voice was so familiar. This was the voice I’d heard when I devoured the Celestial energy.
“Was it worth it?” he asked snidely, “All this death? It made no difference. The outcome was the same. You and I are stood on the precipice of destruction as we were always meant to be. Some of your people have died, some of my people have died, and all for what? So we could be standing here, exactly where we’re supposed to be. It just seems a shame they died for nothing.”
His eyes burned into mine as he let his words sink in.
“You’ve been a worthy adversary, Lori. But now it’s time for you to step off the precipice and face your fate.”
He raised his sword and swung it towards me. I blocked it with my scythe but I wasn't quick enough to stop his next one.
There was a whoosh and then white-hot pain exploded in my chest. I looked down and saw the blade of Camael’s sword sticking out of my body. Oops. Lucifer was going to be pissed. This was the sword I was supposed to stay away from, yet there it was with its beautiful gold and pearl hilt covered in my blood. I didn’t think there was any coming back from this one.
My scythe fell from my grip and clattered with an unnaturally loud bang in the silence of Camael’s little time bubble.
I was going to die. On my own. With only a righteous angel for company.
“Undo it,” I muttered.
Camael frowned at me.
“Whatever you have done… to slow… time.” Wow, talking was hard when you were dying.
Realisation crossed his face and he nodded. “I will allow you that grace.”
He pulled the sword from my chest. Shouldn’t that have hurt? Where was the pain? All I could feel was numbness. Instinctively, my hands flew to the hole that now pumped my blood into a pool at my feet. My hands grew sticky in seconds.
How was I still standing?
