Page 56 of Demon Apathy: Sunderverse
Drevan ignored me.
“SAVE HER!”
He didn’t move an inch.
“NOW!”
Drevan turned his back and walked back inside as I watched Rebecca hit the pavement.
My heart stopped. I backed away from the railing, stunned. I held my head. My gaze darted back and forth, disoriented by shock. Slowly, I turned, searching for Drevan. He was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, his foot bouncing up and down slightly.
“You… killed her,” I babbled, trying to convince myself that the indifference in his eyes wasn’t real. He couldn’t be a cold-blooded murderer. He couldn’t be the evil demon he was supposed to be.
All I ask is that you don’t judge me by who you think I should be, but by who I truly am.
He opened his mouth to respond but, instead, shut it back and jumped to his feet. A rhythmic thumping sounded behind me. Like a robot, I turned to face the night. With the moon as his backdrop, a white-winged angel rose into view.
Jophiel!
His immaculate feathers reflected the moonlight, blinding me. He wore what looked like a light blue skirt fastened at the waist by a thick golden belt with the firelash hanging from it. A matching necklace hung around his bare chest. Before I could fully process his presence there, Drevan ran through the hole in the glass and jumped into the air, black wings unfolding and propelling him upward.
He crashed against Jophiel, wrapping his arms around him, driving the angel backward. Like two falling birds, they tumbled in the air and sailed toward the building across the street. I thought they would smash through the glass onto the lap of some rich yuppie, but miraculously, they halted their steep descent and floated in midair.
Intent on bloody murder, Jophiel grabbed a handful of Drevan’s feathers and pulled. Drevan growled and delivered a nasty punch to the angel’s jaw. Their legs tangled as their wings flapped. Would they die if they fell? No, of course, they wouldn’t. But did that mean they couldn’t hurt each other? I had no idea.
I stood on the spot, feeling useless. Solar still lay unconscious on the floor. And Rebecca? I scrutinized Jophiel as he elbowed Drevan in the ribs, then peeked over the railing. The body I’d seen splat against the pavement was gone. Drevan had been right this time. The angel had really been impersonating Rebecca Hudson, which must mean she was somewhere in the apartment, still sleeping. She must be a heavy sleeper if the commotion hadn’t woken her up. That or there was demon magic involved. Maybenowwas the time for me to get the hell out of here.
Drevan screamed, recalling my attention. He had let go of Jophiel and was now hovering several yards away from him. His wings beating as he bobbed up and down, a hand pressed to his chest.
Something golden seeped through his fingers. His handsome face was contorted in pain. Jophiel wore a satisfied smile. A large dagger was in hand. Its blade glinted tauntingly.
Oh, shit! Theycankill each other.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a very long time,” Jophiel said, then lunged in Drevan’s direction, diving like a hawk going for prey.
My breath caught, and my entire body threatened to turn to rock, but I pushed through my panic and thrust a hand forward, thrusting the bulk of my telekinetic power toward the angel’s chest. The force of my invisible blow wasn’t enough to hold him, but it managed to slow him down, giving Drevan enough time to dodge and avoid the blade.
Pivoting quickly, he beat his wings twice. Their sound was like a giant heart beating. A moment later, he landed next to me, slumping forward as he held his side.
Jophiel whirled in the air, his emerald eyes bearing on me like murdering bullets. His upper lip curled. “You hide behind her. You’ve always been a coward.”
“You wouldn’t be so great without that blade in your hand,” Drevan shot back.
The angel huffed. “No matter. I’ll get my chance, eventually.” He put away the blade in the folds of his skirt and blinked out of existence, leaving me shaking in fear.
Drevan, groaning and bending over in pain, snapped me out of my trance. He took several steps back, slamming his back on what was left of the glass door and sliding to the floor. His teeth were bared, fangs glinting with what looked like liquid golden sparkles.
Shit! Is that blood? Is it his?
Still trembling, I kneeled at his side. The same sparkly stuff leaked through his fingers. My hands hovered over him, never touching him. I didn’t know what to do.
“Drevan, what…?” I pulled at my hair. “What do I do? Call an ambulance?” They had Skew healers and human doctors there who could help him.
“No. They won’t know what to do.”
“Call Khargon then?” She had to know how to fix him.
“She can’t help either,” he said in a choppy breath.
