Page 55 of Rise from the Flames

I feel around to see what else has changed and I realize that my ears are also pointed like a freaking fairy’s. “This is as shitty as Hell. I have fucking elf ears.”

Dagan gets to his feet, chortling. Reaching out, he pokes my ear. “They’re quite adorable.”

“Shut up and just tell me what we do now.” I tip my head up, staring into the fiery sky, searching for answers that are lost to me in this realm. “Don’t make me beat it out of you.”

“For the sake of Riella, let’s try to get along.” Offering his hand out, Dagan helps me to my feet. “It shouldn’t be hard. Now that you’re one of us, I tolerate you.”

I sigh and shake my head. “You have no fucking clue what we’re supposed to do next, do you?”

Dagan smirks. “Relax. Your soul has shifted and needs to settle before we can create a portal. You could blow up with your anger and—”

Fire pours from my hands, lighting up the world in front of us. “What the fuck?”

Laughing, Dagan hops out of the way from my power. “There it is. You’ve tethered finally. Hell will now bow to your whim as it does mine.”

“I don’t understand.” I rub my hands together, putting out the fire.

“You’re a demon of wrath, which is why you look as you do. Well, at least the ear part, anyway. They come in all colors and shapes and sizes, and you’re lucky you still look mostly human. But regardless, your power is rooted in your anger. Be appreciative that those emotions come easy to you.”

It pisses me off that he might be right. “Lucky? Appreciative? I’m a demon hunter who is now a demon. I look like I should be cast as an extra for an elf movie! How is that lucky?” Okay, that’s a little more rage than I’m used to.

I go to say more, but I hear the most wonderful sound. Riella. It sounds like she whispers a plea. She needs us. We have to get to her. We can’t let her face things alone. What if she’s in trouble? We may have gotten Adriel and Lucifer back to Hell, but a lot of demons escaped in the meantime.

He turns around and starts walking again. “Because you’re more powerful than ever. Now are you coming or not, Elflord? My queen needs us from the sounds of it.”

I keep my mouth shut, trying not to freak out over Riella’s all-consuming presence, winding around me, drawing me closer and closer.

We walk for about twenty minutes when Dagan says, “Ah, here it is. Help me open this portal, so we can get back to the mortal plane.”

I hesitate, peering around. “We have to go find my brother and Damien first and then we can leave. Riella needs all of us.”

Dagan draws some symbols in the loose dirt, pulls out a knife, slices his palm then hands me the blade next. “If my suspicions are right, and I’m sure they are, Damien and Storm are not in Hell.”

I draw the knife across my palm, adding my blood to the symbols. The next thing I know, a blue swirling portal opens, and we both step through to the mortal world.

Stepping out of the portal, I manage to shield my wings and horns. I reach up to make sure those blasted elf ears vanish as well. The moment I calm down, I realize I can feel Riella and she needs us.

Dagan looks at me and says, “Do you feel that? She needs us.”

I swallow hard, nerves bunching my muscles. This all feels surreal. The last time I was on this plane, I was human. Well, mostly. Now, I’m the thing I fought against all my life. I don’t feel evil, I still feel like me. Was everything I was taught about demons wrong? I mean, sure, most demons are evil, but there are those like Damien and Dagan that don’t seem so evil. In fact, I really actually like Damien, and Dagan’s growing on me. I could see us becoming good friends.

Dagan pushes on the back of my shoulder blade to move me forward. Everything blurs around us as we travel by power deeper into the city. The firehouse, she’s at home. My heart races as I feel Riella getting closer.

The world stops with Riella filling my view. She’s still as gorgeous as ever, but it looks like I’m not the only one who changed. Where her black wings once were, are now the most beautiful pair of ruby-feathered wings that fade into shades of orange. They’re magnificent. Ethereal yet not heavenly. What does this mean?

Before either Dagan or I can get to her, a portal of pure angelic light opens behind her. I freeze in my tracks, the air stinging with the light I can no longer tolerate. I blink a few times as two silhouettes materialize into view. Storm and Damien step forward. Dagan was right. The bastards weren’t in Hell. My brother has wings as well, except where mine are golden, his are almost opalescent white that fade to silver at the tips.

He’s not the only one to be sporting a new pair of angelic wings either. Damien somehow found grace and is now an angel. I can’t wrap my head around this. I’m a demon, yet the demon is now an angel. His dove wings expand larger than mine, and he looks truly divine.

Damien catches my gawking and smirks at me. “So, you jealous that mine are bigger than yours, Estuary?” This fucker will never stop joking about my name, even as an angel.

I go to make a comeback as I didn’t even realize mine had popped out, but then Riella turns and notices me before launching herself into my arms. Demon or not, if that’s what it takes to be here with her then it’s worth it. She’s worth it.

Storm clears his throat. “As much as I’d like to join in on this reunion...does anybody have any clue what’s going on?”

Riella eases out of my arms and turns to my brother and Damien, embracing both of them with a hug and a kiss then she goes over to Dagan and does the same.

Dagan clears his throat. He’s obviously shocked by Riella’s reaction. “It’s just as I suspected. Since the balance has been shifted by throwing Adriel into Hell, the universe needed to create a new balance. So here we are. Two demons and two angels, plus the Mortal Watcher. The perfect balance to protect humanity.”

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