His squad crowded in as he answered. All pretense of domestic bliss was long forgotten. They were warriors ready for war. "You got eyes on Lucifer?"
"Negative," Izzy's voice crackled through the speaker. "But Crocell's cooking up something major. Our intel suggests they're planning a convergence. We intercepted demon chatter that indicates they're targeting a witch in the French Quarter."
The temperature in the joint took a nosedive faster than a demon's morals as Camael's power leaked out like a brokendam. And wasn't that just perfect? Nothing said 'archangel losing his shit' like frost forming on the windows in the middle of a New Orleans summer.
"Amelia." Just saying her name had his heart doing a full cardiac arrest. Because if those hell-spawned bastards were anywhere near his witch? Someone was about to have a really bad day. The kind that ended with celestial steel and eternal darkness.
"I can't confirm it’s her," Izzy continued, "but Aison, Donovan, Micah and I are mobilizing. The Dark Warriors are ready to provide backup if needed."
"What’s the location?" The words came out more growl than speech.
"I’m still triangulating," Izzy replied. “But there's something else. Reports suggest Crocell's working independently now. That she’s split from Lucifer."
"Bullshit," Rami cut in as he leaned closer to the phone. The softness in his expression when he heard his charge’s voice had vanished. "She wouldn't..."
A scream ripped through Camael's mind. It was psychic and raw. Amelia. His power flared and his wings manifested in shadows on the wall behind him. "I’ve gotta go." He ended the call and was already moving. "She's in trouble at her place. Move out."
The next thirty seconds were organized chaos as the Angels of Retribution mobilized. Battle armor materialized out of nowhere, replacing those fancy-ass designer labels faster than a shopaholic's credit card limit. Wings unfurled with lethal grace, filling the space with enough divine power to make a demon spontaneously combust. They went from Ralph Lauren to ready-for-war in less time than it took humans to order their morning coffee. Nothing said 'about to rain celestial vengeance' like black battle armor shot through with threads of divine light and wings that couldslice through steel like butter. Shit was about to get real. Real messy.
"Formation Delta," Camael barked. His Sword of Light blazed to life in his grip as he stood on the back patio. "Jo, Az, you’re on the perimeter. Mal and Zach take the high ground. The rest of you are with me. And remember. These demons took one of ours."
The ‘ours’ slipped out before he could catch it. His warriors' faces showed they caught the significance. Amelia wasn't just some witch under their protection anymore. He’d essentially claimed her. She was family.
They materialized in Amelia's front yard like avenging angels out of humanity's darkest nightmares. The door hung open. Her wards were shattered. The stench of demon magic fouled the air.
"I’ve got a trail," Rami announced before Camael had a chance to go nuclear. "They're not even trying to hide it."
"It’s a trap," multiple voices said in unison.
Camael's smile would've sent lesser beings running for cover. "Good. I need to vent."
They followed the demonic energy signature through streets still bearing scars from Katrina. Houses stood empty. Their windows were like dead eyes watching their passage. The vibe screamed demon hideout so loud it might as well have had a neon sign.
"There." Cassiel pointed to a particularly decrepit structure. Shadows writhed unnaturally around it. There were sigils of dark power pulsing on its walls. "I'm getting readings off the charts."
Camael signaled his team into position. "Remember. Amelia's safety is priority number one. After that? No mercy."
The battle that followed would've made Michael himself proud. Demons poured out of the woodwork like roacheswhen the lights came on. The Angels of Retribution were ready. Jo and Az became whirlwinds of flaming celestial steel. Their synchronized fighting style was beautiful in its brutality. Mal and Zach rained holy fire from above. Rami and Remi moved like death's shadow through the chaos.
Camael carved a path straight to where he sensed Amelia. His Sword of Light left trails of divine radiance in its wake. Every demon that got in his way learned why the archangels were Heaven's most feared warriors. He found her in what had probably once been a living room. It had been transformed into a chamber of dark ritual. Chains of shadow energy held her suspended. She was surrounded by demons chanting in tongues that would've driven mortals mad.
Their eyes met across the space. The relief in her gaze hit him harder than any demon ever had. "I knew you'd come," she managed. Her voice strained but unbroken.
"Always." The word carried more weight than he'd intended. There wasn't time to analyze it, and he had zero desire to take it back. "Let's get you out of these chains."
"Careful," she warned as he approached. "They're trying to corrupt my power. They want to turn it dark."
That explained the ritual. Rage burned cold in his chest as he raised his sword. "Hold still."
The Sword of Light made short work of the shadow chains. And its divine energy canceled out the corruption. Amelia fell forward. Camael moved swiftly and caught her against his chest. He held her like she belonged there.
"We've really got to stop meeting like this," he quipped, trying to lighten the moment.
She snorted. The sound was pure attitude, even in their situation. "And miss out on this ambiance?” Her smile struck him dumb for a split second. “I tried to hold them off. There were too many after Crocell shattered my wards."
Her admission hit Camael's bloodstream like liquid nitrogen.Crocell hadn't just sent her B-team for this job. The psychotic ex-angel had shown up to direct this clusterfuck personally. Which meant this wasn't some random grab-and-go. This was end-game level shit.
His first instinct was to shield Amelia from the carnage about to go down. But his witch? She was already channeling power that made the air around her crackle like a live wire. Damn, if that didn't make him hot.
