I blinked. “He asked you to promise yourself to him? What does that even mean?”
She chuckled again. “I think it’s an angel thing. You know how in romance novels the werewolf couple are always ‘fated?’ I think angels have something similar.”
That didn’tsoundfamiliar to me, but again, I had little to no experience in the romance department when it came to angels. He didn’t follow Heaven’s rules—he’d broken free of their control thousands of years ago.
“He said promising myself would just help us stay together. I thought of it almost like a promise ring. But with words.”
“Okay, then,” I said. Strange how I was born a celestial and still knew so little about my own people.
“I figured I’d wait until after the war to figure it all out. It’s difficult to make plans when we don’t know if we’ll even be alive in a few days.”
I could understand that. Planning for the future was hard enough, but even harder when you weren’t sure if you’d live to see it. I was about to ask a follow-up question when a loud knockrattled the door. It cracked open without permission, and Eliza shot me a clearshut-the-hell-uplook before pasting on a smile.
Levi stepped inside, golden light haloing his frame even in Hell’s gloom. His gaze landed first on Eliza, then drifted to me. “Ladies.”
“So, Captain Halo”—he blinked at my new nickname—“are my soldiers battle-ready?” It wasn’t the real question I wanted to ask, but for now, it’d do.
“As ready as we can hope. We’ll find out when it comes time to face your father.”
“Fair enough,” I said.
“When do you want to march?” he asked.
I contemplated his question, then immediately decided, “In the morning. Let’s give everyone one last night to prepare, then we’ll leave.”
Levi stepped fully inside. “You’ve done well, Lilith. Better than I expected, to be honest. I’m proud of you.”
I blinked.
“You’ve grown into your power in more ways than I ever anticipated,” he continued. “I have faith this rebellion won’t end the same as the last one.”
The words hit harder than I expected. For once, I didn’t feel the need to deflect with a joke. My smile came anyway, unguarded, burning bright in a place that rarely offered me light.
“Thanks, Levi,” I said. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
He inclined his head, but his gaze lingered, steady and unwavering, before shifting back to Eliza. She softened instantly under the weight of it.
I rose from the stone bed. “I’ll leave you two alone,” I said, a smirk tugging at my lips as Eliza’s cheeks flamed all over again.
Purrgy trilled and hopped down to follow me, Vol already mounted on his back. I closed the door behind me, Levi’s wordsstill warm in my chest. I hadn’t realized how badly I’d needed to hear that—that someone was proud of me, instead of worrying about me, or fearing what I was becoming. It bolstered me and filled me with a newfound strength. One that told me I would win this war.
Chapter Twenty-Two
LILY
The outpost buzzed with life,which was ironic, considering where we were. Fires crackled in shallow, hand-dug pits, while soldiers passed around what little brew they’d found inside the outpost and traded war stories like tonight was their last chance to celebrate. With a little luck, it hopefully would be. If we succeeded—ifIsucceeded—Hell would reset. The realm would purge itself of my father’s sickness, and theoretically, the hellspawn would fade back into their soul-forms and begin preparing for their next phase in the afterlife.
My focus strayed to the ruined south wall, where Mephisar lay like a cat draped over the stone edge. The dragon lay stretched out beside him, his black plates catching and reflecting the flickering fires. I wasn’t sure what would happen to all the hellbeasts once I won the war. Some, like Mephisar and the hellcats, were native. But then there was the dragon. Lucifer had purposely bred him. With my father gone, would the dragon cease to exist? He didn’t deserve obliteration, but what else awaited him if Hell reset?
I pulled my attention away from them and slowly trekked through the courtyard. I didn’t stop along the way, but I did lay a hand on a shoulder or two as I passed and gave others a nod here and there.
Korrak’s scarred face cracked into something that resembled a grin when I told him not to drink so much that he forgot which end of the spear was the pointy bit.
Rathgor offered me a strip of something charred that might’ve once been food. I took it but didn’t ask too many questions.
Drek’thar saluted me with a sloshing tankard, then turned back to whatever conversation he and his soldiers were having.
I passed Calder and Sareth, stunned to find them locked in a heated embrace, no care in the world as everyone else looked on and jeered. Varz stood off in the distance, shaking his head at his companions. I chuckled, then moved on, ignoring the many tankards handed my way. I wanted my head clear tonight.
