Before I could respond, his mouth found mine again. The kiss started tender, as though he intended to worship me, but the moment I responded, something changed. He became fierce, almost frantic, as his arms tightened around me, as his fingersplunged into my hair. I clutched him just as tightly, my arms winding around his neck as I plastered myself against him.
Without a word, his fingers found the fastenings to my leathers, tugging them loose one by one, and I didn’t stop him. There was no universe where I would ever stop him. I fumbled with his ties, growling against his mouth when one of his buckles caught. He chuckled against my lips, then reached down to help me.
Finally, the leather gave way, and I pressed my palms to his heated skin. The tremor that ran through him wasn’t from fear, but from want. My body shook with its own need.
“Lily,” he rasped, breaking the kiss only long enough to breathe my name.
I silenced him with another kiss, pouring everything I couldn’t put into words into that single moment—my fear, my longing, my love. The darkness inside me stirred, but I shoved it down. Not now. Not here. Tonight, I was only his.
We sank down onto the ridge, the stone cool beneath us, the night sky bleeding red above. His hands slid over me, mapping familiar ground like he was memorizing me all over again, as though he knew—like I knew—that this could be our last time.
I wanted to remember everything. The scrape of his stubble against my cheek. The taste of him on my tongue. The way his breath hitched when I touched him just right. Every detail branded itself into me, a litany I’d carry even into death.
If this all ended with me a pile of ash, he would know—without any question or any doubt—how much I loved him. I would show him in every way I could, as many times as it took, until we were both too spent to move.
So I gave myself to him wholly, fiercely, desperately. Not because it was easy. But because it was the only true promise I could keep.
We marched.
But there was no fanfare, no speeches, and certainly no songs. This wasn’t Earth, and hellspawn didn’t need rousing words to drive them forward. They marched to war because theyrevelledin spilling blood. For them, that was motivation enough.
I led from the front, while Rathiel matched my stride on my right. Gorr lumbered along to my left, solid and silent as ever. Mephisar and the dragon flew overhead, their shadows cast over us all. Eliza had asked me if I intended to name him, but I’d just shaken my head. It seemed silly to give him a name when I had no idea what his—or our—future held. For now, he was justDragon. And he seemed perfectly content with that. He was, however, less than content with the tiny menace riding between his horns. Vol had somehow claimed that spot as his personal command post, his arms wrapped around one horn for dear life as he whooped and shouted directions like he was leading this charge. Every so often, Dragon gave a low rumble that sounded suspiciously like a growl, and I couldn’t tell if it was annoyance or regret for not shaking him off when he’d had the chance.
Behind me came Levi, Calyx, Eliza, Calder, Varz—each one a reminder of just how strange this little army of mine had become. Angel, fallen, siren, hellspawn, wyrm, dragon. A mismatched family, to be sure. But one I wouldn’t trade for all the world.
Farther back were Korrak, Rathgor, and Drek’thar. They barked orders as they drove their individual ranks forward in neat blocks, each formation moving like a single beast with a thousand limbs. Among them was Purrgy. I’d tucked my gingerbeast into his carrier and handed him to a venerath with strict orders to put him somewhere safe before battle.
It wasn’t safe to bring him, and I understood that, but I hadn’t wanted to leave him behind at camp. If I failed, if I fell, I wanted to give Rathiel his best chance to escape. Returning to our camp to collect those we’d left behind would only slow him down.
Before we’d left the outpost, I’d sat Vol down and given him strict instructions to protect Purrgy, to find somewhere safe to hide once the battle started. I’d also explained there was a chance I wouldn’t see them again until it was all over—and that was only if I survived. My little imp had puffed up his chest and taken my words seriously for once. It’d made me wonder if Hell was about to freeze over. Which, honestly, I might have preferred because it seemed this realm was determined to make this trek as difficult as possible.
Hours away from the outpost, the ground suddenly grew treacherous. And not just by surprising us with hidden crevices or sinkholes the size of my former apartment, but with sudden tremors. Twice now, the ground shook so hard beneath us that it’d sent my soldiers to their knees. Once, the ground split and a river of molten lava rose from the depths, as though daring us to cross it. That one had required me to expend a little power and bend the ground itself until it swallowed the lava back down.
Every obstacle felt like the realm was trying to prevent us from reaching the palace—except, I knew that wasn’t possible. My connection told me it wasn’t Hell resisting me.
It washim.
Lucifer.
He knew we were coming.
I hadn’t shared that thought with anyone else, but from the looks Rathiel and Levi kept throwing my way, I clearly wasn’t the only one who’d made the connection.
As though mocking me, the ground rumbled again. Strong enough this time to cause a nearby landslide. A few of the hellspawn cursed and muttered their displeasure. I didn’t blame them. This was slowing us down. And I had places to be and a specific evil person to kill.
Then, without warning, the ground ahead split wide, tearing open into a raw, gaping wound.
“Perfect,” Calyx muttered behind me. “What’ll it be this time?”
I braced for lava, the way it had erupted before.
Instead, something else burst free in an explosion of dirt and fire—a hulking, armoured beast with a cavern for a mouth and far too many teeth and claws to count. The second it surfaced, it released a screech sharp enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck.
Another one tore its way up beside it. Then another. And another. The ground practically boiled with movement as more and more of the creatures forced their way through, each one seemingly bigger and meaner looking than the last.
“Holy shit!” Eliza shouted. “What the hell are those things?!”
I had the same question, though I didn’t echo the sentiment out loud. Leaders didn’t have the luxury of panicking. Outwardly, I steadied my stance. But inwardly, I screamed. I’d never seenanythinglike this before.
