I could feel his wings, curled tight between us. I had moments before he lost the fight against the witch’s spell and used them to throw me off of him. “Kill me,” he ground out.
“I’m sorry.” I clamped his head in my hands and twisted, my stomach churning as he slumped to the ground. I was panting as I climbed off him, and my eyes met Vas’ as he landed next to me, his face white.
The demon on the ground let out a growl, but he could heal a broken neck once he was safely locked away in Samael’s dungeon.
He moved, slowly pushing up with his hands. My mouth fell open. His elbow and his neck were both broken. How the hell was his body still functioning?
I moved a few feet to the right, giving both Vas and me room to move. The demon’s eyes met mine as he attempted to get to his knees, but he couldn’t quite make it, falling back onto his face. He was done.
The demon turned his head from where it rested on the ground and gazed past me, pure relief sweeping across his face. I turned. Samael had landed.
And the expression on his face was wrath incarnate.
The demon magic previously hiding his wings had disappeared. I inhaled so sharply I choked.
I didn’t know if he’d dropped the magic purposefully— or if he was so infuriated he lost control. Either way, my blood froze as I stared at his wings. It was now incredibly evident why he kept them hidden.
I smelled sulfur, burning coal, and smoke. Samael’s wings flared, spanning what had to be close to fifteen feet. I’d thought them soft and welcoming. In my weakest moments, I’d imagined stroking them with my fingertips.
There was nothing soft about them now. Samael’s wings were so dark they seemed to suck in the light, a glossy obsidian that lightened to charcoal in places.
Sparks fell from the bottom of his wings, flaming out before they could hit the ground. If Samael turned and breathed fire, I wouldn’t be at all surprised.
I glanced at the road, where a group of humans were holding up their phones, faces pale as they recorded us.Thiswas why demons chose to keep their wings hidden. Because if humans and witches could see demons in their true form, they’d see through their carefully cultivated reputation as benevolent rulers and to the reality beneath.
The demon on the ground let out a rough gasp and I opened my mouth to reassure him.
His head exploded.
I flinched and slowly turned until my eyes met Samael’s. Shadows twisted around him.
I glanced from him to the demon. “Goddamn it, Samael. He can’t heal that!”
Talk about stating the obvious. My heart hurt at the waste of it. Meanwhile, the people who’d stopped to gape at the fight promptly tripped over each other as they scattered, running for their lives.
“Inside, witchling.” Samael’s face was blank, his voice quiet. Controlled.
I glanced from him to the demon, and my eyes stung. The guy hadn’t wanted to hurt me. I opened my mouth, but a cutting look from Samael made me slam it closed. He stared past me at the body, and my chest clenched.
My shoulders slumped, my hands still shaking from the remaining adrenaline. Vas appeared next to me, and I allowed him to take my arm, escorting me into the tower. My neck prickled at the eyes on me from all directions.
A group of demons landed, surrounding the few humans who’d been brave enough to keep recording. The humans handed over their phones without a word and hightailed it away from the tower.
We stepped into the lobby, everyone silent as we walked past. Lilith stood a few feet from the entrance, white-faced and trembling with fury. Her eyes met mine for one fraught moment, and I tensed. She’d known the demon. And she was suppressing the urge to kill me. She turned away and I let out a shaky breath. If it came down to a fight between me andtheLilith, I knew who was walking away, and it wasn’t me.
Bitterness coated my tongue. The demon hadn’t needed to die. But with so many witnesses, Samael had decided to make an example of him. The guy may have been under a compulsion, but the world would simply see an out-of-control demon. A demon who Samael had put down. His world was full of shitty choices.
We entered the elevator. Next to me, Vas was silent, and I glanced at him. He slowly turned his head.
“What was his name?” I asked.
Sorrow swept over Vas’ face. “Ramiel.”
It was worse knowing his name. But he deserved that at least.
Vas shifted. “I’m sorry for leaving you.”
“I told you to. No one could’ve seen this coming.”
