Screeechof the blades sliding together before locking briefly at the hilts.
“—hear—”
A kick to my chest, robbing me of breath.
I slapped his sword to the side and parried with my own attack, somehow catching my breath enough to keep talking.
“—hear me and honor my faith—”
A burst of energy flew from his hand and nicked me on the cheek.Fuckthat burned, like a hot brand touching skin. I winced but kept focused. Losing focus for even a moment was a death sentence in this fight.
Shit, I’d lost my spot in the spell again. Where had I been?
Zag’druren shot more energy at me. I ducked and twisted, not wanting him to take advantage, but barely avoided his blade. I felt and heard the whistle of the iron through the air as it sang near my ear. Too close for comfort. Especially with the aura his sword gave off.
Sweat beaded my skin, and my muscles ached with accumulating fatigue.
Focus, me. Where had I been in the spell? Fourth line? Sounded right. I couldn’t remember how the fifth line began and mentally started from the very beginning.
Hear me, Zag’druren, King of Demons,
Thou fiend that walketh on mortal plane,
Zag’druren circled me once, three steps, then his sword came up in an arc and slashed diagonally, energy bursting forth in the process. I had no choice but to duck and roll, as getting hit would have killed me. There was no way to block the attack.
He was definitely getting stronger, and I was fucked if he landed a single blow. Last time, we’d laid down all sorts of traps and religious seals in the area to weaken him, and I was strongly reminded of why.
Because otherwise, no mortal man could win the fight.
I recalled the fifth line all of a sudden and spat it out even as I regained my feet. “Descend in thy glory and show thy power—”
Another one of those devastating slashing arcs of power, this one hotter than the last. Not to mention faster. I ducked, rolled,and still felt the scorching heat glance off the armor on my back. Even a fraction of a second later in reaction and I’d have been a dead man. The energy did hit the building behind me, and a quick glance showed a whole corner of the building had been sheared off.
“James, I think you’re slowing,” Zag’druren drawled. “Getting tired, love?”
He wasn’t wrong. Maybe he wasn’t getting faster. Maybe I was tiring as the battle wore on. Or a combination of both. It didn’t matter why—the obvious was happening and I wasn’t winning.
Worse, there were anothernine linesof this damn spell to recite.
Who the hell wrote a spell this long to be used in an active battle?!
Just wait, I’d have words with them. Right after I socked them in the jaw for their stupidity.
Beyond frustrated, knowing my energy waned and I had no time left, I threw my head back and shouted at the heavens, “Will someone just get in me already?!”
Abruptly, I wasn’t in my body.
I blinked, off-balance, because instead of being in a locked battle, I now found myself in the soft grey space I knew well. The waiting space between the mortal plane and Paradise, like I’d been once before.
Oh no. Please tell me I hadn’t died? Edwin would murder me.
The sharp smack of something hitting tile had me spinning around. The same angel I’d bargained with before stood glaring at me.
“I’m not dead, am I?” I demanded in panic.
“No, calm down. Goddess Vuheia took your body to battle Zag’druren. It’s temporary. She’ll be done in a few minutes and then you can return.”
My Goddess of War? Oh hell yeah. She’d do a much better job than I would. I should have expected my own goddess to heed the spell’s call, but what could I say? It hadn’t specified, and I didn’t want to assume. Her possessing me made the most sense, however, since I was her devout follower. Surely that made things easier. I stood there, letting relief wash over me. I wasn’t dead. Thank fuck I wasn’t dead. Edwin would have been very, very mad if I died in battle again. For that matter, I would have been mad. I’d finally gotten married to the man of my dreams, I wanted to actually live out this life at his side.
