As the flames died out, black bits of charred feathers floated about. The acrid smell of scorched hair hung heavy in the still night. At Samael’s back, only ghostly, skeletal spines remained, like macabre antlers, before they crumbled into ashes. Trapped in the net, Samael’s emaciated form collapsed to the ground in a tangled heap. Next to him, Shaeswayed.
Dagan leaped and grabbed her around the waist. He lowered her to the blackened grass, holding her in his arms. The scorching heat emitting from her singed him. He barelynoticed.
Her entire body glowed like the sun. Blood seeped from hernose.
Shae, go to the place inside you and lock your power down, bring your shields up, baby. C’mon—c’mon, doit!”
I…can’t. So…tired.
Yes, you can, he ground out indesperation.
“Let me.” Nik crouched. Dagan stared blankly at him. Only then did he become aware that the other warriors were there, too. The demons had been destroyed. Nik grabbed hold of both of Shae’s hands and let his power loose. Ice crystalized the very air around them as he infused his own freezing abilities into her, trying to cool her down. But the heat radiating off her just sizzled through, melting the ice, steam hissing into thenight.
“Dammit!” Nik sat back on the grass, breathing hard. “I’m sorry, D-man. Whatever this is, my abilities can’t stopit.”
Dagan, help me—her cry a faint, anguished plea seeped through his mind. Her body shuddered as if convulsing.It hurts so much…I’m burning inside.Her obsidian dagger appeared, hovering between them. The yellow halo surrounding her body glowed even brighter.End it, please, I begyou…
Her words convulsed his heart like a power blast.I cannot, don’t askme!
Michael grabbed the airborne obsidian blade and plunged the deadly dagger into Shae’schest.
Her body jolted. Her mouth opened in a soundlesscry.
“No!”Dagan slammed Michael aside with his mind and yanked the blade out, flinging it away. And watched in horror as her eyelids closed, her heaving chestslowed.
“Shae, no! Please!”he cried, willing his own life force intoher.
Her body wavered, slipped his grasp, becoming luminous as she rose higher and higher…she was dying the way angelsdid.
Grief slid like a sword between his ribs, gouging out his shattering heart. His tortured cry rang out through the trees. And like a wounded animal, he dove for Michael, taking him down, a red haze saturating his thoughts. They both rolled on the ground. Curses erupted, hands tried to pull him off. With his mind, he flung themaside.
“Dammit, Dagan,” Michael grunted, trying to hold him off. “It had to bedone—”
“It wasn’t your fucking choice to make!” His fist smashed into Michael abs. Bones cracked. He didn’t care the archangel wasn’t fightingback.
Michael growled. “Listen to me, you insane son of a bitch—” Dagan plowed his fist into the Arc’s face, cutting off his words. Blood flowed from his splitlip.
“You took her away—took her away from me.” He punched Michael again, anguish tearing at his gut. “Didn’t…give…her…a…chance.” Each word accompanied another blow. “Only she made sense in this fucking messed up life of mine. Now she’sgone—”
Michael shoved him off with a bolt of power, sending him crashing into a tree. “It was so she can liveagain!”
“Bullshit!” Dagan snarled, leaping to hisfeet.
“She’s nephilim. It was the only way,” Michael rasped, pressing a hand to his ribs. “Think, man, think about it. You’re still standing here, aren’t you? Damn, your fucking fists should come with a warningsign!”
No, he was still standing because their fucking soul-joining was tooweak.
“Shae!” Jenna’s voice broke through the deadness inside him. Dagan’s head snapped up. Shae’s body hovered several feet above them in the air. His heart lurched. She hadn’t gone up to the heavensyet?
Jenna broke free of Hedori’s grip. She darted past Dagan, her terrified gaze pinned on her daughter. He barely registered that the female was different, moreresponsive.
“I’m going to anchor her—bring her down.” Michael shot up into the air, reaching for Shae. A wave of power like an inferno exploded out of her, flinging him some distance away—the sheer heat burning the tops of the fir and oak treesnearby.
Her body encased in a white light, swallowed her whole, giving her a ghostly form. Shae’s eyes remained closed. Her head slumped to her chest, her hair floated about her in the swirling power as if she were underwater. Dagan leaped up, fighting through the heat wave singeing his skin and his hair and grabbed her. Another explosion of energy. He flew back, skidded across the ground, scoring the earth like a boulder crashing, jarring every bone in hisbody.
Dagan lay there, staring helplessly at the pulsing white sphere engulfing her, tears blurring his sight.Don’t leave me, Shae-cat. I cannot survive in a world withoutyou.
The tall spiral of light shuddered. Then it began to reform into a shimmering female shape…solidifying.
