Page 53 of Blood and War
“Have you spoken with Gabriel at all? About the council?”
“No,” Kellan shook his head. “It’s useless at this point.” He reined the fiery red mount in beneath him, slowing the stallion’s gait further before patting his sleek, muscled neck. “I know what I saw, and they refused my summons. Something more is going on here, and I will get to the bottom of it.”
“Because of Lucifer?” Kellan had been avoiding the name, and he eyed his brother wearily.
“Especially because of him.” His gaze traveled toward the girl before him. Waiting for her to turn around. When she didn’t, he continued. “If what the demon lord said is true, he needs to be dealt with. Eliminated.”
“I agree.” Kane nodded, pulling the pale cloak over his head as those icy-blue eyes seemed to look through him. “We need to talk.”
Kellan had been dreading those words. Had hoped that the others wouldn’t pry, but if it had to be any of them, he supposed Kane was the best-case scenario. “About?”
“You already know.”
“Unfortunately.” He sighed. “Please, tell me how much of a fuck up I am.” He shouldn’t have laughed at the thought, but he couldn’t help it. Kellan had truly, royally, fucked this assignment up so bad, he didn’t think there was any coming back from it.
Kane fixed his gaze on Demitria. “I saw you the other night.” Gods help him. “Are you mad?” Yes. Yes, he was indefinitely mad. Crazed. An absolute idiot. He could name off many things, and he was every single one of them.
“I think I’d rather talk to Gabriel about the council and Lucifer.”
“Human, Kellan. The girl is human.” He knew that, too. As if it hadn’t been painfully obvious.
Gripping the bridge of his nose, he tore his gaze away from her. “Look…the concern is touching. Truly, but I think we have bigger things at hand, here.” Like an entire fucking war about to befall this planet?
The council wanted balance, not an annihilation. And if they didn’t stop Lucifer? That was exactly what would happen.
Defeated, knowing Kellan had been right, Kane sighed. “I know, brother. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
He didn’t.
Thirty-Two
DEMITRIA
Her fault. She blamed herself.
Jace was dead because of her. It repeated over and over again in her mind.
Her fault.
Beneath her, Atlas mimicked her every mood. The horse was sullen. Quiet. His feet almost dragging along the ground as they rode. Understanding the loss she had suffered. Jace’s blood was on her hands. All of theirs. Stella, Cory, Evan… they’d all died because the demons had come for her.
She’d wished the Horsemen hadn’t rescued her in that cave. They should have let her die. Let her soul break, and fed it to the Dark King, whoever the fuck that was supposed to be. It would have prevented all this. Could have saved the lives of those she’d lost.
The jacket hung heavy on her shoulders. Weighed her down. She didn’t care. It still smelled like him. He’d always had that soft scent of mint around him, and the jacket was no different. Like it had been pressed into the leather. Worked its way through every fiber until it was wafting through her. Taking over every sense she possessed.
Jace.
It was all she could think about. His face. His smile. His laugh. Oh gods, his laugh. She loved it. Loved every damn part of him. No matter how mad she was, how far down she’d fallen, he’d always been there. Waiting. Waiting to pull her back up again.
But he wouldn’t be there. Not this time. There was no coming back from this one. Never again would she hear him speak. Never hear the melodious sound of his voice as he softly hummed to himself when he thought no one was listening. Always some old rock song from before the Ascension. One their fathers would always have blaring through a speaker in a backyard filled with green grass as they played. As they laughed without a care in the world.Never again.
It had been ten days since she’d run from the community. Ten days since she’d seen his face. Four since she’d learned of his death. She took back every word she’d said about him. Every curse. Every damning thought she’d ever had about him, she took it back. She took it all back, like somehow, it would change things. Change everything.
She never got to say goodbye. Didn’t get to see him one last time. His body could be anywhere. Eaten by those fucking creatures, or burned within the flames. Lost to the world. Lost toher. Lifting her eyes toward the bright afternoon sun, she blinked. Once. Twice. The tears welled in her eyes once more. Never ending. They never stopped. The pain never stopped.
Her fingers trembled along the reins. Focusing on their detail as she’d done so many times before when she’d been mad. Mad at him. But this time was different. The anger was placed solely on herself. She wouldn’t even be here if she hadn’t insisted on doing patrol some weeks back. Maybe if she’d just been there, she could have made a difference. Plead for their lives. His life. But they’d never been known to show mercy, either. At least ifshe’d been there, they could have died fighting side by side, and no longer would she feel this agony inside her chest.
The demons could all go to hell. Or was that what the Horsemen were trying to do anyway? Send them back there? She didn’t know. Didn’t care. They were the ones who had invaded her home first. Before the angels who had undoubtedly followed not soon after, but none of that mattered anymore. The humans hadn’t attacked first.Shehadn’t attacked them first.
