Page 72 of Blood and War
“What do you suggest as a strategy?” Gabriel asked, analyzing the room as he did so.
“The blood moon approaches in one week. Lucifer must be stopped before then. We have little time to prepare. We will provide air support and cover to those on the ground. I suggest you four lead the charge withher.” He turned his gaze back to her, and all she could do is nod. “We will not have the element of surprise, but we have sheer force. Lucifer will be waiting in the open. Do not take him on alone. We ride out in the morning.” Heart already hammering in her chest, it nearly stopped at the angel's proclamation. Having known they would be leaving soon shouldn’t have surprised her. But morning? She thought they’d have at least a bit more time than that.
“And what of your plan for us once we reach the summit?” Jace casually asked from the back of the room. He’d been silent, leaning against a wooden bookcase as he and Cory listened. “We don’t have the…abilities that the others do. What is our plan?”
There had been no set plan that Demitria was aware of. Neither of them knew what to expect up there, or what they’d be walking into. There was no enemy count. No assessing the situation before storming in. They were going in blind. The only thing any of them knew was Lucifer had to die at whatever cost.That was the plan.
“We kill Lucifer however we can.” Gabriel’s voice had quieted, and Demitria could feel the apprehension in it. He was nervous. Something she hadn’t ever seen on him. The Horseman of Death was scared, and that terrified her. She didn’t know about the fallen angel. About the history between he and Kellan. She’d ask if either of them made it out alive.
At the table, Arakiel went into conversation about the path they would take. Which direction to follow, and which turns to avoid. He mapped out the safest route, reciting each landmark until it had been drilled into their minds. By the end of it, Demitria knew the way like the back of her hand. She could close her eyes and almost picture it. The winding, rocky path up themountain. The sheer cliff surface she’d have to climb in order to reach the next landmark. It scared her to no end that this was the safest route possible. Voicing her concern now, after gaining the support of those in the room, would be stupid and unwanted, so she kept it to herself.
“So, everything has been decided then?” Kane asked. His face had permanently hardened. Unhappy with the outcome. He was on his feet as he addressed the group. “This meeting is over.” He walked out of the room, and didn’t stop until he reached the front door, slamming it shut behind him.
The chairs scraped along the floor as the others followed suit, filing out of the space after him. Each going their respective ways to live out what could very well be their final night.
Demitria was nearly the last to leave. She’d hoped to have a word with Jace and Cory before the morning, but the two had fled the instant Kane ended the meeting. Hunting them down was always an option, but giving Jace the night to cool down would maybe be for the best. Besides, no one had really come up with a concrete plan for tomorrow. There wasn’t anything to talk about.
“Would you care to take a walk?” Kellan called to her halfway down the hall. His hand light on her arm. Stopping, her eyes met his, the tug of a smile edging along her lips as that familiar pull ignited within her. “Unless you have other plans…”
“None at all.” She couldn’t hide the smile any longer, the toothy grin taking over. “Come on.”
The house was silenced by the oncoming battle. The stakes were high. Not a soul wanted to lose this war. It wasn’t an option, but failure was something that floated through even the strongest of minds. Gnawing its way through any tendril of hope that remained.
More silence filled the night air as they emerged from the house, aside from the low coo of an animal hiding in thedistance. Someone had placed a few lanterns around the massive house, the soft glow illuminating the overgrown path as the embers burned. It was peaceful, in a way. Fitting for what could potentially be their last night. One last moment to enjoy the small beauty of their world, and the warm breeze that blew through the yard.
They wandered the property for an hour. She should have been nervous being so out in the open, but with him she felt nearly invincible. Like nothing could touch her out here. They walked, following along the fence line until they reached the large building at the back of the property. The one Demitria had spotted from her room. It must have been a greenhouse before the war, she realized. Glass walls from floor to ceiling. She couldn’t see inside. Whatever they had been growing had taken off. Grown out of control. The glass cracked and broken in spots where trees had blown through the roof. So much life her heart hammered in her chest at the sight of it. Ten years, and she hadn’t seen even close to this muchgreen. She motioned for him to follow before breaking her way inside.
They shoved through the foliage. Ducking under branches as they climbed through the broken doorway, and emerged into a treed oasis. The building inside was even warmer, despite the broken glass that let in the outside air. With a grin, she took his hand, pulling him further to explore. Kellan didn’t hesitate.
Pushing through another set of heavy greenery, they emerged into an area with a floor made of river stone, and her breath caught in her throat. She never thought she’d see anything like it again in her lifetime. Slipping her hand from his, she sat along the edge of the water.
Hidden oasis indeed.
Whoever had owned this estate before the war had turned their greenhouse into a hidden, now overgrown, pool. The water, to her surprise, was nearly clear. And if she rememberedcorrectly, it was partly due to the water lilies floating around among the other plants thriving. It was breathtaking. Mesmerizing, and it called to her. A familiar feeling of a past memory. A past life.
She shook her long hair free from its braid as Kellan took a seat beside her. Happy for the other’s company. Neither one of them wanted to be alone tonight.
“So, tell me. What is it like? You must have seen so many places. Witnessed so many battles, and just…” Demitria’s voice carried off. She wanted to know so much. Whatever Kellan was willing to tell her, she was interested in it all. He’d been to other worlds, and met so many kinds of beings. The sheer thought of what else could potentially be out there intrigued her to no end. His home. Eden. She wanted to know it all.
Kellan shook his head and smiled as he leaned back, softly laying back along the cool stones as he turned to focus on the night sky through the broken panes above, stars shining as they illuminated the greenhouse. “It’s different from here, but not as interesting. I’ve seen bloodshed. Done so many things I’m not proud of…” Kellan let his own voice trail off into nothing as a haunted looked took hold of his features.
“Withhim?” She didn’t dare say his name. Not when Kellan looked so vulnerable. So wounded at the things he’d done. He just nodded. “I don’t want to push you if you can’t talk about it. About what happened?—”
Kellan stayed silent, as if reluctant to speak his truth. Rolling over to his side, he faced her. She was still sitting straight up, watching him with the softest expression.
“For thousands of years I was under his control. Unable to make my own decisions. I was a monster. A murderer.” He sighed, but continued. “I was his prized warrior. The general of his army. His right hand. I killed for sport. Killed because I liked the way it felt to hold someone’s life in my hands, and be theone to end it. Seeing the panic and pain in their eyes as they slowly died.” Kellan stared at his hands like he could still see them coated in the blood of the beings he’d slain. “He stole from me what little humanity I had left. Took every choice I had, and turned me into the monster that he wanted.”
“That wasn’t you.” She whispered, reaching over and resting a soft hand atop his own. “The things you did. The beings he made you hurt. It wasn’t you.”
“How can you say that when you weren’t even there.” Kellan moved to pull from her hand, but stopped himself. Yet still, that look haunted him. Haunted her, as the Horseman before her seemed so vulnerable. So wounded, like he might break. “Every life lost at my own hands was my fault.”
Demitria moved before he could register it, the weight of her body shifted down on him as she sat in his lap. With soft hands, she cupped his face, holding him as she stared into his eyes like no one else in the world existed. “I don’t blame you. For any of it. For the things you did when you had no control over yourself. Right here and now, showing me this side, I know that it wasn’t you.”
Finally, Kellan let the smile creep along his face, azure eyes brightening as she leaned in closer, her breath ghosting across his face.
She smiled at him, and then she was gone, leaving him blinking up in the spot she’d just been.
Demitria stood at the edge of the water. “Would it be bad if I wanted to just jump in?” Her gaze slowly fell to his. To the puzzled expression that adorned his features. She couldn’t help but chuckle. How easily her mind had wandered. But she was shaking. Trembling. Her body begging her to go back to him. To that touch.
