Page 76 of Blood and War
“Relax your body. You’re expending too much energy before the climb.” Kellan’s hand was soft on her arm, pulling her back from the blood thirsty thoughts that had taken over and plagued her. She hadn’t even realized how rigid she’d gone, or the fists that had been clenched tight. Demitria relaxed her hands, fingers already aching. “I will not let anything happen. To you or them.” He reassured her, and gods did she believe him.
With a smile, they pushed on. Over the rocky terrain as they climbed to the biggest obstacle of the trek, aside from whatever lay at the top. Whatever was waiting for them. The only sound she could hear was the drag of her boots across the path. The slipping as rock after rock broke free and she stumbled, only to be steadied with a solid hand at her back.
Much to her surprise, the angels had stayed on foot. Demitria had been sure they would have flown alongside as they hiked. To keep their bodies honed. Primed to fight whatever came at them. To save whatever strength they could, but they walked along with the rest of them. Like a team. Arakiel had said that together, they were the strongest. She just hadn’t realized that had included them as well.
Laylah kept pace with Eire. Meeting her step for step as the Horseman ascended at a godly pace. Her body effortlessly traversed along the rocks. Nimble. Graceful. Demitria hated it. Despised the way she carried herself, as if better than the rest of them. Like she deserved the world, and they were nothing but a smear among it.
Further down the line, Cory and Jace climbed close together. Leaning on the other for support. She was grateful for Cory. Once upon a time, that would have been her up there. Beside Jace. Fighting alongside him. They’d been glued ’o each other's hips for years. How different things had played out. The path she had chosen.
His foot slipped, and she felt herself lurching forward. Knowing that no matter how fast she moved, it still wouldn’t be fast enough. She wouldn’t get there in time. Demitria nearly screamed as Jace tumbled. It was Arakiel who reached him first. Wings carrying him swiftly toward her friend, grabbing hold of his arm before he could plunge down to his death.
Demitria nearly vomited, and was all too grateful for the lack of breakfast that morning. She was trembling as she watched the silent conversation. Jace’s face pale as the angel spoke, then nodded at whatever he'd said. Then he was looking at her. Seeking out her gaze, wanting to make sure she knew he was okay. Wanting nothing more than to embrace him, her body shook slightly.
Family.
Jace was her family, and she’d nearly just lost him. Again.
It reminded her why she was doing this. Why she was choosing to fight and not stay back like he and Kellan had begged her to do. Having lost nearly everyone she cared about, she had vowed to never let that happen again. They’d both made that promise, so many years ago, that they would never feel that pain again. Never know that feeling of truly being alone. Because they always had each other, and nothing would ever change that.
She would kill everything that threatened to break that. Every being that sought out her family. Every creature that so much as looked maliciously at anyone she cared for, she would slaughter them where they stood. Lucifer had played his cards. Had sent his army to eradicate the world.
It was her turn to play hers.
“I’m going ahead.” Eire had turned around, closing in on the rest of them that she’d wandered away from. “Can you feel it?”
“I feel nothing.” Kellan eyed her.
“That’s exactly it. Nothing.” She met the stares of her siblings. The angels. Eire didn’t bother to look at Demitria or her people. “There have been no demons. None of their creatures.”
“Something isn’t right.” Kane agreed.
“It’s a trap.” Kellan had suspected it. From the moment they’d stepped foot on the mountain, he’d known something wasn’t quite right, and told her as such. He’d hoped that his instincts were wrong, but that wasn’t proving to be the case. It had been why he’d been so quiet. So focused. Demitria let the shudder course through her as any hope she’d let herself feel dwindled.
“We don’t break.” Gabriel’s voice was stern. Law. “We stay together. Especially now.”
“I respect you brother, I really do. But don’t force me to go against your will.” Eire’s voice nearly cracked at the thought of it. “If we are to end this here today, we need eyes up ahead. You know that.”
No one spoke as Gabriel debated what to say. What Eire’s next course of action was. They all knew she was right, but was he willing to split them? To send her off into the unknown, when they knew it was a trap?
“We have come too far to turn back now. Failure isn’t an option.” Demitria stepped forward. “At all costs, Lucifer cannot succeed. And if letting her go scout ahead makes the difference in us defeating him, trap or not, we take that chance. No questions asked.”
“Why don’t you send one of your own, before sending mine off to what could be her end.” Gabriel’s voice rumbled throughthe group, but she didn’t back down from his challenge. It was reassuring when Kellan took up beside her. Agreeing with her.
“I’d go myself if I knew it would help us, but we all know where those skills lie. Who would be an asset, and who would falter.”
“I’ll go.” Kellan stepped forward past her.
“No.” Demitria and Gabriel shouted in unison, but it was her arm that reached him first, hand gripped tight to his muscled forearm.
“Eire is the tracker. The scout. She will go.” Gabriel finished when she’d gone quiet. He faced his sister. “You make it up the cliff, and you wait. No farther. Scout the path. Only return if you find something.”
With a nod, she was gone. Disappearing up the path in a near sprint. Energy that she was shocked the female still possessed after the climb they’d already done today. Demitria hated to admit it, but she was jealous at the stamina the female possessed. The skills that made her such an asset to them. But she herself was human. The only thing she’d brought to the group so far had been her stubborn refusal to back down, and her innate pull for finding trouble.
“We should keep moving.” Gabriel spoke, his eyes never leaving the spot where his sibling had been. Watching. Waiting for anything out of the ordinary. Demitria knew what he was feeling right now. The worry. The fear as his family left into the unknown. Because it was exactly how she felt watching Jace make that trek.
He waited only a few moments before resuming his swift pace toward the cliff, the rest of their group keeping pace with him.
It felt like hours had passed before they reached the cliff side. Only then had they decided to take a moment to catch their breath and refuel. The angels handed out small amounts of driedfruits and meat before passing around a few canteens of water. She was grateful for it. That first climb had been brutal, her body was already running on near empty, and that hadn’t even been the worst of the climb. That part was next. She ate anyway. The exertion on her body was enough to chance the sickness that could follow the grueling climb.
