Chapter 39
Thirty-Nine
Light trails radiated from a single location, painting the skyline with a sunburst of red and gold. Michaels flew toward it; his white shimmering wings stretched wide. He’d expected to be led to the museum, but the hottest signature of all diverted him away and into a gated garden off Royal Crescent, a mile or more away.
Michaels touched down in the amber heat glow, already spying Lucien from the air. The Reaver strode back and forth with frenzied energy, eyes shadowy and wild. Dark wings were partially extended on his back, the sharp suit Michaels had seen in the CCTV footage replaced by a shifting darkness from the waist down and a naked muscular torso above. Lucien’s rippling body steamed in the freezing air. He was transformed and manic.
Michaels gaped at him. It was recognizably Lucien, but now so much more. It was Lucien multiplied by a thousand—a flashback to what he used to be but made more terrible.
“Angel,” Lucien called out, “So glad you could join me.” He extended a hand and expelled a shock of energy, which knocked Michaels back on the shoulder.
The Angel righted himself and scowled back. “What have you done, Lucien?”
Lucien grinned broadly, then licked his lips with a blackened tongue. “So delicious. You really should have a had a go.” He sighed a mock sigh. “Too late now, of course.”
Michaels narrowed his eyes and spat the same binding spell he’d used in the Museum to teach Lucien some manners.
Lucien flinched and clutched at his neck, writhed in mock agony, then straightened to drop his arms to his sides. “Oh, now would you look at that?” He ran a hand over the clear olive skin of his rune-free chest. “No burning brand. It’s almost like you’ve got no hold over me.”
Michaels swallowed hard. “What have you done, Lucien?” he repeated.
Lucien rolled his shoulders and pushed both hands out at Michaels. The shockwave took him off his feet this time. Lucien giggled like a child.
“I’m a free, Angel. No more doing the bidding of the council. No more paying for my crime .” He flicked imaginary quote marks into the air and curled his lip.
Michaels growled and took a step forward, muttering low “ Adolebit tibi peccata. ”
Lucien laughed again. He was maddening. “Haven’t you got it yet? I’m unbound. I used the girl to channel the greatest power in the universe and broke the council’s curse. Even they aren’t stronger than the sun.”
“No one could withstand that.” Michaels’ mind raced, searching for a loophole. “The human body is too frail.”
“The human body, perhaps.” Lucien flexed his back and the muscles of his chest grew more defined. The power of the sun had only served to make him stronger. “Speaking as a celestial, I’d say I found it quite invigorating.” He rushed at Michaels, moving impossibly fast, to scoop him up by the neck, and lift them off the ground to take them both high into the air.
Michaels struggled, trying to free himself. Lucien was out of reach.
“I had to get her to agree, of course,” Lucien said off-handedly, “Rituals are annoyingly specific like that. She had to sacrifice herself for love. Ironic really.”
“No,” Michaels gasped. He kicked out at Lucien and caught him in the jaw—a surprise that distracted him long enough for Micheals to expand his aura to include Lucien. Bright white and blinding, Lucien flinched, and Micheals took his chance to dive inside his adversary’s mind.
The first thing he saw was Eve, naked and writhing on the floor. Lucien’s lust for freedom overpowered everything else as he thrust his cock into her over and over. Not sex born of love, but an expression of supremacy.
“That’s a memory to conjure with. You can have that for free,” Lucien drawled.
Michaels recoiled. “Why would she let you?” He saw the ribbons of energy snaking from the rune carved in her chest into his.
“Didn’t you hear?” He pulled a face of mocking condescension. “We are lovers lost in time.”
“What? What’s this fantasy?”
“I made up a story. It was pretty convincing—used all the old gods. Even had myself going for a while. There’s something in her ancestry, a legacy of Ishtar.”
“The star, I know.”
“I couldn’t fucking believe my luck when I realized. Of course, we all know there are Nephilim, offspring of the gods, running around. A hundred times removed or whatever the fuck it is, because they’re allowed.” He sneered at the word. “Rather poetic to use one to set myself free, don’t you think? One rule for them and another for everyone else. Fuck them.”
He tossed Michaels’ body aside, who came back to himself as he hit the ground.
“I showed her she was special, and she believed my story like that.” He snapped his fingers. “But she didn’t know why,” Lucien spat. “She wanted it to be true. It was easy.”
Michaels roared with rage and rushed at Lucien, pushing up from the ground with righteous fury. He slammed into Lucien and the air between them burst with fire. “You cannot exploit them to meet your own ends. It’s our prime directive. Our purpose on earth is to protect, not destroy. She’s one of the meek, whatever her ancestry.”
Lucien projected a wave of energy like a detonation to blast Michaels away. Michaels leaned in to fight against it, clawing his way through the viscous air to crawl his way back.
“I can’t let you be free, Lucien,” he croaked. The effort of battle was immense, depleting even Michaels’ vast reserves. He dug deep. If he could touch him, there was a chance he could cast his own binding. Lucien was strong, stronger than he’d been before the Celestial Council had put their shackles on him. Taking Lucien down could mean the end of them both.
Michaels focused his aura, and it flared brightly with an intensity that made Lucien cower. The dark angel tried to repel him, but his shields weakened under the furious attack, and Michaels broke through. Forcing his way into Lucien’s consciousness.
He saw Eve again then, collapsed on the wooden floor. Blood pooled around her. Her ravaged body twisted by pain. She lay still.
“Reaver!” Micheals yelled, incensed by what he saw, “I can’t let you get away with this.” He gripped at the lifelines he felt inside Lucien tore at them. Even from inside his mind, Micheals felt Lucien stumble. Indecision washed over the internal landscape. Fear. Fury. Determination.
Michaels hit out again, severing a vital connection. If he kept this up he could weaken him. Lucien wasn’t invincible. Michaels could feel it.
“How long with this take you, Angel?” Lucien drawled. He wasn’t laughing anymore, but the insolence remained.
“As long as it takes. I’ll never give up.”
“How much time do you think she has?” Lucien murmured.
Michaels faltered. “Time?”
The ravaged body was crumpled and small, but the tiniest of movements lifted her chest. “Still alive,” Michaels whispered.
“Still alive.” A sigh of satisfaction washed through Lucien’s thoughts. “You can stay here, picking pieces off me. You never know, it might work. Or go to save her, your wounded dove. Your choice.”
Michaels froze. He was making headway, but who knew how long it would take to bring Lucien under control, if he could manage it at all? The girl lived. Every instinct told him to go to her. Every written and unwritten law alike said it was his duty to save her. Michaels seethed at the thought of letting Lucien go. He had no choice.
“This isn’t over,” Michaels said and snapped out of Lucien’s consciousness.