Prologue #2
Shouldering past him, I grabbed Dagon’s eldest brother, Cal. I didn’t trust myself to touch Dagon without doing something stupid.
And I couldn’t touch Dimitri. I never should have in the first place.
Cal didn’t say anything during the thirty seconds it took me to fly him to the front lines. Once I’d deposited my passenger, I waited for the others to arrive.
When they did, I wished I hadn’t waited. If I’d left, I wouldn’t have had to watch Dimitri walk straight up to Lucifer. Watch as he lifted the most dangerous, evil being in existence off the ground and threatened him.
“Touch either of my mates again, and they won’t be the ones being executed. I’ll bring down the entire might of Heaven if needed. You pushed us once, and it didn’t work out well for you.”
I wasn’t sure what had my heart racing faster—seeing Dimitri go toe to toe with Lucifer, or knowing he was doing it to protect his mates.
His mates.
Lucifer sneered at Dimitri. “Who are you to challenge me?”
Thuds echoed through the air as arch after arch hit the ground around us. Rami. Ezekiel. The twins, Theo and Nathanial, together as always. Breann. Grace. And finally, Benji, his eyes ablaze with an uncharacteristic fury.
The Seraphim were gathered. All ten of us.
But after today, we would be down one member. There was no way Heaven would allow Dimitri to remain part of the unit with a demon as his eternal mate. We’d have to take on another. It had been centuries since we’d added to our ranks, but now we’d have no choice. Another would have to join us.
Someone to replace Dimitri. The thought made me want to vomit right here on the field. It might’ve been a long time since Dimitri had truly been part of our unit, but replacing him? Taking that final step, knowing he’d never be ours again?
It was torture.
He never was yours. Not really. He’s always been Dagon’s.
Pushing that thought to the back of my mind, I drew my weapons along with the others. Until told otherwise, Dimitri was one of us.
And we would die protecting him if needed.
Lucifer’s sons had their weapons drawn too. They had more reason than anyone to extract their pound of flesh from their father. I had to imagine their childhoods had been the stuff of literal nightmares. That they’d all turned their backs on Hell was testament to that.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the lines pushing towards us. My eyes widened as I realised that the Uprising currently had the upper hand. Seeing Lucifer being challenged so openly had spurred them on, thinking a win was imminent.
Cursing under my breath, I whipped my head around to call out a warning to Dimitri, but there was no need. Dagon had apparently clocked the same thing I had. He was hauling Dimitri away, hissing something in his ear.
See? He doesn’t need you. He never did.
My inner voice was an utter cunt sometimes.
A low buzzing took up residence in my ears as I signalled for the Seraphim to fall into formation.
We took to the air above the demons, preparing to launch ourselves into the battle.
It was something we’d done a thousand times before, but never before had there been a gap to my right.
A gap where Dimitri should have been fighting.
Now there was, as he took up his rightful place beside his mate.
Ezekiel shot me a look full of too much understanding for my liking.
Without saying a word, he moved closer until the tips of his wings brushed against mine.
This was something we’d been discussing for a while.
With Dimitri’s absences stretching longer and longer, we’d known that Ezekiel would eventually step into his shoes.
I hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.
Forcing my gaze away, I waited until Cal shot forward.
We followed on a tidal wave of power as we unleashed ourselves on the front lines. I stopped trying to suppress my emotions. My fury erupted with every swing of my sword. My heartbreak sang outward alongside every blast of power.
I was a man undone as I slaughtered my way through the lines. I didn’t see the faces of those whose immortality I took, I only saw Dimitri.
His mates.
Dimitri had taken two mates. Given both angels and demons had fated mates, I had to assume that was what had happened.
I’d known for a long time that Dimitri would never be mine, but this was the first time I’d realised how high the odds had been stacked against us. Fate had never intended for him to be mine, yet it had allowed me to fall in love with him all the same.
Fate and I were due a conversation. Until then, I’d satisfy myself with violence.
With the angels involved, it didn’t take long for the tide of the battle to turn. Before I knew it, there was no one left for me to fight. No outlet for me to feed the chaotic emotions into.
The fighting might’ve been done, but the battle wasn’t over, not while Lucifer held the human mates of his sons hostage.
Dimitri landed beside me, whispering the plan in my ear. I focused on the words, rather than the feel of his breath on my ear, the scent of leather and patchouli that seemed to accompany him everywhere.
Fortunately, it didn’t take him long to explain the plan and step away. I sucked in a lungful of sulphuric air, letting it erase the scent of him.
Like anything could do that.
I indicated subtly to the Seraphim, and we all fell into position. We created a barrier around the sons of Lucifer, stopping the other residents of Hell from going to his aid. His control would end today. After this, a new era of peace would dawn.
Even if that hadn’t been the reason I’d come down here, you could fucking bet it would be the excuse I’d give when questioned.
Naturally, Lucifer didn’t go down without a fight, but his strength was nothing compared to the united force we presented. Our shields combined had him backing down as he realised he had nowhere to go.
We were silent witnesses as Lucifer was manipulated into a deal by his sons.
It was a relief to know they would now have control over him—another card in my hand when I had to justify our presence here to the higher-ups.
All of them would prefer one of his sons in charge to Lucifer.
This wasn’t quite that, but it was close enough.
A small commotion erupted by the gates of Hell. A group of higher demons had emerged, their shields held over three humans huddled in the centre.
The mates.
I turned away. This was one reunion I was happy to miss.
Ezekiel popped up at my shoulder. He didn’t say anything. That wasn’t his speed. Instead he leaned against me, offering me his strength and support.
I drew comfort from it. I had Ezekiel. I had the Seraphim. I didn’t need love. I didn’t need Dimitri.
Even if that didn’t stop me wanting him.
Rami joined us, wiping blood off his massive hands onto his trousers. “Why do demons make so much fucking mess?”
I rolled my eyes. “Perhaps if you killed them using your powers or a weapon, you’d be cleaner afterwards.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Theo said as he and Nathanial popped up.
Both of them were in a similar state to Rami, covered in blood and dirt.
They were identical in every detail, from their white hair to their startling lilac eyes.
It was near impossible for anyone outside of the Seraphim to tell them apart.
“We don’t get to play with them that often, so we might as well make the best of… ”
Theo’s voice trailed off as his gaze fell on something over my shoulder. His mouth fell open in shock, the expression mirrored on his twin’s face. Rami, however, only glanced away for a second, before looking back at me in horror.
“What’s wrong?” I demanded, spinning at the same time as Ezekiel to see what had caused this reaction. “What are you—”
My ability to speak was ripped from me. I wasn’t sure what was worse—seeing Dimitri kiss his mates with the heat of a thousand suns…
Or the black wings now sprouting from his back.
Ezekiel sucked in a quick breath. “Dimitri’s fallen.”
I rubbed at my chest, not answering.
“Micah, that means—”
“I know what it means,” I snapped, finally finding my voice. I shot Ez an apologetic look before stalking over to where Dimitri and his mates stood. Behind me, I could feel the other members of the Seraphim fall into line.
All of us knew this was the end. We’d seen it coming long before today, but knowing it was here?
It fucking hurt.
We’d have to say goodbye now. For the first time in centuries, an angel was leaving the Seraphim. And for the first time ever, it wasn’t because their immortality had been stripped away.
No, it was because of love.
See? Love is behind all foolish decisions.
I stood back as the rest of the unit told Dimitri goodbye, silent as everything inside me unravelled. We’d been estranged for a while, but this parting would be final. Sure, we might see each other from time to time, but it would never be like it was before.
This time, everything was different.
I didn’t allow myself to approach Dimitri until the rest of the unit was in the sky. I could feel myself coming apart at the seams. I held my emotions so tightly controlled to try and avoid situations like this.
Situations where my emotions took over, and all reasoning flew out of the window.
There was no stopping it this time. Not with my heart bleeding out of my chest, knowing that this was the final goodbye.
Crossing my arms, I stared at Dimitri’s wings. At the proof of how he’d betrayed our unit. How he’d chosen love over us.
Over me.
I knew what I was about to do was wrong. I fucking knew it, but I couldn’t stop myself. Couldn’t stop myself staring at his wings. Couldn’t think over the roaring in my ears. “Is this what you really want?”
Dimitri’s response was far gentler than I deserved. “It is.”
I inhaled deeply, trying to hold on to my slipping control before it was entirely out of reach. I could do this. I just needed to get through this, and then I could go far away to lick my wounds in peace.