Chapter 42
Ansley
I emerge on the other side of the rift in a forest, and I’m shocked by what I see.
There are Fae. Hundreds of them, maybe even thousands. They look similar to humans, but more refined with elegant, sharper features. In some ways, their features remind me of Lucifer’s. Now that I know all Scions are descended from angels, I can see that in the Fae.
One of them steps forward, a woman with full lips, eyes that look slightly too large, and their shade is too violet to be human.
“You must be Ansley,” she says. “I’m Rakel, the one you’ve been speaking with.”
“Rakel,” I put my hand out and greet her with a respectful nod. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face. Let me introduce you to my pack… and my father.”
“I don’t think the angel needs any introduction,” Rakel says. “Hope he’s more than just his looks, though.”
“He is, trust me,” I say. “I’ve seen him fight. If the Crimson Templars don’t know he’s coming, they will have a hard time stopping him.”
“And wolves,” Rakel says, looking over my mates as I introduce them. “Our kinds were allies long ago.”
“I still consider the Fae allies,” Hayden steps up to my side. “When I was younger, I spent time in the Fae courts near Chicago.”
“Ah, yes, I remember them,” Rakel says, some sadness in her eyes. “They did not survive the Crimson Templars, but they fought hard, just like we will today.”
“Have other Scions arrived?” I ask. “Wait. They’re close. I can sense them. A lot of Scions.”
“Yes, my brothers and sisters are helping them prepare for battle,” Rakel explains. “Are we still going with the plan we discussed.”
“As long as your rifts will work, then yes,” I confirm. “The Fae go in first, open the rifts, and then the rest of us come through. If we can take them by surprise, then we won’t risk as many lives.”
“There’s a clearing on the other side of the forest. Wait for us there. That’s where the rifts will open,” Rakel says, pointing out the direction we should go.
We push through the forest, under the watchful eye of hundreds of Fae.
Not all are warriors. This appears to be a refuge for the Fae, right under the Vatican’s nose.
They’re risking a lot to help us. I see a number of Fae children around.
With any luck, they’ll have a better world when this is over, just like Joanna will.
When we walk into the clearing, I’m even more amazed. There are Scions as far as I can see. Lucifer takes flight, surveys the scene, and lands next to me.
“Your army answered your call, daughter,” Lucifer says proudly. “This is a fight we can win.”
“We’ve got a plan. We just have to wait for the Fae to open the rifts,” I reply, looking around at my pack.
“I will fly ahead,” Lucifer says unexpectedly. “If the Crimson Templars spot me, they won’t have time to react when the rifts start appearing. It’ll draw their attention.”
“No, that’s not the plan,” I argue, shaking my head. “You can go through the rift, just like we do. Wouldn’t it be better to catch them completely by surprise? That’s what we discussed.”
“Yes, but it’s still dangerous. If they spot the Fae, they’ll have plenty of time to prepare before the rest of us can get through,” Lucifer says. “I will not take an unnecessary risk, daughter. Your plan is good. I’ll help you execute it.”
I want to argue, but he seems to have made up his mind.
I also can’t really disagree with his logic.
This plan hinges on the Fae being able to open enough rifts for us to come through with a large army the Crimson Templars aren’t prepared for.
If they spot the Fae or start killing them before they can open the rifts, the plan could fall apart.
“Please be careful,” I plead, looking up at my father. “Wait for us before you attack. Promise me, Father.”
He stares at me for a long few seconds and I see the emotion in his eyes at my use of the word that defines him for me. “I will,” he rumbles, then he leaps into the air and streaks across the sky.
“Ready, mate?” Hayden gently slides his arm around my waist and pulls me close.
“As ready as I’m going to be,” I reply.
“No matter what, we stick together,” Jaxton growls. “Just like when we fought the vampires. Fan out, protect Ansley, and kill as many of those fuckers as we can.”
“If one of us falls, don’t stop fighting,” Remy speaks the words we don’t want to hear. “We all understand the risk. We all understand the danger. If we go down, we go down fighting.”
“With as many Scions as there are here, I think we’ve got plenty of backup,” Wyatt brings his gentle positivity to the moment. “I even saw a pride of lion shifters. Didn’t even realize there were any of those still around.”
“Probably a lot of Scions here we thought were extinct,” Hayden says. “Even Morgan said he would be here.”
“Maybe we’ll run into him inside,” Storm says. “Look, a rift is opening.”
“I think it’s about time for you to do that trick with your sword,” Remy says, gesturing to me.
“Right,” I breathe, turning to my mates.
I still haven’t learned to absorb my sword like Lucifer does, but I can summon the Viking Warrior Princess, as Daisy called Thyra before I knew her name.
I close my eyes, focus, and my sword ignites.
Red appears in my hair as I transform in size and stature, borrowing strength from the soul inside me.
I open my eyes, clutching my flaming sword, and see my mates staring at me, partially in awe, but with the same love in their eyes I’ve grown to recognize.
A seam of light appears and then splits the air near us. Then other rifts begin opening in the clearing and based on how many I can see in the distance, there should be enough for everyone. We’re bringing an army straight into the heart of the Vatican’s.
“Let’s do this,” Hayden growls, shifting into his Natural Wolf. I raise my flaming sword as a signal to all the other Scions and follow my mates into hell with the sound of a Scion army behind me.
When I emerge, I’m directly behind a row of Crimson Templars who are aiming large ballista type weapons at the sky. They look like modified versions of the ancient Greek crossbows, and the projectiles have the same red tint as the swords and bullets the Crimson Templars use.
We’re on the ledge overlooking St. Peter’s Square. We’ve definitely caught the Crimson Templars by surprise, but they’re not defenseless.
“Kill the angel! Kill the angel!” a Crimson Templar screams.
I look up and see my father. He’s hovering in the sky, watching them aim their weapons at him. A ballista fires, and he zips out of the way. Another fires and he does the same. The metal-tipped bolt whizzes by but he avoids it, just like the first.
“He’s got their attention,” I tell my pack through our mental connection. “Let’s wipe out the weapons.”
I rush the row of ballistae with my mates by my side.
Jaxton tears a head off. Hayden does the same.
I cleave one right off their shoulders, my fiery blade finding the soft spot between their armor and helmet.
Wyatt and Storm tackle a Templar and Remy finishes him, a gurgled gasp the only sound the Templar makes.
I glance to my right and see Scions fighting Templars near the Vatican entrance. Some of the Crimson Templars are firing rifles. Others are wading into battle with swords drawn. Scions fall, but there are so many of us, they’re quickly replaced, and they overwhelm the ones blocking the door.
“The other Scions are going inside,” I say, attacking another ballista wielder.
“We’ll join them shortly,” Wyatt growls.
Lucifer continues zipping and dodging the projectiles and it gets easier once there aren’t as many. We finish off the last of the Templars that are firing at him. That gives him an opening to sweep down, effectively cleave through several Templars, and take to the sky again.
As soon as he does, I see ballistae being pushed to the edge of the ledge across from us.
“Lucifer, look out!” I transmit, pointing in the direction of the ballistae.
Several bolts are fired into the sky and Lucifer spins around in time to dodge them. My pack rushes along the ledge, tearing through Templars as we try to get to the other row of ballistae. Once those are down, Lucifer will be able to land and do some real damage.
A bolt fires and I look up, expecting my father to dodge, but his attention is on another projectile.
He dodges that one, but the other hits his right wing and lodges in it.
Feathers fly and blood stains his snow-white wing.
Lucifer lets out a scream of pain, flaps his wings, but before he can move, another bolt hits him.
“We have to help him!” I transmit to my pack as we push ahead.
I behead a Templar, my sword nearly cauterizing his neck as I do. I look up and see Lucifer spinning, then he starts falling towards the ground. Panic surges through me, but there’s no way I can get to him. There are too many Templars between us.
“They’re going to kill him! No! Nooo!” I scream.
“Fuck this,” Jaxton roars. “Remy, let’s go!”
Jaxton and Remy break away in a wild sprint.
The rest of us maul our way through the knights, Hayden grunting as he gets hit with a couple of bullets, but they are not enough to down him.
It’s easier to fight the Crimson Templars in this narrow space.
They don’t have room to maneuver or get clean shots.
I look over to see Remy and my thousand-pound Jaxton soaring through the air.
It almost looks like they’re flying. Lucifer is now on the ground.
He’s managed to get the projectile out of his wing, but he’s bleeding and stumbling.
Right as the Templars get their ballistae aimed at Lucifer, Remy and Jaxton land beside them.
Instead of attacking the Templars, they start destroying the ballistae.
“Are you okay?” I frantically transmit to Lucifer.
“Yes, daughter. I am not mortally wounded. I just need a little time to heal,” Lucifer replies.
“You’ll have it,” I promise.