Chapter 11 #2
The sound seemed to give Frankie a second wind.
She cackled and her magic quadrupled. It was a wall of golden light, a wave of Heavenly power burning the castle down inch-by-inch.
Asmodeus and Reuelle flew up into the morning sky, dragging Azazel and Soneillon with them by the figurative scruff on the backs of their necks.
The Unseelie’s magic shot out of the castle in its black-smoke dragon form, yet those monsters disintegrated the moment they touched Heavenly power.
There was only one section of the castle left standing above ground, with only the tiniest sliver of protection from the sun .
. . and that was where Sweyn stood. Her face was pale and stricken, her red eyes wide in horror.
It was a look I’d never seen on her face and quite liked. She was breathing heavy and hard.
Frankie dropped her magic and her arms, then jumped to both feet.
Sweyn staggered back. “Celina?” Her voice was soft and weak with shock.
“Glad to see you remember my face,” Frankie—Celina—growled back. Her magic was still coiled in her palms, ready to strike in the blink of an eye.
Sweyn shook her head. She lifted her hand to point at Frankie, but the sunshine set her skin aflame instantly. She hissed and yanked it back into the shadows, all without taking her eyes off the angel in gold before her. “I killed you eight hundred years ago.”
“Is that what you think happened?” Frankie chuckled and took a few steps closer, which made Riah, Tenn, and Tegan move forward as well.
“I sacrificed myself to save the world from your toxins. It is because of me that war ended. It’s because of me you lost and were exiled to the bitter tundra of Avolire.
And it is because of me your greatest weapon has been betraying and manipulating you ever since. ”
Sweyn narrowed her red eyes. “Everest? You’re the one who turned him against us? How? Did you hold his soulmate ransom or something?”
“I am his soulmate!” Frankie shouted. She took a step forward and she was suddenly Frankie again, with the hot-pink hair and red ballgown.
The next step she took, she was a dark-haired female who spoke in Spanish but I didn’t catch the words.
When she took another step, she was Celina again just as she was when we arrived.
“I am the bane of your existence, and I intend to be the one to end it.”
Sweyn’s whole face fell. “No . . .”
“I can kill you right now, rip your bones from your flesh and let your ticks feast on your toxic blood while the sun bakes their bodies into ash . . . or you can give me my husband and live to die another day.”
Sweyn flinched. “Your husband . . . your soulmate . . .”
“There are consequences for angels who betray Heaven’s rules,” Frankie spoke sternly. “But I will break every single one with a smile and face my punishment with glory if you don’t give him to me right now.”
Sweyn shook her head. “You can destroy everything within these walls, but you won’t kill me. What would Michael do to you if you did? Angels don’t interfere with Earth’s wars—”
“What army would you face The Coven with if I kill them all right now? Lucifer likes me . . . I assure you he’ll put in a good word.” Frankie gestured to Tenn and Tegan over her left shoulder. “What army of fresh baby ticklings could you raise and train fast enough to stop them from killing you?”
Sweyn’s eyes widened. She glanced to the power couple Coven Leaders, then back to Frankie. “Not much incentive to give him back.”
“Nothing in the sun’s daylight could stop me from killing you right now.” Frankie shrugged and held her magic up. “Give. Me. Everest. NOW.”
“NO!” Sweyn screamed.
Frankie blasted her with Heavenly power. Auryn squeezed me tight, her heart pounding in her chest. I felt her soul panic. Riah stepped in front of us and held his arm out to stop us from moving forward. Sweyn’s screams grew high-pitched—and a little distant.
There was a rumble and a flash of red light . . . and then Everest rolled out onto the snow.
Frankie gasped and dropped her arms. “EVEREST,” she breathed and rushed to him.
Sweyn was nowhere in sight. There wasn’t a single wall of the castle left standing, just one archway that had to have led to the underground living quarters where the vampires were hiding.
Auryn cried and sagged against me, so I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.
Riah sighed with relief and eased his stance.
Everest landed on his knees, barefoot and looking weaker than I’d ever seen him.
There was barely any light left in his eyes, and his white hair looked more ashy-gray now.
The lines on his skin, his soulmate marks, were faint and pink.
A glowing red rope was wrapped around his body, pinning his arms to his sides.
Frankie’s wings flapped, then she was in front of him, reaching out to lift his chin up.
The moment her skin met his, the soulmate marks on both of them glowed as bright as the Heavenly power she’d been wielding.
She held her hands up and sent the same magic into those bindings.
Second by second, inch by inch, they turned to dust.
His eyes filled with tears as he stared up at her . . . and then he passed out.