Chapter Nineteen
LILY
The moment Korrak noticed the unnatural silence fall over the army, he barked an order in a voice befitting a hellspawn general and commanded them back to work. More than one soldier jumped at the sound of his voice, but they immediately obeyed him, returning to their training.
I marched toward them, determined to supervise their training with my own eyes. They’d just taken an outpost, so clearly, they were ready for combat. But were they ready to face Lucifer?
Vol clocked my approach with a grin bright enough to come with a warning label.
He scrambled to his feet, then sprinted toward me, all six inches of pure chaos clad in what looked like his khaki explorer getup.
Once in range, he leaped off the wall and landed directly on my shoulder, his little clawed hands gripping my tunic for dear life.
It took him a moment to position himself so he wouldn’t fall, but eventually, he tucked himself against my neck, his tail draped over my shoulder.
“Glad you’re here,” he said. “Because you definitely have your work cut out for you. See that one over there?” He jutted a clawed finger toward a hellspawn standing near the edge of my army.
“She’s holding her sword like it’s a loaf of bread.
And that big bastard over there?” His finger pointed out another.
“He’s been swinging at the same spot on his sparring partner’s armour for like ten minutes.
Guess he lacks enough of a brain to realize he needs to choose a different freaking spot. ”
I didn’t answer. Responding would only fuel the little monster.
“Okay, check out that one.” He pointed at the front line, nearly losing his balance. “See how he flinches whenever his partner raises his blade? Yeah, that’s exactly who I want guarding my back in battle. Fearless. A natural hero.”
I almost laughed at his sarcastic commentary but caught myself at the last moment. Don’t encourage the pest.
Rathgor appeared behind the hellspawn in question, cuffed him upside the head, then barked at him to get in there and stop shying away from the blade.
“Five stars, Meat Sack. We’re all gonna die. Just saying.”
I rubbed a hand over my jaw and kept walking.
“Oh!” Vol chirped gleefully. “Don’t look now, but that one just fell. Remind me again, how did you guys win the outpost?”
“Vol,” I sighed.
“Ha!” A bark of laughter slipped past his dark lips. “He tripped over his own two feet! Did you see that? Priceless. Okay, that half ain’t so bad. At least they’re holding their blades right.”
“Perhaps I should give them a demonstration using you as a target.”
Vol snapped his mouth shut with an audible click, then threw me a scathing glance. One that quickly morphed into a pointy grin. “There you are. I’ve missed you, you know.”
My brow arched at this rare moment of honesty from him, one he immediately ruined when he followed up with, “It’s not as fun pestering the cat. And your lover-boy takes my insults too personally. You and the siren are really the only true entertainment down here.”
“Happy to assist,” I muttered.
I kept moving. Rathgor caught my eye across the melee and gave the smallest nod before returning his focus to the new technique he was demonstrating: a shield wall.
Drek’thar stalked around the formation, barking out orders and corrections, but he paused long enough to bow his head respectfully to me as I passed.
I was about to shout out a correction when someone—rather, two someones—caught my eye.
On a rock, off to the side of the army, sat Levi and Eliza.
I shot Rathgor and Korrak one last glance, decided they were doing a sufficient job, then angled my way toward my friends.
At the sight of them, my lips pulled into a small smile.
They were practically snuggling in full view of everyone—including Calyx, who stood a couple dozen feet away, correcting the stance of a few hellspawn.
“Ohhh,” Vol said, gleefully cackling. “Don’t they just look cute? The Siren and the Angel. Sounds like those trashy romance novels you like to read.”
I rolled my eyes. “Like those fanfiction websites you like are any better.”
“Hey!” he barked near my ear. “Fanfiction is the best of both worlds. Reality plus fiction.”
I ignored his commentary and continued toward Eliza and Levi. Eliza sat with her legs outstretched and one boot hooked over the other. Levi leaned back, propped on both arms, but he said something that had Eliza grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Without warning, he reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her cheek. I swear, Calyx’s glare darkened into a thundercloud, but he didn’t utter a word.
Eliza didn’t lean back. In fact, she bumped Levi’s knee with hers, and he adjusted his position to turn toward her.
Behind us was shouting, weapons clanging, shields bashing, orders bellowing.
And in front of us were two people who were completely oblivious to it all.
It brought back so many memories of Rathiel and me together during the last rebellion.
We would have done anything to find a moment together. Still would.
Levi spoke again. I was too far away to catch the words, but Eliza rolled her eyes and swatted his arm.
He took the hit, amused, then caught her hand and turned it palm-up, his thumb tracing over the lines.
She didn’t pull away, nor did she even spare a glance to see who was watching.
That, more than anything, told me where her head was at.
“Oh, they’ve definitely banged,” Vol whispered, his voice smug. “Bet you my next ration.”
“Your ration isn’t worth anything to me,” I said. “But I’ll take that action.”
At the sound of my approach, Levi lifted his head, finally noticing us. He pushed up onto one elbow and tipped his chin in greeting. Eliza followed his gaze, that grin still welded to her face like she didn’t know any other expression.
“Lilith,” Levi said. “Your army’s starting to look mean.”
“Good,” I said, ignoring the fact that his hand was still on my best friend’s thigh.
His mouth curved into a shrewd smile. “Though, if you taught them how to breathe while fighting, they might actually live long enough to be useful.”
I arched a brow at his crisp tone. “Noted. Anything else?”
Levi’s gaze flicked back to the ranks, assessing them like pieces on a chessboard.
Meanwhile, I let mine drift to Eliza. She noticed my pointed stare, smiled, then shifted closer to him. My brows climbed higher when Levi didn’t even try to scooch away. In fact, if I wasn’t mistaken, his fingers curled tighter around hers.
Oh yes, we definitely had a love match on our hands.
And as if ready to ruin it—and everything—Calyx suddenly appeared at my side. “Someone needs to teach these hellspawn how to count higher than five. I do not volunteer as tribute.”
Calyx eyed me for a moment, but it didn’t take long for his attention to stray to their joined hands. His jaw twitched and his eyes flattened. But he didn’t say a word. I, however, had a lot to say. Or rather, ask.
With Levi focused on the army, I caught Eliza’s eye, then subtly jerked my chin in his direction. While she held my gaze, I silently mouthed the word “sex?”
Her eyes went wide for half a heartbeat, and heat flushed her neck and cheeks. She bit her lip, then gave me the smallest nod imaginable.
“Ha! Told you,” Vol whisper-hissed in my ear, practically vibrating with smugness. “They reek of each other.”
I bit back a laugh before it slipped past my lips, so as not to attract a certain angel’s attention.
Wow. Levi and Eliza had slept together. I knew something was going on between them, but I hadn’t expected that.
Though, I wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe because in all the time I’d known Levi, he’d never shown romantic interest in anyone.
But things were different now. It wasn’t like there was a selection of bachelorettes down here.
Everything came in hellspawn form, except for us celestials.
And I couldn’t see any of us appealing to Levi.
Sirens, on the other hand, apparently did.
Good for them. And good for Eliza. Relationships were hard enough top-side. Her powers made it impossible to know whether someone wanted her for her, or because of her abilities. Down here, though, she’d caught the attention of not one but two, based on Calyx’s murderous expression.
For his part, Levi didn’t so much as flinch. He merely offered Calyx a lazy smile that somehow managed to look both amused and superior.
“Why, Calyx, it looks like you want to hit me,” Levi taunted.
My eyes briefly widened. In all the years I’d known Levi, I’d never heard him talk down to someone like that.
Then again, the fallen were a bit of a sore spot for Levi.
He considered them to be traitorous bastards.
He also hadn’t approved of Calyx’s involvement, knowing that the former scribe would do anything and everything to get whatever he wanted.
He was loyal to us right now because we were helping him regain his freedom.
But if the tables ever turned, it seemed wise to assume he’d stab us in the back.
“If I wanted to hit you, angel, you wouldn’t see it coming.”
A challenge sparked in Levi’s eyes. “I’d see it.” He stretched out his long legs like this was all beneath him. “I just wouldn’t care.”
Oh, snap. Was this happening? Finally? And here, in front of the entire army? Nothing like showing dissent in the ranks to foster morale.
“Gentlemen,” I said, my tone clipped and slightly venomous. “If you’re both done waving your egos around, maybe we can focus on what’s really important?”
Calyx’s shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t argue with me. Instead, he muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “feathered bastard,” then turned and stalked off toward the west wall, where Mephisar still sat perched.
Levi watched him go, his smirk never faltering. “Touchy.”
“You’re provoking him on purpose,” I said.