Page 90 of To Crave Truly

I spread my wings and propelled myself across the battlefield, slamming into him and carrying him high into the sky. His yell of surprise hit my ears just before his hand slammed into my chest, breaking my grip around him so he could spread his own wings and fly away from me.

“Long time, no see, Lucifer.” His mouth was contorted in an asinine grin. This was what I hated about righteousness. This blind following. Thinking that you were doing right by everyone, but you couldn’t see the destruction you were leaving in your wake.

“Stop this madness, Camael.”

He raised his sword towards me. “It’s not madness. Can’t you see? The world is poisoned. We need to start again.”

“You’re wrong and Mordecai will betray you.”

“No, he won’t. He needs me.”

I shook my head. “You’re a fool, Camael. The moment you’re no longer useful, he’ll kill you.”

He roared and dove towards me. I dodged and rolled through the air, missing his Divine blade by inches.

“No!” Camael bellowed. “I will be Divine, and I will restore balance.”

I wasn’t going to get through to him. He was consumed by his beliefs, blinded by them and unable to see that there was more to this than just thinking you could fix things by taking the crown. People weren’t good or evil, there were mores shades of grey then we could comprehend, and it was that understanding that made my father perfect for being Divine. If Camael was the Divine One, I doubted anyone would survive.

“Drop the sword and face me as an equal,” I goaded, knowing he’d be unable to resist the taunt.

The corner of his mouth cocked up into a sneer, but he sheathed his precious sword. “As you wish.”

There was a moment of stillness and then we collided in an explosion that was brighter than the sun.

Chapter Forty-One

Lori

Iwasn’t going to die down here.

I threw my elbow backwards, dislodging his fangs. They ripped my skin as I pulled away from him. The pain was short and sharp, but my skin immediately knitted back together. Vampire healing was definitely a bonus.

Mordecai laughed, his mouth wide and my blood dripping down his chin. He shot forward, grabbing my shoulders and, taking advantage of my momentary dizziness, he pushed off the floor, hurtling us through the hole in the ground and into the night sky.

Fuck. I was going to empty my stomach contents.

My demon rose up, buzzing under my skin as she compensated for the blood loss Mordecai had just inflicted. I pulled up my knees and thrust both my feet into his torso, dislodging his grip. I tumbled through the air, hair whipping about me as I tried to spot the ground that was rapidly rising to meet me.

I hit the cemetery floor, rolling on impact across the dirt. I scrambled to my feet and readied myself for whatever Mordecai was going to throw at me next. It was then that I finally caught sight of his machine.

Stood some way behind Elspeth’s resting place, three arches connected at a single point, above which sat the lapis lunae encircled by thin rings spinning around it. Runes glowed along each length of the arches as well as in a circle that surrounded it. To the side was a stone table where a body lay, connected to the machine by a thin rope of magic. Judging by the colour of the blonde hair, it was Selene and the magic that Mordecai had syphoned. If I wasn’t looking at the place of my demise, I think I’d be a little in awe of it.

“Breathtaking, isn’t it?” Mordecai said with reverence as he appeared next to it. “I built it just for you. Impressed?”

A little. “Nope. Looks like shit.”

His face dropped, the wide smile vanishing. “You’re gong to die here.”

“Not if I can help it.”

Mordecai’s chest rumbled as he took a few steps closer. “This is your fate, little one. Your purpose. You won’t escape it.”

Shit. My eyes darted around but the guys were all occupied with the distractions Mordecai brought with him. I was on my own. Well, not completely, I thought as I felt my Sin Reaper waken to full strength.

An explosion rocked the ground and Mordecai used it to his advantage, moving faster than I could see. One moment he was in front of me, the next, he’d run past me, swiping his claws against my skin and ripping my arm into shreds. I healed quickly, but it didn’t mean I was immune to the pain. It hurt like a motherfucker.

I attacked, getting a few hits in against him, but he was faster than me, more precise than me and I struggled to make any real sort of impact. I ducked and defended, and then realisation hit me.

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