Page 2 of Rage of the Fallen

I peered around Justice’s protective stance. The demon’s smile only widened at the challenge, his teeth gleaming in the dim light of the cave. The air thickened with fear and the stench of sulfur, making my eyes water and my throat burn.

I held the Crown of Envy and the mirror in my hands. My fingers tightened around the mirror’s ornate handle, its surface cool against my clammy palm. This was my trump card, my only defense against the demon. It had banished the other SevenDeadly Sins demons, sending them back to hell. I hoped it worked on the demon of rage.

With my hand trembling, I held up the mirror and flashed it toward the demon, hoping he would scream.

The demon’s laughter erupted, a sound so terrifying it seemed to shatter the air around us. The thunderous echo ricocheted off the cavernous walls, driving icy shards of fear deeper into my bones. His eyes, like twin pools of molten hatred, locked onto mine with such intensity I felt my soul withering beneath his gaze.

“Your little trinket doesn’t work on me like it does my brothers.” His voice was a guttural growl that vibrated through the stone beneath my feet.

Each step he took toward us sent shockwaves through the ground. The earth convulsed as if trying desperately to retreat from his corrupting touch. Stalactites shivered overhead, threatening to rain down upon us.

“No one messes with my brothers,” he roared, the sound so deafening it threatened to rupture my eardrums. “And you’re going to pay for this.”

Shit-shit-shit-shit.

His promise of retribution made me feel like I was on an icy pond. All he had to do was step on it, sending cracks and splinters racing outward until I crashed through the surface and plunged into a frozen hell. His words chilled my breath, leaving me gasping, trying to claw me out of the abyss.

The mirror hung uselessly at my side. The demon stared at it with a superior smile. I followed his gaze to see the mirror’s usual protective glow dimmed to a faint flicker.

Justice’s grip on my arm tightened, his fingers digging into my skin as he pulled me back. “We need a plan. Fast.”

The Aegis serpent’s voice slithered through my thoughts, urgent and tinged with fear.You need to run now.He’s more powerful than the other demons.

I grabbed Justice’s hand. “We need to get out of here.”

I can give you time to escape, the serpent told me.But it won’t stop them for long.

The Aegis serpent coiled tighter, ready to strike.

Maci emerged from the shadows, her gaze locked on me. The air shimmered around her, a sight I’d seen before that never failed to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Her body expanded rapidly, skin hardening into iridescent, gleaming scales. Horns erupted from her elongating skull, and massive wings unfurled from her back, scraping against the cave walls. In seconds, where Maci stood now loomed a colossal dragon, her golden eyes blazing with fury and triumph.

The Aegis serpent sensed the escalating danger and sprang into action. Its massive coils tensed, muscles rippling beneath scales. With a powerful motion, it lashed its tail against the cave ceiling. The impact reverberated through the cavern like a thunderclap.

For a heartbeat, everything seemed to pause. Then, with a sickening groan, the cave began to give way.

Rocks ranging from pebbles to boulders showered down in a deadly cascade. Thick clouds of dust billowed through the air, choking and blinding. The sound was deafening, a cacophony of splitting stone and human terror.

Zara and Lisa’s screams pierced the thunderous chaos, barely audible above the rain of stone and dust. Through the choking haze, I caught glimpses of my brother and Brody diving for cover, their faces contorted with panic. Suddenly, my foot caught on a rock, and I felt myself falling. Time seemed to slow as the ground rushed up to meet me, the sound of splitting stone drowning my startled cry.

Then, out of nowhere, strong arms wrapped around me. Justice. He pulled me against his chest as a massive boulder crashed down where I had been standing moments before. I felt his heart pounding as he shielded me with his body, his breath warm against my ear. A fierce protectiveness that I’d never witnessed before filled his eyes.

As the cave continued to crumble around us, Justice’s grip on me tightened, his face a mask of determination. At that moment, with my own heart threatening to burst from my chest, I realized how far he would go to keep me safe.

The demon of rage, momentarily forgotten in the mayhem, seized his chance. With inhuman speed, he bolted forward, his form a blur of malevolent energy. But fate, or perhaps the Aegis serpent’s calculated attack, intervened. A fresh wave of debris crashed down directly in the demon’s path.

Forced to halt his charge, the demon’s face contorted with fury. He threw back his head and howled. The piercing, utterly alien sound cut through the din like a knife, sending daggers of pain through my skull. I clamped my hands over my ears, but it did little to muffle the horrifying sound.

My eyes watered, and I shook my head, trying to focus. Justice pulled me tighter against him.

“Everyone, move!” Justice’s voice carried over the tumult, sharp with command. It snapped me out of my daze, reminding me of the deadly peril we were in.

As I stirred, seeking any path to safety, a furious shriek cut through the air, different from the demon’s howl but no less terrifying. Maci, in her massive dragon form, was struggling against the collapsing cave. Her wings flapped frantically, stirring up more dust and debris. Each beat sent gusts of wind through the cavern, further destabilizing the crumbling structure.

Maci’s eyes glowed with rage and frustration as they locked onto me. She blamed me for this. The look in those draconic orbs chilled me to my core. A promise of vengeance, a vow that this was far from over.

Justice pushed me ahead of him. “Keep moving. Head for the tunnel!”

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