Page 178 of Devoted

But then Sam’s hands began to tremble.

And sickening fear rolled like a slow wave through the bond.

I took a single step forwards.

“Without the confirmation of another supe outside the unit, I’m afraid we have no choice.” Gloria’s smile was deadly as she noted my movement. “So either lift the shields, or we will take your refusal as an act of rebellion.”

If I weren’t choking on terror, I would’ve rolled my eyes at that. How many times did she need to threaten that before realising she was the one rebelling? This power she wielded was not hers. We did not fight and die in her name.

We were not Gloria’s Seraphim. We were God’s.

Micah was right. We needed to build a case against Gloria then stand back and watch her fall.

Assuming we survived the next five minutes.

Benji and Rami drifted closer on either side of Sam, the twins lifting their weapons. Beside them, the rest of the Seraphim dropped into defensive poses.

Not a single one of them was prepared to let them hurt Sam.

I took another step forwards, then another. Another.

Then I was running.

Twenty-one against ten. Not the best odds, but we’d faced worse and survived. We’d survive this time too. I didn’t give a fuck if it meant going to war with all of Heaven.

They weren’t taking Sam from me.

I didn’t stop until I was over the boundary, my mate within reach. I hauled him back against me, my arm like an iron bar over his chest. “You won’t walk away from this, Gloria.”

Gloria bared her teeth and Sam shrank back against me. “Ialwayswalk away, Ezekiel. How do you think I got here when so many others failed?”

Before anything else could be said, a vaguely familiar voice rang out. “Oh, you’re getting started without us. That’s no fun.”

An array of weapons turned to point at the female demon now strolling down the road. Her hands were loose at her side, her green eyes bemused as she surveyed the scene before her. “My, my, Gloria. Youhavebeen busy.”

Dahlia wasn’t alone. At her heels were three more demons. All men. All carrying lethal weapons.

“Thank fuck,” Nox muttered under his breath. “Took their fucking time.”

I grunted in agreement. Trust the demons to wait until the most dramatic moment possible before making their entrance. Still, they were here now. I’d take Satan himself showing up if it’d shift the balance in our direction.

A few of the angels behind Gloria began to shift as they recognised the newcomers. Dahlia, Quill, Jeremiah, and Darius.

None of them held the same reputation as the sons of Lucifer—or us, for that matter—but their names were well known enough to make others pause. There weren’t many demons who could put ‘trained by Lucifer’ on their CVs.

I’d met them all the night the crane had collapsed in London. Two of them, Darius and Dahlia, I’d seen several times since when they’d visited Nox at the compound. Dahlia was wearingher usual assortment of silver jewellery, her pointed nails painted black. Darius’s long raven hair was pulled back in a bun, his cunning gaze sweeping over the assembled soldiers. He had a silence about him that unnerved me more than the rest of the demons put together. Like there was a hidden depth just lurking within him, waiting to be unleashed.

The other two were less familiar.

Quill, he was the one who’d collapsed that night, the one who’d pulled on his powers too much. From the slight shake in his hands and how his eyes were darting around, he wasn’t over whatever was torturing him. But he’d come. He was here because Nox had asked for help.

It hit me then, again, how lucky I was. Not many people could put out a call for help and have this much support and power rock up for their cause.

I owed everyone a drink after this.

The final one, Jeremiah, was the most intriguing. His long blond hair had been cut short now, making the planes of his face appear sharper. More ruthless. He was pointedly keeping his eyes averted from us.

The same couldn’t be said for the Seraphim. After the bombshell Nox had dropped earlier, we were all glancing at him. The same question on everyone’s mind.

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