Page 17 of The Road to Hell

Her hands closed around the hilts mid-air, Inferno’s Kiss in her right, Shadow’s Embrace in her left. She spun them in a reverse grip, her blades flashing in the moonlight. Fire ignited along the edge of Inferno’s Kiss, while shadows clung to the curve of Shadow’s Embrace, darkness coiling along the sword like smoke. She landed in position, stance shifting effortlessly. Controlled. Lethal.

I’d taught her well, and for a moment, a surge of pride swelled within me.

Beside her, Eliza unsheathed her daggers in one smooth motion, testing the balance with a practiced twirl before settling into a stance. Mercenary through and through.

I armed myself, fingers curling around the hilt of my own sword. The weight of it was familiar, grounding. The steel caught the moonlight as I adjusted my grip and stepped into position in front of Lily and Eliza.

Gremory’s gaze swept over us, his scarred face twisting into something uglier. “You think your blades will protect you?” His voice dripped with mockery. “Against the six of us? Do you really think you’ll survive this?”

I levelled my sword at him. “I don’t think. I know.”

A low snarl rumbled from his throat, and behind him, the others stirred. I met each of their gazes, cataloging their every shift in stance, every change in movement.

I didn’twantto fight them. I didn’t want to kill them. But I would, if it meant protecting Lily.

Their gazes burned with fury, twisted by the bonds that tied them to Lucifer’s will. These weren’t just enemies—they had been my brothers and sisters in arms once. Warriors I’d trusted with my life, soldiers I’d led into countless battles. And now, we stood on opposite sides of a war I had never intended to fight.

“You don’t have to do this.” My voice cut through the cold air, flat and unwavering. Not a plea. A statement. “I know what he’s done to you. I know how he’s twisted you, broken you, made you believe there’s no way out. But there is.”

Gremory’s expression darkened, his lip curling in disgust. I ignored him, my focus on the ones behind him.

“Lucifer freed me from my vows. He thought I would choose to stand by his side, but I didn’t. That means the vow isbreakable. You don’t have to be bound to him any longer. You can walk away from him, from this. Make your own choices. Help me destroy him and take back what is yours. Say the word, and I will help you.”

For a moment, the battlefield was silent. The only sounds were the crackle of flames and the whisper of wind. Something flickered in Calyx’s eyes—uncertainty, hesitation. His expression faltered, just for a moment, as if the weight of my words had sunk in, piercing through the darkness that clung to him.

Then Gremory laughed—a short, biting sound that shattered the moment like a blade through glass.

“You’re a fool, Rathiel,” he spat, his wings flaring wide as he stepped forward. “Do you really think you’re free? That you’ve escaped him?” He gestured around, as if the very air bore Lucifer’s mark. “You don’t break a vow to Lucifer. You don’t run from him. He owns you—body, mind, and soul. And the only thing waiting for traitors like you is death.”

I met his scorn with a steady, unflinching gaze. “I’d rather die free than live as his pawn,” I said, my grip tightening on my sword.

Gremory’s laughter faded into a snarl, his rage twisting his already scarred features. “Enough of this nonsense. You want to die with her?” He pointed his blade at Lily, his voice venomous. “So be it.”

Calyx blinked, his expression once again hardening. Together, he and the others shifted into position.

“Get ready,” I muttered to Lily and Eliza, my voice low. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”

I’d faced many battlefields. But none had prepared me for this.

Gremory struck the first blow. He lunged forward, his blade carving through the frigid air toward me, and I met him head-on, the clash of steel ringing out like a war cry. His strength hadn’t diminished, but neither had mine. The ground beneath our feet splintered with the force of our collision, and I could feel his hatred pressing against me with every strike.

“Still as predictable as ever,” I taunted, my voice steady even as my muscles strained to deflect his relentless assault.

“Keep talking, traitor,” Gremory spat, as he pushed me back with a powerful swing. “I’ll carve out your tongue and feed it to the hellhounds.”

Before I could respond, flames erupted to my right. Lily and Ezrion collided in a blinding clash of dueling infernos. Her blades danced in the light, fire and shadows igniting with each slash as she dodged and struck with lethal precision. Ezrion’s flames burned hotter, but Lily wasn’t giving an inch.

“Rath!” Lily shouted. “Watch out!”

A blur of movement caught my attention as Gavrel’s chaos warped the space around us, the ground rippling like water. The air grew thick and disorienting, but I fought against the pull, focusing on Gremory’s blade as he pressed his attack. From my vision’s edge, I saw Eliza darting toward Gavrel, her daggers a blur as she moved to disrupt his focus.

She was fast, precise, and relentless. Her blade caught Gavrel’s arm, and he hissed, his concentration faltering. The ground stilled for a moment, giving me the opening I needed to twist and shove Gremory back. He stumbled, but his rage only grew.

He launched himself at me again. I sidestepped, my blade cutting a clean arc toward his exposed side, but he deflected it with ease, his movements quick and calculated. I had taught him well—too well.

A scream pulled my focus for a fraction of a second. Miriel’s pestilence surged through the air, her power spreading like an invisible wave. Eliza staggered, coughing, as the sickly energy wrapped around her.

“Lily!” I barked.

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