Page 94 of The Road to Hell

Right after I killed whateverproblemhad the audacity to interrupt us.

I exhaled through my nose, trying not to looktoomurderously frustrated. “Fine. But if this is another one of yourwe should attack nowspeeches, Korrak, Iswear?—”

“It’s not,” he interrupted, his expression dark. “Our scouts have returned. Lucifer’s army marches this way, and Lucifer is leading the charge.” His gaze met mine. “He’s coming.”

Well… Fuck.

ChapterTwenty-Three

RATHIEL

We flew with a particular destination in mind. It had been Calyx’s idea, and though I didn’t like it—bad memories and all that—I couldn’t argue with the logic. We needed somewhere to regroup, somewhere Lucifer’s forces wouldn’t immediately think to search.

The ruins of the old rebellion camp were as good a place as any.

The flight would take hours, but on foot, it would have taken days. And days didn’t work for me. Not with Lily still unconscious in my arms. I wanted somewhere safe, which didn’t exist in Hell. Not for her. Not for any of us. But we would make do with what little choices we had.

I adjusted my grip on Lily, tucking her against me, shielding her from the blistering wind.

I couldn’t help but wonder which memory she was currently reliving. There were too many possibilities. There were some I wished I could relive with her—moments of quiet when it’d been just the two of us, stolen minutes between battles, when she’d laughed, when we’d come together, when we could simply beus.

But there were other memories. Ones I truly would have given anything to keep her from reliving. The pain. The losses. The moments that had shaped her into what she was, whether she liked it or not. The nights spent running. The betrayals we’d faced. The agony of her father ripping the wings from her back, of massacring her forces, her friends.

I loathed the thought of her trapped in those moments again.

But I also understood.

She wasn’t merely remembering. She was rebuilding herself.

I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. Getting her somewhere safe.

Calyx flew at my side with Eliza held securely in his arms—a feat she clearly did not appreciate. She’d locked her arms around his neck, her face twisted in irritation as the wind whipped her hair across her face. She glared at him. He grinned at her. That seemed to sum up their dynamic.

At least he hadn’t dropped her.

As a collective, we’d decided it best for Vol to ride in his little pouch, the strap fastened around Lily as I carried her to keep him from flying off into oblivion. It should have been enough to protect him, but the little imp had clearly decided to sneak a peek. His head poked out from the pouch, ears flattened by the wind, his tiny claws gripping the edge like he was enjoying the ride of his life. His grin was pure satisfaction, his fangs glinting in the eternal hellish light.

Of course he was enjoying himself.

Purrgy, on the other hand, was not.

The damned cat had been the real challenge. And not for the first time, I found myself questioning Lily’s decision to bring him. We’d decided it best to lock him in his carrier, which we’d then hung over my shoulder. But as brave a beast he was, not even the wind could drown out the cat’s screams. Loud, yowling complaints that hadn’t stopped since we took off. His carrier jostled against my side as he scrambled around inside it. He was going to make someone’s life a living hell when we landed. Probably mine.

If we made it that far, of course.

And based on the one, two, three, four,fiveblack specks cutting through the horizon, flyingtowardus, I’d wager good money on us not making it at all.

I couldn’t see their faces, but I didn’t need to. The fallen’s formation alone told me everything I needed to know. A battle wedge. Not a pursuit formation. An attack pattern. One I had drilled into them long ago.

I pulled up, halting midair. My wings beat steadily, keeping us aloft despite the extra weight. A second later, Calyx did the same, coming to a hovering stop beside me.

Eliza went rigid in his arms, her grip visibly tightening around his neck as her gaze locked on the approaching fallen. Her narrowed eyes told me she was already analyzing the situation. And her crumpling expression told me she’d come to the same conclusion as me.

We were fucked.

Calyx and I were carrying too much weight—him with Eliza, me with Lily, Vol, and Purrgy. Neither of us had the maneuverability we needed to survive a fight. The odds were already bad with five against three, but it was even worse with two of us burdened, and the third unable to fly. The battle would not end in our favour.

“Well. This is unfortunate,” Calyx said.

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