Page 96 of The Road to Hell

The fallen still flying toward us recognized him too, if their jilted movement was any indication.

Mephisar and Sable cut through the sky like black daggers, their massive hellwyrm forms coiling through the air with impossible agility for creatures their size. And nestled on Mephisar’s back was Gorr. The ravager clung to the hellwyrm’s back, his claws gripping Mephisar’s scaled hide. His nostrils flared as he bared his fangs, his entire body coiled in anticipation. I knew that stance. I’d seen it before.

He was waiting for the signal to drop.

Levi led the charge, his wings slicing through the sky. He shot toward me, and gestured with his sword arm, silently ordering us torun.

Tactical retreats were sometimes necessary. And in this case, we needed to get Lily to safety.

“Eliza—go,” I barked.

She didn’t argue. She turned and sprinted toward Lily. Without breaking stride, she slung Lily—Vol included—over her shoulder, grunting slightly from the weight but moving all the same.

Calyx hesitated, his gaze vacillating between me and the battle about to unfold.

With Levi, Mephisar, Sable, and Gorr here, I didn’t need him. And Lily had promised to keep him off Lucifer’s radar. Deciding to spare him this battle, I said, “Go with Eliza.”

His fingers twitched against the hilt of his blade.

This wasn’t just a fight. These were his brothers and sisters. I could tell by the way he gripped his sword that he didn’t want to leave. Not because he wanted to kill them, but because he didn’t want to abandon them to fight the hellwyrms and Levi without them. But he couldn’t stay. Not after the promise he’d sworn to Lily. If he wanted his freedom, he either had to fight with us, or leave. The choice was his to make.

And he made it.

With a curse, he snatched up the pack with Purrgy, then turned and sprinted after Eliza. He knew the way to the rebellion camp, and he would get Eliza and Lily there safely.

I gripped my sword and waited, holding my position. If I ran, there wouldn’t be anyone to stop the fallen who got past Levi and the hellwyrms from going after Lily. And I couldn’t allow that.

Mephisar and Sable streaked toward the fallen like twin shadows, banking at the last second as Gorr leapt. His hulking mass dropped like a boulder, hitting the nearest fallen—Ezrion—mid-flight and dragging him straight out of the sky.

Ezrion barely had time to react before they crashed to the ground, the impact sending up a thick cloud of dust and ash.

Levi dove next.

He shot past Gavrel, his blade flashing as he clipped Gavrel’s wing. Gavrel snarled, spiraling as he fought to correct his flight path. Miriel and Raelia scattered, breaking formation entirely.

I was about to take to the air, to join the battle, when Gremory dropped in front of me, his landing forceful enough to crack the ground. The impact sent energy rippling through the air, dust curling around him like the remnants of a fading storm.

A cold determination settled over me. I’d faced Gremory twice before. The first time, he’d escaped. The second, Lily, Eliza, and I had jumped through the gate. This time, the only outcome would be death—either his or mine. And I refused to let it be mine. I had someone waiting for me.

I tightened my grip on my weapon, my body instinctively shifting into a defensive stance.

Gremory and I stared at each other for a long moment, the battle raging behind him, Levi and the hellwyrms keeping the others occupied. Gremory tucked his wings away, his silver hair hanging in disheveled strands. But his blue eyes burned with cold, cutting precision.

“Brother,” he said, his voice still hoarse.

I didn’t respond. There was nothing left to say.

Gremory’s power curled over us like a promise. The air thickened with the scent of something wrong—like scorched iron and decayed bone. It was his magic. His carnage.

He attacked. Moved faster than I’d ever seen him move before.

I’d barely raised my sword before his blade blurred in a silver arc that split the air between us. I pivoted, blocking the strike, but the impact jarred my bones. He didn’t let up. His attacks came in merciless succession, each movement perfectly calculated to dismantle my defense.

I forced him back with a counterstrike, angling my blade toward his ribs. He twisted, letting it graze his side—but it wasn’t hesitation. It was bait.

His magic struck before I could retreat.

The ground between us collapsed inward, the rock and ash disintegrating into dust. I leapt back just in time, my wings flaring, but Gremory’s carnage was already ripping through the space around us.

---