Page 18 of The Road to Hell

With a flash of fire, Lily turned her focus from Ezrion to Miriel, her blades slicing through the air as she barreled toward the pestilence demon. A plume of flames erupted around her as she struck, forcing Miriel to retreat.

Gremory struck again, and I barely managed to avoid the slice of his blade perilously close to my throat. I ducked and countered, my sword slicing through the air to meet his. The clash sent a jarring vibration up my arm, but I held steady, refusing to give an inch.

“You’re slipping, Rathiel,” Gremory sneered, pressing forward again. “Is the traitorous bitch distracting you? You always did have a weakness for her.”

I didn’t take the bait. Instead, I met his next strike head-on, catching his blade with mine and twisting hard, forcing him off balance.

His lip curled. “Look at you. A traitor playing bodyguard to Lucifer’s mistake. You’re nothing now. Just her lapdog.”

The insult barely registered. Words didn’t win battles—steel did. And I had no intention of losing.

His sword came at me again, quick and brutal, but this time, I was ready. I shifted my weight, dodging left, then snapped my wings out in a single, powerful motion. My jacket tore as they unfurled, the sudden force sending a gust of wind rippling outward. Gremory staggered, his footing faltering.

I didn’t let him recover.

My blade arced through the air as I lunged at him. “You want to see what a lap dog can do?” I growled.

Gremory barely managed to parry, his expression twisting with fury. I caught his blade on mine, locking us together then struck out with my wings. They slammed into him, sending him careening backward, his own wings flailing to keep him upright.

He stumbled, his boots skidding across the frozen ground as he fought for balance. I didn’t let up. I advanced, raising my sword to end this once and for all. Gremory snarled, raising his wings in a futile attempt to shield himself.

I lashed out again, but another body dropped to the ground in front of me. I barely had time to recognize Gavrel’s arrival before Ezrion came from the side, the two of them working together to protect Gremory.

The two collided with me simultaneously, their combined force pushing me backward. Fire and chaos enveloped me, their powers a relentless onslaught as they pressed their advantage.

Ezrion’s flames licked at my wings, the heat searing my feathers, and Gavrel warped the surrounding area until it the ground swayed beneath my feet. I gritted my teeth and pushed back, slashing at Ezrion with my blade. But my brothers were relentless, their attacks coordinated and punishing.

I just needed one clean hit. The instant my blade split their flesh, their blood would be mine to command. Fallen or not, few could survive a blood spear carving out their chest. But they knew that. They’d trained with me for millennia. They were intimately familiar with my tactics and my techniques. Which was why they were doing all they could to keep me from landing a strike.

“Pathetic,” Gremory sneered as he rejoined the fight, his voice cutting. He straightened, his blade raised. “You think you’re free, Rathiel? You’re nothing. A traitor clinging to a broken cause.”

Lily’s fire suddenly blasted toward the four of us, flames blasting the air near Gremory, Ezrion, and Gavrel. The three leapt back, giving me the space I so desperately needed. I caught a quick glimpse of Lily holding her ground against Miriel and Calyx before my own fight dragged me back in.

As much as I wanted to believe otherwise, we werenota match for six fallen angels. Lily and I were expert warriors, but so were they. And while Eliza was quick-footed and sure of hand, she wasn’t a celestial or fallen. One mistake, and they would cut her down.

I ducked another swing from Gavrel, countering with a slash that forced him to retreat. Ezrion’s flames flared again, licking at the edges of my wings as I twisted to avoid the brunt of his attack. My breath came fast, the cold air burning my lungs, but I couldn’t falter. Not now.

Lily’s fire raged in my periphery, but I couldn’t bring myself to look again. In battle, every second counted. But the thought of her—of her being overwhelmed, cut down by them—ignited a fury inside me that quickened my movements.

We had to escape. But I could only think of one way out of here.

The gate.

I blocked another strike from Gremory, the force of it jolting through my arm, and leapt back to put distance between us. My gaze unconsciously darted toward Lily. She was holding her own but seemed unable to gain the upper hand. Miriel’s pestilence thickened the air, choking her, and Calyx’s illusions rippled in and out of existence, shadowy horrors nipping at her heels. Eliza darted around Raelia, her blades catching the dim moonlight as she fought to keep the corruption demon at bay. They both fought like hell, but it wouldn’t be enough.

I knew what had to be done.

I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening on my sword. I would get them out of here. No matter the cost.

With a twist of my wrist, I forced Gremory’s blade down and out of the way, then spun in tight, controlled circles. My wings flared wide as I twisted, the edges cutting through the air like razors. Ezrion reeled back, flames sputtering. Gavrel hissed in frustration as he stumbled out of range, shrouding himself in darkness. Gremory jumped back, shielding himself from the whirlwind of feathers and steel.

The opening was small, but it was all I needed.

With a powerful beat of my wings, I launched into the air, the frigid wind slicing across my face as I surged upward. Gremory’s frustrated roar followed me, but I didn’t look back. Instead, I came back down right in front of the gate. The impact cracked the frozen ground beneath me, and I forced every ounce of my power to the surface.

I reached for the gate. The air began to hum, the vibration building in intensity as the ground trembled beneath my feet.

“Lily!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos. She turned toward me, fire blazing in her eyes, and for a moment, she looked every bit like the warrior I’d fought beside in Hell. Strong. Defiant. Unstoppable.

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