Page 25 of The Road to Hell

When Rathiel finally swooped back down, his landing was perfectly smooth. He relaxed his wings, his gaze sweeping over me as though checking for damage.

“Your turn,” he said with a softness that tugged at something deep inside me.

I stepped closer and allowed Rathiel to pull me into his arms. Except, he didn’t scoop me up like he had Eliza. Instead, his hands settled on my waist, his touch practically burning through the thin tank top I wore. “Wrap your arms around my neck,” he murmured.

I hesitated for the briefest moment before obeying, my fingers tangling in the soft strands of his hair as I looped my arms around him. His hands slid to the small of my back, the pressure anchoring me in place.

“This okay?” he asked, his voice a rough whisper, his breath brushing the top of my head.

I swallowed hard, then nodded.

He tightened his grip on me an instant before his wings unfurled in a rush of wind.

“Hold on tight,” he murmured, then launched us into the air.

Having once had wings myself, flying didn’t frighten me, not like it had Eliza. Instead, I closed my eyes, tipped my head back, and revelled in the freedom. I lacked some memories, yes, but flying was not one of them. How I missed the feel of the air rushing around me. A smile came to my lips, and I finally opened my eyes, taking in the sight of Hell stretched out below us in its fiery splendor. I instinctively wrapped my legs around Rathiel’s hips, anchoring myself more securely. The movement brought us even closer, my head now level with his as I clung to him.

Rathiel’s gaze snagged mine, his expression unguarded for once. My breath hitched at the sight of his small smile, and my pulse pounded in my ears. The world below blurred, the roar of the wind fading into the background as our gazes locked.

The sensation of flying, the rush of the air, the weightlessness that I so missed, all vanished, paling in comparison to this intimate moment. Without thinking, I leaned my forehead against his, our noses touching.

Rathiel’s breath hitched, a sound so faint I barely heard it over the wind, but I felt it brush against my skin. He repositioned himself so he could see, resting his cheek against my temple. It was only because of our proximity that I heard him whisper my name.

I closed my eyes again, savoring this moment, surrendering myself to all the doubts I’d faced in the last few days. This close, held so tightly, I couldalmostsee how it must have been between us—before the failed rebellion, before my father stole my wings, before my exile. Something about this felt utterly natural. And in my head, I silently begged that this moment never end. That I could remain in his embrace forever.

Rathiel expertly guided us into the cave, where he landed effortlessly. His arms tightened around me briefly before he set me down, slow and deliberate, as though reluctant to let go. My feet hit the solid ground, and his touch lingered even after he released me.

For a moment, neither of us moved. We simply stared at each other, his gaze a mix of emotions that made my chest tighten. There was something raw in the way he looked at me, something that sent a shiver down my spine despite Hell’s sweltering heat. I rested my hands on his chest and leaned into him, the world narrowing to just the two of us in the cave’s hushed stillness.

Until Purrgatory’s miserable yowl shattered the moment.

I blinked and stepped back, my arms falling to my sides. Rathiel reached for me, but I tore my focus away from him. Instead, I turned my attention to Eliza, who stood at the back of the cave, watching us with an amused smile and lifted brow.

“I’ll go get the packs,” Rathiel said, his tone gruff, before launching himself back into the sky.

I cleared my throat, dropped to my knees, and immediately opened Purrgy’s carrier. The little terror wasnotin a good mood, and his muffled growls told me he was one second away from obliterating anything and everything in his way.

“Hold on, you little drama llama,” I grumbled. He slinked out, tail flicking with pure feline disdain.

Rathiel returned a few moments later with all three packs and the duffel bag of weapons. The moment he handed the packs over, I fished Purrgy’s harness from mine and clipped him in. He didnotlook amused.

“Don’t give me that look,” I said. “You’re not wandering away and falling off the cliff. Or worse, making friends with something that has more teeth than I can count.”

I secured his leash to a nearby heavy rock and left him to his own devices. As he started sniffing around, a sinking realization hit me—I hadn’t packed a litter box. Fantastic. Because nothing screamed “ideal camping experience” like the possibility of marinating in the fragrant essence of cat pee all night.

“Rathiel, would you mind taking Purrgy back down? He needs to do his business.”

Rathiel stared at me, confusion in his eyes.

“He has to go to the bathroom,” I told him. “Business is just another word humans use to describe urination.”

“Right,” he said, his wide eyes flicking to the cat. “I’ll…just go do that, then.”

It wasn’t the most elegant solution, but it was better than nothing. “Just watch the claws,” I warned.

“I think I can handle it,” Rathiel said drolly. “You two stay here and set up camp.”

Before I could ask himexactlywhere Eliza or I would go, considering I had no wings, a muffled but undeniably furious voice shouted from the bag hanging at Eliza’s side. “Oi! Did everyone forget about me? Or are you intentionally leaving me to suffocate like a peasant?”

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