Page 4 of Give a Devil his Due
“No.” Eric, on the other hand, has a different opinion, as always. Of course he does when it comes to me. “I will not apologize for what any of us have done. This is all on the jinn and their twisted ideas of how the realms should be. Their hunger for power is what brought us to this. A lot of lives were lost, but look at how many we have saved.” With each word, he moves closer until he looms over me, and I have to crane my neck to keep eye contact. “If you want someone else to blame, then blame it on me, Hel. Because I’ll tell you this once again and for the last time. I’ll do it all over again and kill them all to have you here with me. I will not apologize for that. Not ever.”
“As much as I love disagreeing with Eric, I have to say he makes a valid point.” Raphael braves coming shoulder to shoulder with my mate. “I did the unspeakable for you, and as much as it left a mark on my very existence, I do not regret it. I can’t.”
“We will have to agree to disagree then.” Squirming under their scrutiny, I kick Narsi away when he latches onto my leg. “No hugging now that you are not bothered by them lecturing me.”
“I like my Mistress alive.” My sidekick pouts, but he doesn’t look apologetic at all. “You said I cannot eat Shadow’s face.”
The incredulous expression on Eric’s face is worth all the discomfort I suffered from the conversation.
“As much as I’d love to see the Haltija munch on my brother, I would have to agree with them, she-devil. You are a pain in my ass, but the realms need you.” I watch Colt saunter to the closest chair and sprawl on it, spreading his legs wide and throwing an arm over the back of it. “The human realm will recover as it always does. The damn things procreate like rabbits if you ask me. If we did nothing, it could’ve been much worse.”
“Instead of dwelling on what could’ve been, maybe we should look into where Lucifer is.” Beelzebub takes a page from Colt’s book and grabs a chair for himself too, straddling it. “With him still missing and Leviathan who knows where, I doubt Satanael can create any sort of order in Hell. We have Michael missing as well, don’t we? That makes Hell and Heaven ready to go boom at any moment. If that happens, all we did will be for nothing.”
I never thought of it that way, but now anxiety churns in my stomach. For whatever reason, I dumbly believed everything was over and we just had to help rebuild the human realm. How stupid of me to think the Fates will make it as easy as all that. They let me keep Eric and Raphael, but my fight is not over. The question is, how do I go about it? Like it or not, I have to admit them forcing me to face my shortcomings might just save me from carrying even more guilt on my shoulders.
”Your mother lives.”
With a thick swallow, I nod at Beelzebub. “You are right. We should look for them.”
“Great.” Colt jumps to his feet. “I know just where to start.”
The Fates help us when we need Eric’s twin to lead the way.
Raphael
“Are you sure you are up for this?”
I crack my neck, loosening my arms at my sides. Ignoring Beelzebub and his pestering, my lungs fill with air full of smoke and the stench of death. After they planted the idea of finding the others in Helena’s head, it didn’t take long for everyone to agree we must begin the search. Colt’s plan to enlist Satanael’s help didn’t sit well with me, but I was outvoted, which brought us here. In the middle of a field outside of Atlanta, where I will open a portal to Hell since we do not know how Helena’s powers are changed.
Easy task for an Archangel in the human realm.
As sweat trickles down my spine and my shoulder blades itch from the need to spread my wings, I can’t help but wonder what it all means for me. No matter how much I strain or push all my power into it, not even the spark of a portal appears before me.
I can’t open the cursed thing.
To anywhere, not just Hell.
Keeping it to myself, I try to breach a gateway to a different city with no luck.
“Let him focus.” When Eric jumps to my defense, it becomes clear I’m in real trouble.
“I can’t do it.” Head hanging low between my shoulders, I squeeze my eyes shut. “I can’t take us anywhere.”
“What do you mean ‘you can’t?’” Beelzebub spins me to face him with a firm grip on my arm. “The stench of Heaven is all over you, brother. Of course you can open portals. Did you hit your head on something?”
“Leave him alone, Beelzebub.” Eric shoves the Archdemon away and takes his place next to me. “Purgatory, as well as the fight, took a lot from all of us. You are not recovered yet, angel.”
“I’m not sure that’s the problem.” My muttering only makes his scowl deepen.
“It is the only problem, you dumb fuck. I feel weird too, but it’ll pass.” His snarl makes me swallow all the reasons why I can’t do what comes natural to an Archangel.
“You are right.” Avoiding Helena’s searching gaze, my chin tilts up with confidence I do not feel. “My powers are sluggish after expending them so much, especially in Purgatory.”
“So, what now? We are just going to stand around like idiots until you recover?” Colt huffs, kicking a rock in annoyance. “This just means you need to try harder, Archangel. Not take a break.”
“You truly are your father’s son, Colt.” Despite everything, my mouth curls at the corners. “I thought Eric might take on his personality, but I can see Lucifer in you much better.”
“If you meant it as an insult, you failed.” Eric chuckles slapping my shoulder. “You just made his century.” To my surprise, Colt doesn’t jab at his brother, and he offers me a clipped nod.
