Page 5 of Give a Devil his Due
“Maybe I can do it.”
We all turn to Helena when she speaks, and she rasps her teeth over her lower lip. I can tell she is anxious by the way her fists clench and open at her sides as she shifts from foot to foot. She must be debating the wisdom of her offer because she nods to herself and squares her shoulders.
“I can do it.” This time her confidence is firm.
“It’s not a matter of if you can do it or not, Helena.” Beelzebub latches onto the problem of testing her right now like a dog to a fresh bone. “He should do it without a second thought. What is the problem here, Raphael?”
“Why does it matter who opens a portal?” Helena hurries to defend me and squares off with the Archdemon. “We just need one to go talk to my father. I got this, plus it’s a good way to practice since I have a feeling we might need it.”
“That might be true because the Archangel is useless.” Beelzebub sneers at me with disappointment. “Are we certain the jinn didn’t replace him?”
“Not funny.” Helena frowns at him when I stay silent. “I know it’s Raphael and not a jinn impersonating him.”
This is my punishment.
No matter how prepared I am for it, seeing it first hand when my powers and abilities fail leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. I don’t regret breaking all the rules and entering Purgatory for Helena, but I’ll be lying to myself if I say it’s not numbing. My head swims with the gravity of my situation, and I realize my body does too when Eric grips my upper arm hard to keep me standing. Cold sweat washes over me until a small hand is pressed on my chest, and I look down at Helena’s upturned face.
“It’s okay, Raphael. I promise I’ll fix this.” Unshed tears swim in her green eyes. “I have no idea how, but I’ll fix it if it’s the last thing I do.”
“First we need to talk to Satanael, then I can call on Gabriel.” My hand covers her tiny one and I take comfort from the contact. “Gabriel is a healer, and I’m sure he can figure it out.”
“We can also use his help since we have no idea what we are dealing with apart from jinn. I doubt they’ll have my father and Michael ready for the taking when we do find them.” Eric doesn’t release the hold he has on me, and his fingers give my arm a reassuring squeeze.
I have to believe in what they are saying. Anything else means not just that I’m useless in this fight we have coming but also that I’m a liability to those I want to protect. Fortifying my will, I give them a tentative smile and step away so Helena can take my place. My heart hurts when she pulls out the dagger, her knuckles whitening where she grips it tightly. When the first drops of blood hit the dusty ground, a lurch in my chest makes me dizzy. Eric is next to her, ready to rip apart any threat coming for his mate, yet her head turns, and she looks at me.
“I have no idea what I need to do, Raphael. Apart from bleeding, how do I call on a portal to Hell?” The small curl of her lips is forced for my sake.
“Just think of your father.” In two steps, I’m next to her as well, the glares from Beelzebub and Colt stabbing between my shoulder blades. “I’ll guide your power.” My fingers wrap around her bleeding palm, and I almost double over when her energy slams inside me in a tidal wave.
“Archangel.” Eric’s booming voice pulls me back before I drop on my knees.
“It was just unexpected, I’m fine.” But I don’t push him away when he offers assistance to keep me standing, no matter how much it hurts my ego. “It won’t be long now, so be ready to cross over because I cannot be sure how long we can keep it open.”
“Just open it, Raphael. We will be through it before you know what’s happening.” Beelzebub yanks Colt closer to where we are gathered in a cluster. “Ready when you are.”
With a deep breath, I guide Helena’s power, and the portal blooms before my eyes faster than any opened in the history of all the realms. The colors swirling in it are unlike anything I’ve ever seen, but I have no time to admire them. Beelzebub darts through it first without a second thought, followed by Colt. My body keeps trembling when Eric pushes me through next, and he follows with Helena by his side.
I should’ve checked where it’d spit us out before I allowed everyone to cross it.
I should’ve, but I didn’t.
Helena
“Where the fuck are we?”
I have no idea what I thought I was going to see, so it takes me back a step when some sort of a settlement appears before us. It’s like we jumped back in time with the mud-packed huts and straw-covered roofs of the homes behind the tall wooden fence a few yards away from where we are standing. The dread twisting my insides worsens when Eric fidgets next to me with a frown pulling on his forehead.
“I have no clue,” my mate answers my dumb question.
“Well, I was thinking of Satanael so we better go check if he is here.” My feet move before I have time to start doubting everything and run away screaming. If having angel wings and demon horns and tail are supposed to make me braver, I don’t notice. “Maybe he started a new hobby like farming.”
Ignoring the snickering from the guys behind me, I push away the tall grass reaching my hips. On the bright side, the air doesn’t smell of death, although the lack of any type of sound apart from our breathing is unsettling. Good thing we left Narsi at the safe house because I’m sure my crazy sidekick would’ve been stomping around this place full beast-mode in no time. The energy surrounding the settlement is pushing at all my defenses like it’s telling me to turn around and get away from it.
“Judging by the wards on this place, I think we found Satanael,” Colt grumbles in frustration. “Someone really needs to tell that fuck to tone it down a bit, aye?”
“What? You’re Canadian now?” My focus is glued to the wide open gates of the fence, although I can’t help but poke at Eric’s twin. My mate and Raphael flank me on each sid,e so I’m calmer than I should be.
“I hate fucking wards.” This time, the twin grunts because Beelzebub punches his shoulder.
