Page 74 of Wicked Savior
Closing his eyes, Michael’s hand weaves an intricate pattern in the air. Everything around us begins to rewind, including the magic I generated from the torque. Until he gets to Ishkova’s death. He stops.
“I can’t undo his death,” he informs us, glaring at Gabriel.
Michael places a fist on his heart, and three more rockets land beside him.
These angels are cut from the same brutal mold as Michael, but their DNA differs dramatically from his. One angel has light green scales across his arms. His gold eyes are slits, and fangs protrude from his mouth. Another looks like a mythical shadow warrior with his black skin and equally dark eyes. Unlike all the other angels, he has no luxurious locks, only a sleek bald head, and his wings are black, not white. The last warrior looks similar to Michael until his eyes find yours and you feel yourself falling into nothingness. When he sees me sway, he looks away.
“Guard him.” Michael flicks a hand toward Gabriel, and the three angels press their fists to chest, then move into place around Gabriel.
Michael releases the angels first. They stop in confusion when they see their enemy frozen. With a wave of his hand and a simple command, the angels file into formation and return home.
Once all the weapons and magic are removed from the sky, he releases each group.
Lucifer immediately holds up his hand, and the demons stop moving forward. “Vargas, return the army to the Underworld. Transport Rivan and Zephyra here.”
He opens a massive portal and marches the army through it to the other side. Rivan, Zephyra, and the other three canisters appear when the portal shuts.
Each of the cadre releases their warriors and sends everyone back. Theron, Astor, and Arden also return, although her eyes can barely move from the two men she’s leaving behind—Daire and Valerian.
Michael raises an eyebrow at Lucifer.
“We have a plan to rid the world of the beasts for good. Are you intending to stop us?” Lucifer asks, pointing to the canisters. He explains the canisters’ purpose, the dual delivery method, and the purpose of the flyers.
Michael looks at the three angels with him, silently communicating, and lifts a shoulder. “We won’t stop you. In fact, we’ll help you, won’t we, Gabriel?”
“I’m not helping them,” Gabriel sneers at Michael.
The shadow angel takes Gabriel to the ground in three moves and holds him there.
“Wrong answer,” Michael rasps, looking down at him.
Gabriel’s face crumples. “I can’t.”
One of the angels swoops down and picks him up, but Gabriel starts yelling “No wings! No wings!”
A crease appears in Michael’s forehead. “Turn him around.” When they turn him around, Michael lifts up Gabriel’s shirt, and we all see bloody stumps where his wings used to be. “Who did this?” Michael swings around to us.
Lucifer holds up his hands. “My guess is he traded them for the knife so he could kill me. Isn’t that right, Gabriel?”
“Too bad the knife won’t kill him,” I reply with confidence. “It won’t kill anyone with Viridian blood. My mother didn’t want someone using the knife on me or her. Based on the genetic testing I did, Lucifer has Viridian blood.”
Gabriel drops to his knees and screams until the angel with the scales knocks him in the head and jerks him to his feet. He hangs between two of the three.
Michael walks over to me.
Lucifer steps in front, but I step to his side.
“Well, that’s unexpected, but not unwelcome,” Michael drawls, his eyes bouncing between the two of us. “I heard what you said the other day in the cave. You made the right choice. The Druids have to help themselves to survive. Your mother couldn’t quite grasp that concept. She did try to kill the beasts, though, and I’m sorry, but she didn’t make it.”
I shake my head. “She’s not gone. Viridians are eternal.” My eyes slide to Lucifer, and a flame appears in his eyes.
Michael eyes Lucifer. “Makes sense now.”
Daire also looks shocked for a second, but then a broad smile appears on his face. For the first time, he looks at me with something more than grudging respect.
“I’ll make the run,” Michael informs Lucifer. “You’ll go as well. Pick the other three.”
“Rivan’s phoenix is faster than Zephyra’s griffin, but she needs this more than him,” Lucifer states firmly. “Daire, Valerian, Michael, Zephyra, and me. Everyone, grab a canister.”
