Page 102 of Crimson Promises
"Not Grom. Gaul," he declared.
I looked across the open field at the demon named Gaul. Gaul was huge, larger than Behemoth, and armed with a massive, spiked mace. Lucifer sent one of his own generals to retrieve Aurora. Worry had my hair standing on end. For him to send, Gaul confirmed my suspicions that Lucifer’s attacks would increase in frequency before Aurora’s birthday. Why did she have to be so stubborn? If she had listened to me instead of freezing me out, we wouldn’t be in this position right now. This would be no easy fight.
We circled each other, eyes locked in a fierce gaze. I moved with the fluid grace of a panther, muscles gripping together as I readied my dagger and shield. Gaul swung his mace back and forth, looking for an opening.
Suddenly, Gaul charged forward, swinging his mace in a wide arc. I blocked the blow with my shield, but the force of it nearly knocked me off my feet. I quickly regained my balance and counterattacked with a swift strike of my dagger. Gaul blocked the blow with his shield, but I followed up with a kick to his midsection. I spun around.
Aurora’s voice caught my attention. “Bennett, watch out. Behind you,” she yelled.
Gaul grunted in pain but quickly recovered, swinging his mace again. I dodged the blow not before it left a slice near my midsection and lunged forward with my dagger, aiming for Gaul’s exposed arm. He blocked the strike with his shield and retaliated with a powerful blow from his mace.
I barely managed to dodge the attack. I could feel the wind from the mace as it whistled past my face.
We clashed again and again, our weapons ringing out as we collided. I knew neither of us could keep this pace up for much longer. Sweat poured down my face, stinging my eyes, but I couldn’t let it distract me. Tuning out Aurora's screams, I focused all my energy on Gaul.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, my arms shaking from the weight of the dagger and shield, I saw my opening. Gaul stumbled back a few steps, leaving himself momentarily vulnerable after I had inflicted a deep slash across his thigh. I pivoted on the balls of my feet to get me closer within range. Seizing the moment, I plunged my dagger deep into Gaul's chest. He let out a deafening roar of pain against the killing blow. Moments later, he evaporated into smoke.
Each demon had vanished differently.
I rested my forearms on my knees, hand on the ground for balance. Michael and I needed to have a conversationnow. These demons were getting bolder. It was only a matter of time before another one showed up. This one came out in broad daylight. While I was a skilled warrior, if Lucifer continued to send more than one, there was no guarantee I could protect her alone.
Aurora ran to me. Her hands roamed in a frenzy all over me.
“What was that?” She sounded breathless.
I couldn’t keep my balance much longer. My ass hit the ground. “That was Gaul, one of Lucifer’s generals whom I have no doubt he personally sent to retrieve you.”
“Me?” She brought both hands up to her chest like she couldn’t quite believe what I was telling her.
I was at the end of the very long thread of patience I’d given her. “Have you not been paying attention, Aurora?” I barked. “I have told you over and over again that your existence as adimidium, coupled with your healing powers, makes you a coveted target. Somehow, some way, Lucifer has clued into your existence, and your refusal to accept my protection is frankly short-sighted and immature. You continue to discard your life away, and it’s getting fucking irritating. You are making my job much harder than it needs to be.”
Her sympathetic expression was gone.
She kneeled down right down, so she was level with me. “You said it yourself, Bennett.” There she goes, using my full name again. She was pissed. “It’s my life. If I want to make a deal with Lucifer and become his plaything, Queen of Hell has a pretty good ring, wouldn’t you say? Or if I want to be an angel or mortal, what everyone keeps forgetting is that this is no one’s decision but mine!” She brushed off her shins and began heading back to the trail. After all of that, she couldn’t be stupid enough to think that she should continue her run.
I swear I’ve never met a more aggravating being in my entire existence.
I attempted to go after her again, but a burning sensation had me clutching my abdomen and rolling in pain on the floor. My entire body felt hot one minute and then ice cold the next. The cycle kept repeating itself. Gaul's blade must have been poisoned with something. I kept a handful of antidotes that I had curated over time at my place. I should've been carrying some with me, knowing demons were around.
Fuck, Aurora was probably long gone by now. Spitfire that she was. I blinked my eyes closed. I thought I heard my name in the distance. When I blinked them open, she was leaning over me.
“Ben, you’re hurt.” She gripped the arm I was using to coddle my stomach. It felt like my entire intestines would spill right here on the ground. Apparently, I was Ben again.
“Well, I’m not just laying here like a dying dog for the fun of it.” I wasn’t quite over her dismissing the fact that I had to fight yet another demon to protect her, and she had acted like it was nothing. Like the sacrifices I had made for her was nothing.
“Really? I thought squirming around in the grass was what all angels did.”
“I’m fine, Aurora. Leave.” I tried to shake her grip off my arm. I didn’t want or need her help.
“You are obviously not fine. Let me help. Where are you injured?”
Logically, I knew I needed her help to get me back to my place. My pride refused to budge. She constantly refused my help. I didn’t want to accept hers.
The icy pain had me screaming out in agony.
Aurora peeled my arm from my stomach. My forearm was dripping in violet blood.
“There’s so much blood, I can’t even see the wound.” She moved my arm back against my stomach. “Hold this here and keep applying pressure.”
