Page 40 of Camael
His witch didn't miss a beat. Her power shifted, and she began herding the corrupted angels like the world's most badass supernatural sheepdog. Her moves were precise and lethal as she drove them exactly where they needed to go. "Form the circle!" Camael ordered his fellow archangels. His blade kept any smart-ass angels from breaking ranks. "We're going to give these boys a chance at redemption whether they want it or not."
Michael materialized beside him. He was ready to smite them all. The betrayal was crushing him "A containment sphere? That's your play?"
"It’s better than killing our own. None of them made this choice. Jeremiel turned his choice into a virus that spread like wildfire." Camael's wings spread wide as he directed the loyalist forces. "Do you really want to add mass casualties to that stack?" He gestured to the dead all around them.
Michael shook his head and got to work. They created the circle, which allowed Amelia to form the containment. The entire thing went down faster than an alcoholic's New Year's resolution. Corrupted angels found themselves trapped in a bubble.
"These are your problem now," Camael told the assembled archangels as the last of the fallen were secured. He was already moving toward Amelia. She looked ready to face-plant into Heaven's marble. "I've got bigger fish to fry."
"Meaning?" Michael's voice carried enough don't-fuck-with-me authority to make lesser beings spontaneously combust.
"Meaning Jeremiel and Lucifer are still out there," Camael fired back as he gathered his witch close. "And somebody's got to put those sons of bitches back in their boxes. I’m going to finish this." The unspoken "try to stop me" hung in the air like a dare. Even Michael knew better than to argue when Camael had that look in his eyes.
CHAPTER 14
Night had fallen by the time they returned to the mansion, which was filled with displaced angels. The east wing's marble floors were crowded with makeshift sleeping arrangements. Fear rolled off the fledglings in waves that made Amelia's heart ache. These young ones had never known anything but Heaven's perfect order. Now they huddled in small groups with their wings trembling as they processed the attack on their home.
"Here." She handed a cup of hot chocolate to one of the smallest angels. It was a female who couldn't have been more than a century old. "It helps with the shaking."
"Thank you." The fledgling's wings rustled as she accepted the drink. "Is... is Heaven going to be okay?"
"Of course it is." Amelia infused her voice with a confidence she didn't entirely feel. "The other archangels are already working to repair the damage. You'll be home before you know it."
"We need a better solution," Izzy muttered as she ran a hand through her hair. The Dark Warriors had transformed three entire floors into emergency celestial housing. Theirresources were stretching thinner by the hour. "These kids need more than just beds and hot chocolate."
"They need stability," Rami agreed as he wrapped an arm around his charge’s shoulders. "And right now, that's in short supply."
"Between Heaven's foundations being shaken and Lucifer running loose down here?" Amelia shook her head. "Stability feels like a distant dream." She gave him a smile and made her way to the makeshift command center. The mansion's dining room was too crowded with angels to serve as their war room anymore.
Her muscles still ached from channeling so much power in Heaven. Their victory had come at a cost. Many had been lost, and Heaven's foundations had been shaken. And they now had an archangel on the loose. Who knew what chaos he would add to the mix.
Sarah looked up from an ancient text as Amelia entered. The bookstore owner's green eyes were rimmed with exhaustion, but her fingers never stopped turning pages. Abraxos hovered nearby. His back was stiff with tension as he stood guard. The warrior hadn't left her side since she'd started digging into her texts.
"I found something," Sarah announced without preamble. "But you're not going to like it."
The wards lit up like a Christmas tree on crack and stopped whatever else she was going to say. Magic slammed through the mansion's defenses with enough force to make the younger angels start screaming. Shit. Perfect timing for Heaven's most wanted to make his move.
"The Dark Warriors are reporting demon activity across the grid," Izzy said as she entered and went to the computer. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, her vampiric speed making them blur. "It's everywhere."
Amelia studied the pattern of activity, cursing under herbreath. "The river. He's using the fucking Mississippi as his conduit."
"Rivers have always been doorways." Sarah's voice was grim as she clutched an ancient text. Abraxos loomed behind her like a wall of lethal intent. His massive frame was coiled tight. "The Mississippi's power... its spiritual significance..."
"Makes it one hell of a gateway." Amelia felt the Key at her throat start to burn as something massive stirred beneath the city. The French Quarter's historic streets trembled as shit began to crack. Time to rock and roll.
She grabbed her grandmother's spell book. Its pages whispered secrets. "Sarah, bring everything. We're gonna need it all."
"The command center's mine." Izzy pulled up satellite feeds. "Warriors are moving into position."
The library doors exploded inward as Camael arrived in all his avenging angel glory. His ice-blue eyes locked onto Amelia. His white wings were spread wide enough to fill the doorway. "Lucifer's forces are converging."
"No shit, angel." She checked her arsenal. Each artifact from her grandmother's collection hummed with recognition. "Sarah found something that she’s going to share later. Right now, we need to hit the riverfront."
“Let’s go,” Camael said as he turned to go. Amelia hit the mansion's courtyard at a dead run. Her combat boots struck the pavers. In front of her, Camael's massive wings created shadows that danced across the wrought iron and brick like living things. The angel moved like sex and violence wrapped in a muscled package.
"Air or ground?" he demanded in a voice as rough as gravel.
"Air." She didn't break stride. "The faster we get there, the faster we can stop this shit show."
