Page 53 of Her Darkest Devils (The Seven Sinners of Hell's Kingdom 3)

My whole body buzzes as goosebumps prickle over my skin. It’s the strangest thing—almost like a sixth sense. I don’t have to see the angelic army to know they’re coming and close.

Elias’s muscles ripple as he tightens his hand around the knife. “Shit. They’re close.”

“You sense them too?” I whisper, flicking my gaze from the blocked window to the barricaded door.

Elias shifts, nudging me to press my back against the closet wall. “Just stay behind me, okay? If you get hurt—”

“I don’t fucking think so.” I surprise the hell out of him and yank him back by his shoulder, shuffling around to plant my body in front of him. “If I get hurt, I’ll survive. You’re crazy if you think you’re going to fight. It’s my job to protect you, Elias. If you die...you’re not fucking dying like this. Now don’t even try to argue.”

Elias groans and dangles his curved blade in front of me. “My sexy, infuriating woman. It goes against my instincts as a hunter to let you but damn it if your protectiveness isn’t fantastic for my ego. I love it that you’re ready to channel Hell and be a psycho badass for me. Micah was right about it being a boner trigger.”

I can’t help my exasperated laugh. Most men would get a bruised ego if I made it seem like I was more powerful and stronger than them. Elias knows his limitations and melts into me, silently thanking me that I’m not forcing him into a position he knows he might not be able to handle as well. Like with the furniture. He knew I was capable of taking care of shit and didn’t have a problem letting me do something for him instead of cry and ask him to save me.

“I will gladly be your warrior queen in shining armor, my dame in distress. Your assurance and faith in me gives me the power of a spirit devil boner.” I adjust the blade in my hand and glare at the window. Faint light trickles in from the crack around the mattress.

He rests his hands on my sides, letting me support his weight some. “Nah, darlin’. The devils think they have these almighty cocks, but you have the power and strength of your pussy that keeps them all in line. Your power is all you and your ability to withstand Hell, no matter if it’s fucking you or trying to break you. Don’t ever forget that. No one wants you against them—Heaven or Hell.”

I crane my neck to meet his gaze. “I love y—”

A loud crack cuts off my words, startling me. My scared-ass nearly drops the blade, taken off guard by how the furniture crashes together as the heavenly forces blast them away from the window and door at once. And shit. Elias might’ve made me a bit full of myself for a second, because my confidence vanishes at the sight of two fearsome angels—a man and a woman—in black clothes and leather with gold wings bright enough to radiate their heavenly glow like a halo around their whole bodies.

“Raven Rose, you are an abomination. Come forth and kneel before me. I will not ask twice. If you do not, you will not receive mercy.” The female angel flaps her wings and soundlessly strolls over the fallen dresser.

“I’m used to that bullshit, so no. Just stay the fuck back. I won’t hesitate to cut your wings off and give them to my devils’ hellhounds as chew toys.” I straighten my back, wishing I could slap the bitch in her righteous face. She stares at me like a shit on her boots.

“Elias, my fallen brethren, if your mortal undoing can’t see reason, perhaps you can.” This comes from the male angel remaining outside. “You are ill and dying because of your treachery. You will find peace if you make the right choice. Bring the abomination forward and accept that this is your rightful path.”

“Fuck off, dickhole. Raven is my only path.” Elias grips my hips tighter, leaning into me. His lips touch my ear. “Get ready, darlin’. Aim for their hands first. Wings second.”

“You’ve given us no choice. You have nowhere to run. Our army surrounds you.” The woman strides toward us, unsheathing her sword, setting it aflame in angel fire. It glows blue instead of bright yellow-white like Cassius’s.

“Duck and charge. I’ll swing.” Elias shoves me, getting me to attack first.

I bend low and run at the woman as Elias swings the clothes rod at her head. She instinctively lifts her arms to protect her face, and I ram my shoulder into her stomach. My Hell power knocks the both of us off our feet, but the angel uses her wings to propel us up, causing me to lose my balance. I screech and blindly slash the blade at her, slicing her palm as she tries to gather heavenly light.

“Meri!” the male angel shouts, shooting angel power at us.

I keep swinging the blade, not giving the woman, Meri, a chance to do anything except block herself. My vision shadows with my fury and the heavenly light spilling into the room from her body as if her light tries to protect and heal her but can’t keep up.

“Raven, her hands!” Elias shouts, swinging the clothes rod at the guy angel. Elias clocks the angel’s wing, only to have the guy snatch the rod and drag him closer.

All it takes is that tiny distraction for Meri to get in a jab. Pain explodes in my middle like fire and ice and sheer agony. Meri didn’t punch me with her fist. She fucking stabbed me with her angel sword.

My legs buckle, sending me crashing to the floor. I try to suck in a breath of air to scream Elias’s name, but the words won’t come.

And then the male angel elbows Elias in the ribs. He gasps, his face paling and losing color. Commotion echoes outside. I clutch my bloody stomach, trying to think of something, anything, I can do to save us. I can’t pray for mercy. Begging to spare us won’t work either.

Meri abandons me, leaving me bleeding on the floor as the pain of her blade sears me to my very soul. Her golden wings glow, tiny pinpricks of light shine brighter where I managed to stab her with Elias’s knife. She remains unfazed and expressionless as she joins her companion, and the two of them stand above Elias, looking down at him.

“Your sacrifice will right the paths of many, Elias,” the male angel says, flexing his muscular arms.

“Fuck...off.” Elias can barely spit the words out through his coughing.

“Meri, Mikail, you must hurry,” another angel says, the blond man crossing his arms on the other side of the window. We cannot distract and mislead the devils much longer. Our shields weaken.”

The angel, Mikail, nods and unsheathes his flaming sword, longer and brighter than Meri’s shorter blade. Heat burns over my skin, and I blink a few times, watching as sudden flames eat the world around me, separating me from the angels and Elias.

“May your cycle finally complete and your bond to this mortal break.” Mikail aims his sword at Elias.

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