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  Demyan’s eyes narrowed at the implication that he could not find a mere girl. “Of course, General.”

  He put his hand on his soldier’s shoulder and leaned in closer. “Can I count on you to find her and do what is necessary?” he asked vaguely. He hoped that Demyan understood what he was asking of him.

  It took a moment for Demyan to assess Tabbris’ mood and confirm that he fully comprehended the meaning behind his question. He then looked away, presumably assessing his ability to complete the task. When a cruel smile spread across Demyan’s lips, his frantic fretting ceased.

  “Yes, General. I can do what is necessary,” Demyan said, slowly nodding his head.

  “I will delay the others to give you time to complete your mission, but do not dally. The others will be eager to find her, especially Lord Commander Marcus. Ever since his act of rebellion in Portland, I have been questioning his loyalty to the Destroyer. Make sure that everything is taken care of before the Lord Commander finds her; otherwise, you will miss your opportunity. You will only have one chance, Demyan. Make sure that she is never found,” Tabbris commanded.

  He watched Demyan seal his vow with a bow. “I swear to you, General, no one will ever see her alive again,” he sneered.

  Tabbris nodded and watched his angel gather his wits about him and disappear. What a fortuitous event. Now he could rid himself of the Destroyer and keep the reason for his visits to Rome a secret. If the girl did not kill Demyan during their battle, Tabbris would make sure that no one found either of them ever again.

  Chapter 5

  Haydn shook uncontrollably as every muscle and tendon in his body tightened up to the point of snapping. He cursed his stupidity for catching the frog and letting down his guard. How had he allowed himself to end up in this disastrous predicament? He always assumed that people were conspiring against him and expected them to mount an attack at any given moment. How had he not been prepared for her devious move?

  It’s true that he had underestimated her willingness to fight with the bonds weakening her resolve and strength, but he was never this careless. While waiting out the agonizing pain, he listed the reasons why he had uncharacteristically given her the benefit of the doubt.

  Her shrewd blue eyes had regarded him as her enemy upon figuring out his identity, but her anger had quickly vanished. In its place was an emotion he had long forgotten about, hopefulness. He thought that she would ask for a reconciliation between them, not that he wanted one, but it made him believe that she did not intend to fight him. He had allowed his poor judgement to overshadow his suspicious nature, and as a result, he had his ass handed to him twice.

  She had obviously played him for a fool last night by appearing to be helpless by falling into the ocean. He had jumped into the dark water like a sap and saved her. He should have left her at the bottom of the sea. He admitted that seeing her drowning had stirred something inside of him, but he was wrong to show her mercy. He needed to get his priorities straight and remember that he was dealing with a ruthless, powerful immortal who would use any means to get what she wanted. He swore that he would not allow her to trick him again.

  He was angry that she had accused him of inflicting pain upon women for enjoyment, which was not true. Yes, he tempted both men and women, and interrogated his enemies, but hurting an innocent woman was not something he did. If Anjali knew anything about him, she would know that he was incapable of harming the innocent. He had almost become a Celestial Warrior, for fuck’s sake.

  Worse still, she had made him feel guilty for not tempting the mortals. He had given up doing that long ago since he saw no point in carrying out a fruitless mission. What was the point of tempting the mortals when there was no one to gauge their moral decay? It seemed cruel to continue to tempt them when no one cared. What did it matter if the mortals were good or evil if the Destroyer wasn’t interested in carrying out God’s will? It was pointless to embrace his power and fall further into despair for a woman who wasn’t there. Who was she to accuse him of anything when she was the root of the problem?

  The Predznak all spoke about killing Anjali someday for failing them and allowing them to rot away in Hell, yet she was still alive. Why had they failed in their mission to kill her? Had she tortured the ones under her control into submission or had she batted her dazzling blue eyes at them and fooled them into willingly accepting damnation by her side?

  He cursed the small spark of fear, reverence, guilt, or whatever it was that had forced him to save her. It was nothing more than a remnant of the old Haydn who had once cared about her and wanted to be her angel. That Haydn was gone…forever. She knew nothing about him and if he had his way, she would die without ever knowing him.

  Reaffirming his commitment to killing her, he decided to keep a reasonable distance from her unless he had his knife to her throat.

  He counted the drops of water that pooled next to him from a small trickle of water that had escaped from the stream and thought about all the ways he would kill her, just as he had for centuries, except this time he knew the curve of her face and the hatred in her eyes. He understood her better now, and would not make the same mistakes again.

  When he was finally able to wiggle his toes without crying, he took a deep breath. The pain was finally manageable, but it would still hinder him in a fight with Anjali. It was doubtful that she had found a way off the island this fast. Now that night had fallen, finding the blue glow of the bonds would be easier. It took a few minutes for him to release his aching wings from his stiff back and launch himself into the warm air. When he was finally airborne, he stretched his neck and shoulders to release some of the stress. He couldn’t believe how much damage one woman had done to him in 24 hours. It was no wonder he had waited this long to find her.

  Swooping through the trees, he searched for the blue light, something he had been trained to do a few millennia ago. He cursed himself again for not following his original path in life. He thought back to his first day of training as a Recruit under High Commander Vladimir. He had been one of seven angels to step forward to train with the warriors to see if he had what it took to become a guardian of heaven. He had always admired the warriors’ strength and courage and wanted to stand with them to fight evil. He liked that they never bowed down before their enemies and never took the easy way out. They fought with everything they had to carry out Father’s will. Though he was still a young angel, only a few centuries old, he truly believed he had the fortitude to hold a Celestial Sword in his hand and fight for what he believed in.

  Before deciding to volunteer to become a Celestial Warrior, he had been the Angel of Discernment. He worked alongside the Chancellors who moderated smaller matters that were beneath the attention of the Council. He was studying to become part of the Magistrate and take on the duties as a Chancellor. As a Chancellor, he would help oversee the creation of Heavenly Law or become an Arbitrator and oversee personal disputes. Back then, the law was all that mattered and each personal case was important.

  One day, he had ventured to the Mortal Realm with his mentor Chancellor Azazel and walked among the mortals to observe how their new society was creating their laws. It was important to understand the evil in the hearts of men so that the angels did not stray from the light of Father when creating Heavenly Law. Haydn followed Azazel to the village, but it was under attack by a sinister beast called the Yilan Kollan, a Veteres that looked like it was made out of a tangle of snakes. It was attempting to consume the mortals, but the Celestial Warriors were keeping it from advancing further into the village.

  Azazel ran back to Heaven, but Haydn couldn’t move. He was entranced by the way the warriors worked together to fight the monster. They showed no fear and no signs of tiring as the Yilan Kollan wrapped its limbs around them to crush them. He watched Lord Commander Aeries yelling to his warriors to surround the beast and keep the mortals safe. The battle raged on for an hour until the warriors finally pushed the monster to the edge of the village and subdued the
various limbs long enough to capture it with multiple Celestial Bonds.

  Seeing the warriors battered and bleeding, he expected them to cry and complain about their injuries, as any angel would. Instead, they took the time to make sure that the mortals were safe. The mortals cheered and applauded their efforts. Haydn was impressed by the victory, but moreover, he was surprised by the way the warriors looked after one another and worked as one unit. They didn’t argue or yell at one another for any mistakes made. They didn’t blame each other for any injuries received during the battle. They respected each other and took care of one another. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

  After the incident, he began to study the warriors and sometimes snuck off to watch them engage other enemies. He liked that the warriors never questioned their missions and they never broke their vow to defend Heaven. The more he witnessed their acts of bravery and heroism, the more he felt that he had finally found his calling. Though he enjoyed creating the law, he found that he wanted to carry out the law. Azazel and the other Chancellors thought he was crazy when he told them of his plan to train with the warriors to see if he would be chosen to join them, but they didn’t try to stop him. Looking back, Haydn realized that the Chancellors never believed that he would finish his training and fully expected him to return a failure. Sadly, he had taken the third option and left both pursuits.

  Flying through the dark canopy, he finally reached the resort. It was possible that Anjali had made it this far during the day, though he doubted that she would linger for long. If she had any survival skills, she would understand that the resort was the first place he would search for her.

  He circled around the building and scanned the area for the familiar light, but didn’t see anything aside from a few emergency lights that were still running on a generator. On his second pass, he heard barking coming from one of the roofless rooms. Landing on a section of roof that was still intact, he walked to the edge and looked down into one of the guest rooms. He found two dogs rolling around on the carpet and playing together. His soft spot for animals that didn’t have snakes for limbs, made him feel sorry for them. He decided to take them to one of the inhabited islands once he secured Anjali…again.

  He dropped down into the room and looked around to make sure there wasn’t anyone trapped in the room. He wasn’t exactly a humanitarian, but he cared enough about an injured person stuck on an island to assist them…and tempt them, if he were still in the business of tempting.

  The dogs jumped on his legs and yipped at him. He bent down to pet them when he suddenly saw the blue glow he was searching for as it was looped over his head. With the bonds pulled tightly around his neck, he felt Anjali’s knees and lower legs braced against his back before he could fight her. He stood up and tried to shake her off, but she had an impressive hold on him. Choking him with all her might, he only had a few seconds before he blacked out.

  He pulled at her arms, attempting to free himself, but she was leaning back so that all of her weight was hanging on his neck. He looked around for a wall to smash her into but the fur balls tangled up his feet and he fell onto the bed. With more leverage at her disposal, she was able to stand on his back and pull the bonds even tighter. Her incoherent swears told him that he was in deep shit. She was out for blood. If she kept this up, she would pop his head off his shoulders.

  The room began to tilt as his breathing became staggered. The dark spots that replaced the gaudy palm tree comforter was followed by complete darkness.

  ∞

  Hades wandered through Jacarei, Brazil, lost in thought. He had appeared at the edge of the city in the last known location of his Harpy, but the ranch was deserted. He was stupid to believe that Celaeno would stay put for this long without his supervision. While she was extremely loyal, her stomach tended to make the decisions for her when the hunger was upon her. The ranch had long been deserted and the cattle he had left as a food source were nothing more than bones laying on the dry land. He wasn’t sure where she was, but if Anjali had gone missing in this region, it stood to reason that Celaeno was still nearby. Without the easily accessible cattle to stave off her hunger, Celaeno would return to her normal hunting patterns, despite her injuries. Worse still, she would most likely take up her favorite pastime of torturing the mortals for her enjoyment, one of the many things he detested about her. Sure, he enjoyed a good flogging, but only when the person deserved it.

  He had visited Santa Blanca and learned that Lady Black had been spotted by most of the locals in the center of town, but no one had seen her in the last 24 hours. Many of the men asked who she was and if he was in a position to give her hand to them in marriage. He should have expected such a reaction from the mortals, but it surprised him to hear how taken they were with her beauty. He had lied and told them that she was promised to someone scary enough to hunt them down for merely looking at her, which was the truth. They all heeded his warning, except for one man who said he would gladly fight her fiancé for her hand. Hades laughed at the thought of the man fighting Lucifer and was almost tempted to summon the devil. Once he realized that no one in town could help him, he headed to Jacarei. Its large population alone would catch the attention of Celaeno and was hopefully her new hiding place.

  Strolling through the streets, he asked himself the same question that Lucifer had asked him. Why did he care where Lady Black was? Yes, she was dangerous and needed to be found before someone used her power to destroy something, but why did he really care? Moreover, why was he out searching for her? He should have sent her inept Nachtghuls or her remaining Predznak after her, but no, he had left Hell without a second thought. Technically, Lucifer should be off looking for the supposed love of his life, but the bastard had disappeared because he was too crazed to think clearly, as usual. Why did he have to be the hero? He was the last person in Hell who would ever be considered a good guy. Deep within his black heart, he knew the truth, but was not inclined to explore it.

  Ignoring his mental breakdown, for it was the real reason he was in the Mortal Realm of his own volition for the first time since Lady Black came to Hell, he tuned out the noise of the busy city and focused on the problem. Lady Black could certainly handle herself in a fight, but things were different with his Harpy. Celaeno was clever, more so than Lucifer ever gave her credit for. She had managed to survive for centuries without being captured. Granted, that was partly because of his assistance, but the Harpies had never needed him to survive. He mostly tried to keep them out of trouble and away from the mortals—their favorite food source.

  He questioned his reasons for allowing the Harpies to live, or least Celaeno after her sisters had perished. His primary reason was her loyalty. It was like putting down a faithful but rampant dog. Anytime he considered killing her, Celaeno would look at him with such trust in her beady black eyes that he lost his nerve. Of course, he would be in trouble with Lucifer, Lady Black, and the fucking Council before this was all over.

  Walking along, he looked up when he heard honking in the adjacent intersection. A long line of cars were sitting at the green light ready to move, but an officer was holding up the cars. He heard music further down the road that was cheerful but restrained. He looked beyond the intersection and saw a celebration or a festival going on. He had no interest in festivities so he plotted a course down a side road to avoid the crowds overburdening the sidewalk. He moved two steps toward his destination when something told him not to turn.

  He looked around and contemplated why he should walk toward the crowds. The locals were jumping up and down excitedly, eager to see something in the distance. Why would he want to get tangled up in that? With one more step toward the side street, the sensation grew into a need. Unable to make himself leave the main street, he moved reluctantly toward the crowds.

  His progression was slow, but he finally made it halfway down the street to find people bowing and throwing flowers. He wondered if they were bowing to royalty or the local head of government. He remembered t
he parades in Roma when the Caesars were in power. They were an interesting group of despots. Thankfully, it didn’t look like anyone was going to be fed to the lions in this town.

  Searching the faces in the group, he couldn’t help but look for Lady Black, even though it was doubtful she would be here. He hated the idea of her being held against her will, especially bound in Celestial Bonds. He had noticed she suffered from pain in her hands and legs when she walked or spoke with her hands. She tried to hide it, but it was obvious that even the Destroyer wasn’t immune to the nerve damage created by Fenris’ venom. The numbness would hinder her ability to escape or fight off Celaeno.

  The image of her laying on the floor of the Hall of Mirrors bleeding and pale after Aganon tried to kill her blinded him for a moment. He had to stop and blink a few times to see clearly. Even though he had plotted her demise, the reality of seeing her dying was terrifying. What made him believe that he could kill her? His dangerous obsession with her had made that nearly impossible.

  Why did he care so much about her? Yes, she could destroy the world with a wave of her hand, but her destructive nature had never appealed to him, unlike Lucifer. Of course, she was compassionate and kind, but he rarely valued such things. She was childlike in her thinking and always caused problems with her soft heart, so it had nothing to do with those qualities. He could never put his finger on the reason for his lust, aside from her pretty face. He had a difficult time fighting it, though he did fight it so he could remain alive. If Lucifer knew of his obsession, he would be spending the rest of his life in the Realm of Fire tied to a metal stake. He could just hear Lucifer’s pathetic defense now. Hades? Hades who? Lord Michael, there has never been a Hades in Hell. The second throne has always been empty.

  He sighed and tried to forget about his reasons for wanting to find Lady Black, and worked on actually finding her.