ago,” Tascius said. “Prince Abaddon has already agreed to be the liaison if the Circles need anything from Wrath, and Adranos is willing to keep an eye out for us.”
It seemed Fate had aligned exactly right to shove us out the door and into the unknown.
Which didn’t bode well, in my opinion. In my experience, when Fate seemed to be pointing in one specific direction like the way was free and clear… well, that meant it was time to bunker down and weather the storm.
And we’d all been sure a storm was coming.
“This is it, then,” I breathed, talking to myself, but Azazel was suddenly in front of me. He touched me under the chin with two fingers, tilting my head up.
“You can stay.” He said it hopefully, as if I’d be willing to pull off all this armor and sit on my ass, waiting for them to come home.
Fuck that. This was my destiny, my fight.
“I can’t.”
He inclined his head, even though his expression wasn’t happy. His fingers slid around to the back of my neck, touching the mate mark and sending his emotions through to me louder than ever.
His worry and terror that something might go wrong.
“Nothing will go wrong,” I said quietly, as though I could will it into being true. “We’ll get them back and we’ll kill this motherfucker.”
Azazel’s smile was sad. “Yes.”
Tascius strapped an enormous broadsword to his back. “So, Azazel. Point the way.”
My Watcher gave everyone a cool look. “It’ll take everything I have just to open the Between, but I’ll take us this far.”
Oh, fuck.
My stomach lurched and I gripped his arm as the world shifted around us, clinging to anything around me to stay stable. A moment later, the lurching stopped, and the world went back to normal, even though my stomach was still flipping around.
Belial and Michael both swore, and Haru’s tails were puffed up to three times their normal already-substantial size.
My head swam as a hot breeze swept over us. Azazel had moved the six of us through time and space, right into the middle of the wastelands. Black sand crunched underfoot as everyone shifted around, getting their bearings and glaring at Azazel on occasion.
“Did you all forget that assassins are after our mate?” Azazel said icily. “Or did you want to parade her through the streets and let everyone know she’s going to be out in the wilderness without defense?”
Belial swept his hand through his hair, still scowling. “No, we’re good. Just do whatever the fuck you want before asking. That’s fine.”
I looked around the dunes. The spires of Dis were barely visible in the distance, and the dune tops were empty.
If anyone followed us into the Between, they’d have to be crazy.
On the other hand… most demons were.
23
Melisande
In the end, half of us flew, and half of us ran.
Haru shifted just like Belial, but he became an enormous fox, large enough for one demon to ride. All of his tails were present, waving gleefully as he raced across the sand like a rusty comet.
I imagined he was feeling the same relief I was, the driving force to get out there and do what called to us.
Belial rolled his eyes and became a lion, kneeling for me. “RIDE, ANGEL. DON’T WASTE YOUR STRENGTH.”
Instead of arguing, I climbed up between his shoulder blades as Azazel, Tascius, and Michael took flight. Every morning and night I fed a little more healing magic to my wing, but there was no point in taking risks when I’d need my strength more than ever in Irkalla.
I gripped two handfuls of his silky mane as he plunged forward, only steps behind Haru. With the others gliding on the air currents above us, we made for a very interesting assortment, but we ate up the desert with wings and paws.
“We head towards the mountains and turn south,” Azazel instructed. He was a wisp of smoke, but his form twisted until he was a raven, black wings shading us from the endless sun. His beak flashed as he spoke. “Pluto’s Gate will take us into the Between.”
Even as a raven, he didn’t sound happy about the plan. But we were out here, and there was no going back.
The Spear thudded against my back with every step Belial took, but it was a comforting rhythm, a reminder that I held a weapon that could destroy just about any demon in Hell. As long as I kept my hands on it.