Eternal Sin (Primal Sin #2) - Ariana Nash Page 0,15

Yes. He blinked, clearing his vision and his head.

Demons had begun to leave the safety of their homes to attend the wounded, but some saw him—an angel standing among dead angels, covered in angel blood. Snarls burbled. Teeth were bared.

Severn pulled his hood up with trembling hands and stepped around the dead. Instinct demanded he stay and help, but the crowd would soon turn. He glanced back at the madam. Her wings sagged behind her. Blood glistened on her thighs and chest, where the angels’ blades had caught her.

“Get to the medics,” he told her. She nodded, and Severn let Samiel lead him away.

This couldn’t continue. Angels had never attacked in such a manner. They didn’t ambush demons in their homes. That wasn’t how the war should be fought. Mikhail needed to be stopped. And if Severn couldn’t reason with him, this would have to end the way battles did. With blood.

Chapter 6

Mikhail

Aerie rang with the sound of saws and hammers and the weighty beat of angel wings in flight. The missing residential disk had been replaced with scaffolding. There was still a long way to go before angels would once again be living in Aerie, but the city would rise again.

He strode along the suspended platforms, silently observing the construction. A smudge of red burned against the brilliant blue sky. Mikhail’s heartbeat stuttered. Solomon. He’d be reporting on the attack behind enemy lines. Had they found Severn? It seemed unlikely the human technology would result in capturing Severn so soon, but hope swelled inside him. Hope that this would all be over soon, that he’d have Severn knelt before him in chains.

Solo alighted on the end of the platform and strode forward, tucking his red wings in behind him to keep them from tangling in the scaffolding. His face was grim, lips thin. Dark freckles stood out against his pale face.

He dropped to a knee and bowed his head. “Your Grace.”

He almost didn’t want to hear it. The wind tossed Solo’s long red hair and pushed at Mikhail. The sound of hammers ringing matched Mikhail’s beating heart.

“How bad was it?”

Solomon looked up. “Severn is alive. He was seen, but,” he wet his lips, “they fought back.”

Anger crushed the bright light of hope. “Did you expect them to welcome you? They’re demons!”

Solo winced. “The ambush would have been a success, Your Grace. The rank I sent in was one of our finest. The demons were caught unawares. They took heavy casualties.”

“Then why are you not here with Severn in chains?”

“He disabled—” Solo’s voice hitched. “He stole an angelblade and… Severn is a formidable warrior, and he was not alone.” Solo straightened slowly, his gaze meeting Mikhail’s. He was full of pride, this one. “He fought alongside a demon—the one they call Samiel.”

Mikhail closed his eyes and clenched his jaw so hard its pain subdued some of the rage burning through his veins. But not all.

“We’re regrouping and intend to launch a more substantial force. He will not escape a second time.”

He opened his eyes to find Solo staring back, his chin up and eyes fierce.

They’d lost the element of surprise. Severn would be ready for a second attack, and so would his demons. He wasn’t a novice angel. He was a battle-hardened demon warrior. As Konstantin, he’d led thousands of charges against angels, leaving the killing fields strewn with their dead. Solo had underestimated him. “Solomon, Severn was your friend,” Mikhail began, keeping his voice level, controlled, calm—very different from the maelstrom in his head.

Solomon swallowed. “He was.” The male blinked quickly, trying to hold on to his composure. In many ways, Solomon shared the same betrayal as Mikhail. There was no allyanse tying Solo and Severn together, but there had been betrayal. He should not feel anything, but the fire in Solo’s eyes suggested he did.

“You asked to be charged with retrieving him, and I granted that request. Never forget who he really is. Konstantin is a demon lord. He has slain countless angels. He adopted our ways, lied and manipulated his way into our ranks, for years. Do not underestimate him because of your past together.”

“No, Your Grace,” Solo replied stiffly.

“Your friend does not exist. Only Konstantin exists. Whatever forces you plan to send in, double them. He must be in our custody by Remiel’s arrival, or you will personally suffer the consequences.”

Solo thumped a fist to his chest. “It will be so, Your Grace.”

Mikhail watched him take to the air and disappear inside glaring sunlight. Solo had