Wanted Angel - Sadie Moss Page 0,45

two of them go sprawling in a blur of motion, and I ignore the approaching demons to leap at Salinas.

He’s the leader, it’s only a smart move. And I can’t let Ford take on a powerful demon like this alone. I summon my angel blade and slash at Salinas.

The demon roars. His face transforms, all semblance of humanity melting away, leaving a horrifying visage. Fangs and curled-back blackened lips, bat-like wings where his ears should be, sickly yellow glowing skin, and eyes like a snake with slit pupils.

Part of me is terrified. I’ve never been in a fight like this. Demons are surging up and clashing with the other sins, who are holding the line, still surrounding us, trying to keep the demons away from Salinas and keep them from helping him.

But another part of me is just—well, it might be my proximity to Ford, but I’m angry. I’m furious. I’m angry at my own people, at the angels who did nothing and didn’t care when portals from Hell appeared all over Earth. They didn’t lift a finger to stop this when corrupted started literally crawling out of them to hurt and maim and murder. I’m angry that neither side of this war cares about humanity. I’m angry that the one person who realized how valuable and precious Earth is has decided to take over that plane of existence to dominate, rule, and abuse humanity.

I want to do what’s right.

I want to help people.

Who cares about the rules when the rules aren’t set up to do that?

I’m so angry, so fucking frustrated, and maybe it is just because I’m so close to Ford and his fury that I’m feeling this way—but I don’t think it is. I think this has been building inside me for a long, long time.

Salinas flexes his fingers as he darts away from Ford’s swinging fist. Long, wicked claws extend from the tips. Spines extend out of his spine, and even though he looks even more terrifying like this, I launch myself at him, slashing at him with my sword. I haven’t fought like this in my entire existence, really, but I’m so furious that it’s giving me a bit of an edge.

Salinas lunges for me, and Ford yells in fury and—is that fear, as well, in his voice?

“Leave her the fuck alone,” Ford snarls, his voice almost animalistic.

It’s sweet that he’s so protective of me, but I want to fight this fight. I want to go up against Salinas. I want to fight him.

I slide out of the way just as Salinas strikes down with his claws, and I swing my sword at his arm. The metal bites into his skin, and I drag the hilt toward me, deepening the gash.

Salinas shrieks in pain and rage, and his tail—holy fuck, when did he get a tail?—lashes out at me, whipping around and hitting me smack in the side. Fire erupts against my body, a pain like I’ve never felt before. I scream out, and that sparks a furious yell from several of the sins.

The men are nearly overwhelmed by the demons who’ve surrounded us, and more seem to be arriving every moment, shifting the odds even further against us. Several of them have jumped on Ford, distracting him as he viciously fights them off.

To hell with it. I’m not letting us lose this fight. I want to win, I want to rage, I want blood in my teeth and on my blade.

I slash again, trying to remember everything I was ever taught when I was trained for this, my wings erupting out of my back to give me an advantage. A few flaps bring me up higher than Salinas, allowing me to attack his head while he tries to jump up and swipe at me.

It’s like fighting an animal more than a rational person who can actually think strategically, but he’s a ferocious animal all the same, and I’m barely holding my own.

Salinas feints, aiming one way, or at least I think he is—then he lands a blow to the other side of my head, and I stagger, nearly falling, my wings just catching me in time out of instinct. My ears ring from the blow, the world around me going blurry for a moment. I shake my head, blinking, trying to recalibrate myself.

No. I grit my teeth.

I’m not letting him win this fight. I am an angel. Even if I’m fallen, I’m still an angel, and that means I’m supposed to protect and serve