A Book of Dust and Breath

Chapter Fifty One

Yadira spread the map on the table and Azrael pointed. "The primary breech is here. There are others, but this," he tapped the place. "If we can seal this, we can finish this. We can bring balance back to the world."

"No one goes there. They say you can see the earth boiling within the canyon," Max said.

"It is a glimpse into the Lake of Fire," Yadira replied.

"How does it get sealed?" Lily asked.

The three angels looked at her.

"What?" She asked, shrugging.

"You'll know when you get to it," Azrael finally said.

"But getting to it isn't going to be a walk in the park," Daniel added.

Max sniffed. "I'll get her there." He winked at Lily.

Daniel's foot shot out toward Max's lower legs and before he knew what happened, he was on the floor and Daniel was laughing at him. "Yeah. Good luck getting past the armies of Hell."

Max scrambled to his feet. "That's not even right! I didn't know you were going to--"

Daniel's fist popped out and slammed into Max's nose. Blood poured down from behind the hands he clamped over his face.

"You think they're going to warn you?"

"That's enough!" Azrael had no need to raise his voice. "Watcher, you cannot train him to fight in the way of the Host. He can't do it."

"I can!" Max insisted.

"You shouldn't," Lily said. "In all this time, the Host hasn't accomplished what we need to do. Their way is not sufficient."

"Your wife is your greatest distraction and your greatest asset. Stay close by her side, Maximus."

Max wiped the blood away from his face with a wad of tissues Daniel handed him. Already, his nose was healing, the pain no more than a lingering sting. He frowned at the very suggestion he would be anywhere other than Lily's side. To suggest otherwise was akin to suggesting he might forget to take his arms into battle with him. She was part of who he was. Whatever they faced, they faced it together.

She smiled shyly at him and, as if she knew his thoughts, offered a tiny nod.