~~Young~~

Chapter Twenty Two

   “We’re going to talk when this is all over you hear me?” he said sternly as he pulled her back to him, “And promise me you’re not going to run away again until you let me explain everything.”

   She frowned, “I won’t.”

   Well he certainly wasn’t expecting that, “Excuse me?”

   “I won’t run away,” she said softly.

   Oh, well in that case…

   He wanted to kiss her, so badly he wanted to crush his self to her and never let go. But he had to let go, deep inside him he knew it might have to be for the rest of their lives to make it right. He wasn’t kidding when he said he couldn’t walk away from her, even for her own sake, because now more than ever he had to be there. To protect her, to be the guardian angel he promised Josephine he would be. But…it was something that could be done from a distance, he could make it so she would never have to see his face again if that’s what she wanted.

   Yup, that did it. Now he was ready for battle with Bane because he knew there was nothing that bastard could do to him that would hurt worse than the thought of a life without Sera.

   He pushed off the ground again when she disappeared around the side of the house to help the water brigade. It was probably the only chance those inside had since there wasn’t a whisper of sirens on the wind. Where were the authorities, the tanker and ladder truck to suppress the flames? They weren’t coming, and Gage was loathe to think it was because of some otherworldly involvement.

   Gage landed cautiously, his blade in hand once again and surveyed the rooftop. He couldn’t see Bane immediately; he thought perhaps he had disappeared inside the building when he spotted the stairwell door swaying. It was what made sense, the easiest assumption considering how difficult it would be to hide his hulking mass without the shadows to offer him cover. The fire was everywhere up here. Dancing around the ledges, eating away at the corner farthest from Gage…there was a hand in that fire, a large brown hand gripping at the crumbling edge.

   He didn’t put it past Bane to hide in the flames, especially when you considered he would probably enjoy it.

   He raised his blade high and quietly stalked over to the ledge thinking that this was so much more like the hell the mortals believed in. Nothing but the infernal heat drenching you in sweat, hot embers burning your feet, the fire licking at you, reaching for you as if desperate to feed on your flesh. Every part of him burned, roasting him as he drew closer to Bane. The wool on his legs began to smoke as he drew up next to the ledge- he’d have to make this quick-but with Bane’s hand within reach Gage swung.

   It was a clean shot, his blade ringing out as it met the stone. Too bad when Gage withdrew the hand went with his blade. His intent had been to sever it from the demon’s arm sending him falling to the ground, but it appeared Bane had already taken care of that for him. Only Bane would cut off his own arm as a distraction.

   Too long Gage stared at the severed appendage stuck to his blade, he was motionless too long and Bane didn’t waste his chance. He plowed into Gage, sending the both of them topping over the edge of the roof. Gage tried to twist as they fell but Bane stayed locked onto his waist, landing atop of him as they crashed into one of the many cement porches protruding from the building.

   It was better than the ground because it was far closer so the impact wasn’t as hard, but it was a smaller space. So small that Gage’s body didn’t have the room to land freely and both his arm and wing were bent over the handrail. The broken wing he could deal with but the impact snapped his blade out of his hand sending it flying to the earth.