Angel of Fire - Requiem of Lost Souls - Book Two

Taking Hell By Storm

Chapter 37

White-hot fire erupted from the holes in my back. I let out an ear-splitting scream and whiplashed my body up in a painful effort to get Serenity off me. Both of us back on our feet, she held up my broken wings in unspoken triumph. I could taste bile at the back of my throat as I watched the ghostly feathers crumple like huge pieces of torn paper, turning to ashes in her hands before being swept up and away by ever increasing swirling winds that sounded like a fast approaching freight train.

With the earth now fully sandwiched directly between the sun and the moon, instead of near total darkness like I expected, blood-red light began to blaze from behind the moon like a ring of fire.

The effect was a jaw-dropping sight.

Swallowing hard, I continued to stare in morbid fascination as the tornado spiraling directly above The Plaza split into two, then three, then four seperate twisters.

“I'm going to let you live long enough to watch me destroy everything you fought so hard to save,” Serenity shouted above the howling winds. “When I'm finished, all that's left behind will be a dead planet to be ruled over by the leader of the Angels of Darkness, and the one chosen to become Queen of the Dead.”

I didn't have to ask Serenity if she planned on becoming Queen. The answer was kind of obvious.

But first, she had to get past me.

Raising my own voice to compensate for all the noise, I yelled, "I'm not going to allow you to unleash hell on earth."

She arched a defiant brow.  "And just how do you plan on stopping me?"

"You forgot one important detail, you crazy bitch," I replied with a scowl. "Unlike Thomas, I didn't renounce my eternal life."

Serenity failed to keep the surprise out of her voice. “What's that supposed to mean?”

I tried hard to keep a straight face. Too bad it didn't work. "It means...you're still human."

"That's impossible!" Wielding the athame like a dagger, she pressed the tip of the blade against her left palm and drew it across. Bright scarlet blood blossomed in her hand. When she failed to heal the gaping flesh wound, her incredulous gaze returned to mine. "But you can't be immortal."

My scowl deepened. "It's so cute that you think that. You may have stolen my wings, Serenity. But I'm very much still an angel." She opened her mouth to argue, but I held out my hand to her expectantly. Time to end this. "Hand over the rest of the poison."

"And just why would I do that?" she said, forcefully spitting out each word.

"Because I'm about to make you an offer you can't refuse."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What's your offer?"

"That I kill you quickly."

Serenity tossed her head back and laughed, the horrid high-pitched sound reminding me of a wicked witches cackle.

"That's what I thought..." Obviously, she'd forgotten about the promise I made her at the Devil's Soupbowl. This time when I flashed her a smile, it didn't feel wrong.

Not one little bit.

I didn't even have to think about it. Instinct took over. Engulfed by a scorching tide of anger, my veins sizzled with power as I raised my chin with firm resolve and advanced on Serenity. "I'm hell on wheels, and I'm coming for you."