Angel of Retribution Ch. 12-16

The door opened again and this time a tall female reaper with long flowing red hair and wings as black as space stepped in, divine sword drawn. "Your weretigri has been taken to sacrifice."

Chapter Fifteen

Devon brought them their uniforms and weapons. Remi strapped on the belt that held his regular Alpha Angel's sword across his chest. Forgoing wearing the top half of his black uniform, he donned his pants and then yanked on his boots. From the corner of his eye, he watched his commander whisper an incantation to open a portal through the mirror in Liara and Marina's room. Ears straining, Remi memorized every sound Devon uttered.

The mirror rippled like silver water, which slowly diluted to a scene of a meadow surrounded by a verdant forest.

The scent of green permeated the room as well as a cool breeze that toyed in Devon's blue-black hair. Devon turned his glowing blue gaze to regard each of them. "I've tracked the influx of power to here. Arboria is rich with magical portals. I just need to find the one where Seth was taken to."

Remi felt the familiar shiver of fear creep into his gut. They couldn't lose Seth. Who the Hell would he tease otherwise?

"We'll have the help of others on the other side." Devon continued. "Stay close to me."

He walked through the portal first, Zak and Amaranth close behind.

Remi gripped Rowie's hand and stared into her wide eyes. "Is there any way I can convince you to stay here?"

Rowie scowled. "Stay? I hope you're not going to become some overbearing boyfriend. I am not staying behind. Remi, what is wrong with you? How could—"

He yanked her to him and kissed her deep, shutting her up. "I'm your mate, not your boyfriend... and don't forget I love you," he breathed against her lips, "and that you're carrying my baby dragons."

Pride made him grin like an idiot as he brushed his fingers over her concave belly. God, she was going to look even more beautiful swollen with his babies in her belly. His cock hardened at the thought.

She gaped at him, mute for about two seconds before her brows drew together. "We fucked just scarcely ten minutes ago. I am not pregnant, so stop saying that."

Chuckling, Remi pulled her along behind him as he breached the portal.

It felt a little like stepping through gelatin, the new atmosphere of the planet wrapping around his senses like goo. The vision of the forest distorted as well as sound. He had trouble breathing for a moment and tightened his fingers around Rowie's little hand in his when he felt her press against him.

It's okay, baby. We're together... Dev and the others are right there ahead of us.

She squeezed his hand, but kept her body pressed to his until the gooey feeling dissipated and the breeze whipped his hair back.

Devon had gathered an army of Master Guardians from every species of alien Remi could think of; White haired Crystalians from the ill-fated planet of Crystalia, Gruesh, Chid, Orwogs, Merulians, Fae, even Giants from Hygantha. They stood waiting in the meadow and surrounding forest. Circling around in the darkening skies were a few spacecrafts and Reapers. Amaranth's wings opened as she shot into the skies to join them.

"There are devils everywhere," a cobalt Gruesh male was relaying to Devon in a deep voice.

Remi looked around. The trees on this planet were a green so dark they were almost black. They reached toward the angry sky swaying in the breeze heavy with the scent of rain. In the distance were dark mountains, lightning bolts dancing over their tops announcing the approach of a storm.

"Typical," Remi murmured.

"What?" Rowie asked next to him.

Her face was pale, reflecting the terror he felt at Seth's disappearance. "The whole stormy sky foreboding crap," Remi answered. "Why can't it ever be a fucking beautiful sunshiny day when shit's about to happen?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and captured his lips in a sweet kiss. "I love you, Fyre."

Remi swallowed over the lump in his throat, his hands smoothing over the curve of her little waist. "Baby... how about if you just sit this one out?" She scowled. "I mean, with you being pregnant and all."

"Who's pregnant?" Zak blurted beside them, his eyes round.

Rowie jerked her arms from Remi's neck. "Stop saying that. And—no—I am not sitting this one out. They've got..." She looked away swallowing convulsively, blinking back tears that made her dark eyes glitter. Zak put and arm around her shoulders and she pulled her lips back in an enraged sneer, her eyes going back up to Remi's. "They've got our Sethaliel. And I'll be damned if I let those fucking demons and devils harm one platinum hair on his head."

He felt her pain. It was his also. It was every Alpha Angel's pain at the moment.

***

Remi wrapped his arms around her and Zak. The three held each other until Devon approached.

"I need some of that too right now," he said in a small voice.

Rowie sniffled, trying to offer him a brave smile when Remi made room for him in their little circle of love.

Their heat and love surrounded her, but she didn't find complete comfort in it; not until Seth was found again.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt Devon stiffen in the shared embrace.

He jolted away from them with a snarl, his eyes completely black, and his skin mottled with black veins.

Remi and Zak pulled away from her, drawing their swords as did she.

"Baby," Remi rasped, his eyes wide and darting around into the shadows, "I beg you," his voice broke and she saw that he was trembling. "Tell Dev to send you back through the portal. If anything happens to you, I'll fucking die."

Hot warmth dripped down her cheeks. If anything happened to him, she'd die too. "Don't think about that, baby. We're going to kick ass today. Me and you."

"That's right," Zak's deep voice added, "We're getting Seth and sending this new dark prince back to Hell."

Devon crouched, his snarling inhuman, his face contorted into a demonic mask. "They're here."

The sound of the reapers wings sounded like continuous thunder.

Rowie almost clapped her hands over her ears when the familiar high-pitched screeching rent the air. The sky grew darker, but from the presence of thousands of devils flying into the multitude of reapers. The sound of clashing metal drew her gaze back to the dark shadows in the forest around the wide meadow.

More devils poured out like a wave of dirty floodwater, overtaking the Master Guardians standing guard at the very edges near the forest. Limbs, heads, and bodies of devils from the sky, still twitching in the throes of death.

When a devil swooped down and snatched an Ooluwn Guardian near her, she realized that not only were they surrounded with encroaching devils, the ones overhead were avoiding the reapers and attacking the Master Guardians below.

She gripped her sword firmly, widening her stance, blanking her mind like Seth had taught her... until Remi caught her attention.

Just as the wave of devils reached him, he raised his hand in front of his face and pulled a blazing divine sword from the air. His entire body ignited and she saw the swirling power of a Dominatio surrounding him.

There was no time to react to the fact that her boyfriend—no—mate, was an archangel and hadn't told her.

He gripped his other sword and wielding both began to shred devils, his body moving with the fluid grace of a dancer.

They descended upon her, fangs and deadly claws exposed. Rowie cut and hacked, tapped into her powers and increased her speed. Everything moved in slow motion around her, all sound muffled, and distorted. Blood sprayed her face, black blood with the scent of rotting flesh. She wouldn't be surprised if she had maggots crawling all over her. The tail of a blue devil whipped out and wrapped around her leg. She fell on her ass. Devon swooped in and hacked the tail from the devils body when he tried to take off into the sky with her.

Rowie grimaced when she felt the dying tremors in the appendage wrapped around her leg. Jumping back up to her feet, she swung at two more devils that came at her.

Her boots were already slipping and sliding on pieces of flesh, cleaved heads, wriggling torsos, black devils blood.

Zak's roar drew her attention for a second. Devils were overtaking him, making her heart freeze. Remi hacked his way to him, but when a devil bit Zak's thigh, Zak's roar went bestial.

Gold wings ripped from his back to shimmer in the subdued light. He plucked the devil from his thigh and ripped the creature's throat out with the beginnings of his dragon's fangs erupting from his jaws.

Zak was shifting... and she was too close. One of the airborne devils wrapped a tail around him and dragged him up to the sky.

She screamed. "Zak!"

Her throat felt raw, Remi's shout echoing in her ears as well. As she watched in helpless horror her beautiful golden angel whisked away, white flakes fell from the sky.

Her mind reeled with confusion. What the hell? Was it snowing now?

Light blinded her, pain ripped through her ears when a mighty roar rent the air. She fell to the ground with a scream, clapping her hands over her ears and squeezing her watering eyes shut against the intense light. Had Remi changed to help Zak?

Rowie! He fucking did it—Remi shouted into her mind with glee—He finally shifted.

She peeled open her bleary eyes, trying to make sense of what she could see around her. The devils that had attacked them looked like white powdery statues coming apart in the wind. Her ringing ears picked up the muffled sound of the reapers thundering wings as they landed on the ground around them. Swords gleamed in the dim light, black wings folded with grace along their backs, but it was a flash of gold that caught and held Rowie's attention.

Zak's dragon form glowed like sunlight. His wings flapped unsteadily before he crashed to the ground below. He bellowed another angry roar, his tail swishing and scales raised.

Rowie ran to him, realizing he'd lost touch with his human side and was out of control.

The golden dragon was breathtaking. His scales looked like polished gold, his snout smooth and rounded. On his head were two wavy horns that reminded her of his long wavy hair.

Sapphire eyes blazed in terror at her as he snarled in warning.

She drew up her hands slowing her gait as she drew near. "Easy, baby, easy," she cooed. He lowered his head and roared at her, his tail whipping back and forth in agitation.

"Rowie, don't get too close," Devon warned behind her. "Let me help him."

The dragon's feral beauty mesmerized her. She shook her head, continuing to approach the growling beast. He snapped his teeth with a snarl, fire sparking from his maw as he took a few steps away from Rowie.

"It's just me, baby. Don't be afraid."

Rowie began to sing The Dragon's Lullaby that Remi had taught her. It always soothed him when his bestial side took over completely.

The dragon shivered and made a trilling sound in his throat.

As she sang to him, she let her mind drift out and touch his gently. The dragon half snarled half whimpered, taking another step back.

It's me, Zachariel. You know me. You love me as much as I love you. We all love you. Come back to us, baby. Come back.

***

Remi watched Rowie soothe the golden dragon. Zak was skittish, but calmed when she began to sing. Devon stayed close behind her, also weaving his magic to bring Zak back.

Snickering had him turning his head to peer at the encroaching shadows of the forest. In the inky black beneath the trees, he saw movement; the swish of a tail, golden eyes with a slit pupil, sharp teeth glinting in the darkness.

Remi growled and stalked toward it. Big golden eyes snapped to him with a snarl. The chase was on.

Remi's eyes adjusted to the darkness as he tore through the trees. The creature ahead of him ran fast, red-ribbed black wings flapping, tail whipping. This devil was different from the others he'd seen. Glossy black ringlets crowned its head and instead of being one of the vivid shades of the others of his kind, this one was satiny jet-black.

Remi was almost upon it, his hand reaching out to grab the thing by its tail. It took a diving leap off a cliff and Remi followed.

Cold water shocked him, icy fingers of pain needling through his flesh, down to his bones. His head spun, disorientated for a moment, not knowing which way was up. His lungs burned for air and just when he thought he would drown, he broke through the surface.

Remi gasped for breath, coughing and shivering before letting some fire off his skin to warm up again. Steam rose around him as his fire lit the yawning dark.

He recognized the cave... the one from his nightmares.

Rising from the dark underground pool, he realized his clothing had disappeared along with most of his weapons. Only his dragon sword remained in his hand.

Remi brought it up to his face, running his fingers over the hilt and designs on the blade.

"Fucking déjà vu," Remi mumbled.

The sound of growling nearby had him narrowing his eyes to peer down the darkened tunnel. He could see a soft flickering glow father down.

Seth. He needed to find Seth.

Remi took off in a run, streaming a trail of golden fire.

***

Devon almost knocked her over in his haste to get to Zak. Her commander wrapped his arms around a trembling Zak, talking to him in subdued tones to calm him after having shifted back to human form.

What was left of the devils had dissolved into pale grey almost white ash thanks to the reapers and their divine ability to kill devils. She caught sight of Amaranth, her once silver eyes turned completely black in a reaper's kill mode. Unlike the other reapers around her, Amaranth's were shedding tears as she stood panting on the field.

Why was she crying?

Rowie closed her eyes for a moment, relieved the reapers helped get the situation under control. They just needed to find Seth now.

She couldn't see Remi anywhere. The last time she spotted him, he looked like a demon-shredding machine, wielding two swords. Why hadn't he told her he'd been ordained an archangel? When had it happened?

Rowie glanced around noticing some of the Master Guardians did not survive the attack. She shivered feeling sick and sad at the same time. It could have been her... or one of the other Alpha Angels dead on the ground right now... her baby, Remi.

She closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath and pushing away the black thoughts. They would make it through. They had to... for Seth.

She opened her eyes again and gasped when she saw Dante, and Niall approaching from across the field.

The breeze blew through Dante's white-blond hair, reminding her of Seth.

Dante spared her a withering glare before marching straight to Devon.

"Your other dragon," he began, "he took off after Samael."

Rowie's newly beating heart almost stopped. She stood rooted to the ground as Devon shot to his feet, dragging Zak with him. His face laced over with black veins and his eyes blazed brighter. "Which way?"

Dante lifted his sword, pointing to the darkest area of the forest.

She was mobile for about two seconds before steel arms gripped her around the waist.

Rowie turned with a snarl to look into Devon's face. His lips were pulled back to show his fangs and he leaned closer until his nose was almost touching hers. "Don't make me send you back to Alpha 7 with Angel and Annie."

Rowie tried to wrench from his hold. "Well then help him," she screamed in a fit of helpless rage.

He turned, putting her behind him before turning back in the direction Dante had indicated.

A rumbling sounded around her as all other sound, including the whispering breeze in the trees, died away.

Rowie held her breath, watching Devon's power manifest itself. His blue-black hair lifted, flowing like liquid satin around his shoulders and face. He lifted his hands and the rumbling grew louder. Blue energy emanated from him, creating a glowing aura while he moved his hands as if parting the air. A stream of blue energy flowed from him like a river of light, creating a path through the forest.

He moved forward and then vanished. Instinct had Rowie latching on to his life force and following him through the path of energy he'd made. Behind her, she felt others also.

She hurtled through the dense foliage, cocooned in unnatural silence. Devon stood at the end of the tunnel of blue light, looking down with his back to her. Rowie stepped up behind him.

They stood at the edge of a cliff. Below, Rowie heard the sound of rushing water, its scent rising from the black chasm in the forest floor. Great. Just her favorite thing. Deep dark holes with rushing water. The thought of creepy crawly things made her shiver.

"Fucking alien fish," she muttered through clenched teeth.

Footsteps crunched the fallen leaves behind her as Devon turned.

"They went through there," he said pointing into the darkness.

A lump formed in her throat. "Can you still feel him?"

"Yes," he replied, touching her arm. "But he's crossed over into another realm."

"The realm of demons."

Rowie turned to gape at Liara. When had she crossed over the portal? The vampire only nodded at her and then looked at Devon. "We're all ready to follow you through."

"There are fallen angels on the other side," he said looking over the crowd. "I should do this on my own."

Rowie snorted. "You're not going to battle demons by yourself."

"No. He's not."

Rowie turned to the sound of the new voice. She tilted her head back... and then back some more, until she thought she'd topple over.

The Reaper towered over her, seven-feet tall. Bare-chested, his sable hair hung loose around his shoulders. Black leather pants hugged his lean hips and strong legs and a pair of jet-black wings rustled impatiently on his back. The feathers were so dark they looked blue... like Devon's hair. Her hand itched to touch and see if they were as soft as they looked. The reaper's silver-grey eyes lowered to stare at her, a frown on his handsome face. Rowie scowled back. He was damn cute, but a sourpuss.

"Ashriel," was all Devon said.

Rowie flicked the tip of her sword to the reaper's throat with a sneer. "My man is on the other side of that portal. You and your winged buddies better save him."

Ashriel's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, she thought he would smile. He bit the sides of his cheeks, letting his gaze go over her. His eyes narrowed. "For such a little thing, you've got balls."

Rowie's brows arched in amusement. Did he actually say balls?

Devon put his hand on her forearm, gently moving her sword away from the reaper's throat.

"Rowie, baby, don't rile the death angel."

Rowie swished her head back to Devon. "Is that goddamned portal still open?"

Devon nodded, "yeah, but—"

She didn't let him finish, plunging headlong into the deep black abyss. She'd save her baby, even if she had to follow him into hell and drag him out by his dick.

***

Remi discovered that stealth was the quickest way to deal with the myriad of devils lurking in the underground tunnels and caves. He had no idea where the Hell he was nor where he was headed, but instinct pulled him forward.

Ahead, he heard voices, and crouched down to crawl his way to the opening in the wall.

His heart froze in his chest when he recognized Seth. His pale body was power bound to a stone altar since Remi could not see any rope around his limbs anywhere. If Seth were tied with rope, or even chains, getting him out of them would have been child's play. As it was, a powerful creature held him bound with its magic—not so easy to break. The weretigri's wrists were slashed, blood pouring from the wounds into two golden goblets on the floor.