Long seconds passed as Gabriel stood alongside the other two angels, waiting for Cyrus and the rest of the monsters to make their choice. It wasn’t a hard decision—in her eyes—but as time went on, her belief in what she had come here to do shrank. Would she fail all these men too? A chill rushed through her at the thought. Even though she had been infused with God’s power, moving all these men across oceans had drained her badly. Having also obliterated the angel sword, she swayed on her feet, sweat sprouting as her panic grew. After Lucifer’s eternal banishment, she could not bear the thought of all these lost souls falling too.

Hisses from the monsters grew louder. Each of them got back on their feet, no longer cowering in fear of the sun burning them alive. No longer afraid of what the angels might do.

The king smiled, revealing bloody teeth. His wound improved with every passing second. The ability to heal like angels did. “This Hell you speak of does not exist elsewhere. We are already in it.” He cocked his head to his monsters, and the malice in his red eyes revealed a fact Gabriel wished wasn’t true. After being turned so long ago, there was barely a glimmer of conscience left in his dark soul. “Kill the winged creatures. Drain them dry!”

The monsters launched, and Michael and Remiel shot sky-high. Gabriel remained below, too weak to lift off. Instead, the angel sword reformed in her hand—as the monsters covered her like rabid oversized rats. She struck out but didn’t get far. Fangs claimed her arms and she was knocked down. Gabriel continued to fight, even though she knew it was the end. The stars above weren’t visible through the thick piling of bodies over her—

A sudden collision shook the swarm of monsters. The ones covering Gabriel went flying as light whizzed by. Michael, dive-bombing with Remiel’s dagger. He had saved her. Swooping again, his face was wild with anger as the monsters around her scrambled upright. “I told you they did not deserve your offer.” His hand extended, stretching to snag hold, to deliver her from harm’s way—right as the recovering monsters ran for her.

He would never make it.

Gabriel rushed to stand, and missed Michael’s rescue offering as she came plummeting back down—and not only because she was weakened.

Soaring above, Remiel’s hands shook. The tremors matched the ground, vibrating the clearing and knocking the closest men down. “Gabriel, don’t move!” Palms directing the power, explosions burst up and sent grass flying, driving jagged cracks out around her.

Gabriel knew what he was doing, that he was helping her deliver God’s will in her weakness. That he was attempting to make right his wrongdoings. Ducking Michael’s next attempt to swoop her up, she called out, “Michael, drive them back!”

Fierce refusal darkened his face, but for the first time, he followed her request.

The fragment split wider and wider as monsters scurried not to fall. Heat grew in tangible waves from below as Michael swooped and lashed out with the blade. The first to refuse God’s offer fell. Their screams faded until the flames consumed them with hissing splashes and dying shrieks.

Gabriel felt the horror of each spent life as she watched in despair. But as the numbers diminished, her focus diverted from their falling bodies. Down below on an elevated structure of rocks at the fiery shore’s edge, a tall figure stood. His face was raised and his eyes locked on hers. “Lucifer.”

With sight more superior than any of God’s other creations, she saw the rags his burned armor had been reduced to beneath his breastplate, and the silver-oozing, reddened skin healing beneath. His relief as he watched her suddenly vanished. “Gabriel, watch out!”

Gabriel’s head cranked up as Cyrus leaped from one crumbling section of earth and onto the shrinking platform she stood on. She swung the angel sword too late, and it tore from her grasp as the once respectful king flattened her. Snapping over and over for her jugular, Gabriel tried to hold him back. But she was too weak. Sight darting, she saw that this time no one was going to save her. Michael was grounded, battling against the remaining monsters with Remiel’s dagger. Still hovering, Remiel looked pale as his wings struggled to flap. He swayed in the air while the tremors in his hands had little influence on the ground.

Knowing she had to stop these monsters and save herself, Gabriel kicked out between the king’s legs. He grunted and tipped off her as she shoved. But as she scrambled up, she wasn’t fast enough. Cyrus was already up—and holding the angel sword.

Gabriel backed away slowly. Her heel met the edge of the ground behind her and took her off balance.

A crack erupted from below. The ground jolted lower beneath Gabriel’s feet and tilted, keeping her from falling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Remiel fall from the starlit sky. Michael launched up to him.

At the same time, Cyrus stabbed forward with the sword—and a hand appeared on the grassy edge as Lucifer leaped up from Hell.

With the element of surprise, Lucifer snatched the sword from Cyrus and sliced the blazing blade across his throat. Then he threw the king over the edge.

The platform they stood on tilted with another crack. Gabriel reached for Lucifer, her hope soaring. Lucifer had escaped from Hell, and he had saved her. She prayed this was part of God’s plan. That Lucifer had finally won a chance at redemption. “Take my hand. Please.” Her wings flapped, struggling to lift her from the ground.

Lucifer stalled as he reached out, seeing her feet come back down. Not taking her outstretched hand, he handed her the sword as he scanned past her. A look of wonderment stole the strain from his raw face. Before she could question it, the ground gave way. Unable to save them both, he shoved her so hard she flew up and back—

And Lucifer fell.

Landing with a thud, Gabriel ignored the aching of her jostled bones. She scrambled to the edge of the now gaping hole in the earth. Right on time. Lucifer landed on his back and the dirt shattered over him. Fresh lacerations opened his healing skin from the impact. His blood poured freely, but he didn’t move. Heart-stopping moments of stillness stretched on as Gabriel held her breath, her lungs aching—until he twitched to life.

Rolling sideways with a groan, Lucifer’s muscles strained and more blood flowed as he rose to his knees. His shaking hands joined, lifting to his mouth. A silver tear trickled from one bloodshot eye with the movement of his bloody lips. “I am so sorry, Gabriel. You were right. Forgive me.”