The fighting ceased as soon as they took Erelah.
Leksander had fought his way past Tajael, but now he just stood in the middle of the balcony staring up at the empty air where Erelah had been, moments ago, swarmed by a dozen dark angelings and whisked away. He could hardly believe it. His rage was just starting to work through the stunned fog of his brain.
She loved him.
And now she was gone.
“What the fucking hell was that?” he finally spat out, venting his anger toward Razael, the shadow angel who was apparently her father. He had just landed on the balcony next to Leksander. His angelings still filled the air, but the attackers had disappeared.
“That was Elyon and his Regiment,” Razael said. His voice was even, but his power still electrified the air, as it had been when he was fighting the other angel.
“They have Erelah.” Leksander ran both hands through his hair, trying not to panic. How could he fight a Regiment of angelings? “We have to go after them!” Surely, Razael would want to rescue his daughter.
Tajael came up behind Leksander, his head still bloodied. “She is pledged to Razael’s Regiment,” he said, as if he was explaining this to Leksander, but his measured gaze was on Razael and the murderous storm gathering on his face. “They should have killed her.”
“What?” Leksander turned to Tajael. “But they… they just took her. Right?”
“Right,” Tajael said, coolly, still looking to Razael. “The question is why.”
“They might turn her.” Razael’s flash of power that boomed the air left no doubt as to his thoughts on that. “Did they recognize you?” he asked Tajael.
Leksander turned a puzzled look to Tajael, but then he remembered—the angeling who attacked Erelah had called him by name. “How do you know these guys?” he demanded of Tajael.
He grimaced. “I was pledged to Elyon for a time.” He twisted his torso to show the tattoos on his chest. They weren’t as extensive as Razael’s, but looking around, Leksander could see that every angeling gathered on the platform had the same tattoo, a simplified version of the one inked across Razael’s chest. But Tajael’s was different. He turned back to Razael. “They have to wonder why I’m here. An angel of light…”
“And yet they did not kill you.” Razael frowned.
“Wait a minute,” Leksander said. “If light and shadow are such enemies, then why did they take Erelah and not…” He stalled out.
“And not me?” Tajael finished for him. “An excellent question.” He turned back to Razael. “Elyon or any of his Regiment would have surely killed me on sight if they didn’t have a singular purpose already.”
“They came for her.” Razael’s dark expression was shaking the air again. “Tell me more of this treaty. I knew of its existence when I was still in the light, but how does Erelah factor in this? And why would the shadow realm be involved?”
Tajael glanced at Leksander, but he just gestured for Tajael to explain. He knew of Leksander’s love as well as anyone, and Leksander needed to hear the angel side. Actually, he was desperate to go after Erelah, but he would need the help of Razael’s Regiment, so he let Tajael take the lead.
“Leksander requires a mate for the treaty to renew,” Tajael explained. “He wishes for Erelah to be that mate, but as you know, a True Love is required. Something an angeling cannot provide…” He glanced at Leksander. “Although I’m not entirely sure about that now.”
“Erelah has True Love of him?” Razael asked, his power thrumming the air.
Leksander didn’t know if that would be a problem for her angel father, but he didn’t care. The idea that Erelah loved him made his heart race. Was it True Love? He couldn’t imagine her, his angeling of righteousness, having any other kind. “Yes,” he answered, all his joy and fear pouring into that one word. All along, that was the one thing—the only thing—that could keep him from her. If she could love him, then all things were possible. He just had to bring her safely home and work out the details. But he would make it happen.
“But she is in shadow,” Razael said to Tajael, his wings twitching as he spoke.
“If she were to return to the light…” Tajael raised his hands, a gesture of uncertainty. “This is uncharted territory. But if there were ever an angeling who could master her shadow impulse and return, it would be Erelah. You don’t know her, Razael, but your wisdom and strength shine in her. She has always been special. An angel in disguise.”
Leksander frowned, not sure what that meant, but the cloud of doubt on Razael’s face was his enemy right now. “Just give me a chance with her. Please. You can’t leave her with this Elyon and his dark Regiment!”
“No, we will not abandon her.” He turned his frown to Tajael. “But I would know the manner of the trap into which we are flying.”
Tajael nodded. “Something isn’t right about this. They targeted her. They knew she was here, and they came for her and took her. Why? Especially knowing you would come after her.”
“She summoned me with her blade,” Razael said, his wings giving a slow, long beat as he considered this. “They would have sensed her. They would have sensed my lineage upon her. It could merely be vengeance. Elyon fell long ago and has loathed humanity and angels of the light ever since. He believes God loves humans more than angels, in spite of his angel creatures giving everything to live God’s Virtues. Elyon fell from Wrath, and he is consumed by it, constantly.”
“But if vengeance were all he sought,” Tajael countered, “then Erelah’s body would be broken and bloodied before you. Trust me, I’m familiar with his signature moves.”
Razael nodded. “He must want to put her to some other purpose.”
“Nothing good, I’m sure.” Tajael grimaced.
“Enough,” Leksander said, his fists curling to contain his frustration. “Let’s go now!”
Tajael nodded to Razael. “Agreed. They may yet destroy her, or worse. Time is against us.” He turned to Leksander. “But you must remain here, dragon prince.”
“What? No. Absolutely not.” No way in hell they were leaving him behind.
“Your blade will be of singular use, Tajael,” Razael said.
Tajael nodded. “My blade of light will be particularly deadly, but I’ll also attract the greatest interest from Elyon’s Regiment.”
“My angelings will have your back.” He flicked a signal to his gathered Regiment, and an energy buzzed through them, wings whispering as they lifted into the air. He rose slightly with them.
“I’m am going,” Leksander hissed to Tajael. “Don’t even think about leaving me behind.”
Tajael pulled him back from where Razael floated, giving instructions to his Regiment. “I cannot protect you in another angel’s domain,” Tajael said in a hushed voice. “I can barely protect you here.”
“I don’t need protection,” he growled.
“Of course, you do.” He took Leksander by the shoulders. “This will be difficult enough without you to guard as well. Do you wish for Erelah’s safe return? Then ensure our success by not being stubborn. You do not have the power to fight this, Leksander.”
Shit. Tajael really wasn’t going to take him. He shoved off Tajael’s hands and turned to the angel hovering above them. “Razael!” Leksander raised his voice to be heard over the thrumming of magic growing in the air. “You said Elyon loathes humanity. Well, the fate of humanity rests in my hands. If he wants to fuck up humanity, then there’s no better way than killing me, right now, before I can mate and spawn a dragonling.”
Razael hovered down to land on the platform again. “Yes.”
“Let me be the target.” Leksander straightened, head held high. “I’ll need a host of your angelings to protect me because I have every intention of living a long time and loving Erelah to the best of my ability. Whether she’s shadow or light makes no difference to me. Her love is all I need, and now that I have it, I will fight for it.”
Razael slowly nodded then looked to Tajael. “His True Love will be easily sensed. The diversion of the dragon prince attacking to regain his mate has the advantage of being truth.”
Tajael let out a long sigh. “At least a dozen angelings need to guard him at all times. I’ll have to attack with the others if I’m to be effective.”
“Agreed.” Razael lifted into the air again, and his angelings were already separating into groups.
Tajael shook his head at Leksander. “You really need to try not to die, Leksander.”
“I’ll do my best.” He swallowed. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew how badly outgunned he was in this fight.
A host of black-winged angelings descended upon them both, surrounding them. Tajael motioned one forward and said, “Protect this one with your life. Or I’ll find you with my blade.”
The angeling gave him a dirty look, but he placed a heavy hand on Leksander’s shoulder.
Tajael leaped into the air, not looking back as he joined Razael and the others grouping into assault teams.
Leksander faced the angeling who was charged with keeping him alive. He looked far too young, like he was barely out of his teens, but then it was hard to tell age with angelings. His eyes were the kind that had seen too much. “You have a name?”
“Asa,” the angeling said, and he gave a nod to the others gathered around Leksander. They drew closer. Asa looked back to him. “And we do not need to be friends, dragonling.”
Leksander gritted his teeth. “Just keep me alive long enough to rescue Razael’s daughter.”
“That is the plan.” Although Asa was saying it to the others, not him.
Then the world disappeared in a wrenching of time and space and light.