A twig cracked behind me, and I peered over my shoulder to see half a dozen Castor demons and a few Hellhounds. Our guards looked either knocked out or dead, and it seemed one had even run off.

My stomach fell.

No. No one was taking Lincoln or me anywhere. The urgency of the situation pressed in on me, and something inside of me snapped. I thrust Sera forward and she shot a blinding light into the Dark Prince’s face, causing him to yelp in surprise and cover his eyes. Then a white-hot whip of Celestial light flew from my palm and wrapped around the Devil’s neck. I yanked and he fell forward, but only for a second before his wings burst from his back and then he was skyborn. With a jerk I was pulled up with him, hanging from the whip in my hand that was still around his throat.

Shit.

I pumped my own wings, trying to use the strength of my flapping to pull Lucifer back down to Earth.

“Brielle!” Lincoln shouted helplessly from the ground.

The Hellhounds howled and panic fully gripped me.

My flapping was no use. I was being dragged higher and higher, and when I looked up, I saw the Dark Prince was pulling on my whip like a rope, drawing me closer to him even though it seemed to be burning his hands.

‘Let go. Fly to Fallen Academy,’ Sera instructed.

I dissolved the whip as she told me to, and the loss of tension sent both of us flinging apart.

Using the momentum, I raced to the ground, where Lincoln was throwing a Hellhound into the Celestial orb I’d created.

We weren’t going to get out of here alive by driving, and I wasn’t leaving Lincoln and his broken wings while I flew off to safety.

‘Oh no. Don’t.’ Sera had obviously heard my thoughts.

When I was within arm’s reach of my man, I hooked my hands underneath his armpits and hauled him up into the air, flying awkwardly with him dangling from between my legs.

“Brielle, no. I’m too heavy!” Lincoln roared as I skimmed the tree line and left the cemetery. He was heavy—it felt like I was carrying a car—but I was also pumped with “mommy juice”, the stuff mothers had when they protected their child or loved one. I had it right then, coursing through my veins in a rush. I could have lifted a freaking semi off a baby deer if I’d had to.

“Mind over matter,” I spit out.

I was pretty sure I’d given myself a hernia, as something in my stomach felt like it’d ripped when I lifted him, but I’d deal with that later.

“You won’t make it to Fallen Academy. Go into the war zone. Michael is on patrol tonight,” Lincoln called out over the wind.

I could see the wall and the fiery war just behind it to my right, much closer than Fallen Academy. Flapping my wings in that direction, I veered us toward the war and prayed Michael would be there to rescue me. I’d just remembered that I’d created a Celestial orb, and I was going to crash very soon.

Just then, something wrapped around my ankle, jerking me backward. The sudden movement caused Lincoln to slip in my arms and I… I dropped him.

I dropped him right over the war zone.

Oh God.

“Lincoln!” I screamed until my voice was hoarse.

It was only about a twenty-foot drop, but his wings weren’t out. At this height, will he break his legs? Oh, Lincoln!

“Like I said, you’re coming with me,” Lucifer called from behind me.

‘Castrate him already!’ Sera screamed, flaring to life.

Anger snapped inside of me and I felt the darkness blaze within me. Raphael was right. I was feeding the darkness. I was angry, but not at the world, or Raphael, or even God. I was mad at this asshole right in front of me.

“Ahhhh!” I screamed as my face shook with rage and hot black magic flew from my throat, wrapping around Lucifer’s head. The second it hit his face, it dissolved, as if it were unable to harm him.

Oh frick.

“Yes!” Lucifer shouted with pride, pulling on the black rope that held my ankle. “You will make a great archdemon,” he purred.

Archdemon.

It’s true? This whole time… it was true.

Tiffany’s stupid blonde face popped into my head then and I wanted to cry.

“No, she won’t,” a familiar voice called out, and then a streak of blue light cut through the black band around my leg, like it was lightning.

“Hello, old friend.” Lucifer grinned in Archangel Michael’s direction.

Michael wasted no words, just flew at the Devil blindingly fast until they crashed together like two meteors exploding in the sky.

That’s when the fatigue hit me. The Celestial ball, flying with Lincoln, it had zapped every last ounce of energy I possessed, and suddenly I was falling.

Landing in Lincoln’s arms was the last thing I saw.

Chapter Twenty-Three

When I came to, there were hushed voices. My mouth felt dry, and I had practically melted into the bed with exhaustion. Peeling my eyes open, I saw it actually wasn’t a bed but a sleeping bag, and I was in a tent.

“I think he’s fled back to the underworld.” Lincoln’s voice was strong, and I nearly cried hearing it. He was okay.

“I’m not taking any chances. The other Archangels are coming to escort Brielle back to the academy, which is where she’ll need to stay.” Michael’s voice was fatigued and sharp.

“Yes. Thank you, sir,” Lincoln replied.

“Linc,” I mumbled loudly, wondering how many hours had passed. I needed water and a ten-hour nap.

Lincoln burst into the tent then, and I was surprised to see he looked relatively unharmed.

“You’re okay,” he breathed.

I nodded. If by okay, he meant the Devil was chasing me and I felt like I’d been hit by a truck, then yeah, I was okay.

He knelt down beside me.

“What happened? Lucifer? Your wings?” I asked, sitting up slowly. I reached down to my thigh to do a quick check and make sure Sera was still with me. Then my eyes fell to the small diamond band on my left finger and I smiled.

I’m promised.

Lincoln rolled out his shoulder. “They’re broken, but Noah says they’ll heal in time. I just can’t use them.” He was a soldier. Without his wings, he could get hurt.

“Lucifer?” I asked again.

Anger lit up Lincoln’s face. “Gone for now. But Brielle….” He was having a hard time composing himself.

I nodded. “I heard. I can’t leave Fallen Academy for a while.”

His eyes went cobalt. “Forever.”

I recoiled. “What?”

Lincoln grasped my hands. “Brielle, it’s the only place you can be safe.”

I puffed air through my teeth. “I’m a Fallen Army soldier. How can I help with the war if I’m hiding on campus?”

Lincoln sighed and looked out the tent’s open flap. “You can run the healing clinic or advise.”

Advise? What the hell did that even mean? I knew he was trying to help, and I did want to focus on my healing studies, but I also wanted to be out there, in the war zones, ferrying the people into Angel City.

“So I just hide for the rest of my life?” My voice felt hollow, and in that moment, the Dark Prince’s words came back to me.

Archdemon. I’m an archdemon.

‘Oh hooey, what does that shit-for-brains know?’ Sera voiced, but I couldn’t get that dark thought out of my mind. It had latched on tightly, and now I felt it would consume me.

Lincoln ran a hand through his hair. “No, you can’t hide for the rest of your life. Look, we’ll figure this out, okay? For the next two years, you’ll stay on campus and… we’ll figure this out.”

Two years.

“Can I still sleep over on weekends?” Technically his apartment was just off campus.

He swallowed hard. “The demon alarm doesn’t extend to my apartment complex, so…”

My face fell. Next year everyone would be getting apartments, and I’d be stuck in the dorms.

“But I’ll see about getting you your own room, or I’ll buy you a trailer,” he rambled.

He was being agreeable, so I would decide to stay on campus. I knew him too well. But I also didn’t want to get kidnapped by the Devil, and taken to Hell to do God knew what, and become some Archdemon. I just nodded. I’d do what was best for me and for Lincoln.

‘Good girl,’ Sera agreed.

There was a bright light at the tent opening, and then Raphael was ducking his head in, to peek inside. His chest was adorned in full gold-plated armor and his hair was slicked back into a ponytail. I’d never seen him battle ready, but he looked menacing.

“Hello, Brielle. Let’s get you home.”

Nodding once more, I stood with Lincoln’s help, and then walked out of the tent to greet the four Archangels.

The first thing I saw was Michael’s face and hair streaked with black oil and soot. When he saw me approach, he bowed slightly. “Brave Brielle. I’m very proud of what you did.”

My eyes widened, and I just barely resisted the urge to look over my shoulder and see if he was talking to someone else. I’d made a half-good, half-evil orb, then wussed out and flew away. What could he possibly be proud of?

Michael seemed to read my thoughts. “Lucifer invokes fear in people, but you didn’t cow. You fought, and then, when you knew it would be useless to fight any longer, you retreated.”

All of the archangels nodded in agreement.

“Carrying Lincoln that high, and that far. It takes tremendous strength,” Raphael added.

Mommy juice.

“I guess so.” I was too tired to argue.

I looked around, wondering if I’d see a car waiting to take me home. We were in a parking lot of what was once a grocery store, and now seemed to be a temporary military setup. The only cars were a few military issued SUVs, but they were far off the lot.

“I’m not sure I can walk that far. I’m so exhausted,” I told the crowd of powerful archangels with a bit of shame.

Michael stepped forward, wings fully extended. “We’ll be flying back to the academy. All of the roads are on lockdown after Lucifer let a bunch of demons into Angel City. The army is still trying to gather them up. Flying is safer.”