Cam paced around the carpeted room, aware of his brethren’s eyes on him.

Rathanael reclined on an armchair, bruises and cuts covering his face. Bath Kol watched him with a concerned look.

Looking over their hideout, Cam glanced at the opened doorway that led to the bedroom. He couldn’t see them, but he knew that Kalaziel was resting on the bed, being looked over by Lahabiel.

“Sephiaza…” Bath said in a low voice.

Cam had just finished telling them about Balthiour and Alyssa’s new evil form, and the room had fallen quiet.

“You did well, brother,” Rathanael said without lifting his head from the chair. “That traitorous bastard had to be put down. Along with that demon cauldron of theirs. We have surely struck a heavy blow to those devils.”

“Despite our losses,” Cam said quietly, looking down.

“Despite our losses,” Bath repeated. “We have persevered. And Rathanael is correct; the world is a far safer place without that contraption.”

“I wonder though,” Cam said, meeting Bath’s gaze. “How the balance of the world has truly swayed after today’s events.”

“They can no longer summon pure demons,” Bath said. “Or any other lost souls. That is a great achievement for us, indeed.”

Cam shook his head. His mind raced with images of Alyssa’s new form; the disgusted looks she gave him, and the threats of meeting him again and killing him. He knew that he would have to face her again, but at that moment, he wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to defeat her.

“We don’t know if they have any more of those cauldrons,” Cam said. “We don’t know how much they know of our future plans and of our other hideouts. For all we know, an army of demons are on their way to us right now.”

“We don’t know,” Bath agreed. “But if they had more than one cauldron, and had the means of conjuring more pure demons, then you would have seen them at the stronghold. My guess is that Sablo killed the one and only pure demon they had summoned. And the demons will unlikely mount a strike during the Summer Solstice, even with greater numbers. Not when their newly appointed leader is still adjusting to the mortal plane.”

Movement came from the bedroom doorway. Cam turned to see Lahabiel exiting the room.

She hugged herself. “Kalaziel will be okay. She just needs to rest for now.”

Bath spoke as she moved to Lahabiel, but Cam no longer listened to their words. He stepped to the window and looked out. Bright oranges and reds were smeared across the cloudy sky; the sun had begun to set. To Cam, it looked as though the sky were on fire.

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Alyssa. How could I let this happen to you?

He felt the welling up of tears as he thought about the person she once was. The person he had failed.

He saw Bath Kol’s dull reflection in the window as she came up behind him.

“Nothing comes from worrying about an uncertain future,” she said to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Cam remained looking ahead. “It has been a trialling day for you, brother,” she went on. “We have many hardships to come. But we will endure. Light will endure, even in the darkest hours.”

Cam was at a loss. “I don’t know what we do now.”

“We will do what we always do,” Bath said, squeezing his shoulder. “What we always have done.”

Cam nodded, though the grave look on his face remained.

He just hoped that he would be strong enough when the time came for him to face his ex-lover. And when they did next encounter her and her army of demons, the angels will do what they have always done.

Fight.

***

A sharp stab of pain keeled her over. She gasped and cried out. She clutched her stomach as another wave of pain pummelled her.

Nausea and dizziness ran through her. The dormant machines of the dust-strewn warehouse wavered and distorted, looming over her as she looked around with watery eyes.

Demons in their human form and the black robed acolytes hovered by her like insistent flies. When an acolyte inspected her, laying a hand on her stomach, she saw the grave look on his wrinkled face, which was still partially hidden by his large hood.

She panted and groaned, attempting to master herself from the stabbing pain.

“What is it?” she hissed, gritting her teeth. “What have you done to me?”

“Not us,” the acolyte said gravely. “Another has inflicted this upon you.”

Sephiaza gave the man a murderous look. “Speak, you fool!”

The acolyte stepped back, slightly shaking his head. His mouth moved but no words came out.

Another stabbing pain doubled her over, and she bared her teeth and glowered at the retreating acolyte.

“I… I do not understand how…” He looked at her with wide eyes. “You are with child, Mistress.”

She took in his absurd words. “Fool, we do not become pregnant like mortals!”

“I–I know, Mistress,” he said, clearly flustered. “Demons and angels cannot become impregnated, nor impregnate anyone, mortal or otherwise. But… but that is what I see before me.”

She steadied her breath as the pain subsided. Assessing herself, she searched within and sought the truth. A part of her thought she felt something, though she couldn’t be sure.

“How is this possible?” she asked, her hands still on her stomach.

The acolyte shook his head.

Another of the robed figures stepped forward. “Forgive me, Mistress,” he said. “You were with the angel Camael in your human shell.” He paused, appearing to search for his words. “I would guess that some part of the demon blood, fused with your human body, somehow allowed for an insemination.”

“Yes,” the first acolyte said. “An unnatural inception. Fascinating.”

She grabbed his robe and pulled him closer. “Undo it! If what you say is true, then I want no part in it.”

Both acolytes shook their heads. The first one opened his mouth to speak, and then stopped when she glared at him.

“I… we will do our best, Mistress,” he said quietly.

Sephiaza turned from them all, hatred roiling up within her. At that moment there was one thing on her mind—Camael. A twinge of the affection she had felt for him still lingered somewhere inside her, infesting her being, and she hated him for that.

And now she carried his child; she would surely destroy him for that.

But… if she had the child, it could be a powerful ally once matured, and she would have a greater force to go against Camael. Yes. She perked up at the idea of Camael’s own child hating him; killing him.

She looked at a small window high up on the wall. The sun had set, and darkness had fallen.

Just the way she liked it.

* END OF BOOK ONE *

BOOK TWO WILL BEGIN UPLOADING SOON. THANK YOU FOR READING!