Camael watched the people on the streets below, wondering why he bothered protecting them. The buildings of Dublin glittered around him, the lights below harsh and bright, as if the city were fighting back the darkness.

His brethren shifted beside him, their long coats flowing in the warm air. Five of them stood on a roof overlooking the collected buildings that made up Dublin Castle. Cam turned his attention away from the busy Dame Street and surveyed the windows they would enter.

“On your word,” Kalaziel said. Her keen eyes watched him closely.

Cam paused, his chest tightening. Tomorrow was the Summer Solstice. He had stood on a building top the year before, Kalaziel beside him, when they walked into a trap that killed so many of their brethren—when Balthiour revealed himself a traitor.

“Cam?” Rathanael asked next to him. He had also fought alongside Cam last year. Beneath his neatly trimmed white beard, Rathanael’s mouth was a tight line.

“Let’s go,” Cam said, focusing ahead. A long row of buildings made up the State Apartments ahead of them, lining the courtyard below.

Cam was the first to jump, arcing through the air towards the rows of windows. He grabbed onto a windowsill and hung there, feet pressed against the old brick. Reaching up, he pushed on the window frame, breaking the lock and lifting the glass up. He hopped into the dark room within, followed by his brethren who took turns to leap to the windowsill and jump in.

The dim light streaming in highlighted a wooden table and a few chairs, with drawers and cabinets lining the walls. A light dust glinted in the heavy, stale air. The office had not been used in some time.

Cam’s other brethren, Chayyliel and Nathanael, looked over the room, their broad, powerful forms casting huge shadows. While Kalaziel studied the cluttered desk, Rathanael examined the corner by the door.

A part of Cam expected—with equal parts fear and hope—to find some details of Sephiaza here. The demon who inhabited Cam’s once-lover, Alyssa, was still out there somewhere. Not inhabiting her body… he reminded himself. Alyssa’s true soul.

“What do you think Bal used this place for?” Nathanael asked quietly.

“Who knows,” Kalaziel said. She curled her short hair back as she shifted through documents on the desk. “He kept too many secrets from us.”

“Like how he managed to bring pure demons to Earth?” Nathanael said.

“Right,” Chayyliel said, standing with his broad back to them. “And then some.”

A chill ran through Cam, causing a shiver. They had only learned of this place recently—a room in the State Apartments under Balthiour’s name. While many Angels preferred to remain anonymous, keeping away from the keen eyes of society, Balthiour had always been different. He was highly respected by many city officials and governments, known as a powerful businessman and heir to an old European royal line. After millennia on Earth, it became easy to forge a lineage and create a persona to the world; one that changed and renewed as needed. Cam remembered Balthiour working with the president of Dublin several years back, but none of his brethren had known of this apartment given to him.

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Cam paused, realising what his shiver had meant. Demons, nearby.

Nathanael turned from a chest of drawers, holding a heavy book, when Rathanael reached for the door.

“No!” Cam called out.

The door exploded in a shower of splintered wood. Rathanael stumbled back, a protective hand up, as a hulking beast burst into the room. It barrelled towards them, large arms swinging, a great demon of darkness. Standing over eight feet tall, torn clothing stretched over its bulky form; clothes that were once loose on its thin human form.

Brilliant white lights ignited as the angels called upon their light swords, beams of light extending from their fists.

Kalaziel lunged forward, ducking under a large arm and swinging her sword up. The demon shifted to the side, crashing into the nearby wall, and threw its arm out, knocking into her and sending her across the room. Nathanael was reaching for the fallen book but turned to catch Kalaziel. The demon’s glowing red eyes looked over them, its broad chest heaving as it huffed and panted.

Cam jumped towards it, swinging his sword and slicing into a reaching black arm, and then stepped back to make room for Chayyliel’s attack. Rather than extending his light like a sword, Chayy’s fists glowed as bright balls. He threw a barrage of punches that knocked the demon back into the landing beyond the room, where it fell down a narrow staircase, crushing steps and bannisters.

A second demon crashed through a wall and entered the landing; it’s heaving form tearing through the walls and staircase as it charged at them.

Chayy blocked its reaching arms with his light fists as Rathanael attacked from behind, swinging his light sword in an acrobatic flip. The demon struck out between both angels, suffering blows and ripping through more of the walls and ceiling.

They’ll bring the whole building down, Cam thought as he reached the other demon finding its footing on the crushed staircase. He dropped down, redirecting his light downwards, and plunged his sword into the demons shoulder. Smoke streamed from the searing wound, emitting a pungent, foul stench. Cam pushed himself up and back onto the landing.

“Retreat,” Cam called out to his brethren. “Take the fight away.” It was a command that was given often, whenever a battle broke out in a public place.

Chayy rolled under the demons legs, bringing his fists up as he rose and pushing it back.

Nathanael called out, “Cam, here,” and ducked into the first room. Cam climbed through a crumbling hole and saw Nathanael scrambling through the wreckage on the ground.

Behind Cam, a demon roared and Kalaziel dove back into the room, sliding against the window. Chayy grunted and stumbled backwards into the room, Rathanael fighting back the demons while retreating.

Nathanael pulled out the book he found earlier, a dusty brown hardcover. “Okay let’s go,” he said, rising.

A demon crashed into the room, near Kalaziel. She jumped up, pushing off the ceiling, and brought her sword down into the demons chest in a smoky collision. The other demon scrambled over the crumbling staircase and made its way to them.

Cam rushed to the window. “Go, go.” He helped clear Kalaziel from the staggering demon, its chest dripping heavy dark blood.

Chayy spun towards the demon coming from the staircase. He threw a massive punch that burst with light and knocked the beast back, crashing through the remains of the wall. Rathanael extinguished his light and dove out the window, followed by Chayy who turned and jumped out.

Cam gestured for Kalaziel to go next. Nathanael came to Cam’s side, the book in his hand. “A notebook of Balthiour’s.”

Cam’s heart quickened. Nathanael raised the book to him, and then jerked upwards suddenly, sputtering. A huge claw ripped through his back as the downed demon reached up, before it dropped back to the ground.

“No!” Cam cried out. He plunged his light sword into the demon with one arm and caught Nathanael with his other.

Nathanael hung limp in Cam’s arms, breathing heavily. Behind them, the other demon had risen to its feet.

Cam lifted Nathanael onto his shoulder, picked up the heavy book, and dove out the window into the night.