“No!” She screamed hysterically and fell to the ground. Her hands clawed the cave floor as she wailed in agony. “No! No! No!”
Her Lash, her beautiful Lash, hung limp and motionless against the stone wall. Chains around his wrists, waist, and feet were the only things that seemed to hold him up. Lava oozed from the cracks in the wall above him, dripping down onto his charred wings and body.
“Lash! Lash!” He can’t be dead. He
Her heart leapt into her throat as his head lifted slightly.
“Naomi,” he croaked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m coming!” she cried as she struggled to get to her feet. She’d gotten as far as the edge of the lake when lava shot through the air and splashed on her foot, making her stumble and fall to the ground, crying out in pain.
“Naomi,” Lash’s voice rasped. “Don’t.”
“Jeremy will get him.” Raphael carried her away from the edge of the lake.
Naomi watched as Jeremy flew over the bubbling lava, his wings flapping heavily, his strained face growing red with the effort. She gasped as he dipped down, inches from the lava below. He grunted and pushed himself harder until finally he was at Lash’s side.
“I have you, Brother.” Taking hold of the chains, Jeremy winced in pain.
“Jeremy,” Lash’s voice whispered. “Forgive me.”
“Don’t talk like that. I’m getting you out of here so you can kick my ass again. You hear me? Hang on.” Jeremy took a deep breath and let out a feral growl as he ripped the chains off the wall.
Naomi cried while she watched Jeremy’s hands turn black as the chains burned into him.
“They will be fine,” Raphael said, trying to comfort her. “I will see to their healing as soon as we are away from here. I promise.”
She sighed with relief as the last chain was removed and Lash fell into Jeremy’s arms. He grunted, and his wings flapped wildly as he tried to take flight.
“I can’t fly with him!” Jeremy yelled to them from across the lake. “I’ll have to walk the path.”
She nervously eyed the narrow strip of rock. There was more lava than rock. It splashed against the path, washing over it.
Jeremy hitched Lash higher up into his arms and took a careful step onto the narrow sliver of stone. Molten liquid splashed onto his feet, and he gritted his teeth. Without a sound, he moved forward, one step at a time.
“Careful, my son.” Raphael said.
Jeremy was half-way across when Naomi heard a sound coming from the tunnels behind them. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. It was the fluttering of wings.
“Jeremy, they’re coming! They’re—” Iron hands gripped her by the throat and hurled her body into the air, slamming her against the wall of the cave.
Air rushed out of her, and she wheezed, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes widened as Sal approached her, his hulking body towering over hers, cold eyes ravishing her body.
“After I’m done with the others, we have some business to take care of.” He smirked.
“Run, Naomi!” Raphael lunged at Sal.
She gasped as Sal punched Raphael, making him fall to the ground.
She scrambled to her feet, letting out her wings as far as they would go. She was chosen to be an archangel. She was trained to fight. Fight she would!
She screeched as she jumped on top of Sal’s back. His wings flapped wildly as she dug her nails in, ripping into them.
With a roar, Sal reached out behind him and latched onto her hair. With a swift jerk, he threw her off him.
She panted on the rough ground of the cave and was about to attack again, when there was a loud clapping.
Lucifer stood at the chamber entrance, his eyes filled with amusement. “Impressive. I didn’t know you had it in you, my dear Naomi. Pity that you and your
He held out his hand. The cave trembled, and the fiery liquid in the lake started to rise. She watched in horror as the lava drew closer to Jeremy and Lash.
She turned to Raphael, and their eyes locked in silent agreement. Then he let out a feral roar, and they both ran to attack Lucifer.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Sal growled as he tackled her, sending her body slamming against his chest. One of his hulking arms wrapped around her waist and the other around her throat. She clawed his arm as she felt herself being turned.
“You need to see this,” he snarled. “Watch and learn the power of Lucifer, little girl.”
With each blow, thunder reverberated through the chamber as Lucifer beat Raphael within an inch of his life. She shut her eyes in despair. She couldn’t bear to watch him being savagely beaten.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, she heard Jeremy’s sweet baritone voice, calm and soft. The words echoed in her ears, shattering her heart into a million pieces when she realized what the words meant.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”
Naomi’s eyes flashed open, and she let out an agonizing cry. Jeremy’s feet were slowly disappearing into the lava as he walked down the lava-covered path toward them. He held Lash tightly against his chest, protecting him from the splashes of the burning liquid.
He took another step, and his foot sank ankle deep into the lava. His beautiful face contorted. He paused, taking short and shallow breaths. Then he looked down at Lash, his face returning to a serene calm.
Tucking Lash closer to him, he kissed his charred forehead, and repeated the psalm under his breath as he moved onward.
When Jeremy’s eyes found hers, she felt a surge of love from that simple look, his love for her, for Lash, for Raphael. He knew he was dying. He was doing it for his brother, and for her.
Sal’s laughter echoed in the chamber, and hate boiled deep within her. A blinding rage filled her, and she clawed at Sal’s arm. He growled in pain, throwing her down on the ground.
He lifted his foot and was about to kick her when a strong gust of wind followed by a blur of white rushed past her and knocked him down.
“Now, Rachel! Uri!” Gabrielle yelled, flying toward Jeremy and Lash.
In one swoop, Uri grabbed Sal, pummeling his fists into him. Each blow sounded with a thunderous roar.
Rachel helped Naomi up, and both ran to Raphael’s aid. Lucifer shoved Raphael in their direction and sent him soaring in the air, striking them down.
Naomi jumped to her feet and was about to attack again when Lucifer held his hand up and a string of lava whipped out of the lake and singed her face, momentarily blinding her. She fell to the ground.
Everything seemed to slow down as her sight came back to her. She could see every feather of Gabrielle’s snowy white wings as they flapped powerfully above Jeremy. He lifted Lash to her, and she took him gently into her arms. She gave a simple nod to Jeremy, and she went to Naomi.
The others held Lucifer and Sal off as Gabrielle laid Lash’s charred body at her feet.
“Lash, my love.” Naomi gently lifted him and cradled him in her arms, tears streaming down her face.
“Jeremy?” Lash’s pained hazel eyes gazed back at her.
“Raphael will get him,” she said.
Lash nodded and closed his eyes, passing out.
Naomi looked for Gabrielle and Raphael. They’d save Jeremy. Raphael could heal him. She knew he could.
Then her heart caught in her throat, horrified, when she looked to Jeremy. His body was slowly sinking into
