"What wrong?" Luke's voice is shrill.
I didn't know a living man's voice could take on that tone. "It's warded now so I can't see it. I've got to break through it."
"Ahh, Margaret told me she taught you how, so we're good." He leans back against the tunnel wall and waits.
Ugh, so this should be simple. Asshole.
A hand rubs my shoulder. "It's fine. Do your best. I believe in you." Dax smiles at me.
Now that makes me feel even more pressure for some reason. I don't want to disappoint him. I close my eyes and remember what Margaret told me. When warded, look at the object at eye level not bird's eye like I always do. I picture the flame as if I'm standing next to it as she taught me. It comes into view for a second but blinks out as some black barrier comes up. Uh ... that's not part of what she taught me.
I reach out my hand and touch the barrier. The magic feels familiar and not cold, but I can't freaking place it. Shit. Whoever is warding this is powerful and strong. I'm not sure I know how to undo this.
Needing something to help me, I reach down into my earth powers and use it as I touch the wall. I'm not sure why, but it just seems like what I should do. The black wall begins to shake as if I'm unsteadying it, so I increase the brown magic into it.
The barrier begins to rattle, and pieces begin to fall out. It's almost as if it's experiencing an earthquake. Soon the wall cracks and breaks apart, crumbling to the ground. Once this happens, the flame is back in all its glory.
"Okay, we're in." I jump to my feet ready to go. "Let's get this over with."
They follow behind me and I rush into the wide room that's empty and then turn right following a path to a large decadent door. It has flames drawn all the way around it and there is a large handle.
"It's pretty safe to say this is it." Dax points to the drawings.
"Come on. We're just wasting time. Let's go." Luke's eyes are focused on the door and he's rubbing his hands. "We're so close."
Yeah, I'm not so sure I like his reaction down here, but whatever. I'm in agreement because I want to get home. I walk over and pull open the door. When it opens, a hot and cool breeze descends upon us that smells of brimstone and snow.
"What the f..." Dax grumbles.
He can say that again. It's the oddest combination. Not wanting to waste any more time, I step in and find a horde of demons waiting on us.
Shit, they are blocking the way to the flame. "I need to get through them."
"We've got this." Luke steps up and pulls his sword.
That, I was not expecting. He didn't want to fight and now he's going in balls to the walls? "What..."
Before I can finish, both he and Dax run off to the demons, but running to the left. Since they attacked first, the demons chase them, leaving me an opening to get through to the flame. Well, okay. It's good they were on the same page.
Not wanting to waste any time, or for the demons to realize I'm left alone, I rush down the opening and up some large stone steps to a black stone archway that the flame is kept under. Yes, there it is.
When I step on the landing, a large angel lands in front of me with dark, black wings. Shit, it's the one I fought the first time we came down here. I should have just killed him then. I should have known it would come to bite me in the ass.
His dark eyes flash with anger. "How the hell did you get through my ward?"
Oh, so that's who was protecting it and why his power felt familiar. I fought him not too long ago. "I have skills. You should know this by now." The best way to interact with angels, even fallen ones, is to act like them. Right? I sure hope my logic isn't wrong.
"If you want the flame, you have to fight me and trust your magic." His grin is condescending. "You would have had it the other day if you hadn't stopped what comes naturally to you, being a reaper and all."
Wait. Is he saying if I had killed him the other day, I would have already had the flame? But reapers don't kill, they reap.
He attacks me before I can even process what's going on. He grabs me and throws me hard against the stone archway.
My back comes into contact, but I'm more worried about it falling. However, it stands tall and I clamor to my feet. I grab my sword and hold it out. "Let's do this."
Not wasting a beat, he attacks me again and I swing the sword cutting into his arm.
"Shit, you'll pay for that." He grabs me by the neck and gets ready to throw me down the stairs.
Oh, hell no. This can't happen. My black reaper powers begin thrumming inside me and what he says resonates inside my head. Instead of fighting him like he expects, I place my hands on his arms and my powers begin to suck. Holy crap, do even fallen angels even have souls? I thought they didn't.
He stumbles back and loosens his grip on me. His dark eyes widen. "What the..."
I take the opportunity to move my hands from his arm to his chest so the process can work faster. The closer to one's soul the faster it works.
When that happens, the blue angel’s breath mixes
