"Dad!" The little boy's voice broke my intensity. I remembered who I was.
Of course, I was Lilith, Queen of Abaddon. I could be cruel, cold, and a little bit insane. It would've been all too easy to have tortured him until his death.
But since my last Earth cycle, I was something more as well. I was now a mother.
And that little boy's cry reached me. I couldn't murder his father in front of him.
But that didn't mean I couldn't murder his father at all.
With a wave of my hand, I created a box around both of us. It was impenetrable and soundproof. His son wouldn't ever know what happened here.
"Now," I whispered. The silence inside the box was deafening. Soon, Raphael's fear gave way and he began to pant harder and harder. Soon the space was filled with his fear-laden breaths. "Do you have any last words?"
He shook his head. "My legacy is larger and farther spread than you know."
I arched an eyebrow. "Your Nephilim? I know all about them."
He smiled. I couldn't tell if there was an edge of defeat to his smile or if it was something more. Maybe he'd done something I still didn't know.
It didn't matter. Enough was enough. I conjured a knife and held it in my hand, weighing the blade and letting Raphael know what was coming.
"You know it's not so easy to kill an Archangel," he said.
I slapped my forehead in mock surprise. "Oh, yeah. I forgot." I threw the knife in the air, and while he watched it turn over and over, I tied a whip of magic around his throat. With a jerk of my arm, the magic constricted and cut through his neck.
His head hit the grass under my feet with a dull thud, but there was no blood. The magic had cauterized the wound.
But that wasn't enough. He was unconscious but could have been healed.
I delved into him. I found his aura, which was so mixed with colors both good and bad that it was deep, dark gray. Gross.
Grabbing it, I yanked it from his body and held it tight while I transported us into Abaddon. "Asmodeus," I called.
Seconds later, my brother appeared at my side. Closing off the web of magic around Raphael's soul, I handed it to my brother. "You know what to do."
Raphael's aura pulsed, colors flashing through it as he realized he wasn't going to be destroyed. Oh, no.
He was going to be processed in Abaddon, like any other evil soul that had ever existed.
"Did you think you'd get the beautiful escape of oblivion?" I whispered to his terrified aura. "No, no. Enjoy our hospitality while I go take care of your little realm."
I watched Asmodeus walk away with the object of my life's biggest frustrations, then joined everyone outside the gates again.
Ariel and the little boy were crying. Mia looked furious. Lucifer glowed with his own power. He looked like he was about to spontaneously combust with the weight of it.
"Ariel is resisting," Gabe said. "Mary's still trying." He pointed to Lucifer. "And he obviously got his power back."
I delved into Mary. "Let me help," I whispered.
She nodded.
Using the connected power of the angels, I pushed into Mary's power and bolstered it. She repeated the words in Latin and grabbed hold of the power I offered.
Ariel gasped and clutched her chest. I rushed forward and held out my hands, but she squeaked and hid behind Mia.
Mia crouched down and held both children close. "Do not come any closer!" she yelled. But she was human. She couldn't do anything.
"I promise, we won't hurt you. None of you. You're innocent in this."
She didn't reply as she stared me down. I dropped to my knees, hoping to distract all of them long enough for Mary and Lucifer to complete the spell and get Ariel's power. Combined with the power we still held; it would be enough for Lucifer to destroy Raphael's realm.
I hear them chanting, and Ariel gasped again. I focused on her aura and was nearly driven speechless when I realized I could see her magic leaving her. Silverish notes of deep burgundy wisped out from her body.
It was an eerie sight, and one I wasn't too happy about seeing. It felt wrong, using her power.
I still didn't know that we had any other choice.
Her power hit Lucifer like a ton of bricks.
He yelled out and reached blindly. "Help," he gasped. "I can't hold it."
Immediately, I jumped to my feet and grabbed him, as did Michael and Gabe. We linked to each other and helped him hold the flow of magic. I directed it and wove it into the thread of magic linking us to the host of angels and Fallen.
Once he was stabilized, I turned to Ariel. "Are you okay?"
Tears streamed down her face. "What did you do?" she whispered.
"We had to borrow your power for a little while, sweetheart." I knelt again. "We'll give it back soon. I'm so sorry."
She already didn't trust us. Taking her power first thing wasn't exactly the way to go, but it would've been all too easy for Mia to grab her and disappear forever.
I wasn't losing her again. "Let us do a little bit of magic and we'll give it back, okay?"
Ariel nodded solemnly. "Hurry," she whispered. "I don't like this feeling."
Lucifer crouched beside me. "I know how it feels. Like your arm just fell off or something."
A smile ghosted at her lips as she looked at her father. "Who are you?" she asked.
Luc's face softened. "I'm your father. I've been searching for you for your entire life."
She looked at Mia questioningly.
I waited for the woman to respond. If she told Ariel anything but the truth, she'd have been in danger of being burned to a crisp.
But she spoke true. "He has," she said. "He won't hurt you."
Mia glared at me. "He better not."
We stood. "He won't. We just have a bit of work to do and she'll have her powers back and we
