Bastian took a step closer to Kelaeno, his height overwhelming her slight, bony stature. “I will deal with him myself. This is about the Preliator. He is not your concern.”

She opened her mouth and raised her talons, but Merodach’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “Enough. We must go.”

Kelaeno craned her neck upward toward the reddening horizon. “The sun,” she crooned. Her wings beat once, and she jumped into the air and disappeared into the Grim.

Bastian turned to Merodach, raising a hand to him. “Do not disrupt me again. I haven’t time to make sure you are doing your task to my satisfaction.”

Merodach didn’t appear frightened by Bastian’s threat, only annoyed by it.

With a slow smile, Bastian looked at me, his eyes brightening with what looked like admiration. “We meet again, Gabriel.”

Will’s form flashed between us, his sword gleaming as he roared with fury and swung the blade over his head toward Bastian. The demonic reaper waved a hand, and his power slammed into Will, blowing him back with an immense gust of energy that kicked up a raging blizzard of snow off the ground. Will flipped himself midair and landed crouched. He shot forward again, but Bastian caught his wrist as he swung his sword, and Bastian’s other hand tightened around his throat. Will growled and wrenched his body, but he couldn’t break free. Bastian squeezed harder, choking Will and forcing him to his knees in the snow. Will’s sword toppled out of his slackening grip.

“I am not here to kill you, William,” Bastian said, the blue of his eyes almost blinding as his power grew. “But I will if you get in my way.”

I ran forward to help Will, summoning what was left of my strength and calling the white hot light into my palms. I grabbed Bastian’s arm with both hands and felt the sizzle of his skin beneath his sleeve as the fabric was eaten by flames. He roared and released Will, reeling away from me and clutching his burned arm close to his chest. Will staggered to his feet, gasping for breath, and I pulled him into my arms, smoothing my warm hands over his reddened throat.

“Are you okay?” I asked him. He nodded and glared sidelong at Bastian, who had retreated to where Merodach stood silently.

“That’s an interesting trick, Gabriel,” Bastian snarled. “Giving me a taste of your glory?”

I stared at him, puzzled. “Glory?”

“That little fireworks show you just did on my arm?” he rasped, baring his teeth. “I know archangel glory when it burns me to the bone. It seems you’re waking up, Gabriel. Perhaps that long sleep of yours was exactly what you needed.”

“How did you know who I was?” I demanded. “When we met, you said you already knew.”

“Because I’ve spoken to old friends of yours,” he replied. The breaking dawn was bearing down on him, and his skin began to smoke. He arched his neck uncomfortably in the growing sunlight. “Those who are ancient enough to know the truth. Voices seep through the bars of Hell, my dear. But never fear. When I take your life again, I’ll take your soul, too. When it’s time, my hounds will come for you, Gabriel.”

With a flash of smoky black power and a growl of painful fury, Bastian vanished into the Grim. Merodach wasn’t in the same hurry. The hot orange glow of sunrise spread across his body until he was smoldering like cinders from the tips of the horns on his head to the toes of his heavy boots. He looked every part a demon straight out of Hell.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Preliator,” he said before he spread his wings and followed Kelaeno and Bastian into the Grim, slipping away, leaving nothing but smoke and the repulsive odor of sulfur behind him.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the heavy demonic energy disappeared. Will’s warm hands fell on my arms, and he pulled me close, his body a wall of warmth against my shivering form.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, his voice feather soft. “I doubled back without Ava when I sensed the vir.”

“Thank you,” I said. “We need to get to Nathaniel’s and figure out what the hell just happened, everything we can about Kelaeno and Merodach, and why Bastian wants them to leave you alone.”

He pushed my hair behind my ears. “Are you sure you aren’t too tired? You need to sleep.”

“I’m exhausted, but this is important.” Too much had happened tonight for me to sleep.

Footsteps in the snow behind me made me jump. Ava had landed at last, bloodied but healed. She appeared tired and unnerved, and I assumed she sensed our run-in with the demonic vir.

“What happened?” she asked hurriedly. “Is everything okay?”

Will and I looked at each other. I let out a long breath. “We’re about to head to Nathaniel’s,” I said. “We’ll explain on the way.”

14

AN HOUR LATER, I WAS FALLING ASLEEP ON WILL’S shoulder as he thumbed through one of Nathaniel’s old books that smelled like my nana’s basement. Ava and Nathaniel were huddled together over another book on the other side of the room, discussing the traits of the demonic vir. Nathaniel thought their names sounded familiar, but he didn’t know who they were. I had one eye open to peer over at the book in Will’s hands, but I was barely hanging on to consciousness. A seriously rough fight with a reaper the size of a Mack truck takes a lot out of a girl.

“I found Merodach,” Ava said, her finger pointing at a page, the paper browned with age. “And we have a bit of bad news.”