failure as a demon and he didn’t care. He’d tasted mortal life and love with Jayden, and if he couldn’t have that, he didn’t want any other kind of life.
He wasn’t sure how long he lay there before the door opened. Truly he was surprised his superiors had used the door. He’d expected a more booming entrance.
“Come and get me,” he muttered.
He felt a soft, warm hand on his cheek and his eyes flew open.
Jayden stared at him. “What happened in there, Cinder?” she asked. “Why aren’t you healing?”
“There were demons,” he said. “If I’m hurt by demons I heal slower and you need to go. Right now. Jayden, how did you even know where I live?”
She curled her lip. “Are you kidding me? I asked for your ID the first time we met, remember?”
He hadn’t thought about that. Couldn’t he do anything right? Was he a total failure at everything , even keeping the woman he loved safe?
“Jayden, listen to me. I want you to leave right now. Before it’s too late.”
The building shook and a huge, dark hole opened in the wall across the room.
Jayden gasped and reached for her gun.
Sinister gently covered her hand with his. “It won’t do you any good. Get out now. You might still have time.”
“Time for what?” growled a deep, menacing voice that Sinister would never forget.
Flames shot through the hole in the wall and the keeper of the hottest fire of hell stepped through it. He was tall and covered in mottled red skin. His single eye glistened like onyx in his elongated face. Black fangs gleamed against his thin lips and wings made of flames opened behind his broad back.
“Time to die, mortal wench. Time to suffer exquisite torture before being cast into oblivion, Sinister, you pathetic excuse for a demon.”
“Demon?” Jayden glanced at Sinister.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never meant for you to be hurt.”
The keeper of hell’s hottest fire threw back his head and laughed. “We’ll start your torture by having you watch while we burn her alive!”
Sinister leapt off the couch, turning to smoke. He wrapped himself around the demon’s neck and squeezed with all his strength. After a brief struggle, he managed to bring the fiery bastard to his knees.
The fire keeper finally tore Sinister from his neck and hurled him into the dark hole. Sinister flew back out, but his master caught him in an unbreakable hold.
“Release him!”
Sinister strained to glance over his shoulder. Old John had returned. He stood less than a foot from the keeper of hell’s hottest fire.
The demon laughed again. His clawed hand lashed out at the old man’s face.
John blocked the blow and in a flash of blinding light changed from the small, elderly gentleman into a tall, powerfully-muscled angel with enormous white wings and long auburn hair.
The demon recoiled, but said, “You have no claim on him, angel.”
The living room window shattered and a powerful ebony-skinned angel clad in golden armor flew in. “I do.”
“Rutendo,” said the demon who still clung to Sinister.
Rutendo! Leader of the shadowing angels. Every demon in hell knew about him and shuddered at his name.
Rutendo and the auburn-haired angel strode toward the demon. He tried to run, but Rutendo caught him by his tail and hurled him into the apartment. He drew one of his golden daggers and cut the demon’s throat. The beast burst into flames and disappeared. Seconds later, the portal to hell vanished and the wall returned to normal.
Sinister changed to his human form and lay on his back, panting. Jayden knelt beside him and he reached for her hand.
Glancing from one angel to the other, Sinister asked, “Why? John, I don’t understand.”
“You were one of my students,” John said. “In training as a guardian angel. When you questioned yourself, the Dole of Angels agreed that you were to be sent to hell where you would be reborn as a demon. You would choose for yourself the path of good or the path of evil. I
He wasn’t sure how long he lay there before the door opened. Truly he was surprised his superiors had used the door. He’d expected a more booming entrance.
“Come and get me,” he muttered.
He felt a soft, warm hand on his cheek and his eyes flew open.
Jayden stared at him. “What happened in there, Cinder?” she asked. “Why aren’t you healing?”
“There were demons,” he said. “If I’m hurt by demons I heal slower and you need to go. Right now. Jayden, how did you even know where I live?”
She curled her lip. “Are you kidding me? I asked for your ID the first time we met, remember?”
He hadn’t thought about that. Couldn’t he do anything right? Was he a total failure at everything , even keeping the woman he loved safe?
“Jayden, listen to me. I want you to leave right now. Before it’s too late.”
The building shook and a huge, dark hole opened in the wall across the room.
Jayden gasped and reached for her gun.
Sinister gently covered her hand with his. “It won’t do you any good. Get out now. You might still have time.”
“Time for what?” growled a deep, menacing voice that Sinister would never forget.
Flames shot through the hole in the wall and the keeper of the hottest fire of hell stepped through it. He was tall and covered in mottled red skin. His single eye glistened like onyx in his elongated face. Black fangs gleamed against his thin lips and wings made of flames opened behind his broad back.
“Time to die, mortal wench. Time to suffer exquisite torture before being cast into oblivion, Sinister, you pathetic excuse for a demon.”
“Demon?” Jayden glanced at Sinister.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never meant for you to be hurt.”
The keeper of hell’s hottest fire threw back his head and laughed. “We’ll start your torture by having you watch while we burn her alive!”
Sinister leapt off the couch, turning to smoke. He wrapped himself around the demon’s neck and squeezed with all his strength. After a brief struggle, he managed to bring the fiery bastard to his knees.
The fire keeper finally tore Sinister from his neck and hurled him into the dark hole. Sinister flew back out, but his master caught him in an unbreakable hold.
“Release him!”
Sinister strained to glance over his shoulder. Old John had returned. He stood less than a foot from the keeper of hell’s hottest fire.
The demon laughed again. His clawed hand lashed out at the old man’s face.
John blocked the blow and in a flash of blinding light changed from the small, elderly gentleman into a tall, powerfully-muscled angel with enormous white wings and long auburn hair.
The demon recoiled, but said, “You have no claim on him, angel.”
The living room window shattered and a powerful ebony-skinned angel clad in golden armor flew in. “I do.”
“Rutendo,” said the demon who still clung to Sinister.
Rutendo! Leader of the shadowing angels. Every demon in hell knew about him and shuddered at his name.
Rutendo and the auburn-haired angel strode toward the demon. He tried to run, but Rutendo caught him by his tail and hurled him into the apartment. He drew one of his golden daggers and cut the demon’s throat. The beast burst into flames and disappeared. Seconds later, the portal to hell vanished and the wall returned to normal.
Sinister changed to his human form and lay on his back, panting. Jayden knelt beside him and he reached for her hand.
Glancing from one angel to the other, Sinister asked, “Why? John, I don’t understand.”
“You were one of my students,” John said. “In training as a guardian angel. When you questioned yourself, the Dole of Angels agreed that you were to be sent to hell where you would be reborn as a demon. You would choose for yourself the path of good or the path of evil. I
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