Destroyed by Onyx (A Dance with Destiny Book 4) (44 page)

“Both?” She huffed out a dry laugh. “How can one be both mortal and immortal? Would one not negate the other?”

“Yes,” he said cautiously. “I only meant perhaps you stand upon the precipice of the two. The decision has been left up to you, I believe. You have been given the ability to decide which path you will walk, the freewill to choose which life you will now lead. The one of a woman… or the one of an Angel. It’s your decision to make, Anicee, either by conscious intent or by deeds of the flesh. Alas, I cannot say for certain.”

“Then let us see, shall we? Let us now find out the truth of it. Let’s finally answer the maddening secret of just exactly
what I am
.”

With those words, she slowly walked away from Apollyon.

Brodder Scot yelled out to her when he saw her ghost white form purposefully approaching the flames. She didn’t respond. He scrambled down the battlements, followed closely by his trusted few.

Apollyon stood, speechless, watching her step ever closer to the pyre. Her intent not registering fully within his mind until it was almost too late. He heard her gasp, and smelled the sickening sweet scent of charred flesh. Lunging for her, the Prince of Hell wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her from the fiery edge of her beloved dead husband’s last flames.

“No,” he yelled. “I won’t let you do this. Be you Angel or woman, I will not stand by and let you suffer through the flames. I love you, Jenevier. You are my entire heart, the only light in my abysmal void.”

She tore at his arms about her. Yet he did not relax his hold.

“Don’t touch me,” she screamed. “Unhand me this instant.” Her tears choked out most of her words. “I do not wish to be saved by you or anyone else. I hate you, Vindicus. With every breath I take, I hate you.”

“Shhh…” he whispered into her tangling hair. “Shhh, my love. Still your tears. I know well you hate me. I deserve much more than your wrath. I have caused irrecoverable harm in your life. Your hatred, Milady, has been duly earned. But please, please do not bring harm upon yourself. Don’t cause needless pain, sweet Anicee.”

He held her, rocked her, cradled her, kissed her curls, tried to ease her soul. She would accept none of it. When she continued to viciously scream out her fierce rage, he only held her tighter.

Apollyon heard the approaching hoof beats just as he saw an ethereal purple glow flash from her open palms. He jumped back, barely avoiding the lethal tip of Amatiste.

“Arm yourself or die,” she hissed.

One corner of the dark Angel’s mouth twitched up. His eyes sparkled. “As you wish, Milady.” He bowed slightly. “I have longed to know the outcome of our unfinished duel.” His blade came to life in his hand. “Are you my equal, tiny Angel?” He smiled. “Shall we dance then? Or would you rather spare your hide and run?”

She smiled that classic smirking smile she had learned from her brother Vareilious. She slowly circled him.

“Run?” She huffed out a sardonic laugh. “I don’t run. Remember you not who I am, dearest Vindicus? I make others run.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It just comes with the job.” Her eyes flashed.

A thrill shot through him, one he hadn’t dreamed possible. Her sparkling snowflakes took on a ruby glow, stirring passions he had carefully locked away for many years now.

Their blades rang through the darkness, spreading an Otherworldly glow around their angelic forms.

Her Celtic brethren reined in their horses and dismounted, unsure how to proceed, unable to clearly follow the heightened movements playing out before them.

The battle raged on with blinding speed. The valiant warriors of Val Hal stiffened, their breath catching painfully in their throats when her giant sapphire Dragon joined them, sitting down to watch the epic struggle of Angels.

Nilakanta casually turned toward the men, huffed out a puff of hot air, and then looked back to the warring immortals. The warriors shuffled uncomfortably, but did not flee.

Apollyon taunted her. “Is that all you have to show me? Is that all the Death Angel has learned? I am not impressed. Tell me. How is it you were able to dispatch so many of my legion? You are far too clumsy, and dreadfully slow to boot. Come at me harder, Jenevier. Rend my flesh. Make me bleed.”

“Oh, I will,” she said. “And I will salt your mortal wound with pain and death—fill it up with rot and decay… then I shall spit upon it.” She smiled coolly. Her volley never slowed. “Would that my arrows were made of Prisalyn, I would be rolling happily amongst your ashes now, free from your vile tongue and idle chatter.”

Apollyon chuckled. “It heals my heart to see your amazing fire burn brightly once more, Milady. It has been absent far too long.”

“Is that so? Well, I’ll make sure to singe you with it before we’re done here, lest you ever forget my fiery touch.”

Their words continued but their blades never slowed.

“When Ahriman told me he had found you again, found you upon this layer, I visited you many times.” His voice was soft, gentle. “Never have I been quite so jealous. When you love, tiny Angel, you love ferociously.”

“To no avail.” She slashed at him as she spoke. “Everyone I’ve loved, you have taken from me. I was blessed with three glorious soul mates, three unmatched and undeserved hearts. You have removed them all.”

“Three? You count me among them?”

Her blades stilled. Apollyon mirrored her.

“How can you say this to me?” Tears burned her eyes, blurring her view. She dashed them away. “Only with you have I blended. Only with you do I share an unnatural bond. You are the only creature in existence who knows my heart minus my words. You feel what I feel; experience what I’m going through on the
inside
. Even Daichi cannot read me as you can.” Her voice lowered to a near whisper. “And only with you, Vindicus, do I share the glorious blessing of my only son.” Searing anger burned the tears from her eyes. “Your betrayal, above all others, left a wound upon my soul that will not be healed. The one man I should have been able to trust without question… filled me up with the greatest of all sorrows.” She gazed intently into his sapphire eyes and slowly shook her head. “You
betrayed
me, Vindicus.” She stared at him, bewildered. “You mercilessly landed a mighty blow. One from which I cannot recover. No matter where I live. No matter whom I love. No matter what my wretched destiny is or who the hell I change into… yours is a pain I can never overcome.”

He could no longer hold her tormented gaze. The hurt and sorrow living so miserably within her magical eyes was too great a thing to bear. The wound,
his
wound, was too deep. His blade disappeared and he dropped his head.

“Do with me as you must,” he said. “I deserve a punishment ten thousand times greater than you could ever bestow. Heal your heart, beautiful Anicee. Do what you must to survive. Take your revenge, Milady. Your forgiveness is all I will ever crave and your happiness is all I will ever desire. Be healed, my love. Land your blow and restore your soul.”

“This is all my fault,” she whispered numbly.

At her words, Apollyon quickly looked up. Her back was to him, her weapons gone.

“I am still so ridiculously naïve. Why is my heart so stupid?” she mumbled to herself. “If I hadn’t loved so freely… then perhaps… if I had not been so open with my heart…” Her words trailed off when she felt a mighty presence nearing, stirring within her soul.

“Then you would not be who you are, little Naga. You would not be the woman I love above all.”

Hearing that deep, proper voice, she turned.

Silhouetted by the rising sun, Jenevier beheld the glorious profile of her eternally bonded Blessing.

“Daichi…” The whisper fell from her lips, unabated.

Apollyon stared at the near mirror image of his perfect face. The daylight to his darkness. The heaven to his hell. He growled.

Daichi stopped when he drew near to the keeper of the bottomless pit. He bowed slightly toward the fallen Angel.

“Gratitude, Apollyon. I am grateful for the part you have played in healing my Naga. You gave her anger the outlet it needed. Because of you, she wasn’t wholly consumed by her bitter rage. And thanks only to you, her flesh remains upon her bones… where it belongs. I care not from whence love comes to her aid, only that it comes.”

Apollyon didn’t respond. He knew not what to say.

The perfect sapphire Angel continued on, minus further words, until he came to Jenevier. She jumped into his arms, clinging to his neck as a lost child to its relieved mother.

“I disappeared so many years ago. I thought you had forgotten me,” she cried into his blue curls.

“As if that were even possible, my love.” Daichi rubbed her back and let her cry. “You may have run blindly from our home and escaped upon your beloved Dragon, but not a day has gone by that I have not beheld you with my own eyes.”

“What? You have come to see me while I’ve lived here on Val Hal?”

“Yes, Naga. Every day. You are my light. I do not exist without you.” He kissed the side of her head. “Val Hal’s sun set every night upon our backs as we watched you.”

She sniffed. “We?” The word was muffled against his neck.

“Me and Tenshi,” he said.

“Tenshi? You mean… my son did not abandon me?”

Daichi chuckled softly. “You are the only reason he draws breath. This you know, Little Fire. Of course he was here. Incessantly whining about not being able to touch you, not being able to tell you good night or good morning or how much he loves you.”

She sniffed again and pulled back to look at him. “Then… you both know about my fair Finnean.”

It wasn’t really a question, but Daichi silently nodded in response.

“Do you also know of his fate?” Her tears burst forth and she could no longer speak.

She squeezed him around the neck as her pain washed over her anew. Daichi just held her until her sobs slowed.

“Yes, Naga. I know what befell your rare Finnean. I ache for your loss. My whole heart grieves with you. I hate to admit it. But never has your smile been quite so lovely as when you were on the arm of that snow-crowned warrior. Even Jophiel said the love you held for each other was an unmatched glory. All of heaven cried at his death. The very sky shook with their wails. For the loss of him, yes. But also for you, Kagi Naga. Your winged brothers love you too much… and you were so happy…”

His words trailed off when her sobs returned. He just held her, rubbing her back, stroking her curls, keeping all the shattered pieces of her essence from drifting away into the waning night.

Apollyon watched, brokenhearted, as the true glory of what her Blessing actually was played out before him.

“I hate you above all creatures, Daichi,” he said.

“I know you do,” Daichi answered. “My feelings toward you are the same. We are of like-mind in this regard. Toward you, I feel a deep seated jealousy and an—”

“And an even deeper seated thankfulness,” Apollyon finished his words.

“Yes,” Daichi said. “I selfishly wish you did not exist. Yet, she needs you. So… I am grateful you live.”

Apollyon half laughed. “We are more alike than I would care to admit.”

“As
we
once were, fallen brother,” Raphael said as he approached them.

“Ah, so it’s to be one grand family reunion, is it?” Apollyon snorted. “I believe this is where I will gracefully bow out.” He mockingly inclined his head and waved his hand.

“No,” Jenevier yelled as she struggled to free herself from Daichi’s powerful embrace.

Apollyon gaped at her as she ran toward him. “No?” he said, stunned. “Why ever not?”

“I cannot say, not exactly.” She paused. “I’m not ready for you to go. Not just yet. Is that well with you?”

“Whatever you wish, Milady.” Apollyon did bow to her. “All that is within my power, that will I do. If it promises the return of your glorious smile, my love, I will suffer through the
heavenly
company I must now keep.” He cut his eyes sideways at an approaching Uriel.

“I thought I smelled something foul,” Uriel said, looking at Apollyon. “Who invited the bottom dweller?”

Jenevier rolled her eyes. “Oh, just shut it, Uriel.”

Apollyon tried to contain his snicker. He didn’t succeed.

Uriel handed his dagger to Daichi. “Here you go, blue boy,” he said. “Do what it is you were made to do. And try not to mess it up this time.”

Daichi turned toward Jenevier, blade in hand.

She flinched. “No, Daichi. Not that. Anything but that.”

Her retreating steps were halted when she backed into Apollyon’s unmoving form. He slowly slid his arms around her. His eyelids fluttered.

She unconsciously cleaved to his embracing arms, panic swelling within her.

Raphael drew his ethereal blade. Her brows furrowed, confused by his action. She glanced quickly from one Angel to the next as each slowly donned their weapons.

“Naga,” Daichi said calmly, holding his hand out to her. “Step away from him. Come to me and be healed.”

Still, his words didn’t register. Only when she felt the warm lips upon her head and sensed the calming words flowing effortlessly through her trembling body… did she realize whose arms it was that held her.