Kicking off my high heels, I stood and gathered my magic within me, pulling on that fizzy light magic and letting it bubble to the surface. With a grunt, I thrust my hands outward, gathering all of the light magic I could, and then I pushed it outward. I pushed so hard, I felt dizzy. A huge Celestial orb flew from my hands, but it wasn’t all white light like the one I’d produced in Mr. Rincor’s classroom. This one was half golden yellow, half inky black.
Shit. I still had some anger and resentment to work through, and it was all toward the person before me. If you could even call Lucifer a person.
Bullets started to fly and I pulled Sera from my thigh holster.
‘Dip me in the light magic,’ she instructed.
Taking two steps forward, I slid Sera into the floating ball in the air, careful only to let the honey-colored light cover her blade.
The bullets suddenly stopped, and I peered over my shoulder to see a handful of upper-level demons had shown up to take care of our security detail.
No.
‘That’s my future husband,’ I told Sera. ‘Protect him.’
Just then, black tentacles sprang from Lucifer’s back and wrapped around Lincoln’s body. He screamed in agony as they tightened around him, and I could hear the sound of snapping bones as Lincoln’s wings were rent backward by the dark bands.
“No!” I shouted and aimed Sera at Lincoln. Identical tentacles, but of white light, leapt out from my blade and attached themselves to the black bands holding Lincoln. The white cords yanked at the black ones, loosening their hold on my love.
‘Leave me. I’ll protect him. You grab Lincoln’s sword and fight,’ Sera instructed.
She’d never led me astray before, so I let go of her, surprised to see she was able to keep herself hovering in midair on her own. Those golden light bands were breaking down the black ones that held Lincoln.
Seeing what I was doing, Lucifer suddenly detached from his black tentacles and made a run for me.
Bending down, I swooped up Lincoln’s sword, and lunged to dip it in the Celestial orb I’d made. When I pulled it out, it was covered in twelve-inch bluish golden flames.
Lucifer laughed behind me. “You think a little Celestial fire is going to kill me?”
I spun, holding the sword before me. Those black eyes bored into mine, and I felt a sickness wash over me from head to toe.
“Let him go!” I shouted.
Lincoln was pulling at the cords, screaming in pain.
Lucifer smiled devilishly. “Done.” He snapped his fingers and Lincoln fell to the ground. The bands had disappeared.
“Come with me. It’s your destiny,” the Prince of Darkness cooed, and just like that a portal opened behind him.
Not in a million freaking years.
My wings popped out of my back, and I slowly started to walk backward to Lincoln. I opened my free right hand and used the ability Michael had taught me, calling Sera to me. When I felt the cold steel in my palm, I wrapped my fingers tightly around her.
“I’m not going anywhere with you. Ever,” I told the epic douchebag who’d just messed up my proposal.
Lincoln was now standing beside me—limping rather—and I handed him his sword.
Lucifer grinned. “It’s really touching that you two think you can keep me from getting what I want.”
A twig cracked behind me, and I peered over my shoulder to see half a dozen Castor demons and a few Hellhounds. Our guards looked either knocked out or dead, and it seemed one had even run off.
My stomach fell.
No. No one was taking Lincoln or me anywhere. The urgency of the situation pressed in on me, and something inside of me snapped. I thrust Sera forward and she shot a blinding light into the Dark Prince’s face, causing him to yelp in surprise and cover his eyes. Then a white-hot whip of Celestial light flew from my palm and wrapped around the Devil’s neck. I yanked and he fell forward, but only for a second before his wings burst from his back and then he was skyborn. With a jerk I was pulled up with him, hanging from the whip in my hand that was still around his throat.
Shit.
I pumped my own wings, trying to use the strength of my flapping to pull Lucifer back down to Earth.
“Brielle!” Lincoln shouted helplessly from the ground.
The Hellhounds howled and panic fully gripped me.
My flapping was no use. I was being dragged higher and higher, and when I looked up, I saw the Dark Prince was pulling on my whip like a rope, drawing me closer to him even though it seemed to be burning his hands.
‘Let go. Fly to Fallen Academy,’ Sera instructed.