Angel Betrayed (The Fallen #2)(42)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“Have you been with him every moment?”

No, not every but—

“He’s slaughtered before. That’s what I remembered first. He killed so many.” Az’s hand fisted. “I have to stop him. You can help me.”

Help the guy kill Sam. Right.

“Anything—I’ll give you anything if you help me.”

So that was why he’d been following her. He thought she’d be the perfect tool to help eliminate Sam.

Hmm. Anything from a powerful Fallen. Tempting.

But, no. “Sorry, bud, I’m not—”

For sale.

Her words were drowned out by Sam’s roar. Jeez. Freaking finally.

Then she saw Sam racing toward the broken door. Sam—and his blood-soaked chest. What the hell? He’d been shot, over and over again.

Not thunder. The sound that she’d heard had been gunshots.

And he’d still come back for her. Now that was impressive. Damn straight she wasn’t going to turn on him.

“Get away from her,” Sam snarled as he advanced on them.

“I’m not here to hurt her,” Az said, rolling his shoulders. “I am just here to send you to hell.”

Sam smiled, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Where do you want to be when two Fallens go at it?

Not there. Seline tried to inch toward the open window. She figured Sam would have this. He’d better.

She’d just reached out to touch the windowpane when the room exploded.

Rogziel smiled when room 12 blew up. The explosives had been so carefully placed after Tomas had been contained. The devices had been hidden well, and activated with just a press of a button.

Humans could be very useful and so clever with their toys.

He knew the blast wouldn’t kill the Fallen. Just as he knew that the bullets his man had fired into Sam’s body wouldn’t slow the guy down for long.

Not long, just a few precious moments. That slowdown, that weakness was just what he needed.

Time to take out two sinners.

The smoke billowed, and Rogziel stalked toward the motel. The only humans around worked for him. His team—one that he’d ordered to seek cover in the nearby woods. All the innocents were gone.

Suffer, sinners, suffer.

The blast had blown Sam out of the motel room. He lay in the parking lot, some of his flesh torn away. His clothes burned as he pushed himself to his feet. He stared at the wreckage and screamed, “Seline!”

Interesting. Another way to punish.

Rogziel flew forward. “She won’t walk away from that.” Not weak Seline.

Sam’s head whipped toward him. The smoke and fire had covered Rogziel’s scent, just as he’d planned, and Sam hadn’t even been aware that the true threat was so close. Rogziel saw the fury in the Fallen’s eyes, and he said, “She won’t walk away, and neither will you.”

“Fuck you!” Sam tossed a ball of fire his way.

The ball withered to smoke before it could touch Rogziel’s skin.

He expected another attack. Instead, Sam whirled and rushed back toward that burning building.

Rogziel frowned. The Fallen thought to save someone? Now that was surprising. He hadn’t anticipated this sacrifice.

Pity it was too late for Sam to atone.

Before Sam could rush straight into the flames, Az appeared in the smoke. His arms cradled a too-still Seline.

How perfect. He should have known that Azrael would kill her.

Sam roared and lunged for his brother.

The Fallen didn’t understand that rage made them weak, even as it made his little pet hungry. The beast was close now. Just minutes away. Soon it would burst free and feed.

Seline coughed.

Rogziel stopped smiling.

The smoke was choking her, and the arms around her were way too tight. Seline blinked her streaming eyes. “Ease up, Sam. We’re out, it’s—”

Sam wasn’t holding her. Someone was yelling. Fire crackled, and Az held her in his arms.

“You’re safe,” he whispered, and she realized that his clothes were smoldering.

In the next instant, she wasn’t in his arms any longer. Sam had her. Yeah, thanks for the too-late rescue. Sam shoved her behind his body. “Run,” he ordered as he faced off against Az.

She glanced around. She hadn’t been burned because Az had protected her with his body. He saved me. That just didn’t jive with the story she’d been given. A crazy psycho wouldn’t care about protecting her. “Sam, wait!”

Something was very wrong. Two fire attacks, and she was sure neither had come from Az.

Sam sent a blast of energy at Az, and the Fallen flew back into the fire. Sam spared her a brief glance over his shoulder. “Rogziel is here, and you need to run.”

She stumbled back. Her gaze swept around the parking lot. She didn’t see Rogziel, but since the bastard could fly, he could be anywhere.

Az shot out of the fire and barreled into Sam. Power crackled in the air as they tossed psychic attacks at each other. They rolled on the ground, and a deep crevice appeared beneath them.

Too much power.

Lightning crashed between them.

Not right. “Stop!” She wasn’t running. Where would she run to? If she ran, she’d probably rush straight into Rogziel.

Sam and Az didn’t hear her. Or if they did, they just ignored her. Sam had his hands around Az’s throat, and he lifted his brother up high—then tossed him about twenty feet.

The flames flickered. The scent of smoke burned her nose. Smoke and . . . wait. That wasn’t the normal smell of fire. That scent was more like—

Brimstone.

Once you smelled hell, you never forgot it.

She spun around. The lightest scent of flowers tangled with the brimstone. She knew what that light, sweet scent meant. An angel was close.

Rogziel had appeared in the middle of the parking lot. His wings, black, strong, and powerful, stretched behind him.

He wasn’t alone. At his side, a real-live freaking monster crouched. It wasn’t a wolf. It was bigger. Triple the size of any wolf shifter she’d ever seen. Its fur was thick and black and matted. One long streak of white fur cut across its right eye. Its fangs were longer than her hands. Its claws were like thick butcher knives digging into the ground, and its eyes—eyes locked not on her but on Sam—were blood red.

Redder than any fire in hell.

Rogziel patted the beast on its back. Then Rogziel lifted one of his bony fingers and pointed right at Sam.

No. “Sam! Behind you!”

He whirled around, and she knew he’d caught sight of the creature. His body tensed, and she was pretty sure he said, “Shit,” but then Rogziel turned that bony finger toward her. No . . . no, he was targeting her! Telling the weird beast to—