Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 78259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78259 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
He frowned.
“Azar, we can do it. We can get in. We can fight the guards. We can grab my daughter and get out fast.”
He studied me.
“You are super powerful, and now I am stronger with your blood.”
He crossed his arms over his chest.
Fear filled my veins. “Will you help me get my daughter that way?”
“I’d do anything for you.”
I sighed in relief.
Hope mingled with fear. I did my best to be courageous and put together a plan in my head. Still, it was hard to ignore how impossible the mission truly could be. One of us could get killed by Adae or his sorcerers. Even more, Adae could simply trap us, and then my daughter would be his forever.
A fucking fallen Angel? Can we beat him and get my daughter back?
Chapter 18
Zoe
Fatou
We were going to get my little girl, my baby.
Later that night, I clung to Azar, hanging onto his back as he flew us toward Adae’s stone castle. The wind blew through his charcoal curls. They blended with the starless night sky.
Yet his body was firm and warm against the chill.
This is going to work out.
We soared over the circle of erupting volcanoes, Adae’s first line of defense for enemies that traveled on foot. The air reeked of sulfur. Heat rose from the fiery mountains and almost seared my skin.
Azar flew us higher and cloaked us with darkness.
I tightened my legs’ grip around his waist and was immediately reminded of the soreness in my thighs.
After coming up with a plan, Azar fucked me over and over on the sand, in the trees, and in the ocean, until every part of me was weak and trembling.
His scent saturated every part of my body.
He said he loved me. What will we do with that, after I get Jade back?
As confused as I was with how fast I'd grown to love him, I reveled in the passion blooming within my heart.
Azar's words disrupted my thoughts. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. However, let’s go over our plan again.”
“Must we go over this damn plan again?” Azar chuckled. “This will be the tenth time. I’m considering dropping you into a volcano.”
“Very funny.” I lifted my view and scanned the area ahead of us.
There it is.
A deep, malignant light emanated from Adae’s castle as it stood high on a plateau. The crystalline windows that curved along the bottom of the castle bled a luminous cream color that created an ominous pulsating light. The castle walls were not made of smooth stones or solid rock, but of jagged, sharp corners that rose toward the sky. They looked to have been formed out of bone rather than rock, like the fossilized remains of ancient creatures from the deep sea.
Adae must have had some serious magic draping the castle. The few times I'd carelessly touched a castle wall, the cold stone pricked my flesh. My skin stung and blood dripped from my fingertips. It would take hours to stop the bleeding.
The closer we flew, the more sulfur left an unpleasant taste in my mouth. I did my best to ignore it.
“Azar, I just want to make sure everything works out.”
He groaned and increased our flying speed until we rushed through clouds of yellow dust and the images around me appeared distorted.
“We stay together,” he said. “Unless you think I’m hurt or losing against Adae's sorcerers, in which case you grab your daughter and run as fast as you can.”
“I told you I won’t leave you.”
He growled. His thick cords of muscle under my arms trembled with stubborn rage.
“Oh, hush.” I rolled my eyes completely unfazed. “We stay together, get Jade, and then we leave.”
“The goal is to get your daughter. Don’t worry about me.”
“That’s not the plan, Azar.”
We approached the castle. Silence hovered around it, which was typical. Everything happened below ground, where no one could witness Adae’s business dealings. I had assumed it was all about marketing. The mystery and secrecy convinced his bidders that he had the most sought after and clandestine items that others were afraid to obtain. More guards and counter-attacking spells existed below the castle, protecting the merchandise.
Yet, now I knew that it was all to hide him from Lilith and Lucifer who saw his actions as a direct threat to their mission.
A fallen angel? All this time, I never knew.
“Where do you want us to land?” Azar asked.
“Over there.” I pointed to the highest tower of Adae’s castle. “Zoe has to do guard duty in that section from now on.”
“Why?”
“It's a punishment from Adae. Zoe lost a group of demons a few months ago.”
We landed on the tower.
Damp mud covered the ground. A massive vulture’s nest the size of a car lay in the corner, but there was no vulture. Regardless, Azar got between me and the bird’s lair.
I looked over the stone railing and made sure to not touch the surface.