Mated (The Queen's War #1)

Chapter 20

"Perci, you need to eat something." Abaddon said softly to her as she stood in Lucan's office looking at a live video feed of her soulmate. He was currently shackled to a wall in a specially enforced cell in a building at the edge of the city. A cell that Abaddon had actively stopped any of her attempts at getting near.

"I'm not hungry." She replied monotonously.

"Then at least stop looking at that. He wouldn't want you to." He curled an arm around her shoulders and coaxed her away from the screens.

"I need to be there." She snarled at him weakly.

"Seeing you might give him the strength to break those manacles, we can't risk it." He sighed. It was an argument they'd had multiple times over the past twenty-four hours.

"He won't hurt me!"

"He almost tore your throat out." He snapped and tears sprung in her eyes. She gently patted the smooth skin of her neck. Abaddon had managed to heal the wound Lucan caused enough so that her life wasn't in danger whilst they waited for a proper healer. Iknaya hadn't been as fortunate, she'd almost completely shredded one of her wings when she was pushed out the window, and it would be a painful road to recovery.

"I can get through to him, I know I can." She spoke to herself, knowing that Abaddon would just disagree again.

"I'm sorry, Perci." He sighed.

The two of them turned their attention to the monitors again just in time to see Lucan have another of his rages. Every hour or so he would erupt in furious struggles, roaring and setting anything in the vicinity on fire. The cell was a massive scorch mark now. The special seraph-made manacles were the only things capable of keeping Lucan in one place, but they couldn't suppress his raw power. Thankfully, since his mind was essentially that of an animal, he didn't have the intelligence to use it properly, otherwise the destruction he could cause would be catastrophic.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take." She whispered, seeing the cell fill up with flames.

She wondered whether she had the energy to return to the arena and vent her emotions on some unfortunate soul. Perhaps if she was lucky Senika would stand still and let her throw daggers at her head. The demoness had been surprised to see her that morning in the pit since word had quickly spread about Lucan's situation. Wisely, Senika hadn't taken the opportunity to act like a bitch and instead stayed on the opposite side of the pit for the whole time she trained.

"Perci, I know you don't want to hear this, but if Lillith fails to take the spear before it's returned to Ascension, we'll have no choice but to retreat back to Gehenna."

"You'd be letting Michael win. He would own this world completely." She ground out, tired of having this conversation.

"Lucan is the only one capable of fighting Michael and winning. The legion would be slaughtered if we continued this war without him."

"I can't just give up, we can't just give up!" She shouted.

Abaddon stepped closer to try and argue his case when the doors to the office slammed open. A young teenage Hellspawn was at the door, panting from exertion.

"What is it?" Abaddon asked.

"Lillith got the Angelspear, but she's losing ground in the battle, she needs more legion." The boy rushed out. Perci's eyes widened at the implication of his words.

"Go to the barracks as quickly as you can and tell them all to report to the frontlines. I'll join Lillith shortly." Abaddon directed him before turning back to her. "Go to the war room, if Zagan and Valefar haven't already been summoned then send them to the battle and wait for us to return. I'll make sure the Angelspear is sent directly to you. Do you understand?"