The Devil's Daughter

Chapter 14 ~ Burning with Revenge

Chapter 14 ~ Razakiel

Smoke drifts away in black swirls upon the slight breeze. The small particles float apart, seeking out a new home; somewhere to re-join the earth and bring life once more. The crackle of the flames is barely audible over the desperate pleas escaping Isa; Ahriel the only thing keeping her upright as her legs buckle unable to hold her up under the immense weight of her grief. Ahriel's face is like stone, the distress from earlier washed away in the face of her wrath. They'll die for this, she'd promised before setting the torch to the pyre. Watching the two women grieve from a few paces back, Abby's small hand entrapped in my own, I have no doubt that they will. But who exactly she was blaming for his death I wasn't sure; Chastir? The demons? Lucifer himself? Or me?

"Hey, it wasn't your fault. And she doesn't blame you." Abby murmurs from beside me leaning closer so her shoulder rests gently against my arm, glancing down at the broken angel by my side a horrifying sense of understanding settles over me.

"It wasn't your fault either, Abby." Her body tenses at my words and I feel her pulling away from me in her head before she even starts to move. "No." The command is out in the open air without a thought and I tug her back to my side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to reinforce my meaning.

"Zak." She struggles with the new position, especially now with all of the horrors of the world struggling to break free from her mind, her developing trust for me on ever more shaky ground.

"No Abby. I'm serious. It is not your fault. Chastir killed him. It's his fault. Not yours." Her eyes remain resolutely on the two figures before the flames, but I feel the flicker of doubt flit through her resolve and then a fierce anger replaces it and she wrenches herself from my arms.

"How do you expect me to believe that when you're still blaming yourself completely? Don't even try to deny it Zak, I can tell when you're lying remember." Her eyes burn brighter than the fire before us as she stares me down.

"I would never lie to you Abby." I sigh, wishing she would just understand, and then a realisation hits me. "How do you know how I feel?"

"I...uh, I'm not entirely sure, when you put your arm around me I just kind of knew? It's gone now though." With a slight hesitation she steps toward me her eyes never leaving mine, even as she gently takes my hand in hers and lifts my arm back around her shoulders. I don't even realise I was holding my breath the entire time until her dazzling smile has all of the air escaping my lungs in rush. The tinkling laugh that escapes her lips leaves me wide eyed, the sound brightening the day around us.

"It..."

"Zak! Abby!" Abby's delighted voice is cut off by the stone cold anger radiating from Ahriel in waves. "We have to stop him. We have to stop Lucifer. The angels are after Abby; I wasn't going to help you. I was going to make you give her to them so they would never know about you. Now it's too late for that. The two of you have to run. You have to stop him and his demons from destroying the world. You're the only ones capable of doing so. Isa will help you, she has a few talents as well, but you need to leave immediately, they're already on their way. They'll be here any minute. If you need help Isa can call me. I'll do what I can. And if you find Chastir you call me immediately! I will tear that worthless Cain to pieces with my bare hands." As her mother spoke, Isa slowly pulled herself together, before finally dragging her gaze away from the flicker flames toward her mother and crossing the short distance between them on shaky legs.

"We all have to shield ourselves and each other, or they'll be able to follow us. And we have to go on foot, because they have the trackers who can follow an angel's flight." Isa said, her voice strengthening as she spoke, though her eyes remain focused on her mother seeking assurance that this was, in fact correct. Her eyes seem to plead with Ahriel, hoping that she won't have to leave in the midst of her mourning, but the steel in Ahriel's gaze never faltered.