The Demon of Angels (Bk. 2) | ✓

ⅩⅣ

A GROWL REVERBERATED through my chest, swinging my fist back and colliding with my father's jaw. A satisfying crack echoed through the starless night sky. It was as if they were scared to appear before two High Demons hell-bent on destroying one another until one submitted to the other.

My father flew until he crashed against the cement wall of the school building. His stunned expression quickly morphed to anger as he slid to the ground and landing on his feet.

"What have I told you about properly greeting your father?" He hissed, rolling his neck and clenching his fists down at his sides.

I charged forward, releasing my Hybrid from her chains and morphing our vocal cords into something in between. "Go to Hell."

My spine stretched and cracked, and wings sprouted from either side, pulling me higher into the air as I leaped. With a cry, I pushed pure angel fire from the inside out, targeting my father's chest. The High Demon rolled out of the line of fire, the beams turning a few bricks to ash.

Death Scythe huffed, a few shards of grass stuck to the usual attire of a suit and red tie. He brushed them off, and I didn't hesitate. Dark storm clouds hovered above us, darkening the moonlight until only the dim lighting from the back parking lot was left. Thunder roared, lightning cracked, and the veins in my arms ignited gold, then churned dark as it mixed with black.

My father eyed me with a raised eyebrow. "That's new."

Snarling, I lunged as lightning bolts scurried up my arms. "So is this." I reached my father before he could blink, wrapping my arms around his throat as bolts of electricity pulsed into his neck and body. His eyes bulged, and I smiled with satisfaction.

I'm going to end this.

Squeezing with all of my strength, my father wheezed, and his attention was pulled from somewhere behind me. I growled, pushing more lightning into his throat. Charred skin caked beneath my fingers, but I didn't relent. He murdered my mother and planned to use me to destroy the planet and humanity that I loved.

Over my dead body.

Something snapped, and the expression on my father's face morphed from fear to smugness. I told myself not to look, to kill the monster at the mercy of my hands and power, but something pulled my attention without my consent. Sparing a quick glance over my shoulder, Kayla's body was suspended in thin air. I turned back to my father, rage pouring from my core to his body.

"I won't hesi–hesitate to ki– kill her," he wheezed. His eyes were cold and calculating, and I know he would hold true to his word just as he did with Noah. With another cry of rage, I threw my head and cracked my father in the nose. Bone and tendons crunched from the force of the blow, and I reluctantly let my father go.

I flew to Kayla's side as her body dropped to the ground, checking for a pulse. At first, I felt nothing, and fear drained the color of my face as I'd never felt before. Then I felt a slow and steady rhythm of her heartbeat, relieving some of the tension in my shoulders.

Turning, I guarded Kayla's body with my own as the Death Scythe stood to his feet, blood pouring from his broken nose. I watched as the black pits of my father's eyes lock on Kayla's limp body behind me with a sadistic grin. His pale skin reflected off the parking lot lights. Tight pale lips curved, and bushy black eyebrows framed his sharply angled face.

Swallowing, I knew it was time to call for backup. My hands were already behind me, so it was easy to slip my phone from my back pocket and fumble with it. Keeping my face masked, I eyed my father warily until I heard the satisfying soft ring of Zeke's speed dial.

"Well, now that's out of your system," his deep voice grumbled, a little too happy for my liking. He took a step forward, creeping toward me with an amused expression. "Let's discuss what I need from you."