The Devil's Daughter

Chapter 34 (Part 1) ~ Avenged

This is the first half of the next chapter. I will put up the second half as soon as I can and then I think it will just be the epilogue left. 

Chapter 34 ~ Razakiel

I don't realise I've moved until she's in my arms. Until I feel the warmth of her blood pumping over my hands as I press against her chest trying to hold it in. Trying to heal her. I can save Abby, I couldn't save Gabby or John, but I can save Abby. I have to save Abby.

I thought I knew pain. But when my healing abilities are once again rendered useless. When I feel her slip from my grasp. I can't breathe. The air is sucked from my lungs and no amount of gasping can drag it back inside.

My mind rebels against the concept. It's not possible. She can't be... and yet I feel her absence. Like a part of me has been ripped away too.

"Abby," Abby, her name echos from my lips, reverberates in my mind over and over until it's all I know. All I hear. All I am. Abby.

A jolt from behind breaks the loop for barely a moment. My eyes don't leave her face though. Even when the possibility of a demon looming behind me crosses my mind. It would probably be a relief. To be set free from this immobilising, heart wrenching ache.

Hands drag at me, shake my useless limbs. Something stirs in the back of my mind. An urge to respond somehow perhaps. But it's distant. Too far away to be heard over the crashing roar of my mind.

And still my body shakes. Something knocks me backwards, my head hitting the rough rock and I finally jerk free of my paralysis.

"Razakiel," a hint of exasperation tinges the deep voice like he's repeated himself many times. I want to ignore him too as move back upright and stare down at her again. But he's a healer too. He's the healer.

"Help her." It's not a request, its a demand, not something that would usually be taken lightly by an Archangel, but I can't bring myself to care, "You have to help her!"

"Razakiel," the pity in his tone turns some of the mind numbing pain to anger, "it is too la..."

"HELP HER," I still see it in his eyes, but he step forward and kneels beside me, his hands reaching down to hers feeling her wrist for life. I feel more than see him shake his head and I tense ready for him to give up already.

"We'll try together," he murmurs placing his hands over the gaping hole in her chest, still leaking crimson to the floor. I move closer and place my hands over his pushing all of the power I have through them and into her. Begging and praying that she'll come back.

Time ticks by, I feel the energy draining from us but she isn't healing. The emptiness is still all too present. I don't know how long we sit by her side trying to bring her back to life but Mikhael doesn't stop until my hands slip from his and my body sags to the side. She's gone. Numbness steals over me as the concept dawns on me. Really gone. Not coming back. Soul with Our Father gone.

My hands ache to rip and tear and destroy. But the one thing that I want to tear apart limb from limb is already dead. She avenged herself and there's probably not even a body left to destroy. My eyes search anyway desperate to maim and kill and destroy the thing that hurt her. Killed her. I shudder at the thought.

My breath catches when I spot him. Lifeless on the ground wings torn from his back and strewn across the room. I'm on my feet in moments and striding toward the body. Terrified it will disappear before I get to it.

The ground beneath me shudders and I stumble to the side catching Isa as she falls too. The whole room seems to shake around us moving from side to side. The rock rumbling beneath the pressure. It builds and builds until the whole room is a blur and standing is impossible. We fall to the floor and even then its impossible to stay upright.

Burning white light shines down honing in on Lucifer's heart. Or at least the place it should have been. Slowly it spreads and the earth stops shaking as it encapsulates his whole body. I expect it to fade and disappear as Gabby's did but it remains intact beneath the blinding glow of the light. It disappears without warning leaving a searing afterglow burned into my eyes.

No one moves for what feels like forever after it disappears. We barely breathe. As time drifts by my mind slips back to Abby and I jump to my feet. Striding to Lucifer's body. I reach for him mind blank with rage.

"Zak, no!" for half a heart beat I think its her, that nickname I never thought I'd get used to, so often came from her lips. Of course the voice is all wrong, too high and lilting , not the strong warm tone I wish for. I hesitate for a second and turn back to Isa.

"What?" I bite out, struggling to hold onto the clarity of the moment.

"We don't know what that was, I don't think we should go near him. Have you ever seen anything like that before?" The question wasn't directed at me but to Mikhael and for the first time it registers that he is here. Everyone is here. We had won the war. Abby had won the war. Lost her life. Won the war.

It wasn't worth it. It goes against our entire reason for being. But its true. I would rather have Abby alive and lose the war, lose the world to Lucifer than win and lose her.

"No. I think that may have been... though I am not sure how. He does not interfere. No since the beginning. But a light like that could only be Our Father."

"Forgiving Lucifer still?" Fire burns deep in my veins, "No. Not again." I lunge for the body of the monster hands gripping ready to tear into flesh and bone. Nothing but ash slips through my fingers. His entire body disintegrating to ash as soon as I touch him. The finest of particles, they seem to hang in the air too long before drifting to the ground and dispersing.

"I don't think he was forgiven." I murmur.

"No. He was not. His soul has been destroyed never to reunite with its maker. There could be no worse fate." I'm not sure I agree with that knowing I could have tortured the monster for eternity for what he has done, but there is some comfort knowing he will never be at peace with Our Father.   

Thoughts?? Thanks for reading. Second part will hopefully be up soon. If you have any things that you want clarified /loose ends tied up before the end of the book let me know in the comments and I will try to make sure I include them.