Page 121 of Hell’s Weapon

“Fuck!” the first one replies. “Move up the plan.”

Suddenly a flurry of activity breaks out. And to my horror more Angels start flying through the portal, their white wings marking the inky sky as their numbers quickly out match our own.

Taking out as many as I can, bodies start falling in quick concession. But I have to keep moving so they can’t track my exact location. I’m wondering how to signal to Garrick when a whole team of guards pours out of the dormitories, some of the contestants in tow. Zafihra is amongst them and it's a relief as she shifts and joins me in the sky, along with a few of the harpies, including Rio, and a couple of the Dark Angels as well.

Dragon fire blasts across the sky, burning the entire front line of Angels as they struggle to form a barrier fast enough. They shift into a formation, earth and ice firing from their hands in an attempt to form a protective wall from the intensity of the flames.

More white winged beings soar through the portal, as I curse under my breath. They really are not messing about. Ducking and diving, letting my blade fly, I start snapping necks and wings in between throws. Most of them don’t see me coming, some attempt to fight but I’m far beyond their skills. By the time I’ve downed a dozen more, I’m questioning the training Heaven provides to its combative force. This is too easy.

After sending a few more to meet Charon, a sick feeling creeps into my stomach. This really is far too simple. Scanning the compound below, all I see is the Guards of Hell taking out our enemy, we’re barely having to defend ourselves.

Flying to the edge of the fighting, I lock onto a male Angel with shaggy brown hair and look of panic on his face. Flapping my wings and sheathing my knife, I’m on him in a second, grabbing him by his feathers and forcibly folding his wings in with my talons.

“What the fuck is going on here?” I growl into his ear as he desperately tries to keep himself airborne. I hold his weight with some effort but my talons dig in deeper as he struggles.

“Please, don’t kill me,” he pleads.

Rolling my eyes, I repeat my question.

“We were ordered to come in and rescue the contestants,” he confesses.

“Rescue them?” I ask, struggling to see the end goal. A decade ago, they blew up the entire facility without any hint of trying to ‘rescue’ anybody.

“Yes.”

“Is that the whole plan?” I’m growing aware that a couple of the other Angels have spotted us now, I have seconds left to question this one before they attack.

“I don’t know,” he answers, twisting in my grip. “I’m just following orders.”

Releasing him, but not before shoving him towards the ground fifty feet below, bright red blood immediately starts saturating his white feathers where my talons had sunk in. It makes gaining his balance harder but he does manage to avoid slamming to his death on the hard concrete, slowing his fall enough to land on his knees.

Dipping away myself and taking to higher skies again, I try to piece together the bits of the puzzle we know. Using my blade once more, to sever a few more carotid arteries, I keep out of the fray to think.

These Angels are not trained, they’re barely blocking our easiest shots. Yes, they have the numbers but they’re not overpowering us at all.

They’re cannon fodder.

It hits me. They’re the prelude, or a distraction.

Fuck.

I need to get to Garrick.

Streamlining to the ground, I land and immediately vanish my wings. I’m not risking getting injured by leaving them out, and I can move in the shadows more effectively without them.

Making it into the main building without much combat, I pause at the entrance to concentrate on listening out for any noise. I haven’t seen Garrick since I spotted him entering it, so he must be inside here somewhere. Storming the halls, every room I come to is empty. Even the west side, where I’d seen the initial group of Angels trying to break into, is deserted. It’s quiet, almost too quiet. I can hear the fighting outside but there isn’t a whisper of a being inside these walls.

Crossing to the dining hall, I find it untouched and without trace of any fighting, the tables and chairs undisturbed. Where did Garrick and his team go?

Deciding to leave via the back exit, I immediately spot the Angels just beyond the fence. It's the initial group, clearly having retreated once more. Sneaking into the shadows, I try to get close enough to hear what they’re saying to one another. I quickly decipher which two are in charge, and recognise one of them to be one of the twelve Arch Angels, the highest ranking of the heaven realm. Camael barks orders and fires questions at the others, who appear to be relaying information.

I’ve had one dealing with him before, over a century ago when there had been a fight over a set of souls from the human realm.

The ones on the receiving end of his command have their eyes closed. It’s fucking creepy.

“It's the mind magic.” Garrick’s voice beside sends my heart into my throat.

Wanting to punch him for sneaking up on me, I settle for letting my fingers find his as I return to watching our enemy. He comes closer, until I can feel the heat of his body running the entire length of my side.