Surrounded By Flames (The Flames Trilogy Book 2)

  Charmeine grinned. “I’m ready for a fight. It’s been a long time coming.”

  “Count me in,” Gemma said, followed by nods from all the other Angel Blessed.

  Ella frowned. “Fine. I guess we do this together, then.”

  Jasmine nodded. “I guess we do.”

  So, it was settled. They would all watch for Bael to leave. Together, they would go to his house, grab Evangeline, and get back to Beau’s with her in tow. Of course, the best laid plans were great and all, but Jasmine knew from experience a good plan didn’t always equal success.

  ***

  A knock on the kitchen door came hours later, after they’d taken shifts watching the house to see if Bael had left. Jasmine answered it, finding Moloch on the other side.

  She raised her eyebrows. “How did you get away?”

  “He’s…ah…busy with the angel.”

  Jasmine nodded. “I see.” She moved out of the doorway. “Come in. I actually wanted to talk to you.”

  Moloch stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and faced her. “I’m all ears.”

  Jasmine sat on the barstool at the kitchen island. “Why do you stay over there with him? Stay with us. We can keep you safer than he can, and I can’t turn evil anymore.”

  Moloch scrunched his forehead. “What do you mean you can’t turn evil anymore?”

  Jasmine explained what happened between Amon and her, how they were linked now and what that meant.

  A grin wrapped around Moloch’s face. “That is fantastic news.”

  “So will you stay here?”

  Moloch frowned. “I can’t do that. I can’t let Bael know I betrayed him all these years. And I didn’t just betray him, I betrayed all demons. I consorted with our enemy, had a baby with that enemy. It doesn’t matter how safe you think you can keep me, if they find out the truth, Bael will find a way to kill me.”

  Jasmine slapped her palms on the counter. “Screw Bael. He’s a peon of Lucifer’s. Nothing more.”

  Moloch grinned. “Then I am a peon of his. Putting it that way, I don’t think I like the sound too much.”

  Jasmine’s cheeks grew hot. “Sorry.”

  Moloch chuckled. “It is quite all right. But I hope you understand why I can’t stay with you.”

  Jasmine nodded. “I do. But perhaps you can help us anyway. We need to know when Bael leaves so we can get Evangeline.”

  Moloch raised his eyebrows.

  “We are going to take Evangeline to get to Bael.”

  Moloch shook his head. “Clever, but it won’t work. He doesn’t care anything about the angel. He’s just using her, just like he uses everyone else.”

  Jasmine shrugged. “It doesn’t matter really. It’s our only option right now.”

  “I understand. I will help you. When he leaves, I will step out onto the porch and let you know. Watch for me, then you’ll know Bael has left but Evangeline still remains in the house.”

  Jasmine stood and hugged him. “Thank you, Moloch. I know everything is messed up, but I think if things had been different, and you and Ella were able to raise me, my life would have been pretty good with you.”

  Moloch looked away, but she saw the corners of his mouth tilt toward the ceiling first. “I must now go back. Tell the others what we discussed.”

  As he grabbed the doorknob, Jasmine stopped him by grabbing his arm gently. “Wait. Why did you come here?” She paused. “Okay, that sounded kind of mean, but I guess I meant, did you come for a reason?”

  He glanced back at her, shaking his head. “Just wanted to see you.”

  Jasmine’s hands tingled as she brought them close to her, almost hugging herself. She was calm, a bundle of happiness swelling in her chest. She’d grown up with a father who had loved her, and a dad who couldn’t but would do everything he could to make up for that. She just wished Moloch would stay with her. It would be nice to get to know him a little better. And it would also be nice to be able to keep him safe. If Bael found out he was helping them in any way, he would do just as Moloch said and end him. Jasmine knew that.

  Hopefully, he just wouldn’t find out.

  ***

  At least a day went by before Moloch finally stood on the porch of Bael’s house. Caim ran inside from his post and everyone followed across the street. Jasmine knew they had to move fast. Bael could return at any minute.

  Jasmine ran behind Amon, the others were all around her. They weren’t inconspicuous at all, and it didn’t matter. Their mission was as straightforward as it could be. Get in, get out, and get going. Oh, don’t forget grab Evangeline first. Easy, right?

  Moloch moved to the side as they all shot through the small doorway single file.

  “Where is she?” Jasmine asked before entering.

  “Kitchen.”

  Luckily, the house was set up pretty much the same way as Beau’s, with the kitchen straight back from the front door, so they flew down the small hallway. Evangeline sat at a small kitchen table, biting into a banana. When she saw them, she dropped it and shimmied from her seat, grabbing the back door to open it.

  Amon’s arms went around her and he lifted her, spun around, and shoved her in the middle of the group. “Don’t think so. You are coming with us.”

  “Bael won’t stand for this. He will kill you all.” Evangeline’s shrill tone made Jasmine cup her ears, but Jasmine could tell the angel was scared.

  The front door opened. “No, Bael won’t stand for it.”

  Jasmine lifted her gaze, which landed on Bael standing just inside the front door, his arm wrapped around Moloch’s neck. Her demon father struggled to get away, but Bael shoved him forward, never moving his arm from his neck.

  Jasmine dropped her hands to her sides, her fingers clenching. “Let him go.”

  Bael’s dark eyes lit up with humor. “Ah. So I was right. He has been helping you. You see, I couldn’t quite figure out why he kept disappearing when I was giving him nothing to do. Now, I suppose I know.”

  Jasmine’s stomach dropped as she realized the mistake she’d made.

  “Bael, we have your angel.” Amon held her arms behind her back and shoved her to the front of the group. “We will do an equal exchange. Moloch for Evangeline. What do you say?”

  Bael laughed, long and hard. For a minute, Jasmine didn’t think he would ever stop, but when he did, his eyes were cold as ice. “Do you honestly think I care anything for the angel in your arms? Take her. Kill her. I don’t care.”

  Jasmine knew it had been a long shot, but it hadn’t paid off. Now, Moloch was in trouble and she didn’t know how to help him. She looked at Amon, trying to communicate with him without saying anything, and Amon let Evangeline go, almost as if he’d heard what Jasmine had been thinking. They didn’t need the angel anymore, so why keep her?

  Evangeline ran, sobbing, to Bael’s side. He shoved her to the ground, into the small family room Jasmine had passed with a fluffy pink couch in it. Jasmine could tell he did it to protect her, even though he’d never admit it. He looked distracted, his eyes glaring vacantly toward the ceiling, his grip laxer than it had been. His focus seemed to be on something outside of this house.

  Moloch squirmed, but couldn’t break free. “He’s speaking to Lucifer through his mind. That’s why he’s distracted.”

  Jasmine rushed forward, but as she reached Moloch, ready to free him, a swift sound like a towel being shaken out sounded and something wet splattered all over Jasmine’s face, arms, everywhere. She looked down, completely painted in red streaks.

  Her jaw fell open as Moloch toppled to the ground, Bael on top of him, their heads rolling down the hallway, stopping at Jasmine’s feet. Their dead eyes were open wide, shock displayed even in death. She turned to run back to her group, but as she took her first step, she bent, throwing up everything in her stomach. Breathing heavily, she straightened and felt a big body standing behind her. Slowly, she peered over her shoulder to see Lucifer, a sneer lining his lips. His blackened teeth looked sharp,
like they belonged on a wolf or a tiger instead of a demon. Jasmine took a few steps toward Amon, who grabbed her and pulled her into his side, wrapping his arms around her.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered into her hair.

  She nodded, not trusting her voice. How he could be this close to her when she was covered in blood was beyond her. She hadn’t had time to think about what had even happened. Lucifer had killed Moloch…and Bael, his second-in-command, just like that. Her father and now her real dad were both dead. Every member of her family had been wiped out, except her real mother. She couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be before she joined the mix.

  Jasmine moaned and screamed.

  “Good,” Lucifer said. “I’ve gotten a reaction. Standing here watching the ‘good guys’ with their jaws hanging open was a little anticlimactic.” He paused, running his hand through his spiky hair. “Now, as some of you know, I’m Lucifer. The ultimate evil. The ruler of Hell. Whatever you want to call me is fine, really. But do not cross me. You will end up like Bael…who had plans to usurp me. He thought I didn’t know, but I’ve known for a long time. That’s the problem with seconds, eventually they want to take over.”

  Nobody said a word. Evangeline ran into Lucifer’s arms, sobbing. He petted her hair. “Now, now. He’s out of the way and you are free to stand at my side.”

  Wow. Didn’t see that coming, but I should have.

  “As for you all. I can’t let you go. You will try to stop me, and I can’t let that happen, so you all must die. I hope you understand.”

  A whole lot of demons marched in through the open doorway, surrounding Lucifer. He smirked, holding his hands out toward them. “Meet my army. They won’t hurt you…much.”

  With his arm wrapped around Evangeline, they walked out of the house, leaving the demon army behind.

  Jasmine stood straight, grabbing Amon’s hand. “Well, I guess if we are going to die, we’re going to die fighting, right? Who’s with me?”

  Everyone screamed what Jasmine could only call a battle cry as they met the demons head on. Beau and the other angels were slicing into skin with their Angel Blades. Amon and Jasmine had joined, using Jasmine’s power to take out demon after demon, and the Angel Blessed had the same idea, combining their powers.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Jasmine saw a movement too fast to follow. Blood flew through the air as a demon sliced Teeny’s neck open. The little man fell to the ground, blood pouring from his open wound. Gemma rushed forward, attempting to heal him, but a demon crashed into her, rolling on them until they slammed into the wall.

  They’d moved out of the hallway and into the larger living room. Jasmine looked around, her heart racing. They’d eliminated a lot of the enemy, but not enough. Maybe they weren’t ready for this kind of battle. Maybe they would die right here. If they did, the humans would be gone and nothing would ever be the same. She had to find her strength, because she couldn’t let that happen. That was when her body lit up in a golden hue as Amon shoved his strength into her. She looked at him and smiled, ready to make her next move.

  There had to have been at least a hundred demons at first. They’d probably killed half of them, but they’d also lost Teeny, and possibly Gemma. Jasmine hadn’t been able to find her since the demon had tackled her.

  She couldn’t focus on who they’d lost right now. She had to fight, and that was what Amon and she did. They stepped together, becoming a well-oiled machine. One unit. One mission.

  The new golden power was even stronger as it cut through demon after demon with almost no effort. Jasmine’s veins were hot and her whole body felt like it might explode from the inside out with the force of the heat, but she felt alive and tingly all over too, and she kind of liked the excitement coursing through her. It was even more than when she used to use her power.

  She buckled down, sending a golden wave of power out over the remaining demons. They all fell, their heads gone from their bodies. She didn’t have time to congratulate anyone as she fell to the ground. A wound in her side poured blood, her shirt saturated with it. She hadn’t even felt it happen. Amon’s eyebrow had been sliced open, blood slinking down the side of his face.

  A shakiness started from her fingertips and moved through her whole body, the aftereffects of adrenaline maybe. She’d used so much power. There’d been no way to know how much, but as her eyes closed of their own accord, she knew it had been too much. The last thing she felt before she remembered no more was Amon’s heavy body slamming into her side.

  Chapter 29

  Still at the Beginning

  When Jasmine woke up, she was in her room at Beau’s. She scrambled from under the covers and ran out the door, hopping down step after step with renewed energy, desperate to find anyone or everyone. She didn’t know what had happened after she had passed out, but she had to find out who’d made it out okay.

  She’d thought Amon’s and her last stand had wiped out the remainder of the demons, but she hadn’t been able to get a good look before she’d passed out.

  How had they even done that?

  The first person she ran into was Amon. Dark circles lined his eyes. His hair was in a tangled mess, draped around tear-stained cheeks and red, puffy eyes. Jasmine’s heart skipped a beat. “What happened?”

  He shook his head, pressing his lips together, and wrapped his arms around her, but he wouldn’t say anything. She didn’t push, instead wrapped her own arms around him and held him tightly. That was obviously what he needed. Even though she needed to know what happened, she’d wait. For him, she’d wait. She’d give him what he needed first.

  After a few minutes passed with no movement, Jasmine pulled back. “Can you at least tell me if we won?”

  Amon nodded, tears still streaming down his face. “We d-did. But the victory came at a high p-price.”

  Jasmine heart dropped. “What happened, Amon?”

  Cole came in then. “He probably can’t tell you.” Cole’s eyes were also puffy and swollen. “Teeny was lost to us in the battle. Gemma was badly injured, but Caim saved her. He was killed.”

  Amon sobbed even harder.

  No, not Caim. Caim was Amon’s best friend, his most trusted friend. He couldn’t have been killed. Why would he have been in the middle of the battle anyway?

  Jasmine reached up and wiped the first tear that leaked from her eyes. Her nose started to run as more followed the first and she dropped to the ground. Teeny had just come to them. They had just saved him not long ago and now his life had ended, along with Caim’s.

  Too much death wrapped around them, smothering each and every one of them.

  Amon dropped down beside her on the wooden floor. “It’s okay. We will get through this. Somehow. We defeated the demons when the odds were against us. Yes, we lost friends, but there will be loss in the eyes of this ultimate battle.”

  How the hell had he pulled himself together so quickly? Inside, Jasmine was a tattered mess. Her heart had broken into a million pieces she couldn’t put back together yet.

  Before, she’d thought they were invincible, especially the fallen angels. She was wrong. Nobody was safe, and everybody was fair game.

  The room spun as she lay on her back, staring at the ceiling to make it stop. “I can’t believe we lost them.”

  Amon lay beside her. “It is only the beginning.”

  The beginning was over. This had to at least be the middle.

  Didn’t it?

  ***

  They had a funeral for the ones they lost in the backyard, but they had buried them in the woods. Teeny had a cross head stone and Caim’s resembled an eye. Jasmine wished they could have buried Moloch too, but by the time they’d fought through the demon horde, Moloch and Bael’s bodies, as well as their heads, were gone.

  After the funeral, everyone scattered, mostly off by themselves. The mood was melancholy, and Jasmine herself wasn’t immune to it.

  She hadn’t wanted anything like this to happen, but she should have suspec
ted it. She’d lost more people today, and so had the others. Unfortunately, it seemed like loss was to be a big part of all of their lives from this moment on.

  The biggest problem, however, was the fact that Jasmine really had no idea what they were going to do about the demons. How could they stop them, especially now when their numbers were even lower? They’d had a heck of a time fighting off approximately one hundred demons, so how would they defend themselves against thousands?

  They needed some help. That was the bottom line. Jasmine knew there were humans out there who would fight, but she didn’t have a clue how to find them. They didn’t have unlimited time here, and to be honest, she’d lost track of how many days had gone by. She was guessing somewhere around forty since the very first demon rose, but she didn’t have a way to be sure.

  “Uh, Jasmine.” A fully healed Gemma came into the living room where Jasmine sat.

  Jasmine looked up toward the doorway. “Yeah?”

  “Something is going on out back.”

  Jasmine tilted her head. “What? Is it demons?” She grasped the arm of the chair and stood.

  Gemma shook her head. “Actually, I think it is something else.”

  “Get the others. We’ll go together, just in case.”

  While Gemma grabbed the others from upstairs, Jasmine moved into the kitchen, trying to peek outside, but the curtains were drawn and she couldn’t get a good look without getting close. There were people standing in the yard, but she didn’t know whether they were demons or not, and she didn’t want to risk being seen, so she waited.

  Soon, everyone filed in behind Gemma. “Everyone’s here,” she said, smiling.

  “Okay. Guess we go out together and find out what’s going on?” Jasmine moved to the door. “I’ll go first.”

  Grabbing the brass doorknob, she turned it slowly, opening the door. Then she stepped outside, her mouth dropping open so far a fly would have no problem flying inside. Thinking about the fly, she instinctively covered her mouth, but more out of amazement than anything else.