Tempest’s POV

My heart was pumping wildly in my chest as Lumi landed on the roof of the manor. I could feel each erratic pulse resonating in my ears, the sound alone accentuating every panicked thought in my brain. I just kept picturing those haunting brown eyes staring back at me as he fell to the ground. Why couldn’t I save him? Why hadn’t I been faster? God, this whole thing was my fault: the arguments, the war in the underworld, this battle. I never wanted anyone to get hurt, let alone die trying to save me. I was supposed to bring salvation… not cause death and misery, but that’s just what I had done. Lord please forgive me… I never meant for any of this to happen.

I swallowed thickly and wiped away the tears from eyes before I stumbled off of Lumi’s back. My legs shook with each step I took, fear and panic coursing through my veins. I couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like a nightmare coming to life. Why would Gates take an arrow for me? I should have been the one to take the shot, not him. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the idea, let alone explain overwhelming feelings of guilt and loss that I was feeling.

Why did I feel this way about losing Gates? He was the devil and I had been taught to never morn for him. But here I was, a complete and utter mess over the idea of losing him. What was this burning feeling in my chest and the pit of my stomach? Was it survivor’s guilt over Gates’ selfless act, or something more? I didn’t know but I couldn’t fight the feeling building inside of me—I had to see him… even if it was too late.

Lumi let out a shriek as I stumbled sideways on my way to the door, catching me with his head. I took in a ragged breath as I pushed off of is warm scales, trying to pull myself together. I would be no help what so ever if I didn’t get my head in the game. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe there was still something I could do to help him?

Only I didn’t have time to think about it because right then Lumi let out a wild scream and shoved me through the door with his head. Right before the door slammed shut behind me, I saw him flap his massive wings, engulfing me in a wave of frigid air that froze me to the core. What in Hell was that? I knew Hell was cold, but never had it been that cold. I quickly wrapped my arms around my body and started down the spiral staircase.

Honestly, I had no idea where I was going. This house, just like the one on Earth, was like a giant maze. It was like Gates designed it specifically to disorient anyone who walked inside. Dora always said he liked to play sick and twisted games on the lost souls, so maybe this was part of the humor? Whatever the case may be, I didn’t find it funny. I just let my body blindly carry me forward, my mind overrun by the guilty demons that plagued my thoughts. I was a disgrace to my kind, and I knew that now. It had to be the reason I was sent down to Earth. It was clear after today that nothing good could ever come from me. I was indeed a weapon…

I forced a painful breath into my lungs, the reality of my purpose literally crushing me. Gates and Pandora had been right all along: my purpose wasn’t to save people and bring peace between the lands. No, my purpose was to come between the lands and destroy them one by one, eliminating any and all threats the Heavens. Just look at what my presence here had done already! I had caused a divide between the devil and his fallen; I caused the on going war; Hell, I was the reason Gates was-was…

I shook the thought away and moved faster down the dimly lit corridor. I didn’t want to believe it. He couldn’t be gone… I couldn’t be a damned soul sent from the Heavens to destroy the underworld. God wouldn’t do that, would he? I honestly didn’t know the truth about anything anymore.

“Damn him…” I muttered miserably as the tears welled up again. “Gate should have just let the arrow hit me and ended this whole stupid charade!. Then I wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else.”

My heart ached so badly at the thought hurting my new friends that I could barely stand it. I mean, how could God create me to cause so much pain? Wasn’t he the leader of salvation and redemption? I thought everyone received the right to forgiveness? Had I been fed lies all my life? I angrily wiped away the tears from my eyes and I blindly stumbled down the hallway. I just couldn’t fathom how God could put me on Earth to destroy my new friends. Didn’t he know they were good at heart?

I mean, just look at Gates! He took an arrow to the heart for me! That had to mean something, right? Either he had changed and legitimately cared about me and my wellbeing or everything I had ever learned about the devil was a lie. I was so confused about the whole thing that it wasn’t even funny.

Why did Gates stop that arrow from hitting me anyway? Sure he named me his deversis but did that mean he actually cared for me? My breath caught in my chest as I stopped dead in my tracks, the realization hitting me hard. He had to, at least to some extent. It was the only thing that made sense considering he had stood up for me time and time again. But why me?

My head was swimming with thoughts as I started back down the corridor. I had so many unanswered questions and emotions running through my mind and body that I didn’t know what to do. The only thing I knew for certain was that I had to see him. I had to see that strikingly handsome face again and look into those haunting brown eyes. Despite the array of emotions I was feeling inside, I knew I had to do something. I refused to accept that I was too late to help him. I owed him that much for saving my life.

“What the fuck are we going to do with him?” I heard a deep voice echo down the hall. With each step I took, my surroundings were becoming more and more familiar. Wasn’t Pandora’s room at the end of this hall on the right? Which meant Gates’ room wasn’t too far away, if I remembered correctly. “Every fucking bone in his body is broken and he’s barely breathing! If he wakes up, he will be the luckiest son of a bitch alive.”

“I don’t know but we can’t just stand here and wait around or we are going to lose him! He is our prince! We have to do something,” another voice replied and I couldn’t deny the feeling of hope soar through my chest. He was alive! Thanks be to God! I raced towards the light at the end of the corridor, stopping only when I saw the group of men gathered around the bed.

“Like what? His body will heal the bones, but it will take some time. The only thing we can do is clean the wound with holy water, but that could kill him if it reaches his heart.” Holy water could kill him? How was that even possible? I thought holy water was a healing substance. “Or put him in a bath of it…”

I heard an audible wince from the small crowd as I cautiously stepped into the room, my heart beating wildly. As soon as I passed through the threshold, every head in the room turned to look at me with a glaring gaze. It was almost like they knew this was my fault. Almost instantly the whispers started and Gates was blocked from my view.

“You have no place here, angel,” Vengeance sneered, stepping toward me. “You’ve done enough.”

I shook my head, my eyes pleading with him to understand. I had to help him. “I can save him… please—”

“Save him? How?” I couldn’t miss the cynical tone in Vengeance’s voice. He was visibly angry and upset, and honestly he had every right to be. Hell, I was pissed off at myself. They wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for me. “What could you possibly do?”

“Please… just let me see him…” I begged, my purple eyes swimming with tears.

“Just let her through, Vee. What’s it going to hurt? You know if Gates pulls through this he will fucking kill you if he finds out you disobeyed his deversis,” Christ argued, giving me a small smile as the muttering in the room started again.

Vengeances held up his hand to silence the fallen around him, his dark green eyes narrowing on me. “But you heard Pandora, she has no power here. Why should we listen to her?”

No power here? What was he talking about? I thought Syn named me the queen of hell, meaning that I ruled if he fell. Wasn’t that what he said before this battle even started? Either way, I wasn’t going to let him keep me away from Gates. “Move,” I ordered and Vengeance just chuckled and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Really? Do you honestly think you scare me, angel?” Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes. Who did this demon think he was? I was starting to get angry, which was a first for me. All the time Pandora was teaching me defense lessons, she told me to get mad, but I didn’t understand what she meant until now.

“I said, move,” I stepped right up to his face, my purple orbs lining up with his nose.

“And I said, no fucking way,” Vengeance scoffed before he gave me a gentle shove back toward the door. In that moment, something snapped inside of me and I couldn’t contain my anger anymore.

A wild roar escaped from my throat as I charged at Vengeance, knocking him down on the floor with one fluid motion, just as Pandora had taught me. My fingers clenched around his throat and I squeeze his windpipe just enough to constrict his breath. “You will obey to your queen!” I hissed, looking back into his shocked eyes before I shoved his head harshly down onto the wood floor.

“Shit…angel’s got some moves,” I heard one of the fallen chuckled as I released Vengeance and stepped over him and looked at the rest of the fallen. I wasn’t in the mood to play games and I hope they all realized that now.

“Leave us!” I commanded before I approached the bed. One by one the fallen and demons cleared out of the room, leaving me alone with devil.

There in front of me was Gates lying on his back on top of the black comforter. The arrow was still sticking through his chest, surrounded by a large puddle of blood that had pulled on his pale colored shirt and liner of his leather jacket. He was extremely pale and the visible bruises covered his flesh, making him look like a corpse. “Oh my god…” I breathed, covering my mouth with my hands as I stepped closer to him. “I’m so sorry Syn…”

I looked at the arrow that stuck straight up out of his chest, my own heart squeezing painfully. That arrow should have been through my heart, not the other way around. “I should have taken the arrow… not you,” I shook me head, feeling the tears forming in my eyes. “Why would you do that when you’ve known my purpose all along…” The tears were freely falling down my face now as I gently brushed his hair out of his face. He looked so peaceful and I just hoped that he wasn’t in any pain. I couldn’t even bare the thought of causing him

As looked down at his nearly lifeless body, I couldn’t help deny the odd bubbling emotion rising in my chest. It was like an overwhelming urge to stay with him… to be with him. Something about standing by Gates’ side made me feel at home for the first time and I didn’t want to give that up. I owed him my life and my heart for everything he had done for me.

My hands slowly moved down to take his, feeling his cool skin and the ever-slowing pulse. The fallen were right; he didn’t have much time left if we didn’t do something. “No… stay with me Syn… I will make this right,” I whispered. I couldn’t lose him, not like this.

“I have to pull out the arrow,” I evaluated aloud as I looked down at Syn’s detraining form. “It’s what’s slowing his heart. Please forgive me…”

I grabbed the shaft of the arrow and quickly realized this wasn’t any normal arrow. No, this arrow was made out of metal and my guess was that it was of the celestial kind. I knew that if the arrow was anything like Pandora’s celestial sword, I had to get it out of Syn fast. Without thinking twice, I firmly grasped the shaft and pulled the blood arrow out of Syn’s chest and tossed it to the side, putting my hands on top of the bleeding wound.

Suddenly I felt the bubbling feeling in my chest again. It was so intense that I felt like I was about to explode. I quickly pinched my eyes shut and pressed down on the Syn’s cold flesh, only to feel a sudden burst of warmth cascade from my body into Gates. I felt weightless and free as the tingling warmth flooded through my veins, blinding me with a bright light.

And just as quickly as it appeared, the blinding light disappeared, leaving me breathless as I slumped down on the bed next to Gates. I felt like I had drained every ounce of my energy into him, leaving me exhausted and weak. I could barely open my eyes my eyes to check on Syn, let alone move from the spot I had fallen on the bed. I had used everything I had to save him and I just hoped it was enough.

“Tempest…” was all I heard as my eyelids fell shut and the darkness took me captive.

Notes