Sam stalked toward the flames. “This is gonna hurt.” He reached through the fire. “To get out, you have to walk through the flames.”

Seline’s jaw dropped. “She’s human, Sam! She can’t!”

He glanced back at her with one brow raised. “That’s why it’s gonna hurt.” His arm was on fire.

The woman was sobbing.

“Take my hand,” Sam ordered. “Take it now or you’re dead.”

Seline could barely see through the flames. But she thought the woman reached for Sam. In the next instant, the woman was flying right through the flames. No, Sam was yanking her through. When the redhead hit the ground, Seline immediately started slapping out the flames that licked around the woman. She ignored the blisters that burst onto her own skin.

I can heal. She can’t.

“Now get her out of here,” Sam said as the flames burning his flesh died away.

Seline looked up at him. “And leave you here alone? No way.”

“Delia was right. Rogziel’s long gone.” His eyes still shined black. “But when he comes back, I’ll be waiting for him.”

Not such a fantastic idea. “You can’t! You don’t—”

He lifted the bottle Mateo had tossed to him. Then, slowly, he pulled the claw from his right pocket. “I’m going to cut his f**king head off.” His eyes darted to the woman. She stared at him as if he were a monster. Couldn’t the woman recognize a hero when she saw one?

Seline yanked the redhead up to her feet. Time to teach this chick some hard and fast facts. “An angel risked his life for you.”

Sierra swiped away the tears on her cheeks. “An . . . angel?”

“A hellhound is chasing Tomas because he came back for you. That wasn’t a wolf, okay? It was a hellhound.” She shoved Sierra toward the broken door. “Now be smart, and run. Run really, really fast.”

Sierra looked back at her with dazed eyes. “Th-thank you.” Then she ran, really, really fast.

Seline turned to Sam.

“You need to run, too,” he told her.

Probably. “Maybe I’m just not into playing it smart.” She closed the distance between them. “I’m not leaving you.”

He shook his head. “You want freedom. This is your chance. Take it.”

Didn’t he see? Didn’t he get it yet? “I think I want you more.” The stark truth, and one that scared her to death.

Sam’s eyes widened, and a burst of blue appeared around the darkness of his eyes. “Seline?”

Her lips started to lift in a trembling smile.

“You want him?” Azrael demanded from right behind her.

Aw, hell. Angels and their too-fast—

“Then just see exactly what you’re getting . . .” Before she could even look over her shoulder, Azrael touched her.

And Sam roared.

Hello, Death.

She stared down at the men. She could hear the laughter, but couldn’t understand their words. Their clothes were . . . different. Old. Foreign.

Another time, another place.

But Death was there.

Seline saw Sammael leap from the sky. His wings, strong, black, so powerful, thrust behind him. The men were staring with wide eyes, looking all around.

But they couldn’t see him. Not yet.

Then he touched the first man.

The man with the red hair screamed, and the sound chilled Seline’s blood. She’d never heard a cry filled with such terror. The redhead fell to the ground, his body frozen, his face twisted in agony. He was the first, but not the last. Far, far from the last.

Soon the men could see Sam. Seline didn’t understand how or why, but they were staring at him. Pointing. Screaming.

He . . . laughed?

More men fell. He cut right through them. Killed, touched, until none were left living.

When the dead littered the ground at his feet, Sammael tilted back his head, stared up at the heavens, and smiled.

More.

“Seline!” Sam’s roar jerked her back to the present just as he pulled her away from Azrael. She realized that only a moment had passed, barely a second.

It had felt like an eternity.

Sammael put his body between her and Az. “What the f**k did you do?”

“Relax,” Az said, voice tight. “She’s completely unharmed. You know the touch doesn’t work on those with angel blood. Most of the demons who run on this earth have blood so diluted, it doesn’t matter, but she’s . . . fresh.”

Her hands were shaking. Seline stared at Sam’s back and saw the shadow of his wings.