He lifted her up, holding her effortlessly. His face—handsome, strong, too hard—came close to hers as he stared into her eyes.

Those wings of his seemed to block out the light. Not shadows like Az’s, but full, real, thick wings. Black wings.

Bastion’s eyes froze her. “You should be dead.”

Same song. “I’ve been getting that a lot,” she whispered.

“Bastion!” Az bellowed, and then he slammed into the other angel. At that shuddering collision, they all hit the ground. Jade grunted at the impact and rolled away. She sprang up and found Az and Bastion circling each other.

“Going to shoot me again?” Bastion taunted. “Going to keep turning on your own kind in order to protect the human?”

What? “Az . . .” He’d shot this guy?

Az immediately leapt toward her, half-positioning his body in front of hers.

Bastion laughed at the move, but the sound held no humor. Just more ice. “Trying to play the hero? What? Does your little mortal mistakenly think that you’re the good guy in this story?”

Then the wind rustled around her. No, not the wind. Bastion. He’d moved in a flash, coming to stand right beside Jade. “You’re a fool,” he told her. “Azrael was cast out for a reason.”

Her hand reached for Az’s. Her fingers locked with his.

Bastion’s gaze dropped to their entwined hands. He blinked, as if confused, then his eyes slowly lifted once more. This time, his stare met Az’s. “You’ll destroy her. You know that. We destroy everything that we touch.”

“Not this time.” Az’s words sounded like a vow.

But Bastion shook his head. “She should be dead. One touch, and she should be dead. Don’t you realize what you’ve done?”

Az wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to his chest.

“You’ve already destroyed her,” Bastion said, voice softer. “You just don’t even realize it.” Then he lifted his hands. He stirred fire, just as she’d seen Az do many times. Bright, red and gold flames. Dancing. Spinning in a circle. Spinning—and flying right at her.

Jade screamed as the fire swelled even higher. She felt the scorch of the heat on her skin. But then Az was there. Wrapping her in his arms. Shielding her and taking the blistering fire right into his flesh.

Taking it, then sending it back at the other angel. Bastion screamed. The scent of burning flesh filled the air.

Bastion vanished.

At first, Jade didn’t breathe. Her gaze swept the clearing. Left to right. The ground around them had blackened with the blaze. “Is he . . .” She sucked in a deep breath, cleared her throat, and asked, “gone?”

Az didn’t let her go. “No.”

Great.

“But he won’t attack again, not yet. Not until he’s sure he can take me out.”

That wasn’t the reassuring news she’d been hoping to hear. Az needed to work on that whole building team morality bit. “Then let’s get the hell out of here, okay? Do that superfast move of yours and get us someplace safe.” Even if it made her feel nauseous. Being sick was better than being dead.

She had no doubt that Bastion wanted her dead.

“There is no safe place from Bastion. He will be able to follow us, anyplace we go.”

Again with the whole not-what-she-wanted-to-hear response. But before she could speak, Az lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her hands around his neck. Held onto him as tightly as she could.

When the world spun around her, she wasn’t even afraid.

Okay, maybe she was. Because as she glanced back over Az’s shoulder and saw the twisting trees begin to fade as he raced away, she glimpsed the hulking shadow of powerful black wings.

Bastion. Chasing right after them.

You’ve already destroyed her.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Jade.” Az held her easily against his chest. She felt right Jin his arms. Her body soft, curved.

Mine.

No, no, a human couldn’t belong to an angel. That path had been tried before, by others. Those angels had fallen for their lust. They’d suffered.

I’ve already fallen.

Her eyes were closed, casting dark shadows onto her cheeks. She seemed too pale in the waning light. She’d wanted protection. Instead, she now had a vengeful angel after her.

He bent his head. His lips brushed over her hair even as he inhaled her scent. After the hell she’d been through, how did she still smell of strawberries?

Her arm hung limply around his neck. Halfway through the journey, she’d fallen unconscious. A human’s body, even one fueled by angel blood, simply couldn’t withstand the speed he’d used.