Fallen Angel Reclaimed: The Complete Series by Lacey Carter Andersen
20
The next morning,they stood outside the barrier separating Zedussa from the rest of the world. Surcy was positioned in the middle of the line of Immortals. The druids had stayed behind to guard the children, knowing that they might be the last beings with the blood of gods remaining after that day.
Each of the Immortals had donned traditional robes befitting their station. They were long, with slits on the sides, and pants underneath. Each one wore an emblem that symbolized their power. And the fabric was spun of both gold and silver, making it so the morning sunlight seemed to cling to them.
Some of them held weapons.
Some of them were dangerous enough without them.
The Gods and Goddesses of the Seasons would shift into dragons the moment the attack begun. They had no need for anything but their claws and their teeth. It was the same with the Goddess of the Ocean. She no longer wore her mermaid tail, but she swelled with the power of the ocean. She assured them that when the time came, neither Caine nor his angels would be safe from her wrath.
Of all the Immortals, the Goddess of Life was the quietest. She carried with her a golden dagger, but she admitted that she would do little fighting. Her strength would be to lend the others her powers. She would heal their wounds to keep them moving. She was the healer that would fade into the shadows made by the God of the Night.
She was perhaps their most powerful tool.
The vampire stood at Surcy’s side with a sword in his hand. He held it like a man unaccustomed to weapons, but he’d reassured her that he could use it, if needed.
The God of Sin, The God of Earth, and The Goddess of Love held their weapons with confidence. Her bow rested in her hand, as if made for her, and she had many arrows upon her back. The God of Sin carried a long sword with a wickedly jagged edge, and the God of Earth carried an axe.
All looked like powerful Immortal beings, ready for an attack.
And yet, Zedussa was silent.
No angels crowded the sky. None even soared overhead. There wasn’t even the flicker of movement that said guards walked their paths around the structure.
“It’s eerie,” the vampire whispered.
She agreed.
“They’re waiting for us,” the Goddess of Love said, and there was a darkness to her words. “And so we shouldn’t disappoint them.”
“Just be prepared,” The God of Sin said, his voice forcefully casual. “It isn’t just Caine and his angels we have to watch out for. His archangel will be there too, and that bastard’s smarter than all of them combined.”
Surcy shivered, remembering the red winged angel.
When their group started moving forward, she called her soul-blade into her hand. They walked in measured strides across the lifeless lands, moving toward the formidable structure.
“This place was a thing of beauty when we ruled here,” The Goddess of Life whispered.
Surcy stiffened, and a strange sensation washed over her. Glancing behind them, she saw that life was blossoming everywhere that the goddess had stepped. Grass sprouted on the ground, hidden seeds split, and trees emerged slowly from their slumber. They grew at an incredible speed, stretching higher and higher as branches and leaves erupted.
Her pulse sped up.
Already things were changing. She prayed that was a good sign.
When they were just outside of an archer’s range of the fortress, the Goddess of Love gave an order, “stop.”
Immediately, they obeyed.
“It’s time,” the Goddess of Love said. “We must execute the plan to the letter.”
The Gods and Goddesses of the Seasons moved back and within seconds they shifted into their dragon forms. Where once the four Immortals stood, now powerful magical creatures stretched their massive wings. The God of Summer was golden and massive, humming with strength. The God of Autumn was red and simmering with a contained kind of anger, that she could sense waiting to explode. The Goddess of Winter was black, her anger worn about her like a cloak. The Goddess of Spring was a lovely shade of blue, with talons that could sever heads with one swoop.
A cloak of darkness spread over all of them like a black cloud. For a second, it made Surcy's chest feel tight. The cloud reminded her so much of Caine. But then, she breathed deeply, reminding herself that this was all part of the plan. The God of the Night would do his best to conceal them, for as long as possible.
At last, they were ready.
And then, the war began.
