Of Light And Shadows
Chapter Fifty Five…

Everything slowed down. Jia's fingers tightened around the hilt of the strange dagger as Gabriel lunged for her. She moved without thinking, plunging it deep into his neck as his hands reached for her throat. His eyes widened in shock as she pulled it free, followed by a waterfall of thick red liquid.

Gabriel clutched his throat in a weak attempt to stop his life pouring out, redness spilling over his lips and down his shiny golden chest plate. The skin around the wound began to turn grey, drying up as though it were becoming mummified. The grey spread and Gabriel made a horrible wailing sound as his blood thickened and then dried, his heart and lungs shrivelling inside him until he became a grey husk of the glorious Angel he was. That husk became dust, falling to the ground as his form disintegrated, and then Angel Gabriel, the First Seraph, was no more.

"Well, that's one loose end I don't need to tie up," Satan shrugged, and then he was attacking Jia with such ferocity that she was forced to back away from him, one arm up to protect her face as the other hand kept a death grip on the only weapon with any hope of defeating Satan for good.

The Devil snarled, all composure gone as she ducked under his swings and backed further away, evading him as much as she could since she wasn't strong enough to fight him head on. She was careful to avoid the fallen bodies of Michael and Lauviah as she kept out of his reach.

She saw Lucifer with his eyes shut, head cocked as though he were listening to something as she spun and ducked and hopped out of the way of Satan's meaty fists swinging at her. Claws extended from his fingertips, opening deep slashes on her upper arm. She tried to get up the stairs and head for the outside, but Satan's hand clamped around her ankle and dragged her back, slamming her painfully against the stairs.

He swung her around by the same leg as her lungs struggled to pull in a breath, tossing her across the room. She yelped and curled up, keeping the dagger held out so she didn't cut herself on it as she skidded across the floor. Her wrist bounced off the rock and her fingers sprang open, the black and white weapon sliding away from her. She lunged for it at the same time as Satan, only a second faster than him as she snatched it up and slashed at him.

The Devil jerked backwards, the sharp tip narrowly missing his eye. Jia slashed again and he slapped her hand away. She ducked backwards to give herself some room and Satan changed tactics. He approached his kneeling son and lifted him by the throat, taloned fingers squeezing with the intention of crushing it.

The sight of him in pain reinvigorated her, more of that burning energy bubbling up inside her. Instinct took over again and she splayed her free hand, a concussive blast erupting from her fingertips and striking Satan square in his chest. He staggered back, dropping Lucifer. The demon prince landed on his feet.

Jia threw the dagger, watching with wide eyes as Lucifer caught it in both hands, turned on his heel, and buried it up to the hilt in Satan's heart.

The Devil's true form evaporated, leaving behind a wide eyed, white haired villain with nobody to help him and no way to avert his death. His skin greyed, his breath coming in quick gasps as he looked down and yanked the dagger from between his ribs.

He snarled as the drying and greying skin began to spread outwards, turning him into a wizened, shrivelled thing. With the last of his strength, he brought the dagger down towards Lucifer.

Jia ran, throwing herself between her love and her enemy just in time for the knife to strike her between the shoulder blades, opening a deep slash in her back. Lucifer cried out in dismay and caught her as she fell, cradling her close to him and stroking her hair.

"Why, Jia? Why?" he asked, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Why did you do that?"

"I had to save you," she answered simply, feeling a horrible coldness spread from the wound and start to stretch through her. "I had to save you, Louie."

"You should have saved yourself." He pressed his forehead to hers, his tears wetting her cheeks. "How am I supposed to live without you now?"

Jia wanted to tell him he was strong. She wanted to let him know how much she loved him, how she needed him to keep going for his brothers and for the academy, but her mouth didn't work anymore. She hoped the mate bond they shared wouldn't cripple him forever when it was severed.

"Please. Please don't leave me."

Her heavy eyelids slid closed.