Chapter 25

A Few Minutes Later

Ylena

I landedon the front steps of the mansion and folded my white wings behind my back. The two Seraphim who had insisted on accompanying me landed two steps behind me, their Celestial Swords out.

But all that greeted us were the bodies of three demons lined up beside the steps and their blood spread around the front yard.

Splendid.

I walked into the mansion and Rhodes stepped into the foyer. "Ylena, you're here."

I glanced around. More demon bodies were lined up in the dining room to my right, there was blood, turned furniture, and broken decorations everywhere.

"What happened?"

Rhodes lowered his head. Technically, we both were archangels, two of the oldest in Elysium, but he knew I could obliterate him with a snap of my fingers.

"Ariella and Leviathan killed Molraz and fled," he told me.

That was interesting. "Leviathan killed his father?"

"To save Ariella."

"Is that so?"

He nodded. "I've watched the security footage and that's what it seems."

I always thought Leviathan was like his father, but apparently the little demon had a heart, albeit a rotten one.

"On this footage, did she tell Molraz about the Scarlet Hex Blade?" Molraz always tried to get his own way. I was sure that if he could get the dagger back, he would hold it against me again. He must have tried extracting the location from her.

"No."

Damn it. My entire plan, the one I had been concocting for decades, could only be carried out if I got the dagger. Five years ago, I thought I had finally taken a turn and was on the last phase of my plan, when I sent a team of angels down to Earth for a double goal mission, none that they knew about: to retrieve the dagger from Molraz, who had actually asked for too high of a price, and to eliminate any higher-ranked angel who would never turn against Adona.

Then Ariella unexpectedly joined the mission.

And unexpectedly, she survived it, stole the dagger, stayed off our radar, eliminating any chance I had of finishing my plan.

It pained me to lie about Ariella, to make Elysium believe she was a traitor, and to hunt her. She had been a pupil of mine, a bright student, with a fabulous career in front of her. I had planned on working on her, turning her to my cause.

But that time had been stolen from me, and now I couldn't afford having her tell anyone the truth.

"I think Ariella doesn't know you're involved," Rhodes said.

That was new. "Why do you think that?"

"I've watched the entire footage from the time she and Leviathan arrived to the moment they left and I heard her talking about me, asking Molraz what my plan was, why I wanted the dagger, if I had done something to Adona. But she never mentioned you."

Of course. Ariella saw Rhodes killing our people with Molraz's help, then she was cut off from our world. She didn't know anything that had transpired since.

I could use that to our advantage.

"Good, let's keep it that way."

"I know that face," Rhodes said. "What are you going to do?"

A delicious smile spread over my lips. "I'm going to have a little fun."

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