Chapter 88

Flame was well aware of the fact that she had to be as strong as she could. She had to hold on until Nuriel and the other angels arrived. But if Phoenix was being honest then there were very high chances that Sheila would be long dead before then. She arched her back in pain as sweat drenched her entire form. Where was the strength she had governed over the course of the last few days? And what exactly was it going to take to defeat the goddess that was so sure she could not be defeated. Her mind was screaming, and the tears wouldn't stop flowing.

She felt broken, and feelings she had been sure she would never experience again completely took over her. 

" There there, you have the power to stop this if you truly wish to," Phoenix whispered close to her ears. The darkness continued choking her and Flame dug her fingers into the dirt with an attempt to draw in breath. But she couldn't. She was starting to lose consciousness as well.

Phoenix watched her as she suffered, wondering how much longer she was going to hold out, they were a good distance from The Triecan but the angels could still make it there within no time if they got to learn of where they were. 

" Four minutes and you'll have another death engraved to your mind, yet another life lost because of you, " 

Flame shook her head, there was no way she was going to let that happen. And she would have fought, but she didn't have the strength to do so. She had definitely not been prepared to face Phoenix. It was clearly the female could tackle any sort of situation.

She closed her eyes and along with her haunting memories were those of Sheila...of her family. They would be heartbroken if she died, and Nuriel had given them his word that they would find her....she was too weak to fight back, but if she could save Sheila then she would....

💮🌼💮🌼💮🌼

Zarek was the closest to the wisp. All the others flew behind him, following his route. The instant the had seen it Nuriel had known that Flame had sent it, and his heart pounded even louder than it had been before. 

They had been in the air for close to twenty minutes. He wondered how much longer they would take before they got to his mate. And he refused to think about what could have been happening at that exact moment. 

" She's strong,.." he kept telling himself. He tried to assure himself that she was more than capable of holding her own against Phoenix. But he knew the goddess. She was a reckless force of aggression. And she always had tricks up her evil sleeves. And if this was how he lost Flame then he would simply grow mad,there would be no saving him. They had passed the highly inhabited areas of Zalian and we're currently heading to the mountains where only a small number of beings dwelt. He flapped his wings as much as he could, his eyes on the alternating black and white of Zarek's feathers. The angel was like a lightning bolt in the sky, but Nuriel knew that he wasn't flying as fast as he could. He had to keep up with both the wisp and his brothers. 

All twelve of them ew out sharp breathes the instant they watched Zarek make start to make his descent to the ground. None of them said a word. 

" The Sentyn mountains, east of the river, " he sent over to Drexel through the mindlink. Then he asked the wingless angel to only being a few warriors with him. They were no match for Phoenix and would only end up as collateral damage if a lot of them showed up. 

" We're on our way!" Drexel sent back. They all landed on the ground,one after the other. Nuriel had been the second one and he had immediately started to look around. He could smell her, he knew that she was either still around or she had been there not too long ago. With his hand on his sword he narrowed his gaze and cautiously turned on the spot. 

But then he had grown too anxious and called out Flame's name. 

He got no response.

Quillon crouched on the ground and looked around. He was keener, more capable of spotting hidden details in such wild places. 

" She's close by, " he said and the others all turned to him. 

" We ought to split up, that way we'll cover more ground. Whoever finds her should link the rest, " Nuriel was gone before the angel finished his statement. He took in a deep breath, and when he managed to calm down enough to both concentrate and think clearly, he was able to catch hints of her scent everywhere around. The damn wisp had disappeared the second they had landed. He followed his instincts, turned when he felt as if he should. Not sure of what was leading him but certain that it could be trusted. 

His primal protective instincts had taken over, he took a few more steps before he stopped and his silver eyes widened. 

" M'eudail!" 

He ran to her. She was lying on the forest ground, on top of some dried leaves. Unconscious. He was unable to think clearly, and he lost count of the number of times she had made him endure that feeling since they had met. The first thing he did was confirm whether she was still alive, he listened closely and managed to hear her heartbeat, it was faint but it was there. He placed his palm on her cheek, then he picked her up and cradled her closer to him. Bastian got there after he did and Nuriel asked him to link the others because his mind wasn't functioning as it should at the moment. They all arrived ready to charge but on seeing what was going on they slowed down and stopped in their tracks. 

" Is she?" Kael was afraid to ask. 

Nuriel shook his head and told them that she lived,but she needed a healer. 

" Where the fuck is that deranged bitch?!" Rylan growled as he looked around. But Phoenix was nowhere to be seen. And at the moment the only thing Nuriel was currently worried about was his mates safety. He instructed Zarek to go get the healer and take her to the Triecan, then he got ready to fly off. But before he did Bastian asked him to wait,and they all watched as the Raven Loner approached Nuriel with narrowed eyes. When he finally got to where Nuriel stood, he very cautiously reached for Flames hand and held it up. Her wrist had been cut and was just in the process of healing. A few drops of blood had dried up on her skin. The other angels all went closer, and on seeing the cut they all grew completely silent. 

Things had just spiraled from very bad to seriously worse. 

" She gave away her blood?" Victor finally asked. They all looked at each other, but Nuriel didn't have time for any of that,he threw Zarek a glance and the angel nodded and flew off, Nuriel did the same. 

If their guess was correct and Flame had indeed given her blood freely, then they had more to worry about because soon there would be not one but two terrorizers roaming around. And if they had been having such a hard time dealing with Phoenix while she was alone then there were no words to describe what they would be forced to go through once her mate woke up as well. 

Flying faster than he ever had before, Nuriel headed straight for the Triecan. And once he got there he quickly made his way to their chambers and laid her on the bed. She looked so fragile, breakable. And her face was still bearing the grim lines of the agony she has been forced to endure alone. He felt helpless. Like there was nothing he could do. 

And the worst part was that they still hadn't found Sheila. Who knew what that maniac was doing to her? Perhaps she had already ended the sweet girl's life. Yet he had assured her parents that they would do whatever they could to find her,he had given them his word. How would they view him if they never got their child back?

Sighing defeatedly, he reached for Flames hand and held it in his own. Her breathing was more even now and color was starting to return to her face, he knew that she would be okay, but that didn't make things easier. Phoenix must have done something if she managed to make Flame offer her blood of her own free will. He knew his mate, she would never had done such a thing unless she had no other option. He stood and paced the space. Zarek was taking too long! 

He suddenly heard a weak cough and immediately turned to find Flame struggling to open her eyes.