Angel of Death: (Reaper Series Book 1)

  DEATH APPROACHES

  Azrael could see the green edge of the Garden as he approached. He smiled to himself, knowing that his pain would soon be at an end. He kept his hood up, hiding his face as he felt the energy from the hundreds of souls inside him burning away his flesh, the damage now too far gone for him to regenerate completely, but he ignored the pain as much as he could, no matter how close to unbearable it was. He knew Peyton was in the Garden. Eve could try to protect her all she wanted, but in the end, she couldn’t stop him. He was determined. Focussed. Confident. Nothing could stop him. He had grown too powerful and had been working too long to be stopped now. The Beacon glowed brightly in the distance. A signal of hope for everyone who came to Purgatory. And hopeful Azrael was. Hopeful that Peyton’s soul would soon be his. He cursed Eve’s power of Purgatory and how she had made it so all others were weakened by its cursed ground. He longed to spread his wings and fly, to reach Peyton that much faster, but Purgatory’s Wasteland would not allow it.

  As Azrael watched the Beacon, aware that he was still hours away from reaching it, he saw something approaching in the sky. A movement that stood out against the otherwise still and dead environment. Azrael paused to watch it from beneath his hood. He saw it growing larger, quickly getting closer and closer. He immediately knew what it was, but did nothing to get out of its way. It was coming straight for him, whistling through the air like an arrow, a blur of white and red.

  It landed only a few feet in front of him with bended knees and red hair flowing from the sudden halt of momentum, white wings flecked with red, flexing as they were folded back and withdrawn.

  “Hello, Eve,” Azrael whispered.

  “Azrael,” Eve replied flatly. “I wish I could say it is good to see you.”

  “Why so cold, Eve?” Azrael sneered. “I thought you Devil types liked it hot.”

  Eve’s eyes narrowed and burned bright green as she scowled at the term she detested so. “Turn back, Azrael. I will only warn you once. You will find no victory here.”

  “Oh, I disagree,” Azrael replied. “Victory is within my reach.”

  “I won’t allow it,” Eve fired back. “Darius won’t allow it.”

  Azrael bristled at the mention of Darius’ name. “That traitor.”

  “You are the one who has betrayed us all, Azrael!” Eve shouted. “What are you doing? I know you want Peyton’s soul, and I know why. What I don’t know is why you would want to do this to us.”

  Azrael grinned from under his hood, knowing that Eve couldn’t see his toothy smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he taunted.

  “You disgust me,” Eve said, looking at Azrael as though he was something filthy she had found stuck to the bottom of her foot. “And people call me the Devil.”

  “I am not evil, you petulant child,” Azrael spat. “I am cursed.”

  “No, you’re selfish,” Eve shot back. “Turn back Azrael. I’m warning you.”

  “You aren’t strong enough to stop me, Eve. Not anymore.”

  “Maybe not,” Eve agreed. “But you aren’t strong enough to win.”

  Without another word, Eve spread her wings once more and took off into the air. Azrael glared after her as she sped away back to the Garden. Then, on foot, he began to follow her.