Chapter 135 Rage in the Smoke
Steel rang and wings tore.
Seraphine surged forward, boots splattering across the battlefield. Blood clung to the leather of her armor, slick and cold, but she barely noticed. Her sword rose and fell in lethal arcs, slicing through lesser angels as if they were nothing more than shadows. White feathers drifted down, smoking where they touched the blood-soaked ground. Their cries, sharp and terrified, were swallowed by the relentless roar of war the clash of steel, the scream of magic, the unholy chorus of dying wings.
Bodies littered the earth. Angelic blood shimmered faintly against the dark soil, a cruel contrast to the inky ichor of demons. The fallen did not stay fallen for long. Demons rose again, their souls crawling back to Hell, only to be reborn in the inferno, waiting for their next chance to strike.
Seraphine didn’t slow. She barely spared them a glance. Her mind, sharp and burning, sought only one thing.
Her gaze lifted.
Along the ridge above the battlefield, figures moved with unnatural grace. Vampires. Silent, precise, and lethal. They didn’t run, didn’t flinch. They simply watched, waiting. A slow, cruel smile curved her lips.
He’s near.
She closed her eyes. The battlefield’s noise the clanging of swords, the screams, the pulse of magic in the air receded into silence. Beneath her skin, power stirred, cold and sharp, threading along her nerves. Her chest rose and fell with measured calm, though her heart thumped like a drum of war. She reached inward, threading the magic through thought alone, her voice unspoken but clear.
Luca.
Where are you? Show yourself. Don’t be a coward.
The air shifted. A faint whisper, colder than the night itself, brushed against her ear.
“Looking for me?”
Her eyes snapped open.
The battlefield seemed to tilt for a heartbeat, the world narrowing to the figure behind her. She turned slowly, deliberately, letting a dangerous, controlled smile spread across her face.
There he stood.
Luca. Sword in hand, its blade slick with blood that still glimmered in the dim light. He didn’t hurry, didn’t flinch. Regal, calm, untouchable he looked as if the war raging around them was nothing more than a toy for him to play with.
The husband she had loved.
The king she had defended.
The man who had handed her to Lucifer without hesitation.
He stood there, calm, poised, as if the battlefield around them the shattered angels, the reeking blood, the screaming souls was nothing but scenery to his will.
“I’m not surprised you’re alive,” Luca said, his voice smooth, almost teasing. “I knew you’d survive. You always do.” His lips curved in that infuriating, cold smile. “After all… you are my queen.”
The word lingered in the air like a poisoned blade. Queen. The title was meant for loyalty, for love but all she tasted was betrayal.
Her eyes met his, narrowing, her grip tightening on her sword until her knuckles whitened. Hatred simmered, coiling around her chest like fire. “Aren’t you afraid?” she asked, her voice low, razor-sharp. “Standing this close to me?”
Luca laughed a sound that carried through the smoke and ruin, low, confident, devoid of fear. “Afraid of you?” He shook his head slowly, as if the notion was laughable. “You love me too much for that. You could never kill me.” His gaze hardened, cold as obsidian. “I sacrificed you… for our kingdom. For our daughters. You should understand that.”
No remorse. No hesitation. No trace of doubt.
Seraphine’s eyes flicked to his sword. Blood clung to its edge, slick and dark, staining the earth beneath them. The sight sent a flash of icy fury through her veins.
That blood… it will be yours.
She drew her sword in one fluid motion. Steel sang as it left its sheath, a promise of war and vengeance. “Your reign ends today, Luca. Vampire King or not.”
He arched an eyebrow, amusement faint but chilling. “And you intend to take my throne?”
“Yes.” Her voice didn’t waver, though her heart pounded like war drums. “I will rule the vampire reign. And you will die on this battlefield.”
Luca’s smile faltered, replaced by a shadow colder than the smoke curling around them. “Lucifer has poisoned you,” he said softly, stepping closer. “You stood beside me when this kingdom was nothing. We built it together. And now… what did he fill your head with to make you turn against your own husband?”
She didn’t answer. Her body tensed like coiled steel. Every nerve screamed, every breath a countdown.
She lunged.
Steel collided with steel in a shower of sparks, the impact vibrating up her arms, up her spine, shaking her to her core. Luca’s blade met hers with perfect precision, faces inches apart, eyes locked in a silent, deadly duel of wills.
“You’re the monster here,” Seraphine hissed, teeth gritted. “Selfish. Calculating. I should have known… I should have seen it.”
Luca shoved her back effortlessly, the smirk on his lips like a dare. “I learned from the best, my queen.”
They collided again faster, harder. Magic flared beneath her skin, hot and electric, crackling along her veins. Power surged, raw and hungry, as she whispered words older than the war itself. The syllables cut the air like shards of glass, sharp and relentless.
The battlefield seemed to twist and buckle around them, the ground quaking beneath the weight of their fury.
She brought her sword down with every ounce of strength and rage she possessed.
The earth split, shaking violently. Smoke erupted from the cracks, thick and choking, devouring the space where Luca had stood.
Seraphine spun, scanning the haze, every muscle coiled and ready.
Nothing.
Her breath came hard, ragged, each exhale a hiss of fury. Magic hummed and throbbed through her, hot, relentless, pulsing like a heartbeat gone mad. Rage burned brighter than the fire beneath her feet.
“Show yourself!” she shouted into the smoke. “Stop hiding like a coward if you dare fight me!”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
My lovely readers,
Things are heating up on the battlefield, and Seraphine is finally confronting the husband she once loved and who betrayed her. I wanted to make this chapter full of tension, magic, and raw emotion, so you can feel every heartbeat, every clash of steel, and every spark of fury.
I had so much fun writing the battle and the dark suspense as the smoke hides secrets and danger at every turn. I hope it keeps you on the edge of your seat!
As always, thank you for reading and sticking with Seraphine’s journey things are only going to get wilder from here.