Chapter 164 My Angel | 057
\[MOMENTS AGO\]
NOELLE
"The ritual will complete the binding spell on you," Haden says casually. "Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
My blood turns to ice in my veins. He wants to make me his puppet. I'd rather die.
"No," I rasp, jerking against the zip ties. The plastic bites deeper into my wrists, blood welling up. "No—no—"
Nyxara laughs.
"Oh, sweet girl. You didn't think we brought you here for tea, did you?"
She steps forward, the black smoke of her aura curling around her ankles. She gestures lazily towards Danika, who's still thrashing against her bonds, muffled screams tearing through the gag.
"It requires a sacrifice," Nyxara says gently. "A human life. Willing or not." Her eyes dart to Danika. "Mummy dearest will do nicely."
Danika freezes. Then she thrashes harder, her ropes cutting into her skin, blood dripping onto the concrete.
My vision narrows to pinpoints.
"No," I choke. "You can't—"
Nyxara doesn't even look at me. She lifts one hand, her palm down, and the floor beneath us ignites in black runes. They burn into existence in the form of writhing lines that crawl outwards in a perfect circle. The air thickens with the smell of rotting flowers.
She grabs me by the hair and drags me into the centre.
I fight hard, kicking, twisting, and snarling, but Haden's beating had left me weak. My ribs scream with every movement. My arms are numb from the zip ties.
She shoves me down onto my knees in the middle of the sigil. The black lines burn hotter when my skin touches them.
Haden moves forward, calm as ever. He draws a small curved knife from inside his coat, presses the blade to his own palm, and slices deep. Blood wells up, but he doesn't even flinch.
He holds the knife out to Nyxara, and she takes it with reverence, as if it's a holy relic.
Then she turns to me.
I try to scramble back. The runes glow again, searing my knees through my jeans. I cry out from the pain.
Nyxara crouches in front of me, grabs my bound hands, and forces my palm open. The knife flashes.
Pain tears across my skin. Blood pours from the cut she makes. She mixes our blood, then she carves a sigil in the centre of the circle.
The moment the design completes, the runes ignite. Black fire races along the lines, crawling up towards us like hungry vines.
Danika is screaming behind her gag and thrashing so hard. Nyxara growls low in her throat.
"Enough."
She flicks her wrist. A wave of magic slams into Danika, tossing her across the room like a rag doll. She crashes into the far wall with a sickening crunch and goes still.
I let out a scream, breaking down into a sob.
She's only human. Oh god, she can't get hurt. She can't—
I lunge forward, crawling on my bound hands and knees towards her. The runes burn my flesh, but I don't care. I reach Danika and curl around her protectively, shielding her body with mine. She's breathing heavily, her beautiful face contorted with pain. Tears drip down my cheek as I help her up, sniffling.
"I'm okay," she croaks and I nod, hanging on to those words for dear life.
Across the room, Haden and Nyxara watch us.
They look... hungry. Haden licks his lips. Nyxara's smile is slow and tender.
"Beautiful," she whispers. "The perfect sacrifice. Mother and daughter-in-law, bound in blood and terror."
I glare up at them, my teeth bared, even as my body shakes.
"You won't touch her again."
Nyxara laughs. "Oh, darling. We already have."
Haden steps forward, his knife still dripping.
And that's when the warehouse explodes.
The far wall detonates inward in a blast of concrete. A shockwave of raw power rolls through the room, shattering the black runes, and Danika shields me with her body. I peek through her arm, my heart skipping a bit at the sight of him. My husband.
I release a shaky breath as relief sinks into me.
....
\[BACK TO THE PRESENT\]
The moment Azren drops to his knees, I don't think. I just move.
I scramble across the floor on bound limbs, ignoring the zip ties cutting deeper into my wrists and the blood on my palms.
"Az—" My voice cracks, barely audible.
He's shaking. The most beautiful wings I've ever seen are still half-spread behind him, blue lightning flickering along the edges like dying embers. His head is bowed, his shoulders hunched.
I crash into him even though my wrists are still bound. His arms come around me so hard it hurts.
He buries his face against my shoulder, his fingers digging into my back. His whole body is trembling now, shudders rolling through him.
"I thought—" His voice is wrecked, muffled against my skin. "I thought I was too late."
Tears burn my eyes. I press my cheek to his hair, breathing him in.
"You're here," I whisper, over and over. "You're here. We're okay."
He lets out a raw sound of relief, and his hands slide down my arms until they find the zip ties. With one sharp twist of his fingers, the plastic snaps like thread. Pain shoots through my hands as circulation rushes back, but I don't care. I flex my hands, then I immediately cup his face.
He's crying silently. His eyes are glassy, his pupils wide, as though he's still half-lost in whatever darkness he tore through to get here.
I wipe the tears away with my thumbs, my own vision blurring.
"I'm here," I whisper.
He leans into my touch feverishly.
Then his gaze travels past me to Danika.
A raw expression flashes across his face. He pulls back just enough to look at her. She's still on the floor, bound and gagged, blood drying in her hair. But her eyes are open and locked on him. They're shining with tears and something fiercer. A soul-deep love.
Azren moves before I can. He's on his feet in a heartbeat, rushing over in three strides. He drops to his knees in front of her, his hands shaking so badly he fumbles the first knot.
"Mum—"
His voice cracks. He works quickly after that, ripping the duct tape off her mouth as gently as he can and slicing through the ropes with a flick of his claw-tipped fingers. The moment her wrists are free, she reaches for him.
He catches her hands and presses them to his cheeks.
Danika's fingers tremble as they trace his jaw, his cheekbones, and the blood smeared there.
"My baby," she whispers, her voice hoarse. "My baby boy."
Azren's shoulders shake harder. He lowers his head until his forehead rests against hers.
"I'm sorry," he chokes. "I'm so sorry I didn't—I should have—"
She shushes him, her thumbs brushing tears from his face.
"You're here now," she murmurs. "That's all that matters."
He pulls her into his arms then, carefully. She buries her face against his shoulder and sobs weakly, the sound muffled against his shirt. He rocks her gently, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other wrapped tight around her back.
I stay where I am, kneeling on the cold concrete, watching them. My chest aches so fiercely I can barely breathe.
He suddenly looks so young. So heartbroken.
I press a hand to my mouth to keep the sob inside.
They stay like that for a long moment, clinging to each other in the wreckage.
Then Danika pulls back just enough to look at him. She cups his face again, her thumbs stroking his cheekbones.
"I'm alright," she whispers, voice trembling. "I'm alright, sweetheart."
Azren reaches for her head wound with unsteady hands. Right then, a sudden burst of urgency flashes across her face.
"Your father, is he okay? Please tell me he's okay," her voice cracks, fresh tears welling up in her eyes.
He turns to look at Hayden, who's still lying on the floor in a bloody heap. Then he glances at Nyxara, who is clutching at her detached arm, panting.
I'm tense, waiting for one of them to make a move. I know they won't go down without a fight.
Azren suddenly shoots to his feet and bites into his wrist, dark blood welling up. Nyxara's eyes widen. She scrambles to escape, but he splashes some blood on her, and she screams, convulsing as her flesh sizzles.
"Don't bother trying to run, Queen of the underworld my foot!" He hisses.
"Now!" She suddenly cries out, and a white fog fills the place instantly.
I rush over to Danika to hold her tight, my heart sinking. But the fog clears in seconds. And suddenly, Haden is gone.
In an instant, a sharp, piercing pain ignites at the back of my neck, causing me to scream, pull away from Danika, and throw up.