Tion was furious.

"You," He seethed, those white eyes of his glaring so hard into my soul, I could see the hatred dripping from them. "You are the one he loves?" He spat the words so coldly, I felt an icy chill swoop past my shoulders. I didn't dare reveal my face nor my scent, so I knew that the barrier was still protecting me.

"Yea, jackass. Who else did you expect?" I ignored a nudge from Maddox, wondering where the extra height of his came from. I normally came to his chest but this time, I came to his diaphragm. I didn't like that one bit, but I was going to focus on that after we killed this bastard. 

While every other demon was finishing off the last of the angels, killing the whole kind, Tion stood in front of Maddox and I, his eyes boring into our souls as if he was trying to figure us out. He was bound by mercury chains, a stark weakness of his that drew away some of the power that he possessed. 

His body was glowing as the halo on top of his big ass head started turning green as he groaned, fumbling his way up the steps as if he wanted to attack us. I could feel a pain in my stomach and I looked down, seeing that it was expanding just a bit. I stifled a wince so that Maddox wouldn't notice, taking several deep breaths. Maddox breathed heavily, moving me behind his blue glowing figure.

His body seemed so much more muscular, a result of him having been stuck in that green liquid. He seemed to emit such a power that made even me want to submit, much like the feel of the day he came to No Man's Land to get me. "I see you got this idea from the princess," Tion chuckled, motioning to the handcuffs as he took another step, the clang and clash of the fighting not bothering him one bit. "But lucky for you," He clicked his teeth, ripping apart the chains on his wrists.

"I'm not as pathetic as you," He sneered at the both of us, Nya and Jexan having fear in their eyes as he cracked his neck. "Don't think that I don't know how you operate, Lucifer," Tion snapped, a hand reaching out and all of a sudden, a silver sword was placed in hand as he gripped it tight, his fury awakening. I motioned with my eyes for Nya, Jexan, and the demons around him to get away immediately, but it was too late as he crouched over, a vortex of wind snapping those demons against the wall, rendering them unconscious.

My heart lurched in my chest as I muffled a sob, watching Maddox grit his teeth, his face damp with sweat as his eyes gleamed over in anger and uncertainty. He was worried about them, his family. "Now that everyone is down, such a pity those angels lost," Tion shrugged as he took another step, warranting us to take one back, being pushed into a corner. "I'll take care of you two." He staggered up the steps, one by one as if he was ridiculing us, wanting us to feel like prey under his watchful eyes.

"Such a shame, Luci," He tilted his head, holding up the sword as I gulped, Maddox's giant figure protecting me from this dangerous man, the same one who stood not only ten feet away from us, decked out in white with a malicious and black aura radiating from him. He meant to kill and he had the strongest powers to do so. "You would've made a strong Royal Guard, but like the rest of your other clan," He detested what Maddox became, that much was obvious.

"You sinned."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to understand what the hell this man was coming from. "What gives you the fucking right to decide whether or not these people sinned?" I peeked from around the side of Maddox, enticing a glare from Tion. "You seem so upset that these people loved others and did what was right for humanity, so," I folded my arms. "It seems to be that your sin might be envy or pride because you aren't shit, Tion," I growled lowly, daring the fucker to do something. I had a plan up my sleeve.

I could see Maddox warning me not to goad and antagonize this man, but he needed to hear a few things. "You are so hellbent on focusing on what he does," I pointed to Maddox. "Instead of worrying about what a real king needs to do for his people. Being the king does not grant you the power to be judge, jury, and executioner, you dumbfuck! Only a tyrant would have that mindset," He didn't deserve this title, that was for sure. 

"My," He tapped the sword on the ground, his teeth elongating over his lips as a silhouette of black became to overtake him. "You've got a mouth on you, I see," His voice was dark and unhinged, his eyes staring daggers into my soul. "I'll do something about that," He grumbled and aimed the sword towards us, the tip of it just brushing against Maddox's chest. I moved back closer to me, not wanting him to get hurt.

Despite how angry I was with him, I had just gotten him back and I needed him to make his way out of here alive and with this angel king dead. 

"How touching. You found someone who'd love the disgusting demon in you," The spittle was just flying from those crusty lips like rain, matching the revulsion that left his tongue as he looked at us as if we were the very gum that us humans stepped on; as if we were beneath him in every manner.

"Too bad he gets to watch you grovel at my feet as you beg for mercy," He grinned maniacally, pulling back the sword with such a vengeance as if he planned to plunge it directly into Maddox's heart. With a racing heart and a moving mind, I reached up to grip Maddox's shoulders, intending to swing him out of the way. This was clutch time, this was now or never. I could feel the panic creeping up my bones with every move I made towards his shoulders, with every move Tion's sword made towards his heart and it was a matter of who would reach where first. I had to get there first.

I couldn't let him get hurt. I wouldn't. 

"Father, no!" Time froze on an incredible tangent and I stared in confusion as Synthella came to stand in front of Maddox, her arms gestured out in a protective stance as she was holding him back from hurting Maddox. I mean, not that Maddox wasn't strong enough to stop that old and wrinkly asshole. "I won't let you hurt him anymore!" She stared fiercely at her father, a large and gold ball of light emitting from the center of her body.

Tion dangled the sword around in his hand, narrowing his eyes at his child. "Oh?" He mused in a dark tone. "You dare protect this scum?" He snorted in distaste, pointing in the direction of Maddox. It was as if he couldn't believe that there were people, much less his own people like his daughters, that wanted Maddox safe and free of harm. 

"Father, please stop this," Synthella didn't look like the aged woman with tear stains and wobbly legs that I saw in the basement that one day. She looked so much better and I could see why Maddox made have carried a torch for her at some point.

Tch.

"There's no need for all of this bloodshed. Why can't you let Lucifer live in peace with his people? Why can't we just coexist? They have done nothing wrong!" She tried pleading with the stone man, but it appeared that there was no getting through to me. He wanted blood and he wanted Maddox's blood. "Get out of my way, Synthella. I won't hesitate to kill even you," His voice was a low timbre, carrying a wildfire and I knew that he would do what he said he would.

"I will not let you hurt the father of my child!" Synthella began to radiate a red silhouette of light around her whole body, the light spreading out to cover the area that we were in. I gasped as the light began to soak in our figures, guarding us against what Tion had in his mind. "Is that so?" Tion muttered and Maddox began to fidget, a sign that he was panicking. He couldn't do anything because Synthella had us protected.

"Don't," She warned us, sensing that we were going to retaliate in her stead. "I can keep him here, but both of you need to go so that you can continue to be good parents to my Natanya—" 

All a sudden, with the raise of his right hand, Tion threw a big ball of fire at Synthella, engulfing her body in flames. Horror set within our guts as we screamed, watching her body slowly crash to the ground. She was gasping, skin burning as she stared, her silver blood staining the stairs. "SYNTHELLA!" I heard Maddox roar, and I had never heard so much grief and agony in someone's voice.

"Did I ever tell you that you talk entirely too much?" 

My body was frozen as I watched everything unfold before my eyes. This didn't have to happen. This shouldn't have happened. I could feel Maddox shaking as the red protection shield vanished as Tion stared at his child with unwavering eyes. Maddox took a step forward, ready to unleash all hell, but Synthella managed to reach up a trembling crispy hand, the sight making me want to retch.

"It's alright, Luci," Synthella let out a breath as her used-to-be fling (if I even wanted to call it that) stared at her, mouth agape with a singular tear leaving those gold vexation-filled eyes. "This is the least that I could do since I was the one who got you banished," Her body then began to crack and crumble, her smile fading as she closed her eyes, leaving behind a heart-stricken Maddox. I held back a gasp as the smell of charcoal and sulfur filled my nose.

"So Lucifer," Tion mocked tauntingly, walking around the body of Synthella as she disintegrated in front of all of us, much to our shock and horror. This man really was so heartless that he would murder his own daughter in cold blood. This was the type of man or otherworldly being that we were dealing with. "Any last words?"

My eyes were darting around, trying to find an opening in which we could attack. I stared hard at him for a few seconds, watching him put all of his pressure on his left leg. Bingo. 'Hey Maddox,' I spoke in my mind, knowing that he could read my thoughts. He mentioned that this was something that only he was privy to. 'Don't make it obvious, but I have a plan,' We had about a minute before Tion struck, and this was hit it or miss it.

'Grow your wings and pretend as if you're going to fly up. That'll take his attention off of us and he'll focus on you. From there, I will attack from the left side and when he falls, attack him full force and I will get the sword.'

Maddox softly nodded, agreeing with my plan. If I got the sword out his hands, it was game over for him. 

"No, just that you're an ugly son of a bitch who should've never been king," I retorted, moving to Maddox's right side as Tion narrowed his eyes into slits, charging forward towards us.

Now!

In the blink of an eye, Maddox tore through the air, his black wings nearly hitting me in the face as he whirled up to the ceiling. As expected, Tion's eyes and arms moved towards him, taking his eyes off of me and I used that split second to dart like a cheetah towards him. It was a race against time as Tion and Maddox exchanged blows. I was heavily breathing. Shit! We had to do this. This was it. 

When I was behind him in his blind spot, sweat pouring off of my forehead, I pulled one thing out, covering it in my hand as I pressed a button on my belt, a mercury-filled beam shooting right into the back of his knee.

With a loud cry, Tion fell down to knees, the sword clattering out of reach and Maddox wasted no time, using all of his power to levitate Tion up by the neck as his wings began to ignite into flames. I panted, diving over to grab the sword, pouring the liquid in the bottle that was in my hand all over the bottle. It may not have worked earlier, but this now was the final piece. 

Tion was dangling in the air, trying to catch his breath as Maddox swung him back and forth, slamming into the ceiling and then into the ground. There were sounds of cracking and screaming, the sadistic nature in me satisfied. 

The building began to shake and rattle, the intensity of Maddox's power taking over as the shadow of his wings took up the entire wall behind us. I had to fight the compulsion to bow to his will. It was extremely where I was, and I knew that the demon lord was pissed. Black mist was floating around him, making its way inside of Tion, presumably suffocating him. Magma began to coat the markings all over his body, making it seem as if a volcano had nothing on him. His eyes were far too gone to submerge back to this world and along with the black mist came an inferno.

He brought Tion closer to him, tilting his head as his black eyes stared into his soul, his claws scratching at his face as venom began to eat away the skin. Tion began to screech like a banshee, his pained howls bouncing off of the walls of the palace. Blood began to drip from him, landing on the skulls and corpses of the fallen angels. 

Then Maddox let him go, his body smashing to the ground with a sickening crack as he heaved. Within a millisecond, Maddox descended to his feet as I stood over Tion, ready to end this once and for all with a mercury-filled plunge. 

With all of the force and strength I had in me, I swung the blunt end of the sword right into his heart, ripping through the cages as I pierced his life source, twisting and turning the knife. Tion began to choke on his own blood, trying to find the strength to move but he couldn't. He was surrendered by his own weakness. "Maddox?" I called out, not taking my mind off of this man. "Will you do the honors?" I could see him flashing his black eyes at me as he nodded, coming to stand in front of Tion with a red line of lava growing between his thumb and his middle finger.

Tion started panicking, trying to squirm like a worm away when he sensed what was happening, but I kept him rooted with a push of the sword deeper. He sputtered blood everywhere, a discernment of evilness making its home in us. "For what it's worth, Tion," Maddox's voice was unusually deep and husky as he crouched low, studying his enemy. "I don't hate you," The fucking hell he didn't. "But I'll be glad to watch you die," He flicked that gaze up at me and I nodded, wanting to end this once and for all. For Jade.

"Goodbye," Was all he said and Tion Vandenrei watched as he raised that hand of us high up and in all of instant, Maddox swung that hand down, using that red line to melt through Tion's neck, the sound of sizzling and crackling suffusing the air as his head fell down the stairs with a clonk, silver blood oozing all over.

Then, the moment that we made eye contact with Tion's corpse, intense pain surged through my veins like electricity, causing me to stumble as I looked down, seeing blue bolts mounting themselves into my skin. I screamed in agony as I turned to look at Maddox, whose wings were turning black and blue with the same bolts burying into his skin, burning.

It felt like my limbs were being ripped in half and the only thing that I could worry about was the child that was growing inside of me. I breathed heavily with a scream, throwing off my helmet as Maddox caught me, his eyes flickering through different colors. 

"What the hell is this?!" I screeched, wondering if we were dying. "This is," Maddox huffed, fighting through the urges. "This is the remains of Tion's power. Since we were the ones that killed him, his power transferred to us," He explained, his fangs climbing over his lips as the pain stopped on the dot. I took even more breaths, making sure that I wasn't hurt or that the baby wasn't hurt. I could still feel the same pressure in my tummy and I sighed in relief, knowing that he or she was okay. I didn't question what Maddox said because I didn't care at the moment. I wanted to know if everyone else was okay.

"Ugh," I heard Nya speak as she sat up, removing her helmet. Natanya and Hannah leaned against the wall, panting. I let out a deep breath as I fell to my knees next to Maddox, completely exhausted and tired. Maddox grabbed my hand, rubbing it as if he was conveying to me how thankful he was for me. This was, albeit, a successful mission with little to no casualties on our side. I could see all of the other demons rising to their feet as they looked around, a grateful and relieved grin on their faces, cheers being shouted into the air. Yea, that was right. We had done it.

It was all good and well and we had saved the day. I went to go smile and hug Maddox because I missed him dearly, but the sight of the bodies before me reminded me of the one that I had to inevitably go retrieve.

"I'm real happy for you," I couldn't stop my voice from cracking as I snatched my hand away from him. It was this moment that everything came crashing through my mind, reminding me of what it took to get to this point. "But if you would've just trusted in me and my plan before just sending me away so you could be a martyr," I bit my lip as a tear fell from my eye, Maddox staring intensely at me, a hint of confusion and anger in his eyes. "Just maybe..." I trailed off, moving to walk away. Just maybe Jade wouldn't have sacrificed her life for me.

"You don't know what I've lost, Sir Alistair," I spat coldly, avoiding his touches as he reached for me. I couldn't bear to be near him when he was part of the reason why I lost one of the people most important to me. He didn't tell her to protect me, but he may as well have because he forced our hand and had us come to save him. 

Yes, Tion was dead, but at what cost?

My best friend.