Michael’s glowing sword raised in my peripheral vision. I glanced toward it just as white Heavenly magic shot out of the long blade like lightning. Asmodeus bellowed. The hit threw the fallen angel into the air, flying backwards on his wings. Tenn charged into the air after him, his own white angel wings glowing bright in the sunlight. His golden armor sparkled. Asmodeus flipped head-over-heels, then caught his balance and flew right for Tenn. My breath caught in my throat.

Thick black tar slammed into Asmodeus’s chest, covering those glowing green orbs and splattering into his face. My feet slid to a stop. That tar was Everest. I didn’t mean to stop, there were demons everywhere, but I needed to see my soulmate. I needed to see he was okay.

Asmodeus let out a gnarly growl, then spit tar out of his mouth. Still, he chuckled. “Step out of the shadows and face me, Your Highness.”

A massive demon with two heads and a body like a cow lunged out of the wheat stalks right in front of me. I leapt to the left and swung my bat into one head just as Willow buried her dagger in the other. Willow yanked her blade free and stabbed it again. I looked up and my heart sank. Everest had come out of the shadows. He and Tennessee fought Asmodeus side-by-side. They were something to see in action, but Goddess, I didn’t like it. Not with Asmodeus. I kept hearing Everest’s warning about the angel in my head over and over.

Tegan’s magic flashed up ahead. I looked back to Willow and pointed in Tegan’s direction. She nodded and lifted her dagger. Together, we hurried through the wheat field, attacking demons on the run. I kept glancing over to where Everest and Tenn were in a sword fight with Asmodeus. They were good but I knew better than to think they were that good. Everest had told us as much. And if my memory served me right, then Asmodeus had nearly killed Tenn a few months back in a one-on-one fight. My stomach rolled. My lungs and chest seized, burning and tight. Panic gripped me by the spine and wasn’t letting go.

I scanned the field for Tegan, her purple hair a beacon in this golden field. Just then, she stood up straight and looked toward her own soulmate. I saw my own panic mirrored in her profile. Then she turned and looked right at me, her pale-green eyes wide. Her face was pale. It was both comforting and terrifying to see her as scared as I was.

Bentley shouted.

Ringing ripped through the field, then I heard Tim’s voice as he yelled, “Kinda busy, you dead?”

“Not yet,” a woman shouted back.

Tim ran in front of me, holding his smartwatch up to his face. “Heather? Oh Goddess, what happened?”