Her Avenging Angel (Her Angel Romance Series Book 7) by Felicity Heaton Page A

eyebrow shot up and then he sighed. “Why you desire to protect him is beyond me. If you knew the things he had done, if you knew the truth about him, you would think differently of him.”
    Lysia held his gaze, unflinching even when it narrowed on her, filled with darkness and cruelty. He meant to make her feel differently about his servant, but his words had only made her feel closer to him.
    Because if the people knew of the things she had done, if they knew the truth about her, they would think differently of her too.
    They would think her a monster.
    They would rise up to strike her down.

CHAPTER 6
    N evar kept hold of Lysia’s hand as they stepped out of Asmodeus’s swirling black portal and onto the white sand of the tropical island. The heat hit him hard and he squinted against the early morning light, cursing the sun. Lysia gasped and her grip on his hand tightened. He looked across his shoulder at her to find her staring at the sand.
    Her wide hazel eyes darted up to his and then swept across the island, taking in the turquoise water of the curved bay to their right and then the leafy green canopy of the forest that filled the centre of the island to their left.
    She went to move off and he held her firm, keeping her in place beside him. He wasn’t sure how the others would react to them bringing a stranger to this place of sanctuary. Asmodeus had warned that he had been greeted with violence when he had first dared to come here, and he’d had Apollyon with him at the time. Apollyon was adored by the entire group, except for Asmodeus, who had a love-hate relationship with his doppelganger.
    Einar and Taylor went on ahead, crossing the white sand to the fire pit where the others waited. Einar had contacted Marcus through telepathy, a gift all angels of Heaven shared and Einar had retained even though he was currently without wings, and his fallen status was pending investigation. The jury was still out on whether Taylor should be counted as demon or human. If the verdict came back human, then Einar could have his wings and status restored. Nevar wasn’t sure the angel would desire to serve Heaven again, after everything he had witnessed since falling.
    Marcus had sent a message back that they would allow them to visit the island, but that Einar and Taylor had to meet with them first and explain what was happening.
    Nevar waited, watching them interacting with the group, hoping they wouldn’t turn them away and would be able to take Lysia in. Asmodeus had made it clear that they needed to continue their mission as soon as Lysia was settled on the island and they had informed the others that the Great Destroyer had awoken.
    “I will retrieve Liora,” Asmodeus said and threw his right hand forwards. The air there darkened and black ribbons formed, shifting slowly at first but gaining speed, gradually beginning to spin together into a vortex.
    When it was large enough, his wretched master cast him a look that he couldn’t fail to understand and then stepped through the portal. It closed behind him.
    Nevar would do as ordered. He would ensure that the female didn’t harm anyone on the island, keeping her promise. Despite the fact these people didn’t trust him, part of him cared about them, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise.
    He kept his eyes on Lysia, avoiding looking at the group as another figure emerged from one of the small huts built beneath the towering palms.
    He felt the weight of her gaze on him and closed his eyes, steeling himself against it and the darkness that swirled through him in response, filling his mind with a replay of every terrible thing he had done. He tried to shut out the images but they only came faster, a rapid succession of bloodshed, violence, sex, and death. Every transgression he had committed.
    Every demon bitch he had fucked before killing, chasing a high that had damned him to darkness.
    He released Lysia’s hand and turned his back on her,