Chapter 15

“What…” Aiden panted. “What…”

He couldn’t finish the question, but Tanner understood him anyway.

“Saving the world,” he said.

“No.” It was more a plea than a denial, but Tanner had stopped paying attention. He was looking toward the edge of the clearing, where he’d left the warrior’s corpse.

“What the fuck?” He sounded angry again.

With an effort, Aiden followed his gaze. And gasped.

His would-be rescuer wasn’t dead. He didn’t look much better than dead, but he was definitely alive and moving. He pushed himself upright until he was kneeling with one hand on the ground, bracing himself. He looked like a knight kneeling before his lord, except for how his eyes fastened on Tanner with pure hatred.

“Why aren’t you dead?” Tanner changed his grip on the knife and stalked forward. “Can’t you even wait a few minutes?”

The barely visible halo surrounding the being burst out like an explosion. Two enormous gold wings snapped open from his back with a sound like a flag in the wind.