Chapter 47 - Narrow Escape

The air was heavy and still as Anastasia and Rose stumbled into the dark alleyway, Elijah slumped heavily between them. The archangel groaned, his breathing ragged, but he was alive—barely. They eased him down against the rough brick wall, and Rose leaned back, chest heaving, trying to catch her breath while Anastasia's hands trembled, both from anger and the rush of adrenaline that had carried them this far.

"You should've left me there," Elijah muttered, his voice hoarse but filled with a surprising amount of conviction. He winced as he shifted against the wall, his hand pressed tightly against his wound.

Anastasia turned to him, her voice sharper than she intended. "You saved my life, Elijah. I wasn't about to let you become Gabriel's punching bag for it. Call it returning the favor."

Elijah snorted, though the sound was more pained than amused. "You're going to regret that, you know. Angels aren't exactly known for their gratitude."

Anastasia ignored the comment, as she looked down the shadowy alley, trying to determine if they'd been followed. Her mind swirled with everything that had just happened—the chaos, the fight, Gabriel's terrifying power. And Zython…

"Do you think Dylan is dead?" she asked suddenly, her voice soft but filled with an odd mix of hope and dread. Although she was confused why she felt dread considering what Dylan has done in the past.

Elijah's brow furrowed for a moment before realization dawned. "Oh, you mean Zython?" He coughed, shaking his head. "That's his real name, you know. Might as well start calling him that."

Anastasia blinked. She hadn't even thought of that—Dylan was such a human name, so familiar. "Zython," she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. It felt foreign, heavy with darkness and history.

Elijah's expression darkened. "Zython is a level one demon. Do you have any idea what that means? He's nearly impossible to kill. Ask me—I'd know. Back when I was still on the celestial side, we tried for thousands of years to destroy him and his level-one comrades. Getting rid of him isn't as simple as Gabriel throwing a few light beams his way."

"But he looked like he was losing," Anastasia countered, her mind flashing back to Zython on his knees, his crimson eyes defiant but dimming. "Gabriel was about to finish him."

Elijah gave her a look, one part pity, one part amusement. "Oh, come on. You really think a demon like Zython goes down that easily? He was putting up a front. He didn't want to show you his true form."

Anastasia and Rose exchanged a glance, equally perplexed.

"What do you mean, 'true form'?" Anastasia asked slowly.

Elijah chuckled, though the sound turned into a wince as he clutched his injury tighter. "I mean, he's been hiding what he really is. For some reason—don't ask me why—you're special to him. And demons like him? They don't care about mortals. Ever. Having even the slightest bit of affection for one goes against every law of their nature."

Rose looked genuinely spooked, her hands trembling as she spoke. "So, what? We're supposed to just trust that he's not going to rip us apart when he's done playing hero?"

Anastasia shook her head, her voice firm. "One good deed doesn't erase thousands of years of bad ones. But," she hesitated, her expression softening, "I can't deny that he saved us. I'm grateful for that."

Rose didn't look convinced but nodded. "Fine. But what now? Where do we go? How do we get out of here?"

Anastasia turned to Elijah, who was still slumped against the wall, his usual arrogance dulled by pain and exhaustion. "Where are we, anyway?" she asked.

Elijah blinked, clearly surprised by the question. "San Diego," he replied flatly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Anastasia's jaw dropped. "San Diego?! That's on the other side of the country!"

Elijah didn't even bother to hide his smirk. "Your family was destroying every demon lair in surrounding cities in close proximity to your home so forgive me if I chose to stay far away from discovery or total antihalation."

Anastasia rolled her eyes. "Okay, smartass. So, how did you get us here? And how are we supposed to get back?"

Elijah shrugged, wincing again. "Zython's not exactly flying commercial these days so it wasn't by plane, I can tell you that much," he muttered, chuckling despite himself.

Anastasia groaned. "You're impossible."

But Elijah's expression sobered quickly. "Look, Anastasia. You're supposed to be our prisoner. And that child you're carrying? It could mean the end of this war. The celestial and demon realms both want you for a reason."

Anastasia's entire body tensed, her arms crossing over her chest as she fixed him with a glare that could have melted steel. "Let me make something very clear," she said, her voice ice-cold. "I appreciate you saving my life. I really do. But let's not forget who's injured here. I'm the one who got you out of Gabriel's clutches. You're in no position to keep me prisoner. And you will never use my child as some weapon of war. Besides, I need to find Bastian and get him out of wherever they keeping him."

Elijah stared at her, clearly taken aback by the fire in her words. And then, to her utter disbelief, he laughed. Not a small chuckle, but a full-on laugh that made him wince in pain. "Find Bastian in the Celestial City? You won't last ten minutes," he said, shaking his head. "Not against what's up there."

Anastasia smirked, her eyes blazing. "I've been underestimated before. Doesn't usually work out for the other guy."

Before Elijah could respond, a voice interrupted them.

"Well, this is cozy."

The three of them froze. Anastasia's heart dropped into her stomach as she turned, already knowing who she'd see.

Zython.

He was leaning casually against the alley wall, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. His black coat fluttered slightly in the breeze, and despite the battle they'd just escaped, he looked entirely unscathed. His fanged grin stretched wide, like a predator toying with its prey.

"You want to go storming into a heavily guarded city where your chances of success are basically zero?" he said, his voice dripping with mockery. He paused, letting the tension hang in the air. Then his grin widened. "When do we leave?"