Chapter 30

                                    

                                          
Firm hands gripped my shoulders tightly, shaking me awake. My eyelids flew open, my heart racing. We were in Grey's penthouse still, but something was wrong. I could tell by the look on Grey's face, as well as the fact that the bed had begun to tremble beneath me. Grey's cerulean eyes were alight in blue fire, wide with fear. 
                          
"Grey? What's-," I began, but he cut me off by practically yanking me out of bed and setting my bare feet gently on the cool wooden floors.
                          
"It's started," he grumbled with a tightening of his jaw. I felt my heart plummet through my chest, my throat running dry. 
                          
"What do you mean? The Reckoning?" I breathed out in confusion. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, my soul slowly awakening from its slumber. I felt it throttle the chains that held it back, a low roar rumbling as it fought to rise to the surface. 
                          
"Yes. They've flooded the streets of lower Manhattan with Demons. It looks like they're attacking from the south. We've got to get to a defensible position, and quick. If we can fly above the lower clouds and remain hidden, we should be able to find the others," Grey explained hurriedly, striding over to the closet and tossing my battle suit at me. 
                          
My heart pounded valiantly in my chest, as if to reassure me that I knew what I was doing. However, I knew that I was likely one of the only Angels who had never fought in a war. I'd seen my fair share of fights and battles, but never a full blown war. I knew Grey had fought in both World Wars, and Siena as well. As much preparation as I'd had, I still had little to no idea what exactly I was walking into. 
                          
I put on my battle suit and Grey helped me latch on the armor, checking that the allotted slats for my wings aligned with my scars. I quickly pulled my hair back into a tight french braid, ignoring the few stubborn strands that refused to be tamed. My gaze met the glowing forested eyes that stared back at me in the mirror, and I paused to examine myself for a moment. For all I knew it could be the last time I ever saw myself. I looked all Angel right now with my soul this close to the surface. Luckily, I still had some restraint on my soul to keep from outright glowing. Now wasn't the time to let Lucifer in on my secret. 
                          
I tightened my jaw and let out a deep breath as I walked out of the bathroom and found Grey by the window. He stood, arms folded and neck arched downwards, watching the city below us. I could feel the power of his soul saturating the air now that he wasn't holding back. It was nearly suffocating. 
                          
"You ready?" My voice broke the cool silence and his gaze shot up to meet mine. Those brilliant eyes sizzled with light as he nodded firmly and walked towards me, taking my hand in his. 
                          
"We've got this, Greene," he murmured softly, running his thumb over the back of my hand. I pressed my lips together tightly and nodded, still unsure. 
                          
Regardless of how sure I felt, I didn't have a choice. This was what I had been waiting for and training for, what my soul had been created for. 
                          
I followed Grey through the hallways of the luxurious apartment building, watching him kick through a steel door with ease to get up to the rooftop. We hurried up a metal staircase, our footsteps clanging against the rickety material and echoing downwards. The lights were flickering rapidly, as if they knew the danger that was coming. 
                          
"What about the mortals here? We can't just leave them," I suddenly stopped halfway up the stairs and pulled back on Grey's arm. He tightened his jaw and let out a sigh. 
                          
"We can't save everyone," he replied softly, squeezing my hand. 
                          
"Grey, we can't just abandon them. They have no one to defend them or even warn them against what's happening," I replied furiously.