text: "No!" shrieked Daevia. "No, no, no! That's not possible! You shouldn't have been able to do that! You're just humans!"
  
  Hope burst in Bill's heart.
  
  The Nephilim was now just a pile of corpses and Bev, and her lacrosse team were charging across the parking lot to join in on the attack on the Succuba. Cynthia followed, with Reggie and Wendy at her heals. The wave of Lemures broke at the sight of the toppled giant, fleeing back into the woods, clawing at each other to escape faster.
  
  "Love always triumphs!" Sophia exulted, her sword glowing bright.
  
  Daevia looked around, her blood-red eyes wild. Hikaru advanced on her and hurled a corpse through the air at the Succuba. She dodged straight at Bill. He swung at her with his sword. She turned in the air, flaring her wings, and she narrowly avoided his strike.
  
  But Bev was there, her face full of grief and anger, and she gave a vicious swipe with her sword, screaming, "You killed her, bitch!"
  
  The blade caught the Succuba on the right leg, biting deep and spilling black blood that burned with sliver fire. "Please," Daevia called out, stumbling as she landed. "Mercy."
  
  "You had your chance for mercy," growled Bill. "You had your chance to surrender. It's too late! Mindy's dead now."
  
  "I can give you power," she pleaded. "I can bring her back to life!"
  
  "Your lies ring hollow, Succuba," spat Sophia, charging in, sword raised up.
  
  Daevia's black wings flapped and she leaped up on her one good leg, launching herself into the air. Something invisible and intangible caught her leg and yanked her back down in a flurry of black feathers.
  
  "I don't think so, whore!" Hikaru spat. "I haven't forgotten how you enslaved me! You aren't getting away!"
  
  Sophia's flaming blade came down and sliced through Daevia's right wing. The Succuba collapsed on the ground, landing on her black chain, and screamed in agony as her wing burned, greasy smoke polluting the air. Bill strode up to her and she looked up at him, pleading in her eyes, and raised his sword.
  
  "Mercy, please." Her voice broke, whispering like a child. "I'll go back to Hell. Grant me mercy. Don't consign me to the Phlegethon again. Don't make me become a mindless Lemure!"
  
  He hesitated. She looked so pathetic on the ground, wounded, in agony, white fire burning her wounds, the stump of her wing twitching and flapping. How can I kill such a weak creature? The memory of the boiling, bloody Phlegethon filled his mind and all those poor, tormented souls writhing in its frothy currents. Could he condemn her to that torment? That was something a Demon would do. Something Daevia herself would do. And I'm so much better than this pathetic creature.
  
  He lowered his blade, his heart stirred by love.
  
  "Strike, Master!" Rochelle cried out. "Now!"
  
  Bill swung, trusting his wife. She could see the future. As his sword descended, he saw Daevia's hand move, pulling at the chain coiled beneath her, preparing to lash it out at him. Rochelle had seen the future, and once again had saved his life.
  
  Daevia's blood-red eyes widened in horror.
  
  His sword struck her head off. Thick, dark blood splattered his face, burning with the Succuba's passion. He spat the fiery taste from his lips.
  
  It was over. They had saved the world.
  
  "We did it!" shrieked Rochelle! "Oh, Master! We actually did it!"
  
  He looked up at Sophia, then at his wives and the lacrosse players who had helped him defeat Daevia. The feeling that bubbled up inside him was almost indescribable, rivaling the joy he had felt last night when he had joined with all four of his wives. He had done something with his meaningless life. He had gone through fire and pain and darkness and came out triumphant.
  
  He held his silver sword high and laughed his joy.
  
  A woman's voice laughed inside him, also triumphant, sharing in his exhilaration.
  
  Bill fell silent, slowly lowering his sword. Rochelle looked at him in confusion. "Master?"
  
  The woman laughing inside him grew louder, and there was something familiar about that voice. He had heard it before. Only last time the voice had been screaming in pain. He stumbled, falling to his knees, gasping hard as guilt and grief surged through him
  
  "Master!" Rochelle fell to her knees beside him. "What's wrong?"
  
  The entity hiding in Bill's heart emerged, streaking out of him in a blur and leaving a trail of gray feathers behind. Cynthia dove to the ground as the entity flew past her and landed before the doors to the church.
  
  "Adriel?" gasped Cynthia. "What? How?"
  
  Adriel. Alive. Untorn. Triumph painted her young, innocent face.
  
  "Thank you, Bill," she purred. "You played your part perfectly."
  
  Confusion filled Bill. What had he done?
  
  He stood up, using his sword to aide him, and fixed his eyes on the Grigori. Anger burned inside him. She had tricked him. He had felt so guilty when he had thought she had sacrificed herself to save him and Cynthia.
  
  But she had just been using me.
  
  "I could not have done this without your aid." Her smile twisted. "You will always have my thanks."
  
  "What?" Juanita gasped. "What is she talking about?"
  
  "Your husband transported me safely in his heart until the way was clear," she answered.
  
  Then fear seized him. Nothing stood between her and the Gatewardens. She had let Daevia, the servant of her Master's rival, clear the way for her, shattering the protective prayer, and now she just had to waltz in and unleash Hell for her Archdemon.
  
  Adriel turned, and entered the church.