by S. A. Moss
It let out something between a roar and the screech, and the hairs on the back of my neck immediately jumped to attention.
Shit!
How had that thing gotten through? We’d freed the Guardians, hadn’t we? Didn’t that destroy the portal to Earth?
I turned to my dad, fisting the front of his shirt. “How are they still coming through? Can Akaron still make it over?”
He just stared at me, a mixture of disappointment and disgust souring his features.
Behind him, Alex met my frantic gaze. He shook his head helplessly.
The dark demon howled again, then hunched its body slightly, like a bodybuilder showing off their guns. But instead of its muscles popping, a wave of energy shot out in all directions, emanating from the demon like the radiating blast of an explosion. The blast hit everything and everyone in the room, breaking glasses and bottles, cracking windows, and sending chairs and Guardians flying.
I hit the ground and skidded. Alex and my father were blown backward, and my dad’s body landed squarely on top of Alex, briefly knocking the wind out of him. He scrambled up, but Alex swept his leg, bringing him right back down. As they grappled on the floor, I turned back to the demon. The auras of several Guardians surrounded it, and I could see its body shake slightly from each blast they threw at it. None of the strikes seemed to have much effect, but hopefully there were enough Guardians here to—
Oh shit.
That was the problem.
We’d freed the Guardians, but they were all still here. Still acting as a conduit, creating a portal for Fallen to pass through to Earth.
The demon raised its hands, gouging chunks out of the ceiling, then turned toward the collection of auras around him.
“Get out!” I screamed, scrambling to my feet. “Guardians, get out of here! Spread out! Lure the Fallen away if you have to. You’re keeping the portal open if you stay!”
There was a moment of silence after my last word died out. Then several Guardian rushed for the door. The dark demon’s glowing green eyes tracked their auras before it flexed again, sending another shockwave of aether tearing through the room.
I tried to throw a shield up, but the blast tore right through it, knocking me on my ass again. Alex and my dad were torn apart, both sent sprawling.
Alex coughed, trying to force air back into his lungs. But my dad, no longer mortal, didn’t need to worry about pesky things like breathing anymore. He leapt up, triumph flashing in his eyes. I threw up a shield in front of Alex without even thinking, but my dad was nothing if not disciplined. Instead of sticking around to exact his revenge on us, he immediately faded out—probably to try to bring Akaron over before it was too late.
I crawled over to Alex, helping him stand. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He coughed lightly. “You?”
I nodded. I might be immortal, but my body still felt like it’d been put through the washer on a “deep clean” cycle. I could only imagined how Alex felt. If I never got thrown against a wall again, it would be too soon for me. Of course, given the existence I now led, the odds were high that it would not only happen again, but soon.
As if on cue, the demon pulsed another blast of energy across the room. Knowing my shield wouldn’t do shit, I threw myself in front of Alex, bracing against the blow and trying to absorb as much of it as I could. I was thrown into him, but enough of the energy was diffused by my body that instead of knocking him over, I just pushed him back several steps. Dull pain flooded me, and I gritted my teeth, waiting for it to pass as my body healed itself.
Alex’s slipped one arm behind my back and one behind my neck, holding me steady. My gaze caught his, and the green depths of his eyes pulled me in. For a just a moment, the destruction around us, the fear of Akaron, the sounds of the Fallen tearing through the room—they all faded away.
“Is this you guarding me back?” Alex asked softly, brushing his thumb lightly across my cheek. It came away red with blood. I must’ve cut my face at some point, although I didn’t remember it happening.
“I’ll always guard you back,” I promised, tightening my hands on his waist.
His expression darkened. “Will you? I thought you left.”
“I… did.” Guilt burned in my chest.
“We’re supposed to be partners. But that won’t work if you keep things from me or sneak off on your own.”
I lowered my gaze. “I know. And I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you, but my dad, he… he got in my head, and I—”
Before I could say anything else, Alex’s eyes widened. He lifted me off the ground easily, flipping me onto my back and throwing his body over mine. Another blast from the dark demon reverberated around the room, flying over our heads.
“Are you okay?” Alex stared down from above me, his emerald eyes bright.
You protect me, and I protect you back.
Nodding, I hauled his face down to mine, pressing my lips to his in a hard kiss. I didn’t have a solution to all the challenges we faced, but I knew one thing—I was done trying to push away or deny my feelings. I wouldn’t become like my father, so intent on avoiding pain that I lost sight of what mattered most.
Family. Community. Love.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the dark demon start to lumber toward us. There were a few humans still cowering behind an overturned table in the corner, but most of them had made it out already. And since the Guardians had scattered, we were the only obvious targets left.
Super.
37
Alex leapt to his feet, extending a hand down to me. I grabbed it, and he pulled me up. He had several small cuts along his arms, likely from flying glass shards. I grimaced.
I bet he didn’t bleed nearly this often before he met me.
The black demon lumbered toward us. It didn’t even bother to push aside the table and chairs in its way, barging straight through them with its gaze fixed on us.
“We gotta get that thing out of here and try to kill it,” I murmured to Alex as we backed away.
“Yup,” he shot back quietly. “Up or down?”
I groaned. Why did it always have to be the freaking roof? And I wasn’t even the one who was afraid of heights.
“Up,” said grudgingly. “I don’t want to risk it getting down to the street.”
Alex pursed his lips, and I could tell he wasn’t any happier about our plan than I was. But he didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned and sprinted for the door. I was right behind him.
Like a true predator, the demon was drawn into pursuit by our sudden movement. Instead of stalking toward us, it put on a burst of speed, lunging forward just as we rounded the corner of the doorframe. Its massive yellow claws gouged out a chunk of plaster and wood around the door.
I flinched, putting my hand on Alex’s back to urge him along faster.
That was too close.
We ran down the hall toward a large metal door, painted the same color as the walls. Without breaking stride, I faded out, dashing through the door and fading back in. I pressed the handle and shoved the door open, yanking Alex through. He pressed his back against the heavy metal to close it. Just as the lock clicked into place, a blast from the demon slammed into the door. It reverberated behind us, the force of the blow pushing us both forward.
“That won’t hold him long! Come on.” I grabbed Alex’s hand, and we raced up the stairs. Compared to the now destroyed opulence of the lounge we’d just been in, the stairwell was utilitarian and stark. Our footsteps echoed off the smooth cement walls as we ran.
Below us, another blast sounded, and the door flew open with a bang. Damn. That poor lock never stood a chance.
I peeked over the railing, trying not to lose any speed as I did. The demon was growling and snorting as it lumbered up the stairs behind us. When it saw me, it let out a shriek and loosed a blast of aether up the stairwell.
I pulled my head back as the entire staircase shook.
“Can you not piss off the demon while i
t’s below us?” Alex panted. “If it takes out these stairs…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, either saving his breath or choosing not to think about the outcome of that scenario.
Putting on a final burst of speed, we reached the top landing. A big gray door met us, and I slammed into it and twisted the handle. It opened easily, and we darted out into the night.
The roof was broad and flat. A raised metal platform took up most of the middle, with huge twin transmission towers rising hundreds of feet in the air. The Chicago skyline spread before us, darkness enveloping one side where the lake sat, and hundreds of glittering lights sparkling along the other side. From all the way up here, it looked almost peaceful.
But that was an illusion.
The red and blue lights of police cars and emergency vehicles flashed along Lakeshore Drive. My mind flashed back to the SWAT team’s disastrous attempt to defend against the chimera. I sure as shit hoped the other Guardians would do whatever it took to keep those people safe.
Alex and I dashed to the far side of the roof. His steps slowed a bit as we approached the short wall at the edge, and he looked a little green. I couldn’t blame him. Even I got a little dizzy when I glanced down at the street.
“What’s the plan?” he asked, standing slightly in front of me as the demon crashed through the doorway onto the roof. It was dark up here, and the demon was so pitch black that it was almost impossible to see anything but its eyes.
I nudged my way around Alex, so I could be the one in front. As much as I appreciated the protective gesture, if the demon unloaded another one of its full-radius aether blasts, I didn’t want him absorbing the brunt of the attack. Aside from the fact that I needed Alex conscious to turn this demon mortal so we could kill it, I really cared about him. Seeing him hurt put an ache in my chest, and not just because of the link I shared with him as his Guardian.
I put up a filter and threw a series of three aether daggers at the demon in quick succession. Gashes opened up on its chest, and it snarled.
“Okay, so you’ve definitely pissed it off,” Alex whispered behind me. “But what’s the real plan?”
Before I could think up a smart-ass retort, a low whump-whump-whump sound caught my ear. A helicopter appeared from around the other side of the building, shining a blinding spotlight on the rooftop.
The demon spun, snarling at the helicopter as the beam of light landed on its black form. It did not seem to like being in the spotlight.
How cute. The terrifying demon is shy.
The helicopter circled the building, the spotlight moving briefly over me and Alex. With light shining in my eyes, I could barely see anything else.
Then, out of the darkness, a blast radiated. Alex and I dove behind the base of the transmission towers, but the helicopter rocked sideways, careening wildly through the air before righting itself. It’d been a little above the blast radius that time, but if the demon landed a direct shot, it could bring the chopper down.
“I think the real plan is to piss the demon off even more,” I murmured to Alex. “I’ll draw his attention, you sneak up from behind.”
This time, he was the one to pull me in for a kiss. I wasn’t sure if he’d totally forgiven me for sneaking off earlier, but as his warm lips pressed against mine for an all-too-brief moment, I had hope that one day, he would.
I gave his hand one last squeeze, then darted out from behind the pillar. The demon zeroed in on the movement, like a cat watching a feather on a piece of string. This beast was hugely powerful, but it didn’t seem to be as intelligent as some of the other Fallen.
To make myself an even more appealing target, I faked a trip and sprawled on the ground. The demon pounced, landing in a crouch over me as I shuffled backward on my butt. It grabbed my leg and pulled, its sharp claws shredding my pants and piercing though skin. I cried out just as Alex threw himself at the demon, leaping onto its back.
The beast let out a gasp as it became mortal, the puff of fetid air hitting me in the face. I gagged. It smelled like thousand-year-old morning breath.
There wasn’t much space between me and the demon, but I put up an aether filter in the small gap between us. The helicopter spotlight found us again, and the demon roared. It swiped at my face with its massive claws, and I faded out just in time to avoid the blow. Its green eyes flickered with rage at finding its prey suddenly gone.
I flattened myself flat against the roof and faded back in.
“Keep him mortal! But move to his side!” I called.
Alex’s eyes widened, and he shifted his grip, sliding over to the side of the demon’s crouching body without losing contact.
Then I hit the creature with everything I had.
I threw blast after blast through my aether filter, not slowing down even as I felt the demon’s body jerk above me. I could feel blood pouring onto my chest, sticky and wet, but I kept throwing aether daggers, a scream pouring from my throat.
My yell cut off suddenly when the demon collapsed on top of me.
For a second, I panicked as its heavy weight bore down on me. Then I remembered that I didn’t actually have to breathe. I could stay like this for a good long while, as absolutely disgusting as it was, and be fine.
Luckily, I didn’t have to. With a shove, Alex rolled the scaly black body off me. I sat up, the spotlight still glaring down into my eyes. Beside me, the demon’s corpse lay sprawled awkwardly on its side. I’d pierced straight through it with my aether blades.
I wiped at my face, which I was sure was covered in blood again. Ugh. Why is it always the face?
Alex stood over me, grinning. “That was…”
“Impressive?” I supplied. “Mind-blowing? Awe inspiring?”
“Hot as hell.” He bit his lip, squinting against the bright light. “You went full Rambo on his ass.”
I smirked. “I’m tougher than I look.”
“Nah.” He reached his hand down to me. “I think you’re exactly as tough as you lo—”
A sudden blast from the darkness slammed into him.
Before his body even hit the ground, it went stiff, arms pinned to his sides. He floated gently a few feet off the ground.
I leapt to my feet, diving for Alex’s still form, but another blast threw me backward.
The rough material of the roof scraped off several layers of skin as I skidded to a stop. I looked up as my father stepped into the helicopter’s spotlight, wrapping his arms around Alex in a headlock just like Alex had done to him earlier.
His gaze found mine in the shadows. Nothing of the father I once knew remained in those dark eyes.
“You should have killed him when you had the chance, Cam,” my father—Sirius—said coolly. “You could have saved him from this.”
Then he faded out, keeping a firm grip on Alex as he did.
I scrambled to my feet, throwing a blast toward them. But it was too late.
They were gone.
A sharp pain enveloped my body, and I fell to my knees, dropping my head as a scream tore from my throat.
This pain was Alex’s pain.
Sirius had taken him to the Shroud.
38
“And in this next incredible clip, you can clearly see that underneath the… the creature, an unidentified woman disappears from view and then reappears a moment later.”
The newscaster shook her head in amazement as the video footage from the helicopter played on a split screen next to her. Then she faced the camera and continued.
“Chaos erupted in the streets of Chicago three days ago, and authorities have been unable to explain the presence of what some people are calling supernatural beings in our city. Others claim that these monsters are genetic experiments gone wrong. Meanwhile, questions remain about phenomena such as these two men vanishing into thin air.”
As she spoke, the screen beside her switched to a clip of Alex. The camera caught just a quick flash of his smile before the blast knocked him off his feet. It stayed trained on him as
the version of me on the screen was thrown back, and I sucked in a breath as I watched my father approach, grasping Alex’s inert body in a tight headlock.
On my lap, Otis meowed plaintively.
I grabbed the remote off the couch cushion next to me and turned off the TV, letting Alex’s apartment fall into a bleak silence.
Scratching the cat’s fluffy gray head, I muttered, “I hear you, buddy. I don’t really want to watch it again either.”
He pressed his head up into my palm, kneading my leg with his tiny, razor-sharp claws. I let him. I could barely feel it anyway, and I healed so fast he could literally use me as a scratching post and it wouldn’t matter.
The pain that had shot through me when Sirius took Alex over to the Shroud was the worst I’d ever experienced in my life or afterlife—and considering I’d died getting hit by a car and been tossed around by more than my fair share of Fallen since then, that was saying something.
It had hurt so much I couldn’t move, could hardly think, could only scream until my throat was raw.
Then, just as quickly as it had come, it stopped.
And that was so much worse.
I’d faded over to the Shroud as soon as I was able to stand, finding myself on a rock outcropping above the abandoned Fallen encampment. But there was no sign of Sirius or Alex.
No Fallen.
No Akaron.
I didn’t know how big of a head start Sirius had gotten while I’d been incapacitated by the pain, but it was enough.
I had tried to reach out and feel for Alex’s energy, to sense where he was. Even from my early days as his Guardian, I’d had a connection to him that tugged me in his direction, no matter how far away he was. That connection had only strengthened as my feelings for him deepened.
But now, I couldn’t feel anything.