by Maya Daniels
His words are followed by a sea of hunters coming from everywhere. The four of us press back to back, making sure we don’t have a blind spot. The pathetic asshole sold us out. Glaring at him, I hope he understands that I will enjoy every moment it takes to break every single bone in his body.
“Why?” Unable to let it go, I must know why he did this. “Don’t you remember what they did to Amanda? What they are doing to Hector?”
“Why?” Hissing, Jared takes a step towards me, but Eric’s feral growl makes him run back a few steps. “I’ll be an elite now, you stupid cow. Michael will bestow power and gifts upon me when I bring you to him. I will never be helpless again, waiting on the rest of you to keep me alive.”
“You poor fool.” Maddison chuckles humorlessly. “And you believed that shit? Unless you have angel or demon blood, you’ll always be a pathetic scum.”
“We will see demon! She only got like that after a demon scratched her. I let one scratch me, too!” Jared yells at her, lifting his shirt sleeve to reveal angry red lines where claws have split his skin, disgust clear on his face.
“The traitor is mine.” My lips lift up, baring my teeth when Jared hears my words, a moment before all hell breaks loose in the forest.
Eric
"These can't be simple hunters." Grunting, punching the closest to me in the chest and sending him flying to a tree, I tell Raphael conversationally.
"What makes you say that?" The Archangel surprises me with his fighting skills, punching one hunter in the face before he flings him away from us.
"They've never been this strong." Ducking a swinging blade, I kick my leg out, dropping the hunter to his knees before knocking him out cold. "Or this fast."
"Huh." Demonstrating an impressive round kick, Raphael bounces on the balls of his feet while the hunter he kicked takes a few of them down with him when he drops. "I've never fought them before, so I wouldn't know."
"Ladies, if you're done chatting, we need to get the hell out of here." Maddison grabs the closest hunter's face in her hand, her red nails making it look like an alien creature is suffocating him, pushing him back so hard I'm not sure his neck didn't break.
"We need to get inside the Sanctuary." Helena is using only her arms and legs to fight, and not the blade, to my relief. "I will not let that asshole stop me from getting Hector out." Throwing her hands outward, she sends seven hunters flying back, hitting one another. Realizing I'm watching her, she looks at me grinning. "Playtime!" Her delighted laughter makes me smile.
"Kill them!" Jared's nasally voice sounds from somewhere behind the bodies trying to overwhelm us with their numbers.
He started sounding like that after Helena punched him in the nose. Unfortunately, she didn't use her newfound strength. I'm pretty sure that was intentional, saving him for later. Maddison and I must be rubbing off on her. Even Raphael discovered his bloodlust around us, moving like a Tasmanian devil, plowing through hunters like there is no tomorrow.
"This is getting boring." Maddison does sound bored, making Helena laugh again.
A hunter uses that opportunity to blindside her, making her grunt in pain when his boot connects to her chest, and she stumbles back. Before I reach him with my claws, Helena recovers, jump kicks him in the head, and sends him flying into the group behind him. The idiots are getting themselves hurt in their desperation to get to us.
"That wasn't nice, asshole!" Chastising him, my mate punches her way through few of them, trying to get to Jared again.
"I don't think they are trying to be nice, Helena," Raphael pipes in, taking her comment seriously, and not like the sarcasm it is.
"No, shit." Twisting away from a blade, she swings her hand in a chopping motion at the hunter's neck, incapacitating him, before kicking him on the ground. "As much fun as it is, let's deal with them later. We should really go now, I think."
I open my mouth to tell her that's what we've been trying to do when the ground beneath my feet starts shaking violently. Widening my stance for balance, I reach out to steady her, my arm freezing midair. Hunters begin shouting, some even bolting away from the woods, but I can't take my eyes away from Helena. She is still fighting, her body moving gracefully, twisting and turning like a beautiful macabre dance, dropping hunters with each movement. Her eyes are closed, a small smile playing on her lips as if she replaying fond memories. It's her power shaking the ground like Hell is trying to climb its way up. Soon, we are left alone in the woods, the quiet of the night only disturbed by stray pounding footsteps from a lost hunter on his or her way to the Sanctuary. Her eyelids flutter a heartbeat before the glowing liquid fire in her eyes zeroes in on my face.
"There." Dusting her hands off, she beams at me. "That wasn’t hard, now was it?"
"I'm not sure if I should laugh or run away screaming," Maddison mumbles under her breath, while Raphael grunts something I can't hear.
"You could've done that from the beginning, but you waited until now?" Still shaken from how powerful she is becoming by the minute, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
Shrugging a shoulder, Helena looks sheepishly at me. "I didn't think of it until now."
"We better go before there is an even bigger reception party for us waiting at their doors." Shaking her head and watching Helena warily, Maddison heads towards the road.
Helena turns on her heels as well, taking the lead, striding with purpose. Raphael scurries to catch up with her, no doubt to try and tell her that her behavior is not very angelic. Snorting at my own thoughts, I grab Maddison by her arm, slowing her down. When Helena and the Archangel are ahead of us enough to not hear my words, I round on my cousin.
"And you thought it was smart to give her an unknown blade?" If I were a bull, steam would've been coming out from my nose.
"It was hers to have, Eric. Who are you to judge what she needs and doesn't need?"
My feet stop moving, uneasiness eating me inside as I watch the back of Maddison's head. She keeps walking, taking a few steps before noticing I'm not walking next to her. When she finally sees me behind her, she stops as well, turning around. We watch each other, not saying a word.
"Is this one of those things that comes to you?" My fists clench in hopes she will say no. She nods once, slowly, her lips pressing into a thin, white line. "You should've told me."
"And say what exactly? I'm going to give your mate a blade before her life—" Her mouth closes with a resounding snap. Maddison closes her eyes, realizing she spoke more than she intended.
I'm in front of her before she blinks, shaking her like a rag doll in my anger. "Before her life what, Maddison?" My fingers shift into claws, piercing the skin of her arms, red blood dripping at our feet. "Speak before I rip out your throat."
"I can't, Eric." Without opening her eyes, she whispers, tears sliding down her face. "If I say a word, things will change, and I can't live knowing my big mouth caused the death of your mate. This way, she at least has a chance. I'm doing my best to stay ahead of it all, so she has a chance."
"What do you get from it?" Panting, I try to release her arms, but my hands are frozen, ready to shred skin.
"If she lives?" Finally lifting her gaze to mine, the desperation I see in her eyes sucks all the air from my lungs. "I get to live, too."
"It gets worse than what has already happened to her until now?" All I can feel is fear clawing at my insides. I'm surprised my eyes and ears are not bleeding.
"Much, much worse." At Maddison's pained whisper, I push her away from me and bolt after Helena.
Helena
“You don’t move an inch away from her.” Eric’s deep voice makes me jump a foot off the ground.
Pressing a hand to my chest in a futile attempt to calm my heart, I turn to look at him. Raphael jumps back as well at the feral look on Eric’s face. What could’ve possibly happened in the few moments after we left the woods to make him seem more demon than man? Talking to Raphael so he knows I haven’t gone insane with power calmed me down,
until a voice out of my nightmares messed up my fragile Zen state.
“Who poked the demon and made him feral?” Peeking around his shoulders, I search for Maddison. She must’ve pissed him off.
If I expected laughter, I was left disappointed.
“Did you hear what I said Archangel?” Not looking away from me, Eric resembles a gargoyle statue. The pissed off look on his face makes me want to tuck tail and run. I can only imagine how Raphael feels. Glancing at him unhinges my bottom jaw. He is scrutinizing Eric, tilting his head in a very inhuman way.
“Okay,” he tells him.
“Everyone is worried about me, but I think the rest of you are going insane.” Turning away from both of them, I briskly walk towards the Sanctuary. “It’s like a twilight zone around all of you.”
When there is no comment and a few moments have passed, I look over my shoulder. Managing to keep my face straight, I sharply turn to look in front of me. My face must be going purplish red since I’m holding my breath. It’s the only thing stopping me from laughing like a crazy woman. Eric and Raphael look crazed, eyes glowing, muscles bulging from clenched fists, ready to destroy whatever enemy pissed them off. They are mumbling something, too soft for me to hear, but it can’t be good because they grow more animated with jerky movements with each step they take. Maddison looks like she’s seen a ghost, pale with blood covering the skin on her arms. Maybe Jared’s betrayal made me lose it entirely because I keep glancing behind me and find the whole thing hilarious.
The monstrosity of a building that is the Sanctuary comes into view. The old monastery, looming ahead of us like a forbidden haunted place, lures us into its gaping mouth. Forgetting all about my companions, focusing on my surroundings, I scan the area. Not a soul in sight, not even a patrol. They must be waiting to ambush us inside, and I would hate to disappoint them.
Eric and Raphael materialize on either side of me in the form of silent, glaring sentinels promising death to whoever comes near. Shaking my head at my dramatic inner voice, my fingers glide up and down the handle of the blade that is tucked in the loop of my pants, a perfect holding spot for it. The energy from the blade warms my skin so much my fingers tingle from it. I don’t want to use it on the hunters, but I will if they leave me no other choice.
We stop at the open doors as one. The darkness from the inside whispers at me to turn around and leave before it’s too late. Like with everything else in my life, I ignore it. Hector is somewhere inside, possibly missing a hand. The one that is acting as a decorative piece in Eric’s apartment. Also, George and Cass are maybe in there too, hurt or dead. Jared looked unhinged, so I can’t be sure what I’ll find when I cross the threshold.
Knowing full well that I’m only stalling, I square my shoulders and, taking the few stairs two at a time, I enter the belly of the beast. Bending my knees, preparing to block a kick to the head or legs, I’m left disappointed again. No one is there, the silence of the vast place eerily making our breathing sound too loud. My eyes flick left and right, checking every shadow, all the nooks and crannies I’m familiar with that a hunter can be hiding.
“They couldn’t have left without us seeing them.” Straightening from my crouch, I turn first to Raphael, then to Eric. “They must be here.” I wanted to sound sure, but the last part comes out like a question.
“They are not here, Hel.” Eric keeps scanning everything around us. “I can’t feel anyone here.”
“I think he is right.” Raphael has his hands on his hips, looking around with a frown. Maddison stays quiet.
“How’s that possible, Eric?” I turn my frustration on him like it’s his fault I can’t find someone to hit.
“I’m not sure…” His gaze lands on mine, and the green color of his eyes bleeds through the amber glow. “But this is good.” Blowing out a breath, he quickly glances at Maddison before smiling at me. “Very good!”
“Yo! Weirdo! We are here to find Hector. Remember him?” Sweeping my arm to encompass the Sanctuary acting like an abandoned tomb, I glare at him. “We can’t find him if no one is here.”
“We will…” Eric trails off, stiffening.
“Helena?” The voice coming from behind me stiffens my body into a rock.
I feel my blood turning cold and curdling in my veins, numbness almost dropping me on my knees. Closing my eyes, clenching my fists not to cry out in pain, I keep taking deep breaths through my nose. The organ that pumps blood into my body can’t decide if it wants to beat out of my chest or shrivel and turn into a speck of dust.
“Helena?” the voice says behind me again.
Opening my eyes, the first thing I see is Eric frowning at the owner of the voice over my shoulder. Raphael’s face keeps switching between wanting to look confused and incredulous. Ignoring them both, I focus on Maddison. She is not ignoring me. Her blue gaze is watching me intently, mapping out every blink of an eye, every twitch of a muscle. I feel like she reached inside my chest and ripped out my heart.
She knew!
“You can’t possibly be here.” Tears sliding down my face and making Maddison turn blurry, I don’t turn around.
“But I’m here, Hel. Look at me.”
Painfully slow, I turn around. It’s like time has not passed at all. My eyes land on Amanda, my best friend, looking very much alive and well. Her hair is spiked up, as usual, blood red tips on platinum blonde hair. Her porcelain face is painted with makeup to perfection, making her brown eyes appear larger than they really are. She is as beautiful as always, dressed all in black, almost resembling a vampire with her pale skin.
“How, Amanda?” My hands tremble, and for some reason, my right hand wraps around the handle of the blade. “I saw you get killed. How are you alive?”
Her sweet, happy smile slips, and a wicked tilt of lips replaces it. Eric growls deep in his throat, his warm palm encircling half of my waist, preparing to move me out of the way if he needs to. The whooshing sound behind me to my left tells me Raphael released his wings. I’m still numb from the shock. Unmoving.
“I thought you came here for him?” Amanda clicks her fingers and Jared comes from the darkness behind her, pushing Hector in front of him.
“You are going to die for good tonight.” My words hurt me more than they pain her.
Eric
Something is wrong with this whole picture. I still can’t feel humans anywhere in the building. Quite a ridiculous thought while I’m staring at a few of them from behind Helena. Everything in me screams to push my mate behind me, protect her with my body so they must go through me if they want to hurt her. Remembering Maddison’s words from earlier, I fight my instincts, staying behind Helena in hopes they’ll overlook who I am.
If I’m lucky.
Raphael made all that more difficult, sprouting feathers like a peacock, but I don’t let it bother me because his egotistic display hid Maddison behind him. We can use all the advantage we can get, so I’ll take it. I don’t even consider that he did it on purpose, not willing to give the feathered asshole too much credit. It’s his kind screwing our lives up.
“Hector!” Helena tries to take a step towards her father, but I tighten my hand on her waist, halting her. “Are you okay?”
“Hel, you shouldn’t be here. Run!” Hector looks horrified seeing us here, staring at Helena from his knees where Jared pushed him.
“What is the meaning of this!” Raphael packs so much power in his words I involuntarily hiss at him. Unfazed, he glares through liquid gold eyes at the hunters. “Hand over the patron this instant!”
“You lost your right to demand things from us the moment you joined them, just like you lost your path from God.”
Another voice comes from the darkness behind Helena’s best friend. Former best friend, I amend, because whatever this is, it’s not Amanda. A man walks into view pushing the hunter, George, in front of him roughly. He looks familiar, but I can’t place him until he moves his head, and the ugly scar on his face helps me remember seeing him with my
mate the night Amanda was killed. Another patron. Adam, if I recall correctly. A replica of him walks out from the shadows as well, causing me to blink a few times in confusion, thinking somehow they are messing with my head and I started seeing double. Then I notice he doesn’t have a scar on his face. Twins then. I don’t remember hearing his name, so I dismiss the thought.
The scarless one drags a young woman by her arm, her long, curly brown hair covering her face. Judging by everyone in attendance at this reunion, I’m guessing this is Cass, the last member from Helena’s team. She whimpers when she is shoved on the ground. The floor under my feet vibrates slightly but stops so suddenly I must’ve imagined it. Helena says nothing, standing still, barely breathing.
“Look at us, all together again.” Amanda claps her hands excitedly.
Helena tilts her head in such an animalistic way, a shiver races up and down my spine.
“I see you haven’t found your sense of humor.” Amanda looks disappointed.
“I lost it when my best friend died.”
“I’m very much alive, thank you very much.” Pursing her lips painted with black lipstick, Amanda looks petulant.
“You are something,” Helena says calmly. “Alive, however, is not it. I would know.”
Amanda and the creepy twins shift on their feet, coiled, ready to pounce. My hand tightens on Helena while I’m glancing at the Archangel to see if he is with the program. The shimmering gold where his eyes used to be make it difficult to judge, but I’m hoping he saw the movement. A shift of the air at my back tells me Maddison is as ready as she can be.
“Always thinking it’s all about you, right Helena?” Amanda snaps angrily. “The golden girl! Everything in the world revolves around her.”
“You must be an idiot if that’s what you think.” Helena laughs, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe she is misjudging the situation. She is goading the crazy person in the room, or entryway as the case is.