by Trina M. Lee
Unafraid of the witch and her bottom-feeder husband, Arrow sneered, “And why the fuck would you do that?”
Black ponytail swinging, Skylar approached with hands on her hips. “Take an opportunity to wipe out each of you? Why wouldn’t I do that?”
“Still holding a grudge, bitch? You owe me for the body work on my car.” Leave it to Arrow to feel more irate over the damage she’d done to his BMW than the fact that she’d been trying to kill him.
“Go fuck yourself.” Immediately Skylar switched to Latin. Spell casting. Never a good sign with the black-magic bitch.
Ransom hung back near the passageway like he thought we might try to run while Skylar advanced on us with hands raised before her.
I knew better than to let her finish a spell. However, she was human, and I didn’t want to kill her. Not unless she left us no other choice.
A fireball exploded at her feet. Carefully, Arrow and I put Cinder on the floor where he knelt in anguish, gripping the stone with raw fingertips. I rushed the witch, ready when she raised an arm to block me. Her words came fast and furious, like she had to get them out in time before we did something to shut her up.
Even though Ransom hung back to block any escape, it didn’t keep him from attacking. A black ball of pure dark energy spiraled toward us, finding its target in Rowen. Obviously the dark had given up on having Rowen as their own. Naturally Ransom had some hard feelings of his own. Rowen had unleashed a beating on him previously, despite his refusal to fight back. But he was fighting now.
On instinct Rowen’s wings flared wide, blocking the hit. He retaliated with a beam of white light that zigzagged its way to Ransom, hitting him despite his attempts to avoid it.
Skylar’s spell took hold, and an explosion went off in the room, taking everyone down. I threw out my hands to keep my balance. Snake-like shadows weaved toward her to coil tight around her limbs. She muttered an incantation that hacked at them like an invisible blade, but Arrow’s shadows just kept coming. Pissed, he would not be easily deterred.
When Jett came at Skylar with fists ready to pound her into oblivion, I realized we’d left Cinder unprotected. Slowly I backed toward him, trying not to draw attention to him but needing to stay close. He was in no shape to battle a demon right now, not even a shit sucker like Ransom.
I drew my sword and held it ready. It was Ransom I wanted. If I could sink my blade into his flesh, it would force him back to the other side. Skylar would be left standing alone. Vulnerable.
For a moment I watch as Rowen and Ransom battled with both power and fists. Despite the demon’s additional strength and healing abilities, Rowen held his own well. He’d learned that throwing a punch while his hands were alight with power caused an injury that didn’t heal quite as immediately.
Arrow and Jett managed to keep Skylar on her toes. With little to no physical combat experience, she ate several of Jett’s fists, and blood gushed from her nose.
When I saw her reach for the amulet around her neck, I knew she wasn’t defeated just yet. She uttered one word of Latin that I didn’t know, and a strange blue light burst forth from the amulet to encompass her whole body. The bitch had been leveling up.
The next punch Jett threw crashed into that light like a concrete wall. With a yelp she bounded backward, cradling her arm. The strange light cut off every shadow that attacked Skylar like some kind of magic body armor.
Swiping a hand across her bloody nose, the witch cast a vicious scowl at Jett. “You’re going to be sorry you did that, bitch. I’ll have a wolf-fur coat made out of you when this is over.” The next spell Skylar cast pinned Jett to the stone wall. Then, with a swipe of her hand, the light swung wide, taking Arrow down.
My intent to go for Ransom thwarted, I stepped up with my sword held ready and deflected the attack that came my way. Skylar wasn’t pleased. Before she could make her next move, I countered by hacking at her magical protection with my blade. With just one blow her spell wavered.
“Big mistake coming here,” I said. “If you were smart you’d have left town along with Dash.”
“Dash was a coward and a fool, hiding behind big dreams and false expectations,” she spat. “He should’ve killed you right from start, that first day you walked in. I won’t make the same mistake.”
“I drove him out. The two of you are nothing. Messing with me is one thing, but messing with Cinder is a whole new kind of absolute no.”
Another swing of the sword and the light protecting her vanished. With my free hand I grabbed hold of her amulet and ripped it from her neck. Without hesitation I promptly smashed it against the stone floor. The amulet broke into tiny shards that skittered everywhere.
Skylar’s infuriated cry brought me a little surge of joy.
Snarling and snapping with fangs and claws bared, Jett lunged at the witch. Apprehension gripped me, and for a moment everything moved in slow motion. I threw myself in Jett’s path, flaring my wings and using them to block her.
“Jett, don’t. One wrong move and you could turn her. A shape-shifting witch is not in the plan.” Though I had yet to fully grow accustomed to them, my silver wings were strong, and I was able shove Jett back.
With a mouth that contained four massive fangs, she snarled, “I’m not going to turn her. I’m going to fucking kill her.”
“No wolf. Not with a human target. It’s not worth the risk.” With a gentle push from my wings, I forced her back a few more steps. “Have Cinder’s back. He needs you.”
Trusting her to do as I asked, I touched the feather woven tightly into my braid and launched a shard of ice at Skylar. It nailed her in the chest just below her shoulder. Not a mortal wound by any means but serious enough to wrench a scream from her.
A scream that drew Ransom’s attention immediately. Panicked, he flung Rowen aside. As he rushed to his wife, he flung a hand at me. A shot of energy meant to toss me across the room met my blade. I blocked the blow and in one smooth motion whirled around to bring the sword down. As Ransom reached for Skylar, my blade plunged through his back and out his chest. Pure satisfaction. He clutched at her, mouth agape.
And then he was gone.
“Ready to give up?” I asked her, breathing hard.
With a hand pressed to her bleeding shoulder, Skylar seemed to shrink in upon herself. “You chose the wrong side, Spike. The light won’t save you from what’s coming.”
“That must be my cue.” Wren’s voice brought us all to a standstill. Leaning casually in the entryway he regarded us with psychotic delight.
I tensed, frozen, wanting to run to Cinder but afraid to move.
Wren ambled into the room, surveying us each in turn. He came to stand next to Skylar and me.
I gripped my sword’s hilt so tight my knuckles ached. So badly I wanted to take a swing at him. But that would do nothing. Sending him to the other side would only prolong this another night. A trickle of sweat dripped down my spine. Fearful but ready to react, I waited.
But it wasn’t me he went for. It was Skylar.
Wren grabbed her face, forcing her to meet his angry stare. “While I appreciate that you freed me, darlin’, I simply don’t like people touching my stuff.”
“But I didn’t—”
He promptly snapped her neck, silencing her reply. Letting her fall back onto the stone floor, Wren turned to me. “Now, let’s have some fun.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
In my peripheral vision I spied the dagger sticking from the stone.
Behind me, Cinder struggled to his feet. His wings dragged on either side of him, weighing him down. “Leave her alone, Wren. This is between you and me. So finish what you started and let Ember and the others go.”
“We’ll never be finished, Cinder. I’m going to kill her, and you’re going to watch her suffer.” To really drive home his point, Wren grabbed me and dragged me close.
The amethyst in the Midnight Star glowed bright. It drove Wren back. With an angry shout and a flick of his wrist, he
telekinetically wrenched the sword from its sheath on my back and flung it across the room.
Jerking me hard against him, Wren tucked his elbow under my chin, choking off my breath. He dragged me over to Cinder. With an eye on my companions, he shook a finger. “Nobody try anything too heroic. That would just be stupid. Or do, actually. Do try. I’m in a good mood tonight.” The demon was batshit crazy. Nonsensical and somehow both highly amused and downright furious.
I tried to put together a plan of action. The dagger in the wall might be the only way. If I could get to it.
“Wren.” Voice strong but body weak, Cinder drew himself up to his full height. “You want me. Do what you will. Let her go.”
“What’s that?” A hand under my chin, Wren jerked my head back against his chest. He pressed his face to mine and took a deep, disgusting sniff, like he considered taking a bite. “Break every bone in her body one by one? Don’t mind if I do.”
Wren gripped my hand and held it up for Cinder to see. He took hold of my little finger and bent it back hard and fast. Pain shot into my hand and I shrieked. He moved to the next finger and did the same. Again I yelped.
“What do you want from me?” Cinder demanded. “Name your price and I’ll pay it.”
“You’re paying it right now.” Wren moved to the next finger.
I braced myself for the pain. My hand throbbed, and I whimpered despite my best efforts to hold it in. Arrow and Rowen hovered nearby, close enough to watch but not able to do a damn thing without making this all worse.
A brown blur hurled toward us, crashing hard into Wren. Jett had taken the chance to shift while Wren’s attention was on me. In wolf form she lunged at him again, tearing into him with vicious fangs.
He released me and turned on the snarling wolf. It was the moment we needed for everyone to burst into action. But now I feared for Jett.
“Brave wolf. You gave it a try. Good for you. I can respect that.” A snap of his fingers, and Wren flung her against the stone. Her skull smacked hard, and she fell to the floor, limp.
An air attack from Rowen whipped up a wind that sliced deep ribbons in the demon’s exposed skin. A fireball in his face from me had him screeching.
And then Wren dissolved into laughter. He threw up both arms, and we all went down.
I rolled and got back to my feet. Ice shards didn’t do much to slow him down, but they managed to keep him busy. Until he turned them to water with a mere look.
“You nephilim are so damn cute. I just love it.” Suddenly solemn, Wren eyed us. “Almost makes me wish I’d had one of my own.”
Another blast of fire momentarily shut him up.
Arrow moved in close to me. With a gentle touch to my back, he swirled his wrist in the air and called forth shadows like nothing I’d ever seen. A dragon erupted from the writhing mass. Larger than the snake-ish tendrils he so often created, this creature was a whole new class of beast. It opened its giant maw and blasted forth a stream of fire.
I watched in awe as the flames engulfed Wren. “Could you always do that?”
“No.” Arrow sounded surprised, like he couldn’t figure out how he’d pulled that off. “It’s definitely new.”
“Well, I like it.” Knowing I had little time, I darted for the dagger. Jerking it free of the stone, I turned on the demon.
He’d already doused the flames and hit the dragon with a roiling psi ball. The dragon shrank down until it was the size of a kitten. Cinder called my name, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Wren.
Rowen came in from the side, ready to wrap the demon in bright light. Spying the dagger in my hand, Wren didn’t bother with a magical attack. He put Rowen down with a punch that snapped his head to one side and dropped him like a bag of bricks.
Two of the four of us lay unconscious. So quickly he was taking us out one by one.
“And just what do you think you’re going to do with that?” Sinister and slow, Wren prowled closer.
“I guess we’ll both find out.” I sucked at witty repartee during a fight. But with two throbbing fingers and a magical dagger that seemed to have a mind of its own, I had other priorities.
As Wren drew closer Arrow tried to freeze him in place. A move that didn’t work since Wren wielded that power to a greater extent. I waited until the demon was almost too close for comfort and then I darted in and slashed with the dagger.
He jerked back out of reach. Again I lunged, commanded by the dagger itself to give it what it wanted most: immortal blood. Well, at least we both had the same goal.
Wren moved quickly, sweeping my legs out from beneath me with a well-placed foot. I flung a hand out to catch myself. My two broken fingers took the brunt of my weight, and I cried out in pain.
Still on the ground I looked up to find Wren with his hands around Arrow’s throat. I slammed the dagger into his leg.
For the first time Wren showed vulnerability.
I went to pull the dagger free, but he spun away from me, releasing Arrow who helped me to my feet as Wren yanked Ruthless from his leg.
He held it up, and pure fury burned in his red eyes. “Ok, now I’m mad.” The dagger spun between his nimble fingers. With careful precision he tossed the weapon and caught it perfectly by the hilt. “Now I start cutting things off your lover here.”
So much for keeping anything private. Wren just outed Arrow and me.
“Did you know that, Cinder?” He stared past me to where Cinder had fallen back to his knees. “Your sweet girl here has dirtied herself with darkness. You must be so proud.”
Never would I have imagined that I could be grateful that Rowen was unconscious. He couldn’t find out this way. Not from a demon.
It was all about Cinder for Wren. Not about me. And yet I felt the need to defend myself. “You’re so full of shit,” I heard myself say. It was a poor attempt at keeping my personal life from being used as a weapon.
“Full of shit?” Wren repeated before bellowing in laughter. “So you didn’t beg him for harder and faster? Screaming his name loud enough for your neighbors to hear. Now why would I ever lie about that?”
See now that was a lie. I hadn’t had to beg Arrow for anything. He’d hit all the right spots and made all the right moves without me having to ask.
“You are lying, you sack of crap,” I muttered.
“I am proud of Ember.” Cinder struggled to stand again. “Nothing you say or she can do will ever change that.”
It pained me to watch my dear friend in such agony. If only he’d just leave and be safe. Heal. But he wouldn’t leave me even though he could.
Wren frowned, unhappy with his inability to drive a wedge between Cinder and me. Judgment had never been part of our relationship. Clearly the demon had forgotten what it meant to be an angel. That was actually kind of sad.
“Still so fucking perfect, Cinder. You make me sick.” Malice glinted in Wren’s eyes. Intent on Cinder now, rather than Arrow or me, Wren clutched the dagger, ready to plunge it into my guardian.
And then a massive shard of ice burst through his chest, shoved through from behind. Wren stumbled and fell to his knees.
Koda stood behind him. Before Wren could react Koda slammed him with a spinning black psi ball. It laid Wren out flat. Koda moved fast, stepping on the fallen demon’s throat. He fed Wren another dark attack.
Not knowing how long the distraction would last, I rushed to Jett. Patting her furry face for signs of life, I was relieved to find her breathing and her pupils responsive. She made a noise low in her throat, a growl of sorts. Her eyes fluttered and then rolled back in her head. A gash on the back of her head bled. She was injured but with her healing abilities I felt confident she’d be ok.
For now I had to leave her.
Spinning around I found Rowen on his feet, leaning on Arrow, nodding to something he said. He rubbed the side of his face where a bruise already formed from Wren’s fist.
I turned back to the two demons in time to see Wren grab hold of Koda’s boot and shove
. With the help of a power burst, he flung Koda off, causing him to use wings to keep upright.
Wren was up in a blur and on Koda like a rabid animal. They went hard at each other, firing off rounds of magic like gunshots. The sound, like thunder, reverberated all around us.
I backed toward the guys, trying to keep the three of us together. “Are you ok?” I asked Rowen, finding him wide eyed and coherent for having taken such a smack.
“Fine.” He gave himself a shake and cracked his knuckles. “What’s our plan?”
“Stay close to Cinder. Don’t let Wren anywhere near him.” I didn’t want Rowen getting back into the thick of things. If anything happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.
With a nod Rowen eased closer to Cinder. Wings spread and hands crackling with electricity, he watched the demons fight.
“Think they’ll burn each other out?” Arrow nodded to where Koda had Wren pinned against the wall.
In seconds Wren pushed back, using enough force to throw Koda on his ass. “No,” I said. “I don’t. This will only end when one of them overpowers the other.”
From behind us Cinder shouted at me to run. To flee.
I caught his eye and shook my head. Too late for running. I couldn’t hide all my life.
Arrow and I were forced to leap out of the way when the demons crashed toward us. The room was large but not big enough that we could easily keep a great distance between us and them. For the first time since he’d come into my life, I wanted to see Koda come out on top.
And that was exactly when Wren quickly gained the upper hand. If only it could be so simple. A demon riding to my rescue, of all damn things. It was against all laws of nature, against everything that made sense in our world. So it just couldn’t happen.
“Your love for her weakens you,” Wren spat into Koda’s face. He’d twisted Koda’s arm behind his back and forced him to his knees. “You’re not the first to fall in love with a mortal. Fool.”
Wren dragged the dagger swiftly across Koda’s neck, from one ear slashing down through both his carotid and jugular. Not content to leave it at that, Wren punched a heavy hand into Koda’s chest from behind and ripped his heart free.