Looking through the binoculars, Darius nodded, approving my selection.
Laith continued. “Elisa and I will place ourselves within the neighborhood, with Cheryl’s prison in view. Hector, we will be your cover as you enter the house. Grab the asset. Double-back. Cedric and Fiona, stay within the veil. Radio us any movement you see from here. When we give the signal, move in with the trucks.”
“Violet…” Laith’s voice trailed off. “Where’s Violet?”
Hector swore, turning in a circle. “She was right here, I swear! She just—she just disappeared.”
“How can she do that?” Zane asked, his voice accusing.
Hector stopped, straightening to his full height and Zane visibly shrank.
Laith cracked his knuckles, looking about the area. His shrewd gaze took in everything around him. “Demons that are in full possession of a body can do that. I’m guessing that means she has completely taken over Charlotte, but I don’t see how that’s possible unless Charlotte committed a form of suicide. Either that, or she was—”
“Willing,” Fiona finished. “Would Violet warn them of our arrival?”
My brows pulled together as I closed my eyes, searching for Violet. She was nowhere to be found, but a presence did catch my attention.
I recognized Jonathan immediately. My pulse quickened as I crushed the desire to reach out to him.
Was he here for me? Had the Destroyer sent him? Should I tell the others?
Darius cursed beneath his breath, drawing my attention. “It doesn’t matter. The plan is the same. We go in now, or never.”
“Now.” I shot Darius a look, knowing if it were up to him, we wouldn’t be doing this in the first place. Before he changed his mind, I rallied. “I don’t think Violet would betray us, but I wouldn’t put it past her to be searching for the one who betrayed my mother. Either way, we need to act fast.”
“Right,” Laith said. “Mics on.”
It had been so long since I had stepped further than a few yards from the sanctuary borders. As the protection from the veil stripped away, the real world pressed upon my skin. Air full of moisture hung heavy and my heart broke with longing to be among mortals again—not to be trapped inside some protective bubble for the rest of my life.
I broke out in goosebumps as a foreign breeze tickled past my skin, wafting a mixed scent of rain, campfire, and trash. My nose crinkled against the stench.
We shifted in a low crouch and made our way across the empty field. The grass grew thick and tall, reaching mid-calf. The moon’s light was blocked by a thick sky of clouds, providing a perfect amount of darkness to shield our invasion. My pendant buzzed in warning, growing stronger with every step. At the half-way mark we increased the pace and ran in, ducking within the shadows of several water barrels that hid us from view. Darius signaled our arrival.
“Roman, Zane—you’re up.”
Roman and Zane materialized out of thin air and ran to their hiding places on the opposite side. Seconds later, Laith and Elisa raced into the village, their footsteps silent as they passed. Knives drawn, they entered the neighborhood, making their way to the shack that held Cheryl. Hector’s massive build was impressive against the dark night, his shadow growing with every heavy step he took, but soon he passed from our view.
Time crawled. As seconds ticked by, my nerves tightened, threatening to snap. I palmed my pendant, calming it with my touch.
I should be the one going for Cheryl. I should be the one protecting her. It was my fault she was in this mess in the first place. I pressed against my power, searching for her, but she was still closed off, drugged by whatever Annie had given her to stay asleep. My teeth set against each other in an audible click. Darius stared hard at me, a question in his eyes, but I looked away.
“The door is locked,” came Hector’s whisper through the earpiece. “Checking windows.”
“Movement coming from the east side,” Fiona warned. “Ava, you’re about to have company. Stay out of sight; they may pass.”
Darius pressed against my leg, making eye contact. He pulled two knives from each boot. Shifting forward, he crouched, ready. I matched his movements, drawing my weapons and fisting them in my grip.
Moments later, a shadowed figure slinked into sight. Tall and gangly, the hunched man-creature shuffled along the dirt road, his feet immune to the rocks within the pebbled sand.
The wind blew harder, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. The shape-shifter sniffed the air, pausing mere yards from where we hid, and I wondered if he could sense my heartbeat quicken to his presence.
His curved spine straightened, elongating his wolfish features. He sniffed the air a second time. “I smell something… pretty.”
26
Old acquaintances
I could sense Darius’s anger roll off him. Seconds. We had seconds before our cover was blown.
“There are punishments for those that break curfew, but if you come out like a good girl, I’ll go real easy on you.” The creature’s eyes roamed over the debris lining the shanties.
“When I say, run back to the sanctuary. Wait for me there,” Darius whispered. I shook my head, but before either of us could move, Zane’s voice cut through the quiet.
“You’re even uglier than I remember.” He stepped from the shadows and the shape-shifter paused in his advance.
“You’re not what I smelled just now,” he hissed.
“No, that was me.” Darius rose, distancing himself from my spot. “I like wearing my girlfriend’s lotion… among other things.” The shape-shifter stared at him in disgust, but Darius only grinned. “Smells good, don’t you think?”
The demon stepped back as the two men circled him.
Talons erupted from his fingertips. “One yell,” he warned. “All I need is one good yell and others will come.”
“Coward.” Zane pulled a knife from his pocket, opening the blade with an audible snap.
The shape-shifter smirked. Then all hell broke loose.
The demon lunged at Darius with his razor-sharp claws, quicker than I thought possible. Darius jumped back as Zane drew his attention with a side kick to the demon’s elongated ribcage. Talons slashed at Zane, slicing his leg. He cried out, but rallied and readied his knives for more.
Against Darius’s orders, I inched away from the fight, looking for my opportunity. I wasn’t going to leave Cheryl here. Not when I was this close.
Shouts and clatter erupted from my earpiece. Distressed calls sounded through the night.
“Over here! They’re over here!” Charlotte’s voice cried from somewhere nearby and my breath seized.
“Break it down, Hector!” came Laith’s voice over the com.
The shape-shifter sneered. “Sounds like someone’s been found—and now, they’re going to die.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. “Go, Ava,” Darius said into the mic. “Go get your friend.”
Hesitation fled. I leaped from my hiding spot and rounded the corner, running down the single road to where Cheryl’s prison was.
Farther along the dirt path, the sights and sounds of a skirmish flooded my ears. Too muddled from the extra noise, I yanked the hearing piece from my ear and threw it.
Laith battled three demons at once. Elisa fought alongside Hector, who despite his size struggled with two demons. I ran faster. I only had a minute, seconds maybe, until more came.
Cheryl’s door remained closed. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins; I could see everything so perfectly, my path clearly marked in my head. I blew past the others, pocketing my knives and gathering additional energy. Power erupted at the same time my shoulder collided with the rusted door.
I barreled through the entry. Splintered wood flew from the frame. Pain shot through my body as I plowed into the ground. My pendant buzzed from the shock. Dirt ate into the flesh of my cheekbone. I spat a mixture of blood and dust.
Rolling to my side, I sucked in a breath when pain zinged up my arm. I shoo
k my head to clear my vision. Slumped against the wall, Cheryl’s small frame leaned awkwardly to the side. Her shoulder-length blonde hair covered her face, her head sagged to her chest.
I crawled to her, patting her cheeks and cradled her face.
“Cheryl.” But she didn’t budge. I checked for breath and pulse. Fire burned from within as my anger rose to a frightening level. Tears hindered my ability to see. Furiously I wiped at my eyes with the material at my wrist. “It’s alright, Cheryl. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Interesting.” An unfamiliar voice, male, caused my heart to seize.
I leaped from the ground, spinning on the spot and at the same time drawing my knife. My heart beat faster as a man dressed in black stood from his chair in the far corner of the room. Pale and tall, the platinum-blond took a step toward me. I brandished my blade in warning.
He raised his hands and smiled. His eyes, so light, were near transparent. “I’m unarmed.”
My gaze tightened on his human eyes. “Are you—are you a hostage?” I asked. I examined his clean, designer clothes down to his black leather shoes.
The man’s smile grew larger, exposing a set of perfectly straight teeth. “Yes… and no.”
Shifting toward Cheryl, I lifted her from the ground, all the while keeping the mortal in sight. Cradling her in my arms, I inched toward the door.
“Well, if you figure it out, you let me know.”
“You’re Rachel’s daughter, aren’t you?” I jerked back. The man watched me, a queer expression on his lips. “I see her in you.”
“Who are you?” I asked, but he ignored my question.
“I confess myself shocked. No one told me she had a child. I wonder what else has been kept from me.” His gaze traveled the length of my body. “You don’t know how much I think of her.”
“Ava!” Darius shouted my name from the street.
“Ava.” The man repeated my name with a smile. His predator stare stood the hairs on the back of my neck on end. The platinum-blond shifted toward me like a haunt, but as he neared, something ticked in my brain. I spun on the spot, sprinting from the single room with Cheryl in my arms.
Laith was only yards away, fighting three lesser demons. I ran past as he called for the trucks.
“Hector, follow Ava,” Elisa ordered.
Hector fell away from the fight. His heavy steps trailed just behind me.
Darius met us halfway down the single street. I halted, my breathing ragged.
“Take her,” Darius commanded Hector, who quickly grabbed Cheryl up. He transferred her over his shoulder.
The Annihilator had yet to make her entrance. My eyes shifted from each dilapidated home to the next.
“I called for you. Why didn’t you respond?” Darius asked, his voice forced over heavy breaths.
“I threw my earpiece.” I felt the skin of Cheryl’s face. She groaned but didn’t attempt to move. “We’ve got to get out of here. Where’s Zane?”
Darius shook his head. Frustration burned in his eyes. “The shape-shifter bolted. Zane took off after him.” He placed a hand to his ear. “Laith and Elisa are on the way. Everyone to the veil.”
Hector took off in a run with Cheryl over the wide expanse of his shoulders. Darius sprinted after him. Catching up, he took the lead, protecting the asset. I ran after, guarding the rear.
Energy pulsed through my body, my pendant pressed against my chest in warning, but it was too late. Clearing the buildings, we slid to a stop. A line of demons spread out, waiting to receive us. Laith and Elisa joined us a second later. Laith swore under his breath.
“Alright, you two. We’re kind of in a jam here.” I realized Laith spoke to the Healers and wished I hadn’t thrown my earpiece.
“Behind us,” Elisa hissed. Within the shadows, demons poured from shanties into the street. They fanned out, completely encircling us and finishing their trap. Hector and Darius spun on their heels, their backs against ours.
Down the battle line of demons, excited murmurs erupted as their beautiful, pale leader dressed in black leathers emerged from the group. My mother’s murderer strolled into plain view. Grayson the giant demon was her towering shadow, his eyes ever watchful for an attack. Annie had pulled her long, white hair into a high knot, adding a sharpness to her face. Two daggers strapped to her thighs drew my attention. She was here to battle.
My nails dug into the flesh of my palms as I gripped my knife even tighter. The Annihilator stopped mere yards from our group.
“What a lovely surprise!” She smiled, her voice a soft soprano, her air triumphant. “I was just planning to visit you. Now you’ve done me the courtesy of saving me the trip.” She looked thoughtful for a moment; then she leaned, tipping her head deeply to the side. Her brows pinched together, wrinkling her porcelain features as she scanned the still-sleeping Cheryl.
“But this makes me sad,” she said. “Why do you steal from me?”
“We cannot steal what is not rightfully yours.” I spoke through clenched teeth. Elisa put a calming hand on my arm.
Grayson chuckled darkly, but the Annihilator’s head snapped my direction. Anger burned in her eyes until recognition dawned. A smile grew and a laugh bubbled from her lips. She clapped her hands in excitement. “My Defender! How I’ve longed to meet you.” She quickly inhaled, then blew out an exaggerated deep breath. “I’ve been looking for you for years. But you’re just a child.” Her head tipped to the other side as she regarded me. Eyes narrowed, she ticked her finger at me. “You have made me wait far too long.”
“And you’ll just have to keep waiting.” Fiona’s voice rang from above the crowd. From behind the line blocking our retreat, she, along with Cedric, Roman, and Noah, led our compound warriors across the grassy field. They halted a hundred yards from the enemy, who shifted between the desire to attack or flee the newcomers. Grayson stepped away from his leader, threatening the demonic league with a look, but Annie was far from vulnerable. Other lesser demons crowded around her like moths to a deadly flame.
Roman and Noah darted among the ranks, calling for calm and giving orders. The group spread down the line of the border, flanking both sides of their Healers. The sound of steel upon the air cut into my soul as weapons unsheathed. These people were my wards, they were my friends. Cheryl was a priority, but they all needed me.
They stood at the ready, and the space around us went silent while an explosion set off inside my mind. I grabbed a second knife from my pocket and flipped it open, gripping both in my fists. Laith and Elisa eased between me and the Annihilator. Every step they took, the noise between my ears intensified.
The air grew heavier, my breath deepening in response. I drew closer to Darius, finding comfort with his back touching mine, as I anxiously shifted from one foot to the other. He reached behind to touch my hip, but only for a moment.
The Annihilator sneered, watching with shrewd eyes as the Healers finally unsheathed their blades.
Laith took a steady step forward. “It’s over, Annihilator. Let us go.”
Her gaze shifted. “It is far from over, Herald. You took my mortal.”
“She is not yours,” he said.
Her lip quivered. “She is when I say she is! I warned her. I warned the Defender. I would kill everyone she ever knew.”
“You cannot win against The Three,” Elisa said.
“The Three?” The Annihilator shook her head sadly. “I am surprised—your Defender is so young. Is The Three so completely bonded? Is it right for you to thrust on her a mate when she is only an infant?”
“I am far from infancy,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “Call back your demons or you will discover what this child can do.”
“I will do no such thing. My demons are loyal to my cause. We may not be able to kill all of you, but we will kill many. You came to me, remember?” Her lips twisted into a wicked grin. Sliding her knife from the holster on her thigh, the Annihilator eyed the sleeping Cheryl with a predator’s gaze. “But
I will make a deal. I have grown fond of your friend. Return Cheryl and you may go free, without any bloodshed.”
“I don’t think that will be possible.” Charlotte’s voice plunged my heart into my stomach. Head held high, she shuffled into view, Zane tight against her chest, her knife to his throat.
Charlotte or Violet?
Blood marred Zane’s face and shirt. He grimaced with every forced step.
“Zane!” Elisa cried.
The Annihilator laughed. “What is this?”
Seeing red, I moved. Darius sensed my anger and grabbed my hand. A burst of energy shot from my palm, forcing him to release. Although controlled enough not to hurt, murmurs erupted from both lines of warriors upon seeing my power displayed. I could feel my face turn color.
“Stay where you are!” she screamed, but it was Charlotte’s voice, not Violet’s that commanded me. The panic in her ice-blue eyes and the way she shook confirmed my suspicions.
“Calm down, Charlie.” Darius held his hands high.
“Charlotte.” It was less than a whisper, but she heard me. “Let him go.” I edged closer. “He was your friend. He loved you, remember?”
Charlotte stepped toward the Annihilator. A tear leaked from her eyes. “Stop, Ava. I’ll kill him.” She slid the edge of the blade closer to Zane’s skin and I halted my movements.
“This is wonderful!” Annie clapped her hands and the shape-shifter slunk a step closer.
Charlie pinned him with a glare. “Keep those filthy talons away from me, creature.” She glared at the Annihilator. “Where is he? Where is my maker?”
The Annihilator smiled.
“Wait. You are not her maker?” Laith asked.
Annie’s gaze tightened. “Me?”
“She is your spy, sent to do your bidding, was she not?” Elisa’s voice was a deadly calm.
“My spy?” Annie placed a hand to her chest, a faux look of shock etched upon her face.
Elisa smirked. “Whose else could it be? You are the one with some strange obsession with my brothers and sisters, are you not?”
Personal Guardians Page 33