Eae’s eyes had begun to widen and his mouth was open in a silent shout. Phix had a similar look on her face and she had already begun leaning to the side to try and avoid the dagger. I knew that she wouldn’t be fast enough.
My eyes settled on Quentin’s vulnerable throat and I smiled. I felt a sharp flash of pain in my gums and tongue, and then I tasted my own blood, making me shudder with pleasure. I explored with my tongue to feel my canine teeth had grown significantly longer and sharper. I sucked in a surprised breath, feeling my flesh tingle and a newfound set of instincts completely take over my mind and body.
Save Phix. The Nephilim already killed two of yours. Eye for an eye. Blood for blood. Take them.
The next thing I knew, I had blurred forward and swatted the airborne dagger out of harm’s way with my claws. Then I palmed Quentin’s face and sank my new fangs into his neck. Nephilim blood filled my mouth and my knees buckled as I let out a rapturous groan. I didn’t just take his blood; I felt something being drawn out of me at the same time.
And with it came a sense of completion. A powerful rush of energy that made me feel like I was physically buzzing.
I heard a tinny ringing in my ears that grew louder and louder until I felt a faint popping sensation in my chest. A shockwave of power whipped out of me in a perfect circle, sending everyone in my proximity flying and tumbling.
Quentin fell to the ground at my feet, his neck ravaged and my claws sliding out of his abdomen in a soft, bloody whisper. I didn’t remember stabbing him but his hot blood flowed over my knuckles like warm oil. I heard a sharp metallic click before time returned to normal and sound came blasting back at full volume.
Eae scrambled to his feet, staring at my mouth with a horrified look on his face. “What have you done?” he hissed, staring at the blood dripping down my chin and claws. Phix had regained her feet and was crouched low, ready to pounce as she glared at the angel. Adrian was slowly rising to all fours, moaning painfully.
I stumbled back a few steps, feeling panicked yet hauntingly energetic. My skin was vibrating and pulsing. I licked my lips and shuddered. “It…tastes like honey,” I rasped.
Rather than reply, Eae lifted his massive spear and hurled it at me. There was a blur of motion and a chiming clang that sent the spear flying off to the side where it tore through a tree wider than my waist. The tree fell, groaning and creaking before it crashed down to the ground with a resounding thud. I realized I was smiling and that my eyes were locked onto the man now standing between me and Eae.
Adrian, the last Nephilim.
Except he now had long silver claws extending from his fists, identical to mine. He stared at Eae, licking his lips with a feral twinkle in his eyes. “You do not touch the White Rose,” Adrian said in a low, basso growl. I felt like raising my hand or tapping him on the shoulder to ask what the fuck was going on.
Eae curled his lip in outrage, eyeing both of us with a livid glare. “You were not supposed to know about that, Callie Penrose,” he growled. “No one was supposed to know.” He took a step closer—
Adrian leapt forward, slicing his claws through Eae’s stomach and then pummeling the angel with his fists and claws. Eae grunted with each blow, too shocked to react to the Nephilim’s rage.
I wiped the blood from my mouth, realizing that no one but Eae seemed to have noticed how I’d killed the first Nephilim, Quentin. Phix’s eyes had gone straight for my claws, spotting the blood and then dismissing the murder from further scrutiny.
Rather than waiting for an explanation, or for Adrian to possibly shift his bloodthirsty rage and claws on someone else, Phix tackled him from the side. They skidded into the fountain and Phix slammed his head into the stone with a hiss. “Enough of this insanity,” she snarled. Adrian twitched, blood dripping from the wound on the back of his head. She glanced over at me with a merciless shrug. “He had crazy eyes.”
Eae finally crashed to his knees, clutching at his throat. I hadn’t even seen Adrian slice his neck but there was now a fan of blood down his chest. I stared in disbelief as his eyes fluttered closed. Then his wings fell limp and boneless as he finally toppled to his side next to Adrian. Blood instantly began to pool on the ground from his messy wounds. I sucked in a sharp breath as the blood touched Adrian’s claws and was instantly absorbed like it had been sucked up from a straw. Phix had already loped back to the Divines to calm them down, so she hadn’t noticed Adrian’s claws drinking the blood. Adrian’s wounds immediately healed, the blood no longer dripping from his head, and he began to breathe easier.
My eyes bulged in disbelief.
Ryuu and Lucky stepped up beside me, ignoring Adrian and staring at Eae with blank faces. They obviously hadn’t noticed Adrian’s swift recovery. Their presence was probably the reason behind Phix’s abandoning me rather than staying to protect me from Eae when he woke back up. I heard Phix speaking in soft, comforting tones to Zoe and Bai, reassuring them that they were safe. I glanced back, frowning to see they looked surprisingly skittish. I wasn’t sure if it was the swift speed and violence of the confrontation—of my hyper speed, subconscious, primal instinct to attack Quentin—or the fact that an Angel had just gotten his ass kicked by a friendly.
To protect me. The now-healed Adrian—thankfully unconscious—had protected me from his boss.
Ryuu pursed his lips, shifting his gaze from Eae to Adrian. “The Nephilim killed the angel,” he said, sounding troubled.
My eyes widened in horror. Ryuu…was right. Eae was not breathing. “What have we done?” I whispered, staring at the dead angel. “I thought only you could do that?”
Ryuu considered my question, studying the angel. “It depends on how strong they are. Anyone can kill an angel. Even you, Callie. But only if your heart is fully invested in the act. It’s all about passion of purpose. When it comes to the First Sphere of angels like the Seraphim, the Cherubim, the Thrones, and the real Archangels…” he said, cracking his knuckles. “I’m your man.”
Lucky gripped my shoulder with a nervous look in his eyes. “We need to leave. Now,” he whispered. “The rest of the Archangels will sense this and come to lay vengeance. We must be nowhere near this…unveiled secret. I must be nowhere near this, specifically.”
I pointed at the body. “Adrian killed his angel boss, not me. That’s fairly obvious by looking at the wounds,” I said, pointing. “And why do you not look surprised to learn that Nephilim are bloodsucking holy vampires?” I hissed, pointing at Adrian’s claw, which was noticeably drinking up Eae’s pool of blood. Ryuu grunted, his eyes widening a hair. So, he hadn’t noticed it either.
Lucky shook his head, firmly. “No one speaks about it. I’m surprised Eae even knew about it, to be honest. Good talk, now let’s go,” he pressed, attempting to pull me away.
“Wait!” I snapped, feeling like my mind had snapped in two. “They’re actually freaking vampires?”
Lucky pondered my question, glancing at the skies anxiously. “Kind of? Why do you think Heaven and Hell lost their collective shit the moment you became Dracula? They knew you were already a Horseman, but to then see you take over the entire Sanguine Council? How long until you took over their elite, secret, Nephilim vampire army, leaving them defenseless here on Earth? Yeah, they were fucking terrified of this exact thing.”
I felt a migraine coming on. “Is that why Hell really rose up? The Sins escaping and coming to Kansas City? Why Wrath was so adamant about marrying me?”
Lucky nodded. “This conversation would be so much more fun not standing over a crime scene.” I narrowed my eyes and began tapping my foot. Ryuu looked just as incredulous, which meant it truly was a giant secret. Lucky let out a frustrated breath. “Fine. The Sins came as a direct retaliation to Heaven scoping out your city. We weren’t going to let them have all the fun. The moment you became Dracula, it sent a shockwave throughout the cosmos. A crack in the foundation of their eons of power. Our eons of power,” he corrected. “That is why the angels have all been so scared
of you, trying to tame you and manipulate you. You also hold their spear, of course. It’s almost comical how many times you’ve unintentionally punched them in the nose.”
I stared down at Eae, seeing him in a new light.
Ryuu suddenly cursed. “I took some of his hair. And Eae thought he was being watched at our earlier meeting.”
“Get rid of the hair!” I hissed, glad that he had remembered. The angels who found his body might have used it to track us down. I studied the two Nephilim with a nervous frown, realizing that it wasn’t the only evidence of my presence here. I’d bitten Quentin in the neck and slurped his blood. Had Ryuu and Lucky not noticed me doing it? I remembered how time had slowed down, only resuming after the shockwave of power erupted out of me. Quentin was very dead, but Adrian was merely unconscious after his claws had consumed Eae’s blood.
I frowned, noticing Adrian’s bracelet had broken off. I flicked my gaze to Quentin’s body to see that his had also broken off. A chill ran down my spine. Had my shockwave ripped off their bracelets, breaking their servitude with Heaven and the angels? Was that how I’d unknowingly drawn Adrian into defending me from Eae? Lucky hadn’t mentioned anything about the bracelets, but it made sense. The Nephilim hadn’t seemed aware of their vampiric abilities, and the angels would have needed a way to keep them in line rather than have them revolt at their enslavement.
“We can’t just leave him here,” I said, indicating the unconscious Adrian. “He’s now a murderer and no longer bound to their will. They will kill him.”
Lucky gave me a wry look. “You want to adopt this vampire Nephilim? Who knows how much restraint he has now that he’s tasted angel blood. What if he turns into a monster? We don’t know how to control him while he adapts to his new…appetite.” Lucky said, warily. He pointed at the bracelet. “That is how they keep the vampire Nephilim in line and unaware of their latent natures. And that is also the extent of my knowledge.”
Although glad to hear confirmation about the bracelets, I shook my head, pensively. “Not vampire. He used claws. He’s something different.”
Ryuu shrugged. “You saw how he looked at you, Callie. That was a worshipful and adoring look.” I tried not to flinch, recalling my own sudden thirst for blood. What the hell was going on with me? Sensing heartbeats and now growing fangs? I didn’t have any new thirst or hunger on my mind, and I actually felt decidedly sick to my stomach at the thought of drinking from Quentin’s neck. However…I also felt a thrill of anticipation at the rush of power I’d felt. I tried to keep all this from my face, not wanting my friends to suddenly look at me as a monster. “The moment you broke his bracelet, he would have been flooded with new, overwhelming hunger like typical, freshly turned vampires,” Ryuu continued. “Instead of avenging his partner, he immediately rose to defend you.”
Was that why I now felt a responsibility to him? I’d woken him up, freed him, and…I was supposed to just let him take the fall for killing Eae?
Ryuu stepped forward. “I could stab Eae in the heart to make it look like I murdered him with Angel Killer. That way they won’t know we discovered their Nephilim secret.”
Lucky snapped his fingers. “Brilliant idea. Do that. Then we can go get some barbecue, because I am famished.”
19
I shot Lucky a disgusted look and then turned to Ryuu. “That will put you on Heaven’s Most Wanted list.”
He shrugged. “It is the only logical explanation they might buy. Who else could kill an angel if not the Halo Breaker?” he asked, glancing over both of his shoulders as if searching for a nonexistent patsy. “And he will not be the first angel I’ve killed. How do you think I earned the moniker?” he asked in a dry tone. “I’m already on their Most Wanted list. I will just have to lay low for a while. I’m good at living in the shadows, and we also have the demon assassins to deal with. I won’t be bored.”
With a sick feeling in my stomach, I nodded. “Thank you, Ryuu. We can take Adrian back with us to try and figure out what this is all about. I’m sure Castle Dracula has a safe place to stow him where he can’t go on a rampage.”
Lucky chuckled, “As long as you don’t have any angels hiding at Castle Dracula, you should be fine. If this Nephilim wakes up to see another angel, his instincts might take over.”
I nodded, assessing Lucky. “He didn’t attack you, Lucky. You really aren’t an angel any longer, are you?”
He shook his head. “Maybe he would have reacted if I’d called up my bodyguards,” he said with a thoughtful frown.
I nodded, approaching the two open cuffs on the ground and scooping them up. I discreetly touched the puddle of Eae’s blood with my own claws and cringed as they drank up the angel’s blood just like Adrian’s had done. Damn it. The Nephilim really were tied to me. Why was I only now growing fangs and sensing heartbeats? I buried the fear deep, not wanting to add to the drama we were already facing. No one else seemed to have noticed my thirsty claws as I saw Ryuu rest the tip of his sword over Eae’s heart.
“I feel like we should say something,” Lucky said, frowning.
I nodded, rising to my feet. “That’s very thoughtful. You probably knew him best.” Ryuu stepped back, dipping his chin respectfully and holding his katana at his side.
Lucky cleared his throat, studying his fallen brother. “Eae, Demon Thwarter, Angel of Heaven…” he said, rattling off the titles by rote and with surprising respect, “was the biggest asshole I ever met.”
Silence stretched over the park and Ryuu and I gawked at the Anghellian with horrified looks.
He noticed our attention and shrugged. “What? I’m not going to lie over his grave. People don’t magically become better people once they die. Guy was a total prick.”
Ryuu rested his sword back on Eae’s chest. After a moment, he grunted, looking startled. “The prick is apparently still alive,” he said in a calm tone.
My heart dropped into my stomach. “What?” I hissed, leaning forward. I tried to force my new senses to obey. After a few unsuccessful moments, my temples began to throb and I was about to give up. That’s when I finally heard it. A very faint, weak pulse coming from Eae’s chest.
“Want me to kill him anyway?” Ryuu asked, glancing over at me. “He made it abundantly clear that he is no longer on our side. He is your direct enemy. Do you know why he had the sudden change of heart? Was that blast of magic something you meant to do?” he asked, still pressing the katana against Eae’s heart.
I blinked at the onslaught of questions, knowing I had no good answers. I didn’t want to talk about my fangs or the shockwave of power. I wanted to talk to Adrian when he woke up and see if I could get any information from him. Maybe Solomon knew something about this—another reason to go visit him. He also might know something about the cuffs I had pocketed. “Don’t execute him,” I finally said. Not wanting them to know I could now sense heart beats, I feigned ignorance. “Are you sure he’s actually alive? Or is he going to bleed out in the next five minutes anyway? Because I’d rather not take him with us and get caught transporting a dead angel.”
Ryuu studied Eae pensively. “I think he’s actually going to make it. His wounds are slowly healing.” He looked over at me with a meaningful look. “My other comment still stands. He wants to kill you now. For this,” he said, gesturing at the Nephilim. “He might have answers, but he won’t give them up easily, and you also want to take Adrian with us. The Nephilim who tried to murder Eae in your name. You are asking for trouble a dozen different ways, and we already have Legion to deal with. Possibly other angels and Nephilim. And Olympians,” he reminded me.
I nodded. “I know, but we can’t execute him when he’s helpless and sleeping. Maybe we can convince him to talk to us. We already know he’s suspicious of his superiors. We have to take the chance. Maybe seeing that Adrian is alive will prove to him that I’m not the monster he fears.”
“Prick,” Lucky reminded us, shaking his head.
Ryuu pulled his sword away. “As you wis
h. I can take both of them to Aala, along with Lucky and the girls. Perhaps my sister can tweak their chakras and give all of us some much-needed answers, him included,” he said, in a surprisingly compassionate tone as he glanced at Adrian. “I’m sure he will have many, many questions about his…enslavement. And it’s difficult to remain angry after a dip in the Rebirth Pond,” he said with a smile. My responding smile was bitter and hollow. Ryuu and I had been planning on taking a private swim there after our training. “Xuanwu and Qinglong can keep them in line when they wake up.”
Phix approached with the Divines, handing them off to Lucky. “They’re good. Just trying to get a grip on their new world. They seem to have a kill first, question later mentality, which I totally appreciate,” she said with a playful smile, bumping her shoulder against Bai. “But I am mature and responsible, so I talked them down.”
Lucky knelt down in front of Zoe and Bai. “Looks like no skinny dipping for us, girls.”
I rolled my eyes at both of them. “I need to talk to Fabrizio and then Roland about the vampire mass exodus. We can meet up at Castle Dracula after.” I dreaded the private talk Fabrizio had requested, confident that the topic would only add to my growing list of problems, but I owed it to him to at least hear him out. Especially now that I’d just hospitalized his resident angel, eaten a Nephilim, and exposed another as a new flavor of clawed vampire.
Ryuu considered my words, looking like he was calculating risks. Rather than argue that I shouldn’t be left unattended, he nodded. “I will track Legion after I get these two sorted and check on my ninjas.”
I smiled, strangely happy about his agreement. He hadn’t tried to coddle me and get overprotective, although I knew part of him wanted to. He trusted me, and that made me inordinately proud. It wasn’t that I wanted his approval, but knowing how dangerous he was, it was the fact that he gave it freely that made me cherish it so much more.
Trinity: Feathers and Fire Book 9 Page 11