“It’s not going to be easy.” Gray moved closer to Brenna, his hand coming around her waist.
“If things go well, they won’t know until it’s too late.” Seraph motioned them forward. “Time’s wasting. We need to get started.”
“Agreed.” Agnes stepped forward to join them. “My sisters have given the soldiers amulets. They need to wear them at all times, so we can find them and transport them home.”
“Good. That should help their confidence.” Seraph walked to the first set of soldiers and clasped the shoulder of the one in front. “You’re in command of the first strike. Wait until at least three teams arrive, then take down the guards. The next three groups will penetrate the building while you distract the demons.” He glanced at Brenna. “Just hold on until we get there to back you up.” Nodding to the witches, he stepped back.
A wave of magic enveloped the warriors and they disappeared from sight. Seraph went from group to group, repeating the process. Once all his men had joined the battle, he turned back to them. “I don’t have time to prep you, so follow my lead.”
They circled him and waited for the witches to do their magic.
“Are you coming?” Brenna asked Agnes.
She shook her head. “I’ll wait here to make sure everyone gets back.”
The witches began to chant. Magic thickened the air around them, warming their skin and loosening their bodies. Brenna closed her eyes and waited for the initial burn of the transport to recede. Taking long deep breaths, she tried to relax. Her skin tingled with power.
Then the magic disappeared.
Brenna opened her eyes. There were no sounds of battle. The screams of the soldiers were strangely absent. The spell hadn’t worked. “What happened?” she asked, looking around.
The witches were ashen. Several of them had fallen to the ground, blood dripping from their ears. Something had interfered with their magic. Brenna would bet money it was Adare, but how had he found out about the attack? They had been careful to keep the operation under wraps.
“Damn it,” Seraph cursed. “We have to get to the battle. Those men are sitting ducks.”
Agnes looked up from where she was caring for one of her own. “That’s the least of your worries. Something’s coming. I can feel it.”
“What do you mean?” As Gray stepped toward her, a rumble came from the earth beneath them, and the room began to shake.
Unable to retain her balance, Brenna hit the floor just as the mirrored wall shattered, spraying shards of glass across the room. Several slivers embedded in her forearm. “Was it Adare?” she yelled at Agnes.
The witch didn’t respond. She was crawling across the floor toward the other witches. A spasm wracked her body and she collapsed, tears streaming down her face. A jagged piece of glass had sliced her open. Blood streamed from her stomach as Seraph lifted her in his arms. Her sister witches surrounded her as she lay, barely breathing, in Seraph’s lap. Healing magic filled the air.
One of the fluorescent overhead lights hit the ground beside them and shattered. The witches continued without pause as the room around them fell apart. Thankfully, after a few moments, Agnes stirred. She was fully healed.
“Are you okay?” Gray grabbed Brenna by the waist. He moved his hands across her body to search for injuries.
“It’s only a flesh wound.” She held out her forearms. Blood trailed across them to pool on the floor.
“We have to get out of here. It’s caving in.” Keegan shouted. He pushed through the debris to the doorway.
Seraph met them halfway, flanked by the witches. “Go get Lucy and get out of here,” he ordered. “We’ll get everyone else.”
“We’ll help you.” Gray replied.
“No.” Seraph shook his head. “I need you to get to the battle. The hunters we sent aren’t strong enough. They’ll die if you wait too long. Get Lucy, get topside, and teleport out. That’s an order.” He pushed passed them into the hall. The ceiling groaned, falling a few more inches.
Brenna’s heart raced. Being buried alive was not her idea of a good time. Aside from that, Seraph was right. The battle had begun. If they didn’t get there soon, those hunters were demon fodder.
Ignoring the shaking walls, Brenna stumbled through the hallway to the main entrance. As she stepped into the room, her heart fell. Part of the ceiling had fallen on Lucy’s booth. The glass had shattered, and what remained of the wooden desk was in splinters.
There was no sign of the gargoyle.
“Lucy?” Brenna pushed through the debris to the desk. “Where are you?”
Keegan and Gray sorted through the rubble as Brenna called Lucy’s name. A stray tear trickled down her cheek. Her heart hurt. Over the years, Lucy had become a constant in her life. She loved the little monster.
Brenna threw aside piece after piece of glass to reach the counter. Her arms were bleeding profusely. Then the room shuddered. She threw herself backwards as a large chunk of the cement ceiling hit the ground where she had been. The disturbance shifted the rubble, and a bright orange spot appeared.
She sank to her knees, frantically digging as she yelled for Keegan and Gray. Within moments they uncovered Lucy’s still figure. Brenna settled herself on the ground and pulled the gargoyle onto her lap, her pulse thready and her breathing shallow. Lucy wheezed and jerked, but Brenna held her still. She closed her eyes and let her magic flow. It erected a fiery barrier around them to purify the air and prevent infection. Sparks flew from Brenna’s palm, caressing the open wounds on Lucy’s abdomen and neck. It took several minutes to knit the gashes together. When she was finished, Brenna helped Lucy sit.
“I picked a hell of a day to wear a dress.” Lucy glanced at the now tattered garment. With Keegan’s help, she managed to get to her feet. Brushing her hands off on her skirt, she glanced at Brenna “We’re even. No more moon pies.”
Brenna laughed, nodding. She tried to stand, but her legs wouldn’t hold her weight. Gray wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She had to lean on him to keep from falling.
“We need to go.” Keegan glanced around. “I don’t think this is going to hold much longer.”
Pieces of concrete rained from the ceiling. The structure wouldn’t last long. If the ceiling went, the tunnels would soon follow. They were already filling with a steady stream of dirt.
Brenna leaned her head against Gray’s shoulder. She didn’t have the strength to teleport them. For him to move all four of them would be a significant drain, but it was their only option.
Keegan followed her gaze. Walking to the glass doors, he peered into the passageways. “They’re filling fast. We’ll never make it out.”
Brenna fought back panic as the room jerked to one side and began to shake. They were running out of time.
“Get next to me. I’ll get us out.” Gray motioned them closer.
His magic wrapped around them, a thick cloak against the raining concrete and swirling dust. It was different than the witches’ magic. Warm and comforting, it covered Brenna’s body and forced her to relax. When she opened her eyes, they were standing in the road beside the entrance to the tunnels.
“Nifty trick.” Lucy brushed the dirt from her dress. “But where are Seraph and the others?”
There was no sign of life anywhere near them, but that didn’t mean anything. They could be at the other entrance.
“They’ll be okay. Seraph’s tough.” Keegan helped Lucy into their SUV. “Give Lucy your keys so she can get to the boarding house. We need to get to the airport.”
“Agreed.” Gray tossed Lucy the keys. Gathering his magic once again, he shifted them into battle.
The compound that had once housed the Denver International Airport sat abandoned on a desolate plane of scorched earth. There were no trees, no vegetation of any kind. This left them with zero options if they wanted to pull o
ff a covert attack. Seraph’s plan to teleport in the soldiers had been a good one. Under normal circumstances, it should have worked.
Gray put them down in the midst of the battle. There was no time to think, only do. At first glance, it seemed the hunters had stood their ground. Although they were grossly outnumbered, there were more hunters than demons standing on the outskirts of the building.
Brenna pushed away from Gray. She found the lead hunter near the edge of the fight, surrounded by demons. There was a dagger deep in his thigh, and blood poured from his leg. One of the demons had him by the neck and was pounding him against a rock wall.
With a twitch of her wrist, Brenna’s athame sailed through the air. It hit the demon square between the eyes. The wound killed him instantly. When he fell to the ground, the hunter still in his grasp, the other demons glanced around, unsure where the assault had come from. Brenna lobbed fireballs at them. One struck gold, killing two demons at once. The rest scattered.
“Are you okay?” She crouched beside the hunter and wove a spell of protection around them. The dagger wound was already oozing with infection. The blade had been poisoned and the vile substance was spreading through his blood.
“Leave me.” Blood trickled from his lips. “Help the others.”
She shook her head. “Not an option.”
He screamed as she yanked the dagger free. It fell to the ground and rolled beneath a stone. Brenna placed both hands on his wound. “This is going to hurt.”
She turned her power into a cleansing fire which danced through his blood and destroyed the toxins. His screams turned shrill, but he didn’t pass out. Once Brenna was satisfied the venom was destroyed, she healed the gaping skin.
“Good as new.” She handed him the fallen dagger, then helped him to his feet. “What’s your name?” she asked as she released the spell surrounding them.
“Ryder.” He stared at her like she had three heads.
She would have said something else, but a demon attacked and they were forced apart. She slammed a fireball into the closest demon. He fell writhing to the ground, but his buddies surrounded her. With a murmured incantation, she swept the mass of demons with a freezing spell. They stopped, frozen, an inexplicable expression on their faces. A powerful roundhouse kick to their chests and they shattered. Pieces flew in every direction in an icy storm of body parts. After that the demons gave her a wide berth. “You okay?” Keegan appeared at her side. “You’re pale.”
A slew of demons converged on them. Keegan shook his head, an irritated look on his face. Wrapping his arms around his broad chest, he exploded into dragon form. The demons shrank back, clutching their weapons. The size of a large house, Keegan yawned at them. His bluish-green iridescent scales sparkled in the moonlight as he trampled the smallest demons underfoot. Those left shrank back with a terrified shriek. The dragon’s mouth closed over the closest one. Gripping it in his teeth, he shook his head. The demon stopped shrieking.
Keegan glanced back at Brenna, the creature’s legs hanging from his mouth. “Tastes like chicken,” he muttered, his voice low and gravelly. Someone really should have taught him to eat with his mouth closed. He tilted his head back and swallowed what was left.
Brenna felt sick.
The rest tried to scattered, but, before they could, Keegan sprayed them with a plume of fire. The crispy demons fell to the ground in a pile of ash.
It was the first time she had gotten a good look at Keegan’s alternate form. He was enormous. His thick neck reached far above the roof of the compound as he shifted about to roast all the demons he could find. After a few moments, his massive body shuddered. The shift to his human shape was nearly impossible to detect. One moment he was a fire-breathing monster, the next a semi-normal man.
“Nice.” Gray stepped beside them. “But there’s more on the way.”
They glanced at the front door. Wave after wave of minions streamed through the narrow space.
“These guys are collateral damage, the real threat is inside.” Once Keegan pointed it out, the enemies’ plan of attack was obvious. Someone didn’t want them to get through those doors.
“Let the others hunters handle this, I found another entrance.” Gray motioned for them to follow.
Something had carved a hole into the aluminum siding on the far end of the building. Gray kept guard as Keegan and Brenna squeezed through the small space. It was a tight fit for Keegan even in his human form, but Brenna managed to shove him through. The tunnel ended in an empty airline terminal.
Brenna didn’t trust vacant rooms, but she wasn’t strong enough to search it with her magic. “I’m betting this is a trap,” she said as Gray joined them.
“Me too.” Gray shrugged. “But we weren’t getting through the front door.”
A rustling sound came from the far corner of the room. Brenna tensed, readying herself.
“Took you long enough.” A man stepped from behind a pile of rubble. “I was beginning to think I’d have to come get you.” Moving forward, he stepped into the light.
Seraph.
Brenna released the breath she had been holding. “You scared the hell out of me.” She sank to the ground, her body screaming in pain.
Gray stepped forward. “Did everyone get out?”
“We did the best we could. The building collapsed. I left Agnes and her coven in charge. They’re searching for survivors,” Seraph replied. “Half our hunters are missing or dead.”
Brenna closed her eyes. The others would have to wait. They had a job to do. “How long have you been here?”
“Not long. When I saw what was happening, I found another way in.”
“Nice choice.” Keegan said as he moved beside Gray. “What now?”
“This room was full of grunts.” Seraph motioned to the pile of bodies now visible behind him. “I cleaned house.” Seraph paused. “All the hunters that made it inside are dead. Their bodies are lying in the hallway. Someone pushed them against the wall to make a path.”
Brenna closed her eyes. Today’s losses were in the hundreds. If they didn’t fall back soon, those numbers would continue to climb.
“We need to grab the leader and get out.” Keegan rubbed his hands together. “I’ll do the grabbing.”
“Those halls are full of manticore demons. They’re inside their hosts, but you’ll still never get through on your own. We go together,” Seraph instructed. “Gray will grab the one in charge and transport it out of here. We kill as many of the others as we can. I’ll tell Agnes to pull the hunters out.”
“Where am I going to put the demon?” Gray replied. “Headquarters is gone.” Gray helped Brenna to her feet. “And Brenna’s on her last legs.”
“Brenna can take care of herself,” she responded. “Take the creature to the boarding house. You can use the shed out back.”
Gray raised an eyebrow. “I’m not taking him home with me.”
She shrugged. “They already know where we live. It’s not like there’s anywhere else.”
“All righty then, let’s go.” Keegan threw open the door and stepped into the corridor.
The halls were littered with the fallen bodies of demon hosts and IRT hunters. The battle had been raging only an hour. It was unusual to have such staggering losses. She could hear the demons ahead. Their chirping voices sounded similar to newly hatched cicadas. As Brenna turned the corner, the others at her back, she saw four of them.
The chirping escalated in pitch as the demons flung a massive swirl of dark energy toward Brenna. She ducked, praying the others weren’t hit.
“This is new,” Gray muttered. “Since when do demons fight like mages?”
Keegan chuckled. “Keeps life interesting.” Pushing past them, he raced toward the demons as he changed form. He was like a torpedo of bluish-green scales and fire. He devoured the demon closest to him and disposed of him wit
h one quick swallow. With a burp, he swung around to face them. “They really are tasty. Can I have another?”
The rest of the demons fled down the hall toward Brenna, Gray and Seraph. Apparently, they were the lesser threat.
Brenna turned to Gray. “There’s one for each of us, Keegan evened the odds.”
For a moment Gray studied her, probably wanting to tell her to step back. But he didn’t. “I’ll take the one on the left. He looks like the leader.” He grabbed her by the waist and kissed her hard. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
Brenna couldn’t watch his fight. She had to concentrate on her own. She hurled a mass of power at the closest demon. The icy sphere struck the beast and rendered it senseless. A front kick to its chest, and it hit the ground. Brenna plunged her athame between its eyes, chanting the spell to send it through the Veil.
She stood to take inventory of her surroundings. Seraph and Keegan stood at her side. Gray was gone and so were the demons. The sounds of the battle outside poured through the windows.
“We got what we came for. Let’s get the hell out of here.” Brenna pushed past Seraph and peered outside. “What’s the issue?”
“Agnes isn’t responding,” Seraph growled.
“Damn it.” Now back in his human form, Keegan slammed his fist into the wall. The building shuddered. “How do we get them out of here?”
Brenna closed her eyes. What she was about to suggest wasn’t going to rub anyone the right way. “I can get us out, but I’ll need to borrow some power.”
“There’s a catch, isn’t there?” Keegan grimaced. “Or you would have told us earlier.”
Brenna nodded. “You need to drink my blood.” She ignored Keegan’s eager gaze “It’ll let me open a connection with you so I can siphon your power.”
“Don’t you already have a connection with Mira? Why not draw off her?” Keegan watched her carefully. “I don’t like to share.”
“She’s a vampire. She doesn’t have a life force.” Brenna tried to be patient, but they were running out of time.
Fading Light: Shadow Born, Book 2 Page 15
