“Try to keep one alive,” Zayne reminded me.
I nodded as the faint glow of Zayne’s skin pulsed. Static charged the air. The back of his shirt ripped as his wings tore free.
“You should check out the shirt the Warden Jordan was wearing,” I told him. “He’d cut two slits in the back for his wings. You’d go through less shirts if you do that.”
He shrugged the ruined shirt aside. “But then you wouldn’t get to see me shirtless.”
I grinned. “Good point.”
“Just looking out for you,” he replied as golden fire spiraled down both his arms, forming those wicked sickle blades.
If any of the Hellions hesitated at the sight of Zayne going full Fallen, I couldn’t tell. They rushed us, and that was when I realized there were more than four.
I’d never seen so many in one place. Good God, there had to be a dozen.
Zayne shot forward, slicing one blade through the chest of a Hellion as his wings lifted him in the air. He landed behind it as it burst into flames, his blades sweeping in a wide arc around him.
The Hellion in front of me disappeared. Cursing, I spun around and jabbed the flaming sword through its belly as it appeared behind me. It roared as I danced back, spinning. “Do you guys really not have clothing in Hell?”
“Would you like to find out?” one of the Hellions snarled, darting to my left and shooting forward, trying to come into my field of restricted vision.
Someone had been talking.
Oh Hell to the no, we were not going to play that game.
Growling under my breath, I shot back into the moonlight, lowering the sword. I stilled, centering myself just as Zayne had taught me. The Hellion’s rasping chuckle came from my right. I heard his steps, and I turned sharply. The Sword of Michael caught the Hellion in the chest.
“Nice try,” I muttered as the Hellion burst into flames. The stench of sulfur filled the rooftop.
“The Harbinger will reward me well.” Hot, fetid breath touched my cheek.
My heart stuttered as I tensed to jump back. A flash of white filled my vision. Zayne came down in front of me, his fiery sickle blade cleaving through the neck of a Hellion.
“Why are you so fascinated by their lack of clothing?” Zayne asked.
Exhaling roughly, I turned. “I’m not fascinated per se.” I lurched forward, thrusting my sword into the midsection of another Hellion. “I’m just curious to why they are always freaking naked.”
“Just don’t think about it.” Zayne’s wings stirred the loose hairs by my face as he moved with dizzying speeds.
“Don’t think about it?” I dipped under the arm of a Hellion, mindful of its stupid mouth. Their bite was venomous, killing a human within seconds and paralyzing a Warden for days. I had no idea what their bite would do to anyone with angelic blood in them. I didn’t plan to find out. “That’s hard to do when they’re naked.”
“Can you see anything traumatizing, Trin?” Zayne asked.
Feinting to my right, I turned to my left. “No, but I know their junk is out.” I aimed for said junk. The howl of pain and then ripple of flames told me I’d hit my target. “That is all I need to know.”
A Hellion rushed out into the stream of moonlight, and I groaned. “Now I can see it—I can see all of it.”
“I really wish you would stop pointing it out.” Zayne landed a few feet from me, slicing through the air with both sickle blades. He took down two Hellions.
I frowned. “I want two swords.”
Zayne laughed as he rose. “You can’t always get what you want.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes as a Hellion raced toward me. “This is the last one?”
“It is.” Zayne’s wings were like two glowing white beacons.
I darted to the left, holding my sword out. The Hellion skidded to a stop. He started to turn, but saw Zayne behind him. The Hellion sunk down onto its haunches, letting out a rumbling growl.
“I wouldn’t try it,” Zayne warned, his sickle blades sparking golden white embers.
“It’s your lucky day,” I said, holding the Sword of Michael with both hands. “You get to live. That is, if you’re smart, and I hope you’re smart. We have a message we want you to deliver to Gabriel.”
Red eyes snapped to mine. A moment passed and then the Hellion grunted out a thick, garbled laugh.
I arched a brow as Zayne muttered, “I don’t think this one is smart.”
“Smarter than you two,” the Hellion snarled.
Claws scraped over stone as a wall of dark, bulky shapes poured over the ledge of the roof. There was a glimpse of moonstone-colored skin and tusklike horns.
“Uh,” I said. “There is like a horde of Nightcrawlers on the roof.”
“How many is a horde?” Zayne asked.
“Um...” I swallowed as I scanned the line that stretched the entire length of the roof. There had to be...dozens. “A metric crap ton, to be exact.”
The Hellion laughed again.
“Shut up.” Zayne struck down the Hellion and then turned, checking out the newcomers. “I have a feeling Gabriel has learned of my upgrade.”
“You think?” I scanned the line of Nightcrawlers as my heart started thumping. None of them were on leashes this time—not like that would’ve made much difference. I liked to think both Zayne and I were badasses, but that was a whole lot of Nightcrawler.
“Kill the Fallen,” one of the Nightcrawlers said. “The nephilim must be alive.”
I sighed as I lifted my sword. “I’m so tired of pointing out that Trueborn is a more appropriate term.”
“That’s kind of sad.” Zayne’s wings rose, grace pulsing and throbbing throughout them. “I like those lectures.”
I didn’t get a chance to response. The Nightcrawlers swarmed forward, the rooftop trembling under their weight. Maybe we’d get lucky and the roof would collapse. I pulled on the grace, preparing for the possibility that we may need to cut our losses and run.
There was a sudden sound of whooshing air. A bright orangey-red burst of light shattered the moonlight-drenched rooftop. My eyes widened as flames spilled over the ledge, licking across the concrete. The fire swept forward so fast, so unexpectedly, that I didn’t even move as it swallowed the Nightcrawlers. I was frozen as their screams echoed all around us.
Zayne’s sickle blades collapsed as he whirled, snagging an arm around my waist. My sword flared intensely and then shattered into a shower of golden embers. Power coiled in Zayne as he prepared to take flight. Heat scorched my cheeks and then the wave of fire retracted, rolling backward.