Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Enzo
Marsha stepped out of the cathedral and spread out her arms wide, as if embracing the storm itself. The wind rolled around her, her black dress billowing like the wings of some vengeful angel. Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the cruel satisfaction painted across her face.
Rage rolled over me like red-hot fire, burning away every rational thought. My hands trembled—not with fear, but with the desperate need to tear her apart. I cracked my neck, feeling the familiar surge of bloodlust. “Where’s Joy?”
She laughed—a sound like breaking glass that made my skin crawl. “Someplace you’ll never find her, vampire enforcer. She’s ours to control.” Her eyes glittered with malicious glee, savoring every word like a fine wine.
“Over my dead body.” The promise came out low and deadly, heavy with violence.
“Exactly.” Her smile widened, revealing teeth that seemed too sharp. “Gunnar, Hades, I order you to kill them, kill them all.”
Terror spiked through me—not for myself, but for the others. Angelo immediately rushed over to Serenity, his face twisted with protective fury, lower lip pulled back to reveal his fangs in a warning that was purely instinctual.
“Stay behind me,” he growled.
Tinker Bell’s hands trembled as she shut the ancient tome and placed it on the ground with reverent care, her usual spark dimmed by the weight of terror pressing down on her.
But even as fear tried to crush her small frame, she never took her focus off Marsha.
Defiance burned in her eyes like a candle refusing to be extinguished, flickering but unbroken.
Marsha’s lips curved into a predatory smile as their gazes locked. She saw the fear, tasted it in the air, and fed on it. “Dark Demons, attack,” she commanded like an angry storm.
Fuck. Dark Demons moved fast, killed faster. We couldn't fight them all and rescue Joy. I had to choose—help my team survive or abandon them to reach her. The choice was impossible, but the cathedral was burning and our access to Joy was inside.
The ground behind Marsha seemed to split open as Dark Demons erupted from the shadows like a plague of locusts.
Their shrieks filled the air—a sound that scraped against the soul.
Some launched themselves toward Angelo and Serenity on leathery wings, their claws extended and eyes burning with malevolent hunger.
Others swarmed toward Lorcan and Nyx, moving with inhuman speed across the cathedral stones.
We were outnumbered, outmatched, and out of time. My team needed me. Joy needed me. I couldn't save them all.
The real battle had begun.
Hades swooped down at me, his massive form blocking out the storm. Talons stretched out, roaring like the beast he was.
I drew on my speed and charged straight at Marsha. She was dead—that was all that mattered.
Hades whooshed past me, his lion-like tail slamming into my back. The impact barely registered. Pain was nothing. Only the target mattered.
She was dead, dead, dead.
A sharp cry cut through the chaos—Keir's voice.
I spun around in time to see Gunnar diving at him with deadly speed. Keir stepped back, sword already in hand. Good reflexes, but not good enough. He was fast with that blade, but Gunnar was faster. Immortal didn't mean unkillable.
Decision was made in a split second—protect first, kill second.
Keir lunged with his sword, the blade cutting through air in a perfect arc. But Gunnar tilted away mid-flight like it was nothing, wings adjusting with inhuman grace. His laugh echoed across the courtyard—cold, mocking.
I was almost to Keir when something raked across my back like razor blades dragged through flesh. Fire exploded along my spine. I yelled—couldn’t help it—as my legs gave out and I hit the ground hard.
Hades landed a few feet away from me, compact but lethal—built like a panther, all coiled muscle and predatory grace. Those talons that had just shredded my back gleamed wet and dark.
No. Not happening.
I twisted to the side, ignoring the fresh wave of pain shooting through my shoulders. Fuck, dead demon blood. Already slowing me down. Muscles getting heavy.
Had to get past this bastard. Had to reach Keir before Gunnar tore him apart. Above us, I could hear the whistle of Gunnar’s next dive.
Getting weaker. Needed blood. Didn’t have time for blood.
I pushed myself up, joints aching with every shift. Hades crouched low, blocking my path to Keir—smaller than expected, but those claws promised serious damage.
Time to move.
I rolled as fast as I could away from Hades, but then three Dark Demons surrounded me. Their first mistake.
The closest one lunged. I grabbed it by the throat and twisted—a satisfying snap. Dead. The second came at me from the left. I spun, catching it with an elbow that caved in its skull. Two down.
The third hesitated. Smart.
Not smart enough. I was on it before it could retreat, fangs sinking deep into its neck. Hot demon blood flooded my mouth—bitter, wrong, but it would have to do. The creature thrashed once, then went limp.
Better. Not perfect, but better. The poison was still there, but the fresh blood pushed back against it.
Keir’s shout snapped my attention back. No more time.
I dropped the demon to the ground, the metallic taste still coating my tongue.
My heart lurched. Keir collapsed, clutching his arm like it was broken, his face twisted in pain. The sword—his lifeline—lay just out of reach.
Gunnar’s wings collapsed behind him with predatory satisfaction. “Should have run, Unseelie king.” The mockery in his voice made my blood boil.
Keir tried to get to his feet, desperation flickering in his eyes, but he was unsteady.
I ran toward him, desperation clawing at my chest—too far, still too far.
Then Nyx came from the side, his sword arcing in a vicious slash that caught Gunnar's exposed arm.
The blade bit deep, splitting flesh and muscle. Dark blood sprayed across the stone.
Relief flooded through me. Nyx had blood splattered across his shirt and stood between them like a shield, fierce loyalty blazing in every line of his body. “Stay away from my king, you bastard.”
Gunnar snarled, rage twisting his features.
“Nyx, run,” Keir said, fear thick in his voice as he reached desperately for his sword. Not fear for himself—fear for Nyx.
The fool. My chest tightened with dread as I rushed toward them, boots pounding against stone, but not even I was that fast. I picked up a fallen blade and hurled it at Gunnar.
The blade hit him in the leg, and he cried out. He yanked the blade out of his thigh and dropped it. The blade fell to the ground, coated in blood.
He turned his attention toward me, murder blazing in his eyes. “You’ll pay for that, enforcer.”
Gunnar launched himself at me fast, like he was moving at Mach one speed, a blur of lethal motion. I braced for impact—then Nyx threw himself between us.
"No!" Nyx's sword came up in a desperate arc, the clash of steel on claw ringing out across the courtyard. He moved with fierce determination, every strike meant to keep Gunnar away from me.
I lunged toward them, but Hades blocked my path. The dragon's wings spread wide, a living barrier. I feinted left, trying to dart around him, but Hades matched my movement with predatory precision.
Gunnar was too fast, too strong. He dodged Nyx's desperate strikes with inhuman grace, then his hands shot out, seizing Nyx around the waist and lifting him high into the air.
"Nyx!" The cry tore from me, filled with rage and terror.
I threw myself at Hades, desperate to get past, but the creature's massive lion head slammed into my chest. The impact sent me sprawling backward. I scrambled to my feet, lungs burning, just in time to see Gunnar carry Nyx higher.
His legs kicked frantically as Gunnar carried him higher, his screams echoing off the burned oak trees, cutting through me like shattered glass. He’d thrown himself into danger for me, and now he was going to pay the ultimate price.
No, no, no. Too high. Even as a bat I couldn’t reach them in time. Panic clawed at my chest—I was going to watch someone die for me, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
But maybe I could. If I could get him to Serenity, she could heal him.
Hades sank his fangs deep into Nyx’s leg, drawing a stream of crimson. Horror froze me for a split second. The venom. Hades' bite wasn't just painful—it was lethal. Nyx had minutes at best before the poison stopped his heart. I had to get him down, had to get him to Serenity before it was too late.
Nyx released an agonizing scream that cut straight through me and swung his sword in a wild arc, but Gunnar caught his wrist mid-swing.
I could hear the bones grinding together as Gunnar’s grip tightened. The sound made my stomach lurch.
Snap.
The sound cracked through the night like a gunshot. Nyx’s sword tumbled from his useless fingers and clattered to the ground far below, the metal ringing against stone like a gong.
His broken scream of pain and rage made my vision blur red. Fury consumed me—white hot and all-consuming. I started to shift—then something sharp sank into my back. Another Dark Demon trying to keep me grounded.
Wrong fucking move.
I whirled around, fury blazing through every nerve, whatever was embedded in my back sending bolts of pain down my spine.
The Dark Demon had backed up several feet, still holding a bloodied blade in his hand, his dark eyes darting around frantically as if he couldn’t believe I was still standing. Smart bastard—he should be afraid.
“My turn,” I snarled, blood still coating my lips from the last kill.
I grabbed him before he could even think about running, my hands locking around his throat like a vise.
His hands scraped uselessly against my arms as I hauled him close and sank my fangs deep into his neck, draining every drop.
Hot, bitter demon blood flooded my mouth—wrong, foul, but it would fuel me through this fight.