Chapter 20 #2
“The Unseelie killed the sirens. Lovely.” He scratched his forehead. “Okay, so I assume she sent a new task?”
“Seek the ones who chose the fall, with their blood to bind them all.”
Tenn gestured to my family. “You daughter and grandson, and his soulmate Missy, have been a great help in understanding what we’re dealing with.”
“So fallen angel blood. Fun.” He looked to our Coven Leaders. “What is the plan then?”
“They fled Avolire so we’re going to ambush them once the sun rises, except we’re only going for fallen angel blood and then we’re bouncing. Live to fight another day.”
“They fled, huh?”
“Mom destroyed that dreadful castle—”
“I saw.” Papaw Frost grinned down at Mamaw Franks. “It was glorious.”
Her cheeks flushed but she held her chin high. “Felt glorious.”
“So anyway, they’re on the move.” Braison moved closer into the room. “We knew Sweyn wouldn’t stay trapped underground so we did a little espionage and tracked them down to where they’re hiding in a cave.”
Papaw Frost arched an eyebrow. “How’d you spy on them?”
Braison looked to me with a pointed stare.
“Oh shit, right. Me.” I pointed to myself. “I asked the dead to follow and report back.”
“So ambush at dawn so the fallen won’t have any backup. Got it.” He pulled on his bottom lip. “That won’t mean an easy task.”
Tenn shrugged. “There’s only four of them, might give us the leg up.”
Papaw Frost scowled. “Four?”
“Asmodeus, Reuelle, Azazel, and Soneillon.”
“What about Mammon—”
“Mamaw killed him,” my dad answered with a proud smile. “Dragged him into the Garden of Eden with her.”
She beamed with pride. “He’s a pile of bones now.”
“That’s wonderful news, my love.” He tapped his fingertip beneath her chin. “But what about Astaroth?”
“Oh… I killed him, too.”
Papaw Frost’s eyes widened.
“It was gnarly,” I said with a laugh. When he looked at me I apparently took it as an indication he wanted me to act it out. So I did, I thrust my hand forward then yanked it backwards. “A whole new kind of spinal tap.”
“You ripped his spine out, love?”
A sly grin spread across her face. “The bones were still warm.”
“Okay…too early for a comment about how warm bones were.” Warner threw his hand up. “So who is going on this mission?”
“Not everyone and not Tenn,” Papaw Frost said without hesitation.
Tenn flinched. “Excuse me?”
“You may be Coven Leader but I am older and I know what to expect in wars like the ones coming.
“Tegan will come with,” Papaw Frost pointed to her. “But only for transportation and defense, I don’t want to see you on the offensive even once, got it?”
She nodded.
Mamaw Franks scanned the room until she found her target. “Mei-Ling and Tai stay here.”
“Braison and Malik I’d rather not reveal the sun allowance for Sam yet—”
“I’m coming,” Braison’s red and green eyes blazed with rage. “I can hide in the shadows in case I’m needed.”
Papaw Frost looked to Tenn. “You’re Coven Leader, I’m not trying to make your decision—”
“Please do though.” Tenn shrugged. “Vampires, Unseelie, and fallen angels? That’s your expertise, not ours. We’re trusting your gut here. So keep going…”
“I appreciate that.” Papaw Frost eyed the room. “Constance, Daniel, Kenneth, and Landreia you stay here—”
“I’m coming, don’t even think about telling me no.” Mamaw stood up straight. “So is Rae.”
Dad was already nodding.
“And me,” mom said sternly like it wasn’t up for discussion.
“Don’t even think about telling me to stay back,” mamaw Franks warned him.
“Celina—” Papaw Frost sighed. “Fine. But then we also need Thiago and Lennox for their magic. Everyone else needs to remain here so we limit our risks.”
“Wait, hold up.” I jumped up. “You didn’t say my name, Papaw Frost Mountain.”
“Because you’re staying here.”
“The fuck I am—”
“Savannah.”
“Papaw Frost.” I shook my head wildly. “My whole family is going so I’m going.”
“No—”
“Yes—”
“Savannah, no—”
“PAPAW FROST, YES. I REFUSE TO BE THE ONLY ONE LEFT HERE.”
He took a deep breath and slowly let it out through clenched teeth. He held one finger out between us. “Fine, but you stay at my side and do exactly as I tell you—”
“What? You got me confused with someone who gives a fuck. Absolutely not. I’m in a mood today and I ne’er said it was a good one.”
“I need you to do as I say —”
“You’re not my Coven Leader—”
He lunged toward me, changing in the blink of an eye from Everest into that monster he’d used to terrify me as a child. I screamed shamelessly and scrambled to get away but it just kept coming toward me. It was so much worse than I remembered. Everyone else was cursing and jumping out of the way.
I turned to run but the monster reappeared right in front of me.
I choked on a scream and slid to a stop but my Docs hadn’t been the same since that first trip to Seelie so I looked more like a cartoon character as I kicked my legs but didn’t move.
My heart shot up my throat. I may have gotten bigger than ten year old me but this monster still towered over me, even half bent over it was near the ceiling.
It was mostly made of bone with sharp talons for nails and flesh in random spots.
Its arms nearly touched the ground. Long, scraggly black hair looked more like demon blood dripping off its bony scalp.
The pointed pixie ears had to be six inches long sticking straight out.
But its face was the worst part. The thing had a permanent smile that took up half of its face and stretched from ear to ear.
Big, soulless black holes where eyes should have been focused on me.
In a panic, I threw my mangled hands up and pushed my magic out.
Little sparkles of black smoke hit the monster’s face.
It didn’t slow down, it just kept swinging for me.
My whole body just locked up. My magic sparkled in its face again — and then it was gone.
The monster had vanished. All in the blink of an eye I saw what looked like an old school pyre with flames circling the lone figure lying in the middle.
Someone with pink hair that looked exactly like Mamaw Franks.
Papaw Frost reappeared in front of me, taking the place of the monster that’d haunted me most of my life. He leaned down to get in my eyes. “The day you master control of that gift is the day you can leave my side, got it?”
I whimpered and nodded.
“Good. You’re staying at my side.”
I nodded again. He’d made his point, played it too well to be exact. The nightmares I was sure to have from that were going to make Cooper miserable.
“Bentley stay here,” Tegan turned to him. “We don’t have time to hunt down a new hierophant, ya know?”
“More than you know.” He smiled and nodded.
Tegan walked over and squeezed her twins’ hands. “Emersyn, you sure you don’t want to come with?”
“I would just be a liability, a distraction you can’t afford,” her voice was soft and weak.
“Em—”
“I’ll be fine, Tegan. Get them to safety.”
“I don’t think I need to point out to this group how dangerous this task is.” Papaw Frost glanced around to each and every person. “If you’re coming with us, just go for blood however you can without dying.”
Stealing blood from a fallen angel. No big deal.
You heard him, Savannah. You stay by his side.
Why did I demand I go for this? Why didn’t I just take the easy out?
I need to re-evaluate some shit.
But it was too late, I’d made too big of a deal about going that now I had to go.
Sometimes my spite and pettiness got me into some hairy situations.
Tegan opened a portal and the others straight up raced through, as if imminent death wasn’t likely on the other side.
I was going to be the last one through then pretend I missed it but papaw Frost wasn’t playing, he grabbed me by the back of the sweater and hauled my ass in right beside him.
You did this to your damn self, Savannah. Gotta learn to keep your mouth shut.
Sunshine pierced my eyes. I hissed and buried my face in Papaw Frost’s back.
He chuckled at me as if I was the most ridiculous person he’d ever met, which in fairness I probably was.
It took me a few seconds to get my eyes to adjust to the onslaught of sunshine but when I did I hated it.
We were in the middle of a forest somewhere with mountains all around us - and not my mountains either.
These were baby mountains that still towered high in the sky.
At the base of the nearest mountain was a small cave opening. My creepy crawlies had done the spywork well, I felt the vampires’ auras seeping out from the cave. Lying in front of the cave, with the morning sun shining on their wings, were the four remaining fallen angels.
Soneillon, Azazel, Reuelle, and Asmodeus.
We moved quietly yet quickly, slicing a path through the trees.
If we could get a little blood without waking them that would be a dream come true.
It was only at that moment I realized I had not listened to the rest of the plan for once we got here.
I felt like a little kid as I reached out and grabbed a hold of Papaw Frost’s shimmery jacket.
When I glanced over my shoulder I found my parents right behind us, that made me feel better while also made me panic because if they were here then they were in danger.
We were only about ten feet away from where the fallen angels were laying on the ground when all four of them leapt to their feet. They hadn’t been asleep, they’d been waiting. They pulled swords and held magic coiled in their hands. Sunlight reflected off their metal armor — I gasped.
METAL ARMOR.
Those fuckers had covered their entire bodies from neck to feet in metal body armor. The only skin visible was on their hands and faces.
“Nope,” Papaw Frost said with a curse. “Tegan, abort.”