Chapter Seventeen #2
“Neith.” Or Belinda, or whatever name the demi-goddess was using these days was coming in for a landing.
Her white blonde hair plaited tightly to her skull, the female wearing a skin tight blue jumpsuit with white ankle boots.
Her companions, one of either side of her, both dark of skin and dressed in camo black, guns and knives strapped to their belts, were the ones performing the taxi service.
As each man had a set of enormous black wings that disappeared the moment they landed.
“Scarabs.” Drum rumbled the word out, his tone tinged with distaste. “Murderers for hire. Their skin is like the carapace of beetles. Not much penetrates it.”
Well, fuck. Nico watched as eight more Scarabs landed. The group forming a protective circle around Neith. “How do we kill them?”
“Snapping their necks is pretty effective. Explosives. Drowning.”
Nico glared at Drum before shifting his attention to watch Neith and her Scarabs make their way through the chaos caused by her long legged first wave distraction. Who unfortunately it appeared had the ability to regrow those worrisomely long limbs of theirs way too speedily.
“Oh, that bitch needs her ass stomped on until she’s nothing but a bloody smear on the ground.” Nell hissed, trying to lean to the side and peer around her very wide meld mate. “Everyone stand back, I’m going to, crap, will someone please, ow, help me up?”
“Ow?” Drum picked up the one word Nell was praying he’d ignore. “What do you mean, ow?” Turning, staring at Nell with a searching look..
Devon swinging around, doing the same. One of her long curls tapping her on the shoulder hard in emphasis. “Yes. Yes. She’s in labour. I get it. The whole world gets it. Keep those legs crossed, Pollyanna, now is not the time.”
“You’re in labour? The baby’s coming?” Drum looked equal parts horrified and excited. A green cast descending over his normally café lait complexion, sweat breaking out across his brow. The head of his snake tattoo moving across his skin, eyes ink black like Drum’s, staring intently at Nell.
A dark curl of Devon’s snapped out, flicking Drum hard on the back of his closely shaved head. “Keep it together. Babies come every day.”
“Not my baby.” Drum rumbled. “And not whilst we’re under attack.”
“Speaking of which.” Nico interrupted, a dark scowl on his face as he stared at Neith and her approaching squadron of Scarabs.
“You two.” Neith pointed at two Scarabs on her left. “Find the one creating this barrier and kill them. Bring it down. Then we kill everyone, slit the breeder from neck to knees and take the baby.”
Everyone inside the shield took umbrage at Neith’s instructions, even Sunny, who pulsed a glow so bright that everyone looking that way winced.
Nell bit back a small moan. When Sunny used her powers, sometimes she inadvertently tapped into Nell.
It was draining. And the one thing she couldn’t afford to be right now was weak.
“Shssss. Daddy’s got this.” Glancing up at her meld mate, flinching as another contraction seized her.
They were coming closer than three minutes apart now.
Damn. “Kill them.” Nell wasn’t normally bloodthirsty.
But right now her blue eyes shimmered with blood lust. “Kill them all.”
Drum’s colour returned, his expression remote and hard.
Anyone witnessing that look would have thought the grim reaper had come calling.
And when necessary, Drum was happy to don that mantle.
Turning, glaring at Neith and the Scarabs through the barrier.
Aware of the chaos further afield but knowing where the immediate threat was.
Lifting his hand he tapped a button on his collar.
“Bring the shield down for a two beat in three, two, one.” Drum stepped off the shed porch, Nico at his side.
Canary, hopping over to sit at Nico’s feet on his left. Three against way too many some would have said. Drum just grinned grimly, his face lighting up in anticipation.
“Hey.” Devon glared at Nell, who had captured one of her floating curls. Keeping her locked in place. “What do you think you’re doing? I’m supposed to be on the other side of that barrier.”
“No. You’re designated catcher. The baby’s coming.”
Devon scowled down at Nell, whilst several of her curls followed the action taking place on the other side of the barrier, a couple of others reaching out to pat Nell on the arm soothingly.
Devon glancing at them, her expression darkening.
“Squeeze those knees together tighter. This is neither the time, nor the place.” A body slammed against the barrier, one of the Scarabs.
Hitting it so hard their carapace cracked, though they still managed to get to their feet and rejoin the battle.
Drum was beyond angry out there. But he was also distracted.
Nell noted he kept glancing back to check on her, even though she was safe behind the barrier with Devon and Gigi for company.
Determinedly forcing a smile as another contraction hit.
She must have been convincing as Drum turned and engaged three Scarabs at once, their swords clashing loudly.
Gigi frowned, watching Drum and Nico fight for their lives.
Instructing Canary to hug the barrier, not wanting him stepped on.
Mentally reviewing what Canary was packing in his arsenal, forced to discount a lot of options, Drum and Nico were moving too fast and erratically, they’d definitely be hit by friendly fire if Canary loosed anything in liquid or gas form.
Damn, which left solid projectiles, but even then, Canary was stuck on the ground and all those legs were moving too fast. “Nico. Pick up Canary.” She moved to stand closer to the barrier.
Nico swung his sword, lashing out with a fist, before he chanced a glance back, his look clearly stating without words he thought Gigi was crazy.
“Pick up the rabbit, trust me.” Instructing Canary with a thought to hop cautiously over Nico’s way.
Come on. He wasn’t going to be a stubborn ass, was he?
Watching as Nico tousled with two Scarabs at once, parrying so fast his sword was a blur.
Then he abruptly kicked out. Catching one of his opponents hard on the thigh, sending him stumbling, forcing the second Scarab to rear back, whilst Nico leaned over, scooping Canary up.
Sword raised in time to block the next combined attacked.
“Now what?”
“Hold him like a gun.” There was some mumbled cursing from Nico but he managed to readjust his hold. Gigi deepened her connection with Canary, seeing things through his eyes for a moment. Shaking off the momentary disorientation Gigi clenched her fists, calling forth from the void what she needed.
Canary opened his mouth in readiness, but then Gigi had to wait, Nico was fighting for his life, Canary swinging about like a pinball in his hand.
There. A rock hard pellet shot out of Canary’s mouth, landing on the chest of the Scarab on the left, clinging to his shirt.
He ignored the strike, dismissing it. Unaware that a fist sized hole of material had already disappeared in a heartbeat, and now his black carapace underneath where the pellet had hit was looking dark grey, and the stain was spreading, eating its way through his shell.
Canary, under Gigi’s guidance, fired off two more pellets, one missing completely, the other hitting the same Scarab on the hip.
Okay, he was toast, he just didn’t know it yet.
Gigi conserved ammunition, or as the family had called them at the time, face eating peppermint gumballs.
Waiting was hard, worse, everyone was moving so fast she often found herself missing windows of opportunity.
Off, in the distance, a loud whump sounded followed by sudden flames rocketing sky high.
Darcy must had brought along her rocket launcher.
Gigi distracted momentarily as a snowball the size of her head crashed against the barrier only a few inches from her nose.
Crap, Great-Aunt Annabeth was on the loose and she wasn’t wearing her glasses.
Heavens, it was noisy. Someone was screaming in the distance, while Nell at her back, panted now in time with a pissed off but resigned sounding Devon coaching her.
Blocking everyone out, Gigi had Canary spit out four more gumballs.
Two landing. One on Nico’s other opponent, right at the base of his throat.
The second ball hitting the shoulder of one of the four Scarabs fighting with Drum.
Meanwhile, her first victim was just now noticing that his shell was disintegrating.
Slapping ineffectually at his chest. The pain no doubt escalating as her confection - gone very, very wrong - began to eat away at everything underneath the carapace.
The Scarab screaming now. His attention faltering as he realised his insides were liquifying.
Perhaps it was a mercy when Nico’s sword thrust through the large hole in his chest, piercing his heart.
Neith, who had been standing close to the invisible barrier, tapping her toe impatiently, huffed out an exasperated sigh, and then another one as Nico’s only still standing opponent began to claw at his throat.
His eyes bulging as he attempted to swallow, impossible given the now gaping hole in his thorax.
Nico didn’t even have to run him through, as he dropped to the ground, let out a wet rasping sound and abruptly died.
“Indestructible my ass.” Neith muttered darkly, before reaching up to lower the zipper of her jumpsuit a few more inches, plastering a seductive smile on her face as she sauntered in Nico’s direction.
“Hello, pretty one. Let’s make beautiful music together.
” She batted her eyelashes. “First though, I just need you to do one little favour for me. Take down this silly barrier for me, darling.”
It took everything Gigi had not to let another peppermint acid gumball fly.