Page 37 of Absolved In Death

Q waved his hands, and the sparkling neon blue magic that came out weaved a model before our very eyes. All the compound’s floors were present. We could see Red’s forces invading in real time and how our soldiers were holding the line.

“Holy shit, they’re on every floor, even the residential areas…” Bash breathed. This wasn’t like the skirmishes before where Red sent a group of troops as a distraction. We were being overrun.

Ares was in the zone, examining the map from all angles with a critical expression on his face. The crazy, fun-loving brute was replaced by the cunning, destructive General.

“Barracks don’t matter, we’re leaving anyway,” he said while examining our current floor. “The soldier’s luggage is already at Pit-13 and the entry portal can be opened anywhere. So our goal is to clear where we are now for the troops to transfer, hold the line, and make sure everyone gets out. Then, I suggest we implode the compound and take down as many of his forces as possible. Permission to blow this place sky-fucking-high, Judas?”

“Yes, but The Bank of Morningstar is replacing it. I’ll let the hive mind know,” he replied.

“I’m linking my section leaders, so they can inform the troops that we should be holding the line and evacuating within the next hour,” Ares said.

“Everyone get into position,” Lucifer ordered. “See you all in Pit 13.”

The guys faded out, one by one. I stayed with my father, because I didn’t have an assignment.

“You’re on my special unit with Oisín. He’s on his way,” he said, giving me a stern expression. “The three of us are going totake out the larger units, then we’re going to help Ares plant the explosives.”

My brother faded into the room, shirtless with jean shorts on. Blood soaked his hair and face. His grin was so wicked it pushed his ears back. “Sorry I’m late. I had to get a plastic bag so I could harvest some art supplies.”

I fake-gagged. I knew his art was…unique. The guys told me about it and even showed me a couple of pieces they had when we lived in New York. But I didn’t want to see him harvest body parts for it.

“Hey, don’t judge me sis. This is cost effective. Upcycling.Authentic.” He said the last word while giggling.

“If you two are done being ridiculous, let’s go fuck the enemy up,” Lucifer growled. With a last glance at the map, he took our hands, fading us to the dining floor.

Our soldiers here were outnumbered at least five to one, swarmed by Red’s forces. The main dining room was trashed, and the smoke billowed through the air from the kitchen.

This would be a good place for the explosives,I linked my father. The kitchens were already on fire, so why not?

My thoughts exactly, let’s clear this place out.

“FALL BACK!” my father called. Those who could fade left immediately, and the others ran through the front double doors.

O conjured a bright blue flame, shaping it into a whip. He winded it up and struck an enemy soldier. Then he slit his throat, tilting his body so the blood poured into a jar he pulled out of his pocket.

“Imagine the Hell landscapes I can paint with this shade of red,” he roared, high off the gore and chaos of battle.

He set the corpse on fire, then threw it into some Moon soldiers. They were the only faction of Red’s army that didn’t wear the bright red uniform, sticking to their black tactical suitsthat covered them from head to foot. The fire spread, burning them down within a few seconds.

I was so distracted watching my brother fight that I didn’t see the three werewolves approach me from my left. One of them swung at me with blood soaked claws, but I ducked at the last minute. I drew from my deepest magic and weaved it with my anger. With the worry I had about my men fighting for their lives and the crippling stress of defending the entire world. I manifested an opaque, black fog, but instead of rolling it in like Q had taught me, I unleashed it into the room. It stampeded like a band of wild horses, slithering into the noses and mouths of my enemies and suffocating them instantly. Their bodies dropped to the floor.

My brother jumped for joy as he approached a snake shifter. He plucked out its eyes and speckled tongue, throwing them into a baggie. My father conjured a swirling ball of black flames, placing it in the corner of the room. He put similar balls in the rest of the corners, then did the same in the kitchen.

“When Ares gives the word, I’ll detonate them. That was impressive, downright frightening. Your training is paying off,” Lucifer said.

We moved from floor to floor, clearing out our soldiers for evacuation and placing explosives. When we made it back to the training facility floor, we were blocked from entering. Red’s soldiers had barricaded us out, forcing our soldiers to fight their way in. We slightly outnumbered them.

I don’t want to lose any more lives. We need to find a way to strike them down,Lucifer linked.

LG, activate dragon mode!Ares replied.

I didn’t feel as if I had enough room to morph, but it didn’t matter. The longer we took to breach the door, the more lives we’d lose. As I ran into the fray, I felt my bones crack and remold. My skin and ligaments lengthened, until I quadrupledmy size. This was the smallest dragon form I could manage. I forwent the red fur, opting for sleek red scales. Ares climbed up my arm, onto my back, holding his spear in his mouth.

Ready to burn these fuckers?I linked him.

BBQ with my B-B-Q,he shouted.Let’s go!

I took flight, keeping tight to the ceiling above me. Our new vantage point allowed me to use targeted flames to burn Red’s soldiers to a crisp. Ares shaped his flames into spears that he used to take out their commanders. A group of pale, strawberry blond haired soldiers charged our way from the other end of the hallway, and I almost laughed.

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