Page 27 of A Fury Of Shadows

Isabelle leaned toward the witch. “Who the heck is this guy?!”

The man who’d fired the rocket launcher at Oscar lifted it off his shoulder like it weighed nothing.

He beamed at Violet. “You’re all grown up, little witch.”

Violet’s expression turned sullen. “Oh. I forgot you were part of the package.”

Someone snickered behind the man.

“You’re hurting my feelings, little witch,” he protested.

“Shut up, Tom,” Serena said.

It was obvious she was the leader of the group.

Evil filled the air with a force that pressed against Mae’s eardrums. She turned, dread chilling her skin.

Barquiel had let go of Brimstone and Hellreaver’s shackles. He hovered above them all, his black wings open and his crimson eyes blazing with wrath as he glared at the strangers.

“Who are you to interfere with my plans, you insects?!”

Serena curled a lip. “Oh, please. I’ve been called worse things by some of your friends in Hell’s Council.”

She removed a gun from the holster on her thigh and shot Barquiel. The bullet burned a hole through the demon’s right wing.

Mae’s jaw dropped open.How?! His skin is harder than diamonds!

Barquiel recoiled, just as stunned. He recovered and howled his rage. Mae stared unblinkingly while the building shook around her on a powerful wave of corruption.

Dark blood was oozing from the demon’s flesh.

He’s not healing,Na Ri exulted.

Mae inhaled sharply. A faint, golden light was fading from the edges of the wound. Understanding dawned.

“It’s divine energy!”

Na Ri’s surprise echoed within her.

Brimstone’s groan had Mae jerking around. The fox was crawling toward her. Hellreaver shuffled in the dirt beside him.

Mae scrambled shakily to her knees. Motion above checked her movement before she could take a step toward them. Her eyes widened.

The light was fading from the section of sky visible through the torn roof. Dark clouds bloomed into life and merged into a familiar, sickening, spinning dance.

Black lightning cracked the heavens.

Mae reached for her magic and tried to invokeEclipse.The manacle around her neck tightened, throttling her breath and blocking the spell before it could take life. She directed a frantic look at Serena and her group.

“Watch out! That lighting will—!”

“It’s alright.” Serena met her alarmed gaze, her blue eyes calm. “It won’t hurt—”

Inky currents brimming with millions of volts of electricity struck her and her friends. The explosion seared Mae’s sight and made her ears ring. She fell onto her bottom.

“No,” she mumbled hoarsely.

The dark spots swarming her vision cleared.

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