Page 69 of Claimed by the Fallen
But like a light switch, his personality flips. “Demons?”He growls low. “Did you just saydemons?”
I blink, not sure what to make of his reaction. “Yes… the yancor demons.” The ones you sent to hunt me down. I bite my cheek to hold the last thoughtback.
Lukas shoves himself off the table, and the force of the move sends the desk sliding back into the wall. His blatant show of strength makes me take two stepsback.
“Demonshave tracked you?” He sounds appalled and furious in equal measure. I don’t know what to say. I’d thought he and the yancor demons had been working together. Obviously, I’d beenwrong.
But the weirdest part is Lukas sounds like he’s outraged on mybehalf…
But why would hecare?
I lick my lips. “I thought you were working with thedemons.”
“Never.” His eyes darken. “What would make you thinkthat?”
I shrug and stutter, “I-I don’t know. The demons attacked me twice, and I thought I saw one downstairs.” Really, I thought I saw a pair of red eyes which belonged to a demon. But that’s the samething.
Lukas and his servant react at the sametime.
“Stay in here with the Nephilim, Master,” Charles shouts as he moves toward the door and a pair of white wings pop out of his back, ripping through the expensive suit jacket. He’s an angel,too.
“Sound the alarm,” Lukas commands at the same time. “We havecompany.”
On cue, a loud crash hits the door. I scream from the surprise of the sound, as well as the heightened anxiety filling the room. I muffle the sound with myhands.
Instead of admonishing me for my lack of control, Lukas spins around to face me. In two steps, he closes the distance between us. Then, he grabs my hands and stares deep into myeyes.
“Do not be afraid.” Lukas’ gaze flickers from one eye to another, and I know he’s noticed my heterochromia when I see the slight widening of his eyelids. “Nothing will happen to you. We will deal with thedemons.”
Then, before I can ask why he would bother to console me, he and Charles disappear through the front door. Immediately, I hear angry growls and grunts as a fight begins. I try to get a glimpse of who is outside, but I only manage to see one streak of scaly skin before the door closes. A bright golden light illuminates the edges of the door, and my jaw drops as I see the light creep along the edges of the wall. I whirl around, watching the evidence of angelic power as it covers every inch of the room. I’m surrounded. The room is silent, and I can’t hear what’s happeningoutside.
I rush to the door and bang on its surface. “Let me out!” I shout. “Please! What about my parents?” My fist bounces against the illuminated door, but I don’t get a response. I whimper and continue banging, screaming for someone to let me out. I think of my parents, and I pray to God the demons have not found them tied up in the room below. They won’t stand a chance against the yancordemons.
The skin on the side of my hand is red, but I don’t stop hitting the door. “Let me out. I’ll do anything! Just let me out.” I don’t care what it takes to get out of this room to free my parents, I’ll do it. They are in danger because of me, and I will never be able to live with myself if something happens to them. I’d ratherdie.
A warmth grows in the palm of myhands.
My prayers, it seems, areanswered.
I step back and lift my hands, looking at the Angel Fire licking against my skin, but I don’t feel its burn. If anything, the warmth is soothing and pleasant. The Angel Fire appeared so quickly last time, I didn’t have the chance to really examine it. This time, though, I cannot deny the angelic power is comforting. And, better yet, it makes me feelstrong.
Unsure of what I’m doing, I tentatively place my hands against the door. The wood beneath my touch ignites. I stumble back. With wide eyes, I watch as my Angel Fire turns red and burns through thedoor.
Twenty-Five
Iwaituntil the burning has engulfed a good portion of the door before I dare step through. I suspect the Angel Fire won’t harm me, but I’m not brave enough to testit.
I keep my hands up near my chest, ready to use my Angel Fire the moment a demon comes my way. But as my eyes take in the scene in front of me, my hands cover my mouth as I gag. The Angel Fire sputtersout.
A sea of mangled, rotten-smelling corpses covers the floor of the warehouse. Some demons are decapitated, while others look whole despite the emptiness behind their open red eyes. I gape at the sheer number of demons lying dead below me. The most I’d ever seen was seven. Did all these demons come here to get to me? And had Lukas and Charles really managed to defeat them on theirown?
My answer comes the next second when two pairs of black wings swoop in from the ceiling. I watch as Adrian and Zeke, wielding matching flaming swords, bear down on two fleeing yancor demons. They slice through them like butter. Sizzling black blood spurts out of the flailingbodies.
The angels haven’t noticed me. They go after another set of scurrying demons. I clear my throat and manage to croak out, “G-Guys.”
Their necks whip towards me. One moment, they are hovering down below, chasing the enemy. The next, two broad sets of wings are flapping in front of me. I step back to allow them room to land. Their feet hit with a thump as the dark angels retract theirwings.
“Are you hurt?” Adrian asks, his hazel eyes scouring me from head totoe.
