Page 82 of Bellamy
“Here,” Bellamy said, returning to my side. He handed me a sword.
I heard it then, distant screeching.
“Shades.” Daman’s eyes narrowed. A sickle-like blade rested in his hand, the end of it curved. A falx sword—a weapon from Dacia.
“You did this!” Galen roared, grabbing me by the front of my shirt. “I should’ve ripped off your head the moment you came here.”
“Get your hands off him!’ Bellamy shoved him back a step. “His powers have been suppressed this entire time. How the fuck would he have done this?”
“Now’s not the time to argue.” Alastair was calm and collected. Well, apart from the slight shake of his hand. “I sense hundreds of them.”
“Hundreds?” Gray looked toward the shattered windows, arms tightening around his unconscious husband.
“Maybe I can call them off,” I suggested. “The shades know to obey me.”
“Let me guess,” Castor said as he and Kyo rounded the corner, swords in hand. Kyo was in his hybrid dragon form. “You want us to remove your collar too? So you can teleport right over to Asa’s side like the fucking obedient dog you are.”
“He wouldn’t.” Bellamy grabbed my hand.
His unwavering trust in me right then hurt all the more. What if thiswasmy fault?
“Shades aren’t all that’s comin’,” Raiden said, joining us beside the stairs. “Listen.”
Thunder.
No, not thunder. Heavy boots pounding on the earth. The distant clang of metal. Animalistic grunts and snarls.
“He’s brought an army,” I whispered in horror.
“They’re nearly at our doorstep.” Alastair faced the door. “Light Bringer is in the vault in my study. We can’t allow them to have it.”
“How are we gonna face this many?” Raiden asked.
“We’ll be slaughtered.” Castor slipped an arm around his mate.
“No matter the odds, we can overcome them,” Alastair said. “Lazarus taught us that. He trained us for this. Protect Lucifer’s sword. If Asa gets his hands on it, this really will be the end.” He faced the door. “Now go.”
“What are you gonna do?” Raiden asked. “Fight them all off by yourself? You can’t—”
“I said go!” Alastair yelled, and every Nephilim in the entrance hall flinched. A direct order. “For god’s sake, just do what I say.”
But it was too late.
The door exploded as a massive war hammer broke through it. A seven-and-a-half-foot demon that belonged to a minotaur-like species barreled into the mansion. Shades rushed in behind him, their smoking bodies skittering across the floor like dark shadows.
Alastair raised his sword as the large demon swung his hammer, and he was knocked backward as their weapons clashed. His wings sprang from his back, ripping off his shirt. Black feathers with purple. He flew forward and smashed into the demon, driving his sword up through its jaw. The floor shook as the beast collapsed.
“Take Mason and Simon to safety!” Alastair yelled before clashing with another large demon.
Galen picked up a still-unconscious Mason and threw him on his back before grabbing Simon with his other arm. Gray ran with them as they fled the entrance hall.
Kyo sliced at a shade with his katana, and its body burst into orange flame. Warrin had shifted into his hybrid form as well and shot a gust of ice toward an oncoming group of demons. They froze mid-run before Daman chopped them in two with his sword.
Castor suddenly grabbed Kyo and rushed down the corridor. Daman did the same thing with Warrin. Alastair had probably given them a telepathic order to stand guard at the vault where Light Bringer was kept.
More demons rushed in. We were about to be overwhelmed. Not even the Nephilim brothers with their immense strength could face down an army of that magnitude.
“Bellamy!” I grabbed at my neck. “Remove my collar!”
