Page 133 of The Demon's Fire
Sabine grabbed one. Ram the other.
Kole installed himself beside Skyler. The Firebrands, garbed in black with weapons drawn and grim expressions, joined them.
****
Kolebarked orders. “We return the same way we came. Down the elevator. Out. The nearest jump point is in the alley around the corner. Let’s not draw more attention than necessary. We already look like an invading army. Maybe the humans will think we’re making a movie. Let’s make time.”
The warriors surrounded Skyler and Kole as he grasped her arm, hustling her along. Nobody would get close to her again. His priority was to protect his female while somehow he persuaded her to be with him. He loved her. Everything else, including a fiancé, be damned.
I will have Skyler.
Grim and silent, they ushered her into the elevator and past the confused condo security guard.
“Dax, handle the human,” shouted Kole.
From the front of her building, they hot-footed it into the alley toward the jump point. An alert, jaw-clamped-tight Kole glanced at Skyler to see her shake her head as if to clear it. “Something wrong, Frisca?”
“Just feeling foggy. Occasionally, my thoughts get a little blurry. Ever since our trip to Darque.”
Though being pulled along like baggage, she stiffened her shoulders, hurrying to keep up with Kole.
She stroked the hand that gripped her arm, the touch calming him immediately. “You’re worried about my safety. No matter what our problems are, I appreciate it.”
“We don’t have problems, Frisca.” He spotted the portal access. They stepped into the fake garage where it hid. At that moment, the air around the gateway shimmered. Armed Aeternals stormed through from the other side. Five, followed by another five.
A long-haired satyr with an ugly-ass scar from his cheekbone to his upper lip yelled commands to the males and females behind him. “Firebrands! They’ve got our target. Kill them, but don’t hurt her. Understood?”
A vampire with sharp fangs scraping his bottom lip, stringy hair flapping in his face, and torn pants charged Brak. The big Firebrand spread his legs, taking the assault head on, not budging. He plunged his blade into the vampire’s gut but not before the guy took a bite out of his upper arm.
Kole backed Skyler up until she was sandwiched between him and the wall. Without looking at her over his shoulder, he said, “Shit. I guess we know for sure Cerberus found your lab records.”
The satyr leader glanced around before he singled out Kole.
Blocking Skyler from view, the commander recognized the bastard. “Aestes, what are you doing here?” He used to be a gaffer, one of the many policing day-to-day crimes on Scath.
“Making money for a good cause. A shitload of it.” The satyr’s pale eyes flashed neon green before he shoved out a hand.
Avoiding Aestes’s touch, Kole shouted to Galena. “Stick by Skyler.”
The Amazon threw herself in front of the chief, her battle axe drawn.
The satyr’s pheromones were thick in the air. Kole reacted, his cock swelling, his eyes stinging. But before Aestes could put skin on him to feed and cloud his mind, Kole shot a stream of fire directly from his fingers, as deadly as a flamethrower. The attacker screamed when his shirt caught the blast. As he tried to pat out the flames, Kole launched a scorcher to his crotch, eliciting another loud wail. No male could stand his nads sizzled.
The injured Aestes again attempted to touch the commander, to affect his mind. In better shape and more agile despite his size, Kole sidestepped the weak attempt. In another lunge, Aestes’s fingers brushed his shoulder. Momentarily dazed, Kole balled his hand into a big-knuckled, steely fist, planting it on his opponent’s chin, knocking him off his feet. The satyr sprang up. Having once been a competitive cage fighter for the gaffers, Aestes had a famous, deadly left hook. Kole would have to avoid it.
Having depleted his demon fire, he packed the next punch with massive volts of electricity. Aestes kissed ground. Kole glanced around. His Firebrands had the situation under control.
Sabine, ducking and dancing to stay out of the way, held her own against an Amazon and a pride demon.
Tyr, glimpsing her situation, paused long enough from his own struggle to fling a holding spell around her attacking demon. The warlock Firebrand returned to his own fight with Hedra, a powerful but erratic witch. While Tyr was distracted helping Sabine, she spelled him with an upper cut which landed him squarely on his ass. He jumped up, casting a killing bolt at Hedra’s heart. She blocked it. They parried, one launching an attack, the other shielding.
Brak struggled with a second bloodsucker, the first one having taken a chunk out of his arm. In one long stride, Dax pushed his fellow Firebrand aside. “I’ll take the toothy bastard. You’re hurt. See to the hedon demon over there. This guy’s more my speed.”
Dax’s lips warped into a sneer. “Now these are some real fangs. Sharp. Bright. Hungry to snack on your ass.” He brushed his long, black hair over his shoulder. “I love to suck on dirty, blood-raged bangers like you, Laurus.”
The vampire stared at Dax through eyes empty of emotion. “Don’t look at me like I’m scum not fit to stick on the bottom of your boot. You’re just like me, Firebrand. You don’t know it yet. You think you can escape this? You can’t. I am what you will soon become.”
“I couldn’t be as ugly as you if I tried. If I go to the bludfrenzy, myfreronswill put me down so I don’t embarrass myself. That’s honor.” Dax’s snarl turned to a roar when he charged his opponent, taking him to the concrete.
