Page 28 of Underworld
“I’ll go,” I said, standing. It was clear that I wasn’t going to do much good just sitting around the Academy. I needed to deal with Cole and if it gave the students time to prepare for another attack, it was win-win.
“The hell you will,” Logan said, snarling.
Orion stood before me, his tight expression echoing Logan’s. It was clear he wasn’t going to move without a fight.
Cole’s laugh rang around the room and I spun around as the metallic scent of blood filled the air, followed by Dante’s pained growl.
“You want to play this game?” Cole asked. “Fine. I’ll show you who’s really in charge.”
He swept out a hand and clenched his fist, sending Dante falling to one knee. Blood trickled from the Hunter’s lips, nose, then eyes.
His golden gaze locked on me.
Horrified, I lunged for Cole. Orion and Logan caught my arms, hauling me back. I hissed, kicking and fighting every step of the way.
The scent of blood and roses grew thick in the air, the lights around us flickering.
Hendrik moved to stand in front of me, cutting off my view of Dante and Cole, his power twining around him as he moved his hands. He said something in a deep, guttural voice, then shoved out with both palms, directing the strike at Cole.
It went right through the demon.
“It seems you’ve seen through my ruse,” Cole said, laughing as his entire body shimmered and faded. He pulled a letter from his pocket and let it drift to the floor. “My offer still stands. You have seven days before the next attack.”
The air went tight, then with an audiblepop, Cole disappeared.
“An illusion,” Olivia said, fury in her voice.
Yuri picked up the letter and read it, her features turning dark before she announced, “We’re so fucked.”
Chapter 7
My eyes were gritty with fatigue and my whole body ached—especially my shoulders, back, hips, thighs, quads… okay,everydamn muscle that had anything to do with moving my body screamed in protest.
Maybe my earlobes had escaped unscathed. The rest of me, though, felt like one giant bruise.
After the fiasco that was the Council meeting with the Dean and the faculty, which basically consisted of Olivia, Yuri, Aaron, and my mates, a good night’s rest sounded like a pretty awesome idea.
As much as I wanted to sleep with my Virtues, we all had some kind of crazy shit going on, so it felt natural to camp out in Olivia and Yuri’s dorm.
I started to roll onto my side and stopped, pinned in place.
“Olivia,” I hissed as pain surged up my shoulder. “You’re lying on my wing.”
She snored in reply, so I gently nudged her until I worked myself free.
She didn’t even stir, which make me wonder how much today had taken out of her.
I could relate. My whole body retaliated against all the different muscles I’d used, plus my fight against Cole, and Dante. What healing magic I’d released didn’t seem to work right now and a low buzz emanated throughout my body, demanding that I tough it out the old fashioned way, made all the worse by the massive wings attached to my back.
The weight of my new, feathered accessories wasn’t the only thing plaguing me. As exhausted as I was, my brain kept churning through the day’s events.
Behind me, a faint rustling sounded as either Olivia or Yuri moved around in their sleep before settling. My bed had once seemed massive but now, thanks to the wings, it almost felt cramped with me and the other two women. Yuri had her own bed, but it seemed like she enjoyed the company when “fish-face” wasn’t around, as she put it, referring to Olivia’s boyfriend, Tyler. I actually missed the demigod, son of Poseidon, because I missed the life I’d had before everything turned to shit. Based on what little Olivia had told me, he’s the only reason she’d stayed sane and I was eternally grateful to him for it.
Part of me wished my Virtues—the onesnotbeing assholes—were here with me, but at the same time, I was glad they weren’t. Notallof them would want to be with me. Not really. And nottogether, as a family, the way we were meant to be.
I missed the comfort and strength I found in them, especially Kaito, Logan, and Orion. Once, I could have included Dante in that list. And damn it, now my heart ached almost as much as my body—or worse.
But, Dante had made it clear that our Virtue bond was in very real danger.
