Page 62 of Underworld
He was right. Weapons were best honed in fire, and he had just made my Virtues indestructible.
Kaito’s eyes flew open before he scrambled to his feet. He rubbed the back of his head and winced, but he would survive.
When he spotted Cole, he bared his teeth.
The rage demon flared his wings, unimpressed by the Kami still trapped in a mortal form. “There’s still one Virtue who’ll bend to me,” he boomed, turning in a whirl of heat toward the edge of the campus. “You’ve earned what comes next, Lilith.”
Another volley of Hellfire slammed into the barrier, although Cole didn’t seem phased by it. Some erupted from the ground behind us, tearing chunks of rock out of the Academy.
He called out to his minions, the words in a language thatfeltfamiliar, but I couldn’t understand a word.
Instinctively, I knew where he was going.
“Dante,” I whispered.
Kaito rose and blocked me when I moved to follow Cole away from the Academy. “You can’t.”
“I’m getting Dante out, Kaito.Now.”
“Not alone,” he said, shaking his head. Blood seeped from a gash in his head, painting a garish streak of red down his cheek. “Let’s at least get Hendrik.”
The urgency in his voice pierced the veil of rage and I nodded.
“Fine, but let’s be quick about it.”
Chapter 17
Dante was a scream in my head and I couldfeelhis agony burning along the bond and tearing me to pieces in the process.
Ihadto get to him, but I’d given Kaito my word.
It was time for a compromise.
Reaching out to Hendrik, I tugged our fragile bond. It held, mostly, and I ventured along it in search of the Dark Mage.
Hendrik? I whispered through the crisp air, an ethereal connection whenever I thought of Dante.
A response pinged back.Lily?
Using my bond this way felt strange, at least with Hendrik, but I didn’t have time to track him down. Dante suffered every moment that passed by and I wasn’t going to let Cole break him. I recounted as much of the evening’s events as I could while I kept a brisk pace at Kaito’s side.
I’m not sure if you’re brave or insane,Hendrik countered, making me smirk.But sure, I’ll come to you. I know where Dante will be headed.
There was my snarky Dark Mage.
Satisfied, I slipped out of the heady connection and returned to the chaos of the Academy. Demonspawn fought in the distance and students scampered across the streets, weapons in hand or claws drawn, whichever was most pertinent. Although, the attack wasn’t as brutal as I sensed it could have been. They’d come in smaller numbers tonight, designed to instill fear, not to win the battle.
Because Cole wanted to win the war and he would bide his time.
Along our bond, his mental anguish pulsed a fiery red and I bit my lip as another wave of pain came from Dante’s connection.
I didn’t think Cole had intended to play this card just yet, but I wasn’t the only one struggling with my rage.
He had it in spades and he was all too glad to take it out on my Hunter.
“I’m coming,” I whispered, focusing on the bond between us.
I upped my pace, the pump of adrenaline pushing me into a light jog.
