Page 70 of The Nephilim's Finesse

“Now that Thorne has been dealt with, the demonic assaults should be over.”

“Let’s hope that Victorija doesn’t continue where Thorne left off.” She pinched her nose and closed her eyes.

Minutes passed while I was locked in my thoughts. Puriel cleared her throat and looked at me expectantly.

"Thank you for bringing this to me," I said softly, my eyes still locked on the lavender.

"Of course," Puriel responded. “I asked what the lavender means and what you’ll do now.”

“I haven’t figured it out yet,” I lied, rolling the stem between my fingertips.

“All right.” She sighed, standing up and reassuringly touching my shoulder. "I’ll be on my couch if you need me."

As she left the room, I stayed behind, lost in thought. The single stem of lavender seemed to hold the key to unlocking the future, a future filled with uncertainty and hope. And as I sat there, contemplating the path ahead, I knew that I had to decide what future it'd be.

As I turned the key in the ignition in front of the care centre, ready to drive home, my phone buzzed with an urgent message. Another demon attack was underway. My heart raced as I read the details; every second mattered. I equipped my tactical vest from the boot, revved the engine, and sped off to the location, my grip tight on the wheel.

When I arrived at a usually busy shopping street, people ran around; cars were abandoned with open doors. As I got out of the car, chaos greeted me. Fiends roamed the street and over cars, their elongated limbs ending in razor-sharp claws that easily tore through flesh and metal. Shrieks and roars filled the air as the abnormalities tore into anything with a pulse. Blood and viscera coated the ground, the metallic tang overwhelming. My sai were gripped tightly in my hands, knuckles white. After tonight, they'd be stained red and black with blood. I ran towards the chaos unfolding before me. Other Nephilim, witches, and fae were already engaged in battle, their powers clashing against the demonic forces. The monsters were a twisted mass of shadows and violence; their grotesque forms a mockery of the creatures they once were. A human ran away from one of the monsters, his shopping bags long-forgotten, as a demon chased him. With an incredibly fast jump, the fiend landed on top of the human and ripped his head off. I watched in horror as one particularly vile devil sank its teeth into a witch's throat, ripping it out with a sickening crunch. The woman's eyes glazed over as her life drained away; her body crumpled to the ground.

A human woman staggered past, her eyes wide in terror, clutching her mangled arm. "They came out of nowhere!"

Fiends openly attacking humans. This had never happened before. I scanned her body for more injuries, but her arm showed the only wound. It wasn't deep, so I shouted, “Get to a hospital!” as I raced past her. My wings snapped open with a deafening whoosh, creating shadows in the pale light of the moon.

"Raph, we need your help!" Hazel cried out, her voice strained with fear and determination. Her hands glowed with fierce energy as she hurled a bolt of ice magic towards an approaching demon.

I ascended into the air and flew into the thick of the fight. The scent of blood and magic filled the air, an intoxicating mixture that only heightened my resolve. I dodged and countered the demons' attacks with my sai, each strike connecting with brutal efficiency. Launching myself at one of the abnormalities, it screamed as my sai sliced through its neck. Two more were on me in an instant, claws raking across my chest. I grunted, kicking out and sending one tumbling away.

"On your left!" Nate warned me just in time as a fiend lunged towards me. Its twisted form, all scales and claws, was inches from tearing into me, but I managed to sidestep it at the last moment. Despite my confidence and strength, fear coursed through my veins as I faced these monstrous beings. "Thanks," I panted before spinning back into action.

"Keep pushing, everyone!" Puriel commanded, her black aura shimmering around her like protective armour. Her long, black plait dangled from her damaged police uniform, which had been torn at the shoulder blades to accommodate her wings. The fact that she hadn't changed out of her police uniform here only underlined the severity of the circumstances. I nodded, my determination renewed, and I fought on with everything I had.

A devil lunged at me, its gaping maw dripping with dark malice. I barely managed to dodge its attack and countered with a swift strike from my sai. The monster screeched in pain, its unearthly voice echoing through the chaos.

I fought back-to-back with another Nephilim as we battled the relentless onslaught of fiends. They came at us in waves, their snarls and hisses filling the air with a cacophony of hatred. My muscles screamed with exertion, but I couldn't afford to falter. Lives were at stake, and I had a duty to protect them.

I gritted my teeth, sweat pouring down my face, and drove my sai into the heart of another demon. It disintegrated into ash, leaving behind only the memory of its malevolence. As I slashed through another monster, its black blood spattered across my face. The stench of sulphur and decay filled the air. The terror these abnormalities inspired was palpable—their soulless eyes, needle-like teeth, and twisted forms that seemed to defy the laws of nature. Every time one of them lunged at me, my heart raced with a primal fear.

"Raph, watch out!" Azariel warned, but it was too late. One of the demons had managed to slip past my defences, its vile claws reaching for my throat.

Time slowed as I stared into the monster's merciless eyes, feeling its cold breath on my skin. At that moment, my life flashed before me: all the people I had loved and lost, the battles I had fought, and the world I had sworn to protect. This couldn't be the end, not like this.

With a surge of adrenaline, I twisted my body just enough to avoid the demon's grasp. My sai found its mark, plunging deep into the creature's chest. It let out a guttural scream of pain and fury before disintegrating into ash.

Another fiend slammed into me, fetid breath washing over my face. We tumbled to the ground, rolling across blood-slicked concrete. The demon's claws were mere inches from my face, its maw gaping wide as it lunged for me. I could feel the heat from its rancid breath and see the malice in its red eyes. My heart pounded in my chest, but I refused to let fear consume me. With a swift movement, I struck the fiend's arm with my sai, severing it at the elbow.

"Back off!" I growled, using every ounce of strength I had left to force the creature away from me. It screeched in pain, but I didn't let up. My wings flared out, and I soared into the air before diving down, impaling the demon through the chest with my other sai. This was just one of many demons we'd encountered today, and each one seemed more terrifying than the last. What was pushing these creatures to such unprecedented levels of aggression?

Eventually, the last of the fiends fell around us, their wretched forms crumbling away, leaving only scorched earth in their wake. We stood over the bodies of our fallen comrades—witches, Nephilim, and fae alike—their sacrifices a harsh reminder of the unstoppable force we faced.

Sirens wailed in the distance, the aftermath of the carnage surrounding me. I saw humans ripped apart, entrails covering the street, torn limbs with bite marks. We stood over the remnants of the battle, our breaths ragged and our bodies aching. The surviving witches, Nephilim, and fae looked at one another, a mixture of relief and concern etched across their faces. I sagged against a car, trembling from exertion and blood loss. The sounds of fighting had ceased, only a few groans and whimpers remaining. The other Nephilim, witches, and fae were regrouping, tending to wounds and checking on the fallen.

"Raph!" Nate called out, pulling me from my thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I breathed, wiping sweat from my brow. "I'm okay."

"These fiends have grown bolder, attacking and hunting humans without hesitation," one of the witches murmured, her eyes scanning the destruction around us. The bodies of countless civilians were strewn across the streets, and I estimated there to be over fifty dead bodies and the same number of wounded.

"Something must be driving them," Azariel added, her amber eyes narrowed in concern. "We can't just keep fighting them off. We need to find the source of their aggression."

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