She gets dangerously close as she leans forward, and the moment I recognize it, the creature’s hand is out grabbing at her. Her quick instincts to lean back isn’t fast enough and it grabs a fist full of her pink hair.
No longer than it takes her to start shrieking, does Brice have his jaw latched around its hand and is grinding against the flesh. It releases her, but Brice doesn’t relent, and completely clenches his jaw closed.
Gripping what is left of the hair on this creature’s head, I tear it back,and only when my fingers are brushing against the wolf’s canines, do I remove my hand.
While he tugs, I pull, and with Niyla’s help and a lot of grunts, its head finally separates.
Holy fuck.
Seconds after tearing the head off, I kick the lower half of the creature off me—one that just took on two Vampires, a Fallen, and a Werewolf.
I push myself to my knees, rising quickly to move toward Sydni, but Brice’s massive head appears in front of me, his snout nudging her shoulder. Her face is hidden in her hands, and I can see the faint tremble as she attempts to hold back tears.
“Sydni, are you okay?” Brice’s low hum nearly comes out as a whine.
I turn my gaze over my shoulder, watching as the Fallen grabs hold of the creature’s head—something I’m surprised Brice didn’t just devour. Both of Alaric’s hands cup its cheeks, his thumbs forcing its eyes open.
My own narrow in consternation.What is he doing?
“Sorry…” I’m dragged back to Sydni apologizing. “I should’ve listened… I just… I…”
Brice’s yellow eyes shift to me, though his head remains still. My distrust for all of them is a thick, suffocating weight—his gentleness right now doesn’t change that. I need my butterfly to remember that he tricked her once. So the moment her arms begin to lift toward his head, I move in swiftly, snatching her under the arms and pulling her to her feet.
The action is so fast that she gasps, meeting my eyes. “Don’t, it’s fine.” I place a hand at the back of her head and pull her into my chest, glaring down at Brice as he slowly rises to his full height.
Niyla steps up beside me, her voice sharp. “I don’t know about you, Kairhyse, but I was putting every ounce of my strength into holding that thing down.”
I nod. “I’ve never encountered a Necroth before, and I can’t say I’m eager to face one again.” Sydni clings to me, wiping her face against my shirt. “Butterfly, did you get the disk drive?”
“Yeah, I…” She sniffles, taking a deep breath before continuing, “The moment I got it out that thing showed up, punched Niyla, and immediately came after me.”
“Alaric, what do you see?”
See?I’m taken aback by his question. It’s only now that I look back at the Fallen, and see that his eyes are as white as the creature’s he holds.
“I couldn’t see anything with the ones upstairs. Their lifeforce was their means of death, so their life was gone instantly.” He blinks and takes a breath, releasing a groan. “I can see clearly the moment this one’s lifeended.”
“What exactly are you doing?” I ask, needing to understand more about what thisFallenis.
“I can see the moments just before, and as they ascend to the Vayl.”
Fallen…
Fall…
Where would he…
Am I stupid? How did I miss that? Xera has consumed every inch of my thoughts. There’s no other reason I didn’t realize it sooner.
“Are you fucking telling me you are an Angel?” I don’t hide the disgust in my tone. They’re described in the sacred texts of our Gods as servants to the Twelve. I always imagined them as relics, idolized alongside their mighty counterparts, not as physical creatures.
He huffs out a laugh. “Not quite. We were once retainers to our respective Gods, yes, but as the name sort of indicates—I’vefallenfrom grace.” The disdain in his voice is enough to show he’s not pleased with that outcome. “I couldn’t see the ones upstairs because of how they died. When your lifeforce is sucked out, you don’t linger around your body after death. Your existence disappears immediately, and either waits in a void for Belial’s servants to collect you, or you appear before the Vayl gates.”
“That’s a lot to consider…” Syd murmurs against me.
Alaric sighs. “Yes. This one’s neck was snapped.” As he drops the head, Sydni flinches, pulling back from me but not fully breaking free of my hold.
“We weren’t wrong, but definitely not right, either.” He looks at Niyla, Brice, and then to me. “Looks like we are heading north. We will stop to get you a new laptop and a driver attachment so you and Brice can work on getting into that.” He points over my shoulder, but I keep my eyes on him.
