“Lucas, no!” I hold onto him tighter, not wanting him to go after War alone.
“We don’t have a choice. Go, now.” He gets up, pulling his hands from my grip. I take a telekinetic hold of his feet, making it so he can’t move.
“The sun hasn’t even set yet.”
“It’s close enough.” His fangs come down. “Go, Callie. Get to the Covenstead and warn the others.”
“Not without you.” I quickly shake my head back and forth. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Go!” he bellows and yanks one of his feet up, fighting against my magic. Pandora nudges me forward, and it’s enough to break my hold on Lucas. In the blink of an eye, he speeds to the front door, throwing it open.
“No!” I scream and race after him. Scarlet runs out of the house with him, barking and growling. Purple twilight stretches across the sky above us, and Lucas moves so fast he’s just a blur in the fading light.
War is still sitting upon his horse, sword held out at his side. But this time, he’s not alone. A dozen demons are marching through the front yard, chanting in an ancient language. Lucas goes right for War, slamming his body into the horse’s side.
Nostrils flaring, the horse sidesteps. Lucas runs around it again, and War raises his arm up. Lucas suddenly stiffens, and tendrils of black smoke rise from the ground, twisting around his legs, keeping him from being able to move.
War looks right at me, red eyes glowing beneath his tarnished helmet. He twists his arm, aiming the pointy end of his sword at Lucas. He’s moving slow on purpose, making sure I know exactly what he’s about to do.
I throw out my hand, hitting him with a ball of pure white energy. It fizzles against the breastplate of his suit of armor, only slightly pushing him back. The horse nudges his nose against the invisible wall of my warding, and the same horrible, high-pitched noise rings out.
It stops me in my tracks, pain making stars dot my vision. I fight against it, trying to conjure another energy ball. But War is too strong. He swings his sword down, and I scream.
“Lucas!” I reach deep inside and draw on my angel powers, shutting out the noise just in time to see Scarlet jump in front of Lucas. War’s sword plunges into her chest. She lets out a yelp and falls to the ground, knocking Lucas over with her.
She doesn’t get up.
“No,” I breathe and grab the porch railing, using it to yank myself forward. Hellfire springs from the ground before me, and I thrust my free hand out, sending it right at War. Pain immediately seizes my stomach, and I fight through it, fumbling my way down the steps. The demonic chanting grows louder, and I fuel the hellfire with raw energy. Blue sparks crackle and pop from the fire. One lands on War’s horse, and the horse takes a quick pace back.
“Lucas,” I pant, seeing him get to his feet. He picks up Scarlet’s limp body, throwing her over his shoulder.
“Get inside!” He rushes to me, hooking his other arm around my shoulders and dragging me in. He slams the door behind us and lays Scarlet on the foyer rug.
“No.” I suck in a ragged breath and drop to my knees. Blood stains her gray fur, and tears spring to my eyes.
“She’s a hellhound. She should heal.” Lucas wipes his bloody hands on the front of his shirt. I run my fingers over her head, waiting for the life to come back to her eyes.
But it doesn’t.
“Come on, baby,” I say with trembling breath. She is a hellhound, but she’s not in her true form. I slip my fingers under her collar and undo the buckle. It falls to the ground, and nothing happens. My heart plummets to my stomach, and Lucas kneels down next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “No,” I cry and lean forward, falling onto Scarlet.
The air shifts, and I jerk up. Scarlet transforms from wolfhound to hellhound. The stab wound on her chest is gone, and she opens her eyes. “Scarlet!” Slowly, she gets to her feet and shakes her head. I throw my arms around her neck, so fucking relieved.
Calllliiieee.
Gasping, I let go of Scarlet and scramble up. “Paimon,” I whisper, eyes full of fear. “He’s here.”
“Where?” Lucas growls, flashing his fangs.
“I don’t know. I heard him.”
You had your chance, Callie. Now it’s my turn.
I squeeze my eyes closed and shake my head. “I think he’s in my mind again.”
“Fuck.” Lucas pulls me away from the front door. War hits the warding again, and I can feel my protective spells start to crack. “Get him out.”
“I have to use my angel powers.”
“Do it, Callie.”
Holding out my hands, I pull power from my very core, and a blast of energy erupts from me, knocking a framed wedding photo to fall off the wall. War bangs against the warding a final time and it cracks, sounding like the glass shattering when the photo fell.