“Yeah.” Kingston turned back from the front seat to look at Hannah. “Was that levitation?”
She nodded. “Not strong enough to prevent the impact entirely, but I did what I could.”
“That was fucking amazing,” I told her, my heart still slamming hard against my ribs as my hands shook.
“Thanks.”
“Um, guys. Small problem.”
Kai’s voice was tense, and I shook off the dizziness from our spin through the air and peered out of the cracked windows.
“Shit.”
We were being advanced on from both sides—Custodians on one side and fallen on the other. We’d been about to lose the pack of monsters that was chasing us, but our crash had slowed us down, giving them time to cover the distance. The two groups were hurling spells at each other, and blasts of light punctuated the sounds of howls and
yells that split the air.
“Maybe it’s not a problem,” I muttered. “Maybe they’ll keep each other distracted long enough for us to get the fuck out of here.”
As if they’d heard my words and were determined to punish me for daring to have a shred of optimism, both groups suddenly turned toward Kingston’s downed vehicle.
The fallen snarled and howled, and the Custodians let out a battle cry.
“Motherfucker!”
Xero unleashed several fireballs, exploding the car windows outward and making my skin prickle with heat.
We all scrambled out of the car seconds before it was decimated by several magical attacks. Chaos broke out around us as the Custodians and fallen battled us and each other.
“Focus on the fallen!” I screamed, diving out of the way of another blast. “Try not to kill any of the Custodians!”
“Goddamn it,” Kai griped, but he did as I said, shifting into his vampire form and moving so fast he was almost a blur as he darted toward a demon with dark gray skin.
He sank his teeth into the demon’s neck, tearing at flesh with his sharp canines. But even as he took out one of the threats, a Custodian with dark brown hair raised a hand to hit him with a spell from behind.
Oh, no, you don’t, you asshole.
“Leave him alone!” I put as much persuasion in my voice as I could—a little difficult with panic coursing through my veins—but it did the trick. The Custodian blinked for a second, lowering his hand.
As he did, I realized I recognized him.
“Kyle?”
He’d worked with Dru and Sonja to capture Hannah and me after we were both turned, and I’d gotten the impression he had a bit of a crush on Sonja.
That suspicion was confirmed when he glanced at me, the sound of his name snapping him out of his stupor. The battle raged around us as he registered my features, and his face contorted into a scowl.
“You!”
That was all he said before he launched himself at me.
We hit the ground and rolled, and I landed a solid punch to his face before he grabbed my upper arm and squeezed. Pain shot directly through my body, delivered by his touch, and he squeezed harder, forcing more agony into me.
I groaned, struggling to keep my grip on him. Through the haze of pain, I could see flashes of the fight around us—the howl of a hellhound, the loud crack of a gargoyle’s stone body breaking, screams and shouts.
“What the fuck?” I choked out, my voice thick with agony. “We’re on your side, you asshole.”
“No, you’re not,” Kyle growled. “I know who you are. I know what you did to Sonja. And you’re all branded for death.”