Storm and Fury (The Harbinger 1)

Roth shot passed me, catching what appeared to be a Hellion. He flew into the air with the creature, tossing it back into the side of the house. Layla sprang up beside a Raver, catching it by the shoulders as she brought her knee up to the creature’s chin, snapping the neck back, breaking it. A Nightcrawler charged Layla. She spun, but he was fast.

But I was faster.

I let the dagger go and it struck the Nightcrawler in the face, knocking it backward. It was nothing but ash when it hit the ground.

Layla spun toward me. “Holy crap, thank you.”

Darting forward, I couldn’t see the dagger in the grass. It was too dark, and there was no time to search it. “Misha!” I shouted, darting across the lawn, straight toward a Hellion. It grabbed for me, but I dipped under its arm and spun around, slamming the dagger into its back. A hot spray of blood hit me as I whirled around.

Thick tendrils of mist scattered as Zayne flew backward, hitting the ground with enough impact that I stumbled. I turned to him as he flipped to his feet.

He sent me a quick look. “This demon is as annoying as I thought. Find Misha and get out of here.”

“Not without you.”

Zayne gripped my shoulder, pulling me toward him as he lowered his head so I was at eye level with fierce, pale blue eyes. “You find Misha and get the Hell out of here. I’ll find you. Wherever you go, I will find you.”

I let out a ragged breath as our gazes connected. Too many unspoken words surfaced. Too much I needed to say to him, and there was no time.

His claws caught on my shirt and then he let go, shoving me back as he flew forward, hitting a fully transformed Aym with a closed fist in the stomach, doubling the demon over.

The demon... The demon had two heads.

Spinning around, I caught a Raver in the knee. It swung toward me, mouth open and teeth snapping as I jumped back. I feinted to the right and then whirled around, thrusting the dagger into its hairless chest.

Jerking the dagger free, I whipped around as a Nightcrawler headed for Roth. Another cut in front of me, rushing the demon prince. A Nightcrawler leaped over me, rushing toward Layla. She rose, her wings lifting her high—

The Nightcrawler’s claws caught her in the midsection. He spun, throwing her sideways. She screamed as she fell backward, landing on a wing with a crack that sickened me.

No.

A roar of anger shook the ground as Roth launched into the air. I turned as Zayne spun. I saw the moment he realized Layla was down. His jaw hardened and then he turned back to Aym as Roth landed behind the Nightcrawler. Roth was like a cobra striking. His hand shot out, cutting through the demon’s back. He jerked his arm back, and the Nightcrawler folded into itself, crumpling like a ball of paper.

Imps screeched as they dived low, aiming for Zayne. I shouted his name, and he spun, tossing Aym over his shoulder as he shot into the air, catching an imp by the neck.

On the ground, Ravers rushed past me, their claws digging into the soil, kicking it into the air as they went for Roth and Layla. Imps circled like buzzards.

There were too many.

They surrounded Roth and Layla, swarmed them as Roth struggled to get Layla to her feet. One of the imps snagged Roth’s wing. He shook them off, but they kept coming. Two had ahold of his wings again and they start to pull. The demon prince howled as Layla tried to gain her footing.

I had to do something.

Layla and Roth were demons, but I couldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t. If the imps tore Roth’s wings, he would be down for the count, and Layla, God, she was already done. Her arms were streaked with inky darkness, and her wings were gone. She’d shifted back into her human form, and now she was as vulnerable as a newborn kitten.

Stepping back, I lifted my left hand and took my dagger, dragging it down the center of my palm. I hissed through my teeth as my skin split open. Blood welled. I squeezed my hand closed as my heart pounded fiercely.

I knew the moment they scented my blood in the air.

The imps stilled. The Hellions skidded to a halt and slowly turned. The Nightcrawlers tossed their heads back and sniffed at the air. My blood did what I needed it to. The demons were now focused on me, and not Roth and Layla.

I smiled. “Dinnertime.”

Aym whipped around, shifting back into his human form, his mouth gaping open and elongating, stretching wide and distorted as he let out a wail that raised all the tiny hairs over my body.

“No!” he shouted. Or maybe it was Zayne. I wasn’t sure, but it was definitely the demon that yelled, “She must be taken alive!”

Lowering my bloody hand, I knew the lower level demons were beyond hearing Aym’s order. The imps let go of Roth’s wings and flew at me. I was prepared, clenching the dagger as I ran toward the first, leaping up and spinning, slamming the dagger deep into the chest of the imp. It screamed, and we both went down in a tangle of arms, and demon wings.

I rolled, tossing the demon off me, and then sprang to my feet. “Get Layla out of here, Roth!” I yelled at him as I dipped and narrowly avoided an imp’s clawed feet. “Get her out of here now!”

Roth didn’t hesitate.

Scooping Layla up, he crouched and then took off like a missile, disappearing into the sky as I whirled to face what sounded like a herd.

All the demons were coming for me now.

Sheathing my dagger, I gave in to the adrenaline pumping through my veins as the grace stretched me to the seams, demanding I let it out...and I let it take over.

Light filled me, buzzing through my veins as the corners of my vision burned white. Muscles tensed as pure golden-white light erupted down my arm, forming the sword. The moment the handle formed against my palm, I screamed and swept the sword high, catching the nearest Hellion in the waist, cleaving it in two. I spun, shoving the sword through the chest of another demon. Yanking the sword back, I pivoted and caught a Nightcrawler along the thighs, cutting it in two.

A cyclone of violence and blood surrounded me as the world constricted to each blow I delivered, each blow I took as the demons tried to get to me. Bodies piled around me, dying on top of one another before they could burst into nothing but ash and fire. I felt nothing but righteous rage as I cut down demon after demon, blood mixing with sweat—

Pain exploded along my side and I stumbled forward, the sword flickering and fading as I lost my hold on the grace. I spun toward the demon responsible for the burning pain along my side.

The demon was dressed in head-to-toe red pleather. Her long blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail. When our eyes locked, the demon’s mouth dropped open and stretched grotesquely. The eerie whine sent a shiver down my spine. But more than anything, the sight of a female demon threw me through a loop. She was an Upper Level demon, obviously drawn by my blood.

She struck out, her hand catching me in the stomach with a shocking quickness, knocking the wind out of my lungs.

All right, then. If she wanted a bitch fight, she was going to get one. “You really don’t want to do this, honey.”

She cocked her head to the side as she circled me. “I’ll eat you alive, bitch.”

“As charming as that sounds, you’re not my type.” I shot forward, dipping under the demon’s outstretched arm, and coldcocked her in the jaw.

Stumbling back a few feet, the demon spit out a mouthful of dark blood. “That wasn’t very nice.”

The demon moved fast, hitting me in the chest and knocking me to the ground. My back throbbed, but it was a speck of pain in the big scheme of things. Pushing up, I spun around and planted my foot in the demon’s stomach. We exchanged and dodged blows. The female was fierce, scrappy and so not above hair pulling.

She got a good grip on my hair and tossed me to the ground. Really ticked off now, I sprang to my feet and returned the favor as blood trickled out of my nose. Grabbing ahold of the blond ponytail, I yanked her head forward as I brought my knee up. The resulting sickening crunch of the demon’s nose breaking filled me with unmeasurable glee.

“Like I told you,” I said, slamming the chick’s face into my knee again. “You don’t want any of this.”

“Screw you,” she spat.

Done playing around, I released her and whipped out my dagger, delivering the final blow with a deep thrust to the chest. I pulled the dagger out, breathing heavily as she caved in on herself.

“Trinity!” Zayne shouted, and a moment later he was beside me, circling an arm around my waist and hauling me back as a wall of flames went up no more than a few feet in front of me.

Gasping, I clutched his arm with one hand as he spun me around, taking me to the ground as flames roared over our heads. His wings slammed down on either side of me, stabbing the ground.

“It’s Aym,” he growled. “He’s killing the other demons.”

While that was surprisingly helpful, it wasn’t out of benevolence. Aym needed me alive, and he was willing to kill his own kind to ensure it.

As soon as the flames retracted, Zayne rose, lifting me onto my feet. The scent of burned earth and ozone assaulted my senses as my vision focused on the blond demon.

“You two have no idea what is about to go down,” Aym taunted, flames rippling from his fingers as he stalked forward. Sparks hit the trees. They went up like nothing more than dry twigs. “But you’re going to find out.”

Zayne reacted, and since he was standing to my side, I didn’t see him until it was too late. His arm swung back, catching me around the waist and shoving me as the demon charged us.

I skidded backward over the yard and caught myself on the wall of the house while Zayne took flight, crashing into the demon as flames burst from him.

“Dammit,” I shouted, pushing off the wall. I grabbed my dagger, but as the two twisted and turned, there was no way I could get a clear shot at Aym without wounding Zayne.

They were like two Titans battling it out, going toe to toe, punch for punch. The demon had also shifted, his skin now a deep maroon, and with each punch he landed, flames erupted, and the scent of charred flesh hit the air.

The fire... The fire was burning Zayne.

“No,” I whispered, heart dropping. I shot forward but braked as a wall of flames shot up in front of me, burning intensely and forcing me back before burning out, leaving the ground charred.