But I do it. I don’t do it to save myself or even the city outside these walls. I honestly don’t care what happens to anyone else anymore. But I care about Izara and… for some crazy reason I care about the family she’s created out of four Prods who shouldn’t have shit in common.
I care about them, too.
Phoenix grabs my shoulders and shoves me to the dirt. From the cold ground I watch as a charred demon slams into him where I stood just seconds ago. Jagged black nails lash out at the incubus as inky lines spread across Phoenix's face, from his eyes, to his cheeks, to his lips. A growl like fiery rage roars from the man’s mouth, and his strength bursts out of him, flinging the creature off of him so hard, the thing lands with slamming impact.
And it doesn’t get back up.
Quietly I stand and extend my hand to the fuming incubus. His big black eyes cut to me, and I’m not sure he sees me at first. Not really.
A thank you feels in order, but there isn’t time.
“Come on,” I say instead, pulling him to his feet and racing across the smoky grounds of the school toward our destination far at the back.
I wish I could say it’s safer here. That the chaos of hell is contained to the front of the academy. But that’s just not the case. Golden streams of magic collide with screeching demons. The professors with casting magic line the lawn like a shield around the faculty housing.
Professor Thorne draws sparking lines all around the darkness. His hands are moving like a quick symphony of music is drifting from his fingertips, rather than his strange barrier magic. A single demon with half a dozen horns twisting up from his skull has the stupidity to approach the professor’s handmade fence. The moment his fingers strike through the golden lines of magic, a sizzling sound burns through the air. It’s loud enough to be heard over the creature’s screams. His skin scatters like confetti in the breeze; it flicks off of his arms like light ash twirling around him. And then he bursts open from the inside out, showering us all with tiny, dry flecks of burning flesh.
Professor Thorne’s eyes reflect the golden barrier and shine with pride and accomplishment. He smiles softly.
My wings extend fully, and without warning, I grab Phoenix around the middle and haul him over the deadly barrier. I drop him when we descend, and he lands as gracefully as I do. Except he’s ready. And I’m not.
Professor Zent wields his warlock’s watch like a weapon, and with a twist of his wrist, the teacher freezes us in place.
What the fuck!
My muscles ache to move. I’ve sat still countless times in my life, but there’s something about being forced into a still position you have no control of escaping. It hurts. It hurts deep down in my bones.
“I have two of the hell spawns over here,” Zent calls back in his drawling tone to a couple of professors behind him.
A big man storms up to the warlock’s side, nodding his bald head and looking like he’s plotting the best way to torture us right here and now.
“Great! Great job, Cornelius,” the man booms, clapping Zent on the back with one beefy hand. “I’ll string ’em up over here. Maybe I’ll do the tying by the length of their intestines to show the other demons what will happen if anyone else decides to use their fancy fuckin’ wings to soar into our housing.”
Ourintestines… I’m sorry, what?
The smaller person scurrying behind him, though, is the last person I ever thought I’d be happy to see.
Professor Henn.
Thank God for obsessive women.
“Oh no! Syko, sweetie,” she squeals. She’s at my side in seconds, her chubby hands clasping my bicep and shielding me with her little body like a protective condom keeping me safe from the men who most definitely want to rip into my ass right now. Without even the promise of lube. “He’s not one of them. Syko is good. He’s kind. He’s the sweetest little nympho—I meannephilimthere is.” Right here in the middle of a hellacious war, the woman’s cheeks burn with a blush of deep red.
Great. Can they start that slow torture death on me now rather than later? My intestines are ready.
She does, however, get back to the point. She bats Professor Zent on the hand and motions toward me. “Release him. He’s not one of them.”
Ashy dirt stains the professor’s face, and he huffs out a long sigh before he lifts his blazing red timepiece with intent and the tight, suffocating hold on me releases so abruptly that I stumble right into the little woman in front of me.
“Oh, Syko, are you alright, dear?” She paws at me, but my gaze scans from her to the incubus at my side.
“Phoenix needs to be released as well.”
The men straighten, and a look slips between them.
Professor Henn’s dry lips pull together, and I can see she’s really trying to judge my frozen friend while also trying not to anger me.
“I-I’m not sure. He’s a demon, Syko. If he’s swayed you in any way, do tell me. I can protect you.” Her hands fall high on my chest, and my jaw tightens.
