I know Bel can’t die, but burning to death without the mercy of actual death is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, much less the greatest gift I’ve ever known. What can I do, though? And Isla? If she dies, Bel will never recover. I don’t think I’ll recover either. She’s important to me, too. One of the few people I give a shit about, and I let her go in there.
I’m a fucking moron.
I hear sirens and think that they’re here even faster than should be possible. That smoke hasn’t been up for longer than a few minutes. A small firetruck whips around the corner and speeds towards me, the tires spinning out as it does.
I almost laugh. I’ve never seen someone driving a firetruck so recklessly. What if someone had been in the way?
Then, the smile on my face drops when someone in the truck starts shouting my name.
Eamon is standing on the side of the truck screaming at me, “Fucking move, Fritz!”
I step off to the side, leaving the wall of fire wide open for this strange thing happening before me. With all his strength and speed, Eamon hops off the truck without it even slowing down and drags a massive firehose with him. He attaches it to the closest fire hydrant, all the while shouting at me for being such a dumbass, which— fair. He tells me that he’s going to fucking kill me at least three times for dragging Isla into this before he shouts orders at the four people climbing out of the truck now that it’s come to a stop.
“In my defense,” I try to explain, “Bel and Isla made these plans. Literally didn’t even consult me. Just told me to stay put.”
“You’re 1,000 years old and you let two fucking mortals boss you around?” He rolls his eyes, “Give me a fuckin break, man.”
I resist the urge to shove him, make him see reason. Instead, I just explain while his crew sprays water on the fire to stop it. “I’m serious. Isla is scary. She walked in there with fuckingbombsshe made from nail polish remover andhair color.”
A half smile lights up his face at the mention of her ingenuity before he uses his massive palm to literally wipe it off, “I don’t give a fuck. You could have stopped them if you wanted to. And now, because all of you are being so careless with Isla’s life, I have to step in and fix it.”
“I mean…” I purse my lips in thought, “You didn’thave to.You weren’t willing to step in and help Cas so I guess I don’t see why one little mortal girl is so imp-”
His giant hand wraps around my throat, pulling me towards him to growl in my face, “Then you’re not fucking paying attention, Fritz.” He releases me with a shove, and I stumble but manage to remain upright. “She’s the eldest daughter in her family. Does that ring a bell to youat all?”
“No.”
He looks up at the sky, sighing in frustration and muttering about how he got so gods damned lucky to have to deal with all of us. “They’re going to bleed her dry to make more weapons if they get their hands on her. Doyouwant them to have more stuff to fight us with?”
Unconvinced, I narrow my eyes, “So that’s what it’s about? Preventing the hunters from getting more gadgets?” I don’t buy it for a second.
“What other reason could there be?” he dares me to give him what we both know is the honest answer.
Unfortunately for me, I always take a dare, “Well it could be that youlikeIsla.”
Steam practically emerges from his ears as his eyes begin to bleed red from the edges, “I do notlikeIsla.”
I chuckle under my breath, “You got her a $4,000 coat for when shecomes to visit.”
“I did,” he admits. “And now, thanks to you, she’s going to be making that visit immediately.”
Uh oh.“I don’t understand.”
He walks towards the demolished front entry of the compound, now mostly flooded and steaming, chunks of concrete strewn about everywhere. “As soon as I get my hands on her, I’m taking her. She’s coming back with me because none of you, herself included, are willing to do one gods damned motherfucking thing to keep her safe from the group of people who will happily drain her of every drop of blood over and over again for the rest of her life.”
“She’s not going to go quietly.”That’s an understatement.
Throwing a particularly large piece of a door out of the way, he stares down at me, “I warned all of you. Several times. I warned you there would be consequences. Now they’re here. And if she dies before I get to her,” his eyes become entirely red, “I’m going to make you and your newly claimed girl suffer for eternity.”
Jesus Christ. I nod in understanding, wondering if I could escape this beast of a demon if it came down to it. The answer is, emphatically, fuck no.
But Isla is not going to die in there. If there’s one thing I know about her, it’s her survival instinct. She’s got it more than the rest of us. She won’t let herself or Bel get hurt in there; that’s the only reason I conceded to their insane plan.
If I keep telling myself that, it’ll be true, right?
I follow two steps behind him through the door, the rest of his team following not far behind us, packed with guns and knives like a fucking tactical team. While I knew Eamon did this, I don’t think I ever knew the extent of his reach. A firetruck? A group of highly trained weapons masters? This is madness.
“How did you mobilize so quickly?” I whisper to him.
