“No,” Talon said grimly.
The monster tilted its head. “I won’t stop until it’s ash. I promised her.”
“You’d die for Lilith’s vendetta?” Talon asked.
“It isn’t just hers,” the monster replied. “The guild hunts us all. Why would you protect them?”
“I made a promise, too,” Talon said.
“That’s enough talk,” Shadrach said, swinging his sword.
The monster dodged. All around them, the possessed began to scream, their bodies breaking and spraying blood.
“Kill them,” Nathan rasped. He sucked down a breath, wincing in pain, and screamed as loud as he could, “Kill them now! Don’t let the demons out!”
The paladins attacked, and Nathan’s eyes slipped closed.
“Nate! Nathan, ohshit, sunshine,” a familiar voice murmured. A scraping sound against rock caught his attention, and then warm hands cradled his face.
It took incredible effort to pry his eyes open, but whether this was real or imagined, he wanted tosee. Needed to see Storm in what might be his final moments. Red eyes filled his vision below a shock of starlight white hair. Thumbs stroked his cheeks, and he smiled.
“Storm,” he breathed. “How are you here?”
“The bad demons got in. You think the good demons wouldn’t come to help?” Storm quipped. He ducked his head, plucking at Nathan’s sticky shirt. “Fuck, you’re bleeding too fast.”
The rapidpop-pop-popof gunfire made Nathan jerk so hard pain flashed through him.
“Whoa, it’s okay,” Storm said quickly. “It’s Malachi and Wolf.” He glanced over his shoulder, but his broad body mostly blocked Nathan from seeing anything. “They’re helping the paladins, uh, handle the possessors.”
Nathan’s eyes burned. “All those people…”
“It’s you or them, sunshine,” Storm said kindly.
“The monster?”
“Amon, a kalmach demon,” Storm said, glancing away again. “Just as we thought. Shadrach and Talon are handling it. Kalmachs are tough, but I think two leviathans are more than a match.”
“Let me see. I have to see.”
Pursing his lips as though he’d rather not, Storm reluctantly shifted to one side.
Bodies and blood covered almost every surface, it seemed. Malachi and Wolf were both holding guns the possessors had abandoned, picking off the humans that were still writhing on the ground. Paladins were doing the same, ending their suffering with blades and quick prayers. Still others were locked in battle with the possessors who’d escaped. They moved on all fours, dodging blades and swiping at paladins with their claws and teeth.
In the middle of the room, Shadrach had dropped his blade and was grappling with Amon, forcefully wrenching the monster’s arms behind his back. One of his wings had been cut off, and black blood spilled down his back from the stump. Talon lunged forward with a snarl, sinking his borrowed holy blade into Amon’s chest. He roared, thrashing, and Shadrach let him go. He fell to the ground, the strength fading from his body.
It was over. The demons were gone.
No. There were still demons here, and the paladins wouldn’t abide that. Panic surged through Nathan, granting him lucidity.
“Help me up,” he said, gripping Storm’s sleeve. “We have to get you guys out of here.”
“You shouldn’t move?—”
“Up!”
With a growl, Storm pulled Nathan’s arm over his shoulders and hauled him to his feet. The movement sent pain flashing through him, and Nathan hissed.
Just as he feared, Sloan pushed his way through the survivors, his eyes wide as he looked from person to person.
