A caustic pool rose in her throat, her pulse a living percussion.
“Congratulations.” She clapped in sarcastic applause, smirking as her rage crawled over her skin. “What a mastermindyou are, Soren.Truly. Consider me divinely impressed.” She took a step into his space, bringing her face close to his. He glowered down at her, his true colors finally showing. “I am going to make you regret ever offering me your hand that day.”
Soren let out a breathy laugh, hovering his curled fingers near her cheek. “Theon could never just keep his mouth shut, huh? Took you all enough damn time. I’ve been waiting too long for this.”
It happened quickly.
A barrage of bright purple static began raining down on Soren. He teleported before the impact of one bolt, but another struck not a second later.
It was a waltz of hot lightning and bright flashes, pulled down from the belly of the squall as Soren phased between the strikes. White powder and brick exploded in small craters where the bursts of energy hit.
Viviana materialized to her right, Mansi on her left, as an ear-splitting cacophony of bestial shrieks rang out.
Dozens of large claws ripped over the sides of the building, slicing into the concrete. The false Daemons of Soren’s creation scaled up the edges and hauled themselves up onto the rooftop, quickly crowding Marina and her two closest friends.
Shit.
A sheen layer of sapphire magic spread over Marina’s head like a dome, encasing the nearby blocks in a protective barrier.
The Blood Heretics.
A failsafe if Soren had attacked, to contain the catastrophe and keep the rest of Hollow City’s citizens safe.
A Daemon jogged on its spindly legs in a predatory sprint toward Marina.
She grounded her stance before reshaping her whirling onyx into a large, righteous blade.
She gripped it with both hands, and as the creature leapt for her, she bisected it from its skull to its barbed tail in a mighty swing.
It choked on its breath as it collapsed.
“There!” Another jumped for the group as Mansi pulled a small shotgun from her belt and unloaded two quick bursts of grapeshot into its ribbed chest.
Marina whipped around. In her periphery, she counted the Daemons surrounding her. Five total, with two more quickly approaching.
She let her sword disperse into the darkness as she squeezed her hands into fists and raised her forearms, commanding her divine power to flare up from her feet. It welled in black pools, covering the sheet of fresh snow, and spread under the nearby creatures.
With a snap of Marina’s fingers, her oily might molded into black spikes that tore up and penetrated through the Daemons like the stalagmites of Tavora.
Soren stood on the building’s ledge, his eyes squinted in a boyish smirk. “Did you honestly think you could trick the High God… of Trickery? I mean, really?” He leaned sideways to dodge a quick, impulsive shot from Mansi’s revolver.
Marina’s fists clenched as he flicked his mask up smugly at her.
“I hate that he’s still so fucking hot.” Viviana jutted out her hands, and a neon web of lilac electricity coiled around her palm. She flicked her wrist and sent the current to the mass of beasts that struggled on Marina’s large trap. The Daemons convulsed and writhed in agony as their lifeforce burned away.
“Time for another hole in that pretty face!” Mansi cackled like a maniac as she whipped out another revolver in her other hand.
She sent both arms out and began her volley of lead and seraphic poison, gunning down the Daemon that dove between her and Soren.
“Vivi!” Marina brought back her ribbons of Night and sent them to form a whorl around Viviana’s ankles. The spiral of onyx rose around her frame and split off into small, fractured shards of serration, ripping through the attacking creature’s flesh as if it were gelatin.
Viviana’s arms shot heavenward. Electricity nipped in the air. The storm flickered once more, and a fusillade of bright streaks plunged into the spot where Soren stood.
His figure dissolved and swept away in the breeze.
Another fucking illusion.
Had he ever once shown up to this rooftop as himself?
