“Did you think we’d bend over and let you fuck us?” Silas snaps.
“Don’t give them ideas,” Clutch whines.
“You cannot fight us,” it continues. “We came for the one with the markings.”
Their attention locks onto me.
I lift my chin. “And what if I don’t want to go with you?”
“There is no choice. Your kind was a mistake. Anerror.” A pause. A mocking and delicate tut. “We do not tolerate errors.”
“Enough,” the one to its left snaps. “We’ve found him. Destroy him, and all will cease.”
“You wipe out all of us?” Cain asks. “Sounds like you’ll have job security issues to me.”
They glance at one another and shrug. “We know only our purpose.”
I step forward and drop my pistol. “I’ll go willingly if you spare them.”
“No!” Talon shouts. “What the fuck are you doing?!”
I look back at them. “Sacrifice is the only way.” Sister Mary Joan’s prophecy tastes like ash on my tongue.
The creature raises its hand; fire detonates inside me. Pain rips through my body like liquid flame; burning bone, nerve, soul. I arch back, a guttural roar tearing free as my body lifts off the ground. This is it. The end. I close my eyes. Evelynn fills my mind. Her touch. Her scent. Her taste.
“Not so fast, you blind, ugly motherfucker!” Clutch’s roar shatters the moment.
I slam into the ground. The pain eases just enough to breathe. I roll onto my side and see my brothers unloading their pistols. The liquid hisses againstAnathema’s skin. It’s working. They cluster together, shielding themselves.
Silas grabs my arm and hauls me up. “You’re not sacrificing yourself that easily.” He shoves my pistol into my hand as we retreat.
“Uh, we’ve got a problem,” Marko says.
I look up, seeing the Dominion and Seraphine approach.
“Fuck,” Silas mutters. “She’s a pain in the ass.”
“Fall back!” I shout.
As we regroup, Anathema and the Dominion face one another. Seraphine’s arrogance is gone, eyes wide, mouth parted in terror. I cross my arms. Hatred coils tight in my chest. Several Dominion turn on her.
“I didn’t know. I-.” she pleads. A blade flashes. Her head separates cleanly from her body. Dust scatters on the wind like she was nothing more than dirt. I wish it had been me to end her.
“Why can’t we hear them?” Clutch asks, frowning as he looks over at Anathema and the Dominion talking.
“Shield,” Silas growls. “They’ve used it before.”
“We could run,” Diesel offers. “Or surprise attack.”
Running isn’t an option. They’ll always find me. “We’re outnumbered,” I say. “This won’t be easy.”
Silas grins feral and vicious. “I’ve got scores to settle.”
Cain shrugs. “If Anathema kills you, we’re dust anyway. Might as well go down fighting.” Weapons come out in a blur: blades, swords, and guns loaded with holy rounds. Then there’s Hex, pulling out two chain maces.
Hex grins. “Don’t touch the spikes. Black Beauty helped me conjure up a little something to inflict some extra pain.”
“How did your bike help you make those?” Clutch snaps, rolling his eyes.
