Nia’s gaze latched onto Aethan stumbling back. She could clearly see the blood glistening on his shirtsleeves, his arm flopping as his sword fell.
“This can’t be happening!” Echo’s face drained of color, and Nia grabbed her as she swayed?—
With a furious snarl, she pushed away and took off.
Nia sprinted after her. Echo dashed down a side stairwell, leaped to ground level near the bottom, and raced along another corridor. Nia panted, barely keeping up.
Her twin darted into a living room full of people, the air rife with anxiety and agitation.
“Don’t.” Hedori grabbed Echo as she raced for the door. “I cannot let you go outside. Michael insisted everyone remain indoors. Aethan would be furious if you do.”
“I don’t care! Let me go, damn you!” She pummeled his chest, tears gleaming in her eyes. “He’s hurt. His arm?—”
“Echo?” Nia drew her away from Hedori. “I know what fear for your mate feels like, but if you go out there, Aethan will get distracted. It’ll make him a target—look!”
A stream of white fire shot out from Aethan straight to a black-winged angel, singeing him and setting his feathers alight. The angel leaped back, frantically flapping his extremities. The flames sizzled out.
“He can’t even summon his powers properly,” Echo whispered, tears spilling, and Nia hugged her, feeling utterly helpless as terror bled into her.
His fallen sword now back in his left hand, Aethan fended off another attack.
“This isn’t good,” Echo breathed at the horde of angels closing in on the three warriors.
Rania, come to the blue drawing room,a voice flickered through her mind, and she stiffened.
Echo swiped her damp face with the back of her hand. “Michael’s calling.”
“I think he summoned me, too. The blue drawing room?”
Echo nodded, and they both dashed out into the hall. A few entrances down, Echo threw open the door into a huge, dimly lit room overlooking the fight.
Michael stood near the window.
Nia frowned. He was the archangel. Why wasn’t he fighting, too?
He turned as if hearing her thoughts. “Because I am needed here, for this.”
Heat flooded her face, and her gaze flickered to the window. Ely, Blaéz, and Nik had joined the fight.
Nia could easily make Ely out with her short, braided blonde hair. She fought with a double-edged spear of sorts, spinning it like a deadly baton. Blaéz’s obsidian sword flashed like lightning, yet he couldn’t seem to do much damage. Then, the entire headof the angel he fought popped like a balloon. Blaéz leaped back into the fight.
Crap!Did he just do that?
The inner door opened.
“Good you’re here,” Michael said. And Nia spun around.Nate?
“What’s going on?” her brother demanded, his gaze arrowing in on the fight. “Ely?” He was at the window in a heartbeat. “I need to help her?—”
“No, don’t distract them.” Michael stopped him. “I need you here.” With a wave of his hand, the couches, armchairs, and baby grand piano moved to one side. “All of you form a triangle, hands reaching for each other but not joined. We must work fast.”
Nia hurried to the center of the room, as did Echo and Nate. Michael repositioned them, with Echo to her right and Nate a distance opposite them.
“What’s happening, Michael?” Nate asked, spreading out his arms toward them. His expression was hard, eyes bright with fury.
“You are the only ones who can stop this. The thrones are dangerous. With the seraphs behind them, they are perilous to everything we’ve worked so hard to maintain. This realm is under my protection, as are my Guardians. We must vanquish the threat.”
The three of them? How was that even possible?
