The taste was intoxicating—rich, powerful, tinged with the unique flavor that marked Angelo's ancient bloodline. I lost myself in the feeding, my world narrowing to nothing but the flow of blood and the restoration of my power.
Angelo yanked his wrist away with firm authority, breaking the connection. “Stop.”
I released him immediately, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand as shame crept up my neck. "Sorry."
"My boy. My boy." An agonizing cry echoed through the battle, ragged with grief and desperation.
Every nerve in my body tensed as recognition gutted me. Morden. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and my stomach dropped like a stone. What would he do when he found out I couldn't save his son? That I'd tried to turn Nyx and only made his death more painful?
Angelo grabbed Serenity's arm with possessive urgency, his jaw set with grim determination. "Stay here."
She looked up into his fierce, commanding gaze and smiled with heartbreaking trust. "You need me."
"More than you know." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her hard.
Gunnar's wings snapped open with a sharp crack, the sound cutting through the chaos. He and Hades launched into the air together, rising above the battlefield like twin forces seeking to help in the fight.
I broke into a sprint, rushing toward the field, panic driving every step. The world became a blur of mud and Spanish moss as I pushed my enhanced speed to its limits, dread and guilt warring in my chest.
The dark-haired man—Morden—dropped to his knees and gathered Nyx's broken body into his arms, holding him close against his chest. His shoulders shook with silent sobs as he rocked back and forth, one hand cradling his son's head with infinite tenderness. The sight of his grief was like a punch to the gut, stealing my breath.
Above us, the harpies shrieked in painful agony, their cries echoing Morden's anguish. They circled overhead like mourningspirits, their wings beating frantically as they sensed their trainer's death.
Then Morden's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with fury and loss. "Kill them all."
The harpies dove toward the dark demons with renewed vengeance. I smiled. Luck was finally turning our way. Marsha's forces were about to face the wrath of a grieving father who had nothing left to lose.
