Phenex’s eyes narrowed. “The angels aren’t sure, but it’s at least ten. Maybe more. It looks like they’ve gone on a complete rampage.”
“Eva,” I barked out as I strode over to the hidden wall that held my collection of swords. “You’re coming with me.”
“You sure that’s wise, boss?” Phenex called after me. I grabbed my favorite sword from its display case and wrapped the sheath around my back. The weight of it felt comforting. Like it belonged there. The Legion rarely liked to employ the use of swords. They stood out in the modern world and didn’t have much use against guns. But I’d always preferred it to any other kind of weapon.
“I’m not going to leave her here alone...” I dropped my voice to a low murmur as he reached my side. “And with the attack as bad as it is, we all need to go to the park.”
Phenex cast a glance over his shoulder at the rest of the crew gathering together. Eva stood with them, her face pale. “Yeah, but boss. She can’t fight. Not yet. As much as it feels like she’s one of us, I think we all know she’s not. What about her roommates? Maybe we should go get them from the bar and send them all home.”
“The cult knows where I live, but they know where Eva lives, too.” In truth, there weren’t any good options here. “Honestly, Phenex, they’d all be better off out of this city, but you know how stubborn Eva is. She’d never leave.”
He grunted. “I don’t like this.”
“I don’t either.” I grabbed a slim dagger and strapped it to my thigh. “Problem is, we don’t have another choice.”
Eva chose that moment to drift over to me. She grabbed my arm, and her fingernails dug into my skin. “You really think it’s a good idea for me to go with you?”
“I need you by my side. It’s the safest place you can be, even in the middle of a fight.”
She let out a shuddering breath, and then nodded. “Alright.”
She spoke without even a hint of fear in her voice. I swore she was the bravest human I’d ever met, including Mia. Nothing fazed her, except for the darkness inside her gut. And that was only because she was scared for others and not for herself.
While the rest of us finished strapping our weapons to our bodies, Eva made a call to her roommates to let them know what was happening. They objected at first. Obviously, the last thing they wanted was for their best friend to go racing into a fight with a bunch of demons, but Eva managed to calm them down. They’d stay at the bar until we gave them the all-clear.
As soon as she hung up the call, we took to the skies. We rose above the buildings, our eyes set on the northern part of the city. In the far distance, an eerie orange blaze flickered against the dark clouds. My stomach twisted as we drew closer, and my eyes sharpened on the commotion up ahead.
The entire southern edge of Central Park was engulfed in flames. Mouth dry, I glanced at the others. Phenex and Stolas wore matching grim expressions, but the sadness on Bael’s face made my wings falter. Pain twisted his lips and furrowed his brows. He looked like he might break down and cry.
Narrowing my eyes, I rushed through the clouds. Screams from the streets below filled the air, echoing like thunder. Eva clutched my neck as she stared down at the expanding flames. The fire blazed bright, chasing away the shadows. I raised my gaze to the distant trees. A flash of black wings vanished below the park’s canopy.
“There!” I shouted to the others. They followed my line of sight and nodded. Together, we swept over the wall of flames and soared to the cluster of trees in northern Central Park.
We dropped down, our wings folding into our backs as we drew our swords in unison. Eva scrambled out of my arms. I pushed her behind me as we all aimed our weapons at a small pond that glimmered beneath the moonlight.
Frowning, I glanced around. I could have sworn I’d seen those wings drop below the trees.Right here.
Phenex let out a low growl as he stalked toward the pond with his sword raised before him. Fallen leaves crunched beneath his boots, echoing like gunshots in the quiet of the night. All the screams had vanished, like the sound had been turned off.
“Something’s not right here,” he muttered.
“I smell blood,” Eva said, her voice strangely hollow.
Alarm bells ringing, I twisted toward her. She’d drifted away from the rest of us and now stood just behind a bush, staring down at the ground with eyes so wide I swore they might burst from her head.
My heart lurched as the scent of fresh blood wafted into my nose.
Shit.
“Eva.” I strode toward her, sheathing my sword. Her body began to tremble. Fists clenched, she dropped back her head and let out an inhuman scream that scraped against my eardrums like a sharpened knife.
And then she fell to her knees.
Right in front of the dead human’s body. Blood coated the ground.
She reached out with a desperate, hungry look on her face. One I’d never seen from her before.
“Grab her!” Bael shouted. “She’s lost control!”
