“True.” They had more room than they knew what to do with. Granted, most of the rooms were taken, and with Penelope and Obsidian expecting, Eclipse had heard they were looking to do some construction. Something about adding a nursery or some shit.
“Plus, I think Jeffr—” Kaj came to a halt, holding up his hand.
Eclipse allowed his senses to span across the area, taking stock of what and who was nearby. Two humans ducking behind a Dumpster, one male, one female. The smell of chemicals and burning plastic left him to believe they were sharing a crack pipe. In one of the abandoned warehouses, he detected three bodies, all tucked in for the night beneath a pile of rags and newspapers.
It was during the sweep inward that he picked up on what Kaj had. Three males—not human, angel, or vampire—strolling down the alley running parallel to them.
Shadow beasts?Eclipse projected into Kaj’s mind.
Based on their scent, yeah.
Hmm.
They’d yet to encounter any since Obsidian’s run-in with them a few days ago.
Because he knew it would require more than just him and the head vampire, Eclipse sent out a request to Magnar, asking hisladeareto home in on his position and make an appearance. With backup.
Less than a minute later, Magnar appeared with Echo, Cayden, and Ajax at his side. A minute after that, Reidar and Raksa joined the party.
Kaj shot off some hand signals, motioning for four to go one way and three to follow him. Eclipse opted to go the opposite direction of Kaj. Considering they were the strongest as far as powers went, he figured it might work in their favor to get these bastards corralled between them.
Taking off at a jog, Eclipse led Echo, Magnar, and Ajax back the way they’d come. They slipped between two abandoned buildings and came out on the other side. The three males he’d detected were sniffing the air, likely having caught their scent.
“Strategy?” Magnar asked, voice low.
Damn good question. If these were shadow beasts, blades and bullets weren’t going to cut it.
“See if we can maneuver them toward Kaj,” Eclipse said.
Magnar, Echo, and Ajax spread out behind him, the three males forming a wall of muscle while Eclipse tossed up a barrier that would help direct the demons backward. It worked, though they’d garnered the full attention of the beasts. A couple of snarls sounded, proof they’d picked up on Eclipse’s little trick.
At the far end of the alley, Kaj appeared, Reidar, Raksa, and Cayden behind him. All dressed in black, they blended with the night. With the exception of the light glinting off the steel blades they handled and the green glow igniting in Kaj’s eyes.
Although Eclipse would’ve been thrilled to go hand-to-hand with these assholes, they’d already learned their normal methods of elimination weren’t going to do the trick. So, rather than drag shit out, Eclipse focused on Kaj.
You said fire works, right?
Kaj nodded from his end of the alley.
Think you can give them a shove my way?
Of course. Just say the word.
Eclipse stopped, spreading his legs wide as he summoned the energy from the universe. Not quite the same amount required to draw a lightning bolt from the sky, but it was a bit more than he was used to handling, which meant he would be drained when this was all over. Because he trusted his males to get him to safety afterward, Eclipse closed his eyes, drew in more energy as he lifted his hands, palms up. Sparks ignited between his fingertips, then ignited into a full-blown flame.
On three, he told Kaj.
One…
Two…
Three!
Eclipse opened his eyes to see Kaj pull his hands back, then shove them forward, the move forcing a wave that displaced the energy between them. The shadow beasts were caught directly in between. With that wave pushing them toward Eclipse, he did the same maneuver, launching the flames out from the palms of his hands, essentially turning his arms into flamethrowers. He nailed two of the demons on the first shot, singeing them to ash. Before he and Kaj could gear up for the next round, the third beast shot twenty feet into the sky, landing on the rooftop to the north.
“He’s mine!” Kaj yelled before he vanished.
Because he knew the male couldn’t eliminate the damn thing without some help, he sent Magnar and Ajax after the vampire even as he dropped to his knees.
