I nod again.
“How are you still alive?” he asks, with a hint of awe.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I reply, walking back toward the path, wanting desperately to get out of these woods.
“What do you think’s happening?” he asks from behind, and I don’t bother turning around.
“I don’t know. I’m clueless.”
“Are you okay?” he asks, but I don’t answer. The need to get back to my loft and to some sense of safety is my only goal at the moment. “Stop, Tori.” Zeke’s demanding tone leaves no room for argument.
I slowly pivot to face him. His eyes are weary as they rush over me.
“What do you expect me to say? No, I’m not all right,” I admit, throwing my hands in the air. “Demons in the daytime, werewolves, hellhounds—nothing is all right with any of that,” I screech, pressing the palms of my hands into my head and kneading roughly, trying to stave off a headache. When my arms drop to my sides, the world starts to tilt until it’s in a full spin. My vision goes blurry and the last thing I see, before everything goes black, is Zeke’s concerned face.
When I come to, I’m lying in my bed back at the loft. I stretch my arms over my head, relishing the pull of my muscles. How I got back here is answered quickly, as a half-dressed Zeke leans over the bed, handing me a glass of water.
“Did you lose your shirt?” I prod, smirking, hoping to divert attention from my blackout.
He grins back. “It was dirty. I thought it was more important to make sure you were okay.” He looks at me, appearing contemplative. “Wanna tell me what happened back there?”
I groan. “This again? I told you I have no clue.”
His brow rises. “I mean why you fainted.”
“Oh. That,” I say pensively.
“Yeah. That.” He frowns. “Not what I’ve come to expect from the ever brave and tough-as-hell Victoria English.”
“Ha. That was a damn ambush.”
“I’ve never encountered anything like that. What do you make of those demons?”
I sit up, taking a long drink of the offered water and placing it on the nightstand when I’m finished.
“My best guess is a coup, and witches are at the helm.”
“You think they’re after us?”
“Who else? There’s nobody else here.” I throw my hands out, motioning around.
“But why witches?”
“I don’t think they have anything to do with the attack, but they’re clearly responsible for the demons’ ability to walk in the daylight. The wolves were wearing talismans.”
He nods, inhaling deeply. “What’s their angle?”
I shrug. “Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they want my sword in exchange for helping the wolves get rid of us?”
“That makes sense, but Michael won’t allow that. Angels will be all over the place soon,” he says, looking at me a little too intently.
“Why the hell would Michael care? We’re fallen. They have no reason to save us.”
“They might not care about us, Tori, but they won’t want an ethereal object in the hands of black witches. They also won’t stand around and allow demons to walk in the daylight. That would be the beginning of the end.”
I huff, “I don’t want to see any of those jackasses.”
Zeke chokes out a laugh. “Those asses were once your brothers.”
