attack.”
Scarlett and Michael looked at him with wide eyes neither a tactician. Poe just nodded, clearly seeing what we had.
“The Nephilim only worried about their skins are scattering under the assault. Those who have a greater purpose are closing ranks and fighting with passion and discipline,” Katon explained.
Rahim cut in. “They’re fighting to defend the key piece.”
Katon nodded, giving Scarlett a gentle smile as she too caught on.
“Azrael doesn’t have the numbers for a direct assault,” Poe noted. “That’s why he’s singling out the piece holder. He’ll bring in the lycanthropes once they’re isolated.”
A hopeful thought popped into my head. “He doesn’t think he can beat the Nephilim at full strength or he wouldn’t be separating them.”
“Who could?” Rahim asked.
The glimmer of hope I couldn’t see earlier suddenly winked to life at Rahim’s words. “Katon, find me Venai in that clusterfuck down there. She’ll probably be a part of the organized group.” He started scanning the viewer immediately. “Rahim, once we find her, I need you to port me down there.”
“You think popping in to that is a good idea?” He pointed to the manic swirl of ants in the distance.
“No, but if I can get Venai to crack the whip and get the rest of her people organized, it might be worth it.” I shrugged, trying not to think about what I was getting myself into. “If Azrael could wipe the Nephilim out himself, he would have done it without a second thought. He wouldn’t be hiding behind the vamps and shifters and he certainly wouldn’t be fighting a technical battle unless he felt he had to. He’s either holding back to save his energy for the battle in Heaven, or he doesn’t have it in him to beat five thousand half-breeds. Either scenario works in our favor.”
Katon called out that he’d spotted Venai. Rahim raised a furry eyebrow as if to ask if I was sure.
I borrowed a white shirt from one of the security force and scavenged a vial of Lucifer’s blood to take with me. Then I handed my bag to Katon and turned back to face Rahim. “Just keep an eye out. Azrael and the weres are bound to be in play soon. I’ll stall them when they show, but if the Nephilim can’t pull it together, we aren’t looking at much time.”
Rahim nodded, sharpened teeth showing his disapproval. “Be safe, Frank.”
I was gone before I could respond, appearing a short distance from the clustered Nephilim, my head nodding imbecilely. Several of the half-breeds turned to look at me and I waved the shirt, my makeshift flag, before they got it in their head to shoot.
“I need to speak to your leaders and to Venai.” I kept the flag going as a number of them trudged toward me. There was some doubt in my mind that they understood the gesture, because they didn’t look happy.
“Back off!” Venai’s basso voice roared from behind them, my balls dropping a little at the sound. She looked at me, her expression no less fierce than those of the other Nephilim circling me like hungry animals. “I thought we had a deal, demon. Where is your piece?”
Thunder rumbled above us as if in response to her anger, small billows of white appearing to dot the night sky. We glanced up at the same time, our gazes returning to lock on one another’s after a solemn moment.
“Well, the Grim Reaper fucked all that up.” I pointed upward at the building storm, certain the battle so close to Eden was throwing the Tree into fits. The clock was ticking faster.
Her eyes narrowed as she moved closer. “What are you talking about?”
“The werewolves and vampires work for Azrael. He wants the key too. He’s using the vamps to isolate your piece holder.” I motioned toward the clustered Nephilim to make it obvious the plan had worked. “He’s holding back because he doesn’t think he can take all of you at once. You need to martial your troops and-”
“We’ll do no such thing, demon.” A bronzed behemoth strode toward us, a toothy snarl glistening feral behind his thick and wild beard. Cold gray eyes glared at me from under bushy eyebrows. While not quite as big as Longinus, or even McConnell for that matter, he packed a busload of muscle onto his six foot frame. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re working with the vampires. Kill him.” He waved his hands as if dusting me away.
“No!” Venai shouted and stepped in front of me to block her cohorts. They froze, uncertainty oozing from their expressions. “We don’t have time for this, Errik.” She drew his attention to the storm. “His people still have a key piece, regardless of why he’s here. If we kill him now, we’ll never get it in time to escape the storms.”
The clouds had already thickened, rolling in fast like a tsunami wave. There were still slivers of moonlight peeking through here and there, but not many. Another few minutes and there wouldn’t be a sky left. A little while after that and there wouldn’t be anything left.
Sense and logic clearly weren’t one of Errik’s strengths. A monkey with a math problem, all dragging knuckles and grunts, he clenched his fists and dug his heels in. “Don’t make me have to kill you too, Venai. This demon is a-”
I didn’t get to hear what he thought of me because his sentence ended when a wash of magical energy splashed over us like someone had just done a cannonball in the dimensional pool. We all turned to see a glistening red portal ripped open in the air just twenty feet above the gathered Nephilim. Through it dropped a wave of furry ninja lycanthropes, Grawwl in the lead.
They fell over the packed group who barely had time to look up, blood flying in gallons at impact. Guttural snarls were met by piercing screams, the weres wreaking havoc in the tight formation of startled Nephilim. Body parts were tossed into the air, pieces of shredded meat flung in all directions.
Unable to resist, I looked at Errik as he stood there with his mouth hanging open. “I told you.”
Venai gave me a dirty look and raced toward the attacking weres, shrieking for the scattered Nephilim to come back to the main group. Errik and his men stood there a moment longer, dumbfounded, before it finally sunk in. At last, they bolted off to join the fight.
The Nephilim around me oblivious to my presence, one mutt pretty much the same as any other, I looked to see if Azrael had arrived without me noticing. He was still nowhere to be found. That worried me, but it also confirmed my earlier suspicions. He was holding back for some reason. I just didn’t know what that reason was, and that worried me.
I watched for a moment longer as Grawwl and his buddies tore through the Nephilim ranks, the half-breed discipline and grace fading fast under the sharpened claws of the lycanthropes. Hesitant to give the okay to attack, Azrael likely lurking about for exactly that scenario, I knew we were running out of time.
The clouds had completely obscured the moon, their bright white a roiling blanket that covered the entire sky, casting an eerie white glow over the land. The wind picked up in gusts and the tangy stench of ashes stung my eyes and nose. The longer the battle went on, the deeper the shit we were gonna be in.
Yet another moment passed and I dug deep, but I just couldn’t find it in myself to give the order that could condemn my friends. In the back of my mind, my mother applauded the gesture, but now really wasn’t the time for her sentimentality.
A deep breath of decision burning my lungs, I sent a telepathic message through to Rahim, telling them to stay put for a little longer.
I’m such a mama’s boy.
My gun out, I sidled around the abattoir of moaning Nephilim and took aim at Grawwl. I might as well have been chopping my dick off for all the pain I was opening myself up to, but sometimes the smart move isn’t always the right one. Before I could think about it further, I pulled the trigger.
The first shot hit him in his neck, his head snapping sideways in irritation. The second and third thumped into his massive shoulder as though it was made of steel. He didn’t even wince as his red-orange gaze swung about and honed in on me. When our eyes met, he loosed a savage roar and dropped down on all fours, barreling through were and Nephilim alike to get to me.
“They told me you were out of the fight, mutt. Obviously I’m going to have to do the job myself.”
Puckered up so tight I could shit diamonds, I looked around to make sure no one was sneaking up on me, and got ready to face down Grumpy.
“There’s nothing but air and opportunity between us, furball. Come get some.” I’d probably regret antagonizing him, but it wasn’t like he was gonna kill me any deader than he already planned to.
He came at me fast, but his retinue stayed busy at the dog pile. Sometimes you get lucky.
More room to move this time and having a better estimate of his speed, I waited until he dove at me before I leapt out of the way. I slipped past his flashing claws and tucked into a ball, rolling to my feet a few yards away
