“Then you would be with me on this!” he screamed. “You would understand why the Sanctuary has to be destroyed. Killing Anna wasn’t my fault. I wouldn’t have hurt her if Nate had done his job. He let her leave that night, even after I told him what she was doing. I saw her, Lily. I saw her leaving the Fallen, and I knew what she had been doing.” His grip tightened. “I lost it! I…stabbed her with our blade.”
“I don’t…I can’t.” She was crying. Tears mixed with blood, stinging the raw abrasions on her cheeks. “I’m not going to choose your side.”
“Then you leave me no choice.”
She watched as the Luke she had loved since she was five disappeared in front of her. In his place was someone she didn’t recognize. His eyes turned flat and lifeless. The pale blue now seemed milky in the dim light. Had he turned? He had to have, from the moment he killed Anna. Luke had just hid it well.
“I’m sorry, Lily. I love you. I always will. I’m sorry you are making me do this.”
Her eyes widened as he pulled out his blade. Her stomach dropped. She held up one hand. “Luke…what are you doing?”
He advanced on her. “I will make this quick. I did so for Anna. I will for you, too.”
She stumbled back against the banister. Her gaze fell below. She could make the jump, but the deadheads would be on her in a second, and she was in no shape to fight them. There were too many. They would rip her to shreds in a heartbeat. She turned back to Luke. She didn’t even release her blades. Much like with Julian, she would never be able to kill him.
And he knew it.
Luke sighed. “I taught you better than this, Lily. Never hesitate. Never let your feelings get involved.”
He had, but it didn’t matter. Several things happened at once. Luke lunged at her, and she threw her arm up to block him. He wasn’t holding anything back. His blow shattered the bone in her forearm, sending her backward against the banister. It cracked but didn’t give way.
Fierce pain blossomed all the way to her shoulder. She could sense others were nearby, but she doubted they’d reach her in time.
“I’m sorry,” Luke said, and brought his blade home.
She stared at Luke’s cloudy eyes. “No…I’m sorry.”
Shock skated across his face, and his strike was off by an inch. But it was one of their daggers. Engraved with symbols and honed in holy water. It was deadly.
Lily screamed as the seven-inch blade cut through skin, muscle, and bone under her left breast. Luke held onto her as she turned to the side, her gaze falling to the floor below.
The door bulged, splintering apart. Several large chunks of metal mowed down a few deadheads that were too close. Standing in the doorway was Julian. In his rage, he stood like an avenging angel—beautiful, proud, and the deadliest thing to walk this Earth.
Just to see him again lessened her pain and fear. Even in his anger, his presence soothed her like no other could. He’d come for her, even after she’d blamed him. Lily tried to call out his name, but she couldn’t form the words.
His gaze went up, settling on where she stood. He roared her name, pain and fury so potent that Luke pulled her back from the banister.
Luke yanked out the blade, and Lily shrieked. A fiery burn seized her chest. It was like Baal’s touch but a hundred times worse.
Deadheads swarmed Julian from all corners. He was making short work of them, but they kept coming and coming. Lily could hear Julian howling her name.
Then the windows shattered, and Nathaniel and Adrian appeared. They, too, were swarmed by the deadheads and minions. The three of them were marvelous fighters, but they were far outnumbered. One deadhead would fall, and three would replace him. Then there were the minions to contend with. Trained just as the Nephilim were, they were just as deadly.
Luke held onto Lily, and he raised his blade once more. “This is your fault!” he screamed at Nathaniel. “You should have stopped her—stopped Anna!”
She saw Luke’s blade out of the corner of her eyes, but she focused on Julian. He ripped through two more deadheads, and his eyes met hers. He wouldn’t get to her in time, and it was already too late. The blade had done its damage, eating through her as it was designed to do.
Nathaniel and Julian yelled at the same time, but she only had Julian in her sights. He hadn’t given up on her. Not once. Not even when she had given up on him. Luke brought the blade down to her neck, but the impact never came.
“I don’t think so,” said Michael, grabbing Luke’s arm from behind and twisting the blade out of his hand.
Luke shoved her away as he whirled on Michael, another blade in hand. “How stupid are you, boy?”
Lily fell back against the banister. Her legs were strangely useless, and she slid to the floor. She peered down at herself, expecting to find flames shooting from her skin. Her white shirt was completely red, soaked with her blood. Through the haze of pain, Michael and Luke became blurs.
She was going to die.
Her heart sped up and then slowed. Twisting, she dropped her gaze to the floor below. Her eyesight faded in and out. Drawing in short and shallow breaths, she placed her hand against the wound and cried out.
And then Julian was beside her. She stared up at him, wishing she could somehow smooth away the devastation that marred his face. She tried to raise her hand, but her arm wouldn’t respond.
“Lily, look at me,” he ordered softly, slipping his arm around her waist, then pulling her onto his lap. She screamed and shuddered. Julian winced. “It’s going to be okay. Hold on, Lily. You need to hold on for me.”
Her unfocused stare fell to him, her breathing shallow and erratic. “I’m…sorry…so…”
“No.” Julian shook his head roughly. “It’s okay. I know.”
Lily could still hear Michael and Luke fighting, but their shapes were nearly identical. She couldn’t imagine Michael winning this battle. Luke was far more advanced and had decades on him. She wanted to tell Julian to leave her, to go help Michael, but she couldn’t talk. All she could do was moan as the fire spread through her insides.
Julian placed his hand over the wound. “I know what you want me to do. I’m not leaving you. They mean nothing to me, and you mean everything.”
…
Fighting Luke was like fighting Rafe on crack. He deflected nearly every blow Michael sent his way, and Luke’s fists connected with Michael’s face more times than he could count. It was a savage attack, designed to do damage. Luke’s booted foot hit him square in the chest, sending him tumbling backward.
“You think you can beat me?” Luke laughed. “Are you insane?”
Michael pushed up. He refused to look at Lily’s crumpled body, knowing he couldn’t afford the distraction. All he knew was that she was still alive from the heartbreaking sounds she was making.
“Apparently, you’re the insane one,” Michael taunted as he shook off the pain.
Luke took an angry swipe at him, nearly hitting him across the broad expanse of his chest. He was fast in his attack, cutting and jabbing until he backed Michael up against a wall. Through it all, Lily’s words came back to him. Defending yourself is simply anticipating the next move. Find the muscle tremor. Watch where Luke looks…where he positions his body… He will tell you where he strikes next without words.
He had only seconds to slow it down, to pull it all into perspective. No time to think of Lily, no time to think of what could have made Luke do this. Seconds—he had only seconds.
Luke brought his fist down again, but this time Michael saw the move before he attacked. Launching himself off the wall, he blocked and jabbed. Luke spun, and his kick caught Michael in the jaw. Snapping back, he hit the ground.
“I’m not supposed to kill you,” Luke said, his fingers spasming around the blade. “But goddamn it, you’re making it awful hard to walk away.”
“You’re not?” Michael grunted. “Could’ve fooled me.”
Luke smiled. “But then again, I’ll be long gone before he gets here.”
“He?” Michael struggled to his feet. Over Luke’s shoulder, he caught a glimpse of Nathaniel vaulting over the banister. “Nathaniel?”
