Lookouts, he realized.
One of the winged demons sitting hunkered at a roof’s edge leaped from the building, flapped his wings, and gave chase. With uncommon skill and grace, Warren controlled the owl and forced her to skim by the sides of buildings in his effort to escape the demon. The owl’s wingtips brushed the side of the building.
The gargoyle overshot the corner. Before the creature changed directions, Warren flew in through an open window, across a room full of cubicles, and out a broken window on an adjoining wall. Outside, he dropped altitude and skirted low to the street.
He’d learned through experience that flying low left him vulnerable. Predatory birds hunted from the sky and used their keen sight to spot prey. Flying this low to the ground, he was prey.
Without a sound, he glided through the silent streets. A group of blood zombies feasted on a small group of scavengers they’d caught in an alley. The screams of the hapless victims as they were brought down were blood-curdling.
Warren felt badly for them. No one should have to die like that. But more than anything, he was glad he wasn’t them. It was selfish, but he didn’t feel ashamed of his feelings.
Three blocks farther on, Warren found his prey. The demon was one of the greater demons. Warren felt the power clinging to the shambling monstrosity and knew that he was Named. But he felt new, the way Shulgoth had when Warren had seen that demon in London’s streets four years ago.
The demon was at least ten feet tall. Broad and long-bodied, his short legs lent him the appearance of an ape. Snakelike tentacles jutted from his head, overshadowing his low brow. Red-violet scales covered his massive body. His snout belonged on a raptor, long and cruelly curved.
Ah, you have grown ambitious.
Warren glided to a stop in an empty window three stories above the demon. His fluttering wings drew the demon’s attention for just a moment, then the creature looked away as it strode without worry through the twisting street.
“You know him?” Warren watched the demon.
Yes.
“He feels newly ascended.”
He is.
“How do you know him?”
You’re not the only one who has ambitions. I’ve found out much since I’ve been in the city.
Warren had listened to stories over the past weeks, but none of them had mentioned Lilith.
I’m still not prepared to make my move. There are many who will not be happy that I survived.
Warren hated the fact that so many of his thoughts were open to her. “Who’s the demon?”
Kareloth. He has ascended since coming through the Hellgate.
“How?”
The Templar still fight fiercely, as do the military units still hiding within London. They’ve killed a few of the demons. Others, as always, have died at each other’s hands. There is always attrition. Demons are the first to hold grudges, and the last to rid themselves of them.
“How dangerous is Kareloth?”
Lilith’s laughter mocked him. Fearful?
Warren took no insult. “I want to win. And to do that, I can’t needlessly risk the lives of those that follow me. I have to give them victories, not defeats.”
You’re learning much.
Warren watched the demon walk toward a group of Darkspawn and carelessly bat them away from a cornered woman. Casually, Kareloth reached inside the car where the woman had taken shelter. He dragged her out, screaming for help, then ripped her into pieces, and dropped the bits into his mouth.
Are you going to give your warriors a victory?
“Yes,” Warren said.
Good. You need to hang on to that nerve. We’ll face Merihim soon.
Warren released the owl’s mind and tumbled back to his body.
Back inside his own body, Warren felt a momentary wave of dizziness. He staggered, then it was past. He opened his eyes and looked at the rooftop.
Naomi gazed at him in concern. He waved her aside and turned to Daiyu.
“Have you found a demon?” Daiyu asked.
“I have. This one won’t be easy, but we can bring it down.”
“How powerful is it?”
“It’s one of the Named.”
If Daiyu was nervous over that, the emotion didn’t show. Her face remained placid. After a moment, she nodded. “The rewards will be worth it.”
“I think so.”
Daiyu brought the walkie-talkie to her mouth and gave the orders.
“Are you sure we can take this thing?” Naomi asked.
Warren stood beside her at the mouth of an alley. He felt his power bubbling just under his skin, threatening to explode on its own if he didn’t give it release.
“We have to,” Warren said. “If we can take it down and harvest the body parts, we’ll be stronger.” He paused as he watched Kareloth farther down the block. “To survive, we need to be stronger.”
“You mean, we need to be stronger.” Naomi smiled ruefully.
Warren nodded. “I mean that you, all of you, need to be stronger. The more we learn, the more the demons will hunt us.”
“Are you ready?” Daiyu asked over the walkie-talkie headset Warren wore.
“Yes.”
Daiyu hesitated. “I don’t want to lose any of my people.”
“I can’t guarantee that. I can guarantee that whatever we take from Kareloth will enhance the abilities of everyone we successfully graft to.”
Silence echoed in the walkie-talkie for a moment.
“All right,” Daiyu said, “but don’t walk away from this.”
“I won’t.”
“If you do, I’ll track you down and kill you.”
“Not exactly the best incentive I could hope for,” Warren said.
“Perhaps not, but I mean every word of that.”
Warren didn’t doubt her. He stayed within the shadows and waited till Kareloth reached the alley where he stood. He planned to let the demon walk by him, then attack without warning.
Instead, Kareloth hesitated. He came to a full stop and snuffled the air, snorting like a pig. Unerringly, the demon turned and smiled into the shadows that wreathed the alley.
“Human.” Kareloth grinned. Saliva dripped from his jaws. His lips ricked back to
