I guessed it was down to me and the treacherous bitch. “Let go of her,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Claire. You know I can’t do that,” Nix said.
“I know you lied to me, and Liam, and Gavin. Were you using us the entire time? Getting information about Sensitives, or just trying to keep us preoccupied so we wouldn’t interfere with your little plan to use Rutledge to get home?”
“You don’t know what it’s like to be a pariah. To live in hiding.”
“You’re right,” I said, voice dry. “Sensitives have no clue about that, because we’re welcomed with open arms. You’re Consularis. You’re not supposed to be our enemy—you’re supposed to be our friend. And that’s what you’ve been telling us. But here you are, trying to unleash hell all over again.”
I’d had just about enough of bad behavior today. I reached out, wrenched the spear from her hands. I’d surprised her, which was good, but the weapon was so heavy I could barely hold it upright. But at least it was out of her hands.
Nix’s lip curled. “You cannot handle that weapon, Sensitive.”
I caught the sound of fluttering wings, realized I had a plan. “Don’t need to,” I said. “Malachi!” I called out, and using all my strength, and a good bounce on my toes, tossed it above my head into Malachi’s hands.
He landed a few feet away, Nix’s weapon at the ready, and faced her.
I ran back to Liam. A cut on his forehead was bleeding. I patted his cheeks. “Liam? Liam! Wake up, lazy. There’s a near war going on here.”
“How badly do you need me?”
“Pretty bad,” I admitted, relief flooding me when he opened one eye and winced. I managed to pull him into an upright position.
“She beaned me on the head,” he said.
“I got her spear. Gave it to Malachi.”
“Good girl. Gotta get up.” He stood up, blinked, shook his head. “Headache tomorrow. War today.”
There was a scream behind us. Rutledge, bleeding from a cut on his arm, was up and running.
I stuck out a foot, which he caught with his ankle. He went flying, landed five feet away on his face in the dirt. And damn, was that satisfying.
Suddenly energized, Liam climbed to his feet, stalked toward Rutledge, kicked him hard in the side. “That’s for my sister, you asshole, and for all the other lives you’ve taken. Destroyed.”
“Claire!” Burke yelled, a warning. “I need you!”
I glanced back, but before I could run, something hot and heavy lapped at my back, making me instantly dizzy. I lurched forward, had to put my hands on the wing to stop from hitting it.
Tom screamed, hit the ground, clawing at his clothes. Sweat was pouring off his body.
“Burke,” I said, forcing myself to get up, to move to Tom. I dropped beside him, trying to grab his hands before he ripped through fabric and skin. “What the hell was that?”
“The Veil waving closer,” Burke said. “That was the magical equivalent of water lapping at your toes.” Which meant the real thing would take us down altogether. “We’ve got to get Tom and Phaedra out of here.”
He whistled, an earsplitting sound that had me covering over my ears. Within seconds, an angel descended, his dark skin a gorgeous contrast to ivory wings. He glanced curiously at me, then Burke.
“These are the Sensitives,” Burke said. “They need to get to safety, away from Rutledge.”
The angel nodded, and without hesitation plucked Phaedra from the ground and spirited her into the air, wings flapping to keep them aloft.
“Damn,” I said quietly, watching them fly away. I’d seen angels in combat. But I’d never actually seen an angel fly. It was beautiful and haunting, for all that it was still completely terrifying.
“I’m sorry, Claire. You know I can’t do that,” Nix said.
“I know you lied to me, and Liam, and Gavin. Were you using us the entire time? Getting information about Sensitives, or just trying to keep us preoccupied so we wouldn’t interfere with your little plan to use Rutledge to get home?”
“You don’t know what it’s like to be a pariah. To live in hiding.”
“You’re right,” I said, voice dry. “Sensitives have no clue about that, because we’re welcomed with open arms. You’re Consularis. You’re not supposed to be our enemy—you’re supposed to be our friend. And that’s what you’ve been telling us. But here you are, trying to unleash hell all over again.”
I’d had just about enough of bad behavior today. I reached out, wrenched the spear from her hands. I’d surprised her, which was good, but the weapon was so heavy I could barely hold it upright. But at least it was out of her hands.
Nix’s lip curled. “You cannot handle that weapon, Sensitive.”
I caught the sound of fluttering wings, realized I had a plan. “Don’t need to,” I said. “Malachi!” I called out, and using all my strength, and a good bounce on my toes, tossed it above my head into Malachi’s hands.
He landed a few feet away, Nix’s weapon at the ready, and faced her.
I ran back to Liam. A cut on his forehead was bleeding. I patted his cheeks. “Liam? Liam! Wake up, lazy. There’s a near war going on here.”
“How badly do you need me?”
“Pretty bad,” I admitted, relief flooding me when he opened one eye and winced. I managed to pull him into an upright position.
“She beaned me on the head,” he said.
“I got her spear. Gave it to Malachi.”
“Good girl. Gotta get up.” He stood up, blinked, shook his head. “Headache tomorrow. War today.”
There was a scream behind us. Rutledge, bleeding from a cut on his arm, was up and running.
I stuck out a foot, which he caught with his ankle. He went flying, landed five feet away on his face in the dirt. And damn, was that satisfying.
Suddenly energized, Liam climbed to his feet, stalked toward Rutledge, kicked him hard in the side. “That’s for my sister, you asshole, and for all the other lives you’ve taken. Destroyed.”
“Claire!” Burke yelled, a warning. “I need you!”
I glanced back, but before I could run, something hot and heavy lapped at my back, making me instantly dizzy. I lurched forward, had to put my hands on the wing to stop from hitting it.
Tom screamed, hit the ground, clawing at his clothes. Sweat was pouring off his body.
“Burke,” I said, forcing myself to get up, to move to Tom. I dropped beside him, trying to grab his hands before he ripped through fabric and skin. “What the hell was that?”
“The Veil waving closer,” Burke said. “That was the magical equivalent of water lapping at your toes.” Which meant the real thing would take us down altogether. “We’ve got to get Tom and Phaedra out of here.”
He whistled, an earsplitting sound that had me covering over my ears. Within seconds, an angel descended, his dark skin a gorgeous contrast to ivory wings. He glanced curiously at me, then Burke.
“These are the Sensitives,” Burke said. “They need to get to safety, away from Rutledge.”
The angel nodded, and without hesitation plucked Phaedra from the ground and spirited her into the air, wings flapping to keep them aloft.
“Damn,” I said quietly, watching them fly away. I’d seen angels in combat. But I’d never actually seen an angel fly. It was beautiful and haunting, for all that it was still completely terrifying.
