his body, then lunged for me. His eyes pierced mine with red in them, red for blood. ”I will kill you. Take heed of this warning. I will kill you.”
“Like hell you will,” Kellan growled, appearing from nowhere. He stood behind Mayorn and plunged a dagger into his back. Fire burst out of his eye sockets, mouth, and fingertips before he exploded. Then Kellan tossed it to Damien, who stabbed the messenger he was beside. Aumae turned to the third one and opened her arms wide. A light came from them, like she had spread wings, and shone in the female’s eyes, blinding her. Kellan swooped in, caught the dagger back from Damien, and slit the messenger’s throat. She fell to the ground, wide eyed, as blood poured out of her, darkening the gravel around her.
“That wasn’t hard.” Vespar glanced around beside Gus, who was scratching her head.
“They were the appetizers.” Kellan stood beside me, holding my gaze. His eyes were steady, looking into me with a deep intensity. He wanted to tell me something, reassure me, proclaim something, I wasn’t sure, but then the look was gone as his eyes slid over my shoulders. They caught on something in the woods behind me and stayed there. I turned, too, my heart pounding, and gaped. It wasn’t what I saw, which was a set of twenty pairs of eyes, watching us from behind the trees, but it was what I felt.
They were powerful and ancient. They were together as one and they were angry. Three of their own had been murdered in front of them, and they were ready to enact their revenge.
Everything stopped in that moment. Heartbeats slowed. Breaths were held. No one moved, not even turning over a small rock in the gravel beneath our feet. No crickets chirped, no breeze swept around us. It was the calm before the storm, and holy crap, my bones knew it was going to be the storm of my life.
Then Damien broke the silence. “You brought them here?”
“It was either that or die at their hands. I was outnumbered.” Kellan threw an irritated look at him, but no one else said a thing. “I’m stronger by Shay’s side. Strong enough now anyway.”
“Shay…”
I jumped, feeling my father. His voice was strong as he called to me. I felt my blood churn inside, hearing part of its ancestry.
It freaked me out. Without thinking, I reached for Kellan’s hand and squeezed tight. He moved closer so our hands were hidden, but he squeezed back, and the other blood in me calmed down. I needed him.
The twenty pairs of eyes moved back, parting waves. Everything moved to the side, and I was staring at my father. He was over seven feet tall with long blond hair held back in one large braid. My eyes were drawn to his clothes, a loose fitting tunic as a top and pants that billowed around him.
“Look at me.”
I flinched and looked away, at Aumae who had a resigned expression on her face. She caught my gaze and winked, the resignation switched to an eager defiance. “We’ll be fine, Shay. Answer your father.”
“Do not speak to my daughter. You’ve done enough, Aumae, you and your sister,” my father roared, flying forward and landing in front of us with a force that was fierce. The earth moved beneath him, and we all moved as well.
Aumae snapped her head to the side as if she’d been slapped. When a red mark appeared on her cheek, I realized she had been slapped. That pissed me off, and I snapped inside. My fury built inside of me like a volcano, boiling and churning upward until I reared back in the air and sent two bursts of energy at my father.
Kellan followed with his own bursts of energy, as did Damien.
My father was slammed back, past his followers. Kellan went with him, and I caught a flash from his hand. He meant to use the dagger on my father. My gut sparked, and I knew it was a bad idea if Kellan stabbed him. I didn’t know why, but I flew after them. When my father tumbled to the ground, still dazed from the onslaught, Kellan landed on top of him and raised his hand.
“No!” I caught his hand and clawed, trying to unleash the dagger.
“What are you doing?”
“Trust me,” I panted. “This is not a good idea.”
“He’s going to kill everyone, Shay.” Kellan took my hand and shoved me backward.
“Kellan!”
He turned back, but my father was on his feet again. Laughing. “You think that little thing will kill me?”
Kellan fell silent.
I stood, cautious. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m a first lineage messenger. Those things give us strength. They don’t harm us.”
I hadn’t wanted to look at my father. The power in him was enormous, and it drew me in, captivating me. I’d fought against it, not wanting to feel connected to him. Perhaps that had been my fear—that I’d want to be with him and somehow I’d be brainwashed into forgetting everyone else. Aumae, Damien, even Gus, especially Kellan. I couldn’t forget them, and when he first spoke my name, I knew that was what he wanted. But now I looked at him. His eyes were intelligent, old, and they spoke of memories. However, when I looked into them, I knew one other thing. Those memories weren’t from my blood.
“You’re not my father.”
Kellan was tense beside me.
Something was coming, something was going to happen, but I didn’t know what. I just knew it was bad, very bad, and I had no way of stopping it. And then the messenger’s laughter faded, and he nodded. “You’re right. I’m not your father. But I am supposed to bring you to him.”
He grabbed my hand—Kellan yelled—and we were gone in the next instant.
My feet hit the floor, and I rolled with it, coming back up to stand in one smooth motion. I looked around, but Kellan wasn’t there. His shout echoed in my ears and it was like he was still there. I could still feel him. No. I was alone. Breathing hard, the sounds almost drowning out Kellan’s voice, I hunched forward. My knees were bent. My arms out. I was ready to battle, but I swung my head around and no one was there.
I was in a dark room.
The wood floors creaked under my weight.
Edging forward, they protested loudly, but I kept moving forward ninja-style.
“You think to sneak up on me?”
A loud voice boomed through the house. I gritted my teeth. A piece of hair fell over my forehead, blocking my vision and I swiped at it. “Come on. When you bring a girl to an old house, sneaking’s not the first thing that comes to mind.”
I had no idea why I said it, but it was out there. My heart was still pounding against my chest, and I waited for his response.
There was none.
I kept moving, going from room to room. I was on the second floor and all the rooms were empty. Coming to what must’ve been a bathroom, the back wall was completely blown out. It looked like a grenade had been thrown in the room. Black smudges plastered the wall, and half of the sink was gone. I stepped down, and sucked in my breath. The hole was there where the toilet should’ve gone.
I tiptoed to a stair rail. Oh no. Not the second floor. I was on the hundredth floor. Okay. That was me being sarcastic, but seriously. I tried to count the floors. Six, seven. I was on the eighth floor, and I twisted my head to look...and it kept on going.
I grumbled under my breath, “Couldn’t keep it simple, Dad? Had to bring me to the building that never ends?”
“Why? So your boyfriend could swoosh in, grab you, and you’d both be gone again?”
His voice was clearer. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I didn’t move, still hunched over the stair rail, but my hands let go, and I started looking out from the corner of my eye. It was just darkness. The walls were white with black streaks from explosions. The floors had been stripped down to their oak finishing. Moonlight filtered in from somewhere. I could see enough to move around, but mostly, everything was shadowed. Still, the hairs on my neck were telling me my asshole father was close.
I had powers. I needed to use my damn powers, and soon.
“You are not bonded to him yet.”
His voice echoed against the walls, bouncing all around me.
“I am. He’
s my soulmate.”
“Your connection should be stronger. He’s been with you almost all your life.”
I frowned. Was he upset by that? “Where are you going with this?”
“You’re supposed to be more powerful.”
I twisted to the right. His voice came from there. It was less wall-bouncy, but I still couldn’t see him. “That’s your problem? I’m not more powerful? Are you kidding me?”
“You were supposed to have bonded with him by now.”
Damien chose his words carefully before. “Just that it would be smart if you strengthened your bond.”
My mouth went dry at that. “What do you mean by that?”
Then he grinned, crookedly. “You can take it any way you want. Kellan will know, but if the two of you are strong enough, your father will know not to even try to break the bond. If you two work together as a team, you could be powerful, more powerful than you could imagine.”
“Yeah…” I spoke slowly, turning so my back was against the stair rail. I crouched down. “Or so I’ve been told.”
“I can’t do anything with you. Not with how you are right now.”
One foot scooted back. The other followed behind. And repeat. I moved at a snail’s pace toward the stairs, but when I stepped down, the entire floor screamed. I winced. The point of acting like a ninja was to be silent like one, too. This abandoned building wasn’t working for me.
“Uh.” I raised my voice. “Sorry?”
“I could take both of you.” His voice ricocheted from the left now. “I could make you bind together.”
“Shay.”
I perked up. That was Kellan’s voice, but I looked around and it was the same darkness everywhere. I whispered under my breath, “Kellan?” That was ridiculous. Like he could hear that? I rolled my eyes at myself.
“I’m in your head. Your dad shouldn’t be able to hear us.”
“You are?”
“Just think to me. You don’t have to actually speak.”
“Oh yeah. How’s this possible?”
“Aumae is helping me. She’s strengthening our connection. Where are you?”
“Some abandoned place. I’m on the eighth floor, if that helps?”
“It doesn’t, but hold on.”
“What are you doing?”
“Shay!” Suddenly, Kellan was in front of me. I didn’t know how that happened, but I wasn’t complaining. He reached out, and I grabbed his hand.
“NO!”
My dad roared, but it was too late. We had poofed away. I held onto Kellan’s hand, not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but my dad’s voice never faded. It kept going, and it was getting louder. I looked over my shoulder, and I could see him.
We were in a tunnel, and he stood at the opening. All white with black eyes. I made out a chin and a neck, but that was it. I could feel his power, and it was reaching out to me. “Shay, come back to me.”
“Kellan!” I squeezed harder onto his hand.
Whatever was going on, I wasn’t in the safe zone yet. My dad’s power was reaching after me and I felt it start to slip around me. It was like invisible tentacles. One wrapped around my neck, another my waist, and still another around my arm. He began to pull me backward, yanking Kellan to a stop.
“Shay?”
He couldn’t see what was happening to me. I tried to tell him, but another tentacle covered my mouth. I couldn’t speak. Kellan shook his head and tightened his grip on me. My dad was winning. I was starting to go backward.
Kellan’s eyes darkened. The same black cloak that emanated from him when we rescued Aumae rippled from him now. His eyes were black, but an outline of bright red formed. I couldn’t look away. My dad’s hold on me stopped, like he hit a wall and Kellan’s black cloak reached over me, enveloping me. He was fighting against my dad. Of the two, my father was more powerful...I thought? But Kellan was winning. He completed cloaking me and trailed behind me, reaching to where my father still stood.
“She’s my daughter!”
Kellan’s fury whipped back at him. “She’s mine!”
“You cannot have her, demon. You are an abomination of nature. You deserve to rot in hell where you were born.”
“Shut up!” Kellan’s mouth never moved, but he roared back. My eyes clung to his. He wanted to murder my father. If he could’ve, he would’ve right then and there.
I shuddered. The pull between the two was exhausting me.
“Shay.” Kellan was talking to me again.
“What?”
I hadn’t moved any closer to him. I was held suspended between the two men.
“You need to help me.”
“Kellan, I’m tired.” And I was. My head was falling down. Something was going on in me. I didn’t know why I was exhausted, but my hand started to slip from his. “Kellan. I can’t hold on any longer.”
I felt his refusal. He wasn’t letting me go, and my dad wasn’t withdrawing either. My eyes started to drift closed. It was too hard... Everything was going black…
“Shay!” Kellan’s yell whipped against my face, snapping me back awake. My head straightened and my eyes were wide open. “You have to fight.”
“I can’t. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Your messenger side wants to go with your father. The rest of you wants to come with me. You’re fighting yourself.”
He had helped me before. He could do it again. “Kellan, your demon needs to come inside me. Do whatever you did before.”
“I can’t. I’m using everything I have to hold your father off.”
“Get Gus and Vespar. Everyone needs to help.”
“Damien and Aumae are helping. Gus is too exhausted.”
“I don’t give a shit.” I scowled. “She has to help.”
Somehow, I focused on Kellan, but then moved behind him. I didn’t know where I was getting the strength, but I reached over him. I sensed where everyone stood. The other angels were standing across the road. A barrier kept them out of reach. I didn’t question that. We needed to use that. Gus and Vespar were behind Aumae and Damien, who stood right next to Kellan. Both had their hands in the air, chanting, and fusing their power with his. They watched this, but couldn’t stop me. The angels behind the barrier became frenzied. They began crashing into the barrier, trying to break it down.
“Shay,” Gus looked around her. “What are you doing?”
“Use your powers. We need you.”
“What do you want us to do?”
Vespar kept his mouth shut. I was trying to get into his head, but he blocked me out. I couldn’t force my way in. I was using too much of my power as it was.
“Shay.” Gus began trembling. “What do you want us to do?”
“Touch Kellan. Connect your mind. He’ll guide you from there.”
I placed both of them on their feet, behind Kellan. He knew what was happening, but couldn’t lessen his concentration from holding off my father.
“Gus.” She was just standing there, looking around. “Do it now.”
“Vespar,” she murmured, nudging him with her arm.
He refused to look at her. He was refusing to help.
“Come on.”
He turned his back on her.
“They saved us. We have to help.”
“She’s the enemy.”
“She’s the reason we’re alive.”
“Kellan’s the reason we’re alive.”
“So help me instead!” Kellan thundered, his voice crashing down on both of our siblings. They covered their ears. Kellan’s fury had reached another level.
I grew determined. The bastards were going to help, whether they wanted to or not. I closed my eyes and began searching inside. My power was throughout me. It wasn’t pooled in any one place, but most of it wasn’t being used. Kellan was right. Some of it didn’t