A

maya was airborne without even thinking about it, her sword raised, a snarl ripping from her throat at the sight of Bane—missing an arm, a charred stub at his shoulder all that remained. His black blood spilled over the surface of the stone slab. The Spaun that had hatched off a piece of him held a bloody hatchet to his throat.

“Drop the sword or he loses his head.” Taige exited the house, dressed in a three piece suit and tie, like this was a shareholders meeting. Behind him, Spaun dragged the rest of the UnHallowed, and Malphas, by their feet, hair, whatever body part they decided to grab.

Helpless, she watched as they were tossed like discarded timber into a loose pile. Their eyes were open, yet all had a blank stare as if no one was home. Even Bane. Never had he looked so helpless. Sam, Chay, Zed, Kush, all of them.

Amaya took another second to notice the shimmering symbols carved with grace into their foreheads, then she refocused on Taige. She opened her hand and let her sword fall. It struck the ground and rang like a church bell. A few beasts shrieked and darted away. A fight broke out when the rest of the demons scrabbled to claim it. The largest won and snatched the empyreal blade from the ground. Flames engulfed his hand and only died when ash remained and the sword was again free. Empyreal steel and demon flesh didn’t mix.

“Come down from there, right now.” Taige pointed to the spot in front of him.

She hesitated, risked a quick glance around, and spotted none of the ladies. Good.

Shit! That’s a lot of demons. Her bird’s eye view of the landscape had her doubling her initial estimate. Even with three skilled warriors and a vat of holy water, the odds were quadruple stacked against them. If only there was some way of dividing and conquering.

“I will not repeat myself again!” In some strange guttural language, Taige threw a string of words at the executioner. The massive Spaun grunted. The hatchet sliced deep into Bane’s neck. UnHallowed disgrace dripped onto the slab followed by a hiss and a curl of smoke. They didn’t seem concerned about his acidic essence.

Amaya landed with a solid thud a few yards away from the altar. She quelled the desire to run to him, to bury her sword in the executioner’s throat, watch him gurgle his last breath, then scoop Bane up and run.

Her gaze cut to the UnHallowed. None of them seemed aware of her. Cardboard copies of themselves was what they were. She had to save all of them, not just the one she loved. Dina had better feel the same way and not pull a snatch and run with Gideon or else the rest of them were screwed.

“The mighty have fallen. First, the Celestial Army. Then, the UnHallowed,” Taige snickered and slapped his thigh.

“You have to include the Demoni Lords in that count.” She had to keep him talking to give the ladies time to get in place. “The Demoni fell at the beginning of time, and a few hours ago.” She tipped her head toward Malphas, who eyed Taige with a palpable rage that came off him in visible waves, warping the air around his bowed body. Chains circled his ankles, wrists and neck, keeping him on his knees. The symbols on his forehead must’ve affected him differently, gave him more leeway than the UnHallowed. “One Spaun did all of this? You are a master strategist.”

A beautiful grin split his face. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

Next to Taige, a Spaun in a gray pinstripe suit stiffened, and for a few seconds his true features bled through his handsome human façade: Pasty, paper thin skin stretched over an elongated face. His blue eyes, pitted, flashed to red, and darted to Taige.

What is this I spy with my green eyes? Jealousy in the ranks. Sweet! Time to poke the snake and see who gets bit.

A phone chirped and pinstripes pulled his phone out of his pocket. He spun away and stormed back into the house.

“I bet Malphas respects you now.” Her gaze cut to the Demoni Lord.

“Yes he does.” Taige’s chest puffed out even more. He strolled over to Malphas, whose gaze turned crimson with his approach. His head didn’t snap back when Taige’s wingtips left an imprint on his jaw. Those crimson eyes locked on Taige and stayed. The demon mark on his forehead, written in her grace, peaked through his disheveled brown hair. She knew it was her grace because the scent of Braile stayed strong, even as it mingled with the sewage put out by the demons.

She’d helped bring the UnHallowed this low. What flowed in her veins had done this to them. Braile wouldn’t have let his happen.

Amaya gave herself a mental slap. Doubt had no place in this situation. What Braile would’ve done didn’t fucking matter because he wasn’t fucking here. She was. In the end, she was all she ever had, the first and last person she depended on.

She looked at Bane, Zed, Chay, Kush, Riél, Ioath, Gadreel, Sam, Rimmon, and Daghony. They depended on her. In a few short weeks, all of them had become important to her. The diehard loner now had a family. She added Gideon, Scarla, Dina, and Sophie to the group, because they all depended on her to save their asses.

And Malphas. She had mixed feelings about the Demoni Lord. He wasn’t family, hadn’t endeared himself, or even wormed his way any closer to her heart…but he wasn’t an enemy either. Didn’t mean she trusted him. Nope. She could never trust him. It would be foolhardy to trust the wolf lurking in the midst of the sheep simply because the wolf allowed you to pet him and walk away intact.

Yet she had a modicum of respect for the Demoni Lord. He’d escaped Hell and didn’t go homicidal. Instead, he reined in his basic instinct and masked the evil residing inside his human shell.

Her small place in the universe had expanded to something greater than a Halfling killing a handful of Darklings in an abandoned building. Born on a lonely stretch of a back road between one destination and the next, her purpose had always been vague.

Until. Now.

Her gaze returned to Rimmon who lay splayed on his side next to Malphas. A plan took root.

“So,” she croaked, and had to clear her throat from the emotion clogging it to continue. “You’re going to drain me and open the Cruor, huh?”

Taige hesitated, then said, “Yes,” without an ounce of conviction in his voice.

“Why do that? Why give up leadership to Demoni Lords you haven’t seen since the earth cooled. Look at all you’ve accomplished.” She waved at the legion to her rear. “Thousands of demons follow your lead, call you master. I couldn’t hand over all that power to some demons who’ve been lounging for half a million years.”

Taige waved a finger at her. “I know what you’re doing. Can’t say I wouldn’t have tried the same. My loyalty is to the Demoni Lords trapped in Hell. I will do anything to release them,” he bellowed for all to hear. The chirping increased, the decibels as high as a packed stadium. He closed the distance between them and snatched her by the throat. Her palm itched for her sword. A single thought and it would be in her hand instead of yards away. The memory of Bane’s blank face and the Spaun’s hatchet at his throat halted her.

Taige lifted her off her feet and flung her against the edge of the altar. Amaya went with the flow and allowed herself to hit it hard. She followed through with a flop to the ground at the feet of Rimmon. A kick to her ribs had her curled into a fetal position. A cheer went up from the demon masses. Another kick made her roll onto all fours in front of Rimmon as chittering filled the air. A third kick pushed her into Rimmon, exactly what she wanted. Taige hauled her back by her wings.

Though not before her feathers brushed Rimmon’s forehead.

It took everything not to fight Taige’s hold, that didn’t mean she had to make it easy.

“So what are you going to do when the Demoni Lords are free? Do you think they’ll keep you their right hand man, or kill you so there is no competition for the loyalty of your legion? Additionally, you have betrayed a Demoni Lord. Why would the rest trust you? ”

Taige bent her backward and leaned over to laugh in her face. “They’ll be too busy fighting each other to worry about me. Why do you think Malphas doesn’t want the competition?”

Amaya already knew the answers. “Big fish in the only pond. I get it. But why replace the one fish you know with four sharks you don’t know. Haven’t you begged for scraps long enough?”

Close to her ear, his hot breath on her neck—making her skin crawl—he whispered, “Yes, I have. That’s why I’m not going to open the Cruor. But I am still going to kill you. You know, have to keep up the pretense. Plus, having a pantry full of angel blood will someday come in handy.”

“You need the blood of an archangel to open the Cruor. I’m not one,” she lied.

“Whether you are or aren’t, the point is moot. There is something special about your blood, and I want it all.” His fingers tightened around her throat, cutting off her reply as he hauled her to her feet and slammed her on top of the altar, next to Bane. Her wings draped over the edge of the table and covered half of Bane.

Their fingers brushed and she captured his lax hand in hers. His rough palm grounded her as she brought her wings up to brush across his forehead, breaking the seal. Hold on, baby.

The executioner grabbed a fistful of her hair. He dragged her to the edge, had her head and shoulders over the edge. He yanked her head back, exposing her neck to the axe, giving her a breathtaking view of the pre-dawn sky full of stars, the Milky Way.

“Make sure you catch every drop in the bucket. Spill none,” Taige ordered the Spaun.

Anytime now, Scarla? Dina?

“What is that?” Taige muttered.

The pressure on her hair eased enough for her to angle her head to peer over Bane. A bank of dense fog rolled in from the forest surrounding the property, silencing the legion. A bolt of lightning split the sky and illuminated the landscape, followed by another one that struck inches from the executioner. The blast flung him ten feet into the Darklings amassed along the perimeter of the house.

Her gaze wheeled around to find Rimmon. His pupils were white rimmed by a thick crimson circle, but he was pasty and trembling. “Don’t have much left.” Rimmon turned and scrubbed his forearm across Kush’s and Zed’s foreheads, the two behind him.

Bane’s hand tightened around her palm. Their gazes collided and he croaked, “You shouldn’t have come back.”

“Like you wouldn’t have come back for me.” A flash of orange preceded a sound she’d never heard, a chorus of Darkling screams. “Finally.”

Amaya leapt to her feet. By the time she straightened, her sword was in her hand. A second orange flash went off on her right, followed by another beautiful chorus of screams from the blast and shrapnel. She spotted Scarla, clearing a path through the Darklings.

The sound of gunshots had her searching to the left of her, but she didn’t spot Dina or Sophie. A fiery trail in the sky caught Amaya’s eye and she had a second to shield Bane from the metal shavings she’d packed in her holy water bombs.

“You think this desperate last ditch act of defiance will save you? Or them?” Taige pointed at the UnHallowed and laughed. The executioner was on his feet and closing in on Rimmon who struggled to free his wrists from the chains binding them.

A single shot rang out and oily black blood exploded from the executioner’s forehead. Timber! The Spaun fell with all the grace of a log. Behind him, Dina and Sophie were covered in entrails and goo. They’d blended in with the legion, sheep in the midst of a pack of rabid wolves. But these sheep had brains and will.

Sophie ran to the UnHallowed while Dina lit two bombs and tossed them into the crowd. She followed through with a battle cry and didn’t wait for the explosion. Empyreal sword raised, she charged forward. Wasn’t hard to imagine her in full armor, wings on her back, bringing righteous fury with every swing of her blade.

Momentarily blinded and deaf from the explosion, Amaya couldn’t see what happened next. Something knocked her off her feet. She fell on top of Bane, then slid off the altar to land hard on her shoulder. Her fingers went numb and she couldn’t hold onto her sword when hands grabbed her throat and hauled her to her feet.

The rage on Taige’s face was a beautiful sight—from afar. Up close, it would be terrifying if she had the time to process it. Instead, she threw all her might into a throat punch and rolled her right shoulder to bring the arc of her wing across his face. She hit him hard enough to split the skin on his cheek. A slick, oily substance poured down his face. He staggered back, but didn’t release her.

She hooked her feet over his arm and spun. Her neck screamed, but she forced Taige into a choice: Let her go, or let her take him to the ground.

He released her.

Amaya landed next to the altar. She ripped her sweater down the middle, exposing her tactical vest. Her favorite knives were in her hands when Taige landed on her. She stabbed him, once, twice, then screamed.

The bastard’s blood was acid. She’d know this if she had wounded him in their last encounter or if someone had shared the damned info. She shoved Taige away and gritted her teeth against the pain. She wiped her hand on her thigh—and removed a layer of skin.

It was worth it to see the surprise on his arrogant mug. He touched the twin wounds on either side of his body and glared at the goo on his hands. “I don’t care how valuable you are, you are dead.” He charged her.

“Didn’t think your executioner was going to tattoo my neck.”

Amaya called for her sword.

“TAIGE!”

His name shouted in fury, halted him. He spun and Amaya angled her head to peer over his shoulder. Friend or foe, to him or her, she had to know.

Pinstripe suit stormed out of the mansion, the suit hung off his changed body, flapping like Superman’s cape in gale force winds. “You lied.” His voice carried to the gathered flock.

“I’m busy, Aiden. I’ll deal with you later.”

“Now, you slimy bastard.” Aiden circled Taige.

“What has you so riled it can’t wait?” Taige cocked his head to the side.

Aiden stalked Taige, or was it the other way around? Two predators sizing each other up. “It wasn’t enough for you to take all the property and place it in your name. No, you wanted it all. The money I stole from Malphas for the care and comfort of the Demoni Lords, you stole it! The account is wiped clean, but not so clean I couldn’t trace it back to your account in the Cayman Islands. The account I set up for you!”

“You stole my money! I will gut you, Aiden. Slowly! You won’t die for centuries!” Malphas shouted, but both Spaun ignored him.

“And? I am the leader. The money and property are rightfully mine to dispense as I see fit, or not at all?” Spoken casually, though Amaya didn’t miss the tensing of his body in preparation to strike.

“You haven’t led us anywhere. I have!” Aiden pounded his chest.

Amaya took this opportunity to get Bane off the altar and carry him over to the UnHallowed. She cut through Rimmon’s restraints first, then Zed’s and Kush’s. Sophie was at the back of the pack freeing Chay. Ioath and Gideon were unconscious, and Gadreel was still in chains. Sam’s lids were at half-mast, but his gaze was on her.

“That’s why I couldn’t get back in the mansion. He stole the properties right out from under me. Couldn’t enter without a damn invite. Release me!” Malphas demanded.

“No.” She threw a cautionary glance over her shoulder in time to see Aiden crack Taige’s jaw with a beauty of a right hook. The sound of the bone snapping echoed in the unnatural silence. It was then she realized the Darklings and Spaun had stopped everything to watch the battle between their leaders.

Dina weaved her way through the stunned throng and sprinted across the short front lawn. Covered in so many guts and parts in her hair, her face, caught in her eyelashes, she was difficult to look at, even for non-squeamish Amaya.

“How is it you’re not melting from acidic Spaun blood?” Amaya asked.

Dina made a beeline for Gideon. “Not Spaun. Hazk.” She pointed at the centipede looking things.

The ground shook. Taige and Aiden had rolled down the lawn, toppling Darklings. The rest were darting away, seemingly confused.

“Damn you, woman! I order you to release me.” Voice strained, muscles lax, Malphas wasn’t going anywhere with the symbols carved into his forehead.

Dina crossed to the Demoni Lord. Between blinks, her sword was a millimeter from his throat. “Release you? Tell me why I shouldn’t ventilate your neck?”

“Because it’s only a matter of time before one of them wins, then all eyes will be on you, not them. Neither of them will let any of you leave.” He shifted his gaze to the out of commission UnHallowed.

Dina touched the empyreal steel to Malphas’s throat. Smoke curled from his sizzling flesh. “But you’ll let us leave? You are the same filth that tore me out of my matrimonial bed, hours after I said ‘I do’, away from my husband. Kept me hostage in a cage.”

“Guilty. Now release me,” he spat.

Amaya eased Dina’s hand away. “Why aren’t you affected like them?” She tipped her chin at the UnHallowed.

He snorted. “I’m a full Demoni Lord. Your grace is strong enough to severely weaken me, not incapacitate.”

The sound of gunshots caught her attention, then Sophie shouted, “A little help over here.” She struggled to free Gadreel.

Reluctantly, Dina headed that way.

Amaya kept her focus on Malphas. “I don’t trust you. Too many ways you could turn this around.”

“But I won’t.”

So said the spider to the fly, the wolf to the hare, the scorpion to the frog. Today, she was the predator, not the prey. “I’ll release you before I leave.” Briefly, his crimson tattoos on his flank glowed, then faded.

She met his gaze head on, and didn’t flinch when Dina returned to her side and whispered, “Everyone’s free. Now how do we get out of here? They’re too weak to form shadows?”

“The forest. We head that way, but we need Scarla. Get the ones that are strong enough to move going.”

“I’m not leaving without Scarla,” Chay mumbled.

“Neither am I.” Amaya squeezed his shoulder. Zed and Kush seemed more coherent but still not up to speed.

She crawled to the altar and peeked between the boulders holding it up. The next second, Amaya was on her feet and striding forward. Scarla was sprawled, face down. On the back of her head, pinning her to the ground, a wingtip clad foot.

Taige’s suit was dirty, and torn, but wearable. How was that possible when to the left of him lay the mangled body of the Spaun he’d fought? Unless he had help.

Taige pointed to Scarla. “This one came in very handy. Did the dirty work for me. One swipe and Aiden’s head hung by a thread of tissue. Impressive. I think she thought she was saving me, poor Halfing. I’ll be needing a queen. She’s pretty enough. Which one of you UnHallowed will be giving away the bride?”