“No!” I cried as the fire surrounded me, engulfing my family with its flame.

A tiny hand shot out from the fire. “Nad, help,” Nicole croaked.

I took the little hand in mine, and it became dust.

“No!” I sat up, waking.

Breathing hard, I looked around. I was in my room in the underground bunker in northern Greenland. It was okay. I inhaled slowly. It was okay. Everything would be okay. I would fix everything.

I laid back on my pillow, but couldn’t close my eyes without seeing Nicole’s terrified face and her bloody body on my lap.

I kicked the covers away, dropped Pinky over my pillow, put on sweatpants over my shorts and a cardigan over my tee, and left my room. I tiptoed in my heavy socks down the hallway, afraid of waking up anyone else. Nobody had to suffer through the night with me.

A nice soda, or maybe even black coffee, sounded good even if it was three in the morning. Besides, I knew I wouldn’t go back to sleep tonight; I might as well eat an early breakfast and start training.

A clink noise, like a pin dropping on a hard floor, brought me to a halt.

“Hello?” I whispered. Nobody answered. I wouldn’t call out with my normal volume; I’d wake up everyone, so I continued down the hallway, sure I would find whoever was also having trouble sleeping.

I turned a corner and something grabbed me, yanking me back. Panic shot through my veins. A hand over my mouth stifled my scream as I bumped my back into a hard surface.

“Shhh. Stay quiet,” Micah whispered in my ear.

I nodded and he removed the hand from my mouth, placing it around my waist, keeping me close to him. Not that I was complaining, but it felt somewhat silly.

“What is it?” I asked in an equally low tone.

“I think someone is here.”

I tilted my head to the side and glanced at him. “Of course there’s someone here. There are eleven people in this shelter.”

“No, I mean someone else.”

“Oh.”

Wait. Who did he think was here? Before I could ask, the clink noise vibrated through the walls again, louder this time, but still too faint to wake up anyone who was sleeping.

Micah tugged me with his arm around my waist, and we retreated to the closest door and into an empty bedroom. We leaned against the wall, leaving a tiny crack of the door open.

I could hear my heartbeat as the seconds passed. We peeked through the door as footsteps shuffled along the floor.

Demons. A bunch of demons.

Fear and repulsion burst through my system, and I shrunk into Micah’s arms.

Micah lowered his forehead to my shoulder. “By the Everlast.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I.”

Hauling me with him, Micah scooted farther into the room.

“All right,” I muttered, trying to keep my fear in check. “Let’s think about the logical action here. We have to find a way of waking the others and getting out.”

“I don’t really see how we’re gonna make it past the demons.”

Disentangling myself from Micah, I peeked through the crack in the door. “Let’s pray they take a wrong turn and go in the direction of the tech room instead of the other bedrooms.”

Micah stood behind me again, spying out the door with me.

I held my breath as the demons approached the end of the hallway where they would have to turn left or right. I counted the monsters. I stopped at thirteen, but I didn’t think there were many more. Not on this level at least.

The demons turned left, to the tech room.

I sighed in relief.

“Okay.” Micah turned me around to face him. “Chances are we won’t be able to wake the others and get out without being noticed, so go to the gym and grab as many swords as you can while I wake up everyone.”

“But ... you’ll be too close to the demons.”

“We don’t have any other option.”

I watched the door. “Do you think there are more demons around?”

“I do.” He pressed his lips in a tight line. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I lied. It didn’t matter if I was ready or not. We had to do it now, or we were all demon dinner.

We looked out the door. It was clear.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out, but Micah held my hand. “Be careful.”

I squeezed his hand. “You too.”

He winked before letting go, and as silently as possible he rushed toward where the demons had gone. I watched him for a few seconds hoping he was quick.

I turned the other way, imitating Micah’s hurried tiptoes. In my mind, I prayed not to bump into any demons, at least not until I had grabbed a few swords from the gym.

Oh God, there were demons in the compound!

I inhaled deeply again. No time for freak out mode now. I pushed those thoughts and feelings aside and focused on action.

I got to the gym without seeing anyone or anything. I picked a belt and fastened it around my waist before filling it with daggers from the wall. Then I reached for the swords. Some had scabbards, and I simply slung them across my shoulders. I didn’t know how many weapons I had gotten when a noise came from outside the door.

My heart stopped.

Oh God.

Fighting a full-on panic, I hid behind two big weight lifting machines to the left side of the room, somewhat close to the door. I held my breath and waited, hoping luck was on my side.

Seconds later, Chael, Eklan, and Deven entered the gym.

Relief coursed through me. Micah must have woken them first and sent them here to help me. I started to stand to call them.

“Just lock the door?” Chael asked.

“No,” Deven said. “Unlocking the door wouldn’t be too hard. Let’s destroy the weapons.”

Destroy the weapons? What were they talking about?

“I like this idea,” Chael said. “Destroy the weapons so they can’t use them.”

Oh. I crouched again, ignoring the rage building in me demanding I jumped out of my hiding place and kicked their butts. However, they were three deities and I was a tiny human. They would kick my butt. I prayed for Micah to wake everyone and come back soon.

“Hey,” Eklan called. “Some swords are missing.”

“How?” Chael asked.

Then silence reigned and I held my breath afraid they would hear my heart beating out of my chest.

Metal scrapped as they picked swords from the wall and pulled them from their scabbards.

Careful not to make a sound, I dropped three of the four swords I had in my hand, gripping the remaining one tight.

As soon as my pinky closed around the hilt, Chael and Eklan jumped to my sides, flanking me.

“Gotcha,” Chael said, a naughty shine in his eyes.

I stood, willing my expression to mask my feelings.

Deven pointed his sword at me. “Let go of your weapons. All of them.”

Slowly I squatted, pretending to drop my sword on the floor. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed another one with my left hand, whirled back—just as Deven’s sword fell where I was—and swung both swords, grazing their tips against Chael’s and Eklan’s legs.

Both of them staggered back hissing.

The three Death Lords lunged at me. I sidestepped behind another piece of gym equipment, jumped over a bench, and ran to the door.

Someone threw their sword at me, and I saw it just in time, turning my body to the side. The sword grazed my arm. I flinched but didn’t stop. Panting, I reached the door and ran out and into Victor.

Sensing what was going on, he closed the door behind me and locked it. He took one of the swords from me, grabbed my hand, and we ran.

“Where are the others?” I asked, out of breath.

“Waking the rest.”

“Micah sent you after me?”

Victor nodded and pulled me to a stop before a corner. He glanced around it and cursed.

“Demons,” he mouthed. “They are searching the rooms.”

I glanced back to the end of the hallway where the locked door wouldn’t hold the three Death Lords for long.

The exit of the building, the stairwell that led outside, was on the other side of the same hallway, but everyone else was still in the back beyond the demons.

Victor looked again. “I see Micah at the other end of the hall.”

“We have to fight our way to them then.”

Victor nodded. “On three,” he said. “One, t—”

“Three,” I said, running around him and into the hallway with a bunch of demons.

Cursing, Victor rushed behind me.

For a moment, the demons seemed surprised, and past them, Micah seemed furious, with his black eyes fuming.

Before the demons could react, I grabbed a dagger from my waist and threw it to the back, in an arc above the monsters. As I expected, Micah jumped up and grabbed the dagger in the air. Then I threw another, and he caught it the same way.

A demon swiped its claws at me. I parried it, drawing gooey blood from its thick skin. When it raised the other claw, I spun to the side and pulled my sword up, leaving a long slash on its chest. I kicked the creature out of my way as another demon came at me.

One good thing about fighting in a narrow hallway was Victor and I didn’t have to worry about more than one or two demons at a time. I could do this. I could fight one at a time.

However, on the other side, Ceris and Izaera didn’t have much space to use their magic. Pink bolts flew around, then green bolts, then pink bolts, but never the two colors at the same time. Even so, the sea of demons diminished.

I used my sword to parry an incoming claw. Another big hand full of talons came at me, and I ducked under it, taking advantage of my position to pierce the creature from below.

Beside me, Victor wasn’t doing badly either. Actually, he was faster and more elegant than I was, and that inspired me to try harder.

After we battled a couple of demons each, I could see more of Micah. He was still behind six or seven monsters. He had a dagger in each hand, and his movements fast and precise, his eyes holding a predatory shine.

Besides the lethal stance, he looked badass. It was beautiful to watch. I could stare at him like this for hours. I could stare at him for hours—and days.

Until a hand clutched my throat and pulled me backward.

A scream ripped from me and, by instinct I thrashed against the hold. Someone else grabbed my arms and twisted the one with the sword until I yelped and lost my grip.

“No!” Victor yelled.

Beside me, Eklan pierced half of his sword’s blade into Victor’s back.

I screamed. With a loud groan, Victor arched his back and fell on all fours.

Oh, God.

“Levi!” Ceris shouted. A pink bolt zipped above his head, exploding on Eklan’s chest and making the Death Lord stagger back.

She fought the remaining demons with new energy.

Chael held up a sword and looked past my shoulder to Deven.

“Finish him,” Deven said.

Chael nodded. He turned to Victor and lifted his weapon above his head.

I kicked him, and he staggered over Victor, losing the grip on his sword and falling to the ground.

“Bitch,” Deven said. He tightened the grip around my throat. I jerked, but he passed a heavy arm around me, keeping me still. Limping, Eklan approached us. He took a dagger and placed the tip to my chest, just as Chael stood up, aiming his sword at Victor.

“Say goodbye to this world,” Chael said.

“You too,” Eklan spat to me.

I closed my eyes.

The tip of the dagger pierced my skin and then cut to the side as Eklan fell, a dagger in his throat.

My heart hammered in my chest, and I gaped at Eklan’s collapsed body.

I stripped my gaze from the body and glanced to the side. From above the demon he was fighting, Micah had thrown one of his daggers. He disposed of the demon and turned to Deven.

Grunting, Deven let go of me and faced Micah. Weak and gasping for air, I dropped to my knees.

I looked up, remembering Chael had been about to kill Victor. Thank the Everlast that Ceris had gotten to him in time, and now she held Chael to the wall, squeezing his throat with magic.

Meanwhile, Morgan and Izaera rushed to Victor and me. Zelen stayed behind with Keisha, helping her walk through the mess.

“How are you?” Izaera asked.

“I’m fine,” I assured her. “Victor ... help Victor.”

She turned to him. He had fallen to the floor, blood oozing from the wound on his back.

Someone knocked into me, and I glanced up.

Micah recovered from a punch, rubbing his chin, and then he charged Deven again.

“How is it? To have your own kind betray you?” Deven provoked him. “Oh, wait. You know how it is. You betrayed your own kind.”

Micah groaned. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Deven flung his sword and, groaning, Micah deflected it with his dagger. The impact caused him to drop it, leaving him weaponless.

“Don’t I? I did the same thing you did. Eklan and Chael too. We joined Imha. We work for her.” Deven circled Micah, taunting him with his movements and words. “We were always watching over the other Death Lords. When we overheard Dane telling the others about an important meeting, we passed the information to Imha. She didn’t think it was important at the time but asked us to spy on them. Then, at the meeting you revealed you’re Lord Mitrus! I couldn’t believe it, but I knew we had to come with you and contact Imha later.”

Micah’s stance changed as he gaped at Deven. “Then she’s here?”

“She’s on her way.”

“Fuck,” Micah muttered.

When Deven swung his sword at him again, Micah ducked, stepping around his opponent.

Using the wall as support, I stood up and held my sword by the blade. “Deven!” I called.

He turned to me reflexively, and I threw the sword to Micah. He closed his hand over the hilt and buried it in Deven’s back, much like Chael had done to Victor. However, Micah wasn’t taking any chances. He pulled the sword out and plunged it in again.

Deven fell, his head a few inches from my feet, before his body erupted in black smoke.

His eyes on mine, Micah took a deep breath. He had a couple of bruises and superficial cuts but no visible or grave wounds.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I nodded, glancing to the side. I was okay, but Victor didn’t seem to be. Beside him, Ceris ripped the end of her dress as she fought back tears. Morgan and Izaera held Victor’s shoulders up, and Ceris wrapped the ripped cloth around him, using it as an improvised bandage.

Sweating and too pale, Victor didn’t utter one sound, didn’t move one muscle.

With his arm around Keisha, Zelen approached us. “They know where we are. We need to leave before more arrive.”

“Can someone help me carry him?” Ceris asked.

Micah knelt beside Victor. “I can carry him.” He passed an arm under Victor’s shoulders and another under his knees and pulled him up.

“Come on,” Izaera said, beckoning us to the exit.

I started following as everyone was exiting but then paused. I shouldn’t but I couldn’t help it. I ran to my bedroom, jumping over the bodies, slipping on gooey blood, and breathing through my mouth—the place reeked. The door was open, but apparently they hadn’t done more than look inside. Thankfully, I found Pinky on my bed. I tucked it under my arm and rushed out before they left without me.

I ran up the stairs and met them outside, shivering in the cold.

“Where were you?” Micah asked, his eyes accusative.

I shrugged, but he glanced at the stuffed bunny in my arms and the knot between his brows smoothed.

Shrieks echoed through the frigid air. The sky was dark, but the white snow reflected enough that it was easy to see the black cloud of Akuma coming toward us. A similar wave of Ornek and Arak appeared on the horizon.

“Get us out of here,” Morgan said, as the winged demons began their descent, flying too fast toward us.

Ceris extended her arm, and her scepter appeared in her hand. She closed her eyes, and the pink orb of her scepter shone brighter and brighter. I squinted against the light, looking through it. A ray shot out of it, crossing the dark sky in half a second, illuminating it with a baby pink glow until it hit the wave of bats and spread out like lightning. The bats shrieked.

“What the hell?” Micah snapped. “Get us out of here.”

Ceris pulled her scepter back. A silver line danced inside the orb. I took a step closer to it, but the scepter disappeared from her hand.

Morgan grabbed my hand as Ceris closed her eyes and transported us out of there.