Page 121 of Interion

“I'm here, Zion,” I whispered in his ear, snuggling closer and sliding a hand over his shoulders, down his biceps and forearms until I found his hands. He intertwined our fingers himself—the thick calluses scratching my skin, but I liked the feeling.

“Thank you for staying,” he whispered, his voice sleepy.

“I'll always be right here.”

After a while, his breathing deepened, and I let myself drift off too.

Chapter 30

As soon as I crawled over the rubble, I knew this wasn't real. It had to be some kind of dream, because I was watching the battle through eyes that weren't mine and fighting with a body I didn't recognize. The body dragged itself over remnants of wood and metal, pushing aside branches and debris along the way, but it wasn't injured. I studied the details more carefully and noticed that my hands were small with well-manicured nails, so I figured the body was female.

We were on top of a cliff, hidden by the remains of a house and dead vegetation. Everything there seemed still and destroyed; even the earth beneath our body was red and felt rotten. On the horizon, the sun seemed wrapped in clouds of red dust, as if saturated with the essence of all the destruction that had unfolded.

Although the air was heavy and the cliff's height was dizzying, only one thing held my attention: near a lake full of bodies and debris, a winged angel was fighting.

From where I was, I couldn't see all the details of what was happening, but it was clear the angel was fighting and a horde of grotesque beings crowded around him. He was savage and fast, his movements like a violent dance that his body performed with flawless precision. It was captivating, and no matter how hard I tried to look away, I couldn't.

The body that allowed me to watch sighed, as if bored by the bloody fight unfolding below. I couldn't see what this person looked like, but I knew she was exasperated by the wait.

The angel seemed tireless and moved as if he'd been born for this; he smiled while killing and seemed to take pleasure in driving his spear into the hearts of the beasts. This lasted so long it could have been days in that universe. Then I noticed the air change and the wind roar around us. The body went rigid and hid in the rubble, never stopping its watch. Down below, the battle intensified, and as if in a burst of power, a black figure with membranous wings emerged from the skies. It was tall, thin, and possessed immense claws. Its body reeked of rot, and from where we were, I could smell it through the host's nose. I shrank inside the body and begged the gods to spare me, because that power was evil in its purest form.

With the figure's appearance, the winged angel intensified his strikes, his incandescent spear striking relentlessly, but there were too many beings crawling toward him. He smiled in delight, savoring the violence, and looked at the demon in the skies as if inviting it to join.

The creature of the night stared at him with contempt, and the wind grew colder around me. With a shrill roar that nearly burst my eardrums, it plunged from the skies toward the angel.

I shrank back, but the body stood up. I felt her take three deep breaths. We'd been breathing that way before, but now the sound was audible. As the air entered and left, our heart slowed to the point of almost stopping. Then our feet spread apart, planted firmly, and our arms stretched out, the taut muscles visible beneath the skin as if holding something very heavy. I knew what she was doing—it was the stance of someone holding a bow and nocking an arrow, but there was nothing in her hands.

Then she pulled the invisible string and, like magic, I could see the entire length of the bow as it materialized in gold. She drew the string to her chest, her arms trembling from the force of the pull, and an arrow of pure power appeared. I saw she was aiming at the black demon, and if not for my fear and desperation, I would have laughed at her attempt. It was too far—practically impossible for an arrow to reach. Even so, I forced myself to watch.

When she released, the shaft traveled for miles and the power rumbled through my body, shooting sparks through my veins and throbbing when the arrow found its target. I watched with astonishment and admiration as the creature of the night, mid-flight toward the angel, fell from the skies. Its limp body spun through the air and crashed with a thunderous thud. Then, one by one, the four-legged beings fell to the ground and began to disintegrate, turning to ashes in the wind.

I saw the angel turn in my direction. The incandescent staff vanished from his hands, but overwhelming hatred was directed at the body I inhabited. I felt the body smile at the angel—a smug, mocking smile—and then, against all logic, she threw us with open arms off the cliff.

Terror flooded me as the wind struck with full force.

In the darkness of the abyss, only nothingness awaited me. I screamed like a pig being gutted.

Δ

“Kyller, wake up!”

It was a familiar voice. I tried to struggle, but strong arms held me firmly.

“Calm down. You're safe, it was just a nightmare,” the voice murmured against my neck, sending chills down my spine.

I breathed deeply and let the cold air calm my nerves. I knew that scent: sandalwood and something warm like a summer day.

“Zion?” I whispered, and he responded by pulling me against his chest. It was still dark outside, and no light came through the glass wall.

“It's all right, you're with me. Safe.”

I felt like crying at the tenderness in his words. Zion's arms surrounded me like a cocoon, his fingers intertwined with mine. This time, the hands were mine. I noticed with shock that my nails were digging into his skin.

“By the gods! I hurt you!” I exclaimed, trying to turn to face him. But he only pressed me tighter against his chest, nestled his face into the curve of my neck, and inhaled my scent as if he needed it to live. There was a pillow separating his hips from mine, and I wanted to remove it—I didn't want anything between our bodies—but there was no room to move.

“I don’t mind, my sunshine,” he murmured sleepily, making me frown at the words. My sunshine. Something warm stirred in my chest. “Just go back to sleep and everything will be fine. We can talk about the dream tomorrow.”

For a few minutes I just stared at our joined hands. The images still swirled through my mind, as if I had really been in that battle. The dream was too clear, too vivid to easily ignore, and those monstrous beings looked like what I’d seen in the black book Serguei had mentioned that afternoon.