Page 69 of Commanding Flame and Shield
The two of you fit together like jigsaw pieces.
“A bit. Ansel and Lana are the only members of the coven that haven’t opened their minds to me. Most of the hierarchy has let me in by now—many rely on it.”
“You like that. Being needed. Being trusted.”
“Of course,” I shrugged. “Don’t you?”
“Of course,” he echoed. Then he wiggled his arms, as though he could shake the nervous out of his fingertips, and let out a long sigh. “Okay. Let’s do this, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
He set his hands, palm open, on his knees, and I reached forward.
But as I neared within an inch, the world vanished, and I was plunged into the icy flickering gray of the hospital corridor, the stench of brimstone so heavy it made my head swim.I blinked, disoriented. I was running, sprinting for the end of it, crying out for help. It was going to catch me. Please, God help me. St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle—
I snapped back, nausea swelling in my throat, tears streaming down my cheeks. August’s face was less than a foot from mine, his lips pursed and eyes wide.
“Alvara?!”
“Alec! Aphaea!! We have to go! Now!”Aren! We’re in trouble. Someone is in trouble. In the hospital. The corridor.
Fuck.His mental voice was foggy, as though he had been sleeping too.The one where—
The very same. Wake the others. I might need them.
Done. They’ll be on your tail. Ally I—
Don’t, Aren. It’s not worth the risk. Prepare the healers, just in case.
On it.
Thank you.
Be safe, kid.
I replayed the vision in my mind as the others woke, and August’s eyes stayed trained on me, horror crossing his perfect features. We stumbled into our clothes, clumsily buttoning jeans and pulling on t-shirts. Telekinetically, we summoned our blessed weapons, each of us armed to the hilt this time. The clock struck midnight, and I swore under my breath. It was the Goddamned witching hour. On Devil's Night.Fuck me.
August’s eyes held a mix of anger and fear. “Alvara, we should wait for the others. We should wait for backup. That demon. That demon got the best of us, and if it was workingforsomeone—”
“Backup?” I laughed. But it came out strangled, the unease hidden in the sound bubbling angrily in my chest. I forced it down. “August, have you stopped to consider the thought thatIam the backup? Who does the entire hierarchy call when they need help? Me. This is what I do.”
August scowled at me, and I sensed he was about to argue, so I added, “Really. I’ve got this. Someone justprayedforhelp. We have to go.We’vegot this.”
His eyes betrayed the terror in his bones, but he swallowed hard, and gave me a curt nod as he drew his sword.
“Okay. Let’s get this motherfucker.”
* * *
The hospital was eveneerier the second time, remembering all that happened the last time we’d lumbered through the eternal hallway. The lights weren’t flickering this time, but were still low wattage, leaving shadows at play. Ice was gratefully absent from the walls, but the energetic chill—some kind of demonic warding to keep people from wandering down there—was thick enough to slice with our blades.
August led the way, his fire hovering in the air a few feet ahead of his pace, bringing extra light to the hall in front of us. If there was fear left in him, he had stuffed it deep into the corners of his being.
Our pace quickened as the sense of urgency grew between us, and our feet thundered in a full sprint before we could reach the end of the stretching hallway. Death lingered here, the energy fresh and palpable.
I wasn’t sure if it was the memory of Aren being run through on a blade, or the current spirit that had the others in their sprint. It was a combination of the two for me, and a glance at their minds said the same for them. August came to an abrupt halt towards the end of the hallway, where Sebastian had stood weeks before. Fae and I stepped forward, raising our hands to get a read on the energy.
“This way,” we said simultaneously, turning to the left, where the energy was darkest. Despite centuries of practice, everything in my body begged me to run in the opposite direction, begged me to protect myself. We stepped to the door, and the tangy scent of blood hit my nose. Risking a glance over my shoulder, I could see the others smelled it, too.
