Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
At the same time, Anabel/Mary speared a soldier on her blade before blowing him a kiss. The moment both dead troops hit the ground, Xavier was there, reanimating the corpses and sending them after the new cluster of enemies that were crashing through the trees.
Anabel/Mary grinned as she spotted them. “Here pretty soldiers,” she sang. Then, humming the Mission: Impossible theme tune, she advanced on the nearest one.
Wynter and Xavier also ran to meet the newcomers, choosing their own targets. Working as a team, Hattie and Delilah—both in their animal forms—viciously tore into other troops in that way they’d come to perfect. The combined arsenal of claws, talons, beaks, and teeth took down several.
Each time one dropped to the ground, Xavier would pause in fencing to reanimate the corpse while also exuding surges of magick that smelled of mold, death, and decay.
Courtesy of their immortality-induced enhancements and army of the undead, Wynter and her coven swiftly hacked through whatever groups came their way.
“Have you noticed that they’re trying to kill you, not just disable you?” Xavier shouted at Wynter.
She nodded. “Abel must have ordered them to execute me.” Bastard. She hadn’t expected that.
Her monster rumbled an enraged snarl at being left out of the fun, not whatsoever appeased at having been allowed to kill Saul and Demetria. It wanted more blood and destruction. Always did. So Wynter was damn thankful that it heeded Kali, who’d cautioned it not to surface.
Wynter’s peripheral vision screamed a warning. She reeled back, narrowly avoiding a fireball, its raging heat licking at her skin. She turned to the mage heading her way and hurled a surge of hot toxic magick at the fucker. He tried to dodge it but moved too late.
While he and Wynter fought with their swords, gangrene set in as the rotting magick consumed his flesh. Soon, his teeth began to fall out, muscle wastage kicked in, and two of his extremities withered into stumps.
Wynter didn’t need to finish him off—Anabel/Mary tossed a vial at his feet. Glass shattered, and then smoke billowed up and poured right down his throat. No, dived down it. He choked, clawing at his neck, and was then quickly taken down by a crow and a monstrous cat.
Xavier used the back of his hand to swipe at the sheen of sweat on his forehead. “I doubt I’ll ever say it to Anabel’s face, but she is a fucking genius when it comes to potions.”
Wynter felt her brow furrow. “Why not tell her that?”
“It’s more fun to pick at her self-esteem.”
Unreal. “You’re as bad as Delilah. I genuinely fear that Anabel will kill you both one day.”
“Yeah, so do I.”
Wynter and her coven ran ahead, soon stumbling upon more troops. She dodged, twisted, ducked, and expertly lashed out with her sword again and again. She sliced skin, severed limbs, stabbed hearts, and punctured lungs. She also struck with her magick, letting it char and infect and burn whoever it—
The breath gusted out of her lungs as a heavy blast of magick slammed into her, knocking her clean off her feet. Well, shit.
She’d no sooner hit the ground than a beam of crackling energy came at her. Wynter lifted her sword to meet it, deflecting the strike . . . and then she watched as a smoky sphere hit her attacker square in the chest. She gave Xavier a nod of thanks and jumped to her feet.
A battle-cry came from the lone troop up ahead of them. He came at Wynter in a blur of speed, swiping out with his sword. She backpedaled, slamming up her blade to parry the aggressive blow. A severed arm crashed into his head, distracting him, and then Anabel/Mary pounced, slitting his throat in one clean swipe.
A loud male voice rang out across the town, but Wynter couldn’t make out the words over the large cat’s snarls and the crow’s screeches. She only knew that the voice belonged to Abel. “What’d he just say?”
“I don’t know,” said Xavier. “Something about someone being doomed, I think.”
“Why would he—Ew, Mary, no, we do not drink blood!”
*
A hissing sound filled the air as a projectile of fire dove straight at Cain at top speed. Fuck. A wave of repellent power hit it from the side, knocking it off course. He must have had Seth to thank for that, because Abel’s gaze slammed on their brother.
Abel’s fingers contracted like claws, and a light breeze carried his voice as he spoke, “You would truly protect him, Seth? Have you learned nothing from your time in this place? Those who side with him will only ever be doomed.” He gave some sort of signal to the Aeon who’d been fighting with Seth. Said Aeon then stopped, albeit reluctantly.
Refusing to look away from Abel, Cain sensed more than saw Seth shrug.
“Looks to me like the people who sided with you are the ones who are doomed,” said Seth, power amplifying his voice.