But nothing happened.
The creature didn’t wantto kill them, so it wasn’t giving off the kill scent.
No, it was—
It was an Empyreal.
But it didn’tfeellike an Empyreal. Kyan did. And while they had a similar echo, there was somethingelse…
‘Remi,’ Dylan said, backing up. ‘Run.’
He couldn’t get a good read, and they had seconds. There was only a slash of skin around the stranger’s eyes, enough to show his light skin.
There wasn’t a flicker of humanity in their gaze.
Only a mission.
‘I’m not leaving,’ Remi said, inhaling deeply.
‘Dylan, move!’ Lawna shouted.
He veered backwards as Remi blasted out a tunnel of sound, something that would buy them a minute to run, thatshouldhave someone clutching their head in pain.
The assassin was thrown backwards a few steps, but not as far as Remi seemed to expect.
Then, his attention zeroed in on her.
‘No!’ Lawna shouted.
Dylan moved as Remi shouted in warning, but too late. The Empyreal charged towards them and changed his centre of gravity. He brought up his left arm, not in a defensive position, but to slam into Dylan’s throat with such a crushing blow to his jugular he felt something snap.
He barely felt the brick wall at his back or the bolt of panic at the sheerstrength.
He just heard Remi scream his name and saw the flash of Lawna’s knife.
Nicole
THE STRANGER WASHUGE. PERHAPS IT WASJUST HIS BULK,made more intimidating by the fact he was dressed in the same tactical gear and mask Kyan had been.
But Nicole’s mind blanked for a moment as she ran closer to the alley where the stranger had her brother pinned against a wall. She’d taken the escape route Kyan had showed her to avoid cameras when she broke free of him, and yet she couldn’t help but wonder if this was a trap.
If the Wake knewshe and Kyan had planned something just like this, had they done this to intervene?
By the sheer size of the attacker, he should have broken her brother’s neck. And maybe he would have if Lawna hadn’t kicked, hard, at the backs of the Empyreal’s knees to take some of the force. Usually that would interrupt anyone, but he barely moved, and the brick wall behind her brother cracked as he looked close to unconsciousness. The Empyreal backhanded Lawna and she went flying into the opposite wall.
‘Mum!’ Remi screamed.
Nicole’s dread, oily and slick, didn’t have time to form completely. Instead, she threw herself at the assassin, legs around his waist and arm around his neck.
One swift crack and it would break.
No one hurt her loved ones.
No one.
But he wasn’t moving an inch. It was like she was a damned fly.
He backed up with enough speed that Nicole realised he planned to slam her into the opposing wall. With the bulk of him in front of her, she’d be crushed.
