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I chewed the inside of my cheek and nodded. It was something I’d considered. But we didn’t have time to rehash the plan. Like it or not, the Princes were here on Earth and war was minutes away. We had to prepare.
But there was one last thing I needed to do before the fight began. My feet pulled me toward the small private room at the end of the med hall. The door had been left slightly ajar and the soft beep of a heartbeat monitor came through. I pushed through the door and rounded the hospital bed. Gabe lay still upon it, the pallor of his face deathly white. His eyelids were closed and his dark eyelashes splayed on his cheeks. Someone had taken the time that morning to shave his chin. No doubt in my mind that it had been Georgia. I clasped my hand in his and brushed the stray hair off his forehead.
“I’m doing this for you,” I whispered in his ear. “This is all for you. You’re coming back to me, you hear me?”
Tears clogged my throat as I tried to speak. I could feel Luke’s gaze as he lingered in the doorway. My fingers gripped Gabe’s cold hands and I leaned forward to brush my lips across his cheek.
“Just hold on,” I whispered, glancing at the heart monitor. “Don’t you give up on me.”
A long, low horn sounded throughout the medical ward and the rest of the manor, warning the manor of impending intruders. Regretfully, I disengaged my hand from Gabe’s and followed Luke out onto the yard where the Nephilim had gathered their weapons. There was a somber peace among them. Grief stricken faces told me that many of them had said their last goodbyes.
“Where are the Princes?” Adam appeared next to my shoulder, worry etched into his face. “Shouldn’t they be here by now?”
“They’ll show up,” I said, the muscles in my jaw twitching. At this point, I was living on pure faith. Hopefully, the Princes kept their words.
They’d agreed to intersect the youngest Prince and drag him back to the Hell Gate with whatever means necessary. I had no doubt in their combined strength and the methods they would use. Still, that left an army of ferals bearing down on the manor and a battle yet to be won.
The warning horn sounded again and then the first ferals appeared on the edge of the great lawn. They came striding out of the forest in army formation, unlike their usual chaotic form. Human shapes with red flashing eyes, they growled and hissed at us. Their numbers were a frightening thing to behold. I’d expected six hundred ferals, but it was nothing compared to seeing them appear before me. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as they swallowed up the green grass. It was an infestation of the hellish kind.
At the forefront of the ferals strode Seth. He wore his customary black wool suit and looked out of place on the battlefield. His lips curled into a soft smile that didn’t reach his eyes. At the wave of h
is hand, his army of ferals halted and he stepped forward to address the Nephilim.
“My children, this is your chance,” he yelled in a pleasant baritone. Stretching his arms out, as if to embrace us, he smiled again. “Join my armies. You shall be rewarded in ways you cannot even imagine.”
A murmur went through the Nephilim. Someone shouted out their refusal and he was quickly joined by a dozen others cursing the Prince.
“Very well,” Seth said, dropping his hands. “Death is what awaits you who scorn my mercy. You shall all suffer on this day.”
My legs strode forward at that moment and I pushed through the crowds to reach the front. Seth’s gaze fell on me and his face lit up with recognition. He held out his hands and grinned.
“My child, have you come to your senses?”
“I have,” I answered through my teeth.
“I’m so glad,” he cooed. Sweeping into an elegant bow, he tilted his head toward me. “My lady key. You shall be forever rewarded.”
“Oh, I hope so.”
Flashes of Gabe, laying lifeless in his stark white bed made me clench my jaw. I hated this devil with all my heart. He’d brought so much pain into my life. I wanted him gone, forever.
I could feel three hundred eyes drilling into the back of my skull from the silent Nephilim. They stood taut and ready for action. My friends and family. It wasn’t the first time we’d fought, side by side. But this time, we were one united front. Desperate to save the world from this Prince and the scourge of his armies. We were the last line of defense. I could only hope we were enough.
“I’ve recently made some new friends,” I continued, keeping a healthy distance between myself and Seth. The ferals behind him were straining against their orders to attack. I could see the bloodlust in their eyes. “Someone you happen to know. They’re interested in your newest escapade.”
“Really?” He clapped his hands together. “And who might these mysterious guests be? Bring them out, so we can play.”
“It was time for a family reunion,” I said with a smirk. “There’s nothing like family to put you back into your place.”
A strong breeze entered the manor grounds, sweeping up dirt and debris. A cloud drifted over the sun and the skies darkened. A chill ran down my spine and I shivered against the odd feeling. Seth’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me and the pleasant smile melted from his face.
“What have you done?” he snarled. He looked around wildly as the ferals shifted behind him. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
The panic behind Seth’s response made my heart swell with the tiniest bit of pride. We had him now. He was circling the drain of his own plan for world domination. We had to hit him while he was weak. It was time.
“Now!” I screamed, waving my arm.
The Nephilim charged with a great roar, their weapons held high. There was no waiting for the ferals to attack. This time, we were going on the offensive. Explosions rocked the lawn as bombs went off throughout the feral army, spreading silver fragments and showers of holy water. The ferals scattered and lost their formation as the warriors cut through them.
