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“Hurry,” she told the girl, following close behind. She prayed Alexei stayed safe. The fates wouldn’t have brought him to her only to take him away so quickly. Her heart longed to return to his side, to shove healing magic into him and protect him however she could, but she wouldn’t leave these children. Not after all they’d been through. Not when she might find out more about where Noxx had taken Tai.
Sweat dripped from her skin, making her palms slip on the last rung. Clambering to the top, she heaved herself over the ledge, hacking and sputtering. Smoke billowed from the door behind her, and she rushed the kids away from it. Nudging her magic brighter, she used the glow to search the roof. No fire escapes. No way out but up to the silos on another, much narrower ladder.
“Anyone have wings?” she asked, wishing for the millionth time for a set of her own.
Scared gazes stared back at her, and all six shook their heads.
The door to the roof slammed shut, and one of the kids screamed.
Alexei. He should’ve been right behind her. What had happened? Panes of glass from the windows along a wall below exploded in a shattering rain ofting ting tingagainst pavement. Tears streaked hot down her cheeks, and she rubbed them away with her sleeve. He would get out. He had to. Right now, her focus needed to be on the children. “Stay close,” she told them. “Help’s on the way. They know we’re here. Hold onto me, and let’s see if my powers can make you feel better.”
Wary gazes and pinched looks aside, she must’ve earned a sliver of trust in breaking them out. The kids huddled around her, and she channeled healing magic into them as fast as she could.
Booted feet touched down next to her, scattering tar and gravel. She ducked her head to avoid the flying pieces. From the sounds, more than one person had landed. Adrenaline shot through her and she tightened her hold on the kids until she looked up.
“Alys,” she said. “Eddie. Thank the gods. Alexei’s still in there.”
“Roman will get him,” Alys said. “Come on, kids. Let’s go.” She grabbed the two smallest children and shot over the side of the roof, wings out and sailing.
Herding the other children toward the edge with Eddie, Joelle peered over the side. Alys landed with the two kids, loading them into what looked like a military transport with Nita in the driver’s seat. Roman battled the fire with an extinguisher, not seeming to make much headway.
Yulia swooped in and landed next to where Joelle stood. “Tai?”
The girl who’d spoken for the others glanced up at her. “Noxx had him.”
“Go.” Joelle pushed the child into Eddie’s arms. He gathered two more to him. “Come with us.”
“Next trip,” she promised. Her stomach twisted and turned with worry over Alexei. She waved for Eddie to go until he did.
Yulia picked up the last child and held out her hand. “I promise to deliver you safely to the ground, to your mate.”
Staring into the woman’s sincere gaze, apology stamped in every line and fear in each tiny wrinkle, Joelle believed her and took her hand.
Then chaos unfurled. The building shuddered as if the walls would give in, and the roof tore into pieces, collapsing around them. A rush of hot air shot up from the crumbling structure. Yulia rose, taking Joelle and the child with her in a protective bubble that felt like floating. Flames licked at the edges, painting it vibrant swirls of orange and yellow.
Gunfire came from the ground along with Nita’s voice yelling at Alys. “Baby, behind you.” More cursed supernaturals emerged from the shadows, scaling the fences onto the pavement beside the transport with the children inside. The same as the last creatures, they’d been stitched together from the parts of different species.
“Dear gods,” Yulia said. “What are they?”
Joelle couldn’t speak with the air gone from her lungs, her vision swimming, and her magic longing for her mate. Why hadn’t he come out? Had he been trapped inside when the building collapsed? No one could survive that. She couldn’t believe it, couldn’t mourn, couldn’t breathe.
Below, Alys raised her arms and dropped them. The supernatural creatures fell to the ground in time with her motion, rolling and screaming.Pain bringer.
She’d never seen her new sister’s magic in action, but she’d heard how her powers could devastate armies. If they’d had her moments before, Alexei might be here. He had shielded his mate from his magic, much as his sister now protected her own mate and the children. She seemed to focus her magic so precisely. Joelle studied her control, memorizing the way the blast had been carved to catch some targets and leave others. What if she could do the same with her new power? She shook off the thought, hoping to never need to practice it. With the others here, she could now concentrate on getting to Alexei.
Rivulets of lava ran along the pavement, catching some of the creatures in its flow. Their shrieks chilled her.
Eddie flew toward them, fighting Noxx’s army the entire way. His tail whipped into another beast behind him and sent it crashing to the ground where Alys caught it in her magic, making it writhe in pain. “Get to the transport,” he yelled.
“Mom.” A scream from above had them jerking their heads up toward the top of the silos.
“Tai,” Yulia whispered. The woman’s powers flickered, the bubble breaking at its edges.
Joelle stared in horror at Noxx’s grip on the boy’s arm with one hand and a gun with the other. “No.” This couldn’t be happening. Tai slipped closer to the edge of the metal silo and screamed again for his mother.
Below, Eddie dashed forward, only to be dragged down by more of the monstrosities. Yells and gunfire erupted anew.
Yulia zoomed upward, carrying both Joelle and a crying child.
