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Despite all the times I imagined this moment, it’s still hard to believe.
Rafe is on the frontlines, transformed into his darker, demon-like form, ready to lead an army of monsters into battle. The Malevolents are somewhere in the distance, hidden just beyond the mountains on the horizon. Elio is at my side, as always, wings outstretched and nearly knocking into a nearby group of monsters, but no one seems to care.
We’re all on edge, adrenaline pumping, ready for the hat to drop. Ready for the sign of advance, ready to leap into action. Ready to fight, to reclaim this realm in the name of monsters and wipe out the demon scum threatening to destroy everything we love.
My chest hitches at the idea of love, and my mind races a realm away to Devyn, who I’ve hardly been able to keep my thoughts off for the last few weeks leading up to this moment. My heart aches, but I know she’s safe where we left her.
Safe from the impending war.
Safe from these gnarly mother fuckers with spikes and claws and fangs ready to destroy whatever crosses our path.
“You look distracted,” Elio says, snatching me back onto the battlefield from my thoughts.
I sigh. “I know, and I shouldn’t be.”
“I miss her too,” he says, slapping a heavy hand on my back. “Just think, as soon as this is all over, we’ll go to her.”
His words don’t reassure me like they should, but I nod anyway. I’ve been fine up to this point, not letting my worry get the best of me, but now it’s hard to shake off.
What if something’s happened to her? What if she needs me and I’m not there?
This not knowing shit is for the birds, and I just wish there was a way for us to check on her without having to portal to Earth. Some kind of interrealm communication that doesn’t exist.
Maybe we can look into that eventually.
There’s not much Ignatius can’t do. Maybe some warlocks can get together and figure that shit out when we aren’t preparing to exterminate a bunch of Malevolent trash.
“He probably doesn’t even know what he’s doing,” a voice grumbles behind me, making my ears prick up. “We haven’t seen or heard anything for hours. The demons could be on the other side of the realm for all we know.”
My jaw tightens when I realize the monster at my back is talking about Rafe, and I whirl around to face him. He’s tall and broad, with dark navy skin and white horns that spiral toward the sky. The monster he’s gossiping with is short and squat, with a birdlike face and a mohawk of feathers.
“They’re close,” I snap, my hands clenching into fists. I’d hate to warm up by beating these two senseless, but it’s not beyond me at this point. I’m too tense, too wound up to put a leash on my anger. “Now watch it before I shove those words back down your throat.”
It’s not smart to antagonize our allies. We’ve assembled thousands of monsters to fight, but a rift among us could cause some of them to back out.
What if they turn their back on us?
On Rafe?
The tall one squares his shoulders, his gaze darkening as he sizes me up. He might be a little taller than I am, especially with the horns, but that just means he’ll hit the ground harder.
Elio’s hand lands on my bicep, but it does nothing to abate the rage swelling in me.
We’re worked too fucking hard to get to this moment, and I’m not going to let a couple of disloyal fuckwits mess it up.
“I’d like to see you try, Azarius,” the monster scoffs. I’m surprised he knows my name, even though I shouldn’t be. I’ve worked for Rafe long enough that the information was bound to get out. “Why don’t I break off your arms and shove them up you–”
A screech in the distance cuts off his words, and everyone tenses simultaneously. I turn, my eyes scouring the horizon for any sign of movement, any hint of a Malev.
“Told you they were out there,” I grumble, straining my ears to hear over the collection mumble rolling through the crowd at my back.
My eyes laser in on the horizon, focusing through the dimming light for anything out of the ordinary. I hardly breathe as I look for horns, limbs, or heads appearing, but there’s nothing for a long moment.
I force air into my lungs.
“I don’t see them,” Elio says in my ear. He’s looking just as hard as I am, but there’s nothing.
Another screech, and every monster in the clearing tenses. I can feel the taut energy, like a rubber band pulled to its limit, waiting to snap. Vibrating invisibly, rippling through us.
