out, “Where is she? Rome?”
He shook his head. “No one is in Rome. Rome burned. Have you not stuck your neck outside to see what things look like?” He glanced at Collin and then back to me. “Of course not. Fucking lovebirds and all. Go push open the door and look. The beast that attacked us at the Pool—the Dreanok - there are more of them. They fill the skies. Demons walk the earth tearing a path of destruction through the landscape as they take city after city. The Martis moved to the center of the battle, protecting the remaining humans. But there’s no point. The Martis are overpowered and outnumbered.” He grinned, as if it amused him, “And it seems that the Martis have forgotten how to use their powers. The corrupt bastards finally figured out how far they’ve fallen.” He paused, and added an afterthought, “The angels are here. The world you knew is gone. It’s a warzone for the third and final Angel Demon War. The war that you have to win.”
I sat on the couch, shocked. As his words sunk in, I jumped up and raced up the stairs and threw open the door. Collin was on my heels. We moved through the remains of the school and over a pile of rubble that was once the wall. Standing outside, my heart sank into my feet. My throat tightened, as my hand slapped over my mouth to stifle a scream. The sky was filled with grackles—the hellish kind. They swarmed like a massive black cloud. The only thing that broke them apart was the beast that’d attacked us in the Underworld—the Dreanok. Craning my neck from side to side, I could see three of them circling above, as if they were patrolling the area looking for something.
Or someone. Shit! They were looking for me!
Collin realized it at the same time I did, and yanked us back into the cellar and shut the door. We stood at the top of the steps, and stared at each other. Collin wasn’t alive during the last war. Did it ever look like that? Did the sky bleed last time? Did humans die? Did the creatures of Hell soar through the skies?
Eric’s voice echoed below, “Ivy, stop it. Terror is wafting off of you. If you want me to leave you alone, you can’t do that.” He was serious. I knew what he meant—what it did to him, but I couldn’t suppress it. Not with Collin standing next to me. I could feel things when he was near. It wasn’t just a distant echo in the back of my mind. It was palpable fear.
And that was the kind of fear that Eric liked best.
I nodded for Collin to go ahead. He looked back at me, questions in his eyes. Questions that I couldn’t answer. “Go ahead. I can’t calm down if you’re next to me.” Collin turned and slowly walked down the steps. I heard him sink into the couch. I exhaled deeply and tried to relax with my back against the metal door.
Eric stood at the bottom of the staircase. “This is the only safe place I’ve found. If you allow yourself to feel that much, it’ll make it impossible for me to...” I already felt it. His blood. Had he been repressing it? Why didn’t it bother me until now?
I kept my back pressed to the door and closed my eyes. I could hear Eric walking up the stairs. His shoe hit the metal steps one at a time. My heart raced harder and harder. His scent grew stronger and stronger, until he stopped with only a step between us.
He mouthed, Tell him not to follow . It was all I could do to nod. The enclosed staircase was small. I stood on a tiny landing with Eric pressed close below me. The former angel called back to Collin, “I need to show her something.”
I heard Collin rise, and Eric nodded at me to speak. That horrible sensation was there again. My muscles weren’t my own. Eric used his blood to force me, and I did as he said, “ It’s okay. I’ll be right back.” Eric pressed his body into mine as he pushed me through the door, his hand on my shoulder leading me onto the dark stage. My knees went weak, but I felt them stumble forward one step at a time. I tried to fight the
He shook his head. “No one is in Rome. Rome burned. Have you not stuck your neck outside to see what things look like?” He glanced at Collin and then back to me. “Of course not. Fucking lovebirds and all. Go push open the door and look. The beast that attacked us at the Pool—the Dreanok - there are more of them. They fill the skies. Demons walk the earth tearing a path of destruction through the landscape as they take city after city. The Martis moved to the center of the battle, protecting the remaining humans. But there’s no point. The Martis are overpowered and outnumbered.” He grinned, as if it amused him, “And it seems that the Martis have forgotten how to use their powers. The corrupt bastards finally figured out how far they’ve fallen.” He paused, and added an afterthought, “The angels are here. The world you knew is gone. It’s a warzone for the third and final Angel Demon War. The war that you have to win.”
I sat on the couch, shocked. As his words sunk in, I jumped up and raced up the stairs and threw open the door. Collin was on my heels. We moved through the remains of the school and over a pile of rubble that was once the wall. Standing outside, my heart sank into my feet. My throat tightened, as my hand slapped over my mouth to stifle a scream. The sky was filled with grackles—the hellish kind. They swarmed like a massive black cloud. The only thing that broke them apart was the beast that’d attacked us in the Underworld—the Dreanok. Craning my neck from side to side, I could see three of them circling above, as if they were patrolling the area looking for something.
Or someone. Shit! They were looking for me!
Collin realized it at the same time I did, and yanked us back into the cellar and shut the door. We stood at the top of the steps, and stared at each other. Collin wasn’t alive during the last war. Did it ever look like that? Did the sky bleed last time? Did humans die? Did the creatures of Hell soar through the skies?
Eric’s voice echoed below, “Ivy, stop it. Terror is wafting off of you. If you want me to leave you alone, you can’t do that.” He was serious. I knew what he meant—what it did to him, but I couldn’t suppress it. Not with Collin standing next to me. I could feel things when he was near. It wasn’t just a distant echo in the back of my mind. It was palpable fear.
And that was the kind of fear that Eric liked best.
I nodded for Collin to go ahead. He looked back at me, questions in his eyes. Questions that I couldn’t answer. “Go ahead. I can’t calm down if you’re next to me.” Collin turned and slowly walked down the steps. I heard him sink into the couch. I exhaled deeply and tried to relax with my back against the metal door.
Eric stood at the bottom of the staircase. “This is the only safe place I’ve found. If you allow yourself to feel that much, it’ll make it impossible for me to...” I already felt it. His blood. Had he been repressing it? Why didn’t it bother me until now?
I kept my back pressed to the door and closed my eyes. I could hear Eric walking up the stairs. His shoe hit the metal steps one at a time. My heart raced harder and harder. His scent grew stronger and stronger, until he stopped with only a step between us.
He mouthed, Tell him not to follow . It was all I could do to nod. The enclosed staircase was small. I stood on a tiny landing with Eric pressed close below me. The former angel called back to Collin, “I need to show her something.”
I heard Collin rise, and Eric nodded at me to speak. That horrible sensation was there again. My muscles weren’t my own. Eric used his blood to force me, and I did as he said, “ It’s okay. I’ll be right back.” Eric pressed his body into mine as he pushed me through the door, his hand on my shoulder leading me onto the dark stage. My knees went weak, but I felt them stumble forward one step at a time. I tried to fight the
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