The Return
Page 18
Whatever guilt I’d felt inside me for killing her sister had washed right away. Godsdamn furies. Yeah, I’d taken one of them out when I’d been all juiced up on the aether, but gods, those bitches had been gunning for my ass long before I’d done that. Furies were used by the gods to search down those who’d escaped justice, and they were a sign of a very unhappy pantheon. There could only be one reason why she was here—to protect Josie—and I had to remind myself of that.
“Okay. So I did kill your sister. But how many more do you have? Hundreds?”
She let out a low rumble of warning. “I should rip out your intestines and string them around the ceiling.”
My brows rose. “That paints a pretty picture.”
“This isn’t real,” Josie said, scooting along the wall. One leg made it over the edge of the bed. “This cannot be real.”
“Oh, it’s real. Your roomie here is a furie.” The creature drifted to the side, blocking Josie as she came to her feet, forcing her back, away from me. Suspicions confirmed. “And Apollo sent you.”
The furie snapped at the air, baring those attractive teeth. “Boy, you’re a smart Apollyon.”
Akasha zapped over my skin, appearing as a shimmer of golden light along my right forearm. “Do you want to join your sister?”
She hissed. “I’d like to see you try.”
“What’s happening?” Josie whispered.
A pulse of energy rolled out from me. The overhead light flickered. Loose pieces of paper rattled. The furie flew forward, swiping out at me with razor-sharp claws. I spun out to the side and dipped under a wing, coming up with my back to Josie and the furie in front of the door.
“Oh, you are really starting to irritate me,” I warned, dodging her leg as she kicked out. I snapped forward, catching hold of her ankle. I let go with akasha, enough to send a friendly little buzz through her. She growled as she swung her arm toward me. Releasing her ankle, I caught her hand before it connected with my face. “Knock it off.”
Rage poured off her as she aimed her other arm at me. Catching that one, too, I yanked her down so her feet were on the floor.
“What is happening?” Josie shrieked.
I dipped and kicked out, sweeping the furie’s legs out from under her. Wings folded in as she hit the floor on her back. I sprang forward, dropping down so my knees held her legs immobile. Grabbing hold of her wrists, I pinned her down, keeping those damn claws away from my face. “You must be young, if that move took you down.”
“I am the youngest of my sisters, you dickhead,” she spat back. “But that won’t stop—”
“Dammit.” I kicked my head back as Josie darted around us, stumbling over as the door flung open. She skidded to a halt.
Underneath me, the furie used the distraction to her advantage. Rolling her powerful hips, she flipped me off her just as the heavy scent of death and decay entered the room. A shade.
I landed on my side and rolled as Erin’s claws came down, digging and ripping through the carpet. Gods—she really didn’t like me. Flipping to my feet, I jumped back as her razor-sharp nails caught the front of my shirt, slicing it open over my abs. Hot pain flared across my stomach.
I was so done with this shit.
Throwing my arm out, I let go with of a bolt of akasha. The shimmery blue light crackled like lightning as it smacked into her leg, spinning her up and back. She hit the wall beside the bed. Plaster cracked as she recovered, pushing off. On a hunch, I ducked as I pivoted, and the furie flew over my head.
“Josie!” I yelled, seeing her going toward the thing that had walked through the door like it was her own personal savior.
“No!”
She whirled toward me as the guy, who looked like an average student, grabbed for her.
“Come with me,” it said, wrapping his hand around her wrist. He twisted her arm hard, his eyes going completely black, and she cried out as she yanked back against him.
I launched forward as Erin finally realized the change in the situation. She spun, reaching for the shade as her wings roared through the air at the same moment Josie pulled herself free. A wing hit her in the chest, lifting her up off her feet. I lurched toward her, but it was too late. She smacked into the blinds covering the narrow window. Glass cracked, and then she was falling forward. Cursing, I slid across the floor, catching her around the waist before she ate the carpet. I turned her, pulling her to my chest. Lowering her to the floor, I slipped a hand under her neck as I straightened her body out.
Thick eyelashes, a dusty brown, fanned the tops of her cheeks. Her skin was pale as I pressed a hand above her breasts. Her heartbeat was steady under my palm. I quickly skimmed my fingers over her chest, ignoring the soft swells as I checked out her ribcage. Maybe the keyword was “trying” to ignore the curve of her breasts, which appeared fuller than I’d expected.
I was a total fucking creep sometimes.
Grinding my teeth together, I reached up and brushed the thick mass of hair back from her forehead. Nothing appeared broken. Out cold, but still alive—for now.
I looked up just as the furie caught the shade in the stomach. Blood squirted, and gore erupted. The shade threw its head back, releasing itself into black smoke that slammed into the ceiling, rattling the walls.
“Oh, I don’t think so.” The furie shot up, opening her mouth. Her chest rose as she inhaled. The black smoke stilled, its center bubbling and wiggling as tiny, finger-like tendrils whipped out.
“Okay. So I did kill your sister. But how many more do you have? Hundreds?”
She let out a low rumble of warning. “I should rip out your intestines and string them around the ceiling.”
My brows rose. “That paints a pretty picture.”
“This isn’t real,” Josie said, scooting along the wall. One leg made it over the edge of the bed. “This cannot be real.”
“Oh, it’s real. Your roomie here is a furie.” The creature drifted to the side, blocking Josie as she came to her feet, forcing her back, away from me. Suspicions confirmed. “And Apollo sent you.”
The furie snapped at the air, baring those attractive teeth. “Boy, you’re a smart Apollyon.”
Akasha zapped over my skin, appearing as a shimmer of golden light along my right forearm. “Do you want to join your sister?”
She hissed. “I’d like to see you try.”
“What’s happening?” Josie whispered.
A pulse of energy rolled out from me. The overhead light flickered. Loose pieces of paper rattled. The furie flew forward, swiping out at me with razor-sharp claws. I spun out to the side and dipped under a wing, coming up with my back to Josie and the furie in front of the door.
“Oh, you are really starting to irritate me,” I warned, dodging her leg as she kicked out. I snapped forward, catching hold of her ankle. I let go with akasha, enough to send a friendly little buzz through her. She growled as she swung her arm toward me. Releasing her ankle, I caught her hand before it connected with my face. “Knock it off.”
Rage poured off her as she aimed her other arm at me. Catching that one, too, I yanked her down so her feet were on the floor.
“What is happening?” Josie shrieked.
I dipped and kicked out, sweeping the furie’s legs out from under her. Wings folded in as she hit the floor on her back. I sprang forward, dropping down so my knees held her legs immobile. Grabbing hold of her wrists, I pinned her down, keeping those damn claws away from my face. “You must be young, if that move took you down.”
“I am the youngest of my sisters, you dickhead,” she spat back. “But that won’t stop—”
“Dammit.” I kicked my head back as Josie darted around us, stumbling over as the door flung open. She skidded to a halt.
Underneath me, the furie used the distraction to her advantage. Rolling her powerful hips, she flipped me off her just as the heavy scent of death and decay entered the room. A shade.
I landed on my side and rolled as Erin’s claws came down, digging and ripping through the carpet. Gods—she really didn’t like me. Flipping to my feet, I jumped back as her razor-sharp nails caught the front of my shirt, slicing it open over my abs. Hot pain flared across my stomach.
I was so done with this shit.
Throwing my arm out, I let go with of a bolt of akasha. The shimmery blue light crackled like lightning as it smacked into her leg, spinning her up and back. She hit the wall beside the bed. Plaster cracked as she recovered, pushing off. On a hunch, I ducked as I pivoted, and the furie flew over my head.
“Josie!” I yelled, seeing her going toward the thing that had walked through the door like it was her own personal savior.
“No!”
She whirled toward me as the guy, who looked like an average student, grabbed for her.
“Come with me,” it said, wrapping his hand around her wrist. He twisted her arm hard, his eyes going completely black, and she cried out as she yanked back against him.
I launched forward as Erin finally realized the change in the situation. She spun, reaching for the shade as her wings roared through the air at the same moment Josie pulled herself free. A wing hit her in the chest, lifting her up off her feet. I lurched toward her, but it was too late. She smacked into the blinds covering the narrow window. Glass cracked, and then she was falling forward. Cursing, I slid across the floor, catching her around the waist before she ate the carpet. I turned her, pulling her to my chest. Lowering her to the floor, I slipped a hand under her neck as I straightened her body out.
Thick eyelashes, a dusty brown, fanned the tops of her cheeks. Her skin was pale as I pressed a hand above her breasts. Her heartbeat was steady under my palm. I quickly skimmed my fingers over her chest, ignoring the soft swells as I checked out her ribcage. Maybe the keyword was “trying” to ignore the curve of her breasts, which appeared fuller than I’d expected.
I was a total fucking creep sometimes.
Grinding my teeth together, I reached up and brushed the thick mass of hair back from her forehead. Nothing appeared broken. Out cold, but still alive—for now.
I looked up just as the furie caught the shade in the stomach. Blood squirted, and gore erupted. The shade threw its head back, releasing itself into black smoke that slammed into the ceiling, rattling the walls.
“Oh, I don’t think so.” The furie shot up, opening her mouth. Her chest rose as she inhaled. The black smoke stilled, its center bubbling and wiggling as tiny, finger-like tendrils whipped out.
