He grabbed my chin with a far steadier hand than mine. “You are not going anywhere. Do you hear me?”
I nodded. When he said it like that, who wouldn’t believe him?
He seared his lips to mine in a bruising kiss. It was quick but still very much earthshattering. Slipping his fingers together with mine, we headed downstairs. I still couldn’t fathom that there was about to be a showdown in my front yard.
Downstairs, my little group of warriors were prepping for battle.
Travis was stuffing his face with a sandwich that was the size of his head. “Got to keep up my strength,” he mumbled, chomping on a wad of bread.
Emma was strapping weapons to every inch of her body. That was encouraging.
And then I glanced at Lexi, who was blow-drying her freshly painted nails. “If one of them messes up my manicure, I am going to go postal,” she said, waving a hand in the air.
What struck me the most was not one of them seemed the least bit concerned that Hell was knocking on the door, figuratively speaking. I, on the other hand, was a tight ball of bundled nerves. Something told me that I was about to experience a supernatural phenomenon. Call it intuition.
Emma sauntered up to me and placed a small wicked-looking dagger into my hand. “Think you can handle this?”
I leaned on the banister for support. “Do I have a choice?” But I clasped the familiar weapon in my hand.
A long twisted yowl detonated just outside the front door. Emma’s mouth thinned. “Nope. Not really.” Her eyes turned to hard cuts of emeralds. “Here is your first field lesson Morgan. Don’t end up dead.”
It was a darn good thing she was on our side again. Emma was a machine. Dread pitted in my stomach. “Encouraging. Thanks.” I looked for a place to store the weapon safely on my person and came to the conclusion that there wasn’t one.
Our exchange didn’t go unnoticed. “Emma, you are a braver soul than I, giving her that,” Chase said, as he peaked under the blinds. “Looks like we got a full house of fun out there.” His yellow eyes glinted off the glass.
Travis wiped the breadcrumbs from his mouth with a dimple sparkling on either side of his smirk and declared, “Time to tango.”
I wasn’t in the mood to dance; that was for sure.
The five of us crouched around the front door. Three half-demons with glowing eyes, one hunter with a burning hatred, and…I don’t know what I was classified as. It sucked being the weakest link.
Before I had a chance to really comprehend that this was happening, that the five of us were about to go deadlocked with Hell’s soldiers, the front door was ripped off its hinges. Slinters of wood flew through the air, piercing flesh. Chase reacted, shielding me in his arms. He spun us around so the brunt of the force hit his back. When I glanced up, Travis had Emma in a similar hold.
Lexi stood in the wake of destruction, dust settling around her, and jerked a shard of wood from her forearm. “I think it’s time we give our guest a proper greeting,” she sneered.
“Devin is going to have a conniption when he sees this,” Travis said, eyeing the gaping hole where the entrance used to be.
“Let’s hope he has a house to come home to,” Chase added snidely.
Outside the lawn was littered with the most stomach-dropping sight. My insides turned cold. Snarling hellhounds, their paws digging into the snow, callous eyes large and crimson, teeth bared as pointy as razors. Poisonous saliva sizzled as it hit the ground, melting the pure white snow at their feet. And they weren’t alone. Lower-demons, in every shape, size, and color stood intermixed with the hounds. Their sickly skin, ranging from grey to pasty-white, hissed in anticipation. There were too many to count, and there wasn’t time to try.
I couldn’t help but notice the full moon that flamed behind the field. It was extraordinarily big and blood red, definitely a bad omen.
Christ. I never expected this. There was a freaking army from the underworld traipsing all over my yard. Panic erupted inside me. A loud crack boomed, causing me to jerk in his arms. Chase’s hold tightened around me, and I let his emotions seep inside of me, filling me with security like a warm fuzzy blanket.
Travis gave Emma one last glance before flashing his dimples, and then he was gone. Lexi was right on his heels, zigzagging through the crowd. Emma already had her bow poised for aim as she stepped over the debris and onto the porch.
Chase squeezed my hand. “Stay with Emma. Stab everything. One cut will send them back. Got it?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not rocket science.” I failed to mention that I’d had lessons.
He nodded. We stared at each other for one last long moment. I didn’t want him to leave me anymore than he wanted to, but if we had any chance at coming out of this fight alive, then Chase needed to do what he did best. Kickass. He was itching to sink his fists into anything from Hell. For me. For Sierra. Hell better watch out.