I concentrate, collecting energy from all around. It flows, filling me with the sizzle of electricity. When I release it, it punches holes in the black clouds. Light shines through to batter the same-sized holes in the flocks of flying Sheol scouts amassed beneath white-capped clouds. It kills all the demons it touches, turning them to ashes.
The golden glow of Russell’s clone rushes past me. It enters the body of a reconno?tre poised to cleave me in two with his moon-shaped blade. The black figure convulses in agony; beams of light burst from inside him before firecracker-like flames turn him to dust in a shimmer of sparks. Similar things are happening to the reconno?tres closest to us as hundreds of Russell’s brilliantly lit images render them to dust.
Following his lead, I go down on one knee, forcing clones from me. Hundreds of them branch out in gold-colored streams of light to kill my enemies. I almost smile as the harrowing, black creatures ignite around me, but when I stand, the sky changes again. A new wave of darkness settles over us, the holes in the clouds fill in. Cold wind shifts from it, blowing my hair away from my face. My eyes circle the area. Russell is guarding Anya, Zephyr is doing the same to Buns and Brownie, but they’re all still protected near the house. Claw marks bleed in Xavier’s skin, lending an air of authenticity to his homicidal expression while he mutilates reconno?tres with impunity. Reed is just in front of me, acting as my shield, but there are thousands of hellish scouts swarming in. We’re going to be overrun soon.
I try to bring more energy to me, but it retreats, shifting perceptibly to dance over my skin; it continues to draw away from me across the snow-covered lawn to the wooded area just beyond. There’s someone there, someone powerful enough to divert energy from me. There’s a scent, too, a mark left in the air, which at once seems so morbidly familiar that it makes me recoil from it in revulsion. All my instincts alert me to the presence just beyond the tree line—it’s someone who, if my heart can be believed, scares me to death.
Before I can react though, I hear a loud whoosh, like a gas stove being lit. A carpet of flames rolls out from the woods. The fire hits us in seconds, and because I expect fire to have intense heat, I’m confused that it’s not burning me. Instead, it’s like gale-force wind. Twisting bodies of reconno?tres blow like dead leaves in its current. The ground trembles as a shockwave rumbles outward, tearing up the frozen ground. It hits me with the force of a moving train, making me close my eyes. As it quiets, a familiar voice whispers in my mind, “I’ve missed you, Simone. You’re more achingly beautiful than ever. Perhaps I will let you live long enough to give me the child you stole from me that night.”
When I open my eyes, I’m on the ground in the snow looking up at the gray sky. Black clouds are slowly ebbing. The reconno?tres are gone. Soft, black petals float down to fall upon my cheeks. Reed’s gray wings brush up against my shoulder just before I’m clutched to his chest. His warm hands explore me, checking to see the extent of my injuries as he speaks to me in Angel. He sounds worried, but I can’t think of why at the moment.
I search the area over Reed’s shoulder; everyone I love is on the ground. Black rose petals fall upon them, covering them like a blanket. Russell stirs; he brings his hand to his forehead to rub it. When he looks around in confusion, he sees Anya on the frozen earth beside him. He lurches to her, pulling her limp body up into his arms. He rocks her, wiping black petals from her pale cheeks. She coughs, and then gasps for breath, winded.
My eyes go to Zephyr who’s kneeling by Brownie. He has Buns in his arms already and he’s trying to help Brownie sit up. It takes me another moment to realize that the barrier of magic that had been protecting them is gone.
I turn my head and search for Xavier, finding him near me. He’s getting to his feet, holding his ribs. Black petals cling to his blond hair. My focus returns to Reed who, unlike everyone else, is unscathed by what just happened. “That was magic, Reed. Someone just stole it all from Russell and me—they used it against us.”
“Are you hurt?” Reed’s expression is grim.
I move a little and feel the ache of bruises, but nothing seems broken. I shake my head. “No. You?”
“It never touched me,” he says. “The fire-wind blew in and knocked all of you to the ground. It wiped out your magic protecting the house. The reconno?tres that were surrounding us they...changed.”
“Changed? Changed, how?”
He scoops up a handful of petals and crushes them in his fist. “This is what is left of them.”
I groan in disgust, brushing all the petals off of me as I shiver.
Xavier squats down next to me and looks me in the eyes. His tone is one of accusation as he asks, “You gave him Jim’s ring?”
“Um...” I look at him in confusion, “what?”
“Where’s my ring?” Xavier grasps my shoulders; his fingers tighten on me painfully. “Tell me where it is!”