Archangel's War (Guild Hunter #12) - Nalini Singh Page 0,146
that swarm. You enraged her by winning the last skirmish.”
“It wasn’t a win, Bluebell,” he said grimly. “At most, I bought us a day.”
There was no way to win against an enemy who could shrug off all wounds. The Archangel of China could claim victory simply by exhausting them into weakness and despair.
* * *
• • •
Elena was putting knives into her forearm sheaths when the world went up in flame in the distance. Stepping out onto the snow-dusted balcony devoid of owls, she watched the heat brush the predawn sky, the dark yellow curls brilliant. Above the inferno flew angels dropping what she knew to be large “bombs” of oil.
Galen had designed the skins so they’d hold their shape until dropped from a certain height. All you needed after that was a source of fire—which the archers were happy to provide.
And the enemy would burn.
The idea of anyone—reborn included—burning alive was not a thing that sat easy in her gut, but they were fighting for the survival of every man, woman, and child who called this territory home.
A huge winged bird flew across her vision. Her heart jumped. Raphael, I just saw a condor. Another winged across the front of the balcony, then another.
Elijah has arrived.
Instinct made her look up—just in time to see her archangel take off from the Tower roof. The golden rays of the rising sun hit the white-gold filaments in his feathers, no sign apparent of the white fire.
Too much energy used.
Too little time to recover.
Come, Elena-mine. Hannah is with him.
Elena swept off the balcony. The two of them joined up in the air just as she made out a smudge on the horizon. Elijah’s army. Hope was a candle flame inside her. Surely this would even the odds a little.
Is it safe for you to head out this way? She rode a helpful wind. Lijuan won’t take advantage?
She remains incapacitated. Your hunter friend Demarco was able to put eyes on her—the stump I filled with wildfire isn’t healing as quickly as the rest of her body.
Elena’s gut iced; she’d known Demarco would be going into enemy territory, but it was still a shock to hear he was in the heart of danger. Who else is behind enemy lines?
Janvier, Holly, Ashwini, and the rest of Demarco’s sniper team. They entered via the tunnel system.
Those tunnels were on no maps except those kept in a secure Tower locker—and in the minds of every member of the senior Tower team. They’re all insane. Worry pounded a drumbeat in her blood. Naasir? The sneakiest of them all and the acknowledged leader of the stealth team.
He is in the city, doing what he does best.
The smudge in the sky began to take shape. Dawnlight glinted off the gold of Elijah’s hair and shimmered over the black of Hannah’s. As they got closer, Elena felt her eyes widen. She’d always before seen Hannah in elegant gowns, her hair in styles as elegant. Today, Elijah’s consort wore a simple brown tunic and pants, an outfit similar to fighting leathers.
A sword was sheathed and strapped down the side of one thigh. Tightly braided to her skull, her hair had then been wrapped in a knot at the back of her head. “I didn’t know Hannah could fight.”
“Do not forget, Elena-mine, Hannah has lived many mortal lifetimes and she’s long been consort to an archangel who was once a general.” He angled his wings in a signal to Elijah, who angled his own in return.
“But you are right in that she has never been a warrior at heart—however, Hannah has always stepped into battle as one who will assist fallen warriors. She has carried countless wounded to safety, bandaged injuries enough to hold them together for survival, worked alongside medics trying to save the fallen.”
Well able to see Hannah doing all of that, Elena raised a hand in a wave to her fellow consort. The other woman waved back. Condors and other winged birds of prey danced in front of the archangelic couple, several coming forward to sweep around Elena and Raphael.
When the four of them met, it was several beats ahead of Elijah’s army. That army spread out behind him on a wave of wings and below him in a sweep of heavy-duty vehicles. Raphael had told her that Elijah was later than expected because he’d chosen to bring everyone in together rather than flying ahead with his aerial troops. Splitting the two had risked leaving the ground forces without aerial support