She aimed and fired her gun, hitting the angel point-blank in the chest. The silver bullets bounced away. Not even a dent. It was like his entire body was covered in Kevlar.
There was a scuffling sound behind her, followed by a whiff of sulfur. At least Emmett and the demon were gone. There would be plenty of questions later, if she survived.
Gabriel pointed the tip of his sword in her direction. Light shot from the blade. She dove to the side, hit the asphalt, and rolled.
Moving faster than her eye could track, Maccus shoved one of his blades straight in the path of the light, deflecting it. Redirected, the power flew like a bolt of lightning, slamming into a power pole. Sparks erupted, and the entire area went dark.
Gabriel grinned. “Oops.” He strolled closer like he didn’t have a worry in the world. Behind her in the club, people screamed, and feet pounded as patrons tried to get out. More than one person would be hurt, possibly killed in the stampede for safety.
She raced to the fire door and yanked it open. “This way,” she yelled. Exposure to humans was strictly controlled by both Heaven and Hell. She was banking that the angel wouldn’t reveal his true presence. It was a calculated risk, but so far, both sides had played by that rule.
As people poured into the alley, she slipped her gun back in its holster and helped the club patrons move toward the relative safety of the street. Sirens screamed in the distance as emergency services poured in to handle the calls for help.
It was a stark reminder of how much they depended on power, on light for a sense of safety and security. Take it away, and the world quickly tumbled into chaos.
She sensed Marcus was close, but he kept to the shadows. The angel had vanished.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins. A sick sensation spread outward from her stomach. She saw no way out of this. Both sides were toying with her, making her an unwilling pawn in their twisted games.
Hate burned hot inside her before solidifying into pure ice. It was a chained beast straining to get loose and tear everyone and everything to shreds.
I deserve vengeance.
The sly whisper soothed some of the fury. Someone should pay. Killing someone would be sweet and satisfying. All she had to do was take what was rightfully hers.
Dagger in hand, she took a step toward the street where people lingered like lambs awaiting the slaughter.
“What is wrong with me? What am I doing?” Sweat beaded on her forehead as she lifted one finger at a time back. It was harder than it should have been to make herself open her hand and release the dagger. Only it didn’t drop to the ground. Held by some unseen force, it hovered in the air in front of her.
Maccus stalked toward her, his brows furrowed, his scowl as dark as night. He grabbed the weapon from the air.
Would he use it on her?
She shook off the morbid thought. All the hair on her arms rose. A shiver raced down her spine even as sweat beaded on her forehead.
Moving slowly, as if not to startle her, he slid the weapon back where it belonged and then took her hand. His touch grounded her, driving back the negativity that had invaded her.
“What’s happening to me?” It was scary to have all these destructive emotions pushing down on her. They weren’t her. She would never kill a human unless it was to save her own life. And even then, it would depend on the circumstances.
“Too much power. Conflicting power.” He held up his free hand. “Shadows and light. Both sides of the same coin, both able to do great harm and great good.” He glanced around the deserted alley. “We need to leave.”
She lowered her head and took a breath, trying to settle her racing heart and ease the sick sensation in her stomach. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of something. Whipping around, she faced this new threat, but there