Grace and Glory (The Harbinger #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,148

his breath. “Because this is getting awkward.”

The little fluff of fur mewled as the fur stood up along the center of its back. It opened its mouth again, and I swore to God, if it yawned once more, I was just going to kick Roth.

In the face.

And then grab the little guys and hide them before they ended up getting trampled to death.

Except what came out of it was a meow that rose and deepened into a guttural growl that raised the hairs all over my body. The black one let out a snarl that didn’t match its body, and the black-and-white one hissed like a very large, very angry predator.

And then they changed.

The ball of white fur grew and expanded, legs lengthening and shoulders widening. Sleek muscles appeared and fragile claws grew into thick, sharp ones. That cute mewl turned into a roar as Nitro’s snout lengthened, mouth opening to bare shark-size fangs.

On four legs, the kittens reached my waist. Totally large enough to eat me.

“Holy crap,” I whispered.

Roth stroked a hand down the center of the black-and-white one while the dragon remained pint-size as it sat on Layla’s shoulder. “This is Fury. The black one is Thor,” Roth said. “And they like to eat things they’re normally not supposed to, don’t they? Like Wardens?”

“Roth,” Layla warned before turning to the Wardens. “He’s just kidding.”

The way the one named Fury stared at the two Wardens told me not to be so sure about that.

Time to redirect attention. “What about Robin?” I asked. “Does he get bigger?” The image of a giant fox creeped me out.

“He will once he gets older,” Layla said, touching her covered arm. “He’s still a baby, though. If I let him off, all he would do is chase his tail.”

I laughed.

“You all done standing around, thinking I’m not paying attention?” Lucifer asked, startling every single one of us. He stared up at us, iPad cradled to his chest. “The sun is setting. It’s time.”

The next breath I took snagged in my chest as the shadows continued to grow inside the woods. Lucifer was right.

It was time.

32

The rolling hills of the lush green lawn looked as picturesque as a postcard at dusk, but the moment I stepped out from the heavy tree line, my demon spidey senses were going off all over the place.

And that had nothing to do with the fact that Lucifer was standing a few feet behind me, surprisingly enough.

Feeling Zayne’s gaze on me as I walked forward, I scanned the blurry house ahead. I saw no movement, but a wave of goose bumps broke out across my arms. I stopped less than half the length of a football field from the sprawling colonial-style farmhouse. I squinted as the last of the sun seeped away and shadows rapidly grew along the front porch of the house, pressing against the white pillars and the walls of the first floor.

Except they weren’t normal shadows. They moved too quick, darting from one pillar to the next like Ping-Pong balls.

Shadow People.

“Hey,” I called out, the hot tingling at the base of my neck growing.

The shadows stilled.

That was a little unnerving. “Is the Harbinger of Overly Long Monologues home?”

Whispers carried on the breeze reached me, the voices of the SP too low for me to understand. “If he is,” I yelled. “Tell him it’s rude to keep visitors waiting even if it’s a surprise.”

“A surprise?” Gabriel’s voice echoed all around, but I didn’t see him. “Silly nephilim.”

I tensed, gaze flickering from the house to the thin trees lining the driveway. He could be anywhere, and with my vision, I’d never know, but I had other eyes with far better vision backing me up.

Without warning, dozens of floodlights from the house and side yards sparked to life. Bright white light funneled through the gathering darkness. Blinded, I didn’t resist the urge to shield my eyes. I lifted a hand as my eyes watered and stung from the intense light. Cloudy splotches gathered in my vision as my grace stretched at my skin. My eyes would adapt—hopefully—but it would take a couple of minutes.

A shape appeared behind the house, sweeping into the air. I could make out the width of wings. My heart skipped a beat. There he was. I drew in a deep breath and nearly choked on the sickly sweet smell of...of rot.

Where was that coming from? I quickly looked around me, and from what I could see, there was nothing nearby. If there were and I was