“We’ll handle it,” Echo assures him, just as his shadow tattoos start to drip off his skin and collect around his body in an ominous vapor.
“I’ll turn all those fuckers inside out,” Crux growls.
“Good,” Rafferty says before his eyes go to Alder. “While they’re doing that, we need to get this portal closed and try to stabilize the Hellgate so that no more demons can break through. We have to assume there aren’t any Guardians coming forward, so it’s up to us.”
My lavender demon rolls his shoulders back like he’s readyin’ himself for a fight, and then his eyes fall on my sister and me. “Delta, if we can get you down there safely, can you show Medley whatever Annulus power you used to help the Hellgate? Our only hope is that you two can stabilize it right from the source.”
Delta forces herself to stand up straighter. “Yeah, we can do it,” she says without hesitation.
“Fuck,” Jerif curses, the fiery color of his hair simmerin’ as intensely as his eyes.
“Jerif—” Delta begins, but he cuts off whatever argument she was about to launch by slammin’ his mouth to hers.
The kiss is hard and intense and possessive, but it’s over in a flash, and then he’s grippin’ her chin and starin’ at her hard. “I know,” he tells her. “I don’t fucking like it, but I know I need to let you do shit like this. So just fucking be careful,” he all but growls.
Delta nods and places one last peck on his lips. “I will. I can do this. I’ll be okay.”
He steps back and nods. “I’ll see you soon, Warrior Princess,” he promises her, and then he looks at the others. “Let’s go.”
Echo and Crux both embrace Delta too, while I turn at the feel of Flint’s hand on my waist. “Be careful,” I whisper as he digs hard fingers into my skin, grippin’ me like he doesn’t wanna let go.
“Watch your back,” he tells me, stormy eyes flickin’ over my face like he’s memorizin’ me. “And if there’s danger, you scythe the fuck out of them, or you fly away as fast as you can. Got it, Peaches?”
I swallow hard, tryin’ not to let my gallopin’ heart beat right out of my chest or let the fear show on my features. I need to be strong. “I got it.”
Flint nods and shares a look with Alder. “Take care of our mate, brother.”
In the next blink, all four of the demons are racin’ away, runnin’ toward the burnin’ town in the distance.
Alder and Rafferty turn to Delta and me, and the four of us share a look as the weight of what we need to do settles on our shoulders.
“You ready?” Alder asks us.
Matchin’ gray eyes meet as my sister and I emotionally and mentally steel ourselves, and then we both answer at the same time. “We’re ready.”
We have to be.
35
Our group is forced to pass the gruesome bodies of the dead Guardians as we race to the groundskeeper buildin’. Blood scents the air, the deceased Guardians’ skin and muscle and bone contorted like a grotesque Picasso paintin’ with so many parts not quite where they should be.
“Don’t look,” Alder tells me as he grips my hand and tugs me forward. I hadn’t even realized that I’d stopped walkin’ to stare at them in horror. I don’t know what the hell kind of demons did this to them, but I don’t wanna meet them and find out.
Inside the buildin’, there’s nothin but daylight filterin’ in through a dirty window to light up a plain desk and chair in the corner. In the middle of the space, there’s a large pattern of stones set into the wooden planks that make up the rest of the floor.
Rafferty and Alder immediately lead us over to it until the four of us are standin’ over the ancient lookin’ stones with strange symbols carved into them.
Rafferty says somethin’ under his breath, and then my eyes blink at the sudden pitch-black darkness that comes over my vision as the room fades away. I don’t even have time for a mental pep talk to get myself ready for my first trip to Hell.
My chest constricts and the sense of vertigo nearly sends me tumblin’ down. I probably would’ve pitched all the way forward if it weren’t for Alder’s hold on my hand.
The moment I’m sure I’m about to either fall or vomit, the world settles around me again, and I blink at a