gossiping all day?”
“Fight,” Diel said, pushing through his brothers and facing down the woman who had freed him from himself, a new kind of restorative energy exuding from his pores. “We’re going to fucking fight.”
So, Gabriel fell into step beside his brothers, the Coven of witches opposite, excitement flaring in their eyes too.
And for once, Gabriel’s gut didn’t warn him of something bad, some fall into darkness and sin. Instead, with the Coven and Fallen joined together in the gym, and Diel free from the collar, all Gabriel’s senses told him this was more than good.
They told him this was meant to be.
Chapter 14
“We need to speak later,” Dinah quietly said to Noa. Noa playfully rolled her eyes. They would talk, of course; they always did. It was why the Coven was so strong as a unit—no one ever shied away from the tough conversations.
Noa knew that Dinah had to be pissed at what she’d done. That she hadn’t told her of her plans. But she saw happiness in Dinah’s eyes too. Noa had never taken a lover. Ever. Never opened herself up to anyone, barely even her sisters at times. When they had escaped from the Brethren, her life had been consumed by retaliation and Brethren deaths. After the boy … after Priscilla left … Noa had been focused on keeping from hurtling back to the pitch-black place that had enveloped her for years.
Noa could see the delight in Dinah’s gaze that she had been swayed to someone’s side, even if that look was also paired with exasperation at the underhanded way in which she’d done it.
Dinah was her closest friend. Despite Noa’s darkness, Dinah wanted her, above anything, to be happy.
Dinah stepped out of the Coven’s grouping. Jo and Candace shifted to stand on either side of Noa. “I may not want to fuck men,” Candace said quietly, “but even I can see how pretty your new boy is.” A huff of laughter spilled from Noa’s mouth.
“I second that,” Jo said, and Noa’s eyes searched for Diel among his brothers. As Noa was growing accustomed to, he was already watching her. Her blood spiked with heat at the sight of him. That paired with the fact she and her sisters were about to fight the Fallen, and she nearly incinerated on the spot.
“We’ll start with the basics,” Dinah said, pacing between the two groups. Most of the Fallen were bare chested and wearing sweats. All except Michael, who was dressed head to toe in black as usual. He wore a vial of blood around his neck, and Noa instantly wanted to know the story behind that.
“The basics?” Bara said, red eyebrow raised at Dinah. “Here’s the ‘basics’ for us. It’s guns and ropes and chains and knives.” Bara pointed to his chest. “And for me, the occasional flame thrower when I want to hear a symphony of screams. I think we have the basics covered, head witch.”
“And without the weapons?” she said.
“Like I said before,” Uriel said. “We’re born killers. We can handle ourselves.” Uriel’s body was more metal than flesh, his tattoos an intricate tapestry over his cut and built physique.
“Then let’s see it,” Noa said, and all eyes fell on her. “Us versus you. No weapons. Just bare hands and fists. And whatever moves you have in your arsenal.”
“We’ll kill you,” Sela said. Noa knew by his direct tone that it wasn’t a threat—he believed the Fallen would kill them. He surveyed the Coven as though he were looking at living, breathing art.
“We can take you,” Noa said, and Diel began rocking from one foot to the other, eyes fixed on her. She could practically see the eagerness pumping through his veins. He’d be coming for her first. It was their fucked-up form of foreplay, and the thought made her clit throb under her leathers. After the way they had fought in the folly, she could hardly wait.
“Diel?” Gabriel said, and Diel turned to him. “Can you handle this? Is it too soon?”
“I’m in control,” Diel rasped. He looked back at Noa. “I want to fight them.”
“If you feel yourself slipping, if you feel that control spiraling …”
“He won’t.” Noa shook out her arms and legs. Only one hundred percent confidence for Diel rested in her heart. “He’ll be able to pull back if it all gets to be too much. He can do it.” Noa lost a breath at the look that settled on Diel’s face when she said that. She wasn’t used to the