racing of her heart, the pull in her gut toward him, like she was a ship and Diel the anchor that kept her from sailing away.
“So, what’s the plan?” Raphael said. Maria moved to the back of the gym, slight apprehension on her face as she backed away from where they would fight. Raphael cracked his knuckles, his golden eyes glowing with excitement. The string he always wrapped around his finger was firmly in place.
Dinah looked back at her sisters and nodded. Noa braced her body and smiled at Diel. “We’ll see what you’ve got.”
As Noa surveyed the Fallen’s faces, the only one who seemed apprehensive was Gabriel. Dinah tied her braids back into a low pony and then said, “Come at us.”
The Fallen seemed to be waiting for Gabriel. On a long sigh, Gabriel nodded, and the Fallen charged like beasts being freed from cages.
Noa smiled, pulse racing, as Diel flew from his spot to where she stood. Noa and her sisters were scattered. It was purposely done. Diel’s body slammed into Noa, and they went barreling to the floor. Noa rolled onto her knees and got to her feet. She swung her fists, but Diel blocked every single shot. He knocked her onto her back, climbing above her, but Noa kneed him in the gut. Diel grunted at the impact. His distraction earned her enough time to slip out from underneath him. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled tight.
A roar ripped from Diel’s mouth, and he flipped her onto her back. His heavy body smothered her, his hands pinning her wrists to the ground. Diel’s face hovered above hers, and strands of his dark hair brushed her cheek.
“I’ve got you,” he said. Noa could feel his hardness on her crotch as he lowered his legs to hers, pinning her even more strongly. The gym floor was rock solid beneath her back. Noa struggled against his hold, but he was granite. Diel pressed his forehead to hers, then flicked out his tongue, circling the perimeter of her lips. Noa was flooded with heat, with need, but then—
“Stop.”
Dinah’s loud command stopped everyone dead. Diel moved his mouth to Noa’s ear. “You can’t beat me, baby.” The challenge of the words, that term of endearment, burned inside of Noa, as hot as a the surface of the sun. Diel freed her from the ground and she jumped to her feet. The Fallen were backing away, triumphant grins on their faces.
Uriel crossed his muscular arms over his chest, seemingly bored by the too-easy exercise. Bara’s wide, mocking grin was as bright as his hair. Raphael’s eyes blazed; Sela’s were narrowed in suspicion. Michael stayed indifferent, only a bead of sweat on his forehead any indication that he had fought at all. Gabriel was frowning, catching his breath with his hands on his trim hips. Anyone could see that the priestly leader abhorred violence of any kind, but Noa also saw that his hatred of the fighting was overridden by the confusion clouding his face.
Noa moved beside Dinah, and Dinah winked at her sisters as they fell into formation behind her. Gabriel frowned in suspicion. Diel couldn’t keep still, rocking back and forth on his feet as he watched the Coven create a cluster.
Dinah flicked her chin at the Fallen. “Again.”
The men needed no indication from Gabriel this time. They charged forward, seven fighters with individual agendas. The Coven held form. They didn’t move, the years of training instinctively slipping into effect. Bara hit them first. Dinah spun out of his way and swept Uriel’s feet from beneath him as he followed his best friend. Noa took Bara down with a fist to his stomach. As Bara hit the ground, Candace kicked him until his breath became a high-pitched wheeze.
Dinah slid from Uriel to take on Raphael. Noa swerved, trusting without ever looking back that Jo would be there, taking the large blond on. Noa stayed close to Dinah; Dinah knocked the wind from Michael with an elbow to his chest, then spun to face Gabriel. Michael stumbled into Beth’s path, fangs bared, and the timid brunette swiped his legs and landed a punch to his muscled stomach, nothing meek in the way she fought the pseudo-vampire. Naomi lashed and kicked and kept Uriel and Bara on the ground, thoroughly incapacitated.
Then Diel stormed at Noa. He grabbed her shoulders, as if to tumble her to the ground, but Noa sliced her arms up, releasing herself from his grip. Jo and