“Well, why the hell weren’t they on already?” he asked, exasperated.

“Because of the birds, you bloody fool! They would be eviscerated!”

Chastised, Harlan fell silent, instead focussing on withdrawing his alchemical weapon, something he’d taken to carrying with him always now. Thank the Gods he was paranoid. “Maggie, you should stay in there!”

“Not a fucking chance!” She sprinted next to him, JD falling behind. “We need all the help we can get. I just need a weapon. We’ll need to escort JD to wherever the fuck his control centre is.”

“The roof.” Harlan remembered the glass-walled control centre well. The farthest damn point from here. “Jackson, are you armed?”

Jackson nodded. “I have my handgun.”

JD wheezed behind them. “I have some of mine on the tables out front.”

Harlan slowed in disbelief and dread when they all reached the end of the cave’s tunnel. Olivia was firing wildly, destroying tables and igniting the marquee, while Nahum and Barak battled with four Nephilim. Another was already dead on the floor, his wings shattered and smoking. Harlan wanted to shoot to try and help them, but all of the Nephilim were fighting so quickly they were a blur, and he feared he’d accidently hurt his friends.

“Olivia!” Harlan shouted. “You’re a terrible shot! Stop!”

“Screw you, Harlan. I helped kill that one!”

“And you’ll kill Barak or Nahum next, the way you’re going. Come with me and JD. We’re heading to the house.”

“No! I’m staying with Nahum.”

“No, you’re not,” Nahum yelled, grunting as he fought. “You go with them.”

Jackson had already sprinted to the marquee’s entrance, after weaving through the fighting men. “It’s not looking any better out there. Estelle is fighting off more Nephilim. At least three.”

“Help her!” Barak commanded. The big man was a blur of darkness, his huge wings sweeping tables and chairs out of the way as he fought. The marquee that had seemed huge before now felt far too small with the battling Nephilim in there.

“They must not get into the cave,” JD said, wringing his hands. “They might destroy everything!”

“JD, we can’t wait. We have to get to the tower, or we’ll all be dead, and there’ll be no one left who cares about the damn cave!”

And then Lucien suddenly appeared behind them all. “I will protect the cave. Go.”

Harlan turned, and almost staggered back in surprise. Lucien was carrying an enormous shield, and he was a super-soldier once again, his skin glowing like burnished copper. But he looked different.

“Lucien? Where did you get the shield? What’s going on?”

“I found something. Now go! I have this!”

Harlan nodded. “Thank you. Come on, Olivia.”

“No!” She stuck her chin up, defiantly. “I’m staying!”

Harlan had known Olivia long enough to know when she wouldn’t budge on something. “Fine! Lucien, you better protect Olivia, too!”

Harlan spotted alchemical weapons on the ground where they had fallen from an overturned table, and grabbing them, he handed them to JD and Maggie, saving one for Jackson. “Let’s go. Maggie?”

Maggie cast an anguished glance at Olivia. “I’m not sure whether to go or not.”

Olivia pushed her ungraciously towards Harlan. “Harlan is right. JD has to get to his tower. Go!”

“Be careful, Liv!”

Harlan led the way through the fighting Nephilim, and out onto the lawn.

Jackson didn’t wait for the others. He sprinted across the lawn, firing his gun upwards as he ran. More and more Nephilim seemed to be arriving now, wheeling across the sky like huge bats.

Estelle was encased in a protective circle, three Nephilim trying to get close but failing as she attacked them relentlessly.

“Estelle. Get to the house! I’ll cover you.”

“But Barak is in there,” she said, not stopping her attack.

“He’s okay! Get moving.” He fired at another Nephilim, and then rolled across the ground as one dived at him. They were too vulnerable out there. He looked behind him, relieved to see Harlan, JD, and Maggie closing the distance between them, firing wildly overhead.

Estelle didn’t budge. “I’ll wait until the others are close to the door.”

As much as he admired Estelle’s power and stubborn resilience, he knew she was wrong. “No, you’ll end up stranded.” He fired upwards again, most shots missing in his haste, and then glanced to the house to assess the distance. Damn it. A huge Nephilim had landed by the door, and was waiting for them. His outstretched wings blocked the door’s entrance, and he twirled his swords as if taunting Jackson.

Harlan caught up and passed him an alchemical weapon. “Use this. Target their wings.”

Jackson made a sudden decision as he blasted at the Nephilim on the door, combining his timing with the others. “You go. I can’t leave Estelle. Run!”

It was growing increasingly dangerous on the lawn. All of them were firing at the Nephilim. A few were still flying, while others were advancing across the grounds. The alchemical weapons gave them a slim advantage, and were the only things keeping them alive. Jackson realised that staying out there was insane, but he couldn’t leave Estelle alone.

Harlan knew it too, but he also knew they couldn’t wait, and he ran, dragging Maggie and JD with him. “Stay safe, my friend.”

Estelle yelled, “Get in here now, you bloody idiot!” He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Estelle slice open her protective circle with a cutting motion. “Now!”

He stumbled backwards, just about getting inside as a Nephilim took advantage of the lull in magic to attack. Estelle grabbed him by the collar and yanked him backwards, sealing the circle again with a word of command.

Instantly the noise muted, and her power crackled around them. They were safe, but for how long, he wondered as he studied the charging Nephilim.

Barak fought with increasing rage, aware that Estelle was outside fighting deadly Nephilim. He was not comforted by the fact that their friends were with her. They were all human and therefore vulnerable.

He needed to help her, but Nahum and Lucien were fighting another couple of Nephilim who had dropped through the roof. Surely there couldn’t be many more of them? Four already lay dead on the floor, killed by a mixture of blades and alchemical weapons.

Barak caught sight of Olivia hanging back in the cave’s entrance, desperate to fire JD’s weapon. His anger at the assault fuelled his strength and increased his speed. These Nephilim, for all of their size, had clearly not fought like this in a long while, unlike he and his brothers, and they also had the advantage of JD’s weapons that the Nephilim clearly weren’t expecting. Barak had to thank JD later. They had definitely gifted them the advantage. And for some reason, their attackers did not carry Belial’s tokens.

“Does he not trust you to wear his jewels?” Barak sneered as his sword sliced his opponent’s arm before he danced out of the way.

“What we do,” he replied, breathing heavily, “with his tokens is none of your business.”

Barak smirked. “Perhaps you have run out because we have found them all.”

The Nephilim lunged, and Barak stumbled back under his onslaught. He grabbed a table and used it like a shield. “You are a fool if you believe that, Barak of the House of Kathazel.”