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.”
Barak was so shocked that he knew his name that he stumbled again, almost allowing his blade to reach him. “Have we met before?”
“No. Belial has his ways.”
Barak was about to ask more questions when a sizzling, red beam of light struck the Nephilim in the neck, blowing a hole right through it. Barak followed up with a swing of his sword and beheaded him, even though he was already dead.
He looked around to see Lucien holding the gun, and Nahum breathing heavily as his opponent also lay dead at his feet. “Thanks, Lucien. I need to find Estelle. Can you stay here?”
“Of course. I have this. You too, Nahum. I will guard Olivia.”
Nahum looked torn with indecision, but Barak checked the marquee one more time, and relieved that no one else was dropping though the roof, he nodded. “Thanks, Lucien. Get back down the tunnel. You’ll defend the entrance easier than being here.”
Lucien herded Olivia ahead of him. “Don’t worry, I will.”
Barak ran outside and immediately flew, taking in the scene, and Nahum joined him. He sought out Estelle, and found her in the middle of the lawn with Jackson, surrounded by a protection circle of shimmering, blue light. A few Nephilim were dead, while more still circled them. Others were trying to stop Harlan, JD, and Maggie who were almost at the door to the house, a dead Nephilim sprawled across the threshold, his body smoking from the many wounds that had been inflicted on him.
Without a word, they dived down to help.
Maggie sidestepped the Nephilim’s body and threw open the back door of JD’s house, her alchemical weapon raised.
A figure shouted, “Stop or I’ll shoot!”
“For fuck’s sake, Anna! It’s me, Maggie. Are you okay?”
“Of course not!” Anna stepped into the light, looking terrified, her hands trembling as she held a shotgun.
“Get back. We’re coming in.” Maggie unceremoniously shoved JD inside. “Go. I’ll follow.” Harlan was still firing on the other Nephilim, and she was relieved to see Barak and Nahum fighting nearby. “Harlan, are you coming?”
“No.” He glanced at her before firing on the diving Nephilim again. “You go, though, and make sure JD gets up there safely. And be quick! I suspect there will be more coming.”
Maggie pounded down the hall, following JD who was barking orders at Anna as he ran for the stairs. “Head to the lab and grab the bombs. You know where they are.”
“JD, you know I hate those weapons and your lab.”
“I don’t care! Get them, and take them to Harlan.”
“I never signed up for this, JD!” Anna looked furious.
“Neither did any of us! Now do it. I have to activate the grid.”
Maggie felt sorry for Anna, but JD was right. She had to pitch in and help. “Actually, Anna, bring me a couple of bombs, too.”
Anna just huffed and headed down the stairs to the cellar lab.
Maggie shrugged it off as she followed JD, both wary, and with their weapons raised. Fortunately, it seemed there were no Nephilim in the house. On the first floor, JD went to flick the lights on, and Maggie stopped him.
“I wouldn’t. It will alert them to where we are.”
“They know we’re in here.”
“But not where, and,” she added, catching a glimpse of the fighting through the hall windows, “I’d like to keep it that way.”
In a few more minutes they arrived in the huge attic space. One wall was glass and opened onto a roof terrace. JD opened a door in the panelling and led them upstairs. So, this was the control tower that Harlan was wittering about. It was crazy. Like the controls of a spaceship—or so she imagined. It gave a perfect view of the grounds, and Maggie watched with increasing horror. Nahum was tumbling end over end, locked in a deadly embrace with a Nephilim. Three other Nephilim were still flying, frustrated at not being able to get close to Estelle and Jackson, but Estelle had gone very still, as if summoning her power for another assault. She couldn’t see Harlan at all, and she realised he was still out of view, close to the house.
“Can I help, JD?”
He didn’t answer, concentrating on flicking switches on his console. Lights flickered on the edge of the grounds.
“JD,” she prompted, “did you say that you’re activating a sort of dome?”
