He kept working while he said, “Yes.”
“How high will it be?” She kept an eye on the Nephilim flying outside the window, almost at their level.
“It will cover the whole house, obviously, another twenty metres above.”
“So, Nahum and Barak have to keep below that?”
“Oh, yes. If not, they’ll be caught in the beams and die.”
“Do they know?”
“Well, they should,” he answered grumpily.
“But they’re fighting, which means they’re distracted!”
“Well, you better tell them, then.”
And that also meant any Nephilim still alive would be trapped inside with them. Bollocking, fuckity fuck!
The glass control tower was in darkness, but the flashing lights inside were drawing attention, and Maggie swore loudly. “For fuck’s sake! I think they’ve seen us. Is there a window here?”
“Downstairs. You can get on to the roof through the sliding doors.”
“Okay, I’m heading outside. How long will you be?”
“Two minutes at the most, just charging it all now.”
Maggie raced back down the stairs, thudding into Anna at the base. Anna thrust what looked like an eggbox at her. “Here are your bombs.”
“How do they work?”
“I don’t know!” She was already bolting to the door.
“Anna, you’re a bad liar. You must know!” Maggie wanted to slap her, immortal or not.
“You twist each half, in the centre.” She mimed the action. “Ten seconds, and they blow.”
“Thank you!” Maggie’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she raced to the roof terrace. “Although, this is your home. Perhaps you should fucking help!”
The cold night air was bracing, and the battle cries were loud. Maggie fired at a Nephilim who flew at the tower, sending him wheeling. A bomb exploded below, and a Nephilim was thrown backwards. She fumbled for a bomb, too, planning to throw it at the Nephilim in the air.
However, in seconds, Anna was with her. She extended a hand, jaw tight, eyes full of fury. “Give me one.”
Maggie smacked one into her palm, and with startling speed, Anna activated it and hurled it under the Nephilim that Maggie had fired at. It exploded below him, not quite underneath him, but close enough, and he shot skywards.
Impressed, Maggie passed her another. “Great shot!” Then she shouted to Nahum and Barak, gesturing with her hands, hoping they would understand her. “Nahum, Barak, keep low!”
What was taking JD so long?
Then Anna pointed upwards. “What’s that?”
Two bright lights like shooting stars were hurtling towards the house from far above.
“Holy shit. They’re Nephilim wielding Belial’s tokens. They’ll kill us all.”
“Then we need to slow them down.” Anna grabbed a catapult off the table on the terrace, twisted a bomb to activate it, and expertly fitted it into the catapult’s pouch. In seconds, the bomb was hurtling upwards to meet the descending Nephilim. It exploded with shocking brilliance, the shockwave sending Nahum and Barak tumbling to the ground.
“Well, you’re a dark horse,” Maggie told her.
“Who do you think helps test these damn things?” She fired another with surprising accuracy, the shock of the explosion almost knocking Maggie off her feet. The flaming Nephilim slowed to divert around it. They were so close now that Maggie could see them in all their glory. Their outstretched wings were bathed in an almost incandescent white light. She could see the murderous intent in their eyes, and the flames dancing along their swords.
Another explosive kick of power rippled across the house and grounds, like a localised display of the Northern Lights. JD had activated his shield. Of the two Nephilim wielding Belial’s power, one was caught in it, and he vanished, vapourised, the other was stuck on the outside.
For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and Maggie felt the full brunt of his anger. It was so palpable that she fell backwards into a chair, his eyes feeling like they had burned a hole in her head. He lifted his sword and pointed it at her, as if promising what was to come, and then he turned off whatever power he had used, his incandescent light diminishing, examined the view below, and in seconds, he flew away.
Estelle raced across the lawn to the last Nephilim she’d brought down. He lay on the ground, wings smouldering, his skin badly burned by the fire balls she had released.
Barak was also running over, his sword raised ready to dispense justice.
“No!” Estelle shouted. “Wait!”
Barak stood over the injured man. “Why?”
“Because we need him to tell us where the others are.”
The Nephilim spat at her feet, barely hanging on to his consciousness he was so badly wounded. “I will tell you nothing!”
“Careful,” Barak warned, sword at his neck, “or your death will be slow. Help us and I will show mercy.”
