Page 300 of Psycho Gods

The size of the village was shocking.

No one spoke as we all processed the sheer impossibility of our task.

There were only twenty of us.

Angels spread their wings wide and crouched as they prepared to take to the sky. The assassins were shadowy blurs as they darted back and forth like they were preparing to race forward into battle.

Sadie sliced open her palm and her blood levitated into the air. The shifters formed a protective circle around her.

Everyone was ready to die.

“No,” I said.

Sadie looked over at me with confusion.

“No,” I repeated louder.

Not again.

I’d almost lost her once, I would not make the same mistake.

Pushing my pipe between my lips, I turned to the twins and said, “If we lose control, stop us. Use force if you must.” The Necklace of Death pulsed under my clothes. “We’re all connected, and I have a gut feeling you’re the only ones who won’t be entranced.”

“What?” Luka furrowed his brow with concern. “No, we will not—”

I hugged him, and he went quiet.

I mumbled into his neck, “As long as my heart is not eaten, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Just don’t let us hurt anyone we shouldn’t. Please.”

Luka hugged me back tightly, and another body wrapped around me.

“What’s going on?” Knox asked.

The twins let me go, and I turned to the leader of the angels. “Everyone needs to stay back and stay out of our way. I advise that you climb back down the side of the mountain and wait it out.”

“Why would we do that?” Rina scoffed.

I rolled my pipe between my lips and exhaled Horse. He settled onto my shoulder in a plume of smoky feathers, his long regal neck turned away from the angels dismissively.

“The High Court ordered us to use our mate powers.” I gestured to the kings.

“And what’s that supposed to do?” Rina asked haughtily, but her eyes gave her away. They flashed with fear.

She’d seen what the kings had done in the Legionnaire Games. She knew exactly what I was referring to.

The kings looked at me grimly.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Sadie’s ruby eyes glowed with concern.

I nodded. “Climb down to safety and hide. We’ll handle the last of the ungodly.” The unspoken, otherwise we’re outnumbered and could lose the battle, hung in the air between us.

She stared at me for a long moment, then nodded and gestured to her mates. “Let’s go down and wait it out. Aran can handle this.”

My stomach knotted. I rubbed at the black fabric which covered my neck and concealed my new tattoo.

I hope she’s right.

Cobra narrowed his eyes at me like he wasn’t going to obey, but at the last moment he shook his head and followed Sadie. “Don’t get yoursssself killed,” he hissed as he stomped past.