Page 123 of Stealing Embers
Aurora rolls her eyes, but doesn’t contradict Steel’s statement. After considering the request, Blaze puffs out his chest and nods once.
“Let’s get out of here. We could all use a shower.”
He’s not wrong about that.
Steel glides forward, his feet gobble up the distance to the tunnel opening. After a short pause, he steps into the night and gestures for us to follow—this time with a simple wave rather than a complicated hand signal.
With Blaze and Aurora quickly shuffling behind me, I join him.
Goose bumps break out along the exposed patches of my back. My top is still hanging on by the remnants of my sweater—thank goodness—but not much else. The unforgiving winds tug at the singed edges of my clothes and slips underneath the material. Icy coolness slithers across my skin. I’m about to wrap my wings around myself when I notice Aurora and Blaze shivering.
“Where should we go?”
I really hope Steel has a plan, because there’s no way we’re going to be able to get back to the academy the way we came. Especially with the young twins, who are most likely half-starved by now. We need shelter, pronto.
Encouraging Blaze and Aurora to stand beside me, I curl the edges of my wings around the three of us, hoping it will buffer some of the gusts of frosty mountain air.
Taking my free hand, Aurora smiles her thanks up at me.
“We have to find a road. We can follow it until we come to a house or gas station or something and call Sable from there.”
I’m not positive we’re going to make it, but I’m not about to voice my concern in front of the children. Instead I nod, knowing my assured gesture doesn’t reach my eyes.
“We’ll make it. We’re built tough.”
Steel’s sharp gaze scans the trees in front of us. “I’m more concerned about avoiding the other Forsaken. Everyone on alert.”
Moving as silently as we can, we strike out heading west. The only reason I know that’s the direction we’re traveling is because there’s the slightest bit of pink beginning to brighten the sky behind us.
That’s good. Forsaken can’t be out in the daylight. Once the sun punches over the horizon, our concerns will be limited to the elements.
Aurora tugs on my hand and when I glance down she slowly shakes her head.
My brow furrows. I don’t know what she’s trying to communicate.
“The night doesn’t hold them anymore,” she whispers.
As soon as the words leave her mouth, the world explodes around us.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Just because Nephilim can’t phase, doesn’t mean the same rules apply to the Forsaken.
That really sucks.
It also would have been a nice factoid to know before over a dozen enemies pop into existence all around us.
The Forsaken are not nearly as scary in this realm. Since most are possessed angel-borns, they retain the beauty of their host bodies—except they all have the pallid complexion of the severely anemic. The inability to withstand sunlight and a creepy dependence on other people’s blood will do that to a creature, I suppose.
This group of Forsaken is a bit more imposing, though. It isn’t just the number of creatures surrounding us—don’t get me wrong, I don’t love our four-to-one odds—it’s that they’ve clearly come prepared for a rumble.
The Forsaken hold wicked-looking weapons in their hands. Swords with serrated edges, double-sided axes, daggers with curved blades, and even a few firearms. These are weapons Nephilim train with, not ones Forsaken fight with. From my limited experience, and from what I’ve learned at Seraph Academy, the Forsaken favor a more animalistic form of battle, using their speed, strength, claws and teeth to take down Nephilim. I don’t know what to make of the group that closes in on us, but it can’t be good.
“Steel?”
I’m looking to him for direction. I may have the magic wings, but I’m still very much a newbie.
Steel keeps his eyes glued to our enemies, even as he addresses me. “Do you think you could fly with Aurora?”