Page 125 of Stealing Embers
I hold in a shriek of pain as I stumble to my feet. I don’t want our enemies to know how sensitive my wings are. No need to give the Forsaken extra ammunition. The odds are already stacked against us.
“I can stand on my own,” Steel snarls at the Forsaken manhandling him. It earns him a crack on the head with the butt of a handgun.
The blow sends Steel to his hands and knees, where two Forsaken haul him back up. He isn’t immediately steady on his feet.
“Looks like all that waiting finally paid off,” Lilith muses while circling us.
She’s creepy.
Her perceptive eyes rake over us, taking in my wings and all our injuries. I feel covered in goo when she finishes.
“Took long enough,” the goliath Forsaken snarls. “Those small ones were a pain to keep alive.”
Lilith’s apathetic gaze takes in the small Durand siblings behind us. “I suppose there’s not a reason to do so much longer. They’re so small, I’m not sure any self-respecting Fallen would even want to take them as a vessel.”
“Don’t be too hasty. I’m not done with them yet.” A voice rises from deep within the pack of Forsaken.
I can’t see her, but I watch the sea of bodies part as the speaker moves through the crowd.
When she skirts the last Forsaken and reveals herself, someone starts choking beside me.
Steel sinks to his knees. Anguish is painted over the angles and planes of his face.
Forcing my attention to the figure sauntering toward us, I catalogue her features. They are all typical to angel-borns: tall, slender, dark-haired, beautiful. I don’t see anything remarkable about this female outside of what is remarkable about every Neph.
That is, until she stands only feet in front of me and my eyes lock with hers.
Twin aqua pools assess me. An eye color so unique, I’ve only ever seen it once before.
The breath I inhale is audible. Loud enough to be heard by the creature whose calculated gaze fans over my face. Loud enough to be heard by the surrounding group of monsters.
“Perhaps not a dumb blonde after all.” A conspiratorial smile dances on her lips and she winks. “Time to get a better look at my prize. The snare we set to trap you was quite elaborate, after all.”
Our captor starts a slow circle around me. When she passes out of view, I try to catch Steel’s attention—silent questions scream inside me—but he’s too focused on the Forsaken sizing me up.
“Interesting.” She strokes one of my feathers. The sensation of slimy worms crawling over my wings follows the path of her finger.
“Hey, hands off!” I yell as I flare my wings and spin.
I want the sharp tips of my feathers to slice into her flesh.
No such luck.
She jumps out of the way too quickly for me to inflict an injury.
“Testy.” She holds her hands up in front of her, imitating a posture of innocence. “I was just curious.”
“Sil—Silver?”
The broken word is ripped from Steel’s gut. He’s on his feet now, but far from steady. He fists his hair—his grip so tight it stretches his hairline back a half-inch.
“In the flesh,” she answers as she throws her arms out and does a quick pirouette. “I look pretty hot for being dead, don’t I?”
Only then does Steel’s shock melt away.
His hand drops from his head and balls at his side. His spine slowly straightens until he towers over both of us at his full height.
The sadness bleeds from his eyes, leaving them deadened even as a drop of moisture falls from one. The glossy trail that curves down his cheek is now the only evidence of the emotions that spike inside.