Page 127 of Stealing Embers
“You keep your hands off of her!” Steel shouts, still fighting his captors.
I twist to help him escape, but something nicks my throat, sending warm blood trickling down my neck.
I freeze.
Silver stands to my left, her arm outstretched, a sword with a long, slightly curved blade clutched in her hand. The sharp end of the katana bites into my neck.
“I wouldn’t make any sudden movements if I were you,” she cautions. “I’m very fast.”
I believe her.
Holding my hands up in surrender, I back up a slow half-step. More blood slides down my neck when the blade pulls free, but I can tell the cut isn’t deep.
A beam of morning sunlight breaks through the sparse tree cover and lights the side of Silver’s pale face.
My eyes saucer as the natural light continues to bathe her skin rather than burn it.
Catching my look, the side of her mouth upturns in a knowing half-grin.
“We’re full of secrets.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“Where’s the orb?” Silver calls.
A scrawny Forsaken steps forward with the fireball, still covered by Steel’s coat. I suppose not all Forsaken are angel-born. A willing human can be possessed as well. And there is no way, with his five-foot-six height and boney frame, this creature could have been a Nephilim.
“Get that ugly thing off of it,” she orders.
The gaunt creature peels Steel’s coat away and the glow from the orb emanates across the space. Many of the Forsaken around us close their eyes and turn toward the radiance. Sucking in a lungful of air, their chests expand and muscles flex as if they are absorbing energy from the pulsating ball of light.
“You see,” Silver starts conversationally as she lovingly strokes the object, her fingers passing through the flames unscathed, “what prevents you from phasing into the spirit realm is the same thing that protects us from the sun’s rays. It’s a charming win-win—for us, of course. For you, I imagine it’s quite inconvenient.”
“What is it?” Steel asks.
“Just a little something taken from the spirit realm.”
“That’s not possible,” he scoffs.
One of the first things I learned when coming to Seraph Academy was that nothing from the spectrum world could be transferred to the mortal realm, so I understand Steel’s disbelief.
“Oh, it certainly used to be. But you see, our worlds are in transition. Your girlfriend here is going to help bring about even more changes.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I think I’ll let the Fallen tell you once you two merge.”
“I’d die before I let that happen.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Turning her back on Steel, she addresses her group. “Bind and gag him, it’s the only way we’ll get back to the stronghold without having to listen to his squawks.”
Something whistles through the air and strikes the Forsaken about to gag Steel. Its prone figure falls to the ground—an arrow sticking out of its face.
Steel takes advantage of the moment of surprise to jab another Forsaken in the throat with his elbow and free himself.
I search the area for the twins as figures charge the group of Forsaken. The Forsaken who bound the twins have already been dispatched. One is now missing its head, and the other is lying face down in a black slushy of its own dark blood. The twins are being led away from the erupting battle by Ash.