Page 131 of Darkness

Leary latched his hands around Farren’s throat. “For years, I’ve put up with your bullshit, hearing about how you saved my life. How I should be proud to have you on my team. No one will let me forget I owe my position to you, you fucking asshole.”

What? Farren gripped Leary’s hands, keeping them from crushing his windpipe. He could easily pulverize the bones beneath his fingers or toss Leary halfway across the room. While he’d never actively tried to banish a human, no one said he couldn’t.

Damn it! They’d been friends once. What changed? Or maybe they’d never been friends after all.

Farren shoved Leary’s shoulders—hard. He’d no desire to cause permanent damage, but a dislocated shoulder would be the least of Leary’s worries if they didn’t get Morrisey locked down.

Leary held on tight, teeth clenched.

Farren tried reasoning. “If I don’t get to Morrisey, bad things will happen.”

Leary’s grin turned feral. “You think I don’t know? What better way to start this war than to have a traveler commit mass murder?”

Mass murder. Was this the purpose Asher wanted Morrisey for? Was he to be a pawn? “And you think Asher will protect you? Wrong!”

Morrisey was too damned powerful to be a pawn. With a mighty heave, Farren flung Leary off. His right hook sent Leary collapsing to the floor where he lay still. Farren would deal with him later. He’d no sooner gotten to his feet when another man rushed him.

Instead of attacking, the man grabbed his arm. “Come. We must get to safety.”

“No! I can’t leave Morrisey.” Nothing about this man said he’d bought into Asher’s plan. His aura remained clear.

The stranger shook his head. “It’s too late. We cannot stop destiny.”

Farren wrenched his arm free. “I can’t… I won’t leave him. There are others here who don’t have a clue what they’ve gotten themselves into. Get them out.”

The stranger locked gazes with Farren, then disappeared into the fray. Travelers fought humans. Humans fought travelers. Travelers fought travelers. Humans fought humans. How could anyone tell a friend from a foe?

Like a shining dark beacon, Morrisey summoned Farren. Farren decked a grinning occisor, dodged a traveler’s kick, and ducked when someone threw a chair. Shots rang out. Smoke burned his nose. Cries of pain and anger circled around him.

In his mind’s eye, a shining portal formed without Farren’s bidding, waiting to receive the souls of the banished. Normally, he conjured the portal. This time, it appeared of its own accord.

Which didn’t bode well for the assembled.

A traveler kneeled over a stunned human, gripping their head with both hands. Blood soaked the traveler’s shirt. The humans realized who they’d thrown their lot in with.

Farren paused, but he’d never get there in time to help this one man—a corrupt one. Had he been a traveler, Farren would have sentenced him to banishment. But no, he couldn’t stop to save one human when many more lives hung in the balance.

Where was Morrisey?

Sykes faced off against Jessa, gun aimed her way as she serenely approached, a smile spreading over her face with each calculating step. Sweat beaded Sykes’s forehead. His hand shook. Still, Jessa advanced, all cool confidence and a beguiling smile. Even in her human form, Farren swore he saw her dark wings.

Sykes never stood a chance. Jessa crowded into him, taking his cheeks between her palms. She kissed him long, hard, and deep. A shot rang out. Jessa calmly stepped back. Sykes slumped to the floor. Jessa looked over her shoulder at Farren. “I can’t stomach traitors.” She disappeared into the crowd.

Sykes lay dead on the floor, gun still in hand. Fuck! Had Jessa enticed Sykes to shoot himself? The traveler within Sykes broke free.

Leary lunged before Farren could send Sykes’s spirit into the portal.

Colm cut him off. “Going somewhere, asshole?” he hit Leary with a a folded metal chair.

Leary staggered and fell back. Farren persisted onward. Morrisey? Morrisey!

The link they’d been blocking suddenly clicked into place. Power surged through Farren, and he took the excess, relieving Morrisey of the burden.

Gratitude washed over Farren. A traveler approached, the one who’d just robbed a man of his body. Farren flung his arms wide, opening the part of himself containing access to the portal.

“No!” the traveler screamed.

“For your crimes, I sentence you to oblivion,” Farren intoned. A rush like wind ruffled his hair, tugging at his clothing. Then, the body fell to the ground. Darkness surrounded Farren, and not the darkness of Morrisey’s spirit, but the purification of souls tainted by greed and malice.

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