Page 5 of Light

Gabriel hadn’t imagined it. There had been a second creature. It was trailing the Thames, headed south, when suddenly, it changed direction, moving toward the posh district. Nasdaqu-ush avoided brightly lit parts of the city. It could only be headed to its lair.

Perhaps he could catch the lot of them and wipe the city’s entire infestation out in one night.

He followed its stale breeze, the scent of carrion and death heavy. It wasn’t a nasdaqu-ush at all. He was on the trail of their maker. The night had taken a turn for the better.

He leapt from the ground, dissolving into dust, and rode its wake. When the creature halted, he materialized, freezing at the scene before him.

A Naphil. His breath caught. It was the first he’d encountered in decades. She was levitating high above him and landed on a rooftop just as a red-haired woman beat her fists into the door of the townhouse.

Sanura.

He dropped to the ground behind her, drawing his sword. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment,” he said, running a blue-hued flinger along the blade.

Sanura spun, eyes going wide.

He charged forward, but she wasted no time darting away and disappearing into the darkness. Growling, he raced after her, but he was not as fast as she was, and in moments, she had disappeared, leaving no trail for him to follow.

Some invisible force pulled him, turning him around, back to the Naphil. He didn’t have time for the distraction. Didn’t have the energy to go back and be disappointed again.

It was the closest he’d come to catching Sanura in over a century. How she’d evaded them for so long was a mystery. If he let her escape now, it could be another hundred years before he had this chance again.

He pivoted on his toes, leaping into the night sky, and moved in the direction he’d seen her go. Flying was always faster than any other mode of travel for him, but somehow, it wasn’t fast enough.

He left the city, blinking in the inky dark of a moonless night. She may be right below him and he would be blind to her presence. Perhaps she’d turned back, intent on finishing what she’d started. It was the lie he told himself to justify the sweep he made as he circled back.

The Naphil was on the roof, scanning the sky. She wouldn’t see him, though. He was dust and air and nothing more. She continued searching, trailing her gaze across the expanse of darkness as if he were what she sought and not Sanura.

For Sanura to come out of hiding was concerning. What about this girl was important enough that Sanura would risk it?

The answer struck him: she was a Gavras, a member of the line who had killed Sanura centuries ago. It meant she was marked for death.

He swept by once more, solidifying as he touched down on a rooftop far enough away that she would not see him, even with her enhanced Nephilim vision.

After centuries of chasing her, he finally had the upper hand. Sanura would be back to kill this woman, and when she came, he would be waiting.

Chapter 5

Adalaide

When Adalaide was certain the woman and the other creature who had appeared to chase her off would not return, she gave one last push of magic and levitated to the ground.

She trudged up the steps, dragging her tired limbs through the broken door, and slumped into a chair in her foyer. Sighing heavily, she stared at the gaping entryway. She would need to find a temporary fix before resting.

Hefting her sore body out of the chair, she went to the guest room at the front of the house and eyed the empty armoire in the room’s corner. It was heavy and would do the trick for the night.

With her last bit of energy, she sent a gust of air magic under the object and pushed it roughly through the room. In the doorframe, she shoved her shoulder into the wood, wedging it sideways, and gave another push of magic until it was scraping over wooden floors and through the foyer.

She surveyed her work, shaking her head. It needed something extra. Cracking her knuckles, she dug deep, finding the well of power lying at the center of her chest and wove the wards that would hold the object in place for the night.

Standing back, she swayed on her feet, exhaustion overtaking her. Opting for the guest room on the first floor over dragging herself above stairs, she collapsed onto the soft white duvet and closed her eyes.

Chapter 6

Gabriel

Gabriel materialized in her room and stifled a snort. The woman had collapsed on a large four-poster bed, landing face down, fully clothed, her shoes poking over the edge. He moved to the side of the bed, watching the slow rise and fall of her back as she sunk further into the fluffy bedding. Alive then.

“Mother. No… Please. No.” she murmured into the bedding. A line of drool pooled in her blankets, and as she turned her head, it smeared across her cheek.

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