Page 39 of Forging Darkness

I thought he looked bad as a lion, but in human form, he looks worse.

Gashes mar every limb, some so deep I wonder how he’s still standing. One of his ears is ripped, and blood covers his face like he’s just had a bucket of the stuff dumped over his head,Carrie-style.

He holds an arm across his abdomen and I’m worried he’s holding in his own guts. Nephilim are built to last and undeniably hard to kill, but at some point our bodies will give out on us. Steel needs medical attention, fast.

“Silver!” Even his voice sounds wretched, and it stabs my soul. “Call all your minions off and release Ash and Emberly. This is between the two of us. Time to take your revenge.”

Revenge?

With widened eyes, Silver regards her twin for a count of three and then bursts into laughter. Her body bends forward as she doubles over. The sound and sight coming from her skeletal frame is eerie and so completely out of context with the gravity of the situation. Fire ants dance up and down my spine, and I shake out my wings to rid myself of the sensation.

Since Ash appeared, I’ve lowered my arms, but the ball of heated angel-fire still dances between my palms. Smaller than before, but not extinguished.

Silver gets herself under control and straightens. “Oh darling, this has nothing to do with you. In fact, this has very little to do with me, either. But it has everything to do with the golden beauty you’ve been panting over like a dog. If anyone has bargaining power here, it’s her, not you.”

Steel’s gaze shifts to mine, his eyes filled with concern.

We’re back to this. Someone, or something, wants me and I still don’t know why.

“Now, Em—may I call you that?”

“No.”

“So, Em,” she continues. “If you want your friend to walk away from here with her head still attached to her shoulders, I’m going to need you to put that out.” She points in the direction of my hands. “I won’t ask again. This has gone on long enough.”

My fingers ache from the tension running through them. With a glance at Ash, who attempts to shake her head but can’t without risking exacerbating the tear at her neck, I drop my arms. The fireball dissipates.

“That’s better. Now we get to the good stuff. Negotiation. I tire of these games. Bottom line is that I’ve been ordered to bring you in—and I will, one way or another—but my timeframe has been pushed up. I’m not leaving this dank armpit of a city without you. So, here are your choices.” She holds a finger in the air, ticking away what she believes to be my only options.

“You allow us to subdue you—and by that I mean knock you clean out without a fight—and I won’t let Silas nom-nom your friend . . . at least any more than he already has. And as an extra bonus, I’ll throw in a free pass for my big brother. We’ll take you, and leave your friends to fight another day.” Cocking her head, her eyes narrow on Steel before returning to me. “I’d say, considering our predicament, that’s a very generous offer, wouldn’t you?”

Ticking up another finger, Silver continues. “Now for option number two. You can do your best to try to blow some of us up with your underdeveloped angel-fire. By the time you manage to summon your power, Silas will have made a snack of your friend’s neck, and in the process, separate her head from her body.”

Putting a hand up next to her mouth she whisper-yells the next part, acting as if no one else can hear. “And in case you’re wondering, that would for sure end a young Nephilim’s life. Re-growing a head on top of your shoulders isn’t part of the Neph skill set.” She tips a shoulder. “Shame.” The smile on her face says she finds this option enticing.

“While that’s happening, a group of my associates here will be working on separating Steel’s limbs from his torso. In case you haven’t noticed, the theme of the night is dismemberment.”

Taking a breath, she plants a hand on her hip. I’ve only let her continue to talk because I’m truly at a loss for words.

Silver is psychotic. She’s a Forsaken, so this should not be surprising to me in the least, but it is. I must be in shock.

“I will admit, with your shiny wings and blossoming abilities, there’s a slim chance you may escape. Make no mistake, your friends won’t.” She claps her hands together and the sound jolts me. My wings flare before settling at my back. “So, what’ll it be?”

There’s no real choice. I’ve somehow gone from the girl who’d do anything to save herself, to the girl willing to sacrifice anything to save her friends.

I don’t know exactly when it happened, but it has. Over the past months, this group of almost-humans has become more important to me than my own well-being.

Too bad I’ve only had a taste of what living truly is. There’s little hope that if I go with Silver, I’ll make it back to Seraph Academy in one piece. I’m not giving up—that isn’t who I am. But I’m a realist, and instinct tells me whatever lies ahead isn’t looking good for me.

I start to move forward, ready to agree to Silver’s terms, when Steel stops me with a hand on my shoulder. His fingers are wet with his own blood. His eyes tell me exactly what he’s thinking, but he says it anyway.

“Don’t do this. We can fight our way out.” His words are soft and for my ears only, but firm with conviction. “This isn’t the answer.”

Maybe he’s right. Maybe there is another way. Glancing at Ash, her neck still in the vice grip of the Forsaken’s jaw, I know it doesn’t matter. I’m not willing to gamble with her life. Ash is the first true friend I’ve ever had, and she means the world to me.

I find Silver in the crowd. A cat-like smile plays along the corners of her bloodless lips. She knows she has me. I’ll bet Silver is the type of creature that likes to play with her food before eating it.

I hate her.

---