Page 108 of Destined for Dreams
“Are there other weapons the humans can use?” Bartol asked.
Melena glanced at the SAS troops over to their right. “Yes, but they won’t be as effective.”
She headed over to speak with the military commander, leaving them. Activity continued to buzz around them over the next twenty minutes while Bartol stood with his father waiting. There was little they could do until the Gregorian stones were nullified. Both of them stood impatient and ready to do battle.
Several explosions went off in the direction of the warehouse, startling them.
From the conversations coming from the command tents, that had been the first strike from their side. The sensors were moving in for the first stage while the demon and his followers were distracted. Smoke plumed upward from large holes left in the building, but Bartol couldn’t make out much of the place from his vantage point.
In silent agreement, he and Raguel moved as close as they dared down the street to get a better look. They spotted two of the sensors moving through large holes cut in the security fence. One of them was Patrick and the other Honor. Several more sensors came within view on the sides of the warehouse, their circle of defenders with them.
The demon’s minions were rushing forward, but as they moved, some of them fell. They were being picked off by human snipers. For Haagenti’s other followers, Kerbasi stunned as many as he could with shots of lightning from his extended hands. The werewolves protecting the sensors took advantage of the gaps and guided their charges through them. A few times they had to stop and fight, but even in human form, they were fierce—the strongest pack members the local master had to offer. They took down the possessed humans and followers in a matter of moments, then moved forward.
Over and over, more waves of minions came out to slow progress, but eventually Honor reached one of the Gregorian stones buried under cement. A warlock with her used a spell to make a hole, and the young sensor cut her finger, letting her blood drip onto the stone. Bartol had no doubt she’d completed the job when she looked up and grinned in satisfaction.
Patrick reached his target next, but this time the stone was on top of a light pole. Several werewolves had to climb onto each other’s backs to get at it. In the meantime, that left them vulnerable. Kerbasi shot at enemies as fast as he could, but it was clear he was steadily sapping his powers. The snipers continued to fire their shots, helping to even the odds a little more. Still, it wasn’t enough. More supernaturals they’d held in waiting for the main battle rushed into the fight. They provided a wall that held back Haagenti’s followers who were still pouring out of the warehouse. How many were inside, Bartol couldn’t begin to guess.
As the werewolves finally got their last guy near the top of the light pole, Haagenti stepped out of the hole-ridden warehouse. The demon’s red gaze shot toward Kerbasi who continued to repel any enemies that got past the supernatural wall.
The powerful demon raised his hands, and a clap of thunder roared overhead. In the next moment, lightning streaked down and struck the guardian with full force. Kerbasi’s body fell to the ground, and he shook violently with convulsions as the electrical charge raced through him. Haagenti had used the guardian’s own weapon against him. He frowned, though, when the injured man forced himself up to his knees and shot his lightning at the demon. It hit Haagenti, forcing him back a step, but the charge didn’t harm him nearly as much. He’d grown too powerful. Kerbasi sent more bolts in rapid succession, shaking but determined. He was buying the sensors as much time as he could.
The demon growled and raised his cane.
Another boom sounded from the sky, followed by an even brighter lightning strike. It shot straight down toward Kerbasi, flaring over his head and body. The guardian screamed as his skin blackened and smoke poured from his eyes, ears, and mouth. His insides were being cooked. He collapsed onto the ground, unmoving. From a distance, Bartol could not be certain if the guardian was dead or not.
He cast a quick glance at the werewolves. They were finally down from the light pole, and Patrick was already dropping his blood onto the stone. As soon as he finished, his protectors grabbed him and started running toward their next target where another Gregorian stone waited. Moving away quickly wasn’t going to save them, though. Haagenti was following them in quick strides, intent on taking the team out.
Remiel appeared, white wings open as he flew through the sky toward the warehouse. He used his smiting power—a powerful beam of light—to strike at the demon, knocking him to the ground. Haagenti shook himself and got up moments later, eyes glowing redder than ever.
The archangel touched his feet to the pavement and closed his wings before sending out another ray of light. The demon attempted to dodge it, but his shoulder was still grazed, leaving a smoldering hole in his skin. Haagenti looked up at the sky, raised his cane toward it, and shouted. A loud boom struck, and the largest burst of lightning yet shot toward Remiel. The archangel dodged out of the way, but his wings were caught in the brilliant charge. He cried out as the feathers caught fire.
“This is taking too long,” Bartol said, itching to run toward Haagenti.
Raguel didn’t appear any more happy to wait on the sidelines. “The sensors are nearly finished.”
Around the side of the warehouse, Bartol caught sight of Honor giving a thumbs up to her protectors. She’d had two stones to nullify and appeared to have completed her job. Patrick was very nearly to his second, which was protected inside a crate that the werewolves were tearing apart. Several other sensors were fleeing the scene, finished with their targets. There was only two others unaccounted for, but they were likely on the other side of the building out of sight.
“We could move closer,” Bartol suggested.
“Not yet.” Raguel stood stone still. “This is an old demon who will remember who I am from the old wars. If I reveal myself while he is still within the stone’s field, he may flee, and we might not catch him.”
Bartol acceded to his father’s wishes, though a part of him still wanted to rush forward. Haagenti wouldn’t recognize him, and he could catch the demon off guard. But knowing patience was more important, he forced himself to stay put as Patrick dove his hands into the open crate and brought out the stone. His palm was already smeared with blood, so his job was completed in moments.
Haagenti nearly caught up with the sensor—no more than a dozen paces away.
The werewolves urged Patrick to run while they covered his back. The demon shot one of them down in a single strike of fire before turning his attention to the second. Just before he attacked, Remiel rose to his feet once more, wings nothing more than blackened bone and cartilage that hung limply. He worked a sphere of light into his hands that grew larger than a beach ball and flung it at Haagenti.
It struck the demon in the back like a massive bowling ball, toppling him over. The two remaining werewolves and Patrick made good on their escape while their opponent was down. Haagenti lay for a long moment before struggling back to his feet. Static filled the air as the demon gathered his power, feeding it into his cane for a strike that could very well kill Remiel. The archangel should have run, but he stood his ground making himself a target so that the rest of the sensors could complete their tasks and flee.
From the corner of Bartol’s eye, he caught Melena waving at him from the next block over. He trained his ears to hear what she was shouting. The wind had picked up, and the buzz of the locusts overhead made it hard to listen, but he managed to make out her words.
“It’s done. You can fight now!”
Bartol glanced at his father. “We’re cleared to fight.”
Raguel’s golden eyes lit up, and a moment later he disappeared. He resurfaced in a flash of light in front of Haagenti and wrapped his hands around the demon’s neck. The archangel held on tightly, keeping his enemy still as he drew out his essence.
Bartol rushed past the broken down warehouse fence to grab Remiel and hand him off to Lucas, who’d also arrived on the scene. The other nephilim took the wounded angel and flashed away. Meanwhile, strike teams and supernaturals poured onto the warehouse grounds, taking out every minion that appeared so that Raguel and Bartol could focus on Haagenti.
