Page 8 of Destined for Eternity
Chapter 4
Cori
They rode together in Cori’s Chevy Tahoe to the bank. She let Bartol drive since he’d renewed his skills over the last few months and had begun to enjoy it. With the baby kicking up a storm, she wasn’t in the mood to take the wheel anyway. During her first pregnancy, her daughter had moved a lot, but apparently nephilim offspring were even stronger in the womb. In the last few days, she’d started to make out the shape of a foot poking through her stomach. The child was growing fast, and she wondered if she’d survive another six weeks.
“That’s it right there,” she said, pointing to where Bartol needed to turn into the parking lot.
The day had turned cloudy, and Cori wondered if a storm was on the horizon. She should have checked the weather. After parking, they got out and headed inside. Only a few people stood in line, so at least she wouldn’t have to wait long. She had the money and deposit form ready to go, clutching them as Bartol stood with her.
His gaze was wary. He kept glancing around at everyone while keeping his head ducked low, no doubt conscious of the burn scars on one side of his face. Bartol always wore his golden-brown hair down in public as well so that people couldn’t see his features easily. He didn’t like it if anyone stared at him with horror or fear—not that she could blame him. The man was already large and muscular, so the burn scars made him appear that much more intimidating to those who didn’t know him.
He stiffened when a couple walked into the lobby and stood behind them in line. Cori wasn’t surprised since he was never comfortable in public and always looked like he was ready to dash off at any moment. Now he was surrounded. She wished she could take his hand and offer comfort, but that would only make it worse.
The people at the front of the line finished their transaction, and everyone moved forward. A moment later, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Cori turned and her blood ran cold. Two figures like she’d seen on the news entered the bank, dark smoke curling around them. Their eyes were glowing red, and they emanated evil unlike anything she’d felt before. They moved across the lobby slow and purposefully.
People started screaming, and one woman shouted, “My God, help us!”
“Stop!” A security guard came forward, pistol pointed toward the faceless men in black capes.
The eerie smoke flowed forward like claws from a huge dragon, taking down anyone that touched its path. The guard started shooting as it got close to him. His bullets went wild, only striking one intruder, and that did nothing more than make the demon jerk a little. The guard went down in a puff of darkness, no longer visible. The smoke was getting closer to the tellers and would reach everyone else soon.
Cori fought the urge to run and reached for her revolver instead.
Bartol put a hand on her shoulder, staying her. “Don’t move. I’ll take care of this.”
He flashed in front of the two figures, punching one where apparently there was a face underneath the cowl and sending the figure crashing into the wall. Spinning toward the other intruder, he grabbed it by the neck and pressed his other hand to its chest. He was drawing the demonic energy out to kill it, but that would take time. Bartol hadn’t fought any demons in months and was out of practice.
Cori’s heart leaped into her throat when the first figure started to rise from his slump. Its eyes were glowing red again and staring at the vulnerable people by the bank counter. Tendrils of smoke reached her boots and swarmed around her. It probably wouldn’t affect her with her resistance to magic, but what if it hurt the baby somehow? Or what if the demon went after the other people next? She had to do something.
As the couple in line behind her sunk to the floor, her mind raced for a solution. If regular bullets wouldn’t do anything, maybe she had to get creative. She scrambled to get the letter opener out of her purse, keeping an eye on the demon and its impending smoke. Quickly, she poked it into her index finger until a drop of blood pooled. Then she released the revolver cylinder and dumped the cartridges out, smearing blood on the front of the bullets before reloading them. It was a trick she’d learned from Melena, but she had no idea if it would work for her. Mel could send a demon back to Hell with a small amount of her blood. Cori wasn’t a full sensor, but she might have enough power to at least slow them down. Bartol had told her how it worked with the nerou, so maybe it would work the same for her. Anything to buy time.
He was still pulling the dark essence from the other demon as the first one began moving across the lobby. Cori estimated it would take her mate a couple of more minutes to finish the process. Slapping the cylinder back into place on her revolver, she cocked the hammer and fired. The approaching demon jerked at the first shot, stumbled at the second, and went down with the third. As Bartol finished with his adversary, the smoke started to clear from the lobby.
“Is it dead?” she asked, pointing toward her target.
He shook his head. “No, but it is weakened and unconscious.”
Kneeling down, he pressed his hand to the figure’s chest and started to draw the essence out. This time it flowed faster since his opponent wasn’t struggling. Those who had fallen to the demon smoke began to rouse as it dissipated around them. Behind Cori, the tellers mumbled to each other.
“What is he doing?”
“Whatwerethose things?”
“They’re demons,” Cori replied, glancing back at them. “He killed one and he’s finishing the other.”
One woman gasped. “Demons?”
“How is he able to kill them?” a man asked.
Like her, they could see Bartol drawing some sort of dark streaks of energy into his hands. It was certainly not something a person saw every day. He did it with a concentrated expression on his face, methodical and emotionless. A minute later, he lifted his palms and released the streak into the air where it dissipated into nothing.
“He’s a nephilim—half angel and half human, but he’s the only one of his kind who can do that,” Cori said proudly.
Bartol stood, shoulders stooped and weary. It took a lot out of him to vanquish demons, and this was his third today. She could only imagine how exhausted it must have made him, especially being out of practice.
“It’s done,” he announced.
The people in the bank started clapping and cheering. A slight blush crept up the side of his neck that was visible under the blanket of his hair. He ducked his head. Cori started toward him, but a bright flash of light on the opposite end of the lobby stopped her.
