Page 82 of Castor
“And yet, you screamed so loud when I shoved my blade into your ribs.”
My stomach turned at the look on Castor’s face. He was full of snark, but the truth shone in his eyes. Whatever Phoenix had done to him still wouldn’t release him from its clutches.
Phoenix, pleased with himself, smiled a little before looking at Baxter. “Elon was quite the spy. He came to us days after you agreed to ally with Alastair. He was concerned that you made a grave mistake and swore his fidelity to my king in exchange for us sparing his life. His one condition was that we wouldn’t attack your island. The moment he learned you’d be traveling here, he told us of your plan, and we told him what we needed to break the barrier. And here we are now.”
“Where’s Elon?” Baxter asked.
“Not here,” Phoenix answered like a smart-ass. “But if I had to guess, I’d say he’s sitting comfortably right now with a chalice of the finest blood and gorgeous males worshipping every inch of him. It’s all thanks to him that this little visit is possible.”
Sirena threw her spear, and it landed directly in front of Phoenix. “That was a warning shot, demon. The next one will go between your eyes. Take your army and leave my island.”
“Now, now.” Phoenix took a small step back, eyeing the spear in the sand at his feet. “Is that any way to treat a guest? I could’ve attacked right when we came through the barrier, but I wanted to offer you a choice first. I was nice.”
“What kind of choice?” she asked with a growl in her voice.
“Join us,” Phoenix said. “You and your clan are notorious for your skills on the battlefield. You’re strong, disciplined, and the very best of the Nephilim.” He glanced at Alastair. “With the exception of you and your brothers, of course.”
“We will never join you,” Sirena responded. “We fight for justice. For humanity. Not for the likes of you.”
“I really wish you would reconsider.” Phoenix drew forth a dagger, causing Alastair to go still. Castor tensed beside me. A celestial blade. The one thing that could kill the seven brothers. “Killing you would be such a waste of your potential. Not to mention, my king will be highly disappointed. He really wants you in his army.”
“You can tell your king to go fuck himself,” she said before spitting at him. “Or perhaps I’ll tell him myself when I bring him your head.”
Phoenix’s disillusioned stare moved from her to Alastair. “And you? Your father and Lucifer were so close. You even grew up with Lucifer. Asa wants you by his side more than anyone. It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“My decision stands,” Alastair said. “You’re my enemy, and so is he.”
“Then I have no other choice.” Phoenix snapped his fingers, and the demons behind him shifted to a fighting stance, raising their weapons—an assortment of battle-axes, swords, and war hammers that looked like they could crush a man’s skull like a melon with a single swing. “Just know this hurts me much more than it hurts you.”
The rest of Sirena’s warriors rushed from the trees and stood at our backs.
“Look around you, demon,” Sirena said. “We outnumber you by several hundred. You should’ve brought a bigger army.”
“Good idea. Why didn’t I think of that?” Phoenix said in mock astonishment. Then, a cold smile touched his lips.
Demons rose from the sea, bigger than the ones in front of us, while others appeared in the distance, having traveled through the barrier. Some swam and others had thin black wings that reminded me of bats. With Sirena’s clan, we had a little over eight hundred on our side.
We were now outnumbered three to one.
“Fuck,” Castor said under his breath. “This isn’t good.”
And it only got worse.
“Fallen angels?” Bellamy exclaimed as three winged figures approached from the sky, their large black wings casting shadows on the water below.
“Ramiel and two others who defected months ago,” Alastair said. “Doesn’t look like Belphegor is with them.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Raiden said, his blue eyes wide. “They intend for this to be a slaughter. Fighting demons is one thing. Fallen angels are something else entirely.”
Bellamy looked at the incoming horde. “If we go down, we go down fighting.”
I looked at Castor. Was this really the end? I noted the way the sun hit his green eyes and stepped closer, needing to feel him. One arm wound around me, and he kissed my forehead.
“Stay close to me, little dragon.”
My heart raced and nerves twisted inside me like a vine of thorns. I jumped when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Right when I grabbed it, the demons on the beach clashed with Sirena’s warriors. It was definitely not the time to be on the phone, but my brother’s name flashed across the screen.
What if it was the last chance I’d get to talk to him?
