Page 49 of The Arbiter

Just as I finish killing that guy and walk out of the cell with the girl over my shoulder, an alarm sounds above us, and red lights begin to flash in the corners of the hallway. I see those we could save all huddled together against one of the walls. They shake with fear and look around in terror as the alarm continues.

I hand the girl I’m carrying off to one of the more able-bodied Damned and turn to Monroe.

“This just put a wrench in the plan!” I shout to him over the alarm. “No more guns blazing! Any ideas on what to do next?”

He leans in close. “You said there were more on the first floor?”

I nod. “Yeah. Though that floor is more heavily guarded! We’re gonna be outnumbered!”

He frowns, clearly worried about how the hell we’ll make it through more forces. It was easy to dust a bunch of humans and a few guards. But a bunch of guards that far outnumber us? I’m not too sure we can handle that on our own.

Monroe walks over to the largest male of the group, the only one that could possibly fight. The guy nods his head and starts herding the Damned back toward the stairwell.

I’m about to ask him what he told them when a familiar sensation climbs up my spine.

Larkan. He’s close. I silently thank the Creator. Jamie must have escaped and alerted them to where we are. Monroe must see the relief on my face. “Larkan?” he asks, already knowing the cause.

I smile and nod. “Why don’t we get this party started until they get here?”

He responds by shifting to his second form and flashing some fang at me. I concentrate on my third form as I hear shouts and thunderous footsteps coming up from the bottom floor. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get there. Now I’m starting to think that third form I managed was a gigantic fluke, so I settle for my Damned form instead. I can still kick some major ass like this, but I wish I had my hooked swords. It’d be so much more fun. I guess this puny blessed blade will have to do.

I shift just as doors crash open on either side of the hallway we’re in. A mix of shifted Lupin and human guards come piling into the room with weapons drawn and mouths salivating. A few snap their teeth at us and growl viciously. I’m suddenly thankful that none of the men I’m sleeping with are Lupin. They may be hot as hell in their human forms most of the time, but I’m not a huge fan of their mangy second forms. Why couldn’t they look like regular large wolves like humans think they do?

The alarms and lights go off, and a guard steps forward from the mass. “Give up! You aren’t getting out of here alive!” the guard shouts, the red laser of his gun aimed right at my forehead, unlike the rest aimed at my chest.

“You’d think that, but we’re not as easy to kill as you think we are,” I snarl in a demonic voice. I didn’t need to use that, but it makes it more fun. Monroe, whose back is against mine, facing off with the guards behind us, shakes with laughter. He apparently thinks my voice is funny.

“I think if we load you up with enough blessed silver bullets, you’ll die just fine,” he retaliates with a sneer.

I know I probably shouldn’t taunt the crowd but buying some time for Larkan and anyone else he brought is our only hope in getting out of this, so I keep him talking. “If you’re so confident in your guns, why not just kill us right now then?” I retort.

“Our boss wants to kill you himself. We have orders to take you in.”

Himself?So, it’s a man running this show. Maybe I was right about it being Saul from the get-go. Unless it’s Enoch. Damnation! It better not be him! It’s bad enough he’s involved in this mess. If he’s actually running it, I’m not sure I could stop myself from killing him the next time I face him.

“He got a name?” I ask, hoping the guy is as dumb as he looks and gives up Saul and not Enoch.

“That’s not for you to know, bitch!” a Lupin snarls through the drool pooling from his mouth.

Well, it was worth a try. I’m about to start asking something else when a tug in my chest alerts me that Larkan has arrived, which means it’s go time. This little bond thing we have between us really did come in handy. I still haven’t figured out how it happened, but either way, I’m thankful.

I give Monroe a quick and subtle elbow to his back, letting him know it’s go time. Simultaneously, he drops to his knees, and I throw my palms out to either side of me. I send off the largest pulse of power I can muster and knock both groups backward.

With the small window I’ve given us, we race in opposite directions toward the guards. I let out a war cry and feel my wings form on my back just as I reach the men.

I twist, slice, kick, and blast my way through them, touching as many as I possibly can between cutting and stabbing. I have no idea where humans go when they die, but I sure as hell know where these Lupin are going. One could only hope they burn for eternity when they arrive.

I hear a screech come from Monroe and snap my head in his direction. “Monroe!” I scream in horror when he gets shot in the chest and falls to his knees.

I go to run to him, but a guard shouts, “Drop the cage!”

I stop just before a wall of silver bars slides down from the ceiling, cutting off my attempt to reach Monroe. I turn to see a guard’s hand on a lever, and I dart for him. Unfortunately, a second wall falls. I’m caught in a trap with Monroe completely unreachable.

I let out a vicious snarl and run toward the other side again, slamming into it full force, but it doesn’t budge. I grab the bars and let out a scream of both agony and anger, watching as the guards converge on Monroe.

If they kill him, neither these bars nor Divinity itself will save them from my wrath.

I don’t know what to do as I watch the men begin to wrap silver chains around Monroe’s motionless body, blood pooling beneath it. It’s as if time is slowing down with each passing breath I take, and each breath is harder to breathe.

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