Page 139 of Alastair

And then, arms came around me from behind.

“I’ve got you,” Lazarus whispered in my ear. “You’re not alone.”

I tried to stifle a sob but choked on it instead. It sounded raspy. Raw. “I know this is the right choice, Laz. So why does it hurt so much?”

He gently turned me in his arms and rested a hand on my neck. “Because it’s not only your life that’s at stake. Despite your Pride, you’ve always put your brothers and their happiness above yourself. It hurts because you can’t protect them from this.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

Lazarus steeled his expression, but traces of his own worry glinted in his eyes. “You won’t be gone for long. You’ll return to me. I know it.”

“Yes, we will,”Pride said.“We’ll return to him.”

I welcomed the surge of confidence from my sin, one of the few times I allowed myself to do so. But I needed it right then.

Steps sounded outside the house before the front door swung open. Michael walked in. “Lucifer has been spotted in Echo Bay. Belphegor, Purah, and Vepar are with him. They were headed for the mansion.”

A warrior couldn’t allow personal feelings to get in the way of their mission. The male I loved with all my heart had taught me that.

“Ready the army,” I said, doing what I’d always done best: masking my emotions. Strengthening my resolve. “It’s time.”

***

The army gathered on the outskirts of Echo Bay, a blend of dragon warriors in their hybrid forms, their scales and horns on display, and all the Nephilim from Baxter’s and Sirena’s forces.

The force of human hunters had remained in their assigned areas across the globe, fighting back the waves of monsters. Lycus and his pack hadn’t traveled to Echo Bay either, just in case the forest was targeted.

The air shimmered before Prince Viktor and the ice dragon army appeared in the field beside us. He had used a teleportation stone. Warrin stepped forward to greet him, and they clasped each other’s forearms.

“Another battle where I get to fight by your side, uncle,” Prince Viktor said with a hint of a smile. I sensed his pride in that fact. It was clear he admired Warrin. Instead of wanting to be king as a boy, Viktor had looked up to his uncle and wanted to follow the path of a warrior instead. As the youngest son in the line of princes, his chances of becoming king had been slim anyway.

“Indeed.” Warrin tipped his head to him. “It’s an honor, my prince.”

Angels landed in the snow, adorned with golden armor and celestial weapons—swords and long-handled axes. Archers were among the ranks as well, their bows silver with swirls of gold. They faced Michael and stood silently, awaiting their orders.

“That’s cool as hell,” Nico said. “And kinda intimidating.”

“You are to stay beside me during the fight,” Titan told him. “Am I clear?”

Nico rolled his eyes.

“Nico. That’s an order.”

“Yes, sir,” the young Nephilim responded. “I’ll stay beside you.”

Raiden and Titan exchanged a worried look.

Stars shone above us, but there was no moon. My blood felt charged, like electricity had replaced the plasma and surged through my veins, searching for an outlet. Each of my brothers felt it too. The anticipation before a battle. Adrenaline pumping.

Suddenly, a clanking echoed across the lines as the celestial army snapped their heads toward the right and placed their hands on their weapons.

“Pardon the intrusion,” Konnar said, gaze skating across the force of angels before settling on me. He wore a white button-down shirt that fell open in the front and a navy-blue mid-thigh coat over it. A long-barreled revolver was holstered at his hip. “We’ve come to provide assistance.”

Shadows flickered behind him before more vampires appeared. His coven.

But that wasn’t all. Growls rumbled from the trees before glowing eyes lit up the darkness. A massive black wolf padded forward in the snow. Bane, the alpha of the local werewolf pack.

More wolves left the coverage of trees, their coats a mix of gray, light brown, and white with black markings. Bane stopped beside Konnar, and on all fours, his head reached the vampire’s chest. Not as tall as Lycus but still huge.