Page 15 of First Offense

Two burly Noir were headed right for Layla.

Novak took off toward them, his lithe form cutting a path I begrudgingly followed. He took down the first behemoth of a male with one solid punch to his throat, sending the angel backward into a sizzling spire of fire.

I winced at the bellow the male released, then threw my dagger into the eye of the second one.

Novak pulled it out in a swift move, then slid the blade across the male’s throat just as I arrived at his side.

He handed it to me without a backward glance, his focus already falling on the approaching horde of Noir who all clearly craved death.

I rolled my neck.

All right.

Survival of the fittest.

Yeah, I could do that.

I crouched.

Bring it.

6

Layla

My skin heatedas another wall of fire danced around me, threatening to turn my feathers to ash.

I’m going to die here.

In this hell.

With black wings.

And I’ll never know what I did to deserve this!

Fury licked through my veins, burning a path right to my thudding heart. I wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all and the complete madness of this situation.

Why would my father allow this?

Noir weredying. Screaming.Going up in flames.

This didn’t match any of the stories I’d been told about the reform process. Nora were kind creatures, our wings the same color as our souls. We were meant to help others, to guide them into the light, not fight each other to the death.

“Layla!” Auric shouted.

I peeked at him through my feathers, then gasped as I saw the razor wire heading right for his beautiful wings. “Duck!” I screamed.

But he couldn’t hear me.

And he couldn’t seem to see the approaching blades either, something the other Noir appeared too blind to notice as well.

My eyebrows shot up as he twisted in midair, his wings thrusting at his back to place him horizontal to the ground as he arched backward. The wire hummed across his torso, upward to his chin. His eyes narrowed as it nearly skimmed his nose, and I gulped.

He righted himself as a Noir with black hair handed him a dagger.

I frowned at the familiarity between them and the nod Auric gave the other man. Then they went wing-to-wing and began fighting off each approaching assailant.

They were a sight to behold, cutting down the others with precise punches, slashes, and kicks.