Uri materialises. Too close. I’m so wired, I almost take his head off. He ducks sideways and blocks my blade with his own.
‘Fuck!’ My heart gives an almighty thump and I lower my sword.
‘I thought you saw me.’ He straightens, still twitchy.
‘No, Uri, all I can see right now is that horde regrouping.’
‘Then tell us your next move. This is your show, remember?’
Shit. This is what happens when you act like you’re in charge. The Immundi are definitely back in formation but they haven’t moved. Are there more of them now? Bloody hell, I think there are—how is that possible?
‘Is Nathaniel coming?’ I ask.
Uri scans the beach, doesn’t answer. I try to ignore the stab of panic.
‘Go.’ Mya pushes rain-slicked hair from her forehead. Kohl has smeared down her cheeks like charcoal tears. ‘I’ll send Jones and the others when they get back.’
‘You come with them too.’
Mya’s gaze flicks to Jude, avoiding Uri. ‘That means Jess will have to manage this lot on her own.’
Right now, Jess is giving Rusty a lecture about the state of his rifle.
‘She’s got this,’ I say. I step from the kerb, make sure I have everyone’s attention. Ez is wiping down her knives. Zak dabs his temple where he took a heavy knock last night outside the Sanctuary.
‘Let’s get down there.’ I point to the crowd of Rephaim in the distance.
‘Shift,’ Rafa adds. ‘No need to set that lot off before we have to.’ He gestures to the demons at the other end of the beach. Our eyes meet, and I slip my fingers between his so we can exchange a quick burst of energy on the way.
We materialise behind the Sanctuary army, and I feel and hear the rest of our crew arriving around us. Cobalt clouds hang low, flashing and rumbling, but the rain is holding off and the wind has settled to a sigh. The air remains electric, fizzing with menace.
‘Daniel,’ Jude calls out, loud enough to carry over the crowd of soldiers.
‘Here.’
We make our way through the throng. I acknowledge every Rephaite I pass with a touch on the arm or shoulder, take quick stock of their injuries. Mostly cuts and welts, a few deeper wounds, already healing. I hear hushed greetings and back-thumping as our crew joins theirs. Everyone as bedraggled as each other.
Daniel is with Uri and Callie. Like them, he’s wearing combat gear—black shirt, black pants, boots—his forearms spattered with Immundi blood. Three members of the Five well and truly getting their hands dirty. He gives Jude, Rafa and me a quick once-over, seems happy enough to find us intact.
‘Micah rang and told me what you were facing.’ He glances up the beach. The Immundi are still holding formation. ‘What do you want to do?’
‘Wait for Zarael’s next move,’ I say. ‘That first attack was about testing our strength.’
Daniel nods. ‘He wanted to see who else is going to show before he commits his full force.’
The rest of the Rephaim—all one hundred and fifty-eight soldiers—stay close, tensed for the next threat. ‘What changed your mind?’ I ask.
Daniel gives me a small, ironic smile. ‘Zebediah.’
‘Seriously?’ Zeb’s the least influential member of the Five. He and Magda provide religious and philosophical expertise, they don’t mount arguments for demon attacks.
‘He was adamant we all needed to be here. Himself included.’
‘He’s here?’ Jude stands on his toes to check the faces around us. It makes no sense. Zeb barely leaves his private library to eat, let alone shift to the other side of the world to spectate at a battle.
‘He’s with Magda and the others in a room at the resort,’ Callie says. ‘Your little seer reached out to him and—’
I don’t hear the rest because I’m back in the void—and then in Jason’s shadowy resort room. Two dozen Rephaim turn in my direction—Magda and Zeb, some other academics and IT techs from the Sanctuary. Not the faces I want. The power is out here too, but tea lights are lit in frosted glasses on the kitchen bench. The glow faint enough not to be visible from outside. Hopefully. At least it’s not totally dark out there yet.
‘Where’s Dani?’
‘Here, Gaby. I’m here.’ Her tiny voice carries from the main bedroom and then she appears in the doorway, holding Jason’s hand.
Relief surges through me. I sheathe my katana, ignore everyone else.
‘Why are you still here?’ I cross the floor, my boot heels loud on the timber. ‘Where’s Mags?’
I look past them. A tea light flickers in the ensuite, casting soft light into the bedroom. Maggie and Maria turn from the window.
‘Is it over?’ Maggie asks.
‘I thought you were leaving?’
‘Mum rang before the phones went down—’
‘The phones are down?’ I pull out my mobile. It’s dead.
‘The signal dropped out a few minutes ago. Mum’s with Simon and Rick at the golf course. She’s freaked, but she’s safe. I told her I was with you and that we’re okay.’
‘But why are you still here?’
‘Nobody listens to me,’ Dani says, dropping Jason’s hand and sliding her fingers into mine. Her skin is warm. ‘I need to be where you and Jude are. Everyone does.’
‘You called Zeb?’
‘Everyone has to be here,’ she says, exasperated.
Jason catches my eye. ‘I didn’t know what to do, and then that lot turned up and—’
‘Hang on.’ I let go of Dani and move around the bed, peer out the window. The Immundi and Rephaim armies are still at opposite ends of the beach. What is Zarael waiting for?
‘Gabriella.’
Zeb crowds the doorway. His beard is trimmed neat, as always, but his jet-black curls are longer than I remember. I can hear prayer beads clacking. Magda must be nearby.
‘I’ve met with Brother Stephen,’ Zeb says. ‘I believe there is more at stake here than a simple battle.’
Spoken like a true civilian: there’s nothing simple about what’s happening below us outside. ‘You’ve got five seconds to tell me why you’re here.’
A flash outside momentarily lights up his face and I’m surprised by what I see in his eyes: nervous excitement. ‘Brother Stephen says the Fallen can only be released if we are all in agreement, but I don’t believe that means what he thinks it does.’
I gesture for him to get to the point.
‘I think we only have to be in agreement generally. In other words, not be at odds with each other. That has never happened—there’s never been the possibility of it happening—until now. Here, today, you have Mya, this boy Jason and the Outcasts. As I understand it, you also remember that your blood is the key to connecting with the Fallen, and that this miraculous child here knows the incantation.’ He glances over at Dani, hovering in the bedroom doorway watching us. ‘The rest are here too, every single one of us, united in our desire to drive Zarael back to hell.’
‘And?’ I flex my fingers, needing to be back down on the beach.
Zeb swallows, loud enough for me to hear it.
‘We may very well have the first opportunity in our sorry history to fulfil our destiny.’