Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“Say goodbye to your friend here.” He moved as if to slice his hostage’s throat.
Wynter’s body seemed to burst as it lifted into the air and shifted into a black, cloaked, oily-looking shadow. A shadow with a gaping mouth, skeletal arms, and clawed hands. Tatters dangled from the ends of its fluttering, hole-riddled cloak. It was grotesque and chilling and gave off a feeling of dread to any who looked at it.
Cain gaped, his pulse kicked up. This was no mere beastly entity. Not even close. And he was reminded of something he’d said to her in his temple when he revealed his secrets.
“God has a liking for banishing souls to purgatory. He did the same with the souls of the Nephilim, even those who were unborn, meaning the only existence they ever knew was that of the mists of darkness and so they became darkness; were branded the Rephaim, the dreaded ones.”
His consort was a vessel for one of the Rephaim. Motherfucker.
The ground beneath the monster rippled and flowed, becoming a puddle of dark water. The entity leaned back its head and let out a croaky, spinetingling screech. It was a call. A summons. And then two of its kind crawled out of the water. Then more. And more.
And, yeah, everyone in the Rephaim’s general vicinity quite simply bolted.
The screeching entities winged through the air, biting and mauling and killing everyone they came across—Jude included, who’d abandoned Anabel with a scream while she’d merely laughed and then run for safety.
Between the Rephaim and the Ancients, the troops didn’t stand a chance—especially since Baal, Inanna, and Ishtar were melting enemies with flames. Their number was being decimated fast, which meant Cain could turn his attention to Adam—always mindful to avoid the Rephaim, since they didn’t distinguish between friend or foe. Cain knew his fellow Ancients would remember that they’d need to do the same. He hoped Kali helped keep the Rephaim focused on the Aeons.
Crossing to the shield within which Adam and his brother still stood, Cain saw that Abaddon was hurling shimmering orbs at the forcefield while baring his teeth at a very pale Emmanuel. Baal’s creature was elsewhere, but Seth was aiding Abaddon in trying to penetrate the forcefield.
Cain caught Adam’s eye and smiled. The Aeon kept his chin high, but it was easy to see that he was nowhere near as undaunted as he was attempting to appear.
“Such bravery,” Cain mocked. “Your people are being slaughtered all around you. And what do you do? Hide like a coward; leave them to suffer.”
Seth’s mouth quirked. “Are we really that surprised, though?”
Pursing his lips, Cain shook his head. “No, we’re not.”
Adam sneered at them. “You think you have won.”
“So do you,” said Cain. “And here’s what I know. I know that it’s only a matter of time before you begin to run out of steam. The shield will then falter, and the weight of our attack will crush it. You’ll be so weak from trying to keep the shield intact that you won’t have a prayer of defending yourself against us when it’s down. You’ll die, writhing in unbearable pain.”
Seth cocked his head. “Just visualizing that makes me smile.”
“There is another way this can go,” said Cain before Adam could snap out a livid response. “You can drop the shield now, while your level of strength isn’t low, and have a one-to-one duel with me.”
Adam scoffed. “Like the others would stand back and do nothing.”
“I didn’t say they’d do nothing,” Cain pointed out. “In fact, Abaddon will do his utmost best to wipe out Emmanuel. And I’d imagine that Seth would fight off any troops that might attempt to save you or your brother—not that there are many left.”
“If I dropped this shield, the three of you would attempt to kill us both.”
“It’s going to drop at some point. You need to decide whether you wish to be weak when it does. Your best chance of survival is to lower it now. You know that. The question is . . . are you too damn afraid to do it?”
Adam’s upper lip curled. “I do not fear you.”
Cain felt his mouth curve. “Prove it.” Sensing that the Aeon was going to do exactly that, Cain backed away, putting a distance between them that was appropriate for a duel.
The moment the shield went down, Adam struck hard and fast, directing a tidal wave of fire at Cain.
So predictable.
Cain slammed up his hand and sent out a burst of power that engulfed the flames. The gust of fire spun faster and faster and faster until it became a blur. A blur that soon began to buzz as it formed into a swarm of bees.
The duel then officially began.
In between zapping the buzzing insects with power, Adam threw everything he had at Cain. The Aeon was the best living wielder of elemental power among his kind, and it clearly showed. Cain repeatedly found himself dodging spears of light, showers of little rocks, harsh blasts of air, and also hails of shards that were ice cold and scalpel-sharp.