Awakening

Sophie tried hard not to think about the fact that she was locked in a cell in a police station possessed by demons. Or about the fact that Akeldama had visited her and proven who the stronger of the two was.

Defeat was a bitter taste, and Sophie realized it might be all she had now. Soon the demons wearing police skin were going to come for her. They would use her and then throw her away, just like they’d thrown Todd away. Her parents would be childless, and the others would be short two Guardians.

The darkness rose inside her. It threatened to consume her, and she didn’t have the energy to fight it.

Hatred and dark purpose scraped across her skin even before Campbell appeared in front of her cell doors.

Five more officers, including the one who’d dragged her in there, stopped behind him. Each face had the same malicious intent.

The same glowing eyes.

Sophie swallowed against the pain and struggled to sit up. If she was going to die tonight, it was going to be with some dignity.

“Open the doors, Debrowski.”

When the man held up a card to the reader, and the machine beeped, Sophie’s eyes darted back and forth, looking for a way to escape.

These men were twice her size. They could easily break her in half in their demonic states. Bile rose in her throat. This was not how she wanted her life to end.

She eyed the men warily when they crowded in. The space inside the cell was suddenly much tighter. Six bodies blocked her way to freedom.

“Campbell, you know I didn’t kill Kent. He was helping me.”

He ignored her and reached inside his jacket.

Sophie’s heart beat painfully in her chest. She’d never been more aware of the life-giving muscle than this moment. It might not be beating for much longer.

“Those of the Light shall be extinguished so our Prince may be freed,” Campbell chanted. He pulled a long, dark object from inside his jacket. At first Sophie thought it was a police baton, but then light glinted off the metal, and fear rose in her throat.

“Hold her down,” Campbell ordered.

Sophie backed up against the wall of the cell.

Debrowski reached out. His fingers closed around her wrists like a vice. He yanked her forward.

Sophie cried out. None of the officers flinched at the fear in her tone as they shoved her to the floor.

They pressed her into the concrete, and the cold bit into her back.

She suffocated, even though they weren’t covering her mouth. They were so big and so close and so hateful her lungs burned.

Debrowski’s arm reached across her face to hold down her other side. She bit him as hard as she could. Blood filled her mouth, and she gagged on the metallic flavor.

He cursed and ripped his arm away. He hit her across the cheek with the back of his hand, and stars loaded her vision.

“Grab her arms and legs.” Campbell knelt beside her.

Sophie bucked against their hands. The back of her head struck the concrete, stilling her for a moment from the sharp pain. She moaned.

Campbell brought the knife up above his head.

She looked into his eyes, praying for mercy. Nothing but hollowness greeted her. “Please, don’t.” Tears formed and fell.

His mouth twisted into a sneer, and he brought the knife down.

Sophie opened her mouth to scream.

The power cut off.

Tristan followed Aidan through the doors to the cell block. The night vision glasses cast everything in a greenish glow. He listened to Morgan and Aidan try to interpret the directions the receptionist had given them.

“She said to turn left.” Aidan stopped at the first hallway and peeked down.

“No, idiot, she said the second left and go through the next card reader.” Morgan shot him a glare.

“Oh, right. These night vision glasses make it harder to see.”

“Do they make you stupid, too?”

Tristan was about to tell them both to shut up when a scream echoed down the hallway. His heart stopped.

“That sounds like Sophie!” Morgan froze.

Tristan didn’t look back as he ran past. He gave release to one of the beasts that clawed inside. Black fur sprouted, and his face elongated. Pain racked his body, but he welcomed it. He needed the panther’s senses for the dark.

He met with the card reader and closed door, his muscles bunching and coiling.

Aidan walked cautiously around the growling panther when it threw its head back and roared. “Let me get the door for you.” He placed the card up to the reader and after it beeped, he shoved it open.

Tristan pounced into the hallway, muscles rippling.

Sophie threw her body to the side the instant it went dark. The sound of the blade striking concrete echoed in her ears. She swung her arm out, praying for a miracle. It connected with Debrowski’s jaw. The surprise hit knocked him backward into two of the other men.

She took the chance to roll away from them, and her ribs screamed with the movement.

Her foot caught Campbell’s leg.

He was on her in seconds. His fingers went straight for her neck.

Her arms flailed wildly, and the blows bounced off him. She couldn’t see anything but the demonic light in his eyes shining down at her.

Campbell pressed harder into the tender flesh of her throat.

Burning pain crawled upward, and spots filled her vision. Her head snapped back and hit the floor again.

Campbell tightened his hands even farther, making Sophie lose her vision.

But she could feel.

She felt the demons inside the bodies. Their slimy beings coated the police officers. Then she sensed the demons shift, and their uneasy movements intensified. All but Campbell shifted back and faced the cell doors.

Campbell didn’t move off her, but his hands loosened enough for her to suck in air.

Oxygen burned into her lungs, and Sophie coughed violently.

A low growl rolled into the darkness from the doorway. The guttural sound was like thunder in the distance, warning of an impending storm.

For Sophie it was like an electrical tempest. Her heart jumped into overdrive. She wasn’t aware of how empty she’d been until she felt Tristan fill all the caverns in her soul. A sob caught in her throat when she realized her friends had come for her.

Yellow-green eyes peered at her over Campbell’s shoulder. Tristan let out another hostile growl.

Campbell froze when his demon suddenly sensed Tristan.

Sophie got the impression that he might have continued if it had been only Tristan, but Aidan and Morgan reached the cell doorway with Jackson only a hallway behind. Five Guardians against five demons were not odds he wanted to gamble with.

Light engulfed the room, flashing so bright that for an instant, Sophie wondered if somehow Campbell had killed her and she didn’t know it. Then it settled into a small blaze around Aidan when he pulled the flames back toward his body.

The four other demons looked as if they had tried to crawl through the cracks in the walls when they spied the fire.

Morgan disappeared.

One of the men nearest the door doubled over, clutching his groin. His face turned green, and then an invisible blow broke his nose.

Aidan marched toward two others, pushing his heat onto them.

Campbell’s hands tightened again.

This time she’d regained enough hope and strength from her friends’ presence to use her own hands. She gripped his wrists.

His glowing-eyed gaze bored into hers as she twisted. He sneered.

Tristan’s panther screamed its outrage, pouncing on Campbell. The hit knocked him off Sophie and into the cell bunk.

Aidan’s flames lit the way as Sophie scrambled away from Campbell and Tristan’s brawl. She could see Jackson entering the already too-small cell. He crossed straight to her and pulled her up by her arm.

I’m going to get you into the hallway.

Although she felt completely useless at the moment, she knew not to let her pride make her stupid. If she was out of the way, her friends could get rid of the demons quicker.

She nodded and let Jackson guide her through the cell and into hallway. She smiled. She didn’t care if she looked like an idiot; she was free of those confines.

It was darker there since the wall she was leaning against blocked Aidan’s flames.

Hold still for a sec.

Sophie stilled as Jackson slid something onto her face. When she opened her eyes, everything was green. After her eyes adjusted, she turned back toward the cell. Hearing the sounds of the battle inside, she quickly prayed the human occupants would survive.

She felt Jackson’s anguish through the anger coursing through him. He wanted Lilli back. He wanted to be rescuing her now, instead of breaking Sophie out of prison. It hurt to know that, and she tried to put herself in his shoes.

Tag team. Jackson, go finish them. A disheveled Morgan appeared beside Jackson. She still managed to look beautiful.

Jackson was gone by the time Sophie turned her attention back to him.

I’m so glad to see you! Morgan wrapped her in a quick hug.

Tears burned Sophie’s throat. I was terrified I wouldn’t see you guys again.

Like Demetri would miss out on a chance to use his gun. Morgan stepped back and straightened her skirt.

Tristan came out of the cell in his human form. Sophie’s eyes traveled over him hungrily. Was he hurt? He was still in the sweatpants and t-shirt he’d worn earlier when they’d fought and made up. There was blood, soot, and rips all over them, but she could recognize and latch on to that happier memory.

He crossed the hallway to stop directly in front of her. Her mouth went dry. Heat surged from him, whether from the Change or Aidan’s fire, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was that if he kept eying her with that intensity for much longer, she’d permanently forget how to breathe.

“Did you get her? We only have a few minutes before the officers start waking up.”

Sophie broke eye contact to see a tall blond guy walking up to them. He looked vaguely familiar, and when she saw a flash of roguish grin, she saw the resemblance.

“Hello, sweetheart. I’m Rory, Ruth’s brother. You must be Sophie.” He brushed past Tristan to shake her hand. “She never said you were so beautiful.”

Tristan growled, and Sophie’s face heated. “Um, thanks.” Tristan moved closer. “We should probably go, right?” She reached for Tristan’s hand, and his fingers enclosed hers. The simple contact gave her a measure of strength.

Rory led them back down the hallway, single file. Sophie used the night vision glasses to step over the officers’ bodies strewn across the floor. To her relief, each one breathed evenly.

They were about to cross the lobby when blue lights started flashing outside.

“Crap.” Rory slid to a halt just outside the double doors.

“WE ARE GOING TO PROCEED WITH EXTREME FORCE. IF YOU ARE A HOSTAGE, STAY ON THE GROUND AND BE STILL UNTIL TOLD OTHERWISE.”

Tristan and Jackson cursed at the same time.

“Where are Ruth and Demetri?” Aidan asked.

Shadows played on the doors in front of the flashing blue lights as the teams outside got into position.

Rory sighed. “Getting the van. We were supposed to meet them out there. Now, we’ll have to find another way out.”

“There’s a basement,” Tristan said. “It has stairs to the street, a back alley.”

All movement outside the lobby doors ceased.

Sophie felt the tension thicken. It blanketed the men outside the station as they waited for a signal. “We should go!” she said.