Unleashed: The Cursed Trilogy, Book Two by Betty Legend (little bear else holmelund minarik .TXT) 📗

a silvery glow swirling around them. With his eyes closed, he mutters a spell. The nearest visible window glints with a silver glow around the edge of the frame, then it fades.

“It’s done. All windows and the front door are sealed.”

“I’ll let everyone know.”

Putting my hands out, I release a fiery ball of essence into the air. It rises above the church rooftop and dissipates like a small, sparkling firework. Killian sees the signal, and moments later, the ground beneath our feet vibrates. The sound of clay shingles cracking and crashing on vehicles and stone walkways echoes through the night. A piece of the stone wall comes tumbling down. Shortly after, men in blue and gold jackets come rushing out of the exit, their voices of confusion reaching us by the trees. Shadowy movement in the fog indicates Kristo and Leo are attacking. The terrified screams and calls of Lucifer confirm it. Large wings disperse the fog around him as Emeric lowers, releasing fiery balls at the men. Gunshots go off, and fear increases my speed as I run toward them. Emeric’s wings crumple as he drops to the ground. Standing over him, I release my water magic, throwing men and guns into the crumbling walls of the building. Griffin and Killian land next to us, the water magic surrounding them fading. Griffin raises an arm, and the guns are swept away into bushes.

More men rush out, weapons raised. Chaos erupts as the force of supernatural men converge on them. Looking down at Emeric, my heart freezes in my chest, and fear deafens all sound around me. Blood seeps from his wing, his face contorted in a grimace.

“I can heal you, but I don’t know how.”

Emeric takes my arm, squeezing it as he fights through the pain.

“Just like your other magic, baby. You can do it.”

Putting my hand over his wound, I concentrate on releasing earth magic, the thought of his wound healing a vivid image in my mind. Beneath my hands, a golden-bronze glow emerges, pulling energy from me as it seals the wound on his wing.

“That’s it, baby. You’re doing it.”

With a breath of relief, ferocity replaces the pain in his eyes. We stand, and he pulls the angel’s blade from the inside of his waistband.

“Take cover. You don’t want to be around for the end of this.” Rubbing his finger over the rune, the blade expands, fire blazing from its shiny metal. “Go,” he demands.

Taking cover behind a vehicle, I listen to the sounds of shouting, grunting, and curses. A black SUV, similar to the one I saw Kristo and his family get out of earlier, parks with a squeal of the breaks, and three vampires rush out of it. It isn’t long before the shouts, grunts, and curses fade away to an eerie silence. A figure steps around the corner of the vehicle, and my hands go up, ready to release magic, but seeing Griffin disheveled and breathing hard lowers them. He crouches down, putting his arms around me.

“Stay here with me,” he insists. Kissing my temple, he holds me tight to him. “You did amazing.”

“What’s going on?”

“Things we don’t want you to see.”

There’s a cut on his arm, the blood dripping onto his shorts and my pants. Taking hold of his arm, I hold my palm over it, releasing the energy of my healing earth magic. As soon as his wound heals, he breathes lighter and kisses me.

“Thank you.”

Killian emerges naked, blood dappled on his bare chest. “We’re ready to go inside.”

Griffin takes my hand, pulling me up with him. On the other side of the car, the men are crowded together, the fog still offering concealment. There’s no evidence of any men in the parking lot or their weapons. There’s no need to ask what happened to their bodies. I have a strong inclination they were burned to ash, their weapons somehow destroyed or hidden.

Griffin releases his magic, and the exit door opens. Emeric and Cyrus already have their magic swirling in their hands as we near the door. Three new vampires, both in black and wielding guns with silencers, step through the door first.

“Clear,” they call out.

We continue, except Emeric and one of the vampires, who guard the exit door. The men keep me between them as we follow a corridor that leads to a stairwell. Following it down, we reach the bottom and are accosted by the scent of burnt skin, vomit, and things I can’t identify.

The two vampires in the front do a sweep of the room as I rush to the cell that holds Phoenix.

“Phoenix!”

Lying on the dirty cement floor, he doesn’t respond. His skin is unnaturally white, with parts burned and blistered. His breathing is labored, his lips chapped and bleeding. My heart aches, my fear tightening my shoulders, sweat dampening my palms.

“Phoenix, can you hear me?” My voice tremors.

“We need to get him out. Now,” Kristo orders.

He and Leo move into what looks like a control room while Killian and Cyrus examine the cell and the bright electrical wires wrapped around it.

“Don’t touch it,” Cyrus warns everyone. “The wires are hot and high voltage.”

“Look out!” The voice of one of the vampire’s shouts.

Two Holy Accolades burst out of a closet in the control room. One puts a blade to Leo’s throat, and before Kristo or the others can reach him, the blade is swiped across his neck. Leo’s eyes widen as his hands reach up to the gushing wound. Kristo erupts in anger, tearing the head from the man, while the vampire who shouted puts a bullet into the other Accolade. Running into the control room, I place my hands over Leo’s neck, but he’s already fading, his skin turning ashen. Pushing energy toward the wound, I concentrate hard, but it doesn’t heal.

Kristo grabs my hands and pulls them away.

“It’s too late,” he growls. “My son is gone.”

Stare growing cold, his thoughts are far away as he closes Leo’s eyes. Tears well in mine as I watch his