Peggy let out a loud sob and he spun toward her. She stood with dozens of bloody blades protruding from her metal skin.
She looked at him, stunned tears rolling down her cheeks. "He was crushing me." She gasped back a full sob. "And he was a second away from hacking into my powers!" She dropped next to the barely breathing creature and pulled him into her arms. "Get Toren!"
"I'm here, I came as fast as I could." He looked around. "What the hell happened?"
"They attacked." Francis shook his head winded with worry.
"I hurt him Toren," Peggy wailed.
"What happened?" Dorn appeared next to Maxwell, followed by Kassern.
Maxwell explained and Francis met his father's hard ruby gaze as Kassern hurried to him and held his shoulders. "You okay?"
Francis gasped in relief. Kassern was concerned rather than angry. He nodded. "I'm fine. I don't know what happened, Russell came in, took one look and sniff at Tyler and went ape shit. Next thing I know, the whole brood is here attacking. I didn't know what to do. I hurt one. I'm sorry but I couldn't think of any other way to stop them, but it just made them divide their attack. I cast the four who came after me into the Darkness. Peggy had to hurt Russell. She was holding him back. Dad, they acted like they were possessed and Russell seemed to be fighting to get control. He told Peggy to stop him and she did but then he was hacking into her powers and she had to do it."
Kassern pulled Francis into his arms and hugged him. "I'm glad you're okay." He turned toward Peggy. "Holy shit," he whispered.
"He'll heal." She stroked the beast's face and wiped her tears. "I didn't kill him, but I hurt him bad. I had to."
An explosion erupted behind them and the four creatures held in ice launched for Tyler as if they hadn't been interrupted. Francis' heart lurched. Robert had removed his shield and Tyler was unprotected.
Immense darkness fell over the room and a loud boom shook the air. The light gradually misted back in to illuminate a perfect black cube covered the beasts.
"Be still."
Francis recognized the deep ominous voice coming from the right side of the room. The Onyx Archangel Warrior. Even though Francis knew Zool well, he still felt like a stranger. Zool's onyx powers were as dark as his general mood and Francis often marveled how he could appear so fearsome and dreadful and still be on the good side. Even the other Archangels were wary of the black warrior, and for good reason.
"Zool." Kassern nodded. "What brings you?"
The tall angel leveled those fearsome eyes on the human boy. "He does."
Chapter Seventeen
Miya's pulse pounded in her head as she finished her shower. Had the floors just shook? God, she was nervous. What had she gotten herself into? She had to be insane to bargain away her virginity like a chair in a yard sale. But they'd been so convincing that the fate of the world rested between her legs, leaving her no choice.
And it wasn't as if she didn't want to be with Lesedi. She did. More than anything. She just didn't want it to be like fulfilling a contract. The rooms they'd been shown to reminded her of an expensive brothel, all rich colors and sparkling furniture made of some kind of gem material that practically glowed. The lavishness of the suite contributed to the sense of surreal prostitution.
She dried off and stood naked before the floor length mirror constructed from the same stone as everything else, just in silver white, polished to a mirrored shine rather than one of the many hues of the other furniture. Would Lesedi like what he saw? She might be no great beauty, but the artist in her recognized the pleasing proportions and symmetry of both her face and figure. Unless his culture had trained him to prefer something else, he would like her.
And certainly he would know what to do. She sure as hell didn't. She knew the facts, of course, and even a little of finer details, but nothing from experience. All she knew came from books, romance novels in particular. And she'd often been informed that real guys bore absolutely no resemblance to the heroes her favorite authors cooked up.
This wasn't exactly like an actual romance anyway. More a business transaction. They needed to do the deed so Lyght could do whatever it was he did and fight the demons. No matter what it really was, though, Miya wasn't about to walk into her first sexual experience as if it were nothing more than a handshake. Hopefully Lesedi wouldn't find her little preparations too ludicrous. Surely a shower and clean underwear wouldn't be considered too prudish.
Someone had mentioned that everything she might need waited in the suite for her, and so far she hadn't missed anything. From toothbrush to exquisitely scented soaps to towels thick enough to get lost in, the best of everything waited for her.