It was definitely one discovery she wanted to further explore.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dorn's Brothers appeared in the Inner Sanctum nearly at the same moment he arrived.
"What in God's name is that?" Kassern asked the question that summoned them all immediately.
Dorn shook his head. "I don't know, but it's attacking the entire compound. Hitting at the outer and inner walls with a force unlike any I've ever felt or seen." The ground they stood upon shuddered, the entire compound buffeted by some supernatural force that threatened to tear the place to bits.
Toren turned his ear downward, his wings humming with unrepentant power. Dorn impatiently waited for the Mercury warrior's verdict. All of their powers had been testy since they'd reached the compound. No, since they'd purified. The Purifier was good at what it did, but it seemed to scramble their already unsteady abilities since it targeted spiritual impurities, and since becoming part human all of them were vulnerable to infection.
"My ruby is saying all of hell is outside the door." Kassern pointed at the wall that quaked more violently than the others.
"I feel it too."
Dorn turned at the voice of Francis and in the next second, Maxwell, Peggy, and Robert were there.
"We all feel it." Peggy's mercurial form shuddered with power as she stood with eyes closed, head tilted slightly in concentration, making her look like a rippling human chrome mirror.
"It's familiar to me," Robert whispered. He looked around at all of them, his bright diamond eyes sorrowful. "It's my father."
"Holy shit, you're right." Kassern's wings sagged then erupted to full expanse as the wall behind him blasted inward.
Lyght staggered in and collapsed on the floor. Every one of them flashed to his side and Dorn couldn't believe what he saw. The beautiful archangel trembled as though he'd fought his last battle and lost. But judging by the color of his wings, this battle was more deadly than any he'd ever fought.
"He's bleeding." Robert dropped to the floor and took his hand between his pincher.
Toren muttered curses and hurried to summon the farechtera to help.
By the time all the Quad members made it to the scene, the doc knelt at their Brother's side. After quick examination, he looked up, his brows full of something Dorn had never seen before. Confusion.
The human side of Dorn's temper erupted without warning. "Speak, for God's sake!"
The farechtera shook his head, as though to clear an impossibility. "He's…somehow…dying."
Without thinking, Dorn yanked him up to his feet. "Archangels don't die farechtera, so stop bullshitting around with this."
"Bullshitting? Male…" He trailed off, confused. Genuinely. "I am not being facetious. I assure you, I am not."
The fear in the doc's eyes didn't soften Dorn's anger in the least. "Did you go through the Purifier?"
"Brother!" Dorn turned to meet Kassern's hard ruby gaze. "He doesn't pass through the Purifier. Only we do. Release him."
Dorn realized everyone around him was covered with aqua flames. But it wasn't until he found Sally's compassionate and loving gaze on him that he was able to get control. That the control was so tenuous nearly sent him into another rage.
He growled and released the doc, fighting not to shove him clear back to Aesculapius' Grotto.
Toren laid a calming hand on Dorn's shoulder. "Do you have any idea how this has happened?"
The doc seemed relieved for the question and smoothed his pale hands over his impeccable white robe. "It is almost as if he is having an anaphylactic reaction to humanity."
Kassern knelt next to Lyght. "Can he hear me?"
Dorn looked at his normally beautiful Brother who stared into nothingness, his clear eyes having gone solid blackish red with no way to distinguish pupil from iris from white.
"He's hurting." Sam clutched Toren's arm as if for security.
"What can you see, baby?"
She wiped tears away and moved closer to Lyght, tilting her head as she slowly circled him. "Oh my God." She squatted next to Lyght and touched his forehead.
A soft growl rumbled from Toren and Dorn eyed him curiously, finding jealousy an odd response for the Mercury Warrior at such a time.
Lyght's hand nearest her, slowly rose. Sam looked at it then looked at the diamond warrior who appeared to be sleeping with his eyes open.
"Don't touch him!" The doc moved to put himself between Sam and Lyght.
Sam slipped her hand around the doc's leg and put it in Lyght's. She smiled and nodded at her husband while she tried to soothe his Diamond Brother, tears streaming. She curled into a fetal position on the floor next to the stricken warrior, retaining his hand. And shut her eyes.