Page 73 of Knight’s Salvation

Chapter 17

Zenon jerkedhis ax to free it from the demon’s convulsing body, then swung once more to remove its head. Blood splattered his face and covered the pavement. All around the underground parking lot, bodies littered the ground. It was like every demon in the city had crawled out of their holes and decided to alert the world of their presence.

They still didn’t know who was behind the influx. Helena had denied it, and even with her increasing power, this just wasn’t in her skill set. No, someone else had to be responsible for this. But so far they were coming up blank. Blinded by a powerful block that made it impossible for them to track the puppet master of this shit show.

He wiped the blade of his axe on the demon’s shirt. For the last few days he’d felt Helena trying to reach out to him, calling him to her.

He should have been close to death by now, but thanks to Mia he hadn’t suffered an attack in several weeks. The bitch was growing impatient. He wasn’t stupid enough to think she’d just let him walk, and that could only mean bad things for all of them if he didn’t do something.

“Fuck.” Lazarus’s low curse sent a thread of unease down his spine. Spinning, he saw what the other knight was focused on. More demons swarmed down the exit ramp toward them. And like the warehouse and cemetery, he hadn’t felt them coming.

The odds were now utter shit. And none of them were getting out of this without the need of a Band-Aid or ten.

Chaos swung his sword in a deep arc, the blade making a whistling noise that cut through the sounds of war. The demons leading the attack slowed, fear palpable in their glazed, unfocused eyes. Despite their obvious reluctance, they lifted their weapons and came at them. Zenon used his axes to cut through the demons in front of him, making a beeline to Rocco.

They stood back to back and faced the hordes surrounding them. Gunner and Chaos took a similar stance, as did Laz and Kryos.

“Okay, boys,” Rocco called out, his voice echoing off the concrete walls and low ceiling. “I’ve got somewhere I gotta be in an hour, so can we wrap this up real quick?” He was breathing hard, his heart hammering against Zenon’s back, matching his own adrenaline-fueled pulse. He knew as well as the rest of them they were in serious trouble.

“We’ll do our best,” Chaos called from his position a few yards away.

Lazarus waved a hand at the Walking Dead cast circling him and Kryos, sending them scattering. After mating, and the increased power that came from it, he and Kryos had a few extra tricks up their sleeves. But like anything, as they tired and their energy levels dropped, their powers weakened as well.

“Yeah, and if you could try not to fuck up my jacket. Eve’s gonna be all kinds of pissed if I destroy another one. She only bought me this one last week.”

Demons came at them from all sides. He’d no sooner cut one down before another had taken its place. He didn’t know how long it went on, but the more hits he took the more he tired. As did his brothers.

Zenon watched in horror as Chaos went down. Gunner was unable to help him, busy fighting off two demons of his own. No one else was close enough. A demon closed in, lifting its knife to finish Chaos off. An agonized roar tore from Zenon’s throat as the blade flashed on a downward arc…

A bolt slammed into the demon’s chest, throwing it back. Gunner was on it, removing its head with a battle cry that lifted the hair on the back of Zenon’s neck. It ashed out moments later.

A figure dressed in black, like a fucking ninja, stood on the far side of the building, crossbow raised in the air. More of them moved in from behind and proceeded to pick demons off one by one.

Chaos stumbled to his feet and the knights closed in around him, waiting until he was solid. As soon as he was, he waded back in.

With their faces concealed, Zenon had no idea who fought by their sides, and at that point he didn’t care. If they could help him and his brothers, and make sure he returned to Mia in one piece that was all he cared about.

In no time the place was cleared, and only the knights and the posse dressed in black remained. They stood on opposite sides of the blood-soaked concrete that would soon be nothing but ash, and stared at each other. Chaos stepped forward, clutching a deep cut to his side. His fist clenched and unclenched as they stood silently waiting for what would happen next. One of theirs stepped forward as well, build petite and obviously female.

“Who are you?” Chaos asked.

She shook her head.

“You know of our world.” It wasn’t a question.

She shrugged.

Chaos tilted his head to the side and his dark eyes narrowed, studying the female in front of him before he said roughly, “Demi.” Zenon sensed it then. They were all demi-demons, every last one of them. Her frame tensed and she took a step back. “Not another step.” Chaos’s voice was low and full of warning.

“Or what?” the female called back, humor lacing her words.

“I’m not in the mood to play games, female.”

“I saved your life, knight. I would’ve thought you’d be a little more grateful.”

Zenon heard him grind his teeth. “You could have gotten yourselves killed. Take off the masks.”

She snorted. “The only one I saw close to meeting his maker was you, Chaos.”