Angels of Darkness

won’t. We go together.”
    The pressure inside her built.
    â€œThis isn’t a democracy!”
    â€œLucas, I can’t carry Emily and shoot at the same time. I can barely hold this stupid gun with two hands. Do you think I’m Rambo? It’s suicide for me, Emily, and you.”
    â€œShe has a point,” Henry said.
    â€œSee? They will kill me and your grand sacrifice will be wasted. I don’t want you to die for nothing. I don’t want you to die at all.”
    â€œWhy the hell not?”
    â€œBecause I care if you live or die! My God, you are a moron! We fight our way to the stairs together. We have a better chance that way.”
    He shook her. “I’m trying to save your daughter, you idiot! I’ve been doing this a long time and I am telling you, if we go out there, we’ll all die.”
    â€œHe also has a point,” Henry said.
    Karina exhaled. Emily’s life was all that mattered. “Then drink my blood and get her out of here.”
    â€œI would have to drain you dry. I’m barely conscious!”
    â€œDo it.” Karina told him, furious. “You have the best chance of getting out of here with Emily alive. Drain me.”
    â€œNo!” he snarled.
    â€œDo it, Lucas!”
    â€œThat’s nice,” Henry said. “But the Ordinators are coming.”
    â€œDrain me or we go to the stairs,” Karina said.
    â€œNo, we’ll do this my way.”
    â€œYour way, I die, you die, Emily dies!”
    â€œThere is no time,” Henry said calmly. “You missed your opportunity. We are all about to die. Don’t let them take you alive. You will regret it.”
    The back wall of the conference room shuddered. Cracks crisscrossed the wood. It shattered and rained down in a waterfall of tiny splinters. People stood behind it, people with automatic weapons and dark helmets shielding their faces. In front of them a tall man with pale hair down to his waist slowly lowered his hand, smiling. She looked into his face and saw her own death there.
    It hit her like a punch. Emily, she, Lucas, and Henry—the four of them really were about to die.
    For nothing. They would die for nothing.
    Lucas surged to his feet, trying to shield her.
    No. No, this was not happening. She was tired and scared and pissed off and she was done with this shit.
    Fuck them all.
    The coiled spring inside her snapped free. Fiery power surged through her in a glorious cascade. It was time to set things right.
    The smile slid off the blond Ordinator’s face. He opened his mouth.
    The power surged from her, up and over her shoulders in twin streams.
    She looked right into his eyes and said, “Die!”
    His face turned green, as if dusted with emerald powder. He crumpled and fell to the floor. She stared at the men behind him and they collapsed like rag dolls.
    Two others burst into her view from the left. She turned and looked at them and watched them die in midstep.
    â€œAnybody else?” she called out. Her voice rang through the building. “Does anybody else want some? Because I’ve got plenty!”
    Nobody answered. She marched out into the hallway, turned the corner, and saw a hallway full of people.
    Die.
    They collapsed as one.
    They wanted to exterminate humanity. They had declared a war. Fine. If the Ordinators wanted a war, she would introduce them to one.
    Karina turned. Lucas was staring at her, his mouth hanging open. Next to him Henry stood, blinking as if he hoped that one of the times when he reopened his eyes he would see something different.
    Karina looked above them and saw her own reflection in the mirror wall. Twin streams of green lightning spread out from her shoulders in two radiant green wings. Like Arthur’s red ones.
    â€œA Wither,” Henry said in a small voice, still blinking. “She’s a Wither.”
    The memory of burning faces flashed before her and she brushed it aside. Fine. She was a Wither and nobody would ever push her around again.
    Lucas closed his mouth. His gaze met hers and she saw pride and defiance in his eyes. “Do it quick,” he said.
    He expected her to kill him.
    After everything she’d said to him, he expected her to kill him.
    Karina stepped to him. Her lightning wings burned around them. “Don’t worry,” she told him. “I’m the biggest and the strongest and I’ll protect you. We are walking out of here.”
    Henry stopped