Demon Night

phone. A moment later Jake was swearing and yanking out the arrow that had embedded in his palm—and pierced the guts of his cell.
    Charlie doubted Jane had seen any of it. Her sister’s face was tilted up, her lips parted, and her eyes shining.
    From above them, Sammael said to Ethan, “I will not have you contact your Guardians so that they may destroy me—”
    Ethan wasn’t listening. He dropped off the roof, letting his wings catch air and settling lightly on the ground beside Charlie. His weapons weren’t aimed over her head, at Sammael, but beyond her…and now she heard the footsteps approaching.
    She turned her head. The senator hadn’t bothered to drive in, but was walking with measured strides through the open gate, his hands in the pockets of his dark slacks. His eyes met hers across the expanse of lawn, and gooseflesh prickled over her skin. Her fingers tightened on Jane’s.
    “Go into the house, Miss Charlie,” Ethan said softly. “Slow and easy, and put the spell up.”
    She nodded, and tugged on Jane’s hand. Her sister frowned, glanced away from Sammael. “We’ve got to get back inside,” Charlie said, and raised her voice. “Mark?”
    A thump against the ground warned her that Sammael had landed. His black membranous wings were outspread, blocking their way, and Jane rushed into his arms. Sammael caught her in a tight embrace and spoke over her head. “I may have to protect you, Charlotte, but I will not allow you to return Jane to that pris—”
    “It ain’t a human coming this way, but one of the nephilim,” Ethan said in low tones, and backed up a step. His gaze never left the senator. “And maybe now you’re thinking of running with Jane, demon—but leaving Charlie with only a Guardian and a novice to protect her would hardly be ‘doing everything within your power to prevent any hurt from coming to her,’ would it?”
    Sammael’s jaw flexed, and he set Jane away from him, looked down at her before pressing a kiss to her lips. “Go inside with your sister,” he murmured.
    Charlie took her hand again, began pulling her toward Mark. Ethan and Sammael kept pace with them, positioning themselves between Charlie and the senator. He’d crossed half the distance from the gate.
    Ethan had his swords in both hands now. “Jake, we’ve got two humans and a vampire who need protecting. You go in the house with them.”
    She almost expected Jake to argue and insist on being part of the fight, but the novice nodded and crouched in front of Mark. “Listen, kid. We’ve got two women to save, so you pull yourself up to your feet.” When Mark only responded by looking up blearily, Jake leaned in, his voice hardening and changing. “Pull yourself up to your feet, son.”
    Charlie blinked; Jake had mimicked the senator’s voice, and Mark shook himself out of his stupor. “What the—”
    Jane let go of Charlie and reached down, tugged on his arm. “I don’t know either, Mark, but I think it’s bad. Come on.”
    Relief swept through Charlie when Mark got to his feet and walked with Jane toward the house. Following Jake’s cue, Charlie moved backward, her guns drawn, watching the senator’s approach. Jake let her go up the porch steps first, but she had to stop when Mark paused in the doorway, looking out over the lawn.
    “Hold on, hold on.” Mark’s eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. “That’s my dad. You don’t have to—”
    “That’s not your dad,” Charlie said, impatience and fear tightening her throat.
    Ethan and Sammael had been backing up with them, but they halted on the pavement as if drawing an invisible line for the senator to cross. Ethan had vanished his wings; he’d told her once that they slowed him down.
    So would a distraction, and his worry that she wasn’t yet protected.
    Charlie turned to Mark and bared her teeth. “Get inside, or I’ll throw you in.”
    Mark paled and opened his mouth, but whatever argument he’d been about to make died. His mouth just remained open. Charlie glanced back at the lawn. The senator held two swords now, and his eyes were glowing red.
    “Go in, Charlie,” Jake said quietly, and she realized that Mark had finally stumbled past the threshold.
    Charlie followed him, then ran to the large window and tore the drapes down. The curtain rod clattered to the floor, then everything went quiet, and she hated it, hated that she couldn’t hear Ethan’s heart beating—that she had to rely on what she could see.
    Jake