Lowering my arms, I shook out the tension creeping up my shoulders and stepped forward. A few looked like smashed bugs on a windshield, covered in shimmery liquid. They wouldn’t be getting up again any time soon, but the others would.

Kat climbed to her feet. Straightening, she pointed at the limo. Rolland was wiggling out, still in his human form. “Kill them!” he shouted, then got all repetitive in our native language.

There were at least seven or so standing, and as I darted toward Dawson and Kat, I knew the odds weren’t looking good. We were doing some damage, taking a few out here and there, but there were still many left. Too many.

During it all, Dee stood there. She didn’t get in on the fight, didn’t come to our aid or theirs. She stood by the side of the road, her hands balled into fists, watching the remaining Luxen surround us. I raised my hand as I reached out to her. She had to join us. There was no way. No matter how strong the pull, we were her real family.

But she didn’t move as the others drew closer.

Dee?

She looked at me and shook her head, taking a step away. I couldn’t believe it. Weight pressed down on my chest as I stared at her. She couldn’t be making this choice. There was no way.

The Luxen were closing in.

This is bad. Dawson’s voice floated through me. This is real bad.

It was, but we weren’t going down like this. I wrapped my hand around Kat’s and she squeezed back, causing light to pulse up my arm. I pulled her closer as Dawson moved to stand in front of her. Wasn’t that either of us thought she couldn’t handle her own. But ultimately, we were stronger than she was. We could take more hits, and there were definitely some major hits coming our—

What sounded like a hundred large-winged birds descended on the forest surrounding us. We turned, just like the other Luxen did, as six dark-colored helicopters crested the tall pines.

They tilted as they neared the road, doors open on all except one, which circled around, sliding the doors open.

I’d seen the movie Black Hawk Down a few times. I knew what I was watching.

Ropes flopped over the edge, spinning down to the road. Within seconds, soldiers appeared at the doors of the helicopters, dressed in all black, faces hidden behind protective headgear. Some went for the ropes, rapelling down. Others knelt at the edges of the helicopters, aiming weapons that reminded me of a small rocket launcher.

It was the same weapon strapped along the backs of the soldiers racing down the street—PEP weapons, pulse energy projectiles. Weapons deadly to Luxen, hybrids, and Origins.

Oh hell.

{ Katy }

Every part of my body ached. Things went from oh crap to FML in a matter of seconds. We were seriously screwed every which way from Sunday.

The brothers, slipping into their human forms, pushed me back against a wrecked cruiser as soldiers dropped to the street. We didn’t have a chance. Not with so many soldiers coming down like rain all around us.

Daemon’s hand tightened around mine as one of the Luxen reared, sending a bolt of the Source at the nearest helicopter. The energy hit just below the propellers. Sparks flew as the helicopter veered sharply, spinning out of control and into the pines. The impact shook the ground, and the wave of heat from the fireball forced me farther back against the cruiser.

A soldier went down on one knee, hoisting his weapon. There was a blue flare at the end of the muzzle, and then light shot out, much like the Source, but it was a brilliant sheen of blue. It smacked into the Luxen, lighting him up as if he had been struck by lightning. There was a vibrant pulse, a whitish-red, and then the Luxen fell backward. As the glow dimmed from the Luxen, it was obvious that there was no life left.

All hell broke loose.

Pulses of PEP streamed across the street, as did the light from the Source. Both sides were going down quickly, toppling like a row of dominoes.

“Jesus,” Daemon grunted as he pushed me to the side.

I hit Dawson’s chest as a stray beam of PEP rolled into the cruiser. He pushed me around the hood and kept pushing, but I dug in my heels, straining around the cruiser so I could see Daemon.

He was moving among the abandoned cars, blue and white light flashing across his form.

“Dee!” he shouted.

My eyes scanned for his sister, finding her farther up the road near a rapidly retreating Rolland. He was heading for her, narrowly dodging blasts of light. My heart jumped in my chest as a PEP explosion hit the ground only a few inches from his feet.

“Daemon!” I started toward him but was grabbed from behind.

“You’re going to get yourself killed!” Dawson yanked me against his hard chest, and as I struggled to get free, he lifted my feet clear off the ground.

I grasped his forearms, kicking out. “Let me go!”

Dawson kept pulling me down the side of the road as Daemon vaulted over a sedan, racing toward his sister. Dawson turned, and near the limo, the flashes of light were almost blinding.

“Good God,” Dawson muttered in my ear. “Look at them.”

For a moment, all we could do was stare. He lowered me to my feet, his grip loosening. We shared the same objective, maybe morbid, fascination.

One by one, the Luxen charged and were picked off by a blast of PEP from the soldiers who had formed an almost impenetrable line.

The Luxen were well aware of the weapon, but they didn’t seem to grasp the fundamental fact that all it took was one blast. But as far as I was concerned, they could keep running straight at the soldiers all they wanted. Have at it.

However, two soldiers streamed up the middle of the road, in between the cars, searching down the Luxen who seemed to have an ounce of common sense and were making a run for it.