Lincoln looked out over the crowd and kept his voice low. “He’s a pack animal. When pack animals shift for the first time, they’re consumed with the need to hunt. He’ll wipe out half this crowd if we can’t get an alpha here soon.”
What. The. Fuck.
I swayed on my feet, looking down at my little brother. He was huge, almost as big as Luke’s bear, and it was clear now that Raphael was using all of his angelic strength to hold him.
An oversized wolf with demonic powers that wants to hunt humans. Awesome.
“Mikey?” I knelt down and tried to meet his eyes.
The growl that ripped from his throat, as he jerked his head in my direction, had tears lining my eyes. He’d wriggled his head free from Raphael, and was now snapping his teeth in my direction like a rabid dog.
“I can’t hold him much longer.” Raphael confessed through gritted teeth.
Oh. My. God.
‘Pull me out,’ Sera instructed.
‘What? No way. I’m not hurting my brother.’
‘Pull me out. We won’t seriously hurt him, but we might have to keep him from mauling the crowd,’ she told me.
I pulled Sera out, and Lincoln dropped his sword. He wrestled onto Mikey’s back half, trying to hold him down. Raphael was becoming weaker; every time my brother thrashed, he gained more way.
“Where’s Clark!” Lincoln roared to someone offstage. I kept my eyes on my brother, while I wondered who the hell this Clark guy was.
“He’s coming!” a voice called back.
Mikey ripped free then. In one thrust, he rolled out of Raphael’s and Lincoln’s grasps, and then stood with his back to the demons, who’d been watching keenly the entire time.
“Evacuate the building,” Lincoln ordered a Fallen Army guard, who was standing offstage with a gun in his hand.
“We’ll take him off your hands,” the demon sitting with Grim informed us, winking.
“Screw you,” I snapped at the ugly demon.
Mikey had his head down and was glaring at me with those freaky yellow eyes.
“Mikey. It’s me, Bri,” I told him.
Movement to my left pulled my attention, but not enough to take my eyes off my brother.
“I can stun him if he lunges. It’ll wear off quick, but it might help in the short run,” Shea said as magic crackled at her palms.
I was trying to keep the tears at bay. My poor brother had been taken over by a monster.
‘Let her,’ Sera instructed me.
Turning my head slightly to my best friend, I nodded to Shea.
An Abrus demon I didn’t know stepped closer. “He could learn more about his powers at Tainted Academy,” he cooed.
I pivoted my body to him, Sera raised and glowing in my hand. “I will cut you if you go near my brother.”
The demon scowled at me and took a step closer as if to threaten me.
I’d never seen Raphael with a weapon until right then. He tore across the space, blindingly fast, with a twelve-inch golden dagger in his hands. His wings flapped earnestly, causing a gust of wind to pick up my hair.
“He’s a free soul. And free souls are mine to protect.” Raphael’s voice was so deep and menacing, I barely recognized it.
The demon cowed, taking a step back with his head lowered, and that’s when Mikey lunged. Not for me, or Raphael, but for the demon.
Without uttering a word, Shea threw an orange fiery ball at Mikey’s right shoulder. My brother howled as if in pain, hitting the ground. Limp. He’d dropped twelve inches from the Abrus demon.
“Shea!” I snapped.
“It’s just a stun spell. He’ll be—” She didn’t finish her sentence because Mikey stood once more, a bit wobbly, and shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts.
Shit.
I really, really, really didn’t want to kick my brother’s ass.
“If he lunges for me again, I’m putting him down!” the demon roared, smoke billowing from his ears.
I took one step into the demons’ black-tiled side of the stage, and Sera pulsed a bright white light from her blade, sharp and quick. “Touch my brother and I will end your life!” My wings popped out of my back, and I heard some in the crowd gasp.
The demon’s gaze went to my chest, and upon seeing the symbol there, he grinned. “You’ve got Lucifer’s temper.”
The comment was like a kick to the stomach. Did I? Was I like Lucifer?
I staggered backward and lowered my dagger slightly.
Mikey growled again and lowered his front end, sticking his hind legs into the air, preparing to pounce.