"You don't want to do this, Czerno."
"Between the two of you, I think we'll have a good time," he said, gaze returning to Sofi. "Darian, bring me Sofi. Talon, shoot Toni."
Toni pushed both women behind him, and Darian took a teetering step towards him. Darian's eyes were glazed and still, his confusion clear. Bianca cried out in surprise as Talon unloaded on Toni. The Guardian staggered, and Darian took Sofi's arm. Sofi dug her heels into the ground. Bianca grabbed her other arm, instincts screaming.
"Darian, no!" she shouted.
"It's okay, kiri," he replied in a mechanical voice.
He wrenched Sofi off the ground in a tight bear hug and deposited her on the other side of the gate line. Before the blonde could run, the devil snatched her.
"Get in the car, Darian," he ordered. The man hesitated before obeying. "Now for you," the devil said, facing Bianca. He held out his hand to Talon, who plunked a gun into it. Bianca backed away.
"Run, Bianca!" Sofi ordered.
The devil shot the Oracle twice, then once more. Bianca stared, horrified, as the blonde dropped.
"Now, you have a choice to make," the devil said with a calm smile. "You can step out here and heal her, or you can stay there and watch her die."
Bianca looked fearfully at the pregnant blonde, whose blood already soaked her clothing, then at the waiting devil beside her.
Stay with Sofi. The Watcher's whisper was in her mind this time.
She took one step forward, then another, throwing herself onto the ground beside Sofi. She touched her once before Talon wrenched her up. Talon all but threw them both into the backseat while he climbed into the driver's seat. Darian sat, hunched and unresponsive on the far side.
The car jarred her as they launched away from the gate. Bianca righted herself and carefully straightened the blonde, panicked by her pale features. She placed her hands on her face and winced as Sofi vacuumed her power as Darian had. Awkwardly jammed in the back seat, she sneaked a look at the occupants in the front of the car and withdrew her phone.
I need you. Her eyes watered as she typed it. She sent the text then tucked the phone in her pocket, praying they could track her with the tag Toni placed there. The thought of Toni lying in the driveway made her chest tighten. She looked at the unconscious woman in her lap then twisted to look up at Darian.
His golden gaze was down, turmoil on his face. He folded, face turning crimson and gold eyes swirling madly. He clutched his head and gave a small moan.