I tipped my head to the side and smiled. “Well, isn’t that cliché as hell? How about this—turn away and I might let youlive.”

Apparently the Sentinel didn’t understand English, because he lurched at me. I stepped to the side, reaching up and catching his arm. I swung it down as I brought my knee up, making contact just above the elbow. Bones snapped and the Sentinel yelped. Swinging behind him, I caught his other arm and twisted. His back bowed and the dagger fell to the pavement.

Marcus appeared in front of us. Without blinking an eye, he shoved a dagger into the chest of the Sentinel I’d dropped. The man didn’t even make a sound.

I let go, and his body fell to the street.

My eyes met my uncle’s. A second later he had the Glock raised and aimed. I was so close I saw the tiny spark as the trigger pulled. Gasping, I spun around.

The bullet smacked between the eyes of a female Sentinel.

“Geez,” I said, stumbling back.

“They know they can’t kill you.” Marcus grabbed my arm and shoved me back toward the Hummer. “But I do believe they wish to take you in, no matter what your condition is.”

“I’m starting to see that.”

Solos and Aiden were working on two Sentinels. Looking behind me, I saw that Olivia and Lea had two more cornered. My attention swung back to the crumpled Hummer.

There were halfs in that car, and as expected, they weren’t down for the count. Another six piled out. Feeling the rush of adrenaline coiling tight around the cord, I shot forward with Marcus right behind me.

I reached a Sentinel, gripping the dagger in my right hand. He dove at me, but I ducked under his arm, faster than the half-blood’s eyes could track. Swinging around, I caught him in the back with my boot and he went down on one knee. Something inside me turned off as I gripped his hair and yanked his head back. These weren’t Sentinels. They were enemies, like daimons. I couldn’t think of it any other way. I brought the dagger down in a clean and quick kill.

Hearing pounding footsteps behind me, I whirled and jerked to the side, narrowly missing a meaty fist to the face. Springing into the air, I spun and delivered a nasty I-hope-someone-sees-this-spin kick.

The Sentinel hit the ground, clutching what was most likely a broken jaw. Flipping the dagger over, I started forward. Man, I sort of missed fighting with Apollo. We’d be keeping count—

Hands grabbed my shoulders and yanked me back. I hit the pavement and slid. Pain burst along my spine and I stared up, stunned.

A dark-skinned Sentinel stared down at me. “You could make this—” His words were choked off. Something wet and warm sprayed into the air. His body went in one direction and his head went in the other.

I rolled onto my knees, clamping my mouth shut against the urge to hurl.

Olivia stepped back, her gaze flicking from me to the dagger. “That… that was nothing like what they teach you in class.”

Pushing to my feet, I shook my head. Was this the first time Olivia had fought? For her first kill to be another Sentinel… I didn’t know what to say. And we didn’t have time for a therapy session.

Broken Jaw was standing. He spun around, his dagger arced low. I felt the hiss of the sharp blade along my stomach. Material split, but that was as close as he got.

Aiden appeared behind him and gripped the sides of his head. There was a quick twist, another sound that would creep back in and replay over and over again later, and then the Sentinel dropped.

Aiden’s eyes met mine and they were the color of steel. “Even though that display of power was hot as hell, try not to run out in traffic anymore.”

I started to respond, but a shadow slipped up behind him. My heart stopped. “Aiden!”

Before I could even raise a hand, he spun around like the wind, letting go of the dagger. It smacked into the chest of the white-garbed Guard sneaking up on him. Darting forward, he pulled the blade free before the Guard collapsed, and then threw it again, taking out the other Guard who’d cornered Solos.

Damn. Aiden was a badass ninja.

Only a couple of minutes had passed and we’d been lucky so far, but approaching headlights warned that we were out of luck.

“Olivia, get Lea and go around to the other side of the car.”

Her gaze dipped to the fallen Sentinel once more and then she nodded, taking off. She grabbed Lea’s arm and pulled her toward where Luke and Deacon started to emerge from the embankment.

A sedan stopped behind the crumpled Hummer. Sheathing the dagger, I jogged up to the car just as the driver’s window rolled down. A middle-aged mortal surveyed the scene with growing horror.

“Oh, my God,” he said, holding a cell phone. “I can call for help—is that a body?”

I knelt down, forcing the mortal to look me in the eye. “There’s nothing to see here. You will see nothing as you drive past. You will go home and… kiss your wife or whatever.”

The mortal blinked slowly and then nodded. “I’m not married.”

Whoops. “Uh, do you have a girlfriend?”

He nodded, eyes trained on mine.

“Okay… then go kiss her and tell her… that you love her?” Gods, I sucked at compulsions. “Anyway, go. There’s nothing going on here. Move along.”

As the car drove past, I turned to find Solos gaping at me. “What?” I demanded.

“Did you just Jedi-mind trick him?”

A small grin pulled at my lips. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”

“Dear gods,” he mumbled, turning back.

Shrugging, I followed him and passed Aiden. He was stopping at each body, placing two fingers on the still forms. I watched as sparks flew from his fingers and traveled over the bodies with an unnatural quickness. Violet-hued flames covered the fallen, and within seconds nothing remained but ashes. The air was thick with the scent of juniper, blood, and burnt flesh and metal.

South Dakota had never smelled more gross.

When Aiden headed toward the two Hummers, I turned and saw a body near the rear of our car. Swallowing down the bitter taste building in my throat, I went to the Sentinel and knelt. As weak as it sounds, I couldn’t look at his face as I placed my hand on the motionless shoulder. It too became nothing but ashes.

Heart heavy, I stood. “Sorry.”

Aiden reappeared, taking my hand. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “You?”

“Yes.” His gaze moved to the pile of ashes and his hand tightened. “We need to get going.”

On the other side of the Hummer, two Sentinels were on their knees before Solos in the dirt and gravel. I recognized one of them as the guy I’d flung into the tree. Both were bruised and bloodied.

“Who is the god behind this?” Solos demanded.

One lifted his head and spat a mouthful of blood. Tree Guy laughed.

“Did I say something funny?” Solos knelt before them. “I didn’t think so. I’ll ask one more time. Who is the god behind this?”

“Kill us now, because we aren’t going to talk.” Tree Guy lifted his head and his gaze settled on me. “You guys can’t win in this. They are going to change the world, and if you stand in their way, they will destroy you.”

I stepped forward. “By ‘they’ you mean Seth, Lucian, and this god? You do realize that not a single one of them gives a flying monkey’s ass about halfs, right?”

Tree Guy laughed again, the sound broken and chipped. “And you do realize that you can’t escape him, Apollyon?”

Anger flared. “I think I’m doing a pretty good job at staying away from Seth, jerk-face.”

The other Sentinel arched a brow. “Do you think we’re talking about the First?” He laughed. “You have no idea what you’ve stepped in, little girl. This is bigger than you and the First, bigger than a simple Council seat.”

A shiver shot straight down my spine and I took an involuntary step back. “What is?”

Neither of the men answered. They said nothing as Solos questioned them about Lucian’s plans. Marcus stepped in then, but when he used compulsion on them, they remained silent.