1 | Gods & Monsters ✓

Chapter 19

His energy surged with the wind, forcing tidal waves against the skyscraper walls. Thunder vibrated up Ava's body as lightning crashed onto Gio. Sparks ran through his body and into the ground, sending vipers across the bed of demons, killing them in their sleep. Many burst around him but it didn't destroy them all.

The remaining wolf demons howled, screeching the air with their snapping tongues, searching with their glowing yellow eyes. Sam appeared by Gio's side. Swiping his left hand out, he used koto to freeze many in their paths, making Gio's kills easier than before. They were completely in sync, maybe even a better duo than Ava and her brother.

Mika grabbed his swords, unsheathing them by his side. As he stepped forward, she immediately slapped the Bō against his chest and blocked him from making a rash decision. Impatience filtered through his tight lips.

"When we get to the door, use koto to make a protective barrier around me. Whatever you do afterwards is up to you," Ava said. "I just need that barrier up."

Mika turned his gaze on Sam. "I may suck at killing demons, but you're terrible at asking for help." He held out his arm as any prince would. "Ready, friend?"

Was he joking? She gripped his shoulder. They left the roofline and teleported close to the entrance, but not close enough. The path Gio and Sam made was slowly being consumed by the growing number of demons.

Ava took off. Her running boots splashed water with each step, growing less and less chaotic until she glided above the waving surface. Two wolf demons jumped out and blocked her path. She morphed the Bō into a sword, ready to strike them down.

Mika popped up to her left and swung his two blades for their growling throats. Swiftly, she evaded them. Ava was closing in. She was almost there.

A long, thick spike stabbed the ground in front of Ava. There was no time to stop. She skid between its legs, under its belly. Its black fur grumbled and moved in spiky waves. Green acid furrowed across its skin into a small ball above her head. Shit.

She morphed the Bō into a sword and swung towards a leg. It cut like lumber, collapsed like a tree. The goop of acid dropped on the spider demon's own body, burning and decaying its own flesh. A child's scream howled from its fangs—its mouth.

Mika stabbed it in the head, silencing the demon forever. He smiled. "It looks like I'm the one saving you today."

What could she say? She'd been off her game since they got here. It had to be from the lack of sleep and this god damn cold weather. She stood and waved for Mika to follow. "Come on, sidekick. We're almost there."

The door was within feet now, and once they reached it, she sighed with relief. The vines swayed in the chilly wind, still cut from her sword yet thrived with life. The monitor was undamaged from the heavy rainfall and lit the moment she touched the cracked screen.

"Put up the barrier," Ava ordered.

Without a word, a warm, blue-tinted light appeared above and around her. It blocked out the mist and enclosed the mossy wall of the laboratory. She stabbed her sword into the watery grass, then pulled out her phone. Let's get started.

It was quicker this time after having done it once. Ava successfully connected her wristwatch. By the time she pulled her glove off, Harry answered the phone. "What's the passcode?"

He grunted as the sound of his fingers tapped through the phone. Club music thrived in the background. "Hold up. Almost got it," Harry quickly said. "I'm in the middle of cracking it. For the tenth time, I might add."

"Are you serious? I thought you said it changes every hour!" Ava pressed further into the screen. A ping went off, flashing her rank and name with another check mark.