Five

Joe screamed.

A high pitch squeal which bit into Serenity’s bones and made her ears ache. The chopstick dropped to the ground; the words still bright on her skin. She lifted her hands, shielding her face as Joe screamed again and threw himself at her.

The inevitable impact of a larger body hitting hers didn’t materialize and Serenity lowered her arms to the scene in front of her.

Bulk.

The figure between her and Joe was huge. Broad shouldered, encased in tight denim jeans and leather jacket; a large hunting knife hung in their hand.

“Iraziel. I thought, I sent your sorry ass back upstairs.”

“Noah. So nice of you to crawl up from the basement.” Iraziel drawled, through Joe’s fat lips. “Step away from the Skin Writer.”

The knife spun in Noah’s hand and his head shook, blond hair flashing in the dull lighting. “Not going to happen, featherbrain. We both know, Skin Writer’s, belong to the Horde.”

Iraziel hissed, his stance lowering, and Serenity’s gaze snapped to Noah, as he mirrored it.

“Come on, Iraziel. I don’t want to do this. Not right now. This place stinks, I want a cigarette and I’m tired as—”

Iraziel screamed and launched at Noah, arms flailing.

“Fuck!” Noah lifted his hand, swiping at his attacker with the knife. Blood sprayed as Iraziel was swatted away with Noah’s other hand. The man’s bulk hit the brick wall above her, and he reached down, trying to grab at her. She squealed and scrambled to the side, skittering behind the over-turned bin.

Serenity’s savior turned his head and looked back with bright brown eyes. “Serenity, get your ass off the ground. Now!”

Iraziel righted himself and turned. Blood bloomed from the cut in the pajamas, and he tilted his head, hissing at her, “Serenity don’t listen to him. He wants to hurt you…”

“Get up!” Noah grabbed her arm, dragging Serenity to her feet and pushed them back toward the street. His frame was between her and Iraziel, the knife still raised. “Back down the alley.”

“You’re not going to be able to hide her for long. She’s either going to run from you… or the Legion will come for her.” Serenity looked back to the man who’d chased her down the street. He hadn’t moved far, but the sinister grin to his face had widened. Iraziel tilted Joe’s head to the side, further than physically possible. Serenity stopped moving, staring as Iraziel lifted Joe’s hands and gripped the man’s head. “She will be ours.”

SNAP!

Serenity squealed and turned, sinking to her knees as Joe’s body crumpled to the ground, neck broken by his own hands.

A whoosh of air and Noah muttered, “Well, fuck me dead. That was dramatic.”

Serenity stared at the ground, watching as cockroaches skittered across the backs of her hands. At any other time, she would have shoved them away, but right now… she couldn’t even lift her own head.

Joe had been so nice to her. She’d barely had to push him with her writing. Now he lay, in a dirty alley, with a broken neck.

He’d died, because of her.

“Come on, Serenity. We must go, before more come.”

Strong hands lifted her.

Serenity’s head lolled to the side and her knees weakened, as the influx of power started to seed through her body. She sagged to the ground again and the man who had saved her, hissed.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Noah’s arms scooted under her thighs and around her back, lifting her to his broad chest. “You’re going to have to learn to channel the power, Serenity, or it’s going to kill you.”

“Fuck you.”

“Yeah, real professional.” Noah drawled, taking them down the alley. “Luckily, I have a place nearby.”

He stepped out into the street; his boots clomping on the pavement and turned them to the west. Serenity’s head tipped back, her body sagging in Noah’s embrace as he moved swiftly down the street and the man muttered. “You should have summoned us earlier.”