"Faith, get behind me," Killian growled. His voice was no longer human, it was a rough and deep rumble that vibrated through the floorboards. He didn't look at Sarah. He didn't look at the Council. His entire being was focused on the girl he had branded as his own.
"I told you, Killian," Sarah hissed, pulling a small, metallic device from her trench coat. The Nightshades always bring the storm. You've led them right to her!
"I am the storm, Sarah!" Killian roared.
With a sound like a thunderclap, his suit jacket shredded. His spine arched, bones popping and elongating in a brutal, lightning-fast shift. In seconds, the six-foot-four billionaire was gone, replaced by the massive black wolf, a midnight shadow with eyes of molten gold. He stood between the women and the shattered front doors, a wall of fur and fangs.
"Fire!" Vane's voice screamed from the lawn.
A bombardment of silver-tipped bullets shattered the priceless stained glass windows. Killian leaped , a blur of black fur, blocking the rounds that would have hit Faith. He let out a pained yelp that turned into a snarl of pure slaughter as he crashed into the first line of Enforcers.
"We have to move, Faith!" Sarah grabbed her arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "The safe room in the basement—the one your father helped design. It has an independent power grid!"
Faith looked at Killian. He was a whirlwind of violence, tearing through the Council's tactical gear like it was paper, but there were too many of them. More helicopters were landing on the lawn. Red laser dots danced across his fur.
"I'm not leaving him!" Faith shouted, pulling away.
"He's an Alpha! He'll survive!" Sarah yelled over the gunfire. "You are the one they want! If they get your DNA, the Lunar Grid becomes a weapon of mass genocide!"
Faith looked at the terminal in the foyer, the one Killian used to monitor the estate. Her mind, the "Genius Dud" brain that had solved the Red Cell's logic loop, kicked into overdrive. She didn't see a battle, she saw a system.
"Mom, give me that device!" Faith pointed to the metallic cylinder in Sarah's hand.
It's a localized EMP, Faith, it's not finished….
"Give it to me!"
Faith snatched the device and ran toward the terminal. Her fingers flew across the holographic interface. She wasn't just a maid or a consort anymore. She was the daughter of the woman who built the cage, and she was about to turn the Nightshade Manor into a graveyard for the Council.
She jammed the EMP into the terminal's maintenance port and began rewiring the estate's defensive perimeter.
"Access Code: 001-Crescent-Rule," she whispered, recalling the locket.
The screen turned a brilliant, glowing silver.
"Killian! Get down!" Faith screamed.
The Black Wolf heard her. Even in his bloodlust, he obeyed. He flattened himself against the marble floor just as Faith slammed her palm onto the 'Execute' command.
A massive, invisible wave of white energy erupted from the manor's lightning rods. It wasn't an explosion,it was a frequency.
Every helicopter in the sky suddenly went dark, their rotors grinding to a halt as they descended toward the lawn. The Enforcers' high-tech armor sparked, the electronic locks on their suits freezing them in place like statues.
The foyer went silent, save for the sound of crashing metal outside and the heavy, ragged breathing of the wolf.
Faith slumped against the desk, her vision swimming. The silver flash she had felt before was back, huming in her veins like a live wire.
Killian shifted back, his human form covered in scratches and silver burns. He didn't care about his wounds. He scrambled toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist to keep her from falling.
"You….you shut down the entire North Sector grid," Killian panted, his forehead resting against hers. Faith, that shouldn't be possible for a human.
"I'm not just human, am I?" Faith whispered, looking at her hands. They were glowing with a faint, ethereal silver light that was slowly fading.
"No," Sarah said, walking toward them, her face pale. "You aren't. And that's why we have to go. The EMP bought us ten minutes. When the Council's backup generators kick in, they'll send the Alphas. Not just soldiers. The real monsters."
She's right, Killian said, standing up and pulling Faith with him. He looked at Sarah with a hard, cold understanding. "Take her. Use the underground tunnel to the forest. I'll stay behind and hold the perimeter."
Killian, no, Faith grabbed his hand. They'll kill you.
Killian leaned down, kissing her forehead with a lingering, desperate heat. They can try. But you are the only thing in this world worth dying for, little bird. Go. Now!
Faith and Sarah raced into the darkened tunnels beneath the manor. They ran for what felt like miles until they reached a hidden hatch in the middle of the Blackwood Forest.
As they climbed out into the rain, a figure stepped from behind an ancient oak tree.
It wasn't a Council member. It was Silas. But he wasn't alone. Standing beside him, looking smug and holding a silver tranquilizer rifle, was Maya.
"Perfect timing," Maya sneered, pointing the rifle at Faith's chest. Killian is busy dying, and your mother just led you right to us. Did she mention the part where Silas promised me your 'Dud' life in exchange for the location of the safe house?
Sarah froze, her face falling. "Maya….what have you done?"
Silas stepped forward, his blue eyes glowing in the dark. "She did what any wolf does, Sarah. She picked the winning side. Now, Faith….let's see if that silver light in your blood can stop a bullet."