Rise Of The Nephilim
Chapter 35

NYC—MIDTOWN

Arcadium stood atop the Midtown library, his wings fully extended. “Slaughter the Humans!” he roared, commanding his band of Nephilim and Epoch warriors as if he had been the Premier Leader, completely aware that Āmand was in the area. “Leave no one alive!”

The sound of large military helicopters whizzing and chopping above filled the air, though there had been barely enough time to launch a full-on defense. All divisions of the NYPD, as well as National Guard units, had been deployed.

Sirens screamed all around. The echoing sounds of gunshots unraveled those who heard them.

The attack had been swift and unexpected. Now, faced with the reality of The Reckoning, Āmand found himself conflicted. Something inside of him―a feeling, a quiet voice―spoke to him, forcing him to make a choice:join Arcadium in his rush to begin the Reckoning or defend the Humans.

Up ahead, he saw Arcadium’s swift flight toward Maxine, who was supposed to remain at his side.

He watched. She did not hesitate to defend Humans. She had obviously chosen sides, whether he approved or not.

Arcadium’s plan became clear to him:commence the insurgency, gaining respect and authority, and at the same time force Āmand and his army of Babylonians to come out in the open. Genius.

“Protect the Humans!” Āmand commanded to his battalion of Epoch warriors and Nephilim. Some hesitated, confused, but eventually followed their comrades in defense of the panicking Humans. After all, Āmand was their leader and leader of all of Babylon.

“Fight well, sister,” Haman said as he stood by Maxine’s side, his sword at the ready, eyes sharp and set for battle.

She smiled and said, “You too, brother. And if you are struck by an Arcadian sword, may your death be swift and painless.” The sound of metal against metal clashed in the air as Maxine, Silla, Haman, and Gaden touched swords.

“Strong to the death!” they said in high-pitched voices.

“Here they come!” Silla announced.

“Sarai!” Haman yelled.

Before she had a chance to respond to the call of her name, an Arcadian fell by her side. Haman pulled his sword from its back. Maxine smiled with gratitude. She turned around to replace Silla in trouble. An Arcadian Epoch, almost twice her size, had been hammering her blade with his. Her arms were trembling with each punishing blow. Her knees began to buckle.

Maxine rushed toward her, leaping over bodies, mounting those that stood in her way. Shouting a war cry, she plunged her sword into his side. He fell with the look of disbelief in his eyes.

Within seconds, Silla recovered and cut down an Arcadian Nephilim, a female, who was just a point away from plunging her sword into Maxine’s back. The two women smiled at each other and nodded.

Āmand rushed to Maxine’s defense as she blindly smote her blade through Arcadian flesh, completely unaware that Arcadium had her locked in his optical crosshairs.

Arcadium felt his blood pulse harder through his veins as he inched closer to the female Nephilim, for finally, he would get his revenge for the killing of Balthazar.

“Sarai!” Āmand called out, but Maxine was consumed by her own desire to save as many Humans as possible.

Āmand cut through the air with the full reach of his wings, using their sharp edges to smite Arcadians in his path.

It seemed as if time had sped up, for the point of Arcadium’s blade came within inches of plunging into Maxine’s lower back when Āmand, without a second thought, blocked it with his hand. The Arcadian steel, many times the strength of diamonds, drove through his flesh and bones as if through water.

Within the same span of time, Kal plunged his Kashian sword into Arcadium’s left side, surprising not only Arcadium but Āmand as well, for now, the boundaries were firm―allies and enemies defined.

Arcadium screamed out. He wrenched his sword out of Āmand’s hand and looked down at the point of entry. A circle of flames scorched the wound.

“You will pay for this!” he said, staring into Kal’s eyes. Without flinching, he ripped his body from Kal’s blade. With one hand over the now-charred wound, and with the other held above his head, he signaled a retreat. “This is not over,” he said, his voice weakening.

Aided by a few of his Epoch warriors, Arcadium retreated into the darkness, vanishing as though he and his army had never been there, though the destruction and death were evidence enough of their unsanctioned attack.

~

“Father, your hand,” Maxine said, staring down at the blood dripping away from Āmand’s hand.

Āmand lifted his hand and looked at it. He showed no discomfort, only contempt for what had happened. “Come, let’s leave this place and the Humans to mourn their loss,” he commanded. “Retrieve all bodies that are Nephilim and Epoch, including the Arcadians.”

Now in the shadows and out of Human sight, Āmand said nothing. He’d only stared into the dark, completely lost in thought.

“Lord Āmand,” Kal called, “word has come that Byzalium has retreated. They were overcome by Humans.”

Āmand did not respond.

“Lord Āmand,” Kal called again. “What is your command? Do we launch an attack tonight on the Arcadians?”

With some hesitation, he answered, “No . . . we wait.” He was conflicted, and reality had set in firmly. He’d fought against his own kind, and more importantly, against the Fallen’s edict in order to defend Humans.

He’d realized that he needed time to think.

“He is injured, and he will need time to heal,” Āmand said, facing Kal. “This will give him time to reconsider his impudence. Then, perhaps we can come together as brothers and plan for a unified attack on the Humans. We should expect a stern resistance from the Humans since Lord Arcadium has so foolishly thwarted any chance of us launching an unexpected attack. They know of our existence now. We can no longer hide in the shadows.”

Maxine creased her brows. “But Father, I thought that we were now on the side of Humans, that we would protect them.”

Āmand turned to face her, anger written on his face. “How dare you question my decisions?” he said.

“But―”

“Silence!”

Kal stared at her. She looked away.

“Lord Kal, it would honor me if you would be my guest tonight,” Āmand stated.

“The honor will be mine, Lord Āmand.”

Āmand held his sword pointed upward and Kal met it with his own. “To honor and our unbroken alliance,” Āmand said.

“To honor and our unbroken alliance,” Kal agreed.

Āmand gave the order for withdrawal. “We will fight another day, for the Day of Reckoning will not escape us.”