Unseen Scene—Book Three, Chapter 6 (Adam POV) (Patreon)

Adam is unaccustomed to feeling small. Unaccustomed to feeling inferior in power.

But in the presence of this Anunnaki, Adam feels both.

Farah reaches a hand forward, and the air ripples and shimmers in front of where they’ve been forced to stop. The magic that resonates off of this winged giant…even Adam can feel it is ancient.

A nauseating knot begins to twist and ball in his stomach as he stares at the man.

“Your attempts to save the human are admirable, but they are pointless,” the Anunnaki announces with a shake of his head.

At the mention of the detective, Adam’s instincts take over, and he turns to look at them. The knot of unease untangles within him as he meets their eyes. Such eyes. He would give his all to remain locked in their gaze forever.

That unbidden thought scares him far more than the Anunnaki in that moment, so he swings back around with a yell that is followed by his fist.

The impact wallops against him like the crack of a thunderstorm. It shocks every muscle in his body until they seize with agony. When the impact with the ground comes, he barely feels the breaks that shatter his bones through the blinding pain that already paralyses him.

Breath abandons him.

His mind flashes in panic. In pain. In fear.

And then at the very edge of the white hotness is a voice.

Their voice—calling for him.

“Adam!”

Life forces it way back through Adam’s system. Pain tries to beat it back, but it marches on, until his lungs draw in a breath. He swallows at the air, feeling his heart punch into his ribs crushed against the ground. His head flicks up as he desperately searches for the Detective.

And—of course—they are facing off against the Anunnaki alone.

Why, of all the humans to find a connection with, did it have to be the one that can’t seem to stay out of trouble for even five minutes?

“You cannot penetrate this barrier unless I wish it so,” the winged man explains to [Name]. “Do not do anything you would regret.”

“You read minds now, too?” they quip in return.

Aggravating a much more powerful opponent. Yes, that definitely sounds like them.

Adam almost groans. Not out of pain, although that still wracks his body, but out of exasperation.

Then something happens that is almost so difficult to believe that he wonders if he is imagining it.

The Detective throws out a hit…and it connects.

Small droplets of glittering blood splatter from the Anunnaki’s lip, driving him back in obvious shock.

Adam blinks, but the scene is still there.

Is this magic? A fluke? A distraction tactic?

Whatever it is, Adam is flooded with so much pride that it masks any remaining pain. It’s enough that he can heave his aching body from the ground and jog a few steps in order to wrap [Name] into an embrace of relief and triumph.

Adam’s feet freeze as his hands ball at his sides.

What is he doing?

What had he been so close to doing?

What barriers would have been shattered by that embrace if he’d allowed it?

And how is it this thought dominating his mind when there is still the threat of the Anunnaki so close?

His breath shudders out of him, and the bruising throb of pain returns, making him hunch over. But even through it, Adam smiles as he allows himself a brief moment to imagine what it would have felt like to be wrapped in that embrace with them.