‘Shit!’ Eddie roared, running to the edge in the hope that the Z-20 had caught on some lower balcony – but the tower dropped vertically all the way to the ground. The helicopter and its reflection in the mirrored glass fell in tandem, shrinking, shrinking – then smashed like a dropped egg on the plaza below.

The Englishman stared helplessly at the wreckage before snapping his gaze back up to the fortress, still hovering menacingly a few blocks away. He felt the Type 08’s weight on his shoulder, and almost unslung it – but family came before revenge. He ran back to Macy.

His daughter gazed wide-eyed at where the helicopter had been. ‘There – there were still people in it . . .’ she whispered.

‘I know,’ Eddie said, crouching to hug her – and turn her away. ‘I know. But we’ve got to get out of here.’ A stairwell led into the building’s central core, some soldiers already heading down it. ‘Let’s get to the lifts.’

He took her hand and ran to the stairs, Cheng shouldering his pack and following. The other soldiers hurried along behind them. Into the tower, and they reached a bank of elevators. A man held one open, urgently beckoning them in. Eddie and Macy rushed into the car, Cheng and the rest behind them. The doors closed, and the lift started its descent.

Chapter 33

33

Gadreel watched with satisfaction as the wrecked flying machine plummeted to the ground. Before he’d left on his fateful mission, there had not been a weapon in the world that could damage the vimana – but the humans had somehow found a way, piercing its shield and shattering one of the crystal windows. He narrowed his eyes against the gritty wind now blowing through it. All the machines sent against him had been destroyed, but the beasts had others . . .

They needed to be made afraid of the Nephilim, to deter them from attacking again.

He looked back up at the mirrored tower, just one of many gargantuan structures at the vast city’s heart. He could not even imagine their purpose – but despite their size, he did not believe they were indestructible. Smaller buildings had been utterly obliterated by the fortress’s weapons; now it was time to see their effect on their larger cousins.

He faced the men at the altars. They were still guiding the vimana after Wilde, but since its weapons could not be used directly against her, they should be turned against another target . . . ‘The tower ahead of us, where the flying machine fell – charge the lightning spears and destroy it!’

‘Yes, my lord,’ one of the warriors replied. He relayed the order into the speaking crystal.

Gadreel returned to the window. The guns were hidden from his view by the vimana’s prow, but it would take only moments for the gunners to aim them and fire—