Rain hammered the chapel's stained glass, fracturing saints into prismatic shards. Garret crouched in the confessional's shadow, claws digging grooves into wood as he crushed a "Holy Redemption" plaque into scrap.
"Moonrise in two." Serena leaned against the cracked Virgin Mary statue, wings flexing in the damp. "Shall I chain you to the pillars?"
A growl rumbled from Garret's chest, fangs piercing his lip. "Try it... I'll shred you..."
Raine turned rabbit meat over the fire, his scaled arm glinting sickly gold-red. "Ellen said wormwood helps—"
"That mushroom-picking brat?" Garret smashed through the confessional door, eyes bloodshot. "You trust some backwoods herbalist?"
A child's wail pierced the storm. Raine's grip tightened on his sword—refugees huddled below the floorboards, twenty pairs of eyes watching through cracks.
Ellen descended the spiral stairs with her herb basket, scarf slipping to reveal a bruise behind her ear. "Wormwood salve's ready. Who'll—"
Garret knocked the basket over. Pinning her against the wall, he snarled, "You reek of corpse rot... like those cog-knights..."
"Release her!" Raine's blade kissed Garret's neck.
Moonlight tore through clouds.
Fingernails fell first. Garret's knuckles popped like firecrackers, silver fur erupting from pores. Ellen crashed through stained glass as the howl erupted.
"Light save us!" Refugees huddled deeper. "Demon!"
Serena's bloodthorns sprouted, merely scratching the werebeast. The wolf shattered pillars, toppling marble saints. Raine half-glided onto a beam, spotting Ellen crawling from glass—her arm bent wrong, still clutching the salve jar.
"Stay down!" Raine dove, dragonfire blade forming.
The wolf's fangs hovered at Ellen's throat when she smeared salve into its nostrils. Wormwood and grave-mold stench made the beast recoil, drooling black blood.
"Good girl." Serena's thorns choked the wolf. "Now, hatchling!"
Raine's pupils blazed gold-red. Primal pressure hammered down as the wolf clawed its own fur. Ellen limped closer, smearing salve on its festering eyelids.
"Easy now..." Her trembling fingers combed matted fur. "I'm here..."
Bestial crimson faded from its eyes. When Garret regained human form, silver patches clung to his shoulder. Staring at his claws embedded in Ellen's arm, he smashed into rubble.
"Satisfied?" Serena kicked wolf tufts. "Shall we dig out your heart next?"
Raine pressed on Garret's bleeding forehead. "Not your fault."
"It is!" The werewolf knocked his hand away. "Should've buried myself after escaping that lab!"
Ellen silently bandaged her mangled arm. Raine noticed her blood congealing oddly into crystals. She looked up, meeting Serena's probing gaze.
Chaos erupted below. Refugees pointed outside—six corpses bearing Church sigils lurched in moonlight, injection ports gleaming in their necks.
"Void-drinker remnants..." Serena's wings flared. "Herman digs up graves now!"
Garret grabbed a rusted crucifix. "I'll cover the retreat."
"You?" The vampire sneered.
The werewolf tore his shirt open, revealing a glowing implant over his heart. "This can level blocks."
Ellen gripped his wrist. "I can fix the suppressor," her bruise pulsed violet, "if you trust me."
Raine's scales steamed in the rain. He glanced at Serena, finding the vampire studying Ellen's crystalline blood.
"Delicious..." Serena licked her fangs. "Our little healer's the real monster..."