Caged by Damnation (Caged #2)(67)

"Where did you find this stuff, Hoochieville?" Vixen asked, holding up leather pants and a sheer halter top. Echo pointedly ignored her.

Once we were dressed, Ash cautiously turned around. He had faced away to give us some semblance of privacy while we cleaned off and dressed.

We continued tracking. Nightfall settled; the moon formed a soft crescent against the stars, providing minimal light. My vision and hearing had heightened since the ritual, allowing me to maneuver through the field and then the forest. Ash had to create a makeshift torch from a stick and shirt to light his way.

The longer we walked, the quieter the woods became, until the night was deafening. A few animals scattered at our approach and an owl rested on a nearby tree, eyeing potential prey and hooting in excitement. The trees swayed in the gusts of wind, denying the frigidity. My nose tingled with new smells. I had to trust the others to follow the correct ones, because I couldn't tell deer from human.

Smoke began to overwhelm me. The fumes were strong enough that had it not been for my eyesight, I would have been convinced that I was standing in the middle of the inferno. A fit of coughing enveloped me, as if I were suffocating, but I knew it was my mind playing tricks on me. I simply needed to force reason upon myself.

"You okay?" Ash asked, his voice softening in concern.

"She's fine, it's just the scent of smoke that's getting to her," Whisper said, her nose to the sky. Echo nodded in confirmation.

Our steps quickened, anxious to reach the cause of smoke. The scent became stronger and I found myself running towards it.

A cottage appeared outside the trees. It looked like a home for a family or an elderly couple, peaceful with the glow of a fireplace lighting the windows. Light posts stood on either side of the gate and the sidewalk inside the white fence.

Now that I was closer, I smelled venison stew, rolls and ... blood. I hoped the last was stale, but knew it wasn't the case. Scrye squeezed my arm in support, but it didn't help. I was terrified to place one foot in front of the other. What if I learned that my friends were dead and I had let them down?

The piece of Death secreted within began to vibrate, incinerating my lung capacity until I was left gasping for air. The quickening dispersed, attacking my mind, leaving behind a trail of flaming breadcrumbs.

Furious, I gave into the Hellhound, reveling in its power. A red haze sheltered my vision and the door of the cottage flew open. I entered, while Echo and the others took up stances in the shape of an arrowhead. They wailed at the masculine occupants, who hissed back.

My dress tightened against the front of my body, as if wind were attempting to push me out of the cottage. My hair flew about in a tempest and I bared my teeth, ready to incinerate those standing between me and knowledge of my friends’ fates.



SAVANNAH

Strange sounds woke me from my musing. I wasn't sure what was causing the ruckus, but guessed demons were involved. Vaulting off the bed, I grabbed a piece of the chair that Nicolai had broken and moved to the door, ready to do some damage.

I made it to the end of the hallway and stood in shock. Willow and the other Hellhounds were about to attack the Draconians on the opposite side of the room. The sounds were coming from them.

It took me a moment to react; the appearance of Willow had taken me aback. She looked like the girl from Resident Evil with longer hair, and was much more terrifying, especially since she had a pack of Hellhounds backing her up.

Willow made a move towards Nicolai, who had taken her as a threat. Her teeth had elongated, as had her claws, when I raced out to get between the two groups. "Stop!"

Willow didn't have enough control to stop lunging with her claws, but instead of slitting Nicolai's throat, they sliced across my forehead, which immediately began gushing blood.

"Oh, my God! Savannah!" Willow backed away sharply, knocking into the Hellhounds behind her.

Nicolai tore off his shirt and wrapped my head in it, pressing against the wound. "Relax, you're going to be okay."

I slipped down to the ground and he followed, keeping me in an upright position. He surprised me with a momentary laugh. "I guess we're even now."

Willow fell to her knees, pain evident throughout her body. "Savannah, I'm so sorry. I thought they were demons and ... I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Don't worry. I'm okay It's just a head wound. Someone can heal it; I won't even have a scar." A false smile lit up my face and I hoped she didn't recognize the pain.

"Savannah?"

I looked up to find Ash eyeing me and Nicolai with distaste. My eyes widened, forgetting my wounds, I jumped up and into his arms. He caught me and held me still.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk. I never should have left you guys."

I smiled, dismissing the apology. His behavior before the attack wasn't even a blip on my radar. There was a question in his eyes, but I knew he was afraid to ask. "I don't know about the others, but Izzy, Griffin, and Isis are here. Griffin is pretty bad off. I haven't been down to see him yet ... kind of dealing with my own injuries."

He glanced from my head to the blood still marring my top and growled. "I should have been with you. I'll never forgive myself." He grabbed my face and pulled me closer, gazing into my eyes. "This world would be hell without you."

I was ensnared. Everything around us evaporated as he bent down to me. Then he turned his face and hugged me, allowing everything to flood back. I thought he was about to kiss me and part of me wanted it to happen. Instead, he pulled aside my hair and settled for grazing his lips against my neck. I shuddered, tingles spreading from my neck to my tailbone, and I fell into him.