Released (The Eternal Balance #3)(2)
There was a chill in the air, and several blocks from the club, it began to rain, which complicated things. For the last block or so, something had been following us. Azi couldn’t tell what it was, but considering the shit we’d had to deal with lately, the demon remained on guard. The rain would make it harder to track the scent and get rid of the f*cker—whatever it was.
As we passed a row of shops, Azi picked up the trail again, the pungent stink stinging my senses. This time it was closer and definitely not human. My fingers closed around Sam’s wrist, and without explanation, Azi dragged her into the small space between two of the buildings.
“What the hell are you—”
It covered her mouth and leaned close. For a moment, the smell of her overrode my system and sent a powerful spark of desire to my core. The demon inhaled, savoring the sudden spike of Sam’s anger, and grinned when the smallest tuft of lust seeped through. I wanted desperately to act on it, to fan the ember and turn it into an inferno, which only increased Azi’s desire—not that it needed the push. It already had a thing for Sam without any help from me.
“Be still and stay silent,” the demon whispered against her ear. My lips brushed the edge, and a wave of longing rolled over me. I wanted to tell Sam I missed her, to let her know that I would find a way out of this. But no matter how loud I roared, she wouldn’t hear me. It was the demon’s words that came from my lips, its sentiments expressed through the movements of my body. None of it was me except for the packaging. “We are being followed.”
The alley was devoid of light, but my senses were inhuman. I saw every detail of her face, from the worried gleam in her eyes to the sudden tension in her body. She gave a slight nod, and Azi removed my hand.
Get Sammy out of there.
I fought for dominance, failing, then let out an enraged howl.
If anything happens to her…
“We will be fine.” The demon’s assurance was for both of us, but it didn’t make me feel better.
Movement on the street distracted it momentarily, and a large black blur flew at us from the far end of the alley. Azi pushed Sam to the ground as the hulking mass crashed into my body. It was a million tons of weight crushing every bone.
Growling. The creature perched on my chest snarled, viscous black fluid oozing from between rows of jagged, reddish teeth. I knew what it was because Azi did. The carnivus was a vicious dog-like thing from the depths of hell, often used as frontline soldiers in war, and it snapped its jaw inches from my face.
“A Carnivus… Impossible,” Azi said, greeting the beast with a snarl of its own. It gripped the thing’s head on both sides and hefted it away with as much force as my body could muster. I was far stronger than other humans, but I still had limitations. Matching the strength of a full grown carnivus was, unfortunately, one of them.
“Hey,” Sam screamed.
The sound was followed almost immediately by a large object hurdling my way. The sound it made as it sliced through the air was like a gong going off right next to my ear. It connected with the beast’s head, eliciting a violent howl, then bounced and hit the ground. The pressure against Azi’s grip vanished, and the carnivus whirled and charged.
“Shit!” Sam screamed before scattering in the opposite direction.
Seriously? What the f*ck had she expected to happen? I strained against the confines of my flesh-covered cage, terrified that if I didn’t get to her, she’d be killed. But it didn’t matter. No matter how hard I tried, regardless of how franticly I pushed, I made no headway in gaining back my body.
Get up! That thing is going to rip her to shreds!
The demon leaped to my feet and sprang into action. A rush of fury poured from the demon and my body soared over the charging beast and landed in a graceful crouch a few feet in front of Sam. Azi whirled and faced the bastard’s onslaught just as it pounced.
We collided in mid air, and the demon twisted my body with a violent jerk and redirected the carnivus sideways, toward the wall. The thing collided with the brick, and a thundering crash echoed through the small space. The creature howled in pain.
But it didn’t last. The carnivus shook off the setback and climbed to its feet, scaly hackles rising like spikes along its back. Azi positioned me protectively in front of Sam, bracing my body for another round. But the carnivus didn’t attack. It matched our steps—us back, it forward—but made no move to instigate further violence.
“Get rid of it,” Azi snarled at Sam.
She made a choking sound. “Get rid… How? Am I supposed to offer it a cookie or something? Give it a damn belly rub? You get rid of it. You’re the demon badass.”
“You’re a Pure,” Azi fired back, my voice laced with venom. The demon’s patience was waning, but underneath that, I felt concern. The carnivus was, unlike other things on this plane, a very real threat—one that shouldn’t exist outside hell, and one my body wasn’t really made to handle. “You are unbound. Use your energy.”
The canine-like creature snarled and snapped its massive jaw, but it still made no advance. “What’s it waiting for?” Sam gripped the back of my shirt. I felt her fingers skim my skin as they wrapped themselves around the thin fabric.
“These are not creatures known for their intelligence. They are soldiers, bound by the commands of their masters.”
However this thing had come to be here, it couldn’t have been acting on its own. Azi was very familiar with them, having used the monsters in its own army during the Great War. That made me an expert as well. These things had brains the size of horses.